STEELERS 21 COLTS 18: This is why we love sports.

1) Game balls to Coach Cowher, Coach LeBeau, Coach Whisenhut, and the whole staff.

2) Don't blame Manning, don't blame Vanderjagt. (If the Steelers had lost, we should have blamed Jerome Bettis.) Football is the ultimate team game. There are so many plays and so many individual plays within each of them, it is impossible to say one man lost the game.

The Colts were out-hit, out-hustled, out-coached, and out-played.

3) The NFL needs professional, fulltime, 12 month a year game officials. Once again the league has been embarrassed by bad calls by their not-quite-amateur refs.

And in a related matter:

4) Video review must go. And it must go now. I am convinced the officials have become lax because now they can leave the tough decision making up to "replay". No conclusive video evidence my eye!

5) Congratulations to the Steelers' defense for their best game in years. The line, the backers, and the secondary combined to make the Colts'offense look average.

6) For all of you Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter haters out there: It ain't trash talkin' if you can back it up.