Idle Thoughts

 For the Steelers and Bengals, the playoffs start on Sunday at Heinz Field.  A bit early for that, isn't it?

• We wish Roger Goodell would nix the idea of expanding the number of teams in the playoffs and lengthening the regular season to 18 games. The playoff format is fine the way it is, and the season is plenty long enough. For that matter, Thursday night games can go away, too. We wouldn't miss them.
• Goodell will keep pushing, of course. It's all about the money. Television rules. 
• Ryan Clark may well be the Steelers' MVP this season. One could make the case for Heath Miller, Ben Roethlisberger, or even Max Starks. It will be interesting to see who the players choose.

The Steelers activated Justin King, who will probably replace DeMarcus Van Dyke ("DVD") as the gunner on punt coverage and backup corner back. Once a star player at Gateway High School in Monroeville, Justin King is a familiar name in Southwestern Pennsylvania. He left Penn State early to enter the NFL draft in 2008 and was selected in the fourth round by the St. Louis Rams. King sustained a halux (big toe) ligament injury, however, in his very first preseason game, and maybe he never fully recovered. At corner, though, can he really play much worse than some of what we saw in Dallas?