Throw back the Throwbacks please!

The Steelers unveiled their new throwback jerseys for the 2012 season, and judging by the comments on Twitter and fan message boards, the fans aren't happy with them.

This is the NFL where most teams change their jerseys every few years so that fans spend more money buying the latest versions of the jersey in their neverending quest to be "the ultimate fan."  

While the Steelers haven't drastically changed their main uniform much over the last two decades outside of the number font, they do alter the throwback jerseys every couple of years.  I kind of liked the version they've used the last few years, but these ones.  I dunno. 

The jerseys are replicas of the uniforms worn in the 1934 season. The shirt features black and yellow alternating stripes with big rectangle blocked numbers with a white background. I guess those fans who have been wanting the Steelers to go back to block numbers got half their wish at least.  The pants are khaki/tan and the socks mimic the shirt with alternating black and yellow stripes.

My first opinion on these jerseys are that they are ugly.  I walked away to reset my eyes and came back.  Yup...still ugly.  So ugly you need the double paper bag method.  For those unfamiliar with that double paper bag method, that means one for what you are trying to hide and one for your head in case the other bag falls off. 

I understand the nostalgia trends in the league and lord knows we'll see some people buying these and wearing them proudly, but you could achieve that sentiment without wearing something as hideous as these.

I Want You...
to try not to laugh at these new Steeler jerseys

I think out of the 300 comments I've seen regarding these I've seen maybe ONE positive reaction and even it seemed tongue in cheek.

Odds are good they'll wear these for one of the Ravens games this year.  Maybe they should wear them against Cincinnati.  Call it the "Stripes Bowl" or something.  You could even get Bill Murray or Harold Ramis to be the ceremonial coin flip guy.  

The only problem with Cincy would be all the felons and thugs on their team getting confused by the prison stripes.  Maybe the refs should wear solid shirts for that one.  Otherwise we'd have a whole lot of stripes going.
I think I speak for 99% of Steeler Nation when I say throw back the throwbacks please!

Power overcome 31-point deficit to beat Orlando Predators

What is it with the blown leads at Consol Energy Center this week?  Pittsburgh fans watched their hockey team blow leads in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to cross-state rival Philadelphia.  The arena team chose to flip the script this time around. 

When all was said and done, the Power (2-3) completed the largest comeback (31 points) in the 25 years of the Arena Football league, winning 57-54 in overtime against the Orlando Predators (0-5). 

The Power offense once again struggled early.  Two of their first three drives ended with failed fourth down conversions.  Down 20-7, and driving, Mike Lucian let his man come free and Andrico Hines was knocked silly and out of the game.  The injury may have been a blessing in disguise for Pittsburgh given how inaccurate Hines was slinging the ball around. 

Derek Cassidy entered the game in relief of Hines and his first drive ended with a pick-six by Eddie Moten to put Orlando up 34-10.

The Power secondary changed tactics at halftime according to defensive back Larico Stevenson.  They shifted to man defense and the results were very evident.  Stevenson's interception on the Predators second drive got the ball rolling.  Pittsburgh got lucky on a Eddie Moten interception that was then fumbled in the end zone and recovered by P.J. "Superman" Berry for a Power TD . 

The next Predators drive ended when T.T. Tolliver dropped a 4th down conversion.  Chris LeFlore then had back to back interceptions as Orlando was fading fast.    The Preds had one last chance to win it in regulation but kicker Mark Lewis missed a field goal wide left and the game went to overtime.

Pittsburgh's defense once again held Orlando in check, forcing the Predators to settle for a Lewis field goal.  Pittsburgh then won it when Cassidy found Christian Wise in the end zone for the game winning touchdown. to send the 4464 fans at Consol into a frenzy.

After the game Coach Siegfried spoke about how the bench remained positive despite the circumstances.  He said the players impressed him with how focused they were on coming back.  He said this the biggest successful comeback he had ever been part of at any level of football.  Siegfried also gave a lot of credit to Derek Cassidy for showing toughness in the face of adversity. 

Larico Stevenson credited Coach Derek Stingley for making the halftime adjustment on coverage and also gave a big amount of credit to the Power fans for their energy.

