Here we are! The first thoughts on the Steelers' first victory of 2009...It's good to be back bitches!

• Here is a headline from the Post Gazette this morning..."Black Eyed Peas and Tim McGraw put Steeler fans in the mood" In the mood? For what? Suicide? That was one of the worst things I've ever seen. The NFL CLEARLY knows it audience. If there is anyone on earth who was lukewarm on the game, then saw Tim McGraw singing a song about Rosa Parks and Michael Jordan (no, that's not a joke) and decided, "fuck! there's Will.I.Am now I'm ready for some football" I will wear a Ravens jersey for the rest of the season.



• Speaking of McGraw, Did anyone see the shot of him in the box wearing a Titans hat? Followed by the shot of Snoop and his entourage, decked out in Steeler gear in their box? If last nights game was decided by which team had cooler celebrity fans, it would of been a blowout.



• Ok, this Polamalu injury is making the win feel like a loss...I hate to say this, but, with no 43, this is a slightly above average D. Teddy Bruschi said on ESPN that he came back from MCL sprains in his career twice within 2 weeks. I feel like they can get out of Chicago/Cincy without him at 3-0 but anytime Tyrone Carter is on the field, you have a chance to lose that game.



• Text from Sonny last night - "Simultaneously the dumbest and smartest QB in the leauge" Hard to argue. Although I will disagree with Sonny on his earlier post, Ben is an all or nothing kind of player. I think if you ask him to start getting rid of the ball quicker, you take away what makes him special. I am in the camp that believes taking a sack and putting yourself out of FG range every now and again is ok, because the rewards are always far greater.



• Ben started slow and I honestly started wondering if his legal battle was weighing on him mentally. I think he put those worries to rest. I really hope this thing comes to an end soon. It seems to me at least that Ben's lawyers have all the evidence they need aside from having the accusers facebook status from that night reading "is having consentual sex with Ben Roethlisberger" to make this go away. The longer it drags on, the longer it has to become a distraction.



• I think it's too early to start making conclusions about where the running game is. It's 1 game against a very, very good unit. If they can't run against Cincy and Detroit, then let's start worrying.



• Mark my words. Last years Steelers lose that game. you know why? Chris Gardocki punting and Carey Davis returning kicks. Steph Logan and Daniel Sepulveda kept the field position game in our favor all night. The Titans started 5 or 6 drives inside the 20 and 4 or 5 inside the 15. Logan took a kick out of the endzone and got over the 30 twice. Those 2 are going to make a big difference and make our Defense even more effective as the games wear on.



• The Titans are a puzzling bunch. Jeff Fisher seems like a good guy, seems no nonsense, but I don't think I have ever seen a team do more chest thumping after routine plays than them. Lendale White is a punk, we all know that, but goodness, there was a dance or jig or chest pound after every play for them defensively last night. I noticed 2 different instances involving Heath Miller and Mike Wallace. Both plays were on 2nd down and both plays gained in the neighborhood of 7 to 8 yards, yet, these dudes are jumping around like they snuffed it out for no gain. I like some celebrating. I find Ochocinco for instance, very entertaining, TO doesn't even bother me, but dances after tackles? come on, act like you've done it before. I didn't think it was possible to make the Ravens look like a group of well mannered, stand up gentlemen, but at times last night, that's what it was like.

• Chris Collinsworth is one of the best color men I've ever heard. Maybe smug, maybe a Bengal, but he is amazing. Sonny made the point last night that Collinsworth told him more abuot football in 1 quarter last night than John Madden and Edmund Nelson have combined, ever.



• Whatever you think about President Obama, it's pretty cool that such a historical Presidency's first 2 sports visits were from Pittsburgh.

I slept for about 4 hours last night, so I am sure I'm missing something vital, but like Ben, I'm a slow starter, catch you fools in 10 days!!