Steeler Nation what a difference a week makes ! Of course the quality of the opponent was not exactly
the greatest but the Steelers played Steeler football and did what they were supposed to do,shutting out the Seattle Seahawks 24 - 0. The Steeler's defense is now determined to show the doubters that this group still has plenty left and is still one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Looking back that first week loss and all the criticism that it brought may be the fuel that feeds the fire for the Steelers the rest of this season.
The Steeler defense played inspired, focused and ,hard hitting football. The Steelers and coach Dick LeBeau played a coverage scheme most of the first half and did not bring the blitz much preferring to only bring 3 to 4 guys on the blitz and having the rest drop into coverage. This forced Seahawk's Quarterback Tavaris Jackson to try and beat them by finding the open man and this defensive strategy seemed to work to perfection.
The Steelers held the Seahawks passing game to only 159 total yards and no touchdowns. They brought the blitz more in the second half and sacked Seattle 5 times. The Seahawks running game did not fare much better against a stingy Steeler run defense. The Seahawks ran for a net total of 31 rushing yards averaging a meek 2.4 yards per running play.
Linebacker James Harrison seems to be regaining his strength more and more every week and had a sack against the Seahawks. Steeler Nation it looks like the Steeler's defense is back on track and ready to roll.
The Steeler's offense looked much better against Seattle . First of all they had no turn overs. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went 22-30 for 298 yards and a touchdown. Some of his passes seemed a little high but over all he had a good day.Wide receiver Mike Wallace had a another stellar game with his 5th straight 100 yard regular season game, leading Steeler receivers with 8 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown. Wallace is turning into an elite NFL receiver . His 53 yard fingertip catch was amazing. The Steeler's wide receivers all made key catches in the game . Hines Ward had a great toe tapper and Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders continue to impress. Sanders even completed a nice pass to Ward . The future of the Steeler's receiving core is in great hands.
The Steeler's offensive line had a couple of new starters in right tackle Marcus Gilbert and guard Ramon Foster . The offensive line did OK considering the circumstances but must improve greatly on short yardage plays. The Steelers where stuffed at the goal line on their first drive and turned the ball over on downs at the one on 4th and goal. The line gave up 2 sacks on passing downs and the running game averaged 3.5 yards per run .
A lot of the Steelers offensive line woes have got to do with a lack of continuity . The changes in the line up weekly because of injuries and the lack of an normal training camp are huge factors . Lets hope that the Steelers can settle on a line up and stay healthy . The play of this unit must improve .
The Steeler's running backs had a decent day Rashard Mendenhall ran 19 times for 66 yards and Touchdown and a 3.5 yard average. Isaac Redman ran 10 times for 49 yards for a 4.9 yard average. Redman had a nice 20 yard run for a touchdown. Redman has become a quality NFL running back and I believe the Steelers should use him more in short yardage situations. Redman seems to always fall forward and can grind out the tough yards.
On Special teams Antonio Brown had another key return with a punt return for 41yards. Punter Dan Sepulveda is having an outstanding season so far , punting 3 times for an average of 58.3 yards and a net average of 45 yards with 2 touch backs. Sepulveda's longest punt of the day was a whopping 66 yards. Sepulveda is having an All Pro caliber season so far . Kicker Shaun Suisham made all his extra points but missed one of his two field goals, a 41 yard try. He must make a 41 yard field goal, that should be almost automatic . I hope this is not a sign of things to come. His kickoffs where deep for the most part and I don't think there is reason to panic .
Steeler Nation Now its time for the Good ,Bad and the Ugly of the Steelers vs. Seattle week 2.
The Good : The Steelers defense rebounding from week one to shut out 24 -7 the Seahawks was a very good sight to see. Anytime you can get a shut out in the NFL these days its no small feat . The rules are heavily favoring NFL offenses to score . So this is a big accomplishment no matter the opponent. The Steelers defense also held Seattle to a net total of 164 total yards and an average of 3.5 yards per offensive play. That is outstanding defense
Wide receiver Mike Wallace continues to mature into an all around NFL receiver and with 8 catches for 126 and a touchdown is having a Pro Bowl type season so far. The Steelers offense rebounded from all their turnovers from week one, not committing any this week . The punting of Dan Sepulveda was great again this week.
The Bad : Kicker Shaun Suisham missed a 41 yard field goal badly . He also missed in the Super Bowl last year. There is no need to panic yet, but if he continues to miss kicks he should make, there could be a problem and a change will be made.
The Ugly : The Steelers offensive line and running game getting stuffed on 4th and one was very ugly. The Steelers must do better in short yardage situations . You must be able to make those tough yards especially later in the year when the weather is cold and games take on more meaning. Lets hope the Steelers figure out something quickly.
Steeler Nation ,thank you for reading the blog and feel free to leave a comment . You can follow me and the blog on Twitter @STEELERSNSTUFF and please spread the word about this blog. Stand strong Steeler Nation and enjoy the Road to Seven!
Later,Steeler Nation!
Go Steelers! Steeler Nation 4 Life! Link to week 2 Steelers vs.Seahawks Highlights
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