Bold prediction

by mmford10 on Oct 29, 2008 5:32 PM EDT Comment 4 comments

The folks over at ESPN are getting ramped up about this week's Monday Night Football matchup, one that could very well end up being the most significant MNF game of the first half of the season.

The 5-2 Steelers (whose only losses are in the NFC East), will come visit the 'Skins at Fed Ex.

Nervous? Well, maybe you should be. But the fact is the Steelers are tremendously overrated.

Can you believe Ben Roethlisberger is being considered (by some, at least this writer) for MVP? He threw 4 picks last week ALONE! Can you believe Pittsburgh is ahead of us in the (meaningless) power rankings after beating a total of one team (the mediocre 4-3 Ravens) with a record over .500?

The Steelers have not been tested this entire season as far as who they've played. They are being hyped as the second-best team in the AFC, but for once, that might not mean too much considering the relative weakness of that conference (except Tennessee).

The Steelers' division consists a 4-3 team with a rookie QB from Delaware, a medicore at best Browns squad, and the miserable Bengals.They've beaten all three of those teams to pad their 5-2 record. Whoopdefreaking doo. They're 1-2 against .500 teams. We're 4-1 against them, with our only loss to the Champs.

The 'Skins are more battle-tested and, frankly, the team more ready to win this game. We also will need to keep pace in our division -- the Giants will likely be 7-1 after they play the Cowboys. And we're at home.

I'm going to say it now -- this is the game the Redskins break out. This is when the 'Skins momentum shifts from the stagnant games we've had the last few weeks and we become elite. This is a nationally-televised game where we get to prove ourselves against a team that many consider (for some reason) to be at the top of the NFL heap.

Counter-arguers will tell you Pittsburgh has the #1 ranked defense in the NFL -- in part because of who they've played, I might add. (The Redskins, by the way, have the #6 defense in the NFL, and we played the Cowboys, Saints, Giants, Eagles, and Cardinals, who are all in the top 8 offenses... but I digress.)

The Steelers did a decent job at containing the Giants, but their #3 rank against the rush will not last after this week (ask Philadelphia, who had #1 until they played CP and the Skins). Clinton Portis is running bigger and badder than anyone in the NFL this season, and our offensive line will be sure to dominate the line of scrimmage. It may take a while, but Portis is grinding used to grinding it out. The 'Skins have the 2nd-most rushing YPG in the NFL. I expect Portis to win this battle and show the nation why he's the MVP of the NFL thus far.

Campbell will continue to protect the ball. His 100.5 QB rating (good for 5th in the NFL, 15 points ahead of Big Ben's) is the best one the Steeler's have seen all year. (That's right, he's ahead of Eli Manning and McNabb). If the ground game is working, and our offensive line can contain the blitzes, Zorn will use his classic mix of deep balls and screens to beat this team. Santana Moss, the league's #5 receiver, will be the best WR the Steelers have faced this season since Andre Johnson.

Also, anyone who watched the game last week knows that Kevin Boss ended up having his way with the Steelers defense. Ever hear of Chris Cooley? And you know Randle El will be gearing up for a big week against his former team that let him walk.

Offensively, the Steelers are relatively easy to crack. The Ravens, Giants, and Eagles put a ton of pressure on Roethlisberger, and each time he's had medicore, at best, games. With our coverage being as strong as it's been, we're going to need to get a big game from Carter, Evans, and Wilson. I think this is the game where they start to show themselves. It better be.

Readers, we will need a complete football game to beat the Steelers. But the matchups are in our favor to do so. At home on national TV, the 'Skins must prove themselves to us and the rest of the nation. If we beat the Steelers, who I think are not as good as the Redskins, we will have to be considered one of the top 3 teams in the NFL across the board.

Let's get a season-defining win this week... I'm telling you -- if we do, this could be our season to go deep into the playoffs.

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Wow

I’m honestly quite surprised by the total lack of respect shown towards the Steelers. We’ve been struggling this year on the O-Line,…hence our putrid offensive performance against the Eagles and Giants. To somehow put this on Big Ben is kinda ignorant,….if it weren’t for him we would be 2-5 instead of 5-2,…THATS why he’s considered an MVP candidate. But I understand your skepticism of our offense.

What I don’t understand is your complete dismissal of our defense,….particularly our run defense. Its not all to unfamiliar. Last week Giants fans bragged that Brandon Jacobs would wear us out. He had a whopping 49 yds and the team rushed for 80. The Redskins have NEVER faced a run defense like the Steelers this year. Philly’s run defense is JV compared to ours.

If you think the Steelers are overrated,…thats not entirely unfair. I believe we sometimes get ranked off our reputation alone. We’ve lost the toughness on the O-Line,…we’re starting to lose the running game. But we still have more experience, accomplishments and pedigree in our locker room than yours. Atleast respect that.

by ismail on Oct 29, 2008 9:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i might point out

that, yes, the skins have the number two rush attack. and the giants have the number one. now granted they won the game, or more accurately, pittsburgh handed it to them, but their ground game was non existant – less than a hundred on the ground total with a measly ypa of something like 2.4 or 2.6. (i havent looked it up but that’s the neighborhood) portis is gonna be shut down and if the skins win, it’ll be becasue campbell gets it done through the air. which i grant could happen. but the skins ground game is done before the game even starts.

by SE7ENS on Oct 30, 2008 10:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

To clarify

I absolutely meant to minimize the Steelers in a biased fashion, for the only reason that I’m psyching myself up. If this were an objective web site, i’d speak much more politically. If this was a NFL blog, I’d say that this will be a “defensive struggle” and all that good stuff.

I think the Steelers are an excellent team … and I do think they have a great run defense. However, to say the Skins run game is over before the game starts seems a bit senile to me.

If Parker’s not in, the Redskins will control time of possession in this game… flat-out. I realize that the Giants’ rushing attack is rated #1, but the play of Clinton Portis transcends rankings (especially considering we have no depth at the position since Betts got hurt). That attack in NY is Ward, Jacobs, and Bradshaw… Portis is a one-man show. And believe me, it’s worked.

And Philadelphia’s defense JV? They’re #5. Not JV. Detroit’s defense? Yes, that’s JV.

Let’s be honest here — predicting that the Steelers will completely shut down the Redskins or that the Redskins will completely run over the Steelers is ridiculous. The point of my post was to put myself on the line with a big prediction. If I’m wrong, and by God, I usually am, then the stats will mean something. But until they play, we will just have to see, which is the beauty of sports!

by mmford10 on Oct 30, 2008 2:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Clarification is good!

The post is better!
Yes, this game could go either way.
But the Redskins will either Run the ball effectively or be able to pass with signficance. The score will be close, and similar to the game last week I hope the NFC east ends out on top.

by dr WNC on Nov 3, 2008 7:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs