Toughest Super Bowl Opponent

[VolvoD]

Sorry, the AFC just isnt as good as us or the Saints (i would have included the 9er's..but they dont have the offensive firepower)

 

[Kitten]

Right now the NFC is dominant. The AFC has not emerged with a clearly defined leader the way the NFC has. But somebody has got to get there, I'd either go with the Patriots or Ravens. I think either of those two teams will give us a run. The Patriots D is horrible, Arod should be about to pick it apart. But what will Brady do with our D? Like my proposed NFC Championship match between the Packers and Saints, I think a Superbowl match between the Packers and Patriots would come down to a QB duel.

Meanwhile, Tebow can watch from the crowd and learn from two masters.

 

[Ceodore]

lol at not the Denver Broncos, but Tim Tebow by himself.

 

[_Xyn]

Woah ...........slow down folks ........... let's not tempt fate. Whilst I'm just about prepared to accept that the play-offs are guaranteed, we'll have 2 pretty tough games to win before any SB appearance .............. let's get there first.​

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I don't understand why some people will question the intentions of a thread.

Most discussions are based on theory, and this scenario couldn't come true unless we do make it to the superbowl.

You don't need to believe it will happen, we don't care. For the sake of discussion pick your toughest SB opponent.

 

[Greenbayphil]

Steelers hands down.
I see them making the SB again.

 

[Crazy Packers Fan]

It's the Steelers, and it's for many reasons. The first and foremost is the Super Bowl XL factor, when mysteriously the Steelers got a ton of calls in their favor to win despite a horrendous game out of Rapistberger (0 TDs, 2 INTs and 3rd that was taken back by penalty). The NFL knows that many Steelers fans are bandwagoners, so they'd want to keep them around as long as possible. If you're not convinced of the "refball" factor, then just look at the Steelers-Texans game earlier this season where multiple Steelers turnovers were brought back on questionable "late hit" penalties. The Steelers only lost after yet another pick out of Rapistberger.

In addition, there's something I call "Steelers luck." Look at the last two Super Bowls the Steelers have reached. Both times they were supposed to have to play at a #1 seed that beat them earlier in the season, but that #1 seed mysteriously lost to a #6 seed the week before, giving the Steelers home-field and an easy AFC Championship. In fact, when they won it all in 2008, not one not two but THREE times did the Steelers get lucky in such a way. They lost to the Colts earlier in the year; the Colts lost in OT right before a potential game vs. the Steelers. The Steelers lost to the Titans earlier in the year; the Titans lost on a botched delay-of-game call right before a potential game vs. the Steelers. The Steelers lost to the Eagles earlier in the year; the Eagles lose a close one to the Cardinals. The Steelers faced playoff teams at 8-8, 11-5 and 9-7 that year - not too tough of a schedule.

Here's how I see it going: the Steelers win out with their cakewalk of a schedule (sorry, 49ers). The Ravens lose to some inferior team along the way, and the Texans lose somewhere along the way (not very hard to imagine). So the Steelers end up with the #1 seed, then even get lucky again with the Patriots losing another home playoff game. And they're right back in the Super Bowl.

Call it luck, call it mysterious officiating, but whatever it is, the Steelers get a lot of help. You should be cheering against them even more than you cheer against the Bears the rest of the way.

 

[Texas9erFan]

I noticed the Niners were dropped in Billick's power rankings today. What suprised me more was who he ranked above them. The Pats and Ravens. Ok I understand maybe the Ravens after that loss... but I would have put the Saints above the Pats. The Pats have no D. Of course neither do the Saints. I would have tied the Ravens and Niners for 2nd.
1. Packers
2T. Ravens
2T. 49ers
4. Saints
5. Steelers
6. Patriots

 

[Bogart]

Don't talk bad about Tebow our ESPN writers will print another essay how he's the only good player on that team and the only one doing anything right. Absolutely NO credit to the defense or Willis McGahee.

 

[Croak]

I noticed the Niners were dropped in Billick's power rankings today. What suprised me more was who he ranked above them. The Pats and Ravens. Ok I understand maybe the Ravens after that loss... but I would have put the Saints above the Pats. The Pats have no D. Of course neither do the Saints. I would have tied the Ravens and Niners for 2nd.
1. Packers
2T. Ravens
2T. 49ers
4. Saints
5. Steelers
6. Patriots

I understand why you're still pretty high on thinking a good defense is necessary. But again, in today's league a high powered offense only needs a nominal defense to succeed.

