GolfHos

pats-steelers. hard one to call, definitely closer than the bookies make it sound.

i think the steelers play well, but sadly the inferior special teams will probably cost them the game.
 :sad3:

Pats by 10.

NE has been called perhaps the best team in NFL history.  Even in a lull, they're still the best team in the NFL this year.  They're playing at home.  Steelers haven't won there in ten years.  PIT is good enough that it's very unlikely that NE looks past them to their "big challenge" next week.  And the PIT roster is still without a few starters at anything near 100%, both offense and defense.

Not that all that will keep the NE homers from crowing when NE wins, of course.

Steeler fans much?   ::)

This game is all about dump offs and short slants what with NE's linebackers a bit soft and Pittsburgh's secondary playing off and the linebackers going the other direction.  Whichever team delivers in the short passing game wins.  NE because it opens up the long ball.  Pittsburgh because it opens up the run. 

Steelers win by more than a TD.

BTW, all this talk of a perfect season has me a bit confused.  Apparently NE needs to beat Pittsburgh, Dolphins, Jets and Giants to match the '72 Dolphins.  The media tells me so.  Yet that team went 17-0 and won the Super Bowl.  If NE finishes 4-0 are we giving them a pass through the playoffs?

I'm going to laugh my arse off if NE goes undefeated in the regular season only to lose to a wildcard team in the divisional playoffs.

The difference will be in the coaching. Tomlin v. Hoodie.

Tomlin coaches the game of his life. Passing on 1st down at least once will throw off the Pats.  [sm_devil]

Stillers 27-24.

Steelers will shut them out. ;D

that wouldn't be hard to do to hear a certain person talk.  ;D

Patriots by 17

coach clowner on the cbs pregame said the steelers CBs will play extremely deep and soft to prevent the big play.  i think that's a no-no myself  .  if they do, harrison needs to deliver a suplex to welker early.

it's amazing how awesome rossum is at KR and how mediocre he is at PR.

PRs are tougher for a number of reasons.

good god wilfork  ate  simmons  alive.

Pats defense looking like Swiss cheese for the 3rd straight week.

OMG 1st and goal from the 7, and they get 2 yards on 2 plays.  [sm_disgust]

It looks like we could have a game now.

Proving prophetic so far. They've allowed a long KR to set-up the Pats' first TD. Now they muff a punt giving the Pats the ball back in Steeler territory after a good stop by the defense.

Gostchokeski miss the FG. Steelers dodge a bullet.

Steelers go for it on 4th and 1. 1st down. Gutsy call.

tomlin just threw up in his mouth.

Steelers really miss Troy P!!!

The game as officially gotten away from the Steelers.

not gonna happen,unless hell freezes over.
all potential  afc wildcard teams are vastly inferior to all the afc division winners
I cannot see the likes of Clev,tenn,or Buff beating them on the road. ::)
only jacksonville has a shot and they will have a better record than SD,so only technically a wildcard. :-\

Hey, Steelers D! It's a pass!!!!!

well lets see

ridiculous red zone play calling
+
bad special teams
+
inability of smith to play even competent football.

= big loss.


surprising.
 [sm_disgust]

I know Tomlin and Marvel Smith earn your special scorn, but I don't see it this game.  Smith was at left tackle, no?  The only NE guy consistently getting pressure on Roethlisberger was Vrabel from the right side.

Steelers defense lost the game.  The Steelers' blitz-zone has never worked against offenses employing quick-release passes.  You can't bring an extra man on the pass rush and play soft against the receivers (can anyone say "blueprint"?).  I'm surprised it took Belichick/Brady an entire half to adjust to it.

^ I agree for the most part, but what sprung him from MN, and landed him the "honcho" gig was his defensive acumen.

Nobody can stop Brady when he gets in that groove.  He's three deep in his rotation before you can blink and his receivers know exactly where to be.  Steelers are still soft in the secondary no matter what anyone thinks and if the blitz doesn't get to the QB a guy like Brady is going to chew them up. 

Obviously my prediction on the score was a bit off  ;) but the method to victory was right.  I thought the Steelers were getting close to Brady in the second half.  He was just pulling the trigger very, very fast.  If they'd played up on defense and bought the pass rush/blitz one more second I think they might have had a little better luck. 

In the end though, it comes down to the fact that NE is unbelievably good.  I don't see anyone keeping them from 19-0.

That was my point.  NE has utilized the quick-pass against the Steelers at least the last 2-3 times they've met, and it works far more often than not.  In the first half, Brady wasn't sacked or knocked down so much as rushed that little bit, relative to the routes his guys were running.  The simple adjustment is to run shorter routes and/or get the ball out of his hands faster (of his own volition, that is).  Knowing the receivers are looking to catch the ball on a two-count, you cannot have your defensive backs playing ten yards off the line.

I understand that nothing's foolproof, but when you're bringing heat on the pass-rush, you have to jam the receivers and TE coming off the snap, even if it means risking one of them getting open behind you.  THAT was the "blueprint".

for the record, {in the post above} i meant smith, the FS,  not smith the LT

Well bust my buttons!  Why didn't you say so? 

(http://www.kansasoz.com/infopic_frankmorgan2.jpg)