Came up short on that wishbone

Emmanuel Sanders didn't come up 
clutch in the big moments.
Photo credit: Rob Garrett/Getty Images

We can be thankful that Le'Veon Bell emerged with "only" a concussion. Other than that, eh.

Season over.

The Steelers showed a lot of heart but came up short in Thanksgiving's Steelers-Ravens Turkey Bowl.

One question: Why did the Steelers retain Emmanuel Sanders in the off-season? Why?

Sanders topped his first-quarter drop of a long pass right on the numbers by failing to catch another long pass right on the numbers, with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter and looking stupid doing it. Then, Sanders bungled the two-point conversion that would have tied the game.

The Steelers made enough other mistakes to lose on merit. The botched field-goal. Will Johnson's drop on third-and-goal with just over a minute left. Ike Taylor's interference. Big Ben's missed throws.

But Emmanuel Sanders? Ugh.

If the definition of "clutch" is to thrive and get better in the bigger moments, Sanders ain't clutch.

Other Links Worth Checking:

Gene Collier: Steelers' Offense Missing Deep Concept

Steel City Blitz: Opening Drive Set Poor Tone

Bob Smizik: Playoff Hopes Crumble

Dejean Kovacevic: The Steelers' Longest Half-Yard

SI.com: Did Mike Tomlin Intentionally Interfere with Jacoby Jones's Kickoff Return?

Christmas Ape: The Officials' Review of Le'Veon Bell's Concussion was Disgusting

Associated Press: Le'Veon Bell Suffers Vicious Hit

Thanksgiving Game Day 12: Steelers at Baltimore - It's All About the Quarterbacks

Happy Thanksgiving. Many blessings to yinz 'n your'n.

For a match-up of 5-6 teams, tonight's game between the Steelers and Ravens features has some juice. Never mind that the loser will have no chance at the playoffs.

Tonight's game is all about the two marquee quarterbacks:

• Joe Flacco, the NFL's highest-paid quarterback ($120 million contract), reigning Super Bowl MVP and the focus of much discussion this week because of comments that indicated he was second-guessing his coaching staff 

• Ben Roethlisberger, winner of two Super Bowls and the focus of much discussion just a few weeks ago because of speculation he might be on the way out of Pittsburgh at some point in the semi-near future  

Flacco made headlines this week because of comments expressing that he was dissatisfied with having been used as a decoy receiver in Wildcat formations during last Sunday's win over the Jets.

“I don’t like that stuff,” Flacco said Tuesday. “I think it makes you look like a high school offense.”

That's his opinion, and he's entitled to it. Flacco's observation seems pretty innocuous to Joey Porter's Pit Bulls.

Yet Flacco's comments provoked surprisingly widespread discussion on ESPN, the NFL Network, PFT, on blogs and sports talk shows across the nation. For once, the drama wasn't about Big Ben, and for that, Steelers' fans can be thankful.

The ensuing media firestorm surrounding Flacco's off-the-cuff remarks struck us as a needless tempest in the proverbial teapot. Even so, Flacco was widely viewed as second-guessing his coaches. It's clear the coaches tried the Wildcat for a few plays simply to show a different look and provide a spark to an offense that has struggled all season. No big deal, right?

It became a big, deal, however, and maybe that's because of the way Flacco presents himself. From a distance, observing only his public persona by what we see through the cameras, Flacco is a bit hard to read. Is he charismatic? Not very, or at least he doesn't seem to be.

In fact, he seems aloof and uncomfortable with being in the spotlight ... and, possibly, with his teammates, none of whom backed him, at least in public statements. One thing for sure: This was a distraction the Ravens' coaches did not want or need two days before what amounts to an elimination game against their biggest rivals.

A less-than-mediocre season, at best
Flacco doesn't seem like he's having much fun, that's for sure. Another thing for sure: He's not having a good season.

As noted in by Jeff Zrebiec in The Baltimore Sun:

"The Ravens are no stranger to Flacco speaking his mind on different issues affecting the offense. ... However, the latest comment comes at a time where Flacco is having statistically the worst season of his career. He has already set a career-high with 14 interceptions, the same number of touchdown passes that he has. He ranks fifth in the league in interceptions, 14th in passing yards (2,742), 25th in yards per attempt (6.8), 15th in yards per game (249) and 29th in quarterback rating (76.8)."

That is not what the Ravens envisioned when they awarded Flacco that $120 million contract following the team's Super Bowl victory. It's a mediocre season, at best, for any NFL-caliber quarterback, but that's only part of the story -- albeit a major part.

Flacco's performance this year and particularly his griping this week, have once again raised questions and lingering doubts about him and his leadership capabilities, doubts which never seem to have fully evaporated even in the wake of his Super Bowl victory less than 10 months ago.

Tonight, Flacco has a chance to quell those questions and doubts at least temporarily. And the Steelers have a chance to bury him. 

Enjoy.

• Game footnote, courtesy of the Post-Gazette: "Eight of the past 10 meetings (between the Steelers and Ravens) have been decided by three points. In those eight games, each team has scored a combined 139 points, an average of 17 points per game."

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Enjoy your turkey, your fixings, your turkey bowl, your football, all of it. Appreciate, enjoy, express gratitude, and, if possible, give somebody a helping hand.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls gotta send a shout-out to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, Animal Friends, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the list goes on and on.  Lots of ways to help.

And, in the spirit of this holiday, because the following is so much better than anything we can write, here is the classic Big Daddy Drew’s Thanksgiving Itinerary, posted Thanksgiving Eve 2006, on Kissing Suzy Kolber.

Almost Game Day Already

The Steelers have beaten only one good quarterback this season and, on Thanksgiving Day, thank heaven, they get the chance to beat him again.

Joe Flacco, reigning Super Bowl MVP and owner of a $120.6 million contract, hasn't had a great season. He's thrown as many interceptions (14) as touchdowns, plus he's taken 37 sacks and coughed up six fumbles. Flacco's chronic inconsistency has prompted grumbling and second-guessing in Baltimore.

Fingertips: Jacoby Jones's 66-yard TD catch 
vs. Ed Reed and the Jets last Sunday

Still, though, Flacco throws the deep pass as well as any quarterback in the NFL, and his two long touchdown passes on a windy day in Baltimore were picture-perfect, never mind that he was fortunate to have Jacoby Jones and Torrey Smith make excellent finger-tip, over-the-shoulder grabs in extended stride. It's a game of inches, and such are the plays on which games turn.

By the same token, it should be noted, Ben Roethlisberger was fortunate to have Detroit's Rashean Mathis and DeAndre Levy drop possible interceptions a week ago Sunday, just as Ike Taylor dropped two passes from Matt Stafford. That's part of the reason why guys like Mathis and Taylor are defensive players, and guys like Jones, Smith and the Steelers' own Antonio Brown are wide receivers. The receivers actually catch the ball, more often than not, when it hits their hands.

Back to Flacco: As The Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston wrote,

"Flacco has his issues, but he is still in the Top 10 as far as quarterbacks, a notch below Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady, but right up there with quarterbacks like Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers."

Flacco's been up-and-down and off-and-on this season, so nobody can be sure which Joe Flacco will show up on Thursday. For no reason at all, we expect it will be the good Joe Flacco.

While the Steelers this year have beaten only one really good quarterback (Flacco), they've also lost to just one really good quarterback (Tom Brady).

The Steelers have lost to the following quarterbacks this season: Jake Locker (?!), Andy Dalton, Jay Cutler, Matt Cassell (?!!), Terrelle Pryor (?!!!) and Tom Brady.

Hopefully, on Thanksgiving Day, their resurgent defense will make a turkey out of Joe Flacco and the Ravens.

For the record, the motley collection of quarterbacks the Steelers have beaten this year are: rookie Geno Smith, Flacco, rookie E.J. Manuel, Matt Stafford (four more picks last Sunday) and the Browns' grotesque combination of Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden.

Cleveland QB Brandon Weeden fumbles.

Speaking of which: Cleveland fans must rue the memory of April 24, 2004, when the Browns used the sixth overall pick of the NFL draft to select tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr. instead of Roethlsiberger, whom the Steelers selected with the 11th overall pick.

Roethlisberger is now 16-1 against the Browns and has helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls. Cleveland has not had more than five wins in a season since 2007, Winslow is hanging on with the Jets, and the Browns worked out Caleb Hanie as yet another backup-quarterback candidate off the street.

As Cleveland columnist Chris Fedor observed on Monday, "Yesterday's loss against Pittsburgh seems to have been the breaking point. Any hope that still remained, any excitement that was leftover from the Baltimore win three weeks ago has been zapped away."

All of which makes us thankful this Thanksgiving, once again, that we were born Steelers' fans instead of Browns' fans. 

Nov. 22, 1963: A Tipping Point

Like Dec. 7, 1941 and Sept. 11, 2001,
Nov. 22, 1963 was one of those days.

If you're ever in Dallas, we recommend
that you make time to visit the
Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

Look out. Cleveland.

Here we go again. Twice a year for the past 50 years or so.

Cleveland. The Browns.

Last Sunday, a Cleveland team that had seemed to be on the rise reverted to being the Browns. Despite cornerback Joe Haden intercepting two Andy Dalton passes and returning one for a touchdown, and despite limiting the Bengals to one third-down conversion in 14 attempts, the Browns still managed to surrender 41 points, including 31 in the second quarter.

You think the Steelers had a bad second quarter when they let the Lions score 27 points? The Browns out-did that, allowing the Bengals to score 31 points vs. zero for the Browns -- despite Cleveland controlling the clock for 11 minutes, 18 seconds to Cincinnati's 3:42.  How does that possibly happen?

Send in the Clowns.

Cleveland had two punts blocked, one returned for a touchdown. The Browns coughed up a fumble, which was returned for a touchdown. And quarterback Jason Campbell was terrible.

Campbell had played well the previous two weeks but was nursing bruised ribs, although he claimed they didn't affect him. Against the Bengals, he tossed three interceptions, had a pass batted down at the line and missed a wide-open Jordan Cameron in the end zone.

On the road in miserable conditions rainy and windy, the Browns coaches for some reason had Campbell throw the ball 56 times. He completed 27 of those 56 attempts (less than 50 percent).

The three picks, combined with the two blocked punts and fumble returned for a touchdown buried the Browns.

On Sunday, the Steelers will be in Cleveland. Wacky things happen in Cleveland.

Buried in Cleveland last Nov. 25th

We all remember last year's Calamity in Cleveland, Nov. 25th, when the Steelers committed eight turnovers, including five fumbles lost (eight fumbles altogether). Charlie Batch threw three horrific interceptions and had more than a few off-target throws. The Steelers committed stupid, ill-timed penalties, dropped passes, managed just 49 yards rushing, and were one-for-nine on third down. It was ugly as ugly gets.

Granted, there's been a lot of roster turnover on both teams since then. The Browns have actually played pretty good defense for most of this season, but their offense has been erratic at best.

With both teams at 4-6, this is a pivotal game for both the Browns and Steelers. There's no predicting this one, except Lake Effect Snow is forecast for Sunday in Cleveland.

It's likely to be messy and ugly. It's Browns-Steelers.

For those of you criticizing Ike Taylor for not tackling Calvin Johnson ...

For those of you criticizing Steeler cornerback Ike Taylor for failing to tackle Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson on the 79-yard touchdown in the second quarter of Sunday's 37-27 Steelers win over the Lions, all we have to say is ... 

Look at the man.  You try to tackle him. That guy's gotta be tough to bring down.

Guess which one is Calvin Johnson?

That photo was taken after the game when Johnson and Steeler wide receiver Antonio Brown swapped jerseys in a show of mutual respect and good sportsmanship.

No disrespect to Antonio Brown. We're glad he's a Steeler. And, by all appearances AB is put together; he looks reasonably solid.

But Calvin Johnson? For someone listed as 6'5" and 245 pounds, he sure looks bigger. He stands literally head and shoulders above Brown (no disrespect, AB).

So, for anybody criticizing Ike Taylor, just imagine you're a defensive back; you try to tackle Johnson.

Watching Johnson in person must make Ben Roethlisberger wonder what it would be like to have him as a target -- in addition to Brown, of course. Antonio Brown happens to lead the NFL in number of catches this year. He is a fine receiver, and he had an excellent game on Sunday with seven catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

But Johnson? That guy is Megatron: a true No. 1 receiver, and the most imposing receiver in the game.

How the Steelers Won
No turnovers. That's a big part of it.

Plus, Matt Stafford ain't all that. And Jim Schwartz most certainly is no Bill Bellichick.

Note to Jim Schwartz:  Nobody, but nobody, suggested you were "scared."

Stupid, maybe; but not scared.

Steelers Defeat Lions to Improve to 4-6

Antonio Brown on his way to a first-quarter touchdown.
(photo credit: Gene Puskar, AP)

It was a tale of two halves.

After allowing the Detroit Lions 27 points and nearly 400 yards in the first half, the Steelers' defense yielded zero points and only 72 yards throughout the entire second half.

Somebody made adjustments. The offense came to life, too.  In the fourth quarter, Ben Roethlisberger completed 10 of 13 passes, including two touchdowns.

On the day, Roethlisberger was 29-45 for 367 yards passing, four touchdowns and, most crucially no turnovers. No interceptions; no fumbles; just one sack taken. He operated out of the no-huddle much of the day and seemed extremely comfortable doing it. For all we know, he called his own plays all day.

On the other side, Matt Stafford threw an interception, Detroit lost two fumbles, and the Steelers had two sacks (by Jason Worilds and Ziggy Hood).

The Turning Point: "Either a Lot of Faith or No Respect"
Early in the fourth quarter, on 4th and five and with a chance to increase a four-point lead to seven, Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz either showed a lot of faith in his defense or no respect to the Steelers' offense when he called for a fake field goal that ended with the Steelers taking over the ball at their own three-yard line. Sixteen plays, eight minutes and 97 yards later, the Steelers had taken the lead and the momentum.

For the day, the Steelers won time of possession (32:16) and had just four penalties for 23 yards.

Antonio Brown's second TD in the first half.

Although the offensive line had trouble opening holes for the running backs, kudos to them for protecting Roethlisberger.  The Lions took him down for just one sack.

Antonio Brown had seven catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Detroit's Calvin Johnson had six catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns.

As for the running game, there is room for improvement. The Steelers managed just four first downs rushing. As a team, the Steelers managed just 1.5 yards per carry (40 yards net rushing) on 27 rushing attempts. Running back Le'Veon Bell had little running room and gained just 36 yards on 18 carries.

For the record, Detroit doesn't play in Pittsburgh very often but still hasn't won in the Steel City since 1955. The so-called Curse of Bobby Layne continues.

All in all, a good day. Next game: At Cleveland.

Game Day 10: Detroit Lions at Pittsburgh Steelers

Detroit DT Ndomukong Suh kicking
 Houston QB Matt Schaub in the groin

Traditionally, this is the kind of game the Steelers win. Traditionally, however, the Steelers aren't 3-6 in mid-November.

Detroit's defense is nasty but mediocre. It has allowed an average of 24 points per game this season and has only 15 sacks, which is one fewer than the Steelers' own defense.

If there was a day for Ben Roethlisberger and Co. to step up their game and put 30+ points on the board, this is it.

It would help if they could ramp up their 27th-ranked running game. It will be going up against a Detroit run defense that has stepped up its game the past three weeks, allowing a total of just five first downs rushing in those three games (three to Dallas, one to Cincinnati and one to Chicago).

"Obviously"
Detroit's offense has the much-ballyhooed trio of QB Matt Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson and RB Reggie Bush, who leads Detroit in all-purpose yards. Last week in Chicago, Bush averaged 7.5 yards-per-carry (14 for 105 yards). The Lions use Bush to exploit space opened by the attention Johnson requires, and Bush is lethal as an open-field runner with ability to maneuver in tight spaces.

