Beer We Go Steelers

When I first heard about the passing of Chuck Noll, it felt like a loss of a family patriarch. I will be the first to admit that my understanding of how great Chuck Noll was as a coach came from reading and research more than first hand experience. The coaching resume speaks for itself; First Ballot Hall of Famer, Four Super Bowl Championships, .566 Winning percentage a great “Coaching Tree”. But that doesn’t even remotely tell the story of what Coach Noll meant to the Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh.

As a quiet dignified man, he never believed in self promotion and was quick to deflect to the players when they succeeded. His complicated relationship with Terry Bradshaw and prickly relationship with the press has hurt him in the “all-time” coaches discussion. That isn’t something that I think ever bothered him. I wrote once before, “He knew he was smarter than you were, he just didn’t care if you knew it.”

Much like the designation of BC in the Julian calendar, the Steelers have a BC as well; Before Chuck, when they wandered in the wilderness for over 30+ years, as footballs laughing stock. The Steelers Won 156 games, lost 240 and tied 18. Coach Noll, showed up, first he changed the culture, then he built a winner, then a Dynasty, and eventually a foundation that the entire Steelers organization is built on to this day.

“The Standard is the Standard,” is the common theme from Coach Tomlin. Chuck Noll established that standard. They weren’t the same old Steelers anymore. Since that day he showed up as coach, the Steelers have won 413 games, lost 279 and tied 2. While the Rooney family are the most important people in Steeler history, Coach Noll is a very close second.

What is lost on a generations of fans is that his Coaching legend was so much more than just the 1970 Steelers, while his 80’s teams didn’t win the Super Bowl, he did some of his best coaching. He churned out six winning teams with a crumbling dynasty, thin talent and a limited budget. In 1989 coming off one of the worst seasons he ever had as a coach, he started the season 0-2 while getting blown out in both games. Noll never lost composure and led the Steelers to the playoffs, with a huge upset win over division rival Houston and their big mouth coach Jerry Glanville (Who was fired because of the loss) and they came within a few plays of pulling the upset against the eventual AFC Champion Broncos. Of the final two playoff games that Noll lost, the QB matchups were Dan Marino v. Mark Malone and John Elway v. Bubby Brister. Of the final two that he won, it was Mark Malone beating Hall Of Famer John Elway and Bubby Brister besting Hall of Famer Warren Moon, that should sum up great coaching.

His final seasons as Steelers coach laid the foundation that Coach Cowher’s early success was built on. He coached, Dermonti Dawson, Greg Lloyd, Rod Woodson, Carnell Lake, Hardy Nickerson, John Jackson, Jerry Olsavsky, DJ Johnson, Justin Strzelczyk, Barry Foster and Neil O’Donnell.

What he didn’t realize was, he did his life’s work and it’s impact is felt long after the glow of Super Bowl success had begun to fade and the city of Pittsburgh has been better for it ever since.

My prayers are with his family and all of Steelers Nation!

GOD BLESS CHUCK NOLL!!!

They concur with my writing:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000358914/article/chuck-nolls-best-coaching-job-came-with-89-pittsburgh-steelers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-RMEPgCk6U

From the Associated Press; Quotes about Coach Noll

Quotes about former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll, who died Friday at 82.

“He was a tough coach to me, and I spent more time with him than anybody, so I know. I learned how to be mentally tough with him, and for that I can never say thank you enough, because that got me through divorces, Super Bowls, and those times when I had bad moments in big games. He made me mentally strong, which I wasn’t. And he instilled in me a great work ethic.” —  Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw.

“Instead, he says: “Gentlemen, welcome to the NFL, you are now being paid to play, football is your profession. But I can tell you it is not your life. You can’t let it be. Part of my job is to help you find your life’s work.’

“That is the kind of things that stuck with me about Chuck.”  —  Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy.

“He never won Coach of the Year until 1989, but he didn’t care about those things. He did what he felt was right, and it carried over obviously to the football team. Chuck Noll was a coach who always was concerned with the basics of the sport. He always used to say, ‘This game is blocking and tackling,’ and to him that was playing the game the way it should be played.”  —  Steelers owner Dan Rooney.

“Chuck was just the ultimate leader. He had truth and belief in what he was saying, and over time all of those things he said were validated, the things about winning football games and being a solid citizen.”  —  Hall of Fame defensive tackle Joe Greene.

“He was a father figure, with me being a young African-American growing up in the South and losing my father early in my college career. My father died during my freshman year of college. Just being young and immature, Chuck was a stabilizer; he was a stabilizing figure in my life. He was a great mentor and a great leader. He was special.”  —  Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount.

“He’s the one who turned the thing around. I played for a bunch of coaches, three or four coaches. You could tell it was going nowhere until he came. And you knew he had a plan. He knew what he wanted to do. He had the respect of all the players. A lot of times guys go around and make remarks about coaches and things like that, just kidding around. But nobody ever kidded around. They had the greatest respect for Chuck.”  —  Former Steelers running back and assistant coach Dick Hoak.

Big Ben Praises Coach Noll:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/146aa31cd744a1a8

Here is my complete Analysis of the 2014 NFL Draft and Undrafted Free Agent Signings:

Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State:  Grade B-

BWG TAKE: Despite a glaring need for a Cornerback and Darqueze Dennard still on the board, the Steelers selected Shazier, who was a 4-3 OLB for Ohio State. His physical attributes are unquestionable and he gives the Steelers a dimension that they currently don’t have, especially if the plan is to move him inside and pair him up with Timmons. So why the B-, not sure what the thought process was in selecting what I would consider a “luxury pick” when we had a glaring hole, with a player who could fill in on the board. My guess is that Worilds will be out after this year or Sean Spence is not going to be ready to play. Either way I would have preferred we drafted a cornerback.

Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame: A

BWG Take: Tuitt was a pleasant surprise to me. He is an absolute monster, and a natural 5-technique defensive end. I had Louis Nix DT, Tuitt’s teammate in this spot. This is a much better pick and paired with Steelhead Heyward, will be a huge force to be reckoned with. This also means McLendon may get another shot at DT and Cam Thomas will be the penciled in starter.

Dri Archer, RB, Kent State: D-

BWG Take: I can just copy the attributes from the Shazier pick, super fast guy and should be the change of pace back that Chris Rainey wasn’t. He is an absolute playmaker and a threat to score when he touches the ball. He makes the offense younger and better. So why the F Grade, if Shazier was a “luxury pick” I don’t even know what to call Archer. While he will be fun to have, we needed a Defensive Back and we drafted a running back. Pierre Desir was still on the board and would have been a very good addition. To add insult to injury the Browns snatched Desir.

Martavis Bryant,  WR, Clemson: Grade B+

BWG Take: Since there was a run on Cornerbacks this was the best pick available for the Steeler’s needs. After years of Big Ben clamoring for a “tall” receiver the Steelers hit a potential HR with the pick of Bryant. He is a great receiver with tremendous catch radius and he will provide a very credible threat in the Red Zone. Given where the Steelers were on the board this was a good pick and addressed a need.

Shaquille Richardson, CB, Arizona: Grade C

BWG Take: The Steelers finally drafted the much needed cornerback. This would be a great pick if the Steelers drafted Dennard or Desir and were going to use Richardson as a project player. He has the physical attributes and looks the part of an NFL starter. More often than not according to scouting reports he doesn’t play to his size an speed. I trust the Steelers coaching staff to fix that. If that is the case, this goes from being a C pick to an A pick, but again we needed more than Richardson if we wanted impact in 2014.

Wesley Johnson, OT, Vanderbilt: Grade B+

BWG Take: Who is this year’s Kelvin Beachum, a good bet is on Wesley Johnson. Johnson has the experience, the tools and the attitude. Johnson started and astounding 51 Games in the SEC and was solid in his starts. He has the ability to play Guard or Center as well and gives the Steelers solid depth. This was a great pick and a tremendous value for the team.

Jordan Zumwalt, LB, UCLA: Grade F

BWG Take: If you have made it this far reading this, the theme has been we needed a CB. So when drafting in the Sixth round and you need a project player, lets grab what we need, so the Steelers drafted…you guessed it an Inside Linebacker. That isn’t a typo, despite having one of the best ILB in football (Timmons), having a very serviceable ILB in Vince Williams, despite having Sean Spence and spending our first round pick on what most likely will be an ILB, we drafted an ILB. We basically got a smaller slower version of Vince Williams. ANY OTHER PICK, would have made sense here, even a QB would have been less puzzling than this. The only reason this wasn’t a complete disaster is because of the next pick.

Daniel McCullers, DT, Tennessee: Grade A+

BWG Take: This was probably my favorite pick of the draft. At 6′ 7″ and 352 Lbs(BTW I need to borrow that scale) this has the potential to be a huge impact for the Steelers both figuratively and literally. I figured after the Zuwalt debacle McCullers would be gone, we were pleasantly surprised to see him there. While he certainly will be a project player he just eats up offensive lineman and will definitely have the ability to push McClendon to the outside. The best quote about this pick, “The Steelers made the Earth move with sixth round pick”, NUFF SAID.

Rob Blanchflower, TE, UMass: Grade C

BWG Take: Blanchflower’s Sr. year was wiped out by injuries and he could potentially be a value pick. The Steelers are thin at TE and Blanchflower is a smart play in this spot. He certainly is worth a look. Selfishly, I don’t want to type his name every week in the blog so I might root for someone else to make the team, or he needs a nickname.

Free Agents:

Devon Carrington,  S, Stanford: He looks like a practice squad candidate, has nice physical attributes, but lacks technique.

Howard Jones, OLB, Shepherd: Very exciting prospect and if he played at a bigger college he would have been drafted. He has great athleticism with a shot to make the roster or the practice squad at the very least.

Josh Mauro, DE, Stanford: He plays with tremendous leverage and power. He might me a little small to play defensive end in the 3-4 but he has the ability and football acumen. He certainly has the frame to get bigger and stronger, if he does this could be a real find.

Ethan Hemer, DE, Wisconsin: Love this pick and love this kid. He was a walk on at Wisconsin and he played his way to be signed in the NFL. Hemer is a tall, tough, athletic 5-technique end. At 291 pounds and his attitude, he could come in and contribute right away.

Eric Waters, TE, Missouri: The Steelers are thin at TE after Heath so Waters has a shot.

Will Simmons, G, East Carolina: Has the physical ability and the nasty demeanor to make this team. He is a very interesting prospect and has the best chance of this group to make the squad. Very strong and could be the steal of the day!

Roy Philon, DT,  Louisville: He looks a little small to play DT in a 3-4 defense. Probably better projects to being a 3-4 point of attack end. The Steelers do well with undrafted lineman so he has a shot.

Brendon Kay, QB,  Cincinnati: Kay is a gifted athletic prospect with very interesting QB skills, He will at the very least will be a camp body. He has the potential to push Landry Jones and Bruce Gradkowski for the last QB spot on the roster.

Kaycee Ike, OT, UAB: He projects to be more of a guard and has some nice athletic upside. The Steelers are not afraid to keep undrafted OL who have versatility so he has a long shot.

Chris Elkins, OL, Youngstown State: He seems to be facing the toughest odds of making the squad. The plus is he plays Center and Guard the down side is he has trouble with the bigger defensive players and gets clobbered.

The Steelers sign Ten Undrafted Free Agents, several of which look to have a chance to make the 53-man Roster.

The Steelers had several needs in this years draft…and didn’t really focus on any of them.  This has to be the most puzzling draft the Steelers have had in 20+ years. Despite several “need” picks being available, they grabbed who they felt was the best on the board and who could help immediately.

We will have complete coverage tomorrow.

Here is the complete Steelers draft board:

The Steelers stunned everyone with their first pick Thursday night at the draft. Despite glaring needs at Defensive Back and Defensive Line the Steelers chose who they considered the best on the board, Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier. Pos: ILB * Ht: 6-1 * Wt: 237. He will most likely play inside linebacker with Steelers. He has outstanding speed (4.35 in the 40) and  his playmaking abilities are the biggest reasons the Steelers drafted him.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/05/09/DAY-1-STEELERS-2014-DRAFT-CLASS-RD-1-PICK-15/stories/201405090138

The Black and Gold have nine selections in the 79th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The NFL Draft 2014 is finally here. It seems like the NFL season ended two years ago.

The Steelers have two very glaring needs, Cornerback and Defensive line. The Steelers must grab a shut down corner and defensive line help, that has to be goal number 1 in the draft.  They also need help/depth at Linebacker and Wide Receiver.

Alright Beer We Go Nation It is great to be back!

Here are your quick hits for April 23, 2014

-The NFL draft is just about two weeks away and there are several rumors flying around.

-My take is the Steelers HAVE to improve the defensive backfield first. This has to be the number one priority. Grab a Cornerback in Round 1 and grab a project safety and another Cornerback later in the rounds.

-Grab D-line help in round two and O-line help in round three.

-…And in the vain of being obvious…if a great linebacker falls to us grab him. (Expert idea’s like that is  why they pay me to write this blog!!!)

-Free Agent Defections:

Jonathon Dwyer, RB: The coaches have had next to no confidence in him since he has been here. So this wasn’t a shock, I personally thought he was worth another look as the backup but it is hard to lament over this one especially when you skip to the bottom and look at the free agent signings.

Ziggy Hood, DE: I thought this was a mistake but at the price tag he was getting it is again hard to fault the team. He never really lived up to his 1st Round grade, and he seemed to be miscast as a hold the point defensive end. Despite some flashes of brilliance, it just didn’t work out. This basically KILLED the 2009 draft now and he will be considered Colbert’s worst first round pick.

David Johnson, TE: One of my favorite guys on the roster but in the immortal words of Barry Foster; “You can’t make the club, sitting in the tub.” He was constantly injured.

Felix Jones, RB: Only reason I am sad about this, is I took an AWESOME photo of him at the Jets game that I had to take down in my office.

Manny Sanders, WR: Was completely over paid by the Broncos. I liked him and he was a good contributor but we couldn’t pay him what he received. On a personal note I hated typing his actual first name, so another bonus.

LaMarr Woodley, OLB: The MMP jersey curse continues, has been a disappointment the last few years and see Barry Foster note above! Had to happen! I do think he has great football still left in him, maybe a change of scenery will help him.

Al Woods, DE: While he was only a backup, this was by far the worse loss of the off season. I am not sure what happened here and he was someone we should have kept! Big Mistake!

Ryan Clark, S: One of my favorite Steelers and one of the best free agents we ever signed. He had a terrible season last year and he seems to have lost a step. That being said, he will be missed and I wish him well in Washington.

Jerricho Cotchery, WR: This is a weird one. Very sorry to see him go but again I think we improved with his defection. He did a great job last year.

Eric Olsen, C : How will we manage without him? Kidding, seriously, I had to look back and figure out who he was. He is not going to be missed.

-Free Agent Signings:

Mike Mitchell, S: This was an “Un-Steeler” like signing, but a darn good one. He fills a need and he is coming off a great year. His skillset should also let Troy be Troy again.

LeGarrette Blount, RB: This could be one of those Steelers under the radar great moves. He can be the big banger out of the backfield that the Steelers wanted Dwyer to be. I like the move.

Darrius Heyward-Bay, WR: This seems like a reach and I would have rather signed Plaxico Buress again. Not sure what the thoughts were on this. He is fast but can’t catch.

Arthur Moats, LB: Good depth guy and has the potential to contribute.

Lance Moore, WR: He will take Cotchery’s spot on the team and he has more dimensions then Cotch. Great signing!

Brice McCain, CB: He will add depth to a position that needs it desperately. Anything will be an improvement over last year.

Adam Podlesh, P: Should be the starting punter replacing Mat McBriar.

Cam Thomas, DT: He will be penciled in to start at Defensive Tackle. He fits the traditional Defensive Tackle mold, big slow behemoth clogging the middle. This could be the best free agent signing of the class if it works out and will help McLendon’s development.

-Steelers worth a second look:

Brett Kiesel, DE: Why he hasn’t been resigned is a mystery? We need Defensive Line help and he knows the scheme and performed well last season when not injured.

Fernando Velasco, C: Absolutely worth a second look, he practically saved the season last year and filled in great. While the Steelers opted for Cody Wallace (Who I really like!), I would still sign Velasco too.

Plaxico Burress, WR: I get that I am pushing this. He is worth taking a look at because of his physical attributes.

Stevenson Sylvester, LB: I have been pushing this guy for a while and when he came back he did well. Great special teams player.

James Harrison, OLB: While technically he isn’t a Steelers free agent, he will always be a Steeler to me! The Captain and I are trying to sneak him back in the Black and Gold. While his best days are behind him, he can still contribute at a position we need help at. SILVERBACK COME HOME!!!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!!!

It was a difficult season for sure! But it also was very rewarding on a personal note. I had a great time and memories that will last a lifetime!

It also spurred me to do a season review of BWG Steelers and recount my favorite moments:

My Favorite “Road” Game: 

Buckley’s (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Buckleys-Irish-Pub/141369932624782) in Center Moriches! I only did one Steeler game this year on the road but it was excellent. The food is great, although Josh the Chef is a Bengals fan. I went with my buddy Matt and my other buddy and we had a great time. KGB picked us up afterward and the Steelers clobbered the Browns!

Honorable Mention: Saratoga in about four different bars for the Bears game! The game was awful but it was great seeing all the Steelers fans. While I wasn’t personally there, BWG at Lambeau Field, and BWG at Nathaniel’s in Rochester was pretty cool! Thanks to Bill and Jim for carrying on the BEER WE GO tradition!

My Favorite Road Game: This is another easy one albeit a loss. LONDON ENGLAND for the Vikings game! It SUCKED that they lost, but if you say that being a Steelers fan is different than being a fan of anyone else, this was the proof. There was a brotherhood there and it was great being with Andrew Duncan and Steelers UK. I am grateful to KGB for making this happen!

Honorable Mention: Watching the Steelers get their first win by whipping the Jets! It was like going to a Steeler home game. I wish we were playing them next year in NY instead of the ‘Burgh!

My Favorite “Home” Game: Steelers beating the Ravens. We rushed home from Mattebella Vineyard(http://www.mattebellavineyards.com/welcomemattebella/) and our friends Matt and Erin “watched” (if you count sleeping on the easy chair) the game with us. Had a great day and great time!

My Favorite Home Game: This was easy because I only went to one game in the ‘Burgh. The Steelers handily beating the Bills. Going with KGB and My daughter “Little Miss Tailgate” was terrific. Sitting with Tom Janicki and having a tailgate with the BWG Original Chapter was downright awesome. Un-related to football but something worth mentioning is in my 30+ years affiliated with the Steelers and my 20+ years of going to the ‘Burgh, I finally rode “The Incline”. Lots of fun!

My Favorite Snack for any game: This is going to be selfish and self-serving, but I am going with MY OWN Sausage and Peppers. They were a hit all year and the Steelers won every time we made them!

Honorable Mention: KGB’s “Kielbasa in a blanket” with Hot Mustard. Josh from Buckley’s Buffalo Potato Skins! Like I said, the guy is a Bengals fan but he sure can cook!

Special Thanks:

Writing this blog is a labor of love,  but it also is usually a team effort. While the results of the season were disappointing the experience this year was something I will always cherish. I feel grateful and want to say thanks to a few people!

I am grateful to the readers and contributors to this blog. I write the blog for yinz first and foremost and while I definitely am slanted towards the Steelers, I try and be fair about it.

A special thanks to The Janickis, both Tom(BWG FOUNDER) and Kristen for hosting us in the ‘Burgh and shuttling us around. Janick is the founder of Beer We Go and I hope I do him proud every week.

I am thankful to Ben Harkins and especially Andrew Duncan for making the London trip that much better. Andrew was a gracious host and rallied over a thousand Steeler fans together. I think I was more disappointed for Andrew then the actual Steelers!

I want to thank Beth Csukas and her amazing family for completing our London and Ireland trip with us!

Thank You to Bill Wilshire and Jim Lochrie, my friends and colleagues for representing Beer We Go at Lambeau Field and at Nathaniel’s in Rochester!

I want to thank all my kids, step and non-step(;)), everyone one of them contributed something to the season for me!

Most of all I wanted to thank KGB, my amazing girlfriend who planned and trekked across the Atlantic Ocean and across the great state of Pa. to feed my Steeler addiction. She missed family functions, left our vineyard early to get home for the Ravens game, never scheduled anything during game time, and always tried to be supportive, even when I was dropping the F-Bomb out loud at Sea Cove, throwing remote controls and screaming at the TV. Sorry about missing “midnight madness”, I am still sticking with my excuse; “but babe it’s the RAVENS GAME!” She has been tremendous and I am lucky to have her. Love you babe!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

Here is my final Report Card for the 2013 Season.

“Starting 0-4 and being 2-6 at the turn, it’s encouraging to know the type of  men that you work with that are capable of getting singularly focused and tuning  out the noise and staying together and continuing to work and improve in the  midst of negativity, all of those things are encouraging,” – Steelers Coach, Mike Tomlin

GRADES:

Coaching: B, Mike Tomlin had to bounce back and do some of his best coaching and in the end after a 0-4 start, he had the Steelers one play from making the playoffs. Todd Haley year two, was a huge distraction. Soon as the offensive line stabilized the method to the madness began to show through and the Steelers started scoring points. The jury is still out on Haley, but the results are becoming hard to argue. Dick LeBeau, came under fire after a terrible year by the defense. The secondary began to show its age and it cost the Steelers. The linebackers and defensive line had flashes of brilliance but were inconsistent. That being said LeBeau is a GREAT coach and deserves a mulligan. They integrated several young players and the future looks bright. LeBeau should be back next year! Danny Smith gets an honorable mention for turning around the special teams which was a border line clown act at the beginning of the year.

