Kiss the Patriots Plague Good Night

I think it's safe to say that the majority of the people who follow professional football are somewhat "stunned" to say the least.  Yesterday, Tom Brady lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time in nearly seven years.  Not only did he lose, but he was almost obsolete.   Brady was held to under 200 yards passing for the first time this season; while the Patriots possessed the ball for just a little over 20 minutes.  Needless to say, the Steelers won the game 25-17.  Beating the Patriots was HUGE for this football team.  Especially for the players who have been around since 2004, (Ben, Hines, Polamalu, Farrior, Harrison, Starks, Ike, and even Larry Foote).

Defensively, there was a 180 degree turnaround from last year.  The best part of the game was watching Brady go down.  Woodley harassed him for the first three quarters until he left the game with a hamstring injury.  The coverage for the most part was pretty good.  The Pats drew a couple of cheap pass-interference penalties, but honestly, you have to go man to man on those guys.  There is nothing wrong with playing physical in the defensive backfield.

Offensively this was the best game the Steelers have played all year.  Disregarding Ben's interception inside the Steelers own red zone, they hardly made any mistakes, and amassed 427 total net yards.  Ben made the Patriots pass defense look even worse than it already did.  He completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards, and 2 touchdowns.

A big win for this franchise.  At 6-2, the Steelers can't let up.  They host the Ravens on Sunday night this week.  If they lose, this win means nothing.

But still, this made my week.



Written by Alex Muchnok


Follow me on twitter @AMuchnok56

Pens Fall to Leafs (Leaves?)

The grammatical plural of the Toronto Maple Leafs aggravates me to no end. Just thought I’d throw that out there. Anyway, the build-up to Phil Kessel vs. James Neal ended with Kessel up by one in goals, placing him back in the spot of league leader.

Coming off a five game winning streak, the Pens were statistically due for a loss, even after last season’s unbelievable 12 game winning streak spanning November and December. (Unfortunately it was ended by our cross state rivals, the Flyers. Screw them.)

“The Injuries Keep Piling Up for the Pens”

Welcome to Toronto! Tonight the Pens will battle the James Reimer-less Maple Leafs without center Jordan Staal.

Ben Lovejoy joked about the fall of Cardboard Brooks Orpik, stating “The injuries keep piling up for the Pens.” I’m sure at the time he had no idea it would once again reach an absolutely ridiculous level…again.

Head Coach Dan Bylsma confirmed after the Pens practice today at the Air Canada Centre that Staalsy did not make the trip to Toronto and sustained an injury when he collided with John Tavares during Thursday’s game against the Islanders.

"It's lower body and day-to-day," Bylsma said. "He wasn't going to play in this game, which is why he's not here. ... I don't that concern at this time (that it will be long term). Well see returning to practice on Monday."

Pens Strand the Islanders

The Pens played a home-home series against the Islanders this week, defeating them in both games, bringing their total consecutive wins at home against the Isles to 11. Last night, the Pens rematched Tuesday’s game on the Island in Pittsburgh, taking down the Isles 2-3 in a game that ended in a shoot out.

2012 NHL Draft Coming to Pittsburgh

The 2012 NHL draft is coming to the city of Pittsburgh next June at the CONSOL Energy Center. 

The last time Pittsburgh hosted the draft was in 1997, a 15-year hiatus, and that took place in the Civic Arena. The Penguins, by the way, had a horrible draft that year, selecting Robert Dome in the first round. The only two other NHL regulars they managed to draft were Joseph Melichar and Andrew Ference. Yikes. 

As for Consol Engery Center and the city of Pittsburgh getting the draft, it just speaks volumes to how much this city and that arena is respected. Consol Engergy Center is a beautiful state of the art arena and it isn't just used for hockey games, nor should it be. It has already hosted a number of big-name concerts and is scheduled to host the NCAA frozen four and now the 2012 NHL draft. 

Robbing Dallas on a Neal Deal

Eleven games into the 2011-2012 season and it looks like Ray Shero pulled one over on Dallas last February 21^st. Shero sent defenseman Alex Goligoski to the Stars in exchange for forward James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. Neal and Niski had a rough start in Pittsburgh, while Goose seemed to flourish with his new team.

Marc-Andre Fleury: Haters Gona Hate

The title of this post really says it all. Marc-Andre Fleury continues to be one of the best, brightest, and most productive goaltenders in the NHL, and people continue to hate on him. Fleury, who will turn 27 next month, is in the prime of his career, has won a Stanley Cup, two Eastern Conference titles, and has made an All-Star team  in his first 7 years in the NHL.

Fleury was the number one overall pick in the 2003 NHL draft and has lived up to all of his lofty expectations.

The first two years of Fleury's professional career were not great by any means. Fleury was 17-41-8 as a starter for some very bad Pittsburgh Penguins' teams.

Ugh, The Patriots Game..

For years, all of us Steelers fans have had to watch the Patriots pretty much walk all over us.  Since 2004, the Steelers have a 2-4 record, (1-4 with Tom Brady in the game), against the Patsies, including a heartbreaking 41-27 loss in the 2004 AFC Championship game.  Last year's game made me physically sick.  The defense would not adjust.  They could have.  But they didn't.  Not only do we typically get outplayed, but everything always seems to go the Patriots way.  I can't remember the last time the Steelers caught a lucky break against this team.

But is this year different?

Ben Roethlisberger is no longer a "young" quarterback.  He is the field captain of the Steelers offense.  New England's defense has struggled to stop the passing game in recent years.  They finished dead last against the pass in 2010, and are last this season as well.

What should Mr. Arians do here?

Spread it out.

The Steelers may have the best overall receiving corp in the NFL.  Mike Wallace is on pace for a record setting year, and Antonio Brown is stepping up as a top player on the Steelers offense.  Yet, the running game continues to struggle.  Rashard Mendenhall is averaging just 58.5 yards per game, and has been nothing but inconsistent thus far.  When you're facing a team who is #8 against the run, but #32 against the pass; what do you do?   Spread out four wides, and get a little pressure in Brady's face.  That's how you beat the Patriots.



Written by Alex Muchnok

SAFE/UNSAFE - Putting Your Dick in a Blender

What the fuck is upmother fuckers? It's your boy Jeremy FUCKING Meals!

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Zbynek Michalek will be out 4 to 6 weeks with a broken penis after he attempted to block a shot with a blender grinding on his crotch region.

Can the Pens catch a break injurywise? There has to be some curse or something on them... Michalek out with a broken finger, Crosby still out with a concussion, and now Tyler Kennedy is out indefinitely with a concussion.

Seriously, James Neal is hung like a horse. He can impregnate half of Pittsburgh's college-aged women... I have proof also that Mark Letestu blows goats.

Rico Fata is renting his Fata Home in sunny southern Florida! Apparently his wife does not come with the rental but for an extra $20 you can fuck her.

Pitt Hoops Preview

Alright folks, it's a new year for Jamie Dixons Panthers, and this year, their is a whole different kind of excitement surrounding this team. Not only did Pitt go out and get a top 15 recruiting class in the nation, but they went out and caused a buzz by becoming one of the first teams to jump ship on their current conference and accept a bid in a so-called "super conference". Now with the scent of the ACC looming around the program, we will see if Pitt can forget about the future for the time being and focus on there wicked Big East schedule.

Steelers Need to get over the "Patriots" hump



http://steelerstoday.com



The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the best franchise in the NFL since 2005. They have won more playoff games then any other team, won more Super Bowls, and have more Super Bowl appearances then any other team in that span.

Penstalk with Brian Peters

The Pens have played well minus half of their payroll which, in itself is an amazing achievement considering the fact they have played more games than any other team in the league. Did you know that the past two days the Penguins had off was the first two consecutive days off the team has had since the season started? Who knows, with the team winning the majority of their games with all of their stars not on the roster it may turn in to a blessing in disguise when we head to the latter parts of the year?


With the team doing so well it makes me do my very best Borat impression when I think of when this team can finally be healthy. And finally it looks like the team may be heading in the right direction with Brooks Orpik back in action and as I write this I see that Malkin will be a game time decision tonight against the Islanders, but as to not burst anyone’s he has been a game time decision before, taken the pregame skate and bowed out before puck drop. I believe Malkin only played against the Caps because of the whole Love for Lokomotiv thing, PS great cause click here to go to their website and contribute, I know a lot of you guys like to buy stuff and pretend you were at the game, they do have the silicone bracelets they were selling at the Pens/Caps game on their website. And yes this is true, I will not name names, but, I know people who have purchased those metal commemorative tickets from the first game at the CEC and the last game at the Civic Arena, AND the $200 frame, but they didn't even attend the games!

Z-Fence Down! Michalek Out 4-6 Weeks

Defenseman Zbynek Michelek was injured in the third period of the Penguins game on Saturday, October 22 against the New Jersey Devils. According to Headcoach Dan Byslma following today’s practice, Z will be out 4-6 weeks with a broken finger.

Around the NFL With Mad Chad

So the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals, we all saw that. Besides that we had a bunch of other interesting story lines around the league yesterday.

Qb Jesus aka Tim Tebow wins in his fourth career start. Tebow played like crap for the first 3.666 quarters of the game and the Denver Broncos trailed 15-0 in the fourth quarter when Tebow lead the Broncos to a come from behind victory scoring two touchdowns. Tebow is now 2-2 as a starter. Cam Newton is 2-5 as a starter. I'd argue that Newton has a better team around him than Tebow.

Devils Don't Show Up. Pens Win.

Recapping last night’s Pens game is a little useless. First off, we all know by now what happened. I was there, so by the time I got home, staying up to recap wasn’t on my to-do list. So, a few game notes and a preview of things to come this week will suffice.

Rashard Mendenhall Continues to be Inconsistent

Pittsburgh Steelers' running back Rashard Mendenhall had very little impact in the Steelers' victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He had just 13 carries for 32 yards and caught a five-yard pass.

Last week Mendenhall shut a lot of his haters up with a 23 carry-146 yard performance in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. I loved the way Mendenhall ran the ball in that game. He ran more north-to-south instead of east-to-west. 

Big Ben Shines Against Cardinals, Bitches Take Shots

Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images

It seems like every year people doubt and over-criticize Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger, who didn't play his best last week, had a great stat line going 26/39, 361 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT.


Big Ben was under pressure for a lot of the game but did a great job of eluding pass-rushers with his feet and strength. Roethlisberger was sacked just twice in the game, and one was an early whistle when Big Ben threw a pass while a defender had him in his grasp. 

Risking Niski and Benny on the Jet

The Penguins have a nice problem: What do we do with all this talent? With Brooks Orpik and Dustin Jeffrey back in the line-up, Kris Letang returning from his two game suspension for Saturday’s game against New Jersey and Geno and Sid’s returns on the horizon, we are rolling deep. In fact, if the hockey gods quit taking a giant dump on the Pens, we may have a team at full health for the first time since January of last season very soon.

Tomorrow night, if all goes well, Tanger will be expected to be reunited with line-mate Orpik. As much as I enjoyed watching line Engo-Tango (Engelland and Letang), this pairing will put Tanger back on the right where he is used to playing and allow him more freedom to get in on offensive plays while Orp sticks with his role on the D.

 Someone has to sit. Even with Brian Strait out with a hyper-extended elbow, the blueliners are overflowing from the bench with all at full health from the permanent active roster. Right now it looks like Ben Lovejoy will have to ride the bench.

Benny, Matt Niskanen, Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin have all played in each of our first 9 games of the season. Benny’s coming up short. So far, Benny has looked rather lost on the ice, making poor decisions with the puck and generally not contributing much.Of the four, Ben has served the most time in the sin bin. 

We all jobbed Niski (Yeah, I spell it with an “i”. I like it better that way. Started it the day we acquired him.) in the pre-season, given his less than stellar start with us last year, but Niskanen has all of us eating our words. Thank, Baby Jesus. Next to Engo, he is the second most improved player this year. (I don’t count Neal as an improvement but that’s for a totally different blog.) 

Niski’s +/- is 1. He has a goal and 2 assists and just generally looks closer to the first round draft pick that Dallas picked up in 2005. Maybe he just feels more comfortable with Bylsma’s system now. But he is definitely stepping up, especially taking shots. He leads all of our D-men in shots on goal with 21. He is releasing quickly from the blue line, not wasting any opportunities to put the puck on the net, blocking shots and skating more aggressively. Niski is also drawing far less stupid penalties than he did last season, with only 4 minutes so far, compared with Ben’s 9. Benny also has yet to register points.

Looks like Matt’s jobber nickname “Riskanen” has been subdued. If Ben doesn’t do something to improve his game, he may be on a jet to Wilkes-Barre…if not further away when the trade deadline nears. I’d hate to see that, but he needs to find the player that appeared in the second half of last season and bring him back to life.

It's only October, but unfortunately for Benny, it looks like starting tomorrow he may be the odd man out.

Contact me:

Twitter: @Letangueray

email: snwats58@gmail.com

Engelland Manning Up, Neal Signing Deals

If there is one player that any of us could pick out as most improved from last year, it would have to be defenseman Deryk Engelland. Notorious for having fists of fury and being one of the damn grittiest players in the game, Engelland has surpassed expectations this year by getting in the plays more and exploring the ice. He is more than half of a set of bash brothers. He is a true force on the ice.

Engo is contributing big time, enhancing his offense, but still plowing guys left and right and keeping Flower protected in the cage. This week, Engs has taken a puck to the face, a skate blade to the cheek, engaged in some scrums, all the while remaining in play. This man has balls like no other player I have seen in recent history. He took a fucking skate to his face. And then kept playing. To top off a week where he is taking a physical beating and seemingly loving it, Engs pulled his first multipoint game tonight, earning 2 assists against the Canadiens.

In the second period, Engo laid out 4 hits and an assist on Joe Vitale’s first goal of the season with a slammer from the point that Vitale helped across the line. In the third period, Engelland shot one high from the side, which Carey "Price Price Baby" stopped. Arron Asham caught the puck midair off the rebound and batted it in to put the Pens up 0-3.

James F’n Neal is maintaining a good pace for goal lead with the Leaf’s Phil Kessel. Both sit at 7 goals after tonight. Last year’s reaction to Neal was mixed. He’s been a 20 goal scorer since he came to the NHL, but things weren’t really clicking when he joined Pittsburgh in February of last season in a trade that brought him and Matt Niskanen from Dallas in return for Alex Goligoski. Goose had immediate success with the Stars, but Neal struggled to get a goal to hit the net.

If you know me, I was not among the Neal haters turned “I’ve always loved him!” fans. He is an excellent player and his confidence is shining. With Geno and Sid out of the line-up, Neal is making his mark with this team and seems to have found a nice stride with Steve Sullivan on his wing. One thing I hope Head Coach Dan Bylsma has learned is that Marc Letestu cannot center for Neal. It didn’t work last season, and it didn’t work in the one period that they played together a few nights ago that ended with a line of Sulley-Park-Neal.

Other game notes:

Dustin Jeffrey and Brooks Orpik made their season debuts this evening. Jeffrey had 3 shots on goal in his 7:34 on ice. Orpik logged 17:54, which Bylsma stated after the game was a bit more than they originally planned.

Asham played his 700^th NHL game tonight against the team he started with, and ironically playing for the first team he ever played against.

Hal Gill received a nice ovation from fans, though he now plays with the Habs. This was Gill's 1000th game. I like Gill. I wish him well. He won a cup with us and is a good player. Miss watching him light people up. Going to the game on Saturday against New Jersey and I am actually pretty stoked to see Petr Sykora play, even though he will be wearing a Devils jersey.

Contact me:
Twitter: @Letangueray
Email: snwats58@gmail.com

Brooks Orpik Back in the Lineup For the Pens

 

http://sportsbeater.webs.com/photos/Team-USA/brooks%20orpik.jpg

In the spirit of Halloween who wants some free candy? Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Brook Orpik is back in the lineup tonight making his season debut against the Montreal Canadians.

State of the Pittsburgh Steelers (Offense)

Mad Chad here, instead of writing a billion didfferent articles about different Steelers, every week I'm going to write a current summary of where the Pittsburgh Steelers are at.

For the team right now the Steelers would not be in the playoff because of tiebreakers. They're actually behind the Cincinnati Bengals. I don't see that lasting very long though. The Baltimore Ravens, who beat the hell out of the Steelers week one, are still in first place and play the Jaguars coming up this week. The Steelers face the Arizona Cardinals. I expect both teams to win.

Free Kris Letang?

Blame Matt Cooke. Why not? Everyone else does.

In the Twitter Parody Poll, the @Evil_Bylsma over/under for Cookie’s first suspension is set to 12 games. I got 9. If Cookie gets suspended on Thursday, I win…Pens lose. Trust me, I don’t want the honor of winning this shit. Unfortunately, we live in an alternate universe where Kris Letang was the first Penguin to meet the long arm of the law this season.

The Age of the Shanaban has arrived, and the consistency is looking a bit fuzzy if you are a Pens fan. The NHL discipline kingpin, Brendan Shanahan, dished out 10 suspensions in the pre-season for player infractions of NHL Rules 41 and 48 (boarding and illegal checks to the head). All of the suspensions seemed fair, but if you live in Pittsburgh, you are measuring fairness with the Matt Cooke ruler.

The true test of Shanny’s objectivity came in the Pens second game of the season against Calgary. Cory Sarich hit Cooke on open ice. He got him with his shoulder, but there was definite contact with the head. Cooke complained of jaw pain later. The hit was not reviewed by Shanahan. I call bullshit. If we are reviewing head-shots, then review all head-shots. Don’t cherry pick them. (Click for Sarich hit)

The second test came in the next game. This hit actually infuriated me. Ryan Smyth of Edmonton put an elbow to Chris Kunitz’s head, knocking Kuni down, where he hit his head again along the boards before meeting the ice. Smyth took a 5 minute major and a game misconduct. Once again, Shanny remains silent. (Click for Smyth's elbow)

Last night, Tanger served a 2 minute boarding minor against Alexander Burmistov of the Jets. Letang was lined up to complete the check and Burmistrov turned, so when Letang completed the hit, Burmistov was in a vulnerable position. The call on the ice was good, in my opinion, however there seems to be some controversy over when Burmistrov turned and if Letang had enough time to minimize impact. I’m going with both, after watching a few times. (Click for Letang boarding call)

Burmi had this to say today:

"I think he did not do this on purpose. He came to me and I turned back and he maybe wanted to hit me in the shoulder and I just turned and it happened."

Shanahan suspended Tanger for two games. I think this is fair and predicted this morning that it would be two games. Any more than two is fucking obscene. Kris is not a repeat offender (well, until now), he didn’t minimize impact, but Burmistrov knowingly put himself in a defenseless position and admits that, even though Shanny doesn’t agree.

Letang certainly could have avoided shoving Burmi into the boards with so much force, but the kid put himself in that position. With the updated verbiage of the rules, “victims” must be held accountable when reviewing hits for additional discipline. Shanahan missed it on this one. The player even admitted he turned his back to Letang. If the victim puts himself in a vulnerable position a lighter sentence should be applied. (One game!)

I can live with 2 games, but given the lack of action on Shanny’s part where Cookie and Kuni were concerned, it has to make you wonder why Letang was picked for review. This gem just came up on the Twitter-sphere this evening: Click for video

Blue Jacket Marc Methot nails creepy twin #1, Henrik Sedin into the boards. The hit looks identical to Letang’s. Methot serves 2 minutes, Shanahan says nothing. This game was only a week ago.

Not trying to play the whole “The NHL is out to get the Pens” conspiracy card, but you have to wonder.

It’s okay though. We can just have Ben Lovejoy play 45 minutes of hockey tonight. Jesus.

Let’s Go Pens.

contact me:
Twitter: @Letangueray
email: snwats58@gmail.com

Penstalk with Brian Peters

Hey everyone sorry for missing you last week, I had a hectic work schedule last week and it has carried over into this week but at least I have today off. Well, sort of, I have to go into work at midnight.

This week I want to ask you one simple question; if you had to sum up the first two weeks of the season in one word what would it be?

I have multiple, but it’s my column so I’m allowed.

First week the word was definitely excitement! How could you not get excited? The Pens put together an amazing preseason, everyone was excited for some “real” I mean regular season action, sure the first three games started at about midnight and a lot of Pittsburgh’s working class didn’t get to watch anything but the opening faceoff, but the Pens were back. It seemed as though the team was hungrier than ever, especially Malkin.

Which is a perfect segway to my second “word” … and this comes after the day we lose 2-1, should have been 2-0 (Cooke interfered) to the Atlanta Thr… I mean the Winnipeg Jets, but hey you knew the Jets would win that game, they had to, everyone always has benchmark wins, first wins/goals, or record setting performances against the Pens. The Jets had multiple last night as they set the Jets record for fastest goal scored, set a Pens record for fastest goal allowed, and won their first game as the reborn Jets. This has happened just this year, first goal for Oilers rookie Ryan Nuget-Hopkins, first goal for Isle’s John Tavares, the pens love starting the party. This word is frustration, frustration as the Pens have now lost 4 of 5, and they are playing a team tonight who is like 10-2 against the Pens or something like that. Frustration in terms of this team has gone and will go nowhere without the services of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

I love the fact that Sid has been “cleared for contact” but I have a feeling it will be at least another month before we see him in any type of game action, which brings up the question. Who will be returning from their concussion first, Sid, or TK? If TK comes back first what a letdown that would be, we are almost a full calendar year into Sid’s concussion, that’s a lot of time without your captain and the face of the NHL.

Geno is frustrating because of this summer. Did anyone else feel like it was the political ad season in terms of Geno coming back into action. We got to watch him workout, we got to watch him skate, we were told he was in the best shape of his life, we were told he was ready to carry the team in the absence of Crosby; we were told he wanted to dominate. Now 7 games into the season he has missed 4 games, and he didn’t even make the trip for these two games. What a letdown.

You can’t tell me that with Sid and/or Geno in the lineup versus the Caps and the Jets the Penguins aren’t winners, no one on the current roster knows how to finish off these plays, Kunitz missed 2 maybe 3 open nets last night, and against the Capitals the other day the Pens threw the puck at net 41 times, you get two snipers in there and that game is over early and the Pens finally celebrate a victory on home ice versus the Caps, something they haven’t done in now three venues (Civic Arena, Heinz Field, and CEC)

I know what you are going to say …. Brian, its only October!!! Yes but these games they should be winning may come to haunt them in April. I’m not panicking just pointing a few things out.
Now on the bright side, James Neal leads the league in shots and goals. That’s awesome for him, he is historically a fast starter, but he needed this to happen in Pittsburgh where people expected him to score 82099 goals last year.

As we look ahead in the week the Pens have the Wild tonight, who constantly give the Pens fits and are coached by former Pens assistant coach Mike Yeo, and it doesn’t get much easier throughout the week as the Canadiens and their loudmouth, drunk fans come to town on Thursday, the hot Devils come in to town on Saturday on the back of a red-hot Hedberg in net (Brodeur is hurt) The Devils can be kind of scary this year, they seemingly picked up where they left off last year when they were on fire. Then, next Tuesday the Pens make their first trip to the Isle to take on the Islanders who have a hot hand themselves as John Tavares is tied with Neal in goals.

Ok I’m done blabbing for a week, talk next Tuesday, if you agree or disagree leave a comment below and we will talk it over. If you are going to a Pens home game I'll see you in section 223.

Email Brian: peters.brian24@gmail.com
Follow Brian on twitter @BEPeters

Brett Keisel Is the F*cking Man!

The title of this post says it all, Brett Keisel is the F*cking man! Fear the beard bitches.

Keisel has missed two games this year so far and his absence in those games were noticeable to say the least.

Keisel was a beast against the Jacksonville Jaguars and was my player of the game. Keisel has two sacks, batted down a pass, had three tackles for a loss, and two quarterback hurries.

The Steelers are rich in great defensive lineman in their history and Keisel, a former 7th round pick is another one to add to the list.

Keisel might be the most athletic big man in NFL history, which isn't that surprising considering that he played tight end in college and volleyball in high school.

Keisel has now replaced Aaron Smith as the Steelers best defensive lineman and is arguably one of the most important players on the defense, which ranks number one.

Fear the beard bitches.

Side not- LaMarr Woodley is back! . He has 3 1/2 sacks in the past two games and has 5 for the season.

Steelers barely defeat the Jaguars: Offensive breakdown

getty images

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-13 to improve to 4-2. A win is a win right? Not exactly. After blowing out a 3-1 Tennessee Titans team last week the Steelers failed to put away one of the worst teams in the league in week six.

Early in the game it looked like it was going to be a blowout and it should have been. The Steelers were up 17-3 and moving the ball at will on the Jaguars. Then all hell broke loss. Ben Roethlisberger was playing great but turned into Sh*t in the 2nd half. The Steelers started getting penalized for everything, couldn't block or tackle and let the Jaguars team hang in a game they clearly shouldn't have been in. 

Here's a quick review of how everyone played on offense: 

Ben Roethlisberger started the game off extremely well, going 11-15 in the first half for 180 yards and a touchdown. Roethlisberger was just 1-8 in the 2nd half for 20 yards and was sacked 3 times. Big Ben missed at least 3 throws that should/could have been touchdowns.

 Early in the game Roethlisberger looked like he was set to have a big day, but quickly had a bad game for his standards. Roethlisberger was extremely accurate in the first half and had a ton of zip on the ball. The touchdown pass to Mike Wallace was money.

However, Roethlisberger missed a lot of potential touchdown passes to Antonio Brown, Wallace, and Emmanuel Sanders. In the 2nd half, Roethlisberger was extremely inaccurate and only completed one damn pass.

Roethlisberger did run for a big first down and did a good job of not throwing an incomplete pass late in the game which allowed the clock to keep running. 

Roethlisberger still finished with a qb rating of 96.3 and did not turn the ball over. Not a great game by Ben but going forward he's on pace for over 4,000 yards and 24+ td passes, which is really good considering Joe Starkey thinks he's having a horrible season. 

Rashard Mendenhall has been a hot topic in Pittsburgh lately. He missed last weeks game and a lot of people have been saying that his job should be up for grabs. Mendenhall responded with a 23 carry-123 yard performance, which included a career-high 68-yard run and a touchdown. Mendenhall looked extra motivated and actually hit the holes hard, running north-south instead of trying to tip-toe his way around defenders. 

Even though I am not a Mendenhall fan per-say, especially with his views off the field, he is clearly the best back on the team in terms of talent, although I think Isaac Redman and Mewelde Moore are really good backups who deserve their fair share of playing time. 

For Mendenhall I want to see more of this from a week to week basis from Mendenhall. If he needs to her the critics talk for motivation so be it, feel free to read my tweets Rashard. 

The receiving core had a mixed day. Mike Wallace was targeted six times but only caught two passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Roethlisberger under-threw Wallace on a deep ball in the first half that could have been a touchdown. Wallace is a beast and you can't teach speed, however, Arians and Ben need to mix things up a bit with Wallace. Run some slants and some cross routes with him. Find an easier way to get him the ball.

Hines Ward caught three passes for 47 yards and passed Michael Irvin on the list for all-time receiving yards. A great accomplishment for Ward no doubt. Ward did have a drop in the endzone that could have been a touchdown in the first half.

Heath Miller had a really good game both blocking and receiving. Miller caught 4 passes for 27 yards and should have had six catches but Roethlisberger failed to throw a catch able pass on two occasions. 

The Steelers offensive line played a great game in the beginning. The first drive of the game was a well-oiled machine and the offensive line looked great. In the 2nd half not so much. Key holding calls, poor pass protection, and fatigue were all big reasons why the Steelers' offense failed to do anything in the 2nd half. 

Going forward the Steelers' offense should be fine. I would just like to see less predictability. More play-action, more diverse routes for the recievers, and I know Roethlisberger won't be inaccurate like that on a weekly basis. The game-plan by Arians was very yinzer friendly concentrating on the run over the pass.

SAFE/UNSAFE - An Introduction to Blogging 101

Allow me to introduce myself… you may have already heard of me... If not you're about to get blasted with a load of my sports juice.

I’m Jeremy Fucking Meals, bitches and I’m probably going to piss a lot of you off!

I fucking love Pittsburgh sports and love blogging about them… I’ve got a few things to get off my chest in my first post here at http://insidepittsburghsports.com I’ll mostly cover Penguins/Pirates/Steelers, but will dabble my dong in Pitt football too (if you can call that football! shit man.)

PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Don’t get all pissed off about the Pirates second half of the season. They had a good season and are on the rebuild. They played well until my brother pecker-slapped them into submission. Paul Maholm won’t be back and you can’t blame him. Dude never got an ounce of run support. The Pirates are idiots for letting him leave.

SAFE/UNSAFE
Going to the South Side after the game to look at leopards and stuff………………….SAFE!!!!
Getting pecker-slapped by Jerry Meals while watching the game with binoculars………………….UNSAFE!!!!!

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
James Neal can impregnate women with his scoring touch both on and off the ice. Mark Letestu and Steve MacIntyre on the other hand are jobbers and are too busy working on their Halloween costume ideas instead of practicing their nuts off.

God only knows where Letestu will fall. He’s played worse than Rico Fucking Fata since his surgery... and that's a slight on Rico Fata.

SAFE/UNSAFE
Making love to James Neal………………….SAFE!!!!
Making love to anyone Talbot slept with………………….UNSAFE!!!!

PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Offensive line was offensive to the entire history of Offensive lines the first couple weeks. They’ve turned the corner by picking up Max Starks – (not literally because that’s impossible.) I’m still predicting a 9-7 season for the Stillers. Big Ben is the best quarterback in the league without a line in front of him. It’d be scary to see him with time in the pocket. Mike Wallace can out run a cop car.

SAFE/UNSAFE
Meeting Big Ben in a bathroom………………….SAFE!!!!
Driving with Hines Ward in Georgia………………….UNSAFE!!!!

STATE OF THE BLOG
Mad Chad is dead… He’s not taking a hiatus. He was stabbed in the anus by Pensblog Charlie on Monday night…and he bled to death. Not really… but SERIOUSLY, who stops reporting in the middle of Steelers season? What the fuck is that?

Today I am proud to announce a NEW 412sportstalk.net… one where I, JEREMY FUCKING MEALS takes a huge shit on the blogging community. Today I am announcing that I am running this shit…. Hang on to your anus. It’s about to get all shitty up in here yinz guys!

Follow my shit on twitter or choke on a leopard's dick: @JeremyMeals

Steelers defense not too old, or too slow; but "inconsistent"

In week one the defense was a joke.  It honestly looked as if all 11 players out there were hurt.  Week two was a shut-out.  Obviously a shut-out against the Seattle Seahawks is like winning the NFC West, but hey it is what it is.  Week three was "eh."  The offense gave up most of the Colts points, while the defense had a score, yet they still gave up a critical late game drive to CURTIS PAYNTER.  Week four was another joke.  The last time I saw the Steelers run defense as pitiful as it was was in the 2007 regular season against the Jaguars.  I think Fred Taylor had close to 150 yards, while Jones-Drew had around 70.

Yesterday, against the 3-1 Titans, the Steelers defense came up big.  Aside from the first drive, the Titans barely had a run for over 5 yards.  They FINALLY had an interception, which was by Lamarr Woodley who had a huge day.  They also held the Titans to just 65 total rushing yards.

We finally saw that offense that we had hoped for.  Big Ben threw for 5 TD's, including two to the "too old" Hines Ward.  Mike Wallace had another big game, and is currently ranked #3 in the NFL in receiving yards.  The passing game was stellar, however it was the running game that caught my attention yesterday.  Even without starting running back Rashard Mendenhall, the Steelers managed 174 rushing yards.  If anybody questioned why Maurkice Pouncey was an All-Pro; I hope they watched yesterday's game.  He abused the 325-pound Shaun Smith, who had only 1 tackle.

We can only hope that the Steelers stay consistent, because inconsistency was what killed the 2009 season as well...  Beware.

Player of The Game Nominees

QB- Ben Roethlisberger, 5 touchdowns, 1 int, 228 yards

RB- Jonathan Dwyer, 11 carries, 107 yards

WR- Hines Ward, 7 catches, 54 yards, 2 touchdowns

WR- Mike Wallace, 6 catches, 82 yards, 1 touchdown

OLB- Lamarr Woodley, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception


Written by Alex Muchnok

Fleury, Neal, Cooke lead Pens to Opening Night Victory

It was a hockey night in Vancouver as the Canucks hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins. I didn't understand the NHL's scheduling for last night. I would have had the defending champion Boston Bruins host either Vancouver or Tampa Bay and then I would have had the Pens play either Philadelphia or Washington. Just saying.

As for the actual game it was not a let down. A 4-3 shootout win for the Pens is about as good as it gets on opening night. The Pens played the game without Sidney Crosby and Brooks Orpik but looked very good for most of the night.

My three stars of the nights for the Pens:

3. James Neal- Neal was everywhere from the beginning of the game. Neal scored a power-play goal on the Pens' first power-play of the season, which is huge for both Neal and the Penguins who struggled vitaly last year on the PP.

Neal's goal was a bit flukey but flukey goals are apart of hockey.Neal, who scored just 1 goal in 20 games for the Pens last year should be able to use that fluky goal to build up some confidence going forward.

On the night Neal played 17 minutes, had three shots on goal, multiple scoring chances, and delievered five hits. Neal showed why he was coveted by GM Ray Shero last year. His a top line winger and fits in perfectly with Evgeni Malkin. I'm excited about Neal going forward and you should be as well.

2. Marc-Andre Fleury- Fleury gave up three goals so of course the haters came out of the woodworks saying that he's overrated and/or that he sucks. These people are morons.

If you watched the game you saw Fleury make big save after big save, especially in the third period. In the first period Fleury let in an awful/fluky goal to Maxim Lapierre. It happens, Vancouver got one and the Pens got one, that's called a wash.

The two other goals were a result of the Canucks outplaying the Penguins. Fleury was under siege in the third period but once again showed great composure and perseverance. That's what Fleury does. Fleury is a top five goalie in the NHL and I would much rather have him than the guy he played against last night, Roberto Luongo. 


Fleury stopped both shootout attempts by the Canucks last night and Luongo got deeked out of his shoes by Malkin and Kris Letang. Fleury had 33 saves on 36 shots for the night. Great start for Flower. 


1. Matt Cooke- How about the night Matt Cooke had? Wow. Cooke scored two goals last night, one of which was a short-handed goal. Cooke vowed that he was going to change his ways this year, last night he showed the hockey world that he wasn't Bull Sh*tting us.

Cooke's career high in goals for one season is 16. On this team, with an new outlook on the game, who's to say that Cooke can't reach 20?

I for one don't want to see Cooke get suspended for stupid things anymore. I mean if he does he's gone, we all know that. I also don't want to see Cooke play less aggressive. If last night's game is any indication of how Cooke will play going forward, I think Pens' fans are in for a great surprise.

Other game notes:

• Evgeni Malkin did not have a great game at all, hell he didn't have a good game. Turned the puck over, 4 for 12 on face-offs, tried to do too much at times. It happens. I picked Geno to win the Art Ross trophy this year, one game doesn't change my opinion. Malkin also had a sick-nasty game-winner in the shootout. 
• Kris Letang also tried to do too much at times and looked lost without Brooks Orpik in the lineup. Letang also made up for his play in the shootout with a awesome goal. 
• Paul Martin was a -2 and Zbynek Michalek was a -3. Those guys get paid top money for blue-liners and they need to play like it. Again though, just one game. 
• Deryk Engelland is not very good. No way should he be playing 16 minutes even if there's no Orpik. 
• Jordan Staal was 12-9 on face-offs but left the game because of cramping and dehydration. Weird. 
• Pens 2-3 on the power-play. That has to be a good omen
• Roberto Luongo is  the most overrated player in the NHL. He'd choke on mashed potatoes. 

Lets go Pens!


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Jordan Staal haters can Suck it

Pittsburgh sports fan are very passionate about their teams. However, sometimes this passion gets in the way of how they should actually view and criticize their team and the players that play for their team, especially when the Penguins lose.

Usually after a loss, Pens' goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury gets crushed by the fans because he's the easiest to blame. Other popular goats are Tyler Kennedy and Kris Letang.

Perhaps the most criticized players on the Penguins is center Jordan Staal.

Pittsburgh Penguins: 2011-2012 Preview

(June 15, 2009 - Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images North America)

It feels so long ago that the Pittsburgh Penguins were defending Stanley Cup Champions. I remember that summer like it was yesterday. The night of game 7 I was in my local town Munhall, Pennsylvania, watching the game on a big screen t.v. in the middle of the street. There most have been over 50 people there.


The Penguins won the Stanley Cup all night as you all know. I was very emotional that night. I was only 5 years old when the Penguins had last lifted Lord Stanley's Cup. At 21 years old, I was at the top of the world. I was picked up and crowd surfed. Shotgunning beers, driving around beeing the horn in the car, capped off by a massive house party. Then relived it all again at the extremely hot and humid parade celebrating the cup.


Great times.


Since then the Penguins have offered you and I some more great memories but have fallen short in each of the last two playoffs. Last year the team had one of the best seasons in franchise history in terms of points, despite not having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for the second half of the season, and without Jordan Staal in the first third of the season.


The power-play was dreadful, Kris Letang, Tyler Kennedy, and Marc-Andre Fleury all had career years. The Pens opened the Consol Energy Center and the Pens hosted and lost the Winter Classic at Heinz Field.


This year going into the season there is a mixture of optimism and doubt in the air at the same time for Pens' fans. More optimism than anything.


Here's a brief preview on the team and their players for the 2011-2012 season.


Gone from the team:


Maxime Talbot- I personally know one girl that is saddened to death with the departure of Max Talbot. I know he scored some big playoff goals but the fact is he was a glorified role-player. His persona was bigger than his actual hockey ability. Talbot who left via free-agency signed with the Philadelphia Flyers of all teams.
Personally, F you Talbot and F the Flyers.


Mike Rupp- Rupp's physicality, leadership, and size is not easy to replace. The Pens' really don't have anyone to replace that besides Aaron Asham. Rupp is not a great hockey player but is a great role-player who also decided to stay in the division signing with the New York Rangers.


Also gone: Eric Godard, Mike Comrie, Chris Connor, the man without a time machine Alexei Kovalev.


New faces:


Richard Park- Park used to play for the Pens' way back in the day in the early 90's. Park is a really good penalty killer and can skate and isn't afraid to get physical. He always flirts around 25-33 points so he should replace Talbot's role on the team. 


Steve Sullivan- Shero loves those Nashville guys. Sullivan is 37 years-old and has been injury prone but if healthy should be a guy that can put up anywhere from 35-50 points for the Pens. 


Jason Williams- Williams is a guy that will not dress every night but is versatile and provides the team with more depth. 


Joe Vitale- Vitale played a few games with the team last year and is a hard-working forward. Bylsma loves him. 


Who the Pens have:

http://thepuckdoctors.com

Right now all eyes are on Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh. Malkin missed 39 game last year and the first round of the playoffs with a knee injury. Before the injury Malkin had just 43 points in 39 games. Some nights he brought it and played up to his world class skill level. Other nights Malkin dragged and looked depressed, wasting his amazing talents.


All off-season we've heard about how hard Malkin is training and that he's dedicated to hockey. So far in training camp and preseason it has shown. Malkin does look great and is primed for a great season. I fully expect Malkin to carry the Penguins on his back until Sidney Crosby returns. Malkin has done it before.


Malkin is easilty one of the most talented forwards in the league. Motivation and focus seems to be his biggest weakness. Can Dan Bylsma and the coaching staff keep him focused and motivated? Can Malkin play possessed and full-speed when Crosby returns?.....   I hope so.


I expect Malkin to have a big year like most. He's a Conn Smythe winner and a former Art Ross winner. This year I am picking Malkin to win his second career scoring title. Also follow him on twitter it's the smartest decision you'll ever make.

Crosby Watch: Crosby is starting the year on the I.R. for the first 7 days. Every day we hear something different about Crosby's health. The Pens should not rush Crosby back. Head injuries are the number one killer of sports careers. 


Last year Crosby was on pace for his best year yet. He had a 25-game-point-streak in December and was running away with the scoring title. Then came the concussions. Crosby led the team in points with 66 despite not playing half the year. 


Will Crosby be the same when he comes back? My guess is yes. I think Crosby will come back strong and help the Pens to a long playoff run. When healthy he's the best player in the game. Sid is a Ferrari. 


Marc-Andre Fleury had a crazy year last year. In the first month of the season he was dreadful. Fans were booing him and a lot of people wanted Brent Johnson to start over him. These people would be idiots. 


Fleury went on to have his best year yet, making the All-Star team and winning the team MVP. Fleury piratically carried the Pens to the playoffs without Crosby and Malkin. Fleury is a top 10 goalie and could contend for the Vezina this year. 


Tyler Kennedy and Kris Letang both had career years last year. Letang had 50 points and made the All-Star team, although he did level off at the end of the season. If Letang can ever hit the net on the power-play he'd have a 70 point season. I love Letang's skating and he's at his best when he's playing with full focus and confidence. I expect another 50 point season from him. 


Kennedy stepped up big time for the Pens' offensively, at times he was the only guy that score with Crosby and Malkin out of the lineup. Kennedy finished with a career high in goals (21) and points (45) and finished 4th on the team in points. Shero rewarded him with a brand new contract. Kennedy > Talbot 


Chris Kunitz will continue to be Chris Kunitz, excuse me for sounding like Steelers' coach Mike Tomlin. Kunitz is a great complementory forward who can score 20+ goals and also act as a checking forward. 


James Neal will have the microscope on him the entire season. Neal was acquired from Dallas last year along with defenseman Matt Niskanen for defenseman Alex Goligoski. 


Neal only had 6 points in 20 games with the Pens scoring just 1 goal. Neal is a big time talent at the winger position  Neal has good speed and size with a good shot. Put him on a line with Malkin and/or Crosby and he should score 20+ goals and flirt around 50-60 points. 


Jordan Staal is one of my favorite hockey players. So good defensively it's amazing. Last year Staal only played in 42 games, yet he managed to register 30 points. He was on pace for a 58 point season. That's really good for Staal who is the most defensively responsible forward on the team.

If Staal can get over 50 points it's a win for him and the team. I think Staal gets his 2nd career Selke nomination this year. Haters will still hate but they're knew to hockey.

The defense should be strong, especially with the top 2 pairings. Letang and Broks Orpik, Paul Martin and Zybenek Michalek. All four guys are good enough to be on a top defensive line pairing across the NHL. Good combination of skating, positioning, and physicality.

Ben Lovejoy, Matt Niskanen, and Deryk Engelland will share time on the third pairing. I'm ready for Simon Depres and Joe Morrow.

The Pens still have a good core of role players at the forward position as well with Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke, Mark Letestu, Craig Adams, and Aaron Asham. 

Last year coach Bylsma won the NHL Jack Adams award for coach of the year. The players seem to love playing for him. If this team can stay healthy they're serious Stanley Cup contenders.

The power-play is something to watch. Last year it was awful, going 1-33 in the first round of the playoffs. With Malkin and Crosby back, it will improve, but how much? Will the Pens' use 4 forwards on it? Who gets the half-wall, Crosby or Malkin?

The power-play is going to be key for just how far this team goes.

I hate to put it in terms like this but this year is a Stanley Cup year or bust in my eyes, unless they get unlucky with injuries again. A healthy Crosby + a healthy Malkin + the core of last year's team should = Stanley Cup.

I hope so and I hope yinz are as fired up as I am for the start of the season.

Lets go Pens!

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