Steelers Fan Playoff Power Rankings

The Steelers loss to the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs was unfortunate, and I'm still working on picking up the pieces of shattered expectations to formulate a game recap. That's coming later in the week. But for now, I wanted to get things rolling into the offseason by bringing back one of my most popular posts from last year.

In my post last year, I detailed three criteria for helping to rank teams when trying to choose a non-Steelers team to root for. With only 8 teams remaining in the field, here is your definitive guide for who Steelers fans should or should not root for to ultimately hoist the Lombardi.

The Criteria

1. Rivalries

Baltimore, Cincinnati and New England go to the bottom of the list. Always. I didn't include Cleveland or Oakland in this list because the thought of them making the playoffs would cause this post to lose all legitimacy.

2. Super Bowl Rings

As Steelers fans, we love holding the "Sixburgh" or "First to Six" or "How Many Yinz Got?" over fans of all 31 other teams. Therefore, we don't want to see anyone else get to 6 or even get within striking distance of 6 Rings. Looking at the 8 remaining playoff teams this year, Dallas leads the pack with 5 rings, followed by Green Bay and with 4, New England with 3, Denver, Baltimore and Indianapolis with 2, and Seattle with 1.

3. General Jagoffery

Does the team have a player that it's really easy to hate (i.e. Tom Brady)? Does the team have someone it's really easy to cheer for (i.e. Adrian Peterson)? Is their coach a Harbaugh?

The Rankings

8. Baltimore

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: I Hate JJ Redick, Purple Reign Show, @iHateJJRedick @BMoreBirdsNest @lindsayyok 

What To Like: Elite jokes

What Not To Like: They're Baltimore, so pretty much everything. Not just about the Ravens organization that endorsed Ray Rice but the entire city of Baltimore. Everything sucks.

The Verdict: Never under any circumstances should you root for the Ravens. Period.

7. Dallas

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Blogging the Boys, @BloggingTheBoys, @MattThorntonNFL

What To Like: DeMarco Murray, I guess. Sean Lee was the only good thing about the Cowboys and he's out for the year. Tony Romo playoff meltdowns, too.

What Not To Like: Dallas getting a gift to make it through the first round. The Cowboys are tied with the Steelers for most Super Bowl appearances (8) and have 5 rings. A Super Bowl victory would put them into a tie with the Steelers.

The Verdict: Our rivalry with the Cowboys may have grown thinner over time since we only play them once every four years, but we can never forget the Super Bowls of the 70s or Larry Brown in 1995. Much like the 49ers of 2013, the only acceptable time to root for them is if they are playing the Ravens.

6. New England

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: FoxboroBlog

What To Like: The Patriots and Ravens both getting the mumps. 

What Not To Like: Having to root for the Patriots to beat the Ravens. Ugh. What makes matters worse is this is the 4th time in the last 6 years we've had to watch these two play in the playoffs.

The Verdict: Rooting for the Patriots violates all 3 of the Steelers Fan Criteria. A Super Bowl victory would give Brady/Belichick 4 rings which would tie them with Bradshaw/Noll. 

5. Denver

Recommended Blogs/Twitter:

What To Like: Peyton Manning is the smartest player in football. Never forget that he bought 30 pizza stores in Denver right before Colorado legalized pot. The Denver Broncos have lost more Super Bowls (5) than any other organization.

What Not To Like: Emmanuel Sanders playing like a legitimate #2 receiver. I don't think he's dropped a pass all year. Where were these clutch catches when he was with the Steelers?

The Verdict: Unfortunately, Denver is the second best option in the AFC and you'll have to root for the winner of Denver-Indianapolis in the AFC Championship Game.

4. Green Bay

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: @PackersTherapy

What To Like: Aaron Rodgers. Jordy Nelson down the right sideline. John Kuhn in short yardage.

What Not To Like: Green Bay beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XL and have 4 Super Bowl rings. A 5th would put them within striking distance of the Steelers.

The Verdict: Green Bay is a middle-of-the-road choice depending on how torn up you are about Super Bowl XL. That was four years ago, so if you've moved past the fact that Ben threw 2 interceptions and Rashard Mendenhall couldn't hold onto the ball in a key situation, then it's okay to root for Green Bay.

3. Indianapolis

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Colts Authority, @NateDunlevy, @ColtsAuth_Kyle

What To Like: Andrew Luck memes, they are hilarious. Andrew Luck in general is pretty good, even if his receivers let him down a lot and he has no running game. TY Hilton is like Drew Brees - great indoors, not so great outside.

What Not To Like: TY Hilton outdoors. The Colts running game. The Colts pass rush, which had only 29 sacks this season. 

The Verdict: Of the 4 AFC teams remaining, the Colts are clearly the preferable choice. The Colts blogosphere has some really good writers, definitely worth checking out.

2. Carolina

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: @PanthersBryan, @PanthersMax

What To Like: Carolina's front 7 is incredibly fun to watch. Luke Kuechly is one of the best inside linebackers in the league. Head Coach Ron Rivera's house caught fire this week and thankfully everyone is safe.

What Not To Like: The Panthers 7-8-1 regular season record. They got by in the Wild Card Round thanks to facing an offensively inept Arizona team, but it's hard to see them getting past Seattle this weekend.

The Verdict: Mostly because of their 0 Super Bowl rings, Carolina appears very high on this list. Also, this 3 Act Play on the History of Teal Uniforms is worth your time.

1. Seattle

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Field Gulls, @30AcreFortress, @FieldGulls, @hawkblogger

What To Like: The way the Seahawks play defense. The way the Seahawks run the ball. Seahawks twitter (you should follow everyone I listed, just for the fun of it). Marshawn Lynch postgame interviews.

What Not To Like: Seattle's wide receivers. In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, "Who are these people?" The Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl Champs so that might make them a bit insufferable.

The Verdict: They might be the defending champs but there's not a whole lot to dislike about the Seahawks. They run the ball, they play defense. Sure Richard Sherman is outspoken and Marshawn Lynch doesn't speak, but this is a team that Steelers fans can comfortably get behind to hoist their second straight Lombardi.

Outlaw Pete: Seattle Seahawks Season Preview

2012 Record: 11-5

2012 Rankings

Total Offense: 17
Passing Offense: 27
Rushing Offense: 3
Scoring Offense: 9

Total Defense: 4
Passing Defense: 6
Rushing Defense: 10
Scoring Defense: 1

Offense

What a difference a year can make. Last year at this time we were talking about whether or not Matt Flynn could beat out Tavaris Jackson and Russell Wilson for the starting job. As it turns out, Wilson was as good as a rookie in the NFL as he was at Wisconsin. Marshawn Lynch is still a beast and the Seahawks traded a first round pick for WR Percy Harvin (who might need surgery that would make him questionable for part of the season). Harvin gives this offense a weapon with explosive power that it lacked last season. Without Harvin, the receiving corps is decent but not spectacular. 

Defense

The Seahawks are absolutely loaded on the defensive side of the ball. They added Cliff Avril to an already dangerous defensive front. On the back end, Seattle boasts the best secondary in the league with Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner and Antoine Winfield at corner and Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor at safety. If the Seahawks have a weakness, it's at outside linebacker, but their safeties are good enough in the middle of the field to cover the deficiency. Seattle will be downright nasty to play against this season and it wouldn't be surprising at all to see them in the top 5 in total defense at the end of the year.

Intangibles

Percy Harvin's injury is a big deal. If he needs season-ending surgery then the Seahawks offense takes on a totally different dynamic. They have the horses in the backfield to be a ground-and-pound team but they lack a receiver with the game-breaking ability to go the distance any time he touches the ball. 

Prediction

The Seahawks overachieved a bit last season, but are still one of the better teams in the league (even potentially without Harvin). 9-7

NFC West Draft Preview

With a week until the NFL Draft, we're taking a look at what to expect from all 32 teams come Draft Day, including some recommended blogs to read and folks to follow on Twitter.

2012 Record: 11-4-1

NFC Champion, Lost Super Bowl to Baltimore

Draft Picks: 31, 34, 61, 74, 93, 128, (131), 157, 173, 180, 237, (246), (252)

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Matt Maiocco

Draft Preview: The 49ers have everything going right for them. They have a stellar young quarterback that is still on his rookie contract, so they have plenty of cap room to play with. Their team was so deep last year their draft picks didn't even see the field. They won the NFC title and were 5 yards away from winning the Super Bowl. Now, they have the most picks in the 2013 draft. San Francisco has a few holes to address, particularly at safety. San Francisco has the luxury of being able to draft players with injury concerns (like South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore) and stash them on IR without jeopardizing their roster depth.

2012 Record: 11-5

Wild Card, lost to Atlanta in Divisional Round

Draft Picks: 56, 87, 123, 138, 158, 194, 220, 231, (241), (242)

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: 30 Acre Fortress, 12th Man Rising

Draft Preview: Seattle landed the biggest steal of the draft last year in quarterback Russell Wilson, who stepped into the starting role and never looked back. The Hawks came within a half game of the NFC West division title and almost came from behind to beat Atlanta in the playoffs. They traded their first round pick to Minnesota for WR Percy Harvin and added DE Cliff Avril, one of the top free agent pass rushers. This is a young team without many holes, and with only two picks in the Top 100 they will be focusing on adding depth rather than immediate starters.

