Originally Posted by
TOP GUN
A lot can change in 6 weeks with teams. Good ones can fade out and hit with a rash of injuries and bad teams that are banged up can get healthy and make a run. As far as the division goes though we all know that the Ravens won't be a factor in the playoffs. The inexperience of Flacco and the injuries on that team will prove too much to overcome. The Bengals are a trainwreck, Palmer is suddenly not superman anymore, the defense still stinks, and they can't pull it all together. They'll win some games and maybe even help us out depending on who they can put down but as far as then making a major push for the post season it would take a miracle and they just don't have the horses on defense to keep up with people. Cleveland will win some games but right now they are off to a bad start and in a hole. They'll be licking their wounds for awhile and time will tell how they react. I don't think we'll run away with the division yet though, they'll keep it close enough that it will take until atleast December before things get irnoned out. We are bound to have a let down sooner or later and they'll win a few games here and there. What I don't want is to see us in a dog fight for the division heading into week 16, I'd like to have it sewn up by then but we'll see. Staring out 6-0 is a definitely possibility, we have the talent to it I have no doubt of that, but I want to see is how we play against tougher opponents to get a real feel for how this team is going to be this year. Until then it's too early.
these teams that are stinking now like the Jags, Colts, Chargers, etc. could very well begin to get healthy and on track by midway point of the season when we hit the tough part of the schedule. Right now looking at most of the teams in that stretch, no it doesn't look near as daunting as it did in August, however I'm reserving any type of judgment good or bad till we see how we are doing in October & November and how they are playing too. If we hit a rough spot for a couple weeks and the Browns get hot it'll be a close race.
Ok let's just say we lose to either Philadelphia or the Jags which by the way I think we will lose probably one of those even though I hope we dont. But let's say we do even then the Steelers are not going to start out no worse then 5-1. Do you honestly think TG that the Ravens are going to beat the Steelers at home on a Monday night with Joe Flacco and Harbaugh as the rookie coach, and that the Bengals as horrific as they look have any chance to beat the Steelers in Cincy where the Steelers have owned them?? Even if the Browns do get a few wins here the next couple weeks it's still not going have me worried about them because the Steelers much like last year own the tiebraker over them for the rest of the season which is virtually a 3 game lead. Plus, the Browns have 4 out of their next 5 games on the road and all of those 5 games are tough and no gimmies. The next 5 games for the Browns include at Baltimore and at Cincy which are both division games on the road and never easy to win especially for a team like the Browns. Hell the Browns lost in Cincy last year and needed a miracle FG by Dawson at the buzzer last year to get a win in Baltimore. After those 2 games the Browns have a game in Cleveland on a Monday night against the Giants who play great on the road and look very strong so far through 2 games, Then, after that they have games back to back weeks at Washington and at Jacksonville in which case both of those teams by then seeing that it will be mid-October will be in MUST win situations playing at home and are going to need those games just as badly if not more then the Browns will. So the Browns might indeed win a few games the next couple weeks and right the ship but they wont win them all which they basically are going to have to do after they lost to the Steelers last night. So when you break it all down I see the Steelers going 3-1 at the very worst the next 4 games which will put them at 5-1 after the Bengals game in mid-October.
Do you really see the Browns winning these next 5 games at Baltimore,at Cincy,Giants,at Wash and at the Jags?? I sure dont. At best they will go 3-2 I think in those 5 games and even that is a stretch at this point. If they do go 3-2 though it would still only put them at 3-4 and still 2 1/2 games behind the Steelers at 5-1 who would have the tiebraker in hand. The Browns to have any shot to win this division need to knock off about 4 or 5 wins in a row and need the Steelers to slip up and lose 2 or 3 in a row and that is just not going to happen. All you have to do is look at the Browns players after that loss to the Steelers last night and it showed how dejected they already are and that they dont have the kind a character a team needs to rip off 4 or 5 wins in a row. This Steelers team is a lot better this year from what I can see already and a lot more focused to let that happen.
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Originally Posted by
TEEMONT
It's no where near over yet, we still have a very tough schedule ahead of us, and we all know the bungles, birds, and stains are going to be saving their best football the Steelers. Lets worry abotu next week, and out guys beating the iggles, instead of proclaiming ourselves AFC North champs already.
Besides, I only care about being one kind of champ.
The Ravens and Bengals arent beating the Steelers this year period whether they play their best football or not. I know the Ravens always beat the Steelers in Baltimore but that game isnt until December. The game with the Ravens in 2 weeks is here on Monday night and the Ravens arent going come in here with a rookie QB and win it wont happen. The Bengals look horrific and by the time they play the Steelers in mid-October they will be in complete shambles and just have no chance with their pathetic defense to slow the Steelers down. If the Bengals couldnt even beat Joe Flacco and Kerry Collins with their defense how in the hell do you expect them to beat Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker and the Steelers defense as good as they are.
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