The Prodigal Pittsburgher Master Blog: MOVING THROUGH THE STAGES OF GRIEF

1. SHOCK - I can't believe another "miracle" occurred for the Broncos at Mile High. This is one of the things I feared most prior to the start of the game and why I wanted to play ANYWHERE else even if it was in Baltimore. I can probably Google my ass off today and find at LEAST fifteen such occurances in the past 40 years (even without Elway) but I don't have the energy. Those of you who have followed pro football over that period of time know of what I speak. Also, Tebow goes from a frog to the second coming of Darryl Lamonica essentially over night. He even played like a Tebow at times in the same game while reincarnating Darryl Lamonica. WTF!

2. DENIAL - The Broncos put up 450 yards on the number one ranked defense in the NFL. How is this possible? And that includes 300+ passing by Tebow/Lamonica against the number one rated pass defense.

3. BARGAINING - I'll spot you 10 points if you let us play Batch instead of Roethlisberer in a do-over.

4. GUILT - Should fall entirely on the Steelers defense and offensive line. Two sacks on the Steelers' final drive (one a sack-strip-fumble) when the Broncos only rushed three? Really? Does anyone remember the Steelers' final drive of SB XLV? And no sacks of Tebow/Lamonica?

5. ANGER - Playing Ben at all? Batch would have done better. Playing Cotchery instead of Ward, one of the greatest playoff receivers of all time? [I'm talking about the first pass hemissed while wide open that would have kept a drive alive, not the TD; Ward wold have had that one easy as well.] Ike Talyor playing like Ike Clanton, without a gun? MORE injuries to key people? Even if the Steelers would have won they couldn't have been ready to play the School for the Blind this Sunday. Almost NO big plays by big playmakers? Ben;s interception that led to a field goal that essentially won the game as the Steelers had to score a TD just to tie at the end.