The next offensive coordinator?

It was nice that of the Steelers to organize a news conference for Chris Hoke, one of our favorite players, an 11-year stalwart as a reliable backup at nose tackle and all-around good guy. Hokey will do fine in whatever he chooses to do -- he'd be great in the media.

It was a good thing, as it turns out, that the Steelers didn't organize a similar type of news conference for the Bruce Arians "retirement" send-off. The Indianapolis Colts and new coach Chuck Pagano hired Bruce Arians to pick up the pieces of the Peyton Manning mess. Since only the Steelers -- and not Arians -- announced his retirement, there was nothing to stop him from taking another job, just as we surmised on Tuesday -- "What happens if he takes a coaching job with another team?  He says he's already had five or six teams contact him about coaching this year. No longer an employee of the Steelers, he would be well within his rights to take a job with another team."


Well, now that's accomplished, and there's no real harm done (is there?), except for the egg on the face of Art Rooney II. 


The question now is, who will the Steelers hire to replace Arians?


The only candidate from within the organization seems to be quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner. Maybe it will be Fichtner, and maybe he will be great, but if Rooney wanted to make a change so badly, you'd think he wouldn't stay with the guy who has been working with Ben all along in the Arians-led offense. 


All of which raises the question: If it was Rooney's decision to fire Arians, whose decision will it be to hire his replacement? Rooney? Mike Tomlin? Decision by committee?

Whomever, if they are looking outside the organization, who, who, who?


The Browns hired Brad Chilly Childress to be their offensive coordinator, so he's out, thank goodness.  


Jim Caldwell?  No thanks. It was Tom Moore's and Peyton Manning's offense in Indianapolis, and Caldwell appeared totally ineffectual without either of them around. 


Todd Haley? Joey Porter's Pit Bulls aren't crazy about the idea. Haley seems paranoid and unstable, and his reputation is that he doesn't play nice with others, including and maybe especially quarterbacks.


Time, Time Time Is on Our Side
The Steelers can take their time making a decision.  


Just having the position open gives you leeway to talk to people and pick their brains -- maybe that's what the Packers are doing -- and the Senior Bowl this past week provided an open job fair for assistant coaches. The Steelers can wait till after the Super Bowl to announce a new coordinator, and the longer it goes, the more it smells like maybe they are looking at one of the coaches with one of the Super Bowl teams. 


We know it's not not going to come from the Patriots, since those guys are already spoken for (Bill O'Brien is going to Penn State, Josh McDaniels takes over the offense next year), which leaves ... the Giants. And we know it's not going to be Kevin Gilbride, the offensive coordinator, so that leaves ... the quarterbacks coach, Mike Sullivan, and that's a name that may be totally off base, but it could make sense on a number of levels.  Our favorite part of his bio:


"Sullivan is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne, Ranger and Air Assault schools. Sullivan recently earned his Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu."

For Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, that alone gets him an interview for the job.

Tom Clements Stays in Green Bay, But ... We Have Another Candidate for Offensive Coordinator and an Idea to Help the Offensive Line

Word from Green Bay has it that Tom Clements has accepted the Packers' offer to become their next offensive coordinator.

The wise choice -- for this guy.

This is no surprise.

Clements, a Pittsburgh (McKees Rocks) native, attorney and former star quarterback at Canevin High School and Notre Dame, would have been a great choice for the Steelers, but look at it from his perspective:  

• If you were Tom Clements and offered the job as Green Bay's offensive coordinator -- would you move from the Packers to the Steelers?
• Working with Aaron Rogers instead of Ben Roethlisbeger?
• Working in a system and with players you already know very well?
• Working with a coach you know already?  
• On a team that is absolutely loaded with talent and appears to be a contender for years to come, vs. Pittsburgh, which has an unsettled offensive line, a reportedly disgruntled quarterback and an aging defense full of question marks and holes to fill.

Clements would have been great for the Steelers, one would think -- if he had wanted the job. It's not like he would have gotten a promotion by moving to Pittsburgh. He must've figured he didn't need the aggravation. And, it's not like Clements would be leaving a lousy team, or a crummy quarterback.


