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AFC and NFC Championship Thread

jsinger121

By jsinger121
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jsinger121 FCL Red Sox

jsinger121

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Just wanted to start this thread for people who want to talk about tomorrow's games even though the patriots won't be in it I will still be watching. For some reason I like both road teams in these games.
schillingouttheks All-Star

schillingouttheks

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As good of a team as Denver is, I still believe that it was more of a Patriots' loss than a Broncos' win. The Steelers went into Indy, made Peyton their bitch, and left with a win.

 

I believe Carolina is a better team than Seattle, although I would rather have Holmgren coaching my team in the playoffs than John Fox SOLELY because of the experience Holmgren has. Then again, Fox HAS been to a Superbowl before.

 

Pittsburgh/Carolina superbowl anyone?

See Red FCL Red Sox

See Red

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Broncos/Panthers

 

As good as the Steelers played against the Colts... it was a Peyton Manning led team. He can't seem to read a defense for his life in the playoffs (Broncos excluded, but this defense seems a lot different this year). Plus, you guys are really picking Bill Cowher in a big game? Please. That's Marty Schottenheimer Jr. right there.

ORS All-Star

ORS

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Pittsburg/Seattle

 

If the Steelers can pressure the QB that suffered the least sacks in the NFL for the 2nd straight year (and INDY was 2nd in sacks allowed in 2003), then they'll have no problem turning up the heat on Plummer. His big mistakes usually come under pressure, and their secondary is better than NE's. Roethlisberger has the no-experience monkey off his back by now, and Denver gives up yards through the air, so the black-n-gold take this one.

 

I like Carolina in this game when they are healthy, but they aren't. Goings is good, but he's no Davis or Foster. Peppers is questionable (unless he's been upgraded), and even if he plays, his shoulder is messed up so that may affect his ability to be physical in the line play. Carolina's offense, while more explosive, is similar to Washington's. Good running game, excellent game breaking under-sized WR (Smith/Moss), and some good role players as other options. Seattle did a good job of shutting down Portis and Moss, and since Carolina's RBs are hurt, they will become more one-dimensional. Hasselbeck and his O-Line handled the good pressure from Washington, so I see no reason to expect why he can't do the same against a weakened (due to Peppers) Carolina D. 'Hawks take this one.

Sox Fan on Cape Salem RidgeYaks

Sox Fan on Cape

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Pittsburg/Seattle

 

If the Steelers can pressure the QB that suffered the least sacks in the NFL for the 2nd straight year (and INDY was 2nd in sacks allowed in 2003), then they'll have no problem turning up the heat on Plummer. His big mistakes usually come under pressure, and their secondary is better than NE's. Roethlisberger has the no-experience monkey off his back by now, and Denver gives up yards through the air, so the black-n-gold take this one.

 

I like Carolina in this game when they are healthy, but they aren't. Goings is good, but he's no Davis or Foster. Peppers is questionable (unless he's been upgraded), and even if he plays, his shoulder is messed up so that may affect his ability to be physical in the line play. Carolina's offense, while more explosive, is similar to Washington's. Good running game, excellent game breaking under-sized WR (Smith/Moss), and some good role players as other options. Seattle did a good job of shutting down Portis and Moss, and since Carolina's RBs are hurt, they will become more one-dimensional. Hasselbeck and his O-Line handled the good pressure from Washington, so I see no reason to expect why he can't do the same against a weakened (due to Peppers) Carolina D. 'Hawks take this one.

Sorry, I can't agree with Pitt on the road again. Denver rested at home, who's got the better D, I'd say about equal ( although Pitt secondary is questionable ), running game, again about equal, QB advantage Denver, Plummer is more mobile and more experienced. Big Ben might have looked good last week scoring early and building his confidence, what's going to happen if Pitt falls behind ? I believe Big Ben will stop ticking and revert back to forcing it in, resulting in costly turnovers. Of course I can't speak from a position of authority, since my score is a 0, and mathematically I've been eliminated after ARod2212's pick.

 

I have no problem with Seattle though.

ORS All-Star

ORS

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I think Roethlisberger's problems come from being under pressure, like most QBs. Brady had a lot of time to pick apart the Bronco's pass-D last week, which leads me to believe Ben will have time to get rid of the ball. Their positions in sacks and sacks allowed are pretty revealing.

