SB Nation - Chris Kemoeatu

Vikings (6-0) @ Steelers (4-2) - Key Matchup #2 - Kevin Williams vs. Steelers Interior O-Line

Blitzburgh — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:42:30 -0000

What an exciting weekend of football ahead of fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings. Two of the NFL's most historic and storied franchises squaring off in an October showdown of teams with Super Bowl aspirations. I'm going to leave much of my analysis of the game for a bit later in the week, but I wanted to begin by laying out what some of the key matchups will be on both sides of the ball. From there, you all (and hopefully Vikings fans as well) jump in and lend your take(s). There's plenty of top shelf matchups in this one - both one-on-one as well as unit-against-unit.

We first looked at Jared Allen vs. Max Starks.

Let's now move on to another pivotal matchup - defensive tackle Kevin Williams vs. the interior offensive linemen of the Steelers (Chris Kemoeatu, Justin Hartwig, Trai Essex). Defensive end Jared Allen gets all the publicity for his sacks and entertaining personality, but it's really Kevin Williams (and to a lesser extent Pat these days) that do much of the heavy lifting for Minnesota's defense clogging up running lanes and collapsing the pocket up the middle so that Allen can do his thing on the perimeter. Collectively, they make one heckuva front-four.

There's more.

Kevin Williams vs. The Steelers Interior O-Line

Why highlight both guards and the center when talking about Kevin Williams? Well, as one of the two DTs in Minnesota's 4-3 defense, he might find himself lined up over all of them by game's end. Justin Hartwig will have to have an outstanding game helping both Essex and Kemoeatu at various stages in the game. And when he does help out on whichever side K. Williams is shaded to, the guard on the other side will have to rise up to the challenge against Pat Williams, the other imposing tackle for Minnesota.

The Willaims beasts in the middle (630 pounds between the two) are as good a run-stopping duo in all of football. Since 2005 when Pat left the Buffalo Bills via free agency to sign an incredibly lucrative free agent deal with the Vikings in 2005, Vikings have consistently been next to impossible to run the ball against. After finishing 2005 with the 19th ranked rush defense, the Vikings have led the league in fewest rushing yards allowed each of the past three years.

At 29 years of age, I don't think there's any debating that Kevin is the better of the two at this point. Pat is 36 on and on the downhill side of an extremely durable, productive and long career. But he's still good enough to give an offensive line like Pittsburgh's problems potentially. It certainly helps that this one will be at Heinz Field rather than in the deafening indoor Metro Dome. I also think that Pittsburgh's big eaters up front are playing with a lot of confidence right now. I try not to quantify phantom things like momentum and confidence too often, but I will here because I think it's imperative for an offensive line to be confident - at least mentally confident that they know the assignments of each and every position along the line. It's a lot easier to hold your own down there I'd imagine if you're at least not wasting precious time and focus thinking about your assignments.

Will the Steelers be able to get the run game going against the formidable duo in the middle? It's possible, if only because the Vikings might game plan predominantly for the Steelers passing attack while hoping/assuming that the Williamses will be able to clog running lanes well enough on their own. Perhaps more importantly, the interior of the Steelers offensive line must hold up in the passing game. The Steelers have struggled the most when the pocket has collapsed up the middle (think Tennessee and Philly games last year). And they've not generally been great against 4-3 defenses featuring two forces at defensive tackle. Will they be up to the challenge on Sunday of taking on one of the game's very best defensive duos in the trenches? We will see. Can't wait!

Go Steelers!

Poll

Pittsburgh will have ____ 100 yards of rushing on Sunday (Roethlisberger's total included).

Less than

1106 votes

More than

1175 votes

2281 votes | Poll has closed

Would the Pittsburgh Steelers benefit from cutting Stefan Logan?

Blitzburgh — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:00:21 -0000

I know this is a subject that many of us disagree on, so I write this somewhat hesitantly. But I personally think the Pittsburgh Steelers would be better off cutting Stefan Logan. Or at least deactivating him for a few weeks. I'll offer up five reasons why I think that, and would then love to hear your thoughts about the subject.

