Steelers must play better in KC
From the notebook of a sportswriter who thinks the Steelers must play better in Kansas City than they did Sunday if they want to play for the NFL championship in New England:
n Yes, I do believe the AFC is the far superior conference this season.
n And, yes, I do believe the Steelers can go the distance if they无毛视频檙e not fooled by their performance against the Dolphins. The players agreed.
n 无毛视频淭his win is nothing to be excited about,无毛视频� said Ramon Foster. 无毛视频淣o disrespect to the Dolphins, but we无毛视频檝e been here before. I无毛视频檓 not excited. Not until we get to Houston.无毛视频�
n 无毛视频淲e can be better,无毛视频� said Ben Roethlisberger. 无毛视频淚t is a little bit of a false positive because we started out so well. We went down and scored the first three series and you无毛视频檙e kind of doing whatever we wanted to.无毛视频�
n But 无毛视频� 无毛视频淚 know, and it无毛视频檒l be addressed this week,无毛视频� Roethlisberger added. 无毛视频淭hat sounds harsh, but we无毛视频檒l talk about it. I know the line has some things they want to say to the guys. Just the little things. I mentioned before this game that the 无毛视频楳y bads无毛视频� are usually not good. You can无毛视频檛 usually correct 无毛视频楳y bads.无毛视频� You can无毛视频檛 have em. That无毛视频檚 just the way it is in the post-season. And I think in the second half we had a little bit too much of that.无毛视频�
n Roethlisberger was part of it. Steelers fans and media may, of course, be spoiled by his performances over the years, and then again by his first two series Sunday. But his last drive of the first half, which should无毛视频檝e put the Dolphins away, included one pass that should无毛视频檝e been intercepted and another that was.
n Luckily for the Steelers, James Harrison can still get after the passer. He turned a first-and-goal at the eight into a turnover that spared the Steelers. A completely dominant first half could无毛视频檝e just as easily turned into a one-score game.
n Yes, spoiled. Count me in. After all, Roethlisberger DID finish with a 105.3 passer rating.
n Just saying he无毛视频檒l need at least that to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead.
n As for Harrison, the Dolphins tried running Jay Ajayi at him early and found him to be a brick wall. Makes you wonder if they watch tape.
n I see no reason for the Steelers not to bring Harrison back at 39-years-old next season.
n Draft a pass-rusher and have him learn at the knee.
n And in the weight room. That无毛视频檚 where Jarvis Jones never took full advantage of Harrison.
n As Harrison trudged up the steps and into the locker room, Tomlin hollered, 无毛视频淛immy!无毛视频� They shook hands, bro-hugged, and Tomlin said, 无毛视频淪ee you tomorrow morning.无毛视频� Yeah, only if Tomlin heads into the weight room at 5 a.m.
n Bud Dupree gets better every game. His athleticism in the open field is still more impressive than his bend around the edge, but even that无毛视频檚 getting better. Dupree无毛视频檚 wicked blast on Matt Moore did include a bit of helmet to helmet but was unintentional. His closing speed was impressive, even shocking. Maybe that无毛视频檚 why he was flagged.
n Speaking of over-officious, Eli Rogers was flagged for a beautiful block that was deemed in violation of the Hines Ward Rule. Rogers of course disagreed. 无毛视频淗ines Ward came from further back, didn无毛视频檛 he?无毛视频� Rogers asked.
n I无毛视频檓 just impressed that a young player knows the specific Ward block in question.
n Maybe I无毛视频檓 not that old after all.
n Speaking of blocks, Antonio Brown无毛视频檚 block got Le无毛视频橵eon Bell into the end zone to finish the Steelers无毛视频� third touchdown drive.
n I could always count on Ward to say that a block which sprung a touchdown run was just as satisfying as scoring the touchdown himself. Brown, though, gave me a look like I was crazy.
n Javon Hargrave made me remember Kraig Urbik flailing away during one-on-one drills during his rookie training camp when he was with the Steelers.
n And Stephon Tuitt can play a bit. Just a bit.
n When Tuitt, who had been hammering Dolphins all over the field, walked up to Tomlin at the locker room entrance following the game, Tomlin showed his most excitement in shouting something along the lines of 无毛视频淗ow about chasing that ball my man!!无毛视频�
n It无毛视频檚 an Aaron Smith thing that became a Brett Keisel thing that became a Cam Heyward thing that无毛视频檚 now a Tuitt thing.
n And a Hargrave thing, if you noticed early Sunday.
n The stat I liked coming into the game was that backs who gained 200 yards against a team during the regular season, and played that same team in the playoffs, averaged 44.7 yards in the rematch. Ajayi gained 33 yards.
n Another key defensive play occurred after an injured Sean Davis left the field. So Mike Mitchell blitzed and left Davis无毛视频� replacement, Jordan Dangerfield, alone in the deep end. Moore must无毛视频檝e been wondering how lucky he was when he was hit by Mitchell and fumbled.
n Lawrence Timmons shook off the embarrassment of getting sick on national TV during the Dolphins无毛视频� rout earlier in the year to get the last laugh Sunday. He rag-dolled Moore on back-to-back sacks on the final two Miami pass attempts of the game. He was a proud Law Dawg leaving the locker room.