The Steelers gave me a break today and absolutely stomped out the Browns. People were hyping the Browns at 3-1, saying they might be challengers in the AFC. Those people ought to have known better. Pittsburgh lived in their offensive backfield, and Cleveland couldn’t stop them offensively.
If Pittsburgh played like this every week with no let-ups there would be no doubt who the class of the AFC is. I’m hoping it continues, but the Steelers only have one or two games like this every year. The rest are attempts to kill their fans.
5-0. The last time they started like this was 1978. This is rare air, and I’m enjoying it.
Hell of a game. A tale of two halves. The first one Pittsburgh dominated, to the point that I thought the game was over.
I should have known better.
The second half Pittsburgh scored early, and then got shut down the rest of the way. Ben threw three interceptions (though the first one was meaningless, it was a free shot at the end zone to end the half) and let the Titans back in. And they almost got it done.
Still, the Steelers pretty much shut Henry down, and Spillane’s hit on him at the goal line was highlight reel material. The big plays were passes that went for long yardage.
But, in the end, none of that matters, because…
THE STEELERS ARE THE LAST UNDEFEATED TEAM IN THE NFL!
Next up: the damn hated Ratbirds, off their bye week. That’s a huge rip-off, too, because this was Pittsburgh’s original bye week, only to be shafted by the irresponsible Titans who couldn’t follow the rules. But what the hell.
Steelers beat the Titans, then the Ravens. I’m not ready to say they’re the best yet, but they are certainly capable of beating anyone in the league. They have 4 exciting young receivers, so as long as Ben’s elbow holds up they should continue to improve. TJ Watt is a beast…
I gotta say, for once we’ll probably get one of these threads where the Steelers actually march to the Super Bowl. I pegged them early on as a strong force in the AFC by having one of the few really good (maybe great) defenses and a decent offense. I’d give them the edge over KC in their conference. I’m just glad Seattle doesn’t have to face them in the regular season this year.
There have already been three, with two wins. Being the homer I am, I expect it every year.
I know I didn’t post anything after the Ratbirds game, but work, the election, and a few other things conspired to keep me from whooping it up. This weekend, though, should be a demolition for the ages. The Cowboys will be down to their fourth different starting quarterback this week, and their defense is historically bad. If Pittsburgh doesn’t lay down a fortyburger with 10 sacks and 3 turnovers they’ll greatly disappoint me.
That, of course, means that the Steelers will lose by 20 somehow. But we’ll see.
I would chalk up today’s pathetic performance due to it being the week after the Ravens, plus the 3rd straight road game. But being a Steeler fan since 1978, that would be disingenuous. There are no easy wins for us, ever. We’ve played down to our opponents’ level as far back as I can remember. But really glad to get to 8-0 for the first time.
As a Cowboys fan, I did not cheer when Dallas went up 19-9. I knew a Steelers comeback was automatic; in fact, pretty much resigned myself to a loss right then and there.
So, 8-0. I certainly didn’t expect that, though I’m ecstatic about it. The Cowboys, led by the legendary Garrett Gilbert, gave them a hell of a scare. But, when the offense falls down the defense picks up and vice versa, so no harm no foul except with their fans who they’re trying to kill on a weekly basis.
Now there are 5 players on the COVID list, including Ben Roethlisberger, though all but McDonald are expected to be OK. I hope so, because while the Bengals might not be world-beaters they can’t be overlooked. Joe Burrow is legit and the team is much improved from last year. It ought to be a decent game, though I think Pittsburgh will win.
10-0. This season has been beyond my wildest expectations. The defense is absolute beast, and anyone who doubted Ben’s Hall of Fame credentials shouldn’t anymore. What a difference a quarterback makes.
The interesting thing is the possibility of the damn hated Ratbirds missing the playoffs. I’ve been saying that the way to beat them is to make Lamar Jackson throw, and sure enough, that’s doing the job. His passing looked like it was improving last year, but it’s regressed considerably this year. If he doesn’t see Hollywood Brown or his tight end open he tucks it in and runs, so a team with a decent secondary can shut them down. The Browns are ahead of them in the standings. The Browns.
Speaking of which, congratulations to Baker Mayfield. It’s only taken 2 1/2 seasons, but he is finally the winningest QB in the Factory of Sadness. The previous QB with that distinction? Ben Roethlisberger.
That’s about right. But the Browns have played 170+ games there and Ben still held the record. No statistic truly describes how bad the Browns have been quite as well as that one.