Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thanksgiving With Joey Porter's Pit Bulls

It's been just more than three years since we launched Joey Porter's Pit Bulls. During those three-plus years, we've had many wins and too-many losses, a ton of belly-laughs, a Super Bowl Championship with the Steelers, a Stanley Cup Championship with the Penguins and three more seasons of futility with the Pirates. We flirted briefly with a new identity ("Steel Triangle"), but it didn't feel right, so we slobber on as Joey Porter's Pit Bulls.

We have much to be thankful for, hanging preposition notwithstanding. Happy Thanksgiving to one and y'all (or "yinz 'n 'at", as they say in certain parts of Pittsburgh).

In the spirit of the holiday, we revisit and refer you to
"Big Daddy Drew's Thanksgiving Itinerary" the classic write-up first posted two years ago on Kissing Suzy Kolber and, for that matter, linked to on Joey Porter's Pit Bulls way back when.

It's juvenile but so much better than anything we could write. Enjoy.

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day

Iris!

Iris
is swee-eeet.

According to one of the ARL staffers who's gotten to know her recently, “Iris may not be the cutest, but I wanted to mention that she is very easy to walk, no pulling whatsoever. “

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls may take issue with the first clause in the quoted sentence. Iris may not be the “cutest”... but we'd say she's in the conversation.

Iris needs a home.


You can visit Iris in person/dog at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in EastSide/EastLibertySide/Shadyside/Point Breeze
... or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days.

It's near Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant
(now being developed as Bakery Square).

= = = =
Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206

= = = =

Tel: 412-661-6452

"Everybody should have a dog."
-- Frank Dunn

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Absence of Presence

So-o-o-o ... okey-dokey, the Steelers made roster moves today ostensibly to bolster the woeful kick coverage units. We'll see if former Ravens cornerback Corey Ivy (pictured above) and former Titans' linebacker Rocky Boiman represent an appreciable upgrade over the now-released and unlamented Keiwan Ratliff and Donovan Woods. No youngsters, these two new Steelers: Ivy is 32 years old; Boiman is 29. May they make their presence known. Heaven knows, the absence of presence on special teams has cost the Steelers at least two games.

If we remember correctly, Mr. Ivy got blocked into next week, month, year, during last January's AFC Championship Game vs. the Ravens at Heinz Field. Limas Sweed did the honors, if memory serves.

Whatever.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls were so dispirited by the consecutive losses to Kansas City and Cincinnati that we skipped our usual Monday post. The injuries are taking their toll, definitely, but coach Mike Tomlin won't use injuries as an excuse. Still, losing key players like Troy Polamulu, Aaron Smith, Travis Kirschke, and now Charlie Batch and Chris Keomatu, has got to take a toll, eventually.

We're not convinced that Ben Roethlisberger should play on Sunday in Baltimore, but if the doctors say he's good to go, he'll play.

Baltimore has had injury issues (linebacker Terrell Suggs, plus starting cornerback Fabian Washington and 10 other players on injured reserve), too, this season, not that we're shedding any tears for the thug Ravens.

That damn game in Kansas City added insult to injury, not that we want to re-hash all of that. Still: The opening kickoff returned for a touchdown. The missed opportunities. Dropped passes. Stupid, careless penalties. The inability to close the game late in the fourth quarter and in overtime. These have been recurring problems all season long.

The loss to Kansas City is especially galling because the other three teams in the AFC North lost, too, including the Bengals to Oakland, of all teams. This weekend presented a golden opportunity to make up ground in the playoff chase. Instead, other teams made up ground against us, including Jacksonville, Miami and Tennessee.

Objects in rear-view may be closer than they appear.

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day


Champ is playful and fun, gentle and nice.
He listens well, he's easy on the leash, and he's good with people.

Champ needs a home.

You can visit Champ in person (dog) at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in East LibertySide/Shadyside
... or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days.

It's near Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant
(now being developed as Bakery Square).

= = = =
Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206

= = = =

Tel: 412-661-6452

Friday, November 20, 2009

Pre-Thanksgiving Feast


The Steelers should be licking their chops in anticipation of this Sunday's game at Kansas City, and not just because of the sumptuous tailgate parties in the Arrowhead Stadium parking lot.

Former Steelers' linebacker Mike Vrabel will not play on Sunday -- not that he was going to make much difference anyway.

This one should be in the bag for the Steelers, to go, and Joey Porter's Pit Bulls will take extra Barbeque Sauce, please.

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day

Wesley!

Wesley is intelligent, alert, strong and polite.
He's easy on the leash (unless he sees or smells a deer)
and good with people, including kids.
He's pretty much everything you'd want in a dog.

Wesley needs a home.

You can visit Wesley in person (dog) at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in East LibertySide/Shadyside
... or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days.

It's near Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant
(now being developed as Bakery Square).

= = = =
Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206

= = = =

Tel: 412-661-6452

Thursday, November 19, 2009

The Kansas City Griefs

With wins against the equally woeful Redskins and Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs are 2-7 this year, but what a mess the once-proud Kansas City Chiefs franchise is today.

With just four wins in their last 34 games, the Chiefs have been floundering in recent years. To say they've been one of the worst teams in the NFL may be an understatement. They're right there with fellow bottom-feeders, the Raiders, Rams, Buccaneers, Bills and Browns.

It's sad, really. From what I understand, however, at least Kansas City has enthusiastic fans, good tailgate parties and attention-diverting cheerleaders.

Other than that, the team's ongoing state of near-total disarray continued even into this week, with the suspension of Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs' leading receiver, because of a positive test for Performance Enhancing Drugs (or a banned masking agent, at the very least).

This came on the heels of the long-simmering Larry Johnson debacle. The Chiefs cut Johnson last week, after years of acrimony, turmoil and controversy. Johnson, who was within a few dozen yards of establishing the Kansas City's all-time rushing record, was unceremoniously cut and then picked up this week by the Cincinnati Bengals, who tell him he'll run with the scout team as the fourth-string running back. Yeah, good luck with that, Marvin Lewis.

While we're wishing luck, we can wish some (after Sunday's game with the Steelers) to Kansas City head coach Todd Haley, a Pittsburgh native and son of longtime Steelers' souting honcho, Dick Haley, a legendary scout who was instrumental in helping to find talent for Pittsburgh's Super Steelers dynasty of the 1970s.

Todd Haley was offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals during February's Super Bowl won by the Steelers. Based on that experience, plus his history, one would think Todd Haley has some knowledge of how the Steelers do things. We presume, too, that he has had this game circled on his calendar as one that he desperately wants to win -- to put a stake in the ground and a feather in his cap.

Ain't gonna happen.

There is some talent on the roster: On defense, there's Mike Vrabel, Tamba Hali, Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey and Mike Brown; on offense, Branden Albert, Chris Chambers, Matt Cassell and Jamaal Charles. Still, there are way, way too many question marks, even for the aforementioned players.

Well, at least Kansas City has devoted fans, tasty tailgate parties, and hot cheerleaders.

It could be worse: They could be the Cleveland Browns.

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day

Five-year-old Jonas is sweet and mellow, yet just a bit frisky.

For all that, he's a good listener, he's obedient, and he's very affectionate.

Jonas has a fun, happy-go-lucky personality. He gets along with everyone he meets, including kids and other dogs. He would fit well in many homes and bond quickly with a new family.

This is a really nice dog, with a silly, sweet face and nice, polite manners.

Jonas needs a home.

You can visit Jonas in person (dog) at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in East LibertySide/Shadyside
... or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days.
It's near Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant
(now being developed as Bakery Square).

= = = =
Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206

= = = =

Tel: 412-661-6452

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Not-so-Special Teams

So long, Arnold Harrison. We hardly knew ye. As Pink Floyd said -- eh, well, never mind.

Over the course of the past several years, Arnold Harrison had ACL surgery on both knees -- which may explain why he always seemed, to, move, so, stiff, stiffly.

Backup linebacker and "special teams demon" (cliche alert!) Donovon Woods replaces Harrison on the roster and on the kick coverage units. Woods played well in that role last year. Something had to be done, considering the Steelers have allowed three kickoff returns for touchdowns in the past four games. That cannot continue.

"We brought up Donovan Woods and he’ll have an opportunity to run down the middle of that unit and see if he can bring some energy to the group," head coach Mike Tomlin said.

Let's hope so.

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day


Zeke's a good dog! He's a lot of fun, playful and friendly.

Zeke needs a home.

Learn more about Zeke by e-mailing
arldogs@yahoo.com.

Or, visit Zeke in person (dog) at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in East LibertySide/Shadyside
... or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days.
It's near Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant
(now being developed as Bakery Square).

= = = =
Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206

= = = =
Tel: 412-661-6452

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Just wonderin' ...

Since Sunday, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have had a niggling feeling that we've seen this somewhere before.

By "this," we mean the pass-rush schemes employed by the Cincinnati Bengals. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer reportedly insisted that his outside rushers (defensive ends and linebackers) stop rounding off their rushes and stop running past the pocket (and Ben Roethlisberger) -- and instead cut short their pursuit lanes at a certain point, as if on a 90-degree angle.

The idea was to contain Roethlisberger from doing what he does so well, which is to improvise, scramble, buy time and throw on the run while rolling out to one side or the other. Just ask the Broncos about the open lane left open by an onrushing defensive end who simply got pushed past the pocket -- Roethlisberger deftly stepped forward, through the open space, and launched a howitzer shot to Mike Wallace at the goal-line for a touchdown in front of late-arriving Broncos' safety Brian Dawkins.

Well, on Sunday, the Bengals maintained their lanes, contained Roethlisberger and harried him all afternoon -- knockdowns, batted passes, sacks, you name it.

Anyway, it occurred to us we've seen this tactic before. Remember Kordell Stewart? His career went downhill, rapidly, once defensive coordinators figured out the way to contain him -- which is precisely what the Bengals did on Sunday.

Granted, Big Ben is much, much better than Kordell -- there's no comparison (zero!), except perhaps for the mobility factor, to a point -- but it will be interesting to see whether other teams employ tactics similar to what the Bengals used on Sunday.

It is, after all, a copycat league.

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day

Honey!

Honey is sweet.

Honey is a beautiful Golden Lab mix who is
five or six years old, so she's pretty mellow and very gentle.
Honey is extremely friendly and affectionate,
and she is extremely easy on the leash.

Honey also smiles pretty much all the time.

Honey needs a home.

Learn more about Honey by e-mailing
arldogs@yahoo.com.

Or, visit Honey in person/dog at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in East Liberty-Side/Shadyside
or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days ...
It's near Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant (now being developed as Bakery Square).

The Bengals Sign Larry Johnson

Cincinnati is a division rival, so this development is of interest to Steelers' fans, but this also is a compelling story for anybody who follows developments in the NFL.

In the wake of last weekend's injury to running back Cedric Benson, who entered Sunday's game vs. the Steelers ranked as the NFL's second-leading rusher, the Bengals have signed former Pro-Bowler Larry Johnson, whose production has declined steadily but precipitously over the past two years.

Let's see ... is this a good move for the Bengals? ... considering Johnson is or might be (choose one or all):
  • A chronic prima donna
  • A perpetual self-absorbed "me-first" whiner
  • Worn out, old and over the hill, with too many miles (and hits) on his wheels
  • Did we say "old" (he turns 30 on Thursday) for a running back, especially considering the number of hits he's endured over the years behind woeful offensive lines at Kansas City
  • A potential threat to Cincinnati's newfound, feel-good locker-room chemistry
  • Dogged by controversy, off-the-field problems and conflicts with various coaches throughout his career
  • In a role now, according to Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, whereby he "...would be used as a fourth running back and an opportunity as a backup player on this football team doing all the things backup players do, and that's work their tails off in the kicking game and showing looks [on the scout team] and so forth that way. And then he would be an insurance policy if something would happen down the line to one of our guys where he'd have a chance to be active."
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Monday, November 16, 2009

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day


Hercules is a great dog. He needs a home.

Hercules also needs a new name, because he is about as un-Hercules a dog as you'll ever meet. He's very shy, at first, to the point of timidity -- you'd think he's scared -- but once he relaxes and feels comfortable around people, he's very friendly, gentle and affectionate. He's easy to walk, he's extremely playful, and he likes other animals.

Hercules is a lot of fun!

He'll make a wonderful friend and companion. Somebody's going to be glad they adopted him. He's only about 10 months old, so he'll be around for a long time, too. He's housebroken, crate-trained and has gotten along just fine with kids.

Learn more about Hercules by e-mailing
arldogs@yahoo.com.

Or, visit Hercules in person/dog at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in East Liberty-Side/Shadyside
or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days ...
It's near Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant (now being developed as Bakery Square).

Links!

