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Steelers Report Card/Week 6: Champs in Need of Minny Challenge
Published: October 18, 2009
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Here’s my take on the Steelers’ 27-14 victory on Sunday afternoon.
1. Another beatable opponent — the Browns are the fourth-best team in Ohio behind the Cincinnati Bengals, Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati — another game that was closer than it should have been. Excuse me, haven’t we seen this movie before?
Last season the Steelers had no choice except to maintain focus, because of their meat-grinder of a schedule. Thus far, the defending champs have yet to face a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and their uneven play has reflected as much.
What this team needs is a challenge, and in the Minnesota Vikings, it will get one at home next weekend. The Vikings are one of four unbeatens in the league.
My guess is that the Steelers will pack their A game next weekend. And if they don’t, we’ll know that they’re not the stuff of repeat champions.
2. Ben Roethlisberger makes a careless throw for an interception. Rashard Mendenhall carries the ball like a loaf of Butternut and puts it on the ground. Willie Parker loses control of it even before he gets hit.
Now do you know why this team can’t put away opponents in the second half?
3. Never mind Fast Willie and Rocket Rashard in the fourth quarter. Dancing Mewelde Moore is the best option for this reason: The guy has strength and leverage, and he rarely makes a mistake.
4. If Roethlisberger made one fewer bad play each game, then he would be better than John Elway, if you ask me.
5. Well, well, well, look who decided to show up for a change. None other than Lawrence Timmons and Lamarr Woodley, remember them?
Timmons and Woodley were supposed to become consistent playmakers in their third seasons in the league, but this marked the first time that both made a difference in the same game.
If the two linebackers elevate their games, they could ease the loss of end Aaron Smith for the remainder of the season.
6. It’s difficult to find fault with an offense that produces 543 nets yards and 28 first downs, but for that kind of production, 27 points aren’t nearly enough.
Five-hundred-plus yards should translate into 40-plus points. Easy.
7. Where was the deep ball to rookie Mike Wallace that worked so well this season? The play should be called at least once every game if for no other reason than to keep the defense honest.
8. As for the Steelers defense, I can’t take anything that it did seriously. The Browns offense is so godawful, statistics are meaningless.
9. The Browns-Steelers rivalry would be a heckuva lot better if the Browns were the Baltimore Ravens and the Ravens were the expansion team. You know, like it should have been all along.
10. Any time the Steelers want to kick away from Joshua Cribbs is fine with me. In fact, I strongly encourage it.
The grades:
Offense regulars
WR Hines Ward: A
Weekly grades: B/B/C/B/A/A
Season average: B
LT Max Starks: C
Weekly grades: B/F/C/B/C/D
Season average: C
LG Chris Komoeatu: B
Weekly grades: D/C/B/A/B/B
Season average: C+
C Justin Hartwig: B
Weekly grades: F/C/B/A/B/B
Season average: C+
RG Trai Essex: C
Weekly grades: C/B/C/B/D/C
Season average: C
RT Willie Colon: B
Weekly grades: D/B/C/A/C/B
Season average: C+
TE Heath Miller: A
Weekly grades: A/B/B/A/A/A
Season average: B+
WR Santonio Holmes: A
Weekly grades: A/D/F/C/B/A
Season average: C+
WR Mike Wallace: B
Weekly grades: B/C/A/B/B/B
Season average: B
QB Ben Roethlisberger: B
Weekly grades: A/B/A/A/B/B
Season average: B+
RB Rashard Mendenhall: D
Weekly grades: C/B/INC/A/A/D
Season average: B
RB Mewelde Moore: B
Weekly grades: B/C/C/A/B/B
Season average: B
Defense regulars
LE Aaron Smith: DNP
Weekly grades: A/B/C/B/B/DNP
Season average: B
LE Travis Kirschke: B
Weekly grades: C/B/C/C/B/B
Season average: C+
NT Casey Hampton: A
Weekly grades: B/B/B/C/B/A
Season average: B
RE Brett Keisel: A
Weekly grades: A/B/C/B/B/A
Season average: B
LOLB Lamarr Woodley: B
Weekly grades: D/D/D/D/C/B
Season average: D+
LILB James Farrior: B
Weekly grades: B/A/C/B/C/B
Season average: B
RILB Lawrence Timmons: A
Weekly grades: DNP/B/B/D/B/A
Season average: B
ROLB James Harrison: B
Weekly grades: A/B/A/A/A/B
Season average: B+
LCB William Gay: B
Weekly grades: C/C/B/B/B/B
Season average: C+
RCB Ike Taylor: C
Weekly grades: C/B/A/A/B/C
Season average: B
SS Tyrone Carter: C
Weekly grades: C/D/B/C/C/C
Season average: C
SS Troy Polamalu: B
Weekly grades: A/DNP/DNP/DNP/DNP/B
Season average: B+
FS Ryan Clark: B
Weekly grades: B/B/A/B/A/B
Season average: B+
Special teams regulars
PK Jeff Reed: B
Weekly grades: B/F/C/A/B/B
Season average: C+
P Daniel Sepulveda: B
Weekly grades: A/A/A/A/B/B
Season average: B+
KR Stefan Logan: B
Weekly grades: B/D/A/C/B/B
Season average: C+
PR Stefan Logan: INC
Weekly grades: C/C/C/F/C/INC
Season average: D+
Coaches
HC Mike Tomlin: B
Weekly grades: B/C/D/A/C/B
Season average: C+
OC Bruce Arians: A
Weekly grades: C/D/C/A/B/A
Season average: C+
DC Dick LeBeau: A
Weekly grades: A/B/C/B/B/A
Season average: B
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card/Week Five: Still No Cure For Super Hangover
Published: October 12, 2009
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Here’s my take on the Steelers’ 28-20 victory against the Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon:
1. Once is an accident, twice is a trend. But what do you call three or four times? Fatal, that’s what.
Once again, the uninspired Steelers took a lead into the fourth period, and once again, they had one foot over a cliff at the finish. And remember, this was against a toothless Lions team.
Anyone one who thinks the trend will change any time soon has chugged too much black and gold Kool-Aid lately. This group has too much age and too little focus to put teams away any more.
2. For the record, the Steelers haven’t had a wire-to-wire blowout since Week 17 of last season, a span of eight games. And that was the Cleveland Browns, so it doesn’t count, really.
3. The Browns are next on the schedule, which is why safety Troy Polamalu should play on pass downs only if he has tested his strained knee ligament at all.
4. The Lions converted 11 of 18 chances on third down. Not only that, but they did it without their best player (Calvin Johnson) and best quarterback (Matthew Stafford).
5. You don’t hear the name Bryant McFadden any more, but the defense misses the veteran cornerback more than anyone in the organization cares to admit.
The absence of McFadden has had a ripple effect on the depleted secondary, which is especially vulnerable on pass downs. William Gay has been a capable replacement for McFadden at the left side, but Deshea Townsend is a step down from Gay as the nickel back. And Keiwan Ratliff is another step down from Townsend in the dime package.
6. One more time: Why not give the young guys a chance more often?
True, cornerback Joe Burnett and end Ziggy Hood will make rookie mistakes. But they have young legs and big-play abilities, and as far as I can tell, the defense doesn’t have much of either one at the moment.
7. How accurate has Ben Roethlisberger been thus far? If the nine balls that the receivers dropped were completions, the quarterback would have a silly .791 completion percentage.
That doesn’t count the five balls that were caught by the other team, of course.
8. Hey, look, a rough-the-passer penalty with Big Ben on the field!
9. Dang, that Heath Miller is good.
10. Circle the Nov. 15 date with the Cincinnati Bengals on your calendars. Because if the Steelers don’t win that one, they may be toast this season.
The Bengals already have victories against the Steelers at home and the Baltimore Ravens on the road, while the Steelers have yet to beat a division opponent.
The Grades
Offense Regulars
WR Hines Ward: A
Weekly grades: B/B/C/B/A
Season average: B
LT Max Starks: C
Weekly grades: B/F/C/B/C
Season average: C
LG Chris Komoeatu: B
Weekly grades: D/C/B/A/B
Season average: C+/B
C Justin Hartwig: B
Weekly grades: F/C/B/A/B
Season average: C+/C
RG Trai Essex: D
Weekly grades: C/B/C/B/D
Season average: C/C+
RT Willie Colon: C
Weekly grades: D/B/C/A/C
Season average: C+/C
TE Heath Miller: A
Weekly grades: A/B/B/A/A
Season average: B+/A
WR Santonio Holmes: B
Weekly grades: A/D/F/C/B
Season average: C
WR Mike Wallace: B
Weekly grades: B/C/A/B/B
Season average: B
QB Ben Roethlisberger: B
Weekly grades: A/B/A/A/B
Season average: B+/A
RB Rashard Mendenhall: A
Weekly grades: C/B/INC/A/A
Season average: B/B+
RB Mewelde Moore: B
Weekly grades: B/C/C/A/B
Season average: B/B-
Defense Regulars
LE Aaron Smith: B
Weekly grades: A/B/C/B/B
Season average: B
NT Casey Hampton: B
Weekly grades: B/B/B/C/B
Season average: B/B-
RE Brett Keisel: B
Weekly grades: A/B/C/B/B
Season average: B
LOLB Lamarr Woodley: C
Weekly grades: D/D/D/D/C
Season average: D+/D
LILB James Farrior: C
Weekly grades: B/A/C/B/C
Season average: B/ B-
RILB Lawrence Timmons: B
Weekly grades: DNP/B/B/D/B
Season average: C+/B
ROLB James Harrison: A
Weekly grades: A/B/A/A/A
Season average: A/A-
LCB William Gay: B
Weekly grades: C/C/B/B/B
Season average: B-/C+
RCB Ike Taylor: B
Weekly grades: C/B/A/A/B
Season average: B/B+
SS Tyrone Carter: C
Weekly grades: C/D/B/C/C
Season average: C
SS Troy Polamalu: DNP
Weekly grades: A/DNP/DNP/DNP/DNP
Season average: A
FS Ryan Clark: A
Weekly grades: B/B/A/B/A
Season average: B+/B
Special Teams Regulars
PK Jeff Reed: B
Weekly grades: B/F/C/A/B
Season average: C+/C
P Daniel Sepulveda: B
Weekly grades: A/A/A/A/B
Season average: A/A-
KR Stefan Logan: B
Weekly grades: B/D/A/C/B
Season average: C+/B
PR Stefan Logan: C
Weekly grades: C/C/C/F/C
Season average: D+/C-
Coaches
HC Mike Tomlin: C
Weekly grades: B/C/D/A/C
Season average: C+/C
OC Bruce Arians: B
Weekly grades: C/D/C/A/B
Season average: C+/C
DC Dick LeBeau: B
Weekly grades: A/B/C/B/B
Season average: B
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
QBER/Week 3: Schaub Rates As Best Little Quarterback in Texas
Published: October 1, 2009
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(QBER is short for Quarterback Efficiency Rating, a more comprehensive and easily understood rating system that places the emphasis where it belongs—the ability of a quarterback to advance the ball, avoid turnovers and score touchdowns in comparison to his peers. A rating of 100.0 is average.)
Tony Romo may get the hype, but according to QBER, Matt Schaub is the best quarterback in Texas—and it’s not even close.
On the strength of a 320-yard, three-touchdown, one-turnover performance last weekend, Schaub climbed to No. 3 on the QBER charts with a 145.0 mark. At 101.8, Romo is as close to being the average quarterback as there is in the league at present.
Meanwhile, there was a new QBER leader for the first time season, as Peyton Manning surpassed Drew Brees by a narrow margin. Manning has a 161.9 rating, which means he is 62 percent better than the league average in the ability to move the ball, avoid turnovers and score touchdowns in the pass game.
Brees still lays claim to the most consistent players at this position this season. He came within fractions of being the only quarterback to have produced above the league average in each category in every week this season.
The QBER leaders after Week Three of the regular season:
1. P. Manning 161.9; 2. Brees 161.0; 3. Schaub 145.0; 4. Ryan 141.6; 5. Rodgers 138.9; 6. E. Manning 136.1; 7. Orton 134.8; 8. Flacco 132.0; 9. Favre 128.0; 10. Sanchez 115.3; 11. Hasselbeck 111.77; 12. Rivers 111.75; 13. Edwards 110.8; 14. Hill 105.2; 15. Cassel 103.9; 16. Garrard 102.2; 17. Romo 101.8; 18. Brady 96.9; 19. Warner 94.0; 20. Campbell 91.6; 21. Wallace 89.5; 22 .Cutler 88.2; 23. Leftwich 87.6; 24. Bulger 87.1; 25. Collins 81.3; 26. Palmer 80.9; 27. Roethlisberger 80.4; 28. Kolb 79.4; 29. Stafford 66.4; 30. Pennington 60.3; 31. Russell 52.4; 32. Quinn 40.5; 33. Delhomme -3.0.
Some observations:
-
Matt Cassel (25th to 15th) and Aaron Rodgers (13th to fifth) were the biggest gainers, while Trent Edwards (third to 13th), Kurt Warner (11th to 19th) and Matt Bulger (16th to 24th) experienced the biggest drop-offs.
-
Rodgers gained more yards (91) with his legs in the pass game than any quarterback thus far. Unlike the NFL passer rating formula, the QBER system recognizes this talent.
-
The most efficient passer this season? None other than punter-placekick holder Brian Moorman, whose 1,140.5 QBER is in another world. He completed a pass off a fake field goal for 25 yards and a touchdown in his only attempt.
-
Ben Roethlisberger is proof that no system can atone for lame brains and hands of stone. Big Ben should have had two touchdowns and no turnovers last week, but because of a dropped pass in the end zone and a blown pattern that led to a pick-six, he finished with a net of one touchdown and one turnover. His rating suffered substantially because of it.
-
As usual, Tom Brady and Eli and Peyton Manning can all but order tacos and dip every time they drop back to pass the ball. In 336 combined pass plays, the threesome have been sacked four times, or one for every 84 attempts.
-
According to the NFL system, JaMarcus Russell is the lowest-ranked passer in the league, largely the result of his anemic .413 completion percentage. In the QBER system, the distinction belongs to Jake Delhomme, who has accounted for nine turnovers in only 100 pass plays. Aren’t turnovers far more harmful than incompletions?
-
The decision to demote Brady Quinn may be a prudent one if only because Derek Anderson can’t perform much worse. Quinn ranks ahead of only Delhomme on the list, mostly because of an exorbitant turnover rate (five in 89 pass plays).
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Steelers MAQB: Will ’06 Nightmare Repeat Itself?
Published: September 25, 2009
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The Monday Afternoon Quarterback goes deep while he wonders if the Steelers really did select Rashard Mendenhall one spot ahead of Chris Johnson in the 2008 NFL Draft…
First down
Look, I’m not here to spread doom and gloom, but there’s something eerily similar about this season and the 2006 clunker.
As you may recall, in the regular season opener three years ago, the defending Super Bowl champions struggled to beat the Miami Dolphins at home, not unlike the way they did against the Tennessee Titans in overtime earlier this month.
In Week Two of the 2006 season, the Steelers were beaten by a rather ordinary Jacksonville Jaguars team on the road, similar to what happened to them against Da Bears in Chicago last weekend.
In the third week of the 2006 season, the Steelers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals at home.
You know who the Steelers play this weekend, right?
After a bye in the 2006 season, the Steelers lost against the San Diego Chargers on the road one week later. At 1-3, they were pretty much toast for the rest of the season.
Uh, you know who the Steelers play next week, don’t you?
You guessed it—the Chargers.
(Download Twilight Zone theme here.)
What I’m sayin’ is, it would behoove the Steelers to take care of business in Cincinnati this weekend—or else it could be history that repeats this season.
Second down
If there’s one guy who has to step up his game immediately, it’s Bruce Arians, the offensive coordinator.
The Steelers have scored a grand total of 27 points in two-plus games, which ranks 30th in a 32-team league. C’mon, the Detroit freakin’ Lions have more points right now.
Seriously, who scores less—the Steelers on the field or Tim Tebow away from it?
It’s not like the Steelers lack talent here either. In fact, the offense has more weapons than it has had in years. For some reason, though, Arians either can’t or won’t make use of his big-play guys.
My advice: Get scatback Stephan Logan and wide receiver Mike Wallace involved more.
Logan has the speed and quickness to be effective out of the backfield on second or third and long. Know how much mileage the San Diego Chargers get out of Darren Sproles on flares, screens, reverses, and shovel passes? Well, why not have Logan play a similar role occasionally?
As for Wallace, the rookie has a long pass thrown his way once each game. Why stop there? The kid has been a threat every time. Even though the deep ball isn’t one of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s strengths—he underthrows the target far too often—it plants a seed in the mind of the defense at the very least.
I have no problem with the third-and-2 pass that wide receiver Santonio Holmes couldn’t grab in the end zone last weekend. I’d like to see more aggressive calls, in fact.
Third down
Stud linebacker James Harrison has yet to register a sack this season, which suggests that he has been a non-factor thus far. The truth is, Harrison has been every bit as good as he was last season, when he was the best defensive player in the league.
The problem is, opponents have made Harrison even more of a priority in their game plans. More times than not, that means a second blocker is assigned to him. When Harrison is involved a one-against-one matchup, he’s either grabbed or held or both about every third pass play, but referees simply won’t call it.
I wonder—if his name were Michael Strahan or Lawrence Taylor, would the men in stripes whistle a penalty then?
I’m reluctant to second-guess D-coordinator Dick LeBeau, who has forgotten more about defense than I remember. I also understand that structure and discipline are primary reasons for his success all these years.
Still, especially in obvious pass situations, I’d like to see Harrison move around more. If the offense couldn’t predict where he would line up on a given play, the guy might wreak more havoc than he does already.
Fourth down
Nice to see that the Sporting News has written off the Steelers this season already.
The magazine named the New England Patriots as its Team of the Decade even though the ’00s aren’t over yet and the Steelers would match the Patriots with a third Super Bowl championship this season.
Check that. The Steelers would surpass Bill and the Belicheats, because as far as we know, they didn’t have to break the rules to get any of their trophies.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
QBER/Week 2: Manning, Schaub Move Up, Romo Tumbles
Published: September 24, 2009
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(QBER is short for Quarterback Efficiency Rating, a more comprehensive and easily understood system that places the emphasis where it belongs—the ability of a quarterback to move the ball, avoid turnovers and score touchdowns in comparison to his peers. A rating of 100.0 is average.)
After sub-par performances in their regular-season openers, Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner started to climb the QBER charts in the second week of the season.
Manning shot up from 15th to fourth overall, while Warner moved from 23rd to 11th among quarterbacks who had taken part in a minimum of 37 pass plays this season, or one-half the league average.
A few observations after Week Two
While the NFL formula is generous to third-ranked Brett Favre largely because of his .771 completion percentage—is he the new Chad Pennington?—his QBER is a more reasonable sixth overall. Reason: His 4.1 net yards per pass play ranks near the bottom in the league.
The flip side is Marc Bulger, who has averaged more yards per pass play (4.2) than Favre despite a significantly lower pass completion percentage (.500).
Drew Brees is on top for the second week in a row. How good has the veteran been thus far? In simple terms, his 209.2 rating means he’s more than twice as good as the average quarterback.
Matt Schaub was the biggest gainer in Week Two, which saw him move from 26th to fifth on the strength of his net production of 361 yards, four touchdowns and zero turnovers last weekend.
Tony Romo experienced the biggest drop (second to 15th), primarily because of his three turnovers, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Six quarterbacks have produced above the league average in each of the three prime categories: Brees, Schaub, Warner, Matt Ryan, and the Manning brothers.
Who are ranked Nos. 21 and 22? None other than Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger, who have combined for five Super Bowl championships in their careers. Brady has fared well only in the turnover category, the one area in which Roethlisberger has come up short thus far.
Jake Delhomme bounced back after disastrous season-opener if only because he couldn’t have been worse. A repeat performance will give him a positive QBER for the first time this season.
The QBER leaders after Week Two of the season
1. Brees 2.092;
2. Ryan 1.583;
3. Edwards 1.449;
4. P. Manning 1.427;
5. Schaub 1.403;
6. Favre 1.4;
7. Orton 1.32;
8. Flacco 1.291;
9. E. Manning 1.223;
10. Sanchez 1.209;
11. Warner 1.141;
12. Hasselbeck 1.137;
13. Rodgers 1.128;
14. Rivers 1.037;
15. Romo 1.033;
16. Bulger 1.03;
17. Leftwich 1.018;
18. Collins 0.968;
19. Hill 0.917;
20. Garrard 0.912;
21. Brady 0.867;
22. Roethlisberger 0.852;
23. Russell 0.795;
24. Cutler 0.765;
25. Cassel 0.747;
26. Campbell 0.718;
27. Palmer 0.63;
28. Pennington 0.568;
29. Quinn 0.515;
30. Stafford 0.376;
31. Kolb 0.345;
32. Delhomme -0.046.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Steelers Report Card/Week 2: Champs Must Face Bear Facts
Published: September 21, 2009
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Here’s what I got out of the Steelers’ 17-14 defeat on Sunday afternoon:
1. There are good losses and not-so-good losses. And then there is the kind that the Steelers had against a very beatable Chicago Bears team.
If you’re the defending Super Bowl champions, then this shouldn’t happen.
Except for the absence of safety Troy Polamalu—and granted, that was a large exception—the Steelers had everything in their favor here. They had nine days to prepare for the game, while the Bears had played the previous Sunday night.
The Bears were without linebacker Brian Urlacher, arguably their best defensive player; their secondary and offensive line were train wrecks; and their quarterback had come off the worst performance of his career.
Too bad the Steelers considered a rare trip to Chicago to be a weekend vacation, not a business trip.
2. What should concern head coach Mike Tomlin more than anything is the lack of a killer instinct. The visitors had the Bears down for the count in the first period, which they absolutely dominated, but…
Here, I’ll let former Arizona Cardinals boss Dennis Green ‘splain it: We let them off the hook!
If was almost as though the Steelers said, “Hey, don’t you know that you’re supposed to roll over? We’re the world champs, remember?”
See, that’s precisely why opponents won’t play dead against them. The sooner that the Steelers realize it, the better they will be for it.
3. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why Bruce Arians didn’t pack the no-huddle offense for the trip. If the offensive coordinator had watched film of the Bears’ game against the Buffalo Bills in the preseason, then he would have known that Chicago had no answer for it.
Meanwhile, the Steelers’ offense has totaled four measly touchdowns in eight-plus periods this season. Dude, shouldn’t an offense that has Santonio Holmes, Heath Miller, Mewelde Moore, Willie Parker, Ben Roethlisberger, and Hines Ward be better than that?
4. Hey, at least we know how important wide receiver Limas Sweed is to the offense.
OK, maybe not.
5. As long as Polamalu is out of the line-up, Tyrone Carter might as well wear a different colored jersey and be done with it. The Bears targeted the back-up safety throughout the game, although I was surprised they didn’t throw deep more often against an ordinary pass rush.
Far worse, Carter refused to leave the field after he sustained a thigh injury in the fourth quarter. Moments later, rookie Johnny Knox smoked him on a quick slant for six points. That’s a horrible match-up when the guy is healthy, for crysakes.
6. Placekicker Jeff Reed comes off as a tough guy, especially when it comes to towel dispensers, but I wonder how his soon-to-be-free-agent status will impact his performance this season.
In the fourth quarter, Reed gagged on two makeable field goals with the game on the line. One week earlier, he tied the score with a line drive that could have been blocked easily. He was no bargain in the preseason, either.
Now connect the dots.
7. If Holmes wants to be known as an elite receiver in the league—and he has the physical tools to be all of that—then he can’t drop passes regardless of the weather conditions.
When a potential six points slipped through his wide-open arms late in the game, a voice inside my head screamed, “That’s not how you be great!”
8. Parker actually had some daylight on occasion, but he still didn’t look right to me. He doesn’t have his burst of old and runs a bit limp-legged at times.
Whether it’s a hamstring problem or something worse than that, neither he nor the Steelers are sayin’, but it needs to be fixed and fixed soon. Otherwise, give the ball to Rashard Mendenhall and find out if he’s a keeper or not.
9. Here’s the good news: The offense may have found a run play that it can depend on for a change. With left guard Chris Komoeatu as the lead blocker, it picked up consistent yardage on traps at the right side, where tackle Willie Colon and guard Trai Essex sealed the hole effectively.
10. If punter Daniel Sepulveda needs an agent, then I’m available.
The Grades:
Offense regulars
WR Hines Ward: B
Weekly grades: B/B
Season average: B
LT Max Starks: F
Weekly grades: B/F
Season average: D+/C-
LG Chris Komoeatu: B
Weekly grades: D/B
Season average: C
C Justin Hartwig: C
Weekly grades: F/C
Season average: D
RG Trai Essex: B
Weekly grades: C/B
Season average: C+/B-
RT Willie Colon: B
Weekly grades: D/B
Season average: C
TE Heath Miller: B
Weekly grades: A/B
Season average: B+/A-
WR Santonio Holmes: D
Weekly grades: A/D
Season average: C+/B-
QB Ben Roethlisberger: B
Weekly grades: A/B
Season average: B+/A-
RB Willie Parker: B
Weekly grades: D/B
Season average: C
RB Mewelde Moore: C
Weekly grades: B/C
Season average: C+/B-
Defense regulars
LE Aaron Smith: B
Weekly grades: A/B
Season average: B+/A-
NT Casey Hampton: B
Weekly grades: B/B
Season average: B
RE Brett Keisel: B
Weekly grades: A/B
Season average: B+/A-
LOLB Lamarr Woodley: C
Weekly grades: D/C
Season average: D+/C-
LILB James Farrior: A
Weekly grades: B/A
Season average: B+/A-
RILB Keyaron Fox: B
Weekly grades: B/B
Season average: B
RILB Lawrence Timmons: B
Weekly grades: DNP/B
Season average: B
ROLB James Harrison: B
Weekly grades: A/B
Season average: B+/A-
LCB William Gay: C
Weekly grades: C/C
Season average: C
RCB Ike Taylor: B
Weekly grades: C/B
Season average: C+/B-
SS Tyrone Carter: D
Weekly grades: C/D
Season average: D-/C+
SS Troy Polamalu: DNP
Weekly grades: A/DNP/
Season average: A
FS Ryan Clark: B
Weekly grades: B/B
Season average: B
Special teams regulars
PK Jeff Reed: F
Weekly grades: B/F
Season average: D+/C-
P Daniel Sepulveda: A
Weekly grades: A/A
Season average: A
KR Stefan Logan: D
Weekly grades: B/D
Season average: C
PR Stefan Logan: C
Weekly grades: C/C
Season average: C
Coaches
HC Mike Tomlin: C
Weekly grades: B/C
Season average: C+/B-
OC Bruce Arians: C
Weekly grades: C/C
Season average: C
DC Dick LeBeau: B
Weekly grades: A/B
Season average: B+/A-
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Steelers MAQB: Relax, Passburgh, It’s Not 2003 Any More
Published: September 19, 2009
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The Monday Afternoon Quarterback goes deep while he waits for the Black-and-gold Eyed Peas to take the stage…
First down
There’s one hyphenated word that scares Steelers World like no other. And it’s even printable.
No-huddle.
Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians switched to the no-huddle offense against the Tennessee Titans in the regular-season opener, and the results were only slightly short of sensational. But these are the Steelers, right? The physical, aggressive team that runs the ball first and asks questions later?
Besides, the last time the Steelers threw the ball all over the lot, they finished with a 6-10 record in the 2003 season.
Well, I’m here to tell you that the no-huddle can work for this team, and here’s why: Ben Roethlisberger is not Tommy Maddox any more than Megan Fox is Ruth Bussy.
I’ll take Santonio Holmes, Heath Miller, Mike Wallace, and Hines Ward over Ward, Plaxico Burress, Antawn Randle-El, and Jerame Tuman while I’m at it. Except for Alan Fanaca, who had to play left tackle because of injuries that season, there’s not much difference in the offensive lines, either.
The point is, the Steelers should play to their strengths, which are quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end—in that order. If it means they have to throw 30, 35, even 40 times a game, so be it.
The pass game has worked for Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts all these years. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have done pretty well that way. Now that Roethlisberger has somebody to ride shotgun, it can work for him and the Steelers too.
Second down
The Steelers have to at least make an attempt to run the ball against the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon, but I don’t expect much improvement from a week ago. Last weekend the Bears front four had its way with the Packers o-line, which is no worse than what the Steelers have to offer these days.
The Steelers can have a lot of success in the pass game, though, especially on short-to-medium throws that can neutralize the pass rush. Because of health issues and a lack of depth, the Bears are vulnerable at linebacker and in the secondary. Middle linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer represents a significant drop-off from Brian Urlacher in pass coverage. After an injured-riddled preseason, Zack Bowman and Charles Tillman will be paired at cornerback for the first time. And nickel back Nathan Vasher is as good as toast.
Third down
The wolves are after Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who was every bit as bad as his four interceptions would indicate in the regular-season opener. Coaches and teammates tried to cover his tracks throughout the week, but it’s difficult to feel sorry for a guy who comes off as cocky and above it all.
My advice to the Steelers defense is, try for the knockout punch early. (Paging James Harrison! Paging James Harrison!) A turnover or three-and-out could get the home crowd on their side and prompt Cutler to force the action, something he is known to do often.
Fourth Down
In his only game against the Steelers previously, which came as a member of the Denver Broncos in Week 7 of the 2007 season, Cutler completed 22-of-29 pass attempts for 248 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions against a secondary that was without safety Ryan Clark at the time.
Tight end Tony Scheffler and wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Brandon Stokley combined to catch 16 balls for 197 yards in the 31-28 victory. Cutler did a lot of damage on bootlegs, as he picked up 41 yards on three carries himself.
When I asked Cutler what he would take out of that game earlier this week, he told me, “I don’t know. I haven’t gone back and watched that game yet. I don’t know if I will. I’m on a different team. They’re a little bit different defensively, so I don’t now I will look it up.”
This is what Cutler meant to say: “I watch the game film every day. If I could toast their secondary with Troy Polamalu back there, imagine what I can do without him. I mean, Tyrone Carter and Ryan Mundy? Are you kiddin’ me?”
Make it Steelers 31, Bears 27 in a shootout.
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New QB rating system has Brees, Romo, McNabb on top
Published: September 17, 2009
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Everyone from coaches to players to fantasy league geeks make a point to check out the NFL quarterback ratings each week. And more times than not, they find it difficult to tell up from down, good from bad.
Meet the NFL passer rating system, which is the most maligned, least understood individual statistic in all of professional team sports.
“In a number of cases, I wouldn’t say the current system is an accurate reflection of a quarterback’s ability,” former Bears offensive coordinator Terry Shea told me years ago. “Look at the ratings as they exist today and you see guys at the top who don’t belong there.
“At the same time, you see guys in the middle or even near the bottom who don’t belong there, either. The system doesn’t necessarily reflect the quarterbacks who do the things that it takes to win games.”
For years, NFL quarterbacks were ranked on the basis of gross yards per pass attempt. While oh-so-simple, the system was a fairly accurate gauge of efficiency. But, quarterback being the glamour position that it always has been and will be, the league decided to take it to another level in 1973, when it concocted the QB rating system.
The complicated formula is based on a cumulative point total in four categories—completion percentage, interception percentage per attempt, touchdown percentage per attempt and average yards per attempt.
As many football people outside NFL headquarters will tell you, the system has obvious flaws. For one, it benefits quarterbacks who play it safe. Whether a quarterback completes five 2-yard passes in 10 attempts or five 20-yarders in 10 tries, he’s credited with a .500 completion percentage just the same.
Quarterbacks who played in less-sophisticated or more wide-open times are pretty much out of luck. Of the top 32 passer ratings ever, 23 were achieved after the 1975 season. Nowhere to be found are the names of Otto Graham and Johnny Unitas, two of the four quarterbacks selected to the NFL’s 75th anniversary all-time team.
From a ratings standpoint, it’s better for a quarterback to be sacked, fumble and have it returned 85 yards for a touchdown than to throw an incomplete pass. The reason is, sacks, sack yardage and fumbles are not part of the formula, but incompletions are included.
Therein lies the major problem with the system.
