Beer We Go Steelers

The Duck Hodges flight came to a crashing end, turning the ball over four times as the Steelers lost to Buffalo 17-10.

SORRY EVERYONE for the delay, with the Holiday Season, this weeks Blog will be delayed.

MORE TO COME

The Steelers put together their third win a row, beating the Arizona Cardinals. The formula for success is a tough defense and a timely offense and it has held up now for three weeks.

“Duck” Hodges outplayed 1^st-Round pick Kyler Murray running a conservative offense without his two best playmakers again. Hodges finished with 152 Yards one touchdown and scrambled for 34 yards. He played mistake free football and when he needed to make a play he did it!

Diontae Johnson had the best game of his short career. He ran back an 85-Yard punt return that put the Steelers up by two scores. He also caught a touchdown on a quick 2- yard out route. He also reversed fields for fourteen yards and showed his play making ability. He also rushed for 16-yards on a reverse. It was a great day. Deon Cain made a tremendous catch when targeted and James Washington continues to be a big play threat.

The running game racked up 140 very tough yards. Benny Snell Jr. was the workhorse and made the tough yards, he grinded out 41 yards on some tough carries, he did have a very costly fumble. Kerrith Whyte has been a great find, he had the splash plays and flashed signs of brilliance with 41 yards also.

While the offense was sturdy, the defense was spectacular! The front seven contained Kyler Murray and forced three turnovers. There was never room to move and he never had time to set his feet and throw. Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt are becoming the best one-two punch in the league on the outside. They combined for a sack and interception and seven tackles! Cam Heyward’s stats will not show it, but he set the tone and was a force in the middle. The middle was solid with great performances by Vince Williams and Mark Barron. The Cardinals were held to just 71 yards on the ground and 165 net yards in the air!

That doesn’t happen without a tremendous performance by the secondary. Joe Haden continued his big game heroics. He had two interceptions including the game clincher. Minkah Fitzpatrick spied Murray and he never was able to get outside contain. Steve Nelson and Terrell Edmunds tied for the team lead in tackles.

The special teams was great…ahem… not counting some type of fake punt or something by Jordan Berry, which was a huge debacle. The coverage units were good. Little Bos’s comeback continues!

Great job by the Coaching who had the answers for Kyler Murray and didn’t get stuck in the classic Tomlin trap game! For the record Mike Tomlin will now be second behind Don Shula with the most consecutive non-losing seasons. Keep in mind that the Steelers are using an undrafted fourth string Quarterback and he has been without either of his best playmakers for almost a month, yet somehow the Steelers are in the playoff hunt!

The good news is, I watched the game film, so I didn’t see how bad the refs were!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Diontae Johnson, who had a great bounce back game. It is a big game after a few weeks of mistake riddled performances. Also Considered: The outside linebacker duo of Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt are on fire right now. Joe Haden is having a Pro-Bowl caliber season and had the interception to seal the win.

Where I watched the game: Trick question this week. For the first time since 2006, I missed the majority of the game. We had a family party at a catering hall, I caught some of the game on the Sunday Ticket App and watched some of the play by play on Bleacher Report. I watched the game film this morning and got to review it. The Beer of choice was Peroni…yesterday! None this morning for the game film!

My Stat of the week: Thirteen seasons and Mike Tomlin has not had a losing record! The Steelers have a very good chance of returning to the playoffs and Coach Tomlin is a huge reason for that!

My Thoughts on next week: Going to be an old-fashioned defensive punch out! Every game has playoff implications. Look for a rough showdown and the Steelers out lasting the Bills!

This week’s Jersey: Mike Webster, #52, Home jersey, one of the greatest players of all time! God Bless Iron Mike!

The Steelers used two rookies and made a big statement with a come from behind win over the loudmouth underperforming Cleveland Browns. Devlin “Duck” Hodges and Benny Snell led the Steelers offense and Bud Dupree and Joe Haden led the Steelers defense. It was a redemption game for Mike Tomlin who clearly out coached Freddie Kitchens.

The Browns started fast, scoring on two of the first three drives and then disappeared. The defense settled in and made the necessary adjustments, after giving up 91 yards in the first half on the ground, the Browns managed just 15 more yards for the rest of the game. Javon Hargrave and Cam Heyward set the tone. Hargrave had a huge sack of Baker Mayfield taking the Browns out of field goal range and Cam Heyward recovered a fumble that led to a Steelers score.

Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt gave the Browns all they could handle on the outside, Dupree had 1.5 sacks and Watt had a big sack and several pressures. The constant pressure from the outside kept Mayfield on the run and this time the whole defense did a better job of keeping Mayfield in the pocket, something that killed the Steelers in the first matchup.

The secondary played another top-notch game, holding Mayfield to less than two hundred yards. He never completed a pass of more than 23 yards and even that was controversial. The refs gave Jarvis Landry a gift catch on a play that should have never been overturned. Odell Beckham disappeared in the game and was never a factor. Joe Haden sealed the win with a big interception with about a minute left.

The offense looked better under Hodges. He played well after the first two series and made some nice throws. He still needs development and lacks pocket presence, but his first start was clearly a success. James Washington is beginning to develop into the big play threat the Steelers envisioned, he finished with four catches for 111 yards and a 44-yard touchdown that he was interfered with on. Vance McDonald finally got back into the passing game. Even Nick Vannett had a catch. Diontae Johnson had a tough day and made some key mistakes, including running the wrong route on Hodges only turnover.

Benny Snell did a workman like job carrying 16 times on the ground for 63 yards. He also had a very big 11-yard run that helped the Steelers escape their own goal line, after another botched call by the referees. Jaylen Samuels did a nice job as the third down back and the wildcat quarterback. The offensive line pushed the Browns front all over the field.

The Special teams had several key contributions including Chris Boswell hitting two field goals and Kerrith Whyte having the longest return of the season. He has carved a role for himself as the return man. The coverage units were tight and kept the Browns in check.

Hats off to Mike Tomlin, whose team was focused and ready for a tough game. They never panicked when down and had the answers for a talented yet undisciplined Browns team. The play calling is a little suspect, but when you beat your arch-rivals with your fourth string quarterback and without either of your best playmakers, you are a great coach.

The refs ARE HORRIBLE! This crew blew several calls and might be the slowest crew in the league. Another awful week.

It was two weeks late, but the Steelers have now put the Browns almost completely out of the playoff picture.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Duck Hodges, who performed admirably and made the needed adjustments, he is clearly a work in progress, but did what was needed to win. Also Considered: Joe Haden, who had the game clinching interception. Mike Tomlin, who was clearly the difference between the two teams and Bud Dupree, who forced a fumble and had 1.5 sacks.

Where I watched the game: At the house in front of the fireplace, with the Tailgate kid D-Man and KGB! Little Miss Tailgate had to go back to college before the game. KGB made Thanksgiving Fritters out of the leftovers and Stuffing coated hot dogs with mustard gravy. The game turned when the snacks showed up! PHENOMENAL! KGB had Iron City and D-man had Barqs Root Beer, I had one of the last of my 16ounce IC Lights from the ‘Burgh trip!

My Stat of the week: 1-1 the Steelers split with the Browns for the first time since 2014 and the Browns have not swept the Steelers since 1988! After all the talk, their idiot coach wearing an obnoxious t-shirt, they came up empty again! It was the 16^th straight home win for the Steelers against the Browns.

My Thoughts on next week: This is the classic Tomlin trap game, a road game against an inferior team, the Cardinals. The Steelers need a big win here to hold their playoff spot. Look for another tough close win!

This week’s Jersey: Dermonti Dawson, #63, Throwback 1968 Home jersey, I was hoping this would have been the throwback used this season. It was designed by Ambassador Rooney.

The Steelers survived a rough offensive output with some timely plays and a stout Steelers defense in their win over the hapless Bengals. The biggest story will be the benching of Mason Rudolph in favor of the “Duck” Devlin Hodges, a move that temporarily sparked the offense.

While that will be the story, it was the defense that carried the Steelers. It started up front with a very big day by Cam Heyward. He had a sack, six hurries and made backside tackles on the Gio Bernard. Mark Barron and Devin Bush both played well and seem to be settling into their roles with the team. Barron chipped in with a sack and six tackles. Bush had a game changing strip of Tyler Boyd, after he was burned for a big play. Minkah Fitzpatrick recovered and ran it back, turning the tide in the game. Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt might be the best tandem in the NFL right now, chipping with two sacks and two forced fumbles, with the last one being the game breaker!

