Unhappiness Within The Pittsburgh Steelers Franchise

Before Big Ben Roethlisberger stepped off the field and out of the locker room after his final game of his season, he made it clear to the media that he wants the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft a tall wide receiver.

There's nothing wrong with that statement, except to Hines Ward, who was angry by what Big Ben said. I doubt that comment made by Ben Roethlisberger was aimed to smack Hines Ward in the face. It was a general statement and a true one too boot. Its always handy too have a tall receiver to boost the offensive firepower on your team.

What I find interesting is that Hines Ward was angered by Big Ben's statement...yet Hines Ward's best years came during the time when Plaxico Burress (an incredibly tall receiver now on the New York Giants) was on the Steelers. Go figure.

Jacksonville Jaguars Advance In The Playoffs

What once was a walk in the park for the Jaguars turned into a cliff-hanger. But thanks to Josh Scobee's late 25-yard field goal, the Jaguars defeated Pittsburgh.

Never in the Steelers' 75 seasons had a team beaten them twice in Pittsburgh in the same season. The Jacksonville Jaguars beat history -- and the Steelers -- despite a memorable fourth-quarter collapse that nearly cost the visitors their season.

Thanks to three Ben Roethlisberger picks in the first half, the Jags were walking over the Steelers. Not anymore. Big Ben's big second half placed the Steelers in the lead. However, the score that made the Steelers take the lead was a result of a false pass interference call on the offense. Hines Ward clearly had his hand in the face of the defender's mask, but the refs called pass interference on the defense. This gave the Steelers a fresh set of downs in which they eventually scored to take the lead 29-28

However, David Garrard single-handedly led his team downfield. He daringly attempted a fourth down in which he ran the ball himself to put his team in position to take the lead, which they did via a field goal by Josh Scobee. The Jags took the lead 31-29 and this became the final score after Ben Roethlisberger fumbled the final drive.

Jacksonville appeared to be done after Najeh Davenport's second 1-yard TD run of the game gave the Steelers a 29-28 lead with about six minutes remaining. But quarterback David Garrard, not a great runner, found a seam on a convert-or-else fourth-and-2 play and rambled 32 yards to the Steelers 11 with 1:56 left.

Garrard aided the Steelers' comeback by throwing two interceptions -- one less than he had all season -- only to come up with the play that may have saved the Jaguars' season.

The Jaguars came in off six wins in their last eight games, while the Steelers -- missing five starters, including star running back Willie Parker -- limped into the postseason with three losses in four games and four in seven.

Jacksonville Jaguars really deserve this win. If they would have lost because of that clearly obvious false face mask call, it would have been ashame. The Jags were the hottest team coming into the playoffs. Their young. Their hot. Their fresh. Their hungry and have the will to win. If the Titans win tomorrow, I really believe the Jags have the aggressive defense that will cause the Patriots trouble.

In-Depth Wild Card Weekend Preview

Jaguars	Category	Steelers	Reason
check	Offense		Both teams want to run the ball, but the Jaguars have more of an identity. They are a running team, period.
	Defense	check	Both are strong here, but a healthy Troy Polamalu allows Pittsburgh to make more big plays.
	Special teams	check	The Steelers are better equipped to handle the footing if there are bad weather and field conditions issues at Heinz Field.
check	Coaching		Jack Del Rio has the experience of being in the playoffs. In addition, he also has his team playing better right now.
check	Intangibles		The Jaguars have finally manufactured enough big plays in the passing game in the absence of Jimmy Smith.
check	Wild card		Jags' ability to get Maurice Jones-Drew the ball in space will cause trouble for the Steelers' LBs.

Overall: Jaguars
The Jags are among the few teams that match up well physically vs. Steelers.

Redskins	Category	Seahawks	Reason
	Offense	check	This team has gotten comfortable becoming one-dimensional with Matt Hasselbeck and the receivers.
check	Defense		The front 7 has been pretty strong most of the year, but now the secondary is making more plays.
check	Special teams		Antwaan Randle El has a history of making big plays in the playoffs.
check	Coaching		Mike Holmgren is used to the big stage, but Joe Gibbs has his team on a roll right now.
	Intangibles	check	As Tony Romo learned, Seattle can be a hard place for a visitor this time of year.
	Wild card	check	Shaun Alexander is just two years removed from league MVP and is capable of a big game.

Overall: Redskins

This game will not be the kiss of death for the Redskins.

Titans	Category	Chargers	Reason
	Offense	check	The players and coaching staff have finally come to the realization that LT must keep getting the ball.
	Defense	check	The Chargers have picked up their pass rush in the past four games, and the run defense now looks like it did last year.
	Special teams	check	Darren Sproles gives the Chargers one of the most explosive return games in the league.
check	Coaching		Jeff Fisher gets as much out of players as any coach, and he will have them ready for a physical football game.
	Intangibles	check	We'll finally get to see how much of a difference it makes not having Marty Schottenheimer.
	Wild card	check	Philip Rivers gets to prove he'll be a benefit and not a hindrance in a key situation.

Overall: Chargers

Albert Haynesworth is not 100 percent, and the Titans lack outside speed. If anything, the Madden curse should theoretically haunt this game.

Giants	Category	Buccaneers	Reason
check	Offense		They have the better running game and Plaxico Burress is getting healthier.
	Defense	check	They can line up in man coverage at corner and pressure the QB without sending a lot of blitzes.
check	Special teams		They keep throwing guys out on returns who can take it to the house.
	Coaching	check	Jon Gruden is feeling less pressure and has a better history in big games.
	Intangibles	check	The Giants might not be able to overcome the emotionally and physically draining game against the Pats.
	Wild card	check	Conversely, the Bucs should go into this game well-rested and healthy.

Overall: Buccaneers

Tampa Bay's zone defense should confuse Eli Manning, forcing him into turnovers.

With help from Yahoo Sports and Cris Carter, this was one of the most detailed breakdowns of this weekend's NFL Wild Card games that I could find.

Willie Parker Is Out For The Season (Which Is Only 1 More Game)

The Pittsburgh Steelers' 41-24 victory over the St. Louis Rams was overshadowed by the injury sustained by leading rusher Willie Parker. Willie Parker's season ended after his first carry, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will miss the NFL's leading rusher if they get to the playoffs. But they don't miss him yet.

Najeh Davenport, a career backup running back with typical non-descript statistics, has two huge games since entering the league as a fourth-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2002. Both have come against the St. Louis Rams, with Davenport's three-touchdown, 123-yard rushing effort pacing a 41-24 victory on Thursday night.

Parker, who has 1,316 yards, limped off the field with a broken bone in his lower right leg in the first quarter after only one carry for minus-1 yard. Davenport eased any worries with a game that rivaled his 178-yard effort for the Packers against the Rams, in a 45-17 Monday Night victory in 2004. He was filling in for Ahman Green at the time. The Steelers are lucky to have such a good backup running back, as Willie Parker's injury could really effect them in the playoffs, if they make it in.

The Steelers, 8-8 last season, can clinch the division with a Cleveland loss at Cincinnati on Sunday. They also can clinch a playoff berth if the Titans lose to the Jets.

It must be a curse to be a leading rusher this season. First, Ronnie Brown gets injured very early in the season and was out for the rest of the year. Then Adrian Peterson, who was the hottest running back in the league at one point, was injured and has produced mediocre numbers the past few weeks. Now, Willie Parker, who entered the game leading the league in rushing yards, will be out if the Steelers make the playoffs.

An Example Of A Die Hard Football Fan, Literally

Here's a story I thought was rather interesting and different from the usual.

Richard Desrosiers never made it to Heinz Field to watch his beloved Steelers play football, but his widow helped him fulfill his dream in death. Thanks to some help from sympathetic donors, Kathleen Desrosiers attended Sunday's game, bringing an urn with some of her late husband's ashes, as well as his ring and two pictures of him. He had died in March of a brain tumor.

Though he lived in Exeter, N.H., Richard Desrosiers adopted the Steelers at an early age and followed them closely. He named his dog Steeler and his wardrobe, by his widow's estimate, was 95 percent Steelers gear.

Braving the biting cold and the Steelers' disappointing 29-22 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Desrosiers waved her new Terrible Towel, showed off her painted face and warmed her head with a Steelers hat. "It's sad to think that he got here in death," she added. "But this is where he wanted to be. It was what he asked me to do. I got to be with him one last time while he did something he wanted more than anything else in the whole wide world."

We Have Some Hot Heads In The NFL This Week

First, the issue of Terence Newman of the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman has been put on notice by the NFL after indicating his desire for revenge on Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna.

Posted on Newman's locker Thursday was a letter he received from the NFL after making comments about Kitna during a satellite radio interview. Newman refused comment to reporters when he walked through the locker room.

"Be advised that your comments will now compel us to carefully monitor your activities in this weekend's Cowboys-Lions game," read part of the letter signed by Ray Anderson, NFL executive vice president for football operations. "As you know, flagrant fouls may subject a player not only to fines, but to suspension as well. So conduct yourself accordingly."

Kitna threw four touchdown passes in the regular-season finale in Dallas last year to end a 3-13 season for Detroit. In an interview the following week with a radio station in Seattle, where the Cowboys had to go for the playoffs, Kitna called out the Dallas defense, specifically linebacker Bradie James.

The Cowboys (11-1), who have already clinched another playoff spot this season, play at Detroit on Sunday. Kitna's bulletin-board remarks from January have been widely discussed.

