Steelers @ New Orleans Saints, Sunday Night Football - Week 8 Preview

On Sunday night, the game that many pegged as the true test of the 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers mettle will kickoff on NBC Sunday Night Football.  The New Orleans Saints are the defending Super Bowl Champions, but alot has changed since that fateful February day that Drew Brees held up the Lombardi Trophy and extinguished the demons that had haunted the Louisiana Superdome.  The Saints were one of the NFL's perennial doormats, an also-ran franchise whose claims to fame included fans wearing bags over their heads, a roster that usually read like an Arena Football League team, and more empty seats than attendees at their home games. 

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers took the Super Bowl hangover to a new level, getting railed by a group of sub .500 teams in games that made Mark Malone shiver with shame.  The Steelers had held up Lombardi #6 just a year earlier, and now they sat at a crossroads. 

Then came Milledgeville.

The Steelers looked to be on the way to a rebuilding (or possibly reloading) stage, while New Orleans seemed to be set up for a long run as an NFL top gun.

So far in 2010,  the Steelers and Saints have reversed fortunes.  While the Steelers played the first 4 games without All-Pro, future Hall of Fame QB Ben Roethlisberger, they rallied behind their tenacious Defense and after beating both Cleveland and Miami, they sit at 5-1.  The Saints haven't fared so well, as the injuries of RB tandem Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas have left them a one dimensional team, now faced with a 4-3 record in a newly minted tough NFC South.

The Steelers are coming off a tough road win against a Miami Dolphins team that nearly pulled off a big upset.  The Saints spent last Sunday getting kicked around the Superdome by a vastly undermatched Cleveland Browns team.  Both teams come into Week 8 with something to prove. 

Things to Watch - Week 8


3.  Steelers Secondary vs. Saints Passing Offense - While the Steelers only rank #24 in Total Pass Defense this season, it is safe to say that the Secondary has played better than they did in 2009.  The return of SS Troy Polamalu has energized the pass defense, and CB Bryant McFadden has proved to be a great asset in his comeback to the Black and Gold.   With McFadden returning, CB William Gay has been able to reaffirm his spot on the squad with great play out of the Nickel - the very spot that springboarded him to his short-lived starting CB stint last season.  The Steelers have given up several "garbage time" passing TD's this season, and even when a QB has managed to have a decent game - Colt McCoy for instance - the stats have come in meaningless situations. 

Drew Brees can take over a game faster than any QB in the NFL, and the WR tandem of Lance Moore and Robert Meachem can stretch any defense.  WR Marques Colston is a big-time TD target who can get on a roll when he is up against smaller defenders.  If Brees can get time to throw, the Saints could carve up the Steelers secondary.  This is the first big test for this Steelers defense in 2010.

2.  DE Ziggy Hood gets his shot - At some point, the Steelers need to learn to live without Aaron Smith.  At 34, Smith is nearing the end of his remarkable career.  The injuries are starting to mount, and while Smith has looked great this season, Father Time will always win this battle.  This team would not have won 2 Super Bowls without their best DE, and he has played his entire career with the respect of his teammates, the coaches, and the Steeler Nation.  Ziggy Hood was a DOMINATING college player.  He has the full confidence of this team and Mike Tomlin.  Now is his time to prove his worth to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and this game is a prime moment in his budding career.  National TV, biggest game of the weekend, hostile environment.....all factors to consider in a players 1st career start.  Will Ziggy show up?

1.  The Crowd - We have all experienced the Steeler Nation effect on road games.  The Superdome has gained a reputation as one of the toughest venues in the NFL, and the Saints thrive off the noise and atmosphere created by that crowd.  The Steelers can expect to see many friendly faces in the stands, but it will be nowhere near what they are used to.  New Orleans fans have rode the bandwagon into Year 2 of the rebirth of their team.  If the Saints get an early lead, expect the crowd to play a major part in the outcome of the contest.  The onus falls on RB Rashard Mendenhall to take the crowd out early, and if the Steelers can jump in front of a few Drew Brees passes, the Steelers can easily quiet the Cajun-flavored crowd.

In just over 3 months, the NFL will turn its eyes on the massive Cowboys Stadium for Super Bowl XLV.  It is very possible that a re-match of this game could be on the docket that day.  If that comes to pass, this Week 8 game will be prodded and picked apart by football experts around the Country.  If the Steelers can pull out a big road win here, the ripple effect will be huge.

Prediction:  Steelers 28, Saints 24