I went to the game last night anticipating a blow out.  Of course, the Bengals managed to dissappoint--rather than losing easily so I could get drunk without having to focus on the game--they turned in another agonizing loss.  The defense, despite not being able to put significant pressure on the QB, actually played pretty well.  They need to work on their contain a little, but they really didn't over pursue as much as they usually do against the Steelers and were pretty effective at stopping the run and jamming the passing lanes. 

Offensively, of course, the game was painful.  Fitz was effective on short timing routes, but in obvious passing situations, the protection was poor and Fitz was off.  He also suffered from Glen Holt's apparent inability to catch.  The running game--almost non-existent.  The Steelers special teams were the only thing that made our offense worth watching--we always had good field position.

Overall, I had fun--tailgated from about 6-8, got a few beers, shots of whiskey, jambalaya, and hamburgers in me before the game. Didn't get razzed too much for my Bengals jersey. One of the good things about being a Bengals fan this year is that you pose no real threat to the Steelers, so they kind of see it as a joke. Also, I wasn't the only Bengals fan at the game--

In fact, I met some nice fellows from Dayton who are going to Eagles concert on Saturday.

My tickets were good--40 yard line, 4th row upper deck--as one may be able to tell from this field shot--

And the Pittsburgh Steeler fans were in rare form, this guy fell asleep in the second quarter, woke in the third quarter, yelled "Boo!" then went back asleep.

And here are a couple of my buddies--

Overall a good time, but I would have loved to see a W.