Are you ready for some football?

Are you ready for a screwjob of epic proportions?

A running joke this season has been the Pittsburgh Steelers having to battle two separate foes each and every Sunday.  Most obviously, they had to defeat the team lined up across from them.  Then they had to contend with their hidden opponents; the officials.  I’ve tried to not subscribe to Pittsburgh Paranoia or whine like a Ratbird fan but it’s nigh impossible to ignore the anti-Steelers bias coming from the NFL this season.

Who can forget the debacle against Oakland where the Black and Gold racked up the most penalty yardage in their eighty year history?  Or the Ravens game where Heath Miller was knocked out by an obvious cheapshot shortly after Ben Roethlisberger had his snoot crushed by Haloti Ngata and no flags were thrown on either play?   I’m sure Steeler Nation expected the officiating to improve in the playoffs only to see our team penalized nine times for 93 yards last Saturday.  Yeah, the zebras missed a couple personal fouls on Ike Taylor and Kemo but they also missed Ed Reed attempting to corkscrew Hines’ head off by the facemask.

Worse, the referees continued their habit of providing no protection to Big Ben.  If you watch the Suggs fumble in slo-mo, you’ll notice Ben was hit well above the shoulder pads.  As die hard fans will recall,  LaMarr Woodley was flagged for a PF when he hit Drew Brees in exactly the same manner.  I also counted at least three occasions when dirty Ravens thugs dove in at Ben’s knees, a clear violation of the Brady Rule which prohibits going low on a QB.

Prepare for more of the same on Sunday.  If you thought the Ginger Dictator and his striped monkeys were out to get the Steelers before, they’ll kick it up a notch this weekend.  Make no mistake, the NFL does not want Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.  It would be their worst nightmare.

Starting with Big Ben’s totally unwarranted and unfair suspension, everything the league has done this season has been designed to keep the Black and Gold from reaching the big game.  We all know Ginger is a public relations whore who goes to sleep at night thinking of new ways to protect the shield.  If you thought the five ninja virgins who picketed Heinz Field when Ben returned was bad, imagine the picketing when he reaches the Super Bowl.  Every hairy-armpitted Womyn’s Libber within a hundred miles will be taking time off from watching Oprah and snuggling with their cats to protest.

I fully expect the yellow flags to fly early and often on Sunday.  Don’t expect any borderline calls to go our way.  And before you say, “Well, we’ve overcome the biased officiating all year.  What’s one more game?” allow me to remind you of our first meeting with the New York Jets.  Down five with a little less than two minutes left, Emmanuel Sanders blew past the Jets secondary then had his jersey practically torn off his back by the toast corner.  No flag.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that this time.

That’s New York Jets linebacker (and former Ratbird) Bart Scott voicing his displeasure with pretty much every prognosticator riding New England’s jock for the last two months.  Give Sal Pal a lot of credit for remaining calm while a crazed maniac cuts a promo with murderous intent in his eyes.  Sal has bigger balls than Tom Brady.  If that was Tommy Terrific conducting the interview, he’d just spike the microphone in the ground at the first sign of danger.

Scott’s WWE-style antics present an interesting contrast with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Since the epic comeback against the Ravens on Saturday, I’ve heard many members of Steeler Nation wonder what Mike Tomlin said to his team at halftime.  Tomlin is an interesting guy because he strikes me as a fiery and passionate man but unlike Bill Cowher doesn’t have spittle-spewing nuclear meltdowns on the sideline.  Still, people have assumed he reamed the team a new one after that sloppily played first half.

Actually, he didn’t.  Hines Ward said on his Facebook page that “no rah-rah” speeches were given nor needed.   Ryan Clark was on local talk radio yesterday and backed Hines up.  He said the only challenge put to the team was Dick LeBeau telling the defense, “They forced their turnovers.  What are you guys gonna do?”  The Steelers let their actions do the inspiring, not their words.

Oh. and a little “Renegade” doesn’t hurt, either.

After playing the Baltimore Ravens three times last season, including an epic AFC Championship game, it’s safe to say the Pittsburgh Steelers know this enemy quite well.  And if familiarity breeds contempt, these teams must outright hate each other by now.  Pittsburgh sports has a number of great rivalries, including Pitt-WVU who meet later today in their annual Backyard Brawl.   But I dare say none can compare to the Ravens and Steelers.

Earlier this week, the FOX medical drama “House” made a joke of the fact Omar Epps is a dead ringer for head coach Mike Tomlin.  In an ironic twist, Tomlin probably spent a lot of time this week thinking he was trapped in a medical drama.  The Steelers are getting absolutely hammered by injuries to key personnel.  Where’s Dr. House when you need him?

For those keeping score at home, Travis Kirschke continues to nurse a torn calf although he practiced this week and will probably play Sunday.  Of all the guys we could get back, Kirschke is the least important since Nick Eason and Ziggy Hood were doing a pretty good job in his absence.  LG Chris Kemoeatu sprained his MCL and looks to be out one, possibly two, weeks.  Undrafted rookie Ramon Foster will make his first NFL start.  Ben Roethlisberger has been monitored all week and seems to have practiced normally so should be cleared to play.  Finally, Troy Polamalu will reportedly miss a month with his knee injury which probably rules him out of at least the next two games.

The Ravens will be dealing with some injuries of their own.  Their best LB (sorry Ray Ray), Terrell Suggs, is out with a knee injury thanks to a heroic chop block by fabulous Brady Quinn.  One of their main corners, Fabian Washington, tore his ACL and is gone for the year.  Keep in mind this defense no longer has LB Bart Scott or S Jim Leonard, who went to the Jets this off-season along with mastermind D coordinator Rex Ryan, their new head coach.  The Ravens are going to be a hard-nosed football team no matter what but they are definitely weakened and depleted on the defensive side of the ball.

Offensively, Joe Flacco has taken another giant step forward from his already highly successful rookie campaign.  Last season, they tried to protect Flacco and keep him out of situations where the game rode on his shoulders.  This year, he’s been asked to shoulder more of the load and responded to the challenge.  Still, the Ravens remain a run-first and ask-questions-later team.  Flacco has the ability but Baltimore is lacking in quality targets for him. Last year’s top receiver, Derrick Mason, is 35 and coming off shoulder surgery.  If a team can effectively stuff the run, the Ravens run into trouble because their passing game seems limited to big play threat Mason and short safe outlet throws to emerging superstar RB Ray Rice.

Offensively, the story will be how Big Ben rebounds from last week’s brain rattling hit.  I would hope the Steelers try to lean a bit more on the running game to spare him unnecessary abuse.  Baltimore will have no qualms about dialing up the pressure and considering we’re playing with a banged up offensive line, one would think this is a good time for Bruce Arians to rein in his Flying Circus.  Of course the words “logical playcalling” and “Arians” seldom belong in the same sentence.

Finally, heads have rolled on the Steelers special teams unit.   CB Keiwan Ratliff and LB Donovan Woods have been cut.  Woods was just promoted from the practice squad as an alleged upgrade to the kick coverage but his only notable achievement last week was to get flagged to nullify a beautiful 35 yard punt return by Stefan Logan.  With the injury to Troy, they’ve used Ratliff as a safety in nickel and dime packages in addition to special teams.  Regardless of where he’s played, he’s constantly out of position and missing tackles.

Your newest Steelers are LB Rocky Boiman and CB Corey Ivy.  Boiman is an eight year vet who won a Super Bowl with the Colts back in 2006.  I don’t know anything else about him except he’s got a cool name.   Ivy played the past three seasons for the Ratbirds so we know him.  He was someone the Steelers repeatedly picked on as well as being the doofus that Limas Sweed obliterated in the AFC Championship game.  Regardless, their primary job will be to run down the field and make a lousy freakin’ tackle.  Hopefully they’ll succeed where others have failed miserably.

Believe me, the Steelers will need to be on their game in all three phases Sunday night if they want to escape with a win.  I know I’ve typed the words “Biggest game of the season” several weeks in a row but in all seriousness, this game is the season.  If the Steelers lose, they fall into a tie with the Ravens (one game behind with the tiebreak) and will be tied or a game behind three or four teams in the Wild Card race.  More importantly, a loss and I fear the team will mentally pack it in for the year.  Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Pittsburgh’s goin’ to the Super Bowl!

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated a game but overmatched Baltimore Ravens squad 23-14 to earn a trip to Tampa and Super Bowl XLIII. It was another typical knock down-drag out affair between these two franchises. Injuries and hellacious collisions did abound. In the end, the bye week prior to the start of the playoffs may have been the key difference in the Steelers’ making their second Super Bowl appearance in four years and their seventh overall.

The victory wasn’t as impressive as last week’s destruction of the San Diego Chargers. The offense had an up and down game against a Baltimore defense which played well despite being crippled by injuries. The running game was non-existent as Fast Willie Parker continued his history of struggles against the Ravens carrying 27 times for only 47 yards. The offensive line surrendered 4 sacks and numerous other knockdowns/pressures although at times they did a very good job of providing a pocket for Ben Roethlisberger to step up.

Big Ben deserves a lion’s share of the credit for this victory. He put on another clutch performance in making incredibly tight throws when they mattered most. The passing game, working against a secondary which was down two starters and then saw two backups get injured during the course of the game, was firing right out the gate. WR Hines Ward looked to build on his reputation as a Big Game Player by catching a little slant and taking it 45 yards down the field. He also converted a nice first down on a play in which his leg was used for origami. The resulting sprained MCL made him miss the rest of the game, though he is expected to play in two weeks.

Without the heart of our offense, it was time for other receivers to step up. WR Santonio Holmes did just that by catching a short toss thrown by a running-for-his-life Big Ben and reenacting his punt return TD from last week by taking it 65 yards to paydirt. TE Heath Miller became the new safety outlet/3rd down converter, chipping in 3-62, including a backbreaking 3rd and 22 conversion early in the 4th quarter. The passing game was clicking so well and Ben was doing such a great job of sidestepping pressure and finding players downfield that if not for two miscues, the game could’ve been a blow out. FWP dropped an easy flare pass when he had nothing but grass ahead for 30 yards and rookie Limas Sweed cement-handed a sure TD bomb right before the half.

This was the second horrendous drop in two games but before I read 20 comments condemning Sweed, I want to say some things in his defense. First he’s a rookie, a rookie who was barely used during the regular season at that. I can name dozens of WRs who took 2-3 years to develop. Secondly, he did get open on those plays so it shows he has the speed and moves to play in the NFL. Teaching how to create separation is a lot harder than teaching guys to catch the ball. And lastly, he could’ve sulked and cried on the sidelines like T.O. a baby when things weren’t going his way. Instead, he manned up and went out to make plays. Later in the game he made a nice low catch on a crucial first down conversion, broke up an INT on a poorly thrown ball (maybe he should switch to DB?), and on Miller’s long catch you can see him doing his Hines impersonation by creaming a Baltimore DB.

Speaking of players getting wiped out, I’d like to extend a heartfelt “Get Well, Soon” to RB Willis McGhee. McGhee was the victim of a double knockout blow by S Ryan Clark where both players hit the turf motionless for several minutes. Clark walked to the bench thinking his name was Otis Sistrunk from Mars, PA but otherwise seemed okay. McGhee got the Roethlisberger treatment complete with neck brace and cart. I’m proud of Steeler Nation for showing class and respect as he was motored off the field. I’m equally disgusted by the Ratbird Fans who I see complaining about the hit being dirty. Replays clearly showed Clark turned his body and bent his knees in an attempt to lead with his shoulder. McGhee’s straight up running style and the angle of their heads lead to the helmet-to-helmet result. It’s pretty stupid to think any player is trying to smack heads with their opponent since anybody who ever headbutted their brother knows nobody wins in such a collision.

Beyond that, what more can be said about the Steeler Defense? Yet another magnificent effort in a season full of them. Not to go into Ref Bitch mode but if not for some really awful officiating, the D might not of surrendered a point. Baltimore’s first score came after G Chris Kemoteau earned a 15 yard personal foul, nevermind that the defender was giving him a headslap that would make Mean Joe proud and moments before Ben was cross-checked to the ground well after the ball was thrown. The ensuing kick was returned to the Steeler 15. QB Joe Flacco still needed a pass interference penalty to get the ball to the 1 where they pounded it home. The second score was set up by P Mitch Berger absolutely whiffing on a punt and the Ravens still needed another questionable pass interference penalty in the endzone which again put them at the 1. Otherwise, the Ratbirds only had 200 yards total offense, with a surprising 73 yards rushing but getting only 125 yards through the air by the overwhelmed Flacco. Rookie Joe will be a good quarterback some day but he was shaky all game, many of his passes narrowly missing defenders’ hands. The Steelers did pick him off three times and sacked him three more.

The defense was keyed by the guy who had one of those picks (and returned it for the game sealing TD), S Troy Polamalu. Troy looked off last week with the calf injury and didn’t look any better during the first quarter yesterday. Then between the first and second, he must’ve gotten one of those magic injections massages or something because he reverted back to vintage form. From that point on, he was the Tasmanian Devil, going 100 miles per hour in the direction of the ball carrier on every play. He caught players in the backfield on at least three occasions, defensed several passes, and launched himself into Flacco to stop a fourth and short plunge. LB LaMarr Woodley also had himself a nice game as they mugged keyed on James Harrison, freeing Mister Woodley to wreak havoc. His walling off of McGhee on a third and short play by using his ass was something I’ve never seen in a football game before.

Amazingly, the Steelers held on to a slim 16-14 lead going into the fourth quarter. A combination of the aforementioned miscues (in addition to Ben mismanaging a late first half drive which cost them a FG) combined with Baltimore’s good fortune kept the game closer than it had any right being. Luckily, the fourth quarter belongs to the Steelers. Two INTs topped off by Polamalu’s Pick Six sealed the deal as the defense rose up to send the Steelers on to Tampa. I will give Baltimore credit for giving us a game but you can only postpone destiny for so long.

And despite what you may hear in the media, the Steelers are a team of destiny this year. A destiny which will be fulfilled under the warm Florida sunshine on February 1st. The young Arizona Cardinals and their cadre of Pittsburgh refugees had better be prepared because the Black and Gold are coming. Here we go…

Don’t forget to post your guess in the first ever NPC BRLTCFB M&M Contest for your chance to win over a pound of customized Pittsburgh Steelers M&M’S.

The Baltimore Ravens descend upon Heinz Field once again this Sunday for the AFC Championship game. To say our rivalry just got kicked up a notch is like saying there have been a couple arrests made in Baltimore.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of rivals throughout the league. The Cowboys, the Titans, the Fighting Belicheats, and of course the Cleveland Browns. However, with the exception of the Brownies, we don’t play any of those teams twice a year every year. And Cleveland, well, geography may make us rivals but on the field the Browns haven’t been a threat to us in twenty five years. Which makes the fact the Ravens are easily Public Enemy #1 to members of Steeler Nation all the more ironic considering Baltimore would be Cleveland if not for a greedy little jagoff of an owner. Then again, who can blame someone for wanting out of Cleveland?

The True Rivalry as I like to call it basically was born in 1999 when Brian Billick became head coach of the Ratbirds. He, along with a couple guys named Lewis (Ray and Jamal), brought about an era of winning which culminated with a Super Bowl victory the next year. The following season, the Steelers dethroned the champs by eliminating them in the Divisional Playoff Round behind the brilliant play of a resurgent Kordell Stewart. Since then, bounties and on-field incidents have marred the games between these two teams as mutual respect has quickly turned to a healthy hatred. The Ravens returned the favor on the Steelers back in 2006 when they crushed us twice, ending any hope of defending our most recent championship.

You can read my analysis of our first two bloodbaths here and here. Not much has changed other than the continued development of QB Joe Flacco. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh seems to still have his young QB on a tight leash although to his credit Flacco has shown steady leadership you rarely see in a rookie. How much he can do, or is allowed to do, will be the story of the game. Also key will be the turnover battle. Baltimore was, frankly, outplayed by Tennessee last week. If the Titans didn’t make so many mistakes, they had the game in hand. QB Kerry Collins threw a stupid pick deep in Raven territory while RB Lendale White fumbled away another red zone opportunity. See what happens to people who stomp on the Terrible Towel, Tubby?

Another big thing will be what happens on the injury front. The Titans’ RB Chris Johnson was ripping off big gains early on. When he went down, the momentum dramatically shifted. In the first Pittsburgh-Baltimore battle, players were going down left and right. Since things can be altered dramatically with one play, let’s hope the Steelers can stay on the field. As it stands now, S Troy Polamalu and C Justin Hartwig are the only players dinged up. Hartwig seems good to go. Everybody seems to think Polamalu will be fine come game time but he clearly didn’t look like himself last week so let’s hope a week of rehab was enough and nothing happens to exacerbate the injury further. On the Ravens side, CB Samari Rolle and LB Terrell Suggs, two of their better defensive players, are hurting. Rolle is apparently a definite out but Suggs seems to want to give it a try although playing with a badly separated shoulder would likely limit him to being a 3rd down pass rusher.

Of course, Tennessee didn’t have their two best defensive players when they creamed us a few weeks back so even if neither one plays, don’t assume that means our offense is going to samari roll all over them.

Mike Tomlin makes his first appearance in an AFC Championship game. Previous coach and this site’s inspirational founder Bill Cowher was 2 for 6 in Championship games over his 15 year tenure. Interestingly, one of those wins came against the Indianapolis Colts lead by QB Jim Harbaugh, the brother of our opponent’s coach. Now it’s time to see if Tomlin’s regular season hocus pocus can turn the Cinderella Ravens back into pumpkins and send the Steelers to the fancy Ball in Tampa.