Pittsburgh Steelers Continue Troubling Trends

In two losses, the defending Super Bowl champs have given up a total of a single yard in the first quarter, which, coincidentally, is the same amount of yards they gained in the first quarter of their lone victory.

 

Contrast this with the number of yards the defense has yielded in the past two fourth quarters (268) and it’s no wonder the 2009 Steelers have the same record as—dare I say it—the 2006 Steelers after three games:  1-2.

 

On Sunday, the game early on looked like just another day in Cincinnati as the Steelers made the Bengals look like the Bengals for most of the first half.

 

For my money, Cincinnati made five egregious mistakes that the Steelers turned into a relatively flimsy 13-3 lead that on some days could have been something like 33-0.

 

The Bengals…

 

1. Failed to take advantage of a 50-yard opening kickoff return that fired up the crowd and set up a short field, going three-and-out quickly and brutally;

2. Gave up a 41-yard pass play on a second-and-20 on Pittsburgh’s first possession, which led to a touchdown.

3. Didn’t challenge a 51-yard pass play to Mike Wallace, who may or may not have gotten two feet inbounds.

4. Gave up four plays of 20 or more yards and were whistled for two false start penalties in a first quarter in which they gained minus-10 yards of offense, and finally;

5. Botched a two-minute drill at the end of the half in which James Harrison bailed them out by getting a paw on Carson Palmer’s short pass, stopping the clock.

By the way, the Bengals won this game. It was their first win at home against Pittsburgh since 2001, and it was Pittsburgh’s first division loss since 2007. 

 

For all of the Bengals first-half incompetence, there was an acute case of role reversal in the second half, as the Bengals made the Steelers look like, well, the Bengals.

 

The trouble began when Ben Roethlisberger threw a perfect TD strike to Jeremy Jacobs early in the third. It was the ugliest play of the day on Sunday that didn’t involve the Seahawks teal-green uniforms.

 

Later in the third, Limas Sweed dropped a sure touchdown on a perfectly thrown deep ball. Sound familiar?

 

A couple of things may come back to haunt the Steelers. 

 

They elected to kick a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the one-foot line early in the game when Willie Parker was finding huge holes. (Later on, faced with second-and-goal from the one-yard line, Roethlisberger scored easily by falling down forward.) 

 

The decision was likely made to give Jeff Reed some confidence back, and, given the way the game was going at that point, it looked like a good call.

 

The call on fourth-and-4 late in the second quarter was not a good call, however, as Gene Collier pointed out in the Post-Gazette today. A punt would’ve almost guaranteed a first half shutout. Instead it gave the Bengals new life, and they drove 49 yards for a field goal.

 

When it was over, it was clear that there are some recurring tribulations that, after three games, need to be addressed. Or there could be trouble in Steel City.

 

 

1. Tired defense

 

The normally stout defense has given up three long touchdown drives and 268 total yards in the past two fourth quarters. They haven’t forced a fourth quarter punt since Week One, the same week they last forced a turnover. 

 

I know they are missing their best and most important player in Troy Polamalu, but they must perform better.

 

For a little perspective here, the defense has five sacks this season, the same number Bengals defensive end Antwan Odom had last week against Green Bay. By the end of the day Sunday, an exasperated Dick LeBeau was throwing out Ryan Mundy (who I think should be playing more) and Keiwan Ratliff (who hasn’t played much at all so far). 

 

Could age be playing a role?  Many key defenders are now in their early-to-mid 30’s, including James Harrison, Deshea Townsend, James Farrior, Tyrone Carter, and the entire defensive line. 

 

Much like in the Chicago game, the front seven had trouble getting pressure on the quarterback as the game wore on. Watch that fourth-and-10 play with under a minute left: Harrison could barely muster anything resembling a pass rush, and Farrior was a step slow in getting to running back Brian Leonard.

 

 

2. Lack of production from role players

 

Tomlin stresses this all the time, how the second-year and third-year guys need to step up and be ready to play. Only Keyaron Fox and Mike Wallace, so far, have excelled in their roles.

 

William Gay made some good plays on Sunday, but cancelled those out with some equally bad ones. He took an awful inside angle on Cedric Benson’s 23-yard touchdown run, and Palmer was repeatedly throwing to his side in the second half.

 

Elsewhere on defense, Carter has been exploited at times and doesn’t seem fully healthy.  And as much as I like Lamar Woodley, he has no sacks and just three tackles in three games, by far the lowest number of any of the starters. Heath Miller has just as many tackles as Woodley.

 

On the other side of the ball, it’s the same story. Rashard Mendenhall must have done something last week to disappoint the coaching staff, because he spent most of the afternoon on the sidelines. His biggest play of the day came when he broke up a fight between Jacobs and Hines Ward.

 

As for Sweed, his drop in the end zone will surely be discussed in the next couple weeks and may quite possibly be a career killer.  Wallace is certain to be the  No. 3 receiver from here on out, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of Shaun McDonald. 

 

 

3. No killer instinct

 

Much like in the Chicago game, Pittsburgh dominated for a big stretch but failed to either a) protect the lead, or b) put the game out of reach. 

 

In Chicago, they outgained the Bears 144 to 11 in the first quarter; in Cincy, they outgained the Bengals 143 to minus-10. And they lost both of those games on dramatic final drives. 

 

The cold reality is that this team is a couple of Rod Bironas missed field goals away from being 0-3.

 

Of course, like in any road loss where the home fans are booing throughout much of the game, there were some positives to take out of it all. 

 

Willie Parker had his best game in awhile, although he wore down and failed to pick up some key yards in the second half.  Ike Taylor played a brilliant game, shadowing Chad Johnson-Cinco most of the time and making a couple of sensational pass-breakups on the final drive that nearly saved the day. 

 

Roethlisberger had another sharp game and would have had much better numbers if his receivers didn’t let him down on multiple occasions. (Sweed and Santonio Holmes combined for four drops, Ward had two costly penalties, and Holmes clearly ran the wrong route on the pick-six.)

 

So a long winning streak in Cincinnati was snapped, and Big Ben lost in Ohio for the first time since college. The Steelers lost back-to-back games for just the second time under Tomlin, and first time since 2007. 

 

Whether this signals a changing of the guard remains to be seen. The Steelers need to play a complete game before we can properly evaluate them. And they better do it soon, because Sunday night’s game in San Diego is about as close to a must-win as you can have in Week Four.

 

Otherwise, they could be facing the possibility of a 1-3 start. 

 

I think we all remember the last Steelers team to start the season that way.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Take Ugly Loss But Still Look Good

So, Mike Tomlin didn’t become the third head coach in NFL history to start out 2-0 in his first three seasons. The Steelers lost in Week 2 for just the second time in Ben Roethlisberger’s career. 

 

The defending Super Bowl champs lost for the first time since December 21, 2008, in Nashville.

 

No worries.

 

In many ways, the Steelers played markedly better in their second game than in the dramatic season-opening victory. A stagnant offense looked balanced and efficient (for a while, at least) as they racked up 119 first quarter yards. 

 

All three running backs had at least one gain of double-digit yards, and collectively broke the 100-yard barrier. The special teams held star return man Devin Hester in check, as punter Daniel Sepulveda averaged a booming 54.9 yards per punt.

 

Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth, the two-headed monster at tight end, each played a strong game. The offensive line, although they aren’t yet reminding anyone of The Hogs, finally opened up some nice running holes. 

 

Big Ben generally played well, as usual, and I’m firmly convinced that if he could have gotten the ball again with a little more time, he would have found a way to get the team into field goal range.

 

No worries for the critics either, because there was plenty of sloppiness on this soggy day. 

 

The return game has been disappointing.  Stefan Logan has plenty of skills but he has yet to find a way to make a big play; look for Santonio Holmes or Mike Wallace to get a shot returning kickoffs soon. 

 

The receiving corps had a rough afternoon, dropping at least five perfectly catchable passes, with a few coming at critical points in the game. Mike Wallace also failed to judge a deep ball that was picked off by Bears CB Charles Tillman. 

 

It looked like Wallace could have at least made an attempt to break it up. 

 

For all the good things the running backs and offensive line did, there were still bad signs —missed blocks, false starts, and four plays that resulted in negative rushing yards. 

 

And Rashard Mendenhall had a huge run, but you would have liked to see him finish it off in the end zone instead of being run down.  Yes, it’s nitpicking, but it’s what Steelers fans do best sometimes.

 

And then there was Skippy.

 

Jeff Reed has had a tremendous career so far in Pittsburgh. He has been reliable from the beginning. Only Gary Anderson and Roy Gerela are ahead of him on the franchise’s all-time kicking statistics, and he is more accurate than both of them. 

 

He has made so many clutch kicks over the past eight years, there are almost too many to count.

 

He missed two crucial kicks on Sunday, the first time in his career that he’s been wide twice in a fourth quarter. He may have cost the team a win and, judging solely by his face, I’m pretty sure he knew it.

 

The field was wet, yes, but not wet enough to affect Robbie Gould on his 44-yard game-winner. Skippy looked genuinely crushed that he missed both, a rare display of emotion for him. 

 

Even if his confidence is shaken, the team is fully behind him, as Tomlin showed on the sidelines just after the second miss. I have no doubt Reed will recover and continue his accurate kicking.

 

And if he still needs to be cheered up, someone only needs to remind him that next week’s opponent is the Bengals.

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Pittsburgh Steelers: Future Impact Players

One of the many things that sets the Steelers apart from other organizations is that they consistently have a true player hierarchy.   Rookies and young guys rarely step in to the starting lineup right away.  It’s a very old-school mentality, and it often gets overlooked.

 

Hines Ward, the franchise leader in almost every receiving category, played pretty much exclusively on special teams his first year.  James Harrison, the future NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was a back-up who didn’t see the field much until Joey Porter was released.  Current regulars like Ike Taylor, Willie Parker, and Brett Keisel plied their trade on special teams before breaking into the starting lineup.  Even Troy Polamalu, arguably the best safety in the game, wasn’t a starter until his second season.

 

In Pittsburgh, the only way rookies make the starting lineup is if 1) they were drafted to fill a specific need (and subsequently won the job in camp), or 2) they are forced into action because of an injury.

 

The Steelers have a few guys on their roster this year who have been quietly paying their dues, running down the field on kickoff and punt teams, laying blocks on return teams, and practicing hard on the scout teams.  The following players could be on the verge of a breakthrough.

 

William Gay, CB

 

The third-year cornerback from Louisville has already earned a starting spot (although Deshea Townsend lurks as a backup if Gay struggles).  Gay has always played well in the preseason and has been a regular playmaker on special-teams.  He saw his first significant playing time last season when the secondary was wrecked by injuries, and he performed capably.  He may never have the best-selling jersey in Pittsburgh, but he’s a solid defender who will only get better.

 

Keyaron Fox, LB

 

This could turn out to be one of Mike Tomlin’s best early free-agent signings.  Fox is getting the start on Thursday in place of injured Lawrence Timmons, and one would think Fox is the primary reserve if any one of the four starting linebackers goes down. 

 

Fox is another guy who has been a special-teams (insert either “stalwart,” “ace,” or “demon” here).  Last season in Baltimore, he picked up a muffed punt and rumbled 18 yards before anyone touched him.  He is a big body who moves well and now looks ready to play everyday.  He’s also the coolest guy in Pittsburgh named “Keyaron.”

 

Ryan Mundy, S

 

Mundy is a great story:  he’s a local kid (Woodland Hills graduate) who was drafted in the 7^th round a year ago but injured his ankle early in the preseason and was cut.  When he recovered from the injury last November, he was signed to the practice squad.

 

Mundy had a great preseason in 2009.  In the finale against Carolina, he solidified his roster spot with 1 pass break-up, 5 tackles – including a key stop on 4^th-and- 1 – and an interception returned for a touchdown.  He was a very good college player, especially in his last season when he transferred from Michigan to WVU, and he gives Pittsburgh some much-needed depth at safety.

 

The Trib gave Mundy the treatment yesterday, and you’ve got to love this quote from his proud father:  “I don’t have to travel,” Gregory Mundy said. “You can’t get any better than ‘down the Parkway and make a right.’”

 

Rashard Mendenhall, RB

 

The Steelers were quietly thrilled when they grabbed this Illinois running back with the 23^rd pick in the 2008 draft. He missed most of his rookie season but looks strong so far in 2009 and seems to have overcome his fumbling problem.

 

With the future of Willie Parker uncertain at best, Mendenhall could develop into a #1 back. He’s a north-south runner who has power and enough speed to get to the outside. He’s unpolished but that is expected. He’s also attempting to single-handedly revive the Champion brand-name.  Who doesn’t love Champion?

 

By the way, the Steelers could have one of the NFL’s most dynamic backfields this season.  They have a Pro Bowler with the speed to stretch any defense (Fast Willie), an underrated, unassuming role player who is a great blocker and one of the better pass-catching running backs in the AFC (Mewelde Moore), and a 22-year-old second-year player with fresh legs who is eager to prove himself in the NFL (Mendenhall). 

 

Limas Sweed, WR

 

I covered this in more detail a couple of weeks ago.  Sweed has continually been improving each year.  He will more likely than not line up as the third receiver on Thursday night.  If he can fix his sometimes fragile psyche and let his skills take over, he could have a big season.  If not, well, clear the way for Shaun McDonald and Mike Wallace.

 

Stefan Logan, WR/RB/kick returner extraordinaire

 

Logan was the absolute star of the preseason for the Steelers.  A 5’6” running back from the CFL?  Six weeks ago, Logan was about as likely to make the 53-man roster as Jonathan Dekker.

 

But Logan electrified Pittsburgh’s return game, proving to Tomlin that return specialists, and not fullbacks, should be the primary kick returners.  Logan averaged 37 yards per kickoff return, 21.2 yards per punt return, and carried twice for 27 yards in the preseason.  All of this raises one question:  Where in the heck did they find this guy?

 

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Memories of Super Bowl XLIII

One week from today, the Pittsburgh Steelers will play their first game that counts since Super Bowl XLIII.  Just like the last time they had to defend the Lombardi Trophy, they will host the Thursday night season opener.  Hopefully, this season will turn out a little better than 2006.

 

This was an article I wrote just after Super Bowl XLIII.  At the time, the website I used to write for had already shut down, so I had nowhere to publish it.  If nothing else it serves as a reminder that the game was likely one of the best Super Bowls we may ever see.  It’s a long post, but I thought I’d put it up here for anyone who wants to relive that glorious day or get pumped up for Sep. 10.

 

 

Super Sunday

 

(Originally written on Feb. 2, 2009)

 

When Super Bowl XLIII finally ended on Sunday night, I didn’t celebrate.  I didn’t wave my Terrible Towel.  I didn’t jump wildly around my friend’s living room, I didn’t even chug an Iron City Beer.  I couldn’t do any of those things—I felt like I had just run three hours worth of wind sprints, only I was running from the cops, and they eventually caught me, and, in the end, I managed to escape from the police station.  Or something like that.  All I know was that I needed some fresh air.

