Silent night, holy notes. . . .
In a game the Steelers had to win to wrap up the AFC North, they allowed nine points. On the road. To the second-best team in the division.
Not 19 points or 29. Nine. Against a team that was averaging 24.3 points a game, 29.8 in its previous eight. Good thing, because the Pittsburgh offense accounted for only 13.
Moral to the story: The Steelers, as we speak, may be the best team in the league, and it isn’t because of their offense. Truth is, they’re almost as big a threat to score when their defense is on the field as they are when their offense is out there.
The Steelers, like the Titans, the other team in the best-in-the-AFC-if-not- the-business argument, are all about defense. Pittsburgh ranks 21st in the league in scoring, Tennessee No. 9. Two last-place teams — Buffalo (306) and New Orleans (390) — and four next-to-last-place teams have scored more than the 302 points by the Steelers.
That’s why, if I had an MVP vote, it would go to Steelers linebacker James Harrison, he of the 15 sacks and seven forced fumbles. . . .
But that will never happen, of course. Harrison will have to settle for the defensive player of the year award while some quarterback or running back wins the MVP. Which brings us to Kurt Warner.
Wonderful guy, Warner. Standup guy. Great guy. But the MVP? Winning the NFL’s worst division — the NFC West is a combined 18-38, just ahead of the AFC West at 19-37 — shouldn’t win you an MVP award.
The bottom line is this: In a crazy, mixed-up season in which more points could be scored than in any other year since the 1970 merger, the best teams are those with the best damage-control departments. And Pittsburgh, thanks in large part to Harrison, sits atop that list. . . .
Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky, telling reporters about the state of the franchise after Sunday’s loss at Indy: “Everybody says we stink. . . . We don’t have much debate with that.” . . .
Marvin Harrison, in the twilight of a Hall of Fame career, moved into third place on the all-time receptions list with 1,095. Seven more and he passes Cris Carter for second behind the incomparable Jerry Rice at 1,549. . . .
This being big-boy, no-excuses-allowed football, the Giants aren’t going to admit it until the offseason. But make no mistake, they miss Plaxico Clueless. No New York WR has accounted for more than 60 yards in a game since his suspension. The G-men have scored 22 points in their past two games — two field goals, a safety, a blocked FG returned for a touchdown, and a 1-yard TD pass to tight end Darcy Johnson, plus two PATs. . . .
The Giants’ loss at Dallas gave them their first losing streak since the first two games of last season, when they lost to the Cowboys and Packers. . . .
Just wondering: What’s more troubling if you’re a Jets fan: Brett Favre making a run at 20 interceptions or a run D that allowed Buffalo almost 200 yards? . . .
From ESPN’s Chris Mortensen: Al Davis is considering Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride to be his next head coach waiting to get fired. . . .
Which, of course, sent us to the archives for the infamous Buddy Ryan quote after he punched Gilbride on the sideline: “He has no business coaching the pros. He should be selling insurance. He’s a wimp.” . . .
Roger Goodell, during an impromptu news conference while taking in the Raiders’ latest debacle: “This franchise has been competitive for decades. I’m sure Mr. Davis and the Raiders are going to turn that around.” . . .
Sorry. I’m sure you’re waiting for the punch line from the commish, but there isn’t one. . . .
And finally, an online respondent during a Monday morning Post chat, when a question arose about Jarvis Moss: “Moss. That’s what grows on the opposing quarterback with all that time back there.”
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
