Steelers vs. Chiefs Preview

I've been trying all week to come up with something nice to say about the Chiefs. Last night, it came to me. Their front office is not afraid to make bold moves.

Now, most of those moves have sucked the past few years, but they're not afraid to make them.

Last year before the draft, they traded Jared Allen to Minnesota. It's true that they got a first round pick and a third round pick for a guy they were probably going to lose anyway, but, last year, Allen had 14.5 sacks. The Chiefs as a team had ten sacks. LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison each had more sacks individually than the entire Chiefs defense. This year, Allen has 10.5 sacks and the Chiefs defense has 12. So... good for them.

This offseason, they acquired Matt Cassell and Mike Vrabel for a second round pick. Cassell currently has a 75.2 passer rating, has been sacked 32 times, and is averaging 5.7 yards per attempt. Vrabel has 33 tackles and a sack, but he has started every game. So... good for them.

The one bold move that I think will eventually work out is that they recently released Larry Johnson for generally being an ineffective douche and decided to hitch their wagon to Jamaal Charles. I like Charles a lot and it's not because I stashed him on my one fantasy team because I knew Johnson would eventually fall off. Or, not just because of that.

Their pass defense has given up 12 plays of 40 yards or more. Their run defense has given up two such plays. The respective numbers for the Steelers are two and zero. Think about that... we're nine games into the season. That means that, every game, they give up a pass play of 40 yards or more. That's crazy.

Every game, they get to the quarterback once. Every game, their quarterback is sacked four times. Their defense is inexperienced and weak. Their offense is predictable and impotent.

The Steelers are really, really upset that they lost to the Bengals. Their offense is fired up. Their defense is fired up. Some of the sound bites that have been recorded this week sound like some of the guys literally want to kill someone (if they haven't already).

Above and beyond the stats I already quoted, you could take any stat that quantifies any type of skill or worth in football and the Steelers would be better than the Chiefs in that area. The matchups favor the Steelers. Matt Cassell operates a dink and dunk offense. The Steelers defense destroyed him last season and that's when he was throwing to Randy Moss and Wes Welker. This season, he's throwing to Chris Chambers. And that's it. Because Kansas City traded Tony Gonzalez (bold strategy, let's see how it works out for them) to Atlanta in the offseason and Dwayne Bowe, their best receiver, is currently serving a four game suspension.

On a bad day, Chambers is an older, less reliable version of Limas Sweed. On a good day, he's an older, less reliable version of Mike Wallace.

I could make this entry 3,000 talking about the matchups and stats that make the Steelers a far, far superior team. But, it's Saturday and I've got stuff to do. So...

If they lose, here's how it happens:

1. Chiefs coach Todd Haley has the game of his life calling plays and gets "dialed in" as they say. He prepared for this defense for Super Bowl XLII (which the Steelers won, by the way) and he knows their strengths and weaknesses. He got dialed in in the second half of that game, so he could do it again. Then again, he was calling plays for Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston, and Larry Fitzgerald. So there's that. And I thought his name was Todd Staley, but that didn't look right, so I looked it up. It's Haley. So there's that on top of that.
2. They get a special teams touchdown and a defensive touchdown. Neither of these things is beyond the realm of possibility given how the season has played out thus far for the Steelers.
3. Jamaal Charles and Chris Chambers have great games and are still unstoppable even when the defense focuses all their energy on stopping them. I don't think that happens, but I also didn't think the Bengals would sweep the Steelers in the regular season. So there you go.

But, I think they're too mad. The Chiefs suck too hard. The Steelers know they need to use this as a tune-up game for when they have to face the hated Ravens next Sunday.

And, really, we all need this. We need the Steelers to go out and crush someone, even if it's a crappy team, in order to re-establish dominance. Last week's loss sucked hard. This week's win (if it happens and if it's a blowout) will take away some of that sting.

This is actually a big game. If Kansas City plays us tight or, God forbid, they win, that's going to be a big blow to the confidence of this team and the confidence of Steelers fans everywhere. A loss here kills the season. That's a big game, no matter how bad the Chiefs are.

