If Nick Harper had not been stabbed in the knee by his wife the night...

[JVS]

before the game with the Steelers, do you think he'd have been able to evade Roethlisberger's tackle and thus return Bettis' fumble for a TD and win the game?

[underpants]

1. Would it have mattered if they had called that pick a pick?

"football type move" my ass that WAS a football type move.

Harper did have quite the 24 hour period ( as noted) with the near knee snap from a team mate.

BTW- where is the ( ahem white puritan clavanistic football self loathing) criticism of Manning for overriding the FOOTBALL COACH on a fourth down and then blaming his offensive line AFTER the game?

[JVS]

2. Clavanistic self loathing? Do you mean Cliff Clavin?

;-)
Manning made a good call on 4th down, we know this because he made it. The second guessing can only happen when you fail to make good on the 4th down attempt. Further, I'd say that it greatly changed the atmosphere of the game and forced the steelers to start going on 4th in some situations where I really wouldn't expect them to. That move was the beginning of some real "balls to the walls" gameplay which culminated in Manning's 4th and 16 attempt that got sacked even deeper in the backfield giving the steelers control at the 2.

[fishwax]

4. yeah, i'm not sure cowher would have gone for it if manning hadn't

and going for it was definitely the right call for the steelers in those situations, since the steel curtain had been parting like the red sea (i like to mix metaphors) on the drive before ...

[fishwax]

3. Manning's such a punk

he somehow keeps the golden boy image, despite throwing tantrums and blaming others. that comment about the protection was weak. Seemed to me he also had a hard time hitting open receivers. Little Boy Blue was skipping passes off the turf five yards from his receivers.