Beer We Go Steelers

After their best performance of the season last week, the Steelers faded in the second half and now any talk of the playoffs is all but a dream. The Steelers fell apart and self-destructed, dropping a must win to the Bengals. It is fair to say that this team is still very much a work in progress on all three phases of the game.

Despite missing Ja’Marr Chase and not having Joe Mixon for most of the games the Bengals put up 37 points against the Steelers, the season worst. Tee Higgins torched the Steelers secondary for 148 yards and was open on nearly every play he was targeted. Samaje Perine ran over Robert Spillane for a touchdown catch and added two more. The Steelers defense all but disappeared in the second half.

Despite two turnovers, Joe Burrow was able to pass for 355 yards with four total touchdown passes. The pass rush was non-existent for the most part and the defense struggled in key situations to make stops when needed. The secondary just doesn’t match up when there is not a consistent pass rush. The defense limited the Bengals running game, but it wasn’t enough to stop a 37-point onslaught, with the Bengals scoring twenty in the second half.

The offense is boring and predictable. Kenny Pickett for the second week in a row had zero turnovers and played a great first half, but as the protection broke down, he became limited and missed some big throws. He had a respectable line, but his second half was terrible going 9 for 23 for only 124 yards, with 70+ of those coming on a late garbage time drive. Overall Pickett continued his evolution though and he finished with 265 yards and a touchdown.

The running game also showed some signs of life. Najee Harris grinded out 90-Yards on the ground including two touchdowns. Once Mason Cole was injured at the end of the first half, a fact that the TV crew completely missed, the running game found tough sledding for the Steelers, they gained only 31 yards. The protection also struggled without Cole.

The offensive line was strong for the first half, but as is the common theme, fell apart in the second half. Dan Moore Jr. got nailed for a holding call and J.C. Hassenauer was called for an illegal man downfield play, that could have been called on half the offensive line after a botched draw play between Pickett and Harris. It appeared the only person in the Stadium that didn’t know it was a draw play was Harris. The line also surrendered two sacks one of which was the backbreaker on a drive the Steelers imploded on when trailing by four with excellent field position.

George Pickens had a tremendous circus catch and led the team in yards 83 on four catches. Pat Freiermuth led the team with eight catches. The much-maligned Gunner Olszewski had a nifty catch on the last drive that setup the touchdown. Diontae Johnson was a non-factor in the game. With little time to throw, Pickett is forced to use checkdowns.

Once again, the special teams was a mixed bag. Steven Sims had some nice returns on kickoffs but stunk up the stadium on punt returns. He muffed a punt that setup a Bengals first score of the game. He also caught a punt inside the five in the second half, that set the Bengals up when the Steelers went three and out. Matthew Wright recovered from last weeks disaster and hit all three of his field goal tries. It was a nice performance by Pressley Harvin III who booted six punts including a 56-yard boomer!

It is hard not to paint the coaches in a poor light here. First the offense absolutely stunk in the second half and the defense completely wore down from being on the field so much. The Bengals made the second half adjustments, and the Steelers didn’t. It is that simple. They continue to make silly mistakes that crush any kind of momentum.

This team has flashes of brilliance, but it is a work in progress, it looks like that work will take to long to salvage this season.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Cam Heyward, his stat line was solid, but it is more than that, it was nice to see him not being doubled and tripled team all day, Honorable Mention: Najee Harris has 90 yards on the ground and made some nice plays in the running game. George Pickens who is starting to flash big play ability every week now.

Beer of the Game: IC Light that we brought back from Pittsburgh!

“Steel the Snacks”: We opted against Skyline Chile and Hot Dogs for a more Sunday like Meatball and Calabrese Sauce Sunday Dinner. The meatballs were great and the sauce had a nice kick to it.

My Stat of the week:  Samaje Perine scored with three touchdown catches, the most in Cincinnati Bengals history. That tells the whole story of why this was such a frustrating game to watch.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers absolutely need to beat the Colts and have all the tools to do it. The question is can they limit the mistakes they make.

Jersey of the Week: Jack Lambert, #58 Home Black, same as last week, this is technically not a throwback because this is my actual jersey, I bought several years ago. I also wore Lambert socks for the game.

For one glorious weekend all seemed right in the world of the Pittsburgh Steelers as they, as they played great defense had a solid running game and a quarterback who protected the football. Of course to make it a true Steelers vintage win the special teams were lousy!

Sorry we missed this week, we will fill in for the compilation at the end of the season.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Going with Najee Harris who had 99 yards and was reliable in the running game, Honorable Mention: T.J. Watt the stat line wasn’t there, but his presence was immeasurable.

Beer of the Game: IC Light of course at the Terrible Bra and Grille Tailgate!

“Steel the Snacks”: Since we were at Acrisure Stadium, we didn’t “steel” the snacks, although I would love to see what KGB could come up with for New Orleans!

My Stat of the week:  The Steelers banged out 217 yards on the ground the highest total this season. They are finally beginning to get some semblance of a running game. Also considered Mike Tomlin finally gets his first career victory over the New Orleans Saints. On a personal note this is the third time I have seen the Saints in Pittsburgh! The Steelers stand 2-1.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers will be at full strength for their showdown with the Bengals. The Bengals need this as a must win and this is where they made their move last season.

Jersey of the Week: Mean Joe Green, #75 Home Black, It is technically not a throwback because I got it when it was still the actual jersey! It is my “Gamer” the one I wear to 90% of the games we attend!

It was an ugly game all around and once again it came down to making plays and executing and the Steelers did neither, getting demolished by their cross-state rival Philadelphia Eagles. Changes need to be made all around, but at the end of the day, it is the complete and total lack of any kind of execution that is frustrating to watch.

The Steelers offense was once again absent and struggling. They mustered just one touchdown on a great play by Chase Claypool but other than that there was not much to write about on a dismal day that saw no room to run, no way to pass and no push up front.

Kenny Pickett is playing like a struggling rookie, while there are always flashes of brilliance in every game, he continues to make costly and crucial mistakes. Pickett finished 25 for 38 for 191 yards with no touchdowns a lost fumbled that all but sealed the loss and of course the now ceremonial fourth quarter pick when the Steelers are driving. Not that it mattered in this game, but it would have at least provided some spark. The offensive line had their worst game of the season regarding protection, with Pickett getting dumped six times. Once again penalties plagued the unit, with two illegal formations and of course an illegal man downfield penalty, which happens every game now.

The running game is non-existent for the third straight season. What has happened to Najee Harris? Too much dancing and not enough smashing, despite opportunities he is not capitalizing, and his season must be considered a huge disappointment at this point. He finished with 32 yards on eight carries and led the team in catches with six, but he made a crucial mistake on a catch that cost the Steelers a first down. Jaylen Warren was somewhat of a bright spot banging out 50 yards on only eight carries.

The lack of production by the Wide Receivers is mind boggling. The talent in this group is limitless and deep, but once again just doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. George Pickens was shutout although he made a catch that Coach Tomlin failed to challenge. Diontae Johnson had five catches for 35 yards. Chase Claypool had the longest catch of the season for 25 yards and he combined with Pat Frieiermuth for eight catches and 102 yards between them.

The defense has not come up with any timely plays this season and Sunday’s game epitomized that. Minkah Fitzpatrick missed an almost guaranteed interception on the Eagles first touchdown of the game. That put the Steelers down by seven. Ahkello Witherspoon looked very rusty in his return, he was victimized by A.J. Brown for two big scores. He was eventually replaced in the second half by James Pierre.

The front seven put in a respectable if not mediocre performance. Malik Reed, finally had his first sack as did recently brought up Carlos Davis. The pass rush though is always a step too slow and Alex Highsmith and Cam Heyward consistently draw the double team. Even the blitz is not working on big downs. The Steelers bottled up the running game for the most part, but Miles Sanders made every play he needed to in the game and finished with 78 yards on only nine carries.

The Special teams had a newcomer this week, Nick Sciba the most accurate kicker in NCAA history. He converted both of his field goal chances and his extra point try, but it is clear why he isn’t in the NFL, his kickoffs are awful, and he even booted one out of bounds. Pressley Harvin had an improved game including a 55-yard bomb. Steven Sims didn’t really contribute and the coverages and returns were okay, but of course racked up a holding call as well as an illegal formation.

The coaching staff had another rough game. Coach Tomlin missed a clear winnable challenge on a catch by George Pickens, he also opted for the Field Goal when the Steelers trailed by 18, while that was mathematically correct, you can feel at that point there was no longer a chance to win the game. Teryl Austin didn’t make the needed adjustments and even with a respectable performance up front, gave up way too many big plays. At this point how much worse can this offense get. They lead the league in three and outs and a successful running game is a distant memory.  Despite having big splash receivers, they never throw downfield. That is partially a rookie quarterback issue, it is partially the worst offensive line in the leagues fault.

The Steelers head into a much needed by week, looking for something to salvage this disastrous season.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Seriously hard to give it to anyone, the performance was that bad, Honorable Mention: Carlos Davis for his first sack and Nick Sciba going three for three on his professional NFL kicking debut.

Beer of the Game: Broke out some Sam Adams Winter which was outstanding as usual, while it didn’t produce any Steelers results.

