Santonio Holmes' TD Catch As Seen By Tecmo Super Bowl

Longtime readers will remember that my alias used to be tecmo_bowl_bo_jackson, as an homage to a fantastic video game and one of it's best players. But, in the spirit of brevity, I shortened my name to just tecmo.

Which is why I nearly shat my pants when I came across this video of Santonio Holmes' epic touchdown grab, as it would've looked on Tecmo Super Bowl. And with Al Michaels' original call!

Ridiculous!

I have nothing more to add, just enjoy the 16 bit glory.

Courtesy of MrNFL on FanIQ.

SUPER BOWL XLIII CHAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SUPER BOWL CHAMPS!!!!!!!

What an amazing win!

First team to win 6 rings. Pick-6 came through, literally AND figuratively.



Santonio's game-winning TD is below.

Your Steelers AFC Championship Scrapbook

My words cannot adequately do the win justice. At some point, I'll end up stumbling over my words and just shout out a, "PITTSBURGH'S GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL! WOOOOO!!"

So here's all your memories from the thrilling 23-14, AFC Conference-winning game.

Santonio's Touchdown


Ryan Clark's hit on Willis McGahee


Limas Sweed destroys Corey Ivy

Troy's interception

Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger Post-Game Presser

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

Every win from here on out will probably be coupled with some sort of exclamation like, "What a win!" There are no shitty wins in the playoffs, and each victory is special in its own way.

Yesterday, the Steelers made it clear that they wanted no part of another 11-10 pissfest. The 35-24 final was actually a lot closer than the story of the game. We let the same thing happen as the last time we played San Diego...an early touchdown allowed followed by defensive dominance. Since it is the playoffs, you don't think about things like allowing the opposing QB to pass for over 300 yards when we allowed one TEAM to accumulate 300 in an entire game...you just take the win however you can get it.

I hope this win doesn't inflate the egos of the fans as the early season win against the Texans did. Everyone lauded our brilliance as a complete team, something that was again evident against the Chargers on Sunday night. But it takes one iffy game, especially now in the playoffs, to destroy any delusions of grandeur.

We're finishing up with the final few MMCNYs, so let's just get to the rankings.

Sasso. The critics have been officially silenced. Ben played like he's never been concussed, or the concussion gave him some superhero abilities. As in, Ben's concussion = Spider Man's radioactive spiderbite. I haven't seen Ben's passes so crisp in...well, ever. He's put together good passing performances before, but opposing fans are always quick to point to his lower-level play come playoffs. He let Willie run the ball about 700 times before he even threw a pass, and after a weak start, finished with respectable numbers and no turnovers. Ben executed the gameplan to perfection, so he gets a perfect 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Willie. But Ben couldn't do everything that he did without Willie. 146 rush yards, 2 TDs and a 5.4 yard average. Willie looked like he was tired of all the Sproles-love from the past week, and wanted to remind the NFL that when healthy, he's one of the supreme ground talents in the game. Maybe I'm too awestruck by the win, or blinded by the fact that it's the playoffs, but I ave to open with 2 perfects. 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets. Now do that to Baltimore!

Santonio/Hines. Showed up! You look at Santonio's line and see 2 catches and a reverse. But then you remember that his punt return TD was our only offense for almost half of the game. After the O came to life, Hines made clutch grab after clutch grab, destroying third downs like they were nothing. Together, they had less than 100 yards combined receiving and no touchdown receptions, but their combined efforts really meant something in this game. 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Berger. Yeah. That was a 48 yard average. 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Defense. In the weirdest stat of all time, the D let Philip Rivers pass for over 300 yards, but kept the Chargers to only 290 yards of total offense. I guess that can be classified as a push...and the house wins on a push in Pittsburgh. Sproles did what he was going to do, and padded his stats with a nice long touchdown catch and run after the game was nearly decided. I'll look at holding the Chargers O to 1 offensive play in the third quarter, and the fact that we created turnovers when I'm relating this to our game for next week. The final word is that the D, while allowing a few yards, really limited the Chargers after the initial and potentially devastating scoring drive. 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Home field advantage. We'll see you in Pittsburgh again, Baltimore!

Steelers Win!

Movin' on to the AFC Championship game!

Video is of Santonio's touchdown.

Go Steelers!

Steelers Madden 09 Glitches Will Trip You Out

I'm not one to usually watch videos of video game glitches, but this one is pretty trippy. And as I told you yesterday, I'm putting as little effort as possible into the site for Christmas week.

Apparently, Larry Foote and Mewelde Moore turn into Santonio Holmes if the opposing team kicks off from the goal line. And not their goal line. Yours.

Do some hard drugs, and maybe this'll make sense. As for me, I'm leaving work in a bit and heading to my folk's house for Christmas. It's icy as hell in NYC, so wish me luck and safe travels. I'll do the same for you.

Merry Christmas Eve, all.

Santonio Holmes is Funny

Santonio updated his semi-new Yardbarker blog prior to yesterday's game, and it turns out that Holmes is kinda funny. Check out the joke he wrote:


It's the third quarter and the Steelers are running a no-huddle offense.

BEN: "Tone, Heath, Nate, Hines -- come on guys, line up."

Ben looks at Heath and gives him the wink.

HINES: "What's the play? Come on man, what's the play?!"

BEN: "I got this, I got this. Don't worry about it."


Funny, yes, but it would work better if Heath actually got a decent number of balls thrown his way. Heath could totally be a Witten-type player, but he doesn't have nearly as many chances as Jason.

But maybe Santonio was just stoned...so it all made sense.

Santonio Holmes Busted With Weed

You're welcome, for the Friday morning wake and bake.

Bet you didn't expect to see this when you woke up. Santonio Holmes was busted with a few blunts last night. This ain't the offseason, son!

On the flip side, at least we now have a possible explanation why Holmes posed naked in a shower after last season. Dude was too blitzed to know better!

The Pro Bowl Needs More Flattop Fades. Vote For Nate Washington

Guess what, Steelers fans, your boy Nate Washington is sitting on the Pro Bowl ballot, waiting for your vote like he's been waiting for that Roethlisberger bomb to drop.

I never thought I'd see the day where Nate Washington was catching balls and making a case for the Pro Bowl. Now, his stats aren't mind-blowing, and he doesn't stack up against perennial Pro Bowlers, but the guy has been invaluable for the past coupla weeks, and he deserves the praise.

And if that means I gotta start a grassroots campaign to get him elected to the Pro Bowl...then so be it.

Honestly, how many other guys with at least 15 yards per catch have a sick Fresh Prince-style flattop fade? I count one, and he's doing all he can to show up higher-profile WRs like Hines and Santonio in the "run real deep and catch this bomb" department.

So it's in your hands, Steelers Nation. Get that flattop fade to Honalulu.

NFL Pro Bowl Ballot. Vote For Nate Washington And His Flattop Fade

P.S. You have no idea how hard it is to find a picture of Nate Washington with his current 'do.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

Don't get me wrong, I'll take the 26-21 win. However, we can't expect to always come out on top in these close games that need OT or a late 4th quarter score to win. Ben has proved to be fantastic late-game QB, but it sucks to routinely have to lean on a late push to secure the W. How about putting a team away early, no?

Example: The Steelers (save for the Mathis INT...gross) dominated the first three quarters of play, only to find themselves 6 points up on a team that should've been down a few scores. Then, only a minute into the 4th, we're losing. Look, Cotter and I predicted a 100% season for Jeff Reed, but the more we keep asking for FG after FG, the higher chance he has of missing one. The second quarter, we put up a touchdown and two FGs. Two touchdowns and a kick or, dare I say, three touchdowns and the game is over. Stalled drives will only over-work Reed and kill the perfect prediction.

But as I said...we're 4-1 going into the much needed bye. When the schedule was first released, I'm sure you, like me, were complaining about the early bye and how the Steelers always seem to get stuck with that same scenario, forcing the team into tons of consecutive late-season football games, pending a deep playoff run. Now, with the injuries to the guys, the bye seems to have come at the right time.

So, who did what?

Ben. He's still an enigma. We talked about Rashean Mathis in the damn pregame show...I don't know why Ben would look his way AT ALL during the game. Baseball pitchers regularly pitch around the guys who bat well against them, Ben needs to do the same when playing the Jags. THROW TO WHATEVER SIDE OF THE FIELD MATHIS ISN'T ON! Other than that unfortunate early pick, Ben looked sharper than the past two games, so there's that. 300+ yards and 3 TDs will quickly make everyone forget the pick, but not me. Why? Its the exact same play as all the other Mathis picks. Ben is pressured and throws an ill-timed pass off his back foot to the right side, only to see dreadlocks flying down that same sideline for a pick 6. I thought about giving Ben a 4, but he only gets 3.5 out of 5 helmets.

Mewelde Moore. I don't know why Gary Russell was in the game late leading up to that final score. Russell had played well to that point, but Moore had exceeded anyone's expectations. Plus, he finished with 99 yards, so it woulda been nice to see him top 100 with this crack O-Line and RB corps that we currently have. I liked the pickup when we first got Mewelde for this exact reason. The guy isn't a fall-forward-for-two-yards guy like Najeh...he'll actually look good picking up 10 yard clips. A perfect 5 of 5 helmets, because you didn't see him getting anywhere near the century mark.

Bruce Arians. Anyone else get physically sick when he starts talking to Ben? He tried to make some adjustments...throwing to Heath more than once, allowing Mewelde to run it outside...but he still reverted to form early and often. I texted Cotter after the half with this: "That last Arians drive inside the 5: Run up the middle into the pile? Check. Fade pass to the corner of the endzone? Check. So predictable." Sure, I saw a lot of predictability from teams like the Cowboys yesterday, but Arians does nothing to disguise his plan. Last week I gave him 1 helmet. I'll bump him up to 2 of 5 helmets this week.

Wooderson. This is my new Bennifer/Brangelina name for Woodley and Harrison. Plus, I love Dazed and Confused. The two guys are a perfect match on the outsides, so I can't look at them as anything but a tandem. Each week they do something that gives me goosebumps. Woodley's shoestring sack (last time I type that phrase) was awesome, and Silverback came through with yet another forced fumble. Everyone needs to stop calling Harrison "one of the best pass rushers in the league." He's gotta be at the top with how he puts up sacks (last time I type that phrase also) week after week. He's a half sack (gross, again) behind John Abraham for the league lead and is tops in the NFL in forced fumbles. And Woodley's only in the first half of his second year. I fear for the safety of the rest of the league. 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for Wooderson. That's why I love these OLBs. I get older...they keep putting up the same play. All right, all right, all right.

Santonio. I can't quite understand why he's taken a step back in performance this year. After last season, it looked like '08 was Holmes' year to break out. Hell, I felt crazy confident in my second round fantasy pick of Holmes, but he's just under-performed all year to this point. I can't tell if the blame falls solely on him, or if opposing DBs are really intent on keeping him from destroying them. Sure, he's had nice plays here and there, clutch grabs from time to time, but nothing that screams consistency. Those 65 yards were good last night, but he, not Nate Washington, needs to be the one putting up nearly 100 with a score. I'll give Nate 4 of 5 helmets for last night, but Santonio gets a 5 game, cumulative 3 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Heal up this week, guys. It doesn't get any easier the rest of the way.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

So, that was a game that down the line, when we're watching the Super Bowl DVD of this season, will remind us of how we got our ass handed to us for good reason. I personally want to thank the Eagles for dishing out a healthy dose of "shut the hell up," and I hope we learn from this experience. No two ways about it...the Eagles completely dominated us, and we pretty much deserved it. I'll admit, that as a fan base collectively, we were feeling pretty good about ourselves after beating the Texans and Browns. Playing a better team this week just shows us that we still have a long way to go, and we're nowhere near the elite team everyone made us out to be.

It's better to get a reality check in Week 3 than it is in Week 13, am I right? Let's get that underdog mentality back quick, and remember that there are no free passes to the championship.

The O-Line shouldn't have dressed, because they didn't show up at all. I'm not even going to discuss them in my rankings, because each keystroke is just going to be filled with rage. I can feel myself heating up already just mentioning their ineptitude. 0 of 5 helmets...let's move on.

