My understanding is that this is the NFL’s idea, not any network’s. And yes, it’s brainless, even by the NFL’s rigorous standards.
I’m in Rockford, IL, and it always seemed that even though Indianapolis was a heck of a lot closer to us than New England or the NY Jets, we’d more often than not be given the New England or NY Jets game than the Indy game. Makes sense it doesn’t. 
By the way, Airman Doors, USAF , sorry about my guys putting a damper on your season Sunday. 
Did the Jags run over where Aaron Smith would’ve been? Quite a few rushing yards for them, I wonder if that’s going to be the story from here on out.
I don’t predict the Browns take the AFC North, but it’s certainly a possibility. I see both teams finishing 11-5. But if that game meant that your run defense is exploitable… well, Steven Jackson looks like he’s back to his old antics. Coming out of a physically punishing game against Jacksonville and having a game 4 days later in St. Louis… I don’t think you’ll lose, but I think it’ll be a tough one. Let Stephen Jackson run for 150+ and you may.
Meanwhile, the Cinci/SF game seems to indicate that Cinci is packing it in. Going there scares me a little and if the Browns should lose that game then they’ll lose the common opponents tiebreaker to Tennessee, and should TEN win out, they’d hold the tiebreaker (same AFC record) if the Browns dropped one. So it’s quite an important game. I also hope that one is a run-dominated game, because Jamal Lewis and the Browns run blocking is playing a whole lot better than the Johnson/Watson/Dorsey mess in Cinci.
I’m a huge St. Louis fan for a few days.
I think, but am not sure, that if Cleveland and Tennessee win out, and Pittsburgh loses the game to the Ravens, they’d miss the playoffs. They’d have a tied record with TEN, and a tied conference record, and I’ve gotta think that TEN’s strength of victory is higher with having to play other AFC South teams. It’s not a likely scenario, but keep it in mind.
Of course the Ravens may implode after today. Ray may be getting stabby. But if instead they react by trying to recover their pride and doing their best to beat their hated rival at home, and upset you, and ideally Boller throws 400 yards and 4 TDs, and they decide to keep Billick and Boller… it would be the greatest thing that ever happened in the AFC North.
It is the NFL’s idea. Our local CBS affiliate occasionally shows the Steelers game in lieu of Baltimore, in direct violation of NFL’s policy. ISTR that the local affiliate is basically goading the NFL into making a decision one way or the other.
To be fair, though, Central Pennsylvania is in a weird position, geographically speaking. The southernmost part of the region is basically a bedroom community for the Washington/Baltimore area, and here in Carlisle, where I live, there are a lot of Redskins fans because the team used to have its pre-season camp at Dickinson College. But we’re in Pennsylvania and our tax revenues support Heinz Field.
:shrug:
Robin
St. Louis might be a tough game. In the few games that Bulger and Jackson have been healthy they’ve put up a fight. The Steelers should be favored, but it’s definitely going to be a tough game for you. Especially coming off a tough, physically punishing loss to Jacksonville, and having to go on the road 4 days later. And you haven’t been so hot on the road even against bad teams.
I think there’s a better than even chance you win, but it won’t be easy.
This’ll be the first Thursday night game I’ve watched in a while. It’s a real shame that they have to have Bryant Gumble in there to ruin them. I normally don’t take too much notice of announcers - some are moderately annoying, but none have ever been so distractingly bad as Gumble. I have no clue how he still has a job doing that - big contract? It’s too bad because their presentation otherwise - camera work, illustrations, stats, replays, etc. - is very good.
Do you guys still feel that the Steeler’s O-line is the best in the AFC North? Would you refuse the chance to trade O-lines straight up?
I think our offensive line sucks.
Absolutely.
To follow up, I think you’ve changed your argument. At least, my recollection of the argument was whether or not a team that could not run the ball but allowed few sacks could be said to have a good offensive line. I recall arguing that not running the ball prevented a team from dictating the course of the game, taking control and shutting things down. You wanted to argue that even though Jamal Lewis wasn’t getting a lot of yards, the few sacks given up suggested that the Browns had a good offensive line.
Now it seems that you are pointing to rushing yards as the index. I don’t disagree with that at all. The ability to move the ball on the ground makes an offensive line good. Case in point - the Browns, early in the season were not particularly successful running the ball, and were not giving up sacks. They were two games behind the Steelers. In contrast, early on, the Steelers were giving up sacks but also gaining yards on the ground. Now, they are giving up sacks and, according to your stats, have been less successful running the ball. As a result, the Steelers and Browns are now tied.
To sum up - giving up few sacks does not win games if you cannot rush effectively. Conversely, you can give up a few more sacks than you should if you can run the ball well.
Finally, I would not trade offensive lines with you, but I might trade running backs.
I haven’t changed my argument, and what I was arguing was pretty clear. You just don’t seem to be listening to me.
I didn’t say the Browns couldn’t run the ball, I said that they didn’t run the ball. Remember all that emphasis I put on the Browns having the 6th-highest yards per carry, but were 22nd in attempts? (And even when we weren’t running much, we were still in the top half of the league in yards/game, it’s not as if we were ranked 32nd). The O-line could run block, but because our horrible defense dictated that we had to score all game long, we didn’t try to run as much as a team with a good defense could.
Later in the season conditions have changed - the defense is improving somewhat, and the weather is less condusive to passing. So we’re running. And doing it well. Just as our high YPC indicated. It’s just that now the situation is more favorable to running, so amount of attempts is going up, and hence the production. Lewis also has improved his running style somewhat.
So if you wouldn’t trade O-lines, and you say yours sucks, do you think the Browns simply sucks worse? I’d gladly trade running backs, by the way, although I’ve become more fond of Jamal in recent weeks as he’s started to really maul people.
I think they suck about the same. I think our division sucks, and I think that whichever team(s) come out of it will last only about as long as it takes them to play someone outside of our division. (Although I would like another crack at the Patriots, with Troy Polamalu in the game.)
I wouldn’t really like Jamal Lewis per se, but I would like a back like him, and right now I might actually take him in trade. I think he would really run well behind our line. I hate (and I think I’m on record many times with this) a running game that is dependent on the home-run run. I would prefer a ground game that consistently gets 3 and 4 yards a pop because you can build a drive on that. On the flip side, the Steelers seem to finally be figuring out that running Parker outside tends to work better.
Well I won’t get to watch again. :mad:
Both because it runs way past my bedtime and because it is on the NFL network.
But we are up 7-0 already. Go Steelers!
Wow. Where is our D? (Where has it been?)
Now 7-7. Very quick score…
Cool. Daniel Sepulveda passed for a first down. A lot of fun. The ball is on the 5. We should get *something *from this.
4th and goal on the 3. I guess we only get 3.
Now go D!
Man, the special teams is really letting us down! They ran the kick off back to the 50!
Alas, I must be off to bed.
Go Steelers!
I would take a booth full of Tony Kornheisers over Gumbel and Sanders. These guys aren’t even rooting against the Steelers, yet they are the absolute worst coverage team I’ve ever heard. Listening to Gumbel is like watching a game when somebody’s girlfriend, who doesn’t know a lick about football, is in the room, and is trying to fit in.
The Steelers got jobbed twice on that drive for the Rams field goal. Arm bar my ass.
The Steelers running game looks like the running game of old. Put a back in there that can move the ball regularly, that doesn’t need a hole as wide as a living room to get through, and you can have one of the old relentless clock killing drives like we used to.
Was a good call.
Steelers’ offense looking more or less unstoppable - at least by the Rams.
May have spoken a bit soon there. And the Steelers clearly aren’t doing what they ought to on defense.
Overall a solid game by the Steelers (though the Rams stayed in it longer than I thought they would/should).
Strange report on Parker’s injury:
With a fractured fibula, how can there be any possibility of a return to the game?