How will the Steelers attack the Pack?

Mendenhall....Mendenhall...Mendenhall

clearly, their plan will be to hit rodgers early and often. he played pretty well yesterday until the peppers' hit. after that, he did not play well.

Certainly those OLBs the Steelers have will give Bulaga and Clifton everything they could ask for. Add in Polamalu and the offensive line, backs, and TEs will have to be at their best to keep these guys off Rodgers. Pittsburgh is almost going to have to go full bore after Rodgers, I don't think their secondary can hold up with the Packer receivers on a fast track.

Let them go Mendenhall....Mendenhall...Mendenhall. Dom will counter with Green, Raji, and Pickett. Thats over 1000 lbs. of gap plugging,run stopping defense.

If, as I expect, the Steelers (the dirtiest team in football) come hard after Rodgers, I expect to see a lot of 4-and-5-receiver sets with QUICK slants and outs the put the Steeler DB's on an island. One or two big gains off that will slow down their OL rush.

Offensively, Pittsburgh will run, run, run. The key, I think, for our D is to keep Big Bad Ben in the pocket. He's more effective when he runs to the outside.

I think the Packers will run the ball alot in 3-4 receiver sets like they did early against Cryin Urlacher.

the Packers have better CB's this year against WR's that are not as good as last years players.

The Steelers will try to intimidate and see how the Packers react. Look for a cheap shot or two (by Hines Ward) to try and get in the Packers' heads. I expect they will come after Rodgers based on the outcome of the Bears game and try to lay the wood. Rodgers will need to weather the early storm.

The Packers will counter by using something similar to the Atlanta game plan. Quick strikes, slants, and screens. Not to mention a healthy does of the running game. If they can buy Rodgers enough time, there should be opportunities down the field.

I believe the Packers will face their toughest opponent of the playoffs in the Steelers.

I think their secondary can handle Pittsburgh's WRs and TEs, but they may have to stay in their nickel package in order to do so.

That means heavy doses of Mendenhall should be the Pittsburgh game-plan. The Jets couldn't stop him, so why not dare the Packers to?

The Packers' front seven is, IMO, better than the Jets' front seven - especially when it comes to getting pressure on the QB. So I'm curious to see how well of a job the Packers do keeping Mendenhall - and Big Ben - in check. Ben is definitely the best QB they will have faced this post-season.

An advantage for the Packers, IMO, is that the game will be played on turf in Dallas. The crap field in Chicago slowed them down a bit, and while I don't predict a repeat of their Atlanta performance, I see them having some more success on offense than they did against the pretty-damn-good Bears defense. Another advantage is that the Steelers' perennial #1 goal is not to beat the Packers.

All that said, I'm scared.

Sep, NO FEAR! Don't go there.

Correction: I'm anxious.

Has anyone looked at Pittsburgh schedule 2nd half of the season?

its a joke

OAK
CIN X2
BUF
BAL
CAR
CLE

They played 2 teams with high powered offenses and lost to both of them.

NO and NE.

I don't think they are prepared to play a team like the packers.

I suppose if I am the Steelers, I want to take away the Packer's running game and force the Packers to have to short pass all the way down the field while trying to get good pressure.

If I'm the Packers, I want 3 and 4 WR threats and have Rodgers so prepared to make his checkdowns. Most plays should have a very short dump safety valve (Bears did this really well - a few times a dump to Forte prevented a sack or intentional grounding).

Steeler's offense? Try to establish a running game and I'll bet a fair number of passes will be fairly deep - 15+ yards A LOT where they depend on Big Ben to shrug some rushers/improvise.

Here is what I see as the biggest keys to the matchup:

1 - Bishop and Hawk.

The Steelers are going to pound the ball all day. They will take us out of our preferred nickel package and effectively remove Shields for a 3rd linemen. Capers could answer by removing Peprah instead of Shields and playing Woodson in a strong safety type position in the box. The big boys in the middle MUST get them out of this and force them to pass. Our pass defense is the best in NFL, we need to get the Steelers into 3rd and 4 or more consistently.

2 -Clifton and Bulaga.

