With another tip of the hat to Myron (He should be in the HOF) Cope, some more shirt pocket notes...

Continue reading this post »

We'll be OK if...

10. Mike Tomlin spent all week calling James Harrison's contusion a bruise. To his face.

A bruise on your leg is a long way from your heart

09. Willie Colon didn't write a book on "How to Get Paid, and the Disappear for a Whole Year. Again"

08. Troy Polamalu doesn't sign any more contracts in Airports

07. Ben Rothelisberger doesn't feel "fine" leading up to this week's performance

06. Farrior realizes that being replaced for a game was a warning, not a plan.

Hey Potsie! Get the message?

 

05. If Farrior is ever replaced again, it is by someone younger and hungrier

04. Antonio Brown was paying attention to Mike Wallace's performance

03. Maurkice Pouncey play was not a sophomore slump

02. Mendenhall doesn't spend all week thinking that the beating we took on 9-11 was an inside job

And the number one... We will be all right if...

01. Mike Tomlin doesn't announce that we are going to unleash Hell on the Seahawks

Leave the movie lines to Russel Crowe, Mike. Reporters don't need inspired, anyway...

With a nod to one of the greatest Sportscasters ever, Myron Cope, I have a few "Shirt Pocket"* notes before the season starts... 

Continue reading this post »

"Sorry I can't hear you over the din of all of my awards clanking"

I'm not trying to be inflammatory... but I read a reader's response to Bob Smizik's blog, and it surprised me. Here is the reply (edited slightly):

 by SteelVa, September 01, 2011 - 08:30 AM

 

The [Steelers] major, massive weakness is that of the The Great Almighty Lord and Deity of Defensive Caoching, Dick LeBeau. 

People remain mired in the PAST. LeBeu did this in 1960, did that in 1073, did this in 1984, blah blah blah. NONE of that matters in the HERE AND NOW. 

The here and NOW is this: LeBeau is capable of defending the dregs, the stumble-bums, and the incompetent offenses of the NFL. He can shut down the Carolina Panthers and Jimmy Claussen quite well. LeBeau "shuts down the run" which means NOTHING when the opposing QB throws for 300 yards, 3 TDS, and ZERO INT's and ZERO FF's. "Stuffing the run" is every bit as meaningless as a MLB manager crowing about "we stopped them from stealing bases" after a 12-1 shellacking. 

What Dick LeBeau has shown a total INability to do, is slow down, much less stop, a passing offense of ANY competence. We're constantly bombarded with tales regaling us about LeBeau's "clever, diabolical schemes and disguises". Yeah, sure. 5 years ago, it was nice. Now, it's pure folly...a total FARCE. There were no schemss, disguises, or cleverness last season when getting CARVED APART by the Pats, Saints, Jets (twice), and Packers. 

...Quite obviously, opponents have adjusted to The Supreme Lord's defensive schemes. to the point where he generates ZERO pressure and allows receivers to roam wild and free. 

The fact that Dick has been entirely too inept, ignorant, stubborn, or all 3, to ADJUST to stop those spread passing offense, speaks volumes. It's high time for The Great Deity to retire. 

One can quibble and sugarcoat and rationalize all he wants. The facts are stark, and head-in-the-sand thinking does nothing to address the real problem. 

I'm interested what the rest of BTSC think about this rant? 

I'll go first:

Dear Mr. SteelVa:

You clearly know nothing about football.

The 3-4 Zone blitz was invented in part by Dick LeBeau, and in part by others such as Dom Capers. Since I don't expect you to know football well enough to recognize that last name, let me help you: Dom Capers is the Defensive Coordinator for the the Green Bay Packers, and former Dick LeBeau protege.

In other words, the two defenses on display in last year's Super Bowl were almost mirror images of each other. How's that for the here and now? In 2008, the Steelers also faced a team that was trying to be their mirror image, the Arizona Cardinals. So, Mr. SteelVa, not only are the teams in the NFL attempting to copy Dick LeBeau's system, those that do it well are having success.

Including the Pittsburgh Steelers. Allow me to help you out, since I am not sure that you can run Google.

Pittsburgh's defense over the last six years is arguably the best in the NFL. A few years in there, it was ranked number one in almost every category... but if you average it out over the past six years, you will find none statistically better. The Steelers, not coincidentally, have also been to more Super Bowls (3) and won more (2) in the past six years than any other team. If you count Green Bay's win as a win for Dick LeBeau's defensive system... then 4 of the last 6 Super Bowls were won by 3-4 Defenses employing the fire blitz packages designed by Dick Lebeau.

Which begs the question... what have you been doing for the past 6 years? Because it sure hasn't been watching football...

Dick Lebeau's defense... by the numbers:

2007

Ranked 1st overall with 266.4 yards allowed per game.

Ranked 3rd against the pass with 176.5 yards allowed per game.

Ranked 3rd against the run with 89.9 yards allowed per game.

2008 

Ranked 1st overall with 237.2 yards allowed per game.

Ranked 1st against the pass with 156.9 yards allowed per game.

Ranked 2nd against the run with 80.2 yards allowed per game.

2009 

Ranked 5th overall with 305.3 yards allowed per game.

Ranked 16th against the pass with 215.4 yards allowed per game.

Ranked 3rd against the run with 89.9 yards allowed per game.

2010 

Ranked 2nd overall with 271 yards allowed per game.

Ranked 1st against the pass with 14.5 Passing points allowed per game.

Ranked 1st against the run with 62.8 yards allowed per game.

The big news this week is Michael Vick getting a $100 million dollar contract from the Philadelphia Eagles (his second $100 million dollar contract, by the way -- the first being with Atlanta)

The question is, naturally, is he worth it? There are seven people in the NFL who have the distinction of signing $100 Million deals. And, surprisingly, none of their names are Brady or Manning. So, the question needs to be asked... Is anyone?

Continue reading this post »

After showing The Philadelphia "Dream team" Eagles what a Black and Gold Nightmare looks like, we were expecting total domination  from the Steelers rematch against an Atlanta Team that they beat last year without Ben Roethlisberger in the house...

We didn't get it.

There were some good things from the game, no doubt about it. But there were plenty of sobering moments, too...

"Is Mike Wallace hearing Brown Footsteps?"

* Antonio Brown not only continued to impress, he is making Mike "No Trick Pony" Wallace's boast of 2000 yards receiving look pretty silly. Hey Mikey, you're going to have to get separation on the best cornerbacks now... because that cushy spot you used to have? Where you were up against the team's "other" corner? Antonio has it now, and he's looking good there. I would say that of all of the players I have seen in the past two years, Brown comes the closest to making me say: "Santonio Who?"

"Can you hear me now?"

* Speaking of Antonio making people forget things... what was that dance thingie he did in the endzone? Was that a Paso Doble? An Irish jig? Ants in the pants? I dunno... it made me laugh until I hurt though... Maybe he was auditioning for a spot on Dancing With the Stars?

* Yeah, we dusted off the no-huddle offense, and Ben has shown that -- despite James Harrison's grumblings to the contrary, he can throw like Peyton Manning as well as get paid like him. Very Nice. Now stop it. I don't know if anyone noticed, because the scoreboard showed a 24-16 Steelers lead... but the other score showed we were down 55-28. What is that you ask? That was the number of plays that they ran as compared to the number of plays that we ran in the first half. Big deal, you say. A 24-16 points lead is more important... who cares about how we get there? I care -- because the game isn't over at the half. And, lucky for us, both teams agreed to play their 2nd string for the 2nd half... because if we had continued playing with the same guys, we would be having a different conversation today. We'd all be wondering why the Steelers defense couldn't hold on to a lead, and allowed the Falcons to come back. Remember 2009?  Now, I get it... it is pre-season, and we wanted to practice the no-huddle. But I would have liked to see Mendenhall get more carries, and get into a rhythm. It is this simple: The Steelers defense plays balls out on every play. They have to get a rest in between possessions. That means no three and outs. And that even means "4 and scores" are a problem. And I am worried about a running attack that never got a chance to get in rhythm the whole preseason... 

"Getting Held on Every Play is Freaking Tiring!"

* I can't remember the last time I saw James Harrison give up on a play -- but I saw it last night. It's only preseason. And I have no problem with a guy making sure he doesn't tweak something in a meaningless game. But JH is clearly not over his surgery, and considering this was his last real action before Baltimore, that concerns me.

* Is it just me, or is Troy getting up slower than he used to? Maybe it is just because -- after last year -- I worry everytime I see him on the ground. Which, considering how he plays, is a lot. I'm going to need to order extra Pepto-Bismol this season...

"Let Me Tell you a story about a man named Samson..."

* The good news is that Pouncey didn't leave to get his ankle X-rayed. The bad news: It's the same ankle he injured in the Jets playoff game. I don't know about you, but Dennis Dixon under Pouncey as Center scares me less than Ben Roethlisberger under Johnathon Scott as Center. And I don't mean that as a slight on Ben. I mean to say that we need Pouncey in there... badly. We were 3-1 without Ben. We were 0-1 without Pouncey. Get well soon, Pouncey...

On Mike and Mike in the Morning today, they were discussing who the best young quarterback is... The list they came up with was:

• Aaron Rodgers
• Ben Roethlisberger
• Drew Brees
• Eli Manning
• Matt Schaub
• Philip Rivers

Mike Greenberg is on record as saying that Phillip Rivers is either #1 or #2. Apparently, Twitter Nation disagrees, and so he asked today's expert what he thought.

Of course, today's expert was Merril Hodge (#33 in your 1990 Steeler Program). Merril didn't blink: "Ben Roethlisberger" he said, instantly. "And I'll tell you why. Ben is the only quarterback that you mentioned who can play either way. He can sit in the pocket and throw it thirty times, or he can get outside and play on the edge. Now, I know Aaron Rodgers is good at getting out of the pocket and making something happen, but the difference is that when Ben does it, you have to pick your poison. What I mean is that I can bring a safety down to contain Aaron Rodgers. But what do I do with Ben? A safety can get there, but he can't finish it. I need to bring someone else to help him bring Ben down. So now what do I do? Send a safety and a linebacker?"

Anyway, they have a poll going now, so you can add your opinion if you want... the poll is found at:
http://promo.espn.go.com/espnradio/lowes/

And you can find the Merrill Hodge interview online at:
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/show?showId=mikeandmike
(Go to the "From Today's Show" section and you wil see Merril's name...)

I don't know if anyone saw this on ESPN, but apparently, the Carolina Panthers hope that Cam Newton can follow in Ben Roethlisberger's shoes.

The question (with tongue planted firmly in cheek) is... why? (More on that later...)

First the article from (ESPN Online):

"Throughout the draft process, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton drew frequent comparisons to Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger.  But the draft gurus weren’t the only ones comparing Newton to Roethlisberger.  Even before they drafted Newton, the Panthers were doing it. While the Panthers believe Newton has the ability to someday carry a team on his own, they’re looking ahead to his rookie year and hoping for something like what Roethlisberger gave the Steelers in 2004. 

In Roethlisberger’s rookie year, Pittsburgh had strong talent and didn’t ask the quarterback to do too much. In the 14 games (13 starts) Roethlisberger appeared in, the Steelers averaged a little over 21 passes a game. Roethlisberger threw for 2,621 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. 

The Panthers gladly would take those kinds of numbers from Newton "

Ya' Think? Rookie or not, a 66% completion record and a 15-1 record are numbers I think 30some teams in the NFL would take.

But not anyone at ESPN, apparently. Has anyone seen the Trent Dilfer Quarterback ranking system? I mean, no disrespect intended... but we're going to let Trent-Freaking-Dilfer decide who is and isn't a VIP Quarterback?

No one thinks that he might have a conflict of interest when deciding what is important and what isn't?

Anyway... point is, that according to the new QBR that ESPN created, Ben Roethlisberger isn't quite as good as the Detroit Lions QB Dan Orlovsky. And we're talking about 2008! The year Ben won the Superbowl and The Lions went 0-16.

Wow, good job ESPN. Thank God you saved us from that confusing Quarterback Rating system...

You can't make this stuff up... Read the brilliant expose here:

http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/46_3865_QBR%3A_ESPN%27s_Deeply_Flawed_Made-For-TV_Stat.html

Philadelphia came into town a self-anointed Dream Team -- and walked into a black and gold nightmare that lasted for over 3 quarters. 

So, naturally the Steelers faithful is feeling good about things. Hell, even the normally jaded news reporters got into the act. 

Ummm... Not So Fast...

It's amazing to me that exactly one week after everyone was calmly declaring: "Hey, pre-season doesn't count" so many people are ready to book their tickets to Indianapolis in February after one pretty good pre-season game.

