Steelers hope for final win against Cleveland this week

The Pittsburgh Steelers season is officially not over, as they have one more game this year against the Steelers in Pittsburgh this Sunday. The Steelers are, however, not going to make the playoffs this season. The team is usually an NFL staple for the playoffs, and this year marks the first year since 1999 that a Pennsylvania team has not been in the playoff hunt. The Steelers will face the Browns on Sunday and will look to at least even their record up at 8-8 to end the season.

The Steelers playoff dreams officially ended last week in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at home. The game ended 13-10 in a bitter defensive struggle. The Steelers have had the number one defense in the league, but their offense has struggled under 1st year offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Ben Roethlisberger has been outspoken about Haley this season before the year began and during and it appears that he never fully embraced the system.

 

If the Steelers hope to avoid a losing season they must get past the Cleveland Browns who have lost two straight games. Last week they lost to the Broncos on the road and the week before they were knocked off by the Redskins in Cleveland. The Browns did beat the Steelers when they met in Cleveland earlier in the year though. In that game, the Browns forced 8 turnovers against Steeler backup Byron Leftwich. The Browns will be certainly motivated as they look to sweep the Steelers in this year’s series, which is something they have not done since coming back into the league in 1999.

 

Steelers look for another win to secure a playoff spot

 

The 7-5 Steelers will play the San Diego Chargers at home this week in Pittsburgh. The Steelers also are excited to announce that Ben Roethlisberger will be back with the team after missing the past three games with a rib injury. Ben should certainly be hungry and is looking to get his team into the playoffs. Currently they hold one of the wildcard spots, but they do have the Bengals nipping at their heels. The addition of Ben will certainly help as Steeler backups have had some difficulties. They did, however, win 2 of the three games they replaced Ben in.

Last week, the Steelers were able to win big on the road in Baltimore. The game ended 23-20 in favor of the Steelers who were the underdog in the contest. They went into hostile territory and took out the number 1 team in their division. The Ravens had a great chance to knock off Pittsburgh, and had one of the best chances they may ever get. When push came to shove, though, they lost again and will have to wait again to try another time. These two teams may certainly find themselves playing one another again come playoff time.

The Chargers will be the next step towards the Steelers getting in the postseason. They bring just a 4-8 record to Pittsburgh, but have been close in every game this season. Their last game was a 20-13 loss to the Bengals in San Diego last week. They continue to be in negative talks about changing their coach after the season, which seems to have deeply impacted the team as well. 

AFC North matchup to be played in Pittsburgh

 

AFC North powerhouses will meet for round 2 this week in Baltimore. There, the Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Baltimore Ravens for the second time in 3 weeks. The last meeting was won by Baltimore in a game that did not feature Ben Roethlisberger due to injury. Ben will not be in the game this week as well, but did start to practice a bit for the team this week. Baltimore is currently in first in the division while the Steelers are currently in position for a wildcard spot. This could be in some jeopardy, however, since the team has struggled without Ben in their games.

The Steelers are 6-5 on the year, but have lost two straight. Last week they lost 20-14 against the Cleveland Browns who have failed to have much luck against them since their return to Cleveland in 1999. The team forced 8 turnovers in all including making all of Pittsburgh’s running backs fumble. The loss puts the team in some jeopardy and will see them having to really sweat out this upcoming game against Baltimore.

Baltimore will enter as the home team this Sunday, and bring to the table a 9-2 record. The team has been shaky at times, but overall solid despite losing some key players on defense. They did get good news this week that Ray Lewis had been cleared to practice any day for the team and may play as early as next week. In this game, one of the best linebackers in the league will be the biggest cheerleader.

Steelers travel to Cleveland for rivalry

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel down the road to take on the Cleveland Browns this Sunday. The game is to kickoff at 1pm at Cleveland Browns Stadium, and will feature two AFC North rivals. The rivalry is not what it once was, but the hate these two teams have for one another is still strong. The Browns and Steelers have gone in two separate directions to this point in the year, but the Browns have been no pushover for teams. Pittsburgh is also on their third quarterback, which should not help.

The Steelers have a lot riding on Sunday’s game after losing a divisional game one week earlier to the Ravens. The Steelers are 6-4 to this point as they chase the wildcard spot. They will have to beat big odds to find the playoffs as their starting quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, will be out for at least a couple more weeks. They also had backup Byron Leftwich go down with a rib injury last week. This will leave veteran Charlie Batch to handle the snaps Sunday.

The Browns enter the game with a 2-8 record, but have fought hard in each and every game. They feel it is just a matter of time before they win, and would hope for nothing more then a victory over Pittsburgh to do so. Last week, they fell in overtime to the Cowboys in Dallas. This certainly will be a game many will have their eyes on as Steeler nation hopes the Browns do not end their season.

Steelers will play without their QB this week against Ravens

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger this Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens after a freak injury he got from last Monday night’s game in Pittsburgh. The Steelers barely squeaked by the Kansas City Chiefs in that game in overtime, but were able to limp away with a three-point win. The Steelers Roethlisberger suffered an injured shoulder and rib injury that could be potentially lethal if he played this Sunday night. The game should still be exciting, but will not be the same without Ben.

Roethlisberger went down against the Chiefs after a hard sack in which Big Ben fell awkwardly on the ball and his shoulder. The injury actually made it so that a rib of Roethlisberger was pressing on his Aorta. This injury is very rare, and could cause him to miss up to 6 games. This could not come at a worse time, as the Steelers have been playing good ball and have a 6-3 record. It also could not be any worse timing as they are set to play the AFC North leading Baltimore Ravens who are 7-2.

Pittsburgh has shown an ability to win without Ben in the past, however, and Coach Mike Tomlin has a real can do/next man up attitude. It is not just an attitude though and you can tell it is something he truly believes in. The confidence he gives his players is amazing, but they will need a great team effort come Sunday. One thing that certainly will be on their side will be the hometown crowd at Heinz Field.

When will Big Ben return?

 

Big Ben went down on Monday night in Pittsburgh against the Kansas City Chiefs. The only difference this time, compared to most, is the fact that he did not return after the incident. In the second half, Roethlisburger went down hard on a sack and injured his shoulder in the process. It was later disclosed that an even more bizarre and dangerous injury also occurred during the hit. The Steelers now are left with Byron Leftwich to lead the charge, but are used to situations like this.

In the past, the Steelers have done quite well without their leader. When Ben missed 4 games due to suspension the team went 3-1 with Charlie batch at the helm. This injury could also keep him out 4 weeks, and maybe even 6. The other injury involved was internal in nature and involved his rib pressing up against his aorta. This injury was described as being very rare, and one export said they saw it only one other time in a rugby play back in 1998.

Ben may miss sometime, but the feeling in Pittsburgh is the show goes on. This is not a team that will use it as an excuse. Mike Tomlin will not let them, and he will make everyone work that much harder to get the team to the playoffs. At this point, the Steelers would have to really lose many to not get a wildcard. They have a good lead at this time in that category, which certainly helps. This Sunday will be the best test they can get as the Ravens will play them at home.

Hines Ward gets appearence on The Walking Dead

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers old Friend Hines Ward continues to try and build on his resume with more acting in his future. His new adventure will place him in Georgia where the AMC hit series The Walking Dead is filmed. Ward is very familiar with the area as he was a standout wide receiver as a Georgia Bulldog years ago. He then went on to have a hall of fame career for the Steelers until his recent retirement. Now it seems he has some new ways to pass his time in life after retirement.

The opportunity presented itself to Ward by former teammate and Walking Dead character T- Dogg. The two played together and have some roots and Ward said that he jumped at the opportunity. Ward has already been involved with the hit show Dancing with the Stars and feels plenty comfortable in front of the camera. This new role, however, will have him in a position that is much different from that which he is used to.

