At 0-2, Is The 2013 Season Already Over?

 

 

 

Crash and Burn

The Steelers entered the home stretch at 6-5 and looked as though they were going to slip their way into the playoffs.  They had one more game to go before Big Ben was returning and then the schedule lightened up slightly after that with three of their final four games at home. 

The black and gold controlled their own destiny. What they did with it was disappointing and shocking.  At 6-5 a road visit to the Ravens with Charlie Batch at the helm appeared to be the scariest game left on the schedule. Little did we know that would be their final win to date as Charlie and company went into Baltimore and took care of business. Batch had a big day, the defense played great and the team looked like they were back on track.

Big Ben returned the following week to play the lowly Chargers and the Steelers flopped. They came out flat, Ben looked off, mistakes were made left and right and a furious comeback at the end did nothing other than make the score and game look closer than it really was.  Still, at 7-6, they were in playoff contention and sitting in the final spot.

 A trip to Dallas ensued and the Steelers again made costly mistakes, most notably an awful interception by Big Ben in overtime that cost the team the game.  It wasn’t easy to watch, but the game was rather meaningless in that even at 7-7 the Steelers STILL controlled their destiny and all they had to do was win out at home vs. the Bengals and Browns.  Pittsburgh even had a shot at winning the division if they won out and Baltimore faltered.  Yet, once again, they failed, at home, against the Bengals, the little brother of the division. The Defense stepped up only allowing 6 points but two Big Ben picks, leading to 10 points (One TD Was returned for a TD) was the difference.  It not only knocked our beloved black and gold under .500, it knocked them from the playoffs.

So what happened in the last 4 weeks? Where did things go wrong? There are plenty of fingers to point and no one player or coach is responsible. It’s a collective effort.  First, the offense was wildly inconsistent when Big Ben returned.  He wasn’t the same guy and he uncharacteristically threw picks at the end of the Cowboy and Charger game, effectively ending those games and the season along with it. That’s not what we’ve become accustomed to seeing out of him, it was just one of those things that happened and I don’t anticipate it being an issue in the coming years. 

Secondly on the offensive side of the ball, Todd Haley and Mike Tomlin failed to ever commit to a feature running back.  It was laughable. They used 3 and even 4 backs in a game, often never giving a guy more than about 10 carries in a game. They publicly stated Dwyer was their starter, but apparently that meant nothing more than he would physically start the game, he was never given starter carries.  I’ve said it all season long, it’s hard to win when you don’t get one back the bulk of the carries.  Sure, the days of guys getting 30 or 35 carries in a game are over, but there is no reason they couldn’t hand Dwyer the ball 20 times a game. He showed us all early this season that he can rush for 100 yards in a game if given the chance.  For whatever reason, he, nor any other back, was ever given the chance. 

Another issue was the overall play calling by Todd Haley. His offense was designed to protect Roethlisberger, hence a lot of the quick throws or the “dink and dunk” as Big Ben called it. However, they didn’t take the appropriate chances down the field the last few weeks, only a couple a game. When they tried it, Big Plays did happen. See Mike Wallace in the Charger game or Antonio Brown in the Bengal game. The big plays worked but were not called often enough.  The running game, as mentioned prior, was not utilized properly and Haley needs to really look at his schemes moving forward. Big Ben questioned the play calling after the Dallas game and was given a lot of grief for it. Tomlin called it natural frustration after a loss. I don’t care what it was, Ben was right. The play calling was a big factor down the stretch and clearly didn’t work.

A fourth issue was injuries. In the last four weeks we’ve seen Willie Colon go down for the year (again), Ike Taylor, Heath Miller (in their last meaningful game) and other role players as well.  The offensive line was in flux over that stretch and there was no consistency when it was needed most. Injuries happen, but you need to overcome them.  This team lacks the depth to do so and it was very apparent down this home stretch.

The coaching staff truly failed to have this team prepared for these stretch games as well.  I’ve never, in all my years of following this team heard a player come out and say they had a feeling they were in trouble that week, after they lost at home. However, that’s exactly what Brett Keisel said after the Charger loss. He felt something wasn’t right and they were in trouble.  That tells me something certainly isn’t right, and that’s the coaching. There is no way that professional football players should feel that way, especially veteran players like Keisel who have been to 3 Super Bowls and won 2.  Have you ever seen a Steeler team fail in the clutch the way they did this year? Did you really think they would lose at home to Cincinnati with the season on the line? Never in a million years did I see that coming.  That’s preparation, or lack thereof. That starts at the top again. Tomlin and his staff failed this team down the stretch and it showed on the field with both mental and physical mistakes. The hunger wasn’t there, the desire wasn’t there and certainly the leadership wasn’t there.

Troy Polamalu came out recently and said he hopes this experience of missing the playoff humbles both the young guys and the vets too. He hopes it shows them all that making the playoffs and having success is no given thing, even if you’re on the Steelers. He’s right, and I hope what he says resonates with some of these guys.  If the soft spoken Troy Polamalu is speaking up and speaking out with these words, you know something is horribly wrong in that locker room.

