Chicago (0-1) at Pittsburgh (1-0)
Chi offense 26th 2.0 rush - [28th] / 152.0 pass - [15th]defense 10th 104.0 rush - [20th] / 109.0 pass - [5th]
scoring 8.0 for - [20th] / 26.0 against - [25th]
Pitt offense 1st 171.0 rush - [2nd] / 335.0 pass - [1st]
defense 9th 24.0 rush - [3rd] / 174.0 pass - [18th]
scoring 34.0 for - [1st] / 14.0 against - [15th]
key matchups:
QB Terry Bradshaw (3 TDs/348 yds) vs. Chicago pass D
HB Franco Harris (110 yds/0 TDs) vs. Chicago run D (3.1 rush avg)
WR Lynn Swann (7 rec/100 yds/0 TDs) vs. CB Allan Ellis
prediction:
Chicago 11, Pittsburgh 33
Pittsburgh resisted the urge to blow up Chuck Noll's plan of gradual rebuilding that has been going on ever since this team last reached the Super Bowl. There are only three new starters: T2 Ray Pinney and DE2 John Lee, both in their sixth seasons with the Steelers, and rookie LB2 Lawrence Taylor. Some longtime Steeler observers say this linebacker lineup--Taylor, LB1 Jack Lambert and back-from-injury LB3 Mike Hunt--is even better than the Lambert/Jack Ham/ Andy Russell model that helped pave the way for mid-1970s Pittsburgh glories.
ReplyDeleteThe Bears have a pretty good set of linebackers, too--so good that an NFL80 All-Pro selection, 11th-year Ross Brupbacher, lost his starting job. The new LB3 is Jerry Robinson, Chicago's second-round draft choice of NFL79. (He now starts alongside LB2 Al Harris and S2 Vaughn Lusby, the first- and third-round picks that year.) Bill Walsh's only other new starter is sure-handed WR2 Brian Baschnagel, who also holds for Bob Thomas's field-goal and extra-point attempts.
Bob Awfullini is the walking, talking, incompleting, interceptioning argument AGAINST balance in play-calling.
ReplyDelete---
Passing Att Com Yds Pct Lg TD Int
QB1 Bob Avellini 22 7 67 32% 16
Rushing Car Yds Avg Lg TD
QB1 Bob Avellini 2 14 7.0 9
HB1 Walter Payton 15 75 5.0 18 1
FB1 Roland Harper 10 51 5.1 12