Steelers 30, Panthers 20
Steelers win! Steelers win!!
Merry Christmas to all! The Pittsburgh Steelers have won a football game for the first time in six weeks, and they won a home game for only the second time all season. This was the first truly fun game since the opener in Cleveland. The game began with a Steelers FG. Then after a Tomczack interception, the Panthers had the ball at the Steelers goal line and were ready to take the lead. That's when the defense stepped up and made their play of the year. RB Fred Lane was hit and the ball popped into the air. Safety Travis Davis caught the ball and then ran 102 yards for the touchdown. It was the second longest fumble return in NFL history! That gave the Steelers a 10-0 lead, but the defense quickly went back into collapse mode and let the Panthers score a TD in just three plays. However, the Steelers running game got into full gear for perhaps the first time all season. Jerome Bettis and Richard Huntley ran all over Carolina. Huntley ran for a 25 yard TD on the next drive and the Steelers regained their ten point lead. Carolina came right back though, as the defense gave up another huge play by giving up an 88 yard TD to WR Patrick Jeffers! More solid running allowed the Steelers to drive again, and Tomczack hit Hines Ward for a TD late in the first half. But once again the defense could not hold the 10 point lead. This week's beyond-belief pathetic play came with just seconds left in the first half. On 4th down, all-pro QB Steve Beuerlein threw a 43 yard hail mary that was caught by Jeffers. The Steelers defenders weren't even near the ball! So the scoring fest of the first half came to an end with the Steelers clinging to a 23-20 lead.
After all the scoring in the first half, the second half was going to be more of the same, right? Well, it may have been, but right around the start of the 3rd quarter a massive snow storm hit Three Rivers Stadium and killed both team's offenses. Most of all, it shut down the Panthers high-powered passing game. Carolina looked comopletely out of place in the snow. See, that's what happens to good warm-weather teams late in the season. The Steelers defense stepped up and wouldn't let Carolina put together a drive. It got even worse for the Panthers when their all-pro TE Wesley Walls was ejected from the game along with Lee Flowers of the Steelers for fighting. The Steelers continued to run the ball and late in the game they finally got a drive going. The drive was kept alive when Bettis powered forward for a first down on 4th and 1. The Bus capped the drive by rumbling into the endzone for a 12 yard TD run that iced the game. How pitiful is the NFC? The Steelers will finish this season 3-0 against the other conference! In Bill Cowher's previous seven seasons, the Steelers had never even finished above .500 against the NFC! This is indeed a strange year. This loss was disastrous for Carolina, who could have put themseleves in great playoff position with a win today. Sadly, at 7-8, they are still very much alive for a wild card in the NFC. For the Steelers, it was great to finally win again, and to win at home. This was an inspired game. It was only fitting that the Steelers played their final game of the 1990's the way they played most of their games this decade - with hard running and tough defense. Good for us - we needed to remember what it was like to win again. Here's the numbers:
- Jerome Bettis: 33 rushes, 137 yards; 4th straight 1000 yard season
- Richard Huntley: 7 rushes, 72 yards, 1 TD
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Unbelievable! Tennessee beat Jacksonville again! The Jags will still probably win the AFC Central, but their only two losses have come to the Titans. What if they have to face them in the playoffs?? Cleveland gave Indianapolis a game but still lost, Baltimore beat Cincinnati
Steelers 19, Chiefs 35
Another week, another loss
Big surprise - the Steelers lose again. This time it was in Kansas City. The game began promisingly enough when Mike Tomczack led a 63 yard drive that was capped with a Troy Edwards TD reception. But of course our clutch defense came on the field and let the Chiefs tie it up easily. Kris Brown kicked a FG to put the Steelers back in the lead, but the Chiefs regained it when LB Donnie Edwards picked off Tomczack and ran it back all the way for a TD. Tomczack's trademark over the years has been the costly interception, and he threw a couple of them today. Our defense was horrible again. Kansas City kept one drive going when the Steelers gave up a 25 yard run on 3rd and 20! The Chiefs then scored a TD on that same drive, but Brown kicked another FG before the half, so the Steelers were only down by 8 at halftime to a good team.
Each week, the Steelers defense puts the opposing offense on a highlight reel by making a pathetic play. This week, it happened in the 3rd quarter. On 2nd and 2 from their own 18 yard line, the Chiefs ran a reverse and handed the ball off to WR Derrick Alexander. At least five Steeler defenders missed tackling him, and he ran 82 yards for a touchdown. They gave up an 82 yard TD run to a wide receiver!! Unbelievable! This is the most heartless, pitiful defense the Steelers have ever had. That was it. The Steelers had one final chance to maybe claw their way back into the game, but Tomczack threw an interception in the endzone. The Steelers have now lost 6 games in a row and don't figure to win anytime soon. I won't rip up this team anymore, because it's become perfectly obvious to everyone - fans, players, and coach - that this team is the laughing stock of the NFL. Here's the numbers:
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Tennessee beat Atlanta, Cleveland lost to Jacksonville (and also beat up the refs), Baltimore beat New Orleans, Cincinnati has a bye
Steelers 24, Ravens 31
Defense a complete disgrace
The Baltimore Ravens have won their first ever game at Pittsburgh, and the Steelers have clinched their first losing season ever at Three Rivers. The defense gave up four huge plays and got a ton of penalties, allowing Baltimore to overtake us for third place and continuing a season of misery. The game started off promising. Mike Tomczack, who looked like a crafty veteran in his second start rather than a broken down old man, drove the Steelers downfield and Jerome Bettis (yes, Jerome Bettis) threw a 21 yard TD pass. The offense looked sharp, but once again the defense looked like crap. On the next possession, they let Priest Holmes, the Ravens backup running back, reel off a 64 yard TD run. The rest of the first half was spent blowing opportunities. Troy Edwards fumbled a punt return that would've given the Steelers excellent field position. Baltimore QB Tony Banks fumbled at his own 12 but our defensive linemen couldn't pick up the ball. The Ravens also blew their chances. They had a 1st and goal from the 1 yard line and couldn't get a touchdown. The two teams traded FG's, and the game was tied at ten going into halftime.
The 3rd quarter of this game was perhaps the lowest point for a Steelers defense in the last 30 years. They let WR Qadry Ismail burn them deep for touchdowns THREE TIMES in the 3rd quarter. It was absolutely ridiculous. The first one was a 54 yard bomb. After Tomczack hit Edwards for a TD to tie the game back up, Ismail struck again. This time rookie safety Scott Shields completely botched a tackle and Ismail ran for a 59 yard TD. On the next possession, Dewayne Washington fell down and Ismail burnt him for a 76 yard TD! It killed the Steelers. Tomczack hit Stewart on a TD pass late in the game, but the defense of course could not get the ball back. All they had to do was stop three obvious running plays, but they jumped offsides TWICE and let the Ravens get a first down and kill the clock. When it was all over, Ismail accounted for 258 of the Ravens 268 receiving yards. It was just an absolute disgrace. I've been saying it for weeks - our defense is not clutch at all. All four of Baltimore's touchdowns were from 50 or more yards away. Other than that, they did nothing. Tony Banks had 10 yards passing to everyone that wasn't named Qadry Ismail! The Ravens had two of their top three receivers hurt for this game. Ismail is a scrub, but the Steelers no-heart, no-effort defense made him into a star today. Not only did the defense give up huge plays, but they also incurred most of the Steelers 12 penalties by constantly jumping offsides. There is no excuse for playing defense at home the way they did today. This finally proves the point I've been making all season - our defense is the reason we have become one of the worst teams in the NFL. Our defense has been our heart and soul for years. Even when we had bad offenses or bad teams in general, the defense was never this awful at giving up huge plays. That's why even in the late 1980's we were at least close to .500 every year. The way we're going now, I don't see us winning any more games this season. The Steelers need to stop thinking so much about their poor QB situation and start thinking about dumping some of these no-talent morons on defense, who have all but destroyed the one constant our franchise has had over the years. Here's the numbers:
- Mike Tomczak 22-41 for 249 yards, 2 TD
- Kordell Stewart 4 rec, 71 yards, 1 TD
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Tennessee beat Oakland on Thursday night, Cleveland lost to Cincinnati, Jacksonville beat Denver on Monday night
Steelers 6, Jaguars 20
Defense collapses again; offense still can't produce
Well, I'll give the Steelers some credit. They looked inspired for about the first two quarters, but then they let it fall apart like they always do. It's the same story week after week, and it didn't matter who was playing quarterback. The Steelers actually opened up this game against the NFL's best team (and one of the their most hated rivals) by driving for a FG. Jacksonville spent the rest of the first half producing a lot of offense, but not really getting any results. Mark Brunell had a big game (as in 308 yards), but the Jagoffs made dumb mistakes. They fumbled once on the Steelers 10 yard line. Still, our defense was slowly collapsing again. A couple of years ago when we were so good, our defense made the big plays. Now our defense is good statistically, but they aren't clutch at all. They kept letting the Jags convert 3rd and longs, including a 3rd and 21 on which they gave up 22 yards! The Jaguars did get two field goals before the half, and one was handed to them by the refs, who felt it was their duty all night to make sure that Deshea Townsend was not allowed to cover the Jaguars wide receivers. Meanwhile, the Steelers offense looked crappy as usual. Mike Tomczack, who had his first start in three years, couldn't do anything. He did show that he's still a punk though, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by bumping into a Jaguar defender and then grabbing the ref as he walked off the field.
In the second half, the defense had their one good stand of the game. After we pinned the Jagurs deep at the one yard line with a punt, the defense never let them get a yard and the Steelers got great field position off the punt. But once again all we could get was a FG. Tomczack missed a wide open Hines Ward in the endzone. By the time he threw the ball it was too late, plus the ball didn't have enough zip on it to get past a jumping defender. I was disappointed with Mike Tomczack. He just plain looked like an old man. Twice Troy Edwards burnt his guy deep, and both times Tomczack underthrew him. He really didn't add anything to the offense that wasn't there before, except maybe fewer interceptions (but this is Tomczack here - the king of the INT; he just needs a few games to get warmed up). After the Steelers tied the game, we all made a mental note that indeed we were at one point tied with a team that is 11-1 at their stadium where we've never won before. Then the inevitable happened - Jacksonville pulled away. RB James Stewart, who had a career high 145 yards on the Steelers once proud run defense, ran for 40 yards to get the Jags into Steelers territory. Then he ran for 7 yards on a 4th and 1. WR Jimmy Smith burnt Dewayne Washingon for the TD. The Steelers offense couldn't do anything, and Jacksonville later scored another TD to ice their victory. The Jags remind me a lot of our teams from a couple of years ago (they should, seeing as how they've stolen Searcy, Lake, and Dom Capers). Their defense is really good, and so is their offensive line. I still think they're beatable, but in this year of NFL parody, they're about the closest thing to a sure bet Super Bowl team. As for the Steelers, there's not much to say that hasn't already been said about previous games - an offense that can't get in the endzone, a defense that can stuff a guy on 1st and 10 but breaks down on 3rd and 21. Oh well, at least Kordell Stewart caught three passes. He needed something to lift his spirits. So now that our season is officially over (like it wasn't already), can we please please please give Pete Gonzales some playing time, Cowher? Tomczack is gone after this year, and the first thing we're going to do is go out and look for a QB to compete with Kordell next year. We'll have to sign or trade for someone, and all that would be unecessary if Pistol Pete can play well. And if he doesn't, then fine - he goes back to being Clipboard Pete next year anyway. At this point, what have we got to lose? Here's the numbers:
To Carnell Lake: I'm getting real tired of you patting yourself on the back so much because you had the sense to jump off the sinking ship which is the Steelers and go to Jacksonville, where you'll probably end up playing in the Super Bowl again. The Steelers could have franchised you and they didn't want to, remember? We all understood why you left. It's not like we hold you in the same regard as that bastard O'Donnell. You're still going to go down as an all-timer in Pittsburgh. You're departure, along with Woodson's and Lloyd's, is why our defense can no longer make the big plays. I don't know if you're trying to justify why you left for our biggest rival to the Pittsburgh fans or if you're just trying to rub it in the Steelers faces because they didn't really want you anymore, but either way you're slowly tearing down the legacy you built up in this town. Please do yourself a favor and quit talking about the Steelers.
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Tennessee lost to Baltimore, Cincinnati beat San Francisco, Cleveland lost to San Diego
Steelers 20, Bengals 27
Tomczack's effort not quite enough
This is turning into last season all over again. The Steelers continued to look absolutely impotent at home, and they dropped yet another home game to yet another pathetic team. The Bengals have now won five games in the last two seasons, and THREE of them have been against us. The Bengals got on the board right away. The defense, playing uninspired football once again, gave up a 76 yard TD pass on the third play of the game! That's the third straight week we've allowed the opponent to score a TD on the opening drive. Then after a Kordell interception, the Bengals drove and scored another TD. I think it's about time our defense starts shouldering some of the blame. All we hear about is how great the defense is and how they are third in the NFL at this, or second in the NFL at that. Meanwhile, they come out each week and give up numerous big plays, putting us in early holes. The Steelers attempted to come back. They kicked a FG, but when they got the ball back disaster struck again. Kordell Stewart threw what may just have been his final pass of the season, because it was intercepted and returned for a TD. It's over for Stewart. He just can't handle the pressure of playing at home. After the interception, he was booed off the field worse than ever, and Mike Tomczack came in to replace him. Tomczack led a comeback. Kris Brown kicked another FG, and Tomczack hit Bobby Shaw for a TD right before the half.
Tomczack led another TD drive to start the second half. This time he found Hines Ward for a 34 yard TD. So the Steelers were down by four, and looked like they were right back in the game. However, they spent the rest of the second half doing exactly what they've done all season in close games - blowing opportunities. One time they took a sack on 4th down. Another time they had a FG called back on a holding penalty and had to punt instead. Another time Bettis was stuffed on both 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1. At the end of the game, the Steelers (now down by 7) had one last chance when Cincinnati missed a 25 yard FG that would've iced the game. The Steelers drove down deep into Bengals territory. They had a 2nd and 1 on the Bengals 21 when overpaid OT Wayne Gandy jumped and moved them back five yards. Tomczack was then unable to complete a pass and the game ended. How sad is this team? We just lost two home games to Cleveland and Cincinnati in the last three weeks! Now the season is officially over, but unfortunately we still have five games left. So now what? Well, Mike Tomczack will get the start this Thursday in Jacksonville. Stewart may play WR again, but I'm not sure if we'll be seeing him back at QB this year, at least not in Three Rivers. I like Tomczack as much as the next guy, but he isn't gonna do anything. He'll probably win a few games, but what about next year? The fans started chanting "We want Pete [Gonzales]" at the game and I agree with them, but the Steelers don't seem willing to give young Pete a chance. Either way, Kordell Stewart has blown every chance he's had. I don't see how he is ever going to redeem himself after his home performances this year. If I were the Steelers, I would now focus my attention on evaluating my talent, and on beating the Jaguars Thursday night. Upsetting the Jags at their stadium where we've never won before would really mess up their pretty little season, and would give us one bright spot for 1999. Here's the numbers:
- Mike Tomczak 19-35 for 264 yards, 2 TD
Cowher quitting?: Rumors have been flying around Pittsburgh all week concerning Bill Cowher. First, there was all these stories going around about him getting some woman pregnant. That story never came out of any media source, but I swear everyone in this town heard about it somehow or another, especially since everyone got together for Thanksgiving this week. It was like that Kordell in Schenley Park thing last year. Anyway, that story is most likely a bunch of crap, but now comes reports that Cowher will resign at the end of this season. Several media sources are saying that he would go to be the third announcer on Monday Night Football, or that he would take the head coaching job for Houston. Cowher angrily denied those reports after the game, but still, you have to wonder if he's going to stick around. Don't listen to what any of these morons are saying about Cowher losing his passion for the game (like Ron Cook of the Post-Gazette, who called for Cowher to step down in Monday's paper). He has been the heart and soul of this franchise for nearly a decade, and I couldn't even begin to imagine who would possibly replace him.
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Jacksonville beat Baltimore, Cleveland lost to Tennessee
Steelers 10, Titans 16
Steelers are finished
This game today simply proved that the Steelers just don't have that good of a team anymore. I think the sooner we all come to grips with that fact, the less frustrating the remainder of the season will be. The Steelers didn't play a horrible game today. In fact, they kind of hung in with one of the better teams in the AFC. However, in the end, the Steelers inability to score points and their passion for shooting themselves in the foot caught up with them. They lost, all but ending the slim playoff hopes they still had. For the second straight week, the heartless defense let their opponent march down the field on the first drive and score a TD. The drive would've ended at midfield but Joel Steed jumped offsides. Penalties would kill the Steelers all day. Steve McNair hit Chris Sanders on a 46 yard pass and then ran it in for the TD. The Steelers offense responded though. Playing solidly, as they usually do on the road, they marched down the field and tied the game. Jerome Bettis ripped off a 35 yard run (which is incredibly long for him) and Kordell Stewart threw a 15 yard TD pass to Troy Edwards. The defense then let Tennessee drive again! This time it was a 10 play, 85 yard drive that ended when McNair leaped and flipped his way into the endzone. That was the coolest looking play I've seen all year, even if it was at our expense. The Steelers proceeded to blow opportunities the rest of the game. They drove in the 2nd quarter but Kris Brown missed a FG.
In the 3rd quarter the Steelers killed themselves once again. Stewart dropped back in the endzone and tried to throw it away as he was being sacked. He was called for intentional grounding in the endzone, which of course is an automatic safety. They handed the Titans two more points. The offense couldn't get a good drive going until late in the 4th. They kicked a FG, which cut the Titans lead to 6 points. They got the ball back one last time, but for the second straight week Stewart threw an interception to the defensive lineman, and the game was over. This game was frustrating. The Steelers never play as disgustingly on the road as they do at home, and today they had a chance to pull off an upset of a hated rival. However, they have sunken to the level of the bad team that finds the way to lose. They got 11 penalties called on them! That is totally uncharacteristic of this team. Since when did we turn into the Oakland Raiders? We couldn't score points, that safety was stupid, and our defense showed no desire whatsoever at the start of this game, allowing the Titans to keep the lead even after the offense actually redeemed them for once. I'm sick of the defense never getting any of the blame. Just because we're the Pittsburgh "Steel Curtain" Steelers doesn't mean our defense doesn't cave soemtimes. The Steelers are now back to .500, and really don't have any prospects left. They come back here next week to play the pitiful Bengals, and it's going to turn into quite the boo-fest if they even start to suck again. I wish they'd just let Pete Gonzales start, just so there'd be something worth watching them for. But they won't, because Kordell hasn't been that horrible lately and because the whole team sucks, not just the QB. Oh well. If we finish this season over .500, I really think that would be a good accomplishment. Nine wins is about the most we're capable of right now, if that. Here's the numbers:
- Jerome Bettis: 14 rushes, 88 yards
- Kordell Stewart: 18-30, 177 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Jacksonville hosts New Orleans on Sunday night, Cleveland lost to Carolina, Cincinnati lost to Baltimore
Steelers 15, Browns 16
Steelers an absolute joke at home
What a sick, disgusting, shameful display of football put forth by those losers today. In all the years I've been going to Three Rivers Stadium, I don't think I've ever seen anything as pathetic as what I witnessed today. Everyone who is a Steelers fan probably just wants to puke right now. We lost to the Browns (the freakin Browns!) for the first time in 6 years, and we managed to do it after we had the game won. Cleveland's offense came out firing and shocked the Steelers by marching 80 yards for a TD on their first drive. The defense was totally asleep on that one. The Steelers came back and kicked a FG, but the whole rest of the first half they kept shooting themselves in the foot. The defense finally woke up and kept the Browns in check, but the offense squandered every chance they had to score points. One drive stalled in Cleveland territory when Troy Edwards got called for a personal foul. Another ended when Kordell Stewart threw an interception in Browns territory. The offense was moving the ball but couldn't score, and the Steelers trailed 7-3 at halftime.
