Ode To A Lost Season

"Ode To A Lost Season"

Mirror mirror on the wall

Which NFL team was the most disappointing of all?

I submit to you a prime contender

A faux favorite, a true pretender.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow

Being softer than a marshmallow

But really who else but yourselves are to blame

For losing to teams so pathetic and lame

The year started with a thud at mile high in Denver

Just like the season ended there last winter

Questions arose whether the defense was old and slow

By year’s end the blame fell upon “The O”

We thought our quarterback was elite

Down the stretch his mistakes got us beat

The Young Money Crew dropped the ball

We had no running game at all.

There’s plenty of blame in a season of despair

I sit here wondering why the leadership wasn’t there

Those who wanted Bruce Arians fired

Must have been shocked at who the Colts hired

Tomlin keeps firing off cliché after cliché

That’s not what’s needed on a team in disarray

Ben hates Haley, Haley hates Ben

Tell me who’s running this show again?

The bottom line is that these guys underachieved

More heart, desire and effort they need

It’s time to look at themselves in the mirror

The end of a Super Bowl window draws near

This offseason for the Steelers is a crucial one

If they can’t solve the riddle they might be done

Which vets will stay and which vets will go?

That’s something only Tomlin and Colbert know

The bottom line is that this team was disjointed

Their fans were left severely disappointed.

They better fix this mess by next year
Or it'll be the same reflection in the mirror

Young Money Crew owes Steeler fans a refund!

We have another Steeler loss and another morbid display of bad football from the “Young Money” crew.

All I hear out of some of the NFL experts is how this Steelers wide receiving corps might be one of the most talented in the entire NFL. They might have a lot of talent, and they might possess a strong skillset, but they also make up for that with an overabundance of stupidity.

Let’s look at Antonio Brown’s day. After the Steelers force a Dallas punt leading 24-17, it appeared the Steelers were somewhat in control, and could start going to work on the clock. Instead, Brown fields the punt, fails to secure the ball and ends up fumbling to give Dallas new life and a ton of momentum. Dallas marched right down the field for the tying score.

Brown also inexplicably played 60 yards off the punt late in the game and failed to properly field the ball, which cost the Steelers a good 20 yards in field position. Let’s not forget on the Steelers final drive when he ran straight out of bounds instead of staying inbounds to force the Cowboys to burn a crucial timeout.

Emmanuel Sanders dropped a big first down conversion on the opening drive. It was about an inch away from being a crucial fumble, but the Steelers got the benefit of the doubt. Sanders was also injured on the play.

Mike Wallace double clutched a key catch on third down, costing the Steelers another crucial first down conversion. You also had to love the effort he showed on the fateful interception in overtime. Real nice of him to stand there and watch Brandon Carr get up and run all the way to the goal line. Maybe a little bit of effort would have helped give the Steelers a slight chance to stop the Cowboys in overtime.

I keep waiting for this “Money” crew to prove they are worth it. I keep being sorely disappointed.

Brown signed a five-year extension for over $42 million dollars in the offseason. How does that investment look right now? He has three 100-yard games in a three-year career. That’s not exactly “money” to me. He has five receiving touchdowns in that same three-year span. Does that sound “money” to you?

If only these guys could pull their heads out of their butts and make some crucial plays for the Steelers, maybe they wouldn’t be sitting at 7-7. Brown had two fumbles, including a crucial lost one in the earlier Raiders loss. You can easily pin most of this loss today on him as well. Wallace had a crucial fumble that led to a Ravens FG in a three-point loss. Sanders fumbled the ball in a 20-14 loss to the Browns and then fumbled a week later in a tight win over the Ravens. These mistakes are a major reason why the Steelers are fighting for a No. 6 seed instead of handily winning the AFC North and competing for a bye right now.

I guess the most frustrating thing is the fact you have guys on this team who know how to make big plays in the clutch, namely Heath Miller. After a sizzling first half of production, the Steelers stopped using him as a weapon. Why? It’s not like the other guys are making plays when given the chance. Why stop using the one guy who has been your most consistent playmaker all season?

Unlike the Young Money Crew, Miller lets his play do all his talking. He doesn’t need a catchy nickname. He doesn’t show off after a first down. He doesn’t sprint backwards the last 20 yards and draw an excessive celebration flag. All he does is catch the ball when it’s thrown to him.

Maybe the “Young Money” crew could learn a thing or two from the “Old Money.”

Why Players Should be Booed For Poor Performance

Much is being said about the fact the Heinz Field faithful booed Mike Wallace after another dropped pass clanged off his hands early during Sunday’s 34-24 loss to San Diego. Chances were good that Wallace would have taken it to the house on the play, so the drop cost the Steelers some much needed offensive performance.

Why shouldn’t fans boo poor performance? Wallace wants paid like a top receiver yet seems to have one or two awful drops in every game. The fact he ended the day with a strong stat line doesn’t excuse the fact he made a crucial mistake while the game was still competitive. Garbage time stats are never the same as crunch time stats other than on paper.

When did we get so soft as a society that we are being told not to boo professional athletes? Are we afraid of hurting their massive egos? Are we afraid it will cause them mental anguish? Excuse me if I go boo hoo right about now.

The bottom line is that the NFL is an entertainment industry that happens to center around playing a sport. These players, even the ones making league minimum, are compensated handsomely to play a game. If you go to a concert and a singer struggles to hit notes, you can expect them to get booed. Even the great Whitney Houston wasn’t immune to this.

This is the NFL, not little league. These players are all adults. It’s not enough to show up and get your participation trophy anymore at this level. Fans expect players to play hard and produce along the lines of their talent level. Wallace wants elite receiver money, but doesn’t show elite receiver hands. He’s fumbled at crucial times this year. He’s failed to get feet inbounds on key plays, and again, he’s shown poor hands at important junctures of games.

The Steelers got blown out of their own building by a team that’s probably firing their coach at the end of the year. The whole effort deserved to be booed.

I’m tired of all the political correctness creeping into our everyday lives. If you see a player dogging it out there then BOO HIM! If you see a player have a pass hit him in the hands and not catch it then BOO HIM!

Booing is the traditional way a large crowd lets their feelings be heard. There are rules in place saying you can’t throw anything on the field, which only makes sense. There are rules saying no profanity can be used at stadiums, which also makes sense. Again, what harm really comes out of booing someone other than a little hurt pride.

If it were me getting booed, I’d bust my butt to make sure it never happened again. I make sure I prepare enough in advance before a radio appearance so I know what I am talking about. I look up relevant stats and facts before writing columns, again, because that is part of my job.

Wallace’s job is to catch the damn football. He didn’t. End of story.

Boo me in the comments if you want. I can handle it.

Pittsburgh Steelers Need To Shift Their Focus Back Onto The Field

Rashard Mendenhall is back at his old Twitter nonsense. This time he is calling out Steeler Nation for not supporting this team.

“Seriously, if you’re gonna talk trash about your team and everyone on it, don’t call yourself a fan. A fan is a supporter.” – Rashard Mendenhall (@R_Mendenhall on Twitter)

Is it really talking trash, or more like discussing the cold hard truth about this team? My gut feeling is that the Steelers need a wakeup call in more ways than one.

Maybe the Steelers need to focus more on themselves and not what the fans or media are saying about them. They have enough issues to worry about. In the end, nothing a fan or media person says about this team matters. All that matters is that you go out and win football games like you are paid to do.

This team is clearly lacking in the focus department. Plenty of stupid penalties, missed tackles, blown coverage, poor fundamentals, poor coaching and playing down to opponents. You name it, they are doing it. They are very hard to watch right now.

Rashard, you are paid to play the game of football. You are paid to win games. Fans pay good money to see you guys play on the field, and many invest their time and passion into a team. They identify with a team. You represent the city of Pittsburgh on and off the field.

God forbid Steeler fans actually call out the team for playing lackluster, uninspired football on the field. Are the fans supposed to blindly applaud when this team is losing to the worst teams in the league? Oakland and Tennessee are terrible and Denver is also a losing team and yet the Black and Gold have found a way to lose to all three.

Pittsburgh fans are some of the most knowledgeable football fans in the world. They recognize a stinker when they see it, and the Steelers right now stink with the worst of them. There’s no mistaking their 2-3 record, they’ve earned it by being one of the most undisciplined teams this year in terms of penalties. They’ve dug themselves a hole by letting teams hang around and steal victory from them. Good teams find ways to win close games like this, the Steelers aren’t and therefore, they aren’t a good team.

At what point do we see these losses to inferior teams and conclude the Steelers might also be an inferior team? This was supposed to be the “easy” part of the schedule, and they are 2-3 and face a must-win game next week against Cincinnati. Lose that one and fall to 2-4 with 4 losses in conference already.

The defense can’t stop blowing fourth quarter leads. The coaching staff makes head scratching decisions like going for a career long field goal with a high likelihood of failure. Shockingly, the defense couldn’t stop the Titans from moving right into field goal range. Not like we haven’t seen that story out numerous times this year.

Despite all this, you’d think Mendenhall would be more concerned with finding ways to improve his game. Maybe even stay on the field and help contribute. With all the time he spends standing on the sidelines lately, maybe it’s time for the Steelers to hire actor Orlando Jones to serve as his double. They’d probably save some money on his contract.

The Steelers need to get their focus back and soon, or else they’ll have an entire offseason to spend tweeting about how good they are. Seeing the lack of focus from them, maybe they’re already there.

Throw back the Throwbacks please!

The Steelers unveiled their new throwback jerseys for the 2012 season, and judging by the comments on Twitter and fan message boards, the fans aren't happy with them.

This is the NFL where most teams change their jerseys every few years so that fans spend more money buying the latest versions of the jersey in their neverending quest to be "the ultimate fan."  

While the Steelers haven't drastically changed their main uniform much over the last two decades outside of the number font, they do alter the throwback jerseys every couple of years.  I kind of liked the version they've used the last few years, but these ones.  I dunno. 

The jerseys are replicas of the uniforms worn in the 1934 season. The shirt features black and yellow alternating stripes with big rectangle blocked numbers with a white background. I guess those fans who have been wanting the Steelers to go back to block numbers got half their wish at least.  The pants are khaki/tan and the socks mimic the shirt with alternating black and yellow stripes.

My first opinion on these jerseys are that they are ugly.  I walked away to reset my eyes and came back.  Yup...still ugly.  So ugly you need the double paper bag method.  For those unfamiliar with that double paper bag method, that means one for what you are trying to hide and one for your head in case the other bag falls off. 

I understand the nostalgia trends in the league and lord knows we'll see some people buying these and wearing them proudly, but you could achieve that sentiment without wearing something as hideous as these.

I Want You...
to try not to laugh at these new Steeler jerseys

I think out of the 300 comments I've seen regarding these I've seen maybe ONE positive reaction and even it seemed tongue in cheek.

Odds are good they'll wear these for one of the Ravens games this year.  Maybe they should wear them against Cincinnati.  Call it the "Stripes Bowl" or something.  You could even get Bill Murray or Harold Ramis to be the ceremonial coin flip guy.  

