Exposed

At least Steelers fans showed up yesterday at the Meadowlands. Too bad the team didn’t.

After tallying just nine sacks in their first nine games, the New York Jets racked up seven sacks against the Steelers yesterday. That pretty much tells you all you need to know.

Oh, and the special teams still suck. But you knew that already.

The receivers struggle, too often, to get separation. The defense isn’t putting enough pressure on the opposing quarterback. Questionable play-calling. Costly penalties. Spotty tackling.

Did we mention the special teams? The special teams, yeah, they suck. Still. Especially the kick coverage … which was not helped by that lame punt at the end.

The 2007 draft class, “led by” first-round choice Lawrence Timmons, has been less than impressive. And that’s being kind. Timmons can't even make a tackle.

Well, at least the fans showed up, again, as they always do, on the road.

As the New York Daily News reported:

The Steelers' fans crashed the party, turning the stadium into the Meadowlands on the Monongahela.

"That kind of ticked us off a little bit," safety Kerry Rhodes said, referring to Black-and-Gold, Terrible-Towel-waving fans who appeared to outnumber the Jets' faithful. "I thought we were at a neutral site, somewhere between New York and Pittsburgh."

The Jets were angry, almost embarrassed by the lack of support, but they overcame that - along with a season of ineptitude - to shock the Steelers in overtime, 19-16, yesterday. In what several players mockingly called a "road victory," the Jets beat the Steelers at their own game.

According to the New York Post:

"You had no choice but to notice," Jets tight end Chris Baker said of Giants Stadium absolutely taken over by black-and-gold-clad, "Terrible Towel"-waving Steelers fans who bought all the tickets from the apathetic Jets fans who opted not to show up.

"When I came out for warm-ups, I was like, 'Wow, I've never seen this before.' I was definitely shocked, because I've been here for six years and we've had ups and downs, but I've never seen our stadium with more visiting fans than home fans.

"It was motivation for me, because it was irritating to see that many fans for another team in our stadium. That's why I gave them a wave after the game and said, 'Thanks for coming.' "

Safety Kerry Rhodes said, it "ticked us off a little bit," but he added, "their fans made it fun for us."

"It [ticked] us off," defensive end Shaun Ellis said. "It was weird. It felt like an away game. It felt good to get a road win."

Linebacker Matt Chatham called the fan issue "a touchy subject," adding, "you don't have to guess how it made us feel about it. We're grateful for the [Jets] fans who were there."

And, as Newsday reported:

The Steelers' fans were so loud that the Jets had to use a silent count at times, according to Clemens.

"It was extremely bizarre," Baker said. "I haven't seen that in six years. It was a little disappointing."

Guard Brandon Moore said it felt like Heinz Field, and wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery added, "It wasn't really a good feeling, being in your own stadium and seeing all those towels."

Said Coles: "It was a nice away game. This is the first time I played a home game and felt like the road team."

It doesn’t matter how many Steelers fans will show up in Foxborough, Mass., on Dec. 9. The matchup that day against the New England Patriots looks more and more like a mismatch.