The Penguins cut ties with 7 players today. Sending them to Wlikes-Barre/Scranton to be baby Pens, the Pens AHL farm team.
Forwards:
Nick Johnson
Brett Sterling
Joe Vitale
Chris Conner
Tim Wallace
defensemen:
Brian Strait
Corey Potter
Steve Wagner
goaltender:
John Curry
Brad Thiessen
The Pens have to make 7 other roster moves by October 7th.
Alexander Ovechkin is going to due a rap duet with Eminem. Apparently being on the HBO show wasn't enough for Ovechkin. I think this will be an epic fail, but maybe Eminem is a good enough artist to make Ovechkin sound good.
Talking about life, sports, politics, and everything else imaginable.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens. Preview and Prediciton
The Steelers are 3-0 without Ben Roethlisberger, which is already a success for this team. Even if the Steelers loose to their next opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, 3-1 will be a bid time success, because after this game the Steelers get a bye week, and their best player on offense back.
As for the game itself, I'm not really sure how I feel about it. The Ravens are without Ed Reed, and Ray Rice is questionable for the game. However, I'm not a big believer in Charlie Batch, like the rest of the morons in Pittsburgh. He threw 2 touchdown passes that should have been picked, and this is a good, and opportunistic defense that he will be facing.
The Ravens D still looks solid. Through three games, Baltimore leads the league in total defense, allowing just 244.3 yards per game. The Ravens have also given up the least amount of first downs in the NFL so far this season. Ray Lewis is still playing at a high level, as is Haloti Ngata, who the Steelers usually have trouble with.
However, despite the good numbers for the defense, its run defense is a major concern. The Ravens are giving up 127.7 rushing yards per game (No. 22 in the NFL) on 4.7 yards per carry. The Ravens have only allowed four 100-yard rushers in their last 54 games, but Browns backup running back Peyton Hillis surprisingly joined the list last week when he rushing for 144 yards. The Ravens pass defense is looking better then expected without Ed Reed, who is out for the first six games.
Offensively, their run game is good, but Ray Rice is banged up and right now his status for Sunday is unknown for Sunday. If Rice can't go then it will certainly be a major blow offensively for the Ravens. Rice is a complete back who can do a lot of things in the running and passing game. He's also had success against the Steelers in the past. Willis McGahee will get the start if Rice doesn't play. For those of you who don't remember, McGahee was the running back who got destroyed in the 2008 AFC Championship game by Ryan Clark.
The Ravens have the Steeler-killer TJ Houshmanzadeh at receiver, along with Todd Heap, and Derrick Mason. All three usually catch a few key passes against the Steelers. The Ravens key receiver is Anquan Boldin, who is a very talented receiver. Boldin is a guy who can break tackles and has good hands.
Joe Flacco usually struggles against the Steelers. He's only managed to lead the Ravens to a victory over the Steelers once, and that was last year when Roethlisberger was held out of the game due to a concussion. Dennis Dixon had to fill in and threw a crucial interception in overtime. Flacco is 1-4 in his short career against the Steelers. Out of those 5 games, Flacco has 4 td passes and 6 interceptions. He's also only completed over 60% of his passes once, and that was in the win last year, and Troy Polamalu didn't play.
As for the Steleers, the keys to the game are the same as always. No turnovers, no special teams mistakes, and control the clock.Think about this, Roethlisberger has only lost to the Ravens twice in his career, both in 2006, the year of his motorcycle accident, his worst year as a pro. The Steelers have had to play the Ravens four times since 2004, without Ben. They lost all four of those games. Not a very good sign.
Also, the Steelers usually have trouble running the ball against the Ravens, and have had to rely on Ben's arm to beat them in the past. So far in 3 games this year,the Steelers have averaged 139 yards passing, 1TD/game, 1INT/game. With Roethlisberger last year they averaged 286 yards passing with 1.7 TD/game and .7 Int/game. The Ravens chances of winning next week are significantly better without him in the game.
Charlie Batch will get the start again this Sunday, after throwing 3 touchdowns against Tampa Bay last week. However, Batch also threw 2 interceptions, and should have been picked on two of his touchdowns. That can't happen against this Ravens team.
Batch is going to have to look to Heath Miller and Hines Ward most of the game. Both of them have had success against the Ravens.
The one good thing about this years match-up is the Steelers offensive line is improved in all aspects. Rookie center Maurkice Pouncey is a huge upgrade over Justin Hartwig. The Ravens have three giants on their defensive line, so the Steelers had to get bigger and stronger up front, and they are.
Rashard Mendenhall cannot tip toe around this defense, he needs to hit holes fast and hard. I just hope he's not a little nervous because Ray Lewis almost ruined his career before.
Defensively I think the Steelers will be fine, especially if Ray Rice can't play. Flacco tends to hold on to the ball so I expect the Steelers to get some hits on him. The key is going to be to force some turnovers. Field position is going to huge in this game.
Bottom Line: This game is going to be nasty just like it always is. This is the best rivalry in the NFL. Both of these teams look forward to this game and everyone usually brings their A game. The Steelers cannot afford turnovers in this game. The Steelers cannot and will not come from behind to beat this team with Batch at qb.
That being said, I just don't trust Joe Flacco. I think he's drastically overrated and plays horrible against the Steelers. So I'm going Steelers in this game.
Steelers 16 Ravens 13
As for the game itself, I'm not really sure how I feel about it. The Ravens are without Ed Reed, and Ray Rice is questionable for the game. However, I'm not a big believer in Charlie Batch, like the rest of the morons in Pittsburgh. He threw 2 touchdown passes that should have been picked, and this is a good, and opportunistic defense that he will be facing.
The Ravens D still looks solid. Through three games, Baltimore leads the league in total defense, allowing just 244.3 yards per game. The Ravens have also given up the least amount of first downs in the NFL so far this season. Ray Lewis is still playing at a high level, as is Haloti Ngata, who the Steelers usually have trouble with.
However, despite the good numbers for the defense, its run defense is a major concern. The Ravens are giving up 127.7 rushing yards per game (No. 22 in the NFL) on 4.7 yards per carry. The Ravens have only allowed four 100-yard rushers in their last 54 games, but Browns backup running back Peyton Hillis surprisingly joined the list last week when he rushing for 144 yards. The Ravens pass defense is looking better then expected without Ed Reed, who is out for the first six games.
Offensively, their run game is good, but Ray Rice is banged up and right now his status for Sunday is unknown for Sunday. If Rice can't go then it will certainly be a major blow offensively for the Ravens. Rice is a complete back who can do a lot of things in the running and passing game. He's also had success against the Steelers in the past. Willis McGahee will get the start if Rice doesn't play. For those of you who don't remember, McGahee was the running back who got destroyed in the 2008 AFC Championship game by Ryan Clark.
The Ravens have the Steeler-killer TJ Houshmanzadeh at receiver, along with Todd Heap, and Derrick Mason. All three usually catch a few key passes against the Steelers. The Ravens key receiver is Anquan Boldin, who is a very talented receiver. Boldin is a guy who can break tackles and has good hands.
Joe Flacco usually struggles against the Steelers. He's only managed to lead the Ravens to a victory over the Steelers once, and that was last year when Roethlisberger was held out of the game due to a concussion. Dennis Dixon had to fill in and threw a crucial interception in overtime. Flacco is 1-4 in his short career against the Steelers. Out of those 5 games, Flacco has 4 td passes and 6 interceptions. He's also only completed over 60% of his passes once, and that was in the win last year, and Troy Polamalu didn't play.