Ward’s cameo role in the series will be as a zombie or “walker” as they are called in the show. Ward had to have a long sit down to get remade as a zombie, which was complete with latex masks and gory makeup. This along with fake blood and battered clothing made for an interesting experience for Ward. You can see more of his transformation at NFL.com, or can watch The Walking Dead on AMC primetime tv on Sundays to get a glimpse for yourself.

Steelers travel to NY to take on the Giants

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to New York to play the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants this Sunday. The game will be played at the Giants MetLife Stadium at 4:25 PM ET. Due to the recent super storm Sandy that blew through, the travel plans for the Steelers have been changed, which could possibly affect the team. They will now have to Travel the day of the game and will be leaving right after. This was due to the fact that Pittsburgh could not book a hotel in New York due to massive power outages.

The Giants may also be affected by the storm themselves as many of them live in the area and have been out of power as well. Many of the players live in the area and have family in the area, which could produce obvious stress. The Giants do come into the game with a 6-2 record, however, but their latest wins have not come easily. They have barely squeaked by the Cowboys, Redskins, and Browns in the past three weeks.

Pittsburgh will be affected by the flight, but do come into the game after finally looking like they have established their identity. The team is still a bit beat up and will be without safety Troy Palomalu. They come into the game with a 4-3 record and were able to breeze by the Redskins last week in Pittsburgh. That game ended with a 27-12 final, and showed that the Steelers D and O were still solid crews.

Steelers win their first divisional matchup!

 

The Steelers won their first divisional matchup in the AFC North on Sunday. The team was able to defeat the Bengals 24-17 in Cincinnati. The Steelers won with an effective offense running and passing and a defense that is stepping it up despite missing Troy Palomalu. The Bengals got off to a great start and led 14-0 early, but quickly let things get out of hand after the first quarter and a half. The Steelers move to 3-3 on the season thanks to the much-needed win to stay afloat in their division. The Bengals, meanwhile, fall to 3-4.

Pittsburgh’s comeback began in the second quarter when they scored 11 points to tie the game going into the half. Ben Roethlisburger had a good game in the end with 278 yards and a touchdown. His TD went to Heath Miller who got a big HEEATH chant from the crowd, as Pittsburgh fans travel as good as any in the league. Ben missed only ten passes, which included one that went to the Bengals for an interception. He got a huge boost from his running game led by newcomer Dwyer who ended the game with 122 yards. The combo of run and pass with a strong defense got them the win, but the rushing game really set up most everything.

The Bengals flew out of the game with touchdowns to AJ Green and a rushing score from Peerman. They then let the Steelers tie the game before halftime and only scored 3 points in the second half. Andy Dalton was held to just 105 yards while AJ GREEN had just the one catch in the game. The rushing game did not fair too much better as they combined for just 80 yards between 4 rushers. Judging by the numbers, it is a miracle they were even in the game.

Steelers will play the Redskins Sunday at 1PM

 

Heinz Field in Pittsburgh will host one of the more intriguing matchups of the season as the 3-3 Pittsburgh Steelers will face the 3-4 Redskins this Sunday at 1 PM ET. Both teams have shown hints of greatness, but both have also lost winnable games to this point. Last week the Steelers got a victory on Sunday night against the Bengals. The Redskins, on the other hand, lost a tough one to the Giants even after taking a lead with just minutes left in the fourth.

Pittsburgh continues to try and scratch their way out of the AFC North’s basement as they are trying to catch the Ravens at the top. They just squeaked by the Bengals 24-17 last week, but could have easily lost the game. They have been ravished by injuries to their team in nearly every aspect from the running game to the offensive line to the Linebackers and defensive backs. The team is trying to get healthy and did get many players back last week. To really make a jump, however, the help of Troy Palomalu will be a key factor.

Washington has been competitive in every game this year, but is finding ways to lose games. Their defense has been one of the porous in the league and makes it hard for the team to win games despite all the success Robert Griffin III has had with the offense. Sunday will certainly show which of these teams is making the big jump this season. This game could certainly propel either team to further wins this year.

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