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Week 2 Preview: Steelers Look to Rebound Against Shaky Seahawks

By Jabberhead • September 17, 2011

Bounce back. Those seem to be the words of the week around the Steelers since their opening week loss at Baltimore.

After spending the last week having to defend themselves against brutal claims of being too old and slow to maintain their AFC dominance, the Steelers look to dispel such claims with a strong showing in their home opener this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

The game against the Ravens was disappointing for the Steelers and their fans alike, but the only thing to do is bury the game and move along. That’s the attitude that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is taking. This past Wednesday when asked about what went wrong in the Ravens game, Ben said, “I forgot about that game already.”

Nicely said, Ben. There are 15 games left in this season and at least one more shot at redemption against Baltimore in November.

Looking forward to Sunday, the Steelers welcome Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks to Heinz field for the home opener. The Seahawks impressed and surprised no one with their 33-17 opening loss to San Francisco last week.

The ship that once carried the Seahawks to Superbowl XL has long since sunk to the bottom of the northern Pacific. Many of the veterans of the 2005 Seahawks squad are playing elsewhere or are retired at this point. Thus, leaving the current squad with an average roster and a coach who has proven to be a winner in college but not so much in the pros.

Tavaris Jackson was brought in during the offseason to replace long time starter Matt Hasselback at quarterback. Jackson threw for a respectable 192 yards and two touchdowns last week against the 49ers. A major factor in the Steeler’s success against Seattle will be how well the Steelers defense contains Jackson’s mobility.

In the past the Steelers have played well against mobile quarterbacks, and the defense can prove they aren’t slowing down by containing and rattling a very tough and mobile Jackson.

Marshawn Lynch will be the back taking the handoffs from Jackson, and he has proven to be an effective workhorse in the backfield. Though his numbers were abysmal last week, running for just 33 yards on 13 carries, Lynch definitely has big play capability.

Pittsburgh defeated Seattle 21-10 to win Superbowl XL. They also won a 2007 meeting against Seattle 21-0

Don’t believe it? Check the Richter Scale from last years NFC divisional game against the Saints when Lynch broke for a game changing 67 yard run.

Other than the Jackson/Lynch combination, Seattle’s offense doesn’t make anyone lose sleep at night. The only other big gun the offense has, Sidney Rice, is out this week while still nursing a shoulder injury.

The way this game plays out is going to rest completely on the shoulders of the Steelers. Coming in as a 15-point favorite, even Las Vegas acknowledges that there should be no reason for the Steelers to lose this game.

Defense Too Old?

What if Warren Sapp’s comments this week are true? Sapp said this week he had three things to say about the Steelers, “old, slow, and it’s over”.

What if the Steelers really are getting too old on defense? Is James Harrison playing at 70 percent really what you want from one of your teams premiere pass rushers? Is subbing Larry Foote for James Farrior in certain situations an encouraging move by the coaching staff?

Those questions do raise eyebrows, but they are only concerns because this defense has been so dominant for the better part of a decade now. This is the same defense from last year that was holding opposing running backs to a staggering, record low, 62.8 yards per carry. This defense was putting the fear of God into opposing quarterbacks by leading the league with 48 sacks on the year. All the while leading the league in scoring defense.

Has one year really slowed THAT defense down THAT much?

No.

One game against Baltimore cannot be used as measuring stick to determine whether or not this Steelers defense should be locked up in a nursing home. If the Steelers are giving up 30 points per game in December then we can consider it.

Likewise, Steelers fans need not worry about the ineptitude of the Steelers offense last Sunday. It is more likely the Buccos record a winning season before a Steelers team records seven turnovers in one game again, and that doesn’t appear to be anytime soon.

Cries that the Steelers are too old are beginning to resonate throughout the NFL. This group of vets is looking to prove doubters wrong.

In the preseason the Steelers offense proved it can be explosive. Roethlisberger said in training camp that this could be the most potent offense Steelers fans have ever seen.

Yes, it was preseason, but Pittsburgh’s first team was posting big numbers against opposing first team defenses.

When looking at the Seattle defense there is no Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, or Haloti Ngata. There is not really anybody. It should be a good week for Roethlisberger and Co. to get back to the explosiveness they showed in the preseason.

Bounce back week. That’s what we have here. There are not many teams you would rather face when placed in the position the Steelers are in. Seattle might be just the ticket for Pittsburgh to find their stride.

Lets go turn those grapes into wine.

Here we go.

Bishkin Bits

- Marcus Gilbert gets the nod with Willie Colon going down for the year with a torn triceps. Look for the rookie to feed off of former teammate and starting center Maurkice Pouncey’s awesomeness.

- Chris Kemoeatu is questionable with a knee issue, Ramon Foster likely to get the start if Kemoeatu can’t go.

- The same officiating crew will be on hand from Superbowl XL when the Steelers received some favorable calls that may have influenced the game against Seattle. This shouldn’t alter the game, regardless, the referee is still sad about it

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