Upon Further Review

Most observers, pundits and would-be draftniks, yours truly included, agreed that this year’s NFL draft class was thin at the top but deep throughout, particularly at several key positions (offensive line, wideout and cornerback in particular).

With that in mind, Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls (among others) figured the Steelers would probably stay put at at the end of the first round but might trade down in subsequent rounds. They did, kinda, with just one move, the trade of their pick at the end of the second round (No. 2.32) and their pick at the end of the fourth round at No. 4.32 (132^nd overall) to Denver, in exchange for a pair of third-round picks, which the Black ‘n Gold braintrust used to pick up a guard/tackle (Kraig Urbik) at No. 3.15 (79^th overall) and a wide receiver/kick returner (Mike Wallace) at No. 3.20 (84^th overall).

Quite a few other franchises also took the trade-down-to-add-value approach, including New England (any surprise there?). Perhaps nobody did so more aggressively than the Cleveland Browns’ new management team, who took the approach to an extreme by trading down three times in the first round to stockpile bodies (not that it will do them much good). In fact, as if anticipating that the Steelers were eyeing Alex Mack, C, California, Cleveland, snatched Mack with what turned out to be their first-round pick, the 21^st overall (1.21) – having forsaken the opportunity to draft a franchise quarterback, Mark Sanchez with Pick No. 1.5, which they traded to the Jets for three fringe players and two draft picks. If Sanchez goes to the Hall of Fame, Cleveland fans will rue the day. Detroit fans, too, for that matter.

On the other hand, there’s always Brady Quinn, right? Right??

By the way, we still haven’t figured out why Sanchez was never in the discussion to go first overall, to Detroit, instead of Matt Stafford. Arm strength? That alone?? Can't help but wonder whether Detroit would have selected Stafford over, say, Joe Montana -- not that Sanchez has done anything to merit comparisons to Joe Montana, but we've all seen plenty of howitzer-armed QBs flame out over the years.

With what had been the Steelers’ 32^nd pick in the second round (64^th overall), the Broncos selected Richard Quinn, TE, North Carolina, whose specialty reportedly is as a blocking tight end. That seems awfully high to take a blocking tight end – another curious move by the Broncos’ new management team, headed by wunderkind rookie head coach Josh McDaniels, the Belichick protégé who made headlines this offseason by clashing with, and then trading, quarterback Jay Cutler, who is a punk, but still. Maybe the eager McDaniels was the perfect guy for the Steelers to do a deal with, and time will tell.

But then, at the very top of the third round, things got more interesting. With the very next pick after Quinn, the Jets selected Shonn Green, RB, Iowa, who wore black and gold for the Hawkeyes and would have looked very good indeed in a Steelers uniform (even though, as the roster is constructed today, there would be no place for him, as he would be behind Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore on the depth chart.

Other intriguing names chosen in the third round, before the Steelers chose Urbik at 3.15 (79^th overall), were Alex Magee, DT, (6‘3”, 298), from Purdue, who went to the Chiefs at 3.3 (67^th overall); YouTube phenom Jarron Gilbert, DE (6’5”, 288), from San Jose State, who went to the Bears via a trade with the Seahawks at 3.4 (68^th overall); and Glenn Coffee, RB, Alabama, a Shonn Green clone (sort of) who went to the 49ers at 3.10 (74^th overall).

Soon thereafter, the Steelers picked Kraig Urbick at 3.15 (79^th overall), with one of the two picks they got from the Broncos. Offensive line coach Larry Zeirlein is on record as saying, flat out, that Urbick will compete for the starting right guard spot manned (fairly capably last year) by Darnell Stapleton. Presumably, Urbick will also see some time at training camp practicing at the right tackle position, as well, although he is not expected to vie for a starting job there.

Interestingly, during a radio interview shortly after Urbick’s selection, Zierlein responded to a question about why the Steelers may have passed over Duke Robinson, another highly rated behemoth guard prospect whom some people had speculated might be of interest to the Black ‘n Gold. “His motor doesn’t run fast enough for us,” said Zierleing of Robinson, the nephew of Motown legend Smokey Robinson.

“This guy’s does,” Zierlein added, referring to Urbik.

Five picks later, the Steelers used the second of the picks they picked up from the Broncos on wide receiver Mike Wallace from Mississippi, he of the reported 4.33 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine -- but an even faster 3.77 (??!!!) time in other workouts on presumably faster tracks. By any measure, he's fast.

Notable receivers selected after Wallace, and before the Steelers’ next selection 12 picks later, included: Ramses Barden, WR, a Plaxico Burress clone at 6’6”, 226, selected by the Giants out of Cal Poly at 3.21 (85^th overall); another big ‘un, Patrick Turner, WR, 6’5, 223”, selected by the Dolphins out of Southern California at 3.23 (87^th overall); and Deon Butler, WR, 5’10” 185, selected by Seattle out of Penn State (3.27 (91^st overall).

So, the Steelers passed on those three receiving prospects in favor of Wallace, and that says something about how highly they regard not just his potential as a wideout, but perhaps more importantly, his skills as a dynamic kick returner.

In any case, it will be interesting to see which of the four receivers (Wallace, Barden, Turner and Butler) has the best career as a pro.

The One That Got Away

Lamentably, the Steelers also passed on Rashad Johnson, S, 5’!!”, 203, selected by Ken Whisenhunt’s Arizona Cardinals out of Alabama at 3.31 (95^th overall).

You can't get 'em all, but Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls see Rashad Johnson as the one who got away – the one player (who was available) we would have loved to see end up in a Steelers uniform. Having listened to a pre-draft radio interview with Johnson, we couldn’t help but think, “This guy has ‘Steeler’ written all over him.” Johnson played at a big-time winning program and, for what it’s worth, even grew up as a Steelers fan who was the son of a Steelers fan. Post-draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay said he expects Johnson to step into a starting position for the Cardinals right away and to be a stalwart there for years to come.

If you saw the Cardinals porous secondary durng the Super Bowl – which collapsed during the game-winning drive -- you’d have to agree: The Cardinals need help at safety. Still, we hated to see Johnson slip through the cracks -- hated it -- but considering that Whisenhunt, the offensive coordinator for the Steelers’ 2005 Super Bowl winner, runs Pittsburgh West, it’s not all that surprising. He’s been adding former Steelers, and players in the Steelers’ mold, since he took the reins in Phoenix.

Now, having said all that, it will be interesting to observe who will be the better pro: Rashad Johnson, or the two players the Steelers selected ahead of Johnson (Urbick and Wallace) … or for that matter, and perhaps more intriguingly, the player the Steelers selected with the very next pick, cornerback Keenan Lewis, CB (6’, 208), out of Oregon State, whom the Cardinals bypassed in favor of Johnson. Granted, you could make the case that Lewis fills a bigger need at cornerback with the departure of Bryant McFadden (to the Cardinals, coincidentally, via free agency).

Admittedly, we know next to nothing about either Johnson or Lewis. We just find their juxtaposition on the draft board an extremely interesting coincidence, and we can’t help but wonder which of the two players the Steelers would have chosen had both been available.

You could also make the case that the Steelers also have a need at safety, although the now-departed (and unlamented) Anthony Smith made nowhere near the contributions that MacFadden made. Of course, if any of the starters (Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Ike Taylor, William Gay/DeShea Townsend) go down to injury for any significant amount of time, we will all get a chance to start making the Rashad Johnson vs. Keenan Lewis comparisons earlier than we might have liked.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

All in all, we’re content with this draft. The Steelers addressed some long-overlooked needs for:

1) Youth, depth and potential starters on the defensive and offensive lines (Ziggy Hood and Kraig Urbick, particularly; and, for all we know, later-round picks Sonny Harris and A.Q. Shipley).

2) A fast receiver (Mike Wallace) to fill the fourth wideout position, who can also compete for the speed-receiver position that Nate Washington left vacant through his departure via free agency. If Wallace or Limas Sweed can play as well as Washington did last year, we’ll be happy.

3) A cornerback (Keenan Lewis) to step into the role filled last year by William Gay, who takes over the role played by the now-departed Bryant MacFadden.

4) The short-yardage specialist (Frank Summers) they have lacked – and desperately needed -- since Jerome Bettis retired. This was a glaring need last year, and it’s about time they addressed it.

5) A pair of dynamic kick returners in Mike Wallace (kickoffs) and Joe Burnett (punts). Both of these guys are said to be positively electric return guys.

If these guys work out, this will turn out to be a fine draft. Anything else is gravy.

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

Go, Penguins!

A Leap of Faith

Gotta admit: This is the first time in years that Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have seen not one of the Steelers' draftees play. Not one.

No, on second thought, we'll take that back. We saw most of their teams play, on television at least, except for UNLV and Arkansas State). But we can't say that any of the draftees made an impression -- not one played so spectacularly or with such ferocity that JPPBs bounced up and said, "Damn! Wish the Steelers could get that guy!" (Example: Hines Ward, a full 12 years ago, as a senior at Georgia, when the Bulldogs defeated the Florida Gators in that year's edition of The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.)

Yet we have faith. Why not? The Super Bowl Champion Steelers seem to know what they're doing. As predicted here (and everywhere else), the Steelers drafted pretty much to fill depth and future needs on the defensive line, the offensive line, at wide receiver and at cornerback. We don't know much about these new Steelers, but they look and sound pretty good, which is usually the case the day after draft weekend. Unless it's Jamain Stephens.

Ziggy Hood looks and sounds like a Steeler. So does Kraig Urbik, Sonny Harris and A.Q. Shipley. Mike "60 Minutes" Wallace might be just a guy who can run really, really fast (4.3 40-yard dash) -- we'll see if he can run routes and catch the ball as a receiver. If he contributes as much as Nate Washington did last year, we'll be happy. Joe Burnett looks like a tremendous kick-return guy -- we'll see if he can help out at cornerback.

Frank "The Tank" Summers may be our favorite. Listed at 5'9", 241 pounds, the powerful Summers has been described as The Mini-Bus, after Jerome Bettis. We saw some video highlights (which are selective, of course, and therefore can be deceptive [see: Walter Abercrombie, Greg Hawthorne]), and damn, Summers did look impressive: Powerful, fast, nimble, low center of gravity, soft hands for crucial third-down receptions. Summers could be the short-yardage specialist the Steelers have been seeking since The Bus retired. In uniform, he looks not so much like Bettis, but more like Sidney "The Thundering Bull" Thornton. Let's hope Summers has better hands than Thornton; and, more importantly, a better head than Sidney, also known as "The Blundering Fool," about whom Coach Chuck Noll infamously said, "Sidney has many problems, and they are great."

If Summers is as good as he looks on video, well, Carey Davis, it was nice knowing you, and thanks for your contributions.

Granted, the Steelers admittedly failed to get one of the centers (Eric Wood, Max Unger or Alex Mack) they were targeting, but maybe they got the center they need in Penn State's A.Q. Shipley, a Pittsburgh native and lifelong, passionate Steelers fan. He was tremendous for three years at Penn State, a majorly winning program against big-time competition. Hopefully, he'll be very bit as good against the MUCH bigger nose tackles in the even more competitive AFC North. It's always nice to see a local guy get drafted by his hometown team. In a local (KDKA-TV) television interview last night Shipley -- wearing a Steelers cap and tee-shirt, looked extremely proud and psyched ... he looked every bit as excited as George Costanza did after learning the Yankees had hired him as assistant traveling secretary. "Bustin', Jerry! I'm bustin'!!"

Anyway, if the Steelers are happy with their draft picks, so are Joey Porter's Pit Bulls. And, as always, it will be fun to see who the Steelers bring in as street free agents -- and whether any of those guys emerge and develop as well as, say, Fast Willie Parker or even last year's team Rookie of the Year, Patrick Bailey, linebacker and kick-coverage demon whom the Steelers brought in as an undrafted free agent out of Duke, of all places. Let's hope they do.

We can always have a little faith.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Rd Pick Player Pos College

1 32 Ziggy Hood DE Missouri
3 79 Kraig Urbik OG-OT Wisconsin
3 84 Mike Wallace WR Mississippi
3 96 Keenan Lewis CB Oregon State
5 168 Joe Burnett CB Central Florida
5 169 Frank Summers RB UNLV
6 205 Sonny Harris DT Oregon
7 226 A.Q. Shipley C Penn State
7 241 David Johnson TE Arkansas State

Stirring From Our Long Winter Somnambulance ...

When the NFL Draft has come around each April the past few years, Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls made the case for the Steelers trading down, out of the first round altogether.

Not this year, although perhaps there’s no better time to do so than when you’re coming off a Super Bowl Win.

This year, however, is not the year to trade down. This year, thankfully, the Steelers can sit right where they are, at Pick No. 32, and make a (hopefully) safe pick of a (presumably) quality player who will contribute this year and step in as a valid starter in 2010 and beyond. That’s because this year’s draft is widely considered to be thin at the top of the first round but deep at the bottom, especially at positions of particular interest to the Steelers (offensive line, defensive line, cornerback and wide receiver).

Names that have been bandied about include tackles Eben Britton (Arizona) and William Beatty (Connecticut); centers Doug Mack (California), Eric Wood (Louisville) and Max Unger (Oregon); receivers Hakeem Nicks (North Carolina) and Kenny Britt (Rutgers); defensive ends Jarron Gilbert (San Jose State), Tyson Jackson (LSU) and Evander Hood (Missouri); and corners Sean Smith (Utah), Vontae Davis (Illinois), Louis Delmas (Western Michigan), Alphonso Smith (Wake Forest) and Darius Butler (Connecticut). Some of these players will be off the board before the Steelers’ turn. Some will be better pros than others. One or two may even last until the Steelers pick at the end of the second round.

We've got a feeling the Steelers are eyeballing the cornerback position, but that there will be intense debate invovling several of the names listed above.

In any case, if the Steelers trade down at all this year, they are more likely to do so in later rounds. One potential trading partner would be Jerry Jones, the notoriously itchy-fingered trigger man for the Dallas Cowboys, who dealt away this year’s first-round pick to the Detroit Lions last year, in-season, for wide receiver Roy Williams.

In fact, the Cowboys have only one pick all day Saturday – the 51st overall – but Jones does hold other cards, notably two fourth-round picks and three fifth-round picks.

Pheh, as Myron Cope would say. Still, if the Steelers want to add depth in a draft deep at several positions of need, they may consider dealing with that old traveling carnival-snake-oil- wheeler-dealer-oilfield-gambler Jones, later in the draft.

Or not.

Personally, we’d like to see the Steelers bat their long lashes at Jones and then declaim, abashedly, “Why, Mr. Jones, I do declare, you are so forward!” and walk away. Let him stew.

Anyway, as for whom the Steelers actually may pick in the first round, eh, it’s tough to say – simply because it’s tough to predict who will go in the first 31 picks. Although the Super Bowl-winning offensive line remains nearly intact, it needs help, and depth, and future re-tooling. Same goes for the more polished and productive, but aging, defensive line.

Holes opened this offseason at cornerback and wide receiver, with the departures of free agents Bryant McFadden and Nate Washington, both of whom were valuable contributors and who will become starters for the estimable Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans, respectively. DeShea Townsend at corner isn’t getting any younger, nor is Hines Ward at receiver. Both entered the league together 12 years ago and have been with the Steelers ever since. It’s time to add some (talented) depth to those positions. You can never have too many corners or receivers (good ones, that is).

In any case, we’re optimistic the Steelers will select a good player at good value for Pick No. 32. Let’s hope the Steelers draft at the very end of the first round every year.

For what it’s worth, we felt the much the same uncertainty last year, when first assessing the 2008 draft a full three-and-a-half weeks ahead of the actual event. In fact, Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls were tempted to take the easy way out this week and simply use last year’s initial assessment once again this year, with some minor modifications:

No clue. During our long winter somnambulance, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls like others across Steeler Nation have given plenty of thought to the NFL Draft, April 26-27 25-26. And we still don't have a clue.

The top of the draft appears muddled, with no clear choice for a consensus No. 1 overall pick. This uncertainty produces a ripple effect, of course, on how the next 22 31 picks will shake out, and the Steelers go on the clock at pick number 23 32. We usually have a clearer sense of this, by the way, even allowing for the wildly varying quality of most mock drafts and prognostications.

Most of this year's mock drafts predict the Steelers will pick an offensive lineman in the first round. Sounds eminently reasonable, and a couple of months ago, we would have said two of the first three picks should be offensive linemen.

Maybe. But, uh, maybe not.

A closer look at the offensive linemen likely to be available at 1.23 1.32 raises more questions than answers. The very best tackles (Jake Long, Michigan; Ryan Clady, Boise State; Chris Williams, Vanderbilt; Jeff Otah (?), Pitt) will be gone, and questions remain about the others (Sam Baker, USC; Gosder Cherilus, Boston College; Eric Young, Tennessee).

Best Available?

If you take the Steelers at their word, they will pick the best player available regardless of position (except for quarterback and tight end).

But still … the offensive line was putrid last year and should have been addressed either in last year's draft or during the off-season in free agency. We can't say with any confidence that Justin Hartwig or Darnell Stapleton (or Kendall Simmons or Woody Allen for that matter) will be an upgrade at center over the overmatched Sean Mahan, who got thrown around, consistently, like a rag doll last year.

Besides offensive line, what other positions do the Steelers need to fill, and who might be available? This is so hard to read, this year, partly because the Steelers have problems, they are many, and they are great (to paraphrase Chuck Noll's famous statement about running back Sidney "The Bull" Thornton).

Again, if you take the Steelers at their word, they need to shore up all positions except quarterback and tight end. Presumably running back would be a lower priority, although you would like to see a solid fullback added to the roster. West Virginia's Owen Schmitt would look good in black and gold, assuming you could get him, say, when the Steelers pick in the third round (not likely, from what we're reading).

On defense, the defensive line is showing age, and inside linebackers James Farrior and Larry Foote aren't getting younger, either.

Nor can you ever have too many corners (good ones, that is). Might cornerback Antoine Cason from the University of Arizona be a possibility in the first round? There are other corners being discussed as first-round material include … but we like what we've read about Cason.

On the other hand ... we're leery of Cherilus and Baker at that point in the first round. A defensive lineman? Ehh, maybe, but probably not this year, not in the first round.

In the end, not knowing whether Ryan Clark would return in good health and good form (which he did, with impact, just ask Baltimore running back ) we “chose” the University of Miami’s Kenny Phillips, a safety, whom the New York Giants selected with – you guessed it -- Pick No. 32 at the end of the first round. Nice symmetry, eh?

Sweet Sixcess Euphoria

That'll teach Phoenix's mayor to stomp on and mess with the power of The Terrible Towel.

Super Glue (hands)

Oh, and Punxsatwaney Phil's pre-game prognostication of a Steelers Super Bowl victory was right on the money. It's Groundhog Day all over again -- Number Six.

Congratulations, Super Steelers.

For all those watching from on high, let's all enjoy.

Punsatawney Phil Can't Wait for Groundhog Day, Predicts Steelers Victory

We're Ready.

The sun is shining in Pittsburgh this morning. The temperature this fine Sunday morning is a full 32 degrees warmer than it was 24 hours ago. Good omens. We believe. We're ready.

As Myron might say, "Deck them Cardinals, they're just yardinals! Bring on Arizona, they ain't balone-ya!! Feh, hm-ha, and pish 'n tush. Yoi and double yoi."

WETSU

Just sayin' here ... the 2008 Arizona Cardinals surrendered individual-game point totals of 56 points (to the New York Jets), 48 points (to the Eagles), 47 points (to the Patriots), 37 points (to the New York Giants) and 35 points (to the Vikings).

The Cardinals' defense allowed 36 touchdown passes this season. 36!!! The Steelers allowed 12. As head coach Mike Tomlin wrote on the team's blackboard yesterday, according to Dale Lolley's NFL From the Sidelines blog ...

Tomlin put the word 'WETSU' on the
black board in the team's locker room Thursday.
It's short for "We Eat That Shit Up."

Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's take a look at the bigger picture:

Identity
The Steelers know and embrace their identity: They are a ferocious, violent football team. As coach Mike Tomlin wrote on a board the night before the Steelers' playoff win over Baltimore, "The most violent team wins."

For all that, they are not a dirty team, at least according to running back Brandon Jacobs, of the reigning world champ New York Giants (who beat the Steelers this season). During an ESPN interview yesterday, when asked to make a prediction, Jacobs said:

"I'm gonna go with the Steelers, for totally non-football reasoning.
When we played against them, they're probably the most solid bunch, uh, great character.

"They aren't dirty, they respect football, and they respect their opponents. And they're a bunch of great guys. In playing against them and seeing that, that's special."

As Joey Porter's Pit Bulls noted way back on Oct. 4, following the first slugfest win over the Ravens and immediately preceding the nearly equally violent brawl with the Jacksonville Jaguars, they've had to establish their identity this year by necessity ... by pounding their way through the NFL's toughest schedule and against San Diego's and Baltimore's own tough guys in the playoffs ...

"The only way the Steelers will survive their brutal schedule will be by being more 'physical' (violent) than the other team. If last Monday night's slugfest against Baltimore was any indicator, the Steelers are capable of doing just that.

"The best players set the tone. For all his impetuous brilliance, Ben Rothelisberger is a tough guy. He's played through injuries all though his pro career, and he sets an example ... Again, it doesn't get any easier. But if the Steelers are going to forge an identity, it's going to be that of a tough, 'physical' football team. In other words, brutally violent."

The Steelers have a long history, going back decades, as a "physical" team. This year, they've stepped it up a notch. That's who they are. Just ask the NFL's second-most violent team, the Ravens, whom the Steelers defeated three times. For the Steelers, it doesn't get any easier against Arizona, but the Cardinals have encountered nothing like this. For them, it will get downright nightmarish on Sunday.

Togetherness
Following the win over Baltimore, Ben Roethlisberger repeatedly invoked references to his teammates as "a band of brothers" (coincedentally, JPPBs just happen to be reading the book "Band of Brothers," by historian Stephen E. Ambrose, about World War II's Easy Company, the inspiration for the excellent Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks-produced HBO series of the same name). During a media session, just yesterday, Rothlisberger explained:

"I don't have a brother, or brothers, but I told these guys,
if I ever were to have brothers, I'd want them to be you guys."

As reported by the AP's Alan Robinson yesterday, the sense of togetherness spans the entire team:

"You'll see us in (training) camp, there's 20 of us in one room together,"safety Ryan Clark said. "I think that adds a lot to your team. I think we're probably the only defense before we start the game, in our first huddle, you've got to hug everybody. We say to everybody that we love them."

That type of closeness creates a bond, Clark said, because, "to see one of us mess up, it's probably like the most disappointing look you'll ever see on a grown man's face because we feel like we let somebody down."

"We genuinely love each other," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "Ben (Roethlisberger) has talked about being a band of brothers. It's really what it is. We care about each other. We care about each other's families. We know each other's families. We spend time with each other, just like we're a regular family. When you get that kind of chemistry, you've got a special team on your hands."

Strong Character, Unsung Heroes & Faithful Fans
Team chemistry reflects team character -- the "character" referred to by the Giants' Brandon Jacobs -- and the marrow of this collective group of individual characters. From stars like Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu to lower-profile players such as Aaron Smith, Deshea Townsend, Max Starks, William Gay, Nate Washington, Chris Hoke, Darnell Stapleton, Mewelde Moore ... on and on ... this team has character. It's something that starts at the top (ownership) and permeates through the front office, coaching ranks, support staff and team roster. And the fans? Dunno about "character", but the fans definitely are "characters".

Talented players, a sense of identity, team togetherness, strong character, unsung heroes and faithful fans ... the Steelers have all this and more. All this and The Terrible Towel. Yes, The Terrible Towel.

---------------------------------------
* Gratuitous JPPB prediction: The Steelers will block a punt. For what it's worth, Arizona punter Ben Graham, a 35-year-old former Australian Rules footballer, is officially listed on the Cardinals' injury report as "questionable" with a bad groin. We're thinking there are probably not many more high-pressure situations for this guy (with limited NFL experience and a bad groin) to be in, than the Super Bowl in front of a worldwide television audience of 300 million people. Just sayin'. Something to keep an eye on.

Super Bowl XLIII Musings: Reasons for Optimism

Last week, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls flagged some of the many reasons the Cardinals represent a formidable foe for the Steelers on Sunday, Feb. 1. Yes, the Steelers will have their hands full vs. the Cardinals, but there certainly is reason for Steelers' fans to be optimistic ... not least of which is that "Kurt Warner's No. 22!" (ranked No. 22 in career fumbles among NFL quarterbacks).

In no special order ...

• The Steelers will have the edge in time of possession. The Cardinals will have limited success running the ball. They'll barely try, frankly. Or, to be more precise, they'll try to run the ball in the first quarter, just for appearance's sake, but they will lose patience, quickly, and abandon the run, early. In lieu of establishing the run, they will resort to quick-out patterns, bubble screens, and short-to-intermediate crossing patterns -- which the Steelers will disrupt. Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau anticipates all this and will have his defense ready.

• For what it's worth, Arizona posted the worst running numbers in the NFL this season -- just 73.6 yards per game. The Steelers defense was second in the league against the run.
  

• The Steelers will have the edge in turnovers. Not that the Cardinals have a bad defense. They have a good defense. The Steelers have a great defense.

• Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner will make mistakes. Granted Warner is a great player (in the discussion for the Hall of Fame), seems like a terrific guy and has a wonderful rags-to-riches story. On the plus side, he is poised, recognizes coverages, has a lightning-quick release and an arm that is plenty strong enough. Plus, he has tremedous receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston (whom nobody seems to be talking about this week but is the guy who worries me as much as anybody [well, except for Fitzgerald, the best in the NFL]). Warner is a steadying influence, having started two Super Bowls (beating the Titans and losing to the Cheatriots) and being named Super Bowl MVP in the January 2000 SuperBowl. He's like a coach on the field and, in fact, is older than Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
  

• One the negative side for Warner ... For all his positives, Warner relies on timing -- everything has to be just perfect, including and maybe especially, his offensive line. Here's where the Cardinals have serious matchup problems with the Steelers defense. Left tackle Mike Gandy and the running back du jour (Tim Hightower, Edgerrin James or J.J. Arrington, depending who is held in the backfield to help with pass-blocking) are having nightmares this week, as they contemplate trying to block NFL Defensive Player of the Year James "Silverback" Harrison. On the other side, right tackle Levi Brown surrendered 11 sacks (11!!!) this season. Surely, he'll get help from the tight end, but the Cardinals look to be over-matched on that side by defensive end Aaron Smith and linebacker Lamarr Woodley. Somebody's going to put pressure on Warner, whether it be Harrison, right defensive end Brett Keisel, Smith, Woodley, or inside linebackers James Farrior, Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons.
  

• Sacks, pressures, hurries are one thing. Fumbling the ball is another. Kurt Warner has a history of fumbling the football: With 85 career fumbles, he ranks Number 22 all-time among quarterbacks -- and this is a guy who started his NFL career late (at age 28) and spent much of the past four seasons in a backup-relief role. Again, he's fine when everything goes well. There's a reason, however, that he started this season as the backup to Hollywood Golden Boy Matt Leinart (Warner was run out of St. Louis and seemed to be washed up following his ill-fated stint with the New York Giants). As poised as he usually looks, he can be rattled and can lose his cool. And he has that history of fumbling -- a tendency that may be aggravated by the NFL League Office. Huh?, you ask? The NFL League Office generates revenue (makes money) by selling Super Bowl game-used footballs. During the game, especially in the first half, the officials will introduce a shiny new football into the game nearly every play. Brand-new footballs have a sheen to them. They're slippery. And, hmmm, if it rains ... Anyway, we expect Warner, who will be operating mainly in the shotgun formation, to cough up two fumbles. Big Ben will do just fine, thank you. He's that kind of guy.
  

• Speaking of the aforementioned Levi Brown, he's only just finished in his second year in the league, and he does have a strong pedigree: As the very first player drafted by head coach Ken Whisenhunt, Brown was drafted fifth overall in the 2007 NFL draft, from Penn State, where he played left tackle. The Cardinals new braintrust (Whisenhunt and offensive line guru Russ Grimm, also from the Steelers' staff), drafted Brown as the centerpiece of their plan to establish a strong offensive wall. They moved Brown to right tackle to protect the left-handed wunderkind Matt Leinart's blind side. Well, since then of course, Leinart lost his job to Warner. The 328-pound Brown is a fine young prospect. Still ... 11 sacks allowed this season ... yikes ...and going up against Aaron Smith and Lamarr Woodley. Double yikes. It could be a long day for Messrs. Brown and Warner.

• The Cardinals will be overly amped and prone to miscues. The Cardinals have five players who have appeared in a Super Bowl. The Steelers have 20. And the Steelers will have Dick LeBeau. Mike Tomlin. Big Ben. Fast Willie. Santonio. Hines Ward. Troy. Big Snack. Ryan Clark. A stadium full of fans. And the Terrible Towel.
  

The Terrible Towel is Out of This World

But then you knew that already. Click here to view a NASA astronaut's video of the Terrible Towel in space. Myron would be proud. "Yoi and double-yoi!!"

As Myron himself wrote,

"The Terrible Towel is not an instrument of witchcraft.
It is not a hex upon the enemy.

The Towel is a positive force that lifts the Steelers to magnificent heights
and poses mysterious difficulties for the Steelers' opponents only if need be.

Many have told me that the Terrible Towel brought them good fortune,
but I can't guarantee that sort of thing because the Steelers, after all,
are the Towel's primary concern.

Still, at the least ... if it causes good things to happen to you, so much the better."

Miles to Go Before We Sleep

We have miles to go
before we sleep."

-- Mike Tomlin, Steelers' head coach -- quoting poet Robert Frost --to his players Sunday night following his team's win over Baltimore.

Yup. True dat, and there's plenty to keep Coach Tomlin and Steeler Nation awake at night. Bloviating blowhard Skip Bayless, on ESPN 2, called the Arizona Cardinals the worst team ever to make the Super Bowl. Wrong! At this point, the Cardinals may be the best team the Steelers have played this season -- and the Black 'n Gold had the NFL's most brutal schedule.

Nope, it doesn't get any easier. And it all starts with quarterback Kurt Warner. Warner, who is nine months older than Coach Tomlin, won a Super Bowl nine years ago with the St. Louis Rams and two years later appeared in another, which he and the Rams lost to the New England Cheatriots. While both he and Ben Roethliesberger are pursiuing their second Super Bowl triumph, respectively, Warner has a decided edge in experience, a markedly quicker release and wa-a-a-y better receivers, especially if Hines Ward's sprained right knee limits his effectiveness to any great degree.

Speaking of the Cardinals' receivers, three (Larry Fitzgerald, Anquin Boldin and Steve Breaston) tallied 1,000 yards each this past season. Each is dangerous in different ways.

Larry Fitzgerald is simply the best in the game; and that's no surprise, based on what we saw him accomplish at Pitt, except he's gotten exponentially better. Do ya think, if he'd been in the unfortunate Limas Sweed's position Sunday night, that he would have dropped that pass? Nope, didn't think so (Sweed's first error on that play was "misunderestimating" the flight of the ball and, thus, slowing down on the route [Larry Fitz routinely adjusts to the ball in the air] secondly, Sweed took his eyes of the ball [Fitz has laser-like concentration, screens defensive backs and adjusts accordingly]; third, and worst of all, Sweed dropped the ball [Fitzgerald has the best hands in the game, by far]). Fitzgerald runs any and all routes to perfection, catches everything thrown in his direction and is plenty fast enough, strong enough and elusive enough to tack on major yardage after the catch. The only "rap" against him coming out of college was that he didn't have the greatest straight-line breakaway sprinter's speed -- but ask the Eagles, Panthers and Falcons if he's too slow. Fitzgerald is kinda like a young John Stallworth.

On the other side is longtime Pro Bowl receiver Anquin Boldin, one of the most accomplished and productive receivers in the game, mostly because he's ferociously tenacious, pugnacious and competitive. Boldin battles every play, and defensive backs around the NFL routinely describe going up against him as, well, exhausting. He's kinda like a healthy Hines Ward.

Steve Breaston, the second-year wideout from the University of Michigan and, previously, Pittsburgh's Woodland Hills High School (state champion under Breaston's leadership at quarterback), has the flat-out, deep-route, straightaway speed that Fitzgerald and Boldin may lack, not that they need it. Having amassed more than 1,000 yards this season, he's already matured into a bonafide NFL receiver, and he is a lethal kickoff and punt returner. Breaston is kinda like a more accomplished, more polished Devin Hester, with better hands.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have heard some people suggest the Steelers will assign cornerback Ike Taylor to shadow Fitzgerald, but we don't see that happening. If anything, Bryant McFadden might match up better against Fitzgerald but, again, we don't anticipate seeing much one-on-one coverage. Expect the Steelers' defense to mix coverages and try to clog the middle of the field to take away crossing routes and mitigate Warner's short drops and quick release. Linebacker Lawrence Timmons may well play a major role in this capacity.

We also anticipate that Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt will open the game by trying to establish the run. We know from his time as the Steelers' offensive coordinator that Coach Wiz routinely gave certain looks to set up subsequent plays: He would show a fake reverse, for example, early in a game before springing a real reverse later. Against the Eagles, he used the run, early on, to set up the spectacular flea-flicker that produced Fitzgerald's blockbuster touchdown. We foresee him trying to establish the run to set up the pass.

Speaking of the running game, the Cardinals have the venerable Edgerrin James (nearing the end of what is arguably a Hall of Fame career but sill looking good) and productive rookie Tim Hightower, who runs as tough inside as he runs fast outside, with equal productivity. These guys are trouble, as are their tight ends.

On defense, Arizona has given up a lot of yards, but their defensive-line guys penetrate up front, their linebackers roam sideline-to-sideline to stuff the run, and safety Adrian Wilson is certainly in the conversation as one of the three best safeties in the NFL. This group is tougher than most people give it credit for. If Hines Ward is markedly less than 100 percent and serves primarily as a decoy, expect the Cardinals to double-team Santonio Holmes, bring Adrian Wilson up to clog the running game (and cover tight end Heath Miller) and dare the Steelers to beat them with Nate Washington and, gulp, Limas Sweed.

Coaching? We know all about head coach Ken Whisenhunt, offensive coordinator Russ Grimm and special teams coach Kevin Spencer, all of whom coached on Bill Cowher's staff that won the Super Bowl just three years ago. One might think they know something about the Steelers but, as Coach Tomlin said this week, the Baltimore Ravens' coaching staff probably knows at least as much about the Black 'n Gold.

We figured the Steelers would be favored in this game, if only because of the heritage and how Steeler Nation would play in Vegas. We figured the Steelers as a two-and-a-half point favorite. Today's line in Vegas? The Steelers are favored by seven (?!). That seems high.

One advantage for Pittsburgh: 20 Steeler players have Super Bowl experience, vs. only five for the Cardinals. By gametime, the Cards may be so over-amped that they will be prone to mistakes. Not saying it will happen, but it might.

In any case, the Cardinals are not to be taken lightly. Big Ben had better be at his improvisitional best, and the Steelers had better run the ball effectively to maintain time of possession and thus keep Arizona's offense off the field. This will be the key to the game.

With miles to go before we sleep, there's plenty to keep us awake at night.

Editor's note: Sorry for the long hiatus. Issues with Blogger and other things. JPPB will try to post more regularly.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Which Left? Leftwich!

The Steelers' defense is shaping up as something special, and that may be an understatement. And, no matter who wins the election today, Steelers' defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau should be the next Secretary of Defense.

The D held Clinton Portis, the NFL's leading rusher (by a wide margin) to only 51 yards. That's probably even more impressive than the seven sacks they tallied, or the two interceptions.

The Steelers' defense prevented Washington from even converting a third down until five minutes left in the third quarter.

The linebacking corps is exceptional. Lamarr Woodley, who had two sacks last night, continues to be a beast, as does James Harrison, who had nine tackles and 1.5 sacks -- and he absolutely tormented Pro Bowl tackle Chris Samuels, who was called for holding three (!) times. The captain of the defense, James Farrior, was all over the field, with 13 tackles and a shared sack. Throw in Lawrence Timmons and Larry Foote, and this group may be the best in the business. Yeah, they are.

Of course, then, too, the offense did its share, too, with backup QB Byron Leftwich stepping in and performing more than admirably. The man has a cannon attached to his right shoulder, but even more impressively, he performed with poise and a resourcefulness that jump-started the offense and instilled a sense of confidence in his teammates.

The Steelers did their part last night. Now it's up to the rest of us. Vote.

"Pittsburgh beat Washington in the NFL on Monday for a dominant victory that US presidential candidate Barack Obama will see as a good omen. For all but one of the last 17 presidential ballots since 1937, a Redskins victory has signalled a win for the party currently in power. Obama was pictured last week at a rally with a Steelers jersey bearing his name, given to him by team owner Dan Rooney. The "Redskin Rule" has held true for 71 years, since the team moved from Boston to the US capital. There was a caveat in 2004, when a Green Bay win should have signalled defeat for George W Bush, but some rule-backers note that Bush lost the popular vote in 2000, so his re-election was not a true repeat."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nflbox4-2008nov04,0,777089.story

All Souls Day

It's All Souls Day, one day after All Saints Day.
Today, we honor, embrace and make peace with the departed.

Too many, this year. Dad, Mongo (my beloved Sheperhed-Husky dog), Myron Cope, Tim Russert, Bo Diddley, Isaac Hayes, Bernie Mac, 18-year-old John Challis.

George Carlin.

Steel Curtain legends Dwight White and Fats Holmes. The great comedic actor Harvey Korman (“That's Headley LaMarr!”).

CMU Professor Randy Pausch (“The Last Lecture”). The great redneck-hillbilly-outlaw genre actor Jerry Reed. My longtime friend Mickey McGovern, Irish leprechaun and possibly the funniest person I’ve ever met.

Paul Newman.

And, of course, we will never forget 9/11 or Dec. 7.

Rest in Peace all, and, please, stay with us in heart and soul.

Steelers vs. Giants

Plenty of interesting angles to this Sunday's game at Heinz Field vs. the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

Will the Steelers be able to protect Ben Roethlisberger from the Giants' fierce pass rush featuring Justin Tuck, Matthias Kiwanuka. etc., plus an aggressive and effective linebacking corps? Will Willie Colon (and others) be able to contain Tuck, who has seven sacks in seven games?

Should the Steelers run right at the mobile Tuck at defensive end? The Browns did, a couple weeks ago, with some success.

Will the Steelers run defense be able to get off the field on third down? To do so, they must not only limit the Giants' passing game featuring QB Eli Manning, Super MVP and emerging star, and a very deep corps of receivers, -- but, more importantly, they must contain the Giants' powerful running game featuring 270-pound battering ram Brandon Jacobs (pictured above), the slashing Derrick Ward and the mercurial Ahmad Bradshaw. The Giants have the best running game in the NFL.

Will the Steelers' receivers be able to get off the line of scrimmage and into their routes quickly? This will be key to the success of the Steelers' recent strategy for protecting Big Ben from getting sacked, hurried and knocked down. With Big Ben taking short, three-step drops and hitting quick outs more often than ever before, the receivers will have to quickly work around the Giants' physical corners, who play an in-your-face bump-and-run style.

All in all, the Giants' secondary has been playing extremely well, including physical play by their corners and rangy, ball-hawking coverage by their emerging stars at safety, Michael Johnson (who had two interceptions last Sunday against San Francisco), James Butler and prized first-round rookie Kenny Phillips, who's been getting considerable playing time in nickel and dime defenses. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls advocated/predicted the Steelers should/would draft Phillips in the first round of April's draft, for a number of reasons that seemed to make sense at the time (not to quibble with the selection of Rashard Mendenhall, who we thought would be long gone by the time the Steelers turn to pick came up on the board). Mendenhall will be a fine player in this league (as will Phillips), and we're looking forward to his return next season. We're glad Mendenhall is a Steeler -- selecting him was a no-brainer -- but it will be interesting to watch Phillips in action on Sunday. Ever since training camp, New York media have been raving about his heady play, closing speed and coverage abilities.

Also interesting to watch will be the performance of former Steeler wide receiver Plaxico Burress, an enigmatic diva but also a formidable player. The Manning-Burress combination has produced more touchdowns than any other QB-receiver tandem since Burress joined the Giants after the 2004 season. He tends to perform especially well when motivated, and when he feels slighted; and he supposedly has always felt the Steelers organization and fans here in Pittsburgh never appreciated him. No doubt, he will be out to prove something on Sunday -- not that he has anything to prove, having made the last-minute winning catch in the Super Bowl and, as we said, having established himself as a go-to, big-time player in New York. Still, controversy dogs him -- Coughlin suspended him for a game (without pay) this season, and it's been estimated that Giants' management has fined Burress upwards of 50 times for various infractions since he joined the Giants. New York media have pegged him as being a self-absorbed, me-first type of player, a reputation that's dogged him throughout his career. Countering that perception, ironically enough is that he's proven himself to a tough player, he plays hurt, and he's productive, so the Giants must figure he's worth the trouble, even if he's had a reputation (before last year) of disappearing in big games -- a reputation he developed as a member of the Steelers. So, it will be interesting to see how he plays in the caldron of Heinz Field on Sunday. We wouldn't bet against him coming up big. Frankly, however, we're tired of the media focus on Burress ... and we're more worried about the Giants' running game and pass rush.

Links Worth Checking Out

The daily must-read One for the Other Thumb has an excellent Q&A with John Woods, a staff editor with The New York Times and regular contributor to the NYT's football blog, The Fifth Down. As Cotter notes, he's also a Steelers fan -- and offers a number of insightful observations about Plaxico Burress, Tom Coughlin, the Giants' pass rush and other factors likely to come into play when the Steelers host the Giants late Sunday afternoon.

The Giants' pass rush (Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, et al) is extremely worrisome, so it may be worth taking a look at how the Browns (?!) neutralized it a week ago Monday night. AOL Fanhouse does just that, with an in-depth analysis of how the Browns prevented the Giants from sacking QB Derek Anderson even once.

The ever-excellent Nice Pick, Cowher has a typically astute take on the drumbeat in Dallas calling for Bill Cowher to become next head coach of the Cowboys. Hint: Not likely to happen as long as Cowher and Dallas owner/general manager/player personnel director/grand poobah Jerry Jones both remain control freaks (which will be forever).

From NFL.com:

Matchup	Storyline	Did you know?
Series leader: Giants, 43-28-3, in a series that dates back to a 23-2 Giants win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the very first game in Steelers team history in 1933. Streaks: The Steelers have won two of the past three matchups, including a 33-30 win over the Giants on Dec. 18, 2004 in a game that featured seven lead changes.	An unstoppable force collides with an immovable object when the Giants' top-ranked rushing offense meets the NFL's top-ranked defense.	When RB Brandon Jacobs has 100-plus yards, the Giants are 6-1. When Jacobs has 10-plus carries, the Giants are 19-4. ... Giants WR Plaxico Burress will be playing his first game against his former team (Burress played for the Steelers from 2000 to 2004). ... The Steelers are going for a 10th consecutive win over an NFC opponent at Heinz Field. ... Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley -- who is up for GMC Sierra Defensive Player of the Week honors -- is going for a fifth consecutive game with a sack.