Thursday Night Fights: Steelers/Rams Preview

Two teams who had high hopes at the beginning of the season were Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Unfortunately, only one of them has lived up to the hype.

While Pittsburgh is eyeing another Super Bowl appearance, St. Louis is stuck at the bottom of the barrel with the likes of Miami and Oakland. But even though the Rams won’t be competing for a playoff berth this season, they are still playing hard.

So while Pittsburgh hopes that the refs will actually do their job properly this time around, the Rams invade the Steel City with visions of an upset dancing in their heads. Here’s the preview of Thursday night’s gridiron showdown.

When the Steelers are on offense

When Pittsburgh has the ball, they have to utilize all of their offensive powers in order to put pressure on the Rams defense. Big Ben has to get back to the style that made him intimidating during his final college and rookie season.

Roethlisberger has played as well as any coach can ask for this season. Unfortunately, that’s not good enough for head coach Mike Tomlin. Tomlin is aiming for the division in impressive fashion.

With Hines Ward on the outside and Willie Parker in the back, Pittsburgh should be able to get things done when they have the ball.

When the Rams are on offense

A few years ago, they were called “The Greatest Show on Turf.” Nowadays, they’re lucky to even be called great.

With a dismal and disheveled season winding down, the Rams need a convincing win to gain back any respect they lost this year. With Marc Bulger back in the lineup after a concussion sent him packing against Seattle, the Rams have a legitimate shot at pulling off the upset…that is, if everyone else at least 90% healthy.

Unfortunately, the GST has looked more like the parody “Old Train” from In Living Color than a football team. However, getting the ball outside to Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, as well as giving the ball to Stephen Jackson, should get the job done.

And of course, they have to win the turnover battle…for once.

When the Steelers are on defense

The Steel "D" has had few issues creating turnovers when it matters, and considering who's coming to town, they should have little difficulty in snagging a few picks or causing some bad plays. However, it has been proven that the Steelers usually bring two kinds of defense to the table: the one that can get the job done, and the one that just rolls over and says, “go for the end zone!”

In any event, if they can apply the right kind of pressure to Marc Bulger, he will make a mistake. Nine games out of ten, Bulger is usually good for a pick or two.

The biggest concern for the Steelers is going to be the ground game. Last week, Fred Taylor racked up some massive yards and did more than his part in securing the victory for the Jaguars. Regardless of which Stephen Jackson shows up, the Steelers will have to be on the ball.

If they can hold Jackson to minimal gains, the Rams will be forced to resort to the passing game. And that passing game functions in the same manner as the Steelers defense does: sometimes it shows up, and sometimes it does not.

When the Rams are on defense

Winning the turnover battle doesn’t always guarantee a victory it helps to win that battle at least. After some pretty bad games for the defense, it’s not a question of if the Rams will show up. It’s more of a question of if the defense will try to end the season on a good foot.

Simply put, they have to win this battle in order to win the ultimate battle. With more giveaways than takeaways this season, it wouldn’t hurt the Rams to use this game as a way to improve those numbers takeaway wise.

Contain Willie Parker and make Big Ben throw in bad weather. It’s been proven multiple times that the Steelers are a different team depending on the weather. Well…it snowed in St. Louis over the weekend. The Rams practiced in that. If they can put pressure on Ben and keep Hines Ward grounded, the Rams can put even more pressure on the Steelers to execute.

The X Factor

Simply put: the weather.

It’s been proven time and time again that the weather is the ultimate X factor in any game. The way the Steelers played on Monday night a few weeks ago is evidence that they are not completely prepared for the elements.

With a chance of rain and snow in the forecast, the Steelers could find themselves fighting two forces on Thursday night: The Rams and Mother Nature. That sounds like a pretty interesting handicap match if you ask me. Depending on weather, Pittsburgh wins or loses. If clear skies, they win. If rain and snow, expect a nailbiter.

The Equalizer

Ben Roethlisberger and Torry Holt. These two are well known playmakers. No matter how bad the Rams are, Holt usually is good for a touchdown or two in each game. And no matter how bad the Steelers face the elements and lose, Roethlisberger is still dangerous and good for at least 200 yards per game.

These two stars will determine the outcome of this game because both are competitive and enjoy playing in wild contests. Look no further than tonight to expect these two to boost up their pro bowl ballots. I see at least two touchdowns for Big Ben and at least a touchdown for T-Holt.

The Verdict

It’s hard to call a game against my hometown team, but the only way I see St. Louis winning tonight is if everyone in Pittsburgh decides to get a phobia of bad, wild weather. Otherwise, Pittsburgh knows what’s at stake and a loss will not be in their best interest.

Despite having the tiebreaker with Cleveland, the Browns could possibly clinch their first division title since the era of the Village People and cool afros if they win out. One loss for the Steelers and they may be meeting San Diego by the bay.

As for the Rams, they can’t do any worse than the top pick. That’s all Miami. So why not go out with some major thunder by keeping a playoff-bound team from securing their spot for another week?

If things get rattled, this could be a low scoring game—but there will be some scoring at least so fantasy owners will get some points tonight.

Final Score: Steelers 27, Rams 14

Enjoy the Game. I will most likely be drunk by halftime.