Week 16 Staff Predictions – Steelers at Lions

Everyone is back on the schnide this week with the Lions expected to beat up the Steelers in Ford Field. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives, and both are missing key contributors, but the Steelers are worse off than the Lions.

In terms of the pick-em, no changes as everyone picked the Lions to lose and this week everyone is picking the Lions to win, only the tie breaker will see movement. Dan continues to hold a slim lead due to the tie breaker

Mike

Week 16 has the Pittsburgh Steelers visiting Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions in their last home game of the year (Unless something wild and whacky happens with the Playoffs).

This is not your Fathers Steelers team. However, they have one of the biggest Lion Killers ever as their QB. The Steelers come into this matchup as the # 27 Ranked Defense averaging 288.1 yds/gm. They average 195 yds/gm passing and are averaging 92.5 yds/gm rushing the ball. These numbers are not good. On the other side of the ball the Lions Defense comes in limping a little bit both figuratively and literally. The last 4 weeks have been tough for Kelvin Sheppard and the Lions Defense, giving up a ton of yards and points over that time span. The Lions come into this game ranked 21st overall and are giving up on average 337 yds/gm. Pass Defense is giving up an average of 231 yds/gam and 106.7 yds on average on the ground per game. These numbers are not good enough for this Lions team. The Defensive Backfield needs a good game this week. It will again be tough missing ¾ of your starters there, but the next man up mentality and GRIT needs to be strong against the likes of Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf. The Front 7 needs to stop the run and rattle Mr. Rodgers a little bit this week.

On Defense the Steelers are in the bottom fourth of the league coming in Ranked 28th. The Steelers give up an average of 363 yards per game. They are giving up 242 yds/gm through the air and 121 yds/gm on the ground. These are not good numbers. The Lions come in as the #4 Offense overall. The Lions average 379 yards per game.

This game has potential for a Blowout the Lions are 6.5-point favorites in this game per Fan Dual on 12/19/2025. This should be a “get right game” for the Lions. They are a better team than the Steelers, they are playing in one of the best home fields in the NFL, they are fighting for their Playoff life. There is really no excuse for a loss here. The Lions need to come out fast and keep the throttle to the floor for the whole game. I think the Lions win going away, even with a makeshift Defensive Backfield.

Lions 35, Steelers 17

Brent

The Detroit Lions face the Pittsburgh Steelers this week at Ford Field in a true must-win matchup. With three games remaining in the regular season, the Lions hold a staggering 96% probability of making the playoffs if they win out, and everything starts at home against Pittsburgh.

Detroit’s clear strength is its offense, a unit loaded with playmakers at every level. Quarterback Jared Goff commands an attack fueled by the explosive backfield duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, while Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams provide speed, precision, and big-play potential on the outside. When this offense is in rhythm, it can score from anywhere on the field.

For the Lions to control this game, establishing the run will be critical. Pittsburgh will stack the box early, determined to prevent Detroit from finding rhythm on the ground. That makes the play-action passing game essential and when Goff is effective off play action, the Lions offense becomes extremely difficult to defend. Against a Steelers defense that has been solid but middle-of-the-road, Detroit has a clear opportunity to get its weapons loose and dictate the tempo.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Lions are very much a MASH unit, as injuries have devastated what was once the NFL’s best safety tandem. In recent weeks, Detroit has struggled to stop the run and has surrendered too many explosive plays, putting added pressure on an already thin secondary.

That plays directly into Pittsburgh’s offensive identity. The Steelers will look to control the clock, establish the running game, and keep Detroit’s high-powered offense on the sideline. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is no longer the gunslinger of his early years, but he remains efficient and dangerous if given time in the pocket.

To counter that, the Lions will need to be aggressive and creative. Expect defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to dial up multiple blitz packages, disguise coverages, and force quick decisions. Ultimately, Detroit will be counting on its safeties and depth players to hold up and limit big plays. If the defense can get timely stops and avoid costly breakdowns, it should be enough to complement the offense.

In the end, the raucous crowd at Ford Field will be celebrating early and often. Fueled by home-field energy and a high-powered offense, Detroit continues its quest to reach the playoffs for the third straight season. The Lions make a statement in front of the Grey Manes faithful.

Lions 38, Steelers 17

Chris

The Lions head into this one needing a victory to realistically in the playoff race, and frankly, the matchup favors them in almost every phase. Detroit's offensive line should dominate at the point of attack, giving Sonic and Knuckles room to operate while Goff picks apart a secondary that's struggled against play-action all season. The real question isn't whether the Lions can move the ball. It's whether they'll stay disciplined enough to avoid self-inflicted wounds and not continue give up a league-worst amount of explosive plays on the backend.

Defensively, Hutch and the pass rush need to set the tone early. If they can rattle Rodgers and force mistakes, this game gets ugly fast. I just wish Kerby was healthy for this one, as he has always had Aaron Rodgers' number.

Expect the Lions to control the clock, win the trenches, and put this one away in the second half.

Lions 31, Steelers 20

Dan

Guess what time it is? Time for Lions to win on that alternating schedule. This week brings in old nemesis Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they are missing quite a few key pieces on their defense and Offensive Line.

Defensively, these teams are very close to one another, much more so than the Rams last week, in terms of stats and what we should expect. The big difference will be that the Steelers are losing pass rushing help, which should allow the Lions to have free will on offense and likely come close to one of their patented offensive explosions. The Lions do get Thomas Harper back to help stabilize the DBs, but Amik will be in a club and the Steelers feature DK Metcalf and a TE that is the size of an OL, so I expect them to score through the air even though their ground game is putrid.

Conversely, the Pittsburgh offense is below average across the board other than Passing TDs. They are bottom third everywhere, while the Lions continue to be a top 5 offense in most categories. This has the markings of a shootout, with the Lions defense getting enough stops to hold the Steelers to their avg Pts per game of 24 because their OL is pretty beat up.

Lions 38, Steelers 24