Let's leave aside the fact that Logan had a costly miscue in last Sunday's game against the Chargers. For the record, I too think it was bogus that he wasn't whistled down. But when you keep churning your legs and aren't being pushed backwards, that call is in play. Anyway, irregardless of that gaffe, I still think the Steelers could get near the same, if not more, production from Santonio Holmes as a punt returner. Remember, Holmes' punt returns in the Dallas game and the playoff game against San Diego were huge, huge plays that propelled the team to victory. Logan has been impressive. He's been much better than what we've been accustomed to, and I agree, it's probably only a matter of time before he broke one for a touchdown. Still, he hasn't made an immediate impact as a punt returner through the first quarter of the season. And we know there's at least one option with big-play potential for when we need a spark from special teams (Holmes), and a trustworthy returner to make clean fair catches when the situation doesn't merit taking any unnecessary chances (M. Moore).
What about kick returns? Logan also been very solid returning kicks. He's averaging a healthy 26.8 yards per return, good for 8th in the league for returners with at least 6 returns. That's nothing to sneeze at, but say we downgraded to only 20 or 22 yards per return - with the way this offense is humming, I'm not sure that's a devastating downgrade. Here's where I'd like to see Joe Burnett factor in. The rookie cornerback from Central Florida was a 1st Team All American as a kick and punt returner last year. I think he has a knack for finding small crevices and making guys miss in open space. I see returning as more of an art than merely requiring blazing speed. Why would 49ers and one-time Steelers return man Allen Rossum still be able to rip off touchdowns at the age of 34? I've noticed Burnett playing on other special teams units. He hasn't been noticeably great or terrible, but if he's earned the right to see the field at all, my vote would be to let him have his crack at returning.
Roster spots. Here's one example of how the roster spot could be used a bit more effectively, perhaps. Chris Kemoeatu, who arguably had his best game as a professional last Sunday, has been limited in practice this week with an ankle injury. Might it make sense to activate Kraig Urbik this week as insurance? Or how about another example? What about some new, fresh blood on defense? Not sure who that candidate might be, but again, that's an area where I think more value could be added.
As for Logan's potential use in offensive packages - like for example, the play we looked at where the Steelers were in a four-bunch set with Logan remaining at the line of scrimmage as an outlet option. Well, his speed and shiftyness in open space is intriguing. But we already have one speedster that's been wowing us so far through the first four games of his rookie year. That'd be Mike Wallace, and I'd vote for finding ways to get him even more involved rather than trying to force a look or two to Logan each week.
Finally, I'd argue that it's more important that we work Limas Sweed in to the rotation and give him a few more chances to see if he can overcome his jitters sooner rather than later. On a similar note, if the team would like extra insurance at wide receiver, it'd be easier to keep six wide receivers active and get McDonald activated if Logan's spot was free.

Just a few thoughts from me on the subject. Yours?

Steelers Rookies Seeing Significant Playing Time

Blitzburgh — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:00:39 -0000

I just wanted to throw this discussion starter out there to see what some of you guys thought - are the Steelers making more little mistakes early on in the 2009 season because they are working in a high volume of rookies compared to in years past? It's fairly well documented that rookies don't often see the field much during their first season in Pittsburgh. There have been exceptions, for sure, but for the most part, players are forced to learn the ropes for a year or two behind more seasoned, veteran players before getting their first real crack at making an impact for the Black 'n Gold.

Take last season, for example. The 2008 Rookie of the Year for Pittsburgh was reserve linebacker and special teams contributor, Patrick Bailey, an undrafted free agent rookie out of Duke. Donovan Woods (also undrafted) saw the field sparingly; so did Bruce Davis, the team's 3rd round pick. Other than that though, there was very little playing time for any of Pittsburgh's 1st year players last year.

What about in 2005, the other recent year Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl? The Steelers were introduced the services of Heath Miller that year, and he played quite a bit and fairly well. There was also rookie cornerback Bryant McFadden, who was also forced in to action later in the year due to injuries. Outside of those two, the Steelers other crop of rookies didn't play too much. Trai Essex was used sparingly; same with Chris Kemoeatu and Nate Washington. Undrafted free agent Andre Frazier made a few plays on special teams, and rookie long snapper Greg Warren saw playing time. That's about it though.

This year, the Steelers are incorporating quite a few first year players in to the fold. And they're doing so with mixed results I'd say. 1st round pick Ziggy Hood has played very little, but has appeared in all three games. The team's two 3rd round picks - Mike Wallace and Keenan Lewis - have also played early on. Wallace of course has been largely spectacular through three games. He caught 7 passes for 102 yards in Sunday's loss and now has 12 catches on the year, and at least 2 in each of his first three professional games. Despite his outstanding play, he's nevertheless made a few rookie mistakes the past two weeks. The most notable one came last week when he didn't stay in bounds late in the 4th quarter when the Steelers were on the move and trying to set up a potential Jeff Reed game-winning FG. By not staying in bounds, the Steelers left enough time on the clock for Jay Cutler to engineer a game-winning drive of his own following Reed's second costly miss. Wallace looks like he's going to be a player, but he can still help the Steelers chances of winning by eliminating some of the small, mental mistakes that players tend to outgrow as their careers progress.

Then there's Joe Burnett, who muffed his way out of a more prominent role on special teams during the preseason. By doing so, he opened up the door for Stefan Logan to win the return duties. That's all fine and well, and congratulations to Logan for seizing the opportunity and performing fairly well so far, but giving up a roster spot for a return specialist perhaps also has repercussions that aren't necessarily visible or easy to identify just yet.

