Walking into a trap?

"We're going to put our hard hats back on and go back to work."

That's what Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday during his weekly news conference, when Tomlin indicated dissatisfaction with the Steelers' play last Sunday vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars. His team almost lost the game, and it must perform better vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals are only 1-4, but this game has "trap" written all over it. The Cardinals may not be a good team, but they are a dangerous team. Especially for the Steelers this week.

The Cardinals are coming off a bye week, so they've had extra time to prepare. Expectations were high for new quarterback Kevin Kolb, but he has performed erratically at best and has something to prove. The Cardinals are desperate for a win. And head coach Ken Whisenhunt has had to endure withering criticism from Arizona fans and media.

For all those reasons and more, much more,Whisenhunt and the Cardinals really, really want a win against the Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. It's not personal? Yeah, right.

Joey Porter and friends.

We know the story, but it cannot be overlooked: Whisenhunt and assistant head coach Russ Grimm were passed over for the Steelers' head coaching job won by Tomlin. Then, Tomlin's Steelers beat Whisenhunt's Cardinals in the Super Bowl.

Plus, the Cardinals organization is riddled with coaches and players who used to be with the Steelers or have associations with Pittsburgh. In addition to Whisenhunt and Grimm, the Cardinals' coaching staff features offensive coordinator Mike Miller, formerly an assistant with the Steelers and at Robert Morris; defensive coordinator Ray Horton, who spent the last seven years with the Steelers and was their secondary coach only last season; special teams coach Kevin Spencer, who headed special teams for the Steelers under Bill Cowher from 2002-06; and assistant defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, the former Steelers cornerback whom we always thought would make a terrific coach in the NFL.

The players, we know. On defense, the Cardinals feature former Steelers Joey Porter, Clark Haggans and Nick Eason. The offense has former Pitt stars LaRod Stephens-Howling and, of course, Larry Fitzgerald, arguably the best wide receiver in the game.

On top of all that, the Cardinals may find inspiration from a125-pound Arizona State University wrestler named Anthony Robles -- who has one leg but won a national title in his weight class in an NCAA tournament. The Cardinals plan to honor Robles with a leadership award as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Tomlin Tuesday: "Troy Appears To Be Good To Go"

Troy Polamalu

The best news from head coach Mike Tomlin's news conference today is that "Troy appears to be good to go."  Tomlin said Troy Polamalu met with the team's neurosurgeon, passed a concussion test and should return to practice on Wednesday. 

That was the biggest news, but Tomlin also provided the following nuggets:

• On the offensive line, guard Doug Legursky will miss "a number of weeks" after undergoing surgery on his dislocated toe. Tackle Marcus Gilbert and guard Chris Kemoeatu should return to practice. 
• Wide receiver Mike Wallace has "a minor hamstring."  If Joey Porter's Pit Bulls recall correctly, Wallace first tweaked his hamstring during the Houston game, which may  have been why Antonio Brown became more of a target during the second half of the game vs. the Texans. Tomlin didn't appear to be overly concerned about Wallace today. As far as we're concerned, however, there's nothing minor about a "minor hamstring" for a speed receiver like Wallace.  
• On defense, Casey Hampton, James Harrison and Aaron Smith will miss Sunday's game.  The status of nose tackle Chris Hoke, who sustained a stinger on Sunday, remains undetermined. Apparently Hoke lost strength in his left shoulder, and it needs to return before he is cleared to play.

Tomlin noted that "a lot has changed" since the Steelers played Arizona in the Super Bowl in 2008.

• Defensively, Tomlin said, the Cardinals have "a very impressive" front seven: Defensive end Calais Campbell is a "high-pedigree young man," and nose tackle Dan Williams has been playing well.

• Joey Porter and Clark Haggans -- we know about those guys.

• Tomlin noted that rookie Patrick Peterson is "a high pedigree first-rounder from LSU doing some nice things at cornerback and as a punt returner."

• On offense, the Cardinals feature running back Beanie Wells, whom Tomlin described as "a big, powerful man" with six touchdowns, 381 yards and a 4.8 yards-per-carry average. He is backed up by LaRod Stephens-Howling (formerly of Pitt) and veteran Chester Taylor.

• As for Arizona's receivers, Tomiln said, "Larry Fitzgerald is one of the best in the world. In most instances, he will win his one-on-one matchups." Fellow receiver Early Doucet is the leading receiver on third downs. The Cardinals also have "a quality tight-end group," with Todd Heap, Jeff King and Rob Howsler.

Tomlin said he has no thoughts on the Harbaugh-Schwartz dispute at the end of Sunday's game between San Francisco and Detroit. Just an opinion here, but Joey Porter's Pit Bulls believe that when Jim Harbaugh wins a game, he should act like he's been there before. Just like a running back who scores a touchdown. 

That's it, Fort Pitt.

What if ...and why?

Considering the Steelers nearly blew a 17-point lead against a mediocre (at best) Jacksonville Jaguars team yesterday at Heinz Field, it is fair to ask ...

What if ... longtime Steeler nemesis Rashean Mathis held onto the interception he dropped yesterday? That was a pick-six for the taking. The Steelers ended up winning the game by four points. You do the math.


What if ... Steeler guard Trai Essex had not fallen onto Ben Roethlisberger's fumble in the second half?


Why did coach Mike Tomlin call for an all-out attempt to block a Jacksonville punt in the third quarter, with the Jaguars facing a fourth-and-21 from deep inside their own territory? What was to be gained from putting on the block scheme instead of the return scheme? The Jaguars would have been kicking into the wind ... but the Steelers got penalized for roughing the kicker. The smart play -- the only play -- would have been to set up the return.The Jaguars retained possession and continued their nine-minute drive that produced a touchdown to close the score to 17-10. That penalty gave the Jaguars new life and kept them in the game.

Why did Roethlisberger continue to throw deep in windy conditions? ... with a  sizable lead?  Roethlisberger misfired repeatedly and over-threw open receivers several times in the second half. Roethlisberger completed just one pass in the second half. One.

What if ... Blaine Gabbert's final pass into the end zone had been completed? 

The Steelers would have lost the game and would be lugging a 3-3 record into their game next week in Arizona, that's what. Just because they won the game yesterday doesn't mean they should be free from scrutiny.
 

Just saying.

A Microcosm of the Steelers' Season

The Steelers showed both sides of their Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde season on Sunday at Heinz Field.

The first half, they were the smooth and flawless Mr. Hyde. The second half?  Dr. Jekyll reared his hideous head.

Before we go any further, who was the idiot (on the Steelers) who head-butted a concussion-prone Troy Polamalu immediately after he appeared to have gotten kneed in the head while tackling Maurice Jones-Drew for a loss in the fourth quarter?

This game ended up being much closer than it should have been. The Steelers cruised through the first half but let the Jaguars back in the game. Showing considerable spunk and resilience, the Jaguars made it a close, uncomfortable finish -- with rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert firing into the end zone with a chance to win the game as time ran out.

To his credit, Gabbert kept his composure after an unimpressive first half. During the first half, Gabbert looked like, well, like a rookie and appeared tentative in the face of Dick LeBeau's veteran defense.When he dropped back to pass, Gabbert often held onto the ball too long, which led to multiple sacks (four in the first half alone).

Gabbert rebounded to engineer the touchdown drive that made it a one-score game late in the third quarter, and he and the Jaguars hung in to make it close at the end.

Shame on the Steelers for squandering a comfortable lead.

In the first half, the Steelers clicked on all cylinders.The defense shut down Maurice Jones-Drew, Rashard Medenhall reasserted his status as the feature running back, and Ben Roethlisberger reclaimed his deep passing game.

In the second half, the Steelers got sloppy, committed costly penalties, and Roethlisberger misfired on passes time and again.

That sort of performance won't fly against better teams. They'd better fix whatever needs fixing. 

Next up for the Steelers: A road game vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

Winning Formula, Redux

Before we discuss today's Steelers-Jacksonville game at Heinz Field, did you know the Buffalo Bills' defense has scored 79 points this year? The Bills have a turnover differential of +11, which leads the NFL. The Steelers' -10 turnover differential isthe league's worst, tied with Philadelphia.

The point? Jacksonville totes Blaine "Gabby" Gabbert, a rookie quarterback making his fourth NFL start, into Heinz Field today -- so this looks like a prime opportunity for the Steelers' defense to get some turnovers. That would help.

Having said that, the real key to winning today's game, just like last Sunday -- okay, every Sunday -- the Steelers must STOP THE RUN. We went to ALL CAPS right away here to emphasize the need to STOP THE RUN.

Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, circa 1964, stopped the run.

Specifically, the Steelers must stop Maurice Jones-Drew, also known as "Pocket Hercules." The Jaguars have other talented players on offense, but let's face it: Their offense has scored fewer points than any in the NFL, and Jones-Drew has accounted for 40 percent of their offensive output. To win today, the Steelers must stop Pocket Hercules.

Stop MJD, force Gabbert to throw, and the Steelers should win.

Still, even this edition of the Jaguars are not to be taken for granted. Entering today's game, Jacksonville is 3-0 at Heinz Field, so the Jags have found ways to beat the Steelers in years past. Cornerback Rashean Mathis has six career interceptions vs. the Steelers, including three returned for touchdowns, for crying out loud.

This year, Jacksonville's eighth-rated defense is solid.  As Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday, "They've been really salty on defense."

And, of course, as Coach Tomlin said earlier this year, "There's a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes."

Go, Steelers!

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Saturday Morning Miscellany -- Jacksonville Jaguars Edition

No major surprises on the Steelers' injury report this morning. We proceed apace again with two-thirds of the starting defensive line out (Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton), and 40 percent of the starting offensive line out (Chris Kemoeatu and Marcus Gilbert).

Just going by the team's depth chart, it's hard to say which players the coaches really consider to be their "starters" on the offensive and defensive lines.

It's Week Six, and the Steelers have started a different offensive line every game this season. We suspect  some of the changes may last for a while, even after the ostensible starters get healthy again.

The offensive line performed well last Sunday vs. Tennessee, even as in-game injuries forced changes during the game. The arrival of Max Starks fortifies left tackle, Doug Legursky played well at left guard, Maurkice Pouncey is set at center, Ramon Foster looked solid at right guard, and Jonathan Scott looks much more comfortable at right tackle than left tackle. The coaches may want to keep this configuration together after Kemoeatu and Gilbert get healthy, if only for continuity and stability.

Tough-guy Steeler Chuck Hinton, DT, circa 1967

The defensive line is another matter. At the very least, it is beginning to appear there will be more rotational substitutions on the defensive line, where Chris Hoke, Cameron Heyward, Ziggy Hood and Steve McClendon should see more playing time.

Ditto the running back position, where many NFL teams substitute liberally. Rashard Mendenhall may start but get less of a workload in favor of Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer and Mewelde Moore when he gets fully healthy.

The left cornerback position is interesting. The depth chart still lists Bryant McFadden as the starter, but he started only the season opener in Baltimore. Since then, William Gay and Keenan Lewis have shared playing time, and that appears certain to continue. Both have played well. Gay is the more senior veteran, but it is time to determine whether Lewis can play for keeps.

Over at Jaguars.com, writer John Oehsner lists 10 reasons the Jags could win tomorrow's game. Try not to laugh. The Jaguars are 3-0 at Heinz Field.

The Jax Jags Are Always Trouble for the Steelers

Jacksoville's Maurice Jones-Drew is one tough hombre.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are a scary team, and not just because of their ugly uniforms.

Everybody seems to assume the Steelers will win, and they probably will. After all, the Jag-yu-arrs are 1-4 and starting a rookie quarterback for an offense that is No. 32 in the NFL in both passing and total offense. With just 59 points in five games, the Jags are next-to-last in the NFL in scoring. Add in the fact that head coach Jack del Rio is on the hot seat, and the Jaguars look like tabby cats.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls don't care. Jacksonville has always meant trouble for the Steelers.

The Jaguars still feature running back Maurice Jones-Drew ("Pocket Hercules"), the NFL's eighth-rated defense and veteran cornerback Rashean Mathis, who has a knack for absolutely torturing the Steelers with interceptions at crucial times.

"Pocket Hercules"

Throw in the fact that, historically, the Jaguars are 3-0 at Heinz Field, including a wild-card playoff game in January 2008 ... and, yes, the Jaguars are a scary team.

We're worried about Jones-Drew, who has a 5.0 yards-per-carry average for 476 yards, which makes him the league's fourth-leading rusher. Jones-Drew also gets involved in the passing game and provides a nice outlet for rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

Although Jones-Drew accounts for 40 percent of the Jaguars' offense -- which is a ton -- Jacksonville has some other talented players on offense, including Pro Bowl tight end Mercedes Lewis, wide receiver Mike Williams and quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the impressive first-round draft choice starting just his fourth NFL game.

Rashean Mathis tortures the Steelers.

Then there is 31-year-old Rashean Mathis, historically a thorn in the Steelers' side. On Oct. 5, 2008, Mathis returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown at Heinz Field. More galling, also at Heinz Field, Mathis intercepted passes -- one returned for a touchdown -- on back-to-back possessions in the January 2008 playoff game the Steelers lost to the Jags.

That game remains a bitter memory for Steeler fans and, of course, for coach Mike Tomlin, who cut short his conference call with Jacksonville media on Wednesday, after being asked about that game, saying "I'm not going to cry over four-year-old spilled milk" and asking for "legitimate questions."

Jaguars beat writer Tania Ganguli  neatly summed up Mathis's success against the Steelers ...

"Historically some of Mathis' best games have come against the Steelers.

In 2005, he intercepted then-Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox in overtime and returned it for a game-winning touchdown. He also partially blocked a punt in that game. In 2006, Mathis had two fourth-quarter interceptions against the Steelers and was named AFC Defensive player of the week. In the 2007 post-season, he intercepted Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger twice when the Jaguars played in Pittsburgh during the AFC wildcard game. He returned one of those interceptions 63 yards for a touchdown. In October 2008 Mathis took his only interception of the game 72 yards the other way for another touchdown."

We would be remiss if we did not recognize this landmark date in Pittsburgh sports history.

"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year," were the words with which Pirate's broadcaster Jim "Possum" Woods concluded the radio broadcast of the Bucs' epic 10-9 victory over the Yankees in the 1960 World Series. It happened on this date, Oct. 13, 1960. 

Today is the 51st anniversary of that momentous occasion and, as happens every Oct. 13, people will make a pilgrimage of sorts to gather in Oakland at the site of the Forbes Field wall, listen to a re-broadcast of the game, revel in the history, and cheer on the 1960 Pirates. It's all good fun.

Snicker all you want and accuse Pirates fans of living in the past. Granted, today's Pirates are nothing like the 1960 Pirates, nor are they like the contemporary big-budget Yankees except that both teams are done for the season.

Like Casablanca's Humphrey Bogart (Rick) and Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Lund) will always have Paris, we Pirates fans will always have 1960.

Talk about living in the past. Sheesh. Still, if you're going to have one landmark, highlight-of-highlights moment, Maz's homer is a great one to have -- the greatest, most dramatic World Series moment ever.

It was the greatest baseball game ever played. And one of the wackiest World Series ever.

"Sufferin' Catfish!! You Can Kiss It Goodbye!!!"

So-o-o-o ... it's fun to join other fans gathering at the still-standing section of the wall over which Maz's homer sailed to celebrate the occasion. The celebration gets bigger and bigger each year, and it's worth checking out if you have the time and can get there.

RELEVANT LINKS:

Check out this fantastic recap of the game at The Green Weenie.
"A Painful Memor for the Yanks -- Mike Vaccaro, New York Post

In 1960, A Series to Remember (or Forget) -- Sean D. Hammill, The New York Times

Whither Rashard?

Rashard Mendenhall

Last season, including the post-season, Rashard Mendenhall had 418 touches (carries plus receptions). 

Neither a speed burner like Chris Johnson nor a power back like Brandon Jacobs, Mendenhall was nevertheless sturdy, steady and generally reliable last year with just two fumbles lost in the regular season (plus that nightmare of a pivotal fumble in the Super Bowl). During the regular season, Mendenhall started every game, broke 11 runs of 20 yards or more and had 13 touchdowns.

Considering for a moment that 300 carries a season for a running back is a lot, isn't it time to consider splitting carries in a rotation of running backs? ... especially since the Steelers seem to have good backups in Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer and Mewelde Moore (when he returns from his ankle injury).

Isaac Redman

Now in his third season, Rashard is still a young guy, just 24, so this is not to suggest he is in decline. A change of pace during games, however, presumably would keep him fresh and, just as importantly, give defenses a different look. The Steelers have four decent running backs; why not use them?

So much the better if the backup running backs bring different styles to the mix, say a power punch and a speed dynamic* -- but it doesn't really matter. The important thing is to maximize the effectiveness of your backs. That's especially so, if your starter is beat up or coming off an an injury (Mendhall returned to practice yesterday and had full participation).

It appears the coaching staff may be pulling in the reins a bit, anyway. This year, through the four games Mendenhall has played (he sat out last Sunday with a bad hamstring), he is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry on just 58 carries (which averages out to fewer than 15 carries per game, which isn't a whole lot). His lack of success relative to last season may be in part attributed to the offensive line, and possibly because he is not entirely healthy. And he may be carrying a hangover from being hit so much last year.

Now, with the impressive performances of Redman and Dwyer last Sunday, speculation is rampant that Redman will start and get most of the carries. Maybe he will. Coaches being what they are, however, it seems unlikely they will go with a new starter based on one game.

Still, it does appear in any case that the coaches plan to use more of a rotation of running backs, with Redman, Dwyer and Moore getting a higher percentage of carries than we saw last year. Seems like a good idea.

*A mix of power and speed -- remember Jerome Bettis and Eric Pegram? Now that was a good combination that presented an effective change of pace.
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Phreaking Out in Philadelphia

For those of you who indulge in a bit of Schadenfreude (glee at someone else's misfortune), look no farther than Philadelphia. It's fascinating.

Fans of the Phillies are in despair; fans of the Eagles are in misery. For a detached observer, both teams are interesting cases.

This past weekend, wrote Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News, was "the worst weekend in Philadelphia sports history."

Just a couple of weeks ago, expectations were sky-high in Philadelphia. Both the Phillies and Eagles have high-profile players galore. With one of the best starting rotations arguably in baseball history, the Phillies had 102 wins in the regular season -- but flailed at the plate while being shut out by the Cardinals in the decisive Game Five in Philadelphia.

Now, just like our own Pittsburgh Pirates (ouch), the Phillies are out of the playoffs ... and on the last out of Friday night's game, they lost star slugger Ryan Howard to a crippling Achilles tendon injury that like will take a year of rigorous rehab for recovery ... and they also face the loss of several prominent free agents (Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Brad Lidge) and players with high-ticket options on their contracts (Roy Oswalt, Placido Polanco). Fans in Philadelphia, not unexpectedly, are turning ugly and pointing fingers -- at the players, the manager and the front office. They all face a long winter.

Andy Reid, head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles, who have the self-proclaimed "Dream Team," are reeling, and some fans and talking heads in the media are calling for head coach Andy Reid to be fired. They're saying he's clueless, and it's turning ugly.

This is all fresh off the Eagles paying out huge money for several star free agents and inconsistent quarterback Michael Vick, all of whom have contributed to a 1-4 record. There is no end in sight, and it's how the Eagles are failing that has their fans bellowing. Mistakes, penalties and turnovers are rampant. 

The Eagles, in fact, are at the bottom of the NFL in turnover ratio with a minus-10, tied with -- you guessed it --our hometown Pittsburgh Steelers.


The Steelers may be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde this season, but at least they are 3-2 and coming off a win. The Eagles would gladly take that. Instead, they are taking relentless flak from their always staid and dignified fans.

It's interesting, and kinda fun to watch -- if you're into Schadenfreude. But not Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, no sir. We've lived with the Pirates for too long. We still remember with bitterness the Pirates' loss in the 1992 NLCS when left fielder Barry Bonds failed to throw out lead-footed ex-Bucco Sid Bream at the plate in the bottom of the ninth in Atlanta. We knew that was the end of an era, and the Pirates never recovered. Plus, we've had too many AFC Championship losses to take any sort of winning for granted. Nope, no sir. No Schadenfreude here. 

What we find interesting -- and this may be a reach -- is the impression that Philadelphians wouldn't be happy unless they are unhappy. Call it "Self-Schadenfreude." 

Maybe that's why Philadelphia fans are so good at vitriol. They practice it.

Just a thought.

That's more like it.

"We weren't going to leave any bullets in the gun."
-- Mike Tomlin, following the Steelers' win over the Tennessee Titans

Pre-season is over, finally.
 
Finally, the Steelers looked more like the team we've gotten used to seeing the past 200 years.
 
On a beautiful Indian Summer Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field, the Steelers reasserted their identity as a hard-nosed, sure-tackling, run-stuffing, tough-running football team. Most of the day, the Steelers dominated the Tennessee Titans, who entered the game with a 3-1 record.
 

STARS

Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer -- Both ran tough all day, broke tackles and racked up a total of 174 yards rushing. Highlight of the day was Dwyer's 76-yard run, his first carry of the season. Redman had 49 yards on 15 runs, but it seemed like he had more yards and more carries. Steelers radio announcer Tunch Ilkin correctly observed, "Redman will not go down today," and Ilkin's sidekick Craig Wolfley rang in with "He keeps those hamhocks churning!" 

Bruce Arians -- Will fans give the oft-criticized offensive coordinator any credit for a successful game plan? Probably not. That's how it goes for offensive coordinators. Total yardage on the day: 431, including 174 on the ground. The Steelers stuck to a rhythm passing game featuring short throws that helped the offensive line protect Ben Roethlisberger. For all we know, Arians goes with this game plan every week, but Roethlisberger does his own thing, which brings us to ...

Hines Ward (photo by Matt Freed, Post-Gazette)

Ben Roethlisberger -- His performance seemed unspectacular until the announcers said he'd thrown five touchdowns and had a passer rating of 116. Hobbled by his injured foot, Ben seemed intent to get rid of the ball quickly, so there was little freelancing, highjinks and improvisational wizardry. For the most part, the Steelers engineered a controlled passing game with short routes and crossing patterns, as Ben connected with eight receivers throughout the day. He took just one sack, threw one interception and didn't lose any fumbles, which have plagued him this season.

The Offensive Line -- Just what the doctor ordered. Max Starks, Doug Legursky, Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, Marcus Gilbert, Trai Essex and Jonathan Scott all played extremely well against a solid front seven. With just three practices under his belt, Starks stepped right in and protected Roethlisberger's blind side without incident or fanfare. Essex took over for Legursky when he moved over to center after Pouncey came off the field at one point with an unspecified injury, and the injured Scott stepped in for Gilbert after he got hurt -- but the line didn't miss a beat. The tight ends and running backs did a good job blocking, too.

Ike Taylor -- Arguably the Steelers' steadiest performer this season, Taylor had another strong outing and pretty much shut down anybody he had to cover.

Chris Hoke -- The backup nose tackle stepped in for starter Case Hampton and helped to stuff the Titans' running game. Hoke appeared much more mobile and disruptive than Hampton has been most of this season. He dominated. When Hoke starts a game in the regular season, by the way, the Steelers are 16-1.

Lamarr Woodley -- Seemingly absent all season, Woodley was in on two sacks and intercepted a pass batted in the air by Brett Keisel. Fellow linebacker James Farrior led the team with 13 tackles and knocked down a pass.

Antonio Brown -- After the Titans kicked a field goal on their opening drive, Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 52 yards to get the crowd right back in the game. Brown looked lively on returns and in the passing game all day.

Hines Ward -- Having said earlier in the week that he's been open but hasn't had the ball thrown to him, Ward caught seven passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns.

Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward -- The two young defensive linemen flashed why the Steelers drafted them in the first round (Hood in 2010, Heyward in 2011). Heyward forced a fumble (recovered by Tennessee) and had a sack in the second half when the Titans were trying to mount a comeback.

Troy Polamalu -- He was all over the field, in on nine tackles, and had three passes defensed.

Coming Up

Jacksonville here, a road trip to Arizona, then New England and Baltimore here, then a game at Cincinnatti before the bye week.

Should be an interesting game today

Okay, let's say it all together: To win today, the Steelers must stop the run. 

Again: To win today, the Steelers must STOP THE RUN.  

Once more, with feeling: TO WIN TODAY, THE STEELERS MUST STOP THE RUN.

Oh, and a reminder for the defense: You're allowed to intercept a pass.

Offensive line: It's okay to knock people over. And try to keep Ben from getting maimed.

  

Ben: Since you can't run, you can't hide. Get rid of the ball.

 

And, guys, just one more thing: "There's a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes."

 

Go, Steelers!

The Philthadelphia Story; Also, More Nyjer Morgan

The Steelers have had their troubles lately, Pitt continues to struggle and Lord knows long-suffering Pirates fans have had their fill of woe, but this morning we can all be thankphul we're not Philadelphians. 

Phillies fans watched in agonizing slow-motion horror Friday night, as their high-payroll team suffered a crushing defeat to get bounced out of the playoffs by the underdog St. Louis Cardinals. Adding insult to injury -- or more accurately, injury to insult -- they also witnessed star slugger Ryan Howard crumple to the ground in excruciating agony with a torn Achilles tendon -- suffered when he grounded out to end the series. Howard faces a long, painful and uncertain recovery that will extend at  least a couple months into the 2012 season. The Phillies also stand to lose key players to free agency, including Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez and Brad Lidge. 

On top of all that there are the Eagles, with the maladroit Michael Vick at the helm. If the Eagles lose to the Bills today, look out. As Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bob Ford wrote, "And so begins a nuclear winter of discontent and one -- just guessing here -- that doesn't seem likely to be enlivened by the Eagles."

How depressing for the already surly fan base. The City That Booed Santa Claus at Halftime of an Eagles Game could get really ugly, very soon.
 
It's Nyjer Morgan's World. We Only Live In It.

• MLB.com: "T.Plush Taking Baseball by Storm in Playoffs"
• Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle: "Show goes On for Brewers, Tony Plush"
• USA Today: "Nyjer Morgan, Tony Plush Revel in Post-Season"

End of an Era: Al Davis is Dead

  

Oakland Al is dead, according to Raiders.com. Darth Raider himself. He was 82. End of an era.

As much as Al Davis became a caricature of himself later in life, he was a pioneer who was instrumental in advancing the American Football League to prominence and legitimacy in the 1960s. He demanded a "Commitment to Excellence."

Al Davis was many things: audacious, visionary, paranoid, brilliant, cantankerous, iconoclastic, iconic, quirky, truculent, enigmatic, driven, egotistical, eccentric, bold, accusatory, vindictive, sly, crusty, bizarre, fierce, stubborn, irascible, intractable, vitriolic, tenacious, myopic, micromanager, rigid, pioneering, selfish, feisty, ingenious, draconian, troubled, temperamental, rebellious, outspoken, football strategist, business tycoon and empire builder. All of that, and more.

One thing for sure: He was one of a kind. A character.

    

Davis saw himself as a maverick and set the impassioned "Pride and Poise" identity of the Raiders, although the team often lacked poise, if not pride, through the years, as one of the perennially most penalized and mistake-prone teams in the NFL.

    

The late, great Hunter S. Thompson wrote often and at length about Oakland Al, and it is all worth reading. As HST noted, Al Davis was the persona and identity of the Raiders and everything that went with the team's mystique:

"Every game was a terrifying adventure, win or lose, and the Raiders of the '70s usually won -- except in Pittsburgh, where cruel things happened and many dreams died horribly. You could see the early beginnings of what would evolve into the massive Raider Nation, which is beyond doubt the sleaziest and rudest and most sinister mob of thugs and whackos ever assembled in such numbers under a single "roof," so to speak, anywhere in the English-speaking world. No doubt there are other profoundly disagreeable cults that meet from time to time in most of the 50 states."

Indeed, for a few years, the 1970s Raiders-Steelers rivalry was as bitter, vicious and intense as any rivalry, though it didn't have the longevity of the Steelers-Browns or the Bears-Packers.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the Raiders now. For that matter, it should be interesting to see how the Raiders play the Texans in Houston tomorrow. Davis would surely say, "Just win, baby."

First Steve Jobs, then Al Davis. Truly, the end of an era. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would say,"Rest in Peace," but we're pretty sure Davis wouldn't want to hear it. We're pretty sure he didn't go quietly. 
Oh, and we still have the Oakland Raiders Christmas card that Al Davis once sent our way. He was full of surprises.

Other Views:

• Doug Farrar at Shutdown Corner
• Greg Rosenthal at ProFootballTalk
• Will Brinson at CBS Sportsline
• San Francisco Chronicle
• Gary Peterson: "Al Davis did It His Way"
• Oakland Tribune: "The Al Davis Legacy: Innovator, Fighter, Maverick"
• Gwenn Knapp: "Hard to believe that stubborn Davis is really gone"
• San Francisco Chronicle Editorial: "Al Davis, an original"

Saturday Morning Miscellany

Heinz Field is 10 years old already?  

The Post-Gazette's Blog 'n Gold offers an awesome compendium of 10 years of highlights at Heinz Field, and they have been mostly great years. Kudos to online sports editor Dan Gigler at the Post-Gazette. 

• Get to "Know Thy Enemy" with Nice Pick, Cowher providing perspective from Nashville.
• Also, from Nashville, The Music City Miracles blog has a nice report on the Titans at the season's quarter pole.
• Did you know the Titans have a rookie defensive back who played for the Aliquippa Quips, Pitt Panthers, Edinboro and California University of Pennsylvania? That's not all. Tommie Campbell also worked as a janitor cleaning toilets at Greater Pittsburgh International Airport. The Tennessean tells his story, which is about redemption and making the most of one last chance. It's a good one.
• Lest we overlook baseball, Bob Smizik offers his report card on Pirates' hitters.
• Speaking of baseball, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls (that's us) offers a tip 'o the hat to former former Pirates Nyjer Morgan, Don Kelly and Jim Leyland.
• You might also want to glance at a study in contrasts -- an examination of the relative stability of the offensive lines of the Tennesssee Titans and the Steelers.

No Big Snack? No Big Juicy? What's Going On Here?

Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith are out.

It definitely would be tough to play nose tackle with a bum shoulder, so-o-o-o ... Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton, also known as "Big Snack," will miss tomorrow's game vs. the Tennessee Titans. As reported on ProFootballTalk, Hampton is one of six injured Steelers ruled out of the game. Hampton has a shoulder injury sustained last Sunday in Houston. Both Chris Hoke and Steve McLendon will play in Hampton's place.

Also missing from the defense will be Aaron Smith, James Harrison and Jason Worilds. And, as if the offensive line didn't have enough discontinuity, it will be without starting left guard Chris Kemoeatu (also known as "Big Juicy"). Also missing the game will be running back Mewelde Moore. With starter Rashard Mendenhall still listed as questionable, Isaac Redman will get most of the carries.

We Can Be Heroes: Jim Leyland, Don Kelly, Nyjer Morgan, Tony Plush and Tony Gumbo

Former Pirates in both leagues played pivotal roles advancing their teams to the World Series. Good for them!

Nyjer Morgan was the hero of the Brewers' NLCS walk-off win in Milwaukee Friday night. With teammate Carlos Gomez on at second in the bottom of the tenth, Morgan and his alter ego personalities Tony Plush and Tony Gumbo swatted a single up the middle to drive in the winning run to send the Brewers to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.

Nyjer Morgan, or is it Tony Plush? Tony Gumbo?

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls hated to see the Pirates trade Morgan (to Washington in 2009, with Sean Burnett for Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan), and not just because Morgan was our favorite Pirate at the time -- and no doubt, the Pirates became much more boring and vanilla after he was traded, and the Brewers became much more interesting and fun after he joined them.

Morgan's antics overshadow the fact he is a good player. He provides leadership on the field and in the clubhouse. He's a catalyst. He brings energy and personality(ies) to his team. 

The dismissive, know-it-all Sabremetricians will snicker smugly and point knowingly to Morgan's baseball shortcomings, so we'll turn to the guys on the MLB Network panel after the game last night, who were saying things like:  "This guy's a good ballplayer, fundamentally sound." ..."What a difference Nyjer Morgan has made in Milwaukee." ..."He's always in the middle of the action." ... "A good hitter and a good defender." ..."You need unique people on a team." ..."He brings an energy to the team."

With his bubbly presence, Morgan was (and is) an exciting player and an effusive fan favorite. Oh, so you think "effusive fan favorite" doesn't matter to fans and even management in Milwaukee, or that it shouldn't matter in Pittsburgh? Here's how tone-deaf the Pirates' management is: Guess which player on the Brewers, who have not just one but two legitimate MVP candidates in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, guess which player's shirt has the most sales in the Brewer's Clubhouse Store? Nyjer Morgan's. Pirates owner Bob Nutting must rue the lost nickels and dimes. 

Nyjer Morgan, the former hockey player, wasn't good enough for the Pirates, but now he's a beloved hero in Milwaukee. He's fun. Good for him.

Don Kelly: Home Run Hero. 

Don Kelly was deemed not good enough to stick as a utility player with the Pirates, but now he's a hero in Detroit. What a story for Kelly, who has overcome long odds with the dogged determination of a pit-terrier mix. Thursday night, he cemented his place in Detroit baseball lore by hitting the first-inning home run that silenced Yankee Stadium and seemed to guarantee the Tigers' ALDS victory.

Kelly, who played high school ball at Mt. Lebanon High School and in college for Point Park, is easy to root for. His is a really, really great feel-good story, not to be redundant.

Jim Leyland gave Kelly the chance Pirates wouldn't, and Kelly made Leyland look like a genius. The former Pirates manager once again displayed uncanny intuition Thursday night when he penciled Kelly's name into the line-up at third base and No. 2 in the batting order. Kelly validated Leyland's belief in him with that crucial home run that ESPN showed again and again and again.

Tammy Faye Baker

For a man who cries more than Tammy Faye Baker in her heyday, Leyland provided a remarkably steady hand at the helm of the Detroit Tigers this season. Still, after his Tigers dismissed the New York Yankees Thursday night, Leyland almost cried on national television when he talked about Don Kelly.

"He deserves to be in there," Leyland said. "You don't get sentimental at this time of year. He's been swinging the bat very well. He's got a lot of big hits. I think that's a guy that's a great story. Here's a guy that's the 25th guy on the team, I guess, but I wouldn't rather have another 25th guy. It's kind of a nice story. Good for Don Kelly."

Good for Don Kelly. Good for Jim Leyland. Good for Nyjer Morgan. Congratulations to all.

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.