Seahawks !!!!!

[Ripsnort]

Here's a good article about the upcoming game by an AP sportswriter that is pretty well known:

Steelers, Seahawks match up evenly
By DAVE GOLDBERG, AP Football Writer
Mon Jan 23, 1:57 AM

 
The Seattle Seahawks Shaun Alexander (37) carries the ball ...
SEATTLE - Before his Seahawks took apart Carolina, Seattle coach Mike Holmgren sat down to watch the other team that's Super Bowl bound.

``They're awfully good,'' Holmgren said of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who soundly beat Denver on Sunday.

By the looks of things, Holmgren wasn't kidding.

For now, though, he had said enough. After he finished celebrating, Holmgren and his family went out to dinner, probably the only chance he'll have to relax for a couple of weeks.

But fans can take that time to savor this matchup between the tradition-rich Steelers and an upstart from the Pacific Northwest.

It should be one of the better ones.

History is on Pittsburgh's side: The Steelers have four titles, all won during the six seasons from 1974-79 behind Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Mean Joe Greene and a bunch of other Hall of Famers.

Seattle, on the other hand, hadn't won a playoff game in 21 years before last week and is going to the Super Bowl for the first time in its 30-year history.

Everything the Seahawks have going for them - and it's a lot - happened this season: Seattle entered the playoffs as the NFC's top-seeded team, scored more points than any other team in the regular season, and did it with Shaun Alexander, who won the league MVP honors going away.

The Steelers, meanwhile, were the last seed in the AFC, the first sixth-seed to make it to the big game and only the second team ever to get there by winning three games on the road.

And despite all of Pittsburgh's Super Bowl experience as a franchise, only one Steeler has been there - little-used cornerback Willie Williams, a starter on that '96 team. Seattle has five who have been there with other teams: wide receiver Joe Jurevicius; center Robbie Tobeck; defensive end Grant Wistrom; defensive tackle Chuck Darby; and punter Tom Rouen.

Even so, the oddsmakers favor the Steelers by 3 1/2 points for the game in Detroit in two weeks, presumably because they are the STEELERS, with four titles in six years in the 1970s.

That line seems to be more incentive for the Seahawks, who think of themselves as underappreciated.

``Frankly, we get sick of hearing it,'' All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson said when told a top-seeded team is an underdog to a sixth seed. ``You'd think we'd earned respect. All we can do is keep winning.''

There's one sure human-interest footnote: Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis will get to play his first Super Bowl in his hometown, a fitting conclusion to a 13-year career for the man who is fifth on the NFL's career rushing list.

Pittsburgh has the incentive to win one for their enormously popular running back.

``I can't imagine anything better,'' Bettis said after the Steelers' win. ``I'm going home.''

Just as interesting is that both teams are playing at their best right now.

Seattle's 34-14 victory over Carolina in the NFC title game is part of a 14-game run in which the only loss was the regular-season finale, when the Seahawks rested their starters for most of the game in Green Bay.

And Pittsburgh's 34-17 win in Denver was its seventh in a row - the Steelers consider every one of them a playoff game after a 7-5 start because they need every one of their six straight to end the season just to make it into the playoffs.

The quarterback matchup also has plenty to ponder.

Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, who had five interceptions in two playoff games as a rookie last season, has only one in three postseason games this year.

``It has been like night and day,'' Roethlisberger said after Sunday's game.

Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck, who in his first playoff game two years ago in Green Bay threw an interception that was returned for a game-winning touchdown in overtime, also has blossomed in these playoffs. He was 20-of-28 for 219 yards and two touchdowns Sunday.

The running back matchup: Pittsburgh speedster Willie Parker and Bettis, the power back, against Alexander. The MVP left with a concussion in the first quarter of last week's win over Washington, but showed no ill effects Sunday, carrying 32 times for 132 yards and two TDs.

And the defenses?

The Steelers have been traditionally known for it and were all over Denver's Jake Plummer on Sunday, forcing two interceptions and sacking him three times.

But Seattle's defense, overshadowed by the NFL's highest-scoring offense in the regular season, showed Sunday what it can do by shutting down the league's hottest postseason QB, the Panthers' Jake Delhomme. They did it with pressure up the middle, making him throw off his back foot and keeping him from getting the ball to Steve Smith, the NFL's most dangerous receiver this season.

The coaches are another even match.

Seattle's Mike Holmgren and Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher both became head coaches in 1992, and are the league's two longest-tenured in that position. Cowher has been with Pittsburgh for his whole career; Holmgren moved to Seattle in 1999.

Holmgren won one Super Bowl with the Packers and lost another. Cowher's Steelers lost the 1996 Super Bowl to Dallas and are 2-4 in AFC title games, but the fact that they've been to six in the past 12 years speaks volumes about his consistency as a coach.

There might be one factor favoring the Steelers.

They play one of the most effective 3-4 defenses in the NFL, blitzing linebackers from different angles, usually starting with Joey Porter from the outside.

Seattle played only one 3-4 all season - against Dallas - and trouble with it before winning 13-10.

``It's different,'' said Tobeck, who played in the 1999 Super Bowl with Atlanta. ``They have a great defensive line. Fortunately, we have a couple of weeks to prepare for them.''

[WindX]

I still think Dallas has the best looking cheerleaders!They look pretty damn good in them hot pants!:aok

[DREDIOCK]

Sacks are a good stat.
But there is an even more important one.

