Links!

• Blitzburgh over at Behind the Steel Curtain offers a frank assessment of yesterday's loss, along with some potentially helpful suggestions.

• One for the Other Thumb says the Steelers will be okay.

• Christmas Ape at D.C. Steeler Nation blasts the play-calling, kickoff coverage and Red Zone incompetence.

• Tecmo over at Pittsburgh Sports and Mini-Ponies is in a bad mood following the Steelers' loss to the Bengals.

• Nice Pick Cowher has a typically excellent recap of Sunday's game against the Bengals, including this food for thought:

"On three of those (Red Zone) drives, what started as a 1st and goal from around ten yards out became a 2nd and goal from the 25-30 yard line because of a penalty or sack. The playcalling was beyond atrocious. I realize the Bengals are the #2 team against the rush and Rashard Mendenhall only had 36 yards on the day but lining up in a five WR set from the 8-yard line????

"... This loss drops the Steelers to 6-3 and creates a scenario where the only way we can win the division is by finishing a full game ahead of the Bengals. With that scenario highly unlikely to happen, it appears the Black and Gold are now relegated to Wild Card status. Last year, the New England Patriots missed out on the Wild Card despite an 11-5 record. In other words, not only is that route to the Super Bowl extremely difficult because you have to play three games all on the road but it’s a huge crapshoot just to get the spot in the first place."