10-0; The AFC North; Some Pre-season Wagers

The Coach, Big Ben, Dionte, and JuJu 

enjoy a big day in Jacksonville

 

In spite off a slow start in Jacksonville today, the Steelers took care of business nicely today on their way to a 27-3 win that improved their record to 10-0.  The question that everyone wonders about, but doesn't really want to discuss is, can the Steelers go undefeated?  Here's the remaining schedule:

• Ravens
• Washington
• @Bills
• @Bengals
• Colts
• @Browns

Can they win them all?  Well, it is probable that they will be favored in all of them, but as we all know, the goal isn't to go 16-0.  The goal is to secure a playoff spot, with home field advantage, and advance to and win the Super Bowl.  This team seems steadfast in living by the old chestnut of only looking at the "next game" ahead of them, but I have to think that they are certainly one of the the two or three teams that are most likely to be playing for the Lombardi Trophy come February in Tampa.  I'm not going to look that far ahead, but I am certainly going to continue to enjoy this ride on which the 2020 Steelers are taking us.  Predictions and further analysis can wait until Playoff time.

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So how is it looking in the hot kitchen of the AFC North as we head into the Thanksgiving Weekend?  The current standings after today's games:

Steelers        10-0

Browns          7-3

Ravens           6-4

Bengals           2-7-1

Let's face it, when we were all making pre-season predictions, not many had the Steelers in first place, let alone undefeated.  The fact that they are both at this moment is a big surprise, but perhaps an even bigger surprise is the Ravens being in third place and four (4!) games out of first place.  Everyone knew that the Browns would be better, but not better than Baltimore.  Still, the Browns, who were crushed by the Ravens in September have to play them once again on December 6, a game that could prove to be of critical importance to both teams.   The Steelers and Browns also meet in the last game of the season.  Who knows of what significance that game might be at that time.

The Bengals are no surprise at the bottom of the heap, but they were exciting with Joe Burrow learning the ropes at quarterback.  Today, they had crushing news when Burrow was injured and will be lost for the rest of the season.  I read that it was dirty hit that did it, although I haven't seen it as yet.  As readers know, I'm no fan of the Bungles, but I liked Burrow, and I hate to see his season end in such a fashion.  I hope that he recovers fully and continues his development next season.

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Prior to the season, I made a number of small wagers on certain propositions for 2020.

• Steelers would win OVER 9 games.  Cash that ticket!
• Steelers would win AFC North.  Can't cash it yet, but that one gets better looking every week.
• Ben Roethlisberger  would be Comeback Player of the Year.  At this point, I cannot imagine him NOT wining that one.
• JT Watt would be Defensive Player of the Year.  He's certainly in the running for that one.

I also made three separate wagers on the Bucs, Ravens, and Steelers to win the Super Bowl.  At the time, the odds were shortest on the Ravens at +260, followed by the Bucs at +600, and the Steelers at +1000.  If you were to make those same bets today (on Fan Duel), the odds are +500 on the Steelers, +600 on the Bucs, and +1400 on the Ravens.

In case you're wondering, the Chiefs remain the favorite at +330.  The Steelers are the second favorite.  The remainder of the Top Five are the Saints +700, Packers +900 and the Buccaneers +900.

Steelers 28 - Ravens 24

At this point, we all know that the Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens on the road yesterday to push their record to 7-0 and their lead in the AFC North to two games.  You probably also know that the Steelers overcame a poor (to be kind) first half and outscored the Ravens 21-7 in the second half to win 28-24, a game that they seemed destined to lose.

Some of the narrative that seems to be emerging after the game from the talk show circuit is "the Ravens lost this one more than the Steelers won it."  Maybe, maybe not, but the scoreboard never lies.  My personal favorite, though, is "if Lamar Jackson doesn't turn the ball over four times, the Ravens would have won."  To which I say, so what?  The fact of the matter is, Jackson DID turn the ball over four times.  Isn't that part of the game?  Doesn't the effort put forth by the Steelers count for something?  Should the touchdowns the Steelers scored off of the two interceptions count for only four points instead of seven?  If, if, if....  You know the old saying, if the Queen had testicles, she'd be King.

The fact of the matter is, the Steelers-Ravens game yesterday was fantastic, and it  was exactly what you would expect from a Steelers - Ravens game, and I would be saying that even if Minkah Fitzpatrick had not been able to tip away that last pass from Jackson that might have won the game for Baltimore.    Did you see the one graphic CBS put up on the screen yesterday?  The overall score between the two teams at that point in the game in the Ravens-Steelers series stood at 971-971.  That is almost unbelievable.

The two teams meet again at Heinz Field on Thanksgiving Night, and that will be a perfect way to end the holiday.  It's another game that should be settled by less than a touchdown.  In the meantime, the Steelers next three games are @ Cowboys, Bengals, @ Jaguars.  They should be favored in every one of those games and could - could -  come into that Ravens game at 10-0.  I am guessing that they will lose one of those games, and the team that I fear the most, and I can't believe I'm going to say this, is the Bengals.  Joe Burrow appears to be doing some pretty good things down there in Rhineland.

So, until Jim Nance gives an "Hello, friends" in Dallas next week, enjoy some scenes from yesterday's game.

Three TD's Zero INTs

James Conner scores

TJ Watt sacks Lamar Jackson

Minkah Fitzpatrick deflects pass 

on last play of the game.

Sports, A Movie, and a TV Show

A little bit of a smorgasbord this Monday.....

STEELERS 27 -TITANS 24

The Steelers steamrolled the 5-0 Titans in the first half yesterday and took a 24-7 lead into the locker room.  The Titans, who I once again remind you were also undefeated at the time, stormed back into the game, and only a wide right FG attempt at the end prevented the game from going into overtime.  Of course, the never satisfied members of Steelers Nation can only focus on how "they almost blew it."   People in the national media are not nearly as critical of Rooney U as are the yinzers of Pittsburgh.

The Steelers are 6-0.  They are the only undefeated team remaining in the NFL.  I'm happy.

Elsewhere in the NFL....

• The Buccaneers are now 5-2, and Tom Brady seems to be in his Golden Boy Groove.  Now the Bucs are bringing in the wide receiver whose Name Shall No Longer Be Mentioned.  I can't wait to see how THAT plays out.
• After starting 4-0 and talking Super Bowl possibilities and an MVP candidacy for Josh Allen, the Bills lost two games in a row, and managed to beat the crummy Jets yesterday 18-10 by kicking six field goals. Couldn't manage a TD against the worst team in the league.
• Nobody is more fun to watch than Patrick Mahomes.
• Man, do the Cowboys stink.

THE WORLD SERIES

The world Series currently has the Dodgers ahead of the Rays, 3 games to 2, and by all accounts the Series has been quite compelling.  Somehow, though, I have found myself to be disconnected to this Series.  I have yet to watch any of the games to a conclusion.  Instead, I give up after six innings or so and end up listening to the remainder of the games on the radio while in bed.  I guess that there is enough of the Old Geezer Factor in me that finds listening on the radio to be enjoyable.  And I do admit that after listening to that bizarre ninth inning of game four on the radio, I immediately jumped out of bed and switched on the bedroom television to check it out.

Rooting interest?  Does a ten dollar wager on the Rays at the outset of the Series tell you who I'm rooting for?  And no, even now, I'd be hard pressed to name more than a half-dozen or so the Rays' players.

"ON THE ROCKS"

The previews for Sophia Coppola's "On The Rocks" have been showing all over the place, so we checked it out on Apple TV+ this weekend.  Anything with Bill Murray is intriguing to Marilyn and I, and this one was no exception.  In this one, he plays a divorced, wealthy man about town who goes to the assistance of his daughter, played by Rashida Jones, who suspects that her husband might be straying on her.  Murray suggests that they trail her hubby to get to the bottom of what may or may not be going on.

It was interesting, but I expected more comic elements to it (which is what the trailers led you to believe).  Also, it was dark, not in tone, but dark, as in "not bright."  It was hard to make out some of the images as you were watching.  I spent much of the movie wondering if something was wrong with my TV set.

Bill Murray is always worth watching, but, still, only Two Stars from The Grandstander for this one.

"FARGO"

The fourth season of "Fargo" has aired six episodes thus far.  I have gotten through five episodes, and while I am enjoying it, it does not hold up quite so well when compared to the first three seasons of this FX series.

This one takes place in Kansas City in 1950 as the Italian  mob family that controls the KayCee underworld (after wresting control from the Irish Mob, who had wrested control from the Jewish Mob) struggles with the up and coming gang of African American mobsters.   The best part of this current iteration of the series is Chris Rock who plays Loy Cannon, head of the Black mob.  You're used to seeing Rock being funny, but he does a great turn in this dramatic role.

There are some quirky characters in this one, in the tradition of the Coen Brothers world of "Fargo", but that element seems somewhat forced this time around.  I'll stick with it to the end, though.

Two and One-Half Stars from The Grandstander.

The World Series Begins Tomorrow, but Before We Get To That....

Yes, what was once the premier event on the American Sports Calendar, the World Series, begins tomorrow, and I will address that, but first.....

How about that 38-7 ass-whipping that the Steelers laid on the CleveBrownies yesterday?

How Baker Mayfield spent most 

of his afternoon at Heinz Field

As you all know, this was highly anticipated match-up between the 4-0 Steelers and the 4-1 Browns, and it seemed that this would be the year when, finally, the Browns would be able to compete against the Steelers at Heinz Field.  However, when Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Baker Mayfield's first pass of the day and returned it for a touchdown and a 10-0 Steelers lead, it quickly became apparent that, for one day at least, the "storied rivalry" would be yet another rendition of the Steelers playing hammer to the Browns' nail.

I sure didn't see such a dominant performance by the Steelers coming, not sure anyone did, but Mike Tomlin and his staff sure had the team ready to go and made for a very, very hot "AFC North kitchen" for the Browns.  It was a smackdown of epic proportions, and it called to mind how great it always is to see the Steelers throttle the Browns.  The only negative to the day was the loss of Devin Bush for the season due to a torn ACL.  That's a big loss.

Next up: the 5-0 Steelers against the 5-0 Titans.  That should be fun!!

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Now, for the World Series.

In a shortened season and a Playoff Jumble that seemed to include every team except the Pirates, MLB somehow managed to end up with a World Series that matches up the two teams that had the best records in their respective leagues, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.  

The teams are a study in contrasts.  The Rays are run by smart people who, despite being handcuffed by the 28th lowest payroll in baseball, know how to draft good players, develop them into good to very good major league players, and make smart trades (remember how they stole Neal Huntington's lunch money in the Chris Archer deal?).  By contrast, the Dodgers spend with abandon and have the top payroll in MLB.  There is  no player that they won't go after regardless of the cost (see Mookie Betts).

Both League Championship Series went to seventh games, and they were often times great fun to watch, although teams going through five, six, or seven pitchers by design is a new look for baseball and will take some getting used to, and the games still go on for interminable lengths of time.  Still, there's nothing better in any sport, especially baseball, than Seventh Games, and both deciding games this year were quite entertaining.

This will be the Rays second trip to the Fall Classic in their history, and the Dodgers third trip in the last four seasons, and they haven't won a World Series since 1988.  Logic tells you that the Dodgers should win this, but I'm rooting for the Rays, so, what the Hell, let's call it for the Rays in six games.

It'll be a real kick for us Pirates fans to watch Charlie Morton, Tyler Glasnow, and Austin Meadows hoist that Commissioner's Trophy at the end of the Series.

