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.  

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

Out of the mouths of my babes - Madison Part II

Me: "NOOOOOOOO!"

Madison: "What?"

Tom: "What's wrong?"

Me: "The Steelers game was pushed back to Sunday because too many damn Ravens have COVID."

Tom: "So, they're not playing on Thursday? We get a peaceful holiday?"

Madison: "It's a Thanksgiving Miracle!"

Out of the mouths of my babes - Madison

Maddy: "Did the Steelers win? They must have because you're happy."

Me: "Ten and 0, baby! Ten and 0! Gotta enjoy it now because we have a short week and a tough one on Thursday. I'm afraid we might just face our first loss in that game."

Madison: "That sounds defeatist to me. What kind of loyal fan has that kind of attitude?"

Tom: "Yeah, it doesn't sound like you're putting much faith in your team."

Me: "It's the Ravens. We beat them once already this year, and they lost for the second time in a week in overtime today against the Tennessee Titans. I'm not sure who I was supposed to root for, but I hate both of them."

Madison: "I know why we hate the Ravens, but why do we hate the Titans?"

Me: "Because they stomped on our terrible towel! After beating us several years ago, a bunch of their players got terrible towels and threw them on the ground, and stomped on them. Wrong thing to do. They've had bad juju every since."

Maddy: "I thought we had JuJu."

Photo: dailysnark.com

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. 

NFL 2020 picks week 11

 Last Week - 8-6

Overall - 96-51

Seattle over Arizona

Philadelphia over Cleveland

Atlanta over New Orleans

Washington over Cincinnati

Detroit over Carolina

Pittsburgh over Jacksonville

Baltimore over Tennessee

New England over Houston

Miami over Denver

Chargers over Jets

Indianapolis over Green Bay

Minnesota over Dallas

Kansas City over Raiders

Tampa over Rams

No NFL recap but Steelers are 9-0!

This month I'm writing daily--no excuses--with the intent to have a complete manuscript by the end of the month. The blog post on that is tomorrow's entry. Since the Steelers played later in the day, I did not watch the early football games--gasp!--but instead wrote. I have eight hours of the Redzone Channel recorded, but this morning I'm back at the computer writing.

For years, I've spent Steelers Sunday with my buddy, Scott, and usually one other fan. First, it was Grandpa Bob and then when he married and moved, Vince. Sometimes it was just the two of us, on our spots on the couch watching our boys. Scott's wife, Krista, told people I was Scott's football wife. Like Tom, she watched the games, but it wasn't live or die like it is for the rest of us. 

For week one this year, I didn't go to his house for the first time in years. Vince was in Pittsburgh for several months, Grandpa Bob was quarantined, and I was contemplating the Sunday NFL ticket purchase. Maybe too, I had some apprehension about visiting the house where Krista would no longer greet me with one of her hugs. 

Then we won. My superstition immediately kicked in, and when we kept winning? Yeah, I was content to maintain the status quo and communicate via text with my guys. 

Saturday, Scott texted the group, all three of us, and invited us to come for dinner and watch the game. The others accepted. I whined about my superstition and had every intention of not going. That morning, I rose and began writing like a fiend, and two hours before the game, while I was doing some procrastinating research, I ran across the comment section of my blog.

It's a section I forget about. It used to alert me when people commented on my entries but somewhere that disappeared, and I rarely think to look at it. Oops. People are so nice! Thank you for your comments!! 

I should be checking this daily because it made my heart sing! I read the comments, and then I re-read my entries, especially regarding Scott's wife Krista, and suddenly I heard her voice. She gave me a stern talking--something along the lines of phooey on the superstition, so they lose a game, isn't friendship more important, life is too short, I should know--in her voice that I hear so often. 

So, after a bit of a cry for his loss, my loss, our Steelers Sundays where we caught up with one another, and the fact I'd never hear another story from her lips that would have me laughing so hard my sides would hurt, I texted I was coming. 

Sunday was spent with my Steelers friends social distancing six feet apart, eating pulled pork sandwiches and other stuff, and watching our boys (please, we are the worst undefeated team) add another W to the win column, and I didn't once take notes about the game. 

All of the above is my excuse for no Monday NFL recap this week. Because I was hanging with my Steelers peeps and enjoying the day. 

Nine and O BABY!

NFL 2020 picks week 10

Last Week - 10-4

Overall - 88-45

I forgot to make Thursday's pick. Holidays, a possible hurricane, and canceled work days threw me off schedule. Unfortunately, Yahoo counts it as a loss, so ERG... Although, if I'm being honest, I probably would have picked the Titans.

