From an article in Sports Illustrated in 1975, talking about Joe Greene and Andy Russell

"One time in Philadelphia during the Steelers' dark years, they were getting beat, and Greene was being held, and the referees weren't calling it, and finally, before the Eagle center could snap the ball for another play, Greene reached over, grabbed the ball and threw it into the second tier of the stands. Then he stomped off the field.

Russell remembers the moment with awe. "Everybody looked at him. 'He can't be doing this,' we thought. We watched the ball spiral into the seats. It seemed like it took forever. The crowd was dead silent. And the players—there we were, we didn't have a ball, we didn't have a left tackle. It was like he was saying, 'O.K., if you won't play right, we won't play at all.''

Suppose that couldn't happen in these modern times, but who wouldn't like to see some similar sign of frustration in these dark days.

Time to just win some football games.

I think part of the problem this year has been our passion and desire to be and to be recognized as the dominant team in football.   The team that wins because we ARE the PITTSBURGH STEELERS.  Gadmmint.

What made last night's game so much fun and what many have called the best game of the year, was that we were down on the ground underdogs, looking for every inch of advantage just to stay competitive.  Success was a delight instead of only expected.   You feel joy at success and when it gets tough, you try a little harder because you've got a hill to climb.

It's not that way when you are on top of the hill,  looking down.

It is now crystal clear Steelers are not elite or dominant.  We are down in the muck with the rest of the 'middle of the pack' types.   It is now time to just win some football games, whatever it takes, get down and dirty, just find a way to win.  

The gloss of Stairway to Seven is gone.   Just win a game.  This week's game.

Just finished watching Browns game.    Spurred a few random thoughts.

Poor Derek Anderson.  Contrast his situation to that of our large QB.   Roethlisberger is now in his fourth season throwing to his favorite targets Hines, Holmes, and Heath.   He knows where they are going, they know where he will throw it.  They can all three catch the ball when it is thrown low, high,when they are open, in traffic, on the sideline, etc.    Anderson in contrast doesn't know from week to week if he is even  playing, might not be able to spell the names of his receivers,  who can't seem to catch the ball under any circumstances, anyhow.

Ben is having great statistical start to the season.  But this is one reason I distrust if not altogether discount numbers.   Is he that much better a QB this year because he can stand in the pocket against mediocre defenses and rifle throws to multiple wide open receivers who are pretty good at running after the catch?   What seems undeniable is that this is a very potent offense with many fast and talented skill players and Ben is doing a very good job in the middle of it.

Holmes is a great player and I think our most dangerous weapon.   I love watching him snatching the ball in stride and maneuvering with his long fluid strides.  And why is Ward so wide open all the time?

On the end around was the first time I got a sense with my own eyes of how fast Wallace is.   You know he must be fast because he is so wide open down the field, but the TV doesn't catch up to him until he is braking to come back to the ball.   Lightning turning down field on that one.   Hope he learns to maybe cut back or at least stay in bounds and make them tackle him more often.   Might find a seam or break a tackle for the big one.  Of course, on that run he did a nice job of moving through that bunch of tacklers at the end.

Seeing FWP and Delicious in the same game provided real contrast to what we have here.   I love Parker, always will, hope we can find a way to keep him.    But we've always known he's not a good blocker or receiver, nor does he break tackles for extra yards after being hit.    Delicious does all of these things.   He is not an adequate blocker, he is good and sometimes punishing.   He made two nice catches for first downs, one while being hit, the other moving quickly into the catch and fluidly turning down field.     From my view, it looked like Willie probably had a TD if he could have got organized on his catch in the flat when he fell down.   Isn't a contest in my mind who I want.   Parker is still a touchdown waiting to happen, but Mendenhall has the complete skill set.

Ziggy is still a boy in a man's game.   Timmons has become a man this year.   This is his third season and he looks very comfortable and confident out there.   Still over running some plays, I think.   He seems too easily to try to sidestep blockers rather than run through them.   Need to give Hood some time, we know the coaches love him.

I hope Polamalu is okay.   No question he is favoring his knee.   His instincts haven't been affected, that interception was not a result of his explosiveness, it was because he was in the right place and saw what was coming.  Kind of a summary of his game.   He is very effective with what he has now, but don't want to see him aggravate that knee.

That's enough for now.    Vikings are the first really good opponent this year.   Very excited to see what 2009 Steelers have.

Remember way back when the hot topics here were Redzone Redman and Ra'shon Harris?  (Wait, I'm being told we are still arguing those topics.)   Back then the professional yakkers were opining that the main reason the Steelers couldn't repeat was because of the bullseye on their uniform, Steelers would be everybody's homecoming game.

Well, after losing a couple three point games, those same professional yakkers currently rank the Steelers anywhere from 12th to 17th.   Seems like we've fallen under the radar.  

