Big Ben Roethlisberger said Sunday evening after beating the Patriots that he doesn't look ahead in the schedule, so we are going to do that for him.
The Steelers have a tough schedule coming up, all but one of their opponents have winning records and two of the four are division rivals. Of the remaining four opponents there are two of the top five defenses, one of the most explosive offenses, and one bad team whose coach only keeps his job with a miracle finish (something tells me that means beating the Steelers more than winning out).
Most of the teams in the NFL would be worried going into this stretch when more wins are needed to guarantee a playoff spot. The Steelers are not, and need not, be one of those teams.
This week we will look at the Cowboys. Tony Romo is an over-hyped quarterback who still likely has a lingering injury to his throwing hand. This will not be a good thing to have against the Steelers who will hit him hard and often. He has not done well against a consistent pass rush, and quarterbacks do not have good days when they play Pittsburgh.
The Cowboys do, however have some very talented receivers on offense. This, however did not help New England who had one of the best of all time on their team dropping balls because he was afraid to get wrecked as he landed. Terrel Owens also does not match-up well against the Steelers, with his last game against the Black and Gold coming back in 2004 when his Eagles were demolished 27-3. He did not contribute significantly to his team's three points.
The running game of the Cowboys will have to face the NFL's best defense in all major categories, allowing only 71.2 rushing yards per game. With a running back coming off of an injury in week 13, this is not a good match-up for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys also have to come to Pittsburgh, to the cold, snow, and ice to play the Steelers in "Steeler Weather." This will make passing all the more difficult, likely resulting in either the Cowboys becoming more one-dimensional toward the run, or becoming indecisive with passes as more of them are dropped and more difficult to throw. T
his indecision will result in sacks. Sacks will cause more indecision. You can see where I am going with this.
If the Steelers defense shows up, as it does week in and week out, the Cowboys will need to be perfect if they hope to win, and in Pittsburgh in December, perfection is highly improbable, if not impossible.
The Steelers offensive line also showed signs of improving last week against an admittedly weak New England defense. If the line can remain consistent, or improve further, and the Steelers keep their running game going, it will create problems for a Dallas defense who have suffered several key injuries this year; a defense that has allowed 260 points this season, 90 more than the Steelers top ranked defense.
The Cowboys with Romo have had troubles in big games, especially those in December and into the playoffs. All four of the Cowboys' losses this years have also come when they have scored fewer than 28 points. No team has scored more than 24 points against the Steelers' defense.
This game will come down to a few key factors.
First whether or not injured Cowboys players, including Barber, Ware, and Romo can play at their normal level.
Second: how the Cowboys react to the exotic looks and intense pass rush of the Steelers defense.
Thirdly, if the Steelers offense can continue to get back on track and perform at their top level with injuries to some of their key players including Roethlisberger, Parker, Miller, and the offensive line in general.
The Steelers will win this game 28-7.
As an interesting side note, the Steelers were able to hold the Patriots to 1-of-13 on third downs. The Patriots were, before last week, in the top ten in that category. If the Steelers' defense can have another performance near that level, the game will become very winnable.
Winning this game will put the Steelers in good position for the playoff race this year, and with Baltimore playing a difficult game against the Redskins it may provide the chance for a comfortable two game lead in the AFC North.
15 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment
Vincent DeFazio 7 months ago
So very true, I think that we have the rest of our season mapped out for us. The only thing that truly scares me is the Titans, yet they don't look so scary when you mentally beat them down like the Jets did. Let's hope that they can do something about this amazing second hand stretch and make these playoffs something to remember. Something tells me that if we dont' see another SB in the next three years we wont' see one for at least another ten because of team restructuring with key players leaving like Ward, Smith, most of the linebacking crew minus Harrison, Dashea, and of course the O line which always scares me.
good article
-v
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Leo Hayes 7 months ago
Thanks. And yeah thats pretty much true, we gotta win some soon or it'l be a re-building period. Though we, historically, have found a way to minimize these so maybe we will again.
As for the Titans, that article comes in two weeks, but I'm not too worried about them. They have won games because their defense has been better than the opposing team's offense and they have managed to scrape out a few points. Well our D is better than theirs and our O is better, or at least has the capacity to be better, than theirs. It will be a good defensive game, but unless we beat ourselves we should win.
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Edgar Antonio Nunez 7 months ago
When fans talk of the Giants in the Super Bowl, they usually pit them against the Jets or the Titans. I think the Giants will meet the Steelers again this season.
The Mara family versus the Rooney family.
The Steelers probably have the best defense in the league. Hope they beat the Cowboys. They should.
