Dec 02 2008
Post-Gazette sports writer Chuck Finder tipped us off that Bill Cowher will deliver the fall commencement address at North Carolina State University, his alma mater. Cowher -- also at the top of Don Banks' list for 2009 coaching candidates despite no actual evidence from anyone other than The Great Mentioner that he's actually being considered -- would make for a great speaker, providing he refrains from reading "Oh the Places You'll Go." Although the Pittsburgh accent and spittle would make that fairly hilarious.
We took a stab at some of the advice he might offer, borrowing heavily from the "Wear Sunscreen" commencement address of urban legend.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ' 08 ... win a Super Bowl.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, winning a Super Bowl would be IT.
The long term benefits of winning a Super Bowl have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your Jaw. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your Jaw until you have dentures. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you and your Jaw really looked.
Your Jaw is NOT as huge as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to win an AFC Championship game at home. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Sunday -- like the Patriots scoring not one, but two special teams touchdowns with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Do one thing every day that scares you. Like actually naming Kent Graham a starter.
Kiss your quarterback.
Don't be reckless with Steelers fans' hearts, don't put up with Steelers fans who are reckless with yours.
Get kissed by your crazy linebacker with the killer dogs.
Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself. Unless Bill Belichick is cheating you blind.
Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how, I'll remember it for use in future press conferences.
Throw the challenge flag for all that you're worth.
We Dey.
Don't feel guilty if you rip into the occassional punter once in a while. Or stuff photographs into refs pockets. Or almost trip a Jacksonville Jaguar streaking down the sideline for a touchdown. Express yourself.
Kordell, git in 'ere 'n' punt!
Sometimes you win ugly. They can't all be a Mozart.
Maybe you'll win a Super Bowl, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children who are hella good hoopers, maybe you won't. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.
Enjoy your Jaw, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Wear ridiculous looking Cliff Huxtable sweaters.
It is what it is.
Go for it on 4th down.
Let it go, John, let it go.
Be nice to your boss's oldest son.
Understand that free agents come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Like the Bus.
Coach in Pittsburgh once, but leave before it makes you hard; retire in North Carolina once, but leave before it makes you soft. But don't buy that house in North Carolina until after you retire, trust me, it will save you a massive headache.
LET'S GO!
Accept certain inalienable truths, reporters will annoy you, Patriots will cheat, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young other coaches were noble and football media respected their coaches.
Butch Davis should mind his own business.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out. And then you'll have to coach again.
Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85. Unless you get sweet gig with CBS that pays for awesome plugs and caps for your choppers.
Be careful whose advice on the draft you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Who knew Jamain Stephens and Troy Edwards would both be so terrible?
But trust me on the Super Bowl."
And whatever you do kids, don't shoot yourself in the leg
Dec 01 2008
Buncha stuff for a Monday ...
ODDS & ENDS
- Are the good times gone in Boston? Yes, they are. And more to the point, when will the slob in the photo get a shirt?
- Monkey off our backs. With a great screen grab of a miserable Bill Belicheck.
- The Prodigal son returns?
- First hand account from a Steelers fan in Foxboro
- Sunday's good, bad & ugly
- Steelers game in haiku
- Got a bunch of emails asking where one can get the shirt in the picture from Sunday's game post; I saw it at Hometowne Sports in Station Square, but you'd have to contact them to see if it's still available.
- Pure hyperbole, but Texans-Jags has to be the worst Monday Night matchup, evah. And those red Texans unis are an abomination.
- Michael Phelps and Duce Staley: BFFs?
- You stay classy, Cleveland.
- A glance at the Steelers final 4 games
- Jim Shearer returns after a wrist slap from the NFL intellectual property Nazis. His lower-tech version of YinzLuvDaStillers is still a must watch, and probably even funnier with the new "instant replays:"
DISPATCHES FROM DALLAS:
UPDATE ON THE STOOPIDEST MAN ALIVE
The New York Daily News reports that Giants WR Harris Smi-- err, Plaxico Burress -- was laughing and joking with teammate Brandon Jacobs on Sunday in regards to his current sitauation. Imaginging the conversation as something like this:
Brandon Jacobs: "Plex man, you are just tooooooo funny! Dropping your gat all over the place while you're wasted. Braaaaaa-vo!
Plaxico Burress: "I know! I mean, could've killed myself or someone else--now that is what I call Co-mah-dey!"
BJ: "You are such a card, Plax. What a cut-up you are. You're killin' me!"
PB: "Right? Right? I'm going to get charged with a felony and could spend three years in prison--What a laugh riot!!"
BJ:"Do I smell box office? Beucase you should take that show on the road, mister!"
PB: "And why not? I could very well lose my fortune and my highly lucrative career --L-O-L!!"
What. An. Idiot. Truly a special kind of stupid.
We'll let the irony speak for itself on this football card.
Nov 30 2008
Greetings all, hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. Coming at you today live from the ultra glamourous and luxiourous confines of the second floor of the 34 Boulevard of the Allies building -- a place with all the charm of a Greyhound station, but not as clean. After five days of turkey and beer, we feel a bit like this guy. Seriously, I think I could sweat gravy at this point. The last of the turkey and stuffing leftovers will be eaten during this game, so if the updates aren't coming fast enough, its because my heart seized up and I'm on the floor in a purple heap.
Some things:
- First off, Ed Bouchette reports that Willie Parker will play. Not quite sure how much action he'll see or how this will affect today's proceedings, as the Steelers haven't exactly missed Parker given the play of Mewelde Moore, but it certainly won't hurt.
- We're sitting here watching the waning moments of the Baltimore-Cincinnati massacre, and the crowd shot of a cold and rainy Paul Brown Stadium reveals a on hand that might be less than the WPIAL Single A championship game.Or a Pirates game on a September weeknight. Maybe 200 people there. While throttling the Bengals is nothing impressive, the Ravens keep breathing down the necks of the Steelers, adding to the importance of today's scuffle with the Pats and setting up quite a showdown in Charm City in two weeks.
- The Browns continue to find new and interesting ways to lose. If you were to read a Peyton Manning game line that read: 125 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INT and Joseph Addai is held to 57 yards you'd assume the Colts lost. But you'd be wrong. If ever you're having a bad day, take solace in the fact that you don't cheer for the Browns.
- We wish Plaxico Burress a speedy recovery and hope that his mishap does not end his playing career. That being said, HOW STUPID IS THIS GUY? He is absolutely the Nuke LaLoosh of the NFL. Ten million dollar talent and a ten cent head. If someone said to you that an NFL player would accidentally SHOOT HIMSELF and you had to guess who, would Plaxico not be at the top of your list? What a dummy.
Kickoff coming in a driving Boston rain ...
FIRST QUARTER
- Let the splitting headache begin. Opening kickoff, Carey Davis fumbles, and the temples are throbbing. Steelers get the ball back but why bother ... Big Ben throws a pick right into the waiting arms of ... Mike Vrabel. MIKE VRABEL! Not a defensive back. A 57-year-old linebacker! Ugh. This is going to be one of those afternoons ...
- Three plays, Patriots touchdown. New England 7 Steelers 0.
- Let's try this again ... and, not so much. Steelers go 3 and out.
- Steelers D comes to play, and forces a Patriots punt. Decent return by Santonio and a Steelers blocker -- not sure who, absolutely lit up a Pats defender.
- Steelers settle for a FG after a really nice drive in which they convert not one, but TWO third and longs -- both passes to Nate Washington. Carey Davis, already having a grrrrrrreat game (see above) can't convert and 3rd and a long one from the two yard line. Ben is getting more than adequate protection, which is good to see.
- Pats punt. End of quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
- Steelers start the quarter with an uninspired possession. Punt. The guys are having a hard time pulling in the pigskin in this driving rain.
- Pats punt again. The final score of this game could well be 7-3.
- ... And the Steelers punt ... again. Ben has missed four straight -- he's 5 for 13 with a ton of drops -- and Santonio seems to have minmal interest in playing today. As pointed out by NYCSteelerFan in the comments section he had a huge drop on the Steelers FG possession and on 3rd and 10 basically quit running his route and Ellis Hobbs nearly picked off a Ben pass. Santonio looks terrible. But he's hardly the only guy dropping balls on either -- Heath Miller, Willie Parker and Randy Moss are all guilty too -- as illustrated by a CBS lowlights package.
