Steelers 28, Miami 17
I like the Dolphins. I have two reasons: because they have the potential to bring down the mighty Patriots, and because they aren't afraid to wear a helmet featuring a dolphin wearing a helmet with an orange M on it. That's pretty cool.
But I like the Steelers quite a bit more, obviously, so I was a happy man last night as the Steelers dominated the Dolphins in Pittsburgh on the NFL's opening showcase. Despite the fact that the Steelers trailed 17-14 in the fourth quarter, and despite the fact that Daunte Culpepper threw for 262 yards, the Steelers dominated: they had a ten minute advantage in time of possession and a 100+ yard advantage on the ground. And we were reminded of something we learned long ago: you don't run on the Steelers. The Dolphins' Ronnie Brown ran for 30 yards on 15 carries; his longest gain was 8 yards.
Other aspects of the game were equally recognizable: Ike Taylor dropped an interception; Joey Porter had two sacks and an INT (and kissed Cowher); Hines Ward caught a touchdown in the back of the end zone. But there were surprises: Nate Washington catching a TD on a jump ball; Jeff Reed's ugly miss; Heath Miller's breakaway speed.
(By the way: I don't want to hear any crap about the challenge flag. Any head coach worth his blood pressure medication sets fire to that flag if that's what it takes to get the ref's attention. Cowher would have knocked someone's hat off with it. Saban, however, threw it like he was afraid he might cause offense. Even worse, he sought to lay blame elsewhere for his mistake.)
Three who looked good:
Joey Porter (the star of the game)
Willie Parker (ran hard inside; is learning to be a patient runner)
Charlie Batch (the dream performance for a Steeler QB: 200+ yards and no INTs; the 3 TD passes are gravy)
Three who looked bad, or at least just okay:
Steelers special teams (Jeff Reed's miss; Wes Welker's returns; James Harrison's hold; and so on)
O-Line (strong, but not dominant; the Phins' front seven is tough!)
Duce Staley (no need to wash that jersey, Duce, just put it back on the hanger)
Speaking of running backs: the Patrick Cobbs era in Pittsburgh is over. The Steelers waived him today after signing former Packer RB and Miami U hamper-dumper Najeh Davenport. Davenport is 6'1" and 247#--just the sort of back the Steelers love. It will be interesting to see who--Staley or Davenport--suits up on Sunday in the weeks to come.
But I like the Steelers quite a bit more, obviously, so I was a happy man last night as the Steelers dominated the Dolphins in Pittsburgh on the NFL's opening showcase. Despite the fact that the Steelers trailed 17-14 in the fourth quarter, and despite the fact that Daunte Culpepper threw for 262 yards, the Steelers dominated: they had a ten minute advantage in time of possession and a 100+ yard advantage on the ground. And we were reminded of something we learned long ago: you don't run on the Steelers. The Dolphins' Ronnie Brown ran for 30 yards on 15 carries; his longest gain was 8 yards.
Other aspects of the game were equally recognizable: Ike Taylor dropped an interception; Joey Porter had two sacks and an INT (and kissed Cowher); Hines Ward caught a touchdown in the back of the end zone. But there were surprises: Nate Washington catching a TD on a jump ball; Jeff Reed's ugly miss; Heath Miller's breakaway speed.
(By the way: I don't want to hear any crap about the challenge flag. Any head coach worth his blood pressure medication sets fire to that flag if that's what it takes to get the ref's attention. Cowher would have knocked someone's hat off with it. Saban, however, threw it like he was afraid he might cause offense. Even worse, he sought to lay blame elsewhere for his mistake.)
Three who looked good:
Joey Porter (the star of the game)
Willie Parker (ran hard inside; is learning to be a patient runner)
Charlie Batch (the dream performance for a Steeler QB: 200+ yards and no INTs; the 3 TD passes are gravy)
Three who looked bad, or at least just okay:
Steelers special teams (Jeff Reed's miss; Wes Welker's returns; James Harrison's hold; and so on)
O-Line (strong, but not dominant; the Phins' front seven is tough!)
Duce Staley (no need to wash that jersey, Duce, just put it back on the hanger)
Speaking of running backs: the Patrick Cobbs era in Pittsburgh is over. The Steelers waived him today after signing former Packer RB and Miami U hamper-dumper Najeh Davenport. Davenport is 6'1" and 247#--just the sort of back the Steelers love. It will be interesting to see who--Staley or Davenport--suits up on Sunday in the weeks to come.
posted by Shane at 2:30 PM
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