2012 Record: 7-8-1

Draft Picks: 16, 22, 46, 78, 113, 149, 184, 222

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Rams Herd (Twitter / Blog), Turf Show Times

Draft Preview: The Rams turned their fortunes around last season, going from a bottom-feeder to a middle of the pack team that has two first-round picks this year thanks to the RGIII trade with Washington. The Rams had a middle-of-the-pack defense but led the league in sacks. St Louis made a big splash in free agency, signing former #1 overall pick Jake Long to anchor their offensive line and protect Sam Bradford. With Bradford protected, the Rams can look to add talent around him at running back and wide receiver. The Rams have some holes at safety and linebacker they should also look to address early in the draft, and with 4 picks in the top 80 there will be plenty of talent available.

2012 Record: 5-11

Draft Picks: 7, 38, 69, 103, 140, 174, 219

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Raising Zona, AZSportsGuy

Draft Preview: The Cardinals fired Ken Whisenhunt after a disappointing season where they failed to find a quarterback that could actually get the ball to Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals brought in Carson Palmer as a short term solution but still may look for a quarterback early in the draft to run Bruce Arians' offense. The Cardinals need help on their offensive line and in their linebacking corps. Arizona added Rashard Mendenhall in free agency, but with their offensive line it's hard to say that he will have an impact on the league's worst rushing offense. Arizona's run defense was downright awful last year and they need to find some help in their front seven.

Second Chances: Seattle Seahawks Season Preview

2011 Record 7-9

2011 Rankings

Total Offense: 28

Rush Offense: 21

Pass Offense: 22

Scoring Offense: 23

Total Defense: 9

Rush Defense: 15

Pass Defense: 11

Scoring Defense: 7

Offense

The Seahawks made a lot of big moves in free agency this offseason, the biggest of which may have been the signing of QB Matt Flynn. Word out of Seattle though, is that the camp battle between Flynn, incumbent Tavaris Jackson, and draft pick Russell Wilson (Wisconsin) has been tight and any of the three could win the starting job. Marshawn Lynch looks poised to have a big year behind a retooled offensive line and should be the focal point of the offense. The Seahawks also took a shot in the dark to bolster their wide receiving corps by signing Braylon Edwards and TO. This probably won't end well for Pete Carroll, but if anyone has mastered the art of giving people second chances, it's Pete. The Seahawks aren't going to blow anyone out, but they won't have the worst offense in the league either.

Defense

The Hawks made two big-time free agent signings in DT Jason Jones and LB Barrett Ruud. They had a middle-of-the-road defense last year and gave up 100+ rush yards each of the last 6 weeks. Jones is an athletic DT that should help the Seahawks up front. It will be interesting to see how the Seahawks employ first round pick Bruce Irvin (OLB/DE-West Virginia) after they were panned across the board for taking Irvin in the top half of the first round. He certainly has the speed to be an effective situational rusher, but he could be a huge bust that gets utterly dominated by NFL tackles as well. In the secondary, Seattle boasts one of the top young safeties in the league in Earl Thomas, and they finished 11th in the league in Pass defense and 4th in the league with 22 interceptions last season.

Intangibles

The Seahawks saw the biggest change to their uniforms with the NFL's changeover to Nike threads and might well turn into the Oregon of the NFL. This really has nothing to do with anything, but as long as they don't go back to the awful lime green uniforms, I think Seattle will be okay.

If the Seahawks were a TV Character

Tom Haverford (Parks and Rec)

Tom is probably the king of second chances. He is constantly digging himself into holes either through running his mouth or through risky business ventures. For the most part, Tom, like the Seahawks decision-makers, have good intentions at heart but you sometimes have to question the way they go about getting things done. DJ Rooooomba

What They're Saying

Check out our buddy Chris @30AcreFortress

Prediction

The Seahawks have put up 7-9 records the last two seasons, but improved their point differential from -97 to +6. With the strength in San Francisco, the Seahawks aren't going to win the division with a 7-9 record this year like they did in 2010, but they should be around .500 once again this season. I don't think they've improved enough to take a run at the division crown, but they didn't take any steps backwards either. 8-8.

2012 Draft Preview: NFC West

With Free Agency pretty much wrapped up, the NFL Draft is quickly approaching once again. As we have done in the past, we're going to take a quick look at the other teams in the league and preview their team needs and how they will likely approach the Draft. Today we take a look at the NFC West.

For reference, we compiled the draft picks each team currently has. Compensatory picks are listed in parentheses.

2011 Record:13-3

NFC West Champion, Lost to Giants in NFC Championship

Draft Picks: 30, 61, 92, 125, 165, 199, 237

The 49ers are coming off one of the biggest turnarounds in the league. They posted a 7-game improvement over 2010. They return most of the starters on their defense after locking up CB Carlos Rogers in free agency. Their biggest need, wide receiver, they went after aggressively in free agency as well, landing former Giant Mario Manningham and signing the ever-troubling Randy Moss. They also added Brandon Jacobs to the fold to help take some of the pressure off Frank Gore in the backfield. The 49ers were one of many teams that pursued Peyton Manning, but ultimately fell short. Alex Smith will return to his starting role again this year with last year's second round pick Colin Kaepernick as the back-up. 