 

This morning, various persons are in agreement that XLIII was a drama-laced, nerve-rattling, supremely thrilling Super Bowl.  And this is coming from people who aren’t even fans of either team.  Imagine being an Arizona Cardinals fan (c’mon, there has to be at least a few out there).  You just had the roller coaster ride of your life—your team looked like it would get blown out of the water early, fought back, got their heart ripped out just before halftime, fought back again, went on life support for most of the third quarter, fought back again…and then scored sixteen points in the final 10 minutes for the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.  And then they surrendered the game-winning touchdown with 0:35 on the clock.  Welcome to the big time, Arizona.  You earned it.

 

As for my team, the Black and Gold, the “any neutral site is a home game, no matter how far away” Steelers?  Well, our roller coaster almost fell off the tracks before we got back to the station.  By my count, this game was over (and by over, I mean it’s friggin’ over and the Steelers have won) five times – five times!!?!!?  Here they are:

 

1)  It was over when Harrison took the INT back 100 yards for a score and then passed out before yelling for the oxygen tank.  A possible tie or 14-10 lead for Arizona turns into a 17-7 deficit, a 14-point swing in the most devastating way possible, on the last play of the half?   This game was over.

 

2)  It was over when the Steelers put together a patented 8-minute drive in the third quarter, aided by three penalties (yes, I know one of them was questionable, just like the phantom holds that were not being called on the Arizona offensive line all game, but whatever).  A short field goal stretched the lead to a choke hold at 20-7 with 17 minutes remaining; this game was over.

 

3)  It was over when Adrian Wilson, for whatever reason, decided to steamroll holder Mitch Berger after the kick, earning a personal foul penalty and adding 15 yards and another 1:20 to the drive before Reed kicked another field goal.  It was over.

 

4)  It was over after Arizona’s drive stalled and they kicked a 27-yard punt with 13:49 to go.  Crack open the champag—err, I mean Iron City beers, get the Gatorade ready for Tomlin and start planning the victory parade.  This one was over.

 

5)  It was over when the Steelers had the ball, second down and four, at the Arizona 46-yard line, 13-point lead, 12:53 on the clock.  Just start giving it to Bettis…I mean Mendenhall…okay, Parker, and let’s get the confetti rolling and plan a Monday trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods to pick up a Super Bowl 43 champs T-shirt.  This one is over.  Right?  Um…right?

 

Wrong.

 

What happened after that was so out-of-the-blue unpredictable, it was about as forthcoming as a slap in the face.  No matter who you were pulling for, that fourth quarter probably caused more nausea than anything anyone ate on Sunday. 

 

Up to that point, the game just seemed like one of those games—not really a snoozefest, but not exactly jump-out-of-your-chair exciting (except for the Harrison play).  Everything was working out just as everyone could have thought:  Arizona had played tough, but was ultimately doomed by a critical turnover and a lack of success against Pittsburgh’s D.  On the other side, the Steelers’ familiar problems surfaced (lack of a running game, poor offensive line) but, as usual, the weaknesses were overcome by the stellar play of their defense and their quarterback.  Pittsburgh was a superior team, and the Cardinals were a nice story.  But it was time to send the Cardinals back to the desert, and it was time to get the party started on the South Side.

 

Naturally, the Cardinals got things going with the no huddle and Larry Fitzgerald, who only had one catch for the first 3-plus quarters.  Fitzgerald caught three passes on the Cards’ next drive, including an impossible touchdown that could not have been defended any better.  Poor Ike Taylor—he played a stellar game for 48 minutes.  Too bad this wasn’t an NBA game.

 

When the Cards’ next drive stalled after a long pass to Steve Breaston and they lined up to punt, the game was all but over (again!).  But thanks to an excellent downed punt by Michael Adams—seriously, guys must screw that play up about 90% of the time—the ball was Pittsburgh’s at their own 1-yard line.  Two plays later, after Willie Parker nearly got tackled for a safety, Big Ben hit Santonio Holmes for a first down.  Now it was really over.  Except for that mysterious flag in the area of…holding.  Uh-oh.

 

The safety cut the lead to four, and Arizona got the ball back yet again.  I won’t soon forget the next pass to the unbelievable Fitzgerald, who’s on the fast track to possibly becoming the best receiver of all-time, or at the very least in the conversation. 

 

After Warner found him over the middle at about the 45, the defense parted like the Red Sea. He kicked it into seventh gear, sprinting untouched into the end zone and possibly immortality.  What an unbelievable game from him.  He was nearly invisible for 48 minutes and ended up with numbers similar to Holmes, the game’s MVP.  Oh, and, by the way, he broke all of Jerry Rice’s records for a single post-season—most yards, catches, and touchdowns.  Every team knew what was coming, and nobody stopped him.  There are very few players you can say that about.

 

When I saw the clock after that score, it read 2:37.  Lots of time left, I thought.  As I stumbled over to the bathroom to regroup, one of my buddies—I was watching with a bunch of neutral fans—asked me how I was feeling about everything.  “I have faith in Roethlisberger,” I said.  I swear I said it.

 

So, in that 2:37, Roethlisberger engineered one of the greatest drives in Super Bowl history.  Facing the prospect of a shattering loss, complete with a blown double-digit lead, Roethlisberger made one ridiculous throw after another while leading the Steelers 78 yards (really 88 yards if you count the holding penalty on the first play) in 2:02 for the winning touchdown, against a defense that was playing their best ball of the season and getting stronger as the game went on.  His best throw of the day may have been the first throw to Holmes in the end zone that wasn’t caught.  He followed that up with another impossible, “how the f— did he put that right on Holmes’ fingertips” throw that ended up being the winner.  And there was Big Ben afterward, the 26-year-old two-time Super Bowl champ, laughing and saying “I thought it was picked.”

 

If this game doesn’t put the Roethlisberger haters to rest, nothing will.  Forget that he has the most wins of all-time in his first 50 starts.  Forget the three AFC Championship games and the 8-2 career playoff record.  Forget that he led Pittsburgh to 12 wins this season despite a weak running game and an offensive line that was mediocre on their best day.  When there was 2:37 on the clock, there was no one else Steeler nation would have wanted behind center.  Even if your name is Brady or Manning, you need not apply for a quarterback position in Pittsburgh.  We’ve already got a Hall of Famer.

 

My hat goes off to the Cardinals.  Warner played a great game (aside from the back-breaking pick).  The Arizona D, led by Darnell Dockett, was a huge factor in the comeback.  Anquan Boldin surprisingly had a big game, making some plays early when it looked like the Cards were in major trouble.  Fitzgerald was nothing short of incredible.  Four weeks ago, they were derisively called the worst team to ever make the playoffs.  Now they should be an NFC contender for years to come.  If they would have won Sunday, there was nothing I could say—they would have deserved it.

 

In the end, the win felt bigger than just a Super Bowl victory.  (Never mind the fact that it was about 348 times more exciting than the Seattle game in ’06.)  For those of us whose parents grew up with Franco and Bradshaw, we have Bettis and Roethlisberger.  For every clip of Stallworth and Swann, we have clips of Ward and Holmes.  For every kid in the ’70s who worshipped at the altar of Mean Joe Greene and Jack Lambert, this generation can tell our kids about Troy Polamalu and James Harrison.  Every coach we’ve had since 1969 – all three – have won the big one.  And the best part is, whether you’re in Tampa, Pittsburgh, or anywhere else in the world, there’s no doubt you’ll find some Steelers fans nearby.  Just start waving the towel and you’ll find them.  Here we go Steelers, here we go.

 

Could The Pittsburgh Steelers Succeed Without Ben Roethlisberger?

A Pittsburgh Steeler was injured yesterday.

 

With about 30 minutes left in training camp, Pittsburgh tackle Max Starks—the $26 million man—dropped back in pass protection and inadvertently stepped on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s ankle. 

 

No. 7 limped off the field, kept the ankle in ice for the rest of practice, and, when asked by Art Rooney how it felt, he responded with a comment that could one day be woven into some kind of legend:  “Feels great.  It feels like a car ran over it.”

 

And so begins the first big story of the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers:  The Ben Roethlisberger Ankle Injury.

 

ESPN says he hurt his achillies.  Mike Tomlin won’t say anything except “Yup.”  Most media outlets in Pittsburgh think he’s fine.  He’s traveling to the game in Washington on Saturday, which may mean he’s alright.  His status remains “undetermined” and he may be “re-examined” by a “doctor” for his ankle “injury.”

 

My initial guess is that it isn’t anything serious.  Despite a variety of injuries over his career, Big Ben is a pretty durable guy.

 

He has missed only 6 games due to injury in his five years in the league.  (It’s true.  I could’ve sworn the number was higher.)  The Steelers are 3-3 in those games, and two of them were started by Tommy Maddox. 

 

Roethlisberger’s injuries and off-the-field exploits—basically anything he does anywhere at any time—have usually been covered thoroughly by the media, especially in Pittsburgh.  He’s had a couple setbacks that looked bad at the time but ended up being relatively minor.

 

There was the scary knee injury at the tail end of a Monday night game against San Diego on ’05.  The same thing happened in another Monday nighter against Baltimore a few weeks later, which forced him to miss a couple games.  There was a frightening concussion in 2006.  There was even a rumor that he played the ’04 AFC Championship game with a broken toe—a claim Bill Cowher vehemently denied.

 

Not to mention, he had an appendectomy prior to the ’06 season, and was involved in a life-threatening motorcycle accident four months after winning the Super Bowl.

 

The main point is that after any injury Roethlisberger has faced in his career, he has been able to bounce back relatively quickly.  Although the current ankle problem has something to do with the dreaded Achilles, there is no reason to think he will miss anything other than a preseason game or two.

 

But he is not immune to a Tom Brady-like catastrophic injury that could end his season at any moment.  Let’s be real here, he takes as many big hits as any QB in the league.

 

He also routinely puts his body at risk by running frequently and absorbing those big hits.  It’s one of the things that fans like us love him for.  He’s been able to escape any major injury so far.

 

But what would happen if he were forced out for a whole season?  Would Batch set the world on fire?  Would the Steelers miss the playoffs?  Would Tomlin ever turn to Dennis Dixon?  Would Pittsburgh still beat the Browns and Bengals?

 

The answers are probably not, maybe, possibly, and yes, of course we would still beat the Browns and Bengals.

