Jetée

Well, for one, it's amazing how I've forgotten how much the Pittsburgh Steelers rely on the intensity and dynamic brought to their team by the true cornerstone of their identity, and that is with a high-level and healthy-returning Troy Polamalu. It's done wonders for them, both with his own spectcaular play, and how he raises the effort of those around him.

One thing I'd like to mention as this first quarter of the NFL has now come to an end, and where everyone else is reigning praises on Clay Matthews as an early-bid Defensive Player of the Year candidate, (he very well deserves it) but I am astonished by how well Steelers' lniebacker Lawrence Timmons is playing. Without looking it up at the moment, I think I am right in my estimation that he currently leads the NFL in tackles, and it might not even be close (and think about it, he is on a bye this week, and could still be the league leader). Even if I'm wrong, though, I know for a fact he is in the top-3 in this category, he has been an exacting run-stopper, has forced numerous turnovers this early in the season already, and it just leaves me in awe at how prolific, year after year, that the Pittsburgh Steelers churn out top-level linebackers. I just learned a few weeks ago that the team has the nickname of "Linbacker U(-niversity)" and I am in total agreement with that assessment. With the OLBs in Harrison and Woodley, the veteran Farrior, the upstart Timmons (I need to check and see if he is a fourth-year player or younger), and 'tweener Kemayrion Winbley (sp?) it is depth beyond belief there in the Steel City.

I agree that the Steelers' should be in many early-season listing as one of the top 3 teams thus far, but still, I don't like to change my predictions because that's exactly what they were: fun, sometimes baseless and "hopeful" predictions of how I wanted to see this year's playoff picture shape up. I'll be lucky to get 50% of what I outlined above right, but it's a neat diversion nonetheless (probably more fun if I wagered any $$$ on it, but I'm not much of a gambler).

At this stage, if anyone is counting on Cincinnati making a return trip to the postseason, their biggest obstacle(s) to making it two years' in a row in the past two decades (or longer) lies within their own division: Balt. still seems like the favorite to me in winning the division, but if Pitt. fails to falter down the line (which I am somehow hoping they do) then Cinn. will be left behind as the other two duke it out for a division title and runner-up wildcard. (also, though I don't like to mention it, Palmer just doesn't seem like he has anything left to give anymore, and the offensive line is no longer providing the "oomph" they did like last season, meaning benson also suffers as well. Their defense might be their only saving grace into even getting above .500 this season.)

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As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi