What do the Steelers Need?

Obviously the loss to Cinci' has eliminated Pittsburgh from the "dance".  However, it was really disheartening to see probably the most consistent and reliable offensive player on the team go down on Sunday: Heath Miller.  I want to say that Miller should be the MVP of the team this year and if some other player wins it, I "demand" an explanation as to "why"!

Again, this offense turns the ball over and is just plain ineffective in running the ball.  Ben likes to carry the load but is really "NOT" the type of quarterback whom can do the same as a Brady or Manning.  However, you can win Super Bowls with Rothlisberger; there's a difference and "Ben" needs to realize this as well.  

It is imperative this coaching staff get a "real pair" of running backs.  Yes, you need two.  Mendenhall has the most talent out of the present group, but that ain't sayin' a lot!  He can stay as a back up or seek greener pastures.  Redman needs to go back on special teams.  

Tomlin really needs to stop thinking reserve players can play as well as starters and make corresponding adjustments sooner.  Our player screening process also seems to be failing!  I hope all the players have a great off season and get healthy for next year.  I really hope we can draft Monte Ball out of Wisconsin.  Jonathan Frankly at UCLA is the most talented RB in college but seems to have this problem with hanging on to the ball!  Do we dare take a risk?

Steelers - Giants: Reflections of Each Other

I am still a Steeler fan but the Giants would be the NFC "mirror image" of Pittsburgh if you ask me.  Both teams, and franchises emphasize defense and a gritty style of play. The Steelers are typically a top rated NFL defense year after year and the Giants have a formidable defensive line that is unmatched in talent as well as depth.  I would classify the Giants defense as more "streaky" while the Steelers are pretty consistent week to week. 

The persona of these teams are also similar.  The Steelers are quick to diffuse distractions and disruptive players like Santonio Holmes from a few seasons ago just like the Giants excused "Plexico" after his gun-carrying debacle.  Additionally, neither the Steelers or the Giants seem to grab a lot of media attention, even when the teams are winning and their players seem to have a strong grasp of sticking together by not pointing  fingers during interviews.  The players on both teams seem to only vocalize how their own play can be better versus pointing blame on teammates.

I also realized that both of these teams have quarterbacks drafted in the 2004 draft with the Giants actually overlooking Ben in that draft for Eli who was them highly regarded pro prospect entering into the draft.  Of course with both of these quarterbacks now have two Super Bowls under their belt, it is likely their legacy will be measured by titles versus statistics.  Both quarterbacks are "always" deemed as "questionable" when the class of elite NFL quarterbacks are mentioned.

Another similarity with these two teams is they both would preference running the ball but neither have had a lot of sustained success in doing so over the last couple of seasons as is the trend throughout the NFL.  

Right now, the Giants seem to be a bit more healthy than the Steelers regarding key players so you have to give them the edge.  However, in the NFL advantages on paper mean nothing if your teams plays lousy.  That's why I'm picking Pittsburgh to win this one as it is just the right timing for the "G-Men" to start their typical mid-season losing streak at home!

Bengals Good For Steelers

The Steelers have owned the Bengals for a long time so this was the one road game I felt the "team" believed they could win.  I emphasize "team" because this is a "new" group of players; some playing because of injuries to others while others are just "fresh" to the Steeler Nation.   

Mike Wallace had a bad game and must begin to be more reilable in terms of catching the ball(...even on deflections) if he wants anything close to a franchise contract.  Right now Wallace is just "fast" and no one is going to pay a receiver top dollar if can run fast and can't be reliabe - remember Limas Sweed!

Jonathan Dwyer looked like a young Jerome Bettis for a minute in this game.  He ran through arm tackles and generally "pounded" the Bengals second layer defensive players.  The question now is whether the offensive line will "fire out" against the next team as they did against the Bengals and whether Dwyer will run this hard again.  

I think Pittsburgh will always throw the ball earlier in games and then try to "melt" the clock in the fourth quarter with more runs.  I am also glad to see that Haley is a big advocate of the 10 plus play drive which somewhat explains these "dink and donk" short passes that Ben eluded to in a condescending manner.  These short passes are designed to save the QB's health, and also compensate for the lack of a reliable running game thus far this season

Ike Taylor had a much better game but you could also attribute this to deep safety that lined up behind him all night to help shut down the dangerous Greene on the Bengals team.  The strategy worked and to his credit Ike "squatted and jammed" the best offensive threat for the Bengals the entire game.  I'm still just not that confident in Taylor as the teams's "shut down corner"!

It was also nice to see the defense really take control of the game in the middle of the third quarter.  I saw Ziggy Hood finally dominate the middle of the defensive line particularly after the starting center got hurt.  I just feel our defensive line is just not physical enough to be "consistently" successful in the 3-4 front unles Harrison can match the intensity of Woodley on the other side and I just don't see that happening right now.

Overall, this was much needed road victory that showed some improvements in different facets of our team.  I hope to see the special teams improve in reducing their penalties next week so we can keep some of those yards Rainey and Brown can afford us.

GO STEELERS!!!

Ben "Passes" Bradshaw 

Ben has become our all-time leading passer eclipsing Terry Bradshaw of the great Steeler's era of the 70's.  To me it's uncanny how similar the two are on the field but a a bit different off the field.

Ben is a fan favorite and most would say is the "heart" of the team.  Now that he has settled his personal life off the field, Ben is poised to lead this team for as long as his body and talent will allow.  I am a big fan of Ben.  He is much better this season at getting that ball out instead of holding it taking sacks as he previously did.  Ben also seems to have a "six sense" about the pass rush and there is no one better at stepping out of the way of onslaught and making a play with his legs or getting the ball down the field.

Bradshaw was NOT considered to be a fan favorite in his era even though he was a big part of why the Steelers won 4 Super Bowls during the 70's.  However, Bradshaw had a hall of fame talent running back in Franco Harris and two hall of fame talented receivers to throw to as well.  I feel Bradshaw had a much stronger arm than Ben and could easily put the ball 60 plus yards down the field almost effortlessly.  Bradshaw was not a bad "scrambler" but wisely chose to throw the ball more when under pressure than take off running.  I think some concussions early in his career kinda' remedy that process for him.


Anyway, Ben is much better runner than Bradshaw and is bit more physical in stature as well.  However,  no matter how many passing yards Ben accumulates he still will need to get the 4 Super Bowl wins as Bradshaw to enter the ring of honor.  Unfortunately for Ben, the deck is now stacked against that feat.  Let's face it, Bradshaw played with 4 Hall of Famer's on offense(...in addition to himself) and at least 5 Hall of Famer's on defense.  I still don't know why Greenwood and Shell are not in the Hall Of Fame yet!


Currently, I think Woodley and Polamalu are possible Hall Of Fame talent and  Pouncey if he can stay healthy more consistently.  But Ben has never had a true "go to running back" except for the "BUS"(...Jerome Bettis) when he was really at the end of his prime.  I also think Hines Ward is possibly a Hall of Fame nominee but his services are no longer available, to Ben and the Steelers.  I really miss his reliability and toughness. The Steelers really need to get Ben two reliable running backs to alleviate the burden he now carries offensively every game.  Simply put, Ben is the best player on the team right now.

10/11/2012_Fed Up!

Anybody remember what it "used" to be like to see the Steelers play a dominate game on both sides of the ball?  The Steelers have got to start winning on the road and particularly beat "struggling" teams such as the Titans and the Raiders whom they fell to earlier this season.

I am really starting to doubt the game preparation by these coaches as evident in just obvious issues such as special teams inconsistency and just the overall attitude of these players.  I saw Steeler players "joking" on the sidelines while the team was either trailing and/or tied.  I am particularly perturbed by Tomlin's player like  accolades when the team makes a good play.

The offensive linemen are getting injured due to poor technique, lack of conditioning and lack of discipline

We have to begin to look at why year after year the Steelers O-Linemen stay injured so much.  

Without Polamalu in the secondary, the Steelers have no corner backs whom have adequate ball speed.  It does not matter the amount of desire and hustle you have if you just simply cannot make plays when you are "IN" position to make plays as was Ike Taylor shown above in the end zone when the Titans scored their last touch down.  

Well, the end result is the Steelers were missing some key players but had ample opportunity to win this game.  I am very disappointed.

Raiders Blasts Steelers on 9/23/12

I say the Steelers did get blasted even though they only lost by 3 points because it was a game they should have never been close and that we should have never lost.  When the Raiders get that good all of a sudden?

In the first half of this game the Raiders did NOT convert a single third down but yet were only behind by a touchdown at half.  The Steelers had the ball about 21 minutes compared to 8 minutes for the Raiders in the first half, yet only lead by a touchdown at intermission.  The Steelers special teams allowed the Raiders great field position after every score essentially giving this team hope versus "slamming" the door.  The special teams also caused our own touchdown on a punt return to get called back at a point in the first half where the Raiders would have been behind by two touchdowns and may have very well folded camp as they did in their first two games.

I eluded to the defense's poor pursuit angles before the game but of course they did the same thing all day allowing big play after big play.  Darren McFadden had only 54 yards total in the first two games but breaks a 64 yard touchdown run against us because one linebacker elects to go around the blockers versus meeting a pulling guard in the hole(...was he scared) then the other linebacker simply misses him.



The second half was like "The Tale of Two Cities".  The Raiders converted 7 out of 8 third down conversions!  Our defense only musters on sack again by Woodley which again emphasizes the lack of an overall pass rush.  Harrison and Polamalu are key players but the rest of the defense must step up.  I was also appalled by the defensive scheme of just lining up against the Raiders massive O-line and getting pushed around again.  LaBeau may be past his prime and can't change.


At this point in our season, the Steelers already have 28 penalties and I believe 7 in this games.  Ball security is another issue that is hurting this team a key points.  If Brown does no lose that ball in the fourth quarter, the Steelers may close the deal at that point.  He was fortunate to get his first fumble back in the first half.

Finally the running game amassed a grand total of 37 yards?  I know Ben was hot but a running game possibly could have further "deflated" the Raiders on their own field and kept our defense off the field longer to give them more rest. Tomlin has some work to do.  The Steelers essesntially have given the Raiders' season hope

Where's The "RUSH"!

Two games into the season thus far and the Steelers are lacking a "rush" in two different areas.  The team has only two sacks thus far into the season.   I don't know if we can be a defensive "force" with one sack a game unless we are creating a lot of "hurries".  The sacks in recent years were obtained  mainly from dominate players like Harrison and Woodley.

Woodley is now in his prime and a true "stud" of a player with great size, strength, and tenacity to the ball. Woodley is getting "chipped" a lot by backs coming out of the backfield which kinda' neutralizes his initial surge; but the guy does keep coming.

Woodley is massive!

 Woodley in his "grill"

James Harrison is "Mr. Nasty!" and my personal favorite player.  Harrison likes to bring the "pain" reminiscent of the great Steeler defenses in the 70's.  However, Harrison is now is a few years beyond his prime and thus gets "nicked up" a bit now because of the tenacious type of player he is but when he is on the field you know it.

Let me at 'em!

Ready for the attack

The other "rush" we need is a reliable running game.  The Steelers are a victim of their own fortune here I think.  Because we "always" are contenders we are never high in the draft selection where a premier back can get selected.  However, Mendenhall had the promise to be the featured back but injuries in the previous season have kept him out thus far.  So in two games we have less than 200 hundred yards rushing.

Some teams use screen packages and design flat passes to compensate for their lack of rushing, but at the end of the game who wants to throw the ball.  Last week against the Jets, the running game gritted out enough yards to prolong a 10 minute plus scoring drive that really secured the game.  I look forward to see what Tomlin will implement to boost this part of the Steeler game against the Raiders.