Terry Bradshaw was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.  Football was a little different when Bradshaw was playing as most teams tried to run the ball and throw bombs.  He played in 168 games (158 starts) in his 14 years with the Steelers and he completed 2,025 of 3,901 passes (51.9%) for 27,989 yards with 212 TD passes and 210 INTs (70.9 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 444 times for 2,257 yards (5.1 ypc) with 32 TD runs for the Steelers.  Judging by today’s standards those are some piss poor numbers.  But, Bradshaw was a big game player as he led the Steelers to 4 Super Bowl Wins and they were 14-5 (73.7%) in post season games that he started.  In Bradshaw’s four Super Bowls, he completed 49 of 84 passes (58.3%) for 932 yards with 9 TD passes and 4 INTs.  He also carried the ball 14 times for 53 yards (3.8 ypc) in the Super Bowls.  Bradshaw was the MVP of both Super Bowl XIV and XIII. 

Ben Roethlisberger has played in 99 games (98 starts) in his first 7 years with the Steelers and he has completed 1,766 of 2,800 passes (63.1%) for 22,502 yards with 144 TD passes and 86 INTs (92.5 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 261 times for 874 yards (3.3 ypc) with 14 TD grabs in his career.  The Steelers are 10-2 (83.3%) in post season games started by Roethlisberger which is pretty darn impressive.  But, despite being 2-0 in the Super Bowl, he has not played a dominant game.  Roethlisberger has completed 30 of 51 passes (58.8%) for 379 yards with 1 TD pass and 3 INTs in the Super Bowl.  He has also carried the ball 11 times for 27 yards (2.5 ypc) with 1 TD run in the Super Bowl. 

VERDICT:  Despite the fact that Roethlisberger is often a bonehead off the field, I think he’s the better QB.  I am old enough to have seen them both play and I think Big Ben is just better.  He will need a good game this weekend though to really step out of the shadow of  Terry Bradshaw who is an icon in Pittsburgh.

If the Steelers are going to win the Super Bowl this weekend, they are going to need their starting WRs to step up.  Hines Ward (5 rec, 39 yards, TD) and Mike Wallace (4 rec, 26 yards) have been almost invisible in the Steelers’ first two playoffs games.  The Steelers need them to step up.  Lucky for the Steelers, rookies Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders have stepped up.  Brown made the game sealing catches in both of the Steelers’ wins in the playoffs so far.  He has caught 4 passes for 89 yards (22.3 avg) so far this post season and he could be the secret weapon for the Steelers in this game.  Emmanuel Sanders has also played pretty well for the Steelers in the playoffs as he has caught 5 passes for 74 yards (14.8 avg).  The Packers have an outstanding set of CBs (Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields) so Hines Ward and Mike Wallace could be in for another long day this Sunday in Dallas.

The Steelers rushed out to a 24-0 lead in the first half before having to hold on for dear life to win this game!  Ben Roethlisberger was pathetic last night as he completed 10 of 19 passes for 133 yards with 0 TD passes and 2 INTs.  He also carried the ball 11 times for 21 yards (1.9 ypc) with a TD run.  Rashard Mendenhall’s running is the big reason for the Steelers win yesterday.  He carried the ball 27 times for 121 yards (4.5 ypc) with 1 TD run and he also caught 2 passes for 32 yards.  Isaac Redman pitched in with 27 yards rushing on 4 carries (6.8 ypc) last night.  TE Heath Miller (2 rec, 38 yards) led the way for the Steelers in the passing game.  For the second week in a row, rookie WR Antonio Brown caught the game winning pass.  He only caught 1 pass for 14 yards in this game but it was the biggest one.  The Steelers finished up with 166 yards rushing on 43 carries (3.9 ypc) and they also completed 10 of 19 passes for 121 yards as they had possession of the football for 34:41.

The Steelers’ D was outstanding in the first half and pretty awful in the second half of this game.  LBs Lawrence Timmons (10 tackles, 1 pass defensed) and James Farrior (8 tackles) led the way for the Steelers’ D in this game.  CBs Ike Taylor and William Gay combined for the biggest play on the D yesterday.  Taylor sacked Mark Sanchez which forced a fumble that William Gay picked up and returned 19 yards for a TD to put the Steelers up 24-0 at the time.  The Jets finished up with 70 yards rushing on 22 carries (3.2 ypc) and they also completed 20 of 33 passes for 219 yards. 

The Steelers will meet the Green Bay Packers in Dallas in two weeks in the Super Bowl!

This is going to be a good ole fashioned slobber knocker on Heinz Field tomorrow.  The Steelers are going to have to jump on the Jets quick in this game because they have confidence going into tomorrow.  They already beat the Steelers on Heinz Field (22-17) just five weeks ago.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers will likely try to be more balanced on offense than usual.  That means that Rashard Mendenhall is going to have to attack the front seven of the Jets.  That will be easier said than down as Jets’ ILBs  Bart Scott & David Harris are two of the best in the league.  The Steelers’ O-Line is going to have to keep Ben Roethlisberger clean so that he can make good decisions.  Because, if Roethlisberger is rushed…..he’s going to make some big mistakes as there is little room for error against the outstanding secondary of the Jets.  Don’t be surprised if Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Heath Miller are the Steelers’ top receivers tomorrow as Mike Wallace and Hines Ward are going to have to deal with Darrelle Revis & Antonio Cromartie all night long.

