10/30/17-The Steelers Close The First Half Where They Should Be, But Got There In A Different Way Than Expected

By: Mike Pelaia

Halfway through the 2017 quest for Lombardi number seven; the Steelers find themselves with a 6-2 record and a bye week on the horizon.

I fully expected the Steelers to be boasting a 6-2 record after eight games but the manner in which they’ve achieved that record isn’t exactly how I thought it would go.

Offensively, the team has struggled a bit, in particular; quarterback Ben Roethlisbeger hasn’t been as sharp as expected. He’s thrown nine picks in the first eight games, albeit five of those are from one lousy game against Jacksonville. He just hasn’t seemed himself though. He’s not as elusive, he’s not as accurate and he’s certainly not as hard for defenders to read. That said, I think he’ll bounce back and have a strong second half. The team is going to need him if they want to go deep into the postseason this year.

Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell have been exactly who I thought they would be, however Bell took longer to get there than I expected. He has, however, proven that the offense needs to run through him. The running game hasn’t been without it’s surprises for me though. I fully expected James Conner to be a far more integral part to the rushing attack than he has been. He only has 18 total carries through the first eight weeks. I expected him to have around 50 carries for about 200 yards by now.

Martavis Bryant has also been a surprise for me. I thought he’d be a huge part of this offense, down the field (some of that may be on Ben) and in the red zone. He really hasn’t produced much of anything, other than drama specific to social media shots at fellow receiver and rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster has been a pleasant surprise for sure. He has clearly ascended to the number two option after the Detroit game and will in all likelihood hold that spot the remainder of the season and beyond. Bryant has talked (and typed) his way out of favor and most likely out of town beyond 2017.

The defense has been the biggest surprise of all for me. I expected growth out of Artie Burns and Sean Davis. I expected Mike Mitchell to be what he’s been and I certainly had no inclination that Joe Haden would be the second corner for the black and gold this season. The surprise though, has been how good the defense has been against the pass this season (even with the blip they suffered in Detroit).  I did not expect a number one ranking at any point in the season. I must admit, I think that will fall a bit and average out around 10^th or 11^th when the season finishes but we all have to take that with a smile.

Part of the reason for the improved pass defense statistics is the improvement to the rush. The Steelers have 26 sacks so far this season and the biggest surprise out of that number? James Harrison only has one of those. He isn’t playing much at all, which I am still shocked by. Sure, TJ Watt is a big reason why and has played fairly well through the first half of his rookie campaign, but I still never would have suspected Harrison would be a relative non-factor. 

Ryan Shazier, Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt (when he’s played) have all been key factors on defense, as expected. I’ve been a bit surprised by Vince Williams as I felt like he’d have more tackles to this point, but I expect a bigger second half from him.

Through the first half, the team has had a few ups and downs and I don’t think anybody suspected the offense would be the weaker unit on the team, but they have still managed to find their way to 6-2; atop both the AFC North and the AFC in general. They have slightly tougher second half to go, specifically a show down with the New England Patriots at Heinz Field on 12/17 but I expect this team to improve to a 12-4 record and first round bye when the regular season ends.

I think they’ll do that with a bit of a reversal in the second half as the defense will take a step or two back and the offense will take three of four steps forward. It should be a fun ride down the stretch, get buckled in, it starts again after this weeks’ bye.

10/26/17-Steelers Offense Set To Explode

By: Joe Kuzma

 

What’s that you say? The Steelers offense finally gelling?

It sure appears that way, and it took some time for a number of reasons. The slow start can be attributed to the annual “preseason” ritual actually being played out in the first few weeks of the regular season. Gone are the days of grueling training camp practices (thanks, CBA) and owners and coaches alike are reluctant to allow their superstar players to make their millions sitting on the bench with injuries, so they sit out camp days, preseason games and the lot.

The situation is a little worse considering the Steelers were missing a plethora of their starters for camp and the preseason. JuJu Smith-Schuster got a slow start after starting training camp with an injury. He also went into concussion protocol following a tackle in Pittsburgh’s first preseason game.

Martavis Bryant wasn’t fully reinstated for camp, then we found out he wasn’t full reinstated for preseason and regular season games. Each took another hurdle to jump through by the league to allow the receiver to play. He missed valuable practice time due to the NFL dragging their heels on his full reinstatement.

Le’Veon Bell was a complete no-show for camp. Ben Roethlisberger was hurt for portions of camp or had days off, and with his immediate backup Landry Jones also nursing an injury for almost all of the preseason, the few players left to practice and play were catching passes from fourth-round draft pick Joshua Dobbs and camp arm Bart Houston.

Embed from Getty Images

Let that sink in as far as repetition, timing, and rapport are concerned: Dobbs and Houston running the first-team offense. No offense to either player, but they are far from being Big Ben. (Nor is Landry, but he’s at least had time in the system to be able to competently run the full complement of Todd Haley’s playbook.)

The next thing we have to understand, that while on paper some of the teams the Steelers have faced don’t appear to be top-flight NFL teams, they are in fact solid defenses. Chicago, Jacksonville, and Cleveland are perennial basement dwellers but are far from being the worst pass defenses in the league. In fact, four of Pittsburgh’s opponents to date (Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Chicago) are ranked in the top ten of NFL defenses for passing yards per game average. The Jaguars are ranked second while the Bengals are ranked third.

Add in a 12th-ranked Vikings defense and even the lowly Browns under new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams are sitting in the middle of the pack at 15th, and the Steelers have been more than challenged when throwing the ball this season. The worst pass defense the Steelers have faced so far has been Kansas City, who is near the bottom at 28th.

Taking it one step further, the Jaguars and Ravens are first and third in opposing quarterback rating. The Bengals rank seventh while the Vikings rank ninth in the same category.

Embed from Getty Images

That’s a tough hill to climb when four-to-five of your first seven games have been against premium defensive talent, at a time when you’re still trying to gel as an offense.

Therefore I believe the Steelers offense is primed for a breakthrough over their next four games. In fact, the steady climb has already started in their last two matchups:

The #Steelers offense averaged 331.8 total YPG through the first 5 weeks.

They have averaged 429.5 total YPG over the last 2 weeks.

— Zach Metkler GZSR (@GZSports_ZM) October 22, 2017

One of those two games was against the aforementioned 28th-ranked Chiefs pass defense. The Steelers have a date with similarly weak pass defenses starting this Sunday with the 22nd-ranked Detroit Lions, before going on a bye to prepare to play the 31st-ranked Indianapolis Colts, who just lost star rookie safety Malik Hooker for the season.

The 19th-ranked Tennessee Titans and 16th-ranked Green Bay Packers are on deck following those two games, which will work one of two ways: the Steelers either get on track in a big way against the Lions and Colts and continue that momentum against the Titans and Packers.

Or they don’t.

Embed from Getty Images

I tend to believe the schedule favors an offensive explosion. Both the Lions and Colts play in a dome for teams within driving distance for Steelers Nation. Either game could be a home away from home game. A bye in the middle gives them rest before returning home for a Thursday night game with the Titans, and then a mini-bye to host the Packers on Thanksgiving weekend.

Those intangibles factored into weaker than usual defenses should have Pittsburgh primed and ready to blow down the doors heading into the final stretch of the 2017 season. Now all that’s left is for them to go out and do it.

Steelers offense set to explode over next four games appeared first on Steel City Underground.

10/26/17-Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions

By: Mike Pelaia

The Steelers are atop the AFC North at 5-2 after defeating the Chiefs and Bengals in consecutive weeks. They now travel to the 3-3 Detroit Lions in a Sunday Night game that is extremely important for both squads yet specifically important for the Lions; if they want to hang in the NFC North race. The Lions are coming off a bye and will be ready to play come Sunday Night.

Here Are The Keys To Victory:

1. The Lions are ranked second in the NFL in turnover ratio, meaning they don’t give it up much and they have an opportunistic defense that will take the ball away from their opponent. The Steelers need to make sure they do not fall into that trap; they must protect the football at all times.
2. The offense needs to start with Le’Veon Bell but this is the week for the passing game to be a focal point. The Lions are near the bottom of the league in pass defense at in the top ten in rush defense. Ben Roethlisberger should be able to spread the ball out to Antonio Brown and company with relative ease.
3. The team needs to remain focused. Often, after a winning streak of sorts, the Steelers tend to get a bit cocky and fall into the trap of assuming victory. They can’t allow themselves to automatically assume they are going to win. They must keep their noses down, stay humble and deliver in-between the lines on Sunday night.
4. The secondary needs to stop Golden Tate. Tate is Matt Stafford’s favorite target and I fully expect Artie Burns to follow him all over the field. If Burns can eliminate Tate, the Steelers will have a great opportunity to win the game.

Here Are A Few Things To Watch:

1. Martavis Bryant won’t dress this week but what will his demeanor be? Will he pout, or will he learn his lesson? 
2. I think James Conner is going to be a bit more involved in the game plan this week. I look for him to have upwards of 10 carries to provide Bell some rest.
3. Something tells me that Cam Heyward is going to have a big game. I have a feeling he’s going to get to Stafford twice this Sunday.
4. I think Artie Burns is going to shut Tate down and pick up his first interception on the season at the same time.