Two at 3-0

It was a very successful football weekend in Pittsburgh as both the Steelers and the Pitt Panthers won and improved their records to 3-0 on the season, and both teams did it in similar fashion - with suffocating defenses.

Pitt defeated Louisville 23-20.  Louisville was in the game because of two big plays - a 70+ yard run for a TD and a pass where the receiver got behind what appeared to be broken down coverage in the secondary.  Other than that, the Cardinals were pretty much impotent against Pitt's defense, which appears to be as strong as we've seen in Oakland for quite sometime.   

The other big news of the day was that Pitt was wearing an "alternate uniform" on Saturday.  It was monochromatic steel grey uniform and helmet with the Panther Head logo.  The helmet was pretty cool, the rest of the uniform, not so much.  The uniform was designed to be a tribute to the region's "Steel Heritage."  If they want to do that next year, why not make the unis back and gold and call themselves the "Steelers"?

On Sunday, the Steelers trailed the Houston Texans 21-17 at halftime, and things looked dicey, especially on defense.  However, whatever Mike Tomlin and his coaches devised at halftime sure worked, because the Steelers defense took charge and positively smothered Deshaun Watson and the Texans offense.  I think that they managed all of two first downs in the second half, and the Steelers came away with a 28-21 win.

The "feel good" story of the day was the appearance of all three Watt Brothers, JJ, Derek, and TJ, in the game.

Derek got injured early and didn't play much, JJ was held to only four tackles, and TJ had his usual big day for the Steelers, including a monster sack of Watson late in the game that pretty much ended all hope for the Texans.

One of the cooler moment of the day was the pre-game coin toss, that featured the two brothers as Captains....

Up next, Pitt takes on North Carolina State on Saturday, and the Steelers face the Titans, also 3-0, in Nashville on Sunday.  Before that, though, is a dandy game on MNF tonight, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.  These are the two best teams in the League (according to the Grandstander Power Rankings) and a possible preview of the AFC Championship Game.

Gale Sayers vs. The Steelers (and Fun Facts About the 1970 NFL Draft)

The Absent Friends post that I wrote on here two days ago in tribute to Gale Sayers prompted me to wonder how Sayers did in his career against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  As you know, the Internet allows us to research just about anything, so here it is for all you Steelers fans out there.

Turns out, Sayers' Bears played against the Steelers only twice, in 1967 and in 1969.

The 1967 game was alluded to in the previous post, but to restate:

The Steelers won that game, 41-13, and in it, Sayers was, astonishingly, held to two (2) rushing yards on only seven carries, and he did not catch a pass in that game, either.  He did, however, return two kicks for 147 yards, which included a 103 yard return for a touchdown.

In 1969, both Sayers and the Bears got their revenge.  Chicago routed the Steelers that day, 38-7.  Sayers had 28 rushing attempts for 112 yards and two touchdowns.  He also caught one pass for 25 yards and had one kick return for 9 yards.  He totaled 149 yards, the same number of yards he totaled in the 1967 game.   In his two game career against Pittsburgh, the Steelers held Sayers to 114 rushing yards on 35 attempts, an average of 3.26 yds/carry, well below his career average of 5.00 yds/carry.

That 1969 win against the Steelers was the only game that the Bears won that year, and allowed them to tie the Steelers for the worst record in the NFL that year, 1-13.  In an era before the NFL invented their elaborate system of tie-breakers, this meant that the Bears and Steelers would flip a coin to see who would get the overall Number One Draft Pick.  As Steelers fans know, Dan Rooney won the toss, the Steelers selected Terry Bradshaw with that pick, and the rest, as they say, is history.

And here are some Fun Facts you can learn when you go down the Internet Rabbit Hole....

What did the Bears do with the Number Two overall pick?  Well, they traded that  pick to Green Bay, and the Packers used it to select defensive lineman Mike McCoy of Notre Dame.  Chicago, in fact, didn't have selection until the third round that year.  