It amazes me that a team can be completely confused as the Steelers were this week. It hurts more when, despite the obvious shortcomings, you're still one touchdown from the lead with only minutes left in the game. The D looked suspect at times, allowing backup RBs with multiple knee surgeries to look like top draft picks, but their play helped keep the Steelers in the game. We'll get to guys like Troy and McFadden later, but let's begin this so we can end.

Ben. What the hell, kid? I know everyone is going to say the same thing, but how is it that hard to get rid of the ball? Its awesome that you can dip your shoulder or shake off initial contact in the pocket. Everyone has known this since you were a rookie, though. Once you show that you can elude that first guy, opposing D coordinators are going to plan for this and have a second rusher close your scrambling gaps. Jim Johnson planned for this perfectly. I don't think you've understood this fact at all this season. You don't have nearly as much time as you think, and the O-Line is only going to make this worse. Philly beat us with the quick drop and short pass...watch the tapes and learn, young man. 2 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Santonio. Its 3 games in, and you still haven't really broken out. Last week was decent, but you took a step back with the drops this week. Ben wasn't dishing, but the balls that come your way need to be caught. Another 2 of 5 helmets.

NOT TALKING ABOUT THE RUNNING GAME.

Lawrence Timmons. I don't know how many 3rd and mediums there were for the Eagles, but in this instance, you need Lawrence Timmons in the game. His closing speed is great, and I was left wanting when Philly would convert the short passes to the line of scrimmage that somehow resulted in first downs. Speed kills. Timmons needs more time in the game to make an impact. He gets 3.5 of 5 stars, but only because he wasn't used enough. Not entirely your fault, Lawrence.

Troy. That pick was one of the sickest things I've ever seen. Someone try to do that right now without breaking a minimum of 3 bones in your body. Can't do it. Troy is healthy and a terror. Every season after his rookie year, I've been hyping him up as a potential AFC Defensive Player of the Year. Is this the year? 4.5 of 5 helmets.

Bryant McFadden. How good is he playing right now? Not only did he have the awareness to pick up the easy fumble, but he also came up with a clutch pick. Who woulda thought that our defensive backfield would outplay our offense? 5 of 5 helmets for Bryant.

Arians. Keep on keeping on, man. At least we'd run twice in a row to set up 3rd and long even after knowing our running game was nowhere to be found. 0 of 5 helmets. Gross.

Ravens next Monday night. If we can't control Joe Flacco, we got some problems.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

As I said last week, the MPotD will come at you closer to mid-day.

The weather tried its best to even out the game, but only one team avoided the mistakes caused by the wind and rain. As you probably could've guessed, that team was the Steelers. And it was probably because Black and Golddust made it happen.

Listen, I don't want to hear "It's our time," or "the Steelers have won 9 in a row, so the we'll win this game" from Browns players or fans ever again. Last night's win makes it 10 in a row, and we're showing no signs of letting up on our "rival." How about field a competitive team, kill the turnovers and hold on to the ball. The weather affected both sides, but our game plan and play-calling provided us the opportunity to work the clock and gain yard when needed. Sure, there were a few too many punts for my liking, but you take what you can get when gale-force winds are flying through the stadium.

At the end of the game, we still sit at 2-0, and the Browns have the script entirely flipped. Where's that sexy pick of the Browns in the AFC North, football "experts?"

Ben. I'll admit that I was anxious to see how he'd perform in the elements, and as fans, we were allowed to expect a pick or two. Especially with the shoulder. Asshole Shaun Rogers tried his best to knock Big Ben out with the late hit directly to the suspect shoulder, but Ben hung in, and was able to rest his injury by just handing the ball off a million times. It wasn't a huge game by anyone's count, but I'll take 12 for 19 for 184 and a score most days of the week. 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets for Ben.

Willie Parker. Not really a standout game, but using the same logic as I did with Ben above, its nice to call a 100-yard game mostly meh. That 19-yard scamper late pushed him over the century mark, and he did enough to keep the Browns offense off the field. There were no real fireworks, but we'll blame it on the rain (Milli Vanilli-style) for this game. 3.5 out of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Michael Phelps. Corona cans? I don't know whether to mock your taste or compliment your ballsiness. A solid 3 of 5 helmets? Thanks for jinxing your boy Braylon.

Troy. The NFL is in for the second coming if Polamalu is 100% after the injuries he's had the past few seasons. He's been playing like a man possessed through two games, and I'm only hoping he can keep playing at this level without getting injured again. He saw that Anderson throw before Anderson threw it, and that pick was clearly the turning point in the game. Oh, and that flip over the O-line to disrupt the inside run was fantastic. Vintage Troy all night. 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Santonio. Very quietly put up 94 yards and an 18.8 yard average. Without the weather, that might've been 150 and 20. His potential is crazy. 4 of 5 helmets.

Mewelde Moore/Mother Nature. I'll forgive the muffed punts all night. But only for one night. Its a forgivable 2 of 5 helmets.

And props to guys like Bryant McFadden (starting in place of Deshea and making a huge pick), Silverback (who was on meth again) and the rest of the D. I love how the announcers always fawn over Jamal Lewis when he plays the Steelers, and our D shuts him down every game. Makes me all warm inside.

Anyone you wanna praise or call out? Leave 'em in the comments.

Iggles next week. I shall forget my respect for the Steagles for this one week.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

Hey guys...guess what? MMCNY is back! Its been awhile. You all are looking great. We should get together and do lunch.

Prior to the game (and season!) starting, I said to Cotter that we couldn't afford to start slow. One Roethlisberger pick, one slacking defense and the season already would have been in trouble. I wanted to see an efficient offense, a steady O-line and smothering defense early and often. On the whole (tee hee), I was thoroughly impressed.

No one made the mistake, other than Matt Schaub and his fellow Texans.

I'm wicked hoarse, mostly from the sick atmosphere at Texas Arizona, so I'll be coming at you with my quiet-time voice. I predicted a 35-14 win, but Doug went ahead and hit the nail on the head with the appropriate 38-17 prediction less than an hour before the game started! Can I get some lottery numbers, man?

So, I'm glad MMCNY is back (here's the ratings breakdown, if you're new to the concept). It'll shift the MPotD til later in the day following Steelers games, but you'll adjust. Let's dive in:

Ben. Yes. That is how you open the season. In only 3/4 of the game, Roethlisberger put up pre-'07-type numbers. 13-14 for 137 yards, a touchdown and a passer rating of 147! He didn't force the ball anywhere, really, and was methodical with completion after completion. The Texans didn't want to get beat deep, so Ben took what was given...which is a good sign this early in the season. I felt pretty comfortable with all of Ben's passes, and he didn't let me down at all. A perfect 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for the Large one.

Byron. Didn't do anything to ease my mind about the lack of Chuck Batch on the sidelines, but he also didn't make any massive mistakes. He handed off a bunch, which is easy to do with a huge lead, but went 0-4 when asked to chuck the rock. And he was chucking it. 2 of 5 motorcycle helmets, but to be fair, he wasn't expected to really do anything.

Willie. Yes. That is how you...pad my fantasy stats. Bill validated my first-round selection of the once-allergic-to-touchdowns-Parker. He continued his recent streak of huge opening-day games, topping 100 yards for the fourth straight season debut. At some point in our preview show or outtakes, we pleaded to Bill for a score. Trading a few fumbles a year for several more touchdowns will vault Willie from a decent, 1,200-yard back to a possible All-Pro. He's really that good. One helmet for each touchdown, one for going over 100 yards and another for not fumbling, and Fast Bill collects 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets in the opener.

D. They're going to get another perfect...so, um...spoiler alert? Silverback proved last year was no fluke as he played like he was on meth again. 3 sacks!? Yikes. The man is a force, and coupled with LaMarr Woodley, provides a formidable challenge to opposing offenses. Wood got in on the sack fest, Farrior pitched in, Nick Eason played a surprisingly good game, and Troy was flying around like pre-injuries Troy. 5 of 5 helmets.

Hines. Looked young all game. Even with the move to a younger WR corps, Hines showed why he still Hines Ward and should be respected as such. Those two touchdowns were critical, and really buried the Texans earlier than they probably expected. 4 of 5 helmets for the 76 yards.

San Antonio. Not really a great game, but someone is going to suffer when everyone else is killing it. I woulda liked a few more catches, but I guess he did as much as he could with what he was given. Only two catches, but a 9.5 yard average, and he converted a big third down. 3 of 5 helmets, and I expect a bigger game in the near future.

Fresh meat next week in the Cleveland Browns. Don't call me, I'll call you.

The Steelers Are Pranksters

Good to see the team gelling and having chemistry, no?

If you're Santonio Holmes, how do you fall for the oldest trick in the book? A large group of teammates hands you a water bottle, complete with shit-eating grins all around, and you still don't expect some sort of hijinks? If Silverback was staring at me with a toothy smile, I'd immediately think the worst. Pee in the bottle...a loosened lid...or anything in between. I mean, how many times do groups of people watch you drink? You're 'sposed to have good field awareness, San Antonio!

GLURB..GLURBLE GLURB.

Those speech bubbles killed me. Kinda NSFW, language-wise, but funny nonetheless.

Watch out for the Saran Wrap on the toilets, Santonio.

Jeff Reed Is Almost Naked...Again

This awful group of pictures is brought to you by the fine lads at Kissing Suzy Kolber (via Deadspin). Hat tip to you, Ape.

Last time we got an eyeful of a current Steeler, we really got too much of an eyeful of John Santonio Holmes.

Thankfully, Jeff's got his pants on, but the tiara and sash are a nice combo.

I think our team might have a drinking/clothing problem.

Santonio Holmes Is Naked

Thanks, AJ.

I'm putting this picture at the bottom of the post, hopefully obscured by many, many linebreaks so that your boss doesn't see this as soon as the page loads.

NSFW is an understatement. Original, naked picture here. I haven't even clicked on that link, so I won't hate you if you don't either.


UNSEXY UPDATE: Bandwidth was exceeded on that original link. You can check out Santonio's dong here. Gross.


-




I mean it.








Not joking.








Its kinda gross.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

Fantastic.

That game was so fun to watch. We did everything right, everyone looked sharp, Phil Simms wasn't an idiot, etc.

No more sarcasm from me. I promise.

Now, I'm always excited for Steelers games, and never want to see the team lose. However, with the playoffs a week away and many a key starter on the sidelines, it was like watching your old high school jayvee squad get beat by the conference rival. The other team was better, and you took the beating, accepted the loss and moved on.

The Ravens wanted to end their season with a win. They got what they wanted. The Steelers wanted to rest a buncha guys while waiting for the playoff scenarios to shake out. That happened, too. Now, the Ravens winning doesn't mean they are the better team. Today, yes. But the win did come against a team that is playing a meaningful game next week, and had most its stars roaming with the coaches. Next week, the Ravens will be on a beach somewhere...not competing for a potential Super Bowl.

Basically, the Steelers showed up, went through the motions and lost the game. I'm not overly pissed about it, mainly because the only good that could've come from a win would be a bump up in the seeding. And that outcome still hinged on the outcome of the San Diego game.

The best thing that happened in the game...Deshea Townsend forcing a 4th down early in the 1st quarter and giving the Dikembe Mutumbo-finger wag. I guess its only appropriate to do that when you're over the age of 75, as is the case with Deshea/Dikembe. I can't wait til I'm 75. I'm gonna do that all the time.

Charles Hatch. Sorry. That's a pet name that Bob and I gave Charlie. I know the weather wasn't that great, but Charlie struggled to find a vertical passing game. When he wasn't handing off (or getting picked off), he was primarily throwing towards the sidelines. He did find Heath a couple of times, but failed to create first downs. He did heat up late, but the team needs Ben to challenge for the title. Let's just pray we don't need Charles in the playoffs. 3 out of 5 motorcycle helmets.

O-Line. Hey! Ben didn't get sacked this week! 5 of 5 motorc...oh, wait. Whoops.

Najeh. Can we please play the Rams next week? Najeh's best 2 games have been against St. Louis, but he can't bank on meeting them in the second season. Because they suck. In the simplest form, Najeh failed to remove any postseason doubts. Without Fast Bill, the team is going to need Ben...in a big way. And Najeh is going to need to go for more than 50 yards rushing. 2.9 out of 5 motorcycle helmets for the Dump Truck. I don't feel comfortable giving him a 3.

San Antonio. With no Fast Willie, San Antonio might be just as important as Ben Roethlisberger come playoff time. He's a stud, and he'll stretch the field. We could sure use San Antonio's deep threat to set up Najeh for some big time holes with less guys in the box. 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for Holmes.

D. I'm hoping Dick LeBeau/Mike Tomlin told the D to take it easy this week, because that was disgusting. I know there were a bunch of backups playing, but there were enough starters to at least make the game competitive. The game was not competitive...until it was too late. The D looked awful. 2 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Forgive me for being so blasé this week. I know we lost, but I'd rather lose a meaningless game than a key starter due to injury. Our banged-up guys got a chance to rest, while backups saw actual, live-action snaps. It just felt like preseason. And I refuse to get all emotional over a preseason-type game.

Oh, and I just remembered, the Steelers are currently on a 4-game postseason win streak. Say something...

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

Ouch.

Uncool win.

Sure, we won, but losing Willie Parker for the season really hurts. Tons of love goes to Najeh for holding it down last night, but Willie broke his leg? I'm sick for the guy.

The D let up way too many points again, but held when they had to, allowing the O (and a timely interception) seal the win. It felt good to snap that thar little losing streak.

Tale of the tape: Offense is clicking. Underlying theme: Big ups to backups who stepped up (which is what we'll need come playoff time).

P.S. Steven Jackson is a freak of nature. He's bigger than our linebackers. I don't know if I've ever seen a guy with his combination of size and speed. Unreal. I thought he was going to go for 200+ on us. Completely honest.

Now...who did what?

Ben. Despite the past two losses, Ben played well in each game. He didn't bring that losing mentality to St. Louis, though. With only a few days to prepare, Ben looked ridiculously sharp, connecting on 3 touchdown passes and 261 yards on 80% accuracy. Plus, it was his 2nd game this season with a perfect passer rating. I'm trying to find something to pick at, but Ben averaged over 13 yards per completion. That's 5 of 5 motorcycle helmet territory.

Fast Wil...er...Najeh. Prayers go out to Willie. Its gotta suck to break your leg right after taking the outright league lead in rushing with only 2 games to play. If we make the playoffs, its going to be extremely hard without him. At least for one night, though, Najeh was looking solid. 24 carries? Over 5 yards per? A rushing touchdown? 123 yards? Wow. I don't care who you are...you didn't see that coming. When Najeh went to the sideline to tape up his ankle, I was nearly ready to throw the towel in for the season. Verron isn't in Black and Gold. Gary Russell has 1 attempt for 1 yard this season...and wasn't even on the sideline anyway. Najeh gets a perfect 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets. Oh...and Carey Davis, my preseason darkhorse, gets 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

WRs. Just in case you were wondering, the Steelers had 3 WRs average over 22 yards per catch against the Rams. San Antonio (4 catches/133 yards/dirty 83 yard catch early), Najeh (2 catches/44 yards/no WR routes to the endzone this game) and Nate Washington (2 catches/50 yards/both for scores). Oh...and Hines and Heath averaged a lowly 9.8 and 7 yards per catch respectively. Lowly. Willie was down, but Najeh's workload (I said load) on the ground allowed Ben to find the open guy. The WR corps performed all game. That's going to be critical in a few weeks. 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Ike and Ike. Glad Eye-sac Bruce decided to show the world he stills plays in the NFL. In all honesty, Bruce has been one of my favorite non-Steeler receivers over the course of his career. Don't know why, but he's always been a player I've respected that doesn't wear the Black and Gold. Even with superstud Tory Holt in the game, Marc Bulger was intent on getting the ball to Bruce. Dude had 87 yards receiving and was the go-to-guy. Our Ike, despite letting a few sure-fire ints through his hands early, sealed the win with the 51 yard pick-6. Eye-sac gets 3.75 out of 5 motorcycle helmets out of respect. Taylor gets 4.5 out of 5.

Baltimore to close out the season. Silverback is foaming at the mouth.

Troy and San Antonio Won't Play Against The Fish

Things just got trickier for a team trying to avoid back to back losses to awful opponents.

Fresh off the disaster in New York, the Steelers must prepare for Joey Porter and the Dolphins sans standout athletes on both sides of the ball.

Troy Polamalu...out with a knee. San Antonio...out with an ankle.

Fun times. Tyrone Carter and Nate Washington best step up their respective games. 7-4 will not be acceptable. At all.

I don't see the Steelers losing, but I thought the exact same thing prior to the Jets game. Pittsburgh should be going for its 9th win, not merely hoping to record win number 8. Still, the team must look forward after the pathetic showing last week, and do anything and everything to avoid a repeat in front of the Monday Night Football crowd.

Don't play with my emotions, Stillers. These injuries cannot be an excuse for a 2nd consecutive disappointing loss.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

With their 0-3 start in the AFC North and their 1-4 record in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens are about as socially and culturally relevant as Picway Shoes* right now.

Yes, I just successfully referenced Picway Shoes in a Pittsburgh sportsblog. I will begin to accept any and all compliments now.

James Harrison is a beast (Thanks to Ed Spags for the vid). I watched him exit the locker rooms with no helmet and thought, "Man, this dude is a beast." Then, he proceeded to tally a season's-worth of stats. And just in case you were wondering, I'm no James Harrison-bandwagon-jumper-on-er. Take a look at my Blogger profile. That's no accident. He's been my guy for a while.

Tale of the tape: Ravens should have stayed home. Underlying theme: James Harrison was on meth.

I was in a state of euphoria at kickoff last night, what with the Pens dominating old foe New Jersey, the all-time Steelers team prowling the sidelines and the Steelers about to crush Jesus Lewis and the listless Ravens. That 38-7 final almost seemed too good to be true.

And yes, it was okay for Ben to still be in the game when Suggs pushed him. It was the 3rd quarter. This wasn't Tom Brady going for 4th and whatever late in the final frame. Oh, and I only referenced Tom Brady because his name was brought up about 50 times last night by the MNF crew. Honestly, can a quarterback do anything good without being compared to Tom Brady? I truly don't think so.

Enough of my rambling. Let's look at the studs and duds.

Bennifer. ***SPOLIER ALERT*** He's going to get 5 of 5 helmets. No picks or fumbles in the slop was what stood out most in my mind. Yeah, those 5 passing TDs in the first half were pretty good, but I'm more impressed with how Ben handled the elements and refused to turn over the ball. Compare that to Air McNair. Sure, Ben finished with only 209 yards (probably the lowest total by any QB tossing 5 TDs) but most of that was due to Baltimore turnovers on their own side of the field. 13 for 16 is just ridiculous efficiency. I know I already spoiled it, but 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets (one for each TD) for Large Ben.

Fast Bill. Did not impress me at all. Najeh seemed to be a better fit in the slop against a stout running D like Baltimore. William only averaged 1.8 yards per, and could not get anything going. I hope its due to the elements rather than the defense, and Willie returns to form soon. However, he can't continually blame the weather. It won't always be 65 and sunny in January. Baltimore was a test for the Heir-Bus, and he failed. 3 of 5 motorcycle helmets for pounding the rock 23 times despite being frustrated all night.

San Antonio. 4 receptions for a buck ten. 2 of those 4 were touchdown grabs. San Antonio had more receiving yards (110) than Baltimore had total yards (104). He dropped that one pass in the end zone, but recovered nicely to finish off the drive with a touchdown in the opposite corner. He played better than the entire Baltimore team (which wasn't hard to do), so I'll reward each of his catches with 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets and a hearty pat on the back.

James Harrison. ...was on meth all night. Dude was filling in nicely for Joey Porter all season, putting up solid stats and making sure Yinzers weren't questioning his roster spot. Last night, Harrison nearly made fans want to replace Porter with Harrison on the all-time team. Look at those numbers one more time. 10 tackles (9 solo), 3.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovered and 20 interception return yards. Most undrafted free agents would kill for a season like that. Harrison was an undrafted free agent who did that in one night, against every "expert's" favorite defense. 10 of 5 motorcycle helmets, just because I can.

Throwbacks. Those unis are now 2-0 this season. Plus, those "used Q-Tip" helmets were hitting balls left and right. Keep the unis. Use 'em every year. 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for the throwbacks.

Ooooooh...the Browns are 5-3! I'm so scared.




*For those of you who weren't poor, Picway was a shittier version of Payless ShoeSource. It sucked big time.