NFL Czar: Clash of the titans
As you may have noticed, I
made a bit of an error in last
week's article. I will be taking a
look at the Sunday night game, but
it won't be the Dallas Cowboys
and the Green Bay Packers playing.
It will be the New England
Patriots travelling to the Steel City
to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This game will likely be a shootout. Even with the strength that the Steelers have on defence, I don't think they will able to stop Tom Brady and the New England offence. The Steelers will be blitzing like crazy, but the key will be actually taking down Brady.
On the other side, Big Ben Roethlisberger will have to be on top of his game, as the Patriots are very weak against the pass. With weapons like Hines Ward and Mike Wallace, Roethlisberger has plenty of options through the air. Combine that with stellar running back Rashard Mendenhall and you have a recipe for success.
Key Matchups
1. Matt Light vs. James Harrison: The Steelers pride themselves on rushing the quarterback, and Harrison generally leads the charge. It will be on the shaky offensive tackle Light to slow him down and keep Brady on his feet. It will not be an easy task.
2. Brandon Meriweather vs. Hines Ward: Ward is a wide receiver that likes to block, and Meriweather is a player known for cheap shots. These two will likely seek each other out early and often, looking to set the tone for the game. Watch for a major collision between these two.
3. Vince Wilfork vs. Maurkice Pouncey: The big nose tackle for New England will be fired up and ready to go. The quickly improving Pouncey is becoming one of the best centres in the game, and he will have his hands full with the 325-pound Wilfork.
The Rundown
With the Patriots finally starting to hit their stride, I think they will get a key road victory. The Steelers will rally, and like I said above, it will likely be a shootout. Give me the Pats, by a score of 38 — 27.
Just a brief rant from me real quick. I have a real problem with the NFL's plan to increase the regular season to 18 games. Not only will it lead to more injuries, but the players will want even more money than they already make. Injuries have been a big problem for a lot of teams this season (Dallas and Green Bay to name two), and they want to add two more games? That just seems like a stupid idea. I realize that the NFL is a business, and they want the chance to make more money, but in the end it has to be about the players. Without them, there is no money to be made at all.
All that aside, I will be covering the Patriots again next week, as they will be hosting their annual game against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
For more from the NFL Czar, check out his blog at jvzsblog.blogspot.com
This game will likely be a shootout. Even with the strength that the Steelers have on defence, I don't think they will able to stop Tom Brady and the New England offence. The Steelers will be blitzing like crazy, but the key will be actually taking down Brady.
On the other side, Big Ben Roethlisberger will have to be on top of his game, as the Patriots are very weak against the pass. With weapons like Hines Ward and Mike Wallace, Roethlisberger has plenty of options through the air. Combine that with stellar running back Rashard Mendenhall and you have a recipe for success.
Key Matchups
1. Matt Light vs. James Harrison: The Steelers pride themselves on rushing the quarterback, and Harrison generally leads the charge. It will be on the shaky offensive tackle Light to slow him down and keep Brady on his feet. It will not be an easy task.
2. Brandon Meriweather vs. Hines Ward: Ward is a wide receiver that likes to block, and Meriweather is a player known for cheap shots. These two will likely seek each other out early and often, looking to set the tone for the game. Watch for a major collision between these two.
3. Vince Wilfork vs. Maurkice Pouncey: The big nose tackle for New England will be fired up and ready to go. The quickly improving Pouncey is becoming one of the best centres in the game, and he will have his hands full with the 325-pound Wilfork.
The Rundown
With the Patriots finally starting to hit their stride, I think they will get a key road victory. The Steelers will rally, and like I said above, it will likely be a shootout. Give me the Pats, by a score of 38 — 27.
Just a brief rant from me real quick. I have a real problem with the NFL's plan to increase the regular season to 18 games. Not only will it lead to more injuries, but the players will want even more money than they already make. Injuries have been a big problem for a lot of teams this season (Dallas and Green Bay to name two), and they want to add two more games? That just seems like a stupid idea. I realize that the NFL is a business, and they want the chance to make more money, but in the end it has to be about the players. Without them, there is no money to be made at all.
All that aside, I will be covering the Patriots again next week, as they will be hosting their annual game against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
For more from the NFL Czar, check out his blog at jvzsblog.blogspot.com
