Bad Sports Day In Pittsburgh, Part One - Steelers Lose to Jacksonville

In the pantheon of Disappointing Losses of Teams That I Follow, nothing is going to top Pirates-Braves Game 7 1992 NLCS (do I have to go into detail on that one?), but after pondering it for 24 hours, I can say that that Steelers 45-42 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday moves into the Number Two spot on my own personal list.  You all saw it, and you have all read and heard the comments over the last two days, so I won't go into a lot of detail, but here are some quick hit thoughts of my own....

• The two fourth-and-one calls.  Are you kidding me?  Tom Brady runs a successful quarterback sneak at least once every game it seems, and 260 pound Ben Roethlisberger can't be relied upon to get less than a yard?  And if those plays were called by Todd Hailey or Mike Tomlin, why didn't Ben just change it at the line?  He has certainly earned the right to do that.
• I have no problem with the decision to go for an onside kick when they did. I do have two other problems, though. (1) the horrible execution of said play, and (2) Mike Tomlin's reasoning  for it, which was that the Steelers had not shown an ability all day to stop the Jacksonville offense, and offense led by the immortal Blake Bortles.  Let THAT sink in on you for a minute.
• Yes, there was the interception and the fumble which led to to Jaguars scores, but you can't put this loss at the feet of Roethlisberger and the offense.  That was an almost heroic effort by Ben, who never gave up.  And will you ever see four more beautifully executed passes and catches than those first four TD passes to Brown (twice), Bryant, and Bell?  I have always said that you are never, ever out of a game when Roethlisberger is at quarterback for you.
• No, this loss goes to the defense, that could not stop a Jacksonville offense that is led, I once again remind you,  by Blake F. Bortles!  DC Keith Butler has got to be feeling some heat this week.
• That defense, by the way, did not force a single turnover all day.  Against Blake Bortles. Unbelievable.
• In his online column today, the PG's Paul Ziese states that in an era when the Steelers have had the best wide receiver, the best running back, and, at worst, the third best quarterback in the NFL, the Steelers have a 3-4 record in the playoffs.  No matter how you look at it, that is Underachieving with a capital U.  And how long will that Ben-Brown-Bell core remain intact?  2018 might be the last opportunity.
• This loss will become even harder to take when we all watch the Patriots crush the Jaguars this Sunday in Foxboro.  And the Pats WILL crush Jacksonville on Sunday.  That is a close to a lock as you can get at this point in an NFL season.
• Thanks to my pal Al Cotton for this next observation.  It is the common understanding that a team cannot succeed in the NFL unless they have a superstar "franchise quarterback", yet three of the final four quarterbacks in this season are Nick Foles, Case Keenum, and Blake Bortles.  Foles is a back-up playing only because of an injury to Carson Wentz, and it is a good bet that neither Keenum nor Bortles will be starting for their respective teams next year, or even be on that team next year.  Explain that one.

So, a season that had so much promise, that gave us so much excitement, ends not with a bang, but a whimper (that T.S. Eliot was an elegant sportswriter, wasn't he?). Very disappointing, but somehow, within 24 hours the Steelers North Shore neighbors, the Pirates, managed to outdo them when it came to ratcheting up the Disappointment Meter, and that topic deserves it's own separate Grandstander post, which I will begin writing as soon as I post this one.

What I Said In September....

From The Grandstander, September 9, 2017:

"So how will they (the Steelers, that is) do?  Not going to go into in depth analysis here, but I like their chances.  I'm calling for 11, and possibly, 12 wins (I believe I had that), an NFC North title (I believe I had that), and a first round bye in the playoffs (and I believe I had that).  I say they win the AFC championship and reach the Super Bowl, and if I pick them to go that far, then I just might as well pick them to win it all.  And I say that they will do it by avenging that Super Bowl XLV loss by beating the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis come February 4, 2018."

Still to come....the AFC Championship and the Super Bowl.  Why not?

