Beer We Go Steelers

Steelers started strong and held off a mad ending to beat the Vikings in Dublin!

The Steelers held on for an ugly, but ultimately rewarding, 24-21 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland, advancing to 3-1. A few head-scratching coaching decisions nearly turned a comfortable romp into a near-disaster thanks to two highly questionable late-game decisions by Mike Tomlin.

While the defense deserves full credit for closing it out, this game should have been a three-score blowout—a testament to the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of this team.

Mike Tomlin had a rough day. Two calls put a game in jeopardy that should have been over in the 3^rd quarter. First, with a chance to go up by 13 with just under four minutes left, he opted to keep the offense on the field for 4th-and-Goal from the 3-yard line.

That was a gutsy call, but if you’re trying to drop the hammer on them, you absolutely must put the ball in Aaron Rodgers’ hands and look for DK Metcalf or Darnell Washington. Instead, the team ran Kenneth Gainwell into a brick wall, resulting in a turnover on downs and a momentum swing. The second, and more egregious, decision came later: punting on 4th-and-1 from the Vikings’ 45-yard line with 1:08 left. Taking a penalty is inexcusable. A first down ends the game. To take a delay of game and punt—trusting a defense that had been on the field too long over a one-yard conversion—is ludicrous.

After three weeks of a non-existent run game, the Steelers finally showed a pulse on the ground, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. The answer, at least for one game, was big personnel. Arthur Smith used an extra offensive lineman, Spencer Anderson, and put Darnell Washington to work as a blocker, opening up some running lanes.

Kenneth Gainwell, filling in for an injured Jaylen Warren, had a breakout game with 19 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns, adding 6 catches for 35 yards. His patience was excellent, and his success on first down was absolutely crucial, keeping the Vikings out of their exotic third-down blitz packages. Rookie Kaleb Johnson also saw his most extensive action and looked solid.

Aaron Rodgers was surgical early, staking the Steelers to a big lead. He finished an efficient 18-for-22 for 200 yards and a touchdown, continuing to be great in situational football. He’s not putting up monster numbers, but the team is 3-1 without playing their best football.

DK Metcalf was the primary beneficiary of a good early plan, logging 122 of his 126 yards by halftime, including a beautiful 80-yard catch-and-run touchdown off an Arthur Smith motion package. Unfortunately, the passing game dried up in the second half, and the tight ends remain an afterthought—Darnell Washington led the group with 20 yards, while Pat Freiermuth had zero catches. Even worse, Calvin Austin III left the game with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter, putting more pressure on Roman Wilson to step up next time out.

The offensive line’s run blocking took a huge step forward, but the pass protection remains leaky. The interior line, specifically Isaac Seumalo, gave up a crucial sack just before halftime that forced the team to settle for a blocked field goal, leaving points on the field.

This was the first time this season the Steelers held an opponent under 100 rushing yards (70 yards on 20 carries), and the defensive line deserves praise. Keeanu Benton, a lightning rod for criticism in the first three weeks, had his best game by far with four tackles and 1.5 sacks. Cam Heyward continues to be an All-Pro presence, tipping a pass at the line that led to a T.J. Watt interception—the second time in as many weeks he’s done that.

The linebacking corps was phenomenal. Payton Wilson led the team with 13 tackles, none bigger than his shoestring tackle of Jordan Addison late in the fourth quarter that prevented a touchdown and forced the Vikings to bleed precious clock time. Patrick Queen was almost as good with 11 tackles and a sack. Nick Herbig continues to be a star in the making, adding 1.5 sacks and forcing an intentional grounding on the Vikings’ final drive, the guy simply capitalizes on his opportunities.

With all the injuries the patchwork secondary woes continue. While they closed the game out, the mental errors and communication breakdowns were a serious challenge. The miscommunication between Darius Slay Jr. and Chuck Clark that allowed Addison’s 81-yard catch-and-run nearly cost them the game. They need the bye week to get healthy and iron out these inexcusable mental lapses.

Special Teams had an up and down day. Gainwell and Trey Sermon averaged 25 yards per kickoff return, showing significant improvement on a previously struggling unit. Corliss Waitman averaged 48 yards per punt. Waitman’s final punt should have been pinned inside the 20 but went through the end zone. Pat Freiermuth completely whiffed on his block, leading to Chris Boswell’s first field goal attempt getting blocked. Boswell later drilled a clutch 33-yarder.

Given the teams history, the Steelers had to leave Ireland with a victory. They did

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Payton Wilson. His shoestring tackle was the biggest play of the game, saving a guaranteed touchdown late in the fourth and forcing the Vikings into a more time-consuming drive. That’s a game-winning play that often gets lost in the shuffle. Also Considered: Kenneth Gainwell (for stepping up huge in the run game), Nick Herbig (The sack machine, just give him the snaps!), and Cam Heyward (still putting on a Hall of Fame show).

Beer of the Game: We went with Guinness of course. KGB and I have been to Dublin a few times now and Guinness is always a stop on the tour. It was creamy, solid, and hearty—just like a good Steelers defensive stop.

“Steel the Snacks”: This would probably qualify as more Steel Snacks than Steel the Snacks. KGB made a classic Irish Breakfast with eggs, beans, Tomato and three kinds of sausage,

My stat of the week: 131: That’s the rushing yards for the Steelers in this game, a vast improvement over the first three weeks and a sign that the ground game may finally be found.

My thoughts on next week: The bye week is perfectly timed. This team needs to rest the wounded (Warren, Highsmith, Austin) and use the time to correct some of the issues that continue to plague the team. Then the Cleveland Browns, come to Pittsburgh, and after their Week 4 performance, this is a must-win to establish dominance in the AFC North.

Jersey of the Week: NO JERSEY again this week.

At times it looked like both the offense and defense were on to something big, and at other times they looked completely out of synch. In the end the Steelers did enough to edge out the New England Patriots 21-14.

It was a renaissance performance for two of the Steelers’ biggest stars. T.J. Watt snapped a six-game streak without a sack in a monster performance, getting two of the Steelers’ five sacks against the Patriots. He also had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery to go along with five tackles.

Cam Heyward was back to making the types of plays that have cemented him as an All-Pro. He had six tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a deflected pass that resulted in an interception. His biggest plays were timely. Just before halftime, with the Patriots poised to score, Heyward tipped Drake Maye’s pass, which landed in the hands of cornerback Brandin Echols. Then, after Aaron Rodgers threw a bad interception to open the second half, Heyward once again stopped the Patriots short of the end zone when he stripped Rhamondre Stevenson at the 1-yard line before he could cross the goal line for the score.

Nick Herbig, starting in place of the injured Alex Highsmith, produced perhaps the biggest sack of the game. His strip sack of Maye midway through the fourth quarter thwarted a potential go-ahead score by the Patriots and set up the Steelers’ game-winning drive. Cole Holcomb made his first “start” since November 2023, following a knee injury that had kept him off the field. In the game, he had six tackles and a forced fumble. He spelled Payton Wilson on the big run downs. Patrick Queen continues to be a tackling machine, leading the team with 10 tackles.

After missing the first two games with a knee sprain, rookie first-round pick Derrick Harmon made his highly anticipated NFL debut. He recorded two tackles, including his first career sack. At the nose tackle position, Daniel Ekuale and Keeanu Benton split time, with Ekuale registering three tackles. Benton looks miscast at the nose. Despite the unit’s noted improvement, they still struggled to stop the run, allowing the Patriots to gain 119 rushing yards. This marks the third consecutive game where the defense has surrendered over 100 yards on the ground.

Just three weeks after being cut by the Patriots, Jabrill Peppers made a huge impact getting his first start for the Steelers. He came up with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on the same play early in the third quarter, a highlight in a day filled with big plays from the defensive backs.

Brandin Echols recorded his first interception with the Steelers, and Darius Slay Jr. played well in coverage and recovered a fumble. The team’s pass coverage though is still very leaky, especially on third downs. Drake Maye completed 76% of his passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. While turnovers ultimately won the game for the defense, their struggles particularly over the middle on third down is head scratching. The potential return of Joey Porter Jr. and DeShon Elliott will helpfully improve the coverage units.

It was also an uneven performance for the offense, a veritable mixed bag of impressive and inconsistent moments. While the fast start and absolute glorious finish were impressive, what happened between those three drives was just bad football. Aaron Rodgers finished with only 16 completions. A remarkable 11 of those completions came on the three touchdown drives, leaving him with just five completions on the other seven drives.

Despite the inconsistency, Rodgers still gets it done when he has some time. He put together several clutch throws, particularly on the touchdowns to DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III. The game-winning throw to Austin, a perfect back-shoulder pass in the end zone, capped off a nine-play drive.

It also looks like he is getting on the same page with his targets. On that final drive, Rodgers was a flawless 4 for 4, a stark contrast to his previous four drives in the second half where he went 4 for 9 with an interception. The offense is clearly still a work in progress, but Rodgers delivered when it counted most.

Consistency, or the lack thereof, was the theme for the Steelers’ pass catchers. While they made their catches count, the overall production was mediocre.

The receivers were opportunistic, highlighted by DK Metcalf’s incredible job of getting both feet inbounds for a touchdown in the second quarter. The tight ends, which are supposed to be the focal point of the Arthur Smith system, offered next to nothing. Pat Freiermuth had only one catch for six yards and earned the Aaron Rodgers, angry hand gesture moment for failing to settle in a zone on a third down. Jonnu Smith managed three catches for 23 yards, but his performance was marred by a fumble that luckily went out of bounds. There are plenty of very good pass catchers, the lack of a passing game is something that needs to be fixed.

The running game is still non-existent. Jaylen Warren earned the bulk of the work, and he delivered. He finished with 81 total yards from scrimmage and came up with some crucial plays on the final drive. Warren contributed 29 of his yards to the fourth-quarter touchdown drive, including 14 of his team-high 47 rushing yards. Kenneth Gainwell chipped in to make a big play in the final drive with a 10-yard catch just before the game-winning touchdown pass to Calvin Austin. It was a game that was tailor made for the Steelers to take the air out of the ball and ground and pound, but the front is not getting any offensive push.

Corliss Waitman, proved Sunday he is a valuable weapon, he had a 55-yard punt and pinned the Patriots inside their 20-yard line three times. The kickoff coverage team showed significant improvement, holding the Patriots to an average of just 23.5 yards per return. This was a notable change from the first two games where the Jets and Seahawks consistently returned kicks past the 30-yard line. Chris Boswell was not called upon for a field goal.

The Steelers are 2-1 with a defense that has given up an average of 386 yards per game and no running game. They could easily be 3-0 or 0-3, that is how Jekyll and Hyde this team is.

The victory over the Patriots was a testament to their opportunistic, yet inconsistent, nature. While the defense showed a slight improvement by giving up “only” 369 total yards—fewer than in the first two games—their victory was a result of five turnovers. Defensive lapses are still very evident, as miscommunication allowed tight end Hunter Henry to score a wide-open touchdown on fourth down.

Offensively, the performance also is a rollercoaster. Coordinator Arthur Smith’s unit was opportunistic early and late but vanished for large stretches of the game. Finishing with a mere 203 total yards is a concerning number that won’t lead to many wins in the future. They must find a more consistent rhythm on both sides of the ball to achieve any kind of success.

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: After seriously considering it, it had to be Cam Heyward. He put in so many clutch plays, he basically saved the game. Also Considered: T.J. Watt, for having a huge day, Cole Holcomb coming in and establishing some law and order. Jaylen Warren for getting the tough yards.

Beer of the Game: I went with Brooklyn Octoberfest, Hearty and solid beer. I actually didn’t drink my whole allotment for the game.

