Steeler fan here (no smack intended)

[SteelCurtainII]

You guys really need to quit talking so much about the Colts because they are really no threat to you. You already have the blueprint on how to beat the Colts. In fact so does the Chargers and the Steelers. Pressure Manning early and often and he will get rattled and make mistakes. There D is nothing to wriite home about as they are small and really only have Sanders and Freeney. So pound them with the running game until they come out of that cover 2 crap and then you can light them up through the air. You guys have been doing that to them every year for awhile and it has worked for you. What happened to you last year in the playoffs I am still baffled by, but oh well things happen. The way I see it your only real competiton this year is The Steelers and perhaps the Chargers if they have finally found there groove. The Steelers are improved offensively and that D is just nasty. Im not saying the offense is jaw dropping but it is more than adequate. Big Ben is playing as he did before the crash and Willie Parker is better than he was before so I'm quite satisfied we have enough offense to compete. Im not saying we will beat you I just think we have a better chance than anyone else. Just for fun, here is how I think the rankings will look like at the end of the regular season: Top ten that is.

1) Patriots- Looked unstoppable! Can anyone beat them?
2) Steelers- D was scary and Tomlin proved critics wrong. Team was really focused all year long.
3) Colts- Awesome offense still need to improve that D
4) Chargers- Took awhile to get going but came on strong and dominated.
5) Jaguars- Defense carried this team but stablalized the QB spot which improved the offense enough to get by so far.
6) Ravens- One of the best D's for years continues to carry this team unfortunatley for them they have never been able to get a good offense.
7) Cowboys- They play in the NFC and were just not consistant defensively and Romo makes too many mistakes still.
8) Giants- The other Manning finally put a full season together and Coughling silenced his critics.
9) Packers- Lack of a running game made this team fade somewhat towards the end.
10) Browns- surprise surprise this team has an offensive line, now if it only had a defensive line it could go further than a first round elimination.

I know the number 10 choice was ******ed but I cant put another nfc team in the top ten and I dont think anyone else in the afc is any good at all.

 

[RobAllan]

Good thoughts. I, for one, am more worried about the Colts than the Steelers. That said, with due respect, I'm not worried about either of you. I think whatever game we lose will be a fluke, at best, and I don't really see anything other than injuries impeding our progress to Arizona.

I'm even less worried about the Chargers. I feel like the fork has been stuck in them, and even with their recent play, I don't see them as being any different than they were when we squished them.

I have a feeling my views will be in the minority on some of these points, but there ya go.

 

[Absurdly Metro]

Good analysis. Call me crazy but I kind of like the Brownies now as well. Not sure they are as good as Tennessee yet but we shall see. They are definitely improved. I like your take on Pats/Colts too. IMO, IF we (Pats) can defend the middle of the field (man do I hate Dallas Clark) we will beat them handily. If not, it will be close but I think we sneak by because of how much improved we are on offense. I think we are the only tam that can match them touchdown for touchdown right now.

I haven't seen the Steelers except for bits and pieces of the Arizona game so I really don't have an opinion yet on your guys. Based on what you've seen of both teams so far what would you put the Steelers chances of coming into Foxboro in December and beating the Pats at?

 

[Pats726]

Not a bad analysis...Really too early to look at the Steelers game....see who is playing..as injuries could always be a big factor as well as what happens inbetween. .That game MIGHT be a really important one..for both sides...wil teh Steelers have 1 loss at that point?? Will the Pats be undefeated? The Pats will be coming off a tough Raven Monday... Hmm...it should be a good one.
Browns over..Tenn, Wash, Minn, KC?? Interesting..but I too like the Browns..a sleeper team...

 

[Cobra Kai Patriots]

Until the Pats beat the Colts I will continue to be nervous. I guess the major concern I have is how the defense will perform especially after they got shredded a little by Dallas. Will the Pats be able to slow down that offense and will the corners perform as well as they did at the end of last season?

Until I see it I wil be nervous.

 

[Blah! Blah! Blah!]

