O sweet joy, it's time for the Super Bowl! Yes, the pageantry, the power, the one thing that will hold the American football world enrapt this Sunday: Super Bowl XL.
Pittsburgh vs. Seattle (in Detroit)
Sunday, February 5, 2006
The Battle For Proof
The Pittsburgh Steelers have undergone the most dramatic testing of any NFL team ever, after squeaking into the playoffs as the lowest possible seed in the #6 slot, they've managed to beat the #3 (CIN), #1 (IND), and #2 (DEN) American Football Conference seeded teams and have earned their way to Detroit to face the NFC's #1. Simply amazing. They are battling to prove that the Rooney family's trust in Head Coach Bill Cowher is deserved, and that the Stillrrs are back in the NFL's elite after all the pre-postseason talk was of Indianapolis' cold machinery.
On the other side of the equation, Seattle has made its way through the playoffs with home field advantage, knocking off a prickly Washington team, and managing not to mess up when Carolina Panthers finally came apart. Yet they haven't looked menacing compared to any of the teams that PIT has beaten, or the Steelers themselves. This is why the NFC's #1 team is not favored by Vegas to defeat the AFC's #6 team. The Seahawks are battling to shrug off their miasma of mediocrity that's dogged them since their inception. A Super Bowl win would change how everyone views the blue team from the country's upper-left corner.
By SFist Christopher Rogers, contributing
When the Seahawks have the ball: A fascinating matchup, this pits SEA Head Coach Mike Holmgren's from-the-source West Coast offense against PIT defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's 3-4 zone blitz D. It's like a cobra dancing with a mongoose -- a powerful offensive art pitted against the defensive style that was conconcted to counter it. Feint and counter-feint. Which will succeed? Will the Seattle run game be able to exert its will upon the Pittsburgh D? The Hawks have been known to have problems against a base 3-4 set. Watch the left side of SEA's line to keep tabs on how hella-good LT Walter Jones is being deployed.
When the Steelers have the ball: Here is where the game's fulcrum will turn. Simply stated, the Seahawks are not likely to be able to withstand the Pittsburgh offense. Seattle does not look as thought they will be able to force PIT to be one-dimensional; the Steelers can either fling or grind, if you try to shut down one, the other one will be more effective. PIT has proven that they can play from behind, can the Seahawks prove themselves to all the doubters?
Predictions are for suckers: AFS predicts that the Steelers will triumph, winning their franchise's fifth Lombardi Trophy with a smothering 27 - 17 victory that isn't as close as the score looks.
Next up on your American Football Spectacular: Super Bowl recapping, Pro Bowl warning, and then some napping.
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You forgot to mention, the Pitt victories vs 1, 2, and 3 seeds were all on the road!
I agree with you, pitt will own seattle. But I dont think its because pitt is a clearly better team, it will be because of lack of experience on seattle. Because lets face it, ALMOST beating Washington, isnt going to cut it against Pitt.
So many people say 10 point difference, but no one agrees where. I say 30-20.