The Steel Curtain

Steelers Lose To Bengals, But Crush Da Bears

2005-12-16T06:47:00.000-08:00

After i demoralizing loss to the Bengals, the Steelers were on a 3 game losing streak and looking for a much needed win. In order to make the playoffs, the Steelers will probably have to win out, meaning they will have to win the rest of their games in order to make the playoffs. The Steelers were clearly the better team last Sunday and beat the Bears at their own game, defense. Pittsburgh controlled the clock and the turnovers, and looked efficient on offense. Big Ben's thumb is still in question though, he must have another great game next week in Minnesota.

No, the Steelers Cannot Beat the Colts

2005-12-16T06:45:00.000-08:00

The Steelers got smashed by the Colts. Big Ben was coming back from injury, but there was no chance we could have beat them. They are one of the best teams EVER. They will go 16-0, win the Superbowl, and Peyton Manninig will become the best quarterback of all time...GUARANTEED

Can the Steelers Beat the Colts?

2005-11-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

The answer is an emphatic YES. The Steelers are the only team left on the Colts' schedule that can potentially stop them from having a perfect season. In order to beat the Colts, the Steelers must blitz heavily and confuse Manning with the 3-4 defense. This is the same defense that the New England Patriots used to beat the Colts twice last year. However, the Colts have not been stopped this whole year, and Peyton has been very effective against the blitz. Another key to a Steelers victory will be using Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley. The Colts have a smaller defense than most, and Pittsburgh must exploit this by pounding the ball with our HUGE runningbacks. Willie Parker has slowed down since his breakout games in the beginning of the season. He is also much smaller than the other 2 runningbacks. Cowher will most likely run Bettis and Staley more than Willie Parker. Finally, the Steelers must get mean. The Colts are not a physical team, and the Steelers must punish them and show them what it means to play the Pittsburgh Steelers. Get Pumped, cause this game will be incredible.

Tommy Maddox loses to Ravens

2005-11-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday the Steelers lost to the Ravens 13-16 in a game that went to overtime. The game ended on a Matt Stover fieldgoal (pictured). Maddox had an average game throwing for 230 yards going 19-36, he also had 1 touchdown, 1 interception, and 1 fumble. One of the biggest moments of the game was a freak interception made possible by Hines Ward who almost caught a pass and instead punted it high into the air for a Ravens defender to catch. The Steelers had many chances to put Baltimore away, but couldn't close the deal. The loss wasn't entirely Maddox's fault, but if Big Ben was playing, the Steelers would have won. Pittsburgh must start thinking about next week's huge Monday night matchup against the Colts. In order to beat the Colts, the Steelers must slow the game down and not give Peyton Manning a chance to get into a groove. This strategy worked for New England last year. Nevertheless, this game will be the best game of the NFL regular season. My main man, Mr. Ben Roethlisberger will definitely start this game against the league leading Colts.

Big Ben to Miss Sunday's Game

2005-11-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

All the talk this week was about who to start on Sunday against the Ravens. Ben Roethlisberger was expected to return but Cowher announced that he will not play on Sunday. With Charlie Batch out, Tommy Maddox seems like the obvious choice...uh oh. However, two of the Steelers wide outs (Antwaan Randle El and Hines Ward) played quarterback in college and could potentially take some snaps. I made a few bets with my friends that Randle El will not take more than 3 snaps this Sunday. I don't think Cowher will let him throw in a traditional set, but will definitely get some trick plays like direct snaps and flea flickers. We'll see on Sunday how coach Cowher planned for this game. On another note, the Bengals WILL LOSE this weekend to the Colts and the Steelers will take charge of the division.

Batch goes down in win against Browns

2005-11-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 34-21 in the Sunday night game this weekend. The Browns had a great 1st quarter, and i must admit, i was a little scared going into the 2nd quarter. In the 2nd quarter, Jerome Bettis scored on a 1 yard run, Reed kicked a field goal, and Pittsburgh native Charlie Batch scored on a gutsy QB sneak with time expiring. However, at the start of the 3rd quarter, Cowher notified the announcers that Charlie broke his hand. This means that Touchdown Tommy had to manage the rest of the game...OH NO!!! He played mediocre and Cowher seemed to trust wide reciever Randle El at quarterback rather than Maddox. Randle El threw a 51 yard touchdown to Hines Ward on a trick flea flicker play. The Browns made the score a little bit closer when they blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown. The Steelers did not allow them to get any closer and ended the game by running the ball. The defense played great, as did Hines Ward (pictured) who became the Steelers all time leader in receptions...congratulations Hines. Also, strong safety Troy Polamalu had another exceptional game and is definitely the best defensive player in football. The Steelers are on top of the AFC north with a 7-2 record. They play the Ravens next week in Baltimore. This week Cowher must decide if he wants to rush Big Ben back to start, or stick with Tommy Maddox. I think that Ben must rest and get healthy so that he can start against the Colts 2 weeks from now

Steelers Beat Ravens and Packers

2005-11-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

The Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens last Monday night 20 to 19. The game was much closer than i expected but the Steelers managed to pull it out. In the back of my mind i kinda knew the game would be tough. The Steelers were a little off on Monday and the Ravens had their best game of the season. Big Ben hurt his knee in the game and had arthoscopic surgery to repair it. He should be back when we face the Ravens again on November 20th. This sunday we beat the struggling Green Bay Packers 20 to 10 with Charlie Batch at the healm. The game was a little sloppy but the D managed to come up big. Strong Safety Troy Polamamlu had a huge game with 2 fumble recoveries and a game changing touchdown. Charlie Batch managed the game MUCH better than Touchdown Tommy and i expect he'll start next Sunday night against the Browns. Duce Staley also got most of the action, especially after Fast Willie Parker left the game with an ankle injury. He ended the day with 75 yards and a touchdown. Neither of these victories were impressive, but it's the middle of the season, and many of the Steelers' starters have been banged up recently. If we can squeak by the Browns and the Ravens in the next 2 weeks possibly without Roethlisberger, then we should be well rested and healthy by the time the huge Monday night showdown against the Colts in Week 12.

The TerribleTowel

2005-10-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

In 1975 a radio broadcaster for the Steelers, named Myron Cope created the infamous Terrible Towel to create an intimidating atmosphere in Three Rivers Stadium. The Towels were a great success and teams all over the country have tried to duplicate the success in Pittsburgh. This Monday night Steeler fans are encouraged to participate in the largest simultaneous Terrible Towel waving in history. This event is aimed to honor Myron Cope's 35 year career in broadcasting for the Steelers. I predict that this Monday's game will consist of the Steelers crushing the Ravens, and then me watching them cry. The Ravens will be without their two best players, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed which will put them at an even bigger disadvantage. If Coach Cowher sticks to last weeks game plan of running, we will surely beat our division rival, Baltimore. Also, if you own a Terrible Towel, be sure to give it a wave before Monday night's game.

Pittsburgh Spanks "Division Leaders"

2005-10-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

As predicted, the Steelers trampled over the Bengals in week 7. Willie Parker ran for 131 yards and a touchdown, while Bettis had 56 yards of his own. Roethlisberger came back from injury and controlled the game by only attempting 14 passes, while scoring 2 touchdowns. The explosive Bengals offense couldn't do a thing against the Steel Curtain. Carson Palmer did not look like an MVP cantidate by throwing 2 picks against the Steelers. Heath Miller has been exceptionally good recently. He caught a touchdown against the Bengals and now has 3 on the year. Historically, the Steelers have never relied on the tight-end position for catches. I would love for him to explode in the 2nd half of the season and win the award for AFC rookie of the year. Next week the Steelers face Baltimore, who has looked terrible this year.

On a sidenote, I went to a crazy Giants-Broncos game in New York this weekend. I wore a Roethlisberger jersey and met a few Steeler faithfuls. I was obviously rooting for the Giants of the NFC against the "surprise of the AFC" Broncos. I was pumped to see Eli's last second heroics to win the game. Sick day of......FOOTBALL!!!!!

Buy Steelers Gear

2005-10-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

The number one reason to buy steelers merchandise is so you can be as cool as Snoop. Snoop Dogg is probably the best man on the planet, and I wish i could be as cool as him. Snoop first showed his Steeler love in his hit video Gin n' Juice. He is shown here wearing a throwback Plaxico Burress jersey. There is tons of great Steelers stuff you can buy, from jerseys, t-shirts, hats, beer mugs, and the imfamous Terrible Towel. You can buy these great products from your local sports store or online at HomeTeams.com or Eastbay.com.
I currently own a black Ben Roethlisberger jersey which i rock way too often. My next jersey purchase will probably be a white Hines Ward jersey, maybe Santa could bring me one. I recently recieved an email from a Steeler Nation t-shirt vendor. These shirts are onlny 10 bucks and very cool. Nevertheless, buy Steelers gear immediately, whether it's to be cool or just to support the greatest team in football.

Big Ben Is Ready To Beat The Bengals

2005-10-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

The game against the Bengals next week may be the most important game of the year for the Steelers. The Bengals have a record of 5-1, and are in the driver's seat of the AFC North deivision. All experts and analysts rank the Bengals in the top 3 in the NFL power rankings. Personally, I believe the Bengals are highly overrated. The Steelers are a much better team, but they must overcome many injuries. Bill Cowher listed over 6 starters who are either out, doubtful, or questionable. They include: Antwaan Randle El, Hines Ward, Cedric Wilson, Alan Faneca, Aaron Smith, Deshea Townsend, and Ricardo Colclough. One man that will be playing in Cincinnati on Sunday is quarterback Ben Roethlisgerger. The biggest concern for the Steelers is the Cincinnati passing game. The Bengals are a very explosive team and look to exploit the Steelers injured secondary. The Steelers must pressure Carson Palmer and make him screw up. Also, the Steelers will be extra mean this weekend coming off the disaster against Jacksonville

Touchdown Tommy Blows Game

2005-10-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

After coming off a stunning Monday night win against the Chargers, the Steelers were forced to start backup quarterback Tommy Maddox after Big Ben went down in the 4th quarter last week. Touchdown Tommy is a football veteran and former league MVP, not the NFL, the XFL. Even though Tommy has played for the Steelers for years, and is almost 40 years old, he looked like a 10 year old girl when he played against the Jaguars this weekend. The game was sloppy the whole way through, but the Steelers somehow had the lead almost all game. The defense, and special teams looked very good but the offense was unexplainable. Nevertheless, the game went to overtime and the steelers won the toss and elected to recieve. After running the kickoff all the way to the other teams 25 yard line, it seemed all the Steelers needed to do to win was kick the ball. On 3rd down before having the chance to kick, good old Tommy Maddox got a case of the butterfingers and turned over the ball. After stopping their offense, they punted and gave Tommy another chance....he blew it and lost the game on an interception returned for touchdown. All week, sports writers predicted the Steelers to run the ball the whole game. However, Touchdown Tommy finished the game with 28 passing attempts, 10 more attempts than the starter, Big Ben, usually has. Tommy finished the game with 3 interceptions and 1 fumble, which singlehandedly lost the game......Thanks.

Steelers Resting Up For Monday Night

2005-10-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

This week the Steelers had a bye, so were resting up for next weeks Monday night game against the Chargers. The Chargers are coming off a great win against the Patriots so they'll be pumped for Pittsburgh to come to town. In the AFC north, the Bengals and Ravens both won their Sunday matchups. Cincinnati continues to win, but looks very shaky in my opinion. I think the Bengals will fade off around Week 7, when they first play the Steelers, and then go on to finish with no more than a 9-7 record. The Steelers will definitely win the AFC north this year. Here's a link to my friend's blog about the Steelers: Steelers Road To Victory.

Devastating Loss

2005-09-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

After newcomer Ben Roethlisberger went 16-0 during the past 2 seasons, he was handed his first regular season loss by the New England Patriots. The Steelers were playing at home and were looking to avenge their playoff loss to the Pats last year. The game was extremely close all day. Both teams played tremendous football and showed why they are the #1 and #2 teams in the NFL. The Steelers tied the game with a touchdown pass to Hines Ward with only a minute left. Then Tom Brady marched down the field with ease. The defending Super Bowl champs won the game with a last second field goal from Adam Vinateiri, and broke my heart. As mad as I was, I still respect the Patriots to the fullest. I believe Tom Brady is the best player in the NFL. He went 12/12 in the 4th quarter and was calm as a cucumber. Once again, the Steelers could not overcome Brady's perfect day. I predict the Steelers will be seeing him again in the playoffs, and will be looking for revenge. Next week the Steelers have a bye, and will be resting up until they face the San Diego Chargers in week 5. Also, Deuce Staley and Jerome Bettis are expected to be ready for action by next game.

Steelers open with a bang

2005-09-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

As you know from my previous post, I am a die hard Steelers fan, but that's not the only reason for The Steel Curtain blog. I am enrolled in a college course about information technology applications which requires me to create a blog about something i am passionate in. So my obvious thought was to dedicate a blog to my beloved Steelers. This weekend, the Steelers opened the NFL season by playing the Titans. They crushed their opponent by a score of 34-7. The Steelers were led by 3rd string running back Willie Parker(pictured) and sophomore quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Next week they play the Houston Texans, it should be a slaughterfest now that the Steelers are rolling. I couldn't have asked for a better start to the season, I would like to thank the Steelers for being so damn good.

A Promising Season Ahead

2005-09-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

This is the introductory post from a die hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. This blog will be primarily focused on how great this team is. After coming off a league leading 15-1 record last year, the Steelers only focus this year is to win the Super Bowl. The Steelers have a star in the making with Roethlisburger, and just signed the best all around reciever in Hines Ward for another 4 years, which i predict will definitely propel them to Super Bowl glory this year. However, they do play in the AFC, which is the better conference, and must face tougher opponents, like the Patriots and Colts, to make the playoffs. Here is a link to their schedule: 2005-2006 Schedule
The first game is on September 11th at 1:00pm and they'll be playing the struggling Titans. I predict a relatively easy victory, but nothing is guaranteed.