Pittsburgh Steelers 17 Carolina Panthers 16

The knee gods giveth, and the knee gods taketh away. Again.

Last week we saw the return of Max Starks, who came back from injuring his ACL in January’s playoff game. The warm tingly feeling of Starks rejoining the Steelers once again had barley worn off before top draft pick David DeCastro went down with a severe knee injury of his own.

This week, Casey Hampton made his first start since that fateful game in January in which he too injured his ACL. This time third round draft pick Sean Spence went down with what Head Coach Mike Tomlin calls a “significant” knee injury. You hate to see so many young players go down with injuries right before the start of the season.

As for the rest of the game, it wasn’t a pretty affair, but the Steelers held on for the win. Fifth round draft pick Chris Rainey had punt return touchdowns of 78 and 90 yards called back due to penalties. He didn’t have much in the way of official yards on the night, but this should catch some attention on special teams.

The Steelers wrap up the preseason by going 3-1. They very well could have been 4-0 or 2-2, but who’s counting? Heading into the regular season they have a few issues with injuries and depth. Losing two top rookies to knee injuries doesn’t help. But the standard is the standard and the Steelers must move on and focus on the regular season and the Denver Broncos.

Preseason Week 4

Carolina Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Steelrs

Time: 7:00

Site: Heinz Field

Last Meeting: 12/23/10, W 27-3

The final preseason game is upon us, and I hope the Steelers training staff has taken extra care to wrap all the players in bubble wrap. Traditionally, the starters play very little, if at all, in the last preseason game before the regular season kicks off. With the rotten luck the Steelers have been having in the injury department, I would hope that the starters sit this one out. 

James Harrison, who has spent the entire preseason on the PUP list, was finally activated from the list. He will not dress for the game, but should be ready for the season opener in Denver. Mike Wallace, back from his summer vacation holdout will not be able to play, due to the standard acclimation period.

Guys will be fighting for roster spots, so this game isn’t completely meaningless. For them at least. But let’s see what happens in this final tune-up before we start playing for keeps.

Top Five Burning Questions

• Who gets more playing time: Byron Leftwich, Charlie Batch, or Jerrod Johnson?
• The defense has been pretty good at creating turnovers, will they be able to keep this up?
• Now that Shaun Suisham is the sole kicker, how will he fare?
• Does Antonio Brown see much playing time?
• Will any of our running backs step up?

Pittsburgh Steelers 38 Buffalo Bills 7

The injury bug is back again, with a vengeance. First round draft pick David DeCastro left early in the game with what Mike Tomlin calls a “potentially serious” knee injury. I’m an accountant, not a doctor, but even I can tell it’s not a good sign when a player has to ride the cart. In other injury news, Brett Keisel left the game with a high ankle sprain. Thankfully Brett Keisel’s beard was not injured on the play.

But now that we have the doom and gloom out of the way, how about some good news? Ignoring the first quarter, the Steelers offense looked to be in control most of the game. Antonio Brown continues to make a name for himself with 7 receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Ben Roethlisberger capped off the first half with an impressive 98 yard touchdown drive. The offense actually finished drives by scoring touchdowns, instead of their usual standard of settling for a field goal.

On defense turnovers were the name of the game. Lawrence Timmons forced a fumble recovered by Ziggy Hood. Troy Polamalu and Robert Golden had interceptions on Vince Young. I’ll give the Steelers’ offense credit, the actually capitalized on these turnovers and scored touchdowns. Who knew that the offense and defense could work together like this? Let’s do this in the regular season, boys!

Outside of the injuries, the Steelers have quite a few positives heading into next week’s final preseason game versus the Carolina Panthers. Hopefully the starters will see very limited playing time and will be covered in bubble wrap from head to toe.

Preseason Week 3

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills

Time: 7:00 PM

Site: Ralph Wilson Stadium

Last Meeting: 11/28/10, W 19-16 OT

The preseason keeps on rolling along as the Steelers travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills. The starters will play at least the first half, possibly longer depending on the whims of Mike Tomlin. I’d like to see if the offense or defense can accomplish… anything. The starting offense didn’t muster much beyond Antonio Brown’s TD. On the other hand, defense started out strong against Andrew Luck and the Colts, but fizzled out before the backups took the field.

In other news, Max Starks will start the game at left tackle. Starks started training camp on the PUP list after injuring his ACL in the Playoff Game That Shall Not Be Named. The Steelers had a plethora of ACL injuries in January, and Starks is the first to return to action. Here’s hoping he hasn’t been rushed. While Mike Adams hasn’t been the answer just yet, rushing Starks potentially does more harm than good.

Top Five Burning Questions

• Will Mike Adams actually block anyone?
• How will the tight ends feature in the offense against the Bills?
• Can the defense create more turnovers this week?
• Will the offense actually score touchdowns?
• Who will have the majority of carries at running back?

Preseason Week 2

Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Time: 8:00

Site: Heinz Field

Last Meeting: 9/25/11, W 23 – 20

It’s been forever since the Steelers had a preseason game. The Steelers have needed the time, due to the million or so injuries incurred in the game against. The Steelers’ depth at running back will be tested, what with injuries to Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer.

As for the Colts, this will be the Steelers’ first glimpse at Andrew Luck. Not to mention this will be Bruce Arians’ first trip back to Pittsburgh since “retiring” and “unretiring”. This just may be the one chance that the Steelers can finally benefit from Arians’ questionable play calls.

Top Five Burning Questions

• How much playing time will the starters get?
• How often will we hear about DeCastro and Luck being BFFs at Stanford?
• Apparently the Eagles game didn’t really reveal much of Haley’s playbook. Will we see some exciting new things from Todd Haley’s offense, or will the Steelers keep it basic?
• Will the defense be able to keep the pressure on the quarterback?
• Will I be able to stay awake during the entire game?

Preseason Week 1

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles

Time: 7:30

Site: Lincoln Financial Field

Last Meeting: 9/21/08, L 15 – 6

It’s here! Preseason football is finally here! Yes, we are still a month out from real football, but at this point in the summer I’ll take what I can get. Even if it means the starters play only one series at most.

This game will be the first game for the Eagles since the passing of head coach Andy Reid’s son Garrett. It will certainly be an emotional time for Coach Reid and the Eagles, and my heart goes out to the Reid family.

Top Five Burning Questions

• Is Big Ben even going to bother suiting up for this game? Between his shoulder and his ankle he’s already in midseason form injury-wise.
• What kind of play calling will new offensive coordinator Todd Haley have up his sleeve?
• Who will have a bigger impact: David DeCastro or Mike Adams?
• Since Mike Wallace is still holding out, will Emmanuel Sanders get a chance to shine?
• Can the Steelers win the turnover battle in a meaningless week one preseason game?

And so, the preseason comes to a close. The Steelers beat the Panthers in the final preseason game. With roster spots on the line, the Steelers’ defense really stepped up. The defense once again won the turnover battle with a recovered fumble and an interception. They also put plenty of pressure on the Carolina quarterbacks and had four sacks on the evening.

On the other side of the ball, the offense was not nearly as impressive. In four trips to the red zone, they only managed to score two touchdowns. Granted, they were able to put points on the board through field goals, but the missed opportunities were there. Fumbles also appeared to be an issue. On the plus side, Mike Wallace managed to get a reception and Emmanuel Sanders played for the first time this preseason. Jonathan Dwyer was very impressive with 88 rushing yards, including a 50-yard touchdown run.

In the end, it was Steelers 33, Panthers 17. Ravens Week: The Extended Edition begins NOW.

Pros

• Jonathan Dwyer: 13 attempts, 88 yards, one touchdown
• Four sacks from the defense.
• Emmanuel Sanders returns and has 4 receptions for 60 yards.
• The kicking game seemed really strong tonight.
• No injuries.

Cons

• The Panthers had over 300 passing yards.
• The Steelers were only 2 for 4 in the red zone.
• Dennis Dixon didn’t seem all that sharp. Granted, I was only able to “watch” the game through stat updates, so there may be more to his line of 11/22, 157 yards, 1 TD.
• Fumbles. Hold on to the rock, guys.

Preseason Week 4

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Date: September 1, 2011

Time: 8:00 PM

Site: Bank of America Stadium

The final preseason game of the year is upon us. With the opener in Baltimore looming on the horizon, this serves as the final tune-up before the regular season begins. That being said, the starters aren’t going to see much playing time. The Steelers don’t need any more injuries heading into Baltimore, and this game is mainly one last chance for guys to make the team.

Five Burning Questions

• Who will be the better Cam(eron): Newton or Heyward?
• Will Emmanuel Sanders play?
• Will Antonio Brown see much playing time?
• Will the defense be able to create more turnovers?
• Who will get more rushing yards: Jonathan Dwyer or Isaac Redman?

Forgive me. It’s 1:30 in the morning, there’s a large group of people tailgating in front of my hotel room, and my knees ache from climbing all the stairs ever. This recap is going to be brief.

Antonio Brown was the star of the evening and continued his monster of a preseason. The second-year receiver had 4 receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Brown also ran the opening kickoff back 51 yards, giving the Steelers excellent field position on their opening drive.

The defense continued to win the turnover battle with two interceptions and one fumble recovery. Lawrence Timmons returned a deflected pass 44 yards to the Atlanta four yard line, setting up an eventual Shaun Suisham field goal. In the second half, Crezdon Butler returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown.

The Steelers did not look as sharp as they did last week against the Eagles, but they managed to do enough to get the win. Final score: Steelers 34, Falcons 16.

Pros:

• With the exception of the dumb taunting penalty, Antonio Brown continues to impress.
• The Steelers’ defense forced three turnovers.
• David Johnson had two catches for 34 yards in the Steelers’ first drive.
• Primanti Bros. is everything I hoped and dreamed.

Cons:

• The Steelers were 4 for 11 on third downs. They managed to score on quick strikes, but didn’t sustain long drives.
• Antonio Brown, just run the ball into the end zone. Act like you’ve been there before and don’t taunt the other team.
• I would have liked to see the Steelers’ pass rush put more pressure on Matt Ryan.
• Special teams makes me nervous.
• Injuries. Byron Leftwich has a broken arm and Marukice Pouncey left the game with an ankle injury.

Preseason Week 3

vs.

Date: August 27, 2011

Time: 7:30 PM

Site: Heinz Field

The Steelers look to continue their winning ways in this Preseason Week 3 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Last week the Steelers looked strong against a Philadelphia Eagles team packed with talent. Preseason football means nothing, but hopefully the Steelers will come out just as sharp against the Falcons.

On a personal note, my sister and I will be making the four and a half hour journey to Pittsburgh for this game. We have never been to a game before, so that goes without saying, the Steelers better make it worth our while.

Five Burning Questions

• Mike Wallace has been relatively quiet this preseason and is due for a big game. Will that game be against the Falcons?
• Will the Steelers be able to run the ball as effectively as they did last week?
• The Steelers’ D forced five turnovers against the Eagles, will they be able to win the turnover battle again this week?
• Who will have a bigger impact in this game: James Harrison or Troy Polamalu?
• Are Primanti Bros. sandwiches as amazing as they look?