Last Weeks Result

• Pittsburgh 34, Cleveland 7
• Record: 1-0
• Standings: Tied for 1st in AFC North

Last Weeks Game Recap

While most people thought the Steelers would be able to handle the Browns, no one predicted that this game would be as one sided as it was. Was this a function of the Steelers dominating in this game, or more the Browns struggling? While I feel that it was some of both, I think the Browns looked absolutely dreadful. The Browns made too many mistakes to ever have a chance in this game. When they weren’t making mistakes, they just weren’t playing that well.

When the Steelers were on defense, they played just like I thought they would. There were no running lanes for Jamal Lewis. The running game was taken away from the Browns early on because they were behind so quickly, but Lewis only managed 35 yards on 11 carries. The secondary played well, but did let up the most yards to the tight end as I had feared. There seems to be a gap in the Steelers defense that can be exploited by a good tight end and Kellen Winslow is one of the best. The Steelers allowed 6 out of 14 third down conversions, which is probably a bit better than they have done in the past.

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Game Result
Minnesota 24
Atlanta 3

Game Analysis:
It is 8:30 in the morning, my alarm goes off. It is finally here; the first day of the NFL season for the Atlanta Falcons. I am so excited! I got my permission slip in hand from my wife and my two daughters to go up to my dad’s house and watch the game. My dad has the NFL ticket, so I go up to his house every Sunday so I can watch the Falcons play. I was really looking forward to this game because Joey Harrington and the wide receivers looked fairly impressive in the third pre-season game against the Bengals. During the off-season and pre-season all I heard about is how that now Mike Vick is no longer the starting quarterback, the Falcons have no chance. I even read one sports site were they predicted the Falcons at 3-13. I had convinced myself if a RB/QB like Vick could win 7 games, I thought the Falcons could at least win 6 games and maybe more. I even made a bet with a guy at work that the Falcons would win the Minnesota game. I was pumped up today, hoping that Petrino and the Falcons would proved everyone wrong. The only thing they proved to me today, is that I was blind.
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Game Preview

This is a category 2 game according to my rankings. The Steelers have more talent on both sides of the ball than the Browns. However, this game is in Cleveland and is their home opener. The Steelers have dominated this series really and as of late this has not been a rivalry; it has been a one sided ass-whooping.

However, the biggest mistake that the Steelers can do is to take this game lightly. The Steelers start with a new coach, a new offensive system and a lot of unknowns to be honest. On offense, the Browns will not be able to effectively establish a running game against the Steelers. This puts the game in Charlie Frye’s hands, which is a bit risky. If Charlie can deliver the ball to the tight end effectively, they will be able to move the ball. Historically, the tight ends have killed the Steeler defense.

On the other side of the ball, if the Steelers can establish a running game, the Browns defense will struggle. For all the talk of 4-wides and a wide open offense, I think that the Steelers offense will try to pound the ball in this game and tire out the defense. Also, an effective running game is going to open up things down the field for Big Ben.

I think this is a good opener for Pittsburgh. It is a level 2 game in my rankings and a win here will inspire confidence as well as put the Steelers on the right path for play-off hopes.

GO STEELERS!

Every single team in the NFL has a chance to win the superbowl this year. Some teams may be favored more to do it, while for other teams it may just seem like hope. However, year in and year out in the NFL, there is a team that rises from no where to be a serious contender. The 2006 New Orleans Saints are a perfect example.

At the beginning of the season, it is always interesting to sit down with the schedule and mark up the wins and losses that you project for your team. I am going to try a bit of a different theory in breaking down the 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead of giving a win-loss projection, I am going to split the games into one of four categories. As the season progresses, it will be easy to see whether the Steelers are going to exceed expectations or fall below them. Bear with me, as I explain below.

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I originally had planned on not getting too specific with my favorite team. However, I will be keeping the closest eye on this team. Therefore, I will be doing weekly capsules of the 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers. To get things started, here is an overview.
Last Year Summary:
A year after winning the Super Bowl after the 2005 season, seemingly nothing went right for the Steelers in 2006. Starting, with the most famous motorcycle crash of all time in the pre-season (did you know that Ben wasn’t wearing a helmet?) and continuing on throughout the season. Besides Ben’s noggin busting up the windshield of an elderly ladies Chrysler, there was Ben’s appendicitis, Hines Ward’s hamstring and the cloud of indecision over Bill Cowher’s future with the team.

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After ranking the divisions, I will now briefly offer up my play-off predictions.

