football season is here!!!!!!!!!! (2 Viewers)

[Spitfrnd]

Bend but don't break is the trademark of a great defense when playing a good offense. You have to play 60 minutes of a game if you want to win it and that includes being ready to cause and recover turnovers. I just don't think luck is the key to any of these games.

 

[Peter Reuss]

Wow - at halftime I thought Philly was done! We'll see if the Cards have anything left.

 

[jazzeum]

Great second half with great comebacks. You have to hand it to the Eagles for coming back and taking the lead and the Cardinals for getting off the deck and taking the lead at the end.

 

[lancer]

Somewhere out there is a man (probably only one) who picked the Cards to go to the Superbowl. I want to know what his Lotto picks are going to be. -- lancer

 

[tdubel]

Not really happy so far, to me it is a missed half of opportunities. With the Ravens hanging around, anything can happen. Bad clock management by the Steelers made up for a suspect roughing the punter, I will admit it, give the Steelers punter an oscar. I also don't agree with the personal foul which set up the Ravens touchdown. Once again, the Stripes are involved in the game, the NFL as a whole really needs to take a look after the season, this years officiating and reviews are awful.

TD

 

[lancer]

Two Pennsylvania teams in the Superbowl; would that be a first, two teams from one state in the Superbowl?

Unlike Brad I don't think a Steeler-Eagle bowl will warm my Canadian heart (-24 C today = about 15 F) but that's what I expect to see. Like Jazzeum I think the key element in the Raven-Steeler game will be the Raven's more vulnerable offence. With the Cards and Eagles, I think, the Eagles will rush the quarterback and disrupt the that pass offence. The concerns for the Eagles are which McNabb will show up and maybe crowd noise with the closed roof.

Whatever, it should be a good Sunday.

Somewhere in the mists of past Superbowls, the N.Y. Giants beat the Buffalo Bills.

 

[theBaron]

Disa-POINTED! Well, it was the Eagles from the first week of November that showed up today. The third-ranked defense in the NFL couldn't get to Warner, except in the third quarter, and though McNabb was putting the passes up there, his receivers couldn't catch them. The Cardinals looked good, and congratulations to them and their fans!

Prost!
Brad

 

[tdubel]

A game for the ages, great game all the way around. Defense yet again the difference. Troy Pola had the game of the year.

Sammy, your prediction of hard hitting was quite correct, I would say the Steelers are in the same league as the Ravens. 2 Great teams, I hope the Steelers have enough gas left to make the final run.

TD

 

[sammy719]

Well it was a great ride!!!!!!!!! I started this thread way back in raven training camp and if you told me we would be in the A.F.C. championship game in 2009 witha rookie coach and some guy named Flacco I would have told you that you lost you mind!!!! the Steelers had our number all year even in the two other closer games played this season we just could not find away to win against them, so I tip my hat to the Steelers and wish them luck...but already in my mind I'm thinking July is only 7 months away if Flacco can improve, we pick up a few good free agents, a solid draft, a very good nucleus of players are signed already, I'm thinking about the rematch!!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOO RAVENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..Sammy

 

[tdubel]

Well it was a great ride!!!!!!!!! I started this thread way back in raven training camp and if you told me we would be in the A.F.C. championship game in 2009 witha rookie coach and some guy named Flacco I would have told you that you lost you mind!!!! the Steelers had our number all year even in the two other closer games played this season we just could not find away to win against them, so I tip my hat to the Steelers and wish them luck...but already in my mind I'm thinking July is only 7 months away if Flacco can improve, we pick up a few good free agents, a solid draft, a very good nucleus of players are signed already, I'm thinking about the rematch!!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOO RAVENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..Sammy

Sammy,
I think your prospects are pretty good, the Ravens have a chance to really build on what they have, need to plug a few holes, etc. but well on their way. Honestly, no matter who won tonight, I was rooting for the winner in the Super Bowl. I hope we can now recover and be ready, our offense stalled quite a bit when Ward went out with injury, he needs to be back.

TD

 

[Capitolron]

Wow - What a game !

Snow in the air - COLD - Hard Hitting - everything Football should be !!

Steelers were on tonight ! Great Defense - what can you say.

I think this Super Bowl is going to be a real good one to watch !

 

[jrsteel]

It was looking like another Heinz Field AFC Championship nightmare for the Steelers. Ravens down only two points and the Steelers offense couldn't move the ball anymore. The play by Polomalu was incredible. I was happy with the pick but then to see him go 40 yards across the field and score was unbelieveable. My heart can't take these kind of games.

 

[Spitfrnd]

The Steelers played well this weekend and their defense made better plays when it had to. Congratulations to thier fans. It is interesting to see a team in the superbowl that was beaten in the regular season by the Redskins. Maybe this year they should call it the survival bowl.

 

[Peter Reuss]

Week 12, 2007. Minnesota went in to the Meadowlands and wholloped the G-Men 41-17. The Superbowl Winner - Giants.

Week 15, 2008. Minnesota went to Arizona and wholloped the Cards 35-14. The Superbowl winner - ???

It's ALL about the Vikes

 

[Louis Badolato]

Great second half with great comebacks. You have to hand it to the Eagles for coming back and taking the lead and the Cardinals for getting off the deck and taking the lead at the end.

Typical McNabb. Horrible in the first half, great for a quarter and a half to take the lead, then, with the championship on the line, couldn't hit the broadside of a barn in that last drive. Both McNabbs showed up for this game. Kurt Warner played like a champion, as did Fitzgerald.

