So, I'm watching the first Pats game...

[jeemie]

Regardless of the chances/odds/superstitions, Barry Foster feels this way:

If we score one or more points than NE, we will win and represent the AFC in the SB.

Right...but the more important question is...how confident on you on a wet diaper scale?

[Baltostiller]

Who the fuck cares about the "X%" chance to win. What a bullshit stat. Jeemie, please change that fucking avatar.

Vegas does what they do to make money. It's no surprise the Pats* are favored. Weren't the Steelers double digit favorites over them in 2001-2002?

[steelmann58]

defense make tackles offense score td in the redzone instead of fg. Put more points on the board and we beheading from Foxboro to Houston

[Smashmouth21]

Regardless of the chances/odds/superstitions, Barry Foster feels this way:

If we score one or more points than NE, we will win and represent the AFC in the SB.

Right...but the more important question is...how confident on you on a wet diaper scale?

I'm actually more confident this year than normal for an elimination game in Foxboro. It just has another feel. Matchups make or break NFL contests. And I just think the Steelers matchup against the Pats better this year than in previous seasons.

Gone is the smashmouth defense that simply could not be run against but that was exposed if you spread it out and had a QB that could exploit the holes in the zone blitz. New England always had the advantage because Belichick was smart enough to seize his advantage and let Brady chuck the rock all over the yard without even bothering to entertain his running game until the Pats were up two scores. The Steelers defense is now young (sans the ageless wonder Harrison) and fast, with the athleticism to matchup with New England's spread tendencies. And no Gronk, who had been a Steeler killer, is huge. Tomlin's rebuild of the defense, like it or not, was designed specifically to combat the high-octane offenses of the modern NFL. Whether this young and emerging defense is up to the task is an open question, but Sunday is the litmus test.

And the Steelers finally have the offensive firepower to outscore the Pats. Belichick is a master at taking the opponent's best weapon away but the Steelers can impose their will in the run game if the Pats decide to play coverage to limit Ben and Brown or break the game open with chunk plays if New England crowds the line of scrimmage in an attempt to erase Bell. The Steelers can hang 30+ if they just take what is given and convert on manageable third downs and in the Red Zone.

The Pats are undoubtedly a tough out in the playoffs. But if the Steelers do not turn the ball over or spot New England a ST score the outcome of this game could very well shock the pundits and serve as a springboard to Seven.

[jeemie]

Who the fuck cares about the "X%" chance to win. What a bullshit stat. Jeemie, please change that fucking avatar.

Vegas does what they do to make money. It's no surprise the Pats* are favored. Weren't the Steelers double digit favorites over them in 2001-2002?

Well...it's a "bullshit stat" in that you can't definitively state who will win the game.

But it is a stat that is based in historical data nonetheless. And we're only talking about it because Steel Lit wondered where it came from. So chill, dude.

And deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me with this avatar. You need me with this avatar.

Or in the words of Crash Davis:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onrYnnbneF4[/youtube]

[Legacy User]

and since no one wants to point out except for B2B, we have Ben leading the offense against them in the playoffs since 2004. This cannot be understated, I have to believe that this is cathartic to Ben and perhaps, just perhaps he was soooo vanilla during the Chiefs game is that he didn't want to throw away his shot of taking the Patriots down.

I truly believe (place your Art Rooney poster here) that the entire game plan vs the Chiefs was just not to mess up because the real game is next week. Not overlooking the game just not chancing throwing it away.

[lifelongsteel]

Who the fuck cares about the "X%" chance to win. What a bullshit stat. Jeemie, please change that fucking avatar.

Vegas does what they do to make money. It's no surprise the Pats* are favored. Weren't the Steelers double digit favorites over them in 2001-2002?

Seems reasonable, as a Steeler fan, to be interested in what people think the Steelers chances are.

[Legacy User]

30% chance for Steelers per fivethirtyeight.com

[steelmann58]

i tend to believe this too about their game last week. I tink Ben wants to prove something here and asked for this matchup.Ben has had some good playoff games on the road and we need that.

[lifelongsteel]

30% chance for Steelers per fivethirtyeight.com

Bravo!

[bradshaw2ben]

at this thread

[Legacy User]

538's preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl:
1. Denver
2. Carolina
3. Seattle
4. Kansas City
5. Arizona

Seriously, why are people putting stock into these projections?

That's pretty funny

sort of like looking at the Preseason AP college football polls -- they're always good for a chuckle after the season is over

[Kodiak]

If we score one or more points than NE, we will win and represent the AFC in the SB.

[stillthere]

#Steelers Week 7 snaps vs. #Patriots

Ben 0
M. Gilbert 0
E. Rogers 0
Shazier 32
S. Davis 3
J. Harrison 24
A. Burns 35

[86n96]

I missed wide right on this one. I'll be honest, this team fooled me. I didn't expect us to put a run together until next year, and these young guys gave it hell this year. I would expect they want this taste out of their mouths. Artie Burns was PISSED. That's good. The kid wants to win.

You can point to coaching, and they definitely deserve blame, but execution was fucking pathetic. If Coates didn't have 2x4's for hands its a different game. Tackling was horrible. Guys were over-pursuing and taking bad angles. That points to this young defense being too excited in a game this big. Now they've been there, and hopefully they know.