Tight end Brandon Pettigrew

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have had a queasy feeling all week about another guy the Steelers will need to account for, and that is tight end Brandon Pettigrew (6'5, 265). The Lions selected Pettigrew with the second of their two first-round choices in the 2009 draft in which they picked Stafford first overall.  He had seven catches vs. the Bears last week and also has been receiving accolades in Detroit for his fierce blocking.

Even with two rookies (RG Larry Warford and RT LaAdrian Waddle) getting lots of playing time on the right side of the offensive line, Detroit's run the ball well and, just as crucially, has protected Stafford. He's been sacked a league-low 10 times. That's not a good match-up for a Steelers' defense that has only 16 sacks this year.

As noted by Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau in a story by the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette, sacking the quarterback would go a long way toward stifling Detroit's passing game. "Get the quarterback on the ground before he can throw it," LeBeau said. "That works pretty well against all passes."

Dick LeBeau, Detroit Lions CB

It would be cool if LeBeau could suit up at cornerback today, even at age 76. One of the greatest cornerbacks in Detroit history, LeBeau spent his entire 14-year playing career with the Lions (1959-72). A three-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Famer, LeBeau still holds the NFL record for most consecutive games played at cornerback (171), and is currently tied for eighth all-time with 62 career interceptions. His nine interceptions in 1970 led the NFC, and his 62 career interceptions ranked third in the NFL at the time of his retirement. Dick LeBeau could play.

Well, since LeBeau will be on the sidelines today instead of between the lines, it will be incumbent on the players to do the job.

Let's hope the Steelers win and Ben Roethlisberger survives the inevitable late hits, cheap shots and other calamities that await him.  

A Boy Named Suh

Pros or ... Cons?

The Detroit Lions incurred four personal foul penalties last Sunday in Chicago. 

For all their reputation as late-hitting, eye-gouging, leg-whipping, hand-biting, head-stomping, nutsack-kicking cheap shot artists, Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairly, Willie Johnson and company are fairly talented defensive linemen. If they were in Black 'n Gold, Steeler fans would appreciate their reptilian intensity, even if tends to flicker off-and-on sporadically and backfire at times.

In the last two minutes of the game in Chicago, Fairly and Johnson were flagged for late hits on quarterback Josh McKown. The penalties kept alive a late touchdown drive by the Bears. Both calls may have been ticky-tacky-borderline questionable, but ...

Thanks mostly to Ndomukong Suh's reputation for flagrantly bad behavior on the field (kicking Matt Schaub in the nuts, leg-whipping, late hits, etc.), Detroit's defense will rarely get the proverbial benefit of the doubt. Flags fly during the games; fines are assessed afterward. During this past week, the league office fined Fairly and Johnson $15,750 each for their late hits on McKown.  The NFL has fined Suh $200,000 this year alone -- 10 games into the season.

Even Ben Roethlisberger thought it wise (?) to comment on Detroit's style of play in his session with the media on Wednesday.

Taking aim.
Image from the original 
version of"The Longest Yard"

"Well, yeah, you've got to be careful," Roethlisberger said. "You'll end up dead if you're not careful. This is a great D-line and defense. I tell myself all the time to be alert for those things. But then, when the bullets are flying, who knows what's going to happen?"

Who knows, indeed.

Notwithstanding Roethlisberger's flair for the dramatic ("You'll end up dead"!!!) and penchant for over-stating things ("This is a great D-line and defense"!!!), his point is, what? ... he may end up dead on Sunday?

Hmmmm, that would be something to see. Ben is known to be a drama queen, but dying on the 40-yard line would be taking things to the extreme, wouldn't you say? One can't help but wonder what new rules Roger Goodell would enact.

Back to reality: Detroit's defensive front seven must be licking their chops at the prospect of going up against Pittsburgh's porous offensive line, which has allowed 36 sacks this year and 99 times that many hurries and hits.

That's a rapid pace even for Roethlisberger, who has been sacked more often than any other quarterback over the past five seasons and, since 2001, has taken a whopping 379 sacks, also more than any other QB.

An anxious (Steeler) nation hopes he survives Sunday's joust with the Lions and lives to see another day.

Detroitopia

A moment in a Detroit scene.

Detroit is a great city, but man has it had some tough times. Just like Pittsburgh.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would like to think Detroit and Pittsburgh share brethren spirits.

Musically, if Motown is historically a soul city, "Pittsburgh is a blues city," as keyboardist Mike Finnigan of Bonnie Raitt's band pronounced at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh on Monday night during an astoundingly superb concert performance by Ms. Raitt.*

And, if any city has a bigger inferiority complex than Pittsburgh, it may be Detroit, with its notorious bankruptcy, miles of blight, violent crime, arson contagion, rampant unemployment, corrupt politicians, crumbling infrastructure, and so on.

Just this week, Detroit's perceived inferiority hit the news when Lions players got defensive about verbal jabs from Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who patronizingly described the Lions and the city of Detroit as "Chicago's little brother." Ouch, never mind that the Lions have beaten the Bears twice this season.

Well, even little brothers grow up, as Lions running back Reggie Bush jabbed back, and the Lions are representing the Motor City reasonably well this year. They sit atop an NFC Central Division that features the struggling and injury-decimated Packers, the disappointing Bears and the absolutely dreadful Vikings, who managed to beat the Steelers.

