Beer We Go Steelers

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!

Le’Veon Bell’s first playoff start was worth the wait, as the Steelers avenged an early season loss to the Dolphins, propelling them into the divisional round of the playoffs against Kansas City.

After missing out on the last two playoff appearances, Le’Veon Bell made up for lost time. He rushed for a new Steelers postseason team-record 167 yards on 29 carries, scoring two touchdowns. The Steelers dominated the Dolphins up front and had TD drives of 83, 85 and 90 on the first three possessions. The line was letting Ben Roethlisberger and Bell do whatever they wanted. The Steelers ran Bell on TEN straight plays at the end of the first quarter into the second quarter, ending in Bell’s first touchdown.Bell had 99 yards on 17 carries in the first half alone and ran all day.

Ben Roethlisberger, had a terrific game connecting on his first ten passes and finishing with 197 yards. He made the plays he needed to make. He connected with seven different receivers, with Antonio Brown leading the way with two touchdowns, 124 yards receiving on only five catches. Brown’s first touchdown was sprung by a great block by Jesse James on a screen play. In a cool moment, James watched the big screen after the block as Brown scored.

The defense was looking for redemption after getting gashed by Jay Ajayi for 200 yards back in Oct. They got it! The defense held Ajayi to 33 yards on 16 carries and the Dolphins never established the run. Ajayi’s longest run was eight yards and he was pummeled by the defensive line on every carry.

James Harrison put together a monster performance and it is hard to say it was vintage as he continues his winning battle with Father Time. He had the biggest play of the day on defense forcing Matt Moore to fumble at the Steelers 17 as the Dolphins were about to cut the lead down to one score. Harrison had 10 tackles, 1½ sacks and nailed Ajayi on his first run setting a tone. As great was Harrison was, Ryan Shazier was an absolute difference maker. He was all over the field and picked off one of Moore’s passes. He finished with six tackles and the interception. He was flying all over the field. Steady veteran Lawrence Timmons, who puked on the field during the first meeting, led the Steelers in tackles and had two late sacks.

It wouldn’t be a Steelers post season game without some type of special team’s disaster. The coverage teams were terrible and the return team gets flagged on nearly every play now. But the Steelers only punted twice the whole day and Jordan Berry did a nice job. Little Bos missed his first Extra Point but also drilled a 34-yard field goal.

In the end the Steelers redeemed one of their worst performances of the season and had the answers for Miami. It is onto Kansas City!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Le’Veon Bell, you play your first postseason game and set the Steelers rushing record, you have done something. He chipped in with two touchdowns as well. He was a work horse back! Also Considered: James Harrison, we are of course partial to Harrison as he is the BWG guy, but his performance warranted a game beer as well, he absolutely dominated the Dolphins. Jesse James, for throwing a huge block and the entire O-Line, you wouldn’t have known Ndamukong Suh was playing until the fourth quarter!

 Where I watched the game: The Janick was at the game, drinking Eddie Harkins’ trademark “Playoff Punch”, which is a derivative of “Riot Punch”, which if you drink too much of…you go blind! I stayed at the house and we had leftover hero sandwiches from the night before, from a great place called Citarellas. The “tailgate kids” and KGB received new jerseys on Friday night for playoff luck. The beer of choice was again, IC Light! RATIONING my beer as we are on a winning streak!

My Stat of the week: 167 Yards for Le’Veon Bell, breaking the Steelers record, Bell now holds the regular season and the postseason single game record for the Steelers. Two bonus stats, 35 post season wins, which is the most in NFL history also 2-2 which is the Steelers record in the postseason v. the Dolphins, Chuck Noll was 1-2 against his mentor Don Shula!

My Thoughts on next week: Pretty simple, play the football we have been playing and we will beat Kansas City. The Chiefs are tough and Arrowhead is a great home field advantage. But the Steelers can beat them if they play their best game.

This week’s Jersey: Pomara #74, 1967 Throwback, KGB and the Kids got this for me. My feeling is this will be the throwback next year, now that the Bumble Bees are retired.

Today would have been Chuck Noll’s 85^th birthday. In June of 2014, Charles Henry Noll, passed away and Steelers Nation mourned. But his legacy and the standard of excellence he established in Pittsburgh will live on forever. For 36 years the Pittsburgh Steelers wandered the NFL desert of mediocrity and were downright awful. That all changed on January 27, 1969 the Steelers hired Coach Noll and the standard in Pittsburgh would be changed forever.

To say he was a “Great Coach” would be like saying Picasso was a great painter, a dramatic understatement, the record should speak for itself. He was a man of great humility and never believed in ‘hyping” himself. He believed in treating football as a business and the lessons that can be learned translate much further than the playing field.

He taught men to not only be better football players, he taught men to prepare themselves for their life’s work and most of all be better people.

I can write about a hundred of his best philosophies, but here are the five that I have always tried to live by:

1. Be Yourself: Bill Austin was the coach prior to Noll. He came with a great pedigree, having learned at the right hand of NFL legend Vince Lombardi. He basically tried to emulate Lombardi in every way…the issue was, he wasn’t Lombardi. The Steelers remained terrible and eventually had to part ways with Austin to hire Noll. Coach Noll believed in being yourself, he amalgamated his coaching influences, which included football royalty, such as Paul Brown, Sid Gillman and Don Shula into his philosophies, but he never once tried to be anyone but who he was. He was a teacher at heart, never demonstrative and always well prepared. 

   When he finally left the Steelers after two plus decades of success, his advice to his successor Bill Cowher, “Be Yourself, do your best, and I am sure you are going to be fine.”

    

2. Servant Leadership: Coach Noll believed his job was to prepare everyone for their “Life’s Work” and he lived that principal every day. He was very secure in who he was and what he could do for his team and players. At the heart of who he was, was a teacher. He believed in making the people around him better. It wasn’t with false bravado; it was with strong fundamental instruction. He didn’t feel it was his job to motivate people, he felt it was his job to take motivated people and make them better! 
3. Establish a standard and hold people accountable: The Steelers standard quite frankly was losing. Chuck Noll established a change in philosophy and believed in developing his own players. He didn’t want someone else’s headache. There was a process to success and that process while needing adjustment had a core to it, that had to be maintained. There was also a factor of accountability to maintain the standard and “do your job”.  That is a philosophy and a strategy that the Steelers still employ to this day.

1. Surround yourself with the right people: The story has been told many times and in varying degrees, I will borrow Rocky Bleier’s version of the story.: 

   “I’ve been your head coach for the past five months, and I’ve watched every film of every practice of every game that you’ve played in over the past three years, and I can tell you why you’ve been losing—you’re just not any good. You have no talent, you have no authority, and you can’t cover, and you have no discipline. By the time this training camp is over, most of you will not be here.”

    

   By the way he did, the majority of the players on that team were gone by the Steelers first Super Bowl victory. He had a habit of being blunt, but he knew what type of players he wanted, he drafted them accordingly and built not only the Steelers Dynasty, but he left a foundation for Coach Cowher to lead the Steelers to an AFC Championship.

    

2. The Thrill is in the Doing: For Chuck Noll, winning the Super Bowl a record four times should have been the penultimate moment of his professional life. But somehow it wasn’t. For Coach Noll it was always about the journey. His passion was taking a group of players and molding them into a team, that is what he thrived on. Victories were a byproduct of hard work, preparation and determination. He wanted to build a winner and toil in the football laboratory of his mind. “I think we’re going to enjoy it for just a short time, and then get on to next year,” said Noll. He was passionate about his job and when he realized he couldn’t do it anymore, he walked away, with his head held high!

Chuck Noll probably summed up his career better than anyone at his farewell press conference, quoting Emerson;

“Your actions speak so loudly, I can’t hear what you’re saying,’ and I’d like to keep it that way.”

We could hear you Coach!

Sources: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-12-27/sports/1991361079_1_chuck-noll-ralph-waldo-emerson-rooney

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19911227&slug=1325342

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/06/17/chuck-noll-pittsburgh-steelers-coach-the-teacher

MacCambridge, Michael. Chuck Noll: His Life’s Work. Pittsburgh, PA: U of Pittsburgh, 2016. Print.

Five “Business “Quotes by Chuck Noll:

1. “Champions are champions not because they do anything extraordinary but because they do the ordinary things better than anyone else.”
2. “Good things come to those who hustle”
3. “Pressure is something you feel when you do not know what you are doing.”
4. “If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does them day in and day out.”
5. “The thrill isn’t in the winning, it’s in the doing.”

Quotes about Chuck Noll:

1.  “Coach (Chuck) Noll was tremendous in regards to talking about your life. Not just football. We had to accomplish things, but you had to get ready for life, you had to figure out what you were going to be all about as a person..’ – Hall of Fame Coach Tony Dungy
2. “Chuck was just the ultimate leader. He had truth and belief in what he was saying, and over time all of those things he said were validated, the things about winning football games and being a solid citizen.” — Hall of Fame defensive tackle Joe Greene.
3. “He made me mentally strong, which I wasn’t. And he instilled in me a great work ethic.” — Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
4. “Chuck Noll is building one hell of a football team up in Pittsburgh.” – NFL Legend Vince Lombardi
5. “He was the greatest man I ever knew.” – BWG Hall of Famer Merrill Hoge

Sources: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2014/06/14/quotes-about-former-steelers-coach-chuck-noll/10524575/

http://stillcurtain.com/2011/04/20/say-what-top-ten-steelers-quotes-of-all-time/

Happy New Year! The Steelers came out flat and once again had to rally from 14 points down, to beat a game but outmanned Cleveland Browns team. While the game meant nothing for the standings or the playoff picture, it was a nice effort coming back and the Steelers overcame several mistakes.

The game plan was to run the ball and the Brown were ready for it, stacking as many as nine men in the box and completely shutting down the running game. DeAngelo Williams struggled in his return but still managed three great plays, two of which saved the Steelers from a safety. He also bounced outside on a 14-yard touchdown catch and plowed into the End Zone.

In the second half the handcuffs came off and Landry Jones put together a solid effort, rallying the Steelers twice. He brought the offense back from a 14-0 deficit and then orchestrated the game winning drive in overtime to keep the win streak going, including a fourth down conversion. He threw for 215 of his 277 yards and two of his three touchdowns, including the winning 26-yarder, in the second half and overtime, respectively.

Jones’s main weapon was Eli Rogers who pulled in six catches, chipping in also was Demarcus Ayers who had an 11-yard touchdown and Cobi Hamilton who had the winning 26-yarder. Veteran, Darrius Heyward-Bey had only one catch, but it went for 46 yards and setup the go ahead TD, he stretched out the field all day. But more importantly, he produced the biggest play of the game, forcing a fumble and a touchback on Briean Boddy-Calhoun.

The defense struggled most of the day, but made the plays when needed. The Browns had little troubled running the football and torched the Steelers on the ground with 231 yards rushing. The Steelers responded forcing an Isiah Crowell fumble, and holding the Browns out of the end zone on the first overtime drive, forcing the field goal.

The linebackers played well, Ryan Shazier had a huge game changing interception and Jarvis Jones made a play to stay with a team putting together a terrific effort that included a batted ball, a sack and a big forced fumble. Bud Dupree was all over Robert Griffin III and had a sack. Mt. McCullers, came across at the goal line and absolutely crushed RGIII on a big sack.

Despite, a mediocre effort, the Steelers once again came back and were able to beat the Browns, extending their win streak to seven, in a game they didn’t need. They also converted on a huge fourth down to drive for the win!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Landry Jones, he put together a terrific second half performance once the handcuffs came off! Also considered: Jarvis Jones, who had a terrific performance after sitting out the last few weeks. Demarcus Ayers and Cobi Hamilton for excellent fill in performances.

 Where I watched the game: At the house, KGB and I watched again with the Tailgate Kids. She made the dinner this week, Rigatoni Ala Vodka with garlic bread, it was outstanding! Since this was a “rest” week, I drank Iron City and a Sam Adams beer called “Session Ale”. Sam Adams continues to make outstanding and complex beers, I truly enjoyed it.

Anyone, who feel’s this isn’t a rivalry anymore, needed to watch that game. It was amazing how the mood changed from no one caring if we won, to almost a resolute attitude that we HAD to win! I texted with my buddy Bill all day and the Janick, again with a definite mood change from no pressure to WE MUST WIN! KGB had the quote of the day, “Are we really going to lose to the Browns?” The Steelers answered no!

My Stat of the week: 103.1 – Landry Jones QB rating for Sundays game, yes it was against the Browns, yes he made some mistakes, but he had a nice accounting of himself and finished the season with an 86.3 rating. Keep in mind he played without the Steeler two best playmakers! He certainly was the best QB on the field Sunday and he will get some looks in the offseason.

My Thoughts on next week: REVENGE, I prayed for another shot at Miami and here it is! I would like to see some of their jag-off fans again too, especially the drunks who were heckling us in the parking lot.  The Steelers were ill prepared for their first meeting and put a damper on my trip with KGB. That won’t happen twice and look for the Steelers to run these guys over and win convincingly!

This week’s Jersey: Franco Harris, #32 Salute to Service, I was supposed to wear it on “Immaculate Reception Day”, but happy to have it as my last week of “Teams for Troops”!

In one of the most exciting games of the season, trailing by 10 in the fourth quarter the Steelers rallied with 21 points and 240 yards of offense and vaulted into the playoffs! The victory resulted in a North Title for the Steelers and sent the Ravens home for the season.

Despite two costly interceptions, Ben Roethlisberger rallied the Steelers in the fourth and capped a game winning final drive culminating in an Antonio Brown touchdown with NINE seconds left on the clock. Roethlisberger finished with 279 yards, three touchdowns and completions to seven different receivers. He went from Goat to Hero in 12 minutes.

Le’Veon Bell crushed the Ravens with 122 yards on only 20 carries, it was Bell’s fifth 100-yard game in his last six. He was nearly unstoppable as the offensive line absolutely annihilated the Ravens stout front seven. Bell rushed for one touchdown bouncing a nifty run outside. The protection was outstanding as Roethlisberger was never touched and rarely pressured. Terrell Suggs was shutout, recording not one sack or tackle.

Antonio Brown, after having only one catch in the first half, exploded in the fourth quarter including the game winning touchdown on an outstanding second effort stretch. Brown finished with 10 catches for 96 yards. He was clearly a difference maker. Jesse James and Xavier Grimble did a great job combining for five catches and 69 yards, with Grimble scoring the first TD of the game. Rookies Cobi Hamilton and Demarcus Ayers each contributed.

Playing without Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward, finally caught up with the defensive front seven. The Ravens ran the ball effectively and were able to get to the second level, controlling the clock for most of the game. The defense had several miscues and missed tackles. James Harrison led the team in tackles and Bud Dupree had the only sack of the game. The secondary statistically played well but allowed way to many third down conversions in the second half.

Despite producing his seventh double digit win season in his ten seasons as the Steelers Coach, Mike Tomlin’s success was once again called into question this time by Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw. The Steelers have put together a terrific winnings streak after losing four in a row, including a heartbreaker against Dallas. Yesterday, they claimed Tomlin’s fifth division title and he now has 102 career wins. He is without question one of the best coaches in the NFL and Bradshaw continues to be a self serving, phony jerk.

The Steelers sent home the Bengals last week and now the Ravens this week, leaving them undisputed rulers of the North! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Mike Tomlin, because I am tired of having to defend him. Seriously, what more could you want from a coach. He has done an amazing job and NEVER gets the credit he deserves! Also Considered: Le’Veon Bell and A.B. who willed the Steelers to victory.

 Where I watched the game: At the house, with a house full of relatives. KGB took mercy on me and served dinner early as well as championed the dish cleaning, so I could watch the game. I watched with all five of the kids. (After they were done cleaning up) and KGB entertained the relatives. Only had one wayward relative walk in front of the TV during the game…Beer of choice was still IC Light.

My Stat of the week: SEVEN OUT OF TEN seasons, that is an astounding 70% of the seasons Mike Tomlin has posted double digit wins in his coaching career. He also is one of the fastest coaches in history to win 100 games, but somehow he isn’t a great coach. Yeah right!

My Thoughts on next week: Use the Browns game as the bye week. Let’s find the next RJ Bowers, rest our veterans and get ready for round one of the playoffs! The game means nothing to us and the Browns would love to do something stupid to hurt the Steelers.

This week’s Jersey: NO Jersey this week, we had to switch out “Teams for Troops” for a retiring colleague and I rocked the Steelers cardigan sweater for Christmas day.