Houston over Cleveland

Detroit over Washington

Green Bay over Jacksonville

Philadelphia over Giants

Tampa over Carolina

Vegas over Denver

Miami over Chargers

Buffalo over Arizona

Seattle over Rams

New Orleans over San Francisco

Pittsburgh over Cincinnati

Baltimore over New England

Minnesota over Chicago

Monday morning NFL 2020 recap - week 9

Steelers: I worried about his game. We play well against the good teams and give the yuck teams our worst. That was ugly football, and we're lucky we won it. I'm not expecting an undefeated season--don't want one, to be honest, because I think a reality check makes for better play--but we need to play better football if we're going to get to the end.

• The Steelers had their first positive test this week when a staff member tested positive. Contract tracing was put into place, and fans kept getting the daily negative testing count update until game time. Meanwhile, Coach Tomlin was fined $100,000, and the Steelers organization was fined another $250,000 for coaches not wearing their face coverings at all times on the field. I guess that's one way for the NFL to recoup their losses. I wonder who got the job watching each sideline for violations? I can say that every time Tomlin was shown on the screen, unless I missed it, he had on his gaiter. I know because every time I saw the gaiter, I wanted one, even going as far as searching for one online. But seriously, wear your damn masks!
• The offense came out sluggish. The defense was sluggish. We looked like we didn't know how to play football, and then with less than two minutes to go in the first half, Ben went to the locker room hurt. Ugh. I hate four o'clock games.
• My annoyance of the game? Our defense stripping the ball with less than a minute left in the first half and then spending precious minutes celebrating as if they'd won the Super Bowl. Hate it--one of my pet peeves--no celebrating unless you're winning by a large margin.
• The Steelers kicker Chris Boswell missed a PAT, had one blocked, and missed a field goal that, lucky for him, was ruled a dead play, giving him a second chance. He made that one. But add kicking to the sluggish column.
• In the fourth quarter, the defense came up big in the red zone with pressure on the Dallas quarterback and an interception and seemed to give the Steelers a jolt of life.
• Steelers fans on Twitter whine about Tony Romo rooting against the Steelers, and although he annoys me (pretty much all analyst do), I don't see that--until this game. But, then again, Romo is a former Dallas Cowboy. 
• No pass interference calls in this game (and there was a lot of touching), so maybe the refs are reading my NFL updates?
• In the last five minutes, both the offense and the defense did just enough to eke out that win. Wow. Crazy.

Other:

• COVID was rampant this week in the NFL. Several teams shut their training facilities, and several teams had a player testing positive. The NFL, however, has made it possible to continue playing by giving teams more players to replace those out with the virus. Nothing is going to hinder the owners from making bank! The NFL gave new COVID protocols requiring players to wear mandatory masks during pregame and postgame interactions with the threat of eventually going to mandatory masks for everyone except those on the field. Well, duh. But what will be the rules, and how will they be enforced? I mean, a player pops off the field for one play--must he put on a mask? Are the water peeps going to bring masks along with the Gatorade bottles? Are those mask spies at each game going to start a timer before they mark players in their books to fine them? Maybe the NFL should've considered a whole slew of things before they pushed for the season to begin.
• Carolina pulled a fake punt on a fourth down with Joseph Charleton throwing a great pass for the first down. I always wonder why more teams don't try these special team plays. Mix things up.
• Washington's quarterback Kyle Allen had this week's gross injury when his ankle went one way while his leg went the other. Word is it is only dislocated, but he'll have an MRI today. Alex Smith came in as the back-up--that would be Smith, who had his own gross leg injury that kept him away from the game for almost two years.
• I couldn't help but notice that Mike McCarthy looks like he's put on some added weight. I can say the same with the Bucs Bruce Arians and Kansas City's Andy Reid. I'm not one to talk, but then again, I'm not coaching an athletic team. Are these athletes not some kind of motivation? Jeez, if I was surrounded by these guys, I'd be asking them to whip me into shape. These fat, white coaches need to step up and start getting healthy. 
• The Buffalo Bills were on fire this week while teams usually on fire like the Colts and the Seahawks struggled. Poor teams--the Falcons and the Giants--won while good teams like the Steelers and the Chiefs were lucky to pull out their wins. Week 9 was all over the place.
• The early games came down to some exciting endings with less than two minutes to go. Jacksonville had a shot to tie the Texans but missed the two-point conversion. After being down 20-3 at halftime, Denver came within a touchdown of tying Atlanta but was too tired to pull it off, and the Carolina Panthers kicker Joey Slye missed a 67-yard field goal by booting it wide right to lose 33-31 against the Chiefs.
• Thank you, New Orleans, for not only taking out the Bucs but KILLING them and embarrassing them on their own damn field. They lost my respect with the AB addition, and no, I will not change my opinion of Tom Brady. He almost had me, during a weak moment in wanting Tampa to have help with their young receivers, but NO MORE. What was I thinking? Brady is all about himself and winning, and he doesn't care how he does it legally or not or who he has to do it with. Yuck!