- The bend but never break Steelers defense hold the Pats to a FG on a drive that started near midfield. The Pats were able to convert a 4th and a half inch deep in Steelers territory, but as per usual, the Steeler D stays stout and forces a field goal. Troy came in untouched on a blitz on 3rd and 2 and batted down a Matt Cassel pass. PATS 10 STEELERS 3.
- Nice return by Gary Russell will give the Steelers their best starting position of the day, at their own 37.
- Four straight plays to Mewelde Moore -- 3 run, 1 pass -- yields 2 Steelers first downs. Steelers on the move ...
- After a giving up a sack, the Steelers get 5 yards back on an encroachment penalty, Nate climbs the ladder for a ball -- he's having a really nice game thus far, wish Santonio would follow his lead -- and Hines grabs one to convert a 3rd and 2. Another quick dump underneath to Moore who gets up to the Pats 19-yard line as we head to the 2 minute warning ...
- ... and its as if he heard us ... Santonio torches Deltha O' Neal and makes a gorgeous catch of a Big Ben pass, and we're deadlocked at 10. This might be one the Steelers best drives of the entire season. The run/pass selection was dead on, Big Ben hit at least four different receivers on the drive. Just terrific. STEELERS 10 PATS 10.
- Steelers absolutely dodge one. Stephen Gotkowski misses a chip shot field goal after Randy Moss drops a sure touchdown. The Steelers are getting brutalized by Kevin Faulk and Sammy Davis. Let me repeat that: Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris. These guys aren't exactly Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris back there. The pair already have 81 yards on the ground -- the Steelers give up 66.5 rushing YPG this season.
HALFTIME STEELERS 10 PATS 10
- Halftime discussion point: Given the production and cheaper price tag of Mewelde Moore, should the Steelers consider trading/cutting Fast Willie this offseason? Talk amongst yourselves ...oh, and the turkey and stuffing were great, BTW.
- Buckle up ... second half underway ...
THIRD QUARTER
- Steelers open with a bunch of penalties -- an obvious Ike Taylor hold of Randy Moss and a holding on Casey Hampton. I have never seen holding on a nose tackle -- didn't even know it was possible -- but all that did was serve to get the fat man mad. Two plays later Hampton barrels through the Dan Koppen like a Sumo champion and deposits his massive girth right on to Matt Cassel. Pats punt.
- That rainstorm looks freakin' biblical.
- Steelers settle for 3 from Automatic Reed -- a bit of a disappointing end to what had been just a fantastic drive by the Steelers. By my unofficial count 7 runs -- five of them by Mewelde Moore who has been terrific today -- and 5 passes, including a pair of sweet 3rd down conversions by Santonio and Heath Miller. A great drive but the Steelers couldn't hit paydirt. 13-10 STEELERS LEAD.
- Christmas comes early. The Pats return man Matthew Slater drops the kickoff in a blooper worthy of those old NFL Films Football Follies tapes. Great coverage by Anthony Madison and recovery by Keyaron Fox -- two plays later Ben to Hines: TOUCHDOWN. 20-10 PITTSBURGH. Call it harmonic convergence in the cosmos balancing out the Pats TD after the Vrabel pick in the game's opening minutes.
- James Harrison is a part man, part beast. He's a Meast. Sack and strip of Cassel, Woodley recovers. Steelers with the ball on the Pats 30-yard line.
- First play on the possession and Ben fires a laser to Heath Miller who absorbs a massive shot from Pats' LB Pierre Woods ... and Woods gets the worst of it, his body prostrate on the deck as Miller holds on to the ball. And do you know why? Because HIS NAME IS PIERRE! NO FOOTBALL PLAYER SHOULD EVER BE CALLED PIERRE! EVER! UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! Steelers falter after a few handoffs to Fast Bill and settle for 3. STEELERS 23-PATS 10.
- Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf give due and propers to another massive turnout of Steelers fans in a visiting stadium.
- The Pats have five -- count 'em 1-2-3-4-FIVE yards of total offense this half.
- Ryan Clark is flagged for attempted assassination of Wes Welker. A gorgeous display of violence, for which he'll almost certainly be fined later this week. The 15-yard penalty gives the Pats their first third down conversion of the day.
- The Meast strikes again! Harrison blows past Matt Light again and sacks and strips Cassel, Farrior recovers.
FOURTH QUARTER
- Don't know about you guys, but I can't wait for myriad camera shots of a miserable, scowling, soaking wet Bill Belichick this quarter.
- Rumors of the Pats demise are premature. After Nate Washington drops a suer touchdown, New England's defense holds the Steelers to a FG attempt which the normally prefect Jeff Reed goes wide left. Pats take over and go no huddle ... Pats cross midfield but the Steelers keep the pressure up like a pack of junkyard dogs, a Cassel pass is tipped into the hands of Troy Polmalu, who spins like a whirling dervish after grabbing the ball. Steelers look to grind out the clock with 8 minutes left ...
- Steelers take 3 minutes off the clock and Skippy redeems himself, nailing a 45-yarder in the rain ... 26-10 STEELERS LEAD ...
- Lawrence Timmons ices an incredibly dominant day by the Steelers defense with an 89-yard interception return. Two plays later, Gary Russell makes it 33-10 STEELERS. The only people left in rain-soaked Gillette Stadium are soaking rowdy Steelers fans, lapping up the rain and the joy of what is easily the Steelers best effort of the 2008 season and possibly the best win of Mike Tomlin's career. Two minute warning.
- Belichick retreats to bunker with Dick Chaney, Dr. Evil and C. Montgomery Burns where they'll blow off steam from today's loss by kicking puppies.
- To answer NYCSteelers question -- it looked like Ike flipped the ball at Gaffney after the play, mocking him for dropping the ball. Want to say thanks to all of our commenters today -- I think I recognize some of your handles from moderating Ed Bouchette's Tuesday chats. We'll have some postgame thoughts in a minute after we catch our breath, but in the mean time, keep adding your thoughts in the comments section ...
FINAL SCORE STEELERS 33 PATRIOTS 10
Postgame thoughts:
They didn't have Tom Brady. That's what every single Patriot fan on every single Internet message board and blog is going to say. "We didn't have Tahwmmee Braydee." If that makes them feel better, then good for them, but don't listen to it. Thems the breaks, baked bean eaters. The Steelers didn't have Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark or Aaron Smith when these teams met last year. And they didn't have cameras stealing signals in meetings prior to that. And I'm not sure how much of a difference Tom Brady even would've made in this game, such was the domination by the Steelers defense.
This was easily the Steelers best win of the season, against a quality opponent on the road. They did it passing, they did it running, they did it with above average pass blocking, they did it with special teams and above all they did it with smothering, dominant defense. The win is possibly the biggest of the Tomlin era and keeps the Steelers 1.5 games ahead of the Ravens as the final quarter of the season commences. A four-game gauntlet -- Dallas, at Baltimore, at Tennessee, before a gimme game with the Browns to close out the regular season.The 2008 Steelers will define their season and their place in the playoff hunt in the month of December.
Nov 25 2008
The Steelers are shaking off the effects of a few days off today as coach Mike Tomlin just finished his weekly confab with the media to discuss this week's New England game. We'll have a full report from Ed Bouchette in Wednesday's P-G as well as online. And we'll have our weekly video from Tomlin's press conference up later today.
Some highlights from Tomlin:
On the injury front, Brett Keisel has an MCL sprain in a knee and is out this week and at least one more week. This was reported today by Gerry Dulac, but Tomlin confirmed that today. CB Bryant McFadden, who has missed the last five games with a broken forearm is questionable for this week. RB Willie Parker is questionable with a right knee problem. CB Deshea Townsend continues to be doubtful and OT Marvel Smith remains out with a lower back problem. WR Santonio Holmes, who sustained a concussion in the Cincinnati game on Thursday, should be good to go, though Tomlin said they'd monitor the situation all week.
On the change back to punter Mitch Berger, who was cut two weeks ago for Paul Ernster, who was just cut after a poor performance vs. Cincinnati: The punting "was not up to snuff," Tomlin said. "It's good to have Mitch back." Berger had injured hamstrings, which led to a couple of poor performances, before his being released. Tomlin did not answer a question about if the hamstring injuries were still affecting Berger.
On the upcoming schedule: "I don't care about the schedule in March and I don't care about it now. We play New England this week, that's what we're concentrating on."
This begins the tough stretch for the Steelers, with the next four games against playoff contenders. There are only five games left in the season and only the finale on Dec. 28 vs. Cleveland looks like a break in the schedule. Sunday's opponent, New England, looks like it hasn't skipped a beat with Matt Cassel at QB. He torched the Dolphins last week for 415 yards and three touchdowns. He ran for a TD, too. That's two weeks in a row he's passed for 400-plus yards. Make no mistake, the Patriots offense is nearly as good as in years past. Of course they are even better with Tom Brady at the helm, but it looks as though Cassel has them humming pretty good right now at 7-4. When you have guys like WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker, as well as a TE as talented as Ben Watson, you are going to move the ball through the air. Tomlin said those guys would get open against single coverage and the key would be how well the Steelers played "team defense" on Sunday.
On the ground, Kevin Faulk leads the Patriots ground game, which is No. 7 in the NFL.
If the Steelers are to make some hay in Foxboro, then the offense will have to continue to improve. We'll find out how much carried over from the 27-10 defeat of the Bengals last Thursday night. If the Patriots have a weak spot, it's the defense. It's not nearly what it has been the last few years. The Steelers offense needs some sustained drives and touchdowns, not field goals, to build a lead and keep the Pats' offense off the field.
It should be a marquee game in the NFL this week. So it's time for you to weigh in on this blog with your opinions. What do you see as the keys for this week's game?
Nov 20 2008
6:55 p.m.: As you walk around in the press box, you see a lot of people and there are two types, generally: Ones that have the rectangular credentials that allow you access to the press box, locker room and access to the field with two minutes or left in the game. There are other folks with oval-shaped credentials, that allow them press box access and full field access. Here's the question: why would anyone want field access tonight.
Man, it is really cold and windy. Give it up for the fans who sit in this stuff, and there are a smattering of them here 90 minutes from kickoff, but it's going to be a rough night in the seats. Especially if the snow comes as is expected. The NFL Network crew is here, Rich Eisen, Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk and Deion Sanders. They are set up at the open end of the field, facing the river. Goodness that's cold, too. Looks nice to have the Heinz Field backdrop, though. Brrrrr.
As usual, we want to hear from you tonight. It's what makes this blog stay lively, though I promise to do my part, too. On paper, this should be a gimme, bringing the Steelers to and 8-3 mark and 9 days off before traveling to play the Patriots. On the other hand, the way the offense has looked lately, one never knows about this team.
No Chad Ocho Cinco tonight because he knuckleheaded his way into Marvin Lewis' doghouse. He's cero-cero tonight. I'll be back in a bit with inactives and other notes.
7:07 p.m.: Here are tonight's inactive players. Pittsburgh: CB Bryant McFadden, CB Deshea Townsend, CB Roy Lewis, LB Bruce Davis, OL Tony Hills, OT Marvel Smith, DE Orpheus Roye, QB Dennis Dixon (3rd QB); Cincinnati: S Chinedum Ndukwe, LB/DE Eric Henderson, OG/OT Scott Kooistra, OT Levi Jones, OG Andrew Whitworth, WR Chad Ocho Cinco, DE Antwan Odom, QB Carson Palmer (3rd QB).
Could you imagine playing the Bengals a couple years ago or so and catching the break of having Carson Palmer and
Chad Johnson (at least that's who he was back then) on the bench? And for the Steelers, look at that list of inactives, add to it Rashard Mendenhall's season-ending injury, and you see how little this draft class has contributed. WR Limas Sweed is it for tonight. They can't get Bruce Davis or Tony Hills on the field. Wonder how that bodes down the road?
7:24 p.m.: A poster asked about the wind, as usual, it swirls inside this stadium. But it's fairly strong left-to-right as you look at the Bengals bench, or east side of the stadium. If the logo at the 50 is right side up, then it's a crosswind left-to-right.
7:40 p.m.: There is a request for more in-game updates from tonight's game because as one poster said it's not on TV for many people. I generally do about 40 game updates, but will keep that in mind. And I'm not allowed to blog play-by-play because NFL policy prohibits that and besides, I couldn't keep up.
For those of you who do not have NFL Network, or if your cable company isn't showing the game, a reminder that it's on WPCW, or The CW, too. Most folks have that on their cable or satellite systems and it is a UHF station. You might want to check your listings on the TV to see if you get the station. Then you can watch the game. But I'll be able to update some here, and will be happy to do that.
7:54 p.m.: Nice ceremony going on now honoring Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau for 50 years of on-field service in the NFL as a player and coach. Dan Rooney, Art Rooney II and NFL Director of Football Operations and Special Projects Mike Kensil presented LeBeau with an award. After the ceremony and LeBeau's words of thanks for the award, the entire Steelers defense greeted their leader. Tremendous amount of respect for this man from his players. And I hope I look that good at 71.
As for the weather, no snow yet and the temperatures are in the upper 20s with a bit of wind. It will not be a pleasant night, but if the snow does not come in, it won't be so bad.
8:15 p.m.: We're about 10 minutes from kickoff and Cincinnati has won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. The Steelers will receive and will go right-to-left on the TV screen. Game time temp is 32, wind chill temp is 23. No snow and a bit of breeze.
8:16 p.m.: Well, we were about a minute away from kickoff. The stadium is half full and people are streaming in as the game begins. Lots of traffic out there, too. It's a late-arriving crowd, a la Dodgers games.
8:20 p.m.: One near-pick, one drop and it's punt city. And not a good punt at all by Paul Ernster. That was a 33-yard punt and the Bengals are in business at the 31. By the way, nice play by Matt Spaeth to break up what was probably an interception on that offensive series. Let's see if the defense can get a turnover. I see we have a fan in Germany joining us. Armed forces?
8:29 p.m.: Big third down here as they tend to Frostee Rucker, one of the great names in any sport. Sounds like it could be a dancer. Anyhow, Parker seems a bit tentative when he runs, which isn't what the offense needs right now. He had some room on that first down to get more than a yard, but stutter-stepped into the hole. Holmes stops the route on that play. He and Roethlisberger don't seem on the same page. And another brutal punt by Ernster. They catch a break with the penalty. Wow, a 28-yard punt. Awful.
8:38 p.m.: Looks like a nice drive by the Bengals. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a solid QB and the O-Line is giving him some time. Nice and steady plays by the Bengals. Taking advantage of the decent field position. Now a penalty on Chris Hoke gives them a second and short at the 15. No one is worried yet, but come on, you have to hold these guys to 3 points.
8:42 p.m.: Fernando Bryant was right there, but a step late, which is murder in this league. Nice play by Fitzpatrick to laser that ball in there to Glenn Holt. That looked pretty easy and unless this offense gets off its behind and starts to do something, the Bengals are going to get some momentum here. Remember, these guys did play the Eagles to a tie. Maybe this won't be the breather everyone thinks it will be. With 3:08 left in the first quarter, Bengals 7, Steelers 0.
8:49 p.m.: Brutal 3rd-down pass by Ben and the offense continues to sputter. Two first downs in three possessions. And on that last pass, Darnell Stapleton is lucky he didn't get nailed for holding. Offense continues to look out of sync. Nice run by Gary Russell on the kick return, but it's turned into nothing. Looks like the Steelers will go another quarter without a TD that would make eight over the last two games-plus.
8:51 p.m.: You can make that eight quarters in a row without at TD for the offense. End of first quarter, Bengals 7, Steelers 0.
