Grape Squashers? Pedigree? Two Trains on a Track??

It's pretty clear who did the grape-squashing Sunday at Heinz Field.

If any doubt remains, we should receive a definitive answer today during Mike Tomlin's noontime press conference.  Last Tuesday, you will recall, Tomlin had this to say about the Steelers' opening-season debacle in Baltimore:

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

Hmmm ... well, the Steelers chewed up the Seahawks, that's for sure.

This week, the Steelers travel to Indianapolis for a Sunday night game (8:20 p.m., ET) against the 0-2 Colts, who are floundering without Peyton Manning.

Actually, it's worth noting the Colts have been struggling for a while now:  They are 5-7 in their last 12 games, dating back to last year's Nov. 7 loss at Philadelphia and including their playoff loss to the New York Jets.

This season Manning has been replaced succeeded by ancient rusty ineffective grizzled veteran Kerry Collins, who at least has a "pedigree" (one of Mike Tomlin's favorite words):  Collins has thrown for more than 40,000 yards in his career, more than Joe Montana, and 10th on the NFL's all-time list.

Already on the hot seat and facing criticism in Indianapolis, Collins appeared to be grasping at straws Monday following the Colts' 27-19 loss to Cleveland on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“I thought we ran the ball great,” said Collins, as quoted on the Colts' own rah-rah Web site.  “I thought we did that really well.  Joe’s (Addai) been running great.  Delone (Carter) comes in and gives us a little punch there.  It’s hard to think the world’s going to come to and end when it’s not.  There’s a lot of good things that happened.  I always go back to the old adage, ‘You’re never as bad as you think you are when you lose, and you’re never as good as you think you are when you win.’  As long as we take that attitude and keep trying to go in the right direction, it gives us a chance.

Well, keep telling yourself that, Kerry, and good luck with all of that -- especially running the ball against the Steelers, who set an NFL record last season for fewest rushing yards allowed.  Oh, the Steelers can be run on (see, for example, "Rice, Ray"), but if the Steelers' defense doesn't respect the quarterback pass, it will stack up against the run.

Kerry Collins getting sacked by Cleveland

To counter that, Collins suggested fans will see more no-huddle offense.  Good luck with that, too, and also with converting third-down conversions; and with improving a tepid red-zone offense (if they even get to the red zone).  The Colts' offense has struggled in all those facets of the game, although Collins continues to see improvement.

“I thought we were better at putting ourselves in more manageable third-down situations, which is a positive from the week before," Collins said.  "There’s definitely some good things that happened.  It’s tough to think about that when you lose but at the same time, I really believe we took a step in the right direction in a lot of areas yesterday.  I thought we were efficient at times yesterday, we just didn’t capitalize when we had opportunities in the red zone.”

Uh-huh.  To say the least.  The Colts rank among the NFL's worst (No. 29) in red zone efficiency (21.7 percent), and Collins is No. 28 in quarterback rating (71.4).  Well, at least Collins is a "legit tough guy; a quality dude; a competitor," which are the words Coach Tomlin used in last week's press conference to describe Seattle QB Tarvaris Jackson.

It should be interesting to hear what Mike Tomlin has to say about Collins and the Colts, a franchise that already looks like a train wreck.  Somehow we doubt Tomlin will call this matchup "two trains on a track."

Leave a comment (lower left), if you are so inclined.

It's a Steelers Monday ... "God Bless America"

Rest assured, we will offer more blithering gibberish on the Steelers' win yesterday, the Ravens' loss to Tennessee, the state of the NFL in general, and maybe even Warren Sapp.

It's a Steelers Monday, yes, but we just can't let the Pirates fly under the radar today.  Their "performance" yesterday and really since mid-July, just begs for attention, and we've already written the Steelers-Seahawks game recap, so here goes ...

Following the Steelers' win over a woeful Seattle squad yesterday, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls turned on the radio broadcast of the Pirates game in the fifth inning yesterday, and the always-electric Bob Walk and Greg Brown sounded like they were in excruciating agony.  

The late, great Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Prince, "The Gunner"

Seriously, the Pirates' broadcast team sounded like they were in pain. The game had already gone on for about two-and-half-hours, the Dodgers led 12-1, and "Walky" in his typically lugubrious manner was saying things like, "Well, what do we have to look forward to here? ... the seventh-inning stretch?  Yeah.  God Bless America."

And with that in mind, we can ponder the following:  With yesterday's 15-1 shellacking in Los Angeles -- certainly the low point of the season -- the Pirates sank to a record of 68-85 (still one game ahead of the Cubs! in a "battle" for fourth place).

Sufferin' Catfish!

After going 53-47 through the season's first 100 games, the Bucs have gone 15-38 since.  As noted by beat writer John Perrotto of the Beaver County Times, since moving into first place on July 19, when they went seven games over .500, the Pirates have won back-to-back games just twice.