Okay, so they won't be playing the Packers in Minneapolis, but if I had to be wrong on one prediction, I'm glad it was that one.

#herewego

Patriots 27 - Steelers 24

Some thoughts on yesterday's "Game of the Century" (until, that is, the next "Game of the Century" takes place)....

• This should not be construed as sour grapes, because the Steelers had ample opportunities to win that game, but when some Suit from the NFL has to dominate the post-game pressers with a power point presentation to define what constitutes a "Catch", something is seriously wrong.
• As for those other ample opportunities, here are just two.  (1) If the Steelers make only one first down when they got the ball in the fourth quarter with around three minutes left, they probably win the game; instead they go three and out for the only time in the game, and (2) if Sean Davis holds onto that pass of Brady's for an interception, they definitely win the game.  If, if, if....
• Oh, and if Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski get into a car wreck on the way to the stadium and have to be hospitalized, then the Steelers probably win that game.
• How many more Super Bowls might the Steelers have won in this century had they not been playing in the same era as the Belichick-Brady-Patriots Era?  How many  more Majors would Phil Mickelson have won had he not been playing in the Tiger Woods Era?  Same kind of question.
• Just as the Tomlin-Roethlisberger Steelers are kryptonite to the Cincy Bengals, so too are the Belichick-Brady Patriots to the Steelers.  Hate to say it, but until the Steelers actually, you know, BEAT the Pats as they are currently constituted, it will be hard to predict that they will.  
• Still, should the two teams meet in Foxboro next month for the AFC Championship, as seems inevitable, I do have hope.  The Pats defense isn't what it used to be, so they can be beaten.  All you have to do is outscore Tom Brady and keep him off the field.  They came THIS CLOSE to doing it yesterday, so maybe they can do it if they get the chance next month. 
• Probably not the way to bet, though.

It's Steelers/Patriots Week

Well, the week that we have all been anticipating since the NFL schedule was released back in April is now upon us.  The 11-2 Steelers take on the 10-3 Patriots this coming Sunday at Heinz Field.  At stake, in all likelihood, will be the overall Number One seed in the AFC and home field advantage in the AFC Championship game should both teams advance to that game.

The Steelers have certainly taken us on a thrilling ride over the course of this eight game winning streak.  Fourth quarter comebacks that have resulted in four victories that have culminated in three last-play-of-the-game field goals, and one FG in the last minute of a game.  Some people have said that the Steelers drive you crazy, but in all honesty, over the course of these come from behind wins over the Colts, Packers, Bengals, and Ravens, I have never felt that they were ever out of those games, and was not at all surprised that they ended up winning them.  Okay, when they were down 31-20 in the fourth quarter to the Ravens on Sunday night, maybe, possibly, I had just a teensy bit of doubt, but in the end, I wasn't surprised by the eventual outcome. As long as Ben Roethlisberger is leading that team, the Steelers are NEVER out of the game.

So, what happens this Sunday?  Well, I have always said that I would never pick the Marvin Lewis-led Bengals to beat the Steelers until such time as they actually would beat the Steelers (hasn't happened lately).  I fear that I must apply the same logic to a contest between the Steelers and the Patriots.  The Pats of Belichick and Brady have certainly had the the Steelers number over 

the years, winning the last four games that they have played. That makes it hard to imagine that the Patriots will not prevail once again.  Plus, New England should be plenty ticked off after losing to Miami last night, and while Tom Brady may be forty years old, he is still Tom Brady.   Still, I expect that the Steelers will show up on Sunday and play that game, and as I said, as long as #7 is throwing it to #84, the Steelers will never be out of that game.  I don't expect that they will be overwhelmed as they were in the AFC title game in Foxboro this past January.

Isn't there a saying in sports along the lines of "Something is always true until all of a sudden it isn't."  Perhaps this will be the Sunday where Patriots dominance over the Steelers will suddenly not be there any more.  Let's hope.

Then all that the Steelers will then have to do is beat the Pats  again in January when a trip to the Super Bowl will be at stake.

As I always say, games and situations like this is why we follow sports.

Some Pro Football Thoughts

With no Steelers game yesterday, I spent all of about eleven or twelve minutes watching football yesterday afternoon, but from what I did see, I can make the following observations.

• I saw the New York Jets score a touchdown to beat the Kansas City Chiefs.  Of course, it took the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets about a dozen plays for inside the KC ten yard line to actually score said touchdown, and they were aided by some numbskull penalties by the Chiefs.  All of which leads me to this conclusion:  most teams out there really stink.  Fans in Pittsburgh who bitch and moan about Mike Tomlin and the Steelers have no idea how good they have it.  We could be watching an abomination like the Jets week after week.
• I saw just enough of the New England game to see that absolutely horrendous cheap shot delivered by Jackass Rob Gronkowski on a Bills defender who was lying on the ground out-of-bounds well after the whistle blew the play dead.  If Gronk isn't suspended for at least one game because of this, then what the hell????
• By the way, in case you forgot what Gronk looks like, here's a picture of him:

Speaking of the Steelers, the 9-2 Steelers, that is, I find in interesting that they are a team that is garnering much more respect from national media and commentators than they are from the talking head and talk show crowd here in Pittsburgh.  Not sure what to make of that.

Anyway, the world looks forward to the December 17 showdown with the Patriots at Heinz Field, but before that happens, they must play two games against division opponents, at Cincinnati tonight, and home against Baltimore next week.  Hate to say it, but given the nature of division games and the history among the three teams, I would not be surprised to see the Steelers lose one of these two games.  It happens, and it won't be the end of the world if it does, even though I know that much of the local fan base will be calling for Mike Tomlin's firing as soon as it does.  I will say this, though, should that loss come tonight against the Thug Bengals, I pity (well, not really) what will happen to the Ravens next week.

Speaking of Sports....

It's been awhile since I've commented on the sporting scene, so let's play a little catch-up, shall we.....

Two weeks ago, the Steelers lost, badly so, to the Jax Jaguars, and were headed on the road to play the undefeated KayCee Chiefs.  It was looking grim, and a poor performance against the Chiefs could have sent the Steelers season in the wrong direction.  

What followed was convincing win against the Chiefs, and that was then followed with an even more convincing win over the Cincinnati Bengals.  Not coincidentally, both wins featured strong performances by this guy...

Le'Veon Bell

....who may very well be the best running back in the NFL.  Bell has shown knucklehead tendencies in the past, but it cannot be disputed just how good he is.

Both of these past two Steelers wins have also been highlighted by strong defensive performances, and now, just two weeks after that woeful game against the Jags, the team appears to be one of the strongest in the NFL.  Of concern, however, is the Steelers mystifying inability to turn First and Goal opportunities into touchdowns and settling for field goals instead.  It hasn't hurt them too much so far, but there will come a time, against a strong opponent, when I fear that that deficiency will bite them in the posterior.  Until then, though, let's enjoy the ride.

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Is there anything that can cure Steelers Sluggishness more that playing against the Cincy Bengals?  Once again, the Bengals turned into the Bungles when playing the Steelers yesterday.  At no time was this more apparent than at the end of the first half.  The Steelers have the ball inside their own twenty-five yard line, under two minutes to play, and only one time out.  What happens? A Bengals penalty for having twelve men on the field gives the Steelers a crucial first down, and that was then followed up by a forty yard pass interference penalty that gave the Steelers the ball on the Bengals five yard line.  And all of that was followed by a Bengal second half where Andy Dalton and his mates redefined the term "hapless".

As I have often said, Death, Taxes, and Unbelievable Screw-ups by the Cincy Bengals.  Three absolutes in life.

********

Two weeks ago, I sat in Heinz Field and watched Pitt get thoroughly beaten by North Carolina State and fall to 2-4.  Really, there was nothing positive to take from that game.  Poor line play, which led to no running game and inept quarterback play.  It was discussed among my ticket group that it was possible that the Panthers might not win another game all season.

What happens?  Pitt travels to Duke and lays a beat down on the Blue Devils, a win that featured a 200+ yard rushing performance from Darrin Hall.  Go figure.

Pitt now has to go 3-2 the rest of the way to become bowl eligible.  Can they do it?  I suppose it is possible, but I give it a less than 50/50 chance unless some spark is lit at the quarterback position.  Makes you realize how good a college QB Nate Peterman was.

Anyway, bowl eligibility now becomes the Panther goal, but how good are you really going to feel about a 6-6 season?

********

The World Series begins tomorrow night!  Once the premier sporting event in all of America, the World Series is still a pretty big deal to me, and this year's battle between the Dodgers....

Dodgers defeat Cubs

and Astros....

Astros defeat Yankees

certainly has the possibility to be an exciting one.  

Both teams won over 100 games, and the Dodgers, save for an inexplicable 20 for so game stretch game in late August, steamrolled through the regular season and the NL Playoffs.  Likewise, the Astros blew through the AL West in the regular season, and won a thrilling LCS in seven games over the Yankees.

(Before I go on, a word about the Yankees.  They are young and they are good, and unlike Yankees teams from the George Steinbrenner/Billy Martin Era, they are hard not to like. [With the exception of Aroldis Chapman; I can't see myself ever liking him.] With guys like Judge, Bird, Sanchez, and Severino, they have the makings of a team that we shall be seeing in the post-season for years to come.  They also have a really good manager in Joe Girardi. They'll be back.)

The Astros and Dodgers.  Both teams have terrific starting pitching and terrific hitting.  Both have deep benches.  The Dodgers have an absolutely unbelievable bullpen, and that is where I give them a significant edge over the Astros.  The Astros, given the depths that the team was in earlier in the decade, and given what the City of Houston has experienced this past summer, will be the easier team for which to root, but I think that the bullpen will be the edge that will give the Dodgers the ultimate victory.

In my Pirates preview post of April 2, 2017 (you can look it up), I ended with the following sentence:

The Los Angles Dodgers will defeat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

Okay, I had the AL team wrong, but I will stay with that original sentiment and call it a Dodgers win in seven games.  As always, watch but don't bet.

Steelers Prediction - See You In Minneapolis!

Hey, how about that picture above for an "old school" Steelers logo.  That's so old that even I don't remember it, but it's appropriate because it is time for that annual Grandstander Tradition, the How-Are-The-Steelers-Going-To-Do-This-Season post.  

One thing is clear - the Steelers themselves must think that this season simply has to be the year that they make a full, all out effort to reach and win the Super Bowl.  The fact that GM Kevin Colbert wheeled and dealed so vigorously in the final two weeks of training camp, bringing in a new veteran tight end and two veteran defensive backs tells you that that are leaving no stone unturned in making an all out effort to win it all this year.   If you don't believe me, check out this photo of Colbert as he worked the phones during those final two weeks of camp:

"We're going for broke!"

One has to wonder if Ben Roethlisberger went to the powers that be and told them that 2017 was going to be his final season, and the team realized that they simply had to do everything possible to win it all this year.  Even if he didn't, Ben is 35 years old and about to begin his 14th season in the NFL.  The clock is ticking on him and, by extension, on the Steelers' window to make a serious run at that seventh Lombardi Trophy.  They really can't afford to hold anything back at this point.

So how will they do?  Not going to go into in depth analysis here, but I like their chances.  I'm calling for 11, and possibly, 12 wins, an NFC North title, and a first round bye in the playoffs.  I say they win the AFC championship and reach the Super Bowl, and if I pick them to go that far, then I just might as well pick them to win it all.  And I say that they will do it by avenging that Super Bowl XLV loss by beating the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis come February 4, 2018.

You heard it here first, but, as always, watch, but don't bet!