Steelers: The first half was great to watch, but I wasn't fooled. Tennessee is the comeback team. Ben wasn't steady, and in an important game like this one--and next week--he had/has to be. Add that to the injuries we suffered this week, and it was a trying game. But what a finish!
- The best video of the game was Big Ben watching the kick to tie the game and saying, "Did he miss that?", and then his mouth dropped wide open in total shock. That was me. OMG! OMG! It took me several shocking moments to even wave my terrible towel.
- Our last three drives in the fourth quarter went punt, interception, punt, interception. We've got to stop trying to win these games in one half only.
- According to Scott Hanson of the NFL Redzone channel, due to weather in Tennessee, CBS lost a transmission feed, and the game went black. Here we were trying to secure a win and blip off the grid we went.
- Apparently, CBS announcer Ian Eagle aspires to be a comedian, or maybe he already considers himself one, but his attempt at humor didn't work for me, especially his sack-a-mole gig. Stick to your day job, Eagle.
- Ben did some crazy tosses but none worse than the pitch to James Connor in the second drive while Ben was under pressure, losing the Steelers ten yards. He was lucky Conner managed to catch and hold that ball. Sheesh, just because it worked once doesn't mean your luck will hold.
- Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt was a beast, not only going for the sack but working to smack the ball out of Titans' quarterback Tannenhill's hands.
- Welcome back, Jordan Berry. Berry, the Steelers punter for the past five years, was replaced by veteran punter Dustin Colquitt before the start of the season, but Colquitt was cut on Friday, and Berry was brought back in time to travel to Tennessee. I like Berry. He's just a really nice Australian guy, and I was disappointed when he was cut, so having him back made my heart happy.
- Nice to see sportsmanship in the NFL...not. After a three-man tackle on JuJu Smith Schuster, JuJu put out his hand to the Titans players for help up off the turf, and all three ignored him, one guy even stepping over JuJu and brushing past the outstretched hand. The rivalry is tough.
- Far too many interceptions for Ben in this game and I hope he pulls a Larry Bird and spends time this week throwing to the right jersey.
Other:
- Alright, I'm addressing Antonio Brown's return to the NFL. Ugh. I'm disappointed in Bruce Arians, who stated he'd not take Brown months after Tom Brady brought up the idea. He's "too much miscommunication, too much … diva." Arians should know. He was the Steelers offensive coordinator when Brown played for the Steelers. But, now that his wide receivers are injured, well, who cares what kind of guy comes into your locker room? Who cares about his off-field antics? As for Tom Brady, his need to win at all costs mentality has soured me. The Bucs owners have pissed me off before (shoving Tony Dungy out the door), but this hits below the belt. I root for the Bucs when they aren't playing my Steelers, but this acquisition leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'm all for forgiveness and redemption, but Brown's antics in manipulating for his releases and trades to land where he wanted last year was calculated and planned, and that's not something I can ignore, even if the NFL can.
- Fitting then that the Bucs played the Raiders this week.
- And I might as well discuss former Jets running back Le' Veon Bell, who left Pittsburgh by sitting out an entire season until free agency. He didn't do well in New York and was traded this week to the Chiefs. Do unto others...
- Nice catch by Saints Jarod Cook to put New Orleans on the board. Drew Brees throw in the end zone's corner was a tip and dive for Cook for the six points.
- In the Cincinnati game, both quarterbacks threw interceptions on their first time out, but the Browns interception, a Baker Mayfield intended pass to Odell Beckham Jr., was the worst as Beckham Jr. was hurt when he tried to get in on the tackle, leaping over the pile and injuring his leg.
- I disagreed with the call against Falcons Terrell Jr. for roughing the passer against Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford ran, and while he didn't pass the line of scrimmage, he was moving...forward, left, right, forward...and Terrell hit him straight on and stopped himself with both arms before he crushed Stafford on the turf. I get the protecting the quarterback, but that call wasn't one of those times.
- The Panthers tried to tie the game against the Saints with fourteen seconds left in the game. Kicker Joey Slye attempted a 65-yard field goal, and had he made it through the uprights, would've set an NFL record, beating Lions kicker Matt Prater's 64-yard longest field goal record. It was high and straight, and it looked good, going, going, and poop. It dropped short. Bummer, it was a nice kick.
- Poor Atlanta. First, Matt Ryan fumbled and lost the ball on a sack, and then Todd Gurley, despite knowing full well what he needed to do, couldn't stop himself from scoring. With seconds on the clock, Gurley tried to stop at the one-yard line for the first down, which would have allowed the Falcons to just kneel to the end. Instead, Gurley broke the plane for the touchdown and gave the Lions time. Can't leave Matthew Stafford time when he's behind. I've said before, Stafford is like the neighborhood kid in his backyard, and kids live for that kind of opportunity. He had no trouble, keeping his head, scrambling out of the sack, and throwing a perfect pass for the touchdown. Then it was all Matt Prater for the win, and no one questioned that because, uh, see above. Classic Stafford, classic Prater, and classic Falcons who blew yet another lead to lose their game.
- If the Steelers and the Lions game wasn't exciting enough, we had the Browns coming from behind to beat the Bengals. With eleven seconds left, Mayfield threw a perfect pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the corner of the end zone, and Peoples-Jones made an unbelievable catch, keeping both feet in bounds for the win. The Bengals had some time on the clock to do something, but the Hail Mary fell flat.
- Snow in Denver this week for the Chiefs/Broncos game, while we in Florida still are in the upper 80's.
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