My Keys To The Game:

1- Stop the run / make Ben Throw the Ball more often (29/51 56.9% ... 2td / 2 int is not too shaby).

2- Blitz him as much as you can w/o exploiting him the holes, his been sacked 8 times in the playoffs which is second ---> There center is out we need to take advantage.

3- Cover Randle El, his speed could kill us but I am not worried if Shields is on him.

Keys To The Game Offense:

1- Pound the ball with Starks (leading rusher - would be great for clock management)

2- More short yardage passing, Steelers aren't too great stopping the screen.

3- Limit AR throwing deep, Polamalu can read any QB.

4- 4th and 1 ... go for it MM it's the SB.

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If I try to reduce it down as much as possible, I think that the two ways for us to win the game are as follows:

1. Have a solid OL game. If we are able to do this, then James Starks can have a solid game and we can get some passing set up, instead of their secondary dropping back every time and waiting for the ball to sail while their DL pass rushes w/o even thinking of a run. They have been solid against the run all year long, but I think that if our OL can have a great game, we will run well, and we will win.

2. Make Big Ben win the game for them. I know this may sound stupid, and that he won the game for them last year, but I honestly believe that, as good as our secondary was last year, we are much better this year. Our weakest links were Mike Bell and Jarrett Bush last year, and what are they this year? Sam Shields? Charlie Peprah? I like the sounds of that. Big Ben has a career playoff passer rating of 85.4. And this game is in a dome, where he also plays poorly (compared to outdoors). I think that if we make him try to win the game, we will get some picks and shut him down, like our secondary has to all teams in the last month or two.

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I think Rodgers will attack and find success throwing to the WR's in the middle of the field. I believe that is how he is going to go after the Steeler defense.

I remember watching the Jets and saying in the second half that what was working for them are things we do but we do it better. Had Ryan got out at halftime down 17 instead of trying to get something there at the end of the second they may have won the game.

The Jets shutdown the Steeler offense in the second half when they shutdown their run game. The Steelers did little in that half offensively. What I saw was Ryan still calling run plays even though they didn't produce much but it kept them from going one dimensional and just throwing it which I thought helped the Jets passing game to be more effective.

I can see McCarthy having no problem to call the run even though it probably won't do much other than give Rodgers that extra second he needs to make a play in the passing game. He has said many times he is not as concerned about the average yard per carry or total yards as he is the NUMBER of run plays called and I think that will hold true here Sunday.

Continuing to call the run will help the Oline in the passing game and I think THAT protection is what we have to have to let Rodgers get hot and get some points on the board. If we can just get Starks falling forward for a few yards that's really all they need (and can probably hope for) against that run D.

I can see it very hard for McCarthy to not pull Rodgers out from under center and just start passing the ball but watching the Jets game I thought they did the right thing having Sanchez taking a direct snap. I think that's where Pittsburgh's pass D is most vulnarable.

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I'm thinking Rodgers will throw between 240-280 yards, 3 (1 rush) TD's, 1 INT and Starks will have a few carries over 20 and be a dozen or so yards shy of 100 with 1 TD and a fumble.

Originally I said Packers 33, Steelers 26. I think it's gonna be 31 - 17, Packers.

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Starks doesn't fumble the football.

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