(Yes, in case anyone missed it, SCS is back after another hiatus. Obviously since I've been gone, There's been a vast number of urgent events in Burgh' sports. Rather than try to retrace my footsteps, the plan is simply to carry on as if I was here all along. Hopefully all of my former readers have stuck around.)After the demolishing of the Carolina Panthers last week,extending the Steelers win streak to 3 in a row and winning their last 4 out of 5, the Steelers have once again entered the wild card race in the AFC. With an overall record of 7-7, the Steelers are currently sixth in the wild card race behind the Broncos,Bengals,Jaguars,Jets,and Bills in that order. Do the Steelers have any hope? The answer (as it has been for weeks) is a resounding maybe. The possiblity is certainly alive with many of the teams ahead of the defending champs facing tough games on their remaining schedules. The first and foremost aspect necessary for the Steelers to once again grab the sixth seed and advance to the postseason is to win out,defeating the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals. If the Steelers lose either game, they will be officially eliminated from playoff contention. Much like last year, our back is to the wall, albeit more severe than in the 2005 season. Without doing my best John Clayton impression any further, I'll break it down simply by listing this week's "Teams to root for":
1. Steelers (obviously a win is necessary or else this is all obsolete)
2. Broncos (Cincinnati's division record and conference record would be the same as ours and put us in a tie-breaker situation with them the following week)
3. Dolphins (The Jets cinderella story is falling back to earth. Nontheless, they still posess a better conference record and a better overall record. Losing to Miami on monday night would throw a cog into the wheels of their playoff run and help Pittsburgh in spades)
4. Titans (In terms of the overall Wild-Card race, the Bills are slightly ahead, while the Titans are slightly behind. Pittsburgh winning and Buffalo losing to Vince Young and co. would put the Steelers marginally ahead of both)
5. Raiders (Yes,I know. The Raiders? Espicially against LJ, the NFL's worst team don't have a snowballs chance in watch-yo-mouth of tromping KC's finest. Nontheless, a loss would officially eliminate Kansas City from Postseason contention. The less opponents we have in this, the better, folks. Oh yeah,and before you totally scoff at the chance of the Black and Silver pulling off a victory here,don't forget; they beat us.)
While we're on the subject...
Let's break down this Sunday's Christmas Eve showdown in the 'Burgh.
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) Vs. Baltimore Ravens (11-3) - Heinz Field -Pittsburgh,PAI don't think I have to remind anyone of what happened last time our beloved Steelers went face to face against the Ravens in their house. The offensive line suffered a complete breakdown. The running game was abysmal. Big Ben was sacked nine times. Every Receiver not named Hines collapsed. The pass defense and special teams both looked like a high school team. The end result against one of the finest teams in the league? a 27-0 embarassment that arguably put any shot of postseason hopes in jeopardy. For the Ravens, they're playing for a chance to have a week off in the playoffs after clinching the AFC North last week. For the Steelers? The stakes are much higher. Our playoffs start now. Many cite our situation similar to last year's. Last year we did not have to play the Ravens and Bengals,two perennial playoff teams and division rivals. Will this time around be any different? Are we going to bounce back and receive an early christmas present or have our offseason vacation started early? Let's break it down from top to bottom.
Quarterback - As of right now, Steve McNair, who torched our secondary last time around, is listed as questionable. Kyle Boller replaced him late in last week's game against the Browns and although he did not look McNair-esque, he did a very good job of managing the game and ensuring a Ravens victory. Boller has never done a very good job against the Steelers and with Troy Polamalu returning from injury this week to start, this time shouldn't be different. On the Burgh side of the ball, Ben Roethilsberger seems to be officially back on the horse and is looking much like he did the second half of last year, posting similar statistics. If McNair toughs it out and starts, the birds get the advantage here. Until that becomes a fact and not speculation, I give the nod to our boy here.
