Beer We Go Steelers

The Steelers regression continued Sunday with another lousy performance across all facets of the game losing to the Green Bay Packers 27-17 and falling to 1-3 on the season.

Before everyone buries Ben Roethlisberger, keep in mind that it all starts up front and the offensive line is awful. What has happened to this unit? Last year they couldn’t run the ball, but the protection was solid, this year they can’t do either. The line was absolutely wrecked against a respectable but non-dominant pass rush of the Packers, including watching Trai Turner getting clobbered into Roethlisberger for a strip sack. Dan Moore has played admirably but is clearly not the answer at Left Tackle. They had created early running lanes but being down, allowed the Packers to tee off. Najee Harris had a nice game and was playing well. He racked up 60+ yards on the ground but the Steelers abandoned the running game during the third quarter.

Ben Roethlisberger had a rough game, missing two wide open touchdown passes to JuJu Smith-Schuster. Roethlisberger was harassed all day and could never get set. He clearly is having issues with the lack of protection and had some drive killing miscues in the pass game. The play calling is unoriginal and seems hauntingly similar to last year. Once again, the Steelers faced crucial fourth down conversions, once again they threw short of the sticks and didn’t convert. James Washington and Diontae Johnson both had solid performances in a tough loss. But the offense is simply just a mess.

The defense even with the return of T.J. Watt had a mediocre day. If it all starts up front on offense, the same can be said of the defense, it is clear the Steelers front is missing Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu. Chris Wormley, Isaiah Buggs and Isiahh Loudermilk are not cutting it. The front was thrashed for 130+ yards on the ground. The pass rush was ineffective, T.J. Watt had trouble all game and was basically relegated as a non-factor, despite getting two sacks. Melvin Ingram and Alex Highsmith were also ineffective and were never a factor in the game. Devon Bush checked in with a sack but struggled in coverage.

The secondary without a pass rush, couldn’t hold up. Aaron Rogers carved up the Steelers for a tidy 248 yards but what was most disturbing was the inability to get off the field on third down. The Packers converted 60% of their third downs. The ineffective third down defense doomed any chance of a comeback.

The Special Teams had an uneven performance at best but there is some cause for optimism here. The good, Little Bos drilled a 52-yard field goal on wet grass, using the upright for an assist. Ray-Ray McCloud did a really nice job on returns. Christian Kuntz had a tackle and looks like a nice fit as the Long snapper. The bad; Pressley Harvin had a tough day, booting three punts including one for a paltry 20-yards, nearly guaranteeing a Packers score. Jordan Berry must be clearing his calendar. The Steelers were absolutely hosed by the referee on a blocked kick. Haden was clearly not offsides on the blocked field goal by Minkah Fitzpatrick and of course that isn’t a reviewable play.

The gameplan was terrible and one of Mike Tomlin’s achilleas heels is clock management. The Steelers were trailing by three scores and punted on fourth and short early in the fourth quarter. They also decided to kick deep despite the fact that the defense couldn’t get off the field all day. It sealed their fate. Matt Canada’s offense is strangely familiar to Randy Fichtner 2.0. There is little creativity and way too many pass plays. The Steelers need to figure out how to run the football and figure it out quickly. Forget the idea of Ben getting benched, he will undoubtedly get injured with the protection he is being afforded.

It is going to be a long season.

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Najee Harris, he had a very good game and again you can see what the Steelers see in him. He was for the most part the lone bright spot in the game. Also considered: Diontae Johnson who had nine catches for 93 yards.

Beer of the Game: Went with IC Light hoping to bring some luck…not so much. KGB went with Corona Light with a lime. D-man had A&W Root Beer!

“Steel the Snacks”: We went with traditional Beer Brats (Grilled) and homemade Cheese Curds made by KGB. Outstanding stuff, we will provide a photo gallery during the bye week of all the “Steel the Snacks”

My Stat of the week: Despite a loss and the mainstream media and fans calling for his head, Ben Roethlisberger racked up his 400^th Touchdown Pass in a Hall of Fame career. He is the eighth quarterback to do it. Roethlisberger is seventh all time with 61,149 career passing yards. Roethlisberger’s 170 total victories as a starter is fifth all-time, behind Brady (266 wins), Manning (200), Favre (199) and Brees (181). Between Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger the Steelers wandered the quarterback desert, remember that when asking for his benching.

My Thoughts on next week: This team looks extremely mechanical and unoriginal. They need much better play calling and need to get some help on the offensive line. They can pull this out, but need a much better game plan.

This week’s Jersey: “Steelhead” Heyward, 97, Away Jersey, Hoping to spark some pass rush, again clearly didn’t work.

The Steelers fell behind and then couldn’t comeback against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Steelers dropped an important division game against the AFC North perennial doormat Bengals. It was a tough loss and despite being only in three games so far, the media is writing the epitaph on Ben Roethlisberger.

I won’t do a full game report, because it is so late in the week. I was traveling for business so this will be abbreviated. Just to be clear, the only reason, is because I was traveling. It is not because the Steelers lost as one of our subscribers suggested.

What I would also point out, I expected to be 2-2 after four games. If the Steelers can salvage next week, they are right where we expected, albeit not how we expected it.

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Chris Boswell, who drilled the longest kick in the history of Heinz Field. Except for one season, he has been an absolute underappreciated star. Also Considered: Najee Harris who is starting to show signs of why he was a first round pick! Diontae Johnson pulling in 105 yards.

Beer of the Game: I was on the road, so I had a Sullivan Irish Red, real good beer. Because of timing, it was the first time I listened to a game on the radio without Tunch, it was definitely hard. Of course I love Wolf and Bill, but surely Tunch is missed. Tricky week for watching football for me, I was in Saratoga, for long time readers of the Blog, my go to bar was “The Stadium” it unfortunately looks like a victim of Covid. I had to watch in my Hotel on my Ipad.

“Steel the Snacks”: My wife KGB made Coney style dogs with Skyline Chili that looked fantastic. I was homesick for sure!

My Stat of the week: The Steelers NFL all-time leading sack streak finally ended; at 75 games! The Streak started in week 7 of the 2016 season. Keep in mind the Steelers were missing both Alex Highsmith and of course T.J. .

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers will be huge underdogs, originally, we were slated for the game, with Brother Bill and some friends, but Covid hindered the plan. I wouldn’t sleep on the Steelers just yet, especially if they get back T.J. and Diontae.

This week’s Jersey: JuJu Smith-Schuster, 19, Color Rush, clearly this didn’t bring any luck at all.

Another slow start and key injuries doomed the Steelers from the beginning as they fell to the Las Vegas Raiders 26-17 at the Heinz Field opener.

The day started off with key injuries and they only got worse as it progressed. Prior to the beginning of the game, the Steelers lost Devin Bush and Joe Haden, by half time they were down T.J. Watt and Tyson Alualu too and by the end of the game, it looks like they may be down Diontae Johnson. In the NFL it is next man up and everyone who filled in played admirably but losing four major impact players was too much to overcome.

The offense, particularly the offensive line is a mess right now. Ben Roethlisberger was under duress all day with 10 QB hurries and two sacks. There was no room to run the football and the Steelers only managed to grind out 39 yards. This played a huge factor in the fourth quarter when trailing by two scores, Mike Tomlin opted to punt rather than chance going for less than one yard on the Steelers side of the field. Adding insult to injury when the game was almost out of reach Trai Turner was ejected for spitting and fighting? Not sure how that could have been much worse. It was a lousy performance, capped off by a player being thrown out of the game, not a great week or look for the rebuilt line.

The play calling seems to be inconsistent and despite all this, Roethlisberger played fairly well. He finished with 295 yards with a touchdown and he was able to finally connect on a deep threat to Chase Claypool. Diontae Johnson led the receivers with nine catches and 105 yards. Najee Harris chipped in on the passing game with a big touchdown, the first of his career. There was not much else to highlight on the offense.

The defensive secondary got torched by Derek Carr who made every play he needed. He finished with 373 yards and two touchdowns, including completing a 61-yarder to Henry Scruggs III. With Minkah Fitzpatrick preoccupied with Darren Waller, Scruggs was able to score the back breaker. (The broadcast team was borderline obsessed with Waller, mentioning him on nearly every play) James Pierre had a tough day and was a frequent victim of Carr.

With Watt going out early and without Alualu, the pass rush slowed down significantly. Robert Spillane and Melvin Ingram both performed well and were all over the field as the majority replacements. Cameron Heyward had a big day, but the rest of the pass rush was just a step too slow or nonexistent in key crucial moments.