I see the Steelers as a big threat. They have a very balanced team. Their RB's are good and if they keep our defense on the field for sustained drives it could get ugly. They have a very good chance of controlling the clock. The question is can we get point early and force the game on Ben to throw being behind in points.

 

[jaytyme]

I see the Steelers as a big threat. They have a very balanced team. Their RB's are good and if they keep our defense on the field for sustained drives it could get ugly. They have a very good chance of controlling the clock. The question is can we get point early and force the game on Ben to throw being behind in points.

been watching u guys play and thinking its gonna be pitt v indy to get to us for the super bowl bid. Rothlebergerger has been solid this year...unlike his sophmore rehab campaign.

Ultimately, we will get points early and force bigben to beat us with his less than brady/manning arm. It wont work and we'll roll at the end

 

[cstjohn17]

The thing that has impressed me the most about Mike Tomlin is that he stayed with their same 3-4 defense even though he was more of a 4-3 guy. He showed a lot of strength as a head coach to keep **** LeBeau.

That being said, they are playing well but other than playing a tough style of physical defense there is nothing I like about the Steelers. I hate them almost as much as the Colts. Welcome to the board.

 

[Cobra Kai Patriots]

The thing that has impressed me the most about Mike Tomlin is that he stayed with their same 3-4 defense even though he was more of a 4-3 guy. He showed a lot of strength as a head coach to keep **** LeBeau.

That being said, they are playing well but other than playing a tough style of physical defense there is nothing I like about the Steelers. I hate them almost as much as the Colts. Welcome to the board.

I would say that is mildly impressive. The front 7 wasn't really the issue on that team. It was their corners at times and Big Ben made awful decisions.

 

[Bostonian1962]

You guys really need to quit talking so much about the Colts because they are really no threat to you. You already have the blueprint on how to beat the Colts. In fact so does the Chargers and the Steelers. Pressure Manning early and often and he will get rattled and make mistakes. There D is nothing to wriite home about as they are small and really only have Sanders and Freeney. So pound them with the running game until they come out of that cover 2 crap and then you can light them up through the air. You guys have been doing that to them every year for awhile and it has worked for you. What happened to you last year in the playoffs I am still baffled by, but oh well things happen. The way I see it your only real competiton this year is The Steelers and perhaps the Chargers if they have finally found there groove. The Steelers are improved offensively and that D is just nasty. Im not saying the offense is jaw dropping but it is more than adequate. Big Ben is playing as he did before the crash and Willie Parker is better than he was before so I'm quite satisfied we have enough offense to compete. Im not saying we will beat you I just think we have a better chance than anyone else. Just for fun, here is how I think the rankings will look like at the end of the regular season: Top ten that is.

1) Patriots- Looked unstoppable! Can anyone beat them?
2) Steelers- D was scary and Tomlin proved critics wrong. Team was really focused all year long.
3) Colts- Awesome offense still need to improve that D
4) Chargers- Took awhile to get going but came on strong and dominated.
5) Jaguars- Defense carried this team but stablalized the QB spot which improved the offense enough to get by so far.
6) Ravens- One of the best D's for years continues to carry this team unfortunatley for them they have never been able to get a good offense.
7) Cowboys- They play in the NFC and were just not consistant defensively and Romo makes too many mistakes still.
8) Giants- The other Manning finally put a full season together and Coughling silenced his critics.
9) Packers- Lack of a running game made this team fade somewhat towards the end.
10) Browns- surprise surprise this team has an offensive line, now if it only had a defensive line it could go further than a first round elimination.

I know the number 10 choice was ******ed but I cant put another nfc team in the top ten and I dont think anyone else in the afc is any good at all.

I think the top two teams in the NFL are the Patriots and the Steelers. So, I agree with your top 2. I could be proven wrong, but the Steelers are a top notch team. The Colts are always a threat in any game with Manning. I love this Patriots team. Just stay healthy.

 

[Brady to Brown]

The Patriots now have the best offense in the NFL and it will only get better as the year rolls along.

No way either the Steelers or the Colts can stop this team if the Patriots go 4 or 5 wide. The only thing stopping the Patriots from winning it all is injuries.

