Week 16 in Review:

 

Long-term Stiller.com fans may remember the stat breakout shown below as similar to those begun last season.� The first (3) categories are variants of the traditional �control the tempo� paradigm.� Takeaways can be an equalizer.� YPA is (yards per passing attempt); TOP is (time of possession).�

 

Category	Previous	This week	Year to date	Won this stat but lost the game
Total yards rushing	143-61-5	13-3	156-64-5	Arizona Baltimore San Diego
TOP	150-58-1	14-2	164-60-1	Baltimore Buffalo
100 yard rushers	76-33	5-2	81-35	Baltimore San Diego
>/= +2 Takeaways	97-10	6-0	103-10
YPA	159-44-6	15-1	174-45-7	Miami

 

Futility Index:

 

Most games went to form last week.� The exceptions were:

 

• Baltimore led every category but YPA; they led the Browns too, for 59:31, until surrendering a TD that culminated a Cleveland drive accounting for 92 of that team�s 256 yards of total offense.

 

• Arizona had a 2-yard rushing advantage over the 49ers, not enough to offset about �10 TOP.

 

• Buffalo surrendered 6 sacks, with Pack DE Vonnie Holiday getting (5) over Pro Bowl LG Rueben Brown.� Additionally, Buffalo had (6) turnovers and was (-4) in takeaways.

 

• San Diego won the ground war against a Priest-free KC squad but the Chiefs had a decisive air advantage (to include a 99-yard TD at the head of the 3^rd quarter).

 

• To beat the Vikings, you have to win takeaways but the Fins did not.

 

Steelers Index:

 

1. Tommy Maddox has been bad to mediocre in cold weather but he was highly effective in the� +60 degree temps of Tampa Bay.� T-Max�s game QB rating of +120 far exceeded that for any QB previously facing the Bucs, to include McNabb, Favre and Vick.� Those men rated at 36 to 56; you could add any two and still not get to Maddox�s mark. The Steelers have some cold weather tilts coming but, in San Diego, the weather should be warm and inviting.�

 

2. By the end of the 1^st quarter, Maddox had hit his first (7) passes for +150 yards.� That yardage total exceeded the full game allowance for the Buc pass defense.

 

3. As was true in the Panther game, the Steelers opened with an impressive scoring drive.� That included (6) completions to WR; that unit had just (6) more for the duration or (12) on the game.� In the Carolina game, the WR had (5) receptions on the opening drive and (10) for the game.��

 

4. As was true in the Panther game, the Steeler D-line outplayed a more heralded counterpart.� The Front 3 had (4) sacks while the Buc HOF duo of Sapp and Rice collected (1).� Add a FF, or two, by Hampton and, well, there you go.� True, the Bucs ran for 5.4 YPC; however, that can be attributed more to the OLB failure to maintain leverage on King than to any D-line deficiencies.�

 

5. Aaron Smith collected (2) sacks Monday night, which should go some distance towards squelching his critics.� Smith leads the team now with 12.5 TFL; he is far closer to his 2001 total than is any member of the Steeler Front 7, other than Casey Hampton.� Whatever problems the Steeler D-side still may have at this point could be illustrated by the fact that Smith�s (58) solo stops exceed the totals of both starting safeties.� Alex has (49) and Flowers (53).

 

6. Kendrell Bell has surpassed Gildon in the TFL sweeps; Bell has (4) sacks and (5.5) stuffs, Gildon (8) and (0.5) respectively.� Last year, these men combined for (38) TFL; it is worth noting though that they have accomplished (12.5) in the past (4) games and, per game that does exceed their 2001 rate.

 

7. Pressure is all; the Steeler D-side resurgence correlates with their (16) sacks in the past (3) games.� In the first (12), the Steelers had just (31).� Those (16) sacks wiped away about (90) yards total offense, add in (2) strips and, again, there you go.

 

8. Plaxico Burress is within (10) of Hines Ward for the Steelers� reception yardage championship.� Last year, both men got to 1000, but barely.� This year, 1400 is within reach for either though, again, barely.

 

9. There will be no 1000 rusher here; Bettis leads the team with (666) at just 3.6 YPC.� Zereoue is averaging just 3.9 YPC; this does not encourage any belief that he can be a franchise-type successor.��

 

10. Jeff Reed needs (9) points to pass Todd Peterson.� Reed has (53) in (5) games; Pete had (61) in (10).� Pete�s total included 25 XPT in 26 attempts; that�s 2.6 attempts per game.� In contrast, Reed is 8/9 in that category; he has had just 1.8 attempts per game.

 

11. �Statistical balance? Well, on both sides of the ball, the Steelers are #5 in yardage.

 

Next Opponent:

 

Baltimore averages just (281) yards per game; they have given up (333).

 

Multiple Choice: Jeff Blake is the best QB the Steelers have faced since:

 

• Rob Johnson
• Shaun King
• Rodney Peete
• David Carr
• Mark Brunell
• Jon Kitna
• Steve McNair
• Michael Vick
• Tim Couch

 

Essay: Correlate game results with the quality of the QB listed above.

 

Jamal Lewis is the whole deal in Baltimore.� Lewis has 1241 rushing yards @ 4.2YPC; he has about 75% of the Ravens� totes and also has the longest reception (77 yards catch and run) among his 45 receptions.

 

Edgerton Hartwell has a very Ray-Ray like (130) total tackles; on the downside, only 6.5 have occurred behind the LOS.

 

If TFL, FF, INT and PD describe impact plays, then Adalius Thomas leads the Raven Front 7.� This former 2000 6^th round pick, taken after Tee Martin and Chris Combs, has (19.5); Peter Boulware has (15.5).� Joey Porter has (26.5); Jason Gildon (14.5).

 

Edward Reed has (2) blocks, (5) INT, (16) PD and (1) TD.� The Steelers had no chance at Reed; they did have a shot at Rod Woodson who has (1) block, (7) INT, (14) PD and (2) TD.� The Steelers� starters at the position, Alex and Flowers, have combined for (0) blocks, (6) INT, (13) PD and (0) TD.