Playoff Outlook

The Steelers have 3 possible first round matchups. Here are the scenarios:

The Steelers play the Browns if, the Titans lose to the Colts and the Chargers lose to the Raiders.

The Steelers play the Titans if they win against the Colts and the Chargers lose to the Raiders.

The Steelers play the Jaguars if the Chargers win.

Steelers 41, Rams 24

On what may have been one of the greatest days in regular season Pittsburgh sports (Pitt beat Duke in OT, Penguins beat Bruins in OT), the Steelers kept things going with a convincing win over the St. Louis Rams. After a bit of a first quarter struggle, the Steelers used a fantastic passing game, mixed with a powerful running game to outshoot the Rams. After going down 14-10 early in the game, the Steelers buckeled down to outscore the Rams 31-10 for the rest of the game. Ben Roethlisberger had one of his best games of the season, goign 16/20 for 261 yards, 3 TD's and 0 INT's. Wide Reciever Santonio Holmes snagged 4 catches for 133 yards, including a 83 yard pass reception to start the game. Hines Ward played his usual posession/first-down role in the offense, while Nate Washington had another breakout game with 2 TD's. Also, and somewhat unfortunately, RB Najeh Davenport had a huge game. This came only because of star RB Willie Parker's season ending broken leg injury, which occured on his first carry of the game. Davenport had 123 yards rushing and a touchdown, as well as a solid recieving performance out of the backfield, scoring a touchdown as well. The defense in the first half was suspect at best, but really turned around to shut down the Rams in the second half. But, allowing 24 points to a 3-win team is not acceptable, and will not hold up in the playoffs.

Speaking of the playoffs, thanks to the Browns choke, and the Bengals strong play Sunday, the Steelers have clinched a playoff spot and the AFC North Division Title. This ensures that the Steelers will play a home game in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. At the moment, the possible matchups could be: Tennessee Titans (who need to win vs. Indy to get in), Cleveland Browns (who need a Tennessee loss), or Jacksonville Jaguars (clinched). The most appealing team might be the Titans, who have struggled down the stretch. The least appealing team is the Jaguars, who are the only team to beat the Steelers at home this season, and are playing the best football out of any team right now. If the Steelers want the #3 seed, they will have to win their last game and hope that either the Broncos or the Raiders upset the Chargers. The #3 seed moves on to face the Colts instead of the Patriots in the second round if they can win.

The final matchup of the season for the Steelers is a road trip to Baltimore. If the Steelers win, they move to a perfect 6-0 against the North. This will no doubt be a physical game, as it always is. The Steelers won the first matchup 38-7 on a rainy Monday night in the 'burgh. This time around, that 7 points might not even be plaing, as RB Willis McGahee has broken ribs and is questionable right now. Also, the Ravens will most likely be starting 3rd string rookie QB Troy Smith, who looked extrememly in the blowout loss against the Seahawks Sunday. But, the Ravens have nothing to lose, and that is dangerous. They will be looking to play spoiler for the Steelers, and due to their unruley play at times, might be searching for a cheap shot. So, it is important that the Steelers don't lose any more star players. The Steelers won't win like they did on Monday night, but they still will get the W, and hope that the Chargers lose one.

Prediction: Steelers 28, Ravens 13

It was again, cold, rainy and ugly. The Steelers took the field though and physically dominated the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday night. The Bengals started with an impressive opening driving, finishing off with a touchdown by Rudi Johnson. Unfortunately for the Bengals, that was all they would really get against the stingy Steelers defense. Ben Roethlisberger had 2 touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown. But the story of the game was Steelers WR HInes Ward, who had 11 receptions for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns, breaking John Stallworth's Steeler record of touchdown receptions. The "Big Nasty D," lead once again by a strong performance by James Harrison, held one of the best offenses in the NFL to only 10 points, including 2 stops on 4th down. Willie Parker was a bit of a let-down, with 2 fumbles lost during a sub-par rushing performance.

Next week, ugh... is the Big One. One idiotic Steeler (Anthony Smith) has given the Patriots even more momentum, by guarenteeing a Pittsburgh victory Sunday. This game will be intense and physical, and the only way the Steelers will win is if they play a flawless game. The Patriots are sporting the #1 Offense in the NFL, while the Steelers have produced the #1 Defense of the Season. Unfotrunately, I hesitantly am going to pick against my beloved. The Patriots have a lot of momentum going into this game, as do the Steelers. If the Steelers can get in Brady's face, and shut down the recievers, they WILL win this game. If they can not, they will be blown out. The Steelers will put up a great fight, but this New England team is going to go undefeated, and will win this game by not much. Sorry Steelers, I'll be rooting for you, but I'm not sure we can pull this out. I pray we do though. Go Steelers!
Prediction: Patriots 21, Steelers 17

Steelers 3, Dolphins 0

After a game which i will speak of (Jets), the Steelers were faced with more difficulties Monday Night. The Steelers were matched up with the worst team in the NFL, the winless, 0-10 Miami Dolphins. Headlining this game was the return of Joey Porter to Pittsburgh and the return of "Sticky" Ricky Williams to the NFL. The night was pretty good for Porter, not so much for Sticky. Porter had an interception early in the game and added a sack as well. Williams had 6 carries for 15 yards, before leaving with a season-ending shoulder injury. Over-shadowing this game was the unbelievably awful field conditions, which turned out to play the biggest factor in the game. The field was torn to shreads, causing players to lose their balance and fall down periodically. After the game was delayed half an hour due to lightning (2nd time this season for the Steelers on a Monday night game), the players were rushed onto the field and only given 9 minutes to warm up. The national anthem and player introductions were skipped as well. Ben Roethlisberger had a Steelers record 87.5% completion percentage, while going 18-21 for 168 yards and an interception. Willie Parker added 81 yards rushing, putting him over 1,000 yards for the season. Hines Ward played maybe the biggest factor in the Steelers offense, pulling in 9 catches for 88 yards, including 2 big catches on the game winning drive. Both teams were held scoreless for 59:43, until Jeff Reed connected on a field goal with 0:17 left on the clock. The Dolphins would try their best rendition of Cal/Stanford, but it would be to no avail, as they would run out the clock. (I was waiting for someone to scream "the band is out on the field!!!). The reason for the horrible field conditions was due to the resurfacing of the field the day before the Monday Night matchup. The field had to be resurfaced due to 5 games that had been played in 2 days, due to 4 WPIAL High School Championships on Friday and PITT vs. USF on Saturday. The WPIAL playoffs were quite good to the field actually considering, and good to the crowd. You can see Gateway High School's amazing comeback, capped off by an amazing hook-and-latteral to tie the game with 0:01 left on the clock, on ESPN and YouTube. Back to the Steelers though, the playing conditions made the teams near equals on the field, which really isn't fair. Without the conditions, I am certain that the Steelers would have layed it on the Dolphins, but, until the Rooney's accept an artificial surface, expect more of the same.

You will probably see more of the same this Sunday night, as the Steelers take on the hated Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field. Weather conditions are expected to be poor again, which could bring back memories from Monday Night's hell. If the field conditions are good, I expect the Steelers to win by about 10 points. If they are poor, expect another close one, and don't be surprised if the Steelers lose. A sleeper player in this game is Chris Henry, the 3rd String WR for the Bengals. He always has great games against the Steelers, and will be trying to do the same Sunday. (As long as he isn't arrested again). The Bengals showed that they remember how to play football last week, while crushing a good Tennessee team 35-6. It is only fair that I have 2 possible predictions (due to field conditions) for this Sunday's game.

Good Field: Steelers 27, Bengals 17
Slop: Steelers 10, Bengals 7

Steelers 31, Browns 28

Great teams overcome adversity. And that is exactly what the Steelers did on Sunday. Down 21-6 at one point in the first half, the Steelers then went on a 25-7 run to turn misery into triumph against the hated Cleveland Browns. Going into the half down 21-9, Ben Roethlisberger looked at head coach MIke Tomlin and said "I'm gonna get this one for you." And he stuck to his word. Coming off one of his best performances of his career against the Ravens, Big Ben struck again. He was 23-34 for 279 yards, 2 passing touchdowns and 1 INT. But, maybe the most important off all his stats was that he had 5 carries for 49 yards, and a stunning 30 yard touchdown run (right). The Steelers had to overcome Browns kick returner Joshua Cribbs, who returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown and another kick down to the 4 yard-line, leading to a Browns touchdown. The defense was actually very good, holding the Browns to only 169 total yards of offense. In the final minute, the Steelers were forced to punt the ball away, which was returned to Phil Dawson's kick range by (yet again) Joshua Cribbs. Unfortunately (not!) for the Browns, they were holding and the play was moved back. After a coiuple of plays to advance the ball by Derek Anderson, Phil Dawson lined up for a 52-yard field goal. In the cold rainy conditions, the ball went on a line to be good, but ducked a couple feet short of the crossbar, giving the Steelers the comeback win. The Steelers moved on to 7-2, and 4-0 in the division. The Browns fell to 5-4, and 2-2 in the division. Oh, and Willie Parker went over 100 yards rushing...again.

