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Below is an article by a great young writer who also happens to be a contributer over at my site.
I wanted to share it with you all.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the San Diego Chargers under the lights at Heinz Field on Sunday night. The Steelers are desperate for a win after losing their last two games in heart-breaking fashion. With the Baltimore Ravens leading the AFC North Division by two games, it is crucial for Pittsburgh to not lose anymore ground this early in the season. The Steelers and Chargers have certainly not been strangers to one another. In 2008, these two teams met twice. They matched up once in the regular season, and again in the playoffs. The Steelers would get the best of both meetings, but they did not come easy. There is no reason to think that a Steelers' win this week will be any easier.
Thus far this season, the Steelers' offense has been sputtering. Scoring only a total of forty-seven points in their first three games, it is clear that they are currently having some problems on the offensive side of the ball. Although it has been improving, the running game for the Steelers still ranks 27th in the league. It is no secret that the success of the Steelers' offense centers around quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger has put up solid numbers this season, but two key mistakes by his wide receivers may have cost the Steelers the game against Cincinnati last Sunday. Santonio Holmes ran the wrong passing route last Sunday, which led to a pass by Ben Roethlisberger to be intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Limas Sweed also dropped a wide open pass in the end zone, which would have been an easy touchdown. The Steelers must improve the struggles in the running game and correct the mental mistakes in order to get this offense back on track.
If any team knows about an ineffective running game, it's the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are currently ranked as the second-worst rushing team in the NFL. No longer is this team led by the devastating rushing attack of LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers now find leadership in their quarterback, Phillip Rivers. Rivers is averaging over 330 yards passing a game. This high-powered passing attack has the San Diego Chargers scoring over twenty-four points a game. This season, the Achilles heel of the Chargers is their defense. The Chargers only have three total sacks on the season, to go along with just two forced turnovers.
It is obvious that on defense, the Steelers are missing the presence of their all-pro safety, Troy Polamalu. In the last two weeks, the Steelers' defense has allowed two game-winning drives. They are also having difficulty producing sacks and turnovers. On the season so far, the Steelers have just five total sacks and three turnovers. It is apparent that they are dealing with some issues right now that they must address, because the journey for the Steelers will only get more difficult from here. If the defense continues to struggle, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be in for a long season.
Michael C. Smith
SteelerSal.com
I wanted to share it with you all.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the San Diego Chargers under the lights at Heinz Field on Sunday night. The Steelers are desperate for a win after losing their last two games in heart-breaking fashion. With the Baltimore Ravens leading the AFC North Division by two games, it is crucial for Pittsburgh to not lose anymore ground this early in the season. The Steelers and Chargers have certainly not been strangers to one another. In 2008, these two teams met twice. They matched up once in the regular season, and again in the playoffs. The Steelers would get the best of both meetings, but they did not come easy. There is no reason to think that a Steelers' win this week will be any easier.
Thus far this season, the Steelers' offense has been sputtering. Scoring only a total of forty-seven points in their first three games, it is clear that they are currently having some problems on the offensive side of the ball. Although it has been improving, the running game for the Steelers still ranks 27th in the league. It is no secret that the success of the Steelers' offense centers around quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger has put up solid numbers this season, but two key mistakes by his wide receivers may have cost the Steelers the game against Cincinnati last Sunday. Santonio Holmes ran the wrong passing route last Sunday, which led to a pass by Ben Roethlisberger to be intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Limas Sweed also dropped a wide open pass in the end zone, which would have been an easy touchdown. The Steelers must improve the struggles in the running game and correct the mental mistakes in order to get this offense back on track.
If any team knows about an ineffective running game, it's the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are currently ranked as the second-worst rushing team in the NFL. No longer is this team led by the devastating rushing attack of LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers now find leadership in their quarterback, Phillip Rivers. Rivers is averaging over 330 yards passing a game. This high-powered passing attack has the San Diego Chargers scoring over twenty-four points a game. This season, the Achilles heel of the Chargers is their defense. The Chargers only have three total sacks on the season, to go along with just two forced turnovers.
It is obvious that on defense, the Steelers are missing the presence of their all-pro safety, Troy Polamalu. In the last two weeks, the Steelers' defense has allowed two game-winning drives. They are also having difficulty producing sacks and turnovers. On the season so far, the Steelers have just five total sacks and three turnovers. It is apparent that they are dealing with some issues right now that they must address, because the journey for the Steelers will only get more difficult from here. If the defense continues to struggle, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be in for a long season.
Michael C. Smith
SteelerSal.com
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