P.J. Berry spoke up about putting the game on his shoulders when he returned a kickoff in overtime to the Predators 19 to set up the game-winning touchdown.

It wasn't pretty for most of the game, but at least it was historic. 

Stats for Pittsburgh:
Derek Cassidy: 12-22, 148 yards, 5 TD, 1 RUSH TD, 3 INT
Mike "Joystick" Washington: 7 rec, 65 yards, 2 TD.
Randy Hymes: 5 rec, 72 yards, 2 TD
P.J. Berry: 3 rec, 66 yards, 1 TD, 7 kickoffs for 151 yards.
Chris Wise, 1 rec, 19 yards, TD (Game Winner)
Chris LeFlore: 2 INT
Larico Stevenson: 1 INT

Stats for Orlando:
Justin Roper: 24-46, 245 yards, 6 TD, 3 INT
Bobby Sippio: 7 rec, 83 yards, 3 TD
Nate Forse: 7 rec, 65 yards, 1 TD
Dwayne Eley Jr.: 6 rec, 62 yards, 1 TD
T.T. Tolliver: 4 rec, 35 yards, 1 TD
Eddie Moten, 2 INT, 1 TD

Orlando Predators vs. Pittsburgh Power Preview

7:30 PM

Consol Energy Center - Pittsburgh, PA.

TV: CW

Radio: TribLive Radio (Pittsburgh), 740 The Game (Orlando)

Twitter Updates: SteelCityVoice

The Pittsburgh Power (1-3) welcome the Orlando Predators (0-4) to Pittsburgh for a rematch of their season opener.  It's not quite a rematch though as that game was marred by a labor dispute and played with a bunch of replacement players.  Neither team got a chance to see where they stood which may be a reason why neither team has won since.

Pittsburgh opted to release starting quarterback Kyle Rowley and kicker Taylor Rowan after that game and while most of the players have signed back on, the loss of a quarterback looms large in this league.  Andrico Hines has shown some talent but the team continues to be plagued by turnovers this year.  Last week against Iowa, they had five more and lost 55-42.

Pittsburgh has to improve their turnover margin in a hurry to try and climb back in the division race.  Orlando has to start winning period.   This is definitely a must-win game for both teams, so the pressure is on. 

Both teams rank high on defense.  Orlando enters the game with the 2nd best scoring defense in the league.  They only allow 44.8 PPG.  They also rank 4th in total defense at 272 yards per game.  Pittsburgh is 2nd in total defense at 241.5 YPG, but they do give up more points.  They rank 11th in the league with 57 PPG allowed.  

P.J. Berry finally had his breakout game for 2012 last week, catching 9 passes for 110 yards and adding 173 yards and a score on his kickoff returns.  He did his damage in the first half against Iowa but was held in check in the second half.   The Power will try to keep him involved in the game for all four quarters in this one. 

Pittsburgh will also try to get fullback Tyre Young back into the mix.  The 3rd leading rusher in the AFL only got the rock once last week.  He's proven early on this year to be a strong weapon on offense so look for him to be a focal point on offense against Orlando.

WR Lonnell DeWalt has been suspended by the team for undisclosed reasons.  From the vibes I get he won't be back with the Power this year and his loss as a goal line threat looms large. 

Orlando's offense has been bogged down all season, not just the first game of the year.  Quarterback Collin Drafts has been very inconsistent all year, completing only 57.1% of his passes (89/156) for 933 yards.  He has 15 TD's and 6 interceptions on the year.  

Perhaps the return of AFL veteran WR Bobby Sippio could provide a boost to their fortunes.  He has been out all season with an injury but was recently assigned back to the roster and might be ready to see some action this week against Pittsburgh.  If not look for Antoine "T.T." Tolliver and Nate Forse, a Uniontown and California university of Pennsylvania graduate, to continue to receive the bulk of Drafts' passes. 

Keys for Orlando

• Force turnovers and stops early on.  If the Predators can get some early turnovers they'll take out the Pittsburgh crowd and flip homefield advantage.
• Take advantage of Power mistakes.  Pittsburgh is a -7 on the year in turnover margin.  Orlando isn't much better at -5.  Orlando needs to make Pittsburgh pay for each mistake.
• Get the W no matter what.  If Orlando falls to 0-5, the odds of a complete turnaround to make the playoffs won't be pretty.  No one is running away with the South at this point but even still, an 0-5 hole will be almost impossible to climb out of.

