Monday, December 22, 2014

Looking Good, Feeling Good

Antwon Blake breaking up a pass intended for Dwayne Bowe
The Steelers' defense looked good on Sunday, coming up with six sacks and forcing a crucial fourth-quarter fumble, as the Steelers secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2011.

For Steeler Nation, the Steelers winning and securing a playoff spot was the best thing that happened on Sunday. The second-best thing was the Baltimore Ravens crapping the bed in an all-time stinker for that franchise.

Both the Steelers-Chiefs and the Ravens-Texans games featured offensive coordinators going up against the teams for which they used to be head coach: Pittsburgh's Todd Haley vs. the Chiefs, and Baltimore's Gary Kubiak vs. Texans. Haley's league-leading Steelers offense acquitted itself quite well; Kubiak's offense stunk up the joint in Houston. 

Joe Flacco completed just 21 of 50 pass attempts and threw three interceptions at Houston. Meanwhile, the Texans were starting a quarterback, Case Keenum, who didn't even qualify as the team's fourth-stringer because he was just signed to the active roster this past week. 

You may recall back in early November, after the Steelers had (inexcusably) lost to the Jets and the Ravens had beaten the Titans, that Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh, blowhard that he is, crowed that his team "knew how to take of business" while the Steelers, he pointed out, lost a game they expected to win. Now, with Sunday's loss to the Texans, the Ravens need help to make the playoffs and stand a good chance of missing out on the post-season. 

Meanwhile, the Steelers are in, and have every opportunity to make some noise in the post-season. Good.