Monday Morning Sports Recap

Only watched the Steelers this week IN PERSON... AT HEINZ FIELD...OMG!  So my sports recap is pretty much only about them.  Tried to catch Sports Center, but only got a bit of it so don't feel I can comment on any other sporting events.  And really, who cares, since my boys were so AWESOME!

Steelers:

• The defense was back - well some of them that was.  Missing big man James Harrison and moving players from one position to another, the defense came out determined to make it through the game and boy did they ever.  They held the Titans Chris Johnson to only 51 yards on 14 carries and had the Titans wondered what hit them.
• Big Ben - First of all, the man is HUGE in person.  His upper body is just plain big and muscular and his height adds to him giving him this power look.  He was on the money for this game, despite playing with a metal plate in his shoe to protect his sprained foot, reading the receivers and the Titans defense.  He ended up tying the Steelers single game record of touchdown passes with five, and he played by getting rid of the ball quickly instead of dancing around in the pocket, throwing off the Titans' defense.

• Offensive Line - Again playing with a group of hurriedly put together players, Max Starks was literally plucked off the couch, the line kept Ben off the ground.  They were like a group of hungry animals going after free meat, knocking linebackers right and left and giving Ben plenty of time to find his man.

• Troy Polamalu - had a great game and looked to me like the Troy of old.  I watched him a lot in the binoculars and I could see that moment when he realized where Hasselbeck was going to throw the ball.  He had two close moments of almost intercepting the ball.  Mark my words his biggest game with interception is coming soon!

• Running Backs - No Mendenhall and no Moore, but Redman and Dwyer were the bomb.  Redman twisted and turned through the Titans' defense like a men on a mission pushing his way through the throng for the downs.  Dwyer ran 76 yards on one play and ended with 107 yards total for the game giving us all hope for the running game.
• Special Teams - gave us the best play of the game with the fake punt.  The crew was lined up for a punt on fourth down when Ryan Mundy gave the call for the trick play the Steelers had practiced all week.  Punter Daniel Sepulveda faked the punt and threw the ball to Mundy 33 yards for the first down.  Heinz Field rocked!  That play eventually led Ben to throw for a touchdown to Hines Ward.
• Hines Ward - And speaking of our Dancing with the Stars champion...Welcome back!  Ward caught 7 passes, two of them touchdowns, for 54 yards, but they were awesome catches, one in which he had to jump over the Titans defender for the touchdown.  He put to rest a lot of talk about whether he still could play with yesterday's game and it was so great to see him with the ball.

• Antonio Brown - who started off the game with a 52 yard kickoff return that set up the Steelers first touchdown and got the stadium and fans fired up.  And I think it was all because HE SHOOK MY HAND before the game.  But that's a story told later in upcoming blog entries.

Other:

• I don't really know much about Oakland Raiders' owner, Al Davis, except that he tended to piss off players, fans, and coaches, but apparently he also did a lot for the game of football and for the NFL itself.  RIP Davis.  Your team won one for you this week.
• If the Tampa Rays can't be in the playoffs, then I'll root for my brother's team, the St. Louis Cardinals, who tied the series with the Brewers at 1 apiece.  And how great is it that there are no Yankees or Phillies in the playoffs this year? 
• I agree with some the ESPN Sports Center crew.  Just give Denver's quarterback, Tim Tebow, some playing time so that he can either man up or shut up the fans who yammer for him each week.  Tebow came out and played fairly decent this week against San Diego, but he still has a lot to prove.  I'm a fan of the man since football needs more guys like him in the decent department so I root for him, but I think the door is still open to whether or not he will make it in this league.