Pittsburgh Steelers: Possible Options For Tomlin’s Staff

Welcome to Black Monday, when coaches and staffs all throughout the NFL get fired.

By 4:00am on Monday Jim Zorn was already gone from Washington. So is the entire coaching staff in Buffalo.

The firings are bad news for the teams who now must rebuild their staff and the chemistry between the team and a new coach.

It’s great news, however, for teams looking to plug a few holes in their own staff. Some top names will doubtlessly be available.

One of those teams is the soon-to-be-dethroned Steelers.

The shopping list includes four potential positions: offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, defensive backs coach, and special teams coordinator.

Here’s a look at a few possible candidates, based on whether or not their team is considering (or has already) fired their head coach and/or coaching staff. This list will no doubt be upgraded in the next few weeks, but here’s a preliminary look at who should be available and, more importantly, be considered.

 

Offensive Coordinator

Jim Zorn

Zorn is a plausible name. He was never a coordinator before being hired by the Redskins. He was then, two weeks later, promoted to head coach when owner Dan Snyder couldn’t woo another big name.

Zorn didn’t fare so well in his first stint as a head coach, but he’s known through the league as a top offensive mind. Maybe he would fit as a coordinator on a team with established stars.

That team could be Pittsburgh. It has been rumored that Bruce Arians may be on his way out in Pittsburgh, a move which would seem to please a fan base tortured by the team’s offensive inconsistency.

Positional failures aside, the Steelers offense needs someone who can and will utilize the team’s versatile talent and depth to create big plays. They also need a coach who is inventive and not sold on a basic offensive system.

Zorn’s offense was not always effective in Washington, but he brings the versatile West Coast mindset to the table. The Steelers are quite effective at running short passing plays and setting up their running game with the pass. Both are trademarks of the West Coast offense.

If Zorn was hired, I would expect to see the Steelers adopt some aspects of the West Coast system, but retain their dedication to balance and to allowing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to call the plays.

Jim Fassel

Fassel most recently coached in the fledgling UFL, but I’m sure he’d welcome a return to the NFL in some capacity.

Fassel is another respected name in coaching and, like Zorn, brings the possibility of a diverse system and better utilization of the team’s talent to the table. He’s popular with his players and is known as a good motivator.

Fassel did excellent work during his last stint in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, where he was an offensive assistant. Since Mike Tomlin has a defensive background, it makes sense to bring in an experienced name for the offense rather than bring along a young assistant.

 

Offensive Line Coach

Joe Bugel

Bugel was on Jim Zorn’s staff in Washington and was also a holdover from the Joe Gibbs administration. He’s a long-time and well-respected assistant and would be an immediate upgrade over Larry Zierlein.

Bugel’s offensive lines have let up far fewer sack totals than Pittsburgh’s in the last three seasons, and Bugel has been relatively successful despite several key injuries during the 2009 season.

If Zorn was hired, Bugel would have an established relationship with the team’s offensive coordinator as well.

Bugel has developed many top linemen in his NFL career, something the Steelers sorely need. Chris Kemoeatu still needs some polishing and all of the team’s linemen could improve in most areas, particularly run blocking.

The Redskins were effective running the ball with Clinton Portis, who’s style compares favorably with Rashard Mendenhall. It’s likely that Pittsburgh’s running game would improve markedly under Bugel’s guidance.

 

Defensive Backs Coach

Jerry Gray

Yet another member of Zorn’s former staff in Washington, Gray is likely to be retained by the Redskins in some capacity. He was interviewed for the team’s now-vacant coaching position already, although that may have been only to satisfy the Rooney Rule.

Gray is a good secondary coach who has a lot of experience. The Redskins secondary performed well under his guidance and he would be asked to serve in a similar capacity with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Gray would be tasked with growing young corners and possibly a young safety to help the Steelers field a more effective secondary.

Lionel Washington

Washington currently is on Tom Cable’s coaching staff in Oakland, but the Raiders are rumored to be considering dismissing Cable this week.

Washington has presided over the continued development of Nnamdi Asomugha and young defensive back Michael Huff.

The development of Asomugha, one of the league’s top shutdown corners, could potentially mean good things for the Steelers, who need an infusion of young talent and good coaching at the cornerback position.

 

Special Teams Coordinator

Bobby April

April was part of the Buffalo Bills staff that was given an en masse pink slip this morning by owner Ralph Wilson and new GM Buddy Nix.

April is one of the most respected special teams coaches in the NFL and is someone the Steelers should already be on the phone with communicating interest.

Bob Ligashesky has failed, particularly this season, to field a good unit. The Steelers allowed far too many kick and punt returns for scores, and even more that went for long gains. Losing the field position battle was a huge reason for the team’s 9-7 record.

April brings a strong and lengthy resume and a great body of knowledge. His units are often at or near the top of the NFL, a place the Steelers’ special teams have rarely glimpsed in the past decade.

Special Teams has been a revolving door for Steelers assistants and April would likely bring stability to the position. He’s the best special teams coach likely to be available this offseason and he has the experience the Steelers need.

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Pittsburgh Steelers: Playoffs or Not, Reality Check Needed

As we all settle in for what will possibly be the last hurrah for the reigning Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s time to start looking ahead.

The playoff hopes that the team and its fans are clinging to are slim, with the Steelers needing to win and then get help from several other teams to sneak in as the sixth seed.

Whether or not the Steelers pull off an improbable comeback from five consecutive losses, mostly to teams of lesser talent, and return to the postseason, is immaterial.

The fact that the roster and staff need a reality check before 2010 is much more important.

Here’s a look inside to address what needs to be done.

Offensive Coaches

Bruce Arians has taken his lumps for poor play-calls, particularly in crucial situations.  Does he deserve to keep his job? That’s very debatable. Does he keep it thanks to a good relationship with his quarterback? Possibly. Does that mean he can keep on trotting out his poor game plans? Absolutely not.

Arians is living on borrowed time. Had the Steelers not won Super Bowl XLIII, it’s highly possible he would have been fired. Now, he’s riding a good relationship with his players and hoping that it’s enough to hang on to his job.

Arians isn’t a bad coach. He’s actually a good position coach. I just don’t think he’s the ideal coordinator, especially for a team with such diverse weapons. Arians runs a very basic system that depends on balance and sound fundamentals.

So what’s the problem with that?

Well, to start, Arians has a quarterback who, while very sound mechanically, does not play what anyone would describe as a fundamentally-sound game. Ben Roethlisberger routinely holds onto the ball too long, takes unnecessary hits, and scrambles madly out of the pocket.

You can’t change that, however. Roethlisberger is an elite quarterback because he does those things. He’s a playmaker, and one of the best at his position simply because he never quits and knows how to deal with less-than-ideal situations and broken plays.

Another problem with running a basic system is that Arians has the weapons at his disposal to do so much more.

The team has two upper-echelon receivers (Mike Wallace and Santonio Holmes) when it comes to speed, yet the team rarely runs reverses.

He has a college quarterback (Hines Ward) and a backup quarterback (Dennis Dixon) who would be adept at running trick plays, yet the team has never used Dixon unless Roethlisberger and regular backup Charlie Batch were hurt. No wide receiver has attempted a pass in the last two years either.

So, if I say that it’s time to make a change at the offensive coordinator position, it’s not because I want to blame 2009 on Bruce Arians. It is instead because I think there are other coaches in the NFL who could use the Steelers’ players more effectively.

For Mike Tomlin, who preaches execution and effectiveness, it’s time to make the change.

I’m not a fan of Larry Zierlein, either. In this case, I point the finger directly at him for not developing the talent that the team has put at his disposal.

Tony Hills and Kraig Urbik mid-round draft choices the last two years have yet to show enough consistency to crack the lineup.

Max Starks has regressed this year, and has often been the biggest liability along the offensive line.

Willie Colon is still a major offender on what I categorize as stupid penalties (false starts, particularly at home, and not lining up correctly).

Chris Kemoeatu has developed nicely this season, but he still has lapses that aren’t addressed, particularly when it comes to defending against blitzing defenders.

Position coaches bear more blame, at least in my opinion, for failures of individual players or positional units than do coordinators. It is the responsibility of Larry Zierlein to coach the offensive linemen.

I’m not talking about sacks, because I think most of Ben Roethlisberger’s sacks are due to his propensity to try to make a play. I’m talking about the line’s failure to consistently protect him in the pocket and also their inability to consistently open holes for the team’s running backs.

The failures of the line this year are not due to the scheme. Arians’ basic scheme should, if nothing else, help the linemen. The failure is with the players themselves.

 

Offensive Personnel

Offensively, there are not a lot of holes when it comes to roster depth or starting players. The Steelers are very sound.

Could they use some help? Sure, but how many teams in the league couldn’t use a little help somewhere on both sides of the football?

They need to face a few realities, however.

At some point, they are going to have to replace Hines Ward. Hines is wrapping up his 12th season in the NFL and, while he’s not slowing down, he’s certainly become slightly more injury-prone.

Ward rarely comes down with a major injury, but he has been getting banged up more often in recent years with hamstring tweaks and other minor dings. With the way he plays the game, Steelers fans should consider themselves fortunate that Ward has never suffered a major injury.

But eventually, even the best players age and retire. It would be prudent to bring in a wide receiver through the draft, perhaps in the third round, who could eventually replace Hines Ward.

Mike Wallace is a good player, but I don’t see him as being a future No. 1 or No. 2. He’s best suited to playing in the slot where he can use his speed to get past linebackers or split deep coverage.

Also, it would be prudent to use a first or second-round pick on an offensive lineman who could start right away. I would look for a tackle to replace either Starks or Colon. They are the weak links in the line.

It wouldn’t hurt to get a guard, too, although Trai Essex seems to have stabilized the right guard spot for the time being. I’m not sold on him or Darnell Stapleton, whom he replaced before the season, however.

Outside of those areas, the Steelers are in good shape offensively. The biggest changes to the depth chart next year might simply be the departure of the disappointing Limas Sweed and the permanent promotion of Dennis Dixon to the No. 2 spot on the quarterback chart.

 

Defensive Coaching

Anyone want to fire Dick LeBeau? I’ve heard some people whispering about how it’s time that he retired, and also about how he failed to overcome the loss of Troy Polamalu, one of the most dynamic players in the NFL.

Okay, I understand the frustration of fans. I wasn’t exactly pleased with the defense either this year, but I’m not going to suggest firing one of the league’s best assistant coaches.

LeBeau should take heed of the warnings that 2009 presented, however. He did not adjust well to losing Polamalu and too often pulled back from blitzing because he did not have that great playmaker in the lineup.

The Steelers are at their best when they blitz and create pressure. They’ve never really had a great secondary in the last decade, so they count on their front seven to disrupt the momentum and rhythm of opposing offenses.

When they don’t blitz, bad things have happened. The world found out just how valuable Bryant McFadden was when William Gay turned in one of the worst seasons ever by a cornerback.

Part of the problem is schematic. The Steelers have one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL. They should be blitzing on virtually every down. Lamarr Woodley and James Harrison are great at collapsing the pocket. Lawrence Timmons and James Farrior are good at slashing through the middle of opposing offensive lines.

The other schematic problem is allowing the Steelers’ cornerbacks to play zone defense. Ike Taylor and William Gay are not good in pursuit, but are at least passable in man and press coverage. When they are asked to cover a zone, they get burned.

Now, let’s talk about position coaching again.

Ray Horton, defensive backs coach, please turn in your keys.

Horton replaced the respected Darren Perry when Mike Tomlin arrived. Since Perry left, Ike Taylor has regressed from his status as a solid cover corner, now supplementing his atrocious hands with poor speed and pursuit.

Let’s not even mention Gay. Everyone knows he’s the weakest link in a weak secondary. Gay was Horton’s to develop and he hasn’t developed at all.

Like Zierlein, if you cannot develop players, you aren’t doing your job. More than the coordinator, the position coach is responsible for the failure of this unit. He needs to go.

 

Defensive Personnel

More than anything, the Steelers need to overhaul their defense and face some serious realities.

First, the reality of aging. Aaron Smith isn’t getting any younger. Neither is Travis Kirschke or Casey Hampton.

Kirschke and Smith are going to start sliding down the slippery slope soon. Smith’s replacement is already on board in Ziggy Hood, who proved against Baltimore that he could be every bit as dominant as Smith.

Smith probably has a few years left, but he’s lost two of the last three years to injury. That’s possibly the start of a bad trend. It’s probably a good idea that Hood begins platooning with him next season, thus extending his career while keeping one of the team’s best players on the field.

Kirschke might be a backup, but he’s part of an important rotation around the line that keeps the starters fresh. He also makes some good plays and is not a liability when he’s called upon.

Hampton’s weight is likely to shorten his career and lessen his effectiveness as he ages. He may not even be re-signed. He’s not a workout warrior and, as he ages, that will start to cause injuries to pile up. He’s already lost a year to an ACL injury, which could creep up again if he isn’t careful.

I wouldn’t be sorry to see the team bid Hampton farewell if they had a replacement, but they don’t. They also have more pressing needs than nose tackle in the draft. Perhaps this is where they will look to spend some money in free agency (if free agency is even a viable option with the CBA in question).

That pressing need, and where I believe the team is best suited to spend its first-round draft choice, is at cornerback.

Ike Taylor is either aging or falling back into the lackadaisical routine that got him benched by Bill Cowher a few years back.

William Gay is not a starting corner and is possibly not an NFL corner at all. The backups, Joe Burnett and Keenan Lewis, don’t inspire much confidence either, but could be successful with better coaching.

The reality is that the team could use a true shutdown corner, which they have lacked since Rod Woodson packed up in the late 1990s. Deshea Townsend is no longer an option to step in and start, so its time to spend the money and a high draft pick on improving the position.

Depth-wise, the team would be wise to address the inside linebacker position to have someone ready for when James Farrior hangs up his cleats. He’s a tremendous player and is still playing at a high level, but like Smith, his clock is ticking, too. It’s never too early to start grooming a replacement.

 

Special Teams Coaching

It’s no big secret that, whenever and wherever this season concludes for the Steelers, Bob Ligashesky will likely be sent packing.

The Steelers allowed way too many yards on kickoff and punt returns this season and far too many scores.

The problems range from poor tackling to poor coverage schemes. There isn’t just one problem. That’s when the coordinator has to be looked at as a problem. Ligashesky hasn’t been able to succeed regardless of the players he’s been given. They’ve been okay in recent weeks, but they are still giving teams good average starting field position.

There’s only the assistant coach, Amos Jones, to blame besides Ligashesky. It’s possible that both could go, depending on how they break down the responsibility for the special teams units.

 

Special Teams Personnel

Playing starters might be the only quick fix Mike Tomlin has when it comes to changing the personnel on his coverage units. While many teams do it, it’s not ideal because of the increased likelihood of injury and the increased strain on players.

The team would do well to retain Anthony Madison. He proved again that he is a great coverage man, and I’d be worried if they once again let him go.

There really isn’t much to be done. Special teams players are, in many cases, a dime a dozen. The best thing to do is to fix the scheme and preach sure tackling and a better approach to returners. It’s the best and likely easiest way to fix what hurts the team most.

