All Treats!

Now that's the way to beat the Patriots!  The Steelers exposed, exploited and dominated the Boston Massachusetts New England Patriots yesterday -- although, it must be pointed out, the Patriots hung around and made it a close game.

The Steelers jumped out front, controlled the tempo, maintained a two-to-one edge in time of possession, converted 10 of 16 third downs (including multiple third-and-longs), and played well in every phase of the game, mistakes notwithstanding.

And, dare we say it, the Steelers out-coached Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots. If anybody deserved the game ball, it's Mike Tomlin, Bruce Arians and Dick LeBeau.

The Steelers limited Brady to 188 yards passing. Think about that for a second. A mere 188 yards passing.

Troy slams Welker.

The entire team played well, but special kudos go to defensive players Ike Taylor, Brett Keisel, Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark  Larry Foote, Stevenson Sylvester, William Gay, Keenan Lewis and company. Lamarr Woodley sacked Brady twice and played a monster game before leaving with a pulled hamstring.

Even without Woodley and usual starters James Harrison, James Farrior, Aaron Smith and Hines Ward, the Steelers didn't miss a beat. The reserves played extremely well. Nine Steelers caught passes, with Heath Miller, Antonio Brown and Emanuel Sanders leading the charge. Ben Roethlisberger apparently called many of his own plays, judging from his post-game comments.

The Steelers have little time to relish this victory, not with a must-win match-up vs. Baltimore looming Sunday at Heinz Field. Today, at least we fans can enjoy yesterday.

All photos courtesy of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Steelers' defense contained receivers Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Chad Ochocinco. No other team this year has been able to contain those guys the way the Steelers did.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are among the legions of elated Steeler fans so giddy with joy that today we are willing to gloss over the few witch's warts in the Steelers' exorcism of the evil Patriots yesterday -- the first win over the Patriots since Halloween seven years ago.

The warts weren't many, although it was unsettling that Brady had a chance to win the game in the last few minutes. The Steelers settled for threes (field goals) instead of sevens (touchdowns), and a missed FGA late in the fourth quarter led to a Patriots' score that made it a one-score game. Bad Ben emerged briefly with the ugly interception that led to the first-half score allowing the Patriots to hang around. Roethlisberger took five sacks, although the two at the end were a factor of Ben holding onto the ball (to keep the clock running) instead of throwing it away. Once again, the defense had no takeaways.

It is tempting to suggest (facetiously) that the Steelers may as well scrap whatever they did successfully yesterday. They should plan to do something different when they meet the Patriots in the playoffs. After all, you just know Bill Belichick and company will pore over the game tape and do something differently the next time these two teams play. Forget that for now.

Really, though, there's little to complain about. Enjoy while we can. Up next: The Baltimore Ravens, Sunday night, at Heinz Field.

In the meantime, enjoy yesterday's victory and have a fun, safe Halloween.

Game Links From New England:

• Jim Donaldson, The Providence Journal: "Maybe the Patriots are Setting Them Up for the Kill"
• Jim Kenyou, The Providence Journal game story: "New England Takes a Beating in Every Facet of the Game"

Game Day: Patriots Edition

Trick or treat. With Halloween looming, it's kind of scary to speculate what sort of evil game plan the Patriots might have concocted for the Steelers today.

A full two weeks after New England played its last game, the Patriots have the benefit of coming off a bye week in advance of their game today.

On Wednesday, Tom Brady said of his team's game plan, “We’ve got a lot installed at his point – more than we would normally have on a normal week and we practiced yesterday, so we’re ahead on our preparation."

How reassuring.

So far this season, the Boston Massachusetts New England Patriots are 5-1. Their only loss was a 34-31 last-second nail-biter at division rival Buffalo, after the Patriots had built a 21-0 lead. The Bills picked off four Tom Brady passes, two of which were bounce-off deflections off receivers' hands. Oh, and New England receiver Wes Welker had 217 yards receiving (217!) that day, and Brady passed for 387 yards.

The Patriots only other close call this year was their most recent game, Oct. 16 at home against Dallas, when they turned the ball over four times but rallied for a 20-16 last-second victory. The Cowboys played the Patriots tough that Sunday evening a full two weeks ago, intercepting Brady twice, sacking him three times and recovering two fumbles by the Patriots.

Brady still managed to pull out a win. Down 16-13 with 2:31 left in the game, Brady engineered an 80-yard drive by completing eight of nine passes for 78 yards, including the winning eight-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez with 22 seconds on the clock. Bing-bang-boom. Brady made it look easy, as he usually does.

Dallas even had a bye week to prepare for the Patriots. Now, it's the Patriots who have had the bye week to prepare for the Steelers. Trick or treat.

Saturday Morning: Time for a New Game Plan

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are sick and tired of the Patriots breezing into Pittsburgh and leaving town with wins over the Steelers. It's time the Steelers stopped being out-coached and outplayed.

Pittsburgh's coaching staff knew last spring the Patriots would be on the schedule. Coaches don't do this, but hopefully Mike Tomlin, Dick LeBeau and Bruce Arians spent time this off-season devising a special game plan just for the Patriots -- completely different looks, play calls audibles, etcetera; and then, in the second half, an entirely new set of offensive and defensive game plans with brand new schemes, terminology, etc. That's what it's going to take to beat these guys. Give them something -- a bunch of things -- they haven't seen before.

Each game, the Patriots seem to know what the Steelers are going to do on both offense and defense. Stop doing it! Stop playing zone coverage on defense. Stop letting the Patriots dictate the pace of play. Stop allowing them to force our linebackers into pass coverage. Stop allowing Bill Bellichick to make halftime adjustments based on what we did in the first half. Stop allowing the Patriots to pick up audibles, anticipate snap counts and read defensive formations.

Stop reacting to what they do, and make them react to what we do.

Do something completely different -- like beating the Patriots.

Cardinals!

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals for winning the World Series. Make us proud to be Pirates fans. See how good the Buccos are? ... fourth place in the same division as the World Series winners!

How do the Cardinals do it? It's a mystery, but we're happy for the good people of St.Louis -- probably the best baseball town  in America.


USA Today notes, "This is a team that was 10½ games back in the wild-card race on Aug. 25. They were still 8½ games back with 21 games left. Three games out with five to play. And four times faced elimination in the postseason."

Hey, we're just glad the World Series concluded before November. Three days to spare!

It's what up front that counts: Time for the big-boy pads

Albert Haynesworth and Vince Wilfork will be playing paddy-cake with Maurkice Pouncey on Sunday.

Let's hope Steeler center Maurkice Pouncey is fully healthy and brings his big-boy pads to play the Boston Massachuestts New England Patriots on Sunday. The Steelers' second-year Pro Bowl center will line up directly across Vince Wilfork and/or Albert Haynesworth, who happen to be two of the game's biggest, baddest nose tackles (along with Baltimore's Haloti Ngata, who will line up across from Pouncey just a week later).

Yep, for Pouncey and the Steelers, this is the meat and potatoes of the schedule, and the yams, chicken 'n waffles, pancakes, bacon, gorditas, sausage, french fries, burritos, chicken wings, sirloin, prime rib, cheeseburgers, provolone sticks, apple pie, ice cream, crackers, cake, pretzels, nachos, cheetos, fritos, doritos and tostitos. Starting Sunday, and for the next three weeks, it's the heart(burn) of the schedule.

Vince Wilfork

It's what's up front that counts and with New England, it starts on defense with Wilfork and Haynesworth.

Wilfork has two interceptions already this season -- same as the Steelers' entire defense -- but those were flukes (entertaining as they were). Wilfork is a huge run-stuffer who can push up the middle to rush the quarterback and be a generally disruptive force in the backfield.

Wilfork has played so sensationally this season it's almost easy to overlook Haynesworth, who has one of the biggest contracts of any player in the NFL and a mixed-bag reputation to go with it. Nagged by minor injuries since training camp, Haynesworth has been used as a situational player but is being worked into the rotation more and more. When healthy, motivated and on his game, he can be one of the NFL's most feared, forceful, dominant and disruptive defensive players. 

Maurkice Pouncey. Time for the big-boy pads.

Wilfork and Haynesworth are listed on the Patriots depth chart as one-two at nose tackle. Taken at face value, that would imply they won't be on the field at the same time. If we've learned anything about New England punjab Bill Bellichick, however, it's that we should never take anything at face value. Do you really think the wily Bellichick can resist putting the two-headed monster (Wilfork and Haynesworth) on the field at the same time? ... especially with the bye week giving his team extra time for practice and  preparation. Anything is possible.

The rest of New England's defense is nothing to sneeze at, despite their No. 32 ranking. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged as much earlier this week.

Noting that the Patriots' defense has surrendered an NFL-high average of 322.2 passing yards per game, Tomlin said, "That is a function of them just whacking people (on offense) and being way out in front. So if you come in and you think they are the 32nd best defense in football you are kidding yourself. They are whacking people pretty good. People are throwing the ball every down and they accumulate some yards."

We buy that. The Patriots have two very good young corners in Devin McCourty and Kyle Arrington, both of whom are playmaking cover guys. Arrington has four interceptions already this season. Linebacker Jerod Mayo, their defensive captain and leading tackler the past couple years, is expected to return from injury and should be at full speed. He's tough, as is fellow linebacker Brandon Spikes.

Back to New England's defensive line for a second: They're all veterans, and nearly all first-rounders at that. As Tomlin would say, they are high-pedigree guys:

• Wilfork, a former first-rounder, is an eight-year veteran.
• Haynesworth, a former first-rounder, is an 11-year veteran.
• Starting defensive end Shaun Ellis, a former first-rounder (11th overall, by the Jets) is a 12-year veteran.
• Andre Carter, the other starter at defensive end, is a former first-rounder (San Francisco, seventh overall, 2001) and an 11-year veteran.
• Backup lineman Gerard Warren, a former first-rounder (selected third overall by Cleveland in 2011), is an 11-year veteran.
• Backup defensive end Mark Anderson is a six-year veteran who previously had success with the Chicago Bears. He's no slouch.
• Even second-year defensive end Kyle Love, an undrafted nose tackle from Mississippi State, has played extremely well in a situational role.

As Tomlin said, if you expect these guys will play like the 32nd-ranked defense on Sunday, you're kidding yourself. The Steelers had better bring their big-boy pads.

Who Are We Kidding?

He's the problem.

This is going to be a long post, sigh, because we have to talk about the offense of the Boston New England Patriots. There's no way around it.

Boston's offense leads the NFL with 474.5 total yards per game, including 350.5 yards passing. They average 30.8 points per game.

Sounds like the Steelers are going to have to score at least 31 points this Sunday. Hmmm, let's seee ...

Before we discuss in a subsequent post the Patriots' 32nd-rated defense, last in the NFL, we have to face up to The Tom Brady Problem. Brady is the fulcrum of the Patriots' multifarious offensive attack vectors. (ya like that? ... "offensive attack vectors" -- that's information-security-speak).

Brady and the Patriots excel at creating mismatches, and they've done it especially well against the Steelers, who have beaten Brady only once in seven tries. He always seems to know what the Steelers are going to do on defense.

Brady and the Patriots own them. He knows it; they know it; everybody knows it. 

What can we expect from New England? Accepted wisdom and historical evidence points to the Patriots' methodical, pass-heavy attack used in past victories over the Steelers, which employed tactics including but not limited to ...

• Spread formations
• Quick huddles and a snappy pace limiting defensive substitutions and controlling the pace of the game
• Liberal use of the dual tight ends forcing linebackers James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley into pass coverage instead of their usual pass-rush roles
• Short drops and quick releases
• Wes Welker out of the slot
• Lots of crossing routes
• Occasional screens and outlet passes to the running backs (mostly to BenJarvus Green-Ellis [also known as The Law Firm] and rookie Stevan Ridley, who more or less share the role formerly held by the estimable Kevin Faulk)
• Occasional bombs down field to Deion Branch -- might we even see a Chad Johnson-Ochocinco-Johnson sighting this week?

Until they prove otherwise ...

There's no reason to think the Patriots will deviate from these tactics, although it is a bit unnerving to speculate what they might have come up with during the bye week. You just know they're going to add some wrinkles and surprises -- we wouldn't be at all surprised to see Welker or Branch line up as a running back before going in motion and running a pattern into the Steelers' secondary, just as a distraction. And it's entirely possible they have something crazy planned for finally getting Chad Ochocinco involved in the offense -- a wildcat formation? Not likely the wildcat, but who knows?

So much what the Patriots do on offense is predicated on disguise and masks. How appropriate for Halloween weekend.

Aaron Hernandez catches the game-winning TD vs. Dallas.

For all that, we expect the Patriots will attack the deep middle of the field with their dual tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, both of whom pose match-up nightmares for the Steelers. They did last time these two teams met.

That's not to say Gronkowski and Hernandez are Bardy's primary targets. To say Brady has a single receiver as his primary option is pointless, but Welker is it. He leads the NFL in catches and yards receiving, so he must be it. 

The Patriots are the only team perhaps in NFL history to have their primary receiving target operate out of the slot. Welker does it better than anybody. His numbers this year indicate he might be the best receiver in the NFL. The Patriots get the ball to him about 10 times every week, and he averages 15.8 yards per catch. Welker is s a problem.

Welker is a problem, but so are Gronkowski, Hernandez, Branch, Julius Edelman, Ridley, Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead and potentially Chad Ochocinco. And, of course, Brady. He is the problem. 

Always calm, poised and composed.

Whatever the Steelers have tried on defense against the Patriots hasn't been working. The Steelers have no choice but to try something different. Players like Casey Hampton, Larry Foote and James Farrior -- and even Harrison and Woodley -- have had a way of becoming non-factors in games against New England, which barely makes a pretense of running the ball. The Patriots simply refuse to play to the Steelers' strengths, and why should they? What they've been doing has been working. Why should they do anything different? ... other than a few new wrinkles and looks.

Maybe the Steelers should abandon so much emphasis on zone coverage. Maybe they should play their corners up close on the wide-outs. Maybe they should assign Troy Polamulu to shadow Welker and Ike Taylor to shadow Branch. Maybe they should use an all-out pass rush all the time. It's not like Brady's going to roll out or scramble much. You know where he's going to be. On the other hand, he gets rid of the ball quickly and with pinpoint accuracy.

Maybe the Steelers should just plan to score a ton of points.

Maybe this, maybe that. To quote Charles Barkley, "If ifs and buts were beer and nuts, we'd have a helluva party."

How are the Steelers going to stop this team?  Who are we kidding? ... they're not going to stop the Patriots' offense. The Steelers need to outscore 'em.

Turnovers, Turnovers

Heinz Field: Hell with the lid off?

The Steelers are 1-6 against Tom Brady. In their lone win, the Steelers won the turnover battle, 4-0. In the six other games, the Patriots won the turnover battle, 16-4.

Well, that makes it simple. The Steelers had better get more takeaways than the Patriots.

On Wednesday, Brady talked about how tough it is to play in Pittsburgh, how Heinz Field is one of the more "imposing" stadiums in the league, and how crowd noise can limit play-call changes at the line of scrimmage.

Yeah, right. Brady was just being polite. He has struggled not at all with any of the above.

He and the Patriots must love to visit Pittsburgh. Not only have they done well here for the most part, but Pittsburgh is one of the world's best and most interesting places to visit, says no less an authority than National Geographic Traveler. We knew it all along, and that's why we live here.  The magazine cited Pittsburgh for its "extreme makeover," presumably from its former incarnation as "hell with the lid off."

As great a city as Pittsburgh is now, it would be cool if Heinz Field would turn into "hell with the lid off"  for the Boston Massachusetts New England Patriots on Sunday.

The Tough Part of the Schedule
How anybody could look past Sunday's game vs. the Patriots is inconceivable -- except that it is fairly reasonable, considering that the divisional arch-rival Baltimore Ravens follow New England into Heinz Field a week from Sunday. The following Sunday, the Steelers travel to Cincinnati for another must-win divisional game against a team that has a tough defense and is getting better and better on offense. Lose all three games (New England, Baltimore, Cincinnati), and the Steelers will find themselves at 5-5 entering the bye week. That wouldn't be good.

Speaking of the Ravens, by the way, a big Thank You to the Jacksonville Jaguars for dragging the Ravens back to earth on Monday night in a game nobody thought Jacksonville would win. The Jaguars are a better team than most people are willing to grant. Their defense is solid, and they definitely have some talented players on offense (Maurice Jones-Drew), as well as a great placekicker and a promising young talent in Blaine Gabbert at quarterback. They played the Ravens the way they usually play the Steelers -- tough.

Ready or not, here they come ...

Fresh off a bye week giving them time for extra rest, study and preparation, the Patriots are coming to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers for a "game" at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Yeah, a "game" just like any other. Ri-i-ight.

Is it unpatriotic to root against the Patriots? We think not.

Now an 11-year veteran, Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of this generation and seems a likable guy. Bill Belichick has been knighted and canonized, although his reputation remains besotted by the dogged tarnish of cheating. Both Brady and Belichick will be first-ballot Hall-of-Famers.

Why is it, then, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls feel such antipathy for the "New England" Patriots. Not hatred, just ... distaste; antipathy. Yeah, that's the word: antipathy. Why?

Hideous

For starters, something about the entire "New England" franchise seems phony. Maybe it's the ugly uniforms, hideous colors and horribly stylized, corporate-like logo that displaced the classic uniforms and vintage "Pat Patriot" logo used occasionally on "throwback" days. What marketing genius decided good ole Red, White & Blue should be replaced by silver and navy? ... which happened in 1993. The logo and uniforms are ugly as can be, which is meaningless in any case.

Maybe we feel antipathy for the Patriots because of the franchise's aspirational geo-regional claim (New England) for an entire region of the United States. Other teams do that, too ... the "Carolina" Panthers is rather offensive, but at least they took that name from inception. The New England Patriots used to be the Boston Patriots, however, and that has always seemed more fitting, and it has a better ring. Paul Revere probably would have approved of the name "Boston Patriots," but it just wasn't good enough, and of course it had everything to do with marketing and television dollars. We know that. Whatever reason, it still seems overly grandiose all these years later.

None of that matters of course. Patriots fans have been blessed with winning football since the arrival of Belichick and Brady in 2000. The franchise is an empire, and they have the Steelers' number. 

What is THAT? ... stylized, corporate and unlikeable.

That's why we dislike them. They're "perfect," and they carry a robotic confidence, arrogance and smugness legitimized by three Super Bowl rings. They and their fans project an air of noblesse oblige.

Although the Steelers have had occasional (rare) success against the Patriots and have been to more Super Bowls the past few years, the Jets did the Steelers a favor by beating New England in the playoffs last year. Styles make the match, and the Steelers have had a tough time matching up with the Patriots in the Belichick era.

Nevertheless, the current edition of the Patriots is flawed and certainly can be beaten. And 2011 edition of the Steelers, warts and all, can do it.

We'll take a closer look at this match-up over the next few days. Hint: The Patriots' defense is No. 32.

Enjoy While We Can

Mike Wallace, streaking to a 95-yard touchdown vs. Arizona..Photo by Christian Petersen, Getty Images

With Pittsburgh leading, 32-14, at Arizona with 6:51 left in the fourth quarter, Steelers' radio announcer Tunch Ilkin commented on the exodus of red-clad Cardinals fans leaving the stadium.

"It's like the Israelites leaving Egypt," Ilkin said. Indeed.

With tough games coming up vs. New England, Baltimore and Cincinnati, the Steelers absolutely needed a win today, and all the better that it was a convincing, comfortable win. Final score: 32-20.

Mike Wallace dazzled with a 95-yard touchdown reception, Lamarr Woodley dominated on defense with two sacks among his seven tackles, Antonio Brown had more than 200 yards on catches and kick returns, Heath Miller was money, and Ben Roethlisberger passed for 340 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Oh, and the Steelers contained Larry Fitzgerald.  Cornerback Ike Taylor, who is having a tremendous season, shadowed Fitzgerald and limited him to just four catches for 78 yards receiving and no touchdowns.

Good job by the team all around, and it should be nice to enjoy for about 12 hours. Next up for the 5-2 Steelers: The 5-1 New England Patriots, who are coming off a bye week. Screw 'em. Another winnable game.

Best Wishes, Aaron Smith

Too bad for Aaron Smith, one of the past decade's definitive, great Steelers and an easy guy to root for by any measure. The Steelers placed Smith on injured reserve Sunday, which ends his season, and his career may be over. He is going to be tough to replace. He was an anchor at defensive end, almost impossible to move, and has been essential to the ongoing success of the Steelers' run defense since he became a starter.

The Post-Gazette's Dan Gigler, online sports editor at Blog 'n Gold, offers a nice tribute to Smith with several must-see videos accompanying the nice write-up. Check it out here.

Game Day: At Arizona 'n 'at

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are a bit disappointed Joey Porter has been uncharacteristically quiet this week.

Then again, his play this season has been limited.

"If you leave him out there for too many plays, you have to be smart enough to understand he's going to wear down," said Ken Whisenhunt, Arizona head coach. "But he still has times when he is an effective player."

Faint praise. Perhaps Joey Porter will do his talking with his play on the field. There won't be many more chances in what appears be his final season in the NFL.


To win today, the Steelers must contain:

Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald.

Oh, and a reminder for the defense, for about the fifth time this year: You're allowed to intercept a pass, y'know.

Saturday Morning Wake-Up Call: Arizona Cardinals Edition

Former Pitt star Larry Fitzgerald on his way to a score in SB XLIII

Expect some no-huddle offense from the Arizona Cardinals.

Word from Arizona is the Cardinals have been practicing the no-huddle these past two weeks in preparation for the Steelers.

Keep in mind the Cardinals have had an extra week -- the bye week -- to add new wrinkles to their sputtering offense, which has passed for just 169 and 171 yards, respectively, the past two games. Clearly, the Cardinals need to do something, and apparently it will be the no-huddle.

The Cardinals have to be thinking the fast-paced no-huddle in the withering Arizona heat will help them to wear out the Steelers' already depleted defensive line and linebacking corps.

The Steelers' defensive front seven is thin already. James Harrison, Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton are out. Hampton's backup, Chris Hoke, is listed as doubtful, which means there is only a 25 percent chance he will play.

Third-stringer Steve McLendon will make his first NFL start at nose tackle. McLendon, who played college ball at Troy University in Alabama, has been on and off the Steelers' roster since April 27, 2009, when the team signed him as an undrafted free agent. The first paragraph in his bio on Steelers.com is confusing but chronicles (apparently in reverse-chronological order) his dizzying pro career:

Signed to the Steelers active roster on October 30, 2010…re-signed to the practice squad on October 11, 2010…released on October 7, 2010…signed to the active roster on October 2, 2010…re-signed to the Steelers practice squad on September 21, 2010…was released on September 20, 2010…signed to the active roster on September 18, 2010…signed to the practice squad on September 6, 2010…was released on September 4, 2010…signed to the Steelers’ offseason roster on January 7, 2010… released by the Steelers on September 5, 2009, but was signed to the practice squad the very next day…released from the practice squad on November 25, 2009…signed to the practice squad on December 2, 2009…originally signed as a rookie free agent by the Steelers on April 27, 2009.

Give McLendon credit: He must be persistent to battle through all that. He must have something going for him, or the coaches wouldn't have kept him around.

Still, McLendon lacks prototypical size for a nose tackle. At 6-4, 280, he is taller and lighter than nose tackles, almost all of whom are well over 300 pounds. Maybe he moves well laterally. Let's hope he does well, but don't be surprised if the Cardinals run Beanie Wells right at him.

To buttress the depleted defensive front, the Steelers will activate rookie defensive end Corbin Bryant from the practice squad.

As for that no-huddle ...

When the Cardinals go to the no-huddle, it may not be a bad thing for the Steelers. The Cardinals' mistake-prone offense committed four turnovers their last game, vs. Minnesota.  With just two takeaways this season, the Steelers' defense is seriously overdue for some interceptions and fumble recoveries.

Still, the Steelers aren't so good this year that they can take this game for granted. In their two previous home games, the Cardinals beat Carolina by a touchdown and lost by four points to the New York Giants.

Coming off a bye week, desperate for a win and equipped with a seriously motivated coaching staff and team of ex-Steelers, the Cardinals could make things get hot for the Steelers tomorrow in the desert.The Steelers had better be prepared.

Feel free to leave a comment, below left.

This Business IS Personal

The impersonal, businesslike Michael Corleone

"It's not personal, Sonny, it's strictly business," said Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) to his brother, Santino "Sonny" Corleone (James Caan), in the  1972 movie classic, The Godfather.

Maybe so, Signor Corleone, but what you left menacingly unsaid is that in so many cases, business IS personal.

Such is the case this weekend, when the Steelers fly to Arizona to play the NFL Cardinals, a struggling team whose top five coaches used to be with the Steelers.

Arizona's top five coaches -- the guys who set the tone, direction, strategy and tactics of the team day-in, day-out -- used to be with the Steelers. How does that happen?

It happened because on Jan. 22, 2007, the Steelers opted to go in a surprisingly different direction with outside-the-organization newcomer Mike Tomlin as head coach instead of either of Bill Cowher's top two assistants, Ken Whisenhunt or Russ Grimm.

When the Cardinals hired Whisenhunt, he soon added Grimm and a retinue of former Steelers to his coaching staff and roster of players. Arizona became "Pittsburgh West." Two years later, Tomlin's Steelers defeated Whisenhunt's Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. Both coaches downplay talk of any "rivalry" between the two, but Joey Porter's Pit Bulls infer the Cardinals coaches must feel they have something to prove this Sunday.

Let's be clear: Players win the game. Still, the coaches will have something to do with what will happen on Sunday.

After all, like any coaching staff, Arizona's top five coaches -- all formerly with the Steelers -- cover Strategic and Administrative Decision-making; player personnel decisions, groupings and assignments; attack plans, play-calling and formations; in-game tactics and adjustments; and overall tenor, tone and attitude. All three phases of the game -- offense, defense and special teams -- are directed by the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coach -- all formerly with the Steelers.

1. Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt
2. Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach Russ Grimm
3. Offensive Coordinator Mike Miller
4. Defensive Coordinator Ray Horton
5. Special Teams Coach Kevin Spencer

Recently retired Pittsburgh cornerback Deshea Townsend also is on the Cardinals staff as a first-year  assistant defensive backs coach. Deshea's a smart guy and has a bright future ahead of him. Just one year removed from playing for the Steelers, he might know Pittsburgh's receivers as well as anybody on the Cardinals' staff.

The Cardinals are coming off a bye week, so they've had an extra week to prepare for the Steelers. They are 1-4, desperately need a win and will be playing at home (albeit in front of a strong contingent of vocal, black-'n-gold clad Steeler fans).

It will be interesting to see how this game plays out. Ed Bouchette, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Steeler beat writer Ed Bouchette said this week "there is no love lost" between Whisenhunt and Tomlin.  Bouchette also claims Grimm still harbors ill feelings toward the Steeler organization for having led him to believe he had the head coaching job, only to have it pulled out from under him when the Steelers hired Tomlin.

The coaches may say this game is "strictly business," but there almost certainly are personal feelings involved. Bitter, hard-core "we've got something to prove" personal feelings.

Walking into a trap?

"We're going to put our hard hats back on and go back to work."

That's what Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday during his weekly news conference, when Tomlin indicated dissatisfaction with the Steelers' play last Sunday vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars. His team almost lost the game, and it must perform better vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals are only 1-4, but this game has "trap" written all over it. The Cardinals may not be a good team, but they are a dangerous team. Especially for the Steelers this week.

The Cardinals are coming off a bye week, so they've had extra time to prepare. Expectations were high for new quarterback Kevin Kolb, but he has performed erratically at best and has something to prove. The Cardinals are desperate for a win. And head coach Ken Whisenhunt has had to endure withering criticism from Arizona fans and media.

For all those reasons and more, much more,Whisenhunt and the Cardinals really, really want a win against the Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. It's not personal? Yeah, right.

Joey Porter and friends.

We know the story, but it cannot be overlooked: Whisenhunt and assistant head coach Russ Grimm were passed over for the Steelers' head coaching job won by Tomlin. Then, Tomlin's Steelers beat Whisenhunt's Cardinals in the Super Bowl.

Plus, the Cardinals organization is riddled with coaches and players who used to be with the Steelers or have associations with Pittsburgh. In addition to Whisenhunt and Grimm, the Cardinals' coaching staff features offensive coordinator Mike Miller, formerly an assistant with the Steelers and at Robert Morris; defensive coordinator Ray Horton, who spent the last seven years with the Steelers and was their secondary coach only last season; special teams coach Kevin Spencer, who headed special teams for the Steelers under Bill Cowher from 2002-06; and assistant defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, the former Steelers cornerback whom we always thought would make a terrific coach in the NFL.

The players, we know. On defense, the Cardinals feature former Steelers Joey Porter, Clark Haggans and Nick Eason. The offense has former Pitt stars LaRod Stephens-Howling and, of course, Larry Fitzgerald, arguably the best wide receiver in the game.

On top of all that, the Cardinals may find inspiration from a125-pound Arizona State University wrestler named Anthony Robles -- who has one leg but won a national title in his weight class in an NCAA tournament. The Cardinals plan to honor Robles with a leadership award as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Tomlin Tuesday: "Troy Appears To Be Good To Go"

Troy Polamalu

The best news from head coach Mike Tomlin's news conference today is that "Troy appears to be good to go."  Tomlin said Troy Polamalu met with the team's neurosurgeon, passed a concussion test and should return to practice on Wednesday. 

That was the biggest news, but Tomlin also provided the following nuggets:

• On the offensive line, guard Doug Legursky will miss "a number of weeks" after undergoing surgery on his dislocated toe. Tackle Marcus Gilbert and guard Chris Kemoeatu should return to practice. 
• Wide receiver Mike Wallace has "a minor hamstring."  If Joey Porter's Pit Bulls recall correctly, Wallace first tweaked his hamstring during the Houston game, which may  have been why Antonio Brown became more of a target during the second half of the game vs. the Texans. Tomlin didn't appear to be overly concerned about Wallace today. As far as we're concerned, however, there's nothing minor about a "minor hamstring" for a speed receiver like Wallace.  
• On defense, Casey Hampton, James Harrison and Aaron Smith will miss Sunday's game.  The status of nose tackle Chris Hoke, who sustained a stinger on Sunday, remains undetermined. Apparently Hoke lost strength in his left shoulder, and it needs to return before he is cleared to play.

Tomlin noted that "a lot has changed" since the Steelers played Arizona in the Super Bowl in 2008.

• Defensively, Tomlin said, the Cardinals have "a very impressive" front seven: Defensive end Calais Campbell is a "high-pedigree young man," and nose tackle Dan Williams has been playing well.

• Joey Porter and Clark Haggans -- we know about those guys.

• Tomlin noted that rookie Patrick Peterson is "a high pedigree first-rounder from LSU doing some nice things at cornerback and as a punt returner."

• On offense, the Cardinals feature running back Beanie Wells, whom Tomlin described as "a big, powerful man" with six touchdowns, 381 yards and a 4.8 yards-per-carry average. He is backed up by LaRod Stephens-Howling (formerly of Pitt) and veteran Chester Taylor.

• As for Arizona's receivers, Tomiln said, "Larry Fitzgerald is one of the best in the world. In most instances, he will win his one-on-one matchups." Fellow receiver Early Doucet is the leading receiver on third downs. The Cardinals also have "a quality tight-end group," with Todd Heap, Jeff King and Rob Howsler.

Tomlin said he has no thoughts on the Harbaugh-Schwartz dispute at the end of Sunday's game between San Francisco and Detroit. Just an opinion here, but Joey Porter's Pit Bulls believe that when Jim Harbaugh wins a game, he should act like he's been there before. Just like a running back who scores a touchdown. 

That's it, Fort Pitt.

What if ...and why?

Considering the Steelers nearly blew a 17-point lead against a mediocre (at best) Jacksonville Jaguars team yesterday at Heinz Field, it is fair to ask ...

What if ... longtime Steeler nemesis Rashean Mathis held onto the interception he dropped yesterday? That was a pick-six for the taking. The Steelers ended up winning the game by four points. You do the math.


What if ... Steeler guard Trai Essex had not fallen onto Ben Roethlisberger's fumble in the second half?


Why did coach Mike Tomlin call for an all-out attempt to block a Jacksonville punt in the third quarter, with the Jaguars facing a fourth-and-21 from deep inside their own territory? What was to be gained from putting on the block scheme instead of the return scheme? The Jaguars would have been kicking into the wind ... but the Steelers got penalized for roughing the kicker. The smart play -- the only play -- would have been to set up the return.The Jaguars retained possession and continued their nine-minute drive that produced a touchdown to close the score to 17-10. That penalty gave the Jaguars new life and kept them in the game.

Why did Roethlisberger continue to throw deep in windy conditions? ... with a  sizable lead?  Roethlisberger misfired repeatedly and over-threw open receivers several times in the second half. Roethlisberger completed just one pass in the second half. One.

What if ... Blaine Gabbert's final pass into the end zone had been completed? 

The Steelers would have lost the game and would be lugging a 3-3 record into their game next week in Arizona, that's what. Just because they won the game yesterday doesn't mean they should be free from scrutiny.
 

Just saying.

A Microcosm of the Steelers' Season

The Steelers showed both sides of their Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde season on Sunday at Heinz Field.

The first half, they were the smooth and flawless Mr. Hyde. The second half?  Dr. Jekyll reared his hideous head.

Before we go any further, who was the idiot (on the Steelers) who head-butted a concussion-prone Troy Polamalu immediately after he appeared to have gotten kneed in the head while tackling Maurice Jones-Drew for a loss in the fourth quarter?

This game ended up being much closer than it should have been. The Steelers cruised through the first half but let the Jaguars back in the game. Showing considerable spunk and resilience, the Jaguars made it a close, uncomfortable finish -- with rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert firing into the end zone with a chance to win the game as time ran out.

To his credit, Gabbert kept his composure after an unimpressive first half. During the first half, Gabbert looked like, well, like a rookie and appeared tentative in the face of Dick LeBeau's veteran defense.When he dropped back to pass, Gabbert often held onto the ball too long, which led to multiple sacks (four in the first half alone).

Gabbert rebounded to engineer the touchdown drive that made it a one-score game late in the third quarter, and he and the Jaguars hung in to make it close at the end.

Shame on the Steelers for squandering a comfortable lead.

In the first half, the Steelers clicked on all cylinders.The defense shut down Maurice Jones-Drew, Rashard Medenhall reasserted his status as the feature running back, and Ben Roethlisberger reclaimed his deep passing game.

In the second half, the Steelers got sloppy, committed costly penalties, and Roethlisberger misfired on passes time and again.

That sort of performance won't fly against better teams. They'd better fix whatever needs fixing. 

Next up for the Steelers: A road game vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

Winning Formula, Redux

Before we discuss today's Steelers-Jacksonville game at Heinz Field, did you know the Buffalo Bills' defense has scored 79 points this year? The Bills have a turnover differential of +11, which leads the NFL. The Steelers' -10 turnover differential isthe league's worst, tied with Philadelphia.

The point? Jacksonville totes Blaine "Gabby" Gabbert, a rookie quarterback making his fourth NFL start, into Heinz Field today -- so this looks like a prime opportunity for the Steelers' defense to get some turnovers. That would help.

Having said that, the real key to winning today's game, just like last Sunday -- okay, every Sunday -- the Steelers must STOP THE RUN. We went to ALL CAPS right away here to emphasize the need to STOP THE RUN.

Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, circa 1964, stopped the run.

Specifically, the Steelers must stop Maurice Jones-Drew, also known as "Pocket Hercules." The Jaguars have other talented players on offense, but let's face it: Their offense has scored fewer points than any in the NFL, and Jones-Drew has accounted for 40 percent of their offensive output. To win today, the Steelers must stop Pocket Hercules.

Stop MJD, force Gabbert to throw, and the Steelers should win.

Still, even this edition of the Jaguars are not to be taken for granted. Entering today's game, Jacksonville is 3-0 at Heinz Field, so the Jags have found ways to beat the Steelers in years past. Cornerback Rashean Mathis has six career interceptions vs. the Steelers, including three returned for touchdowns, for crying out loud.

This year, Jacksonville's eighth-rated defense is solid.  As Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday, "They've been really salty on defense."

And, of course, as Coach Tomlin said earlier this year, "There's a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes."

Go, Steelers!

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Saturday Morning Miscellany -- Jacksonville Jaguars Edition

No major surprises on the Steelers' injury report this morning. We proceed apace again with two-thirds of the starting defensive line out (Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton), and 40 percent of the starting offensive line out (Chris Kemoeatu and Marcus Gilbert).

Just going by the team's depth chart, it's hard to say which players the coaches really consider to be their "starters" on the offensive and defensive lines.

It's Week Six, and the Steelers have started a different offensive line every game this season. We suspect  some of the changes may last for a while, even after the ostensible starters get healthy again.

The offensive line performed well last Sunday vs. Tennessee, even as in-game injuries forced changes during the game. The arrival of Max Starks fortifies left tackle, Doug Legursky played well at left guard, Maurkice Pouncey is set at center, Ramon Foster looked solid at right guard, and Jonathan Scott looks much more comfortable at right tackle than left tackle. The coaches may want to keep this configuration together after Kemoeatu and Gilbert get healthy, if only for continuity and stability.

Tough-guy Steeler Chuck Hinton, DT, circa 1967

The defensive line is another matter. At the very least, it is beginning to appear there will be more rotational substitutions on the defensive line, where Chris Hoke, Cameron Heyward, Ziggy Hood and Steve McClendon should see more playing time.

Ditto the running back position, where many NFL teams substitute liberally. Rashard Mendenhall may start but get less of a workload in favor of Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer and Mewelde Moore when he gets fully healthy.

The left cornerback position is interesting. The depth chart still lists Bryant McFadden as the starter, but he started only the season opener in Baltimore. Since then, William Gay and Keenan Lewis have shared playing time, and that appears certain to continue. Both have played well. Gay is the more senior veteran, but it is time to determine whether Lewis can play for keeps.

Over at Jaguars.com, writer John Oehsner lists 10 reasons the Jags could win tomorrow's game. Try not to laugh. The Jaguars are 3-0 at Heinz Field.

The Jax Jags Are Always Trouble for the Steelers

Jacksoville's Maurice Jones-Drew is one tough hombre.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are a scary team, and not just because of their ugly uniforms.

Everybody seems to assume the Steelers will win, and they probably will. After all, the Jag-yu-arrs are 1-4 and starting a rookie quarterback for an offense that is No. 32 in the NFL in both passing and total offense. With just 59 points in five games, the Jags are next-to-last in the NFL in scoring. Add in the fact that head coach Jack del Rio is on the hot seat, and the Jaguars look like tabby cats.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls don't care. Jacksonville has always meant trouble for the Steelers.

The Jaguars still feature running back Maurice Jones-Drew ("Pocket Hercules"), the NFL's eighth-rated defense and veteran cornerback Rashean Mathis, who has a knack for absolutely torturing the Steelers with interceptions at crucial times.

"Pocket Hercules"

Throw in the fact that, historically, the Jaguars are 3-0 at Heinz Field, including a wild-card playoff game in January 2008 ... and, yes, the Jaguars are a scary team.

We're worried about Jones-Drew, who has a 5.0 yards-per-carry average for 476 yards, which makes him the league's fourth-leading rusher. Jones-Drew also gets involved in the passing game and provides a nice outlet for rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

Although Jones-Drew accounts for 40 percent of the Jaguars' offense -- which is a ton -- Jacksonville has some other talented players on offense, including Pro Bowl tight end Mercedes Lewis, wide receiver Mike Williams and quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the impressive first-round draft choice starting just his fourth NFL game.

Rashean Mathis tortures the Steelers.

Then there is 31-year-old Rashean Mathis, historically a thorn in the Steelers' side. On Oct. 5, 2008, Mathis returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown at Heinz Field. More galling, also at Heinz Field, Mathis intercepted passes -- one returned for a touchdown -- on back-to-back possessions in the January 2008 playoff game the Steelers lost to the Jags.

That game remains a bitter memory for Steeler fans and, of course, for coach Mike Tomlin, who cut short his conference call with Jacksonville media on Wednesday, after being asked about that game, saying "I'm not going to cry over four-year-old spilled milk" and asking for "legitimate questions."

Jaguars beat writer Tania Ganguli  neatly summed up Mathis's success against the Steelers ...

"Historically some of Mathis' best games have come against the Steelers.

In 2005, he intercepted then-Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox in overtime and returned it for a game-winning touchdown. He also partially blocked a punt in that game. In 2006, Mathis had two fourth-quarter interceptions against the Steelers and was named AFC Defensive player of the week. In the 2007 post-season, he intercepted Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger twice when the Jaguars played in Pittsburgh during the AFC wildcard game. He returned one of those interceptions 63 yards for a touchdown. In October 2008 Mathis took his only interception of the game 72 yards the other way for another touchdown."

We would be remiss if we did not recognize this landmark date in Pittsburgh sports history.

"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year," were the words with which Pirate's broadcaster Jim "Possum" Woods concluded the radio broadcast of the Bucs' epic 10-9 victory over the Yankees in the 1960 World Series. It happened on this date, Oct. 13, 1960. 

Today is the 51st anniversary of that momentous occasion and, as happens every Oct. 13, people will make a pilgrimage of sorts to gather in Oakland at the site of the Forbes Field wall, listen to a re-broadcast of the game, revel in the history, and cheer on the 1960 Pirates. It's all good fun.

Snicker all you want and accuse Pirates fans of living in the past. Granted, today's Pirates are nothing like the 1960 Pirates, nor are they like the contemporary big-budget Yankees except that both teams are done for the season.

Like Casablanca's Humphrey Bogart (Rick) and Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Lund) will always have Paris, we Pirates fans will always have 1960.

Talk about living in the past. Sheesh. Still, if you're going to have one landmark, highlight-of-highlights moment, Maz's homer is a great one to have -- the greatest, most dramatic World Series moment ever.

It was the greatest baseball game ever played. And one of the wackiest World Series ever.

"Sufferin' Catfish!! You Can Kiss It Goodbye!!!"

So-o-o-o ... it's fun to join other fans gathering at the still-standing section of the wall over which Maz's homer sailed to celebrate the occasion. The celebration gets bigger and bigger each year, and it's worth checking out if you have the time and can get there.

RELEVANT LINKS:

Check out this fantastic recap of the game at The Green Weenie.
"A Painful Memor for the Yanks -- Mike Vaccaro, New York Post

In 1960, A Series to Remember (or Forget) -- Sean D. Hammill, The New York Times

Whither Rashard?

Rashard Mendenhall

Last season, including the post-season, Rashard Mendenhall had 418 touches (carries plus receptions). 

Neither a speed burner like Chris Johnson nor a power back like Brandon Jacobs, Mendenhall was nevertheless sturdy, steady and generally reliable last year with just two fumbles lost in the regular season (plus that nightmare of a pivotal fumble in the Super Bowl). During the regular season, Mendenhall started every game, broke 11 runs of 20 yards or more and had 13 touchdowns.

Considering for a moment that 300 carries a season for a running back is a lot, isn't it time to consider splitting carries in a rotation of running backs? ... especially since the Steelers seem to have good backups in Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer and Mewelde Moore (when he returns from his ankle injury).

Isaac Redman

Now in his third season, Rashard is still a young guy, just 24, so this is not to suggest he is in decline. A change of pace during games, however, presumably would keep him fresh and, just as importantly, give defenses a different look. The Steelers have four decent running backs; why not use them?

So much the better if the backup running backs bring different styles to the mix, say a power punch and a speed dynamic* -- but it doesn't really matter. The important thing is to maximize the effectiveness of your backs. That's especially so, if your starter is beat up or coming off an an injury (Mendhall returned to practice yesterday and had full participation).

It appears the coaching staff may be pulling in the reins a bit, anyway. This year, through the four games Mendenhall has played (he sat out last Sunday with a bad hamstring), he is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry on just 58 carries (which averages out to fewer than 15 carries per game, which isn't a whole lot). His lack of success relative to last season may be in part attributed to the offensive line, and possibly because he is not entirely healthy. And he may be carrying a hangover from being hit so much last year.

Now, with the impressive performances of Redman and Dwyer last Sunday, speculation is rampant that Redman will start and get most of the carries. Maybe he will. Coaches being what they are, however, it seems unlikely they will go with a new starter based on one game.

Still, it does appear in any case that the coaches plan to use more of a rotation of running backs, with Redman, Dwyer and Moore getting a higher percentage of carries than we saw last year. Seems like a good idea.

*A mix of power and speed -- remember Jerome Bettis and Eric Pegram? Now that was a good combination that presented an effective change of pace.
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