8:55 p.m.: As that brutal punt by Kyle Larson was wobbling out of bounds, a press box scribe said, "is that Ernster?" Got a pretty good laugh. So much for that good field position. Welcome back to the lineup, Heath Miller with the holding call.l
8:58 p.m.: Gary Russell made that yard, he got hit in the hole and drove through to get a big first down inside the 5. Ben looks better on this series and it's nice to see Limas Sweed get into the action some. Ben's still throwing most stuff short and to me, that says this is what he can comfortable doing. Let's see if the offense can punch it in.
9:02 p.m.: Good play call on that down and distance. Why not throw it when you have Miller back in the lineup and Ward on the field? Two very good short-yardage, goal line guys. That was a nice drive, taking advantage of a short field and overcoming Miller's holding call on first down. The defense has to do it again so the offense can get back out there with momentum. The offensive TD drought is over at eight quarters-plus. Gene Collier tells me 123 minutes, 5 seconds to be exact. With 10:15 left in the second quarter, Steelers 7, Bengals 7.
9:10 p.m.: You have to give James Farrior the gold star on that play, getting through the mess to get to Chris Perry to stop a third-and-1 play. By the way, rookie LT Anthony Collins is more than holding his own against James Harrison. There was some jawing and bumping between the two a couple plays back and Collins did not back down. But all in all, a big stop by the defense to get the offense back out there. Not great field position, but this is how you grab hold of a game, drive it 91 yards.
9:14 p.m.: That cheer you heard is for the appearance of snow. That one is for Carey Davis getting a first down. But the snow is here now, we'll see if it lasts. As for the crowd, there are some empty seats and that could be a weather thing. But that strike to Santonio Holmes made them get loud. Nice drive brewing.
9:18 p.m.: Nice grab by Holmes, who I think snatches the ball better than anyone on this team. The Steelers need for him to be involved because it opens things up for Ward and Miller. The running game tonight isn't looking great, but Ben seems to be warmed up and hitting his targets. Was that a tight end screen I just saw? Two-minute warning.
9:24 p.m.: You'd have liked to have had a TD there, but considering you started at the 9, you'll take the 3. Jeff Reed is just money. He's 17 for 18 this year on FGs. The offensive line is giving Ben nice time. And the shorter patterns and shorter drops help, too. The offense has a bit of life now. With 1:52 left in the second quarter, Steelers 10, Bengals 7.
9:28 p.m.: So much for a sackless game. Woodley gets another to add to his total, giving him 10.5 for the year. OH MY. Knucklehead move of the game by Limas Sweed. I think Holmes was ready to drill him for that one and gave him an earful. That lets the Bengals off the deck a bit now because it sets them up for a possible score and keeps the Steelers from possibly extending the lead. Up to the defense again.
9:37 p.m.: A stop when you needed to have one. They keep relying on the defense to get them out of jams and they keep coming through. Time to pack it in for the half. Halftime, Steelers 10, Bengals 7.
9:50 p.m.: Some halftime stats to chew on: Roethlisberger is 10 for 17 passing, 139 yards, 1 TD and a rating of 104.8. Ryan Fitzpatrick is 11 for 16, 70 yards, a TD and a 98.4 rating. Willie Parker has 14 yards on 11 attempts. Santonio Holmes leads the receivers with 3 catches for 59 yards. James Farrior has nine tackles thus far. The Steelers are 2 of 7 on third-down attempts (29 percent); the Bengals 3 of 8 (38 percent). Time for the second half and the Steelers can go a long way towards winning this game with a three-and-out and a nice offensive drive. We'll see if they can pull that off.
9:59 p.m.: Sweed and Anthony Smith team up to get another penalty. It may be time to look at Sweed's spot on special teams after his performance on the last two punts. And he's pretty banged up on the sidelines, too. As knuckleheaded a play as that was, you don't want to see him injured. If he is, there's no contribution at all from this rookie class. Well the defense did its job, time for the offense to put something together here.
10:00 p.m.: For the record, that was a 50-yard throw. Best I've seen him do in the last 3 games.
10:05 p.m.: Ben made the perfect read on the pass to Holmes, picking him up as the hot receiver. Holmes is more dangerous when he gets into the open like that. Willie Parker seemed to come up a bit lame on that run for a first down. He's not come back yet. That was a helmet hit on Holmes by Chris Crocker. He's lucky he got up from that one. Hell of a way to get 6 yards. Let's see if the NFL fines Crocker for that one. Limas Sweed's return is doubtful with a shoulder injury. For the posters commenting on the draft and the O-line, remember, there had been six top-quality O-Linemen picked by the time the Steelers picked. It was a very good draft at the top for O-line, but not deep.
10:10 p.m.: Ugh, brutal drop by Hines on that one. That's three drops by my count tonight. At least they get a score out of it and give themselves a bit of breathing room. But if Holmes can't come back and Sweed is out, look for a lot of two tight ends the rest of the way, along with Mewelde Moore. With 8:18 left in the third quarter, Steelers 13, Bengals 7.
10:15 p.m.: Word here is Holmes suffered a "blow to the head" and his return is questionable. The defense is starting to take over the game a bit. The offense isn't 100 percent at all now with 2 WRs out and Parker seemingly a bit gimpy. To that point, Moore is in the huddle for the Steelers as they start this series. Time for some type of score to make this a two-possession game.
10:19 p.m.: You know, the penalties just aren't breaking the Steelers way again. It was a pick by Washington on the play and he got caught. That was 42 yards down the drain. A drive killer. By the way, the Bengals have one penalty tonight for 10 yards. Who is going to have a rougher day in film session? Limas Sweed or Paul Ernster. A 34-yard punt. I guess with this defense it doesn't matter. And to the poster who asked about trading up in the draft. That's a good point, but you need a partner. When the Panthers took Pitt's Jeff Otah with the 14th pick, that ran out the top-flight linemen. And trading way up, inside the 14th pick, costs you plenty. The O-line will need addressing in the offseason, but I don't know if last year's draft class was very deep.
10:25 p.m.: Just in case you haven't noticed not only this game, but this year, Aaron Smith is an absolute beast at DE. Harrison, Farrior and Polamalu are having Pro Bowl seasons. Not on a lot of radars, but having the same type of year, is Smith. Sweed is back, but Holmes and Parker are not.
10:32 p.m.: Nice drive, one of the best in the last three games. Having Heath Miller back sure helps, and Gary Russell looks very comfortable as a goal line back. Roethlisberger, physically, looks as good as he has in some time tonight. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the O-line keeping guys off him. If they can keep that up and he gets 9 days between this game and next, maybe he starts to heal a bit. That was Russell's first TD of his career. With :16 left in the third quarter, Steelers 20, Bengals 7.
10:40 p.m.: James Farrior continues to dominate on D. Nice stop on that third-down play. Now, the offense needs to put something together to take the clock from 13:40 to about 5 minutes. Even if it's 3 points, run the clock. The Steelers have dominated time of possession through three quarters, 28-plus minutes to 16-plus minutes. Time to put this away a bit early so they can start their long break before heading to New England.
10:45 p.m.: I never wish ill will on people, but Paul Ernster is so fired next week. That was a 24-yard punt, and I can't believe that Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin don't want to look at some punters next week after this performance. I understand the cold weather, but still, you have to do better than 24 yards when you're trying to hold a 13-point lead with most of the fourth quarter to play. Kiesel is dinged, another injury to deal with.
10:50 p.m.: Was that a Bengals penalty? Just askin'. Nice comeback by Fitzpatrick to keep the drive alive. Don't look now, but the Bengals are inside the 20 and there's plenty of time left 9:00.
10:55 p.m.: I don't know how 3 points helps you there at all. You're still two scores down and there's less than 7 minutes. Perhaps they are confident they can stop the Steelers in 3 plays, get the ball back and score. Then do it again. I'm willing to lay money that's not going to happen. By the way, really good job by the Bengals O-line tonight keeping guys off Fitzpatrick. No update yet on Willie Parker, though our Ed Bouchette is asking the Steelers folks here to check on it. We'll get it to you when we hear it. With 6:47 left in the fourth quarter, Steelers 20, Bengals 10.
