Beer We Go Steelers

The Seahawks outlasted the Steelers as Russell Wilson out gunned Ben Roethlisberger in a wild shoot out in Seattle. The loss leaves the Steelers on the outside looking in at the playoffs right now.

It was a rough day for the defense but especially the secondary who were absolutely torched by Wilson. The Seattle QB passed for 345 yards and five touchdowns, but the real issue was the secondary just didn’t tackle. Ross Cockrell had a horrible game, and was beat on several plays, Will Allen looked slow and was out of position on several key plays and the question has to come up again, what is up with Antwon Blake. He couldn’t tackle and he was out of position on several plays as well he had just had an awful game.

The defensive line kept a tough Seahawks running game mostly in check, and Cam Heyward had another great game. He had a sack and a huge blocked PAT.  The pressure was okay but never great. The linebackers just couldn’t seem to get on track. Ryan Shazier came out with a concussion and they seemed off all day. Vince Williams did an excellent job, while he isn’t as good laterally as Shazier he was a thumper in the middle. Not enough big plays exposed a terrible secondary. I did like seeing Jarvis Jones and Bud Dupree together on the field and that looks like the next great combo for the Steelers, however they didn’t do enough Sunday.

Ben Roethlisberger had a very good day statistically as he attempted 55 passes — tied for third most in franchise history — and threw for 456 yards. He threw two interceptions, one that slipped from his hand and one that was completely bogus on a missed pass interference call when Richard Sherman pushed Antonio Brown to the ground. Big Ben left the game for the final series because he was tested for a concussion. Landry Jones came in again and had mixed results. He also threw a very questionable interception that the refs ruled on incorrectly.

The refs were atrocious AGAIN, missing several calls, and making several terrible calls. In this case you could clearly make a case that they altered the outcome of the game. I don’t want to blame the loss on the refs but they were again just awful!

Richard Sherman can claim “victory” as Antonio Brown had a quiet day, considering he got that extremely questionable interception, but the Steelers put up 490 yards passing and marched up and down the field on the “Legion of Boom”. Markus Wheaton had a MONSTER day racking up 9 catches for 200+ yards.

Mike Tomlin is getting grilled in the press for his “questionable” calls. All I can say is he coaches to win. Every call he made was justifiable and if the team executes he is a genius. Also I will say he absolutely has guts and the Steelers were one stop away from the upset of the week.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Was going to withold this because I was pissed about the result, but Markus Wheaton had disappeared for a few weeks and it was great to see what he can do, when called upon.  Also Considered: Steel Head Heyward, who was outstanding.

Where I watched the game: Back at my house, we had Rigatoni in a Sicilian sauce, I cooked and KGB took mercy on me for the cleanup so I could watch he game. The Beer of choice was fantastic from the Pennsylvania Brewing Company, Noble Pils. I highly recommend it.

My Stat of the week: Ben has thrown and interception in five straight games. Two this week were converted to 14 points.

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers will beat the Colts in a shootout. But this is no pushover game. Look for the Colts to hang in there all game long.

Because of the Bye Week, this is technically the 3/4 season report.

What has gone right? 

Despite several key injuries, the Steelers sit in second place and well within striking distance of the first place Bengals. The Steelers have to wonder if they played the Bengals full strength or if they closed out the Ravens what might have been. Either way, I am very happy where they sit.

Antonio Brown has been the lynch pin of the offense. To say he has been a playmaker is like saying Picasso painted a little. He has been amazing.

Signing D’Angelo Williams might be the best offensive free agent acquisition ever. He has more than picked up the slack and losing Le’Veon has been rough but Williams has done a great job!

The front seven still is a work in progress, but they have EVERYTHING they need to make a great second half run. I like what we are seeing especially on the D-Line. The Linebacker has put together a solid performance as well.

The Offensive line has been excellent. The protection packages are really working well. Keep in mind the Steelers lost their starting Center and starting Left Tackle. Cody Wallace and Alejandro Villanueva are both doing well in fill-in roles. That is a tribute to not only the scouting department, but to Coach Munchak, he should be the Mayor of Pittsburgh. He has done a great job!

Ben Roethlisberger when healthy has been outstanding. Landry Jones was a nice surprise this season as well. Despite lagging stats Landry for all intents and purposes saved the season, when he came in for a struggling Michael Vick. The Steelers needed a split in Ben’s absence and got it!

What has gone wrong?

Injuries have been awful again, this is the exact comment I typed last year. Well last year was a picnic compared to this year. The Steelers lost their starting running back, starting QB for four games, their Pro Bowl Center, their left tackle, starting Middle Linebacker, Starting Defensive End and a host of defensive players for all or part of the season.

The secondary is “leaky” at best and the Achilles heel for the Steelers right now. Too many conversions on big plays. They rank 27th oin pass defense but they have employed a bend but don’t break strategy. They need to step it up in a big way. Where is Brandon Boykin? What was the point of trading for him, if he is never going to see the field!

The special teams cost the Steelers big time. Josh Scobee was a nightmare. Dri Archer played his way off the team.

Reasons for Concern: The secondary could be what derails a promising season. Injuries, if the Steelers take on anymore injuries the season is over.

Offensive Game Beer: Has to be Antonio Brown again or the second year, he has been spectacular and stepped up when needed, he has 79 catches (including 17 against the Raiders) and 1100+ yards receiving. He is also a great teammate! He beats out D’Angelo Williams who has been a savior.

Defensive Game Beer: Cam “Steel Head” Heyward has put together a great performance. He is tough as they come and the anchor of the Defensive line. Also considered, Mike Mitchell who is the best performer in the secondary.

Disappointment of the first half: Losing to the F-ing Ravens, in a game the Steelers clearly had won. It was a mental let up and seriously inexcusable. The Steelers had breakdowns on all sides of the ball at key times. If they pull that one out, they are one game out with a second shot at the Bengals.

Most Improved: I am going Jarvis Jones who is starting to round into form. He will press for my playing time. The pass rush in general is 100% better than it has been in years. Mike Mitchell was coming off a disappointing first year, now he looks pretty tough.

GRADES:

QB: A-, Big Ben has played well when not injured, He gives the Steelers a chance to win every week. Landry Jones has done a good job when called upon, Michael Vick has been a disappointment.

RB: A-, This could have been an A+ if Le’Veon wasn’t injured. He performed well in his limited time. D’Angelo Williams has been great as we wrote earlier, we love that guy. Will Johnson has done his usual good job, Roosevelt Nix has been extremely fun to watch as a smash mouth fullback. Someone else needs to step up, so D’Angelo doesn’t run out of gas. Being a Native New Yorker I am calling D’Angelo the D-Train!

WR: A-, They have a Superstar in Antonio Brown, who has been a force. Martavis Bryant needs to continue to improve but absolutely is a tremendous player with ridiculous upside. Where has Markus Wheaton gone? We need him back! Darrius Heyward-Bey did well at the beginning but seems to have faded. Also, look for Sammy Coates to press for playing time.

TE: B+, Heath Miller has played extremely well and is the unsung hero of the offense. He is Matt Spaeth has filled his roll well. Jesse James is pressing for playing time and could be a pass catching threat.

OL: B+, The line has played extremely well, considering two of their best starters are out. Cody Wallace brings attitude in the absence of Maurkice Pouncey, Alejandro Villanueva, has ton a very job considering his experience. The rest of the line has performed well.

DL: B+, Heyward and Tuitt are excellent bookends. McClendon has done well in the middle and they have become the anchor of the Steelers defense. Look for Mt. McCullers to press for playing time.

LB: B-, If you took out the Raiders game and the Chiefs game this could be an A performance. But the LB’s were non-existent in those games. Otherwise, they have played well and the coaching has done a great job moving players in and out. I love the Dupree-Harrison outside combo. Timmons and Shazier are spectacular in the middle. The Steelers are deep and this will be what makes or breaks the season. The Steelers rank fifth in run defense.

DBs: C, The secondary has some issues. William Gay have been doing okay. Mike Mitchell has been a playmaker and looks like a great addition. Will Allen is holding his own but for how much longer. Antwon Blake has struggled.  Ross Cockrell has been a nice find. Cortez Allen is most likely done as a Steeler. This is what can undo the whole season. I would like to see Shamarko Thomas and Brandon Boykin see the field.

