The return of the old defense -- the one with the sacks and takeaways and pressure -- was a one-game wonder against an inferior opponent.
Faced with better competition in Baltimore, the other "old" defense reappeared. This one is old in the sense that too many people are on the wrong side of 30.
So now the Steelers are 5-7. They're not out of the playoff hunt, but the chances are slim. It's far more likely they'll finish 8-8 again and watch the playoffs on TV.
This, of course, is the worst of all worlds. They miss the postseason, but they're not bad enough to claim a prime drafting position.
A top 10 pick would be a huge help in an offseason of big changes.
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--JUST FOR KICKS
Too bad the Steelers weren't wearing their silly jailbreak throwback uniforms in Baltimore.
Shaun Suisham's misdirection play on the ill-fated onside kick at the end looked like something Curly would have done in one of the old Three Stooges shorts.
He put so much effort into the weaving reverse approach to the ball that he neglected the most important part -- making sure the ball went 10 yards so the Steelers could legally recover it.
It was the worst play since Suisham broke the monotony of the snap/hold/kick sequence earlier in the game by running up to kick a ball that hadn't arrived yet.
Suisham has been money for the Steelers, so the intent isn't to pick on him or blame him for the loss.
It's just that those two plays brought back bad memories of when Booth Lusteg was kicking for the Steelers.
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--HOMETOWN ADVANTAGE
Selection of the three stars is a hockey tradition, but nothing that should be taken seriously.
The picks are usually made by the home team's PR staff, and often reflect that bias.
That was illustrated by the Penguins' game at Tampa Bay on Friday. The Lightning's J.T. Brown was named the game's No. 2 star. His team lost 3-0.
There was no recognition of Sidney Crosby, who had three assists, or Chris Kunitz, who scored two goals.
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--ABANDONING SHIP
There was a big celebration last month when 93.7 The Fan (KDKA-FM) topped the local radio ratings in October.
The November results might make for a blue Christmas at CBS Radio headquarters.
The Fan's huge numbers for October were influenced greatly by the Pirates' first postseason appearance in 20 years. The Fan had six postseason games, plus all the discussion.
A decline was inevitable in November, but it turned out to be much larger than anyone probably projected. The Fan's audience share for November was less than half of what the station had in October. Not quite first-to-worst, but close.
It's a stunning drop, and it may be unprecedented for a station to lose so much audience in one month without making a format change.
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--FIRE AWAY
Good luck to all the hunters who head to the woods looking for a deer. Stay safe.
Might not be legal or sporting, but wouldn't it be better to hunt cows instead? They move slower, and they're better eating.
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