And I'm not just talking the fans. From Ed "The Dean of Pittsburgh Sports Writers" Bouchette:

"The egg the Steelers laid against the Washington Redskins six days earlier hatched into a thing of beauty Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles at Heinz Field .. Ben Roethlisberger looked to be in midseason, midcareer form... the Steelers intercepted four Philadelphia passes -- one more than they had in any one game last season. "

Bob Smizik got in the act...

"Wow, what a performance by the Steelers last night. If this was a legitimate indicator, they are primed and ready to go... The Steelers took that first-half lead with an offense that looked like it had been locked in to daily practices during the off-season instead of being locked out with no organized practices...Ben Roethlisberger was excellent -- Byron Leftwich was almost as good..In light of this scintillating performance, what better time to conduct a survey on the Steelers season, which includes four games against members of the notoriously weak NFC West -- to say nothing of four games against the notoriously weak bottom feeders of the AFC North....

Please... make it stop!

Let's all take a deep breath and say again: "Pre-Season doesn't matter."

Then let's look at the reality of the game yesterday, starting with Ben Roethlisberger's "mid-season, mid-career" form. Ben looked OK, not great. He under-threw a couple of timing routes, and had happy feet when standing in the pocket for too long. The first touchdown was after a very fortuitous face-mask call. (Mind you, I am not saying that it shouldn't have been called. But it would have been a punt if not for the facemask -- hardly an offense clicking on all cylinders.)

The first touchdown was also aided by an extremely bonehead play by Assante Samuel. I know, bad plays are part of the game, but I would have felt a little better about the mistake by Samuels if Antonio Brown had at least faked an inside route. Then I could say: "Well, good route for Brown..." But the reality is that Samuel assumed an inside route and played it all the way.

I'm not suggesting we take the six off of the board, I am only saying that it's hard to make an offensive plan that counts on the defense being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And I don't know about anyone else, but as I watched Byron Leftwich's methodic wind up and throw I started thinking that maybe it's time Charlie got a look in Preseason -- because Lefty as a starter scares me. Here's hoping the new Mrs. Ben Roethlisberger has hidden the keys to his motorcycle, because folks if Ben goes down and Lefty steps in, we're in a heap of trouble. You think the O-line has trouble holding their blocks while Ben scrambles around? Ha! That's nothing compared to how long it takes Lefty to lock, load, and fire.

As for the defense... it looked good containing Michael Vick. But Michael Vick has always been somewhat streaky. He is a very good talent, and when he plays to his talent's strengths, he is a tough QB. But he's never been a pocket or a precision passer. That's what Philadelphia wants him to be, and it looked to me that he was thinking too much out there.

I am worried about Harrison's back. I really am. As someone who has had some low back trouble, I can assure everyone that there is no such thing as a minor back surgery. Worilds has done nothing to make me think he is ready to spell Harrison and Woodly, let alone step in to replace them for a game. It also didn't seem to me that Harrison had his normal explosiveness, and low grinding drive through the blockers that I come to expect.

But... as I said before... it is just preseason. I would hope that James is taking the comeback in stages, and not going balls out for a meaningless game. Just as I would hope that Ben will get his timing down as the preseason progresses.

Also, after Troy telling us he was still not 100% it was mighty nice to see him flying around out there like a hairy guided missile. That looked a lot more like the Troy we've come to expect than the pale doppelganger that wore 43 in the Super Bowl.

Don't get me wrong. There was a lot of things to like about the first half of yesterday's game. But it didn't mean anything more than the first week's.

It's only preseaon.

First off, let me apologize by disappearing mid-season. My personal life (aka my Day Job) became a necessary focus for me this year... and I knew I couldn't keep reading the blog here and not get sucked in for hours a day... the personalities and opinions are compelling around here... so I had to force myself to stay away.

But I had to come back at least for the Super Bowl with a couple of quick hitters...

Continue reading this post »

Grrr... I need to get my slingbox situation fixed... Can't show all of the images I want... but I will try to add them later if I can... Random thoughts:

• OK, I am already sick of hearing Miami complain. They get the ball on the 20, and 13, and end yup with a grand total of 6 points. They are the beneficiary of a Steelers defense who had their teeth pulled out by the NFL threatening suspensions for marginal hits... and they are the beneficiary of at least one questionable fumble call (the one where Ben could have argued he was making a forward pass.) And after all of that, they can still win the game if they can just get a field goal with almost 2 minutes left in the game. But all they can talk about is how they were robbed. I am reminded of Chuck Noll's response when Roy Gerala missed a field goal that would have sent the game into overtime. A reporter asked him to comment on it, and he said: "We should have never been in the position where we needed a field goal to win the game." THAT team went on to win four Super Bowls. Miami needs to stop whining, and start winning at home...

