Gameday: Kansas City Chiefs

8:30pm

Heinz Field

TV: ESPN (ABC locally)

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

What To Watch For

1. Scoreboard

The Chiefs are bad. Really, really bad. They have not had a lead during the regular season at all this year. Yes, read that again. The only time the Chiefs had a lead this year was when they beat the Saints in overtime. This is a team that not only struggles to score, but didn't put more than 17 on the board during the entire month of October. The Steelers need to get out to an early lead and just keep building on it. The Chiefs have the 29th ranked scoring offense in the league and are just the kind of team that can be put away early in a game. However, the longer they're allowed to hang around, well, we all know what happened against Tennessee and Oakland.

2. Turnovers

It's Monday Night Football, but most teams that play the Chiefs feel like they're out to Sunday brunch. The Chiefs have turned the ball over 3 or more times in all but one of their games (against Tampa they only turned it over twice). In the last two weeks the Chiefs have turned the ball over 8 times. They lead the league in both interceptions and fumbles lost. Quarterback Matt Cassel is the leading criminal, throwing 11 interceptions and fumbling 7 times. On the whole, the Chiefs have committed an astounding 29 turnovers through 8 games.

3. Life Without Brown

Antonio Brown has been ruled out with an ankle injury for this week and it's uncertain how many games he will miss. Coach Tomlin will tell us "injuries are a fact of life in the National Football League" but the long and the short of it is that Brown was the most clutch playmaker we had on offense. Look at his receiving stats on 3rd downs over the last two years. Time and time again Brown came up with big grabs in key moments. Emmanuel Sanders will step in as the second wide receiver opposite Mike Wallace and Jericho Cotchery will fill the #3 role. Sanders is capable and might have the best hands on the team outside of Heath Miller.

4. Backfield By Committee

The "Running Back by Committee" approach the Steelers have been forced to use has worked so far and as we enter the second half of the year, the situation is not nearly as dire as it was over the last few weeks. Isaac Redman is still nursing two sprained ankles and Jonathan Dwyer is recovering from a quadriceps injury and is listed as probably. Rashard Mendenhall is still a week or so away from returning from his Achilles injury. Chris Rainey is listed as probable after injuring his ribs last week. Somehow, Baron Batch seems to be the only running back on the team that hasn't gotten hurt this year. Despite all the injuries, Steelers backs have 3 consecutive 100-yard games (Dwyer with 2 and Redman with 1) and all in all the Steelers have rushed for over 100 yards as a team in 4 of the 5 games since the bye week. The Steelers have won all four of the games when the team ran for more than 100 yards, and the Chiefs are averaging allowing 126 yards per game on the ground.

5. Todd Haley's Revenge

This storyline will probably be talked about to death by ESPN before the game. The Chiefs unceremoniously fired Todd Haley as their head coach halfway through last season. Now that Haley is the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, this is somewhat of a "revenge" game for him. Haley's offense has been built around throwing quick passes and hitting receivers in stride so that they can make plays with the ball in their hands. But with Antonio Brown out of the game and the nation watching on Monday Night against his former team, the Steelers and Haley have a chance to make a big statement - particularly with Baltimore coming to town next week. I would not be surprised to see them go deep early and often against the Chiefs. The problem we have had with bad teams is that we go for the kill-shot (like against Tennessee where we hit the long pass to Wallace) but then never follow it up with another deep throw to drive the nail in the coffin. Monday night might be the perfect time for Haley to open up the playbook and go long.

Steelers Midseason Review: Defense

Through the first three weeks of the season, the Steelers defense looked like the "old and slow" tag had finally caught up with them. As fans, we had spent all of last season trying to shirk that tag and justify the season-opening loss to Baltimore as an outlier rather than an indication of a trend. Through the first three weeks this year, the Steelers defense gave up over 300 yards twice and allowed Carson Palmer and the Oakland Raiders to put up 34 points. Things didn't get much better after a Thursday Night loss in Tennessee. But since then, the defense hasn't given up more than 17 points to any opponent (the Giants got 6 points off a fumble return, so you can't charge that TD to the defense).

Defensive Line

The Steelers defensive line started slow and it showed as Oakland and Tennessee's offensive lines were able to control the game. The line has started coming around as of late, especially Ziggy Hood who has been getting pressure and batting down balls. Brett Keisel hasn't been as good as he was last year, and Casey Hampton seems to have gotten better as the season has gone along. One of the biggest question marks for this unit is the snap counts. The starting three (Keisel, Hampton, Hood) are getting proportionally more snaps than the top reserves (Steve McLendon and Cam Heyward) even though McLendon and Heyward have looked better than the starters at times. Hopefully McLendon and Heyward see some more snaps as the season moves along.

Linebackers

If you follow the team from a distance, you probably think that Running Backs have been the most injured unit on the team. However, the linebacking corps has been hit just as hard. This unit was in such dire straights at the beginning of the season with both James Harrison and Jason Worlids injured that Chris Carter started the opener in Denver. LaMarr Woodley has been battling a hamstring injury for the last few weeks and reserves Brandon Johnson and Stevenson Sylvester have both had on-again-off-again injuries. That's not to mention rookie Sean Spence who was lost for the season when he blew up his knee in the preseason. Despite that, the unit has started to come around. Lawrence Timmons has begun to return to his 2010 form and Larry Foote is playing the most fundamentally sound ball of his career. Harrison and Woodley aren't getting the sack numbers you'd like to see, but they have been getting pressure and keeping contain (especially on outside running plays).

Cornerbacks

Ike Taylor had a brutal start to the season but has rebounded nicely over the last few games, capping it off with an interception and pass defended against the Giants that earned him Defensive Player of the Week honors. Keenan Lewis has been the biggest surprise in the secondary and he now leads the team with 15 passes defended - with 11 of them coming over the last four weeks. His 15 Passes Defended ties him for the league lead with Bears corner Tim Jennings. Everyone chuckled in the preseason when Keenan proclaimed he was going to have a Pro Bowl year, but if he keeps playing like this and adds a few interceptions he may get consideration.

Safeties

The Steelers have struggled through injuries at the safety position as well this season. Ryan Clark missed the opener in Denver because of his sickle cell trait then most of the Redskins game because of concussion-like symptoms. Troy Polamalu has been working back through a calf injury and backup Will Allen seems to always be getting banged up during the game but he has always been able to return. Allen has solidified Troy's safety spot and supplanted Ryan Mundy as the top backup. Allen obviously isn't Troy, but he has played good football on the back end and helped to shore up the pass defense.

WPIAL Quarterfinals Results

Final scores from tonight's Quarterfinal games.

AAAA

1. North Allegheny 42, 9. Bethel Park 14
4. Seneca Valley 32, 5. Mt Lebanon 13

7. Woodland Hills 17, 2. Gateway 14
3. Upper St Clair 38, 11. Central Catholic 0

Semi-Final Matchups
1. North Allegheny vs 4. Seneca Valley
3. Upper St Clair vs 7 Woodland Hills

AAA

1. Thomas Jefferson 24, 8. Franklin Regional 21
4. West Allegheny 14, 5. Montour 2

7. West Mifflin 28, 2. Mars 13
3. Central Valley 49, 11. Hopewell 21

Semi-Final Matchups
1. Thomas Jefferson vs 4. West Allegheny
3. Central Valley vs 7. West Mifflin

AA

1. Aliquippa 43, 9. Mt Pleasant 6
4. Jeanette 47, 5. Beaver 15

2. South Fayette 35, 10. Beaver Falls 21
3. Washington 33, 6. Seton-La Salle 17

Semi-Final Matchups
1. Aliquippa vs 4. Jeanette
2. South Fayette vs 3. Washington

A

1. Clairton 39, 9. Brentwood 0
13. Neshannock 24, 5. Monessen 21

2. Sto-Rox 33, 10. Union 8
6. North Catholic 22, 3. Rochester 15

Semi-Final Matchups
1. Clairton vs 13. Neshannock
2. Sto-Rox vs 6. North Catholic

WPIAL Quarterfinals Preview

The first round of the WPIAL playoffs saw a handful of "upsets" that weren't really upsets because of the way the WPIAL seeded teams. Two running backs - Washington's Shai McKenzie and Clairton's Tyler Boyd - both scored six touchdowns. Boyd finished the night with the unbelievable stat line of 10 carries, 236 yards and 6 touchdowns. If you're keeping score at home, McKenzie and Boyd individually outscored 51 of the 64 teams that played last week. Boyd also scored his 100th career touchdown, putting him within striking distance of the state record 123 TDs. As we move to the Quarterfinals this week, the games move to neutral sites.

AAAA

1. North Allegheny (7-0, 10-0) vs 9. Bethel Park (6-2, 7-3) at North Hills
The two-time defending champs handled Altoona in the first round while Bethel Park and their freshman quarterback took care of business on the road in McKeesport. NA has been smoking teams all year to the tune of a 35-point average margin of victory. Bethel was the only team to beat conference champion Upper St Clair and was sound defensively, giving up over 25 points only twice. Prediction: North Allegheny

4. Seneca Valley (6-1, 9-1) vs 5. Mt Lebanon (7-1, 8-2) at North Allegheny
Both of these teams lost early in the season to North Allegheny and are looking for a shot at revenge in the semi-finals. This is the ROOT Sports game of the week and for good reason. These are two of the best offenses in Quad-A. Seneca Valley is 2nd (averaging 40.3 points per game) and Mt Lebanon is 5th, about a touchdown behind at 32.3 points per game. Seneca Valley can beat you both on the ground with 1500-yard rusher Forrest Barnes or through the air with 1500-yard passer Jordan Brown. On the other side, Mt Lebanon QB Tyler Roth is leading the WPIAL in passing with almost 2400 yards. Prediction: Seneca Valley

2. Gateway (8-0, 9-1) vs 7. Woodland Hills (6-2, 8-2) at Norwin
Gateway ran through the Foothills Conference with the top offense in Quad-A, their only loss coming to top-seeded North Allegheny. Gateway is filled with D-1 talent, including QB Thomas Woodson who is 4th in the WPIAL in passing with over 2200 yards. Woodland Hills has had a good season, but they don't have enough offense to run with Gateway. Their only hope is to keep the game low-scoring and win it at the end. Prediction: Gateway

3. Upper St Clair (7-1, 9-1) vs 11. Central Catholic (5-2, 8-2) at Baldwin
These two teams met last year in a semi-final that seemed like a simple stepping-stone before the inevitable Central Catholic-North Allegheny showdown at Heinz Field. But Pete Coughlin became a legend, starting his first game at quarterback for the Panthers and leading them to an upset victory over Central. The Panthers proceeded to take NA to overtime in the Championship Game. This year, Coughlin is the entrenched starter at USC and carried his team to a 9-1 regular season and will once again have to get past a defensively stout Central Catholic team in the playoffs. Prediction: Upper St Clair

AAA

1. Thomas Jefferson (8-0, 10-0) vs 8. Franklin Regional (6-2, 8-2) at Elizabeth Forward
In a matchup of strength-on-strength, the top offense in AAA (TJ averaged 45 points per game) faces off against the top defense in AAA (FR averaged just 6.8 points against per game). On the other side of the ball, both TJ's defense and FR's offense were top 5 units in AAA. This should be a close game, but you have to like TJ's chances with 1800-yard passer Joe Carroll. Prediction: Thomas Jefferson

4. West Allegheny (7-1, 9-1) vs 5. Montour (7-1, 9-1) at Chartiers Valley
In a rematch of the lowest-scoring game of the season where West Allegheny toppled then #1 Montour 5-3, the Spartans and Indians clash again. There will probably be more scoring this time around, but these are two of the best defenses in AAA so it wouldn't be a surprise to see another slow offensive game. Whoever wins this game might just wind up hoisting the trophy at the end of the year. Prediction: Montour

2. Mars (7-1, 9-1) vs 7. West Mifflin (7-1, 9-1) at Fox Chapel
West Mifflin handled a Greater Allegheny Conference opponent in the first round, and now gets a chance against the GAC champion Mars. These are two offensive stalwarts, both with top 5 units that average over 36 points per game. Both of these teams were downright dominant on the ground this year, with West Mifflin RB Jimmy Wheeler rushing for 1800 yards (2nd in WPIAL) and Mars RB Josh Schultheis rushing for over 1600 (5th in WPIAL). Prediction: Mars

3. Central Valley (7-1, 8-2) vs 11. Hopewell (4-4, 5-5) at Ambridge
Central Valley eeked by Belle Vernon in the first round and get star WR Robert Foster back from his one-game suspension. Foster is a difference-maker, but the Warriors are still without their starting QB and RB. Hopewell has had an up-and-down season, and Central Valley should have enough talent on their roster to move on to the Semi-Finals, but don't be surprised if this game is close. Prediction: Central Valley

AA

1. Aliquippa (7-0, 10-0) vs 9. Mt Pleasant (6-2, 8-2) at Peters Twp
The Quips have blasted every opponent in their path this season. Mt Pleasant presents a unique challenge as it is likely the best offense Aliquippa has seen this year, and they are battle-tested, winning a close game against GCC and falling just short of Jeanette. That said, the Quips are loaded at the skill positions and are other-worldly on defense. Prediction: Aliquippa

4. Jeanette (7-1, 9-1) vs 5. Beaver (6-1, 9-1) at Hampton
It's hard to know what to expect from Jeanette this season. They pounded inferior opponents but struggled against playoff competition from the Interstate conference. The Jayhawks beat Mt. Pleasant and GCC by 1 point each and fell to Washington by just 3. That's a very thin margin between being conference champs and finishing 4th. Beaver rolled through their schedule before getting stomped by Aliquippa in the season finale. Jeanette has the experience in close games that Beaver does not. Prediction: Jeanette

2. South Fayette (8-0, 10-0) vs 10. Beaver Falls (5-2, 8-2) at Moon
As dominant as Aliquippa has been, South Fayette has been just as good. Sophomore QB Brett Brumbaugh is second in the WPIAL in passing with 2253 yards. The Lions have forced a mercy rule against every opponent so far, and this week shouldn't be any different. Prediction: South Fayette

3. Washington (8-0, 10-0) vs 6. Seton-La Salle (7-1, 9-1) at Canon-McMillan
Seton-La Salle has flown under the radar a bit this season after an early-season loss to South Fayette. They only gave up more than a touchdown once in the regular season (51 points to South Fayette) and pitched 4 shutouts. That said, Washington is a better team than everyone else they've faced. Prexies RB Shai McKenzie leads the WPIAL in rushing with over 2100 yards and is coming off a first round game where he found the end zone 6 times. The Prexies averaged 45 points per game this season, which was 3rd best in AA. Prediction: Washington

A

1. Clairton (9-0, 10-0) vs 9. Brentwood (6-3, 7-3) at Belle Vernon
The first meeting between these two teams was rife with controversy as Brentwood "accidentally" turned on their rarely-used sprinklers right after kickoff to water down the field in an attempt to slow down the Bears. The wet field "slowed down" Clairton to the extent that they only beat Brentwood by 35 (42-7), which broke a 4-game streak of the Bears breaking the 50-point mark. There won't be any errant sprinklers this week on Belle Vernon's artificial turf, but the Bears might be even better. Prediction: Clairton

5. Monessen (8-1, 9-1) vs 13. Neshannock (7-1, 9-1) at Chartiers-Houston
Monessen is led by WVU-recruit Chavas Rawlins who accounted for over 1800 yards passing and rushing this season. On the other side, Neshannock QB Ernie Burkes is also a dual-threat who put up over 2000 yards of total offense. Monessen's only loss was to Clairton and Neshannock's only mis-step was against Rochester. Prediction: Neshannock

2. Sto-Rox (7-1, 9-1) vs 10. Union (5-3, 7-3) at Mars
Sto-Rox won the Big Seven Conference after beating Rochester in the last week of the season and winning the 3-way tiebreaker. In a rematch of Big Seven Conference foes, Sto-Rox seemingly has an advantage after beating Union 48-21 earlier this season. Prediction: Sto-Rox

3. Rochester (7-1, 9-1) vs 6. North Catholic (7-1, 8-2) at Keystone Oaks (Dormont Stadium)
In a rematch of a semi-final game from a few years ago, two of the top RBs in Single-A face off. Rochester is led by 1600-yard rusher Dante Marsick and North Catholic boasts sophomore sensation PJ Fulmore who ran for 1500. Even though Rochester is a much better team, as a North Catholic Alum, there's no way I'm picking against the Trojans. Homer Pick: North Catholic

Steelers Midseason Review: Offense

It's hard to imagine, but we are halfway home in the 2012 NFL season. As I've said time and again, the complexion of the league changes every four weeks. The teams that are dominant at the beginning of the season aren't always the ones that are the best at the end. Look at what has happened over the last four weeks. After Week 5 the Steelers were sitting at 2-2 and some had proclaimed them dead in the water with Baltimore sitting at 4-1 atop the division and Cincinnati standing in the way. Now, Cincinnati has dropped 4 in a row and sunk to 3-5 and it's the Steelers at 5-3 who look like a threat to challenge for the division crown.

Today, I take a look back at how the Steelers offense has performed over the first half of the season.

Quarterback

How many good things can I say about Ben Roethlisberger? If it wasn't for the Steelers 3 losses, he would be right in the thick of the league MVP conversation. He is on pace for career highs in completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns and a career-low sack percentage (sacks divided by drop-backs). He also has 2 Fourth Quarter Comebacks and 3 Game Winning Drives. Ben has executed Todd Haley's offense to perfection and in turn is having one of the best statistical seasons of his career.

