A Study in Contrasts: The Offensive Lines

The Tennessee Titans' starting five on the offensive line has played together for five consecutive years.  Five years. 
  
By contrast, the Steelers' offensive line has been together for maybe five minutes. It's in shambles.

Across the line, from left tackle to right tackle, Tennessee's offensive line has combined for 344 straight starts. That is consistency and continuity personified.

Maybe that's one reason why the Titans have allowed just four sacks over four games. The Steelers allowed five sacks last Sunday and 14 this season.

Compounding the Steelers' woes, Ben Roethlisberger is hobbling around with by an injured foot that required a walking boot this week. We probably shouldn't anticipate many rollouts or "boot"legs on Sunday.

Maybe, just maybe, the Steelers will go back to the running game, and it looks like Isaac Redman will get most of the carries vs. the Titans. No definitive word yet on the availability of either Rashard Mendenhall (hamstring) or Mewelde Moore (sprained ankle), but neither practiced on Thursday. Jonathan Dwyer is the other running back.

“You can’t do too much dancing in the backfield,” said Redman on Steelers.com. “That is how we lose yards. I would rather have a zero yard run than a loss. Our line is beat up, there is some inexperience. We have to establish the run. We need it. We need to shut people up. We have Max Starks back. Hopefully he can add some spark to the offensive line and we can get some movement.”

For the record,Tennessee's starters are:

• Left Tackle Michael Roos, a seven-year veteran
• Left guard Leroy Harris, a five-year veteran
• Center Eugene Amano, an eight-year veteran
• Right guard Jake Scott, an eight-year veteran
• Right tackle David Stewart, a seven-year veteran

In terms of year's experience across the line, that's 7, 5, 8, 8, 7.

The Steelers show 5, 7, 2, 3, 1

That's according to today's depth chart on Steelers.com, which shows 5, 7, 2, 3, 1 years of experience for Jonathan Scott, Chris Kemoeautu, Maurkice Pouncey, Doug Legursky and Marcus Gilbert across the line from left to right. Max Starks is in his eighth year -- but still in his first few days with this group. There's a chance he will start on Sunday.

Anybody "Chris Johnson-Like" Out There?

At his Tuesday news conference this week, Mike Tomlin said, “For practice purposes we are going to look to at least bring in someone who is capable of being Chris Johnson-like in preparation this week.”

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Apparently the Steelers have been unable to find anybody “Chris Johnson-like.” What a surprise. Guess what? There is nobody like Chris Johnson on the street, on the waiver wire or in the Arena Football League. If there were somebody else like that, he’d not only be on an NFL roster, he’d be starting. Certainly the highest-paid running back and probably the fastest, only Chris Johnson is “Chris Johnson-like.” 

Still, it would be interesting to know who the Steelers might have been considering. They already have John Clay, the big rookie (6'1", 248) from Wisconsin, on the practice squad. Clay is more a between-the-tackles power back, however, than a speed back like Johnson, who had 2,006 yards in 2009.

"He has unbelievable speed," cornerback Ike Taylor said of Johnson. "With him a play is never over because of what he can do. With him you have to be on key at all times."

If the Steelers are looking for a speed back, they could do worse than looking at Ian Johnson, a running back from Boise State currently on the 49ers’ practice squad, which is his fourth practice squad since 2009. 

Ian Johnson

Granted, Ian Johnson is no Chris Johnson, but of all the running backs at the 2009 NFL Combine, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.46). And he shares the same last name as Chris Johnson, so he's got that going to make him -- "Chris Johnson-like."

The Steelers, however, are not about to sign a player off some other team's practice squad for just a few hours of practice. That player would have to be added to the Steelers' active roster.

And, although Mewelde Moore will miss Sunday's game, he will return soon, and Rashard Mendenhall might play this weekend. It was just a thought.

Feel free to leave a comment, below left.

"T" for Texas, "T" for Tennessee

From one "T" to another. The Steelers move on from their loss in Texas last Sunday to host Tennessee this Sunday. That would be the Tennessee Titans, not the Tennessee Volunteers, who produced Tee Martin, the quarterback former Steelers coach Bill Cowher somehow decided would be a better pro than Tom Brady.*

On to the matter at hand: The Tennessee Titans, nee the Houston Oilers. Led by new coach Mike Munchak, a longtime Oilers guard now in the NFL Hall of Fame, the Titans sport a gaudy and surprising 3-1 record. The team that somehow lost to Jacksonville in the season opener turned around to dominate the Baltimore Ravens the following week before also defeating the Broncos and Browns. It's tough to say just how good they are. 

