SB Nation - Mewelde Moore

GOT NUMBERS? Analyzing the Steelers vs. the Browns II

Ryan Kelsey — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:16:43 -0000

Can Josh Cribbs and the cold weather lead the Browns to an upset?(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

We hate the Steelers. No doubt about it. With a big upset, we could all-but-kill our nemesis' chances at defending their title. Is it possible? Amongst Browns fans, there is a general feel of optimism going into this game. It may be misplaced, but it is not completely without reason. Namely:

1.) They are struggling. They have lost 4 straight. Including games at home to the overrated Bengals and the terrible Raiders and on the road to the average Ravens and really horrible Chiefs. They've battled injuries on both sides of the ball, locker room divisions, and pressure from fans and media. And they haven't handled any of it well. Their defense is filled with questions and their offense isn't scoring. On the other hand, they have lost these four games by a combined 15 points, so maybe a little bad luck is in there

2.) We are playing offense. In two of the last three games, our offense has looked like it belongs in the NFL. Quinn is in the midst of his longest stretch as a starter and looks more and more competent and comfortable (um, 7 TD and 0 INT in the last 3 games?!).

3.) Variables. We are still the underdog (currently, we are 10 point underdogs- according to sportsbook.com). And underdogs need variables. Things like- a home game, on a very short week, at night, historical rivalry, in terribly cold (19, wind chill 0), windy (31 MPH + whatever extra off the lake) and wet (70% chance of snow) weather. Also, injuries. You know that the Browns have been ravaged by injuries, but the Steelers are struggling too. Troy Polamalu is out, William Gay and Hines Ward are questionable. And even though the Browns have a bunch of injuries, it has lead to some surprises and solid play from guys we don't have much information on. (e.g., Moore, Roth, Trusnik, Adams, Rubin)

~~I'll still go through some of the numbers, but not in as much detail as normal. Partially because I don't have as much time (damn short week) and partially because~~ I don't think these numbers mean much of anything given the above 3 factors.

As always, the numbers are all thanks to Football Outsiders.

When the Steelers have the ball

I was surprised to learn that the Steelers are currently ranked 9th in Offensive Efficiency by DVOA (17.3%). I was not surprised to learn that the Browns rank dead last in Defensive Efficiency (23.0%)- dropping two spots after the Chargers torched us for 30 points.

The Steelers are very good in the pass game (9th at 37.9% in DVOA) and very average in the run game (16th at 1.6%). The pass game is anchored by two of the least favorite Pittsburghers: my vote, Ohio's least favorite son, Ben Roethlisberger (9th in both DYAR and DVOA of all qualifying QBs) and Dirty Hines Ward (9th in both DYAR and DVOA of all qualifying WRs). Ward catching 71% of all passes thrown his way is pretty impressive. But that hamstring is going to be very difficult to warm up tomorrow. Santonio Holmes (15.3% DVOA), Heath Miller (15.8%) and Mike Wallace (18.4% DVOA) are also real good options. And while the Browns are actually good at limiting #2 WRs (-7.7% DVOA- that's better than average!!! 12th in the league), we are worst in the league against TEs (See what Antonio Gates did to us last week) and really bad against #1 WRs.

The Steelers usually give up a lot of sacks, because their line isn't very good and Roethlisberger holds on to the ball as long as any quarterback I've ever seen. This year they are 24th in the league, giving up sacks on 7.4% of all drop backs. The Browns rank 17th in the league, sacking the QB on 6.3% of opponent drop backs.

The Browns' defense against the run is about 10% worse than average, 29th in the league. Which is blah enough. But with all the injuries, especially to Shaun Rogers, we are probably worse than that. Not good considering the wind and snow and cold will likely force more running than normal. The mediocre running game of Pittsburgh is lead by the mediocre Rashard Mendenhall (19th in the league at 4.5% DVOA). Mewelde Moore (-19.5%) and Not So Fast Anymore But Still Faster Than Me Willie Parker (-26.6%) are having pitiful seasons.

When the Browns have the Ball

The juggernaut that is the Browns Offense has juggernauted all the way up to 28th in overall efficiency. That's up 3 spots from last week. We now are a more efficient offense over the course of this season than the Chicago Bears. Wow. Before that Detroit game this didn't seem even close to possible. The Browns rank 30th in pass efficiency as a team and 23rd in run efficiency. Even with the Steelers' recent struggles, they are still a very good defense, ranking 13th against the pass and 6th against the run in DVOA- good for 10th overall. But before you get too scared, they were ranked 6th before former ~~bum off the street during the awful 08 Browns Season~~ Browns legend Bruce Gradkowski torched them last just three days ago.* The Steelers miss Polamalu. And they, generally, are not playing well in the secondary.

*Seriously, Gradkowski had the career day of all career days. He passed for 308 yards (on 20-33 passing), 3 TDs (0 INTs), and a 121.8 QB rating. Not only were each of those numbers career highs, but he has never come close to a day like that in 24 other games in the league. The last time he faced the Steelers, as the Browns starter in Week 17 last season, his rating was 1.0. That isn't a typo. 1.0. Or 9.5 points WORSE than Derek Anderson's worst game in his career- also, DA's most recent.

Further emphasizing the struggles of the secondary, the Steelers are below average against every type of receiver, except running backs (usually covered by linebackers)- they rank 8th against throws to RBs. So if Quinn is going to keep having success through the air, it probably won't be to Harrison/Jennings/Vickers this week. Quinn is moving up the QB standings rapidly. He is 28th now in both DYAR and DVOA. And that is despite not having a receiver in the top 75 in DYAR or DVOA.

The Browns running game has benefited from variety. They get good contributions from Brady Quinn's scrambling, Josh Cribbs in the wildcat- both handing off and keeping, and reverses to Cribbs. So while Chris Jennings and Jerome Harrison aren't very good, their improving efforts with the (sometimes misplaced, and usually not frequent enough) creativity from other parts of the run game result in a decent unit. Again, this is going to be even more important because of the conditions. Each team will have plenty of runs. I won't mind seeing the wildcat a HUGE number of times. Anything less than 10 plays from that formation would be a disappointment in my mind.

Special Teams

We're number 1!! After several weeks in the 2 spot behind Minnesota, the Browns have taken over the top spot in overall special teams efficiency at 7.0% DVOA. The Browns have the #1 punt return team and the #5 kick return team. They are above average in each other phase of special teams. The Steelers are 31st in special teams overall, mainly because they are -30.6% in DVOA on kick coverage! That is an absurd variance from average for any special teams unit. In fact, only one other special teams unit is more than 15% from league average in either direction (Green Bay is -16% on punt coverage). Think about this. They are 30% worse than league average on kicking off. No team in the last 5 seasons has been 30% worse than average at any single part of special teams. (Only the Browns 2007 kick off unit has been 30% BETTER than league average). And only 3 times has any part of any teams' special teams been ranked more than 20% worse than average. We aren't just talking historically bad,this might be THE reason the Steelers are .500 against a weak schedule, despite having a top 10 offense and top 10 defense.

Special Teams is another unit that will be affected heavily by the weather. Again, variables. Good for the underdog. Phil Dawson seems to do well on bad fields, and while he has tired in past seasons late in the year, he should be fresh this year as he missed much of the first half due to injury. Josh Reed also has had success in inclement kicking conditions, given that he plays 8 games a year on the mush that is the Heinz Field "grass".

Conclusions and Questions

Like I said, this one is all about variables, not really the stats. Still, we need to have a sound game plan to maximize our chances at winning and salvaging some very good feelings for a very rough season. A win wouldn't erase everything, but its something the players, coaches, what exists of the front office, and the fans would feel very good about.

Three questions that will determine the outcome:

1. Will the weather effectively hide our defensive injuries and struggles?

2. Will the Steelers special teams continue to let them down- especially the kick coverage unit?

3. Can Brady Quinn exploit a struggling secondary, or if the weather is too bad, can he continue to avoid turnovers?

With a giant assist to Mother Nature and the ghosts of past Browns teams, I think we finally will avoid losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers!

Browns 13

Steelers 13

Steelers Lose Heartbreaker To Rival Ravens, Lose Third Straight To Fall To 6-5

Blitzburgh — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:02:47 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

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First of all, if you're curious about where the AFC playoff picture stands as of the completion of Sunday's games, check out my breakdown here. On to my thoughts about the Pittsburgh Steelers brutal 20-17 loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. Fans are understandably frustrated with not only this loss but the 2009 season for Pittsburgh in general. 6-5 for the defending champs will do that to the morale of a team's fanbase. All the close losses are hard enough to swallow. The fact that the Steelers held late leads in all five losses makes it even tougher to digest. But Pittsburgh's loss Sunday night, on the road against a bitter rival fighting for their playoff life, was hardly what I'd call a major disappointment or setback. In the grand scheme of things, the game was just another example of how hard it is to win close games consistently in this league; it also confirmed how much this defense relies on Troy Polamalu, as well as how competitive this squad is even without their top two players on the entire roster - Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger.

Some thoughts on the game as well as what the future may hold for the Steelers moving forward in to this final 5 weeks of the 2009 season.

Before I begin in earnest though, let me say this: what a game! We watch the National Football League to be entertained. It's part of our lives and we attach deep seated emotions to seeing the team we love succeed. But at the end of the day, it's about escaping from our everyday lives for a few hours each week to watch a game between the most accomplished and awe-inspiring athletes on the planet. Tonight, both fanbases were treated to fantastic drama, if not perfect football. Too many fans get caught up in the end results. I don't critique them for that. I don't legislate emotions or tastes (we all are drawn to certain things for different reasons and to different degrees) but for me, I have a hard time being too upset after getting to watch an immensely entertaining and emotionally draining game like the one played between the Steelers and Ravens. Last year, the Steelers emerged victorious in all three hard fought battles with the Ravens. This time, they got our number. With our star safety and starting quarterback shelved.

The outcome sucked, but the game itself was outstanding, as was the buildup all week to the game. It's rare that the game itself leads up to the anticipation and the hype. Tonight was one of those nights. That's why we watch the games and care so much.

* Let's first start with Dennis Dixon, who filled in for Ben Roethlisberger on short notice after the coaching staff of the Steelers opted to sit Big Ben because of the headaches he was getting following practice sessions earlier in the week. Here were Dixon's numbers for the game. 12 of 26 for 145 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 27 yards, 1 TD

Dixon was neither spectacular nor awful. He made a few really nice plays both in and out of the pocket; he did a generally good job getting the offense in and out of the huddle; he went through his progressions fairly well without getting flustered in the pocket; and he showed a competitive spirit that proved the biggest of stages wouldn't overwhelm him emotionally or psychologically.

He did however make some mistakes. Obviously the late interception was costly. He got away with a few other bad decisions - most notably the out pattern he threw that was almost intercepted by L. Webb in the 2nd half. He also had several very positive plays negated by penalties. His lengthy 31 yard run on 3rd down during the Steelers second possession was erased by a holding penalty. He also had a big gain to Santonio Holmes taken away due to a Mewelde Moore hold on Ray Lewis. The Steelers would have had the ball at the Ravens 23 yard line with the score tied at 7. Instead they were forced to punt and the Ravens capitalized with a touchdown drive of their own to take a 14-7 lead in to intermission. It's an awful lot to ask of a kid to lead a team to victory in Baltimore's house in the first place. It's an even greater task to expect him to do so when two of his better plays get negated by penalties.

All in all, I'd give Dixon a grade of B for the evening, all things considered. That was an awfully tough spot for him to make his first NFL start. His teammates helped him at times, but they probably could have done even more to lift some of the burden off the young kid's shoulders. That's the way the cookie's crumbled for Pittsburgh so far in 2009. Still, the Steelers now know they have something in Dixon as Big Ben's backup. Given the number of hits Ben takes, that's good to know.

* To all those who are bashing Bruce Arians left and right for his game-calling tonight. First of all, take this in to very strong consideration. If Tyler Palko is asked to play in this game, the Steelers maybe gain 5 yards of total offense. One hit to the not-exactly-statuesque Dennis Dixon and Tyler stinkin' Palko is playing on the road in Baltimore. That would have been so comically disastrous I don't even know where to start. So, yes, that's most certainly a consideration when crafting a game plan for Dixon.

More importantly though, lots of people seem to be complaining that Dixon didn't get nearly enough designed runs or roll outs as he should have. Well, remember first that Roethlisberger was only scratched late in the week, meaning Dixon wasn't exactly getting all the reps or the undivided attention of the coaching staff leading up to the game. He got some work in with the first unit all week because it wasn't clear whether or not Ben would go, but up until late in the week, the plan was to have Ben start the game. It's pretty simple then - Dixon didn't have a full week to work with Arians and the Steelers offense to get a complete gameplan ready in case of emergency.

They did have enough time to get a few plays ready though. We saw one of them on Pittsburgh's second touchdown of the game - a 24 yard scamper midway through the 4th quarter that gave Pittsburgh its first lead of the game. The play call was exquisite, with Mike Wallace coming in motion from the right side; Dixon faked the handoff to him, then rolled right with Mewelde Moore. Dixon had the option of keeping it or dumping it off to Moore depending on what the Ravens defender in pursuit did. Dixon took off, Moore threw a key block and Dixon was off to the races to the endzone. The play call was outstanding, and the execution perfect.

Yes, I too had some issues with some of Arians' play calls. I thought it was silly not to call timeout for example after Carey Davis picked up that big run as the 1st half came to a close. A timeout after that run gives the Steelers roughly 35 seconds or so to get another 25 yards in 30 seconds to attempt a long Jeff Reed field goal. Instead they chose to let the clock wind down in the half and head in to intermission content that the score was just 14-7. I thought that was a mistake.

I also thought it was a bit of a mistake to not try those bubble screens to Santonio Holmes more often than they did. I believe they called that play twice. Both were completed for solid gains. I might say the same about getting Mendenhall the ball in the passing game a bit more. See how Baltimore isolated Ray Rice against James Farrior in key moments? Well, people were hard on Farrior for getting dusted in that situation, but believe me, Mendenhall would have left Ray Lewis in the dust too had he been in the exact same situation. Arians could stand to see the value he has in Mendnhall in the passing game outside of just the traditional dump offs and screens on the perimeter. Rememer that one pass Mendenhall caught on the outside and took for a big gain after breaking a tackle? What stuck out to me was how fluidly Mendy caught the ball. Same for his catch last week against Kansas City.

Other than that though, I really had no major beef with the gameplan Arians called. Consider this - the Steelers had 38 rushes to just 26 passes. Pittsburgh averaged a solid, if not spectacular, 4.0 yards per rush. Their commitment to the run kept them in the game in the first half after Baltimore forced an early three and out and then scored on their first drive. Pittsburgh had over 150 yards rushing, something they've not even come close to achieving in recent meetings.

Look, I definitely feel the Steelers could benefit from hiring somebody other than Bruce Arians to coordinate this offense. I just don't think he deserves all the ridicule and vitriol he's gotten after this game. As far as I'm concerned, he did a very good job concocting a gameplan that shortened the game, took responsibility and pressure off of Dixon and ultimately put the defense in position to win. The defense deserves a nod for their work in the 3rd quarter, but at the end of the day, they couldn't seal the deal once again in the final minutes.

Finally, for the haters out there, be happy this season is playing out the way it has because if the team does miss the playoffs or even get bounced out in the opening round, you'll probably get your wish and see Arians shuttled out of town after this season.

* Big props to the offensive line of the Steelers for their efforts. The big eaters up front paved the way for 158 rushing yards while keeping Dennis Dixon off his back all evening. Dixon wasn't sacked once and frankly, the times he was pressured most heavily was a result of Mewelde Moore getting lit up by Ray Lewis. Definitely one of the better games the Steelers offensive line has played all season considering the circumstances. Kudos to Trai Essex, Justin Hartwig and Ramon Foster in particular for holding down the fort in the interior of the line. Max Starks and Willie Colon also did a very nice job in both pass protection and the running game.

* In case you were beginning to wonder if the Steelers didn't miss Aaron Smith, let tonight be a reminder just how valuable he is too our defensive success. The Ravens rushed for 132 yards on 29 attempts, good for 4.6 yards per pop. The experience Ziggy Hood is getting is a very good thing, but he got blown off the ball several times tonight in the run game in a way that would never happen to Aaron Smith. The Steelers need him almost as much as they do Troy Polamalu when playing a team like Baltimore. By that I mean the Ravens don't match up particularly well when they're r endered one-dimensional. But with the emergence of Ray Rice as a formidable threat both inside and outside the tackles, the Steelers very much could have benefited from Smith's gap-clogging abilities. I was very impressed with Rice tonight. He displayed an amazing sense of what was going on around him and proved to be both tough, careful protecting the ball, and capable of breaking off a big play on a moment's notice when it looked as if nothing was there. I don't love this Ravens roster, but I will say this - with Ray Rice, they're capable of beating anybody on any given day come January. He gives them a chance to maintain leads, erase deficits and keep teams off balance with his dynamic skill set.

* Special teams rears its ugly head again. Kickoff coverage was better this week, but it was punt coverage that hurt the Steelers this time around. Chris Carr averaged 14 yards per punt return and came close to taking one to the house not once, but twice. Thankfully, one of them was called back due to an illegal block in the back. Still, the Ravens first touchdown drive was set up by a 17 yard punt return that gave them the ball at their own 42 yard line. Carr then took one 34 yards inside Pittsburgh territory in the 4th quarter for what could have been a backbreaking series by Baltimore's offense. Instead, Lawrence Timmons forced a fumble and the Steelers capitalized. But at the end of the day, it was the Ravens special teams that put more pressure on Pittsburgh than vice versa. If there ever was a day when the Steelers could have used a big day from Stefan Logan, it was tonight. To his credit, Logan did have a nifty 14 yard punt return out to midfield that would help lead to 3 points, but he was largely rendered a non-factor once more.

* Three plays that really hurt the Steelers chances - not the obvious critical plays like Dixon's INT or Ike Tay lor's pass inter ference call. The other plays that could have potentially turned the game in Pittsburgh's favor.

1) Dixon and Mike Wallace barely missing out on a TD connection in the 3rd quarter. In the o pen thread, fans were on Wallace for not bringing the TD in. Perhaps he should have made the grab, but it was definitely made harder than it needed to be by Dixon. I was impressed by Dixon's trajectory on his passes and the natural ability he seems to have in terms of knowing when to gun it and when to take something off it and add some trajectory to his throws. On the missed TD to Wallace though, Dixon put just a bit too much air under it and it cost Wallace valuable real estate in the back of the endzone. Not a bad play but definitely one of those 'game of inches' type misses that I imagine he'd convert in the future if given the opportunity now that he knows just how fast paced the action is in live NFL games.

2) Ryan Clark and William Gay whiffing on Derrick Mason on a deep ball late in the 2nd quarter. William Gay let Mason run by him, only to discover that Clark had been sucked too far towards the middle of the field and was late getting over to Mason. Flacco's throw hung up in the air forever, but Clark still wasn't able to get over in time to track the ball in the air and make a play on it. He correctly didn't just level Mason - had he done so, it definitely would have resulted in a flag. Anyway, I love Ryan Clark but I'm starting to question his instincts in the passing game more and more. He's pretty darn good in the angles he takes in the running game, but he keeps missing plays in the passing game without Polamalu back there with him covering up for some of his mistakes.

3) The touchdown run by Willis McGahee on Baltimore's first drive on 3rd and goal from the 2. The Steelers could have really used a stop there to hold Baltimore to just 3 points. Pittsburgh simply doesn't give up rushing touchdowns in that situation very often. They did tonight and were forced to play catch up for almost the entire remainder of the game.

* Total Yards: Baltimore 393, Pittsburgh 298. This marks just the second time the Steelers have been outgained all season - the other coming against Minnesota when two late turnovers led to a Steelers important victory.

* 3rd Down %: Baltimore 5 of 14 (36%), Pittsburgh 6 of 14 (43%). Four of Pittsburgh's first downs on 3rd down came via the run. That's definitely not something we've seen out of Bruce Arians and his offenses in recent years. Just another reason why immediately blaming him for all our problems is wrong. He adapted to the circumstances and by doing so helped the Steelers win the time of possession battle, the third down conversion % battle, and ultimately, put the team in position to win.

* Tip of the hat to LaMarr Woodley for eating Michael Oher's lunch all night long. Woodley had 1 sack and should have had another if not for Oher dragging him to the turf, which led to Travis Kirschke getting the easy sack.

* After an awful first series, Lawrence Timmons played awesome as well. He had two sacks, one of which resulted in a huge forced fumble that the Steelers would take the other way for a touchdown on their ensuing offensive possesion. This 2009 Steelers team definitely is missing something but if the pass rush stays this intense moving forward and Troy Polamalu can return healthy and play the remainder of the schedule, then this defense has a very legitimate shot of getting on a nasty run and dominating. As is, they're still missing too many tackles and surrendering too many big plays late in the game with all the marbles at stake to be a championship caliber team. But, and it's a big but if you ask me, it's important to remember that all five losses have come with Polamalu on the sidelines. They're undefeated with him playing and all signs point to him returning next week for the home stretch. As I've mentioned before, there's a nice 10 day rest coming up after we play the Browns two Thursdays from now. Fingers crossed, but if he can play the rest of the season and do so behind a pass rush that's really starting to round in to form, then it's waaaaaaaaaaay too early to think that Pittsburgh is down for the count this year.

* I actually think that the experience William gay is gaining this year is extremely vital to the Steelers chances of competing for Super Bowl runs in the next couple of years. But man, for now, is he having to pay his dues this year or what. Teams continue to pick on him relentlessly. I actually would have said before this evening that at least he is a fairly sure tackler compared to his current ability to actually not allow his guy to run free and make the catch. To me, his tackling had been his saving grace for most of this season. He had an off night tackling though this evening. Cornerback is definitely the hardest position in all of sports - even more so than quarterback - so it's not unacceptable that he's going through some growing pains. But he's struggling quite a bit this year and it's cost this team to some extent. Again though, as hard as I've been on the guy, I wholeheartedly believe he and the team will be better because of it in years to come.

* I read a comment somewhere earlier on BTSC that the Steelers Super Bowl window may be coming to a close this year and in the next several years. Absolutely not true at all. I wrote this all last year but haven't gotten around to doing so this year yet - but this Steelers roster didn't peak last year; nor have they this year. They're set to be their most formidable in 2010-2012. Think about it - Big Ben will be in his absolute prime, Santonio too (even if he leaves via free agency, we still have him next year and I'd bet quite a bit we lock him up this summer). Mendenhall is coming in to his own. Heath Miller is locked up for quite some time. We've got a player in Mike Wallace. The offensive line is looking better and better, and Starks, Kemoeatu, Foster, Stapleton, and probably Colon soon enough, are all going to be around for the foreseeable future. The defense is going to get better - Woodley and Harrison will be at the same if not higher level for the next few years; Ziggy Hood will improve; Lawrence Timmons should be a dominant force in a few years time; Polamalu still has several great years left. Same with Ike Taylor, while his counterpart William Gay will be better with more experience.

Anyway, this roster needs a bit of work moving forward, but to think that this team is missing out on its chance to win a 7th Lombardi is simply not true. Our franchise quarterback is not yet 27 years old and we've got plenty of complimentary pieces around him that are gaining invaluable experience as we speak.

* Loved John Harbaugh's decision to go for it late in the game facing a 4th and 5 from their own 46 yard line down 3 with just 3:30 left in the game. Totally dumb to punt it there. At worst you risk the Steelers getting 3 points, but most likely not even that considering the circumstances. You just never know when you're going to get that kind of field position and opportunity again to go in for the tying score. By the way, comparing it to Bill Belichick's decision against Indianapolis is asinine. The Patriots were ahead when they went for it on 4th down late in the game; the Ravens were trailing, and near midfield, not deep in their own territory.

* To conclude...again, I would never dare suggest that anybody watches or follows sports in any way except the way that comes naturally to them and brings them the most enjoyment. That said, I sure hope those who are struggling to feel anything but misery and disappointment from this year to step back and rethink how this season only enhances what football means to all of us who love the game. 16 games a year sandwiched by months of life without football. Some years things break our way; others, the opposite. As Steelers fans, we're treated to the psychological sanctification of being right there in the thick of things most years, which if nothing else, manages to at least capture our sense of hope, optimism and engagement for as much of those precious 5 months each calendar year. This is as frustrating as it gets; or at least as frustrating as it gets since the 2006 season....but even the bad years manage to keep us captivated and enthralled with the action each and every week. The Steelers seem to not be subject to the 50% rule in life - the simple truism that for every great break comes an equally unfortunate turn of events. Well, this may just be one of those years where the odds seem to be ridiculously stacked against us. That seems to be the case, but here the team is, still right there in position to accomplish all their goals if their fortunes change. We know the talent's there, so you never know. And that's what keeps us watching and interested...and that's what makes us blessed to love this franchise. Hope still glimmers in even the darkest of days.

I for one, felt content that so much of the energy and emotion that I put in to enjoying this team and league was well founded by last night's immensely entertaining and competitive game. And now, with the Steelers backs' squarely against the wall, we officially are the 'hunters' once more with nothing to lose. Let's get it on. This party's not over yet.

Cincinnati Bengals beat the Pittsburgh Steelers with unsung heroes and a beautiful red zone defense

Kirkendall — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:51 -0000

by Gene J. Puskar - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals' Bobbie Williams (63) leaves Heinz Field after a 18-12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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It was a bar in Dayton that an odd fellow, let's call him William, struck up a conversation with me that began with typical fantasy football musings. He drafted Adrian Peterson. His reaction was like anyone else's when drafting a great fantasy football player -- telling EVERYONE. Confident of his chances, not requiring the debate of the rest of his fantasy football draft, the conversation took an expected turn. Everyone that knows me personally, knows that I could chit-chat Bengals all day long. But it's not just about Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco. Those are the superstars that everyone else knows. What's more to say about them? Carson just wins. Chad just finds dollar bills laying around, hoping that the ref can find the owner who lost the money. We'll talk how hard Abdul Hodge will smack you in the face on kickoffs. We'll reminisce how the monstrous Ahmad Brooks had every tool to become a super-stud linebacker. We'll agree that Rashad Jeanty is perhaps the most unknown contributor on this defense, since 2006.

It was never about who was right. That's never the way conversations go. It's just about talking about the thing that we both love. William was old enough to remember both Super Bowls as if watching it live. I was too young for Super Bowl XVI. Not Super Bowl XXIII. I've told the story of breaking my mother's lamp when John Taylor scored the winning touchdown more times than I can remember.

But William's mind was sore. Last season left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. That angry feeling we had before Marvin Lewis' era had resurfaced. Our last conversations didn't detail the exponential growth we saw from the defense last year. It wasn't about Carson Palmer returning. It wasn't about Cedric Benson, who had the best three-game stretch of any running back in the final three games. It wasn't about the veteran free agents, nor the NFL draft in which many observers praised the Bengals selections.

He was mad. And he should be mad. This team was terrible in 2008. Few things could be said about them that actually made us feel good. And that anger carried over to 2009.

William suggested firing Marvin Lewis. I gave the people's eyebrow for good measure, showing my uncertainty while questioning the validity of the source. How could you? Why would you? Who would you replace him with? It really took me aback. His argument is that great coaches could deal with the amount of injuries this team suffered, and still go undefeated... if they were great. Alright. Who would you replace him with? Bill Cowher, he instantly says. Yep. Bill Cowher. He's proven to put great teams together with a core philosophy that lasted most of his tenure, he argues. Yea, but. Well, he's a former Steelers coach. He lowers his head. He knows the point I just made. He knows that level of crazy-talk, while fun at times, has no place here. Are you drinking again, William, I asked. No, he laughed. It wasn't Bill Cowher he was suggesting; but Cowher being a model of stability that this team needed. Understandable.

At this point, I've recovered enough to make sure my adult beverage had a one-way ticket in, assuring that the mist that exhaled from my nose during that conversation had no escape. My composure, solid. I told him, have patience. They did a lot during the offseason, and excuse or not, Palmer's injury last year was a big contributor for their struggles. Even so, they were a solid football team in the second half of the season. They sported a winning recorded in the final eight games in 2008, I argued. That momentum would continue. How can you be so sure, he asked. Well, I can't be. But there are positive things. There is momentum. We won't repeat 2008. I promise.

William thoroughly enjoyed Cincy Jungle. We talked about the Bengals a lot. But we also talked just about football. The Buckeyes. The Bearcats. High School. We even shared our own football war stories.

About two months ago, William died of cancer. I'm going to miss talking to him about football. About the Bengals. But what really makes me sad, is that we won't be able to tell him that the Cincinnati Bengals swept the Steelers and Ravens, have a two-game lead in the AFC North with a 7-2 record. It would have been sweet to watch the pessimistic Bengals fan morph back into an bouncing anxious Bengals fan honestly optimistic that they could win any game on the schedule.

Hey William. We just swept the Steelers. You'd be proud.

The award for Offensive and Special Teams player of the game specifically designed to award Bernard Scott. We wrote briefly about Bernard Scott's ventures yesterday. He not only returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, but several runs late in the game moved the ball forward and helped Cincinnati kill 4:20 off the clock, setting up Shayne Graham's third field goal of the game. Scott also recorded a 21-yard reception.

Think that's it? Scott recorded 206 yards on kickoff returns, giving him 260 yards total on offense and special teams. Bernard Scott isn't the powerful between the tackles runner that Benson is right now, but Scott's speed and acceleration is impressive. With 3:05 left in the game at the Pittsburgh 35-yard line, Cincinnati lined up on second-and-five, Scott accelerated around the right edge, picked up five yards and the first down. This forced the Steelers to use two timeouts, and took another minute off the clock.

Carson Palmer didn't struggle. He did what the Steelers allowed. It was true. Most of Palmer's passes were off target, mostly high. There were some plays that Palmer felt rushed and threw the football early. In the second quarter alone, Palmer completed only two of seven passes for 30 yards. But Palmer's struggles didn't last. In the second half, Palmer's efficiency returned. He completed 10 of 13 passes for 98 yards passing. In the fourth quarter alone, Palmer completed six of seven passes for 54 yards -- including a big third-down 17-yard pass to Brian Leonard. This guy puts it together when it matters the most.

More importantly, Palmer didn't take more than what the Steelers gave him. He didn't commit a turnover. He threw passes that weren't risky. If he was getting sacked, he allowed it, not trying to do the impossible and threw the football up. No, he didn't win this football game. That's not how we beat the Steelers and I doubt that will be true next year, or the year after that. Nor did he lose the game. To me, Palmer didn't struggle. He did only what he could.