The Steelers played great defense, and only a big punt return and a whiffed punt allowed a game Ravens team to keep it close until the last 4 minutes. Flacco, who threw 3 intererceptions, will be blamed for the loss, but the real culprit is the Ravens running game and offensive coordinator. The ran right up the middle on almost every first down after their first drive, and never got more than 2 yards. It was so predicable it was pathetic, placing Flacco in 2nd and 3rd and longs that allowed the great Steeler defense to tee off on him. That being said, the Steelers offense looked terrible. If it wasn't for a defense touchdown, and lame duck ball that could have been intercepted if the Ravens safety hadn't slipped on the turf turning into a 60 yard touchdown, the Steelers would have only scored around 10 points. Its like Roethlisburger was alone out there, no pass blocking, no running game, nothing.

In the Superbowl, its going to be a great offense versus a great defense and an adequate offense versus an adequate defense. The Cardinals defense will be able to limit the Steelers suspect offense, especially if Hines Ward is not 100%. On the other hand, when the Eagles got pressure on Warner in the 3rd Quarter, he couldn't do anything. I expect the Steelers to play that type of pressure defense, to keep Warner and Fitgerald from getting in synch. The question will be can the Cardinals adjust to the pressure and scheme to protect Warner, run screen plays and draws, and prevent the Steelers from blitzing on every down. Usually great defense wins championships, but the Steelers offense is so bad, I'm not sure that it can do it unless the Steelers score at least 2 defensive touchdowns off turnovers.

 

[Louis Badolato]

It was looking like another Heinz Field AFC Championship nightmare for the Steelers. Ravens down only two points and the Steelers offense couldn't move the ball anymore. The play by Polomalu was incredible. I was happy with the pick but then to see him go 40 yards across the field and score was unbelieveable. My heart can't take these kind of games.

The Steelers were saved by an incredibly stupid unnecessary roughness penalty by the Ravens on the punt return immediately prior to the Polomalu interception. If the idiot on the Ravens punt coverage doesn't throw the Steelers gunner to the ground out of bounds, the Ravens have the ball on the 40 yard line instead of the 10 yard line, with more than 4 minutes remaining. That mistake forced Flacco to try to move the ball 60 yards rather than 30 yards to get in position for a go ahead fieldgoal. Flacco moved the ball 25 yards before panicking and throwing the interception. That bone head roughness penalty was the game changer that put the Steelers in position to win.

 

[lancer]

Congratulations to Steelers and their fans. Ravens had a good and totally unexpected run. I have always had a soft spot for the Steelers because of those magnificient 70's teams that beat the hated Cowboys, but, I will be rooting for the underdog team of all time, the Cardinals. Talk about an unexpected run! Go Kurt and your redbirds! -- lancer

 

[lancer]

The Steelers were saved by an incredibly stupid unnecessary roughness penalty by the Ravens on the punt return immediately prior to the Polomalu interception. If the idiot on the Ravens punt coverage doesn't throw the Steelers gunner to the ground out of bounds, the Ravens have the ball on the 40 yard line instead of the 10 yard line, with more than 4 minutes remaining. That mistake forced Flacco to try to move the ball 60 yards rather than 30 yards to get in position for a go ahead fieldgoal. Flacco moved the ball 25 yards before panicking and throwing the interception. That bone head roughness penalty was the game changer that put the Steelers in position to win.

Louis, my son and I said the same thing about that penalty as it occurred. "There goes field position and the game." -- lancer

 

[Warrior]

Louis,
Great analysis. McNabb is so hot and cold, no wonder he drives Iggles fans to drink. He had recievers wide open on crossing routes and slants several times, only to either rifle the ball into the dirt or throw behind the reciever. Then he goes and throws a 65 yard bomb with pin point accuracy.

I really thought the Iggles were going to pull this one out, but their defense couldn't stop the Cardinals on that last drive. And not to blame the refs, but the Iggles reciever got absolutely mugged on that 4th and 10; no call, incredible. The refs have been brutal all year long, really pathetic considering all the money they make and the instant replay abilities.

Regarding the Steelers offense; they had one TD called back after a brutal overturn by replay, that was clearly a touchdown, the ground cannot cause a fumble, man did they blow that call. Then the immortal Limus Sweed dropped a touchdown, fell to the ground and faked an injury and then got booed into the ground, that was pretty comical. How in the world did he drop that; so that's 14 points right there.

Flacco was brutal, was 3 for 19 at one point for 29 yards. Just pitiful. He really looked like a rookie QB out there yesterday. For a team that relies so much on their defense, they have zero running game. ZERO. Having to throw on 3rd and long countless times allowed the Steelers defense to pin their ears back and rush the QB.

The Cardinals are a nice story and all, but I see a blowout coming, 31-14 or something like that. Warner will get harassed all day long, they don't call the Steelers Blitzburg for nothing. The Steelers will demolish them. This is the same Cardinals team that got waxed 47-7 by the Patriots in December.

When the Steelers win this game, they will be far and away the most dominant franchise in football, 6 Super Bowl wins, 14 AFCCG appearances, just an incredible roll they have been on for close to 40 years, amazing...................

 

[Louis Badolato]

George,

I agree with much of your analysis, with one exception - the replay overturning of the touchdown. Last year you would have been absolutely correct, but in the offseason they changed the rule to say that when you catch a ball and go to the ground, you have to maintain possession until you come to a complete stop. The Steeler receiver, apparently unfamiliar with the rule change, rather than cradling the ball for first and goal and the 1/2 yard line, tried to stretch the ball out for a touchdown. The ball hit first, before his knee, and came loose. Under the new rule, that is an incomplete pass every time.