If they dont play well, those nasty LB's will be putting a big time hurt on Rodgers. After the Peppers hit yesterday, he wasnt the same QB. The Steelers know this, and will be looking to put the hurt on him. They may even get cheap / dirty if they have to. Packers can counter it by playing a lot of 4 WR sets or max protect. I like the 4 WR set myself. Rodgers has been awesome getting the ball out of his hands quickly and the WR's getting the YAC. I want Jackson in on these 4 WR sets because we know he will get the job done and has been good in the screen game.

If those areas go our way... Blow out.

Stop the run and go after the QB, that's the Steeler game plan on D.
Run the ball w/ Mendenhall set up pass game.

NJWIS beat me to it but Pitt only had 3 quality WINS in reg season (min 9 wins or playoff teams).
ATL wk 1 15-10 Ben out
TB wk 3 34-13 Ben out
BAL wk 13 13-10

Pitt LOST to 4 quality opponents
BAL wk 4 17-14 Ben out
NO wk 8 20-10
NE wk 10 39-26
NYJ wk 15 22-17

Packers had 4 quality WINS
PHI wk 1 27-20
NYJ wk 8 9-0
NYG wk 16 45-17
CHI wk 17 10-3

GB LOST to 3 quality opponents.
CHI wk 2 20-17
ATL wk 12 20-17
NE wk 15 31-27 Rodgers out

That said Steelers are tough physical team who don't make a lot of mistakes. Both Packers and Steelers had good first half and shaky 2nd half Sun. Packers will need 4 quarters of good football in all 3 phrases of the game to win.

Has anyone heard anything on Pouncey's ankle? Last I heard was high ankle sprain. But I aslo heard it might be fractured. I would love to see Raji go against a new C in Dallas.

Don't care, just like when the Bears played the SeaHags, when the Steelers played the Jets I kept thinking I see a lot of balls that the Pack would be picking off.

On offense, I expect them to go 5 wides (including Heath Miller) more than a few times. That puts Bush in as the extra CB, leaves the middle of the field to a solo LB to match up on Miller. It also opens the field for Rothlisberger to run, and he is hard to take down in the open field.

The key to stopping that will be if Jenkins and Matthews can get home on some pass rushes, and Raji and the other DE can hold the middle against a scramblr.

quote:

the Packers have better CB's this year against WR's that are not as good as last years players.

Our secondary is surely better but PIT's WR's are probably better this year. They have three young guys that have been showing up big down the stretch. Every bit as dangerous as last year, if not more so because of numbers.

Mendenhall looked pretty damn quick against the Jets. There were a few times he turned on the burners and nobody in the front seven could catch him.

I am in fact not going to worry about it as Capers is "The Man" and has two weeks to mastermind a gameplan and I would tend to believe that the defense has alittle unfinished business from last years matchup against big Ben and the Steeler's offense.

GB is due for a big offensive game and if you have not heard MM GB has a "Championship Defense" this year.

I wonder about Walden and how bad his injury is. Francois didnt do too much in relief and I didnt see if Biggs was active. Maybe Zombo makes a return to shore up the run defense.

MM said walden could practice on friday. i think zombo is back as well for the SB.

I dont think you will see any CB blitzes from the Pack in this game. Ben is to big to be sending the little guys. The pressure will need to come from the DL and LB's.

Ah I would think Mr Woodson would beg to differ.

Ben was sacked by a DB yesterday.

i think the CBs will be instructed to go for the ball instead of ben when blitzing.

Tackle his right arm, repeatedly

The Steelers OL is going to be a key for this game as well. Their starting center in Pouncey has a high ankle sprain and could put no weight on his ankle yesterday. Now he's claiming he'll be able to play but we all know despite what players say what happens is entirely different.

Along that OL they've been banged up and IIRC Big Ben was sacked like 5 times yesterday. The Steelers will face the largest DL in the NFL. You've got Jenkins and Raji on a roll now and these boys aren't only big they're also fast. Nevermind that Clay Matthews and now even Zombo will be coming at them.

I have no doubts Capers is his lab drawing up various schemes to give that OL nightmares.

I hope that both Zombo and Walden are healthy enough to rotate in. Staying fresh in that game will be key.

IMHO, we're a deeper team than the Steelers. They've been there before, so they have that edge, but we can shuttle in people like Green on the DL and Jackson as an RB you can trust.

