Send your postgame critiques, analysis, ranting and raving about the last game as well as your predictions, smak, & insults about our upcoming opponent. Whether your message is a simple, "Go Steelers!" or detailed, in-depth analysis, tell us what you think and we'll post it.
First Quarter PIT - FG, Kris Brown 38 Yd.
Second Quarter BAL - TD, Shannon Sharpe, 13 Yd pass from Randall Cunningham (PAT good).
PIT - TD, Plaxico Burress, 21 Yd pass from Kordell Stewart (PAT good).
Third Quarter None.
Fourth Quarter BAL - FG, Matt Stover 25 Yd.
BAL - FG, Matt Stover 39 Yd.
Key Stats & Facts Kris Brown -- 4 missed field goals: What a nightmare. Rarely in the NFL can a loss be blamed on one player... this was one of those games.
Kordell Stewart 22 of 37, 59.5%, 236 yds, 1 TD, 0 Int, 1 sack, 8 runs for 31 yds: A thoroughly superb game by Stewart, who in spite of numerous drops by his receivers, played a poised (dare I say nearly perfect) game. Kordell Stewart has come of age.
Jerome Bettis 23 carries for 91 yds: If not for Kris Brown's nightmarish game, the Bus would've certainly gotten over 100 yds.
Hines Ward 9 catches, 97 yds, 1 TKO. of Rod Woodson: Nevermind the catches... did you guys see that hit Ward put on Woodson? Hines CREAMED him in the mouth and sent Woodson to the sideline spitting blood. Not THAT is Steeler football.
Plexico Burress 4 catches, 56 yds, 1 TD: Good news: Plex's arrival seems to be for real, folks.
Steeles 348 total yds, Ravens 183 total yds: Yes, Kris Brown allowed the Steelers to snatch defeat from the jaws of vicrtory, but make no mistake... the Steelers dominated the LUCKY Ravens in this game.
Joey Porter throws 2 more sacks on the pile: Porter was superb, upping his team-leading season sack total to 7.
Rarely does the blame for a loss in the NFL fall squarely on the shoulders of a single player. The Steeler's heartbreaking 13-10 loss to the thoroughly outplayed Ravens at Heinz Field on Sunday was one such occassion. Maybe it was the pressure of such a big game... maybe it was the vicious shot he took on his blocked field goal... and maybe it was those huge ketchup bottles in the end zone. For whatever reason, kicker Kris Brown suffered through a nightmarish performance that without question cost the Steelers the game, missing 4 consecutive field goal tries including a kick at the end of regulation that would've resulted in overtime.
Talk about a "Brown-Out"... sheesh!
But don't be too hard on Brown. He's hit plenty of clutch kicks for the Steelers over the last couple of years (including a few this season), and as Kordell Stewart aptly pointed out after the game, Brown will be there to win games down the stretch. It's a long season, and while the loss was certainly disappointing to a Steeler club that dominated every other phase of the game, there are plenty of bright spots in which we Steeler fans can take solace.
Bright Spot #1: The emergence of Kordell Stewart as a respectable (dare I say outstanding) NFL quarterback is upon us.
In spite of coming up on the short end on the scoreboard, I can't help but marvel at how well the Steelers are playing right now, particularly Kordell Stewart. The Titans dared Stewart to beat them through the air... he did. The Ravens dared Stewart to beat them through the air... he did. And Kordell isn't JUST putting up good numbers these days, folks. Make no mistake about it... he's LEADING this offense. He is playing with tremendous composure and displaying veteran savvy that more than a few teams around the NFL must be beginning to envy right now. He's making the right choices at the right times, consistantly throwing the ball on-target, staying cool in the pocket under pressure, and running the offense with a level-headed, business-like approach.
Kordell threw to 8 different receivers Sunday. When Edwards, Shaw and Fu each dropped perfect 3rd down passes (and a catch by Burress was incorrectly ruled incomplete), Stewart stayed cool and wasn't afraid to come back them. At the end of the first half, Bobby Shaw dropped an easy TD pass. Did Stew get flustered? No way. He immediately threw a perfect TD strike to Burress. And when the Steelers were trailing late in the game, Stewart displayed outstanding clock management and ran a textbook 2-minute drill (in which HE called the plays) to set up what should've been the game-tying field goal.
One last comment on Stewart before I move on... if Kordell doesn't run the best play-action fakes in the league, I don't know who does. It's probably the biggest change I've seen in him between this season and last. Mark my words... his ability in this area will become deadlier and deadlier to opponents as the passing game continues to improve.
Bright Spot #2: Jerome Bettis is Jerome Bettis no matter WHO we play.
Lemme tell 'ya, 91 yards against this Raven defense is mighty damn good. And Jerome did it despite the fact that OT Wayne Gandy (hamstring) and RB Amos Zeroue (shoulder) were out of the lineup. Had Kris Brown not missed a couple of those FGs, Bettis would've had far more yards because the Steelers would've been working the clock. The guy is awesome.
Bright Spot #3: The "Big Nasty Defense" is the best in the league.
Yeah, Shannon Sharpe victimized us on a pair of passes including a touchdown grab on Baltimore's lone scoring drive of the first half following a kick return to the Steeler 42, but Sharpe only had one more catch all day. Other than that, the Steeler defense was simply suffocating. Baltimore finished the day converting just 1 of 11 thrid downs. And without a ridiculously bogus 15-yard facemask call on Kendrell Bell in which Bell barely even brushed Cunningham's facemask while lunging to knock down a 3rd down pass, Baltimore might never have tied the game with their first field goal. [Note: I propose that from this point forward, NFL officials assigned to cover Steeler games must be outfitted with red noses, white face paint, and big floppy shoes. If they're not blowing the coin toss, they're allowing our opponents to kick FG's in between quarters. I loved when Cowher charged out on the field and defiantly threw the red flag in their faces during that fiasco, BTW]. The Ravens finished the game with a paltry 183 total yards, only 40 yards of which came on the ground. I kept notes during the game, and the Ravens went three-and-out on 5 of their 7 first-half possessions. I didn't keep close track in the 2nd half, so don't know what the game total was, but suffice it to say the Steelers were outstanding.
Furthermore, the Steeler defense showed up the puffed-up Ravens defense. Had Baltimore not been aided by several incredible punts in the first half (the Steelers seemed to perpetually start out inside their own 15 at one point in the game), things might've been considerably different. I'm not real big on what-ifs, and perhaps that's just sour grapes, but if Brown had hit even one of his missed FGs, there's no doubt in my mind Pittsburgh would've won. The Ravens were outplayed and outclassed by the Steelers. But as they say, somethimes it's better to be lucky than good.
Bright Spot #4: Mike Mularkey is an outstanding offensive coordinator.
Granted, the Steelers did little with their frequent trips into Baltimore territory, but Mularkey can't exactly go out there and kick the ball, now can he? The first-down passes were highly effective, and aside from a questionable reverse and a suspect option call on Pittsburgh's opening drive, Mularkey's play selection was quite clever. The guy really knows how to get the most out of the personel he has to work with, and the run/pass balance he's achieving lately with this offense is remarkable. One can't help but wonder what might've happened had some of the execution been better by our receivers, particularly on 3rd down. Troy Edward's idiotic fumble was unforgivable. Dan Dierdorf commented that Cowher can't be too displeased with a guy who fumbles while he's gutting it out fighting for more yardage, but Dierdorf hasn't seen enough of Edwards to know that this is a PATTERN. Go back and see how many times Edwards has fumbled after the catch over the course of his brief career. It's bad enough that he rarely catches the ball as it is (case in point, his drop of a perfect 3rd down strike from Stewart Sunday)... to have him cough it up on the rare occassions when he DOES hang on is almost more than I can handle. But I digress...
Bright Spot #5: Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward are beginning to look like a formidable receiving tandem.
Isn't it amazing that at the exact instant Plex became a viable option for Kordell to throw to, Stewart took on the appearance of a real live NFL quarterback? Go figure. What a difference having TWO decent wide receivers makes, eh? Burress is finally using his big frame to create mismatches. He was devastating during the Titans game, and he set the tone for the passing attack against the Titans. Ward played the role of the go-to guy, but Burress' big play threat (e.g., his 21-yard diving TD grab) opened doors for the Steeler offense elsewhere. I'm telling you now... if Burress and Ward continue to play like this, the Steelers will go DEEP into the post-season.
One other little note on Ward. Perhaps his best play of the day came in the form of a block on a running play when he absolutely CLOCKED former Steeler (and future Hall of Famer) Rod Woodson. Rod was rushing toward the sideline to assist in a tackle, and Ward came flying out of nowhere and just CREAMED Woodson with a head shot... took him right off his feet (and just about seperated his head from his body). The next shot we saw of Rod was of him spitting blood on the sideline. THAT, my friends, is Steeler football!
And finally...
Bright Spot #6: Bill Cowher's chin is BACK!
Man, is there anything better than seeing Cowher cover his players with a fine mist of spittle after a big play? I don't think so. Bill is once again that maniacal, slobbering, veins-popping-out-of-his-neck beast we all came to know and love during his early years as head coach. It warms my heart ot see Cowher wielding his chin like a weapon again... feels like old times.
Speaking of old times, the Steelers face a battle for supremecy in the AFC Central next week against the surprising and very real Browns (who fell to 4-3 after their hillarious, freakish last-second collapse in Chicago). A Steeler win will insure Pittsburgh's conitnued sole possession of first place at 6-2 and could send the young Brownies into a fatal downward spiral. A loss (Heaven forbid), and the Steelers would be tied for first at best, and could fall to 2nd at worst (if the Ravens were to beat the Titans on Monday Night). I think it's safe to say I speak for all Steelers fans when I say it would be nice to start the "Punkin' Heads" down the road to ruin.
It's almost time for Smashing Pumpkins, bruthas & sistas!
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Fan Smak & Analysis
The following articles are listed in the order they were received (with the most recent entries at the top). This isn't a "guestbook" format... I read and manually insert every message, so you may not see your submission show up immediately. Thanks a million for your comments, people!
O.K. It's time to say it again. Troy Edwards is failing in the NFL. If the
Texans will take him we can unload him and not take a big salary cap hit.
Poteat can return and i bet Shaw could too if he starts taking Edwards reps in
practice. Is it just me or does anyone else notice how fast Shaw always seems
to be going when he catches the ball? I know he had a drop last week, but he
has made some clutch grabs in the last few games. I know Steeler receivers and
the word speed are not used in the same same sentence but I think Shaw has good
'game speed' and could develop into a great receiver. It is starting to look
like Edwards never will. Get him the ball.
P.S. How 'bout the big man Breuner
nice catches and racs!!!
Fans can point fingers at Kris Brown all they want, yes if he makes one of
those misses we still might be playing, but in this league if were going to
go anywhere we MUST score touchdowns !!!!!!!I thought the offense did a great
job yesterday between the 20's, but the play calling inside the red zone was
to conservative, especially on the last drive. We did not even try for the
endzone.
I think the Steelers need to let Kordell take more shots inside the red
zone, if we put some touchdowns up on the board that will dictate what the
opposing offense will have to do and the Big Nasty D will be there waiting to
pounce on the opposing offense.
Sorry, Dave, gotta disagree with you on this one. Fact is, discounting the two-minute drill, the Steelers ran on every first down
in the second half but two. In the first half they threw the ball all BUT two
times on first down. They ran the ball six consecutive times to start the
second half. With the exception of the two first down passes they threw in the
second half, the passing plays were on 2nd and 9, 2nd and 10, 2nd and 8, 3rd and
6 (Kordell was sacked but on pass attempt), 3rd and 7, and 3rd and 6. That is
to say, almost primarily in long yardage, "must pass" situations. The longest
of the passes was 15 yards. On the crucial drive, the third possession of the
fourth quarter, after Brown had already missed two field goals (badly, by the
way), Mularkey called 7 rushes to two passes, and left Brown with a 48 yarder.
That's getting conservative.
The run/pass breakdown is not so important as when those two happen. If you
noticed, I made no mention of how many times the Steelers ran v. passed in the
first half, cause that differential doesn't mean that much to me unless it's
overwhelming. What I'm concerned about is WHEN these plays happen. The
Steelers in the second half got into a very "Joe Waltonesque" run on first down,
run on second down unless it's more than 8 yards or so, then throw on 3rd. It's
just very predictable, and it allowed the Ravens to settle into a style of
defense that they are very comfortable with. The first down passes in the first
half comprised some of the Steelers biggest gainers (gains of 15, 16, 19, and 21
yards, including the TD). These were also some significant downfield passes,
which stretched the Ravens defense (don't forget Shaw's huge drop either). Fact
is, there were big gainers available down the field against the Ravens defense
due to the fact that they loaded up against the run, and the offense didn't
really even try it in the second half until the two minute drill, when, again,
they had a lot of success passing. Remember, the Ravens only sacked Stewart
once the entire game. He was being protected very well on his passing plays.
I wouldn't be so concerned with running time down, except the Steelers either
had only a 3 point lead or no lead whatsoever when this tactic was implemented.
At that point, you're leaving a lot up to chance.
Plus, you're absolutely right that I can't see downfield coverages from my TV
screen, but are you telling me that Burress was not open even once in the second
half after abusing Duane Starks the entire first half? Believe me, Dave, I live
in Maryland, and Starks has been a whipping boy all season long. He is not
having the same season he had last year. This makes no mention of the fact that
he is giving up 8 inches in height to Burress, so even if he's kind of covered,
after Burress' performance v. Tennessee, I think he was entitled to at least a
CHANCE for a jump ball or two against Starks down the field. Remember, Dave,
how we won at Baltimore last year? On a jump ball to Hines Ward v. Duane Starks
down the field. He may be good, but he's only 5'9". That's life.
I stand by my opinion that Mularkey got too conservative in the second half when
so much was available down the field. And I am not a Gilbride disciple either,
so that's saying a lot coming from me.
This all said, I agree with you that Mularkey is a wonderfully creative play
designer. He has stretched defenses further and further over the course of the
season. I just wish he would've believed in his own plays at the end of the
Ravens game. I think they could've won by two touchdowns, and wouldn't have had
to leave it up to Kris to save the day (again).
Tim:
I, for one, am not ready to start heaping accolades on Kordell Stewart or P. Burress. From my perspective, the offense has been more of the same old Steelers. I realize that this is an unpopular perspective in these days of high-fiving, high-flying, Steeler fanatics. Reality is that our offense has not arrived. Aside from the 34 point production against a hapless Tuxedo defense, our offense has produced a meager 86 points in 6 games... not a dynamo by any stretch of the imagination.
Our receiver corps simply does not make plays. Several fans on this site and on the message boards point out the drops... game after game. Professional wide receivers are supposed to catch balls that are in their hands. Perhaps this is the reason that so many drops occur. The Steeler receivers don't catch with their hands! I witness so many passes that hit a receiver in the chest, shoulder, stomach, etc. Whatever happened to catching with your hands? Every receiver coach at every level from Pop Warner pee-wee football to the NFL teach that the hands should be used to receive, not the body.
So, how have we been successful? Defense. Suffocating, stifling defense has been the savior of this early season. Our defense cannot stop all NFL offenses all the time, but we are certainly one of the premier defenses in the league. It is fun to watch the front 7 stuff opposing runners. It is very comforting to the fan to know that our secondary has matured to the point where they have become very stingy. It is not an easy thing to stay with a professional wide receiver when they are running forward, and you start out back-pedaling! I really enjoy watching our defense in 2001.
Finally, the very controversial subject of Kordell Stewart. Kordell is playing, well, like Kordell. This past Sunday, we saw Kordell lose the football through nobody's fault but his own. His statistics this year, through 6 games, are "about average" when compared to his career. He is completing 61% of his passes (career: 55%). He has a 72.1 QB rating (career: 68.7). He has 3 TD passes, and 4 interceptions. Again, average when compared to his career (52 TDs, 59 interceptions). No, I am not ready to put Kordell Steward up on a pedestal with the NFL elite quarterbacks, no matter how many times Dan Deer-dork praises his play. I am keeping my perspective, fellow fanatics... Steelers have started strong in seasons past. Kordell has show flashes of brilliance in seasons past. To sustain our winning ways, consistency is key. I am hoping that our defense remains consistent, and that our offense develops into a consistent performer. I will always be a Steelers fan, no matter what our record and no matter how we play... but I now have a guarded optimism that 2001 may, indeed, be a season to remember for all Steeler fans.
HERE WE GO, STEELERS .. HERE WE GO!
The ravens scored more because of a few missed field goals. Your team know's
they had their asses thoroughly kicked yesterday on offense and defense. Dare us
to run.....ok we did, now what?? Dare us to pass....ok we did, granted we lost
by points and that is all that really counts but as i said earlier, your team
knows what happened to them yesterday and i doubt if they put up much of a fight
the next time, knowing what the outcome is probably gonna be. You know it
yourself deep down don't you bro? It is a game, supposed to be anyway, but the
bottom line still remains that the ravens no longer have the top-rated defense!!
And the offense still sucks, even worse without lewis. Shannon even said it
himself and i know you heard him, "that was the best defense i have EVER played
against in all of my 12 years." later dude. Go Steelers!! Time for the Ravens to
step aside!!
The Ravens were the best single-season defense EVER last season??? Jon, that's blasphemy!!!
Go back and look at the stats of the '76 Steelers. Five shutouts in their final 8 games. During that stretch, they allowed a grand total of 28 points (an average of only 3.1 per game). Three of their shutouts were consecutive, and they had a 5-game stretch in which the allowed a total of 9 points. 15 consecutive scoreless quarters. 22 consecutive quarters without allowing a TD.
Now, screw the stats and consider this... the Steelers were the two-time defending Super Bowl champions that season. They didn't sneak up on ANYBODY like the Ravens did last year. Every team that played those Steelers played 'em like it was the Super Bowl.
Add to the mix that the Steelers started 1-4... add in that Bradshaw missed five games that season (it was the year of the Turkey Joe Jones cheap shot) and was replaced by ROOKIE QB Mike Kruczek. The defense WAS the Steelers that season... they HAD to play at that level to win. And they pulled it off.
I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the Hall of Famers that played on that defense, all of whom were in their PRIME. Lambert (defensive player of the year in '76), Blount, Greene, & Ham, not to mention Greenewood, Holmes, White and young rising star Donnie Shell. How 'bout Andy Russell and Glen Edwards?
How many Hall of Famers do you think the 2000 Ravens defense will produce (and Rod Woodson doesn't count, because his Hall of Fame years came with the Steelers)?
The ONLY thing that Baltimore club has over the Steelers of '76 is that the Ravens won the Super Bowl that year. The Steelers lost Franco and Bleier to injuries in the playoffs and fell to the Raiders in the '76 AFC Championship. But again, the Steelers were trying to THREE-PEAT in the Super Bowl, something I doubt will EVER happen, so that really can't be held against them.
There. I feel better now. Please, Jon, don't send me into a frenzy like that again...
Ok, cliche machine, we get your point that the Ravens won, and the team that
scores more wins, and you have to play for 60 minutes, and it's not the team
that wins the stat war, blah, blah, blah.
This is reality. That was Week 7 for the Steelers. It's not the playoffs yet.
As a Ravens fan, you should be the FIRST to acknowledge that final scores after
Week 7 don't mean much, right? You look for positives that you can take into
the upcoming weeks, because you know that a Week 7 game probably won't decide
your season. So you take stock in where you are and what this game, win or
lose, means to the rest of the season in the context of things. The fact is
Pittsburgh dominated. And no, other teams did NOT dominate the Ravens
statistically like this last year on the Ravens' run to the SB, despite what you
argue. That Ravens defense may have been the best single season defense ever,
much as I hate to say it, statistically and otherwise.
Did the Steelers win yesterday? No. Did the Steelers HAVE to win their Week 7
game? No. Does that make how they played irrelevant and of no use to upcoming
weeks? No. They lost in a fluky fashion that I don't for a second try to
explain away. But to think that we should be beating ourselves up and chalking
this up to just another loss, well, you're kidding yourself. If the Ravens had
taken no solace in their earlier performances last season while in the course of
losing games, they'd have never gotten to where they are.
And lastly, please don't try to condescend to tell Pittsburgh Steelers fans
about winning and losing. 14 division titles, 4 Super Bowl victories in 5
appearances and 3 conference championship appearances this past decade alone
have given us a pretty good grasp on the "bottom line" of winning and losing and
what it all means in the grand scheme of things.
We'll see you guys in B'more.
Come on, gimme a break, people. Football is a simple game. The winner is the team that
plays for all 60 minutes and manages to put more points on the board. "Yea, but
we out ran you, and out passed you and got lots of first downs and have all
these other great stats." Yea, so what? Did you score more points? Did you win?
That is all that counts. Moral victory. Sure, that's what I tell my kids when
they lose a soccer game. Bad calls? Sure, I saw plenty. In fact, check out the
Pittsburgh sports columnists and read about the ones that didn't get called
AGAINST the Steelers. It's right in the newspaper. When all is said and done, I
like the Steelers. I like Pittsburgh. It's a lot like Baltimore and I've had
some great times there. You have a great history and good fans. But don't cop
out talking about moral victories and wiining the stat wars and all that junk.
Baltimore won a string of games last year where we were "out statted" by our
opponents. Bravado aside, the reason we won the Super Bowl was not because we
were the best in any category. The reason is that, more times than not, we
scored points when we had to, any way we could, on any field, with the defense
or the offense or the special teams or the waterboys. Sometimes that meant we
scored only a paltry few points but held the other team to even less. Other
times we both scored lots of points but the Ravens scored more. And that's why
we won the SB. As I said, it's a simple game.
Sorry Jonathan & Tim but I have to slightly disagree with you on Malarky. He
did a great job with his play calling...
Tim,
you question the reverse & option plays at the beginning of the game...
those were great calls. Those types of calls aren't always called for yards but
instead called to slow down an aggresive, pursuing defense. It's intended to
keep the DE at home and not to pursue...this in turns leads to CUTBACK lanes,
which Bettis used on his runs (91 yds), and to slow down a pass rush (especially
with a backup Tackle vs a Pro Bowl DE).
Jonathan,
As for Malarky going conserative in the second half, check out the play by play
summary on ESPN.com. Here's a summary and it's not conservative...
2nd half- Only 4 possesions...(not counting 2 minute drill)
1) Opening possession- 7 minutes
Bettis rushes only 6 of 13 offensive plays, no back to back running plays except
for the first 2 plays (6 & 7 yds). 4 pass plays & 3 Kordell scrambles/rushes.
Ends with missed FG from 16 yd line.
2) 2nd possession- last one in 3rd qtr
Only 1 Bettis run and ends on 3rd play, Edwards fumbles after 10yd pass.
3) 3rd possession: (4th qtr)
Bettis runs 3 of 4 plays.
1st down: Bettis for 13 yds.
1st down again: Bettis for 2 yds (why not try him again?)
2nd down: Kordell scramble/run 7 yds
3rd & 1: Bettis-no gain. How can you not go with Bettis?
4) 4th possession: 5 1/2 minutes
Bettis rushes only 4 of 9 offensive plays with only 1 back to back on the 4th&
5th plays (3 & 4 yds).
Missed FG
So, 3 of the 4 2nd half possesions, Bettis touched it less than 50 percent and
they ended with 2 missed FG and 1 fumble. That's not playing it conservative.
As far as Plex not getting the ball in 2nd half, we don't know if it was the
play calling, others getting open or Kordell just looking for someone else.
However, we were moving the ball and were only stopped once. Missed FGs and a
WR fumble stopped the other drives.
The Ravens game proves that football is a lot like golf: Just when you get one
thing fixed (passing game) something else gets broke (kicking game). Just when
you think you got it all figured out the golf/football gods reach out and smack
you down. Therefore, some advice to Chris Brown: Chris - keep that toe a
liitle bit closed at address, and swing your leg a little bit inside out. That
will produce a draw and cure that nasty ol' slice. Also if you miss one, yell
'FORE' so nobody gets hurt.
Tim,
Your post game was pretty much right on, and your message board is down, but
I had to commiserate with some Steelers fans, being down here in Baltimore.
I can't even bear to read the local papers around here with all their
ignorant ramblings. So I am giving you personally my own cathartic
rambling.
Anyway, before I get to the good, I'll start with the bad. With the
exception of Josh Miller, special teams was atrocious. They let Jermaine
Lewis go crazy and our return men, with the exception of Troy Edwards at the
end, didn't do jack. I won't touch Kris Brown, except to say that if he was
still injured and wasn't honest with the team about the injury, he should be
fined. His pride cannot be bigger than this team. If it was just a bad
day, well, that sucks, and there will be better ones ahead. He's a good
kicker. I will not dwell on this.
I also have to take small exception with you on Mike Mularkey. By and
large, he called a fine game, and looks to be an excellent coordinator.
BUT, Mike went WAY, WAY, WAY too conservative at the end of the game. First
of all, team have been able to pass on the Ravens this year. Favre torched
them when the Ravens played Green Bay. Brunell torched them last week.
Let's be honest, the Steelers passing game had the Ravens on their heels at
the end of the first half. Plaxico Burress was going nuts against the
secondary. Ward was having a huge day as well. And then? Nothing. Not
one ball was thrown to Burress in the second half, who already had 56 yards
and a touchdown. As much as I hate to say this, Mularkey got scared. He
got scared to put the ball up in the air and let his players simply put the
game out of reach. When did the Ravens stop Burress once in that game?
Once? Never happened. Mularkey did not play to win in that second half, he
played not to lose. The problem was that the Steelers were not winning at
the time he chose to kill the clock. He also let the Ravens defense get
back into a comfort zone that they were desperately trying, and failing, to
find in the first half. The Ravens live to stop the run on first and second
downs and pass defend on third and long. The Steelers didn't let them do
that in the first half, by throwing on unpredictable downs and running on
unpredictable downs. It's exactly what they did in the second half. Let me
leave my criticism of Mularkey at this: he's young. This is exactly what
Tim Lewis went through last year, when he went too conservative in two
crucial games (Titans and Eagles) at the end, and it came back to burn him.
He learned that lesson and hasn't made the same mistake. The difference?
When Lewis made those mistakes, his team didn't have enough time in the
season to recover. This Steelers team has plenty of time. They're still
5-2. If Mularkey learns the same lessons Lewis did, that when you have a
team down you step on their necks and kill them, then this loss will be
utterly forgivable and will ultimately allow this team to advance to where
it belongs; the Super Bowl (I'm not kidding about this, Tim.)
Now, on to the good. Kordell: Is becoming just a very, very good QB. If
you're a stat junkie, you may say his 235 or so yards were still rather
modest. But let me make this clear: if Mike Mularkey does not call off the
dogs too early in the second half, Kordell has 300+ yards passing and
another touchdown. Also, if some receivers don't make some key drops
(Edwards) same thing. Just made great decisions and even better passes
yesterday. It's just a shame that Mularkey would not let Kordell win this
game for him. I hope it does not exemplify a lack of confidence in
Kordell's ability to do so, because I think he can.
Plex: Again, if the play calling was as aggressive in the second half as it
was in the first, Plax has 100+ yards receiving and another TD. The guy has
become virtually impossible to cover. What was so great about his TD was
that he didn't outmuscle or out jump his defender, he flat out torched his
defender. My big problem is that, for most of the game, he was going up
against Duane Starks, who is only 5'9". Why not some jump balls to Plax?
He showed last week he has been able to get them. Let your big-play guys
make big plays. Plax is quickly becoming a star in this league, and we're
there to watch his emergence.
The D: It was great. They got no help from special teams, but they did
well. Made one mistake (the TD obviously), but aside from that, the Ravens
couldn't run or pass on them.
Bettis: 91 yards. So, so close. Oh well.
The only thing I really took from yesterday's game is that great teams lose
games they shouldn't. There's only been one undefeated team in NFL history,
which means that a lot of kick ass teams found a way to lose games to lesser
teams. That's what the Steelers did Sunday. This is a Super Bowl caliber
team.
Next week the Steelers face the Browns. This Browns team is good. They're
coming off a loss to the Bears that would make me want to suck on an
exhaust pipe if I were a Browns fan, so they'll be plenty angry. And
they're in Cleveland. But they won't have enough, because they simply
aren't as good as this Steelers team is. And they will get beaten soundly,
because a good team is facing a better team, and the better team won't
always find a way to lose.
Steelers 27, Browns 9.
Hope all is well with the family, Tim.
Jonathan Pasterick
P.S.--Did you notice that Cunningham fumbled on the
last possession where the refs blew it dead, but they called a fumble on Bettis
where he had been down for like, 5 minutes or so? Cunningham clearly had not
hit the turf before he coughed that ball up. Refs that call the Steelers games
just absolutely suck, no two ways about it. Nobody wants to make a tough call.
Oh well. Shouldn't have mattered anyway. Can't worry about that crap.
Speaking of the refs. Did anyone else see Myron Bell get blocked in the back
that eventually lead the Raven's kickoff return of 56 yards. It was right in
front of the run? Just curious, because I found it on the replay also.
Well that sucked ass!Kordell played his ass off,unfortunately the wideouts couldn't make many catches.Kicker Kris Brown sucked royal!4 misses,what the hell is that?
The team with the exception of Kordell,Hines,Kendrell Bell,Bettis and Gildeon played like it was preseason,no sense of what was on the line whatsoever!That has always been the number one thing about a Cowher coached team,in big games Pittsburgh doesn't show up.Get pissed I don't care but that's the truth!Here's a few as a reminder,AFC chapionship games in Pittsburgh,San Diego 17,Steelers 13,Denver 24,Steelers 21,Super bowl 30,Dallas 27,Steelers 17.Why the hell is this?Why can Cowher not motivate his team in these games?This one today will come back to bite them in the ass.I like the hell outta Cowher but he has got to find the answer to this ,or the Steelers will not win the big one.
They blew a golden opportunity today,maybe this is the best for them if it wakes them up.I can't stand the Ravens and their kingshit egos.Pittsburgh just lost to a 38 year old backup Q.B.,talk about sorry.They play as shitty against the Clowns next weekend,we'll be in deepshit for sure.Needless to say,NOT what was expected today at all.Pittsburgh can still win the central this year,I was just hoping pissing around in big games was a thing of the past,....guess not.......BITE ME RAY LEWIS,YOU STILL SUCK!!!!!!GO STEELERS!![get a new kicker!]
Agreed. Newscasters live for these moments. This will be the same guy when Brown kicks the game winner in the Super Bowl saying " Brown is the best kicker the Steelers ever had, we knew he could do it". Same sentiments on your thoughts my brutha. Brown is the man and will continue to be the man. A little let down makes you a better man. Dig deep and lets get ready to clobber some Brownies a$$.
So a news caster from channel 4 wants to be a comedian saying that Chris Brown probably wants to kick himself right now but would probably miss. Obviously he has never attempted a field goal by himself or under pressure on any field, especially in the Nfl on a sunday!! Chris Brown, keep your head up bro.!! You are our man and that's all that's to it!!! We believe in you even if one of our hometown journalists doesn't! Just like kordell said.."we're gonna need you down the stretch brutha" so keep your head up!! And to that loser journalist......thanks for the support asshole!!!! Go Steelers!!! P.s. the ravens know they got their asses kicked today!!!! Later bros.
I must say I never expected to see the Steelers doing this good when the season began. I didn't think Kordel did all that good last monday night but my hat is off to him today. Kordel if you read this please keep up the great work. I was also very impressed with the Bus I have never seen him better and at the start of the year I was not sold on him. As far as the loss hey it happens we gave the raisens all they could handle and they know it. We will be able to avenge this loss next time with a lot more offenseive scoring. At the end of the year our Steelers will be a force that no team will want to meet. Go STEELERS we know just like everyone else this is one mean team. Defense as always and now Offense too.
Regardless of what the scoreboard read after the game,the steelers still pounded the ravens on offense and defense!! Statistically, we looked like the defending superbowl champs and jerome nearly got his 100! What i idon't understand is why on the last drive he wasn't in there? Chris Brown making just 2 of his 4 missed field goals gives us the deserving win. Morally we know we won the game and can take that with us to next week and keep on going!!! Playing at our best...i don't see anyone standing a chance! Go Steelers!!!! P.S. The Browns are gonna be the recipients of a shitload of aggression due to todays disappointing loss..........look for alot of big hits, no sympathy,and a relentless passion for a victory on both sides of the ball! Poor cleveland.............#### em!!!!! Later bros.