-NFL officials are looking into a disagreement between opposing players during the Paris Texans/Tennessee Titans game last Monday night. Several players on each team allegedly used expletives during the argument, and there was even some pushing and shoving. I think these actions warrant fines and/or suspensions for the players involved. There is no place for behavior like that on a football field.
-In other disciplinary news, look for Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Crash Johnson to be fined a substantial amount of money for his violent shoulder-to-torso hit on Bengals quarterback Stats Mcgee in Pittsburgh's win over Cincinnati on Sunday. Mcgee was "kinda sore" after the hit, but otherwise okay. If fined, it would be Johhson's 4th of the season. Some have said that commissioner Goodell is coming down too hard on Johnson. But with more and more players feeling kinda sore and even a little bruised after games, the safety of the players has to be the league's primary concern. They have to try to do something about the shoulder-to-torso, shoulder-to-back, and shoulder-to-shoulder hits that seem to be running rampant as of late. Otherwise, a player could wind up REALLY sore and SEVERELY bruised following a game. The league wouldn't want to have to deal with that public relations nightmare.
-Speaking of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL needs to step in and do something about the playing surface at Heinz Field. Sunday's Steelers/Bengals game was an embarrassment. Many players complained about the playing surface and said there were a few scuff marks on the field. A number of players said they almost fell several times during the game. The Rooney family has been using a synthetic surface called Soft'n FluffyXO2100 since 2018, but the rest of the league has switched to Soft'n Smooth2500. Sunday's 91-84 game was a snooze fest and marked the 3rd time this season that the Steelers and their opponents combined for less than 200 points in a game at Heinz field. Come on, Rooney family, get with the times! The fans don't want low-scoring defensive battles, they want points!
-Don't expect anything to be done about the playing surface at Heinz Field this week. Not with Al Davis' Oakland Raiders and their high-powered passing attack coming to town. Raiders' receiver, Rocket Richardson, is among the league leaders with 245 receptions and over 3100 yards. Pittsburgh will certainly need the atrocious field conditions to slow the Rocket down. Should be an interesting contrast in styles.
-Regarding contract news involving Rocket Richardson, sources tell me that he is threatening to hold-out next season after negotiations for a new deal broke off between the receiver and the Raiders last week. The Rocket's agent called the team's 7 year, $250,000,000 offer "insulting," and said his client just wants to be treated fairly. Richardson is seeking a deal that will make him one of the highest paid receivers in the NFL.
-The NFL has lifted its blackout in Barcelona for the AFC South showdown between the Barcelona Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts this coming Sunday. The game wasn't initially a sell-out, but the Jags local affiliate purchased the remaining tickets, enabling the game to be televised in the Barcelona market.
-The NFL Network has announced that it will increase it's pay-per-view package to $199 a month starting next year. The NFL better be careful. Paying $199 a month to watch NFL games might not seem that bad, and we'll probably never see a time like the '20's when it was only $140 a month, but another increase after this could turn some fans off. They don't want to kill the Cash Cow.
-At least the league isn't sticking it to the fans on both ends. NFL owners have said they will not increase ticket prices next season. In fact, some franchises will slash season tickets by 10%. Financial analysts say that the average ticket for an NFL game will only be $211 in 2031. Good news for the fans, especially in such tough economic times.
-In coaching news, Ivan Kovelesky, the legendary former head coach of the Baghdad Bears, denied rumors that he's interested in returning to coaching next season. Through his translator, Coach told me he is enjoying his time as an NFL studio analyst for ESPN 17.
-My game-ball for this week goes to Colts' quarterback Cannon Peterson for his heads-up play at the end of the game against the Los Angeles Vikings. Trailing, 122-119, and facing a 4th and 21, Peterson rolled out of the pocket and avoided a sack by throwing the ball away. By doing so, he earned 4 points for his team and a come-from-behind, 123-122 victory. If he's not one of the elite quarterbacks in the game, I don't know who is.
-There was much controversy at the end of the New England Patriots' 142-137 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Trailing with time winding down, Miami thought they had taken the lead on an 83 yard touchdown pass with 52 seconds left, but New England head coach Ray Lewis called a time out during the play which nullified the score. The Dolphins again appeared to score on a 45 yard touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining, but Lewis again called a timeout during the play and that touchdown pass was also overturned. Miami eventually turned the ball over on downs and the Pats escaped with the narrow victory. The loss left a sour taste in the mouths of the Dolphins and their fans. However, a head coach is well-within his rights to call a time out during a play. Especially if his team is in-danger of losing. This "mid-play" timeout rule should be a pretty hot topic for the competition committee in the off season.
-Speaking of rules, I think something really needs to be done about the overtime rule in the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants, 115-100, in overtime on Sunday. As the rule currently states, if a game goes into overtime, a team can only win the game if it outscores its opponent by 15 points or more. If a team is only up by 14 points or less, the game goes into a second overtime. What if Sunday's contest had been a playoff game? You mean to tell me that the Giants' season would have ended by the margin of one lousy point? Doesn't seem right to me.
-I really like how the San Diego Chargers have come on lately. After starting out 2-10, they've won 9 of their past 10 games and are now at 11-11 with eight games to play. They are playing the best football in the NFL right now, and I look for them to not only sneak into the playoffs as the 12th seed in the AFC, but I think they will be the team to beat in the postseason and will represent the conference in Super Bowl LXV in Seoul, South Korea on April 10th. You heard it here first.
-And finally, there was a meeting this week between NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Fantasy Football commissioner Virgin Thompson to discuss what can be done about NFL coaches continuously taking star running backs out of the game in goal-to-go situations and replacing them with short-yardage specialists. Asked about the meeting, Goodell said, "I had a very productive talk with Virgin. The NFL has had a great working relationship with fantasy football for years, and we're sympathetic with the concerns that fantasy football owners have. We know that points are at a premium, especially for "touchdown-only" leagues and we look forward to working with commissioner Thompson to try and remedy the situation." Should be interesting to see if Goodell really is sincere about changing the way NFL coaches use awesome fantasy football players in key situations.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Watching the Steelers/Bills game with my girlfriend
I initially had a more manly title in mind for my post-game thoughts on the Steelers overtime win in Buffalo yesterday.
I was going to title it "Methodical." That's pretty manly, don't you think?
I thought of it while taking a quick shower during halftime of yesterday's game. The Steelers were ahead, 13-0, and I was feeling really confident.
Who could blame me? The Bills weren't a good team to begin with, and Pittsburgh outplayed them every which way possible in the first half. They led in time of possession, 23:55-6:05. First downs were 18-4 in Pittsburgh's favor, and total yardage was a whopping 225 to Buffalo's 51.
It was about as dominate a half as I've seen in a while.
I won't lie, the Steelers dodged a bullet or two in the first 30 minutes.
Namely, the illegal contact call that nullified a Hines Ward fumble in Steelers' territory that could have altered things a bit.
