Steel City Jim

We left on Sunday for our trip to Sarasota. Two and a half days and 1,265 miles later we arrived at our destination ... or so said our lady friend in the Garmin GPS. We took a longer route this year, going west to Columbus, Ohio, and then heading south. This enabled us to make a little visit to Chattanooga, which enjoyed very much. It reminded us of Pittsburgh as it sits on a river (Tennessee) and mountains surround it.

Being in the car on Sunday I heard most of the Ravens-Patriot game on the radio. I kept expecting Tom Brady to pull away with some brilliant passing. But I have to think the Ravens' defense kept him pretty much in check. In the meantime, Joe Flacco was connecting on big plays. I got into the motel just as Flacco threw to Lee Evans in the end zone. Had Evans held on to the ball, it would have put the Ravens up by four points and probably out of reach of Brady to get a TD to pull it out. But Evans allowed a second stringer to knock the ball out of his hands. Wow, what a bonehead play by Evans!

Then the Ravens had just enough time for Billy Cundiff to kick a field goal that would have sent the game into overtime. It was a chip shot. Cundiff pulled it to the right. Game over. It reminded me of Adam Vinatieri missing one for the Colts against the Steelers a few years ago. This enabled the Steelers to go on and eventually win the Super Bowl. It's great when it happens FOR your team. It's sickening when it happens AGAINST your team.

I saw parts of the Giants-Niners game. This one came down to a Niner fumbling a kickoff and the Giants kicking a field goal to win it. What a close game! In fact both of them were. Either team could have won. Eli Manning was something. He took more thumpings than Ben Roethlisberger does in an average game. But he kept coming back, extending plays, and completing clutch passes. Tremendous effort.
Hey, those Harbaugh boys are some kind of coaches. Ran into a guy at the motel breakfast on Monday morning. He's from Michigan and knows the Harbaugh family. He said John (Baltimore) is a nice guy. He wasn't as complimentary words Jim.

Baltimore fans, I completely understand your agony. I've been there. Giants fans, I totally comprehend your joy. I've been there.

So, now we have Brady against E. Manning. That's too close to call.

I have been listening to NFL radio in the car. The biggest question of the day, besides who will win the Super Bowl and who will coach Oakland, Miami and Tampa Bay, is what the Colts should do about P. Manning and the $28 million he will get this year if they keep him. $28 million! How can they afford that when he's 100 percent OK? And how can they justify paying him that when his future is cloudy, to say the least? I know he's a star, an icon, but football careers end, and think Peyton is through.

I am now thinking that the Steelers have a lot of decisions to make before long. One is whom to hire as offensive coordinator. Among other things, this guy has to get along with Ben. Bruce Arians did. But apparently the brass wasn't satisfied with his play calling and overall coaching. They also have to decide which of the old guard to retain (James Farrior, Casey Hampton, Chris Hoke, Hines Ward, etc.) and which to let go. Finally, they have to make draft decisions. One positive thing about not going to the Super Bowl is that they have an extra three or four weeks to plan. I think they need this extra time to get their heads on straight. It could also be a blessing to give the players some additional time off to heal and rest.

There were some great games over the weekend. I didn't see the Saints-49erss game as I was at a gathering. But throughout dinner, guys were checking their iPhones for scores. In that game the scoring was going back and forth almost by the minute. When the Saints took their first lead of the game at 24-23 with 4:01 left in the fourth quarter, I thought Drew Brees would cap it. But it didn't happen.

You have to say something about Jim Harbaugh. He came from the college ranks to what we thought was a so-so team. He changed the whole thing around and now the 49ers will vie for the NFC Championship -- at home. Wow!

Another wow game was the Giants upsetting Green Bay at Lambeau. I never saw that coming. I don't like Tom Coughlin. But, face it, his guys play all out for him and they made Green Bay look like a bunch of bunglers. Did you ever see so many dropped passes? Whether the bye week or the offensive coordinator's son's death had something to do with it, I don't know. But the Giants are in and the Packers are out.

I fully expected the New England rout of the Broncos. Tom Brady and his supporting cast are on another planet. Bill Belichick actually used a tight end, Aaron Hernandez, as a runner back Saturday. The guy thinks of everything. He's got to be the greatest game planner ever. Tim Tebow's pact with the devil ran out. Finally, I thought Baltimore would win, setting up the Patriots-Ravens AFC finale. But they struggled mightily against an improving Texan team ... with a third-string QB.

If you don't think home-field advantage in the NFL is just that, a huge advantage, just review all the playoff games thus far. Of all the games played to date only one visiting team emerged victorious, the Giants. Every other visiting team lost.

** Now that the Steelers are finished, I have had a chance to ruminate a bit. To wit, I am fascinated with the NFL etiquette standard that states that you can never use injuries as an excuse for losing a game. Thinking about the Steelers at the end of the 2011 season limping into the playoffs, it was virtually impossible for them to win anything. The Steelers clearly lost the game of attrition this year. But woe betide anyone having the temerity to bring up injuries to anyone in the Steeler organization. It's kind of like Obama trying to blame Bush for the economic mess Bush left him with. And he did. But six months into a new administration, the current president owns the economy, past, present and future. No excuses.

** Tim Tebow is a prime candidate for a strong political career if he wants it. Think of it ... he's extremely religious and this appeals to a lot of people, particularly in red states. He was a quarterback, which exudes leadership, and he played football, demonstrating his willingness to be a "team" player. Finally, he has name recognition beyond belief and he'll be extremely wealthy when his career ends. Anyone want to run for Congress, Senate, a governorship, or even the presidency against him?

** I agree with Robin Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Joe Paterno was not a victim in the Penn State mess. When Penn State President Rodney Erickson came to Pittsburgh last week to address a town meeting of some 600 alums, it appears that the vast majority of them took him over the coals for the manner in which the Penn State Board treated JoPa. People have to get their heads on straight. You don't go to a university, or shouldn't go, because of the football team and its coach. You go to a university for an education. I think people get their values mixed up. Some people think that the main part of a university the fraternities and sororities. You go to XYZ university, not ramma jamma gooma.

I was prepared to write the epitaph of the 2011 Steeler season. But I had it slotted for next Monday. I thought the Steelers would be able to squeak by Denver and reach their Waterloo in Foxborough. But something happened on the way ...

I wasn't very optimistic about the Steelers going too far in this year's playoffs. While all teams suffer bumps and bruises along the way and players have to suck it up this time of year, the Steelers were pretty devastated with injuries, some of which precluded players from playing at all. Starting in training camp, they lost Willie Colon for the second year in a row. With the offensive line questionable at best, Colon was the rock upon which this year's hopefully improved offensive line was to be built. Because they thought so much of Colon, they cut Max Starks. It was only in the third or fourth week, with the offensive line performing so poorly that they swallowed their pride and brought Starks back. He proved to be invaluable.

They also lost Aaron Smith for the umpteenth time. Then, a series of mishaps occurred and they knew they were without Maurkice Pouncey and Rashard Mendenhall on Sunday in Denver. Early in the game they lost Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel. Another stalwart, LaMarr Woodley, was hopefully over his hamstring injury. He started but didn't last much beyond the first series. To add to the problem, Ryan Clark was declared ineligible because his sickle cell trait prevents him from playing in high altitudes.

Finally, we were aware that Ben Roethlisberger was much less than 100 percent with his high ankle strain. The fact is that it's impossible to replace all these guys, particularly in the playoffs and in a hostile environment.

The Steelers' strategy was to prevent Tim Tebow from running the ball, thereby packing up front and daring him to pass. The fact is that either Tebow's passes were awfully errant or right on the money Sunday. It was the latter that killed the Steelers. It should be pointed out, too, that the Steelers never laid a glove on Tebow the whole game. He seemed to have foreever to get the ball out. So, we have to take our hats off to Tebow. He did what he had to do, both, as it turned out, running and passing.

I must say that the Steelers, despite their impoverished lineup, played gallantly. Roethlisberger even ran the ball on a couple of occasions. Issac Redman gained 121 yards on 17 carries. Some early obvious drops hurt drives and they had to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. But we'll certainly savor the comeback in the fourth quarter to tie the score at the end of regulation. And we'll remember how Ben almost got them within field goal range before time ran out.

In all, I must say that as one Steeler fan, I am relieved that the season ended Sunday. I know all the cliches about how any team can beat any another on any given Sunday. But, realistically, I cannot see how they would beat the rested Patriots in Foxborough next Sunday. So, the season ended a week earlier than expected. It means an extra week of rest before training camp begins, an extra week for all the guys to heal, and an extra week to plan for the draft. It's healthy given all the mishaps of 2011, and it's on to 2012.

** New Pitt head coach Paul Chryst has most of his assistants in place. That's progress. I see where there's much criticism about the hiring of Bill O'Brien at Penn State. I think it is impossible to predict the success of a new coach. He may be terrific, or he could be a bust like Charlie Weis. Anyone taking over that job from JoePa is going to have a rough time. It just may be that it will take several head coaches at Penn State until they finally settle on a real successor to Joe. Time will tell.

It's a raw, cold morning in Pittsburgh. The weather suits my mood. I feel pretty good about the Steelers making the playoffs. But I don't feel that great about how they won their last game in Cleveland, and I don't feel optimistic about how far they can go in the playoffs given that they will not get a bye week and they will be on the road.

Sunday's game was played in a gale of swirling winds and snow. The Steelers took the field with a badly ailing quarterback, among other dings. What they were not figuring on was the loss of their best runner, Rashard Mendenhall , who went down with an apparent ACL tear. (See you in training camp, buddy.)

The Steelers won 13-9, hardly a blowout. But they possessed the ball for almost 40 minutes to the Browns' 20 minutes. They just couldn't get the ball over the goal line except once. Admittedly, with the windy conditions, the thrown balls were fluttering all over the place. But they coughed up the ball twice, in successive series, on fumbles. In all, it just wasn't pretty.

There were three positives in this game. Hines Ward was able to make his 1,000th career catch. The problem with these kinds of records is that they are such a monumental achievement that they inevitably happen at the tail end of a career. (Remember the infamous Iron Man record, Baltimore fans?) Ward is all but finished. He had a very diminished role with the Steelers this season. I think giving him passes in the final game was his going-away present.

Antonio Brown, one of the most surprising sixth0round draft picks in Steeler history, went over 1,000 yards in passing yards and 1,000 yards in returns. This is an NFL record. Finally, Ben Roethlisberger escaped without further injury to his ankle. This was a minor miracle.

So, now it's off to Denver and Tebow Land. Aside from the fact that it's an away game, I think the Steelers have a good chance of winning this game. I have faith that Dick LeBeau, the Steelers' ageless defensive coordinator, can dial up some defenses that will make Tebow's head swim. The Steelers will have to make sure they have Tebow contained, however, as I am less concerned about his passing than his running. But it won't be easy, either.

The Steelers have but two healthy running backs, (unless Mewelde Moore can come back from injury), Isaac Redman and John Clay. The former can move the ball, even if he fumbled twice Sunday in Cleveland. But to spell him, they have Clay who is the rawest of rookies. He only came off the practice squad last week.

It kind of reminds me of years ago when both Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier were both out of action for a playoff game in Oakland. The Steelers only runner that day was the easily forgotten Reggie Harrison. This was the 1970's, when the Steelers and Raiders were supreme rivals. The Steelers held their own for a half, but Ken Stabler and the Raiders annihilated them in the second half. The killer is that even if the Steelers beat the Broncos next Sunday, they will have to play in Foxborough the next week. I know that the Steelers beat the Patriots this season in Heinz Field. But that game won't mean a thing against a rested Tom Brady in Foxborough. Oh well, let's take it one week at a time. What other choice is there?

From where I am sitting, I would have to say that the AFC championship will come down to the Patriots and Ravens. That would be a tough one to call. The Pats have the passing game. But the Ravens have the diminutive Ray Rice who is past the line of scrimmage before opposing defenses can pick him up among all the trees surrounding him. By then it's too late. Ask the Bengals.

As for the NFC, San Francisco and New Orleans are terrific, Atlanta ain't bad and the Ginats are peaking at the right time. But then there is Green Bay who seem to have a dynasty in the making. If you just go by quarterbacks, it will come down to Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. I think Green Bay's supporting cast is a bit stronger, but we'll see.

Did you note that the Jets benched Santonio Holmes on Sunday after he fought with a teammate? Holmes is one of the more gifted physical specimens in pro football. But from the neck up, he's garbage. That's why it wasn't all that difficult for the Steelers to part ways with him. His counterpart, Plaxico Burress, is another head case. He's another former Steeler. It didn't take long for these guys to implode. Teams that take on jerks like this are just asking for trouble.

I'll be watching Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. Their offensive coordinator, Paul Chryst, is the new Pitt head coach. I hope he does well against Oregon and for Pitt. Pitt's basketball team is in the toilet with a three-game losing streak. That's unusual for a Jamie Dixon team. But I don't see it turning around this season.

Indianapolis has the first pick in the draft. I think they should take Andrew Luck if he checks out as the very best QB in the draft. Even if Peyton Manning comes back, how long can they depend on him? And it wouldn't be such a bad idea for Luck to watch Manning for a while before taking over.

The Steelers stomped on the Rams on Sunday, shutting them out 27-0. The Rams have a terrific runner in Steven Jackson. He ripped through the Steelers for a total of 103 yards. But after Jackson, the Rams don't have much, and the Steelers exposed them for the 2-13 team they are. Quite aware that the Rams wouldn't put up much of a challenge, Mike Tomlin gave Ben Roethlisberger and his ailing high ankle sprain, the day off. He also rested Maurkice Pouncey and LaMarr Woodley. To boot, he benched Marcus Gilbert, the promising offensive lineman, because he was late for a team meeting this week. Jonathan Scott replaced him. Charlie Batch replaced Roethlisberger and did a credible job. Doug Legursky started at center, but when he went down with a strained shoulder, Trai Essex took over at center. Essex is really not a center, but he didn't botch any snaps and blocked well, too. Gilbert must have realized that Tomlin was serious, because he was willing to go with backups while Gilbert rode the oak.

It's pretty serene around here this Sunday morning. Steeler fans know that they are in the playoffs and that they are resting key players. They still have a chance of winning the AFC North if Baltmore falters next Sunday in Cincinnati and the Steelers beat the Browns. From my perspective, it is a huge longshot to expect the Ravens to lose to the Bengals. But there are two factors that could make a difference.

First is that the game is in Cincinnati and the second is that with a win Cincinnati has a chance to make the playoffs. So, the Bengals will have a major interest in winning this game. But, again, it's farfetched. The Ravens have too many weapons. I can recall back in the 1970s when the Steelers were just emerging as an elite team, they needed the Bengals to beat somebody to make sure they got into the playoffs. The very local broadcaster, Myron Cope, the inventor of the Terrible Towel, announced that if the Bengals upset their opponent in that game he would swim the Monongahela River. The Bengals miraculously won. While I don't think Myron actually swam across the pretty wide river, he jumped in and swam a few strokes. Having made his point, he quickly exited the frigid water. So, while a Bengal victory next Sunday is highly unlikely, there is precedent for it.

The Steeler season saw some interesting developments. Hines Ward seems to be the forgotten Steeler. He seems to get into games only on running plays. This would be his only role if it weren't for the fact that as of now he needs but five catches to have a total of 1,000 for his career. Some people think they will get him these five catches next week come hook or crook, and then they will let him quietly go off into the sunset.

The other major development is the emergence of younger players this year. Pouncey, Gilbert, Jason Worilds and Keenan Lewis have become integral parts of the tea, to say nothing of Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace as wide receivers. Brown, in particular has stood out on special teams and on the offense. He's been amazing.

** My hat is off to the Giants. They undressed the Jets. I have to admit that while I may not think much of Tom Coughlin, his players put out for him. And he really shut up Rex Ryan. So, he's not all that bad. The Chargers didn't amount to much in Detroit. Can't believe they will retain Norv Turner. It's too bad about Adrian Peterson. And what did you think of Jerome Simpson's leap over the Cardinal defender? That's the play of the year.

** I must admit to being pretty enthusiastic about Pitt's hiring of Paul Chryst as head coach. From everything I have read, people think he is one good coach. He looks like what the doctor ordered to repair a badly maligned Pitt football team. Todd "The Fraud" Graham left it in shambles, but I'm confident that Chryst can pick up the pieces and mold a contender.

** Oh yes, the NBA season starts today. Wake me when it's over.

When soldiers go into combat, it's a pretty well known fact that they don't fight for "Mother, God and country" but rather for their buddies fighting alongside them. I have to say that Ben's valiant effort Monday night in San Francisco echoed that sentiment. If pro football is a "war", then he was in there to lead his fellow Steelers. I can only imagine the discomfort he endured.

Despite the special appliance that we wore and taking all the chemicals known to mankind to dull the pain, he hobbled around. He passed for more than 300 yards, while suffering three interceptions and a fumble. He also seemed to start every drive deep in his own territory. So, he did his best, but it fell short. Should he have played? That's a question that a mere fan cannot answer. He did. He wasn't at his best. That's NFL football.

Despite being without Pro Bowlers James Harrison and Maurkice Pouncey, and with a severely hobbled Roethlisberger, the Steelers were in this game throughout the first half. It was that one drive by the 49ers in the third quarter that broke their backs. But you have to face it. San Francisco is a terrific team. They played lights out (pun intended) last night. Their defense is tremendous and their West Coast offense was working to perfection. And that punter, Andy Lee, late of the Pitt Panthers, stuck punt after punt within the 10-yard line. The 49ers are a testament to the NFL. This was a lousy team for many years. But they stockpiled high draft choices over several years and finally got a coach who could put this team on the map. They are there, and will be for some time to come.

The Steelers have made the playoffs. But due to two losses to Baltimore, they will be a wild card team This means they will have to play whatever playoff games they have on the road, a tall order. It is what it is.

In watching NFL games this year, I am struck by the number of major players who are Pitt grads. Here is a partial list: Revis, McCoy, Stephens-Howling, Fitzgerald, Graham, Dickerson, Baldwin, Palko and Lee. So, my question is, with all these guys in the NFL, why hasn't Pitt won much over the past decade?

Speaking of Pitt, we're just finding out what a phony Todd Graham is. He promised his "high octane" offense where no one in the stands ever sits. He exited Pitt using a text to inform his players, and employed the same patter when he was introduced as the Arizona State head coach. You can bet that everyone in Pittsburgh will be rooting for whomever Arizona State's opponent is from now on. We're also pulling for Rich Rodriguez to mine the high school talent in that area.

One more thing about Todd Graham: Pitt's football program shares a huge building with the Steelers for training and practice. While they have separate weight rooms and practice fields, for years they shared a common cafeteria. The Pitt kids could easily mix with the Steelers. It meant for good comraderie and maybe, just maybe, some of the Steeler stuff rubbed off on the Pitt players. When Graham came here, less than 11 months ago, he forbid his players from breaking bread with Steelers. He insisted that Pitt build a separate dining room, albeit the food was prepared in the same kitchen as the Steelers'. Now, I ask you what that was all about. Around here we call that runaway hubris. Good riddance, Todd Graham.

Speaking of Pitt head coaches, they seem to be zeroing in on a coach from Florida International University. This school is in Miami, and this guy reputedly is a Miami citizen through and through. I hope he knows that there aren't any palm trees, beaches or ocean views in Pittsburgh. It also snows here. It seems much more plausible to me to hire a guy from this latitude. Besides, a guy from around here should be aware of the high schools and be ready to sign some good people, although the person from Florida could get some kids from down there. Florida is a treasure trove of good football players.

The Pirates are making a big deal of signing a .233 hitting shortstop. He replaces Ronnie Cedeno, who hit about the same and was a decent fielder. So, what's the big deal? Baseball sucks.

As you know, the Steelers beat Cleveland on Thursday night. It was one of those typical ugly Steeler wins. The major problems to emerge from this game were that Ben Roethlisberger and Maurkice Pouncey suffered high ankle sprains. These are devastating to football players, especially linemen who need their ankles to get a push.

When Roethlisberger went down, it looked like the end of the season for him. He was in real pain and it showed. This occurred with eight minutes left in the first half. But when the second half began, there was Roethlisberger under center. He was limping badly, but he was there and threw some terrific passes.

How does one account for one such as Roethlisberger and his physical courage? I guess you could say that guys like him are just different from the rest of us. In the true sense of the word, he is a risk taker. I cite his riding his motorcycle without a helmet, his playing through a broken, bleeding nose, his playing now with a fractured thumb, his playing last year with a boot to protect a broken bone in his foot. Even his obvious dalliances with various women represent a certain recklessness which, in his case, is entirely unnecessary.

But you can easily understand why he leads the Steelers. In a super-macho sport, where you have to be physically strong to even step on the field, the guy who is the most physically courageous is the one looked up to. So, he leads by example, and with a lot of talent thrown in, and the rest of his teammates will follow him practically anywhere. While he's not the prettiest or quickest passer or the swiftest runner among NFL quarterbacks, would you trade him for anyone else? Maybe you would, but I don't think there's a Steeler fan anywhere who would.

Then, there's the story of James Harrison in this game. His helmet-to-helmet hit on Colt McCoy was inexcusable. Yes, McCoy was a runner on the particular play. But James didn't exactly do anything to try to avoid the helmet-to-helmet hit. Almost everyone in Pittsburgh agrees that he should be fined and that he should be suspended as well. It's the right thing. But what were the Cleveland coaches thinking when they put McCoy back into the game?

** I have concluded that, like Joe Hardy in "Damn Yankees" (from the book "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant") who made a pact with the devil to play one season with the lowly Washington Senators, Tim Tebow has got to have made a pact with the devil to be having the season he's enjoying. And, to think that the Bears pulled off stupid plays to allow the game to go into overtime, and allow Tebow pull it out. It's uncanny.

Son, Jeffrey, asked me to pick NFL games over the weekend (with the points) as he had gone a bit stale of late in his pool at the office. I did ... with no promises. One game I picked was Tebow winning. I said I'm going with him until he stumbles. With help from his defense and opposing teams, he hasn't faltered yet. So, we won that game. But who figured Jacksonville to unload on Tampa Bay by that much? Who figured the Eagles to play a game finally that they are capable of and kill an improving Dolphins? Who figured Arizona to beat the 49ers? Hey, anyone who bets these games belongs in an asylum.

** Is Lovie Smith finished in Chicago? I put the kibosh on Norv Turner a couple of weeks ago, and the Chargers have been on a roll ever since.

** The Angels signed Pujols for ten years at $25 million per year. They also signed C.J, Wilson for an additional $77 million for five years. Signing a 31-year-old to a 10-year contract boggles my mind. Baseball sucks.

If last week's 13-9 win over Kansas City was ugly, what was Sunday's 35-7 drubbing of Cincinnati, pretty? From a Steelers fan's perspective, this win was what has been long in arriving, a coming together of all three phases of the game: Offense, defense and special teams.

One could say that it is happening at the right time. The playoffs are in sight. For the Steelers it's obvious that the Ravens will win the AFC North, thereby capturing home field advantage. As a wild card, the Steelers would get one home game only if they advance to the AFC title game and there are some upsets. Tying the Ravens is the standings would still leave them as the wild card. That's because they lost two games to the Ravens and in case of a tie, the Ravens will prevail. Winning on the road is daunting, especially in the playoffs. The home team fans are out in force and yelling their lungs out. The visitors have to rely on silent signals. I wonder why teams don't use silent signals for home games and away games. It seems to me that it would make it more comfortable when they are on the road in noisy stadia.

The win over the Bengals actually started out iffy for the Steelers. After the opening kickoff they went three and out. The Bengals then ran right through them, but sputtered on about the 15-yard line. They lined up for a field goal and made it. But it was negated by a penalty. On the second attempt from five yards deeper, Cam Heyward got a mitt up and blocked the kick. The Steelers recovered and the rout was on.

Antonio Brown was on fire. Not only did he catch two balls for a total of 67 yards, but he finally ran back a punt for a TD. Rashard Mendenhall and Issac Redman ran hard, with Mendenhall scoring two TDs. Mike Wallace caught two TD passes. On defense, James Harrison had three sacks and Ike Taylor had an interception. Hey, it was how they drew it up and the Bengals limped home. They are good, all right, but playing the Steelers in Heinz Field is tough for anyone, let alone a rookie quarterback.

Looking ahead, if the Bengals play their draft cards well, they can be a powerhouse in the future. They got all those draft choices for Carson Palmer. You might say they have their ducks in a row draft-wise. Didn't they get Andy Dalton and A.J. Green in this past draft? Those guys are future Pro Bowlers.

Now, the Steelers have a short week, playing Cleveland at home on Thursday night. Their next real challenge will be the 49ers in San Francisco. That will be tough, really tough.

** Still can't get over Tim Tebow. Every time I think he has finally had it, he comes from behind and pulls out a win. Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, he's for real? Son-in-law Matt suffered through a virus and the Giants game Sunday afternoon. Here again, I thought the Giants might just pull the upset. But those Packers are just too tough. They kicked a field goal with virtually no time on the clock to win it.

I think the Dolphins aren't that bad a team. They may have just put it together, but probably too late for this season. How about the Chiefs? The Steelers had a deuce of a time with them last week even with Tyler Palko as QB. They went on the road Sunday and embarrassed the Bears. I did see where Brian Urlacher batted a ball in the end zone to a Chief on a Hail Mary. What was he thinking? Didn't that happen to San Diego last year? The Falcons are a bit lacking, would you say? And they gave the house to draft Julian Jones. I wonder how they feel about that now. Finally, what happened to Chan Gailey and his Bills? Wow, I thought they were on their way. But they have since imploded.

Pitt got some breaks and beat Syracuse on Saturday. It meant that the Panthers ended the regular season at 6-6, and thus became bowl eligible. So, they got a bowl game in Birmingham and will play SMU. I can't even recall the name of the bowl, it's so insignificant. College teams getting a bowl is like NHL teams making the playoffs. You have to be pretty bad not to get one. The Pitt coaches are happy. They get to coach (teach) for an extra couple of weeks. They liken this to another spring practice. It's also supposed to help recruiting. But I see where three assistant coaches from the present staff are defecting to coach with Rich Rodriguez in Arizona.

** The Marlins gave Jose Reyes $106 million. He's a good shortstop when he's healthy. But $106 million? Baseball sucks.

So you want to be a head coach in the NFL ... Let's talk about Todd Haley of the Kansas City Chiefs. He's the son of Dick Haley who was the personnel director of the Steelers for many years, including the 1970's. As a kid he bled black and gold. He was the offensive coordinator for the Cardinals when the Steelers beat them in the Super Bowl on Santonio Holmes' miraculous catch. Now he's head coach in KC.

OK, what do you do? Well, you're an offensive-minded coach, so you pick Romeo Crennel as your defensive coordinator. You pick up Matt Cassel as your QB. You start building your team around Cassel and you get a lot of high draft choices. You even get some Western PA marvels: Steven Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin. Now, you face the black and gold on a Sunday night and you have your guys primed. There's even an altercation on the field during the warm-ups. Your guys are ready. Crennel, the former New England assistant coach and Cleveland head coach, has drawn up a game plan against the Steelers off his vast experience in Cleveland, not to mention New England. But something happens on the way to the forum.

Cassel, a legitimate NFL QB, goes down. You look down your list of backups and what what do you see? Tyler Palko (pictured). Palko has all the tools. He was a better-than-average QB at Pitt (here's that Western PA connection again), but he's started but one NFL game. You sign Kyle Orton on Wednesday. But you can't play him because he doesn't know the system, the personnel. So, it's Palko or nothing. Boy, Crennel does his job. The Steelers are having a murderous time scoring. But Palko turns the ball over three times in the first half, and then once more when the Chiefs are driving to win the game with about 40 seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter. Game over.

Yes, it was another ugly win for the Steelers. You could say it would have had another face if Mewelde Moore hadn't fumbled as he crossed the goal line. And, it might have been different if Mike Wallace had held on to two long passes that were in his mitts. But they escaped a tough environment to eke out a win. I would also point out that at one time I saw the Steelers lining up defensively with Steven McClendon, Cameron Hayward, Jason Worilds and Keenan Lewis. None of them has been in the league for more than three years. So, you could say that a transition is under way.

** Tim Tebow maintained his incredible string of victories yesterday against the hapless Chargers. Stevie Johnson is a jerk, big time. Not only did he stupidly celebrate a TD pass by pretending to shoot himself, a la Plaxico Burress, which cost a 15-yard penalty and led to a Jets TD, but he dropped a crucial pass that could have led to a Bills' win. Last year he dropped a perfectly thrown pass in the end zone against the Steelers in overtime that would have iced the game for the Bills. The Steelers went on to win and drive towards the Super Bowl. Poor Chan Gailey. All he could do is watch. Another jerk is Ndamukong Suh. I saw him bang a player's head three times while on the ground and then kick him as he got up.

** A big subject this week is how valuable is your backup quarterback(s)? Personally, I think they are very important and should be paid accordingly. Many is the starting QB who goes down for a game or two, or even the rest of the season. If you don't have a capable backup, thar she blows.

** I planned to say that I think that Andy Reid and Norv Turner are finished in Philadelphia and San Diego respectively. But Mike and Mike stole my thunder this morning. Reid was given all the tools he supposedly needed to make a run. But his team fizzled. Turner is simply not an NFL coach. He must really be able to sell himself in interviews, but he leaves it all in the interview room. He doesn't have it on the field.

** Congrats to NBA fans. You'll have a season. Actually, starting an NBA season around the end of December makes sense to me. It's toward the end of the football season and people can begin to concentrate on basketball. But it will never happen due to revenues which the league needs desperately. As for me, they could start the NBA season in April and finish it in May and I wouldn't care.

** Pitt's basketball team, a preseason No. 9, is off to a shaky start. But the Panthers have a kid coming in next year who is 7-0 and 240 pounds. And he supposed to be a good basketball player. Can't wait to see this kid.

** Pitt's football team must beat Syracuse on Saturday to be considered for a bowl game ... one that will be played in East Overshoe, North Dakota. This is a team that had some great first halves, only to blow good leads in the second half. It happened again against West Virginia on Friday night. It's tough to watch.

** Crosby is back. Hurray!

This is the Steelers' bye week. It couldn't have come at a better time as there are many bumps and bruises to get over. But the bye week also means that emotions don't run as high in these parts as we don't have a dog in the race. So, we watch other games. But it ain't the same.

Speaking of other games, Baltimore shredded the Cincinnati rookie QB, Dalton. They really never gave him a chance to get off his quick passes. When he did, it seemed that his receivers had to make sensational catches on balls that were thrown low, wide, you get the picture. So, in a mere two weeks, the luster is off the Bengals. They are a good team on the rise, but they are not quite ready for prime time. In the meantime, the Ravens proved themselves to be the real deal and could easily get to the Super Bowl. Even without Ray Lewis, who seems to be suffering an injury that could lead to his retirement, the Ravens defense is awesome. By the way, I say that Lewis' injury could lead to the end of his long career. It's a toe problem. But I've seen it time and again ... an older player has what looks like a minor injury. But older guys can't recover as quickly and these things seem to hang on and nag until it becomes apparent that while he has slowed down considerably over the past five years, this could just do it. We'll see.

The Eagles snapped back ... with Vince Young at the helm. He did a credible job. Eli Manning couldn't get much going in his own ballpark no less. Maybe Michael Vick is overrated. He might be too inconsistent. Young looked fine. The Bears keep rolling along. They beat a decent Chargers team. The Chargers are good, but not quite there. Norv Turner is suspect. Is he really a coach that can take you to the promised land? The Dolphins have won a couple in a row. They looked good yesterday against the Bills. My question is what happened to the Bills? Here I was touting the genius of Chan Gailey, and then his team falls into the toilet. Shows you what I know.

Tonight Taylor Palko will have his first start as QB in the NFL. He'll lead the Chiefs against B/B and the Patriots on the road. Whew! That's a tough assignment. Palko is a local kid who went to Pitt. When he was at Pitt he had Larry Fitzgerald to throw to. He's a big leftie and the Pitt brass was very high on him. He did some good things, but he never seemed to be able to win the big one. When Joe Flacco matriculated at Pitt, he was Palko's designated understudy. But Flacco soon realized that Palko was the man and if he wanted to distinguish himself he'd have to transfer. So, we went to Delaware and the rest is history. Now he's one of the premier QBs in the NFL. Does this remind you of another guy with Pittsburgh roots who got away and went to Baltimore? Think...Johnny Unitas.

I watched Tim Tebow last weekend. He and his Broncos beat the Jets in Denver. Here's what I think. I think that Tebow cannot pass at the NFL level. His balls go everywhere but near receivers. He has been winning because the Bronco defense has been very effective. They stop people. Then, they turn the ball over to Tebow and the offense. Somehow, after sputtering around, Tebow, mainly on the ground, is able to eke out wins. He even plays the option, something almost unheard of in the NFL. The Jets gave him a win because with little time on the clock they put on an all out blitz. Tebow, to his credit, read it, and scooted around left end and went in for a score. And Rex Ryan is supposed to be a defensive genius! If I were a defensive coordinator going against the Broncos, I would play the run every time and dare Tebow to beat me in the passing game.

