Just checking in to assure everyone I'm still around. A couple of notes about Divisional Weekend follow, plus a few ideas for the Blitzburgh offseason.

*I didn't do this for Wildcard Weekend because I pretty much didn't see any of the games. Whatever. Jump.

We get emailed press releases all of the time and usually don't even open them up. But Monster's Director of Fandemonium contest has caught our eye because a devoted Steeler fan is among the finalists. Here's how to vote for her and the other finalists...plus a video of her flubbing basic Steeler knowledge.

Even though the 2009 season was a disappointment for the Pittsburgh Steelers, there are still moments and players worth remembering. It's with this in mind that we decided to hand out some e-awards to some members of the team for their play in 2009. Besides, it beats talking about watching the other teams that actually made the playoffs.

First up, we hand out our honors for rookie of the year. It's a runaway vote for a third-round pick that consistently ran away from opposing defenses during 2009...jump it.

QB coach Ken Anderson has retired. And accoridng to KDKA, Bruce Arians gets the axe today. Many Steelers fans get their wish.

Back in training camp, Mike Shanahan had been spotted hanging out wathcing the Steelers practice. I don't know about anyone else, but visions danced in my head of Shanahan taking over the offense under Tomlin. Shanahan is all over the Redskins' job, though, so it looks like that fantasy will never be a reality.

As for Arians himself, I'm not sure if he's really to blame. The offense obviously had problems at times, and it's easy to blame play-calling when it doesn't work. But how many times is Ben the one calling plays in important situations or the red zone? We may never know. But Arians got the blame for the offense's struggles, and now he's out. Coupled with the retirement of Kenny Anderson, there's a big hole to fill on the Steelers' sideline. It will be interesting to see who Tomlin hires to fix this.

Looks like the organization isn't wasting any time getting down to business thiss offseason. Here We Go.

EDIT: Not official yet, but now it looks like this will happen by the end of the week.

EDIT AGAIN: Or not. Arians is apparently retaining his job, but Bob Ligashesky has also been relieved of his duties as special teams coach. Finally.

As I type this, the Jets are hammering the Bengals in an embarassment to the AFC North. I'm calling this game at 30-0 in the 4th. In any case, the playoff mystery has been solved with both Baltimore and the Jets winning.

WILDCARD WEEKEND:

• Baltimore Ravens (6) at New England Patriots (3)
• New York Jets (5) at Cincinnati Bengals (4)
• Philadelphia Eagles (6) at Dallas Cowboys (3)
• Green Bay Packers (5) at Arizona Cardinals (4)

Three out of those four games will be rematches, which has to be some kind of NFL record. And with no-shows by the Eagles, Cardinals, and Bengals in each meeting, it's hard to think any of those will be any different.

If you're disappointed the Steelers didn't make it, so am I. But they didn't really belong with the NFL's elite after what happened this season. The bright side is that they finished strong and gave us a reason to watch in the last three weeks. For that I thank them. But now the Steeler offseason will begin and we'll have a lot to talk about over the summer. For the next month, pick your next allegiance and enjoy what the 2009 season has been leading up to.

After that, we'll deal with free agency, the draft, coaching changes, and all the other stuff football nerds love about the offseason.

Okay, let's be serious here. Have you seen the Dolphins at all this season? I haven't. In the following list, I am going to tell you everything I know about the Dolphins this year:

• Bill Parcells runs them.
• Like 30 celebrities own them.
• Joey Porter is still there.
• They only start quarterbacks named Chad (and everyone named Chad is an a-hole).
  

They've had a few upsets and a few letdowns, and no doubt they're looking to ruin Pittsburgh's playoff chances and maybe sneak in themselves. There's been a lot of talk about the Jets and the Ravens needing to lose. Houston needing to lose. The one game Steeler fans are'nt talking about is the most important: the Dolphins absolutely must lose on Sunday. It's a 1:00 game too, so in every sense, that comes first. If the Steelers win, then we can watch Baltimore play in the Black Hole at 4:15. Then we can watch the Jets play Cincinnati at 8:20. There's a full day of football left to decide the AFC, and everyone should be glued to their couches from 1:00 on.

And listen, LaMarr Woodley came out and said that the Patriots or Bengals would deliberately lose their games so they wouldn't have to see the Steelers in the playoffs. That's a joke. If the Steelers don't make it in, you can't blame the Bengals. You can't blame the Patriots (I mean, no one will complain if you're hating on Belichick, but still). The Steelers and their fans can blame the awful losses to bad teams. The missed FGs against Chicago. The failure to stop Cincinnati on 4th down. The games against Kansas City, Oakland, and Cleveland that no one will ever be able to justify.

If the Steelers do not make the playoffs, it is their own fault. They really don't belong there, and we should consider it a blessing that they even have a glimmer of hope about sneaking in at this point. As it stands, the odds aren't too unrealistic, but we should all be prepared for the worst.

On Sunday afternoon, we may see the Steelers play for the last time until next fall. We may not see Casey Hampton, Ryan Clark, Jeff Reed, etc. in black and gold ever again. So we have a game against the Dolphins left. The Steelers need to play like it's their last game, and you need to watch like it's your last game. And regardless of the outcome, the AFC will finally fall into place at the conclusion of Sunday night's game, which is something we're all waiting to see. Let's hope the Steelers can sneak their way into it.

Here We Go.

There are three that don't involve a million ties. All of these must scenarios involve the Steelers winning next week against Miami of course:

1) Texans lose or tie and Jets lose or tie.

2) Texans lose or tie and Ravens lose or tie.

3) Jets lose or tie and Ravens lose or tie and Broncos lose or tie.

Classic Baltimore/Pittsburgh matchup. Big hits, some turnovers, Baltimore penalties every other punt return. It was a hard fought battle but the Ravens ultimately fell apart before the Steelers did. Coupled with a Jacksonville loss to New England and a few other games falling in our favor around the league, the Steelers are still very much alive in the playoff hunt despite a highly imperfect game.

I should say, they're still alive in the playoffs. The playoffs have already started. Lose and you're done. Next week it goes on in Miami.

But for now, as fans, let's take some time and bask in the glory of watching the Ravens fall at Heinz Field.

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Greetings, Steeler Nation. I hope you're enjoying your non-denominational holiday breaks. I certainly am, especially with one of the best football games of the season coming up on Sunday! Yes, I said it. The Steelers/Ravens game on Sunday at 1:00 will be one of the best of 2009. Why? Jump.