The End of A Mediocre Season….

Mike Tomlin’s first season as head coach of the Steelers has come to an embarrassing end. Overall, I think Mike did an OK job his first season, fighting through injuries and trying to see where he fits in the scheme of things. Tomlin needs to revamp this defense and get some solid performers in place if we are going to be in contention for the Super Bowl again. We need new corners, a couple down lineman and a couple more linebackers with some attitude. The offense doesn’t need major restructure just some lineman that want to protect the quarterback and everyone to come back healthy next year. Special teams have been up and down but mostly down, we’ve lost more games because we’ve allowed the big run back than we have for poor tackling on defense. So, all in all, I give his first season a C, he was average at best.

Onto last nights game against the pathetic Jaguars. How did we let this team off the hook and win in our backyard, twice! I can’t believe what I saw last night. I told my wife, after Garrard’s 2nd big run on 3rd down, we need a linebacker to sit back and ’spy’ him so he doesn’t break off these big runs. I’m blown away that LeBeau didn’t put a ’spy’ in, especially on that big 4th down to win the game. He was doing it all night, why the heck couldn’t they see that.

Ben, Ben, Ben… what can I say, he made some very bad decisions but I can’t blame him fully because the lineman don’t give a crap and don’t offer up any protection. I think they feel, he’ll scramble so why should we block anyway. The O line needs to be a HUGE priority for next season or we end up with the same scenario.

The defense played a pretty good game but really blew it on the big 3rd down plays and couldn’t stop Garrard from rushing for 1st downs when it was crucial. For next season, we need 3 dedicated, hard core pass rushers/run stoppers or it’s time to explore Tomlin’s 4-3 defense. Oh, please replace Taylor and Townsend with two above average corners, this experiment has run it’s course….

Can anyone stop the Patriots? I sure hope so and I would honestly like to see Brett Favre go out in style and win the Super Bowl.

Written by Pat Lovell - The Steeler Fanatic
Pat has been following the Pittsburgh Steelers for over 30 years and is known worldwide as "The Steeler Fanatic". If you are interested in contributing to this website or would like Pat to contribute to your Blog, Website or Publication, Click Here.

Meaningless game ends up a loss

The Steelers got behind early and tried valiantly to mount a late comeback, but lost to the Baltimore Ravens 27-21 at M&T Bank Stadium.

“We are disappointed we didn’t get the job done,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “The loss was similar to a lot of our losses in that we have some self-inflected wounds early. The spirited effort we displayed throughout the game wasn’t enough to bring us back at the end. I am disappointed by the loss, but proud of these men in the way they fight and continue to fight in the face of adversity.

“We have to do a better job of securing the ball. You can’t turn the ball over. We have to take advantage of opportunities when we have them.”

The loss sends the Steelers into the playoffs as the number four seed and they will host the Jacksonville Jaguars at Heinz Field in the Wild Card round on Saturday, January 5.

Written by Pat Lovell - The Steeler Fanatic
Pat has been following the Pittsburgh Steelers for over 30 years and is known worldwide as "The Steeler Fanatic". If you are interested in contributing to this website or would like Pat to contribute to your Blog, Website or Publication, Click Here.

Another big win for the Steelers

The Steelers were in need of a win and got just what they wanted when they defeated the St. Louis Rams 41-24 at the Edward Jones Dome.

The victory improves their record to 10-5 and keeps them on top of the AFC North, ahead of the Cleveland Browns who play Cincinnati on Sunday.

But the win didn’t come without a big price tag. Running back Willie Parker was lost on the Steelers second play of the game with a fractured fibula.

Najeh Davenport stepped in for Parker and the ground game didn’t miss a beat as he carried the ball 24 times for 123 yards and a touchdown, and added two receptions for 44 yards. Ben Roethlisberger completed 16 of 20 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Nate Washington.

“It was a big win for us; a win of course that we needed,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “It’s good to see this team bounce back with what was a team effort. The guys answered the bell. They responded and stepped up and made plays at critical times. The guys’ roles got expanded during the course of battle, like it does at times. I thought they answered.

Written by Pat Lovell - The Steeler Fanatic
Pat has been following the Pittsburgh Steelers for over 30 years and is known worldwide as "The Steeler Fanatic". If you are interested in contributing to this website or would like Pat to contribute to your Blog, Website or Publication, Click Here.

Steelers lose close one to the Jaguars

The Steelers made a valiant comeback effort, tying the game late in the fourth quarter, but Jacksonville came right back down the field and scored, defeating the Steelers 29-22 at Heinz Field.

The loss drops the Steelers to 9-5 on the season and has them tied with the Cleveland Browns, although they hold the edge in the AFC North because of head-to-head competition.

All-around, it was a performance that did not please head coach Mike Tomlin.

“I will be straight to the point this afternoon. We are not playing well enough to win right now,” said Tomlin. “That is the reality of it. We can’t look to anyone else to solve our problems. The answers to our problems are right in that room. That is what I just told that football team.”

Ben Roethlisberger completed only 16 passes for 146 yards, but had three touchdown passes, setting a Steelers record for most touchdown passes in a season with 29. He was often under pressure, getting sacked five times.

The Jaguars running back combo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew hurt the Steelers defense that couldn’t find a way to stop them as they combined for 216 yards. Quarterback David Garrard completed 17 passes for 197 yards and threw three touchdowns, and escaped without a sack. The Steelers had one interception, but dropped several other opportunities.

Written by Pat Lovell - The Steeler Fanatic
Pat has been following the Pittsburgh Steelers for over 30 years and is known worldwide as "The Steeler Fanatic". If you are interested in contributing to this website or would like Pat to contribute to your Blog, Website or Publication, Click Here.

Are the Patriots THAT good?

The Steelers held their own early on, but the Patriots pulled away in the second half and defeated the black and gold 34-13 at Gillette Stadium.

The loss puts the Steelers at 9-4, still holding a one-game lead in the AFC North over Cleveland who defeated the New York Jets. The Patriots remained unbeaten at 13-0.

The Steelers were down by only four at the half, 17-13, but the offense wasn’t able to the ball in the end zone in the second half while the Patriots exploded.

“The Patriots were the better team today,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “We couldn’t stop them consistently and couldn’t make critical plays when we had to, particularly in the second half. We have some work to do. We have a ways to go. If that’s the measuring stick, we aren’t close.”

Written by Pat Lovell - The Steeler Fanatic
Pat has been following the Pittsburgh Steelers for over 30 years and is known worldwide as "The Steeler Fanatic". If you are interested in contributing to this website or would like Pat to contribute to your Blog, Website or Publication, Click Here.