It's Steelers/Patriots Week

Well, the week that we have all been anticipating since the NFL schedule was released back in April is now upon us.  The 11-2 Steelers take on the 10-3 Patriots this coming Sunday at Heinz Field.  At stake, in all likelihood, will be the overall Number One seed in the AFC and home field advantage in the AFC Championship game should both teams advance to that game.

The Steelers have certainly taken us on a thrilling ride over the course of this eight game winning streak.  Fourth quarter comebacks that have resulted in four victories that have culminated in three last-play-of-the-game field goals, and one FG in the last minute of a game.  Some people have said that the Steelers drive you crazy, but in all honesty, over the course of these come from behind wins over the Colts, Packers, Bengals, and Ravens, I have never felt that they were ever out of those games, and was not at all surprised that they ended up winning them.  Okay, when they were down 31-20 in the fourth quarter to the Ravens on Sunday night, maybe, possibly, I had just a teensy bit of doubt, but in the end, I wasn't surprised by the eventual outcome. As long as Ben Roethlisberger is leading that team, the Steelers are NEVER out of the game.

So, what happens this Sunday?  Well, I have always said that I would never pick the Marvin Lewis-led Bengals to beat the Steelers until such time as they actually would beat the Steelers (hasn't happened lately).  I fear that I must apply the same logic to a contest between the Steelers and the Patriots.  The Pats of Belichick and Brady have certainly had the the Steelers number over 

the years, winning the last four games that they have played. That makes it hard to imagine that the Patriots will not prevail once again.  Plus, New England should be plenty ticked off after losing to Miami last night, and while Tom Brady may be forty years old, he is still Tom Brady.   Still, I expect that the Steelers will show up on Sunday and play that game, and as I said, as long as #7 is throwing it to #84, the Steelers will never be out of that game.  I don't expect that they will be overwhelmed as they were in the AFC title game in Foxboro this past January.

Isn't there a saying in sports along the lines of "Something is always true until all of a sudden it isn't."  Perhaps this will be the Sunday where Patriots dominance over the Steelers will suddenly not be there any more.  Let's hope.

Then all that the Steelers will then have to do is beat the Pats  again in January when a trip to the Super Bowl will be at stake.

As I always say, games and situations like this is why we follow sports.