Apparently, the Titans have a very good defense, which has allowed just 14 points per game and is being discussed as among the league's best. Their secondary is excellent, and their defensive line is large, mobile and likely to give the Steelers' struggling offensive line a multitude of problems.

On offense, the Titans are benefiting from surprisingly good play from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who signed with Tennessee this year as a free agent out of Seattle. Along with New Orleans' Darren Sproules and Houston's Jonathan Joseph, Hasselbeck is proving to be one of the best "value" free agent signings this year. ESPN talking heads have even bandied about** Hasselbeck's name as an early MVP candidate.

** What does "bandied about" mean, anyway? Whatever it is, ESPN blabbermouths are good at it.   

CJ2K, Chris Johnson

Ready to Run Wild?

More worrisome, perhaps, is the prospect of Chris Johnson (CJ2K) running wild. Johnson hasn't really hit his stride, but he must be relishing the opportunity to run against the Steelers, who allowed Houston's Arian Foster to rack up 155 of the Texans' 180 yards on the ground. The Steelers' run defense, uncharacteristically, is 22nd in the NFL (119.5 yards per game). Johnson's backup is Javon Ringer, who played his college ball at Michigan State. He's  good, too.  He has a black belt in karate and a running style reminiscent of former Iowa running back Shonn Greene, now with the New York Jets.

The top receiver for Tennessee is former Steeler Nate Washington, who leads the Titans with 23 receptions for 323 yards.

“Nate loves to play football, he has a can-do attitude, he is a bringer as opposed to an energy drainer, and he loves to work," coach Mike Tomlin said. "He was a good teammate for those reasons and others while he was here and it’s good to see that a young man like him is continuing to prosper.”

*About That 2000 Draft
We're having trouble letting it go. The Steelers, you will recall with rue, drafted Tee Martin with the second of two fifth-round choices in the 2000 draft. The Patriots, of course, drafted Tom Brady in the sixth round. Martin hung on for four undistinguished seasons in the NFL and now is the receivers coach at the University of Kentucky. Brady has won three Super Bowls, is in the discussion as the greatest quarterback in NFL history and is still going strong 11 years after the Steelers passed on him to draft Tee Martin. Not to be bitter.

To be fair to Martin -- who draws attention for the purpose of this discussion simply because he played the quarterback position, and it turned out there was at least one better option (Brady) available -- not only did the Steelers draft Martin ahead of Brady that year, they also drafted other "notables" like Hank Poteat, Danny Farmer and Chris Combs, a defensive end out of Duke whom they took in the sixth round with the 173rd pick overall.  Again, the Patriots drafted Brady in the sixth round with the 199th pick overall.

For the record, the Steelers' picks that year were Plaxico Burress (Rd. 1, eighth overall, just ahead of Brian Urlacher); Marvel Smith (Rd. 2); Hank Poteat (Rd. 3); Danny Farmer (Rd. 4); Clark Haggans (Rd. 5); Tee Martin (also Rd. 5); and Chris Combs (Rd. 6.).  That's it, Fort Pitt.

Welcome Back, Max Starks

Max Starks is back to lend a helping hand.

For those of you wondering why the Steelers kept second-year tackle Chris Scott, welcome to the club. We're still wondering.

It's a moot point now, however, as the Steelers replaced Chris Scott (not to be confused with starting left tackle Jonathan Scott) on the roster today with eight-year veteran veteran tackle Max Starks (6'8", and at least 345).

Starks is a sight for sore quarterbacks. It remains to be seen how much playing time he will get, but it is reassuring to know the reliable, affable and massive Starks is back with the Steelers.

A sign, perhaps, of how little the Steelers thought of Chris Scott is that the team cut him instead of tackle Jamon Meredith (6'5, 304), a third-year player now with his fourth team. The Steelers signed Meredith just after the season-opener to replace Willie Colon, now on injured reserve. The team's depth chart lists Meredith as the third option at left tackle behind starter Jonathan Scott and newly signed Max Starks.

Curiously, the depth chart lists no backup to Marcus Gilbert at right tackle, but with "position flexibility" on the line, somebody (Trai Essex, Ramon Foster, Starks or Meredith) surely would step in at right tackle, if needed.

Practice Makes Perfect, Hopefully

In case you were wondering, the Steelers have two rookie offensive linemen on their practice squad: 24-year-old Trevis Turner (6'7", 330), an undrafted tackle out of Texas Abilene; and 23-year-old John Malecki, (6'2", 298) an undrafted guard out of Pitt.

The Silverback is Out

James Harrison, aka "Silverback"

In news that might make Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing happy, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin announced today that James Harrison will miss several weeks with a broken right orbital bone.

Just how scary tough is James Harrison, anyway? The man fractured his face, the orbital bone around the socket of his right eye, and he not only came back in the game, he played the entire second half. Good heavens. That's a ba-a-d dude.

Let the Scrutiny Begin

Mike Tomlin's weekly news conference today (noon, ET) should be interesting.  He's got some "'splainin' to do," as Ricky Ricardo would say to Lucy, and we might get some talk of the "fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes."

Or getting squashed, as was undeniably the case Sunday in Houston.

We'll get an injury update.  And probably some predictable coach-speak: "We'll take a look at the situation.  We're sticking with what we've got. We have to get back to basics, blah, blah, blah."

Steeler fans, however, would like to know where the defense has gone, how it surrendered 180 yards rushing and what will be done to fix the offensive line, pass protection, the running game and play-calling.

Vince Wilfork

It's probably too much to expect to expect an explanation of all that.  Maybe, however, we'll learn why New England defensive lineman Vince Wilfork has more interceptions (two) than the Steelers' defense (one). 

In other realms, the composition of the roster itself is being second-guessed. 

Over at Nice Pick, Cowher, blogger Dom di Tolla offers a seriously in-depth analysis on what he calls "The Pittsburgh Steelers' $61.5 Million Mistake," which would be the contract given to Lamarr Woodley.  Mr. di Tolla explains why he believes Woodley's game is flawed, why Woodley is replaceable, and how the Steelers could have applied that money elsewhere, particularly on the offensive line.

Merrill Hoge, former Steeler and current ESPN analyst, also is dumbfounded at the play of offensive line and the defensive front seven.

Aaron Smith, carted off the field in Houston

"The offensive line is getting beat on individual match-ups and vanilla schemes," Hoge said. 

"And it's almost mind-boggling how the defensive line is getting mauled. Used to be, the front three were bedrock, you couldn't move them. Now they're getting pushed back three and four yards."

As for Arian Foster's clinching 42-yard touchdown run that Woodley first over-ran and then recovered just enough to miss a tackle, Hoge said, "You'd be hard-pressed to watch game tape for five years and see a back side collapse that bad."

True dat.

Comments are welcome, below left.

No Country for Old, Slow Men

You just know Warren Sapp is going to accuse the Steelers, once again, of being "old and slow" following Sunday's loss in Houston.

Maybe some of 'em.  Whatever. The Steelers failed to stop the run, as Houston's Arian Foster averaged 5.2 yards per carry while racking up 155 yards on 30 carries. Houston totaled 180 yards rushing. That's the main reason for this loss, and failing to stop the run is suddenly becoming a disturbing pattern.

The Texans set the tone for the game with their opening drive, a 19-play, 95-yard drive that went nearly 11 minutes.  Nineteen plays?  That's not exactly a case of the "defense getting off the field."

As the game wore on, the Steelers turned the ball over, failed to take that ball away, took five sacks, had zero sacks, committed stupid penalties, took wasteful time-outs, had a field goal blocked, were victimized once again at key times by a good tight end (Own Daniels) and lost the game.  

The offensive line is a shambles, but we knew that already. The lopsided turnover-ratio, however, is getting tiresome, and then some.  

What's more, the injuries are getting worrisome, to say the least.  After the game, Ben Roethlisberger had X-rays on his foot and left the locker room in a walking boot, as did Aaron Smith.  Rashard Mendehall has a bad hamstring, Casey Hampton left the game late, James Harrison still doesn't look right, and neither does Maurkice Pouncey.

Meantime, Houston's J.J. Watt, the big rookie out of Wisconsin, looked like a young clone of Aaron Smith in his prime.

Our vaunted linebackers seemed to be AWOL for vast stretches. Did Lamarr Woodley even play?  James Harrison still looks hurt. Lawrence Timmons went missing for much of the game.  James Farrior and Larry Foote did, in fact, look old and slow, once again.

