San Diego Chargers 34 Pittsburgh Steelers 24

Ben Roethlisberger was back under center for the Steelers, but that really didn’t matter as the entire team decided against showing up for this game.

The Steelers’ many miscues set up plenty of opportunities for Philip Rivers and the Chargers, who took advantage of these opportunities. Where do I even begin?

• Back-to-back offsides penalties by Troy Polamalu and James Harrison gave the Chargers a first down and set up a 51-yard Nick Novak field goal for the first score of the game.
• Antonio Brown attempted to recover a lateral in the end zone instead of taking the safety.
• Big Ben throws an interception deep in his own territory, that sets up the final score for the Chargers.
• The defense’s general inability to stop the Chargers on third down.
• Special teams penalties. Again.

» Continue reading “Multiple Mistakes Doom Steelers Against Chargers”

Pittsburgh Steelers 16 Kansas City 13, OT

The Steelers managed to eek out a win over Kansas City in overtime thanks in part to the great play by the Steelers’ defense and the bone-headed penalties of Kansas City. After spotting Kansas City a 10-0 lead, Pittsburgh actually decided to show up. Ben Roethlisberger tied things up at 10-all when he hit Mike Wallace in the end-zone for a touchdown. I have to give Wallace credit, it was not an easy catch to make, as he ended up controlling the ball between his knees.

Things took a turn for the worst in the second half when Big Ben left the game with a shoulder injury. Byron Leftwich came into the game and things got boring and the offense went nowhere. The only real drive of the second half for the Steelers came as a result of a personal foul penalty on Kansas City for a touchdown that didn’t even count. This eventually set up a Shaun Suisham field goal that gave the Steelers their first lead of the game.

» Continue reading “Steelers Win Despite Playing Like Jerks”

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?

The Pittsburgh Steelers shook off last week’s embarrassing loss and shut down the Seattle Seahawks. Ben Roethlisberger remembered which team to throw the ball to and played well despite suffering a nasty looking knee injury. He was 22 for 30 with 298 yards and one touchdown.

The defense stepped up its game as well. In addition to shutting out the Seahawks, the defense held Seattle to 164 net yards, including only 31 net rushing yards. They also managed to put plenty of pressure on Tarvaris Jackson all game and came away with 5 sacks.

The Steelers have a few things to work on. Their red zone efficiency needs to be improved and Suisham missed a field goal that should have been made. In the end, this was a win the Steelers needed. It’s time to focus on Indianapolis, which will be an interesting game to say the least.

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.

As we eagerly await for the next season of “Dancing with the Stars” to begin, I can’t help but wonder, “What if other television shows featured Pittsburgh Steelers?” I have seen one, maybe two episodes of “Dancing with the Stars” and can’t stand Tom Bergeron. Yet, I am going to watch this show because of Hines Ward. If the addition of a Steeler makes me want to watch a show I don’t normally watch, then it would make my favorite shows even more AWESOME.

So, let’s have a fantasy cast of Steelers on various television shows, shall we?

So much intensity.

James Harrison on “Parks and Recreation”I think a scowl-off between James Harrison and Ron Swanson would be the finest half hour in television history. Nothing can change my mind.

Matt Spaeth on “Big Brother”

Something tells me that Spaeth would be a nice fit for the Big Brother House. Jeff Reed would be my original choice (actually, I think it’s a matter of time before he appears on the show), but since he’s no longer a Steeler he doesn’t really count.

Ben Roethlisberger on “Glee”

Auto-Tuned Billy Joel Extravaganza. I’m just sayin’. Plus, he was born in Lima. If this doesn’t work out, then there’s always “American Idol”.

Jeremy Kapinos and Shaun Suisham on “The Amazing Race”

These two have been with a combined ten teams in eleven total years. I think they know what it’s like to bounce from place to place. They may be right at home on this show.

Heath Miller on “My Name is Earl”

Okay, this show has been cancelled for quite a while now, but his name really is Earl. It’s not too soon for a remake, is it?

You’ll notice that I omitted the glaringly obvious choice of Mike Tomlin being on “House”. With good reason. Are we sure that he’s not on this show already? Have you ever seen Mike Tomlin and Omar Epps in the same place at the same time? Think about it.

What about you? Are there any shows that you think would be massively improved/epic with the addition of Steelers?