Beer We Go Steelers

         Artie Burns, CB Miami!!!

With a successful season long gone in the rearview mirror, the NFL draft is upon us again! The draft has a cult following and has taken on a life of its own. The NFL now sells tickets and it even has it’s own line of products. I will be attending a baseball game so will miss the beginning (LI DUCKS) and then will be headed home for the Steelers pick.

That being said, I am very excited for this year’s draft. What’s on the menu, for Beer We Go Steelers, first and foremost we are not doing a mock draft. Both the Captain and I HATE mock drafts. So forget that! However, we have some analysis.

The Steelers: First Pick (25), Total Picks (7), Roughly 47 years ago the Steelers made the draft the center piece of their talent building…they have never looked back, whether it was drafting four Hall Of Famers in the 1974 draft or stealing Antonio Brown in the 6^th round, the Steelers have built a foundation through the draft and this year will be no different. The glaring needs are help in the defensive backfield, a “clogger” in the defensive line, Offensive tackle depth and a young QB and then depth all over.

Biggest Needs: Is either a Safety or a Cornerback and that has to be the number one pick. The Steelers have had very few misses in the draft, however the defensive backfield has been one of them. Several CB’s have washed out and the Steelers haven’t done much better on safety. They need an impact player, preferably two or three in the first five picks.

The front seven is still one of the best in football, however the depth was seriously drained. The Steelers need a BIG, BIG man in the middle to backup Mt. McCullers and they need some outside linebacker help.

As for offense, depth at the tackle spot is a serious concern. Lastly, if the right steal is sitting there, they need to look at a Quarterback. While Ben has plenty of tread left on the tires, it would be prudent to look at a “project” guy to develop.

Steelers Draft Capsule:

Best 1^st rounder of the last ten years: Cam Heyward, DE, 20011 Draft, (31^st Overall)

Biggest Draft Bust: Jamian Stephens, T, 1996 Draft, (29^th Overall)

Biggest Draft Steal: (TIE) Mike Webster, C, 1974 Draft, (125^th Overall) / Antonio Brown, WR, 2010 Draft (195^th Overall)

Greatest Draft Pick: Joe Greene, DT, 1969 Draft, (4^th Overall)

Beer We Go division analysis:

Baltimore Ravens: First pick (6), Total Picks (9), The Ratbirds are in a strange position for them of picking in the top ten after a terrible season. Ozzie Newsome in this spot scares me, they rarely miss in the first round and they should make a significant impact in this spot. They also stockpiled fourth round picks, so look for some movement. There biggest need is a playmaker outside, a WR, but they have several holes including O-Line, and the defense which has been there calling card, is very leaky.

The Ravens Draft Capsule:

Best 1^st rounder of the last ten years: Joe Flacco, QB, 2008 Draft, (18^th Overall)

Biggest Draft Bust: Kyle Boller, QB, 2003 Draft, (19^th Overall)

Biggest Draft Steal: Adalius Thomas, LB, 2000 Draft, (186^th Overall)

Greatest Draft Pick: Ray Lewis, LB, 1996 Draft, (26^th Overall)

Cincinnati Bengals: First pick (24), Total Picks (6), The Bengals have become perennial contenders after being the laughing stock of football for nearly 20 years. What they need is coaching and better discipline, but that isn’t something that will be on their board. This should be a minimum impact draft and they will draft for depth. Historically, they have done a good job getting value picks….albeit with questionable smarts. (Vontaze that’s for you.) They need help up front in the NFL’s toughest division. Look for the Defensive line and Linebacker, to be the target. Also don’t be surprised if you see a QB get snatched if it falls in their lap.

The Bengals Draft Capsule:

Best 1^st rounder of the last ten years: A.J. Green, WR, 20011 Draft, (4^th Overall)

Biggest Draft Bust: Akili Smith, QB, 1999 Draft, (3^rd Overall)

Biggest Draft Steal: Lemur Parrish, CB, 1970 Draft, (163^rd Overall)

Greatest Draft Pick: Anthony Munoz, LT, 1986 Draft, (3^rd Overall)

Cleveland Browns: First pick (8), Total Picks (a whopping 12), The Browns are in the enviable position, that they are ALWAYS in this time of year, plenty of early quality picks. The draft should be named, Cleveland Browns Day!!! They traded with the Eagles and still stayed in the top 10. Sonny Weaver Jr. pulled off a stunner…wait that was only a movie, but none the less here we are!

The Browns front office is now trying a more scientific approach, having recruited Paul DePodesta away from the Mets. DePodesta was one of the central figures in “Moneyball”. That move was panned by many people, I am not one of them. The Browns will be using actual analytics and real life statistics compared to using the Twister Wheel and Ouija Board to make their picks. Whatever his shortcomings DePodesta is a Harvard Graduate with a football background and this might be the beginning of something for the Browns as well as the NFL, AKA read money ball!

Giving the Browns first round picks is very similar to giving monkeys fire, while it is a great tool, it is wasted and pretty damn dangerous if you don’t know how to use it. As for needs, well I can copy last year’s blog post verbatim, they need a QB more than just about anyone in the world. RGIII was a great pickup but he is not who they will build around, they also need playmakers, so look for an impact WR right away. After that they need EVERYTHING else. I am very interested to see the Ricciardi experiment!

The Browns Draft Capsule:

Best 1^st rounder of the last ten years: Joe Haden, CB, 2010 Draft, (7^th Overall)

Biggest Draft Bust: Seriously? Pick ‘em! Although the Johnny Manziel stink must seem like Chernobyl.

Biggest Draft Steal: Leroy Kelly, RB, 1964 Draft, (110^th Overall)

Greatest Draft Pick: Jim Brown, RB, 1957 Draft, (6^th Overall)

With the Super Bowl now in the rear view mirror and Peyton Manning cementing his place as the greatest player in the NFL, I figured it was time to do my season in Review!

First and foremost, the season was a success and a testament to the excellent Coaching of Mike Tomlin! Despite key injuries the Steelers never felt sorry for themselves and were in just about every game. This was also one of my favorite seasons because the Steelers used several players and everyone proved their worth.

2015 Game Beer winner:

Going with Antonio Brown! How could you not, he had a monster year and once again proved his value. One can only wonder what would have happened if that idiot Burfict didn’t put him out for the Denver game.

My Favorite “Road” Game: 

No brainer on this one. Irish Exit in NYC on Second Ave! We went for the Bengals game and it was myself, my friend Bill and the amazing KGB. We met awesome people and we hung out with about 450 of our closest friends! This will without a doubt be a new tradition!

http://www.irishexitnyc.com/

My Favorite Road Game: NONE. We didn’t do a game this year. Next year we are absolutely doing one, with Buffalo and Miami as the early contenders! BTW pissed we play Dallas and both NY teams in the ‘Burgh. That could have been a three game parlay for me.

My Favorite “Road” Game: Has to be the “Stadium” in Saratoga. I was there on business and KGB took mercy on me to come up and spend some time. The Steelers beat the Rams and that is most likely the last time the Steelers will play in St. Louis for many, many years. The game was mediocre but I enjoyed the crowd and the wings. We have had bad luck at my local bar Buckley’s so going with the “Stadium”.

My Favorite “Home” Game: Steelers wrecking Indianapolis on Sunday Night was one of my favorites, of course AB sticking the landing was icing on the cake! Sat in front of a nice fire and had a great night!

My Favorite Home Game: This was easy because I only went to one game in the ‘Burgh. I got to avenge one of my ‘Burgh losses as the Steelers played a crazy game against the Raiders. We brought the whole family across the state and had a great time. The game was great, we also got to meet Frenchy Fuqua at our tailgate and he couldn’t have been better. This was the first victory for four of my five kids and it was a wild one. BTW Three Primanti’s stops on the trip had me begging for mercy!

My Favorite Snack for any game: Many great choices from Polamalu Pierogies to Buckley’s Terryaki Bomb Wings. KGB made a million different things this year and all were great. She made “Italian Sliders” and have to choose those. Beer of choice was Cold Snap!  

Special Thanks:

Writing this blog is a labor of love, something I enjoy doing and something that I will do as long as I can. I hate most of the national media who de-facto picked the (5-11) Ravens this year, for some unknown reason. I will never claim to be unbiased but I try and follow Myron Cope’s example. I am for the Steelers but would always be honest with the readers.

First and foremost we want to thank the readers, we are grateful to you because it makes us feel like we have an obligation to friends and Steelers fans to keep this going. We are over 2500 Subscribers now!

A special thanks to The Janickis, Tom Janicki, the founder of Beer We Go Steelers. He hosts us every year for a game! It was just a great time with Tom and his wife Kristen and his Min-Yinz children! From shopping, worshipping (At church, not the Steelers) to tailgating, he is a friend and a brother to me!  My young kids shared Tom’s seats and they had a blast! It is BWG 2.0! Thanks Janick!

I am thankful to the Harkins brothers! We tailgate once a year with the Harkins brothers and it is always memorable. This year they hosted my entire family at the “Terrible Bra and Grill”. They were wonderful as was Jen from Steel City Mafia!

I want to thank former Steeler “Frenchy” Fuqua. First and foremost he will always be Immaculate to me, he posed for about 100 pictures, spoke French to KGB, while kissing her hand and couldn’t have been nicer to our family. He represents EVERYTHING that is great about being a Steelers fan!

That brings me to John Jackson and Jerome Bettis. I have said this before and will restate it, it is very difficult to meet your “heroes” because they often have a habit of letting you down. I met both guys, at the Joe Namath Golf Outing.

John came over gave me a hug and couldn’t have been better, this is our third year together at the outing and he was awesome. We had a drink and spent some time talking. BTW he could still play, the kind of shape he is in!

The Bus was a total gentleman and posed for several pictures with me, including one after the round with me sweating on him. He also was genuinely touched about being feature on the BWG shirt this year.

I want to thank all my kids, we packed the entire family up and brought EVERYONE to the ‘Burgh. With five kids in tow you, one with a Wheel Chair you can imagine the logistical challenge and expense. They never complained once! Made the most out of the trip and enjoyed every minute of the game and tailgate. The trip included a trip to Pepis, a shopping trip to the Strip District, three trips to Primanti Bros. Billy, Eric, Hailey, Luc and Dante…I hope a Steelers trip showed even a little bit why I love this team! I was grateful that the Steelers pulled out a victory. I hate the Raiders and it was a great “comeback”.

Most of all I wanted to thank KGB, my amazing Fiancée’ who despite her strict aversion to Television, made sure the Steelers were a priority all season. She packed the Terrible Towel for our trip to Aruba so we could take pictures, she also put up with some of my “antics” and we only had one fight about the Steelers all season and I will use my go to excuse; “But babe, it was the Ravens” She cooked, she planned and I am grateful that we had a great season! Love You BEER WE GO!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

Check back during the offseason for big news and for draft coverage.

In April of 2005 Anthony Becht signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets were left without a Tight End.

They traded their first round pick the 26th for Doug Jolley of the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders traded that pick to Seattle to move up and grab CB, Fabian Washington.

Those three trades turned the course of Pittsburgh history, because waiting to get plucked at number 30 was Heath Miller! The Steelers had a phenomenal blocking and pass catching Tight End for nearly 10 years in Mark Bruener. For whatever reason he ran afoul of Steelers management and he was pushed out after the 2003 season.

The Steelers had Jerame Tuman who was a solid blocking Tight End, they brought in Jay Riermersma from Buffalo as a pass catching threat and they were “set” at the position, however Riermersma was injured and never recovered. He never played again.

Heath Miller fell into our laps the next season and the rest is history! Miller was both, the blocker and the pass catcher. He finishes with 592 catches and over 6,000 yards! He also wrestled in 45 touchdowns.

Without question he is the greatest Steelers Tight End of all time!

Here is the Beer We Go Steelers 2015 Report Card. I posted recently in a forum that without the Super Bowl trophy the season was a failure. It would be a huge mistake to call this season a failure. While winning the Super Bowl is ALWAYS the goal, the way the Steelers played can never be called a failure. This team had so much life and so many players stepped up and made it a great year.

GRADES:

Coaching: A+, Mike Tomlin had a tremendous season, he pushed the right buttons several times. He was the only coach to understand the value of the new Two Point Rule, and the Steelers fought until the bitter end. He never made excuses and put the Steelers in a position to win. They never felt sorry for themselves and they developed several good players. The San Diego game tells the story for me.

Todd Haley’s offense was again SCARY and they torched The Bronco’s number one defense two times and absolutely wrecked “The Legion of Boom”.  He protected Ben and the offense was original and fun to watch. When they were rolling they were hard to stop.  Keith Butler’s rookie campaign, was solid on some fronts, the pass rush was excellent and the front seven continued to develop. The secondary was lousy an the stats showed it, they did get better though as the season progressed.  Mike Munchack, year two gets a mention for his excellent work with the O-Line, which is now a strength, not to mention he lost two of his best and the Steelers never really missed a beat.

QB: A-, Big Ben had a great year again and played well in both playoff games, he is tough an a great player. He gives the Steelers a chance to win every week. Michael Vick looks like he is at the end of the line and had some moments but for the most part, was a disappointment. Landry Jones, saved the season when he came in and beat the Cardinals, one of the best teams in football. He struggled after that however.

RB: B+, It was a lost season for Le’Veon Bell, he was suspended came back and played great, then was injured and lost for the year. DeAngelo Williams had a great season filling in and the Steelers running game kept on moving. He too was injured and the Steelers needed to rely on Fitz Toussant and Jordan Todman. Both showed signs that they could play in this league. Unfortunately, Toussant had the key turnover in the Broncos playoff game, but he really did a nice job.

The Fullback situation was interesting as well. Will Johnson played well but lost quite a few snaps to special teams standout Roosevelt Nix. Nix played well and then you guessed it, he was injured. This will be a certain “A” next year.

WR: A+, The best unit on the Steelers, Antonio Brown is amazing and one of the best players in the NFL. Martavis Bryant is on the verge of a huge breakout. Markus Wheaton was steady if not spectacular at some points in the year. The rest of the crew all contributed and played well.

TE: A, Heath Miller, was a key contributor again and really put up great numbers in big games. Jesse James was a very nice addition and is almost a Heath clone. Matt Spaeth is a solid veteran tight end. The Steelers got just about everything they could out of this unit.

OL: B+, The Offensive Line had a very good season. The protection was excellent in most games. The run blocking was terrific and the Steelers made the running backs interchangeable. Keep in mind that the Steelers lost Maurkice Pouncey and Kelvin Beachum. Cody Wallace did a good job and filled in admirably. Alejandro Villanueva did a very good job,  given what a raw prospect he is. He will push Beachum next year. Dave DeCastro is one of the best players at his position. Ramon Foster is going to be missed next year.

DL: B, Cam “Steelhead” Heyward continues to be a monster and he is the anchor of the defense! Stephon Tuitt’s development was terrific and Steve McLendon looks like he finally is comfortable playing the nose. They are almost there!

LB: B+, If the Steelers played two more weeks, this might have been an A. They simply continued to get better and better as the year went on. Ryan Shazier showed great strides in year two and was a vicious force in the playoffs. Lawrence Timmons was tough as nails and was a solid foundation in the middle. Both Jarvis Jones and Bud Dupree continued to improve and next year will be the break out year! Arthur Moats played well all year. James Harrison was the best of the bunch and he also turned it up in the playoffs. He will go down as one of the greatest Steelers. If this was his last year, he really made the most of it. Vince Williams and Sean Spence are both very capable players.

DB: D+, The Steelers secondary was again terrible. That being said, William Gay played well and has been a solid contributor. Antwon Blake was the fans whipping boy most of the year, and he struggled most of the time. I am not a Mike Mitchell fan he showboats too much for me, but he played okay. Not sure what happened with Brandon Boykin and why he rarely saw the field.

Special Teams: C, Chris Boswell, AKA “Little Bos” was terrific and will most likely be back next year, after plowing through four previous kickers the Steelers found a good one. Greg Warren played well. Robert Golden did a great job and he was a special teams ace. The kick return game was atrocious and cost Dri Archer his job and Jacoby Jones was worse. Antonio Brown was great but honestly, he should not be returning punts.

BEER WE GO STEELERS! BEER WE GO!

The Steelers controlled the clock and their own destiny and a possible trip to New England but on one play that symbolized the entire season, it all slipped away!

Fitzgerald Toussant’s who had a great postseason and did an excellent job filling in, had a very costly fumble in the fourth quarter that swung the game back to Denver. The Broncos capitalized and Peyton Manning drove them down for the go ahead touchdown and the season was basically over. While the Steelers lost a chance to go to a record AFC Championship game that’s not what resonates to me.

This team battled so much adversity and so many injuries it was a testament to the character and strength of the whole organization. For those keeping score at home, the Steelers went into Denver without their best playmaker, without their starting running back and his backup who was the teams leading rusher. Big Ben Roethlisberger played behind a makeshift line without it’s starting left tackle and pro-bowl Center…but somehow they were in it until the end and made a mad dash to get back into the game. To me that is heart and everyone on that team should hold their head up high.

It always starts with Ben Roethlisberger and he put together one of his best performances. He spread the ball around passed for 339 yards against the best defense in football and never turned the ball over. He pushed and willed the Steelers down the field. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to get the win.

The defense played a solid game as well and made several key plays to keep the Steelers in it. The Bronco’s also should have been off the field when Peyton Manning clearly gave himself up on a sack attempt by Will Allen, but Allen never touched him and Manning being the savvy veteran completed the pass to keep the eventual game winning drive alive.

While the defense eventually broke down, they certainly did their job keeping the Broncos in check. James Harrison saved his best game for yesterday. He had several key stops in the run game and sacked Manning.

It wouldn’t be a Steelers playoff loss without some kind of Special Teams disaster and yesterday was no exception.  Markus Wheaton, filling in for Antonio Brown, muffed two punts, one of which was almost a safety. He looked completely lost.

P Jordan Berry had his worst game as a Steeler, after allowing two long returns in the first meeting, the Steelers immediately gave up a 42-yard punt return that led to a field goal. Berry had two punts of 27 yards, one leading to a field goal, and he netted 19 yards on a punt that was intended to pin down the Broncos. The Broncos started on the Steelers side of the field almost the whole game. It was a horrible day for Berry.

Chris “Little Bos” Boswell was the lone bright spot and he nailed three field goals. One also wonders if the Steelers had Little Bos all season if the game might have been in Pittsburgh!

BEER WE GO STEELERS! BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: James Harrison and Ben Roethlisberger, Both were outstanding and if this was Harrison’s last game he went out in style. Also considered: Martavis Bryant who is an absolute playmaker and Will Allen who did a great job.

Where I watched the game: KGB and I stayed home again after wrestling the remnants of our Christmas decorations. We watched with the “Tailgate Kids”, who had a great time.  The beer of choice was Samuel Adams Cold Snap, which unfortunately didn’t help the outcome. We had sausage and peppers as well, but again no luck!

My Stat of the week: ZERO, the number of wins the Steelers have when they lose the Turnover battle. The secondary had their spots but couldn’t put it together. Very disappointing but telling.

My thoughts on Next Week: I am going to miss the Steelers! I also know New England is breathing easier! We also will publish the final season report.

The Steelers will face the Denver Broncos on Saturday for the 8th time in the playoffs. That is the most times they have faced any team in the Post Season.

The Steelers beat the Broncos this season with a second half comeback. But that was against Brock Osweiler who most likely will be riding the bench this week. The Steelers will be very banged up and Ben Roethlisberger is hurting. That being said, look for a great game as the Steelers and Broncos seem to bring out the best in each other.

Here it is by the numbers:

Steelers are 11 wins against 18 losses with 1 Tie (In 1974 http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197409220den.htm)

They are 5-9-1 in the Mile High City and are 3 and 5 against the Broncos in the playoffs!

Denver 34 – Steelers 21 @Denver 12/24/77

Their first meeting was on Christmas Eve 12/24/1977 in Denver. The Broncos won a 34-21 shootout with the Broncos scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter. A pair of fourth-quarter field goals by Jim Turner broke a 21-21 tie, and Craig Morton threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Jack Dolbin to send Denver to their first AFC Championship Game against the Raiders. They would win and lose to Dallas in the Super Bowl.

Terry Bradshaw turned the ball over 3 times, twice being picked off by Tom Jackson. (Now of ESPN fame) The local papers in Denver had described this game as the “Passing of the Torch” from the Steel Curtain to the Orange Crush! It was; if you don’t count Super Bowl victories and what happened the next year!

The box score: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197712240den.htm

Steelers 33 – Denver 10 @Pittsburgh 12/30/78

In a rematch of the 1977 showdown the Steelers unloaded and routed the Broncos. Franco Harris and John Stallworth, turned in recordbreaking performances to carry the Steelers into the AFC title game with a 33-10 rout of the Denver Broncos. Harris, a six-time 1,000-yard rusher, set an NFL record of 12 career playoff touchdowns by scoring on runs of one and 18 yards. Stallworth, set a then division playoff record with 10 receptions for 156 yards, Including a leaping 46-yard TD grab in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach.

Terry Bradshaw redeemed his poor play from the year before and lit up the Broncos for 272 yards!

“Terry Bradshuw was incredible. We knew if he got hot we’d be in trouble. And he got hot,” said Lyle Alzado, the Broncos Defensive End and Long Island Native said after the game.

* Side note the same day Woody Hayes was fired from Ohio State for punching a Clemson player!

The box score: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197812300pit.htm

Steelers 24 – Denver 17 @Denver 12/30/84

Six years to the day from their last playoff meeting the Steelers battled the Broncos again with a trip to the AFC championship on the line. The game plan was to run the ball and keep pressure on Future Hall of Famer John Elway. This was one of Chuck Noll’s greatest performances as a coach.  Frank Pollard rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns, and Walter Abercrombie added 75 yards. The Steeler defense sacked Elway four times and intercepted him twice, including safety Eric Williams’ 28-yard return that set up Pollard’s clinching score with 1:59 remaining to give the Steelers the victory!

The Steelers would move onto the AFC Championship but would get mowed down by Dan Marino and the Dolphins. This would mark the last Steelers playoff appearance for 5 years.

Box Score: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198412300den.htm

Denver 24 – Steelers 23 @Denver 1/7/90

In what was the most unlikely Steelers playoff team of all time, they started the season with two losses getting crushed 92-10! The Steelers met the Broncos, after a huge upset victory over the Houston Oilers and their big mouth, moron coach Jerry Glanville. Who for reasons no one could understand thought he was a better coach than Chuck Noll!

Steelers, who had a league-low 251-yard-per-game average in the regular season gained 404 against the Broncos, who allowed the league’s fewest points. Bubby Brister matched Elway pass for pass — he was 19 of 29 for 229 yards and threw a 9-yard TD to Louis Lipps. Elway was 12 of 20 for 226 and scrambled for 44 more and threw an interception. Merril Hoge put up 180 yards including a bruising 120 on the ground.

The game slipped away in the fourth when Elway took the Broncos 71 yards in nine plays, capped by Mel Bratton’s 1-yard g o-a h e a d touchdown. Any hope for a victory vanished when Bubby Brister bobbled a snap from backup center Chuck Lanza, (Who filled in for ONE PLAY) it was recovered on the Pittsburgh 18 by Denver defensive back Randy Robbins.

Brister for all his shortcomings was a fiery player and played this game with such heart. While the loss was rough, this defense was the beginning of the Cowher Dynasty.

Box Score: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199001070den.htm

Denver 29 – Steelers 23 @Denver  1/8/12

Tim Tebow’s first and only playoff win was a raucous affair as he scored the fastest victory in overtime history hitting Demaryius Thomas on an electrifying 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime stunning the Steelers and the football world. It was also the first time an overtime game was played with the new overtime rules. At the time Tebow was sort of a sideshow and a very polarizing figure, he would come down to earth the following week and would never rise to such heights again.

The Steelers were caught off guard and trailed 20-6 at halftime. They roared back, shut down the Broncos offense and tied the game on a Jerricho Cotchery touchdown with just under four minutes. They held the Broncos on the next series and it was off to overtime.

What this game will be remembered for as well on the Steelers side was this was the first game in which Ike Taylor started to come back to earth. He had a great season but absolutely had no answer for Thomas, he never seemed to recover after that. Forgotten Steeler Isaac Redman banged out over 100 yards and sort of moved at will, but in the end it wasn’t enough to beat Tim Tebow Magic!

Box Score: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201201080den.htm

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES:

Denver 24 – Steelers 21  @Pittsburgh 1/11/98

Winning his rubber match playoff game against the Steelers, John Elway threw two touchdown passes in the final minutes of the first half and the Broncos held off turnover-ridden Kordell Stewart 24-21 in the AFC championship game. Up to that point, no NFL quarterback had won more games or led more comebacks than the 37-year-old Elway. It was vindication for Elway who would win his first of two Super Bowls, by beating the heavily favored Green Bay Packers.

Kordell Stewart was awful and he was exposed in the game, he went 18-of-36 for 201 yards, with a TD but was responsible for all 4 of Pittsburgh’s turnovers. Yancey Thigpen had six catches for 92 yards. Jerome Bettis put up great numbers running the ball for 105 yards and a TD.

The Steelers lost the Championship game at home for the second time in four years. What I learned from these experiences, was that if you bring the better QB to the game, you have a good chance at winning. It isn’t always the case but it certainly plays out that way quite a bit. Elway was proof of that, it would also manifest itself the next time they would meet in the playoffs.

Box Score: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199801110pit.htm

Steelers 34 – Denver 17 @Denver 1/22/06

Coach Cowher received vindication as the Steelers, who previously upset the Colts the week before, marched into Denver and jumped the Broncos. Big Ben Roethlisberger, was a second year quarterback who played like a seasoned veteran, completing 21 of 29 passes and kept the Steelers going on six of seven crucial third-down situations in the first half. He also rushed for a touchdown that sealed the game in the fourth quarter!

This time the Steelers played with the better Quarterback and it rang true as Jake Plummer turned the ball over twice and never got going in the game. The Broncos were down 24-3 at the half and never recovered.

The Steelers became the first team since the 1985 Patriots to win three postseason road games en route to the Super Bowl. They beat the Seahawks of course and won their six title!

Box Score: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200601220den.htm

In a wild finish, the Steelers edged the Bengals 18-16 in one of the most physical games you will ever see. There was literally a body count by the end of the game. Despite dominating three quarters the Steelers needed a miracle to get the victory and a little help from the undisciplined Bengals.

A.J. McCarron marched the Bengals down the field and with just under two minutes left hit A.J. Green for the go ahead touchdown and put the Bengals up 16-15. The Steelers got the ball back with  all three timeouts and plenty of time to get down the field and win the game. The comeback at that point would have to be without Ben Roethlisberger, Vontaze Burfict sent Ben from the game with a shoulder injury earlier. It would be Landry Jones who would need to lead the drive…he didn’t. He turned the ball over to Burfict of all people who went crazy celebrating and the Bengals 24 year curse was over…or was it?

Burfict cast as the hero of the game would have been a tough pill to swallow. He wouldn’t be, Ryan Shazier saw to that. On the Bengals run out the clock drive, Jeremy Hill was stripped of the football by Shazier, who had the game of a lifetime and the Steelers had new life. Not only that but Ben Roethlisberger came back in playing with a bad shoulder. He marched the Steelers down the field including converting on fourth down.

Then for some reason Vontaze Burfict decided to try and kill Antonio Brown after he missed a pass way over his head. It was a 15 yard penalty and it got the Steelers within field goal range. Adam “Pacman” Jones committed another 15 Yard penalty and the Steelers were in business. Chris “Little Boz” Boswell kicked a 35 yard field goal to win the game!

In the end, the Steelers played the more disciplined game and outlasted the Bengals. They shut down the Bengals running game, they limited the Bengals to just 10 yards on eight carries and held them to 91 yards on 24 carries. Cam Heyward had a sack and Stephon Tuitt absolutely was a force. Jarvis Jones had a strip sack which yielded a field goal. Ryan Shazier was everywhere and absolutely saved the day. Bud Dupree had two tackles for a loss, and James Harrison finished off a sack after pressure from Lawrence Timmons. He also saved a first down.

The offense did what was needed and Fitz Toussaint and Jordan Todman played terrific games! Toussaint had 38 of his 54 yards before halftime, in addition to two catches for 43 yards. He almost broke another big run in the fourth, but was shoe string tackled by Mike Johnson. Todman had 35 yards on just six carries and looked terrific.

While the running back duo was great, The receivers buoyed the Steelers offense, Martavis Bryant made one of the greatest catches in playoff history. His acrobatic 10 Yard TD was the real difference in the game and he responded to Ben Roethlisberger’s challenge. He also ripped off a 44 yard end around! Antonio Brown put up 119 yards and a huge 60 yarder. Markus Wheaton had one of the 24 yard catches you will ever see.

Big Ben put on one of the most dramatic comebacks leading the winning drive with an injured shoulder. He also made two big throws in the second half — a 10-yard touchdown to Martavis Bryant and a 60-yard pass-and-run to Antonio Brown to set up their only touchdown.

As for Mike Tomlin, he put together a great game. The team played with intensity but was never out of control, and he managed the clock perfectly. There was also a never give up spirit on the sideline.

It is on to Denver!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Martavis Bryant and Ryan Shazier. Going with both. Shazier saved the day and Bryant answered the challenge of his teammates Both stood tall. Also considered: Ben Roethlisberger who led the comeback, Antonio Brown, who is Antonio Brown and of course Little Boz who his the game winner!

Where I watched the game: The greatest Steelers Bar in the world Irish Exit on 2nd Ave. KGB and I made the trip into Manhattan and watched with my buddy Bill Wilshire and two awesome people David and Janice who shared our table.

My Stat of the week: 34 Victories tied for the most in postseason history with the Dallas Cowboys.

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers will face a tough Broncos team and are on fumes right now. If no AB and No Ben no chance at winning. If both play well then BEER WE GO BABY!

The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns and received the help they needed in Buffalo! Allowing the Black and Gold to recapture the last seed of the NFL Playoff Tournament. As Coach Tomlin says, “style points don’t matter,” while the Steelers were not sharp they did enough to throttle the woeful Browns with a big fourth quarter.

It was the defense this week that stepped up and bailed a shaky offensive performance out.  After getting only one sack all week against the Ravens the Steelers dialed up the blitz packages and recorded seven sacks and several pressures. They also had four takeaways including the backbreaker, a James Harrison interception in the end zone, in the 3rd quarter. Will Allen was a playmaker all day, including a sack, and several passes defended. Stephon Tuitt registered two sacks and was nearly unstoppable.

The offense had an uneven day at best. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 349 yards and three Touchdowns, but he also had two terrible interceptions and has now thrown SIX over the last three games. He did turn it up when needed and connected with Darrius Heyward-Bey for a huge 66 yard gain. If DHB didn’t get tripped up he would have gone the distance. Antonio Brown torched the Browns in the first half and capped off  stellar season with 13 Catches for 187 yards and he finished the regular season with 136 catches.

The running game never got going and DeAngelo Williams was injured and may be unavailable Saturday. Fitz Toussant didn’t move the ball well either. The line just couldn’t push the line of scrimmage. The protection was great however and Ben never hit the floor and he held the ball for upwards of nine seconds several times.

Coach Tomlin needed a big win and he coaxed it out of a strong but very flawed team. The Steelers are on the way to Cincy! Meanwhile in Cleveland the Browns fired Mike Pettine I think halfway through the game. Look for Jimmy Haslin to steal one of Tomlin’s Coaches to start the rebuild or someone from New England. For all the heat Tomlin has gotten I think this is the best example of what a great Coach we have. BTW if I was Mike Pettine I would punch Johnny Manziel in the face! Just saying…

BEER WE GO STEELERS! BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Mike Tomlin, whose team won 10 games despite several key injuries and kept the Steelers in it. He has been criticized several times but for my money he is the best Coach in the league not name Bill Belichick. Also Considered: James Harrison, who played the whole game and had the biggest turnover of the day. Stephon Tuitt who was just a monster and of course AB who would most likely have a drinking problem by now from all the game beers he has won!

Where I watched the game: We stayed home again home with the “Tailgate Kids”, I was supposed to have cousins over but they cancelled last minute.  The beer of choice was Samuel Adams Cold Snap, which I am now 4-1 with. KGB had great snacks around the 3rd quarter and the Steelers turned the corner.

My Stat of the week: ZERO, the number of losses the Steelers have when they win the Turnover battle. They have not lost all season when on the plus side on turnovers.

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers get their wish and if you thought last time was “chippy”, wait until you see this week! It is going to be a fist fight of epic proportions. This is no walk in the park, so the Steelers need to be ready and they have to improve their play, because the last two weeks didn’t inspire confidence. I believe in betting on the man. Ben Roethlisberger is that man! I have full faith that he can deliver us in Cincy. We needed to get them in a gunfight.