The Sports Monitor

View image | gettyimages.com Who had Ben Roethlisberger setting the NFL record for most yards by a backup in their office pool? 379. As in 379 yards passing. In a relief role. That's one heck of a day. Of course, it helps having two stellar wideouts like Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant to throw to. Yeah, and it's nice having the Browns on the other side, too, simply to add to the fun. Now the Steelers get a much-needed break before heading to Seattle. And, if you're keeping track at home, the Steelers (6-4) lead the Bills (5-4) and Jets (5-4) in the wild-card standings.

View image | gettyimages.com They can't be serious, can they? Ben Roethlisberger is questionable for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. That's got to be some gamesmanship. If the Steelers can't beat the Browns without Roethlisberger, then maybe they aren't the playoff-caliber team they're supposed to be. It makes much more sense to hold out Roethlisberger this week. Add to it the bye week and he'll have two full weeks of recovery. Landry Jones is capable of leading this team. It's the Browns. It's at Heinz Field. Rest Roethlisberger. It's the smart move.

View image | gettyimages.com Now what? What do the Steelers do now that Ben Roethlisberger will be out for a couple more weeks? Well, to steal a phrase from the Raiders: Just win, baby. Whether they're playing without Le'Veon Bell, Maurkice Pouncey, Martavis Bryant or Roethlisberger the first time, the Steelers are somehow finding a way to win. The next man up, as coach Mike Tomlin likes to say, has stepped up. Landry Jones did. Well, he did what he needed to do -- get Antonio Brown the ball. Now, Pittsburgh enters Cleveland week knowing they'll be without Big Ben -- this time with a sprained foot -- but also knowing they're in the driver's seat for a playoff spot. If the season ended today, they'd be in. They're 5-4, just behind the Jets (5-3) and just ahead of the Bills (4-4) and Raiders (4-4). Anyone think they can't beat the dysfunctional Browns without Ben? I know they can. Then they get a bye. And a chance to regr...

View image | gettyimages.com There's something about this Steelers team that's growing on me. Of course, when your team pulls off an upset win directed by the third-string quarterback like it did in Sunday's 25-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, it's easy to like them. The Steelers are 4-2 and they still haven't played with Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant in the same lineup. That offense can be scary good. But what really has impressed me has been the play of the defense, generally thought to be a work in progress entering the season. Yeah, the D gave up oodles of yards to Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, but the defense made the plays when it had to. And, in case you forgot, the Cardinals entered the game and still have scored the most points in the NFL. And the Steelers have held the Patriots to their lowest total of the season so far. It's only six games, and a lot still can happen, but right now, the ...

Have you seen the high school softball player throwing the nasty elbows at the plate? Pretty wicked. And she didn't get kicked out. She throws those elbows and the players miss the plate. If the catcher's teammates get the back to her sooner, the runner could be called out.  Sneaky.  Dirty. Where do you think she learned that play? The catcher is saying she has received death threats.

It's been a week, and all the NFL draft hype finally has settled down. Are you happy with the Steelers' picks? Can't say I am. I know the Steelers came across as happy with their selection of Bud Dupree with the 22nd pick overall. Let be back up a step. I get why they need linebackers. If the linebacker can pressure the quarterback, the cornerbacks don't have to cover the receiver for that long. The linebacker is a big part of their defense. So they've invested highly in them. And Dupree is a linebacker. If he pans out, they don't need a world-class CB to shut down an opponent. Now that that's out of the way, I still don't like the pick. One report had the Steelers happy because Dupree fell to him. Well, players fall for a reason. Like Jarvis Jones. I didn't like the pick then . I still don't like it. Then they took short corner Senquez Golson in the second round. He's not quite 5-9, but he's on the short side. I...

Well, how can I put this? Tom Brady wasn't honest with us. Disagree? Before the Super Bowl, he stood in front of a host of media and said he didn't alter the football. Yeah, and Watergate was all about water. The Wells Report finally was released, and we have a "more probable than not" idea what happened. The footballs were altered. And Brady had a pretty good idea, too. On top of that, the Golden Boy of Football wasn't very cooperative with the investigation. It makes me sick. It's cheating. And the Patriots got away with it. Again. It's not performance-enhancing drugs, but this can be packaged in the same group of Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun and Lance Armstrong. All denied doing anything wrong. Then things changed. Brady deserves to be suspended. How can the NFL have Lev Bell miss two games for marijuana use and Brady go unscathed? Now we need to see what commissioner Roger Goodell has planned. Hopefully it d...