Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers

[Joe]

Yeah, Pitt's weak spot is their pass defense if they aren't getting any pressure. If their center Pouncey can't go that will hurt an already average line.

I like some of the defensive players that GB has, Dom Capers has done a really good job of coming up with game plans in the playoffs this year. Mike McCarthy does a great job at calling plays as well. On the other side LeBeau is a HOF DC, but I don't like Bruce Arians that much as Pitt's offense can be suspect at times.

But you are definitely right, their weak point is definitely their secondary when a good QB comes into town. Should be an intersting game, go pack go

[sicworldwide]

Originally Posted by kutt3r

I am going out on a limb here with GB... if they can keep Rogers safe. I think they are the more well rounded team.

Thinking that if Ben is forced to throw a lot, there will be a lot of interceptions
Pit has figured out how to win in weird ways, just don't see it happening here assuming GB stays healthy.

Oh and Silva... only because I think Vitor plays into his strength and even though I love the old Vitor, I am not sure what is left of it.....

yeah, Pride Vitor was good.

[Joe]

Originally Posted by dbcb314

Anyone else more excited about the Silva v Belfort fight the night before?

I hope GB wins just because Big Rapist doesn't win. I like the Steelers owner and organization too, but can't cheer for someone like Ben

No, I think the UFC and MMA got really boring and at some point will hit a ceiling very soon as far as fanhood goes.

[DOA]

Originally Posted by Joe

Yeah, Pitt's weak spot is their pass defense if they aren't getting any pressure. If their center Pouncey can't go that will hurt an already average line.

I like some of the defensive players that GB has, Dom Capers has done a really good job of coming up with game plans in the playoffs this year. Mike McCarthy does a great job at calling plays as well. On the other side LeBeau is a HOF DC, but I don't like Bruce Arians that much as Pitt's offense can be suspect at times.

But you are definitely right, their weak point is definitely their secondary when a good QB comes into town. Should be an intersting game, go pack go

Pouncey is confirmed to be out

[0311]

I picked Green Bay coming out of the NFC back in the preseason before their injuries.. Even after all the injuries, they're still in the SB. I'd be crazy not to follow through with them. Rodgers is playing on a whole 'nother level.

Playing indoors gives a major advantage for GB's absolute speed on offense. We got a good preview in Atlanta a few weeks ago.

[sicworldwide]

Originally Posted by 0311

I picked Green Bay coming out of the NFC back in the preseason before their injuries.. Even after all the injuries, they're still in the SB. I'd be crazy not to follow through with them. Rodgers is playing on a whole 'nother level.

Playing indoors gives a major advantage for GB's absolute speed on offense. We got a good preview in Atlanta a few weeks ago.

Atlanta was way overrated and a colossal disaster of a game for that franchise. To secure homefield advantage throughout the playoffs (which they only got from beating up on the nfcwest) come off of a byeweek and then get completely destroyed. It drove me mad hearing the talking heads call matt ryan elite. Nothing against the guy, but in games where turner got shut down they lost and he was pedestrian, games where turner did well he did well. Agreed with Rodgers, Brees, Brady, and Manning can shoulder a team minus a run game and Ryan has not showed he can.

[Joe]

ATL definitely benefitted from a cake walk schedule. My eagles thumped them hard with Kolb at the helm

[sicworldwide]

Originally Posted by Joe

ATL definitely benefitted from a cake walk schedule. My eagles thumped them hard with Kolb at the helm

Yeah, that game to me exposed ATL for what they really were, a solid team that doesn't beat themselves. Certainly not a great team. And you look at the big games they won this year, they beat NO because Brees threw 2 picks and NO fumbled deep in ATL territory and then NO still had to shank a 29 yarder in OT for ATL to win. When you turn the ball over three times you should be getting killed so If ATL was elite they would have crushed NO in that game not barely won because NO kicks a 29 yard field goal on first down....first down? But I digress, and I relished watching the Kolb helmed eagles destroy ATL.

[mrRuckus]

Originally Posted by xfactor31

Pass Rush- Pit by a failry small margin
Run Stop- Pit- by another fairly small margin
Pass Coverage- GB not even close

Pittsburgh is #1 in yards per carry against at 3.0. Green Bay is #28 at 4.7. It's not even close. Only the Bills are worse.

