Steeler's Lab

Yinzers,

This week in the NFL is the first Monday Night Football game of the 2010 campaign for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The lights will be on in Paul Brown Stadium when the Steelers travel to southern Ohio to take on the Cinci Bungles.

The Bengals are coming off of a 22-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins last week. This year's Bungle team was supposed to be the team to beat in the AFC North, according to many "experts." Thus far in the year, that does not look like a viable prediction as they sit in last place in the AFC North at 2-5. With the addition of Terrell Owens to Chad Johnson (I will not call him "Ochocinco"), this was supposed to be the receiving corps to lead all receiving corps this year. Granted the two have put up respectable numbers as a tandem, but the Bungles have done absolutely nothing otherwise. The Cincinnati defense ranks 22nd against the run and 20th against the pass. Was the addition of Adam (Pacman) Jones not enough to solve the defensive problems? The Bungles have not been getting pressure on the quarterback nearly as much as they have in the past. If they want to be successful against the Steelers this week, they will have to keep balanced on offense and get to Ben Roethlisberger.

As for the Steelers, coming off a loss to the defending Superbowl champion Saints, take some shots down the field. Bruce Ariens' "iso-iso-screen" is really frustrating the lab techs here at the MSM. You have arguably the fastest receiver in the NFL at your disposal, use him to your advantage. In addition to that, stop running the iso play to a side that keeps getting beat off the ball. If there is a deficiency in the line, don't run there (last week it was the Bronco Legursky side). The defense is continuing to play solid. Just like last week, however, the Steel Curtain will be going up against a pass-heavy offense. We at the lab would like to see a little more exotic blitzing from Dick Lebeau. Not to say that there was not enough last week, but Carson Palmer holds onto the ball a lot longer than does Drew Brees. If the Steelers are to be successful, they will have to establish the run and use that play-action-bomb to Mike Wallace.

Game time is 8:30 on ESPN. Unfortunately we will have to listen to Chris Collensworth. Pay close attention. He sounds like a drunken elderly man both in speech and in reasoning.

In other scientific news, did you know some funny stuff can be done to mice by knocking out/swapping their genes? When I say funny stuff, I mean you can make genetically altered mice that are OCD, Schizophrenic, alcoholic, bisexual and supermice all from messing around with their homeobox genes. Normally, these genes control where stuff gets put, making sure your ribs go on the right vertebrae, fingers on the ends of your hands, etc. But if you take some of these out or swap them for others, you can create mice with ailments listed above. Interesting stuff...

Here we go,
B Brog