The Steelers face the Lions today in what should have been a meaningless game beforte the playoffs. Due to injuries and some mental mistakes, however, the game is a must-win. Beat the Lions, and you get the Wild Card. Lose, and you are out of the play-offs.
I don’t mean to sound pessimistic, as I am not, considering I thought the Steelers had played themselves out of the playoffs last month with their loss to the Bengals. I am actually pretty excited we are still in it. Further, I like the fact that we have to beat the Lions, who are a really lousy team. If we can’t beat them, at home, in January (Lions are a dome team), I don’t want to go to the playoffs. Additionally, I like it when a team controls their own destiny- I hate having to spend the day seeing what other teams re doing and whether or not they are going to ‘help’ us get into the playoffs. It is all on us.
At any rate, GO STEELERS! Let’s start the New Year right!
*** Update ***
Steelers win and advance to the playoffs, although it was interesting for the first half. The gutless Bengals went into KC and intentionally lost, no doubt hoping to screw the Steelers out of a playoff spot. A big middle finger to them for that crap.
I am not emotionally prepared for the Bus to retire, and hope he comes back for another season.
demimondian
Yeah, go Steelers. Me, I’m stuck watching the Seahawks play a meaningless game, since they won’t be playing next week anyway.
Well, maybe Shaun Alexander will get the season record for touchdowns. That’d be kind of cool
SoCalJustice
If the black and gold can’t beat Matt Millen’s Lions, at home, in January, with the playoffs on the line … (I don’t want to think about it).
Off to the bar to watch… Go Steelers!
And Happy New Year to John, Tim F., and everyone else here. Keep up the great work/conversations.
Cheers
Gold Star for Robot Boy
Only if the Chiefs win, too.
Geek, Esq.
Who’d you rather face, Bengalis or the Pats?
demimondian
This year? The Pats.
John Cole
No way- Bengals. Pats know how to win in the playoffs.
Gold Star for Robot Boy
Bengals, because they haven’t been to the postseason in a long while. Teams on the rise usually get a bloody nose in their first playoff appearances. The next year, then they know how to win a playoff game.
(I have no proof for this, but it sounds good.)
Bob In Pacifica
Well, we were all excited out here about the (Reggie) Bush Bowl today, but after beating the Rams last week we probably wouldn’t get him if we lost.
If this morning is any indication, it will be so windy this afternoon at Candlestick that no one will be able to pass or kick.
demimondian
This year, they’ve got a mediocre QB, and they’ve got a weak running attack. Cinci has a comparable QB, but their running attack is twice as effective. Their defenses are roughly comparable, except that Cinci’s got three times as many interceptions this year as NE.
That last is important, since Roethlisberger has thrown quite a few INTs this year.
I think Pittsburgh wants to face the Pats.
Gold Star for Robot Boy
I think the Pats have Pittsburgh’s number – and the Steelers know it.
Geek, Esq.
The Bengals appear ripe for a first-round dumping.
I think Indianapolis really, really, really wants New England to get that #3 seed–that way they’d have to play either New England or Denver, but not both.
CheifsFan
Christ, why can’t the Lions pull out just one last win?
John Cole
Hey CheifsFan– The team you root for is the C-H-I-E-F-S.
ChefsFan
Fixed it.
The Disenfranchised Voter
Am I the only one who thought this comment was pretty funny?
Emotionally prepared? WTF? Hahaha, didn’t know you guys had such a close relationship.
The Disenfranchised Voter
Dunno how much of a difference this makes–if any–but I thought you said you were emotionally prepared.
gogozilla
That last is important, since Roethlisberger has thrown quite a few INTs this year.
No he hasn’t. He finished with 9.
Shalimar
The Bengals intentionally lost to screw the Steelers? Are you serious? I’m guessing no team in the history of sports has ever intentionally lost 37-3. The Cincinnati defense was horrible, and Marvin Lewis looked like he was on the verge of either a nervous breakdown or a killing spree.
Joey
Oh man. You CAN’T get emotionally prepared for the retirement of a favorite player. I had a year to get ready for Reggie Miller’s retirement. And I still cried, lol. Not only at the end of his last game, but at the end of his last home regular season game too, when he gave that speech. I know it’s stupid, but when you watch a player for an extended period of time, or in my case, my entire life, you feel close to them. Silly, isn’t it? I still feel strange watching the Pacers without number 31 being there….
P.B. Almeida
Pats fans got exactly what they wanted today, by the way:
a) No major injuries.
b) No need to face Pittsburgh in the first round (I know what they say about “be careful what you wish for” and I have no illusions about the Patriots having wonderful odds of winning another Superbowl, but I can guarantee you nobody around these parts wants to see the Steelers anytimes soon).
c) A large degree of satifying “moral victory” depsite the “L” on the record (Miami barely got by our reserves; had the Pats successfully converted at the end of regulation, they would have forced the game into overtime).
d) A feel-good, Doug Flutie highlight for the ages.
Vlad
I’m OK with Bettis retiring, if he decides to go. It’s nice to see a guy get out of the business while he’s still able to walk on his original set of knees.
Gold Star for Robot Boy
I seriously doubt this was the case. But if you insist, consider next Sunday’s game – Steelers at Bengals – an opportunity for Pittsburgh to get some payback.
The Disenfranchised Voter
Yes, to me, it is. However, I’m not gonna knock ya, I’m sure I have my own fair share of silliness.
I mean I know people really get into sports but, to be honest, I really didn’t think that got that into sports. Heh.
J. Michael Neal
I do that with some college players, and they aren’t ever around for more than five years. They may move on, but it isn’t the same. Of course, I’m as likely to miss the fourth line winger who has eight career goals as the Hobey Baker finalist. I miss Jon Waibel. I miss John Brill, and he left fifteen years ago.
Of course, there was the thrill of watching Johnny Pohl score his first career goal for the Leafs a couple of nights ago.
Doug
So, the seeding is:
#1 Colts
#2 Broncos
#3 Bengals
#4 Patriots
#5 Jaguars
#6 Steelers
Week 1: The Bengals will play the Steelers and the Patriots will play the Jaguars.
Week 2: The Colts will play the lowest remaining seed of the Patriots, Jaguars, or Steelers. The Broncos will play the highest remaining seed of the Bengals, Patriots, or Jaguars.
Otto Man
Yeah, that didn’t happen. I don’t care what Pittsburgh talk radio is implying. Marvin Lewis looked like he was going to have an aneuyrism on the sidelines.
As a Chiefs fan — not the spelling — I hate that your boys won the last spot. You made Dick Vermeil cry! Of course, everything makes Dick Vermeil cry, so no worries.
Otto Man
I can’t believe I misspelled “note the spelling.” Ugh.