<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Steelerfan_2004)</div><div class='quotemain'>My keys to victory are: 1. Control the clock with the running game - If Staley can run for 100 yards and we can win the time of possession game, we can win. 2. Win the turnover battle - it seems obvious, but if we can avoid stupid turnovers and create one or two, we'll be in good shape. 3. Don't put Roethlisberger in a bad situation - If we can keep the game close, we can win. If we get down by more than 14, it could be a long day. 4. Keep pressure on Brady - If we can keep pressure on Brady and make him throw some bad balls, we will win key #2. 5. Don't overthink the game - Playing New England is mental chess. If we don't overthink it and play our ball, we can win. Being intimidated will only cause us to implode.</div> I'd pat (no pun intended) myself on the back because these keys were dead on, but this should be our gameplan every week. Bottom line is if you do these things as an NFL team, you should win every week. Control the clock, have success running the ball, and never ask anyone to do more than they are capable of. It was a fun game to be a Steeler fan watching, but I'm sure the Pats will rebound and hopefully there will be a rematch when it counts. I know Pats, Bakes, and Glenso probably need a few days to recover and mourn, but I'll be curious to their reactions. Belicheck and the Patriot team were class acts talking about the game. No excuses...
well i had a feeling we'd lose & with all the injuries(not an excuse) it was not looking good for the boys in silver & blue.
Wow that seems SO long ago... Well I'm back. I had sum personal issues to take care of. I don't plan on being a stranger no more. In January there's 2 things u can be assured of here in New England; snow & the pats in the playoffs We'd be hosting this AFC title game if it weren't for 2 missed FGs by the Jets. Instead we travel back to Pitt where we suffered our worst defeat in a long time. Like Belichick said if we play Pitt like we did Indy we'll get killed. Not b/c we played poorly but b/c they're 2 completely different teams to defend. Yes the Steelers beat us in the regular season. Yes Big Ben has had an amazing rookie year. However the Pats were w/o Dillon for that game & with Brady's playoff experience we deserve to be the favorite. The key to the game will be turnovers IMO. Neither defense allows much to be gained via the run. Therefore the QBs will be called upon a great deal to move the chains. I expect the Pats to open the game with a number of screen plays early. If successful that should get Pitt's DBs to move up & the LBs to stay back. Giving Brady & his WRs time to go long. And the reason it should be successful is the threat of Corey Dillon. The biggest concern defensively will be the huge size advantage the Steelers have with WR Plaxico Burress. That size advantage was exposed in both loses this year. However if the Pats can contain Bettis/Staley & force Roethli-something into 3rd & longs, that should allow the defense to double up on Plax. My prediction: Pats 17 Steelers 13
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bakes781)</div><div class='quotemain'>Wow that seems SO long ago... Well I'm back. I had sum personal issues to take care of. I don't plan on being a stranger no more. In January there's 2 things u can be assured of here in New England; snow & the pats in the playoffs We'd be hosting this AFC title game if it weren't for 2 missed FGs by the Jets. Instead we travel back to Pitt where we suffered our worst defeat in a long time. Like Belichick said if we play Pitt like we did Indy we'll get killed. Not b/c we played poorly but b/c they're 2 completely different teams to defend. Yes the Steelers beat us in the regular season. Yes Big Ben has had an amazing rookie year. However the Pats were w/o Dillon for that game & with Brady's playoff experience we deserve to be the favorite. The key to the game will be turnovers IMO. Neither defense allows much to be gained via the run. Therefore the QBs will be called upon a great deal to move the chains. I expect the Pats to open the game with a number of screen plays early. If successful that should get Pitt's DBs to move up & the LBs to stay back. Giving Brady & his WRs time to go long. And the reason it should be successful is the threat of Corey Dillon. The biggest concern defensively will be the huge size advantage the Steelers have with WR Plaxico Burress. That size advantage was exposed in both loses this year. However if the Pats can contain Bettis/Staley & force Roethli-something into 3rd & longs, that should