“Steel the Snacks”: Classic Philadelphia Cheesesteak. They were homemade and the steak was a boneless sirloin pan fried and cooked by KGB and shaved down and then cooked with the peppers (Yes we use peppers) and onions with Provolone.

My Stat of the week:  Six sacks, by the Eagles defense, I have said it before and will continue to say it, I was worried putting Pickett behind this line, he is absolutely getting creamed as predicted. Also, Pickett now has thrown EIGHT interceptions in 165 attempts, that is just too many mistakes.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers head into a much needed by week, the season is all but over, however there is still much to play for!

Jersey of the Week: We had to go to a memorial service in the morning, so no jersey this week. For the game rocked the new BWG shirt.

The Steelers made a second half comeback but came up short losing to the Miami Dolphins 16-10 and falling to 2-5 on the year.

It was a tale of two halves for the defense, who looked completely overmatched in the first three drives, but eventually settled in and were able to shutout the returning Tua Tagovailoa in the second half. The defensive line were able to make adjustments led by Larry Ogunjobi and were able to stop the run. Cam Heyward chipped in with five tackles.

The secondary after consistently getting torched over the middle this season made the necessary adjustments and held the Dolphins passing game down. It was a great effort by Terrell Edmunds who played well in both coverage and stopping the run, he chipped in with five tackles and played nearly every snap on defense. Arthur Maulet struggled in coverage once again, but he was backed up nicely by Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Cam Sutton played well but dropped a key interception as did Levi Wallace. The Steelers dropped three potential interceptions. (Fitzpatrick was the other) Two of the drops would loom very large as the Dolphins were able to convert two field goals.

The pass rush was horrible and for the first time since week three last year were held without a sack. Malik Reed has been a thorough disappointment and Alex Highsmith was a step behind all game. Tagovailoa’s mobility played a role, but lack of pass rush was a factor all night. Devin Bush played well in coverage and helped clog the passes over the middle, Myles Jack led the team in tackles. Robert Spillane contributed on third downs.

The offense is a mess right now and inconsistent. As predicted Kenny Pickett is going through major growing pains and while he shows flashes of brilliance, he often makes critical mistakes, like two interceptions in the last five minutes of the game. Pickett had 257 Yards and a touchdown, was picked off three times. He also contributed 20 yards on the ground, and he looked like he could have picked up a big chunk on the last play of the game, if he tucked it and ran.

The offensive line did better in protection and is starting to gel, but it continues to be a work in progress. The penalties are killing drives and they still have not opened any big running lanes. Dan Moore’s killer holding penalty late in the game led to Pickett’s second interception. They also seem to struggle with any of the RPO plays with men down field. The running game made the most of the opportunities, Najee Harris had 65 yards on the ground. The Steelers still can’t run the ball consistently.

The receivers are very talented but struggle getting down field. Pat Freiermuth led the team with eight catches. George Pickens chipped in with six and his first career touchdown, a nifty tight coverage catch. Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson each had five catches. Johnson’s touchdown drought continues.

The special teams are literally the same story every week. Chris Boswell is great and an awesome weapon, the return game is mediocre, the coverage units have one or two lapses a game, Pressley Harvin is ridiculously inconsistent. Harvin booted a 57-Yarder Sunday but shanked two others, including at the end of the half that led to the Dolphins last points.

Coaching once again struggled with the clock, losing a timeout because of a personnel issue. They deserve credit because they made half time adjustments after getting ripped for chunks of yards in the first quarter. The defense played great in the second half despite having little to no pass rush. Matt Canada needs to get more out of a very talented personnel group.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: He dropped a big interception, but I am going with the Steelers unsung hero, Terrell Edmunds, who made several second half adjustments and played well. He is tough as they come and has been an anchor for the Steelers secondary. Also Considered: Devin Bush and Myles Jack who are starting to gel together.

Beer of the Game: So much like the Steelers offense, Beers were non-existent last night! We had just returned from being overseas and have been battling jet lag.

“Steel the Snacks”: KGB is going with a Miami favorite, Cuban Sandwiches, because of several factors we were unable to have snacks during the game, we will be having tonight! We picked on some leftover Chicken and pasta salad.

My Stat of the week:  Zero sacks, which last happened week three last season and hadn’t happened since the 2016 season before that. The pass rush is non-existent without T.J. Watt. Also, three dropped interceptions (two of which were converted to six points in the game) The Dolphins had picked off Kenny Pickett three times including a two-toe touch backbreaker to end the Steelers final drive by Noah Igbinoghene.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers are in deep trouble against the tough undefeated interstate rival Eagles club. The Steelers need to continue to evolve the defensive strategy and they have the tools to pull an upset but will need to play much better and more consistent football.

Jersey of the Week: Home Black #52 Mike Webster, I have been mistaken a few times for Iron Mike’s son Garrett, love this jersey and was hoping it would bring luck.

Steelers break 4 Game losing streak! 

Hi everyone! Little Miss Tailgate is back for another week! Still taking over the blog this week as KGB and BWG are still on vacation and this week I am happy to recap a Steelers win this week! 

This game was a good one to watch. Last week, I said I believe in this team and hope we turn it around. Yesterday’s game proved just that. There were only minimal mistakes by the offense and defense and everyone had a great game. This is definitely not the same team that got taken down by the Bills the week prior. Statistically, the Bucs put up a better number, but ultimately we played better. Overall, great work by the offense and defense this game. 

Last week, I said many times that the defense in abysmal and that we needed to get back to the basics before taking on a tough team like the Buccaneers. This week, they did just that. We had many crucial third-down stops to help us win the game. Everyone played a key part in this week’s game. We had good coverage on the Buccaneers’ receivers and a great defensive line that was able to stop many third and fourth-down conversions. Devin Bush also played a key part in the defense this week as he was a key player in stopping a 2-point conversion by the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter to tie the game. 

The offense also had an impressive week. Our star receivers this week had to be Chase Claypool and Dionte Johnson. This season we haven’t heard much from Claypool. He hasn’t stuck out as much this season compared to Dionte Johnson or George Pickens. Claypool had multiple third and fourth-down conversions across all four quarters sling with Dionte Johnson. Claypool hit 7/7 targets for 96 yards throughout the game with one touchdown. Dionte Johnson was a close second behind hitting 5/7 targets for 28 yards. Najee Harris also had a great game as he went 2/3 for seven yards and one touchdown. With Kenny Pickett getting a concussion in the middle of the third quarter, Mitch Trubisky stepped in to end the game. Trusbisky had 144 yards for one touchdown. 

Words can’t describe how happy I am with this win. I believe this was a big win for us and hopefully pulls us out of this rut we are in. However, next week is going to be no walk in the park. Miami is going to be a tough opponent to beat but my faith in this team still remains and my hope is that this team will improve and keep this momentum going. 

It has been a pleasure these past two weeks filling in for BWG and I am honored to have recapped these games for you all. Until next time! 

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO! 

• Little Miss Tailgate

My “GAME BEER” goes to: It’s going to have to be Chase Claypool. He had quite the game hitting all his intended catches and making many third-down conversions advancing for first downs throughout the game. Dionte Johnson was also considered for this as he had an impressive game as well. 

Beer of the Game: Unfortunately, I didn’t watch the game in real-time due to some school conflicts but when I did watch the game afterward, I had a Bud Light. 

Where I watched the game: This week, I watched it at my friend’s apartment with my friend group. 

“Steel the Snacks”: We usually order pizza on Sunday’s but this week we got taco bell. Don’t worry KGB’s themed snacks are coming back next week!

My Stat of the week: Going into the game this week, none of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receivers had scored a touchdown; this was the franchise’s longest dry spell since 1990.

My Thoughts on next week: Next week still won’t be an easy one. With Tua Tagovailoa slated to start in next’s week primetime game, we have to be at our best across the board. We played well this week and now we have to continue that into next weeks game. With that being said, I think we can pull out a win next week.  

Hi everyone! Little Miss Tailgate here stepping in for this week’s post while BWG and KGB are off on vacation for the next two games. I am very excited to write my first official blog post that doesn’t relate to our annual trip in November!

BWG and KGB sure did pick a great week to go on vacation. I think I can confidently say on behalf of Steeler fans nationwide, this was a tough game to watch. Watching the Steelers fall 38-3 against the Bills was a painful sight to see. We made countless costly errors throughout the game from all departments.

Kenny Pickett makes his first professional start as a Quarterback in the NFL this week and made costly errors throughout all 4 quarters. However, he did throw for 327 yards. In my opinion, Pickett’s first start was spoiled by Josh Allen and the Bills. Overall, his performance wasn’t great but in his defense, he is a rookie Quarterback facing one of the best teams in the league.

Overall, our offense was subpar this week. Our offensive line hasn’t done a great job blocking this season and hasn’t been consistent. Pickett was sacked three times throughout the game which isn’t positive. Out of all the receivers, George Pickens was really one of the only notable standouts for having a good game. Chase Claypool, Dionte Johnson, and Tight End Pat Freiermuth also had good games, as they had key plays to advance the offense down the field. Ultimately, Pickens hit six out of eight total receptions with 83 yards for the whole game.

Under the leadership of the former quarterback coach turned offensive coordinator Matt Canada, the offense is deteriorating. As mentioned earlier, the offensive line hasn’t been consistent in blocking and the plays being called have been horrendous. Our coveted screen-plays haven’t fooled any team this season and ultimately we aren’t advancing down the field as we should be. Honestly, we just need better plays. The offense hasn’t been great with converting to first downs on 3rd and short plays either. 

This defense is just overall abysmal. Our coverage just isn’t there. Specifically, this week, our defense looked very off. No one was tackling or covering receivers. The defense made costly errors. The only two notable plays from this defense were the fumble recovery toward the end of the third quarter and Levi Wallace’s interception in the second quarter. What this defense need is to go back to the basics. We need to focus on tackling and just maintaining good coverage on the receivers. This could be because we just finished our fourth consecutive week without TJ Watt. Since TJ Watt was drafted in 2017, when TJ Watt was absent the Steelers have gone 0-7. The bottom line, we need TJ Watt back ASAP considering our opponents in the following weeks. 

As someone who has a lot of hope, I still believe in this team. We still have time to turn it around. From here we have some tough opponents ahead. We need to be sharp, communicative, and on the same page going forward. In the past, we have been able to turn it around, so I have faith in this team despite the tough schedule going forward.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

–       Little Miss Tailgate

My “GAME BEER” goes to George Pickens. Despite a tough loss this week, he managed to hit six out of his eight targets and went for 83 yards in total leading all of our receivers this week. Also considered for this was Levi Wallace after he had an interception in the second quarter.

Beer of the Game: Unfortunately, because I was by myself, I didn’t have a beer this week. 

Where I watched the game: This week I watched from my room in my apartment because my friends were busy during game time. However, I usually watch the game at my friend’s apartment on Sundays.   

“Steel the Snacks”: I had some of my Black and White cookies sent by KGB last week. While I’m at school, this is probably the toughest part to read for the blog since KGB makes amazing snacks and well, I’m jealous that I can’t have any. However, with KGB away, there are no exciting snacks to report.  

My Stat of the week: Josh Allen had a whopping total of 424 yards for the entirety of the game. This is the most yards the Steelers have surrendered since Week 9 of 2013 against Tom Brady. On a more positive note, Kenny Pickett threw for 327 yards which is the most by any Steelers quarterback in their first career start in history. 

My Thoughts on next week: Next week is going to be no walk in the park. The Buccaneers have a tough defense and offense. We must be sharp and at our best, if we want to come out of this with a win. It’s going to be a tough battle to fight next week and we’re just getting started.

The long awaited debut of Kenny Pickett was foiled by costly mistakes and a sagging fourth quarter defense, leading to another Steeler loss as they blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead. The inability to make any kind of adjustments and execute derailed the game.

Every unit has had ups and downs this season and this game was defined by that. The offense got the much-anticipated Kenny Pickett sighting they had been waiting for and he nearly pulled off some magic. He sparked the offense but two very big turnovers and one meaningless one, defined the day. Pickett finished 10-13 for 120 Yards with two rushing touchdowns and three interceptions. Trubisky was 7/13 for 84 yards before he was pulled out of the game.

The offensive line finally created running room for Najee Harris, they had 119 yards on the ground with Harris accounting for 74 of them. The pass protection was suspect though, and they had a hard time in pass protection against the Jets’ edge rushers. The interior line also accounted for two costly penalties that derailed two first half drives.

George Pickens was a bright spot; he was second on the team with six catches and had the first 100+ yard game of his career. Pat Freiermuth led the team with seven catches, but his failure to pull in an errant Kenny Pickett throw was the backbreaker towards the end of the game. Diontae Johnson was quiet most of the game.

The defense played well for the majority of the game, but once again faded down the stretch. The run defense held New York to under 100 yards but faltered late as the Jets’ put together two very big drives to capture the win. The pass rush has all but disappeared without T.J. Watt. Despite playing against a patchwork banged up line, the Steelers recorded only one sack. Alex Highsmith had the sack and should have had two more, but he was unable to wrap Zach Wilson. Despite playing against a fourth string offensive tackle, Malik Reed was nearly shutout and has been a disappointment, generating little to no pressure.

The defensive line is solid but needs someone else to step up. Cam Heyward gets doubled and tripled team most of the game now and it is frustrating at how they are unable to make anything out of that.

The secondary failed to make any adjustments and were torched over the middle by Corey Davis. Cam Sutton and Minkah Fitzpatrick both chipped in with interceptions but losing Terrell Edmunds late in the game proved costly as the Steelers couldn’t get off the field on third down.

