Game Thread: AFC CHAMPIONSHIP DUH PATSIES

[ATL96Steeler]

at the beginning of the season I never thought that our D could get to the point where it is now ..

I felt all along they would be better at the end of the season, but it took some time for Butler to gain enough confidence in them to ramp up the pressure...I actually think he was forced into it.

 

[MISKO]

I felt all along they would be better at the end of the season, but it took some time for Butler to gain enough confidence in them to ramp up the pressure...I actually think he was forced into it.

yea butler could have been coddling them .. who knows

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I honestly don't feel great about this game. I think we will get out-coached. If we win, it will be because Ben played the game of his life. I really think Bell is going to have a big game though, by design. I think the Pats will sell out to take Brown out of the game and bank on containing Bell in the redzone. I worry that we gave them a blue print last week with Bell running wild on not scoring points. If I had to bet Bell gets 150 and it doesn't bother BB at all.

At least you're honest.

I agree the Pats are going to bracket Brown and force Ben to go to other players...but if Bell does as you say, and Haley can't cash in on him as a decoy in the RZ...the Steelers won't win, and my theory of Haley not being able to win big games will be confirmed. Steelers have too many guys that can contribute to be shut down in the RZ like they were last week.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

yea butler could have been coddling them .. who knows

I think Dak Prescott torching them for 300+ forced him to take the training wheels off.

 

[MISKO]

I think Dak Prescott torching them for 300+ forced him to take the training wheels off.

come to think of it after that game is when we started seeing them get better

 

[ATL96Steeler]

come to think of it after that game is when we started seeing them get better

Yep...I think they realized sitting back in zone all game and trying to keep the play in front them and tackle was not going to work any longer...had to get more aggressive and let the young boys on the back end get baptized by fire.

 

[PatsFan2003]

i hear ya 03 ... its gonna be a tight game no walk in the park on either side of the ball for both teams .. I just gotta stock up on my bp pills gotta feeling ill be popping them like candy

Yep. Both Championship games are going to be real battles.


It's possible, one of them will be a blow-out but I have no idea who it would be. That's how evenly matched the teams seem.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Offense... I'm not sold on the Pats D being the #1 scoring D. Look at their last 7 games (not including postseason): Fins, Jets twice, Broncos, Ravens, Rams, 9ers. Flacco was probably the best QB they faced in that stretch. Not saying they aren't good, but that stat is deceiving. And as ATL pointed out, they have very little pass rush. I doubt the Steelers give up 1 sack in this game unless Ben plays his backyard game holding onto the ball too long. Bell will have a good game. Not sure if its another 150-170yd game, but he will have plenty of opportunities. The only question is, will Ben make any mistakes? If he forces any passes then Butler or Chung will be there to capitalize. They play sound defense from a schematic standpoint. They know how to shut down or minimalize star players, but they will have to pick their poison with Bell & AB. Ben & Haley will have to do a good job of recognizing the schemes to take advantage. And as always, they need contributions from guys like Rogers, James & Co.

Defense... This is a very different Steelers defense from what the Pats saw in week 7. I think NorthCoastSteeler pointed it out first, but if Butler coaches in his fears by not being aggressive then Brady is going to carve them up. The best way to get Brady off his game is with the pass rush. Look at what Houston was able to do in the 1st half of that game. If the Steelers can keep pressure on Brady through 4 quarters then I like their chances. I'm hoping to see more press coverage this week because there's not many QBs in the league with a quicker release than Brady. I know its rare that Butler does it, but one can hope! Cockrell & Burns have the speed to cover deep from press coverage. I agree with ATL that McDaniels is going to try to get that mismatch with Timmons. Edelman & Bennett will likely be the targets. Let's hope the Steelers can also keep Dion Lewis in check. He seems to be catching fire lately, but the Steelers did a fantastic job of bottling up Tyreek Hill last week. They will need the same sort of schemes in this game.

Overall... As others have pointed out, this game will come down to which defense can keep points off the board no matter how many yards they give up. I doubt either offense will have very many problems moving the ball, but I think the Steelers D has a slight edge. They have been solid in run defense & pass rush. The Pats may not have the star power to strike fear into anyone, but they are the best coached team in the league and play to near-perfection on a weekly basis. The Steelers will need to be very composed in all 3 phases. As Deebo says, play selfish ball and focus on your own job. I think the Steelers are going to get Bell going and eat up the clock as much as they can to limit Brady's exposure to the field. That is a great recipe for success so long as they can punch it into the EZ. They need 7's, not 3's to get the job done this week.

Mind the juju...

NE 30 - PIT 24

 

[BigKen]

Patriots Defense......#1 Scoring defense. Allow the fewest points. Regardless of opponents, stats are stats. The Patriots will give up 400 yards and 16 points.

Patriots Offense......Not the same offense the Steelers faced in Game 1. Everyone seems to forget that the Steelers faced Jimmy Garapollo as the Patriots faced Landry Jones. Both have improved under their main driving forces.