In the second half it looked like the Steelers got their act together. They drove for another FG, then the defense stepped up. They sacked Tim Couch and made him fumble at his own five yard line. Richard Huntley then ran it in for the go-ahead touchdown. The Steelers failed on the two point conversion though, and it would come back to haunt them. The defense kept stuffing Cleveland and with about 10 minutes left in the game, Kris Brown kicked another FG to put the Steelers up by 8 points. The offense had the ball with 5 minutes left and they were trying to run out the clock. However, Kordell Stewart threw a screen pass right to the Browns lineman at the Steelers 15 yard line!! That was such a terrible pass. It was shades of Drew Bledsoe and Kevin Henry! The defense then came out and showed no heart whatsoever, allowing the Browns to score a TD in only 3 plays. They did miss the two point conversion though, so the Steelers were still up by two. Jerome Bettis then did a good job of clock killing. The Steelers got a couple of first downs and made Cleveland use all their timeouts. But faced with 3rd and 4 at midfield, the Steelers didn't go for the kill. Right before the two minute warning they pitched it to Huntley and he got stuffed. Had they got the first down the game would've ended. So we punted, but hey - our defense had been stuffing them all day, right? But just like in the Atlanta game, the defense decided to take the last couple series off. They let Couch complete a pass to midfield and got a 15 yard roughing the passer call on the same play! That eventually set up a last second FG attempt, and kicker Phil Dawson hit a 39-yarder as time expired to give the Browns a schocking one point victory. The Steelers lost another game at home, and they lost it to the Cleveland Browns. We're now 1-3 at home this year! How are we are so horrible at our own stadium? What an absolute mockery of a once proud Steelers tradition. I am so embarrased to be a Steelers fan right now. The last time I can remember being this sickened walking away from that stadium was when we lost to the Chargers in the Championship Game in 1994, and that when a trip to the Super Bowl was at stake. I don't even know what else to say about this game. The Steelers pretty much threw their playoff hopes in the trash today. I can't believe we lost that game and I can't believe we are so inept at home. This one will be bitterly remembered by Steelers fans for quite some time. For the Browns fans, we just made their whole season. They beat us here on the final play of the game. Really, if you're a Browns fan, what else could happen the rest of the season that would top this? What an absolute joke. The Steelers have no clue how to win close games anymore. They have ripped off all the fans so bad this year. We should all get an apology and our money back. They can all go to hell as far as I'm concerned. Here's the numbers:
- Jerome Bettis: 26 rushes, 99 yards
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Baltimore lost to Jacksonville, Tennessee beat Cincinnati
Steelers 27, 49ers 6
Solid performance nets another road victory
Even in sloppy field conditions, the Steelers got their most solid victory of the season today at San Francisco. The offense and the defense both put in good performances for once, and now the Steelers have won three in a row. The game began with a long 49ers drive that ended around our 30 yard line when they failed to convert a 4th down. Kordell Stewart came out firing. He led the Steelers down the field with several pass completions of over 10 yards, something rare these days on our offense. Bettis capped the drive with 1 yard TD run on 3rd and goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Lawrence Phillips ran it back inside the Steelers 20, and the 49ers were eventually inside the Steelers 10 yard line. However, all they could get was a field goal. The Steelers offense then took over again. Stewart drove the Steelers 60 yards in just four plays. He hit Edwards on a 41 yard pass, and then found Hines Ward for the 13 yard TD. Kordell was tearing it up. He completed his first six passes despite the heavy wind and rain that plagued Candlestick all day. Levon Kirkland caused a fumble on the next San Francisco drive, but this time the Steelers had to settle for a FG. That allowed Kris Brown to set a new NFL record for consecutive field goals made by a rookie with 12. Down 17-3, the Niners were determined to get some points. RB Charlie Garner ran all over the Steelers in this game. Thanks to his running, the Niners again were inside the Steelers 5 yard line. However, they threw two passes. The first was incomplete and the second was a one yard pass to Jerry Rice, who got tackled on the two yard line. So once again San Francisco had to settle for the FG. Twice in the first half the 49ers drove deep, and the only thing that was working for them on offense was Garner. Why didn't they run the ball inside the 5 yard line? The way our run defense was playing, they would've had two easy touchdowns. Instead it was 17-6, a lead the Steelers would take with them into halftime.
The 49ers never could quite mount a comeback in the second half. Brown kicked another FG in the 3rd quarter. This one was a 38 yarder into the wind and rain. The Niners were still running the ball well, but they eventually got down by so many points that they had to pass, and in that respect they looked totally out of their element in the rain. QB Jeff Garcia had some nice scrambles, but he couldn't pass worth crap. His star receivers, Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice, were dropping the few decent passes he threw. Meanwhile on the other side of the ball, Kordell looked unphased by the horrible weather. The Steelers played good ball control offense. In the 4th quarter, they had a chance to totally put it away. Richard Huntley, who's having the biggest comeback season ever, raced around the corner for a 59 yard gain. He was dragged down at the one yard line, but the Steelers proceeded to take some stupid penalties, and then Kris Brown missed his first FG of the year. The Niners still had a remote chance, and they brought in QB Steve Stenstrom to replace Garcia. Stenstrom didn't fare much better, throwing an interception to Scott Shields inside Steelers territory. That was it for the Niners. Each time they had the ball after that they couldn't complete two yard passes. Jerome Bettis, who was stuffed all day again, got a nice 22 yard TD run to make the final score 27-6. I garuntee that there will be some murmuring here in Pittsburgh this week that Huntley should replace injury plagued Bettis in the backfield. The Steelers played a very good game. Kordell Stewart only threw for 139 yards, but most of them were in the first half when it mattered. He was solid and looked like a veteran throwing in the rain. He also did not look tentative at all like he always does at home. The defense also played well, although it was rather disturbing to see Garner rack up 166 yards on just 20 rushes! However, the defense pulled their old bend but not break routine, and in the end they had not allowed their opponent to get in the endzone for the second time in the last three games. The 49ers looked awful. They are definitely a shell of their former selves, but that shouldn't take anything away from the Steelers. They won convincingly at San Francisco in horrible weather and are now 4-1 on the road this season. They also proved that they are capable of playing a solid game on both sides of the ball. They hadn't really done that this season (except against expansion Cleveland, but that really doesn't count). This looks real promising. Are the Steelers really turning their season around? It looks that way, but let's not get too excited just yet. There's still some tough games left on the schedule and the AFC is extremely competitive. Here's the numbers:
- Kordell Stewart 15-26 for 139 yards, 0 INT, 1 TD
- Troy Edwards 6 rec, 76 yards
When it rains it pours: Candlestick Park, or whatever they're calling it these days, held up remarkably well in the rain. That used to be known as a notoriously horrible field. If you were watching the game on television and weren't aware of the bad conditions, CBS announcers Greg Gumble and Phil Simms made sure you knew that it was indeed windy and raining by referring to the weather in between EVERY PLAY! Simms especially found a way to relate everything that happened in this game to the weather. "Bettis with a two yard run up the middle - now see, with the wind blowing he really couldn't find a hole." Give me a break. These are supposed to be their top two announcers and they wouldn't shut up about the weather the entire game. It got really annoying.
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Baltimore beat Cleveland, Jacksonville beat Atlanta, Tennessee was shutout by Miami, Cincinnati is a joke and I really don't care what they did, but if you must know they got massacred by Seattle
Steelers 13, Falcons 9
Steelers barely hang on
"Whew" is about the best word I can think of to sum up this game. The Steelers dominated this game for three quarters, but were unable to put it away and came extremely close to losing it in tragic fashion on Monday night. The game started out as the typical Monday night Steelers home game. The Steelers, who are now 8-0 at home on Monday nights under Cowher, owned the first half. The story of this game was once again our defense. It was just like old times for Chris Chandler. The Steelers were all over him the entire night, just like when he played for Houston. Chad Scott intercepted Chandler deep in Falcons territory in the first quarter. That set up a 13 yard TD pass to Richard Huntley, who made some nice moves on his former team to get into the endzone. After the Falcons missed a FG, the Steelers offense began to drive but could only get into long FG range. Well, that was no problem for rookie Kris Brown, who drilled a 51 yard field goal. Brown tied an NFL record by making the first 11 FG's of his career. At the end of the first half, the Steelers drove inside the Falcons 10, but could only get three. That would come back to haunt them. The Steelers still led 13-0 at the half, and the defense looked seemingly invincible.