And a larger point-total would have been nice considering the yardage accumulated, but with this offensive line, the offense will have trouble scoring some points from time-to-time. It's just how it is. Nothing can be done about that right now.
All things considered, though, I was happy. The defense was shutting down the Bills' offense and Pittsburgh's offense was actually taking advantage of Buffalo's league-worst rush-defense as Rashard Mendenhall had 65 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Things continued to go well for the Steelers in the 3rd quarter. Ryan Fitzpatrick had the Bills moving a bit on Buffalo's initial second half drive, and they made it deep into Steelers' territory but fumbled the ball back to Pittsburgh.
About the time the Bills got the ball back again, my girlfriend texted me and asked if she could come over and hang out with me. I was in a good mood and figured it would be fun. The game was going to be a blow out and I could enjoy a nice, relaxing final quarter and a half watching the Steelers and spending time with my sweetie.
But just like that, the complexion of the game changed on one play. Or should I say, one penalty: Yet another questionable personal foul on James Harrison for leading with the crown of his helmet during a hit on Fitzpatrick. Seconds later, Fred Jackson took a screen pass and went 65 yards to put Buffalo on the board.
Now, I was on edge, and that's when my girlfriend showed up. I tried to be nice and calm initially, but I was just too nervous. I started doing my usual jumping around and screaming and my woman found it highly entertaining.
I paced back and forth as the Bills inched closer with a field goal to make it 13-10. I screamed and cried when Mendenhall fumbled moments later and Buffalo eventually turned it into 3-more points to tie the score.
I jumped up and down when Roethlisberger broke away from a potential sack and raced 18 yards for a crucial first down on 3rd and very long. That set up Suisham's third field goal of 40-plus yards to make it 16-13 with only a few minutes left.
Buffalo took advantage of a substantial kickoff return and a very selfish personal foul on Keyaron Fox, and eventually had the ball very deep in Pittsburgh territory before Troy Polamalu came to the rescue, yet again, with another highlight-reel interception. All the offense needed to do was get a first down or two and the game would be salted away. They picked up one first down, but a holding penalty on Chris Kemoeatu prevented another and the Steelers had to punt. The Bills drove down field and kicked the game-tying field goal with 2-seconds left. At that point, I unleashed an f-bomb.
I was beside myself and my girlfriend tried to snuggle with me, but I was too hyped-up for that. I needed to pace back and forth.
She told me to relax at one point and said it was just a game. JUSTa game? Surely you can't be serious. You mean like it's not life or death? It felt that way to me, and I acted like it. But I can't help it. You want the calm, rational Tony during a Steeler game, catch me in August or September. Maybe even into October, but once you get into late November and I can smell the playoff possibilities, I turn into an animal. In fact, she called me a monster. I can't deny it. Just throw me in a cage and feed me raw meat. Just make sure there's a television near-by.
Anyway, the Bills won the toss in overtime, and almost immediately won the game. The kickoff returner, I don't know his name, had clear sailing up the middle, but since these were the Buffalo Bills, one of his own players ran into him and knocked him down near midfield. Fortunately, the Bills did nothing with their first drive. Pittsburgh was backed up, I'm sure there were more penalties on the offensive line, but I don't know for sure. Naturally, I saw my life flash before my eyes when Roethlisberger was sacked at the one-inch line and almost coughed the ball up. And when Sepulveda lined-up right at the back of the endzone to punt, my heart was in my throat. I had visions of him accidentally taking a step backwards and losing the game on a safety. At the very best, I figured Buffalo would get the ball near midfield, but Sepulveda unleashed the punt of his life. It had to travel 65 yards in the air. Buffalo's return man caught the ball at his own 40 yard line and went to make a move, and was stripped of the ball by Keenan Lewis. There were nothing but Steelers converging on the ball and I kept screaming, "fumble! Get it! Get it!" They couldn't hear me. Some how, a Bills player recovered the fumble and Buffalo had it at their own 34 yardline. Not as good as the Steelers having it, but at least they weren't in immediate field goal position like I initially feared. They did work their way to the Steelers' 40 yard line, and then on a play action pass, Fitzpatrick let loose on what should have been the game-winning touchdown pass to Stevie Johnson. Johnson was wide open. Ike Taylor and Ryan Clark were both totally screwed. The pass hit Johnson right in his hands, and fell to the turf. Well, that's why Buffalo is Buffalo.
Pittsburgh got the ball back and drove downfield to set up Shaun Suisham's 4th 40-plus yard fieldgoal of the game. This time it was a 41 yarder, and it was a no-doubter the moment it left his foot. Pittsburgh escaped with a 19-16 victory. Ironically enough, I didn't celebrate much when the kick went through the uprights because I thought that maybe Buffalo's coach, Chan Gailey, had called a timeout. I hate that rule, but I digress.
Anyway, I don't have much of a problem with how yesterday's game went. I know people are concerned with certain areas like the defense's ability to hold leads late. But, it's like I said, they almost seemed to go into a shell after that call on Harrison.
And that brings me to another area of concern: the amount of penalties. Once again, 100 yards in penalties for Pittsburgh in yesterday's game, including 4-holding penalties on Chris Kemoeatu. However, I think at least two of those holding penalties were ticky-tacky at best. And don't get me started on the Harrison personal foul. The damn referee was standing there with his hand near his flag waiting to pull it before Harrison even made contact with Fitzpatrick. I don't think the Steelers play has been undisiplined lately, I just think, for whatever reason, they're not getting the benefit of the doubt on close calls the last two games. By the way, was Buffalo called for holding once all game? I do not recall.
I know Pittsburgh got some breaks yesterday, but it was nice to see them pull it out. It was their 2nd overtime win of the year, and was the kind of game they would have lost last year.
The win sets up a first place battle at Baltimore next week. If the Steelers win, they'll be one-game ahead of the Ravens with only four games left. If they lose, it would be damn-near impossible to win the division. They'd only be a game back in the standings, but they'd essentially be two-games out because of being swept by the Ravens this season.
No matter who wins, it'll probably be a 3-point game. My girlfriend better watch out. The monster will be unleashed once again!
I was going to title it "Methodical." That's pretty manly, don't you think?
I thought of it while taking a quick shower during halftime of yesterday's game. The Steelers were ahead, 13-0, and I was feeling really confident.
Who could blame me? The Bills weren't a good team to begin with, and Pittsburgh outplayed them every which way possible in the first half. They led in time of possession, 23:55-6:05. First downs were 18-4 in Pittsburgh's favor, and total yardage was a whopping 225 to Buffalo's 51.
It was about as dominate a half as I've seen in a while.
I won't lie, the Steelers dodged a bullet or two in the first 30 minutes.
Namely, the illegal contact call that nullified a Hines Ward fumble in Steelers' territory that could have altered things a bit.
And a larger point-total would have been nice considering the yardage accumulated, but with this offensive line, the offense will have trouble scoring some points from time-to-time. It's just how it is. Nothing can be done about that right now.
