Blog 'n' Gold : Justin Hartwig

Draft 2009: The Centers

Dan Gigler — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:03:00 GMT

No position has been more widely talked about as a potential first-round pick for the Steelers in 2009 than center, and with good reasons:

The Steelers offensive line, usually a strong suit, has been shaky at best over the last three years
Steelers fans are waiting for the next true heir to the Mansfield-Webster-Dawson-Hartings o-line anchor lineage to emerge
Most importantly, top caliber centers can be gotten near the end of the first round (where the Steelers pick) or even later in the draft.

Max Unger of Oregon and Alex Mack of Cal are two such guys who have continually emerged in mock drafts as potential Steelers. Mack is widely regarded as the top-overall prospect at the position and Unger is particularly enticing because he also can play guard. Check 'em out ...

Unger:

Mack:

Despite the obvious talent of these gents, BNG however, is of the opinion that the need for a center is colored mostly by emotion -- owing namely the afforementioned legacy of Steelers greatness at the position and the bad taste left by the Sean Mahan debacle of 2007.

At the start of the 2008 season, the Steelers offensive line might as well have been 5 Guys Named Moe for all the time they had played together as starters. But by the time the playoffs rolled along, Hartwig was probably the most consistent member of the line. There is little reason that he couldn't start there for at least another season (or 2).

For that reason BNG is of the opinion that the Steelers should not select a center in round one, and instead look for local product via Moon Twp. and Penn State, A.Q. Shipley, who will certainly be around in round two, or perhaps even three.

At 6' 1" and 304 pounds, he's a bit smaller than Mack or Unger, but he's a smart player who was once a defensive lineman for the Nittany Lions, so he has some insight into those across the ball from him. In 2008 he beat out Mack and Unger for the Dave Rimington Trophy -- awarded to the top center in college football -- while playing in the Big Ten, a division not exactly known for diminutive defensive lineman. Read Shipley's bio and check out this video of him destroying the 225-lbs. bench press at a Penn State charity event:

Super Bowl Polamalu (XLIII), Live

Chuck Finder — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:25:00 GMT

10:09 p.m.: Double wow. Double yoi. Greatest Super Bowl finish ever? Certainly for the Steelers.

Break open that 6 Pack now.

10:02 p.m.: Good call by McAulay: Holmes "toes" were in bounds. A freeze frame in NFL history, let alone the Super Bowl. With 35 seconds left? On what could be the game-winning drive? After putting them there? And nearly catching the potential winning touchdown in the other corner? In. Cred. A. Bull.

But wait...........................Arizona gets the ball with half a minute left. Fitzgerald and Warner have worked that magic before. Like, say, the fade touchdown that gave the Cardinals that 23-20 lead (sorry I missed a while there, but I have to write another story, on deadline, while the game is going on. What I wouldn't do for younz guys.)

9:59 p.m.: No way. Did Holmes really make that catch? Did he get both feet in?

Move aside, Lynn Swann and the bobble over Dallas' Mark Washingon. Heck, poor James Harrison made probably the greatest play in Super Bowl history at the end of the first half, what with the circumstances and how much that turned around a game that could've been 10-10 at half. Holmes just made the greatest catch in Supe annals. Heck, that may even surpass Joe Montana-to-Dwight Clark in that NFC Championship moment for the ages

9:58 p.m.: No timeouts left, a desperate need to score a touchdown, and first-and-goal at the Cardinals' 6 with 49 seconds left. You don't want overtime against this team, do you? Nice try on that overthrow by Santonio Holmes, who just made a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge catch and run to give the Steelers a chance to tie (the first overtime Supe) or win.

9:57 p.m.: Wow.

9:56 p.m.: Nothing like a fourth-quarter, must-have drive in the Super Bowl. Now that's drama. And Roethlisberger, with his idol John Elway the comeback kid in the crowd, with Elway's No. 7 and the Steelers on his back, was trying to collect yet another fourth-quarter flourish for which he has become famed already.

9:45 p.m.: Think Mike Tomlin wants that touchdown in the last goalline situation back right now?

In either?

9:43 p.m.: You have to pass from your own 1-yard line. You have to go for the first down. It looked like they got it, but holding on that offensive line again, Justin Hartwig. Safety. So it suddenly became 20-16, Steelers. That's better than a sack, even an interception. Maybe not a punt, though. We're about to find out. Give those knuckles a rest, Galaxy.

It was the first safety since Supe XXV, in Tampa, when Bruce Smith of Buffalo sacked the New York Giants Jeff Hostetler of West Virginia in the end zone.

9:30 p.m.: Fitzgerald is back. Mostly, Warner is finally looking for his franchise player. His 1-yard fade route -- who can stop that? -- gave Arizona Ol' Mo' and pared the Steelers' lead to 20-14. Hold onto your seats.

9:17 p.m.: Troy Polamalu, commercial MVP.

9:12 p.m.: First of all, didja expect Big Ben to outhrow Wingin' Warner through three quarters. It's 162 yards to 153, but, more important, that vaunted passing game has only 153 yards -- and less than 10 yards per completion. Fitzgerald entered the fourth quarter with just one catch, covered like a full-length mink by Ike Taylor. Warner isn't even throwing in Fitz's direction. That's some dandy defensive work right there, folks.

9:04 p.m.: End of third quarter, Steelers 20-7. With this defense, with the way the Steelers' offense is moving the ball and, more important, grinding up clock, it looks like you can almost pop open that 6 Pack.

Almost.

8:56 p.m.: Sixteen-play, 79-yard drive, which is incredible in and of itself. But to take up 8:39 of a quarter -- more than half -- on one drive, all those whack penalties or not? Now that's a crusher. With Reed's 21-yard field goal giving the Steelers a 20-7 lead, the Cardinals must muster some kind of score on their next drive, or they're history.

8:52 p.m.: That third-down was non-call was warranted. Then, on Jeff Reed's field goal, the Cardinals picked up a third personal foul of the drive when Adrian Wilson, in referee Terry McAulay's word, "ran over the holder," Mitch Berger. Automatic first down. And the clock's ticking away.

If you enlarge you can see Adrian Wilson about to level Mitch Berger

8:50 p.m.: I'm sorry, but this goal-line offense is laughable. There you got your wish, Willie Parker on a run -- and the blocking wasn't there, so he got corralled for a loss. Then a Heath Miller drop? You don't see that very often.

8:44 p.m.: Quiet. Listen. . . . You can almost hear Mike Holmgren and all those Seahawks fans yapping about the Steelers getting all the breaks from officials. In this instance, it's warranted. Santonio Holmes committed a facemask penalty on DRC, who was the one flagged. No wonder Holmes heard "facemask" and started pleading his case to the side judge -- he knows when he's guilty. . . .Then a second personal-foul penalty? On a questionable call on Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby for roughing Roethlisberger. Ya know, maybe those Pacific Northwesterners were on to something.

8:35 p.m.: Kurt Warner, just when he was leading the Cardinals downfield when they badly needed it, was called for a fumble -- his longtime bugaboo. But Arizona challenged that his arm was going forward, as replays seemed to show. If the Steelers get a field goal, minimum, on this next drive, it could be a death knell already for Arizona. At some point, of course, these former sleepwalkers (they're word) and realize, Hey, we are the Cardinals after all.

8:34 p.m.: Sorry, I'm still not recovered. . . . (Nice photos by Dan Gigler, too. Jus' givin' a shout out.)

8:19 p.m.: Bruce Springsteen is going to Disney Land. Will the Steelers, too?

7:57 p.m.: Excuse me while this intrepid reporter arises from his keyboard to worship at the altar of The Boss.

No, not Micco (sorry, Jer).

7:55 p.m.: Touchdown, 17-7, Steelers. Please refer to 7:07 for details.

That made Harrison's the longest play in Super Bowl history, offensive, defensive, special teams. Remember, Willie Parker registered the longest touchdown run, at 75 yards, in winning Super Bowl XL. Momentum, signs, you name it -- it points in the Steelers' direction right now.

7:51 p.m.: First and goal at the Steelers' 1, just 18 seconds left after good clock management. The Cardinals appeared to be in a must-throw down, and . . . someone call for oxygen for James Harrison. A 100-yard interception return for a touchdown -- hey, Deshea Townsend, get outta his way and block for somebody. Warner for Boldin went awry. Harrison exhausted, though Tomlin came over to congratulate.

The play was under review, but his head was the first thing that touched in the end zone. So it's a bigger miracle for the opposition since Tony Dungy got a Polamalu interception reversed in the Super Bowl XL playoff run.

Unbelievable play by the Defensive MVP of 2008 who, by now, we ought to expect this kind of thing. Believe it now, as Tampa gave its Super Bowl that slogan. (BTW: An unidentified Steeler clipped a Cardinal on the return.)

7:48 p.m.: That 12-yard catch and run by No. 11 marked the first catch of the day by Pitt's Larry Fitzgerald. The Steelers need to contain him to win this game, and so far they've done that. But. . . .

7:36 p.m.: Forget the bad offensive series by Arizona, and the strong push by the Steelers' D. The turning point, may have come at 2:59. The stadium entertainment folks just played "Love is Like a Rock" by Pittsburgh's own Dawnee Ahhriss.

7:30 p.m.: That quaking you feel just might be momentum, with a couple of penalties and a nice Breaston return giving Arizona some momentum. But that Steelers' pass rush, gaining a holding call on one and a sack on another, picked up the pace for the defense.

7:20 p.m.: Game-saving drive by the Cardinals. They looked poised and comfortable against that secondary, that defense. An Anquan Boldin open play, a couple of James/Breaston plays and a lack of a rush on Warner, and the Cardinals have a nine-play, 83-yard drive to cut the Steelers' lead to 10-7.

7:14 p.m.: Key thing to notice on that Cardinals first down: Kurt Warner got happy feet in the pocket and threw a bad pass. And there really wasn't a rush near him.

7:07 p.m.: Gary Russell just ran off the field faster than he ran on it. A plunge for a touchdown. A point after. An 11-play, 69-yard drive covering seven-plus minutes. And it was 10-0, Steelers.

Stat time: The Cardinals are 1-6 this season when they fall behind by 10 points or more. And 1-12 in two seasons under Whis.

7:04 p.m.: Third and goal at the one, and Mike Tomlin calls timeout. Will they call two plays and quickly go for a fourth-down try? Can Tomlin plunge that aggressive bent into his pocket and actually kick another field goal? Stay tuned. (Oh, yeah, right, like you were going to change over to "60 Minutes" or something right now. . . .)

7:00 p.m.: End of first quarter, 3-0 Steelers. But they're threatening. And hold on for an interesting stat if they do score. (Whis has that red flag ready. . . .) BTW: Steelers 140 yards, Cardinals 13. But that isn't the stat that counts most, ya know.

6:57 p.m.: Did NBC's John Madden just say, "That's Ben Roethlisberger being Superman"? Well, that was vintage Roethlisberger escapability, continually scanning downfield -- though you gotta wonder if he saw Hines Ward open and Heath Miller just popped into the picture at the last second.

6:54 p.m.: Yes, Nate Washington was as wide open as he looked on TV. Wider, even. Roethlisberger put too much air underneath it, underthrowing Washington, and rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie rallied to nearly intercept it. DRC, as they call him, is a star in the making. But the dude from Tiffin beat him badly on that one.

6:50 p.m.: Less of a stellar and more of a Stiller first possession by Arizona. Edgerrin James looked a bit rattled, with that fumble. Kurt Warner looked a tad confused by the defense's movement. And how about Troy Polamalu being all over the field: on a tackle, on the sidelines having trainer John Norwig reinsert his left contact lens, on Larry Fitzgerald one-on-one in bump-and-zone coverage off the line on third-and-17. That last part merits watching later. Nothing like having the two best players in this game, and possibly even the NFL, going head to head.

This just in, if it's a sign: Reed's field goal was the shortest in a Super Bowl in three decades since. . . the Steelers' Roy Gerela also kicked an 18-yarder in Super Bowl X, played in 1976.

6:46 p.m.: Color me shocked. This intrepid reporter was sure the Cardinals would come out in three or four wides. On second down, they did. . . and got a first down on a Kurt Warner pitch to Woodland Hills' Steve Breaston. Methinks Coach Whis will ditch the run rather soon and use those spread formations.

6:42 p.m.: After being aggressive all season, if not his entire head-coaching term thus far, Mike Tomlin opted for the points. Jeff Reed's field goal from 18 yards, after a 9-play, 71-yard, good-looking drive, gave the Steelers a 3-0 lead over Arizona.

Don't get cocky, Steelers galaxy. Arizona gave up a first-drive touchdown at Carolina and trailed 7-0 before scoring 33 unanswered points. And they were down to Atlanta, 17-14, in the wild-card game and responded with a touchdown and a lead they wouldn't relinquish in just 70-some seconds.

6:35 p.m.: For one thing, Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt might be regretting that decision to defer already, huh? Boomer Esiason on Westwood One said Ben Roethlisberger already looks better than he did in all of Super Bowl XL. . . But this goal-line offense (Russell?) still has great difficulty without using Parker or the pass. . . .Maybe it's a Steelers sign: Roethlisberger, who many folks (including much of the Pacific Northwest) still don't think he scored going left in Ford Field, scores on a pass on which he took the run option. Touchdown -- or is it? Whisenhunt challenged, which is a smart call (especially being a student of history, having been in the press box in Detroit that day). Roethlisberger is close yet again. . . replays arethisclose. After review, officials overturn the touchdown call. Fourth-and-goal from the one, Darnell Dockett with the tackle and Whisenhunt with the touchdown-saving move.

6:33 p.m.: What bad knee? Hines Ward was open for 10 to 15 yards, easy.

6:31 p.m.: If someone fleet such as Santonio Holmes had returned that kickoff through the middle hole, it might well be 7-0 Steelers by now. Maybe Gary Russell was blinded by all the flashing cameras.

6:28 p.m.: Big-game conditions: 68 degrees, winds out of the north-northwest (holy Hitchcock) and skies mostly cloudy, though it's nighttime, so it doesn't matter. Best weather for a Steelers game since, what, September?

6:27 p.m.: Tails, by James Farrior. It's heads. Arizona defers. Hey, like Bill Cowher sorta said, nobody ever remembers who loses the coin toss at the Super Bowl. (Final) Game on.

Friday and final post-practice injury report

Chuck Finder — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:39:00 GMT

The Steelers listed Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu (calf) and starting center Justin Hartwig (knee) as probable for Sunday's AFC Championship game, both participating in practice without limitations today.

UPDATED, 4:03 p.m.: The Ravens listed top-notch cornerback Samari Rolle (thigh) as doubtful after he and linebacker Terrell Suggs (shoulder -- see above item) completely missed practice today. Suggs was officially listed as questionable.

Limited in practice today and listed as questionable for Sunday were: safety Ed Reed (knee), fullback Le'Ron McClain (ankle), tight end Todd Heap (back), receivers Mark Clayton (thigh) and Derrick Mason (knee), defensive tackle Justin Brannan (foot) and linebacker Jarret Johnson (calf).

Middle linebacker Ray Lewis (shoulder) participated in the full practice and was listed as probable.

Thursday's post-practice injury report

Chuck Finder — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:29:00 GMT

Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu (calf) returned today for what he called a normal practice, but starting center Justin Hartwig (knee) was still limited, as we report elsewhere on this site.

But the Ravens are hurting.

Standout outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, who sprained his right shoulder Saturday while recording his 10th sack of the regular season and playoffs, has his arm in a sling and three players practicing in his place: rookie Jameel McClain, defensive end Marques Douglas and converted tight end Edgar Jones.

Besides Suggs, missing a second consecutive day of Ravens practice were: cornerback Samari Rolle (thigh), receivers Mark Clayton (thigh) and Derrick Mason (knee), and defensive tackle Justin Bannan (foot). Listed as participating in a limited fashion today were: linebacker Ray Lewis (shoulder), safety Ed Reed (knee), tight end Todd Heap (back), fullback Le’Ron McClain (ankle), fullback Lorenzo Neal (shoulder) and linebacker Jarret Johnson (calf).

Wednesday post-practice injury report

Chuck Finder — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:50:00 GMT

Linebacker Terrell Suggs (shoulder), fullback Le'Ron McClain (ankle) and cornerback Samari Rolle (thigh) all missed Ravens practice in Baltimore today. Sure, it's still early -- Thursday practice and, most important, Friday's tell more of a tale for Sunday. Meantime, Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has said all along that Suggs may well be an up-to-the-last-minute situation, though Suggs claims he would miss his first of 97 career games only if he isn't breathing.

Also absent from Baltimore practice were top receivers Derrick Mason (knee) and Mark Clayton (thigh), plus linebacker Jarret Johnson (calf) and defensive tackle Justin Bannan (foot).

