"But any time you go low on a quarterback, you know it's a li

[CT Stiller]

Im hoping I can find a fan to beat the hell out of. However since I live in another continent it miht be hard.

That's why you talk so much sh*t. ***** EDIT

No name calling outside the smack forum please. Feel free to call Spain a moron in there all you want. Oops!

Edited January 10, 2006 by billybroome

[HairOnFire]

Guys, get over it already, it was an unfortunate fluke. It was a clean bump and it wasn't intentional. It didn't even draw a flag.

Has it occured to you that Bengal fans might get over it faster if Steeler fans weren't around to offer words that act as salt for their wounds?

[Jonboat]

Silly me to think it was illegal for a player to dive head first into a players' knee willingly.....guess the rules don't apply to Steelers' players...

That was a Bush league play by Kimo I don't care what anyone says he could've reached up and grabbed Palmer higher without diving into his knees.

He was NOT forced into Palmer, he simply kept going for his legs when he had the chance - NO ONE was touching Kimo at that point.

I am sure he was sorry for what he did - but that dive into the knee cap could've been avoided if he wanted to. If that were Manning or Brady (or even Ben I'm guessing) there would've been a flag, fine and possible suspension I bet.

Oh well time to get over it.

couldn't agree with you anymore

I dont understand something. It was all well and great well O'dell went into Ben. Kimo accidentaly goes into Carson and its the end of the world. Carson being out wasnt the only reason that Cinci lost. The effort by the defense was simply not the standard Bengal level of play. The QB wasnt the only reason Cinci lost.

The difference is Odell was tripped up , your Olineman admitted he tripped him , Kimo hit wasn't an accident ,he wasn't blocked into him , he didn't fall into him . I'm not saying he intentionally hurt him I think he was just trying to make a play but it was an illegal hit & should've been flagged no question.

I agree the QB wasn't the only reason we lost our Def has been giving up alot of points lately but in defense of them it did take a big PI & a trick play ( great call though not taking anything away from you ) to put it away. But come on, you can't believe Carson ( Probowler ) wouldn't have played much better than Kitna ( only played 1 game all year) in the second half. I'm not saying we would've won but we both know the odds were against us when Palmer went down & I'm sure deep down you & every other Squeller fan was jumping for joy when he did.

If Big Ben had the same type of injury wouldn't you feel it was the end of the world? We finally found a great QB & wrap him up for years to come then all of a sudden his future is unclear with alot of questions that won't be answered for some time. So forgive us for feeling like it's the end of the world.

Why are you Squeelers fans still here ? I have to believe your here ,as HOF said, just to gloat & rub it in. Geez gimme a break !!

[CT Stiller]

The difference is Odell was tripped up , your Olineman admitted he tripped him , Kimo hit wasn't an accident ,he wasn't blocked into him , he didn't fall into him . I'm not saying he intentionally hurt him I think he was just trying to make a play but it was an illegal hit & should've been flagged no question.

I agree the QB wasn't the only reason we lost our Def has been giving up alot of points lately but in defense of them it did take a big PI & a trick play ( great call though not taking anything away from you ) to put it away. But come on, you can't believe Carson ( Probowler ) wouldn't have played much better than Kitna ( only played 1 game all year) in the second half. I'm not saying we would've won but we both know the odds were against us when Palmer went down & I'm sure deep down you & every other Squeller fan was jumping for joy when he did.

If Big Ben had the same type of injury wouldn't you feel it was the end of the world? We finally found a great QB & wrap him up for years to come then all of a sudden his future is unclear with alot of questions that won't be answered for some time. So forgive us for feeling like it's the end of the world.

Why are you Squeelers fans still here ? I have to believe your here ,as HOF said, just to gloat & rub it in. Geez gimme a break !!

I'm here because it's entertaining. And to see SOME of the Bengals fans on here do the same exact thing they crucified the Steelers fans for doing -- make excuses and throw stones. I don't deny that many, many Steelers fans do the same thing and it's annoying, but don't condemn it and turn around and do the same thing. Seriously, I think some of you guys are embarassing the rest of the Bengals fans on here.

[bengalboomer7]

The difference is Odell was tripped up , your Olineman admitted he tripped him , Kimo hit wasn't an accident ,he wasn't blocked into him , he didn't fall into him . I'm not saying he intentionally hurt him I think he was just trying to make a play but it was an illegal hit & should've been flagged no question.

I agree the QB wasn't the only reason we lost our Def has been giving up alot of points lately but in defense of them it did take a big PI & a trick play ( great call though not taking anything away from you ) to put it away. But come on, you can't believe Carson ( Probowler ) wouldn't have played much better than Kitna ( only played 1 game all year) in the second half. I'm not saying we would've won but we both know the odds were against us when Palmer went down & I'm sure deep down you & every other Squeller fan was jumping for joy when he did.

If Big Ben had the same type of injury wouldn't you feel it was the end of the world? We finally found a great QB & wrap him up for years to come then all of a sudden his future is unclear with alot of questions that won't be answered for some time. So forgive us for feeling like it's the end of the world.

Why are you Squeelers fans still here ? I have to believe your here ,as HOF said, just to gloat & rub it in. Geez gimme a break !!

I'm here because it's entertaining. And to see SOME of the Bengals fans on here do the same exact thing they crucified the Steelers fans for doing -- make excuses and throw stones. I don't deny that many, many Steelers fans do the same thing and it's annoying, but don't condemn it and turn around and do the same thing. Seriously, I think some of you guys are embarassing the rest of the Bengals fans on here.

He's right on that last part

Right now I'm calling it an "accidental dirty play"

[HairOnFire]

It's my opinion that neither hit on the quarterback were dirty plays.

But I think there is a major difference in the two examples and it goes right to the heart of the current rancor. Palmer promptly demonstrated his class & maturity by dismissing the idea that it was a dirty play and he has made numerous comments intended to take the heat off of Kimo. In comparison, Roethlisburger whined, complained, and repeatedly claimed Thurman was a dirty player even after a Steeler blocker admitted that he had deliberately tripped a blitzing Thurman into the QB.

I thought it was just another example of Roethlisburger not quite getting it.

And there have been others. Frankly, I laughed out loud when I heard Ben claim immediately after the game that nobody believed the Steelers could win a passing contest with the Bengals. Wouldn't you think the kid would at least acknowledge the injury to Palmer, and the impact it had on the Bengals passing game, before patting himself on the back?

Nope, not Ben.

Last, Ron Jaworski cracked me up the other day when commenting on the perfect situation Ben fell into with the Steelers. He said that in the NFL they refer to such happenings as a player being given..."a baby kiss".

[CT Stiller]

It's my opinion that neither hit on the quarterback were dirty plays.

But I think there is a major difference in the two examples and it goes right to the heart of the current rancor. Palmer promptly demonstrated his class & maturity by dismissing the idea that it was a dirty play and he has made numerous comments intended to take the heat off of Kimo. In comparison, Roethlisburger whined, complained, and repeatedly claimed Thurman was a dirty player even after a Steeler blocker admitted that he had deliberately tripped a blitzing Thurman into the QB.

I thought it was just another example of Roethlisburger not quite getting it.

And there have been others. Frankly, I laughed out loud when I heard Ben claim immediately after the game that nobody believed the Steelers could win a passing contest with the Bengals. Wouldn't you think the kid would at least acknowledge the injury to Palmer, and the impact it had on the Bengals passing game, before patting himself on the back?

Nope, not Ben.

Last, Ron Jaworski cracked me up the other day when commenting on the perfect situation Ben fell into with the Steelers. He said that in the NFL they refer to such happenings as a player being given..."a baby kiss".

Palmer was quite mature about it, that's true. I can't say the same thing for your coach, unfortunately, or several other members of the team. Perhaps Lewis, CJ and Houshmanzadeh could learn something from him. Houshmanzahdeh especially, not only did imply it was a dirty play, but also criticized the officials for deciding the game. The officials didn't drop passes or fail to get open when needed. They also didn't blow the coverage on the throwback play.

Ben made the comment that no one thought they could win the game passing, which is a legitimate quote since everyone said they needed to run the ball to win it. He played a near perfect game. Palmer's injury had no impact on the Steelers' passing game.

Ben made exactly one comment on the Thurman hit. I don't know where you heard that he whined, cired and repeatedly called Thurman "a dirty player". His words were more to the effect of it being a dirty hit, not that Thurman was a dirty player. You probably heard these things here, which wouldn't exactly be the most unbiased source.

[Jonboat]

The difference is Odell was tripped up , your Olineman admitted he tripped him , Kimo hit wasn't an accident ,he wasn't blocked into him , he didn't fall into him . I'm not saying he intentionally hurt him I think he was just trying to make a play but it was an illegal hit & should've been flagged no question.

I agree the QB wasn't the only reason we lost our Def has been giving up alot of points lately but in defense of them it did take a big PI & a trick play ( great call though not taking anything away from you ) to put it away. But come on, you can't believe Carson ( Probowler ) wouldn't have played much better than Kitna ( only played 1 game all year) in the second half. I'm not saying we would've won but we both know the odds were against us when Palmer went down & I'm sure deep down you & every other Squeller fan was jumping for joy when he did.

If Big Ben had the same type of injury wouldn't you feel it was the end of the world? We finally found a great QB & wrap him up for years to come then all of a sudden his future is unclear with alot of questions that won't be answered for some time. So forgive us for feeling like it's the end of the world.

Why are you Squeelers fans still here ? I have to believe your here ,as HOF said, just to gloat & rub it in. Geez gimme a break !!

I'm here because it's entertaining. And to see SOME of the Bengals fans on here do the same exact thing they crucified the Steelers fans for doing -- make excuses and throw stones. I don't deny that many, many Steelers fans do the same thing and it's annoying, but don't condemn it and turn around and do the same thing. Seriously, I think some of you guys are embarassing the rest of the Bengals fans on here.

I'm not making any excuses or casting any stones, you said you didn't understand why all was well & good with Odell hit but not when Kimo ACCIDENTLY fell into Palmer I explained what I thought the difference was & I even agreed Kitna was not the only reason we lost.

[HairOnFire]

Ben made the comment that no one thought they could win the game passing, which is a legitimate quote since everyone said they needed to run the ball to win it. He played a near perfect game. Palmer's injury had no impact on the Steelers' passing game.

Once again you're deliberately ignoring the impact Palmer and Henry's injuries had on the Bengals passing game. It's half an argument. Or if you prefer, half-assed. It's a farce to claim that the Steelers proved they could win a passing duel. All they proved is that Ben Roethlisburger can take advantage of a bad Bengal defense and produce more points than the Bengals backup QB could manage against the Steelers defense, and I doubt anyone would have argued that point prior to Sunday. But that's not the game everyone tuned in to watch, right?

The great thing about your empty claims is that they'll be tested again this weekend. Let's see if Cowher will gameplan for the shootout so many of you pretend you want. Let's see if Ben can win a passing duel if the opposing QB is still standing at the end of the game.

[bengalboomer7]

It's my opinion that neither hit on the quarterback were dirty plays.

But I think there is a major difference in the two examples and it goes right to the heart of the current rancor. Palmer promptly demonstrated his class & maturity by dismissing the idea that it was a dirty play and he has made numerous comments intended to take the heat off of Kimo. In comparison, Roethlisburger whined, complained, and repeatedly claimed Thurman was a dirty player even after a Steeler blocker admitted that he had deliberately tripped a blitzing Thurman into the QB.

I thought it was just another example of Roethlisburger not quite getting it.

And there have been others. Frankly, I laughed out loud when I heard Ben claim immediately after the game that nobody believed the Steelers could win a passing contest with the Bengals. Wouldn't you think the kid would at least acknowledge the injury to Palmer, and the impact it had on the Bengals passing game, before patting himself on the back?

Nope, not Ben.

Last, Ron Jaworski cracked me up the other day when commenting on the perfect situation Ben fell into with the Steelers. He said that in the NFL they refer to such happenings as a player being given..."a baby kiss".

Palmer was quite mature about it, that's true. I can't say the same thing for your coach, unfortunately, or several other members of the team. Perhaps Lewis, CJ and Houshmanzadeh could learn something from him. Houshmanzahdeh especially, not only did imply it was a dirty play, but also criticized the officials for deciding the game. The officials didn't drop passes or fail to get open when needed. They also didn't blow the coverage on the throwback play.

Ben made the comment that no one thought they could win the game passing, which is a legitimate quote since everyone said they needed to run the ball to win it. He played a near perfect game. Palmer's injury had no impact on the Steelers' passing game.

Ben made exactly one comment on the Thurman hit. I don't know where you heard that he whined, cired and repeatedly called Thurman "a dirty player". His words were more to the effect of it being a dirty hit, not that Thurman was a dirty player. You probably heard these things here, which wouldn't exactly be the most unbiased source.

Since when is 9 for 16 a perfect game

[CT Stiller]

Ben made the comment that no one thought they could win the game passing, which is a legitimate quote since everyone said they needed to run the ball to win it. He played a near perfect game. Palmer's injury had no impact on the Steelers' passing game.

Once again you're deliberately ignoring the impact Palmer and Henry's injuries had on the Bengals passing game. It's half an argument. Or if you prefer, half-assed. It's a farce to claim that the Steelers proved they could win a passing duel. All they proved is that Ben Roethlisburger can take advantage of a bad Bengal defense and produce more points than the Bengals backup QB could manage against the Steelers defense, and I doubt anyone would have argued that point prior to Sunday. But that's not the game everyone tuned in to watch, right?

The great thing about your empty claims is that they'll be tested again this weekend. Let's see if Cowher will gameplan for the shootout so many of you pretend you want. Let's see if Ben can win a passing duel if the opposing QB is still standing at the end of the game.

My point is that you misquoted him, probably intentionally. What he said was "Everyone said that if we couldn’t run the ball, we couldn’t win", not "nobody believed the Steelers could win a passing contest with the Bengals" as you claim, unless there was another quote I didn't see. Those are two very different statements that mean totally different things. What he said made sense because they weren't running the ball that well in the beginning and yet still he used his arm to score. I don't think the Bengals had that bad of a defense, I thought Ben played a great game and Whisenhunt called a great game. I don't always like it when Ben opens his mouth but what he said here was legit.

I honestly don't think the Steelers have a very good chance this weekend, because they are playing against a much tougher opponent who will probably stick to the run, which scares me more than Peyton's arm. I think we will put up a good fight though.

BengalBoomer7, he was 14 of 19 for 208 yards and a passer rating of 148.7, which is 9.9 points below perfect.

[derekshank]

BengalBoomer7, he was 14 of 19 for 208 yards and a passer rating of 148.7, which is 9.9 points below perfect.

Yes... we all know Big Ben had a good game. (Not exactly saying a lot against our defense that has been consistently overplaying the run). But think about this. Just off the top of my head... the 19 yard TD to Parker, and the 43 yard TD to Wilson were both terribly blown coverages by the defense rather that great plays by the offense. My mother would have been able to throw a TD on the flea-flicker.

So Ben get credit from me for being 12 of 17 for 146 yards and 1 TD. He certainly played very well... I won't combat that... but Ben's greatest strength were the Bengals safeties (and Tory James) in this game. The Bengals defense hasn't been good in a long time. All the Steeler fans came on here and let us know about it. You can't conveniently forget about our terrible safeties the moment it benefits Roethlisberger's padded stats.

[Riagogogoindanati]

The difference is Odell was tripped up , your Olineman admitted he tripped him , Kimo hit wasn't an accident ,he wasn't blocked into him , he didn't fall into him . I'm not saying he intentionally hurt him I think he was just trying to make a play but it was an illegal hit & should've been flagged no question.

I agree the QB wasn't the only reason we lost our Def has been giving up alot of points lately but in defense of them it did take a big PI & a trick play ( great call though not taking anything away from you ) to put it away. But come on, you can't believe Carson ( Probowler ) wouldn't have played much better than Kitna ( only played 1 game all year) in the second half. I'm not saying we would've won but we both know the odds were against us when Palmer went down & I'm sure deep down you & every other Squeller fan was jumping for joy when he did.

If Big Ben had the same type of injury wouldn't you feel it was the end of the world? We finally found a great QB & wrap him up for years to come then all of a sudden his future is unclear with alot of questions that won't be answered for some time. So forgive us for feeling like it's the end of the world.

Why are you Squeelers fans still here ? I have to believe your here ,as HOF said, just to gloat & rub it in. Geez gimme a break !!

I'm here because it's entertaining. And to see SOME of the Bengals fans on here do the same exact thing they crucified the Steelers fans for doing -- make excuses and throw stones. I don't deny that many, many Steelers fans do the same thing and it's annoying, but don't condemn it and turn around and do the same thing. Seriously, I think some of you guys are embarassing the rest of the Bengals fans on here.

YOU SAY "I'm here because it's entertaining." AT THE EXPENSE OF A TEAM YOU BEAT LAST WEEK............SHOULDN'T YOU BE MOVING ON TO INDY...............OR DON'T YOU WANT TO SHOW YOUR FACE ON THEIR BOARDS.....BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU WON'T BE GOING BACK AFTER YOU GET BEAT THIS WEEKEND.

IF YOU KEEP COMING BACK TO THIS BOARD YOU ARE STATING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP US DOWN...........THAT'S OKAY.......EVEN THOUGH YOU BEAT US THIS PAST SUNDAY, WE STILL WON THE AFCN WITH 2 GAMES LEFT TO GO.................WE'LL TAKE THAT AND RIDE ON INTO NEXT SEASON. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RUNNING GAME NEXT YEAR. NO MORE JELLY BELLY. THEN WE ALL WILL GET TO COMPARE HOW GOOD BEN IS WITH HIS PASSING GAME...........COMPARED TO CARSON.............BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW CHARLIZE PARKER ISN'T ALL THAT. AND WE ALL KNOW CARSON WILL COME BACK.......BETTER.............STRONGER...................FASTER.

[CT Stiller]

YOU SAY "I'm here because it's entertaining." AT THE EXPENSE OF A TEAM YOU BEAT LAST WEEK............SHOULDN'T YOU BE MOVING ON TO INDY...............OR DON'T YOU WANT TO SHOW YOUR FACE ON THEIR BOARDS.....BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU WON'T BE GOING BACK AFTER YOU GET BEAT THIS WEEKEND.

IF YOU KEEP COMING BACK TO THIS BOARD YOU ARE STATING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP US DOWN...........THAT'S OKAY.......EVEN THOUGH YOU BEAT US THIS PAST SUNDAY, WE STILL WON THE AFCN WITH 2 GAMES LEFT TO GO.................WE'LL TAKE THAT AND RIDE ON INTO NEXT SEASON. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RUNNING GAME NEXT YEAR. NO MORE JELLY BELLY. THEN WE ALL WILL GET TO COMPARE HOW GOOD BEN IS WITH HIS PASSING GAME...........COMPARED TO CARSON.............BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW CHARLIZE PARKER ISN'T ALL THAT. AND WE ALL KNOW CARSON WILL COME BACK.......BETTER.............STRONGER...................FASTER.

Won't make difference if I concentrate on Indy or not. Besides, they are not a hated rival, the Bengals are. It won't be as fun to talk smack/football with them. You guys should be happy to have this rivalry once again, I know I am.

Anyway, I have been on here way too much these past few days and it's because work has been slow and I've been bored. I wish Palmer a fast recovery and I hope Chad Johnson stays on the team cause he hasn't been nearly as good as advertised against the Steelers

[steelergurl]

...Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Wednesday a hit to one of his injured knees by Bengals rookie middle linebacker Odell Thurman may have been a borderline cheap shot.

However, Steelers center Jeff Hartings said later in the day that the Thurman hit, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty for roughing

"I inadvertently tripped him," Hartings said. "It shows on the film."

With the Bengals leading the Steelers 21-14 during the second quarter Sunday, Roethlisberger rolled to his right on a third-and-5 play and hit Hines Ward for 18 yards and a first down. After delivering the ball, Roethlisberger - playing with two injured knees and a possible broken thumb - was hit about knee level by Thurman.

"I tried to let my body go limp so I could go down and I wouldn't hurt my knee," Roethlisberger said. "From what I heard, he got pushed or tripped or something. But any time you go low on a quarterback, you know it's a little dirty."

On the next play, Ward fumbled after a 7-yard gain on a reverse to the Bengals' 25 and the Bengals recovered.

Despite Hartings' explanation, Ward suggested the Steelers (7-5) will have the play on their minds the next time they face Cincinnati. The Bengals (9-3) beat the Steelers 38-31 to take a two-game lead in the AFC North with four games to play and endanger the Steelers' playoff hopes.

"I know of him, so he's not a dirty guy," said Ward, who, like Thurman, played at Georgia. "He's just out there running around trying to make plays. In the course of going down low and trying to tackle the guy, you're trying to play until the whistle's over. Fortunately they got a penalty and, luckily, Ben didn't get hurt."

But Ward acknowledged he has gone after other NFL players in retaliation for an incident in a previous game and said, "You make a note of the guy and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Asked whether he has made such a mental note about Thurman, Ward said, "Until the next time we play them, we'll remember him. I will."...

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/13353501.htm

Quit your whining you bunch of LOSERS! Be happy you had a good year and get on with it!

[Sox]

Steelergurl,why are you still here?

Did you run out of batteries for your Christmas toys?

[richmond_mat]

Since no one seems to have taken this angle, I'll offer my thoughts on "the play".

I asked myself and even said aloud "why isn't Carson moving?" The ball was long gone before the hit happened. It seemed to me that Palmer was caught up watching his long rainbow spiral and forgot that linemen might be falling around him. Maybe I'm way off, but I think this injury could have been avoided if he had been a little more alert and less into seeing the completion.

This thread had turned into a bitchfest so I thought I'd try to get something back into it.

[smith288]

Since no one seems to have taken this angle, I'll offer my thoughts on "the play".

I asked myself and even said aloud "why isn't Carson moving?" The ball was long gone before the hit happened. It seemed to me that Palmer was caught up watching his long rainbow spiral and forgot that linemen might be falling around him. Maybe I'm way off, but I think this injury could have been avoided if he had been a little more alert and less into seeing the completion.

This thread had turned into a bitchfest so I thought I'd try to get something back into it.

So now its Palmers fault? Uh, ok then...

[HairOnFire]

My point is that you misquoted him, probably intentionally. What he said was "Everyone said that if we couldn’t run the ball, we couldn’t win", not "nobody believed the Steelers could win a passing contest with the Bengals" as you claim, unless there was another quote I didn't see. Those are two very different statements that mean totally different things. What he said made sense because they weren't running the ball that well in the beginning and yet still he used his arm to score.

Well, which is it? Did I intentionally misquote Ben or is it possible that he made statements you haven't heard?

The remark he made about nobody believing they could win a passing contest with the Bengals could be seen in a postgame sideline interview with an ESPN reporter for their "Blitz" coverage. Predictably, it differed slightly from the remarks that could be seen at the end of the CBS coverage. As Ben was still in uniform for the ESPN coverage it's obvious that the two interviews were made only minutes apart. I'll add that he was interviewed later wearing street clothes, I recorded it from NFL Network coverage, and said roughly the same things...wording them slightly different each time. Regardless, he most certainly said what I claimed, that nobody believed they could win a passing contest with the Bengals, and I believe that those types of self-serving remarks ignore the impact Palmer's injury had on the game as well as the contributions of his own defense against the Bengals backup QB.

As for the remarks you DID hear, few would be surprised that the Steelers would be able to score through the air against a Bengal defense that was preoccupied with stopping the run. As others have pointed out the Steelers greatest success came on gadget plays designed to exploit the Bengals aggressiveness against the run. Well, props to the Steelers, but that's poor proof that the Steelers passing game proved anything on Sunday other than how much it benefits from the remarkable attention paid to the Steeler running game.

Sadly, that's not the point Steeler trolls have been trying to make.

[richmond_mat]

Since no one seems to have taken this angle, I'll offer my thoughts on "the play".

I asked myself and even said aloud "why isn't Carson moving?" The ball was long gone before the hit happened. It seemed to me that Palmer was caught up watching his long rainbow spiral and forgot that linemen might be falling around him. Maybe I'm way off, but I think this injury could have been avoided if he had been a little more alert and less into seeing the completion.

This thread had turned into a bitchfest so I thought I'd try to get something back into it.

So now its Palmers fault? Uh, ok then...

Of course it's not his fault. Accidents happen......but had he not watched th pass for so long maybe MAYBE he could have avoided the hit or at least seen it coming and lessened the blow.

[CT Stiller]

My point is that you misquoted him, probably intentionally. What he said was "Everyone said that if we couldn’t run the ball, we couldn’t win", not "nobody believed the Steelers could win a passing contest with the Bengals" as you claim, unless there was another quote I didn't see. Those are two very different statements that mean totally different things. What he said made sense because they weren't running the ball that well in the beginning and yet still he used his arm to score.

Well, which is it? Did I intentionally misquote Ben or is it possible that he made statements you haven't heard?

The remark he made about nobody believing they could win a passing contest with the Bengals could be seen in a postgame sideline interview with an ESPN reporter for their "Blitz" coverage. Predictably, it differed slightly from the remarks that could be seen at the end of the CBS coverage. As Ben was still in uniform for the ESPN coverage it's obvious that the two interviews were made only minutes apart. I'll add that he was interviewed later wearing street clothes, I recorded it from NFL Network coverage, and said roughly the same things...wording them slightly different each time. Regardless, he most certainly said what I claimed, that nobody believed they could win a passing contest with the Bengals, and I believe that those types of self-serving remarks ignore the impact Palmer's injury had on the game as well as the contributions of his own defense against the Bengals backup QB.

As for the remarks you DID hear, few would be surprised that the Steelers would be able to score through the air against a Bengal defense that was preoccupied with stopping the run. As others have pointed out the Steelers greatest success came on gadget plays designed to exploit the Bengals aggressiveness against the run. Well, props to the Steelers, but that's poor proof that the Steelers passing game proved anything on Sunday other than how much it benefits from the remarkable attention paid to the Steeler running game.

Sadly, that's not the point Steeler trolls have been trying to make.

"No one expected us to win if we had to pass the ball" is what he said to Ron Jaworski. Still very different from what you claimed. And this was AFTER Jaworski asked him about struggling with the run early on and having to pass it to score, so he was actually answering a question rather than making a bold statement. Check the ESPN NFL home page for the video clip if you don't believe me.

See, this is why I post after four days, because I have to defend my Steelers. I can't let you guys tell lies about my boys.

Anyway, guys, there you go again with the excuses. Steelers fans make excuses all the time for losing. Myself included in that. The Jags game was a perfect example. You guys crucified us (rightly so) for saying we're always making excuses, blaming losses on Steelers mistakes, etc. But then you turn around and say "well, our D sucks, so Ben didn't really do anything". Come on guys, there's a lot of hypocrisy there.

You know, the more I think of it, the more I think the Steelers would have won with Palmer in there anyway, and probably more convicingly. Few teams could handle Palmer this year, and we were able to in the first meeting and he had bad games towards the end of the season. What makes everyone so sure that a QB with no playoff experience and who had been struggling of late wouldn't have had a total meltdown or would have just not played well against a tough defense? I ask this not only to Bengals fans but every reporter out there who felt it would have been a totally different game with him in there. One pass does not a game make.

[membengal]

Palmer was averaging 66 yards a pass attempt before Van O assassinated his knee.

Since you are engaging in flights of fancy, I will too. Based on what I saw before the Steelers took out Palmer, Palmer would have completed the day 37 for 37 for 684 yards and 8 touchdown passes.

And the Bengals would have won 56-3.

We'll never know, will we?

[HairOnFire]

"No one expected us to win if we had to pass the ball" is what he said to Ron Jaworski. Still very different from what you claimed. And this was AFTER Jaworski asked him about struggling with the run early on and having to pass it to score, so he was actually answering a question rather than making a bold statement. Check the ESPN NFL home page for the video clip if you don't believe me.

See, this is why I post after four days, because I have to defend my Steelers. I can't let you guys tell lies about my boys.

I'm not telling lies. You simply aren't smart enough to realize that Ben said slightly different things during multiple postgame interviews, and you weren't able to see them all. The latter fact isn't all that important, I never caught the Jaworski interview you mention, but I'm smart enough to realize that Ben gave more than one interview. Sadly, you haven't quite grasped that point yet, and have somehow concluded that your ignorance puts you in a position to prove or disprove something.

You know, the more I think of it, the more I think the Steelers would have won with Palmer in there anyway, and probably more convicingly. Few teams could handle Palmer this year, and we were able to in the first meeting and he had bad games towards the end of the season. What makes everyone so sure that a QB with no playoff experience and who had been struggling of late wouldn't have had a total meltdown or would have just not played well against a tough defense?

It's funny how I have less respect for the things you say with each post you write.

*

We'll never know, will we?

Here's something we do know. The Bengals lost one of the best QB's in the NFL on their first pass attempt, and Steeler fans have convinced themselves that it didn't matter.

That's rare stupidity.

[Riagogogoindanati]

You know, the more I think of it, the more I think the Steelers would have won with Palmer in there anyway, and probably more convicingly. Few teams could handle Palmer this year, and we were able to in the first meeting and he had bad games towards the end of the season. What makes everyone so sure that a QB with no playoff experience and who had been struggling of late wouldn't have had a total meltdown or would have just not played well against a tough defense? I ask this not only to Bengals fans but every reporter out there who felt it would have been a totally different game with him in there. One pass does not a game make.

CARSON PALMER 2005 STATS

+----------+--------------------------+----------------+

| WK OPP | CMP ATT PYD TD INT | RSH YD TD |

+----------+--------------------------+----------------+

| 1 cle | 26 34 280 2 1 | 0 0 0 |

| 2 min | 27 40 337 3 1 | 4 3 0 |

| 3 chi | 16 23 169 3 0 | 6 -3 0 |

| 4 hou | 25 34 276 1 0 | 1 -1 0 |

| 5 jax | 22 33 239 2 0 | 1 1 0 |

| 6 ten | 27 33 272 2 0 | 3 4 0 |

| 7 pit | 21 36 227 0 2 | 3 8 1 |

| 8 gnb | 22 34 237 3 1 | 0 0 0 |

| 9 bal | 19 26 248 2 0 | 4 -3 0 |

BYE

| 11 ind | 25 38 335 2 1 | 1 1 0 |

| 12 bal | 22 30 302 3 1 | 1 14 0 |

| 13 pit | 22 38 227 3 0 | 3 -3 0 |

| 14 cle | 13 27 93 1 1 | 1 1 0 |

| 15 det | 28 39 274 3 2 | 1 8 0 |

| 16 buf | 25 36 266 2 2 | 4 14 0 |

| 17 kan | 5 8 54 0 0 | 0 0 0 |

+----------+--------------------------+----------------+

| TOTAL | 345 509 3836 32 12 | 33 44 1 |

AS FOR YOUR COMMENT ON PALMERS PERFORMANCE ON HIS "BAD GAMES TOWARDS THE END OF THE SEASON"................................WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I SEE A TREMENDOUS PLAYER WITH CONSISTENCY.

THE ONLY GAMES I SEE WHERE HE HAD A BAD GAME WOULD BE CLEVELAND AT HOME. BUT THEN RUDI RAN IT ALL DAY. (HIGHEST RUSHING YARDS PER GAME THIS YEAR FOR HIM) IT MUST BE THE 1 QUARTER GAME CARSON PLAYED AT KC YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT. TIMES 5/8 FOR 54YRDS BY 4 AND YOU HAVE YOUR ELEMENTARY MATH PROBLEM SOLVED.

RUDI JOHNSON 2005 STATS

+----------+-------------+--------+----+

| WK OPP | RSH YD | RECYD | TD |

+----------+-------------+--------+----+

| 1 cle | 26 126 | 12 | 1 |

| 2 min | 22 90 | 3 | 0 |

| 3 chi | 25 84 | -2 | 0 |

| 4 hou | 19 88 | 0 | 0 |

| 5 jax | 18 76 | 7 | 0 |

| 6 ten | 18 80 | 3 | 1 |

| 7 pit | 12 65 | 1 | 0 |

| 8 gnb | 22 72 | 0 | 0 |

| 9 bal | 29 97 | 15 | 1 |

| 11 ind | 16 76 | 9 | 2 |

| 12 bal | 27 114 | 5 | 2 |

| 13 pit | 21 98 | 5 | 2 |

| 14 cle | 30 169 | 11 | 1 |

| 15 det | 24 117 | 14 | 2 |

| 16 buf | 18 88 | 8 | 0 |

| 17 kan | 10 18 | -1 | 0 |

+----------+-------------+--------+----+

| TOTAL | 337 1458 | 90 | 12 |

[CT Stiller]

I'm not telling lies. You simply aren't smart enough to realize that Ben said slightly different things during multiple postgame interviews, and you weren't able to see them all. The latter fact isn't all that important, I never caught the Jaworski interview you mention, but I'm smart enough to realize that Ben gave more than one interview. Sadly, you haven't quite grasped that point yet, and have somehow concluded that your ignorance puts you in a position to prove or disprove something.

I never claimed to be smart, but then again I'm smart enough so that I don't have to claim it. You said it was ESPN, that's what's on ESPN's website. I haven't found any evidence of your claim and it bothers me that someone would post something like that and not back it up when asked to. That's not very nice to attack someone's intelligence because they are refuting your claim. You should be ashamed of yourself.

It's funny how I have less respect for the things you say with each post you write.

A.) Why is that funny? and B.) Sometimes the truth hurts.

Here's something we do know. The Bengals lost one of the best QB's in the NFL on their first pass attempt, and Steeler fans have convinced themselves that it didn't matter.

That's rare stupidity.

So when someone asks you to provide proof and/or disagrees with you, they're stupid. I think I'm getting the message now.

That's my opinion based on the facts as I see them. Ben set rookie records last year. He was unflappable during the regular season. He sucked in the playoffs. We'll never know what would have happened, but my guess is Palmer would have a similar response.

AS FOR YOUR COMMENT ON PALMERS PERFORMANCE ON HIS "BAD GAMES TOWARDS THE END OF THE SEASON"................................WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I SEE A TREMENDOUS PLAYER WITH CONSISTENCY.

As do I. In fact he had an unbelievable year. I was specifically referring to the Cleveland and Buffalo games (Buffalo had one of the worst defenses in the league last year).