Can the Steelers Run the Table and Win the AFC North?

Having lost to the Cincinnati Bengals twice this year, winning the AFC North is going to be a tall task for the defending Super Bowl champions. With six games left to play, the Steelers are going to need help to complete that task.

First, the Bengals will have to lose two games more than the Steelers in order for the Steelers to over take them for the crown.

 

Bengals’ remaining games

Cleveland Browns

Even though the Browns took the Bengals to the last seconds of overtime before losing to them in week four, that more than likely will not happen again. Cincinnati is coming off an embarrassing loss to the Oakland Raiders and will probably pound the Browns.

 

Detroit Lions

The Lions are a joke of a team that the Bengals should easily beat. With only two victories in the last year and a half, this should be a cakewalk for the Bengals unless they are looking ahead to the Vikings.

 

@ Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota is the most complete team left on the Bengals’ schedule. They post a staunch defense and two offensive weapons, Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson, that will be too much for the Bengals to handle.

 

@ San Diego Chargers

The Chargers have come alive and have now taken the AFC West lead. The Chargers will need this game for playoff positioning, and Cincy has proven they are not that good when they travel across the country.

 

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs were lucky against the Steelers, and the Bengals will probably need this game after losing to the Vikings and Chargers.

 

@ New York Jets

The Jets are a decent team, but they are having normal problems for a team that has a rookie quarterback. They will not be able to stop the Cincinnati attack.

 

I look at the Bengals going 4-2 for the rest of the year, with a final record of 11-5.

That means for the Steelers to win the AFC North, they will have to end the season with a 12-4 record. The Steelers currently have four losses, so they will have to win the rest of their regular season games if they hope to pass the Bengals.

 

@ Baltimore Ravens

It is uncertain that Ben Roethlisberger will play against the Ravens, and Troy Polamalu is out. The Ravens will be playing without Terrell Suggs, so the pass rush will not be as devastating as it would be, and if Dennis Dixon can play as the Steelers hope, they can overcome the Ravens.

 

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders had a stroke of luck against the Bengals, but they were at home, and the Steelers will be playing with urgency.

 

@ Cleveland Browns

The Browns already lost to the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and by losing to the Lions, the Browns are on pace to be the worst team in the NFL.

 

Green Bay Packers

The Packers have taken many hits to their defense with Aaron Kampman and Al Harris being placed on IR. Green Bay probably could not have defeated the Steelers with them, so they shouldn’t be able to without them.

 

Baltimore Ravens

Two days after Christmas, the Steelers host the Ravens, and both teams should be back to full strength by that point. Look for the Steelers to end the Ravens’ season, knocking them out of the playoff hunt.

 

@ Miami Dolphins

The biggest strength of the Dolphins was their wildcat offense, but without Ronnie Brown, the Fins just do not match up with the Steelers.

 

Not saying that the six games that the Steelers play are going to be easy, but the Steelers, if they can fix their special team woes, have a very realistic shot at running the table, forcing the Bengals to lose no more than one game.

If the Steelers can do that, then the AFC North crown could very well be theirs. The Bengals will have the pressure on them to not let the Steelers catch them. If the Bengals do so, they await a possible rematch with the Steelers come playoff time.

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The Case For Troy Polamalu Winning The NFL MVP.

Before any of you start to tell me how crazy I am, at least hear me out. I know that the award always goes to an offensive player. This year, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are fighting it out, and one of them are going to win. I know this.

Next, you will probably say something to the effect, Polamalu has missed too many games to be considered the MVP. How can someone who has missed more than half the season be the MVP?

My answer to that is simple. MVP stands for Most Valuable Player, right?

In the Steelers opening game against the Tennessee Titans, Polamalu was a complete animal before he injured his knee. The Titans were held to seven first downs in that half. While Polamalu had seven tackles, two for losses, and an interception.

After the injury to Polamalu, Tennessee marched 71 yards in three plays for a touchdown.

