Weekend Sports Update
My weekend of sports started out good. Michigan beat Iowa 20-6. I would have preferred a more dominate win, or a less nerve racking one, but a two touchdown win works. I was frustrated that the Wolverines insisted on running the ball when Iowa was stacking the line. In the end, however, Hart broke through for 126 yards and two scores and they won the game. The Ohio State game on November 18 looms ever larger. #1 versus #2 right now in the BCS. I think Ohio State has the edge on offense and Michigan on defense. If Mario Manningham can get healthy in time for the game and be at full speed that should bring a boost to the Michigan O. Henne is looking pretty sharp and Arrington and Breaston are picking up the slack just fine, but they don't seem to be able to go deep like they did with Super Mario. Both teams face a series of losing teams before their meeting in November. That game could very well kill me. Heart attack, nervous breakdown, aneurysm, you name it.
College football continued to be good to me, as I managed a perfect record on my ESPN College Pick 'Em entry. Alas, the pro game was not so kind. First the Steelers lost to the Falcons in OT, 41-38. That's right, the Steelers scored 38 points and lost! Ben Roethlisberger was knocked out of the game but Charlie Batch hung in there and brought them back to tie the game. The defense holds and the Steelers get the ball back with time running out. With eight seconds to go, and in field goal range, Nate Washington is called for a false start which results in the clock being run off. The Falcons win the toss and march down and kick the winning field goal. !@#$$!#!
You wouldn't usually point the finger at the offense after they score 38 points, but the turnovers and penalties are killing this team. Three fumbles by Pittsburgh led to three Atlanta touchdowns. These turnover gave the Falcons scoring drives of 18, 25, and 26 yards. You simply can't give good teams those kind of opportunities. Add in the false start penalty that robbed them of a chance to win the game, and the Steelers are finding ways to lose. Sad to see such a great offensive performance ruined like that. Roethlisberger was looking sharp before getting knocked out. Charlie Batch came in and picked it up. Hines Ward had a career game with 171 yards and three touchdowns. Wilie Parker was ineffective with less than fifty yards, but clearly the offense could move the ball.
The defense has been hurt by injuries and the loss of Joey Porter is hard to over come. Perhaps because of that, Algae Crumpler devastated the Steelers with 117 yards and three scores. The Steelers bottled-up Warrick Dunn for most part but Norwood had nearly seventy yards on the ground on eight carries. Michael Vick seemed to make plays when they needed them and Steelers couldn't get them off the field in OT. It just turned into one of those shootouts where the last team with ball wins.
The Steelers are now 2-4 and will need a near perfect record in their next ten games to make the playoffs. 7-3 gets them to 9-7. That seems like the minimum to me. Hard to bet on the Bengals going 5-5 but they do finish at Indy, at Denver, and then the Steelers at home. If they can't win the division - which seems like a long shot at this point sitting two games behind the Bengals and Ravens - they will have to work for a wild card spot. It doesn't help that they have already lost to two AFC teams (Jacksonville and San Diego) and division leader Cincinnati. Pittsburgh does face Cleveland and Baltimore twice, but also has Denver, New Orleans, Tampa Bay and Carolina. If they sweep Cleveland, split with Baltimore, win three out of four of the above good teams, and beat the Benagals to end the season they could end up at 10-6. But considering the Steelers have the same record as the Houston Texans, we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. Right now the Steelers just need to find some consistency and cut out the mistakes. Despite Oakland's record, a trip to the West Coast is plenty for the Steelers to worry about right now. If Cowher can turn this season around it might be his best coaching job yet. It is still one game at a time. The search for some consistency and some poise continues.
Speaking of consistency. I have yet to win the NFL pick contest I have been playing for a number of years, but I have been consistent. In fact, I had gone 40 weeks picking .500 or better. Until this week. Even if the Cowboys win on Monday the best I can do is 6-7. And so my streak comes to and end. Still, it is worth pointing out that I can hang with the professionals. None of ESPN's experts are better than five hundred this week. And the only expert who has a better record this season than me is Golic who has one game on me. Interestingly enough, the so called experts would be middle of the pack in our pick 'em league.
To add insult to injury I just might lose all of my fantasy games this week (I am in four leagues). Well, better luck next week.
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