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Week Sixteen: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 16:27:00 +0000

The season all comes down to this. After losing four our of five games, it is stunning that this game even means anything. Drama queen wide receivers, apparent tension between quarterback and offensive coordinator, and a rash of injuries to quality players have been the story of the year. The four game win streak of late October and early November seems like a century away. Quite frankly, this team doesn't deserve to compete for a championship. However, the opportunity is still there and they have to wrestle it away from an up and coming team that has struggled to take the next step.

Steelers Offense vs. Bengals Defense: Earlier this season, the Steelers were putting up offensive numbers that hadn't been seen by this team before. Since Ben Roethlisbergers injury, a lot of that shine has turned to rust. Possibly, seeing the Bengals could rekindle the fire seeing as they were a victim of a lot of offensive output the last time they saw the Steelers this year. That game saw the emergence of Jonathan Dwyer who started a string of three straight 100 yard rushing games by the black and gold.

All the Steelers really have to do on offense is play smart. That's a lot easier said than done of late. Over this recent string of losses we've seen every running back fumble in one game, Mike Wallace drop an infinite amount of passes, Antonio Brown do....whatever it was that he was doing last week, even Roethlisberger throwing an interception on his side of the field in over time. Almost every mistake is a mental thing right now. That makes it sound like it is easy to fix but it isn't because there is no drill you can do in practice that can correct mental errors.

Assuming the players on the offensive side of the ball actually do realize the enormity of this game, it's going to come down to the offensive line's ability to protect Roethlisberger. The line held up decently last week in rookie David DeCastro's first game. But they are going to have to be better than that today. This Bengal defense will certainly give up it's fair share of point if you can beat their pass rush but that is easier said than done. The Bengals come into this game with the most sacks of any defense in the league and DeCastro will get his first big test by being matched up most of the day with a defensive tackle in Geno Atkins who has 10.5 sacks.

Steelers Defense vs. Bengals Offense: It is extremely difficult at this point to even remember who plays for the Steelers on defense. They are so banged up on that side of the ball that it literally is an "all hands on deck" type of effort that they have to give. That is especially true in the secondary where Ike Taylor is going to miss yet another game and an injured Keenan Lewis is going to be left to guard A.J. Green. Sure, you can double team Green or give Lewis some safety help. But all that does is leave Cortez Allen alone on the other side and we all saw how well that worked out a couple of weeks ago against the Chargers.

Dropping everyone back into coverage to help the banged up secondary isn't an option either. The Bengals run a balanced style of offense by today's NFL standards. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has turned out to be a fantastic pick up for them. The Steelers defense isn't nearly as stout against the run as it has been in the past and if they have to take extra defenders out of the box to help the secondary, Green-Ellis could have a big day.

Quite frankly, the scenario where the ball is given to the Law Firm a significant amount of times is the one that Marvin Lewis probably prefers. Despite the banged up secondary of the Steelers, Andy Dalton has had some of his worst games as a professional against the Steelers. Earlier this year, he threw an interception and barely broke over the 100 yard mark. He threw two interceptions in a game last year and was so bad in the other one that he ended up being replaced by Bruce Gradkowski in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Honestly, the only reason to feel confident about the Steelers in this game is because the Steelers are the Steelers and the Bengals are the Bengals. All other signs point to the Steelers having a disappointing Christmas. That being said, that one reason is a pretty good one considering recent history. But that being said, I am not going to pick the Steelers to win this game mainly because I feel like a jinx. Two of the last three games between these teams has ended 24-17 so why not? Bengals 24, Steelers 17.

Week Fifteen: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Yes, it is already the fifteenth week of the NFL season and it is one of those years where fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be sweating it out until the final snap. The playoffs are far from a sure thing and currently, they actually find themselves temporarily on the outside looking in after the Bengals' throttling of the Eagles on Thursday night. The Steelers also will be squaring off against an NFC East foe and it's a familiar one. It's a rivalry that's old enough to remember when calling the Dallas Cowboys "America's Team" wasn't a laughable statement. It's not the Super Bowl but this one has playoff implications for both teams.

Steelers Offense vs. Cowboys Defense: You are rarely ever going to see the Steeler offense look as flat as it did last week against the Chargers. Ben Roethlisberger was making his return from a potentially life threatening injury and was still the only one that came to play. They have to come out with more energy and more focused today. Continuous drops by the wide receivers is something that is unacceptable.

It is not an option to take Mike Wallace off of the field when he starts dropping balls because he is still an asset because of the way he stretches the field. But don't be surprised to see his role be a bit more limited. After the game last week, Roethlisberger seemed to be hinting towards wanting Plaxico Burress on the field more often. While that's far from a game changing strategy given Burress' age and place on the depth chart, it could add a different dimension to the offense. Especially with Morris Claiborne out for the Cowboys with an injury.

The offensive line needs to have a better performance against the Cowboys as well. They have been solid for most of the year but last week was a poor show. Given, they were on their third string right tackle and Willie Colon went down with his annual injury, but it was still bad. We're going to see a different group out there today. Kelvin Beachum will still start at right tackle and by his side will be another rookie, the highly touted David DeCastro making his season debut. Ramon Foster is going to move to the left side to replace Colon. In pass protection, they may be helped by the fact that DeMarcus Ware is nursing an injury but he will still be a handful. Expect Jonathan Dwyer to make an impact in this game though. He's a bruising between the tackles runner and the Cowboys are on what feels like their 35th string nose tackle. Pounding the rock right at that weakness could give this makeshift offensive line some much needed confidence.

Steelers Defense vs. Cowboys Offense: If you want to talk about injuries, look no further than this side of the ball for the Steelers. The defense that has been tops in the NFL for most of the year is likely to drop a spot or two thanks to a gaggle of injuries in the secondary which has been a big reason for that top ranking. They finally got the oft injured Troy Polamalu back a couple of weeks ago but with that, everyone else seemed to go down. Ike Taylor is going to miss another game and he'll be joined on the sidelines by Cortez Allen who is also injured. Even Keenan Lewis is a bit banged up but he is going to play.

So what do all of these injuries mean for the Steelers? It means that Lewis and either Curtis Brown or Josh Victorian are going to be starting. Lewis has been solid for most of the year but the Cowboys have a very talented group of receivers. The Steelers should be helped by the fact that Dez Bryant will be playing injured but he's still playing which causes problems. We're going to see Robert Golden and Demarcus Van Dyke likely activated. It's going to be a group effort. Someone is going to have to step up to prevent this from turning into a shootout.

Prediction: Both teams are beat up and both teams are 7-6 and fighting for their playoff lives. The game probably means more for the Cowboys in the extremely competitive NFC and that's probably a good thing for the Steelers since we all know how well Tony Romo plays under pressure. While winning would be nice for the Steelers, the game that really matters for them is next week against the Bengals. Win or lose, they'll still basically control their playoff destiny. The Steelers should be feeling no pressure. They should be loose and willing to take advantage of Romo's tendency to crack under pressure. Don't expect much defense in this game but expect a splash defensive play to end up being the difference. Steelers 31, Cowboys 27.

Week Thirteen: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Two weeks ago, the overall feeling among Pittsburgh Steelers fans was that their team had no chance with Byron Leftwich starting in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger. However, the Steelers held their own and ultimately ended up with a chance to win the game. But somehow in just two weeks, things have gotten worse. Charlie Batch is now going to be taking snaps against the Baltimore Ravens just one week after he was pathetic in a loss to the Cleveland Browns. Win or lose, chances at winning the division are pretty much over. But this is still a divisional game which could mean something when it comes to holding off Cincinnati.

Steelers Offense vs. Ravens Defense: The defense of the Baltimore Ravens is not very good. A Roethlisberger led offense could likely pick them apart, especially with Todd Haley's style of offense. Batch can't do it though. He proved last week that he just can't sling it anymore. Sure, he will be helped by the fact that Antonio Brown should return to the lineup but that will only be a slight help. That's not an insult to Brown. It's just a statement to how bad Batch was last week. It probably wouldn't have mattered who the wide receivers were.

So, don't throw the ball! Rely on the run! With who? All four running backs on the roster coughed up the ball against the Browns last week. A couple of them coughed it up more than once. They were just lucky enough to have someone wearing the same style of jersey fall on top of it. Who do you trust? Jonathan Dwyer is probably the best option if you take a step back and just reset everything. That being said, all four of these guys know what happens when you turn the ball over. It's going to be in the back of their heads.

Ultimately, no matter what the Steelers decide to do offensively, it is not going to rule the day. Field position is going to be key. Not turning the ball over is going to be even more important. And coming off a game where the ball was turned over eight times doesn't exactly breathe confidence in that area. Best case scenario is that this becomes a very boring game filled with a lot punting.

Steelers Defense vs. Ravens Offense: Maybe he's actually healthy. Maybe it's just a motivational boost to a team that doesn't have much confidence. Regardless, Troy Polamalu is going to be roaming the field for the first time without being in street clothes since week five. Don't expect it to last too long. For someone who has been saying all year that he would never play another down in the NFL, you can sense my surprise that he's even going to go. It's not much to get excited about though. He's not going to play every down. He's going to get breaks. And the defense has played very well without him. The hope here is for him to create one of his patented splash plays that Joe Flacco knows all too much about.

As was the case two weeks ago, the Steelers' best friend in this game is going to be Cam Cameron. To a lot of people's surprise, he actually ran the ball a decent amount of the time in the last meeting. However, Ray Rice was pretty unsuccessful, at least one the ground. That fact alone means that Cameron is going to fall in love with Flacco again. Expect him to sling it all over the place.

The key is going to be keeping Rice out of the passing game. If Cameron didn't utilize his best player at all, he wouldn't have a job. He has a way of keeping Rice involved even though it's not traditional or necessarily agreed with. He has to be doing something right if his team is 9-2 with a below average defense. Cameron likes to create mismatches with Rice in the passing game. He did that two weeks ago. The longest pass play of the game was a pass to Rice. It wouldn't be a shock to see Polamalu largely utilized in an attempt to shut that down.

Prediction: Best case scenario is that this game is extremely ugly and boring. Not even great defense. Just extremely ugly offense. It certainly has the potential to be that. The big thing for the Steelers is going to be taking care of the ball. And I'm not extremely confident about that after last week. You can't coach away eight turnovers. Sure, some of them can be coached out but when there are that many, it's a talent problem. With the injuries this team has suffered, they just aren't talented enough. Just have to get through this, get Roethlisberger healthy, and move forward. Ravens 20, Steelers 7.

Week Twelve: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:28:00 +0000

Raise your hand if you thought that in the 2012 season, we would see Charlie Batch throwing passes to Plaxico Burress. Now put your hand down because you are a terrible liar. Injuries, injuries, and more injuries have left the Steelers desperate enough to call one of their former first round picks from over a decade ago. They are also left starting a quarterback who seems like the players viewed more as a coach than a teammate. All of this isn't necessarily bad though. Batch has a good history as a Steeler against the Cleveland Browns. And as much as people want to say that they Browns are better than their record, they still only have two wins. That doesn't mean they should be taken lightly. It just means that we need to be realistic.

Steelers Offense vs. Browns Defense: The Browns have some talent on defense. They just don't have a lot of talent in certain spots. They have a defensive line that can get after the quarterback with guys like Jabaal Sheard who Steeler fans are familiar with from his time at Pitt. The problem with their line is that it doesn't have an identity. When they are committed to stopping the run, they can do it. When they are committed to getting after the quarterback, they can do it. They just haven't been very good at doing both in the same game. In this game, you can bet that they are going to sell out to stop the run and make Batch beat them with his arm.

The Steelers offensive effectiveness is going to depend largely on who's beat up group on the outside is better. Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders will be starting at wide receiver and then after that, you're relying on Burress or guys ripped from the practice squad. The positive is that they will be facing a beat up secondary. Joe Haden, by far their best corner, is likely going to play but he's been battling an injury. And he isn't going to have much help. Dimitri Patterson and Buster Skrine are both going to be missing from the secondary with their injuries. On this side of the ball, it's going to look a lot like a preseason game.

Even though the Browns are going to want Batch to beat them, it's not going to stop Haley from trying to establish the run seeing as that's where the Steelers are the healthiest. Which is kind of funny seeing as up until this point, it has been the running back having to deal with the most injuries. The best way for the running game to be effective is to ride the hot hand. Just because Rashard Mendenhall is a first round pick and possibly the most talented back on the roster does not mean that you need to force feed him. Jonathan Dwyer has been the most effective back this entire season. He was the most effective back against Baltimore last week. He runs hard. He runs straight. He is going to have the best chance of loosening up the eight man fronts that the Steelers are going to see from the Browns.

Steelers Defense vs. Browns Offense: The times where Cleveland has the ball is when we're actually going to see starters play football. Both sides are relatively healthy outside of the guys on the Steelers side that have had injury problems all season. The Steelers are going to take the same strategy as the Browns are when it comes to defense. It's going to all about stopping the run even though the Browns have shown all year that they aren't afraid to put games in the hands of their rookie quarterback.

Stopping the passing game really shouldn't be much of a problem. Outside of the first few weeks of the season, shutting down teams in the air is what the Steelers have done. And they have done it against much more talented receiving corps than that of the Browns. Josh Gordon is their leading receiver to this point of the season and he has barely cracked the 400 yard mark. Ike Taylor should have no problem taking care of business against him.

Putting eight men in the box may be exactly what is needed to stop the run game. Trent Richardson has been fantastic in his rookie campaign. And it's no secret that the Steelers, in certain situations, have struggled to stop the run. The problem has been compounded when teams commit to running the ball to the side that Ziggy Hood occupies. Filling gaps on the inside and sealing the edge on the outside is going to be the biggest job for the linebackers as long as the game remains close.

Prediction: There are a ton of injuries on offense. The Steelers have struggled against bad teams all season. But if you really expect me to say that the Steelers are going to lose against a two win Browns team, you're smoking. The game may be closer than I want it to be but it will be a win. Steelers 21, Browns 17.

Week Eleven: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 15:32:00 +0000

Old and slow. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense. At least that's what we were told through the first handful of weeks of the NFL season. Right division. Wrong team. The Baltimore Ravens, the mighty Baltimore Ravens, have been struggling mightily on defense all season. Given, injuries have been a big reason for that. They started the year without Terrell Suggs and by the time he came back, Ray Lewis and Lardarius Webb were sidelined. But as much as they want to use that as an excuse, they can't. The Steelers have dealt with the same problems with James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, and the occasional injuries from Ryan Clark and LaMarr Woodley. This is an important game for both teams as it always is. But it's going to take on a different look compared to those battles in the past.

Steelers Offense vs. Ravens Defense: I sort of buried the lead in my introduction to this game. The biggest story is certainly the fact that Ben Roethlisberger won't be on the field after almost getting killed on Monday night. That leaves Byron Leftwich as the starting quarterback who believe it or not, has never started a game for the Steelers. Largely because he has had injury problems of his own. In any case, Leftwich is a solid back up. One of the best in the league. Off the top of my head, I can only think of about five backups I'd rather have. But that doesn't change the fact that the game plan is going to have to drastically change with him behind center.

First of all, the running game doesn't necessarily has to change but it has to be effective. Rashard Mendenhall is going to start today after dealing with his rash of injuries. Mike Tomlin has been saying that he would ride the hot hand. Well neither Isaac Redman or Jonathan Dwyer were very hot on Monday night against the Chiefs. So that puts Mendenhall on the field against the league's 26th ranked rush defense.

If Monday wasn't proof that the passing attack needs to change with Leftwich, then I don't know what is. Todd Haley came to Pittsburgh on a platform that he didn't necessarily have a system and that he called plays to his personnel's skill set. That means that the dink and dunk offense is going to have to go away for a few weeks. Leftwich just can't do that. He's not quick enough. The wide receiver screens and short passes that have had so much success this season were failing miserably on Monday night. However, when Leftwich was given the opportunity to throw intermediate to deep passes, he looked pretty good. Of course, changing the style of passing puts more pressure on an offensive line which has had an unexpectedly large amount of success this year, but it's the only way.

Steelers Defense vs. Ravens Offense: It is certainly a fact that the Ravens are now an offensive team rather than a defensive one. That remains true despite the enormous amount of credit that Joe Flacco receives for essentially no reason. The only time he has been the best quarterback on the field over the course of this rivalry have been the games in which Roethlisberger hasn't played. Unfortunately, this will be one of those games.

Even though Flacco is going to be the best quarterback on the field on Sunday, it doesn't change the fact that he shouldn't be the focal point of the Ravens offense. The Ravens have a tendency to fall in love with their weapons in the passing game and totally forget about the fact that they have one of the top five running backs in the NFL. For the Steelers sake, they should hope that this is one of those games where they will put it on Flacco. This defense is better defending the pass than they are the run, especially with the emergence of Keenan Lewis. Kansas City proved how the Steelers run defense can be gashed. It's up to the Ravens to take advantage of that.

Maybe the biggest key for the Steelers defensively is the fact that Clark is going to play. He sustained his second concussion in a matter of three weeks in the last game but he has been cleared to play. While that terrifies me and I really wish he wouldn't play for his own well being, from a pure football standpoint it is fantastic for the Steelers. He has played at an All-Pro quality with his partner in crime in the secondary out for most of the season.

Prediction: A lot of Steeler fans are taking the bridge with Roethlisberger's injury being a big problem. I don't think it's as bad as a lot of people think. At least not for this week. I will probably be singing an entirely different tune when the Steelers travel to Baltimore in two weeks. But at home, in this situation, I think they can do enough to keep the game close and pull it out in the end. That being said, I don't think it's going to happen. They will keep it close but I don't think it is going to be enough. Ravens 19, Steelers 17

Week Ten: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 17:47:00 +0000

Yet another prime time game with the Kansas City Chiefs. Why do these keep happening? At least Tyler Palko won't be involved in this one. There really isn't much to this game at all. The Pittsburgh Steelers are beginning to hit their stride and are riding a three game win streak. The Chiefs are just all different kinds of awful. This game should be over by halftime for all intents and purposes. The problem is that the Steelers never do things that way. What should happen and what will happen are often two totally different things with this team. Especially when it comes to playing teams that aren't any good.

Steelers Offense vs. Chiefs Defense: There is really no escaping the one and only story line in this game. It's going to get brought to the forefront ad nauseum throughout the entire broadcast on Monday night. Of course that is Todd Haley returning to Kansas City where he was fired as the head coach last year. Essentially it's the media making a story where there isn't one. If Romeo Crennel came in and won and made Haley look like an idiot, we could talk about it. But the Chiefs are just awful. No coach is changing that. Let's move on.

The run game of the black and gold which has been given a life that it hasn't had for years is getting another boost this week. The backfield is the healthiest it's been since the streak of 100 yard games started with only Rashard Mendenhall being out of the lineup. Jonathan Dwyer will be active after missing last week but Isaac Redman will be getting the start after his career day against the Giants. The run game will be getting another assist. Dwyer and Redman are both largely between the tackle runners which means to stop them, the middle of the defense has to be strong. Well Glenn Dorsey will be missing this game with an injury. That will also effect the Chiefs' hopes for a pass rush. Dorsey is largely responsible for eating up the blockers to free Tamba Hali on the outside. That will now be the responsibility of Shaun Smith.

Despite giving up an average of 30 points per game, the Chiefs' defense isn't nearly as bad as you would think it is. Statistically, they fall in the middle of the pack in almost every category. The points that they give up is largely a byproduct of their pathetic offense. They are forced to spend a lot of time on the field and they are often defending a short field. The Steeler offense could have problems moving the ball if the Chief offense is effective enough to not put their defense in vulnerable positions. But that is a huge if.

Steelers Defense vs. Chiefs Offense: Have I mentioned yet how awful the Chiefs offense is? Well, it's worth pounding the fact. This offense has more than double the amount of turnovers than it has touchdowns. Matt Cassel alone almost has triple the amount of turnovers than touchdowns. That's not an exaggeration. He has turned the ball over 18 times to just seven touchdowns.

The bad thing is that if they didn't turn the ball over so much, they would actually be really effective. They are the third best team in the league running the football. Jamaal Charles has shown no ill effects from his season ending injury last season. Dexter McCluster is a matchup nightmare and he can be lined up all over the field as a running back, slot receiver, and Wildcat quarterback. Peyton Hillis provides them with an effective short yardage back. But unfortunately, they can't run the ball on every down. They need to throw so defenses won't constantly stack nine in the box and often when they throw the ball, it ends with the other team possessing it.

The biggest thing to keep an eye on from a defensive standpoint is Cassel's propensity for putting the ball on the ground. He has lost seven fumbles already this year and it's not going to be any easier in this game. Branden Albert is having a solid year at left tackle this season but he'll be taking on one of his biggest challenges to this point in James Harrison. If that isn't bad enough, Albert has been fighting a back injury that has limited him in practice all week. If his mobility is hindered during the game, Harrison is going to have a field day using his ability to create leverage. If Cassel gets rid of the ball quickly, he throws a lot of interceptions. If he holds onto it, he takes a lot of hits that often end in fumbles. Anything less than a multiple turnover output from the defense will be a disappointment.

