cynicschism

       The Pittsburgh Steelers clinched the AFC North division title and got a bye week before the playoffs yesterday, by beating the Baltimore Ravens 13-9.  It was another fourth quarter come from behind win for the Steelers.  They were down to Baltimore 9-6 with just a few minutes left in the fourth quarter.  Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger started the winning drive on his own eight yeard line.  He completed passes to get the Steelers down to the four yard line of the Ravens.  From there he threw a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with less than two minutes left.  The play was close, and after a review the officials called it a touchdown.  The Steelers D kept the Ravens from doing any more scoring by intercepting a hail-Mary pass in the last seconds of the game.

       It certainly was the defensive struggle that most predicted, between two teams that definitely don’t like each other. Smashmouth football time.  Pittsburgh has had difficulty winning in Baltimore, and this was the first time since 2002 they won on the road against the Ravens.  Pittsburgh had a very tough schedule for their last five games, but so far, they’re 3-0, beating New England and then Dallas in another last minute thriller.  Next week they take on the Tennessee Titans, and finish the season against the Cleveland Browns.  But the worst part of the regular season is now over.

       The Steelers will certainly need the bye week.  There are a lot of banged-up players, including Big Ben and Fast Willie Parker, who could use an extra week off.  Now that the Steelers have clinched their division, Steelers’ fans can relax a bit, knowing their team is bound for the playoffs.  That means that for the last two games of the regular season, we can take it easy for just a while.  Go Steelers!

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