Coaching: A-, I love this coaching staff! Make no mistake about it, they play to win and they have done a great job juggling injuries and non-performance of key players. (Josh Scobee nearly ruined us) While it may have been “foolish”, winning MNF against the Chargers with a Wildcat formation and Le’Veon Bell was gutsy and downright exciting. Great job!

What does part two look like: The Steelers have the division within reach and the Wild Card in their grasp already if they play well. Given what the schedule looks like, 4-2 is reasonable to ask which puts the Steelers at 10-6 and in the playoffs as the North winner or the AFC’s first wild card. The last wild card spot is still attainable at 3-3. But the Steelers really need four wins to guarantee the playoffs. Maybe it is a death wish, but I want the Patriots in the playoffs! A rematch is what I am asking for, also need to put a complete hurting on the Ravens and Bengals in the regular season.

BEER WE GO STEELERS! BEER WE GO!

The best “backup” in football, Ben Roethlisberger came off the bench and wrecked the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers go into the bye with a big win against the arch rival Browns. It was a huge day for Ben Roethlisberger, who wasn’t even supposed to play, but was called to duty when seven plays into the game Landry Jones injured his ankle. Big Ben completed 18 of 23 passes for 286 yards and two TDs in the first half and finish with and amazing 379 yards, a new NFL record for a quarterback coming off the bench!

It was obvious once Ben was pressed into duty, the game plan was to attack deep and get the ball out quickly. The line did a great job protecting Ben and the Browns only had one sack. He was rarely bothered and his lack of mobility never really played a factor. The Browns were intent on stopping the run which completely opened up the passing game.

The Browns secondary had no answer for Antonio Brown or Martavis Bryant, Todd Haley and Ben Roethlisberger basically sent either one deep on almost every series and stretched the Browns out. Bryant finished with a monster 178 Yards and made several big plays, he had a costly fumble but more than made up for it. Antonio Brown had nine catches including a 56 yard touchdown where he stuck the landing on a full front flip, that will be almost as famous as his “Karate Kid” impersonation last year. Both Heath Miller and Jesse (Don’t call me Heath) James chipped in with some nice production. The ghost of Markus Wheaton appeared and he had two very tough and solid catches. If he can get going this offense will once again be unstoppable. It was a great day for the passing game.

DeAngelo Williams had 54 of the toughest yards you have ever seen on the ground. The Browns were keyed in on him and he finally started to break loose in the second half. The Steelers need to be better with the distribution of the workload. Williams goes into the bye week for a much needed break. The Steelers need to factor in Jordan Todman more or they need to use Will Johnson in the tailback roll with Roosevelt Nix as the blocker. William needs some respite.

After a rough week against the Raiders the defensive front was back to being unstoppable. They held the Browns to 15 yards of total rushing on 14 carries and seven runs of 0 or negative yards in the first half, including five for losses. The linebackers contributed three sacks, the biggest by Ryan Shazier in the red zone after the Browns got to the Steelers 1 on a Johnny Manziel run for your life play. Jarvis Jones had his best game of the season with a sack and a fumble recovery. He played extremely tough against All Pro Joe Thomas. Stephon Tuitt and Steelhead Heyward each had sacks and Heyward was held on nearly every play. Will Allen also contributed a sack, and Arthur Moats had a sack negated as he literally tried to rip Johnny Manziel’s head off his shoulders with a wicked face mask.

The secondary had a bend but don’t break philosophy and kept the Browns contained for the most part. Mike Mitchell continues his fantastic season with a huge red zone interception. He snatched a Manziel pass in the end zone. The Steelers secondary hasn’t been spectacular but seem to make the plays when needed. Will Allen has been a nice steadying force back there and besides his sack he also had 11 tackles and made some big plays.

“Little Bos” had his first miss of the year, but continues to be a nice addition. Inversely, Jacoby Jones was awful again.

The referees also were way to involved in the game. They completely over officiated the game but allowed so much holding up front.

In the end the Steelers whipped up on a game but over matched Cleveland Browns team and head into the bye for rest!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Has to be Ben Roethlisberger, who came off the bench and absolutely lit the Browns up, He did some job in relief. Also Considered: Antonion Brown who had 10 catches and a sports center highlight we will see for a long time. Cameron Heyward and Will Allen were also considered.

Where I watched the game: Back at my house, with KGB on my arm and my kids and the neighborhood kids. KGB whipped up Macaroni and Cheese bites as the game snack, I cooked Sausage and Peppers over Spaghetti for our dinner. I had to do the prep work during half time. The Beer of choice was Long Ireland Pumpkin and it was outstanding! The kids threw the ball around outside as it was a great day. Alex Janicki attended his first game and did great according to BWG founder Tom! We were very happy for him!

My Stat of the week: 379 Yards, Bens total yardage as the greatest relief performance in the history of football. While it is a little dubious, I couldn’t be happier for Ben.

My thoughts on Next Week: The much needed Bye Week taking KGB on a “football vacation”! I will be publishing the “Mid Year” Report mist likely Friday so check back! If not definitely Monday!

The Steelers picked up a very hard fought victory, but again at a heavy cost as Ben Roethlisberger went down. With my entire immediate family in attendance and with a great crowd the Steelers pulled out the win after a crazy fourth quarter.

It was a huge day for DeAngelo Williams filling in for injured Le’Veon Bell. He banged out a career-high 170 yards on 27 carries and scored two touchdowns and also caught two passes for 55 yards. He also had a huge 53-yard run that set up the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and he carried three times for 37 yards on the winning field goal drive, including almost winning when he was pushed out of the one yard line. As great as his day was, he didn’t put up the best numbers on the field!

That was Antonio Brown, who absolutely lit up the Raiders! He put together best statistical game in franchise history with an unbelievable 17 catches for 284 yards including a 57-yard catch with 0:45 remaining to set up the winning field goal. Brown had 10 catches for 180 yards in the first half including receptions of 59 and 41 yards that set up touchdowns. He had a tremendous day. Martavis Bryant and the rookie Jesse James also contributed with TD catches.

Ben Roethlisberger looked a little rusty but trusted his playmakers to get him out of trouble. He finished with 334 yards passing before an injury to his foot sent him from the game. Landry Jones relieved him and he came away with game winning drive, setting up a “Little” Bos field goal for the win.

With the HUGE exception of the sack, that sent Ben from the game, the Offensive line completely dominated the Raiders up front. Coming into the game the Raiders had the number two run defense in the league…I am guessing not anymore. Khalil Mack was shutout and had no tackles and was non existent all game.  The Steelers rushed for 195 yards and averaged 6.5 yards per carry!

The defense had a very strange and uneven game. The score didn’t indicate how they played. They made several big plays especially Mike Mitchell who forced a key fumble after a Steelers turnover. In all the secondary helped force four turnovers. Nickel back Ross Cockrell had a big interception in the end zone which should have sealed the game. Antwon Blake and William Gay hung tough the whole day.

The linebackers and defensive line were non-existent all day. The Raiders gashed the Steelers both running the ball, and David Carr did an excellent job nullifying the Steelers pass rush with quick  throws. It was obvious the game plan was to throw the Steelers off balance and they had a hard time adjusting to Carr’s tempo.

The special teams made one of the biggest plays on the day and it was actually a positive one! Roosevelt Nix drilled Taiwan Jones and Anthony Chickillo recovered the fumble, setting up another touchdown 49 seconds later for a 35-21 lead. Little Bos had his first miss of the year but came through when the Steelers needed him for the victory!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: DUH Antonio Brown, who just lit up the board on Sunday, the performance speaks for itself. Also Considered: DeAngelo Williams who chewed up the ground game! Seriously, they were unstoppable.

Where I watched the game: At Heinz Field baby! Awesome tailgate with the Beer We Go Steelers, Original Chapter at the “Terrible Bra and Grille”. Absolutely phenomenal. This years special guest was none other than Frenchy Fuqua, who was a cool a character as there has ever been. This included kissing KGB’s hand and speaking french to her. The Beer of choice was IC Light of course and we drank Yuengling in the Game. The Beer of choice for the “Tailgate Kids” including “Little Miss Tailgate” was Barqs Root Beer! KGB and I had a great time as did our five kids. Tom Janicki was a gracious host and shared his cape with the kids during the game! E-Rock and I whiffed though on meeting Mark Davis (Raiders Owner) at the end!

My Stat of the week: 17 monster catches for Antonio Brown, the new Steelers record! Absolutely a great player and someone to watch.

My thoughts on Next Week: There is some intrigue because with out Ben this could be a Johnny Football v. Landry Rematch from their college days for Texas and OU. While the Browns are in trouble, it is easy to forget that they decimated the Steelers last time they played. The Steelers will grind this one out, but trust me, this is no cake walk, especially without Ben!

We are headed to the ‘Burgh, to take on the Raiders!

The mid-season report will be done next week.

Ben Roethlisberger had two late turnovers and the Steelers lost to the Bengals Sunday…most likely ending their hopes for a 2015 Division Title. Roethlisberger looked like a guy who missed a month of football, he was slow and completely out of rhythm. The biggest loss though wasn’t on the scoreboard. It looks like Le’Veon Bell’s season is over after a horrendous knee injury.

The offense just didn’t click all day. After the first drive the Wide Receivers were nonexistent. The Steelers ran the ball fairly well, but kept making mistakes when they got close to the red zone. While there were many issues, three second half turnovers by Roethlisberger basically doomed the Steelers. Two were back to back.

The defense had a solid bounce back game. I also liked McClendon in the end spot with Mt. McCullers in the middle. The defense held tough for most of the day but couldn’t close out the Bengals to end the game. Cam Heyward had a monster game, as did James Harrison. The front seven is rounding into form. The much maligned secondary made some nice plays, but again Antwon Blake looks overmatched. He had a spectacular pick which looked like it could have been the game winner, but he struggled most of the day.

The Bengals basically guaranteed themselves the division title with a gutsy performance. We will get another shot at them later in the season!

Here is the good news……we are still poised for a big second half if everything comes into place. The defense responded extremely well, after the disaster in Kansas City. They made several great plays and they fly around the field. Unfortunately, we haven’t put the varsity offense on the field all year. If that changes, and the defense plays like it did yesterday, we are going to be alright.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Going with someone who didn’t actually play yesterday, Myron Cope! Who invented the Terrible Towel which is a staple for Steelers fans and has been ripped off all over all the professional leagues. He was a vaudevillian character and every announcer in all sports pales in comparison to him. Also Considered, “Steel-Head” Heyward! He had a monster game, Heath Miller who could be the Mayor of Pittsburgh if he ran on Tuesday!

Where I watched the game: Home with the family and kids. The beer of choice was Guinness Blonde, which was awesome! KGB made homemade Quesadillas that were outstanding. The kids had a nice day but everyone was disappointed. KGB called the Blake interception! I knew we were in trouble when my beloved 65Inch TV died in the AM.

My Stat of the week: Heath Miller, 10-105 receiving, The WR’s couldn’t get going all day and Heath was there grinding it out all day! It was a tremendous performance and it is yet another option for the Steelers.

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers season starts next week. The goal is to go 6-2 and push further and further forward. Anything less and we might not make the playoffs. This is a must win game against the resurgent Raiders, I am happy to report that we will be there and look for a Big Ben Bounce back!!! Also photos from the game will be coming.

The Steelers were beaten to the punch all day and lost to the Chiefs! It was a total team breakdown as the Steelers played poorly on both sides of the ball. There were flashes of brilliance but in the end the Steelers just didn’t make enough plays to win.

Landry Jones came back to earth and while he wasn’t awful, he had three turnovers, two of which were absolutely critical. The first turnover was a fluke play on a tipped ball by Antonio Brown, the second was a killer as the Steelers were driving at the end of the first half and it was a three point swing to them. His end of game fumble sealed the Steelers loss.

The defense was absent all day. The Linebackers had a terrible game, missing several tackles. They also had no answer for Travis Kelce , who converted several big third downs. The defensive line was non existent and it was reminiscent of when Aaron Smith would miss a game, without Stephon Tuitt the line was lousy. They were torched by the unheralded Charcandrick West. The lone highlight was watching Mt. McCullers drop into traffic and break up a pass play by basically ecplipsing West.

The offense just didn’t click and had several miscues, stats don’t tell the story as they had a 100 yard receiver and a 100 yard rusher. But they made several mistakes with a some key dropped passes and some Landry Jones misfires. I am not going to single out anyone but it was just a rotten performance. It was good to see Antonio Brown get some catches and Martavis Bryant is awesome. Le’Veon played the best game of the day.

Not trying to make light of it, but the Steelers were badly outplayed for about 20 minutes of the second half and that made the difference. This is one of the games that you need to move on from. The Steelers went 2-2 during Ben’s absence and easily should have gone 3-1 with the terrible loss to Baltimore. Sunday wasn’t the Steelers day.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Going Le’veon Bell who played well and grinded out his yards again. Also Considered, Alejandro Villanueva who played a great game…until the last sack by Tamba Hali which sealed the loss. Otherwise it was an admirable job.

Where I watched the game: Home with the family and my neighbors. It was a great day and great spread.KGB made home made pepperoni bread and we had Chicken Parm and Spaghetti for dinner. Sam Adams light was my beer of choice but to no avail. I posted the picture on twitter yesterday.

My Stat of the week: Stop me if you heard this one before…2-10 the combined record of two of the teams the Steelers lost to this season. The Steelers handed the Ravens their only win with a terrible finish and just didn’t play well yesterday.

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers need to bring their A-Game vs. the Bengals. Dropping the loss to the Ravens again rears it’s ugly head, the Steelers will be right back in contention with a win!

The Steelers pulled the upset with some Landry magic over the Cardinals! After being dominated for most of the first half, the Steelers rallied around third string Quarterback Landry Jones. Jones threw a pair of touchdown passes to Martavis Bryant who returned from his suspension and led the Steelers to victory over a tough  Arizona team.

Jones stepped into his first NFL regular season game finished 8 of 12 for 168 yards and the two scores. Bryant caught six passes for 137 yards and he looks like the playmaker he was last year. Ripping off an 88 yard touchdown that was spectacular in sealing the game and catching the first touchdown of the game in a back of the end zone leaping catch! Le’Veon Bell with a stacked box grinded out 88 of the toughest yards you have ever seen. He fought and fought and eventually the Steelers O-line wore down the Cardinals front seven.

While the offense struggled in the first half the defense absolutely kept the Steelers in the game. The defense held the league’s highest-scoring offense to just 13 points, even though the Cardinals had 21 first downs and 469 yards offense. For the second game in a row, they held the opponent under 56 yards rushing and 3 yards per attempt (2.8). DE Cam Heyward had two tackles for loss in the run game and was on fire all day. James Harrison played his best game of the year. Silverback was in for the injured Jarvis Jones and had the only sack and a forced fumble that led to the first touchdown. He also wrecked an Arizona defender for taunting after the Mike Mitchell interception. Lawrence Timmons had a first-quarter interception, with an assist from Vince Williams and Arthur Moats had a tackle for 2-yard loss on third-and-2 at the Steelers 19 that forced the Cardinals to settle for a field goal when it was 15-10. The secondary bent but again did not break!

Chris Boswell, aka “Little Bos” looks like a keeper, he banged out 3 field goals including a 50+ yarder. It was a relief to see a good kicking game.

The only downside of the game is that Kelvin Beachum looks lost for the year. His injury looked horrific. He has been a steadying force for the Steelers and is in his contract year. He is a terrific player and represents what the Steelers are all about. Alejandro Villanueva will have his hand full replacing him.

There was a lot of hype about Bruce Arians and Mike Tomlin. The results speak for themselves and while Arians is a two time NFL coach of the year, once again the Steelers came out on top, with a gutsy performance by Tomlin.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: If you follow us on twitter, it is of course Landry Jones and Chris Boswell. Both did great work yesterday and kept the Steelers train on the tracks. It was a great day and a game I will remember for a long time. Also Considered: Martavis Bryant, who could easily make a case and of course OUR HERO Silverback  James Harrison who absolutely was a force yesterday.

Where I watched the game: After consideration of watching it at Irish Exit in Manhattan, I decided to take a later train and watch it with my amazing kids and My awesome Better 3/4 KGB. Because I had a professional commitment I had a meeting in the city, so food was light. KGB made me the greatest sandwich ever, with was Stuffing, Fresh Turkey and Cranberry. The beer of choice was Sam Adams Light which I absolutely loved!

My Stat of the week: 1-0 Landry Jones Record as the Steelers Quarterback, He did an outstanding job and breathed life into a Steelers team that was struggling.

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers have a tough Kansas City that is just itching to get back in contention. I would sit Ben one more Week and roll with Landry. Either way look for a Steeler grind out.

In a wild finish the Steelers took their first lead of the night with no time left on the clock, beating the San Diego Chargers. It was easily one of the gutsiest calls in Steelers History! Le’Veon Bell ran the Wildcat offense and ran it off tackle left, made a second effort and had the game winning score!

The Steelers still had one timeout left, and narrowly missed winning it on a great effort by Heath Miller one play earlier. Coach Tomlin turned to Bell to provide the win…he delivered. The Steelers mangled the clock as did the refs when the Steelers took over possession. So there was no chance to kick a field goal despite having one timeout when the Steelers went for it. Bell lined up in the shotgun and took the snap, he exhausted the clock as he picked his hole to run through, in the end he made a huge play.

Michael Vick again struggled with the offense, but he bookended a mediocre second quarter (in which the refs completely missed Pass interference on a Hail Mary) and terrible third quarter with a good first quarter and a great fourth quarter where he looked like he finally had command of the offense. A huge 72 yard strike to Markus Wheaton tied the game up. And on the last drive, we finally saw some Vick magic with an awesome scramble for 24 yards putting the Steelers in a position to tie the game, he also threw the pass to Heath Miller that nearly won the game.

While Vick survived another week, the night belonged to Le’Veon Bell, the plan was clearly to run the ball. Bell had some big runs of 25 and 32 yards in the first half when he rushed for 89 yards on 14 carries. On the night he finished with 111 yards, his second 100-yard game in a row, and of course the game winning score.

The defense had a very good game, after sleep walking through the opening drive. Antwon Blake made a huge play as he jumped a comeback route and returned an interception for 70 yards. Jarvis Jones had a terrific game as he had his first sack of the year, he also recorded a forced fumble. Cam Heyward was held on nearly every play and was caving in the O-line. Lawrence Timmons and Sean Spence played great games and stuffed the Chargers running game. The secondary was leaky but made the plays when needed.

The coaches deserve a ton of credit as well. Mike Tomlin is a winner! I could care less what the media and what most fans say. He coaches to win not to cover himself. That to me is what a leader does! He would have been CRUSHED in the media if they lost. But in the end Bell delivered.

“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” Michael Vick,  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Great week and I am in such a good mood not even going to bring up special teams 🙂

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Le’Veon Bell! The Bus Jerome Bettis tweeted it best, “way to trust your horse” He delivered and has stepped up when we need him most. Also Considered: Mike Tomlin who had the guts to make the call!

Where I watched the game: Back at Buckley’s! To be honest, I nearly called an audible and went somewhere else, but in the end stayed loyal to my local pub! My partner in crime as always was KGB! She was super supportive and looked dynamite in her BWG shirt. Matt the bartender hooked us up with seats and our own TV. He is a good buddy and he helped make it a cool night, we met two awesome Steelers fans Mike and Courtney(Who was going crazy in the second half), we also hung out with my buddies Jeff and Rob! We had real wings(HOT), boneless wing(Teryaki Bomb)  and clams, which were awesome! Josh the Bengals fan didn’t try and poison us!  I drank Miller Lite in honor of Beer We Go Steelers. It was a terrific night and I am grateful to Buckley’s for being awesome hosts!

My Stat of the week: Is 111 Yards marking the second week in a row Le’Veon Bell has gone over a hundred. he continues to be a work horse!

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers have a very tough test coming this week  with the Cardinals in town. These are not your Dad’s Phoenix (St. Louis) Cardinals. They have Bruce Arians who has something to prove.