While Newman hasn't spoken to local media this week, he issued what amounted to a warning for Kitna during an interview Tuesday on Sirius NFL Radio.

"Basically what it boils down to is you've got to watch what you say. Your mouth can't write checks that your [expletive] can't cash. That's what it comes down to," Newman said. "Everybody's going to see those quotes. He better just hope I don't blitz off the edge, because I've got 15, 25, 30 [thousand dollars], however much it would be for a fine. I've got that much for one fine. Revenge will be sweet definitely."

In the NFL letter to Newman, Anderson wrote those comments were 'thoughtless and irresponsible" and "contrary to all the NFL stands for."

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said he didn't know about the letter until Newman told him about it during practice Thursday.

So let me get this straight. First, the NFL cracks down on touchdown celebrations....and now trash talking is against the rules to? Not only that, players who trash talk will be scrutinized to the point where if they tackle someone they will be fined because its unclear whether the play who trash talked intended to hurt another player? This is all just trash talk among players and nothing more. I doubt Newman wants to kill Kitna, just get inside his head a little.

The trash talking continues.....

The New England Patriots have their own guarantee: They'd never guarantee a victory like Pittsburgh's Anthony Smith did.

Some of them can't even guarantee they'd recognize him.

"I know Aaron Smith," Patriots defensive end Ty Warren said Thursday. "I don't know Anthony Smith."

Aaron Smith is in his ninth season with the Steelers, a standout defensive end who made the 2005 Pro Bowl and will be pressuring Tom Brady on Sunday when the NFL's best team meets the league's top-rated defense.

Anthony Smith is a free safety in his second pro season and starting only because Ryan Clark's season ended in late October with an inflamed spleen that was removed last month.

He's also the guy who may be too sure of himself.

"We're going to win," he said Wednesday. "Yeah, I can guarantee a win. As long as we come out and do what we got to do. Both sides of the ball are rolling, and if our special teams come through for us, we've got a good chance to win."

"I didn't know who he was until we started preparing for them," Brady said.

Again, more pointless trash talking among that Steelers player to hype the game up and give the media something to turn their heads to. The funny thing is that even if the Steelers do win this game, I doubt Smith's statement would have had any effect on the performance of the Steelers. Also, the Patriots and that coach of theirs do thrive on statements made against them like this. Not to mention this statement will make Smith look that much more silly when they lose. Unlike Kitna, some unknown player can't get into Tom Brady's head.........but perhaps some static or a little crowd noise can.

Football Predictions For Week 14 Of The NFL

I want everyone to be aware of a few things going into this week: Though the New England Patriots will most likely go undefeated for the regular season after that come from behind win last week, there is still tons of drama for the Wild Card teams and anything can happen in the playoffs.

Thursday

Chicago At Washington - This is a game of literally two evenly matched teams at 5-7 who are both coming off tough losses. Though this is a coin toss game of 2 teams pursuing the Wild Card, Portis and Betts will run over the Bears' defense and the Redskins will get the win.

Sunday

Miami At Buffalo - After last week's loss to the Jets, I am never picking Miami until they give me a reason to.

St. Louis At Cincinnati - This is theoretically supposed to be a match of two extremely high powered offenses, but I haven't seen much offense from either team. St. Louis will win, however, because at least they have a somewhat consistent defense when compared to the Bengals. Also, the decision to start Bulger is leaning more and more towards a yes.

Dallas At Detroit - The Cowboys are the Lions' next rough game in what could be the hardest schedule in the NFL. This should theoretically be another high scoring game and I can see that happening with Dallas coming out on top.

Oakland At Green Bay - The Packers loss last week against the Cowboys was only a warm-up for the playoffs and a minor set back. They will trounce the Raiders even though Favre is still questionable to start.

San Diego At Tennessee - Interesting how these two teams both have identical records (7-5), but the Chargers own their division while the Titans are staying alive for a Wild Card. I just think the Chargers have finally come alive and LT is returning to meet the high expectations the media had for him. Therefore, Chargers win.

New York Giants At Philadelphia - This is a great division rivalry game with serious playoff implications. I would actually label this a coin toss game because Eli is streaky as usual which could cost the Giants the game, but the Eagles have also been streaky. However, the Eagles need this win badly and their defense will bring the pressure on Eli, forcing him to make stupid mistakes and lose the game. Also, McNabb thinks he's ready to play, not that he's much of a difference at this point from Feeley.

Carolina At Jacksonville - The Panthers stopped a five-game losing skid in Week 13 against the 49ers while the Jaguars lost a tough one at Indianapolis. I just can not find any reasons why the Panthers could win this game.

Tampa Bay At Houston - I can see the Texans upsetting the Bucs, but because Matt Schaub is still questionable, I'm going to have to take the Bucs in this one.

Minnesota At San Francisco - I think the question with the Vikings at this point is not whether they will win, but how many yards will Adrian Peterson have against the 49ers' horrible defense.

