Football Outsiders pegs the Steelers as AFC champions in 2016

steelerswire.usatoday.com/2016/05/17/football-outsiders-peg-steelers-as-afc-champions-in-2016/

 

It's all about post-season seeding and match-ups.

We need the #1 seed and we need somebody else to knock off NE. If those two things happen then I believe we are Super Bowl bound.

 

And not loose to bottom feeders so that we can get playoff home field advantage and a bye with a no. 1 seed.

 

Beat the Pats and the No. 1 seed will be Pittsburgh's to lose. Games like Dallas will be tough no doubt, so ensuring that said games do not result in any casualties will be key.


.... Then again, come December, here is hoping Vontez Burfict does not derail those hopes again.

 

go 14-2 (losses to bengals because we sit our starters), stay healthy and get #1 seed. Pats come to our house and we kill brady. go to superbowl vs packers and win.

 

If we can't beat the Pats, we don't deserve to go anywhere. But I think WE WILL beat the Cheatriots and wind up with a 13-3 record. With homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Go to the Super Bowl and beat the Seahawks 34-20

 

Not too sure if Tomlin wants to "Live in his fears."

 

Nope.

Post-season success doesn't always come down to being the best team. Sometimes you need some post-season breaks in the matchup department.

Our 2005 championship season is a perfect example. Carson getting hurt and then Denver upsetting New England paved the path for us. I don't think we would have beat Cincy (who had just taken the division from us, at our place, a month earlier) if Carson hadn't have gotten hurt (after completing a bomb to Chris Henry on the first play of the game) and I'm damn certain we would have gotten hammered at Foxboro if Champ Bailey hadn't have pick-sixed Brady.

Our 2008 season worked out well too. Everything fell into place for us. No NE (Brady's ACL), the Chargers knocked Peyton out, then Baltimore knocked the top-seeded Titans out and, on the NFC side, the 4th-seeded Cardinals and 6th-seeded Eagles upset the Panthers and Giants (the two top seeds) to (eventually) send the beatable Cardinals to the Super Bowl.

I'm also convinced we would have destroyed the Bears in Super Bowl XLV had they gotten past the Packers. Green Bay was the worst possible Super Bowl matchup for us.

Winning the Super Bowl isn't always about being the best team. Sure, that plays a major factor. But other major factors have to do with matches, injuries, and home-field advantage. The Broncos won it all last season so are you saying they were the best team? Because I'm damn convinced with a healthy Antonio Brown we would have beaten them handily (then gone to NE and lost).

The last three trips we've taken to the Super Bowl in the Brady era, we've avoided NE all three times. The two times we've faced them in the post-season in the Brady era, we lost in the AFC Championship game. We're what, 2-11 or something like that against Brady? We don't match up well against them and that's all there is to it. Just because we can't beat them doesn't mean "we don't deserve to go anywhere." Some teams just match up poorly with other teams.

 

True...and to even reinforce what your saying...I'll take a Super Bowl anyway I can get it. LOL. But at the same time, I'm not going around hear dreading to play the Cheatriots like some posters are. We shouldn't be "walking in fear" of another team. Talking cowardice talk of, " I don't want to see the Patriots blah, blah, blah" stuff.

Contrary to what some may think, Our QB is just as good as Brady. Our running game is better then theirs; Our overall passing game is better then theirs. The only thing on offense they have an advantage at is at TE. Everything else we are better then them.

On defense, I'll take our front 7 over their front seven every day of the week; and twice on Sundays. The Patriots back 4 are better then ours coming into this season but we're are going thru an overhaul in our secondary so it won't be as bad as it was last year.

So with all that said, I'm not afraid of the Patriots; They do not have a better overall team then ours. The only clear advantages they have over us are at TE and coach. Our secondary is a mystery (at best) right now.

Bring on the Patrots; with *ucking Brady. We will kick their @ss and the horse they ride into town on too.

If we miss them in the playoffs, oh well. But being afraid and trying to avoid them? That's crazy talk to me. Sorry, I"m not cut from that type of cloth.

 

Thanks Captain Obvious.
So if we lose to NE in the playoffs we don't deserve to go to the Super bowl?

 

No...because I guess the better team won. That's why you play teams to find out who the better team is. If we lose to them in the playoffs, we don't deserve to go.

There is no reason we should be losing to them. They have no running game. And their defense isn't ANYTHING to write home about. Their WR are subpar.

Yet...Brady throws his jersey on the ground in front of people and you quake in fear. He has nothing around him on offense. That's why the Jets just beat them up, the Dolphins beat them up; And the Broncos kicked their @ss twice. Because they all realized there's really nothing around Brady accept Gronk.

 

Be physical, pound on Brady; No running game to fear; He will wilt. He's shown that his entire career.

 

That's the point of your quote. "If we lose to them then we don't deserve to go". Kinda Obvious don't you think?

 

I hope these guys are right, I was in Vegas last weekend and bet on the Steelers to win the Super Bowl

 

They must have stock in DirecTV, trying to get me to buy the Sunday Ticket.

 

This this this and mega this. I agree with all of it

 

So basically Burro you are saying that NE owns us? And you wonder why I hate them.
As Peazy use to say they stole 2 rings from us.Most if not all Steelers of that era feel this way.

 

I hate them more than I've ever hated any other professional sports team. I'd rather see Baltimore win than New England.

I can't wait until Brady is done and they revert to mediocrity and Belichik is exposed as a non-genius.

We're 2-8 against Brady (and 0-2 in AFCCGs). With Matt Casell at qb we beat them 33-10 at their place. I don't know that NE owns us, but Brady certainly does.

With that said, I think we do have a chance of beating them this year. I think we've got enough offense to stay with 'em. It's just a case of how our new secondary performs.

 

There are just some teams that have our number and NE with Tom Brady and the dink and dunk has it.
Until we figure out how to combat dink &dunk plus Gronk we will struggle with Pats.

The key is to pressure TB, something the Steelers have never been able to do. IE Giants/ Broncos could get pressure
and you see what happens. Hell the Ravens know how to beat NE, why can't we?

 

We have been able to pressure Brady. But not since we had two good outside linebackers and a line that could push. It's not the blueprint that's the problem. It's the personnel performing the blueprint.

 

That goes back to the coaching staff not concerning themselves with what other teams do which to me is just a stupid attitude to have.

 

I would say the combo of Darth Hoodie and Brady is what should be feared Blast. It's like you have to play an error free flawless game to beat them since they are just so well prepared and ready for everything you do that the smallest mistake will be seized upon and exploited.

 

Dean

I disagree with your disagree with my disagree.