Sorry for taking so long to post this. I do appreciate people calling me out on it and actually… I am a little flattered. I am not going to do a full game recap as it is already old news, but I will do some quick observations.
The Steelers lost a bizarre opening game to the Denver Broncos. Despite dominating time of possession and putting together several good offensives series, they lost by double digits. Peyton Manning, as we correctly predicted, was the player to watch. He had a terrific game and absolutely had the Steelers on their heels every time he touched the ball. He put on a clinic on how to read pass coverage and sniff out blitzes. It was a great performance and he deserves the accolades.
The good news is that the new offense looks very good! Watching Heath Miller slice Denver up was the highlight of the night for me. Ben needs more time in it but there was plenty to be excited about. The Steelers converted 11-19 3rd downs and got yards when they needed them. Eight different receivers caught passes, and if the execution had been a little better the Steelers would have built a huge lead.
The downside was that one of BWG’s favorites had an AWFUL game….Doug Legursky. The Offensive Line was doing a great job in protection until both Foster and Gilbert went out. Legursky looked slow and was wrecked on three series.
The defense played poorly. I am going to give them a pass on this one though, which is going to draw the ire of some of you but here is my reasoning; First, they played without Silverback and Ryan Clark and it was noticeable, Second… sometimes you have to give the devil his due and Manning was just outstanding. Keenan Lewis and Ike Taylor held their own, while Cortez Allen struggled. The pass rush was spotty at best.
I will be behind enemy lines this Sunday, as my new neighborhood is a cabal of Jets fans. Look for a big bounce back this week against the Jets and I will be on a regular posting schedule next week!
BTW, does anyone know if Tim Tebow is on the NY Jets…. asked no one…. ever!
BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!
My “GAME BEER” goes to: Heath Miller, I always believed in this guy and think he will have a breakout year. Love when the crowd yells “HEATHHHHHHHHH”. Also considered was Larry Foote who had a great game and filled in admirably as James Farrior’s replacement.
Where I watched the game: My new house with just KGB. I am getting the impression that people don’t enjoy me screaming at the TV and throwing the remote as much as I previously thought. We had IC Light for the game as my local guy carries it. We had to ditch a family party early to get home for kickoff.
My Stat of the week: Heath Miller caught 4 passes for 50 yards. While that didn’t lead the team, what it does represents is that Todd Haley’s offense is actually going to use Heath. This could be huge!
My thoughts on Next Week: Being trapped in Jets hell in my new neighborhood, it should be a fun week. I think coming off a tough loss and playing at home we should look for a good bounce back week.