RIP 2016 Steelers…

via Steelers.com

I’m not going to say much of anything right now. The hurt is still too fresh. There is plenty to be said, and I suspect we’ll all dissect it when we emerge from our depression, but at the moment I just want to celebrate the guys that came up big.

Chief among them was Ben. He didn’t always receive the help he needed from his motley crew of guys, but he made the throws and looked, at least temporarily, like Heinz Field Ben. And he passed Terry Bradshaw’s record of 300+ yard games in the post-season, which, given the recent history with Bradshaw, is a really good thing.

On Second Thought: Dophins @ Steelers

via Steelers.com

By Homer J.

THE YOUNG AND THE AGELESS

Some things will survive the nuclear holocaust. Cockroaches. Cher. The Sheetz Schmiscuit. And James Harrison will still be a force as an edge rusher after all else is rubble and ruin.

If you’re looking for the theme for Sunday’s victory, Homer suggests The Young and the Ageless. We’ll get to the young later, but let’s start with the ageless.

Steelers 2016 Third Quarter Report

via Blitzburgh

by Ivan Cole

33 seconds.

In their review of the Steelers victory over the New York Giants, Post-Gazette reporters Ed Bouchette and Gerry Dulac noted that the last 33 seconds of the Dallas game is the difference between the Steelers’ current circumstances and being 8-4 and considered in the driver’s seat for a league title.

Those 33 seconds also, less importantly, stand as the reason that Pittsburgh doesn’t have a spotless third quarter of their 2016 season. The point being made here is how seemingly small factors, rather than just the big ones, can turn a season for better or worse. Those 33 seconds, all other variables remaining constant, are the difference between anticipatory speculation concerning playoff seedings and January football and the current reality of the December Playoffs where any, and perhaps all contests carry the weight of elimination.

On Second Thought: Homer J. Opines on Many Things, Including Steelers at Colts

via Steelers.com

Homer J. left the following as a comment to yesterday’s post. It being the holiday and all, I was afraid it might be overlooked and have taken the liberty of transferring it into its own post. 

It was a lovely way to cap off the finest of American holidays. Thanksgiving is Homer’s favorite holiday, because it is so inclusive. No one is left out. We can all celebrate. Just read a piece in the San Gabriel Valley (CA) Tribune about how Chinese Turkey is becoming all the rage out there. The Chinese immigrants want to celebrate the holiday, but turkey is not traditional Chinese fare. So they figure out a way to do it up like Peking Duck, with the extra crispy skin and those great spices. And sticky rice instead of stuffing. They love it and they join in America’s holiday celebration. Then their neighbors try it and love it, too. It’s an old – and wonderful – story that’s as American as apple pie, pizza, bagels, and Taco Bell. We gather together.

Night of the Living Dead: Steelers Put a Stake in the Hearts of the Depleted Colts

via Steelers.com

I’ll admit it. I was worried again this week. Road game? Check. Backup quarterback who has thrown a total of 91 attempts in the NFL prior to the game? Check. Thanksgiving game? Check. Steelers favored by more than a touchdown before the game? Check. Thursday night game? Check. Not a highly respected defense? Check. In other words, the scene was set for an upset of massive proportions.

But it didn’t happen. The defense got three more sacks, including one for Old Man Harrison and the second for rookie Javon Hargrave. The beleaguered defensive backs came up with not one but two interceptions. (The big disappointment on the latter of the two interceptions was that William Gay was stood up immediately for no gain, thus breaking his streak of pick-sixes at five.) And the offense looked a lot more like the Heinz Field Steelers.

2016 Pittsburgh Steelers First Quarter Report, Part 2

via Steelers Wire/USA Today Sports

by Ivan Cole

In Part 1 Ivan gave a general overview of the team to this point. Here are specifics about each unit.

Offense

To be honest, until the fourth game I have found the offense to be something of a disappointment. Considered the strong aspect of the team, the one which was supposed to carry a fragile and still developing defense, too often the opposite appeared to be the case. Citing the Cincinnati game as an example, time and again the offense was handed favorable field position by the defense and special teams but could not seal the deal until late, allowing the Bengals and Washington to hang around longer than should have been the case.

The Case for the 2016 Pittsburgh Steelers: Addendum

USA Today Sports

by Ivan Cole

The ‘final’ 53

I took a risk when I put this particular series together, writing much of it before the roster had been reduced to 75, and all of it before it settled at 53. Don’t think I came away looking too foolish as a result, and I don’t think anything that has occurred has significantly altered the thrust of the issues presented. So the following represents some fine tuning as we now have a more complete picture of the team that begins the journey to secure the organization’s seventh Lombardi Trophy on September 12th.

The Case for the 2016 Pittsburgh Steelers: Part 4

via cameronheyward.com

by Ivan Cole

This may seem like I am contradicting myself, but after gushing over the stratospheric potential of the Steelers offense, I believe the most intriguing aspect of the 2016 squad may well be the defense.

Where the defense is at the start of the season, and more importantly, where they will be in the middle and the end is harder to read for a variety of reasons. We can begin with the global perspective.

Scouting for Steelers Part 3: Farther Back on the Defensive Front

Charles LeClaire, USA Today Sports

I covered the first half of the game from the standpoint of the defensive front in Part 2,  and we’ll move on to the second half of the game, where a host of young guys had a opportunity to catch the eye of the coaching staff.

Scouting for Steelers, Part II: Defensive Front

Nate Guldry/Post-Gazette

As I explained in Part I, I decided to go back and review the Steelers/Lions games from the standpoint of a scout, since the Steelers are clearly setting up their game plan with the idea of winning it as a very secondary concern. So let’s look at some of the guys on the bubble in the defensive front.

The first question is, who was getting the playing time, and where? I would go through and figure it out myself except that there’s no need to duplicate the fine work done by Dave Bryan at Steelers Depot. The big questions are, 1. Who starts at nose tackle in the 3-4 alignment, 2. Who backs up Tuitt and Heyward, and 3. Who plays in the sub-packages?