Steelers still have to beat the Ravens
It seems like an innocent enough observation that I made on Twitter Monday night: Not sure why so many #Steelers fans are rooting for NE. If the Steelers keep winning, they win the division. Period.
My statement was, of course, true.
If the Steelers go 3-0 in their remaining games, they win the AFC North. That still remains true.
Yet my statement apparently was misconstrued. “We hate the Ravens.” Tweeted some. “The Steelers could use the cushion.” said others.
The bottom line is this, yes, it was good for the Steelers that the Ravens lost Monday night. But it wasn’t a necessity. And the Steelers’ game Dec. 25 against Baltimore in Pittsburgh remains one.
So rooting for the Patriots (!) accomplished nothing.
In fact, it was kind of like the citizens of Tokyo rooting for Mothra in a fight with Godzilla, or Walking Dead fans rooting for Negan to off the Governor. Either way, there’s still a bad guy to deal with.
And in this case, the Steelers get a chance to beat up on the bad guy on their own. And that’s much more satisfying. Besides, the Steelers have done a lot with their recent four-game winning streak. But they now need to get over that last hurdle and beat the Ravens – something they haven’t done a good job of recently – to finally get that monkey off their back.
Baltimore isn’t losing at home this week to a Philadelphia club that is 2-8 in its past 10 games after a 3-0 start, any more than the Steelers are going to lose to the Browns at home in Week 17.
The Steelers need to beat the Ravens head-to-head.
@ I keep seeing MVP lists and I don’t see Le’Veon Bell’s name anywhere on them.
But there might not be a player in the league who has had a bigger impact or better season to this point than Bell.
He’s averaging just over 161.6 yards from scrimmage per game. O.J. Simpson averaged 160.2 in 14 games in 1975, which is the NFL record. And, in his record season in 2009 when he had 2,509 yards from scrimmage, Tennessee’s Chris Johnson averaged 156.8 yards per game.
Bell has been at his best of late, as well.
Yes, he missed the first three games of the season, which will keep him from breaking Johnson’s mark. But it doesn’t make his season any less spectacular.
If Tom Brady can be in the MVP conversation after missing the first month, Bell should also be in it.
@ Concussions are tricky.
Steelers guard B.J. Finney was placed in concussion protocol following Sunday’s game in which he played every snap. His symptoms showed up later.
Meanwhile, Shamarko Thomas, who got ear-holed in the game against the Giants has been cleared from concussion protocol, while nose tackle Javon Hargrave, who left the game against the Giants with a concussion as well, has not been cleared.
It just goes to show how tricky brain injuries are and what teams and the league have to deal with.
@ I don’t typically look at the power rankings on the national web sites, but one caught my eye today.
I noticed that ESPN had moved the Giants up to No. 5 from 14 after New York beat the Cowboys Sunday night. The Steelers, who were fifth last week after beating the Giants soundly at Heinz Field, fell three spots after dominating the Bills.
The funny thing is a disclaimer on those rankings said the rankings take into consideration who the “experts” think would win in a matchup.
Apparently, the “experts'” memories don’t go all the way back to nine days ago.
Not that it matters.