Polamalu missed the next three games, in which the Steelers lost two of them, both pass plays in the closing seconds of the game. In both instances, Polamalu would have been playing the zone in which the winning score was thrown.

Before anyone asks how I know that, it is because both touchdowns were thrown to the strong safety side of the field.

Polamalu came back against the Cleveland Browns, in which he had four tackles and an interception.

The next week, Polamalu had six tackles, all of them solo, and 2 passes defensed.

Against the Denver Broncos, Polamalu had three solo tackles, an interception, and two passes defensed.

Polamalu also added on tackle, in three plays against the Bengals, also knocking Cedric Benson out of the game.

This is not taking into account the intangibles that Troy Polamalu brings to the table. Between his ability to cover the entire field, blitz from anywhere, and fake the blitz, and get back to his zone faster than anyone else in the game.

Anyone that watches the Steelers on a regular basis knows that, when Troy Polamalu is in the game, the Steelers defense is a completely different unit. They play with more physicality, because they know that Troy will be able to cover any mistakes that anyone on the field makes.

I know that Troy Polamalu will not win the NFL MVP award, but if he does not win at least the Steelers MVP this year, then someone that does not deserve the award is going to get it.

 

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Flag On the Play: Double Standard Becoming Obvious In the NFL

A few weeks ago, when the New England Patriots were playing the Baltimore Ravens, Terrell Suggs bumped into Tom Brady’s legs. As Tom Brady turned to the referee wanting a penalty, the ref immediately threw his flag.

See, the rules in the NFL have changed. The “Tom Brady rule” prevents the quarterback from taking unnecessary shots to either the head or legs. 

However, not every quarterback seems to reap the benefits.

On the play from today’s Chiefs-Steelers game pictured above, one of the Chiefs players was clearly taking a shot at Ben Roethlisberger’s head. Big Ben was poked in the eye on third-and-short. Hard to complete a pass while someone’s hand is inside your face mask, isn’t it?

Then, in overtime, Roethlisberger was scrambling when he dove while a Chiefs’ player was tackling him. Another dove at Roethlisberger, hitting him in the head with his knee.

Now, personally, I think the rules getting a little ridiculous. Most of the quarterbacks are becoming cry babies like Brady when he was hopping around wanting the personal foul on Suggs.

But rules are rules, and if they are going to be called for someone like Brady, shouldn’t they be called for all quarterbacks? Wouldn’t Brady have gotten those calls if he had been hit like Roethlisberger was hit today?

If a personal foul would have been called on the hit Big Ben took in overtime, the Steelers would have had the ball on the Chiefs’ 35-yard line. That would have put them in field-goal range to win the game and stay competitive in the AFC playoff race. 

The NFL needs to either change the rules so that hits like these are legal, or they need to be consistent with all of the signal callers in the NFL. Right now, I’m pretty sure that league officials are playing favorites.

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Every AFC North Team Falls, Race for the AFC Championship Still On

Sunday was supposed to be a day where the AFC North dominated the NFL.

Beginning the day, the Ravens were taking on the NFL leading Indianapolis Colts. Even though the Colts were undefeated heading into the game, the Ravens, with their dominating defense, were still one and a half point favorites to win the game.

The Steelers were traveling to Kansas City, in a game where they were supposed to dominate the lowly Chiefs.

Meanwhile, the Browns played a Lions team that has won only one game in the last season and a half.

Finally, the division leading Bengals visited the Oakland Raiders, who just benched their franchise quarterback in favor of a former fifth round pick.

The Ravens took the Colts to the limit. Indianapolis, with a two point lead, had to punt to the ever dangerous Ed Reed. Instead of just going down, Reed tried to be the play maker that he is and lateraled the ball. Reed fumbled, Indianapolis recovered, and the Ravens fell to 5-5.

Soon after, the Pittsburgh Steelers fell. After handling the Chiefs most of the day, the Steelers allowed the Chiefs back into the game. In overtime, Ben Roethlisberger took a knee to the head, knocking him out of the game. Charlie Batch came in and immediately marched the Steelers into field goal range.

Bruce Arians called a sweep, Mewelde Moore gets tackled for a two yard loss, which took the Steelers out of field goal range. A minute later, Matt Cassel moves the Chiefs to the two yard line, and Mr. Irrelevant kicks a game winning field goal.

Cleveland did no better. With the lead, and only seconds to play, Matthew Stafford threw the ball into the end zone hoping for a win. What he got was pass interference in the end zone as the clock struck 0:00. With one, un-timed down, Matthew Stafford threw his fifth touch down of the game, and with the extra point the Lions won 38-37.

Against the Raiders, the Bengals had the chance to end the race in the AFC North, taking a three game lead on the Steelers and a four game lead on the Ravens with a win.

Instead, lightning struck, and the AFC North race remains wide open.

Bruce Gradkowski threw a 29 yard touchdown pass to rookie Louis Murphy to tie the game at 17 with 33 seconds left. The play was replayed, but the score was upheld.

Cincinnati was going to get the ball back with 30 seconds and all three time outs left, to try to mount a game winning drive.

Return man Andre Caldwell then fumbled the kickoff at the 17 yard line.

After three kneel downs, Raiders’ kicker Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 33 yard field goal to win the game.

With the chance to put the final nail in the coffin of the Steelers and Ravens, the Bengals came up one fumble short.

Now the AFC North race is in the same position as it was before the first game began on Sunday.

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Steelers-Chiefs: Poor Play Calling Costs Steelers Win Again

For the second week in a row, coaching blunders have cost the Pittsburgh Steelers a victory, putting their playoff hopes in jeopardy.

While the players on the field made mental mistakes, from the opening kickoff, the coaching decisions have put the Steelers in the hole they may not be able to overcome once December starts.

The Steelers special teams remained a joke, allowing ANOTHER kickoff to be returned for a touchdown, their fourth this year and third in three games.

Arnold Harrison was the sacrificial lamb this past week, bringing Donovan Woods up from the practice squad.

Mike Tomlin said he did not want to put a band aid on the problem, even though a band aid may have been enough to keep the Chiefs from returning the opening kickoff for a score and a 7-0 lead, 16 seconds into the game.

Stefan Logan again did not break a kick off, keeping the Steelers from great field position.

Defensively, the Steelers played well. But in over time, when the Steelers were not set when Kansas City hiked the ball, a pass was completed to the Steelers four yard line setting up a field goal, no further than an extra point, which gave the Chiefs the win.

Once again Bruce Arians put the Steelers in a bad position in over time.

After the Ben Roethlisberger injury, Charlie Batch was brought in and made a 19 yard completion to bring to Steelers near field goal range. On 3rd-and-2 from the Chiefs 35 yard line, instead of running Rashard Mendenhall up the middle, Arians called a sweep to the right.

The result? A loss of two yards, taking the Steelers out of field goal range and forcing the punt.

Mendenhall did a great job in short yardage against the Chiefs. Why would they not run the ball up the middle, and bring in Jeff Reed for a long field goal attempt? Even if they would have called a QB sneak, Reed still would have been in range to make a field goal.

Again play calling cost the Steelers the game, and have now brought the wild card field closer to the Steelers.

With six games to play, the Steelers will now have to battle the Broncos, Chargers, Ravens, Texans, and Jaguars for the two final playoff spots.

With Bruce Arians calling plays, the Steelers have a lot to overcome.

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Cleveland Browns Seriously Considering Charlie Casserly for GM?

When the Cleveland Browns decided to fire George Kokinis, I thought it was a step in the right direction. With rumors this week that the Browns were interested in bringing in Mike Holmgren as a Bill Parcells type of role, I though, WOW, the Browns are finally turning the corner.

Now with news that the Browns are possibly interested in offering the position to former Washington Redskins GM Charlie Casserly , I have to wonder, really?

Casserly started his career in 1977 with the Washington Redskins as an unpaid assistant to Bobby Beathard. He was then hired the next year as a scout. Casserly became the GM of the Redskins in 1989.

Casserly did a good job at drafting good players, like Brian Mitchell, Steven Davis, Keenan McCardell, and Frank Wycheck.

His best season as a GM came before the 1999 season when he traded the Redskins first—round pick (fifth) to the New Orleans Saints for their entire draft, plus their first and second pick in the 2000 draft.

Even trading down, he still managed to land Champ Bailey, the player the Skins would have drafted in the five spot.

Dan Snyder decided after the 1999 season that Casserly was not the man to take his team into the future and decided to fire him. Casserly bounced back, signing on as the GM of the Houston Texans.

Though none of the players from Casserly’s first draft really amounted to anything, he did a fantastic job in 2006 when the Texans chose Mario Williams over Reggie Bush and Vince Young. In 2006, he also drafted future Pro Bowl players DeMeco Ryans and Owen Daniels.

But, it was a move in 2005 that would eventually seal the fate of Casserly.

He traded the Texans’ second— and third—round picks in the 2005 draft to the Oakland Raiders for CB Phillip Buchanon. Casserly was fired four games into the 2006 season, never getting to reap the rewards of the 2006 draft class.

After failing to secure a position with the NFL League Office, Casserly now works for CBS on The NFL Today.

So, though Casserly has made some good decisions as a GM in the NFL (2006 Texans draft class), he has also made some bone headed decisions that have hurt the teams he was running (Heath Shuler and Buchanon come to mind).

The Browns do not need someone that is so hot and cold running their franchise. They need someone who is a proven winner that knows how to make changes and adjustments to a roster that has a long way to go before it can be competitive.

Mike Holmgren, who has stated he is interested in rebuilding the Browns, knows how to bring a franchise back from the dead.

He did it with the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks. But, just because it is a no—brainer move that the Browns should make, does not mean Mr. Learner is going to make the right decision.

What it ultimately boils down to is this: will Learner be willing to give the keys to the franchise to someone that will be able to turn things around their way, or will he insist on keeping his hand in the decision making, even though he has proven that it is not his strong suit?

Every time Learner has made a decision, it has been the wrong one. This is a chance to either turn the franchise around or set it back even further. Hopefully for Browns fans, this will be the start of something great.

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10 Changes the NFL Needs To Make

With the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement set to expire after this season, here are 10 things that both the owners and players need to agree on prior to signing a new contract.

Some people stress player safety and others stress revenue. Not me. Those things will work themselves out. I am here to take on the more important issues.

Now, some of these things will go into the safety issues and others will touch the revenue issues. But make no mistake about it, these things are more important than those.

 

Issue 1: Cheerleaders.  What in professional sports is more important than cheerleaders? The team that doesn’t have them, Pittsburgh, needs to get them. Those that have them and play in the cold weather need to stop this covering-up business.

 

Issue 2: Food at the stadium. Everyone agrees that food experience at the stadium is important. How often is the stadium food as good as the food at the tailgate parties? Never. Upgrade the food to be as good as we get outside, or it is free.

 

Issue 3: Unsportsmanlike penalties on the QB (We will call this the Brady Quinn rule). When a QB hits a defender low, instead of fines or penalties, we turn things around. The next time the QB drops back to pass, the defense gets a free shot at him. No roughing the passer will be called and whoever from the defense gets to him first gets the free shot.

 

Issue 4: Player fines. Start at the beginning of a player’s career. The first time a player does anything that warrants a fine, it is $5,000. The next fine is $10,000. And it doubles every time the player does something fine-worthy.

 

Issue 5: Pass Interference. When a DB is flagged for pass interference, the penalty is at the spot of the ball. This can translate into a penalty of 50 yards or more. It’s ridiculous. If a player is flagged on one play, they should have to play with their hands tied behind their back. When an offensive player is flagged, they’re blindfolded for a play.