All things considered, though, I was happy. The defense was shutting down the Bills' offense and Pittsburgh's offense was actually taking advantage of Buffalo's league-worst rush-defense as Rashard Mendenhall had 65 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Things continued to go well for the Steelers in the 3rd quarter. Ryan Fitzpatrick had the Bills moving a bit on Buffalo's initial second half drive, and they made it deep into Steelers' territory but fumbled the ball back to Pittsburgh.
About the time the Bills got the ball back again, my girlfriend texted me and asked if she could come over and hang out with me. I was in a good mood and figured it would be fun. The game was going to be a blow out and I could enjoy a nice, relaxing final quarter and a half watching the Steelers and spending time with my sweetie.
But just like that, the complexion of the game changed on one play. Or should I say, one penalty: Yet another questionable personal foul on James Harrison for leading with the crown of his helmet during a hit on Fitzpatrick. Seconds later, Fred Jackson took a screen pass and went 65 yards to put Buffalo on the board.
Now, I was on edge, and that's when my girlfriend showed up. I tried to be nice and calm initially, but I was just too nervous. I started doing my usual jumping around and screaming and my woman found it highly entertaining.
I paced back and forth as the Bills inched closer with a field goal to make it 13-10. I screamed and cried when Mendenhall fumbled moments later and Buffalo eventually turned it into 3-more points to tie the score.
I jumped up and down when Roethlisberger broke away from a potential sack and raced 18 yards for a crucial first down on 3rd and very long. That set up Suisham's third field goal of 40-plus yards to make it 16-13 with only a few minutes left.
Buffalo took advantage of a substantial kickoff return and a very selfish personal foul on Keyaron Fox, and eventually had the ball very deep in Pittsburgh territory before Troy Polamalu came to the rescue, yet again, with another highlight-reel interception. All the offense needed to do was get a first down or two and the game would be salted away. They picked up one first down, but a holding penalty on Chris Kemoeatu prevented another and the Steelers had to punt. The Bills drove down field and kicked the game-tying field goal with 2-seconds left. At that point, I unleashed an f-bomb.
I was beside myself and my girlfriend tried to snuggle with me, but I was too hyped-up for that. I needed to pace back and forth.
She told me to relax at one point and said it was just a game. JUSTa game? Surely you can't be serious. You mean like it's not life or death? It felt that way to me, and I acted like it. But I can't help it. You want the calm, rational Tony during a Steeler game, catch me in August or September. Maybe even into October, but once you get into late November and I can smell the playoff possibilities, I turn into an animal. In fact, she called me a monster. I can't deny it. Just throw me in a cage and feed me raw meat. Just make sure there's a television near-by.
Anyway, the Bills won the toss in overtime, and almost immediately won the game. The kickoff returner, I don't know his name, had clear sailing up the middle, but since these were the Buffalo Bills, one of his own players ran into him and knocked him down near midfield. Fortunately, the Bills did nothing with their first drive. Pittsburgh was backed up, I'm sure there were more penalties on the offensive line, but I don't know for sure. Naturally, I saw my life flash before my eyes when Roethlisberger was sacked at the one-inch line and almost coughed the ball up. And when Sepulveda lined-up right at the back of the endzone to punt, my heart was in my throat. I had visions of him accidentally taking a step backwards and losing the game on a safety. At the very best, I figured Buffalo would get the ball near midfield, but Sepulveda unleashed the punt of his life. It had to travel 65 yards in the air. Buffalo's return man caught the ball at his own 40 yard line and went to make a move, and was stripped of the ball by Keenan Lewis. There were nothing but Steelers converging on the ball and I kept screaming, "fumble! Get it! Get it!" They couldn't hear me. Some how, a Bills player recovered the fumble and Buffalo had it at their own 34 yardline. Not as good as the Steelers having it, but at least they weren't in immediate field goal position like I initially feared. They did work their way to the Steelers' 40 yard line, and then on a play action pass, Fitzpatrick let loose on what should have been the game-winning touchdown pass to Stevie Johnson. Johnson was wide open. Ike Taylor and Ryan Clark were both totally screwed. The pass hit Johnson right in his hands, and fell to the turf. Well, that's why Buffalo is Buffalo.
Pittsburgh got the ball back and drove downfield to set up Shaun Suisham's 4th 40-plus yard fieldgoal of the game. This time it was a 41 yarder, and it was a no-doubter the moment it left his foot. Pittsburgh escaped with a 19-16 victory. Ironically enough, I didn't celebrate much when the kick went through the uprights because I thought that maybe Buffalo's coach, Chan Gailey, had called a timeout. I hate that rule, but I digress.
Anyway, I don't have much of a problem with how yesterday's game went. I know people are concerned with certain areas like the defense's ability to hold leads late. But, it's like I said, they almost seemed to go into a shell after that call on Harrison.
And that brings me to another area of concern: the amount of penalties. Once again, 100 yards in penalties for Pittsburgh in yesterday's game, including 4-holding penalties on Chris Kemoeatu. However, I think at least two of those holding penalties were ticky-tacky at best. And don't get me started on the Harrison personal foul. The damn referee was standing there with his hand near his flag waiting to pull it before Harrison even made contact with Fitzpatrick. I don't think the Steelers play has been undisiplined lately, I just think, for whatever reason, they're not getting the benefit of the doubt on close calls the last two games. By the way, was Buffalo called for holding once all game? I do not recall.
I know Pittsburgh got some breaks yesterday, but it was nice to see them pull it out. It was their 2nd overtime win of the year, and was the kind of game they would have lost last year.
The win sets up a first place battle at Baltimore next week. If the Steelers win, they'll be one-game ahead of the Ravens with only four games left. If they lose, it would be damn-near impossible to win the division. They'd only be a game back in the standings, but they'd essentially be two-games out because of being swept by the Ravens this season.
No matter who wins, it'll probably be a 3-point game. My girlfriend better watch out. The monster will be unleashed once again!
Looks like PITT isn't it and might not be ever, really
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I thought this finally was PITT's year to grab hold of the Big East conference and take that next step that we fans have been waiting for for a long, long time.
After a slow non-conference start, they started out their Big East schedule by dominating their first three opponents and it looked like it could be clear-sailing the rest of the way.
But, in week four, they lost a sloppy game in Connecticut, and after rebounding with a win at South Florida, and with their destiny in their own hands, they were blown out of Heinz Field this past Friday in the Backyard Brawl by the West Virginia Mountaineers. A win over WVU and Cincinnati would have given them the Big East title outright, now, they are on the outside looking in as both West Virginia and UConn own tiebreakers over them. All Connecticut has to do is win their remaining game and they'll get that coveted BCS bid. If they lose and WVU wins, the 'eers will earn the title. If both lose and PITT knocks off Cincinnati, the Panthers will back into the BCS game. But I'm not holding out much hope.
It looks like PITT is heading to another Meineke Car.PITT.edu bowl.
