SB Nation Pittsburgh - Steelers Vs. Colts: Steelers Hold Off Colts, 23-20https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48827/pitt-fv.png2011-09-29T11:51:20-04:00http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/rss/stream/22052902011-09-29T11:51:20-04:002011-09-29T11:51:20-04:00Mike Wallace Jokes To Cameraman: 'Next Time I'll Have To Flex My Guns'
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<p>A few days ago, we <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-steelers/2011/9/26/2450502/video-mike-wallace-steelers-vs-colts-cameraman">shared a video</a> of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> receiver <span>Mike Wallace</span> flipping out after he scored a touchdown against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a> and a cameraman kicked the ball away from him. Today, Wallace <a href="http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/home/112147-steelers-wallace-he-kicked-my-ball-man-09-28-11?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed">shares his side of the story</a> at Emptynetters.</p>
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<p>"Yeah, man he kicked my ball man! I had to ask him what his problem was. He said he didn’t know so I gave him a pass. Told him it better not happen again ...</p>
<p>"Hopefully it’s the last time. Because next time I’ll have to flex my guns. Can’t be disrespecting me, kicking my ball. Nah, it was cool. The ball was just in his way. It was nothing at all."</p>
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<p>Awesome. Wallace goes on to say that he often saves his touchdown balls to give to his nephews. I wouldn't worry about that - health permitting, he'll have plenty of touchdowns this year.</p>
<p>The video, in case you've forgotten about it, is after the jump.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zbs0h81D-zo" height="315" width="420"></iframe></p>
<p>For more on the Steelers, be sure to check out <a href="http://behindthesteelcurtain.com">Behind The Steel Curtain</a>.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-steelers/2011/9/29/2458002/mike-wallace-cameraman-kick-steelers-vs-coltsCharlie Wilmoth2011-09-27T11:57:27-04:002011-09-27T11:57:27-04:00Steelers' Mike Wallace On Pace To Meet 2,000-Yard Goal
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<p>It's always good to set lofty goals for yourself, and Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace certainly did that before the season. He wanted to finish the season with 2,000 receiving yards, something that is not done very often in the NFL. At the time, it was taken as a little bit of a joke at the time, but Wallace has set a pace through three games that have subdued all that laughter.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_758856.html">According to Dejan Kovecevic of the Trib</a>, Wallace is on pace for a 2,011 receiving yards this year, but he knows that he has quite a long way to go to make it happen. He also has a lot of confidence in himself to make it happen.</p>
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<p>"If I don't have confidence in myself to be that, who will?" Wallace said. "I always have to feel like I'm one of the best, if not the best. Now, I know when I say that, everybody's going to go crazy. But that's just the way I feel. That's the way I have to feel. I have to set those kinds of goals for myself."</p>
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<p>Wallace has been able to stretch the field consistently this year, and he has the type of speed that is difficult to gameplan for. I don't see any reason why he won't be able to keep this going.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-steelers/2011/9/27/2452703/steelers-mike-wallace-2000-yardsJordan Ruby2011-09-27T09:52:47-04:002011-09-27T09:52:47-04:00Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers Running Game Struggling
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<p>The hallmark of the Pittsburgh Steelers is a blue-collar approach to the game on both sides of the ball. They play hard on defense and the pound the ball on offense. While the former has been quasi-effective this season, the latter has been a little bit of an issue. Rashard Mendenhall has not been the battering ram at running back that was expected of him and his lack of performance is starting to become an issue.</p>
<p>Mendenhall's yards per carry have gone down in each game played this year; starting at 3.8 in the loss to Baltimore, then just 3.5 against lowly Seattle, and culminating with an abysmal 2.1 yard average against the lowly Colts defense. Mendenhall has just 148 yards on 49 carries this year and just one touchdown. It seems like the offensive line issues that have led to more pressure on Ben Roethlisberger this year are also harming the run game. Some of that may be injuries to the offensive line, writes Ed Bouchette of the<a href="http://post-gazette.com/pg/11270/1177831-66-0.stm"> Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</a>, but the offensive like knows they have to play better in the run game.</p>
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<p>"It's going to get scary in the film meeting with Coach Kugs," said (Trai) Essex, who entered the game Sunday night at right tackle for injured Marcus Gilbert in the third quarter. "Even though we won, we didn't play up to our caliber. We have to get Rashard those holes. Rashard and Isaac, they run hard, we just have to give them more opportunities. We're one block off pretty much every time. We just have to get more chemistry up front."</p>
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<p>If the Steelers want to start playing better football, it starts with being able to run the ball more effectively.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-steelers/2011/9/27/2452471/steelers-rashard-mendenhall-vs-coltsJordan Ruby2011-09-27T08:00:50-04:002011-09-27T08:00:50-04:002011 NFL Standings: Top Of AFC North Standings Crowded After Week 3
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<p>After Week 3 action across the NFL, the standings atop the AFC North are crowded. All four teams face tough tests in Week 4.</p> <p>Week 3 of the National Football League is just about in the books. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Washington Redskins</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a> will cap this week's action on Monday Night Football. For the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>, their Week 3 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a> was far from pretty. But as Mike Tomlin famously said during the team's run to the Super Bowl in 2008, there are no style points in the NFL. Just wins and losses. And after the 23-20 road win over the Colts, the Steelers sit at 2-1 through three weeks.</p>
<p>Let's take a quick look at the rest of the AFC North standings after Sunday's developments.</p>
<h5>AFC NORTH STANDINGS:</h5>
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<li>Baltimore 2-1 (1-1 AFC) (0-1 Division)</li>
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<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Cleveland Browns</a> 2-1 (2-1 AFC) (0-1 Division)</li>
<li>Pittsburgh Steelers 2-1 (1-1 AFC) (0-1 Division)</li>
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<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> 1-2 (1-1 AFC) (1-0 Division)</li>
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<h5>WEEK 3 RESULTS</h5>
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<b>Pittsburgh 23, Indianapolis 20</b>. <a href="http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2011/9/26/2449697/steelers-colts-roethlisberger-offensive-line-injuries-mike-wallace" target="_blank">Behind the Steel Curtain shared a more optimistic view</a> of the Steelers' Week 3 win over the Colts. There are concerns though about the play of the team. The offensive line failed to open up any running room for <span>Rashard Mendenhall</span>; <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> turned the ball over three more times, two on fumbles where his offensive tackles left him out to dry; and the defense, while dominant for much of the game, still looked less than its usual stout self against the run. Pittsburgh will face a tough test in Houston next Sunday against the high-octane <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a> offense. <br>
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<b>Baltimore 37, St. Louis 7</b>. After getting punched in the mouth during a Week 2 loss to the Tenneessee Titans, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Ravens</a> got back on track in Week 3 with a decisive beatdown of the banged up <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">Rams</a>. Joe Flacco was outstanding, completing 27-of-48 passes for 389 yards and three TDs. Rookie Torrey Smith was on the receiving end of all three scores, and amazingly, all occurred in the first quarter. It marked the first time in NFL history that a rookie WR has scored three times in the same quarter. Baltimore will face a much stiffer test next Sunday night when they host the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">New York Jets</a>. <br>
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<b>Cleveland 17, Miami 16</b>. Style points certainly don't mean a thing for the Cleveland Browns. The once-proud franchise will take wins any way they can get them. So I don't imagine that too many fans along Lake Erie are disappointed that <span>Colt McCoy</span> and the Browns' offense struggled mightily for much of the afternoon against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Dolphins</a>. Only that the promising young quarterback engineered a 13-play 80-yard go-ahead touchdown drive when it mattered most. The Browns need to do better offensively, but I imagine they'll see gradual improvements as the year progresses. It is, after all, year one of Pat Shurmur's West Coast offense in Cleveland. The Browns could also do a better job stopping the run. They're currently 28th in the league allowing an average of just under 129 yards per game on the ground. They'll have a great opportunity to improve in that department next Sunday when they host the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Tennessee Titans</a>, who have yet to get All Pro running back Chris Johnson on track. </li>
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<b>Cincinnati 8, San Francisco 13</b>. Not a good day for Marvin Lewis and the Bengals. Cincinnati failed to find the endzone once against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">49ers</a> on Sunday, and for the second consecutive week let a game they had a great shot at winning slip through their reach. The Bengals defense again played well, allowing just 226 yards of total offense. But a 10-play, 72-yard scoring drive late in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference as the Bengals dropped to 1-2. They'll have another opportunity to win at home next Sunday when they host the undefeated <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a>. <br>
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<p>We'll get you ready for Week 4 action in the NFL throughout the week. Be sure to visit all <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/blogs" target="_blank">32 SB Nation NFL blogs</a> for complete, round-the-clock coverage and commentary.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings" target="_blank">Complete NFL standings through Week 3</a></p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-steelers/2011/9/27/2451281/nfl-standings-2011Michael Bean2011-09-26T17:12:27-04:002011-09-26T17:12:27-04:00Max Starks Reportedly Works Out For Minnesota Vikings
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<p>Pittsburgh Steelers fans who hope to see the team bring in a veteran offensive tackle to help shore up the battered and bruised offensive line may not get their wish in the form of Max Starks. The Steelers’ 23-20 defeated the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, but saw both of their starting offensive tackles go down with injuries. At right tackle, Marcus Gilbert left with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. He would return to action though in the fourth quarter when left tackle Jonathan Scott was carted off the field with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury. Veteran Trai Essex moved over to right tackle in Gilbert’s place.</p>
<p>No word yet on the severity of either injury, but as was mentioned, there’s some who are clamoring for an outside body to be brought in, even if Scott’s injury isn’t serious. That’s because Scott had a tough time containing All Pro pass rusher Dwight Freeney, who had two sacks on the night, including a strip-sack of Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter that allowed Indianapolis to fight their way back into the game after falling down 10-0 early in the first quarter.</p>
<p>Two names that have been discussed as possibilities are Max Starks and Flozell Adams, both of whom were with the team last year. Of course, this conversation was had when Willie Colon was lost for the year with a triceps injury. Is the current situation so dire that Kevin Colbert will more aggressively pursue one of those two, or perhaps someone else still not on a roster? Perhaps, we’ll see. But if it’s Starks that the team wants, they may be too late, as it’s being reported that <a href="http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2011/9/26/2450956/steelers-tackle-max-starks-minnesota-vikings" target="new">Starks worked out for the Minnesota Vikings</a> on Monday.</p>
<p>The Vikings’ starting tackles had issues of their own during Minnesota’s Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions. LT Charlie Johnson and RT Phil Loadholt played poorly, and their inability to open up running lanes and give Donovan McNabb time in the pocket played a part in Minnesota blowing a double-digit lead for the third consecutive game to begin the new year. We’ll see if Starks ends up signing in Minnesota, or if a phone call from the Steelers’ front office might convince him to bide his time and head back to the Steel City. Starks is the only player in <span class="caps">NFL</span> history to start at both right and left tackle for separate Super Bowl championship teams. He was released earlier this summer.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-steelers/2011/9/26/2451152/pittsburgh-steelers-news-offensiveline-max-starks-works-out-vikingsMichael Bean2011-09-26T10:37:55-04:002011-09-26T10:37:55-04:00Steelers Vs. Colts: Reaction From Players, Fans Following 23-20 Pittsburgh Victory
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<p>The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't make it very easy on themselves, but in the end, they were able to come back against the Indianapolis Colts to earn a 23-20 victory. The Steelers lost the turnover battle 3-1 but still managed to win the game because they basically dominated in all other areas. But Hines Ward knows that's not something that the Steelers can afford to do game in and game out, according to <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11269/1177705-66.stm">Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</a>.</p>
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<p>"We had three turnovers," Hines Ward pointed out. "You can't do that, especially on the road ... [but] I like the resiliency of the guys coming back at the end."</p>
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<div style="overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;">Two of those turnovers were generated by the pass rush of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, both of whom were in Ben Roethlisberger's face all night long. Mike Tomlin didn't sound particularly happy about how the Steelers played, but he doesn't seem surprised about how close the game was.</div>
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<div style="overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;">"It wasn't easy by any stretch," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "We didn't anticipate it being [so]. They fought us tooth and nail."</div>
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<div style="overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;">For more reaction we go to the Steelers blog <a href="http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2011/9/26/2449697/steelers-colts-roethlisberger-offensive-line-injuries-mike-wallace#storyjump">Behind the Steel Curtain</a>. They seem to echo many of the comments made by the player and coach, perhaps with a hint more optimism. <br>
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<div>When you lose the turnover battle 3-1, it's hard to blowout teams. But the Steelers dominated Indianapolis despite the very impressive performances by Freeney and to a lesser extent Mathis. Lots still to clean up from an execution and ball-security standpoint, but plenty to like from this game. 2-1. Go Steelers!</div>
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https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-steelers/2011/9/26/2450250/steelers-vs-colts-reaction-hines-wardJordan Ruby2011-09-26T09:21:47-04:002011-09-26T09:21:47-04:00NFL Standings Update: Ravens, Steelers, Browns Have Best Records In AFC North
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<p>Here’s a look at the <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/standings"><span class="caps">NFL</span> standings</a> heading into Week 4. In the <span class="caps">AFC</span> North, the Steelers, Ravens and Browns all won this week and are currently 2-1. The Bengals lost to the 49ers and are currently 2-1.</p>
<p>Ravens 2-1<br>
Steelers 2-1<br>
Browns 2-1<br>
Bengals 1-2</p>
<p>The Steelers play the Texans this week in Houston. The Ravens play the Jets on Sunday night. The Browns host the Titans. And the Bengals host the undefeated Bills.</p>
<p>Speaking of which, the remaining undefeated teams are the Redskins (who are 2-0 and play Monday night), Lions, Packers, and the aforementioned Bills (who surprisingly knocked off the Patriots this week).</p>
<p>The following teams haven’t won yet: the Vikings, Rams, Dolphins, Colts and Chiefs.</p>
<p>The Texans are tied with the Titans atop the <span class="caps">AFC</span> South, and began their season with convincing wins over Indianapolis and Miami before falling in a shootout with New Orleans.</p>
<p>SB Nation has <a href="http://sbnation.com/blogs">a blog for every team</a>.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-steelers/2011/9/26/2450123/nfl-standings-update-2011-ravens-steelers-brownsCharlie Wilmoth2011-09-25T23:35:41-04:002011-09-25T23:35:41-04:00Steelers Vs. Colts: Final Score 23-20, Last Second Field Goal Lifts Pittsburgh To Victory
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<p>The fourth quarter opened with Shaun Suisham hitting a game tying 44 yard field goal, which had the Steelers breathing new life.</p>
<p>Colts starting quarterback Kerry Collins left the game after a big James Farrior hit with a concussion. Curtis Painter replaced him. Painter showed why the Colts signed Collins when he badly overthrew a wide open Pierre Garcon on a play that almost certainly would have resulted in a touchdown.</p>
<p>On the ensuing Steelers possession, which saw them drive deep into Indianapolis territory before miscues again sank the Steelers as a penalty and a costly sack pushed them from field goal range.</p>
<p>The Steeler defense turned in the play of the game with five minutes remaining, when James Harrison sacked Painter from behind causing a fumble which was easily scooped up by Troy Polamalu and returned 16 yards for the score. It was a textbook Steelers defensive effort as Polamalu leaped over his blocker to recover the fumble.</p>
<p>It wouldn’t be enough however, as gassed defense then let the Colts drive 80 yards, much of it on the ground, to even the game at 20-20 on a 6 yard Joseph Addai touchdown. Polamalu was in the backfield and almost broke up the third down play before it started, but couldn’t finish the deal.</p>
<p>Big Ben got the ball back with 2:00 left in the game, a situation he’s been quite successful at in his career and he was again tonight. In 9 plays, he drove the offense down to the 20 yard behind the legs of Mewelde Moore to set up a 38 yard game winning field goal from Shaun Suisham with :05 seconds remaining.</p>
<p>It wasn’t the prettiest Steelers victory, but it sure was exciting.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-steelers/2011/9/25/2449633/steelers-vs-colts-final-score-23-20-last-second-field-goal-liftsAaron Hawley