Gospel 8...Rocky Mountain High

I don’t expect Ryan Clark or Travis Kierschke to play this week. The Ryan Clark situation is unique…I will not question Clark’s heart or desire to play the game. Clark plays the game with zero respect for his body…The man is willing to leave body parts and brain cells on the field so his team will win…He is not willing to risk his life…When sudden death is one of the side effects of your decision making process you get a pass from me. Travis Kierschke has a partially torn calf muscle…If he can’t move he can’t play…Nick Eason Ziggy Hood and Sunny Harris must step up and fill the void.

 

During that bye week I was bitching about; I had time to sit down and think how will the Broncos attack the Steelers defense without Ryan Clark Aaron Smith or Travis Kierschke? I give Josh McDaniels a ton of credit…He does a great job of putting players in positions to succeed with his play design and play calling. The Broncos skill position weapons don’t scare me…The Broncos offensive line is nowhere near what it was…In my opinion the most critical injury of the week is Broncos right tackle Ryan Harris…Nick Eason has played a ton in this league…Tyrone Carter has played a ton in this league…Tyler Polumbus has started ½ of a game in this league. The Broncos running game and passing game is middle of the pack…The Broncos offense needs to find a way to score points this week.

 

 

The Broncos offense is led by Kyle Orton…Orton is not very talented…He doesn’t have a strong arm, He is not very mobile in the pocket…He won’t take many chances with the ball.…He won’t make poor decisions with the ball to lose games. I heard a stat that I can’t confirm anywhere…Kyle Orton has won the most games in the NFL over the past 5 years when his team has failed to score more than 18 points. Kyle Orton is the ultimate game manager. If Orton is forced to make plays he is a below average quarterback...If Orton is playing with the lead he is a winner. The Broncos wide receiver core is talented…Pittsburgh born Brandon Marshall is a beast…He is a big nasty strong receiver who can make plays all over the field…He does drop a ton of balls…He will still run wrong routes…Marshall is streaky…If he starts the game making plays he will be a Pro Bowl receiver throughout the game…If he starts the game with a drop he will pout and be a non factor in the game…One thing I have noticed this year…Marshall is not giving near the effort in the run game…He is a man playing for his next contract. I expect Ike Taylor to lock up with Marshall all over the field…Taylor has the ability to shut him down…Taylor must locate the ball in the air. The Broncos B wide receiver is Eddie Royal…Royal is struggling in this offense…He is averaging 8 yards per catch… Royal doesn’t have the size or strength to beat coverage…Royal needs a free release off the line of scrimmage to make plays. Willie Gay had some issues with big strong receivers…Royal is the type of player Willie Gay has a ton of success against…Royal can’t run by Gay…Gay will win most of the 50-50 balls in the air against Royal…The Broncos C receiver Jabar Gaffney is a solid possession receiver with limited play making ability…I expect Deshea Townsend to draw Gaffney in coverage most of the day in coverage…Its an interesting matchup on paper…Should be real interesting on Monday night football…Townsend has played games like he was 26…He has played other games like he was 46…Townsend needs to be sharp this week…If the Steelers blow a coverage Orton will find the open receiver. Lastly the Broncos D receiver is Steelers killer Brandon Stokley…Stokley has killed the Steelers most of his career…He is one of  receivers who scare the poo out of me this week....He must be accounted for when he sees the field. The Broncos use their tight ends as extra tackles for the most part…McDaniels doesn’t utilize the tight ends nearly enough in this offense. Daniel Graham is a very good blocker….He is not much of a threat in the passing game…Tony Scheffler on the other hand is a terrible blocker and fantastic receiver…He is the other receiving threat that scares the poo out of me.

 

The Broncos backs are pretty good…I know most of the free world is enamored with rookie running back Knowshon Moreno…I watched the kid play three years at UGA and he is exactly what I expected…Very average. He can’t play big in the NFL…He doesn’t have the speed or quickness to out run pro players…and lastly his ball security is a lot like Rashard Mendenhall’s. Moreno is a more of a threat in the passing game this week than the run game. Somehow someway Correll Buckhalter continues to make plays in the NFL. Buckhalter has elite vision and he runs behind his pads…He finds a crease and attacks the hole. A point of concern for the Broncos has to be blitz pickup…Both Moreno and Buckhalter have struggled to take on rushing backers…Their issues were more physical than mental…That’s a terrible sign for McDaniels and the Broncos offense.

