Week 16 was a big week in the NFL for the playoff picture and some playoff hopefuls. The Steelers, however, have gone down to playoff "Nopefuls."
The Cincinnati Bengals have lost their last 5 games against the Pittsburgh Steelers but could make up for all of that by clinching a playoff spot at Heinz Field. It was a close game throughout being tied up at 10-10. The Steelers had the ball with 44 seconds left in the game and were trying to get within field goal range for their kicker. Ben Roethlisberger then made a mistake and threw an interception to Safety Reggie Nelson of the Bengals on a pass intended for WR Mike Wallace. After a 21 yard pass from Andy Dalton to AJ Green, the Bengals kicker Josh Brown hit a 37 yard field goal to win the game with 4 seconds left. Bengals win 13-10 clinching a playoff spot while also eliminating the Steelers from the postseason picture.
Meanwhile, there were a lot of big games involving the NFC East teams. First, the Redskins were able to hold off the Eagles to win it 27-20. Robert Griffin III made his return after a week off due to injury and went 16/24 for 198 passing yards, 2 TD passes, and one INT. Meanwhile, the Cowboys fought back from14 down against the Saints and managed to tie the game forcing OT. However, the Saints got the ball after the Cowboys initial possession and managed to hit the game winning FG after a fumble by Marques Colston went their way and the ball was recovered by Saints TE Jimmy Graham at the Dallas 2. Garrett Hartley hit the 20 yard chip shot to win it for the Saints 34-31. As for the G-Men, they get manhandled for a 2nd week in row (though not shutout) with this loss coming at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens 33-14. The Ravens had 25 first downs in this game compared to the G-Men's 11 and had the ball for nearly 40 minutes.
As for other games in the NFL, the Packers destroyed the Jaguars 55-7 as Aaron Rodgers threw 3 TD passes in this game. That win combined with the 49ers loss gives Green Bay control of the #2 seed in the NFC heading into the last week of the season. Andrew Luck and the Colts clinched a playoff spot with a win over the Chiefs 20-13. The Colts get back into the playoffs after the horrible season last year. Last I'll mention that the Patriots and the Broncos win their respective games while the Texans fall to the Vikings 23-6. Houston still has control of the #1 seed in the AFC with the tie breaker over Denver while the Broncos have a 1 game lead over the Pats for the #2 seed.
One more week means some great games to finish the season. The biggest one might be the Redskins and the Cowboys taking over Sunday Night with the NFC East title on the line.
P.S. For a recap on the 49ers loss, click here. Be sure to check out the 49ers section at prosportsblogging.com before and after every game.
Showing posts with label Steelers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steelers. Show all posts
Monday, December 24, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Redskins' Revenge Over G-Men, Colts Beat Lions in Comeback Win, McElroy Time? (and more)
Week 13 of the NFL season finished last night with the New York Giants going down to Washington DC to face the Redskins. In a nail biting game back in October, the Giants managed to have the last laugh is a close game 27-23. This time, however, had the Redskins laughing last. Being down by 6, the Redskins managed to drive 86 yards in 12 plays from the late 3rd into the 4th quarter that resulted in a go ahead TD. Robert Griffin III managed to connect with Pierre Garcon for a lead grabbing 8 yard touchdown pass. The Giants can't get anything going on two more drives while the Redskins killed the clock at the end. Redskins win it by one 17-16. Washington is now 6-6 and still alive for the postseason.
Sunday, itself, was highlighted by Andrew Luck leading a comeback win for the Colts against the Lions. Detroit was up by 12 with 8:41 left in the game and the Colts somehow managed to pass them by. Andrew Luck threw a 42 TD pass to LaVon Brazill to bring them to within 5. Then, as time expired, Luck threw the game winning TD pass to Donnie Avery for 14 yards for the win 35-33. The unlikely season for them continues as the Colts are now 8-4. The Lions nightmare season, meanwhile, doesn't end as they are 4-8 and have lost 4 in a row.
As for the rest of Week 13, Mark Sanchez was finally benched but not for Tebow as Timmy was injured. Greg McElroy comes in and manages to get the game's only TD in the 4th quarter on a one yard pass to Jeff Cumberland. Jets beat the visiting Cardinals 7-6. The Seahawks managed to beat the Bears in OT 23-17 in an exciting finish. Russell Wilson hit Sidney Rice for the game winning 13 yard TD pass in OT. The Steelers steal a win from the Ravens in Baltimore 23-20 with Charlie Batch in as Pittsburgh's starter. Batch managed to keep it together after an interception as he threw the game tying TD and then managed to lead the Steelers down field for a game winning FG as time expired. I'll end by mentioning the Denver Broncos beating the Buccaneers 31-23 and clinch the AFC West. Peyton Manning threw for 242 yards and 3 TDs with just one INT in this division clinching win.
4 weeks to go and while the playoff picture seems clearer, not everything is decided. Down the stretch they come.
P.S. For my report on the 49ers loss to the Rams, click here. Be sure to check out the 49ers section at prosportsblogging.com for my take on the team before and after the game.
Sunday, itself, was highlighted by Andrew Luck leading a comeback win for the Colts against the Lions. Detroit was up by 12 with 8:41 left in the game and the Colts somehow managed to pass them by. Andrew Luck threw a 42 TD pass to LaVon Brazill to bring them to within 5. Then, as time expired, Luck threw the game winning TD pass to Donnie Avery for 14 yards for the win 35-33. The unlikely season for them continues as the Colts are now 8-4. The Lions nightmare season, meanwhile, doesn't end as they are 4-8 and have lost 4 in a row.
As for the rest of Week 13, Mark Sanchez was finally benched but not for Tebow as Timmy was injured. Greg McElroy comes in and manages to get the game's only TD in the 4th quarter on a one yard pass to Jeff Cumberland. Jets beat the visiting Cardinals 7-6. The Seahawks managed to beat the Bears in OT 23-17 in an exciting finish. Russell Wilson hit Sidney Rice for the game winning 13 yard TD pass in OT. The Steelers steal a win from the Ravens in Baltimore 23-20 with Charlie Batch in as Pittsburgh's starter. Batch managed to keep it together after an interception as he threw the game tying TD and then managed to lead the Steelers down field for a game winning FG as time expired. I'll end by mentioning the Denver Broncos beating the Buccaneers 31-23 and clinch the AFC West. Peyton Manning threw for 242 yards and 3 TDs with just one INT in this division clinching win.
4 weeks to go and while the playoff picture seems clearer, not everything is decided. Down the stretch they come.
P.S. For my report on the 49ers loss to the Rams, click here. Be sure to check out the 49ers section at prosportsblogging.com for my take on the team before and after the game.
Friday, November 30, 2012
No Big Ben vs. Ravens
The Steelers woes at QB remain stagnant to put it at best. It seems that Ben Roethlisberger will not be playing Sunday's game in Baltimore due to his injured shoulder. Apparently his arm is throwing balls soft enough so that I can catch them. So Ben sits as the team will likely go with Charlie Batch, their third string starter, to see if he can win the day against the Ravens who beat the Steelers in the first meeting of these two teams 13-10 in Pittsburgh.
This is a dangerous for the Steelers. While their schedule does get easier and the likelihood of Big Ben coming back increases, they still would have zero room for error if they lose this Sunday. They would fall to 6-6 on the year and possibly fall behind the Bengals if Cincy wins their game in San Diego. Pittsburgh's schedule might favor them the rest of the way but who knows what can happen over the last few weeks of the season.
This is a dangerous for the Steelers. While their schedule does get easier and the likelihood of Big Ben coming back increases, they still would have zero room for error if they lose this Sunday. They would fall to 6-6 on the year and possibly fall behind the Bengals if Cincy wins their game in San Diego. Pittsburgh's schedule might favor them the rest of the way but who knows what can happen over the last few weeks of the season.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Ed Reed Suspended for 1 Game
In the win over the Steelers, Ravens safety Ed Reed has gotten into trouble with the league. Reed was penalized for unnecessary roughness when he had a helmet-to-helmet hit with Emmanuel Sanders of the Steelers. That wasn't the only punishment that he got. As a result of that and a couple of hits to the head he made over the last couple of seasons, Ed Reed has been suspended for one game. It will cost him $423,529 and he will miss the game vs. the Chargers this weekend.
I thought improving things in the name of player safety in the NFL was a good thing but I believe it has gone a bit too far. I started to think this way when Bounty Gate started to drag on and on but this just seems to make me think the oversight on this issue is a joke. Ed Reed did not mean to make this kind of hit on Sanders if you bother to analyze the reply. The intent is just not there. The NFL just wants to make an example out of a high profile player to legitimize the league's authority. I'm not certain that this is the case in Bounty Gate but I'm starting to believe it is.
No matter how much we moan and groan about how unfair this the Ed Reed suspension is, Roger Goodell will not undo the suspension and he will not stop making unjust suspensions or fines. He will just escalate punishments further and make new rules all in the name of safety. That's what all tyrants and dictators do.
P.S. Be sure to follow me on twitter @TheSportsKhanSF
I thought improving things in the name of player safety in the NFL was a good thing but I believe it has gone a bit too far. I started to think this way when Bounty Gate started to drag on and on but this just seems to make me think the oversight on this issue is a joke. Ed Reed did not mean to make this kind of hit on Sanders if you bother to analyze the reply. The intent is just not there. The NFL just wants to make an example out of a high profile player to legitimize the league's authority. I'm not certain that this is the case in Bounty Gate but I'm starting to believe it is.
No matter how much we moan and groan about how unfair this the Ed Reed suspension is, Roger Goodell will not undo the suspension and he will not stop making unjust suspensions or fines. He will just escalate punishments further and make new rules all in the name of safety. That's what all tyrants and dictators do.
P.S. Be sure to follow me on twitter @TheSportsKhanSF
Monday, November 5, 2012
Falcons Edge Out Cowboys, Steelers In-n-Out of New York with a Win, Bears Destroy the Titans and More
Sunday had many good games like every week in the NFL with some being close.
One of those close ones was the Sunday Night game between the Cowboys and the Falcons. Both sides were moving and clamoring but neither could really get anything significant until the final quarter. It took until the 4th quarter for either side to score their first TDs of the game. Atlanta broke the 6-6 tie with Michael Turner scoring a TD on a 3 yard run. After a Matt Bryant FG to make it 16-6, the Cowboys then scored their first TD with a TD pass to Kevin Ogletree for 21 yards with 5:21 to go.
The Falcons got the ball back and scored a FG to make it a 6 point game with another FG but not before taking away every second that they could leaving Dallas just 17 seconds to score a TD. The Cowboys were far short of making into the end zone as the game ended on a short pass to Felix Jones for 39 yards, still more than 20 yards short of 6. Falcons win it 19-13. Atlanta remains unbeaten at 8-0 while the Cowboys fall to 3-5.
Another good one was in the Meadowlands featuring the Steelers vs. the Giants. The Steelers flew in that morning and were to leave that night. That didn't seem to deter them from beating the Giants in MetLife 24-20. Eli Manning was far from par in this game going 10/24 for 125 passing yards and an INT. The Giants totaled just 182 yards of offense while the Steelers had 349 yards of offense. The overlooked Steelers are now 5-3 while the Giants are 6-3.
Other games around the league included the Bears destroying the Titans in Tennessee 51-20. While Cutler did his job with 3 TDs, the Bears also got points from the block punt returned for a TD and an interception returned for a TD by Brian Urlacher. Peyton Manning leads the Broncos to another win beating the Bengals 31-23. Manning went 27/35 with 291 passing yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs. The Packers improve to 6-3 with a win over the Cardinals 31-17. Despite throwing just under 50% along with an INT, Aaron Rodgers threw 4 TD passes in the game. Last one I'll mention had the Colts winning one for Chuck Pagano against the Dolphins 23-20. Adam Vinatieri made what the proved to be the game winning 43 yard FG with 5:58 left in the game.
The week ends tonight with the Eagles going into New Orleans to face the Saints on Monday Night.
P.S. SPOILER ALERT: I'm back at KSUN for one night only. Tune into KSUNradio.com at 4 PM Today as I reunite with my old radio partner, Van, on Tailgate Talk with Van. That's KSUNradio.com... Pretty Good.
One of those close ones was the Sunday Night game between the Cowboys and the Falcons. Both sides were moving and clamoring but neither could really get anything significant until the final quarter. It took until the 4th quarter for either side to score their first TDs of the game. Atlanta broke the 6-6 tie with Michael Turner scoring a TD on a 3 yard run. After a Matt Bryant FG to make it 16-6, the Cowboys then scored their first TD with a TD pass to Kevin Ogletree for 21 yards with 5:21 to go.
The Falcons got the ball back and scored a FG to make it a 6 point game with another FG but not before taking away every second that they could leaving Dallas just 17 seconds to score a TD. The Cowboys were far short of making into the end zone as the game ended on a short pass to Felix Jones for 39 yards, still more than 20 yards short of 6. Falcons win it 19-13. Atlanta remains unbeaten at 8-0 while the Cowboys fall to 3-5.
Another good one was in the Meadowlands featuring the Steelers vs. the Giants. The Steelers flew in that morning and were to leave that night. That didn't seem to deter them from beating the Giants in MetLife 24-20. Eli Manning was far from par in this game going 10/24 for 125 passing yards and an INT. The Giants totaled just 182 yards of offense while the Steelers had 349 yards of offense. The overlooked Steelers are now 5-3 while the Giants are 6-3.
Other games around the league included the Bears destroying the Titans in Tennessee 51-20. While Cutler did his job with 3 TDs, the Bears also got points from the block punt returned for a TD and an interception returned for a TD by Brian Urlacher. Peyton Manning leads the Broncos to another win beating the Bengals 31-23. Manning went 27/35 with 291 passing yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs. The Packers improve to 6-3 with a win over the Cardinals 31-17. Despite throwing just under 50% along with an INT, Aaron Rodgers threw 4 TD passes in the game. Last one I'll mention had the Colts winning one for Chuck Pagano against the Dolphins 23-20. Adam Vinatieri made what the proved to be the game winning 43 yard FG with 5:58 left in the game.
The week ends tonight with the Eagles going into New Orleans to face the Saints on Monday Night.
P.S. SPOILER ALERT: I'm back at KSUN for one night only. Tune into KSUNradio.com at 4 PM Today as I reunite with my old radio partner, Van, on Tailgate Talk with Van. That's KSUNradio.com... Pretty Good.
Friday, November 2, 2012
No Game in Brooklyn, No Room for the Steelers, and a Marathon
The topic of the week has certainly been Hurricane Sandy and the devastation that it has brought along the East Coast, especially the New York Tri-State area. While sports is certainly the last thing on anyone's mind who's in the middle of this natural disaster, it has nonetheless been talked about to some degree.
One of the big opening games of the NBA season were to feature the Brooklyn Nets playing their first regular season game at the Barclays Center against the New York Knicks. Mainly because of the flooding to the subways in NYC, the game has been postponed. Certainly a disappointment but understandable.
Then there's a couple other sporting events that seem to be on schedule despite what has happened.
The Steelers-Giants game that is set to happen Sunday at Metlife Stadium is still currently scheduled despite the fact that the Steelers have nowhere to sleep the night before or Sunday night. The hotel they were supposed to stay in Sunday night doesn't have any power. The team is going to fly into Newark Sunday morning, have a pregame meal near a hotel, and then go to the game. Afterwards, the team will fly home by charter.
Then there is the New York City Marathon. It is scheduled for Sunday and it is 26 miles long and goes across all boroughs of New York City of which significant portions do not have power or other necessary services. The Marathon has not been postponed for several reasons which are financial ones mostly.
Should either the football game or the marathon be postponed or canceled? Either event has to be given the following question: is there anyone that is not going to be getting relief or aid of some kind because of this event? To better put it, is there something better that the city, cities, or states can do with resources put in either event that would help relief efforts?
P.S. My view is that the marathon should not be held anyway. Better good can come out of those overseeing the event, yes, but the marathon happening anyway in the middle of this natural disaster leaves a bad taste in the mouth of plenty of Americans and those in need of aid. I certainly hope that there isn't any significant kind of backlash on the streets of New York City because of this, especially towards the runners who are innocent in all of it.
One of the big opening games of the NBA season were to feature the Brooklyn Nets playing their first regular season game at the Barclays Center against the New York Knicks. Mainly because of the flooding to the subways in NYC, the game has been postponed. Certainly a disappointment but understandable.
Then there's a couple other sporting events that seem to be on schedule despite what has happened.
The Steelers-Giants game that is set to happen Sunday at Metlife Stadium is still currently scheduled despite the fact that the Steelers have nowhere to sleep the night before or Sunday night. The hotel they were supposed to stay in Sunday night doesn't have any power. The team is going to fly into Newark Sunday morning, have a pregame meal near a hotel, and then go to the game. Afterwards, the team will fly home by charter.
Then there is the New York City Marathon. It is scheduled for Sunday and it is 26 miles long and goes across all boroughs of New York City of which significant portions do not have power or other necessary services. The Marathon has not been postponed for several reasons which are financial ones mostly.
Should either the football game or the marathon be postponed or canceled? Either event has to be given the following question: is there anyone that is not going to be getting relief or aid of some kind because of this event? To better put it, is there something better that the city, cities, or states can do with resources put in either event that would help relief efforts?
P.S. My view is that the marathon should not be held anyway. Better good can come out of those overseeing the event, yes, but the marathon happening anyway in the middle of this natural disaster leaves a bad taste in the mouth of plenty of Americans and those in need of aid. I certainly hope that there isn't any significant kind of backlash on the streets of New York City because of this, especially towards the runners who are innocent in all of it.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Falcons Beat Manning and Broncos on MNF
Peyton Manning had a fine week 1 performance and so did the replacement refs for the most part. Both sucked this week.
Yesterday had the Broncos and Manning going into Atlanta to face the Falcons. Manning threw for 253 yards and 2 TDs last week vs. the Steelers defense so it should stand to reason he should do better against the Falcons D. However, Atlanta was ready for him, especially in the 1st quarter. Peyton Manning threw 3 picks and all in the 1st quarter and all in the first three drives of the Broncos. Now the Broncos managed to cut the lead down to 6 late in the 4th quarter but the Falcons got it back and managed to convert for 1st downs to win the game. Falcons win 27-21.
The other story of the week were the replacement refs and their mistakes. They didn't really have an overall effect on the outcome but with time. The game took forever to complete because of the officiating mistakes and delays. They couldn't even manage to separate players after a fumble. It wasn't just this game but all over the NFL this last week. Fumble call on a throw in the Eagles win, a play that shouldn't have happened in the 49ers win, ruling that Roger Goodell's Toupee looks real.
The NFL's arrogance is getting tiring to see here and everywhere else. As for Manning, too little evidence to say this is cause for concern. Probably just a fluke performance. Can't afford that vs. the Texans, though.
Yesterday had the Broncos and Manning going into Atlanta to face the Falcons. Manning threw for 253 yards and 2 TDs last week vs. the Steelers defense so it should stand to reason he should do better against the Falcons D. However, Atlanta was ready for him, especially in the 1st quarter. Peyton Manning threw 3 picks and all in the 1st quarter and all in the first three drives of the Broncos. Now the Broncos managed to cut the lead down to 6 late in the 4th quarter but the Falcons got it back and managed to convert for 1st downs to win the game. Falcons win 27-21.
The other story of the week were the replacement refs and their mistakes. They didn't really have an overall effect on the outcome but with time. The game took forever to complete because of the officiating mistakes and delays. They couldn't even manage to separate players after a fumble. It wasn't just this game but all over the NFL this last week. Fumble call on a throw in the Eagles win, a play that shouldn't have happened in the 49ers win, ruling that Roger Goodell's Toupee looks real.
The NFL's arrogance is getting tiring to see here and everywhere else. As for Manning, too little evidence to say this is cause for concern. Probably just a fluke performance. Can't afford that vs. the Texans, though.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
2012 AFC North Preview: I Say "Mulligan"
The AFC North is hard to call. Thank goodness the Ravens' Terrell Suggs got injured and might miss the rest of the season in order to make this decision a little easier.
This division has been known for the Steelers-Ravens rivalry over the last few years. While I can't say which of these two teams will take the division, I know it will be one these two teams. Sure, the Bengals were a surprise team getting into the playoffs under Andy Dalton but to get in again seems unlikely, especially when they didn't beat the Ravens or the Steelers once last season. As for the Browns, they are turning to a 28 year old QB rookie. Enough said.
Now who has edge between the Steelers and the Ravens? It's got to be the Steelers and just barely. Joe Flacco of the Ravens could come out of his shell and throw like an elite QB but short of that, the Steelers are my pick. They have a slightly better defense with Suggs out of the picture in Baltimore and even though Mike Wallace is coming back to the team after trying to holdout, Big Ben Roethlisberger is still the Steelers' QB and he knows how to exploit a defense. Or is it women?
This division has been known for the Steelers-Ravens rivalry over the last few years. While I can't say which of these two teams will take the division, I know it will be one these two teams. Sure, the Bengals were a surprise team getting into the playoffs under Andy Dalton but to get in again seems unlikely, especially when they didn't beat the Ravens or the Steelers once last season. As for the Browns, they are turning to a 28 year old QB rookie. Enough said.
Now who has edge between the Steelers and the Ravens? It's got to be the Steelers and just barely. Joe Flacco of the Ravens could come out of his shell and throw like an elite QB but short of that, the Steelers are my pick. They have a slightly better defense with Suggs out of the picture in Baltimore and even though Mike Wallace is coming back to the team after trying to holdout, Big Ben Roethlisberger is still the Steelers' QB and he knows how to exploit a defense. Or is it women?
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