SB Nation - James Harrison

Pregame Zone Blitz: Packers at Steelers

ncoolong — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:59:04 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

Here's another piece of mail for Mr. Ryan Clark.

Hello, Mr. Clark. I must say I'm a big fan of yours. Always have been. Definitely one of the better free agents this team has picked up in several years. While you've consistently been a great fit for our defense and an inspiration for the fans, I must say I'm somewhat disappointed with your recent tirade about the media treating you unfairly, and no one outside the team being able to understand what's going on.

I fully admit, those inside the locker room can paint a more accurate picture as to what is going on inside that locker room. Could you, maybe, help us with that, since we don't know anything? I mean, let's be honest. You guys aren't exactly playing at a high level. I watch every game twice and pour over statistics, replays and analysis. All I can come up with is the fact you guys aren't playing well. Your suggestion that I don't know anything is acceptable. So what am I missing?

If I'm not missing anything, and I'm, at best, only entitled to my opinion, I'm going to stick with "you aren't playing well."

Please prove me wrong this week. You've got a helluva task in front of you. That Packers offense is pretty potent. Feel free to make the game-winning interception (you guys haven't had a pick in like six games) or the show-stopping hit, and dance for the camera, telling me how wrong I've been.

Seems like a fair trade-off, right?

Thanks, Ryan! Good luck!

Here's what our opponents are saying.

Opponent Web Sites/Forums

Brandon with the Acme Packing Company says Green Bay and Pittsburgh are headed in two different directions than they were after Week 8.

Pittsburgh's looking to play spoiler on the Packers this week.

Green Bay has held teams under 90 net rushing yards 10 times this year.

The Green Bay Gazette has a nice look at Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers

Last Game

From the start, it felt like it'd be the same thing we had seen for the last four weeks.

It didn't fail to disappoint. Well, no more than usual, at least.

Somehow, the Browns turned into a defensive group that resembled the 1985 Bears, and Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger felt pressure the likes of which he hasn't seen all year. More missed tackles, more blown coverages, it was just a nightmarish game.

Ironically, in a season where the Steelers can't find a way to compete in the fourth quarter, the sagging AFC can't find a way to put the Steelers away. A Jacksonville loss Thursday against Indianapolis, Pittsburgh remains alive in the playoff hunt. Of course, they'll have to win their final three games, and all of them are against playoff-caliber teams.

But then again, after losses to Cleveland, Oakland and Kansas City, maybe playing a good team is exactly what the Steelers need.

Opponent Spotlight: QB Aaron Rodgers

PZB went with the draft-jilted QB last week, Brady Quinn, over a slew of other players who ended up having better games than Quinn did with his 90 yards passing. We're gonna tab another QB who suffered the "embarrassment" of sitting around at the NFL draft, taken much later than they or their agents planned.

In case you didn't hear it, and unless you live in Kreplakistan, you did, Rodgers replaced BRETT FAVRE in Green Bay. The Packers haven't really looked back since, and Rodgers is putting to rest any issues with the previous passer at Lambeau. He's at worst top 10 in every major passing category, and he's been red hot during the Packers current five-game winning streak.

In those five games, he has nine touchdowns to just two interceptions, and considering the Steelers haven't had an interception during their five-game losing streak, Rodgers should feel plenty secure throwing the football, even in the adverse weather conditions he's likely to face.

Not only that, but the Packers' offensive line, which played terribly in their first nine games (43 sacks allowed), has given up seven in their last four games. Much of that is on Rodgers' improvement in terms of pocket feel and knowing when to get rid of the ball, but their line has been beaten up, and it seems as if they've now found a combination with which they can protect their Pro Bowl passer.

In a great match-up of premier QBs, at the very least, we know who the fans like more.

Steelers Spotlight: OLB James Harrison

Conversely to the Packers ramped-up passing attack, the Steelers have fallen off a bit in terms of sacks.

This is the kind of game where Harrison will pin his ears back and get after the quarterback. He's been shut out his last three games, much of which was the result of short three-step-and-throw offenses (Baltimore and Cleveland in particular also have strong offensive tackles). Rodgers likes to get the ball down the field, and while Harrison has been as disruptive as always, to give the Steelers a chance, he's going to have to be responsible for backing the Packers up 30 yards over the course of the game.

Harrison is as relentless as anyone in the league, and the Packers' tackles, although they've ramped up their game in the past few weeks, are still among the weaker pass blockers Harrison will have seen this season. LT Chad Clifton didn't allow a sack or a pressure last week against Chicago, but gave up a few QB hits and pressures to Baltimore in Week 12. He's going to have his hands full with Harrison (in most cases, literally, because the best defense on Harrison is to hold him).

I See You

I see you, LaMarr Woodley. You've been the defensive show-stopper in the second half of the season, piling up at least one sack in each of your past five games. After a "slow" start in terms of sacks, you've jumped up to nine overall, one behind Harrison for the team lead.

Your effort has always been there, but even better, you've always kept your head up, never losing confidence or moving your eyes off your assignment each play. As Coach LeBeau always says, it's not about sacks, it's about pressure. Pressure leads to turnovers. It should, anyway. You and the rest of the defensive front seven have forced plenty of turnovers, it's just that our defensive secondary isn't catching them.

The good news is, LaMarr, we know you'll ride your current hot streak with the same even and balanced approach you were riding when you only had two sacks in the first seven games. Teams are paying less attention to you, now, and more to Harrison. This is the kind of match-up where both of you guys can get 2+ sacks.

Key Stats

Green Bay is +18 in turnover differential.
Pittsburgh is -5.
Green Bay clinches a playoff berth with a win today and a Giants loss at Washington

Doom and the Pursuit of History

Emmett Smith — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:03:37 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

27 days ago: Denver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil (92) and defensive tackle Darrell Reid (95) react after Dumervil sacked New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Denver, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Denver won 26-6. (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski)

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With 15 sacks already to his credit, Elvis Dumervil is within reach of setting an NFL record for sacks in a single season. The record is currently held by Michael Strahan, who reached 22.5 sacks in 2001, the highest total since the stat was first recorded. With only 3 games left, Doom is in a race with time as well as against the offensive linemen who stand between him and his goal. He's also one sack behind Simon Fletcher for the Broncos team record.

Once considered to be too small and too light to play at the NFL level, Doom's career has leapt forward following his change from defensive end to outside linebacker during the summer of 2009. Following players like Mike Vrabel and James Harrison, Elvis is one of a growing number of 'tweener' players who did not exactly fit into one position or another due to unusual metrics. Like the best of those tweeners, Doom has some unique abilities. Doom has large hands that are unusually strong for his size and possesses a skill at leverage that few players can boast. Once he was moved away from the left tackles who outweighed him by 60-100 lb, Elvis was also able to bring his speed to bear on the plays, getting a running start that let him hammer into ball carriers, dodge around linemen and use his unique blend of speed, power, balance and leverage to bring down quarterbacks.

Every player learns from those who have played before, and Dumervil is no different in that respect. Recently, Men's Journal ran an article on Michael Strahan, who gave several pointers on exactly how he managed to achieve 141.5 sacks over the course of 216 games between 1993 and 2007. While Strahan had a considerable size advantage over Dumervil (he played at 6-5 and 278 lb, compared to Doom's 5-11 (some still say it is 5'10) and 248 lb, the principles he laid out are just as important regardless of metrics. Some of them clearly are a benefit to Dumervil.

Job 1 - The Film Room

Strahan believed, as most of the best NFL players do, that the game is won in the film room, although played out on the field. He stated that finding "tells" on the part of the offensive linemen, quarterbacks and running backs, as well as tells in the form of certain tendencies due to formation, were the first key to making the sack. Many fans are aware that the color of an offensive lineman's knuckles (lighter or more reddish) can vary depending on exactly where he is holding his weight and that this can lead to knowing before the snap whether the play will be a run or a pass. Strahan, like many others, used film to discover far more than that. One quarterback (who is still playing) claps his hands before a passing play if he's in the shotgun. Certain linemen turn their heads to one side unconsciously. There are as many in the NFL as their are in poker. In both games, it's up to the superior player to discover what they are and what they mean.

An example came in the contests against Strahan's Giants' division rival Philadelphia Eagles and their huge (330 lb) left tackle, Jon Runyan. Strahan had studied Runyan exhaustively, and had learned some things that made theirs an unequal matchup. Runyan, for example, would leave his foot straight with the heel slightly up if he was going to man block straight ahead. He also left his heel high if he was dropping back to pass-block. If his heel was on the ground and turned in, Runyan was going to go down inside and if the foot was flat and the heel turned out, he would step out to reach block. Strahan had learned to read him like a book.

Not surprisingly, Strahan gave Runyan fits. In a single game in 2001, Strahan notched 3.5 sacks against Donovan McNabb before halftime. By the third quarter, Runyan didn't have a clue as to how he was to stop #92, who was on his way to his record-setting year's total of 22.5. If Doom wants to break that record - and to continue to play at this level over the next decade - he'll be talking to other rushers and hunkering down with a lot of film each week. Victory goes to the prepared, over and over again. It's a lesson that can't be overstated.

Job 2 - What's Your Plan?

Every poker player knows that misdirection can be a key to a match, and many of the matchups within the game at the NFL level can be much he same way. Coaches will use a formation that is well known, but will run a new pay off of it at a crucial moment. Earlier this year, Brandon Marshall changed a hitch route to a go route against the Dallas Cowboys and turned an 8-yard gain into a TD. In any one-on-on matchup during a game, if one player can convince the other that he'll be moving in one direction, he can gain the advantage by changing to another. It happens within every game.

Strahan had a plan of action that he liked to use during games that used both technique and psychology to gain advantage. His first 4 pass rushes would almost inevitably be bull-rushes - using his strength, one on one, to try and overpower the lineman who was unenviably tasked with stopping him. Strahan believed that if you beat a man with a speed move early on, he will respect your speed but if you overpower him you'll create a psychological advantage that can be used in a variety of ways over the rest of the game. The lineman will expect more power rushes and can be taken out of the play when you begin to open up your own book of moves. The results - 141.5 sacks over 216 games - speak for themselves.

On his fifth rush, most lineman are preparing themselves for a power move by squatting back slightly, sitting their weight down and back and reaching out with their arms. At that moment, Strahan would chop their hands, reach for their outside shoulder and swing around them. The lineman would be in no position to shift his weight and interfere with the maneuver. After that, the lineman was often at Strahan's mercy. If he moved to protect the outside, Strahan was already clubbing him and spinning inside. Perhaps the best example of this came in Strahan's final game, Super Bowl XLII against New England. Nick Kaczur, according to Strahan, "...didn't know what to expect". Kaczur wasn't the only one, but this example went a long way towards granting the Giants their Super Bowl Victory.

One of the areas where Dumervil has a substantial advantage over most players is that his height/strength ratio is unusual - for a man less than 6 feet tall, he's extremely powerful. That strength, combined with balance and an unusual ability to find his opponent's "tipping point" are among the things that has set Doom apart from many other players at the same position. Big, sinewy hands, an ability to get them onto the lineman before he is grabbed, a tenacious grip and a talent for upsetting another player's balance are among the many keys to standing out at the rush linebacker position.

By the way, having a tell can also hurt the defender. When the San Francisco 49ers were matched up against the NY Giants during the Lawrence Taylor days, they were slated to meet in the playoffs. Head Coach Bill Walsh noted that Taylor had a short series of tells when he was planning on rushing the quarterback. Taylor really didn't care if people knew what he was going to do - he'd flop his hands around, wave his arms and generally, as Giants defensive back Beasley Reese would put it, act "...like a cop putting a siren on top of his car." Walsh used that to the 49ers' advantage - he had left guard Dan Ayers, at 6'5", 270 lb (Taylor, although incredibly strong, fast and agile, was 6'3" and 237 lb by comparison, according to pro-football-reference.com) drop back and to the outside when Taylor prepared to rush, cutting him off before he could reach Joe Montana. This maneuver would cost the Giants in the 1981 Divisional Round. Ayers liked rodeos, calf roping and also enjoyed throwing a rope around a tractor tire and dragging it through freshly plowed fields for fun. He was strong and agile enough to slow Taylor since he had sufficient notice that LT was coming. Although those signs of LT's intentions had simply created fear in the past, in this case LT's tells worked against him. The 49ers won easily.

Job 3 - Knowing Where the Quarterback Will Be

Like the first one, this principle also requires a lot of time in the film room. Even when he's beaten his lineman or TE, Doom has to get to the QB before he can either throw the ball away or escape out of the pocket. Both can be rendered moot by learning where the quarterback will move to when he feels the pressure of the defensive rush. Each player is different but all have tendencies to one extent or another.

Some quarterbacks like to run with the ball. Those are the players who think, "Pass, pass, no ,RUN!" Although such players, including a spectrum from Michael Vick to Jay Cutler, will move to wherever they think there is an opening, most of them will prefer to move in one direction or another. Players like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will move more within the pocket, but they, too, have tendencies - generally, they like to step up within the pocket. Last season, Matt Cassel liked to pull down the ball and run up the middle when pressured. After 47 sacks, you could hardly blame him, but by knowing where he would usually run to, the rush linebacker could maneuver his lineman so that he would break off on a bull rush suddenly and spin to the inside, cutting down the QB before he could escape. Some quarterbacks are a little slower to break from the pocket, or slower afoot (Kyle Orton is one of these) and those players can often be taken down from behind. The rusher can't take his angle too deeply, permitting the QB to step up into the pocket; and he can't let the angle go too shallow, permitting the QB to step back and to the outside.

The secret here, according to Strahan, is to keep the passer on your inside shoulder. If the QB likes to step up, you try to aim your rush so that you end up 2-3 yards from the line of scrimmage. If you watch a lot of film, many rushers fail to contact the QB because they are being ridden to the rear by the linemen (especially in a short-drop situation) or are being cut off as they attempt to go more inside, between the QB and the LOS. The rusher needs to know ahead of time where he expects the QB to be as the play finishes and to try and get there first. Obviously, factors such as whether a QB is using a 3-, 5- or 7-step drop also makes a great deal of difference in planning your attack. If the QB is throwing a lot of 'smoke' (hot), hitch, out and slant routes with the 3-step drop, you have to plan your finishing location to take that into account. If you're looking at other routes, ones that break the usual 12.5 yards from the LOS, you've got more time to achieve pressure.

By the way, this also illustrates the interaction among the different defensive positions. If a CB is playing off coverage, many QBs will audible to a 3-step drop using one of the four I listed (often the 'hot' or 'smoke' route, although terminology varies), the rushers will have to know the coverage the CBs will be playing to plan their own attacks in order to create the most disruption or success.

Job 4 - Tackling the QB

During the Broncos/Giants game, with 6:29 remaining in the 2nd quarter, Denver had NY backed up nearly to their own end zone. Anticipating a pass, Andre' Goodman suddenly dove in on a cornerback blitz. He caught Eli Manning in the end zone, but he didn't make the tackle cleanly. He was able to pull Manning down, but not before Eli had thrown the ball away out of bounds. The play still stopped NY, but it cost the Broncos 2 points plus the ball.

Tackling technique is a difficult issue in the NFL. Proper technique in wrapping up and bring the man down is especially important when rushing the quarterback because those situations really give you two opportunities. The first is for the strip - if you are coming up from behind the QB, he may have his hand struck before he even knows that a defender is there. Secondly, even if the ball is not stripped, there is a chance for negative yardage by making the tackle before the QB can get rid of the ball. And third, of course, is the opportunity like the one mentioned here, where the defender can put points on the board for a safety if he can tackle the QB cleanly and pin his arms to his body as the tackle is made.

Strahan managed just such a move in the thrid quarter of the same SB mentioned above against NE - he fired out of his stance, blew past Kaczur and wrapped up Tom Brady before the QB could dump the ball off. Strahan swears that he recalls yelling loudly, "Tom, do not throw the ball!. I got you! I got you!" And he did.

If Doom is going to break Strahan's record - whether this year or any other - he'll need to master his own set of rules. It's likely that he'll start with the ones listed here, though, and add some others. For instance, Doom can still learn a lot from another sack artist who has played in the league for a bit longer - Jared Allen. Since coming into the league in 2004, there has been no one with more sacks (70) than Allen. Allen uses a whole variety of sack moves to get to the quarterback. He uses the rip, a pure-speed rush, a bull rush, a two-hand rush, a single-hand rush, and a modified swim move in which he pulls at the top of the tackle's shoulder pads. In this highlight reel, he demonstrates all of these moves: The only type of rush that Allen doesn't generally use is the spin move.

There are two other things to like about Allen. The first is that, despite his "mullet' persona, he studies film quite a bit. In fact, before facing Chicago this year, he mentioned several times that he was going to go back and watch Rams games in order to get ready to face Orlando Pace:

"I've had some success against him..he's getting older, but the guy still has a resume that's quite impressive. I'll go back and watch tape of how I played against him when I was with Kansas City."

The other thing one has to like about Allen is his frequency for strip sacks. He has 3 strip sacks in 2009 and 19 forced fumbles over his career, most of which have come on sacks. From these estimates, about 1 out of every 4 of Allen's sacks result in a strip and/or fumble. It's clear that when he reaches the quarterback, he's thinking about getting the ball.

Dumervil is no slouch as a pass rusher but he would do well to add some more moves to his arsenal so that he doesn't become predictable with his speed rush. He must study all of the tackles he will face extensively in the film room--as we are sure he does--as well as mining the knowledge of everyone around him who has been up against those same tackles. Whether this year or another, the sack record may yet be under attack by Dumervil. If he successfully brings it down, it will be a tribute to all that he has learned from those who played the game before he did.

Who is your least favorite Steeler?

Bernie19Kosar — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:24:00 -0000

It's Steeler week. I hate the Steelers.

I hate that their city is so unimaginative they have to use black and urine as the colors of all of their sports teams.

I hate the fact that their mostly front running fans believe that they have more championships than the Cleveland Browns.

But I want to know, who is your most hated Steeler of all-time?

Here is a quick run down of my favorites, in no particular order:

1. Terry Bradshaw

Best picture of Mr. Bradshaw I could find.

You may now know him as the fun loving moron on FOX's pregame. Or, you have probably been beaten over the head by the fact that he won four Super Bowls. For his career, he went 22-17 against the Browns while posting a 75.6 QB rating in those games. I hate Bradshaw because I think he was behind the wheel of a team that possessed a great running game and a great defense. It allowed an average QB (212 TDs to 210 INT's career) to be hailed as a great and almighty savior. Ask a Steeler fan to name the greatest QB of all-time and I am willing to bet a horrible tasting Iron City Beer that they will try and work Bradshaws name into the conversation. Save your self the trouble and close your hand in a drawer.

2. Jerome Bettis

Anyone seen these two guys in the same room at the same time?

Hey, did you guys know that Jerome Bettis is from Detroit? If you don't, then you didn't want a single minute of any 2006 NFL Playoff coverage. Plus, I think that chunky campbells soup tastes like crap (Well, during Steeler weeks I do, other weeks, I totally get down on the chicken noodle. But not Steeler week bitches! I fast like Olajuwon!) I hate the fact that Bettis can screw up a coin flip. I REALLY HATE the fact that Bettis has more rushing yards than Jim Brown (even though it took him 74 more games. Yeah, 74. That would be if Jim Brown played almost 5 and half more 14 game seasons. Yet, if you look at the NFL leaderboard, this fat ass is ahead of Jim Brown.) For Bettis' career he went 13-9 against the Browns and had an average of 74 YPG against us.

3. Hines Ward

I wish this was DBN's logo.

We all knew this douchebag was on this list. We have gone over the reasons on why Hines Ward is a coward and dirty player ad nauseum. If you need more info on this boob search the archives. On to the stats, Ward went 20-17 against us while averaging 67 YPG. He only has 8 TDs in those 37 games which actually suprised me. The only thing I like about Ward is that he hates the next player on our list.

4. Ben Roethlisberger

I am 99% sure that this is not photoshopped.

The newest, greatest Steeler QB (He wins games!). Once again, we have touched on ~~Crash Test Roethlisberger~~ Big Ben. It drives me nuts that every single time this guy has a hang nail it is DEFCON1 in the Roethlisberger household. Was he not hugged enough as a kid? I'm glad to hear that the Steeler locker room is tired of his act, because I as a Browns fan have had my fill of Big Ben's injury fiasco's. Did I mention that he likes to bang ugly chicks? For God sakes man you're a NFL quarterback that is paid over 100 million! Even that fat dude that convinced chicks he was Big Ben was able to hook up with a model! Oh yeah, stats. He has a 14-8 ratio on TD/INTs and averages 223 YPG. Meh.

5. Jeff Reed

I don't know if he is the most hated Steeler, but I know he thinks the show Jersey Shore is cool.

This dude is the best. First of all he is a kicker. Second of all, the dude has the worst case of beer muscles that I have seen in quite sometime. First of all he tackles like this (fast forward to :23 seconds in) and this (2:35 in). Did I mention that this tool has been arrested for assulting police officers, and vandalizing a bathroom in a gas station because they were out of paper towels? All this anger from a kicker who tackles like a woman. I think that Phil Dawson would destroy him in fisticuffs. Did I mention that he is a kicker? He is 23 for 27 on kicks against us.

6. Rod Woodson

Man, I hope my HOF bust has a pornstache.

He played for the Steelers and Ravens, so that kind of makes him a jackass. He then he said something so gross that I had to make sure I got his quote correct, word for word. In his Hall of Fame speech he said the following:

And I hope again, the voters get this right, by putting Art Modell in the Hall of Fame. He belongs there. You can boo him because you disagree with him moving them. But you can't disagree with what he did as an owner.

Burn in Hell Woodson.

Also receiving votes: James Harrison, Franco Harris (It was incomplete!), Greg Lloyd, Kevin Greene, Levon Kirkland, Amos Zeroue (I hate his cookies), Tommy Maddox, Kordell Stewert, Stallworth and Swann (overrated), Joey Porter (I'm glad someone shot him i the ass) and Troy Polamalu.

Did I mention that I hate the Steelers?

Poll

Who is your most hated Steeler?

Terry Bradshaw

58 votes

Jerome Bettis

28 votes

Hines Ward

435 votes

Ben Roethlisberger

167 votes

Jeff Reed

58 votes

Rod Woodson

29 votes

Other (Give us a name in the comments)

85 votes

860 votes | Poll has closed

Pregame Zone Blitz: Steelers at Chiefs

ncoolong — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:38:49 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

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Considering the Steelers' opponent this week, the hapless Kansas City Chiefs, it almost feels like a lose-lose situation. It's got letdown game written all over it. Even if the Steelers win, it will no doubt bring back the pain of a tough and rare AFC North loss to Cincinnati. PZB is going to demonstrate why this isn't a trap game and why a win is a win is a win.

Here's what our opponents are saying.

Opponent Web Sites/Forums

Arrowhead Pride points out an interesting discussion Steelers C Justin Hartwig had with 610 Sports Today in Kansas City.

The Kansas City Star's blog makes a good point about Larry Johnson ending up the winner of the feud between himself and the Chiefs.

A fan post brings up some solid analysis, but responders to it aren't optimistic about the Chiefs' chances.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley isn't at a loss for respectful words when it comes to the Steelers.

How hard can it be to simply not use a diuretic?

Last Game

After the Denver game, PZB called out the Broncos for not making enough splash plays throughout the game. It marks the last time PZB will ever do that, considering Pittsburgh's lack of explosive plays in its 18-12 loss vs. Cincinnati in Week 10.

That sounds like an excuse, though, and we don't make those.

We do know now how the Other Half lives; the other half of the league that does not have a productive quarterback under center. Clearly, Ben Roethlisberger is one of the better passers in the game, but for whatever reason, he played a substandard game against the division-leading Bengals. While he protected the ball well enough considering a pretty intense Cincinnati pass rush and excellent secondary, his accuracy was a negative factor for the first time this season.

Let's make a positive out of a negative though. We had the ball with two minutes remaining, down six, and that was after five sacks (four of them caused by outstanding coverage), a slew of tipped passes and Pittsburgh's seventh returned touchdown against this season. The Bengals even managed to botch the extra point.

PZB's hat is off to a vastly improved and legitimate Bengals team. We now focus on Kansas City.

Opponent Spotlight: QB Matt Cassel

Is there anyone else? No.

It took the Chiefs a little over 33 quarters to score a rushing touchdown in 2009. Jamaal Charles broke a 44 yard run in the second quarter of Kansas City's 16-10 win over Oakland in Week 9. Oakland has allowed the most rushing touchdowns (14) in the NFL. Kansas City is the only team to fail to score a rushing touchdown against the hapless Raiders, which they accomplished in their Week 2 loss at the hands of Oakland.

Now, with the defending Super Bowl champs and league's top-ranked rush defense coming to Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City's beleaguered rushing attack is safely considered to be non-existent this week.

Making matters worse for the Chiefs, top receiver Dwayne Bowe was suspended for four games for testing positive for a diuretic, and will not play in this game.

Cassel knows what it's like to be on the losing end of an ears-pinned-back pass rush from Pittsburgh. OLB James Harrison in particular ravaged Cassel in New England last season, forcing two second-half fumbles en route to a huge Steelers road win. In many ways, that victory propelled Pittsburgh to an eventual Super Bowl championship. Cassel remembers that thrashing, and also is aware Pittsburgh is in the rare spot of trailing another team in the AFC North. It'll be surprising to see Cassel hang onto the ball for longer than three seconds. He is an accurate passer when provided with adequate receiving support, and the match-ups in this game present a very simple and familiar game plan for Cassel; pass on the edge, get out of the pocket and try to protect the ball at all costs.

Steelers Spotlight: NT Casey Hampton

I wrote about this in Blitzburgh's Steelers Annual.

The key moment to last season was a holding call on Steelers Hampton in Week 13 at New England. Big Snack flipped his lid over the call (truthfully, it was valid), and we witnessed a rare display of animalistic emotion from one of the better nose tackles of his generation. Hampton blew up Patriots C Dan Koppen, sacking then-Patriots QB Matt Cassel.

It opened floodgates that didn't stop spilling until early February.

Hampton has that rare higher gear which can't be achieved by everyone. He has the ability to destroy an opponent's entire offensive game plan, because, frankly, you cannot plan around penetration. You can't run around it, you can't pass around it.

And you mostly can't do anything about it if you have an offensive line as inconsistent as Kansas City's.

OLB James Harrison had two sacks and two forced fumbles after Hampton roared. Lawrence Timmons had an interception return back to the Patriots' 1-yard-line after Hampton exploded.

The Steelers had one of the better defenses the league has ever seen in 2008. They realized it not long after they lost two of three to quality teams - the Giants and the Colts.

Hampton can lead by example, and he can dominate his opponent physically. This isn't a call-out to him because he's been off his game (he hasn't at all). It's a plea for him to reach for that upper gear and again become the unifier this team needs right now. Maybe this game can be the catalyst to push the Steelers over the top.

I See You

I see you, Donovan Woods. I may be getting a bit off the topic in this section, because usually, I see players from the previous game. The theme of this column this week is "moving ahead." Because of that, Donovan, you become the most important player in this game. You filled in admirably last season, jumping to and from the practice squad, the waiver wire and the active roster. That can't be easy and Steelers fans respect it.

We need you badly, Donovan. We need you to give us a sense of excitement to see the return man buried inside the 20, instead of the feeling of dread we currently have any time the ball is kicked. We need a spark, and we've all seen you provide that spark before.

I see you added to the roster and inserted immediately with the Herculean task of helping a stout defense not have to defend a short field, or stave off points allowed by other units. I see you making a few tackles, standing up, smacking some helmets and giving the Steelers defense a reason to pin their ears back and kick the tar out of Matt Cassel and the Chiefs.

Key Stats

Pittsburgh is 6^th in the NFL in scoring defense at 17.4 points per game (157 points).
Removing kick/punt returns and interception returns, Pittsburgh is allowing 12.9 points per game (116 points).
Kansas City scored its first rushing touchdown this season in a 16-10 win over Oakland in Week 10.

Quick Hitters

I am the only person who doesn't mind Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on 4^th-and-2 from inside their own territory. I've heard every reason why he shouldn't. Every one of those reasons is valid. But if I'm Belichick, I've got Tom Brady. Indy's got Peyton Manning. If I'm Belichick, I'm aware of the fact it's either going to be Peyton's day, or Tom's. I'm gonna give Tom the ball, and prepare to accept the consequences. Either way, wherever we are on the field, if No. 18 comes under center with time on the clock, this game isn't ending in my favor. Perhaps the most instructive part of this is seeing how close the Pats came to converting. Except for the fact the Colts showed how tough of a team they are by getting the season's biggest defensive play for the stop.
I am not gushing praise for Maurce Jones-Drew's "selflessness." But I'm not dogging him for not taking the points while they're there. The fact of the matter is the game of football is decided by the clock just as much as by points. A 1-point lead with no time on the clock is more important than a 6-point lead with 12 seconds left. The critics pontificate about the possibility of a field goal getting blocked, or a snap getting botched. All true. Are you going to suggest it's less likely to simply execute a 19-yard field goal as time expires than it is to stop a speed-burning kick returner with a gadget play at his disposal from breaking it for a touchdown? Sorry, I'm not buying the bravado. Let that clock run all day, MJD, and please, Mr. Mendenhall, Mr. Parker and Mr. Moore, keep your knee on the ground should you encounter this situation in the future. You shouldn't have any more faith in our kickoff coverage either.

Potent Quotables - The Wednesday Media Gathering

John Bena — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:55:55 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

about 1 month ago: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels gestures in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Baltimore. Baltimore won 30-10. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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**Courtesy of the Denver Broncos P.R. Staff

HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS

Opening remarks

"We are excited to get back at work, getting ready to play a great football team, the defending Super Bowl champion, on Monday Night Football. It will be a great challenge ahead of us this week to prepare and get ready to play a game against a team that has very, very few, if any, weaknesses. We are going to have to play our best football in order to have an opportunity to beat them on Monday night."

On if Baltimore presented physical mismatches for the Broncos

"We didn't play the way that we are capable of playing, and that is not an excuse. Baltimore forced us to play the way we played. They deserve credit. We talked about it the other day. We have got to do much better, but it is not about matchups. We have enough players out there that can match up physically with anybody in this league. We didn't play as well as we can."

On Pittsburgh's physical style of play

"(Pittsburgh) is a very physical team in every phase. To me, that is where it starts with the Steelers. If you are going to get out-physicaled offensively, defensively (and) in the kicking game, you are going to have a hard time winning. They are definitely going to challenge you in every area. Every one of their players plays like that. I don't care if it is the kickoff returner, the kicker, the tight ends, the lines, whomever it is, (Pittsburgh QB Ben) Roethlisberger, they are all physical players that play tough and are going to present that challenge to us individually and as a team collectively."

On the Broncos' need to start games faster

"We are going to try to adjust it every day that we are here. It has been a multitude of different reasons, whether it be execution of a simple thing or a decision we made, a bad call on our part. A mistake here or there changes the beginning of the game just like it will the end of a game. We have got to play really good football in the first quarter from the first play on if we want to start fast. That starts in practice (by) building that mentality that our first individual period is going to be a good period and our first team period is going to be a good period, and we are not going to make a bunch of mistakes and wait until halfway through practice to get going. We have got to continue to try to build that mentality through our work on the field here. Hopefully, that mentality and that state of mind will carry over into good execution to begin the games each week."

On playing the Steelers on Monday Night Football following the Broncos' first loss

"It is an opportunity for us is what it is. We haven't lost before and now we have. We learned a lot of things about ourselves through this process the last couple days. There are plenty of things that we need to fix and improve on quickly in order to play and compete against a great football team on a great stage. We are excited to be here today to start that process with our players, and we hopefully have a great week of preparation and go out there and play our best game on Monday night."

On Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisbeger's winning mentality

"I think sometimes you can kind of get an idea of how much winning drives a certain person. I think their history and their past and the teams that they have been involved in, if they win 90 percent of the time (or) 80 percent of the time and they have been a big reason why those teams are successful, then I think you can go ahead and associate them with being a winner. That is what they have done. Their past will tell you much about them. He has always been that way since he was a rookie. He was a rookie and he won a bunch of games. (He has) now (won) two Super Bowls. This guy is different than other quarterbacks but better than most in that he wins more games than everybody else does and wins the big ones. When his team needs him to play well, he really does. He is going to be a great challenge for us this week. (He is) certainly one of the premiere players in the league."

On if Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike Tomlin's success at a young age showed him he could be successful

"He is a great role model for all coaches in this league, young coaches (and) older coaches alike. He is very, very intelligent (and) has a great background history. He learned from a bunch of really great men in this league and does a great job of teaching (and) motivating his players (and) his team. His team is always well prepared. His team is always going to play with great emotion and energy. You never see them with a lack of effort, and I think that is a testament to what he does on a weekly basis or a daily basis with his football team. He is a positive influence on a lot of people. That didn't really affect whether or not I thought I could do this or not, but (he is) certainly a guy that most of us would emulate, winning a Super Bowl in his second year and being as successful as he has been so far in his coaching career."

On S Renaldo Hill's performance this year

"Renaldo is a very consistent player. He practices the same way. He always does his job, for the most part, very well. He protects the deep part of the field (and) is very dependable for us. He has been a decent tackler over his career, and that is exactly what we have seen here. A safety's job in our defense is to prevent touchdowns, and he has done a good job of doing that, for the most part, in every situation that he could be involved in. I don't know that there is a player on our team that is more prepared on a weekly basis. When you listen to our practices, he is calling out most of the things before they actually happen. There are not many players in the league that can take in all the information, all the preparation that you try to give the players and then go out there and apply it without slowing them down. He is one of those players that can do that and helps other players out while he is out there trying to do his job, too. (He is) everything we thought we were getting and then some. (He is) a guy that, I think, a lot of people look up to on our team."

On Pittsburgh's offense having a different style than in previous years

"I would disagree. The numbers may tell you that they are a different type of team, but this is as physical of an offensive line (and) physical running back as we are going to play. They can do either (running or passing plays). It just so happens they have gotten into a few games where they went ahead and made the decision to pass the ball more often than run it or the score indicated that they go ahead and do that. This is a team that can do whatever they want to on offense, and you have got to stop everything. You have got to stop the running game. You have got to stop (Pittsburgh RB Rashard) Mendenhall. They have got (Pittsburgh RB) Willie Parker. Then (Pittsburgh TE) Heath Miller is fourth in the league or third in the league in catches. They have got a bunch of big-play receivers. That is really how Pittsburgh has played all along. I just think right now the thing that is sticking out to everybody is the statistical numbers in the passing game (that) make everybody feel like this has become a one-dimensional passing team, and that is very far from the truth. I think if you don't stop the running game, you are going to have a big problem. You can try to stop one aspect and make them play the other way, but they have shown the ability to do either one effectively. You have got to play good sound defense and not give up big plays. They have got so many players on offense that make those kind of plays, explosive plays (and) score touchdowns from a long distance that if you fall asleep on one play, you could be in trouble. This is a team that tests you on every down in every way you can imagine. There is a reason why they were Super Bowl champions last year, and there is a reason why they are one of the best teams in the league on a regular basis. I didn't mean to disagree with you that way. I am just saying that it is not really the case. They can do a lot of things that they have done in the past very well, and they can throw it, run it, short, deep, scramble, gadgets, reverses-you have got to be ready for everything against this team or you are going to get taken advantage of."

QB KYLE ORTON

On lessons from the Baltimore game that apply to Pittsburgh

"If you play a good team and don't execute very well, then you are going to have trouble. (That is a) huge priority in practice this week, making sure we have three or four great practices and to be on top of things and be ready to go by Monday."

On why the offense has started games slow

"(There is) kind of just a lack of execution to start the game. It is going to be a critical point in this game. These guys are probably the best starters in all of football for the last few years. We certainly can't expect to win if we are down 10-0 or 14-0 to start off the game. We are going to have to figure it out and get it going by Monday."

On if a set number of offensive plays were scripted to open a game when he played in Chicago

"We had a script (in Chicago), but the guys (in Denver) should have a pretty good feel for what is going to be called early in the game. We go over it. Some of these extra days that we have had, we have gone over our first calls or first third-down calls and all that, so that is not an excuse. We certainly know the plays that we are calling early in the game and certainly should be able to execute them."

On why there are so many NFL quarterbacks with unique skill sets

"I don't know. To play the other positions, you have got to be physically as gifted as everyone else, obviously. I think just the quarterback position there are different styles of play. Some guys are pocket passers, some guys are runners, some guys play with their head (and), some guys rely on physical abilities. (There is) a mix bag that you can get at this position, and guys play accordingly."

On what disappointed him about the Baltimore game

"Everything. I don't think anybody on offense could be satisfied with their play. We didn't pass the ball. We didn't run the ball. We didn't block them. We didn't do anything. We have our work cut out for us this week."

On facing Pittsburgh after the Broncos' first loss of the season

"Every week in this league is a test, but when you are playing a team like Pittsburgh who has had the success that they've had-speaking for the offense, this has been a great defense probably for the last 30 years so nothing has changed. We are going to have to play physical, we are going to have to play smart and we are going to have to play our best game."

On playing on Monday Night Football

"Guys like to play on primetime, and you can say it or not, but there is extra emotion on Monday night games and we will be excited and we will be ready to go."

On playing physical teams like Baltimore and Pittsburgh in consecutive games

"(Baltimore) beat us up pretty good, no question about it. We feel like we have a physical football team, and certainly, Pittsburgh prides themselves on that, too. It will be a hard-hitting game, and whoever can win that battle will have a good chance to win."

On what the most important factors for the game are

"It is about everything. It is about matchups. It is about attitude. It is about practice. You can't just kind of (take) practice off for three or four days and expect to go out and play a physical game."

On T Tyler Polumbus

"We expect anybody that is going to be out on the field to come out and perform, and I am sure Tyler will have a great week of practice and be ready to go."

On the similarities between Pittsburgh's and Baltimore's defense

"(Baltimore was) fast. Pittsburgh is fast. When you are not executing and not playing like you would want to, you make the defense obviously look that much better. These guys don't need any help. They are a very good defense and they will be ready to go for us."

S BRIAN DAWKINS

On Pittsburgh WR Hines Ward

"(He is) just a guy that you know is going to bring a certain intensity to every game. It takes a special guy playing the receiver position to do what he does as far as mixing it up with safeties, cornerbacks and even linebackers, sometimes. Not being afraid to do it, it takes a special guy with a lot of want-to in him, and he definitely has that."

On if Ward is crafty

"He knows how to work his leverage. He knows how to work, putting his body in position to body a guy out and make tight, tight catches. He is just a gamer. Game in and game out, year in and year out, from the day he stepped onto the field, he has been somebody that opened eyes early and continues to open eyes now."

On Pittsburgh's physical style of play

"This is a team that is built on tough, physical guys. From before I was born, they have been playing a certain way, and that hasn't changed to this day. Last week was last week. We did some things in the second half that were not like us defensively. (We were) getting out of our gaps-I think we were trying to do too much towards the end-and we gave up some scores that we usually don't give up. We learned from those mistakes, and we are going to move forward this week to make sure that those mistakes don't creep up if the game is a close one toward the end."

On if the Broncos can match up physically with anybody

"It is about us doing what we do. We are not trying to match somebody. We are trying to be who we are. When you are trying to match somebody, to me, that is saying that they are a team that is above you, or you are trying to build up to them. We are who we are, and if we go out and do what we are supposed to do, we feel like we have a chance to win every game."

On Pittsburgh WR Santonio Holmes

"Obviously, we always point toward Hines and what he does, (Pittsburgh QB) Ben (Roethlisberger) and what he does for this team, being able to keep plays alive, and (that they are) a physical team, but (Holmes) has been doing some work out there. I don't know if it is going unnoticed by a lot of people, but not to me, even when I played him last year when I was with the Eagles. I knew where he was because usually, I was to his side. I know the playmaking potential that he has when he gets the ball in his hands to break tackles and then that game-breaking receiver deep threat that he can be. I don't look past this guy, not even a little bit, because I know how much he brings to the table."

On Roethlisberger

"I think he just became more and more comfortable in what he was already able to do. Once you do some things and you see a lot of success from doing it, you are obviously going to continue to do it. Some of the things that he is doing now, I don't know if he would have tried to do in the beginning, but he sees that the things are working now, pumping the ball and being able to keep the play alive. A lot of times they are giving up sacks, but a lot of that is because he believes so much in his ability to break tackles and keep the play alive that he will hold the ball a little longer. I think that is just all about him and his comfort level and his confidence in his ability."

On if Roethlisberger is one of the elite quarterbacks in the league

"Absolutely, (he has) too many drives, especially being able to keep the plays alive and making big plays when he needed to. You saw it last year. You saw it in the Super Bowl, so you know this guy can get the job done. It is going to be a whistle-to-whistle game. We try to play whistle-to-whistle anyway, but when you have a quarterback with the potential to break tackles and keep the play alive, then for the secondary, it is definitely a whistle-to-whistle game for us."

On OLB/DE Elvis Dumervil

"First of all, it is want-to, believing in himself and what his God-given abilities are, and then just going out and listening to what (Defensive Coordinator) Mike (Nolan) is telling him to do and believing that it is going to be where Mike says it is going to be. From there, the guy has some talent, regardless. Outside of moving him to wherever you want to move him, there are certain things that Elvis can do, and we know one of those things is rush the passer with the best of them."

On Dumervil's improvement since last season

"I have only been behind him this year, so all I have seen is Elvis working and doing what he does. I wasn't here last year to see how he played last year to this year."

On if Dumervil has improved from the first time he saw him

"If he was uncomfortable, let's just say it was hard for me to tell."

On similarities between Dumervil and Pittsburgh ROLB James Harrison

"Obviously, they are guys that are lower to the ground already-some people call them short (but) I will just say they are lower to the ground-and that gives them an advantage. It really does because there are not too many 6-7 guys that are going to be able to get down, get lower than them to get the leverage back. They are going to play the game most of the time with the leverage already in their favor. Then both of those guys have motors. I am talking about (they) won't stop until the whistle is blown or until they get close enough to the quarterback to do what they have to do, and that is to bring him down. Both of those guys are built of the same kind of mold, as far as the motors, the low build and once again, I will bring up that word ‘want-to'. Both of them want to have success and actually believe in themselves that they will be able to do it."

On Pittsburgh SS Troy Polamalu

"Troy is all over the place. I love it. He is just one of those guys that I would put on film and I just love to watch him play. I am not ashamed or afraid to say that I put on some tapes and watch those guys to see what he does and see if I can steal some things. That is how great of a safety he is. Moving around, not afraid to show different disguises and being able to get to his deep third or deep half, all of those things confuse the offense. We all know that, but the thing that sets those guys apart is their play-making potential when the ball is in the air to close on it and to get it. He and (Baltimore S) Ed (Reed) are blessed with the ability to be able to do that. I think (New Orleans S) Darren Sharper is another guy, same type of thing. When the ball is in the air, for a lot of us it is PBUs (pass breakups). For those guys, it is interceptions. The opportunity for him to make plays is always there, so you always have to know where he is. He is definitely a guy that I love to watch."

On potentially going to the Pro Bowl at safety in the AFC

"If that happens, it happens. My desire first is to help this team. If helping this team gets me over there, then I will welcome it, but I already knew what we have over here. It is not just those guys. We have some pretty good safeties. There is a safety over there with the Patriots (S Brandon Meriweather) that is doing some good things. There are some good safeties over here, and I think that is a great thing."

Steelers Defense Delivers Knockout Punch In 4th Quarter, Knock Vikings From The Ranks Of The Undefeated

Blitzburgh — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:36:08 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

about 1 month ago: A Pittsburgh Steelers fan cheers from the upper deck of Heinz Field during the first quarter of an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Wow, the Pittsburgh Steelers find a way to win for the fourth consecutive week. The defense hadn't really won a ballgame for the Steelers this year, and on Sunday they again had their struggles defending the pass. But for the first time all season really, Dick LeBeau's defense came up with multiple game-changing plays that dictated the outcome. Here's some preliminary thoughts about the 27-17 victory.

* There are still some troubling issues with the Steelers defense, but the good news is that they're starting to make some of the big plays that they weren't making to start the year. Through the first five games of the season, the Steelers had forced just 4 turnovers. The past two weeks, Pittsburgh's defense has 6 takeaways. The two turnovers Dick LeBeau's defense created today were not just run of the mill takeaways either - both were returned for touchdowns. And both came in the 4th quarter with the Vikings on the march. LaMarr Woodley got things started by taking a Brett Favre fumble 77 yards for a score. Keyaron Fox then intercepted a muffed catch by Chester Taylor and took it the other way for a game-clinching 82 yard score. Credit to the D for stepping up and making a play when their backs were against the wall, but color me still concerned about how much this defense continues to bend in the passing game. It didn't break today but it most likely will unless they can make things much, much tougher for those opposing quarterbacks who are disciplined, experienced and accurate enough to dink and dunk their way down the field.

* This defense is going to continue to need big plays like that if they hope to repeat as AFC North champions. The defense is still struggling against the pass otherwise. Brett Favre threw for 334 yards and the Vikings converted a very healthy 9-of-18 on 3rd down. Minnesota had three drives of 13 plays or more which helped them win the time of possession battle by almost 14 minutes.

* Wacky stat of the game #1 - Total plays: Minnesota 78, Pittsburgh 49.

* Wacky stat of the game #2 - Minnesota 1-5 TD efficiency in the red zone; Pittsburgh 0-3.

* Wacky stat of the game #3 - Minnesota 16 first downs through the air; Pittsburgh 14 total first downs.

* William Gay had 8 tackles on Sunday, increasing his season total to 30. Only James Farrior, Ryan Clark and James Harrison have more tackles. In case you were wondering, I don't necessarily think this is a good thing. I tip my hat to Gay for playing hard and for making some nice plays in each of the Steelers first seven games, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's the weak link not only in the team's secondary, but the entire defense as well. Teams are going right at Gay most weeks, hence the high tackle totals. And they're definitely making him pay when he gives his man too big a cushion. I don't have the exact total on me, but there were at least four or five plays where Favre quickly slung the ball out to the wide receiver that Gay was defending. Again, I'm not disgusted with the way he's playing or anything. It's just he's not nearly as physical as the player he is replacing, Bryant McFadden. I said I was worried about his play before the start of the season more than anything else with this team. That sentiment has not changed for me one bit.