 

Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady is the best tackle in the NFL…If Clady has his struggles it’s against athletic big men…I expect Brett Kiesel to give Clady fits…Clady is best when he can absorb a defender and redirect him away from the ball carrier…Kiesel’s quickness and length will force Clady to man up and blow Kiesel off the ball…I don’t think Clady has the sand in his pants to beat up Kiesel in the run game…I do not expect Kiesel to make a bunch of tackles for a loss…I don’t expect Kiesel to have a sack…I expect Kiesel to fill his gap and force ball carriers into the pursuit…At the end of the day that’s a win for the Steelers and Kiesel in the run game. James Harrison and Ryan Clady will be the marquee matchup in pass pro…As I stated earlier I believe Ryan Clady is the best left tackle in the game today…James Harrison maybe the best outside linebacker in the NFL…What I do know…James Harrison is the best prime time defender in the NFL…When the lights go on for a national evening game…James Harrison is a beast; 9 sacks 6 forced fumbles 2 interceptions and 2 touchdowns last season including the playoffs in prime time games…My money is on Deebo in this matchup. Broncos left guard Ben Hamilton has stuck around the NFL for a long time…He is the ultimate technician…He is poetry in motion at left guard. In pass pro Hamilton and Kiesel should be a boring matchup from a Steelers perspective…I don’t expect much out of Kiesel rushing the passer…That’s more of compliment to Hamilton than an indictment of Kiesel. Hamilton and Broncos right guard Chris Kuper will be forced to help undersized center Casey Weigmann with Steelers nose guard Casey Hampton on every interior run play…I expect Hampton to beat some double teams this week…Hampton is the best interior run defender in the NFL…What he did against John Sullivan of the Vikings should be criminal…He beat Sullivan down. A matchup I look forward to seeing this week is Chris Kuper and Evander Ziggy Hood in pass pro…Kuper is a very under rated guard…This should be a stiff test for Hood. Rookie Tyler Polumbus gets his first start in the NFL at right tackle. I expect Polumbus to hold up in the run game against Nick Eason…Eason will hold his gap…He won’t make many plays…I once again considered that a win for the Black and Gold. Where Polumbus will be tested is in pass pro by Lamar Woodley…I expect Woodley to dominate this matchup to the point the Broncos are forced to help Polumbus every passing play that is not a 3 step drop.

 

My expectations are simple…The Steelers have too many weapons on defense for the Broncos offense to handle. Troy, Farrior, Timmons, Harrison and Ike can make plays all over the field against a team lacking playmakers. Tyrone Carter is a far better free safety than strong safety…The Broncos will be limited to 3 man routes in the passing game to limit the Steelers pass rush…No team runs the ball against the Steelers. Josh McDaniels can draw up a great game plan…He doesn’t have the bullets to attack or stop this defense.

 

Bruce Arians keeps calling winners…Steelers skill position players either make plays or turn the ball over…I’m kidding…Arians offensive design is golden…Play calling I have issues with at times. I would like the Steelers to change up the audibles in the run game...I would like to see a few delays/draws against base defensive formations…When the Steelers audible out of run plays defenses counter with 2/3 deep zones…Steelers could hit some big runs just with formations…10-12 yards a clip. The offensive line is now one of the strengths of this team…Wow who would have thunk it? The Steelers skill position players have to concentrate on ball security…They have to catch and protect the ball. The Broncos defense is deep and fast…Mike Nolan had 2 weeks to cook up a defensive game plan to stop this offense…The Steelers better be prepared for a ton of looks…Nolan is going to throw everything he has at this offense…The key to the game is Ben throwing the ball in rhythm…If Ben decides not to hit the hot reads against blitz packages…He will be had in this game…The Broncos have a ton of playmakers on defense who will eat him up. Nolan will drop 7-8 guys into coverage at times…Ben will have 4-5 chances to make big plays to Holmes or Wallace down field…Ben has to take what’s there…Let the receivers do the work. Something that has been missing from the Steelers offense this year is Ben scrambling…Don’t be surprised if Ben kills the Broncos with some timely runs at opportune times. I believe the Steelers run game will be the deciding factor in this game…I’m of the opinion the Broncos have not seen a running game like the Steelers. The Vikings run game is nothing like the Steelers run game. The Steelers offensive line is massive…Plenty of teams have massive offensive lines…Most teams don’t have 3 players on the edges who weigh more than 260 pounds…Heath Miller David Johnson(FB) and Matt Spaeth…When the Steelers go true power I along with Hines Ward that’s a nasty offensive set…That’s one set I expect to see a ton of against the Broncos…The Broncos strength on defense is speed quickness rallying to the ball as a unit…Power formations force undersized players into the box…Out of space where the quickness advantage is eliminated…I don’t expect Cowher ball…I do expect a ton of power run game out of jumbo sets.

 

I will be amazed if the Broncos cover Santonio Holmes with Andre Goodman…The Broncos in the past have covered Hines Ward with Champ Bailey…That’s what I expect in this game. Holmes should own Goodman…Holmes route running is top of the food chain…He loses nothing in and out of breaks…If the Steelers establish a run game that safety help over the top will be late…The Broncos can be had in the vertical passing game. I expect Bailey to shut down and limit Hines Ward production…Bailey is slick and strong…Ward doesn’t have the wheels to run past him…Referees are looking for the Hines Ward push off so he can’t use his moxie to cheat and get open…Ward’s value will be in the run game…Dumervil and Haggan better have their heads on a swivel…Ward will be head hunting. Alphonso Little Prime Smith should lock up with Mike Wallace in coverage…Smith is very quick…He cannot run down the field with Wallace…Wallace has for real speed…Smith has decent speed…Mike Nolan will not allow the Steelers offense time to pick him apart…I expect Wallace to hit the arrow route for 50+ yard touchdown this week…3 Step drop the safeties will be up…Twins right (2 receivers to the right) Ward will run a quick out…Holmes will run a quick out…Wallace will take 2 steps forward and then hit the quick slant…Catch him if you can. Limas Sweed should dress for this game…If he sees action…He will make some plays…He may not catch a ball…His willingness to block could make him a difference maker. Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth should be tough covers for the Broncos linebacking core. Andra Davis is a piece of shit…He struggles to make plays period. DJ Williams has been a brilliant fit inside for the Broncos defense…He may be the most under rated interior player in the NFL this season. If the Broncos are forced to help the backers in coverage with Miller or Spaeth it will be a long night for the home team on Monday. The Broncos have 2 skilled vets manning the safety positions…Brian Dawkins is nowhere near the player he once was…Dawkins is still a skilled playmaker…His reaction time has slowed…He has lost a step…Renaldo Hill is solid…He reminds me of Chris Hope…He keeps plays in front of him…He is always around the ball…He is dependable…He is not athletically gifted…If he doesn’t read the play immediately he can be had deep in coverage.

 

Max Starks should have no problems with Kenny Peterson in the run game…Peterson doesn’t have the skill set to beat Starks in the run game…He is not quick enough or strong enough…I expect Starks to wall off Peterson in the run game at will. Elvis Dumervil will be another test for Max Starks…Over his past 20 starts Starks has faced down and dominated…DeMarcus Ware, Shawn Merriman, Kyle Van Den Bosch, Antwan Odom, Terrell Suggs Jared Allen…Basically Starks has dominated every elite rusher teams have put in front of him…I expect Starks the same from Starks this week. I believe Nolan will be forced to move Dumervil around…Dumervil on Colon is the matchup that concerns me the most this week…Dumervil destroyed John St Clair of the Browns…Nolan will look to exploit every mismatch he can create…Dumervil on Colon is a major mismatch. The Broncos other linebackers are journeymen with very little ability…Darrell Reid is a rush specialist…Doesn’t concern me…Mario Haggan is very athletic…He can’t beat a block to save his life. Colon should maul Steelers castoff Ryan McBean in the run game. Steelers guards Chris Kemoeatu and Trai Essex will be forced to help Justin Hartwig early in drives with Broncos nose tackle Ronnie Fields…Fields is hell on wheels early in drives…6-8 plays into a drive his motor begins to shut down and he can be man blocked by Hartwig…That should allow a free release by the Steelers guards on DJ Williams and Andra Davis. The Broncos will roll a ton of bodies at the Steelers…Most of the players are decent in limited action…Vonnie Holiday is still stealing a paycheck…Marcus Thomas found a soft landing spot…LeKevin Smith is a legitimate interior pass rusher…Smith could give Kemo fits.

 

I believe the Steelers big bodies will wear out the Broncos defense. If the Broncos show too many overload sets the Steelers could down block the play side and collapse the line of scrimmage…Only way that can happen is with Tight Ends who can run block…If Miller Johnson and Spaeth show they can collapse the edges the Broncos cannot stop the Steelers running game. Nolan is going to be forced to sell out the run…He is going to be forced to bring heat…The best way to beat the blitz is with a smart running game.  Mendy and Parker must attack the holes and protect the freaking ball…Mendy makes this offense so special…He is a stopper in blitz pickup…He has soft hands and quick feet in space.

 

 

Kicking game I give to the Steelers. Return game I call even. Both teams struggle to cover kicks.

 

 

Steelers 27

Broncos 13