Not sure what you expect the franchise to do. He holds on to the ball too long, and no linemen can hold their blocks that long. Sometimes it has a bad result, a la concussion, but most often it produces big plays, remember the SB?

Our line is good this year, not like it had been in the past. I’d say 65% or more of Ben sacks are on him this year.

Just kidding you. Dunno why.

because they want the ravens to prepare as if he’s playing.

it’s conceivable that he could dress but not take the field.

But they said he was asymptomatic the next day after the hit, so that would pretty much satisfy the rule-of-thumb that you need to be asymptomatic for a week prior to playing again. Plus, I seriously doubt that a 6-4 steelers team that is clinging to life will like the idea of starting Dennis Dixon against the Ravens.

List Polamalu as Out

but then again, if they could stop just half of those returns, they might be in first place at 8-2 instead of 3rd place at 6-4 (for now).

In my humble opinion. Joe has as good an arm as anyone in the NFL. His composure is astounding. His heart is enormous. What I don’t see are the leadership skills. The ability to adjust & think in that split second that turns a passer into a Quarterback. For some reason Baltimore does not ask their QB’s to think, & seem to be afraid to ask them to lead the team on the field. Obviously he is still in his 2nd year. But like Billick before him, Harbaugh coaches his QB like he is playing a video game. Manage the game, make the plays & don’t take any chances that will lose us the game. True Quarterbacks need to have the handcuffs taken off & given a chance to win the game. It’s an old story here in Baltimore. Playing to not lose. Playing to win is a different game. Mistakes will come as will losses, but it’s part of becoming a QB. I hope Joe gets his chance here.

but not his arm.

I have not seen enough of him to judge how I think. I think since your pass rush has been down this year and your secondary is not up to par this year, it is not completely awful. I expect Mendy/FWP/Moore to get a lot more carries this weekend. Also, look for a lot of quick releases from Dixon in the flat, to the RB, and across the middle to Heath. I will be surprised if he takes a lot of shots down field. If our D can hold you under 14, I think Dixon could pull it out for us.

That’s a lot to ask of a guy who is your 3rd string QB & his 1st NFL start. I couldn’t tell you if he’s left or right handed or anything about him. I see a lot of runs in this game & clock management. Still, all you need to do is look at the Detroit game last week to see anything can happen. Also for the kind of quarterbacking that I’m talking about. That guy (I can’t even remember his name right now) took over his team & the game like a veteran QB. Sorry, MaLoR, I’m not trash talking Joe now, but I still am looking for that quality in his play. There’s passers & Joe is among the best & Quarterbacks, I think Joe can become a great one, but he hasn’t shown the take charge leadership it requires yet.

The Wounded Warrior program is outstanding. Yeah, they could have gotten a little more “creative” in their efforts and did something besides a towel, but even us Steeler fans (who can look past your Steeler envy..lol) can appreciate the sentiment behind the effort and salute the people who will benefit through this promotion. I second the hope that both teams get out of this game injury free.