YinzPitt

This week has the potential to be a shoot-out that us Steeler fans aren’t used to seeing in games that involve the Steelers.  This year, Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre are respectively 3rd and 4th in the league regarding passer rating.  I have a feeling this week is going to be different for both quarterbacks as both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings defense’s are some of the best in the league.

This game has another special meaning to it as well.  Big Ben has said numerous times that Brett Favre is an idol of his, and with Brett Favre holding so many records including the consecutive starts record of 275 games it’s no doubt Big Ben admires Favre:

Brett Favre - Minnesota Vikings

“At this position – unbelievable,” said Roethlisberger. “And you know what, a lot of it is toughness, but … I’m sure he’ll tell you, a lot of it is luck. You have to get lucky, especially in this sport and with guys rolling into you, hitting into you, just anything little can happen and he’s gotten lucky and he’s incredible tough.”

This will be the first time that Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger will meet in the regular season, as Ben missed their 2005 game as he was nursing a knee injury when the Steelers played at Green Bay.  Either way, I’m certain that this Sunday has the potential to be a fun game for all fans of the NFL, as seeing two of the better NFL teams go at it.  Hopefully this game turns out better than the Saints vs. Giants game did.

The defenses are a whole ‘nother animal that also have the potential to destroy both quarterbacks and running backs.  It’s yet to be seen what Rashard Mendenhall can do to a defense that’s actually half decent against the run, and well, we know who the other guy is.  Adrian Peterson is a flat-out monster.  He can break down defenses with his power and speed better than anyone else can in the NFL.  Which actually leads me into my biggest concern this Sunday, the defensive lines.  Minnesota has an incredibly strong defensive line with the “Williams Wall”, and Jared Allen.  While the Steelers are actually reeling from the Aaron Smith injury, it’s yet to be seen how formidable that line is(playing the Browns isn’t a test).

The offenses for the Vikings and Steelers both have the firepower necessary to get the job done.  For the Vikings, Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, Percey Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe(awesome name), and Bernard Berrian are ranked second in offensive points per game with 31.5.

Rashard Mendenhall

The Steelers will be doing it again with Big Ben, Mendenhall, Ward, Holmes, and Heath Miller.  It’s yet to be seen how top-shelf this offense can be.  Most media pundits regard our offense as a high class passing machine, but our points per game say otherwise with 23.3.  It’s good enough for middle of the road in the NFL, but not quite good enough to match what Favre and the rest of his gang can do.

So let’s mark this week as the first “real” official pump up game.  If the Steelers take this game and go into the bye week feeling good their confidence will certainly be riding high heading into Denver.  We take a loss, and the Ravens game feels closer, not to mention the Denver game right after the bye week.  In what was said to be one of the easiest schedules at the start of the NFL season,  it could possibly turn into a nightmare with surprising teams making a much needed turn around.

Huh, whoever thought Orton would actually be a half decent quarterback.

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