 

For the past eight years, Homestead native Charles Batch has been the quintessential back-up quarterback.  He’s a local kid.  He’s involved in the community.  He proved himself as a starting quarterback in Detroit.  He has put up solid numbers in limited opportunities with the Steelers.  The organization trusts him so much, they didn’t even think twice about bringing him back this year even though he is 35 years old and coming off major shoulder surgery.

 

His numbers during his tenure in Pittsburgh are more than respectable:  3-1 as a starter, 8 TDs, 4 INTs, and 1,017 yards passing.

 

But he hasn’t played a full season since 2000, when he started 15 games with the Lions.  He’s on the tail end of his career and it’s questionable at best whether he could withstand the punishment of a full season.

 

Dennis Dixon has played well in the preseason over the span of his short career.  The organization had enough faith in him to release long-time third-stringer Brian St. Pierre. 

 

Dixon is a talented guy with a big arm; in 2007, his last season in college, he was a serious front-runner for the Heisman Trophy before blowing out his knee.  In nine and a half games with Oregon in ‘07, Dixon threw for 2,136 yards and 20 TDs against 4 INTs, while rushing for 583 yards. 

 

Despite all the rumors about Pittsburgh picking up Michael Vick, it never happened.  I think part of the reason was that Dixon has many of the same tools as Vick, and the Steelers didn’t want to give up on a player so young for a polarizing figure like Vick. 

 

Still, Dixon has only thrown one NFL pass and didn’t receive much interest in the draft, falling to the fifth round.  Even so, I think Tomlin would trust him running the offense, and most Steelers fans would feel comfortable with him behind center.

 

Roethlisberger, though, is the face of the franchise, the undisputed team leader, the future Hall-of-Famer.  Despite what many think, he’s not a game manager who relies on a good defense and strong running game. 

 

He led Pittsburgh to two incredible playoff runs the ended with championships and won 50 games faster than any other quarterback in NFL history.  If he ever goes down with a significant injury, it will be a truly traumatic event in western Pennsylvania.

 

Can the Steelers win without Ben Roethlisberger?  Hopefully, we won’t have to find out.

Breaking Down the Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule, Part Two

This is Part Two of a run-down of the Steelers ’09 schedule.  For Part One, which covers the first half of the schedule, click here.

 

 

 

Sunday, Nov. 15:  Steelers vs. Bengals, 1 p.m. (CBS)

 

The Steelers are 15-4 against the Bungles this decade, and Cincy last beat Pittsburgh in 2006 when Ricardo Colclough decided to catch a couple punts with his face mask. Later that season, Pittsburgh knocked the Bengals out of the playoffs in Week 17. What a fun division the AFC North is.

 

Fun Fact: The Bengals player arrests per offseason (PAPOS) actually decreased in 2009 for the first time since Marv Lewis took over as head coach. But there is some debate over whether to retroactively count Tank Johnson’s previous arrests.

 

 

 

Sunday, Nov. 22:  Steelers at Chiefs, 1 p.m. (CBS)

 

If there is one game I could see the Steelers blowing, it’s this one. Matt Cassel has already seen Pittsburgh’s defense, and the Chiefs may be desperate for a win at this point in the season. This could also be a great away game to attend; Kansas City is about a 13-hour drive from the ‘Burgh, and Arrowhead is supposedly a great place to see a game.

 

Fun Fact: The Chiefs may have the NFL’s best collection of mid-1990s Big Ten All-Stars: Amani Toomer, Mike Vrabel, and Bobby Engram. If only they could sign Joey Galloway, Derrick Mason, Ron Dayne, Charles Woodson, and Andy Katzenmoyer, they would surely be bound for the Rose Bowl.

 

 

 

Sunday, Nov. 29:  Steelers at Ravens, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

 

The long, long-awaited rematch to the AFC Championship game. And wouldn’t you know it—the trash talk has already started!

 

Those Ravens, classy as always. If only Suggs could have come up with something a little more clever, like those classic “Where was Ray Lewis when Joey Porter got shot?” T-shirts.

 

Fun Fact: Forty-one-year-old kicker Matt Stover is the last active player remaining who played for the Browns when they moved to Baltimore and remained with the Ravens. He is the Ravens’ only kicker in franchise history. Although he was released in the offseason, I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes back for another round.

 

 

 

Sunday, Dec. 6:  Steelers vs. Raiders, 1 p.m. (CBS)

 

Big Ben Roethlisberger had one of the worst games of his life against Oakland three years ago in the last meeting between these two franchises. He tossed four interceptions, two of which were returned for TDs, including a crushing INT at the goal line in the fourth quarter that was returned 100 yards to the house. Hopefully, none of that will happen again.

 

Fun Fact: The Raiders have gone through five coaches and won 24 total games since getting crushed by Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII.  That averages out to exactly four wins per season. If Al Davis were still alive, he would be really upset by all of this.

 

 

 

Thursday, Dec. 10:  Steelers at Browns, 8:20 p.m. (NFL Network)

 

Thanks to the NFL Network, almost no one will be able to watch this game from their living room.  Maybe it’s for the best.  The game is in Ohio, after all.

 

Fun Fact: Of the Browns first-round picks from ’99 (Tim Couch – first overall pick), ’00 (Courtney Brown – first overall pick), ’01 (Gerard Warren), ’02 (William Green) and ’04 (Kellen Winslow), none of them have stayed with the team for more than five seasons.  Cleveland must have been taking draft advice from Dave Littlefield.

 

 

 

Sunday, Dec. 20:  Steelers vs. Packers, 1 p.m. (Fox)

 

This should be a great game to watch as you get prepared for the holidays.  I like Green Bay to win the NFC North; I thought they really fell apart last season after a strong start.  Coach Mike McCarthy is a Pittsburgh guy and this is his first trip to the Steel City as a head coach.

 

Fun Fact: Here’s a great quote from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from December 24, 1995, after Steelers WR Yancey Thigpen dropped a sure TD pass on the game’s final play that helped the Packers win the NFC Central:

 

“Thigpen’s gloved fingers stretch out, tap the ball once, spin it up, tap it twice, spin it up again and down, and he can only claw at it as it bounces against his leg and into the snow-sogged grass.

 

The crowd roars, boils, explodes in waving arms and jumping bodies. Yancey Thigpen is Santa Claus!”

 

 

 

Sunday, Dec. 27:  Steelers vs. Ravens, 1 p.m. (CBS)

 

A possible division-championship deciding game sandwiched between Christmas and New Year’s, right in the middle of college football bowl season? Sounds good to me.

 

Fun Fact: Here are each team’s ranking in total defense over the past six seasons, going backwards: Ravens – fifth, sixth, first, fifth, sixth, and third. Steelers – first, first, ninth, fourth, first, and ninth. In 2001, the Steelers were first, Ravens second. Just a couple more reasons why this rivalry is becoming one of the best in sports.

 

 

 

Sunday, Jan. 3:  Steelers at Dolphins, 1 p.m. (CBS)

 

Sunny weather, LandShark Stadium, New Year’s Eve in Miami—maybe this is the best Steelers road game to attend. Plus there’s an outside chance you may get to hang with Ricky Williams.

 

Fun Fact: The Dolphins second-year QB Chad Henne played at Michigan, where every starting quarterback since 1989 has went on to play in the NFL. 

 

In reverse order: Henne, John Navarre, Drew Henson (not good at baseball either), Tom Brady (backed up Henson), Brian Griese (not as good as his pop), Scott Dreisbach (yup), Todd Collins (still in the league), and your 1991 Rose Bowl winner, Elvis Grbac. Just another tradition that only Rich Rodriguez could screw up.

 

 

Roethilsberger Takes a Blind-Side Hit

This morning, I clicked on The Big Lead to find this shocker of a headline:

 

“Ben Roethlisberger charged with sexual assault.”

 

It was a jaw-dropper of the highest degree. Big Ben? Sexual assault? What in the world was this all about? 

 

(This is where, if I were a coffee drinker, I could say, “That news hit me harder than my morning coffee,” or, “I nearly spilled my morning coffee all over myself when I saw that.”  It’s too bad I’m not a coffee drinker.)

 

Anyway, the news seems bad on all fronts.

 

It couldn’t have come at a worse time for Roethlisberger, who was preparing to meet up with Shaq on some sort of pseudo-reality football show. Oh yeah, and he was also preparing for reality football, also known as training camp, which opens in 10 days.

 

Unlike ESPN, the Pittsburgh papers and many other national sports media have covered the story in depth. The complaint has some particularly brutal allegations, which can be summed up as follows: The woman claims Roethlisberger called her up to his Lake Tahoe hotel room to fix a television, confined her in the room against her will, and sexually assaulted her.

 

None of this bodes well for Roethlisberger. 

 

While he is innocent until proven guilty, he still must answer these claims, and his public image may have taken a hit from the blind side that he won’t be able to bounce back from for quite some time.

 

It should also be noted that the accuser in this situation doesn’t exactly look good at this point. The incident happened a year ago, there were never any criminal charges filed, and everyone but the mayor of Reno is named in the suit. 

 

No policemen or detectives in the Washoe County area presumably heard about any of this until today. And, as some have already pointed out, many of these details are eerily similar to the Kobe Bryant rape case of 2003.

 

The current incident also casts an ominous cloud over Pittsburgh’s 2009 season, which looked much more promising only 24 hours ago. 

 

The last time the Steelers entered a season defending the Lombardi trophy, they had a nightmare offseason. Roethlisberger crashed his motorcycle in June and had an appendectomy days before the opener. Santonio Holmes was arrested twice before training camp.

 

Roethlisbeger went on to have the worst season of his career, and the Steelers missed the playoffs. Hopefully, history won’t repeat itself with this situation.

 

A couple of months ago, I wrote a profile of Big Ben and called my article “What do you think of Ben Roethlisberger now?” (It was a play on the title of Richard Ben Cramer’s famous essay about Ted Williams). That title now seems sadly ironic given the current twist of fate.

 

There has been no word yet from coach Mike Tomlin or owner Dan Rooney, and Roethlisberger cancelled a press conference scheduled for Thursday. Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett issued only the following brief statement:

 

“We have heard Ben’s side of the story and we support him at this time.”

 

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Hopefully, by the time training camp starts, we can just talk football. 