Steelers Offense.....Have improved over the past 8 weeks. Was what happened in Kansas City an anomaly or a glimpse into what happens when a team plays the correct defense against the Killer B's?

Steelers Defense....Constantly improving through the year and getting it done when necessary. Can two rookie cornerbacks shutdown a with almost as much NFL experience as they have life years?

Offense Pittsburgh 24.0 PPG New England 34.0 PPG
Defense Pittsburgh 20.4 PPG New England 15.6 PPG

Simple questions...........Can the Pittsburgh offense score more than 24 points against the Patriots defense?
Can the Pittsburgh defense keep the Patriots offense from scoring 34 points.
Can the Patriots offense score 34 points against the Pittsburgh defense
can the Patriots defense keep the Pittsburgh offense from scoring more than 16 points.

Pittsburgh wins by an average of 4 points
Patriots win by an average of 15 points

Every week, we've seen teams come out extremely aggressive and pumped up. Adrenelin rush that usually results on hands on hips and forearms on knees by the end of the third quarter. Patriots control the adrenelin and have the same drive with two minutes to go as they did two minutes into the game.

One other stat..................Patriots are #1 in minutes trailing in games........13% the entire 2016 season. They generally score first and don't give it up.

 

[MISKO]

Patriots Defense......#1 Scoring defense. Allow the fewest points. Regardless of opponents, stats are stats. The Patriots will give up 400 yards and 16 points.

Patriots Offense......Not the same offense the Steelers faced in Game 1. Everyone seems to forget that the Steelers faced Jimmy Garapollo as the Patriots faced Landry Jones. Both have improved under their main driving forces.

Steelers Offense.....Have improved over the past 8 weeks. Was what happened in Kansas City an anomaly or a glimpse into what happens when a team plays the correct defense against the Killer B's?

Steelers Defense....Constantly improving through the year and getting it done when necessary. Can two rookie cornerbacks shutdown a with almost as much NFL experience as they have life years?

Offense Pittsburgh 24.0 PPG New England 34.0 PPG
Defense Pittsburgh 20.4 PPG New England 15.6 PPG

Simple questions...........Can the Pittsburgh offense score more than 24 points against the Patriots defense?
Can the Pittsburgh defense keep the Patriots offense from scoring 34 points.
Can the Patriots offense score 34 points against the Pittsburgh defense
can the Patriots defense keep the Pittsburgh offense from scoring more than 16 points.

Pittsburgh wins by an average of 4 points
Patriots win by an average of 15 points

Every week, we've seen teams come out extremely aggressive and pumped up. Adrenelin rush that usually results on hands on hips and forearms on knees by the end of the third quarter. Patriots control the adrenelin and have the same drive with two minutes to go as they did two minutes into the game.

One other stat..................Patriots are #1 in minutes trailing in games........13% the entire 2016 season. They generally score first and don't give it up.

thats ok we go this

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Patriots Defense......#1 Scoring defense. Allow the fewest points. Regardless of opponents, stats are stats. The Patriots will give up 400 yards and 16 points.

Just like they did against the Seahawks this season? lol

Patriots Offense......Not the same offense the Steelers faced in Game 1. Everyone seems to forget that the Steelers faced Jimmy Garapollo as the Patriots faced Landry Jones. Both have improved under their main driving forces.

Ummm no... Not sure what you're smokin, but PIT faced Tom Brady in week 7.
Watch New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers [10/23/2016] - NFL.com

Steelers Offense.....Have improved over the past 8 weeks. Was what happened in Kansas City an anomaly or a glimpse into what happens when a team plays the correct defense against the Killer B's?

Time will tell, but fair question. Facing a better overall defense so it will be tougher than it was against KC

Steelers Defense....Constantly improving through the year and getting it done when necessary. Can two rookie cornerbacks shutdown a with almost as much NFL experience as they have life years?

Cockrell isn't a rookie. Drafted in '04. You must be talking about their SS Sean Davis who is a rookie.

Offense Pittsburgh 24.0 PPG New England 34.0 PPG
Defense Pittsburgh 20.4 PPG New England 15.6 PPG

Skewed stats with lots of subjectivity. But stats are stats as you say. I'm not worried.

Simple questions...........Can the Pittsburgh offense score more than 24 points against the Patriots defense?
Can the Pittsburgh defense keep the Patriots offense from scoring 34 points.
Can the Patriots offense score 34 points against the Pittsburgh defense
can the Patriots defense keep the Pittsburgh offense from scoring more than 16 points.

1&4. Depends on PIT's RZ % this go-round. But very possible. They shouldn't have any trouble moving between the 20's. Like you said, the glimpse or blueprint might have been made.
2&3. Yes, but same question as #1 for the PIT D. All about being aggressive and getting Brady off his rhythm. If they can do it, then #3 is a hard no.

