Saying it now.............

[KYPITTFAN]

I would give my first born for the Steelers to beat NE this Sunday, but there's no way we beat them twice in a row.
If we were to win Sunday Belichick will make the adjustments needed and out coach Tomlin when it matters most.
I will root and pray for a Sunday win but will worry if we do.

[Shoe]

I would give my first born for the Steelers to beat NE this Sunday, but there's no way we beat them twice in a row.
If we were to win Sunday Belichick will make the adjustments needed and out coach Tomlin when it matters most.
I will root and pray for a Sunday win but will worry if we do.

I disagree. If we beat them this Sunday, it is so advantageous for us. They drop into Wild Card weekend! I don't know where they sit with tie-breakers, but what if they have to play KC or MIA (albeit at home).

Thank you for your sacrifice!

[pittpete]

Oh boy......

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I disagree. If we beat them this Sunday, it is so advantageous for us. They drop into Wild Card weekend! I don't know where they sit with tie-breakers, but what if they have to play KC or MIA (albeit at home).

Thank you for your sacrifice!

Even better...if they have to face Baltimore on WC weekend, and then Jacksonville the following week. That's a tough back-to-back before reaching Heinz Field. Would much rather that they go through that than the Steelers face the same two teams before going to Gillette.

[feltdizz]

Even better...if they have to face Baltimore on WC weekend, and then Jacksonville the following week. That's a tough back-to-back before reaching Heinz Field. Would much rather that they go through that than the Steelers face the same two teams before going to Gillette.

Yes. Whatever increases their chances of getting knocked out early is good for us

[fordfixer]

I would give my first born for the Steelers to beat NE this Sunday, but there's no way we beat them twice in a row.
If we were to win Sunday Belichick will make the adjustments needed and out coach Tomlin when it matters most.
I will root and pray for a Sunday win but will worry if we do.

This has been running through the back of my mind also

[RuthlessBurgher]

It will be two completely different games.

In the first game, we'll play more zone coverage with Haden a question mark to play or not. Belichick will try to take away AB after he went for 200+ last week, so we'll lean on Le'Veon.

In the playoffs, we'll play more man coverage with Haden back up his pre-injury self again. Belichick will make defensive adjustments to focus on stopping Le'Veon this time, so we'll lean on Ben to AB and Juju.

Or maybe its vice versa...I just see one of the games more pass heavy and the other run heavy on O and one of the games more zone heavy and the other man heavy on D.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

It will be two completely different games.

In the first game, we'll play more zone coverage with Haden a question mark to play or not. Belichick will try to take away AB after he went for 200+ last week, so we'll lean on Le'Veon.

In the playoffs, we'll play more man coverage with Haden back up his pre-injury self again. Belichick will make defensive adjustments to focus on stopping Le'Veon this time, so we'll lean on Ben to AB and Juju.

Or maybe its vice versa...I just see one of the games more pass heavy and the other run heavy on O and one of the games more zone heavy and the other man heavy on D.

Agreed, one game has nothing to do with the other. It's funny when you hear things like one team beat another team so this team should win etc. Each game is it's own entity.

Example...Pitt rolls into Baltimore in October and beats them 26-9. Ben throws for 216 yards with 1 TD and 1 int. Bell runs for 144. Baltimore comes to Pittsburgh and each team puts up more than the 35 combined points from the first matchup. Ben throws for over 500 yards and Brown has almost as many receiving yards as Ben had passing yards in game 1.

We can all acknowledge that BB is a better gameplanning coach than Tomlin, but it is not like the Steelers would enter a game in January with the exact same gameplan as on Sunday. It might seem that way to novices like us, but many of the "stupid decisions" are as much a result of personnel as anything. Last year the Steelers lost Bell early and were left with an impotent offense that could be shut down by double and triple teaming AB.

This January the team should have Haden back and hopefully an Artie Burns who doesn't bite as often on play fakes as last year. There is going to be a gaping hole at ILB in both games, but there should also be more pressure up front from Heyward being available this year and a depleted NE OL. Bottom line is I believe that this Steeler team is better than the one who went to NE last year, and this NE team is not as good as that team last year.

[bostonsteeler]

If the Pats lose to us Sunday, we'll probably not see them again this year. They'll get knocked out by Baltimore.

[Slapstick]

If the Pats lose to us Sunday, we'll probably not see them again this year. They'll get knocked out by Baltimore.

Yeah, playing Baltimore in round one and then possibly Jacksonville in round two doesn’t seem like a terribly awesome postseason schedule...

[Oviedo]

Geez....guys on this board work harder at getting ready to be depressed and disappointed for a game than the team does to get ready to play

So sad....

[MCHammer]

There is no disadvantage to beating the Patriots this Sunday. Winning now only makes a win vs them in the playoffs more likely. Losing now makes a win in the playoffs less likely. The Steelers cannot control Belichick and what he takes from a game. They can only focus on the game in front of them and win it. When teams do that, no matter who they have on the schedule, they are better off. Thus endeth the lesson. You're welcome.

[snarky]

Home field advantage in a playoff game is worth about 3.5 or 4 points. So basically a touchdown difference between the two possibilities.

I'll take my chances with a win this Sunday.

[pittpete]

Geez....guys on this board work harder at getting ready to be depressed and disappointed for a game than the team does to get ready to play

So sad....

People deal with stuff in different ways. Expectations for us winning vs. the Patriots has nothing to do with the outcome.
Losing against NE is something we've done on a regular basis and it probably won't change until we beat them.
Personally i feel if we win this game, then we we have a better shot in beating them a second time.
If we lose Sunday, i dont think we have a chance if we have to go to Foxboro.
Does this make me less of a fan?

[KYPITTFAN]

Appreciate your point of view but no lesson needed.