Advantage - SteelersRunningbacks - Willie Parker's story couldn't be any finer. After his rags-to-riches season last year, he faced constant speculation of whether he could handle the lack of a power back and the loss of Jerome Bettis. He has responded by making the Pro Bowl and posting another 1,000+ season. Jamal Lewis has worked well behind a very solid line and a solid system with Brian Billick taking over the reins. If Boller starts, he will have more pressure on him to run the ball more often and score on a team that hasn't allowed a rushing touchdown since...the last time he faced our Defense. Still, Fast Willie is going up against one of the top 3 defenses in football. He will have to have a 100 yard game and run well,keeping the Steelers out of the 3rd down territory as much as possible or else this game will fall to the wayside quickly. Establishing the run game early and often will certainly be the key for offensive success for either team. On paper, it looks like a wash. Rookie Willie Colon making his first start at Right-Tackle against a solid right side becomes the tie-breaker.
Advantage - RavensWide-Receivers and Tight-Ends - This is the one aspect that Pittsburgh can really take off with in this game. Santonio Holmes finally seems to be coming into his own. Hines Ward is back to full health. Cedrick Wilson, while not 100%, is good enough to contribute in many aspects of the passing game (including trick plays, which we saw last week). Outside of Derrick Mason, Baltimore's passing game has been very inconsistent. With Troy Polamalu returning, Ike Taylor doing well again at Nickel,and Bryant McFadden playing well, the Steelers can exploit the Ravens over the middle if they can find a way to confuse Ed Reed - A task much easier said than done. The Tight End situation goes to the Burgh here, with Heath Miller playing well and Todd Heap listed as questionable.
Advantage - SteelersOffensive Line - Normally,this would be a tough call, with both these teams having subperb lines that work great in their system. From the left over, It's all a wash. Although I think he has talent and will probably find himself a starter in this line-up someday, I worry about rookie Willie Colon's first start against stud defensive players the likes of Ray Lewis,Adalius Thomas,and Terrell Suggs.
Advantage - RavensDefensive Line - Two teams,playing physical 3-4 line defenses. I will hand it to Baltimore, they have stepped up against inside running games with Cleveland and Cincinnati this season. However, much of their defensive numbers come from their linebackers and have shown weakness against outside running and screens and draws, all of which they will encounter in full force sunday. For the Black and Gold, Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith have played in Hawaii in the Pro Bowl in the past for a reason, and Brett Kiesel has become of the NFL's most underrated defensive ends
Advantage - SteelersLinebackers - This is where it really gets interesting. Like the running game on the offensive side of the ball, this is a tough call and is one of the most urgent keys to victory. One can make a valid argument that these two squads are two of the NFL's finest. Nearly each member of both these squads have made the pro bowl and have done a great job stopping the run,espicially as of late. With the Steelers red-hot against stopping the inside passing game and limiting opponents to under 100 yard game averages,I can't go against the Burgh. On the other hand, I can't think of a few defensive players I'd rather not line up against than what Baltimore's bringing.
Advantage - TieSecondary - Troy Polamalu returns from his injury and will start. Bryant McFadden has been lights out as of late. So the Steelers get it right? Unfortunatley, I can never,ever go up against Chris McCalister,Ed Reed,and Samari Rolle. Safety play is a concern for both teams. I'd take my money on the sure pick here.
Advantage - RavensSpecial Teams - With both teams having great red-zone defenses,kicking game will be a big deal. Nobody can handle the crazy winds of Heinz Field like Jeff Reed. Matt Stover has gone 4 for 11 in the last 3 games in Pittsburgh. Both punters have had similar seasons. Gardocki has the better leg, Baltimore has a better coverage game.
Advantage - SteelersOverall Prediction - This game will be a close one. If you're expecting glitz and glamour, look elsewhere. These are two of the NFL's finer defenses. Pittsburgh is playing for their season in the final home game of the year, with a bitter taste in their mouths from the last time they were stomped on by the Ravens. The Ravens are one of the most talented teams in football,and have as good of a shot of playing in February as anyone. Unfortunatley for them, Christmas Eve isn't the super bowl, and the stakes just aren't quite as high. Our boys take a close one and keep the playoff hopes alive
Steelers 23,Ravens 17
