A Bittersweet View from Texas

You do not know this, but Tony Dungy was my favorite Steeler growing up. Not so much because of what he did ON the field, but because of what I learned about him as he went on to be a coach.

When Chuck Noll retired In 1991, I was a leading advocate for Tony Dungy, who had been a leading Defensive Coordinator for a long time by this point, to replace him. As you well know, that did not happen and I am satisfied with the way things have turned out. Both for the Steelers and for him.

My view on Monday night's game is, as I always like to say, grounded in objectivity. While I pledge eternal allegiance to the Steelers, I am a realist who doesn't let my personal allegiances cloud what I know I saw.

The best team won on Monday. Yes, mistakes were made, but even without those mistakes, Indianapolis had plenty to keep the Steelers at bay. Are the Steelers good enough to beat the Colts? Yes. But more often than not, they won't. Once upon a time, the Steelers matched up favorably with the Colts. Those days are gone.

The defense you see should look familiar. It is a VERY similar Defense to the Defense that Jon Gruden rode to his Super Bowl championship in Tampa. Lightning fast and unforgiving. Quick to the ball and aggressive. It IS a championship caliber defense, and it complements the offense nicely.

Things do not bode well for the Steelers THIS year. The road to Super Bowl Xtra Large will clearly run through a city with less than Three Rivers.

Hopefully it won't also be INDOORS.

Colts 26, Steelers 7

Steeler football won this game.

It just wasn't played by Pittsburgh.

Last I checked, the Steelers' basic game plan is to pound the ball up the middle with a bruising back or two while keeping the secondary honest with the threat of the deep ball if they crowded the line of scrimmage to stop the run. The Colts' first play from scrimmage was a bomb to Marvin Harrison that exposed the veteran Ike Taylor making a rookie mistake. That caused Dick LeBeau to keep Troy back in the secondary and mostly away from the line of scrimmage where Edgeran James ran for 124 yards on 29 carries - the first 100-yard rusher that the Steelers have allowed in 23 games.

The vaunted Indy offense was impressive in their efficiency, but the Steeler defense did its job - they held Indy under 30 points. Our problem was on offense. Big Ben looked like he hadn't played NFL football in a month - he was as rusty as we expected - but Ben wasn't the problem Monday night, the offensive game plan was. Indy has an exceedingly fast defense, but that speed comes at the expense of size. There is no way that Indy could have taken a full 4 quarters of Deuce and The Bus, yet Whisenhunt tried to out-speed Indy with Fast Willie? I'm a certified Fast Willie fan, but you need the right back for the right job, and the job on Monday night was to beat up the Colts for 4 quarters - wear them down then score at will - and that is a job for big, bruising backs, not Fast Willie. This is two games in a row where the coaching staff has put together a mind-boggling game plan that looked nothing like Steeler football and ultimately lost the game.

Failure is unacceptable.

The coaching staff has the appearance of a group of guys who are comfortable in their jobs, who lack the hunger and drive necessary to win championships. There is a reason why football fans watch every Sunday - every game matters. Any given Sunday you can win or you can lose. This isn't baseball where you have 162 games and can afford a bad night or two, in football every game matters - the Steelers could not afford to play around with Baltimore last week and couldn't afford to lose to the Colts this week. Next week a hungry Bengals team is coming into Hines Field knowing that if they don't win that game then they are likely out of the playoffs - with 4 conference losses they would lose the Wild Card tiebreaker to both San Diego and Kansas City. The same thing applies to the Steelers all the more, but the coaching staff doesn't seem to have the drive to gameplan for championships, the hunger to go get it. The game against the Bengals this Sunday will test Cowher's strategic and tactical coaching ability (35-78 lifetime in games where the Steelers never led by 10 points or more) and will determine the Steelers' fate for the season - let us pray that Cowher can get up for the challenge.

Otherwise we may need a new coaching staff...

Week 12 Prognostication

Here's this week's wild guesses well-researched selections. (Home teams capitalized.)