But... I did mention that they're bad, right?

Prediction:
Steelers 38, Chiefs 10

Steelers vs. Bengals Review Take Two

So, that sucked. That was a horrible, frustrating game, and we never, ever want to experience something like that again.

But, it happened. We all saw it. It's part of the official records of the 2009 season. It's on the Internet and everything.

You can say that we choked in the red zone. You can say that they wouldn't have won without the kickoff return, since we kept their offense out of the end zone and pretty much shut them down. You can say that, with only 12 defensive points let up, we should've won. But, that's basically saying, "If they hadn't done the things that made them win, we wouldn't have lost." They did what they needed to do to win. They beat us. That's it, plain and simple.

The Bengals have, God help me, entered the conversation of great teams in the NFL. They swept us. They swept the hated Ravens. They came within a fluke play of beating the 6-3 Denver Broncos. They're a great team. That's it, plain and simple.

They ran the ball well enough on the number one run defense in the NFL to be balanced. They made plenty of plays in the passing game and exposed our weakness -- the perimeter -- early and often. They took advantage of the fact that we can't cover kicks. They were suffocating on defense. Rashard Mendenhall had only 36 yards on 13 carries. They pressured Ben and never let up. They had some very effective blitzes that brought him to the turf right away. They had some coverage sacks as well. They did what no other team -- other than, ya know, the Bengals -- has been able to do thus far this season and that's consistently cover all the weapons we have on offense for five seconds or more.

Again, they're a great team. They came into our house and beat us when the pressure was on. They knew what was at stake. They knew what they needed to do and they did it. Hats off to the Bengals. They are not the Bungles. At least for this year.

As Carson Palmer lined up in Victory Formation, Weidman turned to me and said, "That's it, right? They won the division, right? Can we still make the playoffs."

Well, I was several beers in and didn't give a good answer. So, here's the answer.

It depends. The Steelers can still win the division and they certainly can still make the playoffs, but it's gonna take a lot of work.

Here's who the Bengals face between now and the end of the season:

Oakland
Cleveland
Detroit
Minnesota
San Diego
Kansas City
Jets

That's pretty much a slam dunk for at least 4-3, right? Great teams don't fall flat against crappy teams and the Bengals are a great team and Cleveland, KC, Oakland, and Detroit are all crappy teams. Maybe the Jets have something to play for in Week 17, maybe they don't. They're still very beatable. So, let's say 5-2. That puts the Bengals at 12-4 to end the season.

That means that, if the Steelers finish 12-4, they're not going to win the division because the Bengals win the head-to-head tiebreaker. With a 12-4 record, they're making the playoffs, they're just probably not going to win the division.

Here's who the Steelers have coming up:

Kansas City
Hated Ravens
Oakland
Cleveland
Green Bay
Hated Ravens
Miami

Maybe we beat the hated Ravens in that first game and they have nothing to play for in Week 16. Maybe Green Bay and Miami have nothing to play for when we play them. But, really, that's only three sure victories against Oakland, Cleveland, and KC.

It's weird to think that we'd be 13-3 and not win our division, but it has happened (in 1999 when the 13-3 Titans finished second to the 14-2 Jaguars.

If we had won today, we'd have controlled our own destiny. We didn't, so that means that the only thing the Steelers can control is whether or not they win every week. If they do, I like their chances. If they don't, 12-4 might not be enough to win the division. And, with how topheavy the AFC is this year, 11-5 might be the cutoff point for making the playoffs.

The point is that the margin of error is going to be very slim from now until the end of the season.

Hey, it was very slim in 2005 after the Bengals effectively clinched the division with a huge win at Heinz Field. And we know how that turned out. (Hint: If you don't, the Steelers won the Super Bowl.)

Penguins Update

I actually hadn't thought the Penguins needed an update until this point. Well, maybe the point where they needed me to pay attention to them in this spot passed a game ago. But, the key moment happened when the Devil beat us last night.

Up until that point, really, we could fall back on the excuse of, "Hey, we won the Stanley Cup, we're 12-XX, and we're leading the division." Now, the Devil lead the division. So, there is some cause for concern, but no cause for panic at this point.

At this point, they're not scoring goals. They suck on the power play. Fleury appears to be capable of failure, which is something that we hadn't seen from him since Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Crosby, as great as he is, can't carry this team on his own.

OK, there have been a lot of injuries. Like an inordinate amount for a hockey team. But, all teams need to deal with injuries. We can't use that as an excuse for getting absolutely housed for the past four games. Some of those guys may not be available later in the season, or in the playoffs. We need to adjust. That's what great teams do.

And, really, that's the bar for this team. It's a great team. Anything less is not acceptable. After the Penguins did a little thing like winning the Stanley Cup, anything below greatness is a letdown.

Here's the thing... it's a long season. It's nine freakin' months long. If we're going to "struggle" through injuries, now is the time to do it.

I rarely agree with Mark Madden, but he said something that I agreed with rather emphatically after is was announced that Malkin would miss 2-3 weeks. He said, "I don't know what this team will do once the postseason starts. I do know this: This team will not be in tenth place in February." I agree with that. That's a sound statement. The playoffs are a weird, winding road. Any team can overcome a 2-0 deficit and end up winning a series outright.

But, this season, the Penguins have set themselves up for success. They have the Eye of the Tiger. They will not allow themselves to fail. Dan Bylsma will not allow them to fail. They're too strong. They're too talented. They have too many pieces that make up a successful team.

So, listen to Douglas Adams and Don't Panic.

Steelers vs. Bengals Preview Take Two

Well, so I was maybe a little harsh the last time I did a preview for a Steelers-Bengals game. And maybe they made me eat my words. And maybe I felt like a douche.

But, like Mark McGuire, I'm not here to talk about the past.

It's interesting that the Bengals have more losses coming into this game than the Broncos or Vikings did coming into their games with us, but this is a bigger game. That's because it's a divisional game, so there's more at stake. And there's more bad blood. And the Bengals already beat the Steelers. A win for them on Sunday effectively gives them a two game lead on the Steelers, since they would have swept the season series against us and they already swept the hated Ravens and they will most likely sweep the Browns. Because, ya know, everyone sweeps the Browns.

There. I talked some smack. I'll direct all smack talking at Cleveland. Cleveland sucks. Tim Couch and Courtney Brown. So there.

At any rate, this game has me worried, but I'm also strangely confident. Basically, if the team that played the Bengals in Week 3 shows up, we're going to get crushed. This is their Super Bowl and we can't play flat like we did in that first showdown. They're playing with a ton of confidence right now -- more confidence, actually, when they found their mojo briefly in 2005 -- and they took the hated Ravens to the woodshed, died their hair red, adopted them, and pulled out a chain, even if it didn't necessarily show up in the final score.

They're running the ball well. Cedric Benson, so help me, is for real. Carson Palmer still has the intelligence, vision, and crazy-strong arm he always had and he now also has two healthy knees and two whole elbows. On defense, they really hit on a few of their first day picks in the last five seasons or so. Even though Antwaan Odom is out for the year and Keith Rivers won't play, it's still a hell of a defense. They stop the run, they get after the quarterback, and they tackle surprisingly well.

This is a good team. They entered the conversation of being great when they came back and beat us, then swept the hated Ravens, then crushed the Bears. The conversation isn't over yet, but it will be fully completed if they beat us on Sunday. And they know it. And, as much as football players say they don't care about what ESPN says, the Bengals players have to feel as though they've been slighted by pundits thus far. They've gained a ton of street cred thus far and can fully establish themselves as dangerous contenders if they win in our house.

November is where contenders separate from pretenders. Anything can happen in the first couple months through scheduling, injuries, and other variables. By November, everything is pretty much set. By December, most teams are locking up their seeding and everyone else is scrambling for the last few playoff spots. In January, champions are made.