NFC Playoff Teams 

1. Chicago Bears - wins a weak division and racks up easy wins doing it.
2. New Orleans Saints - another beneficiary of an easy division.
3. Philadelphia Eagles - Winners of a brutal challenge in the NFC East
4. St. Louis Rams - Surprise winner in the NFC West.
5. Dallas Cowboys - A very good team in a very tough division.
6. Seattle Seahawks - A good team and will be a challenge in the playoffs.

NFC Play-offs Round 1

• Eagles vs. Seahawks - Eagles take the victory in a good game
• Rams vs. Cowboys - Cowboys upset the Rams at home

NFC Play-offs Round 2

• Bear vs. Cowboys - Bears win despite Rex Grossman
• Saints vs. Eagles - The Eagles get revenge in this play-off rematch and win easily.

NFC Championship Game

•  Bears vs. Eagles - Eagles continue their impressive run through the NFC and win a trip to the Superbowl

AFC Play-off Teams

1. Indianapolis Colts - Very good team in a somewhat suspect division
2. New England Patriots - Ditto
3. San Diego Chargers - Hardened by just getting the division win.
4. Baltimore Ravens - May be a closer battle here than projected, but the Ravens just win the North.
5. Denver Broncos - A division winner if San Diego was not there.
6. Cincinnati Bengals -  This could easily be the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it doesn’t matter as neither team will win the Superbowl.

AFC Play-offs Round 1

• San Diego vs. Cincinnati - San Diego chalks up an easy victory.
• Baltimore vs. Denver - Denver gets a tough win in Baltimore.

AFC Play-offs Round 2 

• Indianapolis vs. Denver - Denver is outplayed in every aspect by the Colts
• New England vs. San Diego - In the best game of the play-offs, San Diego finds a way to win.

AFC Championship Game 

• Indianapolis vs. San Diego - Indianapolis can’t match the aggressive play of the Chargers.

SUPERBOWL

San Diego vs. Philadelphia

The Eagles make it interesting, but in the end, this will be remembered as yet another AFC domination of the NFC.

The toughest division in football is none other that the AFC West in my ranking system. It is also no coincidence that the best player in the NFL is also in this division. Three of these four teams get the challenge of facing LaDainian Tomlinson twice a year. That alone makes this one of the toughest divisions in the league. Besides that, this division has two serious super bowl contenders, a team that will be challenging, one of the best unknown defenses and perhaps the best overall team in the league.

The San Diego Chargers field one of the most balanced teams in the NFL. And they do the things well that you need to win. Namely, they run the ball and they stop the run. With Tomlinson, the Chargers have the premier running game in the league. > more <

This division is quite similar to the NFC East in that there are potentially three very good teams here as well as a team that does not appear to have much of a chance this season. Just several years ago this division was among the weaker divisions as Pittsburgh and Baltimore were up and down, while Cincinnati and Cleveland were perennial league losers. With the arrival of the Bengals as a consistently good team and the arrival of Steve McNair, this division now features three teams that have the ability to not only make the playoffs, but go deep in post season play.

For years it seems that the Baltimore Ravens have been searching for a quarterback. In fact, ever since they became the Baltimore Ravens, there has been a continuous quest to find that quarterback. > more <

I have ranked the NFC East as #3 overall in the NFL and #1 in the NFC. I tried to do everything I could to avoid ranking this division this high. The teams in this division get more coverage and media attention than any other combined group. Year in and year out, this division is ranked as the toughest in football, yet for the most part, this has been a division of mediocre teams.

This year though, they deserve a high ranking for no other reason that three of these teams could potentially finish first as easily as third. There is not a whole lot of distance between these teams and the rivalries between all of these teams is always fierce and entertaining. So why not rank them higher? Because not one of these teams is outstanding. I don’t feel that the NFC will be represented by a team out of this division. On top of that, I don’t feel that any team in the NFC will win the Superbowl. > more <

This is another division that has been pretty much dominated by a single team in recent history. The other teams have had seasons in which they have been good and even challenged for the division title at times. But no team in this division nor the entire NFL has rivaled the recent success of the Patriots.

This season doesn’t appear to be any different in the AFC East. At the top of the pecking order here (and the entire league), the New England Patriots remain firmly entrenched as the top dog. New England immediately became the Superbowl pick de jour upon acquiring Randy Moss. I don’t think it is quite that simple. New England was a good team before the acquisition and they are just as good a team after the acquisition. In my mind, nothing has changed; the Patriots will be serious contenders at the end of the season.

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