11 p.m.: Brett Kiesel's return is doubtful. He has a sprained knee. Sweed is trying to make up for some boneheadedness with a very nice catch to keep this drive alive. And did the Bengals defender get the license plate of the truck that ran him over. It's MMoore. If they can keep this drive going, they can wrap it up right here.
11:07 p.m.: Is it just me or do the Steelers linemen never really block on those "screens" to Moore? He seems to blow by them and just make his own way. It looks like a team that's trying to run a screen and doesn't really run one. Maybe that's why they don't run them very often. Maybe they just aren't very good at it.
11:12 p.m.: Vintage Big Ben on that TD run. What it would mean for him to be healthy and play like he's capable. With the defense playing as well as it is, there is no team in the AFC that should be able to dominate them. Better yet, no one in the league. This one's over except for the stats. With 2:15 left in the fourth quarter, Steelers 27, Bengals 10.
11:20 p.m.: Troy Polamalu has a way of ending games, doesn't he? But this one isn't being reviewed. A nice win, and a bit of redemption for the offense in this one. I'm headed to the locker room and I'll be back with some final thoughts. Final score: Steelers 27, Bengals 10.
12:15 p.m.: Some final thoughts from tonight's game and a couple locker room updates:
-- Mike Tomlin said that RB Willie Parker "just tweaked his knee" but added it was premature to say at this point how bad the injury is. After the game, Parker, at his locker, just said, "I'm all right" when asked about the knee. Then he went off to get some treatment on it.
-- RB Gary Russell scored his first TD in last night's game, but after the game he was still looking for the ball he toted into the end zone. Bet here is that one iof the equipment guys will make sure he gets it on Friday.
-- Ben Roethlisberger was 17-for-30 for 243 yards a touchdown and a passer rating of 94.2. Santonio Holmes led the Steelers in receiving with 5 catches for 94 yards before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an injury. Mewelde Moore led the Steelers with 56 yards on 15 carries.
-- Once the Steelers got over a sluggish first quarter, they pretty much took it too the Bengals. They finished with 364 total net yards to the Bengals 208. They outrushed Cincinnati 121-43 and converted 43 percent on third down (6-for-14) to the Bengals 27 percent (4-of-15). The Steelers also dominated the clock, 35:20 to 24:40. The only stats that didn't really fall the Steelers' way were penalties. They had 4 for 40 yards compared to 2 for 15 for the Bengals. And Ernster's punting average was 28.4 on 5 punts. Ugly.
-- What's next. A few days off for the Steelers before they begin prepping for the game at New England. This is the start of a stretch run that is going to determine if they can win the division and where they can get seeded in the playoffs. Here's the lineup: Nov. 30 at New England; Dec. 7 Dallas at Heinz; Dec. 14 at Baltimore; Dec. 21 at Tennessee; Dec. 28 Cleveland at Heinz. Pick up the two home games as wins and you finish 10-6. That's likely good enough to win the division. But the game to circle is Baltimore on Dec. 14. If the Steelers can get that one, they will have the tiebreaker over the one team in the division that will challenge them. But first things first. They need to get ready to play the Patriots.
OK, that's it for tonight. I really appreciate the comments on the blog. We'll update when we get a bit more to discuss. Should be a big weekend of games. One to watch: Philly at Baltimore. Big one for a lot of reasons.
Nov 17 2008
Ron Cook's column in tomorrow's Post-Gazette will say that Steelers LB James Harrison could very well be the best defensive player in the NFL. Harrison's end zone sack and resulting safety were the two points the Steelers desperately needed in the 11-10 victory over San Diego Sunday.
Everyone's talking about that weird final play in yesterday's game. The referee's said they'd made an error on the play and while it changed nothing on the field, it sure did change some gamblers' fortunes in Vegas (and elsehwere). PG reporter Gary Rotstein is taking a look at that issue in tomorrow's paper as well. Seems that while bets in the millions are often taken legally on the NFL, speculation is that many more millions of illegal bets are placed. So many people seem upset with the final call, but in reality, it means nothing as far as the outcome of the game.
More people seem upset today if I can believe my E-mail basket, about the officiating in general. The Steelers were flagged for 13 penalties for 115 yards against the Chargers. Sometimes you have games like that, but when the disparity in penalties is so wide -- San Diego was flagged twice for five yards -- people are going to notice. I know Mike Tomlin was not happy after the game yesterday, though he steered clear of saying anything negative about the officiating.
Let's hear from you about these topics. Remember, it's a short week. Bengals up on Thursday at Heinz.
Nov 16 2008
2:40 p.m.: Hello everyone from Heinz Field, where Old Man Winter is making his presence felt pretty early. While there is no snow or any type of precipitation here, the wind is pretty strong and it feels like football in mid-November. Give credit to the fans. They actually pay to sit in this weather. I was in State College yesterday for the Penn State-Indiana game on official business, but was amazed that they had a bit more than 100,000 fans in the stands in miserable weather. Just shows fans come out when you're winning. Or they are just crazy loyal.
Kick off is about 90 minutes away from the Chargers-Steelers kickoff and we'll be updating throughout the game. Our next update will be when the inactives are announced. As always, your comments go a long way toward making this blog a success. It's a great way to discuss the game while onging. So I hope to hear from you and all of Steeler Nation.
3:07 p.m.: Here are today's inactive players. For the Steelers: CB Bryant McFadden, CB Deshea Townsend, LB Bruce Davis, OL Tony Hills, OT Marvel Smith, TE Heath Miller, DE Orpheus Roye and QB Dennis Dixon (3rd QB). For the Chargers: CB Cletis Gordon, SS Steve Gregory, RB Michael Bennett, OG Kynan Forney, WR Buster Davis, TE Kris Wilson, DT Ian Scott and QB Charlie Whitehurst (3rd QB).
Max Starks will contine to start at LT for Smith. Matt Spaeth will start at TE for Miller and William Gay will make his firt career start for Townsend. Gay likely will be tested early by the Chargers. Philip Rivers is having a good season and he has plenty of outside targets in Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson (6-5 and 230 pounds) and Malcolm Floyd. TE Antonio Gates is also a Pro Bowl type receiver. Oh yeah, and they have LaDanian Tomlinson, too.
3:45 p.m.: One very large blizzard here right now. Wow, amazing stuff. The fans are loving it, at least they are cheering for it. you can't see the city skyline from here, which gives you a good idea of what's going on. I'm sure the Chargers would prefer their fair city right about now. Considering the Steelers are 12-0 at home against the Chargers in the regular season, the snow just may add to their misery.
4:00 p.m.: Pretty cool scene with the snow-covered field. Reminds me of 2005, when the Bears came to town with their great defense and the Steelers, behind a 100-plus-yard day from Jerome Bettis, defeated Chicago on their way to winning their final four regular-season games. Then running the table all the way to Super Bowl XL in Detroit. I think pounding the ball today will be a key in these condidtions. And the snow's still coming down.
4:16 p.m.: Just for the record, I'd keep it away from Darren Sproles, too.
4:21 p.m.: I don't think you'll see a better interception, if it holds up to Norv Turner's challenge. Just a tremendously athletic play by Troy Polamalu. On this kind of day with these conditions, that's a play that is on every highlight show tonight. And the value of getting an early turnover is crucial. San Diego's offense hasn't been their problem this year and not the reason for their 4-5 record thus far. So getting them into a hole early would be crucial. Let's see if the replay holds up.
4:26 p.m.: OK, I'll say it. If Ben leads Holmes on that throw, it's a TD. Yet another underthrow, and followed by a sack. I can appreciate the Steelers taking a deep shot on first down, but if he can't throw that pass for whatever reason, why do it? Nice check-down to Mewelde Moore, but not enough. Tough to ask Jeff Reed to make a 51-yard FG on this day. A nice hold by a suspect Chargers defense.
4:35 p.m.: When I saw Brandon Manumaleuna make that catch, all I could do was think of the 1994 AFC Championship and Alfred Pupunu, another No. 86 that destroyed the Steelers dream of going to a Super Bowl. The Chargers won that day, 17-13, after coming in as heavy underdogs.
