Super Bowl Grab Bag (In Progress)

We're halfway through the 3rd Quarter, here are some thoughts so far...

D-Jack City
Darrell Jackson started fast, with 5 catches in the first quarter, but doesn't have one since; for some reason the 'Hawks stopped throwing him the ball when he was still on pace for a Deion Branch-type Super Bowl.

"They Can't Close The Deal"
Like a nervous Freshman, the 'Hawks have been making inroads but can't quite seal the deal. They just scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 4, but they've left at least 6 points, and possibly as many as 21, off the board due to bad game management and missed Field Goals.

Phantom Touchdown
There's no way the ball crossed the goal line on Roethlisberger's run. All he had to do was stretch it out to put it in the end zone, but he foolishly tucked it into his chest instead. He's lucky he ended up as the beneficiary of a bad call.

Fast Willie Parker is Fast
Really fast, as Al Michaels repeatedly mentioned. He had a great touchdown run, but has been quiet since. I do wonder why the Bus came in instead of Fast Willie on the drive after the TD run.

The Pick
The announcers said that Kelly Herndon undercut the route, which is correct. They didn't point out that he had undercut the route before Big Ben threw the pass. Just a terrible decision, that one's all on the QB. If you're going to throw it, arc it to the corner of the end zone where it will be a catch, or sail out of bounds. His poor decision has given the 'Hawks new life.

5 and change to go, and the Steelers just went 3 and out. I'll keep updating this post for the rest of the game.

Madden: "What are they looking at that they made him take his pants off?"

This game is just getting weird. And uncomfortable.

Update - 12:00 to go
The Steelers pass defense has dissapeared, as Matt Hasselbeck is conducting an Elway-esque drive down the field.

Penalties Kill
The Seahawks were looking at first and goal from the 2, but had that wiped out by a holding call. Penalties have killed them all day.

Whither The Blitz?
Why the Steelers aren't blitzing more is beyond me. No wonder why Hasselbeck's schooling them right now.

On Second Thought...
He just threw a pick right to Ike Taylor. Steeler ball, still 14-10.

Update - 9 minutes left
The Steelers just went up 21-10; Antwan Randle-El threw a pass on the run to HInes Ward for a 50 yard touchdown. Impressive. Part of me still thinks that Randle-El is the best Quarterback on the field today. If we were covering an election, and not the Super Bowl, this would be the moment where we project a Steelers victory. I hope I don't jinx it.

Update - 4 minutes left
The Steelers are slowly killing clock, Big Ben just picked up the second first down of the drive. We're projecting a Steelers win. Bold, I know.

On a tangent, I know he's the hometown hero and all, but why did ABC choose to mic up Jerome Bettis? The man is b-o-r-i-n-g. Couldn't they have put a mic on Joey Porter? I'd have even preferred they mic Ray Lewis while watching the game at home.

Second tangent, I hate to keep harping on him, but Bettis doesn't do a good job of protecting the football while he carries it. If I were a Steelers fan, I would feel much better with Fast Willie Parker in there.

3:04 left, and the Hawks are out of timeouts.

2 Minute Warning
This is a good time to note that unless the Seahawks come back, I will have a record of 3-8 for predicting games for these playoffs. Good thing I'm not a compulsive gambler, or my body would be floating in the Atlantic Ocean right now.

60 Second Countdown
Due to Hasselbeck's brilliant clock management skills, the 'Hawks just ran 3 plays in the last 51 seconds. They did get to the Pittsburgh 40 though.

Another reason why Madden is an idiot: He keeps saying that Seattle should get to the 30 and kick a field goal, then worry about the on-side kick. I seem to remember him advocating this strategy for the past 12 years or so.

Here's why it's a foolish idea: you miss the field goal, you're done. You need to keep going for the touchdown, and worry about the field goal later. And this man is a (soon-to-be) Hall of Fame Coach.

On 3rd down with 30 seconds left, the 'Hawks throw a short pass and get tackled in bounds. Absolutely dumbfounding; Hasselbeck showed Herman Edwards-like clock management today.

More on this game to come later.