Steelers face challenge in beating Brady on the road

Steelers face challenge in beating Brady on the road

By DAN SCIFO, Associated Press
Sep 6, 2015

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers have had their struggles against New England Patriots* quarterback Tom Brady in Foxborough.

The four-time Super Bowl winner has led the Patriots* to three lopsided home victories against Pittsburgh and he's looking for another. He was cleared to play after a judge overturned the NFL's four-game suspension of Brady last week for his role in using underinflated footballs during last season's AFC championship game.

The Steelers' defense, even after a rough preseason, isn't putting much emphasis on past meetings with Brady.

Instead, the group welcomes the opportunity to open the NFL season Thursday on the road against Brady and the Super Bowl champions.

"It's a hostile environment that truly loves their team," Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward said. "We want to be able to go on the road and win games like that, so this is a great test for our team."

Brady spoke for the first time on Sunday since the "Deflategate" court ruling, noting that he's ready to move on and focus on Thursday's opener against Pittsburgh.

"It's time for me to do my job," Brady said. "Anything that's happened over the last seven months wasn't really my job."

He's had his way with the Steelers in the past, going 5-2 in the regular season, including a 3-0 mark at Gillette Stadium. Brady has thrown 18 touchdowns to just three interceptions with a QB rating of 109.7, third-best among any team he's faced.

"We've had some pretty good days in the past, but if we want to have a good outcome on Thursday night we're going to have to be at our best," Brady said.

The Patriots* have been at their best against the Steelers at Foxborough when Brady's under center. The Steelers have never beaten Brady at Foxborough during his career, losing three times by an average of 20 points, including a 55-31 rout two years ago.

to read rest of article:

http://www.knoxnews.com/sports/steelers-face-challenge-in-beating-brady-on-the-road_22553305

Steelers think they know how to slow Rob Gronkowski down

Posted by Josh Alper on September 7, 2015



When Patriots** tight end Rob Gronkowski has been healthy during his career, attempts to stop him by opposing defenses have generally ranged from futile to laughable.

The Steelers are hoping to change that on Thursday night when they open their season against the Patriots** in New England and they feel like they have the right plan to make it happen. While their opponents would almost certainly keep such plans to themselves, the Steelers aren’t being shy about sharing that plan days ahead of kickoff.

Safety Mike Mitchell says that Gronkowski is successful “when people don’t put their hands on him” and linebacker Ryan Shazier said that the Steelers don’t plan on giving him that kind of welcome to the 2015 season.

“You just have to jam him up a little bit, mess with his timing,” Shazier said, via ESPN.com. “If you mess up their timing, they are really time-oriented. You have to mess up their timing and get in his face with pressure, then I feel we can slow him down a little bit.”

to read rest of article:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/07/steelers-think-they-know-how-to-slow-rob-gronkowski-down/

James C Wexell ‏@jimwexell

Antwon Blake on whether he'll take the first snap at cornerback Thursday vs Tom Brady: "I believe so."

https://twitter.com/jimwexell

Stephen A. Smith And Skip Bayless Can’t Believe What Steelers Players Said Monday

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2015/09/stephen-a-smith-and-skip-bayless-cant-believe-what-steelers-players-said-monday/

What do they expect our guys to say? Anyhow I actually don't hate Gronk but I'd love it if Ryan and Mike hit hard early and made him a non factor.

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

Stephen A. Smith And Skip Bayless Can’t Believe What Steelers Players Said Monday

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2015/09/stephen-a-smith-and-skip-bayless-cant-believe-what-steelers-players-said-monday/

What did he say that was out of line? They plan to jam gronk at the line?

What do they expect people to say? Oh we're gonna play patty cake with him and hope he doesn't get his feelings hurt? Are those idiots really that desperate for a story they're going to make a big deal out of nothing?

The Anthony Smith "guarantee" from eight years ago was blown out of proportion too. He had just said "if we do what we gotta do, we will beat him." Stupid media turned that into AS being this ego maniac who dared to think that the amazing Tommy could be beaten.

NFL destroyed Patriots*' tape stealing Steelers' signals in 2002

247Sports
Bryan DeArdo



While "Deflategate" was seemingly to put bed last Thursday, "Spygate" arose from the ashes on Tuesday.

ESPN released new details about the Patriots*' illegal videotaping of defensive signals from 2001-07, which included physical evidence of how they cheated during their win over the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game in January of 2002.