The special teams had another nice week. Chris Boswell hammered a 56-yard field goal and Pressley Harvin had a very good day flipping the field on the Raiders. Ray-Ray McCloud had some nice returns, with the only negative being he took a big penalty. Overall though this unit looks to be the most improved on the team.

The coaching staff had a tough day with clock management issues and a poor game plan. The play calling was inconsistent and awful for the most part, the fact the Steelers are trailing by two scores and don’t have any confidence in getting less than one yard is just plain terrible. It was a mistake by Tomlin not to go for it, but you could understand the thought process. The Steelers need to make some adjustments and figure out how to get the offense going. The defense wasn’t as bad as the stats indicated, they just seemed to wear down at the end of the game.

It was a tough loss, but there was bright spots and it would be a mistake to have any kind of freak out this early.

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Chris Boswell, who drilled the longest kick in the history of Heinz Field. Except for one season, he has been an absolute underappreciated star. Also Considered: Najee Harris who is starting to show signs of why he was a first round pick! Diontae Johnson pulling in 105 yards.

Beer of the Game: Was a little under the weather, so the Beer was Root Beer. Had A&W in a frosty mug! I know, this is a blog about sports and drinking beer, but wanted to be honest with the readers! BTW it was delicious.

“Steel the Snacks”: Awful Awful burger sliders from the now closed Nugget Diner in Nevada. My wife KGB recreated this classic in mini form. It was hard finding a definitive snack for the Raiders, especially now that they are in Nevada. We picked a Nevada classic the world famous Awful-Awful Burger.

My Stat of the week: Going with 1-1 a 56-yard field goal by Little Bos. He made history with the big boot and kept the Steelers in the game. (Najee Harris scoring what we hope will be the first of many touchdowns was also considered.)

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers need a win at home and the usual suspect Bengals will be there. The Bengals are dangerous and desperate. Look for a much tougher game than expected with the Steelers edging them out.

This week’s Jersey: Heath Miller, 83, Blackout jersey, one of my favorite players of all time and a very cool looking Jersey.

The Steelers came back and beat Buffalo to open the 2021 Season….

It wasn’t always pretty but in the end the Steelers started the season off right with a tough and hard-fought victory over AFC powerhouse Buffalo Bills, with a 17-point fourth quarter.  The defense was tough all game, the offense was a work in progress and in the end the special teams rebounded with the play of the game.

The front seven wreaked havoc all day, his numbers don’t show it, but Melvin Ingram was dominant and provided pressure all game, despite dealing with constant holding. Alex Highsmith also was tough, and his development continues, the numbers didn’t tell the story. Even without Stephon Tuitt, the defensive line had a great rotation and provided tremendous run support and pressure. Cam Heyward had a monster sack and kept a tough Josh Allen in place. Fresh off his new contract, T.J. Watt didn’t disappoint putting together two sacks a forced fumble, despite being double teamed all day. The refs literally could have called holding all day.

Except for one play, a 37-yard completion to Gabriel, the secondary blanketed the Bills and stayed consistent in coverage. Stephon Diggs never got off, Manny Sanders played well but was contained most of the day. Cam Sutton made the second biggest play of the game, sniffing out a big run on fourth down, tackling Matt Breida for a loss.

The biggest play of the game was authored on special teams by Miles Killebrew, blocking Matt Haack’s punt and allowing Ulysees Gilbert to recover for a touchdown. The play put the Steelers up by two scores with just under 10 minutes left. Chris Boswell put up a big day drilling three field goals, with the last one being the game clincher a 45-yarder with 2:42 left. Pressley Harvin III looked great at some points hitting a boomer for 51 yards and looked okay at others. After allowing a big opening play, the Special Teams adjusted nicely.

The offense is and looks like it will be a work in progress. The offensive line struggled to get any kind of rhythm, finding very little room to run and Ben Roethlisberger, never really had time to get set and throw down field. He played a very smart game, never panicking or forcing anything.

Najee Harris never left the field and while the numbers weren’t great, he clearly adds an element to the offense that was missing. The receivers next to the linebackers look like a clear strength. Diontae Johnson returned to his darkest NFL moment (Four drops in Buffalo last year) and made a spectacular catch for the Steelers first touchdown.

