cynicschism

       The San Diego Chargers travel to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh to play the Steelers in a divisional playoff game this Sunday. Kickoff is at 4:45  p.m. est.  Should be an interesting game.  The Steelers have the top defense in the NFL.  The Chargers have running back Darren Sproles, who gained more than 300 all-purpose yards last week against the Colts.  Can the Steel Curtain stop Sproles or will the height-challenged back somehow get around it?  It will be an interesting match-up.  If the Steelers cannot stop Sproles, it might be a long day for Pittsburgh.  Congratulations to James Harrison, Steelers’ linebacker, who was voted the AP Defensive Player of the Year.  This is the first time a Steeler has won this title since 1993, when CB Rod Woodson won it.  Way to go, JH.

       After the question of whether the Pittsburgh D can stop Sproles is the question of Ben Roethlisberger’s health and that of the  Steelers’ offense in general.  Big Ben suffered a concussion in the last game of the season against the Cleveland Browns.  His recovery appears to be slow, and there is a question of how healthy he will be on game day.  Backup QB Byron Leftwich is a solid player, but will he be able to post a win if he has to take over for Big Ben?  And then there is the whole question of the Steelers’ offense.  It is rated under the average for NFL teams and has had trouble scoring in a consistent manner this year.  The defense has saved many a game, and the offense will have to step up if the Steelers want to get to the Super Bowl.  One troubling stastistic: Last year Big Ben threw 31 TD’s and only 11 INT’s, very effective.  This year those numbers are 17 TD’s and 15 INT’s, very worrying.  That may be the key to the Charger game.  The Steelers’ offense will have to play better than they usually have done this season.

       There is a chance the weather might be bad and this might help the Steelers.  And no matter what the statistics say about the lack of home field advantage, I’m glad the Steelers will be at home.  They need all the help they can get.  I’m also glad they’re playing the Chargers instead of the Ravens.  The  Steelers should be able to beat the Chargers tomorrow, if most goes right for Pittsburgh.  But there’s only one way to find out, and that’s to play the game.  Go Steelers.

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