No Title Defense For Pittsburgh Steelers Despite Victory Over Dolphins

The Pittsburgh Steelers went into Miami and did what they needed to do Sunday afternoon: overcoming lackluster play by their defense, the Steelers eeked out a six-point win against the Dolphins in their quest to wrap up a postseason berth and defend their Super Bowl title.

Unfortunately it wasn’t enough; the help they needed didn’t pan out, and Pittsburgh found itself in the unenviable position of having to watch the Lombardi Trophy go to someone else without getting an opportunity to claim it themselves.

Pittsburgh’s best shot was a win over Miami plus losses by Houston and the Jets. Before they even finished their own game, it was apparent that the best-case scenario wasn’t an option: the Texans were able to prevail over the somewhat substandard performance of Bill Belichump’s Patriots, and Pittsburgh’s position became that much more perilous.

Needing losses by Denver, Baltimore, and the Jets, the Steelers hopes were dashed when the Ravens prevailed 21-13 over the Oakland Raiders, a team that defeated Pittsburgh earlier in the year.

Conspiracy theorists and hotheads will look to the Indianapolis and New England games and claim that these teams laid down purposely to keep the Steelers out of the playoffs.

Other will blame the NFL for flexing the Cincinnati game to Sunday night and changing the dynamic of the matchups to give a New York team the best possible shot at making the postseason (since the Giants blew their shot last week, the Jets got the nod). 

Still others will blame the refs for bad calls in the New England game that gave Houston the win.

And regardless of whether the arguments are valid, they truly don’t admit to a hill of beans.

The truth of the matter is, Pittsburgh has no one to blame but themselves.

Are you listening, LaMarr Woodley? It is PITTSBURGH’S fault that they aren’t in the playoffs.

Consider this: Pittsburgh opened the season 6-2, and looked to be well on their way to making a run at their third Super Bowl appearance in five years. They then embarked on a five-game losing streak that is one of the most inexplicable in recent memory.

Two of the losses, while hard to swallow, at least are somewhat justifiable: Pittsburgh lost to Cincinnati, who admittedly was playing some inspired ball—the Bengals had earned the nickname “Cardiac Cats” for late-game heroics all season, and the Steelers game was no exception— and Baltimore, who always play Pittsburgh hard regardless of the stakes.

But those two losses aren’t the issue. It’s the other three that cast doubt on the Steelers tenacity.

After losing to the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh fell to Kansas City. A nearly 400-yard effort by Ben Roethlisberger made no difference; the Steelers defense surrendered a 10-point lead at the half, getting outscored 17-7 and allowing the Chiefs to force overtime. Beleaguered cornerback William Gay gave up a 62-yard bomb that put the Chiefs in field goal range, and that was that. 

Following the loss a week later to the Baltimore Ravens, Coach Mike Tomlin implied in a press conference that the silliness was over; the Steelers were addressing their issues and would shortly “unleash hell” in December to finish the season.

They unleashed hell, alright, they just forgot to harness it and use it for themselves.

The next week Pittsburgh faced of with the Oakland Raiders, a rival of the Steelers during Pittsburgh’s previous dynasty in the ’70’s. Oakland, with their league-worst offense, was able to rally for 21—yes, you read that right, 21—points in the first quarter to beat the Steelers at Heinz Field, a place that until this year was a hard stadium to visit and win.

The very next week, Pittsburgh squared off against inter-divisional rival Cleveland in a game they were sure to win. The Browns had managed just two wins while dropping 11 this season. No way were the Steelers going to drop this one.

Except they did. Five games, five losses, and suddenly the Steelers were 6-7 and in danger of being eliminated from playoff contention.

If Pittsburgh had taken care of business in just one of those five games, they would be sitting as the fifth seed in the playoffs. Worse yet, three of the losses came against teams that ended the season with a combined record of 14-32. Heads-up play against any of those teams and the Steelers are 10-6.  

As it is now, the only trophy Pittsburgh gets to hoist this year is one they already have in their trophy case.

It’s not Woodley’s fault for spouting off at the mouth, as much as conspiracy theorists wold like to believe. Although it is emotionally satisfying to have a reason to impugn the reputation and ethics of Bill Belichickie, New England has no culpability in the Steelers demise.