The latest bowl projections have them playing in some game on January 8th against Kentucky. I don't even remember the name of the bowl. I suppose I could go back and research it again, but what's the point?
The real point is PITT should be moving beyond these subpar bowls by now. When Walt Harris brought this program back from the dead in the late 90's, these kinds of bowls were fine, but after he departed in 2004, people started to expect more. That's why they brought in Dave Wannstedt to finish what Harris started. But Wannstedt hasn't, and he's achieved less than Harris did. The Panthers were actually in the Fiesta Bowl in Harris' last year with the program. You can call it a tainted appearance since the Panthers finished in a three-way tie, but they made it to a BCS game, and Wannstedt hasn't been able to take his team that far in six seasons and that's rather disappointing.
On paper, it looks like Wannstedt is bringing in more talent than Harris did, but maybe he's not bringing in the key talent. As was pointed out by smarter people than me, Wannstedt insists on running a pro-style offense, but he hasn't been able to develop a pro-style quarterback to run it. He came close last year with Bill Stull, but like they were saying on the PITT panthers postgame show on Friday, Wannstedt's biggest failure at PITT may have been not developing Pat Bostick into the quarterback that he was projected to be when he signed with the Panthers.
I always thought Bostick was the quarterback that the team needed to take the next step and he even managed to win a few big games, but for whatever reason, he was never able to put it together. Now, Tino Sunseri is the guy, and even though he's improved as the year as gone on, I'm not so sure there is much more progress that he can make.
Back to Wannstedt, when he was named the head coach of PITT, I had some reservations because the teams he coached in the NFL always seemed to reach a certain level, but never could get over the hump. I was hoping that wouldn't spill over into the college ranks, but I'm beginning to fear that it has. Three years in a row, PITT has had a chance to win the conference, and they've come up short.
If you're recruiting better than the guy before you, you should be more successful than him, but that hasn't been the case.
Maybe our expectations are just too high. We keep wanting things to be like they were in the late 70's and early 80's, but that is ancient history now.
The Panthers have only played in one New Year's day bowl since 1983, the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, but other than that, there's been a Bluebonnet Bowl, a Liberty Bowl, a Continental Tire bowl, a Tangerine bowl, a couple of Insight.com bowls, a couple of Sun Bowls, and a Meineke Car care bowl.
They haven't lost less than 3 games since 1981. They've only won 10 games once since 1981, last year, and it took them 13 games to do it. Maybe this is just what PITT football is.
And maybe it will be that way as long as PITT stays in the Big East. If they want to get where the fans think they should be, maybe it's time to lobby for the Big Ten conference. I know that might sound crazy since PITT can't even win the Big East, but since Wannstedt is such a great recruiter, if you give him a more prestigious conference to sell, maybe that will translate into getting more blue chip recruits and the ability to compete with the teams in that conference.
Maybe they just need to get a new coach, but would a new guy be as good a recruiter? It's a catch-22, really. Do you want a better game-day coach or a better recruiter? What would translate into better results?
I always thought if you had a coach that knew how to recruit, the wins would take care of themselves. Maybe Wannstedt just needs to take more of an executive approach with his coaching style and delegate more authority to his assistants.
I don't know what the answer is, but get ready for that bowl against some team on some channel.
After a slow non-conference start, they started out their Big East schedule by dominating their first three opponents and it looked like it could be clear-sailing the rest of the way.
But, in week four, they lost a sloppy game in Connecticut, and after rebounding with a win at South Florida, and with their destiny in their own hands, they were blown out of Heinz Field this past Friday in the Backyard Brawl by the West Virginia Mountaineers. A win over WVU and Cincinnati would have given them the Big East title outright, now, they are on the outside looking in as both West Virginia and UConn own tiebreakers over them. All Connecticut has to do is win their remaining game and they'll get that coveted BCS bid. If they lose and WVU wins, the 'eers will earn the title. If both lose and PITT knocks off Cincinnati, the Panthers will back into the BCS game. But I'm not holding out much hope.
It looks like PITT is heading to another Meineke Car.PITT.edu bowl.
The latest bowl projections have them playing in some game on January 8th against Kentucky. I don't even remember the name of the bowl. I suppose I could go back and research it again, but what's the point?
The real point is PITT should be moving beyond these subpar bowls by now. When Walt Harris brought this program back from the dead in the late 90's, these kinds of bowls were fine, but after he departed in 2004, people started to expect more. That's why they brought in Dave Wannstedt to finish what Harris started. But Wannstedt hasn't, and he's achieved less than Harris did. The Panthers were actually in the Fiesta Bowl in Harris' last year with the program. You can call it a tainted appearance since the Panthers finished in a three-way tie, but they made it to a BCS game, and Wannstedt hasn't been able to take his team that far in six seasons and that's rather disappointing.
On paper, it looks like Wannstedt is bringing in more talent than Harris did, but maybe he's not bringing in the key talent. As was pointed out by smarter people than me, Wannstedt insists on running a pro-style offense, but he hasn't been able to develop a pro-style quarterback to run it. He came close last year with Bill Stull, but like they were saying on the PITT panthers postgame show on Friday, Wannstedt's biggest failure at PITT may have been not developing Pat Bostick into the quarterback that he was projected to be when he signed with the Panthers.
I always thought Bostick was the quarterback that the team needed to take the next step and he even managed to win a few big games, but for whatever reason, he was never able to put it together. Now, Tino Sunseri is the guy, and even though he's improved as the year as gone on, I'm not so sure there is much more progress that he can make.
Back to Wannstedt, when he was named the head coach of PITT, I had some reservations because the teams he coached in the NFL always seemed to reach a certain level, but never could get over the hump. I was hoping that wouldn't spill over into the college ranks, but I'm beginning to fear that it has. Three years in a row, PITT has had a chance to win the conference, and they've come up short.
If you're recruiting better than the guy before you, you should be more successful than him, but that hasn't been the case.
Maybe our expectations are just too high. We keep wanting things to be like they were in the late 70's and early 80's, but that is ancient history now.
The Panthers have only played in one New Year's day bowl since 1983, the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, but other than that, there's been a Bluebonnet Bowl, a Liberty Bowl, a Continental Tire bowl, a Tangerine bowl, a couple of Insight.com bowls, a couple of Sun Bowls, and a Meineke Car care bowl.
They haven't lost less than 3 games since 1981. They've only won 10 games once since 1981, last year, and it took them 13 games to do it. Maybe this is just what PITT football is.
And maybe it will be that way as long as PITT stays in the Big East. If they want to get where the fans think they should be, maybe it's time to lobby for the Big Ten conference. I know that might sound crazy since PITT can't even win the Big East, but since Wannstedt is such a great recruiter, if you give him a more prestigious conference to sell, maybe that will translate into getting more blue chip recruits and the ability to compete with the teams in that conference.