Nothing hurts an offense more than turnovers and plays for negative yardage. Nonetheless, the system does not reward quarterbacks who avoid losses on a consistent basis, nor does it punish those who go down often.
The main contention against the inclusion of sacks is that sacks are too dependent on the success or failure of the offensive line, an area that quarterbacks cannot control.
But while there is some truth to the theory that a quarterback is only as good as the horses in front of him, the same holds true for running backs, who are ranked solely on the basis of net yards gained.
Besides, a sack is considered to be a pass play. In that case, shouldn’t it be part of the pass formula?
Enough already. I decided it was time to scrap the current system and start over again.
The result is the Quarterback Efficiency Rating (QBER), also know as the “Dew Decimal System” for self-promotion purposes, which I believe is far more comprehensive and much easier to understand than the current model.
What I’ve done is divide the system into the three tangibles that matter most when it comes to quarterback play in the pass game—ability to move the ball, avoid turnovers and score touchdowns.
The QBER formula includes pass yards, sack yards, fumbles lost on pass plays, fumble return yards and touchdowns, interceptions, interception return yards and touchdowns, touchdown passes and touchdown runs and safeties on pass plays.
(Where is pass completion percentage? Sorry, dinkers and dunkers. The statistic didn’t make the cut because it’s based on the nature of the play call more than anything else.)
The numbers are measured against the league average per pass play (passes plus runs plus sacks) in each of the three categories. The sum is divided by three and multiplied by 100. The average rating is 100.0, a number that makes it easier to compare a player to the league standard in the given criteria. In other words, a quarterback with a 125.0 rating is 25 percent better than average.
Here is the QBER in Week One of the season (in order to qualify, a quarterback had to take part in at least 18 pass plays, or one-half of the league average):
1. Drew Brees 277.1
2. Tony Romo 234.4
3. Donovan McNabb 184.4
4. Brodie Coyle 172.3
5. Trent Edwards 167.8
6. Matt Ryan 149.5
7. Matt Hasselbeck 139.9
8. Kyle Orton 136.9
9. Joe Flacco 137.2
10. Byron Leftwich 126.3
11. Brett Favre 124.9
12. Mark Sanchez 115.5
13. Aaron Rodgers 110.0
14. Kerry Collins 107.2
15. Peyton Manning 107.0
16. Philip Rivers 102.2
17. Tom Brady 101.6
18. Shaun Hill 98.7
19. Matt Bulger 90.1
20. David Garrard 88.7
21. Ben Roethlisberger 84.6
22. JaMarcus Russell 84.2
23. Eli Manning 82.2
24. Kurt Warner 80.6
25. Brady Quinn 75.8
26. Matt Schaub 67.5
27. Chad Pennington 61.5
28. Carson Palmer 57.6
29. Matthew Stafford 40.8
30. Jason Campbell 39.5
31. Jay Cutler 24.3
32. Jake Delhomme -86.4
Brees and Romo were off-the-charts good and would fare well in any system. Still, it’s hard to believe that Brees could throw six TD passes and only one interception and not be the top-rated quarterback in the league, which he is not if you’re using the old quarterback rating system.
The QBER system has him ranked No. 1.
But what about McNabb, who accounted for three TDs in only 22 pass plays? His efficiency was rewarded in the QBER formula (No. 3) but not in the NFL system (22nd), which refuses to take into account what a quarterback does with his feet in the pass game.
Really, is a 15-yard scramble any different than a 15-yard completion? Not in the QBER system.
The flip side is Brady, Campbell and Peyton Manning, who scored noticeably higher in NFL system because of their gaudy completion percentages.
The QBER system places more emphasis on yards and turnovers, where it belongs. Remember, it’s first-and-10 yards, not first-and-two completions.
Collins, Leftwich and Sanchez also fared better in the QBER system, primarily because they moved the ball fairly consistently and were guilty of few mistakes.
Fair and simple enough?
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Bears Circle Wagons Around General Cutler in Battle of Little Bigscorn
Published: September 16, 2009
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LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Two days after NFL Network analyst Mike Martz said that Jay Cutler “just doesn’t get it,” and broadcast partner Jim Mora suggested that he “acted like he didn’t even care,” the Bears’ beleaguered quarterback dismissed the critiques as part of his job description.
“I heard briefly about it,” Cutler said of the negative talk on Wednesday afternoon, his designated media day. “We can’t worry about that. I can’t worry about that. We just worry about the guys in the locker room getting better.”
Several teammates were quick to run interference for their quarterback, something they had done several times this season already.
“Everyone that has been around (Cutler) — his teammates, former coaches — they know what type of player he is, what type of person he is,” said head coach Lovie Smith, who had spent three seasons with Martz as a St. Louis Rams assistant.
“Totally uncalled for,” offensive coordinator Ron Turner called the remarks.
“My problem is, some people immediately take the side of ownership when they don’t know the whole story,” wide receiver Rashied Davis said. “That’s probably what bothers the players the most—we’re immediately in the wrong. We didn’t have any reason to react in the way we did.
“I don’t now what the situation is. I haven’t asked (Cutler) and I won’t ask him. All I know is, he’s Jay, and he plays to the best of his ability when he goes out there. He’s confident, and we believe in him. And he believes in us.”
In his forgettable Bears’ debut, Cutler threw four interceptions in a 21-15 loss against the Packers in Green Bay last Sunday night. He didn’t appear to be on the same page as his receivers at times, and was guilty of several ill-advised pass attempts.
“Everybody has a bad game once in awhile,” Davis said. “It happens. No one’s perfect. Brett Favre has almost as many interceptions as touchdowns, you know? But when it’s Brett Favre, it’s because he tries to make a play. It’s not because he may have made a bad read.
