Yesterday, we took a look at some of the best moments and performances by the 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers in our first of two installments of three up, three down. In part two of of the series, let's look at some of the worst of the past season. Three down: *There's little doubt that the secondary was a big issue for the Steelers and it will be a hot-button topic during the off-season. Only the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints gave more yards through the air than the Steelers dismal ... Read More
Three up, three down: Steelers vs. Colts
Coming off a frustrating loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked to bounce back and keep pace in the crowded AFC Wild Card race last night against the Indianapolis Colts. The result was an inspired effort where the Steelers overcame early mistakes and a 10-6 deficit midway through the second quarter to score 39 straight points in a 45-10 drubbing of the visiting Colts. In this week's installment of three up, three down, let's take a look at the best and worst from last ... Read More
Grading the Steelers secondary
Looking for a hot button issue when it comes to the 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers? One of the biggest has easily been the play of the Steelers secondary this season, especially after one of the worst performances in recent memory this past Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. The Steelers pass defense ranks near the bottom in a number of key categories including total yards allowed (30th) yards allowed per game (31st) and passer rating (27th). They also rank dead last in the NFL in passing ... Read More
Boykin still not seeing field for Steelers
On the St. Louis Rams’ final offensive play Sunday, three Pittsburgh Steeler cornerbacks were on the field. Brandon Boykin was not one of them. Up by six with less than two minutes left in the game, the Steelers needed to stop the Rams’ passing game. But Boykin, whom the Steelers gave up a fifth round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for in training camp, was standing on sideline next to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Helmet in hand with his arms crossed, all Boykin could do was ... Read More
Secondary issues provide questions but few answers
After watching the Steelers secondary perform this past Thursday, I could not help but hear The Who front man Roger Daltrey passionately exhorting the final verse of their hit song "Won't Get Fooled Again" in my ear. "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!" Although I'm sure some of you reading this may not remember this classic tune, it seemed to be pretty fitting. That's because anyone who watched the Patriots surgically take apart the Steelers pass defense should get the comparison: new ... Read More
Five takeaways from Steelers preseason opener
The Pittsburgh Steelers got off to a slow start during Sunday’s 14-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the Hall of Fame Game. The score doesn’t matter at all, neither does the result. What does matter is the things that we can take away from the Steelers first performance. With that being said, here’s five takeaways from the Steelers first preseason game. 1. The Steelers defense shows off its speed Gone are the veterans and in their place are a bunch of youngsters with speed. That is ... Read More
Adding Brandon Boykin fills a crucial need for Steelers
You simply can't have enough good cornerbacks in today's NFL. Seems simple enough, but considering how passing offenses have dominated the league in recent years, it seems to be more the case every season. After all, in four of last six seasons alone, at least 10 starting QB's have surpassed 4,000 passing yards. It does not seem like that long ago surpassing the 4,000-yard plateau was a rarity achieved by the likes of Dan Marino, Joe Montana and John Elway. Today we are seeing players ... Read More
Steelers acquire CB Brandon Boykin from Eagles
One area that is still pretty thin for the Pittsburgh Steelers is the secondary, most notably the cornerback position. For the Steelers to be better in 2015, they have to get better play from their corners. With that in mind, the team added to their current group of corners on Saturday when they acquired Brandon Boykin from the Philadelphia Eagles. In exchange for Boykin, the Steelers will send a 2016 conditional fifth-round draft pick in return. According to ESPN's Adam Caplan, the pick can ... Read More