Ryan Mundy News

That sentence is what should have come out of Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin when asked, following what offensive stars Hines Ward and BenA Roethlisberger deemed an "embarrassing" loss to the absolutely horridA Cleveland Browns,A if Pittsburgh was a playoff team right now.

In the first game against Tampa Bay, our own Dante Wesley was penalized and ejected for an early hit on a punt return.A Now, whether or not his reasons were justified or caused by another player's rookie mistake, the type of hits that are made by gunners today concerns me.

There are two schools of thought going into Thursday's game against the 1-11 Cleveland Browns.

It was awesomea . But if you are a legitimate competitor, at the appropriate time you ready yourself for the challenges that lie ahead in 2009 and 2010.

As inept as Bruce Arians and his play calling has been this year, it is the defensive secondary that has likely put the final nail in the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers' coffin.

You know, really not a lot needs to be said in regards to how that game ended. I'm not going to make any excuses for it.

Sorry about the delay. It took me an hour to get my computer unfrozen and to get here.

In Sunday's game between the Steelers and the Oakland Raiders, safety Ryan Mundy was called for a late hit, which gave the Raiders a first down, eventually leading to the game-winning touchdown.

This wasn't an answer to the Immaculate Reception. No, these Raiders still tout a dismal 4-8 record after Sunday's 27-24 upset of their longtime rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Patriots still can win the AFC East. They lead the Dolphins and Jets by a game, but it's pretty clear the Patriots might not be a factor in the playoffs.

Months from now when we look back at the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers , Sunday's fourth-quarter meltdown against the Oakland Raiders could turn out to be the defining moment of their season.

When Josh Cribbs returned a kickoff for a touchdown against the Steelers, it was because he's the NFL's top special-teams talent.

If good tackling has indeed become a lost art in the NFL, the defending Super Bowl champions might be the exception to the rule.

After a 2007 game, Ryan Clark was hospitalized in Denver when complications from sickle-cell trait prevented oxygen from flowing into his spleen.

The Steelers might have to answer to the Law in the Wild West on Monday night as a familiar face, Alliquippa native Ty Law was just signed by the Broncos and is expected to see action.

It's premature to label this a preview of the AFC championship game, but if tonight's game between the Steelers and Broncos doesn't get you pumped you might want to check yourself for a pulse.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing to play the Denver Broncos this Monday night.

Ryan Mundy said he is preparing as if he is going to play a lot next Monday when the Steelers visit the Denver Broncos.

9 -- provided that the Steelers free safety takes the necessary precautions. "I think that means aggressive hydration and oxygen," said Dr.

Steelers safety Ryan Clark must decide whether it is too risky to play in Nov. 9 in Denver since he has sickle cell trait.