As for the Steleers, the keys to the game are the same as always. No turnovers, no special teams mistakes, and control the clock.Think about this, Roethlisberger has only lost to the Ravens twice in his career, both in 2006, the year of his motorcycle accident, his worst year as a pro. The Steelers have had to play the Ravens four times since 2004, without Ben. They lost all four of those games. Not a very good sign.
Also, the Steelers usually have trouble running the ball against the Ravens, and have had to rely on Ben's arm to beat them in the past. So far in 3 games this year,the Steelers have averaged 139 yards passing, 1TD/game, 1INT/game. With Roethlisberger last year they averaged 286 yards passing with 1.7 TD/game and .7 Int/game. The Ravens chances of winning next week are significantly better without him in the game.
Charlie Batch will get the start again this Sunday, after throwing 3 touchdowns against Tampa Bay last week. However, Batch also threw 2 interceptions, and should have been picked on two of his touchdowns. That can't happen against this Ravens team.
Batch is going to have to look to Heath Miller and Hines Ward most of the game. Both of them have had success against the Ravens.
The one good thing about this years match-up is the Steelers offensive line is improved in all aspects. Rookie center Maurkice Pouncey is a huge upgrade over Justin Hartwig. The Ravens have three giants on their defensive line, so the Steelers had to get bigger and stronger up front, and they are.
Rashard Mendenhall cannot tip toe around this defense, he needs to hit holes fast and hard. I just hope he's not a little nervous because Ray Lewis almost ruined his career before.
Defensively I think the Steelers will be fine, especially if Ray Rice can't play. Flacco tends to hold on to the ball so I expect the Steelers to get some hits on him. The key is going to be to force some turnovers. Field position is going to huge in this game.
Bottom Line: This game is going to be nasty just like it always is. This is the best rivalry in the NFL. Both of these teams look forward to this game and everyone usually brings their A game. The Steelers cannot afford turnovers in this game. The Steelers cannot and will not come from behind to beat this team with Batch at qb.
That being said, I just don't trust Joe Flacco. I think he's drastically overrated and plays horrible against the Steelers. So I'm going Steelers in this game.
Steelers 16 Ravens 13
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Ben Who?
Well we knew that if the Steelers had some success while Ben Roethlisberger was out that this would happen. An article was written on Pittsburghlive.com today that suggested that if Batch plays well again this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, and comes a way with another win, that he should be able to start even when Roethlisberger comes back from his suspension.
Now not only is this dumb, it's plain ignorant. Batch got lucky against the Bucs. Both of his touchdown passes should have been intercepted. The first one to Wallace looked like a punt that Daniel Sepulveda was jealous of. Batch is a career backup. When Ben comes back the offense will be where it was last year, in the top 10. When Ben comes back the offense will average 8 yards per pass, and open up the run even more.
I know a lot of you don't like Ben, and that's fine. Your just jealous. I know that Ben has a bad reputation but reputations can be changed. I hear a lot of talk like "What if that was your daughter:?". Well if it was my daughter, I would ask her why she was wearing a name tag that read "DTF". If it was my daughter I would ask her why her blood alcohol was .2 and how she didn't die. If it was my daughter I would ask her why she was chasing around celebs from bar to bar. If it was my daughter, I would be disappointed. What if Ben was your son? What if your son was looked at as if he was guilty for something he didn't do?
But Seriously, Ben who? That's funny. How about Ben, the two time Super Bowl winning quarterback. How about Ben, the 100 million dollar qb? How about Ben, the guy that passed for 4300 yards last year, despite missing a game. The guy that has a 90 career qb rating. The guy that won 15 games a rookie. The guy that changed the Pittsburgh Steelers for ever. That's who!
Now not only is this dumb, it's plain ignorant. Batch got lucky against the Bucs. Both of his touchdown passes should have been intercepted. The first one to Wallace looked like a punt that Daniel Sepulveda was jealous of. Batch is a career backup. When Ben comes back the offense will be where it was last year, in the top 10. When Ben comes back the offense will average 8 yards per pass, and open up the run even more.
I know a lot of you don't like Ben, and that's fine. Your just jealous. I know that Ben has a bad reputation but reputations can be changed. I hear a lot of talk like "What if that was your daughter:?". Well if it was my daughter, I would ask her why she was wearing a name tag that read "DTF". If it was my daughter I would ask her why her blood alcohol was .2 and how she didn't die. If it was my daughter I would ask her why she was chasing around celebs from bar to bar. If it was my daughter, I would be disappointed. What if Ben was your son? What if your son was looked at as if he was guilty for something he didn't do?
But Seriously, Ben who? That's funny. How about Ben, the two time Super Bowl winning quarterback. How about Ben, the 100 million dollar qb? How about Ben, the guy that passed for 4300 yards last year, despite missing a game. The guy that has a 90 career qb rating. The guy that won 15 games a rookie. The guy that changed the Pittsburgh Steelers for ever. That's who!
News and Notes
An absolute shocker was announced yesterday, that ESPN RADIO 1250 AM will no longer be on the air come 2011. I couldn't find it but I'm sure the real reason for this move is due to the new all sports talk show on FM, 93.7 the Fan. And of course, the fact that Mark Madden use to have his show on ESPN RADIO, but was fired because of a comment he made about Ted Kennedy. Madden has since been on 105.9 The X, and his ratings are overwhelmingly number 1 in the city.
Stan Savarn, Guy Junker, and drive-time hosts Scott Paulsen and Mike Logan, Chris Mack and Steelers reporter Ken Laird were all fired.
Line experiments with the Pittsburgh Penguins:
Assuming when the team is healthy, the Pittsburgh Penguins could have one of the most feared 3rd lines in the NHL this season, with Aaron Asham and Matt Cooke centered by Max Talbot. Not sure if they'll be this tough though.
Stan Savarn, Guy Junker, and drive-time hosts Scott Paulsen and Mike Logan, Chris Mack and Steelers reporter Ken Laird were all fired.
Line experiments with the Pittsburgh Penguins:
Assuming when the team is healthy, the Pittsburgh Penguins could have one of the most feared 3rd lines in the NHL this season, with Aaron Asham and Matt Cooke centered by Max Talbot. Not sure if they'll be this tough though.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Steelers 38 Buccaneers 13: Full Review
The Pittsburgh Steelers are now 3-0 without Ben Roethlisberger after defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. I'm happy because of this because 75% of the teams that start 3-0 in the NFL make the playoffs. Not to mention that this team will still have a huge upgrade on offense Ben Roethlisberger comes back. That being said here's my breakdown of the game.
Charlie Batch: The Slumlord did an okay job yesterday. I'm not going to give him an A like some of the overreacting critics because he did not give n A effort. Batch's first pass of the game was a horrible interception that gave the Buccaneers an easy field goal to go up 3-0. Batch threw 3 tochdowns, but two of them should have been picked.
He had 2 TD passes to Mike Wallace, the first one was under thrown that the safety(who was a white guy filling in for the suspended Tanard Jackson) made a terrible play on the ball and the other was under thrown and got a lucky tip for a TD .So he could have had or should have had atleast 3 or 4 Ints in this game.
Take away the 2 TD passes and he was 10-15 for 99 yards and 2 Ints.Thats under 5 yards a completion.
However, Batch did get the win, and played a lot better then Dennis Dixon which didn't surprise me. So I'll give Batch a B- for his contributions.
The Running Game- Rashard Mendenhall is running like he has something to prove, maybe critics and his haters. So far he has started three games this season and has topped 100 yards in two of them, including 143 against the Bucs on Sunday. Unlike Fast Willie Parker, Mendenhall seems to run with consistency, not getting most of his yards on one big run. He also has yet to lose a fumble. His ball security this season is much improved and he looks more like the back the Steelers expected in the 2008 draft.