The point is that right now, the Steelers are in familiar territory, the Bengals are not. Most of the guys on the roster were not on the roster when Kimo ended their 2005 season. They understand that they need to beat the Steelers, but they probably don't understand the stakes. They don't understand the gravity and the importance of this moment and the moments that will follow on Sunday. The Steelers understand. Tomlin understands. Although this is the Super Bowl for the Bengals, it's a more important game for the Steelers. They need to complete the conversation on their end. They struggled through the early part of their season, then found their groove, then beat 6-0 and 6-1 teams in back-to-back games. In order to re-enter the conversation of being great, of being a team that could enter the postseason and make some noise, they need to beat the Bengals on Sunday.

The Steelers have tasted football's epiphany. Early in the season, they were complacent. Now, they're hungry. They want to taste it again. They understand that this is the next step and that it is a very important step. They seem to have straightened out their fourth quarter issues. The running game appears to be back. Ben Roethlisberger appears to be one of the best quarterbacks in the game.

Right now, though, those are all questions. All those questions can be answered by beating the Bengals on Sunday.

So, obviously, both teams have a lot at stake. But, to me, the difference is that the Steelers are at home, they've been through this before, they know how to seize the moment, and the Bengals are on the road, they haven't, and they don't. They may want to, but there's a big difference between confidence and experience. In that difference lies the Steelers' advantage.

Troy wasn't in the game the last time these two teams played. The prologue for the eulogy on Willie Parker's career was still in the draft/re-write stage. The offensive line was uncomfortable. The Bengals had something to prove and the Steelers were trusting history.

Like I said, I'm not here to talk about the past.

Troy's back. Mendenhall is running with violence and authority. Max Starks is on a very nice little streak of non-suckage, as are his line mates. The defense has regained its swagger, which is all a LeBeau-coached unit needs to be effective, even dominant.

We won't see a repeat of Week 3. It isn't going to be easy, but I think we have the necessary parts, tools, and experience to beat a very good Bengals team in order to delay the conversation of their greatness to another week.

Prediction:
Steelers 27, Bengals 20

Steeler vs. Broncos Review

If I had written a Preview for this game, I would have predicted Steelers 23-20.

I would also have been very glad that Ryan Clark wasn't starting and very adamant that he not start.

I also would have said that there was no way that Tyrone Carter could fill his shoes. Thank God I didn't say something dumb like that, right?

As painful as the first half was to watch, you could actually see that we were adjusting and starting to get close to where we needed to be. We took the next step in the second half and the Broncos did not. And so therefore the Steelers crushed the Broncos in the second half.

They gained 321 yards and scored 21 points in the second half. Mendenhall had 130 yards rushing in the second half. Hines Ward had two touchdowns in the second half. We just steamrolled them.

We came out on defense expecting Denver to do what they had done thus far in the season -- throw a lot of short slants, outs, and hitches -- and we set up our defense to stop that in the same manner that the hated Ravens set up their defense to stop the Broncos in Week 8.

But, the Broncos came out throwing intermediate range passes and mostly targeting the sidelines instead of the middle of the field. William Gay, for one, was very surprised by this development. After the first couple of drives, the Steelers adjusted, started playing more straight-up defense, and the Broncos didn't adjust, still running the same patterns against a defense that was now geared to stop those patterns.

They ran the ball 14 times for 27 yards total, with a long run of seven yards. They had 11 rushing attempts in the first half, which means that they attempted only three rushes in the second half. They were leading at one point in the second half and were not out of the game -- at least not to the point where they would need to abandon the running game -- until about midway through the fourth quarter.

They ran a six minute version of a two minute offense at the end of the first half and wasted a pretty easy opportunity for a score (even if that score would only have been a field goal). I'm not saying Josh McDaniels and his staff got outcoached, but they did get outadjusted. And in-game and halftime adjustments were supposed to be two of the things Denver did better than anyone else.

This is the second straight week that we played well on offense and defense and the second straight week that we faced a quality opponent and not only showed up, but showed up with authority.

