Beer We Go Steelers

It was not pretty and at times it was downright painful but in the end the Steelers did enough in all three phases of the game to pull out victory, defeating the Browns 26-22 on Monday Night Football.

The Steelers’ defense was tough and physical all night, forcing four turnovers, including three fumbles and one interception. Alex Highsmith had a pick-six on the first play of the game, and T.J. Watt returned a fumble for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the eventual game winner. Larry Ogunjobi held down the middle and was dominant in the first half.

While the Browns rushed for 198 Yards a huge chunk of that was 69 yards on a busted running play, where Levi Wallace failed to contain. The secondary struggled with tackling but played well for the most part. They were willing to give up the short plays and had tight coverage. Joey Porter Jr. had his first Steelers moment ending the Browns last comeback attempt with tight albeit somewhat questionable defense.

The offense struggled to get going again, but they were able to make enough plays to win the game. Kenny Pickett struggles continued very similar to last week and his late season swag from last year, seems all but gone, with throws that were inaccurate when he was not running for his life.

Pickett did manage to throw for 222 yards and a touchdown, and Najee Harris rushed for 43 yards with little to no openings. George Pickens had four catches for 127 yards and one touchdown. Jaylen Warren chipped in with four catches and had 66 yards. The offensive line had a tough night in both protection and in run blocking. It looked as if they were playing on ice skates.

The Browns lost running back Nick Chubb, who suffered a left knee injury in the second quarter after getting drilled by Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick also left the game with an injury. Noted sex offender, Deshaun Watson threw for 235 yards and a touchdown, but he was out of sorts all night and made several key mistakes, including the pick six interception and two fumbles one of which resulted in the touchdown by Watt. He also was flagged for a face mask twice. It was a Browns self-destruction kind of night.

Pressley Harvin III finally delivered and hammered two punts that pinned the Browns inside the five. It was his best performance as a Steeler to date. Chris Boswell hit two long field goals 50 and 52, respectively. The coverage teams were solid, the return teams…not so much. Overall it was a very good night for the Special Teams unit.

As for the coaching, they are going to get roasted in the mainstream media this week. The Steelers problems though are more about execution than schemes. The offense is awful, and the play calling is lousy, but there were several missed opportunities that left points on the board where the Steelers could have executed starkly better. It will be a continued work in progress.

It was the usual hard hitting, physical AFC North and as Coach Tomlin says, they aren’t going to apologize for victory.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: T.J. Watt who scored the winning touchdown and broke James Harrison all-time Steelers sack record! Honorable Mention: This easily could have gone to Alex Highsmith, we went with history, but Highsmith absolutely had a huge game, forcing the fumble and starting the game with a pick six.

Beer of the Game: Went with Modello Chelada, KGB went with Yuengling…No strategy on these selections, cleaning out the summer beer fridge.

“Steel the Snacks”: We stole the Cleveland classic Corned Beef Sandwich and Pierogies, the corned beef was not cold cuts, it was an actual oven roasted corned beef that KGB made. It makes a huge difference! We had the not so Little Miss Tailgate and D-Man with us for the game.

My Stat of the week: With Monday’s victory Mike Tomlin now is 20-3 all-time on “Monday Night Football”. They have also won 21 straight “Monday Night Football” games at home.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers have the personnel and the ability to beat The Raiders, both teams sit at 1-1. Obviously, the offense needs to step it up, the performance on Monday night will not be enough to beat a dangerous Las Vegas team.

Jersey of the Week: Went with my first jersey that I ever purchased #36 Home, “The Bus” Jerome Bettis, while you can’t argue with results, I was hoping it would spur the running game!

The Steelers never got going and were easily handled by the 49ers 30-7.

It started with high hopes, and it finished with a crushing reality that maybe they are not as far along as they looked in preseason. The Steelers were dominated and defeated by the San Francisco 49ers Sunday at the home opener at Acrisure Stadium.

The Steelers offense struggled to get going against the 49ers. They were held to just 229 total yards and seven points. Kenny Pickett who dazzled in the preseason struggled to find his rhythm. He completed 31 of 46 passes for 232 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. His throws were inaccurate and off target most of the day.

The Steelers’ running game was also ineffective. Najee Harris rushed for just 31 yards on six carries. The offensive line had trouble opening up holes for Harris, and the 49ers defense was able to stuff the run at the line of scrimmage. The protection in passing downs held up especially against a tough 49ers’ pass rush but eventually succumbed. Pickett was sacked five times and pressured throughout the game. He was unable to get into a rhythm and make consistent throws.

The Steelers’ receivers also had a quiet day. Veteran Allen Robinson II led the team with five catches. The Steelers were unable to get any big plays in the passing game.

The defense had very few answers from the returning Brock Purdy. Brandon Aiyuk torched the secondary and found every possible hole in the zone coverage with 129 yards on eight catches. Every time Purdy needed to make a play, he hit it with Aiyuk. Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace had few if any answers to slow down the passing game.

The run defense was atrocious as well. The 49ers racked up 188 yards on the ground led by Christian McCaffrey who torched the Steelers front seven for 152 yards and a long of 65 yards that extinguished any flames of a comeback in the second half.

Cam Heyward and DeMarvin Leal went down with injuries and the 49ers took full advantage of it. In their absence there was next to no push up front and the Steelers struggled to set any point of attack.

T.J. Watt was the line bright spot, finishing with Three sacks and two forced fumbles. Anytime he had a one-on-one matchup he disrupted the game. Nothing else really stood out in what can only be described as an awful performance.

The special teams had the typical Steelers special teams performance. A few bright spots but mostly inconsistent and awful. Pressley Harvin once again had an uneven day punting, he hammered a 57 yarder but also laid an egg with a 34 yarder that gave the 49ers the ball at midfield. Even Christian Kuntz racked up a face mask penalty. Anthony McFarland had a nice day returning kicks and finish just over 90 yards.

The coaching staff needs to take some knocks here. This team was clearly not prepared and at no point did they make any adjustments. They were dominated from the opening whistle to the last and showed next to no life in recovering.

The fans were terrible too as in they clearly sold out, for the first time since I can remember the stadium sounded like a 49ers home came. The whole downstairs was littered with 49ers “Faithful”.

Throw in some key injuries to Diontae Johnson, Cam Heyward and the crew and this was just awful.

While it is way to early to panic, the loss was so severe and final, that it will be the talk of the media all week.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: T.J. Watt who tied James Harrison for the all-time Steelers record for total sacks! Honorable Mention: NO ONE, seriously couldn’t think of anyone, maybe Allen Robinson, but that is a stretch

Beer of the Game: Went with Yuengling Lager, one of my staples from college until now, from a great brewery. They could not summon the ghosts of the Pottsville Maroons to help the lagging Steelers. Great beer, but obviously won’t be back after that stinker.

“Steel the Snacks”: Awesome effort by KGB in her first time out this season. First she toughed it out and BBQ’d in the rain and finished in the house making Honey Siracha Chicken sliders and Garlic Fries from San Francisco. BTW only touchdown came when the snack came out. Watched the game with my Dad and son D-man. My Dad’s record is like 0 and hundred when we watch with him…he won’t be invited back.

My Stat of the week:  Been a rough write today, so must go with three sacks for T.J. Watt, which led to tying James Harrison at 80 ½ sacks. The Steelers are an infinitely better team when he is in the lineup. My sincere hope is that he will battle Cam all season trading the record back and forth.

My Thoughts on next week: Need a bounce back win against a Browns team that absolutely demolished the division rival Bengals. They look very tough right now.

Jersey of the Week: Went back to my basics, Mike Webster #52 Home. For several years this was always my kickoff jersey.

Your 2023 Steelers … as of now

With the second pick the Steelers selected Joey Porter Jr. CB, Penn State!

The Steelers traded up and grabbed

Broderick Jones OT Georgia!

More to come!

The Steelers season ended on a high note and left all fans crazing next year. As I start to put away my Steelers stuff until this summer, I did get a chance to watch some alumni play this weekend and also was able to see Hines Ward and Rod Woodson make their respective Head Coaching debuts.

The XFL has a special place in Steelers lure since Tommy Maddox, the first XFL, MVP, found his way on to the roster and then pushed an end to the Kordell Stewart era. Maddox produced his best season in the NFL and served as the bridge to Ben Roethlisberger and as one of Ben’s early mentors.

STEELERS CONNECTIONS ON 2023 XFL ROSTERS

Arlington Renegades
Co-OC Jonathan Hayes, Co-DC Jay Hayes, Co-DC Tim Lewis
DL Doug Costin (2022 training camp)
CB Shakur Brown (2021 training camp)
WR Tyler Vaughns (2021-22 training camp, practice squad)

D.C. Defenders
K Matthew McCrane (2018, one game)

Houston Roughnecks
RB Max Borghi (2022 training camp)
DB Sean Davis (2016-20, 64 games)
CB Alexander Myres (2019-20 training camp, practice squad)

Orlando Guardians
WR Eli Rogers (2016-19, 30 games)
ILB Tegray Scales (2019-21, two games)

San Antonio Brahmas
HC Hines Ward, LBC Joey Porter
RB Kalen Ballage (2021, 17 games)
TE Alizé Mack (2019, practice squad)
OLB Delontae Scott (2021-22, three games)
LS Rex Sunahara (2021-22, practice squad)
P Brad Wing (2014-15, 16 games)

Seattle Sea Dragons
HC Jim Haslett, DC Ron Zook
OLB Tuzar Skipper (2019, 2022 training camp)
DB Antoine Brooks (2020, four games)
CB Linden Stephens (2021-22, practice squad, training camp)
P Cameron Nizialek (2022 training camp)

St. Louis Battlehawks
OC Bruce Gradkowski
RB Mataeo Durant (2022 training camp)
LB Travis Feeney (2016 training camp, practice squad)

Vegas Vipers
HC Rod Woodson, WRC Ray Sherman, DBC Darren Perry
WR Martavis Bryant (2014-17, 36 games)
WR Mathew Sexton (2021 training camp)

Source: https://steelersnow.com/steelers-martavis-bryant-20-others-make-xfl-rosters/

It was a valiant try and there is a lot to build on…but the Steelers late season surge falls short of playoff contention.

Punishing defense, a strong running game and cautious passing was what the formula was supposed to be all season, and though it was only executed for half the season, the Steelers pummeled their oldest rival the Cleveland Browns 28-14 and turned what was a dismal season into the distinct feeling of hope.

The defense led the way registering seven sacks and picking off two Deshaun Watson passes. Cam Heyward anchored the defense and registered two sacks, Alex Highsmith chipped in with two and a half sacks and finished the season with 14.5 total. T.J. Watt had a half sack and one thing to note the defense plays noticeably better when he is in the lineup, even with him playing the entire second half banged up.

Larry Ogunjobi had a great day clogging the middle and registered a sack. Nick Chubb who torched the Steelers for 113 yards in the first meeting was held to 77 yards yesterday. The Browns finished with 171 yards in the first meeting and only 134 yesterday. Those numbers are deceiving because 44 of it came when Deshaun Watson was running for his life. The front seven did a good job stopping the run and attacking Watson.

When Watson was forced to go to the air he struggled and the secondary did a good job bottling the Browns up. Levi Wallace and Damontae Kazee both had interceptions. Watson was held to 173 yards passing with two touchdowns, one of which came after a VERY questionable personal foul call against Heyward.

It was an outstanding effort by the defense who held teams to under 20 points in 11 games this season.

The offense had an uneven day again. The good news is the running game finally looks like it is rock solid with Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris. They combined for 120 yards between them and with all the jet sweeps and inside handoffs, seven different players ran the ball and Derek Watt had his first rushing touchdown. Over all the Steelers combined for 148 yards on the ground. A tremendous performance. That starts up front with solid work by the offensive line who showed dramatic improvement in the second half of the season.

Kenny Pickett once again made the big throws when needed. His stats are mediocre but when the Steelers needed to make plays, he delivered. Pickett finished with 195 yards and a touchdown. He never forced anything and most importantly protected the football with no turnovers again. After his early struggles he seemed to settle into the role, and he looks like the future of the franchise.

The special teams were respectable yesterday, albeit with a few gaffes. Next to Pickett the most improved Steeler must be Pressley Harvin III, who became a bona fide weapon the last few weeks. He averaged 48 yards per kick and pinned the Browns down yesterday. Chris Boswell nailed his kicks hitting both his field goals including a 49-yarder. Steven Sims was scary on punt returns; he recovered his own fumble and the Browns did have a 35-yard kickoff return but for the most part they did well.

The coaching staff had a very solid game plan and they executed it. When things started going sideways, they kept the team on track and got them refocused and ready to play. Eventually they outlasted the Browns and sent them into the abyss. Coach Tomlin deserves a lot of credit for the turnaround, because despite the QB distraction and being a humiliating 2-6 they never gave up and stayed on track.

Losing to the Dolphins, the Jets and Patriots doomed the season, but despite that the Steelers were still in the hunt the last day of the year, surviving through adversity is the definition of good leadership.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Cam Heyward… who was absolutely dominant and in the Browns backfield all day. He also was absolutely hosed on a questionable call. Honorable Mention: Larry Ogunjobi who was Heyward’s counterpart dominating up front, also Dan Moore Jr. who contained Myles Garrett for most of the day.

Beer of the Game: Modello, Went back to the original case that I didn’t finish, as they say it captures the fighting spirit of Pittsburgh!

“Steel the Snacks”: We went with traditional “Pigs in a blanket” with spicy mustard. A solid no nonsense snack, nothing extravagant on the last week of play.

My Stat of the week:  Pretty simple one and you knew it was coming, Mike Tomlin who half the fanbase wants fired for some idiotic reason just completed his 16^th non-losing season. To put that in perspective Mike Tomlin matched George Halas for the 3rd-longest streak of seasons finishing over .500 or better by a head coach in NFL history with 16.

While 9-8 is mediocre, this team looked like an 8 or 9-win team at most and they did it, recovering from a disastrous start to go 7-2 down the stretch. It was a masterful coaching job for one of the NFL’s greatest coaches. He also now has 163 wins good for second in Franchise history and only 30 behind Chuck Noll.

Also considered for stat of the week, the Steelers manhandling Deshaun Foster for SEVEN sacks! How about the Steelers led the league in interceptions with 20! Both great stats to be proud of.

My Thoughts on next week: It is going to be a very long offseason, but one of hope. I can write this with 100% confidence, NO ONE wanted to see the Steelers in the first round. While this team is limited, they are dangerous, and they beat you up. Miami is going to get run down by whoever they get first after fading badly down the stretch.

Jersey of the Week: Jack Ham #59, Throwback, “The Bumble Bee” had to make sure this made an appearance. One thing I try and do during the season is wear a Steelers jersey to church. It reminds me of Pittsburgh, and I like to support the team. Two comments that were passed to me at mass on Sunday, “You look like you escaped prison,” and “Ham is what you eat for breakfast,” So had that going for me!

It was slow and plodding, violently physical and exciting at the end in the latest chapter of the Steelers versus Ravens, with the Steelers pulling out the victory 16-13.

Just a few short weeks ago, the Ravens pushed the Steelers around up front, this week the black and gold returned the favor, gashing a stout Raven’s defense for 198 monster yards up front. Najee Harris had his biggest game as a Steeler rushing for 111 yards and catching the game winning touchdown. His counterpart Jaylen Warren added 76 yards and looked like a bowling ball. It was power running at its finest as the Steelers offensive line demolished the Ravens all night up front.

Kenny Pickett’s box score will not look great, but anyone who has watched him can see his maturation process. For the second week in a row in a national game, Pickett delivered and delivered big. This time he led an 80-yard drive that was 11 plays and ate up just over three minutes. It resulted in the game winner. He still makes mistakes including tripping and inexplicably staying down and eating a sack, but it is clear he is improving. His total line is not pretty 15 for 27 for a paltry 168 yards, but he protected the ball and his moxy in the clutch came through.

While no one’s numbers were great, the receivers all made huge clutch catches when called up. Pat Freiermuth, Steve Sims and Jaylen Warren led the team with three catches each.

The defensive game plan was drawn up well and it was executed well. The Steelers used a much heavier run stopping front this time around and it worked. The Steelers nearly halved the Ravens production from three weeks ago, keeping the Ravens at 120 yards. They also kept J.K. Dobbins under 100 yards, which is no small feat. Mark Robinson, filling in for Myles Jack did very well and the comparisons to Vince Williams seem justified, he racked up seven tackles and played a very physical brand of defense. Robert Spillane has played well in his leading role.

The secondary kept everything in front of them and put together a solid effort against the Raven’s middle school offense. Mark Andrews had a big game racking up nine catches for 100 yards, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story, he was mostly held in check when they needed it. Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted the Ravens final gasp at getting back into the game.

The only touchdown the Ravens could muster was on an egregious call by the officials on Cam Heyward. Heyward was flagged for unnecessary roughness that gave the Ravens a new set of downs and brought them half the distance to the goal. It was clear in the video that Ronnie Stanley was the offender and pulled Heyward forward. Tyler Huntley connected with Isaiah Likely for the touchdown.

Special teams were once again the achilleas heel, Chris Boswell missed a 48-yard field goal, his eighth missed opportunity of the season. With battling injuries and elements, this season has been a struggle for him. The kick coverage unit nearly got torched for a touchdown by Justice Hill, leaving the Ravens with excellent field position. The defense bailed them out forcing a punt. The Steelers had two holding calls on two separate punt returns that were fair caught by Steven Sims. The lone bright spot was Pressley Harvin III continues to improve and he boomed two punts for 99 yards with one landing inside the 20.

The Steelers coaching staff needed to make adjustments from the game plan three weeks ago. They did it and had all the answers needed to salvage what once looked like an awful season.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Najee Harris… “ROCK TO THE NAJ” was in all its glory on Sunday Night football, Harris paced the running attack and caught the game winning drive. Honorable Mention: Kenny Pickett who once again delivered in a clutch performance.

Beer of the Game: Modello which is one of my favorite beers, NO Beer for KGB this week.

“Steel the Snacks”: Went with leftover mozzarella sticks that were mediocre at best. I made them after we had the traditional Italian meal of Cotechino Sausage and Lentils. Night games are tough on the snack front.

My Stat of the week:  Easy 198 blistering yards against a tough Raven’s defense. The Ravens were only allowing 87 yards per game, good for third in the league. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren dominated on the ground. Also considered Mike Tomlin has now leads John Harbaugh 17-15 all time.

My Thoughts on next week: I thought the game was going to get flexed, it didn’t. Expect the Browns to do everything in their power to send the Steelers home and this will mark serial rapist Deshaun Watson’s Browns debut against the Steelers. The playoffs are irrelevant without a big win here.

Jersey of the Week: Franco Harris #32, Salute to Service, stayed with our beloved running back who is sorely missed.

On a frigid Pittsburgh night every Steelers fan in Pittsburgh got an early Christmas present as the Steelers rallied and beat the Oakland….ahem Las Vegas Raiders 13-10 on a fourth quarter comeback. It was hard not to think about Franco Harris as the Steelers pulled off the win.

Kenny Pickett looked a little rusty and adversely affected by the weather and he struggled most of the night, but when it counted most, he orchestrated a 10 play, 76-yard drive that resulted in the winning touchdown. It was a performance that would have made Franco smile. Pickett finished the day with 244 yards passing, a touchdown and one interception. What was most impressive was watching his maturation and the moment did not seem too big for him.

George Pickens just makes plays, and he did not disappoint Saturday night. He had five catches including the winning touchdown grab. Pat Friermuth made two spectacular catches and led the team with seven total for 66 yards and Diontae Johnson quietly put together a masterful performance hauling in five catches for 64 yards. It was clear the Raiders intended to stop the run and the receiving group stepped up and made the plays.

The Steelers struggled to run the ball, averaging just under four yards a carry, but they gained enough yards to keep running the ball and that helped them keep the offense balanced. Najee Harris struggled early but turned it on in the fourth quarter. He led the team with 53 yards rushing and he had three big catches on the game winning drive. Jaylen Warren contributed 23 yards on the ground. The running play of the night was Connor Heyward taking a tight end inside handoff for 21 yards to seal the victory! Overall, the running game did not find much room to run, but did enough to help pull out the win.

While the offensive line struggled to open up running lanes, they did a very good job in protection not yielding a sack and Maxx Crosby was held mostly in check. He was credited with four qb hits, but was neutralized on the last drive of the game.

Like any great Steelers v. Raiders game, the defense set the tone. Cam Heyward had a monster day and absolutely set the point of the attack, slowing the Raiders rushing attack down and recording two sacks. The Raiders finished with only 58 yards on the ground with Josh Jacobs being held to a paltry 44 yards. Larry Ogunjobi had a nice game up front and had four tackles. Robert Spillane led the team in total tackles with 12 and did a nice job slowing down the run. Alex Highsmith added a sack!

After a lousy opening drive, the secondary stepped up and made some very big plays. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Arthur Maulet and Cam Sutton all had interceptions. All were timely, especially Sutton’s outstanding catch that ended the Raiders final drive. Damontae Kazee did a nice job filling in for Steelers ironman Terrell Edmunds. Derek Carr finished with only 174-yards, and he turned the ball over three times.

Special Teams had another uneven performance. Even Chris Boswell is not immune anymore, he missed two field goals albeit on a difficult night to kick. The punt and kick return teams were non-factors.  One bright note, Pressley Harvin III had a nice night averaging over 46 yards per punt.

It was an emotional night with treacherous weather conditions. The Steelers had a great defensive game plan and were able to execute it.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Cam “Steelhead” Heyward, who put on an absolute exhibition of Steelers toughness. He had two sacks, and completely led the team in shutting down the running game. Honorable Mention: Kenny Pickett who struggled most of the game but then rebounded nicely in leading the game winning drive.

Beer of the Game: Lighten Up by Long Island Farm Brewery, it is a local beer from where we live. On a side note, saw a person with a Primanti Brothers shirt and several Steelers fans when I picked it up.

“Steel the Snacks”: Christmas Eve was of course the Feast of the Seven Fishes, Italian style at my dad’s house, we needed to come home during half-time and it was fun listening to Bill Hillgrove and Craig Wolfley in the car on the ride home. We historically haven’t done well watching the game there so it was nice to pull out the win.

My Stat of the week:  Have to go with 13 points, the exact same number of points the Steelers scored on December 23, 1972. While the win wasn’t quite that dramatic, it was VERY important.

My Thoughts on next week: I find it funny that the Steelers were flexed out of primetime and now got flexed back into it. This time they will draw the Ravens. The Steelers let them off the hook last time, this time they need to close the show and bring home the victory.

Jersey of the Week: No Jersey this week again, went with my Steelers Cardigan and an Iron City Ugly Sweater.

This is usually one of the happiest day of the year for Steelers fans, a Steeler day of obligation if you will. On 12/23/72 the Same Old Steelers changed their fortune forever. Fifty years after the “Immaculate Reception” Franco Harris explained that it still “Blows His Mind” in an interview he had hours before his untimely passing.

Today though, it is hard not to feel a tremendous sense of sadness and loss about the untimely passing of Franco Harris. We dedicated this year’s shirt to Franco and the now famous (or infamous if you are from the West Coast) play. I feel blessed to have met all the men who played key roles in the famous play, oddly enough befriending the villain in our story Phil Villapiano!

Franco was kind enough to pose with a Beer We Go Shirt which he absolutely loved! (We never got a chance to give him this year’s)