A Bunch of Jagoffs Coming to Town

The Steelers might want to continue to throw short passes to guys like Heath Miller until the offensive line gets healthy.

It seems like every Sunday, the music stops and a different set of offensive linemen grab a seat and get their chance to start for the Steelers.  This Sunday will be no different.  Marcus Gilbert was declared out of this week’s game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The Steeler offensive line will look like this from left to right:

Max Starks, Doug Legursky, Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, Jonathan Scott

Mewelde Moore, Aaron Smith and James Harrison will also ride the pine this weekend.  Casey Hampton looks doubtful right now so expect the defensive line to look like this:

Brett Keisel, Chris Hoke, Ziggy Hood with Steve McLendon and Cam Heyward seeing significant playing time. 

It has been interesting to see the change coming at defensive line.  Smith, Hampton and Keisel have relied mostly on a power/bull pass rush where they literally shove the offensive linemen into the backfield and QB.  Ziggy Hood and Cam Heyward have that kind of power but they also have a lot more quickness.  Ziggy was literally all over the field last Sunday in pursuit of running backs running the ball and wide receivers catching short passes.  Heyward was unstoppable on multiple plays getting into the backfield and forcing Matt Hasselbeck to throw the ball before he wanted to. 

There were several plays last week which featured inside linebacker Chris Carter, the Steelers 5^th round draft pick out of Fresno State.  As the season rolls on, expect to see more of him and possibly Stevenson Sylvester in the lineup spelling James Farrior and Larry Foote.  Both Foote and Farrior are in their 30’s which means “old” in the NFL (to Warren Sapp it means “finished as well). 

Big Ben will continue to wear his boot to protect his left foot (wasn’t that the name of a movie?) and hopefully he will be as accurate as he was last week (sans the last pass before halftime).  Rashard Mendenhall will be back in the lineup and Bruce Arians, the Steeler offensive coordinator, stated that Mendy is his man.  This coming even though the Steelers had their best running output of the season last week via Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer.  Arians never disappoints.  When something is going right, he immediately stops doing it.  I still expect Redman to get several touches and, if Mendy struggles, Redman could get half or more of the carries.

The Jacksonville Jaguars used to be a strong and intimidating team.  They had huge and nasty defensive linemen like John Henderson and Marcus Stroud.  Now, they are rebuilding that defense and, in the process, are giving up 23 points per game.  Now that’s not bad (12^th in the league) but when your offense only scores 11.8 points per game, it could hurt your chances of making the playoffs.

The offense is “led” by rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert.  Gabbert was thrown into this debacle after the Jags unexpectedly cut their starting QB David Garrard and Luke McCown displayed his best Luke McCown impression during weeks 1 and 2.  Now I don’t have all of the details but the story goes like this. The Jags said that they expected to have Garrard as their starting QB this season.  One morning, less than a week before the start of the regular season, Garrard was making an appearance in downtown Jacksonville to encourage fans to buy season tickets.  Just a few hours later, the Jags cut Garrard and sent him packing.  Now if you knew you were going to cut your star QB, why would you send him on a public relations campaign to generate season ticket sales?  All I can say is CLASSLESS.  That’s what this organization always has been and it always will be as long as Wayne Weaver is the owner of the franchise. There are other incidents with this franchise like when they signed a former Steeler backup QB for the week they played the Steelers.  They pumped him for as much knowledge about the Steelers as they could get, then cut him the day after the game.  JAGOFFS, I tell you!

The best player on the team, without question, is Maurice Jones-Drew AKA pocket Hercules.  He can run, he can catch and he can knock your teeth out with a block—right Shawne Merriman?  Is Merriman still suspended for juicing? 

At any rate, I’m not going to mince words here.  Even though the Steelers have a bunch of guys banged up or just plain injured, this should be a reasonably routine win.  I know my fellow superstitious Steeler fans, I just jinxed us.  But if the Steelers can’t play as well this week as they did last week against a much better opponent, then maybe the Steelers aren’t that good this year. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the game and the team.  Feel free to leave comments on the blog.  Thanks for reading!  And remember, no matter where you go in this world, you’re ALWAYS in Steeler Country!

Photo courtesy of the AP

...most Steeler fans last longer in bed than the weekly starting offensive line for the Steelers

Not even Hawkeye and Trapper John could patch up the Steeler roster this week

The Tennessee Titans will visit Heinz Field on Sunday to play our Hometown Steelers.  The Titans are a much different team than in recent years.  Gone are Jeff “sunglasses at night” Fisher, LenDale “I fought the towel and the towel won” White and “Dream Team” member Vince Young.  The brash and whiny squeal of Fisher, a constant complainer to referees, has been replaced by the calm, cool and collected Mike Munchak.  Munchak was born and raised in Scranton PA and was an offensive lineman at Penn State.  Munchak continued his career in the NFL playing for the Oilers, then coaching for the Oilers and Titans.  The Titans have maintained a very business-like attitude so far this year, letting their on-field play do the talking.  Although they are only ranked 18^th in scoring (22 points/game), they have been efficient on offense.  Matt Hasselbeck is the new sheriff in town and he has been resurrected with a strong offensive line.  He is ranked 6^th, 7^th or 8^th in most passing categories but the key might be that he has thrown 8 TD’s and only 3 interceptions.   Chris Johnson has been very quiet this year, rushing for only 199 yards in 4 games.  But this week, he gets his fullback back in the lineup.  Ahmad Hall served a 4-game suspension for putting something naughty in his Cheerio’s.  He returns this week to lead Johnson against the Steeler defense.

 

The Titan defense is lethal, allowing only 14 points/game which is the best in the NFL.  They allow only 87 yards rushing and 212 yards passing per game.  Gone are the big mouth’s like Albert Haynesworth and Keith Bulluck and a more win-first, talk-later mentality is led by Barrett Ruud, Will Witherspoon and Jason Jones (who has had some great days against the Steelers).  Yes, Cortland “Andre Johnson’s beotch” Finnegan is still on the team and running his mouth.  Hopefully, a couple of teeth-rattling blocks from Hines Ward will shut him up.  The Titans have a handful of former Steelers on the roster, including: Chris Hope; Nate Washington; Anthony “I guarantee a win” Smith; and Patrick Bailey.

It, quite possibly, couldn’t be a worse time for the Steelers to play the best scoring defense in the NFL.  The first line in a Yahoo Sports article about the Steelers injuries started like this, “Counting the preseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have used nine different combinations of starting offensive linemen in nine games this season.”  And people wonder why the offensive line is playing poorly?  Heck, most Steeler fans last longer in bed than the weekly starting offensive line for the Steelers.  Here is this week’s list of casualties:

Max Starks will start at Left Tackle after signing this week

Doug Legursky will start for Chris Kemoeatu at Left Guard

Casey Hampton (shoulder), Aaron Smith (foot), James Harrison (facial surgery) and Mewelde Moore (ankle) are out of the lineup

Jason Worilds is out but no one can figure out how a guy who doesn’t play can be hurt all the time.

Rashard “twinkletoes” Mendenhall is listed as questionable (I think he could play but they want to give Isaac Redman the start). 

Big Ben will play with something resembling a steel-toe boot on his foot.

Following up my blog article on Monday, it was interesting to see Mike Martz, the Bears offensive coordinator (who just so happens to be Bruce Arians’ mentor), used a fullback last week to block for Matt Forte.  Forte had one of the best games of his career, rushing for 205 yards and catching 4 passes for another 23 yards.  Hmmmmm, I wonder what the Steelers could do if they had a fullback to block for our running backs?  Just in case you are scoring at home, the Steelers have won all 6 of their Super Bowl titles with a fullback blocking for the tailback.  Bruce Arians says that his offense does not have a fullback position.  Typically, tight ends are forced to block in place of fullbacks in the Arians offense.  One other offensive mention this week was interesting to me.  Ron Jaworski said that the lockout affected offensive line play most of all in the first quarter of the season.  He said that the timing and cohesiveness that is key to offensive line play has been a glaring weakness throughout the league this year.  Whether you like Jaws or despise him, you would be hard-pressed to find another analyst who watches more game film than he does. 

I spent a lot of time talking about the Titans and not much time about the Steelers.  That’s because I think we all know where the Steelers are right now.  They aren’t desperate for a win but you hate to lose home games to a conference opponent.  Those losses tend to bite you in the backside when it comes to making the playoffs and who plays where if you earn a berth.  Can the Steelers win this week?  Of course.  Will they?

Photo courtesy of Cacchieressa.tumblr.com

What Needs to Change to Get the Steelers Back to the Super Bowl

The Steeler game plan did not include a way to keep Mario Williams out of the backfield on Sunday.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

The quote has been attributed to Albert Einstein who, I assume, was probably smarter than most of us in Steeler country.  Yet this does not deter Bruce Arians from repeatedly steering the Steeler offense down the same path.  Coming into this week’s game with the Texans, the Steelers were ranked 26^th in the NFL in scoring with an average of 18.3 points per game.  This coming in a season where scoring a touchdown is about as easy as ordering chicken wings at your local sports bar.  If the Steelers are going to contend for another Lombardi trophy, some changes must be made on both the offense and defense. 

Bruce Arians has been the Steeler offensive coordinator since 2007.  His reign as offensive coordinator has been filled with the highest of highs and some frustrating lows.  Yes, Arians was the offensive coordinator for the Steeler Super Bowl season of 2008-2009 and last season’s Super Bowl run.  But the prevailing belief throughout Steeler Country was that the Steelers appeared in those two Super Bowls because of their amazingly stingy defense, not because of a scintillating offense.  Here is  Arians’ resume as the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh:

Year        Rushing Rank       Passing Rank       Scoring Rank

2007       3^rd (135.5)           22^nd (191.9)         9^th (24.6)

2008       23^rd (105.6)         17^th (206.3)         20^th (21.7)

2009       19^th (112.1)         9^th (259.2)           12^th (23)

2010       11^th (120.2)         14^th (225.1)         12^th (23.4)

2011       20^th (93.8)           11^th (265.5)         27^th (16.0)

