By BOB LABRIOLA

Steelers.com

The following are some of the interesting match-ups to watch when the Steelers face the Seahwaks in Super Bowl XL at Ford Field:

STEELERS OLB JOEY PORTER VS. SEAHAWKS TE JERRAMY STEVENS: With this much media looking for stories and this much time before the game, it was inevitable that there would be trash-talking leading up to the game. Anybody who knows Joey Porter knows that he speaks his mind, and they also should know that talking is a way Porter gets himself, and some of his teammates, ready to play the game. The things that Porter said about Stevens – that he's not a physical player, and that the Seahawks coaches wouldn't make the mistake of having Stevens block him one-on-one – are true. When all is said and done Sunday, Porter will have spent much more time dealing with LT Walter Jones, and Stevens will have spent more time dealing with Troy Polamalu and James Farrior. Porter is definitely one of the playmakers of the Steelers defense, and he's been coming through in a big way during the playoffs. Talking hasn't impacted his performance to this point, and it's unlikely to have an effect now.

STEELERS NT CASEY HAMPTON VS. SEAHAWKS C ROBBIE TOBECK: Much has been made of the talent the Seahawks have on the left side of their offensive line, and there is no debate about the abilities of Jones and LG Steve Hutchinson. But running the football against a 3-4 defense requires the offense to get the nose tackle blocked, and Hampton is not an easy man to move from the point of attack. Certainly, Kimo von Oelhoffen, Travis Kirschke and Porter are going to have to hold up against Jones and Hutchinson, but if Hampton has his way with Tobeck the Seahawks whole blocking pattern could collapse. So far in the playoffs, Hampton has gotten the better of a couple of Pro Bowl centers in the Colts' Jeff Saturday and the Broncos' Tom Nalen. Tobeck is not markedly better than those two guys, and so it would seem that Hampton will make himself a factor against Seattle's running game come Sunday.

STEELERS QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER VS. SEAHAWKS SS MICHAEL BOULWARE: In the last two playoff games, the Steelers' opponents decided to load up against the run early and force Roethlisberger to beat them. That strategy failed miserably, when Roethlisberger completed 10-of-his-first-12 passes against the Colts as the Steelers built a 14-0 lead, and then 6-of-his-first-7 against the Broncos in the first quarter. The Seahawks cannot be foolish enough to believe that Roethlisberger is a fluke at this point, and so the issue becomes whether they open the game in cover-2 and try to stop the run early with seven guys in the box. The Steelers don't really have a good guess as to which way the Seahawks defense might decide to go, and so Roethlisberger is going to have to see how they align and make the proper adjustments. If Boulware is the guy the Seahawks decide to use as the eighth guy in the box, Roethlisberger will be expected to eye-ball him and react accordingly.

STEELERS RT MAX STARKS VS. SEAHAWKS DE BRYCE FISHER: One of the underrated factors in the Steelers' run to this Super Bowl is the way the offensive line has been playing. The unit handled the Bengals defensive front; it dealt with the Colts and the noise in the RCA Dome to the degree that it committed no penalties and gave Roethlisberger the time to build that 14-0 lead; and it dealt with the myriad blitz packages presented by the Broncos. To compare the Seahawks' defensive front to one Steelers fans might recognize, it's somewhat similar to the Colts' in that it is manned by quick, athletic players who like to get after the quarterback. Fisher led the team in sacks during the regular season with nine, and Starks is going to have to make sure he doesn't make a name for himself during Super Bowl XL.

STEELERS PR ANTWAAN RANDLE EL VS. SEAHAWKS LB ISAIAH KACYVENSKI: Special teams can be a huge factor in these kinds of games, because of the kicking game's ability to create easy touchdowns or huge swings in field position. During the team's current winning streak, Randle El has punt returns of 81, 72, 36 and 20 yards. Kacyvenski is one of the Seahawks' best guys in coverage.

STEELERS RB WILLIE PARKER VS. SEAHAWKS RB SHAUN ALEXANDER: These two guys won't ever actually go against each other, but each man also represents a key factor in this game. History shows that the team that runs the ball more, strictly in terms of carries, wins the Super Bowl around 90 percent of the time, and that again figures to hold true this time. Alexander is the NFL MVP, and so everyone recognizes that he has the ability to take over a game. Parker, on the other hand, is somewhat under the radar because of the presence of Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis. The Steelers will be geared up to control Alexander, but if the Seahawks defense gears up to stop Roethlisberger and the passing attack, Parker has the speed to make big plays with his legs.