Some thoughts on the game vs. Indy. Cliffs: PRESSURE

Feh. It's the same plan against any other smart quarterback: limit his options.

You can't kill God, but you can poison his dog.

Like about 90% of all football games, controlling the LOS is going to be critical, and while it might seem counterintuitive, I would put a major emphasis on stopping the run and bringing pressure up the middle, while doing what I could to disguise coverages. He's like any other quarterback in that he's not nearly as good when he (i) can't keep the defense off balance and (ii) can't step up in the pocket at will, thereby having to use arm strength and back-foot throws occasionally.

You won't stop him completely, but the goal is to make their entire offense a little one-dimensional and at least somewhat less effective, conceding that a shutout is pretty damn unlikely.

We have a smart group of defenders that plays hard and consistently. We'll have a chance to get some three-and-outs and maybe hold some drives to a FG. In the meantime, I expect us to score, further pressuring their offense to keep up.

Yes, they're the defending SB champs and certainly deserving favorites. But coming in fresh off an off-season where there's no new book out on us yet, I like the coaching matchup, and I like our chances.