Beer We Go Steelers

Despite a horrendous performance on offense, with a whopping SIX turnovers and a blown 14 point, 4th quarter lead, the Steelers escaped Cleveland without losing, settling for a rare 21-21 tie against the arch rival Browns.

There is something to be said about protecting your players in the preseason and it is hard to argue, however it was apparent that Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger were not on the same page all day. Roethlisberger had three interceptions in the first half and lost two costly fumbles. He missed several receivers and he looked off all day. He didn’t get a lot of help as Jesse James let a pass go through his hands for an interception.

The offense despite the lousy performance had some bright spots, JuJu Smith-Schuster, looks to build off his solid rookie campaign, with a 67-yard catch and run and finished with 119 yards on five catches. James Conner had a tremendous day and finished with 135 tough yards on the ground, two touchdowns and 57 yards in the air. He was the key to the offense and only his fourth quarter fumble dampened what would have been a tremendous day.

The defense put together a respectable performance and kept the Browns passing game in check all day. They finished with seven sacks a huge fourth quarter game saving turnover and made key plays. The rebuilt secondary held up for the most part until they lost Joe Haden. His replacement Cam Sutton gave up the 17-yard touchdown to Josh Gordon but also made the game saving interception. The dialogue will be how they blew a fourth quarter lead, but really the offense blew the lead.

The front seven recorded seven sacks and showed good discipline in maintaining their lanes with a mobile Quarterback in Tyrod Taylor. The Browns never found much running room. Jon Bostic and Vince Williams played well together in their first outing. T.J. Watt had a huge game with 11 tackles, four sacks and the biggest play of the day, a blocked field goal to preserve the tie.

Special teams had a strange day, Jordan Berry looks like he might have righted the ship after a terrible preseason. Ryan Switzer looked terrific in his first game and could be an asset. But Chris Boswell, who was the only known entity on the unit, missed the game winning field goal, something he had four of last year.

The coaching had a terrible day and despite being opening weekend, seemed unprepared again, playing on the road against an inferior opponent. The Steelers were penalized over 100 yards and the game plan seemed completely disjointed. Not a great day for Tomlin and crew. One thing that was good to see, the use of the QB sneak.

In the end the Steelers were extremely lucky to get out with a tie and almost certainly should have lost.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: We toyed with the idea of not giving it to anyone, but T.J. Watt had a heck of a day and saved the game with a blocked field goal in OT. Others Considered: James Conner, who would have won it, if he didn’t have a crucial back breaking fumble.   

Where I watched the game: At the house with the Tailgate Kids. We decorated for the game and had great snacks. For the game, KGB made Perogies a ‘Burgh staple and pull apart pigs in the blank with a cheese and mustard sauce. Dinner was Faux-Primanti Brothers. The beer of choice was IC Light for me and for KGB it was Corona Light.

My Stat of the week: Six Turnovers and 116 yards in penalties is horrendous and not worthy of a Super Bowl Contender. On a personal note, I attended the last Steelers tie game and coincidentally the last time they blew a 14 point 4th quarter lead.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers need a huge bounce back game. If they play like they did against the Browns, the Chiefs will blow them off the field.

This week’s Jersey: Steelers 1970’s #52 Iron Mike Webster. We went to church and brought up the gifts!

Sorry for being silent the last few weeks. I am happy to report we went to Green Bay for the game last week, sorry to report that the Steelers looked out of whack, albeit no one seemed  concerned.

With training camp officially closed and the preseason half way done, here is what we know:

1. The defense is still a work in progress: While some players have shown flashes of brilliances, the Packers game was a wake up call that there is a lot to do. While the mantra is they keep it vanilla and don’t run schemes, they struggle with contain and in coverages. The tackling is still lousy and guys seem to be lost in the “vanilla” scheme.
2. Jon Bostic is not Ryan Shazier: While this is not a revelation to anyone, he just doesn’t look like he fits in the Steelers schemes and has looked miscast in the middle. L.J. Fort has done well and reminds me of Jerry Olsavsky, unspectacular but gets the job done.
3. Whoever finds WRs for the Steelers is really good at it: James Washington looks like the next breakout star and his draft position looks well deserved. Damoun Patterson could be the camp sleeper. Add them with AB and JuJu and the Steelers could once again boast the best WR squad.
4. Le’Veon Bell is going to be gone next year: Both sides seemed to misplay this one. The visual of Bell being in a strip club while AB was lighting up Latrobe couldn’t have come out worse. The Steelers should have given him a better offer and now both sides are going to lose out.
5. This team is still loaded with talent: The Packers game aside, you can see the method to what they are trying to build. The secondary looks athletic and strong, the defensive line is physical and imposing. The Linebackers look like a work in progress but there is definitely upside and talent there.
6. The offense is loaded again: With or without Le’Veon Bell the offense is going to be great. James Conner is having a very good camp, the offensive line is one of the best in football, we already hit on the receivers who all seem to be a strength.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

This is a make or break year for this group of Steelers. The championship window on this team is closing and closing fast. Ben Roethlisberger is in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career, the offensive line is a year old and this looks to be Le’Veon Bell’s last season in Pittsburgh.

There is cause for optimism and this team has everything needed to make a Championship run.

Here are some things to look at and ask for 2018 camp:

1. Who is playing Middle Linebacker?: Someone will have the unenviable task of filling in for Ryan Shazier. Shazier is a once in a lifetime talent and replacing him is impossible. Who will fill that hole?
2. Wide Receiver Depth: Antonio Brown is clearly number 1, JuJu Smith-Schuster is clearly number 2, who will be number 3-5?
3. Rebuilt Secondary: The secondary is younger, faster and more athletic, but is it better?
4. Quarterback Chaos: That may be a little dramatic but the Joshua Dobbs stock market crashed pretty hard this year. Lauded as the next Dak Prescott and the heir apparent, he could be out of work by summer’s end. Mason Rudolph looks like the Ben Replacement of the future and the Steelers have good ol’ Landry Jones as Ben’s capable understudy. This is an interesting race to watch, because all bring something, but none bring everything.
5. Life without Haley: Todd Haley was successful. It is hard to argue rationally against that. But he was also a complete disaster off the field and his personality led to his ouster. How will the offense respond?

Stay tuned and let’s find out together!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

1. ANtonian

The Steelers celebrate the 85th Year in the NFL Today

The Steelers 2018 Draft Class

Round 1, 28th pick overall

■ Terrell Edmunds

■ School: Virginia Tech

■ Pos: S • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 217

Round 2, 60th pick overall

■ James Washington

■ School: Oklahoma State

■ Pos: WR • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 205

Round 3, 76th pick overall

■ Mason Rudolph

■ School: Oklahoma State

■ Pos: QB • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 235

Round 3, 92nd pick overall

■ Chuks Okorafor

■ School: Western Michigan

■ Pos: T • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 320

Round 5, 148th pick overall

Marcus Allen

School: Penn State

Pos: S • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 215

Round 5, 165th pick overall

Jaylen Samuels

School: North Carolina State

Pos: RB • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 225

Round 7, 246th pick overall

Joshua Frazier

School: Alabama

Pos: DT • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 321

Steelers 2018 Undrafted Rookie Free Agents:

Quadree Henderson, WR, Pitt; Parker Cothren, DT, Penn State; Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, Toledo, LB; Matthew Thomas, Fla. State,LB; Jarvion Franklin, RB, Western Michigan; Greg Gilmore, DE, LSU; Trey Johnson, CB, Villanova; Pharoah McKever, TE, North Carolina State; Patrick Morris, C, TCU; Ikenna Nwokeji, OL, Elon; Chris Schleuger, G, UAB; Jamar Summers, CB, Connecticut; Kendal Vickers, DE, Tennessee

The Steelers selected Terrell Edmunds, Safety, West Virginia, with the 28th pick in the draft. They also delivered the best moment of the draft!

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/video-ryan-shazier-delivers-the-best-moment-of-the-draft/ar-AAwoJuD?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=iehp

Yesterday, marked the 2018 NFL Draft the 83^rd Draft in NFL History, the Steelers success in the 70’s was predicated on great draft picks and since 1969 they have been a model of consistency with draft success. They don’t always get it right…see Jarvis Jones, Jamain Stephens and many others forgotten to history!

While everyone talks about the First Round Picks, the success and failures, the Steelers success was built in the later rounds. Here are the five best steals in Draft History! To qualify as a steal, it had to be the fifth round or later. The list who qualified for this, is long and prestigious, finding these gems in the late round seems to be a Steelers trademark. It was difficult to narrow it down to five, but in the end, I think you will agree!

5. Andy Russell, LB, Missouri, 1963 16^th Round: The NFL draft used to be much longer than the current structure. The Steelers grabbed a good one who would become an anchor of their defense, team captain and the player who signified the changing of the charge from the SOS (Same Old Steelers) to Super Bowl Champions. He was an All-Pro Linebacker, seven-time Pro Bowler, a team MVP and a two-time Super Bowl Champ!

4. L.C. Greenwood, DE, Arkansas-AM-N, 1969 10^th Round: One of the four members of the famed Steel Curtain, Greenwood was an absolute force up front. He led the Steelers six times in sacks. (Before Sacks were an official stat) He was an All-Pro Defensive End, six-time Pro Bowler, he was a Four-Time Super Bowl Champ, he was elected to a 1970’s All-Decade team and the Steelers All-Time Team. He SHOULD 100% be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame!

3. Greg Lloyd, LB, Fort Valley State, 1987 6B Round: A sixth round compensatory pick, Greg Lloyd blossomed into one of the greatest linebackers of the 90’s. He was the best player on the Blitzburgh defense and only a career ending injury slowed him down from a Hall of Fame career. He was a dynamic play maker and dominant player. He was an All-Pro Linebacker, five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time team MVP and a member of the Steelers All-Time team. He is also a member of Beer We Go Steelers!

2. Antonio Brown, WR, Central Michigan, 2010 6B Round: Another, sixth round compensatory pick, 6B should be every Steelers fan’s favorite number. You run out of adjectives to describe how great AB is. He is the best WR in football today. He is an All-Pro Wide Receiver, six-time Pro Bowler and he is just getting started! He has five 100 Yard reception seasons and still going!

1. Mike Webster, C, Wisconsin, 1974 1974 5^th Round: The 1974 Steelers draft is the gold standard of NFL drafts. The Steelers solidified the dynasty and drafted four Hall of Famers.  It can be argued the best of that group was Mike Webster. Webster is arguably the best Center in football history, and I am yet to hear the argument against it. He played an astounding 17 years in the NFL and was an All-Pro Center, Nine Time Pro Bowler, Four-Time Super Bowl Champion and voted to the Steelers All Time Team. He also has the highest AV on Pro-Football Reference of any Steelers position player!

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

So this was long over due, but figured it was worth doing!

Here is the Beer We Go Steelers 2017 Report Card. Coach Tomlin always says, “The Standard is the Standard!” Not making a bigger impact in the Post-Season is extremely frustrating. It was a good showing for the Black and Gold in 2017 but getting throttled by the Jaguars was an extremely bitter way to end.

GRADES: 

Coaching: B+, The Steelers finished at 13-3 and played well the whole year. That doesn’t happen without great coaching. Mike Tomlin never gets the credit he deserves, and he is without question one of the best coaches in football. However, there were several distractions and he needs to do a better job managing those distractions.

Keith Butler’s, defense seemed to take a step backward and was completely pushed around during the playoff loss. The secondary had several communication issues and were prone to the big play. The run defense was awful and the pass rush all but disappeared late in the year. Todd Haley’s offense was solid all season and his challenges seems to come off the field not on it. He was shown the door after a tumultuous but successful tenure.

Is it possible NOT to lose to an under .500 team on the road during a season? Steelers lost to the Jaguars (TWICE) who were 10-6 and a very tough team, the Patriots, who were 13-3 and the AFC Champions again, a game in which they were absolutely cheated and the Chicago Bears who were…wait for it…5-11 and blown off the field by just about everyone they played. Not to mention the leadership made an absolute mess out of the National Anthem Debacle at the game. This is the only real negative during Tomlin’s coaching tenure.

QB: A-, Big Ben had a great year again and played well in all but one game. He continues to give the Steelers a chance to win and is an elite player. He brought the Steelers back to four last-minute victories in a five-game stretch and it should have been five out of six if not for the nonsense of the New England game. His stats are even better if you remove the first Jacksonville game where he threw five interceptions. Either way he had a very good season! Landry Jones, did a nice job and won his only start.

RB: A+, Le’Veon Bell, is an outstanding running back and finished with nearly 2000 yards from scrimmage. James Conner, had a respectable first year campaign, but was sidelined for the last part. Steven Ridley, still has some tread on the tire and he did well when called upon. Roosevelt Nix played a key role on special teams and in the power running game.

WR: A, Antonio Brown and five stiffs would be one of the best receiving groups in the NFL. He is an absolute force and one of the best players in Steelers history. You run out of adjectives to describe him. The Steelers of course don’t have five stiffs, they have an outstanding crew of receivers. JuJu Smith-Schuster was a tremendous addition. He put together a great rookie season and became a go-to guy. Unfortunately, Eli Rogers and Martavis Bryant were both disappointments in different ways. Rogers took a huge step backwards and was inconsistent and eventually shown the door. Martavis Bryant is a world class talent but looked rusty, he started to bounce back in the second half.

TE: C+, Jesse James was a key contributor and despite the Steelers constantly looking to upgrade, James seems to hold them off. His “drop” in the New England game is one of the signature moments of the season. Newcomer Vance McDonald had a nice season but seemed injury prone. Xavier Grimble contributed when called upon and is a solid blocker.

OL: B, The Offensive Line is an absolute strength for the Steelers and survived adversity all season. The protection was excellent, giving up only 21 sacks and the running lanes were consistent if unspectacular. Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro are two of the best at their position. Alejandro Villanueva has developed into a pro-bowl talent and is a great Steeler. Ramon Foster continues to play well. Marcus Gilbert was a disappointment, getting suspended and missing most of the season. Chris Hubbard did a great job and will get a chance to start somewhere next season. Matt Feiler played well and should fill Hubbard’s spot.

DL: C+, Cameron “Steelhead” Heyward, had a monster season racking up 12 sacks and played at an All-Pro level. Stephon Tuitt is a great bookend and played well. Javon Hargrave struggled at times in the middle and seemed to regress in his second season. Tyson Alualu was a nice pickup and played well. Mt. McCullers was a non-factor. Despite a good season, the line struggled in the running game and were dominated in the playoff loss.

LB: C+, A very inconsistent season for the linebackers, the usual strength of the Steelers defense. There is no way to compensate for the loss of Ryan Shazier and the Steelers never recovered. With Shazier out everyone struggled. T.J. Watt had a nice start but slowed down at the end. Bud Dupree was inconsistent. Anthony Chickillo and Tyler Matakevich were good on special teams but were not impact players on defense. Vince Williams had a very good year but can’t play to his strengths without Shazier’s speed beside him. Sean Spence did an admirable job, but he clearly couldn’t come off the couch and fill in for the fastest linebacker in football. The James Harrison situation was a disaster and made no sense at all. It was handled terribly by both sides and he was shown the door.

DB: C, The Steelers secondary started out great but then were exposed down the stretch. Joe Haden was a GREAT pickup and played well. Artie Burns and Sean Davis both had sophomore slumps. They played well but clearly took a step back. Both still have bright futures in Pittsburgh. Willie Gay contributed but slowed down. Mike Hilton developed nicely and was a good find. Coty Sensabaugh never really developed. Mike Mitchell, Willie Gay and Robert Golden will not return next season after good careers with the Steelers. This will be a draft need.

Special Teams: B, A much improved season for the Special Teams. Chris Boswell, AKA “Little Bos” was terrific and did a great job and made the Pro-Bowl. factor…again that is a good thing! Jordan Berry, struggled early but came back and did well overall. I actually couldn’t remember the Steelers Long Snapper’s name which again is a good thing…BTW it’s Kameron Canaday. The coverage teams were an asset for the first time in a long time. The return teams were okay highlighted by JuJu Smith-Schuster.

BEER WE GO STEELERS! BEER WE GO!

One of the most unlikely heroes in Steelers history called it a career! James Harrison announced his retirement on Instagram!

MORE TO COME