And So It Begins: Steelers Lose

 16

 20

After seven long months, we finally get back to football. Despite a brief broadcasting scare because KDKA didn't know what to do if the PGA Championship ran late, it was time to go.

The Giants win the toss and take the ball first.

Sean Spence gets the start at inside linebacker and makes his presence felt by blowing up a run play then getting pressure on 3rd down to force a punt.

The Steelers 3-headed beast in the backfield makes a big statement on the opening drive. The Prescription makes two solid runs up the gut before a bubble screen to Dri Archer turns into a footrace down the sideline when he cut back across the field.

Blount gets a few carries to get us inside the 10. A 3rd down fade for Lance Moore falls incomplete and Suisham bangs home an easy one.

3-0

Gonna start calling our backfield the Deathly Hallows. Blount is the rock, Bell is the wand and Archer is the cloak of invisibility.
— The Steelers n'at (@thesteelersnat) August 9, 2014

I'm open to other suggestions too, but rolling with this for now.

On the first play, the Steelers forget to defend the middle of the field against the run and get gashed by Rashad Jennings. Yikes. 

3-7

Gradkowski takes over on the second drive, because it's preseason and Ben has nothing to prove. A holding penalty on the Giants gives the Steelers a first down. An end-around to Wheaton and a pass to Brown move the Steelers across midfield. The drive stalls out after The Prescription can't quite get to the sticks on a screen pass on 3rd and long. Brad Wing drops in a seriously good punt.

Jarvis Jones darts inside on first down and drops Eli inside the 5 for the first sack of the preseason. The Giants don't do anything else.

More backups start to filter into the game as Tauren Poole takes over at running back. A penalty sets things back and the drive stalls out.

The first team defense stays out to close out the quarter.

Second Quarter

The Giants can't seem to stop taking penalties and all of a sudden it's 2nd and 28. The Giants are content to run it twice against the Steelers nickel defense and punt.

The Steelers don't do anything and Brad Wing makes a terrible punt, giving the Giants great field position.

Ryan Nassib, who everyone was convinced the Bills were going to take in the first round last year because Doug Marrone used to coach him at Syracuse, came in at QB for the Giants. Nothing happens and the Giants kick a field goal.

3-10

The Steelers finally start to open it up and Justin Brown makes a nice catch behind his body then Wheaton draws a penalty to keep things moving. After converting a 3rd and short on the ground, Gradkowski converts another by floating a pass to Wheaton. The drive screeches to a halt after two bad throws from Bruce. Suisham misses from 38. Good thing we didn't sign him to a big extension this offseason or anything.

The Giants respond by going to the air and working the ball to their tight ends. They are able to move across midfield before the two minute warning. Nassib hits Randle on a slant to get the Giants into Field Goal range. The Giants don't do much else but some dude hits a long field goal.

3-13

Archer gets two carries to run things out before the half.

This is Pittsburgh. It's ALWAYS time to panic about the Steelers offense! RT @AnthraxJones: is it time to panic about the Steelers offense?
— Amanda (@PghGurl) August 10, 2014

Third Quarter

Landry Jones takes over under center for the Steelers. Edmund Nelson reveals that he's the only person in America that didn't know Landry Jones was named after Tom Landry.

Nassib runs a little no huddle for the Giants and moves the ball across midfield, but that's pretty much it. Shamarknado laid a big hit on a running back on a swing pass somewhere in there.

The Steelers go 3-and-out but the Giants muff the punt and Howard Jones falls on it to give the Steelers their first turnover of the preseason. A holding penalty sets things back but Jones completes two passes to give Suisham redemption from 38.

6-13

The defense is able to force a 3-and-out. On 3rd down, undrafted free agent Josh Mauro blows up a running back on a stunt and throws the back into Nassib, forcing a bad throw. Martavis Bryant juggles the punt but is able to recover the loose ball.

Some football happens on the field, but the real story is the interview the weatherman did with Lance Moore. Because KDKA somehow lacks a single person in their sports department capable of being a sideline reporter, the job falls to weatherman Jeff Verzyla. He led off his interview with Lance Moore making a joke about how short Moore is. Stay classy, KDKA.

Oh, and Edmund Nelson said this:

Nelson just said McCullers has no technique, and then compared him to Gabe Rivera. Both were compliments. What the actual hell
— Blitzburgh Blog (@blitzburghblog1) August 10, 2014

Fourth Quarter

Landry tries to air it out for Bryant who doesn't make a great play on the ball but does draw a pass interference call to give the Steelers the ball in the red zone. Unfortunately, the offense still can't find the end zone. Suisham connects.

9-13

The Giants start to put a drive together and get out near midfield. On 3rd down, Nassib tries to throw a swing pass that gets batted down by Vic So'oto. The Giants stop, thinking the play is dead but Howard Jones scoops up the ball and runs it into the end zone.

In some weird form of karma to make up for the bizarre touchdown the refs gave the Giants when they ruled a Ben incomplete pass a fumble 2 years ago, the Steelers are given the touchdown.

Suisham hits the 33-yard extra point.

16-13

Curtis "MS Paint"er, who you might remember as being the guy who stunk it up for the Colts when Peyton was hurt that enabled them to draft Andrew Luck, came in at quarterback.

Painter drove the Giants right down the field going 6-for-6 and gets the Giants to the doorstep. For some reason, they ran it twice before letting Painter throw. On third down, Painter lobbed a perfect ball to some tall receiver who towered over Isaiah Green and caught the fade.

16-20

Landry Jones completes two passes to get the Steelers out near midfield then gets a gift of a defensive holding call to pick up an automatic first down at the two minute warning. Two drops put the Steelers in 4th and 6. Jones hits Bryant down the middle and he makes the catch but gets the ball knocked out while trying to fight for extra yards.

The Giants recover and essentially close the book on this one. Tomlin uses his last two timeouts to stretch it out but the Giants pick up a first down and end it.

Players of the Game

Offensive Game Ball: Dri Archer

Defensive Game Ball: Howard Jones

Honorable Mentions:

Sean Spence

Josh Mauro

Shamarko Thomas
Jarvis Jones
Brice McCain

Final Thoughts

• Brutal night for Martavis Bryant. Muffed a punt and fumbled after his only reception. 
• Great to see Sean Spence flying back around the field. 
• Dri Archer is not Chris Rainey.
• Do we really have no one other than Antonio Brown that is capable of returning a punt?
• Josh Mauro represented himself well as second string defensive end. He probably passed Brian Arnfelt in the race for the 4th defensive end spot.
• Not a great night for Brad Wing. Had a bad punt that set up a Giants field goal.
• The Steelers are extremely thin at running back after the top 3, but those top 3 are something special.
• Special teams coverage units did a very good job. 
• Gradkowski seemed to be throwing off his back foot a lot, which made his passes sail high. If he steps into his throws he'll be right on the money.
• Solid night from Brice McCain, the free agent pickup from Houston. He played well on Special Teams and had a pass deflection. Strange to see #25 out there making tackles for the Steelers.
• Markus Wheaton made a good catch on a very nice route but is totally unwilling as a blocker.
• We have to listen to Edmund Nelson for 3 more games. Next time you're complaining about Chris Collinsworth, remember that Edmund Nelson broadcasts preseason games.

Preseason Gameday: New York Giants

7:30pm

MetLife Stadium

TV: KDKA

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

It's been eight long months since the Steelers took to the field for a football game. It's preseason for them, and it's preseason for me here on the blog as well. Incredibly, this kicks off my 7th year of blogging. Hard to believe I've been at it this long. The Steelers have been through a lot in the months since Kansas City missed a field goal and then lost to San Diego in overtime because the refs couldn't count to 7. Thankfully, 2013 and the 0-4 start are behind us. Ryan Clark and Emmanuel Sanders are gone. The 2014 iteration of the Pittsburgh Steelers are younger, faster, and...well, the rest remains to be seen. Here we go.

What To Watch For

1. No Injuries

There are important and significant things that can come out of this game from a development standpoint for many players. However, for the long-term success of the team, the most important thing is getting through this game without any injuries.

2. Linebackers

The Steelers used their first round pick on Ryan Shazier, but a bruised knee has left him as a "game-time decision" according to Mike Tomlin. With Shazier out, don't be surprised to see Sean Spence get the start. Spence may not be ahead of Vince Williams on the depth chart, but given the amount of work he has put in to his 2-year rehab from knee injury, it would be great to see him start. Speaking of Williams, he has been turning heads in camp with his run defense but will have to show something against the pass. On the outside, Jarvis Jones is a game-time decision as well, but the real battle will be for the #4 OLB spot between Chris Carter and undrafted free agent Howard Jones. Keep an eye out for Terrance Garvin as well.

3. The Secondary

We probably won't see much of Mike Mitchell in this game, but the depth battles in the secondary are probably going to determine the last few players on the roster. At corner, the top 3 are set in stone with Ike Taylor, Cortez Allen and William Gay. Behind them, there is a 4-way battle between veterans Antwon Blake and Brice McCain, rookie Shaq Richardson and Isaiah Green who spent last year on the practice squad. The top 4 at safety are set with Polamalu, Mitchell, Will Allen and Thomas. Behind them, Robert Golden and early candidate for camp phenom Jordan Dangerfield are in a tight battle. Golden and Dangerfield will probably see a lot of work in the second half of this game and will be important to watch.

4. Special Teams

The last few players that make it on to the 53-man roster will be expected to contribute on Special Teams. Therefore, the most important plays in this game might be the field goals, punts and kickoffs. Not only the ability of players to make special teams tackles, but also their ability to execute their blocking assignments, will be important to who does and doesn't make the team. On the return side, the Steelers will likely try out a few different kick returners and maybe (finally?) be able to take Antonio Brown off of punt returns.

5. A Win Would Be Nice

Gerry Dulac touched on this in an article this week, but didn't get into the correlation in recent history of the Steelers preseason record. Since 1999, every tear the Steelers have been at least .500 (2-2) in the preseason, they have had at least a .500 record in the regular season. The 4 times the Steelers have been under .500 in the preaseason (1-3 or 0-4) since 1999, they have never had a winning season (8-8 in 2013 and 2006, 6-10 in 2003 and 1999). Given this recent history, it would be great to get the preseason started on the right foot with a victory.

Recommended Giants Blogs & Twitter

Want to get some inside scoop from the other side? Looking for some good banter during the game? Follow these folks on Twitter:
@EyeOfTheGator
@BigBlueBloggers

NFC East Draft Preview

With two weeks until the NFL Draft, I'm going through every team and taking a look at what to expect on Draft Day, including some recommended blogs to read and folks to follow on Twitter.

2013 Record: 10-6

NFC East Champion, Lost to New Orleans in Wild Card Round

Draft Picks: 22, 54, 86, 122, 162, 237

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Inside the Iggles, @InsideTheIggles, @MattThorntonNFL, @VoiceofthePhan

Draft Preview: The Eagles were big players on both ends of the Free Agency market, losing 6 players from their division champion squad and bringing in replacements off the market. Aside from WR, where the Eagles cut DeSean Jackson and re-signed Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin (who is coming off an ACL injury), Philadelphia filled most of their holes with veterans. The Eagles biggest hole is in the secondary where they ranked dead last in the league in pass defense. They were able to land two of the bigger names on the free agent market in FS Malcolm Jenkins and CB Nolan Carroll. Holes remain at inside linebacker and along the defensive line as the Eagles continue to adapt to the 3-4 alignment.

2013 Record: 8-8

Draft Picks: 16, 47, 78, 119, 158, 229, 231, 238, (248), (251), (254)

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Blogging The Boys, @BloggingTheBoys, @MattThorntonNFL

Draft Preview: The Cowboys enter the draft with the second most selections of any team (11) but over half of their picks are in the 7th round. For a team that has been known to wheel and deal on draft day, that doesn't give them much ammunition to use to move up in the early rounds. The Cowboys need some serious help on defense where they cut their best player (DeMarcus Ware) for cap reasons after ranking in the bottom 5 in the league against both the run and the pass last year. The Cowboys need a pass rusher to replace Ware, and with their move to a 4-3 will need to find a hand-down defensive end. They also need help at both outside linebacker position, provided Sean Lee can return from injury and anchor the middle. Inside linebacker is the only place down the middle where the Cowboys are strong and need help both at defensive tackle and safety.

2013 Record: 7-9

Draft Picks: 12, 43, 74, 113, 152, (174), 187

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: @BigBlueBloggers

Draft Preview: If you start to notice a theme, it's because the NFC East was really really bad on the defensive side of the ball last year. Like the other teams in their division, the Giants also need help on defense, particularly at defensive tackle, weakside linebacker and safety. On offense, the Giants were 29th in the league in rushing last year and need help along the offensive line (specifically at guard and tackle) after signing RB Rashad Jennings and Center JD Walton.

2013 Record:3-13

Draft Picks: 34, 66, 102, 142, 178, 217

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Hogs Haven, @HogsHaven, @SkinsHogHeaven

Draft Preview: I'm not sure what is a bigger debate in Washington - RGIII or the Redskins name. Either way, Washington is a team with holes to fill and not a lot of picks to do it with because St Louis holds their first round pick after the RGIII trade. As is typical, the Redskins were active in free agency, totally rebuilding the interior of their defense with DTs Jason Hatcher and Chris Baker, ILBs Perry Riley and Darryl Sharpton, and safeties Brandon Merriweather and Ryan Clark. On offense, the Redskins made a splash by signing DeSean Jackson after he was cut by division rival Philadelphia. The Redskins biggest needs will now be along the offensive line as they need to find some way to protect RGIII and keep him on the field.

Bad Football Is Better Than No Football: Steelers Lose

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 13

The Steelers lost their preseason opener, a result that was indicative of the on-field performance. However, there were several positives to be gleaned from Saturday night's preseason opener. The first team offense saw only 20 snaps, but the offensive line (aside from the sack Ramon Foster gave up) looked decent. Pouncey and DeCastro looked solid with DeCastro absolutely plowing guys, springing holes for LaRod Stephens-Howling. As I've been saying most of the offseason, Stephens-Howling was the most under-the-radar signing of free agency but might pay the biggest dividends for the team. Aside from the long pass to Victor Cruz, the defense looked solid for most of the night. The biggest issues came on special teams were mental mistakes sunk the ship. On the whole, the Steelers got through the first preseason game with no major injuries, which is the most positive thing anyone can glean from any game that doesn't count towards making the playoffs. Division titles aren't won in August, and all of the issues from tonight are correctable.

Recap

Signs of fall: 

Leaves changing on the trees (Ft Duquesne Blvd)

and being back at Heinz Field.

...and we're back!

The Steelers added a smoke machine to the tunnel.

The Sullivan and Son crew start the Towel Wave. Cool moment for them. Sadly hardly anyone brings towels to a preseason game.

The Steelers win the toss and take the ball.

Isaac Redman got the start at running back with Le'Veon Bell in street clothes. Ben converts the first third down with a pass to Will Johnson. Get used to seeing that. Will is going to be a bigger part of the offense this year with Heath out. The drive gets derailed by a holding penalty on Marcus Gilbert then Foster gets abused on 3rd down and gives up a sack. The Steelers pull a Cleveland Browns by nullifying a good punt with a penalty then getting the punt blocked.

Damon Cromartie-Smith didn't even try to block Damontre Moore. Not a good play by a guy battling for a roster spot.

The defense comes up huge with a 3-down stop with Ike making a diving breakup at the goal line on 3rd down. Holding the Giants to 3 after the blocked punt was tremendous.

0-3

The first team offense came back out and the O-line started dominating. David DeCastro had a series worthy of a first-round pick, plowing the road for LaRod Stephens-Howling. Ben hooked up with Manny a few times and AB almost had a touchdown if he would've got his second foot down in bounds. Sanders came up just short of the sticks on 3rd and long. Ben did the best he could to make things difficult for the backups, using up 2 timeouts and taking a delay of game penalty to give Suisham a longer field goal.

3-3

The first team defense got another crack and it was a series the safeties probably want to forget. After holding the Giants to a 3rd and 9, LeBeau called a corner blitz for Ike. Eli got the pass off quick to Ike's man, who made a move around Clark and beat Polamalu to the sticks to convert. Three plays later, Manning went deep down the seam and hit Victor Cruz over Will Gay. Gay made a diving attempt at the pass but came up empty, letting Cruz waltz to the end zone with Polamalu and Clark trailing.

People will want to jump all over Gay for this, but it doesn't help him at all when there's no safety help over the top.

3-10

Bruce Gradkowski entered the game. He torched my high school 35-7 my freshman year. We learned our lesson and played 3 safeties deep in the playoffs and won 31-28 in overtime in one of the most exciting games ever at Lt. JC Stone Field.

Second Quarter

Gradkowski seemingly hits the first big play of the night with a beautiful sideline pass to Wheaton, but replay shows Wheaton lost the ball as he rolled out of bounds. Tom Coughlin, like a dick, challenges the call and wins it. Dwyer drops a pass on 3rd down after running a great circle route out of the backfield.

David Carr is still in the league, apparently, and comes in at QB for the Giants. Jarvis Jones gets his first snaps, and on the 4th one scares the living crap out of the Giants RB so that he fumbles the handoff and Jones pounces on the fumble.

With a relatively short field, Gradkowski moves the troops, converting a 4th and 2 at the fringe of field goal range with a pass to Wheaton to keep things alive. Things stall out and Suisham draws us closer.

6-10

Good Jason Worlids shows up on the next drive and sacks David Carr on 3rd down.
The backup O-line was absolutely brutal. Thankfully, Gradkowski is more mobile than our previous backup quarterbacks and was able to escape some trouble. Nothing much happening.

Bad Jason Worlids shows up on the next drive with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, giving the Giants 30 free yards with under 2 minutes to go, resulting in a field goal.

6-13

Halftime

Met up with Chris from the Bleacher Report at halftime. Good times. Follow him on twitter n'at.

Third Quarter

The Giants don't do much, but the Steelers special teams disaster continues when David Gilreath fields a punt at the 3.

Landry Jones comes in and runs into Baron Batch in the end zone. Safety.

6-15

Two questions:
- Did Batch mess with Jones on purpose as some kind of Texas Tech-Oklahoma payback for the 2008 three-way-tie controversy?
- Is Tom Landry rolling over in his grave seeing someone named after him wearing a Steelers jersey?

Probably

Some regular preseason bore that was punctuated by David Gilreath muffing a punt that led to a field goal attempt that the Giants missed.

Landry Jones went to his comfort zone with Justin Brown (who he played with at Oklahoma) and completed a few passes.

Fourth Quarter

After some punts, Ryan Nassib comes in for the Giants and gets sacked by Vince Williams then lets a snap go over his head that Adrian Robinson pounces on in the end zone for a touchdown.

13-15

The head referee watches the replay on the big screen, then decides to review it on the little tiny screen in the replay booth. The preseason crowd gets bored and tries to start the wave. And starts wooing. Ugh.

Yeah, it was a touchdown.

If this was a regular season game we'd be talking about how the defense bailed out the stagnant offense and made the game winnable.

Al Woods was all over the place from his DE spot and sacks Nassib to end the Giants next drive. Remember when people thought Nassib was going to be a top 10 pick?

John Parker Wilson comes in but the line in front of him isn't even swiss cheese caliber and he gets sacked twice.

Nassib leads the Giants to a field goal.

13-18

Wilson hits JD Woods a few times to get the Steelers near midfield, but the line collapses again and Wilson is sacked twice more. Rough night for JPW.

Game.

At least no one got hurt.

Players of the Game

Offensive Game Ball: LaRod Stephens-Howling

Defensive Game Ball: Al Woods

Honorable Mentions:

David DeCastro

Bruce Gradkowski

Jarvis Jones

Vince Williams

Brian Rolle

JD Woods

Mr. Yuck Sticker of the Game

Special Teams

This was just brutal. Danny Smith was brought in as the new Special Teams coach in the offseason and the first game saw a plethora of penalties and mental errors that put the rest of the team behind the eight ball. The penalty on the first punt led to a rekick where a missed block caused a blocked punt. David Gilreath fielded a punt inside the 5 which led to a safety then fumbled the next punt which led to a field goal attempt. The only injury of the night was Stevenson Sylvester getting his ankle rolled up on while covering a kick. All-in-all this was not a good debut for Danny Smith's unit.

Final Thoughts

• It was the preseason, no one got seriously injured, that's all that really matters.
• The young linebacker depth was very impressive.
• The offensive line depth, as advertised, was terrible.
• See yinz Monday night in the nation's capital.

Preseason Gameday: New York Giants

7:30pm

Home, Sweet Home

TV: KDKA or pay to watch online

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

Tonight, the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field for the first time in 2013. The 8-8 season of 2012 is behind us, and with it departed seven starters from the team that collapsed down the stretch. The defense lost starters at all three levels (Hampton, Harrison, Lewis) and the offense lost linemen (Starks, Colon) and skill players (Wallace, Mendenhall). Many of these players were solid contributors. As such, the Steelers enter the 2013 season with more uncertainty than in any year of the last decade. As detailed in our Training Camp Primer, there could be up to 15 roster spots that are won or lost in Camp. Due to this, the 2013 preseason means more than any of the prior slates.

What To Watch For

1. 10-12 Snaps

This week Coach Tomlin said that the starters should see 10-12 snaps with the possibility for more for certain players. This means that we'll likely see them for 1 or 2 drives, depending on how well the first drive goes. The biggest players to keep an eye on will be the offensive tackles. Marcus Gilbert seemed to be the heir apparent at left tackle in the spring, but he has been moved back to the right side with last year's second round pick Mike Adams settling in on the left side. These two probably won't see much action, but their ability to handle the Giants speedy defensive ends will be something to watch early.

2. The Rookies

The Steelers draft class received rave reviews, and for good reason. The "big four" have impressed thus far in camp, with RB Le'Veon Bell expected to see time with the first string offense.

First Round pick Jarvis Jones has been tearing it up in camp, but we don't have a nickname for him just yet. We'll roll with the Ironman theme for now.

Third round pick Markus Wheaton missed OTAs in the spring but hasn't missed a beat in training camp. He has the speed of Mike Wallace but the real question will be if he has the ability to make guys miss in the open field in 1-on-1 matchups that Mike Wallace lacked.

And of course, we can't forget about the Shamarknado

(h/t Cotter at OFTOT)

3. Offensive Line

One common theme around the league this preseason is that every team is short on offensive linemen. There isn't a lot of quality depth out there and having backups that can step in and play significant time up front is a key to success. The Steelers line has battled through injuries the last few seasons, and with five young guys up front, the possibility exists that we will see someone go down with an injury. The offense is moving to a zone blocking scheme for outside runs so it will be interesting to see how the young line has adapted to the change and if the reserves have grasped the system. Kelvin Beachum is solidified as the top reserve, but Guy Whimper (T), John Malecki (G/C), Justin Cheadle (G/C), D'Anthony Batiste (T), Joe Long (T) and Mike Golic, Jr (G) have a lot to prove.

4. Who Will Catch The Ball?

The Steelers have not been immune to training camp injuries and the receiving corps has been hit the most. The Steelers entered camp short on tight ends with Heath Miller and David Johnson on the PUP list working their way back from knee surgeries. The team brought back Matt Spaeth to help with blocking, but he was lost for 8-10 weeks with a Linsfranc sprain in his foot. David Paulson is the only healthy tight end from last year's team and the Steelers have been signing everyone and their nephew to play tight end. At receiver, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are locked in at the top and probably won't see much playing time. Jerricho Cotchery and Markus Wheaton will likely be the 3rd and 4th receivers in some combination. Plaxico Burress entered camp in competition for the 5th spot but was lost for the season (and maybe for his career) with a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder that will require surgery. This leaves the door open for 6th round pick Justin Brown, Rochester High School and Penn State alum Derek Moye and second year player David Gilreath (who spent time on the practice squad last year) to compete for the 5th receiver spot.

5. No Injuries

As always in the preseason, the biggest success that can come out of a game that doesn't count is not losing anyone for the long term. Plenty of teams lost significant players (Harvin, Maclin, Pitta, Bulaga) before they even took the field for a game this season. The Steelers have been lucky in that Plaxico and Spaeth have been their worst injuries to date. If they can get through the preseason without any significant losses, it will be a success. One of the drawbacks of having a team in transition is that there is not much in terms of experienced depth behind the starters. In order for the transition to succeed, both the starters and their reserves have to stay healthy and stay on the field.

Now, let's crank this up and go.

NFC East Draft Preview

With a week until the NFL Draft, we're taking a look at what to expect from all 32 teams come Draft Day, including some recommended blogs to read and folks to follow on Twitter.

2012 Record: 10-6

NFC East Champion, Lost in Wild Card Round to Seattle

Draft Picks: 51, 85, 119, 154, 162, 191, 228

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Hogs Haven (Blog)

Draft Preview: The Redskins traded their first round pick this year to St Louis as part of the RGIII deal. Washington saw an immediate benefit from the move as RGIII turned them from a last-place team into a division champion in a year. However, his knee injury at the end of the season casts some doubt on his ability to be ready for the start of the 2013 season. Washington's biggest needs are on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the secondary after finishing as the 3rd worst pass defense in the league last season.

2012 Record: 9-7

Draft Picks: 19, 49, 81, 116, 152, 187, 225, (253)

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Big Blue Bloggers

Draft Preview: The Giants took a step back last season, with the prime culprit being their defense. The once-formidable Big Blue defensive front was 28th in pass defense and 25th in run defense last season. The Giants continue to mix-and-match situational players in their front seven, and need more stability and consistency. Their secondary was in shambles last season and they brought back former Giant Aaron Ross to help the corner situation. The Giants still need help on the back end of their defense and could use a solid interior defensive lineman. On offense, the Giants were able to hold on to restricted free agent Victor Cruz, but may need to look for a long-term replacement should he leave next year in free agency.

2012 Record:8-8

Draft Picks: 18, 47, 80, 114, 151, 185

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Blogging The Boys (Blog/Twitter)

Draft Preview: Dallas entered the offseason in some serious salary cap trouble which resulted in them losing some talented young players in free agency. The Boys will once again enter the offseason with question marks on the offensive and defensive lines. Dallas will need to add a complementary back to DeMarco Murray as well as depth at wide receiver and tight end behind their top-tier stars. On defense, their biggest needs are in the secondary where they lost Mike Jenkins in free agency. Dallas will be transitioning to a 4-3 defense and will need to add depth to their front seven.

2012 Record: 4-12

Draft Picks: 4, 35, 67, 101, 136, 210, 212, 218, (239)

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Voice of the Phan

Draft Preview: The Eagles bottomed out last season and fired head coach Andy Reid at the end of the 2012 campaign. New coach Chip Kelly cut his teeth at Oregon with their spread offense. The Eagles are still loaded with playmakers on offense, but have holes to fill on the offensive line. New defensive coordinator Billy Davis has been quoted as saying he will incorporate both 3-4 and 4-3 principles in his defense, which creates needs at all three levels for Philadelphia.

Mannings Make The Best Faces: Steelers Win

 24

 20

The Giants come out throwing and Cruz gets them near midfield, but the defense puts the clamps on when the Giants go to the ground and Eli misses a throw on 3rd down. The Giants pin the Steelers back at the 2.

Redman bursts up the middle to give us a little breathing room. AB reels one in and gets us out to the 30.

The wheels come off when Adams gets rocked by Justin Tuck and Ben gets sacked on first down then Rainey fumbles a screen pass but thankfully the ball bounces out of bounds.

Keenan Lewis makes two pass deflections to force a 3-and-out. Lewis came into the game leading the team in PDs, he's really stepped up the last few weeks.

Redman gets us into 3rd and short then Ben does his Ben thing and finds Redman on a broken play to move the sticks. The drive stalls out when a blitzing corner knocks a pass down on 3rd down.

The Giants get Cruz on a linebacker in the slot and turn it into a big gain up the middle. Eli takes a shot down the sideline and Ike makes a leaping interception to produce the first turnover of the game.

Redman moves the sticks again with a big first down run. Ben takes a shot deep and Brown's feet get tied up with the corner and Brown limps off the field. Yikes. With Brown out, Cotchery makes a big catch on 3rd down to keep the drive alive.

Second Quarter

Will Johnson makes a catch out of the backfield to convert a 3rd down and get us into the red zone. Redman runs hard and gets down to the 10. Redman grinds it down inside the 5. Ben gets time in the pocket and hits Sanders in the back of the end zone for the score.

Points. Off. Turnovers.

7-0

Keenan gets called for a terrible pass interference call that gives the Giants the ball in the red zone. Horrible, horrible call, barely touched his shoulder, didn't turn him, great defensive play. Man. Bradshaw carries the Giants inside the 5. Ike drops an interception in the end zone and Clark levels Cruz right as the ball hits the ground. The flags come out. Clark hit Cruz in the shoulder with his shoulder. Another terrible call gives the Giants a free chance. Phil Simms even admits it was a bad call.

The Giants pound it in. Gift wrapped touchdown from the officials.

7-7

CCR brings the kickoff back across the 50 and we're in business. Redman gets another big run up the middle. The refs crap all over themselves again when Ben's arm is moving forward and the ball comes out and they call it a fumble and let the play continue. The Giants run it back and replay upholds the call.

Um....what?!?!?!

Steelers 7, Refs 14, Giants 0

Apparently the NFL thought helping the Giants win would make everyone who lost something in the hurricane feel better.

The Steelers keep grinding on the ground but can't pick up a first down across midfield. Tomlin elects to go for it on 4th down and Redman converts. Ben gets sacked on 3rd down and that ends that. Adams got rocked by JPP.

Eli takes a shot deep. Big surprise, there's a flag. PI on Keenan. Two false start penalties on the Giants are their first penalties of the day. The defense holds and Tynes comes up short on a 51-yard field goal.

Ben takes over with 30 seconds left and guns one to Cotch down the slot who makes a great sliding catch to get us to the fringe of field goal range. Ben hits Heath down the seam to get it inside the 10 and the offense runs up and spikes it with 5 ticks left. Suisham barely squeezes it inside the left post.

10-14

Third Quarter

CCR brings the kickoff all the way back to the Giants 35, but the offense does nothing and Ben takes a sack on 3rd down when a throwaway would've given us a shot at a long field goal. Punt. That 3-and-out hurts.

The Giants take over inside their 10 but two runs and a big throw to the tight end down the seam get them out of trouble. The Giants work it into field goal range and Tynes connects to stretch the lead.

10-17

A penalty on the kick return gives us terrible starting field position and Ben makes a horrible decision to throw a ball to Wallace with triple coverage around him. The Giants pick it off and are sitting in the catbird's seat.

The refs screw up another call, giving Cruz a generous spot when he ran back behind the first down marker before being tackled. Tomlin challenges and it's actually overturned. The Giants move the sticks anyways with a run. A quick-hitter to Nicks gets them down to the goal line, but the defense stacks it up. Ike makes a big-time play to seal off the corner on an outside run. Big-time stop by the defense to hold the Giants to 3.

10-20

As if the Steelers don't need anything else to go wrong, Rainey gets injured on the kickoff return. Looked like ribs. Wallace finally makes an appearance with a diving catch across the 40. He takes a shot from the safety as he starts to get up and it's initially flagged, but Tom Coughlin complains that his team hasn't gotten enough calls this game, so the refs pick it up.

Fourth Quarter

Facing 3rd and 6 at midfield, Ben hit Wallace on a quick slant coming across the field, and we finally saw the elite speed we've been waiting for.

Wallace turned on the jets and absolutely blew by the entire Giants secondary, coming all the way across the field...

turning the corner...

...and scorching the Giants for a 51-yard touchdown.

As Tomlin once said, "visibly fast"

17-20

With the Steelers back in the game, the defense steps it up and blanks the Giants. Eli tries to roll out on 3rd down after Woodley collapses the pocket and Timmons brings him down for a sack.

