Did you expect anything else? Nose-breaking, head concussing, nerve-racking, superman-ish, smash-mouth football with testosterone crashing wave-upon-wave for 60 minutes. NFL--THIS... IS... FOOTBALL! I can't believe these two teams survive two games a season against one another let alone the occasional three.
THE BAD
1. Officiating--Since the Cincinnati game I've been saying this almost every week; that was the worst officiated game I've ever seen. (I missed the first quarter but I guess Baltimore could complain about their seven penalties in that period.) I'm becoming more convinced that there is some sort of conspiracy against the Steelers this year. There is no other explanation for it. (More on this in another blog.) THEN there was the non-call. yeah, that one. You can't convince me that if James Harrison had made that hit there wouldn't have been a flag.
2. Running game--What running game? Well, I'm a bit conflicted about this. My strategy would have been to go to an up-tempo all-passing game plan. No one would have expected that. Use the pass to set up the run especially against the Ravens who go balls-out to stop the run and are a bit susceptible in the secondary.
3. Will ANYONE please block Terrell Suggs? I think I saw what has to be the worst blocking attempt ever by Hines Ward last night going after Suggs on the first-and-goal run after Sanders' catch. Watch it again and tell me what you think.
I've got to get a shirt like this made for next season, substituting Ravens for Steelers of course.
4. Offense play calling--I'm certain now that the only reason Arians is still with the Steelers is because Ben loves him. Why, I don't now. They need someone who will force some pocket-discipline on him. I can hear it over the headphones: "Ben, this is Bruce. Here we wanna use the bunch-right-gun triple-pump-scramble. Just find somebody to throw to; if not, take the sack."
5. Sanders--After a good catch at the Baltimore 3 he lays there like a dead mackerel when the smart play is to get up, roll, crawl, whatever to the end zone just in case you haven't been touched. Brown came over and tried to drag him up but he was brain dead.
6. Ward--This could have been his worst game ever. The aforementioned attempted block on Suggs, several other poor or non-blocks, a critical dropped ball on third down, etc. But the tape Hines.
7. Lawrence Timmons must be hurt. He's done very little after a tremendous first 5 games.
8. Sepulveda--What now? First, tell him to stop trying to tackle on kick coverage. It's two season's in a row he's been hurt in that way. His injury displays another weakness in having your punter as your holder. If Sepulveda is done you're now brining in both a new punter AND a new holder. Not exactly what you need at a critical juncture in the season. The other weakness is you give up the potential for a fake kick with no "skill" player as your holder. I suggest next season the backup QB holds.
THE GOOD
2. Can we assume Ben has finally learned to throw the ball away instead of taking sacks and putting the offense in a hole? Or was it that he just didn't want his schnoz rearranged any further.
3. Bruce Arians CAN call a good play occasionally. The "hitch" to Mike Wallace in the third quarter with Ward going in motion on the opposite side and re-setting in the backfield. Let's try that sort of thing more often.
4. Ben--Breaking loose from Suggs on first down at the 9 and buying room to backhand a pass out-of-bounds, saving a sack. I guess that's why he's "that guy."
5. Then again, there's the call for a run on first (AND second) down at the Baltimore 3 after the pass to Sanders. Who the hell didn't see THAT coming?!?
6. Sanders--Great tackle on the kick off following the Steelers' TD. Exactly what was required at that moment.
7. Redman--Hot read and great catch and run for the TD. Now why can't the WRs do that?
8. Did I mention Troy?
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