Box Score Tonight: Week Sixteen/TNF Edition

While I am home for the holidays and do get the NFL Network while I am at home, I sadly did not watch this game. We only get the channel in our main room and my mom loves to hog that TV. And since she's the one actually paying the bills, I think her way rules. So like every other blogger ever alive, I am sitting here writing this post in the basement.

While the above would have been true if I was home, DME and myself went on a double date with our girlfriends and spent a lovely evening in Chicago so the above point is moot because I was unavailable to watch this game anyways. I don't know why I divulged so much personal information in the beginning of this post, but writing clever openings is hard. I mean I'm a riot and all (and humble) but I'm not Adam Carolla here when I can be on all the time (Oh boy, though, that would be the life).

Plus, I feel like I can connect with you Joe GOI Reader and we can bond on a deeper level. We'll begin just as soon as I dominate and be absolutely boring and correct while doing it.

- As expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers trounce the worst team in the NFL right now: the Carolina Panthers 27-3. I don't know though, something seems off about that score. If you want to be the very best, you not only need to beat the crappy teams and do it easily, you need to absolutely demolish them. Like if Auburn played a high school football team. There's a "dominating" factor that goes into rankings of which team is the best and I feel like the Steelers should have put up more points that only 27.
- In fairness to Jimmy Clausen, the Panthers offensive line makes the Bears line seem like they are the New England Patriots. Claussen has no one to throw to, no semblance of a running game (especially against a Steelers defense) and a bottom five receiving corps in the league. But he still had a truly atrocious game: 43 completion percentage, 0/1 TD/INT ratio, 72 passing yards, and a 33.2 passer rating. He still needs to get starts because he is the QB of their future. Assuming they don't draft Andrew Luck.
- Jonathan Stewart gets 18 carries. Mike Goodson gets 4. Stewart (71) gets one less yard rushing than Clausen got passing (72).
- Steve Smith led all receivers in this game with 8 targets, but only gets 3 receptions and gets six less receiving yards (17) as did Carolina's leading pass catcher Mike Goodson (23).
- Big Ben goes off for another great fantasy day after being crappy during the regular season. Teams fighting for 8th in their leagues are thrilled: 69% completion percentage, 320 yards, 1/0 TD/INT ratio, and a 111.5 passer rating. I don't know, the yards and YPA (10.0) are great but it's games like this and the "down" year Roethlisberger is having makes me revert back to my hating on him days. It's that low TD/INT ratio that I don't like. Against the worst team in the league (granted a better-than-you-think decent pass defense) he should have put up at least 3 TDs. If Tom Brady or Michael Vick played this game, I think they would have done that- because those guys are truly elite.
- I've been liking Mendenhall all year because of his Illinois ties and such, but I feel like I've been seeing a lot of these games like the one he had on Thursday and calling them good, but I think they're just average at best and my bias calls them good. He got 65 yards on 18 carries (3.6 YPC- that's Matt Forte bad) but he saves the day with a touchdown. Again, I feel like he's had a lot a lot a lot of 3.9 YPC or less days but he gets a touchdown (which saves you in fantasy) and he's been a workhorse, but maybe I need to downgrade him for the season.
- Mike Wallace again makes me look good: 4/6, 104 yards, TD. I have him in one league and am facing him (b/c TBO owns him) in the GOI league. I'm conflicted.
- Hines Ward also gets 8 targets and like Steve Smith also only gets 3 catches. But Ward got 38 receiving yards- more than half of the passing yards Clausen threw.
- Considering nothing really happened in this game, um, yeah, I'm done.

Does anybody but me read BST's? Come on, ANY suggestions how to end these. I'm all ears.