Limited in practice were middle linebacker Ray Lewis (shoulder), safety Ed Reed (knee), tight end Todd Heap (back) and fullback Lorenzo Neal (shoulder). Ain't no way Lewis and Reed would miss this AFC Championship game. No matter how battered are the Ravens, who have played 17 weeks in a row after having their off week changed due to the hurricane in Houston.

Does somebody need the Owie Cowie?......Nah.

As for the Steelers, receiver Hines Ward, halfback Willie Parker, defensive end Aaron Smith and cornerback Deshea Townsend got their usual day off today while center Justin Hartwig (knee) sat out practice.

Steelers-Titans Live (in-game edition, Part Dieux)

Chuck Finder — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:15:00 GMT

[Sorry, due to laptop technical difficulties, we gotta start a new take here.]

2:13: Phil (Chris' daddy) Simms was surprised by how well Collins and the Titans passing game are moving downfield? Imagine how Dick LeBeau feels, dude.

2:15: Don't criticize Bruce Arians for running the ball on first down with one and three-quarters minutes remaining before halftime. We learned a long time ago from a pretty impressive offensive mind -- Paul Hackett -- that it's almost textbook to go with a run on the first or, at worst, second play of a two-minute-drill drive. Gotta at least try to keep the defense honest. And, hey, you can't argue with Mewelde Moore's success there, even if he, too, was shaken up a mite. (Man, they're hitting like it's a playoff game out there.)

2:23: Moore's final-option catch was priceless -- he took the hit, eluded tacklers, AND got out of bounds with 40 seconds left. . . .Funny that Phil Simms still cannot figure out the Steelers' clock management and preservation of timeouts, huh? But it's true, Roethlisberger didn't need to waste precious seconds by aligning for a spike -- it probably cost just one more pass play, maybe a shot in the end zone, maybe a shade closer for a hooking Jeff Reed. Man, that 33-yard field-goal attempt went left -- I'm not a golfer, but that's a hook rather than a fade, right? -- just a couple of yards in front of the near upright, veering wide. Instead of a 10-10 deadlock, the Steelers go into intermission behind by 10-7 and with Reed watching the miss replayed on the LP Field scoreboard. It'll be interesting to see if this failure revitalizes the Titans, or if the rally from a 10-0 deficit further fuels the Steelers.

2:30: The things you find when you Google "halftime". . .

And radio's John Steigerwald used to moan about a dog and a frisbee being a sufficient halftime show. . .

2:40: Four -- count 'em, four -- leg kicks by Roethlisberger calling that snap from Justin Hartwig. He finally caught the signal to snap. . . Between the Bironas kickoff out of bounds and the Berger punt that Tennessee nearly fumbled away -- nice recovery by a brain-frozen Chris Carr -- the Steelers could give themselves the jump-start they need. But that would require a defensive stop here down deep, and getting the ball back at midfield, or inside Titans territory.

2:50: No disputing that touchdown. Nice throw, catch and touchdown plunge by Roethlisberger and Hines Ward -- and they both absorbed some pretty sturdy blows on that play. Steelers up, 14-10, after 14 unanswered points . . .Nice of Nantz to jinx Roethlisberger by mentioning that career-best stretch of 127 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. Then again, the guy already had two fumbles in the first half, so maybe that covers it. . . As CBS pointed out, the Steelers' defense has yielded 22 third-quarter points all season, but more than half of those -- 13, to be exact -- came in the two games since Gene Collier wrote about it. Not that it's his fault.

3:05: That Tennessee drive was textbook LeBeau/Steelers defense. They'll give up the short pass, the tight-end outs. They'll constantly attempt to crunch the receivers, leaving indents and impressions for later in the game. They'll get the occasional sack (Harrison) or pass break up (Ryan Clark on an open Alge Crumpler). Sometimes, they'll make the big play or the takeaway, sometimes the offense will get the big play as with Justin McCareins covered 20 yards downfield by . . . a linebacker, Timmons? But Kris Johnson beating Ike Taylor in the backfield is one thing, but taunting Troy Polamalu and the defense at the 5-yard line on his way to the go-ahead touchdown? Double-hmmmmm. Tennessee retook the lead, 17-14. But Johnson may have reawakened the slumbering giant. Didn't Dallas celebrate prematurely two weeks ago?