They must win five of their remaining nine games to avoid 90 losses for the season.  If they lose 90 games this year, it will be their seventh consecutive season of 90 or more losses.

That's More Like It: Steelers Shut Out Seahawks

Does anybody care what Warren Sapp has to say about the Steelers this week?  Didn't think so.

Tough guy Ben Roethlisberger labored through an apparent knee injury and continued playing well Sunday to lead the Steelers to a convincing 24-0 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The shutout was the first for the Steelers since October 2007, when they whitewashed the Squawks.

Roethlisberger, felled in the late second quarter by a hit to the back of his right knee -- it would have been called "clipping" under different circumstances -- by Seattle defensive end Raheem Brock, who was called for a personal foul on the play.  Roethlisberger left the game for one play and limped to the locker room with a 17-0 lead.  First-half highlights included Roethlisberger going 12-15 passing, Antonio Brown going 41 yards with a sterling punt return, and the Steelers rolling for 94 yards rushing, including Isaac Redman's nifty 20-yard touchdown run.

The Steelers increased their lead to 24-0 with 3:30 left in the third quarter on a short Roethlisberger touchdown pass to Mike Wallace on a fade pattern.  Late in the third quarter, Wallace had an absolutely beautiful fingertip catch that put him over 100 yards receiving for the fifth consecutive regular-season game.

The outcome of this game was never in doubt.  The compliant Seahawks weren't much of a challenge, and Seattle fans are probably bellowing for Charlie Whitehurst to take over at quarterback.  How depressing it must be for them. 

Next up for the Steelers:  The Indianapolis Colts on the road.

Footnote: End of an Era; Pitt Bolts the Big East

In the cesspool that is the business of big-time college sports, Pitt's abandonment of the Big East is just a sign of the times, cynical and dollar-first as they are.  KDKA-FM's Joe Starkey wrote an excellent column today noting that Pitt's move to the ACC ruins its rivalries with WVU and Connecticut:

"Many Pitt fans undoubtedly are intoxicated by the idea of basketball games against Duke and North Carolina -- never mind that the UConn and West Virginia rivalries would be ruined -- and the fact that even if ACC football is highly mediocre, at least it`s not the Big East.

"The good news, I suppose, is that Pitt football would have almost as good a chance to win the ACC as it does the Big East.

"But what becomes of the basketball program? Can it compete over the long haul with Duke and North Carolina in those schools` backyards?

"Geographically, Pitt in the ACC is about as logical as anything else happening in college sports. More logical than, say, TCU in the Big East."

No Kemoeatu, McFadden vs. the Seahawks?

Not only did the Steelers lose starting right tackle Willie Colon to injured reserve list this week, they appear likely to be without starting left guard Chris Kemoeatu and starting left cornerback Bryant McFadden today vs. the Seattle Seahawks at Heinz Field.

Kemo and B-Mac are listed as "questionable" for the game, Kemo with an injured knee, and B-Mac with a balky hamstring that has hampered him since July.  Ramon Foster would start at left guard; and either Keenan Lewis or William Gay would get the nod at corner.

On the opposite side of the ball, the Seahawks will miss standout receiver Sidney Rice, who signed with Seattle in free agency during the off-season, and starting fullback and one of their special teams captains, Michael Robinson, a six-year veteran and former quarterback of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

One Final Note About Last Week's Debacle
If there's any consolation to be taken from last week's massacre in Baltimore, it's just one game. Yeah, the Steelers sucked, but they also sucked in 1989, when they lost their opener to the Cleveland Browns, 51-0, but still made the playoffs and even the AFC Chamionship game.  Ironic, isn't it, that the Ravens are (and always will be) the Browns reincarnated?

And, for what it's worth, the 2003 New England Cheatriots lost their opener, 31-0, to the Buffalo Bills ... and went on to win the Super Bowl.

The Steelers: "Old, Slow, and It's Over"?

Speaking of blowhards, Warren Sapp weighed in, predictably and on cue, on the Steelers abysmal performance last Sunday in Baltimore. Piling on as if it were his playing days, Sapp had this to say about the Steelers:  "I have three things to say: Old, slow, and it's over."

Granted the Steelers did look old and slow vs. the Ravens, but that's beside the point.  Whether they will continue to look old and slow will determine whether "it's over."  One game, as putrid as it was, does not necessarily make an entire season.  It's way too early to draw conclusions from one (hopefully) anomalous outing.

If Sapp was trying to stir controversy and provoke discussion, he succeeded, which is all any self-promoting blowhard aspires to do.  Then again, Sapp has a reputation as a provocative ass and boorish lout. In February 2010, he was arrested in Miami Beach and charged with domestic battery.  During his playing career, he was notorious for shooting off his mouth; insulting officials; confronting former Green Bay head coach Mike Sherman; and skipping through opposing teams' pre-game warmups, including a highly publicized incident before a Monday night game vs. the Steelers, on Dec. 23, 2002.  That prompted the classic retort about Sapp and the Buccaneers from then-Steelers' safety Lee Flowers, who said after the Steelers' victory that night:

''They ain't nothing but paper champions. That's all they are, 

and that's all they ever gonna be."

Never mind that the Buccaneers went on to win the Super Bowl that year.  That's ancient history.  What matters is the here and now, and whether the Steelers are ancient history.  Time will tell, beginning Sunday at Heinz Field vs. the Seattle Seahawks, and "Young Money" and "Fast Money" (Antonio Brown, pictured below, and Mike Wallace) may have something to say about all that.

So, as if  the Steelers didn't have enough motivation -- professional pride; self-respect -- they have to live down that 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 is on tape for all the world to see, and, as coach Mike Tomlin said in his press conference last Tuesday: 

"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."

Here We Go, Steelers, Here We Go

The consensus opinion among media blowhards, bloggers, fans and talk-show callers -- even in Seattle -- is that the "angry" Steelers should smash the Seahawks Sunday at Heinz Field.  Pulverize 'em, cream 'em, demolish 'em, annihilate 'em, crush 'em, just like the Baltimore Ravens did to the -- oops, never mind, touchy subject.

Well-l-l, maybe the Steelers should pluck the Seahawks clean on Sunday, but  ... you can't take any NFL team for granted (especially against the spread, not that we'd know anything about that).  More to the point, the Seahwaks couldn't possibly win this game, could they?  Could they?

Of course they could.  Not that they will, but they could.

On a What They Must Do to Win segment this week on ESPN's "NFL Live," the excellent analyst Mark Schlereth opined that for the Seahawks to win this game, they must start Alfred E. Neumann backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst (pictured at left).

That ain't gonna happen, of course, as the reliably unsteady Tarvaris Jackson will start vs. the Steelers, which should be entertaining.  Word from Seattle is that Jackson held onto the ball wa-a-a-ay too long last Sunday vs. the 49ers, who sacked him five times and harried him continuously.  Hopefully, the Steelers will wreak similar havoc, and they should, considering the youth and inexperience on Seattle's offensive line.

Still, the Seahawks have some talent.  After all, they did make the playoffs last year (somehow).  Their receivers are big.  Minnesota Vikings expatriate Sidney Rice (6'4", 202) and USC/Pete Carroll reclamation project Mike Williams (6"5", 235), both five-year veterans, are good (Rice is very good) and could present matchup problems for the Steelers corners.  Update: Sidney Rice may not play on Sunday -- he's nursing a hip injury.

Running back Marshawn Lynch is a legitimate home-run threat.  Tight end Zach Miller (6'5", 255), who signed with Seattle as a free agent this off-season after five years of fairly impressive accomplishments with the Oakland Raiders, must be licking his chops after seeing how the Ravens' tight ends ran free vs. Pittsburgh last Sunday.  Miller had 60, 66 and 56 receptions the past three seasons, a span during which the Raiders' were about as inept at quarterback as the Seahawks appear to be.

On defense, Seattle also has some good talent, led by third-year veteran and former first-rounder Aaron Curry (6'2", 255) at linebacker.  Defensive tackle Alan Branch, who played alongside Lamarr Woodley at Michigan, is no Hlati Ngata but nevertheless is a legitimate tough customer.  Defensive end Red Bryant is a beast of a run-stopper at least and a favorite of Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, who advocated  the Steelers draft him with a late-round pick in 2008 (he lasted until the 26th pick of the seventh round before Seattle selected him out of Texas A&M).  On the back end of the defense, safeties Earl Thomas (drafted out of Texas with the 14th pick of the first round in 2010) and Kam Chancellor (6'3', 232) are rangy, ball-hawking, and solid tacklers.

Much has been made this past week of the Seahwaks' special teams, which surrendered both a kickoff return for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown -- within a minute -- to San Francisco's Ted Ginn Jr. last Sunday.  Overlooked is the fact Seatlle has a dangerous return man of their own in the speedy and elusive Leon Washington, a former Pro Bowler who returned a punt 73 yards vs. the 49ers -- only to have it nullifed by a penalty.

It really was a bad week for Seattle's special teams, but the Steelers cannot count on a repeat performance in that department.  Can they?

Leave a comment (lower left), if you are so inclined.

"Next man up."

We can always count on Mike Tomlin's news conferences to provide pithy aphorisms, succinct sayings and punchy rallying cries.  Today was no exception.

When asked about the Steelers' performance in Baltimore Sunday, Tomlin said, "There's a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes. Obviously, last week, we were squashing grapes."

"The tape tells the story," Tomlin continued.  "And we embrace that as our walking, talking, breathing resume."

When asked whether the team was angry, he replied, "We should be angry about that performance.  If we channel that anger, it should be a good thing."

