Pittsburgh Steelers All-Decade Team: Defense/Special Teams

With the new year in full swing and resolutions set, it’s time to take one last look back at the past decade.

Time flies by too quickly, but with reflection, we can preserve it in our minds like it was yesterday.

Last week, I focused on the offensive side of the ball selecting the Pittsburgh Steelers’ All-Decade team.

Now we take a look at defensive and special teams to complete this look back at the decade that was in Steelers history.

A history, in fact, that was quite good for the Steeler Nation.

To review, two Super Bowl titles and six division crowns gave the Black and Gold their best decade since the team of the seventies ruled the NFL.

So, for your enjoyment and discussion, my version of the Steelers’ All-Decade team: defense and special teams.

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Pittsburgh Steelers’ All-Decade Team: Offense

The end of a decade is always a time for reflection.

It’s a time to look back at the best and the worst of the past ten years, in your life and the world as well.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the decade has been a very good one.

Two Super Bowl titles and six division titles gave the black and gold their best decade since the team of the seventies ruled the NFL.

As the club prepares for the next decade, it’s time to look back on the last 10 seasons. Presenting the unofficial Steelers’ All-Decade Team, starting today with the offense.

One note to bring to your attention is the at fullback. Since the position has slowly been phased out of the modern day offense, I decided to choose two running backs instead. Sorry Dan Kreider.

For your enjoyment and discussion. My version of the Steelers’ All-Decade team: offense.

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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Playoff Hopes Still Alive

Football is a crazy game.

Fortunes can change in the blink of an eye. A missed field goal or dropped pass can mean the difference between victory or defeat, glory or shame.

Case in point: the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Three weeks ago the black and gold were being read their last rites.

Mired in a five-game losing skid, the Steelers limped home with a 6-7 mark after losing to the Cleveland Browns on national television.

With the prospects of facing a resurgent Green Bay Packers squad and the always tough Baltimore Ravens on the horizon, all hope seemed lost.

So most of us thought.

Thanks to some amazing play by QB Ben Roethlisberger and LB LaMarr Woodley, plus a little bit of lady luck, the Steelers have won two straight and forced themselves back into the AFC playoff picture.

With the final week of the season approaching, the playoff scenario for Pittsburgh has become pretty clear.

Clear, but not easy to achieve.

The Steelers will clinch a playoff spot if any one of the following three steps is met:

1. Steelers win and Houston loses or ties and New York Jets lose or tie.

2. Steelers win and Houston loses or ties and Baltimore loses or ties.

3. Steelers win and New York Jets lose or tie and Baltimore loses or ties and Denver loses or ties.

The Steelers finish their season this weekend in Miami. Houston meets New England, the Jets play Cincinnati, Baltimore hosts Oakland and Denver goes against Kansas City.

Nothing is ever guaranteed; but on paper the Ravens and Broncos should pick up wins, leaving Pittsburgh dependant on scenario one coming to pass.

The Patriots and Bengals are still fighting for seeding position, so the starters on both squads will be in, making it very tough for Houston and New York.

None of that will matter much if the Steelers don’t beat the Dolphins. And if you’re a card-carrying member of the Steeler Nation, there’s reason to be concerned.

The game is in Miami and Pittsburgh is a dismal 2-5 on the road, with losses coming to the likes of the Chiefs (3-12), Browns (4-11) and Bears (5-9).

Pittsburgh has played down to the competition on the road this season and must raise its game to a higher level.

Even during the two-game win streak, the effort has been shaky.

Against Green Bay, the Steelers needed a herculean effort from Roethlisberger to pull out the 37-36 victory. The Ravens ran Pittsburgh ragged in the second half, but mental mistakes kept them from victory.

The secondary is still being picked apart, especially on deep balls in the middle of the field. The corners still don’t have an interception this season.

To make matters worse, veteran WR Hines Ward may not play this week due to his balky hamstring.

However, all is not gloom and doom.

The Steelers seem to have a little bit of that swagger back.

Roethlisberger is playing at a very high level and that has the offense on the upswing. Woodley has been lights out on the defensive side and youngsters like DE Ziggy Hood and WR Mike Wallace are getting better and better with increased playing time.

Perhaps no one summed up the Steelers’ recent success better than one of their own.

“It’s good to have a heartbeat back; it’s good to have a little pulse, to see a little light,” cornerback Deshea Townsend said. “It’s about trying to get on that roll at the right time.”

The right time could be now.

Three weeks ago Pittsburgh was down to its last breath, attached to life support. Now, with renewed vigor, the Steelers have righted the ship with an opportunity at the playoffs staring them in the face.

Football is indeed a crazy game.

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Pittsburgh Steelers: Rusting From the Inside Out

The Super Bowl hangover has officially arrived in full force for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It started as a light wind, but now rampages at category five hurricane status.

Who would have thought that 11 games into the 2009 season the Steelers would be 6-5 and fighting for their playoff lives?

Who could have predicted the defense would consistently play flat late in games, the locker room would be in turmoil, and festering anger and frustration would cause the ultimate team player to call out his star quarterback on national TV?

This is the sad state the defending champions are in.

Let’s not sugarcoat this. If the Steelers don’t get their act together soon, like right now, the playoffs are history.

Pittsburgh has lost three straight games and is close to sliding free-fall down the slippery slope.

The rest of the team should heed what DE Brett Keisel said after the loss to the Ravens last night:

“We’ve got to win out. There are no ifs, ands, or buts. We’ve got to win out in order for us to be playing in January.”

A tall order.

Can it be done? The schedule says yes.

The Steelers can right the ship in hurry with Oakland (3-8) coming to town this week, and a road date with Cleveland (1-10) following. That should put them at 8-5.

Home dates with Baltimore (6-5) and surging Green Bay (7-4) will be tough before closing out the season on the road at Miami (5-6).

Beating the Ravens and Packers would put Pittsburgh in pretty good shape for a playoff birth, but mark my words, it won’t be easy by any stretch. They can’t afford to lose focus or have a letdown. The Kansas City game proved that much.

The locker room is in disarray. There can be zero argument against that now. Not after last night.

The seeds of discontent were sewed last week when LB James Harrison stated he felt they weren’t playing together as a team. The word of division in the locker room spread. Coach Mike Tomlin downplayed it in his weekly press conference.

Just when Tomlin thought it blew over, Hines Ward went and threw grease right on the fire. Ward, the heart and soul of the Steelers, called QB Ben Roethlisberger out, and on national television to boot.

Speaking with Bob Costas on a taped portion of the NBC pregame show, Ward talked about the locker room being “like a 50/50 toss-up” over whether Roethlisberger should have played last night despite a concussion from seven days earlier.

“It’s almost like a 50/50 toss-up in the locker room: Should he play? Shouldn’t he play? It’s really hard to say. I’ve been out there dinged up; the following week, got right back out there. Ben practiced all week. He split time with Dennis Dixon. And then to find out that he’s still having some headaches and not playing and it came down to the doctors didn’t feel that they were going to clear him or not—it’s hard to say. Unless you’re the person [himself]. …I’ve lied to a couple of doctors saying I’m straight, I feel good when I know that I’m not really straight.

“This game is almost like a playoff game. It’s almost a must-win. I could see some players or teammates questioning, like ‘It’s just a concussion. I’ve played with a concussion before.”

Wow! Strong words indeed.

Ward attempted to downplay his comments after the game, but the damage has been done.

Words can cause as much, if not more, pain than physical abuse. No matter how much the doctors try and spin it, the all-time franchise leader in every receiving category implied that Roethlisberger wasn’t tough enough to play last night. In essence, according to Ward, Big Ben let the team down.

And notice he said the rest of the guys are 50/50 on the issue. That sounds like a divided locker room to me.

Tomlin needs to get these guys on the same page in a hurry or the season could be lost.

Injuries, coupled with tension and frustration, have spilled over into their on-field performance.

For the fourth time this season, the defense couldn’t hold a lead in the fourth quarter. Don’t blame Dixon’s pick for the loss. He played a decent game under the circumstances. It was the defense, or lack thereof, that let Ray Rice and company rip them up in overtime.

This squad was made of tough, Pittsburgh steel last season, and they won their sixth ring because of it. This year that steel is rusting due to injuries and internal strife.

Now, with the season on the brink, only Tomlin and his staff can repair the damage and get the Steelers back on track.

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Steelers-Ravens: Ben Roethlisberger Out, Dennis Dixon In

In a stunning turn of events, it appears Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will not play Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

Roethlisberger complained of headaches after practice on Wednesday and Thursday, despite passing all neurological tests this week and pronouncing himself fit to play.

Team doctors will test him today and tomorrow to see how he feels and if he’ll be able to go, but all signs point to Big Ben not playing.

Dennis Dixon, who started the season as the No. 3 man, will be making the first NFL start of his career.

The Steelers plan to sign quarterback Tyler Palko from the practice squad today to their 53-man roster and he will back up Dixon tomorrow in Baltimore provided Roethlisberger does not suit up.

Palko’s first practice with the Steelers came Thursday after he cleared CFL waivers and was signed to their practice squad. Veteran receiver Shaun McDonald will be released.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Need to Adjust Goals and Refocus Efforts

After a typically grueling AFC North battle on Sunday, the reality of what just happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers hit them like a splash of cold water to the face.

The facts are true and cannot be altered. Wishing and praying won’t change circumstances.

The Steelers will not win the division—that honor belongs to the Cincinnati Bengals—and now face the challenge of defending their world championship via the wild card route. Not what the franchise envisioned when the season began, for sure, but stone cold reality has a way of dashing one’s dreams sometimes.

The Bengals own the AFC North. There’s zero doubt about that now. Any hope the Steeler Nation has of a collapse won’t happen, unless Carson Palmer goes down in a heap once again.

Cincinnati owns two wins each over Pittsburgh and Baltimore, are 5-0 in the division, and have a cupcake schedule down the stretch. The record of their last seven opponents is a paltry 24-37 combined, with only the Vikings and the Chargers as serious threats. The Bengals’ next three games are against Oakland (2-7), Cleveland (1-7), and Detroit (1-8).

Of course, miracles can happen, but I highly doubt it in this case. This isn’t the typical Cincinnati team we’re used to. The Bengals came to town and beat Pittsburgh by playing Steeler football—fast, physical, and in your face. They aren’t going to fade away.

Technically, the Bengals have a two-game lead in the division. Pittsburgh can’t afford to lose another game.

One Steeler has already come to terms with the situation.

“I mean, they’re going to be division champs,” Steelers S Ryan Clark said. “[We] already know we have to beat them with the overall record. That’s tough. We have to win out. Don’t get me wrong, I’d give one of my arms to play them again.”

All hope is not gone.

The Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2006 as a wild card entry and have the talent to make a run at it again, but the 2009 version has some glaring weaknesses the 2005-06 squad didn’t have.

The special teams’ coverage units are horrible. The three touchdowns they’ve given up this season is all the evidence you need. Add an offensive coordinator who abandons the run when adversity strikes, along with a team that loses its composure late in games and turns the ball over too much, and you have a recipe for an early playoff exit or, worse, no playoff berth at all.

It also doesn’t help the cause knowing Troy Polamalu hasn’t been 100 percent all season and probably won’t be the rest of the way.

Some things can be changed right now.

Mike Tomlin cannot allow Rashard Mendenhall to touch the football only 13 times. It’s inexcusable. He’s been the team’s best offensive player the last four or five weeks, and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians takes the ball out of his hands. Unreal.

Arians called 40 passes and only 18 runs against the Bengals. That won’t get a win against a good team. You need some sort of balance to succeed in the NFL. Being one-dimensional gets you nothing but beat.

The red zone offense must improve. Against the Bengals, the Steelers had a total of 16 yards, counting sacks and penalties, in the red area. Four red zone trips, four field goals. There’s the game in a nutshell.

Pittsburgh gets a break in its schedule and a chance to right the ship with three of its next four games against teams with losing records: Kansas City (2-7), Oakland (2-7), and Cleveland (1-7).

What has to happen now is an adjustment of goals, attitude, and a refocused commitment to excellence. The Steelers must play with a sense of urgency. Every game counts. There is no margin for error.

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Steelers Need to Adjust Goals and Refocus Efforts

After a typically grueling AFC North battle on Sunday, the reality of what just happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers hit them like a splash of cold water to the face.

The facts are true and cannot be altered. Wishing and praying won’t change circumstances.

The Steelers will not win the division—that honor belongs to the Cincinnati Bengals—and now face the challenge of defending their world championship via the wild card route.

Not what the franchise envisioned when the season began, for sure, but stone cold reality has a way of dashing one’s dreams sometimes.

The Bengals own the AFC North. There’s zero doubt about that now. Any hope the Steeler Nation has of a collapse won’t happen, unless Carson Palmer goes down in a heap once again.

Cincinnati owns two wins over Pittsburgh and Baltimore, are 5-0 in the division, and have a cupcake schedule down the stretch. The record of their last seven opponents is a paltry 24-37 combined, with only the Vikings and the Chargers as serious threats. The Bengals’ next three games are against Oakland (2-7), Cleveland (1-7), and Detroit (1-8).

Of course, miracles can happen, but I highly doubt it in this case. This isn’t the typical Cincinnati team we’re used to. The Bengals came to town and beat Pittsburgh by playing Steeler football—fast, physical, and in your face. They aren’t going to fade away.

Technically, the Bengals have a two-game lead in the division. Pittsburgh can’t afford to lose another game.

One Steeler has already come to terms with the situation.

“I mean, they’re going to be division champs,” Steelers S Ryan Clark said. “[We] already know we have to beat them with the overall record. That’s tough. We have to win out. Don’t get me wrong, I’d give one of my arms to play them again.”

All hope is not gone.

The Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2006 as a wild card entry and have the talent to make a run at it again, but the 2009 version has some glaring weaknesses the 2005-06 squad didn’t have.

The special teams’ coverage units are horrible. The three touchdowns they’ve given up this season is all the evidence you need. Add an offensive coordinator who abandons the run when adversity strikes, along with a team that loses its composure late in games and turns the ball over too much, and you have a recipe for an early playoff exit or, worse, no playoff berth at all.

It also doesn’t help the cause knowing Troy Polamalu hasn’t been 100 percent all season and probably won’t be the rest of the way.

Some things can be changed right now.

Mike Tomlin cannot allow Rashard Mendenhall to touch the football only 13 times. It’s inexcusable. He’s been the team’s best offensive player the last four or five weeks, and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians takes the ball out of his hands. Unreal.

Arians called 40 passes and only 18 runs against the Bengals. That won’t get a win against a good team. You need some sort of balance to succeed in the NFL. Being one-dimensional gets you nothing but beat.

The red zone offense must improve. Against the Bengals, the Steelers had a total of -16 yards, counting sacks and penalties, in the red area. Four red zone trips, four field goals. There’s the game in a nutshell.

Pittsburgh gets a break in its schedule and a chance to right the ship with three of its next four games against teams with losing records: Kansas City (2-7), Oakland (2-7), and Cleveland (1-7).

What has to happen now is an adjustment of goals, attitude, and a refocused commitment to excellence. The Steelers must play with a sense of urgency. Every game counts. There is no margin for error.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Bye Breakdown: The Good and Bad for the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are resting, healing, and enjoying a well-deserved break after going 5-2 before the bye week.

The Steelers enter this respite with a four-game winning streak and a defense that’s beginning to play like the one we’ve come to know and love.

But not everything is picture-perfect. Like any team, even good ones, there are some weaknesses, chinks in the armor if you will, to go along with their strengths.

Here’s an analysis of the good and bad Pittsburgh has displayed so far in 2009.

 

The Good

1. The Defense

Even with all-everything Troy Polamalu missing four games and DE Aaron Smith out for the season, the Steelers defense is playing at a high level.

Pittsburgh is No. 8 in total defense giving up 291 yards per game, down from last season’s 237.2 yards and the No. 1 ranking.

The run defense has been excellent, allowing only 76.6 yards a game, second in the league. The passing defense is rated 15th in the NFL, which dropped the overall rating down, due in no small part to Polamalu’s absence.

Getting to the quarterback is still a specialty for this unit. The Steelers have 21 sacks, second in the league, with LB James Harrison collecting eight, putting him halfway to his franchise record of 16 sacks.

All in all, the defense is not as dominant as last year, but it’s still pretty damn good.

 

2. The Offensive Line

The line play was a major weakness in 2008, but in 2009, this unit has shown marked improvement.

QB Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked 20 times, but not all of that is the line’s fault. Big Ben loves to hold onto the football and sometimes he pays the price. Overall, the pass blocking has been much better than last season.

The Steelers running game is improving, moving at 119 yards a game with a 4.4 average over the last four to five weeks.

T Willie Colon and G Chris Kemoeatu are having career seasons. C Justin Hartwig has been a stabilizing force in the middle.

If the Steelers can continue to run the ball effectively, it will make the passing game that much harder to stop.

 

3. Hello, Rashard Mendenhall

After not playing against Cincinnati because of a lackadaisical attitude in practice, the light bulb finally seems to have gone off in Mendenhall’s head.

Mendenhall took advantage of Willie Parker’s toe injury to rush for 373 yards and four touchdowns the past four games—averaging 5.4 yards a carry—third best in the league. His 418 yards rushing is seventh in the AFC.

Mendenhall’s performance, despite some recent fumbling problems, has put Parker on the bench to stay. His emergence has allowed the Steelers to display more balance on offense than they did to start the season.

 

4. Big Ben on the Rise

Roethlisberger has risen to elite level status as a quarterback, moving up to the rarefied air occupied by the likes of Manning, Brady and Brees.

Big Ben is thriving with Bruce Arians as his offensive coordinator and Ken Anderson as the quarterback coach.

Want some proof?

Roethlisberger is first in passing yards (2,062), second in completion percentage (70.4), first in completions (164), and fifth in passer rating (102.6). He is seeing the field better than ever and has complete command of this offense.

 

The Bad

1. Special Teams

The Steelers kick return unit gave up two touchdowns the past two weeks and has played subpar most of the season.

Stefan Logan has done a decent job as a returner, but decent isn’t good enough. He needs to show the explosiveness and be the game changer they thought he was coming out of camp.

Many times the deciding factor in close games is special teams play. You can bet your bottom dollar; Mike Tomlin will be focusing on improving that area next week in practice.

 

2. Turnovers

Pittsburgh is a -3 in turnover differential, 24th in the NFL. Not good for a defending Super Bowl champion.

The defense needs to force more turnovers, and the offense has to avoid the late-game mistakes that have been killing them most of the season.

Easier said than done.

This defense is capable of causing turnovers in bunches, so it’s up to the offense to protect the ball better.

 

3. Fourth Quarter Funk

The Steelers have done much better the last two games in this area, but turnovers and mental errors continue to plague them in the final 15.

Pittsburgh has been out-scored 59-30 in the fourth quarter this year with most of that due to the aforementioned mental errors and dumb turnovers.