THE GAMES	TIME/DAY	DAVE'S PICKS	DON'S PICKS	OSCAR'S PICKS
Atlanta 3 over DETROIT	12:30 Thursday	Atlanta	Hotlanta	Predatory Fowl
Denver 2 1/2 over DALLAS	4:15 Thursday	Denver	Denver	Orange Crush
Carolina 4 over BUFFALO	1:00 Sunday	Panthers	Carolina	Gamecocks
CINCINNATI 9 over Baltimore	1:00 Sunday	Bengals	Cincin	Brothers Johnson
KANSAS CITY 3 over New England	1:00 Sunday	KC	Patriots	Brady Bunch
MINNESOTA 4 1/2 over Cleveland	1:00 Sunday	Cleveland	Vikings	Love Boat
San Diego 3 over WASHINGTON	1:00 Sunday	Chargers	Chargers	Powder Blue
St. Louis 4 over HOUSTON	1:00 Sunday	Rams	Rams	Nelly n em
TAMPA BAY 3 over Chicago	1:00 Sunday	Chicago	DA' BEARS	Windy City
TENNESSEE 7 1/2 over San Francisco	1:00 Sunday	Tennesee	Titans	Commodores
Jacksonville 3 over ARIZONA	4:05 Sunday	Jacksonville	Jaguars	J-Ville
OAKLAND 7 over Miami	4:05 Sunday	Raiders	DA' Raaydaars	Oaktown
PHILADELPHIA 4 1/2 over Green Bay	4:15 Sunday	Philadelphia	Packers	National Fowl
SEATTLE 4 1/2 over N.Y. Giants	4:15 Sunday	Seahawks	Seahawks	Waterbourne Fowl
New Orleans 1 1/2 over N.Y. JETS	8:30 Sunday	NY Jets	Jets	N'Awlins
INDIANAPOLIS 7 1/2 over Pittsburgh	9:00 Monday	I'll pick the Steelers cause they aren't favored	Steelers	Big Ben 'n 'em
Week 11		12-4	11-5	13-3
Season		101-42	90-55	96-49

Ravens 16, Steelers 13

Tommy Maddox threw the ball thirty-six times.

No one really thinks we should WIN a game when Tommy Maddox throws the ball thirty-six times.

I am glad we lost. Let that be a lesson to those who call the plays for the Black and Gold.

I cannot understand the logic. In all my years of watching football, never have I been so exasperated by offensive play calling.

Week 11 Newsletter

Week 11 Prognostication

Here's this week's wild guesses well-researched selections. (Home teams capitalized.)

THE GAMES	TIME/DAY	DAVE'S PICKS	DON'S PICKS	OSCAR'S PICKS
ST. LOUIS 10 over Arizona	1:00 Sunday	Rams	Rams
NEW ENGLAND 10 over New Orleans	1:00 Sunday	Pats	Patriots
NY GIANTS 7 over Philadelphia	1:00 Sunday	NYG	G-MEN
WASHINGTON 6 over Oakland	1:00 Sunday	Native Americans	Da' RAAYDAARS
Pittsburgh 4 over BALTIMORE	1:00 Sunday	___________	Nails of Steel
ATLANTA 6 over Tampa Bay	1:00 Sunday	Falcons	Hotlanta
Carolina 3 over CHICAGO	1:00 Sunday	Bears	Carolina
CLEVELAND 2 over Miami	1:00 Sunday	Browns	Cleveland
DALLAS 8 over Detroit	1:00 Sunday	Dallas	Cowgirls
Jacksonville 4 over TENNESSEE	1:00 Sunday	Jags	Jaguars
Seattle 12 over SAN FRANCISCO	4:15 Sunday	Hawks	Seahawks
Denver 13 over NY JETS	4:15 Sunday	Broncs	Sick, white horse...
Indianapolis 6 over CINCINNATI	4:15 Sunday	Cincinnati	Colts...in a shoot-out
SAN DIEGO 10 over Buffalo	4:15 Sunday	Bolts	Chargers
Kansas City 6 over HOUSTON	8:30 Sunday	Chiefs	KC
GREEN BAY 4 over Minnesota	9:00 Monday	Pack	Who cares?...Packers
Week 11		10-5	11-5	9-7
Season		89-38	79-50	83-46

Pray Without Ceasing

Tommy Maddox will start this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

Pray.

Live from the Dallas Galleria: It's the View from Texas Week 10

The more I watch football, the more I realize what my stepfather taught me is true:

You cannot truly be successful in the NFL without running the football and having defense as the cornerstone of your franchise.

One reason the Steelers have never been a truly awful team in my lifetime is that they have always run the ball at least adequately and stopped the run with some regularity.

No team in football has been successful without these two key linchpins of football.

If you live by your quarterback, you will die by your quarterback, no matter WHO he is.

As I sit in a mall in Dallas, TX with a sweatshirt on, I am finally reminded that the REAL football season is just now beginning. This time of year is what separates the men from the boys. This time of year is when the brand of football all Steeler Fans have come to know to be the truth will become evident.

It is for THIS reason that I have constantly harked on the fact that unless the Steelers get the Vaunted Indianapolis Colts on the frozen tundra of Heinz Field in January, the road to Oscar's hometown will take a decidedly uphill appearance.

Watch the Colts/Bengals game very closely. This will be the first REAL game the Colts play this year, other than the Patriots game and the Jaguars game. This game is far more important to the Bengals than it is to the Colts. The Bengals cannot escape the fact that they got mushed at HOME by the Steelers. To catch anything approximating that from the Colts - again at home - would be devastating to the psyche of a young team, especially one that STILL has to travel to Pittsburgh with the division on the line.

As for the Colts, remember this: when was the last time you saw THEM without their starting Quarterback?

Steelers 34, Browns 21

Make that 96-1-1.

The score from this game is deceptive - the game wasn't that close. The Browns blocked a late field goal attempt and ran it back for a touchdown, and with less than 30 seconds left in the game they scored a slop-time touchdown. After giving up a touchdown on the initial drive - again - the Steelers shut the Browns down in every aspect of the game. It was 24-7 mid-way through the third quarter and the Browns were force-fed a healthy dose of Deuce and the Bus. Even Verron Haynes scored a touchdown after the Browns special teams' touchdown, running it in on 4th and goal from the 11. Think about that for a second - the Browns couldn't stop the Steelers' 4th string running back from scoring a touchdown on 4th and goal from the 11 yard line.

Total. Domination.

Unfortunately, Charlie Batch broke his hand at the end of the 1st half and Tommy Maddox was pressed into service for the second half. Tommy's first throw went for 3 yards and his second throw was intercepted. Fortunately, the Browns were called for cheating on the play (personal foul, face mask) so the Steelers kept the ball and got 15 free yards. Tommy missed most every throw that he threw beyond the line of scrimmage, and they weren't even close. Heath Miller is at least 6'5" yet Tommy overthrew him by a good ten feet. He missed Randel El. He missed Hines Ward, although Randel El hit Ward with a pretty 51-yard pass off of a fake end-around. Tommy did a great job of blocking on that play so maybe the Steelers should convert him to fullback where he can back up Dan Kreider.

Pray for Charlie Batch's hand to heal.

Seriously.

Fasting would be a good idea too.

Big Ben is hopeful that he'll be ready for the Indianapolis game, but between here and there we have to play a Ravens team that gave us all that we could handle a few weeks ago. Charlie Batch was lighting up the Cleveland defense in the first half (13/19, 150 yds) and would have been perfectly comfortable starting against the Ravens, but as of right now it looks like Tommy Maddox will be starting for the Steelers next Sunday.

Pray for Charlie Batch's hand to heal.

Seriously.

One incredibly good note from this game was that Hines Ward broke John Stallworth's record for career receptions with the Steelers. Prayerfully, someone will actually be able to pass the ball to Hines against the Ravens' defense.

Pray for Charlie Batch's hand to heal.

Seriously.

Week 10 Newsletter

An open letter to Cedrick Wilson

"It's frustrating ... because I want statistics, just like anybody else that's on offense. That's the only way you keep a job in this league. But, at the same time, there's nothing I can do. I guess I could gripe about it."

-- Cedrick Wilson

Dear Mr. Wilson,

The purpose of me writing this letter to you is to give you an objective and reasoned response to your plight. I am a Christian and that is my first and foremost obligation. I am also a life-long fan of the Steelers and I am all too aware of the tenuous relationship between Steeler Fans and players who express anything other than unmitigated gratitude towards them and the team they love so much. Much of this stems from the exorbinant salaries that are commanded by professional athletes. Some of it, sadly stems from a racial element that is too tangential to be discussed here. What is evident here is a simple issue, in my estimation.

Mr. Wilson, you are one of maybe 1000 men on the planet who can play NFL wide receiver. Of those 1000 men, you are probably better than 90% of them, and you believe you are better than 99% or maybe even all of them. But at the midway point of the season, you have 9 catches. That is not representative of the kind of money you make, and it is NOT going to get you Marvin Harrison, Terrell Owens, or even Hines Ward money.