The only problem with Cincy would be all the felons and thugs on their team getting confused by the prison stripes.  Maybe the refs should wear solid shirts for that one.  Otherwise we'd have a whole lot of stripes going.
I think I speak for 99% of Steeler Nation when I say throw back the throwbacks please!

Guest Blog - Hines Ward, A Second Look

This is a first for this blog.  A guest blogger!  Please welcome Steve Folmar to the fold.  He operates a blog dedicated to politics and some sports.  He is the former head coach of the Erie RiverRats indoor football team, and an all around cool cat. 

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First of all I want to think Dom Errico for giving me this great opportunity to cross over and hopefully, the first of many opportunities, to share my blogs with the “The Voice Says…”

This is a sad day in Pittsburgh, akin to when the great Casey struck out. Hines Ward has been released by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The four-time All-Pro, All-Time Steeler Leader in receptions (1000), receiving yards (12,083), and receiving touchdowns (85), is the victim of an opponent none of us gets to beat forever, time. His diminished skills over the past season, along with the emergence of a young receiver corps that is quickly proving itself to be among the league’s most talented has left no room at the inn for the hall-of-famer. Sad, but no one can stay in their prime forever.

I guess what I find sad is all the negative responses to the Pittsburgh Steeler organization for the way he has been treated. I think this has been about as good as it can get for both sides. You look at the Montana’s, the Rice’s, even the Emmitt Smith’s. C’mon folks, have you all forgotten Franco Harris’ stint with the Seahawks already?  Is there a better way that this can go? No, I don’t think so. 

The Steelers are doing everything they can to hold onto Mike Wallace, probably the present and future for the Steelers. No team can hold on long to the past, something you are going to see proven again soon with Peyton Manning. It is arguable if Hines is even the 4^th best receiver on the team, a position that usually is kept for a special-teamer as well. This is a business decision pure and simple. 

I see a lot of people complaining about what life will be like without Hines. But I also no darn well that if the resigned him, the first time the Steelers got behind or have a special teams gaff, the excuse “well, we had to keep Hines in so we are short a guy” isn’t gonna cut it. Many don’t remember the sad parting of Terry Bradshaw, when he was boo’d off the field in the early 80’s. This from a guy who had won 4 Super Bowls for the team just a few years before. It was actually a decade or more before he would even return to Pittsburgh. Now he is as close to a Saint as you can probably become in Pittsburgh, deservedly so for what he did over his career.

Lastly, there was a lot of opinions concerning what the Steeler organization “let slip”. I don’t know if I believe that. In this day and age our media will do ANYTHING to outscoop the next guy. I believe that some clown though he was gonna get his name on the tagline about being able to “hear it here first” for something that anyone with a good balance of sentimentality and football sense already knew was inevitable. Don’t expect the truth until it comes from the horses mouth. And even then, consider the horse. And let’s be honest, the Steelers have made Hines a very rich man for his services.

This is what I believe happens. Hines goes on to play two more years with a team as a locker room leader and maybe 3^rd to 4^th wide receiver. Something he has certainly earned the right to do. He then signs a one day contract so that he can retire a Steeler, be given the hero’s welcome he deserves, takes an in-house position with the Steeler organization (if he so chooses) or on to television and goes in the Hall of Fame on the 2^nd ballot in a Steelers uniform. (“2nd ballot you say?!” Yes, there are a lot of people out there that love hating on the Steeler’s success, and Jerome Bettis didn’t get in on the first ballot and at one time he was the 3^rd leading rusher in NFL history!)

I will keep my memories of Hines Ward as the greatest Steeler receiver of all time, team leader, and Dancing with the Stars Champion (though I must admit I didn’t really watch that much.) But I also understand it’s a business, and I don’t blame either side, the Steelers from wanting to place Ward’s salary on a little more talent, or Hines for wanting to play a few more years. Retirement is all too often (unless you are Brett Farve), final. Thanks for the memories Hines and good luck in the future! (Just not against the Steelers….)

End of an era. Goodbye Hines Ward

Even though there had been a lot of speculation about the Steelers parting ways with Hines Ward, that doesn't change the impact of the news when it became official.

Hines Ward has long been one of my favorite Steelers, mostly because he was a fearless blocker and all around tough, physical player.  He plays the game the way it was meant to be played.  

Hines Ward scores the winning
touchdown in Super Bowl XL

As we all look back on a Hall of Fame career, I'm sure many of us have a few moments of his that really stand out amongst the rest.

I was there in person in Cincinnati a few years ago when he threw a devastating block which broke the jaw of Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers.   Cincy fans were chiming in on how physical and legal that hit was.  A few even went on to wish that Ward played for them.

I remember Ward's leap into the end zone after hauling in Antwan Randle-El's pass in Super Bowl XL, the play that sealed the deal for the Steelers. 

Most of all, I'll never forget how he could take some of the most vicious hits in the game and get right up and smile. 

There are too many times to mention how he'd catch the ball a few yards short of the end zone and fight his way in like a bull to score.  I'm not sure I've ever seen a guy with such grit and determination play this game, and it's been a blessing to know he's been on our side.

Hines Ward and "The Voice" on the set of Steelers Huddle

A few years ago when I was a guest host on Steelers Huddle with Ward, he was nothing but gracious towards me.  I remember him joking about how he always wanted a "Members Only" jacket.  I wonder if he ever got one?

Many fans are upset about the Steelers releasing such a long time stalwart, but it is a business, and I think that Hines understands that.  He still wants to play and I will be one of the many Steeler fans who wish him nothing but the best as he finishes out a great career.    I also think Hines has the perfect amount of charisma and speaking skills to excel should he choose to pursue a job in broadcasting.

So long number 86, it's been one hell of a ride, and thank you for the great memories.

It's not personal, it's business. Unless we make it personal.

There's some sort of disconnect in the Pittsburgh Steelers organization these days. 

First of all this offseason we had head coach Mike Tomlin come out and say all the coaches would be returning, only for him to turn around a short time later and announce that Bruce Arians was "retiring."

We saw how legitimate that "retirement" was when Arians quickly pounced on the open offensive coordinator position with the Indianapolis Colts.

Now today we are hearing Hines Ward might not be back with the Steelers next season.  According to NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora, the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to sever ties with the all-time leader in just about every receiving category in franchise history. 

For what it's worth, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Steelers have not yet made a decision concerning Ward.

Hines Ward looks back on a fine NFL career

I can see both sides of the debate about whether to keep Hines Ward around even at the veteran minimum.   He's slipped down to the point where he is at best a 5th wide receiver, a position usually reserved for guys who can also play special teams.  The only time we've seen Ward do that recently was in his role in the upcoming Batman movie. 

I don't understand how someone in the Steelers organization could let it slip to the media that the team was planning to cut Hines Ward.  A player should hear about it from the team first, not the media.

Even though the NFL is a game of football, it's still a game played at the professional level.  Players get cut all the time.  It's not personal, it's business.  However, if you let news like this slip to the media first I think you've crossed the line and made it personal. 

This isn't how you should handle the possible departure of a player who has been at the very core of the teams recent run of success.  This isn't how you treat a potential hall-of-famer.  

If you're going to cut a guy, tell him to his face.  This guy has given his heart and soul to the black and gold for his entire 14-year NFL career.  At the very least, he deserves that courtesy.

I grew up hearing about how the Steelers did things the right way.  Lately, it seems as though the Steelers might be losing their way a bit.

Todd Haley will take the reigns of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense.

Halley's Comet appears visible to the Earth once every 75-76 years.  Todd Haley's hiring as offensive coordinator is another strange occurrence for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It has been a long time since the Steelers hired an outsider to run the offense.  You have to go back to 1999 (Kevin Gilbride) to find the last offensive coordinator that was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers from outside the organization's coaching staff.  That's a long time in the NFL. 

New Steelers Offensive Coordinator
Todd Haley

Haley served as the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals for the later part of the 2007 season and full time for their run to the Super Bowl in 2008.  That season saw the Arizona Cardinals put up a franchise record 427 points and averaged 365.8 Yards per game, good for fourth in the NFL.  They nearly pulled off a stunning upset in Super Bowl XLIII against the Steelers.

He became the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and removed Chan Gailey as offensive coordinator, preferring to call his own plays.  We saw a complete shift in offensive style to a rushing based attack.  To me this shows Haley is willing to adapt his offensive gameplans to utilize the weapons he has at his disposal. 

The main reason he wasn't as successful in Kansas City is because he had Matt Cassel instead of Kurt Warner, Dwayne Bowe instead of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.  He did have Jamaal Charles, which was a big reason for focusing on the run.

He brings a fiery attitude that might seem like a direct contrast to the calm, cool and collected manner in which head coach Mike Tomlin operates, but I think that could be a good thing for this team. 

I see a ton of similarities between the talent the Steelers have on offense and the pieces Haley had to work with in that magical 2008 season. 

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can do a lot of the same things Kurt Warner could do, plus Big Ben is more mobile and a lot harder to bring down.  The Steelers have two Pro-Bowl caliber wide receivers in Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, just like that 2008 squad had with Boldin and Fitzgerald.   I'm also convinced Rashard Mendenhall has a lot more talent that Edgerrin James did by that point of his career, and Tim Hightower isn't exactly a superstar.

The biggest thing I expect Haley to bring will be balance to the way the Steelers attack opposing defenses.  I don't think the Steelers will start flinging it 65% of the time, and I don't think Mendenhall will suddenly become the focal point of the offense.  The final numbers should land somewhere in the middle, and that's a good thing.

The Steelers were good under Bruce Arians, but I also think Todd Haley is just the right guy to make them great.

Bruce Arians announces his "retirement."

Well Steeler fans, many of you have gotten your wish. 

Bruce Arians announced his "retirement" from the position of offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  I use that word lightly because there are a lot of indications that the Steelers ownership wanted a change to be made.

During his tenure as OC, the team went to two Super Bowls and won one of them.  He was also the wide receivers coach from 2004-2006 which coincided with the 2005 Super Bowl championship run.

Were the Steelers an offensive juggernaut under Bruce Arians?  That depends on your definition of the term.  Under Arians, Ben Roethlisberger posted two 4000 yard passing seasons.   We saw six 1000 yard receiving seasons, Mendenhall hit the 1000 yard mark twice and we saw a 1000 yard season out of Willie Parker in 2007.

That yardage did not always equal success on the scoreboard.  The Steelers never ranked higher than 9th in the NFL during any of Arians six seasons.  Conversely during that time frame New England never ranked LOWER than 8th in scoring even when Tom Brady was injured for almost the entire season.

No one can dispute that the Steelers are usually able to move the ball up and down the field.  It's the redzone playcalling that leaves many Steeler fans scratching their heads.  Calling a delayed handoff when you are in the shadow of your own end zone and taking a safety is simply infuriating. 

Pounding the ball at the one yard line makes sense.  Giving it to Mewelde Moore instead of Isaac Redman does not. 

Now that Arians is gone the focus will shift to who will replace Arians as OC.  Some names have popped up immediately.  The leading internal candidate was running backs coach Kirby Wilson, but he remains hospitalized trying to recover from the horrible burns he suffered in a house fire before the Denver game.  

Quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner might earn a promotion if he has a strong rapport with Ben Roethlisberger, but if you promote from within you run the risk of falling into the same trap or running the current offense.  I think it's pretty clear the Steelers need to move in a new direction, especially with all the weapons they now have on offense.

If we look outside the organization we see names like Todd Haley and Jim Caldwell.  Green Bay quarterbacks coach Tom Clements is now likely out of the mix with Packers OC Joe Phillbin taking the head coaching gig in Miami.  Clements should earn a promotion to run the Packers offense.

I like Todd Haley.  He did a lot of great things with the Arizona offense that basically carried an 8-8 wild card team to within a few minutes of upsetting the Steelers in the 2008 Super Bowl.  If you upgrade the offensive line a bit, I think this offense would have an easy chance of being a lot more explosive than that Cards team.  Imagine how much Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace could improve with a teacher like that.

Jim Caldwell I'm not as fond of.  In my opinion, Peyton Manning ran that Colts offense, not his coaches.  The Colts completely fell apart offensively without Peyton in the lineup.  I think that shows how strong of a quarterback Manning as well as provide an indictment of how poor the coaches were.  New England hardly missed a beat when Tom Brady was lost for the season a few years ago.

Regardless of who the pick is, there is a lot of strong potential for this Steelers offense.  Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace are superstars.  Heath Miller is one of the most underrated tight ends in the game. 

You also have strong veteran presence in Hines Ward and Jerricho Cotchery if they decide to return to the Steelers next year.  Add in Emmanuel Sanders who continues to show improvement and that is a lot of weapons in the passing attack.

Also look at Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman and the pieces are in place for a solid running game as well, perhaps if the new OC decides to use a fullback we'll see immediate improvement.

No matter what though, many Steeler fans have gotten what they wanted. 

I just hope they don't come to regret it.

The Standard Is Substandard: Steelers fall to Broncos in OT 29-23

John 3:16 in the bible says "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Tim Tebow has quite a few more believers after throwing for, coincidentally, 316 yards and two scores.  The biggest pass play of the game was the 80 yard game winner in overtime to Demaryius Thomas on the first play from scrimmage.   I thought the NFL went away from "sudden death" this year. 

The Steelers were heavily banged up heading into this game, but coach Mike Tomlin loves to preach about how "The standard is the standard."  Well today, the standard was substandard.  

Even being down their starting center (Pouncey), starting running back (Mendenhall), starting safety (Clark), and losing Brett Kiesel and Casey Hampton early in the game, I thought the Steelers would have more than enough firepower to defeat Tim Tebow and the Broncos.   I was wrong.

Ike Taylor, who many including myself touted as a Pro Bowler, got shredded for over 204 yards by Thomas, to go along with the pass interference and holding calls he got flagged for repeatedly.  He looked clueless out there.  Worst possible time to have his worst game of the year.

The Steelers dropped some easy catches early on to fizzle out promising drives and the Broncos took advantage with a huge 20 point outburst in the second quarter to take early control of the game.

The Steelers got things under control and a late fumble by Willis McGahee allowed the Steelers to score the game tying touchdown.  The Steelers even had the ball at the Denver 50 yard line with time ticking down in regulation but could not get the ball into Shaun Suisham field goal range. 

They elected to bypass a 67 yard attempt as time expired.  If you have no faith to at least let the kicker try it from that range in Denver of all places, then why is he on the team in the first place?

You have to credit the Steelers for fighting all the way to the end.  It would have been very easy to knuckle under when down 20-6 but the team did a great job getting the game to overtime. 

Major kudos to Isaac Redman who ran for 121 yards on 17 carries for an astounding 7.1 average per carry.  He ran hard and with a purpose and should factor prominently in the backfield next season. 

Overall it was just way too many mistakes for the Steelers to overcome.  The effort was not good enough against a team many called "the worst playoff team ever." 

Maybe God really is a Tebow fan after all.

AFC Wild Card Preview: Steelers Vs. Broncos

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) vs. Denver Broncos (8-8)

Sports Authority Field - Denver, CO.

January 8th, 2012

The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to the Mile High City to take on the Denver Broncos, champions of the AFC West division.   This will be Denver's first playoff appearance in six years.

Pittsburgh has been fighting the injury bug all season but has done well to overcome them and post a 12-4 record.  They will have to continue to live up to Mike Tomlin's expectations of "The standard is the standard" if they want to come out of Denver with a win.

The Steelers have struggled on the road this season, posting a 5-3 record away from Heinz Field.  Normally this might be huge cause for concern but Denver hasn't played very well at home this year, going 3-5 at Sports Authority Field. 

Pittsburgh lost starting running back Rashard Mendenhall last week to a season ending knee injury and will now hand over the starting job to Isaac Redman.   Redman has had a solid season averaging 4.4 YPC, which is better than Mendenhall.  He's not as big of a passing threat out of the backfield, however,  and is not as adept at picking up opposing blitzes.  This could be a key matchup against the strong front seven of the Denver Broncos.

Ben Roethlisberger apparently suffered a setback in his recovery from a high ankle sprain during last week's 13-9 victory over Cleveland, so it will be interesting to see how much it continues to hamper his mobility, which is a big part of Roethlisberger's game.   Even at 50% he is a better passing threat than Tim Tebow or even Brady Quinn if the Broncos decide to start him.  Quinn reportedly has been taking some first team snaps during practice this week.

The Steelers wide receiving corps is considerably more dangerous than the Broncos.  Antonio Brown was named team MVP after becoming the first player in NFL history to have both 1000 yards in receiving and return yards.  Mike Wallace has struggled a bit in the second half but is still a Pro Bowl caliber wide receiver.  The Steelers also have experienced veterans in Hines Ward and Jerrico Cotchery, and Emmanuel Sanders could also play a key role as he slowly recovers from an injury.

Denver's wide receivers have struggled to find consistency whether it was with Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow at the helm.  At this point I think the Broncos best chance for victory is to keep Tim Tebow in the game.  Putting Quinn in for his first start in over two years against the Steelers defense isn't exactly the smartest strategy right now. 

Pittsburgh should have LaMarr Woodley back for this one, which would be a huge boost for the Steelers pass rush and ability to contain Tim Tebow.   It will allow the Steelers to move Lawrence Timmons back inside where he plays a lot better.  

Maurkice Pouncey, the all-pro center for the Steelers, will miss this game, which limit the Steelers ability to protect their hobbled quarterback.  Missing starters on the offensive line is nothing new for the Steelers who have been juggling the line constantly for the past two years.  No one can seem to stay healthy.

Keys to the game

• Pittsburgh needs to avoid turnovers.  I think the Steelers have too much experience and offensive firepower for the younger, inexperienced Broncos.  If the Steelers start turning the ball over it will keep Denver in the game longer and give Tim Tebow a chance to pull one of his fourth quarter miracles.
• Feed Isaac Redman the ball.  Ben is hobbled, so you shouldn't force him to be the centerpiece of the offense this week.  Yes you'll have to pass to maintain balance in the attack, but Redman should be able to generate some offense against the 22nd ranked rushing defense in the league. 
• Tim Tebow needs to keep his composure.  During the Broncos winning streak, Tebow was praised for his ability to avoid the interception.  He's not going to win the game for the Broncos but he could certainly lose it for them if he's careless with the ball.
• Denver needs to attack the Steelers depleted offensive line.  If they can get to Roethlisberger early it could force Ben into making some errant throws and lead to some turnovers.  Denver will be without Brian Dawkins, so the two safeties will be extremely inexperienced, so Denver cannot give Ben time to find those receivers open downfield.
• If Pittsburgh can open up the game early, I don't see Denver having much of a chance.  If Denver manages to keep the game close, it could come down to a game of field goals, which I feel could favor the Broncos.  Matt Prater has hit from 59 yards out and hit on 76% of his kicks, whereas Shaun Suisham has hit on 74.2% with a max range of 51 yards.   

Even with the injuries,  I still like Pittsburgh's chances in this game given the amount of playoff experience they have as well as the fact they flat out have the better quarterback.  It's not likely going to be an offensive explosion, but I think Pittsburgh will advance to play either the Patriots or Ravens next weekend.

THE VOICE SAYS....PITTSBURGH 17, DENVER 10

Also I'll make my other wildcard predictions.
New Orleans over Detroit 38-24
Cincinnati over Houston 21-17
Atlanta over New York 28-21

Pittsburgh Steelers Have No One To Blame But Themselves

We know now the playoff situation in the AFC.  Pittsburgh had a chance to sneak into the #1 seed if New England and Baltimore lost this Sunday. 

New England fell behind 21-0 to the Bills, who then absolutely imploded and let the Patriots rattle off 49 unanswered points.  Let me repeat that because it just SOUNDS ludicrous.  The Patriots scored 49 UNANSWERED points against the Bills. 

Cincinnati had the ball at the Ravens 33 yard line with a chance to tie the game but could not come through.  Because of Denver, Oakland, and the New York Jets losing, the Bengals still made it into the playoffs.

It would have been nice for Pittsburgh to at least get into the number two slot but they have no one to blame but themselves.

Look back at the second matchup with the Ravens.  The Steelers pinned the Ravens at the eight yard line with just around two minutes to go the length of the field for the winning touchdown.  A field goal would not do, it had to be a touchdown. 

Surely the choke artist named Joe Flacco would implode and the Steeler defense would win the day but alas that wasn't the case. 

Flacco found Torrey Smith in the end zone with eight seconds to go and the Ravens had the season sweep.    If the Steeler defense held, the Steelers would be AFC North champions and have the number one seed via their tiebreaking head to head victory over the Patriots. 

It's a lot easier to win as the one or two seed as opposed to the five, but the Steelers made their bed and have to sleep in it.

Fortunately, the wild card matchup with the Denver Broncos looks to be a favorable one for the Steelers.  I am not on the Tim Tebow bandwagon, and in fact his play during the last three games is proving a lot of his "haters" right. 

It's going to be a tough road for the Steelers, who are only 5-3 on the road this year.  They've done it before, but that doesn't make it any easier.

Steelers/Titans wrapup

Great showing by the Steeler offensive line today.  Max Starks looked strong in his return to the team, and that has to be sweet relief for Steeler fans.  I'm tired of seeing Ben run for his life, so it was nice to see him get some time out there today.

Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer had a strong day as a dual threat running attack.  Dwyer's 76 yard run was the longest run by a Steeler since Willie Parker took it to the house in Super Bowl XL.

Big Ben threw for five touchdowns and really the only mistake I saw out of him was the missed communication interception he threw at the end of the first half.  Other than that outstanding work by the Steeler signal caller.

We finally saw Hines Ward get reacquainted with the offense, and it was huge.  Not only did he have several big catches and two touchdowns, but you saw him making key blocks downfield to spring the rest of the receivers.  Good to see him focused and productive.

Defensively, the Steelers didn't seem to miss James Harrison, Aaron Smith or Casey Hampton. Chris Hoke had a strong day at the nose tackle position, blowing up multiple Chris Johnson scampers and allowing the linebackers to make plays again. 

It's no coincidence that LaMarr Woodley had his finest day this year because of the strong play in front of him.

