Wilson is
playing lights out, with 24 touchdown passes against one interception in his last seven games. From an efficiency standpoint, he's not turning the ball over, and the
Seahawks' offense is the most confident offense out there right now. Their defense, which has been their strength the last couple of years,
is back to rare form. They can stop any team that's equipped to run or pass the ball, as we've seen
in the last half of the season. I also believe they have the strongest rotation of defensive linemen. It's going to be tough for
Teddy Bridgewater to move the ball if they put pressure on him.
This team's passing game has been lacking in recent years, but
Russell Wilson and Co. have turned that around by virtue of an abundance of chemistry. In the playoffs, you have to play good defense, which Seattle will do. The
Seahawks' offense has played well on the road; Seattle has won its
last five road games. This team is jelling at the right time in all facets of the game.
The
Steelers have enough playoff experience on both sides of the ball.
Ben Roethlisberger and
Antonio Brown
are on fire, and
James Harrison,
William Gay and
Lawrence Timmons have been there before with the defense. Coach Mike Tomlin has been to the
Super Bowl twice since taking over in 2007, winning
Super Bowl XLIII. This is a team nobody wants to face right now, because the
Steelers don't care if they're on the road or at home.
This is familiar territory for Seattle,
which beat the Vikings handily in Minnesota earlier this season. I know it's tough to beat a team twice, but I don't expect anything to be especially different than the first time.
The
Seahawks have a championship pedigree and are undaunted when playing any other team in the NFC. It's a really good matchup for them. The
Seahawks can stop the run. If
Teddy Bridgewater struggles to push the ball down the field, that'll play right into the hands of the defense. Seattle's defense will challenge the
Vikings' receivers and dare Minnesota's young quarterback to fit the ball into tight spots. When I look at it, I see the 'Hawks rolling through the
Vikings and into the Divisional Round.
