The Steelers are back on Monday Night Football where they rarely lose at home. I feel for ESPN, which is saddled with the disappointing Steelers against the winless Dolphins, a team that brings new meaning to the term “tanking.”ST On paper this looks like an easy win for the Black and Gold. The Steelers are home for the next three weeks and have very winnable games against Miami, Indy and the LA Rams. They must win all three to have any chance to make a run for the playoffs. I still don’t think they’ll make it, but if they win all three you never know.
• Mason Rudolph is back under center for Pittsburgh. Here’s to hoping the coaching staff takes the training wheels off of the young quarterback and lets him throw the ball down field, instead of relying on the dink and dunk offense we’ve seen when he’s been in there so far. Rudolph isn’t Big Ben, but he does have a big arm. He’s a talented young kid. It’s time to find out if Rudolph can play and is in fact the heir apparent to Roethlisberger. Facing the Dolphins is the perfect situation to let the kid go out and play, and air it out.
• The NFL’s trade deadline is nearly here. There are a lot more trades in the NFL these days than there used to be. The Steelers, who rarely made trades in the past, now make a lot of them. The Black and Gold could surely use some help at wide receiver and linebacker. But with so few draft picks in next year’s draft, including no number one pick, the Steelers don’t exactly have a lot of draft capital. I’d like to see the Steelers improve those positions, but I wouldn’t deal away any more 2020 picks.
• IUP rolled over Gannon at home, which was totally expected. Now, if the Crimson Hawks can run the table they have an excellent chance to make it back to the playoffs. I would be very surprised if that doesn’t happen. This IUP team is on a mission. I can’t see them losing again in the regular season.
• Who had Penn State at 8-0 at this point of the season? Not me, and I’m a diehard fan of the Nittany Lions. It was good to see Penn State actually beat Michigan State for a change. They had owned the Lions the past few years. Penn State didn’t play a perfect game in Lansing, but they did a lot of things well. They now have a week off before they hit the road again to face undefeated Minnesota, the big surprise in the Big Ten. I don’t see Penn State making it to the college football playoff, but I do see a New Year’s Day bowl game in their sights. November should be a lot of fun.
• Pitt lost a heartbreaker when it fell to Miami in the final minutes. It was a big setback for the Panthers. It also left many Pitt fans questioning Pat Narduzzi, who once again elected to kick a field goal instead of going for it on fourth down late in the game. Narduzzi made the same decision at Penn State, and I still have no idea what he was thinking. This was a game the Panthers could have, and probably should have won. It’s also a game that might have spoiled what could have been a really good season.
• It was quite a week for the Pens. They lost three straight before finally getting back on the winning track in Dallas. It was just what the doctor ordered. Jim Rutherford’s trade of Erik Gudbranson to Anaheim was also big. Finally, the Pens aren’t carrying one too many defensemen. But the biggest thing about this trade is that it gives the Pens much needed salary cap space. That could come in very handy during the year when Rutherford will surely try to make a move or two to get the Pens in position to win another Stanley Cup.
• The Pirates will introduce their new team president on Monday. Former Penguins executive Travis Williams will take over for Frank Coonelly. Williams is well regarded in the business and had great success in the Pens front office. But unless Pirates owner Bob Nutting is willing to make a commitment to fielding a winning team, and that means actually spending money, Williams won’t be adding to his collection of championship rings. The Pirates will now have a new manager to replace Clint Hurdle and a new team president who will act as the face of the organization. Changes were indeed needed in the Pirates organization, but the biggest change of all needs to be from the owner. Bob Nutting either wants to win or he only wants to make a profit. He needs to show up at Monday’s press conference and actually answers those kinds of questions. If he doesn’t, don’t expect much to change.
• To date, Pirates GM Neal Huntington has been able to hold onto his job. That could change, according to DK Pittsburgh Sports. Their sources seem to suggest that Huntington is next to go. Even though I like and respect Neal, I believe that change is necessary. The Pirates have done a poor job of drafting and developing players under Huntington’s leadership. And Neal’s trades, think Gerrit Cole, haven’t exactly brought great returns for the Bucs. I’d change the entire baseball operations team from top to bottom and see what a new regime can do. They can’t do much worse.
• It’s hard to believe that the home team has yet to win a game after five games of the World Series. I picked the Houston Astros in six games, but thought they were in deep trouble after dropping the opening two games in their ballpark. I never expected the Stros to win all three in Washington. They now have a chance to win the Series at home with Justin Verlander on the hill. I fully expect the Astros to finish the deal Tuesday night. Then again, the way this series has gone it wouldn’t be shocking if we see a Game Seven.
