The Steelers are in big trouble, in more ways than one. They’re now 0-2 after their home opening loss to Seattle. Add the injuries to starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Pro Bowl running back James Connor and the Steelers could be looking at a long year. Despite all this, the Steelers still had a chance to beat the Seahawks. But when it counted the defense couldn’t make a stop. Mike Tomlin likes to say, “The standard is the standard.” Right now that standard is not good at all.
• I give a lot of credit to backup quarter Mason Rudolph. He played very well in relief for the injured Big Ben. Rudolph doesn’t have the big arm that Roethlisberger does, but few do. He managed the game well and was on target for many of his passes. He also showed great poise under pressure. Rudolph gets high marks in his debut, albeit under adverse conditions. If Roethlisberger’s injury is bad, and it could very well be, we might be seeing a whole lot more out of Rudolph. No one expected that. Especially Mason Rudolph.
• The Steelers need to cut receiver Donte Moncrief. Like first thing on Monday morning. He has been brutal in his first two games as a Steeler. The free agent signee has been a monumental bust. I don’t see any way the Steelers can keep him on the roster.
• IUP is off to a strong start. The 54-0 win over Millersville was never in doubt. IUP was up 40-0 at the half on their way to over 500 yards of total offense. Truth be told, they could have rolled up as many as they wanted and scored as many as they desired. I’ve said all along that I think this is a very underrated IUP team. And to think, they’re only going to get better.
• Penn State could have easily lost to Pitt. The Panthers outplayed the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley for many parts of the series finale. I thought Pitt’s defensive line was really good, and dominated the Penn State offensive line. I also thought that much maligned quarterback Kenny Pickett was terrific for Pitt.
• I’m not sure if Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi’s decision to kick a field goal on fourth and one late in the game that would have tied it up, or his statement explaining the decision in the post-game interview session was worse. Anyone with half a brain would have gone for it. Especially on the road, and especially against a bitter rival like Penn State. Narduzzi let his team down. His players, who played their hearts out, deserved better.
• It’s a shame that this Pitt-Penn State game was the last in the series. The schools aren’t scheduled to play anytime soon. So, it’s possible that this will be the last Pitt-Penn State game in my lifetime. Back in the day, Pitt vs Penn State was one of the great rivalries in all of college football. I attended three straight games in the mid 70s that were played in the old Three Rivers Stadium. They were great games, played by incredible players. Football fans in Pennsylvania need to see Pitt and Penn State play again!
• The Pirates pitching staff surrendered 47 runs in getting swept by the Chicago Cubs. If that isn’t a low for this team I don’t know what is. I’d love to say I think the Pirates will invest heavily in pitching for next year, but you and I know that’s not going to happen. It’s going to a long and ugly offseason for the Pirates.
• Things got so bad in the Pirates’ clubhouse recently that pitchers Kyle Crick and Felipe Vasquez came to blows. Because of it, Crick is out for the year with an injury. There have been numerous reports that Velasquez has rubbed teammates, particularly his fellow pitchers, the wrong way. This latest episode makes me wonder if the Pirates won’t try to deal Vasquez in the offseason. They can probably get a good return and also solve a clubhouse problem. Why not trade him, they have nothing to lose.
• Game On! The Pittsburgh Penguins opened training this week. I’m not sure the Pens will win the Stanley Cup anytime soon, but I do think they’ll be a playoff team again. The number one key for the Pens this year is how Evgeni Malkin will perform. He had a really bad season by his standards last season. I look for Geno to bounce back, and bounce back in a big way.
• It’s a shame we still have to hear about the former Steeler, Antonio Brown. Mr. Big Chest just can’t stay out of the news. The latest bombshell that has a former trainer accusing Brown of rape is very disturbing. Only the two of them know what happened, if anything happened at all. What I do know when reading the emails from Brown to the accuser is that Antonio Brown is a really bad guy and has no respect for women. I wouldn’t want anything to do with him. I’m sure the Steelers feel the same way.
• RIP Sam Davis. Though he wasn’t as popular as many of his teammates from those great Steelers’ teams of the 1970s, Sam Davis was always appreciated by the guys who wore the Black and Gold. He was a tough and reliable offensive lineman who helped Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier achieve greatness. I interviewed Sam many times during my radio days. He was always a good guy. He will be missed.
