Long snap:
You got that feeling again Monday night, didn’t you?
You know the feeling. Heart pumping. Fists balled. Maybe even clenching a pillow or beer can a little too tightly, before a wave of relief then jubilation swept over you. There was probably a whoop in there somewhere, one that scared your dog or your spouse. It’s that feeling you get when your team wins a big game in a big way. It’s that feeling that keeps the NFL’s cash registers ringing despite the stupid commissioner, stupid owners and sometimes stupid players.
We’ve been lucky to get that feeling a lot in these parts. When Ben made that shoestring tackle. When that idiot kicker missed. When Troy picked off Flacco. When James Harrison would not be denied. When Santonio toe tapped.
But Mike Tomlin’s teams haven’t provided many moments like that lately. More often, there’s been head shaking and anger. We’ve been fond of saying this coaching staff is sucking the joy out of watching football. And make no mistake, that joy comes not from winning every week or 10 times a season. It comes from winning a big one with a big play for big stakes.
Le’Veon Bell’s TD run in the wee hours Monday, overzealously dubbed The Immaculate Extension, was the first time this group of talented players -- Bell, Antonio Brown, Cam Heyward -- gave us that feeling. If they can’t eventually follow through on the promise of Monday night and provide a big play on a much bigger stage, Bell’s Monday night run will be long forgotten.
But for right now, it was great to feel that way again. And you can get the Steelers players feel pretty close to the same way. The difference is that, as fans, we can only WANT to feel that way again. As players, they can want it and do something about it.
