STEELERS BY OFFENSIVE SET '09: GAME 6
SET		#Plays		Rushing		Passing	Sack	Int
3 or More Wides		34		10-55 yds		14/24-281		1
2Tight/2Wide		19		7-21 yds		7/9-115yds	3
2Tight/FB		4		2-2 yds		2/2-21yds
3Tight		13		13-62yds
Pro		1		1-3yds
TOTAL		71		33-143yds		22/35	3	1
						417yds
Does not include 3 plays negated by penalty
Does not include 3 kneeldowns from Victory Formation

STEELERS BY OFFENSIVE SET '09: CUMULATIVE 6 GAMES
SET		#Plays		Rushing		Passing	Sack	Int
3 or More Wides		219		50-223yds		115/158	11	6
						1447yds
2Tight/2Wide		81		40-204yds		23/36	5
						337yds
2Tight/FB		37		32-81		3/5-32yds
3Tight		24		21-74yds		3/3-13yds
Pro		17		12-35yds		5/5-42yds
1T/3B/1W		3		3-3yds
TOTAL		381		158-620yds		149/207	16	6
						1901yds
Does not include plays negated by penalty or kneeldowns from victory formation   *Steelers run 3 or more wises on 57.5% of all offensive plays *All 3 passes from triple tight end set have been touchdowns

Haven't charted the thing, but rewatched the first 3 quarters, few observations:

a.  Steelers seemed to run double-tight more than usual.  I'd say the base this game was double tight/double wide.  Made me wonder about the extent to which last year's usage of 3 wides (more than all other sets combined) was due to the degree to which Steelers were coming from behind, so...

b.  Last year, Nate played about 67% of all offensive snaps. 
The come-from-behind games:
Baltimore:  52%
Jax:  76%
San Diego:  83%
Dallas: 57%
Baltimore:  79%
Average:  69.4%
In-hand games:
TN:  57%
Cleve?:  31%
Cinci:  65%
Wash:  55%
Cinci:  75%
New England:  59%
Cleve:  51%
Average:  56.1%
Gettin our ass kicked games:
Philly:  64%
TN:  92%
Average:  78%
Others:
Giants (started for Santonio's weed bust):  90%
Colts:  67%
Average:  78.5%
Conclusion....not THAT skewed

c.  Steelers lined up Harrison & I think, Woodley, as ILBs sometimes, producing one of Harrison's 2 sacks.

d.  Best play of the night, IMO....2nd & goal on the 6, 3Q, Steelers come out in 3 tights, line up 2 tights right, bring Hines (lone WR) in motion right, throw left to Heath for the TD!!  Was a thing of beauty.

STEELERS BY OFFENSIVE SET '09, GAME 3
SET		#Plays		Rushing		Passing	Int	Sack
3 or More Wides		29		3-13yds		17/25-216	1	1
2Tight/2Wide		9		7-47yd		2/3-27yd
2Tight/FB		6		6-17yd
2Wide/Tight/FB		8		5-14yd		3/3-28yd
3Tight/FB		7		7-11yd
TOTAL		58		28-102yds		22/31-271	1	1

*Does not Include Plays Negated by Penalty
*Ramon Foster in for 10 plays, all as tight end
*Wallace played only 44% of snaps after playing
69% & 61% in first two games
*Spaeth played 46% of snaps after playing 27%
& 29% in first two games
*Ran 3 Wides 8 plays consecutive going into half,
so 3 WR figures are skewed by hurry-up situations
*Apologies for lateness, data just available this
morning, may enter performance by offensive set
later,might not

STEELERS AT THE QUARTER-POLE

Okay….I can’t do math very well, but using lowest common dominators, it’s 1 down, 3 to go on the NFL’s 2009 Regular Season. One might argue with that, and factor in the Bye Week, say there’s 13 weeks remaining, but the Bye Week is in my list of "Shit I Hate About the NFL" so I ain’t doing that. By the way, check out this website, www.shitmydadsays.com

Anyway, we’re 4 games in, and maybe last year’s Schizophrenic Steelers were just a warmup act to this year’s dichotomous bunch. Last week, I wrote that this gang, which many argued could have been 0-3, but not for Rob Bironas shanks and a coin flip, could just as easily have been 3-0, but for Jeff Reed shank, and a 4th & 10 debacle. So here, we are, 2-2, and mired in the middle of the AFC pack, when this team, dominant for the first ¾ of games, with the exception, ironically, of the opener, which they won, could be one of the undefeateds.

I was going to go with a "Good, Bad, Ugly" listing, but that’s so damn cliché-ish. How ‘bout….
*What’s Good
*What Sucks
*What Really Sucks

Here’s what’s good at the quarter-pole:
*Pass Pro:
Jailbreaks seem to be a thing of the past. Let’s see if it holds up against the fiercer pass rushes, i.e. Baltimore. We’ve all dreamed, "Just imagine how good Ben could be if he had good protection." Now we know. Not that we didn’t know, but now it’s there for the world to see. Plus, we still have the benefit of Ben holding the ball too long, running around for half a minute, still making a play. And y’know what. Fuck you, Chris Collinsworth. I know you think you were complimenting Ben when you said he was #4 among QBs, but he has twice as many rings as two guys on that short list combined, and ain’t no way he’s not better than the present-day Tom Brady, he the lone enrollee in the QB Protection Program. Segues to….
*Ben:
If this guy was thrown off his game by the rape charges, then hell, let’s have it every summer. Completed what, over 70% of his passes, and just think if Santonio and Limas Sweed hadn’t been dropping shit. He’s probably have completed over ¾ of his throws. He’s added one more 4Q comeback to his resume already, and fact is, against Chicago, he led a pair of 4Q drives, putting his team in position to win the game, only to have the kicks go awry. Last night, things get close in 4Q, Ben leads his team on a pair of scoring drives.
*Receivers:
Yeah, I know they’ve had the dropsies, but Santonio is a bitch to cover, he’s still making catches, Hines keeps going back to the fountain of youth, been solid, and what a find Mike Wallace has been. Heath’s as dependable on the receiving end as always.
*Backs:
Looks like I’ll be in the market for a new white jersey after the season…..seeya Willie. Oh my God, Signplax just paid 3 bills for your jersey!! Waaa….Waaa….Waaa!! Good thing min only cost me 35 bucks plus ship.
*Secondary:
I know, slipshod in 4Q…and we might see the secondary mentioned later, but Ike Taylor (Swaggin’) can plain cover, and the rest of the boys are hangin’ in. Once Troy gets back, no probs on the secondary.

What Sucks:
*Lamarr Woodley: Where’s he been?
*Run Blocking?: Well…not really. It’s like this. They’re going to run against porous defenses like that of the San Diego Not Super Chargers (how the hell can they market this song, for a team that’s made one SB appearance in their history, and summarily had their asses kicked?), and struggle mightily against stout defensive fronts (Tennessee, Baltimore, Minnesota). Y’know what, though….we can win with this o-line, and as long as Ben keeps taking them out to wrestling shows, weekends in Chicago, etc., they’ll stay cohesive

What Really Sucks:
*Special Teams:
And just think, our coverage has been solid. Skippy’s two shanks cost us a game though, and Stefan Logan’s debacle gave us anxious moments last night. Brings me back to the position I’ve always had about our punt returners. Just gimme a guy that’s gonna field it cleanly, not put the ball on the ground.

Okay, some things don’t fit so cleanly into those boxes. What about other issues.
Play-calling: I’m usually of the mind that when it works, you’re a genius, when it doesn’t you’re a dope, and that holds somewhat true this year. I do have a few play-calling/strategy issues in this young season though:

*Chicago, 4th & 2: Yes, Santonio makes the catch, ball in his hands and we win the game. However, going with double-tight, FB, one WR seemed to be giving Ben, the self-described "gunslinger" a weapon loaded only for Russian Routlette, rather than having all barrels full. Put Hines, Wallace, Heath into the pattern…have them all run past the sticks, throw to who’s open. Personally, I think the sack on the previous series informed this call, wanting to mitigate risk (low prob of sack or pick on that play) while offering maximum reward. However, with prob of risk or reward low, we achieved what was most probable, and incompletion.

*Cinci, 4th & goal from the 18-inch: Hell, Go for it!! Chances are, even with the suspect run blocking, back with no lean, we’ll make it, and if not, Cinci is way deep in the hole. I felt the same way about the FG try in the SB leading off the game. Later in the game, trying to run the clock, if 1st down run was stuffed, we threw well on 2nd down, if 1st down run worked, 2nd down run was stuffed…making for a 2nd down giveaway.

*SD, final series: I’m all for taking prudent risks. With 1:44 left in the game, SD with no timeouts, 3rd & 9 on the 28 or so, situation dictates a run, run the clock down to a minute, then try the game-clinching FG. Instead, Steelers not only passed, but were penalized, knocking them out of FG range. Had the following pass been incomplete, Steelers would have had neither the clinching points, nor the time off the clock. SD would have had the ball back, possibly at their 20, minute and a half left, down 7.

As far as the offensive sets, all this wishing for 3-wides to be our base, when it already is. Granted, Steelers have run more double tight sets these past two weeks, but it’s still the case that we run 3 wides more than all other sets combined.

Going forward:
This 4Q defensive problem is concerning, but I don’t think it will haunt this team all year, particularly once Troy returns soon. What will haunt this team all year is losing to the freakin’ Bengals last week. The pressure is on now to sweep the Ravens, as a split may well mean that Steelers lose out in tie-breakers. Been saying all off-season that Steelers got a break with the 1st place sched, and it’s already paying dividends. Scheds within the division are identical, save for 2 games against AFC East & South respectively. Steelers drew Titans (beat them already) and 1-3 Dolphins. Ravens drew Patriots (lost to them already) and 4-0 Colts. The sched disparity may offer us a two game advantage, which may be exactly what we need to beat out the Ravens for the Division if we split with them.

Some reason, I was worried about this game even when they seemed like a sinking ship, but I’m concerned about the Monday Nighter at Denver. Broncs are 4-0, and it’s just the type of game, especially this year, that Steelers let an inferior opponent hang around. Josh McDaniel….what’s that thing he does with his lip??

I’m pissed at the schedule-maker; we come off the bye week, and play on Monday night, when we have had advantage enough merely playing on Sunday. Then, Steelers fly back from the Rocky Mountain Time Zone, and play the Bengals on Sunday. In both ’05 and ’06, Steelers lost to the Bengals following a Monday Nighter.
I still like our chances to be 5-2 by the bye week. Telling you though, if we don’t sweep the Ravens, winning the AFC North will be one tough road to ho. Segues to…

Ongoing Pussification of the NFL:
Much as I was rooting against the Ravens yesterday, those roughing calls on Brady were bullshit!! Rule itself is bullshit. Then, the way it’s applied is bullshit, as I don’t think it’s applied uniformly. I think the refs are influenced by expectations. Poor Tommy with his bad knee…anyone gets within hailing distance of it, they get flagged. Ben though, refs know he holds the ball too long, takes a lot of hits….guess it’s his own fault. He won’t draw the same flag that Brady draws. Ray Lewis (much as I hate to say) had it right, as did Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy (who offered the technical explanation). All this stuff on these boards about whining Ravens fans, had this happened to the Steelers, imagine how much we’d bitch. Symptomatic of Goodell and his GayBlade leadership. I just can’t imagine this guy being a football fan, and endorsing this kind of soft-ass play.

'09 Steelers at 1/8 pole:  Fact or MumboJumbo?

 

As the Pittsburgh Steelers begin their season in pursuit of a 7th Lombardi Trophy, an angst has overtaken the good citizenry of the Steel City , a metropolis that lives and dies with its football team.  The fortunes of the Steelers have been uneven, winning their opener at home in overtime, yet one more comeback win for Big Ben & Company when the chips were down in the 4th quarter.  The next week, however, just when the Steelers seemed ready to roll Da Bears, the skies opened up, the Super Bowl MVP could no longer catch, or even stand upright, and the kicker, of whom his coach has said, "You can't ice a psychopath," missed not one, but a pair, of potentially game-winning kicks.

 

The backdrop to the melancholy populace is the G-20 economic summit, held this week in Pittsburgh .  At first, being one who walks around with my head in the sand ( I know that's a tough trick), I thought G-20 was a Steelers dive play, run behind Kemo.  But Pittsburghers have been kept out of their own City, while the red carpet's laid out for a group of bimbos from Swaziland and Khazakstan.  Only entry to the City is by a group of nutcases rapelling from the City's many bridges.

 

Anyway, here's the hot topics in Pittsburgh , re: the Black & Gold.  Is it fact, or is it MumboJumbo??

 

Steelers should run 3-Wide as their base offense:

I've been beating this drum since summer!!  Steelers ran 3-wides as in '08 more than all other offensive sets combined.  Then it morphs into, "Base is the offense that we run on 1st & 10."  Okay...Steelers ran 3 wides on 1st & 10 more than any other offensive set.  "No, Base is the offense that we run to start the game."  Hmmm....Steelers came out for their first snap in the Super Bowl with 3 tights...that their Base?

Add in that Steelers went 3 wides for 75% of the plays against Tennessee and 68% of the plays against Chicago , and you have your answer.

Answer:  MumboJumbo!!

 

Steelers run multiple tight end sets all the time:

Steelers usage of 2 tight-end sets is runner-up to 3 wides in popularity, but it's a very, very distant second.  Whereas, Steelers will run 3 wides a dozen plays in a row in spots, vs. Chicago , there were only 3 occasions where Steelers ran 2 tights on consecutive plays, topping out at 3 plays in a row.

Answer:  MumboJumbo!!

 

Scrap the Bunch formation; it never works:

Steelers have trouble running from the Bunch, but have used it to both create separation for the bunched receivers, as well as create a one-on-one on other side of the formation, usually for Santonio.  Steelers were 4 for 5 passing, 56 yards, out of the bunch v. Chicago

Answer:  MumboJumbo!!

 

Steelers O-Line sucks; we can't run for beans:

Who among us thought we'd run against Tennessee ?  Not me?  Steelers actually did run okay vs. Chicago , particularly to the right side, particularly with Kemo leading the play.  This G-power (is THAT related to the G-20?) produced 79 of the Steelers 103 rushing yards.  Line struggles on 3rd & short.  Runs rarely have been effective on 3rd & short, and Ben's sacked an inordinate amount in this down/distance, 9 times last year, 2 so far this year.  To me, the most shocking call in last year's SB was Steelers running Gary Russell between the tackles on 3rd & a very long one.  I was even more surprised that it worked. Pass Pro, once past 1Q of the Tennessee game, has been solid.

Answer:  Some truth, some MumboJumbo!!

 

 

Tyrone Carter; leave him the hell home in Pittsburgh .  He sucked last week:

Tyrone Carter brings the heat.  He hits like a ton of bricks.  IMO, was Dick LeBeau that sucked last week.  Ty Carter ain't all that fast.  Ty Carter can't cover all that well.  Third & goal for the Bears from the Steelers 7, 4Q, Steelers up 7, haven't gotten to Cutler all day.  What's LeBeau do?  Brings the heat on Cutler, leaves Carter on an island defending the speedy Johnny Cocks.  What a surprise.  Bears touchdown.

Answer:  Carter did suck, but it waddn't his fault....MumboJumbo!!

 

Jeff Reed's an alcoholic deadbeat.  He blew the game.

True...but.  Some posters this week, wrote that they didn't remember the last time Skippy missed a game-winning kick.  Hey Lamebrain!!  You don't remember 'cause it never happened.  That's right; 8th year in the league, and last week was the first, and second I guess, time, that this guy has failed when called upon to win the game with his toe.  Good thing there were no paper towel dispensers in site. 

Answer:  True, but I'm giving Skippy a mulligan on that one!!

 

STEELERS-BENGALS:

This week, Steelers go into the friendly confines of Paul Brown Stadium, where they win every year, and twice in '05.  Steelers haven't lost in this joint since '01, the one and only game that Bill Cowher (yes...that effin' turncoat Carolina Hurricane Bill Cowher) lost after leading by 11 points.  It's also the same joint in which Kimo (yeah...that Kimo) blew out Carson Palmer's knee, whereupon The Homosexual Carson Palmer left the stadium, went the hell home, before halftime, with his team holding a 10-point lead.  Way to be a leader, Carson.  I had to read the article three times to make sure I read it right.  Same game, Joey Porter (my favorite ex-Steeler....he not only gets a waiver from my hoping he breaks  his effin' leg, as do all ex-Steelers that have helped us win SBs; he also earns a waiver from my hoping that he "toils in obscurity for the balance of his career"...see chapter in Manifesto entitled, "Rooting for Injuries") taunts the Cincy fans, those remaining at the end.  "You make me tired," says Peezy, "I'm tired of kickin' y'all asses."  Classic Peezy...loved that guy.

 

Bad historical precedent for this game.  Post-SB XL, '06, Steelers at 1-1, lose to the Bengals due to a pair of lamebrained calls by The Effin' Turncoat Bill Cowher.  First, we're kickin' their all asses again, leading 7-0, running the ball up their asses, 1st & goal from their 5, and we throw it, and it's picked.  'Bout 8 minutes left, Steelers lead by 3, Bengals can't do a goddamn thing on offense. They punt.  The Knucklehead Cowher, who would later say, "I like Santonio's hands on punt runbacks close to our goal line," puts Ricardo Colclough back to field the punt.  One small problem.  Colclough can't catch.  He fumbles, Bengals recover, touchdown, Steelers lose.  What the hell, Cowher....8 minutes left, your return guy lines up at the 15...do you think the premium should have been placed on the guy that can catch the ball.

 

The Queen City (right.. Queens  living in Cincy) will be fired up...well, to the extent that's possible with this combo of Cincinnati homosexuals and Kentucky hicks.  I think there's bad blood in this game.  I think at least a pair of Bengals get either knocked the f out, or sustain a serious injury, for which the Steelers are accused of cheap-shotting, like the Steelers care about that.  My proudest moment of the post-season was at the NFL Meetings, where those Pussification of the NFL was advanced.  The Brady Rule, the Hines Ward Rule...all these wimp-ass rules put into effect.  There was Marvin Lewis & Jack Del Rio, practically holding hands, looking like PTSD victims as they talked about the horrid injuries that their players had suffered.   Four pieces of film were shown to support the rules changes.  Three of the four clips were of Pittsburgh Steelers blowing people the f UP!!  Then, when the vote is taken on these wimp-ass rules, the assclown Rich McKay, says, "So the vote's unanimous." Then, realizing that he's misspoke says, "Oh...one vote against... Pittsburgh ."  I LOVED it.  Made me proud to be from Pittsburgh , root for the only badass, non-pussified team in the entire NFL.

 

One last thing...my niece's BF, nice kid, 15 years old.  He's a Bengals fan.  I tell him I've never met a Bengals fan.  He says, "Well, I'm from Cincinnati ."  Duh....no shit!  Why else would anyone root for these assclowns if they didn't  have to 'cause they were born there.   Anyway, I got this kid's cell number...he doesn't know mine.  I'll be texting his little ass the whole game.  "Hey gaybo, Bengals suck....hahahahaa!!"  He won't know who it is.

 

Skippy bounces back....Steelers make Ochocinco STFU. 

 

Steelers win, oh...say...20-13.

 

 

 

 

STEELERS BY OFFENSIVE SET '09:  GAME 2
SET	#Plays	Rushing	Passing	Int	Sack
3 or More Wides		39	11-79yds	18/26-185	1	2
2Tight/2Wide		7	3-3yds	2/4-24 yds
2Tight/FB	6	4-14yds	1/2-3 yds
2Wide/Tight/FB		5	4-9yds	1/1-9yds
3Tight/FB	1	1/1-1yd
TOTAL	58	22-105yds		23/35-221	1	2
"Bunch
3wides		7	3-3yds	3/4-41yds
2tights		4	3-3yds	1/1-15yds
Total		11	6-6yds	4/5-56yds

Few notes on this:
*Puzzled by the dispute over the idendity of the Steelers "base" offense.  In '08, over 56% of all offensive plays were run out of sets with 3 or more WRs.  Last week, the level was 75%.  This week, it's 67.2% of all plays.
*Suggested that DJ Johnson did not see the field until the fateful final 3rd & 2.  Not true.  He was on the field for both Steeler touchdowns.
*Suggested that Steelers come out in 2 tight end sets to strt the game, and run it reapeatedly.  Not true. I'll take the liberty of listing the offensive sets utlilzed on the first offensive series, the 92 yard drive in 19 plays.
-2 wide, te, fb
-3wide, te
-2te, 2wr
-3wide, fb
-3wide, te
-2tight, 2 wide (bunch)
-3wide, te
-3wide, te (bunch)
-3wide, te
-2wide,te,fb
-3wide, te
-5wide
-3tight, fb
*As for running out of two tights repeatedly, Steelers ran out of two tights on consecutive plays once in the first half, running for 11 yards, then losing 5 on a run.  In the second half, Steelers ran out of two tights on three consecutive plays, passing on all plays for gains of 6, 9 and 3 yards.  There were no other occasions where Steelers ran multiple tight ends on consecutive plays

I'll offer one opinion.  I'll cede (though I never argued otherwise) to HOF that running the two tight set on what turned out to be the Steelers final offensive play was a mistake.  Three wides is the Steelers most effective set, both running and throwing.  It's the set, as HOF suggests, that employs our most lethal weapons on the field.  It does appear to me that Arians got "cute" on that one, and prioritized surprise rather than what we do best, that being having Ben drop back with multiple options from which to choose.  Not as severe, but akin to 3rd & 6.  My two cents.

Oh...Steelers suffered another sack on 3rd & 2.

STEELERS BY OFFENSIVE SET '09:  GAME 1
SET			TOTAL		RUSHING			PASSING
			PLAYS		Attempts	Yards		Attempts	Complete	Yards	Sacks	Intercept
3/4 Wide		*	52		10	19		39	29	323	3	2
2Tight/1Back/2Wide		**	11		6	8		4	4	32	1	0
2Tight/2Back/1Wide		***	2		2	-3
1Tight/3Back/1Wide			2		2	0
1Tight/2Back/2Wide			3		3	12
TOTAL			70		23	36		43	33	365	4	2
*One 3rd & short attempt (3rd & 1, pass completion for 11 yards)
**Two 3rd & short attempts (3rd & 2, sack for -19 yards; 3rd & 1, run for no gain)
***One 3rd & short attempt (3rd & 1, run for no gain)

In short..."Hell, yeah!"

One of the arguments, with which I'm personally growing impatient is the one related to Ben's survivability should he continue to be hit whilst attempting to pass.

Some have him as a latter day Mohammed Ali, knocked loose prematurely from his talents and his faculties.  I say...get used to it, it's the cost of doing business with Ben.  He'll not only survive, but will thrive.

Now, that said, last year, it did seem, in the words of Steve Young, that he was "seeing ghosts" after the jailbreak games of Philly and Baltimore early in the season, sometimes not holding the ball to long, of which he's often accused, but throwing early as though expecting to be hit.

He'll always be sacked alot, it's his game.  He'll always take big hits, ala Javon Kearse last week.   It's his game, and the cost of turning chicken poop into chicken salad, and sometimes chicken corden bleu.

Thanks to Maryrose.  His reference to Mark Stock on another fanpost provided the impetus for this piece.

 

In inverse order....a

#13:  Plaxico Burress...at Jax '00
Plax catches a ball in the field of play, is on the ground, isn't touched, rises to his feet and spikes the ball.  Jax recovers.  Steelers win.  A legacy is borne.

#12:  Willie Parker...'08 AFCCG
Willie's all alone on the sideline in the first quarter, Ben floats it to him perfectly, gonna be 6...clang...off the face mask!!  FWP can't catch.  Steelers get 3.  Oh...and if you're thinking about it, don't even suggest that Santonio can't catch as he supposedly "dropped" the pass that would have put the Steelers inside the one.  Despite what the rules say, we know what our eyes see...Santonio caught the ball, came free as he's stretching for the TD.

#11:  Limas Sweed....'08 AFCCG
While we're on the subject, Limas is all alone on the sideline in the second quarter, Ben floats it to him perfectly, gonna be 6...clang...off the hands!!  'Cept Limas makes it worse by rolling on the ground, making like he's hurt.  Shoulda been 23-7 at the half, now it's only 13-7, resulting in a halftime of bitchin' & moanin' from my perch in Section 533, Row EE.

#10:  Dunno who it was...Opening game '71
Challenge anyone else to remember this one.  Steelers are dominating the Bears in ChiTown, leading 15-3, about 4 minutes left in the game.  Bears rang up a grand total of 141 offensive yards, 8 first downs on the day.  Steelers turned the ball over 7 times on 4 Bradshaw picks and 3 fumbles.  Steelers punt, Bears take over around their own 30, but Bears are flagged for a pre-kick penalty, giving the Steelers a first down.  Honest to God, I turn to my brother Tony and say, "Maybe the Steelers should decline this thing, just give 'em the ball.  No way the Bears drive the length of the field, do it again in the last few minutes."  Of course, Steelers accept the penalty.  Of course, the Steelers proceed to fumble (TB?  maybe  Frenchy? coulda been....Preston?  yeah; sounds like him.....Bankston?  dunno).  Of course, the Bears (Brupacher) returns the fumble 30 yards for a score.  Steelers get the ball back, can't move.  Bears offense comes to life.  Kent effin' Nix passes for a TD to George (?) Farmer.  Steelers lose, 17-15.   I storm outta the house!!

#8:  Dave Smith...Kansas City '71
While we're in the '71 Neighborhood, we'll hang around a bit.  Monday nighter, TB passes to Smith, out of IUP, who's all alone sprinting for the end zone.  Smitty is holding the ball aloft, when it pops free around the 5, bounds through the end zone for a touchback.  Steelers lose, 38-16.  All's forgiven, Pirates had won the World Series the day before in Baltimore.  Pittsburgh's still in party mode.

#8:  Yancey Thigpen...Green Bay '95
Season finale, Steelers locked into the #2 seed, had battled back from a two-score deficit, trailed 24-19, and were inside the Green Bay 10, 4th down, not more than 20 seconds remaining.  O'D finds Yancey all alone, no one within yards, in the back of the end zone.  Yancey, who would drop ONE pass during the entire '97 campaign, stone-cold drops this one.  Packers win, and in so doing, make the playoffs.  It was a meaningless game for the Steelers, but was it really?  In addition to ending their 8-game winning streak, I've always wondered what might have been had the Pack not made the playoffs, thus ensuring a different opponent in the NFCCG for the Cowboys.  Would the Steelers have faced the 9ers in the SB instead?  Would they have won?  Not much in this world, and particularly in the NFL, that truely doesn't matter.

#7:  Jeff Graham...'93 Wild Card Playoff
Steelers lead 24-17, face a 3rd & 10 around midfield, with a touch over 2 minutes remaining.  A first down here, and the Steelers, decided underdogs, are off to the Divisional Playoffs.  O'D was having a fine playoff game, hits Graham...was a DB's arm in there, but we'll call it a drop.  Next play, KC blocks the Royals punt, ties the game on a 4th down pass from Montana to Tim Burneett (sp?) who shoulda been in jail for the weekend on a domestic, Chefs win in OT, 27-24.

#6:  Plaxico Burress #2...'04 AFCCG
Not ranked higher only 'cause the catch was contested, Plaxico's failure to make this grab on 3rd down from the 2, at the onset of the 4th quarter, Steelers down, 31-17, was only exceeded in angst by the dullardly decision of Bill Cowher to send in his FG team.  Depriving his club of a chance to reduce the halftime margin of 21 points to a mere 7, Cowher also succeeded in sucking the lift out of the stadium.  I'm still thawing from that game, having frozen into my seat next to the Allegheny, Section 505, Row CC.

#5:  Plaxico Burress #3...'02 Divisional Playoff
Consistent with the theme of this piece, we'll stick around the Plaxico neighborhood.  Steelers are tied with the Titans, midway through the 4th quarter, around the Titans 23, 3rd down.  Maddox hits a wide open Plax over the middle.  Would have set up the Steelers, probably around the 10, and had them poised to run off more clock and take a 7-point lead.  Plax drops it, Skippy hits the FG, Tennesee ties it late, wins it in OT on the Nedney acting job (comeuppance....Nedney suffered a legit knee injury the following week).

#4:  Joey Porter...'01 AFCCG
Steelers trail the Pats in 4Q by 7, Bledsoe, in for Brady, throws a swing pass. Peezy defending the play, has the ball in his hands with an unimpeded path to the end zone and a tie game.  Ball bounced up, off of #55's face mask, and falls harmlessly to earth.  Pats win, 24-17.  I'm sentenced to the fate of flying back to New Hampshire with a planeload of Patriots nitwits.

#3:  Jerome Bettis...'05 Divsional Playoff
This play is perhaps unrivaled in Steeler history of its shock value.  It's the only one I know of which caused a legit heart attack among one of the black & gold faithful (By the way, my brother Ralph, had a heart attack pre-game, wouldn't do to the hospital 'til the Steelers had one.  He's still around to talk about it).  The Fumble....the Tackle...intricately woven into Steelers lore.  Unfortunately, this is the play by which JB is remembered for this game, and embellishes his rep of being a playoff choker.  The Bus though picked up 46 hard fought yards on 17 carries, but they were big yards.  In 3Q, he carried 5 straight times from the 19 yard line, finding the end zone on the final carry.  In 4Q, after Indy had scored its first TD, Bettis was instruemental in the Steelers keeping possession for the next 8 minutes, carrying 3 straight times, starting with 2nd & 10, picking up the Steelers 2nd consecutive 4th & 1 on the drive.  All was good in the end, Steelers won, 21-18, and both heart attack victims lived to tell about it.

#2:  Mark Stock...'89 Divsional Playoff
Steelers trailed heavy fave Denver, 24-23, with about 2 minutes remaining.  The Bubster hits the VMI rookie around the Steeler 40, uncontested, he drops it.  What might have been:
*Steelers trailed by a single point
*Steelers had Gary Anderson
*Venue was the thin Denver air
*AFCCG opponent would've been the Browns
This was a biggie...cost the Steelers a legit Super Bowl berth

#1:  Andre Hastings...Super Bowl XXX 
For my money, this was the worst ever, Steelers gain possession around their own 32, around 4 minutes left, trailing 20-17, all the momentum in the world, Steelers crowd in Sun Devils Stadium.
First down, O'D hits Hasting at around the 40; #88 drops it.  I'll forever remember Hasting gazing at the Jumbotron on his way back to the huddle, seemingly checking the replay of his error.  This was nothing compared to the gaffe that followed on the next play.  Dallas blitzes, Hastings runs inside, O'D throws outside....picked....again.  I say to myself, "Oh no, not again," (WHY did I not flip out??).  Cowboys win, 27-17.
Was Hastings distracted?  I think so.  Had he made the catch, would the Steelers be undefeated in 7 Super Bowls?  I think so.  Had Steeler won, does O'D stick around, negating the Kordell Stewart era?  I think so.
What might have been.

Couple weeks ago, we ran a piece on "Top Choke Artists in Pittsburgh Playoff History," establishing, per my opinion, that Barry (Big Head) Bonds was undoubtedly the LCAP (Leading Choke Artist: Pittsburgh).

How about the top clutch performers though, whether it be a moment, a game, or (less preferably) a season?

Here they, are the top 10, in inverse order:

#10:  Roberto Clemente-1971 World Series
The Great Roberto batted .414, letting the world know what we in Pittsburgh had been treated to for years.  His 12 for 29 performance included 5 extra base hits, including a pair of homers, one in the deciding 7th game against the Birds of Baltimore.

#9:  L.C. Greenwood-Super Bowl IX
Dunno about you, but my one lasting image of the Steelers first Super Bowl win, is of L.C. playing volleyball with the offerings of Fran Tarkenton, 3 times batting his passes at the line of scrimmage. 
For the record, L.C. didn't give a bad accounting of himself in SB X either, sacking Roger Staubach 4 times.

#8:  John Stallworth-Super Bowl XIV
Steelers down in 4Q, and Stallworth hauls in a 72 yarder from Bradshaw for the go-ahead score, then make an over the head, falling catch on a similar play on the next possession to ice the victory.
Like L.C., one could also cast a vote for his other SB big-time performance, that of SB XIII where he made a pair of touchdown grabs.

#7:  Terry Bradshaw-Super Bowl XIV
Like his teammates in the 8 & 9 slots, one could rightfully ask which Bradshaw SB performance nets our vote?  Not often mentioned in a discussion of THE greatest quarterback of all-time, Brad was 4-0 in Super Bowls and threw a TD in the 4th quarter of every one.  We'll take his final SB though, and his linkage to John Stallworth on whatever that play was called.

#6:  Marc-Andre Fleury-Game 7
Again, one could argue that Fleury's defining moment was on the Dan Cleary breakaway with a little over a minute remaining in Game 6, that his teammates did a stellar job in keeping the puck to the edges of the rink in Game 7. True enough, but I'll take the final 6.5 seconds, and his turning away a pair of shots to earn the improbable Stanley Cup victory.  I've watched this replay most morning since June 12th, and I never tire of hearing Mike Emrick, at the broadcast's conclusion, say, "...and the final 2 saves by Marc-Andre Fleury."

#5:  Steve Blass-1971 World Series
Steverino, early on in his career, known for not finsihing games, in this complete game era, rang up a pair of complete game victories, including Game 7.Per Fleury, in games 6 & 7, Blass gave up a single run in both games, 3 & 7, surrending 3 & 4 hits in the respective outings.
In 1973, however, he contracted the illness to be forever dubbed "Steve Blass Disease," was unable to find the plate, walked 84 batters in 88 innings, and was essentially all done.

#4:  Maxime Talbot-Game 7
Still can't figure this guy out.  Scores 12 goals over the course of an 80-game season, then...
*8 goals in 24 playoff games
*4 goals in 7 Stanley Cup Finals games
*2 goals in Game 7
Clutch!!

#3:  Ben Roethlisberger-Super Bowl XLIII
After having led his team to victory on the final possession on 5 previous occasions during the '08 campaign, Big Ben is faced with 88 yards in front of him, and about 2:20 remaining, down 4 points.  He evades pressure, he buys time, and he's damn near perfect, leading his team to the winning TD...culminating in the scoring pass to Santonio Holmes, where Ben had only the very slightest margin of error.  Perfect pass!!

#2:  Santonio Holmes-Super Bowl XLIII
Forever and for all time linked with #7, Santonio had zero margin for error on the Catch, dubbed by some as the greatest catch ever, and this factor enables him to edge out Ben for the #2 slot. 
I've watched this video, often repeatedly, most days since February 1st, and I'm thankful that when the ref was under the hood at Raymond James, we weren't being shown the replay from the rear.  What appeared from the front to be both feet down, the right tucked in back of the left, was, for all but a split second, the right tucked behind the left, but off of the turf.  Both feet were indeed down, but for the briefest of instants, necessitating Santonio to snag the pass with nary a hint of a bobble, similar, amazingly, to his goal-line grab a few weeks previous in Baltimore.
Santonio helps his case for #2 by making 9 catches on the game, 4 on the final drive.

#1:  Bill Mazeroski-1960 World Series
Gotta go with the one swing of the bat that brought Pittsburgh its first championship of any kind in 35 years, sending the town into delirium.  Once the offering from Ralph Terry cleared the 406 mark, with Lawrence (Yogi) Berra turning his back and trotting in, Bill Maz was to live forever as #1 in the hearts of Pittsburghers.
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As an aside, I've argued that this June's 7th game Penguins victor in Motown qualifies as the Greatest Pittsburgh Sports Victory of All Time.  Consider:
*Steelers were favored in all 6 SB victories
*Bucs were serious underdogs to the Yanks in '60, but did return to Forbes Field, needing to win but one game of two to take the Series
*Penguins were serious underdogs as well, homer series, final game at the Joe
I still hear two Mike Emrick calls...
a.   "The horn sounds, and the Penguins have won the Stanley Cup!" (followed by 75 seconds, appropriately, of silence from the broadcast booth, in the best tradition of Ray Scott....yes, I timed it).
b.    At the very close of the broadcast, after thanking his partners, "....the Pittsburgh Penguins are the NHL's Stanley Cup Champions.  From Detroit, this is Mike Emrick, saying 'Goodnight, all."

Game 7...#1