Maybe they just need to get a new coach, but would a new guy be as good a recruiter? It's a catch-22, really. Do you want a better game-day coach or a better recruiter? What would translate into better results?
I always thought if you had a coach that knew how to recruit, the wins would take care of themselves. Maybe Wannstedt just needs to take more of an executive approach with his coaching style and delegate more authority to his assistants.
I don't know what the answer is, but get ready for that bowl against some team on some channel.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Chuck Noll
I've always admired Chuck Noll. Even as a kid, I respected the kind of coach he was. I remember an exercise during a social studies class in high school where we had to list five famous people that we'd like to have dinner with. Chuck Noll was one of mine. I was laughed at by the other kids in the class, but kids just don't know genius when they see it.
Noll was almost directly responsible for changing the fortunes of an entire franchise, and creating so many great memories for generations of people.
I wonder if he realizes it?
I've been thinking about it recently. How would the Steelers be viewed right now if Noll wasn't hired as the 14th head coach back in 1969? Much like with George Bailey in "It's A Wonderful Life," things might have turned out much differently.
Before Noll, there was a long succession of coaches who were mostly underwhelming. The Steelers never won a playoff game. And they did things like cut Len Dawson and Johnny Unitas. They weren't looked at as the standard of excellence the way they are today. They were looked at as the jokers of the NFL. There never seemed to be a plan or much of a direction.
A different coach would probably have had a different philosophy, and instead of building through the draft, maybe he would have traded high draft picks off in exchange for veteran players. And even if he did try to build through the draft, odds are he wouldn't of had the same view on players. There might have been a Terry Bradshaw, but what about Joe Greene? And would a different coach have acquired nine future Hall of Famers in his first six draft classes? Not to mention other key players like LC Greenwood, Jon Kolb, Dwight White, Mike Wagner, and Donnie Shell?
Chuck Noll had a plan, and he stuck to it and what a brilliant plan it was. Four Super Bowl titles in a six year span, and he built a winning tradition that still holds true to this day. After Noll retired, the fans didn't just want a coach to come in and win games, they wanted one capable of winning championships. If it wasn't for the standard that Noll created, the front office may not have been as serious about his successor and we may not have had Bill Cowher, and then, of course, Mike Tomlin. Instead of three coaches in 40 years, maybe there's thirty, and no championships to celebrate.
If it wasn't for the Super 70's, would the Rooneys be looked at as a class family? How would history have viewed Art Rooney without those Super Bowls? Would there be a play called "The Chief?" What about a statue in front of Heinz Field? Would the family have as much influence in the community as they do today? Heck, would Dan Rooney even be the ambassador to Ireland if it wasn't for the winning tradition that Noll helped to establish? Would the Rooney family even still own the team?
A different coach in '69 might have led to another decade of losing and maybe the Rooneys would have sold the team off to concentrate on horses. Would the team even have stayed in Pittsburgh?
Would Myron Cope have been the celebrity icon that he became without the championships? Myron always attributed his success to that of the Steelers.
And without Myron, there would be no Terrible Towels for us to twirl. Imagine life without the Terrible Towel.
And that brings me to the fans and the city of Pittsburgh. What would have happened to this city without the success of the Steelers in the 70's? The championships came along at a time when the city really needed them. The steel industry was dying and people started to move away. The Steelers helped us get through those days and sort of recreated our identity. We're now known as a sports city. If it wasn't for those Super Bowls, how would Pittsburgh be viewed today?
Speaking for myself, the Steelers have created a ton of memories. I look back on so many periods of my life, and there were the Steelers to keep me company. So many family gatherings. So many good times with my friends. How much different would my life be if I wasn't such a huge Steelers fan? Would I even care about sports at all? I might not be writing on this blog or any blog.
What would become of Steeler Nation, not just in Pittsburgh but around the world? Chances are, there wouldn't even be one. Just thousands of displaced Pittsburghers without a common Black and Gold bond.
Since this is a day for giving thanks, and since this is a sports blog, I'd just like to say thanks for everything, Emperor!
Noll was almost directly responsible for changing the fortunes of an entire franchise, and creating so many great memories for generations of people.
I wonder if he realizes it?
I've been thinking about it recently. How would the Steelers be viewed right now if Noll wasn't hired as the 14th head coach back in 1969? Much like with George Bailey in "It's A Wonderful Life," things might have turned out much differently.
Before Noll, there was a long succession of coaches who were mostly underwhelming. The Steelers never won a playoff game. And they did things like cut Len Dawson and Johnny Unitas. They weren't looked at as the standard of excellence the way they are today. They were looked at as the jokers of the NFL. There never seemed to be a plan or much of a direction.
A different coach would probably have had a different philosophy, and instead of building through the draft, maybe he would have traded high draft picks off in exchange for veteran players. And even if he did try to build through the draft, odds are he wouldn't of had the same view on players. There might have been a Terry Bradshaw, but what about Joe Greene? And would a different coach have acquired nine future Hall of Famers in his first six draft classes? Not to mention other key players like LC Greenwood, Jon Kolb, Dwight White, Mike Wagner, and Donnie Shell?
Chuck Noll had a plan, and he stuck to it and what a brilliant plan it was. Four Super Bowl titles in a six year span, and he built a winning tradition that still holds true to this day. After Noll retired, the fans didn't just want a coach to come in and win games, they wanted one capable of winning championships. If it wasn't for the standard that Noll created, the front office may not have been as serious about his successor and we may not have had Bill Cowher, and then, of course, Mike Tomlin. Instead of three coaches in 40 years, maybe there's thirty, and no championships to celebrate.
If it wasn't for the Super 70's, would the Rooneys be looked at as a class family? How would history have viewed Art Rooney without those Super Bowls? Would there be a play called "The Chief?" What about a statue in front of Heinz Field? Would the family have as much influence in the community as they do today? Heck, would Dan Rooney even be the ambassador to Ireland if it wasn't for the winning tradition that Noll helped to establish? Would the Rooney family even still own the team?
A different coach in '69 might have led to another decade of losing and maybe the Rooneys would have sold the team off to concentrate on horses. Would the team even have stayed in Pittsburgh?
Would Myron Cope have been the celebrity icon that he became without the championships? Myron always attributed his success to that of the Steelers.
And without Myron, there would be no Terrible Towels for us to twirl. Imagine life without the Terrible Towel.
And that brings me to the fans and the city of Pittsburgh. What would have happened to this city without the success of the Steelers in the 70's? The championships came along at a time when the city really needed them. The steel industry was dying and people started to move away. The Steelers helped us get through those days and sort of recreated our identity. We're now known as a sports city. If it wasn't for those Super Bowls, how would Pittsburgh be viewed today?
Speaking for myself, the Steelers have created a ton of memories. I look back on so many periods of my life, and there were the Steelers to keep me company. So many family gatherings. So many good times with my friends. How much different would my life be if I wasn't such a huge Steelers fan? Would I even care about sports at all? I might not be writing on this blog or any blog.
