Perception and reality differ on key to Steelers victory

[LLT]

Perception and reality differ on key to Steelers victory
Friday, November 04, 2011
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


In order to beat the New England Patriots, Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball 50 times. Everyone knows that formula must be reversed against Baltimore. In order to beat the Ravens, the Steelers need to run more often and do so more successfully.

Right?

"Ultimately, it comes down to whoever rushes better against each other is usually the winner in this series," said Steelers offensive tackle Max Starks, a veteran of the Steelers-Ravens wars but not that opening-day bloodletting this season.

"You can look at the team that has the most rushing yards [as the one that] usually wins."

That sounds good in theory, but it's not true. The team that has piled up more yards rushing in the past two seasons, lost more often. In the five games the teams played in 2009 and '10, the team with the higher run yardage lost three of them.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11308/1187357-66.stm#ixzz1cjIzk600

[Count Steeler]

Possession will be key this Sunday. Our offense played the ideal possession game against the Pats*. The other team can't score if they don't have the ball. And let's not turn it over this week.

[suitanim]

I'm telling you, I think we come out slinging the rock Sunday against the filth...

[GBMelBlount]

I'm telling you, I think we come out slinging the rock Sunday against the filth...

We have to make a statement with the passing game to open up the run.

This could be the most important and defining game of our 2011 season

[suitanim]

The more the Steelers talk about running the ball, the less they will do it. The strength of our offense is passing the ball. I know there will be games later in the year where we will need to, and will be able to, run the ball a lot, but I don't see this game falling in that category. We need to punch these punks in the chops and keep punching them, and passing the ball is the way to do it...

[steel striker]

To me it is two things who wins the battle in the trenches and, the team that does not turn it over will win. I think the short passing game is the way to attack that ratbird defense.