The last month of 1-3 football has been frustrating, shocking and disappointing. The players failed to play and the coaches failed to coach.  They now have one final meaningless game against the lowly Browns to try to reach a .500 record. Big Ben stated he never wanted to have a year under .500 so he’s coming out swinging but in the end it doesn’t matter. They’re playing for draft position now as they certainly aren’t playing for anything else, unlike years past. This season crashed and burned and it took the stairway to seven right along with it. 

Steel Nation Association and Steel Nation Magazine Benefit For Children’s Hospital on 12/16

 

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After October, Steelers Starting to Roll

As the NFL season moves to the midway point, the Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be in a much better place than they were just one month ago.  They now sit at 4-3 and just one game behind the division leading Baltimore Ravens.  It hasn’t been without struggle to get the record over .500 but it’s something they accomplished in their 7^th game and they appear poised to begin their run.

The team put up 3 wins in their 4 October games.  Before the October  run the Steelers were struggling with the ground attack on offense and with the defense being able to stop anyone when it counted, especially being able to hold a fourth quarter lead.  Those issues appear to be on the mend, perhaps not completely fixed yet, but answers seem to have been found. Penalties were a big factor early in the year and while they still played a role in October, they also appear to be headed in the right direction as they have been reduced over the past few weeks.

Following the bye week and a 1-2 start, October’s four games started off with a 16-14 escape at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a game that saw the defense create turnovers, get sacks and hold the Eagle offense in relative check.  Lawrence Timmons showed up with 9 tackles and as I’ve stated many times prior, he’s a true cog in this defense. As he goes, so does this team.  Larry Foote; who has been a force all season; manned up with 8 tackles and assisted in the teams’ 2 turnovers as well.  Collectively the black and gold sacked Mike Vick 3 times and they looked as though they were back to form. The downfall in this game was the loss of Troy Polamalu, who re injured his calf and hasn’t played since. Polamalus’ injury came on the same day that James Harrison finally returned to action for the first time in 2012.  Also returning to the lineup for the first time in 2012 was Rashard Mendenhall and he was extremely effective in his first action in 10 months, rushing for 68 yards on 13 carries, which to that point was the best outing by any Steeler back all season.  Big Ben got his numbers once again as he spread the ball all over the field, most notably to Antonio Brown (7 catches for 86 yards) and was again turnover free.  It appeared as we headed out of that game that this team was poised to begin their run. The lowly Titans sat on the schedule just four days away on Thursday night and a winning streak appeared on the horizon.

That winning streak would have to wait as the Thursday night game at Tennessee turned out to be a step backwards. The team looked flat and the black and gold lost in heartbreaking fashion. Rashard Mendenhall was hurt early, Isaac Redman was hurt and ineffective in the ground game and the defense blew yet another fourth quarter lead. The penalties piled up and Pittsburgh lost on the final play of the game; following a controversial decision by Mike Tomlin to go for a 54 yard field goal late that fell about 3 yards short; providing the Titans with a short field.  Defensively they just didn’t’ have it. The black and gold allowed Matt Hasslebeck, who’s now a 2^nd string quarterback, to pass for 290 yards, of which 40 or so of those came as the clock clicked towards zero and the game was on the line.  The top 3 tacklers on the day were all from the secondary, something you never want and Ike Taylor was burned multiple times for big plays and pass interference calls. Things looked very bleak defensively.    On offense the running backs couldn’t muster up a thing and they only accumulated 56 total rushing yards. Roethlisberger put up massive passing yards with 363 and a he also added a TD. He did have a costly pick at the end of the first half however that loomed large late. Despite that he completed 24 passes and spread it out to 9 receivers. Heath Miller had another spectacular day and the one thing that was evident after this game was the passing attack was the only item on this team that really needn’t be questioned. However, after this lowly loss it appeared it was time to officially question where this team was headed in 2012.  They were now 0-3 on the road and just didn’t appear to be all that good. They now owned 2 losses to Oakland and Tennessee, two doormats of the league, and all 3 losses were in the AFC.