When the Jets have the ball:  The Steelers are going to have to stop LaDainian Tomlinson & Shonn Greene’s running better than they did in the first matchup just five weeks ago.  If the Jets have success running the ball it’s going to make things much easier for Mark Sanchez.  LaMarr Woodley & James Harrison can rush Sanchez into mistakes if the Jets’ O-Line can’t keep them out of the backfield.  But, if Sanchez has time to throw the ball he’s going to make plays down the field against the overrated corners of the Steelers.

PREDICTION:  JETS 17, STEELERS 16

Rashard Mendenhall has had a rough go of it lately for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  He did rush for 2 TDs last week but he didn’t play well as he carried the ball 20 times for 46 yards (2.3 ypc).  He also caught 1 pass for 13 yards against the Ravens.  But, just five weeks ago, Mendenhall rushed for 99 yards on 17 carries (5.8 ypc) with a TD run against the Jets.  The Steelers are going to need another solid game out of Mendehall if they are going to get to the Super Bowl.  Another poor effort like he had last weekend will put too much pressure on Ben Roethlisberger’s right arm

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a choice that smoking pot was worse than raping women.  That is why they dealt 26-year old WR Santonio Holmes to the Jets for a paltry 5th round pick.  He is coming back to Heinz Field with a chip on his shoulder and he’s ready to make them pay.  He only caught 6 passes for 40 yards (6.7 avg) against the Steelers five weeks ago at Heinz Field.  This is going to be personal for Santonio Holmes tomorrow.  Holmes played in 60 games in his four years with the Steelers in which he caught 235 passes for 3,835 yards (16.4 avg) with 20 TD grabs.  The Steelers’ corners better be ready tomorrow as I’m sure that Holmes will be.

The Pittsburgh Steelers won this game with defense!  LB Lawrence Timmons (9 tackles) and James Harrison (7 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 2 passes defensed and 2 QB hits) led the way for the Steelers’ D in this game.  Safety Ryan Clark also had a big game with 5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 passes defensed and 1 interception.  OLB LaMarr Woodley (fumble recovery) and DE Brett Keisel (fumble recovery) also had big plays in this game for the Steelers.  The Ravens finished up with 35 yards rushing on 18 carries (1.9 ypc) and they also completed 16 of 30 passes for 91 yards!

Ben Roethlisberger was getting beat up this whole game as he was sacked 6 times and hit many more.  But, to his credit he kept getting up and making tough throws.  He completed 19 of 32 passes for 226 yards with 2 TD passes and 0 INTs in this game.  Rashard Mendenhall had to earn every yard he got as he rushed for only 46 yards on 20 carries (2.3 ypc) but he did have 2 TD runs.  Mewelde Moore pitched in with 12 yards rushing on 2 carries (6.0 ypc) in this game.  Rookie WR Antonio Brown led the way for the Steelers in the passing game with 3 receptions for 75 yards (25.0 avg) including a acrobatic catch late in the 4th quarter that set up the game winning TD.  WR Emmanuel Sanders (4 rec, 54 yards), TE Heath Miller (5 rec, 39 yards, TD) and WR Hines Ward (3 rec, 25 yards, TD) also had decent games for the Steelers yesterday.  The Steelers finished up with 71 yards rushing on 31 carries (2.3 ypc) and they also completed 19 of 32 passes for 192 yards as they had possession of the football for 34:28. 

The Steelers will play in the AFC Championship Game next weekend either at home against the New York Jets or more than likely at Foxboro against the New England Patriots.

Forget all of the other playoff games as this is going to be Armageddon at Heinz Field tomorrow afternoon.  These two teams absolutely hate each other and the game is going to be brutal.  The Ravens won on October 3rd at Heinz Field 17-14 but that was without Roethlisberger.  The Ravens broke Roethlisberger’s nose on the first play of the second matchup of these teams in Baltimore which was won by the Steelers 13-10 in Baltimore.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers would like to be balanced tomorrow but I just can’t see them mounting much of a running game against the Ravens’ front seven.  Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 124 yards in two games against the Ravens this year but he only averaged 2.8 yards per carry.  OTs Flozell Adams and Jonathan Scott better be able to keep OLBs Jarret Johnson & Terrell Suggs out of the backfield or Ben Roethlisberger could be in for a very long day.  If Roethlisberger has time to throw the ball the Ravens don’t have anyone that can keep up with Mike Wallace but Roethlisberger will have to be careful because Ed Reed is just as good of a safety as Troy Polamalu is.  Hines Ward and Heath Miller are likely to be keys to the Steelers’ passing game because I just don’t see Roethlisberger having a lot of time to throw the ball tomorrow.