Arizona At Seattle - This is a huge game in the NFC West divisional race as we start the final quarter of the regular season. The Seahawks will be looking to get some revenge for their Week 2 loss in Arizona. Can the Cardinals match up with their injured secondary against the Seahawks' spread receiver packages? The Seahawks and Shaun Alexander just look so much more comfortable that I have to take them.

Kansas City At Denver - These teams have been doing so bad lately even the Bills have a better record than both of them. This is a divisional matchup between two rivals that know each other very well and don't like each other. The Broncos can't afford to lose another game if they have any ideas about making the playoffs. Both teams want to stop losing streaks; Denver has lost two straight, while the Chiefs have lost their last five. I don't understand why analysts scrutinize young quarterbacks like Rivers, Young, and Eli Manning so much, but I never hear them say bad things about Cutler. He's as streaky as Eli. I'm picking the Chiefs for a minor upset.

Cleveland At New York Jets - This may be closer than one would expect. Remember, the Browns don't have a great defense and the Jets can put points on the board. However, they would need to score a lot and that isn't going to happen. Browns will roll on them.

Pittsburgh At New England - I REALLY want to say Steelers, but the NFL and their referees prohibit me from doing so.

Indianapolis At Baltimore - How lovely of the NFL to put the Colts back on a night game. I thought it would be the Patriots every Sunday or Monday night. Unfortunately, I have bad news for the Colts. Since the Patriots are better than the Colts this year, and the Ravens played their hearts out to beat the Patriots but lost for whatever reason (fair or unfair).....Wouldn't you think they are going to play just as hard against the Colts to avenge that lost since they are extremely angry and fired up? If the Colts were playing any other team except the Patriots, I would pick them, but because they happen to be playing the Ravens at this particular time, I'm going to go against my favorite team and pick the Ravens (especially their defense) to win in the upset of the week. Also, the Ravens are at home...that's always a boost.

Monday

New Orleans At Atlanta - Atlanta doesn't give me any reason why I should pick them. I think they are ranked 29th in the power rankings. Just go with the Saints.

My Interpretation of Week 13 of the NFL

I just want to say how unexciting this week was for me. Other than the Packers-Cowboys game and the Jaguars-Colts game, nothing else excited me. Oh well, onto the games:

Dallas 37 beat Green Bay 27 - I already said what I thought about this game in a previous post. In a nutshell, Dallas has separated themselves from the rest of the NFC and my theory of a quarterback not having a lot of experience is thrown out the window.

Tennessee 28 beat Houston 20 - Just when I was ready to give up on Vince Young and the Titans, Young rallies to lead his team to victory and keep their hopes alive for a Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, Houston's season is done, but they made a better effort than I expected and in their process of rebuilding should be even stronger next year.

Indianapolis 28 beat Jacksonville 25 - OK. I want to meet the bright analysts who actually ranked the Jaguars ahead of the Colts in the power rankings! That implies that Garrard is better than Manning. Well, this victory, though a slim one, should answer any questions to which team is better. The Colts pretty much clinched their division with this victory, but the Jags are still in it for the Wild Card.

San Diego 24 beat Kansas City 10 - This was a no brainer. LT and the Chargers finally decided to charge their battery towards the end of the season. They have that division won. Keep an eye on them in the playoffs.

St. Louis 28 beat Atlanta 16 - I figured this would be a coin toss win, but too much Rams offense in this one gave them a victory. Always nice to see Stephen Jackson do well.

New York Jets 40 beat Miami 13 - And I actually picked Miami to get their first win. What was I thinking. However, I haven't seen the Jets play this good the whole season. Who knew? If last week's 3-0 loss to the Steelers was Miami's best shot to get their first win, this week was also a very good opportunity. Now I'm convinced never to pick Miami for the rest of the season.

Minnesota 42 beat Detroit 10 - Did Adrian Peterson have some kind of knee injury? You would never have been able to tell based on his performance this game. He is truly amazing. The Vikings deserve a Wild Card spot and keep an eye on them in the playoffs. Jackson has also been playing decent recently.

Seattle 28 beat Philadelphia 24 - This was a close game, but Feeley's 3 interceptions (especially when they were in position to win) cost the Eagles the game. I'm torn now. Do I want McNabb's inconsistency back or stick with Feeley who was never great to begin with? The Eagles have quarterback issues. Meanwhile, Seattle continues to hold their lead in their division over Arizona.

Buffalo 17 beat Washington 16 - This game upset me. I can't believe after Sean Taylor's death the NFL allowed the Bills to squeak by the Redskins by a point at the very end of the game. I figured out of respect the Redskins would win. I guess Buffalo still wants a Wild Card. Fat chance that is going to happen.

Carolina 31 beat San Fransisco 14 - Another no brainer. The most notable thing here is that Testaverde led the Panthers to their first home win of the season.

Oakland 34 beat Denver 20 - This was probably a surprise to many. Denver just loss any chance of winning their division and will not be in the playoffs since I can remember. Behind McCown's arm, the Raiders ended their 5 game skid to the Broncos.

Arizona 27 beat Browns 21 - This didn't surprise me too much as well. Though the Browns are a powerhouse offense, they simply made too many mistakes in this game and the Cardinals are not a team you want to be making mistakes to because they've been hot as of late.

New York Giants 21 beat Chicago 16 - Don't let the Giants 8-4 record fool you. The Bears squandered their lead in this game and Eli performed pretty bad like he always does. The Giants are a team who will get smacked in the first round by whoever they play.

Tampa Bay 27 beat New Orleans 23 - The Buccaneers, probably because of the poor division they play in, aren't talked about often. However, with a deserving 8-4 record (unlike the Giants who don't deserve to be 8-4), they are a force to reckon with.

Pittsburgh 17 is beating (at halftime) Cincinnati 7 - After a good start to the Bengals offense, they are down by 10 at half. I expect the Steelers to continue to roll all over them.

For Monday

New England Vs Baltimore - I find it funny how Belichick singled out Reed on the Ravens defense and flattered him so much. What he is doing is trying to mentally psyche that defense out. He is trying to make them think they are superior so it looks that much better when the Patriots run up the score and embarrass them. I hate you, Belichick. Sad thing is, that's what is going to happen.

Sports and Celebrities Fuse Together

Joe Namath had one of the best careers of any athlete. He must have, because Universal Studios have chosen his life to be the subject of their next multi-million dollar movie. Universal Studios will make a movie about the Hall of Fame quarterback, with Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead actor to play Namath.

The film will recount Namath's journey from Beaver Falls, Pa. to Alabama to New York, where Jets owner Sonny Werblin bet a then unheard-of $400,000 on Namath giving the struggling Jets and the AFL instant credibility. "Broadway Joe" became a sports hero, a celebrity pitchman and a sex symbol in New York as the Jets won Super Bowl III.

The executive producer of this film, Jimmy Walsh, compared this film to Forest Gump, saying that most of the scenes in Forest Gump is what Joe lived through. However, no title that I know of has been announced for this movie.

In other celebrity news, the leader singer from Motley Crue had to skip his solo performance. The Steelers apologized Tuesday for omitting a performance of the national anthem by Motley Crue lead singer, Vince Neil, before the nationally televised game against the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field. In the Steelers' defense, I don't blame them one bit for skipping the national anthem. In fact, that game was such a disaster they should have skipped three quarters and went right to the end. Would the crowd really have been able to appreciate the national anthem when they were so focused on the downpour of rain and lightning and the marsh they called a football field?

Football Predictions for Week 13 of the NFL

I have to start writing out my predictions earlier during the week now that the NFL network will be airing games on Thursday night. Speaking of which....

Thursday

Green Bay At Dallas - If the Pats-Colts game was the most anticipated game of the year, this has to be the second. A battle of 10-1 nearly perfect teams (and the Cowboys would have been perfect if it wasn't for those pesky Patriots). Let's look at this game scientifically:

Receiving : Dallas > Green Bay - Dallas has T.O. whos tops in the league next to Moss
Rushing : Green Bay > Dallas - Grant on the Packers has convinced me the Packers do have a very good running game now, even though Favre doesn't use him much.
Special Teams: Green Bay = Dallas - About even. No one has a Hester to stand out.
Passing: Green Bay > Dallas - In no way am I saying Romo is anything less than an amazing quarterback, but Favre is having his career year and experience will beat out inexperience when it comes time to make crucial plays or even more important, not screwing up at the wrong time.
Overall: Green Bay > Dallas

I figured I'd give that game special treatment. Now for the rest of the games:

Sunday

Houston At Tennessee - This game can go either way because at this point I don't know what to expect from Young and the Titans, except perhaps not scoring like they used too. Houston has more offensive power and I select them to win.

Jacksonville At Indianapolis - This game seriously decides the division. The Colts are playing at home and there players are only getting more healthy as time goes by. Peyton and Dungy know they have to win and they'll put the suddenly surging Jaguars in their place.

San Diego At Kansas City - San Diego was just charging their battery all year to go on a tear at the end of the season and the Chiefs are just another team in their way.

Atlanta At St. Louis - The Rams at home should be able to put up more points and take care of the Falcons

New York Jets At Miami - I've been hearing lots of talk about how the Jets are actually as bad as Miami. Well, this is there week to prove they are not. However, to be fair, this is the most evenly matched game Miami will have for the rest of the season. The Jets are 0-5 away, but the Dolphins are 0-5 at home. It doesn't get any worse. I'm going to take a risk and say the Miami Dolphins will get their first win at home (it worked when I called the Rams beating the Saints).

Detroit At Minnesota - This is a great game because Detroit has to win to say in contention for the Wild Card (but they have been slipping) while the Vikings are coming off a tremendous momentum shifting win against the Giants. I call the Vikings to win this game and ruin any chances the Lions have of making the playoffs.

Seattle At Philadelphia - Another great game because the Eagles, coming off a terrible start, are right there for a Wild spot. However, the Eagles only did as well as they did last week because Feeley know how to pick apart the Patriots defense. The Eagles are not that good and if McNabb plays, he will cough up the ball like he always does. I pick the Hawks to win this game.

Buffalo At Washington - Even with Edwards starting, after the terrible tragedy that happened to Sean Taylor, the Redskins are going to win to honor the fallen member of their team.

San Fransisco At Carolina - There isn't really a lot to say about these teams. The Panthers are big disappoint to me and they are no where near the team they were a few years ago. However, they are still better than the 49ers.

Denver Vs Oakland - Denver is in a dogfight with the Chargers to win that division and this game against Oakland is simply one of those games they must win to stay in contention.

Cleveland Vs Arizona - Poor Arizona. Just when I thought they actually had a shot at a Wild Card and even winning their division, they have to play the powerhouse Browns. This will be a tremendously high scoring game because the Cardinals always find a way to keep things interesting, especially with Warner as their QB, but the Browns will score more and win.

New York Giants At Chicago - If this was the Bears defense of the last 2 years, then I would enjoy watching Eli throw another 4 interceptions. However, the Bears are not what they used to be and the Giants need to bounce back after that terrible loss last week.

Tampa Bay At New Orleans - Perhaps the most quietest team in the league, the Bucs sit at the top of their division with a respectable 7-4 record. Maybe that division is so bad nobody wants to even bring them into conversation. The Saints are another 5-6 team fighting for a Wild Card spot, but they'll be one of the 5-6 teams that lose this week.

Cincinnati At Pittsburgh - Last Monday's sloppy win didn't tell me anything about the Steelers. The Bengals are coming off a three touchdown performance from Palmer and that offense looks like the Bengals offense it should have been. Even still, the Steelers should be too much for the Bengals in another high scoring game this week.

Monday

New England At Baltimore - Another national televised night game for the Patriots and another chance too show off how good they are. My only hope is that the Ravens follow the so called "blurprint" that the Eagles drew up to beating them, but that won't happen. The Ravens are a completely different team from the Eagles.

The Steelers Sink the Winless Dolphins 3-0

The Steelers-Dolphins game was even worse than the Dolphins-Giants game in London as far as weather and field conditions go. The field was so muddied and destroyed from the storm, that ESPN had to provide on screen computer graphics to tell the viewer where on the field the players were because the numbers on the field vanished. A terrible field and dreadful weather caused the Dolphins and Steelers to rewind to a different NFL era, a time when points came at a premium and one field goal could decide a game. They trudged through the quagmire of Heinz Field, nearly going all night without scoring. Nearly.

Jeff Reed's 24-yard field goal with 17 seconds left Monday night gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 victory over winless Miami, the first time in 64 years an NFL game went that long without any points. Hanging with the first-place Steelers (8-3) for 59½ minutes, Miami (0-11) almost pushed this mess to overtime, where Pittsburgh is 0-2 this season, but the Dolphins managed only 159 yards while going nowhere nearly all night.

The field was covered during the daylong rain, but quite a bit of water found its way under the protective tarps and there were numerous puddles and mushy spots once the covering was removed. Wide receivers slipped on several pass plays, and running backs repeatedly lost their footing before tacklers arrived. This was a game in which the weather dictated the style of play more than any offensive or defensive scheme. Pittsburgh struggled to get its running game untracked as the field was too sloppy for their offensive line to pull or trap to make the off-tackle play work, and neither team was able to run the ball outside the tackles with any effectiveness.

If anything, this was a game Miami had the best chance of winning because the weather conditions nuetralized any advantages the Steelers could have had over them.

Ricky Williams Activated Against the Steelers

In need of running back help because of an ankle injury to Jesse Chatman, the Dolphins activated halfback Ricky Williams from the league's exempt list. Williams is returning to the NFL after 18 months. He served a drug suspension that was extended from May until two weeks ago on the recommendation of the league's drug counselor. This summer, Williams moved to Boston and spent time with drug counselors reviewing his life and past habits.

It is not known whether he will be on the active roster for tonight's game against the Steelers, but it is likely. Williams had a great week of practice and players on the team remarked how well he did and how much of an asset he could be for this game.

The question is will Ricky Williams be the difference maker for this struggling Dolphins team against that tough Steelers' run defense? Probably not. However, he will take the pressure off Beck and he most likely will participate in a bunch of plays to gain lost experience back. The next question is when Ronnie Brown returns next year, will him and Williams split time like Holmes and Johnson tried to do or will one of them go off to another team to be in the spotlight?

My Interpretation of Week 11 in the NFL

Green Bay 31 beat Carolina 17 - Perhaps this was the only game other than the Patriots which wasn't close. Favre was simply spectacular again and they finally established a solid running game.

Arizona 35 beat Cincinnati 27 - This was the first of many games to flip-flop back and forth before Arizona came away with a victory. The Bengals defense could not stop the Cardinals and Palmer's 4 interceptions really hurt them.

Cleveland 33 beat Baltimore 30 - This was truly an exciting game. Not only did it flip-flop back and forth but it went into overtime. The Ravens finally scored more points than I could spend at the McDonald's $1 menu (corny I know), but Cleveland proved they are the real deal and owners of the Wild Card spot. Even still, the Steelers should watch out.

New York Giants 16 beat Detroit 10 - I'm starting to really lose faith in Kitna's promise for 10 wins. They play the Packers on Thanksgiving and that'll be another loss. Eli Manning did surprisingly well for a game in the second half of the season and perhaps they have solidified their spot for a Wild Card.

Philadelphia 17 beat Miami 7 - I was getting a little scared at one point in this game, but then I remembered the Eagles were playing the Dolphins. McNabb got hurt yet again after throwing 2 interceptions. Feeley didn't do any better. Thank God for Westbrook on that team otherwise the Eagles would be lost. Beck didn't fair well at gall in his first game as a starter, but at least he didn't throw an interception or turn the ball over.

Tampa Bay 31 beat Atlanta 7 - With this win Tampa Bay pretty much clinched first place in their division. Leftwich, who they decided to start despite Harrington winning 2 in a row, did terrible. Maybe next time they'll start Harrington.

Minnesota 29 beat Oakland 22 - Perhaps it wasn't Adrian Peterson himself who was amazing. I think no matter who the Vikings have as a running back he will rush like he is on crack. Chester Taylor, the backup to Peterson, ran for 164 yards and 3TDs. Culpepper threw for 344 yards in a losing effort against his old team.

Jacksonville 24 beat Chargers 17 - Philip Rivers still has Antonio Gates and LaDanian Tomlinson, but there is something very different and uncomfortable about this team. Meanwhile, Jacksonville continues to roll and are seriously giving the struggling Colts a run for their money.

Indianapolis 13 beat Chiefs 10 - The good news is the Colts won. They still have a lead over the Jaguars for first place. The bad news is they barely squeaked by the Chiefs, which is a team that has seen better days. I don't know what Vinatieri's problem is, but he needs to start converting on simple kicks. The Colts will continue to win, but it will be an uphill struggle until the playoffs where they will lose if they don't have their full squad of healthy players back.

Houston 23 beat New Orleans 10 - I expected the Saints to bounce back after that embarrassing loss against the Rams, but Brees messed things up once again while Schaub had a very good game. The most interesting stat of this game was the unusually large number of fumbles.

New York Jets 19 upset Steelers 16 - This was the upset of the week. Just when it looked as if the Jets were going to blow another 4th quarter lead for the 6th time, the Jets found new life in them. Their defense stepped up and shut down the Steelers' offense while Clemens did a very fine job of leading his team on a two minute drill to send the game into overtime. I think many will agree with me that the Steelers are the only team left on the Patriot's schedule who stands a chance at stopping their perfect season, but after this game maybe I'll rethink that.

Seattle 30 beat Chicago 23 - Not much to comment in this offensive showdown. Grossman actually looked good, but Hasselbeck looked better. Seattle isn't all that good, however. They'll win their division by default and get smacked up in the playoffs.

St. Louis 13 beat San Francisco 9 - St. Louis is back! Its ashame its too late, but I'll be picking them to win many more games the rest of the season. Then again, any team except the Dolphins can beat the 49ers.

Dallas 28 beat Washington 23 - This game was much closer than it should have been. Dallas is very good, don't get me wrong, but they also get very lucky. Terrell Owens caught 4 TDs in this game, proving he is still one of the best receivers in the game.

New England 35 Vs Buffalo 7 (At Half) - My suspicion as to why this is a Sunday night game is confirmed. I actually thought at first Buffalo would upset them on a primetime Sunday night game. Then I realized this game is primarily on in order to show off the Patriots, as if the world doesn't know already that Tom Brady is the sun and everything revolves around him. Randy Moss has 4 TD catches already, probably to match Owens' 4 TDs because the Patriots always want to prove anything any team can do, they can do better. I can't watch anymore of this. It gets to a point where its not fun anymore and I'm always suspicious of the Patriots cheating. I am, however, entertained at the fact Al Michaels said "damn" on a Sunday night football game.

