SB Nation User Blog: lightningrod

Steelers now have the #1 Rushing Defense

lightningrod — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:07:52 -0000

http://www.nfl.com/stats/

Defense - Rushing

Rushing Rk     Team     Yds     Avg     Yds/G

1 Pittsburgh Steelers     536     3.8     76.6

2 San Francisco 49ers     594     3.2     84.9

3 Denver Broncos     603     3.4     86.1

4 Baltimore Ravens     613     3.5     87.6

5 Cincinnati Bengals     616     3.9     88.0

#1 Rushing Defense

awesome

Their Passing Defense is ranked #17

Their Passing Offense is ranked #5

Their Rushing Offense is ranked # 18

I hope their passing defense ranking increases, especially now with Polamalu back.

And hopefully Mendenhall will keep breaking out some long runs, to improve the rushing offense.

Steelers Release DL Nick Eason and add Isaac Redman to the 53 Man Roster

lightningrod — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:44:13 -0000

http://nflfromthesidelines.blogspot.com/

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Steelers promote Redman, release Eason

The fans have gotten their wish as running back Isaac Redman has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday's game against San Diego.

To make room for Redman on the roster, defensive end Nick Eason was released.

the move means that Willie Parker is out for Sunday's game, which isn't a huge surprise since he didn't practice all week.

How Redman will fit into the running back rotation remains to be seen. But he will likely get a chance in short-yardage.

Posted by Dale Lolley at 4:35 PM

Le Beautiful Defense [New name for this Defense: Named after Dick LeBeau]

lightningrod — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:22:03 -0000

I just thought of a new name for this Defense

Le Beautiful Defense (Named after Dick LeBeau]

LeBeau --- Le Beau --- Le Beautiful Defense

Le Beautiful is French for The Beautiful

Le Beautiful Defense --- The Beautiful Defense

Well, I think it's funny, but I don't think it's going to fly

If it were to fly, than Heinz Field would have to serve some French dishes and name it after LeBeau

Like LeBeautiful Croissants

Ryan Mundy might start at Strong Safety this week - Tyrone Carter is injured

lightningrod — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:39:14 -0000

http://www.post-gazette.com

Steelers safeties battling injuries
Polamalu and Carter each dinged up
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Perhaps the Steelers might change the name of the position from safety to something else because there just is no safe way to play that post for them these days.

Strong safety? Troy Polamalu and Tyrone Carter looked anything but pictures of strength as they limped around the Steelers' UPMC training facility yesterday. Carter could join Polamalu out of the lineup this week when the Steelers open competition in the AFC North Division at Cincinnati.

Carter came out of the 17-14 loss Sunday in Chicago with a severely bruised left thigh, the result of his thunderous hit on Bears tight end Greg Olsen that left them both shaken. Polamalu will enter the second of his estimated 3-6 weeks on the sideline with a torn left knee MCL.

Next up? The Steelers have some choices. Ryan Mundy is the only other safety listed on the team after free safety Ryan Clark. He could well move into the starting job at strong safety if Carter cannot play. They also have options with two veteran cornerbacks, Deshea Townsend and Keiwan Ratliff. Each can play safety and have practiced there.

Mundy has played in the first two games in some dime defenses, but this is his first season after spending his first year out of WVU on the Steelers' practice squad. If they do not believe he is ready to start, they could put one of their veteran cornerbacks there.

Either way, it has not been a strong start for the Steelers' strong safeties.

continued...

All Steelers fans should grow beards until we get 100 yards rushing on the ground

lightningrod — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:51:22 -0000

Who's with me?

Let's all stop shaving and grow beards until the Steelers get 100 yards or more rushing on the ground

We should also all take an Oath of Celibacy until this happens (100 yards or more rushing) in a game

So we will all end up with full grown beards and the Oath of Celibacy stuff will be tough, but it is not impossible.

We can do it !

Who's With Me ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?

Go Steelers !!!!!

Dale Lolley is predicting that the Steelers will not make it again this year

lightningrod — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:51:21 -0000

http://nflfromthesidelines.blogspot.com

Monday, September 21, 2009

Post-Chicago thoughts

The last time the Steelers played in Chicago - in 1995 - they came back forced overtime, winning at Soldier Field for the only time in team history.

It was a game that proved the 1995 Steelers - a great defensive team - had enough juice offensively to be a Super Bowl contender.

Sunday, we saw the Steelers show why this team – which is great offensively and defensively – might not make it again.

For whatever reason, this team just doesn't seem to be able to keep its foot on the pedal offensively.

The Steelers walked down the field with relative ease on their opening possession and were on their way to a second score when Ben Roethlisberger threw a duck of a pass that was picked off by Charles Tillman.

We didn't see a whole lot of offense after that.

Certainly the rain played a factor in that. But the Steelers played plenty of games in horrid conditions last season.

I know Roethlisberger likes leading the Steelers on fourth quarter game-winning drives and the team has plenty of confidence in him doing that, but it's OK to win by 20 sometimes too.

© From the number of e-mails I received this week about my pick of the Bears to win this game, I guess there were a good number of people who didn't believe me when I wrote that the Steelers would have a more difficult time replacing Troy Polamalu than Chicago would replacing Brian Urlacher.

After watching Polamalu's replacement, Tyrone Cater, get beat for both Chicago touchdowns, I wonder if they believe me now.

© Cincinnati went to Green Bay and won on Sunday, making next week's game against the Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium a big one.

The winner will move to 2-1 and keep pace with Baltimore.

The loser will be 1-2 and trailing the other and Baltimore.

Trust me when I say that the Steelers can lose that game as well.

continued...

Go here to read the rest of the article

http://nflfromthesidelines.blogspot.com

by Dale Lolley

Video of the Steelers O-Line talking over dinner after Week 1

lightningrod — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:46:46 -0000

http://www.nfl.com/videos/

O-Line Confidential: WK 1 with the Pittsburgh Steelers

How come I have to post this? Can't you lazy people find this stuff yourselves and post it?

While you lazy people are too busy working and living normal lives and blah blah blah

I'm out here busting my butt, in my mom's basement, finding this stuff and posting it here.

I am 40 years old, not married, and I live in my mom's basement

And my mom lives with her parents.

And her parents live with their parents.

And their parents live with their parents

To the 40th generation.

We are vampires

I am a vampire basement dweller

(joke)

Sean Salisbury fired again for cell phone shenanigans

lightningrod — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:57:45 -0000

http://deadspin.com

You know me, I love NFL Football Juicy Gossip. I love the drama.

Sean Salisbury has been fired again; this time from a Dallas Radio Station, for more cell phone shenanigans.

Again it involved a female co-worker.

Apparently, he was fired years ago from ESPN for sending nude pictures of himself to several female anchors at ESPN

Funny stuff.

Unbelievable

Wild stuff

This dude is a prick.

He was very annoying at ESPN. He would try to bully other anchors, as I remember.

Jerome Bettis writes negative article about the Steelers O-Line!

lightningrod — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:53:14 -0000

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Bettis gets blunt about the Steelers

Posted by Mike Florio on September 14, 2009 11:07 PM ET

Jerome Bettis, whose NBC gig ended after the 2008 season, is now writing for SI.com.

And his debut column will raise some eyebrows in the 'Burgh.

Bettis explains -- accurately, we might add -- that the biggest flaw with the Steelers is their offensive line.

"This problem isn't anything new," Bettis says, "and I blame the coaching staff for not addressing the line in the offseason. How did they rationalize not doing anything about it? Well, they won a Super Bowl. They won't be so lucky twice in a row. If Ben [Roethlisberger] continues to get hit the way he did Thursday -- the same way he did last year, then this will come back to haunt the Steelers. Ben will get hurt. Ben will miss games. And they don't have a line to run behind without Ben. Pittsburgh can't repeat with the line playing like this."

Bettis also echoes our recent item regarding the possibility that Mewelde Moore will leapfrog Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall on the depth chart.

continued...

Here's an Excerpt from his article: Page 2

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

3. One more reason Pittsburgh's in trouble: these Steelers are a mediocre running team on their best day. I don't think they've reached a panic situation quite yet because the Titans don't allow anyone to run the football on them. But there are serious problems.

Willie Parker: I haven't seen much from him. Rashard Mendenhall: I haven't really seen him, period. One thing I have seen is Mewelde Moore making plays. And I think the little guy's going to get more of those opportunities as the Steelers continue to grow into what I think will be more of a passing team in 2009.

The running back I like least on that team is Frank Summers, the rookie fullback. He doesn't seem to understand what's going on. He's missing plenty of blocks, and that's affecting everything. That definitely has to be addressed off the field this week.

The bigger problem, though, is the offensive line. They have no continuity. On top of not being able to protect Ben Roethlisberger, they're letting running backs get hit before they reach the line of scrimmage. There's not a lot any back can do in that situation.

This problem isn't anything new, and I blame the coaching staff for not addressing the line in the offseason. How did they rationalize not doing anything about it? Well, they won a Super Bowl. They won't be so lucky twice in a row. If Ben continues to get hit the way he did Thursday -- the same way he did last year, then this will come back to haunt the Steelers. Ben will get hurt. Ben will miss games. And they don't have a line to run behind without Ben. Pittsburgh can't repeat with the line playing like this.

continued...

The hit on Polamalu's knee was dirty. It was on purpose

lightningrod — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:04:18 -0000

I think that Titans Alge Crumpler landed on Polamalu's knee on purpose.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this.

He landed on his knee on purpose, he was aiming for his knee. He knew exactly what he was doing.

It was not an accident. It was on purpose.

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