Good stuff.

I’ve been too busy to write like I want to :( but I believe that FWP is going to be the game’s MVP. I too agree that if we can run it, this one’s history.

who covers Nate the Great? Would it be Rolle?

Maybe some opportunities on that side?

San Diego’s defense had also played very well the weekend before they came to Pittsburgh, shutting down Peyton Manning and a red-hot Colts team. In that context I thought the Steeler offense looked astonishingly good in that game.

In any case, though, great breakdown. If our defense plays the way they have all year, and the offense can control the ball and the clock the way they did against the Chargers, it’s going to be very, very hard for AZ to win this game.

I think the Steelers are gonna come out like they did vs the Colts during SB XL run.

If I were a betting man, I’d bet that they take to the air early and often and shift more and more to the run once they get a lead and then they’ll put in some long bomb attempts mixed in with the run.

The above assumes the plan works…if they are behind, expect even more passing.

Of course I could be wrong and they will establish the run first….but if they want to put the Cards on their heels, they’ll want a fast strike and make them feel like they have to catch up.

The Eagles scored 25 points, which would have been 30 if Akers didn’t have a horrible day, missing an XP and a 47-yard FG (indoors). And it could easily have been 34 or 38 points if McNabb didn’t make some awful throws to wide-open receivers, as Troy Aikman highlighted on TV.

The Eagles rang up 454 yards of total offense, including 357 yards passing. They had only 97 yards rushing because they were behind most of the day, but they still averaged a whopping 5.4 yards per rush. Heck, the Cardinals forced only one punt the entire game. And I don’t consider the Eagles to be an elite offense. They have a great RB, a good QB, and what else?

So the Cardinals D put up good numbers against a rookie QB and a QB that was having trouble remembering which color jerseys his teammates were wearing. They got ripped by a reasonably competent offense, despite having home-field advantage. As long as Big Ben doesn’t start throwing the ball to the wrong team, I don’t see why the Steelers can’t put up at least as many points as the Eagles did. Or as many as they scored against the Chargers.

But I think there is a caveat. If our Defense can get consistent pressure in their backfield then Arizona’s will counter with a short passing offense which would probably lower the score even more.

Ultimately I think the game hinges on our ability to run out the clock by running/scoring and limiting their time on of possession.

Been awhile, glad to get back and reved up for the game…

A point made by …fan86 was that the Colts struggle against the 3-4. The Steelers on the other hand seem to have some success against it themselves albeit in rather close games at times. The Ravens, Chargers and Pats come to mind – at least this year. The Steelers were able to move the ball when they needed to and did not commit turnovers.

An old coaching addage I subscribe to regarding defense is – they defend well what they do well. On offense this is reversible – teams attack well what they see often. The Steelers have been the preemminent 3-4 team in the league since the Giants great teams of the 80’s. They know how to run it, the offense sees it and works against it. The Cards are multiple front defensively, but their pressure packages have been from a lot of 3 down fronts. Our offense should be able to rep against it pretty well.

This game will require similar tactics to the close games which they have won – move the ball whichever way ends up working and ultimately score as much as you need to. We all want to score every possession, but jeopardizing field position and giving up turnovers must be avoided. They did pretty well against some good teams this year.

I find it encouraging that the Steelers kept running the ball vs the Ravens even though it was not adding up to much – they had to keep defending it and that gave us some opportunities in the pass game. FWP and the lads don’t need to dominate the game – they must be a consistent threat. MM needs to have a good game in protection and as a receiver. Miller may be a key component – Ward is slowed, Sweed is unproven and Holmes will get defensive attention. Washington and Miller will have to make plays when it counts.

Ben may be the hole card ultimately. Warner will not choke – he may end up on his ass a lot (we hope!!) but he won’t pull a Jake. The guy is polished and will compete under pressure. Ben played like a rookie in their last SB victory. He’s played in a lot of big games since. I have been worried about him with the concussions and moments of poor judgement BUT the guy beat Baltimore in the AFC championship. Yes, their D was a little beat up, but they were still formidable. If he plays well and doesn’t make the big mistake(s) early – he shouldn’t have to be a superhero late. Doesn’t mean he won’t be the MVP, he just doesn’t have to be incredible for 4 quarters. He has done a great job of late being average when average was good enough and being great when needed. He doesn’t throw for 400 yards, not even 300 yards like the Peyton’s and Brady’s. He needs to extend plays when able and make it hurt, throw it away at times and live to fight again.

Lastly, I think the 2 weeks off will hurt the Cards worse. Their offense was red hot and it can’t help them to wait this long. We have more SB experience which just means that we shouldn’t be the team that Shits the Bed first. Even if Boldin is healthier, Ward’s recovery and LeBeau having the time to dissect things should help us…. rant over.

Really enjoyed this stat breakdown, because I think it puts the Steelers’ offensive performance in proper perspective. It’s important to remember that this really was a banner year for defense in the NFL (i.e., Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Tennessee, Philly, the Giants), and every football fan knows that it’s nearly impossible to really torch a great defense. So you can reasonably argue that the Steelers’ middling offensive output was at least partly attributable to a difficult schedule where they faced so many tough defenses. This breakdown actually made me feel a lot better about the O: what I read here is that we were right around average against stout defenses, and above-average against mediocre-to-bad defenses. And we’re going into a big game against a mediocre-to-bad defense.

I agree with Franz that the time off will probably hurt the Cardinals more: it can’t help a streaky team’s momentum to have to cool their heels for 2 weeks. On the Pittsburgh side, I think if rust were going to be an issue it would have presented itself in the San Diego game (i.e., coming off a bye, a blowout win before it where the starters only played a half, and a loss before that, and playing a red-hot team eager to avenge a close loss).

I also agree that Warner won’t choke the game away, but it’s a good bet the Steelers will get pressure on him, and most QBs start to make mistakes when they get knocked around (witness how Flacco played in the AFC title game under pressure, in contrast to how he played with excellent protection against the Titans). And let’s also keep the hype in perspective: the Steelers have done well against “unstoppable” offenses all year, and all the talk of Warner as some unbeatable force of nature is, well, a recent development. Other teams have been trendy picks against Pittsburgh all year, and it’s tended to work well for us.

I never found this site !! I have coached for 25 years and I almost never get as nervous as I do thinking about a Steelers playoff or SB game.

Maybe it’s because I believe I can help my team by making good calls and by scouting and breaking down film – I have an outlet. I can’t do anything to help the Steelers even if I think I know what is coming !!

There are a lot of things I don’t like about the NFL but I still love watching and rooting for the Stillers. I’m getting all geeked up now, maybe I better take a break…. I may have a Hat-Attack as they say in Baston !!

you’re way too smart for me. Does this mean that we’re going to win?