Steelers MMQB: NFL Week 12 Wrap Up
By Kim Myers
What We Learned In Week 12 in the NFL:
- Ndamukong Suh’s stomp overshadows Packers getting to 11-0
- John Harbaugh wins the battle of the Jagoff Bowl against his brother
- If you’re going to mock a team in a TD celebration better make sure you back it up by catching the ball
- Tebow Time now extends to overtime while Rivers and the Chargers continue to be on the decline
- Steelers keep pace in the division and conference
What’s bigger news that the Packers still being undefeated? Ndamukong Suh actin a fool and stomping on the leg of Evan Dietrich-Smith. Suh has since apologized and is most likely facing a suspension and fine from the league due to his repeated actions of dirty shots against players either after the whistle or during the play. This incident was similar to the Albert Haynesworth stomping of Andre Gurode during a Titans-Cowboys game in 2006 where Haynesworth kicked off Gurode’s helmet and stomped on his face. Haynesworth was suspended for 5 unpaid games. Suh is showing a very disgusting side of himself. The immaturity of stomping on a player who is down like that surely outweighs, at least in my mind, however good-natured and well spoken he might be in interviews. This dude is dirty; he’s headed down the path of Rodney Harrison-dirty if he’s not reigned in now.
John Harbaugh earned himself another Gatorade shower by his players after beating his little brother on Thanksgiving night. The Ratbirds sacked Alex Smith a team record 9 times and dominated in a mainly defensive game. True to form, the Ratbirds over celebrated by giving their coach a Gatorade shower after winning a non-conference game at home. If I was a betting woman, I’d put money on the Ratbirds falling to the Browns this week. I know it sounds crazy, but so does the Ratbirds losing to the Seahawks.
Stevie Johnson caught a lot of flack, and not a whole lot of passes, for his touchdown celebration against the Jets where he mocked Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg and Santonio Holmes’ airplane-but his variation crashed into the ground drawing a 15 yard penalty. On the very next Jets possession, the offense marched down the field and scored very easily letting Johnson know the 15 yards he gave them was appreciated while his antics were not. Later in the game, with a chance to go ahead and win, Johnson dropped pass after pass and time ran out on the Bills chances to stay ahead of the Jets in the division and the wild card race.
I never realized that Plax’s shooting was such a touchy subject until I witnessed the backlash that Johnson received for this. The team was penalized 15 yards, the other team immediately scored off of that benefit, I’m sure his own teammates made sure they knew what a jagoff he was for doing something that stupid, but that’s not enough. Thanks to all the replays it has to be hammered home as if ridiculous touchdown celebrations are single-handedly ruining the league. No, dirty players like Suh, bad officiating, and Goodell’s constant alteration of the rules to favor passing over defense is what is ruining the league. Sure these displays of idiocy are annoying to watch, even more annoying when it’s after a first down or a sack and not an actual score, but what Johnson did was for attention, he clearly didn’t care about the consequences at the time. He just wanted attention. And that’s exactly what he got with all of those replays. There is already a 15 yard penalty attached to ridiculous touchdown celebrations, the best way to limit them is to not show them 50,000 times after they are done. How about trying that and see how many players try to choreograph their next celebration?
I won’t dedicate too much time to Tebow. Like I’ve said before, I’m not an outrageous Tebow fan by any means. I do enjoy how each week as Tebow and the Broncos find a way to win games, it makes all the “experts” scramble around to either revise or reiterate how this style of play “can’t last” and how Tebow still can’t throw well so no one should cheer for him. Now Tebow isn’t winning these games on his own, and he’s not winning the games on his arm, but the Broncos are winning like they haven’t done in 2 previous seasons, maybe it’s Tebow, maybe it’s the defense and Tebow, but he plays a factor in their success right now no matter how much Trent Dilfer and Merril Hodge hate it.
The Steelers came off of their bye week looking a bit rusty in Kansas City Sunday night. Playing without a considerable amount of starters with LaMarr Woodley out again, Maurkice Pouncey being scratched early due to a stomach virus, and Troy Polamalu going down in the first defensive series after a “blow to the head” and being evaluated on the sidelines the rest of the game for concussion –like symptoms. A few turnovers and so many penalties to make your head want to explode allowed the game to be a whole lot closer than it should have been.
Thankfully, the defense took advantage of playing against Palko, who coughed up the ball a total of 4 times to the Steelers, the most turnovers the defense has gotten in one game all year. In fact, Palko ended the Chiefs hopes at a comeback with an interception to Keenan Lewis with fewer than .40 left on the clock. That last drive was looking an awful lot like déjà vu after watching Kansas City convert a 4th and 7 and getting closer and closer to the end zone before eventually throwing the interception to essentially end the game.
The Steelers offense was held scoreless in the second half, and Ben was held to under 200 passing yards for the first time in 18 games. When asked after the game how his broken thumb was feeling he replied,
"“It’s still attached, so it’s good.”"
I hate it when a win feels like a loss the next day. Clearly there are some things to work on still and the Steelers didn’t come off the bye week healthy, rested, and as vicious as we all hoped they would be. The Steelers have the Bungles coming to town this Sunday and it won’t be any easier than their first game was. The penalties and turnovers need to be controlled because from here on out the only team that could take out the Steelers is the Steelers. Bring it on Week 13!
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