Wow, Talk About A Long Three Weeks!

This has just been a painful three weeks. My psychiatrist says there aren't strong enough drugs on the market to deal with the psychological problems resulting from this losing streak. LOL, just kidding. I'm really not crazy enough to have to go to the head shrink over this...yet.

While I'm not pleased with where the Steelers are record-wise, I was not all that dissapointed with last Sundays game. At least not on the offensive side of the ball. I thought Dennis Dixon performed great. It was the defense that could not, once again, protect a fourth quarter lead. Very frustrating.

Dixon was better than I imagined. His run for the touchdown looked effortless. His run up the middle, the one called back for holding, scared the hell out of the Ravens. I think it made them change their defense, which was what hurt Dixon in the second half. If anything (Here comes the BA bashing) the Steelers O.C. failed to adjust the the Ravens defensive adjustments. Even Collinsworth was calling for a run or boot by Dixon. I was expecting it. Why in God's name wasn't it called. I mean look at the yards gained on Dixon's two runs!

While there is a lot said about how BA asks Ben what he likes to do, I am now convinced Ariens is one of those coordinators that has an offensive concept that he is going to cram down the teams throat. Instead of designing a strategy that utilizes Dixon's strengths, his idea of "tailoring" the offense to a player is asking him which of BA's plays the player likes. I just can't help the feeling that the Ravens' defense was ripe for a few good, well though out, quarterback runs. Grrr...


Back to Dixon. I was impressed. On a team that takes two years to get their first round players ready for games, a second year, fifth rounder, did his part to put the Steelers in good shape to win the game. He went to the Ravens' house, on national television, in prime time, against a desperate and physical team and did nothing short of almost win the game. I ask you: If Carter played that well in place of the defensive quarterback, Troy Polomalu, whould the defense be losing fourth quarter leads? I think not.

Dixon has a bright future. If not as the Steelers second string quarterback, then as someone elses starter when he reaches free agency. You know the Browns would snap him up in a heartbeat.

While I'm very disappointed in the three game losing streak, that game, considered all by itself, wasn't such a disappointment. Take both Bob Sanders and Peyton Manning away from the Colts and ask them to play the Ravens on Sunday Night Football in Baltimore and see who wins. If anything, this game just served to show what the Steelers should be able to do against the Ravens when they go to Pittsburgh and both Troy and Ben are once again healthy.

Champagne moment: At the end of the game, the Steelers had not given up a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown. Baby steps.

I think Hines Ward's statements, while seemingly questioning Ben's physical toughness, showed a lack of mental toughness. Very disappointing. Mental toughness seems to be what this team is lacking this year, IMHO. I think that comes from the top. I think that Mike Tomlin's "Unleash hell" statement was a frustration statement, and while potentially motivating, showed a lack of mental toughness. It worried me more that inspired confidence in me.

All will be forgotten though, with some wins.

Has James Farrior lost a step, or is Ray Rice that good? Let the debate begin. However it comes out, look for the Steelers to maybe go for a linebacker in the first two rounds.

Maybe we should stop calling Mr. Hood, Ziggy. Maybe a nickname like Mauler or Chainsaw would motivate him to pick up his game. I really thought this opportunity would push him to greatness. I thought wrong. I would just like to the first rounder make an impact in his first year, every year. Who was the last to do it for the Steelers? Casey Hampton?

I would like to see if Townsend could play better than Gay. I would like to see those two cornerbacks the Steelers drafted step up and step in.

I find myself trolling the mock drafts already and have decided to read Big_Jay71 religiously every week. If you read this Big_Jay71, would you consider where we draft without a total collapse, but still not making the playoffs, or losing in the first round?

I just don't see the Steelers pulling it together an winning the Super Bowl this year. There, I said it. I was awed by the Saints the other night and have a feeling it might just be their year. I would hate for the Steelers to get to the Super Bowl and lose. Nothing like missing out on a ring and getting the thirty-first pick in the draft. I don't care what anyone says, that just sucks! I would rather the Steelers get a better draft pick.

On to the rest of the NFL...

Peyton Mannig is just cruel. I'm starting to think he is spotting the other team points only to watch their faces as he yanks the win away from them in the fourth quarter. It is kind of like Santa running through the living room on Christmas morning and ripping a present out of you hands. It's just plain cruel what he is doing to the opposing teams.

As to the idea of the Colts not worrying about the record once they win the number-one seed on the AFC, I think not playing to win is the wrong strategy. I think a team should play hard every week and stay tough. In years past, I think relaxing has hurt the Colts, even if it has allowed them to stay healthy.

On a simpler note, I love the Peyton Manning, Allison Hannigan commercials. "It's a football". "Who told"?...Just makes me chuckle every time. You see, I have this idea in my head of Peyton where he is always thinking bout football. I can just picture him diagramming a play at the table for a bored date. The Stretch, Nickle Over, Lefty Sneak is when he  takes a date to a movie, pretends to stretch, puts his arm around her, and steals some popcorn from her lap. Eli just rolls his eyes when Peyton tells him about it. P.S. he runs the Stretch, Nickle Over, Righty Sneak, too.

Charlie Weiss? Hell no. Have we learned nothing from Romeo, Mangini, and Charlie? They suck without the guidance of the overlord. If we have to replace BA, then lets go looking for an up-an-coming talent, one with some fresh ideas and some energy. When Mangini is the slimmest of the three, you have to doubt the, um, energy usage.

I really didn't watch that much Sunday football this week, so that is all the ramble I have for the week. Oh, I forgot to mention that the Hated Patriots are cheaters and that ESPN sucks.

I hope you all had a great holliday.

Go Steelers.