CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
STEELERS 34
BRONCOS 17
Why the Steelers Are Going to the Super Bowl
Ben Roethlisberger is the best quarterback in the NFL. There I said it.
There were 2 quarterbacks rated higher than him in the NFL this year, Carson Palmer and Peyton Manning, and the team he quarterbacks beat the teams those guys quarterback to get to the AFC Championship game. Then, he topped it all off with a nearly flawless performance at Mile High Stadium to get the Steelers to their first Super Bowl in 10 years. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions, and drove the final dagger into the Broncos with a 4 yard touchdown run to put the Steelers up 34-17.
Consider that the Steelers completely dominated this game, and did it despite the fact that their leading rusher, Jerome Bettis, averaged 2.6 yards a carry and finished with 39 yards. The Steelers have the reputation of winning because of their running game. But their was no running game to be found on this day. It was all Ben.
In only his second season in the NFL, he’s become the best player at his position, the most important position on the field. So, maybe, just maybe, he’s the best player in the league.
Why the Broncos Are Done
Turnovers are what got the Broncos into the AFC Championship game, and they are also what caused them to get blown out once they got there.
The man chiefly responsible for this was the quarterback, Jake Plummer. The Broncos were successful this season in large part because Plummer had appeared to conquer his penchant for making mistakes that had plagued him throughout his career. He threw only 7 interceptions for the whole regular season, and lost only 2 fumbles.
Yesterday, he threw 2 interceptions, and lost 2 fumbles. It didn’t help that the Broncos running back tandem of Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell combined for only 14 carries. That left just about every play in the hands of Plummer, and increased the chances of him making the mistakes that ultimately killed the Broncos. By contrast, Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker may not have been effective, but they did combine for 29 carries. This forced the Broncos to defend the run, and opened up opportunities for Roethlisberger to carve up the Denver secondary.
Denver did a decent job defending Hines Ward, limiting him to only 5 catches for 59 yards, but the attention the Broncos had to dedicate to stopping the Steelers running game opened up a lot high percentage passing plays in the flats for Roethlisberger. It also created opportunities downfield for Cedric Wilson and Antwaan Randle El, who combined for 9 catches and 144 yards.
The Broncos dedicated their defensive resources to stopping the run, and containing Hines Ward. They were successful in doing both of those things, but ultimately they underestimated the other threats that the Steelers have (Wilson, Randle El, Heath Miller), and that is what beat them.
NICK PICKED
BRONCOS 24-16
We Are Family..
PANTHERS 14
SEAHAWKS 34
Why the Seahawks Are Going to the Super Bowl
Shaun Alexander gets a smash in the noggin one week, then comes back the next and runs for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns against the NFC’s top rated run defense. That’s why he’s the MVP of the league.
Seattle did what the Bears and Giants were afraid to do in playoff losses against Carolina, run the ball. The Seahawks weren’t intimidated by the fact the Panthers held opponents to only 3.6 yards a carry this season. They came out, and said “Here’s Shaun Alexander, stop him, and you go to the Super Bowl, don’t stop him and we go to the Super Bowl.” Very simple, and it worked.
The Seahawks didn’t try to outsmart themselves like the Bears did last week. They didn’t get away from doing what had gotten them this far. They had faith in their strengths, and those strengths were rewarded.
Oh, and one more thing, the Seahawks made the shocking discovery that if you actually have someone who can remain standing up covering Steve Smith, it is possible to hold him to under 200 yards receiving, and keep him from scoring 9 touchdowns against you. I know, that shocked the hell out of me too.
Finally, they got another steady performance out of their quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck was 20 of 28, and spread the ball around evenly. He utilized both of his wideouts, Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram, and hurt the Panthers with passes to the tight end, Jerramy Stevens. He is exactly what the Seahawks need him to be right now, a quarterback who takes what the defense is giving him, sees the field, and delivers the ball accurately to the open man.
Why the Panthers Are Done
It’s kind of hard to win a conference championship game with your 4th string running back. As soon as Nick Goings left the game with a concussion, you kind of had a feeling the Panthers were done, and if you had that feeling, you would have been right. The Panthers only ended up running the ball 4 more times after Goings left the game, and you just can’t win that way.
Carolina needs to get some help on offense for Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith. It’s actually pretty damn unbelievable that they got as far as they did without any other discernable offensive threat besides that connection. Yes, DeShaun Foster had a great game in the wildcard win over the Giants, but he’s inconsistent and injury prone and that was reinforced when he broke his ankle in the very next game.
There’s one guy out there that instantly would make this team the favorites in the NFC next year, and I think we all know who I’m talking about.
Terrell Owens wants to play for a winner. The Panthers desperately need a second receiving threat. How scary would it be for defenses to face a team that had T.O. AND Steve Smith?? Of course, that would open all kinds of team chemistry cans of worms, but still, T.O. and Steve Smith on one team.
Charlotte is a long way from Alexander City, Alabama, Owens’ hometown, but it’s closer than anywhere else he has played in the NFL. Maybe playing in the South would be good for him, and have a calming effect on him. The Panthers have had A LOT of off-field problems in their short existence, so they might be wary of asking for trouble by signing T.O., but the Panthers might be a better fit for him than any other team. If I’m the Panthers, I take a chance.
NICK PICKED
SEAHAWKS 27-17
Will the Hawks Hoist the Trophy That Counts?
So, here we are, a good six months since camp opened back in late July, and we have our Super Bowl matchup, Steelers vs. Seahawks.
I’ll be back next Monday. In an effort to increase your Super Bowl watching joy, and make you the hit of your Super Bowl party, I’ll be running down the starting lineups of both the Steelers and Seahawks. Not passing judgement or comparing them or rating them, just familiarizing yourself with who they are, what they’ve done, and fun facts you can throw out to make you look smart, no matter how drunk you get on Super Sunday.
Until then, check out these guys:
Tom Gubitosi has thoughts on Duke’s surprise loss to G’town.
Rokk Adam is the best thing to happen to Boxing since “Irish” Terry Conklin! Get that man a Merlot Bro-ham!
Rogers interviews NFL expert Howard Balzer.
Patrick makes life worth living.
Steve Price in Mel Kiper speak, has a very high ceiling. The kid can WRITE yo!
Raul Colon debuts with a great breakdown of the Aussie Open field.
Eric S. has completed his Bears mourning period, and is back with the Smackdown/Impact Short Form.
Alright see ya next week!
