drew4008
In the Starting Line-Up
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2004
- Messages
- 2,364
- Reaction score
- 6
I was at the game last night and just thought I'd write up some of what I saw first-hand.
-First of all, props to the city of Pittsburgh and those who call the shots at Heinz Field... the stadium was just awesome. Great experience all around, from the fireworks to the final whistle. The stadium definitely gets loud, I really wish we could have that kind of home field advantage. The fans were actually pretty good too... there were only a few Pats fans near me, but the Steelers guys in the section were tame and accomodating, but still into it even when their team looked like crap haha
-Prior to the game, I asked a Steelers fan near me if he'd actually pick Big Ben over Brady, and obviously the homer he was, he said yes. But at the end of the game I asked him again, and not surprisingly he changed his tune haha. And that pretty much sums it up... Brady was awesome all game and when it actually counted (aka the first 2.5 quarters) Ben was sporadic at best.
-Even before the game started you could tell that Pat Chung is one of the driving forces of this defense. As the team came out, most guys were just gingerly jogging out, until Chung came out doing some sort of funny little swagger... with a large chunk of the D following along with him. He was chirping all over and just totally into it, moreso than anyone out there... you could definitely tell he was happy to be back, and the rest of the D was happy to have him too. I have a feeling he is going to be a leader on this D for many years to come... if he can stay healthy that is! The guy went down at least three times, but none of them seemed to be very serious thankfully.
-Wilfork is a big, big man when you see him up close... enough said haha
-The whole defense was awesome in the first half, but I wonder if our second-half meltdown was entirely scheme-related (ie. playing back and giving a cushion), or more than just that. The pass D was abysmal all across the field... and I know nobody likes to hear this, but I was watching McCourty a lot and I can confidently say that that was one of the worst halves of football for a CB that I have seen in awhile. He was absolutely BRUTAL. Let's hope after the deserved celebration BB goes over the tape and works on some of the problems.
-Mayo is a machine. A good example of this a lot of ppl probably didn't see was on the first onside kick, where he was right up front. He ran his ass off and dove under the pile, proceeding to get totally squashed by a bunch of guys... but shows the drive this guy has. It's also great to see the control he has over the D that you don't get to see on TV very often. Pre-snap he was gathering the guys, running all over yelling out calls, and clearly the ring-leader of our D.
-This goes without saying I'm sure, but the OL (across the board) played their asses off... great game by these guys, especially after a couple of the other games this year (SD and Cleveland especially) where the board has been filled with threads about how awful they all are.
-Where did this pass rush come from! Wow, I seriously hope this continues. I know the Steelers were banged up on their OL, but our guys were all over Ben all game. They even probably should've had 3 or 4 more sacks, but to Ben's credit, he is one strong slippery bastard back there... all the more reason to applaud the 5 sacks we did get. The OLB play was great for once, continually getting pressure like they should do in the 3-4... TBC and Ninkovich especially, and even Crable if you can believe it haha
-Gronk had a rough day in Cleveland but boy did he ever bounce back. Great in the run game and obviously the pass game with 3 TDs. That last TD where he reached out and hauled it in with his fingertips was a thing of beauty. Great hands... can't wait to see him evolve with this offense.
-I love BenJarvus Green-Ellis. I have no idea how we found this guy haha but even in a game where A) most of our damage was through the air and B) he had to carry it 10 or so times when the Steelers pretty much knew we were running, he STILL had almost 100 yards on a team that has allowed just ONE player to rush for 100+ yards in the last 42 games. Awesome stuff by him and the OL paving the way.
-Yet another bounce-back win after a loss, and the streak continues... no back-to-back losses since 2003. You've gotta love BB.
-First of all, props to the city of Pittsburgh and those who call the shots at Heinz Field... the stadium was just awesome. Great experience all around, from the fireworks to the final whistle. The stadium definitely gets loud, I really wish we could have that kind of home field advantage. The fans were actually pretty good too... there were only a few Pats fans near me, but the Steelers guys in the section were tame and accomodating, but still into it even when their team looked like crap haha
-Prior to the game, I asked a Steelers fan near me if he'd actually pick Big Ben over Brady, and obviously the homer he was, he said yes. But at the end of the game I asked him again, and not surprisingly he changed his tune haha. And that pretty much sums it up... Brady was awesome all game and when it actually counted (aka the first 2.5 quarters) Ben was sporadic at best.
-Even before the game started you could tell that Pat Chung is one of the driving forces of this defense. As the team came out, most guys were just gingerly jogging out, until Chung came out doing some sort of funny little swagger... with a large chunk of the D following along with him. He was chirping all over and just totally into it, moreso than anyone out there... you could definitely tell he was happy to be back, and the rest of the D was happy to have him too. I have a feeling he is going to be a leader on this D for many years to come... if he can stay healthy that is! The guy went down at least three times, but none of them seemed to be very serious thankfully.
-Wilfork is a big, big man when you see him up close... enough said haha
-The whole defense was awesome in the first half, but I wonder if our second-half meltdown was entirely scheme-related (ie. playing back and giving a cushion), or more than just that. The pass D was abysmal all across the field... and I know nobody likes to hear this, but I was watching McCourty a lot and I can confidently say that that was one of the worst halves of football for a CB that I have seen in awhile. He was absolutely BRUTAL. Let's hope after the deserved celebration BB goes over the tape and works on some of the problems.
-Mayo is a machine. A good example of this a lot of ppl probably didn't see was on the first onside kick, where he was right up front. He ran his ass off and dove under the pile, proceeding to get totally squashed by a bunch of guys... but shows the drive this guy has. It's also great to see the control he has over the D that you don't get to see on TV very often. Pre-snap he was gathering the guys, running all over yelling out calls, and clearly the ring-leader of our D.
-This goes without saying I'm sure, but the OL (across the board) played their asses off... great game by these guys, especially after a couple of the other games this year (SD and Cleveland especially) where the board has been filled with threads about how awful they all are.
-Where did this pass rush come from! Wow, I seriously hope this continues. I know the Steelers were banged up on their OL, but our guys were all over Ben all game. They even probably should've had 3 or 4 more sacks, but to Ben's credit, he is one strong slippery bastard back there... all the more reason to applaud the 5 sacks we did get. The OLB play was great for once, continually getting pressure like they should do in the 3-4... TBC and Ninkovich especially, and even Crable if you can believe it haha
-Gronk had a rough day in Cleveland but boy did he ever bounce back. Great in the run game and obviously the pass game with 3 TDs. That last TD where he reached out and hauled it in with his fingertips was a thing of beauty. Great hands... can't wait to see him evolve with this offense.
-I love BenJarvus Green-Ellis. I have no idea how we found this guy haha but even in a game where A) most of our damage was through the air and B) he had to carry it 10 or so times when the Steelers pretty much knew we were running, he STILL had almost 100 yards on a team that has allowed just ONE player to rush for 100+ yards in the last 42 games. Awesome stuff by him and the OL paving the way.
-Yet another bounce-back win after a loss, and the streak continues... no back-to-back losses since 2003. You've gotta love BB.