Including the big 17-yard pass to Brian Leonard that converted a third-and-five, Palmer completed a deep 16-yard pass to Laveranues Coles down the left sidelines that pushed the Bengals to Pittsburgh's 24-yard line. Palmer completed back-to-back passes for eight yards after a Brian Leonard one-yard run, setting up an easy 32-yard field goal for Shayne Graham to give Cincinnati a 15-12 lead with 7:29 left in the game. Cincinnati largely went into kill-the-clock mode with six minutes left in the game. Scott shined here. Palmer attempted only one pass -- an eight-yard pass to Laveranues Coles with 3:53 left in the game that gave the Bengals their third first down. Thanks to Bernard Scott and a scramble by Palmer where he totally forgot how to slide gracefully, Shayne Graham converted a 43-yard field goal to give the Bengals an 18-12 lead.

No. This wasn't the Palmer we saw against the Bears. Or early against the Ravens. But this isn't the same Bengals either. If Palmer only throws for 178 yards passing, doesn't record a touchdown and the Bengals win, you'll take that.

The Bengals won because they have a defense that wins games. With all of the talk about an inconsistent offense with star-power players, the truth of the matter is the Bengals defense is the biggest reason the Bengals have swept the Steelers and Ravens, own the tie-breaker against both teams and sit in first place at 7-2. It's the defense. Sure the offense has helped. But nothing with the consistency and confidence this defense has right now.

With 1:49 left in the game, the Bengals have an 18-12 lead. Pittsburgh has one timeout left and plenty of time to pick up 67 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Ever since we lost to the Denver Broncos, that little place in the back of my mind that anything could happen, gets really big. Most defenses in this situation tend to go into prevent, with one goal in mind of not allowing the game-winning touchdown. Not Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. He blitzed. He had his guys in coverage smothering route runners. Roethlisberger didn't have time for deep routes to develop, though he tried to wait. Brandon Johnson pressured Roethlisberger on first down, forcing the incomplete. Chris Crocker and Johnathan Joseph shutdown their guys on respective plays. On fourth down, Roethlisberger was assaulted by Frostee Rucker and Michael Johnson, who forced the quarterback to make a desperate throw that landed several yards away in the middle of nowhere.

Bengals football. Three knees. Bengals win!

Even though this sealed the win, I don't believe this is where the Bengals won the football game. Aside from the final score, here's the most important stat of the game. Four times the Steelers entered the red zone. Four times, the Steelers settled for field goals.

Pittsburgh looked to score a touchdown on their opening possession. They recorded three first downs, including a third-and-13 conversion on a 15-yard scramble by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Bengals this year have struggled defensively when the game starts. And trust me, struggle is a relative term. They're simply not forcing three-and-outs on the opening possession of the game. A little greedy? So. On the first drive, the Steelers recorded three plays of 11 yards or more, reaching Cincinnati's 15-yard line. After that, the bend-but-dont-break defense, stood their ground.

On first down, Johnathan Joseph broke from his cornerback spot to close a rushing lane on the right edge, preventing what could have been a touchdown run for Mendenhall. Instead, two-yard gain. On second-and-eight at the Bengals 13-yard line, Roethlisberger spread out the offense in shotgun, he rolled out left and threw a shovel passed to Heath Miller for another three-yard gain. Third-and-five with 4:50 left in the first quarter, Chinedum Ndukwe sprinted to the line of scrimmage as Roethlisberger received the snap. Ndukwe found a wide open lane on the right, threw his arms up and knocked down the pass. Steelers drive stalls and Pittsburgh takes a 3-0 lead on a Jeff Reed 28-yard field goal.

Pittsburgh would go on to punt on the following two possessions -- including a three-and-out. With eight minutes left in the first half, the Steelers began their second red zone assault. After a 10-yard run by Mendenhall, Roethlisberger throws two incomplete passes. On third-and-10 at the Bengals 36-yard line, Roethlisberger, under pressure rolls left and finds a crossing Santonio Holmes for a 21-yard gain. He follows that up with another 10-yard gain. Three of the Steelers first five plays on this drive picked up 10 yards or more. They were picking up chunks again.

But not for long. With their backs to the endzone, the defense foams at the mouth. First-and-ten at the Bengals five-yard line. Mendenhall gets the carry, shifts to the right, where Chris Crocker shot through the line of scrimmage, taking out Mendenhall for a three-yard loss. On second-and-eight, Morgan Trent ran step-for-step with Santonio Holmes on an out-route towards the back left pylon, easily knocking the pass down. After a timeout that must have conjured up some crazy magical touchdown play, Jonathan Fanene sacks Roethlisberger, forcing Jeff Reed to convert a 33-yard field goal. That's two red zones appearances by Pittsburgh. That's two forced field goals.

Cincinnati's offense went three-and-out.

Pittsburgh gets the ball back with 2:52 left in the first half. The Steelers move until Heath Miller was called for offensive holding. After an incomplete pass to Mike Wallace, the Steelers line up second-and-twenty at the Steelers 24-yard line. Roethlisberger watches Wallace run a deep seam route and lightly presses the "B" button, floating a rainbow pass. A millisecond before the pass arrives, Ndukwe hooked Wallace's left arm, forcing another incomplete. Flag. Defensive pass interference and a 46-yard penalty. Ndukwe knew it. He didn't bother complaining.

After an 11-yard pass to Moore, the Steelers enter the red zone. The Bengals defense foams at the mouth. With :59 seconds remaining, the Steelers line up first-and-goal at the Bengals eight-yard line. After Geathers recorded the team's fourth sack in the half, Roethlisberger was forced to pick up 17 yards for the touchdown. On the first pass, Roethlisberger overthrew everyone in the end zone. On the second pass to Santonio Holmes at the back right pylon, Johnathan Joseph grazed the floating football with a fingernail, causing football enough redirection that Holmes couldn't adjust. Jeff Reed converts the 35-yard field goal.

Bengals force a third field goal on Pittsburgh's third red zone appearance.

Pittsburgh would be shutout of the red zone until there was 2:51 left in the third quarter. After five plays in which the Steelers started at midfield, Pittsburgh lines up at the Bengals 13-yard line. The score is tied at 12. This is big. After Hines Ward's eight-yard reception, the Steelers run three times, including a quarterback sneak, to pick up the first down at the Bengals 11-yard line.

On the ensuing play, the Steelers are flagged for offensive holding. After that, it was the same script that had been played all day. Five-yard dump pass to Mendenhall. Incomplete pass batted down by Jonathan Fanene, who came unblocked and would have sacked the quarterback, at the line of scrimmage. On third-and-15 at the Bengals 16-yard line, Roethlisberger, overthrows the football to Mike Wallace, running towards the left sidelines in the endzone.

Bengals force a fourth field goal on Pittsburgh's fourth, and final, red zone appearance.

Say hello to Morgan Trent. The story of a great day for the team's third best cornerback. When we talked about Morgan Trent after the NFL draft, I wasn't encouraged. It wasn't so much what I've seen -- I really don't remember him playing at Michigan much. It was Wolverine fans who weren't giving us glowing reviews. Then again, what did you expect from a guy who was drafted in the sixth round, for a position that we believed was set, save for building solid depth.

To describe Trent this year would be to say that he's as solid as they come. And against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he made plays. While the Steelers were driving on their first possession of the game, Pittsburgh lined up second-and-eight at the Bengals eight-yard line, threatening to score. Morgan Trent, lined up over Santonio Holmes, sat in the wide receivers hip, following his break towards the back left pylon. Just as it seemed that Holmes created enough space for the touchdown reception, Trent accelerated just in time to knock down the its-not-a-touchdown pass. Jonathan Fanene ended Pittsburgh's threat a play later with a quarterback sack.

On the Steelers opening drive in the second half, Ben Roethlisberger targets Hines Ward on third-and-two at their own 40-yard line. Roethlisberger, in shotgun, throws over the middle. Morgan Trent, trailing Ward on a crossing pattern, flipped his hand up at the inaccurate pass and knocked the football back towards the line of scrimmage where Frostee Rucker intercepted the pass and returned it to the 14-yard line. The Bengals would tie the game soon after.

With 7:15 left in the game, Bengals leading 15-12, Pittsburgh lines up first-and-10 at their own 27-yard line. Roethlisberger throws a deep pass over the middle. Morgan Trent outran Holmes on the deep pass and "got in the way", slowing Holmes progress. On the following play, Roethlisberger throws a quick pass to Holmes on the right. After the reception, he only picks up seven yards, thanks to Trent's great open field tackle. The significance is that the Steelers had three yards to go for the first down and Roethlisberger threw an incomplete pass on third down, forcing the Steelers to punt.

If you weren't encouraged by Morgan Trent's play before Sunday's win, you should be now.

They always say it's difficult to sack Ben Roethlisberger. The situation is second-and-eight at the Cincinnati 25-yard line with 7:42 left in the first quarter. Ben Roethlisberger lines up in double-tight end formation with a single-back. He fakes the handoff to Rashard Mendenhall, who targets the gap between center and left guard. Bengals defensive end Jonathan Fanene, lining up at right defensive end, remains at the line of scrimmage playing the run. Once he figures it's a pass, he breaks outside, actually losing his balance. Tight end Matt Spaeth uses Fanene's momentum and pushes him into the ground. Fanene, roughly a yard from Roethlisberger, lunged and twisted the quarterback's left leg to record the game's first sack.

Bernard Scott had just given the Bengals a 6-3 lead on a 96-yard touchdown return on kickoff. On the ensuing drive, with 3:36 left in the first quarter, the Pittsburgh Steelers lined up second-and-seven at their own 35 yard-line. Roethlisberger motioned Mendenhall out, leaving an empty backfield. After a three-step drop, Roethlisberger pump faked right, looked left, when Dhani Jones delayed a blitz. The Bengals had covered all of the Steelers offensive linemen, allowing Jones to come unblocked, sacking Roethlisberger for a seven-yard loss. On the following play, Santonio Holmes caught a 14-yard pass for the first down. Marvin Lewis said, "bull crap." He threw the challenge. The officials determined the spot was two yards too generous, forcing the Steelers into fourth-and-two. Pittsburgh punts.

Pittsburgh lines up third-and-goal at the Cincinnati eight-yard line with 4:54 left in the first half, threatening again. The Steelers had just called a timeout and were working up some crazy play that guaranteed a touchdown -- that's what teams do during offensive timeouts I think. Roethlisberger sets up in shotgun. Fanene lined up at the right defensive tackle spot. At first, Fanene was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. The Bengals secondary forced Roethlisberger to hold onto the football. After a few seconds, Fanene found a way around the guard, sacking Roethlisberger for a seven-yard loss.

