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 Steelers Need to Bring Their "A" Game to Texas

Just click your heels and the Steeler offensive line will be fixed

If it was only so easy, I would put on those red slippers like Dorothy did in “The Wizard of Oz”, click my heels together and the bad stuff would all go away.  (I know I will get comments from some of my friends about that sentence.)  Right now, the bad news for the Steeler offensive line is like the runaway train in “Unstoppable” (filmed in Pennsylvania in 2009-2010).  Every day, more and more bad news comes rolling down the tracks.

On Friday, Doug Legursky and Jonathan Scott were ruled out of Sunday’s game versus the Texans.  Now there are many Steeler fans who let out a big cheer when that was announced but when they came back to their senses, they realized who would be taking their places, Ramon Foster and Trai Essex, and they popped a few Rolaids to keep their lunch down.  I’m not hating on Foster and Essex, it’s just that if they aren’t starters on an offensive line that is struggling, then how bad can this get?  I didn’t blame all of the problems last week on the offensive line, I thought it was a collective disaster.

The problem with the offensive line is that there isn’t any consistency.  There have been players shifted between positions since day one of training camp.  The offensive line is unique, think of it as a chain on a bike.  If one link is off, the whole bike can’t move forward.  The entire offense is similar, in that everyone needs to be on the same page when it comes to: the snap count; the blocking scheme; the timing of the play; the handoff from the QB; and the patience or urgency of the running back when hitting the hole.  If the timing is off or players are confused or indecisive at the point of attack, then you are in a load of trouble.  The lack of consistency in the offensive line has resulted in a running game that is ranked 23^rd in the NFL in yards/game (85.7) and an offense with twice as many turnovers (10) as TD’s (5).  All this is coming at a time when teams are lighting up the scoreboard.  Needless to say, this is NOT Steeler football.

The reason why this is such a big deal is that the Steelers face a pass rusher in Mario Williams who can dominate one side of the offensive line.  On the other side, JJ Watt is proving to be no slouch himself.  He was selected in the first round of the 2011 draft out of Wisconsin, the 11^th pick overall.  He is the total package of big, strong and fast.  They also have DeMeco Ryans who would be a starting linebacker on every other NFL team and Brian “Juice” Cushing who can ‘needle’ his way into any backfield. 

Now I know some people might take exception with my assessment here but the numbers and the successes don’t lie.  The brain trust behind the Texans’ defensive improvement this year is none other than Wade Phillips.  Although Wade has had a less than stellar career as a head coach, his defenses have always been much closer to the top than the bottom.  Last year, the Texans defense was 29^th overall.  This year, they are 10^th…..and that’s after Drew Brees lit them up for 40 points last week (then again, Drew Brees lights most teams up for 35+). 

Offensively, the Texans are loaded with talent.  They are averaging 30 points/game and they are ranked 5th in rushing yards/game (138yds) and 12th in passing yards/game (262yds).  Matt Schaub is everyone’s 2^nd level QB behind Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers.  Andre Johnson is an amazing athlete and wide receiver.  He is big, strong and fast and he has a focus on the field that is unmatched.  The Texans also have a supporting staff that is better than most in the NFL: Owen Daniels; Eric Winston; Arian Foster; Kevin Walter; and Ben Tate (and the only throwing Matt Leinart is doing is throwing beer parties for college girls). 

Is it all gloom and doom?  No.  The Steelers must play their best game of the year.  They need to play like they did against the Eagles in the preseason.  If they can limit their mistakes, play as a cohesive unit and exploit the weaknesses that the Saints pointed out last week, we could see a big Steeler victory deep in the heart of Texas.  Here are some keys to winning.

What the Steelers need to do to win:

1)    Run the football—keep the ball out of the hands of the Texans stars and establish an attitude with the O-line

2)    Get a big play defensively—the Steeler defense has only 1 turnover in 3 games.  Really?

3)    Win the special teams matchup—if the Steeler offense can’t get rolling then field position will be much more important.  A score on special teams would be a big help.

4)    No turnovers—you can’t give the Texans 13 points like the Steelers did with the Colts.

5)    Hit Matt Schaub—Schaub has never been confused with being a tough guy.  Send a message by hitting him hard and often.

Pat Kirwan, a longtime NFL executive and host of “Moving the Chains” on Sirius NFL Radio, said that he likes the Steelers in this game because throughout the Super Bowl era, you rarely see the Steelers play 2 bad games in a row.  He’s right and I hope that this claim holds true on Sunday.  What are your thoughts?  Please comment below.

Photo courtesy of tangoshoedivas.com

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