Curiouser 'n curiouser

Mike Tomlin's announcements, roster moves and "calling-out" pronouncements at yesterday's news conference were interesting. Nothing earth-shaking in the great scheme of things, but attention-getting nonetheless.

Welcome back Carey Davis. He never did much with the ball, but he was rarely asked to do much, and at least he didn't fumble it, either.

The coaching staff must still see something in rookie running back Frank Summers, or they could just as easily have reached an "injury settlement" and put him on the waived-injured list, no? (Disclosure: Joey Porter's Pit Bulls may be wrong on the roster-maneuvering rules, and no surprise there.)

So, here's a thought: They may be giving up on Summers as a fullback -- but preparing to groom him to fill some level of vacancy at running back next season. He never really was a fullback, anyway. And by some level of vacancy, at least two vacancies come immediately to mind.

As noted here a couple weeks ago, time to wake up, Rashard Mendenhall. You have a golden opportunity, and you're letting it get away. Look at it this way: Willie Parker's great and all, but ... How healthy is he, really? Not only does Fast Willie have turf toe -- which will slow him down and which, by the way, was the injury that ultimately ended the legendary tough guy Jack Lambert's career -- but Parker also is in his contract-walk year. He may not be here next season. Which is why the team, knowing his contract status, drafted Mendenhall with the 23rd pick in the first round last year. Everybody knows this. Except, apparently, for Rashard Mendenhall.

We still don't know about Limas Sweed, either. Seems like he may have vision problems, literally, like opthalmological-vision problems. Just speculation. We're good at that.

Pheh. Blaeah. Again.

Can't hold a lead. No pass rush. Not much of a push up the middle. Where are the linebackers? Lax play in the secondary. Not much of a running game. Offensive line, eh, so-so.

'Nuff said. For today.

Except ... there's trouble ahead.

Worried

Yeah, we're woried about the BenGALS, believe it or not . It's not so much Carson Palmer, who is a pussy, and not to be confused with the real Ben-Gals cheerleaders, pictured above, who are fine. Well, fine enough.

It just seems Cinci's defense seems to be better, a lot better, and we've been paying attention.

The other thing, Cedric Benson. He seems to get it, all of a sudden, and he's a bruiser who runs effectively between the tackles. Apparently he got sober, somewhere along the way,and he's always been a talent, as attested by his status as the No. 4 overall draft pick out of the University of Texas. The dude can play.

What also concerns us is the middle of the Steelers' defense. Casey Hampton ... dunno. What's going on? Did he get old all of a sudden? We're gonna need an inside push, and if he ain't deliverin' it, where's it comin' from?

Also, the Bears showed the blueprint for targeting the tight end in Troy's absence. Tyrone Carter was a nanosecond late on every highlight play, there's no denying that. And he's too small, although he does hit.

The other thing, so far as covering the tight end, maybe Carter would have benefitted from getting help from one of the linebackers. Lawrence Timmons? Apparently not healthy.

The Bengals may or may not have a tight end that plays as well as the Bears' Greg Olsen. We doubt it, but still.

Oh, and by the way, we fairly convinced Willie Parker has some kind hamstring injury, or something wrong with him. He ain't lookin' too fast. And Rashard Mendhall had one nice run in Chicago. We've gotta see more.

And, let's hope Jeff Reed returns to form, too.

Anyway, we will be watching Casey Hampton's play with great interest this weekend.

We shall see. We're worried.

Pheh. Blaeah.

Yeah, that was disappointing. Too many missed chances, obviously.

If there's anybody besides Jeff Reed who feels badly about yesterday's game, it's Tyrone Carter. Every "highlight" featured #23, front and center.

Maybe the Bears aren't as bad as we thought. Then again.

Which is cause for worry. That offensive line. The running game. Ugh.

Google's Blogspot won't even let me load a picture. Which would have been from "Chicago Barbeque Co." Or, of a really hot woman.

Oh, well.

And the Pirates managed to secure their 15th (!) shutout of the season ... which work works out to about one shutout every 10 games.

Paper Bears

The Chicago Bears are Paper Bears.

The more we look at this team, the more vulnerabilities we see.

Let's start with the big one: Quarterback.

Also: Receivers.

Last but not least: Defense.

The Bears are going to have a long year.

Injury Updates, Both Teams

The latest news on the Steelers' injury front is a bit disconcerting.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls weren't really expecting linebacker Lawrence Timmons to play this weekend anyway, but the Post-Gazette reports he tweaked his high ankle sprain in practice yesterday. Backup linebacker and special teams ace Keyaron Fox played well for Timmons against the Tennessee Titans, and we are confident that he will continue to fill in ably. Depth is a bit of a concern, though.

Also worrisome is news that wide receiver Limas Sweed sustained a mid-foot sprain, and those can be very tricky.

We wonder if this inury happened before the season opener, given that rookie Mike Wallace had a more prominent role in the game against the Titans and that Sweed, a second-year player, was pretty much invisible.

This is probably needless fretting -- there's no basis for this -- but we'd hate to think that Sweed might have a lisfranc injury, which could be a season-ending injury. They're serious. The New York Giants were mightily concerned this week that top draft pick Hakeem Nicks, a wide receiver of similar size and speed to Sweed, had sustained a lisfranc injury in the season opener vs. the Redskins.

As reported in the Newark Star-Ledger, "The lisfranc joint is located in the center of the foot and connects the metatarsal bones (those in the toes) to the tarsal bones (those in the arch). ... Lisfranc injuries are notoriously painful and slow healing."

Sweed had been looking decent in training camp, and we were optimistic he'd make the kind of big leap in performance you want to see wide receivers make from their first year in the league to their second. Rookie wide receivers typically struggle and take a full year or two to transition to the speed and nuances of the NFL. Sweed appeared to be making progress, but this injury could be a setback. How major or minor it will be, only time will tell. Again, depth is a concern, although rookie Mike Wallace has looked surprisingly polished.

The Chicago Bears are battling the injury bug, too. Just as the Steelers will miss one of their marquee defensive leaders, Troy Polamulu, the Bears will miss star linebacker Brian Urlacher. Also on the injury list for Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune, are the following players:

"Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa said there is no chance he will play in Sunday's game as he recovers from a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, meaning Nick Roach will start at strong-side linebacker. Tinoisamoa had a sleeve on Wednesday as he sat out practice along with defensive end Mark Anderson (toe), cornerback Trumaine McBride (knee) and nickel back/returner Danieal Manning (back). "

So, let's review: That means Chicago will be starting two backup linebackers (Hunter Hillenmeyer and Nick Roach), and possibly one new cornerback.

That's because, according to the Tribune, there will be a shake-up in Chicago's secondary. Second-year cornerback Zack Bowman apparently will make his first NFL start.

The Bears selected Bowman out of the University of Nebraska with a fifth-round pick in the 2008 draft. The club placed him on the practice squad last year, only to add him to the active squad for game seven against the Minnesota Vikings. Bowman reportedly played well, particularly on special teams, but was hurt in that game and placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season. During this summer's training camp, he battled to overcome a hamstring injury. Bowman tallied nine plays in the season opener at Green Bay.

If the reports are true, Bowman would replace veteran cornerback Nathan Vasher, who got burned on the last-minute, game-winning 50-yard touchdown pas Sunday night in Green Bay -- he slipped while to trying to cover Greg Jennings on a crucial third-and-one play, when he got absolutely no help from the safety who bit hard on Aaron Rodgers' play-action fake.

It seems kind of a risky move, replacing Vasher with a player making his first start in the NFL and coming off a hamsting injury. It makes you wonder if Vasher's completely healthy, although he's not listed on Chicago's injury report.

Photo credit: Dr. Cope, Lexington Veterinary

A Note on the Charlie Brown Pittsburgh Pirates

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls haven't had much to say about the Pirates this season. What's there to say? They have the second-worst record in the major leagues. They have a few bright spots -- Andrew McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Ross Ohlendorf, PNC Park -- and the front office finally seems committed to building the franchise's scouting, development, minor league and international operations.

But, man, the current major league squad is tough to watch. It's painful. They've just worn us out. That's why, unlike the 2008 season, we haven't summoned the energy this year even to express outrage at the various foibles, follies and blunders routinely committed by the Bucs on and off the field. Plus, it's football season now, and there are other things to discuss, and hockey's just around the corner.

We still follow "The Battling Buccos," though. Never mind the 17 consecutive losing seasons, the .382 winning percentage, the 55-89 record, or the fact they're again in last place, 28-1/2 games out of first place. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls still doggedly watch 'em when we can -- we know we'll see at least one major-league team when the Buccos are playing.

Anyway, we missed yesterday afternoon's game in Los Angeles, thankfully. Hearing the post-game wrap-up, we couldn't help but be struck by one salient point: That lineup the jerk Joe Torre put out on the field for yesterday afternoon's game was an insult, a slap in the face. Granted, the Pirates, with a 2009 winning percentage of .382 (!) are in a 2-16 slump (!!), but still, it showed a total lack of respect for the Pirates -- and justifiably so, as it turned out.

It was if Torre was saying, "I know the Pirates won't score more than one run, so I'm going to sit five of my usual starting eight field-position players: Manny Ramirez, Russell Martin, Orlando Hudson, Rafael Furcal and Casey Blake. It won't matter. We'll still win."

And the Dodgers did! Final Score: Dodgers 3, Pirates 1.

As Charlie Brown himself might say, "Sigh."

Unrelated Link to ...

A nice profile of "The Toy Cannon" -- retired outfielder Jimmy Wynn, who had a fine career with the Astros and Dodgers in the '60s and '70s -- in the Los Angeles Times: New Country for Old Man

Some Updates From Chicagoland

In anticipation of Sunday's Steelers-Bears game in Chicago, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls scoured Chicago media and found the following tidbits of interest ...

As shown in the Chicago Tribune photo above, the Bears this week are replacing the turf at Soldier Field. The team waited until the band U2 held back-to-back concerts at the stadium last weekend. Last week, writing on his blog, veteran tight end Desmond Clark had sharp criticism for the field conditions. In a post titled, "Our field is terrible," Clark wrote the following:

"Did you guys take a good look at our field. If you did you had to be disgusted. ... It was not always this way until the last couple of years when they revamped it by adding a synthetic grass that is woven in with the real grass. Some of our opponents comments: "yall play on a cow pasture" "this is the shittiest field in the league" "what the hell is going on with this field". These are a few comments that come to mind. What the hell is the park distict of Chi cgo doing when it comes to taking care of this field. They have to resod the whole field before we play Pittsburgh, which will lead to loose turf. Basically, to some it up in a sentence, we have one of the worst fields in the NFL and there are no excuses why the Chicago Bears, of all teams, should have to play on such a bad surface."

Beautiful. Considering Heinz Field's reputation for having shoddy turf, Soldier Field must be really bad. Let's hope nobody gets hurt because of it.

• Speaking of Clark, he will miss Sunday's game with a cracked rib. Greg Olson is the starter, and he's a good one. For all that, quarterback Jay Cutler targeted Olson six times on Sunday -- but completed only one pass (Olson dropped another).

• In addition to Clark, several other Bears sustained injuries last weekend, most notably linebacker and defensive leader Brian Urlacher, who is out for the season with a broken wrist. The Chicago Tribune reports the following players might miss Sunday's game against the Steelers: starting linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee), backup cornerback Trumaine McBride (knee) and Mark Anderson (toe). Kick returner/defensive back Danieal Manning has been held out of practice with a back injury this week. Also hampered this week are defensive lineman Tommie Harris (knee), Frank Omiyale (ankle) and cornerback Al Afalava (shoulder).

• Jay Cutler's act isn't going over so well, either in Chicago or with observers elsewhere. Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy, a former Steeler and an all-around good guy -- about as gentlemanly a fellow as you'll ever find -- had previously questioned Cutler's leadership abilities. Now, in the wake of Sunday night's debacle in Green Bay, where Cutler threw four interceptions, former NFL head coaches Mike Martz and Jim Mora Sr., both of whom are reputed to be friends of Bears head coach Lovie Smith, criticized Cutler for how he defected blame during the post-game press conference on Sunday. Cutler blamed his four intereceptions (two other potential interceptions were dropped) on "miscommunication," which could be interpreted as meaning, "My wide receivers don't know what they're doing or where they should be."

As reported in the Chicago Tribune, Jim Mora Sr. said, "When I saw that postgame press conference last night, I thought he looked completely immature. He acted like he didn't even care."

Mike Martz is quoted as saying, "He just doesn't get it. He doesn't understand that he represents a great head coach and the rest of those players on that team ... somebody needs to talk to him."

Additionally, this morning on ESPN's "Mike and Mike Show," Mike Golic ripped Cutler, saying Cutler should have showed more accountability.

Like we said earlier this week on this here blog, Jay Cutler's a punk.

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More Links

Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune: Somebody Must Tell Jay Cutler to Wise Up

Dan Pompei, Chicago Tribune: New QB grades out the worst after Bears' opening-night loss

Brad Biggs, Chicago Sun-Times: Could the Bears and Steelers chuck it 80 times on Sunday?

Brad Biggs, Chicago Sun-Times: Cutler in bad QB company with the Bears

Brad Biggs, Chicago Sun-Times: Bears Coping for the best

Photo credit: Chicago Tribune

An Open Letter to Rashard Mendenhall

Note/Callout to Steelers' Running Back Rashard Mendenhall: We're calling you out, Rashard. Time to step up. You're going home next weekend.

So-o-o-o ... Set aside a few hours to watch videotape of Matt Forte, whom the Bears took in the second round with the 44th overall pick in the same 2008 NFL draft in which you were drafted by the Steelers with the 23rd overall pick in the first round.

Rashard, you not only played -- you starred -- at the University of Illinois, where the eyes of Chicago and Illini faithful were upon you. In your final season with the Illini, you rushed for a school-record 1,681 yards and 17 touchdowns. It's time now to show that form in black 'n gold.

Granted, Forte had only 55 yards rushing Sunday night in Green Bay, but as a rookie last season he accumulated 1,238 yards rushing (third-best in the NFL) and 1,715 yards from scrimmage (rushing and receiving). Rashard, you haven't shown anything, nothing, but tentativeness and a lack of confidence, both before and after going on injured reserve last year.

The point is, Forte runs with an authority and deciveness that you, Rashard, that you have not shown in your professional career. Come to think of it, the Steelers' own Isaac Redman, currently on the practice squad as an undrafted, unheralded street free agent, runs with more resolve, authority and decisiveness than you've shown. Time to step up, Rashard.

You're going back to Illinois, and the eyes of Chicago and Illini faithful will be watching with interest next Sunday, as will the critical eyes of Steelers' fans and NFL fans across the nation.

Are you ready to deliver?

Jay Cutler's a Punk

The Chicago Bears, next up on the schedule for the Steelers, have a good team. Sure, they have flaws (wide receiver), but they have a stout defense, polished special teams and a strong running game.

Too bad they still don't have the "Franchise Quarterback" their fine team, great city and fervent fans deserve.

We've all seen franchise quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Rothlisberger, Drew Brees, Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, etc. They're great. We know 'em when we see 'em.

And Jay Cutler ain't a franchise quarterback. He's a punk.

Last night, on prime-time TV, Cutler threw four (four!) interceptions against division rival Green Bay. For the Packers, Aaron Rogers looks like he could be on the way to becoming a franchise quarterback. Ditto for the Jets, by the way, with Mark Sanchez -- you wanna re-think trading that draft choice, Cleveland, last April? Brady Quinn a franchise quarterback? Eh, not so much.

Anyway, Cutler looked shaky last night, to say the least, and the glare of the spotlight will get only harsher next Sunday when the Steelers visit Chicagoland.

The great city of Chicago deserves better than Cutler. He's a punk. He's a whiner. He's a loser -- career won-lost record at Vanderbilt: 11-34; career won-lost record as a pro: 17-21.

Finally, as the Chicago Sun-Times noted in today's edition...

"So what are we to make of Jay Cutler's four-interception Bears debut Sunday in a 21-15 loss at Green Bay? Well, the picks certainly weren't all his fault. ... A bigger concern in some corners was Cutler's apparent lack of poise. His growing frustration became painfully obvious throughout the night as he ranted at officals and railed at teammates for not running proper pass routes. Does this illustrate a lack of maturity that has been cited by the likes of Tony Dungy and Mike Ditka?"

Probably. Bears' fans deserve better.

Too bad about Brian Urlacher's season-ending injury, too. He's a marquee player, and as Steelers' fans, we would have liked to have seen him on the field next Sunday.

Anyway, as for Cutler, well, as the Chicago Sun-Times's Rick Telander wrote ...

"We're left with the multiple images of Cutler throwing the ball all over the place, flinging it up like a messenger pigeon at times, hoping for something good. Just hoping."

Bad News, Bears.

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More Links:

Gridiron Godess: The Second Coming of Rex Grossman

ESPN: Long-awaited regiular-season debut of Jay Cutler a flop

Chicago Tribune: Jay Cutler's hot head, cold hand hurt Bears

Chicago Tribune: Jay Cutler's miserable 1st half: You had to see it to believe it

Chicago Sun-Times: Lots of Flings and Misses From Cutler

Pro Football Talk: Bobby Wade says Urlacher thinks Cutler's a "pussy"

K.C. Joyner: Sorry, Bears Fans, Cutler Isn't the Answer

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And, finally -- just because we can -- Joey Porter's Pit Bulls offer up the following paragraph from yesterday's post that, yes, we wrote before Cutler's debacle last night ...

"Speaking of bears, of particular interest to Steelers' fans will be tonight's Bears-Packers game, since the Steelers play at Chicago next Sunday. We shall see if the much-ballyhooed arrival of wunderkind Jay Cutler will pan out as hoped in Chicagoland. Yeah, we know: Cutler has a big arm. The punk, however, has never won anything. His career record at Vanderbilt and in Denver is well below .500. And Chicago still doesn't have any wide receivers who are accomplished, polished or much of a threat. We shall see."

Photo credit: Chicago Sun-Times

Cincinnati Bungles Another

The accursed Cincinnati Bengals (or, the "Bungles," as the late, great Myron Cope loved to call them) found yet another new way to lose today -- and stunningly, at that.

As the Dayton Daily News reported in an artice headlined, "Snakebit Bungles Lose on Broncos' Miracle" ...

"What appeared to be a one-point Cincinnati victory turned into a heartbreaking, five-point Bengals’ defeat in a matter of seconds ... The Denver Broncos pulled out a 12-7 triumph over the Bengals in the season opener for both teams on a miracle play with 11 seconds ... Kyle Orton’s desperation pass toward Brandon Marshall on the left sideline was tipped into the hands of Brandon Stokley for an 87-yard, game-winning touchdown. "

And, as noted on the Bengals' Web site, in a post titled, "Nightmare at Paul Brown Stadium" ...

"The brilliant defense got absolutely no help from a staggering offense that offered no consistent running game or protection for quarterback Carson Palmer and the boos of 62,831 greeted the third-quarter gun as the Bengals flirted with their first shutout since 2001."

Again, from the Dayton Daily News ...

"This snakebit franchise could overcome neither themselves, the Broncos nor the football gods.

"Among Cincinnati’s mistakes: Brad St. Louis’ high snap that sailed through the hands of holder Kevin Huber on a botched 28-yard field goal attempt at 1:51 of the first quarter; two interceptions thrown by quarterback Carson Palmer; and two dropped passes by Laveranues Coles — my goat of the game.

"Coles never dropped one pass all spring or summer. Clearly, he’s already 'Bengalized.'"

The Bungles stink. Again.

(photo credit: Jeff Swinger, The Cincinnati Enquirer)

The Rest of the NFL Begins Play Today

Fresh on the heels of Thursday night's blockbuster NFL season opener between the Super Bowl Champion Steelers and the Nashville Titans -- which happened to be the highest-rated televised event since the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 -- the rest of the NFL teams kick off their season today. Should be fun.

Actually, the slate really isn't all that compelling. Sure, there may be some good game, along with some match-ups and rookie debuts that will be interesting to watch, but really ... Lions-Saints? Chiefs-Ravens? Vikings-Browns? Rams-Seahawks? Bills-Patriots? Come onnn-n-n.

Those games are likely to be one-sided or just plain drab.

Granted, all eyes will be Brett Favre-Favre-Favre. Brady Quinn? Maybe. And rookie QB sensation Mark Sanchez, sure, as the Jets take on the Texans in Houston. But, still ... puh-lee-e-ease.

Two games, in any case, should draw the attention of Steelers fans.

One is the Broncos-Bengals clash in Cincinnati. The Broncos are of interest because the Steelers play at Denver on Nov. 9, and the Broncos have had arguably the most turbulent off-season of any NFL team, although you could add Tampa Bay, Oakland and Minnesota to that conversation.

Denver's new boy-wonder head coach, Josh McDaniels, is a Bill Bellicheat protege. McDaniels promptly set about to make his mark in the Mile High City by trading the whining, so-called franchise quarterback Jay Cutler to Chicago for a bundle of future draft choices and chronic underachieving drunk QB Kyle Orton. That should go well. Yeah. Oh, and Denver, of course, also has been prominently in the news because of the summer-long antics of petulant prima donna wideout Brandon Marshall, who demanded a re-worked contract and then a trade, and who pouted, sulked and acted out like a pouty enfant terrible all summer. The Broncos finally suspended him, only to lift the suspension last Friday and supposedly offer a lucrative contract
extension to reward, uh, what? We're not really sure. Maybe just to show who's in charge, which of course begs the question, Who is in charge there, anyway? Again, we're not sure.

For all that, the Broncos do have some potent offensive weapons (except at the crucial quarterback position). For all we know, too, McDaniels may be a good Xs-and-Os game manager. And Denver is always tough at home, which is where the Steelers will play them.

As for Cincinnati, the Bengals will be interesting to watch today simply because they are a divisional rival, and we play at Cincinnati in only two weeks.

Every year, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls keep expecting the Bengals to improve significantly. And, every year, the Bungles suck. This year, we expect to see improvements on a defense that ranked No. 12 overall in the NFL last season, believe it or not. And quarterback Carson Palmer, as over-rated as we believe he is, does return (presumably healthy). So, yes, the Bungles once again concern us, and they bear watching, for as long as you can stomach it.

Speaking of bears, of particular interest to Steelers' fans will be tonight's Bears-Packers game, since the Steelers play at Chicago next Sunday. We shall see if the much-ballyhooed arrival of wunderkind Jay Cutler will pan out as hoped in Chicagoland. Yeah, we know: Cutler has a big arm. The punk, however, has never won anything. His career record at Vanderbilt and in Denver is well below .500. And Chicago still doesn't have any wide receivers who are accomplished, polished or much of a threat. We shall see.

Should be fun.

Get Well, Troy

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are cautiously optimistic the Steelers will continue to win without Troy Polamulu, athough the All-World safety took his play to a new, astounding level in the first half of Thursday's season opener against Tennessee. It's a concern, certainly, and we're keeping our fingers crossed for his full and speedy recovery.

Pro Football Weekly aptly summed up the situation of his absence and what it might mean for the Steelers, as things stand today ...

"The Steelers have fared well in Polamalu's absence before. In the eight career games he has missed, Pittsburgh has limited opponents to 10 points or less six times. In another instance, his absence coincided with other starters resting in the meaningless 2007 season finale vs. Baltimore, a game the Ravens won 27-21.

"The other game Polamalu missed came in Week 14 of the 2007 season, when Patriots QB Tom Brady riddled the Pittsburgh secondary in a 34-13 Patriots victory. Surely you recall Steelers FS Anthony Smith's prediction of victory and his inability to back up his words.

"Smith, of course, is no longer a Steeler, but Clark, who missed the New England debacle, too, is playing at a high level. And Carter knows the defense very well.

"This isn't to say that the Steelers won't miss Polamalu if he's not in the lineup when Pittsburgh is slated to face quarterbacks like Jay Cutler, Carson Palmer and Philip Rivers and runners like Adrian Peterson and LaDainian Tomlinson in the weeks to come. But there is more than enough talent to ensure the Pittsburgh defense's play won't regress to the point that it's a weakness."

Sounds about right.

How 'bout ...

How 'bout the Steelers' Mike Wallace (no, not the guy pictured above, from CBS's "60 Minutes") catching the clutch 22-yard pass in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal? And, how 'bout the Steelers trusting and even using him in that situation? Key play.

Big Ben was his usual excellent self. Troy was crazy good -- until he got hurt, and that's a major concern now for the defense. The drop-off was palpable after his injury.

The running game needs to be fixed. So, too, the offensive line. At this pace, Big Ben will get sacked 64 times this season, if he lives that long.

Other than that, this was an excellent win. Tennessee was one of the tougher games on our schedule. Now, that's out of the way.

Time to hit the road.

Oh, and the pre-game show was awesome, especially the moving tribute to the 9/11-Flight 93 passengers & crew, and their families. Great job by the Black-Eyed Peas, Time McGraw and Harry Connick, Jr.

Way to go, Steelers.

We Remember

LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!

We're back. Yup. Believe it or not.

Everybody's back. The Steelers are back. Brett Favre's back. Terrell Owens is back. The Black Eyed Peas (above) are back. Tim McGraw's back. Tug McGraw, too, for all we know. The Penguins are back -- on top, where they belong. The Pirates? Well, yeah. They're back, too ... in last place ... where they belong.

Some of the more entertaining Steelers bloggers never left ... Pittsburgh Sports and Mini-Ponies, One for the Other Thumb and most of the others listed in the Steelers/Football Blogroll on this page.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are a little worried about the running game. We're not at all convinced that Rashard Mendenhall will carry the load, even eventually, and a bit concerned about rumors that Fast Willie Parker may be hampered by a balky hamstring.

Other than that, man, this team is stacked. Loaded. The defending-champion Steelers have the best defense, the best head coach and the best defensive coordinator in the NFL. The best team.

This team is going to be lot of fun to watch.

Let's get this party started. Indeed.