Prediction: All indications seem to point to a Steelers blowout, correct? Well if you have been watching this team as long as I have, you know that somehow, someway, that won't happen. The Steelers have a sickness when it comes to playing down to their competition. The only awful team that they ever blow out is the Browns. And so far this year, the only game they won comfortably is the Redskins game and they've already lost two games to inferior opponents. That being said, neither of those teams were quite as bad as the Chiefs. The Steelers are going to win their fourth straight game. It's just going to be a lot closer than people expect. Steelers 16, Chiefs 7

Week Nine: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants Reaction

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 23:48:00 +0000

Do you know what the worst thing is about games in which officials royally mess things up? It isn't that it can potentially effect the outcome of the game. It's that you have idiots all over the place screaming that the fix was in because of the natural disaster that the other team's city just went through. Give me a break. Maybe I'm naive but unless a significant amount of money is changing hands somewhere, I doubt an official is going to make a call just because he "feels bad." Well that's one thing the Steelers had to deal with on Sunday against the New York Giants. There were plenty of bad calls in the game, most of which going against the Steelers that kept the Giants in the game.

Steelers Offense vs. Giants Defense: A couple of different contributors had to step up big for the offense in this game. The running backs were already short because of the injuries to Rashard Mendenhall and Jonathan Dwyer. That meant that Isaac Redman would be forced to carry the load. That became even more important when Chris Rainey got hurt during the game. But that was no problem. Redman was outstanding, toting the rock for 147 yards including the would be game winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The offensive line deserves a lot of credit for the resurgence of the run game. Mike Adams has had his hiccups in the pass game but ever since coming in for the injured Marcus Gilbert, he has been a dominant force in the run game and is a huge reason for the success over the past three games.

Emmanuel Sanders was another guy lower on the depth chart that had to step up to the plate in this game. Antonio Brown was injured relatively early in the game and never returned. That forced Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery into increased roles and both responded well. Sanders made the biggest impact though. He caught the first touchdown of the game which is the only lead the Steelers would have until the final score of the game. He had a long punt return later in the game where the punter ended up bringing him down. The only bad thing about that was the Steelers came up with no points on the drive after failing on a fake field goal near the goal line. Sanders also had a big catch on a third down on the final drive of the game to essentially ice it.

Ben Roethlisberger went into Eli Manning's house and out Eli-ed him. By no means did either quarterback play great, especially Manning, but Roethlisberger did enough to get his team a win. The only big mistake he made was a bad interception on his own side of the field that led to a Giants field goal. He also fumbled that was returned for a touchdown to give the Giants their first lead of the game but that wasn't a mistake by Roethlisberger. It was an awful call that they still got wrong after a review. No matter who you are or how you try to spin it, that is not a fumble. Never has been, never will be.

Steelers Defense vs. Giants Offense: Despite all that was said about the Steelers' defense earlier in the season, they have stepped up in the biggest way over the past three games. However, this one was the real test. The Bengals and Redskins did not have the type of wide receiver corps that could exploit the secondary which is presumed to be the weak link of this defense. The Giants do have that kind of group but they were never able to get anything going.

There are plenty of excuses to be made for why the Giants' receivers were not effective on Sunday. Manning was clearly not at his best. He was off target with more throws than not. Victor Cruz wasn't really himself after the first quarter when he took a shot to the ribs by Ryan Clark who was the victim of another bad call. He was called for making helmet to helmet contact on the play. However, Cruz ended up with bruised ribs. How does that work? Lastly, the excuse could also be made that Hakeem Nicks hasn't been healthy all season.

With all of those excuses being out of the way, the fact is that the secondary played outstanding. The most noticeable player back there was Keenan Lewis. He defended three passes in the first quarter before most players even broke a sweat. The only thing that didn't go his way was a pass interference call on the Giants' first touchdown drive that was nowhere close to pass interference. Throw in the fact that the touchdown they scored on the drive wasn't really a touchdown and you have a perfect trifecta of poor calls during that possession.

Reaction: I can not really understate how big of a win this is for confidence reasons. It really doesn't matter much in the standings. The Steelers are still a game back of the Ravens and it was a non conference win so it isn't going to change too much. That being said, I think it is the turning point of the season. This team flew to New York the morning of the game. They sustained two big injuries during the game and the replacements came in and not only played well, but made big plays and were arguably the best players on the field at times. Roethlisberger came in and led a fourth quarter comeback against a guy that people were beginning to call the best fourth quarter quarterback in the league. The defense shut down an elite quarterback and are finding their stride despite still playing without their best player in Troy Polamalu. All cylinders are beginning to click at the same time which is big with two game coming up against the Ravens in the next four weeks.

Week Nine: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 01:17:00 +0000

Apologies for the lack of writing about the game last week. I got a new job and found out my wife is pregnant with our second child so it's been an eventful week. But I'm back so let's go. Leave it to Mother Nature to take a game with an infinite amount of story lines and make another one. Looking at the game alone, it was already arguably the marquee match-up of the week. It pits the Super Bowl champions who have been excellent to this point against a Steelers team who has seemed to find their way over the past couple of weeks. It's also a match-up between two first round draft picks of one of the best quarterback classes of recent history, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning. Both of which have two Super Bowl rings to their credit. Then throw in Hurricane Sandy, the natural disaster that has essentially shut down a large portion of New York and New Jersey. The hotel that the Steelers had booked for the game still has no power. For that reason, the Steelers have been granted permission by the league to fly out the morning of the game. Something that NFL players are hardly accustomed to.

Steelers Offense vs. Giants Defense: The Giants are essentially the epitome of a bend but don't break defense. Just by looking at the scores of their games, one would assume that their defense has been fantastic. That hasn't necessarily been the case. They have been a good scoring defense which is ultimately all that matters but teams have been able to move the ball on them. They are in the middle of the pack in rushing and passing defense. They're even a bit below average in passing defense. The success of their pass defense is largely predicated on putting pressure on the quarterback with their myriad of defense linemen. That could cause a problem for the Giants because the Steelers have done a much better job protecting Roethlisberger than in years past under Todd Haley's offense.

Another reason that the Steelers should be able to have success through the air is because of the Giants' depleted linebacker corps. They have three injured linebackers, two of which have already been ruled out for Sunday's game. That should make Heath Miller, who has been a bigger part of the offense than in past years, a big target. Forcing safeties to help out in the middle of the field could open things up for the burners on the outside.

Lastly, don't forget that the Steelers finally have a running back who has rushed for back to back 100 yard games. That's something that hasn't happened for four years. Given, Jonathan Dwyer did have that success against two inferior defenses but the Giants aren't a great run stopping team either. While running the ball shouldn't be the primary focus with the Giants problems in pass coverage, the passing game could very well open things up for Dwyer to make another big impact. Of course that is all dependent on how Dwyer bounces back from his quad injury that he sustained on his final carry of last week's contest.

Steelers Defense vs. Giants Offense: Much like the case was last year, people are starting to forget about the "old and slow" talk in reference to the Steelers defense that we heard so much of after the first handful of games. However, much like the running game, the success has been more because of the opponent than anything else. Don't forget, the Redskins has ten dropped passes on Sunday. Things could have been at least somewhat different if even half of those passes are caught.

Regardless of whether the recent success of the defense is legitimate or not, this isn't going to be an easy game. The Giants offense is similar to the Steelers in at least one way and it comes to the running game. They aren't extremely successful on the ground but they rarely give up on it. They at least keep teams honest by not becoming one dimensional though with the group of receivers that they have, becoming one dimensional probably wouldn't hinder their success that much.

Ike Taylor is probably going to be the most important player on the field on Sunday. That's assuming that he will be the one that is matched up with Victor Cruz. After his horrid start to the season, Taylor rebounded nicely with a terrific game against A.J. Green of the Bengals and then another good game last week. Keenan Lewis has also stepped it up in recent weeks. But the combination of Cruz and Hakeem Nicks is an entirely different animal. Stopping them is just not going to happen. Playing well enough that they don't beat you is what is necessary. The Giants have been successful this year with a bend but don't break defense. The Steelers are going to have to be the same way on Sunday. Giving up field goals is not going to be a bad thing.

Prediction: If all things were equal, I think this would be a fantastic match-up and quite possibly the best game that we would watch as Steeler fans this year. I include the games against the Ravens in that. I sincerely think that the potential was there for an excellent game. However, thanks to the weather I think a lot of that changes. The transportation issues don't seem like a big deal to the average fan but professional athletes are creatures of habit. Flying out the morning of a game is something that these guys are not used to. It is going to effect preparation and preparation is key in games of this magnitude. I'm struggling to see a way that the Steelers pull out a win this week. Giants 34, Steelers 24

Week Seven: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 14:17:00 +0000

It is the first divisional game this season for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the stakes are already high. Both the Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals have gotten off to less than ideal starts. They are both already multiple games behind the first place Baltimore Ravens and a loss today all but eliminates that team from contention for the division crown. The only thing that doesn't make this game a must win less than half way through the season is the fact that the entire AFC is struggling. The Ravens and Houston Texans are the only two teams in the division over .500 and one of them is guaranteed to take a loss today as they face each other.

Steelers Offense vs. Bengals Defense: The success of the Steelers' offense today is going to be dependent on their execution. The Bengals' defense is nothing to fear but they aren't going to roll over and die either. They are in the middle of the pack in almost every defensive category. They have even struggled to force turnovers which was the cause for most of their success last campaign. One thing that they do extremely well is get to the quarterback. They have 20 sacks as a team this season which is second in the league to only the Green Bay Packers.

That one thing that the Bengals do extremely well could cause problems. The Steelers have had more success this year protecting Ben Roethlisberger than they have in past seasons. A large reason for that is Todd Haley's offense which is more prone to timing patterns and getting the ball out quickly. However, that might not even be enough to save Roethlisberger on this day. The offensive line is banged up badly. Of course, we all know that David DeCastro still isn't ready to play, though he's progressing better than anyone could have expected. Marcus Gilbert will be out of the lineup and replaced by Mike Adams who will be making his first career start. Also, Maurkice Pouncey is banged up but he plans on playing. That being said, John Malecki was promoted to the active roster and the Mike Tomlin has said that he'll consider dressing eight linemen instead of the standard seven.

Though the Steelers are not a running team anymore, this is a game where running the ball a bit could be a good strategy. It would give the new linemen the ability to just bang bodies and gain some confidence. But there's one problem with that. Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman will both be inactive with injuries which will mean that Jonathan Dwyer will be making his first career start. Baron Batch will probably see his fair share of carries as well since he was the most effective runner against Tennessee. That being said, the big plays on offense are going to have to come through the air as per usual.

Steelers Defense vs. Bengals Offense: It has become difficult to explain why the Steeler defense should be able to stop anyone. That almost seems ridiculous when you take into account that the team is still fourth in the league in defense. The issue is that the numbers actually do lie when it comes to this defense. If football games were only 45 minutes long, this defense would be fantastic but the fourth quarter has been a danger zone for the Steelers this year. Even teams as bad as the Tennessee Titans have taken advantage of that.

Troy Polamalu is once again inactive which is something that the Steelers just need to accept is going to be a problem for the rest of the season. LaMarr Woodley's hamstring is apparently well enough for him to play which means that the Steelers will have a rare scenario where he and James Harrison are both on the field at the same time. However, the key is going to be whether they both finish the game. Having them both on the field all day is probably the only thing this defense can hang their hats on.

