Thoughts continue to be with Ryan Shazier during his recovery. The news seems to be good and getting better regarding his recovery. Maybe there will be a return to the field in his future. More importantly, news seems to be in the direction of his being able to lead a normal life.

As for last night, contrary to some popular belief, I have no agenda, racial or otherwise (as suggested by Veritas Steel) against the Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I have thought, throughout his tenture, that his game-day decision-making is often not good, particularly around clock management, etc.

Last night, said it on other OPs, his primary skill, that of "an exceedingly well-developed line of bullshit," was on full display. As I've often stated, I don't use this phraseology pejoratively. Tomlin has a gift for knowing what and when to say to his men. Clearly, I don't know what he might have said when #50 went down with his injury, or on the sidelines or at halftime, but the dudes in Black & Gold battled back again. Tomlin possesses a gift that not many others have. I think we can recognize that while also acknowledging his weaknesses. That said, I'm also crediting Tomlin for wisely using this 2nd timeout after the 3rd down sack of Dalton with 2:50 remaining. It allowed him to use his full arsenal offensively, to run LBell, to throw to the middle of the field. He wasn't constricted by the clock. I do think that the challenge of the incomplete to Green was foolhardy; no way was that being overturned. Anyway, last night, Mike Tomlin's coaching cred was on display.

As for other points about last night's contest. John Gruden and that little fuckin' twerp Sean McDonough can kiss all of our asses collectively. Whether it was the glorification of perhaps the league's dirtiest player, or their overly dramatic critique of the officials, of 21-year old JuJu Smith-Schuster, or their bemoaning the fate of the game due to too much gratuitous violence, this was a game for turning off the sound, listing to a local broadcast or listening to nothing at all.

All Hail JuJu!! This kid could run for Mayor of Pittsburgh and win. His complete obliteration of Burfict was worth a penalty, even in that spot, if there ever was one. And I for one, and I'm thinking most of you, with Steelers down 7, and now facing a 2nd & 16, had very confidence that Steelers would pick up that first down.

Was anyone else a little worried about Boz after his kicking foot made contact with one of the Bungals when they were offside prior to the game-winner? That...and I usually don't buy into this shit, but I was seriously starting to think that the twin douchebags announcing the game were jinxing us.

Another war won with the Bungals. Another sad trip down the escalator for the Bungals faithful. You KNOW they KNEW it was going to happen. What a freakin' win!!

Going forward....only two games worth watching, worth a comment this week:
*Seahawks over Jags: This makes for a good lead-in to Steelers-Ravens on Sunday night. Let's root like hell for the Seahawks. One more Jaguars loss should result in some comfort that Steelers will nail down a 1st round bye.
*Dolphins over Patriots: Can't see it, and the outcome of this game will likely have little influence over the eventual seeding in the AFC.

Steelers need to win on Sunday night vs. Ravens. First off, it's the hated fuckin' Ravens, it's the swarmy fuck John Harbaugh (even though I think I make a compelling case of him being a better HC than Tomlin), it's Joe Fucco, it's Ray Lewis (even though he's in the broadcast booth. Beat the Ravens and Steelers clinch the AFC Norf, and likely gain a first round by regardless of the outcome against the Patriots.

Skipping a game, I'm worried about the Xmas day encounter in Houston. Steelers should win this one, but probably comes down to a last second Boswell field goal. Again, I'll rest much easier with a Sunday Night win this week, and I think we get it.

Patriots. I hope I'm wrong. I really do. I've said, repeatedly, incessantly, ad infinitum, ad fuckin' nasuseum, that Tomlin will never beat Belichick in a game of real consequence. That game of consequence is NOT the one being played at Heinz Field on December 17. It's the one played somewhere on January 21. It sure would help, IMO to play that game at Heinz Field, but winning in Foxboro is not an impossibility. Again as stated earlier, Steelers win THAT game, and I'm jumping into the icy waters of the Atlantic, at the New Hampshire coastline, wearing my Black & Gold #36 (gave away my #7 to my South African nephew, who's doing a REAL good job pissing off his in-laws by having become a Steelers fan rather than Patriots). I'll video that shit, post it on this esteemed website.

One other thing. What's with ALL the fuckin' bedwetters on the game thread last night? I usually stay away from that shit. The pissing and moaning starts at the first snap. Haley sucks, Steelers won't score, I'm turning off this game. Seriously, some serious fuckin' chick-littleing going on there. If we know anything this year, it's too not count this fuckin' team out. Don't give a shit who we're playing, overcoming a 17-3 second half deficit on the road...TWICE...this year, takes some serious balls and fortitude.

Great post Swiss.

Only game I’ve given up on this year was the Jax game...where it was reasonably clear that Ben just didn’t have it.

Nice write up....I have given up on the game thread, used to read it during commercial breaks and halftime and chime in occasionally, but lately you are right, its a bitchfest from opening kick off til the end of game, which just proves most of us suffer through Steeler games instead of enjoying them. 19-3 in our last 22 is pretty damn impressive, one would think the tenor on the game board might be a little more joyful.

Thanks South....for some reason, I've been following it more, if not commenting.

And Jeems....as luck would have it, Jax game was the one I attended this year, with my son. It broke his perfect, 9-0 record at Steelers games. He was begging me to leave with a few minutes left. I wouldn't do it.

Did you not like the roller coaster as a kid?

I love roller coaster rides...I live every second of those rides.

When you embrace the roller coaster, you’ll learn to see the artistry in the game threads.

I just hope the NFL stops scheduling the Pitt/Bengal game on Primetime. It should've been the Pats game instead.
A. The Bengals are no competition for us.
B. Coach enabler Marvin Lewis and his desperate band of thugs love showing out and instigating violence under the lights (where they simply don't belong).

Their play is damaging our brand, because we have to protect ourselves, and we get drug down in the mud with them. Pathetic!!!

Perfect post- nailed everything I thought



I thought it was an intentionally dirty play- Boz could've really fucked up his ankle.

I think ST's coaches are now teaching that on FG's: to go offsides intentionally and "accidentally on purpose" run into the kicker in hopes of giving him an injury or give him the yips

Seems as though there should be some sort of different penalty for the intentional offsides on a kick like that. I seem to remember that happening last year too in the Ravens game after we scored the winning TD. There really wasn't a downside for doing it - 5 yards didn't make a difference last year and the Bungles likely thought Boz was going to make the kick before the penalty.

Good stuff Swiss

I stay out of the game threads as it's a superstitious thing. I'll make a few comments at the half or so.

AMazing team win. and yes!!!

thought i was imagining things on that first FG attempt, apparently not

it's such a fuckin' drag to play the Bengals these days and wonder which of our players are going to get cheap-shotted

can't imagine how the players feel about it, or the coach for that matter

Regular season games are games of real consequence. Do you not think Belichick and the Patriots are going to try their all to beat us? Do you not think they would rather host the AFCCG than travel for it? If you mean that Tomlin will never beat Belichick in the playoffs, why not just say so?

And I disagree that there is some fundamental law of the universe that states that Tomlin could never beat Belichick in the playoffs, although you didn't say "could" you said "will" so I guess we'll see.

You'd think.

Interesting. Please expand on this.

Lmao. "Yay steelers are down 17-0..hip hip HOORAY!"

Something has to change and something has. Tomlin is ready. He bought time with lexicon until he figured it. Belichek has stymied our offense since Kordell. Initially cheating Bill knew what we were going to run, he simply reacted to our offense and that strategy has evolved through technology & savant Ernie. They're always ready for us, always positioned. Recently their reaction has been a chess match between Haley and the Patriot machine and until you change the dynamic the outcome won't change. With Ben as player coach we elevate the process, Ben will be reacting to NE, running plays that will work based on what he sees or thinks he sees. The pendulum will swing, we'll be hunting them. Ben has the OL & weapons to beat them one play at a time, one first down at a time. Patience, brains, great throws; Ben is ready. He will make mistakes but he'll also beat them often enough to score points. I believe he can break them. Ben and the offense will be so dialed in and so engaged they won't let up.

Tomlin has figured this out, he's made it happen. His brash comment to Dungy takes on different meaning wearing these glasses. The pressure is on Ben and he's ready. It's time for Ben to get his just due.

To get there we must have home field so we must beat Balt Sunday and then break NE. Let them know it's over. That might set them up for getting beat in the post season before they get a rematch. Ben can't be player coach in a hostile away game. On the D side, with points on their backs they'll play their asses off and with Sutton and Haden we can go man.

Player coach Ben runs his offense, beats NE and wins SB he'll play another season.

As always Swiss great write up. Hope like hell you get the chance to post a video of you polar bearing and laughing your ass off the whole time.

What a game last night. A lot to overcome it I did have a wtf scream moment when Tomlin three his challenge flag. Just an epic fail yet again.

I like it.

Well, maintaining some faith in the team wouldn't hurt especially since it was only the first half. Maybe we don't have to celebrate being down 17, but maybe we don't have to declare the season over either.

I forgot where or who mentioned Fitchner moving down to the sidelines.

Lest we forget, Haley went UP to the box at the beginning of the year....so maybe Fitchner just got sick of him

Yes, perhaps I should have said Ultimate Consequence, or more coarsely, Win or Go the Fuck Home Consequence. Of course, the Steelers would rather host the AFCCG (see Old School's condition of Ben as player coach above), but all will be left wanting (players, coaches, mgmt, fanbase) if Steelers fall to Patriots in the playoffs yet again.

I hope Old School's onto something; I really do. And despite my reservations, and as I've stated previously, I will undoubtedly be believing once again should the Steelers and Patriots meet in January, regardless of locale, but particularly if Steelers prevail in the prelim two weeks hence.

There was no doubt in my mind it was an attempt to destroy our kicking game. This game was a PR fail of epic proportions. The collective intelligence of the league front office couldn't fill a thimble. Brain damage fears, thuggery, kneeling issue, falling attendance and viewership and they let this happen. Are they purposely trying to destroy their image? The two stooges' talking points and comments glorifying that thug faker is further evidence of the cognitive dissonance. All except Ryan was avoidable with controls. Goodell and the owners that prop him up are appeasing the wrong factions and misdirected appeasement never works out well. There's a much better way to navigate these waters.

It's not just a bengals being dirty thing.

Slimy move for sure, but it's the same as proctology exams in the pile and testicle shots.

Tomlin should watch the Bum Phillips episode of A Football Life if he wants to know what it will feel like if he never beats Belichick in a playoff game.