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Natalie, Tudy and Blair Talk Football Article by McMillen & Wife My mom's birthday was this past Sunday, so as a man who has his priorities straight, I chose to forego the Steeler festivities and spend the day celebrating with family. I was aided in my decision when I nonchalantly mentioned to mom that the Steelers were going to be televised and it'd be a shame if I missed them. Mom's eyes narrowed, her lips tightened and she hissed under her breath, "I brought you into this world, boy, and I can take you out." 'Nuff said. I led the family in singing "Happy Birthday" shortly thereafter. In any case, I ended up watching the game tape of Pittsburgh's 20-3 win over Buffalo instead of the Niners-Jets game on Monday night. I came away from the game with mixed emotions... I was glad we won, but I didn't feel particularly satisfied by the win. So I'm channel surfing while the tape is rewinding and I happen to park the remote on a re-run of the '80's sitcom "The Facts of Life" on Nick at Night. As the show ended, I sat there numbly watching the credits roll and listening to that STUPID theme song and that's when it hit me... that song is about the 2001 Steelers! We all know the song.... "You take the good, you take the bad, you take 'em both and then you have the Facts of Life... the Facts of Life..." "You take the good..." Joey Porter, Kendrell Bell, Earl Holmes and Jason Gildon were utterly magnificent. You've got to be impressed with the speed Cowher has assembled on defense. I mean, these guys were everywhere. Porter was in Johnson's face every time he took a snap. And I was particularly impressed by the ever-present rookie Kendrell Bell, who led the team in tackles and was constantly around the ball. It warms my heart to finally see a high draft pick panning out. Bell's success also shows some front office savvy. As much as I hated to see Levon go, it has proven to be a sound decision by the Steelers. Kirkland's departure freed up a ton of cap money, and our linebacking corps looks better than it has in several years. On offense, Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and the offensive line all get high marks for their efforts. Ward's tremendous "team first" spirit is inspiring. Perhaps more than any other player on offense, Ward pours his heart and soul into every play. He blocks well. He runs good routes. He doesn't bitch. And best of all... he can actually catch the ball. I absolutely love the guy. Nine catches? Outstanding! There are those who will point to his meager yards-per-catch average, but you have to look at the kinds of passes the Steelers were calling. How many flanker screens did we run Sunday? I haven't seen that play run so frequently since the days of Bradshaw & Swann (for you young'uns, the flanker screen was a staple back then... you were guaranteed to see it at least a couple of times a game). I can't recall Stewart completing ANY passes more than 15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. If you're gonna blame low averages on anyone, point the finger at Stewart or Mularkey. But we'll discuss that later. As for Bettis, what can I say? He's still one of the best in the 'bidniss. Jerome had a few big-gainers against the Bills, but it was his consistent, bone-crunching 3-4 yard blasts that proved far more damaging. By the 4th quarter, I got a sense that the Buffalo defenders really didn't wanna accept Jerome's punnishment anymore... they started taking wide angles to avoid meeting him head-on. Consquently, the ground game became unstoppable. BTW, those of you who are inexplicably calling for Zeroue to replace Bettis as the starter, please shut your holes. I like Amos, too, and he's a wonderful change-up from Bettis, but he'd fare about as well as Eric Pegram did as a starter. And a huge thumbs up to the O-line this week. I launched a salvo of less-than-flattering comments at them following the Jags loss, but this week, they really put it all together. To allow Bettis the kind of running room he had in spite of absolutely NO support from the passing game was a magnificent feat indeed. "You take the bad..." Plaxico Burress... Kordell Stewart... Troy Edwards... better known as Pittsburgh's version of the Three Stooges. 125 yards in penalties is bad... 107 yards passing is worse. I spent much of the game shaking my head in disgust, my face buried in my hands from watching the antics fo these three clowns. Kordell short-hopped no fewer than three routine passes in the game. I'm not counting the countless passes that were Kordell's typical underthrows, either... I'm talking about the ones that were short by 5+ yards! It was pathetic. The Steelers rarely tested the Bills deep, but on the four occassions I can think of when they did, Stewart was nowhere near the intended receiver. Granted, Burress was interfered with on one of the plays, but he was wide open for a TD on another (not that he would've hung onto the ball anyway). Speaking of Burress, how in Heaven's name has he cracked the starting lineup? If he wasn't a #1 pick, his ass would be on the practice squad. Same with Edwards. How many times must I be forced to watch these two overpaid crybabies drop passes that leave imprints on their chests? Stick Bobby Shaw in there... at least I can remember him catching a TD once, even if it was the infamous "Superman" incident. The fact that Burress and Edwards continue to see so much playing time is a testament to our glaring lack of talent at WR. My stomach turns at the realization that we pissed away two #1 draft picks on these flops. They're a disgrace to names like Swann, Stallworth, Lipps... hell, they're a disgrace to the name Dwight Stone. Lord, give me patience... "You take 'em both and then you have..." So where does that leave the Steelers? Unfortuantely, we seem to be right where we were last year... a team with a number of shining beacons of excellence, but perhaps possessing a few too many Achilles' heels to take it to the next level. The road to the playoffs gets decidely tougher from here. Following the Cinci game next week at Heinz Field (at which Mac & Wife will be in attendance), the Steelers don't get any kind of reprieve in the schedule until December. The Chiefs are not a powerhouse, but I don't salivate at the thought of facing them on their own turf. We then play the Bucs, Ravens and Titans before heading to Cleveland to face a much-improved Browns team. The Jags, Titans, and Vikings follow before we get a slightly less threatening final batch of games (which still includes a trip to Baltimore). "The Facts of Life..." The bottom line? Kordell needs to work out his current mechanics and accuracy issues. If Stewart can get his play up to the level it was at the end of last season, the Steelers could still have an outside shot at the postseason. Otherwise, we may as well start talking draft. Tim McMillen Webmaster, McMillen & Wife
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I watched this game at the bar,needless to say,being in suckass Texas I was all alone watching it,no Steeler fans,no Bills fans,but I was loud enough for all of us!!!!When Washington grabbed that fumble and took off,I was screaming''tear your ass''and these snottyassed people watching the Colts got ''upset'' and left.Must have felt all saved and shit after going to church.O well,I couldn't have cared less,the Steelers were winning the world was happy once again!!!(At least my world!) GO STEELERS!! And even though I fully support Kordell, if he can't get his act together, we are in trouble. Kordell looked good in a couple pre-season games too along with Martin and Maddox, but prime time is just that, and I'm not quite sure they are ready for it. If I may use a model train-metaphor, it seems like the Steelers run an "HO-scale" passing scheme to everyone else's Lionel: smaller and many more derailments. As to Edwards and Ol' Plex, they'd be better off adhering to the old phrase: "The hen is the wisest of all farm animals, for she never cackles until AFTER the egg is laid." Too bad players aren't measured by the passion with which they play...Plex and Hines Ward would have to trade bodies. Kordell would be well advised to harken the words of every little league coach: "Don't aim it, THROW IT!!!!" BTW, don't you just love watching Tennessee crash n' burn with KNEEL O' D**KWEED at the helm? It's a revelation of the state of QB's in the NFL when you consider he and the BUBSTER still have jobs. Have a great day Time's up Korky, either play something you're good at or GO stink up someone else's offense. Take it like a man, you do NOT have the skills to be a quality QB! Great athlete, bad passer. The thing that still worries me the most is the offense. Bus had a good game and maybe even a great game considering what he did against the Jagwads. Kordell Stewart has to have a much better game than he did though. His completion percentage was good, but only 107 yards against the leagues worst pass defense. Plaxico Burress was going up against dbacks that were smaller than him and still, only 2 receptions. Overall it's great to get this first win, hopefully it will be the start of a streak. YOI! for the Steelers. <<< Back to Mac & Wife's
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 Weekly Picks by 'Da Lovely Wife |
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Steelers Bills |
17 7 |
20 3 |
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Packers Panthers |
28 10 |
28 7 |
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Colts Pats |
31 13 |
13 44 |
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Chiefs Redskins |
17 6 |
45 13 |
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Bucs Vikings |
17 10 |
16 20 |
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Dolphins Rams |
17 20 |
10 42 |
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Saints Giants |
13 17 |
13 21 |
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Falcons Cardinals |
21 7 |
34 14 |
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Ravens Broncos |
13 20 |
20 13 |
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Bungles Chargers |
17 20 |
14 28 |
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Browns Jagwads |
10 27 |
23 14 |
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Seahawks Raiders |
6 24 |
14 38 |
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Cryboys Eagles |
10 21 |
18 40 |
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49ers Jets |
24 20 |
19 17 |
| • Complete Schedule |
2000: 26-17 '00 total 119-63 '99 total 78-59 '98 total 117-69 |