Seahawks at Steelers (Game #5)

I have been looking forward to this game since the Super Bowl ended and the whining began. Here we are, a year and a half later and some people are still grumbling. Seattle is the toughest challenge the Steelers have faced yet. They are better than last year. They are a very solid football team. They have changed most from Super Bowl XL up front. The OL is weaker. The defense, though, has improved a good deal.

Seattle has a disciplined, and active front 7. They are very good at sticking to their gaps in the ground game. There really isn�t a weak link to attack. In terms of pass rushers, I don�t worry about either DE. Kerney has a high motor, but he�s getting up there in age and he�s just not that explosive coming off the edge. Colon should be fine. Tapp doesn�t seem to have the top end speed needed to be a dominating pass rusher, and he doesn�t have much else to fall back on. He�s not strong and he doesn�t have any moves. Marvel Smith was playing very good up until the Arizona game. I expect him to pick up where he left off returning home. Smith shouldn�t lose the edge much this week.

There is one match-up that spells trouble for the Steelers in the pass game. Rocky Bernard is a very good interior pass rusher. He is the exact sort of player that gives Faneca and Simmons fits. I expect him to have a good deal of success this game, and he could be Seattle�s most important player Sunday. Darby isn�t a drastically different player, and he could have some success, as well. He doesn�t move as well. He�s a bit stouter.

Seattle�s blitzes worry me, as well. As I said above, they are an active team. They move their front 7 around pre-snap a good deal. Especially on third down. The front 7 is athletic and versatile. Julian Peterson is put down as a rush end at times. He�s racked up 5 sacks this season, but they�ve mostly come untouched. They throw a lot of zone blitzes at you. They show pressure and drop back. They will drop back their DL into zones. They occasionally stand up Kerney and let him roam a bit. Arizona had a lot of success stunting up front, which is something you would think Seattle would throw into the game plan.

Seattle�s corners are pretty mediocre and vulnerable. Seattle is going to give a lot of cover 3. They will have one of their corners out on an island frequently and neither has the top end speed needed. There will be chances to attack them deep. Holmes and Washington both need to have good games for the Steelers to have success. Washington did a nice job beating his man last week. He dropped a deep pass and screwed up his second route by slowing up. These screw-ups lose games and need to stop. I�m a big believer in Washington�s ability, but mentally he needs to step his game up. If Ward can�t go, he will have another big opportunity. Either way he is significant to the game plan because he can stretch the field some and the Steelers should be bringing extra receivers on to spread this defense out.

I don�t know why Deon Grant has had trouble sticking anywhere. He still looks like a very good safety to me and he�s a big addition to this offense. He still seems to have his range, and he knows how to read a QB. Grant is versatile. They are using him more as a deep center fielder, but he�ll come up and play the run, as well. Russell is usually the guy who will be in underneath coverage and coming into the box. Russell is fast and can run with a receiver or TE.

The same can be said of these LB�s in coverage. All three can move and play smart. They all blitz. I don�t see anything to exploit here.

And that�s all the more reason to try and get them off the field. The Seahawks corners are average. The Steelers get their best match-ups outside. The Steelers need to spread this Seattle defense out to limit how much they can move around and open up running lanes.

As I�ve stated a few times now, Seattle has an undersized defensive front. That doesn�t make them weak against the run. Run defense is first and foremost about discipline, and that is what Seattle is very good at. Darryl Tapp is the only liability. He�s easily sealed and is a pass rusher first and foremost. He takes wide angles to get to the QB and leave some room, but it will be difficult to exploit with these LB�s backing him up. Arizona had success running because Seattle was scared of the receivers. The Steelers won�t get that sort of respect. None of their other opponents have.

Chartric Darby anchors the run defense. He�s their best in terms of taking on blocks and does not get knocked around. He can split double teams. Faneca has his work cut out for him. Mahan and Simmons are both at their best when they can get to that second level. That will be difficult with these LB�s because they take good angles and stay square.

I said above I expect and hope the Steelers spread the field. That�s the best way to break down this front 7. Get that OLB playing outside or deeper. Get the DL getting up field with less support from the safeties and LB�s. That�s how the Steelers can have success running. Early on, Parker can get most of his touches in the pass game and draws.

The time to run down their throats will come late. Teams like this tend to wear down. The Steelers need to remain patient. They need to move the chains. The negative plays seen last week will lose this game no matter how its called. The key is to keep gaining yards. Roethlisberger is going to have to play one of the best games of his career. This Seattle defense matches up well against the Steelers.

With Seattle, it�s all about the timing and tempo. I�m less concerned with Seattle�s offense than I am with their defense. The goal this week is to get Hasselbeck to second guess his first reads and hang on to the ball longer than he would like or to throw into coverage. The Steelers can do that a few ways. Activity up front is key. You don�t necessarily have to blitz. It�s more important to show pressure and keep them guessing. If you do that, Hasselbeck will put the ball into the wrong spots and there will be chances to make plays.

That extra second Hasselbeck needs to go through his reads is key. This OL does not hold up its blocks long. Locklear was dominated by Haggans in the Super Bowl, and he should be able to repeat that. Locklear really struggles with edge rushers. The tackles take shallower angles in general, which amplifies Locklear�s weaknesses and leaves Jones a bit vulnerable outside.

Seattle really struggled to pick up stunts. Cinci had a good deal of success running them. They were trying to bring their tackles inside and their guards outside to deal with it. That�s a win for the defense and gives better angles to get to the QB. RG Chris Gray has problems recognizing blitzes and stunts more than anyone else. Being next to Locklear, I expect to see the Steelers apply the pressure from the right side predominantly.

The Steelers have very good match-ups outside. Deon Branch is a smart player. He�s got some speed, but he�s not explosive enough to run away from Taylor. Burleson isn�t scary at all. He lacks Branch�s speed and can not separate. The Steelers will focus on Branch, and there will be no one to take the pressure off.

Seattle tried to use their TE to attack the Steelers in the Super Bowl. That is going to be harder to do with Marcus Pollard�not to mention a healthy, active Troy Polamalu. Stevens may not have been able to catch, but he did a good job getting open. Pollard shouldn�t be able to do that.

Seattle throws a lot of formations at a defense. They spread the field and run a lot of three wide with a TE or FB. They will occasionally split Shawn Alexander out wide, though he isn�t striking fear into anyone outside.

Overall, there�s not a lot to be scared of. Hasselbeck is going to try and get rid of the ball quickly. The biggest concern is LeBeau�s cushions, but we�ve been seeing less of those. The Steelers shouldn�t be too worried about challenging these receivers outside. Seattle is going to need to ask them to make plays, but I don�t think they�re capable of it.

The interior of this line is not up to the task of dealing with the Steelers. They need to spread the field because they don�t have the ability to knock people around up front. The Steelers corners doing their job allows the rest of the defense to take care of run game. Seattle tried to avoid running at the Steelers in the Super Bowl. When they did run, they ran outside and did it against Kirschke. Polamalu was clearly being protected in that game. Interestingly, he�s hurt this week, as well. I expect him to go. He doesn�t have a leg injury this time, so I�m going to assume he can move fine and will be given his normal assignment.

Casey Hampton is going to absolutely dominate Chris Spencer, who has no chance of sealing or moving him. Even when he gets help, he struggles to take care of his job in the run game. The guards won�t be able to get to the second level, or Hampton will blow up anything in the middle. Keisel/Harrison on Jones is a concern. They still haven�t replaced Hutchinson, though. Sims coming down on Keisel should be a win for the Steelers.

Seattle�s special teams have gotten much better since the Super Bowl. They have one of the league�s best kickers. They dumped their punter and replaced him well. Seattle returned a kick against Cinci.

Spread the field to isolate these corners in coverage and open running lanes. Impose your will late. That should be the gameplan against Seattle�s defense. Seattle�s offense is less of a concern. I expect this to be a tight game. The Steelers should pull away with it in the end.