Beer We Go Steelers

Tomorrow the Steelers start camp at St. Vincents in Latrobe. The clock is ticking on this core of players and on the Roethlisberger Era. barring injuries of course, this team has everything needed to be a Super Bowl Champion!

Of course the first rule of camp is NO ONE GET HURT! Second is get in shape and lets see what we have!

Here are your quick hits for 7/25/17, night before Camp.

-Le’Veon Bell most likely will not be in camp…who cares? While both sides have legitimate points in his contract situation. Him being in camp means very little. He hasn’t played a full season ever, so camp is a non-issue. He will eventually sign his Franchise Tag and will be ready for game one against the Browns. Look for James Conner to get his reps. The Steelers also have other capable backs in camp.

-Alejandro Villanueva may also not come to camp. This would be a mistake on both sides, the Steelers should give him a better contract and Villanueva should take the money and play for a bigger and better contract in two years. He is a solid LT but still needs work. Reps are essential for his development and he will only get those in camp and with playing time. However, unlike Bell he has more leverage because the Steelers are very thin on O-Line. He is a high character guy, so don’t expect a distraction.

-As far as development, nothing is more important than the maturation of the defense. The front seven is one of the best in football. They added T.J. Watt to help the pass rush, with Bud Dupree coming back and the ageless James Harrison already in place. The Inside Linebackers are “Hustle and Muscle” Ryan Shazier, who is outstanding and Vince Williams, an old school mid-field thumper. Put those guys together with Javon Hargrave, back for a second season after a great campaign, Stephon Tuitt who played excellent, while anchoring the defense last season and Cam “SteelHead” Heyward coming back for a full year. This could be a special group!

-Artie Burns and Sean Davis will sure up the secondary and look for Senquez Golson to finally see the field. He is my sleeper pick for 2017.

-Whoever scouts WR for the Steelers is pretty good at it. The Steelers need to put someone opposite Antonio Brown who inked his new contract. Martavis Bryant is the front runner and until his off field issues derailed his career, he looked to be a breakout star. Sammie Coates and JuJu Smith Schuster (who needs a nickname) will press for a spot, both have a ton of upside. Don’t count out Eli Rogers, Demarcus Ayers and Cobi Hamilton who all have particular tools. Darrius Heyward-Bey is a special teams ace and is solid when called upon.

-Jesse James, (KGB’s favorite player) has the TE spot to lose.

-Backup QB should be a fun battle to watch, Landry Jones, who acquitted himself nicely last season will be back, but it is only a matter of time until Joshua Dobbs is nipping at both Landry and Ben’s heels.

-Lastly, this will mark the first time in well over 50 years that Ambassador Rooney will not be at camp. It will be a very somber moment when he is not on the sidelines. He had an amazing life and it is easy to find comfort in all he accomplished. This years Beer We Go Shirts will have a Mr. Rooney tribute, so stay tuned!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

The Steelers put together a very solid draft on paper.

Round 1 (30): T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin

T.J. Watt is a 6-4, 252-pound outside linebacker who was a second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection last season with 63 tackles, 15 1/2 for loss, and 11 1/2 sacks while helping Wisconsin win the Cotton Bowl. He brings pressure from a number of gaps, and he understands how to use leverage to beat blocks. He needs to improve on run containment. The Steelers needed improvement in the pass rush and Watt should bring that. He has great NFL Genes.

Round 2 (62): JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC

The Steelers will be loaded at receiver. Smith-Schuster is the kind of receiver any team would like—prolific, tough, aggressive and a playmaker after the catch. While he wasn’t a “need”, he was the best player on the board. Smith recorded 3,092 yards with 213 receptions and 25 touchdowns. At 6’2” and 220 pounds, he is what NFL teams and general mangers look for. He is great at playing the ball in the air and has 4.52 40 yard dash speed.

Round 3 (94): Cameron Sutton, CB, Tennessee

This seemed to be the steal of the draft for the Steelers. Sutton had a top 50 grade but his 40-time seemed to scared off some teams. Sutton isn’t a speed cornerback, but he has the discipline to maintain coverage in zone and disguised defenses. He has solid ball skills and will be a contributor this year. He also adds value as a return man.

Round 3 (105): James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh

We wanted a Safety in this round (Or any round for that matter) but Conner is a great fit for the Steelers! He is an old-school banger, who plays smash mouth football. He is a very hard worker who can help spell, Le’Veon Bell. While primarily known for the toughness he displayed in recovering from cancer, he will be a good fit in the Steelers offense. This is a great pick and Conner will be an absolute fan favorite!

Round 4 (135): Joshua Dobbs, QB, Tennessee

Dobbs is a great athlete who can play “backyard” football and will have time to develop into the Steelers offense. He has a powerful arm. The guy is literally a rocket scientist so reading defenses should be a breeze and he could be the Dak Prescott of this year’s draft. This was a great fourth round pick and the Steelers stole a great QB prospect in this spot!

Round 5 (173): Brian Allen, CB, Utah

His size, 6’3, 215-pounds, is already perfect for the NFL and he could make an immediate impact on this team. His ability to play the ball in the air is outstanding and more times than not he can make interceptions that look like outstanding receiver’s catches. He will need to develop his tackling, but once he can become more physical, he’ll be a major contributor to this team. Expect some development before he’s ready to see the field this season, but he will at some point get playing time in 2017. He is a raw prospect with tremendous upside.

Round 6 (213): Colin Holba, LS, Louisville

The Steelers had some great value picks in this draft…until this one! This will go down as one of the strangest draft picks in the last 15 years. The Steelers have a great LS already and why they would waste a draft pick on one is beyond comprehension. He is a smart, athletic hard worker, but this pick was an absolute head scratcher!

Round 7 (248): Keion Adams, DE, Western Michigan (C)

Keion Adams a four-year starter was super productive over the last two seasons posting 28 TFLs and 13 sacks. Adams is a smart, skilled pass-rusher who leverages his opponents, he can beat blockers off the snap. He’s a tough player with great development potential. This was a terrific value pick and could pay big dividends.

A great tribute to Dan Rooney and Franco and Jerome Bettis with the pick!

T.J. Watt!!! Wisconsin!

The best day of the NFL offseason is almost here! The Steelers have eight picks as it currently stands. There is a possibility that they will trade out of 30 as this is a very deep draft.

Day 1

Steelers Pick: 30th

Day 2

Steelers Pick: 62nd (Round 2)
Steelers Pick: 94th (Round 3)
Steelers Pick: 105 (Round 3 — Compensatory Pick)

Day 3

Steelers Pick: 135th (Round 4)
Steelers Pick: 173rd (Round 5)
Steelers Pick: 213th (Round 6)
Steelers Pick: 248th (Round 7)

What we need?

The Steelers will take the best available player, however they have some needs and need to address them. With Martavis Bryant being reinstated the Steelers can turn their eyes to more pressing needs:

1. Edge Pass Rusher: The Steelers whiffed with Jarvis Jones but it looks like Bud Dupree is rounding into form. With our Beloved Silverback in the twilight of his career, it is time to get a book end pass rusher. Look for pick 1 or 2 to be on a rusher

2. Safety: The Steelers look like they have a winner in Sean Davis and Mike Mitchell had his best season as a Steeler last year. However, this could be upgraded in a very deep draft, look for rounds 2 or 3 to be invested in this spot.

3. Tight End: I am actually torn on this one. If Ladarius Green is healthy with Jesse James then this is not a major need. Green is the wild card because when he played he absolutely changed the offense.

4. Quarterback: This was hard to type, but the time has come to see who is coming next. While I am confident that Ben Roethlisberger has a lot of tread on the tire, it would be smart to see if the Steelers can steal a project guy, who can be groomed for a few seasons.

5. Running Back: Again it was weird to think about this when you have the best RB in football. However the cupboard is bear beyond Le’Veon Bell. Again look for a project guy to join the team.

Follow us on twitter tomorrow for our reactions! @bwgsteelersNY

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!!!

Sometimes the good guys do get to win!

GOD BLESS AMBASSADOR ROONEY!

Kevin Seifert from NFL Nation:

“Dan Rooney led an old guard of NFL owners who thought competitive and financial balance among teams was the most important factor in league success. As the Steelers’ patriarch, he wasn’t as concerned with squeezing every last dollar from the game and as he was focused on preserving its integrity and civic duty. His death on Wednesday moved the league one step further from that ideal.”

BUSINESS IS BOOMIN’-The Steelers locked up Antonio Brown, making him the highest paid WR in football!

RING THE BELL-The Steelers also franchised Le’Veon Bell and are working towards a long term deal!

Well darkness rules over the NFL now as the Patriots have won their fifth Super Bowl. It is a tremendous dynasty and one of the best in history. While not winning the Super Bowl hurts and why losing to the Patriots hurts even worse, the Steelers have a lot to look forward to. Below is the 2016 Roster analysis:

Here is the Beer We Go Steelers 2016 Report Card. Coach Tomlin always says, “The Standard is the Standard!” So no Super Bowl trophy is always a disappointment. This season while not winning the ultimate goal had several aspects that can be deemed successful. It was a very good year for the Steelers and they seemed to be getting closer and closer.

GRADES:

Coaching: A-, There were several whispers that Mike Tomlin had lost the team, then the Steelers came roaring back and put up nine straight wins!  In the end, the Steelers won their fifth division title, vanquishing the Ravens on Christmas Day and avenging the embarrassing loss in Miami in the playoffs. They also were 3-0 on holidays.

Keith Butler’s, defense continued to develop and by the end of the season became a strength, the pass rush improved as the season went on and the secondary was much better.  Todd Haley’s offense was solid this season although sometimes it was unspectacular as it has been in the past few seasons. They eventually realized the weapon they had in Le’Veon Bell and rode him into and threw most of the playoffs.    Mike Munchack, year three will get a mention for his excellent work with the O-Line, they are now one of the best in football.

QB: A-, Big Ben had a great year again and played well in all three playoff games, he continues to be one of the best players in the NFL. He gives the Steelers a chance to win every week and continues to mature as both a person and a player. Landry Jones, did a nice job when called upon and seemed to fair pretty well against the Patriots, despite the loss.

 RB: A+, Le’Veon Bell, came roaring back, he was the key to the second half turn around. Despite missing the first three games to suspension, he nearly led the league in rushing. DeAngelo Williams had a very nice season filling in during Bell’s suspension and was leading the league in rushing when he headed to the bench. He was a non-factor after that. Roosevelt Nix played a key role when called upon.

WR: B+, Antonio Brown is an outstanding talent but needs to do some growing up. He is a world class talent but was a distraction at times. Eli Rogers was a great find and will press to start next season. Sammy Coates, Colby Hamilton, Demarcus Ayers all showed signs of stardom and all showed that they need more work. Darrius Heyward-Bey did well when called upon.  It was a lost season for Markus Wheaton, who never seemed to click and was struck with injuries.

TE: B, Jesse James showed great development and was a key contributor. Xavier Grimble did a very nice job when called upon and David Johnson played more of the H-Back roll then tight end but again played well. Ladarius Green looks like he can be a big play threat, but was injured for most of the season. He is a huge asset if he could stay on the field.

 OL: A-, The Offensive Line is now one of the strengths of the Steelers. The protection was excellent and the running lanes were solid. Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro are two of the best at their position. Alejandro Villanueva and Marcus Gilbert played terrific. Ramon Foster is the anchor and held down his position well. The O-Line is one of the best in football!

DL: B, Stephon Tuitt developed into a great player and will be an anchor on the line. “Steelhead” Heyward continues to be a monster but was lost to injury. Javon Hargrave developed into a terrific starter and looks like the heir apparent to the NT position. Mt. McCullers continues to develop and his skillset is starting to catch up to his physical prowess. The Steelers used several players and all contributed.

 LB: B-, It was a tale of two seasons for the Steelers linebackers. The first half was a C- and until the Dallas game, they were kind of stuck in mediocrity.  Then Bud Dupree came back and they teamed him up with James Harrison and the defense went in a different gear. The front seven once again became a strength and watched the sack total nearly quadruple. Ryan Shazier, has now emerged as an absolute star and he earned a Pro Bowl berth. He is a tremendous force and his only downside is he needs to stay on the field. Lawrence Timmons, turned it on in the second half, with Shazier they formed a great nucleus. He was also deadly on pass rushing downs and was a solid foundation in the middle. Jarvis Jones, unfortunately played his way out of the starting lineup and looks like he is going to be a bust in Pittsburgh. Arthur Moats and Vince Williams played well when called upon. James Harrison was the best of the bunch AGAIN and he really helped turn the defense down. He made several big plays in the playoffs and led the linebackers in sacks despite only starting half the season.

DB: C, The Steelers secondary was much improved in 2016. Ross Cockrell and Artie Burns are both developing nicely as the starting cornerbacks. Sean Davis was defensive rookie of the year and he replaced a game but under skilled Robert Golden. Mike Mitchell, played well for the most part. Willie Gay contributed but slowed down. Justin Gilbert was not a big contributor, but should get a long look next season. Senquez Golson, never dressed and was IRed again.

Special Teams: C, Chris Boswell, AKA “Little Bos” was terrific and did a nice job, including setting a playoff record. Greg Warren was a non factor…again that is a good thing! Jordan Berry, punted well and did a solid job. The coverage teams were pretty mediocre all season, until the playoffs. The kick return game was atrocious again. They generated nothing on kickoffs and did very little on punts. I stick with that, Antonio Brown was solid but honestly, he should not be returning punts.

BEER WE GO STEELERS! BEER WE GO!

COMING SOON, Final BWG Report and Final Roster Analysis

The Patriots beat the Steelers for their 9th Super Bowl appearance, ending the Steelers season and edging them for the most Super Bowl appearances. It was a game in which the Steelers were completely outplayed. They had no answer for Tom Brady and Chris Hogan. It was a bitter loss to a hated rival in the most important game of the season.

The Steelers lost Le’Veon Bell early in the game and never recovered. The offense isn’t the same without Bell and they never were able to get going. DeAngelo Williams did a nice job but the offense never clicked. There was very little running room and the Steelers couldn’t make the adjustments. Not scoring from the one foot line was really indicative of the issues the Steelers had all day.

Ben Roethlisberger and the passing game racked up decent numbers, but didn’t make the plays when needed. Too many drops and too many failed chances. To beat the Patriots, the Steelers needed to play a perfect game, they were far from it. With Antonio Brown being bracketed, the Steelers needed the young receivers to step up. They weren’t up for the challenge, Eli Rogers played well but turned the ball over in the biggest play of the game. That was the backbreaker. Cobi Hamilton again showed flashes but made two big mistakes, a dropped touchdown and a negated touchdown for running out of bounds in the end zone. Both have flashes of brilliance and bright futures, but they weren’t up to the challenge last night. Jesse James had a solid game and was a nice outlet when needed.

The defense simply didn’t have any answers. They clogged the Patriots running game, but then were destroyed in the passing game. There were too many missed tackles in the secondary. No pass rush, which was the crux of why the Steelers lost the game. They never were able to generate any sort of rush. The one drive they did, the Patriots punted. It was a tough ending for a unit that seems to be coming around.

“Little Bos”, was perfect last night in Field Goals, and has hit his first fifteen Field Goals, a new post season record. Of course he missed two extra points, which as an ominous sign. The coverage issues seemed resolved in the last three weeks, however they continue to not be able to generate any sort of return game.

In the end the Steelers were completely outplayed and were not up to the task of beating the Patriots.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Lawrence Timmons, he played a terrific game despite, a rough game on defense! Also Considered: NO ONE

 Where I watched the game: We decided to stay home again with the kids who were able to con us into staying up late again. Dinner was outstanding, KGB had made a Chicken Parm/Lasagna combo. It was terrific and I hope there are leftovers tonight. Beer was the last of the IC Light and it ended ignominiously. I texted with Bill all game and the texts were about as expletive filled as you could imagine. I also was trolled by some jerk on Twitter. Will share that with you later in the week.

My Stat of the week: Going with 0! Number of Sacks the Steelers defense generated. They were terrible on the pass rush and in the end that doomed their season.

My Thoughts on next week: I wanted the Patriots, careful what you wish for. The Steelers were not up to the challenge. I will be doing the end of year report card later this week. I will miss the Steelers and the summer seems a long way off.

This week’s Jersey: 84, Antonio Brown Away, Wore it to mass on Saturday night.

The Steelers edged the Chiefs Sunday. It was a throwback win, for the Steelers, pound the football, don’t make mistakes and play tough defense. The victory was hard fought and in the end it booked the Steelers a ticket to the AFC Championship Game.

The offensive game plan was to run the football and the Steelers stayed on their game plan. They ran Le’Veon Bell and he had over 100 yards in the first half. He did great work, setting the tone and setting up most of the scoring drives. After setting the Steelers post season rushing record last week, he topped his performance with 170 yards this week. As usual it starts up front and Dave DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey dominated, getting to the second level and punching holes in the defense. Marcus Gilbert put Justin Houston in his pocket and he was a non-factor. It was outstanding to watch Alejandro Villanueva pulling on several big plays and springing some runs.

Ben Roethlisberger, managed the game, and wasn’t spectacular, but got the job done when needed. Antonio Brown, racked up only six receptions, but netted 108 yards, his last reception was the game clincher and he came through in a big way. Jesse James was a tremendous weapon and he finished with five catches and 80+ yards. Eli Rogers chipped in with five catches. Cobi Hamilton had one catch but his best contributions were his blocking.

The game plan was to stop the run and bottle up Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. The defense did just that! They allowed touchdowns on the first and last drives, but dominated in between. The Chiefs were held to 61 yards on 14 carries, a 4.4-yard average, but didn’t have a run longer than 11 yards and after allowing a 21-yard completion to TE Travis Kelce on the first pass attempt, the Chiefs didn’t have a reception longer than 9 yards in the first half.

James Harrison dominated Eric Fisher and had two big plays, a third down sack where he absolutely wrecked Alex Smith. Then he drew a holding call on the what would have been the two-point conversion for the tie. Fisher held the whole game and he held on the retry as well but only was flagged earlier. Harrison also had six tackles and three for a loss. Bud Dupree caused an interception by Ryan Shazier and both played well.  

Give credit, to the Special Teams, yes that isn’t a typo. Chris Boswell, aka “Little Bos” was a star. He nailed six different field goals and did a great job on kickoffs. The coverages were solid on kickoff, led by Vince Williams and Jarvis Jones. Jordan Berry only had one punt on the day.

While the Steelers didn’t play their best game, they executed a tremendous game plan and give credit to Coach Tomlin for taking what was given. The Steelers moved the ball pretty much at will and kept the Chiefs’ playmakers on ice. It was a great effort and well done.

Now it is on to New England!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Le’Veon Bell and James Harrison, For Bell, you play your second postseason game and re-set the Steelers rushing record, you have done something special, it was an amazing effort. James Harrison, for setting the tone and his domination of Eric Fisher. Who should have been called ten time for holding! Also Considered: Little Bos, for setting the postseason record for Six Field Goals!!!

 Where I watched the game: After returning from the Dominican Republic on a quick vacation with KGB, we stayed in in front of a fire and let the “Tailgate Kids” stay up late to watch the game. We considered going to Buckleys because it is a night game! We had a great dinner and then I paced the floor for two hours. KGB had wine and I drank IC Light again which I am rationing. Texted with Bill and The Janick the whole game!

My Stat of the week: Going with 6! In honor of Little Bos who was so understated after the game, despite his awesome effort!

My Thoughts on next week: I have been praying for this game. Ric Flair says, “To be the man, you got to beat the man!” I want to beat the Patriots and Tom Brady. The Steelers will be the underdogs and it is going to be the best they can play. Let’s get it done!

This week’s Jersey: NO JERSEY, However, I brought the Terrible Towel to the DR and saw several Steelers fans in both airports!