Last night the Steelers got back to their winning ways, albeit in underwhelming fashion. Pittsburgh keeps racking up wins, but they don't really look like a Super Bowl contender. Now that Willie Parker is out for the year, my hopes for another deep run in the playoffs are dimmed even further.
It's hard for me to put my finger on exactly why I have so little confidence in the Steelers. On paper, they look like a powerhouse. They're 10-5 with a statistically dominant defense and (until last night) the leading rusher in the NFL. But when you watch them play, they don't look like a team that could win the Super Bowl.
Part of that is due to the nature of the AFC this year. Any surprise contender will likely have to travel to both Indianapolis and New England to make the Super Bowl. I just don't see that happening. It wouldn't surprise me terribly if either the Colts or the Patriots lose before the AFC championship, but it would shock me if they both did. I don't think Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Jacksonville, or San Diego have the horses to beat both the Colts and the Pats on the road in consecutive weeks. So basically, you can expect the AFC to be represented by either Indy or New England, like everyone has been expecting for the entire season.
That said, I'm not disappointed with the Steelers season. They're going to make the playoffs, and hopefully will win a game in the wild card weekend and maybe surprise one of the power teams the next week. After the way the team looked last year, Steelers fans have to be pleased with those results. With Roethlisberger coming back off a bad season and with a rookie head coach, expectations weren't very high for the Steelers this year. They've certainly exceeded the low bar set for them, and they look to be in great shape for next season (unfortunately, so do the Colts and Pats).
December 21, 2007
Steelers and the Playoffs
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What has ailed the Steelers over the past few games--and continued last night--has been their inability to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Kick coverage continued to allow opposing offenses to start with great field position.
Willie Parker broken leg = Jeremy's broken hopes of winning his Fantasy Super Bowl. Especially when his opponent had Steven Jackson (and has Adrian Peterson still to come).
This year's Steelers remind me of all those 10-6 Broncos playoff teams. Very well coached, above-average quarterbacking, divisional round exit.
Add in the dominance of the Pats and Colts, and I think a second round exit is a pretty good year for a rookie coach. Plus, at least you know that the core skills players in Roethlisberger, Parker/Davenport, Ward, and Heath Miller will be around. Re-tool the lines and they'll be up with the elites again.
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