While the 49ers added some depth at WR, they still lack a true #1 and could look to target someone in the first round who fits the mold. They addressed a lot of their needs in free agency and could be candidates to move up in the first round if a WR or CB falls down the board. The 49ers have invested heavily in their offensive line through the draft, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them target another lineman this year. 

2011 Record: 8-8

Draft Picks: 13, 80, 112, 151, 177, 185, 221


Recommended Blogs/Twitter:
Raising Zona

The Kevin Kolb experiment enters its second year with mixed results. At times, Kolb looked solid last year, but injuries and inconsistent play opened the door for John Skelton, who made the most of his opportunities, going 5-2 as a starter. Pittsburgh West continued their reputation, adding CB William Gay in free agency. Gay will likely be an immediate starter opposite last year's first round pick Patrick Peterson. Even after the hiring of Ken Whisenhunt, the Cardinals have never got their running game off the ground and still rank in the bottom third in rush offense. Drafting offensive linemen would help that tremendously. With only 1 pick in the top 80 (they traded away their 2nd rounder as part of the Kevin Kolb deal), look for the Cardinals to be a candidate to trade down to add more picks.

2011 Record: 7-9

Draft Picks: 12, 43, 75, 106, 181, 225

Recommended Blogs/Twitter:

Seahawk Addicts

@30AcreFortress

The Seahawks did what they needed to do in Free Agency, namely resigning DT Red Bryant and signing a counterpart in DT Jason Jones from Tennessee. They also made a splash by landing QB Matt Flynn with a very team-friendly 3-year deal. With the D-line and QB situation taken care of, they will likely look at the next two levels of their defense - specifically Linebackers and Cornerbacks in the draft. Seattle could use some help up front as well, and they could be a prime candidate to draft Stanford Guard David DeCastro. Under Pete Carroll, the Hawks have been movers and shakers on draft day, so don't be surprised if they trade down out of the #12 spot.

2011 Record: 2-14

Draft Picks: 6, 33, 39, 65, 96, 171, 209, (252)

Recommended Blogs/Twitter:

Rams Herd

The Rams were a team decimated by injuries last season as they went from competing for the NFC West crown to picking near the top of the draft. They made a splash in free agency bringing in CB Courtland Finnegan from Tennessee and C Scott Wells from Green Bay. They added some other pieces, but the biggest move was the hiring of Jeff Fisher as their head coach and Gregg Williams as their defensive coordinator. Obviously, given the indefinite suspension handed down by the league to Williams, the Rams will be looking for another DC, but Fisher is the kind of coach that can really turn things around in the heartland. 

The Rams have already made one move in the draft, trading the #2 overall pick away to Washington for 3 first rounders and a handful of other picks so the Redskins can take RGIII. The Rams now hold the #6 pick and have a number of options, depending on how the Top 5 shakes out. The Rams have 3 picks in the Top 40 this year and have the opportunity to land some players that can start right away - and they need it. The Rams have needs all across the field, including a #1 WR for Sam Bradford, some offensive linemen to keep Bradford upright, an entirely new secondary, and a pass rusher to complement Chris Long.

Back on Track: Steelers Win

   0

 24

Before I get rolling with the game recap, I should note that I ran into the Mayor of 606 before the game. Great omen for the season. We did one of our old chants from the Three Rivers days for good luck. Apparently it worked.

Pregame: Tomlin telling Carroll our defense is better than anything he saw in the Pac 10.

REO Speedwagon sang the national anthem. Of the 5 guys in the band, only 1 of them sang. None of them had instruments, but they all had mics. Kind of weird to see the other 4 guys just standing there for the anthem.

The Steelers won the toss and took the ball.

First Quarter

We try to come out firing with a play-action pass, but good coverage downfield forces a dump-off. The Seahawks were keying on Wallace and Ward all game, double covering them pretty much every play. Ben takes advantage of this hitting Sanders wide open over the middle to convert a 3rd down and get things rolling. Two plays later, Ben takes a shot over the top for Wallace, but underthrows him. Wallace does a good job drawing the pass interference call in the end zone. Half of Seattle slits their wrists seeing another pass interference call in the end zone not go their way.

With first and goal from the 1, we try to pound it in but get stuffed. Ben tries play-action on second down but gets sacked by an unblocked corner. On 3rd and goal, we go 5 wide and Ben tries to do it himself but comes up just shy of the goal line. The other half of Seattle gets out their knives on a Ben-at-the-goalline play, but he's ruled short. The Steelers go for it on 4th and inches and instead of a QB sneak, they try to run Mendenhall parallel to the line and he gets hit in the backfield and can't quite stretch the ball across the line.

Tomlin wastes a timeout challenging whether Mendy got over the line. He didn't.

Seattle's offense sucks.