Running Back

Coming into the season, we knew this would be somewhat of a "by committee" approach with Redman and Dwyer sharing the load until Mendenhall got back. The ground game started slow this season, but since the Bye Week the Steelers have ran for over 120 yards in 4 of the 5 games. The only game they didn't was the loss to Tennessee when they only managed 56. The Steelers have produced a 100-yard rusher each of the last 3 weeks and start the second half against a Chiefs team ranked 22nd in the league in run defense. They do have some injury issues as Mendenhall is working through an Achilles injury, Redman has two sprained ankles, Dwyer has a quad injury and Rainey has bruised ribs.

Wide Receiver

The Steelers may have the most dangerous receiving corps in the league with Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, and Emmanuel Sanders. Wallace has underperformed by most standards this season, but he has been asked to be more of a complete receiver rather than just a deep threat. He has adjusted his game and is starting to come around. He has shown improvement on slant routes and making guys miss in space, evidenced by the 51-yard touchdown against the Giants. Wallace still has a problem catching the ball in his hands - something he's obviously been working towards after catching a lot of balls in his chest and stomach over the first 3 years of his career. Antonio Brown is the most complete receiver on the team but his ankle injury against the Giants could be cause for concern. Sanders hasn't put up a lot of big numbers, but every one of his catches has been meaningful and at clutch points in games.

Tight End

The nation is finally starting to see what Steelers fans have known for a long time - that Heath Miller is one of the best tight ends in the league. Heath is on pace for a career year in touchdowns, receptions and receiving yards. He absolutely owns the middle of the field and (as always) has been a dominant blocker. Haley has employed Heath as one of the primary red zone targets and it has paid off, with the Steelers cashing in their red zone opportunities and Heath racking up the touchdowns. Heath is having a  Pro Bowl year and deserves that trip to Hawaii. Vote for him. 

Offensive Line

This was a unit that entered the season with some big question marks. First round pick David DeCastro went down in the preseason and Ramon Foster was called into duty at RG once again. Willie Colon was moved inside to LG and Max Starks was brought back to play LT, beating out rookie Mike Adams in camp. Eight weeks into the season, one of the starting five (Marcus Gilbert) has missed much of the season due to injury and the centerpiece (Pouncey) has also missed a game. Mike Adams is now the starter at RT with Gilbert injured and he has held his own. He has struggled one-on-one against dominant pass rushers like JPP and Justin Tuck, but Haley has done a great job of using TEs and RBs to give Adams help in pass protection and he has been a monster in run blocking. After a terrible start to the season, Colon has cut down on the amount of back-breaking penalties he has taken and the unit as a whole has come together and started to dominate the last month. After being sacked 9 times in the first 3 weeks, Ben was only sacked 4 times in the next four, including two games where he stayed clean the entire game.

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:

Gameday: New York Giants

4:25pm

A stadium in a different state than the team is named for

TV: CBS

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

What To Watch For

1. Eli vs Ben

This sounds like it could be a showdown between two of the better-known men of Israel in the Old Testament, and it may very well carry similar epic proportions. Amongst active quarterbacks, Eli is 3rd in 4th Quarter Comebacks (24) and Ben is 4th (21). Both are credited with 28 career Game Winning Drives (tied for 5th amongst active QBs). The announcers will probably talk ad nauseum about the "Class of 2004" quarterbacks during the game, and Eli and Ben are certainly the cream of the crop. This game figures to be an aerial show, and the quarterback that gets the ball last will probably win.

2. By the numbers

The Steelers struggles on the road this season have been well-documented and all 3 of their road losses have come outside the Eastern Time Zone, which I've talked about in the past. Interestingly, the Steelers are one of the best teams in the NFL on the road in the Eastern Time Zone with a 72% winning percentage in the last 5 years, trailing only the Giants (75%). However, over the same time frame, the Giants have only the 17th best home record in the league (58.7%). The Giants are clearly a better team on the road than they are at home.

3. The Front Four

This isn't even really an accurate term because the Giants will shuffle 6 or 7 guys through their defensive line. Whenever you talk about "best position groups in the league" the Giants D-Line has to be at or near the top of your list. Their defense is predicated on getting pressure with just 4 rushers, but the guys they have can all bring it. The Steelers O-line certainly has their work cut out for them, but if Ben gets the time to make plays, there will be receivers open. The Giants have the 4th worst pass defense in the league.

4. Getting There

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and half of New York City being without power and a host of other problems in the New York/Newark/New Jersey metro area, the NFL decided to......do nothing about the start of the game and have it continue on as usual. Even though the hotel where the Steelers intended to stay does not have any power, the game will go on. The Steelers altered their travel plans to fly to New York the morning of the game. Hopefully this doesn't cause any problems, but for anyone who has ever flown before, it can't be easy to play a professional football game just hours after getting off a plane. No doubt we'll all hear about this if the Steelers struggle at all during the early stages of the game.

5. The First Aid Kit

The Steelers just can't seem to beat the injury bug this season. Rashard Mendenhall is still down after injuring his Achilles after returning from a torn ACL last year. Jonathan Dwyer is unlikely to play with a quad injury and it seems as if Isaac Redman, who was nursing an ankle injury the last few weeks, will be the starting back. Troy Polamalu and Marcus Gilbert are still out, but it looks like Ryan Clark (concussion) and LaMarr Woodley (hamstring) will be able to play. The linebacking unit is thin as backups Stevenson Sylvester and Brandon Johnson have nursed on-again-off-again injuries. Hopefully we can get through this one unscathed, but the Mike Tomlin philosophy of "starters in waiting" is certainly being tested this season. The secondary without Polamalu is shaky at best and will be tested by Eli and the Giants receivers.

Ugly Jerseys Beautiful Result: Steelers Win

 12

 27

The talk all week was about two things - the Steelers horrendous uniforms, and how awesome RGIII was. The Steelers uniforms were just as ugly as advertised, but luckily we were able to contain RGIII.

Offense gets the nod for pre-game intros.

Still can't decide between Bumblebees and Where's Waldo

The Steelers won the toss and elected to take the ball to give Ben the ball first.

