Blog 'n' Gold : Willie Parker

Steelers-Chefs live

Chuck Finder — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:54:00 GMT

Yes, I spelled Chiefs incorrectly on purpose. If it's good enough for the Bungles. . . .

A few pregame notes:

* Expect Willie Parker to play more today. Of course, Bruce Arians planned to play his -- dare we say this now -- No. 2 halfback more often, on every third series, the past two games. Situations worked out differently. But today the Chiefs bring the NFL's sixth-worst NFL defense against the run. Parker, recovered from his turf toe too, has a shredded them in the past.

* No Larry Johnson (now with the Bungles), no Troy Polamalu (absent today and maybe another game or two with that PCL injury). So much for calling this a hairpull.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

* These aren't the quality Chiefs you remember -- from McDonald's Marty Schottenheimer as coach or even Rich Gannon at quarterback, before he went to the Super Bowl with the Raiders. But Arrowhead can still be a tough place to play. Moreoever, Steelers fans should thank the Chiefs. If it wasn't for a draft-day trade up, the Steelers may not have been able to draft Polamalu in 2003.

FIRST QUARTER

1:02 p.m.: So much for an improved kickoff coverage. The team with already the most KO return touchdowns this season gave up their fourth in five games and their eighth return for a touchdown -- kick, fumble or interception. CBS, by the way, showed the wrong coach at first before focusing on Bob Ligashesky. Gee, and it has been four years since the Chefs returned one for a score. Remember Dante Hall? One more thing: Ryan Mundy appeared to have the best chance at him, and Patrick Bailey got taken out by a teammate, so it appeared. The Steelers gave up thinking he was down. More reckless play is required on this unit. Oh, and Jeff Reed was awfully deep -- around the Kansas City 40 -- on that coverage, which represents a major change from him being a safety valve at the 50 or deeper in Steelers territory. (So nobody can criticize him for not sticking his nose in there.) 1:09 p.m.: Is it just me, or are the Steelers trying to pump up Kansas City? Run, run holding, run (a reverse on second and way too long), throwing into triple coverage? Funny, Mundy and the punt-return unit flew down there on that one. Hmmmm. . . maybe they should have Daniel Sepulveda and those guys punt off, as with a safety, instead of using Reed and the kickoff unit. 1:18 p.m.: OK, I'll agree with you there: You just make a dandy run against a defense that knows it's bad against the run, and the next down you go empty set? Don't except the "screen is as good as a run" argument, either. Especially with the way Ben Roethlisberger passed last week and looks already today, they should run to set up the pass and alleviate the burden on the quarterback. 1:28 p.m.: Told ya about Willie Parker (pregame notes). And in the replay, just noticed that Lawrence Timmons was on the Ill-Fated Kickoff Unit, or IFKU. Isn't he a new addition there? 1:31 p.m.: Sign that Miracles Do Happen: The Browns have 10 points already. (OK, so it's just Detroit). . . Offensive line doing the Steelers no favors on this drive, which showed promise. The sooner the Steelers tie this game, the better chance they have of the Chefs realizing that they are indeed the Chefs. 1:36 p.m.: Five of seven on fourth-down conversions this season? That's impressive. And Mendenhall nearly took that one all the way. . . By the way, Hines Ward was down on that play, but when he loses the ball, it's not a good sign. The Chefs' defense is hitting with some vigor. . . . End of the first, 7-0 KC.

SECOND QUARTER

1:40 p.m.: Was Big Ben just showing his Little Owie to the ref? Potential headline, if the Steelers prevail today: Victory better than being poked in the eye. . . 1:41 p.m.: Seems to be a hollow way to end such a drive, But don't lose sight of a jarring trend that Reed's 36-yard field goal signifies: That makes five consecutive touchdown-less trips into the Red Zone for the Steelers. Ruh-roh, every score means a kickoff! There was Ike Taylor to the rescue. . . 1:51 p.m.: Mixed into that sea of red are 10,000-plus Steelers fans in a Midwest meeting of Steeler Nation. The P-G's Bob Dvorchak is on hand to report about it for tomorrow's print publication. Just listen to them cheer or chant "Heeeeath." . . .1:58 p.m.: With that catch, Miller has tied his career high with 47 receptions. He's on pace for roughly 75 catches -- that's Antonio Gates territory. Most important, it's Red Zone time again. Can the Steelers go 6-for-6? The must be able to run the ball. Just as I typed that, CBS threw up an interesting graphic: No team has gone longer without a rushing touchdown than the Steelers, with 95 consecutive carries. . . 2 p.m: Funny, but I was thinking Roethlisberger should've run just about the time he flicked the ball to a Ward who was wide open because Roethlisberger's feet caused Chefs defenders to creep toward the line of scrimmage to watch him. The 5-for-5 Red Zone skid without a touchdown finally comes to a halt. Now I'll answer you critics: Don't give up on this club just yet. The defense is better, even without Polamalu, than three-quarters of the rest of the NFL. The offense can overcome special-teams mistakes. And, overall, if you watch the rest of the league closely, the Steelers still possess one of the six best teams in the NFL, if not better. The question, though, is: Will they play that way? If they win today, there are easy victories against the Browns and Raiders upcoming -- that's nine victories. Beat Green Bay or Baltimore at home, or win in Bawlmer or Miami, which is surging, and 11 surely will earn them a playoff spot, if not home field for the wild-card game. The Bungles, playing an even lighter schedule the rest of the way, HAVE to win 11 minimum unless they fall completely off the Earth. Oh, and the Steelers lead, 10-7. . . 2:08 p.m.: Brownies update: They've scored 24! Of course, they've allowed 17. And it isn't even halftime yet in Detroit. (Hey, if you can't have fun at Cleveland's expense, you're clinically deceased.) Two-minute warning. . . 2:13 p.m.: Red Zone time again. A 96th consecutive carry without a touchdown. Followed by another vintage Roethlisberger play: somehow avoid the sack by ducking under, scooting to his left and finding an ad-libbing Miller for another Live At The Improv touchdown. Steelers cruising, 17-7. How much are they cruising? They have 279 yards to Kansas City's 43. They have a dozen first downs to Kansas City's two. They have possessed the ball for nearly 21 minutes to Kansas City's 8:05. They have put together 95- and 46-yard scoring drives in their past 17 total plays. They own this one. . . 2:18 p.m.: Lest anyone forget, too: Kansas City's offense on all four offensive possessions have passed their own 40-yard line, if not the 50. They've had prime real estate -- and done nothing with it aginast the Steelers. Can't wait to end up the total scores for Matt Cassel by the end of this one; remember, he lost with New England to these Steelers by 33-10 in Foxboro last November. What will today's final be in KC? It's still 17-7, Steelers.

For your halftime viewing pleasure. . .

EYE-an Eagle, the Eye network's play-by-play man today and a swell fella, once told me that he is the son of a television star. Yes, he said, that was his father starring in those Brother Dominic commercials -- this one from 1977 and the Super Bowl:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

THIRD QUARTER

2:32 p.m.: Give the 3-foot-7 guy (Reed's words, not ours) his due -- Stefan Logan has put together his best return day of the season, and the first one equal to his preseason hint of electricity. The last return, past the 40, was well blocked . . . so give the special teams and coaches their due there. But still the Steelers have allowed four touchdown returns and collected none of their own, a minus-4 ratio (and it indeed cost them the Cincinnati game), an inescapable fact. . . . 2:40 p.m.: Just looked it up: Roethlisberger has been intercepted just twice in his past 70 attempts, a stretch that included his admittedly off game against Cincinnati last Sunday. And both were on tipped passes. So, sharp or not, he hasn't hurt his team. The Chefs took this one and drove to a touchdown, which indeed hurts. The offense needs to come back and score to put the Chefs back in their 2-7 place and provide themselves with some breathing room, lest they return to their Bears, Lions and at Bungles second-half collapses of earlier this season. Chefs creep within 17-14, Steelers. . .

We pause for this commercial message:

Why is this a Thanksgiving movie? The carving?

2:47 p.m.: Left guard Chris Kemoeatu, so vital to the running game, particularly on pulling blocks, will be missed with injury the rest of the day. Kansas City stuffs the Steelers, and Sepulveda makes his first punt since the Steelers' opening possession. Now that defense, which just had its only bad series of the game, must stand firm -- if not come up with a game-turning takeaway. The longer you let the Chefs linger. . . . . . 2:58 p.m.: The middle is amazingly open for the Steelers. Give credit to Ramon Foster for filling in admirably thus far for Kemoeatu, too. Roethlisberger has time to throw, for the most part. . . 3:04 p.m.: Neat interactive set-up for the Chiefs' site live blog, but not nearly as entertaining or informative as this one, not to be too shamelessly promotional. . . 3:07 p.m.: Now there was a potentially fatal mistake by Roethlisberger -- he threw into four Kansas City defenders.Now the Steelers are fighting for their lives. A beautiful drive and a chance to drive a stake through Kansas City's heart, and instead they revive that heart. . . To think, if he put a little more air under that sideline pass to Mendenhall, the Steelers lead 24-14 instead of going down of getting tied here [CORRECTION AT 3:17]. . . 3:10 p.m.: James Harrison, whose name hadn't been called much, if at all, previously today comes up with a crucial sack. Still, the Chefs tie this game at 17-all behind a guy from the family that produced America's most infamous car and a kick whose name is pronounced Suck-up. . .

The Steelers have almost four times as much yardage and more than twice as much time of possession, but two turnovers, one drive and a special-teams blunder have allowed Kansas City to stay in a game undeservedly -- it is at Cincinnati, at Chicago and at Detroit all over again. Perhaps this is the road rule rather than the exception.

FOURTH QUARTER

3:15 p.m.: Roethlisberger is playing with fire. At least he threw that second-down pass away, but still they're placing way too much reliance on pass-blocking, the pass, Roethlisberger's feet. With Max Starks down and Kemoeatu already out, the Steelers are getting perilously thin and in dangerous territory. . . 3:17 p.m.: No, AFPilot, I'm NOT watching the game; I'm making all this up. But I sit corrected: A Willie Colon holding erased that Roethlisberger-to-Mendenhall play regardless. My bad. And the defense is going to have to win this one for the Steelers, if they can. . . 3:23 p.m.: Reasons why Chiefs are still in this game? They've kicked their bad habit and shut down the Steelers running game. And 0 giveaways by them. . . . Of course, as soon as I type that, Cassel coughs it up to -- Harrison again. . . Starks is back. . . 3:25 p.m.: How about this: If the Steelers don't score on this trip to the Red Zone -- the've failed on six of their past eight, remember -- we'll force them to decline an invitation to the playoffs. . . 3:28 p.m.: At least the Steelers tried to run the ball in the Red Zone. And this time -- I'll get it right, I'll get it right! -- Roethlisberger hits Mendenhall over the middle for the go-ahead score, 24-17 Steelers. And these Chefs linebackers, with Studebaker in and ex-Steeler Mike Vrabel absent, aren't very good at all. . . 3:31 p.m.: At 3:23, I forgot to point out one aspect: Kansas City, until that kick return, got called for only one penalty against the Steelers' 7 for 70 yards. See, the Steelers were giving this game to the Chefs. . . 3:36 p.m.: Former Steelers ballboy Todd Haley is attacking the Steelers safeties -- Deshea Townsend in nickel on the Lance Long catch to midfield, Ryan Clark on the double move by Chris Chambers to the Red Zone. Game on. . . 3:40 p.m.: Now the Steelers defense has been fairly shredded twice in the past four Kansas City offensive possessions. Brett Keisel really looked to be huffing and puffing there, a byproduct of both Aaron Smith and Travis Kirschke being absent due to injuries. It's 24-24. . . 3:43 p.m.: Huge offensive series for the Steelers. . . The next turnover will decide this game. . . 3:49 p.m. Cassel started this drive 8 for 15 passing for 140 yards this half alone. More importantly, he has steered Kansas City to two TDs and a field goal, with help from Roethlisberger. The Steelers come out of this 2-minute warning with a season-saving, third-and-3 staring them in the face. Well, that's overdramatic -- but this Kansas City possession determines this game, or at least saves overtime. . . 3:52 p.m.: Gutsy decision to blitz and leave those safeties in coverage. Just shows you the difference between good teams and bad: Lesser ones drop balls like that. . .

3:53 p.m.: One minute, 47 seconds to go and the ball in Roethlisberger's hands. Mewelde Moore couldn't handle Derrick Johnson on that first-down rush. . . But an illegal-downfield-contact penalty helped the Steelers' cause. Let's see what they can do with a break. . . 3:55 p.m.: One-29 to go, and wasn't that a lovely shot by CBS' cameras of Reed tugging on the seat of his pants? . . . 3:57 p.m.: Sixty-two seconds left, and a third-and-4 at midfield, and Roethlisberger can't make a play with his feet. Chefs try a safety blitz into that line, and now it's Cassel's turn to try to rescue the home side. . . 4 p.m.: We're going to overtime. It's up to a flip of the coin. . . or the next mistake.

True, this game never should've reached this point. But blame the defense, too, for allowing those second-half drives.

OVERTIME

4:02 p.m.: Tails, as in what the Steelers need kicked. The offense must run the ball and staunch that Kansas City rush. Even throw a shovel pass or quick screens. . . 4:04 p.m.: See, BA reads this Blog!. . . Seriously, Roethlisberger is 31 of 41 for 19 yards shy of 400, stats alone that show Kansas City never should've gotten this far. Once again, the middle is wide open for Ward. But, and I reiterate, run the ball with Mendenhall. The offensive line needs a break, too, and run-blocking is easier for them. And the Chefs are bad at it, when not blitzing. And Mendenhall, like that first-down run, is rushing hard and well. . . 4:07 p.m.: Roethlisberger indeed took a Derrick Johnson knee to the head, so it's on to Charlie Batch, who is woefully cold, and a tired offensive line. Go to two backs and run. Leave Batch with only short passes. You need two yards for a first down, then another 10 to 12 yards to get into Reed's range and get the heck out of Dodge. . . 4:10 p.m.: Excuse me, I forgot about the Hartwig hold. They need 22 to 25 yards for Reed. . . and then Batch threw that deep strike to Santonio Holmes, a gutsy call and a beautiful throw. But the Steelers should've sat on it and run from there. That Chefs defense should be a little weary deep down, too, from all that time on the field -- 41 minutes and counting -- and all that pass-rushing on 43 pass attempts. Great run by Mendenhall. Can Reed deliver again, like in overtime in the opener? . . . 4:13 p.m.: Not sure if Moore was the right man for that third-down job. Parker maybe, with his speed and having a decently warm, if not hot, hand in this game already. Sure, Moore is sure-handed, but. . . Now it's up to the Steelers defense. . . 4:15 p.m.: Can Taylor actually catch a huge ball and intercept it? . . . Nah. . . A harbinger, to be sure. . . This isn't the same Cassel as the first half, or last year's New England game. No, the Chefs deserve to win this -- and they will, after that long pass to Chambers.

4:18 p.m.: Suck-up's kick, of course, is good. Chefs, 27-24. They hadn't won back-to-back games in more than two years. Heck, they've mostly beaten the lowly Raiders the past two years. The Steelers need some soul-searching now.

They are 2-3 on the road, and they only played well once -- in Denver. They are two drastically different teams, especially on defense, home vs. road. And they now have their second two-game losing skid of the season.

Worse, they have imperiled their playoff chances. At Baltimore and at Miami look far more daunting now. And, geesh, could at Cleveland, too?

Great googly-moogly, indeed.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Pregame Browns-Steelers

Chuck Finder — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:41:00 GMT

11:40 p.m.: The clock just turned back to the 1970s along the Steelers sidelines. There's Glenn Edwards in his No. 27 jersey giving Kenny Anderson, longtime Bungles nemesis, some grief. There's No. 23 Mike Wagner sneaking up on Anderson's blindside. There's No. No. 33 Frenchy Fuqua, No. 76 John Banaszak, No. 89 Bennie Cunningham, No. 43 Frank Lewis, No. 57 Sam Davis, No. 55 Jon Kolb, No. 46 Reggie Harrison, No. 74 Ray Pinney, No. 9 Matt Bahr, Dan Rooney, defensive coach Dan "Bad Rad" Radakovich (on crutches). . . . In a city more nostalgic than most, it's Alumni Weekend -- aren't those for colleges? -- at Heinz Field, and a lot of the old gang came back.

Larry Brown, Andy Russell, Randy Grossman, J.T. Thomas, Moon Mullins, Ron Johnson and coach Paul Uram also represented the Super Steelers '70s. Walter Abercrombie and Dwayne Woodruff -- who bridged three decades, playing from 1979-90 -- came from the '80s. And among the modern-day alums were Kimo von Oelhoffen, Mike Logan, Jeff Hartings and some dude known as The Bus. More might have showed by gametime; we apologize if we forgot ya.

Then again, in this Tahn, nobody completely forgets the Old Days.

, How can we not pay homage to the best-dressed fullback of the '70s?

11:55 p.m.: Inactives announced, and Rashard Mendenhall -- not unexpected -- is listed as the official starter over returning Willie Parker at halfback. Tight end David Johnson also is listed as the first-team fullback, replacing the inactive Carey Davis.

Steelers inactives: WR Limas Sweed (back inside the confinement not known as Mike Tomlin's Doghouse), CB Keenan Lewis, LB Andre Frazier, OG Kraig Urbik, OT Tony Hills, DE Sunny Harris, Davis and designated No. 3 QB Dennis Dixon.

Browns inactives: Injured K Phil Dawson (replaced by Billy Cundiff), DB Coye Francies, DB Gerard Lawson, RB Chris Jennings, OL Billy Yates, ailing TE Steve Heiden, LB Kamerion Wimbley and designated No. 3 QB Brett Ratliff. Jason Trusnik will start at LB instead of Wimbley, who was -- poor guy -- sent back to Cleveland with the flu.

The absences of Dawson (calf) and Heiden (knee) means that only one player on the Browns' roster has savored a Cleveland victory over the Steelers, way back on Oct. 5, 2003: long snapper Ryan Pontbriand.

Oh, and the loss of Wimbley to the worst rushing defense and the fourth-worst overall unit in the NFL cannot be overstated: He has a team-leading four sacks, almost half of Cleveland's nine to date.

12:36 p.m.: The Sporting News, with former Pittsburgh Press ranch hand and Point Park/Elizabeth-Forward graduate Mike DeCourcey representing the publication for whom he writes and authored that story, gathered at midfield a moment ago to officially honor the city its Best Sports City in America designation that graces the magazine cover (the one with Sid and Big Ben on the cover). Reppin' the city's various sports teams were: Teresa Conn from the Pittsburgh Passion, Robert Morris hoops coach Mike Rice, Duquesne hoops coaches Ron Everhart and Suzie McConnell, Pitt hoops coach Jamie Dixon, Steelers President Art Rooney II, Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen and alum Kent Tekulve, yet the loudest ovation went to Penguins owner Mario Lemieux. Oh, yeah, and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl was there, too.

12:46 p.m.: The Alumni were just introduced, with the last one, Jerome Bettis, getting the loudest cheer from a 1/3-full Heinz Field. (Good thing there wasn't 6 inches of snow here instead of State College. How would Steelers fans react to a "No Tailgating" command? Badly. Cataclysmically badly.)

Still and all, Lemieux got the louder ovation.

Steelers-Lions live

Chuck Finder — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:48:00 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- We;re live, on location, at a Steelers bar. . . .. Oops, sorry, slipped into television blow-dry mode for a second there.

While in Florida picking up a number of other stories (shhhh, the folks at Brand X can read, so we have to keep it from them for awhile), the Live Blog follows me. Don't leave home without it, or somethin'. So here we are at East Side Pub, in the Coral Ranch section of this Atlantic Ocean paradise. Why, there's even a Primanti's here, barely 1.2 miles south. But that's yet another story for yet another day.

Younz guys would love this place, by the way. A 15-foot, blow-up Steeler stands guard out front. All kinds of signs -- OK, so their trademark is a Philly cheesesteak, and I just passed an Eagles bar -- adorn the walls, "Welcome to Steeler Nation," posters, photos, Iron City ads, you name it. By the way, I just met the owner, who three years ago turned the place back into a Steelers bar. After a co-owner from Pittsburgh sold the place, it became.a gay nightclub, whose owners sold it to a Canadian-born, Massachussetts couple who restored it to Steelers central, supposedly the hoppingest such bar north of Miami, if not in all of South Florida.. ,

Onto the game:

12:51 p.m.: Dante Culpepper is starting for the Lions, and methinks the Steelers are 2-0 (Minnesota and Miami) against him. Ergo, it should be better to play a quarterback you know and you've beaten rather than some new kid fresh off the draft line, Matthew Stafford.

FIRST QUARTER

1:05 p.m.: Well, Limas Sweed isn't in or on top of the Siberia that isn't Mike Tomlin's doghouse. And then, the first throw in his direction since the botched pass in Cincinnati's end zone two weeks ago (and one week after he was inactive against San Diego), the Big Texas Tease drops another one. A decent defensive play, the announcers corectly pointed out that it was a catchable ball. . . 1:07 p.m.: Disregarding the hold on James Harrison -- the officials apparently did -- Culpepper proved me wrong already with a dandy run. He faked out some Steeler defensive back there, Ike Taylor maybe?, on his way deep into Steelers territory. The Lions have a little offense. It's just a matter of scoring more in the second half, when they tend to turtle into an 0-16 team. . . . 1:12 p.m.: Detroit drive stalls. A 46-yard field goal, despite a Steelers offsides, gives the Lions a 3-0 lead. The Steelers need to answer, even with a sustained drive that doesn't culminate in a score. . . . 1:18 p.m.: Carp all you want about the Steelers running game, or lack thereof. Bruce Arians, Ben Roethlisberger and Co. have crafted a passing game almost as potent at Indianapolis or any other NFL team you care to name. There's a reason the quarterback is completing 75 percent of his passes in games, and, to be sure, the protection is a critical reason. But well-designed plays, patterns that cross up secondaries and pretty fair receivers -- that was a nice tackle-breaking run after catch on first down by Santonio Holmes -- and then the middle screen, behind blockers, with Rashard Mendenhall show a deep and varied playbook, a deep and varied talent base. Having said that, they'll probably rip off seven consecutive incompletions and a pick. 1:20 p.m.: All right, already, the running game looks to be decent in Mendenhall's hands, with Willie Parker ailing (and trust me, I've had one, turf toes take time; a month, maybe). Mendenhall broke one tackle and ran quickly to open space, but he also had outstanding blocking on that run, including a road-grading block by Heath Miller, whose value cannot be understated. . . . 1:23 p.m.: Shows you, the Steelers don't read this: A quick, cutting drive for a Mendenhall touchdown -- that's three touchdowns in five quarters for him, so maybe he's just a slow pro starter? Steelers, 7-0. . . .1:31 p.m.: Oooh, the Steelers' secondary is susceptible without Troy Polamalu in there? Brilliant deduction,Mr. Color Commentator (I hear Dick Enberg, who I like, but I don't even want to type his sidekick's name). But the key to that pass to the Lions fullback was: The linebackers, likely James Farrior, missed that coverage on a nicely designed play by Detroit -- both backs went into the middle for passes, with the Steelers failing to blitz on the play. Lions kick yet another field goal and decline yet another offsides call on the Steelers, who still lead by 7-6. (Oh, and for the record: It was wise to sit Polamalu. As noted Dr. Ryan Clark put it: Why use him in Week 5 against Detroit when you truly need him healthy for Week 10 and 15 and beyond?

SECOND QUARTER

1:43 p.m.: Mendenhall fumbles? Yeah, you remember that. Preseason his rookie year and again early this year? The $500 bounty on a ball he had to tote around the South Side complex? At least he doesn't drop the ball as often as Sweed. . . 1:48 p.m.: Nice acting job by Roethlisberger, but, who knows, maybe his right knee did endure more pain that it originally looked after being basically high-lowed by a pair of Lions. That bears further inspection. But, if nothing else, it erased a bad pick -- which most humans would throw with 500 pounds of beef bearing on you and your knees.. . .1:52 p.m.: Words a sports writer so rarely gets to type: And the bar goes wild! After Matt Spaeth's pull-down and penalty erased a touchdown, the Steelers -- as Ed Bouchette wrote earlier in the week -- went all Tony Gonzalez-Dallas Clark-Antonio Gates on the Lions, a touchdown catch and run by Heath Miller. Steelers, 14-6. They're actually playing the "Here We Go" song in this bar, which is a little larger than your average end zone. . . and packed with about 150 fans in various jersies and T's.

Yeah, I know. I'm in a bar. In Florida. Watching football. And it's a workday.

Such a tough life I lead.

Honest, Boss, I haven't touched a drop of libation, either. It is, after all, a workday.

Of course, you remember the last time the Steelers were in Ford Field.

A funny aside: A Seattle newspaper pal around the Thursday of Super Bowl week wrote about how the Seahawks were expecting a quiet crowd on Super Sunday, what with the corporate atmosphere and ticketholders to these glitzy affairs. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. My guesstimate was some 35,000, maybe even 40,000, Steelers fans were inside the building that XL day. A like number were around downtown Detroit, where cabbies charged per head and bars asked some $150 for a black-and-gold body to come inside and merely watch the game on TV. By the way, I always thought it was a good thing the Bears didn't win that NFC Champsionship: Could you imagine 70,000 to 80,000 Chicago fans and the same amount of Pittsburgh fans all getting insulated in Greektown on Saturday night? Could've been the largest drunken streetfight in U.S. history.

2:03 p.m.: I know what you're thinking: Mike Wallace must've gotten too close to Sweed. The dropsies are contagious. Maybe Sweed should cough into his elbow and the club should install those antibacterial-lotion machines on the sidelines. . . 2:08 p.m.: Oops, some kid goes all Ed Reed on Roethlisberger, one play after Wallace beat William James like a rented mule on that deep-pass drop, and it's Steelers, 14-13. . . .2:10 p.m.: A fan here has a legitimate question: Does being an ardent Steelers fan take years off your life? Miss Roethlisberger Throwback estimates it at 10 years. Might as well take up cliff diving or cigarette-pack smoking, right? UPMC, researchers get right on that. . . 2:14 p.m.: That's an amazing stat, 130-plus Steelers yards this quarter compared to just 1 yard by Detroit? Ward scored, bar erupted, Steelers regain a two-score lead at 21-13. But you gotta keep scoring, keep muffling that offense. But you gotta keep scoring, keep muffling that offense. A two-touchdown lead either before halftime or early the second, and this one will be in the books. (Hmmm, but didn't we say that at Chicago and Cincinnati, too? On second thought, the Steelers need a road victory any way they can get it right now. And, for the record, even some Florida fans have written off the club already: They won't win the Super Bowl. They don't have it. They don't look good. Tomlin needs to get on them. So, in short, a lovely climate and a different zip code doesn't alter Steeler Nation mentality much, does it. 2:24 p.m.: A James Harrison sack. There's something you haven't seen with anywhere near the same regularity as last season. By the way, his book comes out this week. 2:29 p.m.: HALFTIME, Steelers 21-13. Not a good half, not a bad half. They've done enough to get the lead, and, really, the defense isn't playing that bad, yielding just a pair of field goals mostly due to a couple of big plays (a nasty trend). But the frenetic fourth quarter is still to come.

THIRD QUARTER

2:46 p.m.: Yes, they serve Iron City here. But, again, Boss, I'm sippin' only diet pop. . . 2:55 p.m.: The leg, but not the accuracy for a 50-yarder anymore. Field-goal miss. Steelers need to turn that miss into points to pull away. . . 2:58 p.m.: Wallace caught THAT one. Even if it was underthrown a mite by Roethlisberger, who hadn't been off in his timing with the rookie since presesaon. Still and all, it's the kid's first NFL touchdown. And it breaks open this one. Steelers 28-13. Feel better now? . . . 3:15 p.m.: Rarer than a Harrison (or LaMarr Woodley) sack or a Sweed catch, it's a defensive turnover -- an interception, in particular. Clark's marked the Steelers' first pick in more than 150 pass attempts and 18-plus quarters (not counting overtime vs. Tennessee). The last one? Polamalu early against those Tennessee Tuxedos. Right there is your key defensive difference from last year.

