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| Mr. Manning, We'd Like to Introduce You To Mr. Timmons. Now, Be Nice Lawrence! |
- Big Plays - The Steelers haven't had many of these on offense, defense, or special teams. That all changed last night (for at least one game). The offense looked dull and tired, and then Mike Wallace catches a hot route across the middle. While watching the game with my brother all we said was "Just get the first down"...then it turned to "holy SH!T he could go all the way"...then just crazy screaming and jumping. On top of Wallace's catch and run were a couple sacks and an INT by a defense that has struggled in both categories this year. Sprinkle a little special teams magic on top of those and you have yourselves a great game! Hopefully the big plays stay with the Black n' Gold and don't become extinct.
- Defense Is Back - I doubt I was the only member of SteelerNation that saw the Steelers' #2 ranked defense and said "REALLY?!". Nonetheless, they are slowly becoming that defense in front of our very eyes. Sure, they don't sack the QB as much, and they don't cause a crazy amount of turnovers, but what they do is win. They are doing it with solid, fundamental defense. Something this team has missed the last few years. Without the turnovers and sacks this defense could still be lethal...although it was nice to see Mr. Timmons and Woodley personally introduce themselves to Eli yesterday!
- Its the OLine, Not the RB - When Jonathan Dwyer became the starter against the Bengals and did his best "Baby Bus" on the Bungles, everyone said he as the man and that Redman is going to be the one without a "hat" when all are healthy. Those continued as "Baby Bus" ran all over the Redskins, but what SteelerNation needs to remember is that it is the offensive line that is actually doing the work. Sure, the RBs need to hit the hole and not dance around like Hines Ward on Dancing With The Stars, but the OLine is clicking like I've never seen a unit click midseason. This unit has been TRASHED up and down I-279 even when the Steelers won Superbowl 43, but for once, the line has something to say back: "Shut the hell up!" I'm happy for the big boys in the trenches...they deserve a pat on the back once in a while.
- The Message Has Been Delivered - That message is that the Steelers are legitimate contenders if they play the way they've been playing. Collin Cowherd (ESPN Radio Host) is a HUGE Steelers supporter this year. He said after the Bengals win "Watch the Steelers rattle off a 6-2 or 7-1 their next 8 games..." Damned if he wasn't on to something. The Message wasn't just sent to the New York Giants. No, it was sent via UPS to the following locations: NFL Front Offices, Houston, Baltimore, Foxborough, and even to Green Bay (just because I still am not over the fact they beat the Steelers in Superbowl 45). Those teams and anyone else watching...hope you got the message. I have a feeling the Steelers are here to stay.
- Special Teams - The Steelers Special Teams units have been bashed just a little less than the offensive line this year, but the special teams sure have made some improvements. The return game has been a huge bright spot for the Steelers. Chris Rainey has had some HUGE run backs in the last 3 games, and against the Giants there weren't any penalties to bring them back. Throw in Emmanuel Sanders who almost took one to the house before he ran out of steam and got tackled by the punter. The Steelers offense didn't cash in on any of these returns, but I'm sure that won't happen every year if they keep getting set up with outstanding field position.
- I'm NOT Going to Play Monday Morning QB - I'm sure across the USA (or SteelerNation as it can also be named) there are fans that are finding one another and saying "What the hell was Tomlin thinking by trying that fake FG?!!?" I said the same thing last night, but as my brother and I talked I realized that if it works its a fantastic call...and it didn't work. As a coach you have to make some huge decisions, and sometimes they don't work...this one didn't work. Luckily for Tomlin the Steelers' defense stepped up huge and gave the ball back to the offense with great field position and they turned that field position into the go-ahead TD.
- Passing Game Hit and Miss - The Steelers vaunted passing attack looked stale and stagnant from time to time, but the one thing I loved about this unit was that they made plays when they had to. Whether it was hitting Emmanuel Sanders for 16 to nearly ice the game, or Jerricho Cotchery for a big first down, or the jump starter with a 50+ yd catch and run by Mike Wallace. This wasn't the typical Steelers passing attack, but alot of the was because of the Giants defense. Make the plays necessary to win...thats what the passing game did, and the Steelers won. Enough said.
- GAME BALL - Isaac Redman
After the game I posted the question on Twitter "Who gets the game ball?" Some said Emmanuel Sanders with his TD, big punt return, and the clutch catches. Some said the offensive line because of their dominant peformance, and some said the defense (someone said Keenan Lewis. I will give Lewis credit he has played well but not game ball worthy YET), but to me this game came down to Isaac Redman. He played on 2 banged up ankles and was still able to rush for 140+ yds with a TD. Alot of his runs weren't HUGE holes, but cut back moves that created space. He looked like a tilt-o-whirl (anyone else remember that carnival ride growing up?!) spinning to get that extra yard. Isaac Redman redeemed himself among Steeler Fans yesterday. Count me on that list...thats why he gets the game ball!
Who would you give the game ball to? Leave your choice, and why in the comment section below the post. Just click on "Comment" and follow the easy steps. Lets make this thing interactive!
My game ball goes w/out a doubt to Redman. I agree that the O line did a great job opening some lanes for him, but he got a lot of those 140+ on great cut backs, and YAC. He is a tough runner to bring down and squeezes out every yard he can. Way to go Steelers!
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