Lions at Sqweelers (Scouts, Inc)
Dont Shoot the messenger.... Just hoping to Jinxs the Sqeelers......
Take 2: Lions at Steelers Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report </nfl/scouting?gameId=260101023> on this week's matchup between the Lions </nfl/clubhouse?team=det> and Steelers </nfl/clubhouse?team=pit>. Now they're back with a second look. * After a 3-game losing streak, the Steelers are now on a 3-game winning streak. What has been the difference? This team has found its toughness again. After being dictated to in their losses, they are now the one that is establishing their identity and imposing their will on the opponent. Do not expect that to change this week. Pittsburgh will come out early and establish the run with Willie Parker <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7073>. Once they get the lead, the Bus (Jerome Bettis) will come off the bench and look to finish the job. It is a great recipe, one that has them one game away from clinching a playoff berth. * We can put to rest the topic of QB Ben Roethlisberger <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6770>'s right thumb injury. It is a non-issue, and if the second-year quarterback is having any pain, he is not showing it. In the past three games, all wins, he has not thrown one interception. His passer ratings have been 109.0, 99.0 and 120.0. The biggest difference in Roethlisberger's increased productivity has been increased production from the No. 2 receiver position. Pittsburgh doesn't have a consistent No. 2 guy behind Hines Ward <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4323>, but each week it seems a new guy steps up. In Antwaan Randle El <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5948>, Cedrick Wilson <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5617> and Quincy Morgan <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5480>, the Steelers have three guys that combine to make a solid No. 2. * A big key for the resurgence of the Steelers defense has been the play of OLBs Joey Porter <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4723> and Clark Haggans <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5166>. Porter now has 10½ sacks for the season and Haggans has nine. Porter had a pretty dominant game last week, but for the most part, their sacks have been spread out through the season. Their play is critical for this defense because of the lack of pure cover corners they have in the secondary. When Porter and Haggans get pressure, the Pittsburgh secondary all of sudden looks like they can cover. When they don't (see Cincy and Indy), their secondary can't cover anyone. That being said, look for Pittsburgh to leave no stone unturned this week. This will be another must-win game for them, so look for defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau to bring a lot of blitz pressure from different spots on the field in order to get Lions QB Joey Harrington <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5889> to put the ball up for grabs and give the Steelers defense some big play opportunities. * The Lions have not been able to establish the run all season. It has been a disappointing season for second year RB Kevin Jones <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6789>, who was expected to have a breakout year. Part of his struggles can be attributed to injuries and the rest to plain old ineffectiveness. He has missed three of the last four games with an elbow injury, and it appears he will miss the season finale too. In his absence, Artose Pinner <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6435> has been getting the majority of the carries. Pinner does not give them the same big play ability or inside toughness that Jones brings to the table. Pinner must be established early this week though. The Browns could not run the ball last week, and it led to their quarterback being beaten, battered and sacked eight times. For Detroit to give Harrington any opportunity this week, Pinner must have a solid day running the football. * One player in the Lions offense that has fit in nicely is TE Marcus Pollard <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3432>. There were a lot of people around the league that felt Pollard's best days were behind him and that he was at the end of his career. He has proven those people wrong though and has had the third most productive season of this career with one week left. Pollard has 42 receptions on the season, only five away from his career high of 47. He may surpass that total this week as he should be counted on heavily in the passing game. The Lions would like to establish Pollard early down the middle of the field to prevent Pittsburgh SS Troy Polamalu <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6352> from crowding the line of scrimmage. Pollard will also be the hot receiver on numerous occasions when Pittsburgh brings blitz pressure off the edges. Pollard is a key component of this offense and really the only other consistent, legitimate receiving threat after WR Roy Williams <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6766>. * Speaking of receivers, it is official: Detroit's Charles Rogers <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6338> is a bust. A week after catching 3 balls for 71 yards, he was shutout this past week. Rogers is lazy and runs poor routes. He looked extremely lethargic last week vs. the Saints and struggled to get open vs. man coverage or find the voids in their zone coverage. Rogers, who tested positive for a banned substance this season, and the Lions are set to square off this offseason because the Lions would like to recoup some of his signing bonus money. We may be seeing his last career game in a Detroit uniform this weekend. * The Detroit Lions <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=det> injury woes continue at linebacker. WLB James Davis <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6480> was the last remaining starter from the group that opened the season. SLB Boss Bailey <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6370> and MLB Earl Holmes <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3645> have been fighting injuries all season long. Davis left in the 3rd quarter this past week and did not return. He will be listed as questionable on the injury report. * If Detroit is going to stop the run, they will need a big day from DT Shaun Rogers <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5508>. Despite being stuck in the midst of another awful season from the Lions franchise, there has been no quit in the Pro Bowler. He came up with his third consecutive big play in three weeks vs. New Orleans. Rogers provided the only TD of the game when he forced a fumble and scooped it up before rambling 21 yards for the score. Rogers will be counted on heavily this week to make plays in front of a beat up and battered linebacking unit. Rogers can be effective both playing 1-gap and 2-gap schemes. Look for the Lions coaches to slant him a little more this week in an effort to get him into gaps and into the Steelers backfield. There isn't much point in letting him stack blocks in front of an out-manned linebacking corps that will be lacking in playmaking ability. If Rogers can get into the backfield and make the Steelers running backs change directions, Detroit's defense will have a chance to rally to the ball and make plays at and around the line of scrimmage. Special Teams Lions RS Eddie Drummond <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6182> returned from a two-week layoff to provide a spark in the return game. He did not have much success as a punt return man, but did have a nice 48-yard kick return. When healthy, Drummond is still one of the top return men in the NFL. If the Lions have any chance to win this week, they will need Drummond to have a big day in terms of being able to set up the Lions struggling offense with good field position. For consecutive weeks, the Steelers got a big punt return from Randle El. The only difference this past week was that he put the ball on the ground after a big return. Pittsburgh's cover units have been a little up and down, but they need a big game this week to try to contain Drummond. He may be the best offensive weapon the Lions have, so containing him should be a top priority. Matchups * Pittsburgh DC Deshea Townsend <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4346> vs. Detroit WR Roy Williams <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6766> * Detroit DC Dominic Raiola <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5497> vs. Pittsburgh NT Casey Hampton <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5466> * Detroit DC Dre Bly vs. Pittsburgh WR Hines Ward <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4323> * Pittsburgh ILB James Farrior <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3938> vs. Detroit RB Artose Pinner <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6435> * Detroit LOT Jeff Backus <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5465> vs. Pittsburgh ROLB Joey Porter <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4723> Scouts' Edge On paper this game is no contest. You have a struggling Lions offense that did not score an offensive TD last week going up against a rejuvenated Pittsburgh defense that pitched a shutout on the road at Cleveland. Pittsburgh could also need this game to guarantee a playoff spot. Pittsburgh is a veteran team that knows how to win when the games matter, and Cleveland found that out the hard way last week. The Steelers will keep doing what got them here. They will establish the run early, mix in some throws from Roethlisberger and try to jump out to an early lead. Once they do that, they will bring in the Bus and start hammering away on the Lions defense and the game clock. Their goal is to shorten the game as much as possible. The Lions must establish the run, too. This will take pressure off Harrington. If they can't run the ball, the Steelers will bring a lot of blitz pressure into Harrington's face which will result in multiple turnovers in passing situations. Give Detroit credit because they have not quit, but they are in completely over their heads this week on the road. Pittsburgh has everything to play for. They sent a message to the rest of the league last week in Cleveland, and Detroit should expect to see more of the same in this one. Prediction: Steelers 27, Lions 10 |
These people are wrong. They need to do their research before making predictions.
Lions 42, Steeler 4. |
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