It's not just about the QB all the time though.... Mark Sanchez led teams beat both the Colts and Pats last year in the playoffs and in fact Mark out played both HOF QBs sadly when the games were on the line (I cringe just typing that). Sanchez has fallen off a cliff at times this year though and so has the Jets o line. The Joe Flacco led Ravens upset NE in 2009. Eli Manning led Giants beat the perfect Pats in the SB. They ALL have holes in the AFC. The Pats have holes and have not beaten many good teams this season and feast on backup QBs now. The Steelers have holes and lost to Baltimore twice. Baltimore lost to the flipping Jags and Seahawks and have holes but the biggest hole might be in Joe Flacco's brain at times. As for the rest of them there are so many holes I can't even get into them. Texans are a solid all around team but I have to see how the new QB does....I can't imagine he can be worse though then the overrated Leinart may have been though. I would not bet money on a single AFC team coming out of the conference this year. Still, GB is more talented and clutch then anyone going back to last season. I do think though that a tough defensive minded team who has a QB with big game experience like the Steelers could be a headache to beat in back to back SBs. I would pick GB but the more I think about the Steelers the more I get paranoid.
Is Troy Polamalu really going to miss time? I heard Tomlin said they expect him to play this weekend. However resting him for a game or two may not be the worst idea for that team. edit: Just saw this on kffl
I agree with that, but Brady makes up for the Pats D a lot more than the Ravens D makes up for Flacco. Joe doesn't have the internal clock to avoid the big hits, fumbles a lot, makes ill advised throws, and has Cam Cameron as his O coordinator. I have seen reports that Troy will be playing for the Steelers this weekend, but still wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't, or won't be effective. He has a history of concussions going back to college. He's a game changer if he's on the field and healthy, but look at how ineffective he was in the Super Bowl last year. Something wasn't right with him there, and he was at best average.
Right now I want to pick the Ravens to make it to the SB but seeing them beat the Steelers three times in one year is a tall tall order. I have zero faith in the Pats getting there. I think they're way over rated.
I cheer against the Steelers more than I cheer against ANY NFL team EVERY week, every year, always. I live in Steeler Nation and it is a NIGHTMARE! I was already WELL aware of how the lucky Steelers ALWAYS dodge the Patriots, etc on their way to the Super Bowl (they've never made it through beating NE). Their last 2 SB wins were against the 2 worst NFC SB representatives in SB history and they barely won them. It's disgusting that they have 6 when they deserve maybe 3!
This is what will happen if the Packers and the Patriots get to the Super Bowl... According to Dave Dameshek and the Shame report http://www.nfl.com/videos/the-shame-report/09000d5d82499f90/The-Shame-Report-Week-12
They have ALWAYS had help from the refs, it goes back to the 1970's. I really shouldn't say that, cause back then it was a different league, it wasn't full of babies that cry for flags, but even back then it seemed the Raiders were just cursed in beating those assholes, and when they finally did, oh it was because the Steelers were banged up. If you research anything on the Steelers history of the refs, you'll find that game where the Browns were robbed, I can't remember the exact year, but it was one they won a Super Bowl in (1978 or 1976), in OT the Steelers won the toss, and fumbled the kick off at the 10 yard line, the refs gave Pittsburgh the ball, and later admitted they screwed the Brownies out of winning their first game in Three River Stadium. In 1995, that "Touchdown" that beat the Colts in the AFC Championship, he didn't cross the goalline, there was a lot in that game was BS, surely the wrong team made it to the Super Bowl that year, and that is why I was laughing when the Cowboys beat them, (though I believe Dallas would have won that Super Bowl regardless if they played the Colts or Steelers, the power back then was the NFC, and the best team to beat Dallas was SF, whom had already lost) Steelers scare me because the refs. Even in the Super Bowl they had to rear their ugly heads, when we got a 14-0 lead off that pick, there come the flags.
I just hope we don't lose anymore players to injury. We will beat anyone given our current state of affairs. Still a long ways to go.
