Super Bowl XL - Steelers vs. Seahawks

[sandgk]

The one thing about the Seahawks win that to me, puts an asterisk against the victory, is that the game changed when Carolina lost the last of their legitimate running threats with Goings injury.

As for the forthcoming game - and the line projected win for the Steelers.

The Steelers D is riding herd on Quarterbacks right now, and Hasselbeck will have to have one of the best games of his life, and his O-line a mistake free day to avoid rushes, sacks and the likely resulting interceptions.

Seattle's best chances I am certain will come if they can establish the running game with Alexander against a pretty good & stingy Steeler run-D.

This isn't a walkover by any means, as the early line tells you, but I think it is fair that the Steelers get the nod as likely winners.

[Buckeye513]

Go Seahawks.

[TSKCoug]

sandgk: "The one thing about the Seahawks win that to me, puts an asterisk against the victory, is that the game changed when Carolina lost the last of their legitimate running threats with Goings injury."

Why would Goings injury "put an asterisk" on the victory? Goings didn't cause the injury himself, Tatupu (another USC guy ) knocked the [censored] out of him! Goings was out for the game and Tatupu continued to play. Certainly Polamalu has had a great year but Tatupu's year has been at least as good. Just wait "Big Ben" will get acquainted with Lofa after he picks off a pass or two.

The Steelers are "hot" no doubt. But the Seahawks have won 13 of their past 14 games, and that one loss was the last game of the year against Green Bay which meant nothing to Seattle and Holmgren rested all of the key starters for the entire second half.

GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seahawks 24
Steelers 21

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

1/26/06

Steelers on cusp of finishing storybook season

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Alan Robinson
ASSOCIATED PRESS

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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers sense that something special is going on here, the kind of season remembered and replayed not only for a few years but for generations.
A season in which a team has to try harder and travel a far more difficult road to win football’s biggest game.
After a month virtually unrivaled in NFL playoff history, the Steelers are one victory away from a Super Bowl championship that, by degree of difficulty, might eclipse any of the four they won during the 1970s.
The improbable three-game road sweep in the AFC playoffs. A game and a season saved by an improbable tackle — by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, of all people. Eliminating Super Bowl favorite Indianapolis a few weeks after the Colts seemed poised to go undefeated.
Jerome Bettis closing out a Hall of Fame career by going home to Detroit for the Super Bowl — and overcoming the fumble of a lifetime. Bill Cowher, the NFL’s most tenured coach with one team, finally getting another chance for a championship ring in his 14 th season. Roethlisberger resembling John Elway and Joe Montana in the playoffs in only his second season.
"Somebody should write a book about this," receiver Hines Ward said, "because it’s better than fiction."
The Steelers haven’t won the last game of the NFL season since Jimmy Carter was president and Terry Bradshaw was their quarterback during the 1979 season.
"You work hard to travel this path, but if you’re not able to finish the deal you’ll be forgotten," Cowher said. "You have a chance to put your name up there with some of the great teams. That’s the opportunity that you’re selling to your players."
It’s also why Cowher is trying to keep this off week close to a regular week, even if he knows that is impossible. Cowher is attempting to keep the edge, ambition and motivation the Steelers fed off while beating the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis and Denver Broncos during the first sweep of a conference’s Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds.
The Steelers were off yesterday — they haven’t practiced since their 34-17 rout of Denver in the AFC championship game Sunday — but will work out today, Friday and Saturday. After another day off Sunday, they’ll travel to Detroit on Monday.
Cowher’s decision to wear white jerseys in the Super Bowl, rather than the traditional black the Steelers wear at home, also reflects his desire to keep things as they have been during a seven-game winning streak.
"We’re playing in the Super Bowl, so how can we have a letdown?" nose tackle Casey Hampton said. "I can’t see how that can happen."
Cowher can, and he has cautioned his players all week — either in person or through the media — about the dangers of relaxing for even a moment. Like the Steelers, who feel they were unjustifiably overlooked heading into the playoffs despite going 26-6 the past two seasons, the Seattle Seahawks believe they have something to prove, Cowher said.
Because they’re located three times zones removed from the populous East Coast media centers, the Seahawks are convinced that their 13-3 record didn’t attract the admiration it warranted. "This is a supreme team with the same aspirations we have," Cowher said. "They’re playing with a high level of confidence. It’s not going to get done by showing up, and we really have not accomplished anything. That’s the thing we have to keep in mind, because some people will give you kudos and will talk about all the good things we’ve done, but that can all change with one play, with one quarter or one bad game."

[iambrutus]

Originally Posted by TSKCoug

Just wait "Big Ben" will get acquainted with Lofa after he picks off a pass or two.

Everyone said the same about Champ Bailey last week, and Doss/Sanders/Harper the week before.

[7 45 33 48]

Originally Posted by TSKCoug

sandgk: "The one thing about the Seahawks win that to me, puts an asterisk against the victory, is that the game changed when Carolina lost the last of their legitimate running threats with Goings injury."

Why would Goings injury "put an asterisk" on the victory? Goings didn't cause the injury himself, Tatupu (another USC guy ) knocked the [censored] out of him! Goings was out for the game and Tatupu continued to play. Certainly Polamalu has had a great year but Tatupu's year has been at least as good. Just wait "Big Ben" will get acquainted with Lofa after he picks off a pass or two.

The Steelers are "hot" no doubt. But the Seahawks have won 13 of their past 14 games, and that one loss was the last game of the year against Green Bay which meant nothing to Seattle and Holmgren rested all of the key starters for the entire second half.

GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seahawks 24
Steelers 21

Once Goings was injured, Carolina went 4 wides and threw the ball. They were one dimensional. Seattle put everybody on Smith and that was it for the Carolina offense. I am sorry but Tatupu hasn't had as good of year as Polamalu. Heck you even had some Browns homers on here say that Polamalu is the best safety they have ever seen.

Seattle should definitely be worried about the defense they are going up against. Seattle didn't face a top 10 defrense until last week and Alexander's YPC dropped from 5.1 to 3.8. Carolina didn't have their two best lineman in the game. Dallas was the only 3-4 team Seattle has faced and Alexander's YPC was 2.9. The Steelers play a 3-4 and are the number 1 ranked defense.

[AJHawkfan]

Yeah, Seattle's defense might be pretty good, against the run; but they are ranked what, #25 against the pass? From what the experts are saying, they send a lot of blitzes and different looks, making it tough on the QB. Hmm......that's exactly the same thing they said before Pittsburgh played Indy and Denver. The Steelers' OLine didn't have a lot of trouble in either of those 2 games. Let's not forget that the Steelers have 2 Pro bowlers on that line in Hartings and Faneca.

[buckeyeboy]

Originally Posted by TSKCoug

sandgk: "Th