In 2009, the year the Steelers won their 6th SB, I was 10-1 (my only miss was Arizona winning the NFC Championship). Last season I was 8-3 (my heart really wasn't in it since the Steelers weren't either). This year I feel there may be some upsets. Regardless, here are my predictions for Round One:
COLTS over Jets
Saints over SEAWHAWKS
Ravens over CHIEFS
Packers over EAGLES
That would mean the Round Two match-ups would be:
Colts @ Steelers
Ravens @ Patriots
Packers @ Falcons
Saints @ Bears
Here are my responses to the statements discussed on the 1/5/11 show:
"Bring on the Patriots!" -- Disagree. Although the Steelers have the "advantage" of Brady's lopsided record against them (c.f., Weak Law of Large Numbers) I have to agree with Mike Prisuta, "For the Steelers the road ENDS in New England."
"Santonio who?" -- Agree. Mike Wallace has done everything Santonio Holmes could do and more and the emergence of BOTH Antonio Brown and Emanuel Sanders as quality receivers and kick returners has made it unnecessary to lament Holme's departure.
"The turning point of the season was surviving the Ben Roethlisberger suspension." -- Agree, particularly since the Steelers were only 8-4 WITH Roethlisberger. I would have been happy with a 2-2 start in those games but that wouldn't have been enough to win the Division and get the first round bye.
"I'll be rooting for the Colts on Saturday and the Ravens on Sunday." -- Agree. If the Colts win the Ravens play the Patriots which is the only team I feel can beat them on the road. It would also, should the Ravens and Steelers win, set up another game, set, match contest at Pittsburgh with the Ravens for a trip to Dallas.
ASIDE: One thing I think the Steelers have going for them is that the Player Safety Initiative (a.k.a., the Season of a Thousand Flags) is over. I foresee playoff calls going much more favorably for the Steelers as the result of what occurred in this regard during the regular season.
LOOK FOR MY ROUND ONE PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS HERE TOMORROW.
The anticipated "Monday Massacre" of up to 10 NFL coaches passed with few casualties. Adams, McDaniels, and Singletary we're already gone and Tom Cable, Eric Mangini and Jim Fox were the only additions to the death cart. Others who were supposedly "out" were:
Marvin Lewis - Cincinnati
Gary Kubiak - Houston
Jeff Fisher - Tennessee
Tom Coghlin - New York Football Giants
So does this clarify the Bill Cowher situation?
My prediction was Houston but that's out. It could have been Dallas but I didn't really think Cowher could work for Jerry "Da Genius" Jones anyway. Other's thought New York but Coughlin survived. Carolina is a definite NO as they are in disaster mode. So that leaves Denver or Cleveland. He's expressed interest in Cleveland before but I hope he goes elsewhere. Then again he may wait until after the CBA/Lockout issue is settled. No use hiring on if you're not going to have a season.
Final tally for the Steelers DBs: Troy - 7 interceptions, the other guys - 7 interceptions. Yesterday it took TWO interceptions by "the other guys" to match Troy's total. The worst part is, two of those "other guy" interceptions were made in Neil O'Donnell-self-defense-mode and I'm sure, if the same situation arises in a playoff game, they will probably be dropped. There are only two players on the Steelers defense that can be depended on to hold on to an interception they get their hands on, and one is a linebacker, LaMarr Woodely. The other, obviously, is Troy. If the Steelers are going to go anywhere inthe playoffs the "other guys" are going to have to produce at a higher level with respect to catching the other QB's passes.
At some point early in the Steelers-Browns game when the Steelers had obviously taken control and the outcome was no longer in doubt, one of the commentators remarked that Mike Tomlin said he didn't have to remind the Steelers of what the game meant to them. Really, Mike? Did you say the same thing LAST season before the second Cleveland game when all it took was a win to clinch a playoff berth? Remember, that game you lost, scoring only 6 points? If you did, how the hell did THAT work out?!? I don't give a damn WHO is playing pee-wees, junior high, high school, college, pros this is something in the coach's job description. Focus the team on the job at hand! Otherwise, why the hell are you there?
It was bound to happen (and please note, NHL), a team with a losing record (7-9) makes the playoffs because they were the least-terrible team in their lousy division. As a result a 10-6 team misses the playoffs.
New rule next season: The teams with the six best records make the playoffs even if that means one (or even two) divisions have no playoff representative. Rewarding mediocrity benefits NO ONE. Even though the Seahawks may win one or two playoff games THEY DON'T BELONG THERE with a 7-9 record. Period.
The Steelers have a Top 10 receiver,
A Top Five Tight End,
A Top Ten Runner,
A Top Five QB,
And a Douch Bag Offensive Coordinator.
Guess who has to go?
