The Crystal Ball 2012 Week 11

Ben Roethlisberger's doctors have stated his injury is so unusual and they have only seen it once in the past 15 years, and that injury was suffered by a rugby player. But if I'm to believe radio call in shows, half of Pittsburgh has suffered this injury.

Opening Kickoff

The NFL Network hired Andrea Kremer as their new chief correspondent for health and safety to shill the company line, I mean report on health and safety stories. Andrea, may I suggest for your first report a story on this high school sophomore who is making more progress to report concussions with zero budget than the NFL with it's billions of dollars.

The Way It Was

Is it just me, or was Week 10 a bad week to be an NFL quarterback?

Well, the Giants are in their usual mid season swoon mode. I guess based upon their level of play, we should pencil them in for a Super Bowl appearance.

Ok, seriously, at this point it's almost comical. What is the mental block when it comes to the Atlanta Falcons and big games? Honestly, can someone get this team a therapist?

Hey, it's a tie! I haven't seen one of those since Donovan McNabb was a starter in the NFL.

Ok, while I knew the game would end after one overtime period, I kind of wanted it to keep going. It was a battle of wills slugfest and I dug every twist and turn.

Unsurprisingly, the Chargers lost to the Buccaneers. Mildly surprising, Norv Turner unloaded on the media. But he failed to even produce an entertaining or memorable post game rant. Come on Norv, haven't you ever seen Jim Mora or Herm Edwards leave lasting impressions? Yeesh, can't you do anything right?

Hall of Fame player and Super Bowl Champion coach Mike Ditka suffered a "minor" stroke this week. I love how Ditka himself says its no big deal. You can tell he's a Pittsburgh native, he's all bad ass.

The Steel Pit

Steelers 16 - Chiefs 13 Overtime

You know, I kept hearing people pose the hypothetical question, is there any way Kansas City can beat Pittsburgh? All weekend and all day Monday, in different formats this question was posed to fans, media pundits, self appointed experts and anyone with an opinion and a media outlet. And every time I heard it, a little nagging, unformed thought kept knawing at the back of my brain. I couldn't figure out what it was, but I knew something was there. By kickoff, I was in a sour mood. By the end of the 1st quarter, I knew what had been bugging me.

Yes, there's a way Kansas City could beat Pittsburgh, and it almost worked. They sat around all week hearing of how they were gonna get rolled, and they got mad. And they came out from the first play Monday night and played angry, and hit hard. They played like professionals full of pride.

And their effort, even though it didn't reflect in the final score, was expensive for Pittsburgh. With one literally bone crunching hit, the Chiefs potentially submarined Pittsburgh's season and more importantly, put a man in a potentially life threatening situation.

No, that's not hyperbole or over dramatization, that's unfortunately true. Without becoming too much of an armchair doctor, the danger of the injury boils down to his dislocated rib. If Ben should play before it completely heals, if he gets hit the rib could puncture his aorta and kill him. That's terrifying and a perfect example of just how dangerous football can be.

Obviously everyone hopes Ben will be ok. But what is so disheartening is that finally, finally, he was getting the recognition by the national media that he should have been getting years ago. Finally people were lauding his talents and abilities and even his numbers. He was finally in a serious MVP conversation. ESPN spent a good portion of their pre-game fawning over Big Ben. He was finally being put into the upper echelon of elite franchise quarterbacks, a position most Steeler fans have felt he should have been in long ago. And all of that was derailed by a crappy team on a crappy night.

So what now? Well, I prefer to look at this glass half full. So Ben gets six weeks off. This is perfect for him, since his wife is due to deliver their first baby any week. Now he can have the opportunity to be home and do all the fun first time dad stuff with his wife. That's a great heartwarming result from a bad injury.

Also, Byron Leftwich gets to have some playing time, and lead a team again. Remember, not too long ago he was a successful starting quarterback. Now he gets an opportunity to be that again. And considering the state of the AFC, if Leftwich goes just 3-3, Pittsburgh could still make the playoffs.

And if Byron does accomplish that goal, and Ben comes back in time for the regular season finale, he'll have that final game to warm up for the post season. And think, all that time off should make him well rested for the playoffs. Perhaps I'm just daydreaming, or trying to put a nice spin on a bad situation, but I prefer to think positive. Now, Byron get to practice and Ben, go put your feet up and relax for a spell.

Only In Faux NFL Reality…

Some anonymous Jets players spoke out to the media, stating that Tim Tebow is a terrible quarterback. I'm not sure why they're hating on the backup quarterback, but I wonder if those same Jet players have watched Mark Sanchez play.

Even if half of his team hates him, at least Tebow can take solace in being the new ambassador for TiVo. Wait, TiVo? I didn't even know they were still in business.

Look at this foolish Steeler fan, wasting such vitriol on national television on the Chiefs. Don't yinz know this week Baltimore comes to town?

Former NFL tight end Jerramy Stevens was arrested for domestic violence against his fiancée soccer star Hope Solo. The two, who met just two months ago, managed to reconcile and get married two days later. Somewhere, Joey Porter has some scathing insults ready for Stevens.

Are you one man short for your flag football team? No problem just hire Tiki Barber. I'm not sure if this is funny or sad.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may or may not be engaged. But he's not saying, and insisting his personal life is private and off limits. Rodgers, you're a star NFL quarterback. Good luck keeping your personal life private.

Bears receiver Brandon Marshall tweeted a picture of himself in the Bears locker room, only to discover later in the background was a naked teammate changing clothes. Marshal then apologized for the errant tweet. As if I needed another reason to avoid Twitter.

A Bills fan is suing the team because of excessive texts he's been receiving from the team. The excessive text messages amount to a staggering three over the amount the team stated he would receive. I believe legal experts call this a frivolous lawsuit.

Upon Further Review

Ravens vs. Steelers

Such a marquee is music to any NFL fans ears. These two teams epitomize the spirit of professional football. They raise the bar of competition when they face each other. Fans can depend on the hatred they have for each other to bring out the best on the field competition they will see all season. And if you have a horse in this race, like I do, it is one of the best games all season, bar none.

But this year, the annual showdown has lost a tremendous amount of vigor. At their prime, these to staged epic showdowns, the most memorable one in recent memory being the 2009 AFC Championship game. This game was accurately described by Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich as the most violent football game he's ever seen, and it was.

Who can forget the epic hit Ryan Clark laid on Willis McGahee that left both men laying on the turf, with everyone terrifyingly thinking they killed each other? I think the NFL sold approximately 1 Billion copies of that photo, you know before public sentiment changed regarding players with head injuries and Roger Goodell decided to give lip service to that particular debilitating issue by issuing fines to James Harrison.

Regardless, the bi-annual meeting of Baltimore and Pittsburgh has typically been one of the toughest, most violent and purest football seen in the NFL. But this year, it will not be the same. The game will not be as potent due to so many key names injured on both sides.

For Pittsburgh, the walking wounded include Antonio Brown, David Johnson, Stevenson Sylvester, Chris Carter, David DeCastro, Marcus Gilbert, Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, Ryan Clark.

For goodness sake, they're almost enough starters out to fill a team!

And Baltimore is in no better shape. They will be missing both starting cornerbacks, and key defensive personnel including Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs are all merely shells of their former selves. Most importantly Ray Lewis, the man Steelers fans love to hate more than anyone else, will be watching the game from the sidelines just like Ben Roethlisberger.

Throw in the fact that perpetual Raven haters and thorns in Baltimore's side Hines Ward, Aaron Smith and James Farrior all retired this year and suddenly the game holds so much less meaning.

Now I know this rivalry is still important, since both games these two teams will play in the next few weeks will determine the division winner and who will have an inside edge toward making the playoffs. The same ramifications that typically come into play during these epic matchups are still in effect.

But with so many big names out or playing far below their potential, something seems lost. Yes, if Pittsburgh wins, it will still be great. But a certain level of satisfaction will be lost by not pounding on Ray Ray for 4 quarters and then watching him walk off the field defeated and vanquished. And I know Ravens fans feel the same way knowing if they win, it will be because they bested Byron Leftwich, and not Big Ben.

Times change, players age, lose their greatness and eventually retire. Those are the facts of life. It is inevitable. And although right now this rivalry is in a down cycle, I believe the best games are still ahead. The elders statesmen from both teams have passed on to those now coming up the shared respect and animosity for each other, and the younger sets are learning the impact and gravity of this rivalry.

It may not reap immediate dividends, say tonight or in three weeks. But soon, others will pick up the mantle and continue this epic game of King of the Mountain for years to come. While the losses to Baltimore are excruciating, the wins are exhilarating. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

He Said He Said

"I thought we were going to keep playing." - Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola

"I didn't know you could tie. When I saw both sides walking onto the field, I was like, 'Where's everybody going?'" - 49ers safety Dashon Goldson

Ok, Amendola and Goldson were not the only players who didn't know the game would end in a tie. Seriously, how do players not know this? Did we not make enough fun of Donovan McNabb a few years ago for this rule to sink in?

"People make this more dramatic than it is, and there is no drama involved in the decisions I've made. I've only had two and I've been playing football since I was 5. There are people with eight and 10 who still continue to play. There are people on this team who have had tons more concussions than I have who still continue to play." - Steelers safety Ryan Clark on playing after suffering his second concussion in less than a month

While he may seem capricious and devil may care, Clark did switch to the Riddell Revolution concussion helmet this week. So obviously while he may play the tough guy role, he's concerned about the long term effects of concussions.

''You obviously worry about it because that's your starting quarterback, you want to see him out there. But at the same point in time you've got a guy, two guys that are behind him can do the job just as well if not better.'' - Steelers linebacker James Harrison

Ok, I know we need to support Leftwich and Batch, but really James, do the job better?

“Not that I know of. I was too busy doing high-fives and spiking the ball." - Ravens punter Sam Koch when asked if Oakland was mad after the fake field goal.

What do you call a team that runs up the score on a beaten foe and displaying horrible sportsmanship? You call them a bully. And bullies must be dealt with.

"Excuses are the tools of the incompetent." - Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin

Forget the context of this quote, this may be my new life motto.

Idiot of the Week

I know, I copped out last week and let a good story puck at my heartstrings. Well not this week, there are just too many idiots vying for the crown. Let's start with....

Ceelo Green - Hey, Ceelo, you dunce, since you obviously failed elementary school English let me give you a small tip. The words Feels and Bills DO NOT RHYME. And I beg you, stop violating a great song you turd.

Referee Clete Blakeman - Please, tell me how you can justify letting over a minute of game time tick away while your crew takes an official measurement when in every game I've ever seen since I was knee high to a grass hopper, that has always occurred during an officials time out?

Terrell Suggs -  claims Ben Roethlisberger is over exaggerating his injury and will play tonight. How dumb can one millionaire be?

All excellent candidates, but for this week's winner, I'm going slightly out of scope.

This week, we give the crown to Wild Turkey Bourbon. Wild Turkey is hosting the Triple Barrel Challenge, a contest in which they use a live turkey to predict the outcomes of the Thanksgiving Day games. As an added bonus, after the contest Wild Turkey will donate 81 turkeys to the victims of Superstorm Sandy.

My goodness, what a dumb event. Oh wow 81 turkeys? Gee, way to break the bank to help those in need. Hey Wild Turkey, you know there were a lot more than 81 people affected by Superstorm Sandy, right? How about ponying up a little more? You know, like actually try to help people instead of just making a ridiculously obvious PR move? And I shouldn't have to point this out, but those who were the most affected and probably in need of a real Thanksgiving meal right now HAVE NO HEAT, POWER OR GAS WITH WHICH TO COOK A TURKEY!

So for perpetrating such an obvious, asinine, shallow and transparent attempt to cull public favor and generate publicity without actually doing anything, Wild Turkey, you are an idiot.

On Tap This Week

Full disclosure, I changed my Thursday pick from Miami to Buffalo. After watching the Dolphins get shellacked by Tennessee, I just could not in good conscience pick them to win in Buffalo.

Last week: 8-5

Thursday: 1-0

Season to Date: 90-57

And am I ever glad I did. And there is no Thursday picks this week, since we'll have a Thanksgiving special coming next week.

Sitting at home, creating a veritable Chex Mix of talent and potential….

Minnesota, New York Giants, Seattle, Tennessee

Sunday

Green Bay (6-3) at Detroit (4-5)

Detroit, I gave you your last chance last week. Go suck eggs.

Packers over Lions

Cleveland (2-7) at Dallas (4-5)

Now begins Dallas' big surge that will fool everyone into thinking they're a viable playoff team. Until, you know, the playoffs.

Cowboys over Browns

Arizona (4-5) at Atlanta (8-1)

Well, this is a meaningless game against inferior competition, so it's no brainer.

Falcons over Cardinals

New York Jets (3-6) at St. Louis (3-5-1)

I predict Mark Sanchez will go 9-27 for 83 yards and 2 picks, Tebow will be in the game for 5 plays and Rex Ryan will continue to insist this is a playoff team.

Rams over Jets

Jacksonville (1-8) at Houston (8-1)

These two teams go into the game with identical, flip flopped records. They leave with the same.

Texans over Jaguars

Philadelphia (3-6) at Washington (3-6)

It's the battle of the rookie quarterbacks! The one you see everywhere in advertisements vs. the one that was an afterthought and only used by Andy Reid as a scapegoat.

Redskins over Eagles

Cincinnati (4-5) at Kansas City (1-8)

KC blew its wad driving Big Ben from the 2012 season. They have nothing left.

Bengals over Chiefs

Tampa Bay (5-4) at Carolina (2-7)

Very quietly, Tampa Bay has put themselves into playoff contention. I'm watching this horse. Despite Greg Schiano being a total douchebag.

Buccaneers over Panthers

New Orleans (4-5) at Oakland (3-6)

Hey Oakland, how's that Carson Palmer working out?

Saints over Raiders

San Diego (4-5) at Denver (6-3)

Tell me, would you feel comfortable ever picking a Norv Turner coached team playing anywhere? I didn't think so.

Broncos over Chargers

Indianapolis (6-3) at New England (6-3)

Andrew Luck has already doubled Peyton Manning's rookie year win total. There is definitely something to this Chuckstrong movement. But Bill Belichick hates joy.

Patriots over Colts

Baltimore (7-2) at Pittsburgh (6-3)

Round 1 for all the marbles. Yeah, I know, Pittsburgh doesn't have Big Ben. But you know what? We do have moron Baltimore fans that still haven't learned not to disrespect the Terrible Towel. Will they never learn that such behavior always backfires?

Steelers over Ravens

Monday

Chicago (7-2) at San Francisco (6-2-1)

Personally, if one team had to survive without their starting quarterback, and I think both may face this possibility this week, I think San Francisco is more equipped to weather the storm.

49ers over Bears