• Just for the record, I'm not sure the "fumble" should have been overturned. Trying to see whether a ball crosses the plane from the back of the endzone (which is the only camera shot they had) is no way to determine it conclusively. I think that he may have fumbled, but I saw no video evidence that proved it conclusively. They combined two shots to make their case -- but that is shoddy evidence, to say the least...

• Saw a pretty good interview with James Harrison on Inside the NFL. The little reporterette challenged his concern about the hard tackling. "You said you let up this week, and didn't take a couple of hits out there that you could have. Doesn't that prove the NFL's point that you can still play your game and play within the rules they set down?" "I had my most unproductive game this year," JH replied: "You tell me." Then he added: "And I wasn't the only one letting up out there."
• FWIW, I agree. This defense did not look snarling mad like they have in the past. It looked like a pretty good defense, but nothing like what we saw the first five weeks. If this continues, I think we will see Mike Bean's comparison of the defenses start skewing badly. If this team starts become kindler and gentler, we're going to start losing a lot of games.
• Final great quote from the interview.. .she asked him if he worried about sustaining head trauma that could cause him damage after football. "I don't worry about it much. Hopefully, I will have made enough money that my kids will never have to worry. If I can provide for my family, and to do that I have to live through some hell later on in my life, it is a choice I gladly make."
• Ben needs to stop trying so hard. I don't mind him running around looking to make plays... but when he feels two hands grab him, he needs to pull the ball in and hold on. 

• Mendenhall looked bad. I just saw the movie Secretariat... in it, the horse loses a race early on and no one can figure out why... turns out he had  a tooth abscess. They fixed that and he went on to win the triple crown. Made me wonder: Has Mendenhall been to a dentist lately? Just saying...

•  I love looking bad after calling out a player. I'm looking at you Mewelde Moore. Nice game. Rumors of your demise (some of which came from me) were clearly exaggerated. nice game.

•  I don't mind Wallace being a one-trick pony. My problem is he seems to be a one trick magician. What's the difference? Any magician will tell you that you never perform the same trick twice in front of the same audience. That seems to be Wallace's motto. After he blew by the defender (spotting him a 10 yard head start) did anyone think that Wallace's name would never be called again for the rest of the game? I'm worried about that kid. Should we just start sitting him after he gets his one TD because he is going to disappear for the rest of the game?
• What kills me is that Wallace has the greatest living example of a wide receiver who makes every bit of talent count: Hines Ward. I almost take catches like this one for granted by now... (Almost... but it is still sick to watch him pull these in...)

• Finally, William Gay's missed tackle was huge. If he makes that play, I bet Miami never gets a TD all day. Not bad for a defense playing with one eye on the camera and one eye on the ball.

I was out of town, meeting with the Virginia State Police, and some guys in DC... sorry, I didn't get a chance to comment on the game much... But quickly, before the next game gets here...

Lost in the mess that was created by the hit Harrison was fined for was the poetic justice of the hit that he wasn't... on Josh Cribbs.

Before the game... Cribbs had plenty to say. Not only was he going to beat the Steelers with his returns and wildcat... even their Rookie QB as poised to rip them up:

"Colt is well-equipped to go in against the so-called big, bad Steelers and help us win," said Cribbs

Don't forget this gem from last year, either: 

"There are are a lot of Steeler fans around the city so I hope people go to work and kick those Steeler fans."

He talked about how the Steelers couldn't stop him... how he loved beating Pittsburgh... 

Then he came across the middle into James Harrison territory and...

He looked very stopped...

Here's a word of advice to running backs:

"Don't give Deebo a reason to remember your number. Whether the rock hits the pitcher, or the pitcher hits the rock... it's always bad for the pitcher..."

On Ben's Return:

How about that first series? I was wondering if Ben was ever going to throw it. But Mendenhall was running like it wasn't going to matter. 