Some of the folks in the mainstream media seem to think it's a foregone conclusion the Steelers' job will go to Randy Fichtner, the QB coach with whom Roethlisberger supposedly has a close relationship -- Big Ben reportedly took Arians, Fichtner and their wives to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. With Fichtner, presumably, the offense would receive the "tweaks" Art Rooney II suggested it needs.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are not so sure about hiring from within. Fichtner may be great; or we might end up with another 21st-rated offense that scores as many touchdowns as the Denver Broncos, just as the Arians-led 2011 offense did. It makes sense to at least consider somebody from the outside.
 
Here's an idea: Let's at least interview the QB coach of the New York Giants. 

On the lookout for a new offensive coordinator

His name is Mike Sullivan and, outside of what is in his bio, we know absolutely nothing about him, but pundits, media types and other observers are marveling at the progress, maturation and development of Eli Manning this year. Presumably,the Giants' QB coach might have had something to do with that. 


Also, New York seems to have a pretty good run-pass balance with their thunder-lightning combo of running backs, plus the guy is clearly on a good staff, under Tom Coughlan, so Sullivan must have learned something working with Coughlin all these years (with the Jaguars before the Giants) and also under Jim Tressel at Youngstown State.  

Oh, and then there is this tidbit in Sullivan's bio, just for fun: 

"Sullivan is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne, Ranger and Air Assault schools. Sullivan recently earned his Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Professor Louis Vintaloro at Perfomance Jiu-Jitsu Academy."

By the way, remember how awful the Steelers' offense was with Kevin Gilbride as offensive coordinator, back around 1999-2000?  He's New York's offensive coordinator, and they seem to be doing pretty well. Go figure.  

A Helpful Suggestion for the Offensive Line

  
On another topic, the offensive line: It needs help. No secret there.

Here's a thought: Aggressively pursue Ben Grubbs, the 27-year-old Pro Bowl left guard for the Ravens. He is an unrestricted free agent and a proven commodity. 

With Grubbs (as opposed to a draft choice), at least you know what you're getting, plus it would hurt the Ravens. That way, too, you could spend the first-round choice on another position (left tackle, nose tackle, etc.) to fill another hole.

While we're at it, the Steelers might also take a look at Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson, another unrestricted free agent (to replace the Farrior/Foote combo), and cornerback Lardarius Webb, a restricted free agent.

Anyway, those are two things Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would explore: Sign Ben Grubbs to play guard, and at least bring in Mike Sullivan for an interview.

The Bruce Arians Plot Thickens, Again

It is becoming increasingly clear that Bruce Arians did not receive a gold watch and send-off banquet celebrating his "retirement" from the Steelers.

The 59-year-old Arians tells his hometown York Daily Record that he was forced out, and that he had no intention of retiring this year. He says team president Art Rooney II has offered no explanation why he wasn't offered a contract to return for his sixth year as offensive coordinator.

The Steelers' management team -- presumably at the executive-office level (i.e., Art Rooney II) -- handled this situation badly. The organization's uncharacteristically shabby treatment of Arians and how they portrayed his dismissal as his decision to "retire" looks disingenuous at best.  Nobody fielded any questions. The team only issued a very stiff formal "statement" in the name of Mike Tomlin, who for all we know may have been against the decision to relieve Arians of his duties.  We don't know that or much of anything else.  

What did they think ... that Arians was just going to evaporate and not say anything?

Now, what happens?  What happens if he takes a coaching job with another team?  He says he's already had five or six teams contact him about coaching this year. No longer an employee of the Steelers, he would be well within his rights to take a job with another team -- the Browns come to mind, and there are others, no doubt.

This is an unneeded black eye for the Steelers, and the whole thing could have been handled better. What's going on over there?

Schadenfreude, Ravens-style!

Baltimore fans must be very proud.