Keys for Pittsburgh

• Play a complete game.  This team looks strong in the first half of just about every game but then finds ways to fall apart in the second half.  Coach Siegfried mentioned after the Iowa loss that this team doesn't respond well to adversity.  They have to improve soon or the season could fall apart.
• Play mistake free.  As I mentioned above, the Power are 16th in the league in turnover margin.  They need to get back to basics and play smarter football.  They consistently beat themselves with interceptions and fumbles. 
• Win for the home crowd.  Pittsburgh is 0-2 at Consol Energy Center this year, and a win for the fans is a must.  Like Orlando, a loss would put Pittsburgh 3-4 games behind in the division race already.  A 2-3 record would be a lot more manageable with 4 division games still remaining. 

Seeing how the defenses rank, and how both offenses have struggled, I don't think I am going out on a limb by predicting a low scoring affair.  I think Pittsburgh has more talent on the board it's just a matter of putting it all together. 

I think the homefield advantage should help Pittsburgh as they finally get another win.

 

Even Superman can't save the day. Power fall to Iowa 55-42

We all love the happy endings when a superhero saves the day.  On a night the Pittsburgh Power (1-3) dedicated to honoring the heroes of our military, "Superman" P.J. Berry, electrified the 4,491 fans in the first half. 

His first feat was a stunning 30 yard catch and run that saw him change direction multiple times as he evaded the bad guys.  It left many in the stands with their jaws on the floor.  Berry also scored on a 58 yard kickoff return and later added a 9 yard touchdown catch with three seconds left in the first half to stake the Power to a 28-27 halftime lead, plus they would get the ball to start the second half.

Unfortunately Iowa controlled the game the rest of the way.  The game saw a number of bad bounces go against the Power.  Their first offensive drive stalled late when Andrico Hines' pass bounced off the end zone boards into the waiting hands of Antoine Thompson.  Two more passes later in the game hit Randy Hymes in the hands and deflected right to a waiting Jason Simpson. 

Simpson, celebrating his birthday, would add a third interception late in the game to seal the deal.  He caught the pass from Hines and lateraled to Cameron McGlenn who returned the ball deep into Power territory. 

Even the special edition camouflage jerseys the Power wore could not hide the problems facing the team.  Turnovers continue to plague the Power offense, as they also lost a fumble on an Iowa kickoff that was recovered by John Mohring for another Iowa touchdown.  Pittsburgh had five turnovers in the game versus zero for Iowa. 

The Power defense continued their strong play early in the season with three goal line stands, but unless they find a way to keep opposing offenses to under 40 points, the offense really needs to pick things up.

Coach Siegfried wasn't very happy in the post game presser.  He is struggling to understand why this team can't seem to handle adversity well.  When asked to comment on how well the defense played he replied, "Any loss is a failing grade."  He also refused to comment on why Lonnell DeWalt was suspended by the team other than to say it was his decision. 

I asked P.J. Berry how morale was in the locker room and he mentioned how this is a veteran team and they aren't going to stop fighting.  They know what they have to do to get the ship headed in the right direction.

Andrico Hines echoed Berry's sentiments and said that it comes down to execution.  It's easy to see that point when a wide receiver misses two catches that bounce to the other team's defensive back.

The Power will continue to search for answers this week as they prepare to play the Orlando Predators.   The game is currently scheduled for Friday night, but could be moved to accommodate the Pittsburgh Penguins and their playoff series.

Iowa Barnstormers at Pittsburgh Power Preview

Radio: AM1700 - The Champ (Des Moines), TribLive Radio (Pittsburgh)

TV: Pittsburgh's CW. 

Twitter Coverage During Game:  @SteelCityVoice

Consol Energy Center - Pitsburgh, PA. - 7:30 EST

A season that started with so much promise for the Pittsburgh Power is at its first crossroads.  Win and keep pace with the rest of the teams in the division, lose and run the risk of falling behind to ofar too soon.

