So you want to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers? Welcome to hell Mike Tomlin!

Crazy title I know but the meaning reigns true. I have been reading other blogs and Steelers news across the net today and the one theme I am finding after the Pittsburgh Steelers colossal collapes the last four weeks is that Mike Tomlin should be fired, that the team that has been one of the best the last 20 years should just panic and go against what makes them so great. Yup the view of a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

Don’t get me wrong but I am a diehard myself. I have some crazy views of my own, so when I say what I am about too I mean it with true passion for my team. “Shut the hell up!!!”

I am so tired of Steelers fans who call Ben Roethlisberger the best thing since fried chicken one week then call for Charlie Batch the next. I am tired of my fellow friends in Steelers country calling Mike Tomlin a god after he wins the Super Bowl then turning on him when he has a few bad games. Just in case you don’t know, Players play. Coaches coach. Tomlin can not go out on the field and make a play for the defense when they are choking away the lead late in the game.

So I say blamn the players, blamn the system, blamn the bad bounce but whoever you blamn be sure it is for the right reasons. Mike Tomlin did not allow the Raiders to score 21 points in the 4th quarter, the defense did. Big Ben did not allow it either, the defense did. Want something real to blamn? Then blamn the greed of the players as well.

What do I mean by that, blamn them for needing more money then they can ever spend and forcing the team to allow solid players like Bryant Mcfadden to be let go due to the salary cap crunch. Blamn them for William Gay laying an egg all season long. I can assure you if Tomlin had his way McFadden would still be on the team and our secondary would be much better for it. When you constantly rely on 3rd or 5th rounders to start at cornerback because your paying backups more money then they are worth, then you can’t blamn the coach.

Also those who wish Bill Cohwer was back in the fold, you can blamn him just as much for leaving the team with little to no depth on the defensive side of the ball. Tomlin inherited this team and can not replenish the depth over night. The age of our defenders is too blamn as well. Maybe it is time to spend a couple of bucks in free agency on some young talent as well. I am not saying go for broke, that does not work, but keep the guys you have unless you know you have a solid player to replace them with. I am sure a better DB could have been found via free agency then William Gay as well.

With that said I regress and will list the things I feel are the real cause of the state of the Steelers. Some will agree and some will call me crazy but thats what makes blogging so much fun.

1. Age of the Defense: As much as I love the Steelers and guys like James Farrior, Deshea Townsand, Casey Hampton and others, their age is catching up to them. The result is the fourth quarter let downs as they are tired and worn down by then.

2. Football is a game of inches and the Steelers seem to be one to many inches behind on some plays. The are not getting the luck or bounch of the ball their way. A few examples are Ryan Mundy getting beat for the game winning touchdown. He was just inches from blocking the pass. Joe Bennett dropping the interception that could have ended the drive. Just inches away. Missed sacks as Gradkowski got away one too many times. there is a fine line between winning and losing and this season the Steelers have not got the same breaks they got last year. They have been just inches away from them.

3. Injuries: Troy Polamalu, Aaron Smith, Chris K, etc… The Steelers do not have the depth to overcome some of their best players being hurt. Just like verse the ravens with Dennis Dixon being inches away from the win, he made some mistakes Big Ben may not have made. The loss of Polamalu is huge as well. The entire defensive scheme is wateredown with him out. He is the only playmaker who creates turnovers and that hurts a ton when he is out of the game.

4. Bruce Arians: As much as he and Ben get along it won’t be easy to replace him. Ben’s 100 million dollar contract gives him some pull I am sure. Though keeping Arians is a mistake. He is too simple of a play caller and has zero creativity. Every run he calls the entire world screams run and I am sure the defense does too. His passes are the same routes over and over. The same formations, nothing changes week to week. He is also too aggressive sometimes calling bombs when he only needs 5 yards to move the chains, etc…

I will use two plays as examples of the faults of BA. Against the Chiefs in OT on 3rd and 5 BA calls a toss run play to Mewelde Moore. It gets stuffed for a loss. I understand Batch was hurt and at the time the fans did not know this, but Willie Parker should get the outside, speed type runs, not Moore. Why not if you know batch is hurt and can’t throw, why not put in Dixon, let him run the toss? I garuntee he had a better chance of getting it then Moore. That theme can be talked about all day so lets move on.

The next play I will use as an example of Arian’s stupidity is in the Ravens game, again 3rd and 5 on the 50 yard line in OT. You have a 3rd string QB in the game who has next to no game experience. You know the Ravens are running zone to confuse him and you call a slant? The worst possible play verse a zone defense. On top of that your QB has 4.5 speed and already had a 24 yard touchdown run and a 31 yard scamper called back on a hold and the best play you can come up with is a slant?

Why not call a bootleg, roll him out with Heath Miller and Hines Ward out front. (I have seen such plays ran by Big Ben so don’t tell me they don’t have it in the playbook.) Give Dixon the option to pass or run. Use his strengths not set him up for failure with a play call a vetern would have trouble running. I could go on all day but you guys are smart and get the point.

5. Hunger: I don’t care who you are you are not as hungery after a big meal as you are first thing in the morning and the Steelers need to win is not as much as it was before winning the Super Bowl. This leads to players taking plays off and not having a sense of urgency in games. Thus leading to fourth quarter meltdowns.

Ok enough of listing the problems, lets move on to how to fix the problems. Be warned though, I do not feel these problems can or will be fixed overnight. So going into panic mode will not help nor is it gonna get the Steelers into the play offs. Below is my list of fixes so to say and almost everyone will have to wait until the off season.

1. Eveluate the entire team and decide who needs benched. Start with William Gay. It worked with Mendenhall and will show the team nobody is untouchable and everyone is accountable. If your not producing then you don’t play. That simple. Give the young guys a head start on next season and who knows maybe one will suprise, step up and make that play we have been missing late in games. Let Joe Bennett start at CB oppisite of Ike Taylor. He can’t do any worse then Gay has. He showed great instincts in the few plays he did get on the field after Gay got hurt. Maybe a few young guys is what the defense needs to create a spark.

2. Fire Bruce Arians. Then find a solid OC that is both creative and fits the Steelers talents. Bring back Gailey or Malurky if thats what it takes. This will have to wait until the off season but it is something that MUST be done if the Steelers are to return to form next season.

3. Smack Big Ben around until he learns to throw the ball away or check down to the safety valve. I love Ben and feel he is one of the best in the league so a few treaks in his game can only make him better. Too many times have I noticed a HB wide open that could have gained yards when Ben decides to throw it long and it does not connect. I love Bens killer instinct but checking down now and then will lead to more substained drives and keep the defense off the field and rested for when we really need them late in the game.

4. It is time to draft a true number 1 cornerback. The Steelers made the move to get Troy Polamalu and they need to do it again to get a real shutdown CB, one that can create turnovers. They could of had D. Revis with a trade or two a few years back and it is time to do what it takes in the next draft to get our own Revis. My number one priority in the draft is cornerback. Depending on 5th rounders does not cut it any more.

5. Find James Farriors future replacement in this years draft. They missed their chance last year when they passed on Rey Maualuga for Ziggy Hood, a mistake in my opinion as I am still not sold on Hood. I am Farriors biggest fan, I love the guy but he only has a year or two left and already is showing signs he can no longer cover TE’s  and HB’s in the passing game.

6. Fire the offensive line and special teams coaches. We have some solid talent on the OL but too many times they have been confused with who to block and that goes back to coaching more then lack of talent. Same goes with special teams. Where is the wedge? Where is the creativity?

7. Sign Ryan Clark and Casey Hampton. I love Hoke but he is no Hampton, if you can’t sign Big Snack then franchise him and trade his ass for a solid draft pick. No use letting his talents get away for free. After you handle those two, hand Jeff Reed his walking papers. He is a decent FG kicker but his kick offs are way too short and he is a pussy when it comes to making tackles. If you keep him then let the punter kick off. He would get better distance and not be afraid to get dirty making a tackle.

8. John Stallworth is now part owner of the team so use his talents to help Limas Sweed get to were his talents should be. Sweed has too much talent to allow it to be wasted. Find a way to get him were he needs to be. I love Holmes and Wallace, but we need another big redzone target and Ward will not play forever. So instead of just cutting your loses and wasting another much needed draft pick on yet another big WR that don’t make the cut, do what is needed to get Sweed on the field and making plays next year.

Well thats all I can think of right now guys. I hope you enjoyed this post and will take the time to post your comments. Tell us what you think the Steelers need to do to get back on track. Tell us we are a bunch of idiots, its ok we can take it. Tell us anything you wish but don’t give up hope. The season is not over yet and anything is possible. The road won’t be easy but it is not completly blocked. Thanks again for reading this guys.

Injuries catch up to Steelers in loss to the Ravens

Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, Aaron Smith, Chris Kemoeatu, four starters out. Not to mention Charlie “Ouch” Batch injured again. What does that leave? Third String quarterback Dennis Dixon leading the charge and a few other backups doing what they can to help versus one of the leagues best defense’s.

Granted the team played well, but moral victories do not get you into the play-offs. They only create controversy, such as Hines Ward questioning Big Ben’s manhood. Not cool by the way.

Dixon played well the first half of the game, he did everything that was asked of him and did not make any key mistakes. The problem was his inexperience in the second half was not hidden by Bruce Arians play calling. The calls in OT were not ones to help Dixon succeed. They were ones that set him up for failure.

What I mean by that is Dixon had trouble reading zones, thats to be expected in your first NFL start, but Arians did not call plays to offset those issues or use Dixon’s strengths to the teams advantage. In the first half wide reciever screens, worked well. So did play action. The second half, specially in OT we saw neither. Even on 3rd and shorts. Why not is the question? Also why not more bootlegs, roll him out with the option to run?

Bruce Arians just does not get it. His play calling is not helping the team, nor will it ever. He called the same exact run 15-20 times. I mean Ward spent so much time in motion just to tip off the Ravens that it was a run, then he did running pass routes. No wonder he looked pissed late in the game. When you take away Wards smile, you take away victories as well.

The defense played great for most of the game, but James Farrior, as good as he is, hurt them when covering the HB in the passing game. Maybe it is time to let Lawrence Timmons handle that aspect. He is younger and faster. Let Farrior do what he does best, stop the run and clog up run lanes. Willie Gay did not help much either. Nor did Ike Taylor’s penalties.

I realize the draft is a long ways away but it is time to start scouting cornerbacks, safeties and a future replacement for Farrior at MLB. Not to mention decide weither to sign Casey Hampton and Ryan Clark. I say sign them both, the team has too many other needs to add those to the list. Maybe it is time to add some talent via free agency as well. I am not saying break the bank, but a decent body or two would offset what you can’t get in the draft.

With the loss many fans have already jumped the gun and are in panic mode but remember 2005 and have faith is my motto. It is never too late to put together a great late season run that sets you up for a play-off run. The time to start is now though, a loss to the Raiders next week and the season is over.

I predict the Steelers turn it around though. Both Ben and Troy should return next week, that will help a ton.  A late season run is on the horizon and the Steelers should be able to run the table and get into the play-offs as the 5 seed, maybe 4, if the Bungals faulter. They have the Chargers and Vikings still.

I also see potential in Dennis Dixon, maybe not as a Steeler but he will start for someone down the road. If he can continue to grow he will make some nice trade bait near the end of his contract. Why not franny tag Willie Parkers and trade him as well? I don’t care if you only get a 4th rounder out of him. It is better then getting nothing.

The season is not over. Sure the road ahead is not an easy one, but also not one we have not traveled before. Here we go Pittsburgh. Get r’ done.

Dennis Dixon could start when Steelers face the Ravens

Ok after taking the week off while being too upset at the Pittsburgh Steelers loss to the Kansas City Chiefs to write about the game it is time to put that one behind us and get ready for the Ratbirds. The problem is that loss to the Chiefs is still lingering as news out of Pittsburgh is that Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a concussion in the loss, won’t be playing this week. Add that to the loss of Charlie Batch with a broken wrist and the Steelers are down to third string quarterback Dennis Dixon.

Before we panic here in Steelers country though lets take a deep breath and remember that Dixon was a great college QB. He was on track to be the Heismen Trophy winner, leading his team to the national title and being a sure fire first round draft pick before blowing out his knee and finishing out the remainder of his collgate career on the bench.

Fast forward to week 12 of the 2009 NFL season and Dixon is now the man, the leader of the Steelers offense. With the news that Big Ben is a scratch, Dixon must now step in and help the Steelers get their season back on track. As coach Mike Tomlin would say, there are no back up players on the Steelers roster, only starters in waiting. To that comment I agree 100%. Dennis Dixon is not a back up, he is awaiting his chance to play. That chance is now and win or lose his being the starter is no excuss.

The Steelers will need some help from the defense and special teams though. This is Dixon’s first NFL start and he is playing one of the best defense’s in the league and the Baltimore Ravens will be looking to give him an education in blitzing. Dixon will see a ton of looks from the Ratbirs and they will try to confuse him. So the rest of the team will need to step up their game so he does not need to win the game on his own, just not lose it.

The running backs will need to follow Cedric Benson’s example and gain a 100+ yards. The wide recievers will need to get open quick, the game plan will need to be one that plays to Dixons strengths and the defense will need to keep the score low and the Steelers out front on the score board.

If the rest of the team plays their part then Dixon can concentrate on being a QB and allowing his instincts to lead his way. He won’t need to feel the entire game is on his back. The positive though, is the Ratbirds have been practicing for Roethlisberger all week, not the dynamic of a true running QB that Dixon adds to the mix.

The ideal game plan would be to run until the HB’s can’t run no more and limit Dixons pass attempt as much as possible. The reality is the Ratbirds are a great run stopping team and the Steelers usually do not run well against them. So Dixon will need to hit the pass attemps he is given and not make any mistakes to help his team win. Some quick hitting passes and rolling Dixon out could go a long way to slowing down the ravens pass rush as well.

In the end, win or lose though we must not blamn Dixon. He is a young QB who will get his feet wet versus one of the best defense’s in the league. The fact he is a very talented young QB ready to show everyone in the NFL what he can do will also be helpful. Dennis Dixon will need some help though and if the rest of the team plays well and the plays that Bruce Arians calls are in his favor, I fully expect him to play well.

Preseason week 2 observations

Week 2 of the NFL preseason has come and gone for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they traveled to Washington to play the Redskins. Just one week ago the Skins got dominated by the Ravens and many thought the Steelers would do the same. That was not the case though as the Skins would win a close one 17-13.

As equally as I was impressed by the Steelers and guys like Redman and Burnett in the opener I was unimpressed with the team as a whole in this game. If I was to guess my opinion would be the Steelers just plain had no passion for this game. A few players stood out, such as S. Logan and K. Fox, but for the most part the entire team seemed flat.

The offensiveline got manhandled and the run game was abandoned. As if that was not enough, the defense seemed to be on vacation. I realize it is only preseason and these games mean nothing, but I would like to see some passion from the defending champs even when it does not count.

This game reminded me of last years second preseason flop verse the Packers. No passion, no urgency not a care in the world. I expect that from the vets, they just want the season to start and the games to have meaning already. The back ups and the guys on the cusp of a meeting with “the Turk” those are the guys I wanted to see more from.

So far I have been unimpressed with both the offensiveline and our running game. Other then Redmen in the opener and Willy showing he still has some speed left in those wheels, the run game has been a joke. Mendenhall has looked weak and unsure of his role, Moore has not seen much of any action and Frank “the Tank” Summers is looking more and more like a dud then the short yardage savior us fans hoped he would be.

The passing game has been ok at best but lacks time to set much up as the OL is still looking down right crappy. The brite spots have been the receivers. Wallace, Sweed and McDonald all have looked like quality slot guys and have made the battle interesting. Wallace’s speed is amazing, to bad the QB’s have not been able to find him deep yet. Sweed has made some great grabs but also has dropped a few easy ones. McDonald has played mostly verse the scrubs but has been consistant and looks to be able to contribute from any position on the field.

As for the QB’s, Ben did not play this week but looked fine in the opener. He needs more time in a game though to develope the timing with his receivers though. Batch looks old and frail. He has made a few decent plays but seems a bit rusty and reluctant. Denis Dixon has had some flashes as well but also looks like he could use some more seasoning. He has shown me enough to warrent him winning the #2 job. I say let him be the #2 on game days and if Ben gets hurt and needs to miss a few games then let Batch start.

The defense has been just ok. Granted Dickie never shows much in the preseason and things are very simple, so I am not too worried. The glowing spot would have to be the play of Ziggy Hood, two sacks in two games not bad for a rookie. The question is can he do it verse the starters? Sunny Harris has looked good as well. So has some of our new DB’s, Ratliff, Burnett and K. Lewis. I have to say I am disapointed in the play at safety though. Not in our starters but theose fighting to be the back ups. R. Mundy nor Roy Lewis has shown much if anything to warrent the aging vet, T. Carter, a visit from the turk.

Overall an unimpressive performance in a meaningless game. Just like every team in the league at this point of the season, the Steelers need to improve. The good news is we know they can do it. They are the defending Champs and I have full faith Mike Tomlin will get them motivated for when the games count. Next up for the Steelers TO and the Buffalo Bills. Untill then let us know what you think of the Steelers thus far in the preseason and beyond.

Training Camp: Day 4-5

Well it happened, my being busy getting the new Pittsburgh Blitz Community Forums ready to go kept me from posting about day 4 of the Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp. So today I will post an update on day 4-5 together. Again since I can not be live at camp this article will focus on providing excerpts and links from around the net to those who can.

Day 4-5:

What Steelers Today had to say:

Today marked the fourth day of the Steelers 2009 training camp.  The crowd was blessed with great weather, and things are starting to get heated on the field.

The competition between the offense and the defense is starting to show, and several fights broke out today.  There was also some non-fight related contact that was harder than necessary.

