Monday sports recap - Week #6

Steelers:

• Ben surpasses Terry - Ben Roethlisberger needed 287 yards to pass Steelers great Terry Bradshaw as the all time leading passer. He did that and more passing for 363 yards, his 17 yard pass to seal the record coming in the third quarter to tight end Heath Miller. That being said no one cared because the Steelers lost the game.
• NFL Network - I enjoyed Cee Lo Green's "Hey! Ho!" opening that had us all on our feet singing. I also enjoyed the laid back style of Brad Nessler and Mike Maylock who called the game. Both had a great sense of humor leaving me chuckling at times. It felt like I was hanging out with two old friends in my living room making comments about the things I was seeing in the game.
• Injuries - The Steelers just kept dropping like flies with injuries. We lost center Maurkice Pouncey again. He has been hurt every year since we drafted him out of Florida three years ago. Next came tackle Marcus Gilbert, then running backs Isaac Redman and Rashard Mendenhall, followed by Will Allen and Ryan Clark who shook off his injury and returned to the game. Add those to LaMarr Woodley and Troy Polamalu who watched this game on the sideline and the team is quickly running out of players.
• Shaun Suisham - He missed the 54 yard field goal for the lead after kicking a 52 harder earlier in the game. I don't blame him and neither did Ben remarking at the post game conference, "We just shouldn't have put him in a situation to kick such a long one."

Others:

• Football Commercials - I have to say that I'm enjoying the various NFL players in commercials this season. Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers is the new Peyton Mannning of the commercial world scoring State Farm and then going head to head with Manning selling Pizza Hut pizzas to Manning's Papa John's pizza. But the best ones are nfrlevolution.com and nflshop.com. Tom Brady wanting to meet "the little guy" who turns out to be Ravens Ray Lewis. Hilarious.
• Oakland Raiders - They are the team that others seem to discount, myself included, and then they just keep on pushing and shoving until the opposition is off guard and thinking, "Holy Shit, this team is seriously kicking our butts." The Falcons, unlike the Steelers, rallied, and Matt Bryant's 55 yard field goal kept the Falcons undefeated.
• Bengals secure info - During the Cinncinnati/Cleveland game the home team Browns didn't get much home field advantage in the first half when the wind blew their papers across the field and into the hands of Bengals coach Marvin Lewis who didn't hide the fact that he was reading what was on the papers. Turned out maybe it was a decoy from the the Browns since the Bengals came out in the second half and let the Browns take them to the cleaners.
• Giants - So much for the revenge game. Eli Manning and the Giants didn't have any trouble with the 49ers romping them soundly 23-3.
• Howie Long - Just have to say that man knows how to dress. I loved his purple tie and pocket kerchief on Fox's Pregame show. Also liked that last week he made a comment about Ben going to break Terry's passing record, something that wasn't discussed this week at all.
• RGIII - He played despite "concussion like symptoms" eluding defenders and running 76 yards for a touchdown.
• Underdogs - Who knew this would a week of underdogs? Obviously not I. Tennessee won. Cleveland won. Seattle won.  Buffalo won.  Had the Chiefs won I would have quit making picks.
• Ray Lewis - Possible season ending torn tricep? Say it so ain't so. Nah, I'm kidding. Not.
• Baseball playoffs - Exciting first round.  Yankees down 2-0 in the second rounds.  Cardinals in it.  Looking good.