NFL Week 16: I knew Scott Zolak wore this number, and that's just sad.

Other random No. 16's:

Gary Danielson, Chuck Long, Andrew Walter...I seem to be drawing a blank.

A little help?

 

Norm Snead.

 

Scott Hunter, Randy Wright.

 

I was thinking along the same lines. Tackles as a raw number can be so misleading. A tackle for a 5-yard loss is statistically a tackle just the same as a tackle after a 40-yard gain. But they're nowhere near the same in impact. I don't know if Fletcher has a shitload of downfield tackles compared to Lewis, but I'd be surprised if he has nearly as many tackles for loss or tackles within 2 yards of the LOS.

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-sign-gateways-justin-king-at-cornerback-666851/

I know Ike Taylor has played some horrible games in his career, including the playoff loss in Denver last season, but the Steelers are finding out just how valuable he is right now. The biggest reason Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati the first time around was the job Taylor did on A.J. Green (with help). Keenan Lewis playing with a sore hip isn't going to be able to do that and Taylor is out again this Sunday.

Pittsburgh has transformed from a defense that relies on its pass rush to one that focuses more on coverage in the secondary. That just isn't working without Taylor and I don't expect it to work Sunday, either.

The 2005 team was a popular comparison a few weeks ago in Pittsburgh, but this is looking much more like 2009. That team couldn't hold a fourth-quarter lead and took some terrible losses against bad teams, most of them during a 6-game losing streak. This team has some ugly losses, some blown leads and very likely a streak of five losses in six games down the stretch to miss the playoffs. I really wish I hadn't been right about that when I made the comparison earlier in the season and I hope I'm wrong now, but I just don't see the Steelers beating the Bengals given how both teams are playing and the injuries the Steelers are dealing with.

 

Mark Malone

 

Didn't David Woodley wear 16?

 

I thought the naming convention was crappy Bears QBs.

 

Woodley wore 16 with the Dolphins, 19 with the Steelers. I assume that was because Malone was already there and wearing the number when Woodley came to Pittsburgh.

 

Then what was your point?

 

Packers swept the Bears this season so I'm horning in on YGBFKM's territory.

Next week: Jerry Tagge.

 

Lest we forget David Archer, or Ken Stabler - throwing 33 interceptions and 17 TD passes - on the Saints.