The special teams are the same thing every week. You can reread the previous two weeks and it will seem eerily familiar. Chris Boswell is outstanding and had a monster day with a historic field goal; a 59-yarder, the longest in the Stadium’s history. But Pressley Harvin III once again struggled and average only 39.5 yards per punt. The Gunner Olszewski era will be over soon as Calvin Austin III is back or someone else steps up. Olszewski fumbled for the second week in a row and made another bonehead play that cost the Steelers 10 yards in field position. He was called out specifically by Mike Tomlin during his weekly press conference.

The Coaching was awful yet again. The offensive game plan was unimaginative and far too conservative, as it has been in the Canada era. As for the defense, how do the Steelers consistently get torched over the middle, especially against a very beatable New York Jets offense. Mike Tomlin needs someone else to decide when to challenge and when not to, he lost yet another challenge that cost the Steelers and important first down. Not sure how they bungled the time again at the end of the first half. The only upside was the Jets’ had a roughing call that setup the Boswell boot.

This team has so much potential, but they make so many costly mistakes and fail to execute when they need to make plays. The schedule only gets harder from here.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Has to be Kenny Pickett, yes, he made mistakes, yes, I was against this, especially this early in the year, but the difference in the game’s energy was palpable and one thing that was certain, the moment didn’t look to big for him. Also considered; Chris Boswell who bombed a 59-Yard Field Goal to end the first half, the longest kick in the history of Acrisure/Heinz Field history. Minkah Fitzpatrick, who grabbed his third interception of the season.

Beer of the Game: Since it is Hispanic heritage month, I went with Modello, KGB went Corona, and Dante did A&W Root Beer.

“Steel the Snacks”: We are native New Yorkers, this was our easiest, but one of our best weeks, we did Knishes and Pastrami sandwiches with Provolone, with spicy New York mustard! It was a great job by KGB, one thing of note, the snacks didn’t bring their usual good luck.

My Stat of the week:  The Steelers now lead the league in most three and outs with 12 after Sunday’s embarrassing loss. For the second year in a row the Steelers fall to 1-3 to start the year. On a positive note, Chris Boswell booted the longest field goal in the stadiums history and Kenny Pickett is the first NFL quarterback in the modern era to rush for two touchdowns in his debut.

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers head up to Buffalo against arguably the best team in the AFC. The Steelers won their matchup last year. It will be interesting to see what Kenny Pickett does with a full game of football. One thing, this team can win if they execute, the question is will they?

On a short week, it was a rough night for the Steelers as they were basically pushed around by the Cleveland Browns. After sweeping the series last year, the Browns got some much-needed revenge leaving both teams at 1-2.

The loss really sits on the the coaching staff. They had a rough night. Time management has been a Tomlin era problem and last night it was absolutely brutal. The Steelers wasted two valuable timeouts in the first half, that they could have used on the last drive of the first half to extend their lead, instead they went off without points. The Steelers down by two scores with 4:26 left opted to punt. The Browns were able to drain a portion of the clock and didn’t give the Steelers time to work. Teryl Austin’s defense had no answers for plays over the middle and struggled with the pass rush. Matt Canada’s play calling was horrendous as has been the through his entire tenure.

The offense did show signs of life but continued to fail in executing any kind of sustained play. The Steelers were atrocious on third down efficiency going only 1-9 and the play calling is baffling to frustrating on any given series. Mitch Trubisky is going to get roasted in the press this week and his play was less than stellar. He was not the reason though the Steelers struggled, he executed and was the victim of some dropped passes. He finished with 207 yards and no turnovers. The offensive line which has been in rebuilding mode, is starting to come together and the run blocking was improved. But a costly mistake by Chuks Okorafor negated a long pickup, he compounded it by dropping a WWE splash on Cleveland’s linebacker Anthony Walker, Jr., who was forced to leave the game.

The Steelers rushed for 100+ yards for the first time this season and Najee Harris led the team with 56 very hard-fought yards. Jaylen Warren contributed with 30 yards and despite almost losing a fumble, was a bright spot. Diontae Johnson led the team in catches with eight for 84 yards. George Pickens had a highlight reel catch and pitched in with 39 yards. It is clear the offense has playmakers but the game plan was awful and disjointed.

With a series of three and outs by the offense, the defense just wore down. The run defense came apart at the end after holding strong for three quarters. Cleveland banged out 171 yards on the ground, with 48 coming as part of an 11 play 80-yard drive. Nick Chubb led the way with 113 yards, the majority coming in the second half.

It is clear without T.J. Watt the Steelers pass rush has been non-existent, this gave Jacoby Brissett plenty of time to pick apart the secondary. David Njoku and Amari Cooper combined for 190 yards and 16 catches, they also had three key drops, so the numbers could have been worse. Akhello Witherspoon struggled in coverage as did Terrell Edmunds. Alex Highsmith got on the board with a late sack, combined with Malik Reed though, they never generated any kind of pass rush.

After a stellar first week, the special teams again hurt the Steelers for the second week in a row. Gunner Olszewski struggled with the return game. Chris Boswell missed a field goal, although to be fair it was a wind issue not a Bos issue. The onside kick try was valiant but as is always the theme with special teams, completely undisciplined.

It was a tough loss, but one thing to be optimistic about, there is something here. The Steelers have what they need to be successful, the question is can the coaching staff do what is needed to execute.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Dan Moore, who all but shutout Myles Garret, he had help but his development continues, and this was a big step forward. Also considered; Myles Jack, he hung in there for the whole game and played tough, he has the potential to be a Pittsburgh folk hero. Cam Heyward is everything a Steelers should be, he ate about 15 double teams last night.

Beer of the Game: Being back at the house, went back to IC Light for me, KGB went Bud Light lime again, and Dante did A&W Root Beer. Tried to catch the first week magic, clearly it didn’t work.

“Steel the Snacks”: KGB made Cleveland Po-boys, complete with Kielbasa, Fries our family Cole Slaw recipe on a pretzel role, we did them as dinner because of the night game.  I might make it breakfast as I write this, going to throw a fried egg on it to make it legit.

My Stat of the week:  Trying to lighten up the mood here, how about 21 Coaches for the Cleveland Browns against three coaches for the Steelers since 1969! Keep in mind that the Browns left the league after 1995 and returned in 1999. Cleveland turnover is the most in the NFL in that time period, even with missing 1996-1998.  Fun fact that I always knew but I guess never thought about, two of the three coaches played for the Brown. (Noll and Cowher)

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers will have time to recover and get back on track. The Jets are no longer a guaranteed win, and they will be tough. The Steelers are ready to bust out, perhaps the Jets are the team to do it against.

The Steelers dropped another to the New England Patriots in a poor performance on both sides of the ball. The game had a malaise and the Patriots picked up all the big plays when the Steelers couldn’t. 

The chants for Kenny Pickett have already started and Mitch Trubisky had his first bad day as a Steeler. He went 21-33 for 168 yards with a touchdown and a brutal interception. Despite having a great cast of playmakers Matt Canada has kept the offense shackled.

The defense couldn’t pressure Mac Jones and the front struggled to stop the rush. The Patriots took the air out of the ball and were able to run out the final 6:33 of the game.

After a great week, the special teams fell back into old issues. Gunner Olszewski muffed a punt and it setup a Patriots touchdown drive. The kickoff coverage team had a terrible day and surrendered over 85 yards.

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!   

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Not a lot of bright spots, but Myles Jack had double digit tackles for the second week in a row and he has the Steelers attitude you want to see. Also Considered: “Little Bos” Chris Boswell who hammered both his kicks including a 52 yarder.

Beer of the Game: Miller Light for me at the West Side Sports Bar and Grill in Saratoga and I had to watch the game on the app, KGB did Bud Light lime, and Dante did A&W Root Beer.

“Steel the Snacks”: So being out of town for business made this a tough day for me, KGB kicked off the Steel the snacks tradition with New England Clam Chowder and New England Lobster rolls. Everything looked spectacular.

My Stat of the week:  Pretty simple, ZERO sacks without T.J. Watt. All the pressure the Steelers showed off week one, looks gone right now without Watt. It is a stark contrast.

My Thoughts on next week: It is two days from now, so not next week. The Browns are coming off a horrible and embarrassing loss to the Jets. They will be amped up pretty good and looking for revenge. This to me is the litmus test for the Steelers because this will tell us what the Steelers will be this year. I can discount the loss against the Patriots because Belichick seems to have Tomlin’s number. The other huge factor is the Steelers need to find a running game.

This week’s Jersey: This is tricky, I had a jersey ready to go, but because of several factors never got to wear it, going to save it for Thursday night football. I did wear the Beer We Go 2014.

Yesterday’s game was reminiscent to a great page turning novel, with well flushed out characters, tremendous storyline, each team’s Achilles heel being exposed, the loss of iconic people along the journey, and an epic unexpected finish. The Steelers went into the defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals home, pummeled them, and then out lasted them to hold onto victory on Kickoff weekend for the 2022-2023 NFL Season.

The victory comes at a heavy cost as the Steelers lost both Najee Harris and T.J. Watt during the game. Both players absence was felt during key moments of the waning seconds, but depth carried them through.

