Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) at New York Giants (6-2)Date: Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012Kickoff: 4:25 p.m., ETSite: MetLife Stadium (82,500) • East Rutherford, N.J.Playing Surface: FieldTurfTV Coverage: CBS (locally KDKA-TV, channel 2)Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play)*Phil Simms (analyst)Local Radio: Steelers Radio Network WDVE-FM (102.5)/WBGG-AM (970)Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play) Tunch Ilkin (analyst) Craig Wolfley (sideline)National Radio: Sports USA RadioAnnouncers: Larry Kahn (play-by-play) Ross Tucker (analyst) Spanish Radio: Grupo Imagen - Destrito Federal (Mexico City) *XEDA-FM 90.5
THE COACHES
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike TomlinOverall regular-season record: 59-28 (.678)/sixth seasonRegular-season record at Pittsburgh: 59-28 (.678)/sixth seasonPlayoff Record/Years: 5-3/four yearsNew York Giants Head Coach Tom CoughlinOverall regular-season record: 148-116 (.561)/17th seasonRegular-season record at New York: 80-56 (.588)/ninth seasonPlayoff Record/Years: 12-7/nine years
SERIES HISTORYSeries History: Series began in 1933Overall: Giants lead 46-29-3At Pittsburgh: Giants lead 22-14-3At New York:Giants lead 24-15Neutral Sites: n/aLast Regular-Season Meeting: Oct. 26, 2008(in Pittsburgh) New York 21, Pittsburgh 14Postseason Series: n/aThis matchup marks only the fifth time these two teams have*met since 1994 with both teams splitting the last four contests…aside from a 30-10 Giants win in 2000, the other four matchups since 1991 have been decided by seven points or less, with both teams winning two games apiece…Sunday will be the Steelers first regular season visit to the new MetLife Stadium that houses both the Giants and the New York Jets and opened for its inaugural football season in 2010…both franchises boast father/son ownership combinations in the Hall of Fame, Art Rooney Sr. and his son Dan in Pittsburgh and Tim Mara and his son, Wellington, for the Giants…this game features two of the three active quarterbacks who have won more than one Super Bowl in Pittsburgh'sBen Roethlisberger and New York's Eli Manning…this is the second time in as many matchups between the two teams that the Giants come into the game as the *defending World Champions.
STEELERS-GIANTS CONNECTIONSLOCAL CONNECTIONS• Steelers G Willie Colonis a native of Bronx, N.Y. and a graduate*of Cardinal Hayes High School, just across the river from the Giants home stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Colon played his collegiate ball at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.• SteelersS Ryan Clark broke into the league with the Giants when he signed with them as undrafted rookie free agent in 2002 and spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons on the Giants' practice squad.• GiantsFB Henry Hynoski played his collegiate football at the University of Pittsburgh from 2007-2010. Before becoming a Panther, Hynoski, a native of Elysburg, Pa., finished his high school career as the 6th leading rusher in Pennsylvania state high school history with 7,165 yards to go along with 113 career touchdowns and was named the Associated Press Class A State Player of the Year following his final prep season.• Giants offensive coordinatorKevin Gilbride held the same *position with the Steelers from 1999-2000.
PRO CONNECTIONS
• Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haleyand Giants offensive*line coachPat Flaherty were both on the Chicago Bears coaching staff from 2001-2003. Haley also worked with Giants secondary/cornerbacks coachPeter Giunta with the New York Jets in 1995-1996. Haley was an assistant in the Jets' scouting department and Giunta coached defensive backs.• Steelers offensive line coachSean Kugler and Giants defensive coordinatorPerry Fewell coached together for the Buffalo Bills from 2007-2009.• In 2003 when Steelers defensive coordinatorDick LeBeau was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride called the plays for the Buffalo offense.• SteelersLB Larry Foote (1998-2001) and SteelersLB LaMarr Woodley (2003-2006) both played at the University of Michigan during Giants linebackers coachJim Herrmann's nearly two decade stint at Michigan as a linebackers coach and then as defensive coordinator (1986-2005).
• SteelersWR Jerricho Cotchery was member of the New York Jets in 2009 when Giants assistant special teams coachLarry Izzo was playing his final season of pro football as a linebacker with New York.• SteelersQB Byron Leftwich was in his only season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009 when Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn held the same position with Tampa.• SteelersWR Jerricho Cotchery and GiantsP Steve Weatherford were teammates with the New York Jets in 2009 and 2010.• SteelersK Shaun Suisham and GiantsTE Martellus Bennett were teammates in Dallas during Suisham's brief stint with the Cowboys in 2009. Suisham was also a teammate of GiantsCB Justin Tyron in 2008 and 2009 when they were both with the Washington Redskins.
• SteelersQB Byron Leftwich and GiantsLB Michael Boley were teammates with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007.• SteelersLB Brandon Johnson and GiantsLB Keith Rivers were teammates with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2008 to 2010. • SteelersLB Brandon Johnson andTE Leonard Pope and Giants CB Antrel Rolle played together with the Arizona Cardinals from 2006-2007. Pope and Rolle played together through the 2008 season. Also, Steelers offensive coordinatorTodd Haley held the same position with Arizona from 2007 to 2008, when these three players were with the Cardinals.COLLEGE CONNECTIONS*
• SteelersRB Rashard Mendenhall *and GiantsP Steve Weatherford were teammates at the University of Illinois in 2005.• SteelersLB Larry Foote and GiantsC David Baas were teammates at the University of Michigan from 2000-2001.• SteelersS Ryan Clark and GiantsCB Corey Webster played together at Louisiana State University during the 2001 season. • SteelersC/G Doug Legursky and GiantsRB Ahmad Bradshaw were teammates at Marshall University from 2004-2006.• SteelersWR Jerricho Cotchery and GiantsT Sean Locklear played together at North Carolina State from 2000-2003.• SteelersLB Jason Worilds was teammates with GiantsCB Jayron Hosley and GiantsRB David Wilson at Virginia Tech in 2009.• SteelersDE Cam Heyward andT Mike Adams were teammates at Ohio State with GiantsC Jim Cordle from 2008-2009. Heyward and Cordle also played together in 2007.• SteelersLB Adrian Robinson was in the midst of his career at Temple University in 2008 and 2009 when Giants wide receivers coachKevin M. Gilbride was on the Owls' coaching staff. Also, Giants assistant offensive line coachMatt Rhule was a coach at *Temple from 2006-2011.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
PITTSBURGH TEAM NOTES• With a win, Pittsburgh would improve to 5-4 against the Giants (4-2 on the road) since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.• Including the postseason, the Steelers are looking to improve to*102-60-1 all-time against the NFC, including 3-0 this season.• If the Steelers win it would be only the second time in franchise history that Pittsburgh has beaten both the Giants and Jets in the same season (2004).• Pittsburgh is looking to improve to 28-7 against NFC teams during the regular season since 2004.• The Steelers defense is looking to keep its seventh opponent in *the last eight games to under 100 yards rushing.
PITTSBURGH INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Head Coach Mike Tomlin• With a win, will improve to 60-28 during the regular season.• Looking to improve to 17-6 during the regular-season against*NFC teams.QB Ben Roethlisberger• Looking to improve to 24-7 against NFC teams during the regular season.• Looking to record a passer rating of 120.0 for the fourth time this season, which would tie for the second most times he has registered a passer rating of at least 120.0 in the same regular season (four in 2004 / five in 2009).• Is looking to throw for at least 360 yards for the third time this season, which would tie 2011 (3) for the second most times he has thrown for at least 360 yards in one season (2009, 4).RB Rashard Mendenhall• Is one rushing touchdown shy of becoming the fifth player in franchise history with 30 career rushing touchdowns.RB Jonathan Dwyer• Looking to be the first Steelers' player since Willie Parker in 2007 to register three consecutive 100 yard rushing games.TE Heath Miller• Needs one receiving touchdown to pass Elbie Nickel (37) for the most receiving touchdowns by a Steelers' tight end.• Is one receiving touchdown shy of tying his single-season career high of seven, set in 16 games in 2007.WR Mike Wallace• If he records at least 100 yards receiving, it will mark the 14th 100-yard game of his career.S Troy Polamalu• Needs one interception to become the ninth Steelers' player to record 30 career interceptions.• With one fumble return for a touchdown, will tie Jason Gildon (3) for the most fumbles returned for touchdowns in franchise history.• Is one defensive touchdown shy of tying Carnell Lake, Dwayne Woodruff and Jack Butler (5) for the second-most defensive touchdowns in Steelers history (Rod Woodson, 6).• Needs one interception return for a touchdown to tie Carnell Lake, Dwayne Woodruff, Deshea Townsend and Tony Campagno (3) for the fourth-most in franchise history.LB James Harrison• Needs one sack to tie Joey Porter (60.0) for second place on the Steelers' sacks list, dating back to 1982 when sacks became an official statistic.LB LaMarr Woodley• Looking to tie his single-season career high (2010) with his second interception of the season.LB Jason Worilds• Needs one sack to pass his single-season career high of three, *set in 12 games last season.
