Let me begin by saying that I believe that between these two, the Vikings are the better team overall at this point. The Vikings are 6-0, the Steelers are 4-2. Both teams have pretty much played the same caliber of opponents. The Vikings are definitely the biggest challenge for the Steelers thus far.
The best teams the Vikings have played are the 3-2 Greenbay Packers and the 3-3 Baltimore Ravens. None of the teams we've beaten have a winning record. Beating the Vikings would serve as a great statement, especially going into a Bye Week.
I'd say that on paper the Steelers and Vikings match up very well, and I think both teams will score at least 20 points. The Vikings are averaging 31.5 points per game and the Steelers are finally finding their offensive identity on the arm of Ben Roethlisberger and in the hands of his wide receivers.
The key for the Steelers to win the game is to establish a lead early (at least 14-3 by halftime), and continue working the clock and ripping down yardage. Bruce Arians cannot get too greedy too early if we establish that kind of lead. I want him to be aggressive in the play calling, but not force a 50+ yard heave three or four times that result in consecutive sacks. Dump the ball off to Heath Miller and throw quick slants to Santonio Holmes. Throw in a couple of draw plays and don't be afraid to run the ball.
The key is make the Vikings' defensive front question their own aggressiveness. Fright Night, Holmes and Ward will be excellent candidates for various screens to help keep the pressure off.
If we get a lead and then try to throw bombs (and fail), it will revive the Vikings' chances to continue the running game with Adrian Peterson. If, instead, we build an early lead and work our way down the field methodically (and aggressively), it will be harder for the Vikings to resort to the run in the second half.
The challenging part for the Steelers is that Bret Favre is perfectly capable of beating us all on his own, given the success other QBs have had against our secondary. The key in that department is Troy Polamalu. If he plays and he's healthy, it gives us hope. If he's out, look for at least a half-dozen completed passes down the middle of the field in the 10-40 yard range. I saw some breakdown on the NFL network showing that Favre loves throwing it down the middle, which is where we've been the most vulnerable in our zone schemes.
Speaking of passing, the Steelers are ranked 12th in passing defense but the Vikings are ranked a lowly 24th. Also, they've allowed 24 pass plays that have gone for 20 yards or more, two of which were for 40 yards or more. The Steelers have allowed 13 and 2 in that department. Given the fact that the Steelers' offense is ranked second in the NFL in passing, the edge there goes to Ben Roethlisberger and company.
My prediction: 31-28 Steelers
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Preview: Steelers vs. Vikings
Friday, October 23, 2009
Talk Back
For those of you following the blog or popping in from time to time, what sort of posts are you looking for from a blog like this?
I'm interested in breaking down some Biblical passages and what they mean for the Christina faith.
I'm also going to break down stats and numbers for the Steelers and what they mean for the team.
I'll try to stay away from political issues, but I have a good post in mind about abortion (it is probably the one "political" issue that I cannot see justified in any reasonable or rational way).
Any topics you wish I tackled or gave my take?
I'm interested in breaking down some Biblical passages and what they mean for the Christina faith.
I'm also going to break down stats and numbers for the Steelers and what they mean for the team.
I'll try to stay away from political issues, but I have a good post in mind about abortion (it is probably the one "political" issue that I cannot see justified in any reasonable or rational way).
Any topics you wish I tackled or gave my take?
Ex-Viking
You know, with all this hype (and rightfully so) about the Vikings being undefeated, Brett Favre playing for them and Adrian Peterson leading the NFL in rushing...
I completely forgot that Mike Tomlin used to be the Vikings defensive coordinator. The media hasn't really talked about it much either. Now, this is his third year coaching the Steelers so I'm not sure that he can use anything as personal motivation, but perhaps he has some insight on how to attack the Vikings' D. And who knows, maybe he'll be a little extra excited for this one. Tomlin is a young coach with a lot of energy and knows how to motivate his players.
The Vikings this year are a team that could win any game against any opponent. I'm just glad that we're playing at home. I won't be at the game, but hopefully we can make it loud and confuse the offense. Their O-line has the reputation of being very, very physical, and they are.
But I do think we can get to Favre. He has been sacked 14 times in 6 games, which is almost as much as Big Ben's 16 sacks. He is definitely not untouchable in this game, and both defenses are at the top of the league in sacking so there will be some quarterback heads thumping in this one.
I completely forgot that Mike Tomlin used to be the Vikings defensive coordinator. The media hasn't really talked about it much either. Now, this is his third year coaching the Steelers so I'm not sure that he can use anything as personal motivation, but perhaps he has some insight on how to attack the Vikings' D. And who knows, maybe he'll be a little extra excited for this one. Tomlin is a young coach with a lot of energy and knows how to motivate his players.
