AFC Championship Game

[See Red]

Wait a minute, why won't Corey Dillon matter again?

And are you seriously going to trying and convince everybody that the coaches only play a small role in football?

[WSU151]

The Halloween Victory was minus only one, I guess you could call him key but he won't matter much Sunday, player and that was Dillon. For the most part both teams have stayed the same and the Steelers will still run the ball down the Patsies throats with Staley and Bettis. Didn't see much stopping them then nor do I see much stopping them now.

You "guess" Dillon is key? A 1600 yard rusher (in 15 games) is maybe a key player?

Also, you forgot Deion Branch was also injured for New England back in week 8. Doesn't sound like a big loss, but Branch is a main target now that Troy Brown is pretty much on defense and special teams.

You crack me up TAFLAK. Not because you're "haha" funny either. I laugh mainly because you're nuts.

I'm just going to say this: The Steelers have been a good team all year long. The running game is what keeps the Steelers going, because if you look at Roeth's stats, they're not that great. Stop the run and you stop Pittsburgh. It's been that way for years. The Patriots surely couldn't stop it on Halloween, nor could 14 other teams. Kudos.

I'm just letting you know now that I'm gonna be on you like flies on when the Pats raise the Hunt trophy.

[TAFKAK]

And if they do, I know I deserve it. I'm from Pittsburgh, I have to root for my hometown team, even if to some it's through 'rose-colored' glasses. It'd be kind of weird for me to say, 'sure the Patriots will win easily.'

Back to Dillon, I know he's with a different team, but the Steelers have stopped the Number 1 rusher in the NFL 2 times this year. Dillon will be a threat but if the Steelers stop him, like they have every single time they've played him before, he'll be a non-factor and pressure needs to be put on Brady.

Whoever wins in the trenches wins this game. And I'll be humble enough to come back here and eat my pie if the Steelers lose, just like I would expect the Pats fans to do the same.

And WSU you say that no team has failed to stop the Steelers run game. Why is everyone so sure it'll happen now, especially after the Pats had their chance on Halloween to stop it and they gave up over 250+ yards on the ground. That's the big key to the Steelers and if the Pats can't stop it, watch out.

[See Red]

Alright, so because the Steelers shut down the Leagues leading rusher (Curtis Martin) twice, nobody can run on them? While it's not true that what they did against Martin matters against New England, I'll argue the point as if it did.

In two games, Curtis Martin had 149 yards against Pittsburgh.

In two games, Curtis Martin had 103 yards against New England.

And if Corey Dillon played for the Bengals still, with no real passing threat to keep defenses honest, then maybe the Steelers could play as well against them as they have in the past.

[TAFKAK]

I think we both realize either of us are getting anywhere, so let's just leave the chat where it's at and let the guys actually play it out. None of us are going to change our opinion no matter what the other guys says so. Good luck Pats.

[thejroll]

I think this is gonna be a low scoring game. Maybe the winner will only have to score 10 points. I want the Steelers to win because I want to see Duce succeed.

[Braden]

I want the Steelers to win. My gut says the Pats.

I see these teams really similarly. They match dead even on everything... except QB.

I still can't get over Ben's poor performance last week. He has to rebound or the Steelers have no chance. The Pats dominated Peyton Manning, the MVP this year. Heck Peyton didn't even try to challenge that weak secondary. You can't win playing on another team's terms, and the Colts fell for it.

For the Steelers to win, they need to be the ones controlling the clock wisely with their running game. Ben needs to step up and limit his mistakes while his o-line needs to give him time.

For the Patriots to win, they need to pressure Ben into making mistakes. We all know that there are a ton of big playmakers on the Pats, especially when everything's on the line. It'll be tough trying to win this away from home though.

I'll say 20-17 Pats on a game-winning field goal by Vinatieri with no time left.

[See Red]

I'll say 20-17 Pats on a game-winning field goal by Vinatieri with no time left.

History tells us that that's a pretty safe prediction.

[DGivens87]

It'll be a tough game...my beloved Pats have never lost an AFC Championship game (4-0 overall), and coming off a win vs. the Colts, in which guys like Asante Samuel, Eugene Wilson and Randall Gay (not to mention the best linebacking corp in the NFL -Vrabel, Bruschi, McGinest, Phifer, Ted Johnson, etc.) absolutely hijacked the Colts offensive Sunday, it hard to pick against them. With that being said, I give the Steelers props, they've been the best team in the NFL this year, record-wise, and I have alot of respect for Roethlesberger. But...

Brady is the premier big-game QB in the NFL right now. The guy doesn't lose. 7-0 in the playoffs. You've got a defense that plays smash-mouth football, and a linebacking corp 2nd to none. Add the fact that almost the entire starting guys have playoff experience, it's hard to say that they won't be able to beat the Steelers with a rookie QB whose first playoff game experience was shaky at best.

The Steelers beat us w/o Corey Dillon, making Brady pass every down. We were one-dimensional. Guess what? Corey's gonna run for over 100 YDs, and you will not see Brady passing every down like on Halloween.

I won't predict a score or outcome, I'll just say that it's hard to not realistically favor the Pats in this one.

One prediction: my boy David Givens will have 5 catches, 76 YDs, 1 TD...

[rmered]

With all the talk of the Pats so-called luck.

Has no-one noticed the Steelers shouldn't be there, and but for two terrible Field Goal misses, wouldn't be there.

It looks like the Pats best games are in front of them this season.

The Steelers best games are behind them.

[Roger Clemente]

The great thing I like about Ben Roethlisberger is that no matter what faulty play he pulls in the game, he ALWAYS redeems himself in the end (even if it does require a little luck beforehand). I have no reason to think he isn't capable of doing it again and have faith that Ben and the Steelers can win the AFC.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[CaolinaJoe]

With all the talk of the Pats so-called luck.

Has no-one noticed the Steelers shouldn't be there, and but for two terrible Field Goal misses, wouldn't be there.

Everyones teams should be as lucky as these two.

16-1 Steelers

15-2 Patriots

Has anyone ever seen Phil Hellmuth play poker? When he wins, it is because of his vast knowledge and great skill. Whe he loses, it's because the other guy got lucky or he got screwed.

That's what everyone here sounds like. My team is great and your team is lucky.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Allow me to change that for you: They're both lucky.

[Phil]

You know, when it gets this late in the season, everyone can guess as to who will win, but nobody can predict what factors will result in one team winning.

Who foresaw Indianapolis being held to 3 points last week?

Who foresaw the Vikings looking like world-beaters in Green Bay, then looking like dust-eaters in Owens-less Philadelphia?

Who foresaw Ben Roethlisberger winning so many games?

Who foresaw him throw two bad INTs last week?

Obviously this is all rhetoric... but so is any prediction that "Corey Dillon will be the difference this time around" or "Heinz Field is the difference".

Statistically, New England has the advantage. As it stands right now, the scoreboard's 0-0, so it looks like a pretty even game to me!

(I'm not saying you shouldn't talk about the game, I'm saying getting worked up over someone's pre-game comments over who will and won't make a difference is ridiculous.)

[Roger Clemente]

WOO STEELERS!!!

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.