 

[Cobra Kai Patriots]

The Patriots now have the best offense in the NFL and it will only get better as the year rolls along.

No way either the Steelers or the Colts can stop this team if the Patriots go 4 or 5 wide. The only thing stopping the Patriots from winning it all is injuries.

I do hope that the Pats make a consistent effort to keep Welker in the game for the underneath stuff. if brady continues to expolit the underneath the deeper stuff will open up and there is no way the defense can cover everyone.

one key is the continued great play of the O-line. if you are gonna play that many wr's then you need to have great protection

 

[PYPER]

1) Patriots- Looked unstoppable! Can anyone beat them?
2) Steelers- D was scary and Tomlin proved critics wrong. Team was really focused all year long.
3) Colts- Awesome offense still need to improve that D
4) Chargers- Took awhile to get going but came on strong and dominated.
5) Jaguars- Defense carried this team but stablalized the QB spot which improved the offense enough to get by so far.
6) Ravens- One of the best D's for years continues to carry this team unfortunatley for them they have never been able to get a good offense.
7) Cowboys- They play in the NFC and were just not consistant defensively and Romo makes too many mistakes still.
8) Giants- The other Manning finally put a full season together and Coughling silenced his critics.
9) Packers- Lack of a running game made this team fade somewhat towards the end.
10) Browns- surprise surprise this team has an offensive line, now if it only had a defensive line it could go further than a first round elimination.

Nice post. The Steelers are certainly a team we respect (except for the constant crying coming out of Pittsburgh like Ward, K.Steward, Steeler fans, etc...) We've always prided ourselves on our physicality and the Steelers are the same way. Every game against you guys is a war and the list of fatalities tends to be high. The Steelers and Patriots are similar in many ways. Both rosters are extremely prideful. Other than the whole crying thing and the offensive weapons we have this year, the Steelers probably are more like us than anyone else.

Most Patriots fans, including myself, were very slow to give the Colts respect but they definitely earned it last season. I've always looked at them as a soft finesse team but Bob Sanders has pretty much single handedly changed that. That dude belongs in a Patriots or Steelers uniform.

Having said that, I am actually expecting the Jags to pull off the upset on Monday Night. Even so, the Colts remain a very capable & dangerous opponent.

Here's my list.

1) Patriots: Homer or not. This is the best team I've ever seen.
2) Colts: I think this is the week they start adding digits in the loss column.
3) Steelers: Still have ??? but appear to be legitimate contenders.
4) Cowboys: The critics are wrong to jump off this team's bandwagon. This team can play.
5) Jaguars: Deserving of lofty rank but will they be able to handle success?
6) Chargers: I don't think this team is out of the woods just yet but options are thinning.
7) Giants: What a turnaround! I thought these guys were headed towards a 4-12 season after week 2. Eli's playing his best football and Burress is possessed. I'm still not completely convinced though. I want to see more.
8) Packers: They're playing well right now but I don't expect it to last. That running game void will cost them when the weather turns.
9) Redskins: Flying below everyone's radar. The defense is playing incredible. This team could upset the Patriots next week. If its not the Cowboys representing the NFC in February, it'll be the Redskins.
10) ???: There are a handful of teams that could fit here. The Titans belong on the list with a healthy Vince Young, but he's injured. I'd like the Bucs if they had any healthy RB's. Let's wait and see what Bennett can do for them. Baltimore looks like a 6-10 team pretending to be a contender to me. I think Cleveland could push the Steelers in the North but they're likely a year away.
And finally, don't take your eyes off the Chiefs, Broncos, or Raiders. None of them are threats for the Super Bowl but I wouldn't be shocked to see any of them overtake the Chargers in the West.

 

[Gainzo]

Im not saying we will beat you I just think we have a better chance than anyone else.

Why do you think that? The Steelers are a good team this year but nothing special.

The Steelers last 3 games were against teams from the NFC West, with the 49ers & Seahawks games in Pittsburgh. The other was a loss in Arizona.

The Pats just beat the best team in the NFC on the road.