FOURTH QUARTER

Just looked it up: The Steelers entered the day tied with the Patriots and Browns for dead last in the NFL with just one interception. Amazing. . 3:43 p.m.: Two ways to look at that Detroit touchdown. Glass half-full: That was Detroit's first offensive touchdown of the game and followed 3 2/3 quarters of just two field goals worth of offensive production. Glass half-empty: There's that fourth-quarter defensive problem again. As WVU coach Bill Stewart says: Hey, it's just a half-glass of water, anyway! Translation: The defense, as Dick LeBeau is wont to do, gave up stuff underneath. They allow the running backs and tight ends to catch short stuff, hoping that they'll get hit enough to develop alligator arms or drop balls on occasion. But they made Detroit's two-minute drill take three minutes. Still, they have one defensive stand yet to make, if not more. Lions TD makes it 28-20. Steelers. .3:52 p.m.: Playing with Polamalu is hard enough, but Clark, too? We'll see if the injury is severe. For a player of Clark's magnitude, anything more than a game or two -- Brett Favre approaches on the schedule -- could be verrrrrrry troubling. 4:02 p.m.: The LeBeau defense gave up the short stuff. Then, in the end, they turned the dogs loose. Three of their season-high seven sacks came on three of the final four downs. Sure, that last down was momentarily scarey, with two Lions receivers open underneath. . . before the Steelers' deep safeties stepped into the picture and snuffed out the threat. Hey, the Lions needed a 2-point conversion still to tie, remember. This team, similar to 2001, might be a team that juuuuuuust does enough to win, and that team won a ton of games by one score. Final: Steelers 28, Lions 20.

Pregame Chargers-Steelers

Chuck Finder — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:37:00 GMT

6:35 p.m.: Less than two hours until kickoff, and the fellas are just warming up -- pink shoes-to-pink shoes, Ben Roethlisberger to Hines Ward among them. The pink goalpost padding, the pink Gatorade towels hanging off the benches along the Steelers sideline and the pink "A Crucial Catch" slogan banner on the wall also dress up the field for this Breast Cancer Awareness Month across America and in the league.

Spotted Troy Polamalu ambling up and down the middle of the field underneath headphones, in no hurry. After a closer look through binoculars, his objective appeared clear: just out for a Sunday walk.

6:50 p.m.: A little light, pregame reading -- NFL.com's Pat Kirwan counted a combined 14 passes where Cincinnati's Carson Palmer and Chicaco's Jay Cutler were untouched by the Steelers' rush in their game-winning drives the past two Sundays.

7:07 p.m.: Interesting inactive list for the Steelers: Scratch Limas Sweed. No, Mike Tomlin has no doghouse. The others included the injured Willie Parker (turf toe), Polamalu (knee) and tight end-fullback David Johnson (high ankle sprain), plus cornerback Keenan Lewis along with linemen Kraig Urbik and Tony Hills. Dennis Dixon is the No. 3 quarterback.

The Steelers also announced that Rashard Mendenhall will start for Parker -- though the bet here is, unless Mendenhall dazzles, you will see a heavy dose of Mewelde Moore -- and Tyrone Carter will start for Polamalu. Again, Deshea Townsend received all the work at that strong safety spot in Friday's critical practice, so we'll watch closely how that plays out. . . especially against a San Diego tight end name of Antonio Gates.

Where have you gone, burnt-orange No. 4?............

For the Chargers, inactive are: safeties Kevin Ellison and C.J. Spillman, center Nick Hardwick, guard Tyronne Green, receiver Buster Davis, linebacker Antwan Applewhite and defensive lineman Travis Johnson. Charlie Whitehurst is their No. 3 quarterback.

BTW, the Chargers' inactives also mean outside linebacker Shawne Merriman is giving it a full go, whether that means select plays or he gives it as long as it lasts.

8:13 p.m.: Sorry, was out and about in the Mustard Bowl working on something. Nothing to report, though: Lotsa Chargers jersies behind their bench (family and friends), including a Lance Alworth throwback. Loved a Steeler fan with a nice facsimile of the Lombardi Trophy atop his hard hat. Something tells me there's a little kid somewhere missing his plastic toy football, which somebody snagged and painted silver. . . .

8:20 p.m.: 8:20 kickoff my tight end. But if you want a further pink update: lots of fellas in gloves, Roethlisberger with a forearm-band on his right, throwing arm, and Willie Gay, Santonio Holmes and Ryan Clark among those resplendent in the bright shoes and cleats.

Breast cancer patients/survivors are at midfield for the coin toss and national anthem. Game on.

Steelers-Bungles live

Chuck Finder — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:07:00 GMT

Pregame, 4:05 p.m.: Let that be a lesson to ya, if the 0-for-2008-09 Detroit Lions can take a lead into the two-minute warning, anything can happen on a Sunday. . . 4:12 p.m.: Didja catch Ex-Coach Cahr on the CBS pregame show? Mr. Bill was speaking to the smushmouth Steelers choir when he called them the P-word: "The game has changed. The rules have changed. I think right now, I hate to say this, but the running game is a complement. It's not the foundation that it once was. You look at the last three AFC teams that were in the Super Bowl, that's Pittsburgh, New England and Indianapolis. They're all passing games. The running game is a complement." And he didn't mean that as a compliment. 4:14 p.m.: Jim Nantz provided the pregame kibosh: The last Bungles coach to beat the Steelers was Hall of Fame-to-be cooordinator Dick LeBeau. Then Cincinnati enlivens Paul Brown's building with that long kickoff return. Game on.

FIRST QUARTER

4:16 p.m.: You notice Tyrone Carter, padded left thigh and all, started. You also notice that LeBeau and the fellas welcomed back Carson Palmer, who hasn't played them in a while (since, what, the Kimo von Ohlhoffen treatment in the 2005 playoffs? seems it, anyway), with a zone-blitz drop where James Farrior nearly picked off his first pass. But, trust us, they cannot give Palmer all day to throw. They'll have to harry him. . . The visitors needed that long, slow-building pass play. And if Ben Roethlisberger doesn't have time to look downfield, and if he -- sing along with the chorus -- doesn't hold onto the ball for several extra seconds, such big plays never get made. You take the incompletion, the occasional interception, the disdain for the 3- to 6-yard quarterback scrambles for back-breaking big plays like that. . . 4:23 p.m.: Chris Simms' daddy is exactly right -- the officials need to call nullifying penalties on Hines Ward, who is in for a long day with angry Bungles, and Cincinnati's James Joseph trading shoves deep into the Steelers' bench area. Got to stop that stuff early. And how about Willie Parker? A 24-yard run, again with nice blocking, marked his longest since the Cleveland finale last season. Remember, he had 47 yards total in Chicago a week ago, and that was considered a breakthrough ground performance.. . . 4:29 p.m.: The same as in Chicago, a short-yardage situation at the goalline -- and this time they tried Parker, who fell short. Yes, they'll have to improve at this. Yes, they almost had to run Parker. But, yes, they also had to get Jeff Reed some positive mojo. One last thought about this 3-0 Steelers lead: Shouldn't Parker have bounced that third-and-goal outside? Sure looked like he had a better chance of scoring around left end instead of cutting it inside. And the angle would've been no worse for Reed. . . though he did cut that from-the-left-hashmark attempt pretty close to the upright, huh?

BTW: About the Lions' victory? Nice to see new coach Jim Schwarz send them back from the locker room onto the Ford Field surface to shake hands and savor the moment with the remaining Lions fans.

4:36 p.m.: Carter flew into that second-down run as if he was shot from Troy Polamalu's cannon. Cedric Benson: zilch on three carries. Carson Palmer: oh for 3. Chad Ochocinco: nada (and he looked like, on the catch erased by a Cincy flag, as if he couldn't get his feet to work right, stepping out of bounds before he reached the first-down marker). And two penalties. But, then, the defense had a strong start a week ago, too. . . What's Spanish for "Oy?". . . 4:43 p.m.: On a sunny day, with a catchable pass (though a tad high), Santonio Holmes shows that his drops are a mental gaffe, not due to rain, gloves or owie wrists. And there goes Parker again, utilizing blocking and calls that catch the upfield rush of the Bungles. Could be yet another 100-yard day for him in Cincy. . . 4:46 p.m.: Parker's more than halfway there, with 53 yards -- a season high -- on just nine carries. And Mike Wallace has bypassed Limas Sweed and almost any other Steelers' rookie receiver since, what, Louis Lipps? OK, so Troy Edwards caught alotta balls as a rookie (tying Ward in 1999 for a team-leading 61, but somebody had to catch 'em), but he soon after proved to be a mini-mirage. . 4:48 p.m.: Once again, Roethlisberger eluding the rush -- almost every other NFL quarterback goes down on that play -- and receivers breaking off routes come to a positive ending for the Steelers more often than not. And Willie Parker's first touchdown catch in 39 games gives the Steelers a 10-0 lead. Which begs the question: Shouldn't they try throwing more screens, flares, releases and circles to a guy named Fast Willie? He spent many a training-camp day working with the JUGS machine after practice on receiving. . . First quarter ended, and Parker had 90 yards of offense in it.

SECOND QUARTER

BTW: That 27-yard touchdown catch marked the longest TD reception of Parker's six-year career, his third longest reception overall of his career and his longest in his past 64 games, regular season and post-season.

4:58 p.m.: The other Mike Wallace should be proud, though maybe the kid does need to work on his sideline tight-roping. The Steelers need that Red Zone success, though. Man cannot live on field goals alone.Their past four trips to the opposition's 25-yard line or closer have come up with zero touchdowns and now just two 3-pointers. . . 5:07 p.m.: See what happens when you don't get to Palmer? Ochocinco brings energy with big gains and touchdown celebrations, and he has a special one planned for today -- should he get there. But if the Bungles score on this drive, it revives the crowd and their confidence. . . 5:17 p.m.: Sweed sighting! And, if you hadn't noticed, parker has 72 yards rushing already. The Steelers have gotten the game at their quick pace. A score after this two-minute warning, particularly a touchdown, would go a long way. . . . 5:26 p.m.: Holmes' inability to stop and drop the toes at the sideline -- and, gee, he has done that before somewhere, hasn't he? -- and the Steelers' failure to pick up points on this half-ending drive could well come back to Bengal-bite them. . . 5:30 p.m.: On that drive-starting pass to Chris Henry, the Steelers' rushed only four. You see the difference thereafter, with Palmer dumping off quick short ones when pressured more. . . . 5:33 p.m.: Mock cheer from Bungles fans as hometown club gets last-second field goal -- Steelers 13, Cincy 3 at halftime.

THIRD QUARTER

5:56 p.m.: No better way to overcome a mistake, a turnover, a killer touchdown like Joseph's, making it 13-9, than by coming back with a touchdown of your own. Then Sweed does what he did too often lost year, got a case of the dropsies, and Reed just hooks at the last coupla yards that long one. You have just infused lots of La Vida into Ochocinco and the Co.

Insert NFL Films follies music here.

6:05 p.m.: After a big stop by the defense, the offense has no choice but to try to run the ball, try to shorten the game. The Bungles have done a much better job this half filling the holes, hanging with the blocks. But the Steelers still need to run -- can't rely on . . . Mike Wallace all the time?! Third third-down catch for the rookie, fifth overall for 87 yards -- even more yards than Parker has acmulated on the ground. But that must change. The more the Steelers try to sit in pass protection, the more they're going to get called for holding on Antwan Odom and Jumpy Geathers, take our word for it. . . 6:08 p.m.: There's Hines Ward. . . 6:10 p.m.: Cincy is regularly rushing five and six, but the Steelers' receivers are wiiide open in the secondary. They MUST score here. . . 6:11 p.m.: That scary time for fans: Short yardage (insert "Friday the 13th" music here). Have to give Parker a carry, but Big Ben is going to take a beating if he's your go-to. . . uh, fullback. Your franchise QB shouldn't be your short-yardage TD guy. And what was exchange between Bruce Arians, who has called a pretty nice game so far, and Coach Mike Tomlin? Arians looked a bit excited, if not miffed, at what his boss was saying. . . 6:19 p.m.: First Keith Rivers, now Rey Maualuga. What is it with these first-round linebackers from USC constantly getting hurt against the Steelers early? If I'm playing 'backer for Pete Carroll right now, I'm hitting my knees every night hoping Mike Brown doesn't know I'm alive. . . 6:20 p.m.: A Sam Wyche call by Marvin Lewis -- now that's, what's the word 'Cinco, cajones? If the Bungles score a TD here, it's their game. If they get a FG, this one's going down to the wire. If the Steelers can stop them, it's their game, especially able to run the ball and kill some clock now that the game is going into the fourth quarter. Steelers 20, Bungles 9 -- but driving.

FOURTH QUARTER

6:25 p.m.: Raise your hand if you yelled "Fake!" at the TV when the Bungles lined up for that 52-yard FG. And, being the Bungles, they missed. What they showed the first two weeks of the season, a confidence and a moxie and a defense, could be unmasked if they fall down on the job here. Because they are still in this game, even if the Bungles don't believe it. . . 6:30 p.m.: First of all, the Steelers ran off almost two minutes there, every tick helping their cause. Second, they tried to establish the run -- but they have to maintain that balance on first and second downs, keeping Cincy off balance. Thirdly, that punt by Daniel Sepulveda was disappointing. He can boom them farther. Though, in his favor, he was (1.) cold, having yet to punt in this game, and (2.) trying to loft the ball so Cincy cannot rip off a long return like it did last week. . . 6:39 p.m.: Benson ripping off that touchdown run isn't a good sign. Halting that two-point conversion helps, though -- the Bungles will need a touchdown, and maybe a successful two-pointer, too, if the Steelers can tack on a field goal. Huuuuge offensive possession here. A ton o ftime left, with 9:08 to go. Sorry, folks, I have to head out for the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur. I'm handing off the blog baton to Dan Gigler. . . 6:44 p.m.: Well here you go folks, five minutes remaining, Steelers just punted, Cincy taking over with not terrible field position? Who will 'kiss the baby' -- Steelers D or Acht Funf? (I took German in high school, not Spanish) 6:50 p.m.: Steelers defense getting shredded right now like the cheese I put on the chili I had for lunch (Not Cincinnati-style, thank you). 6:54 p.m.: Ike Taylor perfect pass defense on Eight Five setting up a 4th & 2 with one minute left ... this is the game. 6:57 p.m.: Bengals convert a quick slant to Lavereaus Coles, 1st & 10 47 seconds left ... Palmer a dart on what looked like a sure TD to VIII-V and Taylor and Ryan Clark get fingertips on it, another Palmer pass to Chris Henry is defended by William Gay -- 4th & 10, 36 ticks left ... 7:02 p.m.: Carson Palmer converts a 4th & 10 on a scrambling, last seconfd dump to Brian Leonard -- admittedly a guy we like from what we saw of him on Hard Knocks -- and then a flip to Andre Caldwell for the go ahead touchdown. Pass to Leonard makes it 23-20 on the conversion. 7:05 p.m.: Rashard Mendenhall, proving he has as much sense as my puggle, flips the kickoff to Stefan Logan, eating up valuable time. Logan exacerbates the problem by not going down, and Ben takes over with 2 seconds left -- no time to do anything. Hail Mary short ... Steelers lose, fall to 1-2, and third place in the division. You think people complained about G-20? Just wait. Don't even turn on a radio this week, because the sky is officially falling in Steelers Nation ...

Steelers-Bills, preseason Game 3 live

Chuck Finder — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:30:00 GMT

6:30 p.m.: If the players are using this as a simulation of a regular-season game, then, dadgummit, we ought to do the same.

6:31 p.m.: Oops, forgot the binoculars. That's what exhibitions are for, right? Working out the bugs.

6:32 p.m.: Best as these naked eyes can tell, Jeff Reed is dressed but doing nothing more than warming up his vocal chords. Piotr Czech, an alum of Wagner College (or, in his old-school case, would it be pronounced Vahg-nurr?), will handle the kicking chores tonight while Reed rests a leg he hurt slightly by stepping in a hole at Washington a week ago. Reed, who just took three soft practice swings with his right leg and stretching gently, is ready in case of emergency. These team needs a Chad Ochocinco who can kick.

Nah. This guy's too much fun.

6:44 p.m.: Inactives for the evening -- or, if nothing else, hurt or injured fellas officially getting the night off -- include these guys in street clothes (gold T's and black shorts): receiver Santonio Holmes (back), halfback Willie Parker (hamstring), fullback Frank "The Tank" Summers (hamstring), defensive linemen Nick Eason (unknown paranthetical reason) and Steve McLendon (elbow). They joined the previously pronounced-out players: quarterback Dennis Dixon (shoulder. . . which left a sling, so it must be improving), tight end Sean McHugh (knee arthroscopy) and guard Darnell Stapleton (knee -- though he maintains he aims to return by camp's close).

For one thing, that means a lot of work for a few running backs: Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore (in his first game this preseason), Carey Davis, Isaac Redman, Justin Vincent.

7:42 p.m.: Limas Sweed started for Holmes, though the Steelers' offense opened the game in a two-tight-end set, and Mendenhall for Parker. Speaking of Mendenhall, the play after a lovely, crowd-stirring 12-yard run, he fumbled away the ball to Buffalo. Didn't Hines Ward set up the bounty this time a year ago for a fumbling Mendenhall? Might be time for that South Side monetary dare. The next series, he wasn't exactly hitting the holes with speed and fury, either, huh?

8:04 p.m.: Some nice blocking by the line to spring Mendenhall a couple of times. The Steelers reach the Buffalo 33. End of the first quarter.

8:11 p.m.: Ben Roethlisberger looks rather sharp. Completed eight of his first nine for 80 yards, picked his targets deftly and picked apart the Buffalo secondary. Didja catch him turn his head and look behind him to check out the Bills' pass rush. . . which the line held off until third-down in the red zone, where Penn State's pass-rusher extraordinaire Aaron Maybin decked him. Czech, 34-yard field-goal attempt good. Steelers, 3-0. Drive: 13 plays, 49 yards, 7:32.

8:20 p.m.: Shouldn't James Farrior save those plays for the regular season? After all, that's on tape now, as Mike Tomlin likes to say. Everybody can see it now. Two plays from scrimmage, two scores. Steelers, 10-0. Drive: one 22-yard interception, hardly no time at all.

