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Two playoff teams from 2020 meet in Week 1 when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Buffalo Bills to kick off the 2021 season. The Bills beat the Steelers 26-15 in last season’s meeting en route to a 13-3 campaign ending in the AFC championship game.
The Steelers bring a stout defense to Buffalo, but the big question mark will be quaterback Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to throw the ball downfield. Roethlisberger was good to start the season, but declined down the stretch before imploding in the playoffs. The Steelers have talented receivers, so Roethlisberger’s ability will determine how far the offense can go. On the flip side, the Bills hope QB Josh Allen can be an MVP candidate with Stefon Diggs hoping to further stake his claim as the league’s best wide receiver.
TV Info
Date: Sunday, September 12th
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Broadcast map
The Bills are favored at -6.5 according to DraftKings Sportsbook, a decent jump from the initial -5 line. Allen is a rising star among quarterbacks after years of many questioning his accuracy. Diggs has shown he can be a top receiver, while Buffalo’s host of running backs should provide solid production. If Buffalo’s defense can do what it did to Roethlisberger last year again, this could be a long day for Pittsburgh. The Steelers will need to force Allen into turnovers if they want to spring the upset Week 1.