Priorities are what often drive a draft more than anything else. As much as teams like to pay lip service to the old "best player available" mantra, let’s be honest about something for a second: Few teams, if any, actually work their draft in that matter.
We're going to take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, position by position, over the next month as we try to get a better handle on what directions the team will go on April 28 and 29.
Today: The cornerbacks.
The Steelers have arguably spent more money and high draft picks on the cornerback position than any other in recent years. Yet the position is still considered a weakness as it heads into the 2007 NFL draft.
From 2003 through 2005, the team spent premium picks on Ike Taylor, Ricardo Colclough and Bryant McFadden. Yet somehow, none has been able to permanently displace veteran Deshea Townsend in the starting lineup.
At 31, Townsend is certainly starting to slow down. But the nine-year veteran remains the team's most reliable corner – even though his lack of ideal size (5-10, 190 pounds) often gets him in trouble against larger receivers.
But until the team's other corners can come close to Townsend's consistency level, he’ll likely stay in the starting lineup.
The Steelers gave Taylor a five-year, $22-million contract last season and he responded by landing himself in Bill Cowher's doghouse.
At 6-1, 191-pounds, Taylor has excellent size to go along with his blazing speed. His problem seems to be a lack of focus. At times, Taylor seems more intent on being a celebrity rather than perfecting his craft. Instead of worrying about off-the-field stuff, Taylor should concentrate more on his play on the field. He, and the team, would be better off for it.
Maybe his benching last season will serve as a wake-up call for the talented Taylor. He's too good a corner to be sitting the bench for this team.
McFadden took advantage of Taylor's benching to jump into the starting lineup on a full-time basis in just his second season. Like Taylor, McFadden has excellent size (6-0, 190), though he lacks Taylor’s top-end speed.
McFadden makes up for that with his aggressiveness and tackling ability and is a player who is only going to get better.
Even more than a wildcard for the Steelers this season is Colclough. Though he failed miserably as a punt return man last season, Colclough was making some strides as a cover man before a mysterious neck injury landed him on injured reserve.
The 5-11, 195-pound Colclough has coverage skills. He's a player who always seems to be in position, he has just failed to make the big plays early in his career. If he can make that jump and improve his ball skills, he could surprise in 2007.
Rookie Anthony Madison made the team as an undrafted rookie last season and showed some potential. But his overall lack of size (5-9, 180) is working against him as being anything more than an end of the bench player.
Veteran Chidi Iwuoma was released at the end of training camp last season and bounced around the league to New England and St. Louis before landing back with the Steelers by season's end. But Iwuoma, whom the team re-signed this offseason, is nothing more than a special teams gunner – though that is an important job that he excels at.
Given that the Steelers still see Cincinnati and its potent passing game as its main long-term threat in the AFC North, cornerback is an important position on this team in the grand scheme of things. Poor cornerback play against the likes of Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson is going to equal a lot of headaches.
And with Townsend near the end of the line and Colclough and Taylor somewhat question marks - though the team has a lot at stake financially with Taylor - cornerback could be seen as a need position early in this year's draft, especially if that is where the value is.
Even if the Steelers don't select a cornerback in the first couple of rounds, look for them to address the position at some point in the draft.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wide receiver analysis
Priorities are what often drive a draft more than anything else. As much as teams like to pay lip service to the old "best player available" mantra, let's be honest about something for a second: Few teams, if any, actually work their draft in that matter.
We're going to take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, position by position, over the next month as we try to get a better handle on what directions the team will go on April 28 and 29.
Today: The wide receivers.
The Steelers went hard and heavy at the wide receiver position in last year's draft, taking Santonio Holmes in the first round and Willie Reid in the third.
That would tend to lean against them taking a receiver at some point in this year's draft, but given new offensive coordinator Bruce Arians statements that he would like to spread the field out more often this season than the Steelers have in the past, the team could be in the market to upgrade at wide receiver if the value is there.
Also, Sean Morey's jump to Arizona leaves the team – which usually likes to carry five receivers on the active roster – with an opening.
We know that Hines Ward is a given as the team's No. 1 receiver and that Holmes came into his own in the second half of last season to grab the No. 2 role. But behind those two there are some question marks.
Reid missed most of his rookie season with a nagging foot injury, while Nate Washington struggled at times with his concentration, dropping several touchdown passes. Cedrick Wilson, meanwhile, has been functional, at best, in his role as the No. 2/3 receiver.
New head coach Mike Tomlin said recently that he’s been talking to Holmes about making a big jump in his second year in the league. Holmes caught 49 passes for 824 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season, but the bulk of that came in the second half. In the team’s final nine games Holmes caught 33 passes for 579 yards and both of his touchdowns. If he can just continue at that pace, he’ll not only be a nice compliment to Ward, he could wrest the role of No. 1 receiver away from him by year's end.
The team would be looking for a similar jump from Reid had his rookie season not been a washout. As it is, the Steelers will likely look for the speedy rookie to take over some of the return duties from Holmes, who is too valuable to expose on punt and kickoffs on a consistent basis. Plus, Reid was better in those duties in training camp than Holmes last year anyway.
As for Washington, his overall numbers of 35 receptions for 624 yards and four touchdowns don't look bad when you consider that last season was basically his rookie year as well. Though he was with the team in 2005, he barely saw any action and could be looking at a jump in production this season as well. It's easy to look at his end zone drops and be critical. But the fact is, he was getting open in those situations against NFL coverage, which is a positive.
Wilson caught 37 passes for 504 yards and one touchdown last season, but lost his starting spot to Holmes in the last month of the season. He'll battle with Washington this year for the No. 3 spot. Though he's making a lot of money to be a No. 3 or 4 guy, he's a veteran at a position the Steelers are pretty young at – especially if they bring in another rookie – which can't be overlooked.
Perennial practice squader Walter Young and Mr. August, Lee Mays, each were around for a cup of coffee at times last season, but neither is in the team’s long-term plans.
Given Ward's age – he turned 31 earlier this month – and his physical playing style, it wouldn't be a stretch for the team to begin looking down the road at life without their all-time leading receiver. All those hits he dishes out and takes have to have an affect on his body.
Ward realizes this as well, hence his outspokeness about the team's release of linebacker Joey Porter. Ward knows that he could find himself in a similar situation within the next couple of years if/when he reaches the end of the road. That would be a tough pill to swallow for both the team, Ward and fans.
With all of this in mind, look for the Steelers to address the wide receiver position with a mid-to-late pick in the draft.
We're going to take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, position by position, over the next month as we try to get a better handle on what directions the team will go on April 28 and 29.
Today: The wide receivers.
The Steelers went hard and heavy at the wide receiver position in last year's draft, taking Santonio Holmes in the first round and Willie Reid in the third.
That would tend to lean against them taking a receiver at some point in this year's draft, but given new offensive coordinator Bruce Arians statements that he would like to spread the field out more often this season than the Steelers have in the past, the team could be in the market to upgrade at wide receiver if the value is there.
Also, Sean Morey's jump to Arizona leaves the team – which usually likes to carry five receivers on the active roster – with an opening.
We know that Hines Ward is a given as the team's No. 1 receiver and that Holmes came into his own in the second half of last season to grab the No. 2 role. But behind those two there are some question marks.
Reid missed most of his rookie season with a nagging foot injury, while Nate Washington struggled at times with his concentration, dropping several touchdown passes. Cedrick Wilson, meanwhile, has been functional, at best, in his role as the No. 2/3 receiver.
New head coach Mike Tomlin said recently that he’s been talking to Holmes about making a big jump in his second year in the league. Holmes caught 49 passes for 824 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season, but the bulk of that came in the second half. In the team’s final nine games Holmes caught 33 passes for 579 yards and both of his touchdowns. If he can just continue at that pace, he’ll not only be a nice compliment to Ward, he could wrest the role of No. 1 receiver away from him by year's end.
The team would be looking for a similar jump from Reid had his rookie season not been a washout. As it is, the Steelers will likely look for the speedy rookie to take over some of the return duties from Holmes, who is too valuable to expose on punt and kickoffs on a consistent basis. Plus, Reid was better in those duties in training camp than Holmes last year anyway.
As for Washington, his overall numbers of 35 receptions for 624 yards and four touchdowns don't look bad when you consider that last season was basically his rookie year as well. Though he was with the team in 2005, he barely saw any action and could be looking at a jump in production this season as well. It's easy to look at his end zone drops and be critical. But the fact is, he was getting open in those situations against NFL coverage, which is a positive.
Wilson caught 37 passes for 504 yards and one touchdown last season, but lost his starting spot to Holmes in the last month of the season. He'll battle with Washington this year for the No. 3 spot. Though he's making a lot of money to be a No. 3 or 4 guy, he's a veteran at a position the Steelers are pretty young at – especially if they bring in another rookie – which can't be overlooked.
Perennial practice squader Walter Young and Mr. August, Lee Mays, each were around for a cup of coffee at times last season, but neither is in the team’s long-term plans.
Given Ward's age – he turned 31 earlier this month – and his physical playing style, it wouldn't be a stretch for the team to begin looking down the road at life without their all-time leading receiver. All those hits he dishes out and takes have to have an affect on his body.
Ward realizes this as well, hence his outspokeness about the team's release of linebacker Joey Porter. Ward knows that he could find himself in a similar situation within the next couple of years if/when he reaches the end of the road. That would be a tough pill to swallow for both the team, Ward and fans.
With all of this in mind, look for the Steelers to address the wide receiver position with a mid-to-late pick in the draft.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Safety dance
Priorities are what often drive a draft more than anything else. As much as teams like to pay lip service to the old “best player available” mantra, let’s be honest about something for a second: Few teams, if any, actually work their draft in that matter.
We’re going to take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, position by position, over the next month as we try to get a better handle on what directions the team will go on April 28 and 29.
Today: The safeties.
Safety is one position the Steelers are not only stocked at with a good quantity of players, but quality as well.
Starting strong safety Troy Polamalu remains one of the best players at his position in the league – one of a handful of amazing talents at the position currently in the league who are redefining the position. At free safety, veteran Ryan Clark held down the position last season, with rookie Anthony Smith – a third-round draft pick – starting the final three games when Clark was out with an injury.
Recently re-signed Tyrone Carter, a veteran with 34 career starts under his belt including three last year in place of an injured Polamalu, also provides depth.
Considering the team usually only carries four safeties - five at most - on its roster, there wouldn’t seem to be any room for another youngster on the roster.
But looming over the team’s plans right now is the fact that Polamalu, a three-time Pro Bowl player, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the completion of the 2007 season. Considering some of the contracts handed out to safeties in the past year, signing Polamalu to a contract extension – something the team is working on – isn’t going to come cheaply.
The Steelers have also never liked to paint themselves into a corner with contract negotiations. They don’t like to go into a contract situation with a veteran player without having a possible replacement in place in case negotiations break down. Add to that the fact a bank-breaking contract extension for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger looming in the future as well, and Polamalu’s situation is a bit tenuous.
The Steelers would love to guarantee having Polamalu roaming their defensive backfield for another five or six years. But will the cost to do so become prohibitive?
Some have argued that if new head coach Mike Tomlin plans of eventually moving to a cover-2 base defense, Polamalu doesn’t fit the scheme. That, of course, is hogwash since great players defy schemes. They are able to adapt to any style of play.
The question is, however, would Polamalu be as effective in a cover-2?
The knock on him coming out of college was that he wasn’t very good in coverage. And that’s a fair assessment. But he does possess rare ball skills and is able to cover a lot of ground quickly to help make up for any coverage lapses.
If Polamalu were to leave after this season, however, the Steelers likely have his replacement on the roster as Clark would slide from free safety to strong – the position he started at with the Washington Redskins – to play beside Smith, who will be a good bet to start beside Polamalu this season.
That said, it’s unlikely the Steelers will take a safety in this year’s draft.
We’re going to take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, position by position, over the next month as we try to get a better handle on what directions the team will go on April 28 and 29.
Today: The safeties.
Safety is one position the Steelers are not only stocked at with a good quantity of players, but quality as well.
Starting strong safety Troy Polamalu remains one of the best players at his position in the league – one of a handful of amazing talents at the position currently in the league who are redefining the position. At free safety, veteran Ryan Clark held down the position last season, with rookie Anthony Smith – a third-round draft pick – starting the final three games when Clark was out with an injury.
Recently re-signed Tyrone Carter, a veteran with 34 career starts under his belt including three last year in place of an injured Polamalu, also provides depth.
Considering the team usually only carries four safeties - five at most - on its roster, there wouldn’t seem to be any room for another youngster on the roster.
But looming over the team’s plans right now is the fact that Polamalu, a three-time Pro Bowl player, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the completion of the 2007 season. Considering some of the contracts handed out to safeties in the past year, signing Polamalu to a contract extension – something the team is working on – isn’t going to come cheaply.
The Steelers have also never liked to paint themselves into a corner with contract negotiations. They don’t like to go into a contract situation with a veteran player without having a possible replacement in place in case negotiations break down. Add to that the fact a bank-breaking contract extension for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger looming in the future as well, and Polamalu’s situation is a bit tenuous.
The Steelers would love to guarantee having Polamalu roaming their defensive backfield for another five or six years. But will the cost to do so become prohibitive?
Some have argued that if new head coach Mike Tomlin plans of eventually moving to a cover-2 base defense, Polamalu doesn’t fit the scheme. That, of course, is hogwash since great players defy schemes. They are able to adapt to any style of play.
The question is, however, would Polamalu be as effective in a cover-2?
The knock on him coming out of college was that he wasn’t very good in coverage. And that’s a fair assessment. But he does possess rare ball skills and is able to cover a lot of ground quickly to help make up for any coverage lapses.
If Polamalu were to leave after this season, however, the Steelers likely have his replacement on the roster as Clark would slide from free safety to strong – the position he started at with the Washington Redskins – to play beside Smith, who will be a good bet to start beside Polamalu this season.
That said, it’s unlikely the Steelers will take a safety in this year’s draft.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Another punter
The Steelers have been speaking to the agent for free agent punter Matt Turk about a possible visit to Pittsburgh.
The 26-year-old Turk is just one year younger than current punter Chris Gardocki, but has been much more consistent in recent years. Part of that may be due to the fact he kicked in St. Louis at an indoor stadium.
But the Steelers also have Mike Barr, who has been to camp with them the past few years, still hanging around as well.
The 26-year-old Turk is just one year younger than current punter Chris Gardocki, but has been much more consistent in recent years. Part of that may be due to the fact he kicked in St. Louis at an indoor stadium.
But the Steelers also have Mike Barr, who has been to camp with them the past few years, still hanging around as well.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Steelers open talks
Word is that the Steelers have opened contract talks with three 2008 potential free agents - Troy Polamalu, Alan Faneca and Kendall Simmons.
Of those three, Simmons is the surprise. But remember, the contract talks are preliminary and the team could be just feeling him out to see what his demands would be.
Of those three, Simmons is the surprise. But remember, the contract talks are preliminary and the team could be just feeling him out to see what his demands would be.
Free agent frenzy
It's been a perfect storm for free agents this year as teams have spent record amounts of money on players who are average at best.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have largely sat out this free agency period, though that is nothing new for them.
But this year more than ever, that's been the smart play.
When this 2007 free agent period is finished, it may be viewed as one that sent the NFL down a road toward ruin.
Why is that?
In the past couple of weeks we’ve seen average player after average player signed to big money deals – deals that were made for no other reason than because those player were available.
That’s why we’ve seen the likes of tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, wide receiver Kelley Washington and offensive tackle Tony Pashos find themselves in a whole new tax bracket in a matter of days.
Not to pick on those particular players, but Shiancoe was given a deal for five years at $18.2 million – with $7 million guaranteed – Washington got a five-year deal that could be worth as much as $22 million and Pashos was handed $24 million over five years.
And these are players with a combined 52 career starts in a combined 12 NFL seasons, an average of less than five starts per year per player. None of them have ever been or likely will ever be a star in this league. But they sure are making star-quality money now.
Certainly one team’s trash could be considered another team’s treasure, but this is ridiculous.
And those three players are hardly the only ones who have been given outrageous deals since free agency began earlier this month.
Heck, that’s why the always outspoken Joey Porter didn’t rip into the Steelers for releasing him on the eve of free agency. Instead of the $5 million or so in salary Porter would have earned from the Steelers in 2007, Porter walked into a five-year, $32-million deal with Miami that included a $12-million signing bonus. With that kind of money, Porter figures the Steelers did him a favor by releasing him.
But do you think there will be some unhappy veterans reporting - or not - to mini-camps this spring?
And do you think those veterans will be wanting their teams to pony up more cash to them?
When these veterans go into meetings with team officials, they’re not going to want to hear that their respective teams can’t afford to give them more money when those teams went out and spent this offseason like they were sailors on leave. They are not going to want to hear about the team's salary structure.
This was a lackluster crop of free agents who walked into the perfect storm. Thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement and more TV money than ever before, NFL teams had record levels of cap space available. Somebody should have told them they didn’t have to spend it all in one place.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have largely sat out this free agency period, though that is nothing new for them.
But this year more than ever, that's been the smart play.
When this 2007 free agent period is finished, it may be viewed as one that sent the NFL down a road toward ruin.
Why is that?
In the past couple of weeks we’ve seen average player after average player signed to big money deals – deals that were made for no other reason than because those player were available.
That’s why we’ve seen the likes of tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, wide receiver Kelley Washington and offensive tackle Tony Pashos find themselves in a whole new tax bracket in a matter of days.
Not to pick on those particular players, but Shiancoe was given a deal for five years at $18.2 million – with $7 million guaranteed – Washington got a five-year deal that could be worth as much as $22 million and Pashos was handed $24 million over five years.
And these are players with a combined 52 career starts in a combined 12 NFL seasons, an average of less than five starts per year per player. None of them have ever been or likely will ever be a star in this league. But they sure are making star-quality money now.
Certainly one team’s trash could be considered another team’s treasure, but this is ridiculous.
And those three players are hardly the only ones who have been given outrageous deals since free agency began earlier this month.
Heck, that’s why the always outspoken Joey Porter didn’t rip into the Steelers for releasing him on the eve of free agency. Instead of the $5 million or so in salary Porter would have earned from the Steelers in 2007, Porter walked into a five-year, $32-million deal with Miami that included a $12-million signing bonus. With that kind of money, Porter figures the Steelers did him a favor by releasing him.
But do you think there will be some unhappy veterans reporting - or not - to mini-camps this spring?
And do you think those veterans will be wanting their teams to pony up more cash to them?
When these veterans go into meetings with team officials, they’re not going to want to hear that their respective teams can’t afford to give them more money when those teams went out and spent this offseason like they were sailors on leave. They are not going to want to hear about the team's salary structure.
This was a lackluster crop of free agents who walked into the perfect storm. Thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement and more TV money than ever before, NFL teams had record levels of cap space available. Somebody should have told them they didn’t have to spend it all in one place.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Keisel to OLB
Now that Joey Porter is gone and the Steelers have been rebuffed in their efforts to acquire a veteran outside linebacker in free agency - not that the crop was that good to begin with - many are asking what they will do now?
One possibility is to move defensive end Brett Keisel to outside linebacker and select a young defensive end in the draft to take his place. Nebraska's Adam Carricker certainly would fit and could be available when the Steelers make their first-round pick, the 15th overall.
The Steelers have been smart not to dive into this free agent pool. Some of the contracts being given out are way over the border for ridiculous.
The Steelers will restock through the draft this year. And it's a deep draft, much deeper than the free agent pool.
One possibility is to move defensive end Brett Keisel to outside linebacker and select a young defensive end in the draft to take his place. Nebraska's Adam Carricker certainly would fit and could be available when the Steelers make their first-round pick, the 15th overall.
The Steelers have been smart not to dive into this free agent pool. Some of the contracts being given out are way over the border for ridiculous.
The Steelers will restock through the draft this year. And it's a deep draft, much deeper than the free agent pool.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Free agents - defense
With free agency starting Friday, here's a look at some defensive players who may interest the Steelers.
Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have cut ties with linebacker Joey Porter, the team’s depth at the position – already a weak point – looks as if it will be even thinner.
The problem is that the pickings are pretty thin in this year’s free agent linebacking field when the market opens Friday. And you can bet that players such as Chicago’s Lance Briggs and Baltimore’s Adalius Thomas are going to command top dollar, something the Steelers will be unwilling to pay. In fact, Porter is also likely to draw big money on the free agent market, though probably not as much as $4.5-million base salary he was scheduled to earn with the Steelers.
So if the Steelers are still planning on running a 3-4 defense, they’ll probably want to add at least one veteran linebacker in free agency in addition to selecting one in the first few rounds of the draft.
The top two mid-level outside linebackers available who fit into the 3-4 defense are New England’s Tully Banta-Cain and Houston’s Antwan Peek.
The 6-2, 250-pound Banta-Cain is coming off the best of his four NFL seasons having recorded 43 tackles and 5.5 sacks last season for the Patriots. Considered a smart overachiever, the 26-year-old Banta-Cain may just be coming into his own.
Peek, a 6-3, 250-pound converted college defensive end is well-known to new head coach Mike Tomlin. Tomlin was an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati when Peek was a standout defensive end there.
Peek lost playing time in 2006 after the Texans switched from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3, but in 2005 he managed 46 tackles and six sacks.
One other linebacker who is well-known to Tomlin is Minnesota's Napoleon Harris.
The 6-2, 255-pound Harris is versatile enough to play inside or outside. Harris had 59 tackles, 2.5 sacks and three interceptions starting at middle linebacker last season in Tomlin’s only year as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator.
A player who is well known to the Steelers’ coaching staff is Cincinnati’s Brian Simmons, who was released Wednesday in a cost-cutting move. A nine-year NFL veteran, Simmons played under current Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau when he was Cincinnati’s head coach.
Like Harris, Simmons is a player who can play inside or outside. The 6-3, 240-pounder excels in pass coverage, having recorded at least two interceptions in each of the past four seasons. He played inside and outside in 2006 to help ease the loss of O’Dell Thurman to suspension and had 60 tackles and two interceptions in 11 games. He recorded 83 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions playing on the outside in 2005.
Tennessee’s Peter Sirmon is another possibility the Steelers may look at. The 6-3, 236-pound Sirmon had 88 tackles, .5 sacks and an interception in 2006.
It’s a good thing this is a strong defensive line draft because there isn’t much second-level talent available at that position. Kansas City’s Jared Allen, Atlanta’s Patrick Kearney and Chicago’s Ian Scott figure to garner the most interest on the free agent market and will be out of Pittsburgh’s price range.
A cheaper alternative at end could be Tampa Bay’s Dewayne White, another player Tomlin knows well from his days as a secondary coach for the Buccaneers.
The 6-2, 273-pound White has recorded 11 sacks in the past two seasons and is well-suited to a 4-3 defense, something Tomlin has said the Steelers could shift to at times. At worst, he could offer the Steelers a pass-rushing specialist opposite Brett Keisel in the nickel and dime defense.
If the Steelers are looking to add more beef up front, Tennessee’s Robaire Smith and Denver’s Michael Meyers could help out.
A 10-year NFL veteran, the 6-3, 300-pound Meyers had a career-best 57 tackles to go with two sacks in 2006 playing for a Broncos’ defense that proved difficult to run the ball against.
Smith (6-4, 310) has experience in both the 4-3 as a tackle and in the 3-4 as an end from his playing days in Houston. He had 44 tackles and half a sack last season with Tennessee after recorded a career-high 68 tackles to go with 1.5 sacks playing 3-4 end for Houston the year before.
Given the young talent the Steelers have at cornerback and safety, it’s unlikely they will make any free agent moves at either of those positions.
Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have cut ties with linebacker Joey Porter, the team’s depth at the position – already a weak point – looks as if it will be even thinner.
The problem is that the pickings are pretty thin in this year’s free agent linebacking field when the market opens Friday. And you can bet that players such as Chicago’s Lance Briggs and Baltimore’s Adalius Thomas are going to command top dollar, something the Steelers will be unwilling to pay. In fact, Porter is also likely to draw big money on the free agent market, though probably not as much as $4.5-million base salary he was scheduled to earn with the Steelers.
So if the Steelers are still planning on running a 3-4 defense, they’ll probably want to add at least one veteran linebacker in free agency in addition to selecting one in the first few rounds of the draft.
The top two mid-level outside linebackers available who fit into the 3-4 defense are New England’s Tully Banta-Cain and Houston’s Antwan Peek.
The 6-2, 250-pound Banta-Cain is coming off the best of his four NFL seasons having recorded 43 tackles and 5.5 sacks last season for the Patriots. Considered a smart overachiever, the 26-year-old Banta-Cain may just be coming into his own.
Peek, a 6-3, 250-pound converted college defensive end is well-known to new head coach Mike Tomlin. Tomlin was an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati when Peek was a standout defensive end there.
Peek lost playing time in 2006 after the Texans switched from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3, but in 2005 he managed 46 tackles and six sacks.
One other linebacker who is well-known to Tomlin is Minnesota's Napoleon Harris.
The 6-2, 255-pound Harris is versatile enough to play inside or outside. Harris had 59 tackles, 2.5 sacks and three interceptions starting at middle linebacker last season in Tomlin’s only year as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator.
A player who is well known to the Steelers’ coaching staff is Cincinnati’s Brian Simmons, who was released Wednesday in a cost-cutting move. A nine-year NFL veteran, Simmons played under current Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau when he was Cincinnati’s head coach.
Like Harris, Simmons is a player who can play inside or outside. The 6-3, 240-pounder excels in pass coverage, having recorded at least two interceptions in each of the past four seasons. He played inside and outside in 2006 to help ease the loss of O’Dell Thurman to suspension and had 60 tackles and two interceptions in 11 games. He recorded 83 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions playing on the outside in 2005.
Tennessee’s Peter Sirmon is another possibility the Steelers may look at. The 6-3, 236-pound Sirmon had 88 tackles, .5 sacks and an interception in 2006.
It’s a good thing this is a strong defensive line draft because there isn’t much second-level talent available at that position. Kansas City’s Jared Allen, Atlanta’s Patrick Kearney and Chicago’s Ian Scott figure to garner the most interest on the free agent market and will be out of Pittsburgh’s price range.
A cheaper alternative at end could be Tampa Bay’s Dewayne White, another player Tomlin knows well from his days as a secondary coach for the Buccaneers.
The 6-2, 273-pound White has recorded 11 sacks in the past two seasons and is well-suited to a 4-3 defense, something Tomlin has said the Steelers could shift to at times. At worst, he could offer the Steelers a pass-rushing specialist opposite Brett Keisel in the nickel and dime defense.
If the Steelers are looking to add more beef up front, Tennessee’s Robaire Smith and Denver’s Michael Meyers could help out.
A 10-year NFL veteran, the 6-3, 300-pound Meyers had a career-best 57 tackles to go with two sacks in 2006 playing for a Broncos’ defense that proved difficult to run the ball against.
Smith (6-4, 310) has experience in both the 4-3 as a tackle and in the 3-4 as an end from his playing days in Houston. He had 44 tackles and half a sack last season with Tennessee after recorded a career-high 68 tackles to go with 1.5 sacks playing 3-4 end for Houston the year before.
Given the young talent the Steelers have at cornerback and safety, it’s unlikely they will make any free agent moves at either of those positions.
Free agents - offense
With free agency starting Friday, here's a look at some players on the offensive side of the ball that may interest the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have never been big players in the free agent market, choosing to keep their own players rather than jump into the free agent market with both feet.
But they have added some key players over the years, center Jeff Hartings and linebacker Kevin Greene being the most noteworthy.
Once again this year the Steelers won’t be swimming in the free agent pool with the big spenders, but could look to pick off some secondary players who will fit into their scheme.
New head coach Mike Tomlin has stated several times that he'd like to acquire a quality backup to running back Willie Parker. The draft would be one way to do that, while free agency would give the Steelers a chance to land more of a sure thing.
Running back Chris Brown has fallen out of favor in Tennessee and the 6-3, 220-pound Brown could be a nice change-of-pace back to help spell Parker.
A slashing runner with some power, Brown has played in 42 games in his four seasons in the NFL, making 28 starts. He’s rushed for 2,295 yards on 541 carries and scored 11 touchdowns. He’s also not a bad receiver out of the backfield, catching 55 passes for 539 yards. He’s had some injury problems during his career, but if the Steelers could limit him to five to 10 carries per game, he would be a nice compliment to Parker.
If the Steelers want to go for a completely different style of running back, power runners such as Houston’s Ron Dayne or Washington’s T.J. Duckett might fit the bill.
Dayne, a former first-round pick of the Giants, resurrected his career in Houston last season, playing in 11 games and making six starts while carrying the ball 151 times for 612 yards with five touchdowns. His 4.1 yards per carry average was above his career mark of 3.7 yards per carry, much of which was put up when he served as a change-of-pace back to Tiki Barber.
At 5-11, 243 pounds, the seven-year veteran has played in 83 games, making 20 starts and has 789 career carries for 2,949 yards with 22 touchdowns.
The 6-0, 254-pound Duckett languished on the bench last season in Washington, carrying just 38 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Like Dayne, he has served as a change-of-pace back in the past, teaming with Warrick Dunn in Atlanta.
Duckett has appeared in 65 career games, making 14 starts. He has 590 career rushing attempts for 2,307 yards with 33 touchdowns. Duckett is probably the best pure power back available on this year’s free agent market, but, like Brown, has had some injury problems in the past.
A cheaper option than those three might be Jacksonville’s LaBrandon Toefield. At 5-11, 232 pounds, Toefield has the size the Steelers are looking for in a complimentary back to Parker, but doesn’t have much of a career resume, having only seen spot duty for the Jaguars where he has been stuck behind Fred Taylor, Greg Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew.
But in four seasons, Toefield has appeared in 43 games, making two starts, carrying the ball 150 times for 545 yards and six touchdowns. He’s also caught 45 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns.
The Steelers have some openings on the offensive line with the retirement of center Jeff Hartings and the impending free agency of right tackle Max Starks. The Steelers are expected to make a qualifying offer for Starks, a restricted free agent, but won’t go too high to match any offers for him.
A better option than Starks might be Kansas City’s Jordan Black, a 6-5, 310-pound tackle who has started on both sides for the Chiefs and would give the Steelers some versatility up front.
Having played in Kansas City’s scheme, you can be assured that Black can run block, something that will still be a priority under Tomlin.
If Black is out of the Steelers’ price range, they may want to consider Buffalo’s Mike Gandy, a 6-4, 310-pound veteran of six NFL seasons who has started at both left guard and left tackle in his career.
The Steelers have traditionally liked linemen who can move around to different positions and Gandy would certainly fit the bill there, giving the team a lineman who could not only compete with Starks should he also return, but also for a starting spot at right guard. Gandy has also been very durable, playing in 64 games and making 62 career starts.
If the team decides to bring somebody in to challenge Kendall Simmons at right guard or give itself the option of moving Simmons to center, Washington’s Derrick Dockery would be a nice fit.
The 6-6, 335-pound Dockery has never missed a game in his four NFL seasons, playing in 64 games with 61 starts at left guard.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have never been big players in the free agent market, choosing to keep their own players rather than jump into the free agent market with both feet.
But they have added some key players over the years, center Jeff Hartings and linebacker Kevin Greene being the most noteworthy.
Once again this year the Steelers won’t be swimming in the free agent pool with the big spenders, but could look to pick off some secondary players who will fit into their scheme.
New head coach Mike Tomlin has stated several times that he'd like to acquire a quality backup to running back Willie Parker. The draft would be one way to do that, while free agency would give the Steelers a chance to land more of a sure thing.
Running back Chris Brown has fallen out of favor in Tennessee and the 6-3, 220-pound Brown could be a nice change-of-pace back to help spell Parker.
A slashing runner with some power, Brown has played in 42 games in his four seasons in the NFL, making 28 starts. He’s rushed for 2,295 yards on 541 carries and scored 11 touchdowns. He’s also not a bad receiver out of the backfield, catching 55 passes for 539 yards. He’s had some injury problems during his career, but if the Steelers could limit him to five to 10 carries per game, he would be a nice compliment to Parker.
If the Steelers want to go for a completely different style of running back, power runners such as Houston’s Ron Dayne or Washington’s T.J. Duckett might fit the bill.
Dayne, a former first-round pick of the Giants, resurrected his career in Houston last season, playing in 11 games and making six starts while carrying the ball 151 times for 612 yards with five touchdowns. His 4.1 yards per carry average was above his career mark of 3.7 yards per carry, much of which was put up when he served as a change-of-pace back to Tiki Barber.
At 5-11, 243 pounds, the seven-year veteran has played in 83 games, making 20 starts and has 789 career carries for 2,949 yards with 22 touchdowns.
The 6-0, 254-pound Duckett languished on the bench last season in Washington, carrying just 38 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Like Dayne, he has served as a change-of-pace back in the past, teaming with Warrick Dunn in Atlanta.
Duckett has appeared in 65 career games, making 14 starts. He has 590 career rushing attempts for 2,307 yards with 33 touchdowns. Duckett is probably the best pure power back available on this year’s free agent market, but, like Brown, has had some injury problems in the past.
A cheaper option than those three might be Jacksonville’s LaBrandon Toefield. At 5-11, 232 pounds, Toefield has the size the Steelers are looking for in a complimentary back to Parker, but doesn’t have much of a career resume, having only seen spot duty for the Jaguars where he has been stuck behind Fred Taylor, Greg Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew.
But in four seasons, Toefield has appeared in 43 games, making two starts, carrying the ball 150 times for 545 yards and six touchdowns. He’s also caught 45 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns.
The Steelers have some openings on the offensive line with the retirement of center Jeff Hartings and the impending free agency of right tackle Max Starks. The Steelers are expected to make a qualifying offer for Starks, a restricted free agent, but won’t go too high to match any offers for him.
A better option than Starks might be Kansas City’s Jordan Black, a 6-5, 310-pound tackle who has started on both sides for the Chiefs and would give the Steelers some versatility up front.
Having played in Kansas City’s scheme, you can be assured that Black can run block, something that will still be a priority under Tomlin.
If Black is out of the Steelers’ price range, they may want to consider Buffalo’s Mike Gandy, a 6-4, 310-pound veteran of six NFL seasons who has started at both left guard and left tackle in his career.
The Steelers have traditionally liked linemen who can move around to different positions and Gandy would certainly fit the bill there, giving the team a lineman who could not only compete with Starks should he also return, but also for a starting spot at right guard. Gandy has also been very durable, playing in 64 games and making 62 career starts.
If the team decides to bring somebody in to challenge Kendall Simmons at right guard or give itself the option of moving Simmons to center, Washington’s Derrick Dockery would be a nice fit.
The 6-6, 335-pound Dockery has never missed a game in his four NFL seasons, playing in 64 games with 61 starts at left guard.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Mozes combine diary finale
Former Washington High School football player Dan Mozes is at the NFL Draft Combine this week in Indianapolis.
As part of his daily routine, the All-America center from West Virginia has agreed to write a daily diary of his activities for the Observer-Reporter.
Here’s what Mozes did in his first full day in Indianapolis:
“Today was a really long day. It started at 6 a.m. with breakfast then we got a little time to relax before we went over to the RCA Dome at 8:30 a.m. This was the worst part because they made us strip down to our boxers and they shipped us through like cattle. They took height (6 21⁄2), weight (293 pounds) and had to display flexibility in different ways.
“Then we went onto the turf of the dome and we did flexibility for our shoulders. They made us lay flat on out face with our chin on the ground and lift a broomstick. Then they made us lift it behind our back as well. From there they checked the flexibility in our back, groin, hamstrings. I’m pretty flexible, so I was happy with that part.
“From there we did the 40 (yard dash). A lot of guys there are really fast. I ran a 5.3 which I kind of expected. Down at West Virginia (for the pro day) I’ll probably run a 5.2.
“Then we did position drill. We started with the mirror drill, which you have to do exactly what the person on the opposite side of the line is doing. Then we did pull blocking and pass steps from an angle. I think I did pretty good on that.
“Next it was the broad jump which showed your explosiveness. I jumped 8-6, the best was a 9-9 so I was pretty average there. After that we did the 5-10-5 drill. I thought I was going to do really well in that but I didn’t because they changed the rules. Then we did the three-cone drill which you move around three cones in the shape of an L. I thought I was going to do good there too but I was the first one to go and I didn’t do as well as I wanted to.
“My vertical jump I did just as well as everybody else, though I didn’t get to do the standing reach. I was rushing to make my plane (at 3:10 p.m.) and I didn’t leave (the dome) until 2:30. By the time I got back to the hotel it was 3 p.m. and I knew I wasn’t going to make my plane so I adjusted and tried to get on a 5:55 p.m. flight to Philadelphia. But that got canceled so I tried to make a 4:15 p.m. flight to Philadelphia but that got canceled as well because of the weather. So now I’m stuck here overnight until my 9:45 a.m. flight and I will leave Indy happily because it has been a long, tiresome weekend. Everyday we were up at 5 a.m. and weren’t getting to bed until 11 p.m.
“I was most worried about the 40. I didn’t know what other guys would run. There are some freaks who can run really fast like (Wisconsin’s) Joe Thomas (4.92 seconds) and there are some other guys at the end of the spectrum and then there are a lot in the middle and that’s where I fit in.
“Everyone wants to stand out here and I did OK, but when they put on the game film I think that’s when they’ll see how hard I work. Our pro day is March 8 and hopefully things go well there.”
As part of his daily routine, the All-America center from West Virginia has agreed to write a daily diary of his activities for the Observer-Reporter.
Here’s what Mozes did in his first full day in Indianapolis:
“Today was a really long day. It started at 6 a.m. with breakfast then we got a little time to relax before we went over to the RCA Dome at 8:30 a.m. This was the worst part because they made us strip down to our boxers and they shipped us through like cattle. They took height (6 21⁄2), weight (293 pounds) and had to display flexibility in different ways.
“Then we went onto the turf of the dome and we did flexibility for our shoulders. They made us lay flat on out face with our chin on the ground and lift a broomstick. Then they made us lift it behind our back as well. From there they checked the flexibility in our back, groin, hamstrings. I’m pretty flexible, so I was happy with that part.
“From there we did the 40 (yard dash). A lot of guys there are really fast. I ran a 5.3 which I kind of expected. Down at West Virginia (for the pro day) I’ll probably run a 5.2.
“Then we did position drill. We started with the mirror drill, which you have to do exactly what the person on the opposite side of the line is doing. Then we did pull blocking and pass steps from an angle. I think I did pretty good on that.
“Next it was the broad jump which showed your explosiveness. I jumped 8-6, the best was a 9-9 so I was pretty average there. After that we did the 5-10-5 drill. I thought I was going to do really well in that but I didn’t because they changed the rules. Then we did the three-cone drill which you move around three cones in the shape of an L. I thought I was going to do good there too but I was the first one to go and I didn’t do as well as I wanted to.
“My vertical jump I did just as well as everybody else, though I didn’t get to do the standing reach. I was rushing to make my plane (at 3:10 p.m.) and I didn’t leave (the dome) until 2:30. By the time I got back to the hotel it was 3 p.m. and I knew I wasn’t going to make my plane so I adjusted and tried to get on a 5:55 p.m. flight to Philadelphia. But that got canceled so I tried to make a 4:15 p.m. flight to Philadelphia but that got canceled as well because of the weather. So now I’m stuck here overnight until my 9:45 a.m. flight and I will leave Indy happily because it has been a long, tiresome weekend. Everyday we were up at 5 a.m. and weren’t getting to bed until 11 p.m.
“I was most worried about the 40. I didn’t know what other guys would run. There are some freaks who can run really fast like (Wisconsin’s) Joe Thomas (4.92 seconds) and there are some other guys at the end of the spectrum and then there are a lot in the middle and that’s where I fit in.
“Everyone wants to stand out here and I did OK, but when they put on the game film I think that’s when they’ll see how hard I work. Our pro day is March 8 and hopefully things go well there.”
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Diary of Mozes part II
Former Washington High School football player Dan Mozes is at the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis this week.
As part of his daily routine, the All-America center from West Virginia has agreed to write a daily diary of his activities for the Observer-Reporter.
Here’s what Mozes did in his second full day:
“Things went very good today. We got up between 6 and 6:30 a.m., had breakfast and then went for psychological testing.
“It was questions like, ‘Would you be a librarian, yes or no? Do you like poetry? Do you have a temper?’ I had already taken some of those at the Senior Bowl, so I only had to take one. Other guys had to take four.
“Once that was over, we headed over to the RCA Dome for the Wunderlic Test.
“I got 40 questions done and skipped three and probably missed three or four. That should give me a score somewhere in the high 20s or low 30s, hopefully. That would be a good score.
“After the Wunderlic, we went for the bench press, which is getting 225 pounds up as many times as you can. The average (for offensive linemen) is 27 or 28, and I got 28, so I guess I was average. Some guys were getting up in the 30s and a couple got into the 40s.
“A lot of guys were locking out their arms.
“My roommate Josh Beekman and I were talking about that here in the room. One guy barely brought his arms out at all. And if you don’t lock out, they don’t count.
“After we finished there, we were free for a little while before we started interviewing with teams.
“I met with eight teams. I got a chance to meet coach (Mike) Tomlin of the Steelers and that was a great honor to shake his hand and to shake Mr. (Dan) Rooney’s hand. Mean Joe Greene was in the room as well. That was really an honor to be there with them. My dad and I had season tickets to the Steelers games for about four years when I was a kid, so that was really great to be there with them.
“I also got to meet with the Bills’ former coach (and current general manager) Marv Levy. That was really an honor as well.
“I also spoke with Arizona coach (Ken) Whisenhunt, who used to be with the Steelers. I really got to meet a lot of people I wouldn’t normally have had a chance to and it was really an honor.
“We got back to the room at about 9:30. Tomorrow is another big day. We have to be up at 7 a.m. We have the 40, the 3-cone drill, broad and vertical jumps and then some position drills. After that, we have some more interviews.
“My flight back to Pittsburgh is at 3 p.m., so I’m really going to be rushing to get everything done.
“It’s a big day for me. There are some freaks out there who will run really fast, but that won’t be me.
“But when it comes to the pro agility drills and the football drills that are just playing, that’s where I hope to shine.”
As part of his daily routine, the All-America center from West Virginia has agreed to write a daily diary of his activities for the Observer-Reporter.
Here’s what Mozes did in his second full day:
“Things went very good today. We got up between 6 and 6:30 a.m., had breakfast and then went for psychological testing.
“It was questions like, ‘Would you be a librarian, yes or no? Do you like poetry? Do you have a temper?’ I had already taken some of those at the Senior Bowl, so I only had to take one. Other guys had to take four.
“Once that was over, we headed over to the RCA Dome for the Wunderlic Test.
“I got 40 questions done and skipped three and probably missed three or four. That should give me a score somewhere in the high 20s or low 30s, hopefully. That would be a good score.
“After the Wunderlic, we went for the bench press, which is getting 225 pounds up as many times as you can. The average (for offensive linemen) is 27 or 28, and I got 28, so I guess I was average. Some guys were getting up in the 30s and a couple got into the 40s.
“A lot of guys were locking out their arms.
“My roommate Josh Beekman and I were talking about that here in the room. One guy barely brought his arms out at all. And if you don’t lock out, they don’t count.
“After we finished there, we were free for a little while before we started interviewing with teams.
“I met with eight teams. I got a chance to meet coach (Mike) Tomlin of the Steelers and that was a great honor to shake his hand and to shake Mr. (Dan) Rooney’s hand. Mean Joe Greene was in the room as well. That was really an honor to be there with them. My dad and I had season tickets to the Steelers games for about four years when I was a kid, so that was really great to be there with them.
“I also got to meet with the Bills’ former coach (and current general manager) Marv Levy. That was really an honor as well.
“I also spoke with Arizona coach (Ken) Whisenhunt, who used to be with the Steelers. I really got to meet a lot of people I wouldn’t normally have had a chance to and it was really an honor.
“We got back to the room at about 9:30. Tomorrow is another big day. We have to be up at 7 a.m. We have the 40, the 3-cone drill, broad and vertical jumps and then some position drills. After that, we have some more interviews.
“My flight back to Pittsburgh is at 3 p.m., so I’m really going to be rushing to get everything done.
“It’s a big day for me. There are some freaks out there who will run really fast, but that won’t be me.
“But when it comes to the pro agility drills and the football drills that are just playing, that’s where I hope to shine.”
Friday, February 23, 2007
Mozes combine diary
Former Washington High School football player Dan Mozes is at the NFL Draft Combine this week in Indianapolis.
As part of his daily routine, the All-America center from West Virginia has agreed to write a daily diary of his activities for the Observer-Reporter.
Here’s what Mozes did in his first full day in Indianapolis:
“Today was a long day. I actually got into town (Wednesday) around 11:30 a.m. I hit the hotel room and then we went straight to the hospital from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. for X-rays, blood tests, eye tests and MRIs. Everything was really hurry up and wait.
“The MRI was the worst experience because those things were made for normal-sized human beings, not 300-pound offensive linemen. I was getting a shoulder looked at and I had to put my other arm up behind me and my face was about two inches from the wall of the machine. If you’re claustrophobic, that’s not the place to be.
“We came back at 6:30 and had dinner and then from 7:30 to 11:30 we went and interviewed with position coaches. They were really quick interviews, like they were just getting to know us a little bit.
“At 11:30, I got done, went back to the hotel room, had a protein bar and then it was off to bed.
“We got up at 5:30 a.m. and they took us straight out for a drug test and then we had breakfast. Then, it was back to the RCA Dome to meet with team doctors and trainers. That was a good four hours of prodding and poking. They pulled on your arms and legs. I had to go back to the hospital for another MRI on my other shoulder, but that was done between 11 and 12.
“We came back to the hotel for lunch and then it was time for more interviews. I met with a bunch of teams. I probably met with more teams than I didn’t.
“Tomorrow will be another busy day. We have the Wunderlic Test and the bench press scheduled and then we’ll start meeting with the head coaches.
“The first meetings were kind of like speed dating. We were in a ball room and you just kind of went from table to table, talking to coaches for a few minutes. These interviews (Friday) will be from 15 to 30 minutes and it will really give teams a chance to pick our brains.”
As part of his daily routine, the All-America center from West Virginia has agreed to write a daily diary of his activities for the Observer-Reporter.
Here’s what Mozes did in his first full day in Indianapolis:
“Today was a long day. I actually got into town (Wednesday) around 11:30 a.m. I hit the hotel room and then we went straight to the hospital from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. for X-rays, blood tests, eye tests and MRIs. Everything was really hurry up and wait.
“The MRI was the worst experience because those things were made for normal-sized human beings, not 300-pound offensive linemen. I was getting a shoulder looked at and I had to put my other arm up behind me and my face was about two inches from the wall of the machine. If you’re claustrophobic, that’s not the place to be.
“We came back at 6:30 and had dinner and then from 7:30 to 11:30 we went and interviewed with position coaches. They were really quick interviews, like they were just getting to know us a little bit.
“At 11:30, I got done, went back to the hotel room, had a protein bar and then it was off to bed.
“We got up at 5:30 a.m. and they took us straight out for a drug test and then we had breakfast. Then, it was back to the RCA Dome to meet with team doctors and trainers. That was a good four hours of prodding and poking. They pulled on your arms and legs. I had to go back to the hospital for another MRI on my other shoulder, but that was done between 11 and 12.
“We came back to the hotel for lunch and then it was time for more interviews. I met with a bunch of teams. I probably met with more teams than I didn’t.
“Tomorrow will be another busy day. We have the Wunderlic Test and the bench press scheduled and then we’ll start meeting with the head coaches.
“The first meetings were kind of like speed dating. We were in a ball room and you just kind of went from table to table, talking to coaches for a few minutes. These interviews (Friday) will be from 15 to 30 minutes and it will really give teams a chance to pick our brains.”
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Keep or curb Max Starks
The new coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers has a busy schedule, studying the team’s current roster, readying for the draft and settling itself in Pittsburgh.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to help them out a little by breaking down the team’s free agents and whether they fit into the team’s future plans or should be allowed to look for work elsewhere.
Next up on our list is right tackle Max Starks, a restricted free agent.
The only starter from this year’s team who is eligible to be a free agent, Starks could be someone opposing teams target among Steelers players.
At 6-8, 337 pounds, you’d expect Starks to dominate opponents with his sheer size. But more often than not, Starks’ size seems to work against him. He has trouble with outside speed rushers and just seems to lack overall consistency.
You could certainly make the argument that Starks is young and still has plenty of upside. At 25, he’s still maturing as a player and is young enough that he could play another 10 years. That alone could be intriguing considering he’s already got two years experience as a starter and has already started a Super Bowl.
But Starks has also had knee problems in back-to-back seasons, something that forced him to miss the team’s final two games of 2006. That opened the door for rookie Willie Colon to start the final two games and he played well enough to show the team it has other options at right tackle other than Starks.
And considering Starks’ size, you have to wonder if the knee problems won’t become a serious issue for him on down the line.
The guess here is that the Steelers will tender him with a mid-level offer to retain the first right of refusal to match any offers for him on the free agent market. That means if another team signs Starks and the Steelers choose not to match the offer, they would receive a third-round pick in exchange.
If Starks doesn’t get any offers, they’ll bring him back and let him play another season before making a long-term offer. He may have to go to camp with Colon pushing him hard this year, something that could bring out the best in Starks.
Considering what the Steelers have invested in him thus far and the position he plays, as long as he doesn’t receive an outlandish offer, he’s worth bringing back for at least another year. The Steelers have to find out what they have in Starks. And even if, by chance, he is beaten out by Colon, you can’t have enough offensive line depth.
Verdict: Keep him.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to help them out a little by breaking down the team’s free agents and whether they fit into the team’s future plans or should be allowed to look for work elsewhere.
Next up on our list is right tackle Max Starks, a restricted free agent.
The only starter from this year’s team who is eligible to be a free agent, Starks could be someone opposing teams target among Steelers players.
At 6-8, 337 pounds, you’d expect Starks to dominate opponents with his sheer size. But more often than not, Starks’ size seems to work against him. He has trouble with outside speed rushers and just seems to lack overall consistency.
You could certainly make the argument that Starks is young and still has plenty of upside. At 25, he’s still maturing as a player and is young enough that he could play another 10 years. That alone could be intriguing considering he’s already got two years experience as a starter and has already started a Super Bowl.
But Starks has also had knee problems in back-to-back seasons, something that forced him to miss the team’s final two games of 2006. That opened the door for rookie Willie Colon to start the final two games and he played well enough to show the team it has other options at right tackle other than Starks.
And considering Starks’ size, you have to wonder if the knee problems won’t become a serious issue for him on down the line.
The guess here is that the Steelers will tender him with a mid-level offer to retain the first right of refusal to match any offers for him on the free agent market. That means if another team signs Starks and the Steelers choose not to match the offer, they would receive a third-round pick in exchange.
If Starks doesn’t get any offers, they’ll bring him back and let him play another season before making a long-term offer. He may have to go to camp with Colon pushing him hard this year, something that could bring out the best in Starks.
Considering what the Steelers have invested in him thus far and the position he plays, as long as he doesn’t receive an outlandish offer, he’s worth bringing back for at least another year. The Steelers have to find out what they have in Starks. And even if, by chance, he is beaten out by Colon, you can’t have enough offensive line depth.
Verdict: Keep him.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Keep or Curb Morey
The new coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers has a busy schedule, studying the team’s current roster, readying for the draft and settling itself in Pittsburgh.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to help them out a little by breaking down the team’s free agents and whether they fit into the team’s future plans or should be allowed to look for work elsewhere.
Next up on our list is wide receiver Sean Morey, an unrestricted free agent.
Mention Morey’s name and you are very likely to elicit some kind of response, negative or positive. It’s certainly a strange situation considering Morey isn’t really anything more than a glorified special teams player.
Morey certainly doesn’t contribute much – if at anything – in the passing game. In fact, his two receptions for 29 yards last season doubled his career total, which is amazing for a five-year NFL veteran.
There’s no arguing that if Morey is playing a role in your passing offense, your team’s in trouble.
But though he is listed as a receiver – and that’s the position he played in college – Morey’s value is measured as a special teams star.
Morey had another solid season as a special teamer in 2006, recording 22 tackles and stepping in as a kickoff returner, where he averaged a healthy 26.1 yards on his seven returns. That was bolstered by a 76-yard return at Cleveland, but considering Morey wasn’t the deep man on the kickoff team – the 200-pounder was asked to be a blocker for 250-pound Najeh Davenport – his average wasn’t bad.
When the Steelers were successful in 2004 and 2005, they did so, at least in part, because their special teams play was vastly improved from previous years. And that was because the team was carrying special teams specialists like Morey, Chidi Iwuoma and Clint Kriewaldt on the roster.
But will new head coach Mike Tomlin take a similar stance and keep guys around who are nothing more than special teams players?
Tomlin said Monday that he will have a big emphasis on special teams and is not shy about using starters on special teams. But he also qualified that statement by saying that he would do that only in certain situations.
It’s likely that Morey would jump at that opportunity to re-sign with the Steelers for the veteran minimum. And you can’t have enough lunch pail-type guys around.
Verdict: Keep him.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to help them out a little by breaking down the team’s free agents and whether they fit into the team’s future plans or should be allowed to look for work elsewhere.
Next up on our list is wide receiver Sean Morey, an unrestricted free agent.
Mention Morey’s name and you are very likely to elicit some kind of response, negative or positive. It’s certainly a strange situation considering Morey isn’t really anything more than a glorified special teams player.
Morey certainly doesn’t contribute much – if at anything – in the passing game. In fact, his two receptions for 29 yards last season doubled his career total, which is amazing for a five-year NFL veteran.
There’s no arguing that if Morey is playing a role in your passing offense, your team’s in trouble.
But though he is listed as a receiver – and that’s the position he played in college – Morey’s value is measured as a special teams star.
Morey had another solid season as a special teamer in 2006, recording 22 tackles and stepping in as a kickoff returner, where he averaged a healthy 26.1 yards on his seven returns. That was bolstered by a 76-yard return at Cleveland, but considering Morey wasn’t the deep man on the kickoff team – the 200-pounder was asked to be a blocker for 250-pound Najeh Davenport – his average wasn’t bad.
When the Steelers were successful in 2004 and 2005, they did so, at least in part, because their special teams play was vastly improved from previous years. And that was because the team was carrying special teams specialists like Morey, Chidi Iwuoma and Clint Kriewaldt on the roster.
But will new head coach Mike Tomlin take a similar stance and keep guys around who are nothing more than special teams players?
Tomlin said Monday that he will have a big emphasis on special teams and is not shy about using starters on special teams. But he also qualified that statement by saying that he would do that only in certain situations.
It’s likely that Morey would jump at that opportunity to re-sign with the Steelers for the veteran minimum. And you can’t have enough lunch pail-type guys around.
Verdict: Keep him.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Local combine invitees
Here's a list of players from local colleges or those who have local ties who were invited to the NFL Draft combine in Indianapolis:
QB, Tyler Palko, Pittsburgh
LB, HB Blades, Pittsburgh
CB, Darrelle Revis, Pittsburgh
P, Adam Graessle, Pittsburgh
DE, Jay Alford, Penn State
LB, Paul Posluszny, Penn State
LB, Tim Shaw, Penn State
OT, Levi Brown, Penn State
C, Dan Mozes, West Virginia. Mozes is also a Washington native and graduate of Washington High School.
QB, Tyler Palko, Pittsburgh
LB, HB Blades, Pittsburgh
CB, Darrelle Revis, Pittsburgh
P, Adam Graessle, Pittsburgh
DE, Jay Alford, Penn State
LB, Paul Posluszny, Penn State
LB, Tim Shaw, Penn State
OT, Levi Brown, Penn State
C, Dan Mozes, West Virginia. Mozes is also a Washington native and graduate of Washington High School.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Keep or Curb Davenport
The new coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers has a busy schedule, studying the team’s current roster, readying for the draft and settling itself in Pittsburgh.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to help them out a little by breaking down the team’s free agents and whether they fit into the team’s future plans or should be allowed to look for work elsewhere.
Next up on our list is running back Najeh Davenport, an unrestricted free agent.
The Steelers added Daveport to their roster after their opener last season against Miami and he slowly worked his way into the running back rotation behind starter Willie Parker.
At 6-1, 247 pounds, Davenport was used primarily as the team’s short-yardage back and, after a season-ending injury to Verron Haynes, a third-down back.
He also stepped in as a kick returner, averaging 21.7 yards on 19 attempts.
Davenport finished the season with a 3.4 yards per carry average on his 57 rushing attempts and also caught 15 passes for 193 yards. He scored one touchdown each rushing and receiving.
For a team that was searching for a big back to compliment Parker – especially after the failed Duce Staley experiment – Davenport was a free agent blessing for the Steelers. They were, in fact, lucky that he was released by Green Bay.
But let’s face the facts. As a short-yardage back, Davenport just doesn’t get much of a push, mostly because he runs too high. In fact, while his 3.4 yards per carry average doesn’t look bad for a short-yardage back, realize that he had a 48-yard carry against Kansas City that inflated even that.
Take away that 48-yard carry and Davenport’s average rushing attempt netted just 2.6 yards. That’s not getting the job done. Even in his final season, Jerome Bettis average 3.3 yards per carry.
Davenport did show something as a receiver and blocker on third downs, but can’t this team do better?
A draft pick would certainly come cheaper than Davenport at this point and would offer plenty of more upside.
Verdict: Curb him.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to help them out a little by breaking down the team’s free agents and whether they fit into the team’s future plans or should be allowed to look for work elsewhere.
