This one comes from out West...Thanks to Dan from Phoenix!
T'was days before the biggest game of the year. And another second place finish for the Ravens I fear. Your season ends Sunday in the dust of Willie Parker Ray Lewis' heart grows nine degrees darker.
We'll ask our Reed not to drink before the game Your only task left will be to show Dallas they ARE lame. The refs may flags us for being mean and hitting hard and such Leading with our heads, breaking jaws and blitzing too much
Thirty five to three is my call on the score Another year the Ravens only scratch at the door You're still better than Nati and Cleveland too Another chorus of Ho Ho Ho replaced by boo hoo hoo
First...that's what she said. Now that that's out of the way...
Here's some news for ya - Fox Sports' Alex Marvez clearly has as big of a hard on for LaMarr Woodley as I do...because he wrote this column about 32 "emerging players," and from the sounds of it, The Wood seemed to have served as his inspiration.
I won't bore you with the details, but Marvez does mention The Wood's 5.5 sacks so far, which rank him 3rd in the league, behind only Silverback and John Abraham (he's tied with who else, but J Peezy!). Not too shabby. But then, he calls into question Woodley's coverage skills. Now, I don't know about all that, but I will fully embrace the idea that The Wood is one of the NFL's brightest young stars.
So two questions for you this morning...
1. Who was the last Steelers LB to have this big of an impact, this quickly?
Well, we avoided the unthinkable. If the Browns had won that game, I just might've thrown something at the TV. Can you imagine the shit storm we'd have to endure if god forbid, the currently overhyped incarnation of the Browns finally beat us after losing 16 out of the last 17, including the last nine (now 10) straight? I can. And it wouldn't have been pretty. There's nothing worse than delusional Browns fans thinking they've actually earned something.
Anyways, we did indeed escape with a narrow victory, 10-6, though we pretty much controlled the entire game. Once again, conditions ruined the day and likely some of the game plan. For example, we saw basically (with a couple of exceptions) hide nor hair of Wreckingball. And understandably so. He's had fumbling problems in good conditions. So imagine how nervous Tomlin must've been about putting him in last night. But yeah, despite the weather, a lot of guys stepped up big, including...
1. The "Offensive" Line I think after last night I can remove the quotes around the word, "Offensive." Because those guys were on their game. Case in point - the Ben to San Antonio 48 (?) yard bomb that Ben threw from deep in our own territory. He had a solid 10 seconds on that one. Add the masterful job Kemoeatu did pulling and you can understand why I am so pleased with this unit. Anyone who doesn't consider voting for them in the poll to your left obviously didn't watch that game last night.
2. Bryant McFadden Well, I noted on Saturday that with Deshea out, and McFadden looking for a new contract, this was his time to make his case as the starter of the future. Not that there was much doubt. But he came through big, covering Braylon Edwards rather masterfully. He even nabbed a poorly underthrown Derek Anderson pass in the first half that led to the only touchdown of the game. Coincidentally, did anyone else know that ball was going to be picked the moment it left Anderson's hand? I called it literally as it was being thrown. He lobbed that out there and McFadden took full advantage. Bravo, young one. The force seems strong with you.
3. Troy Polamalu All the evidence you need was the play in which Troy HURDLED TWO OFFENSIVE LINEMAN to diffuse a Jamal Lewis run long before it might've been otherwise. Sure, he didn't make the tackle. But as Domski put it after the game - imagine what those two Offensive Lineman must've been thinking when Polamalu jumped OVER them...complete dumbfoundedness, no doubt. Rendering them rather useless as blockers. Plus, I don't have to remind you that he snagged the interception in the 2nd Quarter that ruined one of Cle-heave-land's (credit: Joey Porter's Pit Bulls) only real drives of the game. This is why Troy Polamalu is invaluable. And thank god he looks like the Troy we know and love. I don't know who that guy was wearing 43 for most of last year. Because it didn't look like the Troy we've seen thus far in '08. Well played, Troy. I guess whatever Christy said to you at Chili's must've hit home.
So all in all, I'm pleased. Under normal conditions, I would've liked to have put up approximately 30 more points on the Clowns. But as I said earlier, a win is a win. I'll take it because of the implications.
That said, we've got the Killadelphia Desert Eagles (.50) next Sunday in Filthadelphia. And we've got a day on them. So let's hope the Cowgirls ride herd on them tonight to wear them out a bit. Then again, if you listen to the media pundits, the Eagles are unstoppable. I mean, they beat the Rams 38-3. And the Rams are clearly a Super Bowl caliber Defense. So we might as well expect to get rained on...yeeeaaaahhhh, right.
Is it wrong that I'm already looking forward to Sunday?
So I ask you all - What did you think of that game? Who's performance did you like/not like? "Special" Teams? What about that cheap shot Shaun Rogers put on Ben? And hey, how awesome would it be if Murdermore (that's Baltimore, in case you hadn't guessed) beat the Gowns next week?
Either way, I think this is worth re-posting for a second look...
I think I'll have some new pics to add after this one...