 

[13 Times Champs]

I also voted for the Steelers. Revenge is a huge motivation for them.

 

[Jules]

Don't talk bad about Tebow our ESPN writers will print another essay how he's the only good player on that team and the only one doing anything right. Absolutely NO credit to the defense or Willis McGahee.

QBs often get all the blame in losses and all the praise in wins. It is just a natural reaction. I have seen many postseason wins go to the QB only when it is a total team effort most of the time. Rarely do I see QBs all by himself win games. Aaron Rodgers has been amazing this season but still at times I think the Packers D has stepped up in some big moments as well despite the yards they give up. I see a total team in the Packers despite the lights out performances at times by Aaron. Leading the league in interceptions by far is not a fluke for a defense IMO. This is a good Packers team who has play makers all around.

One thing people forget about NE is that they lost their center week 1. I think they also might be playing their third stringer now at times as well. There is more weaknesses with the Pats o line this year against good teams which may show up in the playoffs. Against the Steelers you saw a lot of pressure on Brady and tight man coverage. The Steelers did not respect any WRs not named Welker and shut him down. The Jets try to use the same formula but don't have an elite pass rusher to get it done or a QB like Ben who can get it done.
On offense vs. NE there is no need at all to run more then you throw or even have a balanced game half the time.

The post about the Steelers and luck (not Andrew) is pretty interesting to me. I also feel the same. Pittsburgh just gets LUCKY at times. Would not shock me at all if they ended up back in the SB. Baltimore being able to beat them 3 times in a single season scares me a bit too. The Steelers could very well coast the rest of the regular season with wins and sit back and wait for Baltimore to screw up another game or two before it's over.

 

[Bogart]

It's the Steelers, and it's for many reasons. The first and foremost is the Super Bowl XL factor, when mysteriously the Steelers got a ton of calls in their favor to win despite a horrendous game out of Rapistberger (0 TDs, 2 INTs and 3rd that was taken back by penalty). The NFL knows that many Steelers fans are bandwagoners, so they'd want to keep them around as long as possible. If you're not convinced of the "refball" factor, then just look at the Steelers-Texans game earlier this season where multiple Steelers turnovers were brought back on questionable "late hit" penalties. The Steelers only lost after yet another pick out of Rapistberger.

In addition, there's something I call "Steelers luck." Look at the last two Super Bowls the Steelers have reached. Both times they were supposed to have to play at a #1 seed that beat them earlier in the season, but that #1 seed mysteriously lost to a #6 seed the week before, giving the Steelers home-field and an easy AFC Championship. In fact, when they won it all in 2008, not one not two but THREE times did the Steelers get lucky in such a way. They lost to the Colts earlier in the year; the Colts lost in OT right before a potential game vs. the Steelers. The Steelers lost to the Titans earlier in the year; the Titans lost on a botched delay-of-game call right before a potential game vs. the Steelers. The Steelers lost to the Eagles earlier in the year; the Eagles lose a close one to the Cardinals. The Steelers faced playoff teams at 8-8, 11-5 and 9-7 that year - not too tough of a schedule.

Here's how I see it going: the Steelers win out with their cakewalk of a schedule (sorry, 49ers). The Ravens lose to some inferior team along the way, and the Texans lose somewhere along the way (not very hard to imagine). So the Steelers end up with the #1 seed, then even get lucky again with the Patriots losing another home playoff game. And they're right back in the Super Bowl.

Call it luck, call it mysterious officiating, but whatever it is, the Steelers get a lot of help. You should be cheering against them even more than you cheer against the Bears the rest of the way.

100% agree.


Back in 2006, there was bad calls when the Steelers played the Colts, at home the Colts got more penalties than the visiting team, and even after the game there was controversy over it, but if there is any proof the NFL officiating crews absolutely LOVE the Steelers, it's the Super Bowl over Seattle. They called back 2 TD's for the Seahawks (That would have won it) and they got all the penalties they wanted. Roethlisberger, as you said did have the worst game of a winning quarterback. I don't know anyone that thinks that game was fairly officiated, even John Madden during the game was disgusted with the calls. I lost every ounce of respect I had for them as a team after that game.

