Sorry everyone

To everyone who has been a faithful reader of my blog,

Sorry I've let you down the past week. I am well aware didn't post a recap of the Baltimore game and my recap of the Cleveland game will be late. I am currently in the final stages of my comprehensive senior project (aka Senior Thesis) which is required for graduation. Since I really really want to graduate from college, I've been working hardcore on my paper (which is going to be between 60 and 70 pages when it's finished. It's due Wednesday, so I've been dedicating pretty much all my time to that. Well, except the 2 hours I spent driving to and from the games on Monday night and this afternoon. Great games to attend, the Baltimore victory was classic.

After my Senior Project is done, I'll post much-belated recaps of the Baltimore and Cleveland games. Sorry for the wait everyone, it'll be better from here on out.

Go Steelers.

Welcome to the Jungle

24
13

Sorry if my last recap sounded a little angry...I was a little pissed after watching the Defense blow the game and the poor play calling by the coaching staff. Much better job this week.

Steelers win the toss, the entire city of Cincinnati sheds a tear.

The Steelers come out with Dan Kreider blocking for Parker. Excellent choice by the coaching staff. Parker gets 4 to start the game then Ben hits Hines for a first down. It's great to have him back. The drive stalls around midfield and Superman comes on for his only punt of the game.

On a side note, Superman appeared on the Hines Ward Show this week and was asked what was his worst Halloween costume ever. His answer? A cowboy. No word on what his best costume was. I'm betting on this:

Cincy read two stanzas of Casey at the Bat during the commercial break. "Hope springs eternal in the human breast"...apparently. Carson came out firing and looking for Ocho Cinco as they drove down the field into the red zone. Solid defensive plays from Farrior, Haggans and Ike stop the drive short and force a field goal. 3-0.

The Mayor of Cincinnati declares free ice cream for everyone if the Bengals can hold on to the lead.

Holmes gets two to start the next drive on a reverse. Parker around the outside for 12. Ben hits Hines over the middle for 8. Second and short. Tomlin policy as been to run the ball and pick up the first down in these situations.

Not today.

Long ball for Holmes is complete, down to the 16. Marvin Lewis challenges in the hopes of maintaining free ice cream.

Ben to Hines for six.
Hines just owned Bengals first round draft pick Leon Hall on this route.
7-3.

Palmer tries to hit Ocho Cinco deep, but Ike and Anothny Smith are all over it. Kenny Watson fumbles on 3rd down, but the Bengals recover...and punt.

Ben hits Heath and Holmes on consecutive 3rd and 4 plays to pick up key first downs and keep the offense on the field. Parker chips in with a few solid carries and Hines pulls in a pass to get inside the 10. Parker for 1. Incomplete pass. 3rd down. Media nation is waiting for Ben to throw a pick and blow it.

Instead he finds Hines across the middle with a beautiful pass right between two defenders. 14-3.

Palmer comes out looking for Housh. Apparently he's had enough of throwing to Johnson. The Bengals convert a few 3rd and shorts and wind up driving the ball down to the Pittsburgh 2. Marvin Lewis calls a timeout with a little over 2 minutes to play to strategize for the 4th and short on the 2. His strategy? Take the points. Field goal. 14-6.

"Good teams get in the end zone. Teams like us kick field goals." -TJ Houshmandzadeh

If you look up 2-minute drill in the dictionary, you'll see a video of this drive by the Steelers. Absolutely perfect. Parker picks up 32 on the first play to take the clock down to the 2-minute warning. Ben goes for the deep ball to Nasty Nate, but the pass is broken up. It was a good look and Nate was in single coverage. Not a bad play.

Holmes picks up 10 and 12 on short outs. Parker picks up 3 to get the ball down to the 10. Ben finds Hines at the sticks on 3rd and 7 and he makes a lunge for the goal line.

This picture was too good not to post.
First and goal at the 1.

Parker off-tackle for the score with 4 seconds to play in the half. Perfect drive. 21-6 at halftime.

For the only time all game, a team goes 3-and-out. Good thing it was the Bengals coming out of halftime.

Parker carries the team on his back down the field. The only other positive gains before the red zone was a scramble by Ben and a pass to Heath. Willie gets a breather and Naj' comes in to pound the ball. Najeh gets 3, forcing a 3rd and long. Ben scrambles out of pressure and tries to force a pass on a ball he should have thrown away. Interception.

The Bengals come out firing, trying to get back in the game. Palmer tries a few shots deep, but the secondary is all over it. The underneath stuff is available, and Cincy moves down the field. They convert on a 4th and 8 pass to Chad Johnson that Coach Tomlin challenges. Coach is 0-3 on challenges this year. Oh well. Palmer hits Housh for the Bengals only touchdown of the game.

21-13.

Willie gets a breather and Cincy gets a heavy dose of the Najinator. Power football down the field with some passes mixed in to Hines and Holmes. Reed tacks on a 40-yarder to extend the lead. 24-13. Solid 7 minute drive to put the game away.

Palmer hits Housh for thier biggest play of the game for 28 yards to start the next drive. The Bengals looked like they were going to desparately air it out, but then ran three consecutive running plays. Watson was getting dangerously close to the 100-yard marker, and it was time to put a stop to that. James "Silverback" Harrison dropped a sledgehammer on Watson and stripped the ball.

Your work here is done.

It's time to "RUN THE BALL". Parker for 3. Parker for 5. Naj' for 3 and a first down. One more seals the game. Parker for 2. Two-minute warning. Flip over to the Browns game shows them throwing on 2nd and 3rd down when St. Louis has 2 timeouts left. Incomplete pass on 3rd down stops the clock and makes Cleveland punt to give St. Louis the chance for their first win of the season.

Channel surf back to KDKA. Parker for 5. Naj' for 3. Victory formation. Game.

Flip back to the Erie station. Cleveland commits a pass interference penalty on 4th down to keep the Rams drive alive. Bulger throws a pick and the Rams continue to wallow in misery. Cleveland moves into second place in the division.

Stats n'at:
Parker- 22 carries, 126 yds, 1 TD
Roethlisberger- 19/26, 230 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Ward- 8 catches, 88 yds, 2 TD
Anthony Smith- 9.5 tackles, 1 Jacked Up! highlight hit on Housh.
Defense- matches their league-best average of 13.0 points allowed per game.

Blame Arians

31
28

I'm a college student. I have class every Sunday night. Usually this doesn't present a problem. Tonight it did. I missed the first quarter.


You may say "He runs a Steelers blog! How could he miss a game?!" Well, I want to graduate and class attendance is mandatory. And besides, I'm just one person running a blog. And I still update more than those guys over at The Steelers Blog. They haven't actually done a recap since the Cardinals game.


So here's your forewarning: the first quarter recap is shoddy. All I know is what I've heard from people.

Everyone knew the story coming into the game. Denver had the worst run defense in the league. By far. Willie Parker and Najeh are a solid combo. The Steelers are a power team, everyone knows we're going to run the ball, right?

You must be joking.

We run 3 pass plays and gain 43 yards before Parker touches the ball. No gain. Two more passes ensue. Parker dashes for 3 down to the 1. 2nd and Goal from the 1. You know what that means...

7-0. Early lead looks good.

But then Denver gets the ball. Someone forgot to tell our defense how to cover 3 recievers. The defense doesn't force a 3rd down until Denver is on the Steelers 15. That just happened to be the same play Cutler hit Stokley for a score. 7-7.

Now the Steelers want to try and run. Parker for 7. Sweet, let's go to him a few more times. Oh wait, Arians likes to throw. Two incompletions later Superman is on to punt. Way to waste a great first down play.


Denver converts a 3rd and 12 to keep their drive alive but is forced to punt 4 plays later.

At this point Parker has 3 carries for 10 yards. That's pretty solid. What do we do against a Tampa-2 that has safties sitting back so you can't throw deep? Throw it deep. Interception.


Cutler seems like he's going to pick us apart again, but Anthony Smith (from the 'Cuse) steps up with a huge interception in the end zone to get the ball back.

Arians might be realizing his play calling sucks. So he goes back to the bread and butter. Parker for 4. Parker for 27. Naj' for 3. Parker for 3. Incomplete pass. Punt. Argh. This guy who sits next to me at Hienz Field always screams "RUN THE BALL." (Section 107 if anyone knows). The Steelers should hire him to stand next to Arians and scream the whole game.

In emanation of the Steelers, Denver goes run-run-pass-punt.


Parker loses 4 yards on 2 plays, but a solid play by Holmes keeps the drive alive. Ward barely drops a pass over the middle. Coach challenges. I think the altitude might have been getting to his head here. This wasn't the best idea in the world. Two plays later Ben throws a ball behind Ward that he tips into the air and gets intercepted.


Denver marches 40 yards for the score. 14-7 bad guys.


Parker for 7. Bad snap by Mahan, Ben holds on and hits Heath for a big gain down the middle. Arians tries to call a screen. Ben throws it at Parker's feet with a guy in his face. Another bad snap by Mahan and the O-line looks like the Maginot Line as Ben gets hit trying to pick up the ball. Broncos recover the fumble and take it to the house. 21-7.

Actual picture of the Steelers Offensive line.
Kendall Simmons is represented by "Sedan" on the map.

Down by 14 with just over 2 minutes in the first half, I guess we have to pass.


Sack. Then Hines steps up and makes a few big grabs to get us out near midfield. Naj' converts a big third and short. Hines again down to the 31. We're in field goal range. Remember that.


The Maginot Line breaks down again and Ben has to scramble for his life. Incomplete pass. Ben comes back and scrambles around again and hits Hines with a huge pass to get down to the 19...

Holding. Offense Number 73, 10-yard penalty.

2nd and 20. 14 seconds left. Ball on the 41. A safe play puts us in solid field goal range. Or the Maginot line could let them through. Sack. Reed falls short on a 65-yard field goal to end the half. Stupid play calling.

Denver comes out, seeming intent to drive the ball, but Larry Foote makes a great leaping interception to get us the ball back. Parker twice for basically nothing. Ben forced to scramble, picks up the first down with his own legs. Parker dashes for 15. Ben hits Holmes across the middle in double coverage for a huge score. 21-14.

So you're saying there's a chance.

James "Silverback" Harrison and LaMarr "I'm a Freaking Beast" Woodley come up with sacks on the next drive, but Denver converts two 3rd and 14's and opens the lead back up. 28-14.

The Steelers start in the shadow of their own goalposts. Holmes picks up a first down then the refs tack on 15 more for a late hit out of bounds by John Lynch. Ben hits Parker with a short pass that he takes for 22. Then Parker dashes for 24. Incomplete pass. Ben scrambles for 8. Parker dives for the sticks on 3rd down. Terrible spot, but Ben plows through on 4th down. Next play, Spaeth from 13 yards out. 28-21.

Denver goes 3-and out. Now's the time. 7 minutes to go. We can do it. Two passes to Holmes for a first down. Parker does basically nothing but Hines pulls in a big catch for 16 yards on 3rd down. The refs missed a false start penalty on us here, but I'm not complaining. Short pass to Parker and he darts inside the Broncos 40. The Maginot Line strikes back as Ben is sacked and Simmons is called for holding.

Ben sparks hope and hits Ward to bring it back to 3rd and 10. Great slant route by Wilson to convert. Parker for 4 more, bringing him to 93 yards on 21 carries. 4.4 yards per carry tonight for Parker and we only ran the ball 26 of our 61 plays. And two of those were supposed to be passes that Ben had to scramble on because the O-line choked.

Back to the game. Swing pass to Carey Davis to get inside the 15. And...

TOUCHDOWN.
Heath was open all night.
28-28

1:10 left to go. All we need is the defense to hold. Cutler starts picking apart the Prevent defense in the face of a 4-man rush. LeBeau doesn't blitz until they're at midfield. Cutler makes a shaky throw, but the catch is upheld by replay. Denver is down to the 30. Elam time.

Now I understand why the Romans had vomitoria.
31-28.
Game over.

By the numbers:
0-number of important running situations when I can remember seeing Dan Krieder on the field. Why isn't he playing?
1-the number of more games we can keep playing stupid like this. Play Krieder. Run the ball.
3-the number of touchdown catches by our tight ends tonight.
4-Heath Miller's total touchdowns on the season. And the cumulative total of all of our Wide Reciever's touchdowns.
8- number of different recievers Ben threw to tonight
39- The percentage of running plays actually called by Bruce Arians against the worst run defense in the league.

Me vs. Sportsline

Making football predictions is tough.

Any given Sunday, anyone can win. That's a given.

The guys at CBSSportsline do weekly picks against the spread.

I'd rather pick it straight up. Yes, I know this is "easier." Whatever. They get paid to make picks.

That being said...in my Yahoo! Pick 'em league, I am 57 - 32- 0 this year.

Yes, getting 64% of the games right isn't anything to brag about.

But how are the "experts" over on Sportsline doing?

Harmon: 49-39-0
Prisco: 53-35-0
Judge: 51-37-0
Davis: 43-45-0
Richard: 43-45-0

Yes, they're picking against the spread which is in theory "harder". But they get paid to do sports analysis. I don't. And I have a better record than all of them.

How about the ESPN guys you ask? Well, they pick the games straight up like me.

And only Mortensen and Jaws have better records than me. And they haven't even picked all the games apparently, because their overall number doesn't add up to 89, which is how many games have been played so far this season.

In lieu of this...here's my picks for this week. Most of them are obvious, but I took a few upsets to keep things interesting.
Tennessee over Houston
Tampa Bay over Detroit
New England over Miami
New Orleans over Atlanta
NY Giants over San Francisco
Baltimore over Buffalo (though I'm rooting for the Bills here)
Washington over Arizona
Kansas City over Oakland
Cincinnati over NY Jets
Philadelphia over Chicago
Seattle over St. Louis
Dallas over Minnesota
Pittsburgh over Denver
Jacksonville over Indianapolis

Con Air Grounded

Photo edit by me.

Everyone knows Cincy's D can't stop anyone. So it's no surprise KC put up 27 on them. What is a bit of a surprise is that coming off a bye week, Cincy couldn't do anything on offense, which was supposed to be their forte.



The Bungles get to play the lowly Jets next week in a game that might have high draft pick implications before coming to Pittsburgh. We can only hope that the feud between Johnson and Palmer gets worse next week. Then we might only have to worry about stopping Housh.

Other Divisional News

The Ravens beat the winless Rams on the strength of 5 field goals. Not being able to get the ball in the end zone will hurt Baltimore down the line.

The Browns beat the winless Dolphins. Derek Anderson and Cleo Lemon put up some numbers. Who? Yeah, these guys are starting in front of Brady Quinn and John Beck, both top 50 draft picks last year.

Debate Central

Who is the worst team in football?

Miami (0-6)--As bad as they are, they could finish 2nd in the division. Buffalo and the Jets are just as bad. The season is over. Beck needs to play.

St. Louis (0-6)--With Bulger going down, they're in the market for a QB, WR and an O-line in the off-season. Another Orlando Pace-esque pick at the top of the draft is likely. However, as bad as they are, they're only 3 games out of 1st place. With Leinart and Warner hurt in Arizona and Seattle's struggles, the winner of this division might not be above .500 this year. But it won't be St. Louis.

Atlanta (1-4)--They finally got a solid, go-to reciever but they lost their QB. Losing doesn't hurt Bobby Petrino, it just brings Brian Brohm closer to wearing red and black again in the pros. Will be picking in the Top 5 in April.

New Orleans (1-4)--They lost their running game, which was the heart of the team. Without the run support, the passing game hasn't been as prolific. In a division with Atlanta and where Vinny Interceptaverde is starting in Carolina, they could turn things around and end up around or over .500.

Buffalo (1-4)--They're not as bad as their record shows. They could have beaten the Broncos and should have beaten Dallas. They'll probably end up finishing 2nd in the worst division in football (minus New England).

NY Jets (1-5)--Another bad team from the AFC East with QB issues. They have solid recievers and a decent pair of running backs. The O-line needs some help and they need a QB. They have the 29th ranked offense and 28th ranked defense. Not a winning combination.

Cincinnati (1-4)--Of the seven teams with 0 or 1 win, the Bungles have the most internal turmoil. Chad Johnson causes havoc, players get arrested and the team lacks discipline. They're heading for another selection at the top of the draft unless they turn things around quickly. And a win against the Jets next week doesn't count.

Survey says....St. Louis is the worst team in football, followed closely by Miami, Atlanta and the Jets.

Personal News

GREs went well this weekend, so now I have to start working on grad school applications. My Senior Comprehensive Project is due in 1 month.

Seagulls Lay an Egg

21
0

I've gotta say...while being at a game is great and watching it live equally as good, there's something to be said for taping the game and being able to fast-foreward through the commercials.


Seahawks won the toss; their biggest gain of the day.



Reed kicks another touchback. He's been solid on kickoffs this year.



Seattle comes out throwing and hit some cheap short passes for a first down. Alexander runs for 6 on a 2nd and 10 and Hasselbeck can't hook up with his reciever on 3rd down. Punt time.



Ben comes out firing, in spite of losing Holmes to pregame warmups and Hines sitting out for the second week in a row. Nasty Nate snags a big catch on first down, but the Steelers can't make anything of it, so they ring up the Fortress of Solitude.

No Kryptonite today. Superman is solid.
(Image by Karri)

The defense puts Seattle on the ropes, but Hasselbeck comes through on 3rd and long, picking up a first down. They try to take a shot deep but there's nothing there. Punt.

Ben throws two incompletions and Sepulveda pins Seattle inside their own 10.

Seattle continues their trend of picking up a first down and then punting. Same deal here.

Anyone up for a shocking bit of play-calling? Neither are the Steelers. Run-run-pass-punt. Superman pounds a 56-yarder to flip the field.

Seattle picks up a first down as the first quarter ends. Any bets on what will happen 4 plays from now?

Bingo. Punt. A good play by Seattle pins the Steelers down at their own 1. Rossum tried to stick his nose in to pick up the ball and almost made a bonehead play giving Seattle the ball on the 1. We dodged a bullet here.

The Steelers seem to be poised for a punt, but former Florida State star Willie Reid breaks a few tackles for a solid 25-yard gain on 3rd down, keeping Sepulveda on the bench for now. Okay, so I just spoiled the rest of this drive. Nothing really happens. Ben gets sacked. Superman punts.

For the first time all game, Seattle punts before picking up a first down. Are you asleep yet? Hopefully not. Keep reading, I swear it gets better.

Ben hits Heath with a great pass on 3rd down to move the chains then gets sacked. The Najehnator comes in to pound away, but springs for a 45-yard gain. Parker dashes for 3. Davis on a swing pass for 4. 3rd and 3 in the red zone?

Great pass from Ben to Heath down the seam.

7-0.

The Seahawks look content to run out the clock with just a minute to go, but hit a big 30-yard pass on 3rd down to keep themselves moving. Farrior and Tyrone Carter come up with a sack on the next play, and Seattle lets the clock wind, forgetting they have timeouts. Another big gain with a personal foul penalty tacked on moves the Seahawks within striking distance.

Hasselbeck tries for the end zone but Ike Taylor makes a great play on the ball and comes up with a huge interception to end the half.

The Steelers come out rolling on a 17-play, 80-yard drive that eats up over 10 minutes of clock. The Steelers picked up a few penalites here, so actually tallied 110 total yards on this drive. Ben hit Wilson for a huge 3rd down conversion. Parker broke one around the corner and almost got to paydirt, but a challenge from Seattle overturned the touchdown call.

Just a bit outside.

However, from 1 yard away, you don't stop Naj'.

14-0.

Seattle goes 3-and-out and the Steelers get the ball back.

Long drives defined the Steelers second half as Parker just dominates Seattle all the way down the field, but it was Najeh's day. He pounds it in from the 4 to pretty much wrap things up.

Naj' repeats his patented Hines Field High Jump after the score.

The Steelers don't throw the ball again the rest of the game.

Both teams go 3-and-out the rest of the way. Seattle pulls Hasselbeck in favor of Wallace. He doesn't do anything. Seattle picks up one first down the rest of the game, Steelers pick up none.

Homestead Charlie comes in to run the Victory Formation. Game.

Stats:
Parker: 28 carries, 103 yds
Najeh: 7 carries, 58 yds, 2 TD
Heath: 4 catches, 44yds, 1 TD
3 sacks, 1 INT, 0 points allowed by the Defense.

Stat of the Game:
Time of Possession:
Steelers 40:45
Seahawks 19:15

Other News:

Cleveland lost to New England.

Baltimore beat San Francisco 9-7 on 3 field goals. Snore.

Bye week is next week. We need to get healthy.

I'm taking the G.R.E's next weekend, don't expect much from me this week.

Yeah, I've been busy

So I haven't made a post since Sunday.

No, I haven't been in mourning because we lost a game. It's just one game. Everyone loses a few times.


I'm a college student. I had a paper due. I need to work on it. Hence, blogging took a back seat to school work.


On the same line, I'm currently working on my Senior Comprehensive Project and applying to Grad Schools, so if I don't update every day, cut me a break.


Also...there will be two reviews this weekend. The first review will be of the Clarks concert that I will be attending on Sunday afternoon. They're playing for free here at school, so I'm going to the concert and taping the Steelers game.

After the concert, I'll watch the tape of the game, then write up a review. So I'll be in the dark for a little while, but it's okay...I'm seeing the Clarks for free.

Clarks Concert
1pm. Sunday.

Steelers v. Seahawks
1pm. Sunday.

Steelers fall to the Whizard of AZ

21
14

We may have lost, but at least I came up with a witty title for the entry.

Arizona wins the toss and comes out gunning. Quick out to Fitz and he picks up 12 YAC yards. James fumbles on the next play but the Cards recover. They pick up another first down before the Steelers D cracks down and forces a punt.

Ben hooks up with Holmes on the 2nd play from scrimage for a solid gain, but nothing comes of it and it's Superman time.

Image by Karri.
57 yard punt. Definitely worth the 4th round pick.

Arizona does nothing and former Steeler Matt Barr (remember him from training camp the last 3 years?) punts. Sean Morey, another former Steeler on the tackle.

Big Ben engineers a nice drive with a hookup to Heath and some solid runs by Parker. After Ben gets sacked for the second time in the game, he hits Santonio Holmes on a fly route for a 43-yard touchdown. 7-0.

Arizona goes West-coast and hits a bunch of short passes to move the ball down the field and pick up a few first downs but a sack by Aaron Smith and James Harrison stops them short and forces a punt.

Ben hits Willie Reed on 3rd down who comes up just short of the sticks. In a call you would only make on a video game, the Steelers go for it on 4th and short on their own 30. Ben for 2 and the drive stays alive. But not for long. Run-run-pass-punt. 52-yarder by Superman.

Warner comes in to replace Leinart, but I Like Ike comes up with a big strip on Fitz and Troy scoops up the fumble. If this entry was an english paper, I'd call this a motif. Run-run-sack (attempted pass)-punt. A 56-yard boomer this time.

Warner comes back out to run the 2-minute drill. The veteran overcomes a Clark Haggans sack and moves the Cards into field goal range, but Rackers can't connect from 52 and the half ends.

Steelers get the ball and try to go 3-and-out (run-run-pass again) but a penalty on Arizona keeps the drive alive. Run on first down. Attempted run on second down, but a fumbled exchange leads to nothing and an incomplete pass on 3rd down brings the punt team back out. Sepulveda pounds a 51-yarder (his shortest of the game to this point).

Warner and Fitz lead the Cards down the field and move into the red zone after a taunting penalty on Ike. The Defense almost holds, but Warner's touchdown pass on 3rd down was upheld after a challenge by Coach. 7-7.

The Steelers decide to change up the game plan and come out throwing. But it only lasts for 1 first down. Then they go back to their old ways. Run-run-pass-punt.

The Cards look to be poised to move the ball again, but a botched snap gives us the ball back when James Harrison falls on it at the 4.

1st and goal from the 4. Our Tight Ends have 4 TD catches in 3 weeks. Any guess what we'll do?
Run. Parker for 2 yards.
Run. Parker for 0 Yards.
Pass.

Interception.
"When I let go of it, I thought it was a touchdown. I thought he [Wilson] was gone. I honestly didn't see him" - Ben Roethlisberger

I've Got A Feeling take: Ben should spend less time reading to kids and more time watching film.

The Steelers hold after the turnover and force a punt.

Ben tries to make up for the pick by gunning one deep for Nate, but it's just out of his reach. Two more incompletions force a punt. Sepulveda makes a great 59-yard punt that gets called back on an ineligible man downfield penalty. Rekick.

Shades of the 2001 AFC Championship game flash by as Steve Breaston from Woodland Hills HS runs the punt back for a touchdown. For the record, it was another 59-yarder.

7-14. Ouch.

Parker finally breaks one for 20, but the drive stalls after that and we have to punt...again.

Leinart comes back out to lead the 4th quarter and marches the red shirts down the field for a score. Good job by the Cards of mixing run and pass on this drive, something we didn't do well all game. 7-21.

With 4 minutes to go the Steelers come out firing. Ben spreads the ball around and runs for a few first downs to bring the Steelers down to the 7 where he hits Holmes for the score. 14-21.

After a failed onside kick, the Cards go 3-and-out giving Ben a chance for a game-winning drive.

Incomplete. Holmes for 31 to our 40. 60 yards to go.

Incomplete. The drama builds.

Sack. We're in trouble. 68 yards to go.

Interception. Game over.

"Give their defense a lot of credit. They played well tonight. They did a lot of things. This loss is on me. I'm really proud of the way the rest of the offense played, O-line, the receivers, some guys really stepped up. It's on me. I can't throw a pick in the end zone. Defense gives us an opportunity, and you throw it away. It's disappointing. It's frustrating. You feel like you let guys down." - Ben Roethlisberger

Coach, your thoughts?

“We didn’t run the ball effectively, we were highly penalized, and our special teams was not a winning edge for us, and when you don’t do those things you’re going to lose. Whether you’re at home or away you’re going to lose when you don’t do those things."

Big News from Steelers Nation

Not really, I just liked the flashy title.


Hines is "doubtful" for Sunday's game. Which means he'll dress, play the first drive and if he's hurting, he won't play any more.

Ben did some reading to some kids.

Sepulveda went to the Fortress of Solitude.

Photoshop by Karri
You'll be seeing this one again, it's a great piece of work.

Don't forget the game is at 4:15 on Sunday.

Injury Update

Hines had an MRI on his knee which showed no ligament damage. Hines says he's fine. Diagnosis of a bone bruise remains the bottom line.

Bills Linebacker (and Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate) Paul Posluszny is out for the remainder of the season with a broken arm. Dr. Cox says it's a clean break and he'll make a full recovery.

Seahawks Running Back Shaun Alexander has a broken bone in his wrist, no word on whether or not he'll play this weekend.

Thanks to the efforts of Jack Shepherd, Bills tight end Kevin Everett might be walking within a month. Great news.

An Inconvenient Truth

37
16

Global Climate Change is the perfect description of Frank Gore's world. Last season he was on fire. 1695 yards rushing, 485 yards recieving (Average 106 rush yds, 30 rec yds per game).

This season it's an Ice Age. 175 rushing yards and 37 recieving yards in 3 games. That's an average of 58 rush yds and 12 rec yds per game, which is about half of what he was averaging last year.

The Steelers started the game by losing the toss and giving up an 11-play, 61-yard field goal drive to the 49ers where Alex Smith made two solid plays to convert 3rd downs to keep the drive alive. One was a rollout scramble on 3rd and 1 and the other was a pass on a bootleg. The Steelers made some adjustments on their defensive line to prevent this from happening the rest of the game. 0-3

49ers boot a kickoff deep to Awesome Rossum who takes it 98 yards to the house and puts the Steelers up 7-3.

That's why we got him.

As we kickoff to the 49ers, my dad notes that we're getting dominated in Time of Possession. Not that it matters. The Steelers force a 3-and-out bringing out Andy Lee (Pitt grad), whose leg is obviously on steroids. This guy was kicking the snot out of the ball all game.

Parker slices through the left side for 13 on the first play. Looks like a great start for the offense. But Kendall Simmons blows a block and Ben gets stripped while looking deep. 49ers ball. TOP at this point is SF: 8 mim, PIT: 30 seconds.

The Steelers defense looks like it's going to break after giving up a 3rd down completion to Vernon Davis down to the 10 yard line and Polamalu taking an offsides penalty, but they step up to the task and hold San Fran to a field goal. 7-6.

The 49ers kick away from Awesome Rossum this time, so no kickoff excitement. Parker carves up runs of 9, 5, and 6 before the drive stalls and Superman comes out to punt. B-Mac makes a great play to keep the ball from going in the end zone and we pin the '9ers at the 8.

I'm still looking for a photoshop image of Superman with Sepulveda's face.
It would be awesome.

San Francisco gets a first down on a Micheal Robinson (Penn State fans can cheer at this) run, but stall out and have to punt. Lee pounds a 66-yard kick that flips the field and sticks us inside the 10.

Heath makes a huge grab for 16 yards to move out of the shadow of our own goalposts, but we go run-run-pass-punt.

The 49ers respond by going 3-and-out and Lee booms a 63-yard kick into the end zone. Like I said...leg on roids.

The Steelers put together a solid drive on the back of two big runs by Parker of 23 and 17 yards and a hookup to Heath for 20. The Steelers march it down to the 15 and convert a 3rd down with a direct snap to Hines. Two plays later, Ben hits Jerame Tuman for the score.

4 TDs by 3 different Tight Ends in 3 games. Wow.
Drive Stats: 12 plays, 80 yds, 7:39 off the clock.
14-6

The 49ers come out firing in a 30-second drill to try to get in field goal range and hit a sharp pass, but 3 incompletions forces a 59-yard punt by Lee to end the half.

The Steelers get the ball to start the Second Half and put together a nice drive with two huge grabs by Heath Miller for 29 and 16. The Steelers fail to convert from the 18 and settle for a field goal. 17-6. Hines took two big hits on consecutive plays and didn't play much the rest of the game. According to reports, he has a bone bruise in his leg, but no other word about the injury.

The 49ers moved the ball on their next drive and settled for a 49-yard field goal after a sack by LaMarr Woodley and a called fumble by Vernon Davis was reversed to be an incomplete pass. 17-9.

The Steelers come back and move the ball down the field thanks to two catches on the sidelines by Santonio Holmes, the second of which he made a great play to come back to the ball for when Ben was flushed out of the pocket. Jeff Reed calls Nedney's bet on the 49-yarder and drills it. 20-9.

Farrior & Co. come up with a sack on 3rd down after San Fran had moved the ball inside the 35 and force a punt.

The Steelers come back with a heavy dose of Willie Parker who puts up some strong runs and we snag a few big chunks of yards on 18 and 17-yard grabs by Holmes and Miller. The drive stalls at the 17 and Reed tacks on another field goal. 23-9.

5 minutes to go. It's pretty much over at this point, right? Wrong.

Smith comes out gunning and throws one right into the chest of B-Mac who takes it 50 yards to paydirt.

30-9.

With 4 minutes to go, Smith doesn't let up, hitting Jackson for 20 and scrambling for 25. Smith only had 7 fewer rushing yards than Frank Gore did today. Ouch. Smith is in the zone and hits a reciever in the corner of the end zone for the 49ers only touchdown of the game. 30-16.

With Ward out, Daniel Superman Sepulveda takes his place on the hands team for the onside kick. Of course, the 49ers try to test him by kicking the ball right at him, but Sepulveda is Superman, and there's no kryptonite in the officially lisenced NFL pigskin.

The 49ers have 1 timeout left, so the Steelers need 1 first down to end the game. Naj pounds ahead for 5. Timeout. Naj grinds for 2 more. 2-minute warning. 3rd-and-3. No shocker here, it's Naj up the middle. Except San Fran forgot to tackle him and he turns on the afterburners and streaks 39-yards for the score. Following the touchdown he did (as Tunch Ilkin called it on the postgame show) the Hienz Field High Jump into the stands to celebrate.

Yahoo images is all over this one.
37-16.

The 49ers can't even run out the clock right so Homestead Charlie comes in for a kneel down and ends the game.

Coach Tomlin is 3-0.

Stats:
The Steelers scored every way possible: Field Goal, Kick Return, Rushing TD, Passing TD, Defensive TD.
Parker: 24 carries, 133 yds.
Woodley gets his 2nd sack in 2 weeks. He's going to be a force.
Awesome Rossum: 2 Kick Returns, 120 yds, 1 TD (98yd)
B-Mac: 1 tackle, 1 INT, 1 TD
Frank Gore: 14 carries, 39 yards. He gained less ground than a glacier today.
The Steelers have outscored their opponents 97-26 this season.

Other News:

Last week's post got my first comment in the 2007 Season.
Hooray I have readers!

The Ravens snuck by Arizona today on a last-second field goal.

The Bungals blew a comeback attempt in Seattle by fumbling on a kickoff at the end of the game.

The Raiders used the Denver strategy of calling a last-second Timeout to nullify a Cleveland field goal. The second try is blocked. Browns lose.

The Eagles put up 56 points wearing the ugliest uniforms ever created. They scored so much because Detroit didn't want to catch ugly by touching them, let along trying to tackle them. I would post a picture, but Blogger would shut me down because the internet can't handle that kind of ugly.

Steelers Win 500th Regular Season game

26
3

The only Bills that really showed up for this game were these ones, that Jeff Reed deposited into the local PNC. Let's face it: he's money in the bank.

Our recap starts with the Steelers winning the toss. Good start to the game. Parker lights up a few nice runs around the outside, including one on a 3rd and 1 for 21 yards. The Steelers end a 7-minute drive to start the game with a Jeff Reed field goal. 3-0.

Buffalo's #1 pick Marshawn Lynch from Cal (who has never seen snow...genius pick there) dashes through a couple broken tackles on the Bills' first play. The Steelers D cracks down with Harrison coming up with a sack then a nice bit of coverage by Deshea on a 4th down attempt.

Textbook coverage.

Turnover on Downs, Steelers ball. According to a post-game interview, BA talked Roethlisberger into taking a shot deep to Holmes here. Ben didn't want to, and it hurts his numbers. 1 play, 1 INT, bringing the defense back onto the field. Bills run 3 times and punt.

The Steelers put together another 7+ minute drive with some key 3rd down receptions by Wilson, Ward and Holmes, driving all the way down to the 10. Ben has Dan Kreider wide open on a swing route that would have been a walk-in score, but he throws the ball short. Reed comes in to make it 6-0.

Buffalo goes 3-and-out again and the Steelers take over. Ben hits Spaeth for 9 and Washington for 21 and Parker busts a 24-yard dash as the Steelers drive back down the field and add another field goal. 9-0. At least it's a 2-score game at this point and we can breathe a little easier.

Buffalo goes 3-and-out again (yes, I know this sounds repetitious, a lot like Buffalo losing the Super Bowl). The Steelers get the ball back with no timeouts and a minute and a half to play. Ben takes to the air, hitting Nasty Nate Washington for 30 yards, Hines for 10 and Holmes for 17. A spike and 2 incomplete attempts to Ward (one of which should have been a touchdown, but the refs reversed the call), brings up another Jeff Reed field goal. 12-0 at the half.

Solid first half, the Steelers dominated in TOP. James "Silverback" Harrison was carted off the field after the last play of the first half. Word is he was conscious, moving and talking when they took him out, sat up to be taken into the x-ray and returned to the stadium. Glad he's okay.

The Bills come out with a heavy dose of the ground game, leading to a field goal, making the game 12-3. Right now, I'm a bit worried because Berman predicted the Bills winning 20-19 on NFL Live last nite.

The Steelers strike back with a 5-minute drive taking them down the field behind some big gains from Parker and a 27-yard hookup to Santonio Holmes that he almost took the distance. Tomlin and BA keep Krieder on the bench and put in Carey Davis for a goal line punch and Parker gets stopped twice. On 3rd and Goal, Ben shows he's got ice in his veins and hits Matt Spaeth off a play-action fake for the score. 19-3. At this point, I'm still a little worried about Berman's pick. It would take a monumental collapse by our defense.

Too bad the only team capable of a collapse that big was the 1993 Houston Oilers.

You let Frank Reich beat you.
No wonder you fled to Tennessee and changed your name.

Buffalo moves the ball back down the field and after a terrible non-call by the refs on an obvious Offensive Pass Interference, the D cracks down with some heavy pressure on Losman, making him throw a couple of bad passes and Larry Foote comes up with a huge sack and strip of Losman on a 4th down attempt.

The Steelers look to be ready to defy Berman, and hit Hines for a big 21-yard connection on the first play out. But a stop of Parker and Ben getting sacked (the only time all game, solid overall work by the O-line) put a halt on the drive and brings out Sepulveda for his only punt of the game, coming with 12 minutes to play in the game. Great offensive work to keep Sepulveda to his holding duties all game before this.

Buffalo wants to force the issue, and the refs want to let them, as they call back a Ryan Clark INT by saying he wasn't pushed out of bounds or some crap like that. Brett "the Diesel" Keisel comes up with a sack on the next play, pinning the Bills deep. The Bills fail to convert on 3rd down and punt back to Pittsburgh.

Parker has two solid runs before Ben hits Heath for a 29-yard pickup, down to the Bills 11. Willie Parker shows up Berman in a bang.

Handoff. Touchdown.
26-3.
No comeback here.

LaMarr Woodley brings the heat and throws down Losman for a sack. B-Mac powerbombs Lee Evans on a first down catch, and Evans gets up jawing.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

The Bills try to hit Evans in the corner of the endzone on the next play and he picks up another 15-yard USC for spitting in the Refs face when trying to beg for a Pass Interference call. The Bills, now faced with 2nd and 25 are in a hole. Evans comes out and Losman has only one reliable target left. Incomplete. We saw that coming. The secondary comes up with some great coverage on 3rd down, forcing Losman to scramble and bringing up a 4th and 8. Deshea Townsend comes up with a tackle 1 yard shy of the sticks, giving the Steelers the ball and the ability to run the clock out.

Homestead Charlie and Naj' come in and keep it on the ground to seal off the win.

Stats:
Parker: 23 carries, 126 yds, 1 TD
Roethlisberger: 21/34, 242 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Defense: 4 sacks, 1 Forced Fumble
Net Yards: Steelers 420, Bills 223.
Conversions: BUF 5-13 (3rd Down), 0-3 (4th Down); Steelers 11-16 (3rd Down)
TOP: Steelers 35:27, Bills 24:33

Also, the Steelers became the first AFC team to reach 500 regular season wins. Maybe by 2083 (150th Anniversary) rolls around we'll be at 1,000 wins.