NFL Monday recap week 15

Steelers:  I taped it and opted to watch the finale of Survivor. We have a group that watches that show and no matter hard we tried we couldn't come up with an alternate day to watch the ending. Originally I insisted on it, but as the week went on I caved. I always have faith, how ever little it might be, in my boys, but I didn't expect them to play like they did.

First quarter - 21-0 by the end of the first fifteen minutes. 21-0. Who saw that? The Steelers were fierce. The Steelers were powerful. On defensive. On offense. I recognized those guys. I just hadn't seen them in a long time. 

No huddle - It has worked in the past. The Steelers are down. It's crunch time. The offense goes into a no huddle and Big Ben takes charge. It has worked more often then naught. Someone recognized that and so the Steelers started this game with it. Ben called the plays and led the offensive and it worked. Still wondering about offensive coordinator Todd Haley? Hmmm...this says something, doesn't it? Also reminds me of another quarterback who called his own plays too. A man by the name of Bradshaw who has four rings on his fingers. 

Antonio Brown - The man ins certainly earning his big paycheck. His touchdown catch from Ben in the end zone was pure poetry. Ben had all the time in the world to throw, but Brown had to escape from his defender three different times, down the field, to the right, and finally cutting back to the left and between two Bengals to open himself up for the catch. Great read and great teamwork. 

Bengals punter - Not a good night for Kevin Huber. First there was the windy weather conditions that caused the ball to shift during a hike which in turn caused Huber to miss the ball. He picked it up and got moving forward just enough to miss a safety call when he was tackled in his own end zone. Then there was the hit he took from Steelers LB Terence Garvin while trying to stop the punt return from Antonio Brown. That hit left him with a fractured jaw and he was done for the day and the season. 

Ike Taylor - Ah! He is great. He is awful. He makes great tackles. He misses tackles. I wish he would stay focused more on the greatness. 

Other:

Week for the weak - Steelers over the Eagles. Vikings over the Eagles. Rams over the Saints. Packers over the Cowboys. Someone didn't get the memo that the season was over. 

Redskins - I liked RGIII's enthusasium on the sideline. I liked Kirk Cousins' leadership. But five fumbles and two interceptions aren't going to get you the win. What is happening in D.C.? That's two quarterbacks now that the veteran coach has benched in the last three years. Hey, maybe it isn't those leaders we should be looking at as the problem. 

Jamaal Charles - A beast. The man was so hot yesterday that he was smokin'. He caught balls with one hand. He weaved and ducked and blew past defenders. He acted like he was the only man on the field. Five receiving touchdowns. One rushing touchdown. In the history books as the only player to do it.  It is the stuff dreams are made of. Whoop. 

Patriots  - They have come from behind the last three weeks, but eventually you knew it was going to come to an end. Better now then in the playoffs I say. Tom Brady almost had another notch on his belt, but the Miami Dolphins defense stopped him and the Patriots, eventually ending things with a pick in the end zone on fourth down. 

Eli Manning - I'm thinking maybe he needs to get to an opthamologist ASAP. Five picks that were just plain awful and that he can't blame on the same colored uniform. Manning just kept slinging the ball high in the air and down the field...into the wrong hands. Not the sort of record any quarterback wants to set. 

Packers - I wonder if Aaron Rodgers is getting nervous for his job? Matt Flynn isn't exactly Nick Foles, but sometimes leading a team back from a deficit for the win is just as good. I'm impressed with the kid. Nice to know the backups are earning their keep. 

Tony Romo - Not how you want to be known as predictable. Another interception for the Dallas Cowboy's quarterback in the last minutes for a loss. Someone isn't getting the memo that the backup quarterbacks on other teams are killing it. 

Jay Cutler - And some have read the memo and taken it to heart. The Bears quarterback returning from a hiatus of four games had some rusty moments in the beginning with two interceptions, but he kept calm and kept his job by pushing his team down the field and keeping the Bears in the playoff hunt with a late half win over the Cleveland Browns. Cutler isn't always popular in the windy city, but he plays the part of the little engine that could quite well.