Pittsburgh Steelers Ready For More Of The Same

The Steelers playbook hasn’t changed a whole lot over the years.  If you watch a tape of Neil O’Donnell handing off to Barry Foster, it looks eerily similar to Kordell Stewart handing off to Jerome Bettis, or Ben Roethlisberger handing off to Willie Parker.

 

The blocking schemes, the path of the fullback, the motion of the wide receivers – everything is substantially alike, except the green turf of Three Rivers Stadium.

 

Like everyone else, though, the Steelers must tinker.  Their roster hasn’t changed much —20 of the 22 starters from last year are back—and the coaching staff remains the same. But there are a couple things we might see differently in 2009, starting with…

 

 

More throws to Willie Parker

 

Fast Willie Parker is best when he gets the ball in space. They don’t call him Fast Willie for nothing—the guy is fast.

Yet, for whatever reason, he hardly ever gets the ball thrown to him on screens or dump-offs. In fact, he hardly gets the ball thrown to him at all. 

 

Since becoming a regular starter in 2006, he has averaged about 18 catches per season, a little more than one per game.  Last year, he had 3 catches.

 

For the season.

 

Maybe tradition dictates that the Steelers feature back must a) run exclusively between the tackles, b) hardly ever play on 3rd downs, and c) not catch many passes. Guys like Jerome Bettis and Bam Morris rarely caught many balls, but that was natural—those guys were big, bulldozing power backs.

 

Parker is powerful but not big.  He can move when he gets the ball on the outside. I know he’s not always healthy, but he started 11 games last year and caught 37 less balls than Mewelde Moore. That can’t happen again.

 

Rashard Mendenhall is back in the lineup after missing most of his rookie year. The Steelers feel he can be a power-type back, indicating as much when they released Gary Russell last month.

 

While Moore has been great, Parker needs to play more on 3rd downs and, ultimately, catch more passes.  He’s too versatile to remain a 2-down bruiser.

 

 

More defensive versatility.

 

With the departure of LB Larry Foote, emerging LB Lawrence Timmons will be on the field more.  Timmons can run much better than Foote and could push the Pittsburgh defense into another dimension.

 

With Timmons on board, the Steelers now have four linebackers who can play inside or outside. 

 

Farrior played outside last year on the Steelers well-known blitz play in which James Harrison and Lamar Woodley rushed from the same side. Timmons was originally drafted to replace Joey Porter at outside LB.  Harrison and Woodley are big enough and fast enough to play almost anywhere on the front seven.

 

How could any offense be prepared for that foursome—probably the best linebacking corps in football—to be able to rush heedlessly from any position?

 

Mad scientist Dick LeBeau has probably already started drawing up some crazy new blitzes.  I can’t wait to see them. 

 

 

Better field position

 

Punter Daniel Sepulveda is back in action after missing last season with a torn ACL.  Sepulveda is the hardest hitting punter east of the Mississippi and has a leg so strong he can punt the football a quarter mile.

 

Seriously, though, I’m really going to miss the Mitch Berger-Paul Ernster combo value meal. 

 

 

More no-huddle offense.

 

Big Ben has been running the offense for five solid seasons now; I think it’s time to allow him a little more leeway to run the no-huddle.  There have been several instances over the last few seasons where the offense has looked dreadfully sluggish until they went no-huddle.

 

Why not do it more often?  Big Ben can call every play as far as I’m concerned.  The offensive line didn’t exactly remind anyone of the Hogs last seasons; the no-huddle can simplify their blocking schemes and tire out the opposing defenses more quickly.

 

 

More Heath Miller!

 

Along these same lines, I never feel like Heath Miller gets the ball enough.  (This is probably nit-picking, but whatever.)  His catches went up again last season, but he had only had 3 TDs, the lowest total of his career.

 

They began to utilize him more during the playoffs last season, where he averaged almost 4 catches and 51 receiving yards per game, well above his season totals.  Hopefully we will see more of the same in ’09.

 

 

Less deep balls?

 

With the departure of WR Nate Washington, the Steelers have lost perhaps their best deep threat Ben Roethlisberger ever had. 

 

Santonio Holmes has the speed to get deep, but he is at his best on curls and underneath routes.  Hines Ward can catch balls anywhere on the field, but at this point in his career he’s probably not going to be running many fades.  Limas Sweed has the size and speed to be the main deep threat, but he must prove he belongs on the field.

 

If Shaun McDonald can be the next guy to stretch the field, that would be great.  I just think he’s more likely to be the next Cedrick Wilson than the next Troy Edwards.  (Whoops, bad analogy!)

 

In fact, the battle for WR spots in training camp could be fascinating. 

 

I see only three locks to make the team—Ward, Holmes, and Sweed (only because they would never give up on a 2nd-round pick after one year).  In the mix is McDonald, Mike Wallace (a speedy draft pick), Brandon Williams (a castoff from the Rams), Martin Nance (a college teammate of Big Ben), and Dallas Baker (a practice-squad guy).

 

Baker is perhaps the most intriguing; he was a college stud who has never really gotten a chance to perform in the NFL. Wallace is probably a safe bet to make it because he can return kicks and was a relatively high draft pick. Nance is a big body and his history with No. 7 could give him an edge.

 

Whatever happens, don’t look for the Steelers playbook to change all that much. As usual, that’s probably a good thing.

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