* I still miss Anthony Madison on special teams. The Steelers surrendered yet another kickoff return on Sunday. There were plenty of people responsible for Percy Harvin breaking off the 88 yard kickoff return, but perhaps none more than Jeff Reed. Reed not only didn't force Harvin back to the middle of the field - which is definitely rule #1 - but he also just gave his best matador impersonation by meekly flailing at Harvin as he ran by him. Bad, bad stuff from Reed.

* To his credit, Reed had a nice day kicking the ball. Both of his field goal attempts were relative 'chip shots' (39 and 27 yards), but his kicks looked crisper and an improvement over how he had been kicking the ball earlier in the year, even on his made attempts.

* A tough day for the Steelers offense. Pittsburgh mustered just 259 total yards, by far their lowest output of the season. However, the Steelers did average 5.3 yards per play, not a shabby number. The problem was settling for two field goals in the red zone and a Rashard Mendenhall fumble inside the 5 yard line. That's a lot of points left on the board. Credit the Vikings defense though - they took Hines Ward out of the game for the most part, bottled up the run for much of the afternoon, and did a superior job of not letting Big Ben break free from would-be sacks.

* Anybody else notice how many deflections the Vikings had at the line of scrimmage? I'm not sure of the number but it seemed like there were at least three or four balls batted down by Vikings defensive linemen. That rarely happens with the 6'5" Ben Roethlisberger. A job well done by them.

* I'd like to break down the play with pictures in the near future since we have a couple of weeks before the next game, but Big Ben's touchdown strike to Mike Wallace at the end of the 1st half was gorgeous. The pass was thrown with plenty of zip, but it also had just the right trajectory to fall over the Vikings first line of defense in the secondary and down in to Wallace's breadbasket before the last line of defense could get to #17. A truly perfect throw by Big Ben.

* Not to sound overly negative, but I haven't been that impressed by Daniel Sepulveda. He's been fine and a decided upgrade over what the team was getting from the punting game last year in his absence. But he's no Mike Scifres or Shane Lechler. I've still yet to see him really boom or place a punt that made me say 'wow'.

* Bet you didn't know that it was the first time in NFL history that there were 3 touchdown returns of at least 75 yards during the 4th quarter of a game. It was awesome watching the Steelers defense block for both Woodley and Fox on their respective runbacks. Percy Harvin on the other hand didn't need much help on his touchdown.

* I have been extremely impressed by the way Santonio Holmes has been playing during the Steelers four game winning streak. Santonio only had 2 receptions for 59 yards, but he continues to impress me in the running game and blocking down field for his fellow WRs after the catch. Hines has clearly rubbed off on him, and I'd imagine that both he and Hines are having the same effect on rookie Mike Wallace. It was unfortunate that Holmes didn't get his TD reception in the 1st quarter when Heath Miller was called for pass interference.

* Speaking of Mike Wallace - the rookie out of Ole Miss continues to earn the confidence and trust of his teammates and coaches. Wallace had 3 catches for 79 yards and a TD. Kevin Colbert and his army of scouts definitely found a keeper in #17. He's going to be a treat to watch over the years.

* My phrase for Mewelde Moore after we signed during the 2008 free agency period - 'one mans trash is another man's treasure'. Who would you rather have if you were Minnesota? A 30 year old Chester Taylor taking up nearly $4 million in cap room or a 27 year old Mewelde Moore who takes up less less than half the cap space that Taylor does. Moore is reliable and even keeled with his performance. Taylor is more up and down. It wasn't the easiest catch in the world, but on the play where Keyaron Fox returned the interception for a touchdown, the ball hit Taylor's hands. He's got to make that play. Anyway, I'm just glad we have Moore on our side.

* Congratulations to David Johnson. The 7th round tight end out of Arkansas State caught his first career pass late in the 1st quarter. Good stuff David!

* I'll wrap this up for now, but a job well done by the Steelers defense against Adrian Peterson. AP had just 69 yards on 18 carries and was largely unable to do much against the stout Steelers rush defense. Peterson still had some nice runs and of course that beastly play in the passing game against William Gay, but you have to be impressed with the Steelers ability to contain him without Aaron Smith for the entire game and Lawrence Timmons for part of it. Kudos to guys like Nick Eason, Travis Kirschke, Ziggy Hood and Keyaron Fox for filling in admirably.

* Now it's Pittsburgh's turn for their BYE Week before heading to Denver to take on the Denver Broncos. I think it's a great time for the BYE. The team has lots to feel good about but plenty to work on. A little rest to heal up some aching bodies and then it's time for the second half of the season and hopefully another run at securing an AFC North crown and potentially even a 1st round BYE in this year's playoffs.

Pregame Zone Blitz: Browns at Steelers

ncoolong — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:17:47 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

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Fourth quarter points? Psshaw! All that means is our offense scores enough to force teams to come back. Detroit had nothing else to play for, and the fact Daunte Culpepper threw perhaps the stupidest pass I've ever seen (including high school quarterbacks) is exactly what makes them the Lions. It's tough to worry when you've got a passer the likes of Ben Roethlisberger under center (I see him, too). But, the greatest news of all, we've got Troy back. Worst news of all, Aaron Smith is out for the rest of the year. Take the good with the bad, because it's a new season, ladies and gentlemen. It starts with a visit from our old pals in Cleveland.

Here's what our opponents are saying.

Opponent Web Sites/Forums

Dawgs By Nature says we shouldn't read into anything about trade rumors involving Brady Quinn.

Quinn tells the Cleveland Plain-Dealer basically nothing about anything, including nothing about his house for sale, nothing about the $10 million he'll miss out on this year, and nothing about his future.

Our Fearless Leader Blitzburgh shows off his tap-dancing skills in an interview with Dawgs By Nature.

Look! Limas caught a pass! Sorry, kind of off-topic.

Chris Pokorny of Dawgs By Nature discusses the post-Edwards Browns receiving corps.

Last Game

"It's still not up to the level we need it to be. We let them go down the field again and make it close." - James Harrison

That sour taste remains strong after another week of missing direct contact with that last nail in the opponents' coffin. Pittsburgh rarely gets beat in Time of Possession. Detroit 32:35, Pittsburgh 27:25. Rashard Mendenhall had six carries in the second half, after a "Delicious" 65-yard first-half effort.

Are we waiting for the other shoe to drop on a season in which the Steelers can't get out of first gear, or are we waiting for the Steelers to put together a concerted four-quarter effort from everyone, coaches included?

A modicum of credit needs to be given to Detroit. While it's not likely we'll see them in the Super Bowl any time soon, they played a solid game. In fact, if it wasn't for QB Daunte Culpepper's JV-level interception, Detroit could have pulled out a huge win.

But that's what makes them the Lions.

They don't give out style points, but we certainly use them in evaluation of our teams. With a divisional showdown with the bizarre Cleveland Browns looming, Pittsburgh needs to find a way to mirror their first half performances so far, and ignore their second half results.

Opponent Spotlight: P Dave Zastudil

"The Browns beat Buffalo 6-3 in one of the all-time ugly NFL games because of Zastudil, and almost because of Zastudil alone. On nine punts, the Bills had seven return yards. Seven!" - Peter King

PMZ likes looking at punters, and the impact they have on a game. Coincidentally, Zastudil hauled off one of the best punting performances in NFL history the same game the Browns put up one of the poorest winning efforts in recent memory.

It was extremely curious how the Browns won 6-3 over Buffalo, (Best Headline Award goes to Dawgs By Nature) when QB Derek Anderson completed two - TWO - passes in fair weather conditions. But looking at Zastudil's performance, it's no surprise. If you want to produce no offense, turn the ball over and generally do nothing significant with the football, you better punt well, or you're going to lose by 30.

Zastudil was the only reason Cleveland was even within four scores, let alone won the game. He leads the NFL with 18 punts inside the 20, and he's tied for the lead with 30 punts. With the struggles the Browns are having offensively, it's a good bet he'll be on the field a bunch, and he has shown the ability to affect the game on his own.

But hey, at least Zastudil's not in Detroit!

Pittsburgh has struggled in the punt return phase, with Stefan Logan averaging 7.4 yards per return, 27^th in the NFL. This is the only area in which Cleveland holds a strong advantage, and if Pittsburgh wants to avoid the upset, Logan will have to break a return or two, and create decent field position.

Steelers Spotlight: SS Troy Polamalu

"You know, I really enjoy watching my brothers play out there. I really feel like I'm out there anyway. I ride the emotional roller-coaster of wins and losses if I play or not." - Troy Polamalu

The most anticipated return in Pittsburgh since the Stanley Cup is expected Sunday when the Browns come to town. Granted, to get there, the Steelers had to lose another indispensible defensive player, but what the loss of Aaron Smith does to the Steelers, at least Polamalu's return will hide it somewhat.

Putting it nicely would be to say Cleveland's offense is not moving the ball very well. To put it accurately would be to say their offense is the worst in the league. The play they've gotten from Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson at quarterback has been grossly lacking, and that has caused serious disruption in the 1-2 rushing attack of Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison.

Polamalu isn't necessary to slow down this offense in most regards, but his inclusion will nullify any confidence the Browns may have received when they learned of Smith's injury.

There's a certain amount of game-planning teams will have to do when Polamalu is on the field. He affects both the pass and run offensive plans, but the lack of Smith, and Cleveland's lack of passing attack likely will equal a steady diet of "run-left" kinds of plays.

That presents a problem for Pittsburgh. While Quinn, Anderson and their C-list group of receivers have produced next to nothing so far this season, the running game has produced two 100-yard rushers the past two weeks. Harrison had 121 yards against Cincinnati in Week 4, and Lewis put 117 on the Bills in Week 5. Polamalu will be stationed at the line for much of the game, and should expect a physical contest. With the platoon of Travis Kirschke, Nick Eason and rookie Ziggy Hood holding down Smith's left defensive end position, the Browns are libel to run to that side. Polamalu will help shore that potential gap up.

I See You

I see you, Ben Roethlisberger. It isn't just your career-high 73.8 percent completion rate, it's that smirk we saw on your face after throwing your second interception that was returned for a touchdown this season. The confidence you displayed in yourself, seeing you own up to a mistake, is inspiring. More of what we really loved was how you showed your young receivers you believe in them. Limas Sweed's drop woes continued, but your first pass attempt was to him on his first play since the drop against Cincinnati. Granted, he's probably got to catch that slant as well, but you went back to him. Mike Wallace joined the fun, dropping what would have been a 71-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. You could have doghoused him too, and just gone to Ward, Holmes and Miller as you had been all game, but you see the value in involving as many receivers as possible. The more confidence they have in themselves, the better they are. You went back to Wallace, who beat CB William James (the guy who took your out route to the house earlier) as badly as any corner has ever been beaten, and got his first career touchdown.

The confidence you have in your receivers makes them better, and it's as much a factor in your ridonkulous completion percentage as your own ability. It's also a big reason why the Steelers are 3-2 without their best defensive player.

Key Stats

Pittsburgh has won the battle of time of possession in nine of their last 11 games
Pittsburgh is 2-0 in those games (Dallas in 2008 and Detroit in 2009)
James Harrison has forced 18 fumbles in his last 36 regular season starts.
Cleveland (11), Oakland (9.8) and St. Louis (6.8) are combining to average 3 points per game less than 2008 league-low Cincinnati (12.8)

Quick Hitters

Thankfully, He Doesn't Play for Us: I would have paid good money to witness the conversation between Bly and Singletary. Good money.

