OFFICIAL Pittsburgh Steelers VS New England Patriots VOL PATS 1ST "L"

[mr subliminals]

Game of the week

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PLAYOFF SCENARIO
The Patriots have clinched the 2007 AFC East division championship - their fifth consecutive division crown. This week, the Patriots can clinch a first-roundplayoff bye with a victory over the Steelers. Additionally, New England can clinch homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a win and an Indianapolisloss at Baltimore.

DOMINANT IN DECEMBER
When the calendar turns to the 12th month, the New England weather may turn cold, but in recent years the Patriots have remained red hot. SinceBill Belichick took over as head coach in 2000, the Patriots have recorded a 24-6 (.800) record in games played in the month of December. New England has won10 of its last 11 games in the month of December.


SERIES HISTORY

The Patriots and Steelers will square off for the first time since the 2005 regular season. New England has won three of the last four regular-season gamesin the series and have won five of the last six contests including playoffs. The two teams played nine times in 10 seasons from 1996-2005, including fourplayoff matchups over that span. The teams played in the AFC Championship Game following the 2001 and 2004 seasons, with the Patriots winning both times enroute to Super Bowl titles. Of the previous 22 games in the series, 17 have been played in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers own a 10-7 advantage. The Steelerswill travel to Foxborough for just the sixth time, with Pittsburgh holding a 3-2 lead in the previous five games. The Steelers will travel to New England forthe first time since the 2002 season opener, when the Patriots posted a 30-14 win in the Grand Opening of Gillette Stadium on Monday Night Football. ThePatriots have won two of their last three games against the Steelers in Foxborough, including a 28-3 win in the 1996 divisional playoffs that was the firsthome playoff victory in franchise history.

PATRIOTS-STEELERS QUICK HITS

• Long winning streaks have been broken in each of the last two regular-season meetings between the teams. Pittsburgh ended the Patriots' NFL-record 18-game regular-season winning streak with a 34-20 win on Oct. 31, 2004. The next season, New England ended the Steelers' 16-game regularseason winning streak with a 23-20 win on Sept. 25, 2005.
• The Patriots have averaged 26.8 points per game in their six regular-season and playoff games against the Steelers since the 1998 season.
• This week's game will be the Patriots' sixth consecutive game beginning at 4:15 p.m. or later and will be New England's first day game in more than a month, dating back to a 4:15 kickoff on Nov. 4 at Indianapolis.
• Ben Roethlisberger's first two losses as an NFL starting quarterback came at the hands of the Patriots.
• Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin will be the fourth first-year head coach that the Patriots will face this season (also San Diego, Dallas and Miami). Last season, eight of the Patriots' 16 regular-season games were against teams with first-year head coaches and New England went 7-1 in those games.

LETS GO PITTSBURGH!!!!!

 

[DeadsetAce]

GO PATRIOTS!!!

I'm not even going to lie and say I am confident going into this game. After the last two weeks, I am actually nervous about this game. But, I'mrelying on Belichick and co's ability to get the team prepared with a gameplan that will get us the W.

Should be a good battle though. And again, if the spread is more than 1 td this week, the spreadmakers are straight ******ed.

Patriots 31
Steelers 24

 

[mr subliminals]

After seeing willis run through the pats D you can be certain that willie is going to do the same thing and if not better! we have now seen two games back toback where once pressure is put on brady he crumbles. Hopefully the Steelers D will be able to come up big so we wont have to rely on Ben as much. Anybody knowtroys status for the game? is he still injured?

 

[DeadsetAce]

we have now seen two games back to back where once pressure is put on brady he crumbles.
^ crumbled? poor choice of words. dude still led his team to 4th quarter comebacks...the defenses were the ones that crumbled late in those games

 

[5tan]

A tad bit early?
But anyways GOOOOO PATTSS!!!!

 

[Chester McFloppy]

If Polamalu and Holmes are back, this game will be VERY close...

 

[DeadsetAce]

im praying polamalu isnt back...hahah

Maybe not crumbled but it defiantly shook up his playing pattern
yeah you're right about that...def messed up his timing. i think the even bigger reason was that the eagles and ravens had pretty solidcoverage...they were all over our receivers. but yeah, our o-line (and even d-line) needs to get real big this weekend, they need to protect brady

 

[mr subliminals]

Originally Posted by DeadsetAce

we have now seen two games back to back where once pressure is put on brady he crumbles.

^ crumbled? poor choice of words. dude still led his team to 4th quarter comebacks...the defenses were the ones that crumbled late in those games

Maybe not crumbled but it defiantly shook up his playing pattern

 

[Chester McFloppy]

Originally Posted by DeadsetAce

im praying polamalu isnt back...hahah

He's really one guy I see giving you dudes problems. You can leave him 1 on 1 w/ Watson if needed, and he can cover close to the line like another LB.

