Super Bowl Review

I took some time before posting this because, first of all, I was lazy and didn't want to do anything yesterday and, second of all, I wasn't sure how I felt about the loss. Or, maybe more accurately, I wasn't sure about how I was feeling about the loss.

I was disappointed and upset, but I wasn't angry. Usually, after a big loss like this, I'm angry for a good, long while. I complain about stuff that doesn't warrant it and I'm generally agitated for no reason. I kept thinking that I wasn't angry because it was a close game and the Steelers fought hard, even if they fell short. I kept thinking that, since I don't have anything against the Packers, that it wasn't as big of a deal. That wasn't it. Until this morning, I wasn't sure why I wasn't angry.

As I was headed into my building -- I took Monday off for obvious reasons -- a guy I work with met me at the door and said, "Well, Brad, the Steelers lost." I just nodded. Then he added, "Whose fault is it?"

Without thinking, I just said, "I don't know. Everybody?" That was my gut reaction and I think it's right. I think that I wasn't able to be angry about this game because I couldn't focus my anger on one person or group.

Roethlisberger threw two interceptions and missed a wide open Mike Wallace. He was pretty erratic for big chunks of the game and choked in the last two minutes, which he doesn't ordinarily do. He also had 263 yards and two touchdowns and kept bringing the team back into the game when it looked like all hope was lost.

Mendenhall had a fumble, sure, but he also scored a touchdown, ran hard, and averaged 4.6 yards a carry.

Suisham missed that long field goal, but it's not his fault that he was out there.

Tomlin put him out there, his guys came out flat in the first quarter, and he burned two timeouts in the third quarter to "get the right call" but didn't think to do that on fourth down inside two minutes with the game on the line. I can't stay mad at him, though. He also took a team that I thought would be 10-6 at best, got them through a season full of distractions, suspensions, and injuries, and led them to the Super Bowl.

The defense gave up 31 points, gave up a 31 yard completion on third and 10 that set up the Packers deep in Steeler territory, and didn't force a turnover. They also had what would have been a legendary goal line stand if Roethlisberger and company had pulled out the win.

It's possible they blew their chance in the first five minutes when they didn't recover that fumbled punt. It's possible that the game would have changed completely had they recovered that fumble. It's possible that they would've won without the Mendenhall fumble or if they had punted instead of having Suisham attempt what was, for him, an impossibly long field goal. A lot of things would have been possible, but none of those things happened. What happened was that the Steelers lost to the Packers in Super Bowl XL.

I can actually find a lot of positives in this game.

Hines Ward announced that he hasn't lost much off his fastball by playing a great game. Mike Wallace got involved in the short game, which opened things up deep on his fourth quarter touchdown. The offensive line gave Roethlisberger plenty of time to throw in most situations, allowed only one sack, and the team averaged 5.5 yards per carry. Lawrence Timmons and Ziggy Hood looked sharp. Troy will be healthy next season. So will Starks and Pouncey. Maybe Aaron Smith retires and we get to see Hood play every Sunday. Maybe the Steelers draft Mike Pouncey or Derek Sherrod and start to form a young, potent offensive line.

Maybe there's no season in 2011. Who knows? Always in motion is the future.

But, the past is set. The Packers beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl. No reason to be angry. I guess we just have to re-focus, continue to evaluate, and move on.