My Interpretation Of Week 10 In The NFL

I was going to wait until the end of the Colts-Chargers game to begin writing this, but as a Colts fan this game is just so bad I have to stop watching before I scream so hard at the television I vomit chunks all over myself.

Buffalo 13 beats Miami 10 - This game almost scared me. No team should EVER lose to Miami this year, but Buffalo almost did. What annoyed me tremendously was seeing Losman playing again. They were doing great and actually winning with Edwards. WHY WOULD YOU BRING LOSMAN BACK!? They almost lost to Miami and even when they were losing Losman stayed in. Bring back Edwards.

Denver 27 beat Kansas City 11 - I was right about Denver beating KC, but they won't be in first place because the way it looks right now San Diego is going to win. This game was a walk in the park for Denver. Kansas City will keep losing for the rest of the year while Denver makes a second half charge for the division lead. When was the last time Denver was not in the playoffs?

Green Bay 34 shut out Minnesota 0 - Peterson was shut down and got injured. That is how you beat the Vikings. Green Bay did what its been doing best this season: win. I must comment on their running game. The rushing yardage was unusually high this week, but still Favre put up amazing passing numbers.

Atlanta 20 beat Carolina 13 - This was close, but I expected Atlanta to win. At least they knew who their QB was.

Philadelphia 33 beat Washington 25 - This was an excellent seesaw game, but all it did was postpone the Eagles inevitable fate of not making the playoffs. They needed to bounce back after that embarrassing loss last week and Westbrook did a nice job of rushing and receiving to lead his team to a win.

Jacksonville 28 beat Tennessee 13 - This was the first game I called wrong. Reviewing the Stats, Young had a bad game (2 interceptions) while the Jaguars went crazy with the running game (3 touchdowns). Now they are tied and it will be a run for the Wild Card between these 2 teams.

I just noticed the score of the Colts-Chargers game is 23-7.....my only hope is after 4 interceptions Manning pulls a Romo and comes back to win.....

Pittsburgh 31 beat Cleveland 28 - This was an amazing game. After this seesaw battle, Pittsburgh proved to be the dominant team. But wow, Cleveland's offense is amazing and they proved to be the 4th best team in the AFC. They'll grab the other Wild Card position.

St. Louis 37 FINALLY beats New Orleans 29 - I am very proud of myself for getting this game right. St. Louis had their full squad back and played like the Rams of years past. Drew Brees and New Orleans didn't fool me one bit. Last week's amazing game was a fluke. Don't be sold on this team because the Saints are not the team they once were and any glimmer of hope that they try to sell you, Drew Brees will just throw it away (literally).

Cincinnati 21 beat Baltimore 7 - I'm surprised Baltimore even put up 7. I'll admit, the Ravens defense was good. They held the Bengals to 7 field goals. However, to match that the Ravens would have to score 3 touchdowns....and that is just too big of a task for the Ravens to accomplish.

Chicago 17 beat Oakland 6 - Grossman and Griese split time and actually did well. Their receiving and running game also was stellar. Finally, their defense and special teams were solid. This is a very rare thing when the Bears have all aspects of the game working. As for Oakland, they had McCown as their QB. Enough said.

Dallas 31 beat Giants 20 - This was supposed to be the game of the week. Though it was a great game until Eli Manning made foolish mistakes and screwed up as usual, the Browns-Steelers game was more exciting. I said this many times and I'll say it again: The Giants will never amount to anything with an inconsistent QB like Eli Manning.

Arizona 31 beat Detroit 21 - This was the second game I picked wrong. Detroit will still make a Wild Card, but they need to take advantages of easy games like this. Detroit losing to Arizona leads me to believe they will get crushed when they play the Packers or Cowboys in the playoffs.

At Half: San Diego 23 is embarrassing Colts 7 - Vinatieri just missed an easy field goal. This symbolizes the whole game thus far. In Manning's defense, its not entirely his fault. HE IS PLAYING WITH A BUNCH OF SCRUBS. They only have 17 players on offense, so they can't make substitutions and they are stuck with who they have on the field. There is zero pass protection. The receivers (who the hell are Fletcher and Thorpe) as well as Wayne are messing up routes. In fact, one of Manning's interceptions was a result of Wayne, who decided to just stop running in the middle of the route. If you look at Rivers' numbers thus far, they are horrible, but does it really matter when his opponent's offense are beating themselves. If the Colts don't get their starters back soon, they will end up repeating this game again in the playoffs.

Pittsburgh Steelers' James Harrison Does More Than Tackle Fans.

You may remember Joey Porter's replacement, outside linebacker James Harrison, from this video....

Well, new light has been shed for the public to remember him by. In Monday Night's Football game, he made the Ravens suffer. James Harrison was virtually everywhere on the field with stats that consisted of eight tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception in the Steelers' 38-7 win over the Baltimore Ravens. I still think the video is entertaining, however.