Put it perfectly there. The scary teams are New Orleans and New England because their offenses are looking real good right now. They have the kind of offense where if they have a great night they could keep up with Aaron Rodgers. Could Joe Flacco and the Ravens? I don't think so.
We have so much depth it's ridiculous. Did you see DJ Smith and Francois against the Lions? It's awesome seeing young players step up and not miss a beat. But I agree with you. If we stay healthy I think we stay unbeaten.
I have no faith at all in Flacco. He's got the body of a dream quarterback, a good arm, but he's got a brain about the size of a dime. Zero pocket awareness will always be his problem, he's the poor man's Tony Romo, but at least Romo knows how to move around in the pocket and look around when they are about to blitz, that is where Flacco fails at best, he is horrible under pressure. I think the Saints are a bit better than New England. This is basically the same 2009 team that won the Super Bowl, but their offense is a big improvement. They don't have overrated waste around like Reggie Bush fumbling the ball and running to the side for a gain of 3, nor do they have big mouth Shockey dropping passes and staying injured. Everyone had trouble stopping the screens for New Orleans the last 2 years. Right now, with Sproles and not Bush, it's even harder to stop.
We have ample depth in some positions but not in all. Can't lose a Woodson, Matthews, Rodgers, or anymore OL or DL.
Well even when Sitton our best offensive lineman went out last week Deitrich-Smith came in and did a fine job against the stout Detroit Dline. I would say we can't lose another tackle. Woodson and Matthews getting injured will kill us. Woodson is playing like he was in 2009, and Matthews is the only person who can consistently get to the QB. He also takes 2 guys to block so it helps the other pass rushers. And well if Rodgers gets injured... Let's just not go there.
I have often found myself at times being a Flacco apologist LOL. This is a make or break year for him. I have to say he usually does struggle vs. the Steelers but two wins over them so far this year is pretty nice to see from him. He has not royally screwed up against the good teams so far this year, but has laid a few eggs against lesser teams. Baltimore fans are torn on Flacco as well most of the time.
No he isn't. And it frustrates me. But, his upside is higher then Mark Sanchez IMO or guys like that.
With all the talk about the Steelers and their zebra help I don't view them as the Packers toughest SB opponent. The Pack beat them last year. I think that kind of thing might apply if it's any other team besides the Packers against them. The history and tradition and admiration of the Packers is as high or higher within the entire NFL fanbase. Given that, I haven't seen a "dominant" defense shut down the Packers once they started clicking. My belief is that a team will have to have a pretty darned good offense to keep up with the Packers. Only NE is in that category in the AFC. We can wait until after the Giants game to see if their D is going to slow the Pack down. In the NFC I'd worry about games against the Saints first and then the Falcons. I'd love to see the Packers smack down the 49ers. I wonder what those Saints/Packer fans out there think of it. You know, the fans who root for two teams in the NFC?
Here are my thoughts on the topic: 1) The Patriots will be the hardest opponent, as they would have the ability to exploit any holes in our defense. The counter point to that is that our defense has REALLY tightened up and I think will will give ol' Tom Brady a run for his money. 2) The Steelers are probably are looking for revenge. They will have motivation, as being knocked off last year. The counter point to them is that we beat them before and we can do it again and also, I think the Packers have MORE motivation to repeat than the Steelers do to get another ring. Also, I saw someone mention that the Packers got lucky in SB XLV. I say BS. Our defense came through when it needed to. The Steelers are the lucky ones, as James Jones dropped a sure TD pass, making the game a bigger win. 3) The Saints I fear even more than ANY AFC team. The biggest challenge will be them in the playoffs. The have a defense that is no slouch and a flying offense. Yes, we beat them in week 1 but I think that was a different team. I think we can knock them off again, but it will be rough. Rougher than week 1.
The arm, the guy has an arm you would dream of having if you wanted to be a quarterback....His problem is, he can throw bombs, but it goes to the defensive backs, or just falls incomplete cause he's too inconsistent and lacks brains.
Our toughest superbowl opponent would not be the patsies, they can't win a playoff game sent from my rooted evo4g