8:44 p.m.: Interesting to note, as Vin Scully says, that Mendenhall was part of the goalline offense, and not Isaac "Red-Zone" Redman. Hey, rookie tight end David Johnson -- with Carey Davis suffering an ankle injury earlier and sidelined for the night, so the club reported -- lined up at fullback in front of him. And, with the offense motoring nicely downfield on the pass, the Steelers set up Mendenhall's untouched touchdown run of 4 yards just 31 seconds before halftime because of the threat of the throw. And should Mendenhall be gesticulating like that on his way into the end zone? Steelers, 17-0. Drive: 13 plays, 87 yards, 6:17. That's a regular-season drive.

9:04 p.m.: For the first time, Czech had a kickoff -- even though he booted it 68 yards to the 2 -- returned beyond the 20. . . all the way to the 31. Still and all, this big kicker (6-5, 210) could easily get a look, if not a job, by showing a leg that sturdy.

9:30 p.m.: After a Bills defender knifed through and decked a slow-moving Redman, the free-agent from Bowie State certainly has shown some speed, some moves, some shake on the past couple of plays. That ought to please Tomlin, who had a little chat with Redman Thursday about showing more than goal-line ability if he hoped to make the team. He heard, all right.

Hmmm, the first-team defense is still in starting the second half.

9:12 p.m.: It's second-teamer time. As far as simulations go for the regulars, 17-0 doesn't look too bad. Czech from 40 faded right, no good.

9:40 p.m.: Charlie Batch is 7 of 9 for 79 yards -- and those two incompletions should've been caught. Dallas Baker could've given him a touchdown. (Though am I the only one to detect a little push in the back by the Buffalo defender on that one?) And Brandon Williams could've snagged that deep ball down the middle. Just the same, Batch and Roethlisberger are a combined 22 for 28 for 247 yards. Impressive.

9:58 p.m.: Even before Joe Burnett blocked that Rian Lindell field-goal attempt, the rookie cornerback-returner looked to have a roster spot sewn up. The more you can do, ya know? As far as rookies and newcomers, Burnett, first-round pick Ziggy Hood (like he wouldn't make the club) and certainly Stefan Logan appear to be roster locks from their play tonight and previously. Redman tonight made a pretty good case to join that group, too. Receiver Mike Wallace, guard Kraig Urbik and camp splash Ramon Foster, a free-agent offensive tackle, also have made strong cases for themselves. Here's a practice star many onlookers wonder how he would look in extended game action: free-agent receiver Tyler Grisham never seems to drop anything thrown in his direction at St. Vincents College or the South Side. What about Heinz Field or. . . ?

10:06 p.m.: First preseason shutout in 35 such games, since 2001 when the Steelers put a 20-0 pasting on. . . Buffalo right here in Heinz Field. Eight first downs for Buffalo, but half of those on the Bills' final drive. Doubly impressive. On to Carolina. Eleven days until Tennessee.

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.

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.

Chargers-Steelers live (in-game edition)

Chuck Finder — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:49:00 GMT

7:58 p.m.: The end. Steelers 35, Chargers 24. Same night next week, same venue, same old Ravens, 6:30 p.m.

7:52 p.m.: Ruh-roh, 62-yard pass from Rivers to Darren Sproles. . . but (can't resist) he comes up short. Chargers, 24-35. Four unanswered touchdowns by the Steelers were too much. So much for the maligned offense this night, eh? Sproles, for the record, has 11 rushes for 15 yards. Russell snagged the onsides kick to secure it.

7:48 p.m.: Only twice before this season have the Steelers conjured as many points as this, at Cincinnati and in that Texans opener. And they hadn't mustered more in their previous eight postseason games, that 36-33 Cleveland conquest (referenced earlier over the punt return) in 2002. In 48 playoff games in Steelers history, only four times have they scored more. One more historical footnote: Parker's 146 yards are the third-most in Steelers playoff annals, and the most since Franco Harris' 153 against Baltimore in 1975.

7:41 p.m.: The party's over. Warm up Styx and the Bolts bus. Remember, though: You aren't talking about the old axiom of beating a team three times in a season, you're talking 'bout attempting a hat trick over Ray Lewis and the menacing, confidence-swelled Ravens. And didja catch Ray-Ray on NFL Network with his fellow U. of Miami man Warren Sapp on Saturday? He says the Raves' D prefers the road, because the quiet home crowd allows the fellas to hear each other's pre-snap calls, adjustments and advice.

7:34 p.m.: On his 24th carry, he went wide right, shedding a would-be tackler, for 27 yards to give him 122 yards on the game. But, uh, shouldn't he stay in bounds? [By the way, this marks Parker's first 100-yard playoff game, now at 146 after that 16-yard, open-hole touchdown run (nice evening for the o-line, with just one sack to boot). Despite that 75-yard touchdown run in Supe XL, Parker compiled but 93 total on the game.] Seventy-three yard drive, ate up half of what was left of the fourth quarter. Steelers, 35-17 Factoid: Parker hasn't had a two-touchdown day like this since the first half of the first game, against the Houston Texans.

7:28 p.m.: When you want to milk clock, you throw deep -- element of surprise, OK, so that's slightly comprehensible -- but then call time out?

7:23 p.m.: 10-play, 73-yard Chargers march and a touchdown -- not what the Steelers wanted or needed at this point. So it's a two-score game now. The offense, ahem, needs to piece together a time-consuming drive and conjure points, though either would suffice.

7:09 p.m.: You know you're having a horrible day when, in 15 minutes' time, you head a punt to the other team AND have a bad pass-interference penalty on ya (yes, there is such a thing as a good one). Eric Weddle stuck again for the Bolts'. But, wait, they didn't give it to Davis? Gary Russell with the wide-left TD run with 12:52 remaining. A long way to go in this one, folks, as columnist Gene Collier just pointed out. So long as the defense doesn't lapse into a prevent and fail to rush Rivers, it should have breathing room. Steelers, 28-10.

7:05 p.m.: Chargers after that failure fall to 2-for-8 on third downs. That's crucial. If Steelers get a field goal on this possession, there's reason to feel relatively safe. Mostly due to that defense.

7:00 p.m.: Yet another goalline stand by the Bolts. Funny, but the right side of the offense -- and the Bolts' defensive left side -- looked like it had the upper hand in numbers, so a sweep or a Spaeth short out pattern or maybe even a Roethlisberger roll out seemed to be the way to go pre-snap. And giving it to Cary Davis? It's nice to reward the fullback, but your quarterback or Parker are your stars for a reason. Up to the defense. Another James Harrison end-zone strip?

6:59 p.m.: Third quarter time of possession: Steelers 14:43, Chargers :17. Seventeen seconds? Cripes, Britney Spears has been married longer than that. Twice.

6:56 p.m.: Hitting Hines Ward outta bounds? It's the Karma of Tim McKyer coming back to undo the Bolts. End of third quarter.

6:52 p.m.: What I meant to say was: If you punt the ball off Eric Weddle's widdle head, and William Gay recovers on the edge of the red zone. . . .

6:46 p.m.: Foote's hand was ruled to be underneath the ball -- and replays seemed tough to judge. . . . Trick call on a vital third-down-and-short? Better question: You want your $102 million franchise player with a concussed brain blocking one of the largest, toughest nose guards in the NFL, Jamal Williams? Geez, Roethlisberger threw a block like a good o-lineman. Even if the Steelers wind up punting, killing the clock and killing the Chargers' retribution chance at scoring would be monumental.

6:40 p.m.: Well, that's another way to regain momentum. . . Rivers' pass was tipped by a leaping Brett Keisel; o-lineman are supposed to keep their blockees down on earth, and Marcus McNeill failed to do it, but clouted him immediately afterward for bad measure). Then Larry Foote appeared to wrest that interception from James Harrison's hands. Hey, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year has enjoyed enough pub lately, anyway. Coach Norv Turner challenged the ruling, and why not because the game hinges on this juncture right here.

6:39 p.m.: Well, that's one way to lose your hard-fought edge -- a 63-yard kickoff return by Darren Sproles.

6:33 p.m.: Heath Miller! True, it's excruciatingly early. But Roethlisberger has gone 12 of 18 for 135 yards to this point and, besides the overthrows to Miller once and Holmes (juuuuust) twice, you would draw the conclusion here that he is sharper than he was last year against Jacksonville and even in Super Bowl XL. While I was typing....Miller again! Make Roethlisberger 13 for 19 for 143 and one touchdown after that 8-yard pass to that perpetually open tight end. Huge drive and touchdown. Steelers, 21-10. Wow, 13 plays, 77 yards, 7:56. Give credit where it's due: Arians, Roethlisberger, the line, the trainers, the commissioner (shout out to the Washington & Jefferson College grad), anybody with the offense on that drive.

6:28 p.m.: All right, get out your pool slips.....63,899 was just announced as today's attendance.Now that Parker has one good run among his first five carries, notice that the Chargers are rotating defensive linemen even on the same series. They may have made adjustments to play the gaps better. We'll see. Big possession here for the Steelers, particularly considering they deferred just to get this opportunity to pile on points to end the first and start the second. . . . Oooooh, milimeters, or less, from a game-breaking completion to Holmes. Actually, upon further review, it hit his fingertips, itwasthatclose.

6:14 p.m.: For you pro-Parker folks, he has 52 yards on 10 rushes. Cozy little average, eh?

6:11 p.m.: Halftime. [As we wrote at 4:56, let's stick with straight cocoa, coffee or tea, sollight?]

6:07 p.m.: Lovely deep pass by Roethlisberger -- once, twice, third time's a lucky lady. Nice placed over linebacker Stephen Cooper, and what was he doing covering Ward so deep? Oh, because Antonio Cromartie wasn't there in time. Sixty-six yards in 76 seconds, Parker polished it off with a touchdown sweep left on a nice block from. . . a fullback?. . . Cary Davis. Steelers, 14-10.

