Merry Christmas!

Where are we?

A fortnight before Christmas, and it's a good time to take stock.

The schedule lets Steeler fans take a breather this weekend before the team travels to San Francisco to play the 49ers, who are 10-2 and have clinched a playoff spot already. Tomorrow, San Francisco squares off against Kevin Kolb and the Arizona Cardinals, who somehow beat the Dallas Cowboys last week.

After the Baltimore Ravens beat the 49ers 16-6 on Nov. 24, Baltimore running back Ray Rice said San Francisco's defense was "the best we've played, by far."  Presumably, then, since the Ravens had already beaten the Steelers twice, Rice meant the 49ers defense was better than Pittsburgh's.

William Gay saved the day late in the game vs. Cleveland.

Maybe, maybe not. We shall find out a week from Monday. More relevant is just what kind of team the Steelers have. Really, what can we expect from week to week?  Hard to say. The Steelers have been up and down all season. Then again, so have the Ravens ... and the Steelers are the first AFC team to reach 10 wins.

Any other AFC team would love to have 10 wins -- so, yes, we Steeler fans are spoiled and have high expectations. Maybe we're cautious about getting too excited because we're too close to this team. We see the warts.

That will cost James Harrison.

The Steelers may be without Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey and James Harrison when they go to San Francisco. Roethlisberger may play, but his high ankle sprain will hamper him for several weeks. High ankle sprains are notoriously problematic and slow to heal. Roethlisberger probably shouldn't play for two or three weeks, but he almost certainly will play in San Francisco. 

James Harrison may not have a choice. 

Rodney Harrison, former NFL safety now serving as a commenter on the NFL Network, whom players routinely voted as the "Dirtiest Player in the NFL" ... Rodney Harrison, of all people, says James Harrison "has to be suspended" for his hit on Colt McCoy and his history of such hits.

James Harrison's handiwork.

Rodney Harrison, who admits he was "the poster boy" for dirty play and NFL fines (having paid more than $300,000 for questionable hits during his own NFL career), says nothing short of a suspension will get James Harrison's attention and make him even think twice about adjusting his style of play.

It is entirely possible the commissioner's office will agree.

To have any chance of winning the AFC North, the Steelers must win their remaining three games: 

• at San Francisco on the evening of Monday, Dec. 19
• at home vs. St. Louis on Saturday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve
  
• at Cleveland on New Year's Day
  

Baltimore has four games:

• at home tomorrow vs. the Colts
  
• at San Diego on Sunday, Dec. 18
• at home vs. the Browns on Christmas Eve
• at Cincinnati on New Year's Day

There you have it. Maybe San Diego and/or Cincinnati knocks off the Ravens. Maybe not. No matter. The Steelers must win the rest of their games -- regular season and post-season. 

Looking Ahead

Mike Wallace, going for paydirt.

Because the Steelers allowed that last-minute 92-yard touchdown drive against the Ravens at Heinz Field on Nov. 18, they put themselves in a position where they must win out to have any chance of winning the division.

Let's assume the Steelers win their remaining three regular-season games and enter the playoffs as a wild-card. That means they would be on a seven-game winning streak entering the playoffs and would have won 12 of 13 dating back to their 17-10 loss in Houston Oct. 2.

Entering the playoffs, then, they would need four additional wins to claim the Super Bowl trophy. Those four wins on top of the seven-game winning streak entering the playoffs would make an eleven-game winning streak and 16 wins in 17 games dating back to Oct. 2. They do that, and they deserve to win the Super Bowl -- but then, they may be facing a Green Bay squad gunning for a perfect 19-0 record. This could get interesting.

Another Ugly Win

Down but not out

Charlie Batch is better than Seneca Wallace.  But we knew that already.

Was that even NFL football last night?

Ugly game last night, but we'll take the win. It was tough to watch, and not just because some of the injuries were cringe-worthy (Ben's leg, Troy's shoulder, Colt McCoy's concussion).

It was an ugly game the Steelers almost lost, except the Browns wouldn't let the Steelers give it away. Twelve penalties (including three calls on Chris Kemoeatu) and three turnovers (two in the red zone) by the Steelers -- no flow to the game whatsoever.

You could say the Steelers were terrific on defense, or you could say the Browns are terrible on offense.  The fact is, however, the Browns nearly pulled out a victory. Cleveland may well have done so, except for James Harrison's helmet-to-facemask hit that knocked Colt McCoy out of the game (temporarily) with a concussion.

McCoy says he doesn't even remember the hit, which says all you need to know about how sharp he was afterward. No wonder McCoy then committed intentional grounding and threw a  pivotal interception -- the real question is why the Browns even allowed him back in the game. Clearly, he'd sustained "concussion-like symptoms."

Well, that's on their coaching staff, and Cleveland fans must be wondering why they can't get a better backup than Seneca Wallace.

Ugly game. Big Ben held onto the ball way too long on the play he got injured. Makes you wonder how he could not have sensed the pressure that finally descended upon him.

Besides getting the win, the best thing about this game is that it's over, the Steelers won, and they have 11 days before their next game, Monday night, Dec. 19, in San Francisco.

Send in the Clowns

Ernie Green

It's Browns vs. Steelers.  That's all that needs to be said.  

Yeah, the intensity of the rivalry has been down the past few years, if only because the Browns have been so bad, but this rivalry has deep roots.   

Let’s put this in historical context:

1966: Cleveland 41, Pittsburgh 10

 Quote from Cleveland fullback Ernie Green:
“It was like running downhill.”

It's Browns vs. Steelers, at Heinz Field, on Prime Time national television.  The Steelers must win this game.

As It Should Be

So the Bengals thought they could play with the big boys, eh?  Not so fast!

All we kept hearing out of Cincinnati after they played tough but lost to the Steelers Nov. 13 was how they proved in defeat that they could play with the Steelers, Ravens and other top-tier teams in the NFL.  Apparently not.

Antonio Brown scores on a 60-yard punt return in the second quarter vs. Cincinnati.

It's December, and it's time to step up or step aside. The Steelers stepped up and, true to form, the Bengals stepped aside, where they belong. The Bengals made way too many mistakes today and deserved to lose.

The Bengals drop to 7-5, with the Texans, Rams, Cardinals and Ravens left on their schedule.  The Rams are their only road game.

Now, the Bengals are in a dogfight with the Jets,Titans, and Broncos or Raiders (all 7-5) for a wild-card playoff spot. The Bengals still have only win this season over a team with a winning record.

Afterwords

• Let's hope Antonio Brown is okay after that wicked rib shot he took from safety Reggie Nelson in the fourth quarter. Let's hope Lamarr Woodley and Ramon Foster are healthy, too.
• The radio announcers lagged the television broadcast badly -- by about 12-15 seconds each play. Nearly every play shown on TV would be over as Bill Hillgrove would be starting the play-call on radio. At times, the TV would be starting a replay even as Hillgrove was calling the play. This was as bad as we've ever seen it. Generally, we prefer listening to the radio broadcast, but this was ridiculous and totally unnecessary. Blame Janet Jackson.
• In other games, can you believe Tim Tebow? Good for him. As it stands now, the Steelers would be going to Denver for a first-round playoff game. Also, can you believe the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears? Good for Pittsburgh's own Tyler Palko. He threw for only 157 yards but threw no interceptions and notched his first career touchdown pass on a Hail Mary -- and won.
• Next up for the Steelers: The Browns at Heinz Field, Thursday night.  Then, an 11-day break before a trip to San Francisco Dec. 19; the Rams at Heinz Field on Christmas Eve; and at Cleveland News Year's Day.  Happy New Year!

Saturday Preview: The Bengals, Again

A.J. Green hauling in a touchdown reception.

Just three weeks ago, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls offered a Saturday Preview of the Cincinnati Bengals, and here we are again. Since that Nov. 13 game vs. the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium, the Steelers have played one game and the Bengals two.

The Steelers enjoyed a week off before Thanksgiving and more or less took the next week off, too, narrowly squeaking by the woefully inept and injury-depleted Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday night.  The Bengals played two tough games, a narrow loss at Baltimore and a narrow win at home over Cleveland.

The Bengals are gaining confidence and will be a tough game for the Steelers tomorrow.

Following their loss to the Steelers at home on Nov. 13, the Bengals were crowing about how their defense adjusted to what the Steelers were doing on offense, and how defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's front seven rotation kept their defense fresh and their pass rush stoked.

Antonio Brown vs. Cincinnati, Nov. 13.

Think the Steelers might use more no-huddle at Heinz Field?  It would make sense. Going no-huddle or hurry-up would limit defensive replacements in the Bengals defensive rotation. Last time, the Steelers waited until the third quarter before going no-huddle. When they finally did, the no-huddle gave them a shot of energy and led to the decisive touchdown.

Looking back, it is understandable, perhaps, that Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians were reluctant to go no-huddle on the road last Sunday at noisy Arrowhead Stadium and the week before at Paul Brown Stadium, even with its healthy contingent of fans in Black 'n Gold. This time? This time the Steelers are at home. We would like to see the no-huddle early and often.

The Bengals' Offense

In the first game, running back Cedric Benson had only 15 carries. Maybe Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden outsmarted themselves by not running the ball more. Coaches do that.

Yes, the Steelers jumped to an early 14-0 lead, which forced the Bengals had to play catch-up, but they had plenty of time. Big Ben threw a first-half iinterception that helped the Bengals stay in the game, and Cincinnati tied the score with their first drive of the third quarter, so there was indeed plenty of time for them to operate.

We might see more emphasis on the run tomorrow. As noted on this blog before the first match-up, the Bengals have three very good running backs, each of whom has had success against the Steelers.  Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott and Brian Leonard can play, and Marvin Lewis would be foolish to not use them.

On the other hand, the Bengals also have some excellent receivers, starting with first-round draft choice Adriel Jeremiah Green -- A.J. Green -- who is merely awesome. With his height, wingspan, reach, hands, speed and body control, Green evokes comparisons to Detroit's Calvin Johnson, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald and Houston's Andre Johnson. Green already is Cincinnati's best receiver, and he's only getting better, but the Bengals have several other cats who can play, too.

Andrew Hawkins

In his Tuesday news conference, Mike Tomlin singled out 25-year-old rookie Andrew Hawkins, who had a coming-out party of sorts against the Steelers, with five catches for 56 yards. Hawkins is very quick-fast, which makes him ideal for the slot receiver position he now plays. Hawkins, a native of Johnstown , Pa., played four years at the University of Toledo and two years in the Canadian Football League. He has found a home in Cincinnati, and the Steelers will have to account for him. Too bad.

Apparently, Andrew Hawkins could have been a Steeler, at least according to his older brother, Artrell Hawkins, who played defensive back for the Steelers briefly a few years ago and helped coach the Steelers secondary this past training camp as an intern.  Artrell says the Steelers had no interest in his little (5'7") brother. They'd better take an interest in him tomorrow, and Tomlin's comments in Tuesday's news conference indicate that he has their attention.

According to Bengals.com, after that first game, "The Steelers told Artrell that Troy Polamalu went to defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and urged him, "Get us out of this fire zone (blitz) and give me something I can sit on," because of Hawkins’s speed. Then when Green went down, that package was gone because Hawkins had to go to the slot while Caldwell went to the outside."

Other Bengals receivers pose problems, too, particularly deep threat Jerome Simpson and tight end Jermaine Grisham. Possession receiver Andre Caldwell, whom we wanted the Steelers to draft a couple years ago out of the University of Florida, has hurt the Steelers before. He has good hands, a knack for getting open and is a good blocker.

So, yes, with Andy Dalton leading the way, the Bengals have plenty of firepower on offense, and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is excellent at getting the most out of his squad, particularly his talented and deep front seven. The Steelers had trouble handling Cincinnati's pass rush last time, when the Bengals notched five sacks. The Steelers are going to have to do better tomorrow, but they should know what to expect. 

This game is no gimme, and make no mistake: This is a must-win game.

Tomlin Tuesday: Cautiously Optimistic About Troy

It was reasonable to expect the health of Troy Polamalu to be the first topic of discussion today in Mike Tomlin's weekly news conference.

Interestingly, however, as if to downplay the seriousness of Polamalu's "concussion-like symptoms," Tomlin opened his news conference not by discussing injuries as he usually does, but by singling out a heretofore unheralded Bengals slot receiver by the name of Andrew Hawkins, an NFL rookie with two years experience in the Canadian Football League and four years at the University of Toledo.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are not thinking about Andrew Hawkins, who might as well be former Steeler Courtney Hawkins. We don't care about Andrew Hawkins, whom Tomlin mentioned in the same breath as Wes Welker, for crying out loud.

We do care about Troy Polamalu, and Tomlin suggested he is cautiously optimistic Polamalu will be fine.

“If we are going to err, we are going to err on the side of caution when it comes to health, particularly from a head injury standpoint," Tomlin said. "I have no issue with that. We lean on the expert advice of our medical staff. Troy’s been good. We anticipate it being a non-issue moving forward this week.”

Let's hope so.

An ugly win is still a win.

Brett Keisel left Arrowhead a winner.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls gotta admit: It was tough to get up for the Steelers' visit to Kansas City.  Tell ya the truth, it's also tough to get too worked up over the Steelers' phugly 13-9 win over the Chiefs last night. The Steelers survived; it's a win; time to move on.

Maybe it was a combination of the bye week, the Thanksgiving weekend, the start of the Christmas shopping season, and the prospect of facing a so-so Kansas City Chiefs team hit hard by injuries to its star running back (Jamal Charles) and starting quarterback (Matt Cassell). The buildup to last night's game just felt flat. And the Steelers almost fell flat.

Fortunately for the Steelers, former Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko, a Pittsburgh native son and by all accounts a good guy you'd like to see do well, really wasn't up to the challenge last night. Palko was plucky, but his fumble and three interceptions belonged in the WPIAL, not the NFL.

Still, Palko the Chiefs' 23rd-ranked defense kept the Chiefs in the game until Palko's last-minute overthrow that star receiver Dwayne Bove seemed to alligator-arm but really had no chance to catch. Maybe Bove thought the pass was intended for another receiver behind him?  Maybe he didn't try for the ball because he didn't want to get hit? Whatever.

There's not much point over-analyzing this ugly win. The Steelers' big concern is the health of Troy Polamalu, who may or may not have yet another concussion. Very worrisome. We'll see what coach Mike Tomlin will say in Tuesday's news conference. Let's hope for the best.

Next up for the 8-3 Steelers: The 7-4 Cincinnati Bengals, at Heinz Field.  If the season ended today, the Steelers would be the AFC's first wild card; the Bengals would be the second wild card.

What is "The Line"?

Besides noting once again that "the standard is the standard," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said something in his news conference today that makes us wonder, "What is the line?"

Replying to a reporter's question about how he would assess the play of linebacker Jason Worilds, Tomlin said, "He has been above the line." 

What does that mean? What is "the line"?

For the record, Jason Worilds made one tackle and assisted on another in Cincinnati. Maybe that's "above the line" compared to fellow linebacker Larry Foote, who had zero tackles and just one assist. We thought linebackers in the Steelers defense are supposed to do more than that.

On to other matters ... the bye week has provided a nice interlude to relax and watch goings-on in other realms. Pittsburgh native Tyler Palko made his first NFL start for the Chiefs last night against New England. Palko did some good things but threw three interceptions, and Kansas City lost, 34-3. Next up for him: his hometown Steelers at Arrowhead next Sunday. The Patriots, then the Steelers -- that's a baptism by fire.

Speaking of the Patriots, they have the NFL's easiest schedule the rest of the season. Of course they do. Because the Ravens mounted that 92-yard drive against the Steelers and then beat the Bengals on Sunday, the Steelers are back in second place and need the Ravens to lose at least once.

San Francisco is the best bet to beat the Ravens. The two teams square off in Baltimore on Thanksgiving evening. This will be a tough test for both squads, and we shall watch it with interest.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have been busy with life-stuff the past week or so. With the bye week behind us, we plan to  resume posting on a more regular basis (hopefully every day) than we have the past few days. There's plenty to talk about!

Back on Top

Let's see:  In the span of just one week, from about 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, the Steelers went from sitting atop the entire American Football Conference ...to third place in the AFC North, behind Cincinnati and Baltimore ... back to first place in the AFC North, ahead of Baltimore and Cincinnati, in that order.


Thus, the Steelers' roller-coaster season continues apace. Now, the bye week gives the first-place Steelers (7-3; 1-2 in the division) the opportunity to kick back on their recliners and watch the matchup in Baltimore between the second-place Baltimore Ravens (6-3; 2-0 in the division) and third-place Cincinnati Bengals (6-3; 1-1 in the division).

Lawrence Timmons comes up with an interception vs. the Bengals.

For whom shall we root? Probably Cincinnati, since Baltimore beat us twice, we've beaten the Bengals, and we get to play the Bengals again at Heinz Field.

The Ravens somehow lost to Tarvaris Jackson and the Seattle Seahawks, a team the Steelers shut out in Week Two. Go figure. At one point late in yesterday's game with the Ravens, the Seahawks had as many penalties as first downs (12). The Ravens' defense couldn't stop the run when it counted. Ray Rice carried the ball just five times all afternoon. Joe Flacco threw the ball 52 times, misfiring on 23 of those attempts, including one interception. The Ravens' David Reed lost a couple of fumbles on kick returns. Seattle kicked five field goals, and Baltimore's Billy Cundiff missed two field goal attempts. For the second time this season, the Ravens followed up a win over the Steelers with a loss to a struggling team.

In Cincinnati, the Bengals took consolation yesterday from playing tough in their loss to the Steelers. They're acting like they won the game. They believe they've served notice they can play with the Big Boys. So far, though, all they've shown is they can talk the talk. They still have to prove they can walk the walk. They'll get their chance to do that in Baltimore on Sunday. And the Steelers can sit back and enjoy the show.

Whew ... too close for comfort

Antonio Brown was the offensive star of the game..(photo credit: Getty Images)

Thank goodness for William Gay. 

Bet you didn't think many Steelers fans would be saying that today. Finally, some defensive takeaways, and Gay's interception late in the fourth quarter couldn't have come at a better time. With just 2:27 left in the game and Cincinnati driving at the Pittsburgh 26, Gay jumped the route on a pass intended for Jerome Simpson and grabbed the interception that saved the game.

Gay also broke up four passes, including one deflected to Lawrence Timmons for an interception. Gay's interception at the end may have saved the Steelers' season. Now 1-2 in the division, the Steelers absolutely had to win in Cincinnati. They did. They survived to compete another day and have the bye week coming up to think about how they can improve.

Improve they must. We shouldn't gripe too much about a win on the road over a division rival riding a five-game winning streak. Lots of Steelers played well: With five receptions for 86 yards, Antonio Brown was the offensive star of the game; Troy Polamalu was all over the place; Lawrence Timmons had a diving interception forced by William Gay; Rashard Mendenhall ran hard; Mike Wallace and Heath Miller made clutch catches; Jericho Cotchery did a passable Hines Ward impression; Max Starks was tremendous; Jeremy Kapinos punted five times for a 50.4 yard average; and, although he took too many sacks, Ben Roethlisberger made plays for the most part, as he passed for 18 first downs. There's something to be said for that.

Where's the killer instinct?

Okay, they won, but do the Steelers lack a killer instinct? Seems a fair question. The Steelers blew a 14-point lead in the third quarter. Maybe it's a stretch to say this was a game the Steelers should have won handily. But ... once again, too many miscues, mistakes and sacks allowed. No sacks made on defense. The Steelers let the Bengals hang around, hang around, and then all of a sudden, the Bengals tied the game at 17-17 with their first drive of the third quarter. The Steelers re-took the lead, but there were the Bengals driving at the end.

Injuries have taken a toll, no doubt. Still, "the standard is the standard," and the Bengals lost two key players to injury during the game.

