(Photo: Hyoung Chang, DenverPost.com)

When Tim Tebow and the Broncos upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in their wild card playoff match-up last Sunday, most people theorized that divine intervention had a something to do with it. But true football fans understood that it was actually the arrogance of coordinator Dick LeBeau and the Steelers defense – who stacked the box all day and challenged Denver to throw the ball downfield – that allowed Tebow to pass for 316 yards and 2 TDs (including 204 yards to Demaryius Thomas), and knock the defending AFC champs off their throne.

As usual, the NFL Films crew was on hand in Denver to capturing all the sights and sounds from the game for their super-awesome SoundFX program. For this contest, they had Ben Roethlisberger and Elvis Dumervil mic’d up, along with countless parabolic mics roaming the sideline to pick up all the extra-curriculars. So enjoy as we get to watch the action unfold through the eyes of the players and coaches on the field, in what will already go down as a game for the ages:

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

in what will already go down as game for the ages,

Who's got two thumbs and is more popular than Jesus? THIS GUY! (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images via Yahoo.com)

Pretty much every “expert” in the media had written off Tim Tebow and the Broncos heading into this weekend’s Wild Card match-up against the the heavily favored Steelers. And for good reason. The magic seemed to have run out for Tebow and Denver, having lost their last three games in ugly fashion and backed their way into the playoffs, with Tebow’s fabled mystique noticeably deteriorating toward the end of the season.

Today, in an ironic role reversal, Tebow and the Broncos found themselves ahead early and having to fight off a furious comeback attempt by Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. Tebow threw for one 2nd quarter score on a 30 yard bullet to Eddie Royal and ran for another to give Denver a 20-6 halftime lead. But Roethlisberger rallied Pittsburgh in the second half, tying the game on a 31-yard strike to Jericho Cotchery with just under 4 minutes remaining and sending things to overtime.

Then came “Tebow Time”: with the Broncos’ season on the line, Timmy did what he does best and came up with a huge play when it mattered most. On the very first play of overtime, Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas in stride at the 40 yard line for an 80-yard walk-off touchdown, giving Denver a stunning 29-23 victory:

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

Tebow finished with over 300 yards passing on the day including an astounding 204 yards on four completions to Demaryius Thomas. Check out more of Tebow’s highlights HERE.

According to the NFL’s new playoff overtime rules, the team who wins the coin toss and gets the ball first needs a touchdown to win the game outright … otherwise, the other team gets a possession to try and tie or win the game. But Thomas made sure the new rules didn’t come into play today. In looking at the replay, Steelers S Ryan Mundy got caught out of position before the snap, so when Thomas caught the pass at the 40-yard line and stiff-armed his defender, there was nothing between him and the endzone but green grass.

And of course, immediately following the score, Tebow fell to the grass to give thanks to the man upstairs, taking his classic pose:

(Image via instntrply.com)

It’s a great win for Tebow and the Broncos, who will travel to New England to take on Belichick, Brady and the Patriots next weekend … so Tebow will continue to need all the help he can get.

(via mocksession.com)

The first outage came at 5:19pm local time, delaying the start of the game for 20 minutes before power returned. But early in the second quarter, with the 49ers leading 6-0, the lights went out again. This time, the delay lasted 16 minutes before play resumed.

Steelers LB James Harrison, serving his one-game suspension, chimed in via Twitter:

If I cant play then can’t nobody play… Lights out!

RIP Don Meredith.

(Photo: ESPN.com)

In an unprecedented disciplinary move, the NFL has suspended Steelers’ LB James Harrison for one game following his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns QB Colt Mcoy last Thursday (VIDEO HERE).  It was Harrison’s fifth illegal hit against a QB in the past three seasons, which qualifies Harrison as a “repeat offender” and therefore made him subject to suspension.

From the league’s official statement:

Harrison was penalized for roughing the passer in last Thursday night’s Steelers-Browns game for an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit against a defenseless quarterback, Cleveland’s COLT MC COY. In addition to four fines for illegal hits against quarterbacks in 2009 and 2010, Harrison also was fined twice for unnecessary roughness during that period. Harrison totaled six fines in that two-year period.

The 2011 League Policies for Players manual states: “Players who were fined for violations in 2009 or 2010, and whose fines were either partially or fully upheld, will be considered second and/or repeat offenders under this policy.”

Prior to now, the league had only levied fined against players for such behavior, but Harrison has been the poster child for the league’s new policy against helmet-to-helmet hits for years now. Despite the fact that Harrison plans to appeal, there really is no defense for the way he lowered the crown of his helmet directly into McCoy’s facemask the way he did on this play. Roger Goodell had finally seen enough, and decided to drop the hammer.

Whether or not you agree with the legue’s crackdown on vicious hits, this is the NFL today … like it or not. And after years of fines and warnings, it’s clear that Harrison still just doesn’t get it. Maybe missing some actual game time will get through to him.

BONUS GIF OF THE HIT AFTER THE JUMP

(Image via mocksession.com)

(Image via mocksession.com)

As much as we love the enthusiasm, we’re not exactly sure what Brown was going for here. Some have speculated that it was a tribute to Billy “White Shoes” Johnson’s “Funky Chicken” (not even close) or the Carlton Banks (maybe), while others have suggested that Brown is mimicking carrying his own big swinging balls through the endzone (most likely).

Either way, we like it.  We’re not even sure why, but we like it a lot.

That's Ward in the center, with his feet in the air (Image via CBS Sports)

With our weekly feature, Hit Of The Week, ReadAndReact will find the most brutal tackle, block or run from each weekend of NFL games, and present it for your viewing pleasure. 

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We’re back with our inauguaral HOTW selection for the 2011 NFL season!

This one comes courtesy of Ravens LB Jarret Johnson, who took the opportunity on Sunday to destroy Steelers WR Hines Ward as he came across the middle at the line of scrimmage, potentially looking to receive a shovel pass of some sort. But Johnson sniffed out the play and sent Ward into next week, forcing Ben Roethlisberger to improvise and throw an INT to Ed Reed, thus continuing the Steelers craptacular opening day display:

(apologies for the less-than-stellar video quality, but this is the best we could find for now … we’ll update if better video surfaces)

UPDATE: Here’s another version of the video, with multiple rewinds of the hit, if you’re into that sort of thing.

On Monday, Johnson said he was just reacting to the play, and didn’t have time to premeditate the hit:

“When I hit him, I didn’t expect him to do a freakin’ flip,” said Johnson. “I was just kind of reacting to the play. You don’t even remember a lot of stuff, and I just remember recognizing the play and kind of sitting back. I don’t remember if I took one step or if I ran or what.”

But after all the blind-side blocks Ward has delivered to unsuspected defenders in his career, and with the inherent rivalry in this match-up, this one had to feel like a little bit of payback on behalf of defensive players everywhere. In fact, Johnson went as far as to say so on Monday morning:

“The thing about him – guys like him that are kind of dirty guys, guys that’ll take shots – they usually get theirs,” Johnson said. “Hines never really gets his. He never gets popped for some reason, and part of it is he’s a smart player. He knows when to take his shots and when not to. He knows when to mix it up and when to stay out.

(…)

“Everybody wants to knock that guy out.”

Ravens LB Terrell Suggs, perhaps the most outspoken Ravens defender, also indicated as much after the game:

 When asked if the hit on Ward would draw an ovation, Suggs said: “It probably will. Hines Ward is definitely the guy we dislike the most, just like I’m the guy the Steelers dislike the most.”

Sunday confirmed Indy's worst fears. (Source: NBCSports.com)

Week 1 in the NFL is a lock to produce its share of over-the-top, knee-jerk reactions. Half the league’s fan base wakes up Monday morning feeling great about themselves — and life. The other half are looking around the house for sharp objects. The meaningless preseason has given way to real games, and losses can’t be shrugged off — for some teams, Sunday was a reality check. Here’s a look at yesterday’s biggest losers:

5t. Cleveland (27-17 to Cincinnati): Extremely disappointing for the Browns. Cleveland has won only ONE opener since 1999, despite hosting every one of those games. With their new pass-oriented attack run by Colt McCoy, the Browns looked poised to take a step up in the AFC North — instead, they’re 0-1 after dropping a stinker to Cincy, who many considered worst team in football.

5t. New York Giants (28-14 to Washington): Every other team in this division gets massive media hype, but Washington could end up surprising. They’re immediately dismissed because Rex Grossman‘s at quarterback, but the Shanahans love this kid, and he performed yesterday. For the (heavily banged-up) Giants, a loss that raises more questions about Eli Manning, but not earth-shattering. They played even in the first half and, more importantly, this is a team that does not give up.

4. Kansas City (41-7 to Buffalo): A nightmare opener for the Chiefs, who were as lifeless as they appeared during a tumultuous preseason. Last year’s 10-6 team looked hundreds of miles away.

3. Dallas (27-24 to New York Jets): The Cowboys ended this one in embarrassing fashion, but it was the loss of their starting three corners for most of the second half that allowed Mark Sanchez to find his receivers (including the tedious Plaxico Burress) and climb back in. It’s a bitter defeat for Dallas, but they looked fantastic defensively early on, and there’s reason for hope here. Jason Garrett is putting together a team that could (or should, at least) defeat anyone else on this list.

2. Pittsburgh (35-7 to Baltimore): Are the Steelers in trouble? Not yet. The team has climbed out of bigger holes than this. The team is aging, yes, but they are among the best-coached squads in the game. The Ravens wanted this one more — and it showed.

1. Indianapolis (34-7 to Houston): Nobody picked Indy to go anywhere without Peyton Manning, but Sunday’s trainwreck was clear confirmation that the Colts are in jeopardy without their all-everything quarterback. Granted, it’s going to take Kerry Collins time to learn the offense, but there was very little, if anything, to be hopeful about in this one.

The 9/11 tribute ceremonies from Chicago (Photo: NFL.com)

On the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001, the National Football League pauses to pay tribute to the memory of those lost, as well as the heroes from that fateful day.  In addition to allowing players to wear 9/11 tribute gear, a recorded introduction by Robert De Niro, followed by a trumpet performance of “Taps” ran across all networks before the national anthem was sung along with a similar flag ceremony in each stadium.

