Since the game is 5 days away, let's talk stats...

[Suitanim]

Check out this matchup...pretty even, I'd say (This is regular season, so adjust the offensive numbers up a bit for the Steelers, because of the extra game)

2005 STATISTICAL COMPARISON (regular season)
Steelers Category Broncos
24.3 ......................... Points Scored Per Game ...................... 24.7
16.1 ........................ Points Allowed Per Game ..................... 16.1
18.6 ........................... First Downs Per Game ........................ 20.6
321.8 ......................... Total Yards Per Game ...................... 360.4
138.9 ....................... Rushing Yards Per Game .................... 158.7
182.9 ....................... Passing Yards Per Game .................... 201.7
47 ..........................................Sacks By ....................................... 28
15 ................................... Interceptions By ................................ 20
31:16 ....................... Avg. Time of Possession .................... 32:37
45 ...................................... Touchdowns ................................... 46
21 ............................... Rushing Touchdowns ............................ 25
21 ............................... Passing Touchdowns ............................ 18
3 ................................ Touchdowns on Returns ............................ 3
24-29 .................................. Field Goals ............................... 24-32
41.7 ................................... Punting Avg. ................................ 43.2
10.2 ................................Punt Return Avg. ............................... 8.5
21.6 .............................. Kickoff Return Avg. ........................... 20.7


Bear in mind we just shut down 2 of the top 3 offenses in the NFL and outscored them 52-35...so the numbers are just for regular season comparison purposes...

[Brady12]

Glad you said the last part.

[Cape Cod Steel Head]

The D will be the difference. Get to Jake early and often. Rattle him and turn him into the old Jake we all know and love. But yeah it could'nt be closer with these stats.

[tony hipchest]

very evenly matched. steelers are on 1 hell of a roll, broncos have homefield and altitude. i think the steelers have all the intangibles and arent about to let a dominant preformance like last week slip through their fingers. if steelers advance they will be the least suprised team to be there in the big game. ben knows he was born for this opportunity. i think confidence is on their side, after all you know the broncos are thinking, "but they just beat the colts and the bengals in their house" "what trick plays are they gonna use this week?" "is **** lebeau gonna throw us something that we havent seen all year?" "are there 2 troy polamalus and do they travel faster than a bret farve thrown line drive?"

[tony hipchest]

how can you not say **** lebeau on a steelers board? lmao!!!

[Suitanim]

To be honest, we were really only a good team in the regular season against good competition...and the numbers still match up, and the records are close (11-5 with Ben out for 4 games against 12-4 with Plummer playing in all games). In the post-season, our defensive statistics really start to stand out and that is against top-notch competition, literally the best the conference had to throw at us.

[tony hipchest]

well i think the broncos are being called the most under rated 13-3 team ever. they definitely didnt face weak competition. i would have to say offensively and defensively we are the most balanced team they will see this year. atleast they have been working their gameplan to try and stop the colts (you know they have been trying to figure out whether to stop the colts run or pass) unfortunately for them ben has faced the heat every game this year. hitting him dont throw him off his game like most qb's. shit hurting him just makes him play stronger and with more resolve.

[Suitanim]

All this aside, the architecture of a successful Steelers game has been the same since Cowher arrived, home or away...Come out sharp, punch the other team in the mouth, score early and dictate the pace of the game. We can win battles, but we are at our best when we dictate the terms early...

[VegasStlrFan]

To throw their schedule in just for kicks:
L Miami 10-34
W San Diego 20-17
W Kansas City 30-10
W Jacksonville 20-7
W Washington 21-19
W New England 28-20
L NY Giants 23-24
W Philedelphia 49-21
W Oakland 31-17
W NY Jets 27-0
W Dallas 24-21
L Kansas City 27-31
W Ravens 12-10
W Buffalo 28-17
W Oakland 22-3
W San Diego 23-7
W New England 27-13

Judging by scores alone, looks like they play to their competition. They have 6 quality wins, 8 if you count NFC teams (Giants/Skins) as quality. These guys have been under the radar all year, they haven't won flashy but they have a quality team.

The key to this one is to stop the run and to make Plummer throw. He'll throw int'.s all day long if he is forced into a steady dose of 3rd & long.

[tony hipchest]

i agree on the plummer take. i think we can apply pressure (probably not get the sacks like they did against manning) but the secondary should be ready to make plays. and you definitely cant take nothing away from the broncos strenght of schedule. (sure i think dallas sucks but they really werent no easy win for nobody)

[Suitanim]

Plummer moves the pocket a lot by rolling out. That works for some guys...Charlie Frye used it against us when they lost 41-0.

Not saying the results will be similar, but we've faced this before..