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STEELERS OFFENSE VS. COLTS DEFENSE
It looks like all systems go for Roethlisberger (1183 passing yards, 11 TD, 2 INT), who has been out since taking a shot to his right knee against the Ravens on Oct. 31, a hit that resulted in a torn meniscus. The Steelers have gone 2-2 without Roethlisberger in the lineup this season, and have been far less efficient offensively. Maddox passed for 230 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens last week, but also threw an interception, lost a fumble, and was sacked six times. Wideouts Hines Ward (44 receptions, 6 TD) and Antwaan Randle El (22 receptions, 1 TD) figure to benefit from the return of "Big Ben," as does tight end Heath Miller (26 receptions, 6 TD). Ward had a team-high six catches for 81 yards against Baltimore; Randle El had four grabs for 50 yards in addition to a pair of completions from the quarterback position; and Miller hauled in five catches for 37 yards in the loss. The Steeler line has allowed 20 sacks this year, but only 11 of those were sustained in the six games Roethlisberger played. Pittsburgh was 26th in NFL passing offense (175 yards per game) as Week 12 began.
The Colts' pass defense may have been exposed a bit against the Bengals last week, as Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer piled up 335 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air. Cornerback Nick Harper (44 tackles, 2 INT), matched up most of the day with the Bengals' Chad Johnson, helped Johnson accumulate eight catches, 189 yards, and a touchdown on the afternoon. Harper and fellow CBs Jason David (30 tackles, 1 INT) and Marlin Jackson (36 tackles, 1 INT) will look to restore their reputation this week. The rookie Jackson posted his first NFL interception last Sunday. Elsewhere in the secondary, safeties Bob Sanders (60 tackles, 1 INT) and Mike Doss (51 tackles, 1 INT) combined for 16 tackles in a winning effort. The Colts' furious pass rush, led by ends Robert Mathis (43 tackles, 10 sacks) and Dwight Freeney (21 tackles, 7 sacks), will try to get to Roethlisberger early on Monday night. Mathis, the only Colt to notch a sack against the Bengals, has at least one sack in nine of Indy's 10 games this season. The Colts are ninth in the league in passing defense (189.3 yards per game).
Though Roethlisberger's return will garner most of the headlines on Monday night, Pittsburgh still figures to come out running the football with Willie Parker (674 rushing yards, 8 receptions, 4 TD), Jerome Bettis (164 rushing yards, 2 TD), and the league's sixth-ranked rushing offense (130.2 yards per game). The presence of a passing game should open things up a bit for the Steeler running backs, who combined for just 59 ground yards on 21 carries against the Ravens last week. All 59 of those went to Parker, who also had two catches for 22 yards and the team's only touchdown of the day via the air. Bettis netted zero yards on a pair of carries, and third-down back Verron Haynes had one carry for no yards and a 17-yard reception. Fullback Dan Kreider (5 receptions) had two catches for 14 yards in Baltimore. Duce Staley (140 rushing yards, 1 TD), who has appeared in just three of the team's 10 games in 2005, was a healthy inactive against the Ravens.
An Indianapolis defense that ranks 12th in the NFL against the run (104.1 yards per game) showed some flaws against Cincinnati, allowing Bengals running backs Chris Perry and Rudi Johnson to amass 158 ground yards on just 24 carries last week. An undersized linebacking crew that includes Cato June (79 tackles, 5 INT), Gary Brackett (79 tackles, 2 INT), and David Thornton (49 tackles, 2 sacks) will look to be more physical against the Steelers this week. Brackett led the Indianapolis linebackers with 10 tackles last Sunday. Up front, the Colts need their tackle rotation of Corey Simon (29 tackles), Montae Reagor (29 tackles, 4.5 sacks), and Larry Tripplett (19 tackles, 3 sacks) to provide a presence against the Steelers' power running game. Simon led Indy linemen with five tackles against the Bengals.
COLTS OFFENSE VS. STEELERS DEFENSE
Coming off yet another stellar outing is Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (2534 passing yards, 20 TD, 7 INT), who completed 24-of-40 passes for 365 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in last week's win over the Bengals. Manning, who has a sterling 104.6 passer rating in 2005, is tied for the NFL lead with 20 touchdown passes. Though No. 1 wideout Marvin Harrison (58 receptions, 8 TD) was quiet against Cincinnati, catching just five balls for 42 yards, No. 2 receiver Reggie Wayne (59 receptions, 4 TD) and tight end Dallas Clark (25 receptions, 3 TD) more than made up for it. Wayne had five catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in the contest, and Clark logged a team- high six receptions for 125 yards and a score of his own. Third receiver Brandon Stokley (33 receptions, 1 TD) chipped in with two grabs for 40 yards, and backup tight end Bryan Fletcher (8 receptions, 1 TD) added two catches for 16 yards and his first NFL touchdown. Manning was sacked just once against the Bengals, and has been dropped a league-low seven times on the year. Indy is seventh in NFL passing offense (250.5 yards per game).
Manning and his arsenal of receivers will be working against a Steeler defense that ranks 17th in the NFL against the pass (206.5 yards per game). Pittsburgh was able to pick off mistake-prone Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller just once last week, that coming from cornerback Deshea Townsend (32 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT). Townsend and fellow corner Ike Taylor (71 tackles, 1 INT) will be matched up with Harrison and Wayne, with safeties Troy Polamalu (61 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT) and Chris Hope (65 tackles, 3 INT) lending support. Taylor posted a team-high 10 tackles against the Ravens last week, and Hope chipped in with eight. A Steeler pass rush that sacked Boller six times in Week 11 will be hard-pressed to be as prolific against Manning. Outside linebacker Clark Haggans (31 tackles, 6 sacks) notched his team-leading sixth sack of the year versus the Ravens, and ends Kimo von Oelhoffen (21 tackles, 2 sacks) and Aaron Smith (24 tackles, 2 sacks) also broke through for one each. The Steelers have 30 sacks on the year.
Colts running back Edgerrin James (1116 rushing yards, 28 receptions, 12 TD) has quietly and effectively carried much of the team's offensive load this season, and entered Week 12 No. 2 in the NFL behind Seattle's Shaun Alexander in rushing. James carried 24 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals last week, snapping a streak of five straight 100-yard games. The three-time Pro Bowler also had three catches for 18 yards out of the backfield. Also getting in on the act was backup Dominic Rhodes (117 rushing yards, 4 TD), who carried twice for six yards and scored his fourth touchdown of the season. Fullback James Mungro made his first reception of the season count for seven yards against Cincinnati. Indianapolis currently ranks seventh in the league in rushing offense (129.4 yards per game).
James could find the running tough against a Steeler defense that ranks No. 3 in the league against the rush (84.2 yards per game) as Week 12 commences. Inside linebackers Larry Foote (67 tackles, 1 sack) and James Harrison (39 tackles, 3 sacks) have been at the heart of the run-stopping effort this season, and combined for eight tackles last week. Fellow ILB and 2004 Pro Bowler James Farrior (68 tackles, 1 sack), who has missed the last two games with a knee injury, is considered questionable for Monday. Up front, von Oelhoffen and Smith have combined with nose tackle Casey Hampton (32 tackles) to stop many a run at the point of attack. Smith had seven tackles and forced a Jamal Lewis fumble last week, while von Oelhoffen and Hampton combined for eight tackles in the defeat.
*I know that the Steelers have beat up on the Colts historically and the steelers are almost automatic on monday night.But i throw all those numbers out the window.Different team,different season.From my point of view the Steelers have no shot in this game.Yes they will show up and give it there all but they will die trying to beat this solid super bowl bound colts team.It will never happen not on monday night and not in the playoffs.Look for a cover by Peyton and colts.
BET ID=35811125
Straight Wager 11/28/05 01:31 ET
100.00/90.91 Result: Pending
Steelers(Pittsburgh)
Colts(Indianapolis) 11/28/05 (21:10 ET)
Colts(Indianapolis) -8
STEELERS OFFENSE VS. COLTS DEFENSE
It looks like all systems go for Roethlisberger (1183 passing yards, 11 TD, 2 INT), who has been out since taking a shot to his right knee against the Ravens on Oct. 31, a hit that resulted in a torn meniscus. The Steelers have gone 2-2 without Roethlisberger in the lineup this season, and have been far less efficient offensively. Maddox passed for 230 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens last week, but also threw an interception, lost a fumble, and was sacked six times. Wideouts Hines Ward (44 receptions, 6 TD) and Antwaan Randle El (22 receptions, 1 TD) figure to benefit from the return of "Big Ben," as does tight end Heath Miller (26 receptions, 6 TD). Ward had a team-high six catches for 81 yards against Baltimore; Randle El had four grabs for 50 yards in addition to a pair of completions from the quarterback position; and Miller hauled in five catches for 37 yards in the loss. The Steeler line has allowed 20 sacks this year, but only 11 of those were sustained in the six games Roethlisberger played. Pittsburgh was 26th in NFL passing offense (175 yards per game) as Week 12 began.
The Colts' pass defense may have been exposed a bit against the Bengals last week, as Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer piled up 335 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air. Cornerback Nick Harper (44 tackles, 2 INT), matched up most of the day with the Bengals' Chad Johnson, helped Johnson accumulate eight catches, 189 yards, and a touchdown on the afternoon. Harper and fellow CBs Jason David (30 tackles, 1 INT) and Marlin Jackson (36 tackles, 1 INT) will look to restore their reputation this week. The rookie Jackson posted his first NFL interception last Sunday. Elsewhere in the secondary, safeties Bob Sanders (60 tackles, 1 INT) and Mike Doss (51 tackles, 1 INT) combined for 16 tackles in a winning effort. The Colts' furious pass rush, led by ends Robert Mathis (43 tackles, 10 sacks) and Dwight Freeney (21 tackles, 7 sacks), will try to get to Roethlisberger early on Monday night. Mathis, the only Colt to notch a sack against the Bengals, has at least one sack in nine of Indy's 10 games this season. The Colts are ninth in the league in passing defense (189.3 yards per game).
Though Roethlisberger's return will garner most of the headlines on Monday night, Pittsburgh still figures to come out running the football with Willie Parker (674 rushing yards, 8 receptions, 4 TD), Jerome Bettis (164 rushing yards, 2 TD), and the league's sixth-ranked rushing offense (130.2 yards per game). The presence of a passing game should open things up a bit for the Steeler running backs, who combined for just 59 ground yards on 21 carries against the Ravens last week. All 59 of those went to Parker, who also had two catches for 22 yards and the team's only touchdown of the day via the air. Bettis netted zero yards on a pair of carries, and third-down back Verron Haynes had one carry for no yards and a 17-yard reception. Fullback Dan Kreider (5 receptions) had two catches for 14 yards in Baltimore. Duce Staley (140 rushing yards, 1 TD), who has appeared in just three of the team's 10 games in 2005, was a healthy inactive against the Ravens.
An Indianapolis defense that ranks 12th in the NFL against the run (104.1 yards per game) showed some flaws against Cincinnati, allowing Bengals running backs Chris Perry and Rudi Johnson to amass 158 ground yards on just 24 carries last week. An undersized linebacking crew that includes Cato June (79 tackles, 5 INT), Gary Brackett (79 tackles, 2 INT), and David Thornton (49 tackles, 2 sacks) will look to be more physical against the Steelers this week. Brackett led the Indianapolis linebackers with 10 tackles last Sunday. Up front, the Colts need their tackle rotation of Corey Simon (29 tackles), Montae Reagor (29 tackles, 4.5 sacks), and Larry Tripplett (19 tackles, 3 sacks) to provide a presence against the Steelers' power running game. Simon led Indy linemen with five tackles against the Bengals.
