SCORING SUMMARY
| 2ND QUARTER | ||
| TD | Le'Veon Bell runs for 1 yard (Ben Roethlisberger passes toDarrius Heyward-Bey for a 2 Pt. Conversion - failed). Drive: 12 plays, 92 yards in 6:03. |
Is it really that hard to check a box score before doing a half-assed write up?
THE REAL ANIMAL
3* Pittsburgh +3
3* Mia-Fla 'OVER' 70:
Even without Big Ben I think the Steelers have a large enough arsenal of weapons to beat Baltimore. Two weeks ago the Ravens played their first game since 1998 without either Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, or Ed Reed. It has not been pretty. Baltimore has slipped to #21 in total defense and is allowing 28 points per game. Meanwhile Pittsburgh’s stop-unit is at 17.3 points a contest. Since looking good at Denver in week #1, the Raven’s have yielded an average of 32.5 points and 445.5 yards per game. Meanwhile how confident do you think the Steelers are defensively right now after allowing just two field goals at St. Louis and holding San Francisco to one field goal through three quarters at Heinz Field the week before? This isn’t the same Ravens we are accustomed to seeing. Baltimore has now lost four straight meetings with Cincinnati and Marvin Lewis. Do you think that would have happened if Ray Lewis was still with the Ravens? Plus Pittsburgh has playoff revenge on their minds after losing to Baltimore at Heinz Field last year. I read an interesting piece today on how the Ravens are being penalized by Roger Goodell and the league after the Ray Rice embarrassment last year that was completely boggled by the commissioner and the NFL offices. There is no team that is being asked to play four games in 18 days to start the season like the Ravens. Plus Baltimore had to make two consecutive west coast trips to start the season. Guys, this is my 36th football season and I don’t ever recall an east coast team beginning a new season with two long road trips. Last Sunday at home the Ravens were whistled for 13 penalties for 116 yards including a potential game-winning drive face-mask penalty by an offensive lineman? Plus tonight marks Baltimore’s third road game in four weeks off a short week. Again this just is never the normal for any team. There is no question Joe Flacco misses WR Torrey Smith. He caught 11 of Flacco’s 27 touchdown passes last year. Baltimore is #27 right now in rushing averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Flacco only has a 4-4 ratio of touchdowns to picks. The Steelers have to be thrilled Torrey Smith is now with the 49ers. Two weeks ago he had 120 yards receiving or almost double any other 49er had in yards. Plus six receptions including a touchdown. With Le’Veon Bell, DeAngelo Williams, Antonio Brown, Darris Heyward-Bey, Heath Miller, and Markus Wheaton, the Steelers have enough w/ Michael Vick to pull out a win tonight. I’m not expecting a ton out of Vick. But given the fact Andy Dalton and Derek Carr were a combined 50-of-78 the last two weeks for 734 and six touchdowns against the Ravens has me believing Vick can put up decent numbers tonight.
I’m not sold on Miami-of-Florida defensively. Two weeks ago at Florida Atlantic the Owls of FAU had 223 rushing yards and if their QB wasn’t vulnerable to the interception (five turnovers), the Owls could have competed for four quarters instead of two. Then the Canes couldn’t hold a big lead against Nebraska and won by a field goal. True Cincinnati has a new QB but he looked solid at Memphis throwing for 557 yards and four touchdowns. That Memphis game featured 60 first down (38 by Cincinnati) and 1,322 total yards. There were 100 pass attempts! In that Miami 36-33 win over Nebraska two weeks ago the Hurricanes had two touchdowns called back due to penalty in the second half. Last year’s Cincinnati/Miami of Florida game featured 89 points and 1,043 total yards. QB Brad Kaaya was a very efficient 17-of-24 for 286 yards (11.9 per attempt) and three touchdowns. Miami received 162 rushing yards by Duke Johnson and another 113 by Joseph Yearby. The Canes averaged 9.6 yards per rush! Miami of Florida lost five starters defensively from last year and they were very giving at the tail end of the year allowing 35 to Pitt, 30 to Virginia Tech, and 30 to Florida State. Cincinnati should be adjusted now to life without QB Gunner Kiel but there’s no way I can support the Bearcats defensively after watching them against Memphis. Cincinnati has yielded 34, 33, and 53 points in their last three games. How do you give up 34 at home to Temple or 33 at Miami-of-Ohio? The Cats have now allowed 30 or more points nine times since the start of 2014 to FBS opponents. ‘OVER’ like ‘ROVER’ tonight!
3* Pittsburgh +3
3* Mia-Fla 'OVER' 70:
Even without Big Ben I think the Steelers have a large enough arsenal of weapons to beat Baltimore. Two weeks ago the Ravens played their first game since 1998 without either Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, or Ed Reed. It has not been pretty. Baltimore has slipped to #21 in total defense and is allowing 28 points per game. Meanwhile Pittsburgh’s stop-unit is at 17.3 points a contest. Since looking good at Denver in week #1, the Raven’s have yielded an average of 32.5 points and 445.5 yards per game. Meanwhile how confident do you think the Steelers are defensively right now after allowing just two field goals at St. Louis and holding San Francisco to one field goal through three quarters at Heinz Field the week before? This isn’t the same Ravens we are accustomed to seeing. Baltimore has now lost four straight meetings with Cincinnati and Marvin Lewis. Do you think that would have happened if Ray Lewis was still with the Ravens? Plus Pittsburgh has playoff revenge on their minds after losing to Baltimore at Heinz Field last year. I read an interesting piece today on how the Ravens are being penalized by Roger Goodell and the league after the Ray Rice embarrassment last year that was completely boggled by the commissioner and the NFL offices. There is no team that is being asked to play four games in 18 days to start the season like the Ravens. Plus Baltimore had to make two consecutive west coast trips to start the season. Guys, this is my 36th football season and I don’t ever recall an east coast team beginning a new season with two long road trips. Last Sunday at home the Ravens were whistled for 13 penalties for 116 yards including a potential game-winning drive face-mask penalty by an offensive lineman? Plus tonight marks Baltimore’s third road game in four weeks off a short week. Again this just is never the normal for any team. There is no question Joe Flacco misses WR Torrey Smith. He caught 11 of Flacco’s 27 touchdown passes last year. Baltimore is #27 right now in rushing averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Flacco only has a 4-4 ratio of touchdowns to picks. The Steelers have to be thrilled Torrey Smith is now with the 49ers. Two weeks ago he had 120 yards receiving or almost double any other 49er had in yards. Plus six receptions including a touchdown. With Le’Veon Bell, DeAngelo Williams, Antonio Brown, Darris Heyward-Bey, Heath Miller, and Markus Wheaton, the Steelers have enough w/ Michael Vick to pull out a win tonight. I’m not expecting a ton out of Vick. But given the fact Andy Dalton and Derek Carr were a combined 50-of-78 the last two weeks for 734 and six touchdowns against the Ravens has me believing Vick can put up decent numbers tonight.
I’m not sold on Miami-of-Florida defensively. Two weeks ago at Florida Atlantic the Owls of FAU had 223 rushing yards and if their QB wasn’t vulnerable to the interception (five turnovers), the Owls could have competed for four quarters instead of two. Then the Canes couldn’t hold a big lead against Nebraska and won by a field goal. True Cincinnati has a new QB but he looked solid at Memphis throwing for 557 yards and four touchdowns. That Memphis game featured 60 first down (38 by Cincinnati) and 1,322 total yards. There were 100 pass attempts! In that Miami 36-33 win over Nebraska two weeks ago the Hurricanes had two touchdowns called back due to penalty in the second half. Last year’s Cincinnati/Miami of Florida game featured 89 points and 1,043 total yards. QB Brad Kaaya was a very efficient 17-of-24 for 286 yards (11.9 per attempt) and three touchdowns. Miami received 162 rushing yards by Duke Johnson and another 113 by Joseph Yearby. The Canes averaged 9.6 yards per rush! Miami of Florida lost five starters defensively from last year and they were very giving at the tail end of the year allowing 35 to Pitt, 30 to Virginia Tech, and 30 to Florida State. Cincinnati should be adjusted now to life without QB Gunner Kiel but there’s no way I can support the Bearcats defensively after watching them against Memphis. Cincinnati has yielded 34, 33, and 53 points in their last three games. How do you give up 34 at home to Temple or 33 at Miami-of-Ohio? The Cats have now allowed 30 or more points nine times since the start of 2014 to FBS opponents. ‘OVER’ like ‘ROVER’ tonight!