4:38 p.m.: They announced Ryan Clark, but Ike Taylor committed the pass interference penalty that led to Tomlinson's 1-yard TD run. Well, the Steelers defense gave the offense a chance to grab an early lead, but they failed. Now the Chargers offense has gone to work. Time for Big Ben and the boys to get rolling. With 6:46 left in the first quarter, Chargers 7, Steelers 0.
4:46 p.m.: If Spaeth can't come back, the Steelers are down to Sean McHugh at tight end. As much as OC Bruce Arians likes to use tight ends, he's pretty much out of options at this point. Looks like the Steelers best offense today is Willie Parker. It's that kind of day, anyhow. Looks like the guards, Darnell Stapleton and Chris Kemoeatu, are having good days blocking.
4:55 p.m.: If you are going for it on 4th down, why not have your best RB in the game and not the third-down back? That's twice now that the Steelers offense has failed to get points when they should have. The Chargers defense is beatable, but by taking a second-down sack and then not scoring on a third-and-a-foot, you let them think they are better than they are. It seemed that the Steelers were rushed on that goal line play and they came to the line with less than 10 seconds left on the play clock. That quarter was not the best for the Steelers, was it? End of the first quarter, Chargers 7, Steelers 0.
5:00 p.m.: Leave it to the defense and James Harrison to get the Steelers started in the right direction. Great play by Harrison who didn't look to go for the sack as he did for the ball. Great play by a Pro Bowl player. The only bad outcome was the defense couldn't get a TD out of it. But points are points, right? With 14:46 left in the first quarter, Chargers 7, Steelers 2.
5:02 p.m.: The Eagles and Bengals played to a 13-13 tie today. It's the first tie in the NFL since Nov. 10, 2002, when the Steelers and Falcons tied 34-34 at Heinz Field. The Bengals missed a late field goal in overtime that could have given them their second win of the season. And that tie may come back to haunt the Eagles in the tough NFC East.
5:10 p.m.: Ugly stuff up front on that series. The Ward holding penalty is almost fatal for this offense and no one touches Jacques Cesaire on that third-down play. You can't blame Roethlisberger for that one. Lousy punt by Paul Ernster, giving the Chargers offense great field position. You keep seeing the Steelers offense blow chances and stall and this is a three-game trend. At some point, you have to start to wonder if the problems lie much deeper than a Ben that's less than 100 percent.
5:17 p.m.: When you think about how good LaMarr Woodley is going to be in the NFL, just remember that last play. He was covering a WR about 12 yards down field, then he makes a lunging play to break up the pass. He's been such a good player this year and he just made a big play to halt San Diego. The offense has to get going soon, bad field position or not. This quarter is nearly half over.
5:24 p.m.: You can't get a foot? Your left side, despite the $7 million tackle, has not been your best side to run to all game. On the right, you have been having success the entire game. So you go left when you need a foot? Speaking of feet, or foots, Anthony Smith just shoots himself and his team in the foot, giving the Chargers an extra 15 on the fair catch interference. So you let them start on the 40 instead of the 25. This game has that ominous feel to it.
5:28 p.m.: First of all, why when you need 2 yards for a first down at midfield, do you run right at Aaron Smith and LaMarr Woodley? Once you got hammered for a 3-yard loss, you then open yourself up to a defense that knows how to rush the passer pretty well. But as bad as the offense has been for the Steelers, maybe you think just winning the field position battle is enough. We'll see if the offense can get out of this hole.
5:32 p.m.: The offense just looks out of sync and flat. And this isn't an anomaly, it's a trend. These aren't the best of conditions, but come on, this defense isn't that good. Fans here are booing the offense off the field, but you can't go for it on fourth-and-short at your own 23. It's the two-minute warning and what you want to do here is try to pin the Chargers a bit deep and go in no worse than you are now. By the way, Paul Ernster has done nothing but launch ducks today. So much for pinning San Diego deep.
5:40 p.m.: If not for the defense, and James Harrison in particular, this game could be a lot worse. Poor pass by Rivers, but another big play by Harrison setting the offense up for a chance to get some points. Plenty of time left. One press box comment about Harrison: "Put him on offense." Not a bad thought.
5:47 p.m.: I guess when your offense is struggling you take what you can get. A Reed field goal to end the half at least gets you within a field goal of taking the lead. James Harrison is responsible for all of the Steelers points this half, either directly or indirectly. The Steelers have to hope that this late score translates into a bit of momentum for the second half. Halftime, Chargers 7, Steelers 5.
6:02 p.m.: This stat gem from press box neighbor and columnist Gene Collier: The Steelers were penalized seven times in the first half for 65 yards. They have played only two games this year where they've had more penalties (8 and 10). They are well on their way to passing those marks with their first half performance. Other stats: Roethlisberger 19 of 23 for 189 yards and a passer rating of 100.9. Parker 11 rushes for 46 yards. Steelers dominate time of posession, 18:36 to 11:24. The only difference is the Steelers aren't letting the stats speak on the scoreboard. On to the second half.
6:07 p.m.: Promising drive and thankfully, they ran to the right on the third-and-one play with Gary Russell getting the first down. A near pick on that deep pass should dissuade too much of that thinking. The intermediate stuff and check-downs seem to be working. We'll see if they stick with it.
6:13 p.m.: Holmes should make that catch, but the offense does enough to get the ball down there for a Reed FG. I guess you take what you can get when your offense is having trouble getting to paydirt. The drive consumed 6:19 off the clock, which means the defense is well-rested. It looks like the offense has found some stuff that will work, but now the problem is when they get down close, they can't put it in the end zone. But at least they have the lead. With 8:41 left in the third quarter, Steelers 8, Chargers 7.
6:22 p.m.: The screen pass was a great call on this drive and this is what you get when you let the Chargers offense out of the hole. The defense, which has played well all day has to hold here. If they did, they'd be keeping this a game of field goals.
6:24 p.m.: Nate Kaeding isn't a bad kicker, but that was a brutal kick. Great hold by the Steelers defense to preserve the lead. Now if the offense wants to do its part, it'll take the ball and move it for a big score against this defense. You have to figure at one point the Chargers are going back down the field for a score. So every posession needs some points if you're the Steelers.
6:30 p.m.: As poor as the offense has played, Willie Parker and Matt Spaeth, who was out for a few plays in the first half, have played really well. Parker is so good at cutting in the hole. I can remember a few weeks back when folks were calling for Mewelde Moore even after Parker got healthy. The Steelers are much better with Parker as the lead dog and using Moore to spell him and on third downs. And even Gary Russell looks strong today. Good drive so far.
6:35 p.m.: Big third-down play coming up here, but we mark the end of the quarter. Not the prettiest of quarters, or of football games for that matter, but the Steelers will take it. The Steelers now lead in time of possession, 29:16 to 15:44. This game should not be as close as it is. End of third quarter, Steelers 8, Chargers 7.
6:37 p.m.: Paul Ernster is having a terrible day. He nearly punted that ball into the first row of stands. It's inside the 20, but really, you have to do better than that. There is always a standard announcement before every game in every NFL press box warning that there is no cheering or disparaging remarks allowed in the press box. As you can imagine, one of those is followed strictly. The other is pretty much ignored, though it's not rampant, it's usually done pretty much on every poor play. It's some of the funniest stuff you never hear. For instance, on Ernster's punt, one guy in the box said: "I think it's out on the 33." Good stuff.
6:47 p.m.: Critical set of down for the Steelers defense. If they can forced a FG attempt, that's a win for the defense at this point. A TD, with the way the offense has been playing could be fatal.
6:48 p.m.: Huge conversion to Vincent Jackson. Time for a goal-line stand. But now they can run the clock down. It'll be under seven minutes soon. Big stop time.
6:55 p.m.: A field goal, considering the Chargers were at the 5 on first down, is a victory for the Steelers. That drive ate up more than seven minutes. An excellent job by the Chargers. But now the Steelers offense must come up with a critical drive. They could not against the Colts last week and they have to do that here if they want to keep from dropping a third straight at home. This drive will say a lot about the offense and where this team goes this year. We'll see. With 6:41 left in the fourth quarter, Chargers 10, Steelers 8.