The Packers have to worry about Polamalu and Harrison and them overwhelming their matchups. The packers have been getting less and from the TE position as the season has gone on. The 2 weeks off will hopefully freshen up the Packers TE corps.

quote:

Originally posted by YATittle:
IMHO, we're a deeper team than the Steelers. They've been there before, so they have that edge, but we can shuttle in people like Green on the DL and Jackson as an RB you can trust.

They've been there before, alright. They're there about every 45 minutes. To me, that's the biggest advantage they have, and I fear it will be huge. The psychological and emotional pressure of playing in a Super Bowl is enormous, and can be almost overwhelming to young players who've never been there before.

The Steelers know how to handle that, because they do it almost every year. For most of our players, this will be the first time they've ever been exposed to it. That can be a significant factor in a game where the teams are otherwise evenly matched, and frankly it's the only thing about the game that really worries me. Everything else, I think we either match up well, have the advantage, or it can at least be planned for and accounted for. That factor is a wild card. I think it'll be a real test for McCarthy to prepare the team for that. How successful he is at it may go a long way toward determining whether we're all feeling as euphoric two Mondays from now as we are this Monday.

quote:

Originally posted by FreeSafety:
Mendenhall....Mendenhall...Mendenhall

Off the top of my head, other than Adrian Petersen, I don't think the Pack has faced a better back than Mendenhall all year. He looks a bit faster than Michael Turner.

The only hope is that the Steelers offensive line struggles, which is definitely possible vs. a strong Green Bay front 7.

People that are looking at the Steelers schedule are onto something....the year they won the super bowl they were 12-4 and had one of the toughest schedules in the NFL

That was not this year

Right, GusBob. I think that soft schedule will not have prepared them for what they will face in the Packers.

The Jets were like the Seahawks were to the Bears. Didn't show up till late in the game.

Mendenhall is nothing special, certainly not a top 10 type back anyhow. Big numbers because he's one of the few RB that isn't RBBC. He had a ton of games this year where he averaged less than 3.5 YPC.

Refs have already given the Steelers 1 SB (against Seattle) and had a big part in their last SB win (see the Harrison return that had at least 2 blatant clips in the open). They better not get any extra assistance this time around.

Last night they had a ton of holding that was never called and Harrison had a late hit on a sliding Sanchez. Not only did he jumpon him well after he slid, but he hit him with his elbow on Sanchez' helmet.

quote:

Originally posted by The GBP Rules: Not only did he jumpon him well after he slid, but he hit him with his elbow on Sanchez' helmet.

Yes I seen that "dusty" that Harrison droped on Sanchez. Do you think Harrison was watching old pro wrestling footage lately?

After winning the NFC Championship, the first thing on Woodsons mind is playing the Super Bowl and he re-focused the entire team on accomplishing the goal.

Pittsburgh's locker room wasn't like that. The Packers may have their hands full with the Steelers but Pittsburgh may not be ready for what the Packers have in store for them.

Mendanhall? isn't he an Illini ?

nuff said

we will put him out like Ray Lewis did his rookie year...

not a factor

Isn't that the same injury Dwight Freeney suffered in the AFC championship game last year? He still had a reasonably effective game in the Super Bowl. Got one sack, if I recall correctly.

quote:

Originally posted by ChilliJon:
Has anyone heard anything on Pouncey's ankle? Last I heard was high ankle sprain. But I aslo heard it might be fractured. I would love to see Raji go against a new C in Dallas.

This is the key..... Raji has been unstoppable the last two months, and should be an All-Pro. Now put him up against a backup C??? He should and will need to eat his lunch. Add the fact that the C will need help, so your pulling a guard to help block Raji, which means Jenkins is one on one with a G/T and the bloodline and Walden/Zombo, etc have a decent matchup to win.

quote:

Originally posted by johnnie gray:
clearly, their plan will be to hit rodgers early and often. he played pretty well yesterday until the peppers' hit. after that, he did not play well.

People keep saying this but that facts don't really support it. Both int's came before the Peppers hit.

He only threw 6 passes after the hit. 1 of them was a poorly thrown screen off his back foot. The rest were good passes that were either caught or dropped.