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Week 4 Recap: Black and Gold Disgrace

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mike-tomlin

Well, I hate to say I told you so…

But I did tell you so.

In the least surprising “major upset” ever, the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers left Heinz Field with their first victory of the season, scoring a last second go-ahead touchdown to upend the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24. While I’m not shocked the Steelers lost, I am embarrassed by exactly how they lost. I have never seen a more sloppy and undisciplined Steeler team. They’ve become a Black and Gold disgrace.

And it all starts with Mike Tomlin.Read More »Week 4 Recap: Black and Gold Disgrace

Know Thy Enemy: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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As a wise young Jedi once said, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday at Heinz Field. The Steelers are coming off one of their best performances in years. The Bucs are coming off one of the worst shit-kickings ever featured on a national telecast. Tampa is terrible, winless, and turning to a brand new starting quarterback after their big off-season acquisition, Josh McCown was hurt in last Thursday’s debacle.

Naturally, I expect the Steelers to lose.Read More »Know Thy Enemy: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Should Steelers Sign Champ Bailey?

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The Pittsburgh Steelers put together their finest performance of the past two seasons last Sunday night against the Carolina Panthers. It may have been a costly victory, however. Three defensive starters went down with injury, at least two of whom are expected to miss significant time. The question therefore becomes how the Steelers fill those holes.

In my game recap, I tossed in a line about not being so sure the back-ups are a steep downgrade from the starters. Generally speaking, I still believe that. Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier might be great some day but that day is definitely not here. With Shazier, you can forgive his lapses because being a rookie playing in Dick LeBeau‘s notoriously complex defense has to be like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded. Jones, on the other hand, is in his second season and despite seeing significant playing time last year, really hasn’t shown much of anything yet in terms of being an elite pass rusher.Read More »Should Steelers Sign Champ Bailey?

The Return of Deebo

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So anybody else hear that Derek Jeter is retiring?

Of course we’ve had nauseating tributes to Jeter crammed down our throats all season long. While I couldn’t care less about the Yankees or the glorification of their overrated players, Jeter’s story is notable in one regard. He’s walking away of his own free will. When it comes to professional sports, more often than not athletes have to be dragged away from the game kicking and screaming.

I’ve been alive for all six of the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl victories but I’m too young to remember the majority of the Steel Dynasty years. What I do remember quite vividly is a KDKA interview with Terry Bradshaw, who told this story of waking up feeling like a million bucks and then asking a ranch hand to run twenty yards down to the fence and button hook back towards him as he threw a football. The part I particularly remember most vividly is Terry saying how as soon as he let the ball fly his balky elbow told him it was time to retire. A few guys leave voluntarily like Jeter but many – most – are forced to go.

Which brings us to James Harrison.Read More »The Return of Deebo

Week 3 Recap: Steelers Get Some Breaks (Literally)

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Down Goes Peezy Joey Porter Fail

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

Lady Luck must have been one of the several thousand Black and Gold clad fans who invaded Bank of America Stadium last night to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers steamroll the Carolina Panthers 37-19. To say the Steelers got some breaks would be an understatement. Or, in the case of poor Ike Taylor, a statement you could take quite literally.Read More »Week 3 Recap: Steelers Get Some Breaks (Literally)

Know Thy Enemy: Carolina Panthers

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Finally, a game that counts!

The Pittsburgh Steelers play yet another prime time game this week, meeting the Carolina Panthers on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. The two teams aren’t exactly strangers to one another considering they play each other every year in the preseason. See, the Rooney family and Panther owner Jerry Richardson are old friends – it was Dan Rooney who championed Richardson’s entrance into this most exclusive of boy’s clubs – and I guess they get a kick out of knocking back snifters of brandy while their teams play a meaningless exhibition game every year. Rich people, go figure.

Anyway, thanks to the NFL’s trusty rotating schedule, the Rooneys and Richardson get to light each other’s cigars with hundred dollar bills twice this year as the Steelers and Panthers meet during the regular season. Not just in any game, too, but in the league’s showcase Sunday night slot. While the season is still young, it’s also a pretty critical game for both teams.Read More »Know Thy Enemy: Carolina Panthers

Why Do The Steelers Waste Money On Bums?

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Ben Roethlisberger, Domata Peko, Marcus Gilbert

Tuesday was Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin‘s press conference. I talked a bit about the nonsense that tends to come out of Coach T’s mouth yesterday. One thing I neglected to mention was an entire line of questioning from the local media cheerleaders/reporters regarding whether a benching might be in order for right tackle Marcus Gilbert. Gilbert, it should be noted, has already surrendered four sacks through the first two games.

For his part, Tomlin said he has nothing but faith in Gilbert, even likening him to movie icon Rocky Balboa.

I’m not going to get into the whole issue of whether Gilbert should start or sit. I did that last year and it took five weeks and four losses before Tomlin decided that maybe it was time to tweak the line-up. Gilbert’s going to play and play and play some more until (unless) he proves to be a total liability. What I’m interested in is the reason the Steelers will afford Gilbert all this leeway.Read More »Why Do The Steelers Waste Money On Bums?

Week 2 Recap: Back To The Drawing Board

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Maybe Ryan Clark wasn’t so bad after all…

After a week dominated by the Ray Rice controversy, the Baltimore Ravens came out and crushed the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-6 on the inaugural edition of CBS Thursday Night Football. Towards the end of the game, commentator Jim Nantz said the Ratbirds were “galvanized” by recent events proving nothing brings a team together better than a wife-beater. Then the players themselves did Nantz one better by dedicated yesterday’s performance to Rice, poor unfairly maligned soul that he is.

Stay classy, Baltimore.Read More »Week 2 Recap: Back To The Drawing Board

Know Thy Enemy: Baltimore Ravens

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suggs tomlin shirt

So, anybody know what’s been going on with the Baltimore Ravens?

I kid, I kid.

As if preordained by the Football Gods, the team that has been at the center of a media firestorm this past week happens to be playing in one of the league’s featured prime time contests. When CBS chose Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens for their inaugural telecast of Thursday Night Football, I imagine they did expected another epic chapter in one of the NFL’s most heated rivalries. They surely didn’t expect the Ratbirds to be one of the central players in an ongoing drama that spilled over to the mainstream media. Read More »Know Thy Enemy: Baltimore Ravens