Joey Porter's Pit Bulls

Tom Clements Stays in Green Bay, But ... We Have Another Candidate for Offensive Coordinator and an Idea to Help the Offensive Line

2012-01-26T22:52:00.001-05:00

Word from Green Bay has it that Tom Clements has accepted the Packers' offer to become their next offensive coordinator.

The wise choice -- for this guy.

This is no surprise.

Clements, a Pittsburgh (McKees Rocks) native, attorney and former star quarterback at Canevin High School and Notre Dame, would have been a great choice for the Steelers, but look at it from his perspective:

If you were Tom Clements and offered the job as Green Bay's offensive coordinator -- would you move from the Packers to the Steelers?
Working with Aaron Rogers instead of Ben Roethlisbeger?
Working in a system and with players you already know very well?
Working with a coach you know already?
On a team that is absolutely loaded with talent and appears to be a contender for years to come, vs. Pittsburgh, which has an unsettled offensive line, a reportedly disgruntled quarterback and an aging defense full of question marks and holes to fill.

Clements would have been great for the Steelers, one would think -- if he had wanted the job. It's not like he would have gotten a promotion by moving to Pittsburgh. He must've figured he didn't need the aggravation. And, it's not like Clements would be leaving a lousy team, or a crummy quarterback.

Some of the folks in the mainstream media seem to think it's a foregone conclusion the Steelers' job will go to Randy Fichtner, the QB coach with whom Roethlisberger supposedly has a close relationship -- Big Ben reportedly took Arians, Fichtner and their wives to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. With Fichtner, presumably, the offense would receive the "tweaks" Art Rooney II suggested it needs.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are not so sure about hiring from within. Fichtner may be great; or we might end up with another 21st-rated offense that scores as many touchdowns as the Denver Broncos, just as the Arians-led 2011 offense did. It makes sense to at least consider somebody from the outside.

Here's an idea: Let's at least interview the QB coach of the New York Giants.

On the lookout for a new offensive coordinator

His name is Mike Sullivan and, outside of what is in his bio, we know absolutely nothing about him, but pundits, media types and other observers are marveling at the progress, maturation and development of Eli Manning this year. Presumably,the Giants' QB coach might have had something to do with that.

Also, New York seems to have a pretty good run-pass balance with their thunder-lightning combo of running backs, plus the guy is clearly on a good staff, under Tom Coughlan, so Sullivan must have learned something working with Coughlin all these years (with the Jaguars before the Giants) and also under Jim Tressel at Youngstown State.

Oh, and then there is this tidbit in Sullivan's bio, just for fun:

"Sullivan is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne, Ranger and Air Assault schools. Sullivan recently earned his Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Professor Louis Vintaloro at Perfomance Jiu-Jitsu Academy."

By the way, remember how awful the Steelers' offense was with Kevin Gilbride as offensive coordinator, back around 1999-2000? He's New York's offensive coordinator, and they seem to be doing pretty well. Go figure.

A Helpful Suggestion for the Offensive Line

On another topic, the offensive line: It needs help. No secret there.

Here's a thought: Aggressively pursue Ben Grubbs, the 27-year-old Pro Bowl left guard for the Ravens. He is an unrestricted free agent and a proven commodity.

With Grubbs (as opposed to a draft choice), at least you know what you're getting, plus it would hurt the Ravens. That way, too, you could spend the first-round choice on another position (left tackle, nose tackle, etc.) to fill another hole.

While we're at it, the Steelers might also take a look at Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson, another unrestricted free agent (to replace the Farrior/Foote combo), and cornerback Lardarius Webb, a restricted free agent.

Anyway, those are two things Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would explore: Sign Ben Grubbs to play guard, and at least bring in Mike Sullivan for an interview.

The Bruce Arians Plot Thickens, Again

2012-01-24T11:13:00.003-05:00

It is becoming increasingly clear that Bruce Arians did not receive a gold watch and send-off banquet celebrating his "retirement" from the Steelers.

The 59-year-old Arians tells his hometown York Daily Record that he was forced out, and that he had no intention of retiring this year. He says team president Art Rooney II has offered no explanation why he wasn't offered a contract to return for his sixth year as offensive coordinator.

The Steelers' management team -- presumably at the executive-office level (i.e., Art Rooney II) -- handled this situation badly. The organization's uncharacteristically shabby treatment of Arians and how they portrayed his dismissal as his decision to "retire" looks disingenuous at best. Nobody fielded any questions. The team only issued a very stiff formal "statement" in the name of Mike Tomlin, who for all we know may have been against the decision to relieve Arians of his duties. We don't know that or much of anything else.

What did they think ... that Arians was just going to evaporate and not say anything?

Now, what happens? What happens if he takes a coaching job with another team? He says he's already had five or six teams contact him about coaching this year. No longer an employee of the Steelers, he would be well within his rights to take a job with another team -- the Browns come to mind, and there are others, no doubt.

This is an unneeded black eye for the Steelers, and the whole thing could have been handled better. What's going on over there?

Schadenfreude, Ravens-style!

2012-01-24T01:30:00.002-05:00

Baltimore fans must be very proud.

As much antipathy as Joey Porter's Pit Bulls feel toward the New England Boston Patriots, it would have been really disgusting to see the Baltimore Ravens go to the Super Bowl.

Think how nauseating it would have been for us to endure a full two weeks of nonstop, intense, microspective media coverage of rah-rah John Harbaugh, T-Sizzle, Weird Ed Reed, Ra-Ri, and the always touchy and reflexively defensive Joe "No Respect" Flacco. It would have been too much.

At least New England owner Robert Kraft is a sympathetic figure, and you can respect how his team seemed to genuinely rally around the man during his grief after losing his wife.

For all that, we're rooting for Rooney Mara's New York Giants to win the Super Bowl.

Oh, and you know who would look good in a Steelers' uniform next season? Ben Grubs, that's who. Grubbs, Baltimore's 27-year-old Pro Bowl left guard, is an unrestricted free agent. Sign him up!

While we're at it, the Steelers might also take a look at Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson, another unrestricted free agent, and cornerback Lardarius Webb, a restricted free agent.

The Plot Thickens

2012-01-21T17:09:00.000-05:00

It turns out that maybe Bruce Arians was as surprised as the rest of us to learn of his retirement. The plot thickens, and it all sounds very Machiavellian.

It will be interesting to see whether Arians coaches in the NFL again ... like, this year? What if he truly isn't ready to retire? ... like, this year? What if another team (Cleveland comes to mind) offers him a job? We shall see.

Like many fans, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have mixed feelings about how Arians orchestrated the Steelers offense. Remember the pre-season, when the offense was dynamite? Granted, we all acknowledged it was just preseason, but we all looked forward to the regular season and said, "This team should be fun to watch."

We could've used more plays like this one.

At times, it was. Other times, it was incredibly frustrating. While Arians should be credited for developing talent and many, many excellent play-calls, something was missing -- points. The offense stalled at times maybe it shouldn't have. The playoff game in Denver is an example. Field goals on the first two drives. Field goals instead of touchdowns. You know the rest of the story. For all Arians and the offense accomplished, they didn't score enough points.

For an excellent in-depth analysis of the Steelers offense under Arians -- and how his teams over the years ranked comparatively in points scored, yards-per-rush and sacks surrendered -- visit Steelers Depot, where blogger Jeremy Hritz details how offenses under direction of Arians were "consistently average." Check it out here.

We can't help but wonder how the departure of Arians will affect personnel decisions on offense -- Hines Ward, offensive line, backup quarterback, etc. And how will Big Ben handle working with a new offensive coordinator? For all we know, Big Ben is the offensive coordinator.

It's Official: Bruce Arians Retires

2012-01-20T12:19:00.001-05:00

Exit: Bruce Arians

The Steelers have confirmed the retirement of Bruce Arians.

Speculation abounds as to who might replace Arians. The first name that comes to mind for many people is Tom Clements, who was the Steelers' quarterbacks coach on Bill Cowher's staff from 2001-03), pre-Roethlisberger, it is worth noting.

Clements would be great, one would think -- if he wants the job. For all we know Clements may be content as quarterbacks coach of the Green Bay Packers.

For all we know, the 58-year-old Clements may be near retirement himself and not want the added pressure and visibility of being an offensive coordinator at this stage of his career.

And, it's not like Clements would be leaving a lousy team, or a crummy quarterback. Plus, for all we know, Clements may be in line to become Green Bay's offensive coordinator should their current coordinator, Joe Philbin, take a head coaching job (possibly in Tampa).

Plus, for all we know, Aaron Rodgers may be considerably easier to work with than Ben Rothlisberger. We don't know.

People seem to assume Arians was "ousted" or forced to retire. Maybe; maybe not. Supposedly, he wanted to retire after the 2010 season, but Roethlisberger convinced him to return for 2011. He hasn't said anything to the media yet, so we'll take the Steelers' announcement at face value. He did some very good things for the Steelers, and his good work for this team should not be overlooked. Good luck to him.

Odds and Ends

2012-01-16T09:15:00.000-05:00

Alex Smith scored, but Joe Staley's block (No. 74, left, on the ground) pancaked the safety and sprung him.

What an interesting and entertaining weekend of football. Joe Porter's Pit Bulls are still frustrated by the Steelers and what could have been, so we'll overlook that for now and talk about what we saw this weekend.

Play-call of the Week: Toss-up between San Francisco's game winning touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis or, perhaps even more astonishing ...

San Francisco's quarterback sweep, down 24-23 to New Orleans, on 3rd-and-seven at the Saints' 28 yard line with 2:11 left in the fourth quarter. Already in field goal range, the 49ers had been facing 3rd-and-two but were penalized five yards to set them back to the 28 yard line. The Niners worked the sweep to perfection. Alex Smith never hesitated, the wide receiver in motion from that side executed a nasty crackback block on a Saints linebacker, and left tackle Joe Staley -- pulling at warp speed 10 yards ahead of Smith downfield, absolutely pancaked a New Orleans safety with a devastating block that sprung Smith the rest of the way.

Who calls a quarterback sweep in that situation? Or, these days, any situation? The safe call would have been a handoff up the middle to secure field-goal position.

Only a few quarterbacks have the athleticism and speed to pull it off, and Alex Smith is not a name that leaps first to mind in that category (Cam Newton, Michael Vick). Ben Roethlisberger moves well, especially laterally in the pocket, but he doesn't have the flat-out sprint ability that Smith showed on that play. Who knew?

Joe Staley and four-legged friend.

Block of the Week: Pancake! Joe Staley's pulling block on that play -- His flat-out speed and "Faneca-like" finish on that play made us long for the days of such play on the offensive line for the Steelers. Max Starks did a mostly fantastic job this year for the Steelers, but his mobility is limited.

Guys like Staley and Denver's Ryan Clady (who frustrated James Harrison the week before) don't grow on trees. Both Staley and Clady were first-round draft choices -- and, you might recall, there was speculation that the Steelers were interested in him the year he was drafted (in April 2007). Instead, the Steelers selected Lawrence Timmons with the 15th pick of the first round. San Francisco took Staley with the 28th pick of the first round. For what it's worth, Staley came out of Central Michigan -- same as Antonio Brown (three years later).

It is time for the Steelers to improve the offensive line. Duh.

Vernon Davis holds onto the game-winner.

Just as gutsy a call as the quarterback sweep -- maybe more so -- was the game-winning touchdown pass from Smith to Vernon Davis. Again, the safe call would have been a hand-off up the middle to solidify position for a game-tying field goal attempt to force overtime and hope for the best.

Instead, the Niners went for the kill-shot. A very risky pass into double-coverage in the middle of the field? Requiring a thread-the-needle throw that could just as easily have been intercepted? Not many coaches make that call.

Notable Game Plan of the Week: New England vs. Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. A small accomplishment, you say, but did the Steelers so-called "top-rated defense" contain Tebow? No. The Patriots got a pass rush on Tebow -- imagine that! -- and blitzed him mercilessly. The other notable thing about New England's game plan was that (predictably) it was completely different from the first time those two teams played, when Denver gashed the Patriots for 228 yards rushing (or something like that).

At this point, all we can do is watch.

On Saturday, the Patriots had their big boys clog the middle while their back seven on defense spread their defensive formation wide -- much like Bill Parcells did when the Patriots stymied Kordell Stewart when New England defeated the Steelers in the playoffs way back when (1999?). If there is one thing we've learned about Bill Belichick and the Patriots, it is that they will always change up their game plans for a second meeting between two teams.

Considering two of the flashiest and highest-scoring teams -- Green Bay and New Orleans -- now have been bounced from the playoffs, you could make the case that the Giants and 49ers also had great defensive game plans. They did. They also have pretty good personnel. as do the Patriots, by the way. Oh, yeah, and the Ravens.

Question: Was the Steelers' Season a Success?

2012-01-15T11:33:00.000-05:00

Coda knows.

In the week following the Steelers' loss in Denver, the local sports-talk hosts debated ad nauseum whether the just-concluded season was a success.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have the answer.

No.

An immediate, resounding, emphatic, unequivocal, no-doubt-about it, no-need-to-think-about-it no. Nyet. Nada. No. No! No!! NO!!!

The goal every season is to win the Super Bowl. Enough said.

Yeah, but they were 12-4 and ... ? NO. But they had the league's leading defense and ... NO. But they had so many injuries ... NO. But Big Ben was hobbled and ... NO.

No excuses. No complaints. They didn't do it. Other questions persist, and we have months to debate them. If you want to debate just how good this team really was -- whether they coulda woulda shoulda had a better record or a worse one, that's one discussion.

Other topics open for debate include:

Was the coaching largely ineffectual or mostly superb (just to get them to 12-4)?
Is their talent mostly excellent, or is it sub-par in too many places?
Are they geared to improve, or about to take a step back next season?
If your leading tackler is a safety (Ryan Clark), isn't that usually a bad thing?
Were some of the defensive stats a mirage?
Were some of the weak spots in all three phases masked throughout the season? Don't those weak spots merit some serious scrutiny?
Doesn't the offensive line need to be rebuilt? Bye-bye, presumably, to at least of couple of the guys on the offensive line.
What should they do in the draft and in free agency?
Will Bruce Arians return? Should he?
Wouldn't it be nice to have more confidence in the place-kicker?
How about the status of some of the older and injured players? Casey Hampton, Hines Ward, James Farrior, Aaron Smith, Chris Hoke, Max Starks, Larry Foote, Mewelde Moore, Willie Colon, Byron Leftwich, Charlie Batch, etc. Lots of question marks. Just sayin'. The status of some of these players is clouded by injury. Some will retire. Others, perhaps, should retire. If they don't, will the Steelers welcome them back or bid them farewell?
What about some of the young guys who still have a lot to prove? Those would include Jason Worilds, Ryan Mundy, Ziggy Hood, Cameron Heyward, etc. Not that the high draft picks are in danger of losing a roster spot, but they will be expected to step up their game next season. They will need to, big-time -- otherwise, the Steelers will struggle big-time.

Lots of questions. Whether the season was a success, however? Well, that's not really even a question.

Questions

2012-01-09T11:31:00.000-05:00

There goes the season.

As passionate as JoeyPorter’s Pit Bulls are about the Steelers, we had a bad feeling going intoDenver. The logical brain said, “This is a game the Steelers should win.” The intuitive gut said, “This one could betrouble.”

It was. And we weren’t all thatsurprised. Tim Tebow has pulled enoughrabbits out of his hat this season that after the overtime lightning bolt, youjust had to shake your head and tip your cap to Tebow, John Fox and the Broncos for outplaying and outcoaching theSteelers.

Tim Tebow doing his thing.

Of Tebow, we’d say, “GodBless,” but that seems to be taken care of already.

As for Fox, well, his name should be in the discussion for Coachof the Year. Clearly, he out-coached a Steelers’ staff that never seemed to makeadjustments during the game and seemed ill-prepared for Denver's offensive game plan.

Lots of questions remain and, right now, few answers.

The Steelers need to sign Mike Wallace.

Will the Steelers sign Mike Wallace to a new contract? With the emergence of AntonioBrown as a go-to receiver, it’s almost easy to overlook the fact that Wallacewas the Steelers’ leading receiver (both in receptions and yards). Wallace willcommand big money as a free agent. Given Brown’s breakthrough season asa legitimate NFL star and theSteelers’ MVP, will the Steelers be able to afford both Wallace and Brown (when his contract comes up)? Can they afford not to sign Wallace? It would be deeply disturbing to see him goto Baltimore or any other AFC contender, for that matter.

Will BruceArians retire as offensive coordinator? Remember the reports from lastoff-season that Ben Roethlisbergerpersuaded Arians to come back for at least one more year? It seems to fair to ask, then, whether Arianshas retirement on his mind once again.

Might it be wise to consider hiring aclock-management expert? Given the pattern of poor clock management throughoutthe season, it’s worth discussing, although Mike Tomlin would surely disagree(vehemently).

Will DickLeBeau decide it’s time to retire? It seems unlikely, but it is a legitimate question. LeBeau has earnedthe right for the decision to be his, and he has said he will continue coachingfor as long as he possibly can. What ifhe decides it’s time? Presumably,linebackers coach Keith Butler wouldtake over as defensive coordinator.

Will IkeRedman supplant Rashard Mendenhallas the starter at running back? It seems a harsh but valid question.

Is it time to find a solid replacement for CaseyHampton? His play declined thisyear.

Lots of otherquestions remain. Lots of 'em. We have plenty oftime. All we need are answers.

Flatfooted

2012-01-08T18:56:00.000-05:00

Blah. Feh. Stinko. The Steelers got Tebowed.

What just happened out there in Denver?

A lot of visiting teams left Denver asking that same question this year. On Sunday, it was the Steelers' turn.

The first quarter was just about all Steelers, but they could manage only two field goals. Tim Tebow abruptly became awesome while leading the Broncos to a 20-6 lead in stunning, spectacular fashion. The Steelers looked finished. Then, Ben Roethlisberger suddenly came to life, and the Steelers rallied to tie the game to force overtime.

Then ... Tebow Time!

Now, we have all winter to critique the Steelers and second-guess Mike Tomlin for allowing Ben Roethlisberger to play after he injured his ankle in the first Cleveland game at Heinz Field on Dec. 8.

Not only did the coaching staff allow Roethlisberger to continue playing in that Cleveland game, they allowed him to play at San Francisco, against the Rams and at Cleveland, where he aggravated the injury.

In Denver, it showed. Although he looked terrific in rallying the Steelers from a 14-point deficit, Roethlisberger looked mostly terrible for much of the game, as did the rest of the injury-ravaged team.

Ike Taylor had an especially unfortunate game, and James Harrison often looked flat-footed and lost in space, as he floundered around chasing Tebow. The Steelers' offensive line had trouble with Denver's pass rush, to put it mildly, and the receivers dropped at least a couple of passes.

This game was a microcosm of the entire season -- a roller-coaster ride of wild twists, turns, ups, downs and general unpredictability. In the end, the Steelers didn't play well enough to win.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

At this point, we'd just as soon see Tim Tebow as anybody else represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

As long as the Harbaugh brothers don't both advance to the Super Bowl ... that would be insufferable and, really, just too much.

On the Road Again

2012-01-07T13:17:00.000-05:00

Finally, some real football (no offense, Pitt), and the Steelers are right where they should be: The Playoffs.

Road games? No problem. Everybody in Denver knows Steeler fans will be out in force today, and even coach John Fox talked about it earlier in the week.

Whatever. This game looks winnable, even with the Steelers diminished by injury and adversity, including the awful situation of assistant coach Kirby Wison.

Could the Broncos win? Absolutely. The Broncos should use the same formula they rode on their six-game winning streak: Keep the game close, run the ball effectively, create turnovers, boom some punts and long field goals, and -- last, of course, let Tim Tebow do his magic in Tebow Time (Tebow Time!) For some reason, we have a strange foreboding the Broncos' Eddie Royal may have a long punt return today.

If all that happens, the Steelers deserve to lose, and we will have a long, cold off-season to second-guess all kinds of things -- especially the decision to allow Big Ben to play after he got injured in the first Cleveland game. Still, this is a game the Steelers should win.

Somehow, the Steelers ended up with the NFL's top-rated defense again. Statistics can be misleading, though, and the Broncos should stick to what they do best -- run the ball. It's their best hope. As magical as Tim Tebow was earlier this season, he has not seen a defense like the one Dick LeBeau and the Steelers will present to him today.

This should be a fun game to watch. Then, hopefully, it's on to New England.

Quote of the Week:

“I met with Ryan Clark and I informed him I am not going to allow him to play in this game for obvious reasons,” said Coach Mike Tomlin. “It’s a big game for us, but it is a game."

Puts Things in Perspective

2012-01-07T08:43:00.001-05:00

Steelers' running backs coach Kirby Wilson is one of those guys who labors in relative obscurity. We fans never think much about him, just as we never gave much thought to his predecessor, Dick Hoak, who spent 34 years as the team's running backs coach.

Wilson, who's been with the Steelers for the past five years, joined the Steelers' extended family after Hoak retired in 2007. Wilson never played in the NFL, yet he has two Super Bowl rings earned as a running backs coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001) and with the Steelers (2008).

Having played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for two years, Wilson's been a career football coach since 1985. He's labored at colleges small (Pasadena City College and Southwest Los Angeles Community College), and large (Southern Illinois, Wyoming, Iowa State), and really big-time (Southern California). He joined the NFL coaching ranks in 1997 and has been with four teams (New England, Washington, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh).

Kirby Wilson is one of those dedicated guys who shows up early; stays late; seems content to stay in the background; and coaches up his guys, the running backs, through good times and bad, through injuries (Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore), fumbles (Isaac Redman) and new beginnings (Chad Spann and John Clay).

That was just this past week, by the way. And then the fire that put Wilson in a medically induced coma.

Think about what Wilson has had to deal with the past few days, beginning Sunday, New Year's Day:

Rashard Mendenhall, the starting running back, goes down with a knee injury that puts him on injured reserve and ends his season. Wilson would have had to deal with that, and all it entails.
Isaac Redman, his replacement, fumbles twice in the game against Cleveland. Redman's fumbles are uncharacteristic for him and, despite playing well otherwise, the fumbles draw unwanted attention in the media and raise concerns that they might become a pattern, especially now that Redman becomes the starter and primary ball carrier for the first time in his young NFL career. Wilson would have had to deal with that, and all it entails.
The status of backup Mewelde Moore, who has been struggling with injuries, remains uncertain. Wilson would have had to deal with that.
With just two healthy running backs (Redman and Clay, a rookie activated off the practice squad just a few weeks ago), the Steelers activate newcomer Chad Spann, a 23-year-old rookie out of Northern Illinois whose head must be spinning. The Steelers were Spann's third NFL practice squad since September. Wilson would have had to deal with helping Clay and Spann prepare for the game in Denver.

All that was just this past week. And then the house fire that burned half his body and put him in a medically induced coma. Kind of puts things in perspective. Our Thoughts and Prayers Are With Kirby Wilson, his five children and the rest of his family.

Santonio or Antonio?

2012-01-02T22:04:00.002-05:00

Steelers MVP Antonio Brown

Do you think the New York Jets would take a fifth-round draft choice for Santonio Holmes about now? That's what the Jets sent to the Steelers for Holmes two years ago. The Steelers then flipped that fifth-round choice to Arizona for Bryant McFadden.

The Cardinals used the draft choice to select quarterback John Skelton (out of Fordham).

So, maybe the question should be: Do you think the Jets would accept a trade of John Skelton for Santonio Holmes? Given the recent performance of Mark Sanchez, yeah, probably. Trouble is, the Cardinals probably wouldn't go for it.

Holmes, a Super Bowl MVP for the Steelers, can be an amazing and great receiver, but it's funny how NFL observers now are saying the Steelers knew what they were doing when they got rid of hm -- and, more to the point, how Pittsburgh seems not to miss him, not with the emergence of team MVP Antonio Brown, who was much, much more productive than Holmes this year. So, yeah, we're pretty happy with how things have worked out, and we'd rather have Antonio than Santonio.

On another front, columnist Joe Posnanski offers an awesome breakdown of the Oakland Raiders' All-Time Penalties Record and how they attained it this year. Picking up his column about halfway through ... (after the "Read More" jump, below):

"... The Raiders, of course, have a grand history of penalties. They showed a Top 10 list of the most penalized teams ever during the Raiders-Chargers game Sunday and I believe six or seven of the Top 10 were Raiders. I can't find that list, but I can find the Top 5:

Most penalties:

1. 2011 Raiders: 163

2. 1998 Chiefs: 158

3. 1994 Raiders 156

(tie) 1996 Raiders 156

5. 1989 Oilers 149

So that's three of the top five. The Raiders have now led the league (AFL or NFL) in most penalties 13 times*. But the point for many of those years is that the Raiders WANTED to lead the league in penalties or at least be near the top. This was Al Davis' way. He wanted his Raiders to play on the edge. To him, penalties were like speeding tickets -- the price you had to pay to get someplace fast.