One thing that has to happen for the Steelers to be successful in this game is for them to realize that Ike Taylor is not going to be able to watch A.J. Green by himself. Taylor is having arguably his worst season since being a starter. He's getting beat down the field way too often and when he does, he commits a penalty. Green is arguably the best wide receiver in the entire division. Being arrogant enough to believe that Taylor won't need help in that match-up is a losing strategy.

Prediction: This game is almost impossible to predict. The Steelers have played three consecutive games that have come down to a last second field goal. They play to the level of their competition. They have an inability to put teams away. And they are ineffective defensively in clutch situations. So that means the Bengals win, right? Not so fast. The Bengals have lost consecutive games to the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. And they haven't come down to last second field goals. Andy Dalton isn't taking care of the ball the way he did last season. Even Benjarvus Green-Ellis had his first fumble of his career in the Miami loss. That's where the Steelers have an advantage. Roethlisberger has only thrown two interceptions all year and the team as a whole has only lost two fumbles. That is the one and only thing that has me picking the Steelers in this game. But it's going to be another close one. Steelers 24, Bengals 20.

The Steeler Way Is Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:06:00 +0000

The Dallas Cowboys. The Baltimore Ravens. The Cincinnati Bengals. These are some of the past and present rivals of the Pittsburgh Steelers. One thing that Steelers fans pride themselves in when talking trash to fans from these cities is the rap sheets of their players. Steeler fans were always allowed to do this because they were different. Their players were held to a higher standard. We didn't need to worry about those problems. And that was referred to as the "Steeler Way." Now while the Steelers aren't signing convicted murderers off of the street, the higher standard that they once held their players to no longer exists.

Prior to Monday morning, most fans (even Steeler fans) had absolutely no idea who Alameda Ta'amu was. He is a rookie defensive tackle that the Steelers drafted in the fourth round hoping that he would one day develop into a replacement for the aging Casey Hampton. He struggled in training camp and was beaten convincingly for the backup spot by Steve McLendon but those are typical struggles for a rookie. He has yet to be activated for a regular season game which goes a long way in explaining why he was basically an unknown.

Now he is all but a household name in the city of Pittsburgh and it isn't because he has rejuvenated the defense. Ta'amu was arrested over the weekend and faces a laundry list of charges which include driving under the influence, aggravated assault with a vehicle, and resisting arrest. Quite frankly, it would be easier for me to tell you what he wasn't arrested for. For more details on the situation itself, check out this article from Deadspin.

Now Ta'amu is an unknown in the league that has yet to do anything to prove that he can be a legitimate NFL player. And while he has yet to have his day in court, it is painfully obvious that he at least did something wrong that night. After all, his blood alcohol content was .196 and he weighs 348 pounds. In case you're wondering, that's approximately a case of beer in five hours. If I drank the same amount, my BAC would be .633 aka dead.

Ta'amu's big punishment was handed down on Tuesday. He got a two game suspension. That's it. Two games for a guy that doesn't play to begin with. To be fair, that is only until his court date and then he will all likelihood be released.

This is just a part of a bigger problem. The Steelers have changed their standards. They are now the same as every other team in the NFL. If you are a good player, you get a free pass. If you aren't, pack your bags. Ben Roethlisberger has had his off the field issues. James Harrison has been involved in domestic disputes. Hines Ward was arrested for a DUI. Nothing happened to any of them. Some people may bring up Santonio Holmes but look at the situation. It was his second time getting in trouble, his contract was on the verge of expiring, and the team had an up and coming replacement in Mike Wallace on the roster. He was traded because he was expendable. It just looked like a punishment.

I'm not saying that the Pittsburgh Steelers are turning into a group of thugs like some of the other franchises that I named earlier in this post are known for. Equivalents of Nate Newton driving a van with 213 pounds of marijuana, Ray Lewis "obstructing justice," and Jerome Simpson's marijuana shipments aren't happening here. But the fact is that we came really close to reading about a Pittsburgh Steeler being shot by police the other morning and he only got a two game suspension for it.

All 32 NFL teams have a handful of fantastic guys that do tremendous work in their communities and make a difference. They also have a handful of dreadful guys that get arrested on a yearly basis. The rest are all in the middle. Sure, some franchises are a little better than others but the fact is that there are no standout organizations in this league anymore. Big shots in these organizations don't keep their jobs by having tremendous moral standards. They keep their jobs by winning and to do that, you sometimes have to put talent above character. It's time for the old school yinzer to realize that Pittsburgh is no different.

Week Five: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Philadelphia Eagles Reaction

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 21:34:00 +0000

Let me start this off by saying that I know this is the first thing I've written in a few weeks. Needed a short hiatus from the blog. Work is killing me and I haven't had energy for much of anything extra. I go on vacation next week though so I should be back to doing this regularly. Now that the public service announcement is over, let's get to the game....

Despite the difference in records, these two teams came into the game in similar situations. A bounce here and a bounce there and both these teams could be in very different positions in the standings. Both teams came in with more questions than answers and both teams left the game in the exact same situation as they entered in that regard.

Steelers Offense vs. Eagles Defense: Rashard Mendenhall completed his really impressive return from a significant knee injury but no one really knew how he would look or how he would be used. One thing that nobody expected was for him to be the best offensive player on the field for the Steelers in this game. He ran hard. He ran with a purpose. He eliminated a lot of the side to side running that we've seen from him in the past. He ran for 81 yards on just 14 carries and scored the only touchdown of the day for the Steelers. He would have went over 100 yards but he had a long run called back on an illegal formation penalty on Mike Wallace.

Speaking of penalties, that was a disaster for the Steelers on both sides of the ball in this game. They had over 100 penalty yards and they hurt. That big Mendenhall run was called back. Willie Colon was called for countless penalties. Personal foul penalties on defense were the only reason the Eagles got into this game at all.

The aerial attack has been the bread and butter of the Steelers offense recently but not on this day which made Mendenhall's performance even more important. It was raining during the game so maybe some struggles can be blamed on that fact. But no one really looked that good in the passing game except for Heath Miller. Ben Roethlisberger missed his fair share of throws. Antonio Brown and especially Mike Wallace had big drops in key situations. Jerricho Cotchery tripped over his own feet on what should have been a touchdown.

Steelers Defense vs. Eagles Offense: Let's start with the good on the Steelers defense. For most of the game, the Steelers defense looked pretty solid. Lawrence Timmons had undoubtedly his best game of the season. He was all over the field which is a reason why he is such a frustrating player. He undeniably has the talent to be the difference maker that this defense needs but he only plays to that potential a handful of times throughout the course of a 16 game season. That's not good enough when the other playmakers are aging and injured.

The defense was also given some gifts by Michael Vick which is the reason why I initially picked the Steelers to win this game. You can always rely on Vick to give your offense the ball a few times. He lost two fumbles in the game, one of which was in the endzone. The defense can be credited for one of the fumbles but on the one in the endzone, it was just Vick being Vick. Ryan Clark made the hit on the play but there was really not attempt to knock the ball loose. Vick just lost it and it took points off the board for the Eagles.

Now let's get to the bad of the defense. Looking at the box score and seeing just 14 points on the board would make one believe that there wasn't much bad but there was. They once again proved that when they need a stop, they can't get it. The Eagles possessed the ball for most of the fourth quarter on their touchdown drive to take the lead. They converted two fourth downs. Another negative was more injuries. Troy Polamalu was injured once again, this time a calf injury. LaMarr Woodley went down with a hamstring injury which was been a storyline since last season for him. James Harrison played the whole game but he looked like a shell of his former self.

Reaction: Ultimately, a win is a win is a win. It was absolutely needed and was made even more significant by Cincinnati's loss to Miami. That being said, I wouldn't take a whole lot away from it. The defense showed improvement but the key areas that they have struggled with, injuries and clutch situations, continued to be massive problems that don't look like they are getting fixed this season. Outside of that, I'm just happy to get out with the win. I don't think there is anything of significance to take away from the game offensively. It was arguably the worst passing game that they'll have all year. It was also arguably the best running game that they'll have all year. I wouldn't expect either to become a trend.

Week Three: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Oakland Raiders Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 00:47:00 +0000

Right about now, your dad is probably having flashbacks of the battles that these two teams used to partake in back in the 70's. Well it's 40 years later and the rivalry has gone a long way in losing it's luster. Especially of late with the Steelers reaching the Super Bowl three times in a decade and the Raiders being borderline irrelevant for most of those years. That isn't to say that this game should be an easy win though. Despite the different paths these two franchises have taken, the Steelers have had their struggles when playing in Oakland.

Steelers Offense vs. Raiders Defense: We saw last week what losing a key part in a secondary can do to a team. Darrelle Revis' absence from the New York Jets' lineup was integral in the Steelers' success passing the ball. The Raiders will be facing many of the same struggles this week. Shawntae Spencer will not be in the lineup and Coye Francies also may not play after sustaining a concussion. That could force Michael Huff to play corner and backup safety Matt Giordano to start. That doesn't bode well for a team who's minute success on defense to this point of the season has come from defending the pass.

The Raiders also possess a run defense that has struggled through the first two games. They are allowing 147.5 yards per game on the ground and they could be missing their best linebacker, Rolando McClain, who also has a concussion and may not play. That being said, the Steelers have done nothing to this point to prove that they can run the ball effectively. Even though Rashard Mendenhall has returned to practice, he's still not ready to play and Todd Haley seems reluctant to use who I feel is their best running back right now, Jonathan Dwyer, early in games.

If McClain's absence isn't taken advantage of by the Steelers on the ground, it most certainly will through the air. We have already seen Heath Miller be utilized in the offense more than I ever recall. Having the middle of the field opened up without McClain can cause one of two things. Either Miller is going to have a big day or he's going to draw the safeties towards the middle of the field and create more room for the playmakers on the outside.

Steelers Defense vs. Raiders Offense: If you were just going to look at numbers, you would think that the Raiders have a pretty decent offense. They average more yards per game then the Steelers. They have one of the best passing games statistically in the league. But that far from tells the whole story. The Raiders have been blown out in both of their games this year so they have been forced to throw the ball against prevent defenses for basically the entire second halves of games. That will rack up the yardage but this team doesn't score any points.

Carson Palmer was supposed to be the answer to all of Oakland's problems when he was brought over from Cincinnati last year but he has only seemed to cause more questions to be asked. This team has no identity. They give off the impression of being a running team with Darren McFadden in the backfield but they have been largely unsuccessful at it. They are second to last in the league in rushing, averaging just 34 yards on the ground per games. That's less than half as much as the team right above them, the Steelers.

The Steelers will once again be going into a game with Troy Polamalu and James Harrison on the field but they proved last week that they can handle that against an inferior opponent. While Palmer is far from as inept of a quarterback as the Mark Sanchez/Tim Tebow experiment, he is a quarterback that likes to turn the ball over. Creating splash plays defensively is going to be key in winning this game comfortably.