Marcus Gilbert, at Florida

Tomlin also revealed that Marcus Gilbert, the rookie second-round draft pick from the University of Florida, will start at right tackle on Sunday vs. Seattle.  Gilbert takes over for the injured Willie Colon, who, oh, by the way, signed a five-year contract with the Steelers in the off-season -- and didn't even last one game.  Colon is likely to go on injured reserve, although that hasn't been announced.


Apparently the coaches like what they see in Gilbert. As Tomlin said, "We like his pedigree.  He played booth tackle positions at Florida."

Tomlin also cited pedigree when talking about the young offensive line of the Seattle Seahawks, whom the Steelers will play on Sunday at Heinz Field:  "What they lack in experience, they make up in pedigree."

Tomlin called Tarvaris Jackson, Seattle's quarterback, "a legit tough guy; a quality dude; a competitor."

Tarvaris Jackson, on the ground after getting  sacked in a 2011 pre-season game vs. San Diego.

Well, at least he's got that going for him.  He'd better be tough.  Last Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers sacked Jackson five times and hit him another eight times.

Jackson, by the way, has a roundabout connection to the Steelers, inasmuch as they traded away a 2006 second-round draft pick (64th overall, last in the second round) to the Minnesota Vikings, who used that pick to select Jackson. 

In return, the Vikings sent two 2006 third-round choices to the Steelers, who used those picks to select (close your eyes) the infamous, long-departed and unlamented Anthony Smith, safety (19th pick of round three) and Willie Reid, WR/KR/PR, (31st pick of round three).

Obviously, the draft is an inexact science.

Charlie Whitehurst

Interestingly, Seattle's current backup quarterback, Charlie Whitehurst, was selected just 17 picks after Tarvaris Jackson in the 2006 draft.  Seattle acquired Whitehurst (pictured) in a controversial March 2008 trade in which the Seahawks surrendered draft picks before signing Whitehurst to a big contract.  Whitehurst appears to be the "next man up," as Tomlin would say.

----------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, as if we don't have enough to worry about, there was this in the news today ...

One-Legged Wheelchair Bandit Robs Man

PITTSBURGH -- Police in Pittsburgh are looking for a man in a wheelchair who robbed a person near the city's Greyhound station.According to police reports, a man told them he was robbed early Tuesday morning in the 1000 block of Liberty Avenue.  The victim told police that a man in a wheelchair, who had only one leg, accosted him and claimed to have a gun, though the victim said he never saw it. The robber then fled the scene.  Police did not say what was taken.  So far, no arrests have been made.

What went wrong in Baltimore? What DIDN'T go wrong?

Yesterday's game reminded Joey Porter's Pit Bulls of the type of alliterative headline we used to see back in the day ...

"Racing Ray Rice Romps as Rampaging Ravens Rout Steelers"

Are James Harrison, Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden and Troy Polamalu still injured?  They sure played like it.  Inexplicably, the defense looked "complacent."  That's the word Merril Hoge used this morning on ESPN, and it seems right.

The offense may have been even worse: seven turnovers, multiple miscues, three sacks allowed to Terrell Suggs, blah, blah, blah, ad nauseum.  Let's just blame it on the lack of OTAs and pretend yesterday was the final pre-season game.

Yesterday's fiasco debacle disgrace exhibition in Baltimore reminds me of a friend who went to confession for the first time in years and said, "Tell you what Father, if I tell you all my sins, we'll be here all day.  How 'bout I tell you what I didn't do, and we'll get this over with." 

Yup.  If we talked about everything that went wrong in yesterday's game, we'd be here all day.  It would be easier to review what went right ...

-- Silence -- Blank Screen --Silence -- 

That about sums it up.  It could be worse.  We could be fans of the Seattle Seahawks, who not only are licking their wounds after taking a butt-whupping of their own but now must make a cross-country trip this weekend to to face the ... Pittsburgh Steelers.

Yikes! ... I just looked up from the keyboard to glance at the TV to see Serena Williams sitting at the U.S. Open's post-match press conference.  Honest to Art Rooney, for a flash-second, I thought she was Troy Polamulu in a new Head and Shoulders commercial.

By the way, of course Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are glad the Steelers signed Troy to a contract extension on Saturday.  We never doubted it (much). Dan Rooney has always said he regretted that the Steelers allowed Rod Woodson to depart via free agency.  The Steelers weren't going to let that happen with Troy, and it seemed like he never had any desire to play anywhere else.  

Now, let's hope the Steelers can sign Mike Wallace to a new contract before he departs via free agency in the off-season. It would be awful to see him in a Ravens uniform next season, although after watching yesterday's game, it looks like they don't need him.

As for yesterday's NFL games across our beloved nation, Ben Roethlisberger didn't look much better than Kerry Collins did for the Colts, or Tarvaris Jackson for the Seahawks.  The Steelers, Colts, Chiefs, Seahawks, Falcons -- all playoff teams last year -- all looked atrocious.  Dallas found a way to lose to the Jets in a game they led by 14 points in the fourth quarter.  Cleveland found a way lose at home to the Bungles.  Cam Newton passed for 422 yards, the most by an NFL QB in his debut -- and Carolina still lost.  Should be an interesting football season.

