Momma Said

Week 9

Steelers at Skins

There'd be days like this, there'd be days like this my momma said. And it was.

Once again, Skins fans braved the emotional rollercoaster ride that is Redskins football.

High Hopes

We've got high hopes, we've got high apple pie in the sky hopes. On the verge of 7 - 2, wanting to take the Nestea plunge into the upper crust of NFL society. A win would have silenced the doubters. Doubters that seem to multiply as the season plays out. Not just the media doubters, but the fan doubters as well.

*THUD* That's the sound hope makes when it falls.

Monday Night Football. National stage. ESPN cameras. The commish was in the house. A chance for the Skins, my Skins, to shine. Unfortunately, the Steelers had other plans for the evening.

The game started well. An on-side kick, Skins grab it! "Cha-ching!" We have the ball in Steeler territory on the first play of the game! The football gods were posed to say "cheese". But the gods can be cruel. Ball on the Pittsburgh 36 yd line. We couldn't muster a first down. FG team comes on. It's good for a 3 - 0 lead. No need to panic. Kick off.

Steelers with the ball. Turnover, a la Pete Kendall-ish. "Here", the football gods say, "take it, we'll even put it on a platter for you." 3 plays later, we say, "no..that's ok, we'll just kick another FG". 6 - 0.

Somewhere down in the pit of my B & G stomach, I know the tone has been set in the wee minutes of this game. This isn't good by any one's interpretation. No way!

The Reality

Clinton Portis -- 13 carries for 51 yards. (stomach bubbles & tumbles)

Jason Campbell -- 24 of 43 for 206 yds and 2 interceptions. He held out as long as he could. He had thrown 271 passes without an interception. He exhaled. It had to happen sooner or later. I'm glad it's done with. Now perhaps we can get past this "perfect QB" moniker. That must have been a pressure cooker for him. He was also put onto his back 7 times! 7!

Steeler 'D' is ranked #1 for a reason. They're pretty good. They came ready to play. And play they did. Offensive series after offensive series was squashed by the Steelers ferocious 'D'. Nothing we did seemed to work. Sputtering like that old '74 Pinto I used to drive in high school.

I wished this game to be over but it kept lingering like the leftovers from last week's main menu sitting in some one's stomach.

There was a glimmer of hope when it was reported that a gimpy Rothlisberger was done for the moment and the back up was sent in to man the helm. Byron Leftwich, draft pick bust extraordinaire! I was almost giddy with the notion that the Steelers were reduced to bringing in Leftwich.

Just when you think you know is when you really don't. As the football gods often do, they mocked & laughed at Skins fans as "Lefty" sustained the longest drive of the game upon his entrance. It resulted in a TD. The rest, as they say, is history.

You know it's not your teams' day when the back up QB comes in and hand you your rear end on a platter.

Yes, momma said there'd be days like this. But she didn't say I had to like them!

VIVE LA BYE! We need it! HAIL!