Ball or Nuthin' » Steelers

Torrey Smith, Ravens Have the Last Laugh

T Lamont — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:05:24 +0000

Entering the fourth quarter, the Baltimore Ravens were in familiar position.

They were leading the Pittsburgh Steelers in Heinz Field, on the brink of falling victim to another comeback from the yellow and gold.

But on Sunday night, it was Baltimore who had the last laugh, as the Ravens rallied to defeat their nemesis, 23-20, sweeping the season series with the Steelers.

After convincing the world that they were finally ready to emerge as a legit Super Bowl contender following their Week 1 blowout of Pittsburgh, the Ravens countered with some performances which questioned their status as one of the NFL’s elite teams. Specifically, Baltimore struggled in road losses to Tennessee and Jacksonville, as well as producing a horrendous half of football at home against Arizona just last week. But after the lopsided outcome from the first battle between these two arch rivals, everyone – certainly Pittsburgh – was waiting for this rematch.

The Ravens held a 16-6 edge in the thirs quarter, when the roof began to cave in. The Steelers drove 80 yards to cut the lead down to three. Baltimore promptly began to move the ball into Pitt territory, when Joe Flacco was drilled James Harrison, forcing fumble which was recovered by William Gay.

Predictably, the home team parlayed this turnover into a 25-yard touchdown connection between Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Wallace, giving the Steelers a 4-point advantage. The Ravens received the ball, and were quickly dismissed by the Steeler defense with a three-and-out possession.

Torrey Smith and the Raves overcame some struggles to sweep the Steelers.

But what happened next was far from what we are accustomer to seeing.

The Ravens marched 92 yards down the gridiron to win the game. And the final touchdown landed into the hands of a player who was about to be labeled as a goat just a few minutes earlier.

Torrey Smith’s perseverance was symbolic of Baltimore’s fighting spirit tonight. Smith was flagged for a holding penalty early in the contest, and it cost his team a score. And on the final, decisive – and eventual game-winning – drive Smith dropped a ball that was clearly catchable in the end zone…one that would have saved Ravens fans lots of indigestion.

But four plays later, the Maryland product fought through a pass interference from Gay, and secured a 25-yard pass that stunned the Pittsburgh faithful and provided John Harbaugh with an unusually favorable script ending.

While there remains a ton of football to be played, this win means a lot for the victors. Tied atop the AFC North with Cincinnati, the Ravens are in full control of the playoff fate. They’ve already cleared the hurdle of the Steelers, and they have two contests to come against the Bengals.

And now, with the weaker half of its schedule left, a more dangerous challenge will surface for Baltimore – - playing with the consistency and sense of urgency that one would expect from one of the league’s best teams.

NFL Week 1 – T Lamont’s Thoughts and Rants

T Lamont — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:04:45 +0000

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After a thrilling season opener, the rest of the National Football’s week one matchups came through with a bang. And what better way to celebrate and remember the losses and heroes a decade ago than in all of the stadiums where the ‘new national pasttime’ is played.

But having opening Sunday fall on the date of such a memorable tragedy is only one of the reasons that this NFL debut was so heavily anticipated. First, there’s the appreciation that professional football is actually being played – after a work stoppage threatened to have everyone looking for sporting alternatives this autumn. Of course, there’s the personnel changes including everything from the prediction of a ‘dream team’ to the concern surrounding the untimely absence of a 4-time MVP.

Well, each week, we’ll take a glance at some of my random thoughts from the week’s contests. Let’s get started with Week 1:

- I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a moment as spine-tingling as I did when I listened to the sailor that sung the Star Spangled Banner at the start of the Eagles-Rams game. My wife and I were about to do some odd chore (I can’t recall what) when we overheard the gentleman hurling out operatic notes. We immediately jetted back to the television and stood with our mouths open as we listened. Amazing.

- As for the Eagles-Rams game, I have to give credit to the Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Philly obviously has supreme talent at the skill positions, but the cynics continue to focus on the extremely weak offensive line – and how that weakness will be the team’s eventual downfall. Now, I know today’s game was only against St. Louis, but Mornhinweg showed that he is going to do his best to keep Michael Vick from being a sitting duck. On nearly every offensive play – whether run or pass – the line pulled or the the pocket moved, in a clear attempt to negate any defensive momentum that the Rams could gain. Surely, the Eagles need to upgrade their linemen, but at this point they have to get the best out of what they have.

After committing five turnovers, Big Ben already has his sights set on his next game against Baltimore.

- Where do you start with the Steelers-Ravens? Seven turnovers – five from Ben Roethlisberger. Giving up 170 yards rushing to Ray Rice and Ricky Williams. This is the most lopsided contest that I can recall in some time between these two. As Baltimore sprinted out to a 14-0 first quarter advantage, all I could remember was last year’s playoff debacle. But the Ravens kept the pressure on, and Pittsburgh never saw the light of day. John Harbaugh’s group sent its message, and the Steelers already have the night of November 6 circled on their calendar.

- Atlanta, what happened? After last season’s 13-3 regular season mark, big things were expected from the Falcons. They ran into a sizzling Aaron Rodgers in last year’s Divisional Playoff round, and they were history. But they were supposed to build on their unexpected success, and the predictable Chicago Bears were supposed to be their first victim in the 2011 campaign. A quick look at the box score shows Matt Ryan putting up a 31-47, 319 yard game, and Michael Turner collected 100 yards on the ground. That would normally be the recipe for success, but the Falcons couldn’t finish anything today against the Bears. Chicago used turnovers and a ‘bend but don’t break’ defense to put the contest out of reach. The Falcons now face the real possibility of getting out of the box with an 0-2 start as they face Vick-adelphia on Sunday night.

- Welcome back Plaxico. It was good to see Plax catch a much needed 26-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter as the Jets tried to slice into a 14-point deficit against the Cowboys. Minutes before, Burress laid out Mike Jenkins to give Santonio Holmes more running room on a key play to extend the drive. And in classic Plaxico-style, the camera caught him mouthing off about the block on the sidelines.

- 41 points for the Buffalo Bills – and none of them came directly from a Chiefs defensive turnover. I don’t think anyone saw this coming, especially Kansas City. The Chiefs were a dominant running team last season, posting two big-time rushers in Thomas Jones (896 yards) and Jamaal Charles (1,467 yards). Although the Chiefs average six yards per rush today, they simply couldn’t keep the chains moving. They only converted 23% (3 of 13) of their third downs. In addition, Matt Cassel completed 22 passes for 119 yards. That almost seems like a misprint, but KC’s leading receiver was Steve Breaston with 26 yards. But back to the Bills – Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for four scores and Fred Jackson gained 5.5 yards per carry.

- Kickoff returners were certainly trying to prove their worth in Week 1. There was a concern the kickoff return specialists would possibly have their value lessened by the league’s mandate to have kickers tee it up from the 35-yard line. To my count, there were three kickoffs returned for TDs this week – Randall Cobb (Green Bay), Ted Ginn, Jr. (San Francisco) and Percy Harvin (Minnesota) – so there will still be opportunities. Touchbacks will be up, but I saw more returners running the rock out when they were seven, eight, or even nine yards deep in the end zone. In prior years, these would be labeled as poor decisions. So…what do you label them now that the kicking team is five yards closer to you than they were before?

- Way to go, Cam Newton. The number one draft pick showed us all that he can get it done through the air (422 yards passing), and that he’s not just the stereotypical dual threat quarterback that almost everyone wanted to label him as. The Heisman winner played great, and, perhaps his most significant accomplishment was developing a rhythm with superstar receiver Steve Smith. Newton has the potential to make the coaches look good, but they’ll need to help themselves, too. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart - both above average backs that competitors would be pleased to have – combined to rush the ball 19 times on Sunday. Regardless of how brilliant Newton is, Carolina will have a hard to winning any game will that type of unbalanced playcalling.

Despite the Panthers' loss, Newton shined on Sunday afternoon.

- The Colts got trounced by the Texans. If I recall correctly, Indy fell to the Texans early last year as well – with Peyton Manning on the field. Kerry Collins didn’t do much today, and one positive (probably the only one) was that he didn’t commit any turnovers. Houston scored 34 points in the first half, and appeared to call off the dogs a bit in the second half. Even a 4-time MVP would have had an extremely difficult time making up for his team’s poor defensive effort. The Texans pounded out 167 yards on the ground and managed 8.7 yards per pass play. Yes, Indy is in deep trouble without Manning – and I mean ‘the Colts won win 5 games’ type of trouble. But on this day, to put it bluntly, Manning would have needed to play on defense as well.

- Hats off to the team from the nation’s capital. After allowing Eli Manning to connect with Hakeem Nicks on a deep busted-play (which set up a TD run), the Redskins marched by down the field and had their drive stalled inside field goal range. However, when the 39-yarder sailed wide, the usual visions of underachievement could have easily entered their heads. But Washington didn’t stop fighting and secured an important divisional win that could give them the confidence that they need to be the second-best team in the NFC East.

James Harrison Gone Wild!

T Lamont — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:16:37 +0000

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In the world of professional sports, competitive edge is everything.

One could argue that competitive edge is the difference between, say, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter. Or even Tom Brady and Carson Palmer.

The main point is that talent levels – for the most part – are fairly equal at the professional level. It’s the commitment to hard work that can enable an athlete to get above the plateau that usually develops from complacency. Hard work, along with confidence emanate from players who have a fire that burns within them to be victorious each and every time that they can.

While there are many ways to gain and maintain such a fiery spirit, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is clearly providing a blueprint that all up-and-coming athletes should follow on how not to gain a competitive edge.

Yesterday, reports hit the airwaves of Harrison letting loose on his dotted-line boss (NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell), and his teammates (Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and RB Rashad Mendenhall) during an interview session with Mens’ Journal.

“My rep is James Harrison, mean son of a b**** who loves hitting the hell out of people. But up until last year, there was no word of me being dirty — till Roger Goodell, who’s a crook and a puppet, said I was the dirtiest player in the league. If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn’t do it. I hate him and will never respect him.”

OK, we all knew that Harrison wasn’t happy about the money that he was fined because of his ‘legal’ – as he would put it – hits. But legal or not, the nature of each of them was at least questionable. And for a guy who is quickly gaining a ‘headhunter reputation,’ you can bet that he’s not going to get the benefit of the doubt. His malicious comments won’t endear him to anybody, and have undoubtedly turned him into the ‘Rasheed Wallace of the NFL.’

Sorry, but it’s hard for most people to feel that a speedy, 240 pound beast with the green light to crumble offensive players is a victim in any shape, fashion or form.

But hold up…Harrison wasn’t done.

Harrison's 'me-against-the-world' persona will keep him under the constant eye of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year had this to say about Roethlisberger’s most recent Super Bowl performance:

“Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again. Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain’t that and you know it, man; you just get paid like he does.”

The outspoken Ohio native went on to call Rashad Mendenhall “a fumble machine” – referencing the running back’s 4th quarter turnover which the Packers converted into a touchdown.

With this, what Harrison needs is clear – a good, old-fashioned butt whoopin’.

The star linebacker has certainly crossed a line that cannot be re-drawn. Also, included in the Mens’ Journal session was a snippet of Harrison giving high praise to safety Troy Polamalu – further planting a divisive seed among the offensive and defensive players of the team. Someone in Pittsburgh’s locker room desperately needs to find a way to reel this guy back in for the good of the organization.

Having a ‘me-against-the-world’ attitude could be beneficial is an individual sporting environment. However, Harrison is a member of a good football team – one that is fresh off of an appearance in the country’s most popular sporting event – and he’s belittling the efforts of his teammates.

This is one of the rare occasions in which the do’s and dont’s of corporate America can be directly applied to the world of professional athletics.

Do motivate yourself to be the best in what you do. Work hard to achieve your dreams.

Don’t throw your boss and teammates under the bus to get there.

Super Bowl XLV: Packers 31, Steelers 25

T Lamont — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 04:33:03 +0000

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The Green Bay Packers fulfilled what seemed to be their destiny by triumphing over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, 31-25.

The game saw Green Bay almost fully relinquish an 18-point first-half lead. However, turnovers and some key plays from the offense enabled them to maintain their advantage over the battle-tested Steelers.

Here’s what allowed the Packers to win their second NFL championship:

Turnovers - The Steelers were uncharacteristically sloppy in the biggest game of the season. Ben Roethlisberger threw two interceptions in the game’s first 30 minutes, with one of them being returned by Nick Collins for a touchdown. The other interception was converted into a touchdown courtesy of a James Starks rush and three completed Aaron Rodgers passes (including a 21-yarder to Greg Jennings for the score.

Two first-half interceptions from Big Ben put his team in a hole.

In true Pittsburgh fashion, Roethlisberger and company fought back, pulling with four (21-17). On the first play from scrimmage in the final quarter, Clay Matthews placed his helmet squarely on the football that was in Rashard Mendenhall’s arms, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the defense. Four passes from Rodgers helped Green Bay take advantage of this opportunity and put another touchdown on the board.

In total, the Packers scored 21 points after Steeler turnovers. That’s too many gifts in any game, much less the Super Bowl.

Greg Jennings – Jennings, Green Bay’s leading receiver during the regular season, contributed well to his team’s Super Bowl victory. The Western Michigan alum had 4 catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns. He undoubtedly made some big plays that were sorely needed, including a huge 31-yard gain on a 3rd and long.

But perhaps the most meaningful thing Jennings did was absorb the attention of the Steeler defense. This led to multiple chances for Jordy Nelson, who certainly made a name for himself in tonight’s game. Nelson ended with 9 catches for 140 yards, but at one point he probably had as many drops as receptions. Jennings’ consistency as a big play threat on a weekly basis did as much to keep this team afloat as did Rodgers’ ability.

Defensive Fortitude - Week after week, we’ve witnessed different members of the Packers secondary step up and make game-winning plays. Tramont Williams against the Eagles. Sam Shields against the Bears. Tonight? It was Nick Collins instantly transforming an errant Roethlisberger pass into six points.

In a game that saw injuries to Collins and Charles Woodson, the Packers’ ability to overcome obstacles was tested. Green Bay was able to do enough to keep Pittsburgh at bay, and walk away on top in the end.

Aaron Rodgers – There were two things that stood out about Rodgers today – his mental toughness and his trust.

Greg Jennings' presence gave Jordy Nelson a lot of opportunities tonight.

Mentally, Rodgers had to endure a roller-coaster of a game. The Green Bay quarterback was riding high in the first half, as his team comfortably accumulated 21 points. Rodgers was then blanketed in the third quarter, as the Pack were held scoreless by a Steeler team that was gaining momentum. But he maintained his focus and came through when his team needed him most in the fourth quarter.

And, Rodgers exhibited some extreme trust in his teammates – particularly Jordy Nelson. Time and time again, Nelson was open and Rodgers placed the ball right on the money. But Nelson had his share of drops, and the number was certainly high enough to make the average quarterback pause before tossing the ball his way again. However, Rodgers proved to be the consummate leader and stuck to his game plan – delivering the football to the open receiver (still was Nelson) in a timely fashion. The result was that Nelson didn’t let him down in the game’s key possessions, and made some grabs that ultimately sealed the deal.

T Lamont’s Top 10 NFL Teams – Week 2

T Lamont — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 03:12:09 +0000

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With two full weeks of NFL action in the books, deciphering the league’s best can be a bit tricky. If there’s one thing that can be expected, it’s that this top 10 will endure its share of changes as the season progresses.

But without further adieu, let’s take a first look at the teams that rank as the cream of the crop early in the new campaign:

10. San Diego Chargers

In their opening game, the Chargers got flat out shocked by the Kansas City Chiefs – and quite frankly, so did the rest of the world. But looking in detail, the outing wasn’t as bad as it seemed. San Diego nearly put up 400 yards of offense (double that of K.C.), and Rivers threw for 298 yards. Three turnovers thwarted their ability to put points on the board. So, when the Bolts put 38 on the board this week, it was business as usual for one of the league’s high powered offenses.

9. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore was the trendy pick for a Super Bowl appearance prior to the start of the season. On the defensive side of the ball, there’s no question that this team has what it takes to get there. Offensively, there’s still too much inconsistency. Or to be honest, their offensive inconsistency is something that has been consistent about them for the past decade. It comes down to QB Joe Flacco. If he limits his mistakes (as he did in Week 1 against the Jets), the Ravens win. If he tries to do too much (4 interceptions against the Bengals), things will remain tough for them.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

Jordan Shipley has 10 receptions in his first two regular season games.

Yes, their air attack has the ability to be quite explosive. Ochocinco, Owens and rookies Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham provide Carson Palmer with a set of talented options. But their defense – which seemed to be in disarray versus the Patriots – stepped up and resembled the successful unit from last year. The Bengals defense should gain even more confidence given their next couple of opponents are the Carolina Panthers and the Cleveland Browns.

7. New York Jets

Did they burn the playbook from their Week 1 Monday night debacle against the Ravens? It sure looked like it as Mark Sanchez looked like someone worthy of a high draft pick. L.T. is doing his thing, averaging 6.3 yards per carry through two games. The defense has struggled in certain matchups, but has not totally broken – they are only allowing 12 points per game. A physical Sunday night matchup against the Dolphins awaits.

6. Miami Dolphins

Miami has started the season off with road wins (Vikings – very impressive, Bills – not so much). Their defense was shredded by the most complete running back in the game, Adrian Peterson, but were ultimately the beneficiaries of some poor decision-making by Brett Favre. And give Miami credit for stuffing A.P. when it counted – fourth and goal from the 1-yard line leading 14-10. In their upcoming contest versus New York – with Darrelle Revis out of action – the Dolphins should be looking forward to having Brandon Marshall working one-on-one against Antonio Cromartie. If Marshall saw any footage of the Ravens-Jets showdown, he should be licking his chops.

5. Indianapolis Colts

Sitting at 1-1, the Colts have the look and feel of a team that is unfazed by their loss to the Texans. Indy has averaged 31 points per game, and the offense is still in stellar shape. Peyton Manning is in full control of his unit, and put on a clinic against his brother and the Giants. Defense is always the big question mark with this squad. The defensive ends will bring the heat – Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis – but the secondary is very weak at this point.

4. Houston Texans

The Texans came through with two signature wins to start this season. The win over Indianapolis allowed the Texans to overcome an obstacle that they have seemingly always stumbled upon. Couple that with an improbable come-from-behind victory at Fedex Field and you have the makings of a team that has good things in store for the future. Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Arian Foster are all playing like Pro-Bowlers. They’ll have extreme confidence in their next game versus the Dallas Cowboys.

The Texans have gotten productive running from Arian Foster.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

Defense has been the name of their game. The Steelers have held Michael Turner (Falcons) to 42 yards rushing on 19 carries. They’ve held last year’s Offensive Player of the Year Chris Johnson to 34 yards on 16 carries. Their quarterback situation is one that will be fixed in a couple of weeks, but they are maintaining in a better than expected fashion without a discernible leader for their offense.

2. New Orleans Saints

The Super Bowl champs? At number two? Yes, because they have not looked like last year’s Super Bowl champs on the offensive end of the ball. Brees and company have only put up 39 points in two games – - a stark contrast to their beginning of 2009 – which saw the Saints run up 93 points in their first couple of games. But New Orleans got it done against the Vikings and Niners, teams with tough defenses. With their mix of talent and experience, it’s safe to anticipate that the Saints will be near the top once again when all is said and done.

1. Green Bay Packers

If the Packers and Saints squared off today, it would be an extremely tight game. But one thing’s for certain: Green Bay has looked sharper than New Orleans thus far. The Pack has the best point differential in the league, which means that they have been playing offense and defense. They have the appearance of a group that believe in themselves, and they have effective leaders on both sides of the ball in Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. Things are looking up in Green Bay, and the best part about it is that Brett Favre is nowhere to be found.