Stillernation - Steelers Chat, Fish Sammiches an,at

Hi, I’m Sean….and I am a Steelerholic

admin — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:46:52 +0000

Hi. I’m Sean and I’m a Steelerholic.

(Audience: HIIIII SEAN)

Thanks.

DO YOU MOTHERFUCKERS REALIZE THAT I KNOW THE GUY WHO PAINTED THE STEELER COUNTRY BANNER IN THE ’70S!?!??!

(audience gasps)

*I start shaking…someone starts a Here We Go Steelers chant to give me my fix and stave off the withdrawal*

Guhhh…thanks everybody. Just a case of the Steelerium tremens.

Well…I mean I don’t know him, but he’s on a message board and…well…I feel like I know him, ok?

Whatever. I was born in Pittsburgh and…you don’t pick a favorite team if you are in Pittsburgh. Sure, I liked Barry Sanders and Chris Warren…yeah, for real, Chris Warren…but my team was the Steelers and that was not an option. Yeah, I remember losing to the Chargers in the 1994 AFCCG when I was 10. It was really nice that day. And then the deja vu the next year against Indianapolis. And losing the Super Bowl to Dallas on Neil O’Donnell’s interceptions. But I never hated Neil O’Donnell. He took us to the Super Bowl! I remember seeing the trade for Jerome Bettis in the newspaper and I was pumped. This guy was a star! We don’t acquire stars in free agency let alone in trades. I don’t know if I was old enough to get an erection but I certainly tried. Probably was. What was I, 11? I don’t know. Whatever.

The Bettis era lead to two more heartbreaking defeats in conference championship games but I still never caught the doom and glooms. I knew we needed a QB and was sad to see the team pass on Pennington to get a guy I had never heard of who looked kind of like an alien. But when 2004 came around and we all just knew we would take Rivers or Roethlisberger if they lasted to us in the draft…that was a good feeling. I remembered that 7-5 season that ended at 7-9 after a big win over Jacksonville. I remember having to actually work up a goal of keeping Jamal Lewis under 2,000 yards as motivation to get into a meaningless game at the end of a 6 win season. But there was some fucking EXCITEMENT over this draft. And when I went into an IUP library to use a computer and saw that we got Roeth, I was PUMPED. I forgot that I just pulled my groin throwing javelins and kind of missed a little bit with the Tiger Balm and that my balls felt like Beirut for a good 15 minutes. That’s what we needed fuckers! A QB!

And then Maddox got hurt and Ben came in and you knew they might have something. And then we went 15-1. And killed the Eagles. And the Pats**. And then we sucked against the Jets. And the Pats**. But right before that gay penalty on Aaron Smith, I thought we were coming back and winning that game. Another AFCCG loss. A fucking nother one! This one sucked. I mean, this was our year. The next year? We didn’t look that great. Sure, we ran the table on some bad teams. We still had to beat the Colts. Wait a fucking minute, we beat the Colts? Peyton Manning? We beat them?!?!?!?

Did anyone think we were losing to Denver? I didn’t. And we didn’t because fuck Denver. Same thing about Seattle. Who thought we were losing that game?

Since then, I’ve pretty much thought that we’re taking every game we play in. Don’t care who the opponent is. We’re taking that game. This year…I thought the same thing. Even when we were losing to Baltimore. And Green Bay. And when it was 31-25. Didn’t you think the Steelers were converting on that drive? I did.

So now what? Super Bowl losses suck. There is no “great season!” for me. It’s Super Bowl or bust. So I’ve been shaking a lot recently. Biting my nails. Cutting myself. Not washing the cuts and allowing them to get infected.

And no matter what you guys say, there is no rehab for this condition. I just hope that I can survive until next season. Whenever that may be.

There Will Be Blood II

admin — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 23:24:21 +0000

This is the third meeting between these two very balanced teams. I won’t bore you with the statistics but only go through some thoughts on matchups and where the blood will flow.

Steeler Defense vs Raven Offense – Coach LeBeau will confuse the Raven OL and Flacco with shifting personnel in typical fashion. The Rats will never be able to use the same offense game plan they utilized last week. The Steelers are too smart and too fast to be fooled by multiple shifts and formations. The Rats cannot afford to let the play clock to get down to 2-3 seconds. The Raven offensive line is not adept at adjusting because they are not the most intelligent group of men. Offensive linemen must be very adaptable to changing blocking assignments at the LOS. Oher will make many mistakes and will be neutralized by The Mountain Man when the Rats try to run right.

The blood will flow this week and it will not be James Harrison’s. James is rested and is getting in the game mood. He is going to completely dominate Oher tomorrow. Oher is off balance when he plants on his pass blocking step. Every sports announcer thinks it is “pretty” but they don’t know that it sets up Oher for a speed rush to his right. This of course, is the quickest way to the Flacco.

Cam Cameron, Raven Offensive Coordinator, will realize that he must get Ray Rice as the best option of controlling the game clock and keeping the Steeler offense off the field. Ray Rice will be a major part of the Raven offense. Don’t forget that Ray Rice had the most yards after the catch in the NFL this year. The Steeler Defense will be prepared for the Raven multiple sets and motions and will not be fooled. Look for Ike to shadow Anquan Boldin and the Steelers will modify some coverage’s other than their usual Cover-3, Three Deep. Lamarr Woodley will play more over/under with the CB and, as we all know, LaMarr loves the playoffs. Mr Woodley will have at least two sacks this game.

You all know that Matt Birk was Casey’s “Bitch” the last game. The Rats had to change their blocking assignments as the play side guard had to double team Casey and the fullback and the off guard had difficulty getting to the strong side LB and our weak side ILB. The Rats will not be able to run between the tackles. (How can any knowledgeable NFL person not vote for Casey Hampton to the Pro Bowl?)

Ben Grubbs will be assigned Brett Keisel in pass protection. Grubbs is good but short. I can see Keisel deflecting several passes this game.

OK…Here is where the Rats will bleed and weaken. Ziggy has developed into one of the better 3-4 DE’s in the latter part of the season. Chris Chester is playing at just over 290 lbs right now and cannot handle Ziggy’s speed or strength. Flacco will have nightmares over what Ziggy is going to do to him tomorrow.

The Steeler DB’s will change a little from last time. Gay has a lot of confidence and may cover Mason if McFadden has problems with his abdominal injury. When the Steelers go into their nickel, you may see Ike shadowing Boldin all over the field with Troy playing mystery defense, Clark salivating for a hit on the Raven TE’s, McFadden blanketing the left side on over/under coverage, Gay playing the edge runs, and Mundy helping with the TE coverage when and if the Rats try the two TE sets.

The Steeler Offense vs the Raven Defense – The Steelers usually start the game with their base offense to see how the opponent is playing. They probably will not start with spread formations and will save Sanders and Brown when the Rats go into their nickel and dime defenses. The Steelers will destroy their pass defense packages, especially if our OL can block Nagata and Suggs. Don’t forget that the Raven LB’s are utilitarian in space. Look what the Chiefs did against them in the first half last week. We must beat their base defense with passing then run Mendenhall off tackle and set up runs to the edge. The problems the Rats may have is that when they play Nagata in the right gap position then Flozell will have a field day blocking down on him. This happened last game and Nagata was limited to the zero technique and the left gap. The only problem we have is that Scott will not block down on Nagata. We are going to have problems running left unless Kemo is on his 1A game and does not make any mistakes. That is the problem we have with Foster. Let’s hope he finds his assignments and blocks his man on the second level. Heath and Johnson will block Redding easily and I look for Ben to audible away from Nagata and go directly at Redding. Ray Ray will be his usual “Pile Inspector” self. Kelly, Gregg and Nagata are our biggest worry when we want to run the ball. They can disrupt any running play with their ability to penetrate the offensive line. But, we have a weapon on our offensive line and he is a rookie. If you watched last game you will notice how Maurkice Pouncey easily handled Gregg by himself. This will allow our interior guys to get to the second level and block Jammel McClain and Coach Stab. We can run against these guys if we execute. That is coaching and dedication. This is where preparation comes in. Keep it simple and have great leadership in the locker room. All in all, I expect Flozell to be a very big part of the Steeler offense this week and the week of rest will be a great blessing to his game. Also, if Foster is comfortable with his game and does not get confused with the different shifts the Rats throw at him then expect Foster to have a good game. Scott will be his usual, minimal self.

Ed Reed and Josh Wilson have no chance of covering Mike Wallace or Brown. They had better hope that the Raven front line and the LB’s rush Ben into throwing. Carr shut down Hines last game but look for Hines to make major contributions this time. Wallace and Brown were major finds by our scouting department. Ladiarus Webb and Fabian Washington cannot cover them deep.

Field position is very important in this game and will be dictated by the special teams. I look for this to come down to turnovers because the Rats always dominate us on special teams.

Let me say a few words about Ben. He is a changed person this year. Last year he was the proverbial “dick” when it came to the Media. He would roll his eyes and make them feel that an interview was the last thing he wanted to do. He was not deeply involved with the players. This year is very different and completely the opposite. He is constantly involved in the locker room with the team and not above giving interviews. The team has warmed to him and Ben is now their leader in the locker room and on the field. NUMBER 7 WILL LEAD US TO NUMBER 7.

Respect the D

admin — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:50:19 +0000

I know it’s become a bit of a fad to rag on the Steeler defense and shout to the rooftops that Dick LeBeau should retire, but I thought we should all be aware of five numbers that demonstrate just how good the 2010 edition of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense has been so far. In my view, these are the five most important defensive metrics:

Statistic — 3.0 yards allowed per rushing attempt — NFL Rank (1st) — the Steelers were the best in this category by a country mile. The second-best team in this statistic, the 49ers, allowed a full half-yard more per rushing attempt. Just a great, consistent performance by the defense against the run this year.

Statistic — 6.3 yards allowed per passing attempt — NFL Rank (1st) — though some may argue that the Steelers’ pass defense was average because the team ranked 12th in the league in passing yards allowed per game (214.1 yards), the more important statistic is yards per passing attempt, which demonstrates how well (or in this case, how poorly) teams generally moved the ball on a defense through the air. Once again, the Steelers were the #1 defense in this important, if often overlooked, category.

Statistic — 33.5% third down conversions allowed — NFL Rank (tied 2nd) — the Steelers improved tremendously in this vital category from 2009 (42.3%) to 2010 (33.5%). Obviously, allowing opposing offenses to only convert one out of every three third down attempts gets the Steeler offense back out onto the field.

Statistic — 35 takeaways (21 INTs, 14 FRs) — NFL Rank (tied 3rd) — the Steelers also showed great improvement in their ability to take the ball away this year, often due to the unpredictable actions of a whirling dervish wearing #43. The Steelers went from 22 takeways (12 INTs, 10 FRs) in 2009 to 35 takeaways in 2010, allowing the team to finish off opponents instead of allowing them to hang around.

Statistic — 14.5 points allowed per game — NFL Rank (1st) — quite simply, the most important defensive statistic is points allowed. And the Steelers were the only team in the NFL this season to allow opponents to score less than 15 points per game. To give you an idea of how important this statistic was league-wide this year, you should know that all of the TOP EIGHT teams in points allowed made the playoffs (including all four teams that earned bye weeks). In contrast, only six of the top ten teams in points scored qualified for the post-season.

In sum, your 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers ranked in the top three in all five of these important defensive categories, and ranked first in three of them. There is no doubt that the best defense in the NFL in 2010 (so far) wears black ‘n gold. When you feel like complaining about the defense, try to imagine what it must be like rooting for NFL teams that would kill to have a defense that just ranks in the top TEN in some of the above-listed categories. Trust me, folks, the grass is not greener on the other side.

Now go get ‘em in January and February, Steelers…

I Miss “The Game”.

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:53:43 +0000

You should know that the idea for this topic is not original. I was reading a piece by Will Leitch in The Sporting News that struck me as relevant, especially to Steelers’ Fans. You see, Leitch is a baseball fanatic. He knows all the players on all the teams; all their statistics and current contract status. He makes the statement that because of this, he can’t just watch and enjoy the game for what it is. His father, who loves the game as much as Will does but knows little of the statistics and even less of the dollars and cents side of the game, can see a pitcher and cheer for him as a player on his favorite team whom he hopes will strike out the current batter. Will on the other hand, cannot help but know that no matter how well this particular pitcher does, he was given a ridiculous contract given his over all production. Will starts doing the math even as the game is going on and stops appreciating the game for what it is. In Will Leitch’s mind, his father is the clear winner when it comes to the ability to simply watch and enjoy a baseball game.

Boy does that sound like many Steelers’ fans.

Anyone who has been a member of the nation for any time at all knows that many Steelers’ Fans are…different. We are not the run of the mill football fan. We are like Will Leitch. We know every player on the Steelers’ roster no matter his place on the depth chart (and probably the majority of most other teams) and his stats and contract information. Furthermore, we can all name 3-4 players we would rather have at that position and who is overpaid and who isn’t. Speaking for myself, while I would never willingly miss a Steelers’ game, for most of the season when the playoffs are still in doubt I don’t really “enjoy” the game. I survive it. Winning is life or death and I am constantly viewing the player by his overall value and weighing his place on the team by the tangibles that can be measured; judging and mentally searching for a way to do better. I believe many Steelers’ fans are the same way.

Are we “too close”? Do we invest far too much on the nuts and bolts of the game and not enough on just watching the contest and the drama play out? I am a firm believer that most Steelers’ fans are a cut above the norm when it comes to football intelligence. We treat the game like a religion here in Western PA from the time we are toddlers till we depart this mortal existence and it shows. We are each, in our own way, historians of the Steelers and not many fans from other teams can go toe to toe with us in either knowledge of history in the current incarnation of our respective favorite teams.

But is that always a good thing?

Is it possible that maybe…ignorance IS bliss? Can it be that sometimes less is more? Have you ever caught yourself missing the way you loved the game when you were a kid? When it was enough that the Steelers won this week and next week would take care of itself? Have you ever missed the days when Steelers’ players were your heroes despite their mistakes, despite the fact that maybe they dropped a sure touchdown pass and we loved them simply for their effort and the fact that they wore the black and gold?

I know I do.

The Pittsburghian AFCC…Double Edged Sword

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:18:17 +0000

As of Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have played in seven of the last fifteen AFC Championships and six of them at home. That’s a fairly absurd number considering that statistically, you only have a 12.5% chance of making it to the AFCC and a 6.25% chance of being the home team. Also, this was all in the salary cap era where it’s hard to maintain long term success. So, what’s the problem? Surely, we can’t complain about a team manufacturing that level of success…or can we? Don’t get me wrong, as fans we’re ecstatic to be here but in many ways, playing host to the AFC Championship Game has become the bane of our existence.

We remember dominating a Chargers team and almost doubling them up in every offensive category only to be beaten by two big plays from Pupunu and Martin. We remember jumping all over a Broncos team and then having to watch our quarterback self-destruct culminating with Romanowski taunting him right to his face after another end zone pick and nobody on the team doing a thing about it, presumably because they agreed with him. We remember the same QB self-destructing against a Pats** team that had no business being in Pittsburgh that day and we certainly remember that beat down of a 15-1 team by Brady and Co. that was supposed to launch a new era of dynastic proportions but the reality of a rookie QB pulling it off that soon was a bit too much to ask. Even that one home AFCC win was a little bittersweet. It was great at the time but the team played poorly and could have lost on a late Hail Mary that barely hit the ground. It’s just not a game that we can look back on too fondly. The Steelers have since won a Super Bowl and despite that perfect game that they played in Denver a few years ago, there isn’t a Steeler fan out there who can tell you that those 5 home championship games will not be on their minds this week because as sick as it makes us to think about those losses, they would all pale in comparison to watching the Baltimore Rats celebrate an AFC title where the Allegheny meets the Monongahela.

You’ll hear a lot about how much these teams don’t like each other this week but a lot of that is just fodder for the media. When the game is over, they’ll be out on that field congratulating each other, giving out hugs, and wishing the other team the best of luck. It’s the fans that will be throwing shit at the TV and stabbing their Ray Lewis voodoo dolls.

There’s an interesting dynamic that comes along with hating the Rats. As Steeler fans, we see them as punk-ass thugs who do a little too much talking, dancing, self-promoting, whining, and murdering for our tastes. Here’s where the dichotomy lies though…first and foremost, we’re football fans, and we love the way that team plays football. You can throw out all of the tired clichés about “Steeler Football” but ultimately there’s one thing that is consistent among these two teams and that’s well-executed defensive play and a desire to just physically beat down their opponents. I’m generalizing here but I think there are a lot of football fans who can’t see the inherent beauty in a 10-6 slugfest of a football game. To Steelers and Rats fans…that’s not ugly…that’s football. Yes, we despise each other, but we’re more alike than most fans would ever care to admit because ultimately…isn’t this about the game?

So what does this all mean? Well it means one of these teams is going to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, probably as favorites to win it but for us Steeler fans, there’s a little more than a Super Bowl berth on the line. On some level, this has as much to do with what we’re trying to avoid than what we’re trying to gain because after emotionally absorbing all of those underachieving home AFCC losses, this team has been put in a position to make us forget about every last damn one of them. If that doesn’t happen, it will manifest itself in a manner in which we don’t even want to think about…yet we can’t help thinking about it. “New coach, new team, new players…can’t happen again, right?”

It’s not my intention to speak for an entire fan base here so I’ll admit that I hate every team that isn’t wearing the black and gold. Not actively…but if we’re playing you in big game on any given week, I’ll pretty much be able to talk myself into hating you every time. This means a little too much to me. I’m not sure when that happened but it is what it is. With the Rats though, it’s not only about dealing with the devastation that would come with them getting to the Super Bowl by going right through Pittsburgh. If they pull off this upset…they will have done it our way.

I’m just not prepared to deal with that right now.