Only one other quarterback was selected in the first round, Purdue's Mike Phipps by the Browns.  Ten other quarterbacks were drafted that year, and the only one that stirred even the remotest interest in me was USC's Mike Holmgren.  He was taken by the Cardinals in the eighth round, the 201st player selected.  He would go on to a rather significant coaching career, taking both Seattle and Green Bay to Super Bowls, and winning one with the Packers.

With the fifth pick in the first round, the Bills selected USC linebacker Al Cowlings, he of OJ's White Bronco Fame.

A total of 442 players were drafted by NFL teams in that 1970 Draft, and only two of them, thus far, have made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Bradshaw and another Steeler, defensive back Mel Blount, selected with the first pick of the third round, the fifty-third player taken in the draft.

Quick Hit Thoughts On A Great Sports Weekend

If you are a sports fan, you had to love the weekend just completed.  There was something for everyone.  

The Steelers 26-21 win over Denver yesterday is being categorized as an "ugly win" by most of the pundits in its aftermath.  Maybe so, and for sure it never should have been as close as it ended up being, but here is something that wasn't ugly - that 84 yard bomb from Ben to rookie Chase Claypool for a touchdown in the second quarter.  That was a jaw dropper.

And as they say in golf, "It's a scorecard, not a post card", and the Steelers are now 2-0.

On Friday night Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller no-hit the Cardinals for six innings and was then pulled after throwing 84 pitches.  He left with a 2-0 lead, which was expanded to 4-0 in the Pirates half of the sixth inning.  The Pirates bullpen then proceeded to give up five runs in the seventh with an assortment of walks, hit batsmen, and hits that plated five runs in what seemed to be the blink of an eye.  The Bucs ended up losing 5-4.

The predictable uproar of "they should have left him in to go for a no-hitter" arose almost immediately, but putting Keller on a strict pitch count and pulling him when he reached it was absolutely the right thing to do.  He remains the #1 pitching prospect that the Pirates have, despite some mixed results in his time with the Big Club.  He has also shown some "china doll" proclivities insofar as injuries are concerned.  Friday was only his second start since spending a few weeks on the injured list in this shortened season.  Maybe leaving Keller in would have yielded a no-hitter, or, at best, would have prevented another Pirates loss, which would mean finishing the season with 16 wins instead of only 15.  Big deal.  The Pirates need a healthy Keller for 2021 and beyond.  His six innings on Friday showed great promise for the future, and insofar as the Pirates are concerned, that is all that matters in 2020.

Speaking of the Pirates, a note in the paper this morning said that on his radio show yesterday, GMBC indicated that the complete lack of box office and in-stadium revenues in 2020 means that teams will have to readjust their way of thinking in terms of spending money in the pursuit free agents in the coming off season.  By "teams", of course, he meant "the Pirates", so really nothing will change much in the S.O.P. of our Pittsburgh Pirates as we head towards the 2021 season.

Golf's United States Open was head this weekend and was won by Bryson DeChambeau.  He shot six under par and was the only golfer to finish in red numbers for the tournament.  He deserved the win, no question about it, so congratulations to him.  He also comes across, and maybe I'm wrong about this, as a guy who feels that he is the smartest guy out there on the course with his extensive use of analytics in planning his on course strategy, and other golfers don't seem to like him.  He also takes FOREVER between shots, especially putts, by constantly consulting that little notebook he carries and pulls out of his back pocket on, it seems, every shot.  Maybe that does make him the smartest guy out there, and his way will be the norm for every golfer on tour within the next five years.  Then golf will become populated with a bunch of analytical mumbo-jumbo, just like Major League Baseball has.  Won't that be fun?

I made some comments on social media over the weekend about the USGA's tendency to trick up their US Open courses so as to provide a "true test of golf."  You saw the results: one guy finishes under par, and the best golfers in the world hack it out of the hay for four days and slog in at eight or nine or double digits over par.  I don't like it, but apparently a lot of people do.  If that's what the Blue Jacketed Stuffed Shirts from Far Hills, NJ want, so be it, but I'd hate to see that week after week on Tour.  

