Andre Johnson is said to be a mild-mannered guy who respects the game, coaches and teammates. And for the most part he respects his opponents – unless that opponent is Cortland Finnegan.

Finnegan is said to be a player who is engaged in the community and a giving person off the field. But when Finnegan steps between the lines a switch is flipped and his version of Mr. Hyde is unleashed. It’s then that he morphs into a punk and a hot head.

And he gets dirty!

Just ask his peers who voted Finnegan the league’s sixth dirtiest player last season. You have to wonder where he’d rank in 2010. According to ProFootballTalk.com Finnegan aspires to be named “the” dirtiest player in the NFL.

Can this guy really be that stupid?

Perhaps the most endearing thing Finnegan has done in recent years is the way he laid out Hines Ward during the 2008 season (pictured).

Speaking of Ward and dirt, last year’s Sports Illustrated dirtiest player poll placed the Steelers all-time pass catcher at the top of the list. Now Ward is quickly becoming one of the league’s biggest whiners too, hence the alias, Whines Hard.

I don’t know about you but I find it amusing that one of the biggest cheap shot artists in league history is concerned about player safety. And he has the stones to call the league’s ivory tower a bunch of hypocrites?

C’mon man!

Will someone wearing purple PLEASE Cortland Finnegan his ass up on Sunday Night!

Joining Ward in the pity party are Steelers’ defenders James Farrior and Ryan (Cryin’) Clark. Regarding the fines levied against James Harrison, Farrior had this to say:

"Where is DeMaurice Smith when all this is going on? He is supposed to be our leader. I haven't heard him one time. We are on our own right now. It is just one guy (Goodell) making all the rules up and doling out the fines. There is nothing we can do about it."

Clark added, "We know the NFL is going to protect quarterbacks — all of them except ours." He also chimed in via Twitter with this gem:

“New break: Steeler D will protest this Sunday in the wake of #92 latest fine by hitting harder and more vicious. Since they fine either way!”

I think Clark meant “news” and not “new.”

The fine paying Harrison, perhaps a favorite these days of the NFL’s Retired Players Association seems to think the league has it in for the Steelers.

"It's starting to look like it's OK to cheat, it's OK to fight, but if you hit somebody too hard, we're going to fine you a whole bunch more than the other two," Harrison said. "Maybe it's because I play for the Steelers, who knows?"

Now that’s funny, coming from a team that is a notorious beneficiary of questionable calls.

Let’s hope the Steelers are a little more amped up and that Cam Cameron has the wits about him to use Pittsburgh’s aggression against them.

Oh and bring your umbrellas too! With all the crying coming from the Steelers, the chance of precipitation is soaring.

It’s been said often that imitation is the finest form of flattery. And if you buy into that theory AND you work in the marketing department of the Baltimore Ravens, why would you ever want to encourage your own fan base to emulate the fan base of the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Should the Chicago Bears fans start wearing Cheeseheads?

Should the Philadelphia Eagles start calling themselves “America’s Team?”

Should the Kansas City Chiefs adopt the slogan, “Just Win Baby”?

No!

No!

And no!

Put this marketing brainstorm from the Ravens down as a departmental brain fart!

We all know Ray Rice to be a pretty versatile player and for what it’s worth, I’m still waiting to see him use that decent left arm of his on a halfback option. And hey if he does that on Sunday Night’s big stage, maybe more fans will buy his jersey. At the moment he’s No. 24 on the list of the Top 25 selling jerseys. He’s also the only Raven on the list.

Who’s on top?

Tim Tebow…no kidding!

But back to Rice’s versatility, did you know that in his high school days he was a placekicker as well? Check out this Nike video featuring the Ravens’ No. 27.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette columnist Gerry Dulac forecasts each game in the NFL and here’s how he sees Sunday Night’s game

The Steelers are one first down against the Ravens from being 9-2 and in control of the division race. But they aren't, which is why they are glad to have Ben Roethlisberger, who has won his past five starts against the Ravens.

Prediction: Steelers, 16-13