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.)
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.)
posted by Shane at 6:38 AM
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