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That's because the Steelers defense doesn't do well against a spread offense with a great QB who can make quick decisions. It's why Tom Brady always tears them to shreds, and why Rodgers had so much success against them last year in the Super Bowl.
This is all true, but I'd like to see the list of defenses that have proven to consistently contain spread offenses with a great QB who can make quick decisions.
Exactly.Dont worry...I'll counter:Stihlers 31Pats 17
Ravens and Jets have both consistently held the Patriots O in check in recent years. Heck the Browns did it last year.
Patriots 45 Jets 3And it wasn't just a comment about the Patriots -- it was spread offenses with great QBs who can make quick decisions.
The Bears have done a pretty good job of containing the Packers offense since Lovie Smith came to town. In the last season and a half alone, the Bears have held that awesome Packers offense to 17, 10, 14 (the other 7 in this game came on a defensive score) and 27 points on offense. Holding Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense to 17 points per game over a four-game span is pretty damn good.And I'd say the Jets definitely do a pretty good job of containing the Patriots offense, with the 45-3 game last year being the exception, not the rule.
I like it for a shootout as well. PIT 38 - NEP 35
Oh, and Welker goes 10 - 130 - 2TD 
The Patriots just scored 30 on the Jets two weeks ago. And they put up 31 in Week 9 of 2009. So that's three out of the past five games that are 30+. The playoff was the most important game, but it is more of an outlier than a regular event.If you're stating that the Jets have been more successful than the Steelers at containing Brady recently, I'll readily agree. But it's not like the Patriots have gone years without putting up big offensive numbers. Few people would construe allowing an average of 28.2 ppg in the past five meetings with shutting down the offense. Better than Pittsburgh, but New England has still been fairly effective.Let's not act silly with the cherry picking.
Good point on Chicago with respect to Green Bay, yet the Saints scored 30 against them in Week 2 this season, the Patriots lit them up 36-7 in Week 14 of 2010 (although one TD was a defensive score), and Arizona rang up 41 in Week 9 of 2009.The point I am trying to get across is that it is not only the Steelers who have trouble with spread offenses with great QB play. No doubt that's a weakness of Pittsburgh, and perhaps they struggle more than the Jets, Ravens, and Bears that have been mentioned here in this thread. Still, it doesn't take exhaustive data mining to see that Rodgers, Brady and Brees beat up on many if not most of their opponents, not just the black and gold.
I suppose the central question is whether the steelers would be willing and capable of running the Rob Ryan amoeba defense which is now documented as being successful as measured by holding the pats to around 21 points. I believe they are certainly able but I dont believe they will change their stripes. This is not necessarily bad, as you should always try to rely on your strengths, but I've observed both the steelers and ravens try to engage NE in a shooting war in the past, unlike the attempts of, say, the jets, dolphins, browns, cowboys this year, etc. Fwiw, I handicap games as a hobby and I have the NE/PIT game as one of two "worst plays" this week (the other being Cinci at Seattle). I wouldnt bet on any particular outcome this game with real money. Gun to the head, I take my Pats, of course.
True, but bye teams have not done well this year. I heard there were changes in the practices allowed since the new contract was signed.
As I understand it, the players got two big concessions from ownership in the new agreement (I am NOT sure that I have the details correct):1. padded practices are limited to once per week with two one time exceptions2. the bye week requires players to have thursday to monday offI think item 2 is a good measure of discipline in an organization, and that the lower performance of teams coming off their bye week is testimony to undisciplined organizations. Fwiw.
The Steelers will blitz from anywhere but in general the pressure comes from the outside linebackers. The problem is that Brady has already gotten rid of the ball before they can get near him. Add the fact that Steelers DB normally give WRs a big cushion and you have a recipe for disaster. If LeBeau goes in with same gameplan then it will be another long day for the Steelers defense.I do think the Steelers offense can put up points against NE but like you I don't think it will be enough.
Good posting.
I don't think the Patriots put up 62 against the Steelers at home.
I don't think they'll stop at 62 either. The all-time record is 72, right? That's their floor for this week imo.Let's not forget that the Steelers haven't won a single game against a good opponent all year. The one good team they played beat them by 28. The more I think about it, this is definitely setting up to be a record-shattering blowout.
Right Here:'The Jerk said:
I understand your concept, but the most improtant thing to Belichick and the Pats is winning. Teams have struggled passing on the Steelers and have been able to run against them fairly easily. Don't be surprised to see a heavy does of BJGE, Ridley and Woodhead. It would also help to protect the Pats terrible secondary from the speed of the Steelers' wide-outs.I have a feeling everyone expecting a shoot-out is going to be wrong and this ends up a game in the neighborhood of 20-17 Pas win.'Ignoratio Elenchi said:
I think I recall that early bye weeks have less impact than late bye weeks and the best combination is a lateish bye with the other team not having had their own bye.'Leroy Hoard said:
I'm pretty confident that if the Pats put up 72+ points, they'll win. The goals of winning the game and breaking the all-time single game scoring record are not mutually exclusive. Quite the opposite, really.
Future HOFer Joe Flacco threw for 3 TDs against them in week 1, and didn't need to do any more since it was such a blowout. Since then Pittsburgh has faced:Tavaris Jackson
Can't argue with that.
So how will you be spending your winnings?'Ignoratio Elenchi said:
I would give the Tauntaun sleeping bag some consideration.
Hmm, does it smell like the real thing?So how will you be spending your winnings?
I would give the Tauntaun sleeping bag some consideration.
The reason they lost by 28 was they turned the ball over 7 times i believe, not becuase flacco is an all world QB. But hey, go ahead & drop a bunch of $ on the pats and give those points. And if you would like to make a wager on them scoring 72 i'll gladly pony up what ever you like. As long as the steelers beat new england i wouldnt care if they lost every game the rest of the year. I can't freakin stand belicheat and tammy brady. This has to be the most annoying & arrogant organization in sports. I wonder how many plays into the game tammy, i mean tom will be screaming for a personal foul because he landed on is ###### too hard.'Ignoratio Elenchi said:
Well at least you have a rational perspective on things.
It actually wasn't that long ago, but clearly under unusual circumstances.last year opening day
I think it takes at least 35 points to win this game.