Under a minute left in the first half, the Steelers were driving to the Bengals eight-yard line. Roethlisberger lines up in shotgun and empty backfield. He looks left, pump fakes, braces for Robert Geathers, who nailed the quarterback without even being touched by any blockers. Roethlisberger threw two incomplete passes after that and the Steelers are forced to kick a field goal.

Rushing defense comes up big again. Cincinnati came into Sunday's game with the league's second ranked defense, allowing an average of 83.9 yards per game. Cincinnati limited Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore, Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker to 80 yards rushing on 18 attempts.

Rushing offense was effective in spots, but they were always persistent. Not a bad annoying either. The Bengals rushing offense was stuffed and stifled throughout much of the game. They made some plays, but as a unit, they only recorded 61 yards rushing. The thing is, they didn't stop running the football, rushing 29 times. That's commitment to the run.

Driving nowhere. The Bengals defense forced the Steelers offense into four three-and-outs. More importantly, the Bengals defense in the second half forced an interception, three punts, a turnover on downs and a field goal.

Third down domination. The Bengals defense has only allowed four conversions in the past 25 third down situations (16%).

Points allowed domination . The Bengals came into Sunday only allowed 16.9 points per game, ranked fifth in the NFL. They've not allowed a point in the third quarter for three straight games. During that same three-game stretch, Cincinnati has only allowed 12 points in the first half and 17 points in the second half.

What we know. The Bengals win over the Steelers is huge. You know that. Everyone knows that. It's a mark in the division and an introduction to the league that this team is legit. Now, the Bengals enter a stretch of potential trap games. Knowing the maturity of this team, I like our chances. Still, as William would quickly remind all of us, we've seen them fall in games they should have won too many times before. Aye.

Overcoming the "bump": How great teams keep winning despite setbacks

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:09:06 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2009, file photo, Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, left, will have to focus his team and not allow injuries to be an excuse. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

Browse more photos »

Every NFL teams experiences a point in their season where something happens to disrupt their flow. Things are going well. The team is winning. Players are happy, flying around, looking to make plays, etc. Coaches are jovial in press conferences. Media are anointing the club, calling them "the best ever." Yippee-yippee-yay-yay!

Then, something happens.

Usually, it comes in the form of an injury. Or, sometimes, it's a team tragedy or some kind of disaster. Last season, we all saw the Houston Texans' "bump" come in the form of a hurricane that damaged their stadium, their facilities, and (for many players) their homes. The Texans never recovered from that "bump," and missed the playoffs because of a bad start.

In 2007, the our own, beloved Colts looked like they would repeat as world champions. They were 7-1 and flying high. Then, they lost Dwight Freeney for the season. They limped along for the rest of 2007, managed to finish the season 6-1 after the Freeney injury, but lost in the playoffs to the Chargers due in large part because of a lack of pass rush. In 2008, Peyton Manning's knee problems, coupled with the disasters at the defensive tackle spot, provided Indy with their "bump" very early in the NFL campaign. The team fumbled and bumbled their way through a 3-4 start. Though Indy managed to close the season on a 7-0 run, they lost in the playoffs again to the Chargers due in large part because of problems they had as a result of their "bump" early in the season (poor DT play).

Bumps for teams can sometimes be too much to handle. They can throw an entire season off track. However, it is the truly great teams that incur these bumps and, somehow, manage to win games in spite of them.

For my money, no championship team in recent memory was as injured as the 2006 Colts. They lost Brandon Stokley, Mike Doss, Corey Simon, James Mungro, and Montae Reagor for the season. Their secondary was a list of walking wounded. Bob Sanders missed virtually all the 2006 regular season (shocking, I know). Yet, despite the injuries, they persevered and won the Super Bowl.

Last season, we saw the Pittsburgh Steelers lose both their first and second round picks in the 2008 draft (Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, respectively). They also played games in 2008 without Willie Parker, using castoff Mewelde Moore as their feature back. They lost Casey Hampton and Heath Miller for long stretches of time. Starting offensive guard Kendall Simmons was lost for the season with an Achilles injury. Steelers starters missed over 31 games in 2008 due to injuries. In Week Sixteen, they were dominated by the Tennessee Titans, and many wondered if the Steelers were as good as others said they were.

Yet, I distinctly remember seeing the Steelers hoist the Lombardi trophy this past February.

Obviously, too many injuries, or one devastating injury, can kill your football team. But just because you loose a few starters, or because some other players are down for a while, does not mean that is an excuse to lose. The great teams win despite injuries, and even though the 2009 Colts have lost some players this week, this roster is still good enough to win it all.

More importantly, with this current roster, I expect them to win it all.

I love players like Marlin Jackson and Tyjuan Hagler. But this is the NFL. Injuries happen. For eight weeks, this team has been able to get by without having a serious injury smack them upside the head. Now, they have two. We'll see how tough they are overcoming this "bump" in the coming weeks. Personally, I think they will be fine.

Pittsburgh Offense Rolls Again, Steelers Defeat Browns 27-14, Improve To 4-2

Blitzburgh — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:41:15 -0000

Make it three straight victories for the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers. I wrote three weeks ago after the Steelers lost to the Bengals that we should remember how dynamic and fluid the 16 game NFL regular season is and to just hope that the team posted some victories as they sorted through some of their problems on both sides of the ball. The Baltimore Ravens were 3-0 when I wrote that, but I suggested that we wait and see how they fared on the road against New England and Minnesota before we anointed them certain AFC North champions. Well,, three weeks later and Baltimore is 3-3, while the Steelers are 4-2. With the Bengals having lost as well this afternoon - at home to the mercurial Houston Texans - the Steelers now find themselves tied with the Bengals atop the AFC North. Cincinnati of course holds the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh for the moment, but there's still plenty of football to be played and all three teams still essentially control their own destiny moving forward.

A few initial thoughts from me about the Steelers victory over the Browns at Heinz Field.

* 36 rushes, 35 passes. That's much more like it Mr. Arians. There were a few instances where I didn't love the play calling, but for the most part, Arians designed a solid and well reasoned game plan. The Steelers averaged 3.9 yards per rush on those 36 attempts. That's a very respectable average. Rashard Mendenhall, Willie Parker and Mewelde Moore all had a few nice runs on the afternoon. Nothing necessarily to write home about, but 160 total yards rushing on the day for Pittsburgh. Not bad. Not bad at all.

* How about Big Ben and the passing game? Well, Roethlisberger finished 23/35 for 417 yards and 2 TDs. The 417 yards were the most by Roethlisberger since the game against the Broncos in 2006 where he threw for 433 yards. That impressive feat came in defeat though. Big Ben is simply playing at a level we haven't seen him play at thus far in his already decorated 5+ year NFL career. More on this later, but Roethlisberger probably was a bit too willy-nilly with the football today on multiple occasions. He had just one interception but easily could have been picked off at least one or two more times. He also coughed up and lost one fumble during the victory. Once again, even when the Steelers play dominant football, they're still collectively doing just enough little things wrong to keep things more interesting than we perhaps might like as fans.

* Nice to see you Lawrence Timmons. 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles. That's three sacks in his past two outings. This should be a very welcome sight for Steelers fans far and wide. Maybe I should temper my enthusiasm for his performance though. Derek Anderson did after all just dangle the ball out there for anyone to swipe at. He's really not very good at anything other than slinging the ball with impressive velocity.

* As for Troy Polamalu - it didn't take long for him to make an impact, did it? Polamalu intercepted Joshua Cribbs late in the 1st quarter after the Browns had recovered a fumble inside Steelers territory. Polamalu wasn't his usual self out there today, but you could already tell the difference he is going to make for this defense moving forward. Let's hope he has a good week of healing and practice in preparation for next Sunday's showdown with undefeated Minnesota.

* How fun is it watching Hines Ward make opposing secondarys look absolutely silly. He and Big Ben are really on the same page right now. That touchdown pass to Ward over the middle of the field - in between multiple Cleveland defenders - was perfectly timed. By Ward that is. It actually appeared as if Ben was looking in the direction of Santonio Holmes. But in swooped Ward and he caught it in a small window and had the leg up on the sprint to the endzone. Ward is doing some ridiculous things at this point in his career. He now has 41 catches, 599 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns through six games. By the way, those 599 yards are tops in the NFL as of Sunday evening. As impossible as it may have sounded before the start of the year, Ward now has a chance to surpass his career year in 2002 when he caught 112 receptions for 1,329 yards. It likely won't happen, but it's sure fun to watch him just explode out of the gates to start this year.

* A quick word on Santonio Holmes - first of all, congratulations to him for his 2nd 100+ yard receiving game on the season and first since the opener against Tennessee. Holmes had 5 catches for 104 yards but it wasn't anything he did with the ball in his hands that impressed me. Instead it was his downfield blocking that I noticed. There's no way Ward has the day he had without Holmes blocking as diligently and effectively as he did. I'll see if I can get some stills of the dirty work he did. HUGE sign for Pittsburgh if you ask me. Many wondered if Holmes would be a 'me-first' kind of guy this year if he didn't get more looks and glory than in previous years. Well, he's been plenty involved, but probably not as much as he'd like. Nevertheless, all we've seen from him is his willingness to put his head down, keep taking care of the little assignments he has while waiting for the game to come to him in the passing game.

* I hate the fact that the Steelers were too scared to kick it to Joshua Cribbs after the Pro Bowler took one to the house early in the game. There was one kickoff where the Steelers just squibbed it and it was picked up cleanly by one of the upmen. Cleveland had the ball at the 40 yard line or so. That's just gift-wrapping very good field position in exchange for the small possibility that Cribbs would bust one again. Obviously it'd be preferable to just shore up the coverage units. But just handing opposing teams the ball at the 40 yard line isn't sustainable. By the way, I'd love for Cribbs to land somewhere else. What a player! And by all accounts, a great guy too. Too bad he's stuck in such a mediocre situation.

* Jeff Reed seems to be back on track. He was 2 of 2 today and I believe he's now made his past four kicks. Keep it up Jeff, we're going to need you I'd imagine more than we have in recent weeks later in the year.

* I miss Anthony Madison.