 

Issue 6: Holding on the offensive line. It is said that there is holding on every single play in the NFL. Then why even have the rule? Holding is a joke of a rule, so it is gone. The more important penalties, such as clipping, chop block, illegal hands to the face, should carry 15-yard penalties with fines.

 

Issue 7: Pre snap penalties—GONE. If there is a penalty on the offense before the play, the whistle is blown and the play is dead. That is wrong. If the defense is offsides, the offense gets a free play. Plays will continue on offensive pre-snap penalties. The defense is the one that will get the free play.

 

Issue 8: Fighting. In the NHL, fighting is a proud practice. In MLB, you see bench-clearing brawls all the time. In the NFL, the group that is the most protected by padding, no one can fight because of fines and suspensions. If two players start going at it, LET THEM GO! What is the big deal about these mountains of men wanting to throw down? Provided it is not a QB against a defensive lineman, let them go.

 

Issue 9: Show-boat penalties. The NFL is being called the No Fun League because every time a player does something that people at home find funny, there are resulting penalties and fines. Players should be able to celebrate, taunt and have fun. To those of you that say it is unsportsmanlike, then the defense needs to stop it from happening.

 

Issue 10: Offensive coordinators—GONE! Let’s be honest. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger don’t NEED an offensive coordinator. All coordinators do is take extra money being spent on an unnecessary position. Teams can have someone to help, but eliminate the position.

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Proof That Some ESPN Reporters Have No Clue What They Are Talking About!

Bleacher Report is a great site for aspiring journalists. Some of us already have our journalism degree, and are waiting for their “big break”, while others do this because we love to write.

It is obvious, to me at least, that the journalism degree does not mean that the reporter has any idea what he is talking about. I have never called out a professional writer, but there is a first time for everything, so I am calling out one of the writers from ESPN.

I read an article on espn.com, from reporter David Fleming . Mr. Fleming writes about how smart the Cincinnati Bengals are for not only taking a chance on Larry Johnson, but for ignoring the past of many of the free agents the Bengals have brought in, and the many players with questionable character they have drafted.

I will say that I am very impressed with the play of the Bengals so far this season. They have swept both the Steelers and Ravens, which is a task that no one had thought was possible. But is that any reason to crown them as the model franchise that NFL teams should mold themselves after?

Lets take a look at the real model franchises in the NFL.

Pittsburgh Steelers . The only team in the NFL that has six Lombardi Trophies in their trophy case. They have had a total of three head coaches in the last 30+ years. They are a model of stability. They build their team through the draft, signing few free agents, and never break the bank on anyone they did not select in the draft.

New England Patriots . Since taking over in the late 1990’s, Robert Kraft has been to five Super Bowls, winning three of them. They post the only undefeated regular season since the 1972 Dolphins.

Though they occasionally do sign players that have had a question or two in their past, everyone they bring in, buys into the system of Bill Belichick, and become a model citizen.

New York Giants . The Mara family has run a consistent tight ship. Signing one of the toughest head coaches, Tom Coughlin, to build a team of stability. When they did have a problem with one of their players, Plaxico Burress, he was suspended, then released prior to going to jail.

Indianapolis Colts . Another family run business, that builds their team through the draft. Hardly ever do you hear about a player on the Colts that is in any kind of legal trouble.

What do these teams have in common? They have won the last seven Super Bowls.

How have the Bengals and their brand of bringing in problem players done in that time? One playoff appearance, losing their first game.

Mr. Fleming says in his article, “So don’t knock the Bengals for being one of the few teams out there who understand and exploit the character myth.” I would like to take a look at some of those other teams that have brought in players with character issues.

Dallas Cowboys . Jerry Jones has done everything in his power to win a Super Bowl since Jimmy Johnson quit the team. He has brought in players like Terrel Owens and Pac Man Jones who have done nothing but divide the locker room.

How have the Cowboys done this decade? They have not won a playoff game.

Washington Redskins . Like Jerry Jones, Daniel Snyder has brought in players of questionable character, such as Fred Smoot (Vikings love boat scandal), and Albert Haynesworth (reckless driving).

How have the Redskins done this decade? One playoff victory.

Oakland Raiders . Al Davis is another owner that does not care about the character of his team. His head coach has been accused of spousal abuse, and of breaking the jaw on one of his assistants.

How have the Raiders done this decade? One Super Bowl loss.

Does this really show that the Bengals are on the right path to becoming a model franchise in the NFL? I don’t think so. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of bad teams that do have a good year once in a while.

Cleveland Browns, 2007. Two years ago, the Cleveland Browns finished the season one game out of the playoffs. Many people thought they were a team on the rise, and would become perennial contenders.

How have the Browns done since? They finished the 2008 season picking in the top 5 of the draft, and they are on pace to be the worst team in the NFL this year.

Tennessee Titans, 2008. The Titans finished 2008 with the best record and home field advantage in the AFC. After being beat down by the Baltimore Ravens, their season ended on their home field.

They have won three games in a row, but it will take a miracle for them to make the playoffs.

Is it because the Titans and the Browns were really that good during those years? Or could it be that parity in the NFL gave each of them one good year, and reality sunk back in, and put them back to their original position in the pecking order?

If you look at the teams I named at first, Steelers, Patriots, Giants, Colts, you see that the common denominator of them is they have stability and quality people on their teams. Though there may be a questionable person or two on their rosters, they still have the stability to keep those players in line.

When you have a locker room with many players that have been in trouble, and are in trouble, you can not become a legitimate, long time competitor in the NFL.

The Cincinnati Bengals are doing good because the players ARE staying out of trouble so far. But could it have anything to do with the fact they have the third easiest schedule in the NFL? Could it be because they finished last year in third place in the AFC North, and are playing a third place schedule?

Is it even possible that the Bengals are just like the Browns of 2007 and the Titans of 2008, and will once again sink back into their rightful position in the pecking order of the NFL after this season?

All I know, if I were awarded an NFL expansion team, and I had to build my team like any other team in the NFL, it certainly will not be like the Bengals. It would be like the first group I mentioned.

And as for Mr. Flemings final thought, where he said, “There will be 31 teams out there wishing they were as clever as the Bengals.” I think the only teams that will be wishing that are the perennial bottom dwellers, and the real championship calibre team will be glad they are built the way they are.

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If It Ain’t Broke…: Are the Cincinnati Bengals Ruining Their Team?

Prior to the 2009 NFL season, HBO featured the Cincinnati Bengals on their yearly show “Hard Knocks.” It is a show that follows a team from the beginning of training camp until the end of preseason.

What the Bengals have done since is nothing short of remarkable. After a heartbreaking loss to the Denver Broncos in their opener, Cincinnati has dominated the AFC North, defeating the Browns in the last seconds of overtime, and sweeping the season series against both the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Since they are basically the same team with a top-10 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, other than the return of Carson Palmer, most people would say that the main reason for the Bengals’ success is their team unity and chemistry.

On the heels of their Heinz Field victory and attainment of sole possession of first place in the AFC North, the Bengals are now in danger of ruining that team chemistry.

First, they signed disgruntled troublemaker Larry Johnson. Johnson is a free agent because the Kansas City Chiefs, one of the worst teams in the NFL, could not put up with his behavior anymore. Johnson was suspended and then released after making negative sexual references to members of the press, not once, but twice.

Some Bengals fans would say that move was necessary because Cedric Benson was slightly injured against the Steelers. Forget the fact that Benson has said the injury is minor and it will not affect him next week.

Others would say that they are acting like the Bungles of old instead of the new division leaders.

Adam Schefter is now reporting, via profootballtalk.com , that the Bengals have also brought in receiver Joey Galloway, safety Mike Doss, and defensive tackle Ed Johnson for workouts and interviews.

There is an old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So, can someone tell me exactly what is broke?

