College Football Playoff: Semifinal Predictios

Happy New Year to all. It's New Year's Eve, and it's time for the 2nd Annual College Football Playoff. Every team dreams of winning a National Championship, but only four still have an opportunity to seize that dream. Those lucky 4 are Michigan State, Clemson, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Who will move on to the National Title Game in Glendale, Arizona? Here is my ever so important opinion on that matter.

Photo creds to www.collegefotballplayoff.com

#4 Oklahoma (11-1) vs. #1 Clemson (13-0) (Orange Bowl)

Photo Creds to Clemsonvs.Oklahoma.com

The quaterback matchup between Baker Mayfield and Deshaun Watson should be fun to watch. Watson is the best quarterback in college football, while Mayfield may be the hottest. What gives Oklahoma the edge in my mind is that they have more playmakers on offense. Sterling Shephard and Dede Westbrook are deadly receiving duo , and they will be matched up against Mackensie Alexander and the Tiger defense that ranks #7 in the country. The X factor in this game is Oklahomas runningback, Samaje Perine. 

I feel that Perine could be like Zeke Elliot was for Ohio State last year in that he will completely take over the game. The Clemson defense is good, but as Perine stated, they have areas that the Sooners can expose. Clemson is ranked #1, but they haven't been dominant over the past few weeks, and I think OU is playing better football right now. I predict that Oklahoma's no-huddle offense will wear Clemson out, and Mayfield will make the right plays at the right times. Watson will play well, but I think that Zach Sanchez will pick him off at least once in a key situation.  Mayfied and Perine will shine. Boomer Sooner. 

Oklahoma 42, Clemson 34

#3 Michigan State (12-1) at #2 Alabama (12-1) (Cotton Bowl)

This is an intriguing one. Alabama is Alabama, while Michigan State seems like a team of destiny. Unfortunately for Sparty, I think midnight will come for Cinderella. We all know that Derrick Henry is going to get the ball... a lot, and the Heisman winner will wear out Shilique Calhoun and the MSU defense. I expect this game to be a defensive battle, but I have a gut feeling Connor Cook will not bring his A game, and the best front 7 in the country will be waiting for him. The one on one matchup to watch in this one is Michigan State's star reciever, Aaron Burbridge, against Alabama CB, Cyrus  Jones. Burbridge will get some yards, but I don't think Cook will be able to find him enough to cause serious damage. Cook will not rise to the occasion, Henry will, and that will be the difference in an Alabama victory. Also, expect Jake Coker to make a big play or three.

Alabama 24, Michigan State 14.

Alabama vs. Oklahoma, January 11th, University of Phoenix Stadium 

The Best and Worst of 2015 in Pittsburgh Sports

Photo creds to doubletree3.hilton.com

With 2015 on life support, I think now is a good time to reflect on what it brought to Pittsburgh sports. As with all years, there was good, and there was bad. It was not a year that was worthy of our ''City of Champions'' moniker, as the Penguins accomplished nothing while the Steelers are in danger of doing the very same. The Pirates, on the other hand, had their best season in almost a quarter of a century but crashed out before having a chance at a playoff run. Pitt football experienced an energy boost that has not been seen in a while; while Pitt basketball crashed out in the first round of the Not Important Tournament. Meghan Klingenberg made her hometown proud, as the Pine-Richland graduate played a key role in bringing team USA their first World Cup in 16 years. Let's get into what went right, and what went wrong, with my end of year awards for Pittsburgh Sports.

The ''Not Pittsburgh Penguins'' team of the year: Pittsburgh Pirates 

''But all they did was finish in second place''! ''They don't want to spend money''! All that crap aside, the Pirates were the best team in Pittsburgh sports in 2015. Yes, they failed to do anything in the playoffs, but neither did the Steelers or Penguins. Sure, not much good has happened since the Bucs were bounced out by the Chicago Cubs in the N.L. Wildcard game, but I'd like to see anybody argue that the Steelers or Penguins had a better year. The Bucs had a great year, winning 98 games and doing much better than any of their city counterparts, so they are the obvious choice for my first award.

The ''Not Mike Johnston or Jaime Dixon'' Coach of the Year

Photo creds to Detroit Free Press

Joe Smeltzer is not, nor will he ever be a Pitt fan. But he is a Pat Narduzzi fan. Ever since Narduzzi was hired away from Michigan State (where he was the defensive coordinator), he has pushed the right buttons. Although Pitt's final record of 8-5 seems pedestrian, 4 of the Panthers losses came against ranked opponents. Aside from a dud against Miami in the regular season finale, as well as a bowl game waxing at the hands of Navy, the Panthers were in every game and came within a miracle field goal conversion of beating Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. Narduzzi's Panthers played with an intensity that is rare from current Pitt teams, and he deserves credit for taking what was thought of as a soft team and toughening them up. The future looks bright for Pitt with this man calling the shots. 

The ''Not Sidney Crosby'' Athlete of the Year: Antonio Brown

Andrew McCutchen and Ben Roethlisberger are both terrific athletes that our city has produced, but neither of them has done as much as AB. Brown has cemented himself as the best receiver in the NFL, and may just be the league's best all-around player. Just look at Brown's numbers, and think of what they would be if he had Big Ben throwing him the ball for the whole season. AB is the man, and I hope the Dapper Dan honors him with their ''Man of the Year'' award for the second year in a row. 

The Game of the Year: Cardinals at Pirates, July 11th

This was a hard one to pick, as none of our sports teams did anything significant in the post-season. I was initially going to go with the Steelers-Broncos game that took place over a week ago, but then I remembered the series that the Pirates had with the St. Louis Cardinals just before the All- Star break. The Bucs were facing their division rivals and looking to gain ground in the NL Central race. Pittsburgh did just that by winning 3 out of 4 series games. None was more eventful than on Saturday, July 11th. I'm sure a lot of you reading will remember this game, so click on the video above to relive how awesome it was. I was on a mission trip, so I was not able to attend, but I can't remember a game at PNC ever being better in terms of quality of play. 

Breakout Athlete of the Year: Jung Ho-Kang

This was an easy call. Nobody knew what to expect when the Pirates signed the Korean superstar to a four-year, $11 million dollar contract this past January. How would he adjust to Major League pitching? After a woeful spring training, it appeared that he would not adjust too well. But Kang proved a lot of people wrong with his performance, and became one of the Pirates most valuable assets, hitting .287 with 15 home runs, 58 RBI and an On-Base Percentage of .355. His season was cut short by a catastrophic knee/leg injury in September, but Jung-Ho captivated the city for the better part of 6 months. Easy call. 

The biggest one-minute sensation: Landry Jones

Jones came in relief of Mike Vick during a Week 6 game with the Arizona Cardinals. Jones ended up winning the game. The next week, Jones lost to the Chiefs. Then, Big Ben came back, got hurt, and Jones led a game-winning drive against the Raiders. Jones started against the Browns, got hurt, and that's all she wrote. The city was quite in love with this guy after the Arizona win, but all good things must come to an end. Some good things just don't last very long. 

Biggest Heart: James Conner

No athlete in this city, whether it be college sports or pro sports, has been through more adversity than Pitt's James Conner. Yes, Jung-Ho Kang went through a terrible leg injury, and Pascal Dupuis of the Penguins was forced to retire due to a blood clot, but James Conner suffered a double whammy. First, his season ended before it started, when he suffered a torn MCL in the season opener against Youngstown State. Then, on December 4th, it was revealed that he had Hodgkins Lymphoma. Conner is determined to play football again, and I wish him nothing but the best. I will always dislike Pitt, but this kid is the definition of tough. Pat Narduzzi put it best when he said, ''Cancer started the fight, James is going to finish it''. 

Now let's get into the crappy stuff that went on in our city in 2015

Most Disappointing Team: Pittsburgh Penguins

Where to start? These guys have been underachieving for the past five years, and this year is looking to be the worst of it. The Pens ended the 2014-15 campaign with a first-round playoff exit, and they'll be lucky to get that far in 2015-16. The Pens are currently in 5th place in the metropolitan division, and the so-called ''best player in the world'' is nowhere to be found. If the Steelers do miss the playoffs, it will be a great disappointment, but at least with the Steelers, we can say that the guys who were most expected to perform did. As for the Pens, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-Andre Flury are the only ''stars'' who are doing much of anything. Mike Johnston's style of coaching is partly to blame for this awful start, but his replacement, Mike Sullivan, hasn't been faring much better. Hopefully, Sullivan can figure things out soon. If not, this will just be a lost season.

Biggest Underachiever: Sidney Crosby

Through 34 games, the ''best player in the world'' has accumulated seven goals and 24 points. Crosby is a great guy, and nobody is more upset about his slow start than himself, but I shouldn't have to explain very much why he deserves this dubious honor. 

Worst Game of the Year: NL Wildcard Game

98 wins. One playoff game. Jake Arietta was just too good. I don't want to talk too much about this. Any Steelers-Ravens game gets an honorable mention. 

The Coach who couldn't coach: Mike Johnston 

See everything that was said about the Penguins above, and note that Johnston's ''we want to score goals but not really'' style of coaching is to blame for a good deal of it. That's why he's no longer coaching.

Athlete who was never given the chance to break out: Daniel Sprong

When the General Manager approaches the coach about not giving a player enough playing time, he's probably not getting enough playing time. Sprong is a supremely talented 18-year-old from the Netherlands, and nothing he did seemed to get him any more ice time. Sure, he is very young, but what would the Penguins have had to lose by putting him on Sidney Crosby's line? Judging by the Eastern Conference standings, not a whole lot. Sprong won't be riding the bench anymore, as the Pens shipped him to the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. We hope to see him back one day. 

Now for the in between stuff



Biggest Story of the Year: Steelers sign Mike Vick

                                                             

It's hard to fathom that signing a back-up (turned out to be a 3rd string) quarterback could divide the city, but that's what happened with Mike Vick, and the reasons for this had nothing to do with football. As most of you probably are aware of, Vick is a convicted dog killer, so many dog lovers were not happy with signing Vick. While it was one thing not to be happy about it, it's another to make ridiculous and off-base predictions as a result. Many predicted that the Steelers attendance would take a slide. Yes, because the most popular franchise in American sports is going to no longer be that because of a backup QB. Many ''die-hard fans'' (ha ha) claimed that they would end their allegiance because of a guy holding a clipboard on the sidelines. For those who believe in forgiveness (such as myself), it was a smart, low-key football move. Vick has not made too much of an impact since coming to the Steel City (although he did start three games and led a game-winning drive in San Diego), and has since been relegated to 3rd string behind Landry Jones. Nonetheless, his signing caused a lot of people to talk, and while there were other big stories, such as the Pirates trading Neil Walker, no other story caused as big a stir as the signing of the Madden 2004 cover boy.

Here is a link to my original article about Vick's signing http://joesmeltzer775.blogspot.com/2015/08/steelers-sign-mike-vick-my-thoughts.html

College Football Bowl Predictions Part 2

  

Hello, all. Over a week ago, I previewed all of the pre-Christmas Day bowl games. This time around, we have a graphic courtesy of my cousin Brad. The graphic reveals who my three cousins and I think will win each bowl game. I am not writing about Penn State in this entry, as I have decided to do a separate preview for them as well as for the College Football Playoff. Now, it's time for the post-Christmas Day games. Things are a little more serious now. I was forced to write this whole thing on my phone, so there won't be pictures until after the Dec. 28 bowl games are over. Let's get into it.

Pitt got shafted (military bowl)

Pitt (8-4) at Navy (10-2)

Anybody who knows me knows that I don't think too highly of the University of Pittsburgh. That being said, they had a good season and deserved better than to play Navy in what is basically a road game, while inferior ACC schools got a better draw. I expect Navy's home field advantage, and Kennan Reynolds, to be too much for Pat Narduzzi's Panthers. 

Navy 35, Pitt 24 

Player to Watch: Kennen Reynolds

Not interested (Quick Lane Bowl)

Minnesota (5-7) at Central Michigan (7-5)

Another 5-7 team in a bowl game. Ridiculous. 

Watch Jarred Goff (Armed Forces Bowl) 

Cal (7-5) at Air Force (8-5)

Cal has fallen off of a cliff ever since losing at Utah, but Jarred Goff is the man. Cal's QB is expected to go in the top 5 of this spring's NFL draft, and I think his last college game will be one to remember. Goff will go off, and Cal will be victorious. 

Cal 42, Air Force 31

Player to Watch: Jared Goff

 Baylor is too banged up (Citrus Bowl)

Baylor (9-3) at UNC (11-2)

Baylor is down to about their 95th quarterback this season while UNC is very good and very pissed off about the phantom offsides call on an onside kick call in the ACC Title game. Corey Coleman and Shock Linwood are also out for Baylor. Oh, and good luck slowing Marquise Williams down. 

UNC 45, Baylor 30

Player to Watch: Marquise Williams 

Who the Hell Cares?

Nevada (6-6) at Colorado State (7-5)

Every team that plays in a bowl game should have a record of 8-4 or above. That would make things more meaningful. 

Watch Patrick Mahomes (Texas Bowl) 

#20 LSU (8-3) at Texas Tech (7-5) 

LSU is the better team, but they are not why I'm interested in this game. I've gotten a few looks at the Texas Tech offense this year, and my oh my. They score in bunches. I am interested to see how this Big 12 offense will go against an SEC defense. I do think that LSU's defense will slow down the Red Raiders just enough to get the W, but the player to watch in this game for me is not Leonard Fournette, but rather Patrick Mahomes. The Texas Tech QB is 7th in the nation in passing yards and is a joy to watch. He will shine in a losing effort. His defense will not. 

LSU 35, Texas Tech 30

Player to Watch: Patrick Mahomes

Watch Paxton Lynch (Birmingham Bowl)

Memphis (9-3) at Auburn (6-6)

Auburn has disappointed greatly. Memphis has been a pleasant surprise, and their quarterback, Paxton Lynch, has a good chance of being the first QB taken in the 2016 NFL Draft. Auburn is a little better than their record shows, and I think they will make it close. But almost only counts in horseshoes.

Memphis 35, Auburn 27

Player to Watch: Paxton Lynch 

Dak Prescott's last hurrah (Belk Bowl)

Mississippi State (8-4) at NC State (7-5)

MSU's Dak Prescott is one of the best quarterbacks in SEC history. An average NC State team is not going to spoil his last college game. 

MSU 38, NC State 21

Player to Watch: Dak Prescott 

Farewell, Cody Kessler (Holliday Bowl)

#25 USC (8-5) at Wisconsion (9-3)

This is an even matchup, but I think that USC has been through too much this season to end on anything but a high note. This will be Cody Kessler's last game behind center in a Trojan uniform, and he has had a great career in LA. However, my player to watch is not Kessler, but rather his #1 receiver. JuJu Smith-Schuster is just a sophomore, but he is already a star. JuJu has accumulated 1,389 yards recieving this year, and I expect him to tack on over 100 more. The Trojans will play an inspired football game, and they will not be denied. 

USC 33, Wisconsion 21

Player to Watch: JuJu Smith-Schuster 

Upset City (Peach Bowl)

#18 Houston (12-1) at #9 Florida State (10-2) 

This will be a fun one to watch. Both of these teams are good, as evidenced by their rankings. However, I see this as a coming out party for Houston. Greg Ward Jr. is one of the most versatile QB's in the land, and the country will take notice after he torches the Seminoles both in the air and on the ground. Houston in a close one, thanks to Ward. Book it.

Houston 38, Florida State 30

Player to Watch: Greg Ward Jr. 

Good Ol Rockey Top (Outback Bowl)

#13 Northwestern (10-2) at #23 Tennessee (8-4)

Northwestern may be 10-2, but since their opening day win over Stanford, they have done little to impress me. 

Tennessee has had an up and down year, but I think they get it done simply because Northwestern does not often play well against quality competition. I don't have a lot more to say about this one.

Tennessee 24, Northwestern 14

Player to Watch: Jalen Hurd

I'm really not too intrigued (Citrus Bowl)

#14 Michigan (9-3) at #19 Florida (10-3)

Yes, this is a matchup between two ranked, storied programs. But, is it really that interesting? Michigan is not ready to be a big-time player, as evidenced by the waxing given to them by Ohio State at home, and Florida just is not very good despite what their record says. I think Michigan is the better team with the better coach, and Jake Rudock can make big plays, so I'll take the Maze and Blue over the Orange and Blue.

Michigan 24, Florida 14

Player to Watch: Jake Rudock 

The "2006 flashback" bowl (Fiesta Bowl) 

#7 Ohio State (11-1) at #8 Notre Dame (10-2)

This is a matchup between two very good football teams, but I'm gonna take the Buckeyes. Ohio State appears to have gotten their crap together after a crushing loss to Michigan State wrecked their playoff hopes, and I think they finally have their focus that won them a national championship last season. Big Zeke Elliot, despite his recent legal troubles, should still have a big day against the Notre Dame defense. The sleeping giant is awake, and the Irish will pay the price. 

Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 21

Player to Watch: Zekeeeeeeeeee

"The Grandaddy of them All" (Rose Bowl)

#6 Stanford (11-2) at #5 Iowa (12-1)

The Mother of all New Year's Day bowl games has a matchup worthy of it's nickname. Stanford is a team built of speed, and Iowa is a team built on grit. I think the speed will get the best of the grit. Iowa has not yet faced an offense like Stanford's, nor have they faced a player like Christian McCaffrey. I expect the heisman runner-up to have himself a day against Iowa's defense, but it won't be anything like his performace in the Pac-12 Title game against USC. Nonetheless, CM will have 100+ yards of total offense, and the Cardinal defense will hold CJ Beathard well enough to get a win. 

Stanford 30, Iowa 24

Player to Watch: 

Points, points and more points (Sugar Bowl)

#16 Oklahoma State (10-2) at #12 Ole Miss (9-3)

Shootout city. Ok. State's Mason Rudolph and Ole Miss's Chad Kelly should provide for a very exciting matchup. If Ole Miss had Robert Nkemdiche at defensive end, I would expect them to get the W. But since the beast is suspended, I'm going with the Cowboys. Oklahoma State has a stud defensive end themselves in Emmanuel Ogbah, and he will be on the field. Expect Ogbah to get to Kelly at least twice, and maybe even force a big turnover. Rudolph will do the rest.

Oklahoma State 45, Ole Miss 34

Player to Watch: Emmanuel Ogbah

The "buzzkill bowl" (Liberty Bowl)

Arkansas (7-5) at Kansas State (6-6)

Wow. All of those great games, and now this. Buzzkill. Arkansas will win by something, but I probably won't be watching this one 

Now back to the good part (Alamo Bowl)

#15 Oregon (9-3) at # 11 TCU (10-2)

Coming into the season, both of these teams had higher aspirations than the Alamo Bowl. But they are here, so they might as well make the most of it. Both of these teams have electrifying playmakers on offense in Trevone Boykin (TCU) and Royce Freeman (Oregon). It will be close, but I give TCU the slight edge because the are the better team in my eyes, and they are playing in their own state. 

TCU 38, Oregon 28

Player to Watch: Trevone Boykin 

Another Buzz Kill (Cactus Bowl)

WVU (7-5) at Arizona State (6-6)

WVU will win. By how much? Don't know, and don't care. 

Stew: Steelers Loss Injures Playoff Chances

Steelers Loss Injures Playoff Chances
By: Bradley Stewart

    A horrible loss to the divisional rival Baltimore Ravens has hurt Pittsburgh more than any injury they have faced this season.  Pittsburgh has had its fair share of injuries this year: Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey, James Harrison, Ryan Shazier, and Le'veon Bell, among others.  But the Ravens have received the injury bug more often this season, a great feat in what has been a smelly feet kind of year.  Pittsburgh came into the game playing like the 2007 New England Patriots, putting up points and doing it in a hurry.  The Steelers' defense did their job, but the NFL's best offense imploded.  If you want one play to define the game, look at Baltimore's Jimmy Smith's 101-yard pick six.  That play ended up being negated because of a neutral zone infraction, but nonetheless, it was a defining play that described the game.

      Coming into the game, Pittsburgh controlled its destiny, with two games against stiff, but bad teams in the NFL.  With the loss, Pittsburgh will need some help to get into the postseason.  Most people believe that the only way the Steel Curtain will find a team in the NFL Playoffs is if the Jets fall against the Bills.  That is not true, but it is the best way they can get in.
      As of now, the Steelers have two ways to get into the post-season, both scenarios require Pittsburgh to win against the detestable Cleveland Browns.  Teams with losing records are 11-7 vs. Pittsburgh while Mike Tomlin has been the head coach, which must change for future seasons.  These are the two scenarios, keep in mind that in both Pittsburgh must win against the Browns:

SCENARIO 1:
New York Jets LOSE vs. the Bills.

SCENARIO 2:
Denver Broncos LOSE vs. the Bengals (MNF for Week 16,  CIN up 14-3 at half)
Denver Broncos LOSE vs. the Chargers.

In the second scenario, Pittsburgh will receive the 5th seed if the Jets lose and the 6th seed if the Jets win.

           Looking at these scenarios, I see Scenario 1 as the best option for Pittsburgh.  Buffalo defeated the Jets earlier in the season, and although the Bills do not have anything to play for, they still have the motive to knock their cross-state rival out of the playoffs.  We saw this just last week against Baltimore.  Even though the Steelers are clearly the better team, the Ravens motivation won them the game.
           Scenario 2 is not as publicized, probably because it is unlikely that it will happen.  Asking a team as talented as the Denver Broncos, is a tricky task.  If Brock Osweiler's injury affects him for Week 17, then there could be some hope for San Diego, but the Chargers poor play this year is not a positive sign for the Steelers.

The following is how the bracket would look based on FiveThirtyEight's model:

         Regardless of if we play in January, the season still must be considered a success for the performance of the team through all the key injuries.  Nonetheless, we will still be left with what could have been.

          I will leave you with this,  in 2013 Pittsburgh needed multiple things to happen to get in and they came up inches short and maybe even a whistle away from going to the playoffs (I won't get into that, just search "Chiefs-Chargers 2013 officiating").  Anything is possible in the NFL, and the Steelers know that better than anybody.

Happy New Year's and Go Steelers, Bills, Bengals, and Chargers!

         

Ravens 20, Steelers 17: ipewh2ehpiededkedpi1pfhpfiehebuofeuoeofrohrfhurforhgh3gh3fhf00 whaaaaattttttt

By: Joe Smeltzer

Photo creds to www.sbnation.com

What planet you on tonight?- Julius Campbell to Gerry Bertier in the 2000 film, Remember the Titan

I'm sure plenty of Steelers fans were asking a question along those lines to their quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I am a big fan of Big Ben. #7 is, in my mind, the greatest quarterback in the 82-year history of the Pittsburgh Steelers as well as one of the very best in the game today. All of that being said, nobody deserves more blame for the embarrassment that took place at M&T Bank Stadium this afternoon.

Roethlisberger has been so good for so long, but his performance today was awful. In a game that the Steelers could not afford to lose, the #7 that we have grown used to over the past 12 seasons was nowhere to be found for a majority of the contest. Roethlisberger needed to be clutch, and he has the so called ''clutch gene'', but for whatever reason, he just wasn't. Baltimore's defense is pedestrian at best, so why is it that they were able to limit the Steelers offense when the best defense in the NFL was not able to do that task just one week ago? I don't buy that the Steelers were overlooking this game, as they had too much to play for to do that. Maybe it was that the Ravens were playing like a team with nothing to lose against their rival. Maybe it was the mystique of the fact that Baltimore had knocked the Steelers out of the playoffs in some way in 2013 and 2014. Whatever it was, the Steelers got beat by a band of scrubs with a bunch of players on IR. It should not have happened, but it did, and it will likely cost the Steelers a chance at a playoff berth.