Then there's Frank Summers, who also was seeing the field frequently before sitting this past Sunday's game out. Summers has shown promise on special teams and he's got every opportunity in the world to learn the nuances of being a professional fullback. But for now, he's missing assignments and not really making his big, bruising frame work for him or the running game.

Again, I'm not really pointing to specific plays or instances where the 2009 Steelers rookie class has cost the team. I'm just making a general point that the team is working in far more young bodies than we are accustomed to. This will pay dividends for the organization down the road, and perhaps even for this team later on in the 2009 season. There will be more growing pains though I'd guess before things really all start to come together for this particular squad. That's part of the process and the reality of life in the National Football League. As fans, we must be both excited about all the fresh talent in the pipeline while also remaining realistic about the growing curve that these young players must face and overcome before consistently contributing to a ballclub with championship aspirations.

Thoughts?

Pregame Zone Blitz: Steelers at Bengals

ncoolong — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:27:08 -0000

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

Browse more photos »

Still smarting from a tough road loss, the Steelers regroup, but find themselves in a strange situation. Yes, the Bengals are a viable team, with a viable defense. I watched their first two games, and they actually don't look like the old Bengals; ya know, the ones where we gave them credit, because at least they didn't spike themselves?

That's not the last "Major League" reference in this week's PZB, and we've also got face-plants, stories of resurgence and a whole lot of "Swaggin'."

Here's what our opponents are saying.

Opponent Web Sites/Forums

This week's plea from home fans not to sell tickets to Steelers fans.

Fans on Bengals Zone Message Board are feeling some confidence from Joe Theismann's prediction of a Cincinnati win.

Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Daugherty says the Bengals need to bully the Steelers.

Steelers WR Hines Ward would do it again, says the Associated Press via the Dayton News.

It's funny how a 1-1 start makes Ohio-based media proclaim bold statements - a Bengals win, a 10-6 season and a playoff berth.

Last Game

The thin margin between success and failure in the NFL is a pain. Pittsburgh, with a 17-14 loss at Chicago, has gone from Super Bowl champions and odds-on favorites to repeat, to a game behind rival Baltimore facing a must-win game at upstart Cincinnati in just two weeks.

In this case, that margin is defined by a few feet to the left of the left upright at Soldier Field.

Damn, Skippy.

K Jeff "Skippy" Reed hasn't earned exile treatment; he's been steady and reliable his whole career. But he really isn't helping things, either. If the Steelers go up by two-possessions of points, the Bears would have had a real difficult time climbing back into that game. Give them credit, they wagered all their chips on the idea of controlling the ball with a short, rhythm passing game, not allowing Pittsburgh's monster pass rushers to get a hold of QB Jay Cutler (note to fans: get ready for a lot more of that strategy). Chicago figured they could get enough out of their defense to keep it close, then, with precision and a little luck, they could pull it out at the end.

It worked, and Pittsburgh is forced to continue an 8-game winning streak at Paul Brown Stadium to keep pace with the charging Ravens (and Bengals) in the AFC North.

Opponent Spotlight: DE Antwan Odom

What? Cincinnati has a pass rusher?

Seriously, Odom, likely September's Defensive Player of the Month, has racked up seven sacks in the team's first two games, a last-second loss to Denver and a big road win over Green Bay.

Five of those seven sacks came at the hands of Green Bay last week, but despite his performance, the Bengals needed every last defensive play to get past a streaky Packers team. For Cincinnati, heading into Week 3, Odom represents something the franchise hasn't had in God-only-knows-when; hope on defense.

The question then becomes (well, the question after "the NFL has a drug-testing policy, right?") how much of an impact can Odom have, now that he'll be a focus of the protection scheme? With all due respect to him, the Packers have struggled mightily in pass protection through two games. It's tough to sweep aside a stat like five sacks in one game, but unless the player's name is Harrison, or Allen or Umeniyora, it's tough to take an eye off that player's opponent.

The more revealing picture I gleaned from watching the Bengals' gutty win over the Packers was how many of those sacks should be at least half-attributed to a much-improved secondary. It's always seemed former first-round picks Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall played well - against everyone but Pittsburgh. The addition of the leaner, sleeker Roy Williams at safety has given Cincinnati a well-balanced coverage defensive backfield, and one that makes it a bit easier on the front seven to get to the passer.

With that being said, Odom did wreak enough havoc against Denver suggesting this really is a combination of outstanding efforts from all three positional units on Cincinnati's defense.

I know, weird to hear, right?

Steelers Spotlight: CB Ike Taylor

Just a random guess...the coaching staff of the Bengals peeked at the film from the Bears victory over the Steelers last week. In that, they're going to see a few mismatch opportunities if they are able to spread Pittsburgh's secondary out. With a group of talented receivers, lead by the moronic Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati is going to try to employ as much 4-WR sets as possible, in the hopes of isolating either Ochocinco or WR Chris Henry on one of Pittsburgh's smaller safeties.

The spotlight falls on the veteran Taylor (Swaggin') for the sake of his ability to lock down Ochocinco over the years (and mix it up with Henry). The Steelers can't hide a weakness in 1-on-1 coverage because they have to play both of their back-up safeties in some specialty packages. But Taylor can be counted on to take out the opponent's most athletic receiver (Ochocinco), and perhaps be able to use more of what Tyrone Carter and Ryan Clark excel in - a Cover 2 look.

Ochocinco's frustrations are usually pretty obvious by the second half, if the ball isn't going in his direction. Using his own fatal flaw against him is something Taylor's been doing for several years now. The Chad Johnson version of Ochocinco has scored once against the Steelers in their previous six meetings, dating back to 2006. He was also at the mercy of a few beatings by Pittsburgh's secondary over the years. Or, maybe he just bounces his face off the turf.

He's carrying something of a hot hand going into Week 3, having snared nine catches for 180 yards and a touchdown in Cincinnati's first two games this year. Look for the Bengals to pass and run out of 3 and 4 WR sets. Taylor will have to do what he can to make up for a team disadvantage in those situations.

I See You

I see you, Chris Kemoeatu. The Bears saw you, too, usually in a "there's a freight truck bearing down on me, and there's nothing I can do" kind of way. Your crushing hits on the unfortunate defender in the hole during the second half last week sparked hope in a dimming light of a run game, and you did it so consistently well, it inspired the offense. It inspired your offensive coordinator to continue to call 22-Blast over and over. Pulling from your left guard position, your assignment is simple; destroy the linebacker or safety, and knock him out of the play. Effort, technique and confidence fixes more problems than anything, and because of your ability to show those characteristics, the Steelers can say, again, they have a bread-and-butter running play.

Key Stats

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is 11-1 against the AFC North since 2007 - the only loss being a Week 17 throwaway against Baltimore in 2007.
Since 2007, the Steelers are 7-2 in games following a loss
Since 2005, the Steelers are 7-3 in games without SS Troy Polamalu
Cincinnati has not recorded a sack against Pittsburgh in three straight meetings

Quick Hitters

"Shut up, Dorn. Save all that energy for the field" If this story doesn't show the complete level of dysfunction currently engulfing the Cleveland Browns, nothing will. It seems more fit for another show of Cleveland's joke status, the movie "Major League," when third-baseman Roger Dorn taped a red tag on rookie Ricky Vaughn's locker, indicating Vaughn had been cut. Vaughn tackled Dorn, and engaged in a yelling match highlighted by the most F-bombs dropped since "Scarface." In the Browns' case, perhaps the most telling sign was WR Braylon Edwards yelling "Welcome to the Browns locker room!" with the media present. That's a shocking sign of intentional disrespect, and one guaranteed to get Edwards jettisoned out of town next season, if not earlier.

In the end, though, doesn't the mug shot of Francies look like a character drawing from "The Simpsons?" Sort of like Apu Meets Tyra Banks?

Top Ten Regular Season Games of Ben Roethlisberger's Career: #9 - Week 16, 2007 - Pittsburgh 41, St. Louis 24

Blitzburgh — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:07:21 -0000

We continue our look back at the ten best regular season games of Ben Roethlisberger's career by going back to the second to last week of the season in 2007, Mike Tomlin's first year coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers were 9-5 heading in to the Thursday night road contest against the punchless Rams. The Steelers could not clinch a playoff berth that evening, but only because they were playing on Thursday and the rest of the league would not be taking the field until the following weekend (or Monday). Nevertheless, the game was extremely important for Big Ben and the team collectively.

Firstly, it was the evening that Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk's number would be retired and the home crowd in St. Louis was amped up, despite their Rams sporting just a 3-11 record heading in to the contest. Pittsburgh was also coming off consecutive losses and the surprising Cleveland Browns had tied them atop the AFC North at 9-5 heading in to that week's action. Big Ben had not thrown an intereception in two weeks, but he had also not played very well against either New England or Jacksonville - particularly in the second half of the Pats game and for most all of the Jags game before leading a late charge that proved to be too little too late. Let's see how Big Ben and the Steelers responded in what I believe was the #9 regular season game of his career.

2007 Week 16: Pittsburgh 42 - St. Louis 24

Ben Roethlisberger's statistics: 16 of 20 (80%), 261 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 158.3 QB Rating

As you likely noticed, this game was the second game in 2007 that Roethlisberger posted a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 (the other time being against the Ravens on Monday Night Football). He got things going early and often, hitting Santonio Holmes for an 83 yard pitch and catch on the offense's first snap of the game. For those who questions Ben's ability to throw the deep ball, I'd say go back through some of the tape of his career and it's quite obvious that he's been far more successful than futile at throwing deep.

On the game's next play, Willie Parker would be lost for the season with a gruesome leg injury. Parker was leading the NFL in rushing yards heading in to that week, and considering what Najeh Dookie Davenport did that night against the hapless Rams defense, it's not unfair to assert that Parker could have won a rushing crown that year with a huge game. Anyway, seveeral short plays later, Big Ben found Nate Washington for a 17-yard touchdown on a flag pattern that was atrociously defended. A very nice throw nevertheless from Big Ben.

The Rams would counter with a 6 play 59 yard scoring drive of their own to level it at 7-7. Roethlisberger and the Steelers would then march all the way down to the St. Louis 4 yard line before having to settle for a Jeff Reed field goal. Big Ben was sacked twice on the drive, but he was able to convert a huge 3rd-and-18 by finding Hines Ward for 19 yards and a fresh set of downs.

Steelers fans officially got nervous when St. Louis proceeded to score another touchdown on their next drive. For the second conseucitve kickoff and for who knows how many times for the course of the entire year, Pittsburgh's special teams let them down, as the Rams took the kickoff near or past midfield once more. Four plays later and the Rams had taken a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter.

Pittsburgh then regained the lead with yet another well thrown deep ball by Big Ben. The touchdown recipeint was again Nate Washington, who shook off some hand checking at the line of scrimmage to get a step on his defender.

Big Ben would do the rest, dropping the ball perfectly in to Washington's arms.

St Louis was called for pass interference on the play but no matter, touchdown Pittsburgh. 17-14. The Steelers then took command of the game before the half behind some strong running from Najeh Davenport and a fairly elementary but still impressive throw by Big Ben. Here we first see Ben getting flushed from the pocket, while Davenport begins to release from the backfield and in to his designed route.

It was a well designed play by Arians that saw all of Pittsburgh's pass catchers flood to the left side, leaving only Najeh leaking out to the right side of the field. Davenport had a step on his man but it required a precise throw that would hit not-so-fleet-of-foot Najeh in stride.

Perfect throw and Najeh was able to do the rest. 24-14 Pittsburgh.

The Steelers would then take a 14 point lead on their opening drive of the second half. Davenport again was key, but Ben was patient and precise on the series, completing all four of his pass attempts and hitting four different receivers in the process. Davenport would score from one yard out behind the lead block of Chris Kemoeatu and Pittsburgh again was up by two scores, 31-17.

Pittsburgh iced it with a 51 yard interception return for a score by Ike Taylor. Had the Steelers defense not been so sloppy that evening, the game would likely not have been nearly as close as it was. Big Ben and the Steelers racked up 425 yards of total offense despite being sacked four times for 34 lost yards. Three Steelers had receptions of 30+ yards (Washington, Holmes, Davenport) and Big Ben was 4-of-5 for 55 yards and 1 TD on 3rd down.

As we all know, it was not quite time for Mike Tomlin's squad to in 2007 but Week 16 was an important night for Pittsburgh just to have even made the playoffs. It was also a night where Big Ben continued to demonstrate that he was more than capable of taking the big play when it was presented to him while still being careful and patient with the football at other times.

For his perfect quarterback rating in a game that ultimately proved to be a playoff clinching win, Big Ben's 16-of-20 and 3 TD performance against the Rams in 2007 goes down as the 9th best regular season game in his already very accomplished young career.

#10) Pittsburgh 38 - New Orleans 31 (2006, Week 10)

ROTB Community Mock Draft: With the 32nd Overall Pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers Select...

Hawkwind — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:39:58 -0000

Tyson Jackson (DE), LSU

6'4", 296

How is this guy still on the board as the 1st round of the ROTB Mock Draft comes to a close? The physical DE out of LSU would have to be considered the Best Player Available at this point despite all the fine selections made earlier in the 1st Round.

In all actuality, it would be interesting if a scenario like this played out on Draft Day later this month. The common logic for the defending Super Bowl Champs heading into this draft is that they will select an Offensive Lineman with their 1st Round pick, and perhaps as with one of their other mid-round picks as well. The Steelers gave up an ungodly number of sacks for the 2nd year in a row (47 in '08, 46 in '07). So upgrading the unit that's in charge of protecting their $100+ million asset in Ben Roethlisberger is surely a priority at some point in this and in future years' drafts.

But by re-signing incumbent OL Max Starks and Chris Kemoeatu, the Steelers are still in position where they can draft the BPA if it's a no-brainer like this. It doesn't hurt that the DL is also an area worth addressing. All three starters in Pittsburgh's 3-4 - Brett Keisel, Casey Hampton, and Aaron Smith - are all over the age of 30. And in the case of Hampton and Keisel, both have expiring contracts at the end of the 2010 season. Getting an athletic, experienced and extremely physical DE like Jackson to work into the mix in 2009 and 2010 would let the Steelers feel a bit better about that area of need as they potentially seek to address the offensive line as well as the CB position in the immediate future.