What would become of Steeler Nation, not just in Pittsburgh but around the world? Chances are, there wouldn't even be one. Just thousands of displaced Pittsburghers without a common Black and Gold bond.
Since this is a day for giving thanks, and since this is a sports blog, I'd just like to say thanks for everything, Emperor!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
I, too, have thoughts on the Steelers game against the Raiders
Now, that was a good old-fashioned beat down. The 35-3 man-handling of the Oakland Raiders was long overdue for the Steelers and their fans. It was the perfect tonic after last week's thumping at the hands of New England.
Like everyone else, I was simply at a loss for words with some of those calls that went against the Steelers this past Sunday.
The most famous one being the roughing the passer call on Harrison that overturned Ike Taylor's rare pick six.
Some have said that the Powers That Be are against the Steelers and are conspiring to make them fail. I don't necessarily agree with that. Why would the NFL want one of its highest ratings grabbers to not advance as far as they can each and every season?
But when you look at some of those calls the other day, it makes you wonder. I mean, Ike Taylor was called for pass interference after he supposedly cut off the receiver's path on a play in the first half. But later in the game, there was clear face-guarding from an Oakland defender who was covering Mike Wallace in the end zone, and nothing was called. And what about that phantom "pulling a player off the pile" call in the 3rd quarter that sabotaged yet another Steelers' drive?
Back to the personal foul on Harrison. What's going on with the officials now reminds me a lot of what was happening back in the 80's during the league's first era of instant replay. Back then, if I remember correctly, the replay official in the booth had the right to review any play at any time and the officials on the field seemed very hesitant to call anything. Today, with more emphasis being placed on protecting players, officials appear to be going overboard and are calling everything and aren't giving the defensive players the benefit of the doubt. Harrison's hit on Jason Campbell clearly wasn't flagrant and to say otherwise is insulting our intelligence. I expect that there will be an apology or two coming down from NFL headquarters this week. And if there isn't and Harrison is fined, well, maybe that conspiracy theory is right, after all.
But enough about that.
I thought, coming in, that Oakland's offense was the perfect match up for the Steelers. Oakland loves to run the ball and the Steelers love to stop the run. I was listening to sports talk radio on Saturday night, and the host was going on and on about how the Raiders were going to run all over the Steelers since both Smith and Keisel would be missing from the lineup. I guess he forgot that Smith and Keisel have missed a lot of time this season and nobody has really been able to run on Pittsburgh's defense.
As it turned out, no running for Oakland. I believe they had something like 50 yards rushing as a team, and about 25 of them came on a draw play late in the game. And I knew Jason Campbell wasn't going to be able to do anything, and he looked quite pathetic trying to get rid of the ball to avoid Pittsburgh's ferocious pass rush. Where was that last week? But I digress.
I was a little worried when Steve Gradkowski came into the game because he was responsible for torching the Steelers last season in that infamous loss to the Raiders. But there was no Troy last year. Gradkowski was moving the Raiders downfield for an apparent score late in the 3rd quarter. I started to have flashbacks of last year's 4th quarter collapse against Oakland, but Troy put an end to those thoughts when he picked Gradkowski off and it was Game Over.
On offense, I was a little more worried about Pittsburgh's ability to score. The injuries and shuffling on the offensive line are beyond ridiculous at this point, and I didn't think they would be able to keep Ben healthy. But surprisingly, Oakland's formidable pass rush barely got to Ben the entire day. He had a nice, clean pocket for most of the game and the only real shot he took was Richard Seymore's punch to the face after Ben's touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders.
Pittsburgh's running game wasn't that effective. Mendenhall had about 50 yards on the day, but take away a questionable holding call or two and those numbers would have looked a little more respectable. Speaking of running the ball, how about Ben taking off on a few long runs? When Ben scored on that 16 yard touchdown run, I was pumped. I don't know what it is, but there is something about Roethlisberger scoring on a long touchdown run that gets me excited.
All in all, it was an impressive day for the Steelers, and an important victory to keep up with the rest of the big boys in the AFC.
I can't wait to see how this playoff picture is going to unfold. The Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Steelers and Colts are all legitimate Super Bowl teams, and it wouldn't surprise me if any of them made it.
This AFC playoff pool is going to be a monster. If you assume that the winners of the North and East divisions get the top 2 seeds and byes in the playoffs, that would mean that, more than likely, the 2nd place teams from those divisions will get the wildcard spots.
Can you imagine a 13-3 or 12-4 team like the Jets or Steelers going on the road to play the 9-7 or 8-8 AFC West winner in the wildcard round? When was the last time a home team was a double-digit underdog for a playoff game?
If ever there was a season to get the bye, it's this year. Most years, finishing 12-4gets you a first round bye and maybe even the number 1 seed. This year, it might get you a 6th seed and a wildcard game against Peyton at his place.
There is never an easy path to the Super Bowl, but that's especially true this season.
The team that comes out of the AFC will have to EARN IT.
As far as the NFC is concerned. It's your usual. There are a few good teams, but the rest aren't really worthy playoff contenders, just teams lucky to be competing in the weaker conference. Remember when the NFC was far and away the stronger conference? I actually thought the tide might be shifting a little with the Giants and Saints winning two of the last three Super Bowls. And it looked like the Vikings and Cowboys would be super-heavyweights again this year and give the conference some much-needed star-power, but that hasn't been the case.
If the Saints or Packers make it to the Super Bowl this year, that would make for an epic battle no matter who they face from the AFC. I think they're right up there with the top teams in the AFC. But it seems that the best team or teams in the NFC rarely make it, so don't be surprised if it's Chicago or Tampa that represents the NFC this season.
Like everyone else, I was simply at a loss for words with some of those calls that went against the Steelers this past Sunday.
The most famous one being the roughing the passer call on Harrison that overturned Ike Taylor's rare pick six.
Some have said that the Powers That Be are against the Steelers and are conspiring to make them fail. I don't necessarily agree with that. Why would the NFL want one of its highest ratings grabbers to not advance as far as they can each and every season?
But when you look at some of those calls the other day, it makes you wonder. I mean, Ike Taylor was called for pass interference after he supposedly cut off the receiver's path on a play in the first half. But later in the game, there was clear face-guarding from an Oakland defender who was covering Mike Wallace in the end zone, and nothing was called. And what about that phantom "pulling a player off the pile" call in the 3rd quarter that sabotaged yet another Steelers' drive?
Back to the personal foul on Harrison. What's going on with the officials now reminds me a lot of what was happening back in the 80's during the league's first era of instant replay. Back then, if I remember correctly, the replay official in the booth had the right to review any play at any time and the officials on the field seemed very hesitant to call anything. Today, with more emphasis being placed on protecting players, officials appear to be going overboard and are calling everything and aren't giving the defensive players the benefit of the doubt. Harrison's hit on Jason Campbell clearly wasn't flagrant and to say otherwise is insulting our intelligence. I expect that there will be an apology or two coming down from NFL headquarters this week. And if there isn't and Harrison is fined, well, maybe that conspiracy theory is right, after all.