 

Sacks - Pittsburg T-3 (47), Denver T-16 (28) (18 places with ties)

Sacks Allowed - Pittsburg T-8 (32), Denver 3 (23) (19 places with ties)

 

Run D is a wash (85.2 y/gm DEN, 86.0 y/gm PITT). It's going to come down to the passing game, IMO. PITT's secondary and pressure is better, and I think Roethlisberger is a better QB than Plummer. The real question is which one of those two would win in a "Worst Playoff Beard" competition?

jsinger121 FCL Red Sox

jsinger121

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Pittsburgh has a much better front seven on D than the Broncos but with really only Troy Polamalu in the secondary it is not anything special. overall i think pittsburgh has the better D because they can shut down the run and do enough in the secondary where they can make plummer ineffective.
schillingouttheks All-Star

schillingouttheks

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Pittsburgh has a much better front seven on D than the Broncos but with really only Troy Polamalu in the secondary it is not anything special. overall i think pittsburgh has the better D because they can shut down the run and do enough in the secondary where they can make plummer ineffective.

Only Troy Polamalu? Does Deshea Townsend ring a bell? If not, what about Ike Taylor? Hm.... maybe Chris Hope? They have a strong secondary to go along with their front 7. If anything, their D line isn't as strong as the rest of their defense. Their linebacking core is amazing, with Porter, Farrior and Foote leading the way. Von Oelhoffen is really their only decent D-lineman. Hell, when Polamalu blitzes he gets better penetration then their D-line does. Their secondary is solid, and it's better than Denver's, which is led only by Champ Bailey and John Lynch. I don't really think it's as good as Pitt's. The Pats could move the ball through the air, the best offense in the league in the Colts couldn't do anything....for the most part.

guapo34 College Ball

guapo34

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Only Troy Polamalu? Does Deshea Townsend ring a bell? If not, what about Ike Taylor? Hm.... maybe Chris Hope? They have a strong secondary to go along with their front 7. If anything, their D line isn't as strong as the rest of their defense. Their linebacking core is amazing, with Porter, Farrior and Foote leading the way. Von Oelhoffen is really their only decent D-lineman. Hell, when Polamalu blitzes he gets better penetration then their D-line does. Their secondary is solid, and it's better than Denver's, which is led only by Champ Bailey and John Lynch. I don't really think it's as good as Pitt's. The Pats could move the ball through the air, the best offense in the league in the Colts couldn't do anything....for the most part.

 

Your points are well taken, but a blitzing safety should get better penetration than a D-lineman. Plays are generall designed for D-lineman to take up the blockers so the blitzing safety can run free.

schillingouttheks All-Star

schillingouttheks

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The Steelers have 3 down linemen. That leaves an offensive guard on each side to pick Polamalu up. When the Steelers LBs blitz, Farrior will go up the middle, but the others will either stay back in zone coverage to contain the middle, or go outside around the H back (tightend). That still leaves one guard to pick up Polamalu.

 

True, if Polamalu runs free, he should get better penetration, but the formation that the Steelers use doesn't exactly let that happen as easily as we might think. They use 2 DE's and 1 NT.

KeepTheFaith1229 First Round Pick

KeepTheFaith1229

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Only Troy Polamalu? Does Deshea Townsend ring a bell? If not, what about Ike Taylor? Hm.... maybe Chris Hope? They have a strong secondary to go along with their front 7. If anything, their D line isn't as strong as the rest of their defense. Their linebacking core is amazing, with Porter, Farrior and Foote leading the way. Von Oelhoffen is really their only decent D-lineman. Hell, when Polamalu blitzes he gets better penetration then their D-line does. Their secondary is solid, and it's better than Denver's, which is led only by Champ Bailey and John Lynch. I don't really think it's as good as Pitt's. The Pats could move the ball through the air, the best offense in the league in the Colts couldn't do anything....for the most part.

 

 

I do believe Pittsburgh has a slightly better secondary than Denver, but Bailey and Lynch aren't their only good players. They also have a decent strong safety Nick Ferguson, and two great rookie corners in Dominique Foxworth and Darrent Williams.

schillingouttheks All-Star

schillingouttheks

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Right, but those rookies still have to prove themselves in the big games. The Steelers' secondary has been proved.

 

But I will say that if the Broncos' secondary shows me something today, I'll be right with you.

 

But as of right now, Roethlisberger is picking them apart.

KeepTheFaith1229 First Round Pick

KeepTheFaith1229

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Right, but those rookies still have to prove themselves in the big games. The Steelers' secondary has been proved.

 

But I will say that if the Broncos' secondary shows me something today, I'll be right with you.

 

But as of right now, Roethlisberger is picking them apart.

 

 

I didn't disagree that Pittsburgh has a better secondary than Denver, they do. I was just saying that Lynch and Bailey aren't the only 2 notable players in their secondary and they still rank among the elite in the league (below Pittsbrugh).

 

 

Ben Roethlisberger threw a touchdown SECONDS after I wrote that.

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