  • Blitzburgh over at Behind the Steel Curtain offers a frank assessment of yesterday's loss, along with some potentially helpful suggestions.
  • Christmas Ape at D.C. Steeler Nation blasts the play-calling, kickoff coverage and Red Zone incompetence.
  • Nice Pick Cowher has a typically excellent recap of Sunday's game against the Bengals, including this food for thought:
"On three of those (Red Zone) drives, what started as a 1st and goal from around ten yards out became a 2nd and goal from the 25-30 yard line because of a penalty or sack. The playcalling was beyond atrocious. I realize the Bengals are the #2 team against the rush and Rashard Mendenhall only had 36 yards on the day but lining up in a five WR set from the 8-yard line????

"... This loss drops the Steelers to 6-3 and creates a scenario where the only way we can win the division is by finishing a full game ahead of the Bengals. With that scenario highly unlikely to happen, it appears the Black and Gold are now relegated to Wild Card status. Last year, the New England Patriots missed out on the Wild Card despite an 11-5 record. In other words, not only is that route to the Super Bowl extremely difficult because you have to play three games all on the road but it’s a huge crapshoot just to get the spot in the first place."

Pheh. Bleah. Again.




The Bengals out-Steelered the Steelers yesterday at Heinz Field, as galling as it is to admit that. Give credit where credit is due. The Bengals played stout defense, performed on special teams and did just enough on offense -- especially late in the fourth quarter, again -- to win the game.

While it is tempting after defeat to assign blame, it's also prudent to assess the opponent and figure out what they did to beat your team. After all, the Steelers and Bengals are likely to meet again in the playoffs. They can't beat us three times in one year, can they? Nahhh ...

As a team, the Steelers seemed out of sync, and just a little bit off, all day, particularly on offense.

On defense, Defensive Coordinator Dick Lebeau did his job, as far as we can tell. For the second straight game, the Steelers held a heralded foe without an offensive touchdown. Also on the plus side, cornerback Ike Taylor once again held Chad Ochocinco in check, limiting him to just two catches and allowing keeping Ochocinco out of the end zone.

Additionally, it was neither LeBeau's fault nor Troy Polamulu's fault that Troy went down with a left knee injury (same knee as before). Injuries happen. Just ask Cincinnati running back Cedric Benson. Still, Troy's absence made a huge difference -- it had to, especially late in the fourth quarter (just like the first game against the Bengals, when the game was on the line).

No excuses. The Bengals beat the Steelers. The question for future reference (i.e., playoffs) is, how did they do it?

First and foremost: Defense.

The Steelers ran 17 plays (17!) in the Red Zone and came away with no touchdowns. It didn't help -- not at all-- that James Harrison (Silverback) drew a crucial, 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to keep the Bengals' final drive alive. That penalty cost time as much as it did yardage. Nevertheless, the Steelers' defense allowed only 61 yards rushing, 178 yards passing, and zero touchdowns. That's a pretty good day's work against a talented squad.

As for the Steelers' offense, uncharasterically, Santonio Holmes and Heath Miller let key passes sail through their hands. Although both would have been tough catches, those are catches we've come to expect those guys to make. Holmes's was especially disappointing since he was wide open in the end zone and Big Ben threw a fairly nice pass, albeit a little high and fast, and it came in directly over 'Tones's head. Tough catch. But still.

These drops underscored a point Joey Porter's Pit Bulls made last week, which is that the Bengals' corners are playing extremely well. The Bengals' secondary (Jonathan Joseph, Leon Hall, Morgan Trent Zach Crocker, et al) blanketed the Steelers' receivers the entire game and forced coverage sacks, as Big Ben (true to form) held onto the ball, held onto the ball, held onto the ball, waiting for someone to come open. They didn't -- not often enough.

With that in mind, the play-calling merits scrutiny. Why? Why did the first-half pass-to-run ratio amount to 27 passes and just 9 runs? Why?

Moving on ... let's look at Special Teams. Shield your eyes, though, because here's where it gets prickly. Again, keep in mind that neither team scored an offensive touchdown.
For the third time this season, however, the Steelers allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown.

"Special Teams Coach Bob Ligashesky, you got some 'splainin' to do."

In the last four games, the Steelers have surrendered three (three!!!) kickoff returns for touchdowns. Inexcusable. Short of going out on the field, though, we're not sure it's entirely Ligashesky's fault.

Which brings us to kicker Jeff Reed. Maybe it's not all his fault, either, but: For crying out loud, at least try to make a tackle, Drunko.

That's the second time this season Reed merely waved at and/or ran by a kick-returner going for a touchdown. I hope the pleasantries he exchanged with returner Bernard Scott were congenial, as Scott was flying past him, because Reed's effort was laughable.

Additionally, and perhaps even more worrisome, is that Reed's kickoffs all season have been short and low. The result is that even when the other team doesn't get a long return, they're still starting too many drives at the 35-yard or 40-yard line. And, then, this morning, we heard Reed on the radio saying, "I did my job. My job was to force the return man to the inside lane, and I did that."

Bullshit, and that statement smacks of pointing fingers at your teammates. How is that the other team's kickers consistently launch their kicks five yards deep into the end zone, yet Reed rarely gets his kickoffs beyond the five-yard line?

This is an issue, Skippy, and it ain't funny. Three kickoff returns for touchdowns, two missed field goals during the three-point loss in Chicago, and a missed field goal in the first loss to Cincinnati, which won that first game by, yup, three points. Not cool. Not cool at all.

Watch out, Reed, or next season you may be kicking for the Cleveland Browns ... who play the Baltimore Ravens in this evening's Monday Night Football matchup. We're betting the folks at ESPN are thrilled to be airing this one. Whoop-de-doo!

On a more positive note, congratulations to the Pitt Panthers for defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Saturday night's thriller. Good job. Pitt wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin looks like a young hybrid of NFL stars Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, and that ain't a bad thing to be, no sirree.

Now, all Pitt has to do is beat the West Virginia Mountaineers and the highly ranked Cincinnati Bearcats, and the Panthers will be invited to a major bowl. Piece-a-cake.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Looking Forward to Sunday's Game: Reasons for Optimism

Reasons for Optimism? Troy, for one.

Troy Polamalu missed the first game against Cincinnati. There's no way the Bengals march down the field on that decisive 16-play, 71-yard drive in the final minutes. Sixteen plays! Not with Troy on the field.

Also on defense, Lawrence Timmons returns to the lineup. Keyaron Fox has played great in his absence, however, so that's not as big a deal as Troy being back in the lineup. Perhaps more importantly, count on Dick LeBeau having some new tricks up his sleeve.

Plus, we're at home.
  • It should be interesting to see how the Heinz Field turf holds up for this 1 p.m. Sunday matchup ... occurring just after Saturday night's Pitt-Notre Dame matchup, which begins at 8 p.m.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Steelers' offensive line is playing at a very high level, with Max Starks nullifying two of the NFL's best defensive ends (Jared Allen and Elvis Dumerville) the past two games.

Granted, Cincinnati's defense has been playing great -- having stuffed Baltimore's offense last Sunday. The Steelers have so many more weapons at receiver than Baltimore, however -- so that should help counter the one-on-one matchups the Bengals hope to play with their cornerbacks, Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall.

It's worth noting Rashard Mendenhall didn't play in the game at Cincinnati. Willie Parker started at running back, and Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are convinced Parker wasn't healthy. It's no secret he had a hamstring problem during training camp, and possibly something else (turf toe?).

Also on the replacement front: Mike Wallace has emerged as the No. 3 receiver in place of Limas Sweed, who dropped a touchdown pass in Cincinnati. Wallace makes that catch. 'Nuff said about that.

Granted, the Steelers are going to have to play their best: The Bengals have a much more balanced attack than the Broncos. Nevertheless, for the aforementioned reasons -- Troy, Lebeau, Mendenhall, Starks & Co., home field -- Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are cautiously optimistic the Steelers will win on Sunday and take over first place in the AFC North.

We wouldn't give the seven points, though.

Footnotes & Addenda
  • After watching last Sunday's game in Denver and last night's Bears-49ers game, it's worth asking: Who would you rather not have at quarterback, Kyle Orton or Jay Cutler? Sheesh. How did the Steelers ever lose to the Bears? Oh, yeah, that's right: Jeff Reed (Drunko). Missed two field goals. Still.
  • The NFL Has fined Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco $20,000 for "offering" a $1 bill (in fun) to attempt to "bribe" an official last Sunday. Who didn't see that fine coming? Shutdown Corner's MJD has the best take on this:
"The fact that the NFL levied a fine isn't surprising. This is a league that devotes pages in its rulebook to regulate how much players can celebrate after scoring a touchdown, so that it showed no sense of humor was to be expected. ...

"As for paying off the fine, Ochocinco should totally send a box full of 20,000 ones to the NFL offices. If he needs help getting that large an amount of bills, I'm sure he can get Pacman Jones' phone number pretty easily."

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day

Reno!

Reno is very cool and lots of fun:
personable, easy-going, gentle and inquisitive.


Reno's about two years old with a
happy-go-lucky outlook. Dude's got style.
Also, he's very friendly and wants new friends.

Reno needs a home.

Learn more about Reno by sending an e-mail to
arldogs@yahoo.com


Or, visit Reno in person/dog at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, located at Fifth and Hamilton in East Liberty-Side/Shadyside
or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days ...
it's near Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant (now being developed as Bakery Square).

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Looking Forward to Sunday's Game: Reasons for Concern

The Bengals are for real this year, finally.

Reasons for Concern? Eh, where to start? We might begin with the dude in the second photo, above, Cedric Benson, currently the NFL's second-leading ball carrier. The guy is a battering ram. He also has a pedigree, having been the No. 4 overall choice in the NFL draft out of the University of Texas; and he has something to prove, having been ridden out of Chicago, derisively, after abject failure with the Bears, along with several unfortunate incidents apparently involving alcohol and law enforcement authorities.

Whatever. Benson's gotten his act together, and good for him. As far as Steel Triangle is concerned, the Bengals offense this year begins with Benson -- but it doesn't end there.

Quarterback Carson Palmer is healthy once again and playing with a newfound confidence. His stable of receivers is four-deep, even without Chris Henry, who is out for the season with a broken arm. We all know Chad Ochocinco, their No. 1 receiver. The No. 2 slot is being filled more than capably by veteran wideout Laveraneus Coles, who's a speedster with good hands.

Equally worrisome, and perhaps more so, is their No. 3 receiver, second-year man Andre Caldwell, who caught the winning touchdown pass when the Bengals beat the Steelers in September. A few days before the April 2008 draft, Steel Triangle identified Caldwell is a guy who we'd like to see the Steelers draft. We figured third round might be good. Caldwell went in the third round, all right, 98th overall to Cincinnati. The Steelers' third-round pick? UCLA linebacker Bruce Davis -- 88th overall, 10 picks ahead of Caldwell. The Steelers cut Davis at the end of training camp this year. Well, you can't get every player you want and, for what it's worth (then posting as Joey Porter's Pit Bulls), we also identified current Steelers guard Doug Legursky as a guy we'd like to see in Black 'n Gold. In any case, Caldwell's a good one.

Finally, with respect to the Cincinnati offense (and this is not to be discounted), the offensive line has jelled quickly and is playing with a physicality not seen in Cincinnati in a long, long time.

As for their defense, it's good too, and it all starts with stellar play at the corners. Former first-rounders Leon Hall and Jonathon Joseph are emerging as legitimate shutdown corners. Joseph especially has shown a proclivity for the spectacular interception. Their respective ability to play effective man-to-man at each corner gives Cincinnati Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer much latitude to free up his safeties and linebackers to clog and cover other areas of the field. It helps, too, that Cincinnati's front seven is playing with a newfound ferocity, with one of its most aggressive players being the lion-maned Samoan defensive end, Domata Peko, No. 94, who hails from Pago Pago (and, subsequently, Michigan State. Interestingly (or not), former Steeler washout Orien Harris backs up Peko, who was voted by his teammates as a team captain.

For one thing, the linebacking corps is finally settled, with 2008 first-rounder Keith Rivers back to health (no thanks to Hines Ward); world traveler Dhani Jones playing well; and 2009 second-rounder Rey Maualuga stepping right into a starting role out of USC -- and reminding fans of a young Junior Seau.

Okay, enough, about the Bengals. They're for real, and they're chomping at the proverbial bit for a chance to take down the Steelers.

But that ain't gonna happen, is it. No, didn't think so. Not even a question.

Tomorrow: Reasons for Optimism.

One other thing: Happy Birthday, Pro Football -- on this date in history, pro football was born.

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day

Murphy!

This little guy is easy on the leash, friendly with others and just generally trying to figure out what the world is all about. He may be a little confused right now,
but that may be because he needs a home.

If you'd like to inquire about Murphy, please email arldogs@yahoo.com.

Or, visit Murphy in person (dog) at The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, located at Fifth and Hamilton in
East Liberty-Side/Shadyside/Point Breeze/Homewood
or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day

Spartacus!

Spartacus is 11 months old, a lttle shy (believe it or not), and he needs a home.
Spartacus proably needs a new name, too, given his sweet disposition.
He will make a loyal, trusting companion for any family.

If you'd like to inquire about Spartacus,
please email arldogs@yahoo.com.


Or, visit Spartacus in person (dog) at The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in East Liberty/Shadyside/Point Breeze/Homewood
or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days.

It's Wednesday Already?

Wednesday's usually the day Steel Triangle starts evaluating and "game-planning" for the Steelers' next opponent. Since the Steelers played on Monday night however, and won in such emphatic! fashion, Steel Triangle continues to revel in the victory in the Mile High City.

So, we thought it our civic duty to share ...


Links:

Virginia Montanez over at That's Church offers an eminently worthwhile re-cap of her own personal experience watching the game, including her thoughts on Denver safety Brian Dawkins' pre-game histrionics ("This is OUR house! This is OUR house!!") and the big turnout by Steelers' fans at Denver's stadium:

"Steeler Nation cares not whose house you think it is. We will take it over and make it our own and we’ll even put our feet up on your coffee table and drink your beer and take a poop in your bathroom and not give a darn how stinky we make the room. THAT’S how comfortable we are in your house."

Woody Paige, Denver Post, also marvels at the number of Steelers' fans who were at Invesco Field and wonders "Whose stadium is this, anyway?"

One for the Other Thumb reviews some of the highlights and promised a re-cap, added here.

Lynn Zinser, New York Times, craps all over the "hoodie" sideline apparel choice favored by Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels and established by Bellichick himself. Ms. Zinser favors Mike Tomlin's look: "Now, we’ll have whatever Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin is wearing, please. If the master himself (Bellichick) loses to the Colts this weekend, the hoodie might find its way back to the clearance rack at Big Lots. And the fashion world will rejoice."

Post-game analysis from Romi Bean, cheerleader for the Denver Broncos. Love those chaps, by the way.

Nice Pick Cowher
offers a nice re-cap of Monday night's game.

Alex Marvez, Fox Sports, says the Steelers are regaining their Super Bowl swagger and are the team no team "should want to face." Steel Triangle dissents, however, and believes the Cinci Bengals actually can't wait to face the Steelers on Sunday. Be careful what you wish for, Bengals.

Rocky Mountain Way High

There was so much to like about last night's thoroughly enjoyable 28-10 win over Denver.

  • The win, of course, which raises the Steelers' record to 6-2 in anticipation of next Sunday's must-win game vs. Cincinnati at Heinz Field.
  • The defense, which allowed only three points to Denver's offense.
  • The big plays.
  • The running game (Rashard Mendenhall and the offensive line).
  • Big Ben Roethlisberger's passing and leadership, hand in hand with Hines Ward, Mike Wallace and Santonio Holmes shredding Denver's vaunted secondary.
  • Tyrone Carter's performance and Ryan Clark's enthusiastic support on the sideline.
  • The preparation and in-game adjustments by head coach Mike Tomlin, defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.
And some of the HITS.

I'm trying to decide which was my favorite hit:
  • Troy Polamula's explosive kamikaze tackle of Correll Buckhalter in the backfield.
  • Daniel Sepulveda's (yup, punter Daniel Sepulveda) slam-bang of a tackle on a punt return along the sideline.
  • Or James Harrison's near dcapitation of Correll Buchalter on Denver's final, "let's pad our stats" drive.
I think it was Harrison's hit on Buckhalter. It was emphatic, violent and basically said, "Don't even try that shit."

Steel Triangle wasn't too worried about this game, either beforehand or during the first half, when Denver seemed to hold the upper hand despite being down 7-3, thanks to Tyrone Carter's 49-yard interception return for a touchdown.

It was a game of two halves, even if the first half was a bit misleading.
  • First half: The Steelers had 18 plays.
  • Second half: The Steelers had 18 first downs.
Speaking of balance, the Steelers' offense rang up 29 passing plays and 29 running plays.

Before the game, I figured, "Give a bye week to Dick Lebeau, Bruce Arians and Mike Tomlin. Factor in Kyle Orton's inability or unwillingness to throw deep, and I like our chances. A lot."

So, here we are, with a 6-2 record at the halfway point of the season.

Next up: Division-leading Cincinnati at Heinz Field. A must-win game.

Monday, November 09, 2009

What to do in Denver ....

There's only one thing to do in Denver:
In the immortal words of the late, great Myron Cope ...

"Deck them Broncos!
They're just
Yonkos!!!"

Yoi and double-yoi. Hm-hah. Pish 'n tush.

Photo Credit: www.patricksellsdenver.com