Next up for the Steelers is one of the NFL's worst teams this season, a trend that will be repeated in the next couple of weeks. The play the New York Jets at Giants Stadium. The Jets are currently 1-8, and in next to last place in the AFC. As big of a mismatch this looks on paper, I have some worries. The Jets have nothing to lose, and I am afraid that a cheap shot might be in line. Also, I am afraid that the Steelers are getting overconfident, and may underestimate the struggling Jets, as they did against the Browns. The Jets have one of the more struggling pass defenses in the NFL, which should leave the gates open for Big Ben. If he can play well, and they can establish the run (surprise surprise!) i think the Steelers should handle the Jets, but don't be surprised if the Jets put up a bit of a stink. And on a personal note, I will be there to experience it myself. Pictures to come.
Prediction: Steelers 33, Jets 17

Week 9 Predictions

Baltimore Ravens (4-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
8:30 p.m. Monday Night, Heinz Field- The Steelers are seeking revenge and the Ravens are not the team that they were last year. The emotion of the night will be too much for Baltimore to handle.
Prediction: Steelers 20-10

Cincinnati Bengals (2-5) at Buffalo Bills (3-4)
1 p.m., Ralph Wilson Stadium- The Bengals are awful, point blank. The Bills have won 2 straight and are making a QB change, that will turn around to bite them.
Prediction: Bengals 31-13

Denver Broncos (3-4) at Detroit Lions (5-2)
1 p.m., Ford Field- If Travis Henry is healthy, they should be able to pull this out. Don’t let the record fool you, the Lions still play in the weaker NFC. This should be a bounce back game after that Monday Night disaster.
Prediction: Broncos, 21-17

San Francisco 49ers (2-5) at Atlanta Falcons (1-6)
1 p.m., Georgia Dome- If this game was any worse, it would be Miami vs. St. Louis. I think that San Fran. is a better team though, and they should win this Toilet Bowl game.
Prediction: 49ers, 17-13

Green Bay Packers (6-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-3)
1 p.m., Arrowhead Stadium- The Pack are riding high on emotion after that dramatic OT win vs. Denver. Kansas City is on the upswing and should put up a nice fight, not nice enough though.
Prediction: Packers 24, 17

Carolina Panthers (4-3) at Tennessee Titans (5-2)
1 p.m., The Coliseum- Having this record in the toughest division in football is really impressing, especially for a team this young. That youth will propel them to a win today.
Prediction: Titans, 20-13

Arizona Cardinals (3-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4)
1 p.m., Raymond James Stadium- Both of these team are desperate for a win, that is obvious looking at their record, which is ok for being in the NFC, giving them a shot still at the playoffs.
Prediction: Buccaneers, 27-14

Washington Redskins (4-3) at New York Jets (1-7)
1 p.m., Giants Stadium- How do you rebound from losing 52-7, oh… that’s right… you play the J-E-T-S Jets Jets, ugh, who cares…
Prediction: Redskins, 31-13

Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) at New Orleans Saints (3-4)
1 p.m., Superdome- 3 straight wins after starting 0-4 for the Saints. Maybe that N’Orlins voodoo is back. I think they put the pin in the Jags today, and upset them at home.
Prediction: Saints, 34- 21

San Diego Chargers (4-3) at Minnesota Vikings (2-5)
1 p.m., Metrodome- The battle of an established star back vs. a rising star back. LT is better, and will prove it against a good rush defense today. Philip Rivers will be the difference maker though.
Prediction: Chargers, 30-14

Seattle Seahawks (4-3) at Cleveland Browns (4-3)
4:05 p.m., Cleveland Browns Stadium- As much as I want to pick the Browns
(not), I think the ‘Hawks will pull this one out in a tight game, although I could see the Brownies winning.
Prediction: Seahawks, 27-24

Houston Texans (3-5) at Oakland Raiders (2-5)
4:15 p.m., McAfee Coliseum- Both teams are slipping, especially the Texans, and Matt Schaub being out is not good either. I think the silver and black turn it out and win this one.
Prediction: Raiders, 17-16