The NFL did not execute some dastardly plan to make Pittsbugh’s chances slimmer than they already were, even though it is no secret that a New York-area team in the playoffs means big money for the league.

It can’t even be blamed on the absence of Troy Polamalu; he went down early enough in the season for the defensive backfield to adjust to his not being on the field (although Tyrone Carter was most assuredly exposed for the mediocre safety that he is, and William Gay, Ike Taylor, and Deshea Townsend should be smacked for continuing to expect Carter to provide help over the top).

No, the only people who hold any blame for the Steelers absence from the postseason are the guys who strapped up and stepped between the white lines. When you get right down to it, that’s where the meat of the matter is: 51 players played 16 games. They and they alone held the key to their postseason opportunities.

When all is said and done, all 51 of them didn’t execute. The price that must be paid for that is an early off-season. 

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Ed Hochuli’s Phantom Holding Call Costs Chris Johnson Shot at The Record

With a 7-8 record, most teams have little to play for in the final week of the season. A .500 record usually doesn’t get you in the playoffs, and moral victories, for all the talk about them, really don’t count for much in the grand scheme of things.

The Tennessee Titans, however, had the rare opportunity to play for something truly special this week: Titans running back Chris Johnson was tantalizingly close to breaking a 25 year-old rushing record, and every player on the team was anxious to take the field and help him get it.

It wasn’t going to be easy; Seattle Seahawks head coach Jim Mora, Jr. was adamant about the Seahawks not being a footnote in NFL history. He made no secret of the fact that Chris Johnson was going to have to earn every yard in pursuit of his goal.

For three quarters, it looked like Mora’s Seahawks had done the job. Johnson had already achieved two goals in the game—breaking Marshall Faulk’s combined yards from scrimmage record, and achieving 2,000 yards for the season—but he was quite a ways off the 2,105 yard mark that Dickerson set in 1984.

Then it happened, the moment that Titans fans had been waiting for, and the one that the Seahawks had desperately tried to avoid all game.

Early in the fourth quarter, Johnson broke free and scampered downfield for 62 yards, bringing him within 44 yards of Dickerson’s record. For a moment, the fans cheered loudly until they slowly realized that there was a flag on the play.

The anguish was palpable as head referee Ed Hochuli called holding on Ahmard Hall, nullifying both the touchdown and the yardage.

Except there was no holding. Not that anyone other than Hochuli could see, at least.

Hall came through the line and blew up the Seahawks linebacker David Hawthorne, who was waiting in the gap for Chris Johnson. Hawthorne was not only stopped, but knocked on his keister as Johnson blew by him.

As far as I remember, that’s what a fullback is supposed to do. Hall didn’t fall on top of him, didn’t pull him down, didn’t even get his hands outside of the defensive player’s shoulders. He BLOCKED him.

But none of that seems to matter to Hochuli. As has been his penchant for the last couple of years, he occasionally makes calls in critical situations that no one can explain, not even him.

The result, of course, did not affect the outcome of the game. The Titans went on to win 17-13, which got them to 8-8, but that did not fall in line with the player’s stated goal of getting CJ the record.

It had a devastating effect on the record pursuit. Not only did Johnson gain six net yards rushing after that play, but the Titans played kneel down on their last series without giving Johnson a shot to gain more yards.

Not that it mattered at that point. With 100 yards left to gain, the Titans needed two posesions to get it, and at that point it wasn’t happening.

Had Johnson been within 40 yards of the record with 1:12 left on the clock, odds are they would have at least given him a shot or two at getting it on the last possession.

It wasn’t a total loss for CJ; he did get the combined yardage record, and he will now be mentioned as being among the elite when total rushing yards in a season are mentioned.

He also set franchise records for yards in a season and consecutive 100-yard games, surpasing Hal of Fame great Earl Campbell.

But thanks to Ed Hochuli’s decision to make a call with serious historical implications, Eric Dickerson’s record stands for another year.

I just have one question: When is the NFL going to do something about referees deciding things?

