Lots of Story Lines Today

The big news in Steeler Nation this week is the placement of linebacker LaMarr Woodley on injured reserve, ending his season and possibly his career in Pittsburgh. Jarvis Jones will start, and it is unclear who will be the top back-up. Maybe veteran Chris Carter, but Terance Garvin may see some snaps although he is listed on the depth chart as an inside linebacker.

Whether Woodley remains a Steeler after this season became a topic of some increasingly robust discussion over the past couple weeks. Over the past few days, especially, speculation grew that Woodley could be gone after this season. The Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac indicates that is a pretty much a foregone conclusion. That's a question that will sort itself out after the season.

Meanwhile, in Packer Land ...
In Wisconsin, there is considerable angst over the status of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' medical clearance for a possible return to action after being out for the past six weeks with a broken collarbone. Rodgers is one of the best in the game, but if he's not medically cleared to play, he won't play. Simple as that.

Back-up Matt Flynn, who was on the street as a waived player just a few weeks ago, has led the Packers the two straight wins following four losses and a tie by Green Bay in its previous five games. Last Sunday in Dallas, the Packers scored 34 points in the second half to rally from a 23-point halftime deficit to defeat the Cowboys and place themselves right in the thick of the NFC North playoff race.

It was a rousing win, and the Packers hope to ride that momentum this week. If they win their final two games (Steelers and Bears), they'll make the playoffs.

Bell and Lacy
A story line this week will be the respective performances of running backs Le'Veon Bell and Eddie Lacy. The Steelers drafted Bell (Michigan State) 48th overall in the second round instead of Lacy (Alabama), who went to the Packers 61st overall in the second round.

After battling early-season injuries, Bell has looked solid for the Steelers.

• Bell has 43 catches for 388 yards and 646 yards rushing on 96 carries. 

• Lacy has 31 catches for 236 yards and 1,028 yards rushing on 248 carries and is in a leading candidate for offensive rookie of the year. He had 141 yards rushing last Sunday vs. the Cowboys. 

At yesterday's news conference, Mike Tomlin said the decision to draft Bell over Lacy was "an easy one for me."  

It's very early in their respective careers, and way too early for second-guessing. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls like Bell a lot and wanted the Steelers to draft him -- but we also were surprised the Steelers took him in the second round. He'd been projected to go later (third or even fourth round), so selecting him in the second round seemed a bit of an over-reach. They believe in him, though, and we'd love to see him succeed. Both he and Lacy appear to be good players.

Who's better? Just enjoy the show on Sunday.

Punters are defenseless?

Remember former Steelers punter Daniel Sepulveda?  All 6'3", 230 lbs. of former college linebacker? He used to pride himself on covering kicks and making solid tackles. On more than one occasion, he blew up returners.

Somewhere along the way, the NFL apparently declared punters "defenseless."

Boom!

On Sunday night, Cincinnati punter Kevin Huber kicked a short punt that Antonio Brown got a running start on and shot upfield on his way to the end zone. Huber was more or less on Brown's route and unfortunately, for him, did not have his head on the proverbial swivel as he turned directly into a textbook block by Steeler linebacker Terence Garvin.

Huber was eyeballing Brown, didn't see Garvin coming, and got flattened. Cue the hue and cry.

A number of people, especially in Cincinnati, are crying that Garvin should have been flagged and will be fined. There was no flag, and we'll let the NFL suits debate a fine.

Just about anybody who's played football has been flattened like that, too. We feel bad for Huber that he suffered a broken jaw and, reportedly, a cracked vertebrae. It's a violent game, a collision sport, and we're not saying Huber should have seen Garvin coming, but Garvin was doing his job. What was he supposed to do? Fling himself sideways? Cut Huber at the knees, which could jeopardize his career? Ask Daniel Sepulveda about knee injuries. He's out of football because of them.

That looked like a good block, and we'd say the same thing if it were the Steelers' Mat McBriar on the receiving end.

The Big Linebacker Question

When healthy, LaMarr Woodley proved he can be a dominant player, a beast, good enough that the Steelers signed him to a $61.5 million contract.

It remains to be seen how long Woodley's latest calf injury (the other calf) will keep him out of the lineup. If it's the rest of the season, he will have missed five games this year.

Woodley missed three games with a hamstring injury in 2012 and six games the year before that.

In the 11 games in which Woodley has appeared this season, he's had five sacks and been in on 36 tackles (20 solo tackles; 16 assists). There were four games in which he had zero tackles.

The Steelers' decision last off-season to move on from James Harrison signaled a changing of the guard in the linebacker corps. After years as one of the great Steelers, Harrison's age and salary conspired against his future employment with the Steelers. Age and salary had caught up previously with outstanding linebackers such as Joey Porter, Jason Gildon and Greg Lloyd.

The same may be happening with LaMarr Woodley. Already.

The seventh-year veteran is only 29, but that means the wrong side of 30 is just around the corner. His 2013 salary is $3.6 million. His 2014 salary is to be $8 million (with a $14 million salary cap hit).

The Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette has been talking about that issue lately. In his Q-and-A on the Post-Gazette's website the other day, he was asked about it the other day:

• Question: Ed, Since it will cost the Steelers $14 million to cut Woodley, he does not seem like a reasonable cap casualty, so where does that leave this team? Should they cut Troy? How can they resign Worilds with so much dead money in front of them?

• Ed Bouchette: I keep hearing about that $14 million figure, but that would be if they cut him before June 1. If they designated him for June 2 or cut him then, he would count only $5.5 million on their cap this year and SAVE them $8 million in cap room and real money.

Taking the Bengals Down a Notch

The Steelers won't be going to the playoffs, but they showed enough last night to make Steeler Nation proud: Pride, Resilience; Determination.

Le'Veon Bell ran hard. Antonio Brown did his thing. The offensive line blocked okay. The secondary covered. The defensive front seven attacked. Shawn Suisham showed how to nail field goals in the wind at frozen Heinz Field. And Ben Roethlisberger played with composure and poise, and threw accurately.

Cincinnati fans will whine and moan, and bitch and complain because that's how they're constituted, but once again, the Steelers schooled the Bengals. And that's what the Bengals do: They choke in big games. On a day when top-seeded New England lost and the Bengals had a chance to really assert themselves in the AFC ... they came up short. In every way.

If we were Bengals' fans, and thank God we're not, we would have to be very, very concerned about Andy Dalton at quarterback. He was awful last night.  Enough about him, and the Bengals. We're done with them for 2013.

Whither Woodley?
A couple of notes from last night's game, specifically: Terence Garvin showed us something, and not just on the devastating pancake flattening of Cincinnati's punter. When playing linebacker, Garvin showed mobility, speed and spark that LaMarr Woodley (who is hurt again), hasn't shown for quite a while. We're not suggesting that Garvin is the answer at linebacker; just that we liked the way he played. It was refreshing, but the bigger issue is that Woodley's absence will spark more debate about whether he should be back for 2014.

Two Games Left
The Steelers are playing for pride at this point, and there's something to be said for that. This year's Steelers may not have the talent some other teams have, but last night it was if they finally looked in the mirror and realized who they are: The Pittsburgh Steelers.

On that note, we close this post with a quote from Jack Lambert:

"I believe the game is designed to reward the ones who hit the hardest. If you can't take it, you shouldn't play" 
-- Jack Lambert 

And, as As Antonio Brown likes to say, "Head up. Chest up. Prayed Up."

Next up: a visit to Green Bay, where Aaron Rogers will return to action, and the Packers still have a chance to win the NFC North backup after Matt Flynn led them to yesterday's stunning win over the Cowboys in Dallas. And thank God we're not Cowboys' fans.

  * * *

Sunday Night-Game Day 14: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

Tyler Eiffert left the Steelers' defense behind

"If we don't shore things up, we won't win a game. Simple as that. It's not mystical."
-- Steeler safety Ryan Clark, following the Sept. 16th loss to the Bengals

Tonight at frozen Heinz Field, the 5-8 Steelers will host the 9-4 Cincinnati Bengals for the second prime-time TV match-up of the two AFC North Division foes this year.

Nearly three months ago, on the night of Monday, Sept. 16, the Bengals won, 20-10. Since then, the formerly forlorn Bengals have risen up to seize firm control of the division once dominated by the Black 'n Gold. The Bengals have won three in a row; the Steelers have lost two straight.

We all know how the Steelers have fared since that Monday night loss, in which the Bengals seized the early opportunity afforded by tight tend David Paulsen's pivotal fumble (as the Steelers were driving to possibly take a 10-0 lead in the first quarter). Andy Dalton immediately hit tight end Tyler Eiffert with a 74-yard pass-and-run. It was all downhill from there.

The Bengals went on to control the clock for more than 35 minutes, as the Steelers couldn't put together anything on offense. Over the first 23 minutes of the second half, Todd Haley's offense mustered all of minus-two yards. The offensive line allowed only two sacks, but opened no lanes for the running backs. Defensive end Michael Johnson owned left tackle Mike Adams all night long.

Sign of Things to Come
Perhaps more ominously, in the big-picture scheme of things, that pass to Eiffert presaged many more big plays the Steelers would surrender this season. In fact, this year the Steelers have surrendered an astounding 18 plays of 40 yards or more, including 11 plays of 50 yards or more. The Steelers have given up five runs of more than 40 yards. Pittsburgh's run defense is ranked 24th in the NFL.

That game in Week 2 of the regular season served notice of many significant issues the Steelers would face this season -- and have not fixed yet.

As for the match-up itself, prior to that Week 2 game, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls flagged a number of storylines to watch, and many of them still apply:

James Harrison; the Steelers' inconsistent offense; the Steelers' secondary vs. a Bengals receiving corps featuring A.J. Green, Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eiffert (whom the Steelers had a chance to draft No. 1 but passed on him in favor of linebacker Jarvis Jones, who may have to match up on occasion with Eiffert), Dick LeBeau's defensive schemes; and Ben Roethlisberger, of course, as always, etcetera, etc.

Yeah, lots of angles and storylines to watch tonight, again. Let's hope for a better result.

Where are the Linebackers?

A this point, there's no sense over-analyzing the play of the Steelers' linebackers this year. Just let's say, to be kind, that their performance has been "uneven" all season. At times, it seemed, they disappeared, and Joey Porter's Pit Bulls were screaming in dismay, "Where are the linebackers?!"

To be fair, Jason Worilds has come on strong over the past five games and has shown burst, explosiveness and playmaking ability that we saw little of during his first three seasons. Worilds has brought pressure and played well enough during this stretch that the Steelers must consider re-signing him in the off-season. It may be too late to retain Worilds, however, as greener pastures will surely beckon, just as they do every year for guys like Paul Kruger, Danell Ellerbee and Victor Butler, last year's darlings on the free-agent market.

Lawrence Timmons more or less gets a pass, although his own performance has been a bit up and down. He had a monster 17-tackle performance in the first Ravens game and 12 tackles (with a broken hand) in Oakland, but he had only five tackles last Sunday against Miami. Only five tackles from an inside linebacker isn't very good.

Overall, the performance at linebacker this year has been a problem, to say the least. So has the lack of depth, and plain talent.

Isn't there something lacking, or plain wrong, when Troy Polamalu is lined up linebacker a bit too often? There sure was last Sunday, when Polamalu was late moving laterally and got crushed on a block that helped free running back Daniel Thomas for his 55-yard run late in the fourth quarter.

"No, I didn't do my job there,'' Polamalu said. "I miss-fit it. I just miss-fit it. A miss-fit is not fit. No, I just didn't get over to my gap. I was supposed to be on his other shoulder. (The big plays) are very frustrating, but I don't know if surprised is a proper word for it. I've been on defenses that really have made their money on now allowing them at all or one in a season or two in a season.

That quote came from Dale Grdinic's fine write-up here over at Behind the Steel Curtain, profiling Polamalu's dual role at safety and linebacker this season.

Schematically, it may make sense for Polamalu to bring his special skills to the linebacker position for some plays, but he was positioned at linebacker for about 50 percent of the snaps against Miami. That means two things: (1) When at linebacker, he's not roaming on the back end as a safety; and (2) He wouldn't even be at linebacker if the Steelers had anybody else capable of doing it.  Larry Foote is on injured reserve, and nobody else at this point is either good enough or healthy enough to do the job.

Time for the young guys to step up.

One reason Polamalu has had to play so much at linebacker is the lack of progress (or talent) from some of the younger guys. Rookie sixth-rounder Vince Williams has played like a rookie sixth-rounder. He's shown some potential to be a thumper, maybe, but he's already lost, at least temporarily, his short-lived opportunity to seize the starter's job because he got caught out of position too often and was generally so slow that he was a real detriment. Just as crucially, he didn't show that he can cover receivers, and that's a problem in a passing league. He could develop, but he's not ready yet.

Neither is rookie first-rounder Jarvis Jones. He's played small, and he looks small, which has been a concern from the very first day we saw him at mini-camp. Jones has shown flashes at times, but at this point, he looks like "just a guy," and one with a 4.92 40 time. Small and slow is not what the Steelers need from their prize first-round draft choice. They need him to make an impact.

Undrafted free agent Terence Garvin hasn't gotten on the field a whole lot, but he may be the most impressive, so far, of the three rookies. He's relatively light but rangy and fast, and he's shown playmaking instincts in small sample sizes. There may be a place for him.

The other backups, Kion Wilson and Stevenson Sylvester, are hanging on as fringe players. Each is "just a guy."  Neither was able to seize the opportunity to nail down playing time once they had their opportunity. Injured Sean Spence may never see the field, as he is still recovering from the massive knee injury he suffered in his rookie training camp. Chris Carter has been a non-factor since he arrived in 2011.

Whither Woodley?
And that, finally, brings us to the Big Kahuna, the highest-paid linebacker on the team, LaMarr Woodley. Before getting hurt and missing three games before Miami, Woodley was leading the team in sacks with five, but he's had only 36 tackles (20 solo) in the 10 games he's played this year.

It all looked so promising when
LaMarr Woodley appeared on the cover of
the Sept. 2, 2011 issue of
Sports Illustrated. The SI cover curse?

This year, there have been four games Woodley has registered zero tackles. ZERO. He didn't even get in on any assisted tackles. Four games with ZERO tackles. Those four games were Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit and Oakland.

The best you could say about Woodley's performance is that it has been sporadically okay -- but he hasn't been the linebacker who showed enough a few years ago that the Steelers signed him to a $61.5 million contract. He's been injury prone ever since signing that deal and just not as productive as he was for about two years beforehand, when he was an absolute beast as the bookend opposite James Harrison.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls don't necessarily agree with people who say that Woodley got "fat and happy" -- and out of shape-- after signing that deal.  Yet the production and the impact hasn't been there, although he entered this season apparently determined to show otherwise.

Columnist Dejean Kovacevic noted the following about LaMarr Woodley and his performance during last Sunday's game vs. the Dolphins:

LaMarr Woodley lost his spot at left outside linebacker in being shifted to the right for Jason Worilds, already humbling for a $61.5 million player, then turned in a total of three tackles and zero QB hits from the right. 

“I think it worked out pretty good,” Woodley said, oblivious as ever to his own shortcomings.

"Oblivious as ever to his own shortcomings." Ouch. Well, that's Kovacevic's comment, not ours. But the fact that comments like that are out there, well, they wouldn't be out there if Woodley didn't invite them.

Woodley had zero tackles in the loss at Oakland, and afterwards had some interesting comments, as noted in the following excerpt of a column by the Post-Gazette's Gene Collier (with the bold-faced emphasis below courtesy of yours truly):

"This is no step back for us; we're still movin' forward," said linebacker LaMarr Woodley, whose movements seemed almost designed to avoid tackles in a 21-18 loss to an almost equally dreadful football team. "We just had some mistakes out there and the Raiders capitalized on it. So, we're still a good football team, but we gave up some big plays. That's the only thing you can really look back on. You gave up some big plays. I wouldn't question us as a football team."

If the Steelers really want to retain Jason Worilds next year, that may require applying the franchise tag on him. And that would require jettisoning some other big contracts, one of which might be Woodley's.

There almost certainly will be others, and we wonder if Maurkice Pouncey's name is one of the ones being bandied about in Steeler offices on the South Side. Woodley and Pouncey would land elsewhere, of course, and possibly do well.  Yet the Steelers may need to free up cap space, and those would be two candidates that will bear scrutiny, among others (Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, Levi Brown, Matt Spaeth, etc.)

Their respective 2014 cap hits? According to this report cited at Behind the Steel Curtain, Woodley's 2014 cap hit will be $13.59 million; Pouncey's will be $5.55 million.

They're not the only players with big cap numbers, but Woodley's will be the second-largest on the team (behind Ben Roethlisberger), and the Steelers may consider moving Maurkice Pouncey in a trade for badly needed draft picks, considering they've already traded their 2014 third-round choice to Cleveland and will be docked a later-round pick because of Mike Tomlin's sideline antics in Baltimore. Naturally, however, before moving Pouncey, the Steelers would need to feel comfortable they have a satisfactory replacement for him.

Anything's a possibility. One thing's for sure: They need improved play at linebacker.

Dinner at Maurkice Pouncey's House?

We have to ask: Will Steeler center Maurkice Pouncey (currently on injured reserve) invite Cincinnati's offensive line over to dinner at his house on Saturday night?  ... the way he supposedly did for his twin brother Mike's team, the Dolphins, last Saturday night? ... the night before the Dolphins beat the Steelers.

The Pouncey twins, wearing their "Free Hernandez" hats.

At least that's what was reported here, before the supposed dinner event.

We can't help but wonder: Do you get the feeling Maurkice Pouncey would rather be with the Miami Dolphins than the Pittsburgh Steelers? He's from Florida, his twin brother plays with the Dolphins, and he could play guard just as easily as center. The twins could even wear their "Free Hernandez" hats.

And Mike's pal Richie Incognito, a guard, won't be in Miami next year, so that could open a spot at guard for Maurkice -- which is where the Steelers might consider putting him anyway.

Just wondering.

Here Come the Bengggals, with a grrrowl ...

For a worthy overview of this year's Cincinnati Bengals, visit Anthony DeFeo's write-up over at Behind the Steel Curtain: "These Aren't Myron Cope's Cincy Bungals Anymore."

Maybe, but they're still the Bungles.

Midweek Malaise

Just think how much more promising interesting the final three games would appear if Antonio Brown had managed to sidestep the sideline and tightrope it the way Baltimore's Jacoby Jones (yeah, that guy) did in the last minute of the Ravens' theatrical win over Minnesota last Sunday.

Instead, this craptastic Steelers season slogs on its futile procession through the final three games: Bangles at Heinz Field; against the Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay; and, finally, the Clowns at Heinz Field.

Mike Tomlin's Tuesday news conference gave us little to chew on that we didn't already know (the defense can't stop anybody and gives up too many big plays), so we turn to other sources.

Gene Collier points out the sequence of questionable play calls ...

" ... with a 28-24 lead in the fourth quarter, on a snow-covered field, the Steelers' play-calls went, pass, pass, pass, pass, run, pass on one possession. Then pass, run, pass, pass, pass on a second. 

"That's against a Miami defense ranked 25th against the run."

Dale Lolley at The Washington Observer-Reporter makes an interesting point about Jason Worilds:

"... there's no way the Steelers can afford to allow Jason Worilds to walk. 

There really isn't a comparison between Worilds and Keenan Lewis. Lewis made some plays last season, but nothing nearly as impactful as the way Worilds has played. Lewis is also 27 this season, while Worilds is 25 and would play an entire 4-year contract extension under the age of 30. 

The Steelers might have tipped their hand with what they're planning with Worilds when they kept him at left outside linebacker and moved LaMarr Woodley to the other side."

If the Steelers are serious about keeping Worilds, they would almost certainly have to move Woodley -- and we don't mean to the other side of the linebacking corps, but rather off the roster, mainly because of his salary cap hit, which will be significant in any case.

Didn't the Steelers used to win this sort of game?

The one that got away: Charles Clay scores the winning TD
after Troy Polamalu and Cortex Allen failed to bring him down. 

Missed tackles. Blah. Blocked punt. Blah. A Ben Roethlsiberger fumble that led to a Miami touchdown. Poor clock management. Nine penalties. Dropped catches, off-target throws, sloppy play all around.

The Steelers' defense surrendered their 11th play of 50 yards or more this season, and it couldn't have come at a worse time: late in the fourth quarter, when running back Daniel Thomas broke a run for 55 yards on the decisive winning drive where Miami drove 80 yards to score with about three minutes left.

This came after another ineffective punt from Mat McBriar, who bounced one into the end zone for a net of 28 yards. That meant the Dolphins started their drive on the 20-yard line instead of backed up against their goal line.

The Steelers have had punting problems all season, and today was no different. In the first half, Miami blocked a McBriar punt and went on to score a touchdown. The Dolphins won by six points.

Center Cody Wallace played reasonably well.

On the plus side, the offensive line played reasonably well, and that includes third-string center Cody Wallace, who made his first start six seasons into his NFL career, and tackle Mike Adams.

Antonio Brown played well, although he had a drop, and almost won the game at the end had his momentum not carried him out of bounds. That would have been a play for the ages. Emmanuel Sanders had a touchdown catch among his four receptions but had a drop, too.

On defense, Jason Worilds and Cameron Heyward played well.  Also on the plus side, Mike Tomlin stayed on the sidelines.

Who's Calling the Plays?
Le'Veon Bell carried the ball only 16 times (for 63 yards), and had just one carry in the second quarter after gaining 36 yards on nine carries in the first quarter. We could ask why the Steelers didn't try to run the ball more in classic wintry conditions, especially in the second half. In fact, the question was asked of a testy Ben Roethlisberger during his post-game meeting with the media, and his response was a terse "No idea. Coach Haley's over there. You can ask him."

It was a legitimate question, though, and we hope somebody asks Haley, or Tomlin, and actually gets a meaningful answer, but that's not going to happen. Roethlisberger's response, though, just invites more speculation that there may be, and probably is, tension between Roethlisberger and Haley and provides more evidence of a disconnect between the two.

Oh, by the way, Mike Wallace caught only two passes for 19 yards and was not much of a factor. We didn't expect him to be.

Game Day 13: Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers

Warm-weather team visiting a cold-weather city? Joey Porter's Pit Bulls dismiss that. The Dolphins play road games every year in Buffalo, New England and New York (last Sunday, in fact).

Mike Wallace burning a Steelers secondary that has surrendered an astounding 10 plays of 50 yards or more this season? Maybe. But Miami's offense, which hasn't scored 30 points yet this season, simply hasn't been able to put together a vertical game to take advantage of Wallace's speed. Why? don't know. It could be coaching design, or quarterback Ryan Tannehill's unwillingness or inability to throw deep, or the inability of a patchwork offensive line to protect Tannehill, or the ineffectiveness of Miami's running game to set up play action.

Or it might just be Wallace, and the fact that he is a hit or miss player whose performance can be maddeningly erratic.

This season, as noted by the Miami Herald,

"Wallace has only three touchdowns of any length, only two longer than 30 yards, only one on the kind of “go long” routes that open up defenses for everyone else. As far as yards per catch this season, Wallace’s 13.3 barely beats Brian Hartline’s 13.0 yards per catch."

The article containing that quote was headlined, "Mike Wallace Primed to Lead Miami Dolphins," which prompted the immediate thought, "Mike Wallace has been called a lot of things, but 'leader' isn't one of them."

We're not too concerned about Mike Wallace. We're more concerned about Miami's pass rush and ability to take the ball away (16 interceptions in 12 games).

Maybe The Tomlin Two-Step Will be the Spark the Steelers Need

Maybe the Tomlin two-step will be the spark the Steelers need?

Nah. It's probably just as well, however, that so much attention has been paid to Mike Tomlin's Sideline Shuffle instead of the very real problems the team faces.

The Tomlin two-step has been entertaining, that's for sure. Can you imagine that conversation with the missus? Explaining away $100,000 down the drain? Just before Christmas?  Never mind that for somebody with Tomlin's income (over $5 million annually), a $100,000 hit would be roughly equivalent to maybe $700 for a family making about $40,000 a year. No matter. 100K is 100K. Good luck with making up for that missing Christmas stocking, Mike.

Their Pass Rush vs. Our O-Line 

Olivier Vernon sacks the Jets' Geno Smith

On Sunday, the Steelers face a very fine defensive front seven. The Dolphins' offense has yet to score 30 points in a game this year, but its defense has been good.

Miami has two of the NFL's top pass-rushing threats in fifth-year veteran DE Cameron Wake and second-year DE Olivier Vernon, who was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his three-sack performance last Sunday vs. the Jets. Wake has 6.5 sacks; Vernon has 10.5 sacks this season.

Vernon came into the league last year as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Miami. With 14 sacks in his first 28 NFL games, Vernon is emerging as one of those rare gems -- an undrafted free agent who becomes a star. Shades of James Harrison.

Considering the Steelers' shaky offensive line, the pass-rush match-up would appear to favor the Dolphins. That would have been the case even if Pittsburgh were to have its offensive line at full strength. At this point, however, it appears that right guard David DeCastro and left tackle Kelvin Beachum will be hobbled, at best, if they're able to play at all (and it looks like Beachum will not play, which means a hobbled Mike Adams will play left tackle). Add in new center Cody Wallace, the third stringer making his first NFL start, and that is a situation ripe for the Dolphins to exploit.

Naturally, the best way to offset an aggressive pass rush is with a strong running game. Even if Le'Veon Bell plays, however, and let's keep in mind he hasn't yet had a game with 100 yards rushing, the problem with the Steelers running game all year has been that the offensive line just hasn't gotten any push up front.

Considering the current state of the offensive line, running the ball and protecting Ben Roethlisberger could be problematic on Sunday. If anything happens to any of Pittsburgh's offensive linemen during the game, the "next man up" options are limited. There's Guy Whimper and, and, and ... David Snow???

Brent Grimes after picking off an Oliver Luck pass

One the Back End

On the back end of Miami's defense, their secondary's been outstanding with 16 interceptions in 12 games and 43 passes broken up.

The unit is led by 30-year-old cornerback Brent Grimes, the seventh-year veteran out of eastern Pennsylvania's small-school Shippensburg University. Coming off an Achilles injury sustained last year, Grimes signed just a one-year contract with Miami as a free agent after spending his first six years in Atlanta. He would have been a good signing for the Steelers. He has four interceptions and 14 passes defensed.

For all the Steelers have going against them, or maybe because of it, this is the sort of game the Steelers win, traditionally. Then again, this craptastic Steelers season has been anything but traditional.

The Curious Case of Rashad Butler and Offensive Line Roster Machinations

We're just curious: What in the name of Levi Brown happened with offensive tackle Rashad Butler? Is he a Steeler or not?*

Ray Mansfield: Where's a guy like the
Ol' Ranger when you need him?

You remember Levi Brown, don't you?  The Steelers actually traded for Brown in early October after it had become clear that Mike Adams wasn't up to the job of starting left tackle, never mind that Brown himself was about to be cut by the Arizona Cardinals after having proved that he wasn't up to the job of starting left tackle for the team coached by Bruce Arians, the former Steelers' offensive coordinator who is once again in the running for NFL Coach of the Year, an award he won last year. And how's that for a run-on sentence?

You'll recall that a few days after joining the Steelers, Brown reported triceps discomfort in warm-ups immediately before the Jets game and was subsequently placed on injured reserve -- without having played a snap for the Steelers. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls suspect that Brown was injured before he even arrived in Pittsburgh, and that the team should have never allowed him to pass a physical. We have no way of knowing that, of course; it just seems an eminently possible scenario, and we have a suspicious nature borne of life experience.

Flash forward to the loss in Baltimore on Thanksgiving night, when the team lost half its offensive line to injuries of varying severity. Four of the eight offensive linemen on the active roster went down with injuries that game: tackle Mike Adams (ankle), guard David DeCastro (foot), tackle Kelvin Beachum (sprained knee) and, most seriously, center Fernando Velasco (Achilles), whose season ended.

That left us with Cody Wallace, Guy Whimper, Marcus Gilbert and Ramon Foster as the only "healthy" offensive linemen on the active roster.

Right Tackle Charlie Bradshaw, 1967

In the wake of all that, the Steelers last Saturday signed two players who had been sitting around waiting for calls: Rashad Butler, a journeyman tackle whom the Browns released on Nov. 5, for crying out loud, and Eric Olsen, a center waived by New Orleans at the end of training camp.

Over the weekend, then, Butler showed up (or did he?) and almost immediately left the team "for personal reasons."

In the wake of Butler's departure, the Steelers had to sign another tackle, right? Maybe promote Joe Long from the practice squad?

Apparently not. Despite the injuries to Beachum (in a walking boot and listed as "questionable" for Sunday's game, which means "probably not") and Adams, the Steelers opted to sign yet another center, David Snow, who was cut by the Buffalo Bills at the end of training camp.

Let's see: Cody Wallace is a center. Eric Olsen is a center. David Snow is a center. Do the Steelers have enough centers? Probably not.

Presumably these guys have "positional flexibility." Still, Wallace has been in the NFL for nearly six full seasons and on Sunday will make his first start. Counting his 40 snaps this year with the Steelers, Wallace has been on the field for all of 58 plays. That means, what? ... that Cody Wallace is good enough to make an NFL roster but not good enough to play? That seems to be what his coaches have thought. Or not.

Guard Larry Gagner, 1968

We will find out on Sunday, when Wallace starts in place of the injured Fernando Velasco, who was starting, and playing well, in place of the injured Maurkice Pouncey. Presumably the newly signed Eric Olsen will also suit up on Sunday and David Snow will be on the inactive list. Presumably.

More about David Snow: In 2012, the Bills signed Snow as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Texas. He was on Buffalo's practice squad, promoted to the active roster, and appeared in five games for the Bills during the 2012 season. The Bills let him loose at the end of the 2013 training camp.

Anyway, it appears the Steelers are counting on either (or both) Beachum and Adams to be available to play left tackle.  Otherwise, you would think, the Steelers would have signed somebody with tackle experience to at least be in uniform in case either Beachum or Adams get hurt again on Sunday.

Why not promote the practice squad players?
These roster machinations are always a mystery. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls wish somebody would answer a simple question: With two offensive linemen on the practice squad -- tackle Joe Long and guard Chris Hubbard, why did the Steelers go outside the organization to add guys like Butler, Olsen and Snow? Presumably the answer would be the Steelers believe the newly acquired players are better than the guys on the practice squad and would provide more help immediately. Huh.

Which brings us to our final question of the day: Why does the NFL even require a certain number of game-day inactives?  What purpose does that serve?

*As for Rashad Butler, the Post-Gazette reports he remains under contract but is now on the "exempt" list after the Steelers received a roster exemption. What the real story is, we'll likely never know.

Fine Tomlin, but leave the draft picks alone

Mike Tomlin's sideline shenanigans, hijinks, skullduggery and tomfoolery may cost him a six-figure fine from the NFL, but there is also speculation the NFL may take a draft pick away from the Steelers.

Tomlin should be fined. The NFL simply cannot allow coaches or anybody else on the sidelines to pull such stunts. Would Steelers' fans want John Harbaugh or Marvin Lewis doing that sort of stunt? No.

A hefty fine would be appropriate for Tomlin and a deterrent to other coaches -- $100,000 sounds about right. Too much? Not given the furor this week. We'd be surprised, however, if there's a one-game suspension.

And a draft pick? No. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls take issue with the loss of a draft pick. Penalize the coach, but not the franchise. This was not organizational malfeasance (a la Spygate). A six-figure fine on the guy who did it would make the point.

Here's another point about the draft pick: Tomlin is by no means a lame-duck head coach, but what if some future sideline-stepping scalawag were a lame-duck head coach who already knows he won't be around to pay the price of a lost draft pick and, in fact, wouldn't mind hampering his successor's future success?

Leave the draft picks alone.

So, NFL, go ahead and fine him six figures -- it's not our money. But a draft pick? Nuh-uh.

Fernando Velasco

The Steelers' Thanksgiving loss to the Ravens was costly beyond the won-loss record. On Saturday, the team placed starting center Fernando Velasco on injured reserve with a damaged Achilles tendon, ending his season.

Fernando Velasco

Velasco has been stalwart in the middle of an offensive line that finally began to look reasonably cohesive the past few games. Signed off the street after Maurkice Pouncey went on injured reserve following the season opener, Velasco proved he may be better than Pouncey at aspects of the position. Although not as mobile as Pouncey, Velasco may have been better at handling the big nose tackles (such as Baltimore's Haloti Ngata) now so prevalent in the NFL.

Velasco seems reliable, serious about his job, and a quiet source of inspiration for anybody willing to pay attention. Joe Starkey of 93.7-FM The Fan recently aired a poignant interview with Velasco, which is re-capped here in an excellent write-up by Rebecca Rollett on Behind the Steel Curtain.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are pulling for Velasco to return to the Steelers next season, hopefully as starting center.

"Everybody has a story...Everyone has some obstacles along the way, but what doesn't hurt you makes you stronger...I was blessed to have a grandfather who has helped me along the way. I've seen him go to work every day until he was 80-some years old; the only thing I've seen my whole life [from him] has been hard work...That inspired me to always keep working hard, no matter what the situation is, and just trust in the Lord...You can't use excuses in this life, you just take what you get and keep going." 

-- Fernando Velasco

Came up short on that wishbone

Emmanuel Sanders didn't come up 
clutch in the big moments.
Photo credit: Rob Garrett/Getty Images

We can be thankful that Le'Veon Bell emerged with "only" a concussion. Other than that, eh.

Season over.

The Steelers showed a lot of heart but came up short in Thanksgiving's Steelers-Ravens Turkey Bowl.

One question: Why did the Steelers retain Emmanuel Sanders in the off-season? Why?

Sanders topped his first-quarter drop of a long pass right on the numbers by failing to catch another long pass right on the numbers, with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter and looking stupid doing it. Then, Sanders bungled the two-point conversion that would have tied the game.

The Steelers made enough other mistakes to lose on merit. The botched field-goal. Will Johnson's drop on third-and-goal with just over a minute left. Ike Taylor's interference. Big Ben's missed throws.

But Emmanuel Sanders? Ugh.

If the definition of "clutch" is to thrive and get better in the bigger moments, Sanders ain't clutch.

Other Links Worth Checking:

Gene Collier: Steelers' Offense Missing Deep Concept

Steel City Blitz: Opening Drive Set Poor Tone

Bob Smizik: Playoff Hopes Crumble

Dejean Kovacevic: The Steelers' Longest Half-Yard

SI.com: Did Mike Tomlin Intentionally Interfere with Jacoby Jones's Kickoff Return?

Christmas Ape: The Officials' Review of Le'Veon Bell's Concussion was Disgusting

Associated Press: Le'Veon Bell Suffers Vicious Hit

Thanksgiving Game Day 12: Steelers at Baltimore - It's All About the Quarterbacks

Happy Thanksgiving. Many blessings to yinz 'n your'n.

For a match-up of 5-6 teams, tonight's game between the Steelers and Ravens features has some juice. Never mind that the loser will have no chance at the playoffs.

Tonight's game is all about the two marquee quarterbacks:

• Joe Flacco, the NFL's highest-paid quarterback ($120 million contract), reigning Super Bowl MVP and the focus of much discussion this week because of comments that indicated he was second-guessing his coaching staff 

• Ben Roethlisberger, winner of two Super Bowls and the focus of much discussion just a few weeks ago because of speculation he might be on the way out of Pittsburgh at some point in the semi-near future  

Flacco made headlines this week because of comments expressing that he was dissatisfied with having been used as a decoy receiver in Wildcat formations during last Sunday's win over the Jets.

“I don’t like that stuff,” Flacco said Tuesday. “I think it makes you look like a high school offense.”

That's his opinion, and he's entitled to it. Flacco's observation seems pretty innocuous to Joey Porter's Pit Bulls.

Yet Flacco's comments provoked surprisingly widespread discussion on ESPN, the NFL Network, PFT, on blogs and sports talk shows across the nation. For once, the drama wasn't about Big Ben, and for that, Steelers' fans can be thankful.

The ensuing media firestorm surrounding Flacco's off-the-cuff remarks struck us as a needless tempest in the proverbial teapot. Even so, Flacco was widely viewed as second-guessing his coaches. It's clear the coaches tried the Wildcat for a few plays simply to show a different look and provide a spark to an offense that has struggled all season. No big deal, right?

It became a big, deal, however, and maybe that's because of the way Flacco presents himself. From a distance, observing only his public persona by what we see through the cameras, Flacco is a bit hard to read. Is he charismatic? Not very, or at least he doesn't seem to be.

In fact, he seems aloof and uncomfortable with being in the spotlight ... and, possibly, with his teammates, none of whom backed him, at least in public statements. One thing for sure: This was a distraction the Ravens' coaches did not want or need two days before what amounts to an elimination game against their biggest rivals.

A less-than-mediocre season, at best
Flacco doesn't seem like he's having much fun, that's for sure. Another thing for sure: He's not having a good season.

As noted in by Jeff Zrebiec in The Baltimore Sun:

"The Ravens are no stranger to Flacco speaking his mind on different issues affecting the offense. ... However, the latest comment comes at a time where Flacco is having statistically the worst season of his career. He has already set a career-high with 14 interceptions, the same number of touchdown passes that he has. He ranks fifth in the league in interceptions, 14th in passing yards (2,742), 25th in yards per attempt (6.8), 15th in yards per game (249) and 29th in quarterback rating (76.8)."

That is not what the Ravens envisioned when they awarded Flacco that $120 million contract following the team's Super Bowl victory. It's a mediocre season, at best, for any NFL-caliber quarterback, but that's only part of the story -- albeit a major part.

Flacco's performance this year and particularly his griping this week, have once again raised questions and lingering doubts about him and his leadership capabilities, doubts which never seem to have fully evaporated even in the wake of his Super Bowl victory less than 10 months ago.

Tonight, Flacco has a chance to quell those questions and doubts at least temporarily. And the Steelers have a chance to bury him. 

Enjoy.

• Game footnote, courtesy of the Post-Gazette: "Eight of the past 10 meetings (between the Steelers and Ravens) have been decided by three points. In those eight games, each team has scored a combined 139 points, an average of 17 points per game."

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

Enjoy your turkey, your fixings, your turkey bowl, your football, all of it. Appreciate, enjoy, express gratitude, and, if possible, give somebody a helping hand.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls gotta send a shout-out to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, Animal Friends, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the list goes on and on.  Lots of ways to help.

And, in the spirit of this holiday, because the following is so much better than anything we can write, here is the classic Big Daddy Drew’s Thanksgiving Itinerary, posted Thanksgiving Eve 2006, on Kissing Suzy Kolber.

Almost Game Day Already

The Steelers have beaten only one good quarterback this season and, on Thanksgiving Day, thank heaven, they get the chance to beat him again.

Joe Flacco, reigning Super Bowl MVP and owner of a $120.6 million contract, hasn't had a great season. He's thrown as many interceptions (14) as touchdowns, plus he's taken 37 sacks and coughed up six fumbles. Flacco's chronic inconsistency has prompted grumbling and second-guessing in Baltimore.

Fingertips: Jacoby Jones's 66-yard TD catch 
vs. Ed Reed and the Jets last Sunday

Still, though, Flacco throws the deep pass as well as any quarterback in the NFL, and his two long touchdown passes on a windy day in Baltimore were picture-perfect, never mind that he was fortunate to have Jacoby Jones and Torrey Smith make excellent finger-tip, over-the-shoulder grabs in extended stride. It's a game of inches, and such are the plays on which games turn.

By the same token, it should be noted, Ben Roethlisberger was fortunate to have Detroit's Rashean Mathis and DeAndre Levy drop possible interceptions a week ago Sunday, just as Ike Taylor dropped two passes from Matt Stafford. That's part of the reason why guys like Mathis and Taylor are defensive players, and guys like Jones, Smith and the Steelers' own Antonio Brown are wide receivers. The receivers actually catch the ball, more often than not, when it hits their hands.

Back to Flacco: As The Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston wrote,

"Flacco has his issues, but he is still in the Top 10 as far as quarterbacks, a notch below Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady, but right up there with quarterbacks like Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers."

Flacco's been up-and-down and off-and-on this season, so nobody can be sure which Joe Flacco will show up on Thursday. For no reason at all, we expect it will be the good Joe Flacco.

While the Steelers this year have beaten only one really good quarterback (Flacco), they've also lost to just one really good quarterback (Tom Brady).

The Steelers have lost to the following quarterbacks this season: Jake Locker (?!), Andy Dalton, Jay Cutler, Matt Cassell (?!!), Terrelle Pryor (?!!!) and Tom Brady.

Hopefully, on Thanksgiving Day, their resurgent defense will make a turkey out of Joe Flacco and the Ravens.

For the record, the motley collection of quarterbacks the Steelers have beaten this year are: rookie Geno Smith, Flacco, rookie E.J. Manuel, Matt Stafford (four more picks last Sunday) and the Browns' grotesque combination of Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden.

Cleveland QB Brandon Weeden fumbles.

Speaking of which: Cleveland fans must rue the memory of April 24, 2004, when the Browns used the sixth overall pick of the NFL draft to select tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr. instead of Roethlsiberger, whom the Steelers selected with the 11th overall pick.

Roethlisberger is now 16-1 against the Browns and has helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls. Cleveland has not had more than five wins in a season since 2007, Winslow is hanging on with the Jets, and the Browns worked out Caleb Hanie as yet another backup-quarterback candidate off the street.

As Cleveland columnist Chris Fedor observed on Monday, "Yesterday's loss against Pittsburgh seems to have been the breaking point. Any hope that still remained, any excitement that was leftover from the Baltimore win three weeks ago has been zapped away."

All of which makes us thankful this Thanksgiving, once again, that we were born Steelers' fans instead of Browns' fans. 

Nov. 22, 1963: A Tipping Point

Like Dec. 7, 1941 and Sept. 11, 2001,
Nov. 22, 1963 was one of those days.

If you're ever in Dallas, we recommend
that you make time to visit the
Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

Look out. Cleveland.

Here we go again. Twice a year for the past 50 years or so.

Cleveland. The Browns.

Last Sunday, a Cleveland team that had seemed to be on the rise reverted to being the Browns. Despite cornerback Joe Haden intercepting two Andy Dalton passes and returning one for a touchdown, and despite limiting the Bengals to one third-down conversion in 14 attempts, the Browns still managed to surrender 41 points, including 31 in the second quarter.

You think the Steelers had a bad second quarter when they let the Lions score 27 points? The Browns out-did that, allowing the Bengals to score 31 points vs. zero for the Browns -- despite Cleveland controlling the clock for 11 minutes, 18 seconds to Cincinnati's 3:42.  How does that possibly happen?

Send in the Clowns.

Cleveland had two punts blocked, one returned for a touchdown. The Browns coughed up a fumble, which was returned for a touchdown. And quarterback Jason Campbell was terrible.

Campbell had played well the previous two weeks but was nursing bruised ribs, although he claimed they didn't affect him. Against the Bengals, he tossed three interceptions, had a pass batted down at the line and missed a wide-open Jordan Cameron in the end zone.

On the road in miserable conditions rainy and windy, the Browns coaches for some reason had Campbell throw the ball 56 times. He completed 27 of those 56 attempts (less than 50 percent).

The three picks, combined with the two blocked punts and fumble returned for a touchdown buried the Browns.

On Sunday, the Steelers will be in Cleveland. Wacky things happen in Cleveland.

Buried in Cleveland last Nov. 25th

We all remember last year's Calamity in Cleveland, Nov. 25th, when the Steelers committed eight turnovers, including five fumbles lost (eight fumbles altogether). Charlie Batch threw three horrific interceptions and had more than a few off-target throws. The Steelers committed stupid, ill-timed penalties, dropped passes, managed just 49 yards rushing, and were one-for-nine on third down. It was ugly as ugly gets.

Granted, there's been a lot of roster turnover on both teams since then. The Browns have actually played pretty good defense for most of this season, but their offense has been erratic at best.

With both teams at 4-6, this is a pivotal game for both the Browns and Steelers. There's no predicting this one, except Lake Effect Snow is forecast for Sunday in Cleveland.

It's likely to be messy and ugly. It's Browns-Steelers.

For those of you criticizing Ike Taylor for not tackling Calvin Johnson ...

For those of you criticizing Steeler cornerback Ike Taylor for failing to tackle Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson on the 79-yard touchdown in the second quarter of Sunday's 37-27 Steelers win over the Lions, all we have to say is ... 

Look at the man.  You try to tackle him. That guy's gotta be tough to bring down.

Guess which one is Calvin Johnson?

That photo was taken after the game when Johnson and Steeler wide receiver Antonio Brown swapped jerseys in a show of mutual respect and good sportsmanship.

No disrespect to Antonio Brown. We're glad he's a Steeler. And, by all appearances AB is put together; he looks reasonably solid.

But Calvin Johnson? For someone listed as 6'5" and 245 pounds, he sure looks bigger. He stands literally head and shoulders above Brown (no disrespect, AB).

So, for anybody criticizing Ike Taylor, just imagine you're a defensive back; you try to tackle Johnson.

Watching Johnson in person must make Ben Roethlisberger wonder what it would be like to have him as a target -- in addition to Brown, of course. Antonio Brown happens to lead the NFL in number of catches this year. He is a fine receiver, and he had an excellent game on Sunday with seven catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

But Johnson? That guy is Megatron: a true No. 1 receiver, and the most imposing receiver in the game.

How the Steelers Won
No turnovers. That's a big part of it.

Plus, Matt Stafford ain't all that. And Jim Schwartz most certainly is no Bill Bellichick.

Note to Jim Schwartz:  Nobody, but nobody, suggested you were "scared."

Stupid, maybe; but not scared.

Steelers Defeat Lions to Improve to 4-6

Antonio Brown on his way to a first-quarter touchdown.
(photo credit: Gene Puskar, AP)

It was a tale of two halves.

After allowing the Detroit Lions 27 points and nearly 400 yards in the first half, the Steelers' defense yielded zero points and only 72 yards throughout the entire second half.

Somebody made adjustments. The offense came to life, too.  In the fourth quarter, Ben Roethlisberger completed 10 of 13 passes, including two touchdowns.

On the day, Roethlisberger was 29-45 for 367 yards passing, four touchdowns and, most crucially no turnovers. No interceptions; no fumbles; just one sack taken. He operated out of the no-huddle much of the day and seemed extremely comfortable doing it. For all we know, he called his own plays all day.

On the other side, Matt Stafford threw an interception, Detroit lost two fumbles, and the Steelers had two sacks (by Jason Worilds and Ziggy Hood).

The Turning Point: "Either a Lot of Faith or No Respect"
Early in the fourth quarter, on 4th and five and with a chance to increase a four-point lead to seven, Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz either showed a lot of faith in his defense or no respect to the Steelers' offense when he called for a fake field goal that ended with the Steelers taking over the ball at their own three-yard line. Sixteen plays, eight minutes and 97 yards later, the Steelers had taken the lead and the momentum.

For the day, the Steelers won time of possession (32:16) and had just four penalties for 23 yards.

Antonio Brown's second TD in the first half.

Although the offensive line had trouble opening holes for the running backs, kudos to them for protecting Roethlisberger.  The Lions took him down for just one sack.

Antonio Brown had seven catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Detroit's Calvin Johnson had six catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns.

As for the running game, there is room for improvement. The Steelers managed just four first downs rushing. As a team, the Steelers managed just 1.5 yards per carry (40 yards net rushing) on 27 rushing attempts. Running back Le'Veon Bell had little running room and gained just 36 yards on 18 carries.

For the record, Detroit doesn't play in Pittsburgh very often but still hasn't won in the Steel City since 1955. The so-called Curse of Bobby Layne continues.

All in all, a good day. Next game: At Cleveland.