SEATTLE SEAHAWKS vs. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Today, 4:30 p.m.
Ford Field in Detroit
TV: Ch. 4 Radio: 1320AM
Series record: Seahawks lead 8-6.
Last meeting: Seahawks 23, Steelers 16; Nov. 2, 2003 at Seattle.
Last week: Seahawks beat Panthers 34-14 in NFC championship game; Steelers beat Broncos 34-17 in AFC championship game.
Seahawks offense: Overall (2), rush (3), pass (13)
Seahawks defense: Overall (16T), rush (5), pass (25)
Steelers offense: Overall (15T), rush (5), pass (24)
Steelers defense: Overall (4), rush (3), pass (16)
Key matchup: Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger vs. Seattle's pass defense. Seattle won't be able to concentrate on one receiver this time. Roethlisberger has more weapons than Carolina's Jake Delhomme. He has found five different players in the end zone in the postseason. Roethlisberger has matured this season and, at 23, he'll be the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl — 213 days older than Miami's Dan Marino was in 1985. The Steelers are 26-4 in games he has started. Roethlisberger has a postseason passer rating of 124.8, completing 49-of-72 passes (68.1 percent) for 680 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. The Steelers, one of the purest rushing teams in the NFL, increased their average in yards passing during the playoffs to 217.7 compared to 182.9 during the regular season. Expect the Steelers to continue to throw the ball to set up the run. It's a formula that's knocked off the top three seeds in the AFC playoffs. Seattle gave up 18 touchdowns and 222.4 yards per game in the air during the regular season.