* I'll address the zany end to the 3rd quarter soon enough, but the Steelers running backs obviously need to protect the football better than they did today. There's a certain segment of the fanbase that will point to this as an example of how 'our coaches are letting the guys be lazy' or how this team 'lacks mental toughness.' Well, this team most certainly could play more consistently, and perhaps part of the problem is there's not quite the same sense of urgency being the defending champs. But I just don't buy that. Mistakes happen - the Steelers just seem to be making a few of them in different facets of the game each week. In the first couple of games it was red zone execution. Then it was poor 4th quarter defense, the inability to pressure the quarterback or get turnovers. This week it was ball protection. But on the flip side, the Steelers were much better in some of those other facets they had struggled with earlier in the year. Two steps forward, one step back. But we're at least not stuck in neutral or reverse.

* By the way, Pittsburgh only had two fumbles prior to today so let's not get too worked up about their poor performance today holding on to the ball.

* Mendenhall sure does look smooth catching the ball out of the backfield. Parker conversely - bless him - stumbled after making his lone catch of the day. I know people are down on him, but this football team will need him this year if we want to win another championship. Mendenhall may now be 'the guy', but Parker can still fill an important role on this team. I hope he maintains a championship attitude for the rest of the season and helps us get that seventh championship.

* 543 yards of total offense today! That's crazy. Obviously you want to put up more than 27 points with those kind of numbers, but turnovers were responsible for keeping our number on the scoreboard low. This is the NFL though - you have to take the good with the bad, and for three straight weeks now, there's been much more good than there has been bad. Win and move on.

By the way, the last time the Steelers racked up 500+ yards? 2006. The opponent? The Cleveland Browns.

Yes sir. Love it.

4-2 with a bigtime showdown at Heinz Field next Sunday. Can't wait.

Go Steelers!

Poll

Game Ball?

Ben Roethlisberger

727 votes

Hines Ward

318 votes

Lawrence Timmons

98 votes

1143 votes | Poll has closed

Keys to beating Pittsburgh: Defense has to take over this game; offense has to ditch finesse generalizations

Kirkendall — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:06:28 -0000

There are too many things that could come out of Sunday's game with a win to just ignore. If the Bengals win:

...there's a chance they could be tied for first place in the AFC North standings; provided that the Cleveland Browns beat the Ravens in Baltimore (what are the chances of that?). Even then, the Bengals would be the de facto leaders in the division with a better division record.
...Bengals fans will start buying up tickets -- I made the prediction earlier in the week that if the Bengals beat the Steelers this Sunday and then the Browns on the road, that Paul Brown Stadium will be sold out the rest of the season.
...it will end a seven-game losing streak when playing Pittsburgh at Paul Brown Stadium.
If the Bengals beat the Steelers this Sunday, and do it with a nastiness that the Bengals need to compete in this division, a whole new era of Bengals football could emerge.
...the Bengals will start the season 2-1 (or better) for only the sixth time since 1990 -- the other seasons being 2006 (3-0), 2005 (3-0), 2001 (2-1), 1995 (2-1), 1992 (2-1).

However, there's the other side. If the Bengals allow Pittsburgh to run them over, like they did twice last year (38-10 and 27-10), then Bengals fans will implode. Many will shy away from the explosive win that brought waves of optimism to this team after beating the heavily favored Green Bay Packers. If the Browns beat the Ravens (and who actually expects that to happen?), the Bengals could be all alone in last place, by way of division record. The Steelers will win their eighth straight game in Cincinnati, questioning the Bengals motivation (again) when defending their home turf.

Speaking in more detail, the Bengals have lost seven consecutive games when playing at home against Pittsburgh Steelers. It's been bad. The Bengals have been outscored 182-84 during that span and the margin of defeat is 14 points per game.

Date	Record *	Score
October 13, 2002	0-5	7-34
September 21, 2003	0-2	10-17
November 21, 2004	4-5	14-19
October 23, 2005	5-1	13-27
December 31, 2006	8-7	17-23
October 28, 2007	2-4	13-24
October 19, 2008	0-6	10-38

* Record before the game.

The last time the Bengals beat the Steelers in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh came into the 2001 game, 12-1. Jon Kitna threw for 411 yards passing on 68 attempts (completed 35), recording two touchdowns. Peter Warrick caught 10 passes for 109 yards. Darnay Scott caught seven passes for 113 yards. Corey Dillon rushed 21 times for 91 yards. Former Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart threw four interceptions (two picks by Kevin Kaesviharn). Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward combined for 11 receptions for 152 yards receiving and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala rushed 25 times for 55 yards.

In other words, it's been a long time.

So what has to has to happen for the Bengals to win; some of them you can call The Obvious.

It's not enough to rush Big Ben. We've seen how Big Ben can evade a pass rush, keeping a play alive, even turning it into a big gain. He's big and strong. How many times have we seen him break a sure-sack only to find Santonio Holmes streaking (with clothes) down the the middle of the field? Bengals pass rushers Antwan Odom, Robert Geathers, Michael Johnson, Jonathan Fanene and maybe a defensive tackle (for a change), have make a difference. But it's not enough to just pressure Ben Roethlisberger. The pass rush has to knock him down, a lot. When they make a move for a sack, they have to drill him. The Bengals haven't recorded a sack in the past three meetings against the Steelers, and haven't had multiple sacks in a single game since September 4, 2006.

Date	Result	Sacks
October 3, 2004	L, 17-28	1
November 21, 2004	L, 14-19	7
October 23, 2005	L, 13-27	1
December 4, 2005	W, 38-31	2
September 24, 2006	W, 28-20	3
December 31, 2006	L, 17-23 (OT)	1
October 28, 2007	L, 13-24	1
December 2, 2007	L, 10-24	0
October 19, 2008	L, 10-38	0
November 20, 2008	L, 10-27	0
		16

Players that recorded sack in series since 2004: Duane Clemons (4.5), Justin Smith (4.0), Robert Geathers (2), Kevin Hardy, Landon Johnson, Madieu Williams, David Pollack, Domata Peko, Kevin Kaesviharn (0.5).

Stuff the Steelers rushing offense. Michael (Blitzburgh) at Behind the Steel Curtain was right about one thing. The Steelers do establish the rushing offense against the Bengals. And it seems like it's far too easy. Cincinnati's defense hasn't prevented the Steelers from recording over 100-yards rushing, as a team, since the Bengals 38-31 win on December 4, 2005. In the last 12 meetings, the Bengals defense prevented a rushing touchdown only once (November 21, 2004).

However, it's not just that. In the past 12 meetings, the Bengals have allowed 1,739 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns on the ground. Pittsburgh has rushed the football 40 times or more four times.

There are, however, encouraging signs to hang onto. The Bengals rush defense hasn't allowed 100-yards rushing by any team in their past three games -- 89 (Packers), 75 (Broncos), 31 (Chiefs). The Steelers rushing offense rushed for 36 yards against the Titans and 105 against the Bears to start the season. The Bengals have to keep pace by not allowing the Steelers to rush for over 100 yards (they are 2-0 in such scenarios since 2003). But, as we pointed out already, the Steelers tend to establish their rushing offense against the Bengals... a little to easily.

Date	Result	Steelers rushing	Leading rusher
9.21.03	L, 10-17	38-138-1	Amo Zereoue: 16-69
11.30.03	W, 24-20	25-85-1	Jerome Bettis: 20-62-1
10.3.04	L, 17-28	40-165-2	Duce Staley: 25-123
11.21.04	L, 14-19	40-151-0	Jerome Bettis: 29-129
10.23.05	L, 13-27	47-221-1	Willie Parker: 18-131-1
12.4.05	W, 38-31	28-95-1	Willie Parker: 15-71
9.24.06	W, 28-20	38-170-2	Willie Parker: 31-133-2
12.31.06	L, 17-23 (OT)	45-207-2	Willie Parker: 34-134-2
10.28.07	L, 13-24	33-160-1	Willie Parker: 22-126-1
12.2.07	L, 10-24	35-101-1	Willie Parker: 28-87
10.19.08	L, 10-38	27-125-2	Mewelde Moore: 20-120-2
11.20.08	L, 10-27	37-121-2	Mewelde Moore: 15-56

But what of the offense? I believe that the Bengals offense is getting closer to the potency they enjoyed during the 2005 season. Palmer recorded three touchdowns against the Packers and Benson rushed for over 100 yards. However, if you go back to the game before the win over Green Bay, the offense was far too similar to the team's worst ranked offense in 2008.

I feel that if the Bengals play mistake-free offense and convert drive-sustaining first downs, that they'll be alright. I don't expect Palmer to put up 300 yards. I don't even expect him to record three touchdowns. I don't expect Cedric Benson to record more than 100 yards rushing nor do I think any of our receivers will pick up 100 yards or more receiving. But if they sustain drives, win the time of possession and finish drives with points, the offense will do their part.

Prove we're no longer a finesse team. But I think this game will rest with the Bengals defense. If they knock Roethlisberger around and limit the Steelers rushing offense -- let's call it containing rather than eliminating -- then I think the Bengals will have their best chance at winning the football game. I know. Mistake free offense. Sacking the quarterback. Limiting the opposing rushing offense. Those are typically keys for every NFL team to win football games. But historically, when the Bengals have won, it hasn't always been that way. In previous years -- not including 2008, of course -- people have been right to generalize the Bengals as a finesse team, by simply outscoring the other offense. Defense was tasked to force a few punts; other than that, they just had to make sure the opposing offense didn't score more than the Bengals offense. Again. I know the Maddenism that exists here. But for the Bengals to win, Cincinnati's defense has to do more than that. They have to beat up the Steelers and not rely on the offense to win a shootout; because I don't think we can trust the Bengals to win that way against the Steelers.

The Bengals beat the Steelers if... I think the Bengals have as good a shot beating the defending Super Bowl champions than they've had since 2006. We're stronger on defense and the offense is coming around. Furthermore, if the Bengals offense can finally ditch the finesse term, along with the new Bengals defense passing the biggest test that they've face yet by taking over the football game, then I believe the Bengals win this football game.

Interview: Behind the Steel Curtain drops some knowledge about the Pittsburgh Steelers

Kirkendall — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:27:11 -0000

I've met many Steelers fans on my travels through life. Met them in Texas, Minnesota and California. Many have been cool. Others haven't been. In my experience, the common ratio for every NFL team is generally the same. There's cool fans. There's jerk fans; jerk fans tend to be the impression many of us are left with. I've even developed close friendships with people that happen to be Steelers fans (of those reading this blog that I'm personal friends with, this will be the ONLY compliment you see until Monday... but I'll never get how you were born and raised in Ohio and became a Steelers fan). However, I've never had a problem with people based on who they root for -- in the end, it's just sports.

