Steelers vs. Patriots

First the intangibles. I really wish the Steelers won last week by nine touchdowns. I wanted the Steelers to be favored and to come into the game with too much confidence. The Jets, however, had to play better than the Steelers and still find a way to lose. Way to go Herm. Based on the quotes I'm hearing, both teams are going into the game with the proper mind set. One plus for the Steelers may be the "disrespect" motivation (how can a 15-1 team playing at home be an underdog?) The Patriots ofcourse have the revenge motivation; they were humiliated by the Steelers, and some of the Steelers probably enjoyed the victory a little too much. I'm sure Rodney Harrison has been fuming to his teammates all week about something stupid Plaxico Burress said during the game.

Enough about motivation, this game will be about talent and execution. The Patriots were outplayed in every aspect of the game during the Halloween Bowl. Everything was going right for the Steelers and wrong for the Pats. The Steelers had a bye week before the game and a hot quarterback the league didn't know much about. The Patriots were missing Brady's two best weapons (Dillon and Branch), and the offensive line and tight ends were beat up. On defense, the Patriots did not have a game plan ready for a game without Ty Law. There's plenty of excuses for the Pats, but the bottom line is the Steelers beat them up in October.

Now to Sunday. The Patriots offense should do a much better job this week. I'm hoping Brady's bad game against the Steelers was because of injuries to his teammates, not because the Steelers "figured Brady out." The Patriots will have more than eight yards rushing this week and the offense will put points on the board.

My concern about the Pats is the defense. They beat up a finesse team last week, but will they be able to stop a power running team? Bettis and Staley ran all over them last time, so the big question is if Belichick and Crennel can develop a game plan to limit the success of the Steelers running game.

Then there's Ben Rothlisomethingorother. He had a terrible passing game against the Jets, but I am still impressed with a few things about his game. He is very good outside of the pocket and seems capable of running for a big first down. Also, he seems to stay confident even after he screws up, unlike Bledsoe or even Manning who just get worse and worse against Belichick as the game goes on. Overall, Rothlisberger will be fine if his running game is good and he can play with a lead. If the Pats get a lead, however, I don't see him leading the Steelers to a comeback.

Another concern I have about the Pats defense is their secondary. The Pats were great last week, but I lost a lot of respect for the Colts offense last week. The Colts receivers are wimps and Manning didn't want to throw interceptions so he refused to challenge the Pats defense by going deep. The Steelers won't make the same mistakes. Their receivers are tough and they will throw the ball deep at least once.

My final thoughts on the Pats defense is that beating the Colts does not prove that the can beat the Steelers; the Steelers are a completely different team. I'm seeing this game as a shootout, and I like Brady's chances in a shootout. Prediction: Patriots 35, Steelers 24