The funny thing would be if the Steelers intercepted Tom Brady three times and beat the New England Patriots.
It isn't the likely thing, though.
Having Brady in the lineup for Thursday's NFL opener was very bad news for a defense that, at minimum, needs time to figure things out.
The Steelers' defense isn't very good. It may improve, but that will take time. Facing Brady in the first game doesn't allow for a lot of time.
In fact, the development of the defense will decide what kind of season the Steelers have. From here, it looks like they won't make the playoffs, and they could have a losing record.
The schedule is that tough, and the defense is that questionable.
The offense's problems are temporary. As soon as Le'Veon Bell (two games) and Martavis Bryant (four games) return from their marijuana suspensions, the offense should be in gear. It will be pretty potent even without Bryant for a quarter of the season.
They'll miss Maurkice Pouncey, but they'll adapt.
It's difficult to be that optimistic about a defense that doesn't look to be much improved from last season at this point. Even in the pass happy NFL where points go on the board like a pinball machine, it just isn't possible to win every game 48-41.
Preseason games mean little, but there weren't even hints that the learning curve has eased for some players. They're going to be traveling in the fast lane as soon as Brady steps onto the field Thursday night.
It's possible the Steelers could still see Patriots backup quarterback Johnny Garoppolo on Thursday.
The bad news is he's likely to finish out the game because New England's lead is safe.
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--LEFT OUT
Tony Sanchez wasn't among the players the Pirates recalled for the September roster expansion, and that doesn't bode well for his future.
Sanchez was the fourth player taken in the 2009 draft. He'll turn 28 next May, but he's yet to establish himself in the major leagues.
He had a poor season this year at Indianapolis -- his third consecutive year at the Class AAA level -- and has not shown he could be part of a solution either at catcher or first base. It's telling that the Pirates have been looking for a righthanded-hitting complement to Pedro Alvarez, yet Sanchez's name never seems to come up.
He's at last out of minor league options, which means the Pirates are likely to send him elsewhere this offseason.
It's reasonable to expect that Sanchez, drafted out of college, should have reached the majors by 2012. The Pirates signed Rod Barajas to catch that year. Then they signed Russell Martin for two years. When Martin left, they traded for Francisco Cervelli.
So the Pirates have paid nearly $22 million to other catchers in the four seasons that Sanchez was projected to play in the major leagues.
That's an unnoticed expense that goes beyond the $2.5 signing bonus the Pirates gave Sanchez in 2009. It also shows why another team is likely to sign whatever checks he collects in the future.
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--ONE MORE BOW
The 55-year reunion of the Pirates' 1960 World Series team last weekend was a bittersweet experience.
Since the 50-year reunion, two more players (Gino Cimoli and George Witt) died, meaning only 12 of the 25 men from the Series roster survive. Two of those (Bob Skinner and Dick Schofield) didn't attend last week's reunion.
Vernon Law still looks fit and spry at 85, but most of the others are showing their age. There were some canes and chairs being used when the players went on the field for one more ovation.
The applause made them smile, as did the memories of a special season that bonded them for life a long time ago.
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