well, that's more like it.
the steelers put on a great show in charlotte last night in front of a national audience. they shut down superman and his supporting cast, and completely owned the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. if the game is won in the trenches, then the steelers put on a clinic on winning last night, because they consistently won at the line. it was a beautiful thing to watch, in part because the patient running on le'veon ball makes the work of the offensive line really count for something.
it was exquisitely beautiful to see bell wait for the hole, then hit that hole with conviction and power. he is an excellent runner, with great vision, a great knack for making people miss him, and unbelievable patience. however, the young man wouldn't have had the night he had if not for a group of men in front of him.
the offensive line was awesome. with cody wallace filling in for ramon foster, and with the much-maligned marcus gilbert looking to atone for past sins, the line was awesome. other than a few unforced errors, the line looked angry, determined, and powerful. look at the hole in the picture above. i believe that is the hole on bell's 81-yard scamper, which he will get a ton of credit for. but there is no way he runs for 81 yards if these guys don't win these battles at the line. just a great night for a unit that needed one.
what can be said about antonio brown? he just consistently shows up, knows what to do, and makes super-human plays. i could do without that touchdown dance, but i will never get tired of the way he finds open space when Ben is extending the play. two touchdowns. a ton of big catches. it just doesn't get old.
it was nice to see the big steelers crowd in charlotte last night. after a rough start to this season, it seemed like i could only hear the naysayers, and they can be LOUD. the negativity was getting a bit overwhelming for me, so it was great to see some shots of the crowd, even in the first half, and see lots of yellow towels waving. steeler nation making me proud!
it was a huge win, which showed a great deal of heart for this team. but it didn't come cheap. ike broke his arm, and may be done. word is that jarvis jones will probably need wrist surgery, and shazier's knee might not be something he can just come right back from. so, we are going to need "the standard to be the standard," as mike tomlin is so fond of saying. we are going to need spence and moats and blake and others to fill in the gap, and we need our leaders (i'm looking at you ben, troy, brett and antonio) to set the tone that there will not be any quit, no matter the adversity. it's going to be a fun ride.
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