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Chris Johnson in The Record Books Already; The Question Is How Often

After a long and arduous season that saw his Tennessee Titans start 0-6, then reel off five straight victories, get to 7-7 and have a shot at making an unprecedented playoff appearance before ultimately falling to 7-8 with no chance at the post season, Titans running back Chris Johnson seemingly has but one single focus going into Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Eric Dickerson’s NFL record 2,105 rushing yards in a season.

Some say he won’t have a chance. 

To hear Seahawks coach Jim Mora Jr. tell it, the last thing that Seattle wants is to be the team that shows up in highlight reels for the next few decades every time Johnson’s name comes up in conversation about who will break his record.

Others might point to Vince Young’s less-than-stellar outings of late, and claim that without VY to provide a distraction, Seattle will be able to key on Johnson and shut him down.

Of course, that argument holds no water when you consider that for the last three weeks at least, teams have stacked eight to nine men in the box to slow Johnson down, and he still reeled off games of 100 or more yards.

Miami in particular made a point of playing the run, and he still got 104 yards on the ground.

He also ran for 128 yards against New England in arguably the worst game the Titans have played in the history of the franchise; for the record, Collins was under center.

No distraction there, unless you count the guys who were utterly dumbfounded by Collins’ ineptitude. On more than one occasion you could see guys looking at him like they had just seen a train wreck happen right before their eyes (which, in a manner of speaking, they did).

In fact, the only two teams who have had any success against Johnson this year have been Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. Neither is a surprise when you consider A) that the Steelers, even when they are losing offensively, still will typically punish the opposing team defensively; and B) the Colts were in the midst of an undefeated streak early in the season and were shutting everybody down.

Everyone else Johnson has turned into mincemeat with his combined threat as a runner and a receiver.

That’s right, he is a receiving threat as well, folks. And that makes all the talk about him not getting his name in the books hogwash. Considering that he has already done some things that no one else in the history of the game has done, the question should be moot, but they still put the arguments out there. 

Remember, Johnson is the guy who gets to the second level, looks at the opponent for a second —probably hollers, “Meep!! Meep!!” a la the Road Runner— then leaves a contrail behind him on the way to the end zone. If you really watch him, it looks like he even does the little jump stutter step before he launches.

And he has done it often this year. In fact, I believe he may already have the record for most touchdowns in a season of 50 yards or more with seven, including three in one game.

Even better, he has nine touchdowns of 30 yards or more this season. I haven’t been able to find a running back in the modern era who has more (although if it is out there, I am certain that someone will find it and let me know the error of my ways).

So, there’s record No. 1. And possibly 1a.

Along with his league-leading 1,872 yards on the ground, he has amassed 483 yards through the air, putting him third amongst his peers at the running back position this year (assuming, of course, that there is anyone worthy of qualifying to be  his peer).

So even if he isn’t able to attain the 234 yards necessary to forever etch his name in the history books above Eric Dickerson (and please: against Seattle? Really? He can’t gain 234 yards?), the mere 78 yards he needs to break the all-time combined yards from scrimmage record can be picked up in one carry.

Marshal Faulk is just a few short days away from being No. 2.

Which would be record No. 2. Or three, if you count 1a as the second record.

While 2,000 yards isn’t a record per se , it sure puts him in elite company. Only five other men have been able to accomplish that particular feat in their career. Oranthal James Simpson set the standard way back in 1973 (before going on to set the standard for worst getaway ever in 1995), Dickerson set the current mark 11 years later, and only three other men have made a run at it (Adrian Peterson NOT being one of them, in case anyone was wondering). 

Joining that group gets his name mentioned for the foreseeable future when top running backs are talked about. Not a record, but yet another appearance in the annals of NFL history as a top performer.

And it isn’t like his teammates aren’t aware of this rendezvous with history. The big uglies up front know that if he gets to 2,000 or better, they will get to bask in some of the glory for helping him get there.

If he gets to 2,106, they might even be called out by name. So the motivation is there to get him as many yards as possible on Sunday.

If he gets to 2,106, then we have record No. 3 (or four…you know what I mean by now).

Depending on the number of carries he gets Sunday, he could also top the charts for average yards per carry by a running back in the modern era.

Record book appearance No. 5, thankyouverymuch.

Not bad for a second year guy from a small town high school who picked his college instead of being picked.

Just goes to show, you never know what a guy can do until you let him do it.

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Dear LaMarr Woodley: Shut Up and Play!

As if the Bengals and Patriots needed another reason to despise the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers sit at 8-7 due to an inexcusable but ultimately damaging five-game losing streak this year, and must win against Miami this week to even have a shot at the playoffs.

But the scenario doesn’t end there: Pittsburgh must also get help from New England and Cincinnati if they plan on defending their title. In other words, they need the Patriots and the Bengals to play complete games and compete with each other for the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

If New England or Cincinnati, either one, lose this weekend, odds are against the Steelers making it in; with Denver playing the 3-12 Chiefs, and the Ravens battling for their playoff lives against Oakland, losses by the Jets and the Texans are the Steelers best shot.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin understands this, but also appears to have a better grasp of both common sense and psychology than the erstwhile Woodley. Tomlin came out and adamantly stated that he had no intention of petitioning either team for their help; as far as he was concerned, the Steelers put themselves in this position, and it was up to them to do what was necessary to get out of it.

Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley grossly misinterpreted this action by coach Tomlin and went public with accusations that the two teams were likely to “lay down” just to keep Pittsburgh out of the playoffs.

Well, done, LaMarr; if the thought wasn’t in their minds before, it most certainly is now. In fact, it would not surprise me one iota to see one team or the other pull starters very early Sunday and let the chips fall where they may.

It would also not surprise me to hear Woodley’s remarks referenced in the post-game interview by whichever team loses Sunday.

Yet another shining example of the fact that the game of professional football may be played by adults, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to it being played by grown-ups.

Just shut up and play, Woodley; if you had done that at any point during the five-game slide, this wouldn’t even be an issue.

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Jeff Fisher’s Waffling on Vince Young Raises Even Bigger Questions

Two weeks ago, any questions concerning the relationship between Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher and star quarterback Vince Young were supposedly put to rest when Fisher as much as embraced Young after a particularly dazzling scoring drive against the Miami Dolphins.

But don’t be fooled, folks. This story is FAR from over.

After a horrendous showing on Christmas Day that decisively removed the Titans from playoff contention, Young’s stock fell with his new BFF.

So far, in fact, that when asked in a press conference if Vince Young had done enough to secure his spot as the future of the Tennessee Titans, Coach Fisher steadfastly refused to answer.

This is a far cry from the coach who, during an unexplainable 0-6 slide to start the season, often offered before being asked that Kerry Collins was the Titans starter, no questions about it.

His refusal—not avoidance, refusal —to answer the simple question about Vince Young’s future is nothing if not an invitation to ask an even bigger question: what does Fisher already know?

Have the Titans already begun back-door dealings to get Young out of town as soon as the season is over?

There are other teams out there who could use his skills—ironically, Miami and their “Wildcat” offense come immediately to mind—and Young is already on record as saying he wants to be played or traded.

If Tennessee isn’t enamored with Young yet, then others are sure to be.

On a side note, Chris Johnson has more than done enough to establish himself as the man around whom the offense should be built. As LenDale White found out rather painfully this year, there is only room in the Titans backfield for one star runner. 

Could it be that Fisher and Co. are beginning to see that?

Is there a deal in place to find Collins a home, somewhere that he can finish out his career in relative ease, albeit in relative obscurity, something many Titans fans would have little problem with?

Is Fisher refusing to answer any quarterback questions out of some sense of loyalty to Collins?

Or, perish the thought, is Collins going to be given yet another chance to compete for the top spot on the roster next year?

Is Fisher’s job in the lurch? After all these years at the helm, have he and owner Bud Adams come to loggerheads they cannot break? Is this why he won’t answer? Does he truly not know because he has not been involved in whatever is going on?

Even worse (or better, if some of the less educated and more fickle fans had their way), has he already been informed of his demise as the Titans leader? Has Bud already told him that the screwup this year was too much to forgive?

Is it possible that Bud Adams’ interference in football operations, vis-a-vis his insistence that Young be given the top spot to see what he had to offer, violated some term of Fisher’s contract that gives him ultimate decision-making authority, and Fisher himself has already thrown down the gauntlet concerning his position in Nashville?

