NFL Playoffs: Is Bill Cowher Genius or Lucky?

The Pittsburgh Steelers got the biggest upset of the playoffs this season by beating the Colts as a 10 point underdog. So is the Steelers' head coach Bill Cowher a genius for pulling off the win or is he just incredibly lucky?

Bill Cowher is one of the longest tenured coaches in the league and there is no doubt that of the current coaches, he is one of the best. His teams in the playoffs are always known for choking in the big games. He has his team too dedicated to the run and the Colts defense came into this game attempting to stop the run. Cowher instead began the game with a flurry of throws getting his team a touchdown to begin the game. Ben Roethlisberger was 6-for-7 in the opening touchdown drive. Although this is uncharacteristic of a typical Bill Cowher team, it was genius.

The Colts had a week off and rested too much at the back end of the season. Bill Cowher had been in these situations with his teams in the past and new that the Colts defense would be soft and rusty in the beginning. He also knew that with his past tendencies to dedicate too much to the run, the Colts would defend the Steelers rushing attack early. He caught them off guard and the Colts were playing catch up ever since.

Bill Cowher was genius in this game but we will have to see their performance against the Denver Broncos to see how they come out attacking. In the end, without Ben Roethlisberger being the big gamer he is, Bill Cowher would not be looking so genius. The problem with Cowher in his tenure with the Steelers was his lacking a quality quarterback. Now that he has one in Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers are going to contend for a lot of years on the backs of Big Ben and Bill "the Chin" Cowher.

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