New Orleans @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 31, 2010 ) Pittsburgh 10, New Orleans 20

Two of the NFL’s top quarterbacks square off when the New Orleans Saints visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Drew Brees of the Saints and Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers both admitted to drawing motivation from the matchup. “You know how good of a player he is,” Roethlisberger told reporters. “You know that you have to step your game up because your offense counts on it. It’s an honor to be on the field with a guy like that.”

The Steelers have won four of five games and are in a three-way tie for second in the AFC North while New Orleans is tied for the AFC South lead despite losing three consecutive games. “We are about to hit the tipping point, I believe that,” Brees said. “It is only a matter of time. We are going to catch some breaks, we are going to get some wins and hopefully those wins will come in bunches, but we have to win the first one first.” Pittsburgh’s secondary will receive a well-timed boost against the pass-happy Brees as safety Troy Polamalu (knee) and cornerback Ike Taylor (forearm) will return to action. “Troy and Ike have got a decade of experience of playing in our system of defense,” coach Mike Tomlin told reporters, “and sometimes it’s just a matter of them getting healthy and being able to get back out there and play.”

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Steelers -4.5. O/U: 53.

ABOUT THE SAINTS (4-7): Brees has passed for 3,491 yards and 22 touchdowns but has also thrown some costly interceptions among the 11 he’s tossed this season. Running back Mark Ingram (645 yards) has averaged just 2.8 yards per carry over the last two games to follow up a stretch of three straight 100-yard contests. Top cornerback Keenan Lewis has been playing through a knee injury and an improvement in his health would be a huge boost for the secondary. The defense has been very shaky with the Saints ranking 27th in total defense (377.1 yards), 25th in scoring defense (26.0), and 23rd in defending both the pass (253.3) and run (123.8).

ABOUT THE STEELERS (7-4): Roethlisberger is having a big season (3,270 yards, 24 touchdowns) and he should again be in line for a productive game with the Saints struggling to stop foes. Running back Le’Veon Bell (951 yards) is closing in on a 1,000-yard season and will get the bulk of the carries after the team cut LeGarrette Blount, while receiver Antonio Brown leads the NFL with 88 receptions and ranks second with 1,161 yards. The Steelers allow 241.6 passing yards per game – right in the middle at 16th – and the reinforcements in the secondary should help. Inside linebacker Ryan Timmons has a team-best 94 tackles as he closes in on the fourth 100-tackle season of his career.

EXTRA POINTS

1. New Orleans won the last meeting 20-10 on Oct. 31, 2010, when Brees passed for 305 yards and two touchdowns.

2. Saints DT Brodrick Bunkley (quadriceps) could be done for the season after being injured in Monday’s loss to Baltimore.

3. Brown is 39 yards away from becoming the first receiver in Steelers history to post back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons.

PREDICTION: Steelers 35, Saints 33