Monday football recap - Week #10

Steelers play tonight so I'll recap their game tomorrow.  Our local area usually broadcasts the Dolphins, the Falcons, and the Buccaneers when they are playing away since the team is blacked out at home.  I was looking forward to watching the undefeated Falcons play the Saints in New Orleans, but do we get that game?  Nope.  No, instead we get the Miami/Tennessee game.  Another Miami game, this one a loser.  I spent my time watching the NFL network game channel and helping with homework before attending a birthday party.

Other:

• Peyton Manning - He is moving up the list of most passes in the NFL.  He tied Dan Marino's 420 passes with a 14 yard pass to Brandon Stokley in Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. 
•  Denver Broncos - And Manning is quietly silencing his critics and moving through the competition on his way to the playoffs.
• CBS halftime crew - I've got to say that these guys make me crazy when recapping games at the half. They talk over one another loudly, laugh like hyenas, and make sound effects to accompany what we are seeing in replays, which would be funny if the other guys weren't laughing and drowning them out. Plus, I have a hard time understanding Shannon Sharpe when he gets excited and tries to make himself heard over his cohorts sophomoric actions. Only Bill Cowher remains stoic and that isn't enough for me. Our local sports writer thinks the same thing about Fox, but I'll take those guys over CBS any day.
• Trindon Holliday - The Denver Broncos wide receiver returned a 76 yard punt for a touchdown to give the Broncos a seven point lead.  He got a tad cocky in the end as he crossed into the endzone flickering the ball out of his hands...before he made it into the endzone replays showed.  Too bad the guys up in the booth and field missed it.
• Tampa Bay - I have to say that Tampa's quarterback Josh Freeman is impressive in maintaining his cool in the pocket while his offensive line holds back the defense. He's quickly becoming the franchise QB the Bucs always thought him to be.
• New Orleans - I knew it! My gut told me that Drew Bree's wanted to prove something by stopping the Falcons undefeated run, but I chicken out. Boo for me.
• Norv Turner & Andy Reid - These guys have hung in maybe longer than they should have. Turner got a annoyed at what he considered a reporter's stupid question and responded hotly. Reid's Eagles lost their fifth game in row. No, blocked punts, interceptions, and concussions aren't the coaches' fault, but when players aren't stepping up and making the plays something ain't right and the blame has to start with the head guy.
• Blocked punt - How brutal was that blocked punt by Tampa Bay's Dekoda Watson?  My foot hurt just watching it.
• Ravens game - Apparently it got a little heated in the second half with trash talking and powerful hits and then Baltimore's coach decided to fake a field goal and run it in for a touchdown with a 41-7 lead.  This is Ray Lewis' team after all.
• Jay Cutler - He suffered a concussion from a helmet to helmet hit by Houston's Tim Dobson.  Cutler finished out the half which makes me wonder if the team did what it was suppose to do in a helmet to helmet situation.  What?  They discovered it only in the locker room at halftime?  Unacceptable.
• Chicago Weather - Was it just me or was the cameraman intentionally getting his camera wet so that we had to watch the Bears/Texans game through raindrops? What they don't have people that hold umbrellas over the cameramen? Pfft. The Steelers have umbrella holders for the players.
• Alabama upset - Nick Saban's number one team was upset on Saturday by Texas A&M's great defense in the last few minutes.  Miami Dolphin fans were standing on bleachers and cheering loudly, their middle fingers held high in the air.  Well, at least the guy I saw at Buffalo Wild West Wing House was doing so.
• Basketball - It has started.  Does anyone outside of Indiana and Kentucky even know that?