Song of the week: Pats get physical in victory over Steelers

So, for this week’s Song of the Week, I’m going the cheesy route. Sure, many know Olivia Newton John’s “Let’s Get Physical” as the ultra-peppy workout song that so many sweated to while burning calories back in the day.

But believe it or not, the tune is the perfect theme for describing the Patriots’ impressive 39-26 victory over the favored Steelers in Pittsburgh this past Sunday. The Steelers have always been known for being a physically imposing team, but not against the Pats.

To the surprise of many, the much-maligned Patriots defense came to play against Big Ben and company, making their physical presence felt throughout the game, especially when they knocked out WR Hines Ward from the game and when safety Patrick Chung delivered an especially-physical blow to WR Mike Wallace in the first half.

Not to be outdone, the Patriots offense got a little physical themselves. The unit had over 100 rushing yards against a Pittsburgh D that’s always stout against the run, and the offensive line kept Tom Brady upright all night. Their physical play was so impressive that the famous Blitzburgh defense didn’t register a single sack against Brady.

There’s no doubt that a big reason the Pats won on Sunday was their physicality, which was nice to see, given that the prior week they were “thunderstruck” by a physical Cleveland Browns offense.

And in today’s NFL chock-full of high-flying offense and scores that rival basketball games, it’s refreshing to know that you can still beat an opponent by flat out hitting them in the mouth.