NFL should be thanking Steelers for winning at the buzzer

The NFL had no comment early this morning on the 20-second clock runoff that happened after the touchback before the Steelers’ final possession. The mistake that was missed by referees did not matter as the Steelers won the game, but it would have been another in a long line of officiating mistakes by officials had the Steelers not won.

The NFL is investigating the matter, but clock operators are residents of the home city and hired by the league. They are responsible for alerting officials of a mistake if one is made. Officials on the field also are expected to keep track of the time as a safeguard.

None of that happened in primetime on Monday Night Football. The NFL should be thanking the Steelers this morning for winning that game at the buzzer.

*Mike Tomlin should be thanking Le’Veon Bell for his second effort to get in the end zone, too. In an interview on ESPN shortly after his game-winning touchdown run, Bell said he thought he had time to run and if he fell short call a timeout. Bell, however, did not have that much time. He took the wildcat snap deep in the back, hesitated and patiently waited for a hole to open. By the time he made it to the goal line and stretched the ball across the plane time had expired.

I’m not sure what the bigger story line would have been had the Steelers lost, the timekeeper’s error or Tomlin’s decision to go for the win? Or, at the very least, his decision to go for the win without calling for more of a quick-hitting play.

*Adam Shefter of ESPN reported this morning the Steelers will not rule Ben Roethlisberger out this week though he said it is a “longshot” that he will play. It will be interesting to see what Roethlisberger says on his radio show this morning, but it’s likely more gamesmanship on behalf of the Steelers, who wanted the Chargers to believe all week they’d have to prepare for Martavis Bryant.

*The Steelers have to make room for Bryant on the 53-man roster by 4 p.m. by cutting another player. I know who I’m not cutting – Roosevelt Nix. It was Nix who buried Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle on the final play of the game, which allowed Bell a crease to the goal line.

*The cut could be third-string running back Jordan Todman, who committed a special teams penalty against the Chargers, or Dri Archer, the kick returner who rarely gets to return kicks.

*Who else is starting to think chemistry will never develop between Mike Vick and Antonio Brown?

*Vick doesn’t have much chemistry with any of his receivers. Markus Wheaton, the starter opposite Brown, had only one catch. It happened to be one of the biggest receptions of the game, a 72-yard touchdown with 7:42 remaining that tied the score.

Still, it’s hard to imagine the Steelers beating Arizona if Vick doesn’t have more success throwing to his two starting receivers.