Storyline: The Steelers just couldn’t put consistent pressure on Tom Brady, who had time to slice and dice Pittsburgh’s secondary.
Courtesy: Thesportsgrid.com
It was a one-sided show in Foxborough last Sunday night as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick progressed to their record- setting 7th Super Bowl with a 36-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The ‘Killer B’s’ were rendered ineffective largely due to the L’Veon Bell’s injury. And the Steelers’ defense couldn’t cope with the Patriots’ pass attack.
Pittsburgh’s chances were severed as soon as Bell left the game. DeAngelo Williams showed signs of promise with a 2nd Quarter touchdown, but he finished the game with 14 carries, 34 yards, and a 2.5 yards per carry average.
That lack of output heaped pressure for Big Ben to make plays and for Antonio Brown to gain yards after the catch. But Brown caught just seven passes for under 100 yards, and his longest gain was only 18 yards. That forced Roethlisberger to throw to Eli Rogers, Jesse James, and DeAngelo Williams, and New England was more than up to the task.
On the flip side, the Pats had a stellar offensive performance. Wide receiver Chris Hogan had a career game with 9 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a spectacular ‘flea-flicker’ for 34 yards.
Courtesy: NFL Spin Zone
The Steelers just couldn’t put consistent pressure on Tom Brady, who had time to slice and dice Pittsburgh’s secondary. It didn’t help when Pittsburgh dropped Bud Dupree into coverage, rather than having him rush the passer.
Ultimately–and just as I had predicted in my pre-game article–the game boiled down to turnovers and Pittsburgh’s inability to take a lead.
WHERE TO FROM HERE: The Steelers have clear objectives regarding team improvements. Will Gay needs help in the secondary and the defense needs to identify a replacement for the aging James Harrison.
The Patriots move on to face a supreme test in Atlanta’s offense. Conversely, the Falcons have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, ranking 27th for Points Allowed and 32nd in Red Zone Stoppages. If the Pats’ defense can do to the Falcons what it did to the Steelers, then New England should be able to score enough points to win the game. But make no mistake about it: while New England will arrive in Houston full of confidence, the game could come down to whether the Patriots can handle Atlanta’s elite offense.
Sources:
http://www.espn.co.uk/nfl/boxscore?gameId=400927750
http://www.espn.co.uk/nfl/boxscore?gameId=400927750
http://www.espn.co.uk/nfl/boxscore?gameId=400927750
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap3000000777940/Can-t-Miss-Play-Flea-flicker-alert-Brady-to-Hogan
http://www.espn.co.uk/nfl/boxscore?gameId=400927750
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2016/opp.htm