Even the coaching staff had one of their best games of the year.  The fake punt call was a huge momentum boost for the offense and really seemed to carry the day.  Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians finally woke up and started calling some short passing routes which in turn opened up the running game and gave Roethlisberger more time to make decisions. 

It was a strong game all around for the Steelers and a nice change of pace from last week's disaster by the O-Line. 

It also adds to my frustration with how stubborn this coaching staff has been.  It took three awful games by the offensive line to finally force the team to re-sign Max Starks.  It took those same three awful outputs to prove to coach Arians he needed to alter his offensive scheme.

At least we're finally seeing glimpses of what the Steelers showed us in the preseason.  Maybe the team is finally getting on track.

Better late than never. 

The Steelers wrap up their tour of the AFC South next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Gametime will be 1:00 PM at Heinz Field. 

Colts/Steelers Aftermath

I'll admit last night's game had me steaming as a Steeler fan.

The offensive line was a disgrace. They are so bad they hurt themselves trying to keep up. No fundamentals...No talent. Hard to fully blame Sean Kugler consider there's only Pouncey and Gilbert with any kind of pedigree on the line. The rest are journeymen has-beens and never-was type players.

It's shocking that the Steelers would choose to protect the most valuable player on the team behind such a patchwork group of players. This MUST be upgraded in the offseason.

I'm still trying to decide whether Rashard Mendenhall is becoming a bust or if it is because of above mentioned offensive line problems. Very tough to run where there's no holes. Maybe if he had the talent of Barry Sanders....but he doesn't.

Bruce Arians is a total moron, but everyone here already knew that. No change to the playcalls.

Every play was a checkdown by Ben but they seemed to be designed to go further down the field. Stupid when your O-Line can't protect for more than a second and a half.

Mike Wallace is still a beast and will be for years to come. Antonio Brown is going to be an incredible player, and even Emmanuel Sanders as well, though he had a few brain farts last night.

On Defense, I think the problem we are seeing isn't the entire Defense getting old, but just the D-Line. Unfortunately in a 3-4 D you rely on the guys up front to suck up blocks so the linebackers can make plays.

When Aaron Smith is getting blown off the ball constantly, the linebacker behind him is going to look awful. Who plays on Smith's side? LaMarr Woodley. Is it a coincidence he's not looking anywhere close to worthy of the offseason contract he got?

Hampton isn't looking good either, and that is making Timmons and Farrior look worse as well. Don't get me wrong I think Farrior is looking a step too slow, but mostly because he has to move further than he should to make the plays, and it's showing off the fact he's lost a step.

No pressure up front is leaving the secondary, already a weaker spot to begin with, out to dry. Ike Taylor and Troy look fine, as does Ryan Clark, but William Gay, Keenan Lewis, Bryant McFadden (not last night of course) and the rest of the secondary just can't seem to make plays.

On special teams, Suisham's miss last night in a dome when them team NEEDED the points is a bit of a red flag. On the whole though he was 3 for 4 including the game winner, so you can't get too upset. Even still, I guess I wish we had a kicker you truly believed in.

Overall, the team is 2-1 which can't be discounted, but the quarterbacks they have beaten are Tarvaris Jackson and the combo of Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter. I really need to see a lot more out of this team as the season progresses.

Priority number one this week. SIGN SOME OFFENSIVE LINEMEN!!!

Don't be quick to write off the Steelers defense

Warren Sapp had some harsh words for the Steelers after last week's embarrassing 35-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

He said the Steelers couldn't beat his 13 year old daughter.  Not sure why he's advocating the abuse of his daughter, but that's his own personal agenda.

While I will agree the Steelers looked slow on Saturday, there is depth waiting in the wings that could help alleviate some of those problems. 

Aaron Smith looked like a shell of his former self.  Perhaps he is still getting back into shape from last season's injury, but the cupboard isn't exactly bare on the defensive line.  First round pick Ziggy Hood, who filled in admirably for Smith last year, and this year's number one Cam Heyward could easily provide speed and burst up front.

Hines Ward may be losing a step, but there's some great weapons available in Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown.  Both have shown great promise and could easily benefit from more passes being directed their way.

To be honest, I think the area of most concern was the offensive line and the play of Ben Roethlisberger.  Ben made passes that left me shaking my head.  It was obvious he was trying to do way too much.  Take what the defense gives you.  Don't heave it down the field where ONLY Ed Reed can catch the ball. 

The O-line issues won't get any easier now that Willie Colon is out for the year.  I think it's time to take a serious look at the conditioning of the offensive line as it seems like these guys are constantly getting major injuries.  Something's gotta give.

Marcus Gilbert is going to be thrown to the wolves and here's hoping he can have even half the success that Maurkice Pouncey had last year.

Baltimore was fired up for revenge of their severely disappointing loss to the Steelers in the playoffs and it showed.  Pittsburgh can learn a lesson from this and be more prepared for intense football.  They are the defending AFC Champions so the entire conference will be gunning for them.

If I'm the Steelers, I say, "Bring It On!"

A Giant Epic Fail: Grading the Steelers 35-7 loss at Baltimore

Sometimes these articles write themselves.  If you're looking for sugarcoating and positive spins following the Steelers blowout loss to division rival Baltimore, you might as well leave the page right now.

The offense committed seven turnovers.  SEVEN!  That's the same amount of turnovers as the offense scored points.  Even worse the defense didn't take the ball away once other than a fourth and one stop.  That was about all they did to slow down Baltimore.

The secondary was torched all game.  I had lovely views of the BACK the jerseys belonging to Bryant McFadden and William Gay. The front seven was torched by Ray Rice for over 100 yards.  All these contract extensions by the Steelers in the offseason really looked like wasted money out there.  Even Troy Polamalu's only noticeable play was a horse collar tackle. 

On offense, Haloti Ngata owes the Steelers rent for the amount of time he spent in the backfield.  The offensive line was atrocious.  Four sacks and four fumbles lost.  I have to ask, is anyone missing Flozell Adams or Max Starks yet?

Ben Roethlisberger was under pressure all game but that doesn't excuse the fact he was just heaving the ball up for grabs.  You have to play smarter than that Ben!  He sure did a good job of padding his stats in garbage time though.  Mike Wallace crossed the 100 yard mark and Ben almost had 300 yards passing, but again, all when it didn't matter.

The biggest stat was no turnovers from the Steeler defense.  Not the kind of effort you expected against a key division rival.  That's what makes this one sting even more.

Okay I lied a bit, I'll offer up one positive.  It's only one game out of sixteen, but the Steelers have to right the ship quickly.  This kind of loss has a nasty way of causing a lot of doubt and it'll be up to the veteran leadership of the Steelers to nip it in the bud ASAP.

I won't even waste my time going position by position.  The entire team sucked today.

STEELERS:  F-

Welcome to the Steelers Jerricho Cotchery

The Steelers announced the addition of Jerricho Cotchery to the roster today.  Cotchery is a seven year NFL veteran who immediately becomes the tallest wide receiver on the team. 

Cotchery had stated his desire to land in the best situation for him, which many assumed would mean the chance to start.  He turned down the chance to play in Baltimore, instead opting for the Steelers.

Many assume he will be the fourth/fifth option on this team behind Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, and Emmanuel Sanders/Antonio Brown.  Why would he pick the Steelers over the Ravens?

I think the answer lies in who is throwing the passes.  For all the hype about Joe Flacco, I don't think he is anywhere near as strong of a leader as Ben Roethlisberger.  Perhaps Cotchery knows more about the injury situation than many of us do.  There are questions about Sanders and Ward and their respective injuries. 

Regardless, I like the signing as I am fairly certain Cotchery will come with a much lower price tag than Plaxico Burress, Braylon Edwards, Randy Moss, or Derrick Mason.

This fills a need at a value price, exactly the kind of signing the Steelers are known for.

Who knows...the Steelers sure hit it big when they signed another former Jet, James Farrior.

More importantly, what does this mean for the future of Limas Sweed, Tyler Grisham and Arnaz Battle?  Grisham has been getting some good reps in practice, and high praise from Roethlisberger, but that only goes so far.  Sweed was always the guy with huge potential but suffers from a severe lack of focus.  Battle of course is a special teams standout, but that's usually code word for "Not good enough otherwise."

It'll be interesting to see how this battle develops.

Baron Batch Has A Torn ACL: Done For The Season

A promising rookie season for Baron Batch is over before it began.

Batch had posted on his blog just yesterday how excited he was to be playing in his first NFL game.  Unfortunately he injured his knee when trying to make a cut in practice today.

Ben Roethlisberger was quick to point out that this is a major reason why the players do not want field turf at Heinz Field.  Batch was not touched by anyone on the play, his knee just twisted the wrong way and unfortunately for him, it's a season-ender.

I've been hearing nothing but good reports on how well this kid was performing and I was anxiously awaiting the chance to see him in action.  It will have to wait for one more year. 

I want to give him major props, as he posted another blog post tonight about his faith and how he will fight to be back next year.  Many people might not have the courage to post that just hours after a cruel twist of fate.

The loss of Batch could put the Steelers in the hunt for another running back for depth, or it could be a lucky break for Jonathan Dwyer. 

Stay tuned to see what else develops.

Could The Steeler's Legal Problems Really Be a Marketing Ploy? (SATIRE)

This is a satire article so please don't take it seriously. 

There are a lot of perks that go with being one of the NFL's most successful franchises, and that includes a high amount of merchandise sales. I'm talking specifically about the sale of jerseys.

If you look around Pittsburgh during the fall, you are sure to see a lot of people clad in a Steelers jersey. They'll usually be some of the team's top players. A few popular choices after a Super Bowl 43 victory were the three heroes of that game: James Harrison, Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes.

Harrison was a strong seller prior to that game, but several Steelers fans may have opted for a different jersey after Harrison was involved in a domestic-abuse altercation. They may have chosen Roethlisberger following that game.

Imagine how they must have felt when Roethlisberger was accused twice of sexual assault and Holmes was involved in several marijuana busts. Perhaps they turned their attention towards an up-and-coming first round pick, Rashard Mendenhall. Safe bet for a jersey right?

Mendenhall was recently caught up in controversy after he made some comments on Twitter about Osama Bin Laden.

By this point, you'd think Steelers fans would want to invest in someone safe, someone who couldn't possibly do wrong. A veteran presence that was beloved all around town, they likely invested in a Hines Ward jersey. This looked even better after Ward claimed the Mirror Ball Trophy on Dancing With The Stars.  Of course a few weeks ago, Ward was pulled over for suspicion of DUI and now faces legal issues in Georgia.

What if this was all a ploy to sell jerseys? It'd be genius on some level, as I am sure many fans have owned at least one, if not more, of these jerseys.

The whole plot only works when you are a popular team, and the Steelers consistently rank in the top five in NFL merchandising.

Sure it'd come at the expense of the team's reputation, but the players have all gotten off the hook so far, so in the end, what is the big deal?

It's all about the money!

I don't buy popular player jerseys, I opt for a personalized jersey. Less hassle this way, as I know I won't be traded away from the Steelers.

What do you all think? Is it just crazy enough to be true? Could this all be intentional on the Steelers' part?

I remind you this article is a satire, so please don't think I seriously believe the Steelers would get into legal trouble to sell some jerseys.