The Vikings are a great offensive team. They probably scored 24 points during their bye week. We held them to ten offensive points in Week 7. The Broncos are a great defensive team. We scored 21 offensive points on them. We also reclaimed some of our swagger on defense, holding them to three offensive points. On the road. And those three points came on their first drive before we had a chance to adjust to their new game plan.

All in all, a very solid performance. This team is starting to come together. They're starting to look like the 2008 version of themselves. Only better.

We'll know more next week in a BIG divisional matchup against the Bengals (did I just type that?), but things are definitely looking up after a rough start.

A few other thoughts...

1. I felt very confident that the Steelers would win the game when they jumped out to a 14-10 lead. Even though they've had their fair share of issues in the second half. Even though the Broncos are a fantastic second half team. When the Steelers lead 21-10, I was 100% confident they were going to win. I almost went to bed. That's how confident I was. Given how badly the Steelers performed in the fourth quarter thus far this season and how much they had already jerked me around, that's a pretty bold statement. And a very good sign that things are returning to normal.
2. The offensive line is starting to look very, very good. Like, they might be a strength instead of just not being a glaring weakness. They got off to a rough start in pass protection last night, but settled down and ended up shutting down a solid Denver pass rush in the second half (for the most part). Also, Mendenhall rushed for 130 yards in the second half. And 155 yards overall. On 22 carries. That's an average of seven yards per carry. Even last year, when we were destroying Cleveland and Cincinnati, we didn't have that kind of average. We didn't shut down a pass rush that well. And, when we were trying to salt the game away and everyone in the stadium knew we were going to run the ball, the Broncos still couldn't stop it. That's what we used to have to the Cowher days. The 1,191-1-1 when leading by ten or more points days. Couple that with the fact that we now have a quarterback that can throw the ball 40 times a game and be effective and can also run a two minute offense and that's a pretty potent combination.
3. Speaking of Mendenhall, he looks awfully good. He needs to improve his vision, but his power, pad level, and decisiveness are right on target. I think it may be about time to write the eulogy for Fast Willie Parker's career as a Steeler. I doubt we're going to sign him after the season is over. When Mendenhall needed a breather, Mewelde Moore came in, not FWP, even though FWP was active and not at all injured. So Mendenhall is not a bust and Fast Willie will not be a Steeler next year. That will take an adjustment on my part, but I think I can handle it. Especially since he's been hurt most of this season and will not be involved in the second half of the season, which means I'll be used to not seeing him in uniform. Like Kimo, Joey Porter, Nate Washington, and Randle-El, I wish him all the best. I hope he makes a ton of money elsewhere, because he can't make it here.
4. Watching Vulva go head-to-head (leg-to-leg?) with Bitch Merger was awesome. I'd have to say Vulva won out on that one.
5. The more I see of Mike Wallace, the more I think that we will never, ever hear from Limas Sweed again.

After the Bengals, we have, basically, a month off. We've got one game against the hated Ravens, sandwiched between games against Oakland, Kansas City, and Cleveland. So, it's pretty much a bye month.

We passed the first two tests. One big, final test awaits us next week. If we fail that test, we could very well be boned in the division. Much like we were in 2005 (even though I guess that turned out OK because the Steelers won Super Bowl XL).

The Season That Has Been

Now that I've had a chance to catch my breath during the bye week, I decided to take a look at 2009 thus far on offense and defense.

A lot of people, myself included, have been critical of the Steelers to this point because they (and me) can't understand how a team that won the Super Bowl in 2008 (we won Super Bowl XLIII, by the way, I'm not sure that I mentioned that ) could struggle as much as they've struggled.

I took a look at the numbers and discovered a couple of interesting things.

1. Good God, how did we win a championship last year?
2. Given #1, I guess things aren't that bad this year.

After seven games in 2008, the Steelers were 5-2.

After seven games in 2009, the Steelers were 5-2.

Sure, you can say that they faced the toughest schedule in NFL history last season. But, we won games against Jacksonville, the hated Ravens, the Browns, the Bengals, and Texans and lost games against the Eagles and Giants. Among the teams that we beat in the first seven games in 2008, only the hated Ravens were any good. In 2009, the only team we beat that was any good was Minnesota.