The interception was awful (I'm not even sure I would call it a bad throw as much as a bad decision...) Where was this "Sharp Ben" we kept hearing about? Well, it took him awhile to get warmed up... then we started seeing flashes of the old Ben...

Don't you love it when he gets rid of the ball when by all rights he shouldn't? You just know this pisses defenses off...

But beyond that, how great was it to see this:

Oh .. yeah.. we can throw to a tight end for a TD, too... Geez, I guess we forgot that in the first four weeks.

Of course, all people want to talk about is this:

It looks like he left his feet in this shot, but in real time, I didn't see it. The one thing that concerns me is that the NFL uses 40 different camera angles, slows them down, and then tries to figure out intent with stop action. If you can't see it in real time, it is hard to ascribe it after the fact. 

But I'm sure we will all be discussing this more in the upcoming weeks.

I'll say this about James Harrison: He is unlike anyone we have seen in a long time. He is not really a nasty, angry man -- he just plays that way. 

This is not an angry man... this is a man who does what he has to for his family. 

He plays with purpose more than rage. He is not a hitman, he is a Bushido (Warrior Poet). I don't think that he was play-acting when he took a day off an considered retirement. I think he was deeply offended that his employer (the NFL) called him a dirty player and fined him for it.

Things to Look Forward to:

The last time the Steelers started 4-1, they ended their season in the Super Bowl.

Things to Panic about:

What happens to the Steelers if they lose Mendenhall? Bad things. So why are we running him with 1:30 left in the game? 

Mendenhall is getting waaay too many carries. Did we learn nothing from running the wheels off of Willie Parker? Time to let Redman get some carries.

Well, that was a bitter pill to swallow, eh? At the beginning of the year, I think we all would have been happy with 3-1 coming into the break... but losing in the last 30 seconds was sure hard...

No pictures this time.. .sorry, I need to reinstall my slingbox client. Some observations though...

* So, How many of you want to sit Ben for the first half of the Cleveland game so he can ease into the rhythm, now?

* Gee, who was it that was saying that Charlie Batch was every bit as good a QB that Joe Flacco was...? I seem to recall some guys taking Malor to task for suggesting that in the comparison of QBs Baltimore had the edge... Well, the game vindicated him, because the difference at QB was the difference in this game. Flacco was simply, hands down, better. I'd say the Purple Troll deserved an apology except for, well, he's a purple troll...

* No question in my mind that if Ben had been there, the Steelers would have won it, for the simple reason that he can hit a wide open Tight End. Charlie missed Heath -- twice, killing key drives that should have ended in points.

* I'm still not buying the Ravens as the NFL's best defense. Clearly the Steelers were lining up to run, and they still lead the game to the last minute. I didn't see the hard hits and amazing play that characterizes this game usually (from either side) but at least the Steelers came through with some big turnovers. The Ravens were just barely able to stop Charlie Batch. 

* Randell El looked pretty good out there. I would say he was one of the surprises of the game.

* So, who gets the blame for the game? Plenty to go around:

* Coaching? (Why didn't we pass to get a first down instead of running the ball three times and punting?) 

* Defense? How many thought that Baltimore could get a touchdown with no timeouts left?

* Special Teams? Yeah, that's a hard kick to make Skippy... but you had two shots at it

* The Offense? One first down wins the game. Hell, two fewer false starts might have won the game.

* FWIW, I think no one gets the blame. All of the above came through in other times. All of the above also let us down last week. It's a team game. They won as a team, and they lost as a team. Not many other teams would have gone 3-1 without their starting QB. As much as the game still leaves a burning sensation in my gut, hats off to the Steelers. The Preamble is over... now we'll see just how good this team really is.

* I love the bye week. It serves a double purpose... one) the physical ailments will heal while two) the emotional anger will fester. I don't think there is a person in the locker room who accepts 3-1. They planned on being 4-0, and being so close pisses them off. It should. It should make them angry, and they should take that out on the rest of the NFL starting next week against Cleveland.

Looking forward:

Best Reason to feel good: Pittsburgh is 8th in the league in Rushing. Mendenhall is second in the league in rushing. Yeah... read that again, because I was surprised to see it too. They are dead last in passing, but that's what you get when you play a 4th string quarterback and a 3rd string project. When Ben comes back, the passing game should open up even more room for Mendenhall. Is it possible he could make a run at the rushing title this year?