Two of those meltdowns, against the Bengals and the Bears, resulted in losses. The tide appears to be turning for the Steelers, who owned a 17-7 fourth quarter combined advantage over the Browns and Vikings the past two weeks.

Pittsburgh has a rough patch after the bye with games at Denver and home against Cincinnati the next two weeks. The Bengals are the only home game for the month of November.

It won’t be easy, but the bye will get the Steelers healed up and ready for the stretch run. All the ingredients are there to make a return trip to the Super Bowl. They just have to remain focused, execute, and get the job done.

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Steelers at Bengals: Pittsburgh’s Keys to Victory

The Pittsburgh Steelers own the Cincinnati Bengals in the Ben Roethlisberger era. That is an indisputable fact.

Big Ben is 8-2 lifetime against the Bengals, including a 6-0 mark in Cincinnati. The Bengals haven’t won at home against the black and gold since 2001. Impressive to say the least.

But before you punch the Steelers victory ticket, take a closer look. This is not your typical woebegone Bengals. Cincinnati is healthy for the first time in ages and playing with renewed confidence, especially after last week’s performance against Green Bay.

Now don’t get me wrong, Pittsburgh should still win this game. They have more talent on both sides of the ball. The Steelers are a veteran, Super Bowl championship team, and have dominated the AFC North to the tune of 13 victories in the last 15 divisional contests.

Carson Palmer and the Bengals will need a Herculean effort to defeat the Steelers. Hard, but not impossible. Here’s what Pittsburgh must do to ensure the upset never happens.

 

Pittsburgh’s Keys to Victory

1. Get Palmer’s Jersey Dirty: The Steelers defense put loads of pressure on the quarterback in two games, but have only three sacks to show for it. Pittsburgh needs to get Palmer on the ground and rattle his cage early and often.

The last thing defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau wants is giving Palmer time to throw.

 

2. Stop Cedric Benson: Benson has been reborn in Cincy since taking over as the feature back. He has 217 yards rushing in two games and when he’s chewing up yards, it gives Palmer the luxury of more time in the pocket to pick apart defenses and use play-action.

The Steelers need to shut down Benson and force the Bengals into third-and-long situations.

 

3. Keep Roethlisberger’s Jersey Clean: The Bengals defense has been a sack machine so far, especially DE Antwan Odom, so the offensive line of Pittsburgh needs to contain the Cincinnati blitz. Odom put on 30-pounds of bulk and the added size is a big reason he has seven sacks in two games, including five against Green Bay last week. A key match-up will be Steelers LT Max Starks against Odom.

 

4. Establish the Run Game: One way to neutralize the blitz is to run the football effectively. Willie Parker has had great success in Cincinnati (130.3 yards per game), and Mike Tomlin would love to see him have a breakout game.

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is keeping the same rotation as last week, Parker for two series with Rashard Mendenhall on the third. Both need to step up this weekend.

 

5. Avoid Mental Miscues: Missed field goals, dropped passes, and stupid penalties plagued Pittsburgh last Sunday. The Steelers must avoid mental mistakes against the Bengals. They can’t beat themselves like they did in Chicago. The world champs need to get their focus back.

 

6. Stop the Bengals on Third Down: The Bengals have had the ball for over 34 minutes in each of their games and were 9-of-14 on third downs last week. The Steelers defense cannot let the Cincinnati offense stay on the field and work its ball-control magic.

 

The recipe for continued success against the Bengals is pretty clear: establish the running game, attack Palmer and control both sides of the line of scrimmage. If the Steelers do that, they’ll be walking out of Cincinnati with another victory.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Week One Recap: Tennessee Titans

The NFL and its fans had to love the kickoff to the 2009 season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans created some violent ballet for five quarters that had most of the nation buzzing till the wee hours of the morning.