The Vikings this year are a team that could win any game against any opponent. I'm just glad that we're playing at home. I won't be at the game, but hopefully we can make it loud and confuse the offense. Their O-line has the reputation of being very, very physical, and they are.
But I do think we can get to Favre. He has been sacked 14 times in 6 games, which is almost as much as Big Ben's 16 sacks. He is definitely not untouchable in this game, and both defenses are at the top of the league in sacking so there will be some quarterback heads thumping in this one.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Charity
This is something that happened last week that I'm trying to sort out in my mind...
During my first week in the photo department for the Post-Gazette, I walked around downtown with my camera strapped to my neck to take natural shots of random people. I walked up Liberty Avenue heading toward the parking authority building when a man turned to me and said, “You a photographer, huh?”
“That’s right,” I said.
I smiled and figured he was interested in photography. I was ready to engage him. Maybe he had a story to tell. Maybe he just liked my camera. So I coasted him and we walked side by side. I looked around as we talked to keep an eye on anything worth capturing. Traffic and people passed.
“Are you from Pittsburgh?” he asked.
“I don’t live in the city. But yeah. My wife and I bought a house on the North Side.” I always feel the need to give those details when I meet somebody, regardless of who it is. I have a wife. We own a home.
He didn’t care where I lived. He wanted to talk, but wasn’t very interested in what I had to say. I noticed it right away because he wasn’t making conversation. He walked with a hurried step. I kept beside him. He went on talking, and maybe it was because I was looking around my surroundings, but I had a hard time following what he was saying. It was as though he were talking in code. He was trying to tell me something, but he would say it only in pieces.
He told me he’d been running around looking for a place to stay. He told me he was looking for help. I thought he meant he was looking for a job and an apartment. He told me he ran into several people around town and people from Pittsburgh were of no help. They don’t care, he said. Only people from out of town had showed him some grace.
Now I thought he was homeless. But he told me he was on his way to his mother’s funeral in Lancaster and stopped in Pittsburgh with his family. His wife and kids were waiting at a hotel.
“Where are you from?” I asked. All of these scattered pieces of information he was providing me felt disconnected, as if he was bracing himself from saying the whole thing at once.
“You want to know where I’m from?” He said it as if he were dejected to have to talk about it.
He unfolded a piece of paper that looked like an office memo or a government letter. It was hard to read while walking.
“That’s where I’m from,” he said as if ordering me to read the paper.
Somewhere in the heading I read Akron, Ohio. I folded the letter and handed it back. I wasn’t interested in playing detective. Though, I did find this whole encounter intriguing, as if there might be a reward if I somehow solved this mystery.
“Akron, Ohio,” I said, because I felt he expected me to say something.
“Yeah, Akron,” he said, but I wasn’t sure whether his tone was impatient for my stupidity or exasperated, as if Akron itself served some kind of injustice.
“So where have you been staying?” I asked. I didn’t know where he was leading me. I didn’t even know whether I was asking the right questions. I was supposed to be a reporter. Why did I feel so dumb?
He showed me what looked like a hospital bracelet on his left wrist. It was a white band with small print and a bar code. None of what he showed me made any sense. I felt as though I’d been caught up in a case of mistaken identity, as though he believed I was somebody else who might understand his clues.
“You’re staying at the hospital?” I asked.
Finally, he had had it. He had it that I wasn’t getting him.
“No. Listen. My wife and two kids are waiting at the Marriot lobby. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. We don’t have enough to get a room and nobody from Pittsburgh is willing to give us a hand. We’re on our way to my mother’s funeral, but we need a place to stay. We’re short. All I’m asking for is maybe seven or thirteen dollars. Now, do you want to help me or what?”
I was stunned. This was the reason for all the secretive coding and backward talk. I stammered before I spoke. I had fifty-some dollars in my wallet, but I needed it for parking and food for the week. I wanted to help the man. I felt like he was being sincere, but I made it a personal choice not to give money to strangers. I give money to my church, to my family and even my friends when in need. It wasn’t a case of stinginess. It was a matter of trust.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just—”
He cut me off.
“Oh it’s alright. I knew you wouldn’t give it to me. As soon as you said you were from Pittsburgh, I knew you wouldn’t help. Only people from out of town are willing to help.”
We’d been standing on the corner waiting to cross. The signal turned for pedestrians to walk and he kept going and I stood there. I felt like going after him. I felt like explaining myself and move with him. To convince him I wasn’t like that. That I wasn’t spiteful or mean or greedy with my money. I just had a budget I had to stick by. But the whole street was in motion as I stood there, rooted to the sidewalk. It took me several, long seconds to realize he was already across the street and moving while I’d been standing still there that whole time.