One thing we do know is that history seems to be repeating itself. In round one, Vince Young stepped in and took over from Collins after an ineffective start and led the Titans to an 8-8 record.

The following year, Young led them to a record of 10-6, only to fall to the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the playoffs.

The next year, Young fell to injury, was replaced by Collins, and seemed to fall out emotionally and mentally from the injury, the demotion, and the fickleness of disgruntled fans, not to mention Collins’ success under center as the Titans ran up a league-leading 13-3 record.

Now, round two has commenced: Young has taken over for Collins and led the Titans to an 8-8 record.

Is it possible that Fisher fears this pattern will repeat?

Stay tuned, fans. More is sure to unfold next week.

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Tennessee Titans: Playoff Hopes Dashed, Need To Focus on the Man

Merry Christmas, San Diego.

With two interceptions, a fumble, and a maddeningly inept Christmas Day performance, Vince Young nearly single-handedly presented the San Diego Chargers with the gift of a first round bye whilst simultaneously removing the Tennessee Titans from any hope of a playoff appearance this year.

Kenny Britt caught one pass—one pass—of the eight that Young managed to complete on the day, which is one fewer than the San Diego’s defenders managed.

Demonstrating that he hasn’t yet figured out he isn’t a running back, Young also ran for 40 yards, stealing precious yardage from actual running back Chris Johnson, who is in hot pursuit of the single-season rushing record.

Johnson still managed to put up 142 yards on the ground, once again demonstrating that he is the Titan’s key to future success. This marked the 10th straight week that Johnson managed 100 or more yards rushing in a game, as well as his 11th of the year.

With one game left, he needs only 128 yards to reach the hallowed mark of 2,000 yards in a season, which puts him in very elite company.

The mark of 2,105 will take some doing, though; with 234 yards between him and the record books, it will take a concerted effort by all to get him there.

This means you have to hand off the ball and let him run, guys. Vince, Coach Dinger: Are you listening? It also means that everyone has to block, all day, and get him loose in the secondary where no one can catch him.

The Seahawks know he is coming, and since the Titans are now out of contention for the playoffs, they can focus solely on spoiling Johnson’s record quest.

In the spirit of the season, I will refrain from rattling off a litany of reasons why the Titans lost this game, at home, on Christmas Day, in front of a sold out crowd of fans who braved the cold and wind and occasional rain to cheer their team towards victory, instead of staying home, with their families, enjoying egg nog, baked ham, and the occasional roasted fowl.

Instead, I will simply say that the Titans goals for next week’s game should be extremely clear.

Neither team is going anywhere after that game, but one man’s name could go in the record books.

I don’t care if they win or lose. But considering the performance that Johnson has put up all year, even when the rest of the team was playing like they had just learned the game yesterday, I don’t think it is too much to ask for a game plan that gives him the best possible shot of breaking the record.

Opportunities like this don’t come around very often. Take advantage of it, Titans, while it is still within reach.

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Titans Win Big Despite Injury to Young, Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

Halfway through the second quarter of the Tennessee Titans-St. Louis Rams match-up on Sunday afternoon, Titans fans must have felt like they had awakened on Christmas morning to a lump of coal in their stocking.

After Tennessee started the game with a 39-yard rush and a 66-yard pass reception for touchdowns—courtesy of Chris Johnson—to take an early 14-0 lead, Titans quarterback Vince Young was flushed form the pocket on first-and-10 and took off downfield for a 44-yard scamper, the longest of his professional career. But even though the run picked up a first down, it proved to be costly.

At the end of the run it was visibly apparent that something wasn’t right; Young slowed noticeably and angled out of bounds quickly, where he subsequently collapsed on the sidelines. As he grabbed his leg in pain, Kerry Collins, last season’s heroic quarterback and this season’s pariah, quickly sprang into action to come out in relief of Young.

Depending on your point of view, it was somewhat fortunate that Young was plagued by leg pain throughout the week, giving Collins time to get enough reps in practice to be prepared for this eventuality.

The preparation paid off; after a slightly slow start, Collins was able to end the game with 11-of-19 completions for 154 yards and a touchdown, which happened to be tight end Algee Crumpler’s first home touchdown in over a year.

More importantly, Collins played with poise and control, making smart plays, and controlling both the clock and the ball as he helped finish leading the Titans to a 47-7 drubbing of the erstwhile Rams.

With their victory over St. Louis, Tennessee keeps their playoff hopes alive, at least mathematically. Losses by Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Denver, and Cincinnati served to tighten an AFC playoff race where it is already standing room only for the wild-card seeds. At 6-7 the Titans will likely need help from other teams in the form of late-season collapses, but with Miami still ahead on the schedule, Tennessee at least has an opportunity to influence the outcome of their late-season drive.

More importantly, however, is the injury to quarterback Vince Young. His availability will dictate the Titans’ gameplan from this point forward; having already established that they are potential contenders with Young and Johnson both in the backfield, the re-insertion of Kerry Collins will have a drastic effect on not only their playoff chances, but Chris Johnson’s pursuit of Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.

Without Young to draw defenses’ attention, Johnson may find himself fighting a bigger uphill battle than he already faces; his last two week’s production have left him needing nearly 160 yards per game for the remainder of the season to beat Dickerson’s 2,105.

Be that as it may, the Titans are still in the hunt; with or without Young they are going to have to find a way to run the table on the rest of the season. Do that, and they will set their own team record: no team has ever started a season with six straight losses and come back to make the playoffs.

And after all, team is what it’s all about anyway, right?

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To Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin: The Answer to The Question Is NO

Not a chance.

That sentence is what should have come out of Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin when asked, following what offensive stars Hines Ward and Ben Roethlisberger deemed an “embarrassing” loss to the absolutely horrid Cleveland Browns, if Pittsburgh was a playoff team right now.

Embarrassing is too generous. Utterly disgusting and unacceptable only begins to touch it.

I understand that this is a long-standing division rivalry; I’ve watched more than one or two Steelers-Browns contests in my day. Unfortunately, I was relegated to having to follow the game via “live look-ins” over the internet, thanks to whatever marketing agreement was reached between the NFL and the NFL Network to cut out a certain number of fans by putting Thursday night games on a cable channel that not everyone has access to.

It was bad enough actually seeing the horrible play of the Steelers while watching the “look-ins”; the on-line “broadcaster” telling us what we had just seen happen, as if we had just arrived from Planet Zoomba where they don’t have American Football, not even on satellite, only added to the discomfort and my displeasure at not being able to watch the game on the HD TV I just spend almost a grand on. 

But I digress…

Back to my point, this game was supposed to be the beginning of an end-run by the Steelers to make the playoffs, probably as a sixth seed, but possibly as a fifth, and take a shot at defending their title. You see, these Cleveland Browns are NOT the same Browns who have given the Steelers fits all these years. THESE Cleveland Browns had won a single game all season; even the Detroit Lions had more wins going into this week than the Browns did.

Didn’t matter. Pittsburgh forgot to show up for the game.

After starting the season 6-2, and looking like they were going to take command of their division, the Steelers have dropped five straight, and effectively played themselves right out of contention for the postseason.

Or more correctly, not played themselves out of contention.

Big Ben keeps getting blamed from time to time for holding onto the ball too long, but dammit, the offensive line should know how he plays by now, and they should be adjusting to it. It’s not like he just started doing his impression of Fran Tarkenton this year; he’s been playing like that since high school.

I know Troy Polamalu is hurt, but there comes a point in the season where someone, ANYONE , has to step up and fill that slot. Tyrone Carter and Ryan Mundy have failed to do so, and it is killing the defensive secondary.

Instead of forcing turnovers, the Steelers are coughing the ball up. The same team that had a +4 turnover ratio last year is sitting at -5 through this week.

Of course, I can’t pick on the defense too much. They did hold Brady Quinn to 90 yards—yes, 90 yards—passing. Of course, the 171 yards on the ground that they gave up wasn’t exactly indicative of the solid defensive front that Pittsburgh has built its reputation around.