3:11: What was it Nantz was saying about Roethlisberger's streak without an interception? (See 2:50.) The number, Nantz just intoned, was 131 when the streak ended. Now Roethlisberger has three giveaways in a little less than three quarters, the worst stat of all. Just a thought, II: Wasn't Roethlisberger one prime Steeler this week talking about, ah, this game isn't all that important . .. The game may well be getting away from the Steelers. . . Officials could've called Brandon Jones on offensive interference in the end zone on that pass incompletion. . . In the end, it led to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Steelers lining up for the short Bironas field goal. So the Titans seemed to be on the verge of putting away this victory. . . Plus, that streak of sub-300 games pitched by the Steelers' defense appeared to be in doubt: Tennessee was at 278 offensive yards at the third quarter's end.

3:24: These Titans certainly got their swagger back, 24-14, with 14 unanswered points themselves. And LenDale White, with his 15th touchdown on the season (on only 718 yards rushing, and counting), doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Earl Campbell. White's touchdowns are the most since 1979, when Campbell rumbled for 19 scores. . . and three yards shy of 1,700 yards. The difference between them is more than 1,000 yards, to be sure.

3:31: Stunting and sacking by a coupla guys named Jason? The Titans just placed their foot on the Steelers' neck. Weird thing is, with three Roethlisberger giveaways and that game-changing penalty on the field-goal line up, the Steelers can sincerely admit to giving this one away. Wonder how that will feel if their season goes deep into January, and they might have to return to LP Field? But, hey, that's getting waaaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of everything. After all, Mike Tomlin does have a one-game-focus edict. But, hey, that doesn't apply to blogging: Man, those Brownies are in trouble. They've gone something line 19 quarters without an offensive touchdown. And Ken Dorsey is their quarterback. Yep, the Steelers' reserves may well be able to win that one.

3:43: Four fumbles, two lost. One interception, two that easily could've been plucked, if not three. Not a good day by Roethlisberger. Not good at all. Doesn't seem like he could sit out the Cleveland game at all -- he could well benefit from a quarter, a half of confidence, right?

3:47: Insult to injury, that White run for a first down put the Titans over 300 yards for the game and ended the Steelers' NFL-record-tying streak of 14 games without allowing a foe that many yards. So they will stand alongside the 1973 then-Los Angeles Rams -- Fred Dryer (and you thought he was merely a TV star), Jack Youngblood and the gang -- in league history. And this on a week when fans and media were starting to talk about where this defense ranked historically, down to the point of manufacturing nicknames. Perhaps it is all so premature, eh?. . . Clark escorted by trainer Ryan Grove with a right arm or shoulder injury, and Tyrone Carter into the lineup -- time to worry.

3:55: AFPilot has a point: This is playoff football. Run, hit hard, limit mistakes -- and that last one is the tell-tale difference today. But methinks to that list of Tennessee and Indianapolis being potential exits on the Road to the Super Bowl, you ought to include Baltimore in that list. The Ravens are playing well and would welcome a third shot at the Steelers. You know that old axiom about the difficulty of beating a team three times in a season, and that's a team the Steelers beat only by three and then four points the first coupla times.

3:59: Which was worse, Limas Sweed committing blatant offensive pass interference, or Limas Sweed shedding the defender illegally AND still dropping a long, soft pass that hit him in the hands? No, the worst was when Nantz claimed that he could catch it.

4:01: Make that TWO interceptions by Roethlisberger -- where was his streak between interceptions, Nantz? -- and about a half-season's worth of turnovers in a single Nashville afternoon. Hey, at least it wasn't Nick Harper returning that last pick 83 yards for a touchdown. . . So maybe that schedule caught up with the Steelers after all. Twenty-one second-half points by Tennessee nearly equals the entire third-quarter total the Steelers have given up the previous 14 weeks. . . Yes, video of White and the Titans stomping on a Terrible Towel will soon make YouTube, or TV highlights, or somewhere. But notice that wasn't a real, trademarked, authentic Terrible Towel. Some smart Tennesseean got a gold towel and marked it up.

4:20: The 17-point margin in this 31-14 loss marked the worst defeat by the Steelers in their past 17 games, dating to the New England 34-13 romp last December, and the second-worst margin in 32 games, since Baltimore drubbed them twice late in 2006 by 27 and then 24 points. Cheer up. . . Benstonium.com offered up a Christmas-themed video parodying those TV-beer commercials you see. Happy holidays: