I know. It's only the first game of preseason.
I know. It's only the Bears.
But, it sure feels
good!
After enduring 7 long months of dwelling on the horrible 5 game slide of last year, any victory is cause for celebration. There were so many good things to come out of this game, I don't know where to begin. I think the first place to start is how I was able to listen to the game in the first place.
Since I don't reside in Pittsburgh, I only have the ability to watch the Steeler games the local network lets me. I have a friend with a satellite dish who I religiously watch every game with. But, occasionally he is away, and I am forced to listen to the game via internet. He is not as big a fanatic as I am, and a Friday night preseason contest was not on his agenda. So, I listened to the game from WDVE radio. Most people on the net were complaining that the game was blacked out. Well it was. The trick is to log onto the radio station before the pregame show starts. If you do that, you can listen to the game all night long. Just make sure you don't log off at some point, or you wont be able to get back on.
Now onto the game.
The reason I say this game helped relieve the bitterness of last years losing streak, was the play of the new guys. I include Hines Ward, Mike Vrabel, and Deshea Townsend as new guys as well. They didn't get much of a chance last year, but it appears they are in for a lot of playing time this year.
Ward gave us a glimpse of his elusive receiving skills after the catch. Townsend was like glue on the Bears receivers, and came up with a couple of picks. Vrabel was in the face of the Quarterbacks all night long. I think this will be the year these players come into their own, and contribute big time.
Troy Edwards was not happy with his game. He says he has a lot to learn. But, he caught a few balls, returned a few punts, and showed flashes of stardom with his breakaway ability. This should turn out to be a very wise choice with the first round pick. I'm looking forward to cheering him on for years.
Another notable who impressed was Joey Porter. He is quick, has some good moves, and was around the ball every time he was on the field. Whether he can do the #95 proud remains to be seen, but he is off to a good start.
Kris Brown made some impressive field goals from 49, and 48 yards to temporarily ease coach Cowhers mind. If he can continue to improve, and adjust to the NFL game, he might make us forget Norm. It looks like he already made us forget Matt Davenport. I don't think Davenport got a chance at all on Friday. At least I never heard his name called.
The only area of concern was the running game. There wasn't any. Our offensive line was made up mostly of non starters, so we didn't get a true glimpse of what we can expect over the coming year. Not having a "Bus" didn't help either. One thing for sure is our running game has to improve from last year. The addition of a passing game is sure to help.
The main thing is that the Steelers won. I believe every game must teach the team a lesson. This one taught them that winning feels much better than losing. It also taught them that Kevin Gilbride's offense can actually score points. It was only the first preseason game, but it is a starting point to build the rest of the season on. The foundation is being set, and it is starting to look like a strong one.
by Steelergil (Aug 16, 99)