2. Jesse James as a receiver is probably as good if not better than Heath in his last year or two, although the relationship Heath built with Ben has to be taken into account. Still I feel good about Jesse being able to get further downfield for some catches, and Heath didn’t have quite the same hands by the end. He isn’t the blocker that Heath was even at the end, but David Johnson is. Interestingly I read somewhere just this week, can’t remember where, that he was been more and more impressive in practice. I saw him make a few blocks last week that looked solid.

3. Not sweating this either. I’d like to see them get a couple this week with a few more qb hits, though. Particularly by only rushing four. Come on Jarvis, shut some people up for a week.

4. I’m not a guy who buys player jerseys. Not my thing. But the Steelers black color rush uniforms are making me consider buying my first and undoubtedly only.

5. Bengals are mini rivals. It’s good right now, but to really be a rival they need to sustain their success. And I mean all the way through Andy Dalton’s career.

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2) So long as we don’t get Ben killed, we’ll be okay. So it’s pass pro and run blocking that matter to me. The Outlaw’s blocking has been inconsistent, but his receiving abilities have a ceiling as tall as he is. So we have to live with the committee and hope that he will be like Spaeth. Spaeth was another tall drink of water who started out shaky as a blocker, but turned into a very good one.

3) They did fine. Glad they’re still hungry, though. The ‘skins weren’t ready for the Steelers’ playing eight men back, and had game planned for zone blitzes. It was the first game of the season, and Cousins and his coaches didn’t have an adjustment ready. So Cousins kept his uniform clean, but he led them to only one TD.

4) They have no choice but to go along with this NFL color rush nonsense. Most of the other teams’ unis should be put into a giant pile, doused with lighter fluid, and set afire. Or the uniforms should be shot, with or without the players wearing them at the time. The Steelers minimalist black unis, however, are terrific, though. Every bit as cool as the bumble bees. Well, almost as cool…

5) Baltimore and Pittsburgh is a rivalry. It seems like they went 15 years, twice a year – or three times sometimes – and every single game was decided by three points or less. It wasn’t that many years, but it was pretty close. Two great heavyweights, like Ali and Frazier, who were evenly matched and gave their all. And they – and their fan bases – respected each other. With Cincy, it’s cheap shots and hatred. Cincy is the criminal element of the league that Chuck Noll referenced, back when he was talking about the Oakland Raiders of the mid-70’s. The Ravens are the rivalry, and worthy adversaries. The Bengals are like a bad case of hemorrhoids. Annoying as hell, but, so long as you take care of the damn things, they’ll go away sooner or later.

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http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/where-bills-jets-ranks-among-the-nfls-worst-division-rivalries/

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2. I think the Steelers “Tight end by committee” approach will be adequate for passing but not for blocking. That’s what worries me: blocking to keep Ben upright.

3. Nope. My internal worry wart is still humming happily, oblivious to the lack of sack this past Monday. But only because the pressure or the threat of pressure was game-planned by dropping 7-8 defenders into coverage for most of the game. The 3–4 defenders rushing the quarterback was enough to make was enough to make Cousins nervous and affect his play, which can be expected from the less experienced QBs.

If they want the same effect – nervous to the point of affecting his throws – on Dalton this week, I think they’ll have to actually have to pop him once or twice early in the game.

4. The solid black uniforms with gold numbers are sublime and appeal to my minimalist aesthetic. Looking badass helps too.

I like them, a lot.

5. The Bengals feel they are rivals with the Steelers because the Steelers are the team to beat in the division, every year. The Ravens feel they are rivals with the Steelers because the Steelers are the team to beat in the division, every year.

Where is the talk of the Bengals-Ravens rivalry? It isn’t there because the Steelers are the team to beat in the division, every year.

I see a pattern here. Whether it’s raven bugs or bangles bugs that are splattered most on the Steelers windshield, it doesn’t matter. The Steelers wipers will scrape them off.

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