Steelers 38, Saints 31

Well now. I had thought to write "that's more like it," but I don't think I will: it was a beautiful, glorious, hard-fought win, a win that showed heart and determination, but it wasn't all I'm looking for. This game wasn't won in the classic Steelers style; it was won, instead, in classic Cincinnati Bengals style. The Saints amassed 517 yards of offense, while the Steelers gained 467. The Steelers relinquished a 14-point lead in the first half, and actually fell behind just before halftime on a 5-play, 72-yard drive that took all of 60 seconds. It was an unnerving performance by the unit that has long been the strength of the team. Marques Colston, the rookie from Hofstra whom 31 teams in the league now kick themselves for not drafting, caught 10 balls for 169 yards. Terrance freaking Copper caught six for 92. Ike Taylor struggled again, and Bryant McFadden has yet to announce his arrival. That performance tempers my joy just a little bit.

To be fair, though:

1. Two defensive starters, DeShea Townsend and Troy Polamalu, missed most of the game with injuries.

2. No one has effectively stopped the Saints' offense this year, including everyone's favorite defense, the Baltimore Ravens.

3. The game was classic Steelers in at least one respect: the Steelers forced 3 fumbles and gave up none.


And the offense looked stellar. Willie Parker, as anyone reading this already knows, ran for 213 yards on 22 carries (for a college-like 9.7 yard average), and Big Ben settled in, throwing 3 TDs and no INTs (17/28, 264 yards). The line blocked well, and the receivers did their jobs. (Nate Washington dropped a couple of balls, but that will happen.) Against a less dynamic offense (see you soon, Cleveland Browns), the game would have been over after the first quarter.

So the Steelers have raised their record to 3-6, one game behind the Bengals, who appear to be folding like a deck chair. There was some talk Sunday night and Monday that the Steelers were "clinging to faint playoff hopes": pure stupidity. This season can't be measured by the playoffs; by that measure, failure is inevitable. Success this season will come in gritty, gutty play for the last seven weeks: winning games they should win (at Cleveland next week), and winning at least once as underdog (Baltimore in weeks 10 and 15). Leave the playoff talk for next summer.

Looking Ahead

If the season ended today, the Steelers would have the 7th pick in the draft, a higher position even than the slot from which they selected Plaxico Burress in 2000 (#8). The question is: what would they do with the pick? Trading down seems like a distinct possibility; last year's maneuverings were further proof of the Steelers' propensity to wheel and deal on draft day.

If not, though, my money is on a DE/OLB "hybrid" player, the likes of which the Steelers and their 3-4 have made so popular. They used to be able to get such players--Clark Haggans, Joey Porter, Jason Gildon--cheap, but the surging popularity of the 3-4 has put a premium on such players in recent drafts: DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, and Kamerion Wimbley come to mind. Currently rated in the top ten in many preliminary draft boards are Clemson's Gaines Adams and Georgia's Quentin Moses, at least one of whom would likely be available at #7.

Why go in this direction? Because Joey Porter's contract is up in 2008. He'll be 31, and, after a monster end to the season in 2005, he has done little this year. The Steelers have a history of cutting players loose, particularly at this position, just before age takes its toll. Remember Jason Gildon? When the Steelers released him, he was their all-time sack leader; he signed with Jacksonville and had trouble getting on the field. He was last heard from in 2004.

If the Steelers take, say, Moses in the 2007 draft, he would have a year to learn behind Porter before sliding into his spot in '08. And then Porter would probably sign with the Patriots. And thus, the cycle of NFL life continues.

After Hope, Blessed Detachment: Steelers 20, Broncos 31

These are strange times, indeed.

Sunday's loss to the Broncos featured the same baffling blend of the awful and the excellent that has marked virtually every Steeler loss this season: the stifling run defense, the dangerous passing game, Willie Parker running, Najeh Davenport running and dragging defenders, but also the fluke plays, the impossible plays, guys getting beat, heart-stopping turnovers, missed blocks, and so on....

The Steelers could easily have won on Sunday. Willie Parker was averaging 5 yards per carry. The passing offense was moving the ball with ease. The defense held Mike Bell, the Broncos' featured rusher, to 28 yards on 17 carries.

But they didn't win. And likely anyone reading this knows why. After a long and exhaustive study, I have come to the conclusion that you don't win games in the NFL by turning the ball over six times. The three fumbles hurt worst: Santonio Holmes fumbling his way out of the kick return job; Cedric Wilson fumbling five yards from the end zon; and--most heartbreaking of all, for many reasons--Hines Ward's fumble at the one as the Steelers were looking to mount a comeback. Say what you will about Ben's performance this season, his interceptions on Sunday hurt less (even though two happened inside the 10): on the first, Cedric Wilson appeared to miss the hot read, and thus was not where he needed to be; the second, thrown on 3rd and long, was as good as a coffin-corner kick (Bailey would have been smart to drop it and force a punt); and the third was a desparation throw in the game's final moments. Bad plays? Sure. But not as bad as others.

The secondary played poorly, too, with both DeShea Townsend and Ike Taylor getting beat for touchdowns in the first quarter. Taylor had one of his worst days as a Steeler, failing to do what he has done so often before: shut down a team's top receiver. But some credit needs to go the the Broncos: Rod Smith's catch over Townsend was one of the best I've seen, and Javon Walker is a dominant receiver. Ike Taylor is on his way to being a dominant corner, and such bad days will happen.

Javon Walker, incidentally, was the game's leading rusher, scoring on his only run, a 72-yard reverse. Townsend was in position to bring him down, but couldn't, and behind him two defenders collided. Touchdown.

I could go on: the continued poor play of Max Starks; the penalties; the awful punting and special teams; and so on. But you know what? I won't. I wrote after last week's loss to the Raiders that my hope had died; this week, that dead hope was replaced by something much more pleasant: detachment. I watched the game, yes, but I did so sitting down. I didn't pace. I didn't yell at the TV (okay, once or twice), nor did Hines Ward's fumble ruin my day. If Santonio Holmes' fumble in the first quarter showed me anything, it showed me that this team has been cursed. No team with this much talent and heart should perform this badly week after week. No team should be able to do so much right and still lose in such unfathomable ways. A larger force must be at work.

And so I'll sit back and enjoy the games from here on out. I'm predicting that the Steelers will finish 7-9, and that they will play their hearts out through week 16. And I will watch, and cheer, secure in the knowledge that it won't always be this bad.

(Remember how the Patriots won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years? The year they didn't win, they didn't make the playoffs.)