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Steelers hope their front seven will be able to handle stopping Ray Rice and Willis McGahee without help from the secondary.  The Steelers are going to want to get after Joe Flacco, because if he has time to throw the ball he’s likely going to make some nice throws down the field.  OLBs James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley need to win their battles with OTs Marshal Yanda and Michael Oher or the Steelers are going to be in some trouble.  That’s because Joe Flacco has a very deep and talented receiving corps in Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Todd Heap.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 20, STEELERS 16

28-year old Ben Roethlisberger sat out the first four games of this year to a league suspension because he’s a bozo off the field.  When he returned it looked like he didn’t miss a beat.  Roethlisberger played in 12 games for the Steelers this season and he completed 240 of 389 passes (61.7%) for 3,200 yards with 17 TD passes and 5 INTs (97.0 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 33 times for 176 yards (5.3 ypc) with 2 TD runs this year.  Roethlisberger has now played in 99 games in his first seven years with the Steelers and he has completed 1,766 of 2,800 (63.1%) passes for 22,502 yards with 144 TD passes and 86 INTs (92.5 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 261 times for 874 yards (3.3 ypc) with 14 TD runs in his NFL career.  Roethlisberger almost ruined his career in the off-season so he needs to behave off the field or his career could be cut short.

26-year old Dennis Dixon is a QB the Steelers want to develop into Roethlisberger’s long term backup.  Dixon played in 2 games for the Steelers this year and he completed 22 of 32 passes (68.8%) for 254 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT (79.4 QB Rating).  Dixon also carried the ball 5 times for 32 yards (6.4 ypc) this season.  His season ended early due to knee surgery but he should be ready for training camp (if there is one next year).  Dixon has now played in 4 games in his first 3 years with the Steelers and he has completed 35 of 59 passes (59.3%) for 402 yards passing with 1 TD pass and 2 INTs (71.4 QB Rating).  Dixon has also carried the ball 10 times for 56 yards (5.6 ypc) with 1 TD run in his NFL career.

36-year old Charlie Batch stepped up while Big Ben was out of action.  Batch played in 3 games for the Steelers this year and he completed 29 of 49 passes (59.2%) for 352 yards with 3 TD passes and 3  INTs (76.2 QB Rating).  Batch also carried the ball 7 times for 30 yards (4.3 ypc) this year.  Batch has now played in 75 games in his NFL career and he has completed 848 of 1,510 passes (56.2%) for 10,402 yards with 60 TD passes and 47 INTs (77.9  QB Rating).  Batch has also carried the ball 169 times for 639 yards (3.8 ypc) with 6 TD runs in his NFL career. 

30-year old Byron Leftwich will be Roethlisberger’s backup in the playoffs with Dixon & Batch both out due to injury.  Leftwich made his season debut two weeks ago against the Browns (the regular season finale) and he completed 5 of 7 passes (71.4%) for 42 yards with 0 TD passes and 0 INTs (86.6 QB Rating).  Leftwich has now played in 58 games in his NFL career and he has completed 905 of 1,552 passes (58.3%) for 10,260 yards with 58 TD passes and 41 INTs (79.7 QB Rating).  Leftwich has also carried the ball 136 times for 384 yards (2.8 ypc) with 9 TD runs in his NFL career.

VERDICT:  Roethlisberger & Dixon are both safe for next season.  I don’t see the Steelers carrying 4 QBs next season so Batch & Leftwich could be fighting for one roster spot with Batch holding a slight edge.

What rivalry?  The Steelers have now beaten the Browns 20 of the last 22 meetings!  The competitive part of this game was over very early.  Ben Roethlisberger was very sharp in this game as he completed 15 of 22 passes for 280 yards with 2 TD passes and 0 INTs.  He also carried the ball 4 times for 24 yards (6.0 ypc) in this game.  Byron Leftwich finished up at QB in this game as he completed 5 of 7 passes for 42 yards.  Antwaan Randle El only caught 2 passes for 21 yards in this game but he also threw a 3-yard TD pass to Hines Ward.  Rashard Mendenhall led the way for the Steelers on the ground in this game with 36 yards rushing on 14 carries (2.6 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  Jonathan Dwyer (9 carries for 28 yards) and Isaac Redman (3 carries for 12 yards) also helped out on the ground for the Steelers today.  Mike Wallace (3 rec, 105 yards, TD), Heath Miller (4 rec, 55 yards, TD), Hines Ward (5 rec, 45 yards, TD) and Antonio Brown (4 rec, 52 yards) led the way in the passing game for the Steelers in this game.  The Steelers finished up with 100 yards rushing on 30 carries (3.3 ypc) and they also completed 21 of 30 passes for 318 yards as they had possession of the ball for 33:14.

LB Lawrence Timmons had 9 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss in this game to lead the way for the Steelers on D.  Safety Ryan Clark, safety Troy Polamalu and CB Anthony Madison each picked off a Colt McCoy pass in this game.  The Browns finished up with 43 yards rushing on 17 carries (2.5 ypc) and they also completed 21 of 43 passes for 182 yards in this game.  The Steelers finished the 2010 season with a 12-4 record and the #2 seed in the AFC Playoffs as the AFC North Champions.