The mainstream press has been trying to create the narrative that the Steelers are no longer the bullies in the division. That didn’t ring true yesterday as the Steelers defense dominated the Bengals up front and hammered them all over the field. Joe Mixon coming off torching the Steelers last year, found very little room to run averaging 3-yards a carry and he was forced from the game. Joe Burrow passed for 338 yards but needed 53 attempts and an extra quarter, while he did look spectacular at times, he was clearly uncomfortable all day, turning the ball over a whopping five times, with four interceptions, and two fumbles. The Bengals recovered one but were taken out of game winning field goal range.

It always starts up front for the Steelers and their defensive line set the tone with a strong and at times dominating performance. They had consistent and strong push up front. Cam Heyward had four tackles and recovered one of the Burrow fumbles. He was in Burrow’s face all day. Larry Ogunjobi was a major factor against his former team. It was great to see Tyson Alualu back as he provided much need push and clogged the running lanes. The Linebackers had a monster day, T.J. Watt was his usual game changing self. Alex Highsmith had his best performance as a Steeler with nine tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble. Myles Jack did a great job as a run stuffer in the middle.

The secondary performed well led by Cam Sutton, Ahkello Witherspoon. Both managed interceptions as did Minkah Fitzpatrick who grabbed a pick six that got the Steelers on the board early. While his stats were not huge, Terrell Edmunds had a workman like game with six tackles and played almost every snap. The secondary chipped in with 14 tackles total and never allowed the Bengals to get off.

The Special Teams also was a big contributor to the victory. Chris Boswell hit the game winning field goal after nearly pulling it out with a 55-yard game winner earlier in the game. Bos was 3-4 on Field Goal tries and blasted a 53 to win the game. Pressley Harvin III had a good day punting and helped the Steelers with field position. The coverage teams were solid and new return man Gunner Olszewski chipped in with a 20-yard return, setting a short field for a scoring drive. Minkah Fitzpatrick made a game saving play when he blocked the extra point try. The Bengals backup long snapper Mitchell Wilcox was terrorized by the Steelers special teams.

The offense had an uneven performance at best. The problems from last season continued to plague the Black and Gold.

On the positive side, Mitch Trubisky had a good performance and did what he was called upon to do, he managed the game, and his mobility helped the Steelers stay active. He hit two clutch passes to Pat Freiermuth on the game winning drive and never turned the ball over. His longest pass was a catch and run to the big man Zach Gentry. Diontae Johnson led the team in catches but was relatively quiet most of the day. Rookie starter George Pickens didn’t have much of an impact.

The running game continues to be non-existent. There were no running lanes and the best the team could manage was a 15-yard end around by Chase Claypool. The line had no push and Najee Harris was injured during the game. Jaylen Warren looks like he will be fun to watch this season and he hit some great blocks, but his stat line was miniscule. The offensive line protected Trubisky with the only sack coming on a busted play, but they didn’t make any headway moving the ball on the ground.

The defensive coaching staff deserves credit for having the answers for Joe Burrow. He looked ordinary and confused for most of the game. Teryl Austin and Brian Flores executed a great game plan and Cincinnati took nearly three quarters to figure out anything of circumstance. The Steelers offense is still a work in progress, the management of the clock particularly at the end of the day was awful and they need to figure out a way to run the football without all the trickery. One thing though, the Steelers staff clearly out coached the Bengals staff, who made several questionable calls.

A victory is a victory and the Steelers get to be 1-0 without much of a performance from the offense and beat the AFC Champions.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!   

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Minkah Fitzpatrick, whose interception return for a touchdown set a defensive tone all day, he also had the game saving extra point block. Also Considered: Alex Highsmith, the “other’ Steelers Outside Linebacker was a force and hammered the Bengals all day!

Beer of the Game: IC Light for me, had to go classic, KGB did Bud Light lime, and Dante did A&W Root Beer.

“Steel the Snacks”: Later in the season we will do Coney’s and Skyline Chili for Cincinnati, we went with Primanti Brothers Sandwiches made by KGB. It was Corned Beef and Provolone.

My Stat of the week:  Seven sacks and four interceptions, Teryl Austin put together a vintage virtuoso Steelers game plan. The Steelers dominated up front and the Bengals, who ran all over Pittsburgh last time were completely stifled.

My Thoughts on next week: I always worry about the Patriots and next week will be no different, a wounded and down Patriots team is a scary team and the Steelers most likely will be without T.J. Watt and possibly Najee Harris. This is the most beatable Patriots team in the last ten years, the Steelers need to make a statement.

This week’s Jersey: Cameron Heyward, 97, Away Jersey, starting the year off with a new tradition and couldn’t think of a better person to start with.