It's time for the congregation to put its blinders on.
Nevermind the crowd. Don't worry about who they have under center. Pay no attention to what other teams did. Instead, focus on the task at hand; playing a bipolar team that lacks a true offensive identity.
It's certainly a winnable game, but The Church of the Latter Day Rooneys knows everyone remembers 2009. The phrase "Letdown Game" permeates the entire league. No one is immune.
- The real season for championship teams starts in Week 12. Six games against teams either playing for that ever-important home playoff game, or playing for contract extensions. It's a dangerous combination, particularly when no team is even remotely healthy; only relatively so.
- Kansas City can beat teams over .500 by 28 points, or they can lose to wannabes by 41. You have no idea which Kansas City team will show up tonight.
- Define Foundational Player: A guy who is five catches away from breaking a team record for his position, will likely not get that in this game because his highest and best use this week will be blocking instead of receiving, and when informed of his proximity to the record, wasn't even aware of it. That's Heath Miller.
- Tamba Hali is a game-changer, plain and simple. The focus must be on stopping him.
Who Wants It?
The Church has no problem admitting when it's wrong. That's why it's comfortable in making predictions such as Miller not getting the five receptions he needs to pass Albie Nickel as the team's all-time leading receiver for tight ends - he will be used often to help block Hali.
That same logic is why it's comfortable looking the way of Brother Weslye Saunders, and predicting his first multi-reception game. While this rightfully should go to Brother Rashard, in what figures to be a big game for the prize back, Brother Weslye is going to put down some tape for future opponents to see and fear. He's poised for a breakout game (and that doesn't mean seven catches for a buck sixty and three scores), and the Steelers are going to move to their Third Evolution of its deepest offense in team history. They ran, they threw to wide receivers, now they're gonna throw aggressively out of the double-TE.
Bold prediction. The Church is confident.
Song Of Choice
The Church doesn't shy away from movie scores. The Hallowed iPod is full of them. It doesn't get much better than Bill Conti's "Final Fight" from the Rocky series. Nowhere is it more prevalent than in Rocky II, right as Adrian sees their son for the first time. After nagging him for months about not fighting anymore (including some hilarious scenes of Rocky applying for "office jobs" wearing a blue leisure suit and informing the hiring manager he did not go past the 9th grade), Adrain tells Rocky there's only one thing she wants him to do for her.
Win.
Mickey, the surly old trainer yells out, "What are we waiting for?? TICKETS?!?"
The bells and the bass kick in, and it cuts to clips of Rocky doing one-arm push-ups at dawn and hitting rusted metal barrels with a sledgehammer in the industrial side of Philadelphia. It's about the rejuvenation of motivation. It's perfect for Week 12 - where champions separate themselves.
Rocky II Training (HD) (via elitesniper16)
Benediction
- May this be the last game before the return of Brother LaMarr, and no one replaces him next week.
- May Brother Ben not sink to his competition, and have confidence that his running game can win this with his help.
- May Brother Legursky replace penalties and inconsistency oft seen at the left guard position this year with the quickness that has taken him from undrafted training camp pylon to starter.
- May The Church, its members and certainly, the Steelers, remember this has nothing to do with the Baltimore Ravens. Tough game lay in waiting, we must take care of business.
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