Steelers will lose today
Pittsburgh has lost seven straight in the City of Brotherly Hate dating back to 1965. Don’t look for the skid to end Sunday. Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb appears completely healthy, something he hasn’t been for the past four years. With McNabb, Brian Westbrook and the emergence of rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia’s offense has looked unstoppable after two games.
The Steelers’ defense, meanwhile, has yet to be tested.
Pittsburgh shut down Houston and Cleveland in compiling a 2-0 mark, but neither of those teams is capable of putting up points like the Eagles.
Another factor in Sunday’s game will be the health of Ben Roethlisberger. Philadelphia will surely try to exploit the Steelers’ offensive line, which for some reason can open holes for Willie Parker but at the same time can’t provide sufficient pass protection for Roethlisberger.
The Eagles have been 3- to 31/2-point favorites all week. Look for that spread to hold up.
Final score: Philadelphia 23, Pittsburgh 20.
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Web Gem of the Week: www.getbradynow.com beckons Chiefs fans to sign an online petition asking K.C. ownership to make Cleveland an offer for backup quarterback Brady Quinn. The site is also selling “Got Brady?” and “Get Brady Now!” apparel.
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Absurd Rumor of the Week: From a story that appeared in the Buffalo News: Syracuse will fire head football coach Greg Robinson and replace him with Lane Kiffin, who will soon by fired by the Oakland Raiders.
Somehow replacing mediocrity with incompetence doesn’t seem like a good idea.
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Week No. 3 Power Rankings: My top and bottom six NFL teams:
1. Dallas – Their defense got scorched for 37 points on Monday night and Tony Romo made a couple blunders which led to two Philadelphia touchdowns, and the Cowboys still won.
2. Pittsburgh – The Steelers travel to Philly Sunday. Then it’s a home Monday night game against the Ravens, before back-to-back road trips to Jacksonville and Cincinnati. I’m thinking five wins heading into a matchup with the defending Super Bowl champs on the last Sunday in October.
3. N.Y. Giants – Over the next five weeks, the Giants face the Bengals, Seahawks, Browns, 49ers and have a bye. Sounds like five byes to me.
4. Carolina – I feel a little guilty placing the Panthers this high, but you can’t ignore wins over San Diego and Chicago.
5. Denver – Lots of talent and a great coach. Throw in a little help from the officials and it adds up to a 2-0 start.
6. Philadelphia – If the Eagles had a true No. 1 receiver, they’d rival Dallas for the NFL’s best offense.
27. Oakland – I know, the Raiders won last week. Wait a minute … they beat the Chiefs. Does that count?
28. Seattle – I bet Shaun Alexander’s glad the Seahawks dumped him.
29. Miami – If Tony Sparano were only Tony Soprano, he could whack this team and put us out of our misery.
30. Kansas City – Tyler Thigpen will replace Damon Huard at quarterback. That should get Chiefs fans hoppin’.
31. Cincinnati – Forget Ocho Cinco. Los Bengals mucho stinko.
32. St. Louis Rams – Last in offense + last in defense = last in power rankings.
Dave Stofcheck can be reached at dstofcheck@heraldstandard.com or davestofcheck@yahoo.com