NFL Monday morning recap week 9

Steelers: There are a lot of things to dislike about the Ravens, but at least they play with class and don't set out to harm players like the Bengals. When we play them, it is a concern but for vastly different reasons. Sunday was good football.--better because we won, but still just football with no-nonsense.

• Every week we have had to hear about Le'Veon Bell and blah, blah, blah. It's like they hone in on something and can't let go. This week it was an obsession with Ben Roethlisberger's broken finger on his non-throwing hand. He wore a glove, and if we had done a shot each time the camera showed that glove and each time the analysts' brought it up to my buddy and I would've been drunk. Jeez. It's a long game, how about talking football?
• Fewer penalties than usual, but those we did have always came at the worse time and cost us dearly. 
• Ben has so much time. Our O-line is truly special.
• Not sure why we didn't run more in the second half. The Ravens couldn't stop the run or Connor, yet our offense had Ben throwing, and he kept making those wonky throws that cause me stress. Thought it odd we threw when we were doing so well rushing.
• The defense held the Ravens in the red zone more than once. When they want to, they can sure step up to the plate. Another good job today.
•  Ben ran late in the second half, got tackled, and threw the whole world into an uproar by lying on the ground and wincing. I didn't think it looked so bad in replays, but Ben always ends up with weird injuries. Frankly, I think he likes freaking everyone out like it's his little gotcha to the world. Ben had the wind knocked out of him and returned after missing one rep. He later said he'd thought he died. These quarterbacks....(insert eye-rolling emoji)
• Back up quarterback Josh Dobbs came in for that rep on third down and twenty. He threw it twenty-two yards to JuJu Smith-Schuster for the first down, but that play was so much more. Huge. Ben came back in and three plays later, we had a FG. Could've gone the opposite if Dobbs hadn't gotten us that first down. That's calm under pressure. Good to know the kid can handle it.

Other:

• Jon Gruden has got to stop whining about the media and the things they are saying and asking as if he weren't on the other side of that less than a year ago. I get that his world is imploding, and his comeback is not what he wanted, but uh, he is just looking like a big baby whiner. Gruden was a great analyst, and I was sorry to see him go back to coaching, but I also think Gruden knows football. I expected better than what he has shown us, but his complaints about the media make me cringe.
• Can someone explain to me why some of these trades at the last minute were made? Detroit trading Golden Tate? What? 
• This was the week to waste money on thanking our military by decking out the coaches in army green shirts, coats, and hats. I don't get it. I believe this money the NFL spends on accessories for the military and breast cancer would be better spent on things like cancer research and helping military families. However, how great did Rams Sean McVay look in his green gear? Yum.
• Tampa's Ryan Fitzgerald tried to work his magic, but the Buc's defense is just nil. Gotta have a defense that can make some stops and this team just doesn't have it. The Panthers, at one point, passed the ball from one player to another with a reverse and a double reverse and then a run that involved wiggling and going from one side of the field to the other like one of Antonio Brown's kid Auto's flag football runs. No Tampa defense anywhere to be found. Ugly.
• Enjoyed the Rams/New Orleans game. A shootout with a combined 80 points total. The Rams tied the game by coming back from a 21 point deficit, but New Orleans' Drew Brees showed that at 39 years old, he is still King in the Big Easy. I'm a firm believer that a loss makes these teams trying for an undefeated season better. I expect this loss to fuel the Rams' fire.
• Disliked the Saints Michael Thomas' recreating a former Saints players' TD celebration. Thomas apparently hid a flip cell phone under the matting that encases the goal post, and he pulled it out after a TD, pretending to make a call. Using a prop in a celebration is against the rules, and this one resulted in a penalty. That could've gone very wrong in a crucial game like this one. I found the whole thing ridiculous, as I do find with celebrations. Jump up and down, show some excitement, and for god sakes, if you insist on stupidity at least get creative and come up with something new.