Prediction: The Steelers have not set the world on fire through the first two weeks of the season. Last week was a good win but the first half was anything but impressive. The Raiders, on the other hand, have been the equivalent of a tire fire. The worst of it came last week when they got absolutely throttled by a Miami team that isn't very good either. As long as they don't mess around with this team for two quarters like they did last week, I think it should be a win. Steelers 34, Raiders 16

Week Two: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 22:16:00 +0000

On the board for 2012. It was a tale of two halves in this game. The first half gave every indication that the Steelers were going to find a way to lose to an obviously inferior opponent. Then, offensively and defensively, the Steelers flipped the switch in the second and dominated the Jets en route to a 17 point victory which is one point more than the point differential in the last four meeting between these two teams combined.

Steelers Offense vs. Jets Defense: It is extremely obvious just how important Darrelle Revis is to the Jets' defense. The only problem is that the Steelers waited until the second half to realize it. For a large portion of the first half, the Steelers were bent on establishing the run and the way they tried to do it was bad. First off, Jonathan Dwyer who was their best back in the opener against Denver didn't see the field until late in the second quarter. They ran an end around to Antonio Brown on a third and long which worked but was a questionable decision. Then, they went as far as to run a statue of liberty play to Chris Rainey which got blown up.

The run game was much better in the second half but it was opened up by Ben Roethlisberger and the passing game. The biggest splash play was one in which Roethlisberger eluded a sack and noticed Mike Wallace in single coverage and chucked the ball towards the end zone. Antonio Cromartie outran the play and Wallace made a tremendous catch to come down with the touchdown that allowed the Steelers to start to pull away.

The Jets never even really had an opportunity to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter because they couldn't get the ball. The Steelers put together a ten minute drive that ended in a one yard touchdown run by Isaac Redman. It was longest drive by the Steelers offense since 2007 but they did get some help. There was a defensive holding penalty on a third and short that the Steelers failed to convert. They also caught a break on a first down run by Redman in which his knee hit the ground in the backfield.

Steelers Defense vs. Jets Offense: The Steelers weren't just missing their best defensive player but two of their best defensive players with Troy Polamalu and James Harrison both out of the lineup. However, the defense didn't have nearly as many problems as the Jets did and for large part because they had the benefit of facing Mark Sanchez.

Even then, the Steelers made Sanchez look like an elite quarterback at the start of the game. His first drive saw a 45 yard pass to Jeremy Kerley and ended in a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. It looked like they picked up right where they left off last week. Lawrence Timmons may have been the worst of the bunch in the first half. It was hard to find a play where he didn't overpursue and allow the ball carrier to run right by him.

That all changed sometime in the second quarter when you started to see the defense play a lot more under control. They started to put a little bit of pressure on Sanchez and even tallied a few sacks. Ryan Clark was arguably the best defender on the field in his season debut. He was admittedly just as out of control as anyone to start the game but he calmed down and made some big plays. Maybe the biggest of which was a deep ball to Stephen Hill that he made a nice recovery on and knocked the ball away at the last second.

Looking Ahead: This was a big bouceback win coming off of the disappointing season opener. All of a sudden, the Steelers find themselves in a three way tie at 1-1 at the top of the division. They also find themselves heading to Oakland next week which is a place that has not treated them to well in the recent past. However, the Raiders have been the equivalent of a tire first through the first two weeks of the season including a blowout loss to a Miami team that isn't very good on Sunday.

Week Two: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 01:30:00 +0000

What did we learn from week one? There were a lot of unknowns coming into the loss against the Denver Broncos. We learned that the Steelers have a larger variety of weapons than Todd Haley has ever dealt with before and he had problems getting everyone involved. We learned, well at least I did, that Jonathan Dwyer is the best option this team has at running back and should start seeing the majority of the carries in the very near future. We also learned, even though a lot of fans don't want to admit it, that this defense is going to lose this team some games this year.

Steelers Offense vs. Jets Defense: Darrelle Revis won't play in this game and won't even make the trip to Pittsburgh after sustaining a concussion in their first game against the Buffalo Bills. That immediately changes a lot of the game for both sides of the ball. We saw last week that Mike Wallace could step right into the lineup and make a difference.

Even with Revis out of the lineup, the Steelers may try to establish the run early and often as they did against Denver. C.J. Spiller had a big day against the Jets last weekend after Fred Jackson went down with an injury. That could be an opportunity to get Chris Rainey involved in the game. He's a similar back to Spiller and it would be nice to see them utilize him more in this game. If nothing else, he can create match-up problems which is a good thing to do when their best defensive player isn't going to be in the lineup.

The biggest part of this game for the Steelers is going to be how effective they are in the red zone. Even though the Jets put up 48 points last week, their offense is far from prolific. Scoring touchdowns instead of field goals will go a long way in making this game much easier to win and win convincingly. Haley's offense had the same shortcomings in week one as Arians' old offense did. For example, to start the second half, they had a nine minute drive that resulted in just a field goal. If that's a touchdown, we might be having an entirely different conversation this week.

Steelers Defense vs. Jets Offense: The Steelers may have an even bigger problem defensively than the Jets do. They could be missing their best defensive player, Troy Polamalu as well as James Harrison for the second straight week. There is a possibility that at least one of them, and maybe both, will play but it's not likely. The good thing is that Ryan Clark will be back this week but without Polamalu, the defense is going to be very conventional.

It is hard to read what the Jets are going to look like just because it is hard to take anything away from their first game. The Bills are a really bad team so the Jets were able to do whatever they wanted. But what do we know? They are going to be balanced offensively and maybe even lean more towards the run. It will be a steady dose of Shonn Greene since for all intents and purposes, their second running back is Tim Tebow. The question is whether or not Greene can carry that workload. He had 94 yards last week but he also fumbled twice which could be a problem since they also have a quarterback that likes giving the ball to the other team.

The Bills are awful but Mark Sanchez did look fantastic last week. He seems to like Stephen Hill as a new threat at the wide receiver position. For him, that's a necessity because he needs someone other than Santonio Holmes to throw the ball to, especially since Dustin Keller isn't going to play in this game. Obviously, the easiest way to make Sanchez look like Sanchez is to make him uncomfortable. But if they don't get any pressure on him, he is capable of putting together three straight touchdown drives just like the Broncos did last week.

Prediction: The Jets slapped a lot of their critics in the face last week while the Steelers provided their fans with a lot more questions than answers. That being said, I'm not worried about the Jets at all. They are a circus sideshow. The beat one of the worst teams in the conference. Hooray. All injuries considered, all the problems from last week considered, I think this is a game that needs to be a win. Steelers 27, Jets 13

Why are the Baltimore Orioles good and the Pittsburgh Pirates bad?

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 22:18:00 +0000

The Pittsburgh Pirates organization has no idea how to win. Dejan Kovacevic does have that much right in some of his recent columns. But the issues have nothing to do with skeet shooting and military training. Is that stuff stupid? Yes, of course it is. But if they were still winning, no one would care. Also contrary to Kovacevic's belief, it has nothing to do with the trade deadline. The problems with this team are much easier to see. You don't have to dig that deep.

The Baltimore Orioles are tied for the lead in arguably the best division in baseball. Look at their roster. Do you think it has more talent than the Pirates' roster? They have Adam Jones in center field. He is a great player but the Pirates have Andrew McCutchen. Nick Markakis is hurt and they're still winning. Nate McLouth is starting for them. Nate McLouth. Their best starting pitcher is Jason Hammel and he's hurt. If you look at the Pirates, you would think that most teams would at least take A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez as being better than him. The statistics are pretty comparable too. The Orioles are batting .247 as a team while the Pirates are batting .245. The Orioles have a team ERA of 4.03 while the Pirates have one of 3.76. So why are the Orioles so good while the Pirates are collapsing for the second season in a row?

The answer is simple. Does a lot of it have to do with luck? Yes. The Orioles have won 13 consecutive one run ball games and a lot of them are of the walk off variety. But they are putting themselves in positions to win those games while the Pirates are just going out and getting dominated night in and night out. One big reason why is fundamentals. I haven't watched enough Orioles games to know what exactly makes them so successful but I have to assume that they don't make a mockery of basic baseball like the Pirates do. I'm sure that if they have a player who can't steal bases, they won't let him run. I'm sure they know how to execute a bunt when the situation calls for it. I'm sure they know how to hit a cut off man on a throw from the outfield. I'm sure they actually take being able to throw runners out on the bases somewhat seriously. Meanwhile, the Pirates keep letting McCutchen attempt steals, let Alex Presley and Josh Harrison fail miserably at bunting, allow Starling Marte to continue to try to throw every runner out at home plate, and let every single automatically become a double because "stolen bases don't matter."

The players are awful at fundamentals but that all comes back to who is teaching them. Clint Hurdle deserves credit for coming in and making baseball mean something in this town again. But he also deserves blame for two straight late season collapses. There is way too much overmanaging on his part. Just look at today's game. He took Tony Watson out, who had recorded two quick outs, in favor of Jared Hughes just so he could face the right handed Starlin Castro. Immediately, Hughes gives up a crippling three run home run. Then, in the ninth inning, he pinch hits Jeff Clement who has two hits since being called up for Starling Marte just because a right hander was on the mound. He has no clue right now.

The bad management trickles down too. Ray Searage is getting absolutely no blame at all. He should be. At least when it comes to the young pitchers that he is in charge of developing. Look at James McDonald's second half of the year. Look at what happened to Charlie Morton late last year. Searage deserves credit for taking these guys and turning them into good pitchers but there is something that is going wrong that is causing these guys to fall apart in the second half of the season. Are they working too much in between starts? Is there an issue with their long toss program that is preventing them from building some endurance in their arms? I don't know. Those are questions for people closer to the team to answer but they need to start being asked.

It funnels through the organization as well. Kovacevic was right about one thing in his most recent column. Fundamentals must not be stressed very heavily at the minor league levels. None of the minor league guys who have come up this season can execute a bunt. Most of them have absolutely no clue how to run bases. Most of the pitcher either can't or have no interest in holding runners. When the amount of talent at your disposal is limited, fundamentals become paramount. When all of the hot streaks end, you need something to hold your head above water and the Pirates just don't have that.

Buck Showalter does have the benefit of managing in the American League where much less strategy is involved. But it would be interesting to see where the Pirates would be if he were the manager. Of course, we'll never know the answer to that question. But there is a reason why the Orioles are so much better than the Pirates and the answer is not talent. It's fundamentals and proper management with a little bit of luck sprinkled in.

Week One: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 18:34:00 +0000

Two straight Pittsburgh Steeler previews on this blog have been for games against the Denver Broncos. But this isn't the same Bronco team that the Steelers were upset by in the playoffs last year. Who would have ever thought that signing Peyton Manning would actually detract your media attention? Tim Tebow is gone. The offense is much more conventional. It's a different animal this time around.