As much antipathy as Joey Porter's Pit Bulls feel toward the New England Boston Patriots, it would have been really disgusting to see the Baltimore Ravens go to the Super Bowl.

Think how nauseating it would have been for us to endure a full two weeks of nonstop, intense, microspective media coverage of rah-rah John Harbaugh, T-Sizzle, Weird Ed Reed, Ra-Ri, and the always touchy and reflexively defensive Joe "No Respect" Flacco.  It would have been too much.

At least New England owner Robert Kraft is a sympathetic figure, and you can respect how his team seemed to genuinely rally around the man during his grief after losing his wife.

For all that, we're rooting for Rooney Mara's New York Giants to win the Super Bowl.

Oh, and you know who would look good in a Steelers' uniform next season? Ben Grubs, that's who.  Grubbs, Baltimore's 27-year-old Pro Bowl left guard, is an unrestricted free agent. Sign him up!

While we're at it, the Steelers might also take a look at Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson, another unrestricted free agent, and cornerback Lardarius Webb, a restricted free agent.

The Plot Thickens

It turns out that maybe Bruce Arians was as surprised as the rest of us to learn of his retirement. The plot thickens, and it all sounds very Machiavellian.

It will be interesting to see whether Arians coaches in the NFL again ... like, this year?  What if he truly isn't ready to retire? ... like, this year? What if another team (Cleveland comes to mind) offers him a job?  We shall see.

Like many fans, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have mixed feelings about how Arians orchestrated the Steelers offense.  Remember the pre-season, when the offense was dynamite? Granted, we all acknowledged it was just preseason, but we all looked forward to the regular season and said, "This team should be fun to watch."

We could've used more plays like this one.

At times, it was. Other times, it was incredibly frustrating. While Arians should be credited for developing talent and many, many excellent play-calls, something was missing -- points. The offense stalled at times maybe it shouldn't have. The playoff game in Denver is an example. Field goals on the first two drives. Field goals instead of touchdowns.  You know the rest of the story. For all Arians and the offense accomplished, they didn't score enough points.

For an excellent in-depth analysis of the Steelers offense under Arians -- and how his teams over the years ranked comparatively in points scored, yards-per-rush and sacks surrendered -- visit Steelers Depot, where blogger Jeremy Hritz details how offenses under direction of Arians were "consistently average."  Check it out here.

We can't help but wonder how the departure of Arians will affect personnel decisions on offense -- Hines Ward, offensive line, backup quarterback, etc. And how will Big Ben handle working with a new offensive coordinator?  For all we know, Big Ben is the offensive coordinator.

It's Official: Bruce Arians Retires

Exit: Bruce Arians

The Steelers have confirmed the retirement of Bruce Arians.

Speculation abounds as to who might replace Arians. The first name that comes to mind for many people is Tom Clements, who was the Steelers' quarterbacks coach on Bill Cowher's staff from 2001-03), pre-Roethlisberger, it is worth noting. 

Clements would be great, one would think -- if he wants the job. For all we know Clements may be content as quarterbacks coach of the Green Bay Packers.

For all we know, the 58-year-old Clements may be near retirement himself and not want the added pressure and visibility of being an offensive coordinator at this stage of his career.

And, it's not like Clements would be leaving a lousy team, or a crummy quarterback.  Plus, for all we know, Clements may be in line to become Green Bay's offensive coordinator should their current coordinator, Joe Philbin, take a head coaching job (possibly in Tampa).

Plus, for all we know, Aaron Rodgers may be considerably easier to work with than Ben Rothlisberger. We don't know.

People seem to assume Arians was "ousted" or forced to retire. Maybe; maybe not. Supposedly, he wanted to retire after the 2010 season, but Roethlisberger convinced him to return for 2011.  He hasn't said anything to the media yet, so we'll take the Steelers' announcement at face value.  He did some very good things for the Steelers, and his good work for this team should not be overlooked.  Good luck to him.

Odds and Ends

Alex Smith scored, but Joe Staley's block (No. 74, left, on the ground) pancaked the safety and sprung him.

What an interesting and entertaining weekend of football. Joe Porter's Pit Bulls are still frustrated by the Steelers and what could have been, so we'll overlook that for now and talk about what we saw this weekend.

Play-call of the Week:  Toss-up between San Francisco's game winning touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis or, perhaps even more astonishing ...

• San Francisco's quarterback sweep, down 24-23 to New Orleans, on 3rd-and-seven at the Saints' 28 yard line with 2:11 left in the fourth quarter. Already in field goal range, the 49ers had been facing 3rd-and-two but were penalized five yards to set them back to the 28 yard line. The Niners worked the sweep to perfection. Alex Smith never hesitated, the wide receiver in motion from that side executed a nasty crackback block on a Saints linebacker, and left tackle Joe Staley -- pulling at warp speed 10 yards ahead of Smith downfield, absolutely pancaked a New Orleans safety with a devastating block that sprung Smith the rest of the way.

• Who calls a quarterback sweep in that situation?  Or, these days, any situation? The safe call would have been a handoff up the middle to secure field-goal position.

• Only a few quarterbacks have the athleticism and speed to pull it off, and Alex Smith is not a name that leaps first to mind in that category (Cam Newton, Michael Vick).  Ben Roethlisberger moves well, especially laterally in the pocket, but he doesn't have the flat-out sprint ability that Smith showed on that play. Who knew?

Joe Staley and four-legged friend.

Block of the Week:  Pancake! Joe Staley's pulling block on that play -- His flat-out speed and "Faneca-like" finish on that play made us long for the days of such play on the offensive line for the Steelers. Max Starks did a mostly fantastic job this year for the Steelers, but his mobility is limited.

• Guys like Staley and Denver's Ryan Clady (who frustrated James Harrison the week before) don't grow on trees.  Both Staley and Clady were first-round draft choices -- and, you might recall, there was speculation that the Steelers were interested in him the year he was drafted (in April 2007).  Instead, the Steelers selected Lawrence Timmons with the 15th pick of the first round.  San Francisco took Staley with the 28th pick of the first round.  For what it's worth, Staley came out of Central Michigan -- same as Antonio Brown (three years later).

• It is time for the Steelers to improve the offensive line. Duh.

Vernon Davis holds onto the game-winner.

Just as gutsy a call as the quarterback sweep -- maybe more so -- was the game-winning touchdown pass from Smith to Vernon Davis.  Again, the safe call would have been a hand-off up the middle to solidify position for a game-tying field goal attempt  to force overtime and hope for the best.

Instead, the Niners went for the kill-shot.  A very risky pass into double-coverage in the middle of the field? Requiring a thread-the-needle throw that could just as easily have been intercepted?  Not many coaches make that call.  

Notable Game Plan of the Week: New England vs. Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos.  A small accomplishment, you say, but did the Steelers so-called "top-rated defense" contain Tebow?  No.  The Patriots got a pass rush on Tebow -- imagine that! -- and blitzed him mercilessly.  The other notable thing about New England's game plan was that (predictably) it was completely different from the first time those two teams played, when Denver gashed the Patriots for 228 yards rushing (or something like that).

At this point, all we can do is watch.

• On Saturday, the Patriots had their big boys clog the middle while their back seven on defense spread their defensive formation wide -- much like Bill Parcells did when the Patriots stymied Kordell Stewart when New England defeated the Steelers in the playoffs way back when (1999?).  If there is one thing we've learned about Bill Belichick and the Patriots, it is that they will always change up their game plans for a second meeting between two teams.

• Considering two of the flashiest and highest-scoring teams -- Green Bay and New Orleans -- now have been bounced from the playoffs, you could make the case that the Giants and 49ers also had great defensive game plans. They did.  They also have pretty good personnel. as do the Patriots, by the way. Oh, yeah, and the Ravens.

Question: Was the Steelers' Season a Success?

Coda knows.

In the week following the Steelers' loss in Denver, the local sports-talk hosts debated ad nauseum whether the just-concluded season was a success. 

