Suggs sees Saturday’swinner in Super Bowl
PITTSBURGH – Anymore, Terrell Suggs is becoming the “go-to” man for reporters covering the Steelers-Ravens games.
On Tuesday, the Ravens’ Pro Bowl pass-rusher made a few interesting comments about the upcoming playoff game:
l Suggs said the Steelers and Ravens are “the two best teams in the NFL” and predicted the winner will eventually grab the ring.
“Anyone could argue the winner of this game will most likely go on to win the Super Bowl,” he said. “You can put that out there because that’s what these two teams are.”
l Suggs followed up on his post-game comment Sunday that Steelers-Ravens III will be “Armageddon.”
“They call it Armageddon as the fight between good and evil. I’m a big Star Wars fan and the emperor said, ‘Evil is only a point of view.’ I guess it is from whose point of view it’s coming from.”
l In praising the two teams’ personnel departments, Suggs started talking about Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.
“I never even met the guy, but I spoke to him. I must say that I’m amazed. I’m impressed. That Dick LeBeau is something. You can also tell just by how the guys rally around him.”
l When asked if the Steelers had ably replaced Santonio Holmes, Suggs knew he was being asked about Mike Wallace.
“You all know that. That’s why you asked,” Suggs said. “That boy, I think he’s faster than Santonio. That dude hit a gear, I don’t know what game it was, but he hit a gear that I didn’t even know existed in a human being on a little pop pass that Ben (Roethlisberger) threw to him. He just took off running. It was against Carolina. I was like, ‘Wow, that’s just amazing.’ And they keep bringing in these great receivers. He’s definitely it.”
SACRIFICIAL LAMBS: Suggs believes otherwise, but Las Vegas thinks the New England Patriots will breeze to the NFL title. The Patriots are 8-5 favorites. The Steelers are 6-1 and the Ravens are 9-1.
So, it appears the Ravens-Steelers winner will merely be brought to slaughter in New England.
“I would just laugh,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the public perception. “That’s why they play the game, and I’m pretty sure the Steelers feel the same way.”
They do.
“I don’t care what they say,” said linebacker James Harrison. “I don’t listen to it. All I’m worrying about is Baltimore. Everybody else can kiss what’s on the backside of my back.”
TREAD ON THE TIRES: A week after carrying a career-high 36 times against the Buffalo Bills, Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall carried only 19 times against the Ravens for 45 yards.
He said the heavy workload from the previous week didn’t bother him, but admitted the coaching staff has limited his carries down the stretch.
“A little bit, but not much,” he said. “It just depends on the game and the flow of the game. If I can get a rest, then I do. In certain situations it can really help.”
After averaging 22 carries in the Steelers’ first 11 games, Mendenhall averaged 17 in the final five. He finished with 324 carries, or 82 more than last season. It’s the fifth highest total in team history.
QUOTABLE: Harbaugh on this game being dubbed “Armageddon” by Suggs:
“The biblical description of Armageddon is the end of the world. I’m hopeful that it doesn’t take place on Saturday. I think we’re all looking forward to the sun coming up on Sunday morning, and I’m pretty sure it will.”