Choose the Steelers’ opponent
The Steelers get a bye this weekend. However, several AFC teams aren’t so lucky. The Baltimore Ravens will face the Kansas City Chiefs, and the New York Jets will play the Indianapolis Colts in the wildcard playoff games. Following those games, the Steelers will face either the Ravens, Chiefs, or Colts. Because of the NFL seeding rules, the Steelers cannot face the Jets.
Given those three teams as potential opponents, I started thinking about which team I’d rather face. Personally, I think that the Steelers can beat any of them. So I don’t fear any of these teams. However, I do have a preference for who I’d like to face.
My least desired opponent would be the Baltimore Ravens. We all know what to expect from a Steelers-Ravens game. It will be a physical war. And while I love watching those battles, I don’t want to see that just yet.
The problem with playing the Ravens is that the game is just too physical. Big Ben always finds a way to beat the Ravens, so I’m confident that we’d win. What I’m not confident of is that we’d come out of the game 100% healthy. When the Steelers face the Ravens, there are usually injuries on both teams. And the Steelers can’t afford that right now. So I don’t want to play the Ravens if we don’t have to.
I also don’t want to face the Colts just yet. I believe the Steelers would beat the Colts. But the Colts are the team that worries me the most of the 3 possible opponents.
The Reason I don’t want to see the Steelers face the Colts is that Peyton Manning is the quarterback who is most likely to be able to exploit the Steelers’ weakness. Anyone who has watched the Steelers this season knows that their cornerbacks are their weak link.
Bryant McFadden has made it clear to everyone why the Arizona Cardinals were so willing to let him return to the Steelers. And while William Gay has made some good plays this year, I don’t think anyone is comfortable with the idea of having him as a starter. Even Ike Taylor has looked vulnerable this season. Yeah, the Steelers’ cornerbacks have definitely been their Achilles heel.
Peyton Manning has the talent to execute a game plan similar to what Tom Brady and the Patriots always use against the Steelers. He can carve up their defense with passes, while practically neglecting the running game. That formula has worked against the Steelers in the past, and I fear that it will continue to work in the future until the Steelers upgrade their cornerbacks (or until Dick LeBeau stops asking his cornerbacks to give the receivers a 10 yard cushion off the line).
Once again, I don’t fear Manning and the Colts. I just don’t think that they are the team that gives the Steelers the best chance of winning. And at this point in the season, it’s all about winning.
The team that I believe gives the Steelers the best chance of winning is the Kansas City Chiefs. I think they’re an ideal opponent for the Steelers. The Chiefs are primarily a running team, and we know that the Steelers can stop the run. Once they’ve done that, I just don’t believe that Matt Cassel can beat the Steelers with his arm.
The Chiefs also beat the Steelers last year during that 5-game losing streak. I hate to sound petty, but I would like to see the Steelers avenge that loss.
So that’s why I’d choose the Kansas City Chiefs as my preferred opponent for the Steelers. Of course, we won’t know who they’ll actually face until this weekend is over. But the Chiefs are the team that I believe give the Steelers the highest odds of moving on to the next round.
What about you readers? If you had to choose an opponent for the Steelers, which team would you choose and why?
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I’d like to see the Chiefs, definitely. Though I have the feeling we’ll see the Colts instead.
1Anybody but the Ravens. Too much of a phsical pounding!!
2Concur with Dan completely. The good side is if we beat the Colts then maybe Baltimore beats up the Patriots a little with Ratbird thuggery.
Definitely think we end up at new England
3If the Chiefs can beat Ravens we don’t want to play them!
And I may be the only one but I want to see the colts. We gave Peyton fits last time and believe we can again.
Don’t want the Ravens
4I concur with Tony for several reasons.
1) If we face the Chiefs that means the Jets play the Patriots. Yes, we can beat the Chiefs but the Pats won’t even break a sweat against the Jets.
2) The Colts are not that good this year – they have been decimated by injuries. Manning is a HoF QB but this year’s team is just hanging on to win games against average opponents. It doesn’t really matter that our CB’s are average because Mannings targets are below average.
My ideal matchup – in order to advance to the SB – is for us to face the Colts and the Ravens to face the Pats (with either the Ravens winning or at least beating up on the Pats).
5Excellent points about the Ravens beating up the Pats. I was trying to not look that far ahead, but since you guys brought up the Pats, then I’ll talk about them.
I hate the idea of going to Foxboro to play the Pats. I think the Ravens have the best chance of beating them, so I hope they face them before we do. Even if the Ravens lose, hopefully the Pats will be beat up from the game.
6i would like to see the Ravens, these two should have played the last game of the season with all what was at stake. identicle records going into the final game would only be fitting, but nonetheless, it is what it is, the reason is, we both know each other well, tendacies, situational ball, the chiefs we do not know, which brings to mind, i would rather know, then not know, you know what to expect that way…… you know!
7i gotta correct myself, its unlikely the Ravens and Steelers will meet unless its in the AFC Championship game, the odds are against it given the seedings. so i would have to change that from the Ratbirds, to the Patriots, i really feel we can go into to Foxboro, and beat them, ……..
8I kind of dislike this topic because who he would prefer to play really has no bearing on who we will actually play. But there’s nothing else to talk about, so…
I would take a nearly guaranteed win in the divisional round against the Chiefs than way before asking for a Colts team that is still dangerous enough (4th in the league in points, 1st in passing) to take advantage of our achilles heel, just for the sake of a possibility of an easier championship game. “A bird in the hand,” and all that.
Also, I think the Jets chances against the Patriots are really underrated just because of one game. I’m sure we all recall well enough that just because you smack a team around in the regular season doesn’t mean you’ll beat them in the playoffs. The Jets will be angry following that loss, and they may be the team that matches up best against the Patriots schematically. They have the corners to man up on the Patsie’s WR’s and cut off those short routes, they have the pass rushers and blitz packages to pressure Brady, and they have the running game to control the tempo of the game. As long as Sanchez makes good decisions with the football they can give the Patriots big problems, like they did when they beat NE early in the year as Brady threw 2 INT’s and lost a fumble.
9Matthew,
10Sorry to hear that you dislike the topic. But what else are we to discuss? We had/have a two week layoff from Steelers games. We don’t know who the Steelers will play when they finally get to play. So what was left to talk about during the interim?
If everything works to my plan we would beat the Colts, the Ravens would beat the Patriots, and Pittsburgh would be at home for the AFC Championship game. Yes, a game against the Ravens would be tough, but its winnable. We do not want the Patriots in New England.
11Mark,
12I hate to sound like I don’t have confidence in our boys, but I agree with you completely. I do NOT want to play the Patriots at their place. I don’t think that scenario is a good one for the Steelers.
Well the Colts blew it. There goes my ideal scenario…but, on the positive side, I don’t have to root for the Ravens anymore. Go Chiefs!
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