Monday morning NFL recap - week 13

Steelers - Sigh. So much for the week off. Maybe next year we should practice.

40th Anniversary - The Steelers celebrated the anniversary of their first Super Bowl win at halftime with many of those winning players on the field. They should have been in the locker room motivating the current players.

Defense - Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor were back this week, but unfortunately it didn't help. Taylor was slow and out manned. Polamalu missed important tackles. The defense looked sloppy and tired as if they ate too much turkey on Thursday. We have to have defensive plays and we didn't.

Ben - Big Ben definitely had too much Thanksgiving relaxation. He was sluggish and threw too high and too wide and his reading of his receivers was way off. The Internet tried to make something of his taking another hit to his throwing hand, but his issues were far more advanced than that. When the main man is off and the defense can't step in to help there ain't going to be a W in the win column.

Brett Keisal - Most likely done for the season, and possible his career, with a possible torn tricep that came in the third quarter. Hate to see Da Beard end it all this way.

Brown - Antonio Brown seemed to be the only one with fire in his gut, and I've said this for the last three years. These guys act very nonchalant as if collecting a big paycheck for playing a game they love is good enough. And that isn't going to win games. Bottom line. If professional athletes don't have the fire for their job, like all of us, then the teams aren't going to get their best work. The Steelers aren't giving their best in every game. I feel bad for Brown because he has it, comes out with it, and deserves some better help from his co-workers.

Other -

Tampa - They all most pulled it off. They almost got the win over the Bengals. Oh, so close, but no cigar because Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was paying attention. Josh McCowan threw a 21 yard completion for a first down twenty yards shy of the end zone with 12 seconds on the clock, but unfortunately for the Bucs it took 12 men on the field to make that happen. And that is against the rules folks. Lewis threw the challenge flag, another no no, but it got the officiating crew's attention and they reviewed the play, something that is allowed int he last two minutes. They caught the error and the poor Bucs couldn't help my Steelers by sealing the deal.

Chargers - Oh, yes, Phillip Rivers! The only saving grace for my football Sunday with my buddy Scott was watching Rivers storm down the field to take the lead against the Ravens. Then the defensive did their job and suddenly the Chargers didn't look so bad anymore.

AFC North - The hardest division in the league in my book. Three teams tied going into today and all three lost. What are the chances of that? The Bengals are lucky to have pulled out their win, but now they sit two games in the lead and play the Steelers next week at home.

Jim Harbaugh - Boy, these Harbaugh coaches are intense. Apparently, Jim's intensity hasn't sat well with the 49ers players, fans, and owners and the word on the street is maybe San Francisco would try to trade him instead of firing him. Interesting to say the least, but would teams have to give up big picks in order to get him? The rumor mill is out on which teams would want him with the Jets and the Raiders in the lead, but I think it would be funny if Harbaugh left the NFL and went back to college. I hear UF is looking for someone.

Rice re-instated - No matter how you feel about the knocking around of his not-quite-then-wife you have to agree that Roger Goodell dropped the ball on the handling of that situation. This past week the judge hired to arbitrate the case sided with Rice's side and agreed that he told the truth to Goodell and that nothing warranted his being thrown under the bus after the tape surfaced. Whether or not an NFL team will pick him up will remain to be seen, but Goodell has a lot to answer for.

Weather - Kansas City had the coldest weather for Sunday Night Football at 21 degrees. I felt sorry for everyone by the time the night and the game were over as everyone, from the fans to the refs, looked just plain miserable. Not to mention the stats were low with Peyton Manning throwing under 200 yards for the first time since November 2013. You know it has got to be the weather there.