At 2-2, the Steelers' record feels like 1-3 or even worse, if that's possible.  

Next up: A surprisingly upstart Tennessee Titans team at Heinz Field.
 

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Let's hope it's not the heart of darkness instead of the heart of Texas.  This is going to be a tough game for the Steelers.

The offensive line, which was shaky anyway, looks even more so today with the announcement that starting right guard Doug Legursky and starting left tackle Jonathan Scott have been ruled out of the game in Houston, as has defensive end Brett Keisel.  Yikes.

That means three-fifths of the offensive line that started the season will miss Sunday's game in Houston.  Ramon Foster will replace Legursky, and Trai Essex will step in at left tackle for Scott.  Rookie Marcus Gilbert will start once again at right tackle in place of Willie Colon, who started the first game but was placed on injured reserve following the opener at Baltimore.  Ziggy Hood will play instead of Keisel.

Worrisome, too, will be the status of star receiver Mike Wallace, who is nursing sore ribs sustained in the Colts game Sunday night. Maybe the sore ribs are why, after having a huge first quarter, Wallace seemed to disappear from the game plan.  Let's hope he's okay.  If not, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown will have to step up.

If the Texans make this game a shootout, look out.

Not particularly optimistic, but ...

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls don't feel particularly optimistic about the Steelers' game vs. the Houston Texans on Sunday, but ... this is the kind of game the Steelers win.

It's tough to feel all too good about this game, however, as the Texans view this is as a Statement Game at home. It seems every Steelers' opponent views their match-up with Pittsburgh that way, as a Statement Game, to prove they are just as physically rough-and-tumble as the Steelers. 

The trouble is, some of them (Baltimore anyway) are proving to be right. And, as much as Houston's identity on offense is as a high-flying aerial show (they lead the NFL with pass completions of more than 20 yards), their attack is basically ground-based and a successful one at that, averaging 138 yards a game and more than four yards per rushing attempt.

The Steelers must stop the run.  It's as simple as that. Last year, stopping the run wasn't even really a question, at an NFL-record 62 yards per game. This year, pheh, stopping the run appears to have become a bit more of a challenge. The Texans have one of the NFL's best offensive lines clearing lanes for a powerful one-two punch in Arian Foster, last year's NFL rushing leader, and Ben Tate, who is averaging 4.6 yards per carry this year. 

It would be nice, too, if the Steelers established their own running game with authority. Y'know, pound the rock, control the clock, keep Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson off the field. Oh, and lest it not be overlooked, running the ball effectively just might help protect the health of our $102 million quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.

Since 2006, after all, Roethlisberger has taken the most sacks -- by far -- in the NFL.  Roethlisberger has taken a whopping 230 sacks since 2006. Donovon McNabb is a distant second with 168 sacks taken -- a disparity of 62 sacks between the two.  It's not even close.  Running the ball successfully should reduce some of those hits on Big Ben.

Oh, and by the way, Defense, would it be too much to ask for a turnover or three? 

That's all for now.  We'll have to discuss the Pirates' just-concluded season at some point, but for now, the Steelers take priority.  Having said that, some fans surely are relishing a measure of Schadenfreude in the historic freefall of both the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves.  Do their respective collapses make us Pirates' fans feel somehow better to be merely irrelevant, with yet another 90-loss season?  Hmmm, not so sure about that.

Comments are welcome, below left.

Gonna Have to Do Better Against the Texans

Too old and slow?  That question -- yes, that question -- is being revisited already by the talking heads on the NFL Network after the Steelers' disjointed, breathe-a-sigh-of-relief win last night in Indianapolis.

One thing for sure:  There's room for improvement.  And the Steelers will need to play better, much better, next Sunday vs. the high-scoring Houston Texans than they did last night vs. the debilitated Indianapolis Colts.

Curtis Freaking Painter
As Mike Freeman, a blogger at CBSsports.com wrote, "The Steelers were headed towards one of the more humiliating regular season losses in recent franchise history. They were about to lose to the two-headed monster of Kerry Collins and Curtis Freaking Painter. Think about that for a second."

Granted, Mike Wallace, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Mewlede Moore and Ben Roethlisberger all had splash plays vs. the Colts.  As a team, however, the Steelers seemed out of sorts most of the night.  The rushing game put up just 67 yards, the defense tallied just one sack, and the offensive line and the secondary both looked shaky much of the night. Very shaky.  Plus, the offensive line sustained several injuries, the nature of which remain largely undefined -- more cause for concern, especially with the Texans' Mario Williams looming.

One ugly stretch during the first half set the tone.  Soon after the Steelers jumped to what seemed like a comfortable 10-0 lead, Ben Roethlisberger fumbled twice and tossed an ugly interception.  Next thing you knew, the Colts were up, 13-10, by halftime.

Curtis Painter, of Dutch Boy Paints

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls speculated last week we might see third-string quarterback Curtis Painter last night, and sure enough we did.  And it turned out be a good thing, more or less.

On his first series, Painter, who entered the evening with a career QB rating of  9.8 (nine. point. eight), overthrew a wide-open Pierre Garcon for what should have been a 74-yard touchdown strike (where was the coverage?).  On his second series, Painter's fumble after a hit by James Harrison was returned by Troy Polamalu for a Steelers' touchdown.  Painter rebounded, however, to engineer a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to tie the score at 20-20 with just 2:08 left in the fourth quarter.  Et tu, defense? Chinks in the armor?

This is not reassuring, but rest assured: Houston quarterback Matt Schaub is light-years better than Curtis Painter.  And Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson, who may be the best in the game, is way better than anybody the Colts have.  And Mario Williams is a beast.

Unless the Steelers get better, fast, their record will be 2-2 next Monday.  And the "old and slow" talk will continue.

That's all for now.  More, later.

Just one other thing ... 
Michael Vick should just shut up.  

"I just want to know why I don't get the 15-yard flags like everybody else do," Vick said yesterday after his Eagles lost to the New York Giants.  "I'm not going to complain about it.

Oh, yeah?  No complaints?  What's all this, then??  What?  Why he isn't getting 15-yard flags "like "everybody else do"?

Who?  Ben Roethlisberger?  Kerry Collins, who sustained a concussion last night but drew no flag?  No flag.  Matt Ryan last Sunday?  No flag. Drew Brees and Matt Cassell yesterday?  No flags.  Jay Cutler all season?

Really, just what, really, is Vick trying to say?  What is he implying?  Is there an undercurrent of insinuation in his remarks?  And just what is he insinuating?  What?

That slimeball has nothing to complain about.

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

A Bills-Lions Super Bowl?

Both the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions are 3-0 for the first time since Dwight Eisenhower was president.  Well, for the first time in a long time, anyway.  Good for them and their long-suffering fans.

The Bills intercepted Tom Brady four times rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the New England Patriots for the first time in 16 meetings. This just so happened on the Sunday following the week that the NFL Network repeatedly and lovingly tortured us with aired "A Coach's Life," the two-part paean slobbering over honoring profiling New England Patriots punjab Bill Belichick.  You think Belichick isn't frettng a bit this morning -- "Distractions!"

The Bills are back.  For what it's worth, they are the first NFL team since Harry Truman (for real; literally) was president to win games in successive weeks after coming back from 18-point deficits in those games.  Just a footnote here, but remember guard Kraig Urbik (6'5", 329) a Steelers third-round draft choice (in 2009, from Wisconsin) who was cut before the 2010 season opener?  Urbik is starting at right guard for the Bills.

Oh, and by the way, the Bills' defensive coordinator is Dave Wannstedt, last seen in The Capital of Appalachia as head coach of the Pitt Panthers. 

Oh, and by the other way, the NFL Network will re-broadcast the Bills-Patriots game tonight (Monday) at 8 p.m. ET ... but if you miss that replay, you'll also be able to watch yet another replay of "A Coach's Life" later this week.

The Detroit Lions look legit, too, as they continue to impress in every phase of the game (offense, defense, special teams, coaching).  Yesterday, 72-year-old Jason Hanson, who has been in the NFL since 1992, kicked four field goals, including the game-winner in overtime, to help the Lions overcome a 20-point deficit to defeat the Vikings in Minnesota for the first time since 1997.

The Lions are 3-0 for the first time since 1980 (Jimmy Carter was president).

Detroit now has a division-champion baseball team (the Tigers) and an upstart NFL team.  Good for them and their own long-suffering fans, who haven't had an NFL championship team since Dwight Eisenhower was president (truly; you can look it up).

Fans in Buffalo and Detroit -- two downtrodden Rust Belt cities -- finally have a glimmer of hope and something to cheer.  Maybe there is yet hope for Pirates' fans!  Nah.

Steelers vs. Colts Tonight! ... Prime Time

Never mind Peyton Manning.  

What is interesting to Joey Porter's Pit Bulls is the fact that the Colts have been struggling for a while now: Dating back to last year's Nov. 7 loss at Philadelphia and including their playoff loss to the New York Jets, the Colts are 5-7 in their last 12 games.

So ... Joey Porter's Pit Bulls know the Steelers should beat the Manning-less Colts tonight in Indianapolis.  Yet the Colts could win this game.  They should be motivated:  On prime-time television at home in their noisy dome, they are hosting a prime-time game they absolutely must win to salvage any hope of making the playoffs.

More to the point:  Even without Manning, the Colts have a ton of veteran talent -- even if much of that talent is hurting.  Big-name players who missed practice time this past week include tight end Dallas Clark (foot), middle linebacker Gary Brackett, defensive end Dwight Freeney (abdominal) and defensive end Robert Mathis (chest).  

Even considering their injury list, the Colts could pose considerable problems for the Steelers, especially with their receivers (Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie and Dallas Clark) and pass rushers (Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, who are always trouble).

The Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac today offers a nice analysis of key Steelers-Colts match-ups.  Schematically, he says, the Colts operate the type of spread offense that gives the Steelers problems.  

The scheme will mean little, however, if the quarterback stinks.  Backup Kerry Collins has been awful so far this season.  After two games, the Colts' offense ranks at No. 29 in the NFL in scoring, yards per game and red-zone efficiency.  Collins is No. 28 in quarterback rating, and he missed practice time this week with a sore shoulder.

For all that, as Post-Gazette columnist Gene Collier points out, Collins has won three of the four games he's started against the Steelers:

"Collins, you should recall, always performs well against the Steelers. In four career starts, he is 3-1 because he has completed 63 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and but a single pick; that is a career passer rating against Pittsburgh of 92.6, better than Ben Roethlisberger's career passer rating against the entire NFL.  But Collins retired the first week of July, and try as I might, nowhere in the Steelers 552-page media guide can I locate the club's all-time record against retired quarterbacks.  Kerry only joined Jim Caldwell's mind-bending offense exactly a month ago today, post-retirement, and it still looks a ton more challenging than sitting on the porch."

Yes, it's obvious:  Kerry Collins is not Peyton Manning.  Never mind that.  It bears repeating that the Colts have been struggling for a while now:  The Colts are 5-7 in the last 12 games.

The Steelers can't possibly lose this game.  Can they?

Dissa 'n Datta ... Pirates, Ravens vs. Rams, Tebow to Baltimore?

Having won last night's game vs. Cincinnati, the Pirates must win three of their final five games to avoid 90 losses this season. The Bucs have two more games at home vs. the Reds and three games on the road vs. the Brewers, who clinched the NL Central last night.  Congrats to them, especially former Pirate Nyjer Morgan, a/k/a "Tony Plush."

Adding to the Pirates' late-season "drama," both the Bucs and Chicago Cubs share identical 70-87 records -- so the two now are in a "race" for fourth place in the NL Central.  Such drama!

If the Pirates avoid 90 losses and salvage sole possession of fourth place, it would do a bit (but not much) to help fans feel better about our team's free fall since late July, when they (we?) were in first place. 

This sounds a bit convoluted, but here goes: Of any any team that was in first place after 100 games, apparently the Pirates have managed to post the worst record, following those 100 games, of any team in major league history.  

For the Pirates, then, it's been a tale of two seasons. Which team are they?  The scrappy, spunky, plucky team of overachievers who clawed their way to first place and held onto the division lead after 100 games?  Or, the pitching and hitting-challenged crew that played so abysmally the rest of the season?

Baltimore Bounceback?

Speaking of "A Tale of Two Teams," which Baltimore Ravens team will show up tomorrow to play the St. Louis Rams?  The Ravens team that dominated the Steelers in Week One?  Or, the Baltimore crew that looked lost vs. the Tennessee Titans in Week Two?  Our guess is this is an extremely bad match-up for the Rams.

Are the Ravens Interested in Trading for Tim Tebow?

In the Unfounded Internet Rumors Department, speculation has it that the Broncos and Ravens are discussing a trade of Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow to Baltimore.  This seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened.  With raw rookie Tyrod Taylor as their No. 2 quarterback, the Ravens lack an experienced backup to starter Joe Flacco.  Tebow, however, hardly counts as "experienced."  In just his second year, Tebow has only a handful of NFL starts under his belt and currently sits at No. 3 on the Broncos depth chart, behind starter Kyle Orton and backup Brady Quinn.  Why would the Ravens want him?  Potential?  We shall see.

Flopping, Faking Injuries?

Anybody who has watched any sort of NFL news this week knows a big topic of discussion has been the embarrassingly blatant "Flopping" of two New York Giants defensive players who clearly obviously apparently almost certainly faked injures to stall for time during last Monday night's game vs. the Rams.

Having seen the video, one thing is obvious: Deon Grant and Jacquian Williams, need some acting lessons.  Their flopping so flagrant and obvious, it's embarrassing, not only for the Giants and the two players involved, but for the NFL in general.

It's going to be tough for the league to crack down on this, however, as making on-the-spot injury diagnoses can be a slippery slope.  How are on-field officials supposed to figure out when a player is really hurt?  

In any case, it's too bad that players fake injuries -- it's bad for the fans; bad business all around.  Not that it's going to stop.

Might the Steelers Face 3rd-String QB Curtis Painter on Sunday?

Nursing an ailing shoulder, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Kerry Collins had "limited participation" in practice on Wednesday.  Collins almost certainly will play on Sunday, but if he can't play, backup Curtis Painter would be the next QB off the bench.  That should be exciting for Colts fans.

The Indianapolis Star also reports that starting safety Melvin Bullitt -- great name for a safety -- is struggling with a surgically repaired sore shoulder and did not practice on Wednesday.  Bullitt is known historically as a big hitter but missed the last 12 games last season. Last Sunday vs. the Cleveland Browns, Bullitt reportedly allowed at least three tackles slip through his grasp.

Other prominent Colts -- big names all -- who missed practice on Wednesday included tight end Dallas Clark (foot), middle linebacker Gary Brackett, defensive end Dwight Freeney (abdominal) and defensive end Robert Mathis (chest).  Rush linebacker Ernie Sims is ruled out of the game, as is quarterback Peyton Manning, which everybody knows.

Another Day, Another Bengal, Another Police Report

Eight-and-a-half pounds of pot -- EIGHT-AND-A-HALF POUNDS -- reportedly were found by police at at the home of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson, who was "excused" from practice Thursday.  Bengals offensive lineman Anthony Collins also was at the house, along with "packaging materials, scales and smoking devices," according to police. 

“I’ve been apprised of the situation for a few days now,” Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis told Sirius Radio, according to the Bengals' own Web site.  “It was at Jerome's house and it's an investigation that's going on.  He's cooperating and doing what he can to help in the investigation."

Uh-huh.  Maybe this is why the Bengals were flying high after winning their fist game of the season last Sunday.  Bengals fans must be very proud.  Again.

Tuesday's Tomlinisms

Mike Tomlin on the sideline vs. the Seattle Seahawks. (photo credit: Pittsburgh Steelers, www.Steelers.com)

Comments from Mike Tomlin's news conference today:

"I believe it is very black and white.  I believe you step into stadiums, and you play, or you don’t.  Or you make plays, or you don’t.  We aren’t in the business of excuse making."

On Indianapolis quarterback Kerry Collins:  "We imagine he'll be better than what they've shown on tape."

Regarding the Colts defense:  "They play a defense predicated on speed.  They trample the run on the way to the pass."

On playing a 4-3 defense such as Indianapolis's:  "I don't care what our opponents do.  They need to be nameless faces to us."

On reading too much into either of the first two games:  “Each playing opportunity stands on its own. It is what it is. We accept it and take responsibility for it, for our first performance just like we do our second and ultimately all of them. It’s important. I think that’s what is so special about this game and this league. You only get so many opportunities to state a case. Each and every one of them are very important and they don’t go anywhere."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kerry Collins getting sacked by Cleveland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sufferin' Catfish!

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

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

That's More Like It: Steelers Shut Out Seahawks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Kemoeatu, McFadden vs. the Seahawks?

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

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

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

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

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