The video below includes the complete intro, along with the ceremonies from Baltimore prior to the Ravens-Steelers game, not far from where the attack on the Pentagon took place ten years ago, with the anthem being sung by Mishael Miller:

But perhaps the most emotional anthem came from Chicago before the Bears-Falcons contest, where local favorite Jim Cornelison gave another sitrring rendition (previously), with Bears fans cheering along:

VIDEO OF CORNELISON’S ANTHEM AFTER THE JUMP

The ceremonies will continue at NFL stadiums all day long, and we expect the proceedings in Washington later today – and even more so those at the Meadowlands in New Jersey tonight – to be especially moving.

The Browns hope Massaquoi is ready to roll West Coast-style.

The Cleveland Browns are finally getting some players back.

Receiver Mohamed Massaquoi returned to practice Saturday after suffering a fractured left foot at “Camp Colt,” the workout sessions organized during the lockout by quarterback Colt McCoy.

Massaquoi told the Plain Dealer he wasn’t certain when the injury occurred during the practices in Austin, Texas.

“I have no clue where it came from or when it happened,” said Massaquoi. “It was just one of those things where it flared up and we dealt with it. And now hopefully that’s the end of it.”

With Cleveland’s opener against the Bengals less than two weeks away, an injury-gripped preseason has forced coach Pat Shurmur to make roster decisions without seeing his full squad in action.

He’s not about to make Browns fans forget about this guy, but Massaquoi appears to be a good fit in Shurmur’s West Coast offense, which McCoy has run with efficiency so far, throwing four touchdowns to one interception in three preseason tilts.

With Eric Steinbach out indefinitely and a laundry list of Browns nicked up, it’s hard to imagine how Cleveland can compete in the AFC North beyond fiddling around with the Bengals.

In what appears to be a lockout-induced scheduling tick, the Browns don’t play Pittsburgh or Baltimore until December, giving this young team — with new offensive and defensive schemes — time to mature before the big boys hit the scene.

From another angle, having to play the Steelers and Ravens four times in the course of a month is impossible to spin positively — it’s not something even the best of team’s would look forward to.

The Browns better grow up fast.

Ben Roethlisberger's apartment was quite a challenge for Stanton and Menotti.

Nathaniel Stanton: Stanton and Menotti Contemporary Interiors, Nathaniel speaking.

Ben Roethlisberger: Hi, I’m calling to see if I could hire an interior decorator for my apartment.

NS: You have come to the right place! What is your name, sir?

BR: Ben Roethlisberger. My friends call me Big Ben.

NS: Outstanding!

BR: I play football for the Steelers.

NS: This is the game with all the men and the tight pants?

BR: Uh… yeah, I guess.

NS: What a delight! Do you have a particular look you would like for your apartment? Maybe something to design around? Art perhaps?

BR: Well, I have a Beers of the World poster and a collection of Fatheads.

NS: A Fat Head?

BR: These large, stick-on football players. You put them on your wall.

NS: So a Maximalists, perhaps. Do you have any furniture that you would like to keep? Just trying to get a sense… Would hate to give you English Chintz when you might really be looking for Neo-Bachelor Minimalism, if you know what I mean.

BR: I don’t think I have anything I need to keep. Oh that’s not true, I bought a replica of Dumbledore’s chair from the Harry Potter movies. I like to sit on that chair with a bucket of hot chicken on my lap and search for foreign nudie movies on Netflix streaming and make my way through a 12-pack.

NS: An heirloom piece… I see. We must keep it. Do you entertain?

BR: Well, sometimes Hines will come over and cook me dinner if we have had a tough practice. He likes to put on an a tiny apron and make a roast. We unwind together. He calls it, “us time.” I also will sometimes just call random numbers at the college and if a girl answers, invite her over.

Nathaniel creates an inviting, minimalist bedroom while still highlighting Big Ben's favorite Fathead from his extensive collection. (Photo: Nathaniel Stanton)

NS: It almost sounds like you might do well with Amherst Fraternity Casual, a mix of high and low pieces, a masculine presence, almost Scandinavian youth hostel if you will, where you could spill a Natural Light and not worry about it, but one where you would feel comfortable slipping on some silk pajamas and having a nice glass of merlot with your intriguing friend Hines on an indulgent couch upholstered in the finest Austrian mohair.

BR: That sounds like it exactly.

NS: Smashing! I think it might be best if I make a trip over with some measuring tape and my pad and see if we can’t come up with something that fits your lifestyle. We have to get the colors right. Maybe something emerald, indigo, or maybe we just go with goats eye. The floors will have to be lacquered black…or white, something that you could easily mop up if someone vomits, but so shiny you could see up a co-ed’s skirt.

BR: Get out of my head Nathaniel!

NS: We are simpatico! When can I pop over?

BR: Any time is fine. My schedule is currently wide open.

NS: See you tomorrow afternoon; get ready for some fabric samples!