Brian Hoyer has marginalized Johnny Football

Brian Hoyer (No. 3), on the Steelers'
practice field with Charlie Batch (No. 16), in 2012

Sunday will be Brian Hoyer's last day as a 28-year-old.

Born Oct. 13, 1985, the former Steeler will take the field as the undisputed on-field leader of the Cleveland Browns. And, if a team with a 2-2 record can be perceived as an upstart, it is this year's Browns, and that is largely due to Hoyer.

The world no longer waits with bated breath for Johnny Manziel. Unless he does something stupid that lands him on TMZ between now and Sunday afternoon, America's breathless fascination with Johnny Football has ebbed.

The cool, level-headed play of Hoyer, the sober one of the two quarterbacks, has quelled virtually all talk of Manziel taking over as Browns' starting quarterback anytime soon.

Brian Hoyer

Hoyer's been more than solid. He ranks ninth among NFL quarterback in Quarterback Rating, at 97.3, which is not far off Ben Roethlisberger's sixth-rated 100.1.

Hoyer has completed 82 of 132 passes (62.1%). Roethlisberger has completed 122 of 177 passes (68.9%).

Keeping in mind that the Browns have played just four games vs. five games played by the Steelers ... Why in the name of Todd Haley have the Browns averaged more points than the Steelers?

Yes, the Browns have scored 25.8 points per game vs. Pittsburgh's 22.8 points per game.

The one thing that concerns us about this game is that Cleveland has a superior offensive line. Their O-line gets a good push for the running game and typically sets a clean pocket for Hoyer, who is decisive and releases the ball quickly. He doesn't take many sacks (just five in four games, vs. Roethlisberger's 15 in five games), and he makes good decisions. He's thrown just one interception in four games and hasn't fumbled.

On defense, though, Cleveland's surrendered more points than Pittsburgh: 26.3 vs. the Steelers' 21.6 points per game allowed.

Looking at stats and numbers all day can make your head spin. They can also lead to misleading conclusions.

Long-suffering Cleveland fans have every right to be excited about the direction of their team. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls suspect they are going to be disappointed on Sunday when the overly amped Browns make too many mistakes and find a way to lose to the Steelers on a windy day in Cleveland.

It says here the Steelers will win in Cleveland. On Monday, Brian Hoyer's 29th birthday will not be entirely candles and cake.

A Crossroads Game

There may not be a more fascinating contest in the NFL this season. The Steelers vs. Browns on Sunday in Cleveland is sure to be full of intensity, drama and twists 'n turns nobody can predict.

This is a crossroads game for the Browns. Win, and they may confidently build on the momentum they've gained so far this year. Lose, and it's more of the same ole same old.

It's a pivotal game for the Steelers, too. Todd Haley's offense MUST score more than 10 points, which is all they managed in Jacksonville. That's ridiculous.

And Dick LeBeau's defense must withstand an aggressive uptempo, no-huddle offense fueled by Cleveland's impressive running game. As noted previously on Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, the Browns are No Longer a Running Joke.

The Browns run the ball even when they are way down on the scoreboard.

Fueled by their running game, the Browns have proven the ability come back from large deficits: 24 points in Pittsburgh and 25 points in Nashville. In last Sunday's game vs. the Titans, Cleveland ran the ball 25 times after they'd fallen behind by 25 points. Their run/pass ratio for the game was balanced: 36 runs and 37 passes.

• In Jacksonville, Steelers' running backs had 25 rushing attempts, and Ben Roethlisberger dropped back to pass 41 times, which includes five sacks and 35 pass attempts.

• Against Tampa Bay, Steelers' running backs had 24 carries, and Ben Roethlisberger dropped back 45 times, including five sacks.

• In the convincing win over Carolina, the running backs (Bell and Blount) had 31 carries, and Ben Roethlisberger dropped back 31 times. An even 50-50.

Which Team Runs More?
For all the talk about Cleveland's commitment to the run and Todd Haley's spotty run/pass ratios, it should be noted: Pittsburgh has more rushing attempts than Cleveland: 136 (11th in the NFL) to 127 (17th in the NFL) this year.

Questions abound: Which team on Sunday will be more successful running the ball? Will Roethlisberger exploit a Cleveland secondary likely to give substantial playing time rookie Justin Gilbert, the first-rounder who has been less than impressive so far, even according to Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine?

Lots of questions, but one thing is certain: The Steelers' offense MUST put more than 10 points on the scoreboard.

How different things might be today ...

Think how different things might be today if the Steelers had not released quarterback Brian Hoyer on Dec. 8, 2012.

Considering the Steelers had just signed Hoyer two-and-a-half weeks earlier, on Nov. 20, it was a curious move, but Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin felt they just had to have an extra defensive back for depth in an ailing secondary.

Quick quiz: Who was that extra defensive back the Steelers added to the roster on Dec. 8, 2012? That was the day they released Hoyer.

Josh Victorian, in a Steelers uniform in 2012

It was Josh Victorian, who was released just yesterday by the Detroit Lions to make room for somebody named Mike Harris, a cornerback promoted from Detroit's practice squad. And if you know anything about Detroit's secondary this year, well, getting released by the Lions at this point cannot bode well for Mr. Victorian's future in the NFL.

Victorian, dreadlocks and all, wore No. 35 for the Steelers during those last four games of the 2012 season, three of which were losses.

He got in on 10 tackles. The three losses started the very next day after the Steelers released Hoyer: Horrifically, to the Chargers at home in the snow; to the Cowboys at Dallas, where Tony Romo absolutely lit up the Pittsburgh secondary; and also an ugly last-minute loss to the Bengals at Heinz Field. We have vague but unpleasant memories of Victorian struggling in those losses, particularly against the Chargers.

What may have happened had the Steelers kept Hoyer and released another player instead from that roster?

Who knows? Maybe Bruce Gradkowski would be the starting quarterback for the Browns on Sunday instead of Hoyer. Maybe even Johnny Manziel?

One thing is certain, though: The Browns wouldn't be enjoying the resurgence of hope and spark of life Hoyer has injected into that long-dormant, miserable life form of a franchise. Hoyer's played extremely well this year and has quieted virtually all talk of Johnny Football taking over. In four games this year, Hoyer has been crisp and efficient, completing 62.1% of his passes, throwing just one interception and getting sacked just five times. His QB rating is 97.7. He's thrown for 1,008 yards.

Just for fun, check out the series of roster moves the Steelers made during that ill-fated 2012 season, courtesy of Wikipedia:

• On September 7, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers signed free agent (CB) DeMarcus Van Dyke to a 1-year contract.^[39]

• On October 16, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers signed (DE) Corbin Bryant to the active roster, signed (G) Jacques McClendon to the practice squad and released (TE) Jamie McCoy.^[40]

• On October 16, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers suspended (NT) Alameda Ta'amu for two games.^[41]

• On October 20, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers promoted (OL) John Malecki to the active roster and released (DE) Corbin Bryant.^[42]

• On October 27, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers promoted (S) Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith to the active roster and released (OL) John Malecki.^[43]

• On October 29, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers reinstated (NT) Alameda Ta'amu.^[44]

• On October 31, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers released (S) Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith.^[45]

• On November 12, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers promoted (WR) David Gilreath to the active roster and released (NT) Alameda Ta'amu.^[46]

• On November 15, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers promoted (LB) Marshall McFadden to the active roster and signed (TE) Jamie McCoy to the practice squad.^[47]

• On November 20, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers signed unrestricted free agent (WR) Plaxico Burress and free agent (QB) Brian Hoyer to 1-year contracts and also released (RB) Baron Batch and (LB) Marshall McFadden.^[48]

• On November 26, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers promoted (OL) John Malecki to the active roster and released (WR) David Gilreath.^[49]

• On December 8, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers promoted (CB) Josh Victorian to the active roster and released (QB) Brian Hoyer.^[50]

• On December 11, 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers suspended (RB) Rashard Mendenhall for one game for conduct detrimental to the team and promoted (RB) Baron Batch to the active roster.^[51]

Credit Where Credit is Due

We take it back. In the week preceding the season opener, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls asserted the Cleveland Browns weren't built to come from behind.

We were wrong, clearly, in the wake of the Browns' 24-point second-half rally at Heinz Field and also in light of this past Sunday's 29-28 win in Nashville, where the Browns scored the biggest comeback by a road team in NFL history, coming from 25 points behind to beat the Titans.

How wrong we were. In their first four games, the Browns have trailed by an average of 9.8 points at halftime in each game this year. Yet they gave the Steelers all they could handle; they beat the Saints; they battled the Ravens till the very end; and they gave the Titans more than they could handle.  It turns out the Browns can play catch-up in the second half of games. Who knew?

Karlos Dansby's fumble recovery in Week 1

If their first four games are an accurate indication, Cleveland has a resilient, determined team that is mentally and physically tough. How did that happen, besides the influence of first-year head coach Mike Pettine?

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have always liked linebacker Karlos Dansby and safety Donte Whitner, the two big free-agent signings this past off-season. These two have added veteran leadership, grit, passion, tenacity, determination and toughness to an otherwise anonymous defense that's been developing young talent for the past two or three years. Dansby and Whitner lead the Browns in tackles, with 31 and 30, respectively.

Travis Benjamin, after a TD at Heinz Field, Week 1

On offense, who would have figured the team could consistently battle back from second-half deficits without star wide receiver Josh Gordon. In stepped Travis Benjamin, fresh off a year lost to an ACL injury, and he has been a revelation so far this season. He caught the game-tying touchdown in Pittsburgh and the game-winner in Nashville. He's good.

Without Gordon, we wouldn't have figured Brian Hoyer to try to throw deep very often. But he's not been shy about going deep, even if only to keep defenses honest. Benjamin's speed helps in that department.

No Longer a Running Joke 
Another surprising thing about the Browns is the success of their running game. They racked up a staggering 191 yards on the ground vs. the Steelers, including runs of 29 and 25 yards, and 6.1 yards per rush. They've been running ever since. The Browns rank fourth in the NFL in rushing at 143.2 yards per game. The Steelers are seventh in rushing, at 137.2 yards per game -- and why the Steelers' pass/run ratio went back to out-of-whack mode last Sunday is another topic for another day.

We saw in the season opener that the Browns would run the ball even when they're behind. One reason they are willing to do that is they have an excellent offensive line. They haven't been afraid to flex their muscles behind Pro Bowlers Joe Thomas and Alex Mack, veteran guard John Greco and rookie standout Joel Bittonio,  from Nevada, who has stepped in at guard as if he's a younger Logan Mankins.

On Sunday, the Steelers are going to have to prove they can stop the run. The converse is true, too: The Browns are going to have to stop the Steelers' running game. It will be interesting to see who is more committed to sticking with the run.

Non-issue

Shrug. The contrived kerfuffle over Ben Roethlisberger's final pass to Antonio Brown last Sunday is so much needless noise. Who cares? It's no big deal.

The radio show hosts who are beating this topic to death seem to be grasping at straws to manufacture a controversy that isn't there. To Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, the play selection is a non-issue, and we are neither agitated nor excited about it. There are other, more important things to concentrate on, starting with the Cleveland Browns.

Escape From Jacksonville

Brice McCain's decisive interception return.
Photo credit: Jacksonville Times-Union.

Until Brice McCain's fourth-quarter interception return for a touchdown, Sunday's game in Jacksonville was beginning to take on the eerily familiar look of prior games where the Steelers allowed an inferior team to hang around, and hang around, like Tampa Bay last week and Cleveland in Week One, and too many other such teams in recent years, including Miami, Oakland and Minnesota last year.

Brice McCain

McCain's Pick-Six turned a shaky one-point lead into the eight-point margin of the final score (the Vegas spread was eight-and-a-half; amazing how they do that). Coming as it did with 11:40 left in the fourth quarter and immediately following a sack/strip fumble recovery by Jacksonville, McCain's interception gave the Steelers some much-needed breathing room. It was beginning to look like the Steelers were setting themselves up to be knocked down.

That familiar sickly feeling was brought on mainly because the Steelers' offense managed only 10 points against a Jacksonville defense on pace to surrender an NFL-record number of points in a season. What's up with that? Why the offense couldn't put more points on the board against a Jacksonville defense that had surrendered an average of 38 points a game in its previous four games is a question for Mike Tomlin, Todd Haley and Ben Roethliserger -- and we probably won't get any kind of satisfactory answer.

That familiar feeling of letting a team hang around was also due in part because the Steelers committed seven penalties for 50 yards. Four of those penalties were on special teams, including three by ST captain Robert Golden. What will Mike Tomlin do about that?

And what will Tomlin do about wide receiver Lance Moore? In a fit of pique following his only catch of the day, Moore spiked the ball (an NFL officiating no-no) and appeared to angrily gesticulate at Steelers' coaches on the sideline -- presumably for lack of playing time over the first quarter of the season, almost as if to say, "I'm here; this is what I can do and why I signed with this team!" But Moore's move was exactly the sort of stupidity that Tomlin last week stated emphatically cannot happen and will not be tolerated, coming as it did in the wake of the loss to Tampa, in which the Steelers racked up 11 penalties, including a rash of post-snap fouls.

Cortez Allen's interception

An Inferior Opponent
For all that, we saw many of the reasons why Jacksonville is 0-5 and has lost eight straight games. The Jaguars missed tackles, dropped passes, made too many miscues and couldn't finish drives.

At times, they looked respectable, and the Jaguars do have some talented individual players. Quarterback Blake Bortles is one of those, although he made some rookie mistakes. On his fatal fourth-quarter interception, it appeared he was expecting fellow rookie Allen Hurns, his intended target, to stop his route just as Bortles released the ball. Instead, Hurns kept running upfield, McCain stepped in front of  the pass, and that was the turning point in the game.

Otherwise, Bortles played fairly impressively, especially considering that his offense featured seven rookies. Rookies make mistakes and are not always on the same page, and that was evident yesterday. Hurns dropped three passes and committed a penalty. Fellow rookie receiver Allen Robinson left plays on the field and didn't play to his athleticism.

Bortles is going to be a good one, though, and the Jaguars were lucky Bortles lasted until the fifth pick of the second round. He's got a bright future in the NFL, and why Cleveland chose Johnny Manziel over Bortles is a head-scratcher. Bortles has the look of a franchise quarterback.

Questions Remain
As for the Steelers, lots of questions remain. Why is the offense so disjointed? Why couldn't the offense finish drives and do better than one score in four red zone appearances? Why did the offense score only 10 points despite accumulating 35 minutes and 17 seconds time of possession? Why did the Steelers allow four sacks? To his credit, as usual, Roethlisberger absolved his line of any blame; still, the O-line was not dominant.

Le'Veon Bell, stepping out

Some Good Things
On the plus side, Heath Miller was his steady, reliable outstanding self. Both LeGarrette Blount and Le'Veon Bell did some good things. Antonio Brown was his exciting, playmaking self.

Ben Roethlisberger spread the ball around to 11 receivers, which we understand is an NFL record. Repeat: Eleven receivers caught passes. That's impressive. And Roethlisberger completed 15 of his last 17 passes.

Also on the plus side, on the defensive side of the ball, Cortez Allen stepped up his game, finally, with an interception, three passes defensed and seven tackles. Lawrence Timmons led the defense with seven tackles. Jason Worilds had a sack and three tackles-for-loss even if he seemed to be largely invisible for much of the game. As a unit, though, the front seven was so-so, and Steelers' fans wouldn't be blamed for thinking Jags' linebacker Paul Posluszny (Aliquippa/Hopewell; Penn State) would look good in a Steeler uniform.

At the end of the proverbial day, a win is a win, and Steeler Nation is glad the Black 'n Gold escaped from stinkin' Jacksonville with one in the win column when all was said and done. The Steelers were able to close the deal, finally.

Next game: At Cleveland, 1 p.m., next Sunday, Oct. 12th. The Browns, by the way, scored the biggest comeback by road team in NFL history, coming from an NFL-record 25 points behind to beat the Titans in Nashville. They're going to be psyched to take on the Steelers. If the Steelers show up like they should, it will be a Dog Fight in the Dawg Pound.

A Stinker of a First Half in Jacksonville

The first half was nearly unwatchable.

Holy cow, NFL football has gotten bad, what with the penalties, the commercial interruptions, the saccharine announcing on television, the stinko quality of football, the lousy officiating, and the lack of basic football fundamentals executed with any sort of regularity on the field.

The Steelers are going to have to get their act together in a hurry, if they are going to beat the Browns in Cleveland next week. At the moment, the Steelers lead Jacksonville by a halftime score of 10-6. Jacksonville's offense features seven rookies. Its defense has surrendered an average of 38 points per game this season, which is an historically wretched pace. How the Steelers are leading this team by only four points ...  

First sign of trouble: The defense couldn't and didn't get off the field on Jacksonville's first drive, which consumed a whopping eight minutes.

Second sign of trouble: Penalty on special-teams captain Robert Golden, on Jacksonville's kickoff following their field goal on the game-opening drive.

More red zone woes on offense: Early in the second quarter, the Steelers had to settle for a three instead of seven when Roethlisberger got planted on third down. Nobody was open.

On the kickoff following the Steelers' field goal, another penalty: Second quarter, with 12:30 left, Antwon Blake jumps offside (!) on the Steelers' kickoff (??!!!).  And this was a penalty that was especially hurtful because Blake's penalty off-set a personal foul penalty by the Jags. On the re-kick, Shawn Suisham somehow lofted a short kick that was fair-caught (?) for excellent field position for Jacksonville. Next play, two penalties were called on Jax, accepted; next play, another penalty on the Jags, negating what would have been a first down on what should have been a great catch by rookie Allen Hurns.

Next play, on second-and-28, Bortles launched a long pass to Penn State rookie Allen Robinson who somehow allowed himself to be outmaneuvered by the much shorter Cortez Allen, who intercepted the ball. Bortles and the Jags' coaches probably figure the result is about the same as a punt. The Steelers take over on their 45. Three and out. Brad Wing's punt goes into the end zone.

Holy cow, this game is a stinker.

For as bad as Jacksonville's defense has been this season -- and we're talking NFL-historically bad, as in being on a pace to surrender the most points in NFL-history bad -- how is it that the Steelers' offense couldn't put up more than three points until two minutes were left in the first half?

The Jags' personnel on defense contains some solid veterans. Linebacker Paul Posluszny is very good. So are Red Bryant and linebacker Chris Clemons, who signed from Seattle as off-season free agents. Never mind that. The Steelers should be pounding this team.

What's the problem?

The Steelers once again appear to be playing down to the level of the competition. This has been a recurring pattern for the past few years.  Okay, that's it for the first half. The Steelers' offense is two-for-six on third down.

Hopefully, the second half will be better -- hopefully, the Steelers will be better. Stay tuned.

Game 5: Steelers at Jacksonville

The approach to lovely downtown Jacksonville, Fla.

Everybody said the same thing before last week's game: The Steelers should beat this team.

Last week, it was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had lost six consecutive regular-season games. Today, it's the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have lost seven straight.

Anybody should beat this Jacksonville team. The 2014 Jaguars are giving up an average of 38 points per game. They've lost every game by at least 17 points. The average differential is -23.5 points. The Jags rank last in the NFL in total defense, scoring defense and passing defense. They are on pace to surrender 608 points, which would be an NFL record.

Still, some of the most painful losses in Steelers' history have been to Jacksonville.

For us and many others in Steeler Nation, last week's come-from-ahead loss to the Buccaneers said a lot about this year's edition of the Black 'n Gold. Twenty-five percent of the 2014 season is behind us, and the Steelers are 2-2, on pace to a third straight 8-8 record. Losing to Tampa at home does not bode well for any kind of prospects for a hopeful run the rest of the year.

Jacksonville, Fla.

Yes, the Steelers should have beaten Tampa.

However, as noted on this blog the Wednesday before the Tampa game, "The Steelers should knock the stuffing out of this team, but they'd better be focused and ready. The Steelers aren't good enough to overlook any NFL team."

If the Steelers lose at Jacksonville, the alarm bells turn to panic buttons.

Todd Haley, Now's Your Chance

Over the past 36 games, the Steelers are 18-18, and the offense under Todd Haley has been up-and-down, off and on, hot and cold, and mostly, eh, so-so, during that span. This year has been more of the same: a hot first half vs. Cleveland, cold the next six quarters, clicking on all cylinders in Atlanta, and spotty vs. Tampa Bay.

Ray Mansfield, The Ol' Ranger,
setting the tone.

The mistakes are too many. Justin Brown's dropped pass in the end zone was reminiscent of Derek Moye's dropped pass in the end zone early last year. Haley can't control that sort of thing, and it must be frustrating for him (and for Ben Roethlisberger) to make the perfect play call, get the protection, throw the perfect pass -- and have the young receiver drop it. That's not the coordinator's fault.

The overall tenor and identity of the offense, though, is more or less set by the coordinator, head coach and quarterback. Three years after Haley's arrival, it is fair to say the Steelers still lack a cohesive, consistent identity on offense.

This week's visit to Jacksonville presents a perfect opportunity to set a tone and establish some continuity and a sense of identity.

The Jaguars are on pace to break NFL records for points and yards allowed in a season. That's according to Chris Burke at Si.com, who writes the following:

"The 1981 Baltimore Colts own the dubious distinction of having allowed more points than any team in NFL history: 533, during a 2-14 season. The 2012 Saints defense surrendered more yards than any squad before or since: a staggering 7,042.
The 2014 Jaguars could break both marks. 

"Jacksonville has lost its first four games by an average of 23.5 points, a stat that is embarrassing enough without considering that head coach Gus Bradley is known as a brilliant defensive mind. His team has had trouble proving it. 

"At 38 points allowed per game, the Jaguars are on pace to give up 608 points for the season -- 75 more than that record-setting Colts team. The 451.25 yards-per-game clip the Jaguars defense is allowing stretches out to 7,220 yards over a 16-game season. If there is any silver lining at all, it is that the Jaguars' points and yards allowed have dropped each week, from a 44-point, 529-yard showing by the Eagles in Week 3 to a 33-point, 407-yard effort from San Diego last Sunday."

Fix the Secondary

There is no fix in personnel coming.  At this point, it will have to be up to the Steelers coaches and players to fix the mess that the secondary has become.

Loose coverage, sloppy tackling, missed assignments, poor angles, mental miscues -- the Steelers' corners and safeties have done all of the above with alarming regularity over the course of the first four games this season.

We first saw it in the season opener at home vs. Cleveland. Dick LeBeau has always coached his guys to tackle the catch. His guys missed way too many tackles and let Cleveland receivers run free on their routes and after the catch.

Alarmingly, too, on the touchdown by Travis Benjamin, a smallish second-year speedster, he just flat-out beat Ike Taylor on a simple out route in the end zone. Fast, quick, economical moves -- nothing fancy. Benjamin just beat Taylor, who lost coverage on Benjamin and let him get open in a small space.

But then we saw almost exactly the same play, same part of the field, same result, in the Tampa game, with different players. Vincent Jackson, a tall receiver, used virtually the same route on William Gay. Same result. Gay lost coverage on Jackson and let him get open in a small space. Troy was late to the play, so he was no help and is not to be absolved.

The capper of all plays this season, of course, was the 41-yard fourth-quarter pass to Louis Murphy in Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers.  Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have watched that play over and over, and it it textbook on how NOT to play secondary. Textbook.

Every single player in the secondary screwed up. Watch it closely. You'll see. The corners drifted, seemingly expecting help from safeties who weren't there. Cortez Allen seemed to have a brain cramp for a crucial second there, when Murphy broke inside. And the safeties came up and ... and...  seemed to lose focus ... well, who knows what Mike Mitchell was thinking. He looked lost.

And then, after Murphy caught the ball, he ran free. They didn't tackle him until he meandered way downfield, to the five-yard line to be exact.

The Steelers have to fix the secondary, and fast. Like this week.  If Mike Glennon and Louis Murphy can beat in you on a comeback drive in the fourth quarter at your stadium, you're in trouble.

The Steelers are in trouble.

"We're Pirates." Go, Buccos!

Sending good wishes the Pirates' way. Good vibes are all around this team and, surely, they have "Angels in the Outfield."

Click here to read a remarkable article written about this time last year about manager Clint Hurdle "making a difference daily with words of inspiration," a fine piece written by Tom Friend at ESPN. Highly recommended. As Clint Hurdle likes to say, "We're Pirates."

"Beat 'em, Bucs!" 

At the quarter-pole of the season, what conclusions can we draw?

Looking at the Steelers one quarter of the way through the 2014 season, the first, most obvious thing for all to see is the record. This is a .500 team. The record is 2-2.

Regrettably, .500 is the level the Steelers seem to be settling at long-term, just like the lamentable and not-to-be-emulated Dallas Cowboys. Over the past 36 regular season games, the Steelers are a .500 team (18-18).  That just about constitutes an era.

That is not good.

The other conclusion we might draw, is that the Steelers are not consistently ready to play games. 

This year, unlike the last three years, they appeared ready at the start of the season; but even that may be debatable, considering how they stunk up the second half against Cleveland and came out inexplicably flat at Baltimore. They certainly were not ready to play Tampa Bay. They should have beaten that team, and that is not debatable.

Will they be ready vs. Jacksonville? Historically, that toxic cesspool of a city has not been a friendly place for the Steelers.

The bigger question, long-term, is this: Are the Steelers talented enough to truly compete in the NFL this season? It's debatable.

Some of the players, eh, we're really not sure what the front office and coaching staff see in them. 

Mike Tomlin's press conference today should be a gem.  Or not.  

There's no way to sugarcoat this one

Ben Roethlisberger's lost fumble on the first series.

Losing a fumble on the first possession inside your own 10-yard line. Spotting the opponent a 10-0 lead. Committing 13 penalties for 125 yards. And letting an 0-3 team that's lost six straight games come into your stadium and win a game on a fourth-quarter comeback keyed by a 41-yard catch-and-run by a wide receiver signed off the street during the week on a pass thrown by a second-year quarterback making his first start of the season?

That's bad football.  And losing (once again) to an inferior football team is becoming a hallmark of Mike Tomlin's Steelers.

There's no way to sugarcoat this one. The Steelers are a bad football team. They're averaging 11 penalties a game! That's not a good football team.

Where were the linebackers?  Except for Lawrence Timmons (10 tackles), the linebackers were nowhere.

Where was Jason Worids (one tackle)? Where was Arthur Moats (one tackle)? Sean Spence (three tackles) had trouble keeping up in pass coverage. James Harrison had no tackles in limited action.

Mike Evans beating Cortez Allen

In the secondary, where was safety Mike Mitchell all day? ... especially on that last drive? Cortez Allen is coming up short time and again.

The defense allowed Tampa Bay, of all teams, to convert seven of nine third downs in the second half.

Where was the pass rush? Cam Thomas is a fat slob. The Steelers sacked Mike Glennon once for 15 yards?

Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger got taken down five times for 26 yards. Maurkice Pouncey is over-rated. An illegal snap penalty? Come on, man.

Pouncey said the official told him he moved the ball too much before snapping it. Pouncey does that all the time -- we noticed it earlier in the game and in fact consciously thought, "We thought you weren't supposed to move the ball like that before the snap -- aren't you supposed to be set?" Unfortunately, the zebras called it at the worst possible moment.

Pouncey's ill-timed final-possession gaffe cost a crucial first down that would have allowed the Steelers to kneel on the ball and end the game (ahead). But, no, that penalty led to the next critical mistake, a lousy punt ...

Louis Murphy kills the Steelers, again.
(Photo courtesy of USA Today)

Brad Wing's last punt, a 29-yarder, was a killer, coming up way short of where it needed to be and giving the Bucs excellent field position on the Steelers side of the 50. That did not help.

And then the defense collapsed, which brings us back to the questions, where was the pass rush? ... Where were the safeties? Mike Mitchell? Troy?

Speaking of the kicking game, Tampa's Patrick Murray kicked a 50-yard field goal.  Sean Suisham missed a 50-yard attempt.

This loss stinks, and it looks like it's going to be a long season the rest of way (12 games).

They can beat Jacksonville next week, can't they? Maybe. More worrisome, we're not at all confident the Steelers can beat the Browns in Cleveland the following week. The Browns will be coming off a bye week, playing at home, buoyed by the confidence of their second-half performance against the Steelers in the opener and what they saw the Steelers do on Sunday.

"The bottom line is that we are an undisciplined group." Mike Tomlin said. "We are too highly penalized. Obviously we are not coaching it. We are allowing it to happen. So I take responsibility for that. We are not going to win close football games being penalized in the manner in which we’ve been penalized over the first month of the season. It’s unacceptable. It’s inexcusable."

Well, that's one thing Tomlin got right. "It's inexcusable."

Game Day 4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay's Buccaneers enter Heinz Field today riding a six-game losing streak dating back to last year. The Buccaneers' offense leads the NFL in turnovers, with nine, including five fumbles (three by RB Bobby Rainey).

After missing the past two games, running back Doug Martin returns to action today as the feature back, so the 5'8" Rainey will return to spot duty, mostly on passing downs, although he averaged 5.3 yards per carry in the first three games.

• As a team, Tampa Bay's running backs average 5.0 yards per carry, fifth in the NFL. Coincidentally, Pittsburgh's run defense is surrendering 5.0 yards per carry, 25th in the NFL.

With second-year QB Mike Glennon starting today in place of veteran Josh McKown (out with a torn ligament in his right thumb), the Buccaneers may test Pittsburgh's run defense. Although the Steelers surrendered just 42 yards rushing vs. a Carolina offense that was short of running backs, the Steelers looked vulnerable against the run vs. Baltimore and Cleveland. In three games, the Steelers have allowed 130 yards rushing per game, 22nd in the NFL.

The Steelers' defense still has not intercepted a pass this season, and safeties Mike Mitchell and Troy Polamalu have yet to break up any passes.

In 14 NFL games played, Glennon has thrown nine interceptions and lost three fumbles. Last year, his rookie season, Glennon was sacked 40 times in 13 games.

55 points allowed was not so long ago

Two teams take the field on Sunday at Heinz Field, and it was not so long ago that one of them had 50+ points scored on them.

The Steelers.

Oh, and Tampa Bay's Buccaneers, too, a week ago Thursday, when they lost to Atlanta, 56-14.

But the Steelers let the New England Patriots ring up 55 on them less than 11 months ago, on Nov. 3, 2013. That's just 326 days ago. Granted a lot has happened in those 326 days. Still, though, it wasn't that long ago.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls don't believe the Buccaneers are going to go into Heinz Field and beat the Steelers on Sunday. But you know what happened the week after the Steelers surrendered those 55 points? They won. They beat the Buffalo Bills, 23-10.

The Bucs were horrific in Atlanta, and there's little reason to think they'll give the Steelers much trouble.

The Bucs' problems are many, and they are great. For example, in that 56-14 loss, Tampa was penalized 11 times for 110 yards.

Sound familiar?

The Steelers were assessed 11 penalties in their last game, too, for 91 yards in the win over Carolina. Previously, the Steelers had flags thrown on them nine times for 75 yards in the loss at Baltimore and 11 times for  96 yards in the win they eked out over Cleveland.

In fact, the Steelers rank 31st in the NFL (in front of only San Francisco) in penalties assessed against them. The Bucs rank 14th in that category.

On the plus side for the Steelers, when it comes to punting net yards, thanks to Brad Wing, the Steelers rank in the middle of the pack (16th, with a 42.0 yard net punting average) vs. Tampa Bay, which ranks 31st with an abysmal 34.0 yards net punting average.

The Bucs have imposing receivers, but QB Mike Glennon will need time to throw to them.  He's not likely to get it. Glennon was sacked 40 times last season (of 47 allowed by Tampa). Ben Roethlsberger was sacked 43 times in 2013.

Tampa's QBs have been sacked seven times this year, vs. six this year for Ben Roethlibserger. On the flip side of the ball, Tampa's defense has sacked the QB only four times compared to six by Pittsburgh's defense.

Speaking of those big receivers, 6'5" veteran Vincent Jackson is playing with a hairline fracture to his wrist and will be wearing a brace for the next several weeks. Now, that's a hockey player.

No-Huddle Running Game Coming?

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls wouldn't be surprised to see the Steelers' offense go to no-huddle, hurry-up mode early and often on Sunday at home vs. the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dri Archer, at practice this week,
getting ready for the Buccaneers.

We expect to see much the same approach the Steelers took in their second pre-season game vs. the Buffalo Bills on August 16th at Heinz Field.

One new wrinkle: We suspect the Steelers might do more running plays from no-huddle, shotgun sets. In fact, this may be where we get to see Dri Archer for the first time this regular season.

Tampa Bay runs a base 4-3 defense, with a lot of cover-two, so this will be a good defense to run against from the shotgun in no-huddle mode.

The running game is working. It's time to open it up a little bit and make sure it works in hurry-up mode.

Hey! There's a game on Sunday!

In the wake of the Steelers' dismantling of the Carolina Panthers and in all the excitement of the signing of James Harrison, let's not forget the Steelers play an NFL team on Sunday.

Granted, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been wretched. Led by new head coach Lovie Smith, the Bucs are 0-3, having lost to the Panthers (20-14), the Rams (19-17) and the Falcons (56-14) last Thursday night. The Bucs will be without offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford, who has taken a leave of absence with a medical condition.

If the stinkin' Buccaneers come into Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers .... perish the thought.

Let's not overlook the fact, however, that they are still an NFL team, with some highly paid NFL players.

On offense, the Bucs have some big names -- and big receivers, namely veteran Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, the highly touted first-rounder from May's NFL draft. Other familiar names are guard Logan Mankins, formerly of New England, running back Doug Martin (returning from injury) and veteran QB Josh McKown.

McKown has a thumb injury, however, so the Bucs are expected to start second-year QB Mike Glennon, who actually was pretty good at times last year, although he was sacked 40 times. The Pro Football Writers Association of America named Glennon the NFL's top rookie quarterback.

On defense, the Bucs will be missing defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, a 2013 AP All-Pro, but are expected to have former Bengals' defensive end Michael Johnson, an off-season free agent signee, return from injury. Johnson has given the Steelers (Mike Adams, specifically) fits in the past, but he sounds a little tentative about what's going on in Tampa:

"There isn’t a lot of blitzing,” Johnson said. “We have to generate [the pass-rush] ourselves. That comes with just continuing to work, continuing to learn each other and continuing to just get better week-in and week-out. We’ll get this thing rolling and when we get to rolling, it will be like clockwork. I’m excited to get to that point but like I said it’s a process."

The Steelers should knock the stuffing out of this team, but they'd better be focused and ready. The Steelers aren't good enough to overlook any NFL team.

Return of the Silverback

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

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

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

No doubt, he's baaad.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now That's More Like It

Run the ball and stop the run. The Steelers racked up 264 yards on the ground and begrudged just 42 yards rushing against them in Sunday night's 37-19 win over the Carolina Panthers before thousands of Steelers' fans clad in Black 'n Gold in Charlotte, N.C.

This was a major win for the Steelers, and one they needed. A road win vs. a solid opponent early in the season.

There's plenty of time to quibble over some things that can be fixed (penalties) and worry about other things that maybe can't be fixed this year (injuries; lack of talent and depth at some positions), but make no mistake: This was a perfect game for the Steelers to make a statement, and they did, with an exclamation mark.

It was only the third game of the year, but for the Steelers to even be considered to be contenders, this was a game they had to win.  We thought they would win, and naturally we're glad they did.

Next up: Tampa Bay. Time to get on a roll.

Game Day 3: Steelers at Carolina Panthers

There is no reason the Steelers should not win this game. The only thing stopping the Steelers is themselves.

That, and a lack of talent at several key positions. No, seriously, the Steelers should win tonight's game against the South/North Carolina Panthers. Of course, though, should win in one thing. Actual winning is something else.

The Steelers are 17-17 over their past 34 games. The Panthers have gone 13-1 in their past 14 games.

The Carolina defense has played well in that span, surrendering an average of 14.6 points per game and helping the team to a +17 turnover differential. On offense, the Panthers haven't turned the ball over this season.

Kelvin Benjamin 

On offense, the Panthers rely heavily on tight end Greg Olson, who has the ability to torture the Steelers in the same manner Owen Daniels did in Baltimore. Olson leads the Panthers with 14 receptions for an 11.2 yards-per-catch average.

Then, too, there's 6'5" rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who poses a potential matchup problem for the Steelers' corners. Benjamin has a 17.3 yard average on eight receptions in two games.

To thwart the Panthers' offense, the Black 'n Gold Defense must do two things they haven't done well at all lately: Force turnovers and sack the quarterback. The defense has generated no turnovers this season and has just three sacks.

Last week, Carolina's opponent, the Detroit Lions sacked quarterback Cam Newton five times, but Newton didn't turn the ball over in leading the Panthers to a convincing 24-7 win. Newton was an efficient 22-of-34 passing for 284 yards and one touchdown.

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers' defense forced three Detroit turnovers. Pittsburgh right tackle Marcus Gilbert will have his hands full with a mobile, fast and aggressive rotation of defensive ends and linebackers coming at him. How well he holds up will be one key to this game.

If Gilbert does his job, and if the Steelers protect the ball on offense and force turnovers on defense, the Steelers should win this game.

That sounds like a lot of "ifs," but Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are calling it: The Steelers win this game.

This is the kind of game the Steelers used to win

A measuring-stick kind of game, and a good road test to see what kind of team the Steelers really are in 2014. That's what they have on Sunday night vs. a Carolina Panthers team that has gone 13-1 in its last 14 games (best in the NFL).

The Panthers lay in wait with a very good defense that has gathered six turnovers so far this season and has enabled Carolina to register a +17 turnover differential since Oct 13th. On offense, the Panthers seem to have just enough to get by, but with a defense that has allowed just 14.6 points per game over their last 14, the offense doesn't have to do much.

Luke Kuechly, tearing it up.

Carolina plays a base 4-3 defense anchored by third-year middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, and second-year defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (6'2", 320), who is everything the Detroit Lions probably hoped they were getting with Ndamukong Suh, the second overall pick in the 2012 draft. Both Kuechly and Lotulelei are fierce and mobile, and it's doubtful the Panthers would trade Lotulelei for Suh if given the option.

Many in Steeler Nation took encouragement from the Steelers' 6-2 record down the stretch in 2013, even if it included that inexcusable loss to the Miami Dolphins at home in the snow on Dec. 8th.  Still, 6-2 is 6-2. But 8-8 is 8-8, which is the record the Steelers have had the past two years. Not good.

This test in Charlotte will be a good game by which to measure the 2014 Steelers. If they can win on the road vs. a team that's gone 13-1 in its past 14 games, then we might begin to feel reasonably confident this year's edition of the Black 'n Gold is one to take seriously. If they lose, however, it will begin to look like more of the same of what we've seen the past two years and take on the look of an uphill struggle to the playoffs.

This is a big game for the Steelers. Although it's early in the season, it's later than you think.

The Odoriferous North/South Carolina Panthers

Which is it? North or South? Or is "it" just "Carolina"?

This is the franchise that counts among its alumni Rae Carruth who is in prison today for attempting to hire a hit man to murder his pregnant girlfriend. Today's Carolina Panthers are paying the execrable Greg Hardy about $777,000 to not play this weekend because the 25-year-old is accused of doing the following to a woman named Nicole Holder, according to court testimony before a North Carolina judge, who said, "Guilty," even if Hardy has another trial before a jury in the offing ...

"Hardy, Nicole Holder said, flung her from the bed, threw her into a bathtub, then tossed her on a futon covered with AK-47 rifles. Holder said Hardy ripped a necklace he had given her off her neck, threw it into a toilet and slammed the lid on her arm when she tried to fish it out. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Hardy dragged her by the hair room to room, she said, before putting his hands around her throat. 

“He looked me in my eyes and he told me he was going to kill me,” said Holder, 24, who said she used to live with Hardy.  Later, as Holder said she was held by her former boyfriend’s personal assistant, she said Hardy made the 911 call, showed her the phone, and said, "Run, little girl. You’re going to jail.'"

Will the Steelers be ready?

For the second consecutive week, the Steelers go on the road for a prime-time TV game (ugh) against a team coming together with an "us-against-the-world" mentality because one of their star players is at the swirling center of the NFL's Domestic Violence nightmare.

The Steelers had better be ready.

Baltimore should have been the team with distractions last week, but it was the Steelers who seemed off their collective game. It's doubtful whether Todd Haley missing the team flight had anything to do with it, as weird as that seems, but it couldn't have helped. Not a good look.

The opportunity is there, if the Steelers are
willing and able to reach out and grasp it.

This week, the Steelers visit Charlotte to play a Carolina team that has a good defense even without the execrable Greg Hardy, who will get paid about $777,000 this week for staying home because of the ugly charges of domestic violence against him. It's been a distraction for emotional head coach Ron Rivera and the bloodless Panthers' organization this week.

We guarantee, however, that the Panthers' players themselves will adopt the tired-and-true "us against the world" approach, which tends to coalesce team unity, galvanize motivation and focus players. Count on it.

The Steelers had better be ready. The past three seasons, Mike Tomlin's teams have gotten their seasons off to slow starts. This year, the Black 'n Gold came out with guns blazing in the first half vs. Cleveland. They've been outplayed in every quarter since.

One thing we've found a bit curious: Why has Justin Brown played on 112 of the team's 132 offensive snaps?  The backup tight end, Matt Spaeth, has 12 snaps. The backup running back, LeGarrette Blount, has seven carries in two games. Go figure.

Speaking of Todd Haley, here is what he had to say this week, and make of it what you will:

"I don’t think you are going to be what you are going to be until the end of the season. The idea is to continually get better. We showed signs in the first game. Last game that was an important thing, to show some signs of being a good offense. We didn’t show enough. But really when you broke it down in the first five possessions there were one, two or sometimes five plays that if little things had been done, and I am not talking about major things, just little technique things, there would have been a different outcome on those possessions. Obviously the fumbles are easy to see and the most obvious but on that first possession we probably had five plays that had one guy done their job just a little better or a little more the way they were supposed to do it, we might have scored before that play even occurred. We just have to really stay focused on that, guys doing what they are supposed to be doing and doing it the way they are being coached. And I think we have the ability to go out and be a really good offense if we do that. 

"Carolina has a quality defense that plays really well, whether they are home or away. They create turnovers. They make you go the distance of the field. They don’t give up big plays. We are going to have to be on our game. We can’t have many of those plays I was just talking about."