The Steelers finished a two-game cupcake detour on their schedule with two less-than-impressive wins over teams that have only one win each.
Though the outcome was enough to get kicker Jeff Reed to party like its 0.1999 (allegedlly), the Steelers should still be concerned about their inability to blow out bad teams.
Turnovers were a problem on Sunday, with fumbles from both tailbacks and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who added an interception to an otherwise impressive 417-yard day, which would have been enough to secure AFC offensive player of the week honors but for Tom Brady’s six-touchdown performance.
The Steelers will need similar play from Roethlisberger — without the fumbles or interceptions — if they hope to beat the Vikings and the Broncos in the next two games.
The best news is that safety Troy Polamalu has returned to action. If he’d never been hurt, the Steelers could be 6-0. His first big challenge will be to disrupt an offense that has carried the Vikings to that same record.
For the Browns, the decision to cling to Derek Anderson looks more confounding by the week. He completed only nine of 24 passes on Sunday, with an interception and two lost fumbles.
With Josh Cribbs taking 13 snaps in the Wildcat formation, it’s starting to look like coach Eric Mangini might be contemplating the possibility of letting Cribbs, a college quarterback, try his hand at the full-time job. (And that might not be a bad thing.)
So the Browns, with upcoming games against the Packers and the Bears, seem to be destined to enter the bye lucky to be 1-7 instead of 0-8.
Of course, we can’t discuss this game without mentioning two controversial calls: (1) the “when is a first down a first down when it appears not to be a first down?” decision; and (2) the decision to wipe a Hines Ward touchdown reception off the board.
Referee Walt “Not The Tuck Rule Guy” Anderson seemed to attributed the thing to the dynamic of parallax.
“[T]he ball has
to penetrate the plane of the stake,” Anderson said after the game. “The chains are set
beside the football. So I get on the side and I’m
looking straight in at that angle. If the nose of the ball
touches the stake, it’s a first down.”
The only problem? The nose of the ball didn’t touch the stake.
As to the Ward catch that was ruled on review to be not a catch, it’s the latest example of the whole “going to the ground” concept. And it was, for a change, a good call. Ward lost possession of the ball before coming to rest.
So the Steelers settled instead for a field goal — and it didn’t matter in the end.
Besides, they never should have been in position to throw the pass to Ward, given the inability of Walt Anderson to see that the Steelers hadn’t converted on the fourth-down play.
“when is a first down a first down when it appears not to be a first down?”
When it goes against the Browns and the refs still have visions of bottles raining in their head
So Ben gets docked for one pick in 30 some attempts, while Cribbs gets off the hook for one pick for one throw?
Anderson wasn’t the problem, his butterfingered WRs were.
The Brownies got a makeup call after the blown stick measure.
Over the years, the Steelers have always tended to play to the level of the opponent. Anyway, it doesn’t matter if they “blow out” anyone. A win is a win… who gives a sh*t? Certainly, the Pats will be ahead in the polls…
It is valid to point out the mistakes. Way too many are happening this year… and come the Playoffs… that’s what’s going to end their season.
Still a work in progress, but the Steelers have the talent to compete with any team in the league.
Dont look now but that old, dirty, cheap shot artist, 2 time super bowl champion/mvp, all time leading steelers receiver is leading the league in receiving yards. Even worse, it seems that his fellow receiver, santonio holmes, is learning to crack back block like him. How dare these receivers get physical and block!
On WTAM, the Browns side line reporter, Knox, said he talked with one of the people handling the chains, and they said it was not a first down. It is amazing how the Steelers get protected by the refs.
I guess the refs are going down the NBA path. Good teams gets all the calls, and if you stink, you don’t.
Everybody knows the officials help out the Steelers all of the time – but giving them a first down when the cameras clearly show it’s not even close is taking it a bit too far in my opinion.
