As we get closer to game day, we seem to be overloaded with Super Bowl History and trivia. Like who are the most disliked players in the NFL. For those of you that don't know it appears Big Ben has displaced Michael Vick as the most disliked player and hanging in there is Patriots Tom Brady.
However I did read one article that I thought was interesting and relevant to the up coming super bowl. It asks the question, do the Steelers have a weakness an Achilles heel? According to Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports, yes they do.
Cole suggests the weakness is none other than vaunted Steel Curtain itself. His research reveals the way to get over on the Steelers is through the air. Others in the league have told him pass on Pittsburgh, attack them with a relentless aerial assault. Don't get me wrong, if it were that easy every team would have done it and someone other that Pittsburgh would be representing the AFC. In order to make the blitz-happy scheme, run by Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau, look downright average you need more than just to airing it out, you need the right personnel groups to make it happen.
Speed is the key. One NFC coordinator suggests the Green Bay's quarterback and receivers have to react faster than the Steel Curtain or the Pack will get killed. Making the case for that argument, is over the last five years and eight games, quarterbacks who have taken their teams to the Super Bowl have fared well against Pittsburgh. In fact quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Kurt Warner and yes Aaron Rodgers have done well, they averaged a 105.7 passing average accumulating 28.5 points per game with 20 touchdowns passes versus two picks and the Steelers did lose five out of eight of those games.
One AFC coach volunteered the Steelers prefer to hit people and are not a patient lot and are very uncomfortable sitting back in coverage. In fact is the Packers can find ways to avoid corner back Ike Taylor and safety Troy Polamula then they will be facing a less than average secondary.
What all this suggests is to run four and five receiver sets at Pittsburgh. These receivers cannot give up on a play and have to run crisp sharp routes. How the receivers line up will also be key to the Pack success. One coach opined they are best lining up three receivers to one side and just before the snap of the ball sending one in motion to limit the defensive scheme that Pittsburgh can use.
With Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Nelson and Jordy Nelson in the line up, Green Bay has the receiving corp to make the strategy work. In the plays offs this stable of receivers combined for 47 catches 620 yards and three touchdowns. Each of these receivers understands the success of the passing game depends on each of them doing their job, helping each other out, getting all them open so Rodgers can get rid of the ball quickly.
Does Pittsburgh have an Achilles heel certainly but knowing and exploiting it is two different things. Can Green Bay puncture the Steel Curtain? We'll see come Super Sunday.
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