An ominous game on the road at Cincinnati loomed next on a Sunday night. This was in my opinion a do or die scenario in which if they lost, they’d have fallen to 2-4 and well behind both Baltimore and the Bengals in the division alone. They also couldn’t afford another in conference defeat which would really put them behind the 8 ball. Fortunately for all of us in the Steel Nation this appears to be the game that may have jump started the 2012 season. The black and gold went in there and took care of business. The defense played well, held a fourth quarter lead and pummeled the Bengal offense. Lawrence Timmons was a rock star; leading the way with 11 tackles and Larry Foote added 7 more. While the team didn’t sack Andy Dalton they held him to 105 yards passing and the NFL receiving yards leader AJ Green to 1 catch for 8 yards. It was an impressive performance. The penalties were reduced and most importantly a ground game appears to have been discovered. I like to call it Pittsburgh’s version of Thunder and Lightning.  Jonathan Dwyer was the feature back on this particular night and all he did was Thunder his way Jerome Bettis style to 122 yards on 17 carries. To compliment him the lighting fast Chris Rainey added 17 more yards on 4 carries and a TD. Big Ben produced 278 more yards in the air, Mike Wallace grabbed 8 balls and Brown and Miller had 7 and 6 catches respectively. Seeing the team add a ground attack with this potent passing attack made me realize they now had something to go on. You can’t win with just one part of the offense working but if the team could now control the clock via the run while allowing Roethlisberger to do his thing; this offense could be one tough unit to keep in check. It could also help the defense rest their legs and get much needed breathers. The Steelers picked up their first road win of the year and now were headed home to close out the month.

The month finished up with a home domination of the Washington Redskins and RG3.  RG3 was lighting up the league and it was unclear if or how the Steelers would stop him. However Dick Lebeau had a plan and the team implemented it perfectly. The Steelers forced RG3 into bad throws, held him to 8 rushing yards and banged him around for 5 QB hits. Thunder and Lightning combined for 133 rushing yards and the team committed only 3 penalties.  This was probably the most physical game the defense had played yet and they began to look like the Steelers of old. Larry Foote again had 6 tackles and a sack and the fact that they were able to stuff Griffin the way they did was very encouraging.  Mike Wallace and Heath Miller were the go to guys for Big Ben who added 3 more touchdowns to get him to 14 on the season.

At 4-3 the team is heading in the right direction but will really need to make their mark in November. Pittsburgh starts off by heading to New York to face the defending champion Giants, followed by a home game against the Chiefs, a home game against the hated Ravens and then a visit to Cleveland. We’re starting to learn a little more about this team as we enter November, by the time we hit Thanksgiving we’ll have a true measure as to how good they really are and where they may actually be headed.

In my season preview I predicted 12-4, the slow start to the year may prevent that from happening, while statistically it’s still alive, I think 11-5 may be more reasonable. With the eventual return of Troy Polamalu and Rashard Mendenhall on the horizon, this team may be able to string together quite a winning streak and put themselves in position to not only win the division but play for a bye as well. It’s still early and there’s a lot of football to be played but we all need to feel a lot better than what we did this time last month, the Steelers are above .500, they are running the football effectively and they are playing defense at a high level once again. All is right with the world.

FIRST HALF TEAM AWARDS:

Offensive MVP: Big Ben-He has 1,987 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.

                 Honorable mention to Heath Miller and Antonio Brown.

Defensive MVP: Larry Foote-Leads the team with 50 tackles and has been the most consistent player each and every week.

                Honorable mention to Ryan Clark and Lawrence Timmons.

 

The Steelers Free Agents And The Tough Decisions To Be Made

The 2012 off season is upon us and the Steelers have plenty of work to do. They entered the offseason 25 million dollars over the projected salary cap and have already restructured the contracts of some big salaried players such as LaMarr Woodley, Lawrence Timmons, Ike Taylor, Willie Colon, Ben Roethlisberger and they’re working on others who want to help the team get where they need to be to stay competitive.  They’ve also begun to release some players they felt were expendable such as cornerback Bryant McFadden and wide receiver Arnaz Battle. 

On March 13^th the NFL free agency period begins and all indications are the Steelers will not re sign any of their players before that time period due to their need to get under the salary cap first.  Once free agency does begin the Steelers will concentrate on their own free agents first and then explore any possible needs they can fill with any lower level free agents from other teams. Everyone in the Steel Nation knows that expecting the Steelers to sign anyone from outside the organization is a long shot as that’s not how they generally do business.  However, keeping their own players is something the Steelers generally do and do well. They always seem to keep the key young guys and know just when to let the aging veterans go. 

This offseason will be a more challenging one for the Steelers as they generally don’t find themselves struggling to meet the cap number like this.  How they’ll do it and who they’ll keep will be interesting. There are some key names that need to be re signed and there are some big time veterans that may see their time in the black and gold end. 

With all that in mind; we decided to take a look at the Steelers 2012 free agents and provide our opinion and expectation for each.  NFL free agency has three different deviations; unrestricted free agents, restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents.  Unrestricted free agents are free to sign with anyone they choose with no penalties involved. Restricted free agents may sign with anyone they choose but the current team has the right to match any offer given to the player or receive a pick of some variety (based on the salary of the players) in return.   Exclusive rights free agents must negotiate with their current team only.

All Steelers free agents below are unrestricted unless otherwise noted. 

Quarterback:

The Steelers enter the free agent period with 3 of their 4 quarterbacks as free agents. The great news is that Big Ben is not one of those.  They’ll have some decisions to make as it’s certain that all 3 will not be back.