Oh, and Maine almost beat Pitt, Alabama trounced Penn State, and Notre Dame is 0-2 after blowing a last-minute lead at Michigan.  And the Pirates got swept by the Marlins on a day they "trumpeted" a new contract for their toy marionette, yes-man GM, Neil Huntington.

At least the weather's nice.

Typical Pirates

As if ashamed of announcing they had extended the contract of general manager Neil Huntington, the Pirates "braintrust" waited until about an hour before kickoff of the Steelers' season opener in Baltimore to reveal the news.  It was as if they (owner Bob Nutting and team president Frank Coonelly) wanted to hide the news and sneak it through on a day they knew most Pittsburghers would be focused on the Steelers and the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Even the Pirates, as tone-deaf as they are, had to realize that speculation like this would arise.  If this had been an announcement they wanted to spotlight, they could have waited until tomorrow or even Tuesday.

It's not even the deal itself that's offensive, although three years (plus a club option for year four) seems excessive in the extreme for what Huntington has "accomplished."  It's the way the club handled it:  Sneaky.  This is so-o-o typical of the Pirates' management team, which has all the PR savvy of BP during the company's oil spill off the coast of Louisiana.

We'd like to know when this deal was struck and whether a conscious decision was made to announce it on Steeler Sunday and the 10th anniversary of 9/11. If so, the timing of this announcement reeks of Coonelly's handiwork: surreptitious, sneaky, slimy and smarmy. 

This stinks almost as much as the Steelers "performance" today in Baltimore -- maybe even more so, because it appears so snide, calculating and manipulative. 

It's pathetic, cartoonish and clownish.

Steelers-Ravens: What a stinker! Pee-yoo.

Interceptions, fumbles, errant passes, penalties, miscues and a 32-7 Baltimore lead by the end of the third quarter.  

This stinks.

In Requiem, We Remember ...

We Honor Those Who Have Gone Before Us, 
Live With Their Memories, 
and Carry Hopes and Prayers for a Better Future.

Ten Years Later, We Remember and Shall Never Forget.
  
"All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle." 
-- St. Francis of Assisi

About That Baltimorereless Defense

“This game is all about the defense and how good they are and who doesn’t turn the ball over on offense ... but I think at some point you have to flip that around and try to go score points on offense.  I don’t see us holding anything back.”  -- Ben Roethlisberger

"I don't see us holding anything back."  Sounds like Ben Roethlisberger is salivating at the prospect of opening up the Steelers passing game against the Baltimore Ravens' rebuilt secondary, especially with the Steelers lightning-fast receiving corps.

Ravens' All-Pro safety Ed Reed returns and will be joined on the back end by new starter Tom Zibikowski, who replaces Dawan Landry.  The corners will be manned by two new starters, rookie first-rounder Jimmy Smith from Colorado and Cary Williams, a fourth-year player with one career start (in 2009) under his belt.  Veterans Chris Carr and Ladarius Webb also will see playing time, particularly Carr as the nickel back.  Veteran Dominique Foxworth may also figure in the mix, if healthy enough.  Just like the Ravens' retooled offensive line, it may take time for Balti-sore's secondary to jell.  Expect the Steelers to pounce early and often, especially because the Ravens' pass rush has only one established threat, rush linebacker Terrell Suggs, who had 11 sacks in 2010.

Joining Suggs at linebacker is the team leader, Ray Lewis, always a disruptive force,and second-year starter Jameel McClain, who had 91 tackles last season, and veteran Jarrett Johnson, also a very good player.

The formidable Haloti Ngata anchors the defensive line and will be flanked by nine-year veteran Cory Redding and new starter Terrence Cody, a second-year player who replaces veteran stalwart Kelly Gregg, who departed in free agency.  Steelers' broadcasters Tunch Ilkin and Craig Wolfley, both of whom had long careers in the NFL as offensive linemen, consider this a major drop-off.  

Ngata, who is arguably the best nose tackle in the NFL, keys the Ravens defense with steady pressure up the middle against both the run and pass -- he had 5.5 sacks in 2010.  He will require attention.

Overall, the Ravens' defense should still be good, but Joey Porter's Pit Bulls expect the Steelers to test the new secondary early, often and deep. One key, of course, will be protecting Ben Roethlisberger, but until the Ravens can prove they have a legitimate pass rush, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians probably will put the offense on full throttle. 

As to establishing a running game, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock made an interesting point this week.  In today's NFL, he said, it's not so much about establishing the run early, it's about establishing the lead early.  Then, you establish the run, pound the clock and turn your blitzing pass rush loose on a team that is trying to catch up.  Look out, Joe Flacco. 

One other note: Let's not overlook Baltimore's new defensive coordinator, Chuck Pagano, who has coached in the NFL for 10 years and spent the last four seasons as the Ravens' secondary coach.  It remains to be seen what wrinkles he has up his sleeve, but we would expect he will try to improve the team's pass rush, which had just 27 sacks last season (ranking near the bottom of the NFL).

