Steel City Sports

A storm is in the air!

In a surprise turn of events a new general manager has arrived to Steeler Nation. The new team builder O'Hare is Pittsburgh born and has been quoted that he will uphold the time honored traditions and smash mouth football fans are accustomed to.

Heading into the 2012 season O'Hare has already shaken things up. Mendenhall coming off an ACL injury has been traded to the Jaguars for a 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft. This will be valuable to a team that needs to get younger on the defensive side of the ball. Camp action included the first round of cuts including Casey Hampton and Willie Colon. Letting those two go freed up 10 million dollars in cap space, likely in a future play to reopen negotiations will star wide out Mike Wallace.

The release of Hampton was heart breaking as the "Big Snack" has been our anchor for the past decade. GM O'Hare seems confident in moving forward with promising rookie Ta'amu and backup McClendon. Colon has been a disappointment over the years and the injection of youth from the 2012 draft will strengthen the offensive line.

Speaking of the offensive line - DECASTRO! The best guard prospect in recent memory will don the black and gold. Hard working, intelligent, and one hell of a mean streak define this young man who will get his chance to clash with the pros as a rookie. Mike Adams is coming along nicely as well, one day to start on Roethlisberger's blind side.

Camp News

Chris Rainey out of Florida is the talk of camp. His explosive athleticism and ability to make defenders miss tackles in the open field will give the Steelers yet another dangerous weapon in an offense that has been transforming from a run first team to a more dynamic, athletic offense that can gouge you on any down.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has won the 3rd WR spot on the depth chart with his combination of speed and route running. Opposing defenses will be hard pressed to stop a line up of Wallace, Brown, Sanders, Miller, and Rainey.

Veteran Max Starks is holding strong at LT, being pushed by rookie acquisition Mike Adams.

Linebacker Sean Spence is showing great instincts and coverage leading to play time with the 1st squad in nickle formations.

In Mendenhall's absence Isaac Redman has stepped up as the bulldozing back for the offense. Carries are being split however with Rainey, yet another team moving towards RBBC. Look to Rainey as a deep sleeper in your fantasy leagues if you are in an PPR league. I would hold off on Redman.

Tune in weekly for updates.

First preseason action!

What a showing by the Black and Gold tonight! In a game where nothing seemed to go wrong leading to 45 first half points, and a final score of 55-17.

The Steelers showed up in Philadelphia ready for action. Big Ben and the starting unit got right to work putting points on the board after an interception by LaMarr Woodley on the Eagles' first drive. After that it was all down hill for the eagles who apparently left their wings at home tonight.

Robert Flores said it all:
RT @RoFloEA Fan's dilemma: your team is getting blown out in preseason, how long do you stick it out before leaving? #Eagles

Ben sat early after going 4/5 for 108 yards and a touchdown. Handing the reigns over to backup Byron Leftwich. After tonight's showing the Steelers may have to fend off phone calls for the capable backup, who put on a show with 173 yards on 11/14 throwing with 3 touchdown passes to one interception.

Redman shined after Mendenhall's departure. He paved the way with an amazing 7.7 yards per carry average. Finishing the game with 154 yards and a touchdown. Chris Rainey added 41 yards, while Jonathan Dwyer had a score to go with his 19 yards.

The Curtain never lifted.

As expected, the defense was impressive to say the least. Totaling 7 turnovers and only giving up 3 points.

Harrison with 2 sacks, Woodley with an interception and a forced fumble that Polamalu recovered. Sylvester Stevenson also was able to jump a slant for one of the interceptions which gave me hope that he can one day become what is expected of him.

Jason Worildz showed massive improvement. Although he did not record a sack he put constant pressure on the quarterbacks, forcing bad passes and poor decisions.

Not so Special Teams

There was one dark spot tonight. Star return man DeSean Jackson returned two kickoffs for touchdowns during tonight's game. A glaring weakness that needs to be remedied in the coming month before the season opener in Denver.

Medical Center
Polamalu had an injury scare but turned out to be fine, he was held out the rest of the game to prevent any further risk tonight.

Rookie linebacker Sean Spence suffered a dislocated elbow early in the second half. He is expected to miss 6 weeks.

Tight end Leonard Pope suffered an apparent injury to his right arm. MRI forthcoming.

Depth and Youth

An early morning trade has been agreed upon this morning between the Minnesota Vikings and our Pittsburgh Steelers. Free Safety project Ryan Mundy has been shipped to Minnesota along with a 3rd round pick in the upcoming draft. In return promising rookie Harrison Smith out of Notre Dame will don the black and gold.

Smith will back up two of the best in the business and have great mentors in Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark.

Will keep you updated.

Preseason week 2 Steelers host the Colts

Another night of preseason action at Heinz Field. The towels were flying high tonight as the Steelers inched out a last minute rally to top the colts in a hard fought battle as players strive to make the final cuts.

The Steelers came out pounding the rock and never stopped.

RT @MikeHillEA 2 TDs for Isaac Redman's. He's ready to go yesterday. #preseason

81 yards and two touch downs later Redman has shown once again the starting gig between the tackles belongs to him. Chris Rainey also displayed his speed and ability to make defenders miss once more rushing for 124 yards of his own (10.3 yards per carry) and catching a few balls out of the backfield on key plays.

Our beloved Big Ben didn't see much action tonight, he came out with a few solid passes and then turned the ball over on a deep shot to Sanders that was overthrown into coverage. Leftwich took the reigns for another solid performance going 9/14 for 128 yards and 2 TDs. It is good to know if Ben goes down we have a capable backup.

The first unit on defense looked the part. 3 and outs and turnovers. Cortez Allen is making a strong push to get the start at the nickle spot. After the starters came out the run defense began to crumble allowing the Colts to run all over the place, which as a fan is very frustrating to watch. In the end however the D held in the fourth quarter giving us the opportunity we needed to win. New rookie FS Harrison Smith acquired in the Vikings trade stepped in and defensed 2 passes while stuffing the run on his side of the field, our new GM appears to have a eye for talent as his quest to build and maintain the team is only just beginning.

Interceptions credited to:

James Harrison
Cortez Allen
Lawrence Timmons

Special teams must have been reemed after giving up two scores week 1, they allowed no long returns tonight.

The new kid on the block!

After some early mistakes against one of the most revered defenses in football, Andrew Luck appeared to settle down and get into a groove. He will be a force for the next decade as he transitions into the NFL. He already shows great poise and understanding to go with his amazing accuracy and arm.

Breaking News! Blockbuster move.

The Steelers have acquired the highly touted Matt Kalil in yet another trade with the Minnesota Vikings for their 2013 1st round pick and tackle Mike Adams. Pittsburgh fans will now watch their offensive line form an offensive Steel Curtain for years with Kalil joining DeCastro as the top two picks at their respective positions from the 2012 draft.

I have nothing but praise for the proactive approach the Steelers have taken to solve the riddle along the line. Mike Adams was performing poorly in preseason action and that issue has been promptly solved.

GM Hare was asked for comment on his quick decision to shake things up and said only, "Roethlisberger will sleep better tonight."

Kalil

Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Weight: 308 lb (140 kg)

Already after his sophomore year, Kalil was regarded as the best offensive tackle prospect for the 2012 NFL Draft. He declared for the draft on December 16. After a strong performance at the NFL Combine, Kalil was projected to be the No. 3 draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings eventually selected Kalil, but not until trading down to the No. 4 spot. Kalil is USC's fifth offensive lineman selected in the top-5 of an NFL Draft.

Steelers Bills Preseason Week 3

The Buffalo Bills hosted our Pittsburgh Steelers to close out week 3 of preseason play.

The defensive starters looked sharp. James Harrison sacked a familiar face in Joe Flacco as well as picking him off once. Flacco was traded earlier in the offseason, I guess the Ravens were finally tired of his antics and poor decision making. Nick Foles, Flacco's back up looked way more comfortable and confident in the pocket as he picked apart the back ups of the Steelers weak depth in the secondary.

Our new starting offensive line of Kalil, Foster, Pouncey, DeCastro and Gilbert was great. Big Ben stayed upright during his time on the field. Chris Rainey also ripped a long TD run and finished early with 85 yards and a score after an injury scare to his upper body.

Run Young Gun Run!

I am officially dubbing Jimmy Young, "Young Gun". He has it made it past all the cuts so far by playing well and proved he deserved it again tonight. Yes he only caught two balls, but he caught two balls for 105 yards and a long 55 yard touchdown.

Leftwich Sandwich

Byron Leftwich played poorly after two fantastic performances. Not all his fault as he was hurried, hit, sacked, and just plain ol' beat up through the game. He did connect with Jimmy Young on a long TD pass, but other than that he looked awful and I stopped counting at 3 interceptions.

Hosley your Daddy

Cornerback Hosley of the Bills played admirably. I can only hope our depth at cornerback will be as reliable as this man was tonight one day. He stuffed several runs for a loss as well as recorded several interceptions, and flat out shut down everyone he covered.

The AFC East is going to be in some trouble this year with the Bills new found pass rush with Mario Williams and crew, as well as the new acquisitions of Hosley and 1st round pick Gilmore.

Whats Next?

Take aways from preseason so far:

- Keep on running Young Gun!

- The defense still holds, "Who you calling old?" to quote James Harrison.

- The new offensive line will grow together and be fantastic from day 1.

- Chris Rainey is a playmaker and then some.

- After two early preseason trades I see the dust settling to get the team chemistry in order. Kalil and Smith are great additions.

- With our cornerback situation what it is and Sean Spence sidelined with injury, I can see the scouts heading out to look for LB and CB depth help down the road.

Preseason concludes next week in a cage fight with Cam Newton and the Panthers.

Season Opener is finally here!

The season officially kicked off today with the Denver Broncos hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers in Mile High Stadium, a "retribution" game for the Steelers as some are calling it. Our boys came out fighting and never gave up! Securing a 28-24 win in a game that came down to the final minute.

RT @RossTuckerEA Your routine can get out of sorts on the road, but no ill effects for the #Steelers this week. #CCM

The offense did a terrible job of converting on third downs tonight, but made great use of the field position the defense was granting them with their opportunistic play.

Running it down their throats 101

Rainey was showing off his play making ability with some great running through out the game. (We are going to pretend the fumble on the punt return didn't happen.) The real hero of the running game was rookie guard David DeCastro, who led the charge for two touchdown runs by Isaac Redman. The running game is shaping into a two car garage with Redman pretending to be a bull dozer and Rainey filling in as a Ferrari.

RT @RoFloEA Isaac Redman dared the D to keep him out of the end zone. They couldn't. #Steelers #CCM

Emmanuel Sanders stepped up to the plate with over 100 yards receiving and a score. Antonio Brown was relatively quiet, while Mike Wallace had his splashes.

Turnover Time!

The defense gave up points tonight, but boy did they make plays! Three interceptions throughout the night, two picked off by Ike Taylor and the third was jumped by the rookie acquisition from the Minnesota Vikings Harrison Smith. The pass rush was putting on pressure all night, but only one sack was recorded by Cameron Heyward early on in the game.

MVP

MVP of the game goes to Ike Taylor, with his game ending interception to go with his interception earlier in the game. Solid play all around from the veteran corner.

Tune in next week as the Steelers head home to face the New York Jets.

A defensive battle all night with mistakes by both teams and turnovers galore tonight. Was ugly to watch, and that is about all I can say.

Big Trouble in Little Ben

Ben played like a scared little kid tonight. Throwing FIVE interceptions and ruining my night, along with every other fan of Steeler Nation. We can only hope next week the offense will rebound as tonight was flat out dreadful to witness. The passing was terrible, the blocking, the running, blah. The only saving grace was the wide outs who may as well open a 7-11 on the three rivers as they were always open, just Ben couldn't connect.

MVP

MVP goes out to our man Woodley tonight. With several tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery.

Woodley and the rest of the defense played their hearts out and held the Jets to two field goals. The other two points came on a safety as Ben held on to the ball too long. I think that will it for the night, writing anything else about the offense's performance is going to give me an aneurism.

The Raiders must be smiling right about now.

The Oakland Raiders are going to get a good laugh watching tape this week, along with the rest of the analysts around the league. Who knows it may work in our advantage if they underestimate our explosiveness when everything is clicking on all cylinders.

Twitter has been ablaze the past 12 hours. Apparently Antonio Brown is unhappy with his body of work with Wallace's return and the emergence of wide outs Sanders, Clemons, and Young. For a guy with a new pay check, this is crazy talk.

Rumors of trades from just about every team have been thrown around. The Rams seem to have legitimate interest in Brown as they have no true #1 WR and Brown proved last season he can be the go to guy in an offense.

What could the Rams possibly entice Pittsburgh with?

Twitter was Right??

Brown is out! Steven Jackson is in! A shocking trade I had heard rumors of, only to see Steven Jackson suited up in the Black and Gold. This beast of a back is going to be a workhorse back for the Steelers as the season progresses and he acclimates himself with the system.

The Steeler Steamroller is back!

Week 3 action with the Oakland Raiders hosting our Pittsburgh Steelers went down today. Thankfully it was the opposite of last week after an early scare. Big Ben came out with two early picks, but settled himself and finished strong, including a 50+ yard strike to Mike Wallace for the nail in the coffin of this 30-3 victory.

The defense came out with something to prove, absolutely dominated their opponents tonight. They dominated last week as well only to watch as the offense lost the game for them. This week, the defense decided to up the ante and score points of their own. Ike Taylor came up big with two interceptions, Lawrence Timmons, Troy Polamalu, and rookie Antonio Fenelous all nabbed one ball out of the air. Troy Polamalu returned his for an touchdown, while Fenelous was brought down at the ONE yard line, leading to the go ahead strike by Steven Jackson.

SJax has arrived.

Steven Jackson was thrown into the mix tonight dominating the carries and sticking between the tackles to eat the clock after the quick lead the Steelers took. The circumstances of the game lead to a 2.0 yards per carry average but I am not concerned. He looked great, the Steelers had a huge lead, and the other team knew he was going to be running most downs.

SJax did score his first touchdown for the Black and Gold following a huge interception return by rookie Antonio Fenelous to the 1.

Defense, Defense, Defense

RT @RossTuckerEA No hyperbole necessary. Steelers had the best defensive front in NFL this week. 6 sacks proves it.

I think that says enough. 5 interceptions, 6 sacks. 6 yards rushing, 90 passing. Under 100 total yards of offense for the Raiders.

MVP

Woodley with his 3 sacks, and all the other pressure he put on the QB. He also sealed the edge well shutting down McFadden early.

Heinz field is on Fire

Our beloved arena was turned into a war zone today as the Eagles came to town and set out to make a statement. In an epic battle and possibly the game of the year (It will be hard to top this game as far as excitement goes.) our boys edged out a 24-23 win in the final minute of the game. Big Ben once again proved he is clutch with a last minute drive hitting Wallace in stride for a deep touchdown pass. Not to be outdone Polamalu sealed the victory with a leaping one handed interception you will probably be seeing on Sports Center for the next week.

Eagles, or Super Birds of Destruction?

The Eagles played an amazingly tight defense for the first three quarters of play, confusing the Steelers offense and picking off Roethlisberger FOUR times. It looked very similar to the Jets game earlier this year where Ben turned the ball over five times. Even defensive end Babin picked off Big Ben on a delayed drop into coverage that was part of a zone blitz. SJax played well, but playing from behind did not get the touches he normally would benefit from. He picked up 55 yard fought for yards as the Eagles played rather brilliantly against the run even missing up and coming star linebacker Michael Kendricks.

If Heinz field had a dome, Wallace would have took it off.

Wallace scored twice tonight, including the game winning 59 yard touchdown grab. Displaying his super human speed and after the catch ability. He is earning that paycheck he desires, that much is clear.

"Young Gun" Young was benched after 3 drops, giving rookie Clemons a shot at some play time. Clemons didn't take the opportunity and run with it as he only pulled down one ball, but it was a nice sideline grab. Bonus! He didn't drop it.

Special Team Woes.

The nightmare of our first preseason match up vs the eagles was also relived tonight. Just after bringing the game within 3 points 10-13, rookie return man Damaris Johnson took it to the house. It appeared to be a game winning score, but Big Ben was able to answer back with a touchdown drive sparked by you guessed it, a long catch and run by Wallace.

Our Steelers then tried an onside kick which had a favorable bounce off of an Eagles player but alas no Black and Gold managed to fall on it.

Play Makers

The motto, "Defense wins championships", is something I agree with. Roethlisberger and Wallace may have put the points on the board that won the game but our steel curtain gave them the opportunity, kept the game within reach, and in the end sealed the victory.

Lawrence Timmons continues his breakout season with 8 tackles and forcing a fumble in the final quarter of play while the Eagles were heading towards the red zone to put the nail in the coffin. This turnover led to the Steelers taking the lead. Polamalu then intercepted Michael Vick to close out the game. Wallace may be getting all the attention tonight, but the defense are the true heroes. Perhaps it is just expected of them lately, as they continue the time honored Steelers tradition of top notch defending.

MVP

Mike Wallace earned the game ball tonight, with his 6 catch 165 yard performance with 2 touchdowns.

Blowout

Our boys blew visited the Tennessee Titans tonight and completely blew them out of the water. Big Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 450 yards, the defense racked up seven, SEVEN, 7 Interceptions, and just overall walked over the Titans on their home field.

Not much else to say about this game with the final score being 52-28.

Mike Wallace sets a new NFL record

The Titans could not cover Wallace tonight. They looked sluggish, and completely unable to keep up with him. Wallace raked in over 360 yards and 5 touchdowns on his way to the NFL record books.

Twitter goes crazy!

@RoFloEA Whoever has Ben Roethlisberger in their fantasy football league is jumping out of their skin right now.

@SkipBaylessEA Look, at some point the defense should have stepped up and showed some pride in the secondary.

@MikeHillEA What a day for M. Wallace. He'll now be 4th on the single-game receiving TD record list.

@SkipBaylessEA This is the kind of game that elevates a player to icon status. M. Wallace is unstoppable. #NFLrecord

MVP

Todd Haley. The offense was unstoppable. Wallace got MVP last week and set records tonight, he can pass on the MVP title for the week and become a legend.

Shut out!

Our Pittsburgh Steelers marched against the Cincinnati Bengals in their first divisional match up of the season. They set the pace early and carried it throughout the game shutting the Bengals out in a 38-0 victory.

The Curtain Continues

The defense continued its trend of dominance it has been setting this season and for years. The Bengals offense was held to under 100 yards on both rushing and passing. Lawrence Timmons is playing some of the best football of his career right now entering his prime. Tackles, forced fumbles, interceptions, pass deflections, you name it and he is doing it.

@WingozEA Going to pull out one of my favorite words here, quite a shellacking in Cincinnati.

Look out league, our boys on are on FIRE right now.

SJax, our next Bettis?

@RoFloEA Steven Jackson dared the D to keep him out of the end zone. They couldn't. #Steelers

The Steelers fans have longed for another Jerome Bettis as he is still loved to this day in the community and amongst fans. Steven Jackson hammered in two touchdowns today in a fashion quite similar to the "bus". It could be too early to say this, but Jackson's fan base in Pittsburgh is growing and will continue to do so if he keeps on pounding the rock into pay dirt.

MVP

Harrison Smith out of Notre Dame received the game ball today for his interception that he returned for a touch down. He played his zone well and cut AJ Green's route for the pick 6.

A quick look behind the scenes

Management has been busy this season and the team is looking great! Off to a 5-1 start and man handling opponents defensively. Rookies Matt Kalil and Harrison Smith have fit well into the depth chart with Kalil anchoring the offensive line, while Smith has been playing in sub packages and special teams. Harrison Smith played 80% of snaps in last weeks brutal mauling of the Bengals after impressing coaches with a defensive score. This gave veteran Ryan Clark some needed rest.

Players brought in via trade.

LT Matt Kalil
FS Harrison Smith
HB Steven Jackson

Players shipped out.

LT Mike Adams
WR Antonio Brown
HB Isaac Redman
FS Ryan Mundy

Elite Talent Agency

The Steelers GM Hare also just came to terms with the 'Elite Talent' scouting agency. Likely to aid in continuing Pittsburgh's reputation for excellent drafting.

All Out War

The battle erupted at Heinz Field today as the Redskins came in and beat the Steelers 13-10 in a battle to the end. A defensive battle till the end but in the end our boys couldn't bring home the win.

Consistency Issues

Big Ben looked absolutely out of sync with the offensive skill players today. He had another 5 interception outing mirroring week 2's loss to the Jets. Take notes Ben, 5 interceptions means we are going to lose.

7 dropped passes as well from the wide receivers tonight. The offense looked flat, Steven Jackson was able to score early hammering in touchdown, but other than that the run game was anemic to match the uselessness of the aerial attack.

RG3

1st round draft pick Robert Griffin III struggled tonight as well, but ultimately was able to lead his team to victory. The Redskins have a dangerous weapon at QB now and I am excited to see his progress over the years.

MVP

James Harrison gets to add another game ball to the mantle after forcing two fumbles and intercepting another pass tonight.

Black and Gold Domination

Our Pittsburgh Steelers dismantled the reigning super bowl champions 44-14 in regular season play this evening. The Steelers looked solid on both sides of the ball, with exceptional plays from both the offense and defense. The offense was scoring, the defense was scoring, no one could be stopped.

@MattMillerEA No answers for Steven Jackson's speed and power in big Steelers win.

Steven Jackson picked up two touchdowns and was a threat on the ground and in the passing game. He continues to run away with our hearts!

Big Blue Blunders

8 turnovers, 7 of which were interceptions. Not much else to say here.

@mortreportEA The Steelers, with the help of Eli Manning, had an explosive game.

LeBeau knew with Hakeem Nicks sidelined by injury that Victor Cruz would be the go to guy for Eli, as he has been the past few weeks. The Steelers defense paid special attention to Cruz and routinely undercut his routes of had him blanketed by defenders. In the end this paid off contributing to win here tonight.

The #1 Defense

The Steel Curtain came in to tonight boasting the #1 defense in the NFL. I doubt this will change after holding New York Giants to under 200 total yards on offense as well as forcing 8 turnovers.

Lawrence Timmons continues his absolute STELLAR play. A true breakout season, and first ballot pro bowler in my books. Polamalu was Polamalu as expected! Ike Taylor picked up three picks along with rookie corner Fenelous also picking up an interception tonight as he continues to improve with increased play time.

@WingozEA Turnovers is what makes watching the Steelers fun each week.

@SkipBaylessEA Championship teams dominate turnover differential. #Steelers

The pass rush is misleading. The sacks totals are not there, but one can not ignore the sheer pressure they put on and all the terrible decisions quarterbacks are making around the league with Harrison and Woodley breathing down there necks.

MVP

Giving out two game balls tonight, one on both sides of the ball.

Mike Wallace gets his for out dueling play maker Victor Cruz by racking up 150 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

Ike Taylor gets the game ball for the defense, who picked up three interceptions while containing Cruz.

Close Call

@mortreportEA Such a tight one in Pittsburgh! But the #Steelers prevail over the #Chiefs in a nip/tuck affair.

WOW WAS THAT A NAIL BITER! Incredible finish to what looked to be a lazy finish by our Steelers. After heading into halftime with a 24-0 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Steelers stole a 'W' recovering a last second fumble to the win the game 24-21.

A tale of two halves

First half? The Steelers domination we like to see. Big Ben threw for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first half of play. Two TD receptions went to none other than Mike Wallace. Mike Wallace is having a career year, it is absolute insanity out there, it seems as if no one can stop Wallace.

Wallace's season stats so far:

1062 Yards
13 TDs

@RoFloEA Clearly Mike Wallace is having a very good season.

Rookie Clemons also showed signs of life on a long TD reception in the 2nd quarter. He used his large frame to beat the press and go up for the grab.

Second Half? The Chiefs caught on to something apparently as they came out and were unstoppable. Scoring on three consecutive drives while dominating the Steelers explosive offense.

If not for some last second heroics on the part of Ryan Clark, this would have been the upset of the year. There will be countless hours over the next few days diagnosing the tape to figure out what went wrong and how to correct it, before the rest of the league can mimic what the Chiefs did here tonight.

David may not have taken down Goliath this time, but he sure did scare him.

MVP

Ryan Clark by far. 7 tackles, 3 forced fumbles. Game winning fumble caused on the 1 yardline with 16 seconds left to save our asses. Thank you Clark.

@MattMillerEA Huge year for the Steelers defense.

Ratbirds

The Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens in a close game tonight. A battle dominated by defensive playmakers on both squads. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrel Suggs, James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Haloti Ngata, LaMarr Woodley, and the list goes on! We basically watched the AFC's pro bowl defense out there, plus a splash of effort since it was an actual game of football.

Deja Vu?

This game was eerily similar to last weeks bout with the Chiefs. Except this time the Steelers were the ones down 0-20 at halftime.

Thankfully the Steelers came out of the locker room to establish dominance throughout the second half. Finishing the game strong and winning by the smallest of margins 24-23. Clutch plays by clutch players saved the day.

Lewis still has it.

Ray Lewis picked off Ben Roethlisberger twice, while also making key tackles in the run game. The man is Canton bound, and continues to play at a high level during the late stages of his career.

MVP

Rookie Harrison Smith of Notre Dame gets his first career game ball with the Steelers. He came in and played some fantastic ball during injuries to both Polamalu and Ryan Clark, seeing far more play time than his normal situational package duties.