Week 15 NFL Panel

The year is dwindling down and the "Cazmanian Devil's" grip on the lead seems too much for anyone to overcome. Can "The Rob" make a last minute push?

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Week 13 NFL Panel

Five weeks left and every gap is closing. 1st place may belong to Rick Caswell for a few more weeks, but a few more last place finishes will erase that quickly. It may help him that everyone's picks are getting very similar as the picture of who is legit and who isn't gets clearer.



P.S. No pictures because I left the file on another computer. It's not as pretty but it gets the job done.

STANDINGS:

Rick Caswell: 119-57

Jon Saia: 114-62

Bob Schreiner: 113-63

Rob Jentsch: 113-63

Kristina Rukavina: 109-67

Bobby Schreiner: 108-68

Katie Noone: 103-73

 

 

Week 12 NFL Panel and Happy Thanksgiving!

Not much changed last week as everyone went either 9-5 or 10-4. This week we could have some movement although you won't see hardly any today.

STANDINGS:

Rick Caswell: 108-52

Jon Saia: 102-58

Bob Schreiner: 102-58

Rob Jentsch: 101-59

Kristina Rukavina: 98-62

Bobby Schreiner: 95-65

Katie Noone: 90-70

 

 

Week 11 NFL Panel

Rick Caswell added to his already growing lead and now a three way tie for second will have to be settled. This week that may be tough though with six panelists picking the same team in nearly every game.

STANDINGS:

Rick Caswell: 98-48

Jon Saia: 92-54

Bob Schreiner: 92-54

Rob Jentsch: 92-54

Kristina Rukavina: 88-58

Bobby Schreiner: 85-61

Katie Noone: 81-65

 

 

 

 

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Week 10 NFL Power Rankings

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Around the NFL: Who dey? Still the Bungals

I used that title only because it's a clever play on the Bengals most popular (albeit ridiculous) saying, but this team showed that they can hang with the top dogs in their loss against the Steelers. Even though I predict that they'll lose next week to the Ravens, they'll make it a game and maybe even pull a big win out. And the Steelers deserve credit for a good win, although I again feel they could have pulled away quickly and won this game going away. Nonetheless, the Steelers now lead in the AFC North and it may just be a three horse race down the stretch. I'll allow you to contemplate that as we go around the NFL.

STEELERS 24, Bengals 17

• The hurry up offense once again proved capable of making big things happen for the Steelers. Why? Because Ben Roethlisberger calls his own plays. Bruce Arians has done much better (or maybe has just been much less stubborn) this season, but there's no denying that Roethlisberger has a much better feel of the game than Arians does. Ben loves him and trusts him, so I can't understand why the Steelers don't trust Ben more.

• The defense wasn't perfect this week, but William Gay played spectacularly adding credence to the fact that he has become a solid starting cornerback option. He accounted for both Steelers interceptions and the one that he caught practically sealed the deal.

• The Steelers forced turnovers and won fairly easily. If they can find ways to force more, they'll be Super Bowl bound again.

• Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown have to be one of the best wide receiving tandems in the NFL, if not the best. When Emmanuel Sanders gets back, you can add him to the group with Hines Ward, Jerricho Cotchery, and Heath Miller and you may have the best group of pass catchers in the NFL as well.

• The Steelers are back on top of the AFC North and I believe that's where they'll finish this season thanks to help from the Seattle Seahawks this week.

Around the NFL

• The Oakland Raiders took control of the AFC West with a win over the always overrated San Diego Chargers. Meanwhile, Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos optioned their way into a tie for second place with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Right now, it's impossible to predict who will win this division, but it may be more likely than not that eight wins does the trick. It would have been crazy to think before the season that a team led by Tim Tebow, Carson Palmer, or Tyler Palko would have a legitimate shot at the playoffs this year...?

• The Houston Texans thrashed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and took over the top seed in the AFC. Now, Matt Leinart will have to take over for the injured Matt Schaub and that could be extremely devastating. They may still make the playoffs, but there is no way that they earn a first round bye with Leinart leading them. I've seem him play with Larry Fitzgerald and that didn't go so well, so I highly doubt that playing with Andre Johnson will make him any better.

• The Indianapolis Colts lost again in one of the few remaining games that people will give them a chance. This team should not be this bad, but I'm starting to think that they'll be our second 0-16 team in NFL history.

• The Buffalo Bills-Dallas Cowboys game is one of those that make you wonder which was the real story: The Bills fading this quickly or the Cowboys heating up at the right time. I won't begin to guess, but both need to keep winning to stay in contention through November.

• Well Rex Grossman got a chance to start for the Washington Redskins again, but it didn't change too much. I still think he's the right option, but it doesn't really matter anymore as they dwell in the cellar of the NFC East.

• Again I ask: John Skelton or Kevin Kolb for the Arizona Cardinals?

• The decision to go for it on 4th and 1 at their own 29 in overtime was ill-advised by Mike Smith and the Atlanta Falcons. I realize that they should have the ability to get that first down, but even if they do they're still on their own side of the field and far from guaranteed any points. It's actually more likely that they don't get into scoring position than it is that they do. The New Orleans Saints were stoppable, but not from the Falcons 29. That was a silly mistake. One that may cost the Falcons a shot at the playoffs.

• The Tennessee Titans blowing out the Carolina Panthers isn't exactly impressive, but it could be an extremely important win now that Matt Leinart is the quarterback in Houston. All of a sudden this team has more than a legitimate shot at making some noise.

• The Baltimore Ravens have won two Super Bowls this season and it won't matter if they can't keep their emotions in check. This team has two erroneous losses to teams that they are better than and that could be what keeps them from going deep in January. I really can't take this team seriously.

• The San Francisco 49ers are very for real. There lack of quarterback production has to ultimately do them in, but they can't be pushed aside as an afterthought after a tough win over the New York Giants.

• I think the Detroit Lions are starting to really show their true colors. They remain ahead of the Chicago Bears temporarily after their blowout loss this week, but I don't think it will stay that way.

• The New England Patriots aren't what they used to be and I find myself doubting if they will be again anytime soon. However, they remain the best team in the AFC East as evidenced by their fairly easy victory over the New York Jets.

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NFL Week 10 Panel

Rick Caswell took a commanding lead atop the leaderboard last week with a surprising ten wins in a week where four of our panelists didn't get more right than they got wrong. Meanwhile, the rest of our cast remained pretty much status quo. This week was an extremely tough week to make picks and it shows with only three games winners' picked unanimously in a full sixteen game week. Maybe we'll see some movement this week.

STANDINGS:

Rick Caswell: 89-41

Jon Saia: 86-44

Bob Schreiner: 84-46

Rob Jentsch: 84-46

Bobby Schreiner: 78-52

Kristina Rukavina: 78-52

Katie Noone: 70-60

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Week 9 NFL Power Rankings

 

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Around the NFL: Beat the Ravens, Nevermore

Wow... I'm not always right, but I hit nail precisely on the head on this whole perception issue. The Steelers came into the week as the league's second best team in most people's eyes. They enter week ten as a lesser team than the Ravens. The same Ravens who were on the brink of being written off after a loss to the lowly Jaguars, and barely beating the incapable Cardinals, are again one of the top teams in the league. It's amazing how quickly opinions can change. So as the Steelers start their climb back towards the top, let's go around the NFL.

Ravens 26, STEELERS 23

• I have to admit, I thought the Steelers had finally figured it out. I thought that they would finally become the unstoppable team that so many of their fans know they can be. For years, the Steelers have frustrated fans with more than capable personnel used in inexplicable schemes. Last week, the Steelers got it right, becoming the team that will throw 50 times to beat you if that's what it takes instead of forcing the run. Offensively it could have been worse, but defensively Dick LeBeau went back to the defensive approach that has irked me and others for so long. The Ravens used a New England Patriots style offense and the Steelers never adjusted back to the defense that worked so well for them last week. I have no idea why, but I've been asking that question for years. You'll win a lot, you'll lose a few, I guess that's what we're stuck with.

• Officiating didn't cost the Steelers the game, but I'd be remiss if I didn't go there. First of all, the defensive pass interference call on the winning touchdown may have technically been correct, but William Gay only needed to grab Torrey Smith because Smith pushed off of Gay first, and then when Gay grabbed Smith, Smith pushed off a second time. It is very frustrating when the deciding touchdown is scored because of a botched penalty. But, I'd also be remiss if I wasn't at least somewhat objective and say, in all fairness, that the opening play of the game was a bad holding call as well. You'll recall Ray Rice running 76 yards for a score only to have it come all the way back on a nitpicky holding call at best. Of course, throw in the personal foul non-call on Ray Lewis, and the actual personal foul called on Ryan Clark, and you just have an overall horribly officiated game. The first I've seen in quite a while which is a credit to the referees this season.

• Back to the defensive scheme now. It was a really poor gameplan and the Steelers never seemed to adjust. Why the Steelers stubbornly trot out the same defense (and offense) when it is obviously not working, makes little to no sense to me. 

• I'm not necessarily against the Steelers decision to punt the ball from the Ravens 29, however, the obvious lack of trust in kicker Shaun Suisham is a bit disconcerting. First of all, I do trust the guy kicking the ball. I know I'm one of the few, but he hasn't really proven that he's incapable. But, those three points would have given the Steelers an overtime ballgame at worst. If Mike Tomlin doesn't believe in him, wouldn't it just be better to sign a different kicker? Maybe Jeff Reed, baggage and all?

• This week Ben Roethlisberger became the second fastest ever to 25,000 passing yards. Right behind Kurt Warner and right ahead of Johnny Unitas, if you were wondering. Not bad for a guy whose defense and running game has carried him to two Super Bowls...

Around the NFL

• I'm very surprised at the outcome of the New York Jets-Buffalo Bills game. It's not surprise at the fact that the Jets won. I thought the Bills would win, but it was far from a lock. It's more of a surprise that the Jets basically manhandled the Bills. It seems like Buffalo may be coming back to Earth. I won't be the first to say it, but I'd have trouble arguing against it.

• Don't ask me what happened to the Kansas City Chiefs. Many predicted the Miami Dolphins would win, but I didn't think it would be close. I was half right, but it was the winless Dolphins that came through with their first win of 2011. And Matt Moore had the highest total QBR for the week. Maybe they've decided they're okay without drafting Andrew Luck?

• The Indianapolis Colts lost. This one was not a shocker... With every loss, Peyton Manning's career in Indianapolis gets shorter.

• I thought the Seattle Seahawks had something going a little bit after their shutout loss to the Steelers, but it appears I was wrong. 

• The San Francisco 49ers won again against the Washington Redskins. It's another win against a not-so-stellar opponent so I'm still of the thinking the 49ers aren't that great, but they're almost in the playoffs already, so I'll give them as good a shot to win it all as anyone else right now.

• The New Orleans Saints bounced back from a bad loss against the St. Louis Rams with a win over a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. I have a feeling they'll be tough to beat in any game the rest of the season.

• I get a lot wrong. A whole lot. But did I have it right about Tim Tebow? Come on. Give me some love. You know you want to. The Denver Broncos went to a Florida Gators-esque offense, just as I said they should, and look what happened. Tim Tebow may not be able to win forever like that, but the Broncos will have a fighting chance this year especially being only a game out of the division lead.

• The poor Oakland Raiders. Jason Campbell hasn't been placed on IR yet right?

• The Cincinnati Bengals are for real. They may not make the playoffs. They may get killed by the Steelers this week. But the Bengals aren't going to go away quietly, if at all.

• Just asking but Carson Palmer or Andy Dalton?

• Just asking but Kevin Kolb or John Skelton in Arizona?

• The San Diego Chargers still suck. Yes, I can confirm that nothing has changed since last week.

• The Green Bay Packers are not unbeatable. They can't be beaten, but they're not unbeatable.

• Yes! Another team I get to gloat about! I've said time and time again that the New York Giants are one of the best teams in the NFL. Just look at my power rankings if you don't believe me. They won the first game of their extremely difficult five game stretch, and I think they'll come out of it very respectably.

• It appears the "dream team's" season is about over as we come to the halfway point of the season. As far as I can predict, ten wins is the sheer minimum to make the playoffs in the NFC, if not eleven. So the Philadelphia Eagles would have to finish either 7-1 or undefeated the rest of the way to have a chance at the postseason. I can't see it happening.

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Week 9 NFL Panel

We have a tie atop the leaderboard after Rick Caswell finally caught Jon Saia. Bob Schreiner closed the gap between himself and the lead by a game, passing Rob Jentsch in the process. I moved up to fifth making a small dent in the gap between myself and the lead.

STANDINGS:

Jon Saia: 79-37

Rick Caswell: 79-37

Bob Schreiner: 78-38

Rob Jentsch: 77-39

Bobby Schreiner: 71-45

Kristina Rukavina: 70-46

Katie Noone: 62-54

 

 

 

 

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Week 8 NFL Power Rankings

I'm putting these up a little later than I wanted, but I'd still love to hear what you guys think. Maybe the Saints should be higher than the Steelers? Just asking?

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Around the NFL: Steelers Terrorize the Patriots

Do you hear that? Just listen. Nothing? It's no surprise you don't hear anything because finally the critics both in Pittsburgh and beyond have been silenced. It's amazing what beating the Patriots can do for the way a team is perceived. Heck, isn't everything about perception nowadays. The Eagles are still a bad team at 3-4, but everyone suddenly considers them a playoff contender. Meanwhile, the Giants are 5-2 and most write them off as an early round playoff exit if they even make it that far. Let this be a lesson that things aren't always as they seem. Right now most will consider the Steelers the class of the AFC. If they lose to Baltimore next week everything will change. So while it's nice to not have to defend the quality of the Steelers for a week, enjoy it while it lasts. You know I will as I go around the NFL.

STEELERS 25, Patriots 17

• The Steelers, after years of having Tom Brady toy with them like they were a Pop Warner team, finally learned how to stop the Patriots - don't line the corners up ten yards off the receivers. I've only been saying this since... Dick LeBeau took over as defensive coordinator. Had the Steelers employed this strategy in the Super Bowl (as they should have), "Sixburgh" would be an outdated term for the city.

• Even without key starters, the Steelers continue to impress and actually may be even more impressive than when they were healthy. As Mike Tomlin says, "The standard is the standard." I and all of the other NFL teams would agree, but nobody follows that more than the Steelers have in the last season and a half.

• I've given the secondary credit every week, but it's astonishing to me that nobody else has given this group the attention they deserve. How many times do they have to keep the league's top receivers in check before somebody mentions them? If they were playing poorly we'd hear nothing but how bad they are playing.

Around the NFL

• I was told last week that the New Orleans Saints were better than the Pittsburgh Steelers because the Saints destroyed the Indianapolis Colts and the Steelers barely beat them. Then the St. Louis Rams beat the Saints without Sam Bradford. Somebody better tell me what to think this week!

• Is it a stretch to say that Kevin Kolb is the league's worst quarterback? He is the reason the Arizona Cardinals blew their game against the Baltimore Ravens and he's the reason the Cardinals are only 1-6.

• I guess the Washington Redskins can be written off this year. They could be considered the worst team right now, if not for the winless teams left.

• There is no such thing as a college-style offense contrary to what the Denver Broncos tried to say this week. There is a pro-style offense which is the general idea of how an NFL offense is run. Then there are variations of offenses that college teams use such as the University of Houston's "Let Case Keenum throw the ball 60 times a game" style offense that they use. What the Broncos ran was not any of those things. Tim Tebow is a really good quarterback if you let him play his game, but the Broncos aren't doing that. Let the guy run. Run options, run quarterback draws and sweeps, run anything. So what if he gets hurt? Then you turn to Kyle Orton. But while Tebow is healthy you're going to have a darn good team that a lot of teams will struggle to stop.

• The San Francisco 49ers and homefield advantage should not be allowed in the same sentence, but for some reason it keeps coming up.

• The Seattle Seahawks aren't very good, but the Cincinnati Bengals looked mightily impressive against them. I still don't think they're ready to make the playoffs, but just maybe...

• Well it looks like the Philadelphia Eagles are back on the map. It's unfortunate because I was under the impression that they took this season off because I haven't seen to many mentions about them in my Facebook feed this season. Let's just say the weather is starting to look pretty fair for these fans...

• The San Diego Chargers must have been playing a meaningful game this week. Of course they were, because they lost to the division rival Kansas City Chiefs and with a very appropriate ending to boot. Now they are no longer in first place in the AFC West and if Carson Palmer plays well for the Oakland Raiders, third place may be realistic.

Week 8 NFL Panel

Bob Schreiner made a sharp move up the standings getting to third with an eleven win week. His only two losses came in games that were unanimously picked in favor of the losing team. Jon Saia and Rick Caswell matched each other to remain just a game apart in the battle for the top spot. This week there aren't too many differences with plenty of mismatched games, but there are a few spots open to make movement up and down the board.

STANDINGS:

Jon Saia: 71-32

Rick Caswell: 70-33

Rob Jentsch: 68-35

Bob Schreiner: 68-35

Kristina Rukavina: 62-41

Bobby Schreiner: 60-43

Katie Noone: 56-47

 

 

 

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Week 7 NFL Power Rankings

My first power rankings of the year. I'll try to make this a weekly thing if time allows. Disagree? Suck it.

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Around the NFL: Steelers Clip Cardinals' Wings

The number of bridge jumpers in the Steel City seems to have slowed to a halt with the Steelers finally starting to look more and more like the team we all expected. They easily thwarted the Cardinals efforts to pick up a rare win in the eastern time zone and jumped back into the national spotlight as a legitimate contender. This week that notion could be either further enhanced with a win against the New England Patriots. But let's look back before we look ahead and go around the NFL.

STEELERS 32, Cardinals 20

• The Steelers don't win with as much pizzazz as the New England Patriots or the Green Bay Packers, and they rarely have the dominant defensive performances that the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets occasionally produce, but these players, as well as head coach Mike Tomlin, know how to win football games. They are aggravating to watch a lot of times, but they are a better team than the 67% of fans on espn.com that picked the Patriots to beat the Steelers next week think.

• Ben Roethlisberger has been on fire and is it any wonder why? Even while he remains the best quarterback at evading a rush and making a play (Mike Vick can evade the rush, but where the play ends up is anyone's guess), any quarterback is better behind a strong offensive line. The Steelers offensive line has been nothing less than stellar the last couple of weeks and it shows.

• I'm sure a lot of it was the obvious lack of ability that Kevin Kolb displays with each drop back, but the secondary looked great again, shutting down Larry Fitzgerald who has done more against way better secondaries. If anyone still has complaints, then shall I suggest becoming a fan of the Eagles and their "dream team" secondary?

Around the NFL

• Who would've thought that a team would be clamoring to have Tarvaris Jackson back at quarterback? Well I bet that's how the Seattle Seahawks feel after the way Charlie Whitehurst played in a loss to the Cleveland Browns.

• Don't look now, but the Chicago Bears are right behind the Detroit Lions in the NFC North. The Lions took round one, but it'll be fun to see how much their game means when these two teams meet in week 10. 

• How amazing is it that when you let a young quarterback loose, they come out looking golden more often than they look bad? Tim Tebow didn't even have ten attempted passes through the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins, but when the Denver Broncos finally got desperate enough to call a few pass plays they thrived, erasing a 15-0 deficit and winning in overtime. I'm not saying he will be a star, but if they let him get comfortable he'll win them a few games.

• The San Diego Chargers proved once again that they will never win an important game so long as Philip Rivers is the quarterback. Rivers played miserably in their loss to the New York Jets, and showed why Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning are the top two quarterbacks of that draft class.

• The Atlanta Falcons sent a major wakeup call to the Detroit Lions and the rest of the NFL. The Falcons remain very much in the playoff race and are looking better with each passing week. The Lions, meanwhile, have now dropped two straight and really need to pick up their game after two potentially pivotal conference losses.

• The Washington Redskins look like they will quickly become one of the NFC's whipping boys as Tim Hightower and Santana Moss are out for an extended period of time and there are plenty of issues at the quarterback position. When you can't beat the Carolina Panthers you know you're in trouble.

• I feel like I'll be eating my words soon about the Tennessee Titans. They got pummeled by the Houston Texans after a bye week, and have struggled against teams with better records. I still don't think the Texans are even close to a top tier team, but I'm not sure that they have any competition in the AFC South.

• The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the hunt. I picked them to win the AFC West but I'm shocked at how they've been able to turn it around after one of the league's worst starts. There is plenty of talent on this team, but I thought that injuries to key players mixed with Matt Cassel's inability to take a game over would do them in. Next week against the Chargers should tell us everything we need to know about the Chiefs.

• I know it was Carson Palmer's first game in quite a while, but three interceptions in one half of football is inexcusable. I've been saying for a long time that he isn't that good. He wasn't worth the first round picks, that's for certain. I know that he'll play better than he did this week and I know that he'll play better than Kyle Boller, but what did they expect to do with Jason Campbell when he comes back? I'll take Campbell any day over Palmer and I have a feeling the Oakland Raiders will be saying the same thing. For the time being, I believe Palmer is easily the best option, however he's got to shake the rust immediately.

• It's good to know it isn't just Sam Bradford. The St. Louis Rams got pounded by the Dallas Cowboys with A.J. Feeley playing quarterback and my suggestion would be make sure Bradford is 100% before he plays again because this season isn't going anywhere.

• Before anyone gets too high on their New Orleans Saints horses, remember that this is the same Saints team that lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a week after Tampa got destroyed by the San Francisco 49ers. The Saints are good, but a 62-7 win alone doesn't put them at the top of the NFL.

• There is no way Peyton Manning touches the field in 2011 if I'm the Indianapolis Colts. Well, that is, unless they want to showcase him for a trade...

• And we get to end with my favorite topic of the week: The Baltimore Ravens. Their offense is pitiful with the exception of Ray Rice. Their defense is really good, but they can be scored on. I just don't think this team has the ability to be a top tier team and for at least the week hopefully the national media will agree with me.

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Week 7 Steelers Pregame

The Steelers again opened themselves up to criticism while winning yet another game. Jacksonville, who came into last week's game with a 1-4 record and a rookie quarterback, were heavy underdogs and rightfully so. It looked like the Steelers would coast after jumping out to an early dominating performance and a pretty big lead. But alas, the Steelers lack of a killer instinct nearly cost them another game as it's done so many times in my time as a Steelers fan. But as Mike Tomlin says, NFL teams can't earn style points and the Steelers will continue to do what they do no matter how close they come to losing because even a narrow victory counts as a win.


What I'll be looking for this week:

• Finishing strong - The Steelers are, and always have been, capable of winning almost every game by two touchdowns or more under Mike Tomlin. However, it seems they only do it in games that they are underdogs in or games following a narrow escape. This week happens to be a case of the latter. I see a big win on the horizon.

• Don't look ahead - After the Cardinals, the Steelers get the Ravens and the Patriots. The Cardinals are really bad, but they are still an NFL team and if you take them lightly they can beat you. I still believe in Ken Whisenhunt and his team will be prepared to capitalize on lazy miscues.

• Larry Fitzgerald to be shut down - The Steelers not only have the best defense in the NFL, but they also have the best pass defense. Fitzy is really the only guy worth paying attention to and Kevin Kolb is a really bad quarterback so it shouldn't be a tough task to pay extra attention to him. The door is open for Beanie Wells and the Steelers replacement defensive line needs to shut him down as well.

• Final thoughts on Aaron Smith; Troy Polamalu's fine - This is not really a part of what I'm looking for, but it's something I wanted to touch on. Troy Polamalu getting fined $10,000 for letting his wife know that he's ok after nearly suffering a concussion. No player should be penalized for letting his family know that he's ok. Obviously this isn't a rule the NFL wants abused, but don't fine Polamalu or any other player. Why not put a phone on the sideline just for that occasion? And it's sad to see Aaron Smith's career (likely) end the way it is going to. He was a potential hall of famer three years ago and now he's played less than half a season in three consecutive years. A great guy and a great career and hopefully the Steelers can get him one more ring.

Prediction:

• Steelers 34, Cardinals 13

Articles:
Articles will return next week! For now you can visit any of our links for great Steelers coverage.


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Week 7 NFL Panel

Jon Saia continues to maintain his lead with a great week 6. Meanwhile Rick Caswell kept pace with an 11 win week himself and the race is only heating up as we move closer to the season's halfway point. "The Rob" and Bob Schreiner are hanging in there near the top while Krissy, Katie, and myself keep plugging away in the cellar.

STANDINGS:

Jon Saia: 62-28

Rick Caswell: 61-29

Rob Jentsch: 60-30

Bob Schreiner: 57-33

Kristina Rukavina: 55-35

Bobby Schreiner: 52-38

Katie Noone: 48-42

 

 

 

 

 

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Around the NFL: Steelers Stifle Jaguars Purr

And the tale of two Steelers teams continues. They dismantled a solid Titans team last week and looked well on their way to another blowout victory against the Jaguars. Somehow that didn't happen and it made what should have been a relaxing Sunday afternoon, into a pre-Halloween horror story. The Steelers get another gimme game this week against the Cardinals but, before we get there, let's go around the NFL.

STEELERS 17, Jaguars 13

• I have to admit that I never felt nervous at any point during the Steelers game after they jumped out to a big lead. Why? Maybe because the Jaguars are that bad. Maybe because I knew we had Big Ben on our side against a rookie quarterback. Or maybe it's because the Steelers defense is #1 in the league. Yeah, that's right. The eleven members of the AARP that makeup the defense, are holding their own pretty well. Any comment Mr. Sapp?

• The replacements on defense look much better than the regular starters. The writing is on the wall for Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith no matter how well they play when they return.

• The offensive line has looked much better and it has to be mainly the play of Max Starks. How the heck is he pulling this off?

• Can we say Rashard Mendenhall and Lamarr Woodley are back to normal? I don't know, but I sure hope so. I'm very surprised at how well Mendenhall ran.

Around the NFL

• The Cincinnati Bengals are 4-2 somehow. Seriously if anyone has a clue how they're doing it, let me know.

• If I'm the Indianapolis Colts, I place Peyton Manning on IR today. Why bother risking his future, assuming he's in any plans for the future, to play on a team this bad.

• There seem to be a lot of people that aren't high on the New York Giants. I like them personally. They are the furthest thing from healthy on either side of the ball and still boast a 4-2 record. Not that it's all his fault, but if Eli Manning played any bit consistently, they might be 6-0.

• If that's they way Jim Harbaugh is going to act when he wins a regular season game, I sure hope the San Francisco 49ers don't win the Super Bowl. If that happens he might bludgeon someone to death.

• If that's the way Jim Schwartz is going to act when he loses, then thank God he wasn't the coach when the Lions went 0-16...

• How far the St. Louis Rams have fallen even before they actually got up. They were easily the favorites to win the NFC West coming into this year and now sit 4.5 games back of the San Francisco 49ers and even worse they've yet to record a win. It's no easy task to beat the Green Bay Packers, but at least make it a game.

• The Philadelphia Eagles got back on track with a win. When you get four interceptions against one quarterback who doesn't finish the game, you should probably win by more than seven points though. How is this team so bad?

• Really Vince Young? Really? You're the guy responsible for the Philadelphia Eagles being labeled the "dream team" and your first pass gets picked off. Young has talent, but that guy can't get out of his own way.

• Rex Grossman or John Beck? This one is easy. Grossman plays if the Washington Redskins want to win the division. He played a bad game, but he always does. This week he just happened to turn the ball over often which isn't the norm for him. He'll bounce back fine as long as the D.C. media keeps the pressure off of him.

• Once Jason Campbell went down, I was ready to write the Oakland Raiders' obituary right next to their late owner Al Davis.' Kyle Boller wasn't going to get it done, but Carson Palmer is a much better option, even without playing all year. Giving up a first and second rounder for him wasn't wise though. As NFL panelist Jon Saia said, "Good to know the Raiders can still be really stupid even without Al Davis..."

• Don't look now, but the Houston Texans are 3-3. The win over the Steelers seems a distant memory as this team has lost two crucial games against potential foes in the battle for playoff spots. Will they even make the playoffs?

• I thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be better than they have been, but then they got obliterated by the San Francisco 49ers. Then, a week later, they beat the New Orleans Saints. I'm not really sure what to think of them at this point.

• And finally the Christian Ponder era begins for the Minnesota Vikings. It's such a shame that Donovan McNabb's career will likely end like this. The guy just needed to play well enough to solidify a spot in Canton, and he's only made the notion of the Hall of Fame a dream at best. It's especially worse that his coaches and receivers have done him no favors.

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Week 6 NFL Panel

"The Rob" and Rick Caswell closed the gap on leader Jon Saia by a game. This week there aren't many differences in selections but there is still a chance of movement up and down the board.

STANDINGS:

Jon Saia: 51-26

"The Rob": 50-27

Rick Caswell: 50-27

Bob Schreiner: 48-29

Kristina Rukavina: 46-31

Bobby Schreiner: 44-33

Katie Noone: 41-36

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Around the NFL: Max-imum Effort Sparks Steelers

Will the real Pittsburgh Steelers please stand up? A day after watching the Pitt Panthers go from outstanding to horrifying, the Steelers did the complete opposite, rebounding from a tough loss to the Houston Texans. Now, as we look forward to next week against Jacksonville, let's go around the NFL.

STEELERS 38, Titans 17

• Let's start with the best story of the Steelers' game: Max Starks played exceptionally well. For someone that hadn't even touched a football field in nearly a whole calendar year, he looked flawless, and even made it through the entire game which speaks wonders to his conditioning. Had he kept his weight down during the offseason he probably would have been the Steelers starting left tackle five weeks ago. If he can continue to anchor the line the way he did this week, his career will certainly be on the rise again.

• I bash the guy week in and week out so I have to give credit where credit is due. Bruce Arians came in with a tremendous gameplan. To be fair, short, quick passes is what the fans and media members have been calling for since about week two, and he probably only actually did it because of Ben's injury, but at least Arians figured it out eventually. Five touchdown passes by Ben Roethlisberger can be a common thing if Arians gets out of his own stubborn way.

• The call to go for the fake punt on fourth down was tremendous. That play was the game changer and probably what led to such a big win for the Steelers. Had it not worked we may be saying different things but, as I've said before, I'm not in the business of predicting alternate outcomes.

• Isaac Redman and Johnathan Dwyer both played very well. At the worst, they played better than Rashard Mendenhall has at any point this season. When he comes back, he needs to take a lesson from Redman and Dwyer and learn to hit the holes hard and with the same tenacity that he used to. Mendenhall's the most talented back, but right now he isn't the best.

• We had our first Lamarr Woodley sighting this week. It was certainly nice to see with James Harrison out on the other side.

• Wow did that defensive line look much better. Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton both missed the game, and I think that says a lot for where their careers are heading. I don't think either hang around next season, but I still think they can help this year. However, I'm not sure either should play the majority of any game, especially when I found out the Steelers are 16-1 when Chris Hoke starts. I'd say that he can get the job done.

Around the NFL

• The Buffalo Bills are legit. I've already said that. The Philadelphia Eagles are finished. That I haven't said, but I'm pretty darn sure of it. 1-4 teams don't make the playoffs too often and the Eagles schedule does them no favors. They only have three games on their remaining schedule that I consider guaranteed wins against Arizona, Seattle, and Jacksonville. If they lose one of those they don't have a chance. Win them all, and let's say that go 5-3 in those other games against fairly tough opponents, including five division games and a matchup with the Patriots. That only puts them at 9-7 and the best they will be looking at is a 6th seed. Their only hope in my eyes is that they can earn a tie for the division lead, and maybe even pull out a 3rd or 4th seed. That quest starts this week against Washington.

• Well, any hope that the Indianapolis Colts had of getting Peyton Manning back for a playoff push ended with a loss to the lowly Kansas City Chiefs. Curtis Painter played well, but he was a part of blowing a 21-0 lead and at 0-5, this team is more talented than they've shown, but not good enough to turn this all the way around.

• The New York Giants aren't that good, but they're still a playoff caliber team in the NFC. However, the Seattle Seahawks actually do have some talent. I still wouldn't bet on Seattle as a playoff team, but they aren't quite as bad as everyone thought. Although if they can finish the season 2-14, it still may benefit them more if Andrew Luck is as good as people say.

• The Cincinnati Bengals are 3-2. I don't care who they've played, that's way better than I had them. The Jacksonville Jaguars are horrible so this week's win wasn't exactly a statement win, but I'm loving seeing the Bungals win while Carson Palmer sits and pouts at home. As good as their defense is, they'd be a legitimate contender with him. 

• The Carolina Panthers are so close that it hurts. The corner is coming fast, but they just aren't ready to turn it, but I'd venture a guess that it will be soon. Maybe it's because the Panthers know they aren't going anywhere, but why don't they run the ball more? DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have proven that they are two of the league's best and yet they rarely have 20 carries between the two of them in a week. Is it because they want to keep letting Cam Newton do his thing while they bide their time? I don't know, but I think if they ran the ball and kept their offense on the field, they would be able to make a playoff push.

• By virtue of tiebreakers the Oakland Raiders are now better than the Houston Texans after their win. What does this say? I have no idea. I knew the Raiders were pretty decent, and I knew the Texans weren't that good, but there is no way the Texans should have lost that game.

• Man oh man did the Arizona Cardinals screw up. Kevin Kolb is horrible. Shoot, I had to go through a whole offseason telling that to Eagles' fans. Now the Cardinals found out the hard way. This team gave up too much for him and paid him way too much. Pack in the season and draft a quarterback.

• Meanwhile the Minnesota Vikings finally finished a game against those same Cardinals. Maybe they've gotten it together. Eh, It doesn't matter with two teams in their division at 5-0...

• Are the San Francisco 49ers really 4-1? I suppose even if they lose out, they'd still have a shot at taking this division. That was a really impressive showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers especially because I'm not sure this game is really indicative of what the Bucs are. Jim Harbaugh is definitely a frontrunner for Coach of the year.

• And the Tim Tebow era begins! Kyle Orton is still the better quarterback, but I like the decision. Tebow is an egotistical jerk that's been handed everything his whole life. Worst of all he's the most phony person I've ever seen and all the while people continue to eat it up. I think Terrell Owens is ten times more genuine than Tebow. However, that doesn't mean he's not a good athlete and there's no sense spinning your tires in the mud when the fans are dying to see your possible franchise quarterback.

• I think the Green Bay Packers are the NFL's best team right now, but the Atlanta Falcons looked awful. They got out to a 14-0 lead and only looked back. The Packers put up 25 unanswered points and it really wan't even as close as the final score. I picked the Falcons to be in the Super Bowl, but I don't like anything I'm seeing from them right now.

• I said that once the Detroit Lions took down the Chicago Bears, I would be a believer. I lied. Yes, they're 5-0, and yes that means that they pretty much have already made the playoffs when looking at all of the teams that have started 5-0. But I just still can't see this team being a true Super Bowl contender. Sorry...

Articles:

Fill-ins embrace role in dominating victory

Steelers Report Card: Game 5 vs. Titans

Steelers Notebook: Seldom-used Dwyer seizes chance with 100-yard day

Gerry Dulac's Two-Minute Drill: Game 5 vs. Titans

View From Tennessee: Line play stymied Titans

Steelers come out on top, 38-17, against Titans

On the Steelers: Timmons' life turned inside-out

The stretch: What is it, and why does it bring the Steelers to their knees?

Hard work paying off for Hoke

Circumstances produce big victory

Nagging, negative Steelers thoughts

New/old Steelers rout Titans

Steelers OLB Woodley is regaining his stride

QB Roethlisberger throws Steelers past Titans

Kovacevic: Big Ben embodies team resolve

Sepulveda to Mundy big moment for Steelers

Steelers Defeat Titans 38-17 In Bounce Back Performance

NFL Grades: Week 5

Week 5 Judgements: No question who wins Tebow-Orton debate

Monday Musings: Is Kolb a flop?

Raiders' emotional rally, 49ers' rout show sun is rising in the West

Raiders 'just win' in comeback tribute to Al Davis, more Snaps

Audio:

Ed Bouchette Breaks Down Steelers’ Victory Over Titans

Steelers LB Farrior Proud Of Effort Vs. Titans

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