Beer We Go Steelers

The Steelers fought ’til the end, but time ran out on the game and their season.  Despite a wild finish the Steelers couldn’t overcome a lousy game by the defense, dropping their 2nd in a row this time to the Miami Dolphins. This all but ends their playoffs hopes. This sounds like we are repeating ourselves every week but again big plays, missed tackles and guys out of position sealed the end of the 2013 season!

It was a great day for “Big” Ben Roethlisberger as he became the all-time Steelers leader in TD passes. He passed for 349 yards and three touchdowns, with 267 yards and two touchdowns coming in the second half when the Steelers needed it most. He had his first turnover in several weeks playing behind a patchwork line, but held his own in the game. The line played pretty well considering we are on the 3rd string center. They created running lanes and opened up holes for Le’Veon Bell. Bell had a nice game but once again was underutilized with the pass happy offense. The Receivers played well and Antonio Brown had a great bounce back week. Despite several great efforts on the offense the game plan was seriously flawed and it showed.

Mike Tomlin is going to get ripped again this week, because he went for it on fourth down with over two minutes to go in the shadow of the Steelers goal line. But the defense is just not playing well and again they were torched for several big plays. It was the right decision and it nearly paid off. Cortez Allen and Troy Polamalu missed a huge tackle on Charles Clay that led to the go ahead score. Clay beat the Steelers all day. The Linebackers had nice push up front but both Jarvis Jones and the returning LaMarr Woodley got caught out of position several times which led to big runs for the Dolphins. The secondary just can’t seem to make the plays when needed most.

It wouldn’t be a Steelers loss without another screw up on Special teams. This time it was the Mat McBriar having a punt block. The special teams are a serious Achilles heel. The block, though, did not result in any points. A holding penalty by Sly Sylvester on the last drive forced the Steelers to start at the 10. The refs let the Dolphins steal upwards of 25 seconds off the clock as Cameron Wake ran to the end zone with the ball after a Roethlisberger sack. It was another lousy day for the refs who OVER officiated the game.

It’s on to Cincy next week for a showdown with the Bengals!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Big Ben Roethlisberger, he played a great game again and nearly pulled off the Miracle. Also Considered, Antonio Brown, stepping out of bounds may have ended the game, but we wouldn’t have even been there if it wasn’t for him.

Where I watched the game: At the house with KGB and my kids as we decorated the Christmas tree.  I was in Christmas light hell and KGB took mercy and picked up new ones so I didn’t miss the game.  I made a huge Italian dinner and we ate after the game, Fried Raviolis were the snack during the game, Genny Cream Ale was the beer of choice Sunday, I am paying for it now. My son Dante thought it was a game of brothers v. brothers as I explained Mike Pouncey and Maurkice were twins, he also noticed Cody Wallace and Mike Wallace had the same name and the same with Heath Miller and Lamar Miller, despite extremely different appearances he thought they were all brothers! Hailey “Little Miss Tailgate” was crushed when the Brown play was whistled dead.

My Stat of the week: 1 Mike Wallace 2 catches for 19 Yards v. Antonio Brown 5 for 137. No contest on this one.

My thoughts on Next Week: Back to prime time for the Steelers and the soon to be AFC North Champs Bengals. It is going to be a tough game.

Sorry everyone for taking so long to post this week, the Steelers dropped a tough loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving night, leaving the playoffs, once again, in serious jeopardy. It was a hard fought game with several questionable calls that in the end the Steelers couldn’t overcome. The tempo of the game was strange as the Steelers and Ravens basically moved the ball at will on each other but had trouble putting the ball in the end zone.

The defense had an awful game, they played well up front, but the secondary got burned all day and in the end the Ravens scored on all but two drives. There were several blown coverages, a pass play of 50+ yards AGAIN, and costly penalties. Ike Taylor had another rough first half before settling down and keeping Torrey Smith in check. Troy Polomalu and Will Allen both blew assignments that cost the Steelers big. The front seven played well, with Jason Worilds having another big day and Lawrence Timmons really “laid the wood” to Ray Rice on several plays. No one is talking about Ziggy Hood, but he had a great game and filled in admirably for the injured Brett Keisel. The Ravens couldn’t find running room all day.

The offense didn’t score in the first half but moved the ball well. The Offensive line had a very good day again. They were able to create running lanes and for the third week in a row Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t sacked. Kelvin Beachum had a great game before he was injured and with some help basically shutout Terrell Suggs. Big Ben kept the Steelers in the game all game, he led a comeback from deficits of 13-0 and 16-7. Roethlisberger was 8 of 11 for 94 yards on the final scoring drive and finished with 257 yards passing. It was a great game and he deserved to pull it out. Le’Veon Bell continues his development and really is starting to look like the back we have been waiting for. Unfortunately he had his bell rung pretty seriously and most likely will be out next week.

Manny Sanders is going to get the goat horns this week for dropping the two point conversion to tie the game. But Chykie Brown absolutely mugged him on the play and listening to this guy talk this week is killing me. The play was clearly a penalty and at worst the Steelers should have had another shot at it. Sanders should have caught it but he has played great all season and doesn’t deserve the heat he is taking.

The special teams had two HUGE game costing meltdowns, one of which will most likely cause Mike Tomlin to be a few bucks poorer. The first was Shaun Suisham and Mat McBriar had some sort of miscommunication and it cost the Steelers a field goal chance, which would prove the difference in the score. The second was much more damaging however, Jacoby Jones busted loose on a kick return and nearly ran Mike Tomlin down as he was watching it on the screen. It honestly looked like a mistake and it didn’t look like it had much of an impact. Jones even said so directly after the game, making a comment about Cortez Allen catching him from behind. But then the media got involved and this story took a life of it’s own. Several people are calling for a mega fine and some even called for Tomlin’s firing.

I find it hard to believe he tried to impede Jones and I think Chris Colinsworth clearly made this a story. Not to mention why wouldn’t Jones RUN HIM OVER if he was in the way. The true story is at the end of the day Tomlin shouldn’t have been on the field. It looked like his brain vapor locked and he moved just in time. He will certainly be fined for the situation. But keep an eye on how bad this story becomes.

The true loss however is that the offensive line after being dreadful all season has finally come together…just in time to lose Fernando Velasco, who probably cost himself a very nice contract next season somewhere, is done for the year. Kelvin Beachum and Mike Adams were both injured and the Steelers are now once again scrambling up front.

We look to be on our last legs here as the Steelers will continue to fight on.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Big Ben Roethlisberger, he played a great game and deserved a better outcome. Also Considered, Kelvin Beachum and Ziggy Hood.

Where I watched the game: Back at the house after a ridiculous Thanksgiving dinner with my family at my parent’s house. The Beer of choice was Iron City Light Pounders which I brought back from the ‘Burgh, KGB and Little Miss Tailgate went to Midnight Madness shopping. So I watched with my buddy Matt as we basked in the glory of winning Turkey Bowl! That was my first win in three years!

My Stat of the week: 1 tackle, that is what big mouth Terrell Suggs had the entire game, the Steelers shut him out! For those keeping score at home, the Steelers shutout Mario Williams, Ndamukong Suh and Terrell Suggs

My thoughts on Next Week: It is going to be the last 1PM game and the Dolphins are almost as desperate right now as the Steelers. The offensive line woes makes this a wild card for both teams. Mike Wallace will hear the boo birds in Pittsburgh. EVERY GAME NOW IS THE PLAYOFFS.

The Pittsburgh Steelers powered past their old school rival Cleveland Browns, with a 27-11 victory. The defense had a lights-out performance and forced the Browns into four turnovers. The offensive line had a breakout performance against a formidable Cleveland front and provided excellent protection. “Big” Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked just once in the Steelers’ past two games and never hit the ground yesterday. Roethlisberger completed 22 of 34 passes, and he finished with a passer rating of 102.2. The Steelers have now won three in a row and are back in postseason contention.

The defense held the Browns offense in check despite a historic performance by Josh Gordon, who caught 14 passes for 237 yards. That would be the lone bright spot for Cleveland, they forced four Cleveland turnovers, three fumbles and William Gay’s 21-yard interception return for a touchdown with 4:27 to go in the game, his first career score on a pickoff, Gay also forced a fumble.  Troy Polamalu forced two fumbles. Will Allen returned the Gay fumble fumble 49 yards and crushed the Browns comeback chances.

Cleveland quarterback Jason Campbell lost the ball when Gay blitzed and sacked him on a third-down play at the Steelers’ 39 and sent him from the game. Cam Heyward also recovered a fumbled as the defense was in control the entire day.  Jason Worilds had a team-high six quarterback hurries and  forced quarterbacks Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden into several bad throws, including chasing down Campbell and sending him to the bench. The Browns had no running room all day as the Steelers clogged all the lanes and held the Browns to under 60 yards.

The offense looked good and moved the ball especially in the first half. Seven different players caught passes with Manny Sanders and Antonio Brown catching 12 passes between them with two touchdowns. Heath Miller chipped in with five catches and the Steelers made every play they needed to. The offense was committed to the run and they pounded it 34 times, but they still didn’t break 100 yards. Le’Veon Bell played okay but the Browns made the adjustments in the second half, Jon Dwyer had a tough day and didn’t convert on a 3rd and 4th down, although the 4th down was very questionable.

The Steelers are now on the move after the worst start in 45 years. They have won three in a row, five of their past seven and are starting to make plays and one could only wonder what the talk would be right now if they could have beaten either the Vikings or the Raiders. This is a short turnaround as the Rat birds loom on Thanksgiving night.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: The offensive line, all of them, NO Sacks for the first time this year. Also Considered, I have been typing Cam Heywood and Antonio Brown almost weekly in this spot.

Where I watched the game: Buckley’s Irish Pub, in my home town, Went with KGB and my buddy Matt and we had wings and Irish Spring Rolls. Seamus the bartender took good care of us and we were able to crank out a great win. The Beer of choice was Rebel IPA! This time of year is usually my Rochester trip, my man Jim “Lock it Down” Lochrie took my spot and went to Nathaniel’s in Rochester. He hung out with the local Beer We Go guys.

My Stat of the week: ZERO Sacks! The first time this year, the O Line had great protection.

My thoughts on Next Week: It will be a short week and a short turn around as the Steelers will be playing the Ravens on Thanksgiving night. This will be the first time in a VERY long time that Ben will be playing the Ravens twice in a season. Look for the usual formula of the Steelers and Ravens playing each other close and look for the Steelers to pull it out. This could put us right back in this thing.

The Steelers jumped out to an early lead, fell behind and roared back to beat the Lions and escape last place! The day belonged to “Big” Ben Roethlisberger as he showed everyone why he is still an elite quarterback. He helped the Steelers jump out to a 17-3 lead with two touchdowns, then brought them back from a 27-20 deficit with two more touchdown throws in the fourth quarter, including one that ended a 96 yard drive to take the lead.

It was a very strange day for the defense, on paper it was a pretty lousy, they allowed 27 points, 16 first downs and 379 yards in the first half. But whatever happened during the 12 minutes between half time, change the course of the day, as they shut out the Lions and held them to 72 yards and five first downs after halftime.

The Steelers held Matthew Stafford to 35 yards on just 3 of 16 completions in the second half and they held Calvin Johnson to ZERO Catches. Johnson finished the day with six catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns which are huge numbers, but he racked up 79 Yards on one catch that the Steelers defended but couldn’t make the tackle on. Ike Taylor played a good game despite the numbers and he dropped two sure interceptions. The defense made whatever adjustments that were needed and won the turnover battle.

The front seven played a pretty consistent day and despite missing LaMarr Woodley and Brett Keisel held their own. Ziggy Hood, starting for injured Keisel, played very well including the clinching sack.  Cam Heyward is just getting better every week and he had another huge game, Steve McLendon made the biggest play of the day crushing Sam Martin causing a fumble on the Lions fake field-goal attempt from the Steelers 10. It changed the momentum of the game as the Steelers recovered, drove 96 yards for a touchdown, and the Lions never led again the rest of the day. Jason Worilds played well for the injured Woodley as he recorded the other sack.

All week the talk was of Ndamukong Suh and how he was going to shred the Steelers offensive line. Like Mario Williams the week before, Suh was a non-factor as he was pushed around by Dave DeCastro all day. Suh didn’t even record a tackle. The Steelers couldn’t move the ball at all on the ground but the protection was solid and it showed what Ben can do when he actually has time to make a play. Antonio Brown continues to be a huge playmaker has he racked up his second 100-yard game in a row and third this season, he put a monster seven catches for 147 yards and touchdowns of 34 and 47 yards. Brown ran 30 and 38 yards, respectively, after each catch. No catch was bigger though the 16 yarder that kept alive the 96 yards drive. Eight different players caught passes, including Will Johnson’s first touchdown of the season to take the lead.

It was a great comeback and the Steelers have now won two in a row and four out of six.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!!!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: “Big” Ben Roethlisberger, all week he has been the subject of several rumors, he proved Sunday that if he has some protection he can play with anyone in this league. He put together a huge day and showed the kind of player he is. Great day by Big Ben. Also Considered, Will Johnson, 1st TD of the year, Antonio Brown who we could get hammered for all the “Game Beers” we could win. All the guys on the defensive line.

Where I watched the game: Back home on the couch with my kids (who shuttle in an out) and KGB. I actually wanted to go out but this is the first 1PM that I got to watch at home since week one. I banged out local beers from Long Island, We had Celtic Ale from Long Ireland and White Bite from Spider Bite. I made a huge pot of sauce with San Marzano Tomatoes and KGB made Chicken Cutlets for Chicken Parm. GREAT MEAL, GREAT BEER, GREAT WIN!

My Stat of the week: 119.4 which was Big Ben’s QB rating, which was comprised of 367 yards passing, four touchdowns and NO TURNOVERS. Bravo Big Ben!

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers head to their Arch Rivals in Cleveland. This is a statement game and the Steelers need to make sure it isn’t a trap game, as the Ravens loom very large on Thanksgiving Day! The Steelers need to play four quarters of defense and wait for the Browns to beat themselves. They can send the Browns into last place with a victory. Look for the Steelers to grind out a win like they did last week again Buffalo.

Coming off the worst defeat in team history, the Steelers defense dominated the line of scrimmage and held the Bills offense to 227 yards, 400 yards fewer than last week. They ran the ball more times than they passed it and when it was said and done, it was a vintage Steelers victory as they pounded the football, controlled the clock and dominated on defense.

The defense needed a big week and they put it together. They pushed Buffalo all over the field and chased a very rusty looking E.J. Manuel around. It always starts up front and the defensive line and the linebackers held C.J. Spiller and the Bills’ number seven ranked rush offense to under one hundred yards.

Lawrence Timmons was all over the field and made several big plays. Cam Heywood again put together a masterful performance and recorded one of the three sacks on the day. Jarvis Jones recorded the first sack of his career. The Secondary pitched in with a shutdown effort and Ryan Clark acquitted himself nicely putting together a great game and making the big play when needed. He recorded a 26 yard interception that basically sealed the game. It was a masterful performance by the defense who didn’t allow a touchdown until 59 minutes and 57 seconds. The touchdown was bogus as the refs blew the call, Chris Gragg was completely offsides as he scored. The refs were absolutely awful all day.

The offense got back to running the ball and they did so with some authority. They pounded on the Bills up front and had good movement. Le’Veon Bell had some nice hard runs and made some good catches out of the backfield. He racked up 96 total yards. Jonathon Dwyer is making the most of his second chance as he has been a great third down and short yardage back. He converted three first downs on some tough runs.

“Big” Ben managed the game perfectly and while he didn’t rack up huge numbers, he recovered from a lousy first quarter interception to lead the team to victory. He was sacked four more times which was alarming but the offensive line put together a respectable game running the ball and stoning Mario Williams who didn’t have a sack or a tackle in the game. Mike Adams, who has been demoted from LT, has been an absolute killer on running blocking as the extra blocker. He totally leveled LB Nigel Bradham to lead the way for Bell’s touchdown.

The receivers had their usual great day despite the windy conditions. Jerricho Cotchery caught the first touchdown of the game which was his fourth in two weeks. Antonio Brown was sensational on offense and special teams. He had over 100 yards rushing and had two great runbacks on special teams. Manny Sanders had only 13 yard but made four tough catches and had the Steelers longest run of the day out of the wildcat.

The team had a great bounce back week and will now try and continue the momentum. The Steelers obviously haven’t quit on the coaches or the season. The fans need to step up now and stop dogging our leadership and get back to drinking beer and rooting for the Black and Gold.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!!!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: We are going with two; Tom Janicki and I were torn on this, we are going with Antonio Brown and Lawrence Timmons. Brown had the biggest impact on the game and Timmons really needed a big bounce back week and he got it. Also Considered: Ryan Clark and Le’Veon Bell

Where I watched the game: HEINZ FIELD! Section 524 front row with Beer We Go Founder, Tom Janicki, my amazing girlfriend KGB and my daughter Hailey “Little Miss Tailgate” and the head of “Root Beer We Go Steelers”. We had the Cajun Cheese Fries which were awesome, Hot Dogs and a bag of Peanuts, which I eat with the shells on. The Beer of choice was IC Light Pounders in the parking lot and Miller Lite in the stadium. It was a great experience! (SEE LITTLE MISS TAILGATE BELOW)

My Stat of the week: ZERO as in No Sacks or Tackles for Mario Williams. The offensive game plan was to shut him down and they did that. It was a great effort shutting down one of the best players in the league.

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers host the 6-3 Lions and will be huge underdogs. I feel like the upset is coming and the Steelers will put together back to back big weeks. Look for the Steelers to squeak it out.

“My Pittsburgh Experience” by Little Miss Tailgate

We started off with two bumpy plane rides one to Baltimore and one to PITTSBURGH!! We were then picked up by Captain Tailgate and went to the Strip to shop. We ate at Primanti Brothers and I had the best sandwich I have ever had.

On the day of the game we went to breakfast at Deluca’s in town and we went with Captain Tailgate his wife Kristen, and his two kids Alex, and Aubrey. After breakfast we headed to the stadium to go and tailgate for a couple hours until the game started.

The game was very fun I love going to Heinz field. Every year it gets better and better. I had a lot of delicious foods. One of the foods we ate was a large bucket of Cajun cheese fries and the bags of peanuts we had. The players I thought played well were Big Ben, Antonio Brown and Troy Polamalu. I thought Ben passed the ball very well and didn’t get sacked as much as usual.  Antonio Brown scored most of the touchdowns we scored. I thought Troy did a very nice job he stopped the Bills from getting touchdown.

Then on Monday we headed home but I had so much fun, and I ate a lot of delicious foods. I am so excited for next year!!!!!! GO STEELERS!!!

What has gone right? 

Not a whole lot, it has been a miserable first half for the Steelers. That being said, the receivers are plain awesome. Without a doubt the best feature of this team are the pass catchers and Antonio Brown was definitely the right choice over Mike Wallace. Brown is leading the league in catches and has been everything that the Steelers could have hoped for. Manny Sanders has been a top performer and has done an excellent job complementing Brown. Jerricho Cotchery has been solid and made some tough catches. Derek Moye and Markus Wheaton have yet to contribute but the future looks bright.

Cameron Heywood has finally started to come into his own and he looks like a solid 3-4 Defensive End. Ziggy Hood has also had a nice start and while he has slipped behind Heywood, he has had a fairly good season. Ike Taylor has played well throughout most of the year and if he could actually catch he would be making Revis money now.

What has gone wrong?

How about EVERYTHING other than what was written previously. Seriously, where do you begin? Starting 0-4 was pretty bad, starting 0-4 and losing to Minnesota which might be the worst team in the league and the Titans makes it that much worse. The Steelers also lost to the Raiders who just got wasted by the Eagles. Getting BBQ by Tom Brady who is having the worst season of his career was the perfect bookend for a lousy first eight games.

The offensive line is so bad there aren’t enough adjectives to describe it. Ben Roethlisberger probably has a twitch at this point. He is absolutely getting whipped up on mercilessly. Every play he is picking himself up off the ground. The Steelers need to fix the left tackle spot and they need to fix it while we still have a Quarterback who can walk. Mike Adams was awful and a potted plant could have blocked better, he has to be considered a huge disappointment. Levi Brown play a total of ZERO plays and didn’t even make it out of warm ups. Kelvin Beachum can help this team but it doesn’t look like he can do it at left tackle. On top of that everyone has been injured an out at one point or another. DeCastro sat last week, Ramon Foster the week before and the Steelers lost Maurkice Pouncey in the first quarter of the first game. Marcus Gilbert was injured. He has shown the most promise of everyone on the line. Fernando Velasco has been a pleasant surprise and has filled in admirably for Pouncey.

The offense is inconsistent and takes forever to get going in every game. Ben has done an admirable job given the lack of protection but he is also making several mistakes and turning the ball over at an alarming rate. Ike Redman washed out after one week and the running game while showing signs of life recently has been virtually non-existent. Le’Veon Bell is a minor bright spot, but we still haven’t seen his best football.

The defense has been inconsistent and mostly AWOL when they are needed most. They continue to make mistakes and have been getting pushed around up front. In games when the offense has clicked the defense has not. LaMarr Woodley needs to play better and needs to be a bigger threat. Too many times this year the pass rush has been non-existent and that starts and ends with LaMarr. Both Troy and Ryan Clark look like they are slowing down, but before we run them out of town, let’s see how they do when they have a pass rush helping them. Jarvis Jones and Vince Williams both look strong and athletic but both need classroom time to learn the defense and not get caught out of position. Both players will contribute at some point.

Special teams has been lousy…AGAIN. The return games have been respectable, the kick-coverage teams have been solid, but the kicking has hurt badly. Zoltan Mesko was a complete bust and McBriar doesn’t look much better after one game. Shaun Suisham who has done a great job had a meltdown in Oakland and it cost us the game. This unit needs to play better and at least not mess the struggling offense and defense up.

INJURIES, INJURIES, INJURIES AGAIN. This was posted last season and it rings true again. We lost LaRod Stephens-Howling, Maurkice Pouncey, Larry Foote, Plaxico Burress, David Johnson and Matt Spaeth plus several nagging injuries that have kept players off the field.

Reasons for Concern: Offensive Line HAS to be better or you can say goodbye to any respectable record. The defense looks very shaky.

Offensive Game Beer: Has to be Antonio Brown. He has stepped up and while he has made some mistakes, he has been an offensive force and one of the lone stars this season.

Defensive Game Beer: Cam “Steelhead” Heywood, he has come into his own and he has been a solid pass rusher from the 3-4 DE spot. This was his last chance and he is making the most of it.

Disappointment of the first half: Losing in front of a packed house in England. Maybe this is personal but the English Steeler fans LOVE THE STEELERS and I can’t believe they didn’t come through. As for a player, Mike Adams has been absolutely a train wreck, he needs to be better or he will be gone.

Most Improved: Again, I am going with Cam Heywood, he looks like he can anchor that line. I also am not giving up on Ziggy Hood, as he has showed marked improvement.

GRADES:

QB: B, Big Ben has played well given the circumstances, we haven’t seen Gradkowski or Jones yet, but trust me at this pace it is coming.

RB: D, This would have been an F but Jon Dwyer and Le’Veon Bell have stepped it up and showed signs of life.

WR: A-, They have had a great season and all need to be applauded.

TE: C+, Heath Miller has played well, though he looks slowed by his injury. Dave Johnson was lost for the season, Paulson has been mediocre.

OL: F, The left side is just plain awful, the right side looks like it is developing.

DL: C-, Have played okay, looked great in some games, looked terrible in other games. McLendon is more athletic than Hampton but he gets pushed all over the field on the run.

LB: D+, LaMarr Woodley needs to play better. Vince Williams and Jarvis Jones need to play more disciplined and they will be nice additions. Worilds has been okay and Timmons has been good but he still isn’t at his best yet.

DBs: D, This probably would have been a C until the meltdown in New England, Troy and Clark look like they have lost a few steps, Ike Taylor still holds his own, Willie Gay has been decent until last weekend and Cortez Allen needs to improve if he wants back in the lineup. I think this group can hold its own if they can get a pass rush going.

Coaching: D, This has easily been Mike Tomlin’s toughest season. Dick LeBeau has come under fire recently after getting pasted by New England. Todd Haley is the most hated person in Pittsburgh right now. The issue is every decision that has been made has backfired or turned out wrong.  The Steelers sleep walking through Oakland and the debacle against Tennessee reflects very poorly on the Steelers coaching staff. They have gotten off to too many slow starts and it has plagued us all season.

What does part two look like: The Steelers can lose to any team and that has been proven, I also believe they can beat any team. Realistically looking at it, I don’t see any way to get to 500 again, the Steelers at best will finish 7-9 at worst 5-11. Let’s see who steps up.

BEER WE GO STEELERS! BEER WE GO!

The Steelers finished an awful first half with a record setting loss to the New England Patriots. In the entire history 80+ years of the franchise the Steelers have never been beaten so badly like the whipping they took from Tom Brady and the New England Patriots Sunday at Gillette Stadium, 55-31. That is the most points scored against them and the most yards — 610 — they allowed in team history. It was an absolute disaster.

Tom Brady was off to the worst start of his career, which makes this performance even scarier. Brady put up 432 yards and threw for four touchdown passes. The Patriots banged in three more rushing touchdowns, making it 12 on the season or as many as the Steelers allowed in the 2010 and 2011 seasons combined. The Defense was nonexistent the entire day and didn’t make ANY plays. The front seven had another train wreck performance and when it was over they were gashed for nearly 200 yards.  The secondary looked lost and confused as Troy Polamalu was caught out of position several times and Ryan Clark looked look slow of foot and didn’t bring any of the blistering tackles we are used to. Willie Gay and Ike Taylor played gamely but again just couldn’t match up to the Patriots.

It wouldn’t be a 2013 Steelers game without a special teams screw up, Julian Edelman returned a punt 43 yards deep into Steelers territory, setting up a touchdown that gave the Patriots a back breaking 34-24 lead. The jury is still out on Mat McBriar who was the main culprit on the play. They were having a fairly good day until that point in the return game but continues to be issues.

The offense produced a huge day, but again the offensive line is just downright dangerous and it is only a matter of time until Ben goes out on his shield. Kelvin Beachum, doesn’t look like the answer at Left Tackle and he had a very tough day. Despite that Big Ben produced a huge day after a very shaky first quarter, throwing for 400 yards and four touchdowns! Why Ben was still in the game when all was lost was a huge mistake considering the line troubles.

The receivers really shined with great performances from Manny Sanders, who showed New England what they lost out on, Antonio Brown who had a good day despite drawing double coverage and Jerricho Cotchery had a HUGE DAY and he was a bright spot, catching seven passes and becoming the first Steelers player in seven years to have three touchdown catches in a game. Heath Miller and Le’Veon Bell chipped in for eight catches.

