Monday morning NFL recap - week #14

Steelers:

• Just like the Ravens always do the Bengals trash talked prior to the game promising it would be a "bloody" one. (That in itself is an issue in my opinion and the NFL should be fining that nonsense instead of player's happy celebrations in the end zone) No one expected it would happen before the game ever started. Both teams ended up pushing and shoving one another on the field during the pregame warm up with James Harrison, a former Steeler turned Bengal returned Steeler, in the center of things. It didn't get any better after that with all sorts of scuffling on the field and penalties racked up in the visiting team's column...
• ...Which is annoying despite the home field advantage stuff that I get. Antonio Brown's 15 yard penalty should have been given to Cinncinnati's Reggie Nelson. Instant replay showed that Nelson shoved Brown for no reason after a play that didn't involve either one. He shoved Brown who bumped into another player who took offense and suddenly we had more pushing and shoving and back mouthing on the field. 
• Andy Dalton, the Bengals quarterback, knocked himself out early in the game after throwing an interception and then tackling the perpetrator, Stephon Tuitt, breaking his own thumb in the process. CBS kept showing us the play over and over again, but frankly I didn't see his hand make any contact with Tuitt's knee like they wanted us to believe. Dalton had to watch the rest of the game on the sidelines.
• Kudos to Dalton's back up, A.J. McCarron, though. He looked like he could carry the team if it becomes necessary in the next few weeks.
• So after Antonio Brown's ridiculous stunt last week with the goal post the NFL fined him $11,576 (huh?) and you would think the rest of the team would take notice, but NO. The Steelers were flagged for celebrating after their second touchdown. Listen. I get it. In sports you get excited, you do something really well, and you want to blow off some happy steam and maybe by doing so piss off the opponents. I agree with you, but the NFL doesn't. They don't want this type of thing in the league for whatever weird reason and so the rules state you can't do excessive celebrating. Follow the damn rules!
• Ben Roethlisberger in the third quarter made a heck of a play to Antonio Brown. He was pressured with defenders coming at him from all sides pulling on his jersery and working to get him to the ground. Somehow he got away and with two guys breathing down his neck he threw a perfect pass to a cutting Brown. While kudos were being given to Brown for the catch I was loudly praising Ben. Then the other announcer agreed with me saying, "What did Marvis Lewis tell his team about pursing Ben Roethlisberger." 

Other:

• Giants Defensive End Damontre Moore got into a fight with a teammate over a pair of Dre Beats headphones. Odell Beckham Jr. gave the headphones out to teammates and Moore took exception to teammate Cullen Jenkins taking two pairs. After the fight the team fired Moore. WHAT? Well, turns out Moore had other issues regarding getting along with his teammates and this was the final straw. Wonder if Moore got some Beats to take home?
• How bad are the bags under St. Louis Rams coach Mike Fisher's eyes? That's what five losses in a row gets you. Hopefully, next week the bags will have shrunk some after his win today.
• So I had the Steelers game online and the NFL Network Redzone Channel (LOVE IT) on behind me. It came down to the Steelers in the red zone, Chicago and the Chargers trying to make a comeback, and Buffalo and Philadelphia tied. My head looked like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. The Steelers scored. The Chargers sucked and lost yards from the goal line that would have helped helped the Steelers in the wild card race. Chicago lost. I finally finished watching the Eagles help the Steelers by beating the Bills. I love Sunday football!
• More injuries again this week that ended some players season. I don't know if it is more injuries this year or if we are just more aware of them.
• The AFC picture is crazy and the NFC picture is even crazier. The AFC juggled yesterday in the top spots. With the Bengals and the Broncos losing and the Patriots winning, that gave the Pats the number one spot with an 11-2 record. The other two are 10-3. In the NFC the records are 12-0 with the Panthers and 11-2 with the Cardinals, but then the next two division leaders are 9-4 (Packers) and 6-7 the Redskins. 6-7! And the rest of the packs' records aren't much better.