Earlier, we took a look at the Steelers, Broncos wildcard game from the Broncos’ perspective. Now, we’re going to get a Steelers writer’s perspective. With that, we bring in Brian Schaich from Bloguin’s own BlitzburghBlog.com.
When I was thinking of these questions, I felt like I might be tossing softballs at Brian because of the perceived nature of this game. Still, they’re questions I thought needed to be answered, and there was no way I was going to pass up the chance to ask a true-to-form Steelers expert how it is in Pittsburgh. With that, let’s get straight to the questions.
TGS: Ben Roethlisberger has struggled since suffering an ankle injury, and he had a set back in the Cleveland game. How will that injury effect him and the Steelers in Denver?
Schaich: Ben’s high ankle sprain isn’t the regular kind of Ben-Roethlisberger–
TGS: The Steelers have one of the best young groups of receivers in the NFL. Has their continued success been surprising to the fans in Pittsburgh, and do you expect that success to continue again this year in the playoffs?
Schaich: None of those receivers seemed like core pieces at the time they were drafted, but that’s just how Steelers GM Kevin Colbert gets things done. Fans question his moves when he makes them, but he always seems to have some grand design in the works.
The biggest surprise has been Antonio Brown. 3rd & 16 isn’t even an intimidating down anymore because it seems like Ben has a telepathic connection with him and he can just make whatever play you need him to. It definitely snuck up on us as fans when Brown was announced as having set the franchise record for all-purpose yardage in a season. More than Lynn Swann, Jerome Bettis, Franco Harris, Hines Ward. As clairvoyant as Kevin Colbert has made himself appear, I don’t think even he could have hoped for Brown to be as good as he is.
TGS: The Steelers have the top ranked defense in the league, going up against one of the worst passing quarterbacks in the league in Tim Tebow. What do you expect the Steelers to do to contain Tebow and the Broncos’ running game?
Schaich: We aren’t that afraid of anyone’s running back, really. The defensive line eats blockers for breakfast and it’s tough for running backs to find any space to go, especially with Troy Polamalu in his run-supporting role. The Steelers are going to put 8 or 9 guys in the box and dare Tebow to throw the ball.
With both LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison expected to play this weekend, I think we’ll see a lot of exotic blitzes and maybe even a few jumped routes by guys like William Gay and Troy Polamalu. Tebow has shown a tendency to force plays and turn the ball over the past few weeks, and the Steelers’ defense will feast on a quarterback like that. He’s going to face rushers from angles he’s likely never seen before, and unless he significantly improves his decision-making and accuracy in the next three days, he’s going to have a long day.
TGS: Most people expect the Steelers to win in Denver. Is there anything about the Broncos that have you worried?
Schaich: Tim Tebow significantly improving his decision-making and accuracy in the next three days. Seriously though, if Ben Roethlisberger’s ankle still isn’t working quite right and he can’t throw an accurate pass, the Steelers are going to turn the ball over a few times themselves. If they get into a low-scoring affair in Mile High Stadium, we’re all going to be nervous when Tebow time comes around in the 4th quarter. Even though we’ve all seen what Tebow can do, he’s still such an x-factor when the game is on the line. If the Steelers get out to an early lead, they should cruise. If they stall, there could be trouble.
TGS: The other big injury the Steelers are dealing with outside of Roethlisberger’s ankle is the season ending injury to Rashard Mendenhall. How does that effect the Steelers in the playoffs?
Schaich: Honestly, Mendenhall’s injury isn’t really as bad as it sounds. Isaac Redman has shown all season that he’s capable of carrying the ball and frankly we’d like to see him get 15-20 carries a game as it is. If Ben is able to operate the passing game effectively, holes will open for Redman and you probably won’t notice a difference. If Ben can’t get the passing game going, however, well, Rashard Mendenhall wouldn’t be able to fix that anyway.
Again, thanks go out to Brian and all the guys over at BlitzburghBlog.com. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @BlitzburghBrian.