The Steelers come into Detroit as the favorite and I expect them to win easily. I think if they stick to the game plan, eliminate turnovers and spread the offense out, they will take this game 34-17.

10/24/17-Steel Nation Radio Bengals Wrap Up, Lions Preview, Martavis Comentary

By: Mike Pelaia

I flew solo again this week to discuss the Bengals game, preview this upcoming week against Detroit and of course discuss this Martavis Bryant situation.

Give it a listen right here:  

10/23/17-Martavis Bryant Set To Explode

By: Mike Pelaia

The Steelers manhandled the Bengals this past Sunday afternoon and took a commanding lead in the AFC North. They’ll have a hard time coughing up the division at this point unless they obtain injuries to key players or they let certain players derail their team comradery by causing unneeded drama.

One of those players that could cause an issue and is doing his best to do so lately is Martavis Bryant. Bryant, who has served both a four-game suspension and a yearlong suspension has been both a god send and nuisance for the Steelers over his career, including this 2017 season in which he truly needed to be on his best behavior. 

It started in the offseason when he stated he needed to have a “man to man” with Ben Roethlisberger; after Roethlisberger had stated his displeasure with Bryant for missing the 2016 season. Bryant, who had lost the Steelers trust, rightfully so, should have kept his mouth shut and understood where his quarterback was coming from.

It then came to the attention of the masses after the Chiefs game, a huge win by the Steelers, that Bryant was unhappy and had requested a trade in recent weeks.  Bryant, a man trying to regain trust and quite frankly work his way back into this league, was unhappy?  He denied it, said he wanted to be a Steeler and it was all nonsense. Mike Tomlin called it a non-issue.  Seemingly, everything was put to rest.  Or so we all thought.

Then, again, after a massive black and gold victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Bryant ignorantly chose to take to Instagram to respond to one of his followers by saying “Juju is no where near better than me fool all they need to do is give me what I want and y’all can have JuJu and who ever else”, speaking of the upstart, hardworking rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster.

There are SO many issues with this. First, why is he even engaging with a fan, hater, follower or anyone else on social media? He clearly is an emotional mess; to even respond to the nonsense, upset or not, is a massive blunder. That’s lesson one in the world of social media. As Herm Edwards famously says, “don’t hit send”. But Bryant did, and the storm began to swirl.

Secondly, calling the fan a “fool” does him no good. It just makes Bryant look like the whiner who isn’t getting his way and wants nothing to do with the team and resorts to name calling and throwing out demands like a toddler in the midst of their terrible twos.

Lastly, and most importantly, how dare he call out a teammate like that?  JuJu has earned all the praise he’s gotten, and then some. Bryant hasn’t earned anything, in terms of praise; due to his inability to keep the trust of his coaches, teammates and fans.  He says he worked his way back, and he did, but he’s about to throw it away through ignorant requests, obvious moping and infantile behavior. It’s ridiculous.

Yet, the saga wasn’t over. Bryant then called in “sick” to work on Monday for film study. Not that there’s much of him on the tape but if he wants to be on the tape next week, calling in sick after messing up so royally is not the way to do it.

The team won’t trade him and nor would I support that. Why give him what he wants? The black and gold learned for the LeGarrete Blount situation, they won’t let that happen again.

I’d rather they deactivate him than trade him. Not to mention he’s worthless at this point, nobody will give up anything of value for him.

Despite all of that, he’s a talent and a true threat. He has some serious potential and with nine games left in the season, if he can pull his head out from where the sun doesn’t shine, then perhaps he can put up the numbers he wants, which will allow him to escape his prison in Pittsburgh down the line.

I do think long term, Pittsburgh is not the place for Bryant and vice versa. It hasn’t panned out and it’s hard to imagine it will now.

Yet, with his talent, he’s capable of exploding at any given moment. If he’s given the opportunity to play against the Lions this week, it’s very possible Ben Roethlisberger will attempt to get him more involved in the offense. If Bryant keeps his head on his shoulders, perhaps he’ll make a couple of big plays and settle his emotions.  He is a true threat and an asset. He has a role on this team but he needs to accept what that role is and if the team keeps winning, he better learn to accept that role while keeping his mouth shut.

If he doesn’t get the opportunity to play or he plays and has another one catch game, he’s going to explode in a completely different manner.

It’s up to Bryant and only Bryant to work this situation out and I think everyone inside the organization as well as those who root for the Steelers would prefer Bryant’s amazing physical talents allow him to explode on the field. Yet, all those same people realize that if it doesn’t happen between the lines on Sunday evening in Detroit, it will happen Sunday night on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

One way or the other, Bryant is about to explode. Take cover and hope for the best.

10/19/17-GAME DAY Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

By: Mike Pelaia

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a huge win over the Kansas City Chiefs this past Sunday and are now ready to get things rolling in the right direction. They start that mission with a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field.  The Bengals come to Pittsburgh on a two-game winning streak and face a must win game if they want to have a realistic chance to win the AFC North. The Steelers have an opportunity to put a nice bit of separation between themselves and their rivals from Ohio.

Here Are The Keys To Victory:

1. The black and gold must dress and play James Harrison. Harrison made a big difference in Kansas City, providing better defense against the run and a timelier pass rush.  He leads by example and the Steelers need him out there again on Sunday evening against Cincinnati.
2. I think it’s time to see Martavis Bryant utilized a bit more. He’s asking for a trade, which I certainly don’t agree with but he hasn’t been utilized to the best of his abilities just yet. I expect the Bengals, who sport the number two pass defense in the NFL, to focus on Antonio Brown, which should leave the field open for Bryant. I think he needs to be utilized in the red zone this week and if he is, he’ll make an impact.
3. The offensive line must keep Vontaze Burfict away from Ben Roethlisberger. Obviously, the team never wants Roethlisberger to get hit but they really don’t want to see Burfict get anywhere near Big Ben. Burfict is returning from a five-game suspension and you know that he doesn’t have the ability to play a clean game, he’ll be head hunting all game long.
4. Artie Burns must keep AJ Green in check. Green is an elite receiver, much like Brown, capable of hauling in anything thrown his way. It’s up to Burns to limit the big plays and keep Green in check.

Here are A Few Things To Watch:

1. The emotion of the game is going to be intense and it could get ugly. The teams always seem to get chippy when they play each other and things tend to get out of hand. Who will play the cleaner game? It will make a difference.
2. It seemed to me that Vince Williams played one of his better games against Kansas City. I don’t think there is any coincidence about it; Harrison was in there with him. I do expect Williams to build on that game and turn in a fantastic performance this week vs. the Bengals.
3. I’m waiting for Vance McDonald to become a bigger part of this offense and I suspect this is the week. I believe he and Ben are getting more in tune with each passing week and this is the game we’ll see him break out.
4. How could I not add Le’Veon Bell to this list after last week? How will he run against the Bengals, a team that sees him twice a year? I expect another 120 yards out of Bell this week.

The Steelers are going to be in for a battle against their bitter rival this week but it’s one that I expect them to come out on top of. The game will be close most of the way but the Steelers will finally put the Bengals away late; coming out on top 31-20.

10/18/17 -PODCAST-Steel Nation Radio Chiefs Wrap Up, Bengals Preview

By: Mike Pelaia

I sat down for my weekly podcast to wrap up the Chiefs game and preview the Bengals game along with a special guest. Give it a listen and let my guest know how they did in the comments section! 

Find out what we have to say right here: 

10/16/17-Harrison Is The Key To Consistency

By: Mike Pelaia

The 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers season has had more peaks and valleys than a roller coaster at Kennywood Park. The team peaked again this past Sunday as they rode Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger to victory on the offensive side of the ball. What Bell did, specifically, was impressive and proof enough for me that this team needs to continue to feed him the ball on a weekly basis.

More than centering the offense around Bell though, the team needs to play consistent football for all four quarters, something they seemed to have lacked through the first five games of the season thus far.

In game six, however, against the Chiefs, things seemed to click on all cylinders. I asked myself, other than Roethlisberger not throwing a billion interceptions, what was different about this game? Why did this seem like the most complete one of the season?  As I contemplated it for a bit, it hit me. The difference was one man and one man only.

The one. The only. James Harrison.

Harrison plays with a chip on his shoulder every single down he’s out there. He brings a fire to the team that is unmatched. He plays hard. He expects the best from himself and therefore he expects the best from those around him.

It seemed the defense was more intense vs. Kansas City than in weeks past. It seemed like they were on a mission to prove they could be one of the best in the league. Sure, they had a lot of questions to answer after the disaster against Jacksonville but you know who didn’t play against Jacksonville? Harrison.

Harrison’s presence brings a much-needed quality to the team as a whole; consistency. He’s consistent in everything he does and thus the team around him is as well. He’s a leader, a winner and an unstoppable force.

With Harrison in pads, you’d never know the Steelers were one of the worst defenses against the run in the NFL, whilst playing the league’s leading rusher. Why? Because the team was consistently following their assignments, as Harrison does.

Against Kansas City, Alex Smith was a little more frazzled than normal and unable to get outside of the pocket like he likes to do. Why? The team applied pressure in a more consistent and effective way, like Harrison does. 

As the team ready’s themselves for a visit from their hated rivals; the Cincinnati Bengals, they must recognize, they need to continue to bring that consistent level of play that they exhibited against the Chiefs.

The Bengals aren’t afraid of Pittsburgh and they have had some success visiting Heinz field over the years. The last thing the Steelers need to do now is allow the Bengals, who were left for dead just a few weeks ago, back into the AFC North picture. A Steeler victory on Sunday would put a 2.5 game gap between the two enemies, which if the Steelers were to play consistently the rest of the stretch, would make for a very difficult lead to cough up.

The key however, is to allow Harrison to suit up the rest of the way and more importantly to allow him on the field. The black and gold have the talent to win the big games, as they just did this past week. They have the skill to do it. They have the leadership to do it. What they need make sure they have on top of it all is consistency.

That starts with James Harrison.

Please see what Jeinny Lizarazo of Fox Deportes has to say below! 

Great win…@SteeIerNation across the globe celebrate today
Guys go follow @SteelNationAssc and their amazing causehttps://t.co/cY77SwL6O9 pic.twitter.com/iT1nsLBrL9

— Jeinny Lizarazo (@Jeinnylizarazo) October 16, 2017

10/13/17-Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs

By: Mike Pelaia

The Steelers are coming off one of their most embarrassing performances in recent years, having lost 30-9 to the surprisingly decent, yet heavy underdog, Jacksonville Jaguars.  The reward? A trip to Kansas City to face the only remaining undefeated team in a stadium that is as raucous as any in the NFL.  After last week, will the Steelers be ready to play? At 3-2, this is a big game. A fall to 3-3 will most likely push the Steelers behind the Ravens and while it’s still relatively early, it could also even them with the Bengals, something the black and gold can ill afford. 

Here Are The Keys To A Steeler Victory:

1. The defense must stop the run, specifically the league’s leading rusher Kareem Hunt.  Hunt is most likely licking his chops to face the leagues 28^th ranked rush defense. Pittsburgh needs to show some different looks and consider finally playing James Harrison to help bolster the run defense. I also think they’d be best limiting the snaps that Bud Dupree sees as he hasn’t been very successful this season.
2. Ben Roethlisberger needs to play with confidence. After his five interception performance, he made some comments that were taken in various ways throughout the media. He can put it all to bed; and show his team at the same time that his last game was an aberration; if he comes out gun slinging and playing with the bravado that has made him an all time great for so many years.
3. The offense must revolve around Le’Veon Bell. I shouldn’t have to keep writing this but obviously the Steelers aren’t getting it yet. It’s time to give him the keys to the car and allow him to do what he does best; make plays. If they can get him the ball 25 times on the ground, he will have a big day. If he starts off slow, they must stick with him, he’ll work it out.
4. Mike Tomlin needs to manage the game far better than he did last week. His challenge calls were weak and his mismanagement of those plays led to a mismanagement of the timeouts, due to a lack of them in crunch time. He needs to understand the game flow or he will easily lose the chess match to Andy Reid.

Here Are A Few Things To Watch:

1. Ben Roethlisberger. How will he respond and will he deliver after having the worst game of his career?
2. The defense. I think it’s time they dial back the blitzes, it’s killing them lately. What style will they play? Will they stack the box to force the pass or will they rush on every down?
3. I want to look for discipline. Last week, Mike Mitchell chose to dance after making a tackle on a 12 yard gain in the fourth quarter as the Steelers were down by 11. Does that sound like someone who has a clue what’s going on in the game? It doesn’t to me. That discipline needs to be instilled in the team from Mike Tomlin on down.
4. I’m ready for James Harrison to play and wreak havoc. I have a gut feeling he’s going to show up on Sunday and deliver in a BIG way.

Sunday poses a massive threat to the Steelers season already. The Chiefs are solid on all fronts and haven’t been defeated yet. With the Steelers coming off such a horrible defeat at home, logic would suggest they would lose this game convincingly this week. However, I’m not logical. I think the game vs. the Jaguars was the wakeup call this team needed and they will come out firing on all cylinders. I look for the Steelers to go into Kansas City and come out with a ‘W’. They’ll take this one in a barn burner, 34-30.

10/10/17-PODCAST Steel Nation Radio Jaguars Wrap Up, Chiefs Preview

By: Mike Pelaia

I took to my podcast to discuss the disaster vs. Jacksonville and my expectations at Kansas City for this week. Of course Ben’s five interceptions make the podcast but my thoughts on this week may surprise you: 

Next Page »