Season Over

If you can't beat the Oakland Raiders at home, you don't deserve to make the playoffs. You can't lose four straight games and expect to reach the postseason. No disrespect to the Pittsburgh native, but you can't give up three touchdowns passes by Bruce Gradkowski in the fourth quarter and win a football game.* It's clear that the Steelers miss Aaron Smith and especially Troy Polamalu. Over the past three weeks, the Steelers led late in the fourth quarter only to give up a scoring drives in the fourth quarter and overtime. I guess if there is any consolation to Sunday's loss, it is that we didn't have to wait until overtime to watch the Steelers lose.

So where do the Steelers go from here? I know people want to complain about offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, but the offense hasn't lost these games. The special teams has been, to be kind, below average, though again, it wasn't that unit's fault for the loss to Oakland. I guess we could say that the Steelers would have won had rookie DB Joe Burnett caught Gradkowski's pass late in the fourth; however, I think we would have the same concerns about the secondary. Well, except that we would be in a better mood, and a 7-5 Steelers team would have a chance at the playoffs while a 6-6 Steelers team with five conference loses does not.

So is it a Super Bowl hangover? Poor offensive red zone execution? Coaching? Defensive breakdowns? Personally, I still blame Jimmy Fallon.

Overall, I really can't be too upset. The Steelers are coming off of a Super Bowl Championship and are one of the greatest franchises in professional sports. Plus, things could be much worse; we could be Cleveland Browns fans!


* Based on this sentence, I think I am disrespecting Bruce Gradkowski.

Brief Steelers-Cardinals Notes

I refuse to write a thorough post about a preseason NFL game. While I plan my entire schedule around Steelers games during the regular season, I will only watch preseason games if they are on national TV (meaning that the game is on TV in Washington) and I have nothing else planned. Anyway, here are my notes from Thursday’s Steelers-Cardinals game:

* Isaac Redman > Frank the Tank

* I’d love to give Ziggy Hood a lot of credit for his sack, but the Cardinals offensive line didn’t try to block him.

* Limas Sweed made some nice catches. It will be interesting to watch the battle for 3rd receiver between him and Shaun McDonald.

* What an interception by Anthony Madison! It’s too bad the interception didn’t count due to a lousy pass interference penalty.

* I think we’re going to like having a healthy Daniel Sepulveda this season.

* Myron Bell, I mean Joe Burnett, made a nice interception and put a great hit on a Cardinals defender trying to down a punt leading to a touchback.

* If there were any thoughts of kicker Piotr Czech him making the team if Jeff Reed gets hurt, he’s D-U-N done after missing a short field goal wide left. OK, his 44-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter was fine.

* Where do you draft Cardinals running back Tim Hightower in your fantasy league? He’s the #1 back and looked solid against the Steelers’ first team defense.

* James Harrison had six tackles in just over a quarter of work (if that). I think he could be a good football player!

* We all know the former Steeler players and coaches on Arizona, but they may also be the University of Pittsburgh West with former Panthers Larry Fitzgerald, Tyler Palko, LaRod Stephens-Howling and Gerald Hayes.


That's actually more than I thought I would write. Maybe I'm already in regular season form! (or not)