At the end of the day the Steelers couldn’t keep up with the Patriots in a toe to toe fight. After a whipping like that changes are coming, so be ready!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO

The mid season report card will be out this week.

My “GAME BEER” goes to: We have to go with Jerricho Cotchery, because the Patriots didn’t account for him and he made them pay with a three touchdown performance. Also Considered, Manny Sanders as well as Cam Heyward.

Where I watched the game: We watched with the kids and I made Sausage an Peppers again hoping it would help and we had our usual house full of people on Sunday. The Beer of choice was Beamish Stout from Ireland which I snuck into the country from my trip.

My Stat of the week: A 3-Touchdown Performance by Jerricho Cotchery was the first time in seven years by a Steelers receiver.  I am avoiding the 600 plus yards against the Steelers, the worst in franchise history.

My thoughts on Next Week: We will be in the ‘Burgh and look for a big bounce back week against the Bills!

The Steelers slept through the first half of the game in Oakland and put their season’s slim hopes to final rest in a strange, over officiated game Sunday. The Steelers had an abysmal first half and just couldn’t recover in time. Coming off an emotional win against the Rat Birds and with New England looming this had all the makings of a “trap” game and it played out exactly that way. By the time the Steelers came around it was too late.

The defense was torched in the first half for an astonishing 244 yards and looked like they were playing in cement shoes. They allowed a season-high 197 yards rushing to the Raiders and three rushing touchdowns, including a 93 yard run to daylight by Terrell Prior. That raised the season total of rushing TDs allowed to nine or another to way to put it as many as they gave up all of last season. Vince Williams and LaMarr Woodley got caught out of position several times. The defense eventually made the adjustments and pushed the Raiders into three turnovers but the damage was done and the offense had to dig out.

The offense looked completely disjointed and the offensive line play was downright dangerous. The Steelers lost both Dave DeCastro, Ramon Foster and Guy Whimper. The lack of protection made it nearly impossible to run the ball and Ben was running for his life the whole game. Despite that both units had productive days in the second half and it looked almost like the Steelers flipped a switch to start playing. They put together several great second half drives including a nine minute drive…that came up empty.

The Special teams coming off their best week played their worst game of the season, Shaun Suisham finally missed after making 15 field goals to start the season, and he did it twice from 34 and 32 yards. It is easy to point out that that was the difference in the result, but the Steelers blew several chances. Zoltan Mesko finally showed some signs of life but he cost the Steelers a touchdown with a muffed snap and had some trouble getting any kind of consistency.

The whole team just looked out of whack. Antonio Brown, Ryan Clark, LaMarr Woodley, Heath Miller, Manny Sanders, Ben Roethlisberger ALL made costly mistakes. The Steelers mismanaged the clock and made several key errors that added up to the loss. By the time they got it going, it was too little too late and it looks like the season is now officially over.

The Steelers have now lost 5 games this year, which is a travesty, what makes it worse, is they lost to Terrelle Prior, Jake Locker and Matt Cassel (who lost the job a week later). Those guys aren’t exactly Montana, Marino and Elway. Next on deck is Tom Brady, so brace yourself.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: NO ONE, seriously there were good performances but you are talking about half the game. Maybe we can give out half a beer.

Where I watched the game: Stayed home after a great Halloween party the night before. We were very excited as we got pizza from Al’Italia and we had enough pumpkin beer to float a battleship. We had the fireplace going and KGB cuddle up to me on the couch, it had the potential for a great afternoon. Then the first half of the game happened! The Beer of choice was Anderson Pumpkin Patch, it was pretty good but I will never drink it again after that game! The only highlight was proudly watching as my son Dante was literally praying for the Steelers to make the comeback! We were very proud of him!

My Stat of the week: 35 Yards of total offense in the second half, the Steelers made the adjustments they needed and kept the Raiders off the board. If only they played in the first half.

My thoughts on Next Week: It is going to be a long day v. Tom Brady and the Patriots. KGB’s prediction is in this upside down season we lose to the Raiders but beat the Patriots. Let’s hope so.

The Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens with a late field goal by Shaun Suisham, his fourth of the game, for a 19-16 victory. It was a typical Steelers-Ravens game played very tight and close. The Steelers put together an old school performance, play good defense, running the ball with purpose and having Ben win it with a great clutch drive. Special Teams even contributed!

It was a great team effort but the day belonged to the defense. It all started with the linebackers and Lawrence Timmons was on fire Sunday. He racked up 17 tackles, including 12 solo. The Ravens never could run the ball and Ray Rice was a non-factor in the game. LaMarr Woodley continued his re-emergence with a sack and several pressures on Joe Flacco. The secondary bent but again didn’t break, William Gay had a great day and Ike Taylor continued his exceptional play except for one hiccup on a pass thrown to Torrey Smith.

The biggest surprise is how the special teams actually was a major factor in the win. Manny Sanders set up the winning field goal with a 44-yard return on kickoff. He took it all the way but was ruled out of bounds in a questionable call. Felix Jones had a nice kick return for over 40 yards and Antonio Brown continued his stellar season with a nice punt return. The Special Team’s player of the day has to be Shaun Suisham who had several clutch kicks including the game winner.

As for the offense, Big Ben looked like Big Ben. While his numbers won’t win any fantasy prizes he led a game winning drive for the first time since his injury last season and made several plays. The Offensive line did a good job protecting him and pushing the Ravens front seven all over the field. The Steelers were able to run the ball and Le’Veon Bell was outstanding, coming up 6 yards short of 100. He played well out of the wildcat and put together a very good day. Terrell Suggs was relatively quiet and nearly got shutout.

It was a great win for the Steelers and as coach Tomlin says kept us relevant.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Le’Veon Bell and Lawrence Timmons. I seriously couldn’t decide because both were so essential to the win. Also Considered: Shaun Suisham and Manny Sanders

Where I watched the game: Back at the house! It was great to be home, I was cooking for most of the first half and made sausage and peppers. Hung out with my buddy Matt, my friend Erin and KGB! We had a great day and a lots of fun. The Beer of choice was Guinness for the first half and then I polished off a few Iron City Lagers.

My Stat of the week: 1.5 sacks for Suggs and Dumervil after all the talking the Ravens fans did all week. It was a great performance by the offensive line.

My thoughts on Next Week: The Steelers will give the Raiders a good old fashion whupping!

I traveled about 3500 miles in search of our first win and came up empty, turns out it was in my own backyard. The Steelers broke their 0 for 2013 streak with a strong win against the New York Jets in a wildly pro Steeler crowd at Met Life Stadium. It was the traditional formula for victory. The Steelers defense played its best game of the season; stopping the run, sacking the quarterback and producing two key turnovers that wiped out Jets scoring drives. The offense held onto the ball and made big plays when needed.

A great defensive performance starts with the front seven. The linebackers propelled the defense; LaMarr Woodley and Jason Worilds had two of the three sacks on Geno Smith.  Lawrence Timmons came up with a pick in the red zone — intercepting a pass at the Steelers 3 and that errant throw was caused by Jarvis Jones. Vince Williams put a lick on the Jets running backs and the defensive line even without Brett Keitel collapsed the pocket and shrunk the running lanes for the Jets. Steelhead Heyward continues his breakout season and he justified his move into the starting lineup. The Secondary held Geno Smith in check and he didn’t complete a pass longer than 29 yards. Safety Ryan Clark had the first pick at the Steelers 1 in the third quarter to protect a 16-6 lead.

The offense still looks like a work in progress and the protection was only slightly better than the previous game. Roethlisberger was dropped 4 times and he was under pressure most of the afternoon. But he never turned the ball over and actually scrambled out of the pocket several times and made plays when he needed to. It was also his best game of the year even if the numbers don’t indicate that. The Steelers actually were able to finally run the ball racking up 61 yards in the second half icing the game. The receiving core continues to be a bright spot, Antonio Brown racked up 9 catches, Manny Sanders had the biggest play of the day with a 55 Yarder and even the Jet fans were cheering for Heathhhhhh as he hauled in 6 catches for 81 yards.

It feels good to be back in the win column and this week is Ravens week so buckle up!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: The Steelers Defense, (So I guess it is a game case) for finally playing to their ability and the offensive line they pushed around Sunday aren’t a bunch of slouches. Honorable Mention, Antonio Brown, seriously he could win this every week.

Where I watched the game: Met Life Stadium with my Beer We Go Nation. The place was LOADED with Steelers fans and we escaped a corporate party and tailgated with some Steelers fans, one benefit of my business life is having friends in high places who like the Jets, we had awesome seats and seriously it was like a home game. I actually brain farted and was wondering when Renegade was going to come on. Also rocked the LC Greenwood throwback Sunday. RIP LC! The beer we drank was Iron City that I had won on a bet from my friend Bob Dillon! We also had a few Miller Lites inside the Stadium.

My Stat of the week: Two Turnovers, for the first time this season the Steelers won the turnover battle and both were in the Red Zone. Great effort again by the defense.

My thoughts on Next Week: Ravens week. I am actually always in a bad mood all week and can’t wait for this one. PROTECT BEN and we will beat any team. The Ravens have won the last three games at Heinz Field, so look for the Steelers to snap the streak this week.