Ben starts things rolling with a pass to Heath who rumbles out across midfield then hits Wallace twice to move us to the fringe of field goal range. On 3rd down from the 31, Sanders hauls one in on a crossing route that he takes down the sideline all the way into the red zone. Wallace gets us to the 5 then Dwyer puts us on the doorstep but can't pound it in. Tomlin elects to go for it on 4th down from the 1 and Ben executes a beautiful play-action fake and hits Pope wide open.

7-0

The Redskins try to go right after the Steelers tendency to over-pursue with an end-around and it gets 9 yards but the defense locks it down and forces a 3-and-out.

The next drive got off to a great start when Dwyer broke one off the right side and rumbled down into Redskins territory. Haley gets greedy and tries a wide receiver pass with Sanders who gets tackled in the backfield and the drive stalls out, but Suisham connects into the wind from 48. Great kick.

10-0

RGIII converts a few passes, including a really nice throw to a tight end coming across the field on the far numbers to move the Redskins into Steelers territory.

Second Quarter

The Skins come out mixing runs and passes and work their way down to the goal line, where the D seemingly holds on 3rd down when Ziggy takes down RGIII, but Shanahan elects to go for it and RGIII hits Santana Moss on a quick slant for the score. Ziggy blocks the extra point for good measure.

10-6

Not to be outdone, Ben comes back out with the No Huddle and goes right to work. Sanders gets things rolling and Rainey picks up a first down across midfield. Ben zips one to AB who makes a fantastic snag away from his body to get us to field goal range.

Wallace hauls in a slant to get us inside the 10. On 3rd and goal, Ben steps up in the pocket away from pressure and guns one to Heath coming across the middle.

HEEEEATH

17-6

That touchdown tied Heath with Elbie Nickel for most career touchdowns by a Steelers Tight End.

The Skins pick up one first down on a run then try some asinine throwback play with RGIII running down the sideline. Not only does Griffin push off so blatantly that every official on the field throws a flay, he gets whalloped by Ryan Clark at the end of the play. RGIII was okay, but you have to wonder what the Redskins were thinking calling a play like that.

Ben gets right back at it in the No Huddle, hitting Sanders to get us all the way into field goal range where Dwyer gets us closer but Wallace can't move the chains on 4th down. Suisham, baby.

20-6

The Redskins go 3-and-out with 2 minutes on the clock, giving the Steelers a window of opportunity to put more points up before halftime. Unfortunately, the Steelers can't take advantage of great field position after a terrible punt and have to punt it back.

The quarter ends with Washington kneeling on it.

Third Quarter

The Redskins come out and run the only play that worked for them in the first half - rolling RGIII out to the right and having him throw back to a TE on the far numbers. They execute it to perfection and wind up with a field goal.

20-9

It was all about the backfield on the next drive. Dwyer and Batch got some carries and Will Johnson got his requisite catch as the Steelers moved out to midfield before Ben hit Heath to get us into field goal range. On 3rd and 3 from the 21, Haley goes into his video game playbook and calls a direct snap to Rainey that he takes around the right end all the way down to the 2. Great blocking up front and burst from CCR to make that happen. Dwyer still can't find his first NFL touchdown, and on 2nd down Ben goes play-action and hits Will Johnson out of the backfield for the score.

27-9

Three touchdown passes, none to WRs.

The defense locks it down again and forces a punt. AB makes a great move to get free and takes it all the way back, backpedalling his way in from the 20, which draws a flag.....but in Steelers Special Teams fashion this year, there was also a block in the back, so the return is nullified. Ouch.

3-and-out for the offense leaves the Redskins with a breath of life.

They almost squander it when RGIII fumbles a snap, but the Hogs fall on it. Makes you wonder how much cold weather RGIII has played in during his career playing high school ball in Texas and college ball at Baylor.

Fourth Quarter

The Redskins work it into Steelers territory and RGIII takes a shot downfield, but Keenan Lewis breaks it up in the end zone.

In a strange turn of events, it's ruled an interception but upon review it was quite clear that the ball hit the ground. Larry Foote records our only sack of the game and the D holds them to 3.

27-12

The Steelers take over with 12 minutes to play looking to eat some time off the clock, but Sanders drops a pass on 3rd down that hits him right in the hands as he comes across the middle. He had a ton of open field in front of him too...punt.

Washington's receivers seem to forget how to catch the ball. The Skins convert a 4th down and drive into Steelers territory, but the defense stands and a 4th down drop by Santana Moss pretty much ends it.

Ground and Pound time for the Steelers with 4 minutes to go. DeAngelo Hall loses his mind and flips out for no reason on the refs. He gets flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct for taking his helmet off and engaging an official. The Steelers get 30 penalty yards and Hall gets an early exit.

From there's it's just a formality as Dwyer carries us into field goal range but Tomlin elects to run a play on 4th down rather than risk getting a field goal blocked and returned.

The Redskins give up and kneel it out after the turnover on downs.

Hello, winning record.

Players of the Game

Offensive Game Ball: Ben Roethlisberger

Defensive Game Ball: Will Allen

Honorable Mentions:

Heath Miller

Jonathan Dwyer

Keenan Lewis

James Harrison

Shaun Suisham

Final Thoughts

•  The uniforms were hideous, but the play on the field was beautiful. The offense got out to an early lead throwing the ball then used the running game to control the clock and keep RGIII off the field. The Steelers won the time of possession battle by nearly six and a half minutes, which was a key factor in controlling the momentum of the game.
• Jonathan Dwyer put together another impressive performance after not even getting a helmet for two weeks after the Oakland game. Some said he didn't get a helmet because of Mendenhall's return, but stories are coming out now that Coach Tomlin called him out after his fumble against the Raiders and wanted to send a message. Whatever it was, it certainly lit a fire under Dwyer and he has run like a man on a mission.
• Ben had 3 touchdown passes today, none of them to a wide receiver. Leonard Pope and Will Johnson caught their first touchdowns as Steelers and Heath Miller added another to a total that is rapidly approaching his career high just halfway through the season.
• Chris Rainey is stating to look more and more explosive. You often hear about the adjustment college players have to make to the speed of the game in the NFL. A guy like Rainey has the speed to make splash plays, and you can see he's starting to hit the holes and use his natural ability more. He is only going to improve moving forward and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get 5-10 touches per game the rest of the year.
• For being a patchwork unit, the offensive line is playing really well right now. It helps that Ben is throwing shorter passes and getting the ball out faster, but the line has also been dominant in run blocking. Mike Adams struggled in the preseason but is really starting to play well at right tackle. The line has a big task this week against the best defensive line in the league.
• Big Ben is 16-1 against NFC teams at home in his career. The only loss was in 2008 to the New York Giants.
• Keenan Lewis has had two excellent games opposite Ike Taylor. He struggled early in the season, and will likely draw Victor Cruz this week, but he has been all over the place in both run support and knocking passes away the last two games.
• Ryan Clark went down with a concussion, so it's up in the air if he'll be able to come back on Sunday against the Giants or not. That could be a big loss with Troy also out of the lineup. 
• Another great performance from the defense at home. RGIII made some excellent throws where only his guys could make the catch and there's not much you can do about those. That said, they held the Redskins to 86 rushing yards and held RGIII to 177 passing yards. The Steelers are 4-0 this season in games where the defense gives up less than 300 total yards and 0-3 in games where teams break the 300-yard mark.

WPIAL Playoffs First Round Results

AAAA

1. North Allegheny 42, 16. Altoona 14
9. Bethel Park 31, 8. McKeesport 20

4. Seneca Valley 50, 13. Hempfield 20
5. Mt. Lebanon 31, 12. Butler 7

2. Gateway 28, 15. Peters Twp 19
7. Woodland Hills 27, 10. North Hills 7

3. Upper St Clair 49, 14. Kiski Area 0
11. Central Catholic 30, 6. Penn-Trafford 27

Quarterfinal Matchups:
1. North Allegheny vs 9. Bethel Park
4. Seneca Valley vs 5. Mt Lebanon
2. Gateway vs 7. Woodland Hills
3. Upper St Clair vs 11. Central Catholic

AAA

1. Thomas Jefferson 42, 16. Hollidaysburg 6
8. Franklin Regional 44, 9. Elizabeth Forward 7

4. West Allegheny 48, 13. Ringgold 7
5. Montour 27, 12. Trinity 6

2. Mars 45, 15. Blackhawk 21
7. West Mifflin 28, 10. Knoch 14

3. Central Valley 17, 14. Belle Vernon 16
11. Hopewell 14, 6. Hampton 6

Quarterfinal Matchups:
1. Thomas Jefferson vs 8. Franklin Regional
4. West Allegheny vs 5. Montour
2. Mars vs 7. West Mifflin
3. Central Valley vs 11. Hopewell

AA

1. Aliquippa 55, 16. Steel Valley 0
9. Mt. Pleasant 48, 8. Burrell 28

4. Jeanette 40, 13. South Allegheny 7
5. Beaver 28, 12. Valley 14

2. South Fayette 49, 15. Freedom 13
10. Beaver Falls 28, 7. Freeport 14

3. Washington 47, 14. Shady Side Academy 12
6. Seton-La Salle 28, 11. Greensburg Central Catholic 10

Quarterfinal Matchups:
1. Aliquippa vs 9. Mt Pleasant
4. Jeanette vs 5. Beaver
2. South Fayette vs 10. Beaver Falls
3. Washington vs 6. Seton-La Salle

A

1. Clairton 58, 16. Frazier 6
9. Brentwood 34, 8. Springdale 6

13. Neshannock 42, 4. Jefferson-Morgan 14
5. Monessen 48, 12. Apollo-Ridge 19

2. Sto-Rox 40, 15. Carmichaels 7
10. Union 21, 7. Beth-Center 7

3. Rochester 35, 14. Avonworth 15
6. North Catholic 21, 11. Bishop Canevin 0

Quarterfinal Matchups:

1. Clairton vs 9. Brentwood

5. Monessen vs 13. Neshannock

2. Sto-Rox vs 10. Union

3. Rochester vs 6. North Catholic

WPIAL Playoffs First Round Previews

After the nine week regular season, the playoffs are finally upon us here in Western Pennsylvania. In Quad-A, top-seeded North Allegheny aims to win their 3rd straight WPIAL title. In AAA, a team from the Parkway Conference has played in the last 6 championship games. There was a 3-way tie atop the conference this season between Central Valley, West Allegheny, and Montour.  In AA, Aliquippa is the top seed this season and has reached the championship game in Heinz Field in each of the last 4 seasons. In Class A, Clairton carries a 56-game winning streak into the playoffs, the longest streak in the nation. Possibly the most incredible stat is that Clairton has defeated Rochester in the playoffs in each of the last 6 seasons.

AAAA

1. North Allegheny (7-0, 9-0) vs 16. Altoona (4-4, 4-5)
North Allegheny is the 2-time defending WPIAL champs and is the only remaining undefeated team in Quad-A. Altoona won the "wild card" spot to get in, but NA should run away with this game. Prediction: North Allegheny

8. McKeesport (5-3, 5-4) vs 9. Bethel Park (6-2, 6-3)
McKeesport had a disappointing season that still saw them finish 3rd in the Foothills Conference. The Tigers suffered through injuries and a down year from highly touted QB Eddie Stockett. Bethel Park was the only team to beat Upper St Clair this season, and they did so in a game where they only managed 3 first downs. Prediction: McKeesport

4. Seneca Valley (6-1, 8-1) vs 13. Hempfield (4-4, 4-5)
Seneca Valley dominated their opponents this year, averaging almost 40 points per game behind 1300-yard passer Jordan Brown and 1300-yard rusher Forrest Barnes. Hempfield's Week 1 victory over McKeesport made up for their losses to Altoona and Connellsville and got them into the playoffs. Prediction: Seneca Valley