Best Reason to panic: What a difference a game makes... The last two times the Steelers were 4-0, they went on to win the Super Bowl. (78, 79). Starting 3-1? Been there... done that... and not so hot... in 2004, they started 3-1, and lost to the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. 2005 they started 3-1, faltered (losing the division crown) before getting hot and winning SB XL. 2007 they finished 3-1 again, losing to Jacksonville in the Playoffs. 2008, again 3-1... this time finishing up in the SB. So, whereas a 4-0 start is historic... a 3-1 start could mean anything. 

Still, I think that 3-1 this year is better than everyone outside of the locker room expected... so over all, it looks good for the Black and Gold. One thing that bodes well for the Steelers is that they made the playoffs every time they started 3-1 in recent years. And, as 2005 shows, once the Steelers are in the show, anything can happen. This is a talented bunch, full of veterans who have proven that the stage is not too big for them. If they get in the playoffs (and do not limp in full of injuries) they have at least an even money chance of going all the way.

It's going to be a long two weeks!

Ahhh... Raymond James Stadium. It brings back fond memories...

It was nice to see that on Sunday it was pretty much how I remembered it: A Steelers Home Game:

Not only that, but the Steelers fans there were representin'! In fact, there wasn't a player on the Tampa Bay Bucs as scary as this female Steelers fan:

If this woman and Josh Freeman met in the parking lot for a fight...

I've got twenty that says he doesn't last five minutes with her. And if that is how he fares against our female fans, imagine how he did against this guy...

Yeah... that's pretty much how it went...

Some thoughts and images from today's game:

* Charlie Batch got the start. He is a class act, a Pittsburgh Native, and I am happy to see him succeed on many levels. That said, I have to say, he is the reddest black man I have ever seen. I mean, his face was red, and I was worried that he was going to pass out from a heat stroke... fortunately, the only ones who got scorched were the Bucanneers secondary...

But the crazy thing is the way Charlie played the game. He seemed to forget that he is actually this guy: 

(Hint: check out the movie "Unbreakable")

Instead, he played with abandon. At one point, he took off, running up the middle, and didn't even stop when he had the first down. Was I the only one screaming: "Down Charlie! Slide! Fall! Do something dammit! Those guys are gonna break you!"

But... no, he galloped for a 24 yard gain, got slammed, and stood up smiling like Hines Ward! Absolutely the shocker of the game.

* This is why we don't have Cheeleaders. Sure, they make great calenders. And, yes, its fun to see fanposts of them in their skimpy lil outfits... but... come on.. Cheerleaders? At a Football game? That's like taking a Frenchman to war. What's the point?

Don't believe me? How's this... the Buccaneer's Booty Babes come out to start the fourth quarter, smiling and shaking their...um... pom poms... inspiring their team... 

Less than five minutes later, the Bucs give us this inspired play -- a swing pass that gets picked off by "Keisel the Little-Deisel-who-could" who huffed and puffed his way into the end zone... I think I can.... I think I can... I know I can... I know I can... I need some oxygen... I need some oxygen..." 

And... by this time, it was almost over. 

I was happy to see Mike Tomlin pull Troy out in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach... we all remember what happened last year on a routine special teams play. Let's face it, if Troy is in the game, he only has one speed: Lightspeed. So, Mike took him out... you could almost hear the conversation:

"Troy, come here... OK, I want you to take off your helmet and listen to me. Take it easy man. Get some gatorade. Braid your hair. But stay out of the game, and away from 300 pound linemen who want to step on you while you are down... Got it? Good."

Five minutes later, we see this:

Yeha, that's Troy with a four foot verticle leap, catching a ball as it sails out of bounds. Boys will be boys, and Troy will be Troy. But I can see Mike Tomlin now:

"Troy! What did I tell you???"

* This win is enough to make all of us giddy... and I still have concerns... but for now, I am going to enjoy a 3-0 start...

Apparently, Ron Jaworski has a new book out called: "Games that changed the game" 

ESPN published a sample chapter, and the one they chose was talking about how Dick LeBeau changed the game of football with the zone blitz. Aside from the fact that Dick LeBeau looks even younger in this picture (and I didn't think that was possible!):

It is a really good read. A little football wonky, but I liked it... Here is the link:

Game Changer

I don't know if everyone heard this or not, but Chris Johnson started mouthing off after the game in tweets.