*Yards per game and Points per game in parentheses

As you can see, the Steeler scoring output was best in Arians’ first year and has, at best, been mediocre since then.  Last week, Arians was asked about how the Steeler offense could generate more points.  He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he would like to run the ball better and, if that happens, play action passes should produce a better passing game—I agree with that statement.  He also said, “And I think with the lockout, it's much easier to throw it than it is to run it. I think most people would think it's easier the other way, but guys can throw and catch in shorts all the time. It takes some time to grind out that running game and now, with only one day a week in pads, it even slows the process down."  That didn’t seem to stop the Texans from running the ball on Sunday.  And there are 19 teams that are running the ball better than the Steelers right now.  My beef with Arians is not what he said above, but how his offense translates on the field.  The job of a coach is to put his players in the best position to succeed.  I don’t believe Arians is doing that.  I outlined some of the ways in which the offensive coordinator could help the offensive line succeed in last Monday’s blog post.  This included chipping the defensive ends.  I didn’t see much of that this week and there were a few times where rookie tackle Marcus Gilbert was tasked with blocking Mario Williams on his own.  After last week’s offensive debacle in Indianapolis, one would think adjustments would be made to help the offensive line block pro bowl quality players from dominating a game.  Williams had 2 sacks and was routinely in the Steeler backfield.  Insanity Bruce, insanity.  One other strategy that seemed to work well was the short passing game.  Bruce, if the offensive line can’t block long enough for Ben to throw the ball 40-50 yards downfield, then you will have to settle for what the defense gives you.  Yes, chicks dig the long ball but Steeler country digs wins.  Hines Ward is one of the best in the league at catching quick slants in the middle of the defense.  If you need an introduction to Hines, I will be glad to set up a meeting.

This might be a moot point with the hamstring injury to Rashard Mendenhall but, right now, the Steelers need to sit him and allow Isaac Redman be the workhorse.  After Mendenhall left the game, Redman promptly carried the ball six times for 40 yards and Mewelde Moore toted the rock four times for 34 yards.  Between them, they averaged 7.5 yards/carry whereas Mendenhall averaged 2.8 yards/carry (9 carries for 25 yards).  There didn’t appear to be any drastic changes in the offensive line or the blocking scheme, just the fact that Redman and Moore hit the holes hard or ran to daylight when the holes weren’t where they should be.  Everyone wants to blame the offensive line for everything from Steeler losses to the National Debt.  The offensive line was not pathetic when Redman and Moore were in the game.  In addition, establishing the run game would enhance cohesion among the offensive linemen and build confidence as a unit.  Also, this would take pressure off of the passing game as teams would have to play the Steelers as a run-first team which should be the offensive identity to begin with.  We didn’t draft Mendenhall in the first round so he could dance (we already have 1 dancer on the roster), we drafted him to run the ball, no matter if it was in the open field or in the middle of a pile of bodies.  He’s not doing his job right now, so he has to sit.

Speaking of not doing their jobs, I would like to address the Steeler linebacking corps.  I don’t have to tell anyone in Steeler country that the organization has a long and proud history of game-changing linebackers.  Some of them have been inducted into the hall of fame and many others have been regulars at the Pro Bowl.  This unit is failing the defense right now.  James Harrison is not 100%.  He doesn’t have the burst of speed or the herculean strength that we usually see from him.  He is not getting to the QB as often as he has in the past and, in my estimation, he is not seeing as many double teams as he has faced in the past (I say this because I do not have solid numbers to back this opinion).  Harrison was quoted after the game by the AP “We played like garbage.  Period.  We stink right now.”  At least he is honest about it.  Lawrence Timmons is not playing poorly, but his impact is being limited by teams running their tight end or running back down the middle of the field.  Timmons must cover these routes because James Farrior can’t do it anymore.  I hate to say this but James Farrior is done.  Since 2002, James Farrior has been the heart and soul, as much as anyone else has been the heart and soul, of the Steeler defense.  James can’t keep up with the running backs and tight ends that run pass routes in the middle of the field.  Last week when Joseph Addai ran for the Colts only offensive TD, James took an angle to the hole that was so far off, he didn’t even get a hand on Addai.  He would have easily made that play just last year.  On Arian Foster’s 42 yard touchdown run, James cheated too far to his right, then was hit so hard by the tight end that it took him three steps to regain his balance.  By that time, Foster was breaking to the outside and Farrior was left in his dust.  Speaking of being out of position, Lamarr Woodley was another Steeler linebacker who failed to contain Foster on that play.  Lamarr, made a beeline to the QB, then was so far inside that he couldn’t lay a hand on Foster even though Foster cut back towards Woodley’s gap.  The Steeler defense is set up to prevent big plays.  By playing the run first, and playing a version of cover two deep, the Steeler defense prevents long runs and passes and forces offenses to try and beat them using short passes (this is one reason why the Patriots are so successful versus the Steeler zone blitz).  Woodley has 1.5 sacks this year which, at this rate, would give him 6 sacks for the year.  $61 million for 6 sacks/year?  Nice work if you can get it.  With James Harrison being hurt, Woodley needs to turn up the heat.  The reason why Woodley was drafted was due to his combination of size, strength and speed.  He could play the run, bull rush or speed rush.  I have followed Lamarr since he was at the University of Michigan.  In 2010 and so far in 2011, he has basically given up on the speed rush and simply engages the tackle, sometimes initiating a bull rush.  If the tackle doesn’t have to worry about Lamarr’s speed rush, then Lamarr just blocked himself.  Time to step up, Lamarr.  Let me just make one final point about the linebackers.  If you notice in the past two games, Troy Polamalu has been sneaking up to the line and making plays in the offensive backfield.  If the linebackers were doing their jobs, Troy could play safety and not have to take huge risks like this.  Maybe it is time for younger players to get some playing time.  Stevenson Sylvester played well in the pre-season and Larry Foote is playing better than James Farrior right now.  I'm not panicking, I just think that if your starters are not making plays then other players need to step up and contribute.

As far as the defensive line goes, I already said after the Seattle game that we aren’t getting a big enough push in the middle.  Brett Keisel is hurt right now and that is a bigger problem than most of us realize.  I think Ziggy Hood can be a quality defensive tackle/defensive end.  One of the reasons why he was drafted is that he is big enough to play inside at defensive tackle but he is quick enough to play defensive end.  What is very disconcerting is that when Hood plays a significant portion of Sunday’s game and Antonio Brown finished the game with one more tackle than Ziggy.  There were ample opportunities to make a play on Arian Foster and Ziggy just didn’t make a difference.  Aaron Smith made some decent plays but I think it is obvious that he is just about done.  He no longer gets that surge into the backfield like he used to.  I wasn’t able to isolate Chris Hoke’s play but there was one play when Houston was in the red zone, Hoke was pushed a good five yards off the ball by the center.  That never used to happen and can’t continue if the Steelers want to return to the Super Bowl. 

Change can be good.  This team will find it hard to win by repeating the same behavior for the rest of the 2011 regular season.  If they do, you will see many new faces next year.  Some folks concluded that the Steelers came into this season with almost the identical roster as last year due to the NFL lockout.  Whether that was a factor or they were just plain giddy over their current players only Kevin Colbert can reveal.  The fact is, the Tennessee Titans are coming to town and they are playing much better football than the Steelers right now.  If the Steelers expect to win, they better bring a better game plan and execution to Heinz Field on Sunday. 

I would like to hear your comments both positive and negative.  Thanks for reading!

P.S. I did not lay into the offensive line because there are enough people blaming them for the struggles of this team.  I think they are part of the problem but not entirely the problem.  Some of it is due to coaching, some to play calling and some to a lack of quality time together (like mini-camp and OTA’s).  Is there a lack of talent?  Maybe, but I am not ready to concede that at this time. 

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Why the Colts DNA Changes When Peyton Manning is Out of the Lineup

Peyton Manning takes another hit during one of the greatest games in Steeler history

The Colt offense can be described as a simple song with a madman as its composer.  It’s not as if you don’t know the lyrics or the melody.  In fact, this is a song that you have heard thousands of times before, yet it holds your fascination and wonder just like it did the first time you heard it.  For those of us who are true football fans, watching Peyton Manning conduct the Colt orchestra is a thing of beauty.

It seems odd to say this but Manning isn't really a great athlete.  He's not going to beat you by running like Cam Newton, he doesn't have a rocket arm like Michael Vick and he doesn't even scramble as well as Ben Roethlisberger.  What Peyton Manning does is outwit, outquick and outplay you.  Even though they use the no-huddle offense, the Colts typically run the play clock down to zero or almost zero.  As the teams line up at the line of scrimmage, Manning calls out the signals.  Now if you have ever heard him, you know that he uses crazy words to confuse the defense.  A sequence might go something like this "Brooklyn, Brooklyn!  No! No!  Chocolate souffle!  Chocolate Souffle!"  When the ball is snapped, Manning has usually made up his mind where he is going with the ball.  So in 30 seconds, he has hurried the defense into position, made them stay in their stance for an extended period of time (which is VERY uncomfortable) confused them with real and fake signals and thrown the ball 3 seconds after the snap,  before you can sack him.  You can't just plug someone in to take over.

On Sunday, Peyton Manning will not even be in the building.  Kerry Collins will be the conductor and, so far, he has been tone deaf.  The most glaring statistic for the Colts this year?  Time of possession.  In their two games this year, the Texans held the ball for almost 37 minutes and the Browns had it for over 34 minutes.  John Elway once said that as a QB, it was his job to convert 3rd downs.  If you don't convert those 3rd down opportunities, then you lose possession of the ball.  It is not completely Collins' fault.  You could easily blame the Colts 0-2 start on fate or luck.  Since Manning became the Colts starting QB, the team has recorded only two losing records in 14 years and has appeared in 2 Super Bowls, winning one.  The Colts are not bereft of talent.  They have big names at key positions: Reggie Wayne; Dallas Clark; Jeff Saturday; Ryan Diem; Robert Mathis; Gary Brackett (who I think is the most underrated LB in the league); Dwight Freeney; and Adam Vinatieri.  They also have some strong, young, talented players such as Anthony Castonzo; Pat Angerer; and Drake Nevis.  What this team lacks is direction and leadership.  Manning is such an overwhelming presence, replacing him becomes an impossible task (the Dolphins are still trying to replace Dan Marino). 

I’m not saying that the Colts coaching staff is garbage, far from it.  Jim Caldwell is a winner.  He was Manning’s QB coach before becoming the head coach.  Clyde Christensen (offensive coordinator) has been with the team for 10 years.  Larry Coyer (defensive coordinator) has been a coach for 47 years.  These guys are true professionals.  But in the last two years, the Colts have lost Tom Moore (former offensive coordinator), Howard Mudd (former offensive line coach) and now Manning.  They provided the backbone for how the team was built.  Here’s why:

Bill Polian may go down in history as one of the greatest general managers in the history of pro sports (not just football).  He built the Buffalo Bills teams of the late 80’s-early 90’s, the Carolina Panthers from 1994-1996 (that franchise went from expansion to the NFC Championship game in two years) and the Colts from 1997—present.  There is no question that Polian knows his football.  He uses the draft to fill a roster rather than signing a bevy of free agents to plug holes (are you listening Redskins?). 

The way in which Polian built the Colts was unique.  He selected smaller, faster defensive linemen and linebackers who were more adept at rushing the passer rather than stopping the run.  The theory was, by having Peyton Manning get the team to an early lead (which he often did), the opposing offense would have to throw the ball in order to come back and the Colts would have the ultimate machine to pressure the QB.  But that strategy also comes with risks.  If the opposing team had a lead and they wanted to kill the clock, the Colts would have a harder time stopping the run due to their lack of size with their front seven.  Right now, teams don’t fear the Colts because the maestro is on leave and Polian can’t change the roster fast enough to deal with a Peyton-less offense.  The Colts could suffer their worst season since 1998, when Peyton Manning was a rookie.  But don’t sleep on the Colts. 

Here are a few reasons why they could beat the Steelers on Sunday night:

1)    Kerry Collins can get hot.  Kerry Collins has a 3-1 record in four career starts versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has completed 87 of 138 passes for 958 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Collins has completed 63 percent of his career passes and has a 92.6 passer rating against the Steelers.  (From CBSSports.com)

2)    The Colts are desperate for a win.  This is a proud and talent-filled organization.

3)    They know how to win.  The Colts have had only 1 losing season since Manning’s rookie year.

4)    Home crowd, Sunday night, national TV.  You know the Colts fans will show up screaming as loud as they can (what else is there to do in Indy?).  And Indy has been accused of amplifying the noise in the dome to make it more difficult for the visiting team.  This could affect the Steeler offensive line.  I expect that Mike Tomlin had Ben and the boys working on that silent snap count this week.

What the Steelers need to do to win:

1)    Score first and build a lead

2)    Put pressure on the QB

3)    Protect the ball

4)    Not allow easy chances (special teams gaffes)

5)    Run the ball to eat up the clock

Do I think the Steelers win?  Yes.  Do I think this is a trap game?  Yes.  For those of you who are not familiar with the term, a “trap game” is one in which you are strongly favored to win and your overconfidence and lack of detail work against you and you lose.  I am not confident that Kerry Collins can take the Colts down the field with 1:32 left and no timeouts to win the game.  Whereas when Peyton is in the game, Colts fans figure they might get two possessions with 1:32 left and no timeouts.  The maestro has left the building.  Let’s hope our Steelers leave Lucas Oil Stadium with a win on Sunday night. 

Photo courtesy of Tampabay.com

Is Everyone Off the Ledge?

Mike Wallace with an incredible fingertip grab versus the Seahawks.

Hines Ward with great footwork along the sideline to secure another Steeler first down.

Steeler fans around the world were freaking out all week long at the thought that maybe, just maybe, the dufuses, I mean professional commentators (are you listening Warren Sapp?--FYI, he won't respond to my Tweets to him.) might be right about the Steeler defense being too old.  To a certain extent, they were wrong.  The Steeler defense came loaded for Seahawks on Sunday and didn't let up until the clock hit zero.  The Steelers won the game, 24-0.  Do you realize how hard it is to shut a team out in the NFL nowadays?

The Steeler defense recorded 5 sacks and only allowed 8 first downs and 164 yards total offense.  The Seahawks were 2-12 on third downs and ran for a paltry 31 yards.  In fact, the Seahawks didn't even get into Steeler territory until 1/3 of the way through the fourth quarter.  If you just look at those numbers and that fact, you would think that this was total domination which, for the most part, it was.  For those of us who watch the game and like to pick up on the nuances, there were still a couple of trouble spots.  For example, Brett Keisel was the only defensive lineman to get consistent penetration on pass plays.  Casey Hampton, Ziggy Hood and Aaron Smith, barely got a sniff of the QB.  Also, our pass rush was not particularly effective even though the Steelers recorded 5 sacks (Tarvaris Jackson actually completed 20 of his 29 passes).  This is happening because teams are making James Harrison drop into coverage instead of rushing the passer.  When this occurs, the opposition only needs to block 1 rushing linebacker, Lamarr Woodley.  In the Baltimore game, Harrison dropped into coverage on 56% of pass plays.  This is why I am concerned about the push that we aren't getting from the defensive line.  If teams feel that our defensive line is a major threat, then they have to keep an extra blocker in the backfield which enables Harrison to rush the QB. 

On the offensive side of the ball, Steeler nation held their collective breath in the second quarter as Ben Roethlisberger was hit in the knees by Raheem Brock.  Initially, it looked like a dirty play.  On replay, it was clear that Brock was tripped by Marcus Gilbert who was making his first start at right tackle.  Gilbert was not flagged on the play although it appeared that he tripped Brock on purpose.  Gilbert's real penalty would have been served if Big Ben was seriously injured.  Ben sat out for 2 plays then returned to the game.  He limped around the field for a significant portion of the game but played all 60 minutes. 

The run game was in better form as the Steelers rushed for 124 yards.  Ben passed for 298 yards and Emmanuel Sanders even completed a 15 yard pass.  The offensive line was much less......offensive on Sunday.  Are all the kinks worked out?  Absolutely not.  The right side of the line is not very good right now.  Marcus Gilbert had some highlights and lowlights which is to be expected from a rookie in his first start.  Doug Legursky did not have a good game including a 15 yard clipping penalty (yes, it was bad) that hurt a Steeler drive.  I don't expect the offensive line to be fixed already as this is usually a work in progress but this needs to get better and fast because the Steelers play Houston (week 4), Tennessee (week 5), New England (week 8) and our friends from Baltimore (week 9) soon.  These aren't the greatest defenses of all-time but Houston and New England can score a lot of points and Baltimore and Tennessee are good, solid defenses.  The offensive line will need to play better to score enough points to stay with the Patriots and Texans and play more physically if they expect to beat the Titans and Ravens.