7:03 p.m.: One question: Where's this been all day? Hines Ward is now over 100 yards for the game. It's the 18th game over 100 yards receiving for Ward in his career.
7:09 p.m.: Two-minute warning. Best drive of the day and now it's important that they hold on to the ball for as long as they can. Actually, one has to wonder if this hasn't been there all day and an inability to make big plays as well as some very untimely penalties have prevented the Steelers from dominating. They will have a 100-yard rusher, 100-yard receiver and a 300-yard passer and may win this game by a point. But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Still a lot of game to play and the Steelers still trail, 10-8.
7:16 p.m.: Killer penalty, and I believe the Steelers 13th of the game. That's why they have all this offense and only 8 points. Gotta kick now, on third down.
7:19 p.m.: If this holds up, and I suspect it will, it will be the first NFL game in history (12,837 games) that finished 11-10. That's being reported now by CBS and thanks to Ken "Stats" Wunderley, Blog 'N Gold has it now.
7:25 p.m.: Final score, Steelers 11, Chargers 10. How in heaven's name do you have that much offense and score 11 points? If not for the defense's safety, the Steelers lose 10-9. Weird, weird game. From start to finish. Really strange karma coming from the game, but the bottom line, Steelers are 7-3 and atop the AFC North. I'm headed to the locker room, and I'll have some final thoughts on this one. Oh, and forget that item about the first-ever 11-10 finish. Strange game. By the way, the line was Steelers by 5. Hmmmm.
9:05 p.m.: Now that the dust has settled on this bizarre game, my first item about the only 11-10 finish of an NFL game stands. Upon further review. I'd changed that item when it looked as though Troy Polamalu's fumble return for a TD would count. But as we all know by now, it didn't. A pool reporter (Scott Brown of the Tribune-Review) was sent in to talk with the officials about the final call. Here's a transcript of his interview with head referee Scott Green:
Q: Final play of the game.
A: "There were several passes. The first pass was illegal, an illegal forward pass. The second pass was backwards. The rule that kills the play is if it hits the ground. There was som econfusion on which illegal forward pass we we rdiscussing and it was decided that the illegal forward pass hit the gound and that would have killed the play and ther ewas no time remaining so that would end the game."
Q: The ball was dead once it hit the ground?
A: "Yes."
Q: What is the process of reviewing this?
A: "The normal review was a minute. You have a minute to look at it on the screen. The first pass was the one that was illegal but it only kills the play if it hits the ground. That was incorrect to have killed that at that point. The ruling should have let the play go on. That's just the way that it played out. We believe the second pass was legal."
Q: So the play ws ruled dead because the first pass hit the ground?
A: "That's what we ruled but it didn't hit the ground because it was thrown forward. The rule is if he possesses it you can let the play go on. If he drops it or it hits the gound then you kill the play."
Q: So if the first pass didn't hit the ground why was the play killed?
A: "We didn't kill it on the field. After discussion we decided ... there was some confusion over which pass we were talking about and it was decided that it was the second pass that was illegal that did hit the ground and therefore we killed the play there."
Q: But the second pass was legal?
A: "I know. The rule was misinterpreted."
Q: So it should have been a touchdown?
A: "We should have let the play go through in the end, yes. It was misinterpreted that instead of killing the play we should have let the play go through."
Thoughts from this game:
-- The offense put up a lot of yards but not a lot of points. It finished with 410 net yards. But they were 0-for-3 in the red zone as far as scoring touchdowns and were 7-for-14 on third-down efficiency. Odd to put up those numbers and score only 9 points. But let's look at penalties.
-- The Steelers were penalized 13 times for 115 yards. The Chargers twice for five yards. Mike Tomlin was not a happy camper at the press conference. "I don't want to talk about the officiating. I won't talk about 13-to-1 (actually 13-2) penalties." He didn't, but they certainly played a role in this game.
-- Goal line offense. Twice the Steelers were inside the 5 and twice they didn't score TDs. On a fourth-and-goal from the 1 late in the first quarter, Mewelde Moore was stuffed when the left side of the Steelers line was blown up by the Chargers. Then, on the final drive, Willie Parker scored an apparent TD that was called back on a holding penalty by TE Sean McHugh. It led to the game-winning field goal from Jeff Reed, but once again, the Steelers were denied a TD.
-- Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball 41 times, completing 31 for 308 yards, no TDs and no INTs. His passer rating was 96.4. Philip Rivers, who led the league with a rating of 106 coming into the game, had a rating of 43.6 today.
-- The Steelers defense was its usual rugged self against the run, surrendering only 66 yards on 22 attempts on the day. Willie Parker's return to the lineup was good for 115 yards on 25 carries. And Gary Russell, who ran only twice for 10 yards, was cited by Tomlin after the game for his hard running and kickoff returns (avg. was 20.3 yards per return). It appears from what Tomlin said postgame that Russell may be used as the goal-line back. We'll see.
-- Looking ahead. Not a lot of time to try to sort out this odd game. The Bengals are in town on Thursday to end this three-game home stand. The Bengals are fresh off a 13-13 tie with Philadelphia today, and are playing much better these days. If the Steelers can get that one, they'll be 8-3 overall, 6-1 in the AFC and 3-0 in the division. So the Thursday game is huge for tiebreakers.
After the Bengals come calling, the Steelers start a very tough stretch. On Nov. 30, they travel to Foxboro to play the Patriots. One week later, they are back at Heinz to host Dallas. Then, and you can circle these two on your calendar, Dec. 14 at the Ravens and Dec. 21 at the unbeaten (for now) Titans. The Steelers close out the season at home against the Browns.
If the Steelers can split the final six, going 10-6, they should be able to close out the division and get a favorable playoff spot. The conference record will be important. Here's how the challengers look after this week: Jets 5-3, Dolphins 5-3, Ravens 6-3, Titans 7-0, Colts 5-2. No one else is better than 4-4.
That's it for now. Thanks for the comments and keep them coming. We'll be blogging live from Thursday's game, too.
10 p.m.: Hey folks, this is getting to be a really lively discussion of the game, the officiating and what's wrong with the Steelers. But if you have a complaint about something or someone that really doesn't belong in a blog about this game or the Steelers, keep it to yourself, please. We've got a great discussion from most of the posters about this game and how things look for the Steelers. I want to keep that going and personal criticisms should be left out. I appreciate your help on this.
Nov 09 2008
2:45 p.m.: Hi everyone from Heinz Field about 90 minutes before the Steelers take on the Colts. It's the start of an important three-game stretch for the Steelers over the next 11 days. They will play three AFC games all at home during that stretch. They host San Diego next Sunday and then play the Bengals on Thursday, Nov. 20. The Colts (4-4) are coming off a nice win at home over New England and their offense seems a bit more in sync with the return of Dallas Clark to the lineup. He's always been one of Peyton Manning's favorite targets and should be today, too. This game sets up to be a fairly close contest, but an important one for both teams as they begin the second half of the season. I'll be back shortly with inactives and more pregame comments.
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2:53 p.m.: The inactives are out for today's game. Steelers: CB Bryant McFadden, RB Willie Parker, LB LaMarr Woodley, OL Tony Hills, OT Marvel Smith, TE Heath Miller, DE Orpheus Roye and QB Dennis Dixon (3rd QB). For the Colts: DB Kelvin Haden, DB Jamie Silva, LB Jordan Senn, LB Buster Davis, C Steve Justice, WR Roy Hall, TE Tom Santi and DT Daniel Muir. Lawrence Timmons will start at OLB for Woodley and Max Starks will continue at LT for Smith. Matt Spaeth will start at TE for Miller. We'll see how this affects different coverage packages for the Steelers. Larry Foote could be on the field more in nickle situations and we may see a Bruce Davis siting. Maybe.