Every year I watch a Steelers game at home, there is some strange officiating. When Minnesota played them back in 2009, they gave the Vikings a penalty for "roughing their own quarterback" after someone bumped into Favre, seriously WTF kind of call is that? Any time the Vikings got a good run or huge pass, it was called back mysteriously, and they'd keep backing them and backing them up. I don't lose any sleep when Minnesota gets screwed but that game was really screwed up.


Even right now, the refs totally gave that game in K.C. to the Steelers. Kansas City's defense played LIGHTS OUT to shut them out in the entire second half, and the Steelers got all those BS penalties.

It just seems when the Steelers are down, even on the road the refs get together and think "hmmm how can we put them back in the game?" Even when we beat them in the Super Bowl we were playing against a Pittsburgh officiating crew that was giving us BS calls.


Without a doubt I think Ravens will lose a game to another below 500 team, so you got it right there.

 

[Jules]

Yeah the more I think about it the more the Steelers scare me too. I think the Packers can beat them again. But, it's been a long long time since there was a SB rematch. Early 90's?

I know the league would LOVE this SB again. Both fanbases are rabid, both teams historical. Revenge factor....a potential 19-0 Packers team if that situation arises.

A QB rivalry between Ben and Aaron, both are close enough in age to make it realistic. As much as the league loves Brady/Peyton they are starting to become more of yesterday's news in a way as new teams/QBs take over this decade.Pats fans may disagree but a few of the hardcore ones have said the same to me....the yin to Brady's yang so to speak is Manning. And vice versa. In 2008 when the Colts made the playoffs and the Pats didn't without Brady it felt odd to me. So what happened? The STEELERS won the AFC.

Oh and the crazy woman I met in the summer who told me for sure it would be Pack/Steelers again.

 

[Texas9erFan]

I understand why you're still pretty high on thinking a good defense is necessary. But again, in today's league a high powered offense only needs a nominal defense to succeed.

We're looking at the opposite sides of the same coin. I see a strong D as one that can stop a high powered offense. With a nominal offense beating a weak D. It's pretty much all the same thing.

Of course a truly elite team would have BOTH a great D and O. Then the debate as to which is more important is pointless. This year, no team has that.

If I was going to measure teams that had the most balance on both sides of the ball AND were winning for the most part, I'd say the Steelers were the best.

 

[FrankRizzo]

lol at not the Denver Broncos, but Tim Tebow by himself.

Thank you!

 

[Bogart]

Yeah the more I think about it the more the Steelers scare me too. I think the Packers can beat them again. But, it's been a long long time since there was a SB rematch. Early 90's?

I know the league would LOVE this SB again. Both fanbases are rabid, both teams historical. Revenge factor....a potential 19-0 Packers team if that situation arises.

A QB rivalry between Ben and Aaron, both are close enough in age to make it realistic. As much as the league loves Brady/Peyton they are starting to become more of yesterday's news in a way as new teams/QBs take over this decade.Pats fans may disagree but a few of the hardcore ones have said the same to me....the yin to Brady's yang so to speak is Manning. And vice versa. In 2008 when the Colts made the playoffs and the Pats didn't without Brady it felt odd to me. So what happened? The STEELERS won the AFC.

Oh and the crazy woman I met in the summer who told me for sure it would be Pack/Steelers again.

Actually it's a scary thought, cause remember when your favorite team is playing the Steelers, they ain't just playing the team in black and yellow, they are playing the men in white and black too. Steeler fans these days have basically given up arguing how the refs always help them win because it's just so obvious that something is wrong.

I also think the Steelers had the refs help against the Cardinals, cause they had over 11 penalties for 100 yards soley off penalties.

 

[Dan115]

Actually it's a scary thought, cause remember when your favorite team is playing the Steelers, they ain't just playing the team in black and yellow, they are playing the men in white and black too. Steeler fans these days have basically given up arguing how the refs always help them win because it's just so obvious that something is wrong.

I also think the Steelers had the refs help against the Cardinals, cause they had over 11 penalties for 100 yards soley off penalties.

