If the Standard is the Standard ... What is the Standard?

Isiah Crowell and the Browns romped

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls never want to hear Mike Tomlin say, ever again, "We have to swallow this one and we will," as he did following Sunday's debacle in Cleveland.

Just what is Tomlin trying to say? ... that the Steelers suck and swallow?

Another question: For the Steelers now, is the new "Standard" .500 football? Has the standard been lowered to such a low bar that it is acceptable to allow Cleveland 193 yards rushing in one game and 158 yards rushing in the second match-up? Is that acceptable?

Does the new "standard" entail asserting, as safety Mike Mitchell said, that "We beat the crap out of them," with "them" being a Cleveland Browns team that had thoroughly drubbed the Steelers by a score of 31-10. It was no contest, and Mitchell has contributed little this season, except to irritate Steeler fans with his celebratory gyrations after the few inconsequential plays he's made -- jumping around as if he'd singlehandedly won the Super Bowl, despite being down by 24 points at the time. Somebody should tell Mitchell, "Hey, Mike, we don't do that here."

That Cleveland team, by the way, had only three healthy defensive linemen on Sunday and featured more than a few rookies and undrafted free agents in key roles -- and a first-time head coach.

Other teams must be licking their chops when they see the Steelers on the schedule. Todd Haley's offense --or is it Ben Roethlisherger's offense? or is it Mike Tomlin's? -- was held to three points until garbage time on Sunday by Cleveland's 27th ranked pass defense, and just 10 points the week before by Jacksonville's 32nd-ranked pass defense. The Steelers have scored no touchdowns in 15 of the 24 quarters played across six games.

Now the schedule gets tougher ... well, after the next game, on Monday night (hah!) featuring the Houston Texans. Has there ever been a matchup of two worse 3-3 teams?

Link: 

Jason LaCanfora: "Steelers Stink Until They Prove Otherwise"