Monday morning 2020 recap - week 5

Steelers: I can do without the up and down games. It's way too stressful. Why do they insist on keeping games close?

• I can also do without the bad play calls, especially at home. One missed call, okay, I'll let that one slide. Two missed calls? On the same infraction? The Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool scored a touchdown with nary a touch to defender Craig James, yet here came the flag. Even the annoying announcers were perplexed by the second blip of a call. Who's the idea was it take away the review on the pass interference call? Maybe this is a rule we should do away with and let these guys just fight it out.
• I was also over the two in the booth for Fox. They obviously couldn't see well because, on two different flagged plays, they kept discussing it when the outcome was crystal clear on the instant replays, which they both get in the box up close and personal. And don't even get me started on the James Franco debacle. I mean, who confuses legend Franco Harris with the actor (and former General Hospital alum) James Franco?
• Both defenses came out strong, shutting down both offenses, making it look like we were in for a long day. Our offense did not come out strong, but after punting in the first drive, we got warmed up started scoring. But while that was happening, our defense let down their guard enough for the Eagles to keep the game alive. 
• I knew our defense needed to get fired up in the locker room with whatever it is Mike Tomlin or some other motivator does to pump these guys up for the second half. I texted that response to my football gal pal and former roommate Eagles fan. Boom! Steelers Steve Nelson intercepted, and the offense scored!
• I love it when we pull off some trick plays, especially after watching the season finale of Ted Lasso on Saturday night. (Highly recommend the Apple TV show!!)
• A big game for Chase Claypool, who finished with seven catches for one hundred and ten yards, three carries for six yards, and four touchdowns. The 2020 draft pick was on fire, and the Eagles defense didn't have an answer on shutting him down.
• The Steelers running back Ray-Ray McCloud ran 58-yards before being brought down short of the touchdown. McCloud made the mistake of looking to his left and trying to stiff-arm the Eagles defender. It reminded me of my coaching days when I'd tell my swimmers not to look sideways into either lane. It's a waste of precious seconds. Are you going to look behind you when you're being chased by a gun-wielding psycho? No, you're going to zig-zag toward safety like McCloud should've done to the end zone.
• The Eagles running back Miles Sanders, back home again in Pittsburgh, had quite the game, scoring two touchdowns in front of his family, his first a 74-yard romp over and around Steelers defenders to put the Eagles on the board and tie the game at 7-7.
• The Steelers defense stopped the Eagles on a third down, and Eagles kicker Jake Elliott missed a 57-yard field goal that would have put the Eagles ahead by one and set a record at Heinz Field.
• The Steelers allowed 5,500 fans into Heinz Field for this game. My buddy continued his travel plans to Pittsburgh this weekend, but I'm not sure he got into the game. Fox reported it was just as loud as any games where Steelers Nation is in attendance. 
• I said this before, but we really need to pull in running back Benny Snell Jr. for those minuscule yards instead of Conner. Use Snell like we used Jerome Bettis to punch it in when we have five yards or less. He has the power over Conner to make those plays. All it does is tire out Conner. 

Other:

• COVID still swirling through the NFL, causing more upheavals in scheduling. More positive cases for the Patriots and the Titans. The NFL is now investigating the Tennessee Titans for violating COVID rules put into place before the season began. Some of the Steelers players feel the NFL should've required the Titans to forfeit last week's game, and if the NFL has to keep shuffling, forfeits might just start coming.
• The Texans fired coach Bill O'Brien on Monday, (Yikes, look out Dan Quinn!) giving defensive coordinator and former Browns head coach, Romeo Crennel, another shot at securing the head job. For right now, Crennel is the interim coach, but he was that in Kansas City several years ago too before becoming their head coach. Either way, it worked well this week as the Texans secured their first win in a romp against the Jaguars.
• Looks like the Raiders are just now living up to the hype of last season. They played well enough to end the Kansas City Chiefs winning streak. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr went 21 of 30 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns against the Chiefs' big payday Patrick Mahomes, 22 of 43 for 340 yards. His late pick in the fourth quarter sealed the game for a Vegas win.
• Anyone else get a bit weepy when Washington sent out quarterback Alex Smith, he of the gruesome leg injury in 2018 that looked career-ending? Smith came in after back-up quarterback Kyle Allen, the starter this week after Dwayne Haskins' benching, was hit helmet to helmet in the first half. Smith went 9 for 17 for 36 yards and took a sack, his first hit of the season. Unfortunately, Smith won't replace Allen according to coach Ron Rivera, but it sure was the feel-good moment of Sunday's games.