Monday NFL recap - week 3

My weekend consisted of school and sports. Friday Tom went to the 18 inning Rays game, stumbling in the next morning. Saturday was spent poolside at a county swim meet meet that began with us leaving the house at 5:45 am and returning at 8 pm. Sunday, where I'm usually planted on the couch from sun up to sun down, was spent at a college fair in a room that didn't begin to fit the 80 colleges or the hundreds of teens and parents. By the time I got home to watch football I got the Colts and 49ers game, not the Dolphins and Atlanta. Huh? But watching football was interrupted by homework stress meltdowns that resulted with me at the computer typing up study guides while listening to Chris Collinsworth reporting another Ben Roethlisberger fumble.

I didn't feel this week when filling out my picks, and boy, should I have just skipped it all together. This is the oddest NFL start to a season that I can remember. Boy, I bet the British can't wait to see the 0-3 Steelers play the 0-3 Vikings next week as the NFL continues its ridiculous campaign of bringing football overseas. Only saving grace for me? I picked the Seahawks in my survival pool where you pick one team a week to win; get it right, you continue, get it wrong, you're done. 

Steelers:

• I'll start out with the positives which include the offensive line giving Ben some time, the defense looking pumped, and the return of Heath Miller.
• The one handed grab in the end zone by Antonio Brown in which he maintained control and got one foot and one knee in bounds was old Steelers ball. Gave me some hope. Rumor is Brown made a stink, ala Mike Wallace, about his lack of ball handling, and like his old teammate he put his money where his mouth was catching for over 100 yards and two amazing touchdowns.
• How crazy is it that Big Ben threw for over 400 yards?  Too bad he couldn't hold on the ball for that many seconds.
• The defense hasn't caused a turnover yet. It is so great to see Troy Polamalu back in top form and healthy, but he can't do it all. If this team is going to step up the defense has got to get some picks and cause some trouble.
• Jake Cutler took off running on a third down and lowered his head as the Steelers safety Robert Golden approached him, knocking Golden to the ground with a hard hit that I felt was helmet to helmet, but that everyone else deemed a hell of a hit by Cutler. Wonder what would have been the the talk if Cutler had injured himself? Funny how excited these announcers get when it is the QB making those types of plays on defenders.
• Todd Hayley? I'm a firm believer in second chances, but this guy did nothing great in Kansas City and he has clashed supposedly with Ben since he flew into Pittsburgh. The Steelers ownership doesn't typically get rid of the head coach when things aren't good. It's time for Hayley to hit the road.
• At least we didn't lose 38-0. 

Other:

• Did I mention that the Dolphins are the team to watch this season?
• RGIII hasn't been the same since he missed the end of last season with his injury. I think he has been told to not run and RGIII not playing the game his way, which includes running under pressure, is the problem. Funny how the coaches loved that way too up until the injury.
• Sixteams starting out with zip, three in the AFC and three in the NFC. Who would have thought it?
• Eli Manning sacked seven times, four times in the first ten plays?  That is an offensive line that needs to be held accountable. Suicide laps, maybe?
• I'm already tired of the beer and State Farm commercials. Stop. On the other hand, Jim Harbaugh is my favorite commercial man this season and I think Larry Bird is the culprit in the new McDonalds ad.
• The Cleveland Browns faked a  field goal and let kicker Spenser Lanning spiral the ball to Jordan Cameron in the end zone. Remember when the Steelers use to have trick,plays like that?  You know, back in their Super Bowl years.
• I have loved John Gruden's last two conversations with players on ESPN. Last week he talked with Bengals (still hard for me to write that) James Harrison who got weepy when talking about Steelers defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau. This week he spoke with Broncos Wes Welker who gave great insight into the intensity and brains of Peyton Manning

Other sports:

• Don't tell me social media ain't the bomb. Don't tell that to the Tampa Bay Rays either. One of their minor league pitchers, Enny Romero, tweeted from the Dominican Republican after the Rays 18 inning win that he "could come and pitch tomorrow #Rays". The Rays responded via Twitter, not wanting him Saturday, "Enny, is your offer still good for Sunday?" Romero hopped a plane and pitched a game the Rays won.
• What's with the refs in the preseason Maples/Sabers hockey game standing by while multiple fights broke out? Only when one guy lost consciousness did they jump in and signal for some help. Really?
• Congrats to King James LeBron who married his high school sweetheart this past week.