But when you play with fire, you eventually get burned. And the Steelers have been letting teams stay close all year; even their opening weekend game against Tennessee was a nail-biter, needing an extra period just to get a field goal and walk away with a win that shouldn’t have been so difficult.

I know it’s exciting and all, guys, but some of us have heart and heartburn conditions. So closing out the games a little earlier would be greatly appreciated.

Not that it matters much at this point anyway. Barring an absolute collapse by five teams in front of them, any dreams of postseason play will have to wait until next season. Their best hope is for everyone in front of them to lose out so they can slip in on a tie breaker over Tennessee, who also has a 6-7 record.  

Due to their “victory” over the Titans in Week 1, they own the first tiebreaker.

Other than that, Pittsburgh needs to spend the rest of this season figuring out how not to end up here next season. It might behoove the staff to figure out how to build an offensive line around Big Ben’s propensity to run around in the backfield.

Or possibly bolster their defensive backfield a bit so that the loss of one key player doesn’t make it seem like no one else is back there.

I don’t know what they need to do, but whatever it is, they have a little time. The season doesn’t start until September 2010.

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Who Dat? Who Cares?!?!? Saints Fans’ Gusto “Geaux”‘s Too Far

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: as a Steelers fan, I KNOW I can be obnoxious.

I have followed the Steelers since I was a young boy, watching Hall of Fame greats Lynn Swann, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Jack Lambert and others ran roughshod over opponents in the late ’70’s. I lamented when Brister, Strom, Blackledge and Tomzak seemed intent on ensuring that the Steelers never made it back to another Super Bowl.

I celebrated the arrival of Neil O’Donnell, until he took the Steelers to the Super Bowl and promptly gave the game away on two interceptions that I MYSELF could have avoided throwing (I hated it when he came to Nashville, and still says he bet on the Super Bowl and threw the game).

I drank from the same jug of Kool-aid in my support of Kordell Stewart as Vince Young supporters drink from today; I learned my lesson the hard way, just like they will have to learn theirs.

And I have watched, physically watched, my Steelers win six—count them out loud with me: ONE…TWO…THREE…FOUR…FIVE…SIX —Lombardi trophies through the years.

So yeah, I’m obnoxious, but I feel justified.

Steelers fans aren’t alone in obnoxiousity—I know it’s not a real word, but it’s my article, and I felt like making it up—Browns fans come to mind, a fan base made up of people so ugly they must wear dog masks to the games.

Raiders fans are right up there too. People who throughout the week hold down normal jobs get all dressed up in Kiss-Army inspired garb and perpetuate the opinion that people who live in California are just plain crazy.

Jets fans qualify as well. With their “J-E-T-S, Jets Jets Jets!” battle cry, an awe-inspiring mantra if I ever heard one, they bring the Italian immigrant attitude to the stadium. Along with the Italian propensity to drink too much, consume too much pasta, scream too loudly, and argue any and every point of any and every situation (being third-generation Italian, I can relate…).

And don’t even get me started on New England fans. A bigger bunch of obnoxious, elitist, band-wagon-jumping noobs has yet to be found (sincere apologies to the seven or eight “true blue” Patriots fans out there).

However, for all of their rabid support and rancor towards those who would denigrate their team, they all have one thing in common: each of their teams has won at least one championship.

So would someone please explain to me just what is going on in New Orleans?

Talk about Johnny-come-lately bandwagon-jumpers; an uneducated observer, after speaking to a Saints fan, would come away thinking that the team was one of the premier organizations in the history of the league.

In truth, their journey through NFL history has been more infamous than fame-worthy.

From 1967, the year they were founded, to 1986 they were unable to muster a winning season; in fact, they managed .500 only twice. They have yet to string together more than three seasons with a winning record; through 2008 they have only managed eight winning seasons in their existence.

Their 2-6 post season record is one of the worst in existence; their first win in the playoffs didn’t come until the playoffs following the 2000 season, and they have reached the conference championship once in their history.

In the Super Bowl era, they are only one of five teams NOT to make it to a Super Bowl.

Let me say that again: the Saints have never been to the Super Bowl without first having to buy a ticket.

