Haloti Ngata provided some of that aggression and physicality with his third quarter hit on Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall.  If this hit wasn’t as hard as Craig Butler’s bone crushing sack on Buck Pierce during yesterday’s CFL action, it was awfully close.

So that leaves us with just one question: Whose shoes would you rather have been in yesterday?  Buck Pierce’s or Rashard Mendenhall’s?

You may want to watch the video below (and this video, if you haven’t seen Butler’s hit) before deciding.

While most people in America were busy cheering and celebrating the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S. military forces, Rashard Mendenhall took a different standpoint on the event.

Rather than celebrate the occasion, the Steelers’ running back questioned those who had been doing so via his Twitter account.  He also questioned whether 9/11 was in fact the work of Bin Laden, or a conspiracy:

“What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side…”

“We’ll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style.”

The last comment has since been deleted from his twitter account.

As you would expect, these comments have caused quite the uproar among the American media and citizens.  As a result, Mendenhall felt the need to start up his own blog, titled “Clarification.”  And much like the title indicates, he has used it in an attempt to clarify the comments made on his Twitter account.

Here is a look at some of Mendenhall’s “clarification.”  You can see the entire post here:

This controversial statement was something I said in response to the amount of joy I saw in the event of a murder. I don’t believe that this is an issue of politics or American pride; but one of religion, morality, and human ethics. In the bible, Ezekiel 33:11 states, “Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!…”. I wasn’t questioning Bin Laden’s evil acts. I believe that he will have to face God for what he has done. I was reflecting on our own hypocrisy. During 9/11 we watched in horror as parts of the world celebrated death on our soil. Earlier this week, parts of the world watched us in horror celebrating a man’s death.

I must say, the man may actually have a point…Then again, F*ck Bin Laden!  It’s a celebration b*tches!

With the win wrapped up and only a few kneel-downs left to make things official, Big Ben became the victim of a Mendenhall celebratory dry-hump on the grass of Heinz Field.  I guess Roethlisberger simply couldn’t wait to find a woman’s restroom this time around.

The third-year running back out of Illinois was unstoppable in the first half, running for first-down after first-down as he accumulated 95 of his 121 rushing yeads in the opening 30 minutes.  That included a long run of 35-yards and a short 1-yard touchdown run as the Steelers went into the break leading 24-3.  They would fail to score another point during the final 30 minutes as Mendenhall would slow down considerably, but a 21-point lead was all their defense needed as they would hold on for the 24-19 victory.

With the win, the Steelers find themselves playing in their third Super Bowl in the last six years.  There they will meet the Packers, who have been on fire since losing to the New England Patriots in week 15.  Their defense has been impressive in the playoffs, allowing an average of only 17 points per game and 69.7 rushing yards per game against.  If the Steelers expect to win their seventh Super Bowl title, they will need to another solid performance from Mendenhall, who earns our “Stat Line of the Night” for Sunday, January 23, 2011.

It can be difficult to identify such players, and that is why we here at TPS are going to help you out. Each Tuesday for the remainder of the season, we will give you some players to look out for that may be on your waiver wire. These players are the ones we assume are available in most leagues, but beware. There may be better free agents out there that we have not listed because we just assume that someone should already have taken them. If one of those guys is a free agent in your league, PICK HIM UP!

Here is a look at some guys you may want to take a look at in you league:

Derek Anderson, CLE, QB: He may not have won the game for the Cleveland Browns, but Derek Anderson was able to preform well enough to record two offensive touchdowns for a team that had struggled to get into the endzone in the first three weeks.  He may not be starter worthy on most fantasy teams, but it may be a good idea to pick up the newly promoted starting quarterback in hopes that he can regain the form he showed two years ago when he threw for 29 touchdowns and 3787 yards.

David Garrard, JAC, QB: Garrard is likely to be the hottest commodity on most waiver wires this week (if he is avaliable) after putting up three touchdowns and 323 yards.  He was facing a rather weak Titans secondary, but with the veteran Torry Holt lined up at wide receiver, and Mike Sims-Walker emerging as a reliable target, Garrard should continue to produce a strong stat line against weaker match ups.

Michael Bush, OAK, RB: I am hesitant to put faith into any member of the Oakland Raiders offense, but if they finally decide to pull the plug on Jamarcus Russell and get a real quarterback in there, the results may be impressive.  Such a change should at least help the team develop some hope, and if that is the case, Michael bush may be the beneficiary.  With Darren McFadden expected to miss 2-4 weeks with an injured knee, Bush will shoulder much of the load.  If the bruising back can produce out of the lead role, taking a chance on him now will pay dividends.

Rashard Mendenhall, PIT, RB: Over the course of the first three weeks of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers rushing attack had been non-existent.  That changed this week with the breakout performance by second-year back Rashard Mendenhall.  While Willie Parker may still be considered the number one guy in Steeltown, after recording 165 yards and two touchdowns, it will be difficult for Tomlin not to go back with Mendenhall.  Should he emerge as the goto guy, he will be well worth a spot on any fantasy roster.

Kenny Brit, TEN, WR: The Titans look to be in trouble as teams across the league have come to the conclusion that they can not defend the pass.  That means Tennessee may often find themselves playing from behind in games and that could be good news for Kenny Brit.  The rookie out of Rutgers has been impressive thus far this year, posting 271 yards over four games.  While he is not a legitimate starter on any fantasy team, he can be a viable replacement during bye weeks.

With Willie Parker nursing an injury, the lead role in the Pittsburgh rushing attack was given to Mendenhall and he ran with it, literally.  Facing a Chargers defense that finds themselves near the bottom of the league against the run, Mendenhall was able to find plenty of daylight on his way to a career day.  He would end up rushing 29 times for an incredible 165 yards and two touchdowns.  He also caught two balls for 26 yards.  The rejuvenated Stelers ground game would lead them to a 38-28 victory and earn Mendenhall  “The Stat Line Of The Night” for Sunday, October 4th, 2009.

After two straight losses, Sunday night’s game was an important one for Pittsburgh.  With many questioning whether they were suffering a Super Bowl hangover, much like the one experienced in Arizona, a loss would have dropped them to a dismal 1-3 record.  In a division which also includes the Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens, both standing at 3-1, going 1-3 is almost the equivalent of playoff suicide.