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PITTSBURGH STEELERS @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS -9
Pittsburgh (11-5, 6-2 away) at Indianapolis (14-2, 7-1 home) @ 1:00 PM. EST *CBS
Five weeks later, the Indianapolis Colts will play another meaningful game. The Colts, the AFC's top seed, wrapped up homefield advantage in the conference back in Week 14, when they downed Jacksonville, 26-18. Sunday afternoon's AFC Divisional Playoff matchup against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers at the RCA Dome will be the first high-stakes test for Tony Dungy's club since Dec. 11th, and there is some question about how Indianapolis will respond following the long layoff.
One thing is for certain: the Colts will be playing a Pittsburgh Steelers team that is among the hottest units in the National Football League. The Steelers' 31-17 win at Cincinnati in last Sunday's AFC Wild Card game was their fifth consecutive win, and a sixth straight triumph would put Bill Cowher and company into the AFC Championship for the second consecutive season. Pittsburgh was a 41-27 loser to New England in the 2004 AFC Championship.
Indianapolis (14-2), which had the best record in the NFL during the regular season, defeated Pittsburgh, 26-7, in a Monday Night matchup during Week 12. The Colts are looking to advance to the AFC Championship for the first time since the 2003 campaign, when they lost to the Patriots, 24-14.
SERIES HISTORY
Pittsburgh owns a 4-0 edge in the all-time postseason series with Indianapolis. The Steelers were winners over the Colts in AFC Divisional Playoff contests in 1975 and 1976, took a narrow 20-16 decision in the 1995 AFC Championship, and drilled the Colts by a 42-14 margin in a 1996 AFC First- Round Playoff.
The Steelers also have a 13-5 edge in their all-time regular season series with the Colts, but as mentioned, were 26-7 losers when the teams met in a Monday night tilt in Week 12. Prior to that contest, Pittsburgh had won the last seven regular season meetings in a row against Indianapolis. Prior to Week 12, Indy's only win against Pittsburgh since departing Baltimore following the 1983 season came in 1984, when the Colts were 17-16 home winners over the Steelers.
Cowher is 6-1 in his career against the Colts, including playoffs. Dungy is 2-2 against both Cowher and Pittsburgh in his career, with one of the wins coming for his Buccaneers during the 1998 season. Dungy played for the Steelers in 1979-80.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Colts didn't win their first 13 games with mirrors. Indianapolis was superior to every opponent they faced in terms of talent, and there is little reason to expect that Pittsburgh will put together the game plan to expose Indy's weaknesses, perceived or otherwise, on Sunday. The things that the Colts do the best - passing the football and rushing the passer - are big problems for a Steeler team that has problems in the secondary and has a quarterback with two balky knees that is not especially mobile in the first place. Look for Pittsburgh to fall behind early and to get away from their run-first approach, playing into Indianapolis' hands in what should be a decisive victory for the home team.
Pittsburgh (11-5, 6-2 away) at Indianapolis (14-2, 7-1 home) @ 1:00 PM. EST *CBS
Five weeks later, the Indianapolis Colts will play another meaningful game. The Colts, the AFC's top seed, wrapped up homefield advantage in the conference back in Week 14, when they downed Jacksonville, 26-18. Sunday afternoon's AFC Divisional Playoff matchup against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers at the RCA Dome will be the first high-stakes test for Tony Dungy's club since Dec. 11th, and there is some question about how Indianapolis will respond following the long layoff.
One thing is for certain: the Colts will be playing a Pittsburgh Steelers team that is among the hottest units in the National Football League. The Steelers' 31-17 win at Cincinnati in last Sunday's AFC Wild Card game was their fifth consecutive win, and a sixth straight triumph would put Bill Cowher and company into the AFC Championship for the second consecutive season. Pittsburgh was a 41-27 loser to New England in the 2004 AFC Championship.
Indianapolis (14-2), which had the best record in the NFL during the regular season, defeated Pittsburgh, 26-7, in a Monday Night matchup during Week 12. The Colts are looking to advance to the AFC Championship for the first time since the 2003 campaign, when they lost to the Patriots, 24-14.
SERIES HISTORY
Pittsburgh owns a 4-0 edge in the all-time postseason series with Indianapolis. The Steelers were winners over the Colts in AFC Divisional Playoff contests in 1975 and 1976, took a narrow 20-16 decision in the 1995 AFC Championship, and drilled the Colts by a 42-14 margin in a 1996 AFC First- Round Playoff.
The Steelers also have a 13-5 edge in their all-time regular season series with the Colts, but as mentioned, were 26-7 losers when the teams met in a Monday night tilt in Week 12. Prior to that contest, Pittsburgh had won the last seven regular season meetings in a row against Indianapolis. Prior to Week 12, Indy's only win against Pittsburgh since departing Baltimore following the 1983 season came in 1984, when the Colts were 17-16 home winners over the Steelers.
Cowher is 6-1 in his career against the Colts, including playoffs. Dungy is 2-2 against both Cowher and Pittsburgh in his career, with one of the wins coming for his Buccaneers during the 1998 season. Dungy played for the Steelers in 1979-80.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Colts didn't win their first 13 games with mirrors. Indianapolis was superior to every opponent they faced in terms of talent, and there is little reason to expect that Pittsburgh will put together the game plan to expose Indy's weaknesses, perceived or otherwise, on Sunday. The things that the Colts do the best - passing the football and rushing the passer - are big problems for a Steeler team that has problems in the secondary and has a quarterback with two balky knees that is not especially mobile in the first place. Look for Pittsburgh to fall behind early and to get away from their run-first approach, playing into Indianapolis' hands in what should be a decisive victory for the home team.
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