And, beginning this week, a strange anomaly in the schedule shows up.   The Ravens have Minn.  We get Minn the following week.  Then Ravens get BYE.  We follow with our BYE.  Then Ravens get Denver.  We get Denver following week.  Ravens get Cincy.  We get Cincy following week.  We get to draft behind Baltimore four weeks in a row.

Don't think any of these teams are going to look past the Ravens to the BIG GAME against Steelers.

We take care of business this week against Browns, still under the radar.   Ravens soften up our next three opponents, or at least keep them honest, and at least for a few weeks, Steelers are just another game on the schedule.

That's a good thing.

Been looking at some Lions tape.   This is not last year's version of hapless pussycats.    Do not let their record fool you.  Their schedule to date has been every bit as tough, or tougher, than Steelers' (at NO 4-0, MINN 4-0, WASH 2-2, at CHI 3-1)) and they have played some good football against some good football teams.

If anybody is figuring this is one of those easy games that automatically goes in win column, I'm here hoping that person is not wearing a uniform on Sunday.

Steelers did not lose a single "gimme" game last year.   And with 2-2 start, can't afford to this year either.

In the hangover year, I remember the lowest point for me was when they lost to Oakland.   Listening to the last few minutes driving home from golf course with an a**hole buddy who hates Steelers.   Intercepted at the goal line, 100 yard Raider TD.  Laughter from the passenger seat, snide laughter.

Do not ever want to be there again.  Ever.

Point is, this is the game where we find out if Steelers have hangover or if they have the fire.   What kind of intensity can they bring to a "low fruit" game like this.  A game where all the gamblers, the professional yappers, and the fans are going to give it to them.   Yeah, I hear it,  "Tomlin won't let them..."  Well, Tomlin isn't strapping on the pads.

I say this is exactly the kind of game we find out if this team can get to 11 or 12 wins and the playoffs.  If Troy can play, he plays.  If Parker can play, he plays.  None of this taking the week off because we've hit a soft spot on the schedule.

My laughing buddy was mad at me because I wouldn't give him a putt.  Okay, it was just a 2 1/2 footer, maybe less.  But it was a little downhill, a left to right break.  He thought it was a gimme, left his putter head open, and missed it.  A**hole.

Now that we're through 1/8 of the season (jeez, seems like we just finished arguing over practice squad rosters!), it can't be too early to start looking at possible playoff scenarios.

Jets, Ravens, Colts, and Broncos are division winners.

Six teams are tied for wild card, but Steelers win tie breaker with better conference record.

With only 14 games to go we should start looking at key matchups like .....

Okay, maybe it is a little early, but I think we can at least say the Browns are toast.

The point is that there are no good losses, but there are losses that are less harmful than others.

From MOST harmful

• Division loss at home  (Titans)
  
• Division loss on the road  (Patriots)
  
• Conference loss at home (Chargers, Titans, Texans, Bengals)
  
• Conference loss on the road
• Non-conference loss at home
• Non-conference loss on the road (Steelers)

To LEAST harmful

I know, the standings don't reflect whether a loss is at home or on the road, but if you lose a home game, you have to make up for it with a win on the road, maybe a little whimsy there.

But no whimsy to say that the most harmful loss under any circumstances is to the pumpkin looking team with kitten stripes on their helmet which will not stand any time or any place.

Another problem, since this next game is what we call Steelers ninth home game, where would we put that loss.   Better not to worry about it.  Not going to happen.

My first post.  Don't know how you all feel about addressing multiple issues in one post.  But here goes.

First, I'm a little concerned about Jeff Reed's post game comments, particularly, "I tried too hard ...".    Man, I hope it is not in his head, hope it is not a psychological thing.

It looked like his plant foot slipped a little toward the ball forcing him to kick across and pull it.  It didn't look like it was hooking, it just looked like a pull.   So that would be okay.   Or if he was overly concerned about the wet field and pressed a bit, messing with his mechanics.  That's okay, too.   You can correct these things with a little work.

But  if it is a mind thing.  If it is messing with his confidence.  Hope not.  Looked like he hit that first one last week against Tennessee a little fat and then came right back and nailed the next one.   So make an offering to the upright gods, Jeff, and everything is going to be okay.

Second, in another thread it was mentioned by Bonek that he thought on that 29 yard pass during the Bears 4th Qtr TD drive Olsen bobbled the ball and did not regain possession until he hit the ground, ball first  .   I remember screaming at the TV after seeing the replay. But no red flag.

I bring this up not to use refs as an excuse  (whoa, Raven fans), but because I wonder if anyone in particular is responsible for watching replays.   The TV replay on this was late, just before the next snap, so that was my guess as to why there was no red flag.

What are the procedures to get the red flag thrown.   Is there a chain of command?  How is it instigated?