Florio, were you at the game? Were you standing on the field while the ref looked at the spot of the ball? NO, so how the hell would you know from the horrible camera angle that it wasn’t a first down? I love your site most of the time, but you really say some stupid crap sometimes.
Easy to tell how much florio hates Pittsburgh. anyone ever see him say anything positive about the steelers?
Yeah, my cousin’s college roommate knows a guy who was standing behind the guy who was spotting the chain gang, and he said he couldn’t tell because he saw the replay on TV, and noted that the camera was not shooting at an angle straight on line with the stick. In a window that small to see, even a few degrees from center will change the perception.
I’m not saying it was or was not a first down, I’m saying the camera angle we all saw wasn’t going to accurately show where the ball was in relation to the stick.
Anderson wasn’t Johnny Unitas, but his receivers sure don’t help him out. I would think, Mike, you’d have noticed the Browns have 14 drops in two weeks – including two that would have gone for touchdowns in Week 5. It’s funny how that happened AFTER they traded the receiver with bad hands.
I didn’t think it was a first down where I was sitting. But that was in front of a TV screen. Who knows what angle the camera was at. I would think the refs view would be a little better than ours.
If it so clearly was not a first down, why didn’t the browns challenge the spot of the ball? Why were’t the defensive players all around the ball not flip out. I figured it was a camera angle thing when I saw it. Only Steelers fans should be able to say that we could be 6-0 without troy. It is disrepectful to the teams that beat us for a professional writer to speculate like that, and I’m sure Troy would agree with me.
Ollie,
He actually says those things to not appear partial because he is a Steeler fan.
CBadJohn,
Were you standing on the field looking at the camera to determine if it was a poor camera angle???
The cameras move up and down the sideline. I’m not saying the camera was perfectly perpendicular to the first down line, but I’m sure it was close. Close enough that the shot on TV wouldn’t be affected all that much. Hell, even the Steelers players admitted it wasn’t a first down.
Ollie,
Florio is a Steeler fan. If you haven’t figured out, posting less than great things about a very popular team is a way to get more people to register and/or comment about how the writer is wrong. In addition to boosting his page views and comments, he is also trying to give the appearance that he is unbiased so that other fans don’t get tired of constant positive Steeler talk.
Brownstown,
What Steelers players admitted this? please post a link to that article.
What I’d like to know is, how do they not call Mendenhall down when he’s on top of a defender on the ground all wrapped up, motion stopped?
Bad turnover for the Brownies there, took off 3 and probably 7.
“So the Browns, with upcoming games against the Packers and the Bears, seem to be destined to enter the bye lucky to be 1-7 instead of 0-8.”
Browns should enter their bye at 3-5 without any problems. As a team they are going no where, but 2 easy wins should at least make them look respectable.
# BradyGazelle says: October 19, 2009 1:00 PM
Everybody knows the officials help out the Steelers all of the time – but giving them a first down when the cameras clearly show it’s not even close is taking it a bit too far in my opinion.
The only problem with that is, if you look at the replay, the hash mark next to the sticks was at a 45° angle, it was clearly a view from behind.
Frank Burns – same thing happened to Logan in the Chargers game when he was stripped during that return. Steelers should have learned from that mistake and understand that a runner is not down until a body part touches the ground.
If that wasn’t a first down then why didnt the Browns challenge?
DocBG says:
October 19, 2009 1:55 PM
Browns should enter their bye at 3-5 without any problems. As a team they are going no where, but 2 easy wins should at least make them look respectable.
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Let me guess this straight — you’re saying Cleve has no prob beating both GB and Chicago? And you’re basing this on… exactly what?
i’m president charlie! says:
October 19, 2009 2:08 PM
Frank Burns – same thing happened to Logan in the Chargers game when he was stripped during that return.
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I know, I was there in person and saw… and wondered the same thing too. His forward progress was clearly stopped — just like yesterday, refs were just too slow with the whistles.
In The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
“I have no idea how they gave us a first down, but we’ll take it,” Hartwig said. “I’d say (it was short) by two chain links. It was obvious to everybody playing on the field. I don’t know how they called it the way they did, but … we’re not going to complain about it.”
I’m not saying the Browns win that game if the call goes the other way, but it sure would have changed the complexion of the game, being down by 7 (maybe less) going into the half, and scoring in their first drive of the 2nd half.
Florio failed to mention another call where the refs failed. The hold that was not called on the Cribbs runback that everyone but the refs saw.
@ spyboots – + 1 to you! this is truth. i completely forgot about that. 7 point swing that should have been negated.
While we’re debating the apparent missed first down call, you might also remember on Cribbs TD return the blocker at the point held the defender to th epoint of actually pulling his jersey away from his body. Blown calls tend to go both ways with the losing team complaining the loudest.
Typical Stooler fans. There was holding on every play against the Stoolers. The other team holds on every play. Even when we win the game the other teams offensive line held the entire game. The other team scored a TD so its the world against the Stoolers. Someone stole James Harrisons HGH and he was held on his way to the field, on the field, and on his way home. Get over it Stooler fans you know the only blown call was the first down. Your own players even stated as such. If not for the blown first down call its a tie game in the second quarter and the Sorry a#@ Browns could have kicked a fourth quarter field goal to be down by only a td with 4:50 seconds left. Anything could have happened after that turnover fest in the third. Oh well. If im a stooler fan not too encouraged. DA stinks stank stunk and the Browns still hung in with them as did Detriot.
Copes,
Justin Hartwig in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
“I have no idea how they gave us a first down, but we’ll take it,” Hartwig said. “I’d say (it was short) by two chain links. It was obvious to everybody playing on the field. I don’t know how they called it the way they did, but … we’re not going to complain about it.”
and TheJimmy,
This is much different than arguing a ‘no call’ on the field. You can argue judgement calls to death and get no where. This call should not have been subject to judgement. They measure close first downs to take the guess work out of it, or at least that’s what I thought until now. No one is arguing the spot of the ball which can certainly vary.
ajd78 – stoolers/stealers fan here (wow! the creativity with the vowels in the middle of the name is impressive!) i believe steelers fans are just counterpointing the first down call to show there were missed calls on both sides. And show me where style points count in a victory…i only see W’s and L’s?? Would the game have been as close if Cribb’s touchdown came back? 27-7 sounds about right.
ajd78 says:
“If not for the blown first down call its a tie game in the second quarter”
______________________________
Haha really? You really think that even if the call was correct (and I’m fully admitting that the refs blew that call, and I was glad that they took away Wards TD b/c of it) that the Browns would have driven 86 yards in 30 seconds to tie the score at halftime? I’ll give them the very slim possibility of making it far enough for a FG, but that wouldn’t affect the outcome of the game at all…neither would a TD for that matter.
Still if you truly believe that it was even a remote possibility for that anemic offense to score a TD before the half then I have only one thing to say to you…Pass that dutch to the left hand side.
The Refs made up for the 1st down earlier by not calling the obvious hold on Ratliff during Cribbs kick return.
Hey clowns fans, how does it feel to lose 12 straight, 18 of the last 19, and 26 of the last 31??? You HAD a 16-game lead in teh series when Bernie “the drunk” Kosar left. Now the Steelers have a 4-game lead. The browns are in the same hole as the Lions and Rams. A complete joke.
And who cares if the Steelers aren’t overly impressive yet. They’ve won 2 SBs in the past 4 years. Outside of NE, who can claim that?
It’s hilarious that clowns fans talk smack even though their team has beat the Steelers 5 times since 1991.
Thanks for making my point. When the Stoolers are playing there is always “missed calls against the Steelers”. I work with em every day. They all say the same thing. Harrison got held , they only scored because of a holding call , blah blah blah. And no I really don’t think the Browns would have scored with 30 sec to go. Anderson would have screwed that up for sure. But none the less it’s tied at the begining of the third for sure then. And in the fourth the Browns down by 10 only need a field goal with 4:50 left and could attempt to play defense and try to get a stop. I think I have always admitted that this team sucks. Thats obvious and has been for a few years now.
