Beer We Go Steelers

This is a great photo, but we have to get back to the Super Bowl next year!

The Patriots beat the Ravens for the AFC Championship.

I will do the final season report during the week. I figured I should do something constructive v. stealing George’s Patriots flag again while I am watching the games.

Here is my final Report Card for the 2011 Season.

GRADES:

Coaching: A, Mike Tomlin won double digits for the fourth time in five years and avoided a Super Bowl hangover by making the playoffs. It would have been easy to rest on his laurels but the Steelers roared back after a horrendous loss to the Ravens and the Texans. He is a great coach, after picking Coach Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin the Rooney’s should be in charge of picking the President. Bruce Arians has retired and I think everyone is frustrated that the Steelers can’t run the ball consistently. That being said his development of Ben Roethlisberger is one of the reasons the Steelers have been a contender every season. He deserves our respect and gratitude. Dick LeBeau is the greatest defensive coordinator in NFL history. The defense despite several key injuries held opponents to the fewest points in the NFL, keep in mind they had 35 dropped on them in week 1! 

QB: A-, Big Ben had a good season putting up more than 4000 yards and throwing for over 21 Touchdowns. He also sustained several injuries but was rarely sidelined. He is as tough as anyone in the NFL and played in Cleveland after getting his lower leg nearly ripped off. The downside, he turned the ball over 21 times, none more costly than on the last drive of the Broncos game. He still is the QB I would want and we at BWG believe in him! Charlie Batch does what he does, he wins in short doses when called upon. If this is his last season with the Steelers I will remember him as a great contributor who did what was needed!

RB: C-, It was a disappointing season for Rashard Mendenhall and when he finally got on track it ended with a serious knee injury. His numbers were respectable, but it was probably the worst season of his career. Ike Redman was outstanding and will push for playing time next season. Mewelde Moore did a nice job and so did Dwyer and Clay when they did spot duty.

WR: A, It was a great season for the wide receivers as Manny Sanders and Antonio Brown emerged as bona fide threats. Mike Wallace was awesome at the beginning but eventually slowed down. Hines Ward was slowed by injuries and was eventually phased out of the offense. He did get his 1000th catch. He is truly a great Steeler!

TE: A, Heath Miller continued to be a great threat and played his best game in Denver.  He is one of the best in the game, Wesley Saunders has developed nicely and was a nice pickup. Dave Johnson played well as a great H-Back and was excellent as a blocker when called upon! (which wasn’t often enough)

OL: D-, It was a terrible season for the offensive line. At one point or another every player was injured and they never got the running push that was needed. The protection was brutal, as Ben was nailed 40 times! Several players had good flashes, but no one was consistent, except for Maurkice Pouncey who was excellent but for the second season in a row missed the biggest game of the year.

DL: B+, It was a very good season for the defensive line that lost several of it’s key players. Aaron Smith appears to be done for his career and he was an awesome Steeler. Casey Hampton, when healthy was an elite run stopper and he too appears to be in the twilight of a great Steeler career. Brett Kiesel played his best season, which is saying something. Ziggy Hood and “Steelhead” Heywood have begun to develop and the future is bright for this unit.

LB: B-, The strength of this team, was crushed by injuries. Silverback and LaMarr Woodley only played together four times all season. James Farrior was inconsistent and is beginning to struggle in coverage. Lawrence Timmons needs to be more in control of his pace of play. If healthy this is the best group in the NFL. They also have great looking prospects in Worilds and Sylvester.

DB: A, This would have been an A+ but the Denver debacle kind of soured a great season. That being said the numbers speak for themselves. The Steelers secondary had a great season and again have young exciting talent that is beginning to develop. Ike Taylor played excellent all season until he was torched in Denver. Ryan Clark played his best season as a Steeler. Troy played well and was a huge factor in several games. Keenan Lewis will be a starter next season!

BEER WE GO STEELERS! BEER WE GO!

While this blog is a Steelers Blog, I wanted to take a second and mention the passing of Joe Paterno. He was a college icon and despite the scandal, still is someone who deserves our respect. I believe he was completely railroaded during this circus at State College. I don’t agree with how he handled the situation but that doesn’t tarnish what he has done for 60 years.

