2020 Long Island EFL Week#1 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants

[Long island EFL]

NEW YORK GIANTS EDGE STEELERS IN BATTLE FOR YARDS!

(Be sure to check out the attachments with team schedule, statistics, and history of each team if you like this sort of thing).

(Meadowlands, NJ August 6, 2020). With the delay from Hurricane Isaias, this 67' BIG MEN Long Island Electric Football League brawl will finally happen after days of postponements on Coach Pizz behalf. What a classic Long Island Electric Football League match-up of an AFC team and NFC team if ever there could be. We have two top ten LIEFL teams in the #5-Ranked Pittsburgh Steelers (90-68), against the #9-Ranked New York Giants (81-70). Both of these teams are tremendous electric football teams. It's a competitive pairing of two big Coaches in Paddy Brannigan, whose Steelers are on the rise against the historic New York Giants coached by coach Joe Pizz! With the league constantly improving through the Draft, both of these teams are fighting there way back into the spotlight. 

Coach Brannigan's Steelers finished (3-4) last season, but they battle hard in the AFC North.  The "Bus" is a deal-breaker for any defense in this league. True to his nickname, Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis #13 AFC in rushing and #28 LIEFL, did manage 44 carries for 712 All-Purpose Yards with 8 touchdowns and 2 100 yard kick returns for touchdowns after a slow start in what seemed like a soft year for the veteran. Bettis had 36 rushes for 211 yards with four touchdowns! Even with the #4 Ranked defense in 2019 for the Giants, this should be a great offensive match-up. Rookie running back Shaquon Barkley #7 NFC and #13 LIEFL in rushing had a respectable 44 rookie carries for 476 yards, with 6 touchdowns for the New York Giants. Barkley performed well for Coach Pizz, who knows how to develop talent from the Draft. New York also has the dangerous return specialist Ahman Bradshaw, who added 21 carries for 818 kick-return yards, and one touchdown for the dangerous Giants offense. New York finished (2-5) in 2019, and and they played so tough in Long Island Electric Football Super Bowl XI, but lost in a heart-breaker to the AFC Oakland Raiders (9-1) in 2008, 27-21 in OT when Raiders star Dave Casper ended the heart-crushing game for Pizz with an electrifying 100-yard touchdown run giving Oakland their first Super Bowl victory! That was a tough one.

On the opening kickoff New York Giants Ahman Bradshaw took it back 37 yards and Pittsburgh John Stallworth made a nice open field tackle. On first down Giants second year player for Coach Pizz,  Shaquon Barkley opened up for a 10-yard first-down and brought down by legendary tackle,  L.C. Greenwood. The Giants offensive line moved the ball on another consecutive first down by Barkley to the Steelers 38-yard line. The match-up at tackle between New York tackle Dave Diehl and Pittsburgh All-Pro and Pro Bowl Starter John Kolb was a great one. The Steelers had to make several adjustments on the line to stuff that powerful Giants front three of George Martin, Leonard Marshall, and Michael Strahan. Another big run for Barkley to the 28-yard line of the Steelers for coach Pizz, and New York Giants first down.

Steelers coach Brannigan does not look happy, so far the Steelers defensive line has made three adjustments and the Giants just keep on moving forward. And on the next play after the 28 yard pick-up for New York, Barkley blows open around the left side of the Steelers weak-side for another 26-yard pickup to the Steelers 2-yard line! The Giants line are performing!

Last season the Giants beat up on the AFC opening eyes, especially when they beat the Miami Dolphins the AFC Champions 17-7, during the regular season game, but that extremely challenging schedule for the Giants on the road prevented them from a playoff shot. Coach Pizz is trying to reel the team in to focus on the moment rather than the season. That challenge is what transforms the good teams from the average teams in the league. With 5:11 left to go in a half Barkley runs to the left side of the Steelers defensive line, scoring a 2-yard touchdown making the score 7-0, Giants.

 

On the Steelers first kick-return of the game Lynn Swann, who had a poor season last year, returned the ball for 37-yards setting the Steelrs in motion of their first offensive set. With the "Bus" Jerome Bettis at the helm, with 1:55 left in the half, Bettis stormed around the left side of the Giants defense for a 36-yard pick up for the Steelers as the Pittsburgh offensive line goes fast to work to the New York giant 28-yard line. Coach Brannigan was yelling out loud as the Steelers and Bettis  masterfully finished strong. Bettis is generally a slow starter and that's what Brannigan and the Steelers are trying to change.

 

The Steelers kept driving until Big George Martin, lineman for the Giants, made a great play for the Giants for a 7-yard loss taking down the big Bus at the 35-yard line. The Steelers were forced to pass on third down and Bradshaw looking to air it out, found Rocky Bleier  for a quick 23- yard first down. Bleier made a beautiful one-handed catch taking Pittsburgh to the 15-yard line of the Giants with 12:44 left to go in that game. After two failed runs by Bettis, the Steelers came roaring back on third down with a beautiful short past to Jerome Bettis from the great Terry Bradshaw, to tie the score at 7-7, with 6:44 left to go in the game!

 

On the Giants next kickoff Bradshaw took it back 45 yards and was hit hard by Jack Lambert. On a beautiful second downplay for New York Barkley swept through an open hole for a 25-yard pick up to the Steelers 30-yard line with 3:37 left to go in the game. The Giants kept on driving on an another big 11-yard run by Barkley to the Steelers 18-yard line with the clock running down with seconds to go in the game, the New York Football Giants and Coach Pizz kick the deciding field-goal to win the game 10-7! What a defensive battle.

 

The Steelers could not stop Giants running back Shaquon Barkley as he carried the ball 10 times for 101 yards rushing and a two yard touchdown run. Bettis finished 5 carries for 41 yards with a 10 yard touchdown catch from Bradshaw.  The Giants play the highly competitive Chicago Bears (0-1) at Soldier Field, and the Steelers play Denver (0-0) in their home opener.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020 GIANTS NFC EASTERN DIVISION.doc 2020 STEELERS AFC NORTH DIVISION.doc

Edited August 6, 2020 by Long island EFL
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