Divisional playoffs – Steelers at Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts
RCA Dome
Sunday, 15 January
1300 EST on CBS / 1800 GMT on Sky Sports Xtra
Remember the Indianapolis Colts? They're the team who won 13 consecutive games, sweeping all before them on their way to the AFC South title, before a few niggling injuries, nothing else to play for and the tragic death of coach Tony Dungy's son combined for two defeats to finish the regular season for one of the most impressive teams ever. The Pittsburgh Steelers? They're the guys who beat Cincinnati last week in a contest far closer than the final 31-17 score line showed, even though Bengals QB Carson Palmer was injured on his second play from scrimmage.
The Colts' offense may not have set any season records (as they did last year when Peyton Manning threw for 49 touchdowns) but they blazed through the the first three-and-a-half months of the season. Check out these points totals against playoff-standard opposition: New England 40, Cincinnati 45, Jacksonville 26 and Pittsburgh 26. This season there were chants of "D-Fense" in Indy, too, as two or three key additions made an undersized platoon the second-best in the country.
Pittsburgh were beaten 26-7 on Monday night in week 12, in the middle of a three-game losing streak for the Steelers as quarterback Ben Roethisburger returned from knee surgery. One play will stick in Steeler minds as they make a return visit to the RCA Dome, the 80-yard scoring strike from Manning to Marvin Harrison from the Colts' first play. Indianapolis have the chance to score at any time from anywhere on the field and, although Manning and Harrison often feature, there are plenty of players who can do the damage. The Pittsburgh D could easily hold Edgerrin James to a handful of yards on the ground but Manning must be respected at all times. As with Cincinnati last weekend, if the Steelers cover two receivers heavily, a third will pop up to take the glory.
The Steeler offense is no pushover, though. Their ground game was in the top five in terms of yards gained during the regular season, partly because they handed the ball off to a back 57% of the time, more than any other side. If Willie Parker doesn't break for space around the outside (and he may struggle against the equally-speedy Colts), Jerome "The Bus" Bettis will bludgeon yards over the tackles. The trouble for a run-dominated team is keeping pace with Manning's high-octane attack. The longer the game stays close, the more chance Pittsburgh have of sneaking a win. Watch, in the later stages for a "gadget play", a trick probably involving receiver Antwaan Randle El, a college quarterback who could run or pass, or run then pass, out of the backfield.
Having had, in effect, three weeks off the Colts may be slow out of the blocks but that big-play ability will not take long to click. At some point the Steelers will be taken out by a lightning strike, going down 35-21.
NFLBriefing.com
RCA Dome
Sunday, 15 January
1300 EST on CBS / 1800 GMT on Sky Sports Xtra
Remember the Indianapolis Colts? They're the team who won 13 consecutive games, sweeping all before them on their way to the AFC South title, before a few niggling injuries, nothing else to play for and the tragic death of coach Tony Dungy's son combined for two defeats to finish the regular season for one of the most impressive teams ever. The Pittsburgh Steelers? They're the guys who beat Cincinnati last week in a contest far closer than the final 31-17 score line showed, even though Bengals QB Carson Palmer was injured on his second play from scrimmage.
The Colts' offense may not have set any season records (as they did last year when Peyton Manning threw for 49 touchdowns) but they blazed through the the first three-and-a-half months of the season. Check out these points totals against playoff-standard opposition: New England 40, Cincinnati 45, Jacksonville 26 and Pittsburgh 26. This season there were chants of "D-Fense" in Indy, too, as two or three key additions made an undersized platoon the second-best in the country.
Pittsburgh were beaten 26-7 on Monday night in week 12, in the middle of a three-game losing streak for the Steelers as quarterback Ben Roethisburger returned from knee surgery. One play will stick in Steeler minds as they make a return visit to the RCA Dome, the 80-yard scoring strike from Manning to Marvin Harrison from the Colts' first play. Indianapolis have the chance to score at any time from anywhere on the field and, although Manning and Harrison often feature, there are plenty of players who can do the damage. The Pittsburgh D could easily hold Edgerrin James to a handful of yards on the ground but Manning must be respected at all times. As with Cincinnati last weekend, if the Steelers cover two receivers heavily, a third will pop up to take the glory.
The Steeler offense is no pushover, though. Their ground game was in the top five in terms of yards gained during the regular season, partly because they handed the ball off to a back 57% of the time, more than any other side. If Willie Parker doesn't break for space around the outside (and he may struggle against the equally-speedy Colts), Jerome "The Bus" Bettis will bludgeon yards over the tackles. The trouble for a run-dominated team is keeping pace with Manning's high-octane attack. The longer the game stays close, the more chance Pittsburgh have of sneaking a win. Watch, in the later stages for a "gadget play", a trick probably involving receiver Antwaan Randle El, a college quarterback who could run or pass, or run then pass, out of the backfield.
Having had, in effect, three weeks off the Colts may be slow out of the blocks but that big-play ability will not take long to click. At some point the Steelers will be taken out by a lightning strike, going down 35-21.
NFLBriefing.com
posted by MG at
8:13 PM
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