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Thursday Night Observations: Ravens-Steelers Kicks Off Great Week for NFL

A few observations while watching the Thursday night game:

The Steelers have been outscored 51-9 in the last six quarters.

Le'Veon Bell looks incredibly nimble for a big back. He was also patient and had good vision. In PPR, I'd take him ahead of Montee Ball or Marshawn Lynch in spite of the Steelers' problems

Justin Forsett and Bernard Pierce seem to be in a traditional timeshare with the bigger back getting most of the early-down and goal-line work and Forsett coming in as a change of pace and on some passing downs. Forsett is quick, but doesn't have breakaway speed and doesn't break tackles. Pierce is a power runner, but isn't especially elusive. Lorenzo Taliaferro didn't see any work but could before long.

Steve, not Torrey, Smith is Joe Flacco's No. 1 read - at least for now. Torrey Smith runs deeper routes and isn't the go-to guy on the more common throws.

Owen Daniels vultured two scores, but Flacco tried to go to Pitta in the end zone with a ball that was nearly picked off. Pitta is still the TE to own and should get 70-80 catches if healthy.

That Antonio Brown had escaped a concussion on a big hit in the first half was pretty evident when the Steelers had him return a punt. It was a quiet game for Brown, but he still earned his keep in PPR thanks to a garbage-time drive.

Ben Roethlisberger has good weapons with Brown, Markus Wheaton, Heath Miller and Bell, but this team could really use a field stretcher/red-zone target. Maybe Martavis Bryant can fill that role when he gets healthy.

The Ravens run blocking wasn't especially good until late in the game when the Steelers defense wore down. Considering how the Browns ran on Pittsburgh, I think Flacco will be throwing the ball a lot this year.

Jim Nance said this week was "arguably the darkest in the history of the league." That only makes sense if you add: "...in terms of embarrassment and damage to the commissioner's office." The first Ray Rice video aired months ago, and the incident happened in February. The only people for whom this week is especially bad are Rice, Goodell and usually sanctimonious NFL officials who are now on the other end of the stick. As James Harrison tweeted at Goodell's account: "Ain't no fun when the rabbit got the gun." But you can see with whom Nance identifies here.

For most, this week is a long overdue comeuppance to a corporate culture that behaved badly, tried to downplay a domestic assault and threw the book at a young star whose actions harmed no one and didn't prevent him from being the best receiver in the NFL. The only thing that could make it better is if by its end, Goodell is out of a job and Josh Gordon is reinstated. It might not happen that soon, but by October 1, I expect that to be the case. No matter what the owners say right now, Goodell's pretense of moral authority - the facade he needs to present in order to say things like: "Ignorance is not an excuse" - is irreparably cracked open.