The Sports Monitor

After almost a day to digest the Steelers' loss to the Ravens on Sunday night, there are a few things still unanswered. -- If Shaun Suisham can't be relied upon to kick a field goal, why still have him on the team? Kickers are booting 50-yard field goals with regularity these days, so why can't the Steelers find one? Yeah, I know Heinz Field is an awful place to practice your craft if you're a kicker, but this wasn't a 50-yarder, either. I'm not sure if the delay of game penalty on the Steelers' last drive was planned or not, but it certainly wouldn't have been my call. You either go for it or kick the field goal. The punt shouldn't have been an option. -- Will the NFL review the hit on Hines Ward? It certainly looks like only Steelers get helmet-to-helmet penalties these days. -- I thought the line was fine protecting Ben Roethlisberger. -- Antonio Brown looks like a star in the making. -- Rashard Mendenhall appeared to have Ch...

The Steelers loss to the Bengals on Sunday wasn't all that surprising. The Bengals clearly are a good team, especially after beating the Ravens twice before taking out the Steelers 18-12 at Heinz Field and planting themselves firmly in first place of the AFC North. The big surprise for me was the conciliatory and somber tone in the Steelers' locker room after the game. "They're clearly the best team in the division," Ryan Clark said. It sounded like the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs after getting trounced on their home field. Sunday's loss easily could have been a win. The defense was stout, even without Troy Polamalu for most of the day. The offense did move the ball, even without a running game. One touchdown in the red zone instead of a field goal, and just maybe, the outcome would have been different. But give the Bengals some props. They won. They outSteeler-ed the Steelers, as a Cincinnati newspaper headline screamed. It'...

Random thoughts after the Steelers' 23-20 loss to the Bengals on Sunday: The Steelers need to line up linebacker James Harrison back on the outside. I don't understand why they're moving Harrison away from his strength. I don't know about you, but I got tired of hearing the announcers talk about how close the Bengals are from being undefeated, referencing the fluke play against the Broncos. If they want to play that game, give me a fourth-down stop against the Bears or Bengals and the Steelers would be 2-1. Of course, the Steelers easily could be 0-3 heading into the Chargers game Sunday. If they beat the Chargers, and it won't be easy, the Steelers will get games against the Lions and Browns. In case you were wondering, the Vikings, Broncos and Bengals follow. Willie Parker looked good in the first half, but didn't find as much room in the second half. The last time Parker faced the Bengals, he rushed for only 37 yards. I know he's still young and has talen...

If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn that the Steelers and Bengals switched uniforms at halftime Sunday. The Steelers played like the bumbling Bungles. There was an interception returned for a touchdown. There was Limas "Hands of Stone" Sweed's dropped touchdown catch. The defense couldn't get the opponent off the field when it counted, either. The Bengals, meanwhile, had the impressive touchdown run. Their defense came up with key stops in the fourth quarter. And, yes, there was that game-winning drive capped by a 4-yard TD pass with 14 seconds left. Those were the plays the team made last year on their way to winning the Super Bowl. Mike Tomlin knows it. "We need to finish football games better," he told reporters. "That's the mark of a champion, and that's not us at this point." I like Tomlin. He gets right to the point. And, right now, there's no avoiding the fact this team needs to turn things around. Now. It's j...

The Cincinnati Bengals have been a joke the past decade or two. We're talking Pittsburgh Pirates of the NFL kind of joke. So it's not that surprising that many people want to overlook them this Sunday. After all, the Steelers own the Bengals, especially in Cincinnati where the Black 'n Gold have won eight straight. But this team is different than last year's 4-11-1 squad. For one, Carson Palmer is healthy. I'm sure you remember Palmer, he's the one that led the Bengals to a division title the year the Steelers won the Super Bowl. The Bengals also have a running game with Cedric Benson, who's coming off a 141-yard game against the Packers. It was Benson's third 100-yard game out of his last four. The Bengals have a pass rush, too, which should give the Steelers' offensive line fits. Cincinnati should be 2-0, if it weren't for the miracle finish by the Broncos two weeks ago. And I'm sure the Bengals will be fired up to give the defending champs...