Steelers vs. Patriots, Week 1: Knee-Jerk Reactions to the Steelers’ pathetic season-opening loss

Here we go! Tonight is the night we’ve been waiting for since last New Years Eve-Eve. A lot has changed, just in the last 36 hours. Were the Steelers for real from the get-go, or would they fall to the Patriots in an opener...yet again. Well, it was worse than I would have ever imagined. Let’s recap with what I felt at different junctures during the evening.

Nonetheless, a simple reminder, a knee jerk reaction is an immediate and unthinking, emotional reaction. It’s basically shooting first and apologizing later. I can safely say that’s a true definition of your’s truly and a good lot of Steeler Nation. Here’s my real-time reactions during the Steelers’ first battle of the new season.

Quarter 1

• The inactives were as expected. Glad to see Diontae Johnson get a hat.
• Here we go.
• Stopping them early is paramount.
• Vinny with a huge special teams tackle.
• I like having Barron in this defense.
• Tuitt looks like a monster, but faster. Two tackles already.
• Third down and long. This is where Brady scares me.
• Wow, Brady threw it short. Not sure whether they forced that or got lucky.
• Okay. No three and out here.
• Nice conversion to JuJu. He needed to work to move the chains.
• This is a nice mix on offense in the first series. Conner is a key.
• Tried to fool them with Samuels. Not too much.
• Going to Holton on third and six. I’d rather them go deep earlier.
• Gotta punt. At least pin them back.
• Second Patriot drive. Can’t let the little stuff kill you.
• Bush just got caught in a pick.
• Offensive pass interference? In New England? Wow!
• Giving up nine yards on 1st and 20 is too much.
• James White is shredding them early. Haven’t seen Sony Michel yet.
• That little dinky stuff is tough to defend. Kind of wish the Steelers did that on first down.
• Blew the coverage. Haden couldn’t make the tackle. Ughhhhh. 7-0, Bad Guys.
• Gotta even it up right away on offense.
• Can’t even move the ball with a hold. Oh boy.
• Moncrief with a false start.
• Now they’ll just try to go small and get some room.
• Allowed a decent runback and now a huge pass to a rookie. I’m feeling antsy.
• Kam Kelly with the big hit, but not big enough. Myers bounced right off of him.
• Glad that quarter is over.

Quarter 2

• Haden struggles with Gordon.
• Brady is shredding them. The defense needs to knock him around a bit. But can’t get near him.
• With all the short stuff, an interception may be out of the question.
• Third and Goal. Gotta hold them to three.
• Watt is not getting any pressure.
• 10-0. Better than down 14.
• Lets get a good bit of it back now.
• Little stuff to Switzer is working. But not enough.
• Not sure if Conner converted. And he didn’t.
• Crap. Three and outs are ridiculous.
• Not going to try a fake.
• This is really not fun at all.
• The star of New Amsterdam looks bored.
• A little bit of pressure.
• Finally a three and out.
• 9:19 left in the second. Starting with good field position.
• Steve Belichick is an interesting looking cat.
• A hold for a first down. I’ll take it,
• Conner is running well. Just needed that extra yard.
• You gotta be kidding me. They ran the same play and Conner gets stopped for a loss. Very unimaginable and predictable.
• The receivers are wide open. This defense is getting victimized.
• Edmunds and Hilton have no excuses on that touchdown to Dorsett.
• Ben held the ball forever. Nobody’s getting open.
• Moncrief is doing nothing. Where’s James Washington.
• Finally a connection from Ben to JuJu.
• JWash had no chance there.
• They are always a yard short it seems.
• Really gotta go for it here.
• Smart time-out on 4th and one. Ben didn’t like something.
• Moncrief had no business dropping that ball.
• They will easily put points up here. Moncrief could be a liability.
• Third and five. Can’t get off of the field. This is very disconcerting.
• Bush had good coverage on Burkhead with 30 seconds left.
• That Edmunds coverage was successful, but ugly and weird.
• 20-0. Pathetic.

Quarter 3

• If there’s any hope. It has gotta start now.
• Wow! A first down.
• Ben just threw two ugly balls in a row.
• Third and ten. Convert....please.
• Wow. Washington got separation and a big 45-yarder,
• Moncrief kinda sucks.
• Ben missed JuJu on that pass to Crief.
• Defensive holding on Gilmore. That’s a big first down.
• Boy are they lucky Foster fell on that Ben fumble.
• Conner is working. But keeps on falling a yard short tonight.
• They aren’t getting in.
• Yay. Three points.
• Watt with a nice tackle,
• Poor safety play there.
• 27-3. I never imagined it would get this ugly.
• Grades won’t be hard.
• Offensive pass interference on a nice gain. I can’t stand this.
• Nothing is working.
• Watt just got to Brady and he still completes the pass.
• Kelly got torched.
• Dupree is a nonentity tonight.
• Ha. I write that and he gets a sack.
• 30-3. Yuck!
• Why does NBC always play Billy Squier’s “Everybody Wants You” going into a break?
• It really doesn’t get worse than this for the Steelers in the opener.

Quarter 4

• Too much Switzer. That isn’t doing anything.
• Wow! Moncrief is terrible.
• He caught one?
• What was up with that snap from Pouncey.
• Why are they throwing to Moncrief?
• Haden shaken up? Not good.
• No. 23 seems okay.
• I’d rather hear more about Julian Edelman’s prom night festivities with Jerry Rice’s daughter than watch the rest of this fiasco. But like Aerosmith, I don’t want to miss a thing.
• Mike Hilton untouched on the blitz.
• Oh great...another field goal from Gostkowski.
• Why is Conner even in there at this point?
• I hope Pouncey is okay.
• Finney forgot to snap it. This is a punchline now.
• Watt is hurt? No!
• Ben throws an interception. Perfect.
• Now JuJu is banged up. This has got to end.
• Did NE just call a freaking timeout?
• 33-3. That was brutal.

Once again, I just shot first and I’ll apologize later. All reactions were in real time. Basically, it is the equivalent of watching the game with me, you just don’t have to listen to me chew my food and listen to me ramble. Now time to watch it again and see what really happened. Make sure you get your voice heard in the comments below.