*This is actually NOT the record. Papa Halas' Chicago Bears led the NFL in penalties FIFTEEN times, including six years in a row.

Well, of course, Al Davis died this past year, and so you might look at this NFL record as an homage to him. But I'm not sure that's really true. I'm not sure that these penalties were really in the spirit of Al Davis and playing on the edge … I think they were more in the spirit of, "Huh?"

I have broken down the Raiders penalties for posterity -- my own homage to Al Davis.

The Raiders committed:

-- 29 offensive holding penalties

-- 26 defensive offsides or neutral zone infractions

-- 23 personal fouls of various kinds

-- 21 false starts of various kinds including one on a free kick

-- 12 defensive holds

-- 12 pass interferences

-- 10 delay of game penalties

-- 7 illegal contacts

-- 4 facemasks

-- 3 illegal blocks of various kinds

-- 3 illegal formations of various kinds

-- 2 ineligible passes

-- 2 special teams out of bounds penalties

-- 2 12 men on the field penalties*

-- 1 intentional grounding

-- 1 offensive pass interference

-- 1 illegal use of hands

-- 1 illegal substitution

-- 1 running into the kicker

-- 1 roughing the kicker

-- 1 clipping

I mention the fact they had just one clipping on the bottom because whoever is the clipping coach in Oakland deserves a raise.

*The Raiders actually had FIVE 12 men on the field penalties, but three were declined meaning the Raiders were really bad with 12 men on the field.

It looks like the Raiders had three touchdowns taken away by penalties, though one seems to have been overturned anyway by replay. An opponent took one field goal off the board because of a Raiders penalty and proceeded to score a touchdown. Considering the quantity of penalties, that actually doesn't seem so bad to me.

The Raiders committed 18 penalties that were declined or offset. The offensive line held every game but three. The defensive line jumped offside every game but two. The most personal fouls in a game was four, against the Vikings and they had a face mask in that game too. They did not commit a have an illegal formation in their first 13 games and then had two in the same series. They saved their best for Kansas City -- that really is the most underrated nasty rivalry in the NFL -- committing 14 and 15 penalties in those two games.

I watched the Raiders quite a few times this year, and to be honest I didn't often get the impression that they were out of control the way those 1998 Chiefs were. I thought the offensive line just held a lot, and the defensive line jumped into the neutral zone a lot. Raiders fans could probably offer a more complete analysis though.

One other thing -- the Raiders didn't really lose a lot of close games this year. They won a few -- close ones over Houston, Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago and Kansas City. Of the losses, though, they probably should have won at Buffalo, but they were beaten pretty soundly by New England, crushed by KC, bludgeoned the second time they played the Broncos and destroyed at Miami and Green Bay. The one-point loss to the Lions in Week 15 was crushing, and penalties played a role in that one. But all in all, I would say that their amazing number of penalties really didn't make a huge difference. When the 1998 Chiefs set the penalties record, there were lessons and stories behind it -- lessons about abandoning your standards, stories about how frustration can tear you down and so on.

The 2011 Raiders I think were just a mediocre team, and like many mediocre teams they finished 8-8. They just happened to have a lot of penalties called on them.

A New Year, A New Season

2012-01-01T19:35:00.002-05:00

Time for the Steelers to step up.

The Playoffs. Shrug.*

First, a hearty congratulations to Hines Ward for his 1,000 career receptions.

Looking forward, how will the Steelers do this post-season? How healthy will they be? Will they win three games on the road? Will they win even one?

Tough to say. This is a tricky team to read. The Steelers' defense was rated No. 1 in the NFL in passing yards per game (171.9) and total yards per game (271.8). Still, this doesn't look like a Super Bowl team. Super Bowl teams don't surrender a 92-yard drive late in the fourth quarter to Joe Flacco, lose twice to the Baltimore Ravens, let the Houston Texans run roughshod over them or struggle mightily in two games vs. the Browns, who once again had a chance to win at the end of the game.

We're hoping for more, but (realistically) this Steelers team looks like a moderately good team with a decent chance to win a playoff game on the road -- and then maybe get on a roll and hope for the best.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would feel a lot more confident if the team wasn't so banged up. Big Ben, who is not near 100 percent and won't be for months. Starting running back Rashard Mendenhall (out for the season) and backup, clutch third-down running back Mewelde Moore. Offensive linemen Maurkice Pouncey, Doug Legursky and Ramon Foster, as well as tight end David Johnson. Star linebacker and pass-rushing monster Lamarr Woodley. Valuable cornerbacks Keenan Lewis and Cortez Allen, as well as backup corner and special teams contributor Curtis Brown (on injured reserve). Special teams leaders Arnaz Battle and Will Allen. The defense's leading tackler, safety Ryan Clark, who ~~will~~ should miss Sunday's game in Denver because of his vulnerability to sickle cell trait. And so on.

Another wacky season. And another one just beginning.

Hello, Denver. Tebow Time!

Tim Tebow completed just six of 22 passes vs. the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, as the Broncos scored a mere three points in their 7-3 loss in the season finale. The Broncos won the AFC West, however, and with it the right to host the Steelers next Sunday in the first round of the AFC Playoffs.

At a glance, this should be a winnable game for the Steelers, but the Broncos have a very good running game -- they led the NFL in rushing with 164.5 yards per game; a very good defense -- with stellar pass rushers Von Miller and Elvis Dumerville; a mile-high home-field advantage; and a tremendous long-range field-goal kicker in Matt Prater, who could make the difference in a close game.

Denver could win. Stranger things have happened. Let's put it this way: If the Steelers play the Broncos the way they played the Browns yesterday in Cleveland, they lose.

About The Chokeland Raiders: Any team that brings in Carson Palmer to save its season deserves what it gets. Not that it would have been any easier than going to Denver, but the Steelers would be traveling to Oakland if only the Raiders hadn't self-sabotaged once again on Sunday.

In true Raiders fashion, Oakland lost to San Diego by setting the all-time NFL record for most penalties and most penalty yards in a season. Averaging more than 10 penalties per game this year, the Raiders finished the season with 163 penalties for 1,358 yards -- which surpasses their own trend for, oh, about the past 35 years. Pride and poise, baby.

Think about that for a second: The Raiders' 1,358 yards in penalties are roughly equivalent to the 1,364 yards rushing accumulated by the NFL's second-leading rusher, Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens. That's a lot of penalty yards to negate and overcome. By comparison, in case you were wondering, the Steelers finished in the middle of the pack (16th) in penalties and penalty yards (14th).

Goodbye, Raiders, Jets, Cowboys and other clowns. Time to start anew.

Forget Tebow Time. The Playoffs Are Steeler Time.

*The Playoffs. Shrug? Yeah, we Steeler fans are spoiled, and we have high expectations. That doesn't mean we are unappreciative of our team or how good we have it. It also doesn't mean we'd rather live in Cleveland, or Arizona, or Cincinnati, or Tampa, or Charlotte, or Seattle, or Dallas, or Atlanta, or Philadelphia, or Long Island, or anywhere else that does or doesn't have an NFL team. It just means we expect our team, the Steelers, to do well -- and we expect the players and everybody else in Steeler Nation to feel the same way. Anything wrong with that?

Okay, so the Steelers made it to the playoffs. We've known that for weeks. Now it's time to start paying attention.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T17:36:00.001-05:00

Artwork credit: Trevor, whoever that is, but it's a nice graphic, so thanks for sharing.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T23:13:00.001-05:00

Where are we?

2011-12-10T04:48:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-09T12:45:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-08T05:50:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-04T15:36:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-03T07:15:00.001-05:00

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, andCincinnati 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

2011-11-29T16:03:00.001-05:00

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.

2011-11-28T05:30:00.001-05:00

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"?

2011-11-22T12:33:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-13T19:58:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-13T13:38:00.001-05:00

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?

2011-11-13T08:33:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-12T09:40:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-08T13:03:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-08T12:14:00.002-05:00

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

Pitiful

2011-11-07T00:41:00.000-05:00

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?

2011-11-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-05T09:35:00.002-04:00

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?

2011-11-04T22:37:00.001-04:00

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

2011-11-04T10:24:00.001-04:00

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

2011-11-03T09:57:00.000-04:00

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.

Will the Steelers Have Answers for the Ravens This Time Around?