What's Going On In Bravo Company, Matthew?: A classic Col. Nathan Jessup quote to the Cleveland Browns for their most recent PR disaster. My favorite is the sarcasm-laced comment from the league about never having the need to implement rules about players without pads getting hit by players with pads. Only the Mangenius...

I Am Not Talking About No Fine: Chad Ochocinco gets hit hard, and Ray Lewis gets fined. It's kind of a double-win, huh?

Cedric Benson misses out on AFC Offensive Player of the Week to Kyle Orton

Kirkendall — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:39:33 -0000

While Cedric Benson is nominated for the weekly FedEx Ground Player of the Week (don't forget to vote by going here... a lot), Benson didn't win the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Sure, he was nominated. But Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton won the prize. Here's the story on Orton's performance during the Broncos win over the New England Patriots:

Orton completed 35 of 48 (72.9 percent) passes for 330 yards with two touchdowns versus one interception and a 96.7 passer rating in Denver’s 20-17 overtime win against New England.
Orton’s two touchdown passes came in drives that covered 98 and 90 yards.
He completed 6 of 10 passes for 76 yards on Denver’s 98-yard TD drive that tied the game at 17 with 5:21 remaining in the fourth quarter.
In overtime, Orton completed 4 of 6 passes for 31 yards and led Denver 58 yards on 11 plays to set up a game-winning field goal by kicker Matt Prater.
Orton helped Denver post a 5-0 record for the first time in 11 seasons (1998).
In his fifth year from Purdue, this is Orton’s first career Player of the Week Award. He joins Jay Cutler, John Elway, Brian Griese, Gary Kubiak and Jake Plummer, as the sixth Broncos QB to win the award.

Also nominated for AFC Offensive Player of the Week are:

Cincinnati running back Cedric Benson, who rushed for 120 yards (4.4 average) on 27 attempts with one touchdown in a 17-14 win over the Ravens.
Indianapolis rookie wide receiver Austin Collie, who totaled eight receptions for 97 yards (12.1 average) with two touchdowns in a 31-9 victory over Tennessee.
Miami quarterback Chad Henne, who completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) for 241 yards with two touchdowns versus zero interceptions and a 130.4 passer rating in a 31-27 win over the Jets.
Cleveland running back Jamal Lewis , who gained 117 yards (3.8 average) on 31 attempts.
Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning , who completed 36 of 44 passes (81.8 percent) for 309 yards with three touchdowns versus one interception and a 109.2 passer rating.
Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 23 of 30 passes (76.7 percent) for 277 yards with three touchdowns versus one interception and a 123.9 passer rating.

In case you're interested, James Harrison won AFC Player of the Week and punter Dave Zastudil won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. If you're interested even more, then:

NFC Offensive Player of the Week: WR Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys
NFC Defensive Player of the Week: CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Arizona Cardinals
NFC Special Teams Player of the Week: P Jason Baker, Carolina Panthers

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

2 months ago: Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels salutes the crowd after the Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 20-17 in overtime in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Denver. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

Browse more photos »

Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Is anybody else feeling like they could get used to feeling like this on a Tuesday? It's great to be 5-0, isn't it? Maybe Mark Kiszla is right, and we should all join him in welcoming Kyle Orton to Denver, since MHR is clearly bringing up the rear, there. Y'all know how skeptical I have been. Despite our ongoing skepticism, and community-wide propensity for all things negative, we press on. Ready..... BEGIN!!!!

1. Speaking of my skepticism, I was pretty high on this team, heading into the first game.

This is an 11-5 football team, and it's one that is only going to improve as it adds more quality talent in the next few years. I put my money where my mouth is too, donating $11 to the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure, on John Bena's wife's behalf. Please do the same thing, if you can, by donating $1 for every win you think the Broncos will get this season. Things have to break right for that to happen, sure, but I think they will. Forget last season, this is a totally different thing.

Well, that caused a stir. John Bena took a beating on Twitter about it, and even my brother Chris thought I was about 4 games too generous. At this point, I am frankly wondering if I shorted the Susan G Komen outfit by a buck or two. One mea culpa though.

By the way, the Broncos five losses are to the Patriots, Giants, and Raiders at home, and the Chargers and Eagles on the road. I know a lot of people will groan at the thought of losing to Oakland at home, but let's face it, the Broncos annually lose a game they have no business losing, and I had a feeling that that would be the one. I think they can beat Baltimore and Pittsburgh, because they protect the QB, and will be strong defensively against the run. It's about matchups, in those cases. Really, I believe that the Broncos can beat any team on their schedule if they execute, and consistently do the things you need to do to win football games.

I had the Broncos going to 4-0, (in case anybody claims nobody did), before losing both (Sunday) to the Patriots and next Monday night to the Chargers. They beat the Patriots, and I am pretty sure they'll beat the Chargers too, to move to 6-0. I also don't think there is any way they lose to the Raiders, with the consistent preparation and focus they've shown, and Oakland's extreme awfulness. So, even the most optimistic reasonable guy you know may have been underselling this team.

I am not much of a stats guy, but are you ready for an unbelievable one? In five weeks, the Broncos have made zero personnel moves. For all you hear about how much "turmoil" surrounded this team in the offseason, there has been absolutely none in the regular season. Of course, having had no major injuries helps, but it's really indicative of the quality of the team's personnel plan. There was no area where the staff thought incorrectly that the personnel would be good enough. It's good enough everywhere.

There is a lot of reason to really like this team. When the score was 10-0 in the first quarter, my father (Ed) called me, like he does when things aren't going that well for the Broncos. This is the conversation, practically word-for-word.

Ed: What's going on with your boys?

Ted: (A little annoyed.) Nothing, they had a good drive, but missed a field goal, and then they fumbled. Then they held the Patriots to a field goal despite really favorable field position. I'm not worried about it yet. These things happen.

Ed: I don't know...

Ted: This team has shown an ability to be resilient, and make adjustments. I think they'll hang in there, and be okay. (More annoyed, because the commercial was ending, and the game was restarting.) They just (bleeped) up a couple times, it's not the end of the world.

Ed: We'll see....

Ted: Yes, we will. I have to go, so I can pay attention.

Ed: Okay, when you write your analysis, you should mention that your expert father thinks they played like (bleep) because of those ugly uniforms.

Like me, my father is a former United States sailor (a Chief Nuke Machinist Mate), and we tend to employ some sailors' vocabulary when we speak. (In the interest of authenticity, I thought everybody should know that.)

I think back to the last few years, and there is a striking difference with this team. I think of 2005, and the Broncos hardly ever trailed in that season. Jake Plummer was made to play low-risk football, the defense was solid, and the Broncos ran the ball very well. If the plan was executed, the Broncos were going to win. Once it wasn't, in the AFC Championship Game, there was no coming back.

Between 2006-2008, the team was very mistake-prone, on both offense and defense (after the first 6 games of 2006). Generally, you'd have the feeling that if a player or unit made a mistake, that a long day of repeat mistakes would be sure to follow. Think of all the times Jay Cutler played the team out of games, or the defense took a holiday from tackling (or both happened in the same game, like the early season Chiefs game last season). There was always a puncher's chance, but you felt like every mistake was the killer.

I have a tremendous amount of faith in this team's ability to overcome mistakes. In the short amount of time they've been together, I've seen them do it a lot of times. It's not like they're making a lot of mistakes, but they show the ability to settle down and re-focus, no matter what happens. The 2008 Broncos would have gotten blown out today, no question about it. This team hangs in there, gets back to playing solid football, and gets in position to win in the end. It happened against Cincinnati, it happened against Dallas, and it happened again today. (Of course, there never was one second where the Browns or Raiders had an apparent chance, so there was no particular need to hang in there in those games.)

Check out this tweet from Darrell Reid, from Sunday night:

@Footz95: Bronco Fans Please 4Give Me 4 My Penalty That Almost Cost Us The Game. Luckily Its A Team Sport And My Teammates Overcame That Play. Thank U

That's pure class and accountability, and it's emblematic of this team. There was nothing about how the penalty was kind of ticky-tack, even if it was. He knows the rules, he ran into the guy's leg, and he is accountable for his mistake.

It's a gift to be able to feel like this, and I think only probably Patriots, Steelers, and Colts fans have been able to do so consistently, in recent memory. I think Giants and Saints fans probably can right now. Somehow, our team is going to keep focused, and find a way to be in the game until the final gun. What a great new Broncos fan reality.

2. Information From My Eyes, Patriots at Broncos:

a. The WRs for the Broncos did great work all game on Sunday. They ran a ton of hitches, and really got out of their breaks well on them. They also really caught the ball.

b. Andra Davis and D.J. Williams both missed clean sacks on Tom Brady, on delayed blitzes. It sure would have been nice to have those sacks, at the time.

c. I thought the use of Russ Hochstein as a FB was a nice touch a few times. It's been hit or miss this season, and it hit Sunday.

d. Both Brandon Marshall TDs were emblematic of his improvement as an all-around player. He made plays with his physicality, which he hadn't ever fully harnessed in past years. There was no sideways running Sunday, just good routes and power.

e. That Ben Watson TD was evidently a mistake by D.J. Williams, who from the looks of the rest of the scheme, and Wesley Woodyard's reaction, should have stayed in zone coverage, instead of following the underneath crosser.

f. Maybe Kyle Orton was so fantastic because he read Mark Kiszla's column before the game. Feeling like "one of us" has to go a long way, right?

g. That was a joke, of course, but Orton really did look as good as I have ever seen him. His feet were calm, active, and precise, his decisions were quick and correct, and his throws were consistently on the money. He looked like Tom Brady looks on a good day, and that's no overstatement.

h. I want to see a QB sneak on a short-yardage play one of these days. I am tired of seeing these handoff plays get blown up by quick penetration, usually over Ben Hamilton.

i. WOW, did Josh McDaniels ever flame-spray Mike Priefer and Keith Burns over that Darrell Reid penalty. He had a point. There was no particular need to be halfway rushing that punt, in that situation. Honestly, I am a believer in not trying to block a punt at all, unless there's 6 or more yards to go. That mitigates the risk of running into the kicker.

j. If you remember the second-down play in the 4th quarter, with about 10 minutes to go, where Brady threw deep and the ball was broken up by Brian Dawkins, the real play was made by D.J.Williams, in covering Wes Welker one-on-one. Brady clearly wanted to go there, and it was blanketed. On the next play, Brady did throw to Welker, and Champ Bailey had great coverage. The Broncos did a great job taking Welker away in the second half.

k. Everybody knows I wasn't that high on the Knowshon Moreno pick when it was made, but I have come to really love this player. He is going to be a superstar for years to come. I especially appreciate his skill at picking up the blitz, which is rare for a rookie.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games:

a. I had the Bengals-Ravens game on my fixed screen Sunday, for the duration. The key observation from that game is that I had it slightly wrong a couple weeks ago, when I said that the Ravens were without any glaring weaknesses. Their cornerbacks are below average, and they can be killed outside the numbers. Old friend Domonique Foxworth is a good guy, but an average-at-best player. Fabian Washington isn't even as good as that. Particularly if you can block the Ravens' pressure packages, there is a lot of opportunity for success.

b. It is, however, best to stay out of the middle of the field, with any kind of risky throws. Ed Reed is as great as ever, and we all know about Ray Lewis. Reed made a couple big plays Sunday, stripping Chad Ochocinco on a long gainer before the first half ended, and then also returning an interception for a TD later. The Bengals dominated this game, and Reed and Ray Rice were the Ravens' only real positives, and managed to keep the Ravens in it.

c. Matt Cassel says he wants to find the right "anecdote" to losing. The Chiefs ought to start by drafting a lot more speed, because they're the slowest team in the NFL, ahead of their opponent Sunday, Dallas. The Chiefs are going to have another very high draft pick this year, because they are really horrible. If I were Scott Pioli, I would do everything possible to get below the Top 10, because a third straight very high pick, along with Cassel's contract, is going to really mess up their salary structure, a la Oakland. I would give a top pick away, straight-up, for the 12th pick, in their situation. Bill Polian had it right when he said that you don't get good by picking high in the draft every year. Unless you're taking a can't-miss QB, like Peyton Manning, nobody is worth the money you have to pay out.

d. Speaking of the Chiefs, this has gone mostly under the radar, but they're not playing Derrick Johnson, their best linebacker. He was their best defensive player in 2008, and now he's frozen out for some undisclosed reason. If I were a 40-front team, I'd be calling the Chiefs before the trade deadline next week. I bet he could be had for a 5th-rounder.

e. Have you ever seen that show, Intervention, on A&E? I know I have a pretty male-heavy readership, and it's mostly targeted toward a female demographic, so I ask, rather than assume. Anyway, it's not what I would call uplifting television. There's always some really troubled person, with drugs, or gambling, or compulsive shopping, or whatever. Their family loves them, and wants to help get them on the straight and narrow, but addiction is really hard (my 3-year anniversary of quitting smoking is next Monday, so trust me, I have an idea about addiction).

