Sunday past, the Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to the frozen “tundra” of Green Bay, Wisconsin otherwise known as Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. Oh, with nothing on the line except a “possible” playoff berth, that’s all. But the Packers exhibited just one little thing; all they were interested in giving Pittsburgh was a stocking full of ashes and a “butt” whipping.
See, the Packers also had much on the line, plus they were riding on a “supernatural high” themselves; having pulled off a comeback for the ages against the Dallas “the cry-boys” Cowboys the week before.
No one even me; no especially me, expected the Steelers to stroll out of Lambeau with a victory notch on their belts even considering the fact that Green Bay was starting their “second tier” QB Matt Flynn and in spite of the fact that the specter of the late Packers “headmaster” Vince Lombardi continues to hang around in the underbelly of the storied Green Bay gridiron; petitioning the football Gods to grant victories for his charges.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to rebuild their defense that is a fact, period. They are getting older, and a bit slower but on the other side of the coin; one thing is for certain and two things are for sure; they are not weaker and they have definitely become wiser.
Take for example, Steelers defensive legend safety Troy Polamalu.
Last Sunday evening around the “crack of dusk” you can bet your sweet “bippy” that no defensive back in the NFL could have delivered the blow that Polamalu brought to Packers QB Matt Flynn that caused him to relinquish the “pigskin” at a crucial season altering time.
I have always respected Mr. Polamalu for his staunch and unwavering theological beliefs because how else can one explain the gift that God gave one man to transform himself into a kamikaze-like human flesh and heat seeking missile” able to launch himself into a gravity defying orbit meeting other “mounds of dermis” head on without him being destroyed in the process. The history of Troy Polamalu’s play indicates that he will never give up on a play even if the fat lady has informed the conductor that she has finished her warm-up routine and is ready to sing the final “aria” that will bring down the curtain on the Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 season. Polamalu had this to say about the victory. “It’s been a long road for us, but we still have our struggles. We were one play from losing that game.” As far as Pittsburgh making the playoffs Polamalu expressed it this way, “It’s irrelevant, to be honest. Nothing has changed from our standpoint. Our mental approach to the game.”
The Packers almost completed another miracle comeback but the football Gods decided not to honor their prayers at least not on this night.
With time on the wane, the Packers had advanced inside the Steelers five yard line. The officials called a false start penalty on right tackle Don Barclay on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 20 seconds left in the game. Packers guard T.J. Lang was incorrectly flagged for the violation because center Evan Dietrich-Smith said it was his fault for snapping the ball late. Well, whoever the penalty was on, it was still a false start.
Barclay seemed to have a bit more on his tongue, than sour grapes. This was his post game comment. “After that, we backed up 5 [yards] and we were all sitting in their stance, and the ref was hovering over Dietrich and wouldn’t let us snap the ball. I don’t know for what reason. Time was just ticking; he was just sitting there on Dietrich. I don’t have an answer for that.”
Maybe someone, preferably the Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy should have explained the rules to his players who seemed to be just a tad cloudy on the issue. This was Matt Flynn’s take on the Packers final play. “We knew we were going to get a runoff, we knew the clock was going to run and so we got everybody lined up. We should have been able to get two plays off. We thought that the operation, getting the ball down and the clock started was a little bit weird. But we should’ve been able to get two plays off. We went as fast as we could.”
Speaking of rules it is stupid to have instant replay if it cannot be used in all “change of possession” issues. The officials got away with a huge gaffe earlier in the game after the Steelers had successfully blocked a Packers field goal attempt but were called for “batting.” This is how it was explained. If a team blocks a field goal attempt and doesn’t establish possession and the ball is “batted” forward well almost like an illegal forward pass, the team attempting the field goal is rewarded a “new” possession.
The Packers made the most out of that second chance, eventually scoring a touchdown from the “gift.” Why do I call it a “gift?” Well because instant replay revealed that Pittsburgh had established possession. The knee of Steelers defensive back Ryan Clark was down after he recovered the errant kick and before he attempted his lateral to Steelers defensive lineman Ziggy Hood who was flagged for the “batting” violation.
Ziggy Hood should never been penalized, period. Remember boys and girls—the defensive team can only be penalized for “batting” if possession is not established. Where are the “replacement” officials when you need them? The Steelers defense might be getting a bit long in the tooth but does it appear that a few of the “enforcers” in the NFL may be in need of an eye exam and a new set of contact lenses and/or glasses.
The Steelers ultimately defeated the Packers 38-31 in spite of the dice being loaded against Pittsburgh, bah humbug.
(Aubrey Bruce can be reached at abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com or 412-583-6741)
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