Super Bowl Week - Media Day!

Sadly, I'm actually at work today, and not at watching the non-stop coverage of Media Day. I really should have taken this whole week off just to follow all the hype. But I didn't so the best I can do is hope to rehash some of the Media Day memorable quotes and whatnot tomorrow. And for now, take a look at the QBs…

An ESPN.com poll on their front page yesterday said something like this:

Which quarterback would you rather have leading a late drive to win the game for your team?

With over 70,000 votes, the results looked something like this :
Ben Roethlisberger - 70%
Matt Hasselbeck - 30%

To me, that's absolutely insane. And it clearly shows just how unknown this Seattle team is by the masses.

Several times last season, and even at the beginning of this season, I compared Roethlisberger to a Trent Dilfer type, but one who was getting much more hype because he was a rookie and playing for a high profile club. The main point in my comparison was that Big Ben didn't do a whole lot to win games. He just managed them well enough not to lose them. He let the running game and defense do their jobs, and they did their job well. And as long as he didn't make mistakes at key times, he would not lose it for the Steelers.

Well, okay, maybe I was a bit off on that comparison. He's looked pretty good throwing the ball lately, and has, in fact, won games for the Steelers. That tackle he made on Harper as he returned the Bettis fumble in the Colts game… Well, that was huge. (Even if Harper did veer right into him. He still had to make the grab and trip him up.) So I'm saying now that he is for real, can throw the ball well, and can win games for the Steelers.

That said… this is his second year in the league, and he's still young and can be forced into mistakes. A couple of his throws against Denver probably should have been picked off. His playoff performance last year was pretty awful. He looked jittery, and overthrew receivers.

Against the Colts and Broncos, the Steelers were pretty much playing with house money. They really didn't have much pressure on them, considering they were pretty big underdogs. They had to win several games down the stretch just to make the playoffs. So, for them, they were just happy to be there. They were expected to lose. The pressure is on the other team. The Manning/Dungy/Vanderjerk choke job was a perfect example of this. The Jake Plummer choke job was another. Now, the shoe is on the other foot. The Steelers are the favorite. They have the whole ridiculous Jerome Bettis' homecoming storyline. They will likely have a significantly larger number of fans in Detroit. Almost every expert out there is picking the Steelers to win.

The Steelers are expected to win. Big Ben can't just go out there gun-slinging thinking "Screw it, nobody expects us to win, no pressure." I think he'll be jittery, and I think the Seattle defense can make him pay. And I also think that the Seahawks will generally shut down the Steelers' running game. And I think we all remember what the Seattle defense did when the Panthers were forced to throw on every damn down. If Big Ben has to win this game on his own, I just don't see him getting it done.

Predicted Roethlisberger stat line: 19/34, 253 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Then there's Hasselbeck. He threw 9 interceptions all year, 6 in the final 15 games. He's thrown zero in the playoffs. He's made smart decisions all season, including excellent audibles at the line. He's been in the system 5 years now. Which just happens to be exactly when Favre won his Super Bowl with Green Bay. He has led the team on several tying or winning drives in the past 3 years. This will be the 5th playoff game of his career, and his confidence is sky high right now.

Let's take a quick look at his playoff career, shall we?

2003: at Green Bay. Nobody is giving Seattle a chance in hell to win this game, especially since they barely made the playoffs. But guess what. They stick right with them. Including building up some nice momentum going into overtime. After winning the overtime coin flip, Hasselbeck said, now infamously, "We want the ball and we're going to score!" He wasn't being a dick. He was just a little over-excited and pumped up. They didn't score on the opening possession of OT. But neither did the Packers. When Seattle got the ball back, Hasselbeck made an audible at the line when he saw the pass coverage. He wanted Alex Bannister (their #4 WR who was generally used on special teams) to run one route. But Bannister screwed it up and ran the wrong way. Hasselbeck's quick pass was picked off by Al Harris, and taken the other way for a touchdown. Game over.

2004: home against the Rams. The Rams had beaten the Seahawks twice during the regular season, including a back-breaking come from behind win with Seattle up 35-17 with like 6 minutes left in the game. They had to come into Seattle to complete the three game sweep. And they did. But the blame really falls on the defense for this one, as they could not stop the Rams offense much at all. Still, with only a few minutes left, Hasselbeck rallied the troops, and marched right down the field. Inside the 10 with only seconds to spare, Hasselbeck scrambled around, avoided pressure, and threw to an open Bobby Engram. Touchdown! Tie game! Uhhhhh, except that Engram dropped the ball. Hasselbeck fell to his knees, screaming, pounding the ground, as center Robbie Tobeck tried to lift him off the ground. Tough, tough loss. But we were that catch away from taking the game to OT with all the momentum.

2005: home against the Redskins. Alexander gets knocked out with a concussion in the first half. All eyes are on Hasselbeck, as the pressure is on him now. The Redskins know it too. Yet they couldn't stop him. Time after time, he read through the progressions, found the open receiver, and made the throw. He also did a great job with audibles, including that unlikely handoff to fullback Mack Strong on 3rd and long. Strong took it for a career long 30-something yards, and that play pretty much sealed the game. Without their running game, and against a damn good defense, Hasselbeck picked them apart confidently and methodically. There was also his short scramble for a touchdown, when a couple well placed pump fakes and looks froze the defensive backs and linebackers just enough for him to sneak into the corner inside the pylon. The passing lane wasn't there, but the defenders didn't know that. Instead of forcing the ball in, a little pump fake goes a long way. I love the pump fake. I've loved it since playing two-hand touch as a youngster. Why more NFL QBs don't use it is beyond me.

2005: home against the Panthers. Really, this game goes to the defense and their coaches for stopping Steve Smith. But Hasselbeck played well, setting up the run with the pass, and not making any mistakes. It takes Alexander a little while to get started, and Hasselbeck did what he always does - led the team down the field for a score. That throw across the middle to Jerramy Stevens for the first touchdown set the tone, and Seattle never really looked back after that. He completed the passes he needed to and didn't make any mistakes.

The 65-35 ratio above baffles me. But I'll just chalk it up to people not really being aware of just how good Hasselbeck is. I think they'll find out Sunday. And although Samichlaus might have gone a little bit overboard saying he'd take Hasselbeck over any other QB in the league right now, I'd have to say he's nearly cracked the Top 3.

Here's the bottomline: he's confident, and people still don't know how good he is. I talked about pressure earlier. And there's no way Seattle and Hasselbeck feel the pressure as much as the Steelers. He's been through 2 last-second, gut-wrenching playoff losses already. He's led Seattle to two convincing playoff wins against tough defenses. His offensive line keeps him from getting pressured a lot, and his running game keeps the safeties and linebackers honest. As long as he has time to throw, and I can't imagine him not getting it, he'll pick apart the opposing defense. He's been doing just that for several seasons now. And he's just about perfected it this year.

Predicted Hasselbeck stat line: 18/26, 247 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT