Thoughts About A Star

Dan and I had the opportunity to attend Piratefest this past weekend at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center downtown and as we were walking around the floor checking out different booths, I couldn't help but imagine what an event like this would have been like back in the old days. When the Pirates had players that were true legends. How would the likes of Honus Wagner, Ralph Kiner, Pie Traynor, Manny Sanguillen, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell conduct themselves at an event like this? How would the event itself be different?

This is in no way a knock on any of the current players, but the whole atmosphere on Saturday had a slight "non-event" feel to it. Of course Maz drew the focus of most fans, but as for the rest of the activities going on, one could just drift their way past them and not really extend a second glance. Maybe it's because we're both older now and the youthful excitement of meeting the guys you see on television has faded away. But I do think that if the Pirates had a legitimate Hall of Famer in the lineup, the event would somehow feel different.

Speaking of Roberto Clemente, Dan and I couldn't help but chuckle as we looked at some old baseball cards from the sixties that said Bob Clemente on them. Something about Americanizing his legacy seems grossly inappropriate. It's strange, but even thirty seven years after his death, if you walk around the city on a gloomy afternoon, you can almost feel the city still mourning over the loss of it's once beloved hero. His legacy certainly echo's all over downtown, including on the mural underneath the Blvd of the Allies on Ross Street. But most notably, he's still the first thing you notice when you crossover the bridge named after him on your way to PNC Park.

When this franchise finally turns the corner and regains its once proud reputation that was earned by the stars of generations past, maybe then an event such as Piratefest will live up to the hype that such a fanbase so justly deserves.

Random Notes From An Unsportsmanlike

Now that the Super Bowl is set, we can finally unleash the full-out assault that has been brewing since the start of the NFL season. First up on our list is everyone's lovable loser, Brettolo Favrez.

Sing it with us!

UNO!

DOS!

TRES!

Brett Favre, for the third time since 2004, has thrown a crucial interception late in a playoff game to seal his team's fate. This year's version was vintage Favre. One man trying to do way too much. He's been renowned as having a gunslinger mentality. Someone who leaves it all out on the field. Some people even call his style of play brave, courageous and heroic. I like to call it selfish and egotistical. Favre simply can't scramble for a few yards to get his "indoor kicker" closer for a potential game-winning field goal, or play it safe and throw the ball away. Hell no. He has to be the hero. The story has to be about him. To hell with Ryan Longwell winning this game for us. This is about me. It always about me.

Favre will even go so far as to throw out the universal quarterback rulebook for a chance to be the star. You know, the one that says "Never throw a ball across your body back to the center of the field." Something they teach you in midget football.


Want to know why Brad Childress has no hair left? Not only does his team fumble the ball six times (and yet somehow remain in the game), but he has to deal with an NFC Championship loss because of Brett Favre's ego. I'm not sure how much of this falls on the coaching staff or Brett Favre, but when you have the best running back in the NFL, your Quarterback has no business throwing damn near fifty times. I understand your offense was on the field for almost 37 minutes, and I know Adrian Peterson fumbled twice, but come on. I have a feeling we had some audibles going on as well. Might explain why Childress was upset at Favre down the stretch. Don't take me out coach! I play second fiddle to no one.

Now we get a whole summer of Favre danging ESPN from his fingers as he "mulls" his decision.

See you in Cleveland this September asshole.


Sometimes you have to give credit where credit is due, and today I have to toss it up to Mr. Bob Smizik and his blog at the Post Gazette.com. Now we've taken our fair share of shots at Bob since our inception in May 2009. But his assessment of the Pro Bowl situation and of All-Star games in general is spot on.

Not a soul on this planet cares about the Pro Bowl. We get to watch Jaguar's quarterback David Garrard throw some balls around right after Vince Young is done sucking on some. Seriously now. I never thought I'd say this, but where's Kyle Orton when you need him?

The problem isn't just in the AFC with the quarterback situation. Bears receiver Johnny Knox and Giant's receiver Steve Smith (also known as the lesser of the two) were also recently named. Smith did have a solid season with 107 catches, but Johnny Knox? I guess all I have to do is run back 1 kickoff for a touchdown and catch 45 passes next season and I'm in. Looking like the weirdest dude walking the planet doesn't hurt either.

What the NFL should really do is get rid of the game all together, and just have an awards show with some hot celebrities. Maybe even some friendly competitions for longest kick, fastest player, etc. Nothing is worse than watching the game of football played at less than 100%. And if you do give 100%, then your criticized like Sean Taylor was from this hit on Brian Moorman.

Someone remarked and questioned our Roger Goddell asshole comment from a few weeks back. This is one of the several reasons why, Jack!

NFL Picks 2009 - Conference Championship Round

A mostly unspectacular year in the NFL has come down to a surprisingly interesting finish. The four teams that remain are all different from each other in terms of strengths. The New Orleans Saints made it with a high-powered passing attack led by great play-calling and a great quarterback coupled with a mediocre yet opportunistic defense. The Minnesota Vikings arrived on the heels of a stud defensive line, balance on offense, and loads of elite talent in spite of a truly great head coach. The Indianapolis Colts got to this point because they have the league's best quarterback and they make plays on both sides of the ball at the most crucial points in the game. And the New York Jets find themselves in this position because they have a suffocating defense, a complete running game, and because Rex Ryan may have done the best job of coaching in the NFL this year. Because these teams play to their strengths, they all are so close to realizing their Super Bowl dreams that they can taste the sea salt in the sweet Miami air.

The detractors out there should make no mistake. These teams all belong. They don't choke in the big moment like the Bengals, Chargers, Cowboys and Steelers. They also aren't too one-dimensional like the Ravens, Cardinals, Packers and Patriots. In a sense, these games are almost bigger than the Super Bowl. Because the teams facing each other usually are familiar with the opponent, the better team usually will win instead of who has the better game plan like in the Super Bowl. We usually will see better football games this weekend because of that, so miss the Super Bowl if you must, but don't miss tomorrow's games.

Here's where we stand:


Bryan: (5-3); Last Week (2-2)
Alex: (5-3); Last Week (3-1)
Dan: (5-3); Last Week (4-0)

1. (5) New York Jets at (1) Indianapolis Colts, 3:00 p.m., Sunday (CBS)

Dan: I'm hotter than hell after being likely the only person in the country last week to go 4-0, so listen up. To start, this game is all about the Colts' offense vs. the Jets' defense, or more specifically Manning vs. Rex Ryan's blitz packages. Nothing else comes close in terms of importance. I said last week the Jets' key to the game on defense was to get the hell off the field on third down, which they did as they held San Diego to just four conversions on 13 third down attempts. First, we've all seen the ascent of former Pitt Panther Darrelle Revis this season and his impact on opposing offenses. He WILL take Colts WR Reggie Wayne out of this game. But the difference between Peyton Manning and the rest of the league is that he won't even test Revis. He will spend this game focusing on TE Dallas Clark, WRs Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, and hitting his running backs on short routes to beat the blitz. Don't expect a lot of screens in this one, as the Jets are a phenomenal group of tacklers and won't let the Colts move down the field with a horizontal offense. The Chargers were successful last week when they attacked the Jets down the middle, so that's even more reason for the Colts to go there. I honestly can't wait to watch this, because Manning is fantastic against the blitz but when I watch the Jets they still seem to have everyone covered even when they rush six or seven.

When the Jets have the ball, it's all about sustaining drives. We know the running game will be there, but there is a lot more pressure on Mark Sanchez in this game than in weeks past, as he will have to put more than 17 points on the board to beat Indianapolis. If you're waiting for him to implode you'd better put the coffee on, because Sanchez is going to be a great quarterback in this league. To keep the Colts off-balance, he has to be more efficient when the Jets actually throw on first down than last week when he completed 2 of 6 passes, one for 1 yard and another for 13, misfired on three others and took a sack on the sixth. Also, third downs are again key for the Jets on this side of the ball as well. Last week, Sanchez threw his only touchdown pass of the game on a 3rd and 2, and on the following drive he converted a huge 3rd and 4 with a simple 7-yard completion to Jerricho Cotchery. The next play was Shonn Greene's 53-yard touchdown run.

In the end, I think the Jets' magic carpet comes unraveled in this one because like I said, the best team usually wins these games and the Colts are by far the better team. Manning will be Manning and will be the most prepared player in this game, and he will find a way to score on this defense, though it's not going to be a blowout and that's not the way this Colts team is built. This may look a lot like the Colts' week 8 victory against the 49ers, but they will get the job done. Score: Indianapolis, 20-13

Alex: Really? What a shitty year in the NFL. I mean I saw this game played last week and the Colts won it 20-3. I am just flat out bored with, tired of and pissed at the way the postseason has played out. Let's all just hope that the Colts finish what they started back in week 16 and just end these pricks already. Although if my predictions are correct that means we have a good two weeks to debate a "Manning/Farve Showdown" in the Super Bowl. Ugh. Score: Indianapolis 20-3

Bryan: Skip all the stats and all the analytical bullshit for me. All I know is that the Colts are the better team. Score: Indianapolis, 24-14

2. (2) Minnesota Vikings at (1) New Orleans Saints, 6:40 p.m., Sunday (FOX)

Dan: Throw all the stats out in this one. I mean it. These teams change their identity on offense nearly every week, and their defenses are inconsistent yet potentially dominant. So let's break this down in a much simpler fashion by keeping score of which team has the advantage in the following categories:

Quarterbacks: Push. Brett Favre is better under pressure, Drew Brees makes you pay more if you give him time. They're both elite.

Running game: Minnesota. Adrian Peterson is the most explosive and still gets positive yards even when not playing his best. Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell are good but not great, and Reggie Bush had a nice "I'm still here" moment last week but he's still a cunt.

Receivers: New Orleans. Minnesota has a great one in Sidney Rice, but New Orleans' group is deeper and more in sync with their quarterback. Rookie Percy Harvin might not play for Minnesota. Also, Visanthe Shiancoe and Jeremy Shockey are a push at tight end.

Offensive Line: Push. New Orleans if you put a gun to my head.

Defensive Line: Minnesota. Jared Allen will make his handful of plays, but won't dominate like he did against Dallas. Minnesota also may be without DE Ray Edwards (3 sacks last week) and DT Kevin Williams, and if they play they will be hampered. Still, better than the Saints' group.

Linebackers: Minnesota. Not spectacular, but New Orleans' group can't tackle at all.

Secondary: New Orleans. By a landslide.

Special Teams: New Orleans. Especially if Harvin can't go for the Vikings.

Coaching: New Orleans. By another landslide.

Intangibles: New Orleans. 1. The Vikings have far more pressure on them because Brett Favre was brought here to win this game. The Saints have almost no outside pressure on them, their city and the media will still love them win or lose. 2. The Saints are the home team. 3. The Saints have the best team unity and the best leadership.

That's 5-3 advantage Saints. They are the better team talent-wise, coaching-wise, and they have all the intangibles in their favor. Suddenly, we have one hell of a Super Bowl awaiting us. Score: New Orleans, 31-20

Alex: So this is it, huh folks? The home team has won every game in the NFC so far proving that it is once again a conference that is top heavy and filled with bottom feeders. There really is nothing much else to say for about these teams that I haven't already said. Brett Farve is a cocksucker, the Saints offense is Mickey Mouse bullshit, blah, blah, blah. The Vikings know they can't win on the road. The Saints know that the Vikings know that they can't win on the road. The Vikings know that the Saints know that they know that they can't win on the road. But... Score: Minnesota 30-27

Bryan: This game has true potential to live up to the hype. The Vikings should save themselves from going 0-5 in Super Bowls and just lose now, which I think they will. If Jared Allen is so great, how come Max Starks shut him down? Reggie Bush seems to have critiqued his style a bit to be a more effective runner with the ball. I'm not sure how much that will factor into the game, but New Orleans being at home will. Expect the Superdome to be rocking as the Saints host their first ever championship game. Score: New Orleans, 34-24

Steelers 2010 Opponents

We wanted to put this out there for our readers who may be interested with what opponents are ahead for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. Look for dates and times to be released this spring.

Home Games:
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers

Away Games:
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
Tennessee Titans
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Picks 2009 - Divisional Round

The eve of the best playoff weekend each year is upon us, where we get to enjoy a full slate of four games that match up teams that all deserve to be here. This is when Super Bowl aspirations go from dreams to reality, and there is no shortage of storylines this year across the entire spectrum of the teams remaining. Dan would also like to briefly brag about the fact that he nailed 11 of his 12 preseason playoff picks, as the only team he picked to make it that didn't was our Steelers. Not only that, but he correctly picked every division winner and wild card team besides having the Steelers winning the AFC North instead of the Bengals. Be sure to check our 2009 season preview podcast on the right bar if you don't believe us! Bryan and Alex will add their picks as they arrive. Now, let's get right to it...

Here's where we stand through one round...

Bryan: 3-1
Alex: 2-2
Dan: 1-3

1. (4) Arizona Cardinals at (1) New Orleans Saints, 4:30 p.m., Saturday (FOX)

Dan: This is the game I had by far the most trouble with. One on side is the Cardinals, who have two players that are as close to automatic as it gets in the postseason in Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald and are coming off a huge emotional win in overtime against the Packers in round one. The Cardinals are an experienced and resilient bunch that knows what it takes to win a game like this, but they are also slightly schizo and can collapse like they did in week 14 against the 49ers. On the other hand, you have the #1 seed Saints playing in the Superdome where they enjoy one of the league's best home-field advantages. The Saints did not finish the season strong, but they have the highest ceiling when it comes to playing to their full potential (see their Monday night win against New England earlier this year for evidence.) They also have had a chance to get healthy, especially on defense, with their bye week.

To me, this game comes down to offensive line play. The Cardinals must give Warner time and must avoid taking formation penalties and false starts in what will be a crazy-loud environment if they are to have a chance. They also might want to try to establish a run game as the Saints have been awful against the run in recent weeks. The Saints will need to contain Arizona's defensive line and give Drew Brees time to pick apart a Cardinals defense that was shredded last week by Aaron Rodgers, and I am confident that he will do just that if his line plays well. Saints coach Sean Payton is also one of the best play-callers in the game, so make no bones about it, New Orleans will show up, and they will win this game if they play their best football. In the end, I don't know that the Cardinals can duplicate their effort last week as they have set the bar extremely high for themselves. Warm up those windpipes, Harry Connick Jr.! Score: New Orleans, 31-20.

Alex: Did you ever want to see what arena football would be like played on a 100 yard field? Well this is your lucky day cause the only thing more bullshit then the Saints Defense is the Arizona Cardinals. Both of these teams can score at anytime from anywhere on the field and I'm sure the League couldn't be happier about it. Drew Brees has put up some monster numbers since becoming a Saint but he has yet to win a big game. Kurt Warner is proving to be one of the best big game QBs of this generation. Still I think this will come down to whose defense can make a play, just like it did last week in the Packers/Cardinals game. The Saints have no momentum whatsoever and constantly make the "Pittsburgh" mistake of playing to the level of there competition. The Cardinals are tested and have a damn good chance of pulling off the upset. But I just don't see the Saint faithful leaving the Superdome disappointed. That place should be rocking harder then during Katrina. Score: New Orleans 35-31

Bryan: This truly is the best weekend of NFL football. No more bye weeks. No more resting players. No more talk. Its put up or shut up, exactly the way it should be. Arizona's defense has never intimidated a soul on this planet, so I'm looking for Drew Brees to have a huge day passing the ball. They need to play well to gain some confidence since they lost two straight home games heading into the playoffs. On the other side of the ball, Arizona will be without Anquan Boldin for the second straight week. They were able to cover that up last weekend, but today they'll struggle a little bit without him against a very athletic Saint's secondary. I haven't been impressed with Arizona all year and although they scored 51 points last weekend, they also gave up 45, which is not what you want to do a week before you face Drew Brees. I think the Saints win in a surprisingly unspectacular game. Score: New Orleans, 38-23

2. (6) Baltimore Ravens at (1) Indianapolis Colts, 8:15 p.m., Saturday (CBS)

Dan: This one wasn't too hard for me. Sure, the Ravens gave the Colts a good scare earlier in the season, but the playoffs are a different animal. The Colts are no doubt going to scheme to stop Ray Rice (if they have any brains at all on their staff besides Peyton Manning that is), and I feel that if they do that they will win this game in a walk. The Colts' offense can dictate this one early if they can hit Dallas Clark early and often and force Ed Reed to shadow him the rest of the day, thus restricting his ability to freelance and taking the Ravens' defense out of their comfort zone. That would loosen up the coverage on Reggie Wayne and company and allow Manning to pick the Ravens apart along the sidelines. Even if this game stays close and it comes down to quarterback play in the fourth quarter, I still have to take Manning over Ravens QB Joe Flacco.

The biggest story in this game is how the Colts react to all the negativity surrounding the way their regular season ended, but I think they will quickly put that behind them and have a good first quarter to create some momentum. The Ravens also have the potential to implode with dumb penalties, especially with the way referees will be throwing a flag on any play in which Manning even gets breathed on after the no-calls at the end of the Packers-Cards game that caused such a stir. Don't get me wrong, I think the Ravens have a lot of great pieces and that starts with head coach John Harbaugh. But their time will come later and not sooner. Score: Indianapolis, 27-13

Alex: Despite having the worst playoff numbers I have ever seen Joe Flacco is 3-1 in the postseason. How this turd has been in 4 postseason games is nothing short of a Miracle that has the 1980 US men's hockey team saying "I don't believe it!". Bottom Line is the Ravens had better do exactly what they did to the Patriots last week. By the end of the 1st quarter it better be 21-0 or they are fucked. I'm sure no matter what happens people will still be bitching about the Colts resting there starters down the stretch but really who gives a fuck? Peyton Manning won the MVP for the fourth time in his career and well rested or not, I don't see him shitting the bed at home in there first playoff game. The Ravens defense isn't what it used to be and the Colts defense is no longer the complete joke that it once was. If the Colts can score 24 points that should be enough. And they will score 24 points. Then Ray Lewis can get on the air and give a post game sermon about Christ working in mysterious ways. Mysterious like letting some get away with murder, Ray? You simple minded prick! Score: Indianapolis 27-17

Bryan: Earlier in the week, I was really feeling the upset here. When will the Colts realize they can't rest their players. It's not good for them. The only year they won it was when they were forced to play their starters for every game. But as the week has worn on, I've talked myself out of it. Now don't get me wrong, the Colts are primed for a big upset this week like they usually are in the divisional round, but I don't think Baltimore will be the team to do it. The Ravens do have some nice road playoff victories under their belt the last couple years, but something is missing this year. I do note that all the talk of upset is coming from the New York/San Diego game, so this game is flying under the "upset" radar. I just realized what is missing. It's my balls. I've picked some upsets this year. I've hit on some and missed on others. But for the life of me, I just don't have any guts left to pick the Ravens. I wish I did. Score: Indianapolis, 31-21

3. (3) Dallas Cowboys at (2) Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., Sunday (FOX)

Dan: This is a game where the bandwagon hopping is moving so furiously that ankles all over the country are breaking at a record pace. At the beginning of the season, all we heard about was how Brett Favre gives the Vikings a great chance to get over the hump. Now it's nothing but Cowboys slurping. Not only that, but since when did Adrian Peterson become such a schmuck that he isn't getting ANY pregame hype whatsoever. What happened to all the people who were calling him the best player in the NFL just a few weeks ago? Anyways, this game seems like a close pick only because the Vikings played a lot worse than they should have down the stretch and the Cowboys played a lot better than they should have. But momentum is generated within a game, not maintained from week-to-week. That's bad news for Cowboys fans.

This game will be decided by which defense brings it the best. I believe Jared Allen can turn this game by himself if he can get consistent pressure on Tony Romo and make him uncomfortable, and an uncomfortable Romo turns the ball over. This Dallas line jumps early a lot as well and crowd noise will be a factor, but not as much as in New Orleans. On the other end, the Dallas defense has been playing great and is going to try like hell to disrupt the Vikings' passing game and put the game on Peterson's shoulders. CB Mike Jenkins to me is a star in the making, and I think he can take downfield threat Sidney Rice out of this game. So, what gives out first? I think the Vikings have the better offensive and defensive lines, better weapons on offense (and more of them), and a better sense of urgency. I bet Peterson plays with a great sense of purpose after getting largely ignored the last three weeks and a huge week of rest. Lastly, there's Brett Favre. Favre may not take them all the way to the Super Bowl (where I picked them to lose to the Steelers before the season), but he has at least one great playoff game left in him. Score: Minnesota, 27-14

Alex: The Cowboys are, other then the Chargers, the hottest team left in the playoffs. With the monkey finally off there backs, Wade Phillips and Tony Romo will not be a victim of nerves. Neither will any of the Vikings who are undefeated at home. The Vikings have had some problems but they have all come on the road. Much like the Superdome, the Metrodome is a true home field advantage. Dallas probably won't be able to run the ball on these pricks and it's going to be up to Romo to get the job done. He can't. Not because of nerves just because he is nothing special. Favre, even though he is a hands and knees cocksucker, should be fine against a Dallas team that likes to bring pressure. Too bad he likes to throw slants and hand off the Peterson. Don't be surprised if Jerry Jones still decides to fire Wade Phillips. Score: Minnesota 30-20

Bryan: This matchup has some real intrigue simply because both quarterbacks Tony Romo and Brett Favre have been such choke-artists the last five years or so. I wouldn't be surprised if both of them stepped on to the field this afternoon with mismatched shoes on. Maybe today will be the day I've been waiting so long for. I can envision it now. DeMarcus Ware comes clean from off the corner and wraps Favre up high. But as they're coming down, Favre plants his left leg back to brace his fall. As he does that, Ware's ass comes crashing down on his leg. We'll watch in joy as Favre's leg snaps at the mid-shin like a dry twig ala Joe Theismann. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman advise viewers not to look as this is a devastating lower leg injury.

I got a little off track there. Anyways, this game will come down to which QB makes less mistakes. As stated earlier, both of them plan on making plenty. But I'll take Dallas in this game as they are riding a high right now. This is traditionally the type of game Brett Favre blows, so I'll hang my hat on that. I take pride not picking him. Adrian Peterson will get his usual 100+ yards, but I predict Favre to be a little off today. Romo makes just enough plays to win the ball game. Score: Dallas, 28-24

4. (6) New York Jets at (2) San Diego Chargers, 4:40 p.m., Sunday (CBS)

Dan: This is it. The team I've hyped since the preseason versus the team I've dogged since almost the dawn of the internet. The Chargers have scored at least 20 points in every game this year. The Jets haven't given up more than 15 since their 31-14 week 11 loss in New England. What gives? To start, this is a bad matchup for the Chargers. They want to throw downfield to Vincent Jackson, but All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, formerly of Pitt and runner-up for defensive MVP this year, will not let that happen. He is the ace in the hole for the Jets and the only true shutdown corner left in the playoff field, so the Chargers ran into a little bad luck by drawing this team. On defense, they will try to make Mark Sanchez beat them with his arm by stopping the run like most other teams, but the problem is that the Chargers can't stop the run (masked by their ability to simply outscore everyone this year) and the Jets are exceptional at it. This is the main key to the game.

For the Chargers to win, they must take advantage of a mismatch they will have in their favor by throwing to Antonio Gates and doing it a lot. They also need to try and set up some screen passes. The Jets have a great pass rush and Rex Ryan is a master at making opposing quarterbacks wilt under the pressure of his complicated schemes, so since they won't be able to go downfield they will have to attack the middle and the flats successfully, which is not their strength. They won't be able to stop the Jets, so they have to score as often as possible, even if it means risking poor field position by taking some chances on fourth down. And for the Jets to win, they have to win the third down battle. They HAVE to convert on as many third downs as they can to keep their drives alive and take away opportunities from the Chargers' offense by keeping it on the sidelines. They also have to get the Chargers off the field on third down every chance they get. If the Jets can get to the fourth quarter with a lead, they'll have a great shot, but their margin might be so slim that a single turnover, muffed punt, or blown assignment could cost them the game. Logic says take the Chargers, but it's said that a lot this decade and Norv Turner, LaDainian Tomlinson and Co. have failed to deliver in the playoffs on almost every occasion. I fear I'm going to get burned on this, but the Jets have been my boys all year and I really think we'll get to see Darrelle Revis and Rex Ryan vs Peyton Manning for the AFC crown. Score: New York Jets, 24-20

Alex: Don't buy the media bullshit about how dangerous the Jets are. Last week the Packers were dangerous. Last year the Colts were dangerous. Bottom line, if you see everyone at ESPN picking your team to win, most likely you are fucked. The Jets beat a rotten Bengals team that had no business being there(6-0 vs. AFC North means your 4-6 vs. everyone else). San Diego can't even lose when it pulls all of its starters. And let us not count out the east coast team traveling to the west coast bullshit. The Jets might be deadly by the time Sanchez develops but I don't see them rushing on the Chargers the way they did last week. The Jets defense might suffer against a team like San Diego who has no true number 1 WR for Revis to shut down. Rivers is proving himself to be a great QB and the '04 draft class gets another feather in it's cap once this game is over. Then Rex Ryan and his eight chins can go fuck themselves and go back where they fucking came from. Score: San Diego 24-13

Bryan: FACT: ESPN heavy caters to 4 big time markets; New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles. If you didn't already know this small tidbit, you certainly should now. ESPN has not shut the fuck up about the New York Jets since they clinched the playoff spot by playing two gift teams that had nothing left to play for. Then again, they won their wildcard game so they do deserve to be here. In this particular matchup, I really like San Diego here. They have the experience of playing in big time playoff games. Sanchez played very well last week, and I like his future in the NFL, but I think he'll have a tougher time against a Charger defense, which is somewhat ordinary, but can make big plays when it needs to. On the other side of the ball, San Diego has lots of weapons at their disposal. LT, Antonio Gates, Darren Sproles and Vincent Jackson provide a tall task for any defense. If San Diego can build two score lead early, this game's a wrap. Score: San Diego 27-17

2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Recap

How'd the season go, coach?

The NFL postseason marches on, and while we'll have plenty to say about the upcoming games when we put up our picks later this week there's still a lot to cover when it comes to Roger Goodell's No Fun League. But we never did appropriately wrap up the Steelers' season since their week 17 win against the Miami Dolphins that still saw them left out of the playoffs, so let me take a minute to hit on a few of the talking points about this year. I realize this may seem late, but hey, here in Pittsburgh we've been shoveling snow nonstop since about the time the Miami game ended.

First of all, this was hands-down the most disappointing, disheartening, and disemboweling season for any team coming off a Super Bowl victory. Sure, teams have finished with worse records than the 2009 Steelers, but this was a team that was supposed to have one of the best chances to repeat in recent memory. They returned 20 of 22 starters, something that never happens when you consider that most defending champs have their rosters pillaged in free agency. Their coaching staff was left equally unscathed, with no coordinators or lower assistants leaving for better jobs elsewhere. And the schedule was considerably lighter than last year's version, with some experts having the Steelers penciled in for as many as 14 regular season wins. Heck, even yours truly picked them to defend their title in a weak AFC conference.

But the season was felled by a combination or a few things major and many things minor. On offense, the Steelers only lost two role players in the offseason in FB Carey Davis and WR Nate Washington. Davis eventually was re-signed after the season started, and Washington was easily replaced and outproduced by rookie WR Mike Wallace. Wallace hauled in 37 catches for 756 yards and 6 touchdowns this year, while Washington amounted for 40 catches for 631 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2008. All of the starters returned. So what went wrong on offense? To be brief, the Steelers struggled in the red zone (the bottom ten teams in touchdown to red zone trip ratio all missed the playoffs, the Steelers included among them), could not run the ball effectively when they needed to sit on a lead and eat clock, and rarely seemed to have a solid game plan. It was backyard football all year long. They never really seemed to plan to take advantage of a mismatch in their favor throughout an entire game, whether it be simple like pounding the run against a weak run defense, or picking a target receiver to concentrate on, whether it be Heath Miller, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes or even Wallace. They didn't even scheme more complicated things like exploiting strong blitz defenses with screen passes or establishing the run early to establish the play-action pass. All in all, it led to an offense that was pretty on paper but an unorganized mess throughout the course of a game, despite a few exceptions where it all came together like in the Green Bay, Miami, and San Diego games.

But the root of the problem was undoubtedly the defense. People will say they lost only two starters from the nearly-impenetrable 2008 unit, CB Bryant McFadden and LB Larry Foote, but it really was four when you consider Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith missed most of the year with injuries. Smith went down for the season in week five and was no doubt a big loss, but the run defense still finished third in the league and that is where his biggest impact is felt as an end in the 3-4. But the irreplaceable Polamalu injured his knee in week one and appeared in only five games this year, his last coming in the week 10 game against Cincinnati that saw the Steelers drop to just 6-3 with their loss that day. Without him, they would lose their next four.

The secondary was terrible in Polamalu's absence. CB William Gay, whose play last season convinced the Steelers that McFadden was expendable, was picked on by opposing offenses regularly and despite a respectable 10 passes defended did not register a single interception all year. He simply did not step up to the challenge presented to him, and he may have lost his job as a starter after just one year. The rest of the secondary was almost as bad. Gay's starting cornerback partner, Ike Taylor, finished with just one interception. It came in the final game against the Dolphins that proved to be meaningless. FS Ryan Clark had an up-and-down year carrying the load at safety with Polamalu out most of the year, and backup safeties Tyron Carter and Ryan Mundy were mostly below average. Carter will be remembered a little it for laying a seismic hit on Bears TE Greg Olsen in week 2 and picking off two passes in the Denver game but mostly for whiffing on tackles and coverage calls the rest of the year. Mundy wouldn't be remembered at all were it not for one ridiculous series of plays on Oakland's final drive against the Steelers in week 13 in which he knocked out not one, not two, but three players with helmet-to-helmet hits. Heck, only two of them were guys on the other team (WRs Louis Murphy and Chaz Schilens) as the guy he knocked out the worst was Gay.

In general, the defense blew five leads in the fourth quarter, some against truly abysmal teams, and could not make plays to take the ball away until it was too late in the year. For those of you still with me in this post, I'll reward you with this additional hidden stat: the Steelers gave up the sixth-most penalty yards on defense this year. They also likely lacked the swagger they had last year, that inner confidence that they were great and were going to prove it by making plays at every opportunity.

So we can blame this failure of a season, and it is indeed a failure, on any number of factors. But the bottom line is it was a combination of a bad red zone offense, a defense that turned softer than a list of Bob Costas interview questions, a few major injuries and one of the worst losing streaks in franchise history.

As one final gut-wrenching punishment, I invite you all to join me in downing an Unsportsmanlikes original this weekend at your favorite pub. We call it "The Angry Yinzer." Just mix one shot of black Sambuca with a shot of Goldschlager and you have the perfect miserable cocktail to toast to one perfectly miserable season. Hey, at least you'll have something to stand on when we say this season left a bad taste in our mouth.

NFL Picks 2009 - Wild Card Weekend

As the regular season comes to a close, here's the way our standings shook out for the year.

Dan: 176-80; Last Week (10-6)
Alex: 170-86; Last Week (10-6)
Bryan: 169-87; Last Week (9-7)

Dan has preserved bragging rights for the offseason, while Bryan will spend his summer stepping on banana peels and running from falling piano's. But wait! There's more!

Looks like meat's back on the menu boys!

That's right! Eat your heart out Rick Springfield. The playoffs are here and there's new blood to shed. Of our four wildcard matchups, three of them are rematches from Week 17. Lets get right to it! (Please note that Dan was held without internet this week, so his picks were made via stone and scribe. There will be no comments for him since he didn't have the extra eleven years to hammer out all the words.)

(5) New York Jets (9-7) vs (4) Cincinnati Bengals (10-6), 4:30 p.m., Saturday

Dan: No comment. Winner: New York Jets

Alex: Kudos to Rex Ryan and the Jets for somehow emerging from the cluster-fuck that was the AFC playoff picture and getting into the playoffs despite having peaked in September. The Bengals never peaked at all and are hands down the softest team in the playoffs this year. I normally go with the home team in these situations but I truly believe the Bengals are trash and will not be able to move the ball on the Jets D, a unit that is so good they are the only reason to watch this game. Score: New York Jets, 20-10

Bryan: The Jets should thank the NFL scheduling gods for giving them two teams that had nothing to play for the last two weeks of the season. That said, they did get the job done and deserve to go with a solid rushing attack and a top tier defense, two key components to winning playoff games. The Bengals haven't played a good football game in over a month and are destined for playoff failure once again. Mark Sanchez does just enough to win this game. Score: New York Jets, 17-14

(6) Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) at (3) Dallas Cowboys (11-5) 8:00 p.m., Saturday

Dan: No comment. Winner: Philadelphia

Alex: Since everyone had the Cowboys dead and buried after 1 loss this year, it seems like a surprise for them to be hosting a playoff game. The Eagles were my darkhorse pick since November but it looks like there window might finally be closing (thank God). Dallas has won some December games this year and since they seem to be able to dominate the eagles at the line on both sides of the ball, I don't see any reason for them to fail now. Get that monkey off your back Romo, just so Sportscenter can stop "analyzing" it. Score: Dallas, 27-24

Bryan: I was fully expecting Philadelphia to make a serious run at the Super Bowl for quite awhile now, but as I'm making my picks, I can't help but do an about-face and go with Dallas here. They've been red-hot, they're playing inspired defense and Tony Romo looks primed to win his first playoff game. Philadelphia has been hard to pin down. Their defense forces tons of turnovers, but they consistently blow coverage and miss easy tackles. The Eagles offense will put up some points but not with the regularity they would like. Score: Dallas, 34-28

(6) Baltimore Ravens (9-7) at (3) New England Patriots (10-6) 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: No comment. Winner: New England

Alex: The Patriots are as beatable as they have ever been this year and if anyone is going to be stunned out of the post season it will be these cocksuckers. But Baltimore is so predictable on offense that I don't see them taking advantage of these bastards when they are down. Nor do I see Joe Flacco out gunning Tom Brady in any way, shape or form. Score: New England 24-17

Bryan: The loss of Wes Welker is beyond huge as he's the guy that moves the chains for the Patriots. Brady's really going to have to step up his game to carry his team to the second round. I can't help but get the feeling that New England has just been frustrated all season. If we've learned anything about the Ravens over the last few weeks, it's that they are a bunch of chumps who just aren't a threat this year. However, If the Raven's can control the clock and get the rushing attack going, I think they go up to Foxborough and give New England an early exit. End of an Era! Score: Baltimore, 21-17

(5) Green Bay Packers (11-5) at (4) Arizona Cardinals (10-6), 4:40 p.m. Sunday

Dan: No comment. Winner: Green Bay

Alex: It's a god damn shame that this has to be a first round match up cause it has the potential to be a fucking barnburner. I like both teams but god dammit I picked the Packers to go to the super bowl at the beginning of the season and I'm not getting off the bandwagon now. Plus am I the only one that wants to see them go into Minnesota next week and beat the fuck out of those guys? Score: Green Bay, 28-24

Bryan: I'm excited for this one. I do expect a much closer game than the one we witnessed in week 17. Green Bay has just hung in there all season and seemed to have gotten their offensive line woes out of the way. If I could pick one word to describe the Cardinals this season, it would be forgettable. They have one signature win on their resume this year, and it was beating a sinking Vikings team in week 13. The rest of their wins are against garbage teams. They don't belong in the second round. Score: Green Bay, 31-20

NFL Picks 2009 - Week 17

ASSHOLE.

One of the most bullshit seasons in recent memory is thankfully, mercifully coming to an end tonight. We will continue to pick games throughout the playoffs and will count them in a separate bracket.

Here's where we stand:

Dan: (166-74); Last Week (11-5)
Alex: (160-80); Last Week (10-6)
Bryan: (160-80); Last Week (10-6)

STEELERS (8-7) at Miami Dolphins (7-8), 1 p.m., Sunday

Dan: The Steelers have won three in a row and are starting to find different was to win each week. But no matter what happens in this final weekend, there's no excuse in the world for this season. With almost no roster or coaching staff turnover, this is truly the most disappointing follow-up season for any defending Super Bowl champion in history. Score: Steelers, 20-16

Alex: God I hope the Steelers go to the playoffs just so they can beat the Bengals. The heartbreak that would be coming out of Cincy would be music to my ears. Score: Steelers, 24-17

Bryan: With Ricky Williams listed as questionable, the Dolphins don't have many weapons on offense for this last game. The Steelers should be able to hold Miami to under 2 touchdowns, plenty of wiggle room for Ben to put up some points. Score: Steelers, 24-10

Indianapolis Colts (14-1) at Buffalo Bills (5-10), 1 p.m., Sunday

Dan: The Colts should still win this game with an early lead and a healthy running game. But even if they go on to win the Super Bowl, that embarrassment of a stunt they pulled last week will be be remembered forever. Heck, winning it all would make it even more infamous. Score: Indianapolis, 24-13

Alex: Who the fuck knows really. I'm sure the Colts starters will in fact start the game but how much they play depends on whether or not these dickheads want to limp into the postseason with two straight losses. Buffalo is barely worth mentioning and even if the Colts play down to them, they still might lose. But I'm feeling good cause Indy is notorious for pulling this kind of late season bullshit. Score: Buffalo 20-17

Bryan: Not sure what to make of this mess. Lets make one thing clear; The Bills are not the Jets. So even if Manning and Co. sit, it should still be enough to shut down the best Buffalo has to offer. Score: Indianapolis, 23-14

New Orleans Saints (13-2) at Carolina Panthers (7-8), 1 p.m., Sunday

Dan: No Drew Brees, no Pierre Thomas, no Darren Sharper, no reason to watch this game. Score: Carolina, 24-20

Alex: So Carolina has won two straight games and looks like the team people thought they were before the season started. New Orleans is a Micky Mouse bunch of jackoffs and is staring down the pipe at first round elimination. But I don't think they will limp into the playoffs. Score: New Orleans 27-21

Bryan: New Orleans is resting some of their players. Chalk up another loss for the Saints. Just as I predicted, they limp into the playoffs not having won a game in almost a month and will drop their first playoff game. I don't care who they play. Score: Carolina, 27-19

Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8) at Cleveland Browns (4-11), 1 p.m., Sunday

Dan: I recorded all 5 Rocky movies on my DVR just so I don't have to even think about watching any of these hideous games today. What a joke, NFL. Of yea, and the Jaguars go from being in the driver's seat to the 5 seed to a losing record. Score: Cleveland, 25-10

Alex: Seeing as how the Jaguars decided to flush there fucking season down the toilet the last few weeks, I really don't have much confidence to pick them to beat anybody. Except the Browns. Score: Jacksonville 30-17

Bryan: Want to know why no one has ever heard of Jerome Harrison? Because he's been sitting on the bench behind 60 year old Jamal Lewis. So yeah, Harrison's really good. Score: Jacksonville, 31-21

New England Patriots (10-5) at Houston Texans (8-7), 1 p.m., Sunday

Dan: This is actually a hilarious matchup. A team that always finds ways to win against a team that always finds ways to lose. Stick with the trends. Score: New England, 31-24

Alex: This could be the biggest game in the Texans short history. But only if they win. Which they won't. New England is your 3 seed, AFC. Score: New England 27-20

Bryan: Scenario number one goes right for the Steelers. New England does not rest against anyone. One of the few things I respect Belichick for. Score: New England, 22-14

New York Giants (8-7) at Minnesota Vikings (11-4), 1 p.m., Sunday

Dan: How can anyone pick the Giants and retain any respect for themselves? The Giants don't even have respect for themselves. Did everyone forget about the egg they laid last week? These guys have mailed it in so bad the Meadowlands just opened its own post office. Score: Minnesota, 35-9

Alex: Wow, so the Vikings aren't quite as solid as some claimed. Oh my they are bullshit, which I have claimed all year. I love seeing cunts like Farve go tits up at the end of the year. Still the Giants are cocksuckers and this game is in Minnesota, the only place the Vikings can win anymore. Score: Minnesota 27-17

Bryan: This should be a fun game to keep an eye on. Minnesota has self-imploded and can't find any answers, while New York has been eliminated from playoff contention and has nothing to lose. Scary combo if I'm a Vikings fan. I think New York comes out ready to atone for last weeks embarrassment in the Meadowlands. Score: New York Giants, 21-17

San Francisco 49ers (7-8) at St. Louis Rams (1-15), 1 p.m., Sunday

Dan: San Francisco will win this game only because they always were destined to go 8-8 anyways. Score: San Francisco, 17-10

Alex: he 49ers should have been in the playoff discussion all year but with bullshit loses to Minnesota(and is there any other kind of loss to these pricks) and Seattle they managed to fuck themselves out of a shot. Too bad. Rams can go get fucked. Score: San Francisco, 28-3

Bryan: And with this game, the St. Louis Rams secure the first pick in the 2010 NFL draft. Score: San Francisco, 38-13

Atlanta Falcons (8-7) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-12), 1 p.m., Sunday

Dan: Everyone said Michael Turner would break down after carrying the ball so many times last year, and, surprise, he hasn't played in over a month. Meanwhile, the Bucs have had a bit of a burst of life lately, which always comes right before we're reminded they were dead all along. Score: Atlanta, 28-0.

Alex: Perhaps Raheem Morris saved his job last week by beating the Saints. Perhaps not. Either way, who gives a fuck? I mean, it has nothing to do with the price of rice in China, does it? Score: Atlanta, 21-17

Bryan: It's been an up and down season for Atlanta. They should beat Tampa today and be able to build on the momentum of winning their last three games for next season. Score: Atlanta, 27-12

Chicago Bears (6-9) at Detroit Lions (2-13), 1 p.m., Sunday

Dan: There are no winners in this game, on the field or on the scoreboard. Score: Tie, 6-6

Alex: BEARS AND LIONS!!!! OLD SCHOOL FOOTBALL!!! Yeah, fuck this game. And put Lovie Smith out of his fucking misery already. I know they went to a super bowl and did manage to beat the Vikings last week but god damn 7-9? Score: Chicago 27-14

Bryan: I'm kind of mad at myself because I missed the Monday Night game last week, which I heard was off the charts good. Where did that performance come from? Had that Cutler shown up for their first 14 games, Chicago would be in a much better place. More momentum for the offseason. Score: Chicago, 38-17

Philadelphia Eagles (11-4) at Dallas Cowboys (10-5), 4:15 p.m., Sunday

Dan: This game should've been flexed to tonight. But no, the NFL thinks we want to see the Bengals of all teams play in prime time. McNabb goes off again. Score: Philadelphia, 35-17

Alex: Gear up Eagles fans. You are about to come out of nowhere and steal the bye week away from the Vikings before starting your run through a watered down NFC. Good luck in the super bowl McNabb, you over rated prick. Score: Philadelphia 24-20

Bryan: Philadelphia is fighting Minnesota for a first round bye. Dallas on the other hand, has their wildcard spot secured, just not sure if they'll be the number five or six seed. I think the Eagles come out a little hungrier for this game and snatch a win. Score: Philadelphia, 26-23

Kansas City Chiefs (3-12) at Denver Broncos (8-7), 4:15 p.m., Sunday

Dan: People will remember this season as some sort of epic collapse for the Broncos when really they should remember as a team that won three times as many games as it should have. Laugh at McDaniels all you want, people, but he's going to be one hell of a good coach. Score: Denver, 20-16

Alex: How the fuck did the Broncos go 6-0 and not control there own destiny at this point in the season? Good, I don't want to see Josh McDaniels smiling face on my TV set anyway. Not next year either, Broncos. And thanks for nothing this year KC, you worthless turds. Score: Denver, 31-10

Bryan: I'm pretty stoked Josh McDaniels' team went down the tubes. Who remembers him screaming and fist-pumping to his fans after they beat New England to improve to 5-0. Yeah, awesome job. Score: Denver, 20-14

Baltimore Ravens (8-7) at Oakland Raiders (5-10), 4:15 p.m., Sunday

Dan: I really think the Raiders have a great chance at winning this game. I don't know what the spread is and I don't care, the Ravens won't cover. Score: Baltimore, 21-20

Alex: As a big believer in the West Coast curse, I think the Raiders will do ok for about 7 minutes of this game. But Charlie Frye isn't beating the Ravens D. Score: Baltimore 28-7

Bryan: Sorry Steeler fans. Charlie Frye isn't going to carry the Raiders to victory over a Baltimore team that knows they must beat THE OAKLAND RAIDERS to make the playoffs. Score: Baltimore, 31-9

Tennessee Titans (7-8) at Seattle Seahawks (5-10), 4:15 p.m., Sunday

Dan: I'd have to be an idiot to pick the Seahawks. Score: Tennessee, 24-17

Alex: Christ, week 17 is bullshit. I used to think Seattle was ok at home until I actually watched a whole Seahawks game. Titans win but somebody stop Chris Johnson. I don't want this speedy little fuck to break records. Score: Tennessee 28-3

Bryan: Too many shades of blue on the field for me. Score: Tennessee, 31-21

Washington Redskins (4-11) at San Diego Chargers (12-3), 4:15 p.m., Sunday

Dan: The Redskins are so ready for the offseason they'll play with their plane tickets stuffed in their game socks. Score: San Diego, 28-9

Alex: San Diego's backups will still run roughshed all over these pussies. Score: San Diego, 24-14

Bryan: These are the type of trap games you worry about since players may be resting. Oh wait, its the Redskins. Score: San Diego, 28-0

Green Bay Packers (10-5) at Arizona Cardinals (10-5), 4:15 p.m., Sunday

Dan: Hell, this game could've been flexed in too! All you conspiracy theorists out there who think the NFL always does everything it can to push the Steelers into the playoffs oughtta look at the way they've been fucked by Bill Polian in week 16 and the flex scheduling this week. Score: Green Bay, 28-24

Alex: Since this game is probably going to be played next week too, don't look for either team to try too hard. I guess it comes down to Matt Lienert vs Whatever dickhead is backing up Rodgers. Go with the home team in these ones. Score: Arizona 17-13

Bryan: If Green Bay had beaten Favre this year, they would have a chance to win this division tonight. Sadly they lost twice to the selfish prick and can do no better than the wild card birth they have. I hope they meet in the playoffs, because Green Bay would win. Also, these two teams could meet again next week if things shake out right. Score: Arizona, 23-21

Cincinnati Bengals (10-5) at New York Jets (8-7), 8:20 p.m., Sunday

Dan: I'm just glad I'll be drunk during this game. Fuck you, Cincy. On the bright side, if the Ravens and Jets get in then I will have correctly predicted every single playoff team except the Steelers/Bengals swap that will take place. Blow me, world. Score: Cincinnati, 21-17

Alex: Well, it all comes down to this for the Steelers. Will there Rivals help them out? Not in this fucking life. Strap yourself in Joe Yinzer and count down the days until the Home Opener cause it is all over for now. Score: New York Jets 20-10

Bryan: And here we are. If the early games shake out like I think they will, all the Steelers would need is a Cincinnati win to qualify for the post season. Do I think the Steelers deserve a playoff appearence this year? Certainly not. That's why when New York wins this game, I won't be all that heartbroken. Score: New York Jets, 23-10

Pigskin Pigout VII

Before we begin, i first want to say that I hope each and every one of our readers had a great holiday season (and hopefully nothing resembling the above festive...whatever it is for dinner) and for being patient with us through ours. A lot has happened in the world of sports since our last real post, but we have families and friends too and it was nice to get a week off. Nevertheless, we are eager to get right back into it and we hope you are too.

This edition of Pigskin Pigout will focus solely on the NFL, as we have a special year-end Pitt Panthers post planned for later in the week. The season is all but wrapped up and next week we would like to focus on the playoffs more than wrapping up the regular season, so open a cold one and pour out some pork rinds while you enjoy your semi-weekly serving of NFL truth.

-Despite Sunday's nail-biting win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers may have found themselves in a too-little too-late modus operandi. While it may be easy to blame the Colts for laying down with a small lead and throwing away their game by benching their starters midway through against the Jets on Sunday, the truth is the Steelers put themselves in this situation by losing to Oakland, Kansas City, and Cleveland. Heck, they could've even had the Chicago and one of the Cincy games go their way too if they had played tougher football.

The cold hard fact is that these Steelers do not deserve the playoffs and the type of redemption a deep run could bring. I don't wanna hear anything about a Super Bowl hangover either. This team buried itself and is extremely lucky to even be in the situation that they're in. That being said, they do deserve credit for coming up with hard-fought victories against the Packers and Ravens when it would have been easy to quit after falling to the Browns, 13-6, in one of the ugliest games these eyes have ever seen.

The Steelers with a win against Miami will have their fate decided by other teams next week. But don't forget it was probably sealed by nobody except themselves.

-After the game Sunday, I strolled over to the Baltimore Sun's web site and read some published comments from Baltimore fans, and to no one's surprise many of them accuse the officials of serving up some home cooking in honor of the Steelers. It's one of the best parts of being a Steelers fan. Trust me, these comments are tremendous. Here are some of my favorites:

"the most disgusting thing is that to everyone in baltimore, this is the super bowl. i hate the steelers and i cannot stand losing to them. In my opinion, slapping hands and smiling after dropped balls is completely unacceptable. This is not a joke. This is Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh and these selfish idiots are embarassing this city and the proud name of this team."-Ravenenthusiast

"A painful and EXTREMELY EMBARRASING loss, especially after such a great 3rd quarter. Let's call a spade a spade. Our team (The Ravens) quite apparently doesn't know how to be mentally tough against good teams. PERIOD."-Skyjamma

"cut walker and the whole coaching staff."-BarryCG (LOL!)

ACCUSATIONS AHEAD!

"You guys talking trash about our Ravens should go find another team. We got screwed, once again, on ticky-tack garbage calls that you know would have never been called again the NFL darling steelers."-GregBoyer69

"The NFL has gotten so predictable in its game fixing. You had to figure this one would be decided by the crooked refs in the Steeler's favor. Bingo!"-Wag33

"No heart, No composure and No Brains....Just a dumb team.....that being said, the NFL wants the Steelers in the playoffs so bad they will stop at nothing to get them the necessary victories..."-warpig66
And finally, my favorite:

"Steelers - A bad team the NFL is trying to keep in the hunt. However, smart enough not to get called for dumb mistakes.

NFL (and its Refs) - The integrity of the game is on the line and the NBA's Donahue ref has more integrity. A repeat from above:
1. "Touchdown, Ravens!!!......wait, wait, hold everything. There's a flag. This one's coming back."
2. "Touchdown, Ravens!!!......wait--there's a flag. That was thrown very late. Holding on the Ravens."
3. "Incomplete to Heap in the end zone. Wow, he was being impeded with an arm bar. That could have been called. That SHOULD have been called! The Ravens will have to settle for a field goal."
4. "Interception by Zbikowski, who runs it back into Steeler territory where the Ravens will set up with over a minute and a half. Wait, wait. There's a flag that will negate everything. First down, Steelers!"

I'm no Walker fan, but, that call on him was bogus."-SmogMouth.

Keep in mind that this call was the visual definition of illegal contact. Anyways, nice job, Ravens fans. You guys know your stuff.

-Speaking of Super Bowl hangovers, it is a ridiculous notion in and of itself and nothing more than a convenient proof-less way for talk radio and print fodder to get discussion going. It's not like the players think to themselves "hey, I don't have to run this route as hard, hit this hole as hard, hang onto the ball that extra beat to try and make a play" and so on just because they won a recent title, because they wouldn't get to the word "don't" in their own heads before getting blasted by another player and going down with an injury. Plus, players (except the really stupid ones) know their time in this league is not long and that every game matters in determining how much money they can make in that time.

The truth is that things change from year to year for a variety of reasons no matter what happened the previous season, and they can be for better or for worse. What happened to the Steelers is what the NFL wants to happen to keep interest high and it is the way the rules, free agency, the draft and even scheduling are set up. Most Super Bowl teams decline the next year because of roster pilfering, coaching exits, key retirements or "over-the-hill" seasons (i.e. James Farrior this year), tougher schedules, lower draft picks, soaring costs to retain key players on new contracts, health, and a variety of other reasons. That's what happened to the Steelers. But it's not exclusive to Super Bowl teams. The same thing happened to the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants this year, and to a lesser extent the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens. Should we call their seasons Super Bowl hangover years too? Or should we just call it the NFL in today's world?

-The debate on whether or not to rest key players on a team that has everything statistically meaningful locked up is a hot topic every year, but it seems that way even more so this year. The Colts are getting tremendous heat for blowing a chance at an undefeated season by pulling their starters in the third quarter last week, and now they're stuck sitting those same players next week as well. The Bengals are locked into either the third or the fourth seed and do not play until Sunday Night when they possibly will have nothing statistical left to play for. The Patriots are also locked into the third or fourth seed. The Saints have locked in the #1 seed in the NFC, and the Vikings may even choose to rest Brett Favre with the possibility of locking up the #2 seed and two weeks off for their 90-year old quarterback if Tavaris Jackson can get a win next week in his stead.

I believe that unless the key player is injured, he should play. Today's NFL is run by rhythmic, timing-oriented offenses that require all players operating on the same page for the unit to play at it's full potential. Can the Colts, who were sloppy even with their starters in the game Sunday, afford the possible rust that could manifest by sitting their offensive starters next Sunday followed by a bye week? What about the Saints, who have regressed over the last few weeks and need to regain their rhythm? Same with the Bengals, who struggled with a bad Chiefs team last Sunday and are no sure bet to win their first playoff game as it is. I would sit Tom Brady, however, as he is legitimately banged up and does not have the luxury of a bye week. Brady also has proven that he can play at the top of his game after taking a week off. The rest have not.

-Congratulations are in order to the New York Giants. With their postseason hopes on the line, against a losing team and at home to that team in their final game ever played at the Meadowlands, the Giants laid down like a drunk chick on prom night and let Jonathan Stewart and the Carolina Panthers give them the business in record fashion. I'm serious. Stewart's 206 yards were not only the most in the Panthers' franchise history, they were the most ever by any running back against the Giants at the Meadowlands, beating Tony Dorsett's previous record of 183 yards set in 1980. Afterward, head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning went so far as to apologize to the fans. But leave it to a punter to put things best.

"We're all stunned and disappointed," the Giants' Jeff Feagles said on Monday. "It's very, very embarrassing. I feel sorry for what we put on the field yesterday, for the fans that have been here for a long, long time and more importantly for the owners of this team. For us to go out and do what we did yesterday is totally unacceptable, embarrassing, and we should all be very sad about it. I am."

Ain't football great?

-Finally, I'll leave you with two playoff teams that are not getting enough attention as legitimate Super Bowl threats that should be.

The first is the Philadelphia Eagles, who despite not being able to put anyone away just win close game after close game and are as explosive as any team in football. They are getting healthy, Andy Reid is coaching much better than he has in the past, and they are above average at the very least in all three phases of the game.

The second is the New England Patriots. In the AFC, the Colts are the favorites because Peyton Manning with home field throughout is the most dangerous advantage in football, and the Chargers are other people's favorites because they seem to be playing the best all-around football right now. Meanwhile, the Patriots have won exactly one road game if you take out the London victory, and it was week 1 in Buffalo. They can't stop anyone great on defense. And they've had locker room problems at various times throughout the year.

But they carry with them an uncertainty that truly makes any opponent nervous. At any time, they could open the playbook and hang up 450 passing yards on you. On any fourth down, they could go for it in a situation where conventional wisdom says punt but if they make it, you lose, and the worst thing is they are damn good at it. And pretty much in any ordinary situation, they could do the extraordinary. I'll say it right now that if they get to San Diego, they beat them on the west coast with Brady and Moss and not much else. Do not sleep on this team, which for the first time in the Brady era might not be getting enough respect.

NFL Picks 2009 - Week 16

After a disastrous week 15 by all parties involved, here's where we stand;

Dan: (155-69); Last Week (9-7)
Alex: (150-74); Last Week (7-9)
Bryan: (150-74); Last Week (7-9)

San Diego Chargers (11-3) at Tennessee Titans (7-7), 8:20 p.m., Friday

Dan: The Chargers are too hot for the Titans to seriously threaten in this one. They're more interested in getting Chris Johnson a record everyone fails to realize he has no shot at. Score: San Diego, 31-20

Alex: Gimme the Chargers. No analysis needed. Score: San Diego, 27-10

Bryan: San Diego clinches a first round bye with a win. I'll take em here. Score: San Diego, 37-23

Baltimore Ravens (8-6) at Steelers (7-7), 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: The Steelers are going all in with their passing offense in this one. I think it works and the Steelers make the last game very interesting. I see a shootout in this one. Score: Steelers, 34-31

Alex: Rivals. Hatred. Revenge. Bullshit. This will be billed as a "must see" but trust me this game will suck. I would normally go with the Ravens but I just don't see them sweeping the Steelers in any season. Score: Pittsburgh 21-20

Bryan: Baltimore has been hot as of late. I'm not really buying the late heroics the Steelers performed last week. The defense still can't close out a game. Today is the day this team is finally put out of it's misery that is the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season. Score: Baltimore, 27-21

Buffalo Bills (5-9) at Atlanta Falcons (7-7), 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: Buffalo is starting Brian Brohm. Atlanta is starting Matt Ryan. It's a quarterback league, folks. Score: Atlanta, 24-9

Alex: In one of the few meaningless games this week, look for absolutely nothing special to happen. Score: Atlanta, 27-17

Bryan: I don't like any Buffalo team, much less on the road. Score: Atlanta, 23-9

Kansas City Chiefs (3-11) at Cincinnati Bengals (9-5), 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: Cincinnati will choke eventually, but not this week. If the Bengals were to lose this game, Marvin Lewis needs to lose his job tonight. Score: Cincinnati, 34-14

Alex: The difference between the Bengals and the Steelers this year? They win these games and wrap up the AFC North. Score: Cincinnati 31-14

Bryan: You know why the Bengals won't do squat in the playoffs? They've had so much time to absolutely run away with the division and have failed to do so. Of course, any team above average killed them and pissed on their carcass. Anyways, here's the gift Cincinnati has been waiting five weeks for. Score: Cincinnati, 30-14

Oakland Raiders (5-9) at Cleveland Browns (3-11), 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: The Browns are trying to build momentum for next year, and Al Davis is trying to build himself a new wheelchair out of the Legos he got for Christmas. I can't believe I'm saying this, but give me the Browns. Score: Cleveland, 24-17

Alex: The fact that this game is NOT going to decide who gets the number one pick in the draft is a testament to just how watered down the NFL has become. Score: Oakland 21-10

Bryan: Miraculously, these teams have been winning football games. I find myself trying to decide which team is going to fuck up less in order to win this football game. I'll go with the stronger defensive club who has a knack for winning close games. Score: Oakland, 21-20

Seattle Seahawks (5-9) at Green Bay Packers (9-5), 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: December in Green Bay against a historically awful Seahawks team on the road. You know the pick. Score: Green Bay, 23-7

Alex: The Packers are coming off a ball crushing loss to the Steelers but luckily for them, the NFC is pure dog shit and they can punch there ticket to the playoffs by beating a just flat out awful/stupid Seahawks team. Score: Green Bay 35-13

Bryan: We want the ball! We're gonna score! Score: Green Bay, 31-3

Houston Texans (7-7) at Miami Dolphins (7-7), 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: The loser is out of the playoffs in this one. Chad Henne has his coming-out party in this one. Score: Miami, 34-28

Alex: Game of the week in my eyes. A great match up with playoff implications. The Texans haveproven time and again that they simply do not have what it takes to win a big game. So sad, too bad Mr. Kubiack. Looks like you can apply to be on Mie Shanahans staff next year in Washington. Score: Miami 24-21

Bryan: I turned my back on Miami one time and now they've lost me twice in a row. Can't we restore those old feelings once shared? Score: Miami, 34-29

Jacksonville Jaguars (7-7) at New England Patriots (9-5), 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: Rain and cold in New England will make for a sloppy one. Jacksonville helps the Steelers out and crumbles under the pressure. Score: New England, 20-10

Alex: Jacksonville has been the "sexy" pick of "experts" for about 4 years now. When are you guys just going to give up on these assholes? Score: New England 24-13

Bryan: Jacksonville's hopes are destined to be destroyed after a Patriots beatdown. Score: New England, 21-10

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-12) at New Orleans Saints (13-1), 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: The Bucs are rumored to be the team that lands Bill Cowher next year. As for this game, they'll be lucky to go home with a pair of pants on against a pissed off Saints team. Score: New Orleans, 35-13

Alex: Wow, so the Saints are NOT for real. Tampa Bay is NOT a good team. This will be closer then it should be. Especially if the Saints think they are a Super Bowl team. Score: New Orleans 30-20

Bryan: Typical New Orleans football game. Going into week 16, the Saints opponents for 2009 are a combined 92-132. See you on the golf course during the Super Bowl. Score: New Orleans, 42-7

Carolina Panthers (6-8) at New York Giants (8-6), 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: The Panthers are surprisingly schizo for a team with such an awful offense. But the Giants are too seasoned to look past them in this one. Score: New York Giants, 28-14

Alex: Williams and Delhomme out. Panthers=fucked. So do the Giants though because no matter what they do, they are going to miss the postseason. Thank God. I'm getting sick of seeing these lame duck fucks on my TV. Score: New York Giants 31-14

Bryan: I remember when Carolina came into New York for Eli's first playoff game a few years back and bitchslapped him during a 23-0 thrashing. Not sure how that relates to this game, at all...Score: New York G, 31-21

St. Louis Rams (1-13) at Arizona Cardinals (9-5), 1:00 p.m., Sunday

Dan: Arizona just needs for the plane to land safely to get a win here. Score: Arizona, 41-3

Alex: The NFL should seriously just get rid of the Rams franchise. Score: Arizona 35-6

Bryan: ZZZzzz....Score: Arizona, 38-17

Detroit Lions (2-12) at San Francisco (6-8), 4:05 p.m., Sunday

Dan: Can we contract 5 teams already and get these bullshit late season snooze-fests off the schedule? Score: San Francisco, 27-17

Alex: 49ers are building momentum going into the offseason. Yeah, whatever the fuck that means. Detroit is Detroit. Too bad.I really want to see the Lions turn it around but seriously it has only been a two game turnaround from last year. Pathetic. Score: San Francisco 31-17

Bryan: If San Fran can win these last two games and finish 8-8, you can chalk up the 2009 season as a success for the 49ers. Score: San Francisco, 28-13

New York Jets (7-7) at Indianapolis Colts (14-0), 4:15 p.m., Sunday

Dan: The Jets haven't given up more than 20 points in something like five straight games. The problem is they can't score that many either. Score: Indianapolis, 27-13

Alex: I want the Colts to go undefeated just so that fanboys across the country can start hating them like they were the 07 Patriots. Jets look like shit and have no business being in the playoff discussion. Score: Indianapolis 28-10

Bryan: Indy may be resting players in the second half which entices me to perhaps venture a guess with New York, but with the playoffs looming and Dan up five games, now's not the time. I'll let him blow the lead. Score: Indianapolis, 27-10

Denver Broncos (8-6) at Philadelphia Eagles (10-4), 4:15 p.m., Sunday

Dan: The Broncos' offense has collapsed of late while the Eagles' has exploded like Peter North on a hot blonde. Philadelphia is gearing up to be a serious party-crasher in the NFC playoffs this year. Score: Philadelphia, 31-17

Alex: This could be a good game but it won't be. The Eagles don't botr running the ball anyway so you can forget about the Denver defense being a factor. Kyle Orton will shit his pants in the face of the zone blitz and the Broncos can continue there slide after starting 6-0. Score: Philadelphia 28-16

Bryan: Looks like the Eagles will have a chance to help the Steelers out with a big win here. Wasn't Denver 6-0? Score: Philadelphia, 27-21

Dallas Cowboys (9-5) at Washington Redskins (4-10), 8:20 p.m., Sunday

Dan: Birdwatching. Putting my pennies into rolls by hand. Huffing paint thinner. Sitting on hold with Comcast customer service. These are just a few of the thousands of things I'd rather do than watch the Washington Redskins play football. Score: Dallas, 24-14

Alex: God damn it Cowboys. I don't even like you and yet I want you to go to the playoffs just so I can stop hearing about you fukers. And why is Wade Phillips on the hot seat? His team is 9-5 for fuck's sake! Get expectations down NFL. Score: Dallas 27-13

Bryan: After the Redskins performance and play calling last Monday night, I find it hard to believe the NFL is happy to have them here on Sunday Night. So lets be honest, it's just a blatant attempt to shove more Dallas Cowboys down our throats. Score: Dallas, 35-13

Minnesota Vikings (11-3) at Chicago Bears (5-9), 8:30 p.m., Monday

Dan: I couldn't confidently pick Cutler and the Bears to beat anyone at this point. I certainly am not picking them to beat the team I picked to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. What a Monday Night finale we got this year. Christ. Score: Minnesota, 27-7

Alex: Nothing makes me happier then seeing a MNF game with two of the most over rated assholes starting at QB. Fuck both of these teams and cities. Score: Minnesota 24-10

Bryan: As if Jay Cutler didn't have to blow one more prime time game. Score: Minnesota, 31-13