NFL Monday recap - week #11

Steelers: We all changed seats and shirts this week while watching at my buddy's house. Superstitious? Damn straight. This is NFL football, people. We do what we have to do to win.

• This week was golden for James Harrison who became the Steelers all time sack man with a take down of Cody Kessler in the second half to give him 77.5 recorded sacks. Word is he got "teary", and that makes me smile.
• Defense wins this game. Eight sacks in this game where our defense has had 6 all season long. They certainly answered the call this week, although still too many missed tackles in my book.
• It was a running game this week for our offensive with La'Veon rushing for 146 yards in 28 carries. His 201 yards total between his rushing and receiving (55 yards) was huge for an offensive that is missing key receivers.
• The craziest part of the game came during the last seconds of the first half. The Steelers were in the red zone on a second an goal, and tired of kicking field goals, the Steelers went for it. Roethlisberger missed Antonio Brown in the end zone as time ran out, but a defensive holding call gave them a second chance. Again Roethlisberger went to Antonio Brown and missed, but a pass interference call gave them a second chance. At this point, my buddy was coming unhinged with us "going for it" instead of taking the easy three point field goal. I, on the other hand, knew Tomlin was thinking how this team has squandered too many opportunities in the second half of games, and three points wasn't going to cut it. It hasn't cut it for us. So Tomlin made the call, and this time Bell ran the ball in for a touchdown, and the extra two was good as well.
• After that score, as the teams ran into the locker room for halftime rest and speeches, the Brown fans threw trash down on the field. Because, nothing says we're disappointed in our team than giving more work to people that have nothing to do with the team's play.
• Ryan Shazier made a great play in the fourth quarter by knocking the ball out of back up quarterback Josh McCown's hands at the one yard line in Steelers' territory. The ball rolled into the end zone, and Pittsburgh's Jason Hargrave fell on it for the defensive touchdown to seal the deal.
• After the game, Tomlin gave a kudo to "old James Harrison", but criticized the officiating for missed calls and no calls. Hmmmm...not sure what he was fired up about, but he did have a better view then I did. 
• Next up the first of our three holiday games; Thanksgiving game against the Colts.

Other:

• Oh, Peyton, how great it was to see you back on the field on Sunday. Peyton Manning visited Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to watch the the Colts play the Titans. He and his kids messed around on the field, chatted with former teammates, visited the CBS broadcast booth, and excited fans by signing autographs. Retired, yet thankfully still so much a part of the game.
• Despite the Colts big win, their future Hall of Fame kicker, Adam Vinatieri's streak of 44 consecutive field goals came to an end on a day where more kicks were missed than made. Vinatieri missed a 42 yard field goal that went way right, but then came back to start his streak all over again with a made 49 yard field goal. Only 43 more to go.
• Eleven extra points were missed yesterday. A record in the NFL. The replays were like a cartoon show, needing the oopsie daisy music playing in the background.
• More concussion injuries this week with Carolina and the Browns pulling players. Interesting how the players themselves are taking hits to the brain more seriously now. Maybe the concussion lawsuits and movie didn't get through to the NFL powers-that-be, but it did hit home to the people whose lives are the ones at stake.
• The long wait on whether Dallas quarterback Tony Romo would or wouldn't return as the main man was answered earlier this week with a clearly upset Romo reading a scripted rah, rah statement that claimed he agreed back up quarterback Dak Prescott should be the Cowboy's leader. Not much of a surprise to any of us who watch the NFL games as Prescott has done more for this team in nine weeks than Romo has done in nine years, but now Romo is looking elsewhere to continue his career. Word is that he is hoping that the Broncos will take pity on him like John Elway has done with former injured quarterbacks, and he will ride into Denver and lead them to another storied Super Bowl ring. Uh, yeah, Romo, you are no Peyton Manning, and there lies the difference.
• Whoa. Cincinnati took two huge hits in the afternoon, losing two of their main men to injuries that appear season ending. Receiver A.J. Green has a hamstring injury, and Giovani Bernard tore his ACL. Both are fantasy players in our household, one mine and the other Darcy's, but truthfully I only had a moment of regret before I realized the impact on the Steelers. I hate when good players get hurt, and I do mean that, but then again this is football and we have to play the Bengals again this year. 
• I'm glad I'm not a Bears fan because Jay Cutler would have me just plain crazy. What is with that dude?
• A few running quarterbacks this week scoring in the houses; Cam Newton, Alex Smith, Russell Wilson. So much for the "keep the quarterbacks from leaving the pocket" mentality all coaches were stressing this year.