Obviously, one of the big topics that everyone is talking about heading towards Super Bowl 45 is Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie pro-bowl center Maurkice Pouncey. It was made official this week that Pouncey will not play in the Super Bowl after weeks of…. will he play or won’t he play conjecture. A man that played in big games all the time when at Florida protecting Tim Tebow won’t be able to play in the NFL’s biggest game. He’s sidelined due to the high ankle sprain that he suffered during the AFC Championship game against the New York Jets two weeks ago.
But, just how big of a loss is the 6’4 and 304 pounder from the college of Florida?He was a major addition, and cause of the Steelers run game going from 19th in 2009 to 11th in 2010 in rushing yards per game. Pouncey was a key component for the Steelers’ run game when they had a 4-0 start to the season without their starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the first four games.
Steelers’ running back Rashard Mendenhall was very appreciative of Pouncey’s presence in the offensive line. Mendenhall went from rushing for 1,108 yards in 2009 to 1,273 yards this season. He went from only 7 touchdowns in 2009 to 13 touchdowns in 2010. Also, Pouncey was a big help in the Steelers’ passing game. Big Ben went from being sacked 50 times in the regular season of 2009 to only 32 times in the regular season of 2010. And, yes I know Big Ben missed the four games, but I did the math.
Even if Big Ben had played in the first four games, and the average held, it would have been around 42 sacks. And, if that is not enough, the Steelers went from not making the playoffs last year with a 9-7 record to 12-4 record and winning the AFC Division this season. So, that’s his value, and you see why he made the pro-bowl as a rookie. Some fans, if not most, have the Green Bay Packers winning this game.
I wonder how much their opinion would change if Pouncey were playing? The Steelers are facing a Green Bay defense that has playmakers all over the field.The Packers finished 3rd in total defense this season. They finished 2nd against the run and finished 7th against the pass.
Pouncey will be replaced by backup Doug Legursky, it will be his first NFL start at center. It is one thing to fill the shoes of a Pro-Bowler, but man it is tough when you don’t have any experience in the NFL at center! Especially in the Super Bowl against defensive tackle B.J. Raji and company. Man, talk about pressure!
–Raymond Stokes