Steelers-Buccaneers Recap (E-I-E-I-O)

I'm going to pretend that I'm a sports blogger again! Here are my thoughts on Monday night's Pittsburgh Steelers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game in Florida:

The Steelers won 30-27. WOOO!

- If a sporting event is on that I want to watch, I’m going to watch it regardless of the announcers. ESPN's Monday Night Football crew of Joe Tessitore and Jason Witten just confirms this. They really make you appreciate professionals like Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth (who I think is insightful even if he seems anti-Steelers), and Doc Emrick.

Some of my personal highlights:

I don't have the exact quote, but Tessitore said that Tampa Bay fans have been saying and talking about FitzMagic all year long. You mean like during the first two weeks of the season?

After a Bucs WR fell on a second and goal play in the fourth quarter, Witten said, "You cannot slip there." Yes, like the WR was trying to slip.

Tessitore and Witten have only done a few games together, so there's plenty of room for improvement. And if there's a Monday night game that I want to see, I'm still going to tune in.

- Having tight ends that can make big plays over the middle will really open things up for the wide receivers. Every linebacker and safety in the NFL is now familiar with Vance McDonald after this stiff arm:



- I'm not a football coach, but I'll play one on the internet. To the Steelers players, you might want to have fewer penalties. Leading the league in penalties should not be a goal. Thank you.

- Since I'm on the topic of penalties, the NFL should really be flag football for quarterbacks. Look, I get that the NFL doesn't want its star players hurt. The quality of games with below average quarterbacks are generally not very good. So instead of having ridiculous "roughing the passer" penalties, just go all the way and stop the play when a defender grabs the QB's flag.

- The Steelers really miss Ryan Shazier on defense. I know Bud Dupree had a great game Monday and Bostic made some plays, but the defense would be so much better with Shazier out there.

You know, I don't really have much more to add about the game. I'm just want to watch the Vance McDonald video over and over!

2014 Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Recap

Let me preface this post by writing that if you're looking for an in-depth, analytical look at the 2014 Pittsburgh Steelers draft class, I suggest going to Behind the Steel Curtain or Steelers Depot for that. I have my own unique thoughts on draft recaps (see my posts about the 2012 and 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates drafts for example) THAT YOU WON'T READ ANYWHERE ELSE!

1st Round: Shabazz Napier - PG, UConn

Napier led UConn to the NCAA men's basketball championship this past season. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stated that he liked Napier because of his speed and that he's a defensive playmaker. I completely agree though I think he's known more for his offense than his defense. Oops. The Steelers drafted Ryan Shazier, LB of Ohio State. Maybe Ryan Shazier and Shabazz Napier are cousins.

2nd Round: Stephon Tuitt - DE, Notre Dame

Ice Cube's You Can Do It must be the theme song for Tuitt. Yes, get your back or, um, butt, in to it. (Surprisingly, this video is SFW-ish as all of the bad words are removed. With that written, you may not want your boss seeing you watch this video.)



3nd Round: Dri Archer - RB, Kent State

I'm a big fan of Archer, though I'm not sure if he's going to be a good teammate. (Some bad words in the video below, so probably NSFW.)



4th Round: Martavis Bryant - WR, Clemson

He is already the most successful Martavis in Steelers history!

5th round: Shaquille Richardson - CB, Arizona

Richardson is listed at 6'0". If you're name is Shaquille, you should be at least 7'0".

5th round: Wesley Johnson - OL, Vanderbilt

Wesley Johnson played college basketball at Syracuse and currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. I think he's the first person to ever play for the Lakers and Steelers.

6th round: Jordan Zumwalt - LB, UCLA

When reading through the all-time Steelers roster, Amos Zereoue will no longer be listed last.

7th round: Daniel McCullers - DL, Tennessee

I should probably make a Crayola reference here.

7th round: Rob Blanchflower - TE, UMass

The Blanchflower family is less successful than its neighbors, the Mayflower family.

Undrafted free agent: Howard Jones - LB, Shepherd

Underrated 80s musician. Personally, my favorite Howard Jones songs are Things Can Only Get Better and Everlasting Love. No One Is To Blame for Jones not getting drafted.