The Steelers have back to back road games against Denver and Cincy then host the Ravens.

It will be interesting to see what the Steelers record will look like in 3 weeks.

 

[PonyExpress]

The Steelers are loaded on both sides of the ball. They have 2 pro bowl caliber WRs (Santonio is ranked #1 by Football Outsiders), a Jason Whitten caliber TE in Miller, a pro bowl rb in Fast Willie, a Pro Bowl QB in Roethlesberger, a competent O-line, 2 Probowl caliber DLs in Hampton and Smith, a solid LB corps, and a potentially elite DBfield with Polamalu, Smith, Taylor et.al. They are as capable of giving the Pats a serious game as any team in the NFL. The only question I have about the Steelers is their HC. I'm not downgrading him, just commenting that he is an unknown quantity as far as big games go. Tomlin's got "Tricky" **** Lebeau to lean on for experience. But I need to see him handle the adversity of 16 games, and play a couple big time teams, before annointing the Steelers an AFC SB contender. Any Pats fan who doesn't have a healthy respect for the Pittsburgh franchise and a grudging admiration for their brutal style is whistling past the graveyard.

 

[ColtFreaks...Scotty]

You guys really need to quit talking so much about the Colts because they are really no threat to you.

WOW. I cant believe you actually believe that. The Colts are the biggest threat to the Pats in the NFL. I'll give it to you...the Steelers are having a good year and the Pats look amazing, but if the Pats have us figured out so well...why have they lost our last 3 meetings?

Both teams(Pats and Colts) are playing top-notch football and have both improved since last year. Believe what you want, but the Colts D is much better this year than it was last year.

 

[PF1996]

WOW. I cant believe you actually believe that. The Colts are the biggest threat to the Pats in the NFL. I'll give it to you...the Steelers are having a good year and the Pats look amazing, but if the Pats have us figured out so well...why have they lost our last 3 meetings?

Both teams(Pats and Colts) are playing top-notch football and have both improved since last year. Believe what you want, but the Colts D is much better this year than it was last year.

Simple answer

2005 - INJURIES

2006 - INJURIES

2007 - INJURIES


The Colts are only a threat to the Pats because the LBs and DBs of the Pats have steadily deteriorated since 2004. Even so, the Pats still contained the Colts AT THE DOME before the second stringers started dropping and the third stringers came in. The Colts D is a joke that got lucky to play three offensively and coaching challenged teams in the 2006 playoffs and one unhealthy team. Even facing a Pats team which lacked capable WRs or healthy RBs, the Colts "D" still gave up 27 offensive points. Both Denver and Tennesse ran the ball EASILY against the Colts. Denver lost because they have no defense (and made some peculiar offensive calls) and Tennesse lost because they lack a passing offense.

I consider the Steelers to be a greater threat to the Pats than the Colts. Unlike the Colts, the Steelers actually have a real defense that can give the Pats problems and an improved offense that can exploit the Pats pathetic linebackers (Vrabel/ADalius excluded) and secondary. If the Pats had DBs who could cover/tackle or linebackers with speed, they would be unbeatable. As things stand, they are vulnerable to a well balanced team and the Steelers are the only team which fits the bill.

 

[ALP]

im worried about the steelers, after we beat teh colts...

and im worried about the colts...after we beat miami

but yes, i also think the browns are a VERY good team...

OK D, and their Offense is about as good as the bengals

 

[mgcolby]

The Steelers are the most complete team that we will face the rest of the way (regular season). I think they are the only team that has a defense good enough to keep us under 30 AND an offense good enough to put up 24-27 points. I felt that way after week two and nothing has changed on that front. I truly think they are the only team that could beat us without us turning it over.

 

[Brady to Brown]

I do hope that the Pats make a consistent effort to keep Welker in the game for the underneath stuff. if brady continues to expolit the underneath the deeper stuff will open up and there is no way the defense can cover everyone.

one key is the continued great play of the O-line. if you are gonna play that many wr's then you need to have great protection

Welker is signed long term and will be Brady's go to guy for many years.