6:05 p.m.: Oh, what the hell do I know.

6:04 p.m.: Check, check! He will boot himself 56 yards through the uprights for missing Holmes on that easy post pattern for a touchdown.

6:03 p.m.: Roethlisberger will kick himself over missing that wide-open Miller in the right flat. That play would've put them in instant field-goal range, or helped for a touchdown chance.

5:57 p.m.: Nate Kaeding, showing no ill effects of a groin injury that caused him to miss practice time late this week, converted a 42-yard field goal on the far side of the two-minute warning. Bolts, 10-7.

5:49 p.m.: Can't wait to hear the post-game explanation on that fake punt. Those two Chargers, Antwan Applewhite and Jacob Hester, were completely unblocked as the snapper Jared Retkofsky and the left side of the line went left, and the right guard and that side moved right. Ryan Clark had no chance. The gambling call isn't so bad, but the execution -- or failing to check off it -- are open to debate. That's giving the Bolts a field goal, minimum.

5:34 p.m.: During the last two timeouts, the grounds crew came out with snowblowers and cleared the lines every five yards. Looks like Willie Parker and the offensive line are using those as guidelines. The o-line is pushing back blue-whale Jamal Williams and the Bolts' defensive front, allowing Parker and the occasional Mewelde Moore open lanes to rip off decent gains. That could have a wear-and-tear effect on this defense later.

5:10 p.m.: (Sorry, folks, either the wi-fi connection in the press box or the PG blog software is slooooowwww right now.) Holmes quickly makes amends for that holding call with a dandy punt return for a touchdown. Bolts punter Mike Scifres, the MVP of the wild-card victory over Indianapolis, kicked it 53 yards from the snowy shadow of the open-end end zone, but Holmes made a mad dash a team-record 67 yards for the knotting score. He eluded a lunging Brandon Siler, cut through an open middle and ambled down the left sideline -- pausing only to hurdle Legedu "I'll Buy a Vowel, Pat Sajak" Naanee. Tie, 7-7. For the record, it was the Steelers' first postseason, punt-return touchdown since Antwaan Randle-El's previous-record, 66-yarder against the Browns in that Jan. 5, 2003, come-from-behind, 36-33 victory. Get this: The last time the Chargers gave up a punt-return for a playoff score, Lyndon Banes Johnson was in the White House -- the 1965 AFL Championship game, to Butch Byrd of the Buffalo Bills.

4:56 p.m.: Put the bottles and cups down, people. Heath Miller on second down strained to erase the Santonio Holmes holding penalty and get back to the first stick, but at least one-third of the . . . uh, insulated. . . crowd began cheering because they thought it was a first down beyond the second stick. Then Ben Roethlisberger performed a quick-kick punt on fourth down -- left-footed. Let's see, if you're nimble with both hands, you're ambidextrous. What is it with both feet? Oh, yeah, you're a soccer player. . . . By the way, a bubble screen and a quick kick on the opening series? What are we watching, is Mike Tomlin's first boss Bill Stewart of the West Virginia Mountaineers calling plays?

4:49 p.m.: The Stay Classy Chargers scored in two minutes, one second. And it shouldn't have taken them that long. Antonio Gates was wide open on the first play -- how do you miss that guy in coverage? Darren Sproles appeared to be a couple of fingers away from breaking a screen pass for a long distance. And Vincent Jackson motored downfield on a post pattern, with Ike Taylor behind him and unable to stop Philip Rivers' perfect, 41-yard touchdown pass. Four plays, 75 yards, mute Heinz Field crowd. Hey, it was so quiet, you could hear the snow fall. Bolts, 7-0.

4:45 p.m.: With Jerome Bettis present as an honorary co-captain, the Steelers won the toss -- tails, for the record -- and opted to defer. Biiiig mistake.

Browns-Steelers live game blog

JerryMicco — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 13:45:00 GMT

11:50 p.m.: When folks started blogging several years back, we in the mainstream media used to derisively say, "anyone can sit at home in their underwear and say what's on their mind." My, how things come back around.

We'll be doing today's blog from my family room couch, but thankfully for anyone who's ever seen me, not in my underwear. Pajamas, yes, underwear, no. A head cold decided to slap me around pretty good last night that I got as far as my couch this morning. So, we're going to do this from television. It should be interesting because when I do this blog from games, I never hear what's being said on television. So it'll be a different approach all the way around for me today.

As always and perhaps more than ever today, your thoughts and input are what make this blog successful. And there is a football game today against the hated Cleve Brownies (a nod to the late, great Myron Cope). The big question of the day is can the Steelers get the starters in and out of today's game without any injuries? We'll see. I'll be back later with inactives, but I just heard our Steelers reporter Ed Bouchette say on KDKA that LB James Harrison and S Ryan Clark will not dress today. We'll be back with more a bit later.

12:03 p.m.: Here are today's inactives. Steelers: S Ryan Clark, LB James Harrison, CB Fernando Bryant, LB Bruce Davis, T Tony Hills, T Jason Capizzi, DT Scott Paxon, QB Dennis Dixon (3rd quarterback). Browns: DB Travis Daniels, S Hamza Abdullah, TE Kellen Winslow, TE John Madsen, TE Darnell Dinkins, LB Leon Williams, DL Santonio Thomas.

Tyrone Carter will start in Clark's place, and Lawrence Timmons will start in place of Harrison.

12:17 p.m.: OK, the back story today besdes watching this game to see if any key Steelers are injured, is there are still five playoff spots up for grabs. Rather than try to explain it, which I could never do without screwing it up, here's a link to a site that explains it http://football.about.com/od/nationalfootballleague/a/playoffscenario.htm. If you can understand what that all means, you get the gameday gold star. Of course, the Steelers won't be scoreboard watching today because they're already in as the No. 2 seed in the AFC. Just watch who the No. 6 seed in the AFC is because that team, even if it wins next week, can't play the Steelers. It's the only one besides, of course, the No. 1 Tennessee Titans.

12:42 p.m.: Since I rarely watch NFL pregame shows, today is an eye-opener of sorts for me. Bill Cowher is very good at this. He's likeable, knowledgeable, makes good points. Are we so sure he's ready to go back to coaching? I mean he could stay right where he is, make very good money and have some fun. Coaching in the NFL is a lot of things, but I'm thinking fun isn't one of the descriptions. Especially if you're Rod Marinelli and the Lions, who today can be the worst team ever by losing to Green Bay and going 0-16. I never thought I'd see a team go 0-16. I thought it was just impossible. But when I saw that sorry team play on Thanksgiving, I thought there was a very real chance it could happen.

12:59 p.m.: Getting ready for kickoff I guess the big thing to look for in today's game is if anyone gets injured. Big Ben, Troy Polamalu and Santonio Holmes are the three guys I'll be watching as critical guys you do not want hurt in a meaningless game. The Steelers need to take all the drama out of this game and get a early lead. A big lead at the half would be the perfect perscription for some key guys to sit and get ready for the playoffs.

I'll also be watching Browns QB Bruce Gradkowski. He's from here and played college ball at Toledo. I'm sure the local guy wants to make good, but he won't be a favorite of the fans at Heinz Field today. You can come home, but if you're in a Browns uniform, you may not be welcomed.

1:10 p.m.: Looks like the Steelers are trying to get Hines Ward his 1,000-yard receiving season early. Why does this team run screens? They are a terrible screen and draw team. And when you need Mitch Berger to shank one to put the Browns in a hole he booms it 49 yards. That's probably not the start they wanted.

1:20 p.m.: Ah, an Anthony Smith spotting. Looks like Ty Carter was injured on that tackle on Donte Stallworth, so that means Anthony "the guarantor" Smith is the free safety. And it looks like the Browns really want to play this game and the Steelers look, so far, like a team that has the No. 2 seed locked up.

1:24 p.m.: Thank you, swirling winds of Heinz Field. Plenty of distance on the Phil Dawson try, but the wind today seems to be pretty rough. The defense did its job, but the Browns still moved the ball pretty well. The Steelers offense has to get untracked at some point and this drive would be a good place to do it. I realize they may want to play it close to the vest, but you do want to get a nice lead on these guys so you can take out some starters. I can't believe Mike Tomlin is seriously going to play all the key guys the entire game. Time to strike hard at a defense that isn't that good. Nice start to the drive, getting Hines Ward his 1,000 receiving yards. It's the fifth time Ward has done that in his illustrious career.

1:30 p.m.: Maybe Ben needs to play this whole game to get his act together. Wow, that pass wasn't even close to Heath Miller. I think that's five turnovers for No. 7 in the last two games. You absolutely need to take care of the ball if you're getting ready for January football. Nothing new there, so how come it seems so hard to do? Now it's time for the defense to do a three-and-out on the Browns. Better yet, how about a defensive score, which may be how this team needs to get its points during the playoffs.

1:34 p.m.: Well, I'm sure the Steelers wanted to be up a TD or two after the first 15 minutes, but the Browns look like they are playing this one for coach Romeo Crennel, who is rumored to be gone after this game. Important third down here to see if the defense can get the ball right back for the offense. End of first quarter, Browns 0, Steelers 0.

1:38 p.m.: Maybe you run Jamal Lewis once on third down and get a first, but twice? A young QB not familiar with the system may be the savior the Steelers need today. NYCSteelersfan is correct in his comments on this blog about the running game. It just seems to have disappeared the past few games and doesn't seem particularly solvent today, either. This is the Achilles Heel for this team. I'm sure they want to keep banging away today to get Willie Parker going, but it looks like they just can't do it.