Halftime of this game was great. There was a ceremony to honor the 1974 Super Bowl team (see below), and that was about the most exciting thing that happened until late in the 4th. For most of the second half, the defense continued to dominate. They continually sacked Chandler, but they were also starting to get sloppy. The refs, who for the second straight week were absolutely horrible, kept giving Atlanta every call, and as the game wore on you got the sense that eventually they were going to do something. The offense as usual did nothing to extend their 13 point lead. Stewart didn't make any msitakes, but he once again looked totally unconfident and afraid to pass. So late in the 4th quarter, the Falcons started to drive. Lee Flowers took a stupid retaliation penalty which cost the Steelers 15 yards, and soon Chandler had the Falcons inside the Steelers 5. WR Terrance Mathis then caught a 5 yard TD pass. It wasn't real hard for Mathis to catch the ball, because he had just pushed Dewayne Washington out of the way, but like I said, these refs were terrible. All of a sudden, the Falcons were right back in the game. The offense suprisingly responded. They got the ball back and started to drive. All they needed was another FG to ice the game. However, on 1st and 10 from midfield, Jerome Bettis fumbled and Atlanta recovered. On the very next play, Chandler threw deep and hit Mathis at the Steelers 7 yard line. A run up the middle on the ensuing play made it 2nd and goal from the 1. Then the defense woke up. They stuffed the Falcons on 3 straight running plays. It was one of the more incredible goal line stands I've seen. Of course, in typical Steelers fashion, that did not end the game. The Falcons had all three of their timeouts and our offense couldn't get a first down, even though Kordell had Bettis wide open on 3rd down. So rather than punt from their own endzone, the Steelers took an intentional safety and free kicked it to Atlanta. Chandler had a few ahort passes, but then he found Tim Dwight deep at the Steelers 5 yard line - right in between four defenders. The Falcons hurried up to the line to spike the ball with just two seconds left! That meant that the game hinged on one play. The Falcons were sown by four and had to get it in the endzone from our 5 yard line. On the game's final play, Chandler threw behind his receiver and the game ended in the Steelers favor. We escaped with our lives! Some people might look at this as an exciting finish, but not me. The Steelers were all over the Falcons for three and a half quarters. They were so sloppy that they couldn't put the game away and really could have easily lost to a team that's now 1-6. They racked up 90 yards in penalties! Granted, the refs helped up that total, but still, they shot themseleves in the foot whenever they got the chance. It was frustrating to see them almost blow that, especially when we hadn't won a home game in so long and everyone was so psyched up for Monday Night Football. Well, at least they did win, and now they're back over .500 heading into the bye week. They still need a lot of work though. Give credit to the defense. Even though they did bend a bit at the end, they never broke and they were really the sole reason we hung on to win this game. Here's the numbers:
- Defense: 7 sacks
- Jerome Bettis: 23 rushes, 80 yards
1974 Team Honored: There was a halftime ceremony in which all the players from the 1974 Super Bowl team were introduced. Although there were some notable absentees (Bradshaw of course, Swann, Green, Blier), mostly everybody was there. Noll, Franco, Ham, Blount, Wagner, Stallworth, Russell - even guys like Roy Gerela were there. The biggest shocker of all was seeing Joe Gilliam there! I guess they asked him to come in from under the 9th Street Bridge for a few minutes while they introduced the players. Jack Lambert got by far the biggest ovation from the crowd. They actually had to stop the introductions when his name was announced.
Dawson's streak ends: A guy who will some day get that same kind of ovation is Dermontti Dawson. His streak of 170 consecutive games played came to an end Monday night when he was declared inactive due to a hamstring injury. Dawson had not missed a game since 1988, and was just 12 games shy of breaking the all-time Steelers record. The two Steelers who have played more consecutive games than Dawson happen to be the two guys that played center before him - Ray Mansfield (182 straight games) and Mike Webster (177 straight games). Give Roger Duffy credit, because it's not easy to come in and play center for a team that's had just three of them over the last four decades!
Star-studded evening: This was the final Monday nighter of the decade for the Steelers. If you've never been to one of these games, you're missing quite an event. The whole city is lit up and the crowd really gets into the game more so than usual. Last night they had fireworks going off, which was a nice touch. They kept blaring music in between every play, which was really annoying. I'm not sure why they wanted to turn Three Rivers into a night club. Still, it was a chance to show off Pittsburgh and to honor our heroes. Mario Lemieux was there, and everyone went nuts when he was being interviewed on ABC. The 1974 Steelers were standing just a few feet away during that goal line stand, and were all high-fiving each other. Although the Steelers tried really hard to blow it, it was once again a great night for those of us who live in and love the city of Pittsburgh.
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Baltimore lost to Kansas City on Thursday, Cleveland lost to St. Louis, Cincinnati lost to Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee had a bye week
Steelers 17, Bengals 3
Back to .500
The Steelers had their backs against the wall on Sunday, and they responded accordingly. They defeated the lowly Cincinnati Bengals in a somewhat sloppy, yet still convincing victory. The Steelers scored first in this one. In the 1st quarter, they mounted a 49 yard drive. Kordell Stewart, who played decently for the second straight week (17-29 and no interceptions), hit rookie Troy Edwards twice on this drive. One of those catches was a 16 yard completion on 3rd and 6. Troy boy looked good again. He did drop two passes, but he is no doubt our big play WR. Jerome Bettis then capped the drive with a 1 yard TD run. After a Bungals FG made it 7-3, the Steelers offense drove again. Bettis really got going on this drive. He ran for 27 yards and had another TD run. The first half came to a close with one of the longest drives for nothing I've ever seen. Cincinnati rookie Akili Smith, who threw some nice passes in this game, had a 23 yard TD pass wiped out by offensive pass interference. Then their kicker made a FG, but it was called back on a hold. Then he missed, but the refs called Dewayne Washington for roughing the kicker (which was total crap). Then their kicker missed again! So it was 14-3 at halftime.
It pretty much stayed that way all through the second half. The Steelers, led by the revitalized Bus, played good ball-control football - the kind you're supposed to play when you have a 14-3 lead. The defense never let the Bengals drive either. They were tough. Just ask Cincinnati TE Tony McGee, who was leveled not once, but twice. The first time it was Chad Scott who popped him and knocked him out for several minutes. The second time it was Lee Flowers who gave him a shot over the middle. Message to Akili Smith: in the NFL, when you throw over the middle like that to guys who are covered, you're going to get them all killed. The Steelers kicked a FG in the 4th quarter, and the Bengals tried to mount one last desperate drive in the final minutes to get back into the game. That's when the refs really turned the game into a circus. The Bengals had yet another touchdown called back on offensive pass interference. Then on first and goal from the 3, Smith threw an interception to Travis Davis. The Bengals challenged the ruling on the field, then after an endless delay, they called it an incomplete pass! It really looked like an interception. Besides, it was too inconclusive to reverse, but they still did. Then on top of all that, the Bengals had been called for holding on the play, but the refs picked up the flag! Finally, after that whole mess was over, Orpheus Roye picked off Smith on the next play, and the game was over anyway! This was one of the most horribly refereed games I've seen in years. The idiot refs took two touchdowns and a FG away from the Bengals, they picked up at least 4 flags that they threw, and they reversed a play that was clearly inconclusive at best, seemingly just to make it up to Coslet for taking his TD away. Instant replay is a joke. The refs still suck. Anyway, it was good to see the defense shut a team down after last week's performance, even if it was the Bungals. It was really great to see Jerome Bettis running up a strom. It was flashbacks of the old days! The Bus rumbled over people, had holes to go through, and ran for 100 yards for the first time this season. So now the Steelers are 3-3 (3-1 in the division), which isn't all that bad. At least they snapped their losing streak, even if it was at the expense of the pathetic Bungals. I'll take it at this point. Here's the numbers:
- Jerome Bettis: 26 rushes, 111 yards, 2 TD
- Orpheus Roye: 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Jacksonville beat Cleveland, Tennessee beat New Orleans, Baltimore had a bye week
Steelers 21, Bills 24
The misery continues
C'mon! The offense finally plays well enough to win, but then the defense plays a completelt uninspired game!? What the hell? This is getting real frustrating. The Steelers went up to Buffalo hoping to pull one out against a tough opponent on the road and hopefully start turning their season around. The Steelers got a break early. The Bills botched a handoff and fumbled. Kirkland recovered and the Steelers were in business at the Bills 12 yard line. Kordell Stewart, who had a decent comeback game, converted on the turnover by hitting Hines Ward in the back of the endzone for a 12 yard TD. Our defense then broke down. Doug Flutie wasted us on an 8 minute, 69 yard drive. He mixed up short passes and scrambled out of several jams. The drive ended with a Buffalo TD. The Bills then got another TD when WR Eric Moulds burnt the crap out of Chad Scott on a 49 yard bomb. After a Buffalo FG made it 17-7, the Steelers seemed to be in the pits once again, but for once the offense responded. They mounted a nice 71 yard drive that culminated with a 17 yard TD pass to Troy Edwards. The pass was tipped in the endzone and Edwards caught it off the tip. Troy boy continues to impress. If he's not starting next week I'll be in shock. The Bills mounted a late first half drive but missed the FG. So it was 17-14 Buffalo at the half, and for the second straight week, things didn't look all that bad at halftime despite some early mistakes.
In the 3rd quarter, the defense finally seemed like they had Flutie figured out. It looked like Carlos Emmons bagan shadowing him, and Flutie's scrambling was not as effective. However, the offense couldn't move the ball as usual. Finally late in the 3rd, Stewart and the offense started to drive. They got all the way down to the Buffalo 40 yard line, but Stewart threw an absolutely horrible pass right to their linebacker. It was bad enough that this play ended the potential game-tying drive, but it was even worse what happened on the ensuing Bills drive. The defense lost all heart. They had held the Bills in check so far in the second half, but after the interception they simply let Buffalo march down the field and score a TD. The offense again mounted a drive, this time late in the 4th quarter. Jerome Bettis got his first TD of the season, and the Steelers trailed by 3 points with just over two minutes left, and they had all their timeouts. But of course, the defense couldn't hold the Bills. Even though they knew Buffalo would just hand the ball off in an attempt to run out the clock, they couldn't stop them and get the ball back. That was really pathetic. Their fullback ran right through us! On one play, Joel Steed had him at the line of scrimmage and let him go. The game ended and the Steelers lost their third straight. Give a lot of credit to Stewart. Aside from that interception, he played exceptionally better this week (see numbers below). I told you he'd be much more relaxed with out the Steelers fans cursing at him all game. The defense on the other hand sucked. They played so well last week, but now the offense finally scores some points (21 points, for that matter) and our defense can't stop them. Doug Flutie was too mobile for our front seven. On a 3rd and 20, Flutie ran for 21 yards. It's hard to imagine that this guy was wasting away in Canada for almost an entire decade. Either way, he played a great game while our defense just looked like they didn't care. If you want to look at a bright side, the offense did improve. The running game still sucked, but the line, Stewart, and the receivers showed signs of life. Next week we play Cincinnati, a team we haven't beaten for two years. If we lose that game, you may as well slap us on the cover of Sports Illustrated with a "we're finished" quote like they did to Denver last week. Here's the numbers:
- Kordell Stewart: 21-29 for 216 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
- Troy Edwards: 4 rec, 50 yards, 1 TD
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Jacksonville beat the NY Jets on Monday night, Tennessee beat Baltimore, Cleveland barely lost to Cincinnati
Steelers 3, Jaguars 17
Great defensive effort wasted
It's turning into one of those seasons. The Jaguars have finally won a game in Pittsburgh, and they really didn't have to work that hard to do it. The Steelers have now dropped four straight home games at Three Rivers for the first time in their history. The really sad thing about this loss is that unlike last week, the Steelers had a chance all day and just couldn't muster any offense whatsoever. The game began with good defense by both teams. The Jaguars had one good drive all day and it came in the second quarter. They drove to the Steelers 36 and converted a 4th and 6. Brunell, who otherwise had a terrible day passing, hit McCardell on a short TD pass. That was the only big play the defense gave up all day. They continued to hold the Jags in check. At the end of the first half, Travis Davis picked off Brunell and set up a Kris Brown FG. Although the offense had played pitifully once again, the Steelers were still very much in the game trailing 7-3.
The second half began with the Steelers trying to drive. Even when the offense could put together some positive yardage, disaster always seemed to strike. Stewart fumbled and the Jags turned it into a FG. Again, the defense stepped up. They were all over Jacksonville and the Steelers were still in the game. Twice the Steelers offense attempted to drive for the game-tying TD. The first time they got to around midfield and decided to go for it on 4th and 1. They tried to run Stewart outside, and it got stuffed. The second time (this time in the 4th quarter), they got to the Jags 40 and again were faced with 4th and 1. This time they tries a flea-flicker and threw deep! It was incomplete, and the crowd booed Kordell Stewart and the offense off the field. They then proceeded to take two safeties before the game ended! It was ridiculous. The offense could not move the ball. They could not even come close to the endzone. Twice they had long runs called back on holding penalties. The defense put forth their best effort in a long time. They held Brunell to just 85 yards passing, and it was all for nothing because we couldn't score! This is getting really ugly. The Steelers are now 2-2 and in third place in the division. The offensive line and the quarterback look just as inept as they did at the end of last season. Above all, it really sucks to lose to Jacksonville at home when our defense played so well. The Jags did not impress anyone with their poor play. They would've lost if we had any kind of offense. I don't know where the Steelers go from here. It's just not looking good for the 1999 season. Here's the numbers:
- Defense: held Jags to 80 yards passing
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Tennessee lost to San Francisco, Baltimore beat Atlanta in OT, Cleveland lost to New England, Cincinnati lost to St. Louis
Steelers 10, Seahawks 29
Game over in first 3 minutes
The Steelers really sucked in every aspect of the game today. The Seattle Seahawks came into Three Rivers for our home opener and blew us out. The really annoying thing about this game was that it was over after the first three minutes. On the Steelers first possession, Kordell Stewart threw a pass that was behind his receiver. The ball was tipped into the air, intercepted by Merton Hanks, and returned 23 yards for a TD. On Pittsburgh's second possession, they got stuffed on 3rd and inches and had to punt. Josh Miller boomed one all the way back to the Seahawks 6 yard line, but returner Charlie Rogers returned it straight up the sidelines for a 96 yard TD. It was 14-0 Seahawks and their offense hadn't even come on the field yet! That punt return really hurt. Joey Galloway, their star WR and punt returner is holding out, and the Steelers still let this rookie run straight up the sidelines. That was the longest punt return in their team history, and it totally quieted the crowd, which was so psyched up before the game. The Steelers offense couldn't get going at all. When the defense finally did get on the field, they gave up a 51 yard pass on the first play. They also let Seattle kick four field goals before halftime. The offense looked even worse. Right before the half, Stewart threw his second interception. Luckily, the Steelers made Jon Kitna fumble and they got the ball right back. Stewart then threw another interception, and this one was to a guy that was just standing in the middle of the field.
Last year when Mike Holmgren came here as coach of the Packers, his team was down 27-0 at halftime. Today his team was up 26-0 at halftime. When the Steelers came out in the 3rd quarter, Mike Tomczack was in at QB. This was a surprise, since Cowher always seems so reluctant to bench Kordell. Tomczack got a huge ovation from us completely frustrated fans, but he didn't fare any better than Stewart. The rest of the game was just a matter of going through the motions. The Steelers did get some points at the end, avoiding the shutout, but that wasn't much consolation. It seemed like such a long wait to play our home opener. Everyone was so excited, and then the Steelers were done in just a few short minutes. Now I know how the Browns fans must have felt in week 1. This was the second straight year that the Steelers won their first two games and proceeded to get hammered in their third. Now Jacksonville comes in here next week, and all of a sudden things aren't looking too good at all. This loss was a total combined effort by the offense, defense, and special teams. Before today, the Steelers offense had not committed a turnover. Today they threw 5 interceptions. The Steelers better work on their offensive game plan and figure out how to better utilize the running game (to their defense, the game plan kind of tends to go out the window when you're down 14-0 in the first three minutes). The special teams couldn't push that guy out of bounds when he was running for 96 yards. The defense let Seattle kicker Todd Peterson set a team record by kicking 5 FG's. It was awful, and now they have to worry about the Jagoffs next week. But on the bright side, hockey season starts on Friday! Here's the numbers - oh wait, everybody sucked, but at least rookie kicker Kris Brown hasn't missed a FG yet, so here:
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Tennessee surprised the Jaguars at Jacksonville. The Titans have now won 9 straight division games and are in sole possession of first place! Baltimore beat Cleveland, Cincinnati lost to Carolina
Steelers 23, Ravens 20
Steelers pull one out on the road
So much for blowouts. The Steelers and Ravens played a fairly sloppy game today, but in the end, the good team found a way to win. At first it looked as if the Steelers picked up right where they left off last week. Ravens QB Scott Mitchell (I told you he was awful) threw an interception to Dewayne Washington on Baltimore's first possession. The Steelers capitalized by driving 35 yards for a Kordell Stewart 8 yard TD run. Baltimore came right back though, and they put together an 80 yard drive that featured mostly long runs by Eric Rhett. The Steelers defense did not look sharp today. When Scott Mitchell began struggling, the Steelers should have known that Baltimore was gonna go to the running game. Then they still let Rhett, a jerk who I hate, run all over them. The offense for the Steelers then started to stall a bit, but in the 2nd quarter they managed to get going again.They put together an 80 yard drive of their own. Stewart hit Hines Ward on a fairly deep pass, and Richard "Touchdown" Huntley scored his fourth TD of the year on a 17 yard run. This play was kind of sad to watch because Ravens safety Rod Woodson could not chase down Huntley as he cut to the outside, allowing him to score. If this play would've happened five years ago, Huntley would've been dropped right at the line of scrimmage. Baltimore then got a long kick return and turned it into a FG, making it 14-10 Steelers at the half.
The 3rd quarter turned out to be extremely boring. Both teams traded possessions several times. There was almost no movement and hardly any first downs. Then came what every fan in Baltimore had been chanting for all day: the benching of Scott Mitchell in favor of Stoney Case. I said in my preview this week that he was horrible, and I was right. The Steelers defense made one nice play in the 3rd quarter. Carlos Emmons sacked Case and forced a fumble, but the Steelers only got 3 points from it. As the 4th quarter wound down, the Ravens drove for a FG. The Steelers, thanks to a nice kickoff return by Will Blackwell, came back with a FG also, so it was still a 7 point game with just over two minutes left. However, Case drove the Ravens quickly down the field on a 6 play, 72 yard drive. The drive resulted in 19 yard TD pass by Case, and the Steelers defense had blown the lead. The game was tied with just over one minute left, but as usual, the good team found a way to win and the bad team found a way to lose. Blackwell again took the kickoff back to midfield, and after a few plays, the Steelers were in FG range. Rookie kicker Kris Brown kicked the game-winning 36 yard FG as time expired, and the Steelers hung on to go to 2-0. Unlike last week, this was not a pretty victory. The offense looked good early but then got all conservative and couldn't move the ball. Baltimore always does a great job of shutting down Bettis, and Stewart lost confidence as the game went on thanks to some good pressure by the Ravens defense. I was really disappointed with the way our defense broke down and allowed the Ravens to tie the game in the final minutes. There were also way too many penalties. Give credit to the special teams - especially to Will Blackwell. His two long 4th quarter kickoff returns set up both Steelers field goals, including the game winner. The Steelers also managed to get the starting QB of their opposition benched for the second straight week, which wasn't hard to do today. So Pittsburgh struggled in Baltimore for the 4th straight year, but did manage to win, and winning your first two games on the road and in the division is an impressive feat. However, the Steelers will now get some real competition, starting next week with the Seahawks. Here's the numbers:
- Dewayne Washington: 2 INT
- Kris Brown: 3 FG (including 36 yard game-winner)
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Jacksonville struggled as well, barely beating Carolina. Tennessee beat Cleveland, Cincinnati lost to San Diego
Steelers 43, Browns 0
Eat it, Cleveland
Wow! Welcome back, Cleveland! That was just a fun game to watch. The Steelers played possibly the most flawless game in the history of the team. The Steelers and Browns picked up right where they left off four years ago - with Pittsburgh dominating. Kordell Stewart certainly looked sharp. After the Steelers first drive stalled on a 4th down, Stewart ran in a short TD. Later in the first half, Stewart led another drive, capping it off with a nice 5 yard TD pass to Richard Huntley. One guy that did not show signs of rust was Jerome Bettis. The Bus, who had not played all pre-season, came out and bowled over the Browns with 89 yards before leaving the game in the 3rd quarter. By halftime, the Steelers were up by 20 and the Browns barely even had the ball.
The second half was more of the same. The Steelers put together a 14 play, 76 yard drive capped by another Huntley TD. The defense continued to dominate. The Browns never even got a first down in the second half. Later, rookie Tim Couch got into the game for Cleveland and the Steelers gave him a nice "welcome to the NFL" by intercepting his first pass. The game eventually turned into the fifth pre-season game. Mike Tomczack got into the game and went 8-8. He threw a 21 yard TD pass to Huntley and a short TD pass to Hines Ward. Pete Gonzales even got into a game for the first time in his career.
The defense set a team record by holding Cleveland to just 40 total yards! It was total domination. Josh Miller didn't even have to punt until late in the 4th. Everything was clicking for the Steelers. This was a little bit of revenge for when Cleveland came here and beat us 51-0 on opening day one decade ago. This was the Steelers first shutout since 1997 when we shut out Baltimore, and first road shutout this decade. It was also the third biggest blowout in Steelers history. Before everyone gets too excited, let's all keep in mind that Cleveland is an expansion team. No one ever thinks of them as one because they're the Browns. Still, everyone should feel happy that we snapped our five game losing streak from last year. We should also feel good that Kevin Gilbride's new offense looked incredible and scored 43 points. But most of all, we should all feel great that we hammered those miserable losers in their fancy new stadium, completely crapping on their little welcome back party! I mean, this was just a total embarrassment for Cleveland. I can't remember the last time we hammered a team as bad as we hammered the Browns tonight. Here's the numbers:
- Kordell Stewart: 15-23, 173 yards, 1 TD pass, 1 TD rush
- Richard Huntley: 5 rec, 67 yards, 3 TD's
- Time of Possession: Steelers - 47:49 , Browns - 12:11 (NFL Record)
Elsewhere in the AFC Central: Jacksonville destroyed San Francisco, Cincinnati lost to Tennessee in a wild game, Baltimore lost to St. Louis
Booooorrrrring! Can we please start the real season now? This was another lackluster effort by the offense. They didn't score a TD until the final seconds. At least Pete Gonzales wrapped up his spot on the team with a decent performance. Also, LB Mike Vrable broke his arm in this game, which moves rookie LB Joey Porter up even higher on the depth chart. Look for Porter, who's had a great pre-season, to take Carlos Emmons' starting job by mid-season, if not sooner. Numbers:
That was a real sloppy game, even for pre-season. The offensive line looked absolutely pitiful. Starting tackles Chris Conrad and Wayne Gandy couldn't handle Washington's pass rushers. As a result, Kordell Stewart got pressured on almost every play and the offense looked exactly like it did at the end of last season. The defense didn't exactly light it up either. CB Deshea Townsend got burnt badly by Redskins WR Michael Westbrook on a 41 TD reception. The Steelers couldn't even score in the first half with all their starters in. There were some bright spots in this game. First round pick Troy Edwards had a nice 45 yard TD catch on which he broke two tackles. Mike Tomczack also had a good game, putting to rest any doubt that he will once again be the Steelers number two quarterback. Rookie Amos Zeroue also had a decent game, rushing for 74 yards. That's good, because I'm beginning to have the sneaking suspicion that Jerome Bettis won't be back in time for Cleveland like the Steelers keep saying. So in the end, the Steelers played a miserable game thanks to a lack of blocking, which was really the cause of their horrific collapse last season. But hey, let's all remember one important fact: this is pre-season. This is where you're supposed to work out the kinks. Only one more game left before Cleveland, and that'll be next Friday at Buffalo. It's hard to believe we're going into Labor day weekend, when the season traditionally begins, and the Steelers haven't even made their first cuts yet! Here's some numbers for you pre-season stats buffs:
The Steelers offense continues to look improved this pre-season after Friday night's game in Carolina. Kordell Stewart threw deep on the first play of the game, drawing a 39 yard pass interference call. Later in the first half, Stewart pump-faked and the Panthers DB who was covering Courtney Hawkins completely bit on it, leaving Hawkins wide open for a 45 yard TD pass. It was good to see us throwing down field again, unlike last year. I know it's just pre-season, but things are looking better for the upcoming season. There was some other stuff of note that happened in this game. Rookie Amos Zeroue started at RB because everyone is hurt. He did ok. On the first drive, he made some nice moves and almost broke about a 30 yard TD run, but unfortunately he slipped and fell down on the grass. Another rookie who looked great was LB Joey Porter. He had 2 sacks, giving him 3 total in the first two pre-season games. This guy wears number 95, and he has been playing like old number 95 so far. Carlos Emmons beware - your starting job may be in jeopardy. QB Mike Tomczack played in the 3rd quarter until he got shoved head-first into a bench on the Panthers sidelines. Tomczack left the game with a concussion. That at least gave Pete Gonzales, who got screwed out of playing time last week, a chance to play. Gonzales looked pretty good, going 8 for 15 with 64 yards. He was leading the game-winning drive late in the 4th quarter until rookie TE Jerame Tuman fumbled at the Carolina 14 yard line. The Panthers then drove the other way for the game-winning TD. But as usual, it really doesn't matter who wins these games anyway. Next week, the Steelers said they'll again play rookie QB Anthony Wright more instead of Gonzales (assuming Tomczack is back). I'm not sure what the Steelers are up to here, but I know they're up to something, and I don't like it. I think they're trying to weed out one of the QB's, but I don't know if it's Tomczack or Gonzales. Tomczack's job was in question several months ago because he ripped on Kordell's work ethic. It is ridiculous that Tomczack's job was or is now in jeopardy. He's been a great backup for the last six seasons. Same with Gonzales. If there's anyone who doubts his ability to be a potential big game QB, I got three words for you - "4th and 17". They keep talking up this kid Wright, but he did nothing in that first pre-season game. Hopefully, he'll suck again this week and the Steelers will find it easier to avoid making a stupid mistake. Here's some numbers from the game:
A lot of wild plays in this game, but what else can you expect from th first pre-season
game of the year. These games are always a good chance to get a look at some rookies, but
actually the guys who made the plays in this game were the second-year players. After the Bears
opened the game with a 102 yard kickoff return TD, Hines Ward made a great run after a catch,
faking out tacklers on his way to a 45 yard TD. Ward then recovered a blocked punt in the endzone
for the Steelers second TD. The punt was blocked by another second-year guy, Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala.
On defense, it was yet another sophmore player, CB Deshea Townsend, who made an impact. Townsend had
2 interceptions, the first of which he returned 45 yards for the Steelers third TD of the first half.
The offense did look sharp. Kordell Stewart left the game after going 5-5.
The running game could do nothing, but remember, Bettis, along with several linemen (Gandy, Dawson, Farris), were all
hurt and not playing. First round draft pick Troy Edwards had a couple of good punt returns, although he did
drop two passes on offense. Also, I gotta give some credit to rookie kicker Kris Brown, who I have been ripping up lately.
After getting stiff-armed on that opening kick returen and missing a chip shot FG (and the crowd chanting "Norrrmmm!"), Brown came back and kicked three FG's, two of which were from almost 50 yards out.
The second half of this game was incredibly boring, as is usually the case in pre-season.
It started raining harder and there was really nothing exciting that happened. One second-year player that really
got ripped off was fan favorite Pete Gonzales. The QB from Pitt only got to play one series, and it was late in the 4th quarter.
Instead, they let some kid from South Carolina play almost the entire second half at QB! But anyway, this game didn't
really tell us anything about the 1999 Steelers, but it was nice to see them on the field again. Here's some numbers:
