Playoffs and Parallels

Playoffs and Parallels

First, yesterdays game highlight for me was sharing a beer with SignPlax & his New Jersey buds (one Stiller fan, one Colt fan) in the South end zone pre-game. Always great to meet other posters...sorry we didn't connect StillCB26....next time.

First question: How could we score 31, at home, and lose?

Next question: How could we score 31, and still have so many offensive miscues?

Next question: When will our kick coverage not be an issue?

How did this season disintegrate? Three short weeks ago, we were figuring how to challenge the Colts for home-field throughout, almost assuming that we would land the #2 seed at worst. Two losses brought an acceptance of a likely #3 seed. Now we're figuring how to even make the damn playoffs.

One note about that.anyone who says they would rather have the Steelers not make the playoffs than go in as a #6 is either way full of shit, or not really a Steeler fan. A poster on the message board asks whether we would rather go 1-1 in the playoffs as opposed to staying home. No brainer -- given the choice, I'll take the 1-1. Why?  Simple...we get to watch 2 more week of Steeler football..there's two weeks less of football without our Steelers. Knowing that we can't win a Super Bowl every year (or any year in the last 25), knowing that only one team, and their fans, finish the season truly happy, the more attainable goal each year is to have your team play as deep into January as possible. Snow doesn't seem as deep; the chill doesn't seem as cold, when the Steelers are still playing football. I absolutely detest the season continuing without the Steelers' presence.

Okay, what about the parallels. Even before Sunday, this season was reminding me of the '98 campaign. Steelers had just won a big home game against Jax, then came the FGB debacle on Thanksgiving at Detroit.followed by 4 more consecutive losses to end the season, followed by 2 more years of non-playoff football. This is what happens when you don't win the games you should win...the current version being two weeks ago vs. Baltimore. Had the Steelers won that game, they would this morning trail Cincy by a game, and be at least even with tie-breakers. They would still be a likely playoff candidate, rather then needing to win out (a tall order), and have to receive help.

Other parallels?  No Cowher team has ever lost 3 in a row, and gone on to make the playoffs. The Nollmen (an old PG moniker?) did it twice. Steelers were sitting at 8-1 in 73 then lost to Denver at home, at Cleveland (.with an open Ron Shanklin overthrown in the EZ by Joe Gilliam with second left), and at Miami on a Monday night before winning the final two games, and getting in as a wild card. The 83 Steelers were 9-2 prior to losing to the Vikes at home, getting crushed 45-3 by the Lions on Turkey Day, and then losing another home game to Cinci. This squad beat the Jets in the final game at Shea Stadium, led by Terry Bradshaw, who in his only game of the season, threw 2 first quarter TDs, before leaving the field with a blown-out elbow, never again to return. They then lost the season finale at Cleveland. Bad news is that both of these teams were blown out at Oakland in the first round of the playoffs.

Not only did I freeze my ass off in Heinz Field during yesterdays loss, but then sat in O'Briens Pub at the Pittsburgh airport with a Bass Ale & a fish sandwich, watching Denver lose to Kansas City. Had we won yesterday, we would've celebrated a Denver loss. Not only does the KC win make it more difficult to overcome them in the fight for #6, but it also means that an Indy win next week at Jax will clinch homefield throughout for them, rendering their following game against San Diego meaningless...other than seeking to preserve their unbeaten string. Let's hope that Dungy's full of shit when he says it doesn't mean anything to him. Let's hope for a Jax win; we're not catching them anyway with a 2-game lead and a tiebreaker against us with 4 to play, and Indy would then need to keep on winning in order to clinch the division, homefield, etc. the next week versus SD. I would rather have them need to win for playoff position than to simply preserve their unbeaten status.

Obviously, we still need some help if we win out, and it's not out of the question that we could lose one more and still slide into the #6 slot. Interestingly, it might take a Cincy win at KC in the season finale for this to happen.

It's also not out of the question that we could still take the division. Cleveland would have to win at Cincy this week though for us to have even a chance at the division crown.

Optimists view...two weeks from now were in the drivers seat for a playoff spot. We beat Chicago and Minnestoa (neither a given obviously), KC loses both road games at Dallas, and at NYG (remember, they lost at Buffalo), both games where they'll likely be underdogs, SD loses at Indy. We wake up Monday morning at 9-5, tied with SD and owning the tiebreaker with them. KC is sitting at 8-6.

Funny -- Cinci has a real shot at the #2 seed, meaning that should we get in we could be going out to Denver for the wild-card game. Going back to Cinci would be fun though. Lets not throw in the towel just yet.

Oh, and for those of you that think a non-playoff year leads to Cowher's ouster -- I dont think so. Rooney wouldn't fire him; doubt Cowher would quit. Can't go on TV cause he spits so much. I'd bet the house, give heavy odds that he'll still be at the helm in 06.