Inside Conditions…Yogis’ of the gridiron

What is yoga?  Well according to merriam-webster.com yoga is: “a system of exercises for attaining bodily or mental control and well-being.” Also, it is a well-known fact that those who practice yoga can also gain maximum flexibility as a result often bending their bodies into positions that are next to impossible for “ordinary” people.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had to have in some form or another been practicing yoga in order to pull out a 25-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday at Heinz Field.   The Cardinals dominated the game in almost every phase except in rushing and where it ultimately counted, on the scoreboard.
The Cardinals won the battle of first downs, (21-14) third down efficiency, (5-12-42% to 3-12-25%).  It goes on and on from time of possession to net passing yards to total net yards.  At the end of the first half, Cardinals QB, Carson Palmer had 233 passing yards to six yards for Steelers “starting” QB Michael Vick, nonetheless Arizona took only a 10-7 lead into the locker room at the half.
During the first 30 minutes, the Steelers defense were bent almost in two, but had not broken. When the second half began that’s when things started to take a turn for the better for the Black and Gold, and that curiously happened when Michael Vick was escorted to the sideline as a part of the “concussion protocol” that was an ultimate misdiagnosis by the officials because it was announced a bit later that Mike Vick was forced to leave the game because he had some “dirt in his eye.”
By that time there was 10:21 left in the 3rd quarter when the Steelers beleaguered “third string quarterback” Landry Jones entered the game and ended the possession by tossing a TD pass to Steelers wide receiver Martavis “speedy Gonzales” Bryant.   The Cardinals defense which hadn’t bent much in the 1st half was beginning to break.  As far as the Steelers backup QB was concerned there may have been no immediate visions of sugarplums dancing around in his head. “It’s been a long road since those days at Oklahoma, just blessed to get in there and finally play the game again” he said.
For all of those who may or may not have been Landry Jones supporters,  you have to acknowledge the difficult position he was placed in having to come off of the bench cold, (in more ways than one) and enter a game that that was certainly perched on the cliff of disaster and snatch victory from what certainly appeared to be the jaws of defeat.”
When Jones was asked about his preparation methods he explained that; “I’m just trying to prepare like the starters [because] in practice I don’t get a whole lot of reps.  Mike got most of the reps, you just have to go in there and play.”
There should be no backup quarterback controversy within the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Steelers nation.  The Steelers needed three quarterbacks on their roster with only the starting position guaranteed.  Quarterback Michael Vick had the edge to be the number one backup to Ben Roethlisberger, especially based on the experience factor, but aside from his miraculous finish defeating the San Diego Chargers in San Diego, it appears that Vick may have taken a step backwards even in light of the fact that he took all of the first string reps during the week preceding the Steelers/Cardinals matchup.
There is a misnomer perpetrated throughout the sports world that a player should not lose his position based on an injury.  The hot hand that Michael Vick possessed prior to meeting the Cardinals has grown cold.  Could it be that it was never really that hot in the first place? Was the Steelers Mike Vick led victory over the Chargers a “one trick pony,” a fluke an aberration, a once in a blue moon occurrence?
Was the comeback by Steelers third string QB Landry Jones over the Arizona Cardinals an anomaly, a just “keep the fort warm until the real “general” returns moment in time? We all now have an opportunity to judge Landry Jones under the “psyche melting” spotlight that all NFL quarterbacks must endure.  Will he grow strong under the glaring heat lamp of scrutiny or wilt? Only time will tell but all of the Steelers including Landry Jones may bend but for the sake of claiming another Lombardi trophy, at this stage of the season, they had better not break.  (Special thanks to Shawn McCullough).
Aubrey Bruce can be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com He is also a contributing columnist for urbanmediatoday.com Follow him on Twitter@ultrascribe