I don't like getting in the habit of labeling a game this early in the season a "must-win" but the Power need to get a win under their belts with their full squad.  The only win so far was the season opener in Orlando which featured a large amount of replacement players for both Pittsburgh and Orlando.

Pittsburgh will wear camouflage jerseys for
military appreciation night

Pittsburgh (1-2) is coming off a 63-40 blowout in Milwaukee that saw quarterback Bill Stull complete only 13 of his 31 passes for 185 yards and one TD before exiting the game in the third quarter.  He also fumbled and was picked off once before leaving.   His throws were off the mark the entire game, missing receivers high, low, and wide on almost every throw. 

He's now on injured reserve and will miss at least four weeks of action.  The onus for the Power offense now falls upon Andrico Hines.   Hines was at the helm of that season opener in Orlando, and hopes to continue building the chemistry he started to build in the fourth quarter of the Milwaukee game. 

Hines has built a strong rapport with Mike Washington, who he hooked up with on four touchdown passes in the opener.  He also developed good chemistry with Lonnell DeWalt and Randy Hymes last week.  All of the receivers are hoping that a new signal caller might mean more successful pass completions their way.  

Look out for Perry Baker to see some action as he returns from injured reserve this week.  Head coach Chris Siegfried mentioned in his press conference how Baker brings a new dimension of speed to the offense.

When all else fails, go with the bull on the ground.  Tyre Young is the AFL's leading rusher in per-game yardage with 32, and he already has three rushing touchdowns in two games played.  He was the best rusher in the AFL in 2010 and is hopefully going to be a major part of the Power offense moving forward.

The Iowa Barnstormers (1-2) are also coming into this matchup on the heels of a loss, but theirs was a one point overtime loss to the undefeated Chicago Rush.  Three year AFL veteran J.J. Raterink will call the signals for a Barnstormer offense that ranks 6th in the AFL in scoring at 59.7 PPG. 

Raterink is 72-for-106 on the season (67.9%) for 829 yards and has thrown 17 TD passes to only two interceptions.  He has brought stability to an Iowa offense that struggled mightily at times last year. 

His favorite target is one of the AFL's best.  Jesse Schmidt already has 36 catches for 414 yards and 10 TD's.  Schmidt was a first team all-arena wide receiver last year and is well on his way to repeating that feat so far this year. 

Defensively the Power boast the number one yardage defense in the league.  They only give up 188 YPG through the air, which could be a major factor in how well they do in this matchup.  Chris LeFlore has two  interceptions already this year and seems to be in position to make a lot of plays for the Power. 

One area the Power continue to struggle with is their pass rush.   Look for Neil Purvis to have a bigger impact in his second game back from injury. 

This matchup comes down to a few key areas.

Keys for Iowa

• Attack the Power downfield.  Pittsburgh seems more prone to the downfield ball.  The DB's get twisted around a little bit easier on the long ball.
• Withstand the early onslaught.  Pittsburgh will want to use the homefield emotion of the Consol Energy Center to their advantage.  If Iowa can keep pace early, they could take the crowd out of it.
• Rely on J.J. Raterink's experience.  He has the edge over Andrico Hines, and that could be the difference in this game

Keys for Pittsburgh

• PROTECT THE BALL!!!  The Power are generating a lot of turnovers on defense, but the offense has been equally as generous the other way.  If the Power can limit their turnovers and still keep up the pace on defense, they will see results in the win column.
• Get the ball to "Superman" P.J. Berry.  He's been quiet for the most part on offense.  Andrico Hines would be well served to get the ball to Berry and get him involved early in the game.
• Get back to basics.  Pittsburgh has really lost their rhythm offensively in the last few weeks.  They need to get back to what works and forge an identity offensively.  They desperately need stability at the quarterback position out of Andrico Hines. 

I think Iowa has the better quarterback in J.J. Raterink and top receiver Jesse Schmidt will be the best receiver on the field Friday night.  That doesn't mean Iowa is a shoo-in to win.  I think Pittsburgh has better talent overall on offense, and I think the defensive edge plus homefield advantage should play into Pittsburgh's hand in this one.