Update on Baltimore's Special Teams

Although Baltimore media had speculated earlier this week that rookie receiver Torrey Smith would return punts and kickoffs, the Ravens' Web site lists something more sensible and realistic, which is the veteran speedster Ladarius Webb handling all kick returns.  David Reed, who handled kickoffs last season, is suspended by the NFL for this game.

The Beauty of Scars

Here is an interesting blog post (as always) from rookie running back Baron Batch, the fifth-round draft pick from Texas Tech who is on injured reserve (IR) after sustaining a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) on the last day of training camp at St. Vincent College.  

Batch writes about his knee surgery, physical therapy, what it is like to be on IR and "The Beauty of Scars."   Here is an excerpt:

I have a new scar now.  Its permanent address is my left knee. It is a work of art created by the artist simply known as Life.  Life doesn’t discriminate whom she scars physically or emotionally. However, over my 23 years of life I have come to realize the beauty of scars. How crazy would it be if once wounds healed they didn’t leave a mark, what if there were no scars? What if we healed without a reminder or what was? Would you forget the pain that you endured? Would you forget the healing process that took place? Would you even forget the wound altogether?

Scars serve as a permanent reminder of our fragility but more importantly our strength. Scars are proof of what you have overcome. Every time I look at my many scars I remember how weak I was at the time the wound was formed, and what formed it. I remember the healing process. I remember the strength I didn’t know I had to push through, and I remember eventually being healed.

I’m proud of my new scar, because as a new scar forms so does character. And once a new scar turns into an old one, it is tougher than it was before. 

My scars are beautiful, and so are yours. My scars make me stronger, and so do yours. My scars have a story, and yours do too. 

The Ravens: Many, Many Moving Parts & Questions

The Baltimore Ravens enter the 2011 season as a team in fairly serious transition.  

The Ravens have 20 (twenty!) new players, including three rookie wide receivers, a revamped offensive line, a rebuilt secondary, a new fullback, new starters at wide receiver, tight end and defensive tackle, and a raw rookie, Tyrod Taylor, as their No. 2 quarterback.

For all that, the Ravens return stalwarts Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs on defense.  Their offense will be led by running back Ray Rice, wide receiver Anquan Boldin and quarterback Joe Flacco, who throws perhaps the best deep pass in the NFL but is 0-6 against the Steelers when QB Ben Roethlisberger plays.  

The Ravens will be a tough out, but they may well take a step back this year.  Too many moving parts.

The Offensive Line: Question Marks Abound

The biggest question for the Ravens has to be their starting offensive line, which did not take a single snap together in the preseason.  Tackle Michael Oher shifts to the right side (over his objections), as the team plugs at left tackle a reportedly fat (370-400 pounds) and out-of-shape Bryant McKinnie, whom the Minnesota Vikings jettisoned this summer after nine years punctuated by controversy.  The soon-to-be 32-year-old McKinnie signed with Ravens only on August 24, and reportedly has struggled with his conditioning.  If it's hot in Baltimore on Sunday, McKinnie may struggle as the game goes into the fourth quarter.

Another former Viking, 35-year-old Matt Birk, a six-time Pro Bowler, had knee surgery at the beginning of training camp and did not appear in any of the preseason games.  Birk expects to play on Sunday, but just this past week, Baltimore signed another aging former Pro Bowl center, the 33-year-old Andre Gurod, as insurance to back up Birk.  It's hard to imagine Birk and Gurod not having their hands full with nose tackle Casey Hampton and the Steelers inside pass rush.  They will get help from guards Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda, who just signed a big contract ($32 million over five years) but missed the last three preseason games with back spasms.  For what it's worth, in the past eight games with the Steelers, the Ravens offensive line surrendered 28 sacks.  And that was with a presumably more stable line.

Four New Wide Receivers(!?)

One of the Ravens’ glaring weaknesses last season was lack of speed at wide receiver.  In the off-season, Baltimore said goodbye to veterans Derrick Mason, T.J. Hoshmandzadeh and Donte Stallworth.  Baltimore signed free agent Lee Evans, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, who always had top-flight straight-end speed –- but not now.  Until Monday at least, Evans was nursing an injured ankle and in a walking boot.

As reported in the Carroll County Times, the Ravens will be without wide receiver David Reed, who was suspended for violating the NFL substance-abuse policy.  Three rookie receivers are on the roster: Tandon Doss, LaQuan Williams, and rookie speedster Torrey Smith, the second-rounder from the University of Maryland, who will return kickoffs and punt.  The loss of Reed is not to be discounted, as he led the NFL with an average of 29.3 yards per kickoff return, including a 103-yarder vs. Houston.  Plus, as Carroll County Times reporter Aaron Wilson reported, Torrey Smith “struggled with his hands during the preseason and finished with only four receptions for 20 yards.” Ugh.  Might we see some dropped passes or, for that matter, a fumbled kick or punt return?

This much transition at wide receiver is not a good sign for the Ravens, who may use third-year tight end Dennis Pitta (from BYU) as a slot wide receiver -– not necessarily a bad thing for Baltimore, but not necessarily a sign of confidence in their young receivers.  It’s the first time Pitta’s done it in an NFL game, and it may limit what the Ravens can do with their tight-end alignments. The new starting tight end will be Ed Dickson, who replaces longtime Steeler nemesis Todd Heap, whom we will not miss.  Goodbye and good riddance to Mr. Heap, a onetime great player.

"Run, Ray, Run"

With so many question marks on the offensive line and at receiver, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls expect the Ravens to run, run, run Ray Rice a lot on Sunday.  Newly signed fullback Vonta Leach, a Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans last year, will be Rice's lead blocker.  Leach replaces big man LeRon McClean, who fancied himself more a running back than blocking back.  Leach has no such delusions. He's a cement-head, and a good one.  In fact, after signing a three-year, $11 million contract with Baltimore, Leach is the NFL's highest-paid fullback.

We'll take a look at Baltimore's defense in the next couple days.  

And we plan to offer our own worthless preview of the NFL season (hint: the San Diego Chargers and Houston Texans will make big noise this year in the AFC -- along with our very own Pittsburgh Steelers, of course).

Oh, and by the way, the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints -- the past two Super Bowl champions -- should put on a terrific show tonight at Lambeau Field.  Should be fun, and we're even looking forward to the pre-game show featuring Lady Antebellum, Kid Rock and Maroon Five.  Well, two of three (Lady Antebellum and Maroon Five) should be good, anyway, and who knows what kind of antics we'll see from Kid Rock.  

So much for that.  Joey Porters Pit Bulls are psyched for football -- and we're really psyched for the Steelers-Ravens game on Sunday when the Steelers will expose the many flaws of the 2011 Baltimore Ravens.

Steelers vs. Ravens: Two Trains on a Track

Mike Tomlin summed it up well in yesterday’s news conference:

“Who's angry, who's not, we all know that's irrelevant by game time.  The root of the matter is that you have two very good teams with the same intentions -- to dominate the AFC North and to put themselves in position to win the Lombardi  It's two trains on a track.  See you Sunday."

All righty, then.  Why wait?  

Let’s jump right into the deep end of the regular season already:  First game, Sept. 11 no less, Steelers vs. Ravens, a playoff atmosphere right off the bat, and a swing game to open the season.  What more could you want?

It’s going to be an intense, knock-down, drag-out fight, as always.

The closeness of this rivalry spanning the past several years nearly defies belief and merits scrutiny, if only for fun.  

Over their past 17 meetings preceding last January’s AFC Championship game — which the Steelers won, 31-24 only after being down 21-7 at halftime, and which the Ravens may well have gone on to win if only T.J.Houshmandzadeh had caught Joe Flacco’s late 4^th-and-23 pass that merely hit him squarely in the numbers ...

• The Steelers had nine wins; the Ravens eight
• Each team had scored 303 points.
• Each team had about 265 yards per game on offense.
• The Ravens had committed 33 turnovers; the Steelers, 34.

This is almost certainly going to be a close game, as games between the Steelers and Ravens always are.  The Post-Gazette's Gene Collier today cites how similar the stats for both teams were during last season’s regular season: 

“The similarities between the 2010 Steelers and Ravens were so plentiful as to be almost eerie:

• The Steelers averaged 23 points per game, the Ravens 22.
• The Steelers averaged 18 first downs per game, the Ravens 19.
• The Steelers averaged 32 minutes of possession time per game, the Ravens 31.
• The Steelers scored 41 touchdowns, four of them on returns, the Ravens 40 touchdowns, four of them on returns.
• The Steelers averaged 44 yards per punt, the Ravens 44.
• The Steelers averaged 6 yards per punt return, the Ravens 7.
• The Steelers averaged 24 yards per kickoff return, the Ravens 25. 
• The Steelers wore black and gold, the Ravens black and gold and purple. 
• Two of their three meetings last year were decided by a field goal as were five of the past eight."

And, as Collier reiterates, last January's playoff game could well have been won by the Ravens:  “On Jan. 15, the Steelers committed two turnovers, allowed six sacks, drew nine penalties totaling 93 yards and still beat these guys.”

For all that, Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls like the Steelers’ chances on Sunday.  The Ravens made a lot of changes during the off-season, have a lot of moving parts right now, and they are vulnerable.  

We’ll take a closer look at this matchup over the next few days. There is much more to discuss.

"I've Got Dreams to Remember"

Shindig at Kelly's Lounge in East Liberty tonight in anticipation of the late, great Otis Redding's 70th birthday, which is this Friday, Sept. 9.  You might "Try a Little Tenderness," even as you're relaxing with "Cigarettes and Coffee" or just "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay."

Happy 75th Birthday, Bill Mazeroski!

Billy Maz approaching home plate with the winning run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, after slamming the Series-deciding home run to break a 9-9 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning vs. the heavily favored New York Yankees.  Mazeroski's dramatic home run -- as abrupt, definitive and decisive as it was -- remains arguably the single most most dramatic moment in World Series history.  For some people unfamiliar with his play throughout the years, the home run perhaps overshadowed a long and distinguished Hall of Fame career for Mazeroski, who was one of the best, if not the best, defensive second-baseman in baseball history..

Labor Day

The following is from an editorial in today's edition of The New York Times ...

"... change the emphasis from labor to jobs and you come upon a subject that is very much on the minds of Americans, and not merely among the 14 million officially unemployed people in this country, a number equivalent to the population of Illinois, Wyoming and Vermont.

"Perhaps Labor Day should be a day to consider the struggles of so many Americans eager to work but unable to find jobs.  Perhaps it should be a day for parades of the unemployed, to remind us of the dignity of work and the indignity of being out of it."

Getting Ready

Keeping in mind, as the late coach Fritz Shurmur once said, "There is nothing 'final' in final roster cuts," the Steelers' "final" roster cuts yesterday contained only mild surprises.  

• UPDATE: The eight practice squad signings announced today include:  Tyler Grisham (WR) and Da'mon Cromartie-Smith (DB), who were on the practice squad last year; and newcomers Morty Ivy (LB), Trevis Turner (OT), Corbin Bryant (DL), John Malecki (G), John Clay (RB) and Jamie McCoy (TE/FB).

Additional roster shuffling may occur today -- but more likely the week after the first game (when signings can be made without guaranteeing contracts for the year).

As for yesterday's cuts:

The coaching staff clearly wanted to make a decision once and for all on Tony Hills, entering his fourth training camp after being drafted in the fourth-round in 2008 out of the University of Texas.  Drafted as a tackle, Hills never saw much playing time --often inactive on game days, in fact -- but was given a chance this camp to show what he could do at guard, a move we found curious since his footwork always seemed to be the big question mark concerning his play at tackle; and also his height (6'6") would seem to work against him at guard, where mobility and leverage are prime assets. Well, the coaches started Hills against first-team units (not that those guys were necessarily taking the pre-season all that seriously) of the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.  Clearly, the coaches wanted to give him a reasonably legitimate shot and see what could do.  That he was replaced abruptly following the Eagles game, with Doug Legursky suddenly anointed the starting right guard, had to be an ominous sign for Hills.  His time was up.  He may land elsewhere or even return here at some point.  He made it to the final cut, after all, so he must have something going for him.

A fifth-round choice in the 2010 draft, cornerback Crezdon Butler had what appeared to the layman's eye (whadda we know?) to have a reasonably good pre-season, although it didn't help that he got scorched on a 41-yard pass in the final pre-season game.  The coaches may have decided they saw a little too much of that last season, when he appeared lost in space a bit too often -- yes, we do watch this stuff pretty closely -- and it must have made Butler feel uneasy when the Steelers drafted cornerbacks Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen in the third and fourth rounds this year.  Both those guys look like keepers and simply bypassed Butler on the depth chart.  Lots of teams need help in the secondary right now, so Butler should land a roster spot somewhere today -- maybe with the Giants, the Redskins, the Falcons, the Eagles, the Cowboys, the Broncos, the Browns or the Bengals. They all need help at cornerback.  *Update:  Crezdon Butler signed on Sunday with the Arizona Cardinals, where Ray Horton, his former secondary coach with the Steelers, now serves as defensive coordinator.

Punter Jeremy Kapinos will land a job, too. Let's hope Daniel Sepulveda stays healthy. 

The Steelers must like the upside of rookie tight end Weslye Saunders, the only undrafted rookie to make the team (out of the University of South Carolina), and what's not to like?  At 6'5", 270, he's a beast, he can run, and apparently has good hands. He's got to be a big improvement over the disappointing Matt Spaeth.  Ten-year veteran John Gilmore, apparently signed in the off-season as a safety net, would have been a reasonable choice to make the team, but the coaches clearly see potential in Saunders, who reportedly had been considered a potential first-day draft pick:  

"At one point in time, Saunders was recognized as one of the best tight ends in the country and was projected as a 1st or 2nd round pick. But then Saunders was suspended and removed from the South Carolina football team for violating team rules, receiving improper benefits including heavily discounted rates at a South Carolina hotel, and making improper contact with an agent."

Heretofore unknown defensive end Jarrett Crittenton, an undraft free agent from Middle Tennessee State, merits kudos for lasting to the final cut.  With Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel, Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward ahead of him on the depth chart, it's a minor miracle he made it this far. If he doesn't get picked by another team, he will probably get signed to the practice squad.

That's it, Fort Pitt.