Hey Y'all it's your FAVORITE SportsGal89 Innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn the Buildin! I am here bringing you one exciting "Any Given Sunday!" Today, December 29, 2013, the last Sunday of the year and the last Sunday or gameday that many NFL teams got to play today. Today was the day for the WildCard chase and despite a shotty start to this season and a rocky comeback, the Steelers still had a glimmer of hope when they woke up this Sunday morning.
That glimmer rested on 4 teams, one of which was themselves.
So let me recap... In order for the Steelers to have a shot at the 6th Seed in the AFC, the Bengals, the Jets, the Steelers and the Chiefs NEEDED a win.
So let's talk about today....
1:00pm Game Schedule
Bengals in Cincy against Baltimore
Jets in Miami
Steelers at home against the Browns
KC in San Diego (with no real need to win or lose)
So let's talk- I am starting with the games that ended early and set me up to having one of the most interesting of Sundays.
Jets remarkably take a win in Miami with whack Geno Smith at the helm (1 down)
Steelers do their part (had they lost, we would have been out anyway- 2 down)
Miraculously, Bengals pull out the upset against Baltimore (3 down- to be honest, this would have made my day. I wouldn't have cared one bit about the playoffs or anything else)
** But once it came down that we were only ONE GAME away from actually seeing a playoff spot, something inside me changed. It wasn't just a longshot, we actually HAD a shot at being a 6th seed and if anyone remembers the last time we were a 6th seed
(This guy got the BEST Homegoing and a ring!!!!)
But let me not get ahead of myself.
So it's now 4:25 EST KC and the Chargers are up to play...
The Landscape: All of the starters (or for the most part, a majority of them are benched) Not mad at Reid at all for making that decision. His team regardless of having a #5 seed are in the playoffs. There is no need to cause injury to any of his players, when there is honestly nothing to lose.
So the Chargers- they are also in the hunt for the 6th seed- it comes down to those 4 elements above for the Steelers, but it comes down to a tie or a win for the Chargers to secure their spot--- many less moons, stars and others to align.
Chargers playing their first string giving it all they have to stay in it.
The game: Being in NY was horrible because the game I actually cared about was not on TV- New England dominated on this coast (yuck!) but thanks to some great streaming skills I have, I was able to watch the game that mattered to me. I am sure like the Steelers themselves and the many fans around the country and world, we were all tuned in and for 2hours we were all part of #ChiefsNation
The game was a battle. Chiefs taking the lead and holding the Chargers 24-14 into the third quarter. Then the Chargers got some steam eventually tying the game 24-24.. Watching the time wind down literally gave me heart problems... Here I am watching this game and getting more anxious then if my team had actually been playing ( as a SportsGeek I probably say this a lot, but this was a little different feeling). So alright, it was okay that the Chargers Tied, there was still some time left for the Chiefs to make a nice drive.
It all came down to kicker Succop and he muffs the kick.. HE MISSED! I have NEVER screamed as much as I did following that kick (and I am saying this was louder than the scream and shock I was in when Tebow aired that ball last season ripping away our playoff chances then too!). This placement was perfect for Succop to kick a nice little 41 yarder between the poles, and he muffs the kick.
Overtime comes and I am praying we still have a shot, and it looked as if we might have with a defense that ripped the ball out of one of the Chargers hands- but a Ref calling forward movement and the first down ruins any excitement I had. Chargers kick a field goal and the Chiefs are unable to answer.
With that the Steelers season comes to a close and while today was one of those exciting moments, of we can do it.. I will say this- The Steelers, and any team for that matter, can only rely on themselves when it comes to this sport. You can't put wishful thinking and hope on others to do what you should have done from day one. I love my team wins or losses. This one isn't bitter sweet, but if the Chargers blow their gift, the "what could have been" woes will definitely creep.
That's all she wrote folks... Come back for my playoff predictions later this week!
And an Early Happy New Year to you all!
