DHS Students Rejoice as NFL Season Gets Under Way

By Darius Majd

The NFL season started up right where it left off – with another tough, nail-biting victory for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Much like in their titanic Super Bowl clash against the Arizona Cardinals, the Steelers had to push themselves to the limit both physically and mentally to vanquish the Tennessee Titans 13-10 in overtime. After a scoreless first 28 minutes of play, each team notched a touchdown just before the break. In the second half, each team could only must a fourth quarter field goal. In overtime, the Steelers won the coin toss, drove down field, and kicked a 33-yard field goal for the 13-10 win. In spite of the low score, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 300 yards, and receiver Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward each had over 100 receiving yards. Though the thrilling game was a great way to start the season, neither team left thrilled. The Titans walked away feeling that they beat themselves, as they missed two field goals from inside 40 yards that would have won the game. The Steelers, despite the victory, have to deal with star safety Troy Polamalu’s MCL sprain (suffered in the first half) that could keep him on the sidelines for up to six weeks. All in all, it was a very eventful opening night for the NFL. DHS junior Charlie Kunze, an avid football player and fan, was pleased with the excitement level of the game. “The game was much closer than most season kickoff games,” he said, “I can’t remember the last time the first game of the season was decided in overtime. However, I would have preferred a higher-scoring outcome. I was also disappointed to see Troy Polamalu get injured in the first half.” Dylan Hurd, another DHS junior who is a football fan, thought that the game was as good of a match up as you could ask for on opening night. “It was the perfect start to the NFL season,” he said, “The teams were so evenly matched, with both defenses leaving it all out on the field.” Whether you were rooting for the Titans or the Steelers, one thing is for certain; if the NFL can regularly produce more games like this one, it will be a great year for professional football.