I think [intlink id=”60″ type=”category”]Ryan Clark[/intlink] accurately sums up my feelings on the matter…
However, since I refuse to be held to 140 characters or less, here are 1,259 more on the subject. In my recap of the Texans debacle, I mentioned Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro linebacker [intlink id=”52″ type=”category”]James Harrison[/intlink] missed time when a piece of helmet lining flew into his eye. I didn’t pull that story out my ass. I was only going by what the man tweeted himself:
The [intlink id=”21″ type=”category”]Pittsburgh Steelers[/intlink] ain’t drinkin’ wine. They’re still stompin’ grapes.
The Black and Gold shook off a first half grape-stomping by the Houston Texans to make it a game before ultimately falling short 17-10. I feel like a broken record saying this but the final score does not accurately reflect what happened in the game. The Texans had not one but two touchdowns wiped off the scoreboard because of boneheaded penalties. Shaun Suisham’s Miss of the Week was of the blocked variety but Daniael Manning blocked Dan Sepulveda in the back nullifying the TD. Well, despite Dierdorf’s asinine hollering, the Dreamy One did play linebacker at Baylor. Late in the fourth, a pick six was wiped out for roughing [intlink id=”14″ type=”category”]Ben Roethlisberger[/intlink].
If not for the Texans self-inflicted wounds and a gallant defensive effort in the second half, this would have been one of the most one-sided ass-whuppins’ in recent memory. I’ve seldom seen the Steelers dominated in all three phases of the game like they were yesterday. Arian Foster had 90 rushing yards in the first quarter. The Texans began the game by driving 114 yards for a touchdown. ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN YARDS. How is this possible? Houston started at their own 5 and took two 10 yard holding penalties along the way. Read More »Week 4 Recap: Down And Out In Houston
Remember last week when I wrote about uninspiring victories…
For those readers too old to stay up late or those who simply could not stomach the carnage, your [intlink id=”21″ type=”category”]Pittsburgh Steelers[/intlink] managed to squeak by the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 on a last second Shaun Suisham field goal last night on NBC Sunday Night Football. I don’t know what’s more impressive, that Suisham made a clutch kick or that the Steelers were able to find eleven guys to put on the field for the attempt. I don’t know how many ice baths they have in Lucas Oil Stadium but I guarantee there won’t be enough. Perhaps everyone will just have to share.
Pity the poor fool who ends up with Chris Kemoeatu.
The Steelers, ten point favorites according to the leg-breakers out in Vegas, should have lost. If not for absolutely inept quarterbacking by the fearsome duo of Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter, they probably would have. This game basically came down to two plays which determined the final outcome. First was Painter’s overthrow of a wide open Pierre Garcon, who ran a simple slant-and-go route which [intlink id=”101″ type=”category”]Ike Taylor[/intlink] inexplicably bailed on after the slant part. Had Painter completed the pass, there was nothing but 75 yards of green grass and high tides forever. Read More »Week 3 Recap: Flirting With Disaster
And you thought [intlink id=”52″ type=”category”]James Harrison[/intlink] didn’t like [intlink id=”8″ type=”category”]Roger Goodell[/intlink]…
Welcome to F-bomb week here at Total Steelers. The video above comes from the aftermath of the AFC Championship game where the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts (and future 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh) to punch a ticket to their first Super Bowl in fifteen years. Yes, that’s [intlink id=”49″ type=”category”]Bill Cowher[/intlink] you see at the beginning of the clip. It saddens me when shortsighted Steeler fans try to argue how Mike Tomlin is such a better coach than the Chin “because he’s won two AFC Championship games” as if the two Cowher won (in addition to appearing in four others) somehow don’t count. When Tomlin wins one with a quarterback comparable to Neil Freakin’ O’Donnell, then we’ll talk.
Greg Lloyd was a bad bad man. As the Steel Dynasty of the 70s slowly faded away, the Black and Gold maintained their tradition of superior linebacking into the 80s, most notably Mike Merriwether and David Little. But it wasn’t until Lloyd became a permanent member of the starting line-up in 1989 (not coincidentally, Chuck Noll’s final playoff team) that the Steelers D regained the ferocious reputation the Steel Curtain had originated a decade prior. Harbaugh famously told an interviewer he wasn’t afraid of anything until he played against Greg Lloyd. Read More »Greg Lloyd Hates Roger Goodell Too
NFL analyst Warren Sapp recently derided the Pittsburgh Steelers saying they were “old, slow, and it’s over.” I wonder if he’ll take the drumstick out of his mouth long enough to retract that statement in the wake of the[intlink id=”21″ type=”category”] Steelers[/intlink] 24-0 drubbing of the Seattle Seahawks. Much like last week, the final score doesn’t accurately reflect the one-sidedness of the actual game. The old slow Steelers dominated in every facet, amassing 421 yards to the Pigeons meager 164 while tossing their first complete game shut out since 2008. Sadly, that’s one more than the Pirates have had this year.
[intlink id=”52″ type=”category”]James Harrison[/intlink], who was nearly invisible last week, played like a man possessed. [intlink id=”57″ type=”category”]Troy Polamalu[/intlink], whom Sapp mocked for whiffing on a tackle of Ed Dickson, led the team with 8 tackles including one sack while also defensing one pass which should have gone for a Pick Six. To give you an idea of how thorough a whupping Dick LeBeau’s men laid on Seattle, the Seahawks didn’t venture into Steeler territory until well into the fourth quarter. Not that the Steelers didn’t display areas where they could still improve. Bryant McFadden did not play, leaving [intlink id=”96″ type=”category”]Will.i.am Gay[/intlink] to offer comfy 5 yard cushions to our guests. It also afforded Keenan Lewis his first extended look against actual NFL competition. Both failed to distinguish themselves, playing loose coverage which would spell disaster against a more capable quarterback. Read More »Week 2 Recap: Steelers Treat Seattle Like Sapps
The [intlink id=”141″ type=”category”]Baltimore Ravens[/intlink] handed the [intlink id=”21″ type=”category”]Pittsburgh Steelers [/intlink]one of the most humiliating defeats in franchise history yesterday afternoon. The final score of 35-7 doesn’t even begin to accurately describe the level of domination the Ratbirds displayed in humbling the defending AFC Champions. This was the team’s first opening day loss since 2003 and their worst opening defeat in 14 years. The Steelers had seven turnovers, the most in any single game going all the way back to September 24, 1995.
This was the Ravens’ Super Bowl and they played like their season depended on each and every play. I’m only shocked they didn’t dump Gatorade on their coach when the final whistle blew. Speaking of head coach John Harbaugh, what a shameful display of showboating. Refusing to call off the dogs when the game was comfortably in hand is one thing, fist pumping and acting the fool is absolutely uncalled for. When he dialed up a fake kick/2 point conversion when an extra point would have sufficiently put them ahead by three scores, the message was clear. Then, late in the fourth quarter with the game clearly over, he had Joe Flacco throwing bombs in to the end zone in an obvious effort to run up the score.
I’m not going to complain about that or the thuggish Ravens going after Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor inciting a near brawl in the third quarter (which somehow ended with only Ike getting a penalty although I’m sure the Ginger Dictator will find some way to fine the entire defense). The word “class” is associated with Baltimore about as often as Justin Beiber is associated with masculinity. The Ratbirds swagger and boast when the Steelers are dominating them, what should we expect when they actually win for once? Read More »Week 1 Recap: Ravens Humiliate Steelers
This little nugget almost slipped by me over the weekend. NFL Commissioner [intlink id=”8″ type=”category”]Roger Goodell[/intlink] announced that players who ran afoul of the law during the lockout will not face disciplinary action for their offenses. NFLPA executive member Charlie Batch was pleased with by this outcome. “”How can he?” Batch said. “You locked us out. How can you enforce your personal conduct policy?”
Indeed, Chaz. How can the Ginger Dictator suspend somebody for something they did while not technically subject to his rules?
The NFLPA finally ratified the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement yesterday afternoon, putting an end to almost five months of labor uncertainty. Despite player rep/noted loudmouth [intlink id=”60″ type=”category”]Ryan Clark[/intlink]’s dire warning, the ten year deal passed by a comfortable margin.
No thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Last year, I repeatedly harped on all the ways Roger Goodell tried (unsuccessfully) to screw over the Black and Gold. To say he’s not a popular figure amongst Steeler Nation would be like saying Justin Bieber wouldn’t go over well at a Hell’s Angels rally. However, many times, we as fans, get much more worked up over things than the players themselves do. Not so in this case as the entire team voted AGAINST the CBA in a show of protest against the[intlink id=”8″ type=”category”] Ginger Dictator.[/intlink]
The first couple years of the Mike Tomlin regime saw training camps so punishing and intense, many veterans blamed them for the injuries which seemed to plague the Pittsburgh Steelers during the regular season. Last year, Tomlin acknowledged their grumbling by holding practices so light that Latrobe became known as “Camp Cupcake.” With the new CBA forbidding two-a-days and limiting how many full contact drills can be held per week, the choice of what kind of camp to run has effectively been taken out of Tomlin’s hands.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must be in compliance with the 2011 salary cap by Thursday. As of this morning, they were still approximately $10 million over the target of $120 million plus three $1 million exceptions. This coupled with a rash of last minute re-signings set off a round of renegotiations with players already under long term contract.
Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison were the big ticket items who agreed to alter their deals. Although let’s be clear, neither Big Ben nor Silverback are taking a pay cut. The Steelers simply employed an accounting trick to help alleviate some of the cap pressure. Signing bonuses are divided evenly over the term of the contract and that number in addition to the base salary are what count against the cap. By lowering the annual salary and paying a larger portion of the contract as a signing bonus, you can effectively lower your cap hit without changing the total value of the contract. Read More »Steelers Alter The Deal, Pray They Don’t Alter It Further