Next up on our list is running back Najeh Davenport, an unrestricted free agent.
The Steelers added Daveport to their roster after their opener last season against Miami and he slowly worked his way into the running back rotation behind starter Willie Parker.
At 6-1, 247 pounds, Davenport was used primarily as the team’s short-yardage back and, after a season-ending injury to Verron Haynes, a third-down back.
He also stepped in as a kick returner, averaging 21.7 yards on 19 attempts.
Davenport finished the season with a 3.4 yards per carry average on his 57 rushing attempts and also caught 15 passes for 193 yards. He scored one touchdown each rushing and receiving.
For a team that was searching for a big back to compliment Parker – especially after the failed Duce Staley experiment – Davenport was a free agent blessing for the Steelers. They were, in fact, lucky that he was released by Green Bay.
But let’s face the facts. As a short-yardage back, Davenport just doesn’t get much of a push, mostly because he runs too high. In fact, while his 3.4 yards per carry average doesn’t look bad for a short-yardage back, realize that he had a 48-yard carry against Kansas City that inflated even that.
Take away that 48-yard carry and Davenport’s average rushing attempt netted just 2.6 yards. That’s not getting the job done. Even in his final season, Jerome Bettis average 3.3 yards per carry.
Davenport did show something as a receiver and blocker on third downs, but can’t this team do better?
A draft pick would certainly come cheaper than Davenport at this point and would offer plenty of more upside.
Verdict: Curb him.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Keep em or kick em to the curb
The new coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers has a busy schedule, studying the team’s current roster, readying for the draft and settling itself in Pittsburgh.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to help them out a little by breaking down the team’s free agents and whether they fit into the team’s future plans or should be allowed to look for work elsewhere.
First up on our list is safety Tyrone Carter, an unrestricted free agent.
At 5-8, 195 pounds, Carter lacks the ideal size you’d like to have in an NFL safety. But the 29-year-old Carter has shown that he doesn’t shy away from throwing his body around.
He also doesn’t have great speed and isn’t a big playmaker, as his three career interceptions would attest.
But should the Steelers give the little guy a new contract or should they let him walk?
With veteran Mike Logan expected to retire, Carter’s departure would leave the Steelers with just three experienced safeties on their roster. And with 34 career starts under his belt - including three in 2006 – Carter is just the kind of player this team needs. He’s unselfish and accepts his role with this team as a backup, which will allow Anthony Smith and Ryan Clark to battle for the starting free safety position in training camp.
Carter is also smart enough that he not only knows the free safety’s responsibilities, but those of the strong safety as well. He’s also experienced playing the cover-2 that new head coach Mike Tomlin will eventually shift the team to, having played for Herm Edwards with the Jets before joining the Steelers.
Thus, keeping Carter around should be one of the team’s offseason priorities, though they shouldn’t overpay for his services. It’s unlikely he’ll land a starting job somewhere else, but he’s just the kind of backup that good teams need on the bench waiting in the wings if a starter goes down.
Verdict: A Keeper.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to help them out a little by breaking down the team’s free agents and whether they fit into the team’s future plans or should be allowed to look for work elsewhere.
First up on our list is safety Tyrone Carter, an unrestricted free agent.
At 5-8, 195 pounds, Carter lacks the ideal size you’d like to have in an NFL safety. But the 29-year-old Carter has shown that he doesn’t shy away from throwing his body around.
He also doesn’t have great speed and isn’t a big playmaker, as his three career interceptions would attest.
But should the Steelers give the little guy a new contract or should they let him walk?
With veteran Mike Logan expected to retire, Carter’s departure would leave the Steelers with just three experienced safeties on their roster. And with 34 career starts under his belt - including three in 2006 – Carter is just the kind of player this team needs. He’s unselfish and accepts his role with this team as a backup, which will allow Anthony Smith and Ryan Clark to battle for the starting free safety position in training camp.
Carter is also smart enough that he not only knows the free safety’s responsibilities, but those of the strong safety as well. He’s also experienced playing the cover-2 that new head coach Mike Tomlin will eventually shift the team to, having played for Herm Edwards with the Jets before joining the Steelers.
Thus, keeping Carter around should be one of the team’s offseason priorities, though they shouldn’t overpay for his services. It’s unlikely he’ll land a starting job somewhere else, but he’s just the kind of backup that good teams need on the bench waiting in the wings if a starter goes down.
Verdict: A Keeper.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Mozes at Senior Bowl
Here's what the scouts are saying about Washington-native Dan Mozes at the Senior Bowl practices this week:
Dan Mozes OL West Virginia 602 3/8 300 31 1/2 vertical 10 standing long jump
Weigh-In Notes: Solid but room for improvement.
Monday Practice Notes: Battles off the ball with big, strong hands. Sets up very well after the snap, and can be a primary blocker with his speed. Did have trouble with DTs swimming over him.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Mozes was unfortunately the first lineman whom got thrown around like a rag doll on a couple of occasions. He was not strong at the point today and could not hold his ground very well. One of his problems as seen is his inability to shoot his hands which does not help his situation. Not only played his traditional center spot, but some action at guard this morning.
Dan Mozes OL West Virginia 602 3/8 300 31 1/2 vertical 10 standing long jump
Weigh-In Notes: Solid but room for improvement.
Monday Practice Notes: Battles off the ball with big, strong hands. Sets up very well after the snap, and can be a primary blocker with his speed. Did have trouble with DTs swimming over him.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Mozes was unfortunately the first lineman whom got thrown around like a rag doll on a couple of occasions. He was not strong at the point today and could not hold his ground very well. One of his problems as seen is his inability to shoot his hands which does not help his situation. Not only played his traditional center spot, but some action at guard this morning.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Updated odds
Updated coaching odds:
Russ Grimm (2-1) Grimm is still the favorite. The Steelers denied Arizona the opportunity to speak to wide receivers coach Bruce Arians this week. If Grimm gets the job, Arians would be his offensive coordiantor.
Mike Tomlin (6-1) At 34, Tomlin is the youngest of the Steelers' three finalists. He has impressed with his demeanor and public personna. But he's also only been a coordinator for one year. Is he ready yet?
Ron Rivera (8-1) If the Bears beat New Orleans Sunday, Rivera's chances may get even worse since the Steelers would have to wait two more weeks to talk to him. They are patient, but will they be that patient. If the Bears lose and their defense looks bad, it could also affect how he is viewed. It's almost a no-win situation.
Russ Grimm (2-1) Grimm is still the favorite. The Steelers denied Arizona the opportunity to speak to wide receivers coach Bruce Arians this week. If Grimm gets the job, Arians would be his offensive coordiantor.
Mike Tomlin (6-1) At 34, Tomlin is the youngest of the Steelers' three finalists. He has impressed with his demeanor and public personna. But he's also only been a coordinator for one year. Is he ready yet?
Ron Rivera (8-1) If the Bears beat New Orleans Sunday, Rivera's chances may get even worse since the Steelers would have to wait two more weeks to talk to him. They are patient, but will they be that patient. If the Bears lose and their defense looks bad, it could also affect how he is viewed. It's almost a no-win situation.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Odds on the new coach
Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, but between the holidays, th coaching search and everything else, it's been very busy. Also, much of my stuff in the paper about the coaching searchg is blog-type stuff anyway, so that's where the inside info has been appearing.
Bill Cowher hadn’t yet held his final press conference Friday to announce his resignation when I received an e-mail telling me the odds on who the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers would be.
But what does Vegas really know about it? Here’s a look at the leading candidates for the job and the odds I'm giving them to be the man to lead the Steelers for the next decade.
Russ Grimm (Odds, 2-1) The Steelers offensive line/assistant head coach has the respect of the players that only a player who has been a finalist for the Hall of Fame the past couple of year can command. They like him, they listen to him. Don’t underestimate that in this process. Grimm is also a native of nearby Scottdale and attended the University of Pittsburgh, so he has local ties as well. It’s a tough call between Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt at this point, but I’d give Grimm a slight lead.
Ken Whisenhunt (Odds, 5-2) Whisenhunt is an outstanding communicator and a good Xs and Os guy. Like Grimm, he also has the respect of the players, but he isn’t quite as fiery as Grimm. Interestingly enough, his candidacy for every other open coaching position - save Oakland - could hurt him in Pittsburgh. If Whisenhunt is offered a job elsewhere before the Steelers are ready to make a hire, he may take the sure thing rather than a maybe from the Steelers.
Ron Rivera (Odds, 5-1) Rivera is an up-and-comer, no doubt about it. And his background as an analyst for the Bears radio broadcasts before he got into coaching shows that he knows how to communicate. But is he the right man for this job? The Steelers likely don’t want to break up their current staff too much and Rivera most certainly would want to bring some of his own people in.
Mike Tomlin (Odds, 7-1) Tomlin, at 34, is likely the youngest person the Steelers will interview and is the same age Cowher was when he took over for Chuck Noll in 1992. But he’s only been a coordinator for one season, so he likely needs a little more time at his current post before he’s ready to step into the big chair. But you can bet the fact the Steelers interviewed him means that he’s viewed as a solid up-and-comer in NFL circles. He’ll be a head coach in the next three seasons barring a total meltdown in Minnesota.
Kirk Ferentz (Odds, 10-1) Ferentz has consistently said that he is not interested in the Steelers job and the Steelers won’t beg him to talk like Alabama did with Nick Saban. It’s unlikely Ferentz will ever be a viable candidate.
Cam Cameron (Odds, 12-1) The offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers has head coaching experience in college and has plenty of NFL experience as well. But he’d likely want to revamp the offense and that could create havoc with Ben Roethlisberger. But he'll be a hot candidate when the Chargers win this year's Super Bowl.
Field (Odds, 15-1) Chances are, the leading candidate is somebody the Steelers will speak to this week, with Grimm and Whisenhunt the obvious frontrunners. But somebody else could sneak into this pack and we’ll have to update our odds.
Bill Cowher (Odds, 1 million-1) What are the chances that Cowher has a change of heart and decides this week he made a mistake? None. And Cowher will never again work for the organization. He cut his ties when he resigned and what’s done is done.
Bill Cowher hadn’t yet held his final press conference Friday to announce his resignation when I received an e-mail telling me the odds on who the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers would be.
But what does Vegas really know about it? Here’s a look at the leading candidates for the job and the odds I'm giving them to be the man to lead the Steelers for the next decade.
Russ Grimm (Odds, 2-1) The Steelers offensive line/assistant head coach has the respect of the players that only a player who has been a finalist for the Hall of Fame the past couple of year can command. They like him, they listen to him. Don’t underestimate that in this process. Grimm is also a native of nearby Scottdale and attended the University of Pittsburgh, so he has local ties as well. It’s a tough call between Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt at this point, but I’d give Grimm a slight lead.
Ken Whisenhunt (Odds, 5-2) Whisenhunt is an outstanding communicator and a good Xs and Os guy. Like Grimm, he also has the respect of the players, but he isn’t quite as fiery as Grimm. Interestingly enough, his candidacy for every other open coaching position - save Oakland - could hurt him in Pittsburgh. If Whisenhunt is offered a job elsewhere before the Steelers are ready to make a hire, he may take the sure thing rather than a maybe from the Steelers.
Ron Rivera (Odds, 5-1) Rivera is an up-and-comer, no doubt about it. And his background as an analyst for the Bears radio broadcasts before he got into coaching shows that he knows how to communicate. But is he the right man for this job? The Steelers likely don’t want to break up their current staff too much and Rivera most certainly would want to bring some of his own people in.
Mike Tomlin (Odds, 7-1) Tomlin, at 34, is likely the youngest person the Steelers will interview and is the same age Cowher was when he took over for Chuck Noll in 1992. But he’s only been a coordinator for one season, so he likely needs a little more time at his current post before he’s ready to step into the big chair. But you can bet the fact the Steelers interviewed him means that he’s viewed as a solid up-and-comer in NFL circles. He’ll be a head coach in the next three seasons barring a total meltdown in Minnesota.
Kirk Ferentz (Odds, 10-1) Ferentz has consistently said that he is not interested in the Steelers job and the Steelers won’t beg him to talk like Alabama did with Nick Saban. It’s unlikely Ferentz will ever be a viable candidate.
Cam Cameron (Odds, 12-1) The offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers has head coaching experience in college and has plenty of NFL experience as well. But he’d likely want to revamp the offense and that could create havoc with Ben Roethlisberger. But he'll be a hot candidate when the Chargers win this year's Super Bowl.
Field (Odds, 15-1) Chances are, the leading candidate is somebody the Steelers will speak to this week, with Grimm and Whisenhunt the obvious frontrunners. But somebody else could sneak into this pack and we’ll have to update our odds.
Bill Cowher (Odds, 1 million-1) What are the chances that Cowher has a change of heart and decides this week he made a mistake? None. And Cowher will never again work for the organization. He cut his ties when he resigned and what’s done is done.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Who to root for, against
It has been a constant conundrum for fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the past couple of weeks as the team has climbed back from a 2-6 start to jump back into the playoff race: Who do I root for.
I thought I might be able to spell that out a little more for you this week heading into Week 16 of the NFL schedule – so long as I don’t confuse myself in the process.
First and foremost, the Steelers need a victory over the Baltimore Ravens this week at Heinz Field. That certainly is not a given, but considering the Ravens will likely be without Jonathan Ogden, by far their best offensive lineman, that task isn’t quite as daunting as it once seemed.
If, and only if, that happens, do the Steelers playoff hopes stay alive.
The second thing that needs to happen – and probably the most important of any scenarios – the Jaguars have to lose to New England in Jacksonville. Again, it’s not a given, but considering the Patriots still haven’t locked up their division and still have the possibility of nailing down one of the top two seeds in the AFC playoffs, New England has plenty of incentive to beat the Jags.
That game will be played at the same time the Steelers are taking on Baltimore, so a little scoreboard watching is allowed.
Of equal importance is the Jets' game at Miami Monday night. Considering the Jets finish up the season with Oakland at home – a game they could likely start their backups in and win – a loss by New York this week in Miami is very important. Miami should get running back Ronnie Brown back this week, so the Steelers have that going for them, which is nice.
Saturday night, Kansas City is at Oakland, which should be a lay-up for the Chiefs. But as we saw when the Steelers lost at Oakland, the Raiders defense can be dangerous and should be up to play a game against a division rival. Still Kansas City should win there, which would mean the best scenario for the Steelers would be for Denver to hold serve against Cincinnati at home at 4:15 Sunday.
The Steelers are actually OK from either standpoint if Denver or Cincinnati wins – so long as Kansas City does as well on Saturday. If Kansas City somehow loses to Oakland, the Steelers’ situation becomes a little more tenuous since a 9-7 Kansas City team eliminates a 9-7 Denver team in a multi-team tie in which the Steelers are involved. The Steelers would also like the Chiefs to have something to play for when they host Jacksonville in Week 17, so Kansas City staying alive in the hunt is something of a necessity.
Finally, since Tennessee is at Buffalo, one of those two teams will be eliminated this weekend. A tie would eliminate both, so you could always root for that. But barring a tie, both teams have difficult season enders, with Buffalo traveling to Baltimore and Tennessee hosting New England. Of the two games, Tennessee’s would seem to be a little easier. New England will be making its second consecutive road trip.
And just think, all that does is get you through another week. Ah, the wacky playoff chase in the AFC.
I thought I might be able to spell that out a little more for you this week heading into Week 16 of the NFL schedule – so long as I don’t confuse myself in the process.
First and foremost, the Steelers need a victory over the Baltimore Ravens this week at Heinz Field. That certainly is not a given, but considering the Ravens will likely be without Jonathan Ogden, by far their best offensive lineman, that task isn’t quite as daunting as it once seemed.
If, and only if, that happens, do the Steelers playoff hopes stay alive.
The second thing that needs to happen – and probably the most important of any scenarios – the Jaguars have to lose to New England in Jacksonville. Again, it’s not a given, but considering the Patriots still haven’t locked up their division and still have the possibility of nailing down one of the top two seeds in the AFC playoffs, New England has plenty of incentive to beat the Jags.
That game will be played at the same time the Steelers are taking on Baltimore, so a little scoreboard watching is allowed.
Of equal importance is the Jets' game at Miami Monday night. Considering the Jets finish up the season with Oakland at home – a game they could likely start their backups in and win – a loss by New York this week in Miami is very important. Miami should get running back Ronnie Brown back this week, so the Steelers have that going for them, which is nice.
Saturday night, Kansas City is at Oakland, which should be a lay-up for the Chiefs. But as we saw when the Steelers lost at Oakland, the Raiders defense can be dangerous and should be up to play a game against a division rival. Still Kansas City should win there, which would mean the best scenario for the Steelers would be for Denver to hold serve against Cincinnati at home at 4:15 Sunday.
The Steelers are actually OK from either standpoint if Denver or Cincinnati wins – so long as Kansas City does as well on Saturday. If Kansas City somehow loses to Oakland, the Steelers’ situation becomes a little more tenuous since a 9-7 Kansas City team eliminates a 9-7 Denver team in a multi-team tie in which the Steelers are involved. The Steelers would also like the Chiefs to have something to play for when they host Jacksonville in Week 17, so Kansas City staying alive in the hunt is something of a necessity.
Finally, since Tennessee is at Buffalo, one of those two teams will be eliminated this weekend. A tie would eliminate both, so you could always root for that. But barring a tie, both teams have difficult season enders, with Buffalo traveling to Baltimore and Tennessee hosting New England. Of the two games, Tennessee’s would seem to be a little easier. New England will be making its second consecutive road trip.
And just think, all that does is get you through another week. Ah, the wacky playoff chase in the AFC.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
It's all about Chidi
At the beginning of this season, the Steelers’ coaching staff made a choice of keeping tight end Tim Euhus over cornerback Chidi Iwuoma, one of their best special teams players.
Iwuoma was brought back last week because of injuries in the secondary. Euhus was released back in September.
All Iwuoma did Sunday was make a great open-field tackle on Carolina’s first punt return Sunday and finished the game with two special teams tackles. Couldn’t have used that all season, huh?
Then again, Iwuoma did injure his arm during the game and had it in a sling in the locker room. He’s not the biggest guy and had gotten banged up in the past few seasons.
But he sure does give his all on special teams.
© Speaking of special teams, James Harrison said his punt block Sunday came from film study.
“He did what I saw him do on film, which was try to just give me a one-handed block before releasing,” said Harrison, giving me a shove with his arm to demonstrate how Kortez Hankton liked to block. “I knew I’d have an opportunity to block one today.”
I was just glad Harrison was in a good mood.
Shame on Carolina, however, for trying to block Harrison with Hankton, a wide receiver.
© Anthony Smith’s one-handed interception in the fourth quarter was a thing of beauty. His high-stepping to the sidelines during a live play was not and drew the ire of both head coach Bill Cowher and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, who I’ve never seen that angry.
“I didn’t appreciate his gesture,” Cowher said. “We don’t do that around here. He understood that. You won’t ever see that again.”
Smith is a keeper and also had some big hits in the game. He also learned an important rookie lesson early in the third quarter when he got run over by running back DeShaun Foster when Foster caught Smith flat-footed.
© Chad Brown’s season – and career – are likely over. Brown suffered a serious knee injury Sunday. It’s too bad a classy vet like Brown has to have his career end that way.
© Was it just me or did Cedrick Wilson look like a shortstop firing the ball to first base from deep in the hole on his end around pass?
Wilson threw the pass so hard he knocked Hines Ward over with it.
© Speaking of Wilson, he's officially lost his starting job to Santonio Holmes. Holmes played an inspired game and was about six inches from scoring three touchdowns Sunday.
He also made a twisting conversion of a third-down pass to get to pick up a first down. This kid's a keeper.
Iwuoma was brought back last week because of injuries in the secondary. Euhus was released back in September.
All Iwuoma did Sunday was make a great open-field tackle on Carolina’s first punt return Sunday and finished the game with two special teams tackles. Couldn’t have used that all season, huh?
Then again, Iwuoma did injure his arm during the game and had it in a sling in the locker room. He’s not the biggest guy and had gotten banged up in the past few seasons.
But he sure does give his all on special teams.
© Speaking of special teams, James Harrison said his punt block Sunday came from film study.
“He did what I saw him do on film, which was try to just give me a one-handed block before releasing,” said Harrison, giving me a shove with his arm to demonstrate how Kortez Hankton liked to block. “I knew I’d have an opportunity to block one today.”
I was just glad Harrison was in a good mood.
Shame on Carolina, however, for trying to block Harrison with Hankton, a wide receiver.
© Anthony Smith’s one-handed interception in the fourth quarter was a thing of beauty. His high-stepping to the sidelines during a live play was not and drew the ire of both head coach Bill Cowher and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, who I’ve never seen that angry.
“I didn’t appreciate his gesture,” Cowher said. “We don’t do that around here. He understood that. You won’t ever see that again.”
Smith is a keeper and also had some big hits in the game. He also learned an important rookie lesson early in the third quarter when he got run over by running back DeShaun Foster when Foster caught Smith flat-footed.
© Chad Brown’s season – and career – are likely over. Brown suffered a serious knee injury Sunday. It’s too bad a classy vet like Brown has to have his career end that way.
© Was it just me or did Cedrick Wilson look like a shortstop firing the ball to first base from deep in the hole on his end around pass?
Wilson threw the pass so hard he knocked Hines Ward over with it.
© Speaking of Wilson, he's officially lost his starting job to Santonio Holmes. Holmes played an inspired game and was about six inches from scoring three touchdowns Sunday.
He also made a twisting conversion of a third-down pass to get to pick up a first down. This kid's a keeper.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Browns out
You knew that pass interference in the first quarter had to be on Sean Morey before it was announced. How else could Morey have gotten that much separation?
Then again, that was Walter Young and Morey converting long third downs on the Steelers’ third drive, so what do I know?
© Who would win a race between Joe Jurevicius and Deshea Townsend? Just asking.
© Wow has Ike Taylor’s star fallen. He’s gone from shut-down cornerback to now being the guy who holds the ball when placekicker Jeff Reed needs somebody on kickoffs.
© From the sublime category: One colleague mentioned that it was quite appropriate that a guy named Droughns would be playing in a game in which Bryant Gumbel was the announcer.
© Anthony Smith played an inspired game in his first career start, breaking up two passes with big hits and intercepting another. But his youth was displayed on the long touchdown catch-and-run by Braylon Edwards when Smith missed a tackle attempt on the mouth from Michigan to allow Cleveland’s only score.
© Not only did the Browns give up 303 yards rushing, they didn’t lay a hand on Ben Roethlisberger all night long. Good thing they scored, though. We wouldn’t want them using this game as a reason to fire themselves up when they face the Steelers next season.
If the Browns were embarrassed in this game, it should be because they tackled like a midget football team.
© OK, the Steelers are now 6-7, one game out of a playoff spot heading into this weekend’s games. There’s a good chance they could head to Carolina next week to face a Panthers squad led by Chris Weinke.
Boy, that loss at Oakland sure looks big now. So does Bill Cowher’s boneheaded decision to send Ricardo Colclough out to field a punt against Cincinnati. Win one of those games and the Steelers are right in the middle of the playoff hunt. Win them both and they would be a favorite to not only be a wildcard, but to possibly win the division.
As it is now, they are more than likely a team that will have to settle for playing a spoiler role – first knocking Carolina out of the playoffs; then keeping Baltimore from having a first-round bye; and finally, by ending Cincinnati’s playoff hopes.
© During the broadcast, color commentator Chris Collinsworth said that Cowher told him, “If I go to Carolina, I’m going to get away. I’m not going there to be Mr. Football. If I do that I want to be with the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
When asked about that after the game, Cowher said that Collinsworth was interpreting what he told him.
When asked if he had made up his mind about whether he wants to coach next season or not, he simply replied, “No.”
Take the little victories when you can get them.
Then again, that was Walter Young and Morey converting long third downs on the Steelers’ third drive, so what do I know?
© Who would win a race between Joe Jurevicius and Deshea Townsend? Just asking.
© Wow has Ike Taylor’s star fallen. He’s gone from shut-down cornerback to now being the guy who holds the ball when placekicker Jeff Reed needs somebody on kickoffs.
© From the sublime category: One colleague mentioned that it was quite appropriate that a guy named Droughns would be playing in a game in which Bryant Gumbel was the announcer.
© Anthony Smith played an inspired game in his first career start, breaking up two passes with big hits and intercepting another. But his youth was displayed on the long touchdown catch-and-run by Braylon Edwards when Smith missed a tackle attempt on the mouth from Michigan to allow Cleveland’s only score.
© Not only did the Browns give up 303 yards rushing, they didn’t lay a hand on Ben Roethlisberger all night long. Good thing they scored, though. We wouldn’t want them using this game as a reason to fire themselves up when they face the Steelers next season.
If the Browns were embarrassed in this game, it should be because they tackled like a midget football team.
© OK, the Steelers are now 6-7, one game out of a playoff spot heading into this weekend’s games. There’s a good chance they could head to Carolina next week to face a Panthers squad led by Chris Weinke.
Boy, that loss at Oakland sure looks big now. So does Bill Cowher’s boneheaded decision to send Ricardo Colclough out to field a punt against Cincinnati. Win one of those games and the Steelers are right in the middle of the playoff hunt. Win them both and they would be a favorite to not only be a wildcard, but to possibly win the division.
As it is now, they are more than likely a team that will have to settle for playing a spoiler role – first knocking Carolina out of the playoffs; then keeping Baltimore from having a first-round bye; and finally, by ending Cincinnati’s playoff hopes.
© During the broadcast, color commentator Chris Collinsworth said that Cowher told him, “If I go to Carolina, I’m going to get away. I’m not going there to be Mr. Football. If I do that I want to be with the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
When asked about that after the game, Cowher said that Collinsworth was interpreting what he told him.
When asked if he had made up his mind about whether he wants to coach next season or not, he simply replied, “No.”
Take the little victories when you can get them.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Mediocrity rewarded
© Tampa Bay had no respect whatsoever for the Steelers’ receivers and looked to have eight or sometimes even nine men up at the line of scrimmage at times.
Get used to that as long as Hines Ward isn’t around to occupy opposing defenders.
© Sean Morey did his best Cedrick Wilson impersonation on the only pass thrown his way, calling for a pass interference penalty before the ball had even hit the ground. The only difference was that Morey did, indeed, get mugged.
Then again, the officials probably figured that the receiver has to get some kind of separation before they’ll call pass interference. Morey got none.
Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t especially sharp against the Bucs, but he didn’t have much to work with, either. And that was before Wilson limped off the field following his second catch.
© Speaking of Wilson, what was with that celebration for after his first reception?
Coaches used to tell players to act like you’ve been there before after scoring a touchdown. Has the time come for them to now remind players to act like they’ve caught a 13-yard pass before?
© Was there anybody in the stadium who didn’t know the Bucs were going to try a fade pass to Maurice Stovall when they brought him into the game in the third quarter?
Bryant McFadden certainly knew it was coming.
A good pass may have beaten McFadden. The one Bruce Gradkowski threw was not a good one as it was thrown more to the inside than the outside.
Still, McFadden did what you are supposed to do and played the football.
© Porter has begun his late-season Pro Bowl push. I’m sure he’ll follow up Sunday’s two-sack performance with a couple more Thursday night at Cleveland and suddenly he’ll have nine sacks. Happens every year.
© How about that dive Gradkowski took when Deshea Townsend came in unblocked?
Gradkowski hasn’t gone down that easily since Washington High School beat his Seton-LaSalle team by 60 points.
He must have thought Casey Hampton was storming through that hole instead of Townsend.
© I overheard Ryan Clark telling Anthony Smith to be ready to play Thursday against the Browns. His reasoning?
Clark was told that head coach Bill Cowher said during his post-game press conference that his groin injury was serious. That’s all Clark knew about it. Apparently, nobody told Clark it was serious.
Get used to that as long as Hines Ward isn’t around to occupy opposing defenders.
© Sean Morey did his best Cedrick Wilson impersonation on the only pass thrown his way, calling for a pass interference penalty before the ball had even hit the ground. The only difference was that Morey did, indeed, get mugged.
Then again, the officials probably figured that the receiver has to get some kind of separation before they’ll call pass interference. Morey got none.
Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t especially sharp against the Bucs, but he didn’t have much to work with, either. And that was before Wilson limped off the field following his second catch.
© Speaking of Wilson, what was with that celebration for after his first reception?
Coaches used to tell players to act like you’ve been there before after scoring a touchdown. Has the time come for them to now remind players to act like they’ve caught a 13-yard pass before?
© Was there anybody in the stadium who didn’t know the Bucs were going to try a fade pass to Maurice Stovall when they brought him into the game in the third quarter?
Bryant McFadden certainly knew it was coming.
A good pass may have beaten McFadden. The one Bruce Gradkowski threw was not a good one as it was thrown more to the inside than the outside.
Still, McFadden did what you are supposed to do and played the football.
© Porter has begun his late-season Pro Bowl push. I’m sure he’ll follow up Sunday’s two-sack performance with a couple more Thursday night at Cleveland and suddenly he’ll have nine sacks. Happens every year.
© How about that dive Gradkowski took when Deshea Townsend came in unblocked?
Gradkowski hasn’t gone down that easily since Washington High School beat his Seton-LaSalle team by 60 points.
He must have thought Casey Hampton was storming through that hole instead of Townsend.
© I overheard Ryan Clark telling Anthony Smith to be ready to play Thursday against the Browns. His reasoning?
Clark was told that head coach Bill Cowher said during his post-game press conference that his groin injury was serious. That’s all Clark knew about it. Apparently, nobody told Clark it was serious.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Baltimore bashing
There wasn’t much good to come out of this game. Ben Roethlisberger was walking with a noticeable limp afterward and Troy Polamalu has what head coach Bill Cowher termed, “a serious knee injury.”
But Polamalu was walking around the locker room with more ease than Roethlisberger, so go figure.
Polamalu will likely be out for two weeks with a sprained MCL.
© Hines Ward will be out for at least two games as well after having surgery to repair a broken bone in his knee.
Things are really coming together now.
© I won’t completely fault just the offensive line for the high number of sacks Sunday. On several occasions guys were coming in untouched. And that’s a problem with the scheme, which can be attributed to the coaching.
The same goes for the way the Ravens gashed the Steelers with their running game in the first half.
© So let’s see, they got outplayed physically and outcoached. Yep, that pretty much sums up a 27-0 beating.
© If you didn’t blink, you got to see the changes Cowher made on the kickoff coverage unit.
It largely consisted of putting Chad Brown out there for Anthony Smith.
The Steelers only got to kick off once, though, so we don’t know if that’s a full-time change.
© Brett Keisel was back on kickoff return teams and the Steelers averaged just 15.0 yards per return. So much for that experiment.
© Not only did the Ravens have nine sacks, they also had nine quarterback hurries and 10 pass defenses. The Steelers had no sacks, one pass defense and one hurry. Both the hurry and the pass defense came on the same play when Keisel came through and batted down a Steve McNair pass.
But Polamalu was walking around the locker room with more ease than Roethlisberger, so go figure.
Polamalu will likely be out for two weeks with a sprained MCL.
© Hines Ward will be out for at least two games as well after having surgery to repair a broken bone in his knee.
Things are really coming together now.
© I won’t completely fault just the offensive line for the high number of sacks Sunday. On several occasions guys were coming in untouched. And that’s a problem with the scheme, which can be attributed to the coaching.
The same goes for the way the Ravens gashed the Steelers with their running game in the first half.
© So let’s see, they got outplayed physically and outcoached. Yep, that pretty much sums up a 27-0 beating.
© If you didn’t blink, you got to see the changes Cowher made on the kickoff coverage unit.
It largely consisted of putting Chad Brown out there for Anthony Smith.
The Steelers only got to kick off once, though, so we don’t know if that’s a full-time change.
© Brett Keisel was back on kickoff return teams and the Steelers averaged just 15.0 yards per return. So much for that experiment.
© Not only did the Ravens have nine sacks, they also had nine quarterback hurries and 10 pass defenses. The Steelers had no sacks, one pass defense and one hurry. Both the hurry and the pass defense came on the same play when Keisel came through and batted down a Steve McNair pass.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Ain't easy being Peazy
He may not be the player he once was, but Steelers linebacker Joey Porter is still the focal point of a lot of the anger from opposing teams.
Sunday was no different as Peazy spent the entire pregame jawing with Browns, most notably Kellen Winslow.
Some would say it was too bad Porter and Winslow didn’t fight the way he and William Green did a couple of years ago. Had Porter and Winslow gotten themselves ejected before the game, that would have been a win for the Steelers.
© That’s not to say Porter isn’t still good for a great quote.
After the game Sunday, Porter had this to say about the Browns: “They can’t beat us. They talk like they’re a different team, but they’re not.”
Think that one will be on the bulletin boards in Cleveland for the rematch in a couple of weeks?
© If there was any question about how important Troy Polamalu is to the Steelers’ defense, he showed exactly how valuable he is on Cleveland’s possession after Pittsburgh scored to cut Cleveland’s lead to 20-17.
Polamalu had a sack, then assisted Casey Hampton in tackling Cleveland running back Jason Wright for a 2-yard gain before knocking down a Charlie Frye pass on a blitz for single-handedly force the Browns to punt the ball back to the Steelers.
He was also the guy that broke up the Browns’ last-second pass into the end zone to end the game.
© Santonio Holmes is going to be a very good receiver in this league. Because of his lack of height he’ll probably never be a great receiver, but the kid is really starting to get a feel for Ben Roethlisberger.
And Roethlisberger is getting more comfortable with Holmes as well. Watching Holmes and Roethlisberger scramble simultaneously before Holmes’ 20-yard touchdown catch was a thing of beauty.
© Believe it or not, after Sean Morey hit the Browns for a 76-yard kick return, they started kicking the ball away from him.
© Bill Cowher obviously has no faith in his coverage teams any longer. How else can you explain those final two kickoffs?
The Steelers would have been better served to just have Jeff Reed kick the ball directly at Browns coach Romeo Crennel on the sidelines and give Cleveland the ball at the 40.
Sunday was no different as Peazy spent the entire pregame jawing with Browns, most notably Kellen Winslow.
Some would say it was too bad Porter and Winslow didn’t fight the way he and William Green did a couple of years ago. Had Porter and Winslow gotten themselves ejected before the game, that would have been a win for the Steelers.
© That’s not to say Porter isn’t still good for a great quote.
After the game Sunday, Porter had this to say about the Browns: “They can’t beat us. They talk like they’re a different team, but they’re not.”
Think that one will be on the bulletin boards in Cleveland for the rematch in a couple of weeks?
© If there was any question about how important Troy Polamalu is to the Steelers’ defense, he showed exactly how valuable he is on Cleveland’s possession after Pittsburgh scored to cut Cleveland’s lead to 20-17.
Polamalu had a sack, then assisted Casey Hampton in tackling Cleveland running back Jason Wright for a 2-yard gain before knocking down a Charlie Frye pass on a blitz for single-handedly force the Browns to punt the ball back to the Steelers.
He was also the guy that broke up the Browns’ last-second pass into the end zone to end the game.
© Santonio Holmes is going to be a very good receiver in this league. Because of his lack of height he’ll probably never be a great receiver, but the kid is really starting to get a feel for Ben Roethlisberger.
And Roethlisberger is getting more comfortable with Holmes as well. Watching Holmes and Roethlisberger scramble simultaneously before Holmes’ 20-yard touchdown catch was a thing of beauty.
© Believe it or not, after Sean Morey hit the Browns for a 76-yard kick return, they started kicking the ball away from him.
© Bill Cowher obviously has no faith in his coverage teams any longer. How else can you explain those final two kickoffs?
The Steelers would have been better served to just have Jeff Reed kick the ball directly at Browns coach Romeo Crennel on the sidelines and give Cleveland the ball at the 40.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Nawlins notes
Ben Roethlisberger is really starting to look like a quarterback on a roll. Even when faced with a blitzer in his face, he threw the ball to a spot where only his receiver would have a chanced to catch it.
I guess he's learned a little something.
© I thought the Steelers had figured out how to solve their punt return problems – never make the opposing team punt. But then Cowher sent Santonio Holmes out to field a couple of punts in the second half.
Was there any doubt that Holmes was calling for a fair catch on both occasions?
© Speaking of returns, Sean Morey was back to return kickoffs with Najeh Davenport.
But, as Cowher related after the game, Morey was only supposed to be blocking for Davenport, who was supposed to handle all of the kick returns. Nothing like having a 190-pound wide receiver blocking for a 250-pound fullback.
Morey ended up handling a couple of kickoffs, though, when the Saints foiled Cowher’s plan by kicking off to him instead of Davenport. After Morey fumbled at the end of his first return - though I thought he was down by contact - I correctly assessed when he took off with his next return that he would simply run out of bounds. He did.
© If not for a blocked field goal by the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers would have found themselves just three games out of first play headed to Cleveland next week.
Oh well.
© Ryan Clark said he was directing traffic in the second half like a crossing guard.
As bad as the Steelers’ pass defense was, especially in the second half when both Deshea Townsend and Troy Polamalu were out, it could have been worse. Had Joe Horn played for the Saints, it surely would have been worse.
The Steelers finally started doubling Marques Colston in the second half and forcing Drew Brees to beat them throwing to the likes of Aaron Stecker, Terrence Copper and Reggie Bush. He nearly did it.
© It’s hard to believe the Steelers had never had a 200-yard rusher under Cowher. In fact, given how much they’ve run the ball over the years, it’s hard to believe they’ve only had three 200-yard rushers – period.
Parker may not scare defenses physically, but teams will certainly look at film of Sunday’s game and make sure their safeties don’t get caught inside like New Orleans’ did.
© In previous years Cowher may have gone to Jerome Bettis in the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead. This year, he was forced to run Parker. There’s some dumb luck for you.
© The Steelers’ kickoff coverage teams included the likes of John Kuhn, Anthony Madison, Ronald Stanley, Marquise Cooper and Anthony Smith.
That should be a hungry group of players.
But it also shows the difference between this year’s coverage units and last year’s since none of those players were on the active roster last season.
I guess he's learned a little something.
© I thought the Steelers had figured out how to solve their punt return problems – never make the opposing team punt. But then Cowher sent Santonio Holmes out to field a couple of punts in the second half.
Was there any doubt that Holmes was calling for a fair catch on both occasions?
© Speaking of returns, Sean Morey was back to return kickoffs with Najeh Davenport.
But, as Cowher related after the game, Morey was only supposed to be blocking for Davenport, who was supposed to handle all of the kick returns. Nothing like having a 190-pound wide receiver blocking for a 250-pound fullback.
Morey ended up handling a couple of kickoffs, though, when the Saints foiled Cowher’s plan by kicking off to him instead of Davenport. After Morey fumbled at the end of his first return - though I thought he was down by contact - I correctly assessed when he took off with his next return that he would simply run out of bounds. He did.
© If not for a blocked field goal by the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers would have found themselves just three games out of first play headed to Cleveland next week.
Oh well.
© Ryan Clark said he was directing traffic in the second half like a crossing guard.
As bad as the Steelers’ pass defense was, especially in the second half when both Deshea Townsend and Troy Polamalu were out, it could have been worse. Had Joe Horn played for the Saints, it surely would have been worse.
The Steelers finally started doubling Marques Colston in the second half and forcing Drew Brees to beat them throwing to the likes of Aaron Stecker, Terrence Copper and Reggie Bush. He nearly did it.
© It’s hard to believe the Steelers had never had a 200-yard rusher under Cowher. In fact, given how much they’ve run the ball over the years, it’s hard to believe they’ve only had three 200-yard rushers – period.
Parker may not scare defenses physically, but teams will certainly look at film of Sunday’s game and make sure their safeties don’t get caught inside like New Orleans’ did.
© In previous years Cowher may have gone to Jerome Bettis in the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead. This year, he was forced to run Parker. There’s some dumb luck for you.
© The Steelers’ kickoff coverage teams included the likes of John Kuhn, Anthony Madison, Ronald Stanley, Marquise Cooper and Anthony Smith.
That should be a hungry group of players.
But it also shows the difference between this year’s coverage units and last year’s since none of those players were on the active roster last season.
Monday, November 06, 2006
More of the same
Once again, Max Starks was awful up front against the Denver Broncos Sunday. Once again, most of the Pittsburgh media will ignore that fact because Starks is such a good guy for the TV and radio people to talk to. He’s eloquent and always available for their interviews.
In fact, while watching the New England-Indianapolis game Sunday night, I saw a commercial for Monday’s news in which the teaser was an exlusive look at Starks’ custom car.
Are you kidding me? This team is 2-6, Starks is stinking up the joint and they’re doing a feature on his car?
Must be sweeps week.
© Let’s see, the right tackle is stinking up the joint, the outside linebackers can’t get consistent pressure on the quarterback, the cornerbacks are having trouble covering and nobody can seem to hold onto the football.
So what direction this team do with its first-round draft pick?
If wide receiver Calvin Johnson from Georgia Tech is available, the Steelers should grab him.
We saw Sunday with Denver’s Javon Walker torching the Steelers all over the field what a big-time offensive playmaker can mean for a team.
Hines Ward is good, but he’s just not that kind of player. At this point in his career, he’s more Rod Smith than Walker – not that there’s anything wrong with that.
© Joey Porter was absent from the locker room quickly Sunday. Then again, he was largely missing in action from Sunday’s game as well.
There’s no truth to the rumor that he led the cheer after the game, “Who stink? We stink.”
© Though Ike Taylor ended up being the target of several long passes and a couple of fade patterns in the end zone, Denver quarterback Jake Plummer said the team’s plan coming in was to target Deshea Townsend on those plays.
© Plummer tried on several occasions tried to give the Steelers a chance to win this game. The Steelers either couldn’t hold onto the passes he threw them or they fell harmlessly to the ground.
It’s really been the story of the season thus far.
In fact, while watching the New England-Indianapolis game Sunday night, I saw a commercial for Monday’s news in which the teaser was an exlusive look at Starks’ custom car.
Are you kidding me? This team is 2-6, Starks is stinking up the joint and they’re doing a feature on his car?
Must be sweeps week.
© Let’s see, the right tackle is stinking up the joint, the outside linebackers can’t get consistent pressure on the quarterback, the cornerbacks are having trouble covering and nobody can seem to hold onto the football.
So what direction this team do with its first-round draft pick?
If wide receiver Calvin Johnson from Georgia Tech is available, the Steelers should grab him.
We saw Sunday with Denver’s Javon Walker torching the Steelers all over the field what a big-time offensive playmaker can mean for a team.
Hines Ward is good, but he’s just not that kind of player. At this point in his career, he’s more Rod Smith than Walker – not that there’s anything wrong with that.
© Joey Porter was absent from the locker room quickly Sunday. Then again, he was largely missing in action from Sunday’s game as well.
There’s no truth to the rumor that he led the cheer after the game, “Who stink? We stink.”
© Though Ike Taylor ended up being the target of several long passes and a couple of fade patterns in the end zone, Denver quarterback Jake Plummer said the team’s plan coming in was to target Deshea Townsend on those plays.
© Plummer tried on several occasions tried to give the Steelers a chance to win this game. The Steelers either couldn’t hold onto the passes he threw them or they fell harmlessly to the ground.
It’s really been the story of the season thus far.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
More changes
It looks as if Kendall Simmons will regain his starting spot at right guard this week, but will it last.
Head coach Bill Cowher said Tuesday that the battle between Chris Kemoeatu and Simmons would be a week-to-week thing. It looks like this is Simmons' week after Kemoeatu struggled in Oakland in place of Simmons.
Could it be that simple, or is Cowher playing matchups? I guess we'll find that out next week.
Also, it looks like John Kuhn, just activated off the practice squad, will dress instead of Duce Staley this week.
The reason? Kuhn can help out on special teams. Staley can't.
Head coach Bill Cowher said Tuesday that the battle between Chris Kemoeatu and Simmons would be a week-to-week thing. It looks like this is Simmons' week after Kemoeatu struggled in Oakland in place of Simmons.
Could it be that simple, or is Cowher playing matchups? I guess we'll find that out next week.
Also, it looks like John Kuhn, just activated off the practice squad, will dress instead of Duce Staley this week.
The reason? Kuhn can help out on special teams. Staley can't.
Oakland debacle
Ben Roethlisberger wanted more responsibility this season and he’s gotten it. Thus far, the third-year quarterback doesn’t appear ready to handle that kind of load.
He looked a lot more like Tommy Maddox Sunday than a quarterback who won a Super Bowl last season.
© Another week, another bad performance by the offensive line and right tackle Max Starks in particular.
But here’s betting you won’t hear Starks called out for his poor play by too many TV types in Pittsburgh. Starks is always quick with a quote and the TV types love to talk to him because he’s so well spoken.
Starks looked lost, however, trying to block Derrick Burgess Sunday.
I don’t know that the Chris Kemoeatu experiment at right guard is going to last all that long either. The big fella didn’t exactly dominate in the run game and his pass blocking looked pretty shoddy to say the least.
But Kendall Simmons was one of just three Steelers who dressed and did not play Sunday - Rodney Bailey and Charlie Batch were the other two – so maybe head coach Bill Cowher is preparing for the future.
© The play-calling Sunday by offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt was questionable at times to say the least.
We saw way too much of the four and five-wide receiver packages when the team was in short yardage situations. That tells me the Steelers don’t have any faith in their ability to run the ball and get a yard or two when needed.
Maybe Duce Staley will be the answer. Staley will be active from here on out with Verron Haynes being done for the season with a left leg injury.
© When it’s thought that Staley might be a savior, the team’s in trouble.
© Where was Cowher’s spit and fire when the defense was getting penalized for unsportsmanlike penalties on back-to-back plays?
Maybe the head coach is resigned to the fact that this is just not a good football team.
© Oakland averaged 0.9 yards per pass play, 2.9 yards per rushing play and 2.0 yards per play overall and won.
After 14 years of covering the NFL, I have officially seen it all.
At least in 2002 when Tommy Maddox single-handedly handed Houston a win with a performance like the one Roethlisberger had Sunday, the Texans’ defense stopped the Steelers on occasion.
The only thing stopping the Steelers Sunday was the Steelers.
© Shane Lechler was Oakland’s most valuable player in this game. The Raiders’ punter continually put the Steelers deep in their own territory to start drives, forcing them into bad situations.
© With this team floundering so badly, you can forget those Cowher retirement rumors. Cowher is now going to have to come back in 2007 to prove that he can turn this thing around after a 6-10 or 7-9 season.
Then again, at this point, 7-9 would be an achievement in itself with this squad.
He looked a lot more like Tommy Maddox Sunday than a quarterback who won a Super Bowl last season.
© Another week, another bad performance by the offensive line and right tackle Max Starks in particular.
But here’s betting you won’t hear Starks called out for his poor play by too many TV types in Pittsburgh. Starks is always quick with a quote and the TV types love to talk to him because he’s so well spoken.
Starks looked lost, however, trying to block Derrick Burgess Sunday.
I don’t know that the Chris Kemoeatu experiment at right guard is going to last all that long either. The big fella didn’t exactly dominate in the run game and his pass blocking looked pretty shoddy to say the least.
But Kendall Simmons was one of just three Steelers who dressed and did not play Sunday - Rodney Bailey and Charlie Batch were the other two – so maybe head coach Bill Cowher is preparing for the future.
© The play-calling Sunday by offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt was questionable at times to say the least.
We saw way too much of the four and five-wide receiver packages when the team was in short yardage situations. That tells me the Steelers don’t have any faith in their ability to run the ball and get a yard or two when needed.
Maybe Duce Staley will be the answer. Staley will be active from here on out with Verron Haynes being done for the season with a left leg injury.
© When it’s thought that Staley might be a savior, the team’s in trouble.
© Where was Cowher’s spit and fire when the defense was getting penalized for unsportsmanlike penalties on back-to-back plays?
Maybe the head coach is resigned to the fact that this is just not a good football team.
© Oakland averaged 0.9 yards per pass play, 2.9 yards per rushing play and 2.0 yards per play overall and won.
After 14 years of covering the NFL, I have officially seen it all.
At least in 2002 when Tommy Maddox single-handedly handed Houston a win with a performance like the one Roethlisberger had Sunday, the Texans’ defense stopped the Steelers on occasion.
The only thing stopping the Steelers Sunday was the Steelers.
© Shane Lechler was Oakland’s most valuable player in this game. The Raiders’ punter continually put the Steelers deep in their own territory to start drives, forcing them into bad situations.
© With this team floundering so badly, you can forget those Cowher retirement rumors. Cowher is now going to have to come back in 2007 to prove that he can turn this thing around after a 6-10 or 7-9 season.
Then again, at this point, 7-9 would be an achievement in itself with this squad.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Quit whining
The way the Steelers and head coach Bill Cowher were complaining at the end of the game, I thought I had wondered into the Seattle Seahawks locker room rather than Pittsburgh’s after its 41-38 loss to Atlanta.
The Steelers were in quite a state over a false start penalty called on wide receiver Nate Washington at the end of regulation that cost them a shot at a possible game-winning field goal.
“I don’t feel like I moved,” said Washington. “The only thing he could have gotten me on was my upper body. And the last time I checked, that’s not even (the referee’s) call. That’s the side judge’s call. The referee (Ron Winter) called it and he was behind me.”
But Washington definitely appeared to move right before the ball was snapped.
A much more questionable call was the roughing the kicker penalty moments before on Troy Polamalu. Polamalu was lying on the ground when kicker Michael Koenen kind of hopped into him on his follow-through. That not only gave the Falcons another shot at the field goal – one Morten Andersen missed – it cost the Steelers five seconds and five yards they could have used. Had that penalty not been called, Washington’s false start wouldn’t have been a problem.
The bottom line in this one for the Steelers is that they never put the Falcons away when they had the chance.
© On the subject of penalties, why wasn’t one called on Chauncey Davis’ helmet-to-helmet hit on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger?
Davis will likely draw a fine for a hit that knocked Roethlisberger out of the game and will likely draw him a nice fine from the league.
That’s actually not a bad tradeoff for the Falcons even though Charlie Batch played well in Roethlisberger’s place.
Roethlisberger was on fire in this game, while some of Batch’s good fortune came because of awful coverage and tackling by Atlanta.
© Up 17-7 in the first half with the ball, Roethlisberger’s fumbled snap deep in his own territory changed the momentum.
Not only did the Falcons cash that in for a touchdown, they then pulled off a successful surprise onside kick and scored another touchdown, a 14-point swing.
The Steelers were forced to scramble for another touchdown just to take a 24-21 lead into the half in a game that they were dominating to that point.
The Steelers had given up 28 yards on the ground to the vaunted Atlanta rushing attack and put up nearly 300 yards of offense, yet held just a three-point lead.
Somebody needs to convince these guys it’s OK to hold a team to field goals when they get a turnover inside your territory.
© When they are doing the voting for the Pro Bowl, somebody should show tape of this game to those thinking about voting for Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall. If that’s what passes for a great cover corner these days, then NFL defenses are doomed.
© It seems that Bryant McFadden’s move into the starting lineup in place of Deshea Townsend is now more than just because of injury. McFadden is there to stay.
Townsend played again Sunday as the third corner and was beaten badly by Michael Jenkins for a touchdown.
© One week after Michael Vick was sacked seven times by the Giants, the Steelers got to him just one time.
Some people are down on Joey Porter, but in the two games he’s missed, the Steelers have all of two sacks.
Is it possibly Porter is somebody opposing defenses have to contend with and helps free up other pass rushers?
© Once again that was a tired Pittsburgh defense on the field in the fourth quarter and overtime as Atlanta rushed for 87 yards in the fourth quarter and another 44 in the extra period.
Perhaps it would help if the Steelers could run the ball a little more themselves. Pittsburgh ran the ball 10 times for seven yards in the second half.
And we also saw a backup running back doing some damage late in the game as well. A couple of weeks ago it was San Diego’s Michael Turner dicing up the defense in the fourth quarter after the Steelrs had shut down LaDanian Tomlinson. This week it was Jerrious Norwood gaining 63 yards on seven second-half carries.
That may be the Steelers’ biggest need in this year’s draft – getting a quality running back to pair with Willie Parker.
Yes, it’s not too early to start talking about the draft now that this team is 2-4.
“It just seems like the ball isn’t bouncing our way this season,” said defensive end Brett Keisel. “I still think we have what it takes to do what we did last year. But with this loss, it’s going to be tough.”
That kind of sums things up.
The Steelers were in quite a state over a false start penalty called on wide receiver Nate Washington at the end of regulation that cost them a shot at a possible game-winning field goal.
“I don’t feel like I moved,” said Washington. “The only thing he could have gotten me on was my upper body. And the last time I checked, that’s not even (the referee’s) call. That’s the side judge’s call. The referee (Ron Winter) called it and he was behind me.”
But Washington definitely appeared to move right before the ball was snapped.
A much more questionable call was the roughing the kicker penalty moments before on Troy Polamalu. Polamalu was lying on the ground when kicker Michael Koenen kind of hopped into him on his follow-through. That not only gave the Falcons another shot at the field goal – one Morten Andersen missed – it cost the Steelers five seconds and five yards they could have used. Had that penalty not been called, Washington’s false start wouldn’t have been a problem.
The bottom line in this one for the Steelers is that they never put the Falcons away when they had the chance.
© On the subject of penalties, why wasn’t one called on Chauncey Davis’ helmet-to-helmet hit on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger?
Davis will likely draw a fine for a hit that knocked Roethlisberger out of the game and will likely draw him a nice fine from the league.
That’s actually not a bad tradeoff for the Falcons even though Charlie Batch played well in Roethlisberger’s place.
Roethlisberger was on fire in this game, while some of Batch’s good fortune came because of awful coverage and tackling by Atlanta.
© Up 17-7 in the first half with the ball, Roethlisberger’s fumbled snap deep in his own territory changed the momentum.
Not only did the Falcons cash that in for a touchdown, they then pulled off a successful surprise onside kick and scored another touchdown, a 14-point swing.
The Steelers were forced to scramble for another touchdown just to take a 24-21 lead into the half in a game that they were dominating to that point.
The Steelers had given up 28 yards on the ground to the vaunted Atlanta rushing attack and put up nearly 300 yards of offense, yet held just a three-point lead.
Somebody needs to convince these guys it’s OK to hold a team to field goals when they get a turnover inside your territory.
© When they are doing the voting for the Pro Bowl, somebody should show tape of this game to those thinking about voting for Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall. If that’s what passes for a great cover corner these days, then NFL defenses are doomed.
© It seems that Bryant McFadden’s move into the starting lineup in place of Deshea Townsend is now more than just because of injury. McFadden is there to stay.
Townsend played again Sunday as the third corner and was beaten badly by Michael Jenkins for a touchdown.
© One week after Michael Vick was sacked seven times by the Giants, the Steelers got to him just one time.
Some people are down on Joey Porter, but in the two games he’s missed, the Steelers have all of two sacks.
Is it possibly Porter is somebody opposing defenses have to contend with and helps free up other pass rushers?
© Once again that was a tired Pittsburgh defense on the field in the fourth quarter and overtime as Atlanta rushed for 87 yards in the fourth quarter and another 44 in the extra period.
Perhaps it would help if the Steelers could run the ball a little more themselves. Pittsburgh ran the ball 10 times for seven yards in the second half.
And we also saw a backup running back doing some damage late in the game as well. A couple of weeks ago it was San Diego’s Michael Turner dicing up the defense in the fourth quarter after the Steelrs had shut down LaDanian Tomlinson. This week it was Jerrious Norwood gaining 63 yards on seven second-half carries.
That may be the Steelers’ biggest need in this year’s draft – getting a quality running back to pair with Willie Parker.
Yes, it’s not too early to start talking about the draft now that this team is 2-4.
“It just seems like the ball isn’t bouncing our way this season,” said defensive end Brett Keisel. “I still think we have what it takes to do what we did last year. But with this loss, it’s going to be tough.”
That kind of sums things up.
Monday, October 16, 2006
KC just not that good
The question was asked following the game, “How did the receivers get so open all day?”
It was a good question to be sure and one Cowher really didn’t answer.
Is it possible that the Kansas City defense just isn’t that good? Yep.
© How about those replacements?
Chris Kemoeatu wasn’t all that noticeable on too many plays starting in place of Kendall Simmons, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. His best stat? The Steelers rushed for 219 yards and Roethlisberger was sacked once.
I don’t know how Kemoeatu will grade out, but it couldn’t have been bad. He was at least Simmons’ equal.
Arnold Harrison? Well, he truly was the best Arnold Harrison he could be starting in place of Joey Porter. Harrison finished with three tackles and a pass defensed, which is often a typical outing for Porter. Again, the biggest stat in favor of Harrison was the production of the running game, this time Kansas City’s. The Chiefs managed just 38 yards on 19 carries, so Harrison couldn’t have been too bad.
You don’t replace Porter with Harrison, but it certainly goes a long way toward showing why the Steelers weren’t real hot to re-work Porter’s contract.
Deshea Townsend showed why he’s still starting ahead of Bryant McFadden. Townsend surprisingly played in the nickel and defended two passes with three tackles, including one that was in the open field on third down against Larry Johnson.
McFadden, meanwhile, was OK. He had three tackles, two pass defenses and an interception, but also drew a pass interference penalty. McFadden will be fine down the road, but Townsend is still too cagey a veteran to replace.
© Anybody who suggested that Troy Polamalu needed to sit out some games until he was healthy should feel pretty silly right now.
Polamalu was, quite simply, one of the top two players on the field Sunday. The other player? Roethlisberger. And yet some people were suggesting he needed to sit as well.
Take a deep breath, people, and think about things clearly before you say or write them.
© The Steelers got their hands on 13 passes, coming away with three interceptions. They had just one sack, but Keisel told me after the game that their scheme was to just rush four players on most plays because they knew Damon Huard was going to get rid of the ball quickly. Plus, they didn’t want Johnson sneaking through a blitz and running free in the secondary against defensive backs.
Neither was a problem. Huard never hurt the Steelers, while Johnson’s long run was eight yards.
© Santonio Holmes did a nice job in the return game, but still had some ball-control issues. His first fumble on a punt return came when a Chiefs defender flashed by him at the last second, causing him to miss the ball. The second was a straight fumble as the ball was ripped free from his hands.
Sometimes, however, the ball just bounces your way. It was that kind of day for the Steelers.
© Najeh Davenport claims he was gassed from being on the punt return unit the play before his 48-yard run on which he was run down from behind by Kansas City defensive end Jared Allen.
OK, I’ll buy that. Davenport was playing over the center on punts and didn’t look out of place. That should give you an idea of how big he is.
It was a good question to be sure and one Cowher really didn’t answer.
Is it possible that the Kansas City defense just isn’t that good? Yep.
© How about those replacements?
Chris Kemoeatu wasn’t all that noticeable on too many plays starting in place of Kendall Simmons, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. His best stat? The Steelers rushed for 219 yards and Roethlisberger was sacked once.
I don’t know how Kemoeatu will grade out, but it couldn’t have been bad. He was at least Simmons’ equal.
Arnold Harrison? Well, he truly was the best Arnold Harrison he could be starting in place of Joey Porter. Harrison finished with three tackles and a pass defensed, which is often a typical outing for Porter. Again, the biggest stat in favor of Harrison was the production of the running game, this time Kansas City’s. The Chiefs managed just 38 yards on 19 carries, so Harrison couldn’t have been too bad.
You don’t replace Porter with Harrison, but it certainly goes a long way toward showing why the Steelers weren’t real hot to re-work Porter’s contract.
Deshea Townsend showed why he’s still starting ahead of Bryant McFadden. Townsend surprisingly played in the nickel and defended two passes with three tackles, including one that was in the open field on third down against Larry Johnson.
McFadden, meanwhile, was OK. He had three tackles, two pass defenses and an interception, but also drew a pass interference penalty. McFadden will be fine down the road, but Townsend is still too cagey a veteran to replace.
© Anybody who suggested that Troy Polamalu needed to sit out some games until he was healthy should feel pretty silly right now.
Polamalu was, quite simply, one of the top two players on the field Sunday. The other player? Roethlisberger. And yet some people were suggesting he needed to sit as well.
Take a deep breath, people, and think about things clearly before you say or write them.
© The Steelers got their hands on 13 passes, coming away with three interceptions. They had just one sack, but Keisel told me after the game that their scheme was to just rush four players on most plays because they knew Damon Huard was going to get rid of the ball quickly. Plus, they didn’t want Johnson sneaking through a blitz and running free in the secondary against defensive backs.
Neither was a problem. Huard never hurt the Steelers, while Johnson’s long run was eight yards.
© Santonio Holmes did a nice job in the return game, but still had some ball-control issues. His first fumble on a punt return came when a Chiefs defender flashed by him at the last second, causing him to miss the ball. The second was a straight fumble as the ball was ripped free from his hands.
Sometimes, however, the ball just bounces your way. It was that kind of day for the Steelers.
© Najeh Davenport claims he was gassed from being on the punt return unit the play before his 48-yard run on which he was run down from behind by Kansas City defensive end Jared Allen.
OK, I’ll buy that. Davenport was playing over the center on punts and didn’t look out of place. That should give you an idea of how big he is.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Injury updates and more
The Steelers suffered three serious injuries in this one, two that were reported during the game and one that didn’t show up until well after.
Linebacker James Harrison’s left ankle sprain looks to be the most serious. He was in an air cast and on crutches following the game and could be lost for several weeks.
Wide receiver Willie Reid suffered a mid-foot sprain, but was only on crutches and will probably only miss a week or two.
Defensive end Brett Keisel suffered what is believed to be a bruised kidney. He was taken to a San Diego hospital for X-rays after complaining of pain in his side when the team arrived at the airport.
Keisel appeared to be OK, however, upon his return, though the team erred on the side of caution following Tampa Bay’s Chris Simms’ lacerated spleen during a game two weeks ago.
© That ill-fated fourth-down end around to Bryant McFadden in the first quarter needs to be sent back to the drawing board.
First of all, when you split punter Chris Gardocki out wide, you’re tipping your hand that there won’t be a punt. Secondly, why have McFadden running with the ball instead of, say, Reid or Santonio Holmes? Find somebody on the team who’s used to making guys miss with the ball in his hands.
McFadden told me after the game that play was one the team had been working on for several weeks and that it was used because of the down and distance, not because of something they had seen with the Chargers. That’s all the more reason it shouldn’t have been used.
The other trick play the team ran, a flea-flicker to Holmes, didn’t fool anybody on the San Diego sidelines either, as Holmes was double covered.
That play was one of the few poor decisions Roethlisberger made, throwing the ball despite the double coverage. The Steelers were moving the ball on San Diego to that point, but his interception there by Drayton Florence at the Chargers’ 6, and the subsequent 94-yard TD drive that followed, really turned the momentum.
© Jamal Williams pretty much had his way with Steelers center Jeff Hartings much the same way Casey Hampton did with Chargers center Nick Hardwick.
That was a big reason why neither team’s running game produced much.
Oh, I know that San Diego finished with 119 yards rushing, but LaDanian Tomlinson managed just 36 of that, with much of the damage coming on a late 23-yard run by Michael Turner and a 15-yard scamper by Philip Rivers late in the game.
© Roethlisberger said he wanted to show the Chargers that they erred in taking Rivers instead of him in the first round of the 2004 draft.
They didn’t.
Rivers fits what the Chargers do more than Roethlisberger would have. Then again, the Chargers’ coaching staff has done a good job of accentuating the things that Rivers does well. He’s very accurate on his short and mid-range passes.
© Najeh Davenport, nice to see you.
© Willie Parker averaged a healthy 4.1 yards per carry against one of the NFL’s top run defenses. The problem was that he only got 14 carries, just four of which came in the second half.
In fact, the Steelers ran just 18 plays in the second half as the defense was unable to keep San Diego from scoring on four consecutive drives.
© Cedrick Wilson was relegated to being the fourth receiver on several occasions, slipping behind Nate Washington and Santonio Holmes in some three-receiver sets.
© The surreal moment of the night came not during the game, but after it.
After filing my stories for my newspaper, I went with another reporter to get on the elevator and head down to the locker rooms. A security guard stopped us saying, “We’re holding the elevator for Mr. Madden.”
I explained in less-than-pleasant terms that we were on deadline and needed to get quotes to call back to our papers, while “Mr. Madden’s” work was finished for the evening.
Just then, another security guard came out and said that “Mr. Madden” was running late and they could send the elevator down again.
We got on and went down one floor where the elevator stopped, allowing Dan and Art Rooney and Dean Spanos to get on.
What kind of world do we live in when some TV schlub can hold up an elevator for himself, but the owners of the teams can climb aboard one with us common folk?
The people who voted for Madden for the Pro Football Hall of Fame should be ashamed.
Linebacker James Harrison’s left ankle sprain looks to be the most serious. He was in an air cast and on crutches following the game and could be lost for several weeks.
Wide receiver Willie Reid suffered a mid-foot sprain, but was only on crutches and will probably only miss a week or two.
Defensive end Brett Keisel suffered what is believed to be a bruised kidney. He was taken to a San Diego hospital for X-rays after complaining of pain in his side when the team arrived at the airport.
Keisel appeared to be OK, however, upon his return, though the team erred on the side of caution following Tampa Bay’s Chris Simms’ lacerated spleen during a game two weeks ago.
© That ill-fated fourth-down end around to Bryant McFadden in the first quarter needs to be sent back to the drawing board.
First of all, when you split punter Chris Gardocki out wide, you’re tipping your hand that there won’t be a punt. Secondly, why have McFadden running with the ball instead of, say, Reid or Santonio Holmes? Find somebody on the team who’s used to making guys miss with the ball in his hands.
McFadden told me after the game that play was one the team had been working on for several weeks and that it was used because of the down and distance, not because of something they had seen with the Chargers. That’s all the more reason it shouldn’t have been used.
The other trick play the team ran, a flea-flicker to Holmes, didn’t fool anybody on the San Diego sidelines either, as Holmes was double covered.
That play was one of the few poor decisions Roethlisberger made, throwing the ball despite the double coverage. The Steelers were moving the ball on San Diego to that point, but his interception there by Drayton Florence at the Chargers’ 6, and the subsequent 94-yard TD drive that followed, really turned the momentum.
© Jamal Williams pretty much had his way with Steelers center Jeff Hartings much the same way Casey Hampton did with Chargers center Nick Hardwick.
That was a big reason why neither team’s running game produced much.
Oh, I know that San Diego finished with 119 yards rushing, but LaDanian Tomlinson managed just 36 of that, with much of the damage coming on a late 23-yard run by Michael Turner and a 15-yard scamper by Philip Rivers late in the game.
© Roethlisberger said he wanted to show the Chargers that they erred in taking Rivers instead of him in the first round of the 2004 draft.
They didn’t.
Rivers fits what the Chargers do more than Roethlisberger would have. Then again, the Chargers’ coaching staff has done a good job of accentuating the things that Rivers does well. He’s very accurate on his short and mid-range passes.
© Najeh Davenport, nice to see you.
© Willie Parker averaged a healthy 4.1 yards per carry against one of the NFL’s top run defenses. The problem was that he only got 14 carries, just four of which came in the second half.
In fact, the Steelers ran just 18 plays in the second half as the defense was unable to keep San Diego from scoring on four consecutive drives.
© Cedrick Wilson was relegated to being the fourth receiver on several occasions, slipping behind Nate Washington and Santonio Holmes in some three-receiver sets.
© The surreal moment of the night came not during the game, but after it.
After filing my stories for my newspaper, I went with another reporter to get on the elevator and head down to the locker rooms. A security guard stopped us saying, “We’re holding the elevator for Mr. Madden.”
I explained in less-than-pleasant terms that we were on deadline and needed to get quotes to call back to our papers, while “Mr. Madden’s” work was finished for the evening.
Just then, another security guard came out and said that “Mr. Madden” was running late and they could send the elevator down again.
We got on and went down one floor where the elevator stopped, allowing Dan and Art Rooney and Dean Spanos to get on.
What kind of world do we live in when some TV schlub can hold up an elevator for himself, but the owners of the teams can climb aboard one with us common folk?
The people who voted for Madden for the Pro Football Hall of Fame should be ashamed.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
You stay classy
I sit here in the San Diego press box, where I've been at for the past three hours, with still another hour to go before tonight's game pondering the NFL.
Who in this league is any good, after all?
At this point, it looks like Chicago is the best team in the league. Indianapolis remains unbeaten, but has been unimpressive in getting there.
I still think Cincinnati is a fraud because it can't stop the run and can't protect Carson Palmer.
Baltimore? It faces a stiff test at Denver Monday night where we'll find out about the Ravens. But I don't think they have enough offense to be a a contender.
Jacksonville? Too up and down. Tough at home, but mediocre on the road.
Seattle? Overrated, but in the NFC, they'll contend.
We'll find out a lot about the Steelers as well tonight.
Who in this league is any good, after all?
At this point, it looks like Chicago is the best team in the league. Indianapolis remains unbeaten, but has been unimpressive in getting there.
I still think Cincinnati is a fraud because it can't stop the run and can't protect Carson Palmer.
Baltimore? It faces a stiff test at Denver Monday night where we'll find out about the Ravens. But I don't think they have enough offense to be a a contender.
Jacksonville? Too up and down. Tough at home, but mediocre on the road.
Seattle? Overrated, but in the NFC, they'll contend.
We'll find out a lot about the Steelers as well tonight.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Changes coming
Everybody has been screaming for Willire Reid to return punts for the Steelers. But it looks like they'll have to settle for Ricardo Colclough not doing it.
Reid is in the mix of players the team is working out at punt returner right now, but I doubt Bill Cowher will be able to find a spot for a sixth wideout on game days.
That means Santonio Holmes or Cedrick Wilson will be back there against San Diego.
In kickoff returns, Colclough has also been replaced. Look for Najeh Davenport to get a shot at returning kickoffs.
Reid is in the mix of players the team is working out at punt returner right now, but I doubt Bill Cowher will be able to find a spot for a sixth wideout on game days.
That means Santonio Holmes or Cedrick Wilson will be back there against San Diego.
In kickoff returns, Colclough has also been replaced. Look for Najeh Davenport to get a shot at returning kickoffs.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Blame Cowher
Sometimes a coach just thinks he’s smarter than everyone else and he wants to show them so as often as possible.
That’s the only explanation for Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher continuing to send Ricardo Colclough back for punt returns in the team’s 28-20 loss to Cincinnati Sunday.
What in Colclough’s history has suggested he is a good punt returner?
Every time the Steelers had tried him back there in the past, Colclough had mishandled punts.
Seemingly every practice at training camp was punctuated by Colclough mishandling a punt.
Last week at Jacksonville Colclough had a punt jump out of his hands before he reeled it back in. And he also mishandled one in the opener against Miami.
Yet there was Colclough back there to return a critical fourth-quarter punt against the Bengals.
What did Colclough do?
What he’s always done.
That’s why I don’t blame Colclough for muffing a punt that the Bengals recovered at the Pittsburgh nine yard line. You don’t blame a lion for attacking a water buffalo. He’s just doing what lions do.
Cowher should shoulder all of the blame in this instance. He made the decision to put Colclough back there.
I’m not going to say Willie Reid would have made a difference in this game. But he certainly didn’t muff any punts during training camp.
But we still haven’t seen Reid during the regular season because he’s been inactive for the first three games.
If Cowher says having Reid active comes down to numbers on game day, that’s fine.
But that doesn’t explain why Santonio Holmes wasn’t back there instead of Colclough. At worst, Holmes would have just allowed the punt to bounce and the Steelers would have taken over the ball deep in their own territory instead of Cincinnati doing so.
© The miscues of the Steelers offense and Colclough ruined another strong effort by the defense, which is performing at the same level it did during last year’s playoff run.
Talk all you want about the four touchdown passes Carson Palmer threw Sunday, but the defense opened the second half in dominating fashion against the Bengals.
On four possessions prior to the muffed punt, Cincinnati had managed just one first down as Palmer was intercepted once, lost a fumble and was sacked three times.
All told, the great Cincinnati offense managed 64 second-half yards.
That should have been good enough for the Steelers to win.
© Ben Roethlisberger is obviously struggling with his throws, leaving a lot of balls high or otherwise off-target. He’s also forcing some throws.
But the receivers aren’t helping a lot by dropping a lot of passes.
Part of the reason is that they are being forced to leave their feet to make catches and are dropping the ball on contact with a defender. These guys are professionals, though, and should be expected to come up with more of those than they drop.
Through three games, the Steelers’ leading receiver is running back Verron Haynes, who has 10 catches for 59 yards.
That speaks volumes about how badly the passing game is struggling.
Through two games, Roethlisberger is completing less than 50 percent of his passes and his passer rating is 34.3. There were even a smattering of boos at times after some of his poorer throws.
If Roethlisberger has any doubts about how quickly fortunes can change for quarterbacks in Pittsburgh, he can give Kordell Stewart a call.
© If I’d have told you prior to Sunday’s game that Rudi Johnson would average just 2.5 yards per carry, gaining 47 yards on 19 carries, while Chad Johnson would get one catch for 11 yards, you’d have taken it in a heartbeat.
© Kudos to guard Kendall Simmons, who handled Sam Adams play after play in this game, often taking the big man wherever he wanted him to go.
If I’m the Bengals, when I look at the film of this game, I’m hoping that the second meeting with the Steelers in the final week of the season is meaningless.
If the Steelers are pushing the big man around like this now, what are they going to do to him in the second meeting?
Certainly getting middle linebacker Odell Thurman back will help Cincinnati’s run defense. But Adams looked old and fat Sunday, which is fine if you’re watching the game from the couch or press box, but not all that impressive if you’re being asked to catch Willie Parker.
© This is the fourth time in Cowher’s tenure that the Steelers have opened a season 1-2. In each of the other three seasons – 2002, 1997 and 1993 – the team has rebounded to make the playoffs.
But with Cincinnati and Baltimore already off to 3-0 starts, the team certainly has dug itself a nice hole.
© After his quick start against Miami, Joey Porter again had a day in which he played but didn’t show up a lot in the stat sheet. Porter was credited with one pass defensed and one assist on a tackle against the Bengals.
He did push Palmer out of the pocket on one occasion, into the waiting arms of defensive end Brett Keisel. And the defense did finish with six sacks, so it’s hard to fault Porter for Sunday’s loss.
© So why was Haynes in the game following Cincinnati’s go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter?
Parker had taken himself out of the game after his 31st carry after getting speared.
That wasn’t a coaching decision. That was fate.
© Safety Ryan Clark nearly did society a favor when he decked Cincinnati receiver Chris Henry in the third quarter, a hit that resulted in a Pittsburgh interception and Henry laying on the ground for several minutes.
Henry, who has been arrested four times in the past year, received a slap on the wrist last week on a gun charge in Orlando.
Here's betting the league will come down harder on Clark for leaving his feet to hit Henry than it will on Henry for his mutiple infractions.
That’s the only explanation for Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher continuing to send Ricardo Colclough back for punt returns in the team’s 28-20 loss to Cincinnati Sunday.
What in Colclough’s history has suggested he is a good punt returner?
Every time the Steelers had tried him back there in the past, Colclough had mishandled punts.
Seemingly every practice at training camp was punctuated by Colclough mishandling a punt.
Last week at Jacksonville Colclough had a punt jump out of his hands before he reeled it back in. And he also mishandled one in the opener against Miami.
Yet there was Colclough back there to return a critical fourth-quarter punt against the Bengals.
What did Colclough do?
What he’s always done.
That’s why I don’t blame Colclough for muffing a punt that the Bengals recovered at the Pittsburgh nine yard line. You don’t blame a lion for attacking a water buffalo. He’s just doing what lions do.
Cowher should shoulder all of the blame in this instance. He made the decision to put Colclough back there.
I’m not going to say Willie Reid would have made a difference in this game. But he certainly didn’t muff any punts during training camp.
But we still haven’t seen Reid during the regular season because he’s been inactive for the first three games.
If Cowher says having Reid active comes down to numbers on game day, that’s fine.
But that doesn’t explain why Santonio Holmes wasn’t back there instead of Colclough. At worst, Holmes would have just allowed the punt to bounce and the Steelers would have taken over the ball deep in their own territory instead of Cincinnati doing so.
© The miscues of the Steelers offense and Colclough ruined another strong effort by the defense, which is performing at the same level it did during last year’s playoff run.
Talk all you want about the four touchdown passes Carson Palmer threw Sunday, but the defense opened the second half in dominating fashion against the Bengals.
On four possessions prior to the muffed punt, Cincinnati had managed just one first down as Palmer was intercepted once, lost a fumble and was sacked three times.
All told, the great Cincinnati offense managed 64 second-half yards.
That should have been good enough for the Steelers to win.
© Ben Roethlisberger is obviously struggling with his throws, leaving a lot of balls high or otherwise off-target. He’s also forcing some throws.
But the receivers aren’t helping a lot by dropping a lot of passes.
Part of the reason is that they are being forced to leave their feet to make catches and are dropping the ball on contact with a defender. These guys are professionals, though, and should be expected to come up with more of those than they drop.
Through three games, the Steelers’ leading receiver is running back Verron Haynes, who has 10 catches for 59 yards.
That speaks volumes about how badly the passing game is struggling.
Through two games, Roethlisberger is completing less than 50 percent of his passes and his passer rating is 34.3. There were even a smattering of boos at times after some of his poorer throws.
If Roethlisberger has any doubts about how quickly fortunes can change for quarterbacks in Pittsburgh, he can give Kordell Stewart a call.
© If I’d have told you prior to Sunday’s game that Rudi Johnson would average just 2.5 yards per carry, gaining 47 yards on 19 carries, while Chad Johnson would get one catch for 11 yards, you’d have taken it in a heartbeat.
© Kudos to guard Kendall Simmons, who handled Sam Adams play after play in this game, often taking the big man wherever he wanted him to go.
If I’m the Bengals, when I look at the film of this game, I’m hoping that the second meeting with the Steelers in the final week of the season is meaningless.
If the Steelers are pushing the big man around like this now, what are they going to do to him in the second meeting?
Certainly getting middle linebacker Odell Thurman back will help Cincinnati’s run defense. But Adams looked old and fat Sunday, which is fine if you’re watching the game from the couch or press box, but not all that impressive if you’re being asked to catch Willie Parker.
© This is the fourth time in Cowher’s tenure that the Steelers have opened a season 1-2. In each of the other three seasons – 2002, 1997 and 1993 – the team has rebounded to make the playoffs.
But with Cincinnati and Baltimore already off to 3-0 starts, the team certainly has dug itself a nice hole.
© After his quick start against Miami, Joey Porter again had a day in which he played but didn’t show up a lot in the stat sheet. Porter was credited with one pass defensed and one assist on a tackle against the Bengals.
He did push Palmer out of the pocket on one occasion, into the waiting arms of defensive end Brett Keisel. And the defense did finish with six sacks, so it’s hard to fault Porter for Sunday’s loss.
© So why was Haynes in the game following Cincinnati’s go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter?
Parker had taken himself out of the game after his 31st carry after getting speared.
That wasn’t a coaching decision. That was fate.
© Safety Ryan Clark nearly did society a favor when he decked Cincinnati receiver Chris Henry in the third quarter, a hit that resulted in a Pittsburgh interception and Henry laying on the ground for several minutes.
Henry, who has been arrested four times in the past year, received a slap on the wrist last week on a gun charge in Orlando.
Here's betting the league will come down harder on Clark for leaving his feet to hit Henry than it will on Henry for his mutiple infractions.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Jacksonville debacle
Running back Willie Parker pretty much summed up what happened to the Steelers in Monday night's 9-0 loss at Jacksonville with one statement.
"They kicked our asses," said Parker, who was held to 20 yards on 11 carries as the Steelers were limited to 26 yards rushing.
It was a statement nobody who watched the game could argue.
The Steelers, a team used to being a bully, were out-bullied by the Jaguars. And there was nothing the Steelers could do about it.
"They were out there dancing and having a good time because they were beating us up," said Parker. "Heck, they were even doing it before the game. We just got out-physicalled."
And thats not ever supposed to happen to this team.
"I know I'm not happy about it and there's nobody else in this locker room who's happy about it either."
What the Steelers will do about that remains to be seen.
But as the defending Super Bowl champions, the Steelers are going to get everybody's best shot when they play them, especially on the road. Monday night, they weren't ready for that.
© One week after showing up in a big way in a victory over the Miami Dolphins, Joey Porter completely disappeared from action against Jacksonville.
I know I saw Porter on the field Monday night. But the stat sheet said he had one assist on a tackle. I don't even recall that one.
The NFL's most feared player was more like the Invisible Man here at Alltell Stadium.
© The same couldn't be said of the rest of the Steelers linebackers, who played their butts off.
Fred Taylor gashed the Steelers for a couple of mid-range runs in the third quarter, but other than that, he was largely held in check.
Nose tackle Casey Hampton also had a strong game against Jacksonville center Brad Meester, who is one of the best at his position in the league.
But the secondary was flat-out awful.
Cornerback Deshea Townsend missed a bunch of tackles coming up on short passes. And Ike Taylor was giving too much cushion. He was pulled from the game for a play and chewed out by head coach Bill Cowher after giving up back-to-back passes to Matt Jones.
© It's becoming apparent that opposing teams are going to double Hines Ward constantly until the other Steelers receivers prove they can do something to hurt them.
In two games, Cedrick Wilson has drawn more pass interference penalties -- two -- than he has catches -- one. And that one catch came late in the fourth quarter Monday night meaning Wilson played seven quarters without catching a pass.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wasn't sharp and threw some bad balls Monday night. But the receivers didnt give him a lot of help, either.
Wilson is getting very little separation from opposing defensive backs, hence the extra contact he's drawing for the pass interference calls.
At some point, Nate Washington has to push Wilson out of the starting lineup.
© After he very nearly muffed another punt in the first quarter, I'm pretty sure we've seen the last of Ricardo Colclough as a punt returner.
The question is, what took so long?
Then again, Santonio Holmes didnt exactly light things up returning punts after Colclough's near muff, allowing several kicks to drop inside the 10 rather than fielding them and coming up for one fair catch.
Cowher said Tuesday Reid will not be active again this week when the team plays Cincinnati.
Did Reid get caught with his hand in the cookie jar or something?
© Speaking of punters, Chris Gardocki was the Steelers MVP in this game, dropping five of his eight punts inside the 20 and kicking very well when backed up in his own territory.
The coverage units were also much better with Anthony Smith and Colclough serving as the gunners on punts. Their hustle down the field caused a lot of those balls to be fair caught.
© Monday night's loss is nothing a victory Sunday against Cincinnati wouldn't cure. Then again, a loss Sunday to Cincinnati would put the Steelers in a pretty big hole just three games into the season and have them searching for answers heading into their bye week.
"They kicked our asses," said Parker, who was held to 20 yards on 11 carries as the Steelers were limited to 26 yards rushing.
It was a statement nobody who watched the game could argue.
The Steelers, a team used to being a bully, were out-bullied by the Jaguars. And there was nothing the Steelers could do about it.
"They were out there dancing and having a good time because they were beating us up," said Parker. "Heck, they were even doing it before the game. We just got out-physicalled."
And thats not ever supposed to happen to this team.
"I know I'm not happy about it and there's nobody else in this locker room who's happy about it either."
What the Steelers will do about that remains to be seen.
But as the defending Super Bowl champions, the Steelers are going to get everybody's best shot when they play them, especially on the road. Monday night, they weren't ready for that.
© One week after showing up in a big way in a victory over the Miami Dolphins, Joey Porter completely disappeared from action against Jacksonville.
I know I saw Porter on the field Monday night. But the stat sheet said he had one assist on a tackle. I don't even recall that one.
The NFL's most feared player was more like the Invisible Man here at Alltell Stadium.
© The same couldn't be said of the rest of the Steelers linebackers, who played their butts off.
Fred Taylor gashed the Steelers for a couple of mid-range runs in the third quarter, but other than that, he was largely held in check.
Nose tackle Casey Hampton also had a strong game against Jacksonville center Brad Meester, who is one of the best at his position in the league.
But the secondary was flat-out awful.
Cornerback Deshea Townsend missed a bunch of tackles coming up on short passes. And Ike Taylor was giving too much cushion. He was pulled from the game for a play and chewed out by head coach Bill Cowher after giving up back-to-back passes to Matt Jones.
© It's becoming apparent that opposing teams are going to double Hines Ward constantly until the other Steelers receivers prove they can do something to hurt them.
In two games, Cedrick Wilson has drawn more pass interference penalties -- two -- than he has catches -- one. And that one catch came late in the fourth quarter Monday night meaning Wilson played seven quarters without catching a pass.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wasn't sharp and threw some bad balls Monday night. But the receivers didnt give him a lot of help, either.
Wilson is getting very little separation from opposing defensive backs, hence the extra contact he's drawing for the pass interference calls.
At some point, Nate Washington has to push Wilson out of the starting lineup.
© After he very nearly muffed another punt in the first quarter, I'm pretty sure we've seen the last of Ricardo Colclough as a punt returner.
The question is, what took so long?
Then again, Santonio Holmes didnt exactly light things up returning punts after Colclough's near muff, allowing several kicks to drop inside the 10 rather than fielding them and coming up for one fair catch.
Cowher said Tuesday Reid will not be active again this week when the team plays Cincinnati.
Did Reid get caught with his hand in the cookie jar or something?
© Speaking of punters, Chris Gardocki was the Steelers MVP in this game, dropping five of his eight punts inside the 20 and kicking very well when backed up in his own territory.
The coverage units were also much better with Anthony Smith and Colclough serving as the gunners on punts. Their hustle down the field caused a lot of those balls to be fair caught.
© Monday night's loss is nothing a victory Sunday against Cincinnati wouldn't cure. Then again, a loss Sunday to Cincinnati would put the Steelers in a pretty big hole just three games into the season and have them searching for answers heading into their bye week.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Davenport hungry
Speaking with Najeh Davenport for the first time today since his signing by the Steelers Friday, I was struck by how hungry he is to show Green Bay that it was wrong to let him go.
Getting cut by a team that is quite possibly the worst team in football will do that to you.
Davenport feels he has plenty to prove after his release by the hapless Packers and he feels he'll fit right into the Steelers' running scheme.
We could find out as soon as Monday because Davenport will likely be active when the Steelers play at Jacksonville.
Getting cut by a team that is quite possibly the worst team in football will do that to you.
Davenport feels he has plenty to prove after his release by the hapless Packers and he feels he'll fit right into the Steelers' running scheme.
We could find out as soon as Monday because Davenport will likely be active when the Steelers play at Jacksonville.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Thoughts from Miami
What hold does Ricardo Colclough have over Bill Cowher? There has to be something.
How else can you explain Cowher putting him back to field a punt after the problems Colclough had fielding punts in training camp?
Colclough looks like Lonnie Smith trying to play center field when he’s back there fielding punts.
I can kind of understand why Cowher would rotate Colclough and Braynt McFadden at cornerback. You have to keep them both ready to play.
But putting Colclough back there for punts is just crazy.
© Ike Taylor shut Chris Chambers out in the first half, holding him without a catch while shadowing him. In fact, Chambers really didn’t get going until late in the game, finishing with five catches for 59 yards.
But on the drive home after the game, I heard more than one radio pundit talk about what a bad game Taylor had.
What the heck were they watching?
Yes, he missed an easy interception in the back of the end zone and Miami scored a touchdown on the following play. And yes, he missed a couple of tackles in run support. But Miami finished with 43 yards rushing.
The bottom line is that Taylor kept Chambers off the board, something Miami couldn’t do with Ward.
It’s like basketball. You can’t expect the guy you’ve got covering the other team’s best player in man-to-man defense to also come down and score 20 points as well. It doesn’t work that way. Let him shut down the other team’s top gun and be happy if he gets you a basket here or there.
© The offensive line’s blocking was spotty, at best, especially in pass blocking. But that was because Miami was mixing things up defensively like New England plays against the Steelers, giving them various looks.
In fact, the Dolphins were defending the Steelers like the Steelers play defense. You saw what that did to Daunte Culpepper, who looked confused for much of the game.
© Special teams play was a problem. You’d hate to think Chidi Iwuoma and Willie Reid would mean that much to this team and that the problems were due to the group not having a lot of playing time together in the preseason.
Then again, you can bet Iwuoma and Reid will be active when the Steelers line up to play Jacksonville.
© Where’s the love for Nate Washington now?
© Speaking of love, Joey Porter professed his for Cowher following the game. This after Porter laid a smooch on Cowher following the linebacker’s interception return for a touchdown.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
© Antwaan Randle El would have been caught from behind had he been on the receiving end of the pass Heath Miller took 87 yards for a touchdown. Cedrick Wilson didn’t catch a pass, while Miller – who actually was the Steelers’ second-leading receiver last year – had three catches for 101 yards and Washington had two for 32 and also ran a reverse for eight yards.
I guess they didn't need Randle El as much as everyone thought.
How else can you explain Cowher putting him back to field a punt after the problems Colclough had fielding punts in training camp?
Colclough looks like Lonnie Smith trying to play center field when he’s back there fielding punts.
I can kind of understand why Cowher would rotate Colclough and Braynt McFadden at cornerback. You have to keep them both ready to play.
But putting Colclough back there for punts is just crazy.
© Ike Taylor shut Chris Chambers out in the first half, holding him without a catch while shadowing him. In fact, Chambers really didn’t get going until late in the game, finishing with five catches for 59 yards.
But on the drive home after the game, I heard more than one radio pundit talk about what a bad game Taylor had.
What the heck were they watching?
Yes, he missed an easy interception in the back of the end zone and Miami scored a touchdown on the following play. And yes, he missed a couple of tackles in run support. But Miami finished with 43 yards rushing.
The bottom line is that Taylor kept Chambers off the board, something Miami couldn’t do with Ward.
It’s like basketball. You can’t expect the guy you’ve got covering the other team’s best player in man-to-man defense to also come down and score 20 points as well. It doesn’t work that way. Let him shut down the other team’s top gun and be happy if he gets you a basket here or there.
© The offensive line’s blocking was spotty, at best, especially in pass blocking. But that was because Miami was mixing things up defensively like New England plays against the Steelers, giving them various looks.
In fact, the Dolphins were defending the Steelers like the Steelers play defense. You saw what that did to Daunte Culpepper, who looked confused for much of the game.
© Special teams play was a problem. You’d hate to think Chidi Iwuoma and Willie Reid would mean that much to this team and that the problems were due to the group not having a lot of playing time together in the preseason.
Then again, you can bet Iwuoma and Reid will be active when the Steelers line up to play Jacksonville.
© Where’s the love for Nate Washington now?
© Speaking of love, Joey Porter professed his for Cowher following the game. This after Porter laid a smooch on Cowher following the linebacker’s interception return for a touchdown.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
© Antwaan Randle El would have been caught from behind had he been on the receiving end of the pass Heath Miller took 87 yards for a touchdown. Cedrick Wilson didn’t catch a pass, while Miller – who actually was the Steelers’ second-leading receiver last year – had three catches for 101 yards and Washington had two for 32 and also ran a reverse for eight yards.
I guess they didn't need Randle El as much as everyone thought.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Veteran replacements
Who will the Steelers look to as a replacement for Ben Roethlisberger while he's out?
Omar Jacobs is out. In fact, the team may release Jacobs from the practice squad to make room for whomever they cut from the active roster to make room for the veteran QB they sign.
Who might that veteran be?
Tommy Maddox and Brian St. Pierre are possibilities, though both burned some bridges when they left here.
Jay Fiedler, Shaun King or Todd Bauman are also possibilities, as are the over-the-hill gang of Vinny Testaverde and Jeff Blake.
The bottom line is that there just isn't a lot out there right now. Roethlisberger had better get well quickly.
Omar Jacobs is out. In fact, the team may release Jacobs from the practice squad to make room for whomever they cut from the active roster to make room for the veteran QB they sign.
Who might that veteran be?
Tommy Maddox and Brian St. Pierre are possibilities, though both burned some bridges when they left here.
Jay Fiedler, Shaun King or Todd Bauman are also possibilities, as are the over-the-hill gang of Vinny Testaverde and Jeff Blake.
The bottom line is that there just isn't a lot out there right now. Roethlisberger had better get well quickly.
Practice squad
The Steelers' practice squad has no real surprises as the team re-signed a bunch of players who were with them in training camp.
Tight end John Dekker, defensive linemen Orien Harris and Shaun Nua, running backs Cedric and John Kuhn, quarterbacks Omar Jacobs, cornerback Anthony Madison, offensive lineman Brandon Torrey and wide receiver Marvin Allen were signed by the team to complete its practice squad.
As I said, no real surprises, though Kuhn is listed as a fullback despite the fact that the next person he blocks will be the first. Then again, Dekker is listed as a tight end and he can't block either.
Tight end John Dekker, defensive linemen Orien Harris and Shaun Nua, running backs Cedric and John Kuhn, quarterbacks Omar Jacobs, cornerback Anthony Madison, offensive lineman Brandon Torrey and wide receiver Marvin Allen were signed by the team to complete its practice squad.
As I said, no real surprises, though Kuhn is listed as a fullback despite the fact that the next person he blocks will be the first. Then again, Dekker is listed as a tight end and he can't block either.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Steelers deal for RB
Looking to bolster their depth at running back, the Steelers pulled off a deal with the New England Patriots Friday for rookie Patrick Cobbs, the AFC’s second-leading rusher in the preseason.
The 5-9, 210-pound Cobbs, who led the NCAA in rushing in 2003 at North Texas, was acquired for a conditional draft pick in 2007.
What that means about the future of running back Duce Staley remains to be seen.
Staley led the team in rushing in the preseason with 92 yards, but took 42 carries to do so, an average of just 2.2 yards per attempt. His long carry in the preseason was six yards as the 10-year veteran looked sluggish.
The Steelers had hoped that the 5-11, 242-pound Staley would fill the role of short-yardage back that Jerome Bettis held last year behind starter Willie Parker.
Though he’s just 5-9, 210 pounds, Cobbs could fill that role. A former high school power lifting champion, Cobbs led the NCAA in rushing in 2003 with 1,680 yards on 307 carries. He also scored 19 touchdowns. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2004, but came back in 2005 to gain 1,154 yards and score six touchdowns while sharing time with Jamario Thomas, the 2004 NCAA rushing leader.
Cobbs finished his college career as North Texas’ all-time leading rusher with 4,050 yards. He holds the North Texas and Sun Belt Conference career records for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns (36), rushing attempts (818) and all-purpose yards (5,255).
Cobbs also excelled in the Patriots’ four preseason games, finishing second in the AFC in rushing with 188 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries. He also caught seven passes for 115 yards and another score.
The 5-9, 210-pound Cobbs, who led the NCAA in rushing in 2003 at North Texas, was acquired for a conditional draft pick in 2007.
What that means about the future of running back Duce Staley remains to be seen.
Staley led the team in rushing in the preseason with 92 yards, but took 42 carries to do so, an average of just 2.2 yards per attempt. His long carry in the preseason was six yards as the 10-year veteran looked sluggish.
The Steelers had hoped that the 5-11, 242-pound Staley would fill the role of short-yardage back that Jerome Bettis held last year behind starter Willie Parker.
Though he’s just 5-9, 210 pounds, Cobbs could fill that role. A former high school power lifting champion, Cobbs led the NCAA in rushing in 2003 with 1,680 yards on 307 carries. He also scored 19 touchdowns. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2004, but came back in 2005 to gain 1,154 yards and score six touchdowns while sharing time with Jamario Thomas, the 2004 NCAA rushing leader.
Cobbs finished his college career as North Texas’ all-time leading rusher with 4,050 yards. He holds the North Texas and Sun Belt Conference career records for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns (36), rushing attempts (818) and all-purpose yards (5,255).
Cobbs also excelled in the Patriots’ four preseason games, finishing second in the AFC in rushing with 188 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries. He also caught seven passes for 115 yards and another score.
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