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have the answer. 

No.

An immediate, resounding, emphatic, unequivocal, no-doubt-about it, no-need-to-think-about-it no.  Nyet.  Nada.  No. No! No!! NO!!!

The goal every season is to win the Super Bowl. Enough said. 

Yeah, but they were 12-4 and ... ?  NO.  But they had the league's leading defense and ...  NO.  But they had so many injuries ... NO.  But Big Ben was hobbled and ... NO.

No excuses. No complaints.  They didn't do it.  Other questions persist, and we have months to debate them. If you want to debate just how good this team really was -- whether they coulda woulda shoulda had a better record or a worse one, that's one discussion.

Other topics open for debate include:

• Was the coaching largely ineffectual or mostly superb (just to get them to 12-4)?
• Is their talent mostly excellent, or is it sub-par in too many places?
• Are they geared to improve, or about to take a step back next season?  
• If your leading tackler is a safety (Ryan Clark), isn't that usually a bad thing?  
• Were some of the defensive stats a mirage?
• Were some of the weak spots in all three phases masked throughout the season?  Don't those weak spots merit some serious scrutiny?
• Doesn't the offensive line need to be rebuilt? Bye-bye, presumably, to at least of couple of the guys on the offensive line.
• What should they do in the draft and in free agency?  
• Will Bruce Arians return?  Should he?  
• Wouldn't it be nice to have more confidence in the place-kicker? 
• How about the status of some of the older and injured players?  Casey Hampton, Hines Ward, James Farrior, Aaron Smith, Chris Hoke, Max Starks, Larry Foote, Mewelde Moore, Willie Colon, Byron Leftwich, Charlie Batch, etc.  Lots of question marks.  Just sayin'.  The status of some of these players is clouded by injury.  Some will retire.  Others, perhaps, should retire.  If they don't, will the Steelers welcome them back or bid them farewell?
• What about some of the young guys who still have a lot to prove?  Those would include Jason Worilds, Ryan Mundy, Ziggy Hood, Cameron Heyward, etc. Not that the high draft picks are in danger of losing a roster spot, but they will be expected to step up their game next season.  They will need to, big-time -- otherwise, the Steelers will struggle big-time.

Lots of questions. Whether the season was a success, however?  Well, that's not really even a question.

Questions

There goes the season.

As passionate as Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls are about the Steelers, we had a bad feeling going into Denver. The logical brain said, “This is a game the Steelers should win.”  The intuitive gut said, “This one could be trouble.”

It was. And we weren’t all that surprised. Tim Tebow has pulled enough rabbits out of his hat this season that after the overtime lightning bolt, you just had to shake your head and tip your cap to Tebow, John Fox and the Broncos for outplaying and outcoaching the Steelers. 

Tim Tebow doing his thing.

Of Tebow, we’d say, “God Bless,” but that seems to be taken care of already.

As for Fox, well, his name should be in the discussion for Coach of the Year. Clearly, he out-coached a Steelers’ staff that never seemed to make adjustments during the game and seemed ill-prepared for Denver's offensive game plan.

Lots of questions remain and, right now, few answers.

The Steelers need to sign Mike Wallace.

• Will the Steelers sign Mike Wallace to a new contract?  With the emergence of Antonio Brown as a go-to receiver, it’s almost easy to overlook the fact that Wallace was the Steelers’ leading receiver (both in receptions and yards). Wallace will command big money as a free agent. Given Brown’s breakthrough season as a legitimate NFL star and the Steelers’ MVP, will the Steelers be able to afford both Wallace and Brown (when his contract comes up)?  Can they afford not to sign Wallace?  It would be deeply disturbing to see him go to Baltimore or any other AFC contender, for that matter.

• Will Bruce Arians retire as offensive coordinator? Remember the reports from last off-season that Ben Roethlisberger persuaded Arians to come back for at least one more year?  It seems to fair to ask, then, whether Arians has retirement on his mind once again.

• Might it be wise to consider hiring a clock-management expert?  Given the pattern of poor clock management throughout the season, it’s worth discussing, although Mike Tomlin would surely disagree (vehemently).

• Will Dick LeBeau decide it’s time to retire?  It seems unlikely, but it is a legitimate question. LeBeau has earned the right for the decision to be his, and he has said he will continue coaching for as long as he possibly can.  What if he decides it’s time?  Presumably, linebackers coach Keith Butler would take over as defensive coordinator.

• Will Ike Redman supplant Rashard Mendenhall as the starter at running back? It seems a harsh but valid question. 

• Is it time to find a solid replacement for Casey Hampton?  His play declined this year.

Lots of other questions remain.  Lots of 'em.  We have plenty of time.  All we need are answers.

Flatfooted

Blah.  Feh.  Stinko.  The Steelers got Tebowed.

What just happened out there in Denver?

A lot of visiting teams left Denver asking that same question this year. On Sunday, it was the Steelers' turn.

The first quarter was just about all Steelers, but they could manage only two field goals. Tim Tebow abruptly became awesome while leading the Broncos to a 20-6 lead in stunning, spectacular fashion. The Steelers looked finished. Then, Ben Roethlisberger suddenly came to life, and the Steelers rallied to tie the game to force overtime.

Then ... Tebow Time!  

Now, we have all winter to critique the Steelers and second-guess Mike Tomlin for allowing Ben Roethlisberger to play after he injured his ankle in the first Cleveland game at Heinz Field on Dec. 8.

Not only did the coaching staff allow Roethlisberger to continue playing in that Cleveland game, they allowed him to play at San Francisco, against the Rams and at Cleveland, where he aggravated the injury.

In Denver, it showed.  Although he looked terrific in rallying the Steelers from a 14-point deficit, Roethlisberger looked mostly terrible for much of the game, as did the rest of the injury-ravaged team. 

Ike Taylor had an especially unfortunate game, and James Harrison often looked flat-footed and lost in space, as he floundered around chasing Tebow.  The Steelers' offensive line had trouble with Denver's pass rush, to put it mildly, and the receivers dropped at least a couple of passes.

This game was a microcosm of the entire season -- a roller-coaster ride of wild twists, turns, ups, downs and general unpredictability.  In the end, the Steelers didn't play well enough to win.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

At this point, we'd just as soon see Tim Tebow as anybody else represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

As long as the Harbaugh brothers don't both advance to the Super Bowl ... that would be insufferable and, really, just too much.

On the Road Again

Finally, some real football (no offense, Pitt), and the Steelers are right where they should be: The Playoffs.

Road games?  No problem.  Everybody in Denver knows Steeler fans will be out in force today, and even coach John Fox talked about it earlier in the week.

Whatever. This game looks winnable, even with the Steelers diminished by injury and adversity, including the awful situation of assistant coach Kirby Wison.

Could the Broncos win?  Absolutely.  The Broncos should use the same formula they rode on their six-game winning streak: Keep the game close, run the ball effectively, create turnovers, boom some punts and long field goals, and -- last, of course, let Tim Tebow do his magic in Tebow Time (Tebow Time!)  For some reason, we have a strange foreboding the Broncos' Eddie Royal may have a long punt return today.

If all that happens, the Steelers deserve to lose, and we will have a long, cold off-season to second-guess all kinds of things -- especially the decision to allow Big Ben to play after he got injured in the first Cleveland game.  Still, this is a game the Steelers should win.

Somehow, the Steelers ended up with the NFL's top-rated defense again.  Statistics can be misleading, though, and the Broncos should stick to what they do best -- run the ball.  It's their best hope.  As magical as Tim Tebow was earlier this season, he has not seen a defense like the one Dick LeBeau and the Steelers will present to him today.

This should be a fun game to watch. Then, hopefully, it's on to New England.

Quote of the Week:

“I met with Ryan Clark and I informed him I am not going to allow him to play in this game for obvious reasons,” said Coach Mike Tomlin.  “It’s a big game for us, but it is a game."

Puts Things in Perspective

Steelers' running backs coach Kirby Wilson is one of those guys who labors in relative obscurity. We fans never think much about him, just as we never gave much thought to his predecessor, Dick Hoak, who spent 34 years as the team's running backs coach.

Wilson, who's been with the Steelers for the past five years, joined the Steelers' extended family after Hoak retired in 2007. Wilson never played in the NFL, yet he has two Super Bowl rings earned as a running backs coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001) and with the Steelers (2008).

Having played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for two years, Wilson's been a career football coach since 1985.  He's labored at colleges small (Pasadena City College and Southwest Los Angeles Community College), and large (Southern Illinois, Wyoming, Iowa State), and really big-time (Southern California). He joined the NFL coaching ranks in 1997 and has been with four teams (New England, Washington, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh).

Kirby Wilson is one of those dedicated guys who shows up early; stays late; seems content to stay in the background; and coaches up his guys, the running backs, through good times and bad, through injuries (Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore), fumbles (Isaac Redman) and new beginnings (Chad Spann and John Clay).

That was just this past week, by the way. And then the fire that put Wilson in a medically induced coma.

Think about what Wilson has had to deal with the past few days, beginning Sunday, New Year's Day:

• Rashard Mendenhall, the starting running back, goes down with a knee injury that puts him on injured reserve and ends his season. Wilson would have had to deal with that, and all it entails.
• Isaac Redman, his replacement, fumbles twice in the game against Cleveland. Redman's fumbles are uncharacteristic for him and, despite playing well otherwise, the fumbles draw unwanted attention in the media and raise concerns that they might become a pattern, especially now that Redman becomes the starter and primary ball carrier for the first time in his young NFL career.  Wilson would have had to deal with that, and all it entails.
• The status of backup Mewelde Moore, who has been struggling with injuries, remains uncertain. Wilson would have had to deal with that.
• With just two healthy running backs (Redman and Clay, a rookie activated off the practice squad just a few weeks ago), the Steelers activate newcomer Chad Spann, a 23-year-old rookie out of Northern Illinois whose head must be spinning. The Steelers were Spann's third NFL practice squad since September. Wilson would have had to deal with helping Clay and Spann prepare for the game in Denver.

All that was just this past week. And then the house fire that burned half his body and put him in a medically induced coma.  Kind of puts things in perspective. Our Thoughts and Prayers Are With Kirby Wilson, his five children and the rest of his family.

Santonio or Antonio?

Steelers MVP Antonio Brown

Do you think the New York Jets would take a fifth-round draft choice for Santonio Holmes about now?  That's what the Jets sent to the Steelers for Holmes two years ago. The Steelers then flipped that fifth-round choice to Arizona for Bryant McFadden.

The Cardinals used the draft choice to select quarterback John Skelton (out of Fordham). 

So, maybe the question should be: Do you think the Jets would accept a trade of John Skelton for Santonio Holmes? Given the recent performance of Mark Sanchez, yeah, probably. Trouble is, the Cardinals probably wouldn't go for it.

Holmes, a Super Bowl MVP for the Steelers, can be an amazing and great receiver, but it's funny how NFL observers now are saying the Steelers knew what they were doing when they got rid of hm -- and, more to the point, how Pittsburgh seems not to miss him, not with the emergence of team MVP Antonio Brown, who was much, much more productive than Holmes this year. So, yeah, we're pretty happy with how things have worked out, and we'd rather have Antonio than Santonio.

On another front, columnist Joe Posnanski offers an awesome breakdown of the Oakland Raiders' All-Time Penalties Record and how they attained it this year. Picking up his column about halfway through ... (after the "Read More" jump, below):

A New Year, A New Season

Time for the Steelers to step up.

The Playoffs. Shrug.*

First, a hearty congratulations to Hines Ward for his 1,000 career receptions.

Looking forward, how will the Steelers do this post-season?  How healthy will they be?  Will they win three games on the road?  Will they win even one?

Tough to say.  This is a tricky team to read.  The Steelers' defense was rated No. 1 in the NFL in passing yards per game (171.9) and total yards per game (271.8).  Still, this doesn't look like a Super Bowl team. Super Bowl teams don't surrender a 92-yard drive late in the fourth quarter to Joe Flacco, lose twice to the Baltimore Ravens, let the Houston Texans run roughshod over them or struggle mightily in two games vs. the Browns, who once again had a chance to win at the end of the game.

We're hoping for more, but (realistically) this Steelers team looks like a moderately good team with a decent chance to win a playoff game on the road -- and then maybe get on a roll and hope for the best.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would feel a lot more confident if the team wasn't so banged up. Big Ben, who is not near 100 percent and won't be for months. Starting running back Rashard Mendenhall (out for the season) and backup, clutch third-down running back Mewelde Moore.  Offensive linemen Maurkice Pouncey, Doug Legursky and Ramon Foster, as well as tight end David Johnson.  Star linebacker and pass-rushing monster Lamarr Woodley.  Valuable cornerbacks Keenan Lewis and Cortez Allen, as well as backup corner and special teams contributor Curtis Brown (on injured reserve).  Special teams leaders Arnaz Battle and Will Allen.  The defense's leading tackler, safety Ryan Clark, who will should miss Sunday's game in Denver because of his vulnerability to sickle cell trait. And so on.

Another wacky season. And another one just beginning.

Hello, Denver.  Tebow Time! 

Tim Tebow completed just six of 22 passes vs. the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, as the Broncos scored a mere three points in their 7-3 loss in the season finale. The Broncos won the AFC West, however, and with it the right to host the Steelers next Sunday in the first round of the AFC Playoffs.

At a glance, this should be a winnable game for the Steelers, but the Broncos have a very good running game -- they led the NFL in rushing with 164.5 yards per game; a very good defense -- with stellar pass rushers Von Miller and Elvis Dumerville; a mile-high home-field advantage; and a tremendous long-range field-goal kicker in Matt Prater, who could make the difference in a close game.

Denver could win. Stranger things have happened.  Let's put it this way: If the Steelers play the Broncos the way they played the Browns yesterday in Cleveland, they lose.

About The Chokeland Raiders: Any team that brings in Carson Palmer to save its season deserves what it gets. Not that it would have been any easier than going to Denver, but the Steelers would be traveling to Oakland if only the Raiders hadn't self-sabotaged once again on Sunday.

In true Raiders fashion, Oakland lost to San Diego by setting the all-time NFL record for most penalties and most penalty yards in a season.  Averaging more than 10 penalties per game this year, the Raiders finished the season with 163 penalties for 1,358 yards -- which surpasses their own trend for, oh, about the past 35 years. Pride and poise, baby.


Think about that for a second: The Raiders' 1,358 yards in penalties are roughly equivalent to the 1,364 yards rushing accumulated by the NFL's second-leading rusher, Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens. That's a lot of penalty yards to negate and overcome.  By comparison, in case you were wondering, the Steelers finished in the middle of the pack (16th) in penalties and penalty yards (14th).

Goodbye, Raiders, Jets, Cowboys and other clowns. Time to start anew.

Forget Tebow Time. The Playoffs Are Steeler Time.

*The Playoffs. Shrug?  Yeah, we Steeler fans are spoiled, and we have high expectations. That doesn't mean we are unappreciative of our team or how good we have it.  It also doesn't mean we'd rather live in Cleveland, or Arizona, or Cincinnati, or Tampa, or Charlotte, or Seattle, or Dallas, or Atlanta, or Philadelphia, or Long Island, or anywhere else that does or doesn't have an NFL team.  It just means we expect our team, the Steelers, to do well -- and we expect the players and everybody else in Steeler Nation to feel the same way.  Anything wrong with that?

Okay, so the Steelers made it to the playoffs. We've known that for weeks. Now it's time to start paying attention.

Happy New Year!

Artwork credit: Trevor, whoever that is, but it's a nice graphic, so thanks for sharing.