5. Mt Lebanon (7-1, 7-2) vs 12. Butler (3-4, 4-5)
The Blue Devils saw success under a new coach this season and their only losses were in the season opener to North Allegheny and in the season finale to Upper St Clair. Butler made the playoffs for the first time in decades. Prediction: Mt Lebanon

2. Gateway (8-0, 8-1) vs 15. Peters Twp (4-4, 5-4)
The Gators were widely considered one of the best teams in Quad-A, and they will likely have the opportunity to avenge their loss to North Allegheny if they can reach the championship game. Peters Twp started fast but cooled off as the season went on. Prediction: Gateway

7. Woodland Hills (6-2, 7-2) vs 10. North Hills (4-3, 6-3)
This matchup is getting press for the legendary coaches involved. This game has all the makings of a defensive struggle at the Wolvarena. Prediction: Woodland Hills

3. Upper St Clair (7-1, 8-1) vs 14. Kiski Area (4-4, 4-5)
Don't doubt Jim Render in the playoffs. Prediction: Upper St Clair

6. Penn-Trafford (7-1, 7-2) vs 11. Central Catholic (5-2, 7-2)
The WPIAL tried to "help" Central Catholic by giving them a lower seed since they had to be seeded in the bottom half of the bracket. I'm not sure how much sense this makes, but the Vikings are a sound defensive team who should be able to shut down Penn-Trafford's mediocre offense. Prediction: Central Catholic

AAA

1. Thomas Jefferson (8-0, 9-0) vs 16. Hollidaysburg (3-5, 3-6)
TJ beat West Mifflin to remain the only unbeaten team in AAA and earn the #1 seed. Hollidaysburg got into the playoffs by winning a 3-way tie with Highlands and Indiana on Tiebreaker Points. Prediction: TJ

8. Franklin Regional (6-2, 7-2) vs 9. Elizabeth Forward (5-3, 6-3)
Franklin Regional is led by RB Dane Brown and has relied on the best defense in AAA (6.8 points per game) to get them this far. Elizabeth Forward has also excelled on the defensive side of the ball, giving up only 11.2 points per game and holding the best offense in AAA (TJ) to 21 points, their lowest output of the season. Prediction: Elizabeth Forward

4. West Allegheny (7-1, 8-1) vs 13. Ringgold (4-4, 4-5)
West Allegheny was in tight games every week this season, from the season opener against Blackhawk when it took a last-second touchdown to pull off the victory, to their 5-3 defeat of then-#1 Montour. West A is used to close games and this will come in handy in the playoffs against an average Ringgold squad. Prediction: West Allegheny

5. Montour (7-1, 8-1) vs 12. Trinity (5-3, 5-4)
In another confusing twist by the WPIAL, Trinity finished 3rd in the Big Nine Conference and beat Elizabeth Forward head-to-head yet is seeded 3 spots below them and has to face the defending champion Montour. The Spartans don't have a dominant running back like they did last year when they won the title, but they play smothering defense and still had the 4th best offense in AAA. Don't be surprised to see Montour playing in Heinz Field again this year. Prediction: Montour

2. Mars (7-1, 8-1) vs 15. Blackhawk (3-5, 3-6)
Mars beat Hampton in the regular season finale to win the Greater Allegheny Conference. Blackhawk came within a score of beating Montour in Week 7 then won their last two games to sneak into the playoffs on a 3-way tie with Ambridge and New Castle. The Cougars are explosive and feature an 1800-yard passer (Pitt recruit Chandler Kincade), a 1000-yard receiver and a 1400-yard rusher. Their biggest problem is on the other side of the ball where they allowed over 30 points per game. This has all the makings of a shootout and the biggest question will be if Blackhawk's defense can actually come up with a stop. Prediction: Mars

7. West Mifflin (7-1, 8-1) vs 10. Knoch (6-2, 7-2)
In a bit of a confusing seeding decision by the WPIAL, West Mifflin (who has the 2nd best offense and 5th best defense in AAA and whose only loss was to TJ) was seeded 7th, below a Hampton team that lost to an awful Greensburg Salem squad. This is the ROOT Sports game of the week, and we'll get to see the 3rd leading rusher in all of Western Pennsylvania, Jimmy Wheeler, who ran for 1672 yards. Knoch has a sound defense and they did topple Mars this season after losing to Hampton and Franklin Regional. Prediction: West Mifflin

3. Central Valley (7-1, 7-2) vs 14. Belle Vernon (4-4, 4-5)
Central Valley was considered by many the best team in AAA, and their only conference loss was by 1 point to Montour in overtime. The Warriors dropped a non-conference game in the last week of the season to AA Beaver Falls, but you have to wonder how much effort they were giving. The bigger issue for Central Valley is the lack of star players - one of the top recruits in the nation, Robert Foster, is suspended for this game and their leading passer and leading rusher are injured. Much like Blackhawk in the Parkway conference, Belle Vernon turned around a disappointing season and won their last two games to earn the AAA "Wild Card" spot. Prediction: Central Valley

6. Hampton (6-2, 7-2) vs 11. Hopewell (4-4, 4-5)
As I said earlier, it's a little confusing how Hampton was seeded above West Mifflin, and they may have gotten the better draw. Hopewell was a middle-of-the-road team that won enough games to get in but dropped some downright awful games against Chartiers Valley (CV's only conference win) and AA Freedom. Hampton is a good team that could easily make it to Heinz Field. Prediction: Hampton

AA

1. Aliquippa (7-0, 9-0) vs 16. Steel Valley (4-4, 4-5) at Moon
For the second year in a row, the Quips start their quest for Heinz with the Ironmen. Unfortunately this matchup of old steel towns is going to be one-sided once again as the Quips are just that much better. Prediction: Aliquippa 

8. Burrell (7-1, 8-1) vs 9. Mt. Pleasant (6-2, 7-2) at Valley
The Bucs only loss came to Freeport which cost them the conference title, and Mt Pleasant can expect a handful trying to stop 1700-yard rusher Cole Bush. The Vikings had a very solid season and came within a point of beating Jeanette. Prediction: Mt Pleasant

