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Friday, October 09, 2015

The times they are a changing

After a number of successful years and millions of hits here on blogger, my paper is moving NFL From the Sidelines to its web site.
We should still be able to have meaningful discussions and interaction regarding issues surrounding the Steelers.
To access the new site, please go here: NFL from the Sidelines. I hope to see you all over there.

Since, apparently, things aren't working well on the new site just yet - though the link above is now fixed, here it is:

First, let’s talk about the Martavis Bryant situation. Bryant, who is coming back off a four-game suspension, has practiced sparingly this week.
That’s not a good sign for a young man who has missed the past month because of a suspension.
The team doesn’t have to disclose what kind of injury with which Bryant is dealing since he is not yet on the active roster and they don’t actually have to activate him for this game if they do not choose.
It’s looking more and more like that will be the case.
Mike Tomlin doesn’t like to play young players who don’t get at least a couple of practices in before a game. He’s not real likely to put Bryant in the lineup when he hasn’t practiced in a month.
That move also would give the Steelers another week with which to kick the can down the road in terms of making a roster move.
* I do expect inside linebacker Ryan Shazier to play in this one. In fact, with the notable exception of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, every play on the 53-man active roster practiced this week. It’s a far different situation than the Chargers are dealing with right now, though at least quarterback Philip Rivers is healthy.
* I don’t know that not having Bryant on the field will have a huge effect on this game. This will be a run, run, run game.
San Diego is allowing 4.9 yards per carry this season, tied with New England for the worst in the league.
And Le’Veon Bell just ran for 129 yards against the Baltimore Ravens, a team that hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 29 games and against whom the STeelers hadn’t had a 100-yard rusher since 2004.
The Steelers will take some shots down the field to keep the Chargers honest and they’ll try to get the ball to Antonio Brown and Heath Miller a little more.
But this will be Le’Veon Bell’s game to win or lose.
I just don’t see how the Chargers are going to stop him and with a week under his belt, I expect Mike Vick to be much more comfortable running the offense this time out.
San Diego also has some issues at wide receiver. Malcom Floyd is expected to play despite leaving last week’s game with a concussion, while Stevie Johnson looks as if he’ll be out.
Antonio Gates will be back after a four-game PED suspension, but there’s the difference between the suspension of Gates and that of Bryant.
While players suspended for illegal drugs are permitted contact with their team and can work out at team facilities, those who are suspended for PED use are not.
Gates is a veteran player, but it’s not real likely he’s completely up to speed after sitting out an entire month and having no contact with the Chargers.
The Chargers are 3 1/2-point favorites in this game, but I don’t see that happening.
I think the Steelers dominate the game with their rushing attack, get after Rivers and protect Vick enough to be effective - the Chargers have just five sacks this season.
I’ll take the Steelers to win, 24-20.

43 comments:

  1. Looks like a pay site. Sorry Dale I may have to move on. Thanks for all the good work.

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  2. Is it a pay site? I clicked on the link but see just the headline Nfl from.....

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  3. Anonymous8:41 PM

    I clicked and didn't see anything about a paysite? I found the previous entry pretty easily.

    That said, I read this blog all the time and it's formatting is superior to the busy layout of the Observer-Reporter site, but you can't have it all.

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  4. Anonymous8:44 PM

    Dale, I read and contribute in the comments often on this site and greatly appreciate your content. You mentioned millions of hits, I'm curious what kind of traffic does the blog get and did your number of clicks contribute to the decision of the O-R moving it to their site?

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  5. No, not pay for the blob, as far as I know. You might have to register, but there are ways around having to pay, wink, wink.

    They O-R has always wanted the blog on its web site, but didn't have the ability to handle the traffic. We get about one million hits here per year - thanks guys. I was supposed to move it over before but I fought the law because it was a pain for me and I didn't want to lose the traffic and good back and forth we have here.

    Hopefully, many of you will continue to visit NFL From the Sidelines there.

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  6. That should say blog, not blob.

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  7. Anonymous9:09 PM

    I follow the link and see the title nfl from the sidelines, but no blog entries. Please help.

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  8. Anonymous9:47 PM

    A blog with 1million+ views a year, nice. Never knew all this years we created so much traffic :p

    wherever your write Dale, we're there

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  9. Anonymous11:26 PM

    I enjoyed the articles here and will miss them. I'm Not paying to subscribe to O-R. All good things must come to an end. That's to bad.

