Monday morning NFL recap - week 17

Steelers: AFC North Champs Baby! Secured the number 3 spot and home field advantage against the Ravens next week to kick off the playoffs.

Le'Veon Bell - He suffered what they are calling a hyperextended knee on a legal hit by Bengals Reggie Nelson and suddenly it was all everyone was talking about on social media, radio, and television.

Antonio Brown return - Those people who wonder why Brown is still returning punts for the Steelers stopped wondering after Brown took off down one side of the field and then down the other side for a 71 yard punt return TD. He swooped and faked and pushed his way to the end zone and the Steelers took the lead.

Brown again - After Bell got hurt and was taken into the locker room, the Steelers went into a funk. Brown ignited them once again by making unbelievable leaps and catches and finally secured the win with a 63 yard reception for a touchdown. He would have been my pick for the team MVP this year (it went to Bell) because when the tough got going and the team got down Brown was the one that pulled them up by the shoelaces and got them going again.

And again - Antonio Brown became the first Steelers player in history to lead the NFL in receptions and catches.

Big Ben - He started the night with the flu/stomach virus, not warming up and getting everyone all worked up. He ended the night with 317 yards and the lead with Drew Brees for the most yards in a season. He has been phenomenal this season, especially here at the end, and never more so than last night.

Tomlin's exchange with Nelson - NBC and Al Michaels dropped the ball at the end of the game when Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Bengals defender Reggie Nelson had words on the field that apparently were heated enough that Bengals coach Marvin Lewis felt the need to come between the two. NBC cameramen pulled away from the exchange twice to show other players and Al Michaels kept talking about Bell's injury and other nonsense which showed he clearly wasn't paying attention. NBC and Bob Costas tried to make up for the faux paus as the telecast wound down, but the NFL Network went immediately to Tomlin's post news conference where we got the scoop; it was a "he said, she said matter".

Other:

AFC North - I have said for years that our division is the hardest one in the NFL and the fact that once again we have more than one team, count them 1, 2, 3, in the playoffs just make me look more right than I already know I am. (Tee Hee) Steelers, Ravens, and the Bengals are all in the playoffs. Unfortunately for us, we have the Ravens again.

Mike Wallace - Reports coming out of the Miami Dolphin locker room are that Mike Wallace, formerly of the Steelers, was annoyed that the ball wasn't being thrown to him in the Dolphins game against the Jets and asked to be taken out because he was done playing. Yep, that would be the reason why he is no longer with the Steelers.

Jets - Yep, they ended their dismal season with a win, but word on the street was that they actually had called coach's Rex Ryan's agent looking to speak with him about another one of his clients they were interested in hiring as the head coach. Real classy guys. Meanwhile Rex Ryan cleaned out his office just in case.

Dumbest remark - During the Chargers/Chiefs game the analyst alerted us to the fact that the stadium was intentionally not showing the scores of other games so not to distract the two teams on the field from their current game. Thank goodness the other analyst made fun of this calling attention to the fact that most likely that someone down there had a cell phone.

Chargers - All they had to do was win against the Chiefs and they were in. The Chiefs, the Ravens and the Texans all needed more help than that to get in. While they all won their games the Chargers came out and played as if they had no interest in being in the playoffs at all. Which was a good thing since they aren't going to be. Thanks to that the Steelers now have to play the Ravens in a blood bath at home.

Jim Harbaugh - Reportedly took the University of Michigan head coaching job ending weeks of speculation. Have yet to find anyone that agrees with the 49ers decision in letting him go.