Byron Leftwich-Byron has been the top backup going into camp the past couple of years but has been injured both times and hasn’t seen any action.  He is the best of the Steelers QB free agents and he’s happy in Pittsburgh.  The Steelers should sign him to a two year contract and we expect they will do so.

Charlie Batch-Charlie has served this team well for many years. He’s been serviceable in his time in Pittsburgh and is a great teammate and member of the community.  As much as we do like Charlie the only way we think he will be back is if they cannot sign Leftwhich. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have him back as the number three QB but the Steelers should look to get younger in that spot and probably let Charlie go.

Dennis Dixon-Dennis had an opportunity in 2010 to start a few games before being injured. He came out of college with a lot of upside but he hasn’t impressed us or the Steelers. He’s never really been able to even surpass Charlie Batch on the depth chart. We don’t expect him to be back and really think it’s best for both parties if he goes elsewhere.

Running Back:

Mewelde Moore-Mewelde has been a good 3^rd down option for this team. He’s a good change of pace back and can catch the ball out of the backfield. If they can get him very cheap, we’d like to see him back.  With Rashard Mendenhall likely to miss significant time in 2012 there is a possibility the Steelers could sign Moore but we wouldn’t bet on it.  Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, Baron Batch and John Clay will all be back and healthy so there really isn’t going to be room for Moore.

Isaac Redman (Exclusive Rights)-The Steelers have exclusive rights with Redman so he’ll be back and we expect him to open the year as the starting running back for the black and gold.

Wide Receivers:

Mike Wallace (Restricted)-Wallace has to be resigned. They can’t let him go. There are a lot of rumors that the Ravens and Bengals are interested in him and they have low 1^st round picks (which is what the Steelers would receive if he left.  He’s one of the more dynamic players in the league, a true deep threat and with his speed he’s nearly impossible to cover.  If the Steelers are unable to reach a long term deal with him (which is what their intentions are) the Steelers will need to free up enough cap space to franchise tag him to keep in Pittsburgh. Wallace must be their top target to bring back. 

Jerricho Cotchery-Cotchery can play ball, no question about that. He’s got talent and experience and we’d love to see him back.  We don’t think the Steelers will bring him back though.  They have three really young and talented guys in front of him on the depth chart and Cotchery may be able to find better work elsewhere for more than the Steelers can or will be willing to pay. If they can do it, we’d like to see Cotchery land a 2 to 3 year deal and become the new veteran leader of the receiving corps once Hines moves on.  

Tight Ends:

David Johnson-He’s not a really talented guy in our estimation but with the pending 4 game suspension of the up and coming Wesley Saunders we think there’s a pretty good chance the Steelers will have to re sign Johnson now.

Offensive Line:

Trai Essex-The offensive lineman on this team are all questionable at best. It’s well documented they didn’t protect Ben too well and it’s hard to say which ones the Steelers will bring back and which they’ll let go.  They can’t let them all go at once so we expect that Essex will be a guy they bring back.

Max Starks-Starks played pretty well for the Steelers once they brought him back but he was hurt in the playoff game against Denver and we think that hurts his chances of returning. He’ll probably have to find work elsewhere.

Dorian Brooks (Exclusive Rights)-He’ll be back due to his contract status.

Ramon Foster (Restricted)-The team likes Foster and they think he has a lot of upside. We think they’ll bring him back on a 2 year deal.

Doug Legursky (Restricted)-He’s a nice reserve guy but not a real starter.  Since he does have the ability to play several positions on the line, it’s best they bring him back, but should another team pry him away, it’s not the end of the world. We anticipate he’ll be back with the team next year.

Defensive Line:

Steve McClendon (Restricted)-The team was very happy with his play at defensive tackle filling in for Casey Hampton once Chris Hoke went down. They’ll bring him back and he may be a starter if the team elects to release Hampton.

Defensive Backs:

William Gay-This time last year we wrote a similar article and we begged the Steelers to let Gay walk.  A year later, we’re truly hoping they bring him back. He played a pretty strong cornerback and took over the starting job from Bryant McFadden.  A one year deal seems like a fair and logical offer for the Steelers but Gay may not go for that. We think the Steelers will try to bring him back, we’re not sure the two sides will come to terms. If Gay does elect to leave, it’s not a loss that can’t be overcome but let’s hope he can come back for one more season.

Anthony Madison-Let him go. He doesn’t bring much to the table. Do the Steelers agree? We think they do.

Keenan Lewis (Restricted)-He started to develop this past season and very well may be a starter if Gay leaves.  He saw more playing time this year and he earned the right to be back on this team.  The team will bring him back and give him his chances to start.

Punter:

Daniel Sepulveda-He’s gone. There is no reason to bring him back. The job is Jeremy Kapinos’s now.

Jeremy Kapinos-This is the guy they’ll re sign.  He’s filled in nicely over the past few years for Sepulveda and the job is now his.

Players Who Are Not Free Agents But Decisions Must Be Made:

Casey Hampton-We expect that Big Snack will be back. But he’s in the final year of a 3 year contract that pays 8 million per year. If the team chooses to release the veteran, who’s coming of a knee injury, they’ll save $5.9 million dollars.

Chris Kemoeatu-The team should cut this guy and not look back. He’s a horrible O-lineman. He lost his starting job because he’s sloppy, his footwork stinks and he just can’t get the job done. They can save nearly 3 million if they get rid of him. It’s a no brainer.

Hines Ward-By far the toughest decision the black and gold will have to make this offseason. Hines has stated many times that he wants to play for the team next year. He’s owed $4 million, he will not be brought back for that and he knows it. Hines has stated he will take a pay cut.  If they can bring Hines back for $1 million, then we say do it. If it requires more than that, it’s hard to say, but the team should part ways with him and save the $4 million salary cap hit. Hines will always be an all timer and let’s hope this ends well for all parties.

James Farrior-Farrior is starting to show his age a bit and we think he’ll need to restructure his contract if he wants to come back. It’s a tough decision but either he or Larry Foote needs to be let go. We anticipate it will be Farrior who gets his walking papers due to his age.

Larry Foote-As we mentioned above, one of either Farrior or Foote will need to go; there isn’t room to keep both as they will both be a $3 million hit against the cap. Foote is nearly 4 years younger than Farrior so we believe he’ll be the guy to stay on the roster.

Aaron Smith-Smith put in many great years on this defensive line but he’s been injured 3 of the past 5 years and missed significant time in each of those seasons. The team has some young ends that have put in some playing time in his absence and as much as we love Smith, it’s time to move on without him. The Steelers may not agree as there are rumblings they’d like to bring him back.  

The offseason will be full of decisions for the generally cap savvy Steelers. Who they’ll bring back and who they’ll let go will be fun to watch. It’s evident the Steelers still think they have the general pieces in place to make another run at the title. This is not a straight out re build but rather a re-tooling project. By keeping the key veterans and younger guys in place and making the right free agent and cap decisions the Steelers will be primed to make another title run in 2012.

We may see some of our old favorites move on but the one thing we do know is the Steelers generally make the right decisions more often than not. We’ll have to wait and see how it goes but when it’s all said and done we expect that the Steelers will continue to prove they are one of the best run organizations in all of sports for a reason. They properly run the football operations off the field so they can provide a quality product on the field.

Interview With Steel Nation Magazine

Our Featured Member of the Month is John Wagner of Pittsburgh, PA.!

John is a co owner of Steel Nation Magazine (www.steelnationmagazine.com)   Steel Nation Magazine is a great online periodical that provides all of us with a plethora of information on Pittsburgh Sports.  They are great friends of ours and allow us to contribute to their website and magazine as well! Check out our work in their magazine this month!  Steel Nation Magazine is out in the community often and brings you the fans everything you want.  We HIGHLY recommend you get your subscription today!  We took a little time to sit down with John and learn a whole lot more about what they bring all of us. Check out our interview below!

SNA: When did you form Steel Nation Magazine?

JW: First off, thank you for wanting to have us as your Pittsburgh business of the month, it’s an honor

The magazine was started in the spring of 2011.  There are four of us that have an equal share in the business. Bill Laurence, Carlo Prati, Rich Cassarino and myself.  We all have our areas of strength and have a great commitment in what we do.

SNA: What made you decide to put together the magazine and what do you guys hope to achieve with the magazine?

JW: Well first off we are all born and raised in Pittsburgh and lifelong Pittsburgh Sports fans.  So it’s always been a passion of mine. I’ve watched and talked about sports for as long as I can remember. So when the idea was brought to me about doing something like this, I was very excited. I started thinking about just writing articles on a weekly basis about Pittsburgh sports but then I just got so caught up in the complete aspect of the magazine. That made me branch out into getting in contact with Pittsburgh athletes/ personalities and doing personal interviews with them.  That took me to wanting to start covering their respective sports on a consistent basis. So it’s been kind of a whirlwind ride the last few months.  The athletes and personalities that I have had a chance to talk to have been awesome. I get credentialed for sporting events all over the country now.  So I was once sitting up in the balcony enjoying a sporting event, now I’m in the press box or on media row ringside covering the event and enjoying it just as much.  I think people will appreciate my perspective on sports because I am coming at it from a fans perspective. 

We would love for our magazine to become a staple in the Pittsburgh sports market for years to come.  There isn’t any publication out there with the same format as us. We don’t have specific agenda’s like some outlets do.  We come at it from a fans point of view.    So we think we have something pretty special that the fans of Pittsburgh really like.  The reaction we have gotten back from people so far has been incredible.  So we just look at this to get bigger and better every month!

 

SNA: How would someone go about subscribing to your magazine and are subscriptions free?! 

JW: Yes! It’s absolutely free.  You can go to www.steelnationmagazine.com and all it takes is you to put in your email. We will send you a link to our magazine every month.  The website itself has a ton of information on it as well. We have weekly contributors that have their articles posted on there all the time. Along with a bunch of other cool stuff, so check it out!