One issue that I have identified with the 2009 Steelers is special teams, both in terms of the return game and coverage ability. They have pretty well sucked in 2009. Well, they pretty well sucked in 2008. In all actuality, we're better off this year than last year because this year we have Vulva instead of Bitch Merger or the guy that was so bad that he was cut in favor of a gimpy Bitch Merger. I... think his first name was Paul. At any rate, we're actually better on special teams this year than we were last year. As sad as that may be, as much of a point of consternation as it continues to be, we still won the Super Bowl last year with crappier special teams, so we can't call it an issue.

The defense. It was first in points allowed, first in yards allowed, first in passing yards allowed, second in rushing yards allowed, and was historically good. Hey, can't have that two years in a row. Right now, it's 10th in points allowed, eighth in yards allowed, 15th in passing yards allowed, and second in rushing yards allowed. It's not historically good, but it's pretty damn good. The trouble is that they're on pace to force 21 turnovers (29 forced last year) and get 43 sacks (51 last year). Game by game that's not too much, but over the course of a season it adds up.

But, the offense is way better. Last year, they were 22nd in yards per game. That's not a misprint. Last year, they were 20th in points per game. They had the 17th-best passing attack and the 23rd-best rushing attack. Last year, hands down, we rode that historically good defense all the way to the championship. People tend to view championship teams through rose-colored glasses, so that's a good reality check. This year? We are 14th in points scored, fifth in passing yards, seventh in total yards, and 17th in rushing yards.

So, the issue is that we're gaining tons of yards but we choke in the red zone, right? Well, I've said that. And, thus far, I am wrong. Last year, we scored touchdowns on 55.1 percent of red zone trips and 58.62 percent of the time in goal-to-go situations. This year, we're scoring touchdowns 56.52 percent of the time in the red zone and 71.43 percent of the time in goal-to-go. Um... I'd have to say that's not the issue.

Really, ultimately, it's the fact that we've choked in the fourth quarter on offense, defense, and special teams (except last week). Stats back that up. We gave up 75 points in the fourth quarter last year and scored 104 points. This year, we've already allowed 62 points and have only scored 30. Ouch. That's bad. Is it fixed? I don't know. It was against the Vikings, I know that. Hopefully, there were just some early season bumps against the Chargers, Bengals, and Bears. Hopefully.

It's a different year. It's a different team. As Tomlin says, we haven't identified the personality of this team yet. I do know that two of the big issues from last season -- sacks allowed and rushing yards gained -- are trending in the right direction this season. Roethlisberger is on pace to throw the ball 535 times this year and get sacked 48 times. Last year, he threw it 506 times and was sacked 51 times. Last year, we averaged 3.7 yards a carry. We're averaging four yards a carry this year.

Special teams are slightly better, the offense is much better, and the defense is not one of the greatest defenses ever to take the field. Considering that we won the Super Bowl last year (you're sure I mentioned that already, right?) I think we're in good shape.

So... why do I still feel uneasy? I have a theory. External factors have changed.

Last season, expectations were low. We had gotten bounced out of the first round of the playoffs the previous season and were facing the toughest schedule in NFL history. This season, expectations were high. We won the Super Bowl and were facing one of the easiest schedules in NFL history.

Through seven games last season, the Colts were struggling at 3-4 and the Patriots were without Tom Brady. There were no undefeated Broncos teams. There was no offensive juggernaut like the Saints. There was only the New York Giants, who many Steelers fans legitimately believed we would've defeated if we had a punter that was worth a damn and James Harrison wasn't our long snapper.

Brady's back and the Patriots beat the Titans -- a team we needed overtime to beat -- by 59 points. Indianapolis is 6-0 and is crushing people.

More teams have more buzz, but we have the ring. And the bullseye on our chests. And that's the difference.

Need more perspective? At this point in 2006, we were 2-5. I think we're OK in 2009.

