Week 8 in the NFL started with a mixture of apprehension and excitement as the Steelers awaited a visit from the undefeated Bengals.
There were missing pieces for the Steelers in all three phases. The offensive line was being anchored by newbie Alejandro Villanueva, who, while putting in a mostly credible performance the previous week, gave up a couple of sacks, or one, depending on who you blame.
Stephon Tuitt was still out, necessitating some reshuffling of the defensive line. The Steelers were perilously thin at defensive back, an area of the team which wasn’t getting much respect even with the starters. Special teams was missing their most veteran presence, Terence Garvin. I think Garvin’s injury has been lost in the shuffle of much bigger-name players, but on Sunday it looked like they were missing him a lot.
But as far as offensive skills players, for the first time all season the band was back together. There was concern that Ben might not play up to his early-season level, and given the Bengals’ seeming inability to stop the run, many of us were calling for a heavy dose of No. 26.
And we got it, too. Right up until we lost him for the season, due to a sickening tangle of a tackle by Vontaze Burfict, himself just returned from an absence of a full year.
I think it is fair to say the mood in Steeler Nation is much more subdued. There’s hope for Ben to return to his old self, but fear that it might take too long to save this season, which started with such promise.
And right on cue, The Death Dealers of Doom, aka the Oakland Raiders, are flying out to Pittsburgh. Filled with playoff hopes, uncharacteristic for this late in the season in recent years, sporting a winning record, stocked with playmakers signed from the 49ers and the Seahawks and gleaned from their draft picks, they fly into the City of Champions with the determination to continue their march to a wild card berth. And, like the Steelers, it’s probably a wild card or nothing, as their division is headed by the undefeated Broncos. Will they further damage our beleaguered quarterback and crush our hopes in the process? Continue reading “Steelers Week 9 Opponent Preview: The 46 Horsemen of the Apocalypse”
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