Steel Balls

These are some of the best things about the 2013 season:

• Big Ben and Troy Polamalu both played 16 full, healthy games and were as impactful as ever in their careers.
• Antonio Brown proved he is worthy of his contract.
• Le’Veon Bell showed why he was an excellent draft choice.
• The offensive line finally got it together and played credibly.
• Several players emerged into playmakers, including Cameron Heyward and Jason Worilds.
• The coaching staff, front office, and players remained focused and never gave up despite the dismal start. Indeed, they only grew stronger.
• Todd Haley and Ben seem to be on to something.
• Ben and Antonio are proving to be as good a tandem as any in recent memory, with the kind of chemistry we used to see with Ben and Hines.

Some other things for which I am grateful:

• Every game was meaningful and the Steeler season relevance extended, ever so briefly, beyond their final game.
• Although finishing at 8-8, I feel much better about this season. The 2012 edition ended in futility, while the 2013 edition ended with three credible wins.
• It wasn’t the Steelers’ kicker in a Steelers game who failed to kick a routine field goal in ideal conditions and thereby ending the Steelers season. That would have been much worse.
• The Ravens not only went from champions to a team missing the playoffs, but actually completely fell apart to end their season, finishing with two dismal losses and a raft of questions on both sides of the ball.
• The Ravens finished in third place, behind the Steelers, but the Steelers will get a better draft position.
• The Ravens are stuck with a ridiculous contract for an above average quarterback who reverted to his more mediocre self.
• Ray Rice seems to have lost it.
• The Browns are still the Browns – yet another coaching change is on the way.
• I don’t know what Goodell will do about the threatened draft penalty (but given the Ravens shooting themselves in the foot, plus the egregious failure of the league’s officiating forcing the Steelers out of the playoffs, there should be no penalty), however the Steelers should be in position to have a lot of decent picks from the upcoming draft.
• The Beard went out strong with a couple of excellent games (assuming he doesn’t come back).
• The team has evolved from the immaturity and selfishness that had become more common the past couple of years.
• We have a good group here at Steel Balls.

What did you think was the best thing emerging from this season? Vote below. If you have other items to add, please post a comment.

[poll id=”14″]

+1