Return of the Silverback

James Harrison, The Silverback, has returned to the Steelers.

Harrison was instrumental in helping the Steelers forge an identity of ferocity during his best years here, 2006-10. Harrison was hampered by a balky knee, bad back and other injuries in 2011 and 2012, his final year with the Steelers, and he was out of position last year with the Bengals' 4-3 scheme. He just wasn't himself.

He may not have the sheer explosiveness and mobility he once had, but he is reportedly in great shape, and he can surely add something to the team. His menacing presence can only amplify what has already been the boost added by assistant coach Joey Porter's intensity.

No doubt, he's baaad.

Perhaps more importantly, James Harrison has an incredible work ethic. His advantage on the pass rush always was his leverage, power and explosiveness. If he can impart any of his tricks of the trade to Arthur Moats, Jarvis Jones, Terrance Garvin, Ryan Shazier and Howard Jones, all the better.

Post-Carolina Observations
Kudos to the Rushing Defense: Carolina does not have a great offensive line, was depleted by injury at the running back position for this game and attempted just five runs in the first half. Still, the Steelers' front seven was active and got after it. Surrendering just 42 yards rushing is a good game by almost any measure.

Surprise Performance of the Night: Steve McLendon -- Where did that burst come from all of a sudden? And where's it been? Maybe a function of a subpar OL? Yet Ryan Kalil, Carolina's center, is an accomplished veteran with good technique and is known to be a pretty good NFL center. Tunch Ilkin observed that just about all the Carolina offensive linemen are fairly light in the core, but still ... kudos to Steve McLendon. Keep it going.

Unsung Hero of the Night: Brad Wing -- Wing's a left-footed kicker, and his spinning 59-yard punt with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter following a Carolina touchdown that made the score 23-13 was crucial. The punt came down at an awkward angle for inexperienced returner Philly Brown, who muffed it, and Robert Golden recovered the ball in the end zone for the Pittsburgh touchdown that put the game out of reach. Wing averaged 46 yards per punt on three punts, including one he nailed inside the Carolina 20-yard line.

Unsung Hero of the Night II: Cody Wallace -- Wallace had no trouble at all stepping in for the injured Ramon Foster. He may not be quite as strong as Foster, but as we saw last year when he started at center for four games, he can play more than capably.

Footnote: Le'Veon Bell has 315 yards rushing and 146 yards receiving to lead the NFL in all-purpose yards overall and all-purpose yards from scrimmage (461). He had 146 yards on 21 carries Sunday night. When he gets at least 25 touches in a game, good things happen.

A thought: Maybe the Steelers knew the NFL was about to change its Drug Policy related to marijuana when Mike Tomlin refrained from suspending Lev Bell and LeGarrette Blount after the McKnight Road incident in August. Something could still happen down the line. Granted, it's not a good look to show up for work high, but Bell and Blount sure make it appear as though it's working for them. Maybe the game slows down for them; who knows? Maybe the weed helps Bell to see things better and helps him show the patience he is becoming famous for when following his blocks and setting up his runs. Who knows?

Le'Doobie Brothers

This story just keeps getting better and better.

According to the official police report and as reported in various media outlets, including ProFootballTalk.com, the exchange between Bell and the officer continued:

When the officer asked what game he was referring to, Bell replied: “I have to be on a plane at 3 to be in Philadelphia. I play for Steelers.” 

Bell initially told the officer there was no marijuana in the car, but when asked if they had smoked any, he replied: “It was about a minute ago,” before clarifying that it could have been within the previous two hours.

As one of the PFT readers commented, "If guys like this had to think in order to breathe, they would have been dead years ago. There’s dumb, and then there’s the level of dumb that just makes you numb to consider."

As a proud citizen of Steeler Nation, it pains Joey Porter's Pit Bulls to write this, but Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount -- Le'Doobie Bros. -- have made the Steelers the laughingstock of the NFL.

Dumb and dumber.

LeGarrette Blount Joins the Steelers

LeGarrete Blount, on his Twitter account,
looking happy after signing
 with the Steelers.  What's up with the hand signs?

The Steelers' signing of LeGarrette Blount can mean only good things for the running game. We hope.

Blount should be a perfect fit in Pittsburgh, the 250-pound sledgehammer that backs up the 244-pound hammer that is Le'Veon Bell.

Steelers' fans: Don't expect Blount to be The Bus. Nobody is. It's been 18 years since a 24-year-old Jerome Bettis joined the Steelers on Draft Day in 1996 and went on to carve out a career that should put him in the Hall of Fame. Many fans have been looking for another Bus ever since Bettis retired after the 2005 season. 

It's unrealistic to expect the 27-year-old Blount, or anybody else, will approximate what Bettis did. Bettis had unusually quick, nimble feet to complement brute force, surprising speed, ruthless power, relentless determination and consistent focus that lasted all the way through his 10 years in Pittsburgh. Those attributes helped him rack up a career total of 13,662 yards rushing. He was The Bus.

The Winnebago

The Steelers become the fourth NFL team for Blount, who at one time was nicknamed The Winnebago. What the 250-pound Blount can do, hopefully, is provide a powerful one-two punch for the Steelers, a reinforcement to Bell, as well as a legitimate force on third down, in the Red Zone and in the fourth quarter. 

Bell seems happy:

 Retweeted by LeGarrette Blount

LeVeon Bell ‏@L_Bell26  9h

RT @Realrclark25: At @L_Bell26 & @LG_Blount !! Whew, the Steelers will be down hill. Put your big boy pads on people!! --ohh yeahh!

Meanwhile, people in Baltimore seem unhappy, or at least concerned, if the following from The Baltimore Sun is any indication, as the Ravens were reportedly interested in signing Blount in the wake of a dreadful running game in 2013 and the subsequent arrest and off-season legal woes of Ray Rice:

"The Ravens had difficulty tackling Blount during a 41-7 loss to the Patriots in December. Blount rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.  The 6-foot, 250-pounder player has a hard-nosed, old-school running style. He rushed for 772 yards and scored seven touchdowns last season for New England. The former Oregon standout gained 189 of those yards in the regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills.  During a playoff win over the Indianapolis Colts, Blount rushed for 166 yards and four touchdowns."

That is all well and good, and it sounds auspicious for the Steelers and Blount alike. At 27 years of age, Blount should be in the prime of his career. He's had some success in the league, but it's been spotty. It's been an uphill climb. Unlike Bettis, Blount was not a first-round draft choice. He came into the league as an undrafted free agent, signed by the Tennessee Titans. He bounced from Tennessee to Tampa to New England, where, to his credit, he had some late success.

His new two-year contract with Pittsburgh gives him a window -- really, his last, best chance -- to make his mark as an NFL player. Why, you ask, would this be his last, best chance?  By the time this contract runs its course, Blount will be 29.  If you think 29-year-old running backs are still considered prime commodities in this day and age, ask Maurice Jones-Drew. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls don't buy into that sentiment, but that's the way it seems to be in the NFL these days.

If Blount is serious about his career, his life and his legacy, he will make the most of this opportunity with the Steelers. 

Other Perspectives:

LeGarrette Blount on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LG_Blount

Steelers Depot: Blount Still Has Work to Do Despite Improvement

Steelers.com:  Steelers Get Reinforcements at Running Back

Behind the Steel Curtain:  Power and Power Now in the Steelers Backfield

LeBackfield: Steelers add LeGarrette Blount to Le'Veon Bell for best rushing combo in AFC North

Bob Labriola, Steelers Digest:

"A description of Blount’s running style can be found in his kickoff return statistics. Doing it for the first time in the NFL during the 2013 season with the Patriots, Blount averaged 29.1 yards per return with a long of 83 yards. He is a big guy who is quick to speed, and while he cannot be described as nifty, Blount has enough of a speed-power combination to make him dangerous to a defense."