A couple of players are starting to stand out to me.  They are:

Mike Wallace – This kid is a player.  He has caught passes along the sideline, made sliding catches, and beaten everybody deep (more than once).  Unless the sun explodes, he is going to make the team.  He may even shock the world and win the #3 receiver position…..

Read More…

Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

Steelers’ defense has one goal: Be better

Imagine, if you will, the Steelers’ offense failing in those final few minutes of Super Bowl XLIII and that Arizona actually had pulled out a 23-20 victory.

It would have ranked as the biggest collapse in any Super Bowl. The NFL’s No. 1 defense, a dominating force all season, would have been remembered as blowing a 13-point lead in the final 7 1/2 minutes to lose the Super Bowl.

The gloom would still hang over all of Steelerdom. Instead of playing host to the only six-time Super Bowl champions, Saint Vincent College’s training camp might resemble the old monastery’s cemetery behind Bonaventure Hall on a hill beyond the practice field. Instead of Sixburgh, there would be Sickburgh….

Read More…

Steelers Notebook: Tomlin offering little information about Stapleton

Offensive lineman Darnell Stapleton continues to watch practices and coach Mike Tomlin continues to shed little light about what is wrong with his second-year starter.

Stapleton has a left knee injury that has kept him from practicing since Sunday. He had at least one MRI (Monday), but Tomlin remains mum about what might be wrong with him.

“No new news with Stapleton,” Tomlin said, and, when asked about him a second time, said, “Again, when I’m ready to talk, we’ll talk about it.”

Stapleton, who started 15 games at right guard through the Super Bowl last season, opened training camp at center for injured Justin Hartwig. Veteran backup tackle/guard Trai Essex has been at right guard and is likely to stay there, no matter what happens with Stapleton.

Read More…

From Steelers.com:

Sweed making big strides

Training Camp – Day 2

Big Ben focuses on football at press conference

Sunday, August 02, 2009
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ben Roethlisberger said he’s sorry.

The Steelers’ quarterback opened training camp by apologizing to his teammates at a team meeting Friday night at Saint Vincent College, then took questions from the news media yesterday morning after practice.

He did not answer some of those questions, and, at one point, promised to end the impromptu session when he was asked if he had any message for Steelers fans about his personal life.

It was the first time Roethlisberger had taken any questions publicly since a woman filed a civil lawsuit in Nevada two weeks ago, claiming he sexually assaulted her in 2008 in a hotel room. And Friday was his first chance to talk collectively to his teammates about it.

“You really don’t know all the stories behind it, but he came up and apologized to the team and gave us his side,” said receiver Hines Ward, a team captain with Roethlisberger on offense last season.

“He’s our teammate, he’s like a brother to us, so we’re always going to show him support and be there for him. When we’re on the field, we don’t worry about that. Our thing is to try to get better, try to go out and see if we can make another run this year.”

Why the apology?

“Just for the potential distractions,” said tackle Max Starks. “It was an apology for us because, when you come to training camp, your main focus is football and to have something like this on top of that, that’s what he was apologizing for.

“It was big of Ben to take a proactive approach. Being a leader on this team, just taking a forthright approach and not kind of just brushing it off but addressing us as teammates because he knows we’re taking the brunt of it with the questions and everything else. It makes us look up to him a little bit more.”

Nose tackle Casey Hampton did not think Roethlisberger needed to apologize.

“I don think he had to say nothing because everybody knows what it is,” Hampton said. “That’s crazy, man. He didn’t have to say that to me. I know how the world is, I know how females are. … In today’s society, man, if anybody says something, you’re guilty until proven innocent anyway, you know what I mean?

“He handled it good, but it’s BS, everybody knows that.”

Roethlisberger would not say publicly if he thought the lawsuit would be a distraction or not to him or his teammates. But, in general, he said he treats potential distractions thusly: “Do the best you can, smile and go.”

Asked about the support from his teammates, he said, “It’s good because they have my back and I have theirs.”

The two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback said he reported to training camp in as good a shape as he has been in the past and nothing this summer detracted from that.

“I’m in good shape, yeah, I feel like I’m right there. Yeah, my golf game’s well, too. … Golf got in the way a lot, but I found a way to get it done.”

Roethlisberger said that while it’s difficult to repeat as Super Bowl champions, he believes he and many of his teammates learned a lesson from the last time they tried, in 2006. That was the summer of Roethlisberger’s motorcycle accident that preceded an appendectomy, which kept him out of the season opener. He also sustained a concussion during the season as the Steelers lost six of their first eight games and finished 8-8 and out of playoff contention.

“You know what? You have a bull’s-eye on your chest, everyone’s gunning for you,” Roethlisberger said of the