Steelers vs. Vikings Review

Well, I was wrong. I said that the Vikings would win and they did not. I am always happy when I predict the Steelers to lose and I am wrong. I think I may predict them to lose the rest of the season and be pleasantly surprised when they win.

What I thought was interesting was that the 2008 Steelers beat the 2009 Vikings today. And it was weird. Because these are the 2009 Steelers. I wasn't quite sure how to react.

The Good:

1. Well, we won. That's awesome.
2. We defeated the undefeated Vikings, arguably one of the best teams in the league, to say nothing of the NFC.
3. We held Adrian Peterson in check, for the most part. Any time we face an elite running back, we shut him down as a runner, but seem to forget about him when he becomes a receiver. Obviously, there was no defense for the play that the announcers gushed about in the fourth quarter, where William Gay failed to rise above his name. But, really, you still need to keep your eyes on the most explosive playmaker in the NFL wherever he goes. If he becomes a receiver, he's actually more dangerous, because he's already in the open field where he can do a ton of damage. But, we contained him as a running back. Which was key.
4. MAN, did the defense come through. The entire fourth quarter, I felt like a poor kid at Christmas. I felt as though I was going to get what I wanted, but didn't really believe that it was going to happen. In 2008, I would've been confident that someone was going to make a play to pull it off. In 2009, I was like a poor kid at Christmas.
5. Well, Tiny Tim threw away his crutches, walked, then did a double-back-flip-somersault and vaulted right to his XBox 360 and played Rock Band while listening to his 32-gig iPod touch. Wow. Just, wow. Just a very impressive performance by the defense in the fourth quarter.

The Bad:

1. We choked in the red zone. Big time. We ended up with two field goals and a turnover in three trips to the red zone. Without two defensive touchdowns, that comes back to kill us.
2. We seemed unable to throw anything but a screen pass in the first half. Until that last drive at the two minute warning, Ben had 12 attempts and 35 yards passing. That's abysmal.
3. Rashard Medenhall had a crucial fumble. Again. He's looked great at times and he appears to be the running back of the future, but he really needs to get his fumble issues in check.
4. How many pre-snap penalties did we have on offense and defense? A hundred? It sure seemed like it.
5. We didn't make strong adjustments at halftime. If the Vikings hadn't gift-wrapped two fourth quarter defensive touchdowns to us, we would have lost (I know that's like saying "if you hadn't done that thing that made you win, we wouldn't have lost," but it's still true.)

The Ugly:

1. We didn't take advantage of superior field position in the first half.
2. Our coverage units -- I know the announcers called out Jeff Reed, but everyone was to blame for Percy Harvin's touchdown return -- are not good. We need to work on that.
3. Our return game isn't much better. I know that I've been critical of Stefan Logan all season, but there's a good reason for that. He's been absolutely terrible. The field position swing that we were looking for when we kept Logan on the team depends on Vulva punting better than Bitch Merger, but it also depends on Logan averaging more than two yards a return. And not fair catching inside the ten yard line. And, generally, not sucking. He has failed to not suck thus far. And that needs to improve.
4. They ran 75 plays, we ran 46. Jesus.
5. We outlasted them, we outhustled them, but they have to believe they should've won this game. And they didn't. And that will sting them. And, should we meet them in February, they will remember this. And be pissed about it.

Ultimately, though, we won and they lost. We're 5-2 and share first place with the Bengals, who currently have the tiebreaker on us and share a 1 1/2 game lead over the hated Ravens with us. We head into the bye week with a four game win streak and the (at the moment) undefeated Broncos on the horizon -- and don't think they want to beat the Defending Champs in order to prove their legitimacy -- and the division-leading Bengals after that.

It doesn't get any easier coming up, but today feels good. So let's focus on that. The Steelers won. It's a good day.

Also... my brother got engaged today! I found out at the tail end of the third quarter, so my attention was divided between the game and Weidman and I planning the bachelor party, but it's great news. Congrats, Bruddah!

We are going to kill you in New Orleans. Just know that.