Talking NFL

“Help me, Ben Roethlisberger…”

Naturally, the game that everyone is talking about this week is the Steelers vs Patriots tilt in Foxborough. There’s no question that the Steelers match up well with the Pats, featuring a tough running game led by Fast Willie Parker and the #1 defense in the league that can stuff the run game and put pressure on Brady. With unpopular New England on the home stretch of a possibly historic season, most NFL fans around the country will be passionately cheering on the Steelers.

And they’d better. Because if the Patriots win, they’re going undefeated.

Let’s take a look at New England’s remaining games after Sunday:

- Home vs Jets
- Home vs Dolphins
- Away vs Giants

Most everyone can agree that the Jets and Dolphins should not pose a problem for Belichick’s crew. However, some experts think that facing the Giants in the Meadowlands could be a tough challenge. Here are three reasons why it won’t be:

1) Eli Manning

2) The Giants cream puff schedule means they’re not that good (half of their wins have come against four of the worst teams in the league: the NY Jets, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Miami)

3) The game will probably mean nothing to the Giants

Take a look at the NFC Playoff picture; at 8-4, there’s no way the Giants are going to catch the 11-1 Cowboys for the NFC East (in fact the Cowboys just need to win one more game to clinch the division). However, they have a two-game advantage over the nearest teams competing for a Wild-Card berth.

The Giants next two games are against the Eagles and Redskins, two sub-.500 teams that they’ve all ready beaten before. Meaning that they could have the #5 seed locked up before they face the Bills in Week 16. If they have nothing to play for, will Coughlin rest his starters, or play them (and risk injury) simply to prevent the Patriots from going undefeated?

Personally, I’d rest my guys for the playoffs. (Then again, I’m a Patriots fan, so you probably saw that one coming…) Either way, I just don’t see the Giants as a major threat to 16-0. They’re certainly not as big a test as the Steelers pose this weekend.

So grab those Terrible Towels, all you haters. And if the Steelers don’t come through, well you can use it to mop up all those tears!

New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, undefeated season, New York Giants, meaningless games