Beer We Go Steelers

The Steelers out muscled the Seahawks in a win that was a testament to their resilience and opportunistic play and after three years of slumber the offense finally looks like it is waking up.

The coaching staff deserves a lot of credit here. Mike Tomlin clearly had an aggressive game plan, and it set the tone. The Steelers went for it on fourth down three times and converted twice. They didn’t shy away after missing on their first attempt. Tomlin stayed aggressive turning Mason Rudolph loose and his faith paid off. The defense is banged up right now and the offense has stepped up these last two weeks.

Mason Rudolph is making a major case to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2024 and it begs the question why he didn’t get a better and longer look until now. He has absolutely delivered and made some of the biggest throws of the season. It is not an understatement to say that he saved the season. Rudolph finished 18 for 24 for 274 yards with no touchdowns. He also did a great job on the sneak play, something that the Steelers have been missing for years.

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren absolutely hammered the Seahawks front seven and controlled the line of scrimmage. Harris had two touchdowns and could have scored a third. Warren plays so much bigger than he is and has been a tough performer all season, he had one touchdown on an 18-yard carry, he also pulled in four catches.

You do not run that well without a strong performance by the offensive line. Broderick Jones had a highlight day and was handing out pancakes all over the field. Behind the line the Steelers finished with 202 rushing yards, second only to the 205 yards they grinded out against the Packers game in Pittsburgh.

George Pickens had another big day, and his media troubles seem to be in the rearview mirror. He finished with seven catches for 131 yards including a highlight reel catch, a 34-yarder early in the fourth quarter, that will be on the NFL highlight reel this season. Diontae Johnson had four catches for 76 yards. Pat Freiermuth contributed with 44 receiving yards on three catches.

Nick Herbig had arguably the biggest play of the day getting his strip sack midway through the fourth quarter. That turnover gave the Steelers the ball deep in Seattle territory and let them build their lead to 10. Myles Jack once again had a very good day with eight tackles in the game filling in for an injured Elandon Roberts. Cam Heyward had a batted down pass and played well, setting the point of attack.

The secondary struggled but made plays when they needed to. Patrick Peterson did a nice job playing safety. Eric Rowe did a solid job and led the team in tackles with 10. He was a nice mid-season pickup. Joey Porter Jr. hung tough against DK Metcalf.

Chris Boswell made all three of his field goal attempts. He is now 28 for 30 on the season. Pressley Harvin III only had to punt once and he banged a 46-yarder inside the 20.

After a disastrous start of the month, the Steelers recovered and worked their way back to playoff contention.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Najee Harris AND Jaylen Warren who both absolutely stomped the Seahawks defense, for a whopping 197 yards between them. The best run though was the one Najee didn’t make, sliding before the goal line and sealing the victory. Also Considered: Mason Rudolph who has brought the offense back to life.

Beer of the Game: We went to an Irish Pub to watch the game and celebrate the ball dropping in Dublin. I had Guinness and KGB had Smithwicks. Both are our favorites.

“Steel the Snacks”: We didn’t steel the snacks this week again. We did go with wings, onion ring, appetizers, and corned beef sandwiches at the pub!

My Stat of the week: It is now 17 season that Mike Tomlin, has not had a losing season. The media downplays this and for whatever reason the fan base hates the stat, but there is something to be said about the fact that the Steelers are in contention the last week of the year with the number of injuries they are battling and the horrible start the offense had this season. ALSO, The Steelers have scored 30 points in back-to-back weeks for the first time this season and the first time since 2018 when they did it week 2 and 3.

My thoughts on next week: It is Raven’s week! Funny thing about this, the Ravens are in great shape after pulverizing two of the NFL’s best teams in consecutive weeks. They are likely to play only backups and that scares me more than if they went with their varsity. (I still hate Cody Carlson) Don’t think for one second that Baltimore wouldn’t love to send the Steelers home this week!

Jersey of the Week: Joey Porter #55, Away Jersey. I guess technically this is a throwback, but when I bought it, it was new. Chose this one in conjunction with D-Man wearing his Joey Porter Jr. jersey!

The Steelers led by Mason Rudolph won a must win game against the Cincinnati Bengals..

It was just short of a Christmas miracle, somehow the Steelers beat up the Bengals 34-11, dealing Cincinnati a serious blow to their playoff contention and putting up of their best offensive performance in several years!