The offensive line struggled in protection but finally opened some running lanes. With James Conner out, Benny Snell had a very big game finishing with 98 yards and all but icing the game after the fumble recovery. It is good to see power running of the football again. The Steelers finished with over 160 yards on the ground. Kerrith Whyte came off the couch and chipped in with 43 yards!

The controversy this week will be the benching of Mason Rudolph. Since his return from a concussion, he hasn’t been the same player. He was erratic and lacks pocket presence. He was 8-16 and only 85 yards against one of the worst defenses in football. Devlin Hodges contrary to popular belief wasn’t much better.

A BIG play by James Washington was the difference maker in the passing game. Washington finished with only three catches one of which was a great catch and run of 79 yards! It was a very big stiff arm that will make all the highlight reels. Another off the couch guy Deon Cain had a big 35-yard reception! Diontae Johnson is coming into his own. What happened to Vance McDonald and Nick Vannett?

The special teams once again an asset, for the most part! Jordan Berry flipped the field on two occasions and had seven punts all of which were timely and trapped the Bengals. “Little Bos”, Chris Boswell is almost all the way back!

Give Mike Tomlin credit, he made a big call going to Hodges and these are games the Steelers usually get distracted in. He will be answering questions all week about who will start v. the Browns.

The refs ARE HORRIBLE! Seriously, the only good thing, is they stink both ways. The Steelers benefitted on a very big call as Mason Rudolph should have been flagged for grounding which would have been a safety and the pass interference rule is inconsistent and over the top now!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Mike Tomlin, I am a “Tomlin Guy” but also feel I am fair, this is the type of game the Steelers struggle in. Tomlin made several good calls yesterday in the game, that were bold and got the job done. He has done a tremendous job this season and deserves credit. Also Considered: Cam Heyward, who was ALL over the field and played a great game! Benny Snell Jr. who just missed running for over 100 yards. Jordan Berry, who had a ridiculous seven punts, his play flipped the field more than once.

Where I watched the game: At the house, With the Tailgate kid D-Man and KGB! Yesterday was Buffalo Chicken Empanadas and homemade Guacamole. Beer of choice for me was the IC-Light I brought back from the ‘Burgh. KGB had Corona Light and D-man had Barqs Root Beer!

My Stat of the week: I am going with 26.5 which was Devlin Hodges Quarterback Rating…So before we go writing off Mason Rudolph, that is not exactly Ben Roethlisberger territory.

My Thoughts on next week: BLOODBATH. The refs are going to be on high-alert and this is going to be a grudge match. The Browns look like they are peaking, and the Steelers are treading water…that being said, look for the Steelers to edge them out! Any loss for the Browns is the end…lets see the Steelers get the best revenge possible!

This week’s Jersey: Franco Harris, #32 Salute to Service, for the last game in November, thought this was appropriate.

The Steelers four get winning streak is over, losing an ugly game in Cleveland. The Steelers offense was horrendous and lost several key people. The defense held strong but couldn’t hold up.

Myles Garrett tore off Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph’s helmet, and hit him over the head with it, a despicable act that will likely result in a lengthy suspension. Even Baker Mayfield was disgusted at the turn of events.

SORRY WAS A CRAZY WEEK, Will try and update the game report.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Maurkice Pouncey for trying to stomp Myles Garret after he almost brained Mason Rudolph. Also Considered: NO ONE, the game was horrible.

Where I watched the game: Back at the house again, in front of an awesome fire with IC light that we brough back from the Burgh and an Atomic Pepperoni Roll from the Strip and a homemade Sausage Pizza. We toyed with the idea about going out, but after the trip we decided to stay home.

My Stat of the week: 4-Interceptions by Mason Rudolph. His first “bad” game of the year. He had little to no help.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers will be shorthanded against the helpless Bengals. A loss basically ends the season. I believe the Steelers will hang in there and pull it out.

This week’s Jersey: NO JERSEY. Because of the work schedule.

It was throwback jerseys and throwback football for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as they continued their climb into relevancy with a tough win over the Los Angeles Rams. It was a stout defense and an offense that did just enough to pull out a victory against the NFC Champs.

Great defense starts up front and the Steelers front seven controlled the line of scrimmage. While Aaron Donald gets the headlines, Cam Heyward is just as big a force in his own right. He absolutely torched the Rams offensive line and was all over the backfield. He dominated with a sack, two passes defended and three quarterback hurries, while he was held on almost every play. T.J. Watt followed suit with a huge game, contributing two more sacks and five tackles. Mark Barron led the team with 10 tackles and Javon Hargrave chipped in with seven tackles and one sack.

As good as the front seven was, the secondary was even better. Joe Haden played his best game of the year, he had seven tackles and an interception, he also made the play that led to Minkah Fitzpatrick game ending interception. Fitzpatrick had the biggest play of the day, returning a questionable fumble for a touchdown. Terrell Edmunds broke up a Jared Goff play on the second to last drive to preserve the Steelers lead, he was second on the team in tackles with eight.

The offense is a borderline disaster right now. Mason Rudolph, played okay, he didn’t get a lot of help. The running game was non-existent and the offensive line, which was reconfigured for this game, did very little in way of opening lanes. The receivers continue to be a work in progress. They made some nice plays but had several dropped passes. James Washington, caught a fade route for a Touchdown, but had a big fumble that negated a huge play. Rudolph finished with 242 yards going 22 for 38.

Give Mike Tomlin credit, he made several gutsy calls that put the Steelers into position to win the game, none bigger than the fourth and 1 play call from the Steelers 34. It was a big move and showed faith in the troubled offense.

Read every weeks blog to discuss how lousy the refs have been!

It is a fast turnaround as the Steelers head to Cleveland this week!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Joe Haden, he played his best game of the year and was the catalyst of two of the biggest plays of the game. Also Considered: Minkah Fitzpatrick, who had the clinching interception and has been a huge difference maker.

Where I watched the game: Heinz Field Baby, with KGB and the Tailgate Kids (Including Little Miss Tailgate from College, More to come on that.). We met a ton of great people and it was an amazing experience! The Beer of Choice was IC Light for the Tailgate and Miller Lite inside Heinz Field. KGB also bought the VIP package and we participated in the on-field activities, including the Terrible Towel unfurl and the alumni dinner. (More to come on that.)

My Stat of the week: One Interception, by Trey Edmunds who now has more interceptions than his brothers, Steelers Safety, Terrell Edmunds and Buffalo Bills Linebacker, Tremaine Edmunds.

My Thoughts on next week: As in this week, like two days. The Steelers could push the Browns off the cliff, with a big performance. The defense is hitting on all cylinders, they need the offense to protect the football.

This week’s Jersey: “Mean” Joe Greene, #75 Home Jersey, technically, I wouldn’t call it a throwback since I bought it in the 90’s. It is my gamer!

Little Miss Tailgate:

Hello everyone! Long-time no see! I cannot explain how happy I am that I was able to go this weekend due to my hectic school schedule. This year’s trip was most definitely one for the books. Travel wise the way in and out was smooth sailing for us. It was a solid six to seven hours in and a solid seven on the way out with not to much traffic. This year we stayed at the Hampton Inn on Smallman Street rather than the Homewood Suites. On Friday night after dropping our stuff off, we made our way over to Primanti Bros off the Strip District as our first meal in the Burgh where I had a Pittsburgher which was delicious as usual.

This year was different unlike the past years we’ve gone because KGB did a very good job by getting us alumni weekend packages. This weekend the Steelers hosted an alumni dinner event to celebrate forty years since the Steelers won Super Bowl XIV. We were able to take a tour of Heinz field, go to the alumni dinner with the actual players from the team, go on the field and watch the Steelers practice. We also got to participate in the Terrible Towel unfurl on the field. The dinner itself was fun to be at and a great experience all around.

The tour was pretty fun. I have never taken a tour of the field before or even been on it so that was a cool experience. We got to see the Steelers tunnel and the opposing team locker room and all the behind the scenes stuff like the “Man of Steel” plaque that they touch. We also saw the club seats and the suites that former players and some season ticket holders get which was pretty cool.

At the dinner, The players in attendance were “Mean” Joe Greene, Merril Hoge as the MC, Franco Harris, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, Robin Cole, Rocky Bleier, the Rooney family, and many more. At the dinner, they had a jersey raffle where you could buy tickets to try and win. The Pomara’s took a bit of a gamble by only buying three tickets but low and behold we ended up winning two jerseys. We won Gerry Mullins and Dennis Winston.

The players I was able to meet were Merril Hoge, the Rooney’s, Rocky Bleier, and I said a quick hello to mean Joe Greene. The food was great and the overall experience was fun.

