Super Bowl Sunday Preview

It is hard to believe that it's that time of year again. Yes, I am speaking about Super Bowl Sunday. It is an American classic. It is also a good reason to eat buckets of unhealthy food and watch a series of expensive commercials aimed to tickle our funny bone. In my case, it is also a great day for my family and I to root for our favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Black 'N' Gold are in the big game for the third time in six years, their eighth overall, as they seek their seventh Super Bowl title. People who know me well, know that I'm fond of gloating a bit when it comes to the topic of the Steelers' success over the years. In fact, I am actually befuddled and at a loss for why so many other teams fail to take notice and follow their simple formula for success. Perhaps, it has to do with the huge egos in the NFL (see also Jerry Jones, Al Davis, Daniel Snyder and many others) who figure they will get it right if they keep changing the face of the organization, re-inventing the wheel, changing schemes, and continually hiring different coaches and general managers to run the show.

Meanwhile, the Rooneys and the Steelers just keep plugging away. They are not flashy. They don't chase the troublemakers, self-centered, me-first guys like Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Pac-Man Jones of the football world. When they suspect trouble on their team, they usually jettison the player out of town very quickly. Okay, the exception in this case may be Ben Roethlisberger. However, after Ben's last episode, the team did actually try to deal him for a first round draft pick. They were reported to have had serious talks with teams like the Rams for the chance to draft Sam Bradford. In the end, Roethlisberger admitted his childishness, immature behavior, and bad decision making. His attitude and commitment to change may have led to the Team giving him one final chance. In any case, the Steelers have recently shown the road to high caliber players like Santonio Holmes and even Plaxico Burress. Burress is currently in jail, and Holmes continually flirts with trouble.

The team has a great front office that understands how to draft players that fit their system. They have exceptional coaches like Dick LeBeau who are exceptional at developing the talent they have on the roster. They have solid schemes and their coaches are skilled at putting the players in positions to be successful and use their talents in the most beneficial way for the team.

The organization also rarely makes changes just for the sake of change. In fact, they have only had three head coaches in my entire 40 years of life. All three of them have won Super Bowls, and getting to the playoffs is just about an annual event. Surprisingly, the Steelers aren't cyclical like many of the other great franchises that have had a nice run at some point, but then seemingly run out of gas and fail to maintain the ability to win on a consistent basic. Teams like the 49ers, Cowboys, Redskins, and Bills have had nice runs over the last 20 years or so, but each of these teams are cyclical. In other words, they win for awhile and then tank for awhile. They are simply unable to maintain any consistency as a franchise. Consistency, loyalty, and a belief in their system are Steelers trademarks. While the rest of the teams in the league surely work hard at being successful, the Steelers have found a formula for working smart.

Another key for this team is the support they get, from literally around the world. Dallas may call themselves America's team, but nobody travels like Steelers' fans, also known as the Steelers Nation. Just about every announcer I have ever listened to including John Madden, Matt Millen, Mike Tirico, Rich Eisen, etc.... acknowledges that Steelers fans travel more than any other in the NFL. I have been to several Pittsburgh games on the road, including their last Super Bowl appearance two years ago. I can attest that Steelers fans often outnumber the home fans when playing on the road. There is a great tradition in the state, and a lot of passion for football, especially in western PA. The number of well-known QB's from this area includes Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, Jim Kelly, Joe Montana, and Dan Marino. The list of head coaches from the keystone state is also staggering including Jason Garrett, Bill Cowher, Marvin Lewis, Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Haslett, Dave Wannstedt, and even current Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.

Okay, I will now step off my soapbox and analyze the game. In my opinion, the defensive line of the Packers has the potential to really give the patchwork O-line of the Steelers some real problems. The Steelers ran the ball effectively against the Jets defense, but I don't think it will as easy vs. the Pack. Green Bay will almost surely face a stiff challenge with running the ball against a stingy Steelers defense, but Aaron Rodgers and the Packers receiving corps could potentially feast on a Steelers secondary that is the weak spot of their defense. Mike McCarthy is also a very capable play-caller who does a nice job keeping teams off balance. As for the Steelers strengths, Big Ben just seems to find a way to extend plays and keep drives alive. There is also the Polamalu factor and the Steelers linebackers are so active and disruptive, probably the best overall unit in the league. I see a close game that comes down to the fourth quarter. I think the Packers possess a few more weapons and they are peaking at the right time, but Big Ben and the Steelers have the experience on their side. They play well when everything is on the line, so I think they will do it one last time this season. Steelers 27 Packers 23
Enjoy the pics!




Lights out.