For the 2nd week in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked like defending World Champions. The defense imposed its will on both the Bucs and the Browns, and the offense exploded last Thursday after a pedestrian effort the week before.
As I commented on last week , the running game has had its moments this year. Nothing quite like Thurday night though! In fact, no rusher in the history of the franchise has had a night quite like Willie's. Willie Parker went off for 223, breaking John "Frenchy" Fuqua's record of 218 yards. I'm sure Parker took his offensive line to dinner, because they dominated the Browns upfront, opening up gaping holes all night for Parker to slash through.
Roethlisberger had the type of game that characterized his first two years in the league: around 20 pass attempts, several big plays on 3rd down, mistake free football. Again, it's a shame we haven't been more committed to the run this year.
The Steelers now stand 6-7, and yes, their playoff chances are still alive, albeit just barely. I'll break down what happened this weekend, as well as what needs to happen next weekend for our playoff chances to remain intact.
Congratulations to Willie Parker on his record setting day! Go Steelers!