If he isn't back...

 

[fede dpt]

I hope the Burgh gets blown out....I think Tomlin would send in a goon, though.

 

[craftsy21]

You guys haven't watched the steelers much this year, I can tell. Polamalu has looked lost most of this season, not sure what his deal is entirely(injuries are part of it, but not all) but he's only had about 1.5 "troy-like" games this year.

Steelers defense MUST get pressure on Brady to stand a chance in this game.. and the Steelers must protect the ball on offense, also.

Pats defense is not that good - you can run on them and control posession of the ball, which is another big key, obviously.

This game could be closer than I thought it would be awhile back, but I just really don't like the way the steelers have been looking this year so I reallydon't give us much of a chance here. But we always seem to play to the level of our competition, be it good or bad, so I wouldn't be shocked if wesomehow pulled off the upset.

Should be fun/frustrating... can't wait.

 

[jakecuevas]

i want the pats to go all the way and with no losses...im not band wagon tho...

 

[mr subliminals]

Originally Posted by jakecuevas

i want the pats to go all the way and with no losses...im not band wagon tho...

if they beat the steelers on sunday i want them to go all the way too

 

[kidjustice19]

I want pats to lose.... But not to the steelers

 

[DeadsetAce]

Early weather report for the game:

Mix of sun and clouds
Temp in the mid 30's


Should make for a perfect winter day for football

Look for the Pats to be throwing early and often as long as the wind is down and there is no precipitation

 

[jeoma789]

Ok. I already know this game will definetely be a NFL Replay. As for the game, the Ravens showed by applying pressure towards Brady and effectively running theball, you can really have a chance to beat the Pats. Now it really comes down to the Steelers offense and what they will do in the running game. Big Ben canget things done with his arm but it must come down to Willie. The Pats will win this and go 13-0

Pats 28, Steelers 24

 

[dat sick kid]

yes, this should def. be a good and close game...no blowouts here

this thread is going 25+ pages easy...flowing with hate and bandwagoners

pats - 30...steelers - 21

Go Patriots!

 

[mr subliminals]

i love bein the underdog

 

[downtown43]

if the Steelers just put pressure on Brady like the Ravens did, and if Parker and the o-line have a good day, they'll win.

 

[ballinboykz]

Man, by about week 3/4 i was thinking that if there were to be the huge upset of the year, this would be that game. If the pats are going to lose, its going tobe against the steelers.

Ive got the pats in this one, but i wouldnt be one bit surprised if the steelers won this game.

...
...
...

isnt this the third showcase game in a row in pittsburgh for MNF/SNF?

EDIT: My bad, its an afternoon game

 

[DeadsetAce]

i love bein the underdog
^ could not agree with you more. i wish the spread (12.5 points right now) wasnt so high. i love being the underdog, the pats def. thrive asunderdogs

 

[daiernchef]

I think people are overestimating how "BAD" the New England defense is. Isnt this the same defense that stopped Manning in the 4th when needed?Stopped Romo in the second half when Needed? Did Just enough to beat Philly and Ravens, but there defense kept them in those games. Pittsburgh will be achallenge but Pats win. Because winning is what they DO best. 27-17 Pats.

 

[downtown43]

their defense is soft, period.

on one of their scoring drives the ravens ran almost EVERY SINGLE PLAY right down their throats. mcgahee and the o-line just manhandled them that whole drive,they were putting 8+ guys in the box and still couldn't stop the run game.

some of those other teams weren't as physical against their defense... the eagles showed that the Pats would rather have you pass on them than run it. theravens showed that they absolutely dont wanna get hit in the mouth with the run game, because thats where they crumble. if you get physical with them, you candominate them offensively. and the steelers are a team that can get physical.

 

[Chester McFloppy]

Originally Posted by DOWNTOWN43

their defense is soft, period.

on one of their scoring drives the ravens ran almost EVERY SINGLE PLAY right down their throats. mcgahee and the o-line just manhandled them that whole drive, they were putting 8+ guys in the box and still couldn't stop the run game.

some of those other teams weren't as physical against their defense... the eagles showed that the Pats would rather have you pass on them than run it. the ravens showed that they absolutely dont wanna get hit in the mouth with the run game, because thats where they crumble. if you get physical with them, you can dominate them offensively. and the steelers are a team that can get physical.

The loss of Colvin hurts them quite a bit. He was the speed at linebacker, and since he's been out the linebacking unit hasn't been the same.

 

[senatorjeffsmith]

A number of things need to happen for the Steelers to win:

Willie Parker must lay off the buttered popcorn prior to the game.

Parker must get 30 attempts.

Pittsburgh must make NE one dimensional. This is something the Steelers are great at doing and it should result in victory, IF they can hit Brady.

No more than 1 turnover


BTW why hasn't this game been flexed for Sunday Night?