Anyway, the Jaguars remind me of an addict who is trying to get clean, and tries hard, and does well for a while, and then has a staggering, messy relapse. Jacksonville's addiction is to playing undisciplined and stupid football. The last two weeks, against Houston and Tennessee, the Jags had their act together. Sunday, against Seattle, they relapsed, and got completely embarassed. Rashean Mathis, a good CB, had a horrid game, and got out of position repeatedly. I think Jack Del Rio's days have to be numbered, because his program just isn't getting the team to where they need to be. I'm not picking them in any more games this year, either, unless it's against an obviously terrible team. Sometimes, even though you may love the addict, they won't let themselves be helped, and you have to cut them off.

f. The 49ers are not addicted to undisciplined football, but they sure played like the Jaguars West on Sunday. Watching the Short Cut, I really feel like they lost their composure after Roddy White's 90-yard TD in the second quarter. Nate Clements got beat on that play, and had a tough game overall. The defense was physical, and maintained their run lanes, but didn't tackle well, at all. I expect that Mike Singletary will re-focus his team, and they'll show better in their next game, after their bye. Since they're clearly not built to play from behind, they need to establish early leads.

g. A lot was made of Dre' Bly's idiotic celebration Sunday, but Donnie Avery deserves some scorn too, for dancing after a TD catch, when it made the score 31-10 Vikings, with 6 minutes to go. That's just clown-like. Hand the ball to the Field Judge, and get back to your sideline.

h. Matt Schaub threw a noodle-armed out route Sunday, which Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie took back for the game-winning TD. Even after that, Schaub drove the team the length of the field, before the Cardinals held them on 4th and goal from the 1. The problem with being a zone-blocking team, as we've seen, is that you tend to struggle in short yardage situations, and the Texans really struggle with them.

i. I got called "ignorant" once by our dear friend/Colts blogger BigBlueShoe for saying that Anthony Gonzalez was a below-average starter. I considered it an honor, because I am happy to disagree with anybody. (Evaluation is a function of what I see, not what anybody thinks they know, and by extension, that they think I should "know.") In any case, Gonzalez, who is from 3 towns west of where I live, is going to stuggle to get on the field when he gets healthy. Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon have done fantastic work this season, and they're both better players than Gonzalez. Collie is smooth in his routes, and fundamentally sound, and Garcon is fast and fluid. Gonzalez struggles to get off press coverage, and as Mike Shanahan once said, if you can't get off press coverage, you'll be selling cars before too long.

j. The Steelers defense looks extremely beatable lately, especially if you can pass protect. The Lions did a lot of good stuff offensively Sunday, and lost only because they couldn't contain James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. Trust me, they're not a terrible team team this season.

k. Josh Johnson looked like an NFL starting QB on Sunday, which is an accomplishment, for your second career start, against a defense like Philadelphia's. His stats were pedestrian (26-50, 240 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT with 5 carries for 40 yards), but he passed the eye test. His throws were mostly accurate and decisive, and he was victimized by quite a few drops, at least 6 or 7.

l. I haven't gotten a great look at Jason Peters yet this regular season, and I have been wanting to. Sunday's game didn't show me much, because Gaines Adams just looks clueless on the field. LDE Jimmy Wilkerson got 3 sacks for the Buccaneers, and lazy analysis would lead me to criticize RT Winston Justice, who I am typically not a big fan of. Thing is, I looked at the plays, and none were particularly bad plays by Justice. One was an overload, where the RG picked up Wilkerson, and on the other two, Donovan McNabb rolled into a decently-blocked Wilkerson.

m. ST&NO favorite Channing Crowder had a fantastic game on Monday Night, and really backed up his smack talk from the spring with Rex Ryan. Another ST&NO favorite, Sean Smith, did not have a particularly great game. He struggled a little with Braylon Edwards, and while he didn't embarass himself, he has looked a lot better in other games. He was still the best CB the Dolphins had, as Vontae Davis and Will Allen both struggled worse.

n. I called this just last Tuesday with Edwards. He got out of Cleveland, and he's going to flourish in New York. He always thought of Cleveland as a non-cosmopolitan place, even to a greater extent than what is really true. (It's medium in its cosmopolitan-ness; well behind the major cities, but well ahead of a place like Jacksonville.) Edwards also felt like Ohio fans secretly hated him because he is a Michigan guy. The enmity between OSU and Michigan people is pretty real, for Big 10 country anyway, but Clevelanders are almost universally Browns fans before they're OSU fans. It's an NFL town, first, no question about it. If Edwards did well for the Browns, he'd have gotten plenty of love here.

My read on Edwards' personality, from living in the same town, is that the fact that he comes from a fairly affluent, two-parent, suburban background works against his ability to be a great player. He knows he has options outside of football. Poor kids need football, and many dedicate themselves fully to it, but I don't think Edwards has ever felt like he needs it. (For an example, there's the famous story of him asking Will Demps how to get into modeling and acting, between plays, during a game with the Texans).

I expect that Edwards will be very good for the Jets, and get himself a good contract extension after this season. New York is the town he wants to be in, and at his best, he can be like Tiki Barber, a guy who is interested in a lot of other stuff, but finally focuses pretty well on football, and has some good years under some tough coaching. Just don't be the person who believes the nonsense about him being a bad player, because he is not one.

n. The Dolphins offensive line is really one-dimensional, because their Tackles, Jake Long and Vernon Carey, severely lack foot quickness. Both guys can really move defenders off the ball in the running game, though. I am a big fan of Justin Smiley at LG; he's a mauler. The Dolphins do well in their wildcat stuff, but I think they should play more with their QB under center, to generate opportunities in the play-action game. It's the only way their QB will ever be able to consistently take a very deep dropback, unless they want to max-protect with a limited pattern.

o. Wow.... two successful fake punts in one first half by the Jets. I don't know if I have ever seen that before. Brad Smith was almost stopped on the second one, but he managed to get away from the tackle.

p. Chad Henne has looked much better than I thought he could play the last two weeks, but I am not sold on some things. For one thing, since when do QBs have lousy, jail-house looking tattoos, or any tattoos at all? It's like when an enlisted guy in the military becomes an officer, and suddenly looks a little different, sporting a bunch of ink. (My buddy who is getting married in Dallas in about 2 weeks is actually one of these.) Anyway, it's weird to see a QB with that going on. As a player, he looked really good, though.

q. Ted Ginn put a pretty humbling move on Darrelle Revis in the 4th quarter Monday Night. When you hear scouts talk about suddenness, Ginn is not a guy who really has it, as opposed to somebody like Percy Harvin, who does. Ginn does, however, have world-class speed once he gets going, and he ran by the outstanding Revis for a go-ahead TD.

r. I usually ignore MNF while I write the bulk of ST&NO on Monday nights, but this Dolphins-Jets game was terrific. Both of these teams are playoff-caliber teams, and only one of them will probably make it.

s. The Packers had a bye week, and signed Mark Tauscher, which was smart. I think he is below-average, (and so is Chad Clifton), but they are a damnsight better than Daryn Colledge and Allen Barbre. If Aaron Rodgers can get sacked only 3-4 times per game, as opposed to 8-9, the Packers would have a better chance to beat good teams. Rodgers does tend to hold the ball too long at times, and I am sure the Packers are working with him on that, as well.

t. There were a lot of lousy games this weekend, which weren't particularly relevant to anything. I didn't bother with them. (That means you, Buffalo-Cleveland and Washington-Carolina.)

4. Between The Lines - Patriots at Broncos

a. The Patriots pass-protected very well in this game, much better than I expected them to. Matt Light and Nick Kaczur really held their own against Elvis Dumervil, Robert Ayers, and others. The Broncos mostly tried to play coverage, and generally didn't blitz a lot, but the Patriots handled their 3- and 4-man rushes virtually every time. Once Light was injured, and replaced by Sebastian Vollmer, I felt like the Patriots expressly didn't want to have him singled up on anybody, and they got more conservative with their protection calls. Of course, on the key play where Vonnie Holliday sacked and stripped Brady, and Dumervil recovered, that was only a 4-man rush, and Vollmer was the victim. The Patriots won this battle on volume, but he Broncos got the biggest play.

b. The Broncos also were outstanding in protection. Orton was never significantly pressured during the game, and the two sacks he took were both coverage sacks, delivered by LBs Rob Ninkovich and Tully Banta-Cain. Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris were outstanding as usual. Although Clady did have Banta-Cain on his sack, it's hard to call the play Ryan's fault. Pressure up the middle forced Orton to step backwards, into the area where Clady had ridden Banta-Cain. Sometimes you take a hit for doing your job right. The interior was strong in protection too, especially Chris Kuper. He does a great job anchoring against power rushers. The Broncos were terrific in this area, and won it going away.

c. The Patriots seemed to want to run the ball at Ryan McBean and Mario Haggan, and had a bit of success at it early with Sammy Morris. After that, they seemed to get away from that plan, only running much from shotgun looks. The Broncos defensive line was up to the task, consistently holding the line of scrimmage, as they have in all five games. Noteworthy performances were turned in by Ronald Fields, Le Kevin Smith, and Kenny Peterson, in addition to McBean. These big guys just continue to hold up. Logan Mankins was tough for the Patriots, and Dan Koppen was steady and crafty. Kaczur had a couple nice early blocks on the opening possession too. This battle was pretty even, in the final analysis.

d. Vince Wilfork was the best all-around player on the field on Sunday, and he couldn't be blocked. If the Patriots don't pay him, I'll be shocked, but there are actually rumblings that they may not. The rest of the Patriots defensive line got pushed around in the running game. The Broncos blockers were terrific in opening up holes for Knowshon Moreno and LaMont Jordan. Clady, Harris, and Kuper were especially noteworthy for their efforts in the running game. Wilfork did make a key stop on third-and-short, and blew up Hamilton on the play. Moreno's 4.2 yard average was a lot better than teams usually get from the Patriots. This is a win for the Broncos.

e. Remember a year ago, when the Patriots physically dominated the Broncos on both lines? That did not happen Sunday. The matchup was pretty even, with a slight edge going to the Broncos. This was very important to the final outcome of the game, as always.

(I am scrapping the BTL feature for another game. I am pretty overloaded lately, and I need to save the 90 minutes per week. It seemed like the best place to cut from. Sorry for anybody who will miss it.)

