The Steel Curtain

           It was the one thing Steelers fans did not want to see heading into the playoffs, an injury to the starting quarterback.  Ben Roethlisberger was carried off the field mid-way through the second quarter with a concussion.  Roethlisberger was then taken to the hospital for further evaluation.  The first-round bye week secured by the Pittsburgh Steelers could not come at better time, as it will give Roethlisberger an extra week to recover from the injury and hopefully allow him enough time to prepare for the Divisional round of the playoffs.              

            If Roethlisberger is not cleared to play, the Steelers’ playoff hopes will depend on backup quarterback, Byron Leftwich.  Leftwich has had experience at starting quarterback this season, not to mention the four years he started in Jacksonville.  Back in Week 9, Leftwich came in for an injured Roethlisberger and led the Steelers to an impressive victory over the Washington Redskins.  In Sunday’s game against Browns Leftwich went 7-12 for 80 yards, and had an 8-yard touchdown run.            

           The Steelers’ absolutely demolished the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.  The defense allowed no points, and Steelers’ safety, Tyrone Carter, intercepted two passes, one returned for a touchdown.  Another Steeler who deserves mention is halfback, Willie Parker who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown.     

By Michael C. Smith

             Week 17 of the NFL regular season is finally here and it is almost time for playoff football.  It looks as though the Pittsburgh Steelers have accomplished many of their goals thus far this season.  They have an 11-4 record against the NFL’s toughest schedule, won the AFC North, and clinched a first-round bye.  The Steelers will try to put the finishing touches on a fantastic season when they host the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field.

            Steelers’ Coach, Mike Tomlin, has said this week that he will play his starters in the game.  Many people believe that this may not be the best decision, seeing as the Steelers have already locked up the number two seed, and have nothing to gain.  The last thing anybody wants to see is an injury to a key starter like James Harrison, Willie Parker, or Ben Roethlisberger, which would crush the Steelers hopes for succeeding in the playoffs. 

            Browns’ quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski, will have his hands full against the defense of the Steelers, which is ranked number one in the NFL.  A victory on Sunday over the Browns would be eleven straight wins by the Steelers in the rivalry.  Over the last 17 meetings between these two teams, the Steelers have won 16 of them.   

By Michael C. Smith

            The Pittsburgh Steelers did not have another dramatic comeback win this week as they fell to the Tennessee Titans, 31-14.  The Steelers will remain the number two seed in the AFC, are guaranteed a home game, and will have a first round bye in the upcoming playoffs.  The Steelers will finish up the 2008 regular season next week in Pittsburgh when they take on division rival Cleveland Browns.

            The loss against the Titans was caused by a number of mistakes and turnovers by the Steelers.  Whether it was a missed field goal at the end of the first half or a penalty during a Titans field goal attempt, leading to a first down and a touchdown, the Pittsburgh Steelers just shot themselves in the foot too many times on Sunday.  Turnovers were also a big problem for the Steelers, more specifically, Ben Roethlisberger.  Roethlisberger had a disappointing day even though he threw two touchdown passes.  Roethlisberger fumbled four times, one he lost in the red zone, and also threw two interceptions.

When the game was nearing a close, players on the Titans were seen stomping a “terrible towel” and rubbing it in the dirt.  It showed a lack of respect, discipline, and maturity on the part of the Tennessee Titans’ players.  These two teams may very well meet again on January 18^th in the AFC Championship Game.  After seeing the footage, you better believe that the Steelers will be fired up and will want to get even with the Titans.

By Michael C. Smith

            The Pittsburgh Steelers are the 2008 AFC North Champions.  The Steelers pulled out a dramatic and hard fought victory, 13-9 over the rival Baltimore Ravens, after trailing for most of the game.  The Steelers record now stands at 11-3 as they clinched the division, a playoff berth, and a first round bye with the win.  The Steelers control their own destiny and can capture the number one seed in the AFC, if they win their final two games of the regular season.

            Sunday’s game, as expected, was dominated by both defenses of Pittsburgh and Baltimore.  The Steelers’ defense sacked quarterback, Joe Flacco, twice while forcing him to throw two interceptions.  It appeared at times that Flacco was intimidated by the Pittsburgh defense, and never looked in rhythm.  Whenever the Steelers needed a stop, their defense stepped up and kept them in the game.  Once again it was the defense of the Steelers that gave them the opportunity to win, another truly remarkable performance.

            The Steelers’ offense was unable to move the ball for the first three quarters.  The running game was ineffective.  Ben Roethlisberger was throwing incomplete passes and receivers were having trouble hanging onto balls.  Then, trailing 9-6 late in the fourth quarter, Ben Roethlisberger would take over the game.  Roethlisberger orchestrated a 92-yard game-winning drive that was capped off with a 4-yard touchdown grab by Santonio Holmes, which gave the Steelers the division crown.

By Michael C. Smith

            If there ever was a “must win” game for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season, this would be it.  The Steelers and Ravens will meet Sunday afternoon with the lead in the AFC North Division hanging in the balance.  The Steelers are 10-3 and are currently leading the division, but right behind them are the Baltimore Ravens at 9-4.  A win by Pittsburgh would all but lock up the division and the number two seed in the AFC.  If the Ravens win, things will quickly get dicey for the Steelers.

            When these two teams met for the first time way back in Week 4, the Steelers were trailing 13-3 at halftime.  They then scored twenty points in the second half to defeat the Ravens 23-20 in an overtime thriller.  For the fans who enjoy watching defensive struggles, this game will be for them.  The Steelers and Ravens have the top two defenses in the league.  Expect to see a low scoring game with a lot of hard hits and tackles.  A player to watch on defense for the Steelers is Troy Polamalu, who is on a four-game streak with having an interception.

            For the Steelers’ offense to have success on Sunday, the offensive line must protect Ben Roethlisberger.  The Baltimore Ravens love to attack the quarterback, so expect the Steelers to use the two-tight end formation more than usual, to give Roethlisberger extra protection in the pocket.                                                 

By Michael C. Smith

             In one of the most exciting games of this NFL season, it was the Pittsburgh Steelers who got the best of the Dallas Cowboys in a 20-13 come-from-behind victory.  The win showed Pittsburgh’s never quit attitude as they battled back from a ten point deficit in the 4^th quarter.  The Steelers are now 10-3 and remain a game ahead of the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North Division.  This sets up a key meeting between the Steelers and Ravens next week in Baltimore, where first place will be on the line.

            Most of Sunday’s game was dominated by defense.  The Steelers’ defense played brilliantly as usual.  The defense got three sacks and forced five total turnovers on the Dallas Cowboys’ offense.  Tony Romo threw three interceptions, one of which was returned by Deshea Townsend for the game-winning touchdown.   Troy Polamalu also had an interception and now is on a four-game streak with an interception.  It was the defense of the Steelers that kept themselves in the game and gave their offense the chance to win.             The Steelers’ offense struggled for much of the day.  The running game was ineffective as Willie Parker and Mewelde Moore only managed a total of 47 yards.  The passing game was flat and inconsistent.  Receivers were dropping passes and Ben Roethlisberger was missing open receivers while being sacked five times.  It was in the 4^th quarter trailing 13-3, when Roethlisberger hit Santonio Holmes for a 47-yard gain that gave the offense the jump start they needed.  After that play, the momentum appeared to be on Pittsburgh’s side as they would score 17 unanswered points, and “steel” the victory away from the Dallas Cowboys.  

By Michael C. Smith