Another One?

Will the REAL STEELERS please come forward and save Steeler Nation? The Immaculate FG in the 2nd quarter. OK, Raiders, we're EVEN!

Another Shot

It has been 3 weeks since I have written anything. Frankly, there has not been a lot to be excited about. In summary: the Bengals game#2 stank to high Heaven, the Chiefs game hurt like Hell, and the Ravens game #1 was like a kick to the crotch. If you look out the window, you will see my 13-3 prediction. Withering and dying in the cold December air. Along with the AFC North Division title.
I will NOT buy the idea of a SB hangover. The real Steelers are out there. And i pray they show up today. I will blog again tonight and get this back on track. And as God as my witness, I will NOT be blogging about a 4th straight loss!!

WHO YOU GONNA CALL? MENDENHALL!!

The Steelers aka The Road Warriors stabled the Ponies on a fantastic MNF event in Denver!

After the first quarter I really felt like it was going to be a long, hard night. The offense wasn't converting third downs, and the defense was giving up too much yardage in the midfield.

But the second quarter shaped up a bit. And Clark keyed up the team with an interception for a TD.

Now when Ben was sacked (again) and fumbled the ball away into a Denver TD, did I worry? Heck No! Easily my favorite drive of the season:

1st & 10 at Pit 20: Pass to Wallace for 18yds

1st & 10 at Pit 38: Mendenhall 24 yds to Den 38

1st & 10 at Den 38: Pass to Holmes for 35 yards

1st & 10 at Den 3: Pass to Ward for the TD

Just like that, the Steelers are back on top, and they never looked back.

The second half had some offensive miscues, but both units really worked well in the second half. Mendenhall 155 yards. All about the field position. The defense did not allow a TD all night!

The Drunken Stagger the writers talked about when the Steelers were 1-2 has turned into a little Swagger after 5 straight wins.

GNW

NO 7 IN PITTSBURGH

The Vikings will get their 7th win. Probably. But it wasn't going to be in Pittsburgh. In what was touted as one of the best games of the week turned into a defensive stranglehold. But this Steelers win, like many, was quite flawed.



What the Steelers did right: They won the battle of field position. The Steelers average start was the 29. The Vikings average start was the 24. And when it absolutely had to be taken care of, the defense delivered with BIG PLAYS. Woodley's fumble for a TD, and Fox's interception for a TD where the two pivotal points in this game. And no single running back has had 100 or more yards against the Steelers defense in 25 games now.



What the Steelers did wrong: Special teams put 'Special' back in the name special teams. A kick-off returned for a TD? C'mon! Mendenhall should have known better than to leap. They don't call the running game the ground game for nothing! The Steelers did get killed in the flats. It was the best and most effective way the Vikings moved the ball. Red Zone efficiency was in the toilet tonight as well.



There were some weird calls in this game also. Heath Miller's offensive PI was a good call. The offensive player can not cause a defensive player to not be able to be involved in the play. While it was great watching Heath knock someone to the ground, it was a good call. Early on, it appeared there were two Viking fumbles. The reality is that the ground can not cause a fumble. Especially when it's a 40-year old QB. But as omens would have it, the defense did create legitimate turnovers and won the game on them.

Sorry for your luck, Katie. The Steeler curse will continue to haunt you.



Well, I'm taking next week off. Although it is great writing the old blog again. I will be keeping it up this time around.



GNW

OH...OHIO

Well it had to rain sometime. Ben's perfect record in Ohio (both as a Miami of Ohio player and a Pittsburgh Steeler) came to an end on Sunday. And this time the offensive line was NOT to blame. Actually the O-Line did a great job. Ben was sacked just once, and that was a coverage issue. The running game came back behind the efforts of the O-Line as well. So what went wrong?
First of all, the offense needs to tighten up. A dropped end zone pass? Come on! Ben played well, but the receivers looked uninspired. And the defense is lacking leadership. Two games have been lost by drives against the #1 defense of last season? Troy's physical absence is felt, but the Steelers have won games without him. His leadership, his inspiration, his presence has not been filled. I am also going to fault the end play. Instead of running back and pitching. Logan should have immediately gone out of bounds. 14 Seconds instead of 3. With 14 seconds you can gain yardage against a prevent. And out of bounds. Then you have a few seconds for 1 Hail Mary, and Ben is throwing 40 or 50 yards instead of the 80+ he had to attempt in the final ticks.
And next week the Chargers are in town. I can not buy a 1-3 Steelers.

Windy City Blues

Ugh. There is a donation plate going around for Jeff Reed's therapy... What an ugly loss.
But Steelers fans, I'm here to tell you not to worry. This loss was multi-dimensional. The lack of Troy was clearly felt in the secondary. That will be remedied soon. The rain was another factor. Players couldn't make their cuts on their routes. Ben had a few early-released passes. It was a tough game all around. Five minutes into the first quarter, I said the last team in possession will win this contest. And there you go.
Moving into next week. We got the Bengals in JungleLand. A great AFCN team to bounce back against!

Remember The Titans!

Was it just fitting that that Holmes, who caught the last TD of the 2008 season catch the first TD of the 2009 season? Oh Yeah.
I was a little concerned about Ben in the first quarter. Taking a HUUUGE loss on a third down sac to push them out of FG range. But we believe, right? Ben played much better for the other three quarters.
The run game was a bit off. I hope to see improvement there next week. The offensive line still needs work. Really.
I hate to say it. The real key to this game? Bironas' two missed field goals. Tough play for Ward at the end of regulation, but he bounced back like the trooper that he is. The offense was on the march. So when we won the coin toss, it was like the drive never ended.
AND WE NEVER HAD A DOUBT! People always doubt me when I say I have faith. But this was the 20th time Ben has led the offense in the 4th or OT to a game-winning drive. I am used to this. Give Ben 2:00 and he will beat you. Ask the 2008 Arizona Cardinals.
Unfortunately the Madden Curse has already activated itself for 2009. The good news is Troy is only out 3-6 weeks. AND no surgery. Enjoy the highlights on the right.

Hope your recovery is going good, Doc.

Alas, Poor Isaac

The roster is set to 53. Isaac, I'm going to miss you. I really thought you had a shot.

So a 3-1 pre-season? Not bad. And we are fast approaching the biggest day since 2/1/2009. The Kilt is in good shape. All the elements are together. The Mug is washed. The Newsletter is framed out. Terrible Towel? Check. Superstitious Observations in place? Check. Mojo? Yep! See you Thursday night.

'Here we go. Here we go Steelers. Pittsburgh's going to the Superbowl."

When weeks become days

According to the Calendar, there are about 7 X's left to Steelers football. I got a lot to cover in this one, so let's cut out the pregame and go to the kick-off.

Ben's injury has shown to be less serious than the free world would have liked to think. Even today I was asked by an Eagles' fan if Ben was going to play this year. The game against the Bills seemed to indicate the whole team is in a fairly good state of preparation. Speaking of Ben. He is sporting a different ring these days. After beating Shaq at H-O-R-S-E, he was able to wear Shaq's 3-peat LA Lakers Championship ring. I think my cat Stanley could beat Shaq at basketball these days....

Keisel has signed a five-year deal. And this, in my opinion, is good news. He brings talent to defense, but is better known for his special teams play. And a signed player is a happy player is a performing player.

Trai Essex will show his maturity as he takes the lead spot for Stapleton. Stapleton has been moved to the IR. We'll give that a few weeks to prove itself a good move.

The Bills game? 17-0 says it all.

Steven Black, Martin Nance, Alex Stepanovich, and Derrick Richardson have all been cut. If you are saying 'who?', you are not the only one. It's all part of the unfortunate process of a 53 man roster.

And Dick with a look from the HOF Committee. I got two words for this: NO DOUBT. The day Dick is turned down for the Hall Of Fame is the day I lose faith in the system. Completely. I don't need to make a case here. This guy has worried offensive co-ordinators for years! How many head coaches have sat in their office, looked at a week showing their opponent as the Steelers, then looked at their offense co-ordinator with a questioning stare, and got a doubtful stare back? How many? And how about this quote from Mike Holmgren on the Superbowl XL match-up: 'Well they aren't who we were hoping to play. Dick's guys have ways of taking apart offenses. But we have two weeks to try to put something together.'

OK. 7 days. Check back for a short one next week covering the weekend, and then it's game on. Oh yeah. 13-3. Mark it, dude.

Dr. Z. We will miss you this season. Continue your road back.

What, Me Worry?

Word around the water cooler is that the Steelers are already in trouble this year. I can assure you nothing could be farther from the truth, except maybe Favre’s next retirement speech. This is errant thought is based on the lack-luster performance against the Redskins Saturday night, Big Ben’s injury, and the Curse of XL. I’ll break these down from littlest to biggest.

It’s true. Pittsburgh lost to the Redskins, and did not look great in the process. But it was a pre-season game. Let me put that in perspective. What is the purpose of pre-season? It is the tool coaches use to whittle a camp-sized roster down to 55. (Deadline is September 1st by the way.) It is an opportunity for players to go out and to exchange hits in a non-competitive environment. I use the term non-competitive because pre-season results have never had a bearing on or correlated to regular-season results. With the exception of injury. Which brings me to my next point.

Last Thursday, Big Ben and Max Starks entangled and went to the turf. Max got up. Ben didn’t. And the Steelernation held their collective breath. Now the extent of Ben’s injuries has been grossly exaggerated. One less credible source indicated he may never walk again without extensive reconstructive surgery. Really? So it turns out it is a sprained Achilles tendon. That still has a bit of an ominous sound to it. And here is why I am not worried:

1) The medical response to Ben’s injury was to ice it and put him on the sideline. Now I have no medical degree, but this is hardly the treatment of a serious injury to a starting quarterback of a team preparing to defend a championship title.

2) When the Steelers broke practice, Ben limped out to the huddle to be with his teammates. Here is a two-fer. A person doesn’t walk on a badly injured foot. And a coaching staff preparing to defend a championship title wouldn’t let their star quarterback aggravate an injury.

3) Ben participated in a Softball game Thursday night, as a third-base coach…(see the end of the previous explanation.)

4) The Rooneys and the coaching staff typically meet in the middle of the field in plane sight following practice. The air of the meeting was light and jovial. No concern was demonstrated. Not a typical reaction of a staff that might have just loss a key element to their offensive package.

5) Starks said he did not hear the season/career-ending pop of an injury that many linemen hear while laying directly on top of players.


And now the Curse of XL. Honestly I had never heard of this before. Apparently the 8-8 record following the winning of Superbowl XL has incited stories of the XL Curse. A curse that says ‘the Steelers can’t do well after winning a Superbowl because Ben will be injured just before the season starts’. OK so it’s a long curse. And it is as ridiculous as Brett Favre’s return to the NFL. Did I just zing him a second time this week?

Anyway, a quick note on Dr. Z. His recovery from last year’s stroke is coming along well. His wife reports that he is able to play cards with her and plays as quickly as she does. We hope to see him return in 2010.

BACK IN BLACK AND GOLD

After a long hiatus, I have a lot of catching up to do.. So let’s start at the beginning. Ring number 6. Love it! If you haven’t seen it yet, just check out the slide show to the right. There are stones to denote each of the Superbowl titles as well as all the AFC North and AFC Central titles. And of course the icing on the cake……who else has six rings?

OK. Moving past that…..the draft:

(32) Evander Hood (Ziggy) DT Missouri
(79) Kraig Urbik OT Wisconsin
(84) Mike Wallace WR Mississippi
(96) Keenan Lewis (CB) Oregon State
(168) Joe Burnett (CB) Central Florida
(169) Frank Summers (RB) UNLV
(205) Ra’Shon Harris (DT) Oregon
(226) AQShipley (C) Penn State
(241) David Johnson (TE) Arizona State

It looks like the Steelers did well at addressing their line issues. I am not going to spend a lot of time on this. Being drafted is one thing. Making a contribution is what keeps you on the team.

Now that Superbowl rematch last week? I really liked what I saw. Dixon demonstrated a strong ability to keep the offense moving down field. Mendenhall got some work and looked good. Sweed got some work and looked good. McDonald and Dixon connected on several passes as if they were playing out in the back yard. But my little project is Isaac Redman. Redman had 10 carries for 32 yards and scored both of the Steelers’ touchdowns. Who is this guy? He’s a free agent from Bowie State. Now I know what you are going to say: ‘This is pre-season ball’, and you are right. But in Sunday’s practice, Redman scored 8 out of 10 times against the first-string goal-line defense.

Anyway, it’s good to be back in the writer’s chair and I will be updating this at least once a week. I have to thank EILEEN FLINN for taking the photos of the Vince Lombardi Trophy while it was in Harrisburg. Thanks EILEEN, you are the best!

Free agency Volume I

Well with Free Agency begun, the Steelers have picked up (drum roll, please)........no one. And to no surprise. The Steelers are not fishers of agents. They like to grow their own talent. And there is something to be said about that. There has been some room made on the roster. Kendall Simmons has been released. Surprised? Not really. Starks getting the franchise tag, and Simmons spending most of the season on the bench made that the easy call. Nate Washington will be wearing a Titans jersey next year. There is a lot of maneuvering about the offense. Pittsburgh can fill that gap, if you can say one exists, in the draft or pre-season trades. Depending on Ward's health, not a big loss to see Washington go. Now don't get me wrong. He's a good player. And made contributions to a championship season. But it is the cost of Free Agency. The Steelers weren't going to give him what Tennessee was willing to. Chris Kemoeatu was resigned. I'm OK with that. Sean McHugh signed. Who? My 2009 what-the-heck-where -they-thinking-free agency-surprise: Byron Leftwich not signed by another NFL team. In my best Madden voice: 'Now here's a guy that has shown he's got some talent. He can still go in and win a game. Can he play like that all season? I think so. Now with a lot of teams in the NFL getting lackluster performances from their 2008 QB's, I don't understand why someone didn't pick him up.' Oh well. OK kids, it's good to be back at the writing desk. That 6th ring should be coming out pretty soon. Tune in soon as the Free Agency World turns.

Back To Work

The confetti is cleaned up. The bets are all paid and collected. And weekends now have 2 free days in them again. Life after football season. And it couldn't end with out controversy. Now that Holmes was fined for excessive celebration, it is come about that there should have been a 15-yard penalty, which then of course would have been tacked onto the kick-off, and changed the field position for the Cardinals. With 15 yards less to go, a little less pressure, the running game becomes a more viable option, and yada-yada-yada. Another stolen victory. Really? Anyway 5 is now 6 and it is time to go back to work. The combine is in full force, and the draft is just 2 months away. So little to do, so much time.

"6"

Wow. Six. How significant that number becomes. I have been saying it all year. "Give Ben 2 minutes, and he'll beat you." He's done it 18 times now in 5 seasons. A final drive or OT drive to beat an opponent. This time it was a little sweeter. Six. As in Sixburgh. (Thanks to my good friend Chele for that one!) I was going to go on about how great the game was, and what I liked about it, but I changed my mind. There is only one word that can sum up last night. Six. Nothing else needs to be said.........

All Done

Everything that can be done is done.  See you all on the other side of Victory....

This Thing

Mini-Camps. Training Camp. Four weeks of Preseason. Seventeen weeks of play broken up by a week of rest. Three weeks of play-offs. It all comes down to this thing. In this moment a champion will be defined. And all the work will be justified. The road will end. There are only absolutes at this level. Glory or Obscurity. No one sits around and talks about who lost the big game, unless you are recalling the teams your team has beaten. It's all about this thing. It all comes down to this thing. This thing called Superbowl.

Going Forward

Now that the reality has set in and I have landed after the elation of making it, I am now preparing for Superbowl XLIII.  What does one do you ask?  Well, it starts with the towels.  One under the pillow at night for luck, and one hanging at work for pride. Then we go to wardrobe.  This week and next, every time I go out, I am sure to be wearing one of my many Steelers shirts, or hat.  Or both. I have set up my Steelers playlist on my I-Pod.  What's left?  Well of course I need to press and set my kilt.  I need to figure out some creative ways to work my Steelers clothes into my work wardrobe next week.  I also have the newsletter to write and print.  And get everything ready for my tailgating morning at the A&L for the Superbowl. So much to do, so little time. 

The Quest Continues

One Game. One game separates the Steelers from their 6th Superbowl championship. I can't write the words to describe how I feel. On Saturday night I slept with a Terrible Towel under my pillow. Last night I slept with a TT under my pillow. 18 games. And one more. Still numb from the experience. Just wanted to put something here to acknowledge the fact. We are going to SB XLIII. It's like the show Lost. After Superbowl XL, we realized, we have to go back.

Questions And Answers

QUESTION: Could Big Ben recover from his concussion suffered against Cleveland?
ANSWER: 17/26 181 Yds 1 TD 0 INT Passer Rating 98.4

QUESTION: Could the Steelers contain the explosive Sproles?
ANSWER: 11 Runs for 15 Yds 0 TDs, 11 catches 96 Yds 1 TD

QUESTION: Could Rivers and the Chargers maintain possession and control the clock?
ANSWER: 1 play 17 seconds in the entire 3rd quarter

The Steelers handled the Chargers to be the only home team to win this last weekend, and become the only team left in the play-offs to not have a bird mascot.

Invited Guests

Well, with week 1 of the play-offs in the books, the Steelers know who is coming to dinner. It will be a rematch against San Diego. In our last episode......the Steelers struggled against San Diego in a snowy Heinz Field environment. Pittsburgh escaped with an 11-10 win after being denied a TD on an fumble on the final play of the game. This mistake was clarified by the NFL the following week. A lot will be different this time around. It will be colder in Pittsburgh. LT is not healthy. Big Ben will be coming back after a concussion suffered against Cleveland. And most important of all, the loser starts planning for next year.

A brief moment of silence for Katie and Brent, who's dreams of the Superbowl ended this weekend on the wings of Cardinals and Eagles.

And the countdown continues.....

Requiems and Toasts

As Week 1 of the play-offs is upon us, many teams have started planning for next season, and many of my friends start making the 'who-do-I-want-to-watch-in-the-playoffs-since-my-team-didn't-get-in' decision.  And others are preparing for more games.

Trevor and Dave (49ers):  Well, at least you know who your coach is next year, and that the mustache thing didn't work.

Rob and Jack (Bears): I wish I had words.  Maybe the word 'Quarterback'? 

Sunny, John, and Gary (Raiders): It had to be the cap of the season to knock Gruden's Bucks out of the play-offs.

Wade (Lions): First Round Draft Pick.  There is comfort there.

Heather and Steve (Patriots): 11-5 no play-offs?  Almost a crime.

Tiffany (Cowboys): If the season were only 14 games, Romo would be the man. 

Robin, Tommy, Toni, and Mike (Broncos): The Chargers didn't forget.  Hopefully the Broncos won't forget this next year.

To Katie (Vikings), Brent (Falcons), Rande and all my friends in the Steeler Nation, Here's to the post-season!