That's right—Anthony Smith of the Pittsburgh Steelers has guaranteed that the New England Patriots will fall this weekend."We're going to win; yeah, I can guarantee a win," Smith said recently. "As long as we come out and do what we got to do. Both sides of the ball are rolling, and if our special teams come through for us, we've got a good chance to win."
In fairness, Smith could be right. Sure, he's only a third-year player who just got the starting job at free safety due to an injury—but if the Steelers stopped a New England winning streak in 2004, who's to say they can't do it again?
After all, these Steelers do have the best overall defense in the league, and a powerful running game to boot—a formula similar to that which almost got the Ravens a win against New England.
But let's be honest: How much stock can you put in these words?
Smith also says the Bengals have a better receiving corps than the Pats. My question to him: Is that based on the fact that the top three Patriots receivers have 341 more combined yards than the Bengals' top three...or is it because they also have 10 more touchdowns?
If really you want to get into it, those same three Pats wideouts have more receiving touchdowns than the entire Bengals team.
Smith's right, though—if both sides of the ball are "rolling" for the Steelers, and if the Pittsburgh special teams make some big plays, there's a good chance the team can win.
But even when both sides of the ball are rolling, even when your special teams make plays...you still have to outperform the other team.
Against the 2007 Patriots, that's never easy.
Just ask Ray Lewis.
19 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Anonymous about 1 year ago
The one thing that failed to get mentioned by the media or the fans was how much the Pats respect their opponents. They might be "running up the score", but arguably they respect the history of these teams coming back and beat them, they respect the history of NFL that shows a team could overcome a more-than-4 TD advantage and come back and win it in 4th qtr. And they don't put 2nd team on in 3rd qtr and show the other team that they can't even win against their 2nd stringers.
But regardless of your opinion on running the score, the Pats are so disciplined and so professional that they never slight their opponents with cheap words. They never trash talk before the game or create those sensational win-guarantees. Even when they do feel angry about officiating after a game, they don't talk to media about it, they don't make excuses out of it, and they don't ever say to their opponents after turnovers cost them a game:"You didn't beat us. We beat ourselves", or "We gave the game to them". That immature claim would only prove that you're either absolute idiots who'd give the game away to opponents or you're sore losers.
Just look at how many teams and their coaches do those silly things for their "pride", and you'll see why the Pats win so many games this decade. They're the ultimate professional team, maybe all-time, PERIOD.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Alright, while the pats didn't talk trash to the media after this game, I have to say that the previous comment is based on total ignorance and idiocy. This year, the pats have been caught cheating! And while they keep in their first string, they also punish teams on 4th down and short plays, by chucking it into the end zone! Against the Ravens they kept running hurry up offense to try and run plays before the Ravens could set. It's legal, sure, but cheap. You obviously have never watched one of their games. Among the many, how about when Junior Seau intercepted the ball against the Browns, and on the run back, was taunting and waving his arms like a spider monkey at the opposition? And just this week, Rodney Harrison went directly up to Brian Billick and was running his mouth, to which Billick blew him a kiss.
Would you like to know why the pats haven't trash talked to the media after the games? Because they have always won those games! Even Tom Brady said in an interview that they would be doing the same thing as the Ravens if the situation was reversed. It doesn't sound like the ultimate professional team, rather some strange cult pledging strict obedience to their leader only because he makes them win, with an air of mechanical arrogance.
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
Is saying the Bengals have a better receiving core than the Pats really that ridiculous? Wow, CJ, TJ and Chris Henry. Who the hell was Wes Welker before he came to the Pats, Stallworth was an injury waiting to happen every year.
Still that's not the point.
Was it a stupid thing to say? Yeah probably. But in the end it won't matter.
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Adnan Tezer about 1 year ago
If I never hear another guarantee it will be too soon. It's the most tired bit in all of sports.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Steelers claim that the Pats owes them a super bowl. don't think that the Patriots have forgotten. Now you are saying you are guarantee a win. lol . Let me see; you are on the road, in TB house.. Randy moss is going to light it up for you guys. Also your rookie coach is going to out-coach BB. Another laughter there.
Watch and learn. Steelers fans are going to need their terrible towel to wipe the tears of a loss come Sunday .. that my friend is a Guarantee.
PS. By the way.. your field is a "PIG STY".. Clean it up.