Michael runs the blog Behind the Steel Curtain -- from what I've seen, many of you know the blog very well. He's a level headed Steelers fan, very knowledgeable and runs a good ship. Thanks to Michael for helping us understand the 2009 Steelers this year.

Now, kiddies. Time for school.

1) Mike Tomlin was hired after Bill Cowher left after the 2006 season. Tomlin went to Super Bowl and through 34 games, has amassed a 23-11 regular season record. In this age of high coaching turnover in the NFL, how does it feel to have another head coach that figures to be around for a long time?
Of all the things Steelers fans are worried about with this 2009 team, the head coach is the least of our concerns. We absolutely love Mike Tomlin and what he's done for the organization since being hired after the 2006 season. After this past Sunday's loss to the Bears, Tomlin said that the team would go 'back to the lab'. Just like what happened last year when the Steelers got thumped by Tennessee just a few weeks before the start of the playoffs, Steelers fans are hoping this early season loss lights a fire under the team and gets them re-focused for the long grind ahead.

2) Rashard Mendenhall missed most of his rookie season due to injury. How has he looked so far this year and what role should we expect him to be in on Sunday?
Well, it's not clear how Rashard Mendenhall will be used going forward. Up until this point, he has played only one series to every two played by Willie Parker. Mendenhall had the first true highlights of his young career this past Sunday in Pittsburgh's 17-14 loss to Chicago. He only had three carries, but one went for 37 yards. More importantly, it was the first run where he really hit the hole hard and ran with some authority. He also had this wacky 13 yard reception, which was broken down comically frame-by-frame here on my site. I imagine that Mendenhall will get a few more looks this week rushing the football - particularly if the Steelers are able to maintain a lead throughout the game. If it's close late in the ballgame, you can expect to see Mewelde Moore, the team's 3rd down back that the coaching st seemingly trusts the most of the three down the stretch.

3) Since 2005, Willie Parker’s average yards rushing per attempt have fallen from 4.7 (2005) to 2.8 in 2008. Granted, he dealt with an injury most of 2008. This year, Parker has rushed for 66 yards rushing for a 2.44 yard-per-rush average. Is there a general feeling that Parker is done? Or has playing the Titans and Bears, two decent defenses, put off that conversation for now?
Most Steelers fans would say they feel he's done. I'm not one of them necessarily. I do though think he's probably never going to get back to the success he had earlier in his career behind this offensive line. To their credit, the offensive line really seems to be improving dramatically in pass protection. Run blocking, not so much. We'll see what happens Sunday - the Bengals have always been one of Parker's favorite teams to feast on.

4) The Bengals defense has recorded nine quarterback sacks through the first two games; Antwan Odom alone has seven. What can you tell us about this year’s Steelers offensive line?
Read above. Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked 6 times through two games, but really only 2 or 3 of those were on the offensive line. The majority were the result of Big Ben holding on to the ball waaaay too long. They've looked pretty darn good keeping him upright so far, but as I mentioned, there's still not been many consistent running lanes opened up by the offensive line. That said, in the 2nd half of last week's game, the offensive line opened up impressive holes for all three Steelers running backs (Parker, Moore, Mendenhall). The Steelers finished the game averaging almost 4.8 yards per carry - a number they didn't even come close to approaching but on a few occasions last season.

5) Through two games, Pittsburgh has amassed two team sacks, which is far below their average of 3.2 sacks-per-game in 2008. Does this have anything to do with the teams you’ve played, or is there a fundamental defensive change in Dick LeBeau’s schemes?
No, no. Dick LeBeau's not going to be changing his philosophy 50 years in to his NFL career. I think it's mostly a product of going up against two quarterbacks (K. Collins, J. Cutler) that get rid of the ball extremely fast - both were amongst the fewest sacked quarterbacks in the league last year. The Titans and Bears offensive lines aren't too shabby either - particularly at the tackle spots where Harrison and Woodley are lined up opposite. If neither are able to get to Palmer on Sunday, Steelers fans might become a bit concerned, but for now, we're not there yet.

6) How has the Steelers defense compensated with losing Troy Polamalu so early in the season and when is he likely to return to the team?
Polamalu could come back as early as two or three more weeks, but I think it's more likely that we see him held out until Week 9. The Steelers have a BYE week in Week 8 so it may make more sense just to be patient and make sure he's healthy and ready for the second half of the season. Then again, if the Steelers drop another couple of games in the coming weeks, it's possible we could see him back by Week 6 or 7. I'm no doctor though and NFL teams are notoriously reticent to reveal too much too early regarding injuries. So we'll just have to wait and see.

As for how the defense has been adjusting... I'd say they're doing okay but there's a tremendously noticeable dropoff between the play of the unit when he's not playing. Rather than re-hash all of it again here, I'd suggest reading this post I wrote this week about the defense without Polamalu, as well as some of the insightful comments offered up by the BTSC community. Here's another good take about his impact on the defense during 'short clock situations.'

Steelers Post-Game Review: The Offense, Part 1 of 2

Blitzburgh — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:19:54 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

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Let's put last Sunday's loss to the Bears behind us tomorrow and begin to look ahead at next week's divisional game against the Bengals, but I wanted to first write about what I saw out of the offense, starting with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. There was plenty of good and plenty of bad alike in Sunday's loss, but for the second week in a row, I felt Roethlisberger more than did enough to help lead his team to victory. He made a few mistakes - the interception in the 1st quarter, and the sack he took in the 4th quarter right before Jeff Reed's first missed field goal attempt. And Roetthlisberger uncharacteristically missed open receivers more than once. But accuracy has never been an issue really with Big Ben. Decision making has though, and once again, I thought he did an admirable job protecting the football while still making assertive, confident decisions in and out of the pocket.

There's more...

Ben Roethlisberger

Week 2 Stats: 23/35 (65.7%), 221 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

2009 Stats: 58/78 (71.8%), 584 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs

Analysis: I thought Ben Roethlisberger played a pretty clean game against the Bears. Obviously he had a tremendous start to the contest, leading the Steelers down the field on a 13 play, 92-yard drive that consumed just over 8 minutes of game clock. After missing Holmes on his 2nd attempt of the game, Big Ben connected on his next seven passes on the drive. Credit Bruce Arians for drawing up an excellent first series that featured completions to five different Steelers receivers (Ward, Holmes, Miller, Moore, Spaeth). Credit Arians as well for his nicely designed 4th and goal play from the 1 yard line.

Spaeth is highlighted above. David Johnson is in motion, with Tank Summers and Willie Parker in the backfield.

Big Ben fakes the handoff to FWP and rolls to his right. The Bears linebacker above has his eyes and his weight pointed in the direction of the Steelers backfield. Spaeth meanwhile has a full head of steam slipping to the back of the end zone.

By the time Chicago's defender has realized it's play-action and that he has an assignment dragging towards the back corner of the endzone, it's too late. Big Ben has seen Spaeth and aptly gets rid of it before the gap can be closed between Spaeth and the defender. 7-0 Steelers.

Big Ben picked up right where he left off when the Steelers got the ball again following a Bears punt. Ben hit his next three passing attempts, including a gorgeous 3rd and long conversion to Hines Ward over the middle for 21 yards. At that point, Ben looked better than ever and Pittsburgh was knocking on the door again at the Bears 38 yard line. It appeared as if the Steelers were going to get at least 3 points there and really turn up the heat on Jay Cutler and the Bears offense to play from behind.

Then Big Ben threw a momentum changing pick. I originally wrote that I thought Big Ben had perhaps gotten a bit greedy and gone for the homerun ball to Wallace after going through his progressions. Turns out that wasn't quite the case. Let's take a look at what happened instead.

As we see here in the opening frame right after the snap, left tackle Max Starks is lined up pretty far outside - at least in comparison to where the rest of the play in the trenches is unfolding. It's pretty hard to see from this angle, but there's a good three or four yards between Starks and the left guard. At this point, Willie Parker has to see that Starks doesn't need any help chipping his man if he takes him wide. Big Ben would have had plenty of time and room to step up in to the pocket if that happened. Instead, he has to see that open space and figure that Starks' man is going to duck inside.

Parker misses the read though and has already begun to shade to his left rather than to step up in to the hole where there's the most glaring need for an extra body in front of Ben. Roethlisberger has already made up his mind to go deep at this point but in the National Football League, things close down in a split second and he has a man in his face disrupting his throwing motion before he can do anything about it.

I might also point out though that Charles Tillman is already in full-fledged retreat mode and is kicking it into high gear knowing Wallace's speed. In other words, Wallace does not at all have Tillman in a compromised position when Big Ben decides to throw it to the endzone. Not a good decision by Roethlisberger. But perhaps even more importantly, Willie Parker has to do a better job picking up the pass rush. He's a veteran and should know these kinds of tendencies and subtleties by now, even if it all is unfolding extremely quickly in real time.

Moving on..

Roetlisberger struggled with his accuracy for the rest of the game. He completed just three of his next nine passes before hitting Matt Spaeth for a 9 yard completion early in the 3rd quarter. It's worth noting that the rain started to come down fairly heavily during the 2nd quarter. Coach Tomlin would dismiss this as relevant, but it was undeniably obvious that Roethlisberger was suddenly missing on throws he usually makes easily. He missed Santonio Holmes on a few passes -

Big Ben did however make several impressive plays with his legs during the rest of the contest. The first came on a naked bootleg along the goal line at about the 5:30 mark with the score tied at 7-7. Again, a nice play call from Arians.

A convincing ball fake by Big Ben, sucking the Bears outside linebacker in just enough to where he won't be able to catch Big Ben in time as he sprints to the goal line.

There is one defender, Danieal Manning, who still very much has a play on Big Ben. Still, I like Ben's chances in the open field with an under-sized defensive back more often than not.

And that's why Big Ben is more than just an upper echelon quarterback in this league. He's a football player. While the Bears defender goes low, afraid to take Big Ben head on, Roethlisberger leaves it all on the field and sacrifices his body. By jumping over the top, the collision he takes with the other non-pansy Bears defenders pushes him over the goal line. That's our quarterback - one of the absolute best competitors in the league.

Roethlisberger made yet another big play with his legs when he converted a huge 3rd and 5 on the Steelers final drive of the game. There was 4:11 left on the clock and Pittsburgh had it on the Bears 38 yard line.

If you ask me, it's fairly problematic that we seem to feel most comfortable with Mewelde Moore in these late-game situations, but notice here how he does a nice job with his pass protection assignment, sticking his nose right in there and giving Ben enough room/time to decide what to do with the ball.