LOL, What do think Holmgren says about the ref's from the Seattle Steeler Super Bowl.

 

[Bogart]

LOL, What do think Holmgren says about the ref's from the Seattle Steeler Super Bowl.

He was right.

The NFL was trying to cover it up.

It's almost like a conspiracy, the Steelers just have to win it because deep down that's their favorite team.

 

[Jules]

Actually it's a scary thought, cause remember when your favorite team is playing the Steelers, they ain't just playing the team in black and yellow, they are playing the men in white and black too. Steeler fans these days have basically given up arguing how the refs always help them win because it's just so obvious that something is wrong.
I also think the Steelers had the refs help against the Cardinals, cause they had over 11 penalties for 100 yards soley off penalties.

Oh yes I believe the Cards had the refs against them too.

I think the Steelers are slightly in my head. It goes back to 1995. I am always paranoid with them. Before the SB I knew so many Colts/Pats fans telling me the Steelers would beat the Pack. I kept saying no no no they won't. Even when the Steelers started to make the comeback in the SB I kept saying oh hell no.....no. I would not believe the Steelers could win the game.

I now believe the league would love an 18-0 Packers team facing off in a rematch with the big bad Steelers who want revenge on their minds....


Oh God!!! We may need ****** if this SB happens again. I believe the Packers would prevail but the Steelers are so ick ick icky.

 

[Dan115]

I think Packers vs Pats. Rodgers vs Brady.

 

[Jules]

If the Steelers get the first seed they will make the SB again. The refs even helped them a bit vs. NE so they could grab the coveted tiebreaker. We all know the Ravens could lose another game or even two. Thats how the Ravens roll. If Baltimore runs the table with all the cupcakes left on their schedule I may be shocked; Flacco must have another disaster waiting for him vs. a bad team. Heck it might even be against the Colts who own Baltimore and now that Painter is benched and there is a new DC maybe the Colts are going to try?

 

[Dan115]

That Baltimore team is hard to figure.

If the Steelers get the first seed they will make the SB again. The refs even helped them a bit vs. NE so they could grab the coveted tiebreaker. We all know the Ravens could lose another game or even two. Thats how the Ravens roll. If Baltimore runs the table with all the cupcakes left on their schedule I may be shocked; Flacco must have another disaster waiting for him vs. a bad team. Heck it might even be against the Colts who own Baltimore and now that Painter is benched and there is a new DC maybe the Colts are going to try?

That Baltimore team is hard to figure is an understatement. You are correct about Flacco. Up and down qb. I just see the pats coming out of the AFC. Will be fun to watch.

 

[Jules]

That Baltimore team is hard to figure.


That Baltimore team is hard to figure is an understatement. You are correct about Flacco. Up and down qb. I just see the pats coming out of the AFC. Will be fun to watch.

We'll see Dan. We'll see. People thought last years Pats also would win the AFC. I didn't.

I would not bet money on any one team coming out of the AFC though AT ALL.

One interesting thing is that the AFC #1 seeds have not done well in winning a SB in several
years.The #1 seed has almost become a curse as much as a blessing in the AFC.

And yeah I dislike all these AFC teams anyway. I have bad memories attached to pretty much all of them and a lot of them have ******* fans.

 

[Dan115]

Yes, I was one of those last year who thought the pats would be in Dallas. I just don't see Pitt making it to the big dance this year. I would have to put my money on Pats or Ravens.

 

[SyX]

I went to the Ravens game vs the Texans, and sat amongst the "original Ravens fans", the PSL owners from 1996. Nobody, and I am not exaggerating, had any faith in Flacco, despite his legendary following here in B-more. The Ravens D is aging, and it will be interesting to see if Ray Lewis can overcome the dreaded turf toe. The strongest aspect of their team is special teams, Billy Cundiff has an amazing leg, they cover well on kicks (no real need, it is usually a touchback) and punts and other than David Reed, have done fairly well in the return game.

That being said, I think they have the fast track to the AFC North title. Pittsburgh just has too many holes, and it looks like Troy Polamalu may miss time with a concussion. If the Ravens face the Pats in the AFCCG, it could be a very close game, but I'd give the edge to the Pats. Brady vs Flacco with the game and season on the line, easy choice.