Mr. Wilson, let me let you in on a secret. I am positive the Steelers saw in you a player who would fit into what we do here. I am indeed sorry that you didn't do more research into how Bill Cowher likes his offense run, but you are in a much better situation professionally than you were in San Francisco. No, you will not get the ball thrown to you like you did there. Nor will you have to go home with an L more often than not. Success in this town has its own reward. There is a love we have for good soldiers on this team. You were brought here to be a STEELER wide receiver and that, as you have seen, is a bit different than it is in other cities. At no point in the history of this team as I have known it, have the Steelers been a pass-first team (and successful at the same time). The Steelers throw to keep the defense from bunching up the line, and if they have a lead...they do not throw the ball at all. The unfortunate thing, Mr. Wilson, is that the better the Steelers play, the less they throw the ball. So the decision ultimately becomes this: Do you want stats...or do you want to win?

THAT answer, Mr. Wilson, will ultimately determine your success in Pittsburgh, and in life.

Let me close this letter by saying that I thank you for taking millions of dollars to play for a championship contending team, and that I appreciate your sacrifice of statistics for victories, so long as that is what it is. I miss Plaxico Burress, but I see that he is happier in New York and I wish him well. You are our receiver now, and as long as you wear the black and gold #80 I will continue to cheer for you and wish you well. Let me close with this:

And let us not be weary in well doing:
for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not.

Galatians 6:9

Week 10 Prognostication

Here's this week's attempt to catch up to Dave. (Home teams capitalized.)

THE GAMES	TIME/DAY	DAVE'S PICKS	DON'S PICKS	OSCAR'S PICKS
DETROIT 4 over Arizona	1:00 Sunday	Arizona	Lions	Kwame's Kats
BUFFALO 2 1/2 over Kansas City	1:00 Sunday	Buffalo	Chiefs	Vermeil's Boys
CHICAGO 13 1/2 over San Francisco	1:00 Sunday	Chicago	CHI	Chi Town
INDIANAPOLIS 17 1/2 over Houston	1:00 Sunday	Indianapolis	Nap-town	Hoosiers
JACKSONVILLE 6 1/2 over Baltimore	1:00 Sunday	Jacksonville	Jaguars	The Get Fresh Crew
New England 3 over MIAMI	1:00 Sunday	New England	Patriots	Brady Bunch
N.Y. GIANTS 9 1/2 over Minnesota	1:00 Sunday	NY Giants	G-MEN	Gotham
CAROLINA 9 over N.Y. Jets	4:05 Sunday	Carolina	Carolina	Felines
Denver 3 over OAKLAND	4:05 Sunday	Denver	Denver	Equestrian Society
ATLANTA 9 1/2 over Green Bay	4:15 Sunday	Atlanta	Hotlanta	A-Town
SEATTLE 7 over St. Louis	4:15 Sunday	Seattle	Seattle	Puget Sound
Washington 1 1/2 over TAMPA BAY	4:15 Sunday	Washington	Redskins	Potomic Drainage Basin
PITTSBURGH 8 over Cleveland	8:30 Sunday	_______	How nice of you Dave! Steelers!	Deuce & a Quarterback
PHILADELPHIA 3 over Dallas	9:00 Monday	Philadelphia	How nice of you again Dave! Dallas!	JR Ewing
Week 9		8-5	10-4	10-4
Season		79-33	68-45	74-39

95-1-1

There is an incredible statistic that follows Coach Cowher every week - if the Steelers get ahead of an opponent by 10 points or more at any point in the game then the Steelers are 95-1-1. 95-1-1! That is obscene - nobody is better than that when it comes to playing with a lead. It's almost perfect. It isn't hard to understand how this comes about - the Steelers run the football, and that eats up the clock, leaving the opposition with precious little time to mount a comeback against a defense that is already blitz-happy and sends quarterbacks to the whirlpool faster than the angel of Bethesda.

Therefore, the Steeler strategy would seem to be simple against Cleveland this Sunday - score twice quickly while stifling the Browns offense and then sit on the ball, giving them a heavy dose of Deuce with occasional peeks at the back of Fast Willie's jersey.

The importance of accomplishing this strategy is highlighted by the other end of the 95-1-1 statistic: in games where the Steelers under Cowher were never ahead of the opponent by 10 points or more the Steelers are 35-76 since 1992. Don has pointed it out to me several times that Cowher does not coach well in a dogfight, that Cowher doesn't manage the game very well from behind or when tied, but Cowher is indeed unstoppable with a comfortable lead. Understanding our weaknesses is essential to overcoming them, and knowing what it means for this team to be up by a comfortable margin should be more than enough motivation for the offense to kick it up a gear and for the defense to stop the Browns' initial drive cold.

One can hope.

