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.