During my first week in the photo department for the Post-Gazette, I walked around downtown with my camera strapped to my neck to take natural shots of random people. I walked up Liberty Avenue heading toward the parking authority building when a man turned to me and said, “You a photographer, huh?”
“That’s right,” I said.
I smiled and figured he was interested in photography. I was ready to engage him. Maybe he had a story to tell. Maybe he just liked my camera. So I coasted him and we walked side by side. I looked around as we talked to keep an eye on anything worth capturing. Traffic and people passed.
“Are you from Pittsburgh?” he asked.
“I don’t live in the city. But yeah. My wife and I bought a house on the North Side.” I always feel the need to give those details when I meet somebody, regardless of who it is. I have a wife. We own a home.
He didn’t care where I lived. He wanted to talk, but wasn’t very interested in what I had to say. I noticed it right away because he wasn’t making conversation. He walked with a hurried step. I kept beside him. He went on talking, and maybe it was because I was looking around my surroundings, but I had a hard time following what he was saying. It was as though he were talking in code. He was trying to tell me something, but he would say it only in pieces.
He told me he’d been running around looking for a place to stay. He told me he was looking for help. I thought he meant he was looking for a job and an apartment. He told me he ran into several people around town and people from Pittsburgh were of no help. They don’t care, he said. Only people from out of town had showed him some grace.
Now I thought he was homeless. But he told me he was on his way to his mother’s funeral in Lancaster and stopped in Pittsburgh with his family. His wife and kids were waiting at a hotel.
“Where are you from?” I asked. All of these scattered pieces of information he was providing me felt disconnected, as if he was bracing himself from saying the whole thing at once.
“You want to know where I’m from?” He said it as if he were dejected to have to talk about it.
He unfolded a piece of paper that looked like an office memo or a government letter. It was hard to read while walking.
“That’s where I’m from,” he said as if ordering me to read the paper.
Somewhere in the heading I read Akron, Ohio. I folded the letter and handed it back. I wasn’t interested in playing detective. Though, I did find this whole encounter intriguing, as if there might be a reward if I somehow solved this mystery.
“Akron, Ohio,” I said, because I felt he expected me to say something.
“Yeah, Akron,” he said, but I wasn’t sure whether his tone was impatient for my stupidity or exasperated, as if Akron itself served some kind of injustice.
“So where have you been staying?” I asked. I didn’t know where he was leading me. I didn’t even know whether I was asking the right questions. I was supposed to be a reporter. Why did I feel so dumb?
He showed me what looked like a hospital bracelet on his left wrist. It was a white band with small print and a bar code. None of what he showed me made any sense. I felt as though I’d been caught up in a case of mistaken identity, as though he believed I was somebody else who might understand his clues.
“You’re staying at the hospital?” I asked.
Finally, he had had it. He had it that I wasn’t getting him.
“No. Listen. My wife and two kids are waiting at the Marriot lobby. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. We don’t have enough to get a room and nobody from Pittsburgh is willing to give us a hand. We’re on our way to my mother’s funeral, but we need a place to stay. We’re short. All I’m asking for is maybe seven or thirteen dollars. Now, do you want to help me or what?”
I was stunned. This was the reason for all the secretive coding and backward talk. I stammered before I spoke. I had fifty-some dollars in my wallet, but I needed it for parking and food for the week. I wanted to help the man. I felt like he was being sincere, but I made it a personal choice not to give money to strangers. I give money to my church, to my family and even my friends when in need. It wasn’t a case of stinginess. It was a matter of trust.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just—”
He cut me off.
“Oh it’s alright. I knew you wouldn’t give it to me. As soon as you said you were from Pittsburgh, I knew you wouldn’t help. Only people from out of town are willing to help.”
We’d been standing on the corner waiting to cross. The signal turned for pedestrians to walk and he kept going and I stood there. I felt like going after him. I felt like explaining myself and move with him. To convince him I wasn’t like that. That I wasn’t spiteful or mean or greedy with my money. I just had a budget I had to stick by. But the whole street was in motion as I stood there, rooted to the sidewalk. It took me several, long seconds to realize he was already across the street and moving while I’d been standing still there that whole time.
Steelers vs. Vikings - Predictions...
I like fans making bold predictions. So I'm going to try a few of my own...
1) Adrian Peterson will not rush for more than a 100 yards, but will come very, very close. Steelers always play up or down to the competition. For the most part we contain the elite backs, but Peterson is still phenomenal so he will make us sweat a little.
2) We will pick off Favre at least twice (Polamalu will have one of those interceptions).
3) We will hold the Vikings to an insanely low amount of yards in the first half (under 100), and then they will adjust and explode in the fourth quarter.
4) Whichever team has the ball in the last two minutes wins this game.
5) Fright Night will get more rushing yards than Adrian Peterson.