Positives: Jackson's got the perfect size and bulk for a 3-4 defensive end. His long arms and excellent strength make him a solid run defender and an above average bull rusher. He's got a ton of experience against top flight competition and is a hard worker.

Negatives: Jackson doesn't have great timed speed and doesn't operate well in space. His motor is inconsistent at times and some scouts question his instincts. He's not much of a pass rush threat off the edge and won't ever rack up many sacks.

Many thanks to Blitzburgh for submitting this pick and supplying an excellent write-up. The Lions and Andrew602 are now on the clock with the Patriots and my wife on deck. If anyone needs to refresh their memory on the second round draft order, check here.

Resetting Free Agency; Bengals so far have been "blah", but we shouldn't judge yet

Kirkendall — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:41:22 -0000

We can be highly critical of many things that the Cincinnati Bengals do. Well, we are critical. In fact, it's almost taboo if you break the ranks and support something that they do. I guess that's part of being a modern Bengals fan; if you're not angry with the team, then you're not really a fan because of a misunderstanding of one's victimization. Furthermore, there's a trend where if the Bengals do one thing, then it's wrong; therefore the alternative, or opposite, must be the correct path.

In truth, no one has any reason to believe differently.

For the past few weeks, the Bengals were slammed for their use of the franchise tag. Specifically, people were angry that the Bengals tagged a place kicker, rather than T.J. Houshmandzadeh; a critical offensive component. The Bengals didn't think he should get the money he's asking for when negotiation a long-term deal; reportedly in the $10 million neighborhood. The irony is that no team jumped on Houshmandzadeh's supposed asking price, allowing him only a confirmed visit with Seattle, an unconfirmed visit with Minnesota, and a pissed off Philadelphia franchise, prompting this writer to suggest that the Bengals might have a better chance to sign him. Also, ESPN Radio, 1050 in New York reported that Houshmandzadeh will be visiting the Giants -- not sure when.

What am I getting at? The Bengals refused to give Houshmandzadeh a $9.88 million franchise tag, allowing him to hit the free agency market. If they tagged him, and then tried to negotiate a long-term deal next season, the Bengals would be competing with other teams during a negotiation period in which the league would have no salary cap. This year would be the final year in which the Bengals could sign him to a long-term deal. So our guess is that the Bengals prevented the one-year contract attributed to the franchise tag, by allowing Houshmandzadeh to go, find out his market, and then compete once he was brought back to Earth so they're not negotiating during an uncapped season.

I'm totally speculating here. There's no known truths that this is their plan. Is this their strategy? Are they smart enough to manipulate events like this? It could come into reality if the Bengals actually do sign him.

Much of the issue that people are having is that the Bengals haven't appeared to address the offensive line in free agency. It's been 36 hours as of this writing, and we're pissed, right? While it is true, the Bengals haven't been front runners for any known free agents on the line, it's been pretty clear that the Bengals have locked up the idea of upgrading the unit through the draft; which in our opinion, is the appropriate course.

This became evident when the Bengals were mostly quiet with available free agent centers (a big need to address), starting with Jeff Saturday re-signing with the Colts. Many wanted Jason Brown, who wanted to milk the market to get the Ravens to match. The St. Louis Rams gave Brown a five-year deal worth $37.5 million with $20 million in guarantees. Matt Birk is available. Pete Prisco says to beware of Birk:

"If you doubt me, take a look at the Vikings-Eagles playoff game. Both Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson dominated Birk. He never blocked them. Birk no longer has the power to get people moved. He will be 33 this summer, which is also a risk. He's still a smart, heady player, but don't get caught up in the name here. This isn't the same Matt (Birk) that went to Pro Bowls."

Pat Kirwin breaks down centers, ranking them and listing Eric Ghiaciuc as the fifth best center. Seriously. Fifth best. Jake Grove is a high priority with the Raiders, however Melvin Fowler isn't expected to re-sign with Buffalo, who were also targeting Brown. What's odd about Kirwin's list is that Brown didn't break the top-five; yes, again, Ghiaciuc ahead of Brown. Therefore, we suggest that the likely plan with Cincinnati is to address center in the second round of the NFL Draft, for a price tag that's fractions of fractions compared to Brown's deal.

Why didn't they go after a tackle or guard? Pittsburgh Guard Chris Kemoeatu re-signed with the Steelers -- the deal is five years, worth up to $20 million and a $3.885 signing bonus. Seems reasonable, doesn't it? Mike Goff is still available, which should also tell you something. You could make a point that the Bengals could have at least entertained guys like Khalif Barnes, Mark Tauscher, Jonathan Stinchcomb, Derrick Dockery, however, I never believed that they were looking for starting linemen through free agency. The quick fix would make sense of course, but the Bengals view rebuilding the offensive line should be designed for long-term visions. Dating back to 2006, we've lost three starting linemen (Steinbach, Anderson, Braham) with a fourth on the way out (Jones). Patching the offensive line through free agency would cost too much. Devising a foundation of linemen through the draft enables the Bengals to develop a cohesive unit for several seasons without bankrupting Brown's accounts -- which you have to consider heavily if analyzing the Bengals.

In our view, the Bengals are right to let offensive line development fall back onto the NFL draft, while looking to fill gaps with veteran players, such as wide receivers, backup quarterbacks if not a running back or two. How their handling of the Houshmandzadeh sweepstakes is confusing, but if the above suggestion that they are manipulating events for him to return at a much lower cost than the tag, then it makes more sense; of course, he actually has to sign.

During the past week, the Bengals got their own without introducing a new player from free agency. Brandon Johnson and Rashad Jeanty are tendered as restricted free agents. They have until April 17 to sign their deals, waiting for other teams to potentially sign them away. Shayne Graham is franchised and returning no matter what. Darryl Blackstock verbally agreed to stick with Cincinnati for one more year and Chris Crocker signed a four-year deal on Friday (the only player signed this off-season to be here past 2009). We've lost Stacy Andrews and Ryan Fitzpatrick while the Bengals figure to be the front runners for running back Derrick Ward. Losing Andrews and Fitzpatrick hasn't broken any hearts and signing Ward would help solidify our running back position, assuming that Benson had no intention of returning.

In my conclusion, the Bengals first 36 hours during free agency has been "blah". But, it's been 36 hours, not days, nor weeks. Free agency will last for a long time, and there's the NFL Draft to still consider. It's too early to view the Bengals free agency period as a success or failure. However, we didn't expect them to go crazy during the first day, did we?

Poll

How do you view the Bengals off-season thus far?

Terrible. We haven't done anything

69 votes

Fine. I didn't expect much at this point

74 votes

Good. I didn't want to pay much for free agents

26 votes

No opinion. I'm only worried about the draft

11 votes

180 votes | Poll has closed

Evening Free Agency Update/Open Thread

Sean Yuille — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:45:52 -0000

On top of the news that the Lions have signed running back Maurice Morris, there are also some updates on other free agents that visited Allen Park today.

Wide receiver Nate Washington has already left Allen Park and did not come to a terms with the Lions. Washington's agent told Dave Birkett that the receiver is still interested in the Lions, but that's all we know right now. Washington is scheduled to visit other teams this weekend, so if I had to predict, I would say he ends up somewhere other than Detroit. That is just pure speculation, though.
Also reported by Dave Birkett is that offensive guard Derrick Dockery did not come to terms with the Lions. It isn't known if he has left the area yet, so I guess I will have to wait to make a judgment on this situation.
Tom Kowalski reports that the Lions have not contacted running back Derrick Ward. There were reports earlier today that the Lions were interested in Ward, but now that Morris has been signed this is really a moot point. The Lions have already found their #2 running back, so what happens with Ward doesn't really seem like it would be relevant to the Lions anymore.
Here is a brief list of some recent free agent signings:

QB Kerry Collins re-signed with the Titans
RBs J.J. Arrington and Correll Buckhalter signed with the Broncos
WR Jabar Gaffney also signed with the Broncos
OG Chris Kemoeatu re-signed with the Steelers
LB Jonathan Vilma reached an agreement with the Saints
CB Domonique Foxworth signed with the Ravens
S Chris Crocker re-signed with the Bengals
S Renaldo Hill signed with the Broncos
S Brian Dawkins also signed with the Broncos
The Chiefs traded an undisclosed draft pick to the Patriots for linebacker Mike Vrabel.
On an unrelated to free agency note, Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry wrote his latest diary entry for SI.com about the combine. He talked about various combine-related things and also briefly touched on his lunch with the Lions.

Kemoeatu reportedly receives offer from the Jets

ncoolong — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:05:39 -0000

At nearly the same time last season, the Steelers began preparation for life without All Pro guard Alan Faneca. A huge part of that plan was huge guard Chris Kemoeatu.

Now, according to Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News, Kemoeatu may be joining Faneca on the New York Jets. Per Cimini, Kemoeatu was offered a contract in the range of $4 million per year, but no length was provided.

Cimini must be certain he'll sign, he's already referring to him as "Kemo."

Washington to Detroit?

Per John Niyo of the Detroit News and Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider, Steelers WR Nate Washington will visit with Lions officials this weekend. Niyo speculates that Minnesota and Tampa Bay are two other potential suitors for Washington's services, and even goes as far as to say he could be the best young WR in this year's free agency crop.

Star Tribune writer Judd Zulgad confirms the Vikings are interested in Washington in his blog.

Steelers Advance To 7th Super Bowl In Franchise History: Notes From Championship Sunday Part 1

Blitzburgh — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:51:43 -0000

Some thoughts about the Pittsburgh Steelers' 23-14 victory over the rival Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on Sunday. The W completed the three-game sweep of the Ravens for Pittsburgh this year, which is a beautiful thing in and of itself. But more importantly, the win puts the Steelers just 60 minutes away from what would be an NFL record 6th Super Bowl triumph. After soaking in the thrilling victory with Steelers fans from across the globe immediately following the game, I began my recap coverage of the victory with a short shout out to Troy Polamalu, who I felt was the difference maker in the game above all others. Onward:

* Let's start with franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger. This exact moment is not the right time to look at Ben Roethlisberger's 2008 season as a whole - this week or next, and certainly this off season will be when we get there. But let's take a look at how Ben has performed since the 2 INT and 4 Fumble day against the Tennessee Titans in Week 15.

(FL = Fumbles Lost)

vs CLE / 12.28.08	Passing					Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD/INT/FL	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Ben Roethlisberger	9	14	64.3	110	0/1/0

vs SDC / 1.11.09	Passing					Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD/INT/FL	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Ben Roethlisberger	17	26	65.4	181	1/0/0

vs BAL / 1.18.09	Passing					Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD/INT/FL	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Ben Roethlisberger	16	33	48.5	255	1/0/0	2	-2	-1.0	0

Of the charts numbers? No, no. Good numbers, but nothing outstanding. Except in the most critical department - turnovers. Ben's making fantastic decisions with the ball right now and he seems to be as confident as ever sniffing out where to slide to in and out of the pocket to avoid would be pass rushers. More on Ben in a bit.

* Let's move on to the Offensive Line, a unit I thought played up to their ability for the most part. The reality of course is that the Ravens defense, particularly up front, outclasses our offensive line in terms of sheer physical ability. That means it's going to be tough sledding running the football just about every time these two bitter rivals (as currently constructed that is) lace it up. It also means that there's going to be some sacks - 4 of them in total in fact.

To me though, this unit played hard and close to up to their ability. They maybe would disagree with that, and the numbers surely aren't that impressive: less than 2 yards per carry and 3 sacks. But there were key moments when Ben had the time he needed to make the reads and throws he made. Let me put it this way - while the line has had many games in 2008 where they've had good moments at the least critical times and melted down when it mattered most, tonight they largely did the opposite. Againt Baltimore they had struggles matching up with the Ravens tenacious defense and unrelenting blitzing for much of the game, but didn't once stand in the way of the team's success by having a letdown in critical moments of the game.

There were very few momentum changing gaffes from them for example. In the wake of one of them, a 14 yard sack of Big Ben where he had next to no time to react, the line responded on the very next play by giving Ben Roethlisberger more time to throw than he had all day. Ben found Heath Miller for a 30 yard gain and the Steelers were in business again. The drive started at their own 20 yard line but ended with a huge FG from Jeff Reed that put the team back up by two scores, 16-7, early in the 3rd quarter.

* Speaking of Jeff Reed, we haven't had the opportunity to call his name recently.
Spikey was critical though Sunday in the Steelers victory. He was 3/3 on FG attempts and 1/1 on XPAs and make no mistake about it, the game could have had a totally different dynamic if he were not to have made any 1 of those 3 kicks. The most impressive one of course was the 3rd quarter FG I previously alluded to, a 46 yarder that had plenty of distance to spare. That FG capped an 11 play drive that ate up 5:29 seconds of game time. Big time game for our loveable FG kicker, who of course had to be 'that' guy and dye his hair blonde for the playoffs. No visual confirmation yet, but it's probably a safe bet to assume we're talking about just the tips of his spiked hair that get highlighted. Bro dog to the end :)

* Real quickly here but man oh man, this game was tight deep into the 4th quarter partly due to Limas Sweed's head scratchingly frustrating drop of a sure TD in the 2nd quarter, his second such gaffe on huge plays down the field in as many weeks.

I wish I had a shot of Mike Tomlin's reaction on the sideline. What was it? Nothing of note, the way it should be. I immediately think of Tom Coughlin when I think of emotional sideline outbursts. Coughlin can coach, there's no denying that. But there's also a certain way to handle fragile psyches - which Limas clearly has been dealing with - and then there's this:

Let's feel blessed we have the proper coach to make sure that guys like Limas Sweed, Lawrence Timmons, Rashard Mendenhall, Darnell Stapleton, and even guys like Santonio Holmes and Willie Colon, are keeping their head up and continually focused on process and competing rather than single play results. Tomlin's unique instincts in how to interact with his players and coach them up has already yielded tremendous results for a number of the team's younger players. It's ust a matter of time before Limas comes around as well. No doubt in my mind.

I'm glad we see little of this:

And instead lots of this:

* Another series of thoughts coming soon enough.