COLTS OFFENSE VS. STEELERS DEFENSE
Coming off yet another stellar outing is Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (2534 passing yards, 20 TD, 7 INT), who completed 24-of-40 passes for 365 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in last week's win over the Bengals. Manning, who has a sterling 104.6 passer rating in 2005, is tied for the NFL lead with 20 touchdown passes. Though No. 1 wideout Marvin Harrison (58 receptions, 8 TD) was quiet against Cincinnati, catching just five balls for 42 yards, No. 2 receiver Reggie Wayne (59 receptions, 4 TD) and tight end Dallas Clark (25 receptions, 3 TD) more than made up for it. Wayne had five catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in the contest, and Clark logged a team- high six receptions for 125 yards and a score of his own. Third receiver Brandon Stokley (33 receptions, 1 TD) chipped in with two grabs for 40 yards, and backup tight end Bryan Fletcher (8 receptions, 1 TD) added two catches for 16 yards and his first NFL touchdown. Manning was sacked just once against the Bengals, and has been dropped a league-low seven times on the year. Indy is seventh in NFL passing offense (250.5 yards per game).
Manning and his arsenal of receivers will be working against a Steeler defense that ranks 17th in the NFL against the pass (206.5 yards per game). Pittsburgh was able to pick off mistake-prone Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller just once last week, that coming from cornerback Deshea Townsend (32 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT). Townsend and fellow corner Ike Taylor (71 tackles, 1 INT) will be matched up with Harrison and Wayne, with safeties Troy Polamalu (61 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT) and Chris Hope (65 tackles, 3 INT) lending support. Taylor posted a team-high 10 tackles against the Ravens last week, and Hope chipped in with eight. A Steeler pass rush that sacked Boller six times in Week 11 will be hard-pressed to be as prolific against Manning. Outside linebacker Clark Haggans (31 tackles, 6 sacks) notched his team-leading sixth sack of the year versus the Ravens, and ends Kimo von Oelhoffen (21 tackles, 2 sacks) and Aaron Smith (24 tackles, 2 sacks) also broke through for one each. The Steelers have 30 sacks on the year.
Colts running back Edgerrin James (1116 rushing yards, 28 receptions, 12 TD) has quietly and effectively carried much of the team's offensive load this season, and entered Week 12 No. 2 in the NFL behind Seattle's Shaun Alexander in rushing. James carried 24 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals last week, snapping a streak of five straight 100-yard games. The three-time Pro Bowler also had three catches for 18 yards out of the backfield. Also getting in on the act was backup Dominic Rhodes (117 rushing yards, 4 TD), who carried twice for six yards and scored his fourth touchdown of the season. Fullback James Mungro made his first reception of the season count for seven yards against Cincinnati. Indianapolis currently ranks seventh in the league in rushing offense (129.4 yards per game).
James could find the running tough against a Steeler defense that ranks No. 3 in the league against the rush (84.2 yards per game) as Week 12 commences. Inside linebackers Larry Foote (67 tackles, 1 sack) and James Harrison (39 tackles, 3 sacks) have been at the heart of the run-stopping effort this season, and combined for eight tackles last week. Fellow ILB and 2004 Pro Bowler James Farrior (68 tackles, 1 sack), who has missed the last two games with a knee injury, is considered questionable for Monday. Up front, von Oelhoffen and Smith have combined with nose tackle Casey Hampton (32 tackles) to stop many a run at the point of attack. Smith had seven tackles and forced a Jamal Lewis fumble last week, while von Oelhoffen and Hampton combined for eight tackles in the defeat.
*I know that the Steelers have beat up on the Colts historically and the steelers are almost automatic on monday night.But i throw all those numbers out the window.Different team,different season.From my point of view the Steelers have no shot in this game.Yes they will show up and give it there all but they will die trying to beat this solid super bowl bound colts team.It will never happen not on monday night and not in the playoffs.Look for a cover by Peyton and colts.
BET ID=35811125
Straight Wager 11/28/05 01:31 ET
100.00/90.91 Result: Pending
Steelers(Pittsburgh)
Colts(Indianapolis) 11/28/05 (21:10 ET)
Colts(Indianapolis) -8
