Monday morning NFL recap week 14

Steelers: Wow! What a fourth quarter!

Run, Ben, Run - I get the whole let's not let the quarterback run issue, but sometimes...sometimes it is necessary and sometimes it can be done. This Sunday Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton did it right into the end zone with no one close enough to touch him. Andrew Luck did it right into the end zone for a touchdown. Cam Newton did it right into the end zone for a touchdown and had 68 yards rushing by halftime. Russell Wilson did it right into the end zone for a touchdown. If I were Tomlin I would have Ben doing some sprints in practice. Run, Ben. Please. Sometimes you are wide open to do so.

Big Throw - Ben got fired up again, and after getting the ball back almost in our own end zone he dropped back and powered a bomb for a 94 yard touch down to Martavis Bryant for the longest pass of allthe teams this season. Loved it!

First TD Drive - The Steelers 9 play drive for the first score was pure Steelers football, but then the defense failed to keep the Bengals from scoring. Once they did the Steelers, as usual, deflated. Not going to work if we can't come back from that.

Troy's miss - The misread on A.J. Green was costly. The misread on Andrew Dalton was costly. Got to have Polamalu at his best.

Le'veon Bell - He and Antonio Bell are beasts. They love the game, understand their jobs, and play like they give a damn. Bell had another 200+ yardage game for the third straight game. His breaking of defenders in the fourth quarter and his three touchdowns were splendid! Only he and Walter Payton have every done that so kudos to our boy.

AFC North - All four teams still in the hunt. All four teams playing their hearts out in week 14. Best division in the NFL. And the worst? NFC South. Loved Rob Riggle's n'orleans song to that affect. Hilarious!

Other:

Big Brawl - Carolina's Cam Newton somersaulted into the end zone for a touchdown and during his celebration he accidentally bumped into New Orlean's defensive end Cameron Jordan. Jordan yelled. Newton taunted with his superman impression, which didn't go well with Saints Curtis Lofton who shoved Newton. Newton yelled. Lofton shoved again and the next thing you know fans thought they were watching a WBC match instead of a NFL game. Punches were thrown, a player was ejected, and tons of penalties were assessed. My favorite quote was Terry Bradshaw giving the run down at halftime, "If the Saints and Carolina played like that all year long they've had better records."

NoMore.org - I like the speechless commercial. It was unscripted and many of the players have experienced domestic violence like Steelers William Gay whose mother died from violence by her boyfriend when Gay was seven. But John Lynch and Eli Manning? It just makes the NFL look like they are trying too hard.

Giants - Suddenly they decided to play ball? I knew it, dammit.

Brees' interception - Saints quarterback Drew Brees, known this year for his interceptions, threw a doozy into the middle of the field in the first half. The Panthers Bene Benwikere read it perfectly and did a nice job cutting in front of the offensive player for the pick.

Browns - Oh, boy. they had it in their hands and then they didn't. Now we get to hear the whole bring-out-Johnny Football nonsense we had to listen to last week. Leave Hoyer alone. He didn't single handedly lose that game, although the interception at the end didn't help that cause, but the team didn't do their part either with receivers dropping passes, the offensive line breaking tackles, and the defense allowing points. Not sure Manziel can do much better when the guys around you aren't focused.

Washington - And here again we have another quarterback watch. Will RGIII take the field with Colt McCoy getting hurt yesterday or will third string Kirk Cousins run out of the tunnel? Who cares is what I say. The Skins are dead this year. I think Jay Gruden should be more worried about where he is going to work next year.

Harbaugh - I'm talking Jim, he of the 49ers who apparently don't like him. This week the word on the street is that now San Francisco can't afford to fire him, but will hopefully trade him after the season ends. Supposedly Oakland is interested...

Gatorade bath - ...which leads me to the shower that Raiders interim coach Tony Sparano took after winning his second game of the year. What? His S-E-C-O-N-D game of the year. Why would that warrant throwing Gatorade over his head? What was the team saying? We love Tony? Good-bye Tony? I thought it the most confusing thing that happen all day considering all that is being said about Jim Harbaugh's possible trade and considering the Raiders season record. Made me think the team was saying they were done now that they won and thanks for the memories.

Luck hit - How awful was the hit on Andrew Luck where he fumbled the ball? He got hit in the head by a defender's leg that knocked his neck and head sideways. Ouch.

Kicker protection - I have got to say that after watching the hit to Chargers punter Mike Scifres in the first half that ended with him being taken off the field on a cart I think the NFL needs to rethink protection for those guys whose foot is up in the air focused on one thing. Jeez. Talk about defenseless.