In short, the Jets won the battle in the trenches, and thus, they look like a team that could give the Steelers fits. Then again, some teams simply do not match up well against other teams, and the Jets have rarely beaten Pittsburgh. In fact, the Jets win last season was only their second win in 17 attempts. And, in the past two games against the Steelers, the Jets have only scored 12 points (four field goals).
But, this is the play-offs, and play-makers tend to step it up in the post-season. Hence, the game will likely be decided by simply looking at who is making more plays, and both teams have similar types of play-makers. The Jets have a Hall of Fame running back who is playing better than guys many years younger than him. Actually, that is an understatement: Curtis Martin led the NFL in rushing this year.
Similarly, Jerome Bettis is currently the healthiest he has ever been for the play-offs, with ever being the operative word. Bettis set a personal record for rushing touchdowns this season (13) and in all six of his starts, he gained at least 100 yards. In fact, Bettis not only led the Steelers in rushing and ended the season a mere 59 yards from the 1,000 yard mark (which has traditionally been the barometer of successful seasons), he did so in only six starts. That is amazing, and once again, the word "understatement comes to mind.
I have to tell the truth. Being on the "good" side of 30 years old myself, it feels great to watch the "old" guys taking it to the younger players.
Speaking of "old", history has show that teams that win championships do two things: run the ball and stop the run. Come Saturday, both teams will indeed prefer to run the ball. Furthermore, both defenses will be focused on stopping the run. Hence, whichever Hall of Fame running back is playing better should indicate which team will likely win.
Do not get me wrong; if either Martin or Bettis are indeed stuffed, their respective teams will in no way be out of the game. They will just have to win in a different fashion than by which they are accustomed.
Pennington and Roethlisberger are similar in that they are both heady: they use their smarts to keep plays alive, rarely make mistakes, and do not lose games for their teams. When called upon, both quarterbacks can and have put their team on their proverbial backs and led their teams to victory. But, that is not the game-plan either Herm Edwards nor Bill Cowher would prefer.
In other words, the play-offs are about being old-school (to use the vernacular of the youth), which entails running the ball and stopping the run. The Steelers do both better than anyone else in football.
Of course, if Pittsburgh is indeed successful, that means the ball will be placed in Pennington's hands...who can be dangerous if he is not pressured; just ask the Chargers. Fortunately, the Steelers can rely on Dick LeBeau's exotic blitz-schemes...and Farrior and Polamalu to implement them to perfection. [] In short, the Steelers need to follow the game plan that has been successful for them all year: Control the clock via a Hall of Fame running back, and force teams to throw the ball...to Farrior and Polamalu.
Can the Steelers do that against the Jets? If history is any indicator: absolutely.