The media is a bunch of hypocrites and that is one of the reasons I started this blog.

“I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Joe Paterno,” Bush said. “He was an outstanding American who was respected not only on the field of play but in life generally — and he was, without a doubt, a true icon in the world of sports. I was proud that he was a friend of mine. Barbara and I send our condolences to his devoted wife Suzanne and to his wonderful family.” – George H.W. Bush

By Hailey “Little Miss Tailgate” a Ten Year Old Steelers fan!

So that’s it, it’s over for the Steelers!

Every time the Steelers played it was kind of like Tebow magic but it was Steeler magic.

Every week the Steelers advanced more and more to me, this was a very good season for the Steelers.

Every Steeler player did better and better each week.

Rashard Mendenhall did a lot this year before he got hurt. In Madden, I would complain why Mendenhal always had to be in then I realized he is not so bad after all.

THE BIG BEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! What can I say he is fantastic QB! At the final game Ben played great all day but the Denver Broncos brought it in strong ,then they went into OT and Broncos won. Dang it!

That’s it for Hines, I think he is retiring. Too bad he was one of my favorites. On DWTS his background with football really paid off.  I think he was very good.

LET’S GO WOODLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Speaking of the fact that’s KGBs favorite player he was very good this year too when he wasn’t hurt.

How about Silverback!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My first time at the Steelers and Silverback was the main character, playing his best game.

So the Steelers had the time of their life, this season and they did good, this was the probably my best season ever!

FAREWELL STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Written by

Little Miss Tailgate,

So Tom Janicki, Captain Tailgate and I have some free time on our hands. We will do a roster analysis early next week and hit on some off season moves.

Couple of things:

1. Ike Taylor didn’t lose the game, the Steelers lost the game. He certainly contributed as everyone else on the team did in losing. If it wasn’t for Ike we wouldn’t have been 12-4, don’t forget that.

2. Mike Tomlin is a great coach and he is the only coach I would like to have! One tough playoff loss doesn’t change that! BWG Believes in him 100% and the same goes for Dick Lebeau. The Media is trying to crucify both of them and while it is easy to find fault, the facts tell us a different story. They went 12-4 and lost literally half the team to injuries at one point or another.

3. Kirby Wilson is in for the fight of his life, keep him in your thoughts and prayers. One thing I pray is that Ike Redman’s performance Sunday, some how and some way helped even a little bit to alleviate what he is going through.

4. Hines Ward still has gas in the tank and I hope he is back with the Steelers next year! He can still get it done, don’t give up on Hines.

5. At some point this week, I am going to steal my neighbor George’s Patriots Flag. While this probably lacks maturity for me and I can clearly be called a sore loser, I feel I need to do it. I wanted to beat the Patriots so bad this year and felt we were on our way. I will of course return it after the playoffs. This is a solo mission and is not endorsed by Beer We Go Steelers if I am caught! (BTW there will be pictures)

My children took the loss almost as hard as we did. Saturday night I am going to see Professional Wrestling with my sons Dante and Luciano, I will miss the Patriots game(So will George’s flag) but I am hoping Tim Tebow upends the Pats. My daughter Hailey and my GF KGB are going to see Beauty and the Beast. The Offseason will be long for all of us.

We are pulling for the NY Giants, they embody family ownership and are like the Steelers of the NFC, they are my home town team also. (Sort of)

We are going to publish every week, so stay tuned and don’t give up BWG Nation. It is only 7 months until training camps open!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

The Denver Broncos upset the defending AFC Champions in a wild shoot out in Denver. When Demrayius Thomas flew by Ike Taylor in overtime to send the Steelers home from the playoffs, it wasn’t just the end of the Steelers playoff hopes; it was the end of an era. The play marked the quickest overtime defeat in the history of the NFL. The loss kept the Steelers from their 34th playoff win, which would have broken a tie with the Cowboys for the most ever.

The Steelers defense had its worst day since the beginning of the season. For the first time in ten seasons the Steelers let up two plays of more than fifty yards in one game. Few people expected Tim Tebow who was in a three game swoon to come out firing. He did and the Steelers number one pass defense was shredded for over 300 yards for the first time this season.