Ben Roethlisberger doesn't seem to get the credit he deserves. There are always media darlings that get doted on. One week it's Philip Rivers. Another week it's Eli Manning. There is always another QB in the headlines. Not only does Ben have a way about him that, more often than not, leads his team to wins, but do you know any other QB who has played through the injuries he has suffered? Last year, Ngata of the Revens stuck his hand under Ben's helmet and broke his nose. It rendered his nose practically parallel to the ground. Ben went to the sidelines and someone realigned his nose and he returned to play. After the game, he had to have surgery to get it repaired. Also, in 2010 he injured his foot, breaking an ankle bone. What did he do? He got a special boot and played. A couple of years ago he broke the thumb on his throwing hand. He put on a glove and kept on truckin'. Now we know that he broke the same thumb last week. But he says he'll tape it and wear a glove again and play. This may give you an inkling as to why the Steelers rally around Ben. He has more physical courage, in a game that's all about physical courage, than practically anyone and they appreciate that.

** The Penn State debacle is heavily covered in this area. Not that we are Penn State fans, I want you to know. Except for those from around here who went there, Penn State is the enemy. In days of yore, Pitt's great rivalry was Penn State. And it was only in the golden days of Marino and Dorsett that Pitt was able to beat Penn State. Otherwise, Penn State dominated this series for what seems foreever. About fifteen years ago, Joe Paterno decided to end the annual Pitt-Penn State game. Even powerful politicians tried in vain to get the game reinstated. But who is more powerful than even the strongest politicians? Joe Paterno, that's who. And, the series died. So, JoePa isn't the most revered individual in these parts, not by a long shot. But with more and more allegations coming out almost every day, Joe's reputation has plummeted. In fact, it's got some pundits to advocate de-emphasizing big time college football and returning universities back to their real mission, educating students. I can agree with this sentiment, but when a football program nets $50 million annually to a school, how can you diminish it? My guess is that Penn State will clean house of its current football staff and hire a coach from the outside who will, in turn, bring in his own staff, and they will try to bring back the glory days of Paterno football.

** Sidney Crosby returns to the ice tonight after being out for some eleven months with a severe concussion. To the Penguins credit, they kept him out as long as they felt it necessary for his total recovery. But he is a target and one wonders how long it will be until some hockey goon will go after his head again.

The Steelers did something Sunday that they haven't been able to do this season. They made two key interceptions. The last one was during a final drive by the Bengals who were trying to tie the game with time ticking off the clock. The goat of the Ravens game, William Gay, who allowed Torrey Smith to catch the winning TD with 8 seconds left a week ago, intercepted Andy Dalton's pass by jumping the route to preserve the Steeler win. Earlier, Gay tipped a tipped a pass to Lawrence Timmons for another interception.

So, while there were some impressive catches by Antonio Brown and some clutch running by Rashard Mendenhall that allowed the Steelers to build a lead, Steeler fans are breathing a little easier Monday morning. That's because the Steelers were able to create some turnovers, which have been almost totally absent for the first nine games. One must also mention Ben Roethlisberger, who consistently gets himself out of trouble to find receivers. It was he who led the team in a no-huddle approach in the second half. This is hard to do on the road with all the noise. But he pulled it off.

One must tip his hat to the resurgent Bengals. They are not a joke anymore. Ridding themselves of their distractions like Palmer, Owens and Ochocinco, they drafted well and it shows. The quarterback, Dalton, may be a second-round draft choice and a rookie, but he plays with savvy. His favorite target, A.J. Green is a superstar in the making. He went down with a knee injury Sunday, otherwise the game might have turned out differently. The Bengals can play, make no mistake about it.

Anybody who thinks he/she knows anything about NFL football should be in an asylum. Anyone who bets, with or without points, is nuts. Points, schmoints who can fathom it? Take, for instance, the Baltimore-Seattle game. Who, in their right minds. would have thought that Seattle would lead throughout this game after what Baltimore did in Pittsburgh the week before? How can you figure the pasting the Lions took at the hands of the Bears? Were these the same Lions who were thrashing people early on?

And then there's the Cardinals who traveled east to meet the Eagles. We've been saying all along that it takes more than superstars to win football games. That's a given. But Arizona, not exactly a powerhouse this year, beat the Eagles with a backup quarterback. Hey, man, that wasn't in the cards (no pun intended). By the way, three of the top stars in that game -- LeSean McCoy, Larry Fitzgerald and LaRod Stevens-Howling -- are Pitt alums.

** Speaking of Pitt, I have to congratulate Todd Graham, the new coach of the Panthers, on the nice win on the road on Saturday against a tough Louisville football team. Graham came to town touting his "high octane" offense, featuring no-huddle and getting the play off in 18 seconds. He claimed that this approach gave his team many more plays and wore the defense down. So much for the theory. But in practice, trying to get plays off in 18 seconds can be confusing as signals have to be communicated from the line of scrimmage. But to Graham's credit, he backed off this philosophy, at least for a while. Slowing things down a bit seemed to result in everybody being on the same page. Pitt played quite effectively and earned a win.

** The Penn State debacle played out as it had to. The board dismissed Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier, despite Paterno announcing earlier that he would resign at the end of the season. The board, no slouches, sent a message that they are taking over the school by firing Paterno last Wednesday evening, before the Nebraska game.

I have witnessed similar situations in other organizations where a person puts so much into the organization and receives so many accolades for his/her work that the person believes that he/she is indispensable and takes what I call "ownership" of that non-profit or program. It gets to a point where no one has the gall to question anything this person does. So, the "infallible" one continues on his/her merry way until a disaster hits. One way to defeat this process is to change leaders on a regular basis. But when one of these types gets ensconced, it's exceedingly painful to remove them. Suffice it to say, Beware of the Icon.

** Finally, have you noticed who the new Yankees are? It's the Phillies. They signed all those guys last year at astronomical figures. Now, they are on the hunt again. They just signed Jonathan Papelbon for a king's ransom. Baseball sucks.

The Steelers-Ravens game came down to a 26-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Torrey Smith with 8 seconds on the clock. It culminated a 92-yard drive that brought joy to the hearts of Baltimore fans, and dismay for Pittsburghers. Such is the life of a fan.

The bottom line is that the Ravens are a better team than the Steelers. There are many should'ves, could'ves and all that. But the Steelers, despite coming back valiantly in the second half actually to take the lead, were outplayed. The opening game between the Ravens and Steelers was a bit of a fluke. The score was too lopsided. But coming into hostile Heinz Field and taking it to the Steelers again proved that the Ravens are a tough bunch.

The Steelers' defense couldn't get off the field. Time after time they were able to limit the Ravens on first and second down, but they couldn't stop Flacco from making the crucial third down play that kept drives alive all night long. The Steelers almost never got near Flacco in time to hurry him or sack him. James Harrison played his heart out (and the Steelers did miss LaMarr Woodley), but it wasn't enough. So, the Ravens will carry the AFC North title into the playoffs, almost assuredly getting home field advantage throughout. They deserve it. Provided they can keep up the intensity that they showed in the two games against the Steelers it is hard to imagine any team in the AFC that can top them.

As for the Steelers ... they are reduced to fighting for a wild card. And the road won't be all that easy. Two games remain against the surprising Bengals. That team is on the move.

After last week's win against the Patriots, Steeler fans allowed themselves to become a bit too optimistic. Anytime the Steelers can defeat the Patriots is a time for rejoicing. But the Patriots' painful loss at home against the Giants exposed them as a bit of a paper tiger these days. So, the Steelers' victory over them a week ago was, as it turns out, hollow. Such is life in the NFL. Teams rise and teams fall. Those who are falling must try to get a grip on their situations and begin to adjust. I'm sure that process is beginning in the Pittsburgh hierarchy already although no one would mention that publicly at all.

** It looks like Green Bay is setting the standard for the NFL again this year. The Packers are the team to beat.

** Nationally, and, of course, around here, the story that is making big headlines is the Penn State debacle. If you were wondering how the Joe Paterno era at Penn State will end, I don't think you have to guess anymore.

It ended, for all intents and purposes, this past weekend. We now know that Joe was informed by Mike McQueery (whose red hair is almost identical to grandson Gus'), then a graduate assistant, in 2002, about Jerry Sandusky's alleged dalliances with a young boy in a shower in the Penn State locker room. Joe called in his superior, the athletic director, which, I guess is what Joe thought was his obligation at the time. Nothing much was done and Sandusky allegedly kept up his perversions with several boys whom he met through his charity, The Second Mile, wherein he took young kids and tried to improve their lives. Others, like janitors, witnessed Sandusky during various acts with boys as well. But they were afraid to report him because they could lose their jobs.

In the meantime, the athletic director took Sandusky's campus privileges away, and, I guess, thought that he and Penn State were rid of him. Maybe so, but who is naive enough to think that a predator is ever satisfied? And that if he can't use Penn State facilities for his perverted activities that he wouldn't find others. Joe Paterno, at least for the moment, is expressing shock and disappointment in his old buddy, Sandusky, and seems to be flying under the radar.

But how could he simply dismiss this type of behavior by the athletic director removing Sandusky's keys to the gym? How could be not be aware of how these guys operate? Was he totally ignorant of the scandal that has been haunting the Catholic Church for the past 15-plus years. 2002 easily falls within this period. Why didn't he confront Sandusky? Why didn't he try to get Sandusky help? Why didn't he bring in law enforcement on his own to make an investigation?

Sandusky was the defensive coordinator for Joe Paterno for many years. He was on Joe's staff for 32 years. He resigned his position in 1999 when he was 55, arguably in his prime coaching years. I recall that the excuse he used was that he wasn't going to wait around any longer for Joe to retire. OK, I get that. But being as well known and respected at Sandusky was at that time, might be not have tried to get a coaching job at another major Division I school? With his reputation for building fantastic defenses at Penn State, one would think that he would be a prime candidate for a head coaching job. But, it seems, he didn't seek other positions. He was content to run his charity for boys. But now that all this has come to light, did the brass, including Paterno, know what Sandusky was doing and removed him from his post?

Maybe by doing this they felt like they had washed their hands of this guy and they went on their merry way. But so did Sandusky, according to the grand jury report, with all those kids.

** The NBA lockout continues. Too bad.

** Now is the worst time of the year in baseball. It is when guys like Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and C.J. Wilson get their megabucks. A few teams will vie for their services. Teams like the Pirates will sit on the curb and watch this parade march down the street. They will only enter the free agency market when the choice morsels are long gone and then they will try to gather a few crumbs that have been swept off the table and on to the floor. Baseball sucks.

Last week Nephew Dave of Providence (NDP) emailed me to inquire about how I felt about the upcoming Steelers-Patriots game. Methinks that NDP has become a Patriots fan. OK, NDP, it could be worse. I still love ya. Anyway, I replied that I have witnessed the seven games the Steelers have played with Belichick-Brady (B/B) at the helm during which I have suffered through six losses. (I think the only Steeler win in that skein was when Brady was out of action.)

Belichick and his coaching minions have consistently outcoached Cowher/Tomlin/Roethlsiberger (CTR). In one of the first playoff games against the Patriots, a game that was played in the friendly confines of Heinz Field, the Steelers were poised for an easy victory. But B/B spread out the offense with five wideouts, for which the Steelers were woefully unprepared, and the Patriots scorched the Steelers. This started the run of wins by the Patriots. In each game the Steelers were totally confused. So, I told NDP that until I see a turnaround in game planning and preparation for B/B, I have to think that B/B will continue to kill the Steelers. By the way, almost every local pundit picked the Patriots to win , although I was surprised to notice that the New York Times reporter picked the Steelers.

So, what happened? The Steelers coaching staff drew up a game plan that caught B/B with their hands in the cookie jar, a complete reversal of about seven or eight years. In case people weren't noticing, Roethlisberger changed his stripes a few games ago. With a beaten-up offensive line that allowed sack after sack, Ben began a three-step drop routine. Unlike the Ben of old who surveyed and surveyed and then made his living my eluding some on charging sackers and throwing on the run, Ben backpedaled and within about three seconds threw the ball. This was the plan that he and Bruce Arians drew up Sunday.

With the Patriots determined to thwart the long passes to Mike Wallace, they tended to leave the middle open. On the first drive along, Ben hit the tight end four times for nice gains. He also threw 50 times during this game, often throwing on first down. So, instead of the run setting up the pass, they used the pass to set up the run. So, while they didn't run all that much, the running games was pretty effective when it was used.

With this short passing attack, the Steelers did another major thing ... they possessed the ball, disallowing Brady to get his mitts on it, which is key. In fact, they had the ball for 39-plus minutes, thus limiting the Patriots to less than 21 minutes. It started with the coin toss. The Patriots won and elected to defer. The Steelers took the ball into the end zone after holding it some seven minutes.

I have to say that the Steelers offensive line did credible work, too. It was only the first time this season that they had the same five guys starting who had started the week before. Also, the defense came up big. They used a man-to-man scheme in the secondary. The charge was if they catch the ball, do not allow any yardage after the catch. (Welker the Magnificent caught six passes for a total of 39 yards.) The interesting thing about this is that second-year players and rookies were everywhere to be seen playing for the Steelers yesterday. Guys like Hayward and Gilbert and Allen and Brown and Carter and Stevenson all stepped up. They were replacing the likes of Harrison and Farrior and Smith. I mentioned before that it's a young man's game, and these youngsters performed.

OK, this game is in the books. Baltimore and Cincinnati are next ... before the bye week. The Steelers have some key people injured right now. This is what you don't want before playing the Ravens. Young guys will have to step into the breach. But I don't think they will need much motivating when they play the Ravens after the shellacking they took in the opening game in Baltimore.

** My hat is off to the Ravens who rallied from a 21-0 deficit to beat the Cardinals. I keep telling you that the Bills are for real. Believe it. The Cowboys were revealed Sunday night in Philadelphia. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch. What happened to the Saints? There must be a halo around the city of St. Louis.

** I think that Bill Cowher is finished with NFL coaching. I think he has lost the fire in his belly for the job. Otherwise, what better situation could be find than Miami? He wouldn't win there right away, but he'll have a treasure trove of top draft choices for the next several years on which to build a winner. But I think he's comfortable in his new life and he's honest enough to admit it.

** Finally, I must congratulate the St. Louis Cardinals for a phenomenal run. Behind 10 1/2 games from a wild card berth as late as August they rallied and rode the Atlanta collapse into the playoffs. Unbelieveably, they beat the heavily favored Phillies and the power-laden Brewers to get into the World Series. Then, they gutted out a win in the World Series. That sixth game will go down as one of the very best clutch baseball games ever. It even made baseball palatable, at least for a few days.

Going to Arizona and playing indoors has always challenged the Steelers. The noise, the long ride to get there, who knows, but they've lost there more times than they have won out there over the years. So, there was some apprehension about Sunday's game. Add to that the fact that the head coach, the defensive coordinator, the offensive line coach and the defensive backfield coach are all either ex-Steeler coaches and/or players, highly familiar with the Steeler personnel and modus operandi. The team itself is riddled with ex-Steelers like Joey Porter and Clark Haggins. Finally, their one major star, Larry Fitzgerald, is a Pitt alum as is their rookie running back LaRod Stephens-Howling.

So, despite their awful showing to date, you know these guys were up for this home game. They had something to prove. But when it was all said and done, they didn't have the fan support a usual hometown team gets as the place was loaded with Terrible Towels, and they didn't have the personnel on the field to compete adequately with the Steelers. They were outplayed, period, and the Steelers emerged with a win over a team in obvious disarray.

Harkening back to Billick's comment that without a franchise quarterback, head coaches become media commentators, two guys who look like they're heading in that direction are Caldwell of Indianapolis and Whisenhunt of Arizona. Both had, and won with, superior quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner. Without them, their teams are suffering ... big time. (I wonder how great Belichick would be without Brady?)

My hat is off to the Steelers and coaching staff for putting great effort into winning Sunday. With New England, Baltimore and Cincinnati, their next three games, they could have easily overlooked Arizona. But they took the "one game at a time" posture that allowed them to run their record to 5-2.

Now, given the same philosophy, they must face up to the likes of Belichick, Brady, Welker, Ochocinco next Sunday. Just typing in these names gives a Steeler fan a major headache. Add to these all those semi-names and no-names that Belichick assembles each year and who have a way on contributing to his system, and you have a visiting team coming into Heinz Field as a 2 1/2 point favorite. If you discount the three points the home team automatically gets from the oddsmakers, the Patriots are really 5 1/2-point favorites as they have never let the Steeler crowd bother them much in the Belichick era. They have won in Heinz Field with impunity. Belichick always comes up with a wrinkle or two that exploits Steeler weaknesses. So, it will be a tough game, and if the Steelers can't solve the Welker problem, which no teams seems to be able to do, then it will be a really tough game.

One more word about Whisenhunt. They mentioned on the Pittsburgh radio broadcast that he brought Kevin Kolb to Arizona as his quarterback to save the franchise and probably his job. But instead of going with Kolb's strengths, which is three steps and throw the ball, he is making him adapt to his ways. Kolb is confused and it shows. It reminds me of Gilbride trying to make Kordell Stewart into Warren Moon. Is Whis trying to make Kolb into Roethlisberger? If so, we'll see Whis in the broadcast booth ere long.

** The Panthers beat the Redskins. Cam Newton seems to be growing into that position. I have to admit he was worth the first overall draft pick. I was mildly surprised to see the Falcons go into Detroit and defeat the Lions. I still think the Falcons were stupid for giving up all those draft picks for the rights to Jones. On the same wave length, I think the Raiders were dumb to give Cincinnati all those high draft picks for Carson Palmer. Palmer ain't that great.

** Pujols had a career night on Saturday with three homers. But give Texas credit for coming back after that drubbing. Kind of reminds me of the '60 Pirates who were clobbered by the Yankees in three games, but who managed to eke out four wins to take that Series. ** Make no mistake about it, there aren't very many souls in Pittsburgh who give a fig for anything resembling the NBA. Basketball interest stops with Pitt and Duquesne. Never having had an NBA franchise here, we're quite satiated with baseball, football, hockey and college football and basketball. But I can't help salivating over the problems the NBA is having with the players union. Heck, they may have to cancel the season. Again, no great loss for Pittsburghers. But the parallel to baseball is unmistakable. Here you have big money teams sucking all the air out of the league and the vast majority of teams losing money as a result. So, while I don't pay that much attention to the NBA, I have to end with ... Basketball Sucks.

The Steelers-Jaguars game Sunday was a tale of two halves. In the first half, the Steelers were totally dominant, racking up more than 300 yards and a 17-0 lead. The running game was clicking, the passing game was stellar. The defense stopped Maurice Jones-Drew practically at the line of scrimmage and hit him such that he fell backwards.

But then the second half began and everything for the Steelers went backwards. They gained 55 yards in the second half. Trying to block a punt (which I thought he actually accomplished), Ryan Mundy ran into the kicker and gave the Jags new life.

Not satisfied with three-step drops and short passes, Ben Roethlisberger tried to put the Jags down with a long pass completion. The problem is that when he did get a long pass off, it seemed that it sailed too far over an open receiver's mitts. Waiting too long in the pocket for someone to break open way down field, he held the ball too long and he suffered some sacks, something that didn't happen in the first half. And, whether the defense was over confident or becoming fatigued, Jones-Drew began to run the ball much more effectively than in the first half.

The result? The Steelers held on for dear life, not scoring anything in the second half, and escaped with a 17-13 win after surviving a Hail Mary pass to end the game. Yes, it came down to this after such a stellar first half.

What more to say? They won. But now we Steeler fans will have to wonder what Steeler team will emerge from the dressing room when the game begins and when the second half begins. If they were too confident as the second half began, shame on them and the coaching staff. Some people are blaming Ben as he threw errant pass after errant pass in the second half. I'll just take the win and see what happens next week in Arizona and beyond.

** Pitt's high octane offense dissolved into dish water on Saturday against Utah. Man, was it pathetic. Todd Graham, the head coach, changed quarterbacks four times in an effort to get something going. But nothing worked. I guess we will just have to give him some time to bring in his recruitng to get his system up and running. He made a coup last week when he got a kid from Hopewell High School to commit. He's the best running back around these parts and is ranked 4th or 5th in the country. In case you are wondering ... Tony Dorsett is out of Hopewell. I also see where he is signing other local high-ranking recruits. I think these guys would have formerly gone to Penn State or Ohio State. If I am right, he should be doing pretty well in a couple of years.

** Congrats to the Cardinals. Behind 10 1/2 games in August, they are the NL Champs and will play the Rangers in the World Series.