I love how haters always use the excuse that the refs favor the Steelers… Refs blow calls in every game, it’s unavoidable, they’re human, and like others have said, I didn’t see what that ref saw when he looked at the first down sticks… maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. As far as the refs ALWAYS favoring the Steelers, what about the coin toss against Detroit on Thanksgiving? What about the Polamalu int in the playoffs against Indy that was overturned? What about the Polamalu fumble recovery for a TD last year against the Chargers? all three of those were actually publicly determined by the Officials later to be the wrong call… and all three directly affected the way the game turned out… the first down call didn’t affect the outcome maybe the score might’ve been a little different but that’s it…
Thank you Camario! All the fans whose teams get beat by the Steelers always cry referee favoritism. Sore losers! And ya we, as Steeler fans get mad when someone scores on us and they dont call a holdong when there is one. What fan doesn’t?
And about people worrying about the Steelers not blowing out “bad” teams, I dont think we have a thing to worry about. I think they are trying to keep under the radar. Just imagine if everything went right that Steeler Browns score would of been 50something to 7! I imagine if some of the drops and defense woes didnt happen Pit would be undefeated and look like the 2007 Patriots blowing teams out but thats not Pit’s style!!!
OK, for everyone that is going to complain about that first down, let me explain something to you, and to the BOZOs on TV. The camera angle that we see at home, comes from a camera that is positioned somewhere near the 50 yard line. When that camera zooms in, by the angle of the shot, you are not looking directly at a level line to be able to tell if that was a first down. If that camera were to move toward where the first down flag is, the gap that you see between the marker and the ball would not only disappear, the ball would be, slightly ahead of the marker. Do you really think that a referee that is standing directly next to the marker is going to make the wrong call? Come on now, you have to be kidding me? It is obvious that this is what happened, and the bone heads that were on TV complaining needed to be told by the producer of the show to shut up, because they not only sounded un professional, but proved why they are the last announce teams on CBS.
@Nick S. – Why did players on both the Steelers and the Browns who were on the field looking at the same spot think the ball was short too? I understand about the camera angles, but it isn’t as drastic as you’re saying. Stop trying to defend a bad call. Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots are not one of the bottom broadcast teams. They’ve done a lot of the Browns Steelers games over the years and I believe that comes into play when CBS designates the announcing teams. It was a not only a bad call, but it was a stupid call.
The play COULD NOT HAVE BEEN REVIEWED because it was under two minutes. So it had to come from the booth. Do you really think they were going to embarrass the referee who made the call when it clearly showed the ball was short? They should have but didn’t.
And if it was all about camera angles why is there instant replay? Don’t they base every call when it comes to a measurement on what they see FROM THE CAMERA?
Funny how Steelers fans keep using the BS excuse that the camera angle was deceptive and the ball reached the first down marker when even a Steelers PLAYER WHO WAS ON THE FIELD is saying it was short.
Here’s the other issue: Apparently, out of the 8 bazillion football games I’ve watched over the last 30+ years, this seems to be the ONLY case where the “camera angle was bad” when it came to a chain measurement. Please.
The angle looked just like it always does. The refs completely blew the call and had to come up with a reason for their ineptitude quickly. (Well, the reason is that they want the Steelers to win- but I meant a reason they could actually admit publicly)- and the easiest thing to say is “it was a bad camera angle.”
How convenient that for the first time in the history of a chain measurement, the cameraman was woefully out of position.
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
And what if it would have been the other way around? If it benefitted Cleveland and us Steeler fans were steaming what would be your “BS” excuse?
My guess is they would say, ” We were just trying to give Cleveland a chance, God knows they need it!”