Merrill Hoge is an idiot Super Bowl addition

[Zeno]

On NFL Live they were breaking down each team position by position and he actually gave the Steelers the edge at WR over the Cardinals. He picked the Steelers at EVERY position and of course picked them to win. How can you be an objective journalist and not recognize that the Cardinals have better WRs?

Idiot.

 

[Perfectionist]

Idiot's Idiot

 

[Redsz]

Haha what a jerk. I can't believe he picked the Steelers O Line too.

 

[Shzm13]

His name is Merrill.


I think we can cut him a break

 

[Shogun]

He's a homer.

 

[steeler tim]

On NFL Live they were breaking down each team position by position and he actually gave the Steelers the edge at WR over the Cardinals. He picked the Steelers at EVERY position and of course picked them to win. How can you be an objective journalist and not recognize that the Cardinals have better WRs?

Idiot.

Normally I think Hoge is pretty good but if he picked the Steeler receivers over the Cardinal receivers then he needs to back away from the pipe. Going into the game I would say the Cardinals have the better receivers, O-line and QB. I think the Steelers have the better TE and RBs. On the other side of the ball the Steelers have the better D-line, better LBs and better defensive backs. JMHO.

 

[AzWins23]

Normally I think Hoge is pretty good but if he picked the Steeler receivers over the Cardinal receivers then he needs to back away from the pipe. Going into the game I would say the Cardinals have the better receivers, O-line and QB. I think the Steelers have the better TE and RBs. On the other side of the ball the Steelers have the better D-line, better LBs and better defensive backs. JMHO.

I can agree on most of that. Ithe only thing i would change is the defensive backs. i think they are even

 

[LukesDad88]

Merrill's always been a huge Homer. Not only was he a Steeler for almost all of his professional playing career (and probably my all time favorite Steeler, Damn you Worley! ), he was also a part of their local broadcast crew for years before being picked up by ESPN. He has always been pretty good, except when it comes to the Steelers, and he has admitted that. It was probably a bit of a joke through the studio while he was saying it.

 

[Redsz]

I can agree on most of that. Ithe only thing i would change is the defensive backs. i think they are even

The safteys are as good as each other. But does PIT have a CB as good as DRC?

 

[mojorizen7]

He was trying to be "that guy."
You know, the guy that has to take a different stance at something thats an obvious fact to everyone else around him.....just to get himself some attention.
I call it irresponsible and ego-driven immaturity.

 

[TJ]

Once Merrill says that our wide outs are inferior to Pittsburghs, stop listening.

 

[Preacher]

The safteys are as good as each other. But does PIT have a CB as good as DRC?

Sorry, the only safety that is in the league with Troy P. is Ed Reed. our FS is a monster. I gotta put our safeties above yours.

CB? Ike Taylor is an excellent CB. His only problem is he has stone hands, so he doesn't get all the picks. However, he is VERY good in coverage, and even more important, he is excellent in run protection--which is why Steelers DB's often are seen 5-10 yards off the receivers at the line of Scrimmage.

 

[TJ]

Sorry, the only safety that is in the league with Troy P. is Ed Reed. our FS is a monster. I gotta put our safeties above yours.

CB? Ike Taylor is an excellent CB. His only problem is he has stone hands, so he doesn't get all the picks. However, he is VERY good in coverage, and even more important, he is excellent in run protection--which is why Steelers DB's often are seen 5-10 yards off the receivers at the line of Scrimmage.

Then you have never seen A Dubb in action. When you watch the superbowl, see how he changes the game. He'll either knock the snot out of the QB with a blitz, or grab a pick. He's not the NFC Pro Bowl starting SS for nothing, you know.

 

[DoTheDew]

Sorry, the only safety that is in the league with Troy P. is Ed Reed. our FS is a monster. I gotta put our safeties above yours.

CB? Ike Taylor is an excellent CB. His only problem is he has stone hands, so he doesn't get all the picks. However, he is VERY good in coverage, and even more important, he is excellent in run protection--which is why Steelers DB's often are seen 5-10 yards off the receivers at the line of Scrimmage.

Look at the players career stats. Adrian Wilson has been as good or better than Troy P. at everything, Troy P is only slightly better at Ints after having his best year this year. Wilson has 11.5 more sacks, 1 more Int, 4 more forced fumbles, and 170 more tackles in 2 more seasons.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=2612
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=4474

Don't let homerism or media hype brainwash you. The two players are both top of the league at their position.

 

[perivolaki]

He has always been pretty good, except when it comes to the Steelers, and he has admitted that.

He hasn't been good to us. He hasn't had one good thing to say about us the whole playoffs and has picked against us in every game.

I've noticed a lot of ex-players are really negative about the Cardinals and few ex-players have picked us in this or any playoff game. I think they remember how the team was when the team played in a bad stadium, had few fans, bad players, worse coaches, and worst of all was cheap.

I've found it even more interesting that a lot of current players give the Cardinals much much more credit and many more of them are picking the Cards to win. I think they've seen first hand the new stadium full of Cards fans, good coaches, more money, good players, great city to play in and offseason in, and just a totally different enviornment from what the retired players experienced.

 

[AtlHawksFan]

On NFL Live they were breaking down each team position by position and he actually gave the Steelers the edge at WR over the Cardinals. He picked the Steelers at EVERY position and of course picked them to win. How can you be an objective journalist and not recognize that the Cardinals have better WRs?

Idiot.

I make it a point to not watch Merrill Hodge so I didn't get to hear his analysis but the only thing that matters is how the Cards offense matches up with the Steelers D and vice versa. The last time I watched a game O-lines played against D-lines..WRs against DBs..etc.

He's an ex-football player and not a journalist so I can overlook his lack of objectivity and blatant homerism. Steelers WRs better than the our group - hahaha...

 

[Redsz]

Sorry, the only safety that is in the league with Troy P. is Ed Reed. our FS is a monster. I gotta put our safeties above yours.

CB? Ike Taylor is an excellent CB. His only problem is he has stone hands, so he doesn't get all the picks. However, he is VERY good in coverage, and even more important, he is excellent in run protection--which is why Steelers DB's often are seen 5-10 yards off the receivers at the line of Scrimmage.

Adrian Wilson is one of the best safety's in the NFL and has been since 2005. He just hasn't gotten the pub because he has played in Arizona. He is about to hit the 20-20 club and isn't even 30 years old yet.

As for CB's, Matt Hasselbeck said it best: "DRC is the best CB in this game". The reason our defense has changed so much is because DRC can cover the other teams #1 WR one on one allowing Antrel Rolle and Wilson to play closer to the LOS more often. DRC's recovery speed, cover skills and ball skills make him the best CB on the field.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Adrian Wilson is one of the best safety's in the NFL and has been since 2005. He just hasn't gotten the pub because he has played in Arizona. He is about to hit the 20-20 club and isn't even 30 years old yet.

As for CB's, Matt Hasselbeck said it best: "DRC is the best CB in this game". The reason our defense has changed so much is because DRC can cover the other teams #1 WR one on one allowing Antrel Rolle and Wilson to play closer to the LOS more often. DRC's recovery speed, cover skills and ball skills make him the best CB on the field.

And 3 years down the line, DRC might be the best CB in the game. He's got amazing talent, on par with what we saw Aeneas do for years.

 

[EatSteel]

When it comes to picks, Merril has favorites: the team with the "factor back," better O line, the harder hitting team, et al.

When it comes to being a homer for the Steelers, that's part of his shtick (his broadcast mates even laugh at it). Even I rolled my eyes when he picked the Steeler receovers over Fitz and Q.

Don't discount him, however, because he's always does his homework and watches a lot of tape. If you ever see him with a telestrator, you'll see what I mean. He doesn't just tell you what happened and yell "doink" and "boom"--he'll tell you why it happened and what set it up.

 

[Totally_Red]

When it comes to picks, Merril has favorites: the team with the "factor back," better O line, the harder hitting team, et al.

When it comes to being a homer for the Steelers, that's part of his shtick (his broadcast mates even laugh at it). Even I rolled my eyes when he picked the Steeler receovers over Fitz and Q.

Don't discount him, however, because he's always does his homework and watches a lot of tape. If you ever see him with a telestrator, you'll see what I mean. He doesn't just tell you what happened and yell "doink" and "boom"--he'll tell you why it happened and what set it up.

Hoge is a solid analyst precisely because he does watch a lot of film. As you know the 'factor back' versus 'points come out of the passing game' schtick is the NFL Matchup running joke.

Hoge actually picked the Cardinals in the NFC Championship game and his post-game analysis was spot-on. But just like Jaws never seems to pick against the Iggles, Merrill is a classic Steelers homer.

 

[bankybruce]

His name is Merrill.


I think we can cut him a break

There is nothing wrong with that name. That him my father, mine and my son's middle name. So suck it.