Steelers - 14 / BROWNS - 20 - QUICK HITTERS

Antonio Brown's Return will be HUGE...
Will the Steelers See Some More Magic from #84?

Time for another week of quick hitters...my reactions to the most recent Steelers game.  You thought last week's loss to the Ravens was long?  This one might rival that in amount of venom spewed, and length of rants.  Read on if you dare...

- Is this High School Football? - I know that Mike Tomlin likes to run a tight ship, but there is a thin line between tough and stupid.  I realize that he likes to "send a message" to RBs who fumble, but what good is it doing if your RBs on the field can't produce?  The greatest RBs of all time fumbled at least once in their career...and I doubt you would yank that player for the remainder of the game.  This method seems very "High School-ish" to me, and one that I don't think gives your team the best chance to win.  I'm all about discipline, but you have to try to win the game at the same time.

- Speaking of HS Football, That Offense Looked Familiar - Todd Haley has to be out of his mind.  The Browns knew that with Charlie Batch at QB the Steelers were going to come in and try to run the ball.  Heck, even I wrote that in my preview of the game.  Haley didn't care and stuck with his game plan until the end of the first quarter when Batch led the Steelers 84 yards...by THROWING the ball.  Obviously, throwing on every down didn't help the Steelers win as they not only lost the game, but had 3 INTs.  Haley's game plan hasn't seemed right since the Kasas City Chiefs game...in my opinion.  The Steelers talked about "simplifying" things...but maybe its time to adopt some new plays...the opponents are on to your "bread and butter" plays.

- NFL Should Fine Officials For That Mess - You hear every week about the NFL fining players for illegal hits, using curse words towards officials, or for using performance enhancing drugs.  What you DON'T hear is them ever fining officiating crews for horrible games / calls.  I know people always say you could call holding on every play...well this crew felt that it was going to prove that point.  The amount of calls and the lack of good ones left me feeling like the real game didn't play out...not just in the Steelers favor but also the Browns.  Both teams had significant plays called back due to jagoff penalties.  None were bigger than the officials botching the Trent Richardson fumble that could have turned the tide instead of letting the Browns kill the clock.  A joke is a good way to describe the officiating on Sunday in Cleveland.

- Mike Wallace...Thanks for Coming - There hasn't been a player since Plaxico Burress that has bothered me as much as Mike Wallace.  He just doesn't seem to care, and he doesn't seem to try.  How many times is he going to simply cut off his route just because he feels the pass isn't right where he thought it would be?  How many times is he going to come back to the huddle with his hands in the air?  Those things speak volumes about him when things aren't going as planned.  He acts like a baby.  In my humble opinion, this is Wallace's last year with the Steelers, and just like when Plaxico left (before returning), the Steelers will do just fine without him.

- Antonio Brown's Return Almost as Important as Big Ben - Everyone keeps talking about Big Ben's return (including me), but I'm not sure he is the biggest reason that the Steelers have lost the last 2 games.  Granted, he would be a HUGE difference in the last two games, but the biggest person missing is Antonio Brown.  Brown has become the team's #1 receiver and that is something the team misses desperately.  Without Brown, the defense hasn't had to roll coverage to one side or the other.  Mike Wallace isn't as feared as he once was, and the WR on the opposite side isn't drawing the attention that Brown does.  Sanders has played well, but he is better from the slot at this point in his career.  If Antonio Brown can play vs the Raves it will go a long way towards them having the chance to win in Baltimore.

- Defense Doing It's Job...Offense NOT - I tweeted after the game that if I were a defensive player on the Steelers team, I'd give the offense a piece of my mind.  The Steelers defense has been nothing short of phenomenal the past 5 games, and the offense has done NOTHING to help seal the deal.  Unlike the first quarter of the season, it isn't the defense that is letting the team down, its the offense that can't get the job done now.

- Can the Injury Bug Bite Another Team in the NFL...FOR ONCE! - I am not alone, but I must agree that I am sick and tired of the injury bug hitting the Steelers.  Right when you think the team is starting to get on the "mend", Mike Adams and Lamarr Woodley go down with ankle injuries.  As Troy Polamalu, Antonio Brown, Marcus Gilbert, and Ben Roethlisberger near their return, it always seems like another wave of injured players is waiting to wash ashore (Byron Leftwich, Jerricho Cotchery, and now Adams and Woodley).  Can the injury bug please go somewhere else...say Cincinnati, Baltimore, or Indianapolis?

- Rush Big Ben Back? You Have To... - During my post-game tweets where I was venting about the loss, I said that a 70% Ben is better than any other QB we have on the roster at 100%.  I still agree with that statement, and unless a doctor says that Ben playing could be season ending, or life threatening, I think he has to play on Sunday vs the Ravens.  The Steelers would struggle tremendously without Ben in the lineup...especially with Mike Adams likely out and Marcus Gilbert not ready to return to the team...

- Penalties and Turnovers...Its Over With - I don't dwell too long on turnovers or penalties.  They tend to come and go throughout the season for most teams.  Look at the Atlanta Falcons and their 6 turnover game a week ago...except they still won the football game.  Nonetheless, turnovers and penalties can kill a team, but I don't think the Steelers should dwell on either of these issues after the Browns game.  In fact, it reminded me of a quote from one of my favorite movies "Major League" when Willie Mays Hayes makes a basket catch in their first game and upon returning to the dugout the manager says "Nice catch Hayes...don't ever F---ing do it again..." - The same applies for the fumbles and penalties of the Steelers...don't ever do it again.

- No Team You'd Rather Get Geared Up For Than Baltimore - After such a disappointing loss, some teams have a tendency to really become lackadaisical in their approach of the next game.  This might be the ONLY positive about playing the Ravens next week.  The Steelers always get up for this game, and if Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and Troy Polamalu are able to play it will only enhance their intensity level, and hopefully win the game that everyone is deeming a loss already on Monday.  I, for one, am NOT giving up hope on this team just yet...