Ben decides to take off after noticing there's no defenders near the first down marker. There is however a Bears defensive lineman in hot pursuit. Big Ben kicks it in to high gear...

But he also instinctively knows that he needs to raise his legs as Anderson dives for his feet.

Roethlisberger then gives up his body once again stretching for the first down marker. He gets it by the nose of the football and the Steelers should have been in business to close the deal.

In conclusion, no matter what concerns we might have with the 2009 version of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think we all have to feel fairly confident and comfortable that we have Ben Roethlisberger occupying the most important slot on an NFL roster - the quarterback position. He's been very, very good through two weeks of this year. And his solid performances have come against two good, if not great, defenses. The Titans and Bears certainly can be thought of as solid rush defenses, even if they've had their struggles defending the pass.

Anyway, if Roethlisberger can play at this high level for the remainder of the season the Steelers will be just fine. He's protecting the ball better than he did last year, he's getting more time from his offensive line to survey the field, he's still got that magic late in games and he's proven that he's healthy enough to make plays with his legs when there's no better options at his disposal. In short, he's playing like a franchise quarterback. If the other facets of the team continue to improve - even just incrementally - then the Steelers should again find themselves in playoff contention and have another shot at making a playoff run like they've been able to do with Roethlisberger under center in 2005 and 2008.

Did The Steelers Not Take Advantage Of What They Had Set Up Offensively Through The Air?

Blitzburgh — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:18:37 -0000

Let the debate continue - are the current version of the Pittsburgh Steelers better off airing it out rather than trying to fruitlessly try to establish the run? During Sunday's 14-17 loss to the Chicago Bears, the Steelers once again had trouble getting things going on the ground early in the game. Meanwhile, the passing game was clicking on all cylinders. Big Ben led the Steelers offense right down the field on a 13-play 92-yard scoring drive to start the game. The drive featured four Willie Parker runs and nine passing attempts by Big Ben, eight of which were completed. The tempo of the drive was stellar.

On the Steelers next possession, they picked up right where they left off. Willie Parker ripped off a couple of nice runs and Big Ben continued to keep the chains moving. His 21 yard completion to Hines Ward on 3rd and 11 from the Pittsburgh 41 put the Steelers back in Bears territory. They were threatening to really put the pressure on the Bears for the remainder of the game with another score.

Then Big Ben got a bit greedy and forced a ball to Mike Wallace on a deep route to the end zone. I'm not entirely sure of this without re-watching it first, but I'm confident saying that Wallace was not Big Ben's first or second option on that play. In fact, he was probably his 4th or 5th. But Ben was feeling it, the protection had been good up until that point and he took a chance. But by going through his progressions first before throwing, Roethlisberger gave the Bears pass rushers just enough time to get to him and disrupted his throw. It was vastly underthrown and picked off by Charles Tillman.

The Steelers offense never really had the same tempo and rhythm the rest of the game.

But that isn't really the point of this post. Rather, I wanted to comment on how I thought that early success passing the ball could have yielded bigger dividends in the running game later in the game. The Steelers only ran the ball 22 times against the Bears. They picked up 105 yards though on those rushes, good enough for 4.8 yards per carry. 39 of those yards came on Rashard Mendenhall's impressive tough run in the third quarter. But there were other positive runs in the game as well. Willie Parker, who finished with , had two 12 yard runs as well as a 13 yarder. He also unfortunately had five runs that resulted in negative yardage or no gain. Three of those five negative plays however came in the 1st half and the fourth was the opening play of the 2nd half.

It could have just been me, but I felt the Steelers running game was finally get its legs in the second half. It was partly circumstantial, but I also thought they didn't lean on the running game quite enough after finding some success. On the final drive of the game, there was one instance in particular where I felt the Steelers should have gone to the run. It was 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 25. The Steelers were already in Jeff Reed field goal range yet there was about 3:30 minutes left on the clock. Plenty of time for Pittsburgh. And plenty of time for Chicago even. On the 10-play drive, the Steelers had dropped back to pass 8 times and ran the ball twice. On one of the dropbacks, Big Ben scrambled for a clutch 1st down pickup. Mewelde Moore picked up 15 yards on one of those runs, as Chicago's defense was looking pass all the way with Pittsburgh in the no-huddle. On the 3rd and 2 play from the 25, the Steelers predictably dropped back to pass, as they did almost 100% of the time last year in 3rd and short situations. Chicago was of course looking pass and Big Ben had nobody to throw to, eventually settling on a deep pass to Holmes in the endzone that was broken up.

Anyway, given how the offensive line was playing and how hard Rashard Mendenhall had been running during his limited opportunities, I would have loved to see him get the ball. At worst, Chicago's either forced to use one of their timeouts or precious seconds tick off the clock.

It wasn't meant to be for the Steelers today. There will be other similarly frustrating games throughout the 2009 season. We'll see how Pittsburgh responds to its first dose of adversity since winning their record setting sixth Lombardi Trophy last February. I think they will be fine, particularly when Troy Polamalu returns from injury, but one of the most essential elements of winning in this league is making adjustments on the fly. There will be many made by the Steelers, no doubt about it. To me, it will be interesting to see if one of those is a willingness to trust in the running game with the game on the line, even though recent history says that may not seem like the best course of action.

Thoughts?

Which running games were good at what? (2008)

shake n bake — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:00:10 -0000

Looking at the Colts running game through the last 15 years in terms of consistency, explosiveness, power and ball security interested me and went over well with all of you, so now I'm wondering about the whole league. Which teams were good in which areas. Do running games thought of as elite have weak points? Do some generally poor running games have redeeming features?

Jump for sortable ranks in totals, YPC, consistency, explosiveness, power and ball security stats for the 2008 season.

Table Notes:

Back A is the back with the highest % of team carries, Back B is any other back with over 25% of team carries.
Success Rate is the average of all the teams backs with 100+ carries, weighted by attempts.
Success Rate unavailable for Broncos since none of their 7 RBs reached 100 carries.

Team	Back A	Back B	Total Rushing	YPC	Success Rate	10+ run	20+ run	Power Success	Fumble
Giants	Brandon Jacobs	Derrick Ward	2,518	5.02	51%	25%	4.78%	62%	1.39%
Falcons	Micheal Turner	None	2,443	4.36	48%	23%	2.86%	70%	1.43%
Panthers	DeAngelo Williams	Jonathan Stewart	2,437	4.84	46.2%	27%	4.76%	79%	0.79%
Ravens	LeRon McClain	Willis McGahee	2,376	4.01	47.4%	16%	1.86%	76%	1.86%
Vikings	Adrian Peterson	Chester Taylor	2,338	4.50	45.3%	25%	4.43%	73%	2.50%
Patriots	Sammie Morris	None	2,278	4.44	49%	16%	2.14%	70%	0.78%
Titans	Chris Johnson	LenDale White	2,199	4.33	48.4%	24%	2.95%	61%	1.18%
Redskins	Clinton Portis	None	2,095	4.38	48%	13%	3.56%	69%	1.05%
Jets	Thomas Jones	None	2,004	4.75	54%	20%	2.61%	61%	2.13%
Raiders	Justin Fargas	Darren McFadden	1,987	4.33	40.6%	17%	2.61%	62%	2.40%
Dolphins	Ronnie Brown	Ricky Williams	1,897	4.23	48.6%	17%	2.46%	76%	1.34%
Broncos	Micheal Pittman	None	1,846	4.81	Unavailable	17%	2.07%	70%	2.07%
Texans	Steve Slaton	None	1,842	4.27	44%	24%	3.01%	70%	2.08%
Bills	Marshawn Lynch	Fred Jackson	1,837	4.20	48.4%	16%	2.05%	62%	1.59%
Buccaneers	Warrick Dunn	Ernest Graham	1,810	4.07	46.8%	18%	1.77%	65%	1.33%
Chiefs	Larry Johnson	None	1,810	4.78	45%	25%	3.96%	58%	2.90%
Packers	Ryan Grant	None	1,805	4.13	46%	21%	2.39%	74%	2.52%
Jaguars	Maurice Jones-Drew	Fred Taylor	1,774	4.16	43.9%	17%	2.58%	76%	1.17%
Seahawks	Julius Jones	Maurice Morris	1,768	4.24	41.7%	20%	3.12%	76%	1.68%
Chargers	LaDainian Tomlinson	None	1,726	4.10	45%	17%	2.61%	78%	0.71%
Cowboys	Marion Barber III	None	1,723	4.30	41%	22%	2.99%	68%	2.24%
Eagles	Bryan Westbrook	None	1,697	3.97	48%	17%	2.58%	55%	0.94%
Steelers	Willie Parker	Mewelde Moore	1,690	3.67	45%	15%	1.74%	64%	0.87%
Bears	Matt Forte	None	1,673	3.85	43%	17%	2.30%	63%	0.92%
Rams	Stephen Jackson	None	1,649	3.95	46%	16%	2.16%	66%	1.92%
Browns	Jamal Lewis	None	1,605	3.92	40%	15%	1.71%	59%	1.96%
49ers	Frank Gore	None	1,599	4.03	47%	13%	2.33%	52%	3.78%
Saints	Pierre Thomas	Reggie Bush/Deuce McAllister	1,594	4.01	55.8%	15%	2.26%	64%	2.01%
Bengals	Cedric Benson	Chris Perry	1,520	3.62	36.4%	12%	1.67%	56%	2.38%
Lions	Kevin Smith	None	1,332	3.78	44%	19%	2.56%	71%	2.27%
Colts	Joseph Addai	Dominic Rhodes	1,274	3.44	48.5%	09%	1.35%	62%	1.08%
Cardinals	Tim Hightower	Edgerrin James	1,178	3.46	40.4%	15%	1.47%	58%	1.47%

Shockingly the Colts running game was actually good at a few things. Dom and Addai gave the O a very good number of managable down and distances and rarely coughed up the football. The issues with the run game? Laughably little explosiveness and mediocre performance in power situations.

Looking at the outliers,

The Niners had serious issues holding onto the football, weren't good in power situations and didn't show much explosiveness. For a team led by a big name back they didn't do well.

The Panthers run game was dominant. Best power team, one of the top two most explosive along with the Giants and rarely fumbled.

Speaking of the Giants, they have a surprising breakdown. A RB stable led by the massive Brandon Jacobs had it's weakest point in the power game. They were a very consistent running game and had excellent explosiveness.