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TAMPA, Fla. -- That Mike Tomlin and Raheem Morris both became NFL head coaches, in large part, for the way they coached the defensive backs in this very city, isn't much more than coincidence, but the freshest fact from their story probably rises to the level of irony:
When they finally faced each other across the same NFL stage, Morris' secondary literally gave the game away.
If that wasn't irony, then it was certainly comedy, or did you happen to miss the wackiness of Cody Grimm, Aqib Talib, Sean Jones, and, heaven forbid, even Ronde Barber, who combined to turn a Steelers offense that hadn't scored a touchdown regulation this season into the Indianapolis Colts?
At one point in the Steelers' third consecutive win, rookie center Maurkice Pouncey even patted Barber on the head as if to say, "Don't worry, little man, we're only here for 60 minutes."
Pouncey has been in three games; Barber has been in five Pro Bowls. Barber is looking for the interception that will make him the only person in history with 40 NFL picks and 25 sacks, but Sunday, Barber looked semi-retired, which is what Hines Ward was talking to him about indirectly late in a 38-13 Steelers Bucs-kicking.
"We were just joking with him and I said to him that I wished he had retired," Ward said. "He was such a great player and he's symbolized the way they play defense in Tampa Bay for so long. It was just a respect thing."
OK, but this one had been anything but respectable from the moment fourth-string quarterback Charlie Batch sent Mike Wallace to the end zone from 46 yards out in the first quarter. Wallace turned to look for the ball, but somehow Grimm, the rookie safety standing right next to him at the time, failed to do so.
"He never even looked for the ball," said Wallace of the first of his two gimme touchdowns. "I was hoping he wouldn't turn around, because I would've had to try to take it away from him."
Grimm, the son of former Steelers assistant Russ Grimm, was starting in lieu of Tanard Jackson, who this week began serving an indefinite suspension for a second violation of the league's substance abuse policy. That news by itself likely prompted Tomlin to pass more.
"I wasn't sure," Tomlin claimed. "We knew we'd have to look there potentially, because I knew they would pack the line of scrimmage early, but I didn't feel great about it."
First Published September 27, 2010 12:00 am