“Steel the Snacks”: KGB went with New England Style Corn Chowder with biscuits. Solid soup and very hearty. We had it in the fourth quarter when the Steelers were driving.

My stat of the week: So many to choose from going with two touchdowns for a total of 510, the number of touchdowns Aaron Rodgers now has as he passed Brett Favre for fourth place on the all-time touchdown list.

My thoughts on next week: IRELAND, my heart is broken that we won’t be there, because of business commitments. This is a revenge game against the Vikings who beat the Steelers in London 12 years ago. This game would have meant a lot to Mr. Rooney, the former ambassador to Ireland. Look for a big week from the Steelers.

Jersey of the Week: NO Jersey this week, had a hectic pregame including the day after a wedding party and an event with the OSDIA.

What looked like a promising game at times, turned into a nightmare with defensive lapses, offensive mistakes and mental errors on special teams that cost the Steelers the home opener, losing to the Seattle Seahawks 31-17. It’s the first time the Steelers have allowed 30-plus points in back-to-back games in the Tomlin era, and first time since the disastrous beginning of the 1989 season, highlighting the dramatic need for improvement.

The defense, a unit Mike Tomlin predicted would be one of his best, has been challenged for the second week in a row and came up very short. After two games, it’s clear this group is still finding its footing, and battling injuries. He showed a degree of trust in the defense, punting on 4th-and-1 to force the Seahawks to drive the length of the field. Seattle of course scored, it was a decision that signaled he is still confident in the defense’s ability to respond to a challenge, despite very little evidence they are up for it.

The defensive line is facing a difficult stretch battling injury. While Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin have publicly backed Keeanu Benton at nose tackle, he is still being pushed off the line of scrimmage and is better suited for an end position. After giving up 182 rushing yards last week, the defense allowed another 118 yards on the ground to the Seahawks. This marks the 11th time in the last 21 games an opponent has rushed for over 100 yards against the Steelers, these are stats that would have been unimaginable over the last few years.

Kenneth Walker III dominated, rushing for 105 yards on the day. Cam Heyward fought hard, making five tackles and a pass breakup that led to a Nick Herbig interception. But overall, the lack of a consistent pass rush, especially from the interior, left Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold with ample time to find his receivers.

Patrick Queen was active early in the run game, but a missed sack on Darnold proved costly, allowing the Seahawks to convert on a key third down. Payton Wilson led the team with nine tackles and a sack, but the linebackers struggled with pass coverage, particularly against play-action. Queen battled an injury all day and Wilson was pushed off the ball and sent to the sidelines at one point.

What has happened to T.J. Watt? He is in an uncharacteristic six-game stretch without a sack. While Herbig had a promising performance in relief of an injured Alex Highsmith, the Steelers need their top players—including Watt, Queen, and Highsmith—to consistently make game-changing plays.

In the secondary, Jalen Ramsey was targeted on some big plays but also showed his elite ability with six tackles and two pass breakups. He is not the problem. The secondary struggled to maintain tight coverage, especially against Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had 103 receiving yards. A better pass rush would help, but the coverage must tighten up.

Last week special teams saved the day, this week they gave it back, by a mental error from Kaleb Johnson, which led to seven points for the Seahawks, putting the Steelers down by two scores. While this was a major moment in the game, the special teams unit overall has struggled in kick coverage. The issues were less apparent last week when Chris Boswell’s 60-yard kick stole the show, but this week, the Seahawks’ 22-yard punt return and an average of 27 yards on five kickoff returns were a cause for concern, providing the Seahawks with prime field position for much of the game. Corlis Waitman had a nice performance, but it was lost on the coverage issues.

Aaron Rodgers was unable to get much help from his teammates early. A perfect 40-yard pass to Pat Freiermuth was dropped, and DK Metcalf had two costly drops in the first half. Rodgers finished 18 for 33 with two interceptions, though one came on a deflection that was caused by Calvin Austin and the other in garbage time. The offensive line is porous at best and can be a major issue with a 40+ non-mobile quarterback at the helm.

Jaylen Warren was a bright spot, gaining 134 yards from scrimmage, including a highlight-reel 65-yard catch-and-run. He led the team in both rushing (48 yards) and receiving (86 yards). Despite his performance, there must be questions about his durability. The team’s lack of a physical back is painfully apparent, as the Steelers opted to pass and run with Gainwell.

DK Metcalf had a quiet day against his former team with only three catches for 30 yards. Calvin Austin III also had a quiet performance, with his one catch coming on a play that resulted in Rodgers’ first interception. The offensive line’s run-blocking improved slightly, but backs still averaged only 3.4 yards per carry. At this rate, the 41-year-old Rodgers is on pace to be sacked 60 times this season, which raises concerns about his longevity.

They have quite a few problems that they need to fix of this is going to be a lost season.

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Have to go with Jaylen Warren who put together a solid effort. Also Considered, Cam Heyward who played well despite those around him not. Jalen Ramsey is exciting to watch despite a mixed performance.

Beer of the Game: Narragansett, Jaws Addition, the beer is one of my favorites and left over from a Jaws Party we had over Labor Day.

“Steel the Snacks”: This week it became “Steel Snacks”, I don’t really like Sushi and there was nothing on the Seattle snack slate that jumped out at me. KGB made a Sunseri style Atomic Roll, something we always get in Pittsburgh and bring to the tailgate. They were off the charts.

My stat of the week: Twenty-Two games, that was how long the Seahawks had gone before scoring an opening drive touchdown in a game. They put the Steelers on their heels early and shreaded the defense. It looked for a short time that they had righted the ship, but it was short lived. That was such an ominous stat that didn’t bode well for the rest of the day.

My thoughts on next week: The Steelers head to their personal house of horrors in New England. They will face a Jekyll and Hyde Patriots team that looked horrible week one and then demo jobbed the Dolphins yesterday. Gone is Bill Belichik and in is former Steeler and New England standout Mike Vrabel. This is a must win game before Ireland.

Jersey of the Week:  My vanity Jersey #50 Home Black, a gift for my fiftieth birthday from KGB.

It wasn’t the master blueprint the Steelers drew up, but they scraped, clawed, and ultimately did enough to pull out a hard-fought, thrilling 34-32 victory over the New York Jets. Chris Boswell was the hero, drilling the 60-yard winner after an earlier 56-yarder.

At times, this game looked frighteningly familiar— to the horrendous end of last season, capped off with the penultimate massacre in Baltimore that ended the once promising campaign. Even without their top offensive lineman, the Jets absolutely bullied the Steelers’ rebuilt front seven, churning out 182 yards on 39 carries. When the Jets threw, there was little to no pass rush and they ran up a big number on offense, 394 total yard.

The absence of first-round rookie Derrick Harmon hurt, but the veteran defensive front seven did little to slow Breece Hall, who consistently broke into the second level for long gains. Patrick Queen tied Alex Highsmith for the tackle lead, but he and Payton Wilson have to get more physical stopping the run.

Alex Highsmith was the lone standout, logging the team’s only sack, two more hurries, and eight tackles. T.J. Watt didn’t record a sack for the fifth straight game (dating back to last season), though he did manage two tackles for loss, including one where he absolutely buried Justin Fields.

Jalen Ramsey saved the day late, with his pass breakup on fourth down snuffing out the final Jets comeback attempt. But far too many big plays landed on the corners. Darius Slay Jr. allowed a 33-yard touchdown to Garrett Wilson. Six different Jets caught passes from Justin Fields, all for at least 12 yards. The Steelers poured serious cash and traded Minkah Fitzpatrick to build an “improved“ defensive backfield this offseason, yet they made Fields look like an elite passer.

If the defense was a disappointment the offense was an absolute surprise. It was “turn back the clock” day in Jersey. Aaron Rodgers was nearly flawless in his return, including a clutch, game-winning field goal drive where he went 4-for-5. He finished 22-of-30 for 244 yards, four touchdowns, and zero picks (a 136.7 QB rating). It makes you very optimistic about what he could do with actual pass protection or a running game. Not to mention a flagrant PI missed call on Calvin Austin that would have set the Steelers up.

The Steelers didn’t even try to establish the run, and the backs never found a flow. In his first start, Jaylen Warren had just 37 yards on 11 carries (plus a 5-yard TD catch). Getting only 59 yards from scrimmage from your starting back is not ideal and not the way the Steelers planned on drawing it up. Kenneth Gainwell was even less effective, with 19 yards on seven runs. Rookie Kaleb Johnson lost 2 yards on his only carry but drew a costly personal foul—which, frustratingly, was the longest gain of the day on a called running play. Warren earned his touchdown, but this entire group needs much better production.

For all the offseason complaints about the receiving corps’ quality and depth, it was encouraging to see DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, and Ben Skowronek all contribute with big plays. Skowronek, the Pittsburgh folk hero, had a 22-yard TD catch, Austin an 18-yard TD, and Metcalf delivered big plays all game. He is an absolute hoss out there. Jonnu Smith chipped in a short TD, too. Explosive plays from the receivers and tight ends fueled the comeback and kept the Steelers alive when they trailed by nine points, two times in the game.

Broderick Jones who the fan base has been clamoring for, struggled all game, unable to block Jets edge rusher Will McDonald. He allowed two sacks and gave up far too many pressures. It’ll be interesting to see how long the coaches give Jones to fix this before turning to a backup for more consistent blind-side protection. The line didn’t get a push in the run game, either. This unit has the most upside on the team but need to turn that into some sort of production.

Chris Boswell had the two big kicks, but the biggest special teams play was the turnover early in the fourth quarter. Gainwell stripped Jets returner Xavier Gipson, and Skowronek recovered the fumble. Two plays later, Austin’s touchdown gave the Steelers their first lead of the second half. That turnover led to a crucial 14-point swing in a 50-second span that turned the tide of the entire game.

Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith proved his earlier quote true: they didn’t bring Rodgers in to run the wishbone. Smith dialed up explosive plays in the passing game. Three of Rodgers’ four touchdowns were to wide-open receivers, a testament to good play-action calls and solid scheming. Smith still needs to figure out the running game and the line’s issues, but he was a key reason the Steelers won.

As for the defense? Mike Tomlin predicted his unit could do “historic” things. It is too early to give up on that idea, but they have got to show much more than they did against a limited Jets team. Tomlin has supreme confidence in his defense, but they need to start playing significantly better.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Chris Boswell, yesterday’s game summed it up perfectly, who would you rather have had, Bos of Nick Folk who looks like my Grandfather and I am over 50. Bos absolutely banged that 60-yarder and he could have hit a 70-yarder, it had that much distance. Also Considered: Aaron Rodgers absolutely lit the scoreboard up. The Steelers moved the ball efficiently, Alex Highsmith established lay and order.

Beer of the Game: Westhampton Beach Pumpkin Ale, trying to be original this season. It might have been early for pumpkin beer, but it did the job.

“Steel the Snacks”: Being native NY, pizza was a thought but we eat that at least once or twice a week. So we went with Sabrett Hot Dogs and Knishes with hot mustard.  Not our most glamorous snack but it did the trick.

My stat of the week: 60-Yard Field Goal. It is impressive enough to hit a 60 yard field goal, it is more impressive when it is to take the league in a hostile environment on a rainy day, It was also Bos’s personal best and he absolutely clobbered the kick.

My thoughts on next week: This will be the home opener against a rebuilding Seattle team. The biggest question is what the defense will do against a more traditional pocket passer. The defense needs a statement game.

Jersey of the Week:  T.J. Watt #90 Home Black, wanted to switch it up this year, historically I go with a retired legend. Need a fresh look this season.

…for now