 

Final Thoughts

Pittsburgh has the talent to be a champion every year. They are one of the few teams, along with Indianapolis and New England, that have continually weathered the rigors of free agency to avoid salary cap hell and remain threats to win every season.

The problem is that the Steelers often defeat themselves. This season has been the perfect example, with the Steelers losing six of their seven games after holding a lead in the fourth quarter, and the other by only six points.

The defense collapses too often, the offense can’t score consistently from inside the 20 yard line, and the special teams units can’t cover or tackle opposing returners. That’s a recipe for disaster and also a warning that changes are necessary.

Winning a Super Bowl is great. Following that up with a mostly-complacent season in which the team took a step back is not. Now it’s time to react, regardless of how the Steelers finish 2009.

 

 

 

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Steelers Offense Shines Bright Even As Playoff Hopes Dim

Even as their playoff hopes dim, the Pittsburgh Steelers have to be excited about their offensive performance this season.

What began as a season with many questions has reached the final turn with most of those queries answered.

Let’s break down some of those questions and answers on the eve of Pittsburgh’s important matchup with the Cleveland Browns.

 

Offensive Line

Entering the 2009 season, one of the biggest and most asked questions surrounding Pittsburgh’s offense was whether or not the offensive line, maligned for much of the 2008 season, could protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and open holes for the team’s stable of running backs.

The answer became clear during the team’s Week Three loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Steelers’ linemen could indeed do their jobs.

Chris Kemoeatu has emerged as a talented blocker and now runs many of the trademark blocking schemes that Alan Faneca did during his Steelers tenure.

Max Starks and Trai Essex have emerged as important pieces as well. Essex took over after a season-ending injury to Darnell Stapleton and has been solid ever since. Starks is playing well at the extremely important left tackle position, replacing longtime staple Marvel Smith.

Willie Colon and Justin Hartwig have been solid returnees, although Colon’s mental lapses are becoming legendary. Hartwig has been solid since coming aboard after the 2007 season and should be one of the team’s focuses in free agency this offseason.

The Steelers have allowed a total of 30 sacks on Ben Roethlisberger, but many of those can be attributed to his style of play and not a breakdown in protection. Roethlisberger often holds onto the ball and evades pressure, so his sack totals will be higher than average.

Rashard Mendenhall is on pace to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark in his second season and first as a starter. The rushing attack has been on fire since he took over for Willie Parker in Week Four.

 

Running Game

Many wondered if Willie Parker had lost a step when he broke his fibula late in the 2007 season. In 2008, he played in 11 games and ran for 791 yards. 

Early on, it was clear that Parker had indeed become both injury prone and markedly slower. While he still shows flashes of the Willie Parker of old, he is no longer a viable starting option for the Steelers.

Parker is now the back who keeps starter Rashard Mendenhall fresh. He will likely depart after this season for greener pastures, but his best years may be behind him now. He has been injured and ineffective this season, seemingly best suited for a part-time role.

The other question was if Rashard Mendenhall, who garnered all of 19 carries in his rookie season, could become the team’s top rusher and be an effective running back. There were questions about his preparation and toughness.

When Mike Tomlin benched Mendenhall for the team’s Week Three matchup with Cincinnati, he cited a poor week of practice and preparation as his reasoning.

It proved to be a turning point for Mendenhall, who hasn’t looked back since and has proven that he can be a feature back for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Mendenhall gives the Steelers two things that Parker did not. He is an effective receiver out of the backfield and he can run between the tackles with speed and elusiveness. He is a complete back.

 

Passing Game

Ben Roethlisberger regressed from career totals in 2007 to have a championship season in 2008. The question going into the 2009 season was whether or not he would put up better totals.

Not only has Roethlisberger surpassed his 2008 season in virtually every category, he has also proven that he can be the trigger man for a suddenly balanced Steelers’ offense.

The Steelers have passed more in 2009, finally balancing the run/pass equation that for decades has tilted heavily toward the latter. Pittsburgh proved to be a formidable opponent offensively thanks to his improved play.

The bigger questions centered on the wide receivers.

Would Hines Ward prove that he could still be effective after an injury-plagued postseason? Would Limas Sweed step up and take over as a favorite target of Ben Roethlisberger?

Yes, to the first and no, to the second.

Ward proved that he could bounce back and still be one of the league’s top receivers. Ward is on pace to have a career season and has still managed to be a devastating blocker for the Steelers. He looks young and, despite a recent hamstring injury, very healthy. He looks to have plenty left in the tank.

Sweed, conversely, fell apart early and has seen more of the bench than the field since. After winning the third receiver’s job in training camp, he surrendered it to surprising rookie Mike Wallace after dropping a key touchdown in Cincinnati.

Sweed will likely get another look down the stretch, but it’s unlikely he will remain with the Steelers unless he has a tremendous four games. With Ward out tomorrow, he has a chance to step in and show off his skills.

 

The Bottom Line

Pittsburgh may have stumbled to 6-6, but the offense cannot take much of the heat. They’ve been productive and successful in almost every game this year and have improved with every contest.

There’s a lot to build on from 2009, so Pittsburgh should be excited for the offense’s future prospects!

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Turning The Corner: Where The Steelers Go From Here

Okay. Everyone take a deep breath.

First, the positive. The Steelers are still alive in the division courtesy of Cincinnati’s unthinkable loss to the lowly Oakland Raiders. Cincinnati still faces Minnesota and San Diego, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility for them to lose two more games. If the Raiders can beat them, maybe the Jets can too.

Now, the negative. The Steelers cannot afford another loss, particularly next week against division rival Baltimore. The loser of that game can start checking out January tee times. The winner will duke it out with the Bengals and the rest of the AFC’s playoff contenders for one of the remaining playoff spots.

Now that we have everything laid out, let’s look at the schedule that remains.

The Steelers play in Baltimore, at home against Oakland, at Cleveland, home for Green Bay and Baltimore again, and then back out on the road to finish against Miami.

Of those teams, only Green Bay has a winning record this season. Baltimore is always hazardous to Pittsburgh. Miami is dangerous too. Cleveland and Oakland are bad, but both teams would love to knock the Steelers out of the playoffs, so they can’t be ignored either.

In short, the Steelers’ margin for error is now razor thin.

The Steelers had what can only be called a team loss on Sunday. Every phase failed to execute at critical points and there were even some poor coaching decisions that contributed.

Therefore, a look at the whole team is in order as we discuss how the Steelers can rebound and avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in Mike Tomlin’s tenure.

 

Special Teams

We’re going to work in order of importance. The Steelers have allowed four kickoff or punt returns for touchdowns this season. If the coverage units don’t improve quickly, it will matter little what the offense or defense accomplish.

After last week’s return by Bernard Scott, the Steelers parted ways with linebacker Arnold Harrison. The move was partially a message to the remaining members of the coverage units that poor performance would no longer be tolerated and could result in unemployment.

A week later, it looks like that message fell on deaf ears.

Perhaps the only quick fix that can be tried at this point is to play some of the team’s starters on special teams. Rashard Mendenhall, James Harrison, and Brett Keisel are among the current starters who have played on coverage units in the past.

Maybe it’s time to go back to the future. Whether its a lack of ability or lack of desire, the Steelers’ coverage teams cannot adequately tackle returners and also are very poor in their pursuit tactics.

Jeff Reed is being asked to kick more directionally instead of booming kicks downfield so that the Steelers can collapse their coverage down onto one small piece of field. The problem is that they are getting there too late and are missing opportunities when they arrive.

On punts, fewer and fewer Daniel Sepulveda offerings are returnable. Sepulveda is quite the weapon, but his kicks are getting shorter because he has to kick out of bounds to prevent disaster. When he shortens his kicks to place them out of bounds, he sacrifices field position.

The kickoff returns have been far worse than the punt returns, but neither unit has distinguished itself in 2009, a year after both ranked as the league’s premier units.

On the other side of special teams, the return game, the results have been unspectacular at best. The Steelers have returned one punt for a touchdown this season.

Stefan Logan’s speed has not translated into many big plays, although the average starting field position is an improvement over last season.

Logan has been replaced periodically with Mike Wallace and Mewelde Moore. Neither has proved to be an improvement.

While the return teams are not as big a concern as the coverage teams, the Steelers would still benefit from being able to operate on shorter drives and also to have the occasional big return to balance out their poor coverage.

There’s not much more that can be asked of Jeff Reed or Daniel Sepulveda. I don’t and won’t buy into the notion that Reed should be a better tackler. If a kicker or punter is responsible for making a play, ten people have failed in their responsibilities already.

 

Defense

For the first quarter of the season, the Steelers defense couldn’t find a complete game. They needed a closer worse than their North Side counterparts, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

A few times, they needed a starter instead. Either way, they weren’t playing a full 60 minutes.

Then, mystically, it seemed to fix itself. They had a lapse here or there, but they were playing great football from start to finish. No one is perfect on every play.

Last week against the Bengals, when the defense needed to rise up and make a big stop in the three point game, they bent and broke and allowed the Bengals to widen their lead with a late field goal. They also let the Bengals chew up a good portion of the clock.

Sunday against the Kansas City, the Steelers let a mediocre (at best) offense drive 62, 91, and 76 yards in the second half and overtime. The Chiefs overcame a ten point deficit and beat the Steelers.

It used to be that a seven point lead was safe in Pittsburgh. The offense would grind minutes off the clock and the defense would snuff out any hope of a rally.

Now, no lead is safe. In four losses, the Steelers have blown leads in three contests. They’ve also made a few of their wins a lot closer than they needed to be (remember that Chargers game where a blowout turned into a nail-biter?).

The defense has played through injuries all season, but injuries aren’t their biggest problem. They are wearing down, something no Steelers defense has done since the early part of the decade. Teams aren’t finding openings early, so obviously the scheme and talent is sound. It’s in the second half that the problem lies.

Perhaps the most troubling schematic issue facing Pittsburgh is that Dick LeBeau pockets several blitz packages whenever his star safety, Troy Polamalu, is on the sideline nursing his balky knee.

LeBeau needs to turn the Steelers loose in the second half and let them blitz continually. When Matt Cassel was under pressure in the first half of Sunday’s game, he couldn’t get anything done.

In the second half, Cassel drove the Chiefs against a defense sitting back and protecting the lead.

The “prevent” defense prevents one thing: victory.

 

Offense

Where to start?

Statistically, the Steelers have one of the league’s top units. Ben Roethlisberger is having a career passing year.

Interestingly enough, last time Roethlisberger had a career year in yardage, the Steelers finished 8-8 after a Super Bowl victory the previous season.

This year, Ben is on pace to shatter his previous totals in many categories. The problem, as always, has been sacks.

Roethlisberger has a tendency for holding the ball too long. This gives the Steelers great plays. But when the offensive line struggles as they have the last two contests, Ben has much less chance of making a play.

I’m not advocating that the coaches try to change his game. But Ben needs a lesson in “when there is no play and one isn’t going to develop, it’s time to throw it away.”

Lately, Ben has also seemed to have trouble feeling backside pressure, which is deadly for a quarterback.

On the rushing end, things have drastically improved from early on. The biggest problem here is play (and player) selection. At first, the Steelers were running Mendenhall into the ground. Then they over-corrected.

Now they are getting there, but they aren’t using him in the right situations. Everyone will point at the play in overtime as a key example. Bruce Arians, faced with a third down and two yards, in field goal range for Jeff Reed, chose to run a toss play with Mewelde Moore.

First of all, if you look at the Steelers film from the last two years, the toss play is one of the worst in their catalog of rushing plays. It rarely, regardless of the player, yields a gain and all too often yields a loss. Without calling Elias for some official statistics, I’d say its about an 80% failure rate for yards gained.

Add in that, of all three of the Steelers backs, they chose their slowest. Mewelde Moore is not an edge runner. He runs a good screen route in the flat, but he doesn’t turn the corner like Willie Parker can.

So if you have to run a toss play in that situation, you should be using Parker.

But let’s throw that out and take it a step further.

Why don’t you have your prized stallion out there going up the gut to grind out two yards. Mendenhall has been great between the tackles and was gaining 3.8 yards per carry yesterday. The Steelers needed only two to drive further.

Instead, they lost almost three.

More than anything on offense, the play selection has been hideous. Ben Roethlisberger shows a deft ability to run the no-huddle, calling his own plays, and creating outside the pocket.

Too often, and way too often against the Chiefs, Roethlisberger was running pocket passing plays, huddling between snaps, and running Bruce Arians’ offense.

Turn him loose already.

In overtime (and, for that matter, in the 4th quarter when we were tied at 17 and then 24), I would have come out in a no-huddle offense.

The common misconception is that you don’t run out of the no-huddle. That’s not true. You can run out of that scheme. The reasoning behind it is that you keep moving and keep the defense from substituting and getting into a groove.

Someone needs to tell Bruce Arians what his unit’s strengths are fast, before we lose another game because of an inept call.

 

Coaching

Without beating a dead horse about the offensive play calling, I think that Mike Tomlin needs to change too.

I rarely would attempt to criticize any head coach’s style or game strategy, but I think Tomlin has a flaw.

Unfortunately, the Steelers always have had this flaw. Chuck Noll’s teams did it. Bill Cowher’s teams raised it to an art form.

The Steelers, for whatever reason, play down to their competition.

Against good teams, Pittsburgh plays its finest football. They routinely knock off more talented or equally talented teams. It’s the bad teams that they struggle most with.

On Sunday, it was more of the same. The Kansas City Chiefs were 2-7 coming in. Pittsburgh was 6-3. The Steelers offense moved the ball at will and their defense was coming off a string of excellent showings. The Chiefs were struggling on offense and defense.

But Pittsburgh let the Chiefs hang around, even allowing them to revive themselves after falling behind 17-7 at halftime.

As a result, Pittsburgh lost.

If there is one thing Mike Tomlin needs to change, it is that aspect of the team’s motivation. The Steelers should have the desire to prove themselves every game instead of just rising to the occasion against good teams.

This trend is particularly alarming, as the Steelers face only one more team (Green Bay, 6-4) that currently sports a winning record. If they can’t get up for games they should win, the Steelers could not only finish without a playoff appearance, but with a .500 or worse record.

 

The Big Picture

There’s a lot of bright spots, but there are also a lot of things that need sorted out. There’s a soft schedule remaining, but a lack of motivation to beat struggling teams. There’s a great opportunity to win another title, but some doubt creeping in as to whether or not this team wants it badly enough.

For Pittsburgh, it’s time to prove that they are defending champions, and to prove it every single week.

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NFL: Enough With The Throwbacks

It’s getting ugly out there.

Literally.

The Pittsburgh Steelers do it right. They wear their throwback jerseys, which are nowhere near as offending to the eyes as some that we’ve seen, a couple times a year during important home games.

San Diego modified their throwbacks and adopted them as their regular uniform.  It’s hard to argue with the fact that they are the best looking uniforms in the league today.

For some teams, however, it’s been a while since we’ve seen their regular uniforms.

Denver continues to trot out the runner up for the ugliest throwbacks ever (last year’s Blue and Yellow Eagles incarnations were the worst by far) at home and on the road (see photo). 

New England and Tennessee have been wearing theirs often too.  Some confused fans are probably wondering if the Houston Texans had finally decided to do the decent thing and bring back the Houston Oilers.

No, it’s just the hapless Titans.

It isn’t bad enough that Seattle trotted out hideous green jerseys that made the University of Oregon’s experiment with bright yellow look tame.

There’s a reason that some of these teams changed their colors and uniform designs after color television became the norm.

What’s next? Leather Helmet Day? Illegal Forward Pass Day? No Facemasks Day?

Maybe the Steelers should really go over the top and bring back those jailbird uniforms from the 1930s and change their name back to the Pirates.

Hey, at least the Pirates would be winners again in Pittsburgh.

All joking aside, this has gone far enough.  There used to be rules governing this kind of skulduggery. 

It’s a money-making scheme.  I get that.  It generates revenue because some crazy small sect of fans actually wants to own those striped socks from the Broncos or a too-loud bright green Seattle jersey.

But to wear them more often than your regular uniforms?  Come on.

Or how about picking the least offensive throwbacks.  Denver would look great in the old “orange crush” uniforms.  Tennessee would look good in the last incarnation of Oilers duds.

They still would look ridiculous every week, though.

It’s time to retire the idea of using throwbacks to generate cash.  You can still sell them.  People will undoubtedly buy them (even if it’s just as a gag gift for some unsuspecting fan).  But let’s quit wearing them every Sunday as if they are our regular garb.

Time marches on and, believe me, there’s always a reason for progress.

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NFL in LA: If You Come, He Will Build It

WANTED: Suffering NFL team with old, small stadium, terrible fan support to play in new LA stadium. Current revenue problems not a must. Happy teams need not apply.

If you are a struggling NFL franchise, Ed Roski has a “Field of Dreams” proposition for you.

Come play your home games in beautiful, sunny Los Angeles and he will build you a state of the art, environmentally friendly stadium guaranteed to boost you back to the playoffs.

What’s that? You can’t afford to pay for a new stadium?

That’s fine too. Roski will pay for it.

Does it sound to good to be true? Yes. 

But is Roski serious? Does he actually have a firm plan? Is he ready to break ground for real?

Absolutely.

The Los Angeles area has been, ever since the mid-90s exodus of the Raiders and Rams to Oakland and St. Louis, respectively, a wasteland for NFL stadium and team relocation ideas.

I’ve been around long enough to have heard about how the Saints were going there after Katrina.  Before that, the Vikings were moving while they were for sale.  The Raiders were even going to move back over there. It seems that at some point, everyone has been moving to Los Angeles.

It was used as leverage for several teams to get new NFL stadiums in their hometown. 

It became a punchline.  Each year, there would be talk after the season about how a new stadium project in LA was “nearing construction” or “in the works.”

Then, something would stop it. Or nothing would. It would just die of its own accord.

The difference between then and now? Ed Roski has the land, the labor, and the capital.  He also has backing from the government and, silently and unofficially, from the NFL itself.

 

The Land

If you get a chance, do a search for pictures of the proposed NFL stadium in Industry, located on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

It’s not just a stadium, it’s a work of art. 

It will be a departure from anything anyone currently has.  It will be built into a hill, the field sunken and the stands grafted onto the hillside.  It will have glass accents everywhere, a crystal palace that will gleam along with the rest of LA.

It will also be part of a larger development rumored to include a shopping center and hospital among other amenities.

In short, it’s a beautiful project.

 

The Labor

Looking for someone to build a new stadium?  Los Angeles is going through a jobs crisis.

And how do you remedy a jobs crisis? You create jobs. Building an NFL stadium is one part of that, operating it and the surrounding developments is another. 

There still isn’t a firm number on how many jobs this new venture will create, but the safe bet (and the obvious one) is that it will create more jobs than the Los Angeles area currently has available.

 

The Capital

Doing anything takes money. Building an NFL-caliber stadium takes lots of money.

$800 million in this case.

Where stadiums, like the one in my hometown of Pittsburgh were built with largely public funds and tax measures, Roski is proposing an entirely privately funded stadium venture (save for the already-approved $150 million for infrastructure improvements).

Like the headline says: If you come, he will build it.

His plan is to have one or even two franchises relocate to Los Angeles after this season and then have them play in the old Coliseum or another site until 2013, when the $800 million dollar hillside stadium will be ready for business.

The plan is pretty ambitious and has a much better chance of success than previous plans.  Roski is privately funding the stadium, which allows him to have much more freedom than anything publicly funded.

He also has a stadium and development plan that is not only beautiful, but functional and environmentally friendly.  This gives him another advantage.

And yesterday, he received support from California Governor (Governator?) Arnold Schwarzenegger in the form of a bill signing.

Now, all Roski needs is a team;that same stumbling block.  But there have been whispers among several teams the past few years that LA might be the way to go.

Buffalo plays in one of the league’s oldest structures and also sports a declining fan base (perhaps due to their decade-long absence from the playoffs).  The team is rumored to be in a revenue-generating pickle.

Minnesota wants out of the ancient and unattractive Metrodome.  The team has declined to field offers from other cities, but that could change soon.

Jacksonville also wants a new stadium and also sports a lackluster fan base. 

It’s worth noting that Buffalo and Jacksonville also face competition for fans from two other teams in the same state (The New York Jets and Giants (still considered New York teams regardless of their residence in New Jersey) and the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively). 

In Los Angeles, there would still be other teams in the state, but there are more people to go around.  The rumor is that Los Angeles also would like to support an NFL team of their own again. Roski has also pointed out that neither the Rams nor Raiders lacked fan support when they bolted town.

The NFL, while a silent partner in all of this, wants a team in Los Angeles.  Odds are that they even know who they want there.

If I had to guess, I’d say that these are your four most likely teams (four because Roski is trying to attract not one but two)

(In order of likelihood):

1. Oakland Raiders

2. Buffalo Bills

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

4. San Diego Chargers

Other potentials could be Minnesota, San Francisco, or St. Louis among others.  Roski is apparently after as many as eight teams currently including all three California-based franchises.

Oakland and Buffalo are curious because, of the four, they are struggling the most in terms of fan support.  Jacksonville beats out San Diego, who needs a new stadium badly, because of a lack of fans as well. 

Of the remaining potentials, Minnesota has been in this discussion before while San Francisco and St. Louis are dark horses.  It will be interesting to see what new ownership does with St. Louis, which is why they are on this list.

 

So What’s Going to Happen?

My guess is that we see a team in Los Angeles by the end of the 2010 season, if not,then after the current season.  Roski is for real and his plan is going to stir someone to make the move.

 

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Jim Zorn Will Rise Again, but Redskins’ Future Falls with Less Certainty

Sometimes in baseball, players who fail in the big leagues are often said to have been rushed into action.

In football, we might be witnessing something similar in Washington.

Jim Zorn, in only a few short weeks, went from Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach to Washington Redskins head coach.  He completely leap-frogged being a coordinator. 

Now, perhaps, is a good time to visit how that skipped step may have changed the outcome of his first head coaching job.

Zorn is a great person.  If there was anyone who could take over for Joe Gibbs the person, it’s Zorn.  He’s soft spoken in his press conferences and seems to have an inner peace about him, just like Gibbs.

But replacing Joe Gibbs the coach? No, I’d say he wasn’t quite ready for that.

For all of his great personality traits, Zorn is too young in his coaching tenure to be running the show.  Some guys, like Josh McDaniels in Denver, can do it at a young age.  Some, like Zorn, cannot.

McDaniels credits his former boss, Bill Belichick, with preparing him for and mentoring him in the reality that is coaching an NFL team.

Who did Zorn have?  Mike Holmgren. 

Holmgren is a great coach.  You don’t need to even look at his record to know that.  But Holmgren hasn’t really groomed a successful coach since he left Green Bay.  Even then, his record is mixed.

That’s not to say Belichick is spotless either.  He gave the league the pensive and totalitarian Eric Mangini (who failed in New York and is on his way to one-upping that failure with a new one in Cleveland) and Romeo Crennel (whom Mangini is replacing).

The difference is that Zorn never publicly credited Holmgren with his early success.

The other difference is that everyone from Belichick’s coaching tree was a coordinator before they put on the big headset.

Let’s not gloss over the fact that Zorn was supposed to be the team’s offensive coordinator before Dan Snyder either got tired of looking for a coach or was just wowed by Zorn that much (my bet is the former).

Then, without preamble, Zorn was thrust into the driver’s seat of a train that has steadily gone from very good to beyond awful. 

Not only has Zorn struggled to run an already quixotic franchise, he has been undermined at almost every turn since he took over.

After his eight-game honeymoon period (also known as before the Redskins fell apart last season), Snyder openly flirted with replacing him after the 2008 season. 

By the time that he decided to keep Zorn in charge, Snyder had already assassinated his leadership role with the team.

Since then, Zorn has been the weekly topic of hot seat rumors.  Part of this is driven by the veteran coaching names sitting at home or in broadcast booths (Jon Gruden, Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, Brian Billick, Mike Holmgren).

Part of it has been that the Redskins’ brass seems bent on blaming Zorn for the continual failure of the Redskins to field a competitive team for more than a season or two.

This week was the ultimate in betrayal.  Several head coaches call their team’s offensive and/or defensive plays.  Zorn was calling the ‘Skins offensive signals since last season.

Immediately after losing another abysmal game, Zorn was publicly stripped of his play-calling duties by team Vice President Vinny Cerrato (whose future is likely closely tied to Zorn’s).  Who got those same duties?

Enter Sherm Lewis, hired no more than two weeks ago as a “consultant” (read: interim replacement).

Lewis will call the plays.  If he fails?  Well, maybe at that point Snyder will hire a consultant again and give him the duties. 

I think Snyder has been sharing a hotel room with Al Davis during ownership meetings.  He’s beginning to act like our befuddled friend in Oakland.

So what about Zorn?  He’ll live until the bye week and then likely be let go.  For him, I would think it would be a huge relief.

But what about after that? Well, a lot of it is up to Zorn.

If he wants to coach, he will surely get a shot as a quarterbacks coach or even as an offensive coordinator.  He won’t get an immediate shot at another head coaching job, but I’d be lying if I said that I thought that we’ve seen the last of “head coach” Zorn.

The guy is a good coach in the making.  He needs to work under the tutelage of a Bill Belichick or a Bill Parcells or even a Mike Tomlin and get his feet under him as a coordinator.

Then, once he’s showed he can excel at calling plays, he can go back out and look for a head coaching job.

This time around should and hopefully will be chalked up as too much, too soon.

Zorn will rise again.  Just not in Washington.  And he should be very thankful for that.

Where do the Redskins go? 

Mike Shanahan said no already.  My guess is that Bill Cowher will also decline if approached.  I’m of the school that Cowher still isn’t ready to go back to work on the sidelines.

Jon Gruden? He could be the answer.  He’s a quarterback genius with a winning track record. 

But what if Gruden says no?  Does Dan Snyder hire another new kid on the block?  Does he look at colleges to find a coach?  Does it really matter?

It probably doesn’t until Snyder learns how to actually run a team.  The old trick of throwing money at a problem, then yelling at the problem when it doesn’t just fix itself, and then blaming someone for the problem doesn’t work.

Albert Haynesworth?  Great player.  Worth over $100 million?  No way.

Jason Campbell?  Snyder and his front office have been about as good with him as they have been with Zorn.  Trying to trade your supposed franchise quarterback doesn’t help his psyche.

The fact of the matter is that the Redskins make very poor personnel moves.  They overspend and are poor talent evaluators. 

Until all of that changes, it probably wouldn’t even help if George Halas and Vince Lombardi co-coached this team with an assist from Chuck Noll and Don Shula.

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Native American Mascots: Honorable or Ignorant?

It’s been a prickly topic for years, even decades. It spans not just every professional sport, but collegiate sports as well. Depending on who you talk to, it’s a stain on the organizations it affects or a way of honoring those who came before us.

Native Americans were exploited almost from the moment Europeans arrived on this continent, pushed and shoved off their land for centuries until they were confined to the reservations that are now common across the south and midwestern parts of the United States.

When sports teams and, more importantly, sports team’s nicknames and mascots, came into being in the middle and late 1800s, Native American tribal names and symbols were commonly used to represent them.

Over the years, this pattern has given us the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Blackhawks, Cleveland Indians, Florida State Seminoles, Atlanta Braves and Washington Redskins (to name a few).

It might be that last one that generates the most controversy.

“Redskins” is, outside of sports, a racial moniker reserved for those of Native American descent. While the term has thankfully fallen out of common use, the connotation remains.

But is it meant to be offensive?

Originally the Boston Braves (another Native American reference) and the Washington Redskins were owned by George Preston Marshall, a noted racist. The name Redskins arrived during their second season, 1933.

It is unclear whether Marshall, who would famously refuse to integrate his football team in the 1950s, and his racist leanings had anything to do with the choice of nickname.

Regardless of this, several people have found the name insensitive enough to file lawsuits, the aim of which would be to force the Redskins to change their famous name.

A 2002 poll conducted by Sports Illustrated found that 75 percent of Native Americans polled had no problem with the team’s nickname. Regardless, the lawsuits and appeals continue.

Florida State University provides an interesting counterpoint.

The Seminoles have official permission from the two remaining Seminole Indian groups (the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Seminole Nation in Oklahoma) to use the name for their sports teams. It is the only official exemption for any sports team.

Florida State remains the only NCAA school exempt from a ban on Native American mascots.

Several colleges, both large and small, have switched from Native American names to more innocuous ones. For example, Division II’s Indiana University of Pennsylvania changed from the IUP Indians to the IUP Crimson Hawks. Other schools have followed this example.

But the question remains. Is this disparaging to Native Americans or not? The Seminole tribe and nation seem to think it is nothing to be concerned with, a mark of pride for their groups to be honored by a large school.

It is certainly hard to find names like Braves or Chiefs offensive. Neither is an outwardly or historically negative term. Instead, they are more reminiscent of pride and leadership and courage.

The debate rages on. What do you think?

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Pittsburgh Steelers Don’t Pass on Chance to Welcome New Offensive Era

There are two passes that could end up telling us a great deal about how the Steelers intend to operate their offense from now on.

Those two passes opened the Steelers’ week four matchup with the San Diego Chargers.

No, that’s not a misprint. The Steelers actually opened a game by featuring a quick strike passing game and not the once-vaunted rushing attack that was always part of Pittsburgh’s past offensive systems.

While Bruce Arians takes a ton of heat for calling a run heavy, unimaginative offensive game, he has been rather diverse this season. If you close your eyes to a squint and look, it almost looks like they Mike Mularkey heyday (before he, too, became unimaginative and conservative).

There is one certainty through four games. These aren’t your father’s or grandfather’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

A certain segment of the massive, worldwide Pittsburgh fanbase will be disappointed to see this evolution. I would say that it’s most unsurprising considering how the team has drafted since 2004.

In the 2004 draft, the Steelers drafted quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with the 11th overall pick. If Kevin Colbert had intended for Roethlisberger to be nothing but a glorified game manager his entire career, he probably would have just signed a cheaper quarterback.

You don’t draft first round quarterbacks to manage games for a career.

In 2005, the Steelers drafted Heath Miller in the first round. Miller was lauded as a great pass catching tight end.  The Steelers needed a tight end. But Miller? He had suspect blocking skills listed by almost every analyst as his only weakness.

In 2006, the Steelers traded up in the draft to snag Santonio Holmes, a wide receiver with star potential. Again, you don’t draft first round talent to be a role player.

In 2007 and 2009, the Steelers finally focused on their defense with Lawrence Timmons and Ziggy Hood, respectively.  In 2008, the team drafted Rashard Mendenhall, the lone contributor to the rushing attack from the team’s last six first round picks.

If that doesn’t show that the Steelers have been building up to this, then maybe this will convince you.

Pittsburgh has also drafted Limas Sweed, Mike Wallace, and Carey Davis while signing Mewelde Moore.  Two of those guys are wide receivers with good speed.  Davis is a pass catching fullback with so-so blocking skills.  Moore is a better pass catcher than he is a rusher.

So this should come as no shock. The Steelers, as they showed Sunday night, still intend to run the football.  They just are no longer a run-heavy, bruising offense. 

If Rashard Mendenhall can generate those kinds of yards on a regular basis, then the Steelers will still be able to execute their run-out-the-clock offense in the fourth quarter. 

The new wrinkle is that, during the bulk of the game, the attack will be balanced.

The first drive the Steelers had last night was a six play, 79-yard effort that included three passes and three runs.

Overall, the Steelers passed 33 times and ran 34 times (eliminating two Roethlisberger kneel downs).

How’s that for balance?

Much of the credit for this change should be given to Roethlisberger himself.  He has proven with late game drives that he can win games with his arm. He also has showed a great knack for calling things at the line and for operating the no-huddle offense.

Those kinds of things give you the confidence to balance your attack and let a guy put the ball up 30+ times a game.

You know Roethlisberger won’t argue with that. He loves it.

Some of the other credit should be given to the offensive line, which has vastly improved its pass blocking this season. Roethlisberger was sacked three times by San Diego, at least two of which were because he was trying to make a play.  Three sacks isn’t a bad total anyway, especially considering that they didn’t kill drives because Ben can make big plays with his arm.

The final piece of credit goes to Arians, who’s finally emerging from his shell.  Whether or not he’s a great coordinator is a matter for debate. I think we need more evidence in the form of offensive games like Sunday night’s before we give him too much credit.

He did let Ben start calling plays and audibles, so he is taking the cuffs off finally. The offense certainly hasn’t been a problem in the last two games, so he’s doing something right.

Is this a good change, though? Changes in unit philosophy are often among the most debated in the NFL. If a defense switches from a 4-3 to a 3-4 or vice versa, it makes the news.

For the Steelers to change from a decades long stance of run first, pass second on offense is almost unheard of. Running is the Steelers identity, or so the pundits say.

The truth is, the Steelers never had a star quarterback once Terry Bradshaw left. If you think Cliff Stoudt, Mark Malone, David Woodley, Bubby Brister, Neil O’Donnell, Jim Miller, Mike Tomczak, Kordell Stewart, or Tommy Maddox were anywhere near as talented as Roethlisberger or Bradshaw, I have some ocean-front property in South Dakota for you.

The Steelers have, however, had great running backs. After Franco Harris, there was a bit of a gap until Barry Foster emerged. It is no coincidence that without a good quarterback and with running backs like Walter Abercrombie and Tim Worley the Steelers were not a good football team.

After Foster came Eric Pegram and Bam Morris, then Jerome Bettis, then Willie Parker, and now Mendenhall. Mendenhall isn’t great yet, but he showed he could be on Sunday.

Running may have been the team’s identity, but it may also have been so simply out of necessity and talent than because the coaches were making a conscious decision to run 70% of the time.

Even if Mendenhall shows he is the second coming of Jerome Bettis, the Steelers will likely always be a balanced team as long as Roethlisberger is under center. He’s too good to ask to manage the game.

Is it a good change? That’s a matter of opinion. I think it is. It will let the Steelers dominate teams offensively the way they usually dominate them defensively. If they do that, they’ll be getting fitted for more rings in the very near future.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Offense Aces Test vs. San Diego, Defense Gets an Incomplete

Finally, a second victory. Many people say that the Steelers should be 4-0, undone by an inability to finish that is foreign to Pittsburgh football teams of the past. 

Well, they’re 2-2. The good news, however, is that they finally answered the bell and knocked out a decent team.

There are obvious concerns which will either by addressed by the imminent return of Troy Polamalu or will fester most of the season.

Here’s the report card for the Steelers against the Chargers (the next overall report card will be issued after the sixth game of the season).

 

Offense

 

Ben Roethlisberger: A+

What can I say about someone who leads the league in completion percentage and tackles broken by a quarterback (the second being an unofficial statistic, yet still important)?

Ben found the holes all night and would have two more completions to his name had Hines Ward not dropped a couple passes (although catching eight others totally absolves him of any wrongdoing).

The best thing Ben did last night? He spread the ball around and found everyone. A lot of quarterbacks get into a groove and go to that guy again and again. Ben finds everyone.

The only thing I wasn’t thrilled with were the back to back sacks in the second quarter, but then he restarted the drive.

 

Rashard Mendenhall/Mewelde Moore: A+

Another what can I say moment. Mendenhall was in the doghouse last week (whether Tomlin admits he has one or not) for not knowing his playbook and not practicing effectively. If he didn’t know the playbook this week, he did a wonderful job of making things up as he went.

Mendenhall gives the Steelers two things that they don’t get with Willie Parker. His legs never stop churning, even after contact. The other thing? He can pound up the middle for tough yards.

Moore is excellent in his role as well. He will never be anyone’s feature back, but it doesn’t matter here. He’s great on third down and as a receiver. Roethlisberger trusts him too, which is big.

Moore’s touchdown pass also showed something the Steelers haven’t done since Jerome Bettis retired: a trick play in the red zone.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: A+

Hines Ward had another huge game. He has not found the endzone, but he’s deadly in the middle of the field. His eight catch, 113-yard night led the Steelers. Ward did drop two passes late, but they hardly mattered in this system.

Santonio Holmes finally made a guest appearance in what has recently become Mike Wallace’s world. Holmes played well and made several key catches, including a tough sideline catch that reminded me of his Super Bowl touchdown catch.

He seems to finally be on the same page with Roethlisberger (the overturned interception thrown his way would have been completed if he wasn’t held obviously on the play).

Mike Wallace could be a Rookie of the Year candidate at this rate. I’m not saying he’ll win it. Receivers aren’t usually up for such honors.

But, Wallace continues to be one of the highest impact rookies in the NFL. He makes all the catches and has shown remarkable hands. He will definitely be one of the steals of this year’s draft if this continues.

Heath Miller continues to be Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite red zone target. He catches everything and is a downright bull when he starts running. He’s fast entering the elite group of tight ends with Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez. He has no holes in his game. When he’s not catching passes, he’s as good a blocker as any tight end in football.

 

Offensive Line: A+

Another building block game. They’ve been improving ever since the gut check that was Tennessee and now they are playing lights out, Pittsburgh Steelers football.

The holes were there all night long for Mendenhall and Roethlisberger seemed to always have a nice pocket or enough time to decide to vacate it.

