NFL Football - Week 12 (11/27/05)

[Aristotle]

I am going to my first NFL football game ever this week: Colts v. Steelers in Indianapolis on Monday night.

I like the Colts, and I've always liked Peyton, so the fact that they are 10-0 is cool. I look at the teams they have beaten, however, and I don't know what I think about that. They do have three wins against good teams now though: Jacksonville, New England (in New England), and Cincinnati (in Cincinatti). Of course, part of the difficulty of being undefeated for an extended period of time is the sheer pressure of being undefeated. I think if they beat the Steelers next week and go to 11-0, they will definitely be "FOR REAL" and the comparisons with the 1972 Dolphins will begin in earnest.

Now, I also like the Steelers a lot, so in a way, I am fortunate that I really won't be unhappy no matter what happens at the game. But since I hate the Dolphins, it sure would be nice to see someone break their record and go 19-0 to better their 17-0.

[Leshrak]

We're all Steelers fans, at heart.. except those damn Browns fans. You'll have an awesome time, I'm sure. Big Ben will be back, so it's gonna be a great game.

[Leshrak]

Ok, I lied. That game sucked ass.

[Aristotle]

I had a blast at the game. I was sad that the Steelers didn't hold up their end of the bargain, but seeing my first NFL game (and my first football game in a dome) was a TON of fun.

I am a little annoyed at sportswriters saying crap about Cowher like this crap:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...len&id=2240204

Then, in a similar brain spasm, Cowher opted to start the second half with a gamble, calling for an onside kick, a trick that surprised none of the Colts.

Did that asswipe even watch the game? The Steelers had NOTHING going on offense the whole game. Their 7 points were thanks to Manning's INT that got run back 40 or so yards.

I think it was a risky, gutsy, call by Cowher and probably a smart call. He knew his offense needed some kind of spark BADLY if they were going to have any hope of pulling the game even. It was 16-7 at the time. The final score was 26-7. They never ended up scoring any more points- not even in garbage time. It should be pretty obvious that the coach was smart enough to see his offense needed some kind of boost.

[Liathano]

i loved the call. i loved the calls where Cowher went for it on 4th and whatever in Indy territory too. Your team is losing, has no rhythm going, and you're playing the undefeated Colts. Not going for it is something a shitty coach like Dom Capers would do (and has done). TMQ (Tuesday Morning QB) on NFL.com preaches about these 'preposterous punts' every week. Even though the Steelers got spanked, I still think Cowher deserves credit for playing to win and not playing to contain the margin of defeat, which is what most coaches do (especially Mularkey in Buffalo and Nolan in SF)