Quarterback Matt Stafford's selection as the No. 1 overall choice in the 2009 NFL draft seemed a stretch at the time, and he has had spotty success throughout his four years. He has a big arm and a smooth throwing motion. The ball just zips out of Stafford's hand, laser-like when he needs it but with an arc and touch when he needs that.

Stafford has limited mobility, though, and he's been a bit injury-prone (what QB isn't injury-prone?).  Still, Stafford's been sacked only 10 times this year. Rookie guard Larry Warford (out of Kentucky) has helped solidify the offensive line; and, by the way, Warford would look good in a Steelers' uniform about now.

Despite throwing for nearly 5,000 yards in 2011, Stafford's name is not one that leaps to mind when discussing the top tier of NFL quarterbacks. This year, he is having possibly his best year, not so much in yardage, but more so in assertion of leadership. The Lions are winning, and he is the quarterback. It's his offense.

This is what Calvin Johnson does, a lot;
the winning TD catch last week at Chicago.

Megatron
This week's game in Pittsburgh should be interesting for Stafford. The Steelers don't sack the quarterback, nor do they take the ball away.

Pittsburgh's secondary has had its issues, to be kind, and the two best corners, Ike Taylor and Cortez Allen, have been dinged with injuries. Do the Steelers really want to match up William Gay vs. Calvin Johnson? No.

Ike Taylor will draw that assignment, assuming he is healthy enough to play, and he will be. Ike will need help, however, and Pittsburgh's safeties have not been especially helpful this year.

Throw out last week's game vs. the Bills and an ineffectual E.J. Manuel, who shouldn't have even started for the Bills. Stafford is a better quarterback, and Buffalo has no wide receiver that remotely compares to Calvin Johnson. No team does.

Johnson, also known as "Megatron," tallied 329 yards receiving vs. Dallas earlier this season. He has 11 touchdowns, including the winning TD catch last Sunday in Chicago.

Johnson won't be the only challenge for Pittsburgh's defense: Reggie Bush as a receiver out of the backfield is a nightmare in the short passing game and as an open-field runner. "He is tough to get on the ground," Ryan Clark said on his radio show on Tuesday.

With that in mind, the defensive game plan should be simple. Stop Stafford, Johnson and Bush.

Easier said than done.

*About that Bonnie Raitt concert:  

Bonnie Raitt at Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, Nov. 11, 2013
Photo credit: Scott Mervis/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Bonnie Raitt is a living American Treasure. If her current tour comes to your city, go see her. You won't regret it, even if you've never heard one of her songs.

"She is the greatest living American singer," said singer Marc Cohn during his intro set. She is also one of the greatest living guitarists.

Later, when Cohn returned onstage to sing with her during the encore set, he said, "Every night, Bonnie Raitt puts on a master class in soul, style and sexiness."

True dat. Bonnie Raitt is not only an astonishing singer and master guitarist at the top of her game, she is sexy, sassy and stunningly beautiful. Still. Radiant.

Last but not least, she's funny. Her 64th birthday was a few days before the concert in Pittsburgh. "It was so much easier when I was 63," she said. And, at one point after drinking from the water bottle hanging on her mike stand, she said, "I've got to stay hydrated. You never know when you might want to get moist."

Yowza. Really, do yourself a favor and go see Bonnie Raitt on this concert tour, if you possibly can.

Look Out, Ben

On Sunday, the cellar-dwelling Steelers take on the first-place Detroit Lions.

Ugh, that sentence looks so wrong. Has the universe turned on its axis?

Apparently.

The Lions are good this year, although Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are not totally sold on them.

Texas-born Matty Stafford is quasi-Roethlisbergeresque in that he has a big arm, takes a lot of hits and isn't very mobile. He has Calvin Johnson, though, and Reggie Bush, and those are weapons the Steelers cannot match. Whether the Steelers can contain that trio is the question we shall see answered on Sunday.

Taking aim.

Obviously, as Mike Tomlin would say, Johnson ("Megatron") presents match-up problems. As Tomlin noted at Tuesday's news conference, it's tough to prepare for Johnson in practice because the Steelers don't have anybody who remotely resembles him.

"Justin Brown just doesn't cut it," Tomlin said of his own practice squad rookie wideout from Oklahoma. Brown's height (6'5") is the only thing he has in common with Johnson, who is is a category all by himself.  Even Cincinnati's very, very talented A.J. Green (also 6'5") doesn't come close to approximating Johnson, according to Tomlin.

"There is no comparison," Tomlin said.

The Mean Machine
Just as troubling for a Steelers team that has a porous offensive line, the Lions have a large, aggressive an mobile defensive front that Tomlin describes as "a penetrating force," which sounds disturbing on many levels.

Seriously, Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley look and play like backlot cast members of the original version of "The Longest Yard."

They're nasty. Just ask Chicago's Jay Cutler, who endured some knocks from those two last Sunday, as noted on MLive.

"Fairley socked Cutler four times, and sacked him once. Ndamukong Suh had four QB hits and a sack of his own. That's eight QB hits and two sacks just from the starting tackles ... C.J. Mosley, Devin Taylor and Austen Lane added QB hits of their own."

There's also speed-rush rookie defensive end Ezekial Ansah and our old friend nemesis, Rashean Mathis (formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars) at cornerback. Mathis has a well-documented knack for intercepting Ben Roethlsiberger passes and returning them for touchdowns. Why couldn't the Steelers have acquired him during the off-season? After all, the 11-year veteran would fit right in with the Steelers' aging secondary.

Big Ben had better be ready. Let's hope he makes it through this one healthy. The Mean Machine will be gunning for him.

A Snoozefest Win Among Swirling Clouds

The overriding story: It's just more "Ben Drama."

What we learned from Sunday's game: Not much. Buffalo rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel did a lousy impersonation of an NFL quarterback. Manuel's performance gave the Bills no chance to win, and Dick LeBeau's defense was ready. The Black 'n Gold was able to stack the box, stuff the run, and that was it. Manuel looked unprepared, tentative, skittish and scatter-armed.

The game itself, while a relatively non-stressful win for the Steelers, was overshadowed -- of course -- by Ian Rapoport's pre-game report claiming that Ben Roethlisberger let it be known to the Steelers that he would be receptive to the possibility of a trade during the off-season.

Whatever.  Naturally, the denials came swiftly and vehemently from Ben and his "camp."  Who knows? We don't. This is a non-story until it becomes a real story. It's just elevator music, as Mike Tomlin would say. Until the elevator stops.

It's just more Ben drama, and yet another distraction. Where's the Todd Haley angle?

Game Day 9: Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers

The original Buffalo Bill.

The 3-6 Buffalo Bills are a better team than many people give them credit for. They may be a better team than the 2-6 Steelers.

The Bills have beaten the Ravens, Panthers and Dolphins, and they've lost close games to the Patriots, Bengals, Jets and Chiefs. They don't have all the pieces in place yet to be a contender, but they are competitive.

On Sunday morning's NFL Network show, Sterling Sharpe predicted without much conviction that the Steelers will win. If not, he said, "I will be jumping off that ship as if it's the Titanic."

The Buffalo Bills have a proud history dating to 1960, a heritage that most people outside Buffalo know little about and care less. The Bills won American Football League championships in 1964 and 1965, and they were a badass team based on defense. Ancient history.

Today's Bills are less formidable, but they can win. If not for a truly terrible throw by rookie undrafted free agent Jeff Tuell last Sunday, they would have beaten the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. On a quick two-step drop at the Kansas City one-yard line, Tuell somehow missed seeing a wide-open Stevie Johnson directly in front of him four yards into the end zone and instead flung a soft-toss throw to the right-tackle area, where a waiting Chiefs defensive back happily returned the gift 100 yards for a touchdown. Tuell won't be playing today.

Rookie first-round QB E.J. Manuel returns from four games missed due to a knee injury, and he has a strong arm. He has the ability to run, but the Buffalo coaches are imploring him to avoid taking hits -- which shouldn't be too hard against a Steelers defense that has trouble sacking the quarterback. Of note: In April's NFL Draft, the Bills selected Manuel out of Florida State with the 16th overall pick, one choice ahead of the Steelers' first choice, which they spent on linebacker Jarvis Jones out of Georgia. The Bills are counting on E.J. Manuel to be a difference-maker. For better or worse, he will be the face of a franchise that has for years lacked a strong quarterback.

Elsewhere on offense, Buffalo starts three former Steelers: strongman guard Kraig Urbik (a 2009 third-round draft pick whom the Steelers kept inactive during his rookie season and inexplicably cut at the end of training camp in 2010); tough-guy guard Doug "Bronco" Legursky, our old friend who filled in mostly capably at various times for the Steelers over the past four years before they let him go in the off-season; and, surprisingly enough, fullback Frank "The Tank" Summers, a 2009 fifth-round draft pick of the Steelers who never made it with Pittsburgh.

In addition to Urbik and Legursky, Buffalo has three very good players on the offensive line: center Eric Wood (6'5, 324; 2009 first-rounder out of Louisville); left tackle tackle Cordy Glenn (6'6", 345, 2012 second-rounder out of Georgia); and right tackle Erik Pears (6'8", 316; eight-year veteran).

Running back C.J. Spiller can fly.

The playmakers on offense are wide receiver Stevie Johnson and, more fundamentally, running backs C.J. Spillers and Fred Jackson. These guys are true play-makers, and they drive Buffalo's offense. If the Steelers stop Buffalo's running game, they should win this game -- if Pittsburgh can score on offense.

Which brings us to Buffalo's uneven defense, which is led, surprisingly, by playmaking rookie middle linebacker Kiko Alonso (6'3", 238; third-rounder out of Oregon), who is in the conversation for Defensive Rookie of the Year -- in fact, he's probably the current front-runner.  He was NFL Rookie of the Month for September. Alonso has four interceptions and, in Week 6 vs. Cincinnati, he made an eye-popping 22 tackles. Twenty-two tackles in one game! -- yikes. He's already celebrity in Buffalo; and a rising star in the NFL.  He will be fun to watch today.

Other notables on defense are defensive end Mario Williams (DE - 11 sacks already!), Kyle Williams (DT), Marcel Daerius (DT), Alan Branch (DE), Leodis McKelvin (CB), Jarius Byrd (FS) and Nikell Robey (nickel corner, appropriately enough), an undrafted rookie free agent out of USC who is listed at 5'8", 165 pounds, and who hails from hometown Frostproof, Fla. Welcome to Buffalo, young Mr. Robey.

Pittsburgh connections with Buffalo extend to the front office (Doug Whaley), but more relevant to today's game are the players: The Bills have more than a few very good players. On paper, at least, the Bills look better than Pittsburgh on the defensive line, offensive line and at running back. On paper.