Give credit: Andy Dalton is an impressive young quarterback, with "leader" written all over him. Dalton, however, missed several open receivers and was just 15-30 for 170 yards. He shows promise, though, as he is decisive, poised and appears to be fundamentally sound. He gets rid of the ball quickly. They call him The Red Rifle, and his arm seems plenty strong enough. He seems likable, too, so it might be hard for Steelers' fans to conjure up much of a healthy dislike for him -- unless he starts beating them regularly, heaven forbid.

A.J. Green's touchdown (photo credit: Reuters)

Speaking of impressive, how about A.J. Green? ... and just what was Troy Polamalu doing on Green's first-quarter touchdown catch? Polamalu didn't play the ball. Perhaps he lost the ball in flight, but he appeared to be looking right at it, tracking it, yet pulled back at the last second before Green snatched it. Ryan Clark got turned around and was falling as the ball arrived. Troy's got to get a hand in there, at least, and break it up, if not intercept that pass ... but who are we to criticize Troy. Other than that glaring miscue, Polamalu played well, especially on run defense.

Clearly, the second-quarter interception that clanked off Heath Miller's hands was not Ben Roethlisberger's fault. The pass was on the money, and Miller is usually reliable. It happens. The Bengals converted the turnover into three points (a 43-yard field goal by Mike Nugent) after a 15-yard drive on seven plays.

Ben dodged a bullet, however, with about 7:30 left in the second quarter, when a sure interception on first down deep in negative territory was bungled in a collision between Leon Hall and Reggie Nelson. It should have been intercepted.The Steelers then drove downfield and kicked the field goal that made the halftime score 17-10.

And how good was Antonio Brown during that field goal drive? Spectacular. Brown was the go-to guy with four catches for 74 yards, including one on 3rd and 19, and several acrobatic catches. No doubt about it, Brown is a rising star.

Rashard Mendenhall's touchdown (photo: Getty Images)

The Bengals have a lot of talent. One guy Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have always watched with interest is nose tackle Domata Peko. Another guy who gets your attention is OLB Manny Lawson. At 6'5", 240, Lawson supposedly has a 72" wingspan and does a 42" vertical jump. Selected by the 49ers as the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2006 draft, Lawson washed out in San Francisco, where he was miscast as a defensive end. He's found new life in Cincinnati. He reminds us a little of former Titans linebacker Jevon Kearse, "The Freak," who had a freakish 86" wingspan.

Just as the Steelers have their share of injuries, the Bengals entered the game without their best pass rusher, Carlo Dunlap, inactive with a hamstring injury (just like the Steelers' best pass rusher, Lamarr Woodley). Two more of the Bengals' best players on either side of the ball, A.J. Green and Leon Hall, left the game with injuries, and their absence was felt by the Bengals. Marvin Lewis said as much after the game -- and that's just one difference between him and Mike Tomlin ("No excuses! No complaints!").

Next Up: The bye week, then a game in Kansas City on Nov. 27. More interesting than the week off is next week's game between Cincinnati and Baltimore.

Game Day: Bengals Edition -- Who Dey?

Is it too much to ask for a defensive takeaway?

First and foremost, a simple request of the Steelers' defense: Would it be too much to ask you to make some interceptions and recover some fumbles today?!


The Steelers have forced only nine takeaways this season -- the lowest total through nine games in NFL history!

Now, put yourself in the position of Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis.Your rookie quarterback faces the Pittsburgh Steelers and Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's defense today. Rookie quarterbacks are 1-11 vs. the Steelers since 2004. This year, Cincinnati is 6-2 but has just one win over a team with a winning record (Buffalo).

If you were Marvin Lewis, what sort of game plan would you and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden devise for Andy Dalton and your offense?

A safe game plan? ... or risk-taking? NFL coaches are like actuaries. They assess all the risks. They take calculated gambles. What's the job of an NFL coach? Put  your players in position to win. To do that, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls surmise, Marvin Lewis will rely largely on his running game. Cincinnati has three fine running backs, Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott and Brian Leonard, all of whom have hurt the Steelers in past games.Ergo, for the Steelers to win today, just like every Sunday, the Steelers must STOP THE RUN.

Simple as that. More so today than any game this year except perhaps for the one against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who also started a rookie quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, and relied largely on running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

Granted, Dalton has been very good this season, and he is getting better as the season proceeds. Dalton is poised, accurate, mobile, and he has shown excellent anticipation in his throws, as well as astute ability to read defenses.

Mean Joe Greene will be watching today.

Still, he has not faced a defense like Pittsburgh's ... although, it must be said, this year's edition of the Steelers' defense is not the Steel Curtain. At various times this season, it has been exposed as vulnerable, leaky and porous -- especially in the season opener at Baltimore; also in Houston; during several games the Steelers won; and most recently and glaringly in the national spotlight, last Sunday night's lamentable last-minute collapse during Joe Flacco's 92-yard game-winning drive at Heinz Field.

The Steelers lead the all-time regular season series with the Bengals, 49 wins to 32 for Cincinnati.That has little to do with today's game, however, and as Coach Tomlin said earlier this year, "There's a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes."

Go, Steelers!

Feel free to leave a comment, below left.

Saturday Preview: The Bengals

What to make of the Bengals? For that matter, what shall we make of the Steelers?

Just a week ago, the Steelers sat atop the entire American Football Conference, holding a top seed in the playoffs and fresh off a dominating but narrow victory over their long-time nemesis, the New England Patriots. Cincinnati was quietly riding a four-game winning streak and cruising below the radar.

Today, the Steelers find themselves in third place in their own division, looking up at the second-place Baltimore Ravens, to whom they've lost twice, and now at the first-place Bengals, whom they play tomorrow and again later in the season.

To the surprise of all, Cincinnati has restored the roar with multiple components:

• A play-making rookie quarterback, Andy Dalton, who is in the discussion for Rookie of the Year and was just named Rookie of the Week. Dalton is poised, accurate and reasonably mobile. They call him The Red Rifle. He is kindling memories of Kenny Anderson, and not just because he wears Anderson's No. 14. As the season goes on, he's getting better.
• Emerging stars at wide receiver (A.J. Green) and tight end (Jermaine Grisham), plus a trio of running backs who have given the Steelers fits in the past -- Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott and Brian Leonard.
• A stingy defense that leads the NFL by surrendering a league-low 3.34 yards per rushing attempt.
• The Bengals' defense has been fortified at multiple key positions with veterans given a second chance at life in the NFL. Some would call them retreads or castoffs, but they've seized their opportunity collectively and are jelling as a tough, legitimate NFL defense. These "second-chance guys" include Reggie Nelson, Manny Lawson, Robert Geathers, Chris Crocker and Nate Clements. Nose tackle Domata Pako is strong, mobile, aggressive and has always been a handful for the Steelers. All of these guys are very good NFL players. Nelson, Lawson and Clements all were first-round draft picks.
• The Bengals also have several notorious and controversial players who have had scrapes with the law and various forms of negative publicity, namely: Cedric Benson, Adam Pacman Jones, Jerome Simpson, Rey Maualuga, Frostee Rucker and Carlos Dunlap. Several of these guys were high-round draft picks. All have been productive this year.

The Bengals looked awful in the pre-season, and nearly all watchers of the NFL dismissed them as potentially the worst team in the league. Not any more. The Bengals must be totally psyched for this game and see it as a chance to bury the Steelers, establish themselves as legitimate contenders, and firm up their hold on first place. The Bengals have all the ingredients to win this game.

The Steelers need to win this game, and they need to do it convincingly.

In fact this is an absolute must-win game for the Steelers, lest they fall even further behind the Bengals and Ravens entering the bye week.

Tuesday Tomlinisms

Simon, from the Animal Rescue League

What we learned from Mike Tomlin's news conference today:

• As for whether he feels comfortable with the Steelers at this point in the season: Tomlin said, "No, I'm not comfortable. I'm not looking for comfort. That's not how we live."
• Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Nate Clements "plays a really solid game above the neck."
• Andy Daltton has taken only 12 sacks this season and is not the typical rookie "because he's playing."
• Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders had his knee scoped yesterday and will miss a couple more weeks, at least.
• Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has "freakish skills" and has "lit up highlight reels."

Rest In Peace, Smokin' Joe

Rest in peace, Smokin' Joe Frazier, one of boxing's all-time greats. 

Pitiful

How did the Steelers' defense allow Joe Flacco and the Ravens engineer a 92-yard drive with 2:34 left?

That, and allowing a crucial field-goal drive at the end of the first half? And what was up with that delay-of-game penalty on the 47-yard field-goal attempt in the quarter? ... a kick we had no confidence Shaun Suisham would make, and which might have been blocked in any case. And that Ben Roethlisberger interception? Plus a Ravens' fumble not pounced on, and a couple of potential interceptions not made. It all adds up to a loss.

Suddenly the Steelers are in third place in the division. They've lost both their games with the Ravens.

Tough loss, and one that bodes trouble for the rest of the season. Next up: Road game at division-leading Cincinnati.

Steelers-Ravens Game Day: Squashing Grapes? Chewing Meat? Sharpening Iron?

Squashing grapes.

As if  the Steelers didn't have enough motivation, professional pride and self-respect, they still have to live down that season-opening 38-7 debacle in Baltimore, along with all the knee-jerk "punditry" of assorted jerks, blowhards, talking heads, bloggers, opponents, observers and fans across the country. 

That fiasco in Baltimore, which prompted speculation the Steelers are "old and slow," is on tape for all the world to see. 

As head coach Mike Tomlin said in his press conference the Tuesday following that Sept. 11 debacle: 

"There's a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes.  Obviously, last week, we were grape squashers. ... We got beat convincingly.  However tough the meat is, we'll chew on it."

Evidently, they've been chewing on it, having won five of the six games since then. This week, Tomlin said of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry:

"I'm a proponent of the iron sharpens iron theory. Anytime you compete against someone that's as committed as you are, it makes you stronger."

Let's hope the Steelers are steeled, sharp and strong for this one.

The Steelers cannot possibly turn the ball over seven times, as they did in Week One -- can they?

Lest we forget: Bryant McFadden and Anquin Bolden.

As noted earlier in the week, we wonder whether the Steelers will have answers for all that the Ravens threw at them Game One.

• On defense: Especially disruptive on defense for the Ravens were nose tackle Haloti Ngata (two forced fumbles), safety Ed Reed (two interceptions), and linebackers Terrell Suggs, Jarrett Johnson and Ray Lewis, etc.

• On offense, following the lead of fullback Vontae Leach, running backs Ray Rice and Ricky Williams ran wild all day; tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta roamed free in the secondary; Anquin Boldin victimized Bryant McFadden for a touchdown on the opening drive; and the offensive line just swallowed up the Steelers' pass russ, allowing Joe Flacco to stand relaxed, poised and unthreatened in the pocket.  

It was embarrassing.

The very next week, however, the Ravens laid an egg against the Tennessee Titans and have struggled off and on since then, most recently against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday and in an embarrassing display of offensive ineptitude against the New York Jets on a Monday night game a couple weeks back. It's fair to ask, which Ravens team will show up tonight?

Iron, not Iron City.

For that matter, it's fair to ask which Steelers team will show up. At least the Steelers seem to be getting better -- the latest evidence being last Sunday's dismantling of the New England Patriots and the previous week's convincing win over the Arizona Cardinals.

As much as the Steelers seemed to dominate those games, however, a few plays in each could have made for different outcomes. The Patriots were within one score at the end, and if Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb had completed a few key passes that he misfired badly, things might have gone the other way.

So much for that. At the end of tonight's game, we will know whether the Steelers or Ravens are sharpening iron or squashing grapes.

Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta Are Trouble

The Steelers had no answer for Baltimore tight end Ed Dickson in the first game.

With the Steelers' dismantling of the New England Patriots still fresh in mind, it's tempting to point to one similarity between the Patriots and Ravens -- their use of dual tight ends, and how they like to go downfield with them.

New England's formidable duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez hurt the Steelers when the Patriots beat Pittsburgh in 2010. Last week, for the most part, the Steelers contained those guys.

Ed Dickson gets past Troy Polamalu.

The Ravens' Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta hurt the Steelers in the season opener in Baltimore this year. Will the Steelers stop them Sunday night?

So much else went wrong for the Steelers in that 38-7 fiasco -- Haloti Ngata forcing two fumbles; Ed Reed intercepting two passes; seven turnovers; Ray Rice and Ricky Williams running wild, etc -- it's almost easy, nearly two months later, to forget how the Steelers had no answer for Dickson and Pitta. It's as if the Steelers were unprepared for them.

After that game, Steelers' linebacker Lawrence Timmons said he was "surprised" at the athleticism of Dickson, who caught five passes for 59 yards and a touchdown. Pitta had just two catches, but they went for 16 and 29 yards for an average of 22.5 yards per catch, which is Mike Wallace-like.

You think the Ravens don't rely on their tight ends? Just last Sunday, Dickson and Pitta each caught six passes in Baltimore's comeback 30-27 victory over Arizona.

Whatever the Steelers did to contain the Patriots' tight ends, let's hope they do it against Baltimore. In some ways, Baltimore's offense is similar to New England's, except for that Tom Brady guy, of course. Still, both quarterbacks are fairly stationary. Both like to throw deep -- and, if anything, Joe Flacco throws as pretty a deep pass as an quarterback in the NFL, better than even Brady. Neither the Patriots nor Ravens have a proven deep threat that really scares opponents, although Ravens' rookie receiver Torrey Smith certainly is fast, can get deep and has shown flashes this year. New England doesn't have anybody like that. Ray Rice probably is a better running back than anybody on New England's roster.

Dennis Pitta catches everything.

It's the dual tight ends, and how New England and Baltimore use them, that are similar. Like Gronkowski and Hernandez, Dickson and Pitta are second-year players. The Ravens drafted Dickson (6'5", 250) in the third round out of Oregon; Pitta (6'4", 245) went in the fourth round out of BYU, where he was a a consensus All-American, having caught 145 passes for 1,912 yards his final two seasons in college. Draftniks compared him to Dallas Clark of the Indianapolis Colts.

Both Dickson and Pitta can get deep, and both have great hands.They're trouble.

The Steelers didn't have an answer for Dickson and Pitta first time around. They'd better be ready for them Sunday night.

Will We See Flacco Fumblitis?

James Harrison meets Joe Flacco.

There is no way the Steelers will turn over the ball seven times Sunday vs. Baltimore. Is there?

That's how many takeaways the Ravens' defense had in the season opener vs. the Steelers on Sept. 11.

Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco had zero turnovers.

Flacco has been known to fumble, though. Unfortunately, so has Roethlisberger.

Since 2008, when Flacco entered the NFL, he has fumbled 36 times and lost 12 of those. In the same time period, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has fumbled 34 times and lost 17 of those.

In Baltimore's seven games this year, Flacco has fumbled eight times and lost four. In his eight games, Roethlisberger has fumbled six times and lost four.

How about sacks and interceptions? In seven games, Flacco has been sacked 16 times. He's thrown six interceptions. In his eight starts, Roethlisberger has been sacked 25 times and thrown seven interceptions.

What shall we deduce from all this?  No clue.

How 'bout, Don't turn the ball over ...?

Matty Alou: Rest In Peace

In 1965, San Francisco Giants center fielder Matty Alou batted .231 with 75 hits. 

In 1966, Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Matty Alou batted .342 with 183 hits, winning the National League batting championship.

Over the next four years, all with the Pirates, Alou demonstrated remarkable consistency at the plate, batting  .338 (185 hits), .332 (186 hits), .331 (231 hits, which led the league), and .297 (201 hits).

How did this remarkable transformation of Alou as a hitter happen? 

After the Pirates traded for Alou following the 1965 season (for Ozzie Virgil and Joe Gibbon), manager Harry "The Hat" Walker, a former NL batting champion himself, worked with Alou in spring training to completely transform his approach at the plate.

Like Walker, Alou was a left-hand hitter, and Walker taught him to choke up on the bat, chop down at pitches, and slap them through the left side of the hard infield ("the Alabaster Plaster " Pirates' play-by-play announcer Bob Prince called it) at Forbes Field.

At the same time, another famous opposite-field hitter, Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, The Great One, took the diminutive Spanish-speaking Alou under his wing. Clemente's mentoring and encouragement of Alou was critical to Alou's success as a hitter.

Pirates' outfielders Matty Alou, Manny Mota, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell. "To say, "they could hit" is  an understatement.

During his five years with the Pirates, Alou hit just eight home runs, but he amassed 986 hits. As a leadoff hitter, he set the table for the likes of Clemente, Willie Stargell and Donn Clendenen. What an outfield that Pirates team had for those five years -- Alou in center between Clemente and Stargell, Hall of Famers both, with pinch hitter extraordinaire Manny Mota coming off the bench.

After the 1970 season, with up-and-coming players like Al Oliver and Gene Clines pushing for playing time, the Pirates traded Alou to the St. Louis Cardinals for backup outfielder Vic Davalillo and pitcher Nellie Briles, who would be instrumental in helping the Pirates win the 1971 World Series.

In the national media today, Alou's incredible five-year run with the Pirates tends to be overshadowed by the fact that he was one of a trio of Alou brothers (with Jesus and Felipe) who not only played in the majors at the same time, but played in the same outfield with the Giants.

As Matty Alou's obituary in The New York Times notes of the Alou brothers:

"They each went on to successful big-league careers, and together they played more than 5,000 games, more than any set of family members in baseball history. They also had more than 5,000 hits, more than the DiMaggios — Joe, Vince and Dom — though not quite as many as Lloyd and Paul Waner."

Hall of Famers Lloyd and Paul Waner -- Little Poison and Big Poison -- played together with the Pirates, of course, during the 1920s and '30s. 


Interestingly, while with the Pirates, Alou hardly ever struck out. He didn't walk much, but he didn't strike out much, either. In 1970, he struck out just 18 times in a league-leading 677 at-bats. The year before, 1969, he struck out just 35 times in a remarkable league-leading 746 plate appearances and 698 at-bats.  He led the league with 231 hits and 41 doubles, and he added six triples for good measure. Matty Alou was a fine ballplayer and a great Pirate.

Matty Alou died yesterday at his home in Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic. He was 72. Rest in peace, Matty Alou.

Five Years Ago Today, On This Date in Blog History

Coda

Five years ago today, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls wrote this blog's inaugural post.

Pretty lame, admittedly, with no photos and no set purpose or defined plan, other than to have some fun. It was a hobby, a mere diversion, and it remains so.

The first post provided a link to the news story about former Steeler linebacker Joey Porter's dogs, Tina and Nemo, that somehow "inspired" the  blog name. The unfortunate incident prompted national news coverage and blog posts such as "A Letter From Joey Porter's Pit Bull" by The Mighty MJD. At the time, the incident was so bizarre ... well, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls seemed a fitting name for a blog focused primarily on the Steelers and their typically ferocious style of play.

Joey Porter with dogs.

Since then, we've learned much about pit bulls and have come to know and admire them for the wonderful dogs they are. A great breed, and it would be nice if people like Joey Porter and Michael Vick would take steps to dispel rather than promulgate stereotyped misperceptions of the breed. It would really be great if people would stop mistreating and breeding pit bulls for fighting ... and if people would stop abandoning the poor dogs.

Personally, we try to be unbiased and nonjudgmental about groups of people and dogs -- we try to take them one at a time. Everybody deserves a chance.

Happy Five-year Birthday and Anniversary!

We've allowed the blog to go dormant for long periods, mainly because life intrudes. Simple as that. For a brief time after Porter became a former Steeler, we even changed the name of this blog to "Steel Triangle." It didn't stick, however, as the name "Joey Porter's Pit Bulls" already had a sort of perverse brand equity and was listed on multiple blogrolls across the Internet landscape. So, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls it remains today, five years later.

The blog may or may not be here tomorrow ... a day-to-day thing, just as all else in life.

If you can manage it, enrich your life today by adopting a stray dog from a shelter such as the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania or Animal Friends. And, if you can swing it, try to support organizations like the ASPCA and the Humane Society.

Wag more, bark less.