Points allowed. Particularly Points allowed per game.
(although points allowed in the 1st 3 qtrs might be better studied as the "prevent defence" tends to give up alot of points in the 4th qtr)

Dont know which of the two teams  are better in any of these catagories or which team in the NFL led this year as I didnt look it up.

Just thought I'd throw it out there for something else for you two to argue about

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Cougar68
I really don't know how you can call the AFC overrated.  The AFC is without a doubt the stronger conference and has been for several years.  
.

When a 6th seed team who started 7-5 takes down 3 of the better-recordd AFC teams in the AFC playoffs, that's an overrated conference.  Do you know the win difference between AFC and NFC? 4 games. Yep. Just 4 games. Now you know, its all hype.  I actually wouldn't say AFC is overrated, its more like the NFC is UNDERrated.  They look pretty damn even to me.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Sacks are a good stat.
But there is an even more important one.

Points allowed. Particularly Points allowed per game.
(although points allowed in the 1st 3 qtrs might be better studied as the "prevent defence" tends to give up alot of points in the 4th qtr)

Dont know which of the two teams  are better in any of these catagories or which team in the NFL led this year as I didnt look it up.

Just thought I'd throw it out there for something else for you two to argue about

Seattle has allowed 16.9 points per game. Steelers 16.1. But again, they haven't faced the highest scoring NFL team yet, the Seattle Seahawks.

Offensive scoring=28.2 pts per game for Seattle, 24.3 for Pittsburgh.

[Mustaine]

stats don't matter. holmgren sucks and he will lose.

[Mustaine]

Originally posted by Roscoroo


This is better ...

see sig

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Mustaine
stats don't matter. holmgren sucks and he will lose.

If stats don't matter, then why isn't the Browns or the Texans in the playoffs? They had the worse offense/defense respectively?

Stats don't matter when you play the game, but after the game, its all we have to measure a teams success, since "Gut feeling" can be sometimes inaccurate.

[Roscoroo]

We truly need more of this ....



Ahhhhhh much better  

[Cougar68]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
When a 6th seed team who started 7-5 takes down 3 of the better-recordd AFC teams in the AFC playoffs, that's an overrated conference.  Do you know the win difference between AFC and NFC? 4 games. Yep. Just 4 games. Now you know, its all hype.  I actually wouldn't say AFC is overrated, its more like the NFC is UNDERrated.  They look pretty damn even to me.

Because the 6th seed made it to the big one the whole AFC is overrated?  And the NFC is underrated?  Hmmmm....  My opinion is that any of the AFC teams that made it to the playoffs would have the best shot of winning the bowl over the NFC's top dog.  Sorry, just my opinion.  NFC hasn't been that strong since the Cowboys run.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Cougar68
Because the 6th seed made it to the big one the whole AFC is overrated?  And the NFC is underrated?  Hmmmm....  My opinion is that any of the AFC teams that made it to the playoffs would have the best shot of winning the bowl over the NFC's top dog.  Sorry, just my opinion.  NFC hasn't been that strong since the Cowboys run.

Regardless of our opinions...the only thing that I'm even remotely concerned about in this upcoming super bowl is not Big (immobile) Ben, its not the Steelers running game, we can shut that down, no worries. Its not their wide receivers, nope. Its the 3-4 Defense. If we lose this game, it will be due to the fact that Pittsburgh executed the 3-4 defense to a perfection, and if they do happen to do this, I will be the first to congratulate the Steeler organization for a good plan executed.

[Cougar68]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Regardless of our opinions...the only thing that I'm even remotely concerned about in this upcoming super bowl is not Big (immobile) Ben, its not the Steelers running game, we can shut that down, no worries. Its not their wide receivers, nope. Its the 3-4 Defense. If we lose this game, it will be due to the fact that Pittsburgh executed the 3-4 defense to a perfection, and if they do happen to do this, I will be the first to congratulate the Steeler organization for a good plan executed.

I agree that the Pitt defense is going to be one of the toughest parts for Seattle.  Cowher is great at bringing pressure from off the wall places and rattling a quarterback to no end.  (see the game against Indy)  

I think that you might be underestimating the offense a bit though.  I watch every game that comes on my tv and that included quite a few Steelers matchups this year.  They are very good at throwing in little twists that people aren't prepared for.  On top of that, their execution of the bread and butter plays has been superb.  I think Seattle can take away the run, but I don't think they can take away the run AND the pass at the same time.  Nobody else has been able to yet.  Kind of a pick your poison.  IMO Seattle's best bet is to lock down the receivers like they did against Carolina and force Pittsburgh to run the ball consistently.  Parker is known to get a little loose with the ball, and that can create some turnovers.  

I don't say any of this to take away from what the Seahawks have done this year.  It's been a stellar run for them.  But if I was a betting man, I'd say Pittsburgh by 10.

Cougar

[DREDIOCK]

Just came across this pic and thought I'd put it here.

May not have the best team in the league.....yet
May not have made the playoffs this year.
Might not have the best looking cheerleaders in the league. (though quite a few are pretty hot) but.

you gotta admit we have one of the coolest mascots in the NFL
and bet our mascot can beat up your mascot lmao

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Just came across this pic and thought I'd put it here.
 

It should have been a Love Boat, with a tooth-less naked mermaid on the deck, that would have been more appropriate for the Vikings this year.

[lasersailor184]

You can pull as many stats and quotes and articles out of your bellybutton as you want, but that means nothing compared to who wants it more.

I believe Steelers are still pissed about not playing Eagles last year, so they've been taking it out on everyone on the way here.

Steelers by 13.