GOOD
Believe it or not, Mrs. Black-N-Gold saw ALOT of good in this game. First of all, QB Ben Roethlisberger returned to action. Sure everyone is complaining about the 3 interceptions Ben threw and rightfully so. But remember, this is the same group that's been screaming for Ben's return ever since he was injured. You can't have it both ways, so there. Secondly, Ben's return to the field coincided with the re-emergence of TE Heath Miller. During Ben's injury, plus the injury to LT Kelvin Beachum, Heath had been asked to stay home and help block, keeping a vital cog in the offense under wraps for several weeks. All that changed yesterday. #83 caught 10 passes for 105 yards. It's a shame Heath had a holding penalty called on him early in the 4th quarter. But believe Mrs. Black-N-Gold, he wasn't the only one that was flagged in this game. More on that, later. Another good thing about this game was the defense. The D played simply ferocious at times. They held one of the best scoring offenses in the league to just 16 points. They blocked a field goal attempt (really, Cam IS the MAN!). The had 2 interceptions. They recorded 3 sacks, 7 tackles for loss and 7 QB hits. Mrs. Black-N-Gold knows what you're thinking already. The defense didn't hold when they needed to the most. She gets that and it's true. But come on, man! No one expected this defense to be THAT good this season. They really have performed beyond expectations. There's got to be some kind of silver lining in this cloud for crying out loud.
BAD
Now that Mrs. Black-N-Gold has gone all sunshine and flowers on you with the Good, it's time to get down on the bad. How about 10 penalties for 91 yards worth of bad? Or maybe, just 3 for 11 on 3rd downs. Yes, CB Antwon Blake had an interception and led the team in tackles this week with 8 but jeez, Louise, the guy gets burned more than Mrs. Black-N-Gold's Sunday morning toast. Is it worth it to keep starting him when teams will continue to expose Blake for the mediocre CB that he is? Speaking of bad, RB Dri Archer is back in Mrs. Black-N-Gold's doghouse. 2 ill-advised returns cost the Steelers valuable field position. While we're on that topic, the special teams gave up numerous big returns today that also set the Steelers up for failure. Oh, and you want to talk failure? Then please explain to me why Coach Tomlin would let the clock run down to the 2 minute warning when they were down 13-10 and had 3 timeouts remaining. Really? Sometimes it seems like this team takes 1 step forward, 2 steps back.
UGLY
Mrs. Black-N-Gold was saving the worst for last. RB Le'Veon Bell leaving the game with an injured right knee in the 2nd quarter was devastating. Like when Ben injured his knee earlier this season, if he's out for an extended period of time, things could get ugly. At least there is a worthy backup waiting in the wings this time with RB DeAngelo Williams. Still, it's never a pretty sight seeing your workhorse running back go down with a knee. This morning, brings word that Bell is out for the year with a torn MCL. The team is expected to bring in former Rams RB Isaiah Pead for a tryout. Get well, Bell!
Let's have a look at the AFC North now. The win keeps the Bengals on top at 7-0. The Steelers fall to .500 with a 4-4 mark. The Clowns lost and the Baltimorons won so they're both now 2-6. In order to win the division the Steelers would have to win out, hope Cincy collapses and still get some help. Realistically, the Steelers are now in a dogfight for 1 of 2 wild card spots in the AFC. Another team fighting for a wild card is the Oakland Raiders. They visit Heinz Field next week when the Steelers look to avoid a 3-game losing streak. Get healthy and get back in the win column. Let's Go Steelers!!!!!!
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