Does New England Really "Own" Pitt?

[bunzoburns]

Hey Gatekeeper,

Tom Brady is your Key Master!

 

[Double G]

The Patriots won the 2004 AFCCG because Ben wore down? (nice excuse by the way)

They won the following year because of a bad lateral? (an even better excuse)

This is an epic, titantic clash of the ages?

The Steelers have three losses, explain to me how you view this as a "clash of the ages"; should be "for the ages", but go with what you think is best.

As you will find out Sunday, you got the "TITANTIC" part of it right.

You Stooler fans are totally off the deep end over this game, try coming down a couple of steps on the ladder ok chief, it's a regular season game last time I checked.

 

[Joker]

someone ask the Steeler mutt about that fantastic job his Squealers did against the hapless 3-9 Rats a few weeks ago

 

[sebman2112]

All of those games have been played in Pittsburgh. And I like how the Randel-El fumble constitutes a "what-if" scenario, but the loss of Ty Law and Corey Dillon on the first three plays of the '04 regular season game is something to be expected.

Now it's time for the Steelers and Medium Ben to come into the Pats house for once. I think it will be ugly.

Randall Gay (one of the replacements for Ty) also got hurt during that game, and I think at least one of the starting O-linemen was injured as well (might have been Light?)

Incidently, the OP said the Steelers put a blowout up on the Patriots......I didn't know 24-34 was considered a blowout. Now, the Patriots 41-27 win in the AFCCG was a blowout

 

[psychoPat]

.... The NE run D looked very suspect last night, and if they suspect the Steelers will try to take advantage of that and run the ball all night, it could open up the passing game. And I have a feeling the Pats will spend a lot of time this week on rectifying their run D.

Here's a little tidbit that most football people around the country are not aware of. Even though the Steelers have a rep of being a running team, the running game really hasn't been very dominant this year, as in years past. So if the Pats are too focused on the run game, I expect the passing game to do some damage.

On top of all this, NE's aging defense could be affected by the short week, especially after a physical game.

....

Last week the Pats looked porous against the pass.
Last night they got shredded by land.
Steelers can take their pick.

But they won't stop this offense.

 

[Oswlek]

Randall Gay (one of the replacements for Ty) also got hurt during that game, and I think at least one of the starting O-linemen was injured as well (might have been Light?)

Incidently, the OP said the Steelers put a blowout up on the Patriots......I didn't know 24-34 was considered a blowout. Now, the Patriots 41-27 win in the AFCCG was a blowout

Actually, Dillon was scratched, he didn't get hurt. The Twig was a scratch as well.

And Gay was Law's replacement. He didn't get hurt, it was just his first start.

Where NE also had a bunch of in game injuries was at OL. Light and another went out.

BTW, just a couple tangents on this game and how it relates to NE's current team. Does anyone remember what Faulk ran for? It was something like 5 rushes for 3 yards or vice versa. I love him as much as the next guy, but he isn't a starter. When NE runs him in obvious run situations out of run formations he isn't anywhere near as productive as Maroney. If you want to point to a guy who benefits from the passing game, it is Faulk.

Also, in that game, once Law went down, Pitt ran for over 200 yards with nary a stuff in the entire second half. NE was routinely blown back 3-4 yards off the LOS. Yet they came back to corrale the same Pitt running game later in the year.

NE always has lulls when the games aren't quite as "important" and they always play their best ball late in the year into the playoffs. I wouldn't get too worried about this team just yet.

 

[DaBruinz]

Hi all.

The consensus among many Pats fans seems to be that The Patriots "own" the Steelers, primarily because of the two AFCCG losses at Heinz field. But is this really the case?

The Kordell Stewart era is long gone, so 2001 should not even be a factor. The Pats also thoroughly dismantled the Steelers in Foxboro in 2002, but again, that was a long time ago.

So, let's just focus on the Roethlisberger era. In '04, Pittsburgh laid a solid whoopin' on the Pats at Heinz field, in what was only Roethlisberger's 5th career start in his rookie year, ending the Pat's 21 game win streak.Later that season,

The Pats won fairly handily in the AFCCG, primarily due to the fact that Ben Roethlisberger finally reached his limit after going 14-0 as a rookie.

Ok. First off, the Pats stared the game without 4 starters, including Tom Ashworth, Corey Dillon, Ty Poole, and Deion Branch. They then lost Ty Law and Matt Light during the game. And also their 3rd Corner in rookie Randall Gay, who stepped in for Law.

Later that year,The Pats thoroughly dismantled the Steelers, 41-27. Why? Not because Big Ben reached his limit. But because the Pats were HEALTHIER. Branch, Ashworth and Dillon all played. And things were much more solid.

In the 2005 rematch, the Pats squeaked out a victory by way of a last minute Vinateri field goal, in a game in which the Steelers may have very well won if not for an unwarranted and unexpected Antwaan Randel El lateral, after a long pass play, that resulted in a turnover.

And that was the last time the two teams have played.

So, in the Roethlisberger era, the Pats are only 2-1 against the Steelers. Two games have been blowouts (one for each team), and one game was a hotly contested battle that came right down to the wire.

On top of all this, Ben Roethlisberger wants this game bad. After four years of being labeled as a "game manager" surrounded by a good team, he will be focused and driven to prove that he is more.

I'm not guaranteeing any wins, but I will say:

Watch out New England. Pitt's comin 4 u.

I haven't been impressed by Pitt as a WHOLE. They have some very good individuals in the likes of Hines Ward (who is a whining baby like Samari Rolle), Alan Faneca (who is still an All-Pro Guard), and Willie Parker just to name a few.

But, I am not impressed with the Steelers CBs. And their LBs are cheap and dirty players.. Particularly Timmons.