THE PITTSBURGH Sports CHATTER

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Dunno, but the Steelers are well known to give up chunks of yardage to good backs when they're playing (or playing down) a meaningless game....

I bet he gets close to 100 yards, if not more....

[POJO_Risin]

I wouldn't touch McGahee's yardage this week...

I think you'll see the entire defensive unit come out quickly...

remember this...if Buffalo is winning that game...Pittsburgh will do nicely not to show them much...knowing they could be playing them again in two weeks...

This game has interesting written all over it...

[POJO_Risin]

Cowher has a good eye for RB talent...that fits his system...

Parker and Haynes are very good...

It will be interesting to see how much Haynes makes if he leaves...or stays as the backup to Staley next year (assuming the Bus retires after the Su....nevermind)....

but I'd like to see in a couple of years...Parker and Haynes as the new tandem...I like them both...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

As much as I'd like to see them finish 15-1, I don't see it happening....

You brought up a good point though, their gameplan is gonna be very vanilla, because of the chance of a rematch, AND because Mularkey knows their offense already....

I also think the Bus might reconsider that retirement statement, even if they "you know what"....

[POJO_Risin]

I don't know Va...he's all but auditioned for a seat at the CBS desk...and you can actually understand him...unlike Sharpe...that fucking moron...

if they dance...he'll call it a night at midnight...

who knows though...there is definitely gas left in the tank...

Mularkey is really fucking up for this game as well...

he said he "circled it the day the schedules came out..."

maybe it's not gonna be such a Buffalo gimme as we thought...

[ALinChainz]

Hey ...

Do you guys mean ....

Pittsburgh ... in THE SUPER BOWL!

Say it .. it won't jinx it.

[POJO_Risin]

YOU can say it...

we can't...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Nice try Al....

Bastard.....

[POJO_Risin]

The Lions are going to the SuperBowl in 2006!!!!!

[Nickdfresh]

In Case You Were Wondering What Other Papers Write About the Steelers

COMMENTARY
Steelers won't shift to cruise control
By LARRY FELSER

1/2/2005

I'll take Bill Cowher at his word. He may not be the most lovable coach in the NFL, but you can count on him to play to win.
The most common reaction to the above observation would be, "Doesn't every coach?"

Well, not all the time. Take Andy Reid and his Philadelphia Eagles, who played the St. Louis Rams on Monday night. The Eagles, who already clinched the home-field advantage for the playoffs, have lost their super receiver, Terrell Owens, and dependable running back Brian Westbrook. Like most NFL teams at this time of the year, the Eagles are bruised and battered.

So Reid played the game as if it were the first exhibition of the summer of '05. Starting quarterback Donovan McNabb played one series. Zip, zip, zip, touchdown, the rest of the night off.

Except this wasn't an exhibition game, or even an end-of-the-season meaningless game. The Rams are in the playoff race because they play in the bedraggled NFC. The rest of the game was a gift card from the Eagles, ceding the victory to the Rams and keeping them alive for a playoff spot if they can beat the Jets in St. Louis today.

No rebate was offered to the customers who paid full price for their tickets, expecting to see a legitimate game.

Which brings us to the Bills game today against the Steelers in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Who in Western New York doesn't have great admiration for the way the Bills picked themselves up off the canvas after that near-TKO, 0-4 start? Who doesn't want to see them in the playoffs?

For anyone who has given it some thought, as satisfying as a victory would be, it would be far less satisfying if it came with a gift card from the Steelers, who haven't lost since Week Two.

Obviously, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the rookie phenom, can't be used. He's hurt. Resting Jerome Bettis makes sense, too, since the Bus has been used far more than planned and performed as if he had his motor rebuilt and a super-charger added.

But there is no mandate from the league that says there should be no resting for rest's sake.

That's what I like about the way major league baseball handles the last month of its season. Each year at that time the commissioner issues a stern reminder that the integrity of the game demands that when playing a postseason contender, the best possible lineup shall be fielded and playing to win is the only object.

What about the integrity of the NFL? The unwritten rule seems to be: If you have nothing at stake, pretend it's August.

I didn't like it when Marv Levy did it, either. In 1991 the Bills had clinched home-field advantage before their final regular-season game against Detroit in Orchard Park. The Lions were locked in a fight with the Chicago Bears for the right to play on in the postseason. The Bills won eight of their previous nine games so Marv rested a lot of his regulars. The Lions, overmatched under ordinary circumstances, won in overtime.

The Bills didn't owe a thing to the Bears. They owed a lot to the integrity of the NFL. I don't think that one of the perks of a great season is putting it into cruise control in a game that is important to one of the combatants.

I doubt the Steelers will do that. Their franchise has been the Rooney family's from the start. Integrity came with the family coat of arms.

Larry Felser, former News columnist,
appears in Sunday's editions.

The Buffalo News

[Va Beach VH Fan]

That all may be true, but now Burress are listed as inactive as well....

I'd love to see them finish 15-1, but I see them mailing this one in....

[guwapo_rocker]

The Bills are on a roll, would be nice to see a good game.
Even if the Steelers were healthy, I think the Bills would
have played them tough today, they are playing really well.

I am surprised by the play of bledsoe lately, usually he sucks.

[guwapo_rocker]

Shit Buffalo fumble already!!!

[POJO_Risin]

With Bledsoe...it isn't about talent...I think it's about caring for him...

he realized his job was on the line...they brought Losman in one game...and bledsoe was a different player after that...

I still think Pittsburgh will give it a run today...we'll see though...

Not happy with No Chin being in there...

[guwapo_rocker]

Sacked.....shit.