I am very happy to see that the Steelers showed their pride this week and played with the passion we expect from them.  Next week is a "trap" game.  It is called a trap game because Indianapolis is 0-2 and hasn't looked very good on either side of the ball.  The risk here is that the Steelers take Indy too lightly and lay another egg like they did in Baltimore.  I will have a preview of that game later this week.  Celebrate for 6 days Steeler fans, all is right with the world again.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images

5 Things to Watch as Steelers Face the Seahawks

Have the She-hawk fans stopped whining about Super Bowl XL yet?

Here are some quick hitters before you watch today's game. 

1) Who starts at CB?--Bryant McFadden has been hobbled by a hamstring this week.  It will be interesting to see if he or William Gay starts (or if McFadden is able to play the entire game or at all).

2) Marcus Gilbert--In his first start at right tackle, can he establish himself as the answer?  The Steeler offensive line was thoroughly dominated last week vs the Ravens.  Can they get a rhythm going and impose their will on the defense?  There are times when a boy becomes a man--think of today as Marcus Gilbert's Bar Mitzvah.

3) Can the offensive line establish the run and give Ben enough time to get rid of the ball?--Mendenhall had a few decent runs last week (I wish they would work Redman into the lineup more often when the O-line struggles) but overall, the Steelers never established the run game.  Everyone knows that there are times when Ben holds the ball too long.  Last week, there were times when Ben barely had the snap and a defender was in his face.

4) Will Ben protect the ball?--Ben floated a few passes into the Ravens secondary last week, 2 landing in the hands of Ed Reed.  Throwing the ball away is better than lofting passes into the secondary or taking a sack.  I'm just sayin'.

5) Will the Steeler defense look old or youthful today?--There were tons of pundits and fans claiming that the Steeler defense looked old and slow last week.  I can not deny that statement, but Ray Rice has a knack for doing that to opposing defenses.  Marshawn Lynch is more of a punishing runner, not a speedster.  Expect the Steeler D to shut down the running game and force Tarvaris Jackson to win it through the air.


photo courtesy of examiner.com

I'd Rather Go to the Dentist

I have been watching Steeler football for 35 years.  There are very few instances where the team has played this poorly.  Is this a serious, Achilles heel-like flaw that can’t be fixed or was this performance an aberration? 
No one can deny that the blame for Sunday’s game should be shared by coaches and players. The Offense: the offensive line was like a sieve; the quarterback was careless with the ball; Mendenhall ran tentatively; and the receivers were not aggressive or physical enough against the Ravens’ average CB’s.  The Bruce Arians offense was atrocious in its attack.  It was obvious in the first quarter that Terrell Suggs was a dominant force and needed to be dealt with.  The offensive coordinator has a few tools at his disposal to deal with an aggressive pass rusher like Suggs.  He can have a tight end line up across from Suggs and have him block Suggs briefly (chip him) before he runs downfield.  He can have the RB line up on the same side of the offense and help the OT block.  He can also call plays like a draw play or screen pass or shovel pass to force Suggs to slow his roll.  Very little of those tactics were used.  In addition, the Steeler offense did not use their speed at wide receiver to spread the Ravens defense out and pick them apart (pass defense is their weakness).

The Steeler defense went planking on Sunday, plain and simple.  The Defense: the front line was manhandled; a search party was organized to find James Farrior; Lawrence Timmons couldn’t cover a crock pot; Bryant McFadden looked out of shape; and Troy Polamalu was a step late and a dollar short (until he caused a fight).  I don’t like to second guess Dick LeBeau but it seemed like the Ravens offense was always a step ahead of the Steeler defense.  There was a lack of pressure on Joe Flacco that was only outdone by the missing coverage of receivers and RB’s coming out of the backfield.  In summary, the team did not look ready to play, especially against their most hated rival.  As Mike Tomlin likes to say, "The standard is the standard" when it comes to the Steeler organization.  There is no way that the standard of play on Sunday will be tolerated.

I would like to draw a comparison to the start of the 2004 Steeler season.  Week 1 saw the Steelers beat the Raiders in the home opener at Heinz Field.  Week 2 in Baltimore not only saw the Steelers dominated by the Ravens in a 30-13 loss, but starting QB Tommy Maddox was injured while being sacked.  This gave birth to the Ben Roethlisberger era.  The team pulled together the following week in Miami through the torrential remnants of a hurricane to beat the Dolphins 13-3 (I know, I was there—and got soaked).  The team continued to work together supporting their young QB to a 15-1 record, which is the best regular season record in franchise history. 

Will the Steelers pull together like they did in 2004?  We will get an indication this Sunday when they face the Seattle Seahawks at 1pm at Heinz Field.  If they don’t, this could be a long, painful season.

Photo courtesy of Yahoo Sports

Predictions for the 2011 NFL Season

As I look into my crystal ball.......

AFC EAST
1) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS--I know, I hate to say it but they are the beast of the east.  If Brady stays healthy, they could win 14 or more games.  They have an amazingly easy schedule.
2) NEW YORK JETS--The Jets would have a shot at 1st place if they switched schedules with the Cheatriots, I mean the Patriots.  Rex will have them fired up and they always play well on the road in the playoffs anyway (except the first half of the AFC championship in the Burgh last year).
3) MIAMI DOLPHINS--Does it really matter if it is the Bills or Fins here?  Both have tough schedules but Miami was much better defensively last year.
4) BUFFALO BILLS--They gave away their best playmaker (Lee Evans) for a little more than a nerf football.  Another season without the playoffs in Buffalo.

AFC NORTH
1) PITTSBURGH STEELERS--What a boring off-season it was for the defending AFC champs.  First it was the lockout, then a boring training camp and no surprises when cuts were made.  The Steelers are effectively going into the 2011 season with the same lineup as the 2010 season.  2010 turned out pretty well, except for the last game of the year.  We will see if our boys can avoid their 3rd post-Superbowl letdown in 6yrs.
2) BALTIMORE RAVENS--Right now, I don't see Joe Flacco winning big games.  Every game against the Steelers is a big game and Joe can't beat them Steelers.  When will that defense get too old to stop anyone (you could say the same about the Steelers)?  Maybe this year.
3) CLEVELAND BROWNS--Colt McCoy played well last year and after watching him play at the University of Texas, you know he has an insatiable drive to win.  They could possibly win the first 6 games of the season (Cincy, @ Indy, Miami, Tenn, @Oakland, Seattle).  All those games are winnable.  Will they win them?  I doubt it, but they will be competitive.
4) CINCINNATI BENGALS--Their franchise QB would rather retire than play for them and their top RB just spent 5 days in jail.  Typical Bungles.  They low balled their 2nd best CB and he left town so they signed a guy who didn't play up to his mega contract in San Fran to take his place.  Typical Bungles.

AFC SOUTH
1) HOUSTON TEXANS--It amazes me that the unemployment rate stays above 9% and yet Gary Kubiak still has a job.  Many have said it before, but this is the year.
2) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS--I am not confident in this pick since it looks like Peyton Manning will miss most or all of the season.  But looking at the schedules for Jax and Tenn, I think the Colts still have more talent and will win more games.  And Kerry Collins is a good QB.
3) TENNESSEE TITANS--They have a much better QB situation than the Jags right now and the NFL is a QB driven league.
4) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS--The Jags just cut their starting QB and word is, the veterans on the team have lost a lot of trust in Jack Del Rio.  Now, I used to like Jack but I am starting to think that he is either a puppet for an incompetent owner or he really is that big of a douchebag.

AFC WEST
1) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS--Last year, the Bolts had the #1 offense and #1 defense in the league during the regular season and they barely won 9 games.  They have a new special teams coach who is guaranteed to keep them from giving away games on punt and kick returns.
2) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS--Somehow, they won the division last year with a defense that couldn't stop a sloth.  Their offense carried them week after week.  The running game should be strong but they wasted their 1st round pick on Jonathan Baldwin who injured his thumb when Thomas Jones jacked him up.  Word around the locker room is that Baldwin is a diva and the veterans don't care for his attitude.  Bowe and Breaston will have to pick up the slack until Baldwin buys in.
3) OAKLAND RAIDERS--I'm only putting the Raiders here because they went undefeated in the division last year.  In fact, they are the only team in NFL history to sweep their divisional games and not make the playoffs.
4) DENVER BRONCOS--Not even Jesus could make them a playoff team.......oh wait, he already plays for the Broncos (Tim Tebow).  They have some very good talent (Knowshon, Brandon Lloyd, Dumervil, Von Miller, Champ) but until they prove they can play Orange Crush defense again, I can't put them near the top of the division.

NFC EAST
1) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES--This isn't because Vince Young is on the team or that he called the Eagles the "Dream Team".  They have the most talent of any team in the division and they SHOULD win the division.
2) NEW YORK GIANTS--Before the last couple of weeks, the Giants were expected to give the dream team a run for their money.  But with several injuries and the fact that the offensive line is in the midst of a makeover, I can't make a case for them to be #1 in this division.
3) DALLAS COWBOYS--This will make most Steeler fans sick that I didn't pick the Cowpunks last in their division (and that could still happen).  I picked them 3rd because again, the NFL is a QB driven league and Tony Romo is a better QB than Rex Grossman.
4) WASHINGTON REDSKINS--Yeah, I saw how good they looked against the Steelers in the preseason.  But preseason means NOTHING!  This team always finds a way to disappoint.  Why should this year be any different?

NFC NORTH
1) GREEN BAY PACKERS--The defending champs.  It doesn't feel good saying that but they are the champs.  They have a strong defense, a solid running game and one of the top 5 QB's in the game.  Can't say they won't win the division again.
2) CHICAGO BEARS--The came thisclose to beating the Pack in the NFC championship game last year.  They still have one of the most physical defenses in the league but the real question is, can their offensive line protect Jay Cutler?  They added Marion Barber to the backfield and if he has anything left in the tank, he will be an excellent addition when they need his physical running style in December.
3) DETROIT LIONS--Yeah, I said it.  The Lions are going to get out of the basement and be competitive this year.  They can't unseat the Pack or Bears for 1 and 2 in the division (unless a rash of injuries decimates one of those squads) but they can be competitive if Stafford can play 16 games.
4) MINNESOTA VIKINGS--They allowed one of their top playmakers to go to Seattle (no, I'm not talking about Tarvaris Jackson).  They still have a solid defense and AP in the backfield.  Some are saying that Kyle Rudolph will be a star for this team.....but he's listed as #2 on the depth chart at TE.  Maybe next year, Vikes.