And another one, because Mannings make the best faces:

With Rainey and Brown out, Manny Sanders gets a shot at punt returner, and springs through a hole, cuts it back across the field, and takes it all the way down to the 12.

Wow, what a return.

Ben hits Heath to put us in 3rd and 1, but Haley opts for a pass and Ben has to check it down to Redman who can't get to the sticks. On 4th and 1 right at the doorstep, Tomlin makes one of the worst decisions of his career and opts for a fake field goal, rather than tying the game. Seemed like Tomlin was trying to channel his inner Les Miles, because Butler (the holder) tossed the ball back over his head to Suisham, who had no blockers in front of him and got swarmed by the Giants.

Terrible call with a chance to tie the game. If you're going to go for it, let the offense do it, don't try a fake field goal.

Thankfully, the defense is up to snuff and absolutely shuts the Giants out again.

Ben goes to work hitting Heath to get the drive rolling and move us to the fringe of field goal range. Two plays later, Ben finds Cotch down the sideline for another first down to get us into the red zone. Redman plows for a few then Will Johnson drops one that hits him right in the hands on 2nd down. The Giants give us a gift by jumping offsides and Redman is able to not only convert the 3rd and short, but grind all the way down to the goal line. Two plays later, Redman pounds it in.

24-20

The Giants get the ball back with 4 minutes to go, and if you weren't thinking about Eli's penchant for 4th quarter comebacks, then you've been living under a rock. Eli misses Cruz then air mails a ball that almost gets picked off. Woodley storms around the corner on 3rd down and knocks the ball out of Eli's hand.

The Giants fall on it, but the sack/fumble is enough for force the 3rd straight 3-and-out for the defense. What a performance.

Mannings really do make the best faces.

With 2:52 left and the Giants still holding 3 timeouts, the Steelers needed two first downs to ice it. Batch started things off well, but Redman got greedy and tried to bounce one, bringing up 3rd and long with 2:40 to go. Ben takes a deep drop and guns one to an open Manny Sanders down the numbers who secures it for the first down and forces the Giants to use their last timeout.

Longest 30 seconds of the game while you played through all the scenarios in your head. You had to figure at worst 3 running plays and a punt would only leave the Giants with 30 seconds to march downfield and tie the game. Isaac Redman makes all that thinking irrelevant when he takes one right up the middle and rumbles past the sticks and all the way down inside the 30.

 

Victory Formation.

Game.

Players of the Game

Offensive Game Ball: Isaac Redman

Defensive Game Ball: Ike Taylor

Honorable Mentions:

Emmanuel Sanders

Mike Wallace

Chris Rainey

Ben Roethlisberger

Maurkice Pouncey

Ramon Foster

Willie Colon

LaMarr Woodley

Keenan Lewis

Lawrence Timmons

Final Thoughts

• All things told, this was a very typical Steelers victory. They overcame a seemingly impossible situation with terrible calls going against them and the other team holding a lead. They played dominating defense and Ben carried us to victory at the end.
• What a game by the defense. We held Eli to 125 yards passing and the Giants on the whole to under 200 yards of total offense.
• Keenan Lewis is really coming around the last month. He leads the team in passes defended and had another 4 in this game. He's breaking on balls and making solid tackles in the secondary.
• Ike Taylor won AFC Defensive Player of the Week. He had an interception on a poorly underthrown ball, almost had another interception in the end zone and all around did a great job shutting down Victor Cruz.
• Isaac Redman had a fantastic game in his home state of New Jersey. The interior of the O-line just dominated the Giants up front all game. 
• Mike Adams can't handle elite rushers one-on-one. The two sacks he gave up came when he had to face Tuck & JPP on his own. He's doing a good job filling in at RT, but he needs help to handle the elite guys.
• Hopefully Antonio Brown isn't out for too long with his ankle injury, the offense looked totally different without him in there.
• Emmanuel Sanders had a huge game stepping up into the #2 role. Made some clutch catches and ripped off a great return that he almost took back to the house.
• I could be wrong, but I think that's the first time Wallace has actually used his speed to take a routine slant route to the house. Most of his other long plays have been long passes. That was exactly the kind of play Wallace needs to make to be an elite receiver - take a routine play and turn it into six.
• Man was the fake field goal call terrible. If you're going to go for it there, a fake field goal is probably the lowest-percentage call you can make. If Tomlin wanted to go for it, we'd been pounding the rock up the middle all game, so why not run the ball? Good thing the defense bailed us out again by coming up with a stop and a sack on the next series.
• For the record, some tweets from Mike Pereira, former NFL VP of Officiating: