Steelers shut out hapless Hawks 24-0

Despite my ugliness last week due to the stomping the Steelers endured at the hands of the Ravens, any real football fan knows that getting blown out in a game like the Steelers did last week does not ruin your season, as long as you bounce back. The Steelers did that today, in impressive fashion, blanking the Seahawks at Heinz Field. But remember, just as getting spanked last week was not the end of the world, let's not pick the parade route yet either after beating a very mediocre Seahawks team today. Let's not act like Baltimorons and gloat over a win in September, when the team you beat last week ended your past two seasons in the playoffs, and has played in 3 of the past 6 Super Bowls, winning two of them, while your last appearance was 11 years ago! Sounds a bit like the football fans are almost as ridiculous as most of the hockey fans in that area, but not QUITE, as the Raven have at least won the big game, albeit more than a decade ago. I digress! Today's victory was fun to watch, as it was total domination in all three phases of the game. Despite at times throwing way high, and missing open targets, Big Ben STILL wound up 22/30 for 298 yards and a touchdown with no picks and no fumbles! Pretty gaudy numbers for a guy who missed some wide open targets today! On top of that the rushing game was solid, with Mendenhall rushing for 66 yards, but a somewhat pedestrian 3.5 yards per carry, and Redman 49 more on 10 carries and a very impressive touchdown run. HIs 4.9 yards per carry average was impressive, and I like how he seems to run downhill right away. Mike Wallace had another 100 yard plus game, now having 16 catches for 233 yards in the first two games of the season. In addition, Antonio Brown had 4 catches for 67 yards, and a dazzling 41 yard punt return that set up the first Steelers touchdown. I love the speed and depth of this WR corps. Also, the defense that the bloated Warren Sapp called and slow, held Seattle to only 164 total yards, recorded 5 sacks, and did not allow Seattle to make a snap on their side of the field until midway through the 4th quarter recorded its first shutout of the season. Hey Warren, stick to soemthing you know like cheesecake, cheesefries, and cheeseballs you cheesedick! Anyway, you also had to be impressed with an offensive line that played an above average game despite having rookie Marcus Gilbert start for Willie Colon, who is lost for the season, and Ramon Foster start for Chris Kempoeatu. The more I think of the leadership and overall skills of Maurkice Pouncey, the more I think of rocking a 53 jersey for the Black and Gold. Some things I did not like today, though minor, include the failure to score on 4th and 1 in the first quarter, with two Steelers missing the safety who made the touchdown saving tackle. This team needs to be better at getting that one yard when they need it. Suisham missing his second FG attempt this season already makes me worrya about him too. Finally, I don't get Big Ben staying in the game for the last drive or two given the comfortable lead, and his banged up knee. That said, the Steelers did what I had hoped and expected that they would to. They responded to a horrible showing, with a workmanlike dismantling of an inferior team. Champions beat the teams they should beat with regularity, and win the games they have to against quality opponents, which the Steelers have done with reguarity for my entire life. I expect more of the same in 2011, and today was a good start! And those "Super Bowl Champions 2012 Ravens, " well they lost today, and are the same 1-1 we are.