The Steelers defense is not blameless by any means. They were going up against Ryan Mallett, a man who has been riding NFL benches/oversleeping for practice/getting cut during his five-year NFL career. Pittsburgh's secondary continued to do their thing, and their thing has become making unproven NFL quarterbacks look like stars. I attribute part of this the defensive coordinator. I like Keith Butler, and think he has done a fine job this season (remember, things were worse in 2014), but I do not understand his refusal to play press coverage. It's one thing to play zone against Denver's core of receivers, but Baltimore's? I don't think it's a stretch to say that even this secondary could have shut down Kamar Aiken and Jeremy Butler while playing one on one press, but that's just me. For anybody who happened to miss the first half of last week's game but saw all of this week's nightmare, here is all you have to do. Change Osweiler to Mallett, change the white Bronco jerseys to the alternate Raven jerseys, and change a dark Heinz Field to a light M&T Bank Stadium, and it's virtually the same game.

Although the Steelers defense did not play particularly well, they allowed 20 points. While allowing 20 points won't bring back memories of Joe Greene, it should have been enough for the NFL's best offense to handle. But it wasn't, and although football is a team game and no one man is solely responsible for a triumph or defeat, Ben Roethlisberger deserves the lion's share of the blame for the offensive shortcomings. Ben's first mistake came towards the end of the first quarter when his pass to Marcus Wheaton on 3rd and 6 was poor, and the Steelers were forced to settle for a Chris Boswell Field Goal. His second big mistake came with about 5 minutes left in the half when a pass down the middle intended for Antonio Brown fell right into the loving arms of Ravens inside linebacker Daryl Smith. This led to a Justin Tucker field goal, which expanded Baltimore's lead to 13-3.

His last big error came early in the 4th quarter when a behind the shoulder pass to AB was intercepted by Jimmy Smith (who dropped a pick early in the game). The Ravens capitalized on the mistake with a Javarious Allen touchdown run, making it 20-10 and proving to be the winning score. Ben would lead a scoring drive later in the quarter that ended with a DeAngelo Williams touchdown run, but it would turn out to be too little too late.

So..... what the bloody hell happened? Where was the excitement? Where were the long bombs? Why was the Baltimore secondary able to keep the most talented receiving core in football at bay? All of these questions were asked by somebody at some point Sunday afternoon, and, a few weeks from now when wildcard weekend gets underway, the burning question will be: where are the Steelers?

No team in the AFC wanted to play Pittsburgh come playoff time, and with the Chiefs and Jets both winning, it looks as if the evil genie will grant those wishes. Now, the Steelers will have to rely on Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills to upset the Jets for there to be any hope of the Black and Gold playing deep into January. It is amazing to think how in one week, a team can go from being ''the most dangerous in the AFC' to being on the outside looking in. But that is exactly what the Steelers are facing, and they have nobody to blame but themselves. If I am a Ravens fan, I am very proud of the way my team played. Not only would I be damn proud of how my team played, I would also feel entitled to bragging rights. Yes, the Ravens will end up with a far inferior record to their AFC North rivals, but they swept the season series and could have very well spoiled their playoff dreams.

Therefore, Steelers fans do not have room to poke fun at their rivals from Maryland for how 2015 went. Baltimore has had Pittsburgh's number for the past five seasons now, and Mike Tomlin needs to figure out how to change this. I'm sure plenty of Steelers fans are looking back at this game and throwing around blame to Mike Tomlin, Todd Haley and the Steelers secondary, because at this point, people's brains have been conditioned to do that. None of those three are the primary cause of the tragedy that took place on the gridiron Sunday afternoon. Yes, Haley got away from the usual game plan and used the run a lot more than normal in the first half, but DeAngelo Williams was pounding the ball down Baltimore's throats, so I am OK with that strategy. Yes, Mike Tomlin went for it on 4th and 1 on the very first possession of the game, but I'm alright with that too. It is very easy to gain a yard.

I've heard some calling for Tomlin to be fired at the end of the season. Well, it's not gonna happen. Yes, 2 (possibly 3), of the past four seasons have been disappointing, and Tomlin's 7-11 record over his last 18 games against bloody sub-500 competition is horrendous, but these are the Steelers. We do not fire coaches. I'm sure some people think Todd Haley should be fired.... not going to comment on how stupid that thought is.

If the Steelers do miss out on the playoffs, there will be plenty of blame to go around. Josh Scobee will be at fault for the first Baltimore loss (which I happened to be in attendance at, for whatever that is worth). Today was only the 3rd game that the Steelers have lost with Roethlisberger in the lineup, and he is a minusciue part of the collapse. But his performance today should not be defended. He was bad, and he deserves to be blamed in spite of how great he has been on most other Sunday's. This season has brought us so many fun memories, from Mike Vick's game winning drive in San Diego to Antiono Brown's goffy celebrations and the comeback against Denver. The the thought of all of  it going to waste is very depressing.

The Steelers have persevered through injuries to key players, but they will have no alibi for their failure. If and when they find out that New York has defeated Buffalo next Sunday, they will have the rest of winter to think about what they could have done differently to bring a 7th Lombardi trophy to the Steel City.

Liverpool 1, Leicester City 0: Bentekeeeeeeeeeee

That's a bad man. Photo creds to www.theguardian.com 

What a difference a week can make. Last Sunday, Liverpool F.C. looked like they had no guts. They were outclassed, outplayed, and outfought in a nightmare at Watford that ended in a 3-0 defeat.

Fast forward to this past Saturday, and it was a different club. Jurgen Klopp said before the game that he felt his boys would respond to last week's atrocity, and he was right. Leicester City came into Anfield with their heads held high. LC came into Boxing Day first in the league and with two of the hottest scorers in England. So, I think it's safe to say Leicester was flying high when they strolled up Anfield Road.

From the outset, it became apparent that Liverpool would not be pushed around. Klopp set the tone right away by countering Leicester's 4-4-2 formation with one of his own, which is something that Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri is not used to seeing this season.

From the outset, Liverpool's defense was a far cry from last Sunday. They frustrated Leicester and completely dominated the time of possession in the first half, making life a breeze for Simon Mignolet. On offense, Liverpool moved the ball well, but could not seem to get a good shot off. So after the first 45 minutes, the scoreboard remained unchanged from when the ball kicked off.

Towards the end of the first half, Liverpool's starting striker, Divock Origi, left the game with a hamstring injury. Origi was having a hell of a game and the match-up between him and Leicester centre-back Wes Morgan was very fun to watch. His replacement was Christian Benteke, who has not shown much since signing a 32.5 million dollar contract over the summer.

Saturday wasn't a spectacular shaping from Benteke, but he did something rather important when he knocked home the game's lone goal in the 63rd minute. The goal was beautifully set up, and the Reds deserved it. The were pecking away all game and finally knocked down the wall. LC did threaten a few times in the last 20 minutes of play, but Mignolet held his ground with a little help from Emre Can. Maybe the outcome would have been different if Ranieri didn't make the curious choice of benching his two stars, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, late in the game in what was seemingly an attempt to rest them before Leicester's match with Manchester City on Monday.

Nobody deserves more credit for this victory than Klopp, who's strategy worked to perfection. Liverpool became the first team all season to shut Leicester out, and that could be a confidence builder for a defense that has been struggling all season and has been disastrous at times. Above all else, Saturday's win showed that under Klopp's guidance, Liverpool has a chance to be a pretty good team the rest of the way. Don't look now, but the Reds are just 5 points back of Tottenham for a top 4 spot.  While I think Liverpool is too inconsistent to qualify for the Champions League this season, anything is possible, and the future at Anfield looks bright under Klopp's guidance.

If Liverpool can somehow get healthy and stay healthy (Daniel Sturridge), it could be an enjoyable ride. All we can do as fans is sit back and enjoy it.

#YNWA

NFL Week 16 Preview/Predictions

Graphic is brought to you by Bradley W. Stewart

Hello, all. After a brief sabbatical last week, the boys are back with NFL predictions for Week 16. I, Joseph Arthur Smeltzer, am two games ahead of Ryan Carlton Stewart for first place. Let's hope I can distance myself this week. I have already previewed the Steelers-Ravens game http://joesmeltzer775.blogspot.com/2015/12/steelers-ravens-3-keys-to-victory.html,

The Eagles are awful
Last night, the Washington Redskins had their way with the Philadelphia Eagles. It is embarrassing to see what the Eagles have become. They have been publicly undressed in their last two games, and both were at home! I feel bad for anybody who has to watch that operation on a weekly basis. Chip Kelly needs to at least be fired as General Manager, and firing him as head coach might not be a bad idea either. The Eagles have no wings at all, and it is painful to even think about.

1:00

Smeltzer's upset special 
Panthers (14-0) at Falcons (7-7)

Photo creds to www.technobuffalo.com

Joe: Yes, I am the only one who picked Atlanta to win this game. Here is why. Carolina is legit, but to me, they just don't ''feel'' like a team that will go 16-0. The Panthers have been shaky the past two weeks, and although this Falcons team has pissed away what looked to be a promising season, I have a gut feeling that for this one game, they will reach their full potential. Then again, I did pick Dallas to end the streak on Thanksgiving Day, so I would not be surprised if I turn out to be way off base here.

Falcons 34, Panthers 23

Player to Watch: Matt Ryan

Brad: The Falcons won't stop the undefeated Panthers.

David: Panthers. Just a gut feeling.

The ''Who the Hell Cares?'' game of the week

Cowboys (4-10) at Bills (6-8)
Joe: This narrowly beat out Lions-49ers because we all should be sick of hearing about the Dallas Cowboys. They stink, and they do not deserve to be getting so much media attention because they won when Troy Aikman was the quarterback. Bills will win by something. I don't care, and neither should you.

I don't really care about this game either
49ers (4-10) at Lions (5-9)
Joe: The Lions stink a little less.

Mismatch
Browns (3-11) at Chiefs (9-5)

Photo creds to sportsmockery.com

Joe: Just look at the records. Not to mention that Armonty Bryant, one of Cleveland's few talented defensive players, was arrested on Christmas.

Chiefs 30, Browns 10

Player to Watch: Everybody on the Browns. Let's see what the circus has in store this week.

Brad: Johnny Manziel will keep it close in the first half, but the Chiefs explosive defense will open the game up.

David: Chiefs by two touchdowns.

The Colts by default
Colts (6-8) at Dolphins (5-9)

Joe: Both teams stink. The Colts are still sorta alive in the playoff race, so I think they get this win. Miami has nothing to play for.

Colts 20, Dolphins 13

Photo creds to www.raindance.org

Player to Watch: Nobody 

Brad: I should probably pick ''not the Colts'' because had the Dolphins been playing anybody else I would give them the L.

New England may be in trouble
Patriots (12-2) at Jets (9-5)

Joe: Make no mistake, the Jets are a good football team. New York is fighting for a wildcard spot and playing at home, and  Muhammed Wilkerson and the stout Jets defense could make life interesting for Tom Brady. Key words there are Tom Brady. Yes, New England doesn't have a lot left to play for in the regular season, but when have the Pats ever let up late in the season? I see New England pulling out a win, but it will be close.

Patriots 24, Jets 20

Player to Watch:

Brad: I'm feeling an upset.

David: Pats will win a tough, close game.


Cutler vs. Winston 
Bears (5-9) at Buccaneers (6-8) 

Photo creds to www.fansided.com

Joe: The Bears have been in bad form as of late while Tampa Bay is young and hungry.

Bucs 31, Bears 17

Player to Watch: Jameis Winston/Mike Evans 

Brad: All year I have been picking the Bucs and they have not gotten it done. I did, however, see the revival of Doug Martin from watching him in the preseason and seeing how he lost weight. Martin was slow out of the gate, but I still trusted him with my fantasy team and by week 10 he was a top 5 RB.

David: As stated before I have a feeling Chicago won't win again this year.

This game is meaningful to 50% of the teams involved 
Texans (7-7) at Titans (3-11)

Joe: Houston is likely to win the AFC South (for whatever that's worth) while Tennessee is hoping for the highest draft pick possible. Houston will win this one fairly easily. Yes, I am aware that Brandon Weeden is starting at quarterback.

Texans 30, Titans 14

Player to Watch: JJ Watt 

Brad: The Titans don't win.

David: With the division in their grasp, Houston will edge the Titans in a thriller.

Bortles vs. Brees 
Jaguars (5-9) at Saints (5-9) 

Back when Penn State knew how to call an offense (photo creds to bleacherreport.com

Joe: Yes, this game will be played in the Superdome, but Drew Brees is not 100%, and Blake Bortles is a hot shot. I'm going with the kid.

Jags 35, Saints 25 

Player to Watch: Blake Bortles/ Allen Robinson

Brad: Both teams are bad, but the Saints are badder.

David: Yawn.

4:25
Green Bay is very good, but....
Packers (10-4) at Cardinals (12-2)

Photo creds to www.foxsports.com

Joe: Green Bay is very good, but Arizona is better. They are my pick to win the NFC and go to the Superbowl, and they are playing at home.

Arizona 30, Green Bay 17

Player to Watch: Carson Palmer

Brad: If the Cards win the next two, and the Panthers lose the next two, the red birds will get the #1 seed in the NFC. They'll pull this one out as the Packers offense has been struggling.

David: Close one, but the Cards have a good enough defense to hold Rodgers off.

The Rams stink
Rams (6-8) at Seahawks (9-5)
Joe: You disappoint me Rams. I had high hopes for you.

Seahawks 35, Rams 13

Player to Watch: Russell Wilson

Brad: Riding Wilson's hot hand, the Seahawks will rout the Rams.

David: Seahawks win easily.

Bring Back Faith Hill
Giants (6-8) at Vikings (9-5)
Joe: The Giants stink, the Vikings do not, and Odell Beckham Jr. is suspended.

Vikings 34, Giants 20

Photo creds to www.manningface.com

Player to Watch: Adrian Peterson (he is due to break out)

Brad: A playoff team will destroy New York's ''giant'' soul.

David: NY's defense sucks, and they don't have Beckham.


Bring Back Hank Williams Jr. 

Bengals (11-3) at Broncos (10-4) 

Photo creds to www.coloradon.com

Joe: Can AJ McCarron beat the Broncos on the road? No, he can't. Denver's defense will swallow him up.

Broncos 31, Bengals 17

Player to Watch: Shane Ray

Brad: If Andy Dalton were playing, I'd give the Bengals the edge. But since he isn't, the Broncos will bounce back.

David: Bengals in an upset special.