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Leo Hayes 7 months ago
I can definitely see that. The Jets have shown they have serious weaknesses and had trouble scoring against a Denver defense that is wholly non-existent. They would have trouble scoring at all against the Steelers based on what I saw in that game. The Steelers also get to play the Titans in week 16 this year and we will get to set the stage for the almost inevitable playoff re-match between the two teams. The Titans model is very similar to the Steelers, simply not a good, the Pittsburgh defense is better than the Titans. If the offense gets going and some players heal up the Steelers offense is better than that of the Titans. It will be a good, tough, defensive game that would remind you of the 1970's, but i honestly think that the Steelers will come out ahead.
The Superbowl then could easily be a re-match of the Steelers and Giants, two of the last three champions, with the making of one of the greatest games of all time.
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Gus HowT 7 months ago
At the beginning of the year, I pegged this game as a potential Super Bowl matchup. Dallas came in as the most talented team, looking to repeat their 2007 campaign. The Steelers...well, I have high hopes for them every year. Now that this week has finally arrived, I still think it's quite possible, but only under one condition - if Dallas wins.
The winner of this game will ride the momentum all the way to the Super Bowl. That's right, if PIT wins, forget TEN or BAL, this team will scare anybody it faces. Conversely, if DAL wins, that puts them right back into the wild card chase, and maybe gives them enough confidence to beat the Gaints and the Ratbirds.
In either case, the loser of this game will have a rocky rest of December, especially the Cowboys. Both teams face three playoff contenders in a row. Although I think the Steelers will still make the playoffs, it will be a huge blow to their psyche that they couldn't take down "America's Team" at home. If the Cowboys lose, say goodbye to the playoffs, and hello to the new Texas Stadium next year.
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robert allred 7 months ago
This is the most slanted "article" I've ever read. Atleast TRY to be objective if your going to give a game analysis. Let me go ahead and refute a couple of your many wonderful "points"
-Romo has a nagging injury... Doesn't Big Ben have TWO nagging injuries? The shoulder and now his knee. Plus, Romo has put up two 300+ yard games since his return. It doesn't appear to be "nagging" him too much. Meanwhile Ben has struggled.
-Yes, Pitt has a WONDERFUL front 7. I wholeheartedly agree. They lead the league in sacks with 42! Impressive!!! Cowboys have 40. We are 2nd in the league. Add that to the fact that Romo has only been sacked 8 times (he has missed 3 games, so if you average it, that projects to 10.66 sacks over 12 games) "Big Ben" has been sacked 33 (THIRTY THREE) times. That is 25 more times than Romo (or 22.33 if Romo had maintained the same sack/game ratio in the 3 games he missed) How do you figure that its Romo, and not Ben, who has not done well against a consistent pass rush???
-I agree our running game may struggle. However, with Romo in the game, and his ability to allude the pass rush (as you were too ignorant to understand earlier), we very well could have a good game passing against your secondary (which is the weakest part of your defense, wouldnt you agree???)
-Your team will have to play in the cold too. Moot point. And don't tell me your guys are used to it and ours aren't. This aint your daddy's NFL. In the day of free agency, everyone has played everywhere. We have several guys (Romo, TO, Roy Williams, etc. who either grew up playing in cold conditions or were previously part of a pro team that played in cold conditions)
-Then you talk about sacks again. I believe we already covered this?? Yes, moving on...
-Congrats on your O-lines "improvement" against the pass rush. New England is 19th in sacks... Cowboys are 2nd. Lets see if you continue to "improve" this week
-You mention injuries as a reason we may struggle this week, but I will maintain that besides Barber, we are healthier than we have been in a long time. And with Pittsburghs run D the way it is, our running game was never what was gonna win this game for us. We will have to win this in the air with or without Barber.
Look, I'm not saying the Cowboys will run away with an easy victory. I'm a homer but I'm not ignorant. But your 28-7 prediction is ridiculous. Your offense isn't good enough to put up 28 on us. And your D, although wonderful, will not hold us to 7. I think it will be a tough, close, hard, physical, WONDERFUL game. My prediction is Cowboys 14-10, but it could go either way. Learn how to write an un-biased "analysis" next time
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Leo Hayes 7 months ago
I apologize if my analysis wasn't exactly the same as yours. It may appear slanted because I honestly think the game will be. Just because both teams are good doesn't mean that the game will be close.
I will admit I am writing from a perspective that is more informed about the Steelers, and thus even if I picked the game to be close it would appear slanted from a Cowboys' fans' perspective.
Now you said that Romo's injury appears to bother him less than Ben's has. Ben appears to have gotten over his injury as he has played better and has been able to practice more. Romo however is nearly untested since coming back from his injury because two of those games were against the 49ers' and the Seahawks. Don't tell me you think those teams are any near the level of the Steelers on any side of the ball, Offense or Defense. I am saying his injury will be more evident with players like Woodley and Harrison hitting him on almost every other play and Polamalu picking off his passes. Again his 300+ yard games are against teams without defenses. He won't do that again. Or come close. Remember that Cassel kid with back to back 400+ yard games against teams with better defenses than the 49ers and Seahawks. Also ones who could hold onto the ball more on offense which would cut into his production. He had barely over 150 against the Steelers and 10 points, 7 of which were on a turnover near the 20.
Also yes Romo has been sacked less than Ben. He also cannot handle being sacked as much as Ben can, as demonstrated with his injury. I don't care how good your line is the Steelers' D will get to you and hit you. Also Romo's injury is still in the healing process, he just this week took the splint off his finger and admitted himself that taking it off hurt him some and is affecting his passing. Luckily your coach decided to give your whole team most of your practice time off. That's going to hurt, you won't be prepared for the blitzing schemes of the Steelers and Romo won't get enough reps to get comfortable, remember he missed a lot of time with his injury.
Yes Romo may be able to elude the pass rush to a degree. He cannot do this on every play, and when he is running to avoid Harrison he won't be as accurate. Also his throwing hand injury injury his power and accuracy will be cut significantly. Yes the Steelers secondary is its weakest part, but Randy Moss, who is better than TO whether or not you want to admit it, couldn't exploit it. The secondary is largely the same as in 04' which is the last time TO played the Steelers, he didn't play a large part in that game either. The Steelers secondary also seems to be the best in the league even if it is the weakest part of the defense, because it has given up the fewest passing yards.
The cold is not a moot point. Both teams do play in it, but both teams play different styles. Cold and snow make long passes harder to throw and harder to catch, it also cuts down on an individual person's agility. The Cowboys use more of those things than the Steelers so it will hurt you more. Also Heinz field is sloppy and dirty, it is a mud pit. Your star players won't be able to out run anyone or avoid their tackles with moves as they will slip and fall. The Steelers stick to short efficient passes when necessary and use the running game. This means that the elements effect the Steelers significantly less. Lets see Romo avoid the pass rush in mud while he has enough trouble walking without falling over. And don't act like its not true, everyone knows Heinz field has a shitty surface and the Steelers play better than anyone on it.
I do think, and by think I mean I know that, I said that I am interested in seeing if the O-line improvements hold up against the Cowboys and if they do then the Steelers can win big. I used the phrase "if they can remain consistent" check it above if you don't believe me. Regardless your O-line has looked significantly worse in the past weeks, excluding the 49ers and the Seahawks, so the Steelers can exploit those weaknesses as well. Our O-line is worse and I cannot deny that. Our offense, however is learning to much more efficiently throw short passed and run the ball to counter it. The defense then equalizes the differences.
And thanks for admitting you cannot run on us. That makes you one dimensional. no one-dimensional team can beat the Steelers defense. Also you cannot pass any more effectively. The passing defense is just as good.
Seeing as you probably didn't want to read all that I'll summarize here.
All articles on this website are biased and I am a Steelers fan, I think they can win any game, and that their defense is better than any team's offense. And that is true thus far this season. Also your comment is very biased towards the Cowboys, you write off the Steelers defense as being easy to overcome. No team has been able to pass against us this year, and no team has gained 300 or more total yards of offense against us. This game will not be any different. The Pats offense was just as good as yours and it didn't do anything. The only part of your analysis any less biased than mine was that you made the score closer. That is no less biased, you just picked numbers closer to each other. That is the least important part of the analysis. We dis-agree with each other, that doesn't make either of us wrong.
Oh and even if it was the most biased article in history that doesn't determine whether or not it is analysis. The fact that you put quotation marks around the word analysis makes no sense. Your analysis was more shallow and you simply wrote off something as true. I said why Pittsburgh would win and you just said that Dallas could pass all over Pittsburgh, why is that because no other team has been able to? It makes no sense.
Oh and don't ever call me ignorant again, especially simply because we disagree on something, because that makes you ignorant.
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robert allred 7 months ago
Hey Leo. When stumbling upon this article, I didn't realize these were fan pieces. I thought this was work by an "unbiased" journalist, and it pissed me off!! Haha but I shouldn't have gone personal, I apologize for that. I still disagree with many of the points you made in your article. I think many of them were shortsighted, and only focused on your team's positives while ignoring your teams negatives. However, I just wrote my first article, and it is VERY hard to not show bias in these things. Not gonna lie!!
I think you did a better job explaining your thoughts on the game in your response to my comment, and I actually do agree with much of what you say. It is going to be a TOUGH game.
Pitt has one of the top two or three, and maybe even best, defense in the league. However, we aren't bringing a pee-wee team up there to Pittsburgh. The Cowboys, with Romo playing, are second in the league in both scoring and yardage.
However, Pitts offense is mediocre to bad, and Dallas' D has continued to get better in the last month. This is why I pick the Cowboys to win. Granted we have not been playing great offenses, but most of the teams we have played in the past month have offense that are comparable to Pitt.
I think our D will pretty much shut you guys down, and our O will do just enough to win. Of course, I, like you, am a fan (AKA HOMER!!). Haha
Anyways, I apologize again for the personal attack. Keep writing, and go check out my article. Feel free to rip it apart :)
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Leo Hayes 7 months ago
Nah, but thanks for your apology. Yeah the reason this article seems particularly biased is simply because I don't know much about your team. I know a lot about all of the good teams in the AFC, and so when I write an article I can determine the strengths and weakness of each team a lot better. The last time the Steelers and Cowboys played I was fourteen years old.
The article basically was assuming the Steelers playing their best possible game. It will be tough against the Cowboys to do that, but this is still assuming they can.
I think it will be a great game as well, reminiscent of the 3 Superbowl meetings. I was just saying if we have our best game of the year on both sides of the ball the score will be as I said above.
Thanks again for coming back and apologizing. It shows a lot about you as a person.
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C Ethenger 7 months ago
just looking at the Ben's and Tony's stats shows me that Dal nation needs to be prepared for the doom and gloom you predict. Sure Ben can handle the 'hits'. His stats show this. INT's? Wow, Ben! You da man! This will be a very close game but I pitty you, Leo because it's gonna be hard to swallow thier in homerville...
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Leo Hayes 7 months ago
Stats are hard to read as a sole predictor of a game. Yea Romo looked great playing the last two games against San Fransisco and Seattle, he won't look so good against the Steelers. Pittsburgh, however has played teams that have mostly been in the top five defenses when we played them. And we have played teams with some of the best offenses in the league.
Look at the games Romo has played against top defenses, he has played maybe one team (two times) and that was Washington. He skipped your games against Tampa and the Giants meaning he really hasn't played against one of the top five defenses yet. I am sorry to inform you, but Tony Romo is not as good as you think he is, he is a very over-hyped quarterback. Stats don't mean anything when you cannot win a single game that matters, this is one of those games, he won't win it for you.
Look I'm not going to re-explain my article a third time. Just watch the game. When you lose leave another comment saying you are sorry.
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Dakota Smothers 7 months ago
Dallas beat Tampa without Romo, so I'm willing to bet they would've have killed them if Romo hadn't been injured. I'll give you the Giants game, but the Giants have a way better offense then Tampa. As far as Romo being over-hyped...really? Romo's over-hyped and Ben isn't? Last time I checked Romo had 21 Td's and 8 Int's, while Ben had 13 TD's and 12 INT's. Might I add Romo missed 3 games, so those numbers would be higher had he not gotten injured. Big Ben sin't close to being the QB Romo is. Big Ben couldn't touch Romo.
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Leo Hayes 7 months ago
First Ben isn't hyped, no one says hes the best quarterback, so he cannot be overhyped... And don't tell me playing the Giants would have helped Romo's stats. Romo would have had worse numbers if he played those games, he would have thrown more picks and fine maybe a TD or two, but would have thrown more picks. And I dont care if Dallas beat tampa, Im saying romo's stats are over-inflated for skipping the games against better defenses, they will take a hit against the Steelers no matter what you say.
And Romo has no playoff wins, Ben has a superbowl. I dont care if romo is 100TD to 0INT and Ben is the opposite, it makes him a better QB. A QB's job is to win big games for their team, Ben has done a better job of it than Romo. That literally cannot be argued.
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Dakota Smothers 6 months ago
No it doesn't make him a better QB, Dilfer was probably the worst QB in SB history, that doesn't make him better than McNabb, Romo, Ryan, Hasselbeck, Delhome, and any other good QB who hasn't won a SB. As far as the Giants game, we found out how it happens when Romo is healthy.
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Leo Hayes 6 months ago
And he was less healthy against Pittsburgh? Look give me one reason why Romo is better. This has to be in the scope of his career, not just a single season focus. In terms of a full career Romo cannot be compared to Ben, Ben is the winningest quarterback in history (in the first five years of a career), that is the only stat that truly matters. Romo cannot compare,
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