To those of you who beat the shit out of me on Facebook over the weekend for this opinion, no need to do it again.  I just managed to stop the bleeding.

With no NBA presence in Pittsburgh, I don't often write about it, but the Association is currently in the midst of its Conference Championships, and there have been some pretty good stories in this little bit of sports theater.  Foremost has been the Denver Nuggets twice coming back from 1-3 deficits against heavily favored teams to reach the Western Finals.  They currently trail the LeBron James/Anthony Davis Lakers two games to zero, but both games have been close, and would you be willing to count them out?  Not me.

In the East, the Miami Heat lead the Boston Celtics two games to one, and they are led by Jimmy Butler.  I have listened to Michael Wilbon sing the praises of Jimmy Butler seemingly forever to the point where I'm saying, "yeah, right", but in watching some of these games, I have to say that Wilbon is 100% correct.  Butler is and has been the driving force behind the Heat reaching this point, and he is the best player on the court when he is out there.  He is a really fun player to watch.

Finally, I stayed to the end of last night's Seattle - New England game, won by the Seahawks, 35-30.  I hope that you did too, because that was one terrific football game.  I won't recap it here, you can look it up, and then the picture I posted above will have some context for you.  I will leave you with just two conclusions:  (1) Russell Wilson is absolutely fantastic, and (2) don't count out the Patriots just because the Golden Boy is no longer at QB for them; they're still good.  Oh, and here's a third conclusion: (3) Julian Edelman is amazing; it wasn't just Tom Brady that made his so good. 

May the coming week in sports give us as much as this week just concluded has.

Steelers 26 - Giants 16

JuJu Smith-Schuster hauls in one of

his two TDs against theGiants last night

How can one count the ways that last night's season opening 26-16 win over the Giants was so satisfying?

• After a somewhat rusty start, Ben Roethlisberger showed that he is back and ready to play.  With the team trailing 10-9, the Steelers got the ball with 1:32 to play and proceeded to execute an eight play, 76 yard drive in eighty-five seconds that culminated in a 13 yard TD pass to James Washington for the TD that put the Steelers up 16-10 at the half.  It was vintage Big Ben.
• The amazing effort that Washington put into staying on his feet and driving into the end zone for that score.
• Two TD catches by JuJu Smith-Schuster.
• A defense that smothered Giants' quarterback Daniel Jones, and held Saquan Barkley to only 6 yards on 15 carries.
• An interception at the Steelers goal line in the third quarter after the Giants had marched 87 yards in 19 plays and 8:50 of game time and were getting ready to take a 17-16 lead.  A ferocious pass rush forced Jones to lob up a big balloon that Cam Heyward picked off at the goal line.  If you're the Giants, it was a positively soul-crushing play, and it turned the game around completely in the Steelers favor.
• Ben passed for 229 yards, three TDs, and no interceptions while completing passes to eight different receivers.
• An interception by TJ Watt, picking up right where he left off last season.
• A phenomenal game by OLB Bud Dupree, who may well have been the best player on the field last night.
• 113 yards rushing by Benny Snell Jr.
• A couple of catches by Chase Claypool who in his first game looks to have been a wise draft pick for the Steelers.

On the down side, what appear to be serious injuries struck offensive linemen Stefan Wisniewski and Zach Banner late in the fourth quarter, and James Conner couldn't get out of the first quarter after suffering yet another injury.  For many reasons there is no athlete in Pittsburgh for whom I root more than Conner, but was the performance of Snell last night a "Wally Pipp Moment" for Conner?

All in all, a most satisfactory win for Rooney U. last night to start the 2020 campaign.

Welcome Back, Football!

 

Against all odds and considering what the landscape looked like back in March and April, The National Football League will be kicking off it's 2020 season in two days when the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs take on the Houston Texans in the Thursday Night league opener.  Locally, we will have to wait until Monday night to see the Steelers open their season in New Jersey against the Giants.  Who knows what lies ahead, and we all wonder if the corona virus and public health concerns will allow the NFL to finish it's season?  A few months ago, I wouldn't have bet on it happening, but the NBA and NHL are making it work in a bubble environment, and even Major League Baseball, after a few fits and starts appears that they will play their abbreviated season to a championship conclusion, so I am guessing that the NFL, the 800 pound gorilla of North American sports, will be able to pull it off in 2020.

So, assuming that we will be seeing a full season, here is what The Grandstander is most looking forward to.

• Quarterbacks.  Watching the continued development of exciting young QB's in the League like Patrick Mahomes, DeShaun Watson, and Lamar Jackson, as well as rookies Joe Burrow in Cincy and Tua Tagovailoa (hereafter to be known only as "Tua") in Miami.  Also, will there be an ongoing Aaron Rodgers - Jordan Love soap opera in Green Bay?  Will Phillip Rivers find new life in Indy and will he continue to whine incessantly to the refs?  And most importantly from a local standpoint  will Ben Roethlisberger be able to come back for the elbow surgery that limited him to six quarters of action in 2019?
• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Will Tom Brady continue to excel in a new setting without Bill Belichick as his head coach?
• The New England Patriots.  Will Bill Belichick continue to excel as the game's greatest coach without Tom Brady as his quarterback?
• Speaking of soap operas, the Washington Football Team (hereafter to be known only as the "WFT"), how will the investigation into the sleaze and rot of the front office culture down there affect the team on the field (probably not so much), and will Dan Snyder be forced to sell his team?
• Betting.  With the introduction of legalized sports wagering in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania last year, I took great delight in placing small wagers on games throughout the season.  In all, I made 45 separate wagers on football games, and ended up winning on 27 of those bets, a .600 winning percentage.  I actually made money on betting!!  Of course, I didn't make a lot of money, as my bets were usually in the five dollar range, and my largest bet was a $20 wager on the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.  It really made the games more fun and interesting when you had five bucks or so on the line, and I look forward to continuing that into 2020.  I don't expect to do nearly as well as a 60% winning clip, but even if the W-L figures are reversed - a far more likely outcome -  it won't be sending me to the poor house.
• The Unknown.  There have been no exhibition games and all practice sessions have been pretty much in a bubble for all teams.  More than in any previous season, we really have no idea as to what to expect for any team.  When the teams kick it off for real this weekend, it will be new for everyone.  It will also tell a story as to just how important all those preseason practice games really are.

Okay, that's a look at the NFL on a macro-level, so what to expect about the local gridders?

The Steelers are coming off of an 8-8 season where they had to start two different back-up quarterbacks in the final fourteen games of the season.  That they managed to stay in playoff contention through fifteen games and finish at .500 may have been one of Mike Tomlin's best coaching jobs with the Steelers.  

They had one of the League's better defenses last year, and there is no reason not expect that to continue with guys like Cam Heyward, Devin Bush, Bud Dupree, TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Joe Hayden leading them.  Watt in particular has a strong chance of being the League's Defensive Player of the Year. 

On offense, it all rests upon the return of Ben Roethlisberger.  All reports from training camp say that Big Ben's surgically repaired elbow has responded perfectly and that he's as good as ever.  He is also starting his 17th season, is 38 years old, and hasn't played  in a real game in twelve months.  You have to be realistic in your expectations, but let's assume and hope for the best, and if that happens, I like the Steelers chances to battle the Ravens for the ACF North and to make a deep run in the Playoffs.  Plus, I just like the look in this guy's eyes:

It would also be nice to see James Conner be able to be on the field for all sixteen games.  If we can be sure of that happening, then I REALLY like the Steelers chances.

You want a prediction?  Steelers to go 10-6, make the Playoffs as a Wild Card, and win at least two games in the post-season.

Another prediction:  Baltimore to win the AFC and defeat Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl.

Don't know about you, but I can't wait!