Well considering that Ward is not nearly as lethal as Smith, the secondary won't key on him solely.
My guess is that Jackson goes off on the suspect Pitt secondary.
your avatar backs that statement up....cause that suspect D only gave up 18 and 17 in back to back games to the number 1 and 2 seeds in the AFC....I wouldnt call that suspect
Big difference between "suspect D" and "suspect secondary"... big difference. A lot of rhetoric that Seattle hasn't really played anybody... but take a look at the Pitts secondary....the PITTSBURGH PASS RUSH HAS BEEN the key to all that pass D success. From what I saw in the AFC Championship was Jake thread the Pitt secondary for BIG gains, once he got used to running for 3 quarters... something Manning can't do. Give props to the DL and LB corps... and Cowher/LeBeau for a bandaid around that secondary.1. The pressure on Manning was TREMENDOUS (and Manning, though he shouldn't of said it, was spot on... the o-line was a sive). No need for the secondary to really even be tested.
2. Jake, who can at least scramble, was running alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll game. But because Jake has some scramble... he still threaded Pitts a bit. Those were dumb INTs. Interesting looking at the play-by-play, he for a long stretch was targeting Anderson and Putzier, via no time to throw. I saw it, but recall what Denver did on the drive that was 70+ total passing yards to Rod and Lelie. The next drive, after the dumb INT, he hit Lelie for 40 yards, then a TD a few plays later. The WRs averaged 20+ yards a catch.
3. Cinncy, don't care what you say, Kitna with 16 weeks on the bench and different style QB was no Carson Palmer. But the WRs managed 16 a catch.
4. Joey Harrington in week 17
5. Charlie Frye in week 16.
6. 15 was BJ and cruise-gate coming to a climax (no pun) in 15. BJ was harrased, tip passed INT on one, and although late a safety. Again the pass rush. Prolly a good secondary effort here... but Minny was a mediocre pass team in '05
7. Kyle Orten in 14.
8. 13... Palmer @ Pitts, 3 TDs... and only 1 sack.
9. Peyton, post Ben injury
10. Kyle Boller
11. Palmer in Cin... Steelers win... Palmer 0 TDs and 2 INTs.
I will say Hutch, Jones and Tobeck are better than the Indy and Denver o-lines. That's the key... giving Hass time to thread that UNTESTED secondary... esp. 6'5" JJ in the red zone.