With starter Kenny Pickett still sidelined due to injury and a wildly ineffective Mitch Trubisky on the bench, the Steelers looked to former backup and current third stringer Mason Rudolph. Who surprisingly thrived after waiting to get the start. He threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with George Pickens for both scores. Pickens finished with a stellar 195 yards and 2 touchdowns, firmly establishing himself as a rising star after a media storm surrounded him all week.

Najee Harris had a tough grind out game with 78 yards and a touchdown, accounting for a big piece of the 113 yards the Steelers garnered.

It was a dominant performance for the defense up front. The Bengals were held to just 59 yards on the ground and put Jake Browning on his heels most of the game. Browning finished with 335 yards, but he was picked off three times and sacked three times. Alex Highsmith had a sack and an interception; T.J. Watt had a sack and was all over Browning. He was held on nearly every play, that isn’t hyperbole either.  With Elandon Roberts going down again, Charlie Batch #16, 😊 check that Miles Jack stepped in and had a very strong game, considering two months ago he was on the couch!

The patchwork secondary hung in there and made plays. It was a solid professional game for Patrick Peterson who was forced into playing safety. He teamed up with Eric Rowe who also was on the practice squad and both had interceptions.

Chris Boswell, drilled both his field goal attempts including a 50-yarder. It was another Pressley Harvin inconsistent performance, continuing his maddening season.

The Steelers were decimated all week between the media and the injuries and the fact that they came roaring out and basically ended the Bengals season can’t be overlooked. Coach Tomlin deserves a lot of credit for not listening to the naysayers, sticking with George Pickens and getting the middle of the lineup defense ready with guys who were not even in the league two months ago.

The last few weeks have been frustrating, and to quote Tomlin, “They don’t seek comfort.” But name another team who lost their starting Quarterback, ALL of their middle linebackers to injury, two Hall of Fame talents for a long period of time, their other starting safety to a ridiculous suspension and were still in contention going into the last two weeks of the season.

That deserves our praise NOT our derision!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Mason Rudolph for a very strong performance. Great job by the in-game promotion staff who played “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” after the game! Also Considered: George Pickens who had a very hard week in the media but saved his best performance for Sunday! Najee Harris, who had a string bounce back game as well. How about Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt both with big performances.

Beer of the Game: Went with a local Long Island Beer, WHB Pumpkin Beer. Solid well-rounded beer and had to take it easy because of holiday obligations.

“Steel the Snacks”: We didn’t “Steel the Snacks” again, so no coney dogs and skyline chili this season, we did start cooking for Christmas Eve dinner and the Feast of the Seven Fishes!

My Stat of the week: Must go 290 yards and a 124 QB Rating for Mason Rudolph, the best by a Steelers QB this season! It was a terrific performance for a guy who had zero looks from other teams and patiently waited to get his chance in the starting lineup.

My thoughts on next week: VERY TOUGH game to win in Seattle. While the playoffs remain a long shot, there is so much to play for. The Steelers will need a herculean effort and these next two weeks will determine the long-term plan for the franchise. The mainstream media is obsessed with disrespecting the non-losing season streak for Coach Tomlin, but it is important, and the team knows that.

Jersey of the Week: Even though it was “Immaculate Reception” day, I went with a blank jersey with the Steelers helmet on the front. It was to try and break the bad mojo.

The Steelers are in an absolute free fall and the ’23 season seems all but over at this point. Losing to the Indianapolis Colts and getting absolutely blown of the field in the process, 30-13.

It was a nightmare performance for Mitch Trubisky, whose time in Pittsburgh looks like it is about to come to a harsh end. His inconsistencies continue to plague the offense. The off-balance interception in the fourth quarter exemplifies his decision-making concerns. Trubisky through for 169 yards a touchdown with two interceptions. The underwhelming stats also reflect his inability to consistently move the ball downfield.

After a mid-season renaissance the run game once again has gone AWOL. Najee Harris had one of his worst days in his Steelers career. His 3rd Quarter fumble all but sealed the Steelers fate in the game and he was unable to get any sort of consistent production. Harris finished with an underwhelming 33 yards. Jaylen Warren faired slightly better but was still mostly a non-factor. He had 40 yards on 10 carries.

The defense was playing with third and fifth string middle linebackers and neither Mykal Walker, nor Mark Robinson were able to stop touchdown passes in the middle of the field. The secondary lost Damontae Kazee and Minkah Fitzpatrick on consecutive plays. Kazee was thrown out of the game for a nasty uncalled for hit, and Fitzpatrick went out with a knee injury. That opened the flood gates for the Colts passing game and Gardner Minshew picked apart the patchwork secondary.

The special teams had an up and down day. Bordering on the spectacular and the absurd. Conor Heyward had a blocked punt that led to a Steelers touchdown. Chris Boswell missed an extra point and then was not allowed to come out and attempt a 57-yarder for some reason. Presley Harvin was inconsistent as usual.

What has happened to the Steelers? They are going in the wrong direction!

It was and awful game on so many levels.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Conor Heyward, who had his first blocked punt of his career. That’s how far we have fallen, that this warrants the game beer. Also Considered: T.J. Watt who proves every week what a force he is.

Beer of the Game: Stuck with Sam Adams Winter Lager. The beer was great again the game not so much!

“Steel the Snacks”: Had the week off because we headed to a Holiday party!

My Stat of the week: Absolutely sickens me. THIRTEEN STRAIGHT running plays and the Steelers just could not stop it. Absolutely awful! It was also the first time the Steelers have lost at Lucas Oil Stadium and it marked the 100th loss of Mike Tomlin’s career becoming the 10th head coach to lose 100 games with one team. (Chuck Noll is the other Steelers coach on the list)

My thoughts on next week: It is a toss up game. The Steelers played strong against the Bengals last time out in Cincinnati, but they are soft in the middle from the defensive line through the safety position, that plays to the Bengals strengths.

Jersey of the Week: Franco Harris #32, Fashion Jersey. Keeping with tradition and honoring the passing of a Steelers legend last year!

The Patriots got off to a fast start and then held on to beat the Steelers 21-18 in Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a frustrating 21-18 loss to the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football in Week 14, damaging their playoff hopes. A non-existent offense, a slow start and, allowing the Patriots to build an 11-point lead at halftime doomed the team. Despite a late rally in the fourth quarter, the Steelers were unable to overcome the deficit.

Offensive Struggles:

The Steelers’ offense continues to be a major concern. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw for 190 yards and a touchdown, but he also had an interception that the Patriots converted to seven points. The running game was ineffective and a non-factor, with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren combining for 40 yards. The offensive line struggled to protect Trubisky and created no running room.

Defensive Lapse in First Half:

The Steelers’ defense slept walk through the first half and were missing several key players. Alex Highsmith left with a concussion, and it looks like T.J. Watt played most of the game with a concussion. Mykal Walker was targeted all night and despite pulling down and interception, was no match for Hunter Henry in coverage.

The defense allowed Bailey Zappe, the Patriots’ rookie quarterback, to throw three touchdown passes and 240 yards. The defense tightened up in the second half, but it was too little too late.

The special teams had a good game after two tough weeks. Chris Boswell returned to form and drilled a 56-yarder, Miles Killebrew coming off his worst week as a Steeler blocked a punt that helped get the Steelers back into the game.

Despite all their struggles the Steelers put themselves in position to win the game, putting together a six play drive in waning moments of the fourth quarter, they were moving the ball, but then for whatever reason threw a low percentage pass to Diontae Johnson on 4^th and 2. The Patriots all but ran out the clock after that.

The loss to the Patriots dropped the Steelers’ record to 7-6 and put their playoff hopes in jeopardy.

On Saturday December 2, the Steelers had their playoff fate in their own hands and were banged up but ready to make a move on the Ravens, one week later they are now on their last legs and it looks like they are in a free fall.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: NO ONE!!! Also Considered: The special teams Miles Killebrew redeemed himself after last week’s debacle. Elandon Roberts played well despite having a groin injury.

Beer of the Game: We tried to “Steel” the beer as well. Went with one of my favorites is Sam Adams Winter Lager. The beer was great as usual, even if the game was not.

“Steel the Snacks”: We went with Boston Turkey Sliders and a side of Boston baked beans with brown bread. That was the lone bright spot of the night.

My Stat of the week: Where do you want to start? None are good; Mike Tomlin is now 3-10 v. Bill Belichick on his career. Coming into the game, the Patriots scored 13 points in their previous three games. They had 21 in two quarters. After rushing for over 100 yards in five consecutive the Steelers finished with a paltry 82 yards.

The Steelers are the first team over .500 in the history of the NFL to lose to TWO teams that were 2-10. Just an embarrassing statistic.

My thoughts on next week: The Steelers need a statement win against a game but reeling Colts Team, a victory will help keep the Steelers in a playoff spot and possibly quiet down a very contemptuous fan base, which has completely lost faith in Coach Tomlin.

Jersey of the Week: Franco Harris #32, BWG Steelers last season shirt. Went with a shirt instead of a jersey to help Franco a year after his passing. Trying to spend the month Honoring Franco Harris!

It was what has been called a “Tomlin Special” or in a more familiar parlance a “Trap Game”. No matter what it was called, it was an awful performance and one of the worst losses in the last twenty years.

The Steelers’ loss to the Cardinals was a frustrating one on so many levels including a Biblical rainstorm, numerous injuries, and worst of all a number of critical errors that cost them the game. Egregious mistakes included illegal formations, penalties, and poor special teams play. The loss was a reminder of the importance of focus and execution in the NFL, as even small mistakes can have a big impact on the outcome of a game.

One of the costliest mistakes of the game was Elandon Roberts’ personal foul on third down, which gave the Cardinals three points. Roberts also left with an injury and his absence was severely felt. This penalty extended the Cardinals’ drive and allowed them to score a field goal instead of punting the ball away. Joey Porter Jr.’s defensive pass interference penalty was another costly mistake, as it led to a Cardinals touchdown when the Cardinals would have kicked a field goal. These penalties were both critical moments in the game, and they ultimately helped the Cardinals win the game.

In addition to the penalties, the Steelers also made a number of other mistakes that contributed to their loss. The team had two illegal offensive formations, which gave the Cardinals five yards and a first down. The Steelers also had a timeout for being a player short in the huddle, which gave the Cardinals five yards and the ball. These mistakes were all a result of poor communication and execution, and they showed that the Steelers were not prepared for the game.

What happened to Miles Killebrew? Chipping in just a downright awful day. He racked up three penalties, two of which were personal foul penalties that cost over 30 yards in field position. Even Chris Boswell had an off day and missed a crucial kick after the weather interruption.

It was clear the Steelers did not have any sort of cognitive game plan and that falls on the coaches. This is a turn the page nightmare.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: NO ONE!!! Also Considered: We have never given this to an opposing player, but I was half tempted to give it James Conner who had a great game.

Beer of the Game: So trying to make up for last week, I alternated Yuengling and Modelo per quarter…did not work!

“Steel the Snacks”: We decided to go with steak sandwiches on garlic bread with fresh mozzarella. They were outstanding. We also had miniature cup of mash potatoes in a small cup with scallions. The snack deserved a better outcome.

My Stat of the week: The Cardinals have not won in Pittsburgh since 1969, when they played in St. Louis and before Three Rivers Stadium. The seven games of not giving up over 20 points is now over, to a team that has been last in almost every offensive category.

My thoughts on next week:  As in two days from the time you read this. I wrote last week the Cardinals made me nervous. The Patriots scare me to death. Bill Belichick has had the Steelers number for nearly 20 years. A big bounce back game will be a major boost to a sagging fan base.

Jersey of the Week: Dermontti Dawson #63, Throwback (1967) the Golden Triangle design by Ambassador Rooney, I have had HORRIBLE luck with any of my Dermontti jerseys despite that fact that he is arguably my favorite Steeler of all-time.

The Steelers defeated the Joe Burrow-less, declawed Cincinnati Bengals Sunday 16-10. Steelers Nation finally breathed a sigh of relief as the offense for the first time in nearly two years showed signs of life and cracked the elusive 400-yard total offense mark.

The Steelers outgained their opponent for the first time this season, led by Kenny Pickett throwing for 278 yards. He was 24-33 and looked significantly better than he has in previous weeks. The running game which has improved steadily over the last few weeks cranked out 153 yards on 33 carries, led by Najee Harris, who finished with 99 yards and the only touchdown for the Steelers.

Eight different receivers caught passes, led by the triumphant return of Pat Freiermuth who had NINE catches for 120 yards. He opened up the offense in the middle. George Pickens and Diontae Johnson combined for seven catches and 108 yards. It was a good showing for the passing game, just one week after Johnson’s meltdown on the sideline. Johnson was deprived of a touchdown on a lousy call by the referees.

The defense has started to find its’ identity and the hammered the Bengals up front all day. Cincinnati could only muster 25 yards on the ground and the Steelers sacked Jake Browning four times. Two by T.J. Watt, one by Cam Heyward and one by Nick Herbig.

Browning finished with 227 yards, but those numbers are deceiving because he had a few lucky bounces go his way to Ja’Marr Chase. Trenton Thompson deserves a lot of credit for his play in Minkah Fitzpatrick’s absence, he just missed a pick last week and grabbed one against the Bengals. It was a red zone turnover and the Steelers capitalized and led to the go ahead score!

As the offense has begun to get better, the special teams have begun to regress. So as per usual, Chris Boswell kicked three field goals and has had a tremendous season so far, however he had a gaffe on the kickoff that led to the only Bengals touchdown. Pressley Harvin III was uneven again with four punts, two resulting in touchbacks. The punt return team is just awful, they couldn’t get out of their own way and a Mark Robinson holding call diminished a solid defensive effort.

It would have been easy to put the “work in progress” sign up and make excuses. The Steelers didn’t do that, and the coaching staff deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the effort put forth Sunday. It as if a weight has been lifted.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: MUUUUUTH, the numbers tell the story. He had a monster day and opened up the offense. Also Considered: Trenton Thompson, whose interception turned the game around. Mike Sullivan for calling a heck of a game and getting Kenny Pickett back on track.

Beer of the Game: NO BEER, yup that is right, we had to attend a wake for a family member. We watched the first quarter at home, we listened to the second quarter in the car, (KGB found the Steelers broadcast and we got to hear Bill Hillgrove and Wolf) watched the end on the CBS app in the Funeral Parlor.

“Steel the Snacks”: We had planned on Coney’s hot dog with skyline chili. Of course, that was thwarted.

My Stat of the week: The Steelers banged out 421 total yards, it was the first time since September 20, 2020, against the Denver Broncos. The Steelers never cracked 400 yards in Matt Canada’s entire tenure. It was the first in season coaching dismissal since 1941! Also consider this stat too; over seven games, despite missing some combination of two of their best players (Fitzpatrick, Heyward) and one very good contributor (Adams) in some capacity or another the Steelers have held their opponents to less than 20 points.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers are of course in the classic trap game again, this time it is the 2-10, Arizona Cardinals. James Conner comes home to Pittsburgh and will give the Steelers trouble, even though the Patriots are on their last legs, they still are the Steelers boogeyman, and it is a Thursday Night Football game so both these games scare me!

Jersey of the Week: Heath Miller #83, Black Out Jersey, one of my favorites, and representing the TE outburst by Pat Freiermuth Sunday!

Official Release

It was a hard-fought old fashion AFC North fist fight with Cleveland getting the upper hand in the final minute. The clock struck midnight as the Steelers “magic” finally ran out Sunday, dropping a tough loss to the Cleveland Browns 13-10. The loss puts the Steelers playoff hopes in jeopardy and further calls the offensive play calling into question.

The superlatives for lousy will be on full display this week in talking about how bad this offense is. It is a combination of so many factors. The offensive line’s protection was downright frightening. Kenny Pickett almost was decapitated by Myles Garret on the first play from scrimmage that should have been a safety. The refs missed the call and the Steelers benefitted from the Browns not challenging. Pickett had no time to pass and when he did pass, he missed wide open receivers or was completely inaccurate.

His field vision is awful right now and his stat line reflects that, finishing with just 106 yards and completing only 15 passes. The Browns defense deserves some of the credit, but his play was awful at best. The running game was okay and despite a somewhat gaudy stat line was not that effective. The Steelers finished with 172 yards but gained 74 of it on a busted run play that Jaylen Warren put together. Najee Harris grinded but didn’t find much room to run. The receivers were non-existent in the game with George Pickens roping in only four catches to lead the team.

The play calling was horrendous especially on the last drive. For whatever reason the Steelers opted for three pass plays on what would have been the go ahead drive. Pickett missed wildly and they took a paltry 14 second off the clock. It was inexplicable why they didn’t try and run or do anything remotely close to a safer pass option.

The defense had a solid effort despite playing with a patchwork secondary. The Browns found very little room to run after the first half and finished under 100 yards. Elandon Roberts led the way with a great effort and the team plays fundamentally better with Cam Heyward in the middle. The pass rush was mostly non-existent, part of that was based on the Browns not wanting rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to make a mistake so everything was quick passes and they tried to run. T.J. Watt had the only sack of the day. Chandon Sullivan had an interception.

The special teams is basically the same story every week, although Calvin Austin III looked good on returns. Pressley Harvin III was inconsistent, he punted NINE times and had a few stinkers including a 20-yarder and Chris Boswell drilled his only opportunity a “pedestrian” 28-yarder by his standards. The coverage was leaky but tolerable.

The refs are just downright bad and once again were too involved in the outcome of the game. First and foremost, they missed a clear safety to the Steelers benefit, then overturned a questionable call on the Browns only touchdown. It wasn’t a great day for the officiating crew.

At what point does the Matt Canada experiment come to an end. The offense has tools and playmakers, but the play calling is suspect and predictable. This will be a classic overreaction week in Pittsburgh!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Jaylen Warren, who absolutely delivered with 129 yards on the ground and the longest play of the season. Also Considered: Elandon Roberts who led the team in tackles with 15 while also playing special teams.

Beer of the Game: Yuengling Oktoberfest for KGB and myself, we do not often drink the same beer. The beer was awesome, but Yuengling has been struggling this season.

“Steel the Snacks”: KGB went with a Cleveland staple with a New York twist, Corned Beef Sliders on Pretzel Rolls and Pierogies fried. They came out just as Warren broke his big run.

My Stat of the week: Choosing to stay positive here. The Steelers once again won the turnover battle but what is the biggest thing of note, they have now held their last six opponents to 20 points or less. The defense didn’t have gaudy numbers but that is why the Steelers have a winning record, with this horrendous offense.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers stay in the division and battle the Burrow-less Bengals. This will be a bounce back week and look for the Steelers to dominate up front and pull out a squeaker.

Jersey of the Week: Franco Harris #32, Salute to Service, had to switch weeks, normally I would have worn this last weekend because of Veterans Day, but had to go with my gamer. So switched weeks.

This year’s road to our annual family Pittsburgh home game journey started back over the summer months.  Our son D-man was starting his senior year of high school and his final year on the varsity football team for our hometown. As all football parents know, that means an all-encompassing schedule of practices, games, fundraisers, and all the other exciting things that come with having a varsity football player in the family.

To rewind a bit, our home game of choice usually falls on or around the Veterans Day weekend, which luckily follows the end of the school’s football schedule (sans playoffs) leaving us free to set out for our trip.  This year, a new coach brought new life to our team and playoff hopes were alive from day one.  As the wins stacked up for the team, it looked as though our family Pittsburgh trip was going to need to be either rescheduled, or cancelled for this year, as we would be cheering on the sideline for D.

I’m a planner, so tickets are usually my department, and I try to have us set up a month or so in advance. This year, it was going to come down to the wire with playoffs, so tickets were on hold until we knew for sure. Well… less than a week before our scheduled weekend our home season came to an end and BWG and I were scrambling for tickets… not just any tickets… but fantastic seats, to congratulate D-man on his own awesome season.

My fallback plan is always our corporate seats at Acrisure but since the Packers game was in such demand, even our overflow seats outside the corporate box were already scooped up.   The scramble was on…  and we eventually settled on seats on the river side, pricey but, hey… it is the Steelers.

Our norm is to try to get to the field as early as possible so that we get to see the player warmups on the field and talk about all the things that “civilian football coaches” talk about before a game.  It is fun to watch BWG, LMT (not so “Little Miss Tailgate” now) and D-man go through the gameplan as if Mike Tomlin was relying on their feedback for the game.

Our seats were PERFECT for this.  We were right there for some of the best plays of the game and had an up-close of that final play that had us all sitting on the edge of our seat.

Sometimes, even though the road is winding…things just work out the way they were meant to.

Another successful Pittsburgh trip on our scorecard!

The Steelers offense continued to show signs of life if only for a moment and the defense struggled but delivered the clutch plays needed to beat the Green Bay Packers, Sunday 23-19!

The running game made a second week appearance and grinded out a mammoth 205 yards on the ground led by the tandem of Jaylen Warren, who cracked 100 yards and Najee Harris who had 82 yards on the ground. It was a big performance and helped cement the Steelers win. Kenny Pickett and Calvin Austin III combined for the other twenty yards.

Kenny Pickett’s numbers were not impressive again, but once again he finds ways to make the big plays, this time scrambling for 11 and converting a first down with less than three minutes in the game. He also made what should have been the game winning pass to George Pickens for 28 yards, that was negated by a ridiculous offensive pass interference call on Calvin Austin. The play gave Green Bay another attempt at winning the game adding insult to injury the officiating crew mangled the clock.

Pickett finished with a paltry 126 yards with no touchdowns. George Pickens led the team with three catches and 45 yards, Connor Heyward and Najee Harris also had three catches. Diontae Johnson was held in check with one.

The defense had a strange game and despite keeping yet another team under 20 points, they seemed to be playing on their heels all day. The pass rush was non-existent, and they finished with one sack, registered by T.J. Watt.

They also gave up 116 yards on the ground although 40 of it was on a busted play run by A.J. Dillon. Keanu Benton continued to emerge as a superstar, he had six tackles and a pass defended. Elandon Roberts was forced into action and did a terrific job filling in for Kwon Alexander who looks to be lost for the season.

Jordan Love put up 289 yards and two touchdowns. There were several miscommunications out there that nearly cost the Steelers the game. Including a ridiculous third and 15 for a touchdown play, given up by Levi Wallace and Keanu Neal. They also surrendered a 49-yard pass that got the Packers right back into the game at the end on the final drive making up more than half the yards they needed.

However, as usual the team came through in the “weighty moments” as Coach Tomlin explains every week. They took the ball away two times with two interceptions the first by Keanu Neal who had an assist from Patrick Peterson. Peterson did a good job breaking up the play. Neal ran out of the endzone and got erased sending him from the game for his troubles. The second was Damontae Kazee who had the game sealing interception.

The special teams also had an up and down day. Chris Boswell is a bona-fide star and any question about his bouncing back from a subpar last season should now be answered, he was three for three with a long boot of 49-yards. Patrick Peterson made what would turn out to be the biggest play of the game with a huge blocked extra point that the Packers had to chase all day. Pressley Harvin III had a workman like day with five punts three of which were inside the 20. The downside was the return games were non-existent and the coverage units had their worst day of the season, including surrendering a 49-yard return by Keisean Nixon that setup the first field goal of the half for the Packers.

It is never pretty but the Steelers are well coached and winning, they are poised in tough situations and that seems to translate right now to victory.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Using editors’ prerogative again this week and picking TWO! Patrick Peterson has struggled for a lot of the season, but he has delivered in clutch moments, he caused the first Jordan Love turnover, which was right in front of us and his blocked extra point was arguably the biggest play of the game. How about Jaylen Warren rushing for over 100 yards, the first 100-yard rusher of the season! Also Considered: Elandon Roberts who stepped up big time, Najee Harris, who also grounded and pounded and Damontae Kazee for the game sealing interception.

Beer of the Game: This is a complicated question believe it or not and has many answers, for the Tailgate, we had IC Light with some of the original Beer We Go crew and IC Mango Light for KGB and Little Miss Tailgate. In the game I went with Miller Lite and Blue Moon. KGB and Little Miss Tailgate had Leinenkugel Peach.

“Steel the Snacks”: We were at the game this week, so no steel the snacks, we had Atomic Rolls from Sunseri down the strip at the tailgate. We had Caliente Pizza in our section which was outstanding, not hyperbole, absolutely delicious. We also had a bag of Cajun style peanuts.

My Stat of the week: The Steelers have been outgained in EVERY game this season but somehow sit at 6-3. It is the ability to protect the football and take it away that has led to this unusual stat…speaking of that, Pickett had zero turnovers for the fifth consecutive game, the Steelers are 4-1 when he doesn’t turn the ball over.

My Thoughts on next week: This is a tough, tough game, the Steelers need to get started much earlier and maintain momentum, a victory here will put the Browns on their back for the rest of the season. The Steelers cannot let Cleveland get out ahead or they will not be able to catch up.

Jersey of the Week: Joe Greene, #75 Home Black, it was alumni weekend, and I went with the greatest Steeler of them all. This is my gamer and has been forever!

KGB and Little Miss Tailgate will be posting later this week stay tuned!