There were so many storylines for writers to grab hold of and run with, but two things became clear after the game: Ben Roethlisberger is a big-game quarterback of the nth degree, and the Titans’ D-line won’t miss a beat without Albert Haynesworth.

It was basic, hard-nosed football at its best.

Despite this warm, fuzzy feeling of victory, the Steeler Nation does have some cause for concern. So here it is, the good and the bad in week one for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

The Good

1. Big Ben Does It Again

Roethlisberger recorded his 20th fourth quarter or overtime comeback by going 5-for-7 for 60 yards down the stretch.

He was cool and poised in the pocket, and when he had to run for his life, he usually found an open man. For the game, Big Ben was 33-for-43 for 363 yards and a touchdown.

 

2. The Receivers

The trio of Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, and Mike Wallace, who has apparently wrested the No. 3 receiver role from Limas Sweed, combined for 20 receptions for 257 yards and a score.

Yes, Hines made a crucial fumble inside the five, but all in all, the receivers are clearly the bright spot of the offense. Throw in TE Heath Miller, and Roethlisberger has a ton of weapons in his pass receiving arsenal.

 

3. Special Teams

One of the things Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wanted to see a marked improvement in from a year ago was special teams. If last night is any indication of what will happen the whole season, he got his wish.

Punter Daniel Sepulveda averaged 42.7 yards on seven punts that routinely put Tennessee in terrible field position. The Titans’ average start was their own 15.

On the other end of the spectrum, Stefan Logan gave the Steelers great field position for most of the game. The former CFL star averaged 29.0 yards on kickoff returns and 11.0 yards on punt returns.

In addition, James Farrior came up with a huge block of a Rob Bironas field goal attempt in the second quarter.

It was an A-plus night for the special teams unit.

 

4. The Steelers Defense

This franchise was built on the backs of great defenses, and the 2009 edition will be tough to score on once again.

Titans backs LenDale White and Chris Johnson were limited to 85 yards on the ground, and while QB Kerry Collins did have some success with the Pittsburgh secondary, Tennessee could muster only 10 points.

 

The Bad

1. The Steelers Offensive Line

Here we go again. Last season the line gave up too many sacks, was terrible in short yardage, and couldn’t run-block if their life depended on it.

After week one, nothing has changed in 2009.

Big Ben was planted to the ground four times, the short yardage situations were a disaster, and the Steelers ground attack was anemic. One bright spot: Roethlisberger was sacked only once in the second half.

Still, this unit must improve if Pittsburgh wants a return trip to the Super Bowl. Throwing 43 times and rushing 23 is not a well-balanced effort.

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians completely abandoned the run game in the second half, and that’s not good. Eventually a lack of balance comes back to bite you hard.

 

2. The Running Backs

While the offensive line deserves a share of the blame, so do the running backs.

Willie Parker was anything but fast. He hit the few holes that were open like he had all night to run. You don’t have all night in this league. You have micro-seconds.

Ditto for Rashard Mendenhall. This was a chance for him to shine, and he dropped the ball. He ran with little effort or intensity last night.

The duo combined for 25 yards on 17 carries. Arians was so unhappy he stuck with Mewelde Moore the entire fourth quarter. Moore made the most of his playing time with four receptions for 28 yards.

The total stats for all the backs: 23 carries for 36 yards. Ouch.

 

3. Troy Polamalu Injured

Polamalu is the best free safety in the game and was proving that last night until disaster struck.

After being caught in an awkward position, Polamalu suffered a sprained MCL that will keep him out for three to six weeks or even longer, depending on the severity of the injury.

The team put on a good front, but there is definite concern he could be gone for a much longer period of time.

The secondary struggled when he left, especially CB William Gay on the outside trying to defend WR Justin Gage.

This unit needs to regroup and cut down on the mental errors. Make no mistake, losing Polamalu hurts, but Tyrone Carter is an experienced vet, and the Pittsburgh secondary should play well in his absence.

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