Ike Taylor, who had a fine season, played by far the worst game of his career and the secondary couldn’t hold up in man to man coverage. Ryan Mundy and Troy Polamalu played close to support the run and Tebow took advantage. The linebackers had a tough day as well, the pass rush was virtually non-existent, LaMarr and Silverback were non factors throughout the game. Silverback was flagged for a nonsense penalty and struggled against the option play.

As bad as both the secondary and the linebackers played, at least they didn’t go down with injuries. The Steelers lost 2/3 of the defensive line within the first half. Casey Hampton and Brett Kiesel both went down with serious injuries. Cameron Heywood and Steve McLendon both played well but were clearly wearing down. Heyward had a big forced fumble to create a turnover that the Steelers turned into the tying touchdown.

The Offense played an inconsistent, albeit spirited game. The receivers had an up and down game. Manny Sanders and Antonio Brown put together nice performances and had several big catches in the game. Mike Wallace ran an amazing end around to score a big TD and was RIPPED off on a 50 yard catch. Jericho Cotchery made the game tying catch after a huge drop. Hines Ward was a non factor.

The Offensive line held up well considering they were missing Maurkice Pouncey and lost Max Starks in the 3rd. Doug Legursky, who was filling in for Pouncey made a costly mistake and cost the Steelers points in the first half, but he held his own and put together a good game otherwise. They made holes for Ike Redman who was the lone highlight of the day for the Steelers. He had a great game and will push for playing time next year.

Ben Roethlisberger did what Ben Roethlisberger does. He played hurt and made some huge plays and brought the team all the way back. The down side he had a costly turnover and his clock management was terrible at the end of the game. He also had a costly fumble, which he recovered, but it might have cost the Steelers the game.

Tim Tebow deserves a great deal of credit. The Steelers challenged him and he punished them for it. He is a polarizing figure but one thing is certain, he is a gentleman and he is a tank when he runs. He played and amazing game and helped his team win. The Steelers smacked up the Broncos defense and Tebow carried them through the game. When he had to make a play, he made it! You can say what you want about the guy, he is a class act and a credit to the game.  

It would be easy to criticize the coaching as the media has done since Sunday. In the end though, the Steelers came in with a game plan that everyone believed in. The Steelers made several costly mistakes in their execution.  In the coaches defense, you are missing, the starting Free Safety, the starting Center, the starting Left Tackle, the Starting Nose Tackle and his backup, your missing your best Defensive End and your QB is banged up pretty bad and you damn near pull it out when you are down by 14 in someone elses building.  

 Chalk it up to Tim Tebow and the Broncos played the game they needed to, to win, The Steelers simply didn’t.  

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Ike Redman, He needed to play big yesterday and he did it! Also Considered: NO ONE, seriously it was rough. 

Where I watched the game: Finished out the string at KGB’s with my kids who were crushed by the loss. I made sausage and peppers and we had a ton of food as usual. It was my home base this season for most games and I will miss it next year when we move on! The Beer of choice was IC Light. 

My thoughts on Next Week: I AM GOING TO MISS THE STEELERS! I will be pulling for the NY Giants over the Packers and the Broncos over the Evil Patriots!

FROM THE DESK OF TOM JANICKI, BEER WE GO, PRESIDENT AND CEO

Yet again, I must say, we as Steelers Fans are SPOILED to the core!!  I, for one, do not take this, or any of the other Steelers teams in my lifetime, for granted.  We are in a golden age of fandom and it’s time for another deep playoff run.  To put a quick perspective in, The Pitt Panthers football program (playing tomorrow in the Compass bowl as they need to find direction but I will be the first to back the hiring of Chryst, he will bring respectability back to the program) has had more Head Coaches in the past year than the Pittsburgh Steelers have had in over 4 decades.  That is stability in an age of quick firings and we must stand up and applaud the Rooney’s for their eye for talent in the front office!!