QB: A, Big Ben had a great year and the number one reason the Steelers were still in contention week 17, was because of his efforts. The offensive line was AWFUL and Ben was nearly killed by the terrible protection. Then something magical happened, the line protected Ben, Haley’s offense clicked and the numbers skyrocketed. Ben literally played great all season.

RB: C, It was a horrendous start to the season at running back, Ike Redman washed out early. Jonathon Dwyer was brought back and did a good job, Felix Jones did a good job when called upon. Le’Veon Bell after a slow start exploded on the scene and looks to be the player the Steelers have been looking for. This will be a sure A next year. Will Johnson, did another great job at fullback!

WR: A, Jerricho Cotchery was the go to guy in the red zone, putting up 10 Touchdowns. Manny Sanders played sensational when he was healthy. Derek Moye and Markus Wheaton look like they have bright futures. But this grade clearly belongs to Antonio Brown. He was EVERYTHING the Steelers could have wanted and he played great all season. His history making year was one for the books. As of today he has the title of best player on the Steelers!

TE: B+, Heath Miller, was coming off a devastating injury and while he looked slowed, he played great when he returned. He blocks, he hits and he catches the ball. David Paulson was a bit of a disappointment, he never took the reins, when he had the chance. Matt Spaeth was terrific as the number two once he got healthy! Dave Johnson looked great at first and then like his last few seasons he went down with an injury.

OL: C-, It was an interesting story for the offensive line told in two parts. With less than three minutes into the Season, they lost their best Offensive Lineman in Maurkice Pouncey. That threw the line into disarray. The Steelers signed Fernando Velasco who played terrific in Pouncey’s absence…then he got hurt. The first eight weeks the Steelers were an absolute horror show up front and Big Ben nearly was killed. I am not talking injured, I am talking MORTA. He was getting whipped mercilessly. But then something magical happened, they started to gel and by the end they became a force to be reckoned with. It was an outstanding year for Dave DeCastro who rounded out to be a pro bowl type player. Cody Wallace who was the third string Center did well and he plays with a nasty streak. Mike Adams was awful but before we write him off keep in mind that he got shot in the gut in June, so I would like to see him at full strength. Marcus Gilbert got better and better. Ramon Foster was serviceable and he is a strong run blocker. Kelvin Beachum basically saved the day. I don’t think he will be the long term answer at Left Tackle but he certainly will start somewhere. Next to Ben and Antonio Brown he was probably the biggest key!

DL: C, The defensive line put together a pretty good season. “Steelhead: Heyward was awesome! There is no other way to put it. He played great and crushed the pocket. He made several big plays and he pressured the QB all season. Brett Keisel put together a solid workmanlike season until he was injured. Ziggy Hood played well when called upon and he is worth taking a second look at. Steve Mclendon got killed at the point of attack and struggled to fill the shoes of Casey Hampton. He is athletic and pretty fast but he got pushed around, look for a switch to Defensive End. Al Woods and Hebron Fangupo both took steps forward, both need work.

LB: C+, The strength of this team played at half strength almost all year. Lawrence Timmons continued to be the best linebacker on the Steelers and he had a terrific season. He was unstoppable at times and played well within his strengths. Larry Foote went down week one and left a gaping hole in his spot. Jason Worilds filled in and eventually pushed LaMarr Woodley to the weak side. Woodley was injury plagued again and looks like he might be headed for a pay cut or out of Pittsburgh. Jarvis Jones and Vince Williams played well for rookies and had some growing pains. Both look like they are poised for a big 2014 season. Stevenson Sylvester and Chris Carter did well when called upon.

DB: C-, The Steelers secondary had its worst season in years. Ike Taylor was a great contributor at the beginning but by mid-season he was a liability and the target of many opposing Quarterbacks. Ryan Clark had his worst season as a Steeler and he appears headed out of town. Troy Polamalu struggled at times in coverage but still was a monstrous presence on the field. He put together a Pro Bowl campaign. Cortez Allen and William Gay both look good at times and struggled at other times. Allen will be a starter as he continues to develop. Gay is a serviceable player and is a good nickel back. Will Allen was a nice midseason pickup. Shamarko Thomas showed promise and he will be counted on next season!

BEER WE GO STEELERS! BEER WE GO!