Super Bowl: Steelers vs Seahawks

If the two teams play according to statistical form the Super Bowl will be a haunch, paunch and joule affair with big linemen opening big holes for big running backs.

Our clock control/running game stats show the two teams fairly even on yards rushing, average yards per rush and total rushes.

But on the run/pass balance the Steelers have a big 5.7 point advantage on offense and a modest 1.7 point advantage on D.

Note the Steelers played well below their average in four games and lost all four (Pats in week 3, and Ravens, Colts and Bengals in weeks 10, 11 and 12).

In the Pats game in week 3 the Steelers completed only 37% of their passes and the Pats QB Brady almost doubled the figure at 71%. The huge difference in performance gave the Pats a 20-point advantage on this one stat. And the Steelers only lost the game by 3.

Coach Mike Holmgren's Seahawks looked awesome on D. In point of fact one of the two stats that contributed most points to the 'Hawk's MOST UP TEAM on Winning Margin, adding 11.4 Points per Game to their scoring differential was Opponent Rushing Yards. The added strength on rush D contributed five points to the team's improvement over the '04 season.

It will be fun to watch the "Bus" Bettis running at that D. It will be even more fun to watch the Seahawks' RB Saun Alexander with his league leading 1880 yard rushing performance this season pounding into the Steeler D allowing 3.6 yards per carry near league lo.

More on the Super B running game tomorrow.

Bud Goode

Copyright 2006, BudGoodeSports.com. All rights reserved.