Michael C. Smith's Pittsburgh Steelers fan blog

          The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their first game of the season in disappointing fashion, 15-6, to the Philadelphia Eagles.  The Steelers’ offense could just not get a drive going all day, and the young offensive line of Pittsburgh put on a bad performance against the Eagles’ defense.  This loss will make the critics and experts rethink that maybe the Steelers are not a Super Bowl caliber team.

           Ben Roethlisberger was sacked an unprecedented eight times on Sunday afternoon.  It seemed like every time he dropped back in the pocket, he would be under pressure by the defense.  The entire offense of the Steelers appeared to be out of sync all day.  Roethlisberger missed open receivers, and Willie Parker carried the ball 13 times for just 20 yards.  It is clear that the Eagles’ defense dominated the game.  Roethlisberger’s day ended with him leaving the game early and walking to the locker room with a hand injury, x-rays were negative.  Roethlisberger finished going 13-25 for 131 yards and an interception, a rating of 50.6.

Continue reading "Steelers Lose a Tough One"

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles will be meeting Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field in the City of Brotherly Love.  This game should be very entertaining and high scoring, with two of the game’s best quarterbacks going head to head.  The home field has made the Eagles a 3 point favorite on Sunday, but many people see this game as a tossup with it going right down to the wire.

In order for the Steelers to be successful this week, they must get pressure on quarterback, Donovan McNabb.  When McNabb has enough time in the pocket, he has the tremendous ability to pick the defensive secondary apart.  Another player the Steelers must be aware on Sunday is Eagles halfback, Brian Westbrook.  Westbrook may be one of the most dangerous players in the NFL when he gets in the open field.  The defense of the Steelers has to step up this week if they want to get a win in Philadelphia.

Continue reading "Steelers Set to Meet Eagles on Sunday"

It is certainly not the prettiest win you will ever see, but it is a win nonetheless.  The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to beat the Browns 10-6 on Sunday Night Football.  The winds were heavy and rain was coming down, but that did not stop the Steelers from recording their second victory of the season.

           The key to the Steelers’ success Sunday night was turnovers.  Browns quarterback, Derek Anderson, was intercepted twice by the Steelers defense, once by Bryant McFadden and once by Troy Polamalu.  The Pittsburgh offense did their part by not turning the ball over once.  Willie Parker had another great game as he rushed for over 100 yards, and finished with 105 yards for the night.

Continue reading "Steelers Beat Browns in Week 2"

           Week 2 of the NFL season is upon us, as the Steelers prepare to head to Ohio to face their division rival, the Cleveland Browns, on Sunday Night Football.  When the Steelers play the Browns, the games are always very physical and played with high emotion, and with the game being nationally televised on NBC, it will add an extra feeling of excitement.

The Steelers are entering this game after a strong showing last week, defeating the Texans 38-17.  The Browns are coming in to Week 2 0-1, after losing against the Dallas Cowboys last week 28-10.  The Steelers have won the last nine meetings with the Browns and 15 out of the last 16 meetings overall.

Continue reading "Week 2: Steelers vs. Browns Preview"

           The Steelers opened the 2008 season with an impressive 38-17 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday at Heinz Field.  The offense looked unstoppable at times, as the defense controlled the tempo of the game.  The win gives fans a sense of what the Steelers could be capable of in this 2008 season.

Many believe that the Achilles heel of the Steelers this season will be the strength of the offensive line and their ability to protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  The offensive line looked very solid, only giving up two sacks on Roethlisberger, as he completed 13-14 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns to Hines Ward.  Willie Parker also had a big day scoring three touchdowns and rushing for 138 yards.

Continue reading "Steelers Impressive in Season-Opener"