Bye Ben*

Sunday, the Chiefs kicked the Steelers out of the playoffs and Ben Roethlisberger out of the NFL. Big Ben is likely to retire, although he hasn't made any announcement to that fact. For many, it's long past the due date. 

From a football standpoint, Ben defied the odds. He came from a small university and wasn't drafted first. He couldn't run. He didn't have Peyton Manning's football genius. But he had heart and grit, and he loved the game. 

His stats are impressive. Three trips to the Super Bowl and two rings. Six pro bowl appearances. Rookie of the Year in 2004. He leads all quarterbacks with four games of passing over 500 yards. In his 18 years in the NFL, he hasn't had a losing season, and on Sunday, he passed Joe Montana and Brett Favre for the third spot behind Tom Brady and Peyton Manning for most career passing yards. 

As a Steelers fan, I'm grateful for what Ben brought to the game and our team. I thank him for his 18 years in black and gold. I bow down to his accomplishments. I can admire his ability in the no-huddle and in his comeback wins. But, I can also acknowledge that my stomach clenches when I do. 

Off the field, Ben wasn't a good guy. He crashed a motorcycle while not wearing a helmet and not carrying a valid license. Reports of him ignoring fans popped up. Pittsburgh establishments deemed him surly and egotistical. Then came the first of two female accusations accusing the 6'5 quarterback of sexual assault. No charges were filed in either case. Action came swiftly, led in part by the Steelers organization. 

The NFL suspended Ben for four games after the second accusation. He underwent a professional behavior evaluation and adhered to recommended counseling. The Steelers owner Dan Rooney made Ben report to him once a week for a sit-down chat. By all accounts, he pulled up his big boy pants. 

 He attended church and found religion. He married. He granted interviews and answered inane questions with a smile. He stayed out of trouble. He took pay cuts to help the Steelers' salary cap. 

But while I'm all about redemption, I disagree with ignoring that part of Roethlisberger's history as he fades into retirement. To hear everyone on TV these last two weeks, the man was the messiah in Pittsburgh, and that is far from the truth.

I've written for years how I believed Roethlisberger's trouble was the beginning of the Steelers' downfall. Legally, the owners had no choice in retaining Ben. I credit Dan Rooney with most of Ben's one-eighty turnaround. But I'll always believe that many in the locker room could not look to him as a leader. Even while the NFL, and other major professional sports leagues, gloss over the ugly (the NFL has had murder for hire, domestic abuse, and battery charges, among sexual assault charges), some men in the locker room have to be angry. Many have daughters or sisters. Hell, even Antonio Brown referenced Ben's past when excusing his own.

There are too many good NFL players off the field as they are on the field. Those are the guys that should be revered. The rest, like Roethlisberger, can be admired, but let's not leave out the truth. Like the Brady bashers who want an asterisk next to his name in Canton, Steelers fans should be asking for the same for Roethlisberger's. 

Wild Week 18 in the NFL

I haven't missed a game despite not writing about football this season. Sundays are vegetable days. I rarely make it off the couch, and thanks to the Redzone Channel, I'm able to see the exciting parts of every game. 

Week 18, an addition the NFL made this year, began with math--or the equivalent of it by NFL terms--on who could or couldn't make it into the playoffs. If I heard it once, I heard it a zillion times. The only way the Steelers would be in was to beat the Ravens on Sunday, for Jacksonville to win against the Colts, and for MNF not to end in a tie.

Simple, right?

Nothing about Steelers football is simple.

Jacksonville and Pittsburgh played Sunday at 1:00. The chances of the Jags pulling off a win against the Colts was, well, math, but SLIM. They were 2-12, and while the Colts were 8-8, hardly anyone picked them. 

I did!

The Jaguars beat the Colts in week 1, Indianapolis hadn't won in Jacksonville since 2014, and the Steelers needed them to win. It was an easy decision.

And they won! And then Pittsburgh came back in overtime to win against the Ravens! 

I mean...

Steelers Twitter fans were chanting about us going into the playoffs, and suddenly all those Debbie Downers who've whined all year had them winning the Super Bowl--before we'd even gotten into the playoffs.

Because...yeah, MNF couldn't end in a tie.

That is a story all its own. If the game did tie, both the Raiders and the Chargers would go to the playoffs, knocking out Pittsburgh. Speculation began Monday morning. Would these division rivals actually agree to tie? That would be like the Steelers deciding to tie with the Ravens. Or the Bengals. Or the Browns. 

Uh, no way in hell!

I didn't even consider it. I turned on the game and said, "Yay, go, teams!" I didn't care who won. I just wanted a winner. I read a book while the Raiders took charge in the first quarter. But the Chargers came back and took the lead. Then the Raiders went ahead at half-time. Then the Chargers missed a field goal, made some turnovers, and the Raiders went ahead in the fourth quarter, 29-14, with a little over eight minutes left to play in the game. Everyone in my house went to bed. 

I'm not an optimist. I'm a Steelers fan, for god's sake. I stayed up, biting my nails and engaging on Twitter. 

With four minutes left in the game, the Chargers on 4th and 21 scored a touchdown, went for two, and got it. Score 29-22. Then the Chargers defense not only sacked Raiders quarterback Derek Carr but stripped him of the ball and recovered it.

What the what?

The Chargers made three first downs on 4th downs. Suddenly I believed the Raiders were allowing a tie with their division rivals. They tied the game 29-29, and it went into overtime.

I couldn't even scream because everyone was in bed asleep. I settled for pacing around the living room. The Raiders couldn't get into the endzone and kicked the field goal. Now, I cheered for the Raiders. It didn't matter. The Chargers kicked their own field goal to tie it again. It came down to the next score or--gasp!--settle for a tie.

Can you imagine Steelers fans? Me? People, I was a wreck. My entire body was shaking. My heart was pounding. I was angry at the thought of these rivals settling for a tie, and I couldn't SCREAM or CURSE OUTLOUD! 

Then the game got weird. The Raiders marched down the field into Chargers' territory. At the two-minute warning, they were looking at a 63-yard kick. The Raiders could have just kneeled and let the time run out for the tie, but the theory was that they didn't want to play the Kansas City Chiefs, which is where they would've gone had they tied. I don't know that I buy that theory. Especially since the next sure bet was playing the Bengals in Cincinnati--a team that hasn't won a playoff game in like 123,456,789 years.

But...the Raiders kept playing. Half-heartedly. I mean, the Raiders had nothing to lose. On 3rd and 4th, the Raiders let the clock run. Tick, tock, tick, tock. I thought I would pass out. 

What the hell!

But then the Chargers called time out! The Chargers! I still have no clue what they were thinking. At that point, the Raiders were looking at a 57-yard field goal. They didn't seem inclined to kick a damn thing, in my opinion, but who knows? Did the Chargers think they would? Their coach said he called it to have time to get his best defenders against the run onto the field. Hmm...but did the Raiders see it as an insult? Were the Chargers trying to force a FG attempt with hopes for a miss, where they then could snag the ball and run it back down the field?

When sideline reporter Michele Tafoya asked whether the time out changed their strategy, Raiders quarterback Carr replied, "Yeah, it definitely did, obviously." 

Uh? Obviously? He did follow that little blip with, "But we knew no matter what, we didn't want a tie," but we will never know what truly was going through the minds of either team.

Instead, the Raiders ran the ball on third down, gained ten, which put them into much better FG range. With the seconds winding down, Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson kicked it through the uprights to seal the win, knocking out the Chargers and pushing the Steelers through.

Pittsburgh's in the playoffs! Am I supposed to go to sleep now?

Steelers send off Big Ben with a MNF win

Since the beginning of this blog, I've talked about football--mainly Pittsburgh Steelers football. That's my team. The ones I chose to back in the 1970s before they netted their four Super Bowl rings. 

Indiana didn't have an NFL team. The Colts resided in Baltimore then, but my local sports station piped in the Steelers games every week. Having lived in Pennsylvania, it was easy to check these guys out. I liked everything about the team, from its rich history to its down-to-earth owners. The players then had a strong work ethic mentality and a band of brothers' camaraderie. Plus, their uniforms were bad-assed! My brother and I hopped on the Steelers Nation train. 

He jumped off at some point, but I remained aboard, although I admit to some lackluster watching years after the births of my children. 

I bleed black and yellow. I have an entire room devoted to the team and the present and past players. Every September, the outside of my house flies seven Steelers flags. I celebrate the wins and mourn the losses. I was there for the highs in the 70's and 80's. I suffered through the lows in the 90's and early 2000's. 

And I remember the drafting of Ben Roethlisberger eighteen years ago and the joy of finally getting back to where the Steelers belonged--in the Super Bowl.

Monday night, Big Ben took Heinz Field for the last time to a packed crowd wearing number 7 jerseys and a national audience of Steelers fans waving Terrible Towels. For many (and I'll admit I was one), it was a year or two past due. 

It still didn't make it any less emotional.

Even for me, whose admiration for the 6'5 quarterback took a severe hit after his 2010 sexual assault allegations and leaves me more than ready to say goodbye, Monday night was special. I couldn't have written it any better.

There was a sold-out crowd of 63,624. Signs thanking Ben for his 18 years of leadership dotted the arena and hung from the balconies. The offensive line protected Ben like they should've been doing all year long, allowing Najee Harris holes to run 188 yards. Renegade blared during the fourth quarter. The defense sacked Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield nine times, T.J. Watt contributing to four of those. When the Browns got within five points with a little over a minute to play, the offense did enough to keep the ball in Ben's hands, and then they dug deeper and scored a touchdown to seal the deal. 

The Steelers crowd went wild, and shouts of Thank you, Ben filled the stadium.

But the defense wanted their turn. With mere seconds ticking on the clock, the Steelers defense picked off Baker Mayfield to return the ball to Ben for the victory formation that allowed him to take a knee.

"I didn't think I was going to take the field again, but it's the best play in football, when you're an offensive player, to take a knee. So I'm glad I got to do it one last time," Roethlisberger told ESPN's Lisa Salters after the game, tears pooling in his eyes.

He didn't want to leave the field. Neither did the fans. Both stood, one holding his arms high and waving, the other thanking their quarterback for 18 damn good years. Big Ben took a lap around the field, then sat on the Steelers bench for the last time. When it was apparent he was heading back to the locker room, Ben's family came to him. Kneeling, he embraced his three children, then hand-in-hand with his wife and kids, Big Ben walked off the field into the tunnel and out of the limelight.

Storybook evening. 

And it would've been nice to have ended the season right then and there. But NO! The NFL added an 18th week to the season this year, and the Steelers need a miracle--that in Jacksonville beating the Colts--alongside a win against the hated Ravens on a short week amongst a raging COVID spread.

"It's funny because it's probably not the way you'd want it other than the win, and that's all that really matters," Roethlisberger said about his stats in Monday's game. "That's kind of been the story of my career. It's not always pretty, but we find a way."

Thanks for the ride, Ben. It certainly was never dull!

NFL football 2021 is back!

It's odd, but the more the years pass, the less ready I am for starting the football season. Is it me, or do the months fly by faster since COVID? Of course, once NFL Sunday debuts, I'm off and running. But this year, I skipped most of my participation in my NFL norm. I didn't do a fantasy team. I forgot to make my picks in week 1. I'm not blogging about football.

What???

I know. It's weird, and now that week two has been completed, I'm annoyed I didn't do the above. But, I'm not too unhappy because it was very time-consuming. And now that I'm working--writing--I don't have the time. Is that how you forty-hour weekers feel? I get ya, now.

I decorated before Steelers Sunday. I put out the yearly seven flags that fly in our front yard. I hung my Steelers door wreath and covered the dining room table with my Steelers tablecloth. I totally forgot about Thursday opening night, but in my defense, we'd had some fraud shenanigans in our family, and my SIL had arrived in town. Instead of football, we enjoyed a family dinner.

Sunday, I was in my jersey and before the television in time for Terry Bradshaw and crew on Fox. An hour later, I was not a happy camper. We became a streaming family several months ago. I came kicking and screaming, but the husband allowed me to choose our dominant streaming provider. I went with Fubo after much consideration because they had the most sports, including, at that time, the Redzone Channel. But, come Sunday, that was suddenly an extra charge. 

I had a meltdown. Not a full-blown attack. Because since the pandemic, I'm not as quick to erupt--I should state in my opinion. I'm sure my kids will say differently. Still, I was not happy. I tried everything, including logging in with my MIL's provider. Nothing worked. While the Steelers were on local TV, I could not view the rest of the league. Good thing I wasn't blogging football this year!

This Sunday, I whined and muttered under my breath a lot before announcing my unhappiness with our loss of cable. In the time it took me to slip into my Steelers jersey (and can I just tell you I went with a different one than last week because I'm trying not to be superstitious--yeah, that didn't go well), my husband forked over the extra monthly payment, and I had the Redzone Channel! 

