Read the arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan about which games they believe is the best game of THIS weekend.
When the 2009 NFL season began virtually anyone associated with the NFL, or familiar with the concept of American football, predicted that the Pittsburgh Steelers – last season’s Super Bowl championship team – was going to going to have a good season. No surprise. The team started the year slowly but is beginning to round into form with a record of 5-2 and coming off of a big win against the previously undefeated Minnesota Vikings.
The Denver Broncos received basically the opposite treatment from experts. The entire organization appeared to be entering the season unsure of itself due to several factors including breaking in a new, rookie head coach, trading the team’s star and leader in quarterback Jay Cutler, and dealing with the distraction of an extremely unhappy wide receiver in Brandon Marshall. Few expected a team that finished 8-8 in 2008 and 1-3 in the 2009 preseason to begin the regular season 6-1 with one of the better defenses in the entire NFL.
The preseason predicted two very different teams coming into this Monday’s match up when Denver plays host to the Super Bowl champs. Instead the season has played out differently than most expected and Denver is the team favored with the better schedule… and with more to prove.
The team’s share myriad common characteristics. Both teams feature good defenses and both teams have quarterbacks who are best used as game managers on teams that have solid running games. The Steelers have finally found a solid running game as formerly feature back Willie Parker’s star begins to fade and second-year running back Rashard Mendenhall emerges, having gained 418 yards on the ground this season. The Broncos have rookie Knowshon Moreno lined up in the backfield and leading the team in rushing with 420 yards. But, while Moreno has only found the end zone two times, Mendenhall has scored four rushing touchdowns in just three starts this season. The Steelers appear to have a running game on the upswing, and the Broncos are still searching for quarterback Kyle Orton’s balance.
With Denver favored in this matchup, and national television exposure with football fans across the country tuned in, both teams have the opportunity to establish a tone for the remainder of the season. The Steelers have the poise of a championship team with a leader unwilling to hit the panic button. Denver must continue to try and earn its way into the conversation about the elite NFL teams of the 2009 season. Denver has the opportunity to show itself as a team to be reckoned with for the remainder of the season with the potential to dominate opponents.
Denver has more to prove in this matchup than Pittsburgh, therefore all of the pressure in this game is on Denver. Without a doubt both teams are excellent, and are set for the matchup that is the best game of THIS weekend.