2011-11-02T10:29:00.000-04:00

It's All Souls Day, aka "Day of the Dead"

The Steelers looked so good on Sunday vs. the Patriots, it's easy to forget how bad they looked Sept. 11 vs. the Ravens in Baltimore, first game of the season.

The Steelers' offense committed seven turnovers that day. Seven! Ravens running back Ray Rice ran roughshod over the Steelers' defense, which ESPN analyst Merril Hoge described as looking "complacent" and which NFL Network blowhard Warren Sapp famously said looked "old and slow."

Today, however, the Steelers are 6-2, lead the AFC and their defense looks anything but "complacent" or "old and slow." Still, this season, the Steelers have looked bad and good; the Ravens have looked good and bad.

Which teams will show up on Sunday at Heinz Field? The Steelers looked awful in losses to the Ravens and Texans; struggled in wins over the Colts and Jaguars; and looked awesome defeating the Cardinals and Patriots the past two weeks. The Ravens looked awful in losses to the Titans and Jaguars; struggled to defeat the Cardinals last Sunday; and looked awesome in defeating the Rams and Steelers early in the season. If anything, the Steelers have improved since the season began; the Ravens appear to have regressed. Maybe both teams simply have found their true level.

Joe Flacco getting sacked, Week Two, vs. Tennessee.

The Ravens' offense has sputtered off and on this season -- mostly "off" in recent weeks. Joe Flacco and company looked mostly bad on Sunday at home vs. Arizona. They looked absolutely abysmal in the Monday night game the previous week (Oct. 24) vs. Jacksonville. Words can't describe how bad they looked, and that performance prompted intense criticism not only in the media and among fans in Baltimore, but also in the Ravens' locker room. Flacco and his offense also played horribly in the Oct. 2nd Sunday night win over the New York Jets. Flacco and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron have become a lightning rod for criticism in Baltimore.

Despite occasional flashes from receivers Torrey Smith, a rookie, and Anquin Boldin, a veteran, the Ravens still don't have a consistent deep threat. For all his flaws, though, Flacco does throw as pretty a deep pass as any quarterback in the NFL.

Lest we forget: Bryant McFadden and Anquin Boldin, Week One

Looking Forward, Looking Back

This Sunday, presumably, Baltimore head coach Jim Harbaugh will apply much the same game plan he did Sept. 11. Steelers corner Bryant McFadden started that day, and Boldin victimized him for a touchdown on the first possession. Tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta roamed freely in the secondary all day. Even more disturbingly, Ray Rice romped at will the entire game behind the lead blocking of fullback Vontae Leach. It was ugly.

On the other side of the ball, it bears repeating: The Baltimore defense had seven takeaways. It was embarrassing. Nose tackle Haloti Ngata, totally disruptive, absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage. Rashard Mendenhall probably still has bruises from the fumble-forcing hit that Ngata laid on him in the second quarter. Safety Ed Reed intercepted two passes. Ray Lewis and fellow linebacker Terrell Suggs imposed their will. Linebacker Jarret Johnson hit Hines Ward harder than probably he's ever been hit in his life.

The entire debacle was humiliating.

The Steelers cannot allow anything like any of the above happen again on Sunday.

Just sayin'.

All Saints Day

2011-11-01T15:18:00.003-04:00

"Down South in New Orleans, prettiest women I've ever seen ..."

That song must be of little consolation today in The Big Easy, where people must be wondering how their beloved New Orleans Saints lost to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

Speaking of Saints, it is All Saints Day or Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), as it is known in Mexico, where skulls are considered a symbol of life and regeneration.

The Steelers' linebacking corps needs some new life and regeneration, that's for sure. It appears James Harrison, James Farrior and Lamarr Woodley will miss Sunday's game vs. the Baltimore 'n 'at Ravens. Next man up.

"The standard is the standard," as Mike Tomlin says, which means it's time for second-year linebacker Jason Worilds B. Free to finally get on the playing field and show why the Steelers drafted him instead of Penn State's Sean Lee, who has played well for the Dallas Cowboys since early last season. Rookie linebacker Chris Carter also may get his first start, and hopefully he won't jump offsides, as he did vs. New England. Stevenson Sylvester, who played well against the Patriots, appears set to start again in place of James Farrior.

Speaking of linebackers, Baltimore has a couple of fairly accomplished guys in Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, who had 13 tackles, including four for loss, on Sunday vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

"They're whacking people," Mike Tomlin said in his news conference today, which Ray Lewis has been reputed to do.

All Saints Day (Nov. 1) those who have made it to heaven and “attained the beatific vision,” which Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls would like to see some day.

Tomorrow is All Souls Day, which commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been made it to heaven ‘cause they ain’t yet purified and sanctified, ‘n ‘at.

Got it? Saints first, Souls to follow.

As you contemplate what to do with your leftover Halloween candy, it's worth noting the celebration of Hallowed Eve dates more than 2,000 years to ancient Ireland and Scotland. The Celts believed their departed family and friends returned home during harvest time to eat and drink before going to heaven. Being harvest time, food was more plentiful, and some was left out in the evening for the souls of The Departed.

Being who they are, the Irish and Scots viewed it as cause for celebration. Thus, it was in Ireland, Scotland and England that All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) became a combination of merriment and prayer; prayer and merriment.

Following the break with the Holy See, however, England’s Queen Elizabeth forbade all observances connected with All Souls' Day. Tight-ass, no-fun prude, she was.

Eventually, kids started dressing like ghosts, goblins, witches, etc, to have fun and play along with the notion of the dead returning to their homes. The pranksters would demand treats of neighbors … or, you guessed it, threaten to play some sort mischievous "trick" on them. Just like happened to Philip Rivers last night, when he fumbled a late fourth-quarter snap that led to the San Diego Chargers' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Soul, soul, an apple or two,
If you haven't an apple, a pear will do,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for the Man Who made us all.

All Treats!

2011-10-31T12:03:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-30T07:53:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-29T07:59:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-10-29T07:52:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-28T12:42:00.001-04:00

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?

2011-10-27T14:22:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-26T18:15:00.003-04:00

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 ...

2011-10-26T11:12:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-23T19:58:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-23T10:18:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-22T10:03:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-21T10:37:00.000-04:00

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.

Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt
Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach Russ Grimm
Offensive Coordinator Mike Miller
Defensive Coordinator Ray Horton
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?

2011-10-19T17:30:00.000-04:00

"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"

2011-10-18T13:35:00.000-04:00

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?

2011-10-17T14:28:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-16T16:36:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-16T11:41:00.003-04:00

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!

Feel free to leave a comment, below left.

Saturday Morning Miscellany -- Jacksonville Jaguars Edition

2011-10-15T10:04:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-14T14:29:00.002-04:00

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.

2011-10-13T10:50:00.000-04:00

"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?

2011-10-13T09:24:00.000-04:00

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.
Feel free to leave a comment, below left.

Phreaking Out in Philadelphia

2011-10-11T07:54:00.001-04:00

For those of you who indulge in a bit of Schadenfreude (glee at someone else's misfortune), look no farther than Philadelphia. It's fascinating.

Fans of the Phillies are in despair; fans of the Eagles are in misery. For a detached observer, both teams are interesting cases.

This past weekend, wrote Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News, was "the worst weekend in Philadelphia sports history."

Just a couple of weeks ago, expectations were sky-high in Philadelphia. Both the Phillies and Eagles have high-profile players galore. With one of the best starting rotations arguably in baseball history, the Phillies had 102 wins in the regular season -- but flailed at the plate while being shut out by the Cardinals in the decisive Game Five in Philadelphia.

Now, just like our own Pittsburgh Pirates (ouch), the Phillies are out of the playoffs ... and on the last out of Friday night's game, they lost star slugger Ryan Howard to a crippling Achilles tendon injury that like will take a year of rigorous rehab for recovery ... and they also face the loss of several prominent free agents (Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Brad Lidge) and players with high-ticket options on their contracts (Roy Oswalt, Placido Polanco). Fans in Philadelphia, not unexpectedly, are turning ugly and pointing fingers -- at the players, the manager and the front office. They all face a long winter.

Andy Reid, head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles, who have the self-proclaimed "Dream Team," are reeling, and some fans and talking heads in the media are calling for head coach Andy Reid to be fired. They're saying he's clueless, and it's turning ugly.

This is all fresh off the Eagles paying out huge money for several star free agents and inconsistent quarterback Michael Vick, all of whom have contributed to a 1-4 record. There is no end in sight, and it's how the Eagles are failing that has their fans bellowing. Mistakes, penalties and turnovers are rampant.

The Eagles, in fact, are at the bottom of the NFL in turnover ratio with a minus-10, tied with -- you guessed it --our hometown Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers may be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde this season, but at least they are 3-2 and coming off a win. The Eagles would gladly take that. Instead, they are taking relentless flak from their always staid and dignified fans.

It's interesting, and kinda fun to watch -- if you're into Schadenfreude. But not Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, no sir. We've lived with the Pirates for too long. We still remember with bitterness the Pirates' loss in the 1992 NLCS when left fielder Barry Bonds failed to throw out lead-footed ex-Bucco Sid Bream at the plate in the bottom of the ninth in Atlanta. We knew that was the end of an era, and the Pirates never recovered. Plus, we've had too many AFC Championship losses to take any sort of winning for granted. Nope, no sir. No Schadenfreude here.

What we find interesting -- and this may be a reach -- is the impression that Philadelphians wouldn't be happy unless they are unhappy. Call it "Self-Schadenfreude."

Maybe that's why Philadelphia fans are so good at vitriol. They practice it.

Just a thought.

That's more like it.

2011-10-09T17:24:00.002-04:00

"We weren't going to leave any bullets in the gun."
-- Mike Tomlin, following the Steelers' win over the Tennessee Titans

Pre-season is over, finally.

Finally, the Steelers looked more like the team we've gotten used to seeing the past 200 years.

On a beautiful Indian Summer Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field, the Steelers reasserted their identity as a hard-nosed, sure-tackling, run-stuffing, tough-running football team. Most of the day, the Steelers dominated the Tennessee Titans, who entered the game with a 3-1 record.

STARS

Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer -- Both ran tough all day, broke tackles and racked up a total of 174 yards rushing. Highlight of the day was Dwyer's 76-yard run, his first carry of the season. Redman had 49 yards on 15 runs, but it seemed like he had more yards and more carries. Steelers radio announcer Tunch Ilkin correctly observed, "Redman will not go down today," and Ilkin's sidekick Craig Wolfley rang in with "He keeps those hamhocks churning!"

Bruce Arians -- Will fans give the oft-criticized offensive coordinator any credit for a successful game plan? Probably not. That's how it goes for offensive coordinators. Total yardage on the day: 431, including 174 on the ground. The Steelers stuck to a rhythm passing game featuring short throws that helped the offensive line protect Ben Roethlisberger. For all we know, Arians goes with this game plan every week, but Roethlisberger does his own thing, which brings us to ...

Hines Ward (photo by Matt Freed, Post-Gazette)

Ben Roethlisberger -- His performance seemed unspectacular until the announcers said he'd thrown five touchdowns and had a passer rating of 116. Hobbled by his injured foot, Ben seemed intent to get rid of the ball quickly, so there was little freelancing, highjinks and improvisational wizardry. For the most part, the Steelers engineered a controlled passing game with short routes and crossing patterns, as Ben connected with eight receivers throughout the day. He took just one sack, threw one interception and didn't lose any fumbles, which have plagued him this season.

The Offensive Line -- Just what the doctor ordered. Max Starks, Doug Legursky, Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, Marcus Gilbert, Trai Essex and Jonathan Scott all played extremely well against a solid front seven. With just three practices under his belt, Starks stepped right in and protected Roethlisberger's blind side without incident or fanfare. Essex took over for Legursky when he moved over to center after Pouncey came off the field at one point with an unspecified injury, and the injured Scott stepped in for Gilbert after he got hurt -- but the line didn't miss a beat. The tight ends and running backs did a good job blocking, too.

Ike Taylor -- Arguably the Steelers' steadiest performer this season, Taylor had another strong outing and pretty much shut down anybody he had to cover.

Chris Hoke -- The backup nose tackle stepped in for starter Case Hampton and helped to stuff the Titans' running game. Hoke appeared much more mobile and disruptive than Hampton has been most of this season. He dominated. When Hoke starts a game in the regular season, by the way, the Steelers are 16-1.

Lamarr Woodley -- Seemingly absent all season, Woodley was in on two sacks and intercepted a pass batted in the air by Brett Keisel. Fellow linebacker James Farrior led the team with 13 tackles and knocked down a pass.

Antonio Brown -- After the Titans kicked a field goal on their opening drive, Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 52 yards to get the crowd right back in the game. Brown looked lively on returns and in the passing game all day.

Hines Ward -- Having said earlier in the week that he's been open but hasn't had the ball thrown to him, Ward caught seven passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns.

Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward -- The two young defensive linemen flashed why the Steelers drafted them in the first round (Hood in 2010, Heyward in 2011). Heyward forced a fumble (recovered by Tennessee) and had a sack in the second half when the Titans were trying to mount a comeback.

Troy Polamalu -- He was all over the field, in on nine tackles, and had three passes defensed.

Coming Up

Jacksonville here, a road trip to Arizona, then New England and Baltimore here, then a game at Cincinnatti before the bye week.

Should be an interesting game today

2011-10-09T10:51:00.004-04:00

Okay, let's say it all together: To win today, the Steelers must stop the run.

Again: To win today, the Steelers must STOP THE RUN.

Once more, with feeling: TO WIN TODAY, THE STEELERS MUST STOP THE RUN.

Oh, and a reminder for the defense: You're allowed to intercept a pass.

Offensive line: It's okay to knock people over. And try to keep Ben from getting maimed.

Ben: Since you can't run, you can't hide. Get rid of the ball.

And, guys, just one more thing: "There's a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes."

Go, Steelers!

The Philthadelphia Story; Also, More Nyjer Morgan

2011-10-08T23:28:00.004-04:00

The Steelers have had their troubles lately, Pitt continues to struggle and Lord knows long-suffering Pirates fans have had their fill of woe, but this morning we can all be thankphul we're not Philadelphians.

Phillies fans watched in agonizing slow-motion horror Friday night, as their high-payroll team suffered a crushing defeat to get bounced out of the playoffs by the underdog St. Louis Cardinals. Adding insult to injury -- or more accurately, injury to insult -- they also witnessed star slugger Ryan Howard crumple to the ground in excruciating agony with a torn Achilles tendon -- suffered when he grounded out to end the series. Howard faces a long, painful and uncertain recovery that will extend at least a couple months into the 2012 season. The Phillies also stand to lose key players to free agency, including Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez and Brad Lidge.

On top of all that there are the Eagles, with the maladroit Michael Vick at the helm. If the Eagles lose to the Bills today, look out. As Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bob Ford wrote, "And so begins a nuclear winter of discontent and one -- just guessing here -- that doesn't seem likely to be enlivened by the Eagles."

How depressing for the already surly fan base. The City That Booed Santa Claus at Halftime of an Eagles Game could get really ugly, very soon.

It's Nyjer Morgan's World. We Only Live In It.

MLB.com: "T.Plush Taking Baseball by Storm in Playoffs"
Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle: "Show goes On for Brewers, Tony Plush"
USA Today: "Nyjer Morgan, Tony Plush Revel in Post-Season"

End of an Era: Al Davis is Dead

2011-10-08T12:27:00.001-04:00

Oakland Al is dead, according to Raiders.com. Darth Raider himself. He was 82. End of an era.

As much as Al Davis became a caricature of himself later in life, he was a pioneer who was instrumental in advancing the American Football League to prominence and legitimacy in the 1960s. He demanded a "Commitment to Excellence."

Al Davis was many things: audacious, visionary, paranoid, brilliant, cantankerous, iconoclastic, iconic, quirky, truculent, enigmatic, driven, egotistical, eccentric, bold, accusatory, vindictive, sly, crusty, bizarre, fierce, stubborn, irascible, intractable, vitriolic, tenacious, myopic, micromanager, rigid, pioneering, selfish, feisty, ingenious, draconian, troubled, temperamental, rebellious, outspoken, football strategist, business tycoon and empire builder. All of that, and more.

One thing for sure: He was one of a kind. A character.

Davis saw himself as a maverick and set the impassioned "Pride and Poise" identity of the Raiders, although the team often lacked poise, if not pride, through the years, as one of the perennially most penalized and mistake-prone teams in the NFL.

The late, great Hunter S. Thompson wrote often and at length about Oakland Al, and it is all worth reading. As HST noted, Al Davis was the persona and identity of the Raiders and everything that went with the team's mystique:

"Every game was a terrifying adventure, win or lose, and the Raiders of the '70s usually won -- except in Pittsburgh, where cruel things happened and many dreams died horribly. You could see the early beginnings of what would evolve into the massive Raider Nation, which is beyond doubt the sleaziest and rudest and most sinister mob of thugs and whackos ever assembled in such numbers under a single "roof," so to speak, anywhere in the English-speaking world. No doubt there are other profoundly disagreeable cults that meet from time to time in most of the 50 states."

Indeed, for a few years, the 1970s Raiders-Steelers rivalry was as bitter, vicious and intense as any rivalry, though it didn't have the longevity of the Steelers-Browns or the Bears-Packers.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the Raiders now. For that matter, it should be interesting to see how the Raiders play the Texans in Houston tomorrow. Davis would surely say, "Just win, baby."

First Steve Jobs, then Al Davis. Truly, the end of an era. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would say,"Rest in Peace," but we're pretty sure Davis wouldn't want to hear it. We're pretty sure he didn't go quietly.
Oh, and we still have the Oakland Raiders Christmas card that Al Davis once sent our way. He was full of surprises.

Other Views:

Doug Farrar at Shutdown Corner
Greg Rosenthal at ProFootballTalk
Will Brinson at CBS Sportsline
San Francisco Chronicle
Gary Peterson: "Al Davis did It His Way"
Oakland Tribune: "The Al Davis Legacy: Innovator, Fighter, Maverick"
Gwenn Knapp: "Hard to believe that stubborn Davis is really gone"
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial: "Al Davis, an original"

Saturday Morning Miscellany

2011-10-08T08:52:00.000-04:00

Heinz Field is 10 years old already?

The Post-Gazette's Blog 'n Gold offers an awesome compendium of 10 years of highlights at Heinz Field, and they have been mostly great years. Kudos to online sports editor Dan Gigler at the Post-Gazette.

Get to "Know Thy Enemy" with Nice Pick, Cowher providing perspective from Nashville.
Also, from Nashville, The Music City Miracles blog has a nice report on the Titans at the season's quarter pole.
Did you know the Titans have a rookie defensive back who played for the Aliquippa Quips, Pitt Panthers, Edinboro and California University of Pennsylvania? That's not all. Tommie Campbell also worked as a janitor cleaning toilets at Greater Pittsburgh International Airport. The Tennessean tells his story, which is about redemption and making the most of one last chance. It's a good one.
Lest we overlook baseball, Bob Smizik offers his report card on Pirates' hitters.
Speaking of baseball, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls (that's us) offers a tip 'o the hat to former former Pirates Nyjer Morgan, Don Kelly and Jim Leyland.
You might also want to glance at a study in contrasts -- an examination of the relative stability of the offensive lines of the Tennesssee Titans and the Steelers.

No Big Snack? No Big Juicy? What's Going On Here?

2011-10-08T03:15:00.000-04:00

Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith are out.

It definitely would be tough to play nose tackle with a bum shoulder, so-o-o-o ... Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton, also known as "Big Snack," will miss tomorrow's game vs. the Tennessee Titans. As reported on ProFootballTalk, Hampton is one of six injured Steelers ruled out of the game. Hampton has a shoulder injury sustained last Sunday in Houston. Both Chris Hoke and Steve McLendon will play in Hampton's place.

Also missing from the defense will be Aaron Smith, James Harrison and Jason Worilds. And, as if the offensive line didn't have enough discontinuity, it will be without starting left guard Chris Kemoeatu (also known as "Big Juicy"). Also missing the game will be running back Mewelde Moore. With starter Rashard Mendenhall still listed as questionable, Isaac Redman will get most of the carries.

We Can Be Heroes: Jim Leyland, Don Kelly, Nyjer Morgan, Tony Plush and Tony Gumbo

2011-10-08T01:36:00.000-04:00

Former Pirates in both leagues played pivotal roles advancing their teams to the World Series. Good for them!

Nyjer Morgan was the hero of the Brewers' NLCS walk-off win in Milwaukee Friday night. With teammate Carlos Gomez on at second in the bottom of the tenth, Morgan and his alter ego personalities Tony Plush and Tony Gumbo swatted a single up the middle to drive in the winning run to send the Brewers to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.

Nyjer Morgan, or is it Tony Plush? Tony Gumbo?

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls hated to see the Pirates trade Morgan (to Washington in 2009, with Sean Burnett for Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan), and not just because Morgan was our favorite Pirate at the time -- and no doubt, the Pirates became much more boring and vanilla after he was traded, and the Brewers became much more interesting and fun after he joined them.

Morgan's antics overshadow the fact he is a good player. He provides leadership on the field and in the clubhouse. He's a catalyst. He brings energy and personality(ies) to his team.

The dismissive, know-it-all Sabremetricians will snicker smugly and point knowingly to Morgan's baseball shortcomings, so we'll turn to the guys on the MLB Network panel after the game last night, who were saying things like: "This guy's a good ballplayer, fundamentally sound." ..."What a difference Nyjer Morgan has made in Milwaukee." ..."He's always in the middle of the action." ... "A good hitter and a good defender." ..."You need unique people on a team." ..."He brings an energy to the team."

With his bubbly presence, Morgan was (and is) an exciting player and an effusive fan favorite. Oh, so you think "effusive fan favorite" doesn't matter to fans and even management in Milwaukee, or that it shouldn't matter in Pittsburgh? Here's how tone-deaf the Pirates' management is: Guess which player on the Brewers, who have not just one but two legitimate MVP candidates in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, guess which player's shirt has the most sales in the Brewer's Clubhouse Store? Nyjer Morgan's. Pirates owner Bob Nutting must rue the lost nickels and dimes.

Nyjer Morgan, the former hockey player, wasn't good enough for the Pirates, but now he's a beloved hero in Milwaukee. He's fun. Good for him.

Don Kelly: Home Run Hero.

Don Kelly was deemed not good enough to stick as a utility player with the Pirates, but now he's a hero in Detroit. What a story for Kelly, who has overcome long odds with the dogged determination of a pit-terrier mix. Thursday night, he cemented his place in Detroit baseball lore by hitting the first-inning home run that silenced Yankee Stadium and seemed to guarantee the Tigers' ALDS victory.

Kelly, who played high school ball at Mt. Lebanon High School and in college for Point Park, is easy to root for. His is a really, really great feel-good story, not to be redundant.

Jim Leyland gave Kelly the chance Pirates wouldn't, and Kelly made Leyland look like a genius. The former Pirates manager once again displayed uncanny intuition Thursday night when he penciled Kelly's name into the line-up at third base and No. 2 in the batting order. Kelly validated Leyland's belief in him with that crucial home run that ESPN showed again and again and again.

Tammy Faye Baker

For a man who cries more than Tammy Faye Baker in her heyday, Leyland provided a remarkably steady hand at the helm of the Detroit Tigers this season. Still, after his Tigers dismissed the New York Yankees Thursday night, Leyland almost cried on national television when he talked about Don Kelly.

"He deserves to be in there," Leyland said. "You don't get sentimental at this time of year. He's been swinging the bat very well. He's got a lot of big hits. I think that's a guy that's a great story. Here's a guy that's the 25th guy on the team, I guess, but I wouldn't rather have another 25th guy. It's kind of a nice story. Good for Don Kelly."

Good for Don Kelly. Good for Jim Leyland. Good for Nyjer Morgan. Congratulations to all.

A Study in Contrasts: The Offensive Lines

2011-10-07T08:26:00.000-04:00

The Tennessee Titans' starting five on the offensive line has played together for five consecutive years. Five years.

By contrast, the Steelers' offensive line has been together for maybe five minutes. It's in shambles.

Across the line, from left tackle to right tackle, Tennessee's offensive line has combined for 344 straight starts. That is consistency and continuity personified.

Maybe that's one reason why the Titans have allowed just four sacks over four games. The Steelers allowed five sacks last Sunday and 14 this season.

Compounding the Steelers' woes, Ben Roethlisberger is hobbling around with by an injured foot that required a walking boot this week. We probably shouldn't anticipate many rollouts or "boot"legs on Sunday.

Maybe, just maybe, the Steelers will go back to the running game, and it looks like Isaac Redman will get most of the carries vs. the Titans. No definitive word yet on the availability of either Rashard Mendenhall (hamstring) or Mewelde Moore (sprained ankle), but neither practiced on Thursday. Jonathan Dwyer is the other running back.

“You can’t do too much dancing in the backfield,” saidRedman on Steelers.com. “That is how we lose yards. I would rather have a zeroyard run than a loss. Our line is beat up, there is some inexperience. We haveto establish the run. We need it. We need to shut people up. We have Max Starksback. Hopefully he can add some spark to the offensive line and we can get somemovement.”

For the record,Tennessee's starters are:

Left Tackle Michael Roos, a seven-year veteran
Left guard Leroy Harris, a five-year veteran
Center Eugene Amano, an eight-year veteran
Right guard Jake Scott, an eight-year veteran
Right tackle David Stewart, a seven-year veteran

In terms of year's experience across the line, that's 7, 5, 8, 8, 7.

The Steelers show 5, 7, 2, 3, 1

That's according to today's depth chart on Steelers.com, which shows 5, 7, 2, 3, 1 years of experience for Jonathan Scott, Chris Kemoeautu, Maurkice Pouncey, Doug Legursky and Marcus Gilbert across the line from left to right. Max Starks is in his eighth year -- but still in his first few days with this group. There's a chance he will start on Sunday.

2011-10-06T17:44:00.001-04:00

Anybody "Chris Johnson-Like" Out There?

At his Tuesday news conference this week, Mike Tomlin said, “For practice purposes we are going to look to at least bring in someone who is capable of being Chris Johnson-like in preparation this week.”

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Apparently the Steelers have been unable to find anybody “Chris Johnson-like.” What a surprise. Guess what? There is nobody like Chris Johnson on the street, on the waiver wire or in the Arena Football League. If there were somebody else like that, he’d not only be on an NFL roster, he’d be starting. Certainly the highest-paid running back and probably the fastest, only Chris Johnson is “Chris Johnson-like.”

Still, it would be interesting to know who the Steelers might have been considering. They already have John Clay, the big rookie (6'1", 248) from Wisconsin, on the practice squad. Clay is more a between-the-tackles power back, however, than a speed back like Johnson, who had 2,006 yards in 2009.

"He has unbelievable speed," cornerback Ike Taylor said of Johnson. "With him a play is never over because of what he can do. With him you have to be on key at all times."

If the Steelers are looking for a speed back, they could do worse than looking at Ian Johnson, a running back from Boise State currently on the 49ers’ practice squad, which is his fourth practice squad since 2009.

Ian Johnson

Granted, Ian Johnson is no Chris Johnson, but of all the running backs at the 2009 NFL Combine, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.46). And he shares the same last name as Chris Johnson, so he's got that going to make him -- "Chris Johnson-like."

The Steelers, however, are not about to sign a player off some other team's practice squad for just a few hours of practice. That player would have to be added to the Steelers' active roster.

And, although Mewelde Moore will miss Sunday's game, he will return soon, and Rashard Mendenhall might play this weekend. It was just a thought.

Feel free to leave a comment, below left.

"T" for Texas, "T" for Tennessee

2011-10-06T12:10:00.002-04:00

From one "T" to another. The Steelers move on from their loss in Texas last Sunday to host Tennessee this Sunday. That would be the Tennessee Titans, not the Tennessee Volunteers, who produced Tee Martin, the quarterback former Steelers coach Bill Cowher somehow decided would be a better pro than Tom Brady.*

On to the matter at hand: The Tennessee Titans, nee the Houston Oilers. Led by new coach Mike Munchak, a longtime Oilers guard now in the NFL Hall of Fame, the Titans sport a gaudy and surprising 3-1 record. The team that somehow lost to Jacksonville in the season opener turned around to dominate the Baltimore Ravens the following week before also defeating the Broncos and Browns. It's tough to say just how good they are.

Apparently, the Titans have a very good defense, which has allowed just 14 points per game and is being discussed as among the league's best. Their secondary is excellent, and their defensive line is large, mobile and likely to give the Steelers' struggling offensive line a multitude of problems.

On offense, the Titans are benefiting from surprisingly good play from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who signed with Tennessee this year as a free agent out of Seattle. Along with New Orleans' Darren Sproules and Houston's Jonathan Joseph, Hasselbeck is proving to be one of the best "value" free agent signings this year. ESPN talking heads have even bandied about** Hasselbeck's name as an early MVP candidate.

** What does "bandied about" mean, anyway? Whatever it is, ESPN blabbermouths are good at it.

CJ2K, Chris Johnson

Ready to Run Wild?

More worrisome, perhaps, is the prospect of Chris Johnson (CJ2K) running wild. Johnson hasn't really hit his stride, but he must be relishing the opportunity to run against the Steelers, who allowed Houston's Arian Foster to rack up 155 of the Texans' 180 yards on the ground. The Steelers' run defense, uncharacteristically, is 22nd in the NFL (119.5 yards per game). Johnson's backup is Javon Ringer, who played his college ball at Michigan State. He's good, too. He has a black belt in karate and a running style reminiscent of former Iowa running back Shonn Greene, now with the New York Jets.

The top receiver for Tennessee is former Steeler Nate Washington, who leads the Titans with 23 receptions for 323 yards.

“Nate loves to play football, he has a can-do attitude, heis a bringer as opposed to an energy drainer, and he loves to work," coach Mike Tomlin said. "He was agood teammate for those reasons and others while he was here and it’s good tosee that a young man like him is continuing to prosper.”

*About That 2000 Draft
We're having trouble letting it go. The Steelers, you will recall with rue, drafted Tee Martin with the second of two fifth-round choices in the 2000 draft. The Patriots, of course, drafted Tom Brady in the sixth round. Martin hung on for four undistinguished seasons in the NFL and now is the receivers coach at the University of Kentucky. Brady has won three Super Bowls, is in the discussion as the greatest quarterback in NFL history and is still going strong 11 years after the Steelers passed on him to draft Tee Martin. Not to be bitter.

To be fair to Martin -- who draws attention for the purpose of this discussion simply because he played the quarterback position, and it turned out there was at least one better option (Brady) available -- not only did the Steelers draft Martin ahead of Brady that year, they also drafted other "notables" like Hank Poteat, Danny Farmer and Chris Combs, a defensive end out of Duke whom they took in the sixth round with the 173rd pick overall. Again, the Patriots drafted Brady in the sixth round with the 199th pick overall.

For the record, the Steelers' picks that year were Plaxico Burress (Rd. 1, eighth overall, just ahead of Brian Urlacher); Marvel Smith (Rd. 2); Hank Poteat (Rd. 3); Danny Farmer (Rd. 4); Clark Haggans (Rd. 5); Tee Martin (also Rd. 5); and Chris Combs (Rd. 6.). That's it, Fort Pitt.

Welcome Back, Max Starks

2011-10-05T12:46:00.002-04:00

Max Starks is back to lend a helping hand.

For those of you wondering why the Steelers kept second-year tackle Chris Scott, welcome to the club. We're still wondering.

It's a moot point now, however, as the Steelers replaced Chris Scott (not to be confused with starting left tackle Jonathan Scott) on the roster today with eight-year veteran veteran tackle Max Starks (6'8", and at least 345).

Starks is a sight for sore quarterbacks. It remains to be seen how much playing time he will get, but it is reassuring to know the reliable, affable and massive Starks is back with the Steelers.

A sign, perhaps, of how little the Steelers thought of Chris Scott is that the team cut him instead of tackle Jamon Meredith (6'5, 304), a third-year player now with his fourth team. The Steelers signed Meredith just after the season-opener to replace Willie Colon, now on injured reserve. The team's depth chart lists Meredith as the third option at left tackle behind starter Jonathan Scott and newly signed Max Starks.

Curiously, the depth chart lists no backup to Marcus Gilbert at right tackle, but with "position flexibility" on the line, somebody (Trai Essex, Ramon Foster, Starks or Meredith) surely would step in at right tackle, if needed.

Practice Makes Perfect, Hopefully

In case you were wondering, the Steelers have two rookie offensive linemen on their practice squad: 24-year-old Trevis Turner (6'7", 330), an undrafted tackle out of Texas Abilene; and 23-year-old John Malecki, (6'2", 298) an undrafted guard out of Pitt.

The Silverback is Out

2011-10-04T16:50:00.001-04:00

James Harrison, aka "Silverback"

In news that might make Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing happ y, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin announced today that James Harrison will miss several weeks with a broken right orbital bone.

Just how scary tough is James Harrison, anyway? The man fractured his face, the orbital bone around the socket of his right eye, and he not only came back in the game, he played the entire second half. Good heavens. That's a ba-a-d dude.