Pittsburgh Steelers fall to 2-3 after dry spell

Adam Larson, Staff Writer

October 16, 2012

Throughout the years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been known to be indomitable on each side of the ball– offense and defense.

The defense has developed a well known nickname called “The Steel Curtain.” The Steel Curtain has brought down pain upon its opponents for the past twenty years as it has lead its team to win six Super Bowls, which has never before been done.

However, over the past two years the Steelers’ defense has been troubled by controversy being known as one of the oldest amongst other teams in the league. Not only this, but the Steelers’ secondary has been called one of the weakest in the league as ESPN analysts and commentators swirl up controversy.

This was proven true this past Thursday and even during the Oakland Raiders game as the Steelers’ offense struggled late in the game.

In Thursday’s game, Matt Hasslebeck’s team, the Titans, trampled and trudged through the Steelers’ defense throughout the duration of the game. Hasslebeck completed 56.8% of his passes and threw for 290 yards. Chris Johnson also trucked through our defensive line, Hampton, Kiesel, and Hood, as he gained about 3 yards every carry.

The offense in Thursday nights game wasn’t bad. The Steelers started off strong as Roethlisberger threw for 363 yards and completed 60% of his passes. Roethlisberger even surpassed the insurmountable Terry Bradshaw for throwing the most yards ever in Steelers’ history. Evidently, the organization was proud despite the disappointing loss.

Roethlisberger was not the only star on the offense in this game. Mike Wallace caught a beautiful thrown spiral all the way down the field and ended the play with a touchdown. In addition to Mike Wallace being an “all-star”, Isaac Redman was a tank as he steamrolled through the Titans’ defense and caught every ball thrown to him.

The only question in this game is: Did Mike Tomlin make the right call at the end of this game?

Tomlin decided to kick a 54 yard field goal after the two minute warning in an attempt to tie it up and send the game to overtime. Prior to this arduous decision, Shaun Suisham kicked a 52 yard field goal and nailed it. However, most people know that Suisham is a consistent kicker but doesn’t have a strong kick to nail the field goal from long yardage. Of course, Suisham missed the 54 yard field goal. Suisham kicked the ball dead on but didn’t have the length. The ball was about 2 yards short.

Critics say that Tomlin should have kicked the ball away and pinned the Titans’ offense deep in their own end zone, or he should have taken a chance and went for it on 4th down. However, most Pittsburghers say that Tomlin made the right choice and either way no one can determine the future. Despite Tomlin’s “wrong choice”, he is still a dominant head coach and the youngest head coach ever to win a Super Bowl.

About the Contributor

Adam Larson, Editor-in-Chief

When one thinks of Hawk Eye, one thinks of the award winning journalist Adam Larson. More than just the face of the Hawk Eye, Adam Larson excels in much more than journalism and this is that story. To get to know a little more about Adam, he mentions what he likes to do in his free time. This includes teaching CCD, participating in his church's youth group, and participating in Boy Scouts as an Eagle Scout. Larson said of his extracurricular activities, “I just like to keep myself busy.” Adam’s story with Hawk Eye goes back to his sophomore year, when he joined the upstart school newspaper. Larson said on why he joined, “I joined because I enjoy writing, and I wanted to be a part of the change from a paper to an online newspaper.” Larson’s history with school newspapers dates back to 7^th grade, when he joined Independence Middle School’s student newspaper. Not just an experienced writer, Larson is also an award-winning writer. His articles have won Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards from the Pennsylvania School Press Association. With his history in scholastic newspapers, Larson also details a vision for Hawk Eye. Which consists of new articles every day, videos, and a PSPA gold publication. Larson also wants to take a larger role in leadership in Hawk Eye. Adam wishes to use his experience to give advice to other writers. A very skilled writer, his articles mainly consist of Features and News. He is widely known for his regular feature “From the Desk of Dr. J.” Larson plans to attend Pennsylvania State University to study engineering. He told of his job shadowing experience with a Petroleum Engineer over the summer, calling it a very interesting experience. Larson said, “I prefer science, and I still joined Hawk Eye, because I am going to use writing for the rest of my life. Everybody will use writing. Just because I want to study engineering does not mean I can not enjoy writing.” The character that is Adam Larson is truly a unique person. His enigmatic personality will bring Hawk Eye to new heights. Written by Sean Miehl, Staff Writer