NFC SOUTH
1) ATLANTA FALCONS--In a way, I can't believe I'm saying this but the birds will win the division.  They look strong on offense and solid on defense.  The reason why I am picking them is that I feel they have the best defense in the division....and defense wins championships.
2) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS--They can put up points with the best of them.  Now, they have Darren Sproles who could set speed records on the Superdome turf.  The only problem?  They have a high stakes gambling defense.  If they don't force some turnovers, the scoreboard will be lit up all day.
3) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS--The Bucs are an up-and-coming team.  Josh Freeman is a fearless leader who wills his team to come from behind on a regular basis.  Their only problem is, they are in the strongest division in the league (unless you want to consider the NFC north the strongest).  They will have a shot at the division title next year.
4) CAROLINA PANTHERS--Last place couldn't happen to a nicer (bitter) guy, Jerry Richardson.  His treatment of the team and coaching staff last year impacted the NFL labor talks and formed the new agreement (guaranteed money, salary cap requirements).  His derogatory comments about the players at the talks were arrogant and condescending.  The only way this gets better is if they lose all 16 games.

NFC WEST
1) ST. LOUIS RAMS--Ok, like winning the NFC west shouldn't even be recognized.  It's like asking who won the District of Columbia during the last Presidential election.  The other, somewhat, logical pick here is the Cardinals but they don't play defense.  Gotta play some defense to win your division.  Spags will have the Rams playing some defense.
2) ARIZONA CARDINALS--Is Kevin Kolb the second coming.......of Kurt Warner?  Could be, time will tell.  It's time for Beanie Wells to either make a name for himself or become another Ohio State has-been (or in his case is it a never-was?).
3) SAN FRANCISCO 49ers--They will never be relevant as long as they are owned and run by the York family. 
4) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS--Aren't they still crying about Superbowl XL?  One last time, this is a QB driven league and they have: Charlie Whitehurst, Tarvaris Jackson and Josh Portis (from California PA) on the roster at QB.  I rest my case.

Playoffs: wildcard teams: Ravens, Jets, Buccaneers, Saints
Conference Champions: Steelers, Packers
Super Bowl Champion: Steelers


Photo courtesy of thebitchywaiter.blogspot.com

Great Steelers/Ravens Moments

Here are some amazing pictures from past Steelers/Ravens showdowns.  Click on the pictures for a larger view.



Much Ado About Nothing?

Tony Hills was a casualty of the final 5 cuts made by the Steelers on Saturday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of Bleacherreport.com)

I have been silent (some might say strangely silent) during the Steeler preseason this year.  The reason?  There ain't much happening.  The Steelers have chosen to take nearly the same roster into 2011 as they had in 2010.  At this time, the biggest story is how the 2008 draft can be analyzed.  Just three years after drafting a class that looked very promising, only three names remain: Rashard Mendenhall; Dennis Dixon; and Ryan Mundy.  And those who have been shown the door: Limas Sweed; Bruce Davis; Tony Hills; and Mike Humpal. 

There is no doubt that Mendenhall was worth a first round pick.  He is a strong and powerful weapon in the Steeler offense.  Dennis Dixon was a 5th round pick and he has had his highlights and lowlights--but that is what you expect from a 5th round pick.  Ryan Mundy was selected in the 6th round and he has been used sparingly--pretty much what you expect from a 6th round pick.

Now, the trainwrecks.  Limas Sweed seemed to be a steal in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft.  But a faked injury and several dropped passes later and he has been moved to an undisclosed location.  Bruce Davis was chosen in the 3rd round, and again, he was looked at as a steal.  He was a playmaker in college and the son of a former NFL player.  It soon appeared that the apple fell far from the tree.  The most recent FAIL was sent packing yesterday afternoon.  In fact, it took so long to cut Tony Hills that it worries me what we have left on our offensive line.  Hills was a tackle at the University of Texas and the Steelers picked him in the 4th round.  Now 4th round offensive line selections tend to be guys who need some work.  Maybe their weight is an issue or they have bad footwork or maybe they just need to learn how to be a mean SOB that protects the quarterback's blindside.  It seems that the Steelers gave Hills every chance to be a contributor for three years.  Unfortunately, he didn't develop into the kind of player they needed. 

What worries me about the Hills cut is that, as of two weeks ago, he was competing for the starting right guard position.  If he went from a possible starting right guard to being cut, what does that say about our offensive line?  Does this mean that the guys who made the team are really close to being on the street as well?  Right now, Doug Legursky is going to start at right guard.  This makes sense because it seems whenever we have a breakdown at center or guard, someone hits the "EASY" button and Legursky trots onto the field.  The problem with making Legursky a starter is that if there are any problems/injuries to Maurkice Pouncey or Chris Kemoeatu, we might have to shuffle two offensive line positions to have the best lineup.  I don't recall a time where the offensive line has been this unstable.  Maybe I am overreacting and the announcement that Hills was a possible week 1 starter at right guard was a way to motivate him to seal the deal.  If that was the case, then it didn't work.  If it was legitimate, and in two weeks he went from possible starter to driving a cab, I can't feel real confident about it.  I trust that Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin know what they are doing.  I just hope that the offensive line looks better than it did during the preseason.