6) Big Ben has another 300-yard passing game.
7) Vikings Defense will double-cover Hines Ward and bump Santonio Holmes in his routes, leaving Mike Wallace open to have another 100+ yard performance.
8) We will sack Favre at least 4 times.
9) Steelers O-line protects Ben but he still gets sacked 3 times for holding on the ball for too long.
10) Jeff Reed doesn't miss any field goals, then he goes out to celebrate after the game, gets drunk and punches a police officer in the face demanding him to dispense paper towels.
1) Adrian Peterson will not rush for more than a 100 yards, but will come very, very close. Steelers always play up or down to the competition. For the most part we contain the elite backs, but Peterson is still phenomenal so he will make us sweat a little.
2) We will pick off Favre at least twice (Polamalu will have one of those interceptions).
3) We will hold the Vikings to an insanely low amount of yards in the first half (under 100), and then they will adjust and explode in the fourth quarter.
4) Whichever team has the ball in the last two minutes wins this game.
5) Fright Night will get more rushing yards than Adrian Peterson.
6) Big Ben has another 300-yard passing game.
7) Vikings Defense will double-cover Hines Ward and bump Santonio Holmes in his routes, leaving Mike Wallace open to have another 100+ yard performance.
8) We will sack Favre at least 4 times.
9) Steelers O-line protects Ben but he still gets sacked 3 times for holding on the ball for too long.
10) Jeff Reed doesn't miss any field goals, then he goes out to celebrate after the game, gets drunk and punches a police officer in the face demanding him to dispense paper towels.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Short post: Steelers vs. Browns
Not a lot to say on this one, other than Big Ben is looking phenomenal. I was expecting a run-heavy game against the Brownies, but Ben just picked them apart completely through the air. Both Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward had 100+ performances. Holmes had 104 yards and Ward had 159. Each of them had around a 20-yard average per catch.
What's even more sweet is that the Ravens (3-3) just lost their third game in a row and the Bungals (4-2) got defeated by the Texans. We're in second place in our division because we lost to Cincinnati, but we'll redeem ourselves when we match up against them Nov. 15 after the Bye.
Our biggest test for our defense comes this week when Minnesota comes into town. Adrian Peterson ran all over the Ravens with 143 rushing yards. The Vikings beat the Ravens the same way teams have beat us this season... in the 4th quarter. If our defense doesn't show up for 60 minutes (or really 30 minutes because I would hope we can control at least half the clock), then we don't go into our Bye Week very happily.
What's even more sweet is that the Ravens (3-3) just lost their third game in a row and the Bungals (4-2) got defeated by the Texans. We're in second place in our division because we lost to Cincinnati, but we'll redeem ourselves when we match up against them Nov. 15 after the Bye.
Our biggest test for our defense comes this week when Minnesota comes into town. Adrian Peterson ran all over the Ravens with 143 rushing yards. The Vikings beat the Ravens the same way teams have beat us this season... in the 4th quarter. If our defense doesn't show up for 60 minutes (or really 30 minutes because I would hope we can control at least half the clock), then we don't go into our Bye Week very happily.
Rush Limbaugh and the NFL
I used to listen to conservative talk radio all the time in my earlier semesters at Pitt. Quinn and Rose, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage. I would listen on my way to school, on my way to work and then from work coming home. Savage was my least favorite because how angry he got all the time. Limbaugh was my second least favorite because of how prideful he is.
Prideful, yes. But racist?
No. I've never heard him to be a racist, as most of the political cartoonists and media outlets have tried to portray Limbaugh since he showed interest in being an NFL team owner. In my days of listening to him, I've found time and time again that he is often misquoted or paraphrased to say something he never actually said.
Here's an excellent post that does a better job than I could in showing why Limbaugh is not a racist.
I eventually stopped listening to conservative radio at a regular basis because all I could do is feel angry all the time. I still tune in from time to time, but mostly now I listen to Word FM (which makes me mad only when the preaching is shallow or contradictory to the Bible), ESPN radio and Harry Potter on CD.
I'd say I'm a much calmer man today.
Prideful, yes. But racist?
No. I've never heard him to be a racist, as most of the political cartoonists and media outlets have tried to portray Limbaugh since he showed interest in being an NFL team owner. In my days of listening to him, I've found time and time again that he is often misquoted or paraphrased to say something he never actually said.
Here's an excellent post that does a better job than I could in showing why Limbaugh is not a racist.
I eventually stopped listening to conservative radio at a regular basis because all I could do is feel angry all the time. I still tune in from time to time, but mostly now I listen to Word FM (which makes me mad only when the preaching is shallow or contradictory to the Bible), ESPN radio and Harry Potter on CD.
I'd say I'm a much calmer man today.
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