LOS ANGELES RAMS (5-3) at PITTSBURGH (4-4)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
OPENING LINE - Rams by 3 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Rams 6-2; Steelers 4-3-1
SERIES RECORD - Rams lead 17-9-2.
LAST MEETING - Steelers beat Rams 12-6 on Sept. 27, 2015
LAST WEEK - Rams were off; Steelers beat Colts 26-24.
AP PRO32 RANKING - Rams No. 12, Steelers No. 17
RAMS OFFENSE - OVERALL (18), RUSH (11), PASS (22).
RAMS DEFENSE - OVERALL (15), RUSH (20), PASS (15).
STEELERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (28), RUSH (26), PASS (27).
STEELERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (11), RUSH (16), PASS (9T).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Steelers have won each of last three meetings. … Pittsburgh honoring 40th anniversary of 1979 team that beat Rams in Super Bowl for franchise’s fourth title of 1970s. .. Steelers have won three straight since 1-4 start for first time since 1976. … Streaky Rams have won two straight since three-game losing streak. … Game is homecoming for Rams DT Aaron Donald, who grew up in Pittsburgh suburbs. Played collegiately at University of Pittsburgh. Two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year made seven-figure donation to Pitt last spring. Panthers train at Aaron Donald Football Performance Center, which is adjacent to Steelers’ practice facility. … Steelers LB Mark Barron spent past five seasons with Rams, started in Super Bowl loss to Patriots. … WR Brandin Cooks will miss first game of season after incurring second concussion of month before bye. Josh Reynolds likely to start, play extensively in place of Rams’ deep-ball threat. … Sean McVay 10-0 in regular season against AFC opponents. … Rams scoring 32.2 points per game and winning by nearly two touchdowns per game against AFC under McVay. … Rams’ last game of regular season in Eastern time zone or in real cold-weather city. … Los Angeles backup RB Malcolm Brown expected to return from ankle injury. McVay expects to use Todd Gurley, Brown and rookie Darrell Henderson in backfield. … Steelers 36-19-1 all-time at home vs. West Coast teams. … Pittsburgh RB Jaylen Samuels set franchise record with 13 receptions last week vs. Colts, most ever by a Steelers RB. … Pittsburgh RB James Conner questionable with shoulder injury. … Steelers second in NFL in takeaways (22). Team created 15 turnovers in 2018. … Pittsburgh’s 29 sacks most over first eight games since 2008 (32). … Steelers QB Mason Rudolph 10th QB since 1970 to throw TD pass in first six career starts. … Pittsburgh WR JuJu Smith-Schuster first player in NFL history to reach 200 career receptions before 23rd birthday. … Steelers K Chris Boswell 17 of 18 on field goals this season. Boswell made 13 of 20 field goals in 2018. … Fantasy Tip: Sit whoever starts in Pittsburgh’s jumbled backfield. Steelers on pace for team’s second-worst season rushing total since 1969.
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