How in the world is Pitt favored by so much?

[John Adams]

Fully agree JA, but I think he is going down in flames today.

 

Yeah. It's hard to argue with that Steeler defense. You almost never see the best defense lay an egg. A good offense lays an egg every few games. It's just how things are. Even if Arizona brings its best offensive performance, I don't see them scoring a ton of points.

 

I was just pointing out that Warner is a pretty amazing QB. He throws the most catchable ball I've seen since Warren Moon.

[1billsfan]

Same here. The Bills of the early 90's were the Cardinals of today and lost, mostly because they faced great teams in the SB. Unlike this new era of watered-down football.

 

 

You make a correlation to the outcome of this 2009 Superbowl and the bowls of the early nineties, then mention that this new era is completely different to that era. Your second point is the correct one. Since this is a watered down league, the team that has the best chance to win it is the team that's on a roll. Arizona is clearly that team, they have the veteran QB who will not be rattled by the Steeler defense. There's a much better chance that Ben Rothlesberger is the QB who gets rattled and throws up a ton of picks than Kurt Warner doing that tonight. Arizona has 12 takeaways in the playoffs so far. It's amazing that they are getting no absolutely no credit at all. I see DRC taking one to the house.

[Albany,n.y.]

Kurt Warner cannot throw when he is on the ground. This is shaping up to be a Tampa Bay-Oakland Superbowl, with Pittsburgh reprising the role of Tampa Bay and Arizona reprising the role of Oakland...if anything, Pittsburgh is not favored by ENOUGH...this has blowout written all over it---Warner is gonna get sacked a LOT this week, and likely will have a few INT's and fumbles mixed in...

 

You can't run on Pittsburgh, not even GOOD running teams can(ask Baltimore)---at least those teams can force Pittsburgh to spend some of their time worrying about it and trying to stop it---with the Cardinals, they need to spend ZERO time worrying about their running game, regardless of "how good" they have been in the playoffs(for most teams, still below average, but for them, pretty good). When Pittsburgh can force a team to be one dimensional, and when that one dimension plays to the strengths of their defense, all I can say is lookout---there is a reason why teams averaged a 63 QB rating against them this year, and its not because they succeeded when trying to throw the ball...

Pittsburgh

Arizona

[Albany,n.y.]

42-17 Steelers. The Cards don't belong on the same field as these guys.

 

Jmo.

I need 1 more TD to hit my #s, Pit 9, Ariz 7.

All one has to do is look at what the Jets & NE did to Arizona to see what will happen today. Outside of the Carolina game, Arizona has done nothing to impress when they play anywhere else but on their homefield.

[colin]

i think a lot of this game will come down to pittz not being able to protect big ben, and pittz having no way of covering the zona wrs.

 

for all the chubby chasing on this board fluffing peters while lets yet another sacker by, playmaker are the ones who score.

[VOR]

You make a correlation to the outcome of this 2009 Superbowl and the bowls of the early nineties, then mention that this new era is completely different to that era. Your second point is the correct one. Since this is a watered down league, the team that has the best chance to win it is the team that's on a roll. Arizona is clearly that team, they have the veteran QB who will not be rattled by the Steeler defense. There's a much better chance that Ben Rothlesberger is the QB who gets rattled and throws up a ton of picks than Kurt Warner doing that tonight. Arizona has 12 takeaways in the playoffs so far. It's amazing that they are getting no absolutely no credit at all. I see DRC taking one to the house.

The team that has the best chance to win is the one with the better defense. That's true now, as it was back in the early 90's. My point in talking about a watered-down league is how the Bills probably stood a much better chance of winning a SB against the competition of today, instead of the powerhouses they faced.

 

And which team is more on a roll? The Steelers are 8-2 in their last 10 games while the Cards are 6-4 in their last 10 games.

[Simon]

I'd run a couple of quick hitch 'n go plays early to those long-arm receivers so as to avoid the licks and make that defense re-think their LB play and their roaming Polamalu.

 

And if/when Polamalu crosses the LOS, I'd have standing instructions for a big body to crush him and his cornrow locks hard into the turf. I'll suffer the 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty if he thinks he's going to try to whack my QB...

I think you've got to run some simple hitches before you tack on the go's. It's a good way to get the ball out of Warner's hand quickly and a good way to get it in the hands of your WR's who are the strength of your football team. If the Steeler defense has a weakness it's the fact that outside of the underrated Deshea Townsend their corners are vulnerable if not protected by rush pressure.

As for Polamalu, don't hold your breath waiting for your shot. He doesn't often cross the LOS by design and rarely in the down and distance situations you'd want to be able to get a shot at him. He will freelance himself into the backfield at times when he sees an opportunity presented by a play breaking down, but it's hard to get a real shot at him when half your offense is running around like headless chickens. I think the best way to hurt him is to let him hurt himself by throwing ill-tempered Guards at him on draws and particularly screens where Polamalu will willingly, nay eagerly take on guys who have 100lbs on him.

[stuckincincy]

I think you've got to run some simple hitches before you tack on the go's. It's a good way to get the ball out of Warner's hand quickly and a good way to get it in the hands of your WR's who are the strength of your football team. If the Steeler defense has a weakness it's the fact that outside of the underrated Deshea Townsend their corners are vulnerable if not protected by rush pressure.

As for Polamalu, don't hold your breath waiting for your shot. He doesn't often cross the LOS by design and rarely in the down and distance situations you'd want to be able to get a shot at him. He will freelance himself into the backfield at times when he sees an opportunity presented by a play breaking down, but it's hard to get a real shot at him when half your offense is running around like headless chickens. I think the best way to hurt him is to let him hurt himself by throwing ill-tempered Guards at him on draws and particularly screens where Polamalu will willingly, nay eagerly take on guys who have 100lbs on him.

 

He does seem to like to square off. He put himself out of the game in one of the PIT-CIN contests when he came in with his helmet on Cedric Benson, who had a head of steam and was running low.

 

It will be interesting to see if AZ gets licks on Ben R. He, IMO, is maddeningly elusive.

[jester43]

still no one seems to have any insights on ST play. for all the people on this board willing to give their left nut to get tasker into the halland hand the bills over to bobby april, i thought there would be some discussion on this...

[Simon]

He does seem to like to square off. He put himself out of the game in one of the PIT-CIN contests when he came in with his helmet on Cedric Benson, who had a head of steam and was running low.

 

It will be interesting to see if AZ gets licks on Ben R. He, IMO, is maddeningly elusive.

Polamalu intrigues me. It's really rare to see a guy who's that intelligent and soft-spoken play with such reckless abandon and fury. Haven't seen anything like it since Walter Payton.

As for Roethlisberger, he's proven to be way smarter than I ever gave him credit for. His ability to calmly find time and space extends soooo many plays for them that frequently create big positives out of potential negatives. And even if you do get a piece of him it better big a real big piece because his strength and balance make it really hard to get him on the ground or even control him until help arrives.

Yes, I think maddening is the correct word.

[Simon]

still no one seems to have any insights on ST play. for all the people on this board willing to give their left nut to get tasker into the halland hand the bills over to bobby april, i thought there would be some discussion on this...

There's really not many insights to relate. They both have decent return guys in Holmes and Breaston with Arizona's return units probably having a bit of an edge as they seem pretty good while Pittsburgh's seem only average.

Both teams have average coverage units with maybe a slight edge going to Pittsburgh. Their coverage teams have been a real Achilles heel for quite a while but seem to have made significant improvements since Tomlin replaced Cowher.

Neither team seems particularly prone to giving up big returns or scoring on kicks and punts. The only real difference I see is at Punter and I don't know anything about the Cards punter. But the Stillers punter has been atrocious at times and could hurt them a bit in a field position game; but this doesn't look like a field position game to me.

IF ST's make much of a mark on this game it will likely be a flukey one that nobody would have predicted. This game is likely more about the Dick LeBeau vs Todd Haley matchup; and while I respect Haley and think Whisenhunt's experience with LeBeau will definitely help Haley a good bit, it's still not a good match-up for the Cards and a slight edge in ST's is not likely to negate that.

[OrangeJuiceSimpson]

I need 1 more TD to hit my #s, Pit 9, Ariz 7.

All one has to do is look at what the Jets & NE did to Arizona to see what will happen today. Outside of the Carolina game, Arizona has done nothing to impress when they play anywhere else but on their homefield.

 

Warner had a pretty good game against the Jets. The D just had a really bad day.

[Georgia Bill]

I think the Cards bubble gets burst tonight. They have not played a team of Pittsburgh's caliber yet in the playoffs. Their luck runs out tonight.