Pittsburgh is #1 in yards per catch against at 6.3. Green Bay is at 6.5.

This whole Pittsburgh is weak against the pass thing is an illusion. Teams quit running on them and pass more on the Steelers than any other team thereby racking up more aggregate yardage. It's not because they can't defend the pass either. It's because it's a complete waste of time to pound the rock on them. You can see this clearly in the yards per carry against, yards per catch against, and in the disparity between run and pass plays versus them. Their yards per carry against is like 2nd or 3rd of all time for a season.

GB doesnt care about the run and would love nothing more than to throw downfield

One thing being ignored is that after the Patriots' game the Steelers pass defense changed to more press coverage and has gotten better since then. In the past, they'd often be 10-15 yards off of the receivers. Their D has always been based around disallowing big plays while giving up the short stuff and waiting for the QB/offense to make a mistake. The problem is that an elite QB often won't make a mistake and they plod down the field a few yards at a time.

However, Rodgers hasn't been that style of QB. There are stats floating around where almost all of his TD drives rely on a big play of 20 yards or more. He doesn't slowly move down the field. This falls right into to strength of the Pittsburgh defense. They're #1 in 20+ yard plays against. Not exactly bad for a team that's "not even close" to Green Bay in coverage, huh?

Thinking that if Ben is forced to throw a lot, there will be a lot of interceptions

He had FIVE on the season, which is six less than Rodgers, and this is actually pretty impressive ball protection given his penchant for throwing deep and on the run.

Originally Posted by xfactor31

Pouncey is confirmed to be out

No, he's not. He had his hard cast removed on Friday. If you're talking about Kemoeatu's comment on him being out, Kemo was later questioned again and he said he had just been assuming Pouncey would be out. Kemo is well known to be as dumb as bricks.

I've been following Green Bay and Pittsburgh beat reporters on Twitter and they comment on his condition but he certaintly hasn't been ruled out, and has actually been progressing. He's had this same injury on his other ankle in college and was back quickly. I wouldn't really be surprised if he's in or out at this point.

Playing indoors gives a major advantage for GB's absolute speed on offense.

Pittsburgh has 3 fast deep threats in Wallace, Sanders, and Brown. Rodgers has actually had trouble with speed rushers and the Steelers' linebackers are very fast. Offense isn't the only thing that benefits from a better surface.

The Steelers beat one of the better Colts offensive teams this decade in 2005 in the playoffs and a high flying Cardinals with Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald in super bowl xliii already. The only top tier QB that consistently has killed them with an almost absolute perfect short passing game has been Brady.

Much of this thread is just repeating whatever nonsense ESPN or NFL Network likes to repeat ad nauseam without bothering to actually to do any work to come up with their opinions. It seems like they're dead wrong on nearly everything they say about every team.


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What I think will decide the game is whether Pittsburgh can run the ball effectively to control the clock and whether their pass rush is creating pressure. Rodgers won't be hitting deep passes, they won't be running effectively, and if he's pressured using only 3-4 men, he's not going to remain mistake free on shorter passes, and he's no Roethlisberger in terms of shaking off hits like they never happened. If the Steelers run well, Green Bay will be forced out of its comfort zone from the nickel back into the 3-4 which exposes Charles Woodson, who late in his career has been prone to mistakes and allowing big plays. Also, it makes you wonder why the Packers play so much nickel to begin with. If their secondary is so great, what they trying to cover up with the extra DB? Turnovers as always will play into it, and we can't forget Polamalu's been playing on a bum ankle and the extra 2 weeks off could do wonders to having him back to being the tazmanian devil making big plays in big games that's been missing the past 3 games.

If the Steelers can't do those 2 things, they'll probably lose soundly.

Heath Miller should have a big day. The Packers' defensive zone is weak in the middle. The Packers don't have a real TE threat themselves either with their guy injured. This fact actually allows ILB Timmons to blitz more often than he has lately against all the teams with top tier TEs they've been playing and him having to be in coverage.

[DOA]

I don't follow stats. Stats are very misleading. I follow the individual players. The GB secondary is way better than the Pittsburgh. Not once did I say that meant that PIT had a shit secondary.