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.
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
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.
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.
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.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.
Thank you!lol at not the Denver Broncos, but Tim Tebow by himself.
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.
LOL, What do think Holmgren says about the ref's from the Seattle Steeler Super Bowl.
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.
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.
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.