Steeler's -6.5 plain & simple.
Glad to see others in here mentioning Brandon Lang's AZ pick. He was on point with the Football Giants in last year's SB, but also backed Farve & the Pack HUGE the week b4 at home vs. NYG.
Also on this board is mention of a more documented and NFL-rooted shot-caller - Hank Freakin' Stram. His reputed ATS SB-winner has Pitt HUGE.
Look fellas - I am not a Steeler fan. Check the avitar. 2005? I seen firsthand how the B&G do their biz on this stage...it ain't textbook - but it's smashmouth, its aggressive, maybe even downright LUCKY. But winning, aggressive franchises MAKE & CREATE their own breaks. Its a function of what I will call swagger - being here before, expecting and knowing you will win, making plays....all that shit.
Sure there will be the occasional 'Nova vs. Gtown - and I love that stuff - but not tomorow.
Personally I like KW, respect what he has done in his career and these past 3 playoff games, and have tried for almost 2 wks now to make a superior case to back the Cards. Who doesn't want a TD cushion in this position? But at the end of the day, I cant do it.
Let me respond to what I hear as the primary arguments from AZ backers...
"Look at last year's Super Bowl Underdog/Hot Team/Team of Destiny" - Beyond the mystique & experience factor, why do people compare last year's NYG dog win vs. Pats to what the Cards are supposed to do to fav Pitt? Totally flip-flopped. Everyone in God's creation will agree that NYG has the ring due to a) a shitload of DEFENSE and b) timely, mistake-free QB play. If you r gunna win a godamm SB as a big dog, rule number fuckin one is GET STOPS, not bank on OUTSCORING your opponent, ESPECIALLY against one of the best defenses in the history of the NFL (not opinion, but purely a fact based on stats). And this Cards D, gave up 500+ yds at HOME vs. a one-dimensional Philly team last week? Please you guys, let's all think back to KW FUCK-UPS, FUMBLES, and MELTDOWNS that he has had WHEN PRESSURED. Do people think that Dick Lebeau is going to go Jimmie Johnson tomorrow and let him stand in a nice pretty little pocket and flip the ball around the ol' ball yard?
Look at the Carolina Game & Philly had a HOT & Statistically-Ranked D too/The Ravens had a crap offense & a rookie QB - the COMMON OPPONENT ARGUMENT - ok let's look at the carolina game. CARDS had been to that stadium earlier in the year and blew that game. Oh-and Jake DelHomme. Philly shut down the NYG attack the week prior to the NFC championship game...yeah so? Big winds, Eli's rag arm, and no Plax allowed JJ to stack 8 in the box vs. BJ and wind and fire and whatever that stale vanilla offense had to offer (nothing). Ravens were weak offensively? Oh, ok. Not saying they were a top-tier group, but this is a team that physically CRUSHED and offensively stacked up yardage and put up non-Ed Reed points vs. philly, miami, tennessee, and dallas in the latter part of the year & playoffs. To say that Joe Flacco was weak is just not accurate if you really are objective and saw how his balls flew off his hands. Rockets. Balanced attack, quality playoff-caliber attack that was CONSUMED by the Steeler D.
Steelers can't contain Fitz/Boldin/Breaston...why the hell not? They seemed to contain VJ/Chambers/Gates pretty well. To me, that trio is in the ballpark of the Cards big 3. And who says Boldin is 100% physically or mentally? I have seen it for years, a WR or a RB comes in hot as fuck and with all this build-up, and is just STYMIED by a quality defensive scheme. Mark my words, Troy & Co. WILL NOT LET FITZ beat them. Assante Samuel is a route-jumper my friends, NOT A PHYSICAL CB like Ike, and was fresh fish to KW-Fitz connection. The answer to the Steeler pressure (and oh by the way, this is NOT pressure like the JJ-designed Philly pressure bringing lots of guys, it is 3-4 front-line push the pocket and crash the edges with outside LB pressure that leaves 6-7 dudes in coverage pressure!!!) are A-crossing patterns and B-the screen game. Do you really think Farrior and Troy are going to let those develop? Jesus you guys I have seen NFL Network Playbook pieces on Steeler schemes vs. that crap...they WANT YOU TO RUN THAT SHIT SO THEY CAN BUM RUSH IT AND BLOW IT THE HELL UP!!! Fitz may get one long one or a meaningful PI-call, but with no TE to draw Troy off, he will be the FOCUS of the Steeler defensive scheme, and an aging Edge/young Breaston/tweaked Q will not compensate.
Steelers O will suffer without a 100% Ward...I'm sorry, how did Pitt do after losing Ward vs. a ferocious Ravens D? Like I said, not textbook but these ? Hell no! But if you dont think Santonio isn't a future Pro Bowler you are on crack. If he played in a pass-first system he'd be all-world. Dude is a freak. Complimentary WR's abound. Miller is a top TE. You WILL see M. Moore make 2 or 3 BIG plays out of the backfield. And Big Ben is playing mistake-free ball and is a proven playmaker on this stage. I just often see offenses who take backseats to their team's stout D's get no respect because they are not only overshadowed but their overall team strategy to win is not to take chances or be overly aggressive and let the D try to control and dictate things. But make no mistake, the Steelers CAN score and move the ball. When you add in Special Teams and Defensive propensity for field position and pik-6's, I also like the OVER in this matchup.
CInderella is a slut guys. Exposed tomorrow. Like it or not, Steelers cover.
BOL to everyone.
Sugar
Here in SoCal, we got a burger joint called In and Out. Legendary drive-thru. Heavenly grub. Sports-wise, Yep....gimmie this Seasonal Combo dammit, and supersize that shit!!!
From December through March, it's just good eatin' man.
Double-double with cheese is Pro gridiron - homestretch of the NFL season, the playoffs, and capped off with the Super Bowl. The primary side of curly chilli cheese fries is College Bowling matchups - even the BCS doesn't ruin my appetite here. Wash it all down with tjat creamy, satisfying, gigantic old fashioned Root Beer Float called March Madness and you got a Last Supper fo sho!
It reminds me of summer vacation as a kid. Just no feeling like it, dude! Getting out that last day of school with nothin but cookouts, house parties, fireworks, parades, sandlot ball, playground hoops, beach time, and partying ahead of you for roughly 4 perfect months.
Only thing that sucked a bit is that you know that the first day back to school is eventually gonna come. Just like now. You know there will be a void when March is over, and about halfway through (now), the reality that it is gonna end starts to take up SOME space in your head and your heart. Yeah, I will try to eat some NBA and MLB (shit I even mixed in some EuroCup last year) and if you are lucky, maybe an Olympics or some golf or some shit, but nothing beats this time of year.
So what's up peeps, what is your favorite stretch of the year and why?
Good luck y'all.
Sugar