I have so much on my mind heading into this wild card weekend and I just hope that I can get it all out onto this post…First off the opponent this week, the Denver Tebowcos.  I would be the first to say that the guy, Tim Tebow the person is a breath of fresh air as far as his morality and ability to be humble and deflect all the praise that is directed at him.  He is a true competitor and has proved to have a champions heart and has that special something to lead when all hope seems to be lost.  But COM’N MAN!!  Enough is Enough!!  Mark my words, He is not a starting QB in the NFL for long.  He is Milli Vanilli, Sugar Ray and Bobbie McFarren all rolled into one.  The guy can not play QB in the NFL.  Period.  The fact that he gets credit when Matt Prater kicks record breaking clutch kicks is ridiculous.  Does anybody else see his completion percentage?  He did not turn this team around, his team turned this team around.  The guy has Moxie, I’ll give him that but a QB in the NFL, I just don’t see it.  Great vision and power when running the football but the guy can’t pass.  I cringed every time this year that Tim Tebow was given credit for the Denver Broncos success.  He was a part of the equation, but there was a lot of guys that stepped up just as much if not that was shadowed by the phenomenon and polarization of Tim Tebow.  To tie this together I have a trivia question to share:

There are (2) Starting QB in the Super Bowl era that have a higher winning percentage than Big Ben with more than 10 games played.  Name them?  A hint, the answer is not Tim Tebow.  Just for statistical purposes, Ben is 10-3 in the playoffs when starting for a winning percentage of .769.  What I have to say to that, Big Ben is great and I wouldn’t trade him for anybody at this stage in his career (This man is flat TOUGH AS NAILS) but I feel as though QB’s get entirely to much credit for team success.  Another trivia question; There are only 5 starting QB’s (6 after this season) in the Super Bowl era with more wins than Brett Favre has losses (11).  Peyton Manning has 10 losses in the playoffs and these are two first ballot Hall of Famers.  Great QB’s, tough competition; tough to win in the playoffs but one man can not win playoff game.  These games are won and lost by all three phases of the game, an entire team effort (in most cases).  I understand that QB’s direct the ship, lead the team in battle and for argument sake are the only players judged for team success and failure but I feel that a lot more went into Big Ben going 10-3 in the playoffs than Big Ben’s performance.  (refer to a previous post titled All Merril Hoge team or our unsung performers).  With that said, match-ups favor our Steelers in most cases.  Our Defense will Execute.  Our Offense will Execute.  Our Special Teams will Execute.  The Denver Tebowos will be ousted and Executed.  Better luck next year Tim, you had a memorable run that will end on Sunday.  Fear the Beard Timmy.  You are now out of your league.  The Black and Gold will catch their stride and swag inDenver and we will be rolling!!

I can feel it coming in the air tonight!!  One step at a time and the first step will be taken in mile high altitude. 

 Beer We Go Steelers Beer We Go!!

This guy I met told me he loves Tim Tebow but likes the Steelers better:

Maurkice Pouncey is most likely out for Sunday. Pouncey has aggravated his left ankle and will be out for sundays game. Doug Legursky will be back at Center and that opens up the door for Trai Essex at left guard or Chris K. Either way it is a big loss going into the playoffs. The offensive line has not started the same five guys more than two weeks in a row.

We are asking everyone to say a prayer for Kirby Wilson, Steelers running back coach. Mr. Wilson was injured “seriously” in a fire and has burns on 30 percent to 50 percent of his body, and the injuries are considered serious but not life threatening.

Here is an excerpt from the Steelers Media Guide:

Kirby Wilson is in his fifth season as the Steelers’ running backs coach.
Wilson, who was hired on Jan. 29, 2007, came to Pittsburgh with 19 years of
coaching experience at both the collegiate and professional levels.

Wilson, 49, carried the momentum into 2010 as Rashard Mendenhall set a
career-high 1,273 rushing yards, ranking him seventh in the NFL and marked his
second consecutive season with over 1,000 yards on the ground. Mendenhall had
three 100-yard games and a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns.

In 2009, Wilson was instrumental in Mendenhall’s breakout season as he posted
his first career 1,000-yard rushing season with 1,108 yards on the year. He rushed
242 times with a team-high seven rushing touchdowns. In 2007, Wilson helped
Willie Parker earn his second consecutive Pro Bowl and led the NFL in rushing
through the first 16 weeks before he broke his leg in the second-to-last game of
the season.

Prior to the Steelers, Wilson coached the running backs for the Arizona Cardinals
(2004-06) after spending two seasons as running backs coach with the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers (2002-03).