January 2, 2010
NFL- Steelers need a miracle to go to the playoffs; Cinci and New England may lay down
By Audrey Nolan
The Pittsburg Steelers are having a difficult time this season: their spot to the playoffs is not secure; their record for the season has not been the best; and they are looking more and more distant from the team they were last year, when they went straight to the playoffs and won the National Championships.
If the Steelers reach the playoffs, it will be their fifth time in six years. First, though, they have to beat the Miami Dolpins on Sunday and wait to see if the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots will take wins in each of their Sunday games. And with a mediocre record of 8-7 and having lost the last five games in a row, the Steelers are hard up to secure a spot in the postseason.
With both teams having a wild card game next week, there is a strong possibility that Cincinnati and New England will put their best players to rest for this Sunday’s games. Although the lineup has not been confirmed yet, the possibility is enough to leave the Steelers concerned that they will miss the playoffs for the first time in six years.
Some even predict that Cincinnati and New England will lay down during their games simply to avoid seeing Pittsburg in the playoffs again.
"All of them lay down," Steelers linebacker Lamar Woodley claimed. "No one wants to see Pittsburgh in it. That's just how it is. Everybody knows we're a dangerous team once we get into the playoffs, no matter how we played the whole year. Once we get into the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers is a playoff team."
Safety Ryan Clark didn’t seem particularly convinced by Woodley’s claims. He laughed when asked what he thought about the theory that Cincinnati is avoiding Pittsburgh again in the playoffs. As he pointed out, Cincinnati has beaten the Steelers twice already in the regular season.
"To say Cincinnati doesn't want to face us, that would kind of be a little dumb, being that they beat us twice this season," Clark said. "So I'm sure they have a lot of confidence if they do have to play us."
And yet, the lineup remains a secret in New England. Coach Belichick has not yet revealed which players will be on the field during Sunday’s game. It is still unknown if Tom Brady is going to start up. It is, however, certain that the Patriots need to win on Sunday to enter into the playoffs. Belichick has stated that he will not mention the strategy or the players on the field for Sunday.
The bottom line for Pittsburg is that it needs to focus on Sunday’s game against Miami. It is going to be a challenge, since Miami needs a victory – desperately – to reach the playoffs.
Pittsburg has had an odd season, winning against good teams but losing against bad. The result: a forced victory on Sunday, and a need for more wins from other teams the same day.
About the Author
Audrey Nolan is a top senior copywriter for the NFL games as well as the top ranking online sports betting site: www.instantactionsports.com/uk/
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