The on-field experience before the game was pretty awesome. We got to stand on the Rams sideline and watch the Steelers do their pregame drills. Juju came around and gave everyone high-fives and the coolest part was when Artie Burns finished a route he saw me on the sideline and threw me the ball. I ended up throwing it back to him and it was a good pass too so I was pretty proud of myself.

We also participated in the Terrible Towel Unfurl which was a fun experience to be a part of. We got to go on the field and hold the big terrible towel and shake it when everyone in the crowd is also waving their terrible towels and it was such a fun experience and I’m glad I got to do it.

The game itself was definitely a fun one to watch. It kept me on my toes all four quarters. With good plays by Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds helped us lead the team to a tight 17-12 victory over the Rams. Even though there were definitely ups and downs by both the offense and defense the overall game was a great one to see live. After the game, we headed straight over to Primanti Bros on Market Square for post-game sandwiches for our second to last meal in Pittsburgh. The next morning we had an early breakfast at the hotel and drove back. Then they dropped me off at school and had a heartfelt goodbye until Thanksgiving.

This trip will definitely go down in history as the best trip yet. The whole weekend was one to remember and these memories that I have made this weekend are ones that I will cherish forever. Special thank you to KGB for getting us these amazing ticket packages for this weekend and special thank you to my family for making it possible for me to come.

Until next time Root Beer We Go Steelers!

Little Miss Tailgate

The Steelers climbed back into relevancy and survived a spirited game against the Indianapolis Colts to get back to .500 at 4-4. It was a solid defensive effort with some timely offensive output.

After a slow start, the Steelers defense held the Colts to six points in the second half. Cam Heyward set the tone and knocked Colts starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett out of the game when he crushed All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson into Brissett’s ankle and knee. Brian Hoyer did a solid job in Brissett’s absence.

The Steelers front seven pushed around one of the best offensive lines in football, registering five sacks. Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt combined for three and a half of the five Steelers sacks, with Mark Barron and Mike Hilton combining for the other two. Minkah Fitzpatrick chipped in with the biggest play of the day, a 96-yard pick six that turned the first half of the game.

The Colts running game dropped off the face of the earth after the first half. Mark Barron, Vince Williams and Devin Bush stuffed up the middle and kept Marlon Mack in check all day.

The Special teams chipped in with four Field Goals by a reborn Chris Boswell and Ola Adeniyi stripped Chester Rogers after a free kick, and Johnny Holton recovered the ball deep in Colts territory, to maintain the Steelers lead.

The offense again is still a work in progress. Mason Rudolph finished 26 of 35 for 191 yards with one touchdown and one interception, which was really a drop by JuJu Smith-Schuster. There were flashes of brilliance and there were rookie mistakes, including getting sacked in the endzone for a safety. Rudolph continues to develop and the offense with him.

Trey Edmunds came off the bench to lead the team in rushing yards with 73. He had a terrific day and looked dynamic at times and pedestrian at other times. Jaylen Samuels was the safety valve in the receiving game and pulled in 13 catches, but he had a very costly fumble that nearly cost the Steelers the game. He never could get going in the running game.

The coaching had an uneven performance. They made good adjustments after the first half, but the offense started slow and the defense struggled early as well. Both made the necessary adjustments. Mike Tomlin lost two challenges, one of which could have been fatal.

And once again the refs were horrible. The only good thing about it, was they were horrible both ways. They made several questionable calls and were nuisance. What is the point of the Pass Interference review?

The Steelers are back at 500 having used their second and third string Quarterbacks.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Trey Edmunds, who ripped off 73 yards on only 12 carries, coming off the couch to lead the rushing attack. He will push for playing time and did a great job as a change of pace back. Also Considered: Bud Dupree, who had two sacks and looks to be shedding his underachiever label. James Washington who made four catches two of which were spectacular and and Jaylen Samuels who would have gotten the game beer if he didn’t fumble late.

Where I watched the game: Back at the house again, with D-Man and KGB. We had great snacks, that KGB made, Buffalo Chicken Pizza and Italian Sliders. The beer of choice was Corona Light!

My Stat of the week: FIVE Sacks by the Steelers defense. The Colts had allowed only 11 coming into the game. 0 for 2, Mike Tomlin was back on the losing column of his challenges, he is now 1-14. The first challenge he should have won, and the call put the Steelers in jeopardy. The second one was ill advised and cost a very important timeout.

My Thoughts on next week: We will be there! Looking forward to seeing the Steelers turn Mason Rudolph loose against the Colts.

This week’s Jersey: Alejandro Villanueva, #78, Salute To Service, it is my first time wearing a player back to back and this was my first time wearing this jersey!

The Steelers fell behind by 14 in the first quarter but pulled out a win and sent the Dolphins to a 0-7 start for 2019. Once again, the team started off slow, with a stagnant mistake prone offense but rebounded and established a tough running game and some timely passes.

The education of Mason Rudolph continues, he made mistakes but after an awful first quarter put together a very good performance for the rest of the game. He finished the game 20 for 36 for 251 yards and two touchdowns. The receivers dropped a few passes and he missed some receivers but overall played well enough. Hitting Diontae Johnson for a 45-yard touchdown turned the tide of the game.

Johnson is emerging as a breakout performer and had a very good game, bringing in five catches for 84yards and a touchdown, he also made a terrific catch that the haphazard refs called a bogus penalty on. James Washington chipped in with one catch, but his biggest contribution was the block that sprung Johnson. JuJu Smith-Schuster had his biggest game of the year. Smith-Schuster had five catches for 100+ yards and made a terrific 26-yard touchdown catch.

James Conner also had his biggest game of the year. After a slow start, he ran over the Dolphins with 145 yards and one touchdown. The Offensive line gave him plenty of room to work and the protection of Rudolph was excellent again.

The defense kept the Steelers in the game and only gave up two touchdowns on short fields. They also are a work in progress but were able to stuff the run and keep the Dolphins in check.

Minkah Fitzpatrick made the biggest play of the night, grabbing an interception late in the first half that setup a Steelers scoring drive. He also picked off Ryan Fitzpatrick on the Dolphins first drive of the second half. They never recovered.

The front seven set a good tone and were able to eliminate any Dolphins running game. They only mustered 54 yards and had to abandon the plan by mid third quarter. Cam Heyward made a key stop of a Ryan Fitzpatrick keeper forcing a Dolphins turnover on downs. Tyson Alualu did a nice job filling in for the injured Stephon Tuitt.

Can the refs stink any worse? They are way to involved in games and the Pass Interference review rule is complete nonsense.

It was a gutsy win for the Steelers, but they need to get off to a better start in games. Falling behind 14-0 to the Dolphins is not the same thing as falling behind 14-0 to a competent team. The Steelers need to figure out a way to get the offense going sooner or the season will be lost!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: James Conner, who had a break out game. Conner ground out 145 yards and a touchdown. He played great and was an absolute force. It looked like he was injured towards the end of the game. Also Considered: Minkah Fitzpatrick who had two interceptions and Diontae Johnson who had a breakout game and made a great catch, that the refs jobbed him out of!

Where I watched the game: On the “road” again, with a great Pro-Steelers crowd at Sea Cove in our hometown. We had a great Sicilian Salad and a Hot-BBQ Chicken Pizza, the beer of choice was Narragansett and Guinness, both KGB and I realized we are getting too old for night games!

My Stat of the week: 1 for 12…Mike Tomlin won his first challenge in almost two seasons on a key 4^th down conversion.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers are going to sneak up on the Colts, who are riding high right now. I actually expect a pretty rough game for the Colts.

This week’s Jersey: Alejandro Villanueva, #78, Color Rush, I won the jersey at the same restaurant we watched the game at!

The Steelers finally put together a complete game plan and executed it perfectly as they defeated the Los Angeles Chargers handily in front of a raucous Pro-Steelers crowd!

Devlin Hodges performed well in his first professional start. He stayed within the game plan and never really needed to take any chances. He finished with 132 yards, one touchdown and a late interception. The protection was fantastic, and he was never in any jeopardy during the start.

Hodges was aided by a rejuvenated running game, led by James Conner and Benny Snell. The Steelers duo combined for 124 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, one in the air and one on the ground to Conner. Conner chipped in with seven receptions and put together a terrific game. Snell pounded out 75 yards of the 124.

The defense continued its vast improvement. The front seven pressured Philip Rivers all day and dumped him for one sack. He never looked comfortable and couldn’t find a rhythm until late in the game. Rivers also threw two interceptions and a backwards lateral fumble that led to the Steelers first touchdown. The secondary was tight, and it was great job by Artie Burns/Cameron Sutton, filling in for Steve Nelson.