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RB Benz about 1 year ago
Steelers owe the country a super bowl.
After the last one I hope to never see them in super bowl again.
It was sickening.
Clipping on a tackle??
I loved the Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann Steelers,
I even like Big Ben, good quarterback,
But Heinz, wipe that smile off your face.
You ain't Lynn Swann, or John Stallworth and you can tell that by looking down at your fingers.
TB on the other hand will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, and he'll prove why on Sunday!!
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kamaria turner about 1 year ago
FIRST OFF U SPELLED HINES'S NAME WRONG, 2ND I THINK SUNDAYS GAME PROVED THAT HE WAS BETTER THEN SWANN, STALLWORTH AND WHOEVER ELSE WAS BEFORE HIM!!! AND ITS ON PAPAER NOW!! 3RD WE'RE GOING 2 KICK THE PATRIOTS CHEATING ASSES ON SUNDAY!! AND 4TH U WANT TO TALK ABOUT ARE FIELD BEING A PIG STY ITS FUCKING FOOTBALL AND UR GOING 2 GET DIRTY WHEN U PLAY ON REAL GRASS OUTSIDE!!! AND LASTLY I FEEL DA PATRIOTS HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THE GAME OF FOOTBALL, BECUSE ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS WINNING EVEN IF THEY HAVE 2 CHEAT, SO AS LONG AS BILL BELLECHEAT IS DERE COACH AND GAY AS TOM BRADY IS THE QUARTERBACK THEY'LL ALWAYS HAVE A TAINTED REPUTATION!!!!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
As a Steeler fan I don't like guarantees either , but what I do belive in is on any given Sunday. The Pats are a great team what they done speaks for itself. And for Heinz's field condition your right it's worn pretty hard. But do you know how it got that way. They let all the high schools play their play off games at Heinz field. Also Pitt plays all it's home games as well there. So when you say PIG STY I don't think so I like to think character. When you look in a good golfers bag and see all those clubs worn they are called character sort like Heinz field get it.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
> Would you like to know why the pats haven't trash talked to the media after the games? Because they have always won those games!
The guy that wrote this comment has to be a retard. I said the Pats does not trash talk BEFORE the game. If you watched the football games at all, most guys trash talk pregame rather than postgame. Postgame, it's usually the weak that make excuses, and it's never the Pats. What an idiot.
You also need to understand the cause and result - the Pats always respect the game and their opponents, so they won those games. It's not that they respect the game only because they won the games.
I also said Pats never slight their opponents with cheap words. If they slighted the opponents with action on the field, that's their right to do so because they play harder and they are better. What are they supposed to do? They shouldn't even be fired up on the field and should just lose quietly? What a stupid a*hole.
Be brave, let us know which team you're cheering for. I'm sure it's one of the teams that have the worst fan base, Colts, Cowboys, Ravens or Steelers.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Good piece, but for one smith said the bengal's have a better receiving corps, meaning that chad johnson, and TJ houshmanzedah, and chrisa henry are three of the best route running wide-outs. They have more skill at getting open. The reason the Pats have better stats at the receiver position, is because of Tom Brady. Carson Palmer has thrown a lot of bad passes this year. Plus Randy Moss is a beast. But corps against corps the bengal's are better.
Steelers in this one
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greg pitsch about 1 year ago
Good piece, but for one smith said the bengal's have a better receiving corps, meaning that chad johnson, and TJ houshmanzedah, and chrisa henry are three of the best route running wide-outs. They have more skill at getting open. The reason the Pats have better stats at the receiver position, is because of Tom Brady. Carson Palmer has thrown a lot of bad passes this year. Plus Randy Moss is a beast. But corps against corps the bengal's are better.
Steelers in this one
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Pointless - people are people and results matter. If you need to hate the patriots because they coldly beat your team, then fine, but nobody cares.
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kamaria turner about 1 year ago
IM JUST HAVE 2 WRITE THIS 2 DEFEND MY FAVORITE TEAM THE STEELERS. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PITTSBURGH AND HATE WHEN PEOPLE DISRESPECT MY CITY, MY TEAM, OR MY FIELD!! BOTTOM LINE IS WE'RE THE BEST AND WE'RE GOING TO BEAT THE HELL OUTTA THE CHEATING ASS PATRIOTS!!! DIDN'T UR MOTHER EVER TELL U GROWING UP THAT CHEATERS NEVER WIN!!! EVERYONE IS SAYING THAT ANTHONY SMITH SHOULDN'T HAVE GAURANTEED A WIN BUT THAT'S HOW HE FEELS AND I STAND BY HIM 100%. DO PEOPLE THINK HE SHOULD GO IN THERE ALREADY FEELING DEFEATED, MAYBE THAT'S Y NO OTHER TEAM CULD BEAT THEM YET, WELL THAT AND THE FACT THAT THE PATRIOTS CHEAT!! I SAY DNT CRITISIZE MY BABY 4 BEING CONFIDENT!!! YALL NEED 2 GET ON TOM BRADY AND HIS COCKY AS ATTITUDE, HE THINKS HE'S INVINCIBLE, BUT THATS ALRIGHT CUSE COME SUNDAY WE'LL PUT HIM BACK IN HIS PLACE!!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
I know it's a stretch, but if you hit that caps lock key, maybe you wouldn't look like an ignorant 10 year old.
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kamaria turner about 1 year ago
I USED CAP LOCKS SO THAT I COULD GET EVERYONES ATTENTION, I WANTED EVERYONE 2 HEAR WHAT I HAD 2 SAY ABOUT THAT TOPIC AND IT OBVIOUSLY WORKED BECUSE I GOT A REACTION OUT OF U!!! SO THANKS FOR CARING XOXOXO
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David McDermott about 1 year ago
Thanks Smith, whoever you are(?). You just guaranteed that the Patriots are going to feast on you and the rest of your secondary. I was a bit worried that the Pats weren't going to have enough motivation this weed but you took care of that for us nicely. Idiot.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
I do think that Anthony did make a mistake to give the Patriots some needed motivation. As far as comparing the Bengal's recievers to the Patriots, the Pats have played the crappy teams of their division and other meadiocre teams in the nfl. The Bengals have played the Steelers defense twice and had some other tough teams on their schedule so the recieving stats may not be as good but I feel the Bengals and Patriots have similar talent on offense. The difference is Randy Moss is the best reciever out of both teams and Tom Brady is a better QB. My Steelers have their work cut out for them but we definitely have a good shot at a win. Like every game every week by every team, we just have to play well. We have the team to beat them, we just need to play like it. GO STEELERS!!!!!!!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
You have the short term memory of a zebra corpse. It must be all the late nights working on quantum mechanics. Being a super genius is rough, or so I ve heard. And please, "retard" is not the proper nomenclature: "mentally handicapped" works just fine. Let's rehash:
Your comment:
>>"The guy that wrote this comment has to be a retard. I said the Pats does not trash talk BEFORE the game. If you watched the football games at all, most guys trash talk pregame rather than postgame. Postgame, it's usually the weak that make excuses, and it's never the Pats. What an idiot."
Cross referenced with your original post:
>>"Even when they do feel angry about officiating after a game, they don't talk to media about it, they don't make excuses out of it, and they don't ever say to their opponents after turnovers cost them a game:"You didn't beat us. We beat ourselves", or "We gave the game to them". That immature claim would only prove that you're either absolute idiots who'd give the game away to opponents or you're sore losers."
WOW literacy goes a long way! So you did actually mention post-game chatter?
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Either way, my comments:
>>"Would you like to know why the pats haven't trash talked to the media after the games? Because they have always won those games! Even Tom Brady said in an interview that they would be doing the same thing as the Ravens if the situation was reversed. It doesn't sound like the ultimate professional team, rather some strange cult pledging strict obedience to their leader only because he makes them win, with an air of mechanical arrogance."
still hold valid regarding either PRE or POST game trash talking. The pats don't need to complain to the media, or make win guarantees because they are always heavily favored to win and/or have just won the game.
You also said:
>>"You also need to understand the cause and result - the Pats always respect the game and their opponents, so they won those games. It's not that they respect the game only because they won the games."
Oh ya, they respect the game of football and opponents. Especially the Jets. Because they didn't break NFL rules and CHEAT, no cameras in the locker rooms or anything.
For your information I am a Steelers fan. I tried to answer your post objectively because you are obviously a very ill-informed individual. At least about sports. I do think there is a good chance the Steelers will lose on Sunday. But if they do really show up, with gusto, your precious pats are gonna get kicked in the teeth.
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