Steelers stumbling but could be set to regroup

Almost everything Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says carries an authoritative tone. Tomlin is a confident leader, and when he talks, his words resonate.

Lately, though, Tomlin has been full of hot air and empty threats. He said the Steelers would "unleash hell" after a loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 29.

What followed was a hell of a disaster -- back-to-back losses to the lowly Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. The defending Super Bowl champs are on a five-game losing streak, turned into chumps by some of the NFL's worst teams.

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked so many times, he might be safer riding a motorcycle than dropping back to pass. And the Steelers' junkyard-dog defense lost its teeth when safety Troy Polamalu went down to injury.

Polamalu won't play again Sunday when Pittsburgh (6-7) hosts the playoff-bound Green Bay Packers (9-4). The Steelers are 2-point home favorites, and it's questionable whether they should be favored.

Conventional wisdom is the Packers' Aaron Rodgers, an accurate passer with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions, will cut up the Polamalu-less Pittsburgh secondary. That probably will happen, too. But Rodgers has been sacked 48 times, 10 more than Roethlisberger.

This might be the week when the Steelers regroup and show some fight. Tomlin has a veteran team that's unlikely to throw in the towel in terrible times.

Wide receiver Hines Ward called Pittsburgh's pitiful free fall "embarrassing," and it's clear the Steelers are desperate to find a way to stop their losing streak.

Rarely do you see Pittsburgh lay less than a field goal at home, so the line is appealing, and the timing might be right.

The Packers are on a roll, winning five in a row, but they also are playing on the road for the second consecutive week. The NFC is strong at the top but soft in the middle, and Green Bay is in a position where it can lose and still be in good shape for the postseason.

With Tomlin facing adversity and his team backed into a corner, I'll take a shot and bet on the Steelers to win for a change.

Four more plays for Week 15 (Home team in CAPS):

• SAINTS (-7) over Cowboys: Dallas could be missing top pass rusher DeMarcus Ware because of a sprained neck, and that would make things easier on Drew Brees. In the last meeting between these teams, in December 2006, Brees passed for 384 yards and five touchdowns in New Orleans' 42-17 win. Cowboys coach Wade Phillips has lost six straight against the spread on the road in December. The Saints have been playing with fire in recent narrow victories, but they did blow out New England and the New York Giants at home.

• BILLS (+7) over Patriots: It could be that Tom Brady is ready to bust loose and New England is primed for a late-season rally. But that perception of the Patriots might not be reality. Bill Belichick, 0-5 straight up in true road games this season, has not found many answers since New England's lucky season-opening win over the Bills. Look for an improved Buffalo defense to keep it close.

• Bears (+11) over RAVENS: The outlook is bleak for the Bears, who are thin on defense and incapable of overcoming Jay Cutler's interceptions. But Baltimore is unreliable as a double-digit favorite. Expect the Ravens to run Ray Rice and win a low-scoring game in the cold and snow.

• REDSKINS (+3) over Giants: Washington, which has covered five straight games, should have upset the Saints two weeks ago. The Redskins are showing obvious improvement. The Giants still are crippled by a weak defense and Eli Manning's errors. The home underdog will be motivated to hurt the Giants' playoff hopes Monday night.

Last week: 3-2 against the spread

Season: 33-35-2

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports writer Matt Youmans can be reached at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.