It would be easy to under estimate this win, but the Steelers beat the AFC East Champions in their own building in front of a raucous Bill’s crowd after getting off to a terrible start. That takes great coaching and a belief in the game plan!

Great Win!

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Ben Roethlisberger, He never panicked and was completely under control and made the big plays when he needed it, I confess to being a little bit nostalgic on this one. Also Considered: T.J. Watt who was a wrecking crew. Diontae Johnson who made a great catch for the first touchdown, Miles Killebrew for the blocked punt.

Beer of the Game: (NEW SECTION): The opening game requires a classic. Iron City Light, which I drove to Pennsylvania to get back in August. What can you say it is a classic for a reason, served it ice cold out of the can!

“Steel the Snacks”: Homemade Buffalo Chicken sliders, since Anchor Bar and Duffs are the inventor of hot wings, what better snack could you ask for! KGB made them and did everything from scratch.

My Stat of the week: Going with17 points in the fourth quarter to seal a victory. It was another double-digit comeback!

My Thoughts on next week: The Steelers return to Heinz Field with what I imagine will be a raucous capacity crowd. Since the Raiders play tonight, not sure what to expect, will try and update this later in the week.

This week’s Jersey: Ben Roethlisberger, 7, Fashion jersey, I felt nostalgic as this certainly is close to being his last opening week.

Here is the BWG take on the roster.

The first preseason game of the year kicks off! The Steelers face long time rival the Dallas Cowboys in the the Hall of Fame game, this was the game to be played last season!

What to expect; NOT a lot! Hey but it will still be fun, the Steelers will be dress 88 players, here are some questions;

1. What does Dwayne Haskins brings to the table?
2. Who plays Center?
3. Which “bubble” guy will stand out and make a name?
4. Who will step up to take a spot for the secondary vacancy?
5. Not a question, just a thought….this is fun…unless someone gets hurt!

Enjoy the game and welcome back!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have a solid track record with undrafted free agents and have even struck gold. (See James Harrison/ Donnie Shell) All the players have good to even great upside but need further development.

Here is the BWG Take:

Shakur Brown, CB, Michigan State: Very high upside prospect who continues to develop. Good coverage skills and could move into a nickel spot. He has a chance to make the team or the practice squad.

Lamont Wade, S, Penn State: A local kid from Clairton, in Allegheny County, Will also challenge for the nickel spot, which he played for the Nittany Lions. He has good tackling ability, deceptive speed and can move around in the secondary. Where he has the best shot of making the team is on special teams.

Jamar Watson, LB, Kentucky: Tough pass rusher who had a very productive college career. Has good first step but struggles against bigger tackles. Despite some athletic limitations, he has good run stuffing abilities and will help with depth.

Calvin Bundage, LB, Oklahoma State: Hard working versatile linebacker who played in a 4-3 scheme. He can play inside and outside and is good against the run and can rush the passer. Needs experience and polish.

Isaiah McCoy, WR, Kent State: Very good hands and big frame receiver. He can push to make the team as a possession receiver. The Steelers have excelled at finding guys like this and making them successful. Hmm undrafted rookie from Kent State, where else have we heard that before?

Mark Gilbert, CB, Duke: The Steelers need depth in the secondary and Gilbert provides that. He has a great pedigree and while he is from North Carolina, he has Aliquippa roots. He is the nephew of Sean Gilbert, NFL standout and the cousin of all-world Cornerback Darrelle Revis. He ran a 4.36 forty and has all the tools to make it in the league. The injury bug seems to plague him however, he needs to stay on the field.

Rico Bussey Jr., WR, Hawaii: Explosive high upside athlete, possesses great speed, strong hands and a solid frame. He will have a chance to make the teams on Special Teams as well as push for a receiver spot. Injury concerns affected his draft status. The Steelers have a knack for finding diamonds in the rough at receiver. Bussey is one of those diamonds.

Donovan Stiner, S, Florida: Solid sized Safety with strong instincts and a knack for finding the football. A bit of an underachiever who did not develop past his sophomore year, according to some scouting reports. He is the prototypical strong safety who can help in the run and play in a system successfully.

The 2021 Draft is in the books and here is the Steelers’ haul.

Round 1, Pick 24; Najee Harris, RB —So grabbing a running back in the first round, seemed like a luxury that the Steelers couldn’t afford. But it is hard to argue against it, when the best player at his position is on the board and it is one of your most glaring needs, you grab him. The Steelers grabbed the best runner on the board and he will be a huge asset. He is a great person off the field as well and looks like a great culture fit as well as player fit.  Grade: A+

Round 2, Pick 55; Pat Freiermuth, TE — This was a little mind boggling, because TE was not a need. But Freiermuth is a throwback tight end who can block as well as catch. He is a tremendous athlete and will immediately be in the starting lineup. I wanted to see a Tackle or Cornerback here, but Freiermuth will be a Steeler for a long time. It was a great pick.  Grade: A

Round 3, Pick 87; Kendrick Green, C — Center was a gaping hole, and the Steelers grabbed a very good prospect. Green has great speed and is a violent blocker, he is a little undersized but will bring some “nastiness” to the line as the Steelers look to rebuild up front. This could be a starter and someone who will fit in the Steelers Center Dynasty!   Grade: B+

Round 4, Pick 128; Dan Moore Jr., OT — The Steelers are confident in Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner as the starting tackles and Al Villanueva is still available. The Steeler also added Joe Haeg as a swing tackle in free agency. Moore will slide into a backup role and could push for a starting spot. He adds much needed depth, he has strong athletic ability. Grade: B-

Round 4, Pick 140; Buddy Johnson, ILB — Johnson looks like Vince Williams 2.0. He is an old school middle of the line banger. But he also has good coverage skills and will most likely see the field this season. This was a great pick and will pay big dividends. Grade: B+

Round 5, Pick 156; Isaiahh Loudermilk, DE — Will provide much needed depth on the defensive line. He has the physical tools but is a very raw prospect.   Grade: C+

Round 6, 218; Quincy Roche, OLB —Roche fits the classic Steelers prototype, a converted defensive end with the explosiveness to rush the passer. He has a strong quality first step. This was a great value pick, who will be given every chance to be in the rotation, especially on passing downs. This is the most intriguing pick the Steelers made. Grade: C+

Round 7, 245; Tre Norwood, DB — Norwood is a versatile defensive back who can play cornerback and safety. His athleticism makes him a candidate to play in the dime defense or be a special teams contributor. This is a solid value pick that can provide some young depth at a position that lost two of its’ best players. Grade: B

Round 7, Pick 254; Pressley Harvin III, — What in the name of Colin Holba are we doing drafting a punter? Well let me tell you, this isn’t your father’s punter, unless your Dad was a fan of the late great Reggie Roby. Harvin is a 260-pound punter who can actually throw the ball a country mile. He also can punt, averaging 48 yards per attempt last season while winning the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best punter. Ironically, the Steelers grabbed the best player at the position, a position that they have spent three seasons trying to upgrade. Also, keep in mind the Steelers have jettisoned their seventh-round pick almost regularly after camp, so they grab a pick who will most likely start for the team, it was a no brainer and a great value pick. Keep also in mind, he has Steelers cult hero potential written all over him! Grade: A+

Overall: So, no surprise to anyone, the main-stream press outside of Pittsburgh didn’t like the Steelers draft. That is ridiculous, from where they were drafting, the Steelers grabbed three potential starters out of nine picks. Not many teams picking in the twenties can make that claim.

Every pick had potential and good value. Grabbing a cornerback or edge rusher earlier would have been more ideal than a Tight End. However, the Steelers clearly drafted the best available player and had a nice haul. What more can you ask for. Grade: A

It’s Najee Harris… RB ….Alabama!

Here is the best scouting report I can share…. from one of BWG’s favorites Merril Hoge:

“I watched every run, catch and play Najee Harris had in 2020! He has extraordinary balance and agility for a back of his size. He runs with great power and grace. He is gifted enough to be dynamic on the perimeter as well. His receiving skills also separate him. He is a very good route runner and has natural instincts to catch the ball. He’s also a willing participant to block, which makes him a complete player. What an awesome weapon to help get this offense back on track!! Welcome to Pittsburgh!”

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Since 1969 the Steelers have built their teams through the draft. Here is a look back at the recent history of the Steelers in the last ten years with a grade for each first round pick!