3:30 p.m.: The Steelers are out on the field warming up and while you can't tell much from that, Ben Roethlisberger is ou there doing some stretching and just a bit of throwing on the side. I'm sure the Steelers would love to control the line of scrimmage today and run the ball, allowing Roethlisberger a chance to throw just when necessary. He's certainly capable of winning a game on his own, but you still wonder just how healthy he is. We know this: he's healthy enough to play and to start, which is all that matters at the moment. \
NFL Films is here and there are a couple of guys with a camera and mic watching James Harrison warm up. That should make for some interesting footage once they compile the Steelers 2008 season video. Or show it on NFL Network. It's amazing how that idea, begun in the late 1950s by Ed Sabol and run for years now by his son, Steve, has blossomed into a tremendously profitable part of the NFL's empire. Not to mention the countless years of joy they've brought to football fans everywhere. From great video to symphony music to accompany it, NFL Films has been a big part of the NFL's success.
4:05 p.m.: Just about ready to go here and the Steelers are about to be introduced. Little bit of wind here, blowing across the field left to right as you face the open end of the field. We'll see if that presents any issues for the kickers today. The Steelers defense is being introduced, we should be ready to go in about 10 minutes.
4:17 p.m.: Losing Najeh Davenport doesn't improve the kick return game, but 15-yard penalty by the Colts makes things a bit better. A short, crisp passing game to start could get Ben into a nice rhythm. Three plays and a first down. So far, a good start. Look to see if the Steelers throw a lot of short, quick stuff then try to pull them up and hit a deep one.
4:22 p.m.: Looks like the Steelers are trying short passes and quick drops for Roethlisberger. It's about time. One thing you'll see a lot of today are runs between the tackles by the Steelers. The Colts do not have a defensive starter who weighs more than 274 pounds. One of the pleasures I get when I cover games is I sit next to our Gene Collier in the press box. Gene's sharp eye caught that stat. If you get a chance today, check out Gene's A-1 story on why Dan Rooney chose to support Barrack Obama in the recent presidential race. Very insightful stuff.
There's the first score of the game and the Steelers made it look very easy. Moore from a yard out. First quarter with 9:07 left, Steelers 7, Colts 0.
4:35 p.m.: That's vintage Colts, isn't it? Peyton Manning in 1:26 evens the score. Taylor is beaten on this play, but makes a nice recovery. But he has no hands and thus, Reggie Wayne is able to catch the ball, one miss later by Ryan Clark and it's a tie game. The more Manning plays, the healthier he seems. And that means the Steelers have to keep hammering the ball on offense. Ball control is the name of the game for the Steelers today. First quarter with 7:41 left, Steelers 7, Colts 7.
4:40 p.m.: That was ugly. It was also the Colts first sack in a month. Let the debate begin right here: did Big Ben hold it too long or did the O-line get beaten badly? You never want three-and-outs on offense, but when you have to keep a very good offense off the field, you really don't want them at all. Defense needs to make a stop.
4:50 p.m.: Is there any doubt who is a Pro Bowl player on the Steelers defense? Aaron Smith has just dominated today and his sack made the defensive series. He's long been their most consistent lineman and he continues to be the real anchor of the defense. Not saying Casey Hampton doesn't make plays, too, but Smith never comes off the field it seems. That gives Smith 40.5 sacks for his career, which puts him in 8th place all time on the Steelers list. He just passed the late Ernie Holmes.
4:55 p.m.: End first quarter, Steelers 7, Colts 7. Not a bad first quarter considering the Colts lit them up with that long TD pass to Reggie Wayne. The Steelers need to keep grinding it out and keeping the Colts offense off the field. Ben look OK, but has been a bit behind his receivers today, especially as they go longer down the field. But they'll adjust. The short drops and quick passes are probably the rule of the day. They start quarter two with a third-and-long. We'll see what the call is.
4:59 p.m.: Some trickery doesn't backfire on the Steelers because Ben has a great set of hands on him. Hey Mewelde, an easy pitch to the QB is the essential part of the flea flicker play. Ben threw that pretty much flat-footed 38 yards to Hines Ward and only a huge hit by Bob Sanders keeps him out of the end zone. Good call by offensive coordinator Bruce Arians not to sneak it in from the 1. It's what they pay RBs to do in the NFL. Second quarter with 13:21 left, Steelers 14, Colts 7.
5:06 p.m.: OK, what's the over-under on the amount of the fine Ryan Clark is going to get for that hit on Dallas Clark. No penalty. Shoulder to shoulder, but you could argue Dallas Clark was helpless on that play. The league probably will do just that, but we'll see. Looked like a clean hard hit to me, but I'm not Gene Washington. And I promise before this day is done, I'm going to find out why the devil Ike Taylor does that hand in front of the face thing. He's done it for a couple years. I'm making a mental note to ask about it. Let's see if they can follow that defensive stand with another nice drive. Got a chance to bury the Colts a bit here.
5:11 p.m.: Bob Sanders is just a monster. He's so much like Polamalu it's scary. And he's probably now the best player on the Colts defense now that Dwight Freeney isn't what he was a couple years ago. He makes a fine play on the Moore run on second down because the Steelers had opened a huge hole for him. Sanders fires in and gets ahold of a leg and doesn't let go. Terrific player to watch. And he's probably stoked by his alma mater's big win yesterday over the Nittany Lions. By the way, the Nits are now No. 8 in the latest BCS poll. Pitt is No. 21.
5:24 p.m.: Jeff Reed is money once again. Looks like Ward kept running up when Ben might have been wanting him to break to the post a bit. Probably cost them a shot at the TD, but you'll take what you can get in a game like this. You just have to keep scoring against a team like the Colts, because they can score quickly as we've already seen. So far a solid game for the Steelers. With 4:17 left in the second quarter, Steelers 17, Colts 7.
5:30 p.m.: The Steelers catch a huge break on the Harrison drop. Not a well-thrown ball, but it's one Harrison needed to catch. If he does, it's 7 points. Deshea Townsend got completely turned around on that play. Colts look good on this drive and if they can get some points, they'll be pretty pleased being down by a TD or less in this game.
5:35 p.m.: Nice little bullet dodge there by the Steelers. Would have been more sweet had Polamalu picked off that pass, but you'll take the punt and getting out of there with no score. Press box note: Everyone here is having a great time everytime Colts rookie WR Pierre Garcon's name is called. It's pronounced like the French word for "waiter" (gar-sohn) and every time it's mentioned folks chime in like they are calling over a French waiter. Small pleasures like that keep us occupied between plays. Honest.
Ugh. Terrible pass by Roethlisberger, thus giving the Colts a shot at redemption. Yet another underthrown ball. Hmmm.
5:45 p.m.: Peyton Manning sure is happy to have Dallas Clark back. The Steelers couldn't have asked for a worse ending to the half than what just transpired. It gives the Colts a chance to get back into the game in a big way and makes this pretty much an even game after 30 minutes. If the Steelers are thinking Townsend on Clark is a good matchup, they might want to reconsider. Clark is a big target and you almost have to double him especially close to the goal line.
Not a bad half for the home squad, but it could have been much better don't you think? Halftime: Steelers 17, Colts 14.
6:02 p.m.: Some halftime stats to chew on: Manning, 9 of 23 for 140 yards, 2 TDs and a passer rating of 89.0. Roethlisberger, 13 of 19 for 160 yards, 0 TDs and 1 really bad pick and a passer rating of 72.3. Steelers had 29 yards rushing on 16 attempts. The Colts 41 yards on 10 attempts. Hines Ward leads the Steelers in receptions with four for 71 yards. Time to start the second half.
6:11 p.m.: He'll be in the Hall of Fame one day, but there's no doubt Marvin Harrison has lost a lot of what he had. Huge break on the dropped TD. He short-armed that ball and wasn't touched by Ty Carter, who flew over the top of him. I guess he's still dangerous, but I'd put my money on Manning looking for Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne or Anthony Gonzalez before Harrison. And it's not been a good day for Deshea. The Steelers are lucky to hold the Colts to 3. With 8:14 left in the third quarter, Steelers 17, Colts 17.
6:12 p.m.: Anyone see that blade of grass that just stopped Gary Russell from returning a kick for a TD? You hate to see that happen when you know the Colts offense isn't going anywhere. A special teams score would have been huge.
6:15 p.m.: Not a stirring offensive series by the Steelers, who can't run on a defense that hasn't stopped the run all year. I think if they have to rel