allow the defense to double up on Plax. My prediction: Pats 17 Steelers 13</div> Allow me to retort... First of all, welcome back to the forums bakes. Just in time too! It's going to be a great game with two teams trading haymakers all day. The team that hits harder and last will most likely win. As for you being favorites.... Vegas made you the favorites, the gamblers made you the favorites. Deserve? Not so sure how anyone deserves to be the favorites on the road against a team that smashed them earlier in the season. But that doesn't concern me. I'm glad we're home dogs... call it motivation. I agree with your first statement. Turnovers will be the key. Both teams will be conservative to a degree as to protect the ball. One big play could be the difference. That's about where our agreeing stops. Due to the winds and weather conditions, I doubt you'll see much of a vertical passing game. No one used it in Foxboro last Sunday, and the weather is supposed to be worse on Sunday here in Pittsburgh. My last, but not least, comment is that we will run the ball. And I think we can contain Dillon. If Brady is forced to throw in those conditions, it could be lights out for the Champion. Expect no more than 15-20 pass attempts from Ben. What you might see are some QB bootlegs. He's big and can move. I'm sticking to it.... Steelers 27 Patriots 10
I'm really surprised you feel that confident. I have two predictions for the game, weather and score. First the conditions are suppose to be better in Pittsburgh. The snow should be done,(regardless of what some sports writers put in there articles today) winds 5-10 mph but very cold. Obviously not favorable for a passing attack but not enough to shut it down. The running game, I dont expect either team to gain too much on the ground. Lets not forget the steelers actually rank in the lower half in the NFL for yards per attempt. And unless the Pats give you a 21-3 point lead, dont expect nearly as much rushing yards as before. Patriots 16 Steelers 10
Objective, subjective... I mean why shouldn't I be confident? When you beat a team 34-20, some of the glitter and mystique fades. We have a better defense, a better offensive line, and the game is at home. Even if it's truly a 50-50 deal, there's no reason to fear the game. The weather is a hard thing to predict. You weren't supposed to have snow last weekend, but you did. The forecast will change here probably more than once between now and Sunday. There's a possibility for a big storm over the weekend. We'll see...
This is the weather report today for Sunday. It will change.... Day Few Snow Showers High 21?F Precip 30% Wind: N 10 mph Max. Humidity: 81% UV Index: 2 Low Sunrise: 7:37 AM ET Avg. High: 37?F Record High: N/A?F (N/A) Night Partly Cloudy Overnight Low 7?F Precip 10% Wind: WNW 5 mph Max. Humidity: 81% Sunset: 5:28 PM ET Avg. Low: 19?F Record Low: N/A?F (N/A)
Do u really think that game is a good barometer for how this Sunday's game will play out? We were w/o Corey Dillon, arguably the MVP of this team. You're star rookie just had the worst game of his NFL career last week. Brady is UNdefeated in the playoffs. Yet you're confident in Pitt?
I don't believe Brady or Roethlisberger will have much to do with who wins. Defense and controlling (running) the ball and protecting the ball will be the keys. If Brady can come in to Pittsburgh in sub-zero temps (wind chill) and win the game for New England, so be it. I doubt Cowher will ask Ben to do that for us. And if he does, it might be his legs, not his arm that make the difference. And I know it's hard to believe since the Patriots "seem" unbeatable, but I'm so confident that I'm wagering on the game this weekend. And I don't do that very often.
As for the last game being a barometer, I would say no it isn't. But it did help instill confidence in the team. And for that reason, I think we have a mental edge.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Steelerfan_2004)</div><div class='quotemain'>As for the last game being a barometer, I would say no it isn't. But it did help instill confidence in the team. And for that reason, I think we have a mental edge.</div> Isnt that what every team felt the second time they face the pats in a season and the pats are 13-0 in those games.
If Big Ben tries to run a bootleg Cowher better have his backup ready. Both teams are tuff against the run. That is why I believe it will be ultimately up to the QBs to get any semblance of offense. I'll take the 2-time SB MVP over a rookie any day.
The OL I'll give you, but do u honestly think your D would've done nearly as good as what our's did against Indy?
