Can Big Ben dig deep in THEE NFL game of the week...
At 4-4 and coming off a horrible loss to the Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisbger urged his teammates to join the B-Train on the road to the playoffs.
Just looked at the complete NFL schedule for today and man there are some meaningful football games on deck. Chiefs @ Panthers (two good teams with Carolina fighting to get back in the playoffs), Green Bay @ Tennessee (Packers in an almost must win on the road), Vikings @ Redskins (Vikings desperate to stop the bleeding, Broncos @ Saints (Saints desperate to keep pace in their division and the Broncos desperately needing to right the ship and can't afford to fall further behind in division). Seahawks @ Patriots (Seahawks starting to get it rolling...and just two big time programs that have a little recent history against one another and Tom Brady with a chance to clinch the MVP in a prime-time Sunday night game).
You can rifle through today's big games, but there it is, Sunday afternoon, Dallas @ Pittsburgh...THEE game.
Pittsburgh, at 4-4 and coming off a horrible loss the Ravens, looked like a Super Bowl contender and now they're desperate for a win, any win. The Steelers will likely make the playoffs but lose a 5th today and home field is gone. Drop to 4-5 and suddenly the division, and the playoffs is an uphill battle. Earlier this week Ben Roethlisberger stepped to the mic, and unlike Aaron Rodgers who said he's not a rah, rah guy and didn't know what to do, Ben urged his team to jump on his back and ride his broad shoulders to the playoffs.
Make no mistake, Pittsburgh has circled the wagons today!
How short is Dak Prescott's leash:
While Dak Prescott has been special, what would it take for the Cowboys to pull the plug and insert Tony Romo?
The Cowboys have been awesome through eight games. Lost to the Giants to open, but have stormed to a 7-1 record with a surprisingly stout defense and the unleashing of the NFL's best RB, Ezekiel Elliot. Blah, blah, toss that all out, Dak Prescott has been the man this season racking up 2000 yards passing, 12 TD's against 4 int's and posting a shockingly high QB rating of 104. Toss in 4 TD's rushing and this young man is hard to ignore.
That said, he's yet to face real adversity!
Yes, he's been marvelous in the 4th quarter and he's overcome in-game adversity. But, he's yet to handle a multiple turnover game, a bad loss on the road and the inevitable mentality that comes with getting hammered in a big game.
While Pittsburgh has been so-so this season, that team is loaded and they've got to be on a mission. That's a Steelers team loaded with offensive fire-power and a team that can really roll people when they get it going.
How would Prescott handle a 3 interception game?
How would he handle a 38-13 blowout loss?
Nothing but love for the Cowboy organization who has handled the QB thing brilliantly. It's been all speculative to this point as Romo worked his way back to health. While everyone has played nice, including Romo who said he'd accept a backup role, the fact is Romo's healthy and the Cowboys are entering the tough part of their schedule.
Home games with good football games in Baltimore and Washington, then, on the road @Minnesota and then @ the Giants.
Does Romo come in at 8-3?
If the Cowboys roll to a 15-1 record there is no question they'll stick with the hot hand. Hit a couple speed bumps, and with a fully healthy Romo, there will come a defining moment.
Do you go with the rook, or do ya hand the reigns to the veteran?