5. Weird comment from Pat Kirwan on NFL.com:

5. Things I didn't like

When the visiting Patriots lost the coin toss in overtime and the Broncos drove the field and kicked a winning field goal, it left me wanting more than that to decide a winner. Wouldn't it have been great if, after Denver's field goal, Tom Brady had one drive to score a touchdown?

Is Kirwan saying that Brady should get even more special treatment, because he's Brady, or is he saying that the NFL should allow both teams to get the ball at least once in overtime, as a rule for all teams? I typically like Kirwan's work, but this has me pretty confused.

And for the record, I don't think it would have been great if Brady had one drive to score a touchdown. To me, moving down the field after winning the toss, and kicking a winning FG is legitimate. I also think the Broncos play-calling would have been a bit different, once Knowshon Moreno got them inside the 30, if they felt like they really needed to play for a TD.

6. Big up Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post, for reminding us, via Twitter, of somebody who hasn't come forth with their mea culpa yet. I'm looking at you, Rick Reilly, purveyor of puff pieces.

Actually, Reilly's words were more mean-spirited than anybody's, so he really owes Josh McDaniels an apology.

@DenverBroncos : Deadspin compiles all the not-so-nice things Rick Reilly wrote about McDaniels last spring. Pretty interesting. http://deadspin.com/5379838/delighting-in-rick-reillys-massively-wrong-broncos-predictions

I don't normally read Deadspin, but nice work by Tommy Creggs here. Some interesting reminders:

Reilly on April 3rd: "And none of it would've happened without McDaniels' ham-handed style and his Macy's-balloon ego. I have a buddy who honestly believes McDaniels thinks this is fantasy football; that Pat Bowlen gave him a whole team to play with and screw over in his own image and what the hell, if his moves don't work out, his league has a special "mulligan" rule and he can start over. Only there's no "oops" rule in the NFL. Years from now, the Cutler Catastrophe will go down as the dumbest thing in Boy Blunder's very short coaching career. By then, perhaps he will be your waiter at Olive Garden."

That was right after the Cutler trade. Nice, huh? Try this one out:

Reilly on April 29th: "To repeat: Boy Blunder used a [first-round pick] to take a second. And if the Broncos are going to be as lame as I think they're going to be-4-12 perhaps-that first-round pick will be very high. McDaniels is the worst combination of things: Terribly naïve and doubly confident. Bronco fans, you're screwed."

And one more pearl;

Reilly on September 29th: "You can't just bolt your team because you think it's going to suck. (Which the Broncos are. There is no debating that. They are going to lose more than France. Just because you worked under Bill Belichick and you wear your sweatshirt like Bill Belichick does not mean you are Bill Belichick.)"

I would have been glad to debate Reilly on September 29th, or any other day. And if Josh McDaniels was my waiter at Olive Garden, I'd tip him pretty well, because I tip well, and because I bet the service would be outstanding.

I mean, like they say on ESPN, C'mon Man! This drivel was worse than what came from any of the serious-ish reporters, right? Your garden-variety John Clayton, Peter King, or Don Banks were smug and disconnected from reality, but it wasn't personal. With Reilly, this was clearly PERSONAL. Where are you at, Rick? Being a Denver guy, I suspect you'll see this, or at least hear about it, from somebody who does. Ted Bartlett from MileHighReport.com wants to know where you're at with this today, and is directly, publicly asking, on behalf of the thousands who realize how wrong you were, and think we have a great Head Coach.

Hell, if I find out that Chad Henne's tattoo is actually beautifully and tastefully done, and I had it all wrong, you can bet that I'll man up to it publicly. Same goes for anything I ever say, in all seriousness. Maybe accountability to readers is a blogger thing, I don't know.

7. Retired for John Elway

8. So, there's a hellaciously stupid line of thought that's circulating throughout the punditry (as always, meant negatively.) It seems that there are two kinds of people: those who dichotomize, and those who don't. The punditry tends to dichotomize, and there are two kinds of coaches right now. Hot Coordinators (including some retreads like Mike Nolan, Gregg Williams, and Mike Mularkey), and Super Bowl Winning Retreads. And lemme tell you, nobody wants a Retread. Why not? Because they're Retreads, stupid!

My favorite contrarian Andrew Perloff tells us so in his crack column Against The Grain: ("A weekly NFL column that heads in the opposite direction of your average pro football analysis." Just in case you were wondering....)

3. The NFL information men are hot on the trail of finding out where former Super Bowl-winning coaches like Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren and Bill Cowher will end up. But shouldn't we be asking ourselves if those coaches are the right hires for franchises like Washington, Dallas and Carolina? A retread coach with a ring is still just a retread. Duplicating that kind of success is still a longshot in the NFL. Some of the organization problems within those teams would cause just as big a headache for a proven winner.

Perloff has a point about the organization problems, but calling somebody a retread, and assuming that they suddenly can't coach is asinine. Analysts who don't know how to analyze always look for correlation, and assume causation, where there often is none.

Some teams, like the Redskins and Cowboys, will almost certainly make big-splash hires. Some, like the Bills and Jaguars, will be cost conscious, and probably hire a coordinator. Some, like the Panthers, could go either way. You can believe that whatever is deemed to be the trend du jour, (probably hiring coordinators), the other path will be criticized. Such is life with the dichotomizing punditry.

9. Another fun Ted Bartlett prognostication from the preseason:

The Broncos are going to have the best defense in the AFC West.

I guess I am just hot this year. :)

That's all I have for this week. Have a great Tuesday, and beyond, and we'll see you Saturday for Lighting Up The Scoreboard, even as I will be at Notre Dame this weekend for their game against USC. It will be my first time seeing Touchdown Jesus, so we'll see what that does for me as a guy who grew up Catholic. Maybe I will tweet from the game. Follow me at @TedBartlett905. Thanks for reading, and go Broncos!!!

Game Preview: San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers

John (obviousman) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:00:25 -0000

Time for the weekly enlightenment breakdown. In reality, this is one of those games where San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers fans alike should throw the stats out the window. These teams played two evenly-matched games last year that Pittsburgh won because they had that extra oomph. Their offensive line and running game gave them the advantage, and Roethlisberger made enough of those "Nobody can sack this guy!" plays to kill any Chargers comebacks.

With that in mind.....I like stats. The most important one to start with is weather. Sunday night's forecast is looking like it'll be around 45-50 degrees with clear skies. Exactly what the Bolts and their fans were hoping for. Now, lets take a look at the teams and see who will have the advantages for this game.

When the Steelers Have the Ball

If you were to ask me to rate the Chargers' defense thus far on a scale from Poor to Great, I'd probably say it was average. I'd be right. Out of 32 NFL teams, the boys in blue rank 14th in yards allowed and 19th in points allowed per game. In a rare twist from years past, it's actually the pass defense (8th) and now the run defense (26th) that is keeping the team competitive without the football. While this seems to play right into the Steelers' philosophy, Willie Parker will be slowed by a turf toe injury that could certainly benefit the Bolts this week.

Last season, with a healthy Jamal Williams at DT, Willie Parker ran for 261 on 52 carries (5.0 YPC) in two games against the Chargers. This season, without JW in the center of the line it could've been worse. However, after watching LT in 2008 we're all very familiar with the effects of turf toe on a running back. I'm not saying it'll be a piece of cake, but the chances of the Chargers forcing Pittsburgh to throw the ball to win the game are greatly increased by that injured toe.

Through the first three weeks of the season, Pittsburgh has the league's 12th best offense. Their rushing game, with Willie Parker, ranks 27th (it was ranked 23rd in 2008) and their passing game has had to try to carry the load (8th). Although Ben Roethlisberger has two Super Bowl victories under his belt, this is not a team that wants to get into an shootout through the air with anybody. Especially not against the Chargers. However, with teams stopping the run and being able to score on their defense late, the Steelers have fallen to 1-2. Their only victory came against the 0-3 Tennessee Titans, who are so anemic offensively that they only scored 10 points even after Roethlisberger threw 2 interceptions.

The game plan is simple. Stop the run, force Ben to pass. Whether he's throwing into a zone or throwing against man-defense with a decent pass-rush doesn't matter at this point. What matters is step one. Start at step one: Stop the Run. With an rushing offense ranked 27th and missing their best RB, that should seem easy. However, Pittsburgh's running game wasn't much better last year when Willie Parker turned into Walter Payton against the Bolts. It's important that they keep their focus, and it's important for Ogemdi Nwagbuo to not get pushed backwards.

Advantage: Chargers. I came close to saying tie, but I just can't see Parker being effective on Sunday night. Although Pittsburgh ranks 8th in terms of offensive yardage, they rank 25th in terms of offensive points scored per game. Nobody on the team not named Ben Roethlisberger has a rushing TD yet. Santonio Holmes has disappeared since his big game against the Tennessee Titans on opening night. This is a sputtering offense that seems to be heading backwards while the Chargers defense looks to me to be improving. Most importantly, the Chargers' weakness (rush defense) is also the Steelers' weakness (they can't run). Roethlisberger will be forced to throw against Quentin Jammer, Antonio Cromartie, Antoine Cason and Eric Weddle, which presents lots of opportunities for turnovers and puts the Chargers biggest strength in charge of determining the game's outcome. I can live with that.

When the Chargers Have the Ball

Pittsburgh's 2009 team is not too different from their 2008 team. The roster and coaching staff is generally left in tact. The difference is that the defense, without Troy Polamalu or much of a pass rush (14th in sacks), has not been able to carry them to victory. Currently they rank 8th in total defensive yards given up (25th in points allowed per game), 15th against the pass and 6th at stopping the run. Weakness (inability to stop the pass), meet strength (Philip Rivers).

The Chargers' offense is ranked 8th overall after the first 3 weeks of the season, ranked 2nd in throwing the ball and 31st in running it. Yes, Bolts fans, the Chargers running game is only slightly better than the 32nd ranked Arizona Cardinals. However, those Cardinals are the NFC Champions and did come one amazing Santonio Holmes TD catch away from winning the Super Bowl in 2008. So that's promising I suppose.

Advantage: Chargers. First, the bad news. This is still drawing parallels to the 2008 Steelers team that went 2-0 against the Chargers in Pittsburgh. Those Steelers ranked 17th against the pass and 20th in points allowed per game. The good news is that they will be missing the big playmaker that always seemed to end the comeback drive (Polamalu). Since Troy has gone down, the Steelers have lost to Jay Cutler and Carson Palmer. You know Philip Rivers wants to be on that list of QBs to have recently knocked off the Super Bowl Champions.

I don't think William Gay and Deshea Townsend (both 5'10") are going to be able to cover Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee. I don't think the Steelers have one guy who can cover Antonio Gates and another guy to cover LaDainian Tomlinson and/or Darren Sproles. If the offensive line can keep the Pittsburgh pass-rush in check, this should be another great day for Rivers.

Final Analysis

Here's where things are going to get gloomy again. The Pittsburgh Steelers went 8-2 at home in 2008. Their stadium sells out years in advance and their fanbase is one of the most dedicated in football. They have a supreme home field advantage. Although their 2009 record is 1-2, they're still undefeated (1-0) at home. Even more shocking is that the Chargers have played against the Steelers in Pittsburgh 16 times in the last 40 years or so, and have never won a regular season game there. The Bolts are 0-13 when playing in the Steel City during the season, 2-14 all time (HT: Derwood13). Not only will the Chargers have to overcome the Steelers' team (which looks entirely possible), they have to overcome the crowd (not as easy).

For me, this game rests on the shoulders of Marcus McNeill. Although I criticized him last week, I was told his flu was quite severe and that he lost a lot of weight during the week leading up to the game. If he's healthy again, and can handle James Harrison, I feel like the Chargers cannot lose. If Harrison is causing all sorts of problems for Rivers, it's going to be hard to move the ball downfield and Norv will have to rely on the big passing plays again (always a risky gameplan).