The Steelers drop Game 1 of the 2011 NFL season 35-7 with an ugly performance against AFC North rival Baltimore. There wasn’t much positive to take from this game but I’m going to try to list several observations, both positive and negative, about the first Steelers-Ravens tilt of the season.
- Baltimore came out ready to play and ready to win. The Steelers just looked flat all game. Their defense seemed to adjust and come to life in the second
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- Anquan Boldin has one move to get open: pushing off. If officials throw the flag he could end up the most penalized WR in the NFL this season.
- Speaking of penalties, if there was any doubt whether or not Willie Colon was back to his old self, those two penalties he committed are proof that he is.
There was not a single player on the Steelers offensive line who had a good game. Ben Roethlisberger was running for his life and never looked comfortable in the pocket or out of it. Ben has done a great job of avoiding Ed Reed throughout his career. Two times nfl jerseys kids Ben tried to make plays on the run and didn’t have a chance to find Reed on the field.
- You know it’s been a bad day when I am considering, for even a second, that Mewelde Moore was the best player on the field for the Steelers. But then he fumbled.
- I don’t know how anyone can not be concerned with the Steelers offensive line. The performance of the offensive line was atrocious and unless Max Starks nfl jerseys discount and Flozell Adams are brought in to fix the biggest problems, things aren’t going to get any better any time soon.
- I loved seeing the Ravens celebrating, smiling and laughing at the end of the game. If you’re a Steelers fan, that is almost the ultimate sign of respect. No division game is meaningless but to see the Ravens that excited over dominating the Steelers in a game that may not matter much at the end of the season. The talking coming into the game was nfl jerseys cheap about how the Ravens have never beaten the Steelers in a big game. That hasn’t changed, they still have to beat the Steelers in the post-season before they get the big game monkey off their backs.
- Seattle is in trouble next week. I will be surprised if the Seahawks score even once next week.
The Steelers and their fans will have to forget about this one quickly and get on with their lives. One loss does not kill the season, nor does one win for the Ravens make their season. It’s a cliche but the NFL season is a grind and every team has tonfl jerseys weather a storm or two here and there. Joe Flacco played excellent today, but he still has yet to beat the Steelers in the playoffs. After all that is a much harder task than winning Week One.
