Billick: 'No Reason Why' Steelers Shouldn't Go To The Super Bowl
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PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan)- The Pittsburgh Steelers may have made themselves look even better by not even taking the field this past weekend. At 6-2, the Steelers are healthy (likely to get Marcus Gilbert and Stephon Tuitt back this week) and have a light schedule the rest of the way due to opponent injuries.
Former Baltimore Ravens head coach, now NFL Network analyst, Brian Billick joined "The Fan Morning Show" on Tuesday. He said that the Steelers were his pick to begin the year to win the Super Bowl and he is sticking by it.
"In the AFC, I think they're the most complete team," said Billick. "The way that defense played in its last outing, the way they're playing now, with the pressure with T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree and obviously, the explosiveness and the rhythm that Le'Veon Bell has. The understanding that, 'Yeah, he's going to touch the ball 20, 25, 30 times a game, that's going to happen.' They've got that rhythm down. There is no reason why they should not make that deep run all the way to the Super Bowl."
Billick also said that the Steelers are doing Martavis Bryant a favor by keeping him around and that he needs to wake up to the fact that it is the best thing for him.
"[He needs to recognize] the best way for him to get value is to show that he can be a team player and be whatever it is that that team needs to be," said Billick. "You've got maybe one of the greatest receivers in the history of the game, clearly the best receiver in the game today in [Antonio] Brown. The best running back in the league in [Le'Veon] Bell. I've got news for you. You're going to be third in line at best. OK? And there's value in that. Be a part of that team, that will enhance your value someplace else."
"As a coach on another team, do I really want to take Martavis Bryant and bring him on my team? A guy on a winning football team, surrounded by good players, that's...moaning because he's not getting the ball? Is that what I want to bring onto my team? They can do him a favor by keeping him on the team, try to be a functioning member of the team, grow up and learn what it is to be a functional player in the National Football League and you're going to do very, very well and make a lot of money."
Many think that the key to beating the Patriots, or at least giving yourself a chance to beat them in the playoffs, is to play man defense. Billick spoke to that as well.
"The hard thing when you face Tom Brady is what on a football field has Tom Brady not seen? So, no matter what you do to him, he's going to easily recognize, Oh, you're doing this and therefore, I've got that answer over there,'" said Billick. "You do look at the man matchups because of injury and some of the other things they've got going on, that the matchups seem to be a little bit better. The matchups might favor you a little bit more to play more man, but boy you've got to be careful about playing too much man and leaving your back end vulnerable to Tom Brady making big plays down the field."
You can hear the entire interview with NFL Network analyst Brian Billick on The Fan Morning Show above.