“I don’t know what happens all the time with Favre or anybody else. But if (the media) like him, they’ll say something nice. It they don’t, they’ll say something negative—period.”
Dressed in a t-shirt and Bears hat, Cutler told reporters after the game, “It’s tough, but we’ve got 15 (games) more to play. There’s a lot of football left in this season.”
“When I saw that postgame press conference last night, I thought he looked completely immature,” Mora said on The Head Coaches show, an NFL Network production for which he and Martz serve as analysts.
Said Martz, “He doesn’t understand that he represents a great head coach and the rest of those players on that team…Somebody needs to talk to him.”
“First off, you have to look at the setting a little bit,” Smith countered. “We had just come off of a tough loss to one of our rivals. I looked at Jay’s comments that he made, and it’s a little disappointing especially coming from a couple of former coaches to make those type of comments about Jay.
Mora said he could teach Cutler something about postgame behavior.
“Having always handled my postgame press conference in a professional way, I’m an authority on these types of things,” Mora said. “I just didn’t think he was very professional, very accountable. I could give him a tip or two.”
Actually, Mora was guilty of meltdown once himself. When asked about the playoffs possibilities late in the 2001 season, the then Indianapolis Colts head coach responded infamously, “What’s that? Uh, playoffs?! Don’t talk about—playoffs?! You kidding me? Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game!”
Cutler has been criticized for his reluctance to accept responsibility in the past, but this time he shouldered at least some of the blame for what took place in the regular-season opener.
“We did some good things. We did some bad things,” Cutler said, who completed 17-of-36 passes for 277 yards and one touchdown. “Any time you put a defense in a hole like I did with four picks, it’s going to be tough. We got to limit that. But we did some good things out there. We made some plays. The receivers played well. The line played well. I just got to pick it up.”
Cutler said his primary focus was on the date with the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field on Sunday evening.
“Everyone has ups and down in their careers,” Cutler said. “Most of the time when something like this happens to me, I usually bounce back. It’s not going to get me down. It really isn’t. I’m going to go out there and keep playing and keep practicing hard. You know, we’re going to keep slinging it.”
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Steelers MAQB: Could Be Time for That Super ’70s Show
Published: September 7, 2009
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Goin’ deep while I wonder how much John Madden really liked his final game as a broadcaster.
First down
If the Steelers don’t win at least 12 games in the regular season, then Arlen Specter will call for an investigation. This team has the potential to be the best since the Super ’70s, in fact. It has that much talent, depth, experience and leadership across the board.
Here’s the fine print: If James Harrison, Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu or Ben Roethlisberger is sidelined for an extended period, then all bets are off.
Otherwise, who dey think gonna beat dem Steelers? Unlike last season, the schedule is very manageable. In fact, it’s so manageable that it’s hard to pick more than three or four tough games.
Here’s the breakdown:
Two-foot putts: Cincinnati Bengals (home), Cleveland Browns (home and road), Detroit Lions (road), Denver Broncos (road), Kansas City Chiefs (road) and Oakland Raiders (home).
Close for a half: Bengals (road), Baltimore Ravens (home), Chicago Bears (road), Green Bay Packers (home), Miami Dolphins (road) and Tennessee Titans (home).
Meat-grinders: Chargers (home), Ravens (road) and Minnesota Vikings (home).
Second down
If there’s one game to circle on your calendar, it’s the Oct. 4 date with the Chargers at Heinz Field. It’s possible that the winner will have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. It’s also possible that, if the Steelers get past this one, they will make a serious run at a 16-0 season.
Unlike the Steelers and the New England Patriots, the Chargers won’t start the season with six victories in their division. Have you looked at the Charmin Division lately? Er, I mean the AFC West? The Broncos and Chiefs aren’t even in the area code of mediocrity. I like the Raiders to finish third. No, not in the division—behind the San Francisco 49ers and the California Golden Bears in the Bay Area.
The AFC Central will be more competitive than a year ago. The Ravens look to be no better or worse than last season. The Bengals have the potential to move up in class. The Browns can’t help but improve.
The Chargers have a more difficult schedule than the Steelers on the road, what with games against the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants among others. Still, don’t be surprised if the two teams finish in a dead heat, in which case head-to-head play would be the first tiebreaker.
Third down
When all is said and done, the Steelers’ season is likely to come down to the play of the offensive line.
You knew it would come down to that, didn’t you?
If the offense can run the ball consistently, it will have a ripple effect on both sides of the ball. That means fewer second-and-long situations, which means less predictable play calls, which means fewer blitzes, which means Roethlisberger stays off a gurney, which means the defense won’t spend as much time on the field.
Coaches and management insisted that the o-line would benefit from a year of experience together. On Thursday night, we’ll begin to know if they were right.
Fourth down
My stone-cold locks for the 2009 season:
- Roethlisberger will throw at least twice as many touchdown passes as interceptions.
- Stefan Logan will become the best 28-year-old rookie in Steelers history.
- After the Carolina Panthers fail to earn a postseason bid, Bill Cowher will replace John Fox as head coach.
- Rookie Mike Wallace will unseat Limas Sweed as the No. 3 receiver before the close of the season.
- Willie Parker will quiet the talk about Rashard Mendenhall as the feature back of the future.
- There will be times when linebacker Lawrence Timmons makes people wish that Larry Foote were still around.
- The Patriots and Steelers will meet in the AFC Championship Game, where they will decide this Team of the Decade thing once and for all.
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