The Steelers finished with 201 yards on 32 carries as a team, good for an average of 6.3 yards per. Isaac Redman chipped in at fullback and carrying the ball with 6 carries for 31 yards. Batch also had a qb scramble for 24 yards. More importantly the Steelers picked up 10 first downs on runs. Running game gets an A+
Offensive line: I thought the offensive line had a great day in both pass and run blocking. Zero sacks allowed and averaging 6.3 yards on the grown? Yes please! Doug Legursky looked good at right guard filling in for Trai Essex. Flozzell Adams, from what I remember had zero penalties. All in all, I'll give the unit an A for the day, although I'm going to re-watch the game again for further review.
The O-line as a "whole" did a very solid job against a stingy 4-3 Tampa Defense, but don't let that game fool you with the O-line either. Their biggest test comes this week with the Baltimore Ravens 3-4 scheme and Haloti Ngata.
Defense: They completely shut down the run as usual and got a quarterback benched for a second straight week. That's just awesome. More importantly this defense is more intimidating and more opportunistic. Last year the Steelers couldn't force a big turnover to save their lives, this year they can't stop it.
So far they've forced nine fumbles (recovering six) and picked off six passes. That's 12 turnovers in three games. When you win the turnover battle, you usually win the game. Also the turnovers aren't just coming from the same two for three players. This week Ryan Clark got a huge(kind of lucky) fumble recovery that gave the Steelers great field position. Also, by far the most awesome play of the game was Brett Keisel's interception return for the touchdown.
Bottom Line:
All in all it was another great effort by the black and gold who are now 3-0, despite the fact that their best offensive player has yet to take the field. Next week, the Steelers welcome the much loved Baltimore Ravens, who are 2-1, thanks to a 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns, who are 0-3. It's going to be the toughest test of the season. Since 2004, the Steelers are 0-4 against the Ravens when Big Ben doesn't start. Just saying.
Charlie Batch: The Slumlord did an okay job yesterday. I'm not going to give him an A like some of the overreacting critics because he did not give n A effort. Batch's first pass of the game was a horrible interception that gave the Buccaneers an easy field goal to go up 3-0. Batch threw 3 tochdowns, but two of them should have been picked.
He had 2 TD passes to Mike Wallace, the first one was under thrown that the safety(who was a white guy filling in for the suspended Tanard Jackson) made a terrible play on the ball and the other was under thrown and got a lucky tip for a TD .So he could have had or should have had atleast 3 or 4 Ints in this game.
Take away the 2 TD passes and he was 10-15 for 99 yards and 2 Ints.Thats under 5 yards a completion.
However, Batch did get the win, and played a lot better then Dennis Dixon which didn't surprise me. So I'll give Batch a B- for his contributions.
The Running Game- Rashard Mendenhall is running like he has something to prove, maybe critics and his haters. So far he has started three games this season and has topped 100 yards in two of them, including 143 against the Bucs on Sunday. Unlike Fast Willie Parker, Mendenhall seems to run with consistency, not getting most of his yards on one big run. He also has yet to lose a fumble. His ball security this season is much improved and he looks more like the back the Steelers expected in the 2008 draft.
The Steelers finished with 201 yards on 32 carries as a team, good for an average of 6.3 yards per. Isaac Redman chipped in at fullback and carrying the ball with 6 carries for 31 yards. Batch also had a qb scramble for 24 yards. More importantly the Steelers picked up 10 first downs on runs. Running game gets an A+
Offensive line: I thought the offensive line had a great day in both pass and run blocking. Zero sacks allowed and averaging 6.3 yards on the grown? Yes please! Doug Legursky looked good at right guard filling in for Trai Essex. Flozzell Adams, from what I remember had zero penalties. All in all, I'll give the unit an A for the day, although I'm going to re-watch the game again for further review.
The O-line as a "whole" did a very solid job against a stingy 4-3 Tampa Defense, but don't let that game fool you with the O-line either. Their biggest test comes this week with the Baltimore Ravens 3-4 scheme and Haloti Ngata.
Defense: They completely shut down the run as usual and got a quarterback benched for a second straight week. That's just awesome. More importantly this defense is more intimidating and more opportunistic. Last year the Steelers couldn't force a big turnover to save their lives, this year they can't stop it.
So far they've forced nine fumbles (recovering six) and picked off six passes. That's 12 turnovers in three games. When you win the turnover battle, you usually win the game. Also the turnovers aren't just coming from the same two for three players. This week Ryan Clark got a huge(kind of lucky) fumble recovery that gave the Steelers great field position. Also, by far the most awesome play of the game was Brett Keisel's interception return for the touchdown.
Bottom Line:
All in all it was another great effort by the black and gold who are now 3-0, despite the fact that their best offensive player has yet to take the field. Next week, the Steelers welcome the much loved Baltimore Ravens, who are 2-1, thanks to a 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns, who are 0-3. It's going to be the toughest test of the season. Since 2004, the Steelers are 0-4 against the Ravens when Big Ben doesn't start. Just saying.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Big Ben Roethlisberger: The Big White Example
The title says it all. Another black player arrested with no suspension. Early last week Braylon Edwards, wide-receiver for the New York Jets was ARRESTED for a d.w.i.(drunk driving) in New York City. Edwards, has a history of bad behavior including being charged with assault on a man outside a night-club.
Yet the NFL has no plans to suspend Edwards, and he even gets to play Sunday night against the Dolphins. His only punishment, he'll be BENCHED FOR 1 QUARTER. Here in Pittsburgh, the Steelers offense will continue to struggle without it's star quarterback and best offensive player, because he's suspended for the 1st four games, DESPITE NOT BEING CHARGED OR ARRESTED FOR ANY TYPE OF CRIME. Why is that?
Is it because he's a quarterback? Well that can't be. Vince Young, who's a really well known athlete, and a quarterback for the Tennesse Titans was charged with a assault this past summer. There's a even a video of Young assaulting a man on Youtube.
Numerous other black NFL players were arrested and charged with crimes this past summer, yet the only ones that were suspended were due to failing a drug test, which is an automatic four game suspension.
Ben haters will come at me and say that what Ben did was wrong and he was trying to take advantage of a girl.
Here's some facts about the girl: 1. She was wearing a DTF name tag. For those of you who don't know what that means, I'll tell. Down to Fuck. Down to have sex. Willing to have sex with someone.
2. She and her friends followed Ben and his entourage around all night, including multiple locations. Who was chasing who?
3. She admitted there was no rape involved. So the Rapistberger and rapist jokes that your douche-bag friends make them sound like an uneducated-idiot-hater.
All this aside the bottom line is that there is something very wrong going on. Ben is being treated very unfairly by the media and football fans. Even people in Pittsburgh have turned on him. Why? Because he snubbed you for an autograph? Because he wasn't nice to you at your lousy restaurant job? Ben Roethlisberger has done nothing besides win games and championships for the city of Pittsburgh and the franchise. Yet everybody threw him under the bus.
Further more Roger Goodell the commissioner of NFL has been very inconsistent in his punishments. More then that, he used Big Ben as the "Big White Example". He's been very lenient when it comes to punishing black athletes, given them a slap on the wrist. Ben, who committed no crimes, was used as example, a white example.
Going back to Braylon Edwards, take a look at this part of the NFL code of conduct.
Yet the NFL has no plans to suspend Edwards, and he even gets to play Sunday night against the Dolphins. His only punishment, he'll be BENCHED FOR 1 QUARTER. Here in Pittsburgh, the Steelers offense will continue to struggle without it's star quarterback and best offensive player, because he's suspended for the 1st four games, DESPITE NOT BEING CHARGED OR ARRESTED FOR ANY TYPE OF CRIME. Why is that?