The one area of concern is penalties. I’m not overly concerned, but if you look at trends, Willie Colon always seems to be the false start guy. It’s a career problem for him so far and he needs to solve it. He also tends to line up a little behind the center’s belt. He got lucky last night when it happened and the refs didn’t make the call, but he’s been known for it.

This unit has the potential to be even better, believe it or not. If he continues to be a good, solid addition, Trai Essex’s days as a backup may be over. He’s been more effective than Darnell Stapleton was last season.

Chris Kemoeatu is also getting better. It was nice to see him pull on a couple of running plays the way Alan Faneca used to.

 

Five Things I Liked on Offense

 

1. Variety

Say what you will, and I’ve said plenty against him myself, but Bruce Arians called another masterful game last night. He’s finally letting the offense run a diverse system of passes and runs and is shedding his label as a “three downs and a cloud of dust” offensive coach.

The Steelers’ first drive was a perfect example: three passes, three runs. All gained positive yardage and the drive ended with a touchdown run by Rashard Mendenhall.

 

2. Rashard Mendenhall

Does Willie Parker start when he comes back? If Mendenhall keeps it up, Parker will be the backup who comes in to keep him fresh.

We found out quickly that Mendenhall does not hesitate when he gets the ball. He plays with drive and hunger, something Parker doesn’t lack, but also something he doesn’t have the ability to demonstrate regularly.

Parker has clearly lost a step in speed and he also has never been a back that can get tough yards.

Mendenhall is the kind of back the Steelers have historically done well with. If he can duplicate this success on a continuing basis, he will prove his worth. If nothing else, he should be fun to watch against Detroit’s weak defense next weekend.

 

3. Trick and Treat

It looks like Bruce Arians decided that he would start Halloween festivities early by dialing up a trick play against the Chargers in the fourth quarter.

I heard some whispers that people felt Pittsburgh was running up the score, but in reality I think they did the right thing by going for another score against a suddenly fast-moving Chargers team.

Trick plays work best when they aren’t used often. In this case, Arians hasn’t really used a trick play in almost two years (slight exaggeration). It was bound to work.

 

4. Doug Legursky, Fullback

He’s been kind of hanging around in the dark corners of the locker room. Last night, we finally got to see him do something in a game that counted.

Doug Legursky might be the Steelers’ best option at fullback, at least in blocking situations, since Sean McHugh or Dan Kreider. The block he delivered on the opening drive ahead of a hard-charging Rashard Mendenhall was excellent.

Frank Summers, before his injury, was not opening holes or delivering crushing blocks. Carey Davis is a great pass option out of the backfield and a steady, yet unspectacular blocker. Legursky punished the Chargers player he blocked (I couldn’t see him because he was under Legursky’s mammoth form).

 

5. Teamwork

This wasn’t just an offensive win. It was a win that was contributed to by all members of the offensive unit. Anyone who came onto the field for the Steelers’ offense was a positive force. There were virtually no mistakes and even fewer places to criticize.

When everyone pitches in, this unit is as dangerous as any in the league.

 

Defense

 

Defensive Line: A

The line got great push all night long and often was able to help collapse the pocket around Philip Rivers.

The line also plugged holes that LaDainian Tomlinson was trying to run through, limiting the Chargers to less than 20 rushing yards.

Casey Hampton once again found a way through the middle of an offensive line, getting to Rivers in the second quarter. That’s excellent for a guy who is usually expected to take up blockers and space in the middle. If he’s getting pressures on the quarterback, your line is producing results.

 

Linebackers: B-

James Harrison had a stellar game, so he gets an A+ individually.

I was also impressed by the pressure and blitz success the linebackers had, particularly in the first half.

Lamarr Woodley is still missing in action, which is a huge concern for the pass rush. Perhaps his game will be helped by the return of Troy Polamalu. If not, they need to start looking at why he can’t get anything done.

On the inside, Lawrence Timmons makes this a different unit on passing downs. He consistently is able to get up to the line quickly and generate disruptions. He also is adept in coverage, making good plays when needed.

James Farrior continues to be a quiet, steady force. Both get B’s for their performance last night.

 

Secondary: C

I know, I know. I’m too hard on them. William Gay had a good game and so did Ike Taylor. Tyrone Carter and Ryan Clark did the best they could.

It doesn’t change the fact that these guys got absolutely torched in the fourth quarter. Philip Rivers went from virtually nothing to a three touchdown night.

Why?

It happened because the secondary stayed on the sidelines, at least mentally, once the third quarter ended.

Gay and Taylor did have excellent games. I’m not taking that away from them. Gay gets better each week, although he still has to do better in man coverage, particularly on the Steelers’ side of the field. Taylor has no hands, but he makes the plays.

Carter played really well in run support, but he can’t cover Antonio Gates. That’s not entirely on him. Gates is a phenomenal player and will get his share of big catches no matter who’s on him.

Clark is showing up and he’s plugging holes, but that’s about it. He isn’t a big time player, but when he’s paired with Troy, he’s excellent. He, more than anyone, will benefit from Polamalu’s return.

 

Five Things I Didn’t Like on Defense

 

1. Meet the Press

The Steelers were manhandling the Chargers receivers all night until Dick LeBeau started putting the corners into zone coverage instead of playing man. Gay and Taylor are fast, but don’t have closing speed that is required for zone schemes, so naturally, the Chargers suddenly had room to create. They did.

 

2. Union Break?

I know the guys on defense are members of the players union. That’s great. It really is a good thing. But since when did union breaks come into play in the NFL?

The Steelers’ defense takes one every fourth quarter. This cannot continue or the team will start losing games again. To allow 14 fourth quarter points and 21 in the second half is unacceptable after the defense proved it could play these guys effectively in the first half.

 

3. Dumb Penalties

James Harrison shouldn’t really be dropping into coverage anyway, but when he does, you can’t belt a guy just because he’s open. That nearly cost the Steelers big. He made up for it, but you cannot commit these fouls.

 

4. Where’s Woodley?

Week four of the Lamarr Woodley watch: one tackle.

The stats don’t lie in this case. Woodley has been a non-factor this season. He’s not drawing double teams like James Harrison, so he has no excuse. He should be working better with that kind of space. Instead, he’s playing down to his competition.

 

5. Pick ‘Em

Where are the interceptions? Ike Taylor dropped one last night, which was not terrible since it was a tough play to make anyway, but this team just is not creating turnovers. The Steelers have exactly one pick this season.

Philip Rivers put the ball up 36 times last night. He wasn’t picked. The Steelers can defend passes well, at least in the first half, but cannot intercept them at any point in the game. They simply just don’t seem to have the hands.

 

Special Teams

 

Kicking/Punting: A+

Chris Collinsworth asked us all how much we trusted Jeff Reed in another key situation. Evidently, Collinsworth thought that Reed’s misses in Chicago were a habit. Apparently, he doesn’t watch many games.

Reed once again proved he is the master of Heinz Field, hitting a 46-yard field goal to give the Steelers a 10-point, two possession lead in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.

Daniel Sepulveda only punted twice, but he wins the field position battle for Pittsburgh almost every time. The difference between last season and this one is that, at least on special teams, the team can win the battles for field position.

 

Stefan Logan: B-

He had an easy B+ until he fumbled. To be fair, he was hit by half the Chargers’ coverage team.

But, he’s not big enough to punish anyone, so he needs to learn when to go to ground and call it a return. He can only fight so far. He’s best in the open field or one on one, where he can make someone miss.

This is his second fumble on a return. The first was in the closing moments against the Bears. This one hurt. It can’t happen again.

 

Overall Grades

Offense: A+

Defense: B-

Special Teams: B+

 

 

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