Not even Hurricane Sandy can prevent the sea of Black and Gold from entering MetLife Stadium this Sunday. In a battle of two of the premier teams in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) travel east to storm-ravaged New Jersey to to face the New York Giants, who will play with heavy hearts in the wake of the tragic storm that has devastated the city.
The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants (6-2) will look to ride the success of quarterback Eli Manning in a matchup that features a fellow 2004 draft class member in Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. This powerhouse quarterback showdown will only be the third meeting since the two were drafted in 2004. In that draft, Manning was taken with the first overall pick by the San Diego Chargers, and was later traded to the Giants in exchange for Philip Rivers. The Steelers did not need a trade to find their franchise signal caller when they selected a young Miami (OH) gunslinger named Ben Roethlisberger.
The QBs taken in this draft class are widely regarded as the “Best QB Draft Class,” potentially rivaling the 1983 Class, which featured Hall of Fame QBs Dan Marino, John Elway, and Jim Kelly. Both the Steelers and Giants have two Super Bowl victories apiece under the regime of their current QB’s and have accounted for winning 4 of the last 7 Lombardi Trophies. Since the arrival of both Manning and Roethlisberger, the Giants and Steelers have split a pair of wins and will look to notch the deciding victory in the latest installment of the mini-rivalry this weekend. This match up will feature a battle of the league’s best D-line versus an improving Steeler O-line, a battle of the two of the deepest and best receiving corps in the NFL, and a 6th ranked Giants offense battling the most efficient passing defense in the league.
For Pittsburgh, the team is turning around a season that had fans hitting the panic button in Week 4. The big reason for the turnaround is improved play by the defense and offensive line, as well as the resurgence of the running game. With the return of starters LaMarr Woodley and Ryan Clark to the lineup, Pittsburgh is an infinitely better team even with Troy Polamalu still out for his sixth-consecutive games. The arrival of cornerback Keenan Lewis on the scene has bailed out teammate Ike Taylor. To say that the veteran has struggled this season is an understatement, though the job Taylor did on Cincinnati Bengal’s star A.J. Green was stellar. Hopefully, with that performance coupled with the lock down of rookie phenom RGIII, are a sign of good things to come.
The ability of the Steeler’s big men to keep Big Ben upright is a sight that Steeler Nation hasn’t been accustomed to seeing very often. The line will have their hands full with the dominant defensive linemen the Giants field in Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Jason Pierre-Paul. An improved blocking scheme and the emergence of Jonathan Dwyer have produced the first back-to-back 100-yard rushing games for the Steeler’s franchise since “Fast” Willie Parker began the first two weeks of the 2008 campaign with back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances. However, according to Mike Bires of the Beaver Country Times, both Dwyer (Quad) and Mendenhall (Achilles) are officially out for Sunday’s contest. Redman is set to start for the Steelers, and did look fairly solid in limited action in the backfield. With Redman as the starter, fans will finally be able to decide if the revival of the rushing attack is because of improved line play, or whether Dwyer was shouldering the load. With Redman still nursing a previous injury of his own, the depth chart is wearing thin for the Steelers. Expect to see a bigger dose of exciting rookie playmaker Chris Rainey and a few carries to trickle down to third-stringer Baron Batch.
With all of the injuries in the backfield, expect Ben Roethlisberger to sling the ball all over the field against a banged up Giant’s secondary. With the potent aerial attack of the Steelers at his disposal, Roethlisberger should dominate a defense that allowed over 400 yards passing to struggling QB Tony Romo. The Steelers are the 7th rated passing offense, one spot behind their opponents this weekend. But there will be a little more motivation to win than usual. After being drafted behind Eli Manning in ’04, Roethlisberger told the media that “he was the number one pick and I think as a guy that’s not picked number one or anytime someone is picked ahead of you, you want to beat that guy out.” Later though, Roethlisberger clarified that he has no animosity toward Eli Manning and that he is just excited to see the success that his fellow draft classmates (Manning, Rivers, Schaub) have been having.
The New York Giants will look to provide a little inspiration to fellow New Yorkers, who are still battling the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. Whether fans of Big Blue will have the ability to watch the televised game is another story. With the cancellation of the New York City Marathon, the New York Football Giants are the city’s last hope to distract the citizens with a game that they all love. However, a meeting with the first-ranked passing defense of the Steelers is not what Manning and company had envisioned. One of the units is going to have to give way to the other in this weekend’s game. The Giants are throwing for 282.1 yards/game while the Steelers are allowing only 182.6 yards/game. The improved health of Victor Cruz (calf) is encouraging news for the Giant’s dangerous receiving unit. The Steelers D is known for giving up big plays to team’s playmakers like Demaryius Thomas in Week 1. The tandem of Nicks and Cruz could potentially be able to break through the Steelers tough secondary.
If the Giants hope to be successful against the Steelers stout defensive group, the rushing game will have to do its job on Sunday. According to the New York Daily Times, Ahmad Bradshaw is listed as questionable for Sunday. If Bradshaw cannot go, the dynamic duo in rookies Andre Brown and David Wilson will shoulder the load for Big Blue. Each has proven to be a capable backup as Bradshaw has nursed a multitude of injuries this season.
Where the Giants hold a distinct advantage is the front four of their defense. Jason Pierre-Paul is widely regarded as the one of the most dominating performers in the league, and the rising stardom of Stevie Brown in place of the injured Antrel Rolle has energized the already lethal defensive group. Head Coach Tom Coughlin has mentioned that if Rolle and Phillips are ready and able to go in this matchup, Brown will still find someway to be involved on the field as a result of his outstanding play.
This Sunday slugfest between perennial playoff contenders will surely be the game of the week in the NFL. In the battle of the bling, the winner will be the team who minimizes the turnovers and wins the matchup. Despite the “aging” Steelers D catching some flak from the media, both Defensive Coordinator Dick Lebeau and his team have found the fountain of youth. Look for the Steelers to frustrate the younger Manning in a tight matchup between two offensive-minded teams that also play solid defense. Despite the lack of a run-game, Ben Roethlisberger throws for over 300 yards against a defense that allowed Tony Romo to throw for over 400 yards in a loss last weekend.
Prediction: Steelers 24, Giants 21
Matchup to Watch for: Steelers receivers v. Giants Secondary
Breakout Fantasy Performer: QB Ben Roethlisberger- (300 yards passing, 2 TD’s, INT)