Steelers Offense vs. Broncos Defense: Throw the preseason out the window. Whatever it is that Todd Haley's offense is going to be was not shown in practice games. We're going to see on Sunday what the identity of this team is going to be. Are they going to attempt to go back to a more balanced attack and try to run the ball more and more effectively or are they going to be more pass happy? It's impossible to know the answer to that question right now.

One aspect of the offense that I do know the answer to is that age is not going to prevent Ben Roethlisberger from playing the way that he has played for years. Whether ownership or the coaching staff wants him to tweak the way he plays, it's never going to happen. Does his style of play put him at risk to get injured? Of course it does. But becoming more conventional makes him less effective. He's going to continue to hold the ball for a long time and wait for things to develop. He's going to continue to scramble and make plays outside of the pocket.

That brings us to the offensive line. With the injury to David DeCastro, the line goes from being a potential strength to back to being just average. That's not necessarily a huge deal. The Steelers have had success with mediocre lines in recent history. It doesn't drastically change the passing game because Roethlisberger creates more time for himself than his line does. It does effect the run game though. While the Steelers have a large cast of running backs, they don't have anyone that is going to create their own space besides Chris Rainey and he is far from a feature back.

Steelers Defense vs. Broncos Offense: This is where you can throw everything from the last time these two teams met out. All the hallucinogenic drugs in the world couldn't make me see Manning running a read option offense. Everything is going to be a lot more conventional. It's all a matter of what Manning is going to look like. He's not the youngest player in the world and he is coming off of missing an entire season because of a neck injury.

Putting pressure on Manning is going to be important and that could be a problem. Despite having the best defense in the league last season, the Steelers did not get to the quarterback or force turnovers at a rate in which they are used to. James Harrison is unlikely to play due to an injured back so Chris Carter will be inserted into the lineup. Since he is an unknown, a lot of the focus of the blocking schemes will be shifted to the other side where LaMarr Woodley is. Carter is going to have to be effective. I don't care how rusty Manning is. If he has all day to throw, he will tear this defense apart.

Of course, with the game being played in Denver, Ryan Clark will not be available because of his sickle cell trait. Ryan Mundy will be inserted into the lineup. The most annoying thing about that is hearing his name pronounced Ryan Monday all game. Anyway, Clark is one of those guys that you don't realize how important he is until he is gone. His solid play is what allows Troy Polamalu to improvise and play all over the field. Without that, Polamalu is forced to play more conventionally which is another thing that makes putting pressure on Manning difficult.

Prediction: I don't feel particularly great about this game. There are a bunch of unknowns for both teams on both sides of the ball. I think that's why I'm so excited to watch this game. I really have no idea what to expect. With so much uncertainty, my prediction is based mostly off of being a fan than actual analysis. Most of Denver's wins last year came on the back of a defense that played over their heads. Assuming they come back to earth, Roethlisberger should be able to exploit that enough. Steelers 23, Broncos 20.

2012 Pittsburgh Steelers Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 21:39:00 +0000

Another season of Pittsburgh Steelers football is upon us and it has a different feel to it than it usually does. The Pittsburgh Pirates are still relevant so that has had a hand in the NFL season sneaking up on me. Also, with the continued focus towards player safety and the issue of replacement officials, there are thing to be concerned with beyond just who's on the roster. And speaking of the roster, there has been a lot of change from years past. A lot of familiar faces are gone. But does that necessarily mean that they will take a step back this year?

Quarterback (Ben Roethlisberger, Byron Leftwich, Charlie Batch): Roethlisberger's best friend Bruce Arians is gone and mean old dictator Todd Haley has taken over. Oh, the humanity! On top of that, ownership talked about him wanting to tweak the way he plays the game. Somehow that was a big deal too. It's not. Yes, Roethlisberger is 30 now but don't expect him to change the way he plays the game. And if Haley lets him run no huddle like we saw in the preseason, I'm sure Roethlisberger will be thrilled. He's one of the best quarterbacks in the game. Drama queen? Sure. But as long as he throws touchdowns, I don't care.

Running Back (Rashard Mendenhall, Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, Baron Batch, Chris Rainey, Will Johnson): This may be contrary to popular belief but I think the Steelers are in the best shape they have been at the running back position in years. Mendenhall isn't going to be readily available but he's going to be back much earlier than I ever expected him to be. Even while he's out, they should be fine. Neither Redman or Dwyer have carried the load on their own before but they can be effective splitting carries. Rainey provides multiple threats. He can line up all over the field. He's a match up nightmare. I'm not quite sure where Batch fits in the picture and I'm not just saying that because he's annoying on Twitter.

Wide Receiver (Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery): The Steelers only kept four wide receivers which is something you don't see too often but I like the move. Even though we didn't see him in the preseason, we know what we're going to get out of Wallace. The same can be said for Brown. The biggest thing is whether or not Sanders can stay healthy. Cotchery is more than capable of stepping into his role but with only keeping four wide receivers, one injury goes a long way in destroying depth. That being said, Rainey is basically the team's fifth wide receiver since that's where I think you will see him lined up more often than not.

Tight End (Heath Miller, Leonard Pope, David Paulson): I think this is going to be one of the more interesting positions to watch in the Todd Haley offense. Haley came in on a platform of not necessarily having a system, but playing on his personnel. And there is proof at this position. In Arizona, they didn't have a tight end so it wasn't utilized. However, in Kansas City, before Tony Moeaki got hurt he was a big part of the offense. We all know what Miller can do in the passing game so we could see him have one of his biggest years.

Offensive Line (Max Starks, Willie Colon, Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, Marcus Gilbert, Mike Adams, Doug Legursky, Kelvin Beachum, David Decastro (IR)): Finally! The Steelers have an offensive line that will prevent Roethlisberger from running for his life. Not so fast. Arguably the steal of the first round, Decastro, suffered a knee injury that will keep him out at least half of the season. And their other rookie, Adams, proved that he's not quite ready to start which led to resigning Starks. So all of a sudden, the line looks a lot like last year's with the addition of the oft injured Colon. That could negatively affect the run game like it did last year but the Steelers have had success with sub par lines in the recent past, they can do it again.

Defensive Line (Ziggy Hood, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, Al Woods, Steve McLendon, Cameron Heyward, Alameda Ta'amu): A familiar face in Aaron Smith is missing on the defensive line and even then, I think it's much deeper than years past. Hampton returned from knee surgery faster than anyone his size ever should. And even then, McLendon may see a lot of snaps after how well he performed in camp. Hood seems to be coming into his own. The line is always the quietest part of the 3-4 defense but it's arguably the most important and I think this line could do big things this year.

Linebackers (LaMarr Woodley, Larry Foote, Lawrence Timmons, James Harrison, Jason Worilds, Stevenson Sylvester, Brandon Johnson, Chris Carter, Adrian Robinson, Sean Spence): The linebackers have to be better this year. Even though the Steelers had the best defense statistically last season, they struggled to put pressure on the quarterback and force turnovers which are staples of this defense. Harrison's healthy is a big question mark. Timmons has to have a bounce back year. He may have been the most disappointing Steeler on the roster last year. It's time for Worilds and Carter to prove they belong in the NFL. The line has improved. The linebackers have to follow suit.

Secondary (Keenan Lewis, Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Cortez Allen, Curtis Brown, Ryan Mundy, Will Allen, Demarcus Van Dyke, Robert Golden): The best pass defense in the league last year lost one of their starting cornerbacks. William Gay has moved on to Arizona and Lewis has been called upon to take his place. Lewis was effective last season in a nickelback role but starting will be different. He'll likely get picked on since opposing quarterbacks often avoid Taylor and he'll have to respond well because none of the other corners on the roster have proven that they could step into that role.

Specialists (Shaun Suisham, Drew Butler, Greg Warren): Suisham will once again be the kicker and we all know what we're going to get out of him. He's far from spectacular. Not going to hit much beyond 45 yards. Fortunately, the offense rarely puts him in a position where has to. There is a new punter though. Butler beat out an injured Jeremy Kapinos in camp and he did look pretty good. And he has two working knees which is more than what can be said from Daniel Sepulveda.

Prediction: The Steelers are in a bit of a transition period. Obviously, with Haley taking over as offensive coordinator, the offense is going to look different. The biggest changes are on the defensive side of the ball. Some of the older guys are gone and some other veterans are starting to get pushed by the younger guys behind them. That makes predicting how well they are going to play a bit difficult. I do think they will take a slight step back this year but nothing major, especially since the AFC is a good conference to be in during a transition year. I think the Steelers will finish 11-5 this season. They will make the playoffs but I don't see them advancing beyond the divisional round.

Unlikely sources lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a win

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 11:36:00 +0000

Pirates 6, Astros 3

They didn't lose a series to the Houston Astros. That's all you really need to know when it comes to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Wednesday night's game. They got a bunch of strong performances out of unlikely folks to guide them to the win. Gaby Sanchez seems to be busting out of his season long funk at an opportune time. He collected three hits and drove in a run. Alex Presley was the other unlikely source of offense. He was inserted into the lineup after it was discovered that Jose Tabata wouldn't be able to play and he took advantage with two hits, one of them being a triple, and drove in a run.

It doesn't take much to know that I hate Kevin Correia but credit where credit is due, he was solid. He got his tenth win of the year after allowing just one run in six innings. He also effectively got out of a jam in the fourth inning where he had the bases loaded and just one out. He got Carlos Corporan to ground into a double play to end that threat.

Brock Holt also showed no signs of his productivity ending any time soon. He only had one hit in the game but he was all over the place offensively. His one hit drove in a run and he tacked on another RBI with a sacrifice fly. Rod Barajas even celebrated his 37th birthday by actually getting a hit. Good for him.

Minor League Roundup

AAA - Indianapolis Indians (89-55) - Lost Game One of the their playoff series with the Columbus Clippers 8-1. Rick VandenHurk (0-1, 10.13 ERA) pitched 5 1-3 innings, allowing six runs on nine hits and striking out seven. Jo-Jo Reyes allowed two runs on two hits in 1 2-3 innings. Logan Kensing and Tim Wood each pitching a scoreless inning. Chase d'Arnaud (.500) went 2 for 4. Hector Luna (.500) went 2 for 4 and drove in the Tribe's only run.

SS - State College Spikes (35-41) - Beat the Mahoning Valley Scrappers 5-0 in their season finale. Luis Heredia (4-2, 2.71 ERA) finishes the year off strong by pitching five shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five. Kevin Kleis struck out three batters in two scoreless innings. Bryton Trepagnier and John Kuchno each pitched a scoreless inning. Walker Gourley (.253) went 3 for 4 with three doubles and an RBI. Chris Diaz (.222) went 1 for 3 and drove in a run. Samuel Gonzalez (.247) went 2 for 4. Jesus Vasquez (.250) went 3 for 3 with two doubles and an RBI. Eric Wood (.200) went 1 for 3 with a double and two RBI.

Transactions: The Pirates signed their 21st round pick, Jordan Steranka, a third baseman out of Penn State. The deal was agreed upon prior to the deadline for signing draft picks but Steranka failed his physical multiple times because he had mono.

Flash in the pan or something more - Brock Holt

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:34:00 +0000

Just a disclaimer before I start this post. I'm working on kind of switching up the way I do things here on the blog. Before, a large majority of my posts were dedicated to game recaps and the like. I'm attempting to get away from that. I may still do it occasionally but only when I have writer's block. The big reason I did that for so long is in hopes that someone who mattered would run into my blog and I would get exposure and potentially a job. That's why I was always so proper. Well, enough of that. I'm going to start doing a lot of different things now. Inserting my opinion a lot more, attempting to dig deeper into games, etc. I hope you enjoy it.

I don't have to tell you who the big prospects are in the organization for the Pittsburgh Pirates. If you have been a fan for more than three days, you know who they are. I also don't have to tell you that Brock Holt was never one of those guys. That being said, he has been hot all season and earned a September call up after starting the year in Altoona. Now after he accumulated four hits in Tuesday night's win over the Houston Astros, the question is whether it's something that is sustainable or if it's just a hot streak.

Holt has flown under the radar all season. When it comes to middle infield prospects, if your name isn't Alen Hanson, you probably weren't being followed too closely. But that's not surprising. He wasn't a high pick. He went in the ninth round in 2009. He got sent to Altoona to start the year in favor of Chase d'Arnaud and Jordy Mercer, neither of which is ever going to light the world on fire. That would make one think that all he is is a infield version of Alex Presley. If you remember, Presley made it to the majors because of a ridiculous hot streak and carried it over into the majors. Unfortunately for Pirate fans, it's also caused him to get multiple chances in the majors.

So, the likelihood is that you don't know much about Holt. Can't blame you. Here's some info. The guy has hit everywhere that he's gone. But don't expect him to hit for power. Just by looking at him you can tell that he's far from a power hitter. His career high in home runs is six which he hit in his first year at State College. Since then, he's hit three in each of the past two seasons. He's also not a very good base stealer but that's par for the course on the Pirates' roster. Defensively, he can be put in both middle infield spots but he's better served at second base which is a problem for his major league prospects since that spot is occupied by Neil Walker. He would have to play shortstop if he wanted to stick long term but his size limits his range and he doesn't have the strongest of arms.

Have the Pirates finally found their lead off hitter that they have been waiting for since Kenny Lofton left? No. Holt is not going to be the long term answer. Could he be a better version of Josh Harrison off the bench in the future? Yes, but I think that's about it. But that doesn't mean that he can't be that lead off hitter for the rest of this season. He's hot and having the year of a lifetime. Ride it out. There are no rules in a playoff race. Running Clint Barmes out there every day serves no purpose. When Walker is healthy, run Holt out there until the magic wears off. Look at Andrew McCutchen's stat line from Tuesday night and it will show you exactly what can happen when the guys ahead of him in the lineup actually get on base.

Minors: Jeff Larish plays every position but catcher, Eric Avila finishes his season with a blast

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 11:38:00 +0000

Transactions: Jeff Clement was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates and to make room for him on the 40 man roster, Oscar Tejeda was designated for assignment. Also, Chase d'Arnaud was transferred to AAA Indianapolis after being optioned to High A Bradenton last week.

AAA - Indianapolis Indians (89-55) - Beat the Louisville Bats 2-0 in their regular season finale. It's pretty amazing what the outcome of this game was considering that it wasn't really taken seriously at all. There was an attempt made at getting Jeff Larish to play all nine positions. He was getting ready to strap on the catcher's gear before the game was called due to rain. He actually got credited with a save after pitching 1-3 of an inning. Jose Diaz even played second base for awhile. He also stole a base. That's impressive not only because he's a pitcher but because he weighs over 300 pounds. Daniel McCutchen (7-2, 2.98 ERA) got the win after striking out two in two scoreless innings. Chad Qualls made a rehab appearance, striking out the side in one inning of work. d'Arnaud (.252) went 3 for 4 and drove in a run. Anderson Hernandez (.268) went 2 for 3.

AA - Altoona Curve (72-70) - Beat the Erie SeaWolves 2-1 to finish their season above .500. Brandon Cumpton (12-11, 3.84 ERA) pitched six innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out three. Hunter Strickland pitched two scoreless innings. Victor Black pitched a scoreless inning to pick up his 13th save. Charles Cutler (.296) went 2 for 4 with two triples. Quincy Latimore (.252) and Evan Chambers (.182) each went 1 for 4 and drove in a run. Kelson Brown (.290) went 4 for 4 with a double.

Low A - West Virginia Power (61-79) - Beat the Delmarva Shorebirds 4-1 in their season finale. Zack Von Rosenberg (5-7, 4.36 ERA) pitched a complete game, allowing one run on three hits and striking out two. Eric Avila (.281) went 3 for 4 with a solo home run, his 11th of the year. Dan Gamache (.285) went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Chris Lashmet (.230) went 2 for 4 and drove in a run. Alex Fuselier (.211) went 1 for 3 with a solo home run, his first of the year.

SS - State College Spikes (33-41) - Lost to the Williamsport Crosscutters 7-2. Joely Rodriguez (3-4, 4.50 ERA) pitched 4 1-3 innings, allowing seven runs on 11 hits and striking out one. Josh Smith pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings. Ryan Hafner pitched three scoreless innings. Samuel Gonzalez (.238) went 1 for 2 with a triple and an RBI. Dilson Herrera (.368) went 2 for 4 with a double.

Minors: Hector Luna has four hits and a home run

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 11:24:00 +0000

Transactions: Ramon Cabrera was promoted from AA Altoona to AAA Indianapolis. Jacob Stallings was promoted from SS State College all the way up to AA Altoona to replace Cabrera on the roster.

AAA - Indianapolis Indians (88-55) - Beat the Louisville Bats 11-6. Phil Irwin (3-0, 2.57 ERA) pitched five innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and striking out four. Bryan Morris gave up a run on one hit in two innings. Anderson Hernandez (.265) went 1 for 5 and drove in a run. Cabrera (.400) went 2 for 5 with a double. Hector Luna (.299) went 4 for 5 with a double and a solo home run, his eighth of the year, and drove in three runs total. Dallas McPherson (.267) went 2 for 4 with a double. Yamaico Navarro (.279) went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Jeff Larish (.184) went 3 for 4 with two doubles and three RBI. Matt Curry (.400) went 2 for 4 and drove in two runs.

AA - Altoona Curve (71-70) - Beat the Erie SeaWolves 8-1. Tyler Waldron pitched two innings, allowing one run on one hit. Nathan Baker (4-7, 4.94 ERA) got the win after striking out five in five scoreless innings. Tim Alderson pitched two scoreless innings. Kelson Brown (.269) went 1 for 4 and drove in a run. Adalberto Santos (.348) went 1 for 4 and drove in two runs. Stefan Welch (.267) went 2 for 5 with two doubles and an RBI. Jeremy Farrell (.224) went 1 for 5 and drove in a run. Charles Cutler (.291) went 1 for 4 and drove in a run.

High A - Bradenton Marauders (60-77) - Lost to the St. Lucie Mets 3-1 in the final game of their season. Casey Sadler (4-6, 3.73 ERA) pitched five innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on nine hits and striking out three. Emmanuel De Leon struck out four in three scoreless innings. Josh Poytress pitched one scoreless inning. Elevys Gonzalez (.216) had the only two hits for the Marauders.

Low A - West Virginia Power (60-79) - Played a doubleheader with the Delmarva Shorebirds. They won Game One 3-2. Robby Rowland (9-5, 3.30 ERA) pitched six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and striking out four. Nathan Kilcrease pitched a scoreless inning to pick up his 15th save. Gregory Polanco (.324) went 1 for 2 with a triple and an RBI. Jose Osuna (.280) went 1 for 2 and drove in a run. Dan Gamache (.283) went 2 for 3. The lost Game Two 7-2. Zachary Fuesser (3-7, 4.09 ERA) pitched three innings, allowing six runs (two earned) on six hits and striking out two. Orlando Castro struck out three batters in three scoreless innings. Rinku Singh gave up a run on two hits in one inning. Ashley Ponce (.196) went 1 for 2 with a double and two RBI.

SS - State College Spikes (33-40) - Lost to the Williamsport Crosscutters 9-6. Jason Creasy pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Bryton Trepagnier gave up a run on five hits in 1 2-3 innings. John Kuchno (0-1, 11.25 ERA) took the loss after allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits in one inning. Kevin Kleis struck out three in 1 1-3 scoreless innings. Chris Diaz (.217) went 3 for 5 and drove in a run. Dilson Herrera (.333) went 3 for 4 with a triple and an RBI. Dave Valesente (.159) went 2 for 4 and drove in two runs.

Game 130: El Toro strikes again, another home run for Pedro Alvarez

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:26:00 +0000

Every time that I have wanted to bury the Pittsburgh Pirates this year, Pedro Alvarez ends up going on one of his trademarked insane hot streaks. It looks like he's in the beginning stages of one of those right now. The other day, I pretty much said that the chances of the Pirates making the playoffs were over in a post that you can read here. I still believe in what I said but that could change if Alvarez continues to make this kind of an impact. He is that kind of game changer when he is hot.

Alvarez's blast came in the third inning off of rookie Joe Kelly. Travis Snider walked with one out in the inning and stole second. Garrett Jones also reached via the free pass with two outs in the interesting which was an interesting strategy. Alvarez made them pay by crushing a ball that would have been in the river if it had any height to it. It was a line drive shot that hit the back railing of the Clemente seats. Alvarez has owned the Cardinals this year. He has seven home runs and 23 RBI against them in 15 games this year. This tweet from ESPN's Buster Olney says it all:

ELIAS: Pedro Alvarez is 1st player since '98 to have at least seven home runs and 23 RBI against one opponent (STL) in 15 or fewer games.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 30, 2012

Garrett Jones put the Pirates on the board in the first inning with a double that scored Snider who also doubled earlier in the inning. That was big because it provided Wandy Rodriguez with a lead early on in his quest to get his first win as a starter with Pittsburgh. Apparently pitching with a lead is something that he likes to do. After a 20 pitch first inning, Rodriguez settled down and pitched excellently for six innings. He gave up just three hits. The only player that really gave him fits was Jon Jay who walked three times, the only three free passes that the southpaw would issue.

The Pirates added on an insurance run in the fifth inning when Josh Harrison singled in Alvarez who was on second base after a double. Alvarez was robbed of another RBI on his double because Andrew McCutchen ran into an out on the bases trying to steal second. However, the extra run would have been nothing but a luxury. In addition to Rodriguez's excellent start, the bullpen came in and continued the shutout. The Pirates will go into Milwaukee having thrown 19 consecutive innings of shutout baseball.

Coming into this game, many of the analysts were saying that this was the Pirates' biggest game of the season. That's true. But it won't stay that way. They are one game back of the second wild card spot. There is a huge fight going on for that one spot. Every game the Pirates play from now until the end of the year will be the biggest game of the year. Their next biggest game of the year will come on Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Minors: GCL wins championship, Mel Rojas, Jr. has four hits and a home run

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:54:00 +0000

Transactions: Gerrit Cole was promoted from AA Altoona to AAA Indianapolis. The move was likely made now to extend Cole's season since he was only set to make one more start for the Curve before the end of the year as well as because the Indians will have some holes in their rotation after September call-ups.

AAA - Indianapolis Indians (85-54) - Beat the Toledo Mud Hens 4-3. Jeff Locke pitched 4 2-3 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out seven. Justin Wilson came on and struck out the only man he faced. Bryan Morris gave up a run on two hits in 2-3 of an inning. Jose Diaz (1-2, 3.74 ERA) got the win after striking out three in 1 1-3 scoreless innings. Evan Meek struck out two in one scoreless inning. Tim Wood gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits but he did strike out the side in one inning of work to pick up his 21st save. Brock Holt (.425) went 3 for 5. Anderson Hernandez (.268) went 2 for 4. Yamaico Navarro (.278) went 1 for 4 and drove in a run. Jeff Larish (.173) went 1 for 4 with a three run home run, his second of the year.

AA - Altoona Curve (67-70) - Beat the Akron Aeros 2-1. Brandon Cumpton pitched seven innings, allowing just one run despite scattering 11 hits and striking out three. Tim Alderson (5-4, 4.35 ERA) got the win after pitching two scoreless innings. Gustavo Nunez (.263) went 2 for 4. Adalberto Santos (.347) went 2 for 4 with a double. Stefan Welch (.269) went 2 for 3 and drove in two runs.

High A - Bradenton Marauders (60-73) - Lost to the Fort Myers Miracle 9-8. Eliecer Navarro pitched four innings, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out two. Emmanuel De Leon (0-1, 30.86 ERA) took the loss after allowing six runs (five earned) on four hits in 1 1-3 innings. Quinton Miller struck out four in 2 2-3 scoreless innings. Zach Foster pitched a scoreless inning. Andy Vasquez (.260) went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI. Mel Rojas (.253) went 4 for 5 with a triple and a two run home run, his sixth of the year, and drove in three runs total. Alex Dickerson (.298) went 2 for 5 with a two run home run, his 13th of the year. Justin Howard (.298) went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Benji Gonzalez (.266) went 2 for 4.

Low A - West Virginia Power (57-77) - Lost to the Charleston RiverDogs 3-0. Zack Von Rosenberg (4-7, 4.75 ERA) pitched six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits and striking out five. The Power only had two hits in the game. The second game of the doubleheader was suspended.

SS - State College Spikes (31-37) - Lost to the Auburn Doubledays 6-4. Adrian Sampson pitched five innings, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out four. Isaac Sanchez (0-1, 9.00 ERA) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits in one inning. John Kuchno pitched two scoreless innings. Thomas Harlan struck out the side in one scoreless inning. Walker Gourley (.248) went 2 for 5 and drove in a run. Chris Diaz (.207) went 2 for 5. Jimmy Rider (.133) went 2 for 3. Jonathan Schwind (.111) went 1 for 2 and drove in a run. Yhonathan Barrios (.198) went 1 for 4 and drove in a run.

GCL - GCL Pirates (36-24) - Won the GCL Championship with a 5-2 win over the GCL Red Sox. Tyler Glasnow pitched four shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven. Wilson Lee gave up two unearned runs on two hits in two innings. Bryton Trepagnier (1-0, 0.00 ERA) got the win after pitching two scoreless innings. Roberto Espinosa pitched one scoreless inning to pick up his second save. Wyatt Mathisen (.286) went 2 for 5. Eric Wood (.455) went 2 for 5 with a double. Harold Ramirez (.300) went 1 for 3 and drove in a run. Edwin Espinal (.444) went 2 for 3 with a double and drove in a run. Luis Urena (.250) went 1 for 2 with a three run home run, his first of the playoffs.

Game 129: Pedro Alvarez leads the Pirates with two mammoth home runs

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:16:00 +0000

Maybe it was just one day. Hopefully it's more than that. But for one single day, baseball was extremely fun again. The Pittsburgh Pirates just stomped all over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night in arguably their best game of the month. There were plenty of good signs in this game. Plenty to build off of. A lot of things that haven't been seen in awhile. It all means nothing if they don't win again on Wednesday but it certainly was encouraging.

The Pirates faced Jake Westbrook for what felt like the hundredth time this season. Every start has produced a different result though including this one. Fortunately for the Pirates, it was his worst of the bunch. They jumped on Westbrook early in the first when Travis Snider put runners at the corners with no outs with a single after Jose Tabata walked. Garrett Jones hit a ball hard but it was at Carlos Beltran in right field which was good enough for a sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals took a rough blow in the second inning that could be a problem if he's out for an extended period of time. Josh Harrison led off the second inning with a single. While he was on second base, Tabata hit a single hard to the opposite field that Harrison tried to score on. There was a play at the plate and Harrison was out but he ran over Yadier Molina in an attempt to jar the ball loose. Molina was injured on the play. He has a neck, back and shoulder strain. It was a clean play but Harrison was still plunked later in the contest. Both benches were warned so nothing more came of it.

If the Pirates wouldn't have scored another run in the game, it would have been good enough with the pitching they got. Much has been made of James McDonald's struggles since the All-Star break. But apparently, he likes to face the Cardinals because his last start against the Cards was his best post-break before this one. This was the first time since the break that McDonald lasted seven innings in a start. He only allowed two hits and he struck out six. Normally that would be the story of the night but Pedro Alvarez ended up taking center stage.

Alvarez came to the plate with two outs and Andrew McCutchen on base in the third inning. Westbrook threw a breaking ball that broke down and in. It was still in the strike zone but in a place where Alvarez shouldn't have been able to do much with it. Alvarez took an inside out swing and displayed his raw power by hitting the ball the other way and over the fence to the deepest part of the ball park by the north side notch. That was one of the most impressive home runs you could ever see. That was until Alvarez hit his second one of the night. It came in the sixth inning. This one was a solo shot. Normally, when home runs leave PNC Park, they do so over the Clemente seats. Not this one. Alvarez hit the ball over the right center field seats for the fourth longest home run in PNC Park history and the longest by a Pirate. Alvarez also singled and doubled in this game. He fell just a triple short of the cycle.

All of the Pirates starters in this game had at least one hit except McDonald but even he drew a walk and had two sacrifice bunts. Michael McKenry, Clint Barmes, and Snider also drove in runs in the 9-0 blowout of the team that the Pirates are chasing in the wild card race. Another positive to take out of the game is that McCutchen had two hits. It his second straight multiple hit game so that suggests that he may be coming back into form.

Again, losing on Wednesday would make this win pretty much meaningless. If the Pirates really want to force their way back into this wild card race, they have to find a way to win on Wednesday. There is a ton of baseball left to be played but falling three games back again of the defending World Series champions would be devastating going into the final month.

Minors: Dilson Herrera leads the GCL Pirates to one win away from a championship

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Shoemaker) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:38:00 +0000

The West Virginia Power had their game against the Charleston RiverDogs postponed.

Transactions: Chase d'Arnaud was recalled from AAA Indianapolis to take Erik Bedard's spot on the roster. Once Bedard's spot in the rotation comes up, another move will be made because another pitcher will be needed.

AAA - Indianapolis Indians (84-54) - Beat the Toledo Mud Hens 5-0. Phil Irwin (2-0, 1.69 ERA) pitched six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out seven. Duke Welker, Doug Slaten, and Jo-Jo Reyes all pitched one scoreless inning of relief. Brock Holt (.415) went 3 for 4 with a double after being bumped up into the lead off spot with the promotion of d'Arnaud. Anderson Hernandez (.265) went 2 for 4. Alex Presley (.315) went 3 for 5 and drove in a run. Matt Hague (.286) went 2 for 5 and drove in two runs. Brandon Boggs (.265) went 1 for 5 and drove in a run.

AA - Altoona Curve (66-70) - Lost to the Akron Aeros 3-1. Tyler Waldron (1-2, 4.01 ERA) pitched seven innings, allowing one run on six hits and striking out two. Nathan Baker issued two walks and committed an error to allow two runs to cross the plate without allowing a hit in 1 1-3 innings. Victor Black pitched 2-3 of an inning and both outs came via the strikeout. The Curve only had three hits in the game.

High A - Bradenton Marauders (60-72) - Played a doubleheader against the Fort Myers Miracle. They won Game One 11-10. Casey Sadler pitched 3 2-3 innings, allowing four runs on three hits and striking out two. He also issued five walks. Erik Turgeon (1-0, 1.29 ERA) got the win after allowing a run on two hits in two innings. Zach Foster gave up five runs (four earned) on three hits in just 1-3 of an inning. Doug Salinas pitched a scoreless inning to pick up his 11th save. Andy Vasquez (.257) went 2 for 3 with a double, a triple, and four RBI. Justin Howard (.295) went 2 for 3 with a two run home run, his second of the year. Carlos Paulino (.254) went 3 for 4. Dan Grovatt (.255) went 2 for 2 with a double and a two run home run, his eighth of the year, and drove in three runs total. The lost Game Two 4-2. Kyle Kaminska pitched three innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Matt Benedict (0-8, 9.00 ERA) took the loss after allowing a run on one hit in 2 1-3 innings. Josh Poytress gave up a run on one hit in 1 2-3 innings. Vasquez went 2 for 4. Gift Ngoepe (.235) went 1 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Kirk Singer (.249) went 2 for 3. Howard went 2 for 3 with a triple and an RBI.

SS - State College Spikes (31-36) - Lost to the Auburn Doubledays 16-4. Joely Rodriguez (3-3, 3.77 ERA) pitched 2 2-3 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits and striking out three. Lance Breedlove gave up two runs on three hits in 1 1-3 innings. Ryan Hafner gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits in one inning. Kevin Kleis pitched a scoreless inning. Josh Smith gave up three runs (one earned) on two hits in two innings. Jimmy Rider, a position player, was even called upon to pitch and had arguably the best outing of anyone with one scoreless inning. Jacob Stallings (.244) and Chris Diaz (.202) each went 1 for 3 and drove in a run. Jesus Vasquez (.237) went 1 for 5 with a double and an RBI.

GCL - GCL Pirates (36-24) - Won Game One of the GCL Finals against the GCL Red Sox. Jonathan Sandfort pitched three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out one. Andy Otamendi (1-0, 0.00 ERA) got the win after pitching two scoreless innings. Cesar Lopez struck out five over three scoreless innings. Martires Cadet gave up two runs on one hit in 2-3 of an inning. Luis Campos came on to get the final out to record the save. Dilson Herrera (.444) went 3 for 5 with a double, a triple, and a two run home run, his first of the playoffs. Eric Wood (.500) went 3 for 3 with two doubles and an RBI. Elvis Escobar (.286) went 2 for 4 with a triple and an RBI.