New England Patriots (8-0) at Indianapolis Colts (7-0)
4:15 p.m., RCA Dome- Here it is, the matchup of the millennium: the most over-covered, over-hyped, over-everythinged game in the history of professional sports. Tom Brady is too good… plain and simple.
Prediction: Patriots, 31-21

Dallas Cowboys (6-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-4)
8:15 p.m., Lincoln Financial Field- TO is returning, Andy Reid is distracted. The Cowboys have an overpayed QB. The Eagles are not as good as the Cowboys, and it will show.
Prediction: Cowboys, 38-28

Steelers 24, Bengals 13

The Steelers exposed the diminished run and pass defense of the Cincinnati Bungles, eh hem, I mean Bengals Sunday, leading to a 24-13 victory. Big Ben opened up their passing game a little more, hitting a returned and rejuvinated Hines Ward for 2 Touchdowns and 88 receiving yards on 8 catches. Ward, who has missed a couple games this season due to a knee injury, looked to be his old self again, that posession/ hard hitting reciever that the black and gold nation has come to love. Roethlisberger made only one mistake throughout the game which was intercepted, but other than that he seemed flawless. Willie Parker controlled the line of scrimmage on the ground, rushing for 126 yards and a score, and earning another nomination for the Fed-Ex Ground Player of the week. ( http://www.nfl.com/partner?partnerType=players-air-and-ground ). You can vote for him there, or Joseph Addai (IND) and Kevin Jones (DET). The Steelers were able to contain the high-powered offense of the Bengals, holding them to only 13 points, which ties a season low (13 against New England). Big Ben is still undefeated in his home state of OHio, improving to 7-0 for his career.

Next week, the Steelers will play one of their most anticipated games, as they face their hated rival, the egotistical, stingy Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football on ESPN. Obviousley you can tell my feelings towards the Ravens, as I have become just as disgusted with their fans as much as their football team (aka arrogant fools). Last year, the Steelers were beaten up by a much better Baltimore team in Raven-ville. They sacked Roethlisberger 9 times in that game. This year though, is a whole new year, and things look different for the Steelers. The Ravens are not the team they were last year, and are coming off a loss to one of the worst teams in the league, Buffalo, who the Steelers beat 26-3 earlier in the season. If this game were to be played on a Monday night in Baltimore, I might actually give the Ravens and their semi-brain-dead fans the advantage. However, Heinz Field might be louder than it has ever been before (including the playoffs and Darell Revis' punt return for Pitt against West Virginia last year) when the Steelers run out onto the field in their throwback uniforms under the lights. So, prepare for defense, prepare for some serious smack talk, and prepare for the Steelers to come out on top in this meeting of divisional foes.

Prediction: Steelers 20, Ravens 10

(Don't worry, I will pick against the Steelers this season! I promise!... (Week 14 @ Tom Brady))

NFL Predictions: Week 7

Baltimore @ Buffalo: Ravens
Atlanta @ New Orleans: Saints
Arizona @ Washington: Redskins
San Francisco @ New York Giants: Giants
New England @ Miami: Patriots
Tennessee @ Houston: Texans
Tampa Bay @ Detroit: Lions
Kansas City @ Oakland: Chiefs
New York Jets @ Cincinnati: Bengals
St. Louis @ Seattle: Seahawks
Chicago @ Philadelphia: Eagles
Minnesota @ Dallas: Cowboys
Pittsburgh @ Denver: Steelers
Indianapolis @ Jacksonville: Jaguars (Upset pick)

Players to look out for: Willie Parker/Najeh Davenport and Tom Brady

Week 7 Top 10 NFL Power Rankings (and more)

Team----Record--LW--Reason

1. Patriots--(6-0)----1---Legit. 48 points proves it. Who can stop them?

2. Colts----(5-0)----2---Peyton Manning and Co. are getting the job done. AFC Championship: Pats vs. Colts???

3. Steelers--(4-1)----4---The move up is simply because I think they could compete better with the Pats then the 'Boys did.

4. Cowboys-(5-1)----3---The last 2 games have exposed them, they might not be as good as I thought.

5. Packers--(5-1)----5---A sloppy game Sunday, but they won! And they beat a good NFC team.

6. Jaguars--(4-1)----7---4 wins in a row, and a QB who (still) hasn't had an INT.

7. Giants---(4-2)---NR---After an awful start, the combo of Manning and Plaxico is making sweet sweet music.

8. Ravens--(4-2)----9---Kyle or Steve? That's the question. Thank goodness for Matt (thats right, the kicker!)

9. Chargers-(3-3)---10--First, they came back. Now heeee's baaack! Watchout out for LT, NFL defenses.

10. Bucs---(4-2)---NR---Having a good (yet under the radar) season. Beware of this team.

Dropped out: Titans, Redskins
Look out for: Titans, Redskins, Panthers, Chiefs.

Player of the week: AFC- Tom Brady (NE), NFC-Adrian Peterson (Min)

Prediction Record- Last Week:7-6, Season: 7-6


Coming off their bye week the Steelers will face the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night. The Broncos are hungry for a win, and will welcome the Steelers into a hostile environment. The main matchups will be with the running backs Willie Parker (PIT) and Travis Henry (DEN). Both backs are in the top 5 in yards/game rushing this season. Both teams also sport good defenses, who should turn this into a physical, hard-hitting matchup. The Steelers need to beware of WR Javon Walker, who burned them last season, especially CB Ike Taylor. In the end, the Steelers defense should be too much to handle for the Broncos. It will be rockin' a mile high, which will make it closer, but it won't be enough.

Prediction: Steelers- 27, Broncos- 21

NFL Predictions: Week 6

1 pm Games
- Bengals @ Chiefs: Bengals
- Dolphins @ Browns: Browns
- Rams @ Ravens: Ravens
- Redskins @ Packers: Packers
- Texans @ Jaguars: Texans
- Vikings @ Bears: Bears
- Eagles @ Jets: Eagles
- Titans @ Buccaneers: Buccaneers

4 pm Games
- Panthers @ Cardinals: Cardinals
- Patriots @ Cowboys: Patriots
- Raiders @ Chargers: Chargers

8 pm Game
- Saints @ Seahawks: Seahawks

Monday Night Football
- Giants @ Falcons: Falcons (Upset Special)

NFL Top 10 Power Rankings- Week 6

Team-----Record-LW--Reason

1. Patriots---(5-0)~1-- Another blowout (Against the Browns). They will have their first test this wekk though against the 'Boys.

2. Colts-----(5-0)~2-- Many people thought Tampa Bay would give them a run... Yeah... ok.

3. Cowboys--(5-0)~3t- Romo almost blew it, but good teams win when they play horrible games. And they did win (barely!)

4. Steelers---(4-1)~3t- They showed that Arizona was just a fluke by dominating who many thought was the 2nd or 3rd best team in the NFC.

5. Packers---(4-1)~5- A tough game on Sunday night, they should've won. If only Brett Favre could still play..........

6. Titans----(3-1)~6-- Still imroving every week. This is a definite playoff team, but in the AFC, maybe not a contender...yet.

7. Jaguars---(3-1)~7-- When your QB has 0 INT's for the season, that gives you good odds to win.

8. Redskins--(3-1)~NR-Jason Campbell is comign into his own, which surprisingly is an NFL QB.

9. Ravens---(3-2)~7-- They keep dropping down the ranks week after week, another poor performance and they are gone.

10. Chargers-(2-3)~NR-!!! They're back! 41-3 over Denver proves it.

Dropped out- Seahawks (3-2), Bengals (1-3)
Look out for- Seahawks, Buccaneers, Giants

Steelers 21, Seahawks 0

Two years after the Seahawks and Steelers met in Superbowl XL they met ahain at Heinz Field. This time was much like the last, except that Seattle forgot to show up completely. The Steelers dominated the Seahawks in a matchup of 3-1 teams. Maybe the most impressive part of the win was that the Steelers played with a number of players due to injury. Troy Polamalu, Casey Hampton, Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes were all inactive starters Sunday. The loss of 2 recievers left QB Ben Roethlisberger with limited options. However, Roethlisberger threw for 206 yards, a TD and 0 interceptions. Willie Parker split the rushing load with Najeh Davenport (right). Parker had 106 yards rushing, going over 100 yards for the 4th time in 5 games this season. Davenport filled in nicely with 2 touchdowns and 45 yards rushing. The defense was the most dominant however, holding the Seahawks to nearly any yards. Star Running Back Shaun Alexander had only 25 yards rushing. The turning point in the game came at the end of the first half, when the Seahawks decided to go for a touchdown to tie the game instead of kicking the field goal. QB Matt Hasslebeck threw a fade that fell short on the right side of the endzone and right into the hands of CB Ike Taylor, who would go on the have a great game, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week. The Steelers would go into the half up 7-0 before running away in the scond half to a 21-0 win. (No blaming the "guys in stripes" this time Mike)

The Steelers enter there bye week in week 6 with a solid 4-1 (should be 5-0) record and sitting atop the NFC North.

Steelers 14, Cardinals 21

It was a tought trip to the desert for Mike Tomlin and his team, as they fell to the lowly Arizona Cardinals in front of a mixed Steelers and Cardinals crowd. The Cardinals, who were without star reciever Anquan Boldin, managed to do just enough to edge the undefeated Steelers. They forced turnovers, had a dazzling punt return, and played solid defense throughout the game. Tomlin, who experienced losing for the first time, was not happy, and neither were his players. QB Ben Roethlisberger threw 2 interceptions, one of which was in the opponents endzone, stopping the Steelers from tying the game. Willie Parker was limited to only 37 yards rushing on the day, the first time this season he has failed to go over 100 yards. The Cardinals were led by talented Wideout Larry Fitzgerald (right), a graduate of The University of Pittsburgh, who seemed to make big catch after big catch to put the Steelers away.

The Steelers look to rebound this in week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks, their former Superbowl XL opponent. This should be a hard hitting game, featuring one of the NFC's best against one of the AFC's best. The Seahawks are led by star QB Matt Hasselbeck and RB Shaun Alexander, who will play with a cast on his broken wrist most likely. If the Steelers play how they did against Arizona they will lose, but if they get back to their ways of the first 3 games, they should give Seattle a good game.

Prediction: Steelers 27, Seahawks 17

NFL Top 10 Power Rankings- Week 4

Team----------LW------Record------Reason

1. Patriots------1-------(3-0)--------Maybe part of cheating is scoring 38 points every week.

2. Colts--------2-------(3-0)--------A couple of shakey games against strong division oponents have Colts fans wondering.

3(t). Cowboys---4-------(3-0)--------They dominated the former NFC champs and have shown that they are the team to beat in the NFC.

3(t). Steelers----3-------(3-0)--------The leagues leading rusher+ the stingiest point allowing defense=3-0.

5. Packers------NR------(3-0)--------Favre is breaking records and looking like a kid again.

6. Titans-------NR------(2-1)--------A dominant performance on Monday night against last years 2nd best NFC team, along with Vince Young gets them here. Also, they have a defense!

7. Ravens------5-------(2-1)--------The drop is because of other teams stepping up, and the Ravens almost losing to Arizona.

8. Seahawks---10-------(2-1)--------A solid home win over a respectable Bengals team moves them up.

9. Jaguars-----NR------(2-1)---------Not a great team offensively, but they get it done on defense, and an impressive win over Denver shows it.

10. Bengals-----6-------(1-2)--------2 losses in 3 games isn't good. Don't expect one this week either vs. New England.

Out of Top 10: Bears, Broncos, Chargers
Look out for: Texans, Broncos, Buccaneers, Panthers.

Steelers 37, 49ers 16

Mike Tomlin did something that only one other coach (Bill Cowher) has done as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers: win his first 3 games. Tomlin, who stood on the sidelines in Versace sunglasses and a jacket, watched his team dominate the San Francisco 49ers in all aspects of the game. The 49ers struck early with a long drive capped off with a field goal. But, it was short lived, as kick returner Allen Rossum returned the following kickoff 98 yards for the touchdown, puting the Steelers up for good. Ben Roethlisberger woud throw for 160 yards and a touchdown (to Jerrame Tuman). Also, Willie Parker rushed for 133 yards on 24 carries, the third straight 100+ yard game this season and 16th of his young career. Late in the game, cornerback Bryant McFadden (right) intercepted an Alex Smith pass and returned it for a touchdown. Then, Najeh Davenport added a 39 yard touchdown run. Jeff Reed also added 3 Field Goals for the Steelers, who played a complete game from start to finish. San Francisco's only score came late on an Alex Smith touchdown pass. The Steelers are sitting pretty atop the division, at 3-0, and with the Baltimore Ravens in 2nd at 2-1.


In week 4, the Steelers will head to Arizona to face some bad blood, as they matchup against the 2 men who were denied the Steelers head coach job last spring: Russ Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt. The Arizona Cardinals (1-2) played a tough game against the Baltimore Ravens last week, losing on a game winning field goal, 26-23. The Card's are led by tallented wide recievers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin (right), who are the most promissing wide reciever duo in the NFL. Arizona will be facing a Quaterback controversy this week, as started Matt Leinart was pulled last week for veteran Kurt Warner (yes, that Kurt Warner!). In the end, the Steelers offense will outplay the defense of Arizona, and the defense should do enough to handle the high power offense the Cardinals have. Look for the Steelers to improve to 4-0 with another impressive win.
Prediction: Steelers 31, Cardinals 14

Week 3 Top 10 NFL Power Rankings

This is will the first of a weekly updates on the NFL power rankings.

1. Patriots-(2-0)- They may be cheaters, but they have been the best, with 2 dominant performances.
2. Colts-(2-0)- With an offense like that... who needs a defense? (They can play defense too!)
3. Steelers-(2-0)- Besides the Patriots, no other team has been as dominant through 2 weeks as they have.
4. Cowboys-(2-0)- Romo may not be a fluke! The most points scores in the NFL proves it.
5. Ravens-(1-1)- This may be gracious for the way they have played.
6.Bengals-(1-1)- 51 points allowed and in 6th? They still scored 45.
7. Bears-(1-1)- Devin Hester gets them to this position alone.
8.Broncos-(2-0)- They are loving Jason Elam, but they have barely escaped Oakland and Buffalo!
9. Chargers-(1-1)- Didn't look impressive in week 1 and looked awful against the Patriots last week.
10. Seahawks-(1-1)- A loss to Arizona doesn't look good, but every team has a bad game, right?

Also, look out for Green Bay, the 49ers, the Texans and the Lions... (huh?)

Steelers 26, Bills 3

An impressive offense and a dominating defense are what the emotionally drained Buffalo Bills forcefully crashed into Sunday at Heinz Field. The Bills, who all wore a shirt with injured tight end Kevin Everett's number said that they were focused on the task at hand: Pittsburgh. As the game pregressed however, it appeared as if they had no idea what they were in for. The Steelers jumped out to a 12-0 lead at halftime on 4 Jeff Reed FG's. The Bills would strike with a field goal of their own. But, it was a stellar performance by Willie Parker, who rushed for 126 yards and a TD, that closed off any sort of comeback attempt by Buffalo. Parker scored on an 11 yard run and Ben Roethlisberger threw a TD to rookie tight end Matt Spaeth for the second week in a row. The Steelers defense handled the rest, dominating the Bills offense throughout, on way to a 26-3 win. The Steelers have outscored their oponents 60-10 through the first 2 games of the season.
Next up for the Steelers is a home game this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are a young but promising team, currently standing at 2-0, with wins over Arizona and St. Louis. Some key players for the 49ers are rising star running back Frank Gore, who is coming off a breakout year last year. Young QB Alex Smith will look to impress against a tough Steelers defense... but it will do no good. The Steelers will have the home momentum, and with the way they have been playing on both sides of the ball, I expect the Steelers to move to a great 3-0 start. The Steelers rarely (rarely= never) give up big rushing games on the defensive side of the ball, and with a young QB, there shouldn't be too many problems in the passing defense. It should be a fun game to watch, as this game will feature 2 of the 3 franchises with 5 Superbowl championships.
Prediction: Steelers 24, 49ers 10

Steelers 34, Browns 7

Head Coach MIke Tomlin did something that Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher could not: beat the Cleveland Browns in his first game against them. Tomlin, 35, won his first game as an NFL head coach in convincing fashion by completely dominating the Browns in all aspects of the game. The main performance was by QB Ben Roethlisberger, who was 12 of 23, for 161 yards and 4 touchdowns. The most impressive part was that he had 0 interceptions. Roethlisberger threw touchdowns to Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Heath Miller and rookie Matt Spaeth, the first of his career. Willie Parker seemed to have a sub-par game, despite rushing for 109 yards, on 27 carries. The defense played extremely tough, forcing Browns starting QB Charlie Frye out of the game. By the end of the first quarter it was 17-0 Steelers, and the Cleveland (semi) faithful began to turn on their team b booing and cursing at them, as well as chanting for Brady Quinn to enter the game. He did not. Instead, backup QB Derek Anderson came in to not fair too much better against the Steelers defense. One fan around me cursed at the Browns by saying "You mother f***ers are f***ing get payed millions of f***ing dollars and you can't make a f***ing tackle!" Some other fans greeted my entry to the stadium by chanting "ass-holes...ass-holes," while we walked through the parking lot. Ah Clevlanders, the classiest of people by far. But it was the 10,000+ Steeler fans who got the last laugh, by waving their terrible towels as the team ran into the locker room as the clock read 0:00.

As for week 2, the Steelers (1-0) will face the emotionally-charged Buffalo Bills (0-1), who lost on a last-second field goal to the Denver Broncos in week 1. As well as losing the game, they also lost backup tight-end Kevin Everett, who suffered a career ending spine injury. The immidiate diagnosis was that he would never walk again, but recent reports are giving hope that he will indeed walk one day. But, his NFL career is most likely over, before it ever really began. So, the Bills will enter Heinz Field Sunday with emotion on their side. How they react though will be the question. Will the sadness be too much to bare, or will they use it for motivation? Some players from the Bills to watch are RB Marshaun Lynch, the rookie who had a big game in week 1, and WR Lee Evans who is a consistent performer. In the end though, I think the Bills will make it tough, but nothing too tough for the Steelers to handle. Heinz Field will be rockin' when Mike Tomlin is introduced and the team runs out onto the field in their 75th Anniversary throwback jerseys. The offense is too strong right now for the Bills defense to handle, and the defense will control the rookie running game from Buffalo. The only problem for the Steelers defense is the trio of Wide Recievers for Buffalo: Pierless Price, Lee Evans, and Josh Reed. Also, this will be a big game for Bills LB, Paul Posluszny, who should have a number of fans in the crowd. But, the Steelers will overcome the difficulties of their secondary and pull together for an emotional game for both teams.

Prediction: Steelers 27, Bills 17

Pittsburgh Steelers 2007-2008

Coming off what might have been a fluke 8-8 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers enter their 75th season under new authority, Head Coach Mike Tomlin. For only the 2nd time in what seems to be the last millenium, the Steelers were in search of a new coach. When Mike Tomlin was interviewed for the job, many fans assumed it was only because of the Rooney Rule, which states that all franchises must interview a minority when seeking a new head coach. To the Rooney's however, they took the interview much more seriously. The leading candidates appeared to be Offensive Coordinater Ken Whisenhunt, or Offensive Line Coach Russ Grimm. But, after Tomlin's interview, they knew that they had found their man, and at 35 years of age, Mike Tomlin became one of the youngest coaches in professional sports. Contorversy immidiately arose about the hire, because Tomlin wanted to introduce a 4-3 defensive set, instead of the Steelers traditional 3-4. Many also feeled as if Whisenhunt and Grimm would have been better suited for the job.
More controversy that arose across Steeler nation was the departure of Joey Porter, the teams emotional leader and star linebacker. After a lackluster season by Porter, the Steelers had to part ways with "da boot," who would eventually sign with the Miami Dolphins. Another loss was veteran Center Jeff Hartings, who retired after 10 seasons in the NFL, the last 6 being with the Steelers. To fill the void left by Porter, the Steelers chose Lawrence Timmons, a linebacker from Florida State University. They also drafted Lamarr Woodley, a defensive end from Michigan, who can also play outside linebacker. To add on to the notable draftpicks was Matt Sepulveda, a 2-time punter of the year from Baylor. This meant that Chris Gardocki's time with the Steelers would be coming to an end.
The Steelers have one of the most difficult schedules in the NFL this season, playing Cincinnati and Baltimore twice, as well as Denver, New England, Jacksonville, Seattle, and St. Louis, all being extremely tallented opponents.
Some other questions entering the season are if Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can rebound from his NFL leading 24 interceptions. Also, how would the blending of the 3-4 and 4-3 pan out with a mix of veterans and youngsters on the talented defense.
The Steelers went 4-1 in their extended preseason. As good as the record was, we all know that the preseason means nothing, due to the fact that the Steelers went 0-4 in 2005, when they won Superbowl XL. The offense only scored 7 TD's in 5 preseason games, with Roethlisberger passing for 0. But, with the return of Pro-Bowl Running Back Willie Parker, the Steelers should have an explosove running game.
In week 1, the Steelers (and myself) will travel to Cleveland, to face the hated Browns. The Steelers are a very healthy team heading into the opening weekend, with big expectations against the Browns. The Browns will not start rookie QB Brady Quinn, chosing Charlie Frye to lead to offense against the Steelers defense. Some players to watch are: Steelers RB Willie Parker, who had 2 good games against the Browns last season. Also, watch out for Braylon Edwards, WR of the Browns, who is expected to have a big season in Cleveland. The Steelers vs. Browns all-time record (including playoffs) currently stands at 55-55.
Prediction: Steelers 31, Browns 16

Stay tuned for Week 1 recap and Week 2 (vs. Buffalo Bills) outlook.