Bill Bergey's Battle of the Network stars look ahead to Week 9 of the NFL

The Steelers to host the Ravens with three of their four starting linebackers likely out: Harrsion, Woodley and Farrior.

Not a good way to start the week.

 

I heard the Woodley injury was cramping, not a hamstring, and that he would play. But it's always nice to start a week filled with Steelers whining before the previous week's games are over.

 

Nope. He has a hammy ...
You can never start whining early enough when its the Steelers and Ravens.

And the Chargers-Chiefs don't really count. It's the AFC West. It sucks. And Steelers fans don't give a shit.

 

Bergey's one of the toughest sum of bitches I had the pleasure of watching play. Eventually had the pleasure of getting to know him a little bit.

Most folks forget he was a Cincinnati Bengal prior to going to the Eagles.

 

That's because Steelers fans aren't football fans.

 

I love you right now.

 

Do you enjoy being wrong so often?

 

You're wrong about this part, too.

Woodley said it was nothing and that he expected to play, but what do you expect him to say. Some NFL.com guy reported during the game that it was a cramp, but Ed Bouchette has been reporting all along that Woodley is likely to miss the game against the Ravens. Bouchette is very rarely wrong about what is going on with the Steelers.

We get it already. You hate the Steelers and all who root for them. Too fucking bad. Steelers-Ravens is the best game of the week. Two of the top teams in the AFC playing in a game that will most likely decide the division championship. It is one of the NFL's best rivalries. It is a game that deserves to be talked about on a Week 9 thread.

The injuries at linebacker are going to be a huge factor in that game. That makes it worthy of discussion. The Steelers have gotten by just fine without Harrison mostly because Woodley has been dominant. They will have one starter playing, and he will be out of position.

 

Did you ever see the Cheap Seats epsiode with Bergey clips from one of those old sports competitions. They did a bit with Bergey as the mute brute from Superman II.

 

Or ir could be because the Steelers-Ravens is a week 9 game. And not worth sticking to the Week 8 thread.

 

Lawrence Timmons, the lone starting linebacker who will probably be available, is having a down year so far after being one of the team's top defensive playmakers last year. And Farrier is the leader, Woodley is the best player and Harrison is the intimidator. Larry Foote was probably the worst starting defensive player, or at least one of the worst alongside Deshea Townsend, on the Steelers for five years. And the other backup linebackers lack in experience.

This is a big test for the Steelers, who were looking pretty unimpressive until they beat the Patriots last week.

Their wins: Seahawks, Colts, Titans, Jaguars, Cardinals and Patriots, the only playoff team of the bunch. And the Steelers' margin of victory, even with that cake schedule and an extra game on the Ravens and Bengals, is third in the division.

I think the Steelers lose to the Ravens, split with the Bengals and lose at the Chiefs and at the 49ers for a 10-6 record. The Bengals and Ravens will probably have similar marks. These division games are enormous.

 

Bill Bergey, by the way, played college football at Arkansas State.