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  10. Again, you don't have to pay to access the blog posts. You get 10 free views and then if you know what you're doing, you can keep on getting free views, wink, wink.

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  11. Anonymous12:06 AM

    Dale, you're going to need a manual for the less technology inclined people here haha

    also, dont think doing that is illegal or anything, just saying..

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  12. Anonymous12:06 AM

    And if you don't "know what you're doing, wink, wink"? Adios good info & writing?

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  13. You probably just need to clear your cookies to reset the counter.

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  14. Anonymous12:13 AM

    And the li k above took me to a HS football blog. Guess it's like somebody previously stated, all good things come to an end

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  15. Viper wins the cookie

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  16. adamg7:45 AM

    Dale, will certainly still read, but since I don't do social media, no commenting.

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  17. Anonymous9:15 AM

    always view it in google's incognito mode and you wont even have to clear the cooies

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  18. Anonymous9:18 AM

    here's the top level link for people like me who have it bookmarked (dale you linked to just the latest post)

    http://www.observer-reporter.com/section/BLOGS08

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  19. It needs a RSS or ATOM feed to it so I can add it to my feed reader.

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  20. "" Dale, will certainly still read, but since I don't do social media, no commenting. ""

    second that. thanks for taking the time to write the blog

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  21. Hi Dale,

    Just a shout out from Budapest, Hungary. I have been following your blog since your collaboration with BTSC a couple of seasons ago and I can say I really like your writing (besides Ed Bouchette and Jim Wexell, you are the one from whom I read everything I can get). Keep up the good work.

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  22. Thanks for the years and years of informative and breaking Steelers coverage. Have been coming here amongst other places for the past 5 years to get my Steeler news from over here in California. Hopefully I'll be able to find the new blog but sadly don't think I'll be commenting. Hoping that some of the faithful here can follow you and keep up the great back and forth that answers many of the questions we all have throughout the week. Cheers!

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  23. Just heard Shazier is out. What's with Bryant, rehab too tough?

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  24. Just heard Shazier is out. What's with Bryant, rehab too tough?

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  25. I'll miss the format here. Thanks for running it for so long.

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  26. Anonymous6:18 PM

    Dale, that website sucks. I will continue to follow the blog if I can figure it out on my phone. A bunch of high school stuff showing up now.

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  27. Bookmark this page http://www.observer-reporter.com/section/BLOGS08

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  28. Just kidding, that website really is messed up at the moment.

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  29. No wonder I like this site, you're a Bob Dylan fan.

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  30. BlackNGold11:49 AM

    Everyone is always comparing Mosley and Shazier. Biggest difference so far that gives Mosely the edge is that he's actually been healthy and played. Shazier has spent most of his career on the sideline. He's great potential as we've all seen, but that's all it will be if the guy is hardly on the field.

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  31. Dale,
    Will this be your last post to this blog? I like the new site. I wonder if Byant likes Rainy day women 12 & 35.

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  32. Dale,
    Will this be your last post to this blog? I like the new site. I wonder if Byant likes Rainy day women 12 & 35.

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  33. Here or there makes no difference to me. Thanks for all the info up to this point; looking forward to many more years of reading (and hopefully celebrating another Super Bowl somewhere in there!).

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  34. He used to George. Now, the team is monitoring him all along the watchtower.

    Bryant tweaked his knee on Monday. Nothing serious, but it held him out of practice. And since Tomlin likes young guys to practice in the week before a game, he is being held out. Add in the fact he's practiced once in the past month and it's a no-brainer.

    Shazier, I believe, could have played this week. Practiced all last week. But with how the backups have been playing and since it's a nerve issue, they chose to give him another week to allow it to heal even more. He's been unlucky. Injuries hadn't been a big problem for him in college.

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  35. nice call on the game

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  36. Great prediction! You called the score correctly, and you said "this game is Bell's to win or lose." How right you were!

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  37. Anonymous4:50 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  41. muhammad solehuddin3:37 AM

    acest articol este foarte util.
    multumesc pentru partajarea acestui articol.
    comentat de muhammad solehuddin

    ReplyDelete