Beer We Go Steelers

The Steelers bent but never broke beating the Detroit Lions 20-15. Despite giving up 482 yards, the Steelers defense kept the Lions out of the End Zone and came up with the plays when needed to generate the win! The offense had a Steelers record setting play and despite a sloppy performance were able to put up enough points for the win.

The pass defense which has been air tight all season, was leaky all night. Matthew Stafford had eight completions of 23 Yards or longer. He finished with 423 yards passing with Marvin Jones Jr., T.J. Jones and Golden Tate doing most of the damage. Sean Davis made some big plays breaking up a big pass in the End Zone and stopping a third down conversion. Artie Burns led the team in tackles. They did have a big bounce back, as the Steelers rushed only three on the last series and provided solid coverage for the win.

The pass rush was non-existent last night. Stafford dropped back 45 times but only hit the deck twice. The only sacks came from Steelhead Heyward and Tyson Alualu as Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt were shutout against a banged up Lions line. Where was Deebo? With a struggling pass rush how come James Harrison was sitting on the bench? The front seven strangled the Lions running game, with the longest run coming on a busted play by Matthew Stafford.

The Lions game plan was to bottle up Le’Veon Bell, and they did a fairly good job, but the Steelers absolutely torched them in the passing game, despite Ben Roethlisberger continuing to be an enigma. He struggled at times and missed some wide open receivers. But he also had completions of 32, 40 and 41 yards and he dropped in a perfect pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster for 97 yards for a NEW Steelers record. He had plenty of time in the pocket as there was no pressure despite playing with third string tackle Matt Feiler filling in on the last series. Eli Rogers continues to seem lost, he didn’t help his case dropping a sure touchdown in the End Zone. Jesse James had two big catches and almost had his head knocked off. Antonio Brown was Antonio Brown putting together five clutch catches and a workman like 70 yards.

With Martavis being inactive because of his nonsense, Smith-Schuster stepped up in a big way. He finished with seven catches for a whopping 193 yards, a touchdown and he set the tone with the first catch of the game for 41 yards! He is now the record holder for the longest pass play in team history for 97 yards!

Little Bos continued his excellent season racking up two more field goals extending his streaks for 11 in a row. The Special teams did a great job containing the dangerous Jamal Agnew.

In the end the Steelers finished the first half exactly where they needed to; 6-2, first place and in command of the division!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: No brainer this week… JuJu Smith-Schuster. He now holds the longest reception in Steelers history, and there is an underlining theme here. He needed to have a big night after scurrilously being called about by Martavis Bryant and he delivered in a huge way.  Also Considered: Matt Feiler, OF COURSE, he did a solid job in his first action of the year!

Where I watched the game: KGB took mercy on me and stayed home with the Tailgate kids. I went to Buckley’s my local Irish Pub with my buddies, Mike, Mike, Jeff and Phil. In a twist of fate, the bartender John who is a friend as well was a Lions fan. He was a good sport about it. The bar lost its feed and we had to use an international feed, which substituted commercials with “A Football Life” clips, very cool to watch. Of course the challenge was getting texts from my buddy Bill and Janick ahead of the play! By the second half it worked out and we were back on track. The beer of choice was Miller Lite and we had four different kinds of wings!

My Stat of the week: Another no brainer, 97 yard reception by JuJu Smith-Schuster for the longest pass play in Steelers history. It tied the NFL record for a rookie and it broke Mike Wallace’s Steelers Record of 95 Yards.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers face the BYE week. Or as KGB calls it “Freedom Week”, next week we will post the mid season report!

This week’s Jersey: Le’Veon Bell, #26 Color Rush, which I wore to Saturday Mass and had received a compliment from Father John!

The Steelers beat the Bengals, taking a firm grasp on the North Division!

This Weeks Game Report is brought to Yinz By. “Little Miss Tailgate”

Beer We Go Trip! 

    This 2017 Pittsburgh trip was one of our best! We had a bumpy start to our long drive. We ended up leaving at 3:15 and not checking into our hotel until around 1 am. We stayed at the lovely Homewood Suites on Smallman St, in downtown Pittsburgh. On Saturday, we went too many different sights on Day one of the Pittsburgh trip. We first went to the Robinson Mall and went into the Total Sports Enterprise shop, which was cool. There were all kinds of photos, jerseys, clothing, keychains, etc.

We then went to our annual trip to the History Center and browsed through the various exhibits, such as, Charlie the Tuna Fish, The Penguins 50 years in Pittsburgh, and all the other various sports and historical exhibits. We all then went down to “The Strip” and shopped and my mom and i got matching shirts. We also went to Peppi’s for lunch and my mom and I had a the Santucci.

After shopping, we went to church at the Saint Stanislaus Church off the Strip district. After church we returned to the Strip for a few last minute items. The trip next took us to Point State Park and took some pictures of the sunset and the city late at night.

Dinner was next and we went to Primanti Bros on Market Square! I had Corned Beef and cheese. The dinner was great and a must for us every time we are in Pittsburgh. After we ate we went to the Milkshake Factory where I had a cookie dough fudge milkshake, which was very good! We went back to the hotel and hit the hay as we prepared for the big game tomorrow!  

On Sunday, we woke up had some hotel breakfast and got fired up for the game! We went to two awesome tailgates. We went to the Terrible Bra and Grille Tailgate and we met up with Captain Tailgate and we hung out at the tailgate throwing around the football and having something to eat!  

We then went to another tailgate with some friends my parents know in the Burgh until gametime. They had great music by DJ Ross and a Truck with a TV in it. We sat in section 523 with Captain Tailgate and our parents sat in section 524. We also sat in the front row and jammed out, cheered, and even taunted a few Bengal fans as well.  

Also during the third quarter Renegade came on and the crowd went crazy. We swung our terrible towels high and proud during those three minutes. After Renegade finished Bud Dupree made a terrific sack which backed the Bengals up and caused them to punt on fourth down.

During the second half we fake punted which most certainly worked in our favor. We hiked the ball to Rob Golden and he chucked it in the air to DHB for the first down. We also had numerous sacks throughout the whole game. We ended up winning that game 29-14, and it was a great one. After the game we had to say goodbye to Captain Tailgate and we waited for our Uber. We then went to Primanti’s again for dinner but this time I had the Pittsburgher which was delicious!  

Then we went back to the hotel and slept in preparation for the long drive on Monday morning.

    Overall this Pittsburgh trip was great and unforgettable and we had an awesome time. Until next time

Root Beer We Go,

• Little Miss Tailgate

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: I am going off script here and going with Roosevelt Nix. Nix absolutely creamed Vontaze Burfict and drove him crazy all game, with Burfict kicking him at one point. At the end of the game Burfict refused to shake hands. Also Considered: Le’Veon Bell for a terrific day. The Offensive line who grinded out the game and allowed no sacks.

Where I watched the game: At Heinz Field baby! Me, my beloved KGB, The Tailgate Kids and BWG President Tom Janicki! We hit two different Tailgates, one the BEER WE GO, HOME TAILGATE at the Terrible Bra and Grill, we then went to a wild tailgate with our friend Bridget Stalker! They had great music, food and terrific crowd.

My Stat of the week: Eight Different Receivers! Ben Roethlisberger hit eight different receivers and did a terrific job as he continues to get his season back on track.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers face an inferior road team with the BYE week in front of us. Stop me if you have heard this before. I think the Steelers break the streak!

This week’s Jersey: Joe Greene #75 Home Black, which is my “Gamer”!

The Steelers reached into the past and pulled out a familiar formula, a big day running the football, air tight defense and a little magic as they held on to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 19-13 on Sunday. Le’Veon Bell ran for 179 yards and a touchdown, Antonio Brown made a magical touchdown catch in the fourth quarter and James Harrison capped off a great day by the defense.

The defense dominated  the Chiefs for 3 and 3/4 of the game holding Kansas City to minus-2 yards rushing in the first half and the Chiefs didn’t get a First Down until less than two minutes remained in the half. Rookie running back Kareem Hunt was a non-factor all day as he was held to less than 30 yards rushing. There was no room to run as the front seven crushed KC up front. Vince Williams had two of three of the Steelers sacks and had a great game until he was injured. The third sack belonged to James Harrison who was a factor in his limited time. His sack all but sealed the game as he roughed up Eric Fisher and dropped Alex Smith. Fisher also should have been called for holding on the only Touchdown KC had.

The pass defense was excellent minus one busted play of 57 yards and some poor tackling. Overall the defense held Alex Smith the top percentage passer in the league to 246 yards passing, however Smith was held to one first down and 23 yards passing in the first half and less than 100 yards after three quarters. He also was harassed all day by the Steelers four man rush.

The offense still continues to be a work in progress. They effectively ran the ball as the offensive line, playing without two starters, pushed Kansas City all over the field. Using all different kinds of traps and pulling from all parts of the line the Steelers, tallied almost 200 yards on 37 carries. Le’Veon Bell, rushing 32 times for 179 yards. He had a whopping seven runs of 10-plus yards. In his past three games against Kansas City, Bell has 493 yards on 80 carries (6.1-yard average). It was a terrific performance.

After playing his worst game as a Steeler, Ben Roethlisberger had a nice bounce back day. He still doesn’t look great but he put up a workmanlike day with 252 yards, hitting five different receivers and throwing one Touchdown. He got a little bit of luck on the 51 yard touchdown to Antonio Brown, as he was nearly picked off. Brown had another amazing day coming up with eight catches for 155 yards. His concentration in catching the 51 yarder should put to rest any question of his value.

The special teams was an outright disaster…again. The Steelers failed to cover a free kick giving Kansas City it’s first points. Jordan Berry continues to struggle and the Steelers almost blew the game on a 32 yard punt return from the dangerous Tyreek Hill.

In the end the Steelers beat the last undefeated team in the league. The ability to bounce back after a very embarrassing tough loss has been a signature of this coaching staff. The game plan was well thought out and well executed.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: We are going Deebo, for sealing the victory. There is a sense of calmness that comes over me when he enters the game! One can only wonder if he was in against Dallas last season! Also Considered: Le’Veon Bell for his outstanding performance and Antonio Brown for a tremendous day as well.

Where I watched the game: At the house after a great day out at the vineyards of Long Island with KGB. No Beer and no Snacks as we try to figure out what our Sunday routine will be for 4PM games.

My Stat of the week: 80 Sacks, the most in Steelers history by James Harrison, who continues to add to his legacy and his resume.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers return home against a recovering Bengals team. WE WILL BE THERE. The Steelers could all but eliminate Cincinnati from the division with a big win!

This week’s Jersey: No jersey this week as I was traveling all day Saturday. I wore the Steelers official sideline shirt to mass on Saturday night!

The Steelers offense had a miserable day and set the stage for a Jaguars victory. Ben Roethlisberger played the worst game of his career getting picked off five times and looking out of sorts all day. He threw two pick sixes in four pass attempts, another pick that led to the Jaguars first touchdown and one that ended any chance for a comeback. It was a rough day in all aspects.

At this point, the offense looks completely out of whack. Roethlisberger looks uneasy and his accuracy has been awful. Despite facing the worst run defense in football, the Steelers were not able to move the ball and were forced to pass. Le’Veon Bell struggled in the run rushing only 47 yards on 15 carries. The Steelers were moving the ball pretty well, but the turnovers would doom any chance of victory. Martavis Bryant and Jesse James have disappeared and the only bright spot was Antonio Brown, who racked up 157 yards and played a tough game. It was a miserable ay for the offense.

The defense had a strange day. Despite what the national media is going to say, they played fairly well and certainly well enough for the win. They slowed the Jaguars down considerably and if it wasn’t for the last touchdown by Leonard Fournette in garbage time the numbers would have told a better story, the Jags finished with 231 yards rushing. Without the Fournette run it would have been 141 yards and Fournette would have been held to less than 3.4 yards per carry . But without question Fournette had a great day, his first touchdown was one of the best over the top leaps in NFL history and he was absolutely punishing up front.

The Jaguars line battered the Steelers as the game wore on and did a terrific job blocking and opening lanes. Ryan Shazier and TJ Watt played well in the first half, but were pushed around in the second half. The secondary was never really tested although they gave up one long play.

The coaching is also going to take a beating this week. The offense is completely lost right now and the Steelers need to figure out what’s wrong and quick. The offense is absolutely lost, the window for this team is closing and the Steelers need to get moving.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Antonio Brown who had a solid day despite Ben’s struggles. Also Considered: NO ONE. Rotten day all around.

Where I watched the game: At the house for KGB’s birthday. We did several pictures for #KGB-BDAY and #HEREWEGO and had amazing snacks…Pierogies and Buffalo Chicken on Garlic bread. The Beer of choice was Leinekugel’s Fall Shandy…which will be replaced next week.

My Stat of the week: This one is obvious…FIVE Picks and two for Pick sixes was the worst game in Ben Roethlisberger’s career. Awful day and his post game comments have now raised several questions if we are seeing the end of a great career.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers are going to struggle against Kansas City which is a tough place to win. They will fall to 3-3 and then get back on track.

This week’s Jersey: Ironically Ben Roethlisberger fashion jersey.

The Steelers responded to a week of controversy by pummeling the Baltimore Ravens. Led by running back Le’Veon Bell’s breakout performance of 144 yards and two touchdowns the Steelers beat the Ravens 26-9 and have taken sole possession of first place.

While the offense again showed flashes of what can be, the  defense rebounded nicely from the Chicago debacle, dominating the Ravens woeful offense. The Steelers had two interceptions and four sacks and held the Ravens to single digit scoring. It was a monster game for Cam Heyward who had two of the sacks and a forced fumble. Stephon Tuitt returned, with a sack, and allowed Heyward to run all over the backfield. Ryan Shazier had an interception and was dominant sideline to sideline, leading the team with 11 tackles. The Ravens rushed for only 82 Yards with 72 yards coming on two plays, other wise there was no room to run. Mike Hilton chipped in with an interception.

The offensive game plan was to run the ball first and then open up the passing game. The plan was executed extremely well using a number of plays with six offensive linemen. Alejandro Villanueva absolutely negated Terrell Suggs who finished the game with one tackle.

The offense finished with 173 yards rushing, most since they had 240 last season in Buffalo, and averaged 4.1 yards per carry. Ben Roethlisberger is still a work in progress, however he played much better this week. He orchestrated a 10 1/2 minute drive to open the game and threw a touchdown to JuJu Smith-Schuster and converted several third downs. He threw one interception on a ridiculous call by the refs. Antonio Brown had a temper tantrum on the sideline but cobbled together four catches for 34 yards. Martavis Bryant led the team with 48 yards receiving.

The coaches deserve some credit here, after a huge letdown in Chicago and a week of controversy. It was a great bounce back effort given all of the distractions. The Steelers had a great game plan on both sides of the ball and were able to dominate a division rival.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: We have to go with Le’Veon Bell who ran the ball 35 times for 144 yards and caught four passes for 42 yards. Also, considered: Cam Heyward for a great defensive effort. Alejandro Villanueva for absolutely punishing Terrell Suggs.

 Where I watched the game: At the house with the “Tailgate Kids” after we threw the ball around before the game. KGB was traveling for business, so I was home with the kids. We had stuffed Garlic Knots for our snack and Italian Beef, which I made in the crock pot. I got the recipe from our trip to Chicago. As for Beer, I went with Leinekugel Harvest Patch Shandy, but only had two since I was on Dad duty.

My Stat of the week: 173 Yards rushing, that is a dominant performance on the ground, with Le’Veon Bell garnering 35 of them, the most by any running back against the Ravens in 14 seasons.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers return home against a tough and game Jaguars team. These are the games that the Steelers need to win and seldom do. Look for this to be close with the Steelers pulling it out.

This week’s Jersey: My Birthday gift! A TJ Watt home jersey, it seemed to have the reverse affect as he came back from injury!