Monday Night Football Week Four Live-Blog: Ravens-Steelers 1st Half

Sorry.....I just couldn't pass on that picture. Between S2N and myself we've probably used it close to fifteen times for live-blogs, but it really never gets old. We're getting underway shortly after 8pm in these parts and hopefully the Tigers-Sox game will be all finished up you Baseball fans can revel in Tony's nonsense with the rest of us. Tonight should be a defensive battle and there could very well be some payback for hits like the one below from last year. It should be a fun one....see you then!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QGKlluCU0o&hl=en&fs=1]

I actually hit record ahead of Emmitt's rant on T.O. a minute ago, knowing he was going to do or say something stupid, but he was surprisingly spot on. He said that the receiver got 19 balls thrown his way and that he needs to just shut up and play. A much better way to put it than the way he did by calling him out on Sunday. Oh and Chris Berman just called Michele Tafoya the "Giant Ketchup Bottle" because she's wearing a red coat. I'm sure she really appreciated the "giant" part.

"What Jim Harbaugh said.....who cares?"- Emmitt Smith

Wrong Harbaugh Emmitt, but I too have called him Jim....so I'll let it slide. Yes our first listen of the Bond song we'll be hearing all night! I actually listened to it earlier today, and it's not that bad, but I'm sure it will get old after 40 listens or so.

"He's [Polamalu] the where's the Waldo of the defense."- Ron Jaworski
"He's not hard to find. Just look for the hair!"- Tony Kornheiser
"Well he's got it up today, perhaps the Sarah Palin look?"- Mike Tirico

Ugh. Do they have to bring her up every broadcast?

"Did you say West Coasty?"- Stu Scott
"West Coasty, baby!"- Steve Young

"With Rashawn Mendenhall running the rock...."- Emmitt Smith

Did you just see Emmitt rocking out to that song before he realized he was on-air? Funny stuff. (Via Sports Fanatic)

Damn...I must have just missed it. What was the song?

Gee, Mort reporting that Lane Kiffin is getting fired. It must be Monday. Shouldn't he just wait until Jay Glazer reports it like he usually does? (Via Rob in WI)

Haha.

"Happy New Year again everybody."- Chris Berman

What's the date again? I'm so confused (Update: It's Jewish New Year. That actually makes sense)

"He was decked so much last week by the Philadelphia Eagles, he was like patio furniture, Jaws."- Tony Kornheiser

Still confused. Kickoff is coming up after the commercial and I'm pretty sure Ray Lewis is ready to go....

"Everytime they touch the Football...somebody getting knocked out tonight!"- Ray Ray
_____________________

8:36- Since Tony doesn't have a "live column" angle expect a lot of talk about the Colts and the Steel Curtain defense this evening.

"I'm going to the darkside tonight. I'm going to have some fun breaking down some defense."- Ron Jaworski

Bang! The helmets clash and we're ready for kickoff. Ravens ball first. Baltimore brings it out to the 17-yard line and there were already two huge hits during the first play of the game and a Steeler down.

Over/Under on Favre references tonight? I'm sure he'll still get 3 or 4 even though he has nothing to do with this game. (Via Jay)

Oh especially with the 6 TD performance burning a hole in his pocket from last night. I'd bump it up to 6 or 7. Andre Frazier is still down for Pittsburgh and the cart is out on the field. Okay we're underway. Hopefully everything is okay with Frazier.

8:50- Ravens open up with a pair of runs that go nowhere and then Flacco throws into coverage incomplete on third. Three and out and here come the first of MANY punts tonight. Santonio Holmes with a nice return, but there's a block in the back. Steelers get the ball at the 24.

Mendenhall gets zippy on first down, Heath Miller gets a yard on second but Holmes is wide open and gets nineteen on the play. He also throws a shoulder into a defender at the end as well.

I wonder if Tirico feels left out of Tony and Jaws' bromance. (Via Anon)

I think Tirico just shakes his head at those two. Scott knocks down the first down pass right at midfield. Mendenhall rips off a nice eight yarder and it's 3rd and 2....False start on the play and more flags come in after. The trash talk is underway early and Barnes just flat out slaps Holmes in the head.

"The yap that cause the Barnes tap. Offsetting penalties."- Mike Tirico
"I thought you were going the triple there when you went to yap and tap, I thought you were going to rap. We could have had a whole poetry thing going for you."- Tony Kornheiser
"It's early."- Mike Tirico

Good lord that's so unfunny. Mendenhall with another nice run and it's the Steelers ball at the Ravens' 23 yard line. He loses yards on first down but picks them back up and more on second. It'll be 3rd and 7....another false start on Pittsburgh. 3rd and 12 now....

Sack and it'll be a long one for Jeff Reed now.....

Good. 3-0 Steelers.

"Could be worth a photo on the internet for you Reed fans. Lots of them out there."- Tony Kornheiser

Now that's funny.

9:05- Ravens ball from their own twelve. Play action and Flacco goes deep! Horrible pass into coverage. Jaws talks about Flacco's arm strength and then says the ball was under thrown. Nice. 3rd and long....Flacco is crushed by James Harrison and sacked.

PICK! Ngata picks off Roethlisberger and I have no idea who he was throwing that to.

"It looked like he was going deep and he threw it five feet into a fat guy's gut."- Tony Kornheiser

Tony will be apologizing to fat people randomly in the 4th quarter tonight.

9:15- Ravens are sporting a total of -6 yards of total offense but Flacco puts them back into the black with a throw to Mason. 3rd and short....empty backfield. Polamalu almost picks it but it barely gets to the receiver.

"We call that Sabathia fast."- Tony Kornheiser

McGahee goest nowhere and we're approaching the end of the 1st Quarter and the talk of the eye gouging comes up....

"Last year we had Spygate, this year we have Eyegate."- Tony Kornheiser

Flacco to the endzone! Just out of bounds. 3rd and 8....incomplete. A Stover FG attempt is coming....

Good....3-3.

"A tight end Blackie...blocking." - Jaws (Via SS)

9:24- Whoops. Stover kicks off and the Steelers take over at their own 25. Mendenhall for a few and Lewis with the tackle.

That's the end of the first and we've got a barn burner! 3-3.

Tony is not dong too bad tonight in my humble opinion... (Via ondanutsofbrady)

Enh....it's better because he doesn't have one subject to harp on all game, but his jokes are still lame. Roethlisberger throws it away on second down and it's third and long...incomplete. Ravens to punt.....Figurs muffs the punt, but gets it back and more fighting between the two teams. Ravens get an unsportsmanlike and go back fifteen.

Flacco to McClain and hey....a Linda Cohn update! Sorry she distracts me for some reason. 3rd and nine and Flacco hits Willis for a first down. Nice throw and run. Tony with a nice tidbit about Flacco not being nervous and he throws up another gift that the Steelers can't pick off. Third and long again....

Flacco rolls out and has nowhere to throw to. Another Ravens punt coming. Holmes loses three on the run after a huge punt by Koch and the Steelers will start from their own 11.

NBA Live: Pretending to make improvements since 2001. (Via SS)

So true.

Tony is like my drunk grandfather...ranting and raving but after a while, eh, you just tune it out, smile and nod your head (Via OndanutsofBrady)

I wish that theory worked for me. I just hear fingernails on a blackboard. Steelers go three and out in about 5 seconds and the Ravens will get the ball back in good field position.

9:43- Ravens pick up a quick first down and they're well into Steelers' territory. 3rd and 3, timeout.

"Let them sleep in their homes, didn't do 2-a-gays." - Kornheiseron Billick (Via SS)

Screen to McGahee and he picks up the first. He follows that up with a six yard run to the right but comes up a bit gimpy after the tackle. 2nd and 5 with 6 minutes left to go....Mason bowls over Clark and gets another first down. 1st and Goal from the 8 yard line....

No go on first down and Flacco throws out of bounds on second. 3rd and Goal....Timeout....

Draw to McGahee and that was a questionable call. Stover back out for another FG....

Good...6-3 Ravens. Whoooooo!

9:55- I understand that Flacco is showing promise but he's still just 8 of 16 for 62 yards and should have had at least two passes picked off. Jaws loves him for some reason though, so he's got that going for him.

Roethlisberger loses a shoe and is sacked on 1st down and Mendenhall picks up a few on second. Third and long....Sack....and the Steelers offense are getting booed by their own fans now. Two minute warning and I'm begging for this half to end.

Long delay for a Mason catch that should be overturned, and it is. 1:31 to go....

Jaws keeps calling Flacco "Flock-o." (Via Jay)

I noticed that at one point as well. I thought it was just one instance though. And McGahee is injured once again.

The play by play guy on westwood one is yelling in exictment after random plays (Via KR)

That would be Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason, who might not be together after this season. At least someone cares about this game. Flacco with another dump off to McClain and after a few nice moves he's inside the two! Great run after the catch there and the Ravens call timeout.

1st and goal and holy crap! The Steelers miss a receiver....he's wide open but Flacco spazzes and it's incomplete and with a flag....:26 seconds left. Incomplete on second down and there's another unsportsmanlike flag! This game is just flat out terrible. Offsetting....so it doesn't matter. 2nd and goal....flag on the Steelers.

"1st half has taken a week."- Tony Kornheiser

Amen. Ball at the four now....2nd and Goal....

TOUCHDOWN! Flacco to Wilcox and that's the rookie's first TD pass in the NFL.

13-3 Ravens (I also don't know why I just used an exclamation point when nothing in this game could excite me)

"Oooh, I just hit my..."- Ron Jaworski
"It wasn't on camera."- Tony Kornheiser

That's the half. 13-3 Ravens. I'll be back (begrudgingly) for the second half in a new thread, but I won't hold it against you if you punt the next two quarters and watch something else.