The View from Texas at the Midway point

If you think rust is bad on an automobile, try having it on your starting quarterback. Charlie Batch WILL be the starter on Sunday against Cleveland at home on Sunday night on ESPN, a fact that surely vexes the good folk @ Chez Mickey and Goofy who are girding themselves for another Sunday Night Stinker.

No matter, this game will look a lot like the Green Bay game, which was like 1976 all over again - when a journeyman QB named Mike Kruczek handed off a lot and threw ONLY when necessary. It will be ugly...and we WILL win.

It seems difficult to fathom, but Steeler fans must get used to the fact that we have a franchise quarterback, and when that quarterback is unavailable, there will be a considerable dropoff. Yes, I wrote here that it was no big deal. I came back a little later and said that we needed the Big Dog when the games really counted. A little later I rattled off the schedule and the road the Steelers had to travel. These two weeks were the closest to off weeks the Steelers would have. Green Bay and Cleveland (at home) leads into @ Baltimore, @ Indianapolis, Cincinnati and then Chicago. Indianapolis is gunning to run the table all the way to Home Field Advantage and it is really important to do what we can to make sure Indianapolis at least has to come through Heinz Field in January.

In the meantime, the Steelers grind on...accumulating injuries but perservering on.

Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things.
Phillipians 4:8

Steelers 20, Packers 10

When I was in the Air Force Academy we once went on a navigation training flight. The plane was a military version of a 737 and the pilot showed us something that freaked us out - while flying level he suddenly went right full-rudder. The plane didn't budge. He then went from right full- to left full-rudder. Again, the plane didn't budge. The pilot explained to us that the reason that the Air Force used the 737 for navigation training was that it flew like a brick, but like a brick in motion it is incredibly hard to shake from its vector - an incredibly good trait for navigation training.

I was reminded of this little episode in my life by this game. We went right full-rudder with Charlie Batch as quarterback - no change in the offense. We went left full-rudder by switching out Fast Willie for Deuce - no change in the offense. So long as you don't do something really stupid - like reversing the engines mid-flight or throwing into quadruple coverage - the Steelers will grind out 20-30 points every game.

Charlie Batch had an interception on a miscommunication with Hines Ward and he took a sack off of a bad shotgun snap, but while he certainly didn't light up Lambeau Field with his passing proficiency, he also didn't lose the game for us. When you have The Bus, Deuce, and Fast Willie in the backfield and Hines Ward and Heath Miller as reliable receivers then the quarterback doesn't have to do much to keep the Steeler machine moving. Charlie did his job.

And Hines Ward about knocked some poor DB into next week while blocking for Deuce - we'll get his name next week when we catch up to him because he got JACKED UP.

Once again, the Steelers did what was necessary to win. Next up is the Cleveland Browns - we need to make a statement and there is no better team for the Steelers to use in that fashion than the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are coming off of a win and feeling pretty good about themselves - we'll have to come strong if we expect to change that for them.

Week 9 Newsletter

Prognostication Week 9

Here are our picks for week 9. (Home teams capitalized.)

THE GAMES	TIME/DAY	DAVE'S PICKS	DON'S PICKS	OSCAR'S PICKS
Detroit - MINNESOTA, even	1:00 Sunday	Detroit	Lion's roar	Tails: Joey n 'em
Atlanta 2 1/2 over MIAMI	1:00 Sunday	Atlanta	Hotlanta	Hotlanta
Carolina 1 1/2 over TAMPA BAY	1:00 Sunday	Carolina	Tampa	Cats
Cincinnati 3 over BALTIMORE	1:00 Sunday	Cincinnati	Cincin	Bungles
CLEVELAND 3 over Tennessee	1:00 Sunday	Cleveland	Titans	Mistake By The Lake
JACKSONVILLE 13 1/2 over Houston	1:00 Sunday	Jacksonville	Jaguars	J Ville
KANSAS CITY-Oakland, off	1:00 Sunday	KC	KC	KC Kasem
San Diego 6 1/2 over N.Y. JETS	1:00 Sunday	San Diego	Chargers	Bolts
Seattle 4 over ARIZONA	1:00 Sunday	Seattle	Seahawks	Starbucks
Chicago 3 over NEW ORLEANS at Baton Rouge, La.	4:05 Sunday	Chicago	Da BEARS	Lovie's Lot
N.Y. Giants 11 over SAN FRAN.	4:05 Sunday	NY Giants	GIANTS	Little Manning
Pittsburgh 4 over GREEN BAY	4:15 Sunday	One Sunday I am just going to leave this blank so you guys can catch up	Here We Go...	Batch Job
WASHINGTON 3 over Philadelphia	8:30 Sunday	Philadelphia	Skins	Boys To Men
Indy 3 1/2 over NEW ENGLAND	9:00 Monday	Indianapolis	I've learned my lesson...Patriots	Big Manning
Week 9		13-2	11-4	13-2
Season		71-28	58-41	64-35

Batch Job

Big Ben had arthroscopic surgery yesterday - a 15-minute procedure - and will be down for the next 10-14 days. In the meantime, Charlie Batch is in the queue to execute the Steeler game plan. There are those who would be concerned about turning the keys over to the third-string quarterback, but this is no ordinary third-string quarterback. Charlie was the starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions - stop laughing - and was one of the lone bright spots on that blighted team. He had no protection whatsoever from his offensive line, no running game behind him, and receivers who were so bad that the Lions subsequently used three consecutive 1st round picks on wide outs. Charlie, coming off of a shoulder injury that prompted the Lions to dump him and his $2 million salary in 2001, came to Pittsburgh and backed up Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox. Once Kordell was jettisoned the Tommy Gun offense was installed and worked fairly well - for a season. Then the Steelers lucked up on the steal of the 2004 draft - Big Ben.

Charlie Batch wasn't on the third string because he was a mediocre quarterback, he's simply found himself in situations where hot quarterbacks were in front of him. Charlie actually had an opportunity to sign with a couple teams that would have started him, but he came to the Steelers for less money and less opportunity because he loves Pittsburgh and he loves the Steelers. How can you not root for this guy?

I have every confidence that Charlie Batch will do just fine Sunday against Green Bay. Watch and see.

A Day late in the Great State of Texas

It is always good when your friends quote ya in their posts. The truth is I prefer winning ugly even to winning pretty. Do not be fooled by the Absence of All-Pro defenders, Baltimore is a decent team, especially on Defense, and ESPECIALLY when they play Pittsburgh.

Just as in the Days of old, division teams will always get up for the Steelers. The Ravens HATE the Steelers and are also a desperate team clinging to respectability. there are about 15-20 players on that team with Super Bowl rings, so they know full well what is at stake. A win in Pittsburgh can turn their season around, so they gave the performance of the season.

But alas, this is not their year. This year belongs to the Steelers. That's right, I said it.

This year is the year. Not last year, and if we were here, I would have told you so. I was along for the ride and enjoying it, but it didn't feel right. it FEELS right this year.

One thing stands in the way.

The health of Big Ben.

Yeah, I know I wrote about the beauty of winning ugly. Now I am writing that in JANUARY, you need your Big Gun.

Pray the man's stength and Keep the faith.

Steelers 20, Ravens 19

As Dave noted a few weeks ago, the Steelers have a knack for winning ugly, and this game was one of the ugliest wins that I have seen in a while. Big Ben was hit early and you could tell that he was playing in pain - although Ben at 50% is still preferable to Maddox at 100%, yet we'll not go there. Heath Miller caught 3 passes for 18 yards and 2 touchdowns while Fast Willie and The Bus combined for 85 yards rushing on 22 carries. The defense kept giving up yards to an offensive Ravens offense, but mostly limited them to field goals (4/5 and 1 touchdown).

Hines Ward once again showed that he is tough as nails and worth every penny that the Steelers are paying him. Hines put on a clinic Monday Night, demonstrating what it means to run tight routes, to watch the ball all the way in, to take wicked hits and bounce right back up - grinning. Hines Ward is certainly my favorite Steeler as well.

Thanks to a mental lapse by Rookie long-snapper Greg Warren, Chris Gardocki had to do his best Garo Yepremian imitation from Super Bowl VII. It turns out that Gardocki is Yepremian's equal in the passing game.

This was an ugly game, but in the end Big Ben drove the Steelers down for the winning field goal and the defense stopped the Ravens on 4th down when it counted, with an assist from Anthony Wright whose last pass was about as accurate as a Zedekiah (son of Kenaanah) prophesy. The Steelers did what was necessary to win, but just getting by will not get us to Super Bowl XL. The Steelers were supposed to blow the Ravens out of Heinz field - especially with them missing Ed Reed and Ray Lewis - and we barely escaped with the win. It's time to step it up - Brett Farve is next on the To-Do List, and he has something to prove after imploding this week against the Bengals. Don't let the 1-6 record fool you - sleepwalk against Green Bay and we will walk out of Lambeau Field with a big fat "L" next week.

Week 8 Newsletter