Steelers hope to keep Manning off rhythm
To have a chance at beating the Colts, Pittsburgh has to keep him guessing.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- If there was ever a game for oft-creative defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau of the Pittsburgh Steelers to come up with something special, this would seem to be it.
One week after they couldn't win a game in which the Ravens' Kyle Boller was the opposing quarterback, the Steelers will be challenged Monday night by one of the most prolific passers in NFL history in Peyton Manning of the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts.
Naturally, it could be assumed LeBeau is spending every waking hour trying to find a new wrinkle in the NFL's most blitz-heavy defensive scheme for Manning -- something different, something innovative to slow an offense that has scored 30-plus points in five consecutive games.
Steelers linebacker Joey Porter said it simply isn't so.
"As a defense you want to confuse the quarterback, you don't want the quarterback to confuse you," Porter said. "We've got to stick to what we do best, and try to get him out of his rhythm as much as we can."
Know what's coming
So, the Steelers know what they'll be getting from Manning, the game's best big-play creator, and Manning knows what he'll be getting from the Steelers. Namely, pressure from every angle and nearly every position, changed up on every play to keep him guessing.
LeBeau introduced many of the Steelers' blitzes while on coach Bill Cowher's staff in the mid-1990s, and they remained after LeBeau returned to his hometown Cincinnati Bengals to coach.
When LeBeau came back to Pittsburgh last year, he tweaked many of the blitzes and added others in a design he said is always changing.
Manning has never beaten Pittsburgh in his eight NFL seasons, but there's an asterisk attached to that: He's played them only once, a 28-10 loss in a 2002 Monday night game in Pittsburgh. Manning passed for 304 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted three times.
The Colts' offense wasn't as diversified or as developed as it is now, with the NFL's most proficient combination of passing and running.
Tied for TD lead
Manning is tied with Cincinnati's Carson Palmer for the league lead with 20 touchdown passes, Edgerrin James is second in rushing with 1,116 yards and Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison are among the top six in receiving.
In that 2002 game, the Steelers forced turnovers and won the physical battle and, Porter said, they must do the same thing Monday.
The Steelers (7-3), 16-13 overtime losers to Baltimore last Sunday, may need to end the Colts' 10-game winning streak to keep pace with Cincinnati (7-3) in the AFC North.
The Bengals play the Ravens (3-7) on Sunday after losing to the Colts 45-37 last weekend.
"We don't think anybody can match up with us on the physical aspect throughout a whole game," Porter said. "Some games we lost, but we always feel we can win the physical battle. Coming into this game, it's going to be no different. We're going out there to try to control the game, and definitely be physical when we can do it."
Defense to be same
Just as Porter promises the Steelers won't get away from what they do best, Steelers left guard Kendall Simmons doesn't expect a Colts defense led by defensive end Dwight Freeney (seven sacks) and linebacker Cato June (five interceptions) to change at all.
While the Steelers run the ball nearly 60 percent of the time, a much higher percentage than most teams, Simmons is planning on seeing the same Colts defense he saw last week. And the week before that, and the week before that.
"They haven't changed anything for anybody they played," Simmons said. "They kind of sit back in that Cover 2 and let those front guys go to work.
"There's a couple of blitzes they do and that's about it. They make you earn it. We really don't have to honestly study too much because they only do a couple of things we have to watch, and that's on third down, and that's about it. There's nothing complicated about it."
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