Here's a part of the story, written by ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr.Seth Wickersham:

"Inside a room accessible only to Belichick and a few others, they found a library of scouting material containing videotapes of opponents' signals, with detailed notes matching signals to plays for many teams going back seven seasons. Among them were handwritten diagrams of the defensive signals of the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the notes used in the January 2002 AFC Championship Game won by the Patriots* 24-17. Yet almost as quickly as the tapes and notes were found, they were destroyed, on Goodell's orders: League executives stomped the tapes into pieces and shredded the papers inside a Gillette Stadium conference room."

This new evidence confirms many former Steelers' players' sentiments that the Patriots* had an unfair advantage in Pittsburgh's two AFC Championship Game losses against New England in January of '02 and '05. Back in 2008, former Steelers linebacker and current linebackers coach Joey Porter said as much while saying the Patriots*' "stole" two Super Bowls from his team.

"Two times we could have blown them people out easily. They say, 'Oh, (Bill Belichick is) so smart. This is the best brain-storming coach.' Yeah, because he's cheating. He got caught," Porter said. "They've been videotaping for years, man. You cannot sit up there and honestly tell me if it wasn't working, why was he doing it so much? You're not going to sit up there and tell me if I'm a quarterback in my headset I know where the blitz is coming. I know where my hots and stuff is at before it happens. I know what play you're running on defense. All you got to do is be in the right position, just catch the ball."

to read rest of article:

http://pit.247sports.com/Bolt/NFL-destroyed-Patriots*-tape-stealing-Steelers-signals-in-2002-39267006

Yup, if we happen to sneak away with a win "the distractions are to blame" these so called experts will be chanting! Some good reads and I think we can all agree, key to victory will be QB pressure! I did watch 1st Take this AM and had to turn it off about half way through the rant on "how dare the Steelers D call out those mighty untouchable patriot god's"...

I like what James is saying now!

On Tuesday, in the wake of ESPN's revealing article documenting how the NFL covered up evidence proving that New England cheated during the 2001 AFC Championship Game (played in January of 2002), Harrison discussed how the Patriots*' unfair advantage gave them a definitive advantage when the teams faced off again in the 2004 AFC title game.

"They picked up like 90, 92 percent of (our) blitzes," Harrison said. "That's like going to Vegas, throwing dice 20, 30 times and losing twice."

After defeating the Patriots* 34-20 in Week 8 of the regular season, the Steelers fell to New England that night, 41-27. When looking back at that game, there were several plays, in particular a deep pass to Deion Branch and later a reverse to Branch that went for a touchdown, that seemed to be almost too perfect of offensive calls given what Pittsburgh's defense was running on those respective plays.

While Harrison's arguments may be valid, it won't change what happened in those games and the subsequent Super Bowls that New England won during those seasons. But unlike most of his former teammates from those 2001 and '04 teams, Harrison can make a difference now, when the Steelers face the Patriots* to kickoff the 2015 season on Thursday night!

James C Wexell ‏@jimwexell

Steelers went 8-2 last 10 games of 2014 after Bryant was activated. In those games Bell and Bryant scored 56% offense TDs, gained 47% yds.

https://twitter.com/jimwexell

Having to weed smokers suspended hurts us big time. According to many the game is over as soon as Tom Brady, who should have been suspended for cheating, steps off the bus.

I still think Pouncey being gone is our biggest loss. But the last time him and Bell were injured we started 0- 4.

Tall order Thursday. Of Cody Wallace is up to it we have a shot of winning

From what I hear their defense isn't any better than ours so maybe this becomes a shootout. Even with boneheads Bell & Bryant out I still think Brown and Wheaton can carry us. We just need to get there early,tape their defensive signals and after we win the game destroy all of the evidence. Pieceacake.

Stephen A. Smith, and Skip Bayless... Who cares what either of those clowns have to say? They're on the most predictably incendiary sports show on television.

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

Stephen A. Smith, and Skip Bayless... Who cares what either of those clowns have to say? They're on the most predictably incendiary sports show on television.

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

NFL destroyed Patriots***' tape stealing Steelers' signals in 2002

247Sports
Bryan DeArdo



While "Deflategate" was seemingly to put bed last Thursday, "Spygate" arose from the ashes on Tuesday.

ESPN released new details about the Patriots***' illegal videotaping of defensive signals from 2001-07, which included physical evidence of how they cheated during their win over the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game in January of 2002.

Here's a part of the story, written by ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr.Seth Wickersham:

"Inside a room accessible only to Belichick and a few others, they found a library of scouting material containing videotapes of opponents' signals, with detailed notes matching signals to plays for many teams going back seven seasons. Among them were handwritten diagrams of the defensive signals of the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the notes used in the January 2002 AFC Championship Game won by the Patriots*** 24-17. Yet almost as quickly as the tapes and notes were found, they were destroyed, on Goodell's orders: League executives stomped the tapes into pieces and shredded the papers inside a Gillette Stadium conference room."

This new evidence confirms many former Steelers' players' sentiments that the Patriots*** had an unfair advantage in Pittsburgh's two AFC Championship Game losses against New England in January of '02 and '05. Back in 2008, former Steelers linebacker and current linebackers coach Joey Porter said as much while saying the Patriots***' "stole" two Super Bowls from his team.

"Two times we could have blown them people out easily. They say, 'Oh, (Bill Belichick is) so smart. This is the best brain-storming coach.' Yeah, because he's cheating. He got caught," Porter said. "They've been videotaping for years, man. You cannot sit up there and honestly tell me if it wasn't working, why was he doing it so much? You're not going to sit up there and tell me if I'm a quarterback in my headset I know where the blitz is coming. I know where my hots and stuff is at before it happens. I know what play you're running on defense. All you got to do is be in the right position, just catch the ball."

to read rest of article:

http://pit.247sports.com/Bolt/NFL-destroyed-Patriots***-tape-stealing-Steelers-signals-in-2002-39267006

The best part is that they would send a low-level team employee into the opposing locker room to STEAL the play sheet for that game. They did this from 2000-2007 according to OTL/ESPN The Magazine report.

Those pricks should have gotten the death penalty for that level of cheating.


We already suspected it and believed it, but when you hear it reported out loud?  UNBELIEVABLE!!!

pczach wrote:

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

NFL destroyed Patriots****' tape stealing Steelers' signals in 2002

247Sports
Bryan DeArdo



While "Deflategate" was seemingly to put bed last Thursday, "Spygate" arose from the ashes on Tuesday.

ESPN released new details about the Patriots****' illegal videotaping of defensive signals from 2001-07, which included physical evidence of how they cheated during their win over the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game in January of 2002.

Here's a part of the story, written by ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr.Seth Wickersham:

"Inside a room accessible only to Belichick and a few others, they found a library of scouting material containing videotapes of opponents' signals, with detailed notes matching signals to plays for many teams going back seven seasons. Among them were handwritten diagrams of the defensive signals of the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the notes used in the January 2002 AFC Championship Game won by the Patriots**** 24-17. Yet almost as quickly as the tapes and notes were found, they were destroyed, on Goodell's orders: League executives stomped the tapes into pieces and shredded the papers inside a Gillette Stadium conference room."

This new evidence confirms many former Steelers' players' sentiments that the Patriots**** had an unfair advantage in Pittsburgh's two AFC Championship Game losses against New England in January of '02 and '05. Back in 2008, former Steelers linebacker and current linebackers coach Joey Porter said as much while saying the Patriots****' "stole" two Super Bowls from his team.

"Two times we could have blown them people out easily. They say, 'Oh, (Bill Belichick is) so smart. This is the best brain-storming coach.' Yeah, because he's cheating. He got caught," Porter said. "They've been videotaping for years, man. You cannot sit up there and honestly tell me if it wasn't working, why was he doing it so much? You're not going to sit up there and tell me if I'm a quarterback in my headset I know where the blitz is coming. I know where my hots and stuff is at before it happens. I know what play you're running on defense. All you got to do is be in the right position, just catch the ball."

to read rest of article:

http://pit.247sports.com/Bolt/NFL-destroyed-Patriots****-tape-stealing-Steelers-signals-in-2002-39267006

The best part is that they would send a low-level team employee into the opposing locker room to STEAL the play sheet for that game. They did this from 2000-2007 according to OTL/ESPN The Magazine report.

Those pricks should have gotten the death penalty for that level of cheating.


We already suspected it and believed it, but when you hear it reported out loud?  UNBELIEVABLE!!!

You and the people reporting this are just a bunch of jealous haters.

pczach wrote:

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

NFL destroyed Patriots****' tape stealing Steelers' signals in 2002

247Sports
Bryan DeArdo



While "Deflategate" was seemingly to put bed last Thursday, "Spygate" arose from the ashes on Tuesday.

ESPN released new details about the Patriots****' illegal videotaping of defensive signals from 2001-07, which included physical evidence of how they cheated during their win over the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game in January of 2002.

Here's a part of the story, written by ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr.Seth Wickersham:

"Inside a room accessible only to Belichick and a few others, they found a library of scouting material containing videotapes of opponents' signals, with detailed notes matching signals to plays for many teams going back seven seasons. Among them were handwritten diagrams of the defensive signals of the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the notes used in the January 2002 AFC Championship Game won by the Patriots**** 24-17. Yet almost as quickly as the tapes and notes were found, they were destroyed, on Goodell's orders: League executives stomped the tapes into pieces and shredded the papers inside a Gillette Stadium conference room."

This new evidence confirms many former Steelers' players' sentiments that the Patriots**** had an unfair advantage in Pittsburgh's two AFC Championship Game losses against New England in January of '02 and '05. Back in 2008, former Steelers linebacker and current linebackers coach Joey Porter said as much while saying the Patriots****' "stole" two Super Bowls from his team.

"Two times we could have blown them people out easily. They say, 'Oh, (Bill Belichick is) so smart. This is the best brain-storming coach.' Yeah, because he's cheating. He got caught," Porter said. "They've been videotaping for years, man. You cannot sit up there and honestly tell me if it wasn't working, why was he doing it so much? You're not going to sit up there and tell me if I'm a quarterback in my headset I know where the blitz is coming. I know where my hots and stuff is at before it happens. I know what play you're running on defense. All you got to do is be in the right position, just catch the ball."

to read rest of article:

http://pit.247sports.com/Bolt/NFL-destroyed-Patriots****-tape-stealing-Steelers-signals-in-2002-39267006

The best part is that they would send a low-level team employee into the opposing locker room to STEAL the play sheet for that game. They did this from 2000-2007 according to OTL/ESPN The Magazine report.

Those pricks should have gotten the death penalty for that level of cheating.


We already suspected it and believed it, but when you hear it reported out loud?  UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Yeah the extent of their cheating is amazing honestly. And again it's why I just can't accept Brady/Belichick being called GOAT. Some breaks without their cheating and Brady could be this generation's Jim Kelly- a man with many SB trips but notta to show for it or maybe not even a conference champion. They're just going to continue to do this crap though as long as Belichick and Adams are still in NE. It's not going to change and Brady's ass kissers in the media will ignore it. It's a bloody sham is what it is.

If this was college football the Cheaters would have all their title's taken away and probably a 3-5 year postseason ban.

Maybe I'm nieve and a bit of a 'homer' like Dave Dameshek but I firmly believe had the Cheatriots not cheated the Steelers would have won the Super Bowl in 2004.

Any way I think most people 'hate/dispise' the Cheatriots because of that exact reason; they have gotten away with cheating for so long and it 'won' them Super Bowls.
They should do what they did with the Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's 5 straight wins, and just ignore the 'victories' by the Patriots*.

SteelersNorth wrote:

Maybe I'm nieve and a bit of a 'homer' like Dave Dameshek but I firmly believe had the Cheatriots not cheated the Steelers would have won the Super Bowl in 2004.

Any way I think most people 'hate/dispise' the Cheatriots because of that exact reason; they have gotten away with cheating for so long and it 'won' them Super Bowls.
They should do what they did with the Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's 5 straight wins, and just ignore the 'victories' by the Patriots**.

Right. Pats* fans love to say "You're just jealous" but before last year, we actually had more SB wins in the past decade than they did. I'm not jealous of the Pats* at all. 6 >4 and yes I realize that two thirds of those happened before I was born and were in a different era but that the Steelers managed to win 4 SBs in probably what can be called the NFL's Golden Era. But you're right, SN, most people hate them because they've gotten away with cheating and what's more is how unbelievably smug not just their fans are about it but their players, coaches, and now owner is. Think I saw it on another forum but someone made the point about Belichick insulting everyone's intelligence when he claimed to misinterpret the rules. The man is nothing but a fraud. Who knows, without his shady methods, he could have been fired again like he was in Cleveland. And that IMO is what maddens me, we don't know how good or bad these guys really are. Their cheating effected every team in some way or form and the fortunes of individuals. The ESPN article points out how the loss to the Pats* dramatically reversed Mike Martz's fortunes.

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

SteelersNorth wrote:

Maybe I'm nieve and a bit of a 'homer' like Dave Dameshek but I firmly believe had the Cheatriots not cheated the Steelers would have won the Super Bowl in 2004.

