Beer We Go Steelers

It was the kind of day that you know this offense can have and when they don’t, you’re frustrated. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns, hitting eight different receivers.  The passing game was clicking on all cylinders as the Steelers bombed the Cardinals in the desert. The Steelers, after a dreadful start, are now 5-2 and headed into a treacherous two week period in their schedule.

This game belonged to the receivers, with Mike Wallace stealing the show. He hooked up with Ben Roethlisberger for 95 yards on the longest play in Steeler history. The previous longest pass play was 90 yards, first set by Terry Bradshaw to Mark Malone (That isn’t a typo) against Seattle in 1981, and then matched by both Bubby Brister to Dwight Stone against Denver in 1990 and Kordell Stewart to Bobby Shaw against Baltimore in 2001. The good news for the Cardinals, they did a pretty good job covering Wallace as he only caught three passes all day…the bad news the three passes covered 118 Yards.

Wallace wasn’t even the best performer of the day, Antonio Brown was, and he pulled in seven passes for over 100 yards and made several key catches. Rounding out the performance was Heath Miller, Hines Ward and Manny Sanders catching 12 balls for well over 100 yards and two touchdowns! The aerial attack is just so well crafted and balanced; it looks to be the best strength of the team.

The running game had a disappointing, albeit, competent performance. Although Rashard Mendenhall struggled, but pounded the ball, he never really got on track. Mewelde Moore and Ike Redman put up good numbers in the times they spelled Mendenhall. In total they grinded, and I mean grinded, out 91 yards against a very game Cardinal defense. Also adding to the malaise… it is week seven and that was the seventh combination of offensive line the Steelers have put out there. Chris Keomatu didn’t look ready and played poorly, including a moronic penalty.

The Steelers defense had a very good day. Ryan Clark’s interception started the day off right and setup the offense! Larry Fitzgerald’s new nickname is going to be “law school”. EVERY time he doesn’t catch a ball he lobbies for a flag and it actually worked on Sunday. (Captain Tailgate thinks he is related to Larry so I am going to catch flack on this.) Ike Taylor had an excellent performance against him after a sloppy first half. He played hard physical football and kept Fitzgerald in check all day.

Kevin Kolb is a mope, plain and simple, and he played liked it. The Steelers hammered him all day. Lamar Woodley had another breakout game and after his slow start, he was an absolute monster. The highlight was the safety he recorded on Kolb’s intentional grounding. Except for one busted play to Larod Stephens-Howling the defense played a very strong and disciplined game. Steve McClendon had the task of filling the HUGE shoes, both literally and figuratively, of Casey Hampton and Chris Hoke but he was up to the challenge and the defensive line had its best day of the year. McClendon was second in tackles on the team and the Arizona running game was bottled up for under 80 yards.

The only downside of the day was that the referees were WAY too involved. For the record, it easily broke the Steelers way but they were so flag happy that the last 8 minutes of the first half took almost 45 minutes of actual time. It is frustrating to watch.  The Fitzgerald lobbying was so obnoxious I almost fired my beer bottle through the TV.

That being said, it was a very good game for the Steelers!

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: I am giving it to, Steve McClendon, who exemplified what “Next Man Up” means. He was athletic and did a great job. To be fair, I feel the WR vote was split between Wallace and Brown so I went McClendon. Both deserved consideration as did Ben with a huge game!  

Where I watched the game: With my GF KGB and my amazing kids! It was a great spread, which included Rice Balls, Kielbasa, Meat Balls, Sausage and Peppers, Fresh Mozzarella and pumpkin pie. The Beer was Miller Lite (Old Reliable) in extreme moderation with the kids, which my one son actually grabbed for me! It brought a tear to my eye. I traded Texts with the Captain and we both got a kick out of the Steelers playing a “home game” in Arizona! My daughter, for good luck, also carved a Steelers pumpkin! (PICTURE TO FOLLOW)

My thoughts on Next Week: The very definition of a shootout! I hate all things New England, so this is a grudge match for me. The Patriots always seem to have the Steelers number. Let’s hope this week is the difference. Look for an aerial fireworks display!

The Pittsburgh Tribune is reporting that Doug Legursky is out several weeks with a dislocated toe on his left foot. Legursky moved to the left side and has started the last two weeks in place of Chris Kemoeatu. He has had an up and down season, getting killed the first week but playing very steady the last two weeks.

Chris Kemoeatu and Marcus Gilbert are expected to play this week.

In better news, Troy Polamalu passed his concussion test and is expected to play this week against the Cardinals.

Sunday afternoon the Steelers played the tail of two halves, after thoroughly dominating the Jacksonville Jaguars for 30 minutes, the Steelers had to step it up and hold off a resurgent Jaguar team for the next 30. The boys in Black and Gold narrowly escaped a stunning turn of events Sunday, after clamping down on defense and surviving a Hail Mary toss at the end of the game.

Nothing illustrated the highs and lows as much as Ben Roethlisberger’s day. After an outstanding first half which saw him open up with three excellent drives which accounted for all of the days points, he missed badly on the third drive on two “should-be” touchdown passes. That would be an ominous sign. After the first three drives the Steelers managed just five first downs the rest of the day, with Ben missing wide open receivers. With an effective Ben, this game would have been a huge blowout. 

The offensive line had to go under renovation yet again. Doug Legursky, after having a good start, was injured. He dislocated his toe and was replaced by Trai Essex. The Offensive line had a good day though as they helped Rashard Mendenhall rip off a 146 yards. Mendenhall, had to be getting nervous at the performance of Jon Dwyer and Ike Redman. He had his best day of the year. He blasted the Jags with a 68 yard run and did a great job protecting the football. He reaffirmed his place in the Steelers starting lineup.

The Defense, despite what you will read other places, also had a solid, albeit unspectacular, day. LaMarr Woodley’s resurgence continued as he was just massive up front. He had two crunching sacks and was a force all day. James Farrior also had a great day and looked terrific; he led the team in tackles and had a very important sack, forcing the Jags to punt. Rounding out the D’s performance was Brett Keisel who played like a beast and Troy Polamalu who knocked himself out killing Maurice Jones Drew. What is most important about the defense is while they sometimes bent, they didn’t break. If it wasn’t for an ill timed running into the punter penalty, the defense would have had a near flawless day.

As for the offense, it was a pretty awful second half. The Steelers had several opportunities to put the game away and just didn’t execute. Between Ben missing wide open receivers and the Jags finally cracking down on the run, it made for a rough go. The receiving core did have a good day in spite of a terrible second half. They racked up 12 catches for 200 yards, including a 48 yard bomb to Mike Wallace and a 38 yard strike to Manny Sanders.

At the end of the day, despite everyone’s criticism, style points don’t matter. A win is a win and the Steelers are now 4-2 and have a very clear path to the playoffs if they stay on track.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: I am giving it to, Rashard Mendenhall, who had a terrific day running the football. For several plays the Steelers went back to ground and pound and were effective. After speculation about his future with the club Mendenhall prevailed. Also considered were James Farrior and Troy Polamalu.  

Where I watched the game: Nursing flag football injuries at my girlfriend KGB’s. Had an avalanche of Advil and drank Miller Lite (Old Reliable) along with McSorley’s dark ale. The Captain and I texted during the game and he spent the last half of his day defending Ben, which pissed us both off. Seriously, last week he throws five td’s this week people are trying to run him out of town.

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers travel west and play old friend’s Ken Wisenhunt and Russ Grimm. Look for this to be a tough game with the Steelers surviving to pull it out. I expect Ben to have a huge day!

At 9:35 of the first quarter Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally appeared. For the better part of four weeks the Steelers were AWOL. Then it happened, two consecutive plays reminded all the fans of BWG nation what we were missing. Lamar Woodley blew up the Titans pass protection and recorded a very important sack, that left Matt Hasselbeck looking through his ear hole. Then Troy Polamalu blew up a well set up screen, showing that he still is a dominant player and all was right in Steeler Nation.

After getting pushed around the week before in Houston, Chris Johnson was effectively shut down after a good opening drive. Despite missing, two thirds of the defensive line and Silverback, the defense stepped it up big time. Lamar Woodley lead the way. In the first half, he surpassed four weeks of futility with his breakout game. Also making a cameo appearance was James Farrior who had his best game this season as well. Farrior, who has been getting killed by the media, banged in 13 tackles and made several key stops. Adding to the effort was the defenseive line play of Steelhead Heyward, who recorded his first career sack. It was the statement game that Coach Tomlin has been waiting for.

After the defense shored up its leaky performance, Big Ben proved why he is considered one of the best quarterback’s in the NFL. He led a 10 play, 39 yard drive that resulted in a Steeler Touchdown. Considering the severity of his foot injury it was a heck of a day! When the smoke cleared and all was said and done, he threw for 228 yards and FIVE touchdowns. Not bad for a guy who was playing on one foot, behind a severely patched offensive line. The more Ben is banged up, the better he plays.

The offensive line had its best day of the season. Max Starks, who last week was watching the Steelers game on his couch, was out on the field after only three practices. He was just what the doctor ordered. He was up to the challenge against a solid Titan pass rush and did a great job protecting his friend Ben. Doug Legursky had his best game since becoming a starter. His athleticism was apparent as he threw the key block on Jonathon Dwyer’s huge run.

Jonathon Dwyer played a great game, spelling Ike Redman and he will get a long look for playing time. He racked up an astounding 107 yards on 11 carries. Redman put together a workmanlike effort for 49 yards. The receivers continued their hot season! Eight players caught passes with Hine Ward leading the way with 7.

The best pass of the day was not thrown by Ben or caught by one of the receivers, it was a trick play as Ryan Mundy caught a 33 yard pass from punter Dan Sepulveda. It was a gutsy call and it helped put the Titans on their heels for the rest of the day.

It was a great all around game for the Black and Gold.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: I am giving out two. First has to go to Big Ben. He threw 5 TD’s on one good foot. That is the stuff of legend. I honestly can say, that if I could have any Quarterback I would want Ben. No kidding, others may be better, NONE are tougher. My second game Beer goes to Max Starks. Max came off the couch literally to solidify the offensive line. He had a great game and protected Ben’s blind side. Also considered: Jon Dwyer for his 100 plus performance and Ryan Mundy for his 33 yard catch.

Where I watched the game: With my two best friends and teammates at KGB’s house. It was a ridiculous spread that included wings, pizza, chinese dumplings and meatballs. KGB made cinnamon buns for dessert. We drank Miller Lite (Old Reliable) and Sam Adams Octoberfest. The Captain was at the game and before he walked in texted me,”…it’s gonna be a good day bro”… as usual, he was on the money!

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers should win this one pretty handily. The Jags blew a lead against Cincy and are on the ropes. Look for the Steelers to open it up early on the Jags, taking MJ Drew out of the game.  

“I don’t know what my career would have been without him. He should absolutely be in the Hall of Fame. Bottom line, he’s being cheated.” -MEAN JOE GREENE

http://www.facebook.com/Elect.LCGreenwood.Pro.Football.HallOfFame

Despite impressive statistics that include twice being named All-Pro, six Pro Bowl selections and a key member on a team that won win six AFC Division Championships and four Super Bowls, Greenwood isn’t enshrined in Canton, Ohio.

Quarterback sacks were not yet an official stat, Greenwood recorded 73.5 sacks during his 13-year career and recovered 14 fumbles.

 Not to mention a pretty awesome Miller Lite Commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otr5cd2K25E

The PPG is reporting that Max Starks has been resigned. Starks who came to camp about 85 pounds overweight and out of shape, has worked hard to get in playing shape. At this point I don’t see how this could possibly be worse than what they have. Starks is capable at best and as long as he is in some modicum of shape can only help.

“Each man needs to nut up, look at himself and get in there and take care of his responsibilities. Each play is 11 individuals; if one person doesn’t get the job done, it looks bad for the whole squad.” – “Silverback” James Harrison.

Silverback is out for at least a few weeks after he was hit in the face. He has a fractured Orbital Bone and will need surgery this week. Compounding the problem is the fact that Jason Worilds is going to be out as well. It has been a dreaful season so far for the Steelers.

Like all things in the NFL and especially for the Steelers it is next man up!

The injury plagued Steelers dropped a tough one to the Houston Texans, as Arian Foster gashed and slashed the Steelers Defense for 155 yards. It was a tough day for the Black and Gold defense, as they only showed glimpses of last year’s success. The Offense made a nice comeback in the second half, but was unable to mount the game winning drive.

The glaring difference between this year and last year is the lack of turnovers by the defense. Silverback looks like he is operating at half speed and was injured for parts of the game. The front seven, which is the backbone of the Steelers success, was getting pushed all over the field for the first half of the game. The defensive line has looked extremely slow. Next to the Linebackers and the Wide Receivers, this was the best and deepest group the Steelers have had in years. It is just awful watching them get beat up. Lamarr Woodley has been virtually invisible and lost backside contain on the run by Foster.

Big Ben is becoming a tackling dummy for opponents as he was sacked five more times today. That brings the season total to a whopping fourteen sacks. He has been getting drilled all over the field and his performances have been completely uneven. He still has flashes of brilliance and will turn this season around.

Rashard Mendenhall has been AWOL for the past two weeks. He has been unable to run with any sort of progress. While the line has been part of the problem, it isn’t the ONLY problem. His cutbacks are horrible, and he has become way too inconsistent. The running game started to get better in the second half and again, Mewelde Moore and Ike Redman were solid.   

It is time to take a real long look at this team and see what it’s made of!

The bright side of this thing, the team played very hard in the second half. First and foremost the Steelers need to beat a spirited Titans team next week and they should get a minimum of 10 wins.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Mike Wallace, He got the Steelers back into the game and while his numbers were mediocre his performance was very good. Honorable Mention, Antonio Brown who is beginning to emerge as a star. Also considered, Ike Redman who grinded out some tough yards.

Where I watched the game: It was a whirlwind day; I watched the game at KGB’s and had McSorleys dark ale. At half time, had to listen to it as the Steelers mounted their comeback, and “watched” the end on my phone. I love listening on the radio and Bill Hillgrove and Tunch were awesome.   

My thoughts on Next Week: I am seriously worried about this one, if the Steelers can beat the Titans they will still have a great shot at the playoffs. Look for a big rebound.

The last few weeks I felt like the blog was a harbinger for bad news. I am finally happy to report on some good news! Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has named a street in Chuck Noll’s honor. Coach Noll NEVER gets the credit he deserves. I will never know what the reason, other than to speculate that media darling Terry Bradshaw’ publicly murdered Coach Noll for the better part of ten years. I am glad the “Emperor” is getting this honor. Coach Noll was never a self promoter and he deserves so much credit for the Steelers success.

I am hoping for a Black and Gold Summer in Canton this year: 

Several Steelers are among the finalists for the Football Hall of Fame here is a small list:

In their first year of eligibility:

Coach Bill Cowher: With a win in Super Bowl XL this should be a no doubter. He has the most wins of any coach of his era and he shepherded the Steelers through a second golden age. To me this should be a lock. If Fatso Parcells gets in before Cowher, that will be a freaking travesty!

“THE BUS” Jerome Bettis: I have a feeling he will have to wait a few years but make no mistake the Bus will park itself in Canton at some point.

Dermonti Dawson: The best center in football for his era. He will get in as well, the only question is when. Let’s hope for this year. Watching him run the trap was one of the things that all Offensive Lineman should aspire to!

Jack Butler: A senior nominee choice and he was a BC (Before Chuck) player.  Butler was a pro-bowler who had 52 interceptions and is considered one of the greatest Steelers of all time. He is also a Pittsburgh native. I imagine he will make it this year.

Donnie Shell: Is on the finalist list and is a long shot, despite being an anchor for the Steelers secondary. At the time of his retirement he was the NFL all time leader in interceptions at Strong Safety. He was a dominant player that had longevity and big play ability. He is like LC Greenwood, who is a victim of the “Steelers’ bias”, especially the 70’s Steelers.  

Kevin Greene: All-time Sacks leader at linebacker in NFL history. He is sort of a journeyman but again has some legitimate credentials and was an excellent pash rusher! One of my favorite players and a true character of the game!

Gary Anderson: FAT CHANCE as kickers are kind of frowned upon. He had a terrific career and should be considered. He was the best at his position for a very long time.

All week this game screamed of a “trap game”. The Steelers played a terrible game, turning the ball over three times, but were able to pull it out, relying on late game heroics and some serious buckling down. 

In Indianapolis right now everyone is saying if Peyton played they would have killed the Steelers, which is hard to argue. The Colts QB situation is horrid and really was the key reason they lost. Their defense which has been shreaded for two weeks was absolutely stifling after the first quarter. It was hard to tell if the defensive line was so good or the Steelers offensive line was so bad.

The O-line is a complete train wreck right now. At one point three of the five starters were out of the game. Jonathon Scott had an awful game as Dwight Freeney abused him all night and abused Ben all night. There was no push up front at all. 

Ben Roethlisberger had an unsteady performance despite coming out strong. He had up and down moments, the great, an 81 yard scoring bomb to Mike Wallace, the bad, taking a sack that cost the Steelers a field goal, the awful having several key turnovers that lead to all of Indy’s points. The interception was on Ben and he had several unsteady throws throughout the night, in his defense he was battered for the last three quarters.

What was great though about this game as you can feel the game slipping away, the defense made a huge play recording their first turnover of the year. It was a familiar play, James Harrison, SILVERBACK, blows up Curtis Painter and Troy Polamalu runs in a score. While that didn’t clinch the game it was huge. Despite what people are saying Polamalu looked every bit as disruptive as he had in the past.

Mewelde Moore, jump started the last drive with a very tough, 22 yard pass. The Steelers drove sixty yards and Shaun Suisham, kicked a 38 yard field goal with four seconds left on the clock to seal the victory.

It was a tough night but a win is a win!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Mewelde Moore, with a stalled running game he grinded out some tough yards as well as made a huge catch! Stats don’t tell the story of a game. Honorable Mention: Troy Polomalu, who was a force, Shaun Suisham, who despite missing a chip shot, hit the game winner!

Where I watched the game: At the Stadium Cafe in Saratoga and the City Center for the Second half in Saratoga. I was drinking Miller Lite for most of the game!

My thoughts on Next Week: This is another game that truly scares me. The Texans have a tough front four and the Steelers line looks to be in serious trouble, My feeling is the Steelers will have to battle it out again, like this game.