Monday NFL recap - week 6

Steelers: Ugh. We always underestimate the mediocre teams, and never come out ready to kick ass. As a fan it is frustrating. I get that teams are going to have bad games, but we ALWAYS have these crazy, eyes rolled back in the head, no energy games. Why? Somewhere something is wrong.

• More injuries? I mean, how is this happening? Every snap we have someone leaving the field. I think we need to start looking at a switch of workout trainers. Heywood-Bey goes to the locker room with heat cramps? The trainers did know that Florida is hot, right? Did he get some water after running for that 60 yard touchdown? Lawrence Timmons puking after a tackle. Ugh. Ridiculousness.
• I think the most annoying thing about the weather was that my husband Tom mentioned it while making me nuts with all of his "football knowledge spew". He said the Steelers would have trouble with the heat. Grumble, grumble, grumble. He jinxed us.
• Big Ben went down with a knee injury with minutes left in the first half, and just like that we were deflated. We didn't rise up like the rest of the NFL. Instead we made stupid penalties as if retaliating. We have got to have leadership when Ben is down. Someone has to pull Ben up when he is down. Isn't that the coach's job? Come on Tomlin. Stop being these guys friends and yank them up by the laces.
• The Dolphins rushed 222 yards against the Steelers defense. No excuse there. They should be damn embarrassed this morning.
• I get that we were planning on the run due to the Dolphins crappy defense, but if that was the plan why not play both Bell and Williams?
• Yesterday the word was that Ben would have an MRI this morning, and my thought was why is it that all athletes wait until Monday for tests? Is the insurance that crappy that they can't go to the ER? Then, as I went to bed at midnight I got the news that he had the MRI and will have surgery this morning on a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. Gone for at least three weeks. We have a bye week in week 8. Without Ben this team is nothing. We have no elite back up. 
• And why do we not have a decent back up quarterback? That's been a sore point with me for awhile now. With Ben's history? Come on.
• The Bengals and the Ravens lost. Only saving grace.
• This is the same thing every year with the Steelers. Between injuries and suspensions this team has floundered. Ben has missed 21 games in the past. Something isn't right.
• My nephew likes the Dolphins. I talked out loud to him during the game (he wasn't there, mind you), wondering what the hell? He then texted me after the game, and my daughter was horrified at my initial response. Listen. If you are a fan like I me, sitting through that game, watching the same shit over and over again, well, you might have responded the same way. I didn't blame him for texting. I knew he was jesting and ragging. It's what competing teams and fans do. I thought it was funny, but I apologized later. This is football. This is me and football. Text at your own risk.

Other:

• The topic on CBS' The NFL Today was celebrations in the end zone. Just as the game is evolving and the rules changing, this celebrating after scoring is too. The NFL doesn't want teams to alienate each other by shoving a touchdown in the other teams' face. Yep. That's what any good coach teaches from the beginning when kids first start out. Bottom line, and I don't remember who said it, is that the rules are iffy. The rule is going to have to say, catch the ball, drop it, and walk away. That's it. Boomer Esiason said he told his teammate Ickey Woods to do his "Ickey Shuffle" on the sidelines instead of the end zone, and that's what these guys are going to have to start doing. Until the NFL rules that out too. 
• I LOVE Erin Andrews. Can we just have her do all of the one on one interviews in all sports? She is just a natural, and truly loves what she does. 
• Eli Manning got his 300th career TD pass, and just like that we have two Mannings in the record books.
• Sure looked to me like pass interference on Seattle's Richard Sherman there at the end in the game with Atlanta. That was Sherman's arm holding back Julio Jones' arm while the ball was flying through the air. Cost the Falcons the game. Maybe we should allow players a challenge like in tennis.
• I got the Dallas/Packers game in my area instead of Atlanta/Seattle because...yeah, I have no clue seeing as I'm closer to GA than I am to TX and WI, but I have to tell you I wouldn't give Tony Romo his job back. Nope. Dallas looks great.
• I think Romo and Roethlisberger might be done in the NFL with the injuries. I just see Romo getting hurt again, and the same for Ben, especially if he comes back too soon. At some point it is over. Ben's post conference seemed telling. "I'm not really that mobile anymore anyways."
• The two teams that are perplexing are the Packers and the Colts. What is happening there?
• Okay, the post conference interview with Patriots Rob Gronkowski was just weird with all of those stupid fashion questions. No wonder these guys hate speaking to the media.
• I want to know how many serious injuries occur each week. Is someone keeping those stats?
• I don't like ESPN's NFL football crew on Sports Center this year. I don't care for Tim Hasselbeck. I don't like the goofy women. I miss the old team. I'm old. Sigh.