Bell Photo Courtesy of the Post Gazette! Getty Images

So since I slacked on the game report last week, figured I should “atone” for my slacker-ocity (That’s a word, I don’t care what people say.) I have been very focused on my other sports passion…alas not the Pirates but the New York Yankees. Totally pulling for the Pirates but the Yankees are my team. Something occurred to me last night as I cuddled in my bed with KGB still tossing and turning over sports. I have great kids, this is the stuff I worry about. Then something came to me and I slept all night until KGB set off the alarm three times (In honor of the Three Rivers no doubt)…The Steelers are going to be just fine.

I know I am a fan and a freaking blogger to boot, what do I know about football to make such a bold prediction? I am buoyed not by fan passion or by idle blood lust for all that is black and gold. I simply found solace in the facts and the rich history that we cherish so much as Steelers fans.

Let me tell you some facts; number one, Martavis Bryant is back and with him, Markus Wheaton, Darrius Heyward-Bey and of course the incomparable Antonio Brown, the offense is going to break out even if we had Rick Strom as QB, let alone a slinger like Michael Vick. Ben is slated to return in KC. Couple that with a vastly improved offensive line, the best one two running back combo and something special is bound to happen. Oh yeah we also have Heath Miller and Will Johnson who both are playmakers at their spots. Man for man no one can take on our offense.

While that is exciting, what I am most excited about is wait for it…THE DEFENSE. I love this front seven and now everyone is jumping on my bandwagon nationally. Putting Bud Dupree and James Harrison opposite each other was brilliant. They are an absolute force. I also love Jarvis Jones with Arthur Moats and that rotation is stout and scary. Someday, it will be Jarvis and Dupree and when both come into their own, teams will be in big trouble!

The middle linebackers are the best in football bar none. The Steelers are FOUR deep at Middle Linebacker. Vince Williams who is really the odd man out is a good run stopper and a bona fide thumper, he doesn’t even play a 1/4 of the snaps. Sean Spence has been nothing short of a miracle and his “second” year he has shown improvement after a very good year, last year. Lawrence Timmons should be a Steelers folk hero. He comes to work everyday an excels. What more could you ask for? He also dishes out whippings pretty regular and was a force on Thursday night. Leaving the best linebacker prospect I think I have ever seen. Ryan Shazier has to stay on the field. The fact that he was injured in garbage time really hurts, because he is an unstoppable force when he has his legs under him. His speed and power are the best I have seen in years.

To make this work, you need to be tough up front. Steelhead Heyward is the best player on the Steelers defense. He is an absolute playmaker and our best defensive end since Aaron Smith. Stephon Tuitt is coming into his own and really dominated the game on Thursday of last week. Steve McClendon needs to continue to improve, teaming him with Mt. McCullers is a great idea and watch these guys get it done. McClendon is athletic and after two years of getting pushed around, looks like he is making the leap the coaches expected.

The secondary is a work in progress and I even tweeted Coach Tomlin to find out why Brandon Boykin has barely played. This is still the Achilles heel of this defense. But they have shown improvement and within two years the Steelers completely rebuilt a sagging defense.

Special Teams is the Achilles heel of the Steelers. Josh Scobee should have been an awesome pickup, instead he cost at least one game and maybe two. They have had several mishaps on special teams over the years. Some years it gets better but it has been a specter of the Steelers since 1973! We just have to white knuckle it and hope we solved the kicking issue. Again I put faith in our Coaches.

Being a student of history I always find solace and answers in the past. November 4, 2001 the Super Bowl Champion Ravens came to Heinz Field. The Steelers smacked them around all game, but couldn’t put them away. Kris Brown missed FOUR Field Goals and the Steelers lost by three. Does that sound familiar? Here is the box score:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200111040pit.htm

The Next time they played…the Steelers jumped the Ravens on Sunday Night Football with Bobby Shaw gashing the Ravens with a 90 yard touchdown. Box Score:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200112160rav.htm

What makes this story better…they squared off in the playoffs and the Steelers sent the Super Bowl Champions home and did it by a wide margin. Box Score enclosed:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200201200pit.htm

So that is my rant for today, hope you are on board and thanks for reading.

Forever Forward!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!!