He's a prince! 

Plus, he wants me to believe we're saving money by dropping cable television. 

Either way, I can now start paying attention. I'll be ready for Week 3. I can't say the same for the Steelers, but I will be.  

Super Bowl 2021

What's crazy is how the AFC combined wins for this season were twice that of the NFC teams. That's why I like the Super Bowl. It's anyone's game. I knew Tampa's defense would give Kansas City some trouble, but I really did expect a better game than what we got.

• I know Tampa fans were just happy to be in the Super Bowl, but Brady's touchdown throws to Gronk and Brown, the two players Brady literally brought to Tampa in his role as GM (that's sarcasm), rubbed me the wrong way. Then again, it was AB, so I suppose one could say I have issues there, but I really hated how much the Bucs players, who have been rebuilding this team for years, got slighted in the hoopla of Brady and his main squeezes. 
• The Chiefs' penalties in the first half were absolutely ridiculous. Why is it these guys can't straighten that out after the third one? If I were the coach, I'd be shouting that on the sidelines.
• Kansas City's offensive line was so bad.
• Hey, NFL defenders watching the Bowl, see how Patrick Mahomes does not protect the ball when he runs? File that away for next year.
• Brady had two great rocket missile throws in the first half, none better than the touchdown pass to Gronk.
• On the other side, Mahomes had some ill-conceived, poorly thrown passes, especially in the second half.
• Travis Kelce worked his ass off in this game! 
• If Tampa had used Leonard Fournette in the first half like they did in the second, they would've scored instead of resorting to kicking the field goal.
• Many Twitter users and the CBS hosts talked a lot about the excessive calls in the first half, but I felt there should've been more conversation about the missed calls in the second half.
• Patrick Mahomes just went crazy in the second half, scrambling forward, backward, left, right, up, and down. He threw on the run and falling down, and still, those passes were spot-on. He made Tampa's defense work.
• Yikes on the beating Mahomes took in the fourth quarter, sandwiched between three Bucs defenders, two of whom hit him in the head. Glad to see that was flagged! Mahomes brain is already scrambled from the hits he's taken this year. I'd like the guy to be alert when his first baby is born in April. And don't even get me started on the hit by Tampa's Ndamukong Suh. 
• And boo to CBS for not giving us a look at the idiot fan who stopped the game when he ran out on the field. I get not giving him his few seconds of fame, but couldn't you have blocked out his face and given viewers something exciting to watch?
• Tampa's defense got very ugly in the last five minutes. It's hard to root for players with poor sportsmanship, but what pissed me off was how the sidelines celebrated those hits and the taunts. And the NFL wonders why they have a bad rap.
• One thing I can say is how happy I am for former Steelers back-up quarterback, former Bucs quarterback, and now the Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Also, Cameron Brate, Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans.
• Well, and I guess 95-year old Kay Arians watching her son win a Super Bowl was sweet too.
• Kudos to Brady for his seventh ring.*

Commercials:

• Door Dash and Sesame Street? Yes, please.
• Those that made me giggle - Dr. Squatch and Rocket Mortgage. 
• Most Fun - Frito Lay with Marshawn Lynch and company, including the Steelers' Bus and TB and the Manning brothers.
• Tearjerker - Toyota's paralympic athlete swimmer Jessica Long
• Cute and creative - T-Mobile 5G with Gwen Stefani, Blake Sheldon, and Adame Levine.
• Most powerful - Jeep's Reunited States.
• Most Sexy - Amazon's Alexa with Micheal B. Jordan
• Most uplifting - Michelob Ultra
• My fav - State Farm
• Shout out to Verizon 5G commercial because, uh, JuJu Smith Schuster! I'm going to miss that kid next year.

*See what can happen when you walk outside the lines, leg go of morals, and offer deals to get what you want. Sigh.

Super Bowl 2021 pic

I'm going with the home town and its defense.

Tampa Bay over Kansas City

NFL playoff picks

Tampa Bay over Green Bay

Buffalo over Kansas City

NFL Monday morning recap - playoffs week 2

• I was on a deadline, so I missed the Packers game--forgot all about football, actually. Isn't that crazy? It's because Saturday NFL football isn't normal. Or, maybe I just didn't care enough. Either way, by the time I remembered, the Packers had the game well in hand, and hottie Rams coach Sean McVay was looking none too thrilled. I take it I didn't miss much in that game.
• The most excitement in the first half of the second game was the wind. If I had been drinking, it could've become a game--take a shot every time the cameras cut to the flags flying in the breeze.
• Buffalo's defense kept the Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson off-kilter and off his feet, miscues kept the offense from scoring, and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker finally had an off night, missing two field goals. I know, I know, blame it all on the wind. 
• Buffalo's offense made it into the end zone in the third quarter, and then, not to be left out minutes later, their defense did too. Buffalo's Taron Johnson intercepted Jackson's pass in the Raven's end zone and ran it 101 yards to the opposite end zone for what would end up being the final score of the night.
• Directly following that play, Buffalo's defense sacked Jackson, who then went into the concussion protocol tent never to return, and that was pretty much game over.
• Sunday's Kansas Chiefs/Cleveland Browns game also had a concussion protocol tent visit and a quarterback loss with the Chief's Patrick Mahomes wobbling after hitting his head on the turf. Luckily for the Chiefs, their back-up quarterback Chad Henne was ready, and their coach was feeling brave. With less than two minutes in the game, Chiefs coach Andy Reid went for it on a fourth and one. Henne threw a pass to Tyreek Hill, who got the yard, and that was all she wrote for the Cleveland Browns.
• Near the end of the first half, the Browns went for it on fourth down. The Browns Rashard Higgins tried to stretch the ball to the pylon, but a hit by the Chiefs safety, Daniel Sorenson, caused him to fumble. The two clearly hit helmet-to-helmet on the replay, and the Browns fans went wild when the refs didn't throw a flag. In real-time, I thought Sorenson got Higgins in the shoulder. Unfortunately, there was way too much for the ref to watch to catch it all, and since those hits are reviewable...yeah, that hurt.
• I give Baker Mayfield and the Browns props. They didn't let the Chiefs run all over them, and they really, really gave viewers a game to watch. Of course, the drama of the Browns' fumble on the one-yard line and the missed helmet to helmet call will be what everyone talks about this morning, but I think the Browns might actually finally have themselves a team for the next several years.
• I started off this year saying the Bucs were a contender, and I even was willing to welcome Tom Brady to Tampa, despite my less than stellar feeling for him as a human. When he brought Antonio Brown to Tampa and into his home, I washed my hands of him once again. Dude, winning can't be everything. If you had something to prove, then you should've done it with what the Bucs had in place prior. Bringing back the guy you helped orchestrate a shady trade from the Raiders after he staged a nefarious exit out of Pittsburgh? I rooted for the Saints. 
• Unfortunately, the Bucs defense was too much for Saints Drew Brees, who may have--or may not have--played his last NFL game. 
• How tiring was it hearing the old man vs. the old man nonsense that the networks and media played up all week? Yeah, well, it isn't over yet as the Bucs and Brady now face the Packers and their old man quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

NFL playoff picks

 Last Week 4-3

Green Bay over Rams

Baltimore over Buffalo

Kansas City over Cleveland

New Orleans over Tampa

NFL Tuesday morning recap - Steelers

I only caught brief highlights and snippets of the other games. Saturday, I sat in three meetings from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sunday, I was writing, editing, and following up on things from those meetings. 

As for the Steelers...

I had to give myself a recovery day before I could sit down and try to analyze that playoff game. Several words come to mind right off the bat: debacle, horrendous, painful, and gut-wrenching. From the first play of the game, the Steelers were--what my Steelers buddy referred to as "a shit-show." It was tough to watch. This team is done, in more ways than one due to free agency, contract timelines, retirement, etc., and winning that seventh ring will have to wait until next season.

Steelers:

• The Browns were missing coaches and players to COVID and injuries to start off the playoffs. While I said the Steelers at 11-0 were the worst undefeated team ever, I truly thought we'd play well enough to beat Cleveland.
• The first play of the game--wait, that is so INSANE I have to type it again--On the first play of the game, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey sailed the snap so high it flew over Ben Roethlisberger's head, where it rolled into the end zone, recovered by the Browns for a touchdown. While that was ridiculous in itself, what was even worse was the lack of urgency in recovering that errant ball. Roethlisberger and Steelers running back James Connor--because of course the first play would be a run--were the two closest to the ball, and both of them seemed to be looking to the other to get it. Roethlisberger acted like he couldn't bend over, and Connor literally slid right past the ball. My heart sunk, and I knew it was going to be a long, damn game.
• I mean, FALL ON TOP OF IT! I never understand players trying to pick up a fumbled ball when a crowd is descending. Aren't the chances better to fall on the damn leather? I've watched the replay of play number one so many times my stomach hurts because we should've had it for a loss of yards.
• The Steelers did nothing to shake off that play, settle down, and even the score. Instead, Roethlisberger threw the first of what would be four interceptions in the game. The Browns took advantage, and within five minutes, the score was 14-0.
• The NFL's number one defense in almost every category obviously didn't eat their Wheaties. They were lackluster, unmotivated, and plain awful. Gone is the sack streak--they never got close to Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield--and the Browns running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt ran through the Steelers defense like water through a broken dam.
• Using fullback Derek Watt on a third and one was genius. Using him for the same play on a fourth and one? Stupid. The Steelers were stuffed, leaving the Browns with great field advantage.
• I think the future of the NFL lies in quarterbacks who can run. Need I say more, Ben Roethlisberger?
• Yep, once again with the penalties.
• Trailing 35-23, Tomlin opted to punt instead of go for it on fourth and one near midfield. What? I'm not an NFL coach, but you have a two-ton, six-five quarterback who has, on several occasions, plugged a ball one yard inside a mass of bodies. Ben was in Ben-comeback-mode, slinging and firing. Why not give him a chance over a struggling defense? Ack! That pretty much sealed the deal for the guys. I mean, if you're coach doesn't have faith...
• Fans are calling for Mike Tomlin's head, but that isn't how the Rooney's do things. The bottom line is Ben needs to walk away before his $41 million salary cap digs a bigger hole. I don't think his heart is in the game anymore, and his leadership isn't getting the job done. We can blame injuries, COVID, rescheduling, bad luck, and resting players, but this loss--hell, the last five games--were not Steelers football. I'm a believer in rooting for the elderly and keeping teams intact, but after the five-plus years and drama we've had in the last five-plus years? It's time the Steelers rehaul, revamp, and rebuild.

Other:

• The most impressive performance of the weekend for me was Washington's back-up quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who was making only his second start in the NFL. Only recently added to the team in December, Heinicke started in place of Alex Smith and gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a game. Finishing 26-44 for 306 yards with 46 yards in rushing, Heinicke played the second half with a separated shoulder. His grit and play reminded me of the Lions Matthew Stafford.
• Didn't see the Seattle game until it was almost in the bag, but I'd say quarterback Russell Wilsons five sacks might've had something to do with his poor play.
• The closest game was the Colts/Bills game, and while old man Rivers (that's Colts quarterback Phillip Rivers to non-football readers) attempted a hail mary to give ESPN a newsreel and the Colts the win, but like so many of Rivers' past nailbiters, it wasn't meant to be.

NFL 2021 playoff picks

Last Week 11-5

Overall 165-92

Buffalo over Indianapolis

Seattle over Rams

Tampa Bay over Washington

Baltimore over Tennessee

New Orleans over Chicago

Pittsburgh over Cleveland

NFL Monday morning recap week 16

I had a meeting the second half of the game, so I had the TV on in the background of my Zoom, the Steelers website and Yahoo GameDay on my second monitor, and Oleg in the other room making noises alerting me to a score. 

Who has meetings on Sundays?

Steelers:

• Why do we start so sluggish? First series? Three and out. I could understand it in the second half, but aren't you fired up when you first start a game? We are not.
• No run game this week. I wondered if that was deliberate. I don't think Tomlin wanted to play James Connor, but Benny Snell Jr. is more our small yardage weapon than our number one running back. But then even he got stuffed on fourth downs where we needed three or fewer yards.
• The defense, thanks to TJ Watt, leader of the NFL in sacks, stripped the ball and got us into the red zone where Connor powdered in for the tie score.
• Downhill from there, and at the half, it was 21-7 Colts. What does Tomlin say in the locker room? I mean, these are grown men making, combined, billions of dollars. It's not like you can go in and yell. I wondered if Tomlin watched Ted Lasso because that's the speech I would've given. Instead, the word is that Maurkice Pouncey yelled, and Ben Roethlisberger told them to get out and have fun.
• Our plays are so predictable that the Colts defense was calling them out after reading the Steelers' offense. That's cheeky. Maybe that's what turned things around? It would certainly fire me up.
• The second half was a different team. Ben threw out the playbook and called his own plays, relying on the past. Does that mean Todd Haley plays? Snicker, snicker.
• Diontae Johnson redeemed himself after all the dropped passes in the last few games with a diving catch in this game to give us seven more points. Great throw by Ben and a great catch by Johnson. That's more like it!
• The defense was on fire, but we also have to thank the Colts for the penalties. The Steelers took advantage of the penalties for once and capitalized earning points. 
• Yay, JuJu! So glad he scored. Also, Tomlin must have discussed his celebrations because he was chill after scoring. That's more like it! I wasn't all concerned with Smith-Schuster's dancing on the opposition's logo during the pre-game warm-up because I didn't think he meant it disrespectfully. He just wanted Tik Tok hits. I mean, it wasn't the Titans stomping on the Terrible Towel, but I also see how it annoyed players and fans. 
• My brother--he once a Chargers fan--told me the Steelers couldn't play against Phillip Rivers. I rolled my eyes. Like Brady, Rivers doesn't like to be on the ground, so I knew if our defense stuffed him on the turf, we'd take him. It was nice to be right.
• The second half of the game was more like the Steelers of old. I say, let Ben run the show. It worked for Terry Bradshaw!

I didn't watch the other games due to my meeting. Needless to say, I told the writer's group that Sunday meetings were not going to work for me...

NFL 2020 picks week 16

Last Week 9-7

Overall 153-85

New Orleans over Minnesota

Tampa over Detroit

Arizona over San Francisco

Miami over Vegas

Kansas City over Atlanta

Cleveland over Jets

Pittsburgh over Indianapolis

Chicago over Jacksonville

Baltimore over Giants

Houston over Cincinnati

Chargers over Denver

Washington over Carolina

Dallas over Philadelphia

Seattle over Rams

Tennessee over Green Bay

Buffalo over New England

NFL 2020 picks week 15

Last Week 10-6

I forgot about the Saturday games, so those picks are losses, although I would've picked Buffalo for sure.

Tampa over Atlanta

Green Bay over Carolina

Tampa over Atlanta

San Francisco over Dallas

Tennessee over Detroit

Indianapolis over Houston

Miami over New England

Minnesota over Chicago

Seattle over Washington

Baltimore over Jacksonville

Rams over Jets

Arizona over Philadelphia

Kansas City over New Orleans

Cleveland over Giants

Pittsburgh over Cincinnati

Monday morning NFL 2020 recap - week 14

Steelers: My prognosis before the game was that the defense would have to win this game. But watching the team come through the tunnel after warming up, I thought they looked exhausted and worn out, and my hope for a good game went out the window. 

• Typical start - one, two, three, punt, one, two, three, punt, one, two, three, punt, one, two, three, punt. For exercise, I could tap dance to the rhythm. Ugh.
• Our offense has got to stop wasting our defensive work. Too many wasted opportunities. 
• Ben is at his best when coming from behind, but what is needed is Ben getting us ahead right from the start so he doesn't have to play the hero. Not sure how that happens. Obviously, neither do the Steelers coaches.
• Cris Collingsworth remarked on our dropped balls from Monday's game and told us the Steelers addressed that in practice all week. Before the second quarter was over, we'd had three dropped catches. Someone dropped the ball on that issue, wouldn't you say?
• Did we forget the Bills quarterback Josh Allen is a runner? 
• I think the Bills are the best AFC team, and I know Chiefs fans will disagree, but these guys are tough and hungry. 

Other:

• Washington's back upturned lead quarterback Alex Smith went down with a calf injury to the leg that kept him sidelined from football for two years. Detroit's quarterback Matt Stafford left because of an injury. All I could think was that to some of these guys football is more than a job.

NFL 2020 picks - week 14

Last Week - 9- 6

Overall - 124-67

Rams over Patriots

Texans over Bears

Cowboys over Bengals

Chiefs over Dolphins

Cardinals over Giants

Buccaneers over Vikings

Panthers over Broncos

Titans over Jaguars

Colts over Raiders

Seahawks over Jets

Packers over Lions

Saints over Eagles

Chargers over Falcons

49ers over Football Team

Pittsburgh over Buffalo

NFL 2020 picks - week 13

Last Week - 13-2

Saints over Falcons

Bears over Lions

Titans over Browns

Dolphins over Bengals

Vikings over Jaguars

Raiders over Jets

Texans over Colts

Cardinals over Rams

Seahawks over Giants

Packers over Eagles

Patriots over Chargers

Chiefs over Broncos

Steelers over Football Team

Bills over 49ers

Ravens over Cowboys

NFL 2020 picks week 12

Last Week 5-9

Overall 102 -60

Houston over Detroit

Washington over Dallas

Vegas over Atlanta

Buffalo over Chargers

Giants over Cincinnati

Tennessee over Indianapolis

Minnesota over Carolina

Arizona over New England

Miami over Jets

Cleveland over Jacksonville

New Orleans over Denver

San Francisco over Rams

Kansas City over Tampa

Green Bay over Chicago

Seattle over Philadelphia 

Pittsburgh over Baltimore

Monday morning NFL 2020 recap - week 11

Steelers: My buddy, Scott, was in Jacksonville for the game. We had a lot of fun searching for him, Tom more than me because, of course, he found him (insert eye-rolling emoji) even though in that picture he's pointing nowhere near where my friends were sitting.

• Tuesday, Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf announced athletes, including the Steelers, needed to wear masks while competing on the field. A day later, that was snatched back as the reality of wearing a helmet, a mouthguard, AND a mask might just cause some breathing problems. 
• As usual, more Steelers fans in the stands than Jaguars fans.
• Okay, I'm not a fan of all the celebrating after touchdowns, but I did enjoy Chase Claypool's lighting of the football for JuJu Smith Schuster's birthday. Even more, I loved the analysts pointing out how Claypool's celebration wasn't for himself but for JuJu, which then led to a remark about zero egos in the Steelers' locker room. Finally!
• Bennie Snell Jr. punching it in for the touchdown! Then, in the third quarter, punching it for two yards and the first down. I should be a coach (tee hee).
• The defense kept their sack record going with a sack in the third quarter by Stephen Tuitt, and in the fourth quarter, the defense racked up their 20th and 21st takeaway. Another great defensive game by my boys!
• Ben had some nice throws in this game and a lot of great protection. 

Other:

• Apparently, there was some trash talk in the pregame warm-ups when the Tennessee Titans met on the 50-yard line for a team meeting. Suddenly, Ravens coach John Harbaugh was interrupting said meeting, and boy, he was not happy with whatever the Titans had been yelling. Words were exchanged with most of the Titans players laughing at Harbaugh's behavior. Then the Titans coach appeared, and it was all so ridiculous. One thing one can say about the Harbaugh family--they are competitive, and they are certainly hot-headed.
• The day's craziest play came in the Washington/Cincinnati game with twelve minutes left in the first half. The Bengals went for it on fourth down in the red zone. Not able to find a receiver, quarterback Joe Burrows ran and got stuffed at the goal line. Burrows fumbled the ball, and Washington recovered. Or, so we thought. There was a flag on the play, and the ref told us TV watchers, "urhglshgry, rrurkdgnv&, blah, blah, blah." I was saying, "What?" and the analysts were saying, "What?" and Redzone Channel's Scott Hanson was saying, "What?" In the end, it went something like this: Burrows fumbled, Washington recovered the ball in the field of play, then Washington fumbled in the end zone and got tackled, which resulted in a safety for the Bengals. But--the Bengals were called for holding, Washington accepted that penalty, and the safety was removed, and the Bengals got a second chance at fourth down, planning to kick. But, before that could happen, the play was reviewed. After the review? The ruling was a touchback and not a safety, the hold still applied, Washington declined it and got the ball. I mean, my head was spinning!
• After the loss of quarterback Drew Brees for a couple of weeks, the Saints went with the newbie instead of the oldie, playing Taysom Hill over Jameis Winston, figuring there was no time like the present to see if the kid had what it takes to replace the legend.
• The Bengals QB, Joe Burrows, had to be carted off the field after getting hit low on a sack, and we'll have to wait to hear the news on how bad the injury, but Burrows, despite the Bengals record, was making big strides as the number one draft pick his rookie year.
• Yikes! Major misses on the kicking today, including the Steelers Chris Boswell. 
• It rained the entire game in Cleveland, playing against the Eagles. The kind of steady, miserable weather where you just want to be home snuggled under a blanket.