by numatu » Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:03 pm
A few tidbits about the first game between Steelers and Patriots:
Patriots got their ass kicked.
Most people know Corey Dillon didn't play, but also Kevin Faulk (backup, shifty 3rd down back) was also injured.
RT Ashworth injured, Ty Law injured on the first series. Tyrone Poole already went down earlier in the year, but this was the game where the Patriots finally had to field a bench/practice squad CB secondary. Having to adjust after that first series was too difficult to overcome. Right after Law got injured Roethlisburger threw a deep TD pass to Law's replacement, and a now wide-open Plaxico Burress. With no running backs, and having to play from behind with zero threat of the run, the game totally shifted to a Pittsburgh style grind the clock out game.
NE also had the pressure of continuing to deal with the hype of the consecutive game winning streak. Pittsburgh came off a bye week and had two weeks to prepare for this game.
The consensus was NE's streak would end either in Pitt or in St. Louis -- it ended in Pitt.
Belichick is 13-0 in games where he faces a QB for the 2nd time. In 2001 they beat the Steelers in Heinz, so NE has some confidence that it can be done.
Both teams will be hyped up to play, it's the AFC Championship. Whoever wants it more will squeak out a win. If Pitt plays the way they did against the lowly Jets, they'll lose.