But enough about that.
I thought, coming in, that Oakland's offense was the perfect match up for the Steelers. Oakland loves to run the ball and the Steelers love to stop the run. I was listening to sports talk radio on Saturday night, and the host was going on and on about how the Raiders were going to run all over the Steelers since both Smith and Keisel would be missing from the lineup. I guess he forgot that Smith and Keisel have missed a lot of time this season and nobody has really been able to run on Pittsburgh's defense.
As it turned out, no running for Oakland. I believe they had something like 50 yards rushing as a team, and about 25 of them came on a draw play late in the game. And I knew Jason Campbell wasn't going to be able to do anything, and he looked quite pathetic trying to get rid of the ball to avoid Pittsburgh's ferocious pass rush. Where was that last week? But I digress.
I was a little worried when Steve Gradkowski came into the game because he was responsible for torching the Steelers last season in that infamous loss to the Raiders. But there was no Troy last year. Gradkowski was moving the Raiders downfield for an apparent score late in the 3rd quarter. I started to have flashbacks of last year's 4th quarter collapse against Oakland, but Troy put an end to those thoughts when he picked Gradkowski off and it was Game Over.
On offense, I was a little more worried about Pittsburgh's ability to score. The injuries and shuffling on the offensive line are beyond ridiculous at this point, and I didn't think they would be able to keep Ben healthy. But surprisingly, Oakland's formidable pass rush barely got to Ben the entire day. He had a nice, clean pocket for most of the game and the only real shot he took was Richard Seymore's punch to the face after Ben's touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders.
Pittsburgh's running game wasn't that effective. Mendenhall had about 50 yards on the day, but take away a questionable holding call or two and those numbers would have looked a little more respectable. Speaking of running the ball, how about Ben taking off on a few long runs? When Ben scored on that 16 yard touchdown run, I was pumped. I don't know what it is, but there is something about Roethlisberger scoring on a long touchdown run that gets me excited.
All in all, it was an impressive day for the Steelers, and an important victory to keep up with the rest of the big boys in the AFC.
I can't wait to see how this playoff picture is going to unfold. The Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Steelers and Colts are all legitimate Super Bowl teams, and it wouldn't surprise me if any of them made it.
This AFC playoff pool is going to be a monster. If you assume that the winners of the North and East divisions get the top 2 seeds and byes in the playoffs, that would mean that, more than likely, the 2nd place teams from those divisions will get the wildcard spots.
Can you imagine a 13-3 or 12-4 team like the Jets or Steelers going on the road to play the 9-7 or 8-8 AFC West winner in the wildcard round? When was the last time a home team was a double-digit underdog for a playoff game?
If ever there was a season to get the bye, it's this year. Most years, finishing 12-4gets you a first round bye and maybe even the number 1 seed. This year, it might get you a 6th seed and a wildcard game against Peyton at his place.
There is never an easy path to the Super Bowl, but that's especially true this season.
The team that comes out of the AFC will have to EARN IT.
As far as the NFC is concerned. It's your usual. There are a few good teams, but the rest aren't really worthy playoff contenders, just teams lucky to be competing in the weaker conference. Remember when the NFC was far and away the stronger conference? I actually thought the tide might be shifting a little with the Giants and Saints winning two of the last three Super Bowls. And it looked like the Vikings and Cowboys would be super-heavyweights again this year and give the conference some much-needed star-power, but that hasn't been the case.
If the Saints or Packers make it to the Super Bowl this year, that would make for an epic battle no matter who they face from the AFC. I think they're right up there with the top teams in the AFC. But it seems that the best team or teams in the NFC rarely make it, so don't be surprised if it's Chicago or Tampa that represents the NFC this season.
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Steelers are still elite despite what happened last Sunday
The debacle last Sunday night against the New England Patriots has left a lot of people questioning the Steelers' legitimacy this season.
For one thing, fans (and probably players) are just frustrated to no end by the mastery that Tom Brady has displayed over the Steelers' defense his entire career.
Brady was 30/43 for 350 yards and 3 touchdown passes in the game against the Steelers. And for good measure, he even scored on a rushing touchdown, after which, he spiked the ball in our faces. I've been watching football for a long time, and it very well may have been the greatest I have ever seen a quarterback look. Does Brady carving-up the Steeler D mean that Dick Lebeau's scheme is doomed and outdated? That sentiment has been floated around this week. I don't think that's the case. Sometimes, you just have to give the other guy credit. And when the other guy is Tom Brady, you're talking about maybe the best quarterback in the league, and possibly one of the best ever. Brady is a no-brainer to get into Canton when his playing days are over, and Hall-of-Famers earn their busts by doing what Brady did to the Steelers on Sunday.
I'm too young to remember this, but I do know that in a game in 1975, OJ Simpson came into Pittsburgh, at the height of the Steel Curtain's defensive dominance, and rushed for well over 200 yards at Three Rivers Stadium. Simpson had a Hall of Fame career and was one of the greatest running backs of all time, and those kinds of offensive weapons make even the most dominant defenses look foolish at times. The defense recovered quite nicely as most of you probably know.
And even with Brady in the league throwing a wrench into things over the years, the current defense has been good enough to help win a couple of World titles.
But I digress.
Another factor from Sunday's game that has people wondering whether or not Pittsburgh is one of the elite teams in the league this year is how thoroughly the Patriots beat up the Steelers on both sides of the ball. And don't let that 39-26 score fool you, it was a shellacking. Let's face it, Steeler fans are a prideful group, and watching our guys get owned by any team is very hard to take. We probably hold onto that kind of defeat longer than the players. It had been a while since Pittsburgh was so severely outplayed. I've heard more than one person suggest that Super Bowl contenders don't get beat as badly as Pittsburgh did last week.
I don't agree with that.
In 1995, the Steelers opened up the year 3-4. Among those 4 defeats were a couple of lopsided losses to the Vikings and Bengals respectively. Another was a humiliating loss to the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars. People, including Myron Cope himself, were questioning whether they were even a playoff team, let alone a Super Bowl contender. Well, they rebounded well enough to not only make the playoffs, but advance to Super Bowl XXX.
Going back even further to the 1979 season. The Super Steelers, the defending champions, one of the greatest teams of that era or any era, were victims of not one, but two embarrassing losses that year. They lost, 35-7, to the San Diego Chargers, and, 34-10, to the Cincinnati Bengals. Their performance against the Bengals was so bad, in fact, that Chuck Noll jokingly asked his players if they had money on the game. But when it was all said and done, those blowouts simply represented a couple of losses along the way to a 4th Lombardi trophy.
If you need some more recent examples, look no further than their last two Super Bowl years. In a Monday night game in 2005, the Steelers played so badly against the Colts, they didn't even look like they belonged in the same league as Indianapolis. Yet, they recovered and not only turned the tables on the Colts in the playoffs, but ended the year as World Champions.
And in 2008, in a game at Philadelphia, the Steelers' offensive line was so over-matched by the Eagles defense, that it may well have been the worst performance by an offensive line in team history. Roethlisberger was sacked 8 times, and it could have been 12 or 13. That's how much the Eagles dominated that day. No way was anyone thinking Super Bowl after that game, but the team ended the year with their 6th Lombardi trophy.
Losing the way Pittsburgh did to the Pats doesn't necessarily mean they're not a worthy championship contender.
A more tangible concern is the injury situation. They've lost some key players, but every team, even Super Bowl winners, have to overcome big injuries from time to time. It's part of the game.
Even without Max Starks and Aaron Smith, Pittsburgh still has enough high-end players on both sides of the ball to compete with any team in the league.
The only question is how far they're able to take things this season.
We'll begin to find that out this Sunday.
Go Steelers!
For one thing, fans (and probably players) are just frustrated to no end by the mastery that Tom Brady has displayed over the Steelers' defense his entire career.
Brady was 30/43 for 350 yards and 3 touchdown passes in the game against the Steelers. And for good measure, he even scored on a rushing touchdown, after which, he spiked the ball in our faces. I've been watching football for a long time, and it very well may have been the greatest I have ever seen a quarterback look. Does Brady carving-up the Steeler D mean that Dick Lebeau's scheme is doomed and outdated? That sentiment has been floated around this week. I don't think that's the case. Sometimes, you just have to give the other guy credit. And when the other guy is Tom Brady, you're talking about maybe the best quarterback in the league, and possibly one of the best ever. Brady is a no-brainer to get into Canton when his playing days are over, and Hall-of-Famers earn their busts by doing what Brady did to the Steelers on Sunday.
I'm too young to remember this, but I do know that in a game in 1975, OJ Simpson came into Pittsburgh, at the height of the Steel Curtain's defensive dominance, and rushed for well over 200 yards at Three Rivers Stadium. Simpson had a Hall of Fame career and was one of the greatest running backs of all time, and those kinds of offensive weapons make even the most dominant defenses look foolish at times. The defense recovered quite nicely as most of you probably know.
And even with Brady in the league throwing a wrench into things over the years, the current defense has been good enough to help win a couple of World titles.
But I digress.
Another factor from Sunday's game that has people wondering whether or not Pittsburgh is one of the elite teams in the league this year is how thoroughly the Patriots beat up the Steelers on both sides of the ball. And don't let that 39-26 score fool you, it was a shellacking. Let's face it, Steeler fans are a prideful group, and watching our guys get owned by any team is very hard to take. We probably hold onto that kind of defeat longer than the players. It had been a while since Pittsburgh was so severely outplayed. I've heard more than one person suggest that Super Bowl contenders don't get beat as badly as Pittsburgh did last week.
I don't agree with that.
In 1995, the Steelers opened up the year 3-4. Among those 4 defeats were a couple of lopsided losses to the Vikings and Bengals respectively. Another was a humiliating loss to the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars. People, including Myron Cope himself, were questioning whether they were even a playoff team, let alone a Super Bowl contender. Well, they rebounded well enough to not only make the playoffs, but advance to Super Bowl XXX.
Going back even further to the 1979 season. The Super Steelers, the defending champions, one of the greatest teams of that era or any era, were victims of not one, but two embarrassing losses that year. They lost, 35-7, to the San Diego Chargers, and, 34-10, to the Cincinnati Bengals. Their performance against the Bengals was so bad, in fact, that Chuck Noll jokingly asked his players if they had money on the game. But when it was all said and done, those blowouts simply represented a couple of losses along the way to a 4th Lombardi trophy.
If you need some more recent examples, look no further than their last two Super Bowl years. In a Monday night game in 2005, the Steelers played so badly against the Colts, they didn't even look like they belonged in the same league as Indianapolis. Yet, they recovered and not only turned the tables on the Colts in the playoffs, but ended the year as World Champions.
And in 2008, in a game at Philadelphia, the Steelers' offensive line was so over-matched by the Eagles defense, that it may well have been the worst performance by an offensive line in team history. Roethlisberger was sacked 8 times, and it could have been 12 or 13. That's how much the Eagles dominated that day. No way was anyone thinking Super Bowl after that game, but the team ended the year with their 6th Lombardi trophy.
Losing the way Pittsburgh did to the Pats doesn't necessarily mean they're not a worthy championship contender.
A more tangible concern is the injury situation. They've lost some key players, but every team, even Super Bowl winners, have to overcome big injuries from time to time. It's part of the game.
Even without Max Starks and Aaron Smith, Pittsburgh still has enough high-end players on both sides of the ball to compete with any team in the league.
The only question is how far they're able to take things this season.
We'll begin to find that out this Sunday.
Go Steelers!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
So glad PITT basketball didn't "PITT football" the start of their season
Last week, when I read that the 5th ranked PITT men's basketball team would be opening up against 24th ranked Rhode Island, I experienced a feeling of deja vu. Not too long ago, PITT's football team started the year ranked 15th in the nation and there was plenty of hype as they opened up on the road at Utah. PITT lost in overtime, and although they still have a great shot at winning the Big East conference, they clearly haven't lived up to their lofty preseason praise.
The basketball team has been another story for quite some time, and they did defeat Rhode Island in a hard-fought game. They won another tough battle tonight against Maryland and improved to 4-0 to start the young season. Nothing new for the program. They've been doing this since the 2001/2002 season and they've turned the basketball progam into one of the most consistent in the country. Clearly a tribute to Jamie Dixon for continuing what Ben Howland started 9 seasons ago.
As is usually the case, there is much hype associated with them this year, but I have no doubt that they'll remain near the top of the rankings for the entire year.
I'm sure the pressure to advance to that elusive Final 4 will rear its ugly head as we get closer and closer to The Madness, but, for now, I'm easing into the college basketball season. Enjoying the games and knowing that even an early season loss by the Panthers won't cripple them, because, in college basketball, they have something called a playoff tournament. Pretty innovative.
The basketball team has been another story for quite some time, and they did defeat Rhode Island in a hard-fought game. They won another tough battle tonight against Maryland and improved to 4-0 to start the young season. Nothing new for the program. They've been doing this since the 2001/2002 season and they've turned the basketball progam into one of the most consistent in the country. Clearly a tribute to Jamie Dixon for continuing what Ben Howland started 9 seasons ago.
As is usually the case, there is much hype associated with them this year, but I have no doubt that they'll remain near the top of the rankings for the entire year.
I'm sure the pressure to advance to that elusive Final 4 will rear its ugly head as we get closer and closer to The Madness, but, for now, I'm easing into the college basketball season. Enjoying the games and knowing that even an early season loss by the Panthers won't cripple them, because, in college basketball, they have something called a playoff tournament. Pretty innovative.
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