Chester David (Tuff) Harris is an interesting guy. He got the nickname Tuff as a young kid because of how easily he handled a bad case of pneumonia. A Native American (Crow Tribe) who grew up on a reservation in Montana and transferred to a larger high school so he could pursue athletics at a higher level (he was dunking a basketball in Grade 8). Outstanding in track and field, got a track scholarship as a sprinter to the University of Montana and walked on to the football team. The Grizzlies have a good second tier football program (Football Championship Sub-Division) and he was a starting cornerback and returner, two-time conference all-star. Undrafted in 2007 he signed with the Dolphins and made their practice roster as a safety after a good preseason (12 tackles in four games), promoted to the 53-man roster for one game.The Dolphins cut  him in spring of 2008 before training camp as Parcells and Sparano cleaned out the roster they inherited, signed with the Saints and was cut, then signed by the Titans. He had played at Montana with Jeff Fisher's son so there was a   personal connection. He was assigned to the Titans' practice roster but was activated mid-season and played six regular season games and was on the 53-man roster for the playoff game vs. Baltimore. He was good on special teams in 08. He smoked Leon Washington  as the gunner on a punt return early in his first game and finished the season with eight tackles, I think all of them on special teams. He got some headlines prior to the Pittsburgh-Tennessee game for showing up at Titans practice impersonating Polamalu, complete with fake wig. He had a tackle in that game covering kickoffs, forcing Russell out of bounds on a short return. In the 2009 preseason he had seven tackles and five punt returns for an average of 9.8 yards. From the Steelers perspective he obviously has short-term value for his knowledge of the Titans' playbook and perhaps inside information on Titans' players and depth charts for all sub packages on offense and defense. He's also proved he can step on the field and contribute immediately on special teams, and obviously the Steelers are very thin at safety. He's perhaps just one injury away from being on a game roster. He's 26 years old. 6 feet, 198 pounds. A hero to the Crow Tribe and an over-achiever.

Assuming Ben is not able to play Saturday, the injury should allow more playing time for Batch and Dixon. This is a good thing.  It's going to provide an opportunity, against a quality defense, for Charlie to show how much he still has in the tank and for Dixon to show if he can continue to improve and whether he's ready to challenge Batch. The result will go a long way toward determining who will start the season as the game-day backup.

I'm  expecting Charlie will be first up. He was injured in the first preseason game last year, completing just one pass in I believe three series.  Even in the 2007 season I thought he was stiff and limited in the pocket, getting by more on his veteran savvy than physical abilities. He moved around pretty well in one series against Arizona and obviously he knows what he's doing, but he still needs reps in live action. It's been more than 18 months snce he last played in the 07 season-ending game against Baltimore (16-31, 218 yards, 2TD, 2 interceptions). On Saturday he could be under a lot of pressure against a very good front four that includes Haynesworth making his debut.  It will be interesting to see how looks physically and whether he can handle being hit a few times. Dixon had a solid outing vs. Arizona but it was pretty clear the Cardinals don't have much defensive talent beyond their starting 11. The Redskins are deeper and he might even get a chance to play against a few first-teamers.  Can the Steelers make the playoffs and win a Super Bowl if Ben is out of the line up? Hopefully we never have to find out and obviously a preseason game will not provide a definitive answer. But it will provide a few clues.

LANGUAGE ADVISORY: The following transcript contains the word “Expletive”. If the use of the word “Expletive” offends you, or if it makes you think of words you would rather not think about, then we recommend you do not read it.

SUBJECT ADVISORY: If the subject of Spygate makes you want to strangle your cat,  on behalf of your cat we would advise you to not read any further. At the very least, let your cat out of the house first.

SATIRE ADVISORY: Satire is not everyone's cup of tea. It may contain ridicule, sarcasm, exaggeration and minute traces of wit in order to draw attention to a topic of public discourse. If you are allergic to any of these items then please refrain from swallowing them. This particular cup of tea has NOT been approved by the FDA.

LEGAL ADVISORY: If even after the above advisories you feel compelled to read the following transcript, then it is understood that you will forfeit any legal claims to compensation for the monumental waste of time incurred in the reading of it, or recover any costs for the damage caused by adverse physical reaction to it.

SPYGATE REVISITED

INTRODUCTION: Recently, a researcher for the BTSC Investigative Center of Inside Football Stuff You Wouldn’t Otherwise Know in a Million Years if You’re Lucky (hereafter referred to as BTSCICIFSYWOKMYYL) discovered a videotape of what appears to be a staff meeting of the New England Patriots. The meeting apparently took place July 27, 2001 beginning at 10 a.m. Present at the meeting are a bossy guy wearing a hoody and a bunch of nondescript overweight men, sitting around a conference table. We at BTSCICIFSYWOKMYYL feel there is no reason not to suspect this group is the braintrust of the Patriots: head coach Bill Belichick, several members of his coaching staff and Football Research Director Ernie Adams. We offer the following transcript of a portion of that meeting, so that all of our faithful readers might gain some insight into the so-called “Spygate Affair”, which we here at BTSCICIFSYWOKMYYL like to refer to as the Montezuma’s Revenge of football scandals. It was tough to swallow, hard to digest and keeps running.

Bill Belichick: “… and so gentlemen that brings us to the final item on the agenda, namely the practice begun last year of taping other teams’ offensive and defensive signals. If you recall, it was Ernie who suggested that we might build up a database and construct a signal and play profile of opposing teams. It seemed to me at the time it would be an interesting exercise that might serve some future but unknown philanthropic purpose, perhaps aiding the understanding of the game for future generations of Patriots fans, indeed millions of NFL fans around the world. Of course, we suspected it would have no value whatsoever in our performance on the field, or affect in any way the delicate competitive balance upon which our league is founded. (NOTE: At this point BB is seen turning toward the camera and mouthing a comment to, presumably, the cameraman. BTSCICIFSYWOKMYYL hired a prominent lip reader/body language analyst/freelance barista to determine that BB is saying: "Is the (expletive) camera working?” At that point the camera moves up and down, and BB continues). “Well, here we are a year later and I’d like all of us to contribute to an evaluation of the taping program to date, and a recommendation as to whether it should be continued. Ernie, why don’t you take the floor."

Ernie Adams: “Thank you Bill. First, I’d like to summarize the data we have compiled, what we have learned from it, and then present a cost/labor analysis of the resources used to implement and execute the program. To date we have compiled 248 hours of raw videotape of opposing teams’ sideline activities. This may seem like a lot but you have to realize we used a number of cameras and in many cases taped practises as well as games. We then blended this raw sideline footage with game tape in order to synchronize signals with actual plays. We then edited this blended package to a specific montage of still shots that shows the signal and the opposing team’s immediate response to it. We then put together a 90-minute docudrama with music by Led Zeppelin, CCR, Earth Wind and Fire, Cat Stevens and the Carpenters, among others, just in case we decide someday to enter the Cannes Film Festival, which as some of you may not know is in France where they don’t wear bikini tops, even the women. Copies of the soundtrack are available in my office. All of these tapes are available for viewing in the spare room down the hall that Charlie once used for his personal Lambada classes. What did you lose Charlie, 15 pounds or so? You look great.”

Charlie Weiss: “Thanks Ernie but actually I’ve gained 24 pounds over the past six months. I’m just carrying it a lot better and I really feel light on my feet. I wish Bledsoe could move around as well as I can now. (Room erupts in laughter). Anyway, that kid Brady joined the lessons too and he was amazing, really smooth. Says he’s nuts about Brazil.”

EA: “Well, thank you for the room, Charlie. Let’s hope we never have to find out if Brady can play quarterback as well as he can dance (General room laughter). Now, getting back to the taping program (Adams turns to the camera at this time and raises his voice). After a thorough review of all the tapes it’s absolutely clear that they have no practical use whatsoever. Not only do they show nothing we don’t already know, even if they did show us something we didn’t know there is simply not enough time to analyse it and react in such a way as to promptly pass along this previously unknown knowledge to the players on the field who don’t know it yet, even if there was something useful we learned, which we didn’t.  Does anybody disagree?"

Eric Mangini: “Ummm … could you run that by me again Ernie?”

BB: “Shut up Eric.”

EM: “Well it’s just that I was watching one of the films last night and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s cool (expletive) and might be useful if ... "

BB: “Thank you Eric, aren’t you just the super little genius today.”

(At this point BB is looking at Mangini, twitching his head toward the camera. Mangini turns toward the camera and you can literally see the light go on upstairs. Well, not literally but people say that all the time and you get what they mean.)

EM: “Ohhhhh … Oh yeah. Well, what I meant was I saw the Cannes Film Festival edition of Ernie's tapes and thought “Wow, that’s a cool soundtrack and it might be useful if ... if I ever bring a girl back to my apartment.”

(Room erupts in laughter and BB rolls his eyes)

EA: “Anyway, where was I … Ah yes, the cost/labor analysis. After going through all the associated costs of this new program I’ve arrived at these totals. Including cameramen, security, cost of film, cameras and other equipment, man-hours of everyone involved from field security to the film viewing time of the coaching staff, the final figures are 1,135 man-hours of labor and a total cost of  $175,000.”

Romeo Crennel: “Holy (expletive). Man, that’s about the same price as a nice split-level bungalow in Cleveland.”

BB “Romeo, what’s that got to do with anything? There’s no such thing as a nice split-level bungalow in Cleveland. I should know. There’s no such thing as a nice anything in Cleveland. The last thing you want to do is think anything about Cleveland. Don’t go there.”

RC: “But they've got a really great rock and roll hall of fame there. And I lived there last year, remember?"

BB: “I didn’t mean don’t go to Cleveland you (expletive) idiot. I meant don’t bring up Cleveland during a staff meeting.”

RC: “You’re giving me permission to go back to Cleveland?”

BB: “Why would I care if you go to Cleveland? Of course you can go to Cleveland. And Eric can go to New York and Rob or Rex or Buddy Jr. over there whatever his name is can go to Oakland and Charlie can Lambada his way down to Notre Dame and teach it to their next (expletive) quarterback. (Belichick’s voice has been been getting louder and at this point he stands up, stares around the room and pounds on the table) You can all take a flying (expletive) this weekend for all I care. Just be back on Monday so we can review film … game film that is. And practise film. Of our practises. Not any other kind of film. And for sure not any of that useless film of the other teams’ signals.”

(Nobody in the room says anything for about a minute. Belichick then sits down and eventually cracks a small smile that the lip reader/body language analyst/freelance barista said could be described as “smug”. Everyone else in the room starts to chuckle ... except Mangini, who seems confused.)

EM: “You know coach, there was this one sideline film where I saw the DC give a hand wiggle and raise his fingers and the Mike started sliding down the line and it was a pretty good indicator that they  … “

BB: “Shut up Eric … Now, Ernie where were you?”

EA: “Just summing up Bill. I’d like to recommend that we continue the taping program for another year and perhaps an indefinite period into the future. It’s clear that the NFL would only approve of this practice if in fact it provided no aid whatsoever to our game preparation or execution on the field. After a year of study we can conclude that this in fact is the case. It is totally worthless. That’s why we should continue doing it. If it did serve a purpose in any specific way that improved our team or have an impact during a game, then of course we would stop doing it. From a personal standpoint I find it interesting. After staring at this film for literally hundreds of hours in slow-motion, reverse and even while standing on my head, cross-referencing various hand signs with historical references such as those found in rare tracts about the Knights Templar and the Seventh Day Adventists, I’m starting to understand things in a way that …”

BB: “Umm, thank you Ernie … So, is anyone opposed to continuing the taping of sideline signals?”

CW: “You mean I don’t get my Lambada room back?”

BB: “Sorry Charlie but sometimes (At this point BB turns to the camera briefly and raises his voice) we have to make sacrifices for the pursuit of knowledge, in whatever arcane or seemingly useless form it may take at the present time. Gathering information is a noble cause, in and of itself … Now, from a practical perspective I would add that we strongly suspect other teams are gathering similar information. The only way we can be sure that their information is also totally useless is to do an even better job of gathering and analyzing said useless information. As long as all teams are equal in their acquisition of worthless material, then no one will have a competitive disadvantage. It’s just like the nuclear arms race, but opposite.”

(At this point Rob Ryan excuses himself from the room and can be heard retching in the hallway)

BB: “On that note gentlemen, I think we’ll adjourn. See you Monday … except you Eric. I want to see you in my office.”

(BB turns to the cameraman and slides his hand across his throat, which according to the lip readerlbody language analyst/freelance barista is a sign to stop filming. However, it is possible to hear BB make a comment to EM just before the tape ends)

BB: “Now, what was that you were saying about the DC and the hand wiggle and the fingers and the Mike backer? Are you sure the DC wasn’t just waving at our camera and raised only one finger?”

FINAL NOTE: We leave it up to you to interpret this rare look inside command central of, arguably, not only the greatest team in football history or even in sports history, but any dynasty anywhere in recent memory. Of course, other people's memories may be more or less recent, as in longer or shorter, but that is neither here nor there.

Regards, BTSCICIFSYWOKMYYL

Everyone is taking their shots at the draft lottery so I'll throw mine in too. It will all be meaningless within 48 hours anyway but here's who I'm looking at as future Steelers .

1. C Eric Wood: I went through a first-round mock scenario to see who I think will be available. Some of the guys we all like could be gone, including Hood, Gilbert and Mack. The choice came down to Wood or CB Vontae Davis and I picked Wood. He can start immediately at RG and take over from Hartings in 2010. Steelers could trade down 5-10 spots and take Wood, Unger or FS Delmas a little bit lower.

2. S/CB Sherrod Martin: An athletic safety with the athleticism to play nickel back. DE Fili Moala is a possibility here but his effort is too inconsistent.

3. OT/G T.J. Lang: Aggressive and versatile OL who is an excellent run blocker. Projected best fit at guard but could contribute at 4 OL positions.

4. NT Roy Miller: Very similar physically to Hampton coming out of college. Run-stopper and big effort guy.

5. OT Joel Bell: Large and athletic OT with aggressive streak.

5b. DE Zach Potter: Fits the prototype of a Steeler DE. Long arms, big frame to support 20 more pounds, good effort and lateral run-stuffing ability.

6.  CB Donald Carey: Developmental CB prospect with size, intelligence and decent athleticism.

7.   RB Frank Summers: Hard to tackle FB/RB to replace Russell on depth chart.

7b. WR Eron Riley: Big play receiver/KR in college with excellent speed and size. I look for the Steelers to add a veteran cheap backup WR later this summer.

Here's how my first-round mock looks including some trade projections:

1. Detroit: QB Stafford

2. St. Louis: OT J. Smith

3. KC: DE Jackson

4. Washington (from Seattle): QB Sanchez

5. Cleveland: LB Curry

6. Cincinnati: OT Munroe

7. Oakland: WR Maclin

8. Jacksonville: WR Crabtree

9. Green Bay: OLB Orakpo

10. San Francisco: OT A. Smith

11. NY Jets (from Buffalo): QB Freeman

12. Denver: NT B.J. Raji

13. Seattle (from Washington): RB Moreno

14. New Orleans: CB Jenkins

15. Houston: LB Clay Matthews

16. San Diego: MLB Maualuga

17. Buffalo (from NY Jets): DE Ayers

18. Denver: LB Cushing

19. Tampa Bay: DT Jerry

20. Detroit: OT Oher

21. Philadelphia: TE Pettigrew

22. Indianapolis (from Minny): DT Hood

23. New England: DE Gilbert

24. Atlanta: CB Butler

25. Miami: OLB Maybin

26. Baltimore: WR Hayward-Bey

27. Minnesota (from Indy): OT Britton

28. Buffalo: OT Loadholt

29. NY Giants: WR Robiskie

30. Tennessee: C Mack

31. Arizona: OLB/DE Everette Brown

32. Pittsburgh: C Wood

The Steelers have finished the process of interviewing 30 non-local draft prospects. The last group visited the team's training facility on Friday, giving the Steelers a week to put the finishing touches on their draft board. I have to give credit to the guys at the Steeler Fury blog for researching and tracking the prospects and confirming their visits to Pittsburgh. I'll post the full list below, ranking the players within their position group according to the comprehensive list from nfldraftscout.com, which can be found at http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings .

How meaningful is the list? Just because a player is not on the list (such as Louisville center Eric Wood) does not mean the Steelers are less interested in him than the players that did come in (such as fellow centers Alex Mack and Max Unger). They may feel they already know enough about Wood after seeing him at the Senior Bowl, the Combine and his Pro Day. Some players may have come in for a private interview in order to allay concerns about character, intelligence or off-field issues. However, it is safe to say the Steelers would not be bringing in a player if they weren't already interested in him to some extent. The list also excludes most of the top 25 prospects. Vontae Davis is the top-ranked player who visited the Steelers and character issues in his case might result in him dropping to the end of the first round or early second round. The other top prospects are fringe first-rounders Mack, Unger, Alphonso Smith and Jarron Gilbert (still ranked by nfldraftscout as a late second-rounder). It's quite possible the Steelers will not draft ANY of the 30 players they brought in, though that would be rare. You could argue that if these visits serve to eliminate 30 candidates, then it's still a useful exercise. Nonetheless, I think the list in general provides a window into the thoughts of the front office and coaching staff.

In addition to the 30 out of town visits the Steelers also had interviews with three local players: LB Scott McKillop and G/C C.J. Davis of Pitt, and center A.Q. Shipley of Penn State. Here's the list and I'll post some observations below.

DRAFT VISITS (complete list after the jump)

Continue reading this post »

Mike Tomlin is halfway through a four-year deal that in 2008 paid him $2.5 million, putting him in a tie for 21st on the head coaches' salary list. Ken Whisenhunt also made $2.5 million in 2008. Among those who earned more were rookie head coaches Jim Zorn, John Harbaugh, Tony Sparano and Mike Smith, all at $3 million. Mike Holmgren was the highest paid at $8 million.

Maybe there is no need to negotiate with Tomlin this year, but can you imagine how much more Tomlin might command if, a year from now, his team has won back-to-back Super Bowls?  In that position the Steelers would pay just about anything he wanted, and I'd be thrilled if they did.

Just a thought, but why not try to extend him for an extra five years right now with a bonus that gives him a substantial raise for the next two years? I want to see him on the Steelers sideline for a decade (or more).

One of the beautiful aspects of football is that team success often defies statistical data, to a larger degree than any other team sport. A big play, a lucky bounce, unquantifiable aspects like team unity, the ability to perform at the right time, good coaching have a tremendous impact on each game.

Perhaps no football position defies statistical analysis more than the offensive line, and the linemen on it. Line success depends on teamwork among the five players and offensive unit success depends on how the game plan plays to the strengths and weakness of the unit up front.

All that said, statistics do serve a purpose. In light of the recent heated debate on these boards about the offensive line I thought I would post the only two sources of data (that I'm aware of at least) about offensive lines and linemen. One, is a breakdown of sacks allowed by individual lineman that is widely available. The list includes 32 players at each position (ie, the player who got at least eight starts at that spot for his team). The second is an analysis of offensive line performance by Football Outsiders www.footballoutsiders.com ...

I'll post the full table of individual sacks allowed below. Relevant to Steelers' discussion, LT Max Starks ranked 16th (out of 32) with 4.0 sacks allowed in 11 starts (tied for 14th with two other players who had more starts); LG Chris Kemoeatu ranked 31st with 7.5 SA (just behind Alan Faneca at 7.0); C Justin Hartwig ranked 32nd with 6.5  SA; RG Darnell Stapleton ranked 26th (out of 30, because two teams did not have a player with at least eight starts) with 5.0 SA in 12 games (the four players behind him had 2-4 more starts); and RT Willie Colon ranked 17th with 5.75 SA in 16 starts. In general the individual stats confirm what we should already know: the line gave up a lot of pressure up the middle against bigger, stronger D-tackles and NTs, and also failed to identify and pick up stunts up the middle. Let's not forget that while Ben's style may contribute to extra sacks, his escapability has in all likelihood prevented FAR MORE from being added to all these individual totals.

Football Outsiders is the best statistical database available. They break down their offensive line stats into two general categories, running effectiveness and pass protection effectiveness. On running plays, the Steelers O-line ranked 25th; In passing, the Steelers O-line ranked 29th. Only two teams, Oakland and Detroit, ranked worse than Pittsburgh in both categories. Only one team ranked behind Pittsburgh in either category (Arizona, run blocking) made the playoffs. There are further breakdowns about run effectiveness in different direction. The Steelers had their highest run ranking behind LT (8th) and around LE (10th). They ranked 24th in running between the guards and were 32nd in runnng behind RT.

In short, the sack totals and FO statistics portray the Steelers offensive line as bad in run blocking, horrible in pass blocking, and that the combined performance qualifies them as one of the 3-4 worst O-lines in the NFL this past year, along with Detroit, Cincinnati and Oakland. 

As always, draw your own conclusions.

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

LT

1. Ryan Clady (Broncos) 0.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
2. Michael Roos (Titans) 1.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
3. Tra Thomas (Eagles) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
3. Orlando Pace (Rams) 2.0 sacks allowed (14 starts)
5. Jake Long (Dolphins) 2.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
6. Jordan Gross (Panthers) 3.0 sacks allowed (15 starts)
6. Jammal Brown (Saints) 3.0 sacks allowed (15 starts)
6. Jared Gaither (Ravens) 3.0 sacks allowed (15 starts)
6. Marcus McNeill (Chargers) 3.0 sacks allowed (14 starts)
6. Tony Ugoh (Colts) 3.0 sacks allowed (12 starts)
6. Chris Samuels (Redskins) 3.0 sacks allowed (12 starts)
6. Todd Weiner (Falcons) 3.0 sacks allowed (11 starts)
13. Walter Jones (Seahawks) 3.5 sacks allowed (12 starts)
14. D’Brickashaw Ferguson (Jets) 4.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
14. Bryant McKinnie (Vikings) 4.0 sacks allowed (12 starts)
14. Max Starks (Steelers) 4.0 sacks allowed (11 starts)
17. Joe Thomas (Browns) 4.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
17. Branden Albert (Cheifs) 4.5 sacks allowed (15 starts)
19. Levi Brown (Bengals) 5.5 sacks allowed (11 starts)
20. Mike Gandy (Cardinals) 6.25 sacks allowed (16 starts)
21. David Diehl (Giants) 6.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
22. Flozell Adams (Cowboys) 7.25 sacks allowed (16 starts)
23. Khalif Barnes (Jags) 7.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
23. Matt Light (Pats) 7.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
23. Chad Clifton (Packers) 7.5 sacks allowed (15 starts)
23. Kwame Harris (Raiders) 7.5 sacks allowed (11 starts)
27. Joe Staley (49ers) 8.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
28. Donald Penn (Bucs) 8.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
29. Jeff Backus (Lions) 9.25 sacks allowed (16 starts)
30. John St. Clair (Bears) 9.75 sacks allowed (16 starts)
31. Duane Brown (Texans) 11.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
31. Jason Peters (Bills) 11.5 sacks allowed (13 starts)


LG

1. Kris Dielman (Chargers) 0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
1. Charlie Johnson (Colts) 0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
1. David Baas (49ers) 0 sacks allowed (9 starts)
4. Carl Nicks (Saints) 0.5 sacks allowed (13 starts)
5. Todd Herremans (Eagles) 0.75 sacks allowed (15 starts)
6. Brian Waters (Chiefs) 1.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
7. Josh Beekman (Bears) 1.25 sacks allowed (16 starts)
8. Robert Gallery (Raiders) 1.75 sacks allowed (16 starts)
8. Reggie Wells (Cardinals) 1.75 sacks allowed (16 starts)
10. Eugene Amano (Titans) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
10. Chris Chester (Ravens) 2.0 sacks allowed (11 starts)
12. Chester Pitts (Texans) 2.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
12. Ben Hamilton (Broncos) 2.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
12. Travelle Wharton (Panthers) 2.5 sacks allowed (14 starts)
12. Jacob Bell (Rams) 2.5 sacks allowed (13 starts)
12. Justin Smiley (Dolphins) 2.5 sacks allowed (12 starts)
17. Rich Seubert (Giants) 3.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
17. Pete Kendall (Redskins) 3.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
17. Justin Blalock (Falcons) 3.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
27. Eric Steinbach (Browns) 3.0 sacks allowed (14 starts)
21. Floyd Womack (Seahawks) 3.5 sacks allowed (14 starts)
22. Edwin Mulitalo (Lions) 4.25 sacks allowed (11 starts)
23. Arron Sears (Bucs) 4.5 sacks allowed (15 starts)
23. Uche Nwaneri (Jags) 4.5 sacks allowed (15 starts)
23. Cory Procter (Cowboys) 4.5 sacks allowed (11 starts)
26. Logan Mankins (Pats) 5.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
26. Andrew Whitworth (Bengals) 5.0 sacks allowed (10 starts)
28. Daryn Colledge (Packers) 6.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
29. Steve Hutchinson (Vikings) 7.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
29. Alan Faneca (Jets) 7.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
31. Chris Kemoeatu (Steelers) 7.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
32. Derrick Dockery (Bills) 8.25 sacks allowed (16 starts)



C

1. Olin Kreutz (Bears) 0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
1. Todd McClure (Falcons) 0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
1. Chris Myers (Texans) 0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
1. Kevin Mawae (Titans) 0 sacks allowed (15 starts)
1. Ryan Kalil (Panthers) 0 sacks allowed (12 starts)
6. Brad Meester (Jags) 0.25 sacks allowed (10 starts)
7. Lyle Sendlein (Cardinals) 0.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
8. Duke Preston (Bills) 0.75 sacks allowed (11 starts)
9. Casey Wiegmann (Broncos) 1.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
9. Jeff Faine (Bucs) 1.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
9. Jonathan Goodwin (Saints) 1.0 sacks allowed (13 starts)
12. Nick Mangold (Jets) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
12. Andre Gurode (Cowboys) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
12. Shaun O’Hara (Giants) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
12. Matt Birk (Vikings) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
12. Jeff Saturday (Colts) 2.0 sacks allowed (12 starts)
12. Dominic Raiola (Lions) 2.0 sacks allowed (12 starts)
12. Nick Leckey (Rams) 2.0 sacks allowed (10 starts)
19. Jason Brown (Ravens) 2.25 sacks allowed (16 starts)
19. Jamaal Jackson (Eagles) 2.25 sacks allowed (16 starts)
21. Hank Fraley (Browns) 2.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
21. Nick Hardwick (Chargers) 2.5 sacks allowed (13 starts)
21. Jake Grove (Raiders) 2.5 sacks allowed (12 starts)
21. Chris Spencer (Seahawks) 2.5 sacks allowed (11 starts)
25. Rudy Niswanger (Chiefs) 3.5 sacks allowed (15 starts)
25. Scott Wells (Packers) 3.5 sacks allowed (13 starts)
27. Eric Heitmann (49ers) 4.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
27. Eric Ghaiciuc (Bengals) 4.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
29. Samson Satele (Dolphins) 4.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
29. Dan Koppen (Pats) 4.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
31. Casey Rabach (Redskins) 5.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
32. Justin Harwig (Steelers) 6.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)



RG

1. Chris Kuper (Broncos) 0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
2. Jake Scott (Titans) 0.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
2. Max Jean-Gilles (Eagles) 0.5 sacks allowed (10 starts)
4. Chris Snee (Giants) 1.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
4. Harvey Dahl (Falcons) 1.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
4. Jason Spitz (Packers) 1.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
4. Ikechuku Ndukwe (Dolphins) 1.0 sacks allowed (15 starts)
4. Brad Butler (Bills) 1.0 sacks allowed (13 starts)
4. Davin Joseph (Bucs) 1.0 sacks allowed (12 starts)
4. Adrian Jones (Chiefs) 1.0 sacks allowed (10 starts)
11. Rex Hadnot (Browns) 1.5 sacks allowed (15 starts)
12. Deuce Lutui (Cardinals) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
12. Brandon Moore (Jets) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
12. Mike Brisiel (Texans) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
12. Jahri Evans (Saints) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
12. Mike Pollak (Colts) 2.0 sacks allowed (13 starts)
12. Stephen Neal (Pats) 2.0 sacks allowed (9 starts)
18. Roberto Garza (Bears) 2.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
19. Randy Thomas (Redskins) 4.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
19. Robbie Williams (Bengals) 4.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
19. Cooper Carlisle (Raiders) 4.0 sacks allowed (15 starts)
19. Stephen Peterman (Lions) 4.0 sacks allowed (14 starts)
19. Tony Wragge (49ers) 4.0 sacks allowed (10 starts)…RFA
24. Leonard Davis (Cowboys) 4.5 sacks allowed (16 starts) *PRO-BOWL*
24. Mike Goff (Chargers) 4.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
26. Darnell Stapleton (Steelers) 5.0 sacks allowed (12 starts)
27. Ben Grubbs (Ravens) 6.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
27. Richie Incognito (Rams) 6.5 sacks allowed (15 starts)
29. Dennis Norman (Jags) 7.25 sacks allowed (14 starts)
30. Anthony Herrera (Vikings) 7.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)


RT

1. Ryan Diem (Colts) 1.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
1. Jon Stinchcomb (Saints) 1.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
1. Ray Willis (Seahawks) 1.5 sacks allowed (10 starts)
4. David Stewart (Titans) 2.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
4. Mark Tauscher (Packers) 2.0 sacks allowed (13 starts)
6. Ryan Harris (Broncos) 2.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
6. Tyson Clabo (Falcons) 2.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
8. Langston Walker (Bills) 3.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
8. Nick Kaczur (Pats) 3.0 sacks allowed (14 starts)
10. Willie Anderson (Ravens) 3.5 sacks allowed (11 starts)
11. Kareem McKenzie (Giants) 4.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
11. Vernon Carey (Dolphins) 4.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
11. Kevin Shaffer (Browns) 4.5 sacks allowed (15 starts)
14. Jeff Otah (Panthers) 5.0 sacks allowed (12 starts)
15. Tony Pashos (Jags) 5.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
15. Marc Colombo (Cowboys) 5.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
17. Willie Colon (Steelers) 5.75 sacks allowed (16 starts)
18. John Tait (Bears) 6.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
18. Jeremy Trueblood (Bucs) 6.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
18. Ryan Cook (Vikings) 6.0 sacks allowed (14 starts)
18. Gosder Cherilus (Lions) 6.0 sacks allowed (13 starts)
22. Damien Woody (Jets) 6.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
22. Jeromey Clary (Chargers) 6.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
22. Jon Jansen (Redskins) 6.5 sacks allowed (11 starts)
25. Jon Runyan (Eagles) 7.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
25. Damion McIntosh (Chiefs) 7.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
27. Cornell Green (Raiders) 7.5 sacks allowed (16 starts)
27. Alex Barron (Rams) 7.5 sacks allowed (15 starts)
29. Eric Winston (Texans) 8.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)
30. Stacy Andrews (Bengals) 9.5 sacks allowed (15 starts)
31. Adam Snyder (49ers) 9.5 sacks allowed (13 starts)
32. Levi Brown (Cardinals) 11.0 sacks allowed (16 starts)

Wow, five days after the Super Bowl the Cardinals are now looking for new offensive and defensive coordinators. OC Todd Haley, as rumored, is the new head coach of K.C. DC Clancy Pendergast was fired this afternoon by Ken Whisenhunt. Among the rumored replacements for Pendergast is Steelers linebackers coack Keith Butler, who Whisenhunt tried to bring to Arizona in 07 as a positional coach but was denied by the Steelers.

Pendergast's firing might catch some people by surprise. After all, his unit played well in the post-season, coming up with a lot of big plays after a pretty inconsistent regular season. Overall, the Arizona defense ranked No. 19 overall in yards allowed. In the playoffs they came up with a ton of big plays. However, there has been a lot of criticism in Arizona of how the defense played on the Steelers last drive.

This should resonate with those of us in Steelers nation who think the team would be better off firing Arians. Like Pendergast's defense, the Steelers offense has struggled for consistency.  Overall, the Steelers ranked 22nd per game in yards per game. In Arians' two years the team has dropped from a No. 7 ranking in 06, to No. 17 in 07, to No. 22. Like Arians, Pendergast was retained from the previous staff. He was DC for five years. In 2005 the Cards' defense ranked No. 8 overall but has since dropped off.

Did the Steelers' offense play better than the Cardinals' defense in the Super Bowl? Not until the last drive. They had given up yards but played well in the red zone to keep the game close. In much of Steeler nation, that last drive is enough of a reason to keep Arians. You don't mess with success. In Arizona, those two minutes might have got a guy fired. Or did it? Does Whisenhunt fire him if they had won? Impossible to know but fun to speculate on why two minutes should make that much difference.

Here is a link to some details on RB/KR Stefan Logan, newest signee ... http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=67472&draftyear=2007&genpos=RB

The guy is tiny (not qute 5-7 and about 180) and has already been with at least  two NFL teams (Giants and Dolphins) since going undrafted in 07. The fact he has pro experience of any kind makes him a better prospect than someone like skier/underwear model Jeremy Bloom. The open space of the CFL is perfect for him, the closed space of the NFL not so much. Logan was the No. 1 running back for the Lions (899 rushing yards, 7.3 avg; 477 reception yards, 9.2 avg; not their primary kick returner (neither kickoffs nor punts). He had 13 punt returns for 138 yards, 9 KO returns for 266 yards. The CFL's best kick returner last year was Dominique Dorsey of the Toronto Argonauts and he signed with Washington.

I'd say Logan has next to no chance of being a third-down back because he is too small to block anyone. He also fumbled the ball quite a bit in the CFL. But we don't need a third-down back. If he can hang onto the ball and stay healthy, he has a shot as a KR/PR and obviously the Steelers saw enough when Logan worked out in Pittsburgh last month to offer him a contract. A longshot but an interesting one.

Aside from BTSC, one of the best places on the internet to find good insight into the Steelers (especially around draft time) is the web home of Lance Zierlein, son of offensive line coach Larry. Lance is a radio host in Houston and has a terrific Houston Chronicle newspaper football blog, called The Z Report at http://blogs.chron.com/fantasyfootball/ ... Naturally, most of his stuff concerns the Texans but occasionally you will find a nugget of information about what is happening behind the scenes with the Steelers. For example, I found this on his blog entry about the Super Bowl: "The Steelers had four offensive linemen who had to get shots to be able to play so I figured they were in for some trouble against that front." ...   By the way, Lance's pregame prediction was 27-24 Steelers and most of his prop bets about the game were also bang on.

Lance has recently posted his first Mock Draft at http://blogs.chron.com/fantasyfootball/2009/01/mock_me_my_first_mock_draft_of.html ... His pick for the Steelers was center Alex Mack but you can expect his projected picks to change significantly as he gathers more information from credible sources. He has excellent connections in the scouting community and of course also might have an inside track on what the Steelers are thinking. He'll be making regular comments about the draft and certain prospects over the next couple months and is well worth reading.

All the heavy hitters are coming out swinging here on BTSC with great post after great post. I, for one, am thrilled and appreciative for it. Keep it coming y'all as we get ready for what I'm sure is going to be one helluva fun week. -Blitz-

There are some eery similarities between this Super Bowl and Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 between Oakland and Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers were the NFL's best defensive team, by a wide margin, in 2002, ranking No. 1 against the run, No. 5 against the pass and giving up the fewest points and yards per game. Their defensive coordinator was an experienced, innovative and widely-respected NFL veteran (Monte Kiffin) and their head coach was young Jon Gruden, who had been smart enough to retain Kiffin in one of his first moves after taking the Tampa Bay job. On the Bucs' staff was defensive backs coach Mike Tomlin, completing the second year of his budding NFL career while barely into his 30s. The Bucs that year led the NFL in interceptions (31) and the writing was on the wall. The Bucs went 12-4 in the regular season and decisively won their two playoff games behind their overpowering defense and a somewhat conversative offense run by QB Brad Johnson.. On the field, their defensive leaders were veteran DT Warren Sapp, DE pass-rusher extraordinaire Simeon Rice (16 sacks), veteran safety John Lynch and LB Derrick Brooks. Their offense had been inconsistent (only eight teams gained fewer yards that season) but they got big plays from veteran WRs Keyshawn Johnson and Keenan McCardell and solid running from Michael Pittman and Mike Alstott. The big concern was pass protection; the Bucs surrendered 41 sacks that season and their O-line was, at best, serviceable. Only one starter on the line ever went to a Pro Bowl -- center Jeff Christy, three times -- and Christy (a former Pitt Panther star) was playing his last game that Super Bowl Sunday.

Continue reading this post »

Of all  the things about pro sports teams that we as fans are unaware, the working relationship between coaches is perhaps the least known. This is especially true in football, where staffs are so big, and on which defensive and offensive coordinators are in a way head coaches running their own mini-staffs of positional coaches.

Continue reading this post »

The following is from the sagacious steeler lifer, who mysteriously showed up one day on BTSC, and wow'ed us for the next 6 months or so with his extensive historical knowledge of the game, both in the United States, and in Canada. He also was one of the main centerpieces of BTSC's draft coverage last year. He vanished though for quite some time, so I was quite pleased to hear from him this evening via email. All seems well down in the Caribbean. Cheers to that and hopefully we'll see him around more this offseason. By the way, be sure to check the link contained within his post - they link to his views on Arians about this time last year. - Blitz-

It's Christmas Eve here in the Caribbean and I'd like to pass along holiday greetings to all of those on this site, especially the guys in the engine room such as Blitz and Maryrose and the regular contributors, old and new. It's still the best place to get rational, intelligent analysis of the Steelers.   Like most on this site, I've been hugely entertained by the 2008 season. I'm actually pretty confident of getting to the Super Bowl. Tomlin's effect on the secondary, the play of Woodley and Timmons and Troy's resurgence has turned this defense into one that can win a championship so long as the offense doesn't create a too big a negative point swing in points thrown away and points given to the opponent (such as in Tennessee).   This season has only added to the confidence I have in Tomlin. The team has improved since last season. There is more depth at all positions (except O-line). The players have met the challenge of an imposing schedule and clearly are motivated. This is a good team and will be better next year, too, when Mendenhall and Sweed start making a contribution and Timmons' playing time doubles. The offensive line will be upgraded in free agency and the draft.   Tomlin's major challenge is working with the guy just down the hall from his office, because the biggest obstacle to a championship run is the intransigence of OC Bruce Arians. As I noted a year ago in support of his firing, he simply will not adapt his X's and O's to the talent of the players that those X's and O's represent. We can talk about how poorly the offensive line performs, but there are ways to minimize those deficiencies, or adapt within games to what is and isn't working, and Arians can't do it.

We don't make Ben a moving target by plan with rollouts, naked bootlegs or moving pockets; we don't max protect at the right times; we don't no-huddle enough; we don't mix up snap counts; we don't use quick running plays; we don't have "money" plays that we can count on in crucial situations. The sure death knell of any potential scoring drive is when Ben calls a time out;  I have absolutely no confidence that the play we come out with after Ben huddles up with Arians will work. We basically do not have an offensive identity. This has been the case since Day 1 of Arians' tenure as OC.   It still amazes me that so many fans think we should run the ball more. This Steeler team cannot be a run dominant team. The o-line is mediocre (maybe even horrible) but it is clearly better at pass blocking than run blocking. Parker runs hard but he is a step slower than last year and doesn't break enough first tackles to be effective behind this group as a 20-plus carry runner. Moore should start games: He is a much better receiver than Parker, reads his blocks better and breaks more first tackle attempts. Parker would be more effective against tired defenses and still runs hard enough to carry the mail if the team is leading in the second half or if a defense is starting to break down.  

The bye will be a huge benefit. We're relatively healthy, we've been in tough games against good teams and won by a variety of means. We got a slap in the face from a good but not great Tennessee team that I don't think will make it to the AFC championship game. My own prediction is that a wild card team will end up playing in Pittsburgh for a trip to the Super Bowl, and that we crush that silly Cinderella  team for a rematch with the Giants.   The other possibility is that I'm smoking too much weed tonight. On that note, I'll close by wishing everyone a safe and joyous Christmas.   Cheers