The running game gets rolling as Mendenhall rips off two 9-yard runs to get us into Seattle territory. Arians gets a little cute and runs the Randle El End Around Receiver Pass with Sanders throwing a dart to Hines. Nice pass by Sanders with a guy in his face. With the ball at the 15, Mendenhall takes over. He needs 2 carries to get it down to the 1 then punches it in over the right side for the score.

RAAAAISE SOME MEEEEENDEN-HELLLLL

7-0

Mendy went over the right guard that time. Tried to go left twice at the goal line on the previous series and failed. 

Seattle gets a first down, but a holding penalty pretty much ends their drive.

The Steelers come right back at it, pounding Isaac Redman at the 'Hawks defense. 

Second Quarter

Ben converts a 3rd down with a check-down to Moore. After a nice catch and run by Wallace, Redman gets the rock again and breaks through a hole in the line, puts a move on a safety and rumbles into the end zone for the score.

14-0

The Steelers have taken to playing Born to Run after any rushing touchdown. Great moment after Redman's touchdown when it seemed like most of the lower bowl was doing to "Woah Oh Oh Ohhhhs" together during the end of Born to Run. 

Seattle keeps building and gets 3 first downs and actually moves across midfield for a moment before a false start sends them back.

After two rushing touchdowns, 007 comes out looking to do some gunslinging.  He hits Wallace, Sanders, and Mendenhall on a check-down to move out across midfield. Mendenhall and Redman grind out some yards before Ben hits Heath down the sideline who plows down to the 5. Ben got hit low on the play and it drew a roughing the passer flag.

They didn't show any replays at the game (probably to not incite the crowd), so I can't really say how bad it was. The response on Twitter made it sound rough.

Homestead Charlie came in to hand off twice and we got nowhere. After the two minute warning, Ben came back in and rather than handing off, goes play-action and almost throws a pick while getting clobbered by a blitzer. Not exactly the best way to protect your franchise passer Bruce.

Suisham nails it.

17-0

Seattle does nothing with the ball. (You may be noticing a pattern here. Yes, their offense is that bad.)

Halftime

University of Marshall Band. Solid show.

Third Quarter

The second half starts without much fanfare as the teams trade 3-and-outs. Seattle breaks the streak by getting 1 first down but winds up punting anyways.

The Steelers come back and start to go to work on holes Seattle showed earlier in the game. The first of these was the safeties playing deep and the 'Hawks stacking the low box with linebackers, leaving the middle of the field open. Ben starts working the slant routes and posts. He hits a big one to Antonio Brown on 2nd and 20 after a chipping penalty to almost move the sticks. On 3rd down, Ben scrambles away from pressure and is able to hit Hines who tip-toes on the sidelines to get the ball inside the 5.

That's more impressive than anything you'll see on Dancing with the Stars.

Two plays later, Ben lobs a fade up for Wallace for their first touchdown of the season.

Perfectly thrown ball.

24-0

Another 3-and-out from the Seahawks gives the Steelers a chance to add to their lead. The drive looks like it's going to stall, but on 3rd and long Ben fires a bomb downfield and Mike Wallace makes a shoe-string catch with his fingers closing on the back half of the ball for a big 54-yarder.

Not sure these pictures even really do the catch justice. What a grab.

A holding penalty and a sack puts us in 3rd and forever. 

Fourth Quarter

Brown gets us back into field goal range, but Suisham misses it to the right.

Another 3-and-out from Seattle and another punt.

Arians goes to the motif offense with just under 13 minutes to go in the game to run some clock.

Larry Foote throws down T-Jax at the start of the next drive.

But the Hawks overcome the sack and pick up a first down. Utilizing short passes, the Hawks are able to get the ball across midfield but Steve McLendon gets some pressure for his first sack of the season.

Woodley picks up half a sack, giving him 1.5 through 2 games. 

Seattle works their way back to a 4th and 4 at the Steelers 26, but Jackson tries to roll out and James Harrison is home, racking up his first sack of the season.

What a picture.

Not shown: the giant brown stain on the bottom of Jackson's pants after getting decked by Harrison.

Interesting that the Seahawks best drive was the one on which the Steelers had 3 sacks.

Motif offense city. Run-run-pass. Punt.

Seattle starts moving again, but Potsie comes up with a huge 3rd down sack where Jackson just lays down Manning-style, forcing another punt.

The motif offense finally is able to move the sticks when Ben hits Brown on 3rd down. With just a few too many ticks on the clock, the Steelers still aren't able to kill it, but Redman seals the deal with two solid carries to move the sticks once again and end it.

Victory formation.

Game.

Players of the Game

Offensive Game Ball: Mike Wallace

Defensive Game Ball: Troy Polamalu

Honorable Mentions:

Ben Roethlisberger

Rashard Mendenhall

Isaac Redman

Emmanuel Sanders

LaMarr Woodley

Steve McLendon

Larry Foote

James Harrison

James Farrior

Ike Taylor

Mr. Yuck Sticker of the Game

Coming up empty after 1st and goal from the 1

Besides the result of the first drive, there wasn't a whole lot to complain about from this game. However, to get turned away at the goal line after having first and goal stings a little. Ben got close, but the real question comes from the 4th down play call. I don't mind the decision to go for it on 4th down, but why give it to Mendenhall? When you only need an inch, QB sneak seems like the best call. If you are going to run, run it straight ahead, don't run a play that requires the back to run parallel to the line of scrimmage for part of the play.

Final Thoughts

• This was a good way to get back on track, but let's not kid ourselves, Seattle was a really bad team.
• Seattle hasn't scored a point against Pittsburgh since Super Bowl XL. They haven't scored in Pittsburgh since 1999 which means they might be the only team in the league to never score a point at Heinz Field.
• Seattle beat the Steelers 29-10 in 1999, but their two touchdowns were on an interception return and a punt return, both of which occurred in the first quarter of that game. This means Seattle hasn't been in the end zone in Pittsburgh in over 11 quarters.
• Seattle's offense hasn't scored a touchdown in Pittsburgh since September 27, 1998 when Warren Moon threw a TD pass to Christian Fauria in the second quarter, meaning their offense hasn't reached the end zone in Pittsburgh in over 14 quarters.
• Seattle didn't get closer to the end zone than the 26. Only two drives made it across midfield and on one of those a false start pushed them back on the other side so they didn't even get a play off on the Steelers side of the field.
• Mike Wallace said he wanted 2,000 yards this year, which would mean he needs to average 125 per game. He has 233 through two games, so he's keeping close pace with where he needs to be.
• After what seemed like a scary hit on Ben, he bounced back for a great second half. Let's hope there aren't any lingering problems after the adrenaline wears off.
• Great to see the Steelers utilizing both Mendenhall and Redman to keep them both fresh. 113 yards rushing between the two of them today.
• Manny Sanders and Antonio Brown. Man, I just can't say enough good stuff about these guys. Mike Wallace is a bona fide star in the league, but these guys are going to be great in their own rights. The whole Young Money crew is going to be great to watch this year.
• Didn't talk about him in the recap, but Troy played a great game. Had a sack, almost had a pick-6, and was great in run support. Great bounce-back game after getting picked on a little last week.
• The offensive line is still shaky at best. Foster played well at LG filling in for Kemoeatu. Jonathan Scott wasn't very impressive. Marcus Gilbert missed some blocks, but had an okay game.
• William Gay had a decent outing starting for B-Mac. 
• How good is Ike Taylor? I think there was only 1 pass even thrown in his direction today. He pretty much nullified Mike Williams. Rack that up was the second WR he has pretty much shut out.
• I'm critical of Arians when he makes bad decisions, so I should praise him when he does something good. He made a good halftime adjustment to start working the quick slants and posts to Wallace and Brown to take advantage of the LBs playing up and the safeties sitting deep.
• Gotta keep this momentum rolling next week in Indy. Can't take anything for granted right now.
• Baltimore lost today, so the window is open for us to take the division lead next week.

Gameday: Seattle Seahawks

1:00pm

Heinz Field

TV: FOX

Radio: 102.5 WDVE and other affiliates

What To Watch For

1. Pistachio Theory

If you listen to the Hines Ward show or In the Locker Room with Tunch and Wolf or pretty much any show involving Tunch and/or Wolf, you'll know the pistachio theory. It basically says: when you eat a bad pistachio nut, the only thing that can get the bad flavor out of your mouth is another pistachio nut. Similarly, the only way to really get over a bad game is to play another game. This is the Steelers chance to get that bad taste out of their mouth, and against a relatively weak Seattle team, this game could turn into a feeding frenzy.

2. Pass Rush

On paper, this matchup sets up great for the Steelers. They didn't get much in terms of a pass rush against Baltimore. Meanwhile, Seattle is fielding only one guy (Robert Gallery) on their O-line who they haven't drafted in the last few years. Woodley and Harrison should be licking their chops at the opportunity to pin their ears back and get after Tavaris Jackson. The other thing working in our favor is that Jackson can be indecisive in the pocket and likes to hang on to the ball. If you think Roethlisberger holds on to the ball for too long, just wait until you see Jackson.

3. Marcus Gilbert

The Steelers picked Gilbert in the second round of the draft this year. When Willie Colon went down with a season-ending injury, Gilbert was next in line on the depth chart. Now, in his second NFL game, he finds himself in the starting lineup. After a poor start to camp the kid has turned it around and looked impressive in the later part of the preseason. Personally, I think it's a great move to let him play and get him reps in game play. At 6'6" 330, he has the frame to be a left tackle and might be the future answer at the position (because Jonathan Scott surely isn't it). Of the two entrenched left tackles the Steelers fielded over the last decade (Marvel Smith and Max Starks), both of them started their careers at right tackle. This could be the beginning of the Marcus Gilbert era on the line.

4. Pass defense

While the pass rush in a good situation, the secondary could be in prime position to make some big plays. Bryant McFadden is questionable with an injury, and if he doesn't play we'll probably see William Gay start. This means that Keenan Lewis will probably be the nickel back with either Curtis Brown or Cortez Allen (we'll bet on Brown) as the dime back. Hopefully B-Mac can play, but if not, we'd like to see Curtis Brown get some reps at nickel back.

5. Run. The. Ball.

Seattle had the 21st ranked run defense last year and lost two of their leading tacklers (Lofa Tatupu and Lawyer Milloy) in free agency. The Steelers were able to create some holes against the Ravens last week, but abandoned the running game after getting behind by multiple scores. Hopefully we see some good old smash-mouth football with Mendenhall and Redman both getting a strong workload. A strong performance on the ground will take some of the pressure off Ben as well. We know he's a great QB, but we'd rather see him throwing the ball 25 times than 45.

Behind Enemy Lines

This week's Behind Enemy Lines guest is our buddy from the great northwest Chris from Thirty Acre Fortress. Even if you're not a Seahawks fan, he's worth following on Twitter @30AcreFortress for some good football talk in general.

1. Both teams got off to a slow start in defending their division titles from last season. Besides winning the game, what do you want to see from the Seahawks for this game to be considered a "success"?

The Seahawks are, er, not great. I'll give you a second to take in that paradigm-shifting piece of news. Okay, moving on. So yeah, we kinda stink, mostly because of our young offensive line and cadre of backup quarterbacks. Despite the offensive troubles, we didn't lose because of our offense last week. We didn't lose because of our defense, either. The Seahawks were the third best special teams unit in the NFL last year based on Football Outsiders' DVOA rankings. We're deservedly 32nd after week one after giving up consecutive kick returns to Ted "I was a First Round Pick?" Ginn. To be considered a success, the Seahawks need to button up that special teams unit. Injuries to our two best coverage players (I'd name them, but no one cares) will be tough to overcome, but oh well. Another thing that would hearten the 12th Man would be more solid play from our safeties. Last week both 1st round pick Earl Thomas (who Carroll has likened to Polamalu based on speed, meanness, and nose for the ball) and 5th rounder Kam Chancellor (who is enormous and scary) played out of their minds. They did so against the 49ers, though, the NFL's answer to Eastern South Idaho State Technical College for the Deaf. If those two can continue playing well, we'll be pretty satisfied. 

2. The Seahawks have invested heavily in their offensive line over the last few years with a lot of young talent. We're looking forward to watching the Steelers pass rushers go to town on these guys after a week against Baltimore when they really got no pressure. Are there any matchups you're looking forward to watching?

 It's going to be ugly. The front office has been raked through the coals for taking James Carpenter at #25, and that's understandable because the draftniks didn't have him up that high (well, other than Rob Rang). Had the Seahawks not taken Carpenter, both the Steelers and the Packers were interested in him, which is why the Seahawks grabbed him there. Carpenter has looked awful so far, but to his credit, he has been active. Danny Watkins (PHI) and Derek Sherrod (Green Bay) weren't. As for matchups from our side, Seahawks fans are really hyped about CFL import Brandon Browner. He's the tallest cornerback in the NFL at 6'4" and unexpectedly won the starting job this season after 2010 4th round pick Walter Thurmond spent most of training camp on the sidelines with an ankle sprain. Browner is big, physical, and surprisingly fast. I look forward to seeing him go up against a physical a-hole (that's a compliment) like Hines Ward, and up against a sick speedster like Mike Wallace. One more, for good measure, will be our rush defense going against Rashard Mendenhall (who I totally have a fantasy football crush on). In Red Bryant 's(5-tech defensive end) seven starts in the last two years (tore his MCL in week six last year), the Seahawks have held feature backs to 2.8 yards per carry. We were second in rush defense (behind the Steelers, if memory serves) for the first six weeks of last season with Bryant healthy. It will be interesting to we can keep Mendenhall + Co in check as well as the Ravens did last week. 

 3. The Seahawks plundered the Vikings roster this offseason, picking up Tavaris Jackson and Sidney Rice to add to their offense. Who are you looking for to step up and have a big game for Seattle?

 Well, not Tarvaris Jackson or Sidney Rice. Rice is injured (shoulder) and they have no intention of rushing him back, especially to face the Steelers. Tarvaris has been unpleasant to watch. If they can't fix his gun shy nature, I expect Charlie Whitehurst could take over the reins after the bye week. As a quarterback, it's generally important to throw the ball on passing plays. (That said, with only three fumbles, he looks like a high-octane passing machine compared to Big Ben last week!) As I mentioned earlier, I think Earl Thomas can have a big game this week. He is only 22 years old, but has stepped up to become the leader on this defense. He's among the fastest safeties in the game, has good ball skills, and is a surprisingly punishing presence -- last week, he made us swoon when he basically picked up TE Vernon Davis (who has five inches and 50 pounds on him) and slammed him into the ground behind the line of scrimmage. Offensively, I'd love to see free agent acquisition Zach Miller get into the fold more. He had a good game blocking last week, but we need Jackson to have some sort of outlet past the line of scrimmage, and Miller should be able to provide that for him. 

 4. When we heard that Bill Leavy was chosen to be the official for this game, we figured it was mostly a publicity stunt by the NFL to generate a storyline for this game. Obviously, people in the great northwest are still a little bitter about some of the calls Leavy's crew made in Super Bowl XL. Do you expect Leavy to try to overcompensate for the calls made in Super Bowl XL in this game?

 I honestly don't understand why the NFL would do this. Super Bowl XL -- regardless of opinion -- is clearly a black mark on the NFL for the controversy and the subsequent Leavy apology for "kicking calls." Why would they stir up that pot? No press is bad press, I suppose. At any rate, ultimately this will be a non-factor. Leavy is going to call the most by-the-rules game of his career, and will do everything in his power to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible. I will say that Seahawks fans care infinitely more about this than the Seahawks themselves do -- only two members of the squad were on that 2005/06 team. For what its worth, the 15-yard "chop block" penalty on Matt Hasselbeck (for tackling a ball carrier) is the worst penalty ever called in the history of the universe. All the other ones have arguments for and against, but you can't have an illegal block on the ball carrier. Other than that call, I'm over it. Really, I am. Hold me? 

 5. Any other final thoughts?

 Nothing printworthy. But if you wanted to just pimp the twitter (@30AcreFortress), that would be great.

First home game of the season.

Don't forget, it's on FOX because Seattle is the visiting team.

Bring the noise.

GO STEELERS!!

2011 Season Preview: Seattle Seahawks

2010 Record: 7-9

2010 Rankings:

Total Offense - 28

Passing Offense - 19

Rushing Offense - 31

Scoring Offense - 23

Total Defense - 27

Pass Defense - 27

Rush Defense - 21

Scoring Defense - 25

Offense

The Seahawks ranked next-to-last in rushing offense last season, but don't tell Marshawn Lynch that.

The Seahawks scoured free agency to find more pieces to add to their offense. After Matt Hasselbeck departed for Tennessee, they brought in Tavaris Jackson from Minnesota to um...compete for the starting QB job? Honestly I really don't understand the move, but I guess the Seahawks need someone at QB after passing on one in the draft once again this year. Instead, the Seahawks continued the make-over of their offensive line, drafting tackle James Carpenter (Alabama) and guard John Moffitt (Wisconsin) in the first two rounds. They added an impact receiver by getting Sidney Rice in free agency from Minnesota, but the question remains - who is going to throw him the ball? I guess it will be between Charlie Whitehurst, who had a completion percentage under 60% last year in less than 100 pass attempts, and Tavaris Jackson who has a career completion percentage under 60% and hasn't attempted 100 passes in the last 2 years combined. Leon Washington, who led the league in return TDs, will return and the Seahawks will need some more offensive contributions out of the return game if they want to compete again this year. 

Defense

The Seahawks defense is really nothing to write home about, and considering that two of their top 3 tacklers from last year (LB Lofa Tatupu and SS Lawyer Milloy) still remain unsigned as free agents, the 'Hawks defense is going to need someone to step up and fill the void. Rookie free safety Earl Thomas had a great year last season and needs to avoid a "sophomore slump" as he looks to build on a season where he led the team with 5 interceptions. The Seahawks didn't add any free agents of note on defense and they picked 3 defensive backs in rounds 5 and 6 of the draft, but those 3 will likely only be special teams players this year. If the Seahawks were trying to build a defense to "suck for Luck," then they might be succeeding, but with how bad their division is, you never know.......

Intangibles

In any other division in the league, the Seahawks would be picked to finish last. But in the wild, wild, NFC West (which could easily be won with a 9-7 record), you've got to think that anything is possible. If we were betting on it, we'd pick the Seahawks to finish last. But then we'd look at the Cardinals and 49ers and think there's at least an even-odds bet one of those teams will be just as bas as Seattle. So really, who knows. They could be sitting in the top spot picking Andrew Luck next April, or they could be hosting a playoff game for the second consecutive season.

If the Seahawks were a Beer, they would be:

LaBatt Blue

Much like the Seahawks, LaBatt Blue comes from way up north, somewhere far away from where pretty much everyone else is located. On some occasions, LaBatt Blue seems like the right beer to go with, and there are always times of the year (usually hockey season), when LaBatt is on special. An "off-and-on" type beer seems apropos for the Seahawks franchise which has fluctuated between being Super Bowl contenders and picking in the top 5 of the draft.