1:47 p.m.: How many mistakes can the Steelers make today. Wow, great play by Ben and Nate Washington, but Willie Colon had his once a game holding penalty on the play. He's getting torched by old man Willie McGinest. And of course that stops a promising drive. Tomlin looks ticked off and with good reason. Now illegal motion on the punt. These guys look like the Keystone Kops out there today.

1:52 p.m.: So Mitch Berger finally hits a good punt inside the 10 and on the first play you let Jamal Lewis get 10 yards? I realize this team can't be fired up about playing this game because their minds are on the playoffs, but at least make it a good tuneup.

2 p.m.: Who says this team can't run the ball. Probably the best block by Chris Kemoeatu in about 5 games, and Parker looked like the old Fast Willie that time. This has to happen consistently and it's not been around all year. But it was nice to see even if it is week 17. With 4:07 left in the 2nd quarter, Steelers 7, Browns 0.

2:06 p.m.: I don't know, looks like a catch and fumble to me. Anthony Smith, who would get some sunshine on what has been a cloudy tenure in Pittsburgh, has at TD stolen away. Why didn't Tomlin challenge that? But another good stand by the defense. Of course, the Browns have gone five-plus games without an offensive TD. No need to break that streak today.

2:14 p.m.: This is the worst-case scenario. Oh boy, Mike Tomlin's going to hear it now. Ben's taken so many hits over the past three years you wonder when it starts to take a toll.

2:19 p.m.: This does not look good. It looks like a concussion for a guy who can't really take many more shots to the head. Steve Tasker's saying on TV if Ben gets up that Tomlin will take him out even if he's OK. No kidding. All of McGinest fell on his face and head, I'm not surprised he's down. All game he's been getting hit. This is the worst nightmare the Steelers could possibly have.

2:29 p.m.: That's the best thumbs-up any Steelers fan could ever see. Whew. It's still not good, but at least all the extremities are moving. Here we go with Byron Leftwich. This is why you have good backups.

2:35 p.m.: Remember, he was a franchise QB at one time. Nice, athletic play by Leftwich for the score. And a big score. If they can get another one quick in the 3rd quarter, maybe they can get some other key players out. I think one heart-in-the-throat moment is enough for one meaningless game. With 32 seconds left in the 2nd quarter Steelers 14, Browns 0.

2:51 p.m.: Some halftime stats to enjoy with a sandwich and a beverage: Parker has 56 yards on 11 carries. Heath Miller has 5 grabs for 55 yards and two holding penalties. Mitch Berger has an average of 47.5 yards on 2 punts. Jamal Lewis has 12 carries for 54 yards. Bruce Gradkowski is 4-of-7 for 20 yards.

TV just said the Steelers announced the Ben has a concussion. The week off will help, but you never know with those things. They can linger. And as we all know, this guy has had enough problems with concussions. Let's hope he gets well soon, not for football reasons, but because concussions are so dibilitating. Time for the second half.

2:58 p.m.: We have a Keyaron Fox siting at linebacker early in the second half. Looks like James Farrior is being rested. If they weren't so short at safety, you wonder if Polamalu wouldn't be out now, too.

3 p.m.: I see some talk among you guys about drafting offensive lineman. And you could have done so where the Steelers picked last year, but by that time, the top 7 OLs were already selected. You would not have gotten first-round talent had you picked an offensive lineman because that draft had great linemen at the very top and then quickly dropped off. Remember Tony Hills who the Steelers drafted in the 4th round out of Texas? Didn't think so. He's not been active all year. I think you have to look free agent or if you read Ed Bouchette's Inside the Steelers today, he says the Steelers may look at signing Marvel Smith if his latest surgery cures his back issues. LTs are hard to find.

3:11 p.m.: With that Limas Sweed block in the back call, makes me realize that Hines Ward's day is probably over, too. I'll keep looking, though. This is one of the problems with watching on TV. You can't see the entire field.

3:12 p.m.: If they can punch in this one, and they should, you might see a couple more key starters head for the sidelines. Steve Tasker actually makes a good point earlier when he says they can dress only 45 players per game and there is no third team. Some guys just have to play because there aren't enough backups. And as far as the comments about the toughness of the sport and that there will be injuries, that point is well taken. But you can protect key guys. And in my mind, Ben Roethlisberger is a key guy. Would have liked a TD there, but you take what you can get. With 5:35 left in the 3rd quarter, Steelers 17, Browns 0.

3:22 p.m.: Maybe the Browns should line Josh Cribbs up at QB and let him work. That was a very nice pass. Not to knock the local guy Gradkowski, but he's had a rough day. It has to be brutal to come into a game like this where you're the 4th QB the team has used all season and you have to come into Pittsburgh and play the best defense in the NFL. His stats are 4 for 11 for 20 yards and a pick. Tough situation all around.

3:29 p.m.: What could I have been thinking. Hines Ward coming out of a game? Never, even if it's meaningless. Parker is at 90 yards rushing and now I see Mewelde Moore in the game. He's barely been in the game today, but he looked good on that 9-yard run. One more quarter to go to a 12-4 season. End of the 3rd quarter, Steelers 17, Browns 0.

3:35 p.m.: You know, this draft class is just wasted. Limas Sweed has been mentioned twice today, once for a block in the back and once on a hold. I know it takes longer for WRs to grow into jobs than, say RBs, but he's not stepped up at all this year especially for a 2nd-round pick. I think he'll be a decent WR in his career, but never the game-breaker a lot of folks thought he'd be. I know I was happy with that pick in round 2, but I'm sure the Steelers expected more from him.

3:39 p.m.: That's as nice a scoring drive as I've seen all season and there were plenty of backups in there. If nothing else from this nothing game, maybe there's some confidence being infused into the offense. Willie Parker's day is likely finished with 116 yards on 23 carries. That's a heartening stat, too. This wasn't dominant on offense, but this team is rarely dominant on offense. With 9:41 left in the 4th quarter, Steelers 24, Browns 0.

3:46 p.m.: Maybe Ty Carter should get hurt more often early in games, then come back in and pick off a couple balls, scoring on one. There's the defensive touchdown I think they'll need to win playoff games. Let's just hope it's not a couple weeks too soon. With 8:43 left in the 4th quarter, Steelers 31, Browns 0.

3:55 p.m. Dennis Dixon's debut. He is listed on the inactives because he's the 3rd QB, but he is allowed to play. I think since Ben's out, it's OK for Dixon to play. Off to a rough start is our guy Dixon, but he just made the Steeler record books by throwing the 800th catch of Hines Ward's career. That's going to be a great trivia question one day. Who threw the pass to make Ward the all-time Steelers receivers leader.

4:02 p.m.: That puts Jamal Lewis over 1,000 yards for the season, which, considering how poorly the offense has performed and all the QB injuries, is a significant accomplishment. I'm glad Romeo Crennel, who is more than likely coaching his last game with the Browns, gave him that shot. But if he's pulled, then he's short of 100 yards. That means the Steelers did not have a runner gain 100 yards against them this season.

4:09 p.m.: That was pretty much a snoozer except for Big Ben's concussion. Nice stuff done by the offense and it was good to see Parker get his 100 yards. Nothing overly impressive about the win considering the opposition, but the defense was up to the task again. I'm going to watch the post-game stuff to see what I can glean and will be back later with some final thoughts. Final score, Steelers 31, Browns 0.

4:24 p.m.: Not a whole lot from Tomlin post game. I'm surprised no one asked Tomlin if he had second thoughts once he saw Ben laid out on the field. Legit question, I think. He said Ben's tests have turned up negative, which is good. But we'll see how things go in the off week. I'll be back a bit later. By the way, it's official: Lions finish 0-16. Next time you complain about the team we follow, remember that you aren't dealing with 0-16. You are dealing with 12-4.

5:10 p.m.: Here are some final thoughts on today's game:

-- The best thing about today is seeing Willie Parker get 116 yards rushing. I don't think he's been 100 percent most of the season and we saw flashes today of what he used to be in this offense. Give him a week of rest and maybe, just maybe, the Steelers get back some of the old Willie Parker. That would go a long way toward a playoff run.

-- The offensive line still needs way too much work this late in the season. This was Cleveland and they nearly got Big Ben killed. Though, to be fair, Ben holds that ball an awfully long time in the pocket. In the playoffs, that unit is going to have to play above its level thus far. Can they? It's hard to do this late in a season.

-- Playing starters. I guess it's easy to second-guess Mike Tomlin about playing starters and particularly Roethlisberger. I thought Roethlisberger was so beat up all season that a couple weeks off might have helped him. But I give Tomlin credit for sticking to his guns and playing the starters. And winning the game.

-- You can draw some things from this game, but you also have to consider that Cleveland has been just awful this season. In total yards, the Steelers had 369 compared to 126 for the Browns. And Gradkowski's passer rating was something like 2.8. It was a tough situation for him and that entire team. You figure your coach, and probably your general manager, are gone maybe as early as Monday. It makes you just want to end the season if you're a player.

-- If you had bet any number of bar beverages that the Steelers would finish 12-4 with their schedule, you'd not only be quite inebriated, but you'd also belong in Vegas making a killing on football wagers. It was, no matter the playoff outcome, a terrific season. With the injuries and a pieced-together O-Line, they managed to win 12 games. Pretty incredible, actually.

Thanks for participating with all the comments. Now, the playoffs await.