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1. The past two weeks have seen the Jets on a skid and the Steelers doing their darnest to try to lose. Something had to give eh?
2. I only got to watch portions of the game. I recorded it and intend to watch it tonight because the MNF game has a serious case of teh sux0r5 with the charming twist of being played in, what must be assumed to be, a third-rate facility (TCF Bank Stadium?) after the ceiling collapsed on their, what must be assumed to be, second-rate facility (Metrodome). Poor Vikings …
3. Back to the issue at hand … I missed the live broadcast. I was at my father-in-law’s retirement/birthday party. The guy was turning 70 and was retiring from his job after 42 YEARS with the same company. I couldn’t say “no” to that. That’s a double-whammy I am sure not see ever again.
4. My brother-in-law was gracious enough to put the game on for me but you know how it is when you are in a room full of people that don’t “get it” when it comes to Steelers football. It’s almost impossible to enjoy it especially when my 2 year old is taking every opportunity to hurt herself in new and interesting ways. Visiting a non-kid-friendly house when you have a toddler is about as fun as being kicked in the shins repeatedly for four hours.
Or watching this show …
5. I missed the opening kick-off … fortunately. My brother-in-law turned on the game and it was 7-0. I naturally assumed that the Steelers did the typical “let the opponent march for a TD on the opening drive” thing as DLB deciphers the opposing offense.
6. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Hey you smart, charming, witty, knowledgeable Steeler fan. If you didn’t watch the game why are you flapping your gums in the breeze?”
7. I couldn’t say I was all that surprised that it was 10-10 at the half. The 2010 Steelers do not blow their opponents off the map. Especially not with a patchwork Oline and Heath Miller on the sideline.
8. Heath Miller didn’t play right? That’s why Ben was throwing the ball at Spaeth o the final pass right?
9. Heath Miller is now mentioned in three consecutive thoughts because as I was watching the Packers inevitably lose to the Patriots last night my mind kept coming back to Heath “Boring TD Celebration-Machine” Miller. The Steelers needed him. Boring celebrator or not.
Catchy nickname huh?
10. Blown calls, referees, Roger Godell, etc. Three words for you: Confirmation bias.
11. Yeah, there was “holding” and “pass interference” and “roughing the Ben”. So what? They deserve it for two reasons: they are the Steelers and they are not Tom Brady.
12. I did notice that the Steelers run game seemed to be effective. T’was a pity they didn’t utilize while deep in their own territory with the aforementioned patchwork Oline.
13. And that brings me to everyone’s favorite punching dummy (pun intended), Bruce Arians:
14. Of all the head offensive coordinators currently employed by the Steelers I like Bruce the best. But seriously, I recall an interview with Bruce in which he lamented “ruining” some (all, most?) the QBs under his tutelage by trying to make them something they were not. He was proud that he had avoided doing this with Ben. I believe what we are seeing in the Steelers offense this year has to do with Bruce not giving Ben enough guidance/parameters in which to be successful. This is why the Steelers offense is either pathetically predicatable or Ben running around for 2 minutes and either overthrowing a deep ball or overthrowing a check-down.
15. I did get to watch the final drive (after I knew the Steelers lost). And I can tell you that I still thought they were going to pull it out. I had seen Ben do it too many times. I knew that despite the game already being decided that time would somehow fold in on itself, Doc Brown would hop out of the Delorean and the Steelers would somehow win.
16. But then Ben threw that final pass to Spaeth and reality trumped fantasy on many levels.
17. Perspective: The Steelers of 2010 are not the best team in the NFL. They do not stand head and shoulders above the other teams. But you and I both know that football games are not always won by the “best” team. So I will watch, cheer and have faith that as long as these Steelers can hang around a game they can win it. Bottom line: the Steelers don’t have to play their best ball right now. The time for that is in about 3 weeks.
2. I only got to watch portions of the game. I recorded it and intend to watch it tonight because the MNF game has a serious case of teh sux0r5 with the charming twist of being played in, what must be assumed to be, a third-rate facility (TCF Bank Stadium?) after the ceiling collapsed on their, what must be assumed to be, second-rate facility (Metrodome). Poor Vikings …
3. Back to the issue at hand … I missed the live broadcast. I was at my father-in-law’s retirement/birthday party. The guy was turning 70 and was retiring from his job after 42 YEARS with the same company. I couldn’t say “no” to that. That’s a double-whammy I am sure not see ever again.
4. My brother-in-law was gracious enough to put the game on for me but you know how it is when you are in a room full of people that don’t “get it” when it comes to Steelers football. It’s almost impossible to enjoy it especially when my 2 year old is taking every opportunity to hurt herself in new and interesting ways. Visiting a non-kid-friendly house when you have a toddler is about as fun as being kicked in the shins repeatedly for four hours.
Or watching this show …
5. I missed the opening kick-off … fortunately. My brother-in-law turned on the game and it was 7-0. I naturally assumed that the Steelers did the typical “let the opponent march for a TD on the opening drive” thing as DLB deciphers the opposing offense.
6. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Hey you smart, charming, witty, knowledgeable Steeler fan. If you didn’t watch the game why are you flapping your gums in the breeze?”
7. I couldn’t say I was all that surprised that it was 10-10 at the half. The 2010 Steelers do not blow their opponents off the map. Especially not with a patchwork Oline and Heath Miller on the sideline.
8. Heath Miller didn’t play right? That’s why Ben was throwing the ball at Spaeth o the final pass right?
9. Heath Miller is now mentioned in three consecutive thoughts because as I was watching the Packers inevitably lose to the Patriots last night my mind kept coming back to Heath “Boring TD Celebration-Machine” Miller. The Steelers needed him. Boring celebrator or not.
Catchy nickname huh?
10. Blown calls, referees, Roger Godell, etc. Three words for you: Confirmation bias.
11. Yeah, there was “holding” and “pass interference” and “roughing the Ben”. So what? They deserve it for two reasons: they are the Steelers and they are not Tom Brady.
12. I did notice that the Steelers run game seemed to be effective. T’was a pity they didn’t utilize while deep in their own territory with the aforementioned patchwork Oline.
13. And that brings me to everyone’s favorite punching dummy (pun intended), Bruce Arians:
14. Of all the head offensive coordinators currently employed by the Steelers I like Bruce the best. But seriously, I recall an interview with Bruce in which he lamented “ruining” some (all, most?) the QBs under his tutelage by trying to make them something they were not. He was proud that he had avoided doing this with Ben. I believe what we are seeing in the Steelers offense this year has to do with Bruce not giving Ben enough guidance/parameters in which to be successful. This is why the Steelers offense is either pathetically predicatable or Ben running around for 2 minutes and either overthrowing a deep ball or overthrowing a check-down.
15. I did get to watch the final drive (after I knew the Steelers lost). And I can tell you that I still thought they were going to pull it out. I had seen Ben do it too many times. I knew that despite the game already being decided that time would somehow fold in on itself, Doc Brown would hop out of the Delorean and the Steelers would somehow win.
16. But then Ben threw that final pass to Spaeth and reality trumped fantasy on many levels.
17. Perspective: The Steelers of 2010 are not the best team in the NFL. They do not stand head and shoulders above the other teams. But you and I both know that football games are not always won by the “best” team. So I will watch, cheer and have faith that as long as these Steelers can hang around a game they can win it. Bottom line: the Steelers don’t have to play their best ball right now. The time for that is in about 3 weeks.
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