Any way I think most people 'hate/dispise' the Cheatriots because of that exact reason; they have gotten away with cheating for so long and it 'won' them Super Bowls.
They should do what they did with the Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's 5 straight wins, and just ignore the 'victories' by the Patriots****.

Right. Pats*** fans love to say "You're just jealous" but before last year, we actually had more SB wins in the past decade than they did. I'm not jealous of the Pats*** at all. 6 >4 and yes I realize that two thirds of those happened before I was born and were in a different era but that the Steelers managed to win 4 SBs in probably what can be called the NFL's Golden Era. But you're right, SN, most people hate them because they've gotten away with cheating and what's more is how unbelievably smug not just their fans are about it but their players, coaches, and now owner is. Think I saw it on another forum but someone made the point about Belichick insulting everyone's intelligence when he claimed to misinterpret the rules. The man is nothing but a fraud. Who knows, without his shady methods, he could have been fired again like he was in Cleveland. And that IMO is what maddens me, we don't know how good or bad these guys really are. Their cheating effected every team in some way or form and the fortunes of individuals. The ESPN article points out how the loss to the Pats*** dramatically reversed Mike Martz's fortunes.

Going with the Martz thing and now knowing what we know it makes sense they cheated. How can someone being a 14 point underdog beat a team that torches everyone week in and week out win by 3?
The Rams lost by a total of 10 points in the regular season cruising to a 14-2 record.
And go figure they played the Pats** that season and won 24-17. Looks errily similar to 3 seasons later in 2004 with the Steelers.

On top of that the 'media' makes it seem like Brady played 'amazing' in each Super Bowl where they've won by a combined 13 points with the help of the real MVP of the first 3 Adam Vinatieri's leg/foot.

I just pray Ben lights it up and shuts the cake holes of all the Pats** fans, it would be fantastic.

SteelersNorth wrote:

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

SteelersNorth wrote:

Maybe I'm nieve and a bit of a 'homer' like Dave Dameshek but I firmly believe had the Cheatriots not cheated the Steelers would have won the Super Bowl in 2004.

Any way I think most people 'hate/dispise' the Cheatriots because of that exact reason; they have gotten away with cheating for so long and it 'won' them Super Bowls.
They should do what they did with the Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's 5 straight wins, and just ignore the 'victories' by the Patriots*****.

Right. Pats**** fans love to say "You're just jealous" but before last year, we actually had more SB wins in the past decade than they did. I'm not jealous of the Pats**** at all. 6 >4 and yes I realize that two thirds of those happened before I was born and were in a different era but that the Steelers managed to win 4 SBs in probably what can be called the NFL's Golden Era. But you're right, SN, most people hate them because they've gotten away with cheating and what's more is how unbelievably smug not just their fans are about it but their players, coaches, and now owner is. Think I saw it on another forum but someone made the point about Belichick insulting everyone's intelligence when he claimed to misinterpret the rules. The man is nothing but a fraud. Who knows, without his shady methods, he could have been fired again like he was in Cleveland. And that IMO is what maddens me, we don't know how good or bad these guys really are. Their cheating effected every team in some way or form and the fortunes of individuals. The ESPN article points out how the loss to the Pats**** dramatically reversed Mike Martz's fortunes.

Going with the Martz thing and now knowing what we know it makes sense they cheated. How can someone being a 14 point underdog beat a team that torches everyone week in and week out win by 3?
The Rams lost by a total of 10 points in the regular season cruising to a 14-2 record.
And go figure they played the Pats*** that season and won 24-17. Looks errily similar to 3 seasons later in 2004 with the Steelers.

On top of that the 'media' makes it seem like Brady played 'amazing' in each Super Bowl where they've won by a combined 13 points with the help of the real MVP of the first 3 Adam Vinatieri's leg/foot.

I just pray Ben lights it up and shuts the cake holes of all the Pats*** fans, it would be fantastic.

Right. A reoccuring theme to me seems to be that the Pats* struggle with a team the first time around but then by the second meeting when they've gotten all the signals and such done, they do better. And you're right Vinatieri was the real MVP of their first three wins. Brady until last year never had a moment like Ben did in the Cardinals SB. But yeah I just want a big or a win period to shut up their obnoxious fans. I know a lot of them and they really are without a doubt the worst in the sport. They think everyone's just jealous of them and that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are the best ever at their respective positions. They love ragging on younger Steelers fans like me who weren't alive for the 70's dynasty but are proud of those teams anyhow and yet they get pissed when you point out that until 2000 the Pats* were just another franchise that had never gotten even close in the SB.