Is it because he's a quarterback? Well that can't be. Vince Young, who's a really well known athlete, and a quarterback for the Tennesse Titans was charged with a assault this past summer. There's a even a video of Young assaulting a man on Youtube.
Numerous other black NFL players were arrested and charged with crimes this past summer, yet the only ones that were suspended were due to failing a drug test, which is an automatic four game suspension.
Ben haters will come at me and say that what Ben did was wrong and he was trying to take advantage of a girl.
Here's some facts about the girl: 1. She was wearing a DTF name tag. For those of you who don't know what that means, I'll tell. Down to Fuck. Down to have sex. Willing to have sex with someone.
2. She and her friends followed Ben and his entourage around all night, including multiple locations. Who was chasing who?
3. She admitted there was no rape involved. So the Rapistberger and rapist jokes that your douche-bag friends make them sound like an uneducated-idiot-hater.
All this aside the bottom line is that there is something very wrong going on. Ben is being treated very unfairly by the media and football fans. Even people in Pittsburgh have turned on him. Why? Because he snubbed you for an autograph? Because he wasn't nice to you at your lousy restaurant job? Ben Roethlisberger has done nothing besides win games and championships for the city of Pittsburgh and the franchise. Yet everybody threw him under the bus.
Further more Roger Goodell the commissioner of NFL has been very inconsistent in his punishments. More then that, he used Big Ben as the "Big White Example". He's been very lenient when it comes to punishing black athletes, given them a slap on the wrist. Ben, who committed no crimes, was used as example, a white example.
Going back to Braylon Edwards, take a look at this part of the NFL code of conduct.
"The Personal Conduct Policy makes clear that I may impose discipline 'even where the conduct does not result in conviction of a crime' as, for example, where the conduct 'imposes inherent danger to the safety and well being of another person.' As the District Attorney concluded, the extensive investigatory record shows that you contributed to the irresponsible consumption of alcohol by purchasing (or facilitating the purchase of) alcoholic beverages for underage college students, at least some of whom were likely already intoxicated. There is no question that the excessive consumption of alcohol that evening put the students and yourself at risk. The Personal Conduct Policy also states that discipline is appropriate for conduct that 'undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL players.' By any measure, your conduct satisfies that standard
Edwards put himself and two of his teammates and the general public at risk by the irresponsible consumption of alcohol and subsequently operating a motor vehicle. So how does Edward's behavior differ and what rationale can the league use to ignore it? The problem is of course that Goodell owes no one an explanation and for whatever reason, no journalist will ask the question. Can we say, "double standard?"
Ask yourself this; how would the black community react if a high profile black player was suspended for the same length, WITHOUT being charged with a crime or even arrested? Al Sharpton would be everywhere Roger Goodell was at every moment. There would town meetings and protests in the streets. However, Ben is white, and rich white people are looked at differently. Blatant racism in front of all your stupid faces.
Not to mention, I'm sure Edwards will be charged with this crime. I guess the letter of Goodell's law isn't so black and white. Or maybe that's all it is.
Ask yourself this; how would the black community react if a high profile black player was suspended for the same length, WITHOUT being charged with a crime or even arrested? Al Sharpton would be everywhere Roger Goodell was at every moment. There would town meetings and protests in the streets. However, Ben is white, and rich white people are looked at differently. Blatant racism in front of all your stupid faces.
Not to mention, I'm sure Edwards will be charged with this crime. I guess the letter of Goodell's law isn't so black and white. Or maybe that's all it is.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tampa Bay: full preview and prediction
The Pittsburgh Steelers have passed their 1st two tests without star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Their next test is against the undefeated Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) who have beaten Carolina and Cleveland. The winner of this game will be an even more surprising 3-0.
About Tampa Bay:
Tampa Bay's starting quarterback is second-year and former 1st round pick Josh Freeman is a really young qb who hasn't been spectacular but has been successful, winning four of his last five starts overall and completing 29 of 52 passes for 360 yards and four touchdowns with a 95.0 passer rating. He threw two td's last week with a 102.4 rating against Carolina and has five two- TD games in his career, two so far in 2010. He has a big arm is mobile, so look for him to try to go deep a few times.
Carnell Williams is a talented back, carrying the ball22 times in both games this season. The Bucs are 13-0 when his workload reaches 22 of more. Rookie receiver Mike Williams has been the go-to receiver for the bucs, scoring a touchdown in each of the first two games.
Veteran tight end Kellen Winslow is a big time talent, and is one of the best players in the league on third downs this year having eight catches for 115 yards on third down. He caught four balls for 83 yards when last playing the Steelers - while with Cleveland in 2007. Shutting him down
Tampa Bay won't be able to run on the Steelers, so they are gonna have to spread the Steelers defense out, use screens, and make Winslow their main target.
Defensively the Bucs are pretty good. Their corners being the best part of their defense with young start corner Aqib Talib and cornerback Ronde Barber is not showing his age right now, already having two interceptions on the season.
Inside linebacker Barrett Rudd is considered one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Tampa Bay was dealt an off-the-field blow when safety Tanard Jackson was suspended indefinitely for a repeat violation of the league's substance abuse policy.
The keys for the Steelers are pretty simple to me.
No mistakes: You can't afford turnovers on the road without your star quarterback in a hostile environment.
No special teams touchdowns, no defensive touchdowns allowed. The Steelers do not have the offense(without Big Ben) to come from behind right now.
The Steelers also need to do a better job of staying hydrated. Last week in Tennessee, rookie Maurkice Pouncey was the only offensive linemen to play every snap. It's going to be even hotter and more humid in Tampa with another 1pm kick-off. Not to mention that the Steelers offensive line is already thin with injuries to guard Trai Essex and Max Starks(who will play).
Special teams will have to be solid once again, no big returns allowed and no miscues. Tampa Bay is very good at feeding off of other teams mistakes, especially at home.
The Steelers have to better on third downs. Well I guess they can't be any worse. Through the first two games, Pittsburgh’s offense has only converted six of 29 third down attempts, good enough to be last in the league in 3rd down percentage.
Bottom line: The Steelers are favored -2.5 points over the Bucs. The Steelers usually play better as the underdogs and now they are getting praised and getting favored on the road. Some people are even saying that this game is going to be "easy". Let me tell you something, this game is definitely not going to be an easy game. Put it this way, right now, with that efense we can be anyone in the league, but with that Offense we can lose to anyone in the league.
Bothing about the Steelers' first two wins was easy. An overtime win and a win that came down to the last play of the game. This will be a tough road game after an emotional road win and Tomlin has been spouting off as if the Steelers have already gone 4-0 without Roethlisberger. He should have kept his mouth shut. They could still go 2-2.
Hopefully Batch can stay healthy for these next two games. Byron Leftwich is not 100% and can use the extra healing time. Who knows though. The way it's been going for the Steelers he may have to come in against the Bucs.
I do think the Steelers will win this game but other then turnovers, it's unclear how they will score. I just don't think young Josh Freeman will be able to dissect the Steelers defense.
Steelers 13 Tampa Bay 9
About Tampa Bay:
Tampa Bay's starting quarterback is second-year and former 1st round pick Josh Freeman is a really young qb who hasn't been spectacular but has been successful, winning four of his last five starts overall and completing 29 of 52 passes for 360 yards and four touchdowns with a 95.0 passer rating. He threw two td's last week with a 102.4 rating against Carolina and has five two- TD games in his career, two so far in 2010. He has a big arm is mobile, so look for him to try to go deep a few times.
Carnell Williams is a talented back, carrying the ball22 times in both games this season. The Bucs are 13-0 when his workload reaches 22 of more. Rookie receiver Mike Williams has been the go-to receiver for the bucs, scoring a touchdown in each of the first two games.
Veteran tight end Kellen Winslow is a big time talent, and is one of the best players in the league on third downs this year having eight catches for 115 yards on third down. He caught four balls for 83 yards when last playing the Steelers - while with Cleveland in 2007. Shutting him down
Tampa Bay won't be able to run on the Steelers, so they are gonna have to spread the Steelers defense out, use screens, and make Winslow their main target.
Defensively the Bucs are pretty good. Their corners being the best part of their defense with young start corner Aqib Talib and cornerback Ronde Barber is not showing his age right now, already having two interceptions on the season.
Inside linebacker Barrett Rudd is considered one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Tampa Bay was dealt an off-the-field blow when safety Tanard Jackson was suspended indefinitely for a repeat violation of the league's substance abuse policy.
The keys for the Steelers are pretty simple to me.
No mistakes: You can't afford turnovers on the road without your star quarterback in a hostile environment.
No special teams touchdowns, no defensive touchdowns allowed. The Steelers do not have the offense(without Big Ben) to come from behind right now.
The Steelers also need to do a better job of staying hydrated. Last week in Tennessee, rookie Maurkice Pouncey was the only offensive linemen to play every snap. It's going to be even hotter and more humid in Tampa with another 1pm kick-off. Not to mention that the Steelers offensive line is already thin with injuries to guard Trai Essex and Max Starks(who will play).
Special teams will have to be solid once again, no big returns allowed and no miscues. Tampa Bay is very good at feeding off of other teams mistakes, especially at home.
The Steelers have to better on third downs. Well I guess they can't be any worse. Through the first two games, Pittsburgh’s offense has only converted six of 29 third down attempts, good enough to be last in the league in 3rd down percentage.
Bottom line: The Steelers are favored -2.5 points over the Bucs. The Steelers usually play better as the underdogs and now they are getting praised and getting favored on the road. Some people are even saying that this game is going to be "easy". Let me tell you something, this game is definitely not going to be an easy game. Put it this way, right now, with that efense we can be anyone in the league, but with that Offense we can lose to anyone in the league.
Bothing about the Steelers' first two wins was easy. An overtime win and a win that came down to the last play of the game. This will be a tough road game after an emotional road win and Tomlin has been spouting off as if the Steelers have already gone 4-0 without Roethlisberger. He should have kept his mouth shut. They could still go 2-2.
Hopefully Batch can stay healthy for these next two games. Byron Leftwich is not 100% and can use the extra healing time. Who knows though. The way it's been going for the Steelers he may have to come in against the Bucs.
I do think the Steelers will win this game but other then turnovers, it's unclear how they will score. I just don't think young Josh Freeman will be able to dissect the Steelers defense.
Steelers 13 Tampa Bay 9
Pitt looses 31-3 to Miami on nationl t.v. Who's to blame?
Coming into the 2010 season, Pitt football and their fans had really high expectations, and for good reasons. They returned most of their starters on offense and defense, including college football stars Greg Romeus, Jonathan Baldwin, and Dion Lewis. People, including myself had them as the Big East favorite, and a possible National Champion dark-horse. Since then Pitt has started 1-2, and four different Pitt players have been arrested.
Last night Pitt welcomed the number 19 ranked Miami Hurricanes to Heinz Field for a national televised game. Not only was it on national t.v., but Pitt brought back 450 players and coaches from the past, including Tony Dorsett and Johnny Majors.
Instead of giving out grades or doing the normal breakdown, I'm just gonna give some notes and ask some open ended questions after the 31-3 home loss.
Is their a quarterback controversy? Tino Sunseri completed 8 of 15 passes for 61 yards. Besides those stats he looked nervous and does anyone else think he's just too short to play quarterback? Even the ESPN broadcasters were joking around about him not being able to see over his offensive line. However, his backup, Pat Bostick, didn’t fare any better, going 5 for 9 with two interceptions. The only thing I can say is for now, I might be compelled to go with Bostic, who looks like has a better understanding of the offense and the weapons around him.
Playcalling- Now I usually don't fault the play-calling too much but there were definitely some really bad calls last night by Pitt. One of the questionable plays was right after Pitt had gotten their first 1st down of the game, and then tried to do a wide-receiver pass. The play resulted in a 5 yard loss. Think about this stat line, Pitt didn't advance inside the Miami 30 until the next-to-last play of the third quarter, and that was on a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty.
Offensive line- Can't just blame the play-calling last night, seeing as the Pitt offensive line was beat upfront on nearly every play. Pitt's offensive line was dominated by Miami. Somehow, Ray Graham managed to get 100 yards rushing, but that mostly due to his talent of speed and breaking tackles.
Bottom line: Maybe it's coach Dave Wanndsted's fault. He's an above average recruiter but he needs to have the results on the field. In his last six games, Wanndstedt is 2-4. Maybe it's the offensive line, who seems unmatched physically. Maybe it's the qb or lack there of. Maybe it's all the distractions of players getting arrested and injured. I don't know. I was a believer in Wannsted, but I'm loosing faith quickly.
Last night Pitt welcomed the number 19 ranked Miami Hurricanes to Heinz Field for a national televised game. Not only was it on national t.v., but Pitt brought back 450 players and coaches from the past, including Tony Dorsett and Johnny Majors.
Instead of giving out grades or doing the normal breakdown, I'm just gonna give some notes and ask some open ended questions after the 31-3 home loss.
Is their a quarterback controversy? Tino Sunseri completed 8 of 15 passes for 61 yards. Besides those stats he looked nervous and does anyone else think he's just too short to play quarterback? Even the ESPN broadcasters were joking around about him not being able to see over his offensive line. However, his backup, Pat Bostick, didn’t fare any better, going 5 for 9 with two interceptions. The only thing I can say is for now, I might be compelled to go with Bostic, who looks like has a better understanding of the offense and the weapons around him.
Playcalling- Now I usually don't fault the play-calling too much but there were definitely some really bad calls last night by Pitt. One of the questionable plays was right after Pitt had gotten their first 1st down of the game, and then tried to do a wide-receiver pass. The play resulted in a 5 yard loss. Think about this stat line, Pitt didn't advance inside the Miami 30 until the next-to-last play of the third quarter, and that was on a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty.
Offensive line- Can't just blame the play-calling last night, seeing as the Pitt offensive line was beat upfront on nearly every play. Pitt's offensive line was dominated by Miami. Somehow, Ray Graham managed to get 100 yards rushing, but that mostly due to his talent of speed and breaking tackles.
Bottom line: Maybe it's coach Dave Wanndsted's fault. He's an above average recruiter but he needs to have the results on the field. In his last six games, Wanndstedt is 2-4. Maybe it's the offensive line, who seems unmatched physically. Maybe it's the qb or lack there of. Maybe it's all the distractions of players getting arrested and injured. I don't know. I was a believer in Wannsted, but I'm loosing faith quickly.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Pens and Caps are going to be in HBO series
The NHL's rivalry just got bigger and better now that the NHL and HBO will team up for documentary about the teams leading up to the Winter Classic, which will be played on New Years Day at Heinz Field.
It is set to premiere Dec 15th.
It is set to premiere Dec 15th.
Pens 5 Red Wings 1 in opening night of the Consol Enegy Center
The Consol Energy Center is gorgeous, we know this. However, speaking for most of Pens fans, I was just glad that there was going to be a hockey game played in it. Last night the Pens took on the Detroit Red Wings. Even though it's just preseason, I felt that I would break the game down for yinz.
82 seconds into the game, newly acquired forward Mike Comrie beat Detroit's Chris Osgood to give the Pens a 1-0 lead. The Pens went on to beat the Red wings 5-1. Defenseman Ruslan Salei scored the only Detroit goal on the night, beating Marc-Andre Fleury in the second period.
Other goal scorers included Sidney Crosby, Ryan Craig(2), and Brett Sterling, who played on the same line as Crosby.
Crosby had a goal, an assist, and six shots on goal before sitting out the third period with a sore hip flexor. Thankfully, the injury is not believed to be serious.
Brooks Orpik had a busy night knocking Johan Franzen out of the game with 1:43 left in the first period with an injury described as a charley horse. Orpik also got into a fight with Todd Bertuzzi.
Fleury played the first two periods for the Pens, stopping 20 of 21 shots he faced. Brad Theissen stepped in as the closer, stopping all five shots the Red Wings mustered in the third period.
Jess Boulerice got to make history by being involved with the first ever fight in the new arena by beating down Aaron Downey.
The Penguins outshot the Red Wings 37-26 in the game.
The preseason picks up again on Friday night at Columbus, followed by home game #2 on Saturday night against the very same Blue Jackets.
News and Notes
AFC Defensive Player of the Week James Harrison, was fined 5,000 dollars for this suplex of Titans quarterback Vince Young.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Breaking News and Notes for the Steelers
Tampa Bay Bucs'(the Steelers next opponent) starting safety Tanard Jackson has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL for the rest of the 2010 NFL season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. You can read more about it here.
Mike Tomlin has announced that Charlie Batch will start at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday.
Dennis Dixon had surgery Wednesday on his torn lateral meniscus. He's expected to out about six weeks.
Mike Tomlin has announced that Charlie Batch will start at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday.
Dennis Dixon had surgery Wednesday on his torn lateral meniscus. He's expected to out about six weeks.
Who would you rather have on your team? Mike Vick or Big Ben
I love poll questions. Especially when it comes to sports. ESPN.com is always full of polls for fans. Today I was looking through some of them when I came across this question: Who would you rather have on your team, Ben Roethlisberger or Michael Vick? The last time I saw the results it was 60% in favor of Mike Vick.
Now they didn't really put an explanation for the question. Is it supposed to be who do you like more or is it who is better. If it's who do you like more then that's fine, even though I don't know what that says about some of you who voted for Vick. Last time I checked Mike Vick was a convicted Felon who tortured and killed dogs. Last time I checked Vick, who is supposed to be on a no-tolerance basis, had a huge party this summer at which someone got shot.
Furthermore, the last time I check Ben Roethlisberger was never charged, arrested, or convicted of any crimes or wrong-doings. Last time I checked Roethlisberger was only accused of something. I think everyone has been accused of something in their life. I know Vick has "paid his dues to society", but why is Roethlisberger getting thrown under the bus?
If the question was meant to say who is a better quarterback, then it should have even been more lopsided, in favor of Big Ben. Michael Vick is not a better football player then Ben Roethlisberger. Michael Vick is certainly not a better quarterback then Ben Roethlisberger. The stats say so and so do their resumes. Vick is the better athlete but being a good athlete does not equal being a good quarterback.
Let's compare them as quarterbacks real quick.
Career stats: Completion percentage: Mike Vick 54% , Big Ben 63.3%
Yards per attempt: Mike Vick 6.7, Big Ben 8
Qb rating: Mike Vick 76.8, Big Ben 91.7
Touchdown percentage: Mike Vick 4.2 %, Big Ben 5.3
Winning percentage as a starting qb: Mike Vick 57%, Big Ben 69%
Super Bowl wins: Mike Vick 0, Big Ben 2
I'd like to add that I don't care about Vick's rushing numbers because a good quarterback only runs when he has to. Ben has pulled off some big runs in his career as seen here.
In the end I don't know what the reasoning is behind the morons that think Vick is better. I don't know if it's just a personal dislike for Ben, if they're just indeed morons, or if they just liked to use Vick on Madden. All I know is if you think Vick is better, you have no idea what you're talking about.
Now they didn't really put an explanation for the question. Is it supposed to be who do you like more or is it who is better. If it's who do you like more then that's fine, even though I don't know what that says about some of you who voted for Vick. Last time I checked Mike Vick was a convicted Felon who tortured and killed dogs. Last time I checked Vick, who is supposed to be on a no-tolerance basis, had a huge party this summer at which someone got shot.
Furthermore, the last time I check Ben Roethlisberger was never charged, arrested, or convicted of any crimes or wrong-doings. Last time I checked Roethlisberger was only accused of something. I think everyone has been accused of something in their life. I know Vick has "paid his dues to society", but why is Roethlisberger getting thrown under the bus?
If the question was meant to say who is a better quarterback, then it should have even been more lopsided, in favor of Big Ben. Michael Vick is not a better football player then Ben Roethlisberger. Michael Vick is certainly not a better quarterback then Ben Roethlisberger. The stats say so and so do their resumes. Vick is the better athlete but being a good athlete does not equal being a good quarterback.
Let's compare them as quarterbacks real quick.
Career stats: Completion percentage: Mike Vick 54% , Big Ben 63.3%
Yards per attempt: Mike Vick 6.7, Big Ben 8
Qb rating: Mike Vick 76.8, Big Ben 91.7
Touchdown percentage: Mike Vick 4.2 %, Big Ben 5.3
Winning percentage as a starting qb: Mike Vick 57%, Big Ben 69%
Super Bowl wins: Mike Vick 0, Big Ben 2
I'd like to add that I don't care about Vick's rushing numbers because a good quarterback only runs when he has to. Ben has pulled off some big runs in his career as seen here.
In the end I don't know what the reasoning is behind the morons that think Vick is better. I don't know if it's just a personal dislike for Ben, if they're just indeed morons, or if they just liked to use Vick on Madden. All I know is if you think Vick is better, you have no idea what you're talking about.
It's a hockey night in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Penguins will play in the Consol Energy Center for the 1st time tonight in a preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Sterling-Crosby-Dupuis
Tangradi-Comrie-Malkin
Wallace-Letestu-Kennedy
Craig-Vitale-Boulerice
Orpik-Michalek
Letang-Strait
Potter-Hutchinson
Tonight's Power play will consist of Letang and Malkin at the points with Crosby, Comrie and Tangradi down low.
For more information on the Pens and tonights game click here
Sterling-Crosby-Dupuis
Tangradi-Comrie-Malkin
Wallace-Letestu-Kennedy
Craig-Vitale-Boulerice
Orpik-Michalek
Letang-Strait
Potter-Hutchinson
Tonight's Power play will consist of Letang and Malkin at the points with Crosby, Comrie and Tangradi down low.
For more information on the Pens and tonights game click here
Steelers news and notes
James Harrison has been named the AFC defensive player of the week. Harrison had 11 tackles, 2 sacks, and forced two fumbles, recovering one.
Both Casey Hampton and Max Starks should be in the starting lineup this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward was sworn in as a member of President Barack Obama's Advisory Comission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders yesterday.
Both Casey Hampton and Max Starks should be in the starting lineup this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward was sworn in as a member of President Barack Obama's Advisory Comission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders yesterday.
Steelers Offense Needs Big Ben
The Steelers are 2 and 0 and in first place by in the AFC North. This despite a horrid offense that has scored 1 touchdown in 2 games, and has averaged just 6.5 yards per pass, and just 116 passing yards per game. Against the Ttians, the Steelers averaged 1.8 yards in the air! That's just unacceptable.
Now the defense is just ridiculous tied for league lead in points allowed per game through two games right now. That's great. With these defense you can beat anyone. They could probably get to the playoffs without Ben Roethlisberger.
However, this team WOULD NOT WIN A SUPER BOWL without Ben Roethlisberger. The offense needs Roethlisberger. They need him to be able to throw the ball and run the ball. With Leftwich, Dixon, and Batch, opposing defenses will not respect the Steelers passing game. Nor should they. Averaging 6.5 yards per pass is pathetic. Blame the play-calling all you want, the fact is Roethlisberger is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The offense revolves around him and the big plays that he makes. Roethlisberger averages 8 yards per attempt for his career. He also averages 14 yards per completion.
With Ben, the Steelers will have a respectable offense and arguably the best defense in the NFL. With Ben the Steelers will be able to move the ball in the air and on the ground. I dare defenses to put 8 in the box with Ben in the game. Throwing the ball down the field is the name of his game. With Ben, everyone's numbers will go up. With Ben on this team they are Super Bowl contenders.
Now the defense is just ridiculous tied for league lead in points allowed per game through two games right now. That's great. With these defense you can beat anyone. They could probably get to the playoffs without Ben Roethlisberger.
However, this team WOULD NOT WIN A SUPER BOWL without Ben Roethlisberger. The offense needs Roethlisberger. They need him to be able to throw the ball and run the ball. With Leftwich, Dixon, and Batch, opposing defenses will not respect the Steelers passing game. Nor should they. Averaging 6.5 yards per pass is pathetic. Blame the play-calling all you want, the fact is Roethlisberger is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The offense revolves around him and the big plays that he makes. Roethlisberger averages 8 yards per attempt for his career. He also averages 14 yards per completion.
With Ben, the Steelers will have a respectable offense and arguably the best defense in the NFL. With Ben the Steelers will be able to move the ball in the air and on the ground. I dare defenses to put 8 in the box with Ben in the game. Throwing the ball down the field is the name of his game. With Ben, everyone's numbers will go up. With Ben on this team they are Super Bowl contenders.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Steelers Injury updates
Dennis Dixon is out for at least three weeks with his torn miniscus.
OT MAX STARKS could return this Sunday.
OL TRAI ESSEX (sprained ankle) is questionable for Sunday
DT Casey Hampton could also return
Pens training camp news
Battle for the 6th defensemen spot :
I thought Ben Lovejoy was a lock to make the top six defensemen on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Deryk Engelland is hanging in there and he will get a solid chance. However, another young defensemen has been raising some eyebrows at training camp, he's none other then Corey Potter. Potter has reportedly impressed the fans and coaches with his intensity and physical play. Potter played in the AHL last year.
Eric Tangradi was skating with Evgeni Malkin and Mike Comrie. Expectations are certainly high for Tangradi, and playing him with those two will only raise the expectations.
I thought Ben Lovejoy was a lock to make the top six defensemen on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Deryk Engelland is hanging in there and he will get a solid chance. However, another young defensemen has been raising some eyebrows at training camp, he's none other then Corey Potter. Potter has reportedly impressed the fans and coaches with his intensity and physical play. Potter played in the AHL last year.
Eric Tangradi was skating with Evgeni Malkin and Mike Comrie. Expectations are certainly high for Tangradi, and playing him with those two will only raise the expectations.
Steelers News
At the Mike Tomlin press conference, Tomlin said that Charlie Batch had "the poll position" for the starting job this week at quarterback. Not a total surprise being that Batch might be the only option.
However, if Byron Leftwich is healthy, you have to think that he is the best option. He did practice with the 1st team offense the entire offseason.
However, if Byron Leftwich is healthy, you have to think that he is the best option. He did practice with the 1st team offense the entire offseason.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Breaking News in Pittsburgh
RAY SHERO and the Penguins agreed to a five-year contract today. Shero has been the manager since 2006, and is arguably the best general manager in teh NHL. His only real mistake being the Alex Ponikorosky deal. [PittsburghPenguins.com]
BYRON LEFTWICH, who was released over the weekend, is expected to be re-signed by the Steelers today, which means one of his teammates will be released to even out the roster. PG]
DENNIS DIXON is reportedly out for two-three weeks with a torn meniscus. Even though I was never a fan of Dixon, it certainly doesn't help the depth at qb for the Steelers. Byron Leftwich is expected to be the starter.
Steelers 19 Titans 11. Full review
Yes I was wrong. I’m not wrong often but when I am, I’m man enough to admit it. I picked the Titans to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-14. The reasoning behind the prediction was based on the fact that the Steelers never play well at Tennessee, and the fact that I didn’t trust Dixon on the road against a good defense in a hostile environment.
The Steelers overcame all of that and defeated the Titans 19-11. The game was not as close as the score indicated. Here is my breakdown of the game for the Pittsburgh Steelers:
Quarterbacks- It seems both teams tried to win this game despite their quarterback play. Dennis Dixon was 4 for 6 throwing the ball, but it was only for 18 yards. He ran 3 times for 29 yards, including a big 21 yard run. However, he was hit on blitz and fumbled the ball which gave the Titans great field position. Dixon left the game with a knee injury and was replaced by Charlie Batch.
Batch didn’t give the Steelers a big spark in the passing game either going just 5 for 11 for 25 yards. That’s right, the Steelers averaged just 1.8 yards per attempt on passing plays. Ben Roethlisberger averages over 7 yards per attempt for his career. Just saying. Until he comes back, this is obviously the weak link of the team.
Key stats for the passing game: 0 first downs from a pass play. How in the hell do you manage that?
Running game- Rashard Mendenhall carried the ball 23 times for 69 yards. That’s an 3 yard average per carry. Not bad, not great. Mendenhall did bust a 20 yard run in the game but for the most part he was held in check but defenders in the backfield. The one thing that can be frustrating about Mendenhall is his continuous spinning. I know it can create big plays, but sometimes he does it a bit too much, causing him to take a big loss instead of the possibility of getting a 1 or 2 yard gain.
Issac Redman had a good game playing with intensity and also had a key 1st down on a 3rd and 1 in the 3rd quarter.
Key stat for the running game: 6 1st downs converted by the running game. Compared to just 2 by the Titans.
Offensive line: The o-line had a weird day. Injuries, cramping, and dehydration plagued them as a unit. They gave up 4 sacks and averaged 3.2 yards in the running game.
Jonathan Scott was filling in at left tackle for an injured Max Starks had a shaky day. He got beat on the Dixon fumble and a few other plays. He was also one of the linemen that was suffering from dehydration. Scott did not look like he was ready for this and I’m sure the Steelers will think about putting someone else there to fill his spot.
Maurkice Pouncey looked good again. His athleticism is at a pro-bowl level. He wasn’t as dominant as he was last week but for the 2nd game in a row he was the best of the starting five.
Chris Kemoeatu had a pretty good game as the Steelers continue to have good success when he pulls to the right.
Defense: Insert whatever adjective you want right here. I’ll use dominant. Whether it was against the run or the pass, they completely shut down the everything the Titans had to give.
Troy Polamalu (interception, diving stop on the goal line, 6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss) looked incredible once again. He’s by far the best safety in the league when he is healthy.
Lawrence Timmons (15 tackles/12 solo) was everywhere again. He’s using his speed to his strength, and really seems to be “understanding” the game.
James Harrison (11 tackles, 2 sacks, forced fumble, recovered fumble)and LaMarr Woodley (interception, sack, 4 tackles) were back to their dominate ways.
Bryant McFadden also looks like he’s back to his old ways. He’s certainly a huge upgrade over William Gay.
In all the defense dictated the entire game. The confused and rattled Vince Young, causing him to get benched. The frustrated Chris Johnson. The Titans weren’t able to move the ball until the end of the game when Kerry Collins was in at qb, and by then the Steelers were playing a prevent defense.
Key stat for the Steelers defense: 7 turnovers.
Special Teams: Usually a weak link, on Sunday the Steeler's special teams was fantastic.
Antonio Brown ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. I've been saying for weeks that he should be returning the kicks and punts for this team, maybe now he'll get that chance.
Jeff Reed knocked in all four of his field goal attempts in to help the Steelers win the game.
Key stat for the special teams: 19 points scored.
Bottom line: The Steelers overcame a lot of adversity against the Titans. With the defense looking like the 2008 version, this team has a shot to compete for a Super Bowl. That being said, it's obvious that the offense revolves around Roethlisberger. He is the one that can put this team over the hump.
Going into these four games without Ben, I was thinking the worse, but I drastically underestimated the d. However, you can not win a Super Bowl with 1.8 yards per attempt throwing the ball. That will be fixed with Ben's return. I'll be doing a preview of the Tampa Bay game, which is the Steelers next opponent.
As for now the Steelers are in first place all by themselves in the AFC North, so Steelers fans should be ecstatic.
The Steelers overcame all of that and defeated the Titans 19-11. The game was not as close as the score indicated. Here is my breakdown of the game for the Pittsburgh Steelers:
Quarterbacks- It seems both teams tried to win this game despite their quarterback play. Dennis Dixon was 4 for 6 throwing the ball, but it was only for 18 yards. He ran 3 times for 29 yards, including a big 21 yard run. However, he was hit on blitz and fumbled the ball which gave the Titans great field position. Dixon left the game with a knee injury and was replaced by Charlie Batch.
Batch didn’t give the Steelers a big spark in the passing game either going just 5 for 11 for 25 yards. That’s right, the Steelers averaged just 1.8 yards per attempt on passing plays. Ben Roethlisberger averages over 7 yards per attempt for his career. Just saying. Until he comes back, this is obviously the weak link of the team.
Key stats for the passing game: 0 first downs from a pass play. How in the hell do you manage that?
Running game- Rashard Mendenhall carried the ball 23 times for 69 yards. That’s an 3 yard average per carry. Not bad, not great. Mendenhall did bust a 20 yard run in the game but for the most part he was held in check but defenders in the backfield. The one thing that can be frustrating about Mendenhall is his continuous spinning. I know it can create big plays, but sometimes he does it a bit too much, causing him to take a big loss instead of the possibility of getting a 1 or 2 yard gain.
Issac Redman had a good game playing with intensity and also had a key 1st down on a 3rd and 1 in the 3rd quarter.
Key stat for the running game: 6 1st downs converted by the running game. Compared to just 2 by the Titans.
Offensive line: The o-line had a weird day. Injuries, cramping, and dehydration plagued them as a unit. They gave up 4 sacks and averaged 3.2 yards in the running game.
Jonathan Scott was filling in at left tackle for an injured Max Starks had a shaky day. He got beat on the Dixon fumble and a few other plays. He was also one of the linemen that was suffering from dehydration. Scott did not look like he was ready for this and I’m sure the Steelers will think about putting someone else there to fill his spot.
Maurkice Pouncey looked good again. His athleticism is at a pro-bowl level. He wasn’t as dominant as he was last week but for the 2nd game in a row he was the best of the starting five.
Chris Kemoeatu had a pretty good game as the Steelers continue to have good success when he pulls to the right.
Defense: Insert whatever adjective you want right here. I’ll use dominant. Whether it was against the run or the pass, they completely shut down the everything the Titans had to give.
Troy Polamalu (interception, diving stop on the goal line, 6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss) looked incredible once again. He’s by far the best safety in the league when he is healthy.
Lawrence Timmons (15 tackles/12 solo) was everywhere again. He’s using his speed to his strength, and really seems to be “understanding” the game.
James Harrison (11 tackles, 2 sacks, forced fumble, recovered fumble)and LaMarr Woodley (interception, sack, 4 tackles) were back to their dominate ways.
Bryant McFadden also looks like he’s back to his old ways. He’s certainly a huge upgrade over William Gay.
In all the defense dictated the entire game. The confused and rattled Vince Young, causing him to get benched. The frustrated Chris Johnson. The Titans weren’t able to move the ball until the end of the game when Kerry Collins was in at qb, and by then the Steelers were playing a prevent defense.
Key stat for the Steelers defense: 7 turnovers.
Special Teams: Usually a weak link, on Sunday the Steeler's special teams was fantastic.
Antonio Brown ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. I've been saying for weeks that he should be returning the kicks and punts for this team, maybe now he'll get that chance.
Jeff Reed knocked in all four of his field goal attempts in to help the Steelers win the game.
Key stat for the special teams: 19 points scored.
Bottom line: The Steelers overcame a lot of adversity against the Titans. With the defense looking like the 2008 version, this team has a shot to compete for a Super Bowl. That being said, it's obvious that the offense revolves around Roethlisberger. He is the one that can put this team over the hump.
Going into these four games without Ben, I was thinking the worse, but I drastically underestimated the d. However, you can not win a Super Bowl with 1.8 yards per attempt throwing the ball. That will be fixed with Ben's return. I'll be doing a preview of the Tampa Bay game, which is the Steelers next opponent.
As for now the Steelers are in first place all by themselves in the AFC North, so Steelers fans should be ecstatic.
Shut up Terry Bradshaw!
Terry Bradshaw is at it again. Watch this video with him ripping Ben Roethlisberger.
Bradshaw continued his harsh criticism of Roethlisberger today on the Fox pregame show, saying that he would've gotten rid of the troubled Steeler QB if he owned the Steelers and closing with a loud message to the NFL's "young guns". Said Bradshaw: "There's gonna be three letters attached to your name. Make 'em be NFL...and not TMZ."
Steeler fans might agree or disagree with Bradshaw's statements, but the point is this: he is only doing what he's paid to do. Bradshaw's job is to give opinions as he sees them, and in this case, he is not seeing things in the same way as the organization's decision-makers.
However, I'm entitled to my opinion as well. When Terry says that the Steeelers got rid of Santonio Holmes for failing a drug test is not true. That was just one of multiple infractions that Holmes made. He was arrested for domestic violence his rookie year.
Then in 2008 he was caught smoking marijuana by a Pittsburgh cop. Then in 2010 he failed his drug test, and is currently getting sued for assault by a woman in Orlando.
Bradshaw is just doing this for attention. Ben is not a criminal. The only thing Ben is guilty of is bad judgment. Holmes is a repeat offender. Ben's never been arrested. As for Bradshaw saying that he would have gotten rid of Ben, I guess that's why he's not a general manager.
Bradshaw continued his harsh criticism of Roethlisberger today on the Fox pregame show, saying that he would've gotten rid of the troubled Steeler QB if he owned the Steelers and closing with a loud message to the NFL's "young guns". Said Bradshaw: "There's gonna be three letters attached to your name. Make 'em be NFL...and not TMZ."
Steeler fans might agree or disagree with Bradshaw's statements, but the point is this: he is only doing what he's paid to do. Bradshaw's job is to give opinions as he sees them, and in this case, he is not seeing things in the same way as the organization's decision-makers.
However, I'm entitled to my opinion as well. When Terry says that the Steeelers got rid of Santonio Holmes for failing a drug test is not true. That was just one of multiple infractions that Holmes made. He was arrested for domestic violence his rookie year.
Then in 2008 he was caught smoking marijuana by a Pittsburgh cop. Then in 2010 he failed his drug test, and is currently getting sued for assault by a woman in Orlando.
Bradshaw is just doing this for attention. Ben is not a criminal. The only thing Ben is guilty of is bad judgment. Holmes is a repeat offender. Ben's never been arrested. As for Bradshaw saying that he would have gotten rid of Ben, I guess that's why he's not a general manager.
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