It's About To Get Real Serious...

"I know he doesn't like to get hit, man...Randy Moss doesn't like to get hit. I played with him in Minnesota. The main thing he had problems with was when guys got in his face, jamming him at the line, hitting him when they got a chance and getting him off his normal pace."
- Tyrone Carter

"They got a squad...They're chasing history. That's about all you can say."
- Face Me Ike

I'll admit - this morning I am conflicted. Part of me believes we have a really good shot at winning this game. But then part of me worries that we'll make some of the same mistakes we've made in this year's most disappointing performances. Don't get me wrong, I still think this team will step up when it really matters (now). Nevertheless, I'd be lying if I didn't say there were two sides to the story.

But screw all that negative shit. I'm trying to stay positive. The Sandman putting undue pressure on aside, we ARE in a good position to stage an upset. After all, if anyone can beat the league's untouchable Offensive force, it ought to be the team with the #1 Defense, right? This is a classic match of Thunder vs. Lightning. Pittsburgh is Smashmouth. New England is Finesse. As commenter "Quiet Strength" put it over at DC Steeler Nation yesterday, "this is the 2005 Colts 2.0." And he's right. Only New England's Defense might be just a hair better...

So, we've established that we've known all along how to beat this team, and that the numbers don't tell us anything we don't already know, but what will be the keys to victory for our Steelers on Sunday? I'm glad you asked. Check 'em out below. And keep in mind, there are many many things I could write here. But I've chosen a select few I feel are vital to achieving victory.

Let's get to it.

OFFENSE:

• Control the Game ~ How do you stop an Offense like the Patriots'? Keep 'em off the field, that's how. Oh, and play stout Defense. But our Offense can certainly help out by maintaining control of the clock and dictating the flow of the game. Of principal importance will be FWP. To be blunt, Willie better locate his balls and friggin' use them. We'll need him to rack up a good amount more than the 73 yards he's averaged over the last 3 games. That is, if we have any hopes of using play action and winding down that clock as the game goes on. FWP, no pressure man...


• You Must Protect This House ~ Or at least Big Ben. Thankfully, we finally saw a game last week in which Big Ben was not sacked even once. Of course, the Bengals have only rung up 18 sacks on the year total, while the Patriots have notched 31. So this will be a more definitive test of our O-line for sure. For the Pats, Mike Vrabel leads the charge with 9.5 sacks, and he'll be rushing the oh-so-strong right side of our line. So let's just hope Willie Colon and Kendall Simmons can play their asses off. This here is my worry:
  


• Do NOT Let Up~ Hey, what's the knock on the Pats Offense? They like to run up the score, right? So if we get the chances, let's give them a dose of their own medicine. Ok, I don't actually believe there is a snowballs chance in hell of that happening. What I really mean here is whether we're up or down - keep the pedal to the metal. Keep working. Keep executing. Keep them on their heels. As Joey Porter's Pit Bulls pointed out, their linebackers are old. Wear them out. Keep hitting them with Offensive punches until they can no longer stand. No one else had been able to do that this season before we saw Philly and Baltimore do it. And I'd like to think Big Ben is a little better than the two backup QBs who almost slayed the giant. So just roll with it.

DEFENSE:

• Dear Anthony Smith... ~ You ran your mouth. Now you better be ready to back it up. I ain't mad at ya'. I'm just saying, you can't make bold predictions and then sit back and relax. I expect another performance like we saw at Cincy (the 1st time) in Week 8. Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to hit everything you can, as hard as you can. Find Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte Stallworth and sort 'em out. I'm not screwin' around here man, play balls out...see below...
  


• Win The Mental Game ~ Tom Brady is the league's best QB. Accept it. But one thing he, and just about every other QB in the league, is susceptible to is pressure. If you get in his face, knock him down, force him to make throws he doesn't want to make, he will start to unravel (as much as Tom Brady can...which isn't nearly as much as Carson Palmer). Put it this way - he's the nail, you are the hammer. You know what to do...
  


• Do NOT Let Up~ Sounds familiar, right? You may have noticed that one of the main reasons the Eagles and Ravens came so close to upsetting the Hatriots the last two weeks is that their Defense played a full 60 minutes. On the other hand, our Defense has been known on occasion to play 58 great minutes, only to let up in the final two and give up a game tieing or game winning field goal (See Broncos, Browns, Jets). And let's just say we weren't exactly playing against the league's "elite" then, either. So if we're hoping to win this game we better be solid as Steel...Keep the pressure on Tom Brady all game. Greet Lawrence Maroney and Kevin Faulk rudely at the line of scrimmage. And knock the Pats star wideouts into next week. For 60...Freakin'...Minutes.

And that's the bottom line. 60 Minutes. Everything aside, it's about playing the game well for 60 minutes. Do that and ye shall receive that which ye crave - a signature win.

What say you Steeler faithful? Any chance we actually win this game? Will the Pats D be able to hang for 60 minutes of hard fought football? Will OUR D be able to hang for 60 minutes of hard fought football? Will FWP shine without the sleeves? Will Big Ben ride off into the sunset with Giselle Bundchen? Bring it.

REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Reasons to Believe [Joey Porter's Pit Bulls]
Big Ben vs. Pats Video Game [Doubt About It]
Patriots Work At The Gaps [Boston.com]
Action Speaks Louder [Boston.com]
Patriots Take Steeler's Guarantee In Stride [Hartford Courant]
Steelers Smith Not Backing Down [Associated Press]
Tomlin Mini Presser on Guarantee [SteelCityInsider]
Steelers Plan to Rattle Randy Moss [Tribune-Review]
Steelers' Arians, Belichick to Match Wits [Tribune-Review]
Picking Apart The Pats [SI]
Physical Steelers Eager to Tackle Challenge [Fox Sports]