NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Eleven games into the season, Pete Carroll and his Seattle Seahawks find themselves owning a share of the lead in the NFC West standings. They also welcome in the Carolina Panthers – the National Football League's worst team this season – for a Week 13 matchup at Qwest Field, yet the head coach isn't sitting easy.

"It's as tight as it can get," said Carroll during his Wednesday press conference from the Seahawks' Renton, Wash. training facilities of the state of the NFC West where the last place Arizona Cardinals at 3-8 are just two games out of a share of first place.

"Each game matters so much."

Injuries and inconsistent play have plagued Seattle (5-6) as of late, a team that's lost four of its last five games, but those same issues have wreaked havoc on Carolina (1-10).

Four quarterbacks have lined up under center so far for the Panthers and three of them have been sidelined to some extent. The team's starter coming into the season, Matt Moore, is on Injured Reserve. Brian St. Pierre, brought in off the street two weeks ago, dealt with a sore arm after one start and rookie Jimmy Clausen is one game removed from a concussion.

"That would challenge anybody," said Seattle's head coach.

The running back position, too, hasn't been able to sidestep the injury bug, yet Carolina's current tandem of Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson were able to do something last week in Cleveland that hasn't been done often this season by the team – collectively run for over 100 yards. In fact, the pair's 151 combined rushing yards last Sunday were the team's best total in 2010.

"He's matured into this monster of a running back," said Carroll of Stewart whose University of Oregon team played Carroll's University of Southern California squad while the two called the Pac-10 home.

"But the other kid, Michael Goodson, is a guy that – man – he was on my radar. I've known this kid for a long time. I knew him as he was growing up through high school and he was one of the top, if not the top guy we were recruiting at the time, so for him to be such an explosive running back doesn't surprise me one bit."

While Carolina is coming off its best rushing performance, Seattle isn't. Headlined by Marshawn Lynch's team-leading seven carries, the Seahawks managed just 20 rushing yards as a unit.

"I'm really, I'm so uncomfortable with the fact that we're not running the football in a better fashion and I've said to you [reporters] weeks and weeks that 'we're going to get better, we're going to improve,' and we have – you know – we still have been in this mode of flux and we have not got it to the point where we need to get it," said Carroll.

Part of the reason for that is the way Seattle's lost four of their last five games. With an average final deficit of just over 24 points, the Seahawks haven't had the luxury of developing a ground attack.

A more even mix might be the key to a Seattle victory Sunday over visiting Carolina because Mike Williams, the team's top aerial threat with 52 receptions for 654 yards and a touchdown, isn't expected to take the field.

"There's a presence that a big receiver gives ya," said Carroll. "You can just throw the ball at 'em whenever you need to and they'll likely make a play for you and that, that's not existent in – you know – guys that aren't 6-5."

Kickoff at Qwest Field for Sunday's matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks is set for 4:15 p.m. Eastern.

Can't get enough SeahawksGab? Follow Editor Devon Heinen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

Senior writer jclombardi: “good vs great” issue about McCarthy era.

Packers–good vs great: The four losses do beg the question: Are the Packers, under McCarthy and Rodgers, capable of winning the close games? It is within those nip-and-tuck affairs that the good teams, as McCarthy made clear to his guys, become great. "Mike's talked about from the beginning of training camp, really: The enemy of great is good," Rodgers said. "Meaning that, you don't want to be remembered as just a good team, a team that made some plays and couldn't take that next jump to being an elite football team. I saw something written about us this week that said we were still just a 'good' football team. And so obviously that's not something we want to be remembered as. We e still have a chance to accomplish all the things we set forward at the beginning of the season." Rodgers went on to explain that close games are often decided not only by plays made as the game clock is winding down in the fourth quarter, but by plays made or not made earlier the game. "The talk to the team was the ability to go from good to great, and the factors that are involved in that," McCarthy explained. "And it always points back to the fundamentals of football. People may get frustrated that I'm redundant, but at the end of the day, that's how you play football. You have to block the other guy, you have to finish the block, you have to get off that block when you're on defense, you have to tackle, you have to break tackles, you have to take the football away, you have to take care of the football. "The difference between winning and losing in this league (is), the little things turn into big things, and the little things turn into real big things when you get into December football. We're really focused on improving ourselves, the things that we didn't do well in the area of fundamentals, whether it was blocking, tackling, taking care of the football, taking the football away, making the proper adjustments. That's really what we're focused on. We just need to fine-detail our work. We've done a lot of positive things as a football team, but it's the little things that have caught us in the four losses."

Rodgers era-2 of 12 in close games: People are going to write what they want," the Green Bay Packers quarterback said of his 2-12 record as a starter in games decided by four points or fewer. "But the game-by-game, case-by-case breakdown of that, I think, would be an interesting story." The results? In nine of the 12 losses, Rodgers led the Packers to a tying or go-ahead score at some point in the fourth quarter. And in the other three losses, he set up a potential game-winning field goal, only to see it missed. Now, Rodgers isn't by any means blameless. In the nine losses in which he tied the score or gave the Packers the lead in the fourth quarter, he also failed later in the quarter or in overtime to deliver the go-ahead or game-winning score. But in four of the nine losses, Rodgers forged a tie or gave the Packers the lead late.

By EaglesGab Columnist Troy Ballard

The Philadelphia Eagles played against the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football tonight, and the Eagles were able to walk away with a win. Following an even 1st half performance, the Eagles entered the 3rd quarter and were dominated. The Eagles were unable to score once and allowed Arian Foster to put up 14 points on their defense. However, the Eagles had a huge bounce back performance in the 4th quarter and were able to regain all of the momentum.

The Eagles did a good job of keeping the Texans offense in check, especially in the 4th quarter when they needed the big stops. Foster was able to get some big runs off, but for the most part he was kept in check, finishing the game with 83 yards and one touchdown. This is a game where people were predicting 100+ yards and two touchdowns, when the Eagles held him significantly below his predicted numbers. The Eagles defense did a sub-par job of covering an elite Andre Johnson, leaving him wide open on several plays. Mainly the Eagles defense was burned off of the play action and that is how Johnson was able to get open.

The Eagles offense seemed like it was going to be incredibly explosive following a quick and effective touchdown drive. The success did not quite carry over into the 2nd and 3rd quarters and it ended in the Eagles losing the lead. Being shutout during the entirety of the third quarter, and posting 13 points in the second. Once the 4th quarter began, it was a whole new offense and Vick showed why he deserved to be the starter. Throwing a deep pass to Jackson and then Vick scored off of QB sneak, which put the Eagles up once again. After the defense held, Vick and the Eagles drove down the field once again and were able to punch it in again, giving the Eagles a 10 point lead. Michael Vick once again had a 300 yard passing game, and another huge game from McCoy, finishing with 120 all purpose yards.

The Eagles defense came up big in this game, especially when the team needed the most. Naturally, the Eagles explosive offense was there to back up the defense and the Eagles were able to get the lead and hold it. This was a big win for the Eagles, as they advance to (8-4) and are once again atop the NFC East. This was an excellent win and the Eagles have shown that they are contenders in the NFC.

Last Week: 8-8
Season: 101-72

Cleveland at Miami – The Dolphins looked good last week in Oakland, and while the Browns won (barely) against the 1-9 Panthers, the Dolphins are the better team, and will get WR Brandon Marshall back this week, and he will have a big game against the Browns secondary and suspect D that can’t get to the QB. Miami 24 Cleveland 17

San Francisco at Green Bay – The Pack rallied but fell short in the ATL a week ago, but return home to take on a 49ers team that won Monday night, but are now without Frank Gore the rest of the way. Look for Aaron Rodgers to have a good day vs the Niners, and the Pack D will force a few mistakes from Troy Smith and the 49ers offense. Green Bay 27 San Francisco 17

Denver at Kansas City – The Chiefs are trying to hold off the pesky Chargers in the AFC West, and need to make sure they don’t have a hiccup here. They were crushed the last time they played the Broncos, and this time they will make sure to learn from their mistakes. This will play out like an old AFL game, but the Chiefs in the end will have enough offense to get it done at Arrowhead. Kansas City 37 Denver 31

Buffalo at Minnesota – Last week Steve Johnson cost the Bills a shot at the upset at home over the Steelers, and now they have to take that hard luck loss and head to Minnesota to play Brett and the Vikings. Minnesota kept their very slim playoff hopes alive with a win in DC, and while the Bills will play the Vikings hard, Minnesota has a few more playmakers that will pull this one out. Minnesota 23 Buffalo 20

Washington at New York Giants – The Giants had issues early with the Jags last week, but found themselves late and pulled out a needed win to keep pace in the East. As for the Skins, they are starting to show wear and tear, and at 5-6 need a win here to keep their playoff hopes alive. Won’t happen, as Eli Manning and the Giants have too much offense for a Skins team that is fading fast. New York Giants 24 Washington 14

Jacksonville at Tennessee – Kerry Collins looks to get the start at QB for the Titans, and he can’t be as bad as rookie Rusty Smith was a week ago, as the Titans laid a big old goose egg on the scoreboard in Houston. The Jags were slammed the last time these two played, and the Titans matchup well with the Jags. Look for another big day for Chris Johnson, and the Titans will roll out a big home win. Tennessee 26 Jacksonville 13

Chicago at Detroit – The Bears look like the best team in the NFC right now, and as long as Jay Cutler doesn’t give up the ball with picks, this team should have enough to get past Drew Stanton and a Lions team that is starting to wear down with too many injuries. Detroit’s two wins this year are at home, but vs the Bears they won’t have much success unless they create at least 3-4 turnovers. Chicago 24 Detroit 10

New Orleans at Cincinnati - Cincy appears to have given up, as they were no match for the Jets on Thanksgiving despite having plenty of chances to take control of the game in the first half. This team needs to re-tool this offseason, and against the Saints they will hang in for a half, but the Saints have way too much offense to fall even on the road in a cold weather city. New Orleans 31 Cincinnati 20

Oakland at San Diego – The Chargers are playing as well as any team in the NFL, and against the Raiders at home they will have no issues getting to Jason Campbell and getting the ball down the field to their wide outs as they roll for another win to keep the heat on the Chiefs in the AFC West. San Diego 29 Oakland 14

Atlanta at Tampa Bay – It was another last second win for the Falcons last week vs the Pack, but they all count, and this week they head to Tampa to look to sweep the Bucs. Tampa Bay needs to get to Matt Ryan, and also need to avoid mistakes to make this thing interesting. They can’t allow Matt Ryan to make plays downfield to Roddy White, but that’s easier said than done. Look for White and Michael Turner to be the difference, as the Falcons fly to 10-2. Atlanta 27 Tampa Bay 23

Dallas at Indianapolis – Last week the Chargers took advantage of Peyton Manning mistakes as the Colts lost a rare home game. This week the Cowboys come in after not playing for a full 10 days, and still smarting after they should have beaten the Saints at home. Dallas is a different team under Jason Garrett, and they have been playing better football. The Colts are in crisis mode, and can’t afford another letdown. Look for Dallas to keep playing better football. Dallas 27 Indianapolis 26

St.Louis at Arizona – Here’s hoping that Derek Anderson doesn’t get caught smiling or laughing, as last week they were awful on Monday night vs the 49ers. Arizona at 3-8 is a team that right now can’t seem to get out of its own way, while the Rams are average at best, but are making strides and will build off a big win in Denver last week. St.Louis 34 Arizona 24

Carolina at Seattle – Can you imagine if the Seahawks, at 7-9, got into the playoffs as the NFC West champs? Don’t laugh, it very well could happen, and a win over a bad Panthers team at home can make it a lot more likely. Look for Seattle, who were beaten at home by the Chiefs last week, to rebound vs a Panthers team that hung in but were wide on what would have been a game winning field goal shot in Cleveland a week ago. Seattle 28 Carolina 14

Pittsburgh at Baltimore – The first of two very good prime time games sees the best two AFC North teams do battle in Baltimore. Ben Roethlisberger’s foot is a big concern, but he says he will be fine, and he’s won his last 5 vs the Ravens, a key. The Steelers should be able to hold the Ravens run game in check, and then try and force some Joe Flacco mistakes. It will be a field goal game, since it always is, and this time the Steelers will get enough and win it late. Pittsburgh 23 Baltimore 20

Monday Night:

New York Jets at New England – Two of the AFC’s best wrap up the week, as the Pats look for revenge vs a Jets team that beat them early in the season. This time the Pats will look to confuse Mark Sanchez, hold the Jets run game, which has had some issues lately, in check, and make sure they are consistent on offense as they have been. They may start a little slow, but look for Brady and his boys to score enough to outduel the Jets and take control of the AFC East. New England 19 New York Jets 13

So it's definite now, Jason Campbell will be the starting QB.  Just to confirm, you are out, right Bruce G?  Ok, so we're certain now, Campbell is the QB.  Got it, good.

The continual carousel finally stopped today when Bruce Gradkowski's 3rd-degree separated shoulder closed out another injury plagued season for the veteran QB.  And now it's back to Campbell, the guy the organization traded a 4th round pick for, who was named the starter during pre-season and lasted only 1 1/2 game and was the QB during their 3 game winning streak.

Look, Tom Cable decided last year that if he was going down, he was going to give Gradkowski the reigns and go out in a blaze of glory.  When the team responded by playing inspired ball, even though the team didn't win any more games, there was a feeling that this team could be better than it had shown in the since 2002.  And when the team was slow out the gate offensively this year, he went right back to Gradkowski for the spark.

The problem is that Gradkowski is just that, a spark.  He is not a starting QB.  A) He's injury prone B) has specific throws that he just can't make C) is a career below average statistically including wins and loses.

Cable knew all this, and despite the preference of the management (Mr. Davis), decided that Gradkowski was his man.

So now he's back to Campbell, the man he benched, and more importantly for Cable, the man who will determine the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Because if they go 3-2 and miss the playoffs by 1 game, Mr. Davis will wonder if they would not have won more with him and blame the coach.

Because if they 2-3 or 1-4 and end with another losing season, Mr. Davis will wonder if the QB changing was the reason and blame the coach.

Eeny Meeny…..

A blocked punt. A blocked field goal. A blown assignment on an 87 yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

OK, maybe not perfect, but pretty close.

It's been rare that we've seen that kind of break down in the special teams. Maybe you have to credit the Seahawks.

The 87 yard touchdown is more of a concern, one that I'm sure they've talked about this week.

This was as complete a game as we've seen from this team in a very long time. Take away those 87 yards on that pass play and the Seahawks end up with 195 yards passing to go along with their 20 yards rushing.

The defense was dominating. The running game was fantastic, even by the high standard they've already set.

I'm hoping by now it has become less fashionable to criticize Matt Cassel. One of the few stats he is not one of highest ranked quarterbacks at this points in total yards passing.

That's what "top quarterbacks" are based on. Unless of course you know something about football.

Dwayne Bowe has turned into one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. That came out of nowhere. Two months ago the guy couldn't hold a ball thrown into his hands.

One of the most telling plays, to me, was a third a ten late in the game. Bowe went about 12 yards, curled back and Cassel delivered the ball low, right where he should. Bowe caught the ball, first down.

It is these type of plays that the Chiefs have not been making. Normally, that route would have been run eight yards and curled for a 6 yard gain. If not, Bowe would have dropped it, or it would have been too low.

If they can do that on a consistent basis, they will be very difficult to beat, home or away.

They have a tough road in front of them. We will know they have turned the corner if they can go into San Diego and win.

Regardless, in many ways they have turned that corner that we have been waiting for.

I have been excited about the way the Chiefs have been building their organization. With ten wins in three years, and a 7-4 record this year, it's hard not to be.

Winning the Super Bowl is the goal for every team, every year. We all know, however, that's not really the case. The Lions, Bills, Panthers and Chiefs, to name a few, probably had few expectations of actually reaching that goal this season.

If the Chiefs make the playoffs they will be a very dangerous team. I say that because in order to do that, they will have to win some big games between now and the end of the season.

If they fail to make the playoffs, this will be an off season with great optimism for next year.

Each week, this team grows, matures and improves. That does not mean we should be shocked at setbacks and bad losses. The loss to the Broncos should never happen. The loss to the Raiders is understandable, but avoidable.

This week, just take care of business. Then worry about next week.

For the second straight season, the Bengals have been forced to place DE Antwan Odom on season-ending injured reserve. He ends the year with a total of four games played, four total tackles, no sacks, and one pass defensed.

Odom has struggled with injuries in all three seasons in Cincinnati after signing a mammoth five-year, 29.5 million dollar free agent contract in 2008. The former Tennessee Titan was meant to bring the team the kind of pass rushing threat they haven’t had in decades, but he has yet to do so.

The closest he came was during the first 6 games of 2009 in which he led the league with 8 sacks and had a blocked kick. Most of those stats came in a road win at Green Bay where Odom sacked Packers QB Aaron Rodgers five times. He would later tear an Achilles tendon, sidelining him for the final 10 games. In addition to the injuries, Odom missed four games this year with a league-imposed suspension for testing positive at training camp for a banned substance. The former Alabama standout professed that his positive test was the result of him accidentally taking one of his wife’s weight loss pills. He appealed the suspension but lost.

All told, Odom has played in 22 games as a Bengal out of a possible 44 (50%), and has amassed 49 tackles, 11 sacks, 5 passes defensed, and two forced fumbles in stripes.

It's the most wonderful time of the year – Steelers Week! It's so utterly fantastic that it gets to happen twice.

I love it for many reasons but most of all because the Ravens and Steelers just hate each other. Of course you couldn't have written a better batch of storylines leading into this Sunday's Prime-Time tilt with the biggest being the AFC North crown on the line. The Ravens want a two game advantage (due to tiebreaker) and the Steelers want revenge after a Week Four defeat. Both teams have identical records. Both teams should bring their best game this weekend as the rest of the world watches what a real rivalry should look like.

So, as you settle into your favorite spot to watch the carnage unfold let me give you a little extra fuel to get the hate flowing against the Black and Gold. I've chosen my ten reasons why I hate the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Get ready to take a huge swig of Hater-Ade.

10- Bandwagon Fans

You will notice after closer review of this list that much of my concern falls squarely on the shoulders of those that support the Steelers. However for this entry I focus on those members of Steeler Nation who have never even stepped foot inside Pittsburgh yet adorn their doughy bodies with Black and Gold.

These fans are often the most obnoxious of the lot and will be the first to proclaim loudly and with poor grammar and sentence structure the awesomeness of Steeltown.I give you a pass if you are a displaced fan since anyone with two active brain cells left Pittsburgh a long time ago. But those from Maryland, who latched on to the gravy train after the Colts left are some of the worst offenders. Show some civic pride or at the very least a spine. I still cheer for the Orioles even though they are run by a man who could teach a fish to drown. The test of the true fan is enduring the lows, which make the highs that much sweeter.

9-"The Chin"

I admit that if Bill Cowher coached my favorite team I'd absolutely love the guy. But I can't really admit that even though I just did. I may as well as state that Mike Krzyzewski is the greatest college coach of all-time too and I'd rather see him guide the Terps than Gary.

Blasphemy!

But this post isn't about being logical it's about emotional, irrational hatred.

So, screw the Chin. The guy obviously had some sort of respitory problem because he was never afraid to let the spit fly. He spit on his players, he spit on officials and he'd usually spit all over himself. He wore a continual scowl on his mug like he had just consumed a crate of onions. And now I have the pleasure of watching him every week give his "analysis" on CBS sports. This usually consists of him joining the half-hearted chucklefest and picking the Steelers every week.

By the way what is it with all these ex-Steelers in the media? Cowher I get to a degree but Mark Malone and Merril Hoge? The pain will stop just as soon as he takes the Carolina Panthers job and then I can hear all of Steeler Nation proclaim him as a traitor.

Maybe he really is Sgt. Slaughter?

8-Sixburgh

The Steelers are the only NFL team to have won six championships. I get it and you should be proud of it. It's the first thing that any novice Steelers fan goes to when they see opposing colors.

But Baltimore has a proud football heritage too and even though I can't blame Pittsburgh in any way it's that history that's been robbed from me and every other Baltimore sports fan that won't ever return.

The Baltimore Colts won NFL championships in 1958 and 59. They also won Super Bowl V and of course the Ravens won the 2000 crown. That's Four. If I wanted to stretch it to professional football then let's not forget the USFL championship in 1985 and the CFL Grey Cup in 1995. That's six and it's the best comparison I can give because for 12 years we were forced to settle for something less than the NFL.

Despite all this history we weren't mandated a team by the league but we were used by the NFL so the owners could use the town as leverage time and again to put more money in their pockets. Media types always seem to forget Baltimore football history when they call a Ravens game. As if the Ravens are an expansion team and the Colts actually wore Blue helmets.

7-Close Wins / Lucky Breaks

The Steelers are kings of the 17-14 victory. They always seem to do just enough to get by, which can frustrating as hell to watch. I know I biased because I want to see them lose. But they always seem to get a break.

Sometimes "fate" steps in and two calls get blown that help give you a Super Bowl title. Or maybe you could just look over this season's schedule. A questionable call against Miami goes Pittsburgh's way to set up a game winning field goal and just last week Steve Johnson blames God for not hauling in a would be game winner.

I know the Steeler faithful are whining about their team currently being unfairly targeted by the officials and they may have a point. But if you look at the ledger over time the Steelers have gotten so many more calls than most teams.

I still haven't gotten over the Holmes "touchdown" in 2008.

See another break.

6-Spoiled Fans

I've started to see this attitude creep into our fan base over the past few seasons and I don't like it. View any Steelers Message board and you'll find some dope that thinks Ben Roethlisberger is a bad quarterback or that Mike Tomlin couldn't coach his way out of a bathroom stall.

Poor you! My team's not flawless like when I play Madden on the TV box. Join the club. Every NFL team has it's faults. Let's also not forget when you play other professional clubs they are trying to win too.

Winning isn't a birthright.

5-Steely McBeam

Imagine if Bill Cowher and Marge Simpson had a child, that child would be Steely McBeam. What's even more hilarious to me is that Steely isn't some longtime costumed hero, he was created and named in 2007 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Steelers.

And that's what they came up with?

But it gets better. The name has meaning. Steely of course for his dark penetrating eyes. Um, no that would be for the now non-existent industrial heritage. The "Mc" would be to represent the Rooney family's Irish ancestry. And lastly the "Beam" would be after Mr. Rooney's favorite beverage.

Great, so a mascot that appears at charitable functions and children's events is named after alcohol. Not surprised.

4-Morally Superior Fans

My workplace is infested with Steeler fans mainly because there are no jobs in Pennsylvania. So I've had plenty of discussions about the Ravens and Steelers rivalry over the years. But regardless of the season the conversation always takes an odd left turn. "Well you know the Steelers always do the right thing." Oh, do you mean drafting and player evaluation. Sure they do a great job. "No", my Steeler friend would say ,"They don't just draft well, they draft men of character. You'd never see a player like Ray Lewis on my team." Mind you this was the same year Pittsburgh drafted Santonio Holmes – a man who was arrested twice in the span of 22 days in two cities. Once I reminded my friend of this fact he changed the subject.

To their credit the Steelers finally did trade Holmes - after four years and a Super Bowl championship that his catch helped deliver of course.

So if you think you're team is morally better than all others you're either six years old or an idiot.

3-Ben Roethlisberger

This guy may know how to play football but he doesn't make many sound decisions off the field. He may decide to go for a Bike ride or get a little too "handsy" with the locals – you just never know what that scruffy scamp will get himself into.

For years I heard from Steeler fans who claimed "Big Ben" sightings at the (insert club here) and they all said that the same thing. He was a jerky, douchebag who hit on their girlfriends and basically walked around like the Prince of Pittsburgh. So his recent troubles aren't all that surprising.

I did have to laugh at my Steeler friends once again though. They were so angry at their hero that they thought he might be traded. After I stopped laughing I told them that there was no way he'd be moved and I could give them a hundred reasons why. Way too much money invested in this guy and he can throw a football. If he didn't have that skill set he'd have been gone yesterday.

Those same people applauded the four game suspension and those same people were excited that they didn't have to watch the Charlie Batch experiment anymore after the Ravens beat them at the Big Ketchup bottle.

"You wouldn't have won if Ben would have played." "We'll never know because he was suspended for trying to dip his pen where it didn't belong."

Did you all forget why he wasn't in uniform that quickly?

2-The Towel

This yellow rally rag has taken a life of it's own over the past thirty plus years. I really don't care about it at all. It's just a towel used to cheer on your team. It has black letters on it. It's not bad. I imagine it could have other uses too.

But say that to a Steelers fan and it's as if I punched their grandmother in the mouth and stole her Primanti sandwich. The towel is the Pittsburgh equivalent of the Shroud of Turin. It's just ridiculous.

But there is a curse.

For he who steps on the towel of might shall meet his doom on the field of green.

From Earnest Byner to T.J. to Keith Bulluck – all who desecrate the towel must pay in the end and of course lose to the Steelers. It is divinely decreed by the football gods. Which makes me now hate it because it implies the favored nation status of the Steelers in the football world.

You see why Baltimore fans are so upset about the Purple towels set to be handed out for this Sunday Night. We don't need to copy that!

1-Hines Ward

Public Enemy #1 or as I like to call him the Bill Laimbeer of football.

I admit he does his job well. He gets under the skin of the opposition and he's intelligent enough to skate the line between legal and illegal. He says all the right things to the press. He claims ignorance as to any wrongdoing and there is always that smile. The smile that says I've got everyone fooled and there's nothing you can do about it.

Even this week he wanted to drag the Ravens Head coach into the mix with his assertion that the Coach doesn't like him and that he gave him a "fake handshake" last time out. Always stirring it up and trying to make something out of nothing.

I'll admit he's a great blocker but now that he has that reputation it means he'll never get called for another Holding penalty the rest of his career. Sort of like Dennis Rodman who once he became reputed as a great defender was then licensed to clutch and grab instead of actually defending other players.

Sorry Hiney, you don't get voted dirtiest player by your peers by accident. They aren't all jealous that you play clean and to the whistle all the time.

I will give you this, no one has shut you up yet but there's always this week.

In closing I quote the great newscaster Wes Mantooth who said, "From deep down in my stomach, with every inch of me, I pure straight up hate you. but goddammit I do respect you."

Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president for football operations (aka Watchdog) seems to think that the Steelers are nothing but wrong when it comes to players and fans thinking that the league is targeting the team, more so James Harrison.

“I would say that’s misguided and, frankly, completely untrue,” Anderson said when asked if the Steelers are being targeted. “Every team and every player, hopefully, will have the confidence that, if they play within the rules, we won’t have this problem.”

Harrison has already paid $125,000 to the league in fines this year, including another $25,000 from this past Sunday when he hit Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Bills.

“It angers me, of course, that they’re taking absurd amounts of money from me for plays that I consider to be clean and legal hits,” Harrison said. “I’m sure if you asked 10 guys in the league, nine of them would say he’s not a dirty player. He’s a hard player. He’s just getting a bad (reputation) right now.”

Anderson reiterated the league’s decree from earlier this season that those inflicting helmet-to-helmet or flagrant hits will be subject to suspension.

“The league doesn’t care about us anyway,” Hines Ward said. “They don’t care about the safety of the game. If the league was so concerned about the safety, why are you adding two more games on? You talk about you don’t want players to drink … and all you see is beer commercials. You don’t want us to gamble, but then there are (NFL-endorsed lottery scratch-off games).”

Asked about Ward’s charge, Anderson said, “I have no comment to Hines Ward.”

Cleveland Browns Vs Miami Dolphins

When: December 5th, 20101

Where: Sun Life Stadium

Time: 1:00

Weather: High of 72 and Sunny

Players to Watch:

Jake Delhomme:

It looks like Delhomme is going to get another start this weekend against the Dolphins. The Browns can't have Delhomme turning the ball over this week if they are going to have a shot at winning the game.  Jake did look pretty good in the first half against the Panthers but struggled in the second half. The Browns need to have Delhomme to play like he did in that first half all game this weekend.

Brian Robiskie:

Robiskie had a career game last weekend. I didn't even think Robiskie was going to catch seven games this season let alone seven in one game. Delhomme found the second year player out of Ohio State on a few occasions against the Panthers and I am interested to see how he responds to that game this week against the Dolphins.

Peyton Hillis:

Hillis is a beast there is no question about that. With Delhomme most likely going to get the start this weekend the team needs Hillis to have a big game and lead them to another victory. Hillis has shown he has good hands and I look for him to be targeted by Delhomme often.

Keys to the Game:

Win the turnover battle

Establish the running game

Stop the Running game

Get 7's not 3's

Prediction:

Miami Dolphins 24 Cleveland Browns 14

I just can't see the Browns going into Miami and getting the W with Delhomme under center. The team should be in the game but Delhomme leaks interceptions and I look for the Dolphins to get a couple that will be to much for the Browns to overcome.