The linebackers played great, with Devin Bush playing his best game yet as a Steeler. He was all over the field and made several big plays, including his first career touchdown and his first career interception. Vince Williams T,J, Watt was all over Rivers. The bad news is the Steelers lost Stephon Tuitt for the season.

The special teams had a good game, and Chris Boswell may have turned the corner.

It was a great game for the Steelers and a great bounce back!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Devin Bush, he scored his first career touchdown and had an interception, he looked like the playmaker we have been waiting for. Also Considered: The Duck, Devlin Hodges, who played well in his first start and Benny Snell who looked like the mini “Bus”.

Where I watched the game: On the “road” again, with the Tailgate Kids all over the place, KGB and I met up with some friends at our local pub. We watched the Yankees game and Steelers game. The Beer of choice was Miller Lite for me and Sam Adams Octoberfest for KGB. We had wings and Nachos!

My Stat of the week: Going to cheat a little on this one…25,425 was the attendance about 94% capacity. So going to estimate, I would say it was easily 75% Steelers fans, it sounded like a home game and they even played “Renegade!

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers come into the BYE at 2-4, they need a much more consistent effort if they are going to resurrect the season.

This week’s Jersey: L.C. Greenwood, #68, the 1933 Throwback (The Soccer Jersey), I saw a Steelers fan who had no idea that it was an actual Steeler Jersey. It has been six years since he passed and I wore it the first game after. Was thinking about him during the game!

The Steelers had another uneven performance versus the archrival Ravens. The Steelers had a slow start, rallied and then fell in overtime after a costly fumble. It was another heartbreaking loss.

After giving up scoring drives on the first three possessions the Steelers locked down the Ravens offense and forced three turnovers. The defensive line had their best game of the year as did the linebackers. They had the Ravens on the ropes all day and Vince Williams slowed the running game down dramatically. T.J. Watt had a solid game and contributed one of the five sacks. The secondary shut down Lamar Jackson. They are starting to round into form and made the adjustments needed to slow down the Ravens offense.

The offense started slowly and still is a work in progress. Mason Rudolph was playing well when he took a vicious hit from Earl Thomas. The offensive line provided great protection and both Rudolph and Devlin Hodges had time to throw, they passed for a combined 192 yards. The bad news is the receivers didn’t really play well, with Vance McDonald and James Washington leaving the game early with injuries. JuJu Smith-Schuster led the team in catches and yards but he made the biggest mistake of the game, that cost the Steelers the victory.

The running game still is not on track despite some improvement. James Conner had only 55 yards on the ground and Jaylen Samuels was a non-factor this week in the running game.

The Special teams is also a mixed bag. The kicking game is playing well. Chris Boswell has been solid and hopefully last year is in the rearview mirror. Jordan Berry had a terrific punt that pinned the Ravens at the one. The return game is a disaster and cost the Steelers points. Ryan Switzer and Johnny Holton were both ineffective.

The referees were horrible again and way to involved in the game. They made horrible calls for both sides and had a direct effect on the outcome of the game. It was hard to watch and both sides had legitimate gripes with the refs.

The Steelers coaching staff is going to get creamed this week in the press. However, they did a very good job making in game adjustments and if everyone executed, they would have pulled out the game. But they didn’t and now the Steelers season is hanging on by a thread.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Vince Williams, he makes a big difference in the running game and it was apparent, once he came in the game, the Ravens lost momentum. He led the team in tackles and had one sack Also Considered: The Duck, Devlin Hodges, he did enough for the Steelers to win the game and deserved a better fate.

Where I watched the game: Back at home! Ridiculous snacks, Buffalo Chicken Bread and Teriyaki Bomb Bread, made by KGB. The Beer of choice was leftover Corona Light. Only had one of the Tailgate kids with us, D-Man who had a Diet-Stewarts Root Beer!

My Stat of the week: 138 Yards Rushing by the Ravens, the defense needs to be better, but the Ravens were averaging over 200 yards a game and they could only muster 58 yards in the second half. The Ravens scored 17 points on their first three possessions. (One of which they started in the Red Zone) They scored

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers are a Jekyll and Hyde team; they clearly have what you need to win. But they make so many key mistakes at terrible times. The Chargers are tough, and the Steelers always struggle on the West Coast. It is hard to see a Steelers victory, especially without Mason Rudolph

This week’s Jersey: Jack Ham, #59, the 30’s Throwback (The Bumblebee) one of the priests from my church thought it was prison shirt!