SNA: Aside from owning the magazine, you do a lot of the writing for it too, is that correct?

JW: Yes, I am the lead writer and editor for the magazine. I handle the cover stories, interviews and covering events. I will add a few articles of my own to the magazine each month but we have a great stable of talented writers that help contribute to making this magazine work.

SNA: What will subscribers find in your magazine that sets you apart from the rest? 

JW:  Well first off, it’s all online. So whether you’re at work, at home or sitting in an airport and don’t want to buy a magazine.  You can read the whole magazine from your laptop, ipad or your phone totally free. That’s the convenience we give the fans, you can take us wherever you go.  Being online gives us so many more options than print publications.  We can add video interviews at any time to any article.  We do a lot of interactive things with the magazine online that you just can’t do in print. We also offer a great benefit to advertisers. Their quarter, half or full page AD isn’t just an advertisement, it’s a link to their website. So not only can you read about the advertiser you can be instantly directed to their website for detailed information.  As we continue to grow we will get even more interactive with our readers.

SNA: Aside from the obvious big Pittsburgh sports, you guys write about a lot of other sporting events going on around the area, can you tell us a little about that and what got you involved with these other sports?

JW:  Definitely! It’s not just the Big 3(Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins) that we cover.  We cover a wide variety of events.  I am credentialed for the Pittsburgh Power and cover that on a weekly basis.  The Mylan Golf Classic came to Southpointe last summer and we were there to cover all 4 days of that event.  We cover the High School scene with our “High School Athlete of the Month”.  The popularity of Mixed Martial Arts in this country has grown so much in the last decade we cover Pittsburgh events and Pennsylvania MMA fighters all over the country.  The Boxing scene in Pittsburgh is very strong now with World Champions like Monty Meza Clay, Rayco”WAR”Saunders, Brian”The Beast”Minto along with a slew of other talented local boxers.  There are boxing events in the city just about every month and Steel Nation Magazine has definitely thrown its hat in the ring! 

SNA: What’s been your favorite sport to cover since you’ve been at the magazine? 

JW: To be honest, I love the Boxing scene here in Pittsburgh.  Getting to know all the boxers personally and covering their fights have been great.  I grew up watching Mike Tyson on HBO, never missing a fight. I always loved the sport of boxing and was fascinated with it all my life. Now I am sitting ringside here in Pittsburgh and places like Caesers Palace in Atlantic City.  That’s been a lot of fun. 

 

SNA: Do you attend a lot of events around town?

JW: Yes, I try to make as many as I can.  My schedule gets pretty hectic from time to time but I make as many as I can. I love getting out and meeting Pittsburgh sports fans and hear what they are talking about and what’s going on around town.  I have attended a lot of fantastic events in the last couple months and have met some really remarkable people along the way and just can’t wait to see what else the future has in store.

SNA: Do you have Steel Nation Magazine souvenirs like T shirts etc and if so where can people find those?

JW: We sure do.  We have an online store on our website and you can find all your Steel Nation Magazine needs right on the site! www.steelnationmagazine.com

SNA: Anything else you’d like to add about the Magazine that we may have forgotten here?

JW: Yeah. This magazine is going to go as far as the Pittsburgh Fan’s take it.  This is a magazine about the Pittsburgh fans for the Pittsburgh fans.  We always spotlight local fans for a variety of reasons in our magazine. Whether you have a talent in sports, writing, painting we want to hear about it and want to let the rest of Pittsburgh hear about it also.  Two of our last cover pieces for the Issue included the world record holder in terrible towels.  His name is Emmett Newsome and lives in Lower Burrell and works for Fed Ex. We loved his achievement and put him on the cover and did a full story about him and his life in Pittsburgh.  Another one was Larry Klukaszewski. Larry is an incredibly talented sports artist who does designs on football helmets, footballs, terrible towels, even the felt on a pool table. He has designed hundreds of pieces of art for numerous sports celebrities all over the world. So it’s not just about being a sports star here in Pittsburgh.  We spotlight you the fans of our great city!

SNA:  Thanks for all of that! It sounds great and we’re glad to be associated with you guys.  Each Month we also ask our members of the month the below questions and we’d like to ask you as well!

SNA: When did you become a Steeler Fan?

JW: I’ve been a Steeler fan all my life.  I don’t remember not having a Steeler shirt. I couldn’t imagine not being a Steeler fan.  They are the best NFL franchise ever and have the most passionate fans in the world.

SNA: Who is your favorite player all time?

JW: I would have to go back to my childhood on this one. I loved Greg Llyod.  That guy was just terrifying.  His style of play was what I liked the most. 

SNA: Who is your favorite current player?

JW: Heath Miller.  The guy is just a class act and fantastic football player.  He epitomizes what a team player should be. 

 

SNA: What is your favorite all time Steeler moment?

JW:  Well all apologies to Franco Harris and the Immaculate Reception, I wasn’t alive at the time to enjoy that one.  I would have to say it was Santonio Holmes catch to win the Superbowl in 2008.  I was in Vegas at the time watching it from a sportsbook and I just went crazy.

SNA: Do you have a quote from a sports personality that you’d like to leave us with? 

JW: “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up”-  Jimmy Valvano

Steel City Slammers Cafe Menu-Get 10% off with your SNA Card!

We have just become partners with Steel City Slammers Cafe. You can get 10% off your bill when you present your Steel Nation Association membership card!  Visit them today.  Here is a look at their menu. How can you go wrong?

Cafe Hours:

Oct 1st – April 1st

Monday – Thurday 7am-3pm

Friday 7am-3pm & 11pm-4am Late night

Saturday 7am-5pm & 11pm-4am Late night

Sunday 8am-4pm

**Closing times will extend for catering events,

STEELER home games, and other special events.

Please call for details.

224 W. Station Square Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

412-281-6201

Build Your Own Breakfast Wrap $4.19

Breakfast Sandwich $3.09

Choice of Bread, Bagel or English Muffin / Bacon, Ham or Sausage / Egg / American Cheese

Two Pancakes or French Toast $4.99

Your choice of Bacon, Ham or Sausage and Hash Brown

Two Eggs any Style with Toast $4.99

Your choice of Bacon, Ham or Sausage and Hash Brown

Two Pancake or French Toast w/ 2 Eggs any Style $6.49

Your choice of Bacon, Ham or Sausage and Hash Brown

Bacon ~ 4 slices $2.59

Sausage ~ 1 Large Patty $2.59

Ham ~ 2 Slices $2.59

Toast ~ White or Wheat $1.29

English Muffin $1.29

Bagel with Cream Cheese $2.25

Plain Bagel $1.54

SIDE ITEMS

BREAKFAST

Three Egg Omelette $4.79

Cheese Omelette $4.99

Veggie and Cheese Omelette $4.99

Spinach and Feta Cheese Omelette $5.29

Meat and Cheese Omelette $6.29

Gyro and Feta Omelette $6.29

Western Omelette $6.29

Add Bacon, Ham or Sausage $1.79

OMELETTES

2 Eggs any style $2.79

2 Eggs any style with cheese $2.99

2 Eggs any style and toast $3.29

French Toast ~ 2 slices $3.29

2 Pancakes $3.29

Hash Brown $.99

Includes White, Wheat or Rye Toast and Hash Brown

SIDE ITEMS

PANINIS

Add small French Fries and 20oz. drink

for only $2.50 to any meal

Chicken Cordon Bleu Panini

Grilled Chicken, Ham and Swiss Cheese

Monte Cristo Panini

Ham, Smoked Turkey, Swiss Cheese and Cheddar Cheese

The Combo Panini

Corned Beef, Turkey, Swiss Cheese and Cole Slaw

Tuna Melt Panini

Tuna in Mayo, Provolone Cheese and Cheddar Cheese

Athens Panini

Grilled Chicken, Spinach, Feta Cheese and Peppers

Chicken Club Panini

Grilled Chicken, Bacon and choice of Cheese

BBQ Best Panini

Grilled Chicken, Cheddar Cheese, Grilled Onions and BBQ Sauce

Steak Panini

Grilled Steak, Grilled Pepper, Grilled Onion and Provolone Cheese

Your choice of White or Wheat Panini,

Lettuce, Tomato, Onions…………………$6.69

SANDWICHES

Beef Hot Dog $2.59

Grilled Cheese $3.09

1/3 lb. Grilled Hamburger $4.29

1/3 lb. Grilled Cheeseburger $4.49

Bacon or Mushroom Burger $4.79

Grilled Chicken Sandwich $5.79

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich $5.79

Fried Fish Sandwich $5.79

Gyro $5.79

Tuna Sandwich $5.79

Hot Roast Beef Sandwich $5.79

Hot Turkey Sandwich $5.79

Chicken Tenders $5.79

Shrimp $5.79

Portabella Mushroom $5.79

Pittsburgh Steak and Cheese $5.79

Grilled Reuben $5.79

Grilled Rachel $5.79

Grilled Cappicola and Provolone $5.79

6 Piece $4.49

12 Piece $6.99

20 Piece $10.99

Mild Buffalo Hot Hot Garlic BBQHoney Dijon

JUMBO WINGS

French Fries $2.49

French Fries with Cheese or Gravy $2.99

French Fries with Cheese & Beanless Chili $3.49

Rice Pilaf $2.49

4 Grape Leaves (Meatless) $2.99

4 Grape Leaves (with Meat) $3.29

Spinach Pie $3.99

Chicken Breast $3.99

Baklava $1.79

Pierogies $.99 each

SIDES & WINGS

YOUR CHOICE WRAPS ….$6.19

Your choice of White or Wheat Wrap and Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato and Dressing

Includes your choice of chips

WRAPS

Smoked Turkey

Roast Beef

Chicken Caesar

BBQ Chicken

Buffalo Chicken

Baked Ham & Cheese

Southwest Chicken

Chicken Taco

Tuna In Mayo

Gyro

Chicken or Steak

Greek Veggie

Corn Beef and Swiss

Hard Salami and Provolone

Pastrami and Swiss

Grilled Chicken – Buffalo Chicken – Tuna – Steak – Portabella – Gyro

12 oz. Cup…$3.29

6 oz. Bowl…$4.29

Greek Salad $5.79

Caesar Salad $5.79

Chicken Caesar Salad $6.99

Chef Salad $6.99

Side Salad $3.29

Greek Salad with Meat $6.99

Greek Salad includes Lettuce, Tomato, Green Pepper, Cucumber, Pepperoncini,

Kalamata olives, Feta cheese & Greek dressing.

SOUPS

Italian, Ranch, Caesar, Bleu Cheese, Greek Dressing, French,

Balsamic Vinaigrette, Light Ranch and Light Italian

SOUP & SALADS

Chicken Noodle

Italian Wedding

Stuffed Pepper

Creamy Tomato

Creamy Tomoato and Rice

Steel Nation Association Trivia Night

Title: Steel Nation Association Trivia Night
Location: Tavern 245 – Pittsburgh
Link out: Click here
Description: Steel Nation Association Trivia Night with prizes!
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2011-09-29
End Time: 20:00

Steelers Blow Game To Jets, Lose 22-17

The Steelers came into today one game up on the Ravens in the AFC North and had a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win.  Instead, they left tied with the Ravens in the AFC North and the Jets left with a playoff spot clinched.  Pittsburgh knew this was going to be a hard fought contest, a defensive struggle but the didn’t get the job done today. The opening kick was returned by the Jets for a TD and they took a quick 7-0 lead.  The Steelers were able to tie the game at 7 in the 2nd quarter, and traded field goals after that to make it 10-10 at half time.  They took a 17-10 lead and then the Jets did the rest of the scoring to win 22-17.  The worst play of the game came in the last few minutes of the 4th quarter, down 20-17. The Steelers had the ball on their own two yard line. They go into a shotgun and hand the bal off in the end zone to Mewelde Moore. Jason Taylor busted through the backfield and pummled Moore in the end zone for a safety which essentially sealed the game.  The Steelers made a 87 yard drive at the end of the game, but they needed 92 yards to win.  They fell short on two incomplete passes from Roethlisberger in the end zone and the Jets left victorious.

Big Ben threw for 264 yards and a TD but he was off today. It may have been the weather, it may have been the gloves, it may have been the receivers running poor routes and dropping balls but it all added up to 21 incompletions on 44 throws.  The offense wasn’t putrid like in recent weeks but they just couldn’t put it all together when they needed to. Mendenhall put together 100 yards on only 17 carries against a very strong Jets defense but it just wasn’t enough today.  The offensive line showed once again it’s not very solid as they gave up three sacks, a safety and several hurries in which Big Ben fumbled twice.  The defense showed that without Troy Polamalu they just aren’t the same. They were unable to truly contain a struggling Mark Sanchez who was a respectable 19/29 for 170 and no interceptions.  Side note, we think Sanchez is a jerk off but we digress. The D only got to Sanchez for 1 sack. Timmons and Harrison were animals combining for 23 tackles but they weren’t able to ever really pressure Sanchez.  The defense also gave up 106 yards on the ground to the Jets running attack. That’s not seen often but the Steelers were unable to mix up their blitzes and coverage without number 43. 

The team did reduce the penalties as we had been calling for, only having 3 today but they just didn’t have enough of the all around game to get it done. A failed special teams play, a failure to get to Sanchez and a failure to get the down the field on offense effectively cost the Steelers the game. They better get over it fast though, they play their final home game of the year, barring playoffs, this Thursday night.

A couple of notes, we had mentioned you should compare Holmes vs. Wallace today to see who comes out with the better numbers. For the record, it was Wallace! He had 7 catches for 102 yards while Holmes had 6 catches for 40 yards.  The problem with that number is the Steelers allowed Braylon Edwards 8 catches for 100 yards. (NO TROY!)

We had mentione how Harrison didn’t tackle anyone last week, he picked up 10 today.

The bottom line about today, it wasn’t a crippling loss, it didn’t change much, the Steelers still hold the 2 spot in the AFC for now and a tie breaker over the Ravens, but they must win their final two games to keep both of those in tact.  They should be able to but you never know.  The Steelers were out coached today. The 4th and 1 bootleg and the 3rd and 3 snap to the RB were proof of that. We think they’ll bounce back but a couple things are very obvious, the team must get better on the O Line, special teams, in the secondary and the coaches must game plan better….yeah, we’re talking to you Tomlin and Arians.

10-4, next up Carolina.