The Steelers have the edge at quarterback, however, and that edge is a big one. On paper, the Steelers also appear to have better receivers and ... and ... placekicker?

For the Steelers, today's game is at home. It winnable.  It's a should-win game. In reality, it's a must-win game, for respectability at the very least.

By the way, it is beyond jive for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to continue hanging the threat of moving the Bills franchise to Toronto. The people of Buffalo and western New York deserve better.

Has the NFL Jumped the Shark?

This post will go over like a Led Balloon; skip it if you don't want to read anything negative about the NFL.

First, let's be clear: Joey Porter's Pit Bulls remain passionate and emotionally invested in football generally and the NFL in particular.

We love the game of football that appeals to the kid in all of us who played ball in the backyard, in the street, on oil-slicked rock-hard fields, in high school, in college, in highly competitive venues, in crazy situations of all kinds. Intensely. We love football.

But ... this latest bullshit with the oafish, reptilian Richie Incognito and his ignorant apologists is yet another major turnoff in a series of diminishing returns.

The NFL is perilously close to jumping the shark.

As heretical as it sounds, the NFL has lost some of its patina that appeals to the kid in all of us.

The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business. During Roger Goodell's tenure as commissioner, it feels like the NFL sold it soul somewhere along the way.

It's increasingly tough to overlook ... 
the golden goose that is television, with its ceaseless fawning, incessant babble, over-saturation of coverage, Thursday night games, Sunday night games, late-season Saturday games, Monday night double-headers -- oh, and, of course, the all-too-frequent and lengthy commercial breaks during games -- the NFL doesn't seem so special and fun anymore.

It's increasingly tough to overlook ...
performance-enhancing drugs, steroids and human growth hormone; absurd rules changes; rampant bounties; institutionalized extortion, thuggery, hazing, browbeating as "initiation" rites; concussions, CET, brain damage and early-onset dementia; designated "strike zones;" deliberately targeted knee hits prompted by the new rules governing upper-body hits; constant and eternal roster attrition from injuries, injuries and more injuries; the continuous legal squabbling; the ridiculous regular-season games in London and Roger Goodell's continuing threat to move franchises to London (from Jacksonville and maybe other cities) and Toronto (from Buffalo).

It's increasingly tough to overlook ... 
the many, many player arrests (from the seriously disturbing Aaron Hernandez  murder case to the insanely absurd Alameda Ta'amu incident on Pittsburgh's South Side); cretins like Michael Vick; blockheads like Riley Cooper; jerk owners like Jerry Jones, Zygi Wolf and Dan Snyder; asshole coaches like Rex Ryan, Joe Philbin, Greg Schiano, Gregg Williams, Bill Bellichick, et al; Todd Haley and his wife; the selfies; the constant Tweets by clueless self-absorbed idiotic athletes, self-imporant talking heads and former-player blowhard "analysts" like Ray Lewis, Michael Irvin and Warren Sapp; the breathless bloggers, the uber-analytical Pro Football Focus Sabremetric-type "experts" who are about as fun as actuaries ... and so on, and on, and on.

It all detracts, takes its toll, from what used to be a more enjoyable, fun diversion and, yes, a passion that still means a lot to us.

Football is supposed to be a game, but it's got "business" written all over it.

It's as if Roger Goodell and his minions never heard of the adage,"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls remain deeply invested in the whole scrambling omelette, but ... there is something to be said for perspective and balance, if you will, if not wisdom.

We still watch the Steelers closely, with passion and intensity, but ... we're also watching the Aaron Hernandez and Richie Incognito situations, along with all the other crap, almost as much as we're watching the games.  The bad with the good; you don't get one without the other.

If you can't say something nice about someone ...

Confusion in Pittsburgh. Ugliness in Miami.

It's been a tough week. Steeler fans are looking for answers and hope. Steeler players are fumbling for excuses.  Steeler coaches -- who knows what they're doing?

The most sort-of interesting thing we heard from Mike Tomlin's weekly news conference on Tuesday was the following statement, which raises more questions than answers:

“I take responsibility for the players we have drafted since I’ve been here, not only in recent drafts, but since I’ve been here. Because it’s the truth.”

Tomlin's statement could be interpreted a couple of ways:

1. Tomlin assumes stewardship of the players drafted by the Steeler' front-office personnel decision-makers and placed under his care -- somewhat like a first-grade teacher "takes responsibility" for the children sent to school for guidance and direction. ... Or ...
2. Tomlin actually has final-say decision-making responsibility for selecting the players in the draft; which would be news to us but not, presumably, to Kevin Colbert, the general manager of the Steelers. In other words, Tomlin decides which players to draft. If so, that might explain some of what appears to be his infatuation with certain players, and why some players either were overdrafted (not to name names) or shouldn't have been drafted at all (not to name names).

As for the ugliness in Miami, ugh. We suspect what's been reported down there occurs to some extent on many other teams across the NFL -- maybe not to that extent, though.  If true, and it sounds like it just might be true, what Richie Incognito allegedly did goes far beyond "hazing" and "bullying."  

It's criminal: Extortion, harassment, terroristic threats, etc., and it sounds like it was (and continues to be) condoned by other players and the coaching staff in Miami. Shame on them. It's tough to see that kind of behavior shrugged off, sanctioned and even institutionalized.

Just another black mark for the NFL, and it is an especially ugly one. What a colossal turn-off for fans even as invested and impassioned as most of us are.

What We Learned We Already Knew

Ben fumbles.

The 2013 Steelers aren't nearly talented enough to play mistake-prone football. The Steelers are a bad football team, but we knew that. 

Against New England, they were non-competitive.

Penalties, interceptions, sacks allowed, a sack-fumble, dropped passes, sloppy tackling, missed assignments, lousy blocking, blown coverage, crummy punting, inability to get off blocks, general confusion, ad nauseum ... the Steelers put it all on ugly display in Sunday's embarrassing 55-31 fiasco in Massachusetts.   

They were steamrollered.

Rob Gronkowski: Wide open, romping and running free.

This game marked a new low. The 55 points allowed were the most in franchise history, and the game wasn't even as close as the lopsided score indicated. 

More than 600 yards allowed; three Patriots' receivers with more than 100 yards each; 198 yards rushing allowed -- it all added up, and the Steelers allowed Tom Brady to complete 29 of 33 passes to compile a perfect passer rating.

The defense was manhandled. Yet again, the Steelers' linebackers were virtually invisible, and their play worsened after rookie Vince Williams left the game with a concussion, not that he had played well beforehand. The Patriots ran play after play to their left side, and the Steelers' defensive players were not up to the job. 

Stevenson Sylvester couldn't get off blocks, Steve McClendon was run over, Lawrence Timmons was spun around, Jarvis Jones looked lost, and LaMarr Woodley was absent. 

They're not good enough.

Danny Amendola: Wide open.

The secondary was run past, through, around and over. Every one of them. Ike Taylor got burnt, William Gay couldn't cover, Troy Polamalu was consistently out of position, Shamarko Thomas was over-matched, and Ryan Clark was slow. 

This game made painfully clear what we suspected: Ryan Clark can't run anymore. He just can't run. He can talk, though.

The offensive line can't block, but we knew that, too. Emmanuel Sanders dropped a pass that hit him between the numbers. Le'Veon Bell dropped two passes, including one that clanged right off his hands, and he clearly missed assignments. 

Jericho Cotchery showed up. Good for him. Antonio Brown made some plays. Cameron Heyward showed some flashes. Heath Miller tried.  

To our untrained eyes, it seemed all the players tried ... mostly, however, they're just not good enough.

Can it get any worse?  Yes. It can always get worse.

Game Day 8: Steelers at New England

What are the chinks in the Patriots' armor? The 6-2 Patriots have had injuries on both lines and are starting a group of young receivers whose productivity has been uneven.

One stat catches the eye: Tom Brady has been sacked 23 times in eight games. That's an unusually high number for Brady. The Steelers' defense, however, has collected just 10 sacks; by comparison, the Patriots' defense has 24 sacks.

The Steelers also don't take the ball away. The Steelers have intercepted just four passes vs. 10 by New England's defense.

The Patriots rarely lose at home to AFC opponents. With Brady at quarterback, the Patriots have 34 consecutive home games vs. AFC opponents.

All of the above doesn't bode well for a Steelers team that desperately needs a win.

For what it's worth, here's a bit of history:

• A win today by the Steelers would mark the second consecutive and the third in the last four games against the Patriots.
• Since 2000, Pittsburgh is 3-4 vs. the Patriots.
• The Steelers are 14-8 vs. against New England in the regular season, including 4-2 on the road (1-2 at Gilette Stadium).
• Ben Roethlisberger is 3-3 vs. the Patriots in the regular season, including a win at Gilette Stadium in 2008.

Matchup City

Much has been made over the years of Bill Bellichick's penchant for exploiting match-ups favorable to his New England Patriots.

He's got plenty to choose from tomorrow.

On offense, Guy Whimper ("Abdullah the Butcher") starts at right guard for the injured David DeCastro. As noted this week by the Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo, "Whimper lined up at guard for the first time in training camp this summer when the Steelers had some injuries and the coaches wanted to see if he could be position-flexible."

Let's hope Whimper's play in New England instills more confidence than his words:

“I’m still getting used to it,” Whimper said. “I didn’t play guard until I got here. It’s a new experience. It’s helping me out to better understand the game, looking at it from a different perspective. Playing guard and tackle is two different things even though they’re right beside each other.”

Bellichick will have various defensive players attacking the interior line, so it's not like Whimper will be going one-on-one against an individual player tomorrow.  It will be interesting to see how he handles it.

When the Steelers line up on defense, Dick LeBeau will have some tricks up his sleeve, and his schemes have given Tom Brady problems in the past (most recently two years ago). Still, Brady is 6-2 vs. the Steelers and has never lost to Pittsburgh in New England. More to the point, whatever LeBeau concocts won't matter, if the players don't play well enough.

Brady is working with a young corps of wide receivers, and the timing with them remains a work in progress. Recent games have shown a marked improvement, however, particularly with WR Kenbrell Thompkins.

Brady's main target remains tight end Rob Gronkowski, and that is a match-up that always favors the Patriots against any opponent. Coming off injury, Gronkowski returned to the active roster only two weeks ago but immediately became Brady's go-to receiver. In just two games, Gronkowski has caught 10 passes for 141 yards.

For what it's worth: The Patriots have won their last 26 games vs. AFC opponents visiting Gillette Stadium.  With Brady at quarterback, the Patriots have won their last 34 games vs. AFC teams in New England.