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As most of you know, I have said that this is Mike's make-it or break it season. This is the first time I feel like he has unfettered rein to put his stamp on this team. He inherited a lot of the players, he inherited his coaches, he inherited his $100 million dollar QB (for better and worse). 

But his draft picks are starting to play now. He has had success and failure.. and handled them both. And, maybe most importantly, Ben's ego has been caged (and along with it the blank check Bruce Arians had) so Mike gets to run everything the way he wants to now (well... except for the defense... that is still Coach HOF's show).

So -- more than any season -- I think this is the one that we can see what Mike Tomlin is really made of.

From a quote standpoint, he is already in fine form. I liked his answer to a media question on whether he was surprised at his team's 2-0 start: 

"We're pleased that we're 2-0, but we're not astounded by it. We expect to win. To tell you the truth, we're a little annoyed."

Pitch perfect response. 

We already talked about his smooth as silk timeout call last week against Atlanta. (After Mike Smith pulled a hammy trying to run to the ref all excited...)

I also loved his response in week one to how he thought he could win with Dennis Dixon:

"We can win because Dennis Dixon won't be the only guy out there. We plan on fielding eleven guys. There will be ten other players there with Dennis, and together, they will find a way to win."

These are all good signs.

But the best sign so far? Mike's attire this past week. (I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned...) 

Here's what gets me... it is 100 degrees on the field. The Titans chose their white uniforms to make the Steelers suffer in their black, sun-soaking unis. What a bitch, right? Have to wear black on a day like that?

Anyone notice what Mike Tomlin wore?

Yeah... long sleeves.

I love that... It's like he is saying:

"Me wear black? No problem. I can wear a sweater. Won't matter. At the end of the day, you're still the Houston Oilers, we're still the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we own your ass. We can beat you in Pittsburgh, in Nashville, or Hell itself. We don't care about your stupid heat... but wait until you see ours..."

That's pretty cool... I must say...

I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard that this week: "It's is a Quarterback Driven League" and "You cannot win in this league without an elite Quarterback"

Someone needs to tell the Pittsburgh Defense that. Better yet... don't

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I hate the Ravens. I really do. I also am on record as saying Ray Lewis is over-hyped. 

That being said, they got robbed in Cincy

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OK, random observations after watching the Steelers Defense do what the Steelers Defense does... (And you'll have to forgive me for the over-tone of "I Told you so" but... well.. I did...

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Everyone is gushing about CJ. You'd think that he is the second coming of Jim Brown the way everyone talks... but, the reality is that he breaks a couple of big ones a game... and other than, he doesn't do much. Now, I know, when you take one 76 yards to the house, it is a back breaker. But, if a defense can keep him from getting more than 20 yards on his "big one" the fact is, that he becomes a liability for his team.

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We've had some of the best nicknames ever... Steel Curtain... Blitzburgh... good stuff. but every now and then you need to reload. You just can't keep calling a team "Steel Curtain" or what have you... every defense needs its own identity.

So... let's go, BTSC... whacha got?

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Not that anyone asked... but my observations of today's game. The stats and figures are well handled by The front page regulars... the homerisms are well represented by others... I'm going to try to keep this somewhat rational - an honest assessment of what I see... though I am a fan, so sometimes that will get in the way...

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Tom Brady was in a car accident, but seems to be fine. He made a walk through practice today. The other person, however, doesn't seem as lucky. The needed the jaws of life to get her out of the car.

If this were Ben, there would be a full scale investigation. Once it is determined Tom is fine, this matter will be swept under the rug.

Just sayin...

Tom Brady Accident

(For the record, I'm glad TB is all right...)

OK, Leftwich is out. Ben is out for four games. 

What should the Steelers do? It is simple... All it takes is a little tweaking of the Playbook, and working to Dennis Dixon's strengths...

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Despite the fact that the NFL season always lags the Madden season by a year... It's 2010, and the Steelers have some real issues and questions heading into this season. That, everyone knows.

But IMHO, people are looking at the wrong issues... Here's my list:

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I know the prevailing wisdom is you don't talk about things like this and wait for the firestorm to die down. Maybe hope for the idiot kicker to do something. 

But the GA DA -- grandstanding in his moment in the sun -- has screwed Ben over, and if he doesn't do something fast, his career is over. 

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