So Steelers Superfan #1, David McCoy is joined us this week for our weekly Q&A – Super Bowl edition. (Man, that does have a nice ring to it!)

1) Is the Pouncey injury the last straw for the Steelers’ offensive line? Do you believe they have enough to handle the front of Jenkins/Raji/Pickett, coupled with whatever exotic blitz schemes Capers draws up?

The Steelers’ offensive line has been making my stomach turn for years. Last season, remember, it gave up the second-most sacks in the league (50), only Green Bay had more (51). This year, only seven teams allowed more sacks, and only one of those seven made the playoffs (Chicago, with the most). Over the past few seasons, the O-line play has been one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) liabilities on the team. And the Pouncey injury definitely hurts, especially against a Green Bay front that will really bring the heat. I’ll be honest – it makes me really nervous. But I take comfort in a couple of things. One, despite the unit’s pass-protect struggles, they’ve been a very good in the running game – top 1/3 in the league. And if they can effectively run the ball (like they usually do), there aren’t as many pass blocking situations where things can go wrong. And Two, Ben Roethlisberger. If it were any other quarterback in that pocket, pass protection would be a much bigger issue. But he is a big, tough guy to bring down… and quite often, he’s at his BEST after the pocket breaks down. If Jay Cutler or Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers was this line’s QB, it would be a bigger problem. But Roethlisberger makes a huge difference. Doug Legursky has some big shoes to fill. But by all accounts, aside from the fumbled snap that allowed a safety, he played pretty well against the Jets. He’s no Pro Bowler Pouncey, but he’ll be alright.

2) Outside of Ben Roethlisberger, who is the most important offensive player for the Steelers on Sunday and why?

No question, it’s Rashard Mendenhall. I do not want to get into a game where it’s Roethlisberger v. GB’s secondary, up against Rodgers v. Pitt’s secondary. The Packers win that game. Green Bay’s secondary is deeper, and a little better. So Pittsburgh HAS to be able to run the ball. An effective running game will do two things – allow Green Bay’s front seven fewer opportunities to make a big play against suspect pass-blockers, and minimize the amount of times Roethlisberger has to throw into that secondary. All that aside… when Rashard is on, he can take over a game himself. So that would be big too.

3) Put yourself in Dick LeBeau’s shoes for a minute. What kind of game plan would you roll out against Aaron Rodgers?

I bring pressure. I make Bryan Bulaga earn his paycheck. I bring Polamalu up for a play… in coverage for two… up for one, back for two….. over and over. Woodley and Harrison are coming on nearly every play. I do not allow Rodgers time,  and I put him on his back as many times as possible. That’s easier said than done… but One, I like my chances against Green Bay’s O-line, and Two, I don’t like my chances if Rodgers has time to make reads. And this is not a defense designed to drop into coverage, anyway. This is a defense designed to blitz, with players who can make big plays.

4) Some analysts say the Packers have more talent, but the Steelers have more experience. Some also say they would take talent over experience any day. When the ball is kicked off, how much do you think that experience will matter?

I don’t put a whole lot of stock in the whole experience thing. I think it absolutely helps to a certain degree, but not nearly enough to decide the game. Impact on the game, yes… Big impact, no. And I’m not so sure the Packers have more talent, either. I think, position by position, the talent is pretty equal, aside from an advantage at RB for Pitt, and a (slight) advantage for Green Bay at DB. All things being equal, I think you throw those kind of things out the window. These are two very evenly matched teams, and one or two plays are going to decide this one. It might be a fumble on special teams, an interception by a No. 5 cornerback in a nickel package, or a touchdown by a third-down running back. And in that case, experience and talent don’t apply.

5) Where do you see the biggest advantage and disadvantage between these two teams and who is more likely to exploit them?

Here’s what I think: (Just my opinion)
QB – Slight advantage Pit
RB – Advantage Pit
TE – Advantage Pit
O-line – Advantage GB
WR – Slight advantage GB
D-line – Push
LB – Push
DB – Slight Advantage GB
ST – Advantage GB

To answer your question, there’s no blaring mismatch that stands out. That’s one thing that makes this game so intriguing and so tough to call. But the biggest difference I see is that the Steelers run the ball better than Green Bay, and the Steelers stop the run better than Green Bay. Both of these teams can throw it, both of these teams can defend/attack the throw. But there’s not the disparity between the two that there is in the running game. As I think I said on the podcast, I see this game being won or lost on the matchup between the Steelers run game vs. the Green Bay D-line. The team that wins that matchup wins the game.

Final Prediction:

I think we’re in store for one hell of a game. One where you don’t want to turn away for a single play. It’s probably a good thing that the Black Eyed Peas are playing the halftime show, because that’s the only chance I’ll get to pee. And at least I won’t be missing anything.
Steelers 24, Packers 23

_____

Thanks to David McCoy from South Bend joining us this week. I really don’t have anything nice to say to him, so as always feel free to rip his takes below.

-Adam Somers

Let’s get down to business.

Here are three things the Green Bay Packers must, must, must do if they are to advance to the Su…wait…I don’t even want to say that phrase yet…defeat the Chicago Bears in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game (still get chills writing that).

• Win the special teams battle. Or, at the very least, draw to a push.

If you’re like me, you believe the rest of this paragraph to be truth. The Packers are an eight offensively; the Bears are about a six. The Packers are an eight defensively; the Bears are a nine. That tilts the scales Green Bay’s way – until you factor in the special teams, where the Packers sit at five (and a generous five at that) and the Bears at nine.

In other words, if Chicago is to win the game, that will be where it does so. The Bears are absolutely lethal in all things special teams. They cover returns well, their specialists are elite (particularly at home) and then there’s that Hester guy, perhaps the best returner the game has ever seen.

Go ahead and talk about the Packers’ record-setting penalty numbers from the first Soldier Field game all you want. The real reason they lost is simple: Twice – twice! – Green Bay decided to kick the ball to Hester. He set up a score the first time; he plain ol’ scored the second time. Yep, that was about it.

That can not – repeat: CAN NOT – happen Sunday. The Packers figured it out the second time around, thanks to some great directional punting from America’s favorite ginger, Tim Masthay. They need to do it again. Hester’s big returns are as crucial mentally as they are in terms of field position. He breaks those returns and the entire team, the entire stadium, gets rocking.

And, oh yeah, if Green Bay could break a big return or two, that’d sure help things a lot against that defense. But, really, the Packers don’t necessarily have to excel on special teams Sunday. It’s more important to neutralize the Bears in that area. I’ll take a tie in that department, because a win would come out of that.

• Get an early lead

This is absolutely essential, for a couple different reasons.

The first is a mental one. The Bears thrive on their tough-guy mindset. They want to knock you down early and then loom over you for four quarters, making you fearful to get up and attack them back. A bully mindset? Perhaps, but it’s served them more than well throughout the season. And we all know the best way to beat a bully is to deliver that first punch.

The second is tactical. Chicago, as always under Lovie Smith, will aim to shorten the game as much as possible. Get an early lead and grind it out with its defense and running back Matt Forte. If Forte can get into the 20-plus carry range, the Packers could very well be in trouble. A physical, tough runner with above-average speed, Forte could present some major problems for a defense that is still suspect against the rush.

No, the Packers don’t want that. What they want is to turn the game into Jay Cutler vs. Aaron Rodgers.

We all like to take our shots at Cutler – he really makes it too easy most of the time – but the fact of the matter is he’s been very good as of late. Eight touchdowns and just four picks in his last four games, including a very nice showing against Seattle last weekend. Still, no one knows how he’ll fare in a playoff game against a defense that isn’t from the Pacific Northwest.

Well, let’s find out. Make sure you’re ahead 10-3 or 7-0 in the second quarter. Make him feel like he has to beat you. Frankly, I don’t think he’s got enough bullets to do it, not with his tendency to give the opponent some shots at turnovers.

(By the way, Jay, we all talked it over and it’s totally cool if you want to throw at No. 38 a bunch. Really, he’s not that good. You should go for it!)

• For the love of all things holy, make sure Bryan Bulaga has some help on the right side

Julius Peppers will be lining up opposite Bulaga on Sunday. You know it. I know it. Dead people know it.

And why wouldn’t he? He’s destroyed Bulaga countless times in their two matchups this season, including getting Bulaga to jump offsides three times in the second game. He’ll aim to do so again in this one. And it might only take one Bulaga error for Peppers to break through for a game-changing play.

Mike McCarthy can not allow for this. Look, we all know Mike Mac doesn’t like to give his linemen too much help. Keeping extra guys in to block takes away from what he wants to do in the passing game. I get that. But he needs to re-think that approach here. Peppers must be neutralized at every turn. Bulaga may be able to do so on his own in time, but he’s not ready for that challenge just yet. He needs help. Give it to him.

Make sure Tom Crabtree is over there. Get Brandon Jackson or Donald Lee that way. Heck, put B.J. Raji over there if need be. But do not expect Bulaga to hold his own, one-on-one, for 60 minutes with that beast.

There are likely some things I’ve left out (feel free to toss in your thoughts in the comments section below). But, really, I believe if the Packers can successfully nail these three things, they will win Sunday and advance to the Su…the Sup…

Nope. Still can’t say it. Yet.

-Chris Lempesis

Anyways, what I am trying to say is that even though it was a low-scoring game, it provided encouragement that this team can win a close game heading into madhouse that is the NFL playoffs. With Gene driving back from Green Bay and Chris on the road from Milwaukee, here are some of quick reactions from Sunday’s game.

• I thought Eric Walden had his breakout game a few weeks ago in Foxboro when he basically wasn’t a liability against the Patriots. How was I ever so wrong about that?
• Chris will have more about this sometime this week, but is there a better player that represents the 2010 Packers than Walden? Not Rodgers, not Matthews, but guys like Walden, Howard Green, Sam Shields, Desmond Bishop, etc. that were either not on the team or expected to have much impact stepping up huge in key games? Never underestimate guys like Walden and Green who for them there might not be a tomorrow in the league.
• Outside of Walden, the MVP of the defense today was Charles Woodson. Raji played elite again and Matthews was all over the place, but the pressure from Woodson made Cutler uncomfortable the whole second half.
• More on this later this week, but the key to stopping Vick will be Woodson.
• It was a tough 10 points and the first half wasn’t pretty, but this a tough Bears defense who were at the top of their game today. The low score was more indicative of that and not a poor game by the Packers’ offense.
• They corrected it at halftime, but those drops cannot continue. It is nothing new from Jones, but everyone else? If that happens next week, it will be a short visit to the playoffs again.
• Gene tweeted it the best after the game: “Thanks, Lovie, for playing your starters and proving we can beat you anyway.”
• Our friends at Bleeding Green Nation also had a good quote Sunday night about the next week’s game: “This game pits the NFC’s best defense against the NFC’s best offense. It’ll be exciting.” Hard to argue with that.
• Read that Rodgers said after the game the offense needs to carry the load next week, couldn’t agree more.
  
• Bryan Bulaga. Didn’t like all of those false starts, but even more didn’t like you pointing fingers and not accepting blame at the end.
• Tim Masthay was the Special Teams MVP today, not Tramon Williams. He kept the ball away from Hester for most of the game and had his best performance since the Jets game.
• However, that doesn’t take anything away from Williams’ return which might have been the turning point of the game.
  
• Sorry McCarthy, but I think the league has caught onto John Kuhn.
• Have no real complaints about the coaching today, but the cute throwback at the goal line is something you try in October against the Lions, not in Week 17 with the playoffs on the line.
• We have been hard on McCarthy’s success in close games, so here is your due Mike Mac. You were victorious today in a close game that was essentially a playoff game for the Packers. Now carry this over to the playoffs and we’ll try to lay off.
  
• Donald Lee is turning into a poorman’s Bubba Franks.
• Saw some talk this past week about Rodgers and Williams being snubbed for the Pro Bowl. First, it’s the Pro Bowl and is not that big of a deal. Second, if you are going to talk about snubs it needs to start with Raji who is playing as well as any interior defensive lineman right now.
• My midseason defensive MVP was Matthews, but it may be hard NOT to give the end of the year award to Raji (aka, Bearclaw).
• It is way too early to think about the draft, but to everyone who watched the Rose Bowl, wouldn’t TCU’s Tank Carder look good in green and gold?
  
• Was hoping the game would be picked by NBC for Saturday night, but thrilled it is at 3:30 CST on Sunday. I have important broomball game earlier that afternoon .
• Roger Goodell has made a lot of questionable decisions, but having divisional games in Week 17 was one of his best ones this year.
  
• If the Packers defense puts together yet another top performance like they did today, they will win in Philly.
  
• I have been on record about my hatred of Michael Vick (p.s. listen to our podcast) and that hasn’t change. I like dogs and you suck Vick.
• It wasn’t the path we all expected, but the playoffs are here!

We will have a lot to talk about this week and will probably record an epic podcast, so gang you know where to turn to. Like the Packers, there is no tomorrow if you lose in the playoffs. Well, I guess there is for us, but we aren’t ready for any savagery just yet.

-Adam Somers

A strawberry-filled glazed donut goes to…CMIII, Claymaker, Clay Matthews. This donut is the creme de la creme donuts and there is no better receipt than Matthews. When given a box of donuts, this donuts in the centerpiece that ties the whole box together, as well as the most coveted. Without it, the rest of the dozen doesn’t look as appealing. Put on film of the Miami game to see how appealing the defense looks without Matthews.

A Bavarian creme-filled donut goes to…Tramon Williams. This is the silky smooth donut of the dozen and would be an MVP of any donut batch if the the strawberry-filled glazed donut isn’t there. Williams have made such a smooth transition to elite-level status that he is still a bit under-the-radar nationally. He truly has been the MVP of the defense outside of Matthews and his play as just been so smooth and so good this year, just like this donut.

A bearclaw goes to…B.J. Raji. This donut is the strength of the box and only the big boys even dare to maul it. No one has displayed the the strength and nastiness more than Raji so far this year, so this donut is very fitting. Also, even the big boys across the line are having second thoughts of trying to block B.J. “Bearclaw” Raji (new nickname campaign!)

A two-day old stale cake donut goes to…Mark Tauscher’s performance against Chicago. Tauscher has always been of my favorites and it is too bad his season, and possibly his career, will end on I.R. However, against the Julius Peppers Tauscher looked very immobile and old. Sure, Peppers can do that to many offensive lineman, but this performance sticks out more than any others this year.

A pumpkin donut goes to…Tim Masthay v.s. New York Jets. This better than expected donut goes to Masthay. Based on his performances, or struggles, no one could have expected Masthay’s performance against the Jets, which landed him a Special Teams Player of the Week award. Granted the wind may have helped, but in a close, low-scoring game on the road, Masthay played a very important role.

A few donut holes go to…Brandon Jackson. The thing with donut holes that once you get a taste you keep on wanting more and more, and eventually they are quite delicious. This is what we are finding out with Jackson, the more touches he gets, the more we like.

A barber pole donut goes to…James Jones. We all know what the barber pole has two different flavors twisted together so every bite tastes different. No one typifies this more than Jones. One game he is great, one game he is awful. You just never know what kind of game you are going to get from Jones.

A vanilla-glazed long john goes to…Mason Crosby’s 56-yard field goal in Philadelphia. Wearing the road white uniforms (vanilla), Crosby’s career long field goal (long john) set the tone for the season in the opening week in a tough road spot.

A disgusting sour cream-filled donut goes to…Pepper Burruss. Who is Burruss? The team’s trainer who has presided over the litany of injuries this year. He cannot be held responsible for all the injuries, no one can, but the whole situation has cast a pall over the season. The injuries get this disgusting donut and it has to get to the man who treats these.

A reduced-fat, non-glazed donut goes to…Chad Clifton. This donut has no frills, but it is healthy! Clifton has been healthy for the first time in a while and the dividends have paid off, like a healthy donut has on your waistband. In a box full of empty calories and on a roster full of injuries, you need donuts like Clifton.

A multi-color sprinkle donut goes to…Green Bay 45, Dallas 7. This donut doesn’t go out to a single player, but rather a game. So much went well in this game and quite frankly it was just so much fun to watch. A sprinkled donut is a fan favorite for every donut eater, just like an ass-whipping of the Cowboys for Packer fans.

A powdered-sugar cake donut goes to…Johnny Jolly. Why does Jolly get this donut when he isn’t even on the team anymore? Well, think about this donut. It is a mess, gets white powder on your face and no one wants it. It is basically just a waste in the donut box. Jolly was a bearclaw, now he is a powdered-sugar cake donut. Way to go kid.

-Adam Somers

Top Rookie

Bryan Bulaga. The team’s top draft pick has lived up to expectations and has slowly become a force on the right side of the line. I still believe the ultimate goal is to move him over to the left side, but the way Clifton is playing there is  no need to. Bulaga has played so well that he has kept Mark Tauscher from regaining his starting role after his injury. To the fans who didn’t like the Bulaga pick this past April and wanted the team to go after a pass rusher or secondary help, this team wouldn’t be 6-3 without the solid, if not very good play, from the offensive line. That has a lot to do with Bulaga.

Runner up: Sam Shields

Most surprising player

Desmond Bishop. Not sure if it was Chris providing motivation to Bishop over twitter this summer that caused Bishop to raise his game or just simply taking advantage of an opportunity, but either way Bishop has been very solid since replacing Nick Barnett in the middle. His pick-six against Favre has definitely been one of the top moments so far in the 2010 season and he has eliminated many worries about how the team was going to fill Barnett’s shoes.

Runner up: Sam Shields (again!)

Comeback Player

A.J. Hawk. I always look at a comeback player to meet one of two traits: coming back from injury or tragedy the year before or rebounding from sheer disappointment in play. It is safe to say the team will have plenty of comeback candidates next year, but not many this year, so the award goes to Hawk after a disappointing 2009 season. While he has never reached his top-5 potential and probably never will, Hawk has had a very good first half and has become an important cog with all the injuries on defense. This will ultimately be his final year in a Packers’ uniform (unless he is willing to restructure his deal), but he is setting up for a pretty nice contract with someone else this offseason.

Runner up: Chad Clifton

Best Special Teams player

(TIE) Mason Crosby; Jarrett Bush. Special teams has definitely been one of the weakest areas of the team this year, but Crosby has bounced back nicely after a rocky ‘09 campaign. He is only 13-18 of FG’s this year, lower than his career average, but it just seems he is kicking with more confidence this year. Let’s not also forget about the 56-yard kick he made in Week One at Philly, impressive indeed. As for Bush, he has been the proverbial whipping-boy for OBOD since our inception, but let’s be honest when he is strictly playing special teams, he is one of the league’s best in that role. It is just when he is in pass coverage he gives us the willies. His play against Dallas definitely highlights his impact on the kick coverage units.

Top Defensive Player

Clay Matthews. I thought about typing another name in here as a joke, but I am honestly afraid Matthews would come after me in my sleep if I did. I do not need to give any explanation for Matthews receiving this award and if you don’t know why, you should probably stop cheering for the Packers.

Runner up(s): Tramon Williams, B.J. Raji

Top Offensive Player

Chad Clifton. Before any of you get in fits why I didn’t chose say a sexier name like Aaron Rodgers or Greg Jennings for this award, let me ask you this: For the first nine weeks, what Packer has played the best at their given position on the offensive side of the ball? It has been Clifton, hands down. Perhaps it is because he is fully healthy or maybe even he felt a little pressure that Bulaga was drafted for his job, but whatever the case is, Clifton is playing as well as he ever has in Packers’ uniform. In a span of three weeks he has shut down two of the game’s premier pass rushers in Jared Allen and DeMarcus Ware and has turned a position of weakness last year into one of the team’s strengths this year. Will the Packers’ chances to make a deep playoff run rest on the shoulders on Rodgers? Undoubtedly. But for right now, through the first half the season Clifton has been the team’s best offensive player.

Runner up: Aaron Rodgers

Team MVP

Clay Matthews. Could it be anyone else? The man has grown to be the most feared pass rusher in the game before our very eyes in just nine weeks. When there is talk of him being the league’s first defensive player to win MVP since Lawrence Taylor in 1986, he is easily been the team’s MVP. Matthews has also been so much more than a pass rusher as evidenced last week against Dallas. Teams need to focus on him every single play, run or pass, because he can be anywhere at anytime. Also, for all we know Matthews isn’t even playing 100% right now with his hamstring injury. At the end of the year, Matthews will be carrying home a lot of hardware and right now deserves the NFL MVP over Peyton Manning in my opinon. Remember, it was Charles Woodson who stole the Heisman from Manning as a defensive player, so it would be fitting for Matthews to do the same. The man is a pure animal with an endless motor and I could go on for another 1000 words describing the importance of the man known as “Claymaker”, but we already know all the reasons. Well done Mr. Matthews, well done indeed.

Runner up: Tramon Williams

As always folks, feel free to agree, disagree or blatantly rip my selections for the awards and their runner-ups. Some of these will more than likely change by the end of the season (I do feel pretty safe with Matthews, though), but that is the fun of it. Make sure to check back later this week when Chris and I give out our first-half donuts to the team.

-Adam Somers