Pittsburgh wins by an average of 4 points
Patriots win by an average of 15 points

Cherry pickin with this one. Again, subjective.

Every week, we've seen teams come out extremely aggressive and pumped up. Adrenelin rush that usually results on hands on hips and forearms on knees by the end of the third quarter. Patriots control the adrenelin and have the same drive with two minutes to go as they did two minutes into the game.

Much tougher opponent than you have faced, arguably all season. If the Steelers get up on the scoreboard by 2 possessions early, then there's a real possibility that Le'Veon Bell takes the T.O.P. out of NE's hands. We shall see.

One other stat..................Patriots are #1 in minutes trailing in games........13% the entire 2016 season. They generally score first and don't give it up.

True. Not many teams can stop the Pats with consistency. But again, much tougher opponent this week.

 

[BigKen]

My point is that stats are stats, just numbers. They can be skewed to fit the argument of the person usi9ng them.
Too often stats are used to imply that one thing is better than another.

Again, from my cheap seats, I think there are several things that will determine the final outcome of this game. Most important, can the Pittsburgh improving defense, stop the Patriot offense from scoring more than 30 points?
Because the Patriots don't rely on one or two primary players, the Steelers must defend all of the skill position players equally. That has been any opponent's biggest issue.

Can the Patriots defense keep the Steelers offense under 20 points? The Patriots defense will first concentrate on trying to control the line of scrimmage and not allow Steeler offensive linemen to get to the linebackers. If they can't Bell will have a field day and run for 200+ yards, keeping the Patriot offense on the sidelines. If they can, this force Ben to throw a bit more. If that happens, then the Patriot secondary will have to try to keep the ball away from Brown as much as possible to get the Steelers off the field.

Self Control.......critical for both teams. If anyone on either side overplays at all, it could be a costly penalty or worse a scoring play. Like Belichick always says......"Do YOUR job. Don't try to do anyone else's or do more than you need to do." I think that goes for both sides.

I think this could be the best football game played this season.

 

[MISKO]

 

[MISKO]

Tomlin hopes to avoid communication system issues

 

[CreepCreep2014]

IMO the two best teams in the AFC are where they should be, playing Sunday. I honestly think if Pitt was healthy and had Bell active for the first few games, you would have been right there battling for the #1 seed. Have to throw Week 7 out of the books this time around. Both teams are different, and better at this point. You guys have a young, fast defense, and Dupree is playing lights out right now, he was not there week 7. You also have Rodgers and JJ who can keep a drive going. I also think NE defense is better. They were very inconstant in the earlier part of the season, and the fell apart after Collins left. Each week we had no idea what CB besides Butler was going to be active. We had no pass rush. I think the communication is better and Flowers has emerged at the guy to get after the QB. I agree with many that we have no played a real good QB in a long time, but this defense just didn't win games, they kind of dominated those games and that might be where the #1 ranking comes from.

This game will come down to the defense, I think both sets of fans have all the faith in their offense, just not sold on the defense. Only thing that will shock me is if there is a blow out on either side...Good Luck!!

 

[NWPATSFAN]

I think BB schemes to shut down Bell first. I don't see him getting anywhere near 150. Unless BB opts to give up the yards to him. IMHO if you control Bell you force Big Ben into more throws. Butler on AB with help over the top. If the rest of the WRs or TE can beat NE then good on them.
NE will get their points as already mentioned too many weapons. Pitt needs to choose their poison. I think Blount has the most run yards in this game unless NE starts chasing points. Lewis will have a good game but I think he gets all purpose yards.

I'm overseas again. I sure I hope I can find the game on tv.

Good luck and as always, here's to no injuries

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Really hope they are able to get a lid on this flu pandemic sweeping the lockerroom... So far only Boswell & Green are illnesses of note. Still practiced yesterday & today, so there's that. The rest that came down with it are DHB, Mettenberger & BJ Finney. Multiple coaches & FO personnel as well.


Also worth noting:

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Seems to be a little more hype to Green's possible return this week... Not getting my hopes up, but interested if Tomlin is playing coy

 

[TechRaiderRider]

Really hope they are able to get a lid on this flu pandemic sweeping the lockerroom... So far only Boswell & Green are illnesses of note. Still practiced yesterday & today, so there's that. The rest that came down with it are DHB, Mettenberger & BJ Finney. Multiple coaches & FO personnel as well.


Also worth noting:

saw this headline, but didnt see any details -
I knew i could come here,
and FaCe would have the inside skinny -
thanks dude -
Wreck Em, Steelers!!

 

[DetroitDevil]

I read you your team has already installed an excuse for failure.... 15 squealers sick with stomach flu.

"
But head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t using it as an excuse.

“We’re not making excuses; there won’t be. We’ll be there, we’ll be ready to play. This is just part of the normal things that happen over the course of a season,” said Tomlin.

Le’Veon Bell also missed the practice Thursday, but for personal reasons.
"

Lol yeah right!