Galloway was cut by the New England Patriots because he does not have the hands he used to. Numerous times in their first few games, Tom Brady tried to get the ball to Galloway, and he just could not hang on to it.

Doss and Johnson were both with the Colts during the preseason, but neither was good enough to make the regular season roster. The Colts have had injury issues with Bob Sanders, who was on IR for the last week and a half, and they still did not bring Doss back.

The Bengals also made two other moves today by releasing two players from IR. Tight end Ben Utecht and receiver Antonio Chatman were released. Because they were on injured reserve, they are now free to sign with any team other than the Bengals.

Now that the Bengals are finally over the stigma of being a bad football team, having only one other winning season in the last 20-plus years, you would think that they would not want to risk hurting the team chemistry. None of the men they brought in are considered to be as good as anyone the Bengals currently have on their roster, so it makes no sense.

These moves may be considered smart by some, but if the Bengals end up losing some winnable games over the next month, you can be sure that it will be traced back to the moment management decided to fix what wasn’t broken. 

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Bruce Arians Needs to Be Fired: Today!

Wondering why I used a picture of the Cleveland Browns in this article about the Steelers? 

You guessed it, that man in the middle is none other than Bruce Arians, the Steelers current offensive coordinator.

Arians got his start in Cleveland, and the man to his left? That is right, Tim Couch. The Browns first selection coming back into the NFL. What did Arians do for his career? Ruined it!

Sundays game against the Bengals again resulted in another loss by the Steelers, and again, it is thanks to the horrible play calling of the offensive coordinator—Bruce Arians.

There is little question as to the offensive weapons that play on the Steelers. Big Ben Roethlisberger is one of the top quarterbacks playing in the NFL. He has size, arm strength, and an uncanny ability to get himself out of trouble when things break down.

There are two Super Bowl MVP’s that start at wide-out. Hines Ward is sure-handed and will take a crushing hit for a few extra yards. Santonio Holmes has speed that can humiliate some of the best corners in the NFL. Don’t believe me? Ask Champ Baily what it was like trying to cover him.

The running game has last years first-round pick, Rashard Mendenhall, who is slowly becoming a real threat with the ball in his hand. Heath Miller, one of the best tight ends in the game, has hands as steady as a brain surgeon.

The offensive line, though they take heat for most of Big Ben’s sacks, have been reliable this year, both in pass protection and run blocking.

So, why have the Steelers lost three games this year, including two to the Cincinnati Bengals? The horrible play calling from none other than Bruce Arians.

Sunday against the Bengals, the Steelers had to settle for four field goals, with the team marching into the red zone on all four of the field goal attempts. On all four of those possessions, and on the last drive of the game, I called out every play that was going to be run, and did not get a single one wrong !

The predictability of the offensive play calling is so bad that someone that did no film study, or looked at nothing other than the Steelers previous games, could pick out all the plays that were being called. What do you think a professional defensive coordinator do?

There is no creativity at all with the Steelers offensive attack. There are no trick plays, no wildcat, no nothing. I am not saying the Steelers should try to trick teams every game, but why not throw an occasional trick play in, just to keep the other teams defense honest? Because Bruce Arians does not want to.

The Steelers offense is it’s best when they go no-huddle. When they do, no one in the league has been able to stop it. Why don’t we do it more often? Because Bruce Arians does not want to. Why do you think that is? Because Bruce Arians does not get to call the plays.

I firmly believe that anyone could come in and do as good of a job calling plays as Bruce Arians is. ANYONE! There are plenty of people that are available, such as Jim Haslett, who used to be an offensive coordinator for the Steelers, or even Mike Martz may be available. The fact is, Arians is in over his head and has a job that he can not handle.

As I re-read this article, what comes across as the sad part is, the Steelers are 6-3. They could be so much worse, and they would be with out Ben and the crew, and the no-huddle offense.

It is time for the Steelers to take the next step, and that step is to get rid of the man that is calling all the wrong plays.

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