4. Jeanette (7-1, 8-1) vs 13. South Allegheny (6-2, 7-2) at Norwin
South Allegheny is back in the playoffs for the first time in over a decade and they get rewarded with a trip to Jeanette to play a very good Jayhawks team. Jeanette almost beat Washington but also almost lost to Mt Pleasant and GCC. Prediction: Jeanette

5. Beaver (6-1, 8-1) vs 12. Valley (5-3, 6-3)
Beaver's only loss came in the season finale to Aliquippa and they were without their leading rusher. Valley carried a 22-game losing streak into this season but beat conference champion Freeport and made the playoffs in their first season in AA. I nailed Valley as a sleeper early in the season but they're just not good enough to beat Beaver. Prediction: Beaver

2. South Fayette (8-0, 9-0) vs 15. Freedom (3-4, 4-5)
It's somewhat of a disservice to South Fayette to have a 2 next to their name as it could easily be "1B." Of all the teams that could beat Aliquippa, South Fayette might have the best chance behind the WPIAL's leading passer Brett Brumbaugh. Freedom made the playoffs after being a perennial bottom-feeder in the Midwestern conference. Prediction: South Fayette

7. Freeport (7-1, 7-2) vs 10. Beaver Falls (5-2, 6-2) at Highlands
These are two teams with utterly confusing results on their schedule. Freeport beat Burrell to win the tiebreaker for the conference title but also dropped a game to Valley and got annihilated by Washington two weeks ago. Beaver Falls squeaked by two bad teams (Keystone Oaks and New Brighton) and got smoked by Aliquippa but also beat Central Valley, one of the best teams in AAA. Prediction: Freeport

3. Washington (8-0, 9-0) vs 14. Shady Side Academy (6-2, 6-3) at Washington & Jefferson College
The leading rusher in all the WPIAL was Washington junior Shai McKenzie who rumbled for over 1900-yards this season. The Little Prexies beat Allegheny Conference champion Freeport 60-6 two weeks ago, so SSA could be in for a long night. Another strange seeding decision by the WPIAL was to seed SSA below Valley. SSA beat Valley head-to-head and finished ahead of them in the conference standings. Prediction: Washington

6. Seton-La Salle (7-1, 8-1) vs 11. Greensburg Central Catholic (5-3, 6-3) at Chartiers Valley
Seton-La Salle might be the most under-the-radar team in AA. They lost to South Fayette early in the season, but utterly dominated their opponents this season with smothering defense, pitching 4 shutouts and not giving up more than 7 points to anyone but South Fayette (who scored 51 on them). That should tell you more about just how good South Fayette is. GCC is not a dominant offensive team but has an excellent defense and they won a close game against Yough in Week 8 to earn the last playoff spot in the Interstate Conference. Prediction: Seton-La Salle

A

1. Clairton (9-0, 9-0) vs 16. Frazier (6-2, 7-2) at Belle Vernon
Bout dat 56-game streak... Prediction: Clairton

8. Springdale (6-2, 6-3) vs 9. Brentwood (6-3, 6-3) at Fox Chapel
The Dynamos are led by the 4th leading rusher in the WPIAL, Sean Dugan who ran for over 1600 yards this season. The WPIAL obviously has it out for the Dynamos, sticking them right next to Clairton on the bracket for the second consecutive season. Brentwood will need to stop Dugan if they're going to have any hope of beating Springdale. Prediction: Springdale

4. Jefferson-Morgan (6-2, 7-2) vs 13. Neshannock (7-1, 8-1) at Waynesburg High School
This is a "flipped" matchup where the WPIAL "rewarded" Neshannock (who in their eyes is the "true" #4 seed) by dropping them to 13 and giving them the easiest matchup of the first round. From a bracketology standpoint, this makes no sense, but it is what it is. See my Playoff Brackets post for a rant on this. Neshannock should dominate the Rockets. Prediction: Neshannock

5. Monessen (8-1, 8-1) vs 12. Apollo-Ridge (6-2, 6-3) at Charleroi
Monessen is led by WVU recruit Chavaz Rawlins and their only loss was to Clairton. Apollo-Ridge had an up-and-down season with big losses to North Catholic and Springdale and close wins over Northgate and Avonworth that got them in the playoffs. Prediction: Monessen

2. Sto-Rox (7-1, 8-1) vs 15. Carmichaels (6-2, 7-2) at North Hills
The Vikings were somewhat overlooked after they dropped a game to Neshannock early in the season but they stormed back to beat Rochester in the season finale and force a 3-way tie for first where they held the tiebreaker. Sto-Rox is looking to get back to Heinz Field and get another shot at Clairton. Prediction: Sto-Rox

7. Beth-Center (7-1, 8-1) vs 10. Union (5-3, 6-3) at California High School
Beth-Center won the worst conference in the WPIAL and was rewarded by being seeded below a team they beat 38-7 and finished ahead of in the standings because of WPIAL's screwy bracket logic. Union is a good team and should give the Bulldogs a run for their money. Prediction: Union

3. Rochester (7-1, 8-1) vs 14. Avonworth (5-3, 5-4) at Ambridge
These two teams played a close game in Week 1 with Rochester coming out on top 21-7. Avonworth saw downfall and redemption on 2-point conversion defense the last two weeks - Wilkinsburg converted a 2-point conversion to pull off a shocking upset in Week 8 but Avonworth got redemption and stopped rival Northgate on a 2-point try in overtime to win a Casket Match for the playoffs. Prediction: Rochester

6. North Catholic (7-1, 7-2) vs 11. Bishop Canevin (6-3, 6-3)
The Catholic Bowl should be a tight game between two teams with contrasting styles that played in the same conference the last few seasons. North Catholic was led by sophomore RB PJ Fulmore who ran for almost 1300-yards while Canevin QB Nico DiPaolo threw for over 1000 yards. The good news for the Eastern Conference champion Trojans is that they don't have to play Neshannock again and aren't on Clairton's side of the bracket. Prediction: North Catholic