Super Bowl Player Rankings

[Smidgeon]

A relatively meaningless ESPN article (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2010/news/story?id=6060768) ranking the two active rosters by their Scouts Inc. Typically I don't put much stock in these things, but I'll allow myself to be a little delusional and think their Scouts section pays more attention to actual skill than pundits do.

My notes:
1) Pittsburgh has a higher total team average rank (52.83 v 54.17)
2) Pittsburgh has three of the top 5
3) Green Bay has 7 of the top 10 with Pittsburgh having no players ranked in the 6-10 range
4) Pittsburgh has 16 of the top 30
5) Green Bay has 22 of the top 40
6) Green Bay has 25 of the top 48
7) Matt Flynn ranks at 36th overall
8) Green Bay's lowest starter will be Francois at 97, Howard Green at 76, Zombo at 75, Korey Hall at 65, or Walden at 59.
9) If the Packers open in 3-4, their defenseive starters average 23.27
10) If the Packers open in 2-4, their defenseive starters average 23.73
11) If the Packers open in 3-3, their defenseive starters average 20.64
12) The Packers offense (1 TE, 1 FB, 1 RB) averages 29.45
13) The Packers only offensive players in the top 30 are Rodgers (2), Jennings (7), Sitton (10), Wells (22), and Clifton (24)
14) Roethlisberger only got the nod over Rodgers because of his 2 for 2 Super Bowl record
15) Jennings had the best year for a WR in the league
16) Woodson has no cornerback peer because of his versatility
17) Sitton = best guard in NFL
18) Wells = one of the better centers in the NFL
19) Nelson called a playmaker

In short, the Steelers may have the edge in top playmakers, but the Packers have the edge in total playmakers. I like the Packers chances, even if I think Polomalu should be ranked #1, Harrison #5, and Big Ben #3.

EDIT: And I don't know the who Steelers starters well enough to actually do a statistical comparison.

[Packers4Glory]

espn garbage piece.

[bobblehead]

My impression from watching a lot of steelers games is:

Steelers are about a push at QB. Ben plays different, but is just as effective.

Steelers are better run blocking, but Packers pass block better.

Packers have better skill position talent overall. Best player in Jennings, better utility with guys like Kuhn, Jordy, Jones and all. Wallace for Pitt has become something special though, and the gap isn't huge.

On D the LB's for Pitt are very superior to ours. Lets call Harrison and Clay a push (who you favor depends what color you wear). After that Pitt wins every position in my opinion.

DL is close, but edge to packers. Probably the 2 best 3-4 DL's in the league. Jenkins, Pickett and then depth with Wilson and Green give us a slight edge. NT is about a push. Raji is better as a rusher, but Hampton collapses the pocket nicely and just can't be moved in the run game.

CB is where we make up the difference from the LB's. Even though the best player on D is Polamolu, after that I think the pack wins each of the next 4 players. we all know about our guys, TWill, Wood, Collins and SS. Pitt has Ryan clark at the other safety. If Skin hates Bigby I would love to hear him analyze Clark. Slow, big hitter, can't cover TE's. Ike Taylor gets good press, but in the 5 steeler games I watched this year he wasn't as good as Shields in my opinion. He is considered the better CB though, and even though I don't know the other guy, or the nickel, I know Taylor wouldn't get much time on our D. Problem is as I've said in the past. Its hard to expose that weakness with the QB lying flat on his back.

There you have my analysis of the game. MM is likely to drive me nuts calling 8 running plays all game, but in this case its likely the right move. You don't run on Pitt. You just hope that our great OL coach has them up to the task of giving ARod time.....oh boy.

[Fritz]

I think Wells is going to have his hands full, like all centers do, with Casey Hampton.