Of the seven Hall of Fame inductees associated with the Saints, only one was actually considered for his career with, and contributions to, New Orleans. And no, Archie Manning is not among that number, nor should he ever be. Not as a player, at least; his record of 35-101 doesn’t exactly inspire one to beat the doors down for his benefit.

The Saints’ biggest contribution to the sporting world? The paper bag.

You heard me; the paper bag. Recommended by local radio guy “Buddy D” Diliberto in 1980 for fans to wear to home games, least anyone recognize them at work on Monday. Fans, being the fickle creatures that they are, adorned the bags with the words “New Orleans ‘AINTS” to voice their displeasure.

The bag caught on and is now a staple for fans of teams whose performance is somewhat inglorious. Well done, Saints fans.

Now, 42 years after they were approved as an expansion team, the Saints have somehow been able to put together an admittedly incredible season, going 12-0 so far this year. This is made even more amazing by the fact that their AFC counterparts the  Indianapolis Colts, are also 12-0, which opens up the possibility of an undefeated Super Bowl this year.

And all of a sudden, Saints fans are jumping around like every day is Fat Tuesday.

Don’t get me wrong; any Saints fans who may still exist that have been following them for longer than say, two or three years, is well justified in being pleased with this season. Finally they have a team they can be proud of, instead of having to begrudgingly support what they know is gonna be a stinker.

But to all the fans who rushed out this year and bought a Brees or Bush jersey, I say this:

Weaux it up. The Saints are unproven in the post season, and until they show they can be consistent not only throughout the year, but in the playoffs, all the hoopla is well and far over the top.

So cheer for your team, to be sure. Be supporters of their efforts. Show your team colors, but be mindful that your actions could show your true colors.

If the Saints falter this year or next, and you suddenly fall silent, then you will reveal yourself as a Benedict Arnold, choosing sides based on who you think is winning at the time.

If you are such a fan, I have only one thing to say to you:

Shut up and Geaux away. The Saints don’t need you, and no one else wants you either.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints: “Super” Pairing Still Possible

In the history of the NFL, both before and after the AFL/NFL merger, perfection has been hard to come by.

In fact, from 1920 until the AFL/NFL merger in 1970, the Chicago Bears were the only team to finish with an unblemished regular season record, a feat they pulled off twice; once in 1934 and again in 1942.

Ultimately though, it was all for naught as they lost both championship games; the first to the New York Giants, the second to the Washington Redskins.

Since 1970, only two teams have managed to complete the regular season with an undefeated, untied record—the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who went on to win the Super Bowl that year, and the 2007 Patriots, who suffered a major letdown after winning 18 straight regular and postseason games before being defeated by the Giants in the Super Bowl.

(As an interesting side note, the Giants own a record of sorts. They are the only team to defeat two previously undefeated teams in the league championship game. A corollary to the argument here is for both Manning brothers to make it to the Super Bowl, and see if New York can make it a three-peat).

Plenty of teams have made a run at the record. The NFL annals are rife with season standings showing teams with 15-1 or 14-2 records, but no one, save the ’72 Phins, has been able to close it out.

All the arguments about the difference in season length, level of competition, rules, etc., are nothing more than noise designed to distract us from the main point—this record is hard to break.

Which is what makes the possibility of the Colts and Saints going undefeated this year so intriguing—the matchup would guarantee an undefeated champion.

Now, I’m not necessarily a fan of either team, but I for one think this is something that needs to happen. Yeah, I realize that Peyton Manning and Jim Caldwell, like Tony Dungy before him, are no Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. They could care less what the final record is, as long as the last win comes in February at the Super Bowl.

But they should care. Opportunities like this are rare. As I’ve already pointed out, a perfect regular season has only been managed four times in the 90 years since American Football has been somewhat regulated. Two teams achieving the feat in the same season is unheard of. 

And then there are the fans. Average Joes and Janes spend otherworldly amounts of money on merchandise and tickets to watch people they will probably never meet play a game at a level that they as fans can only dream of, all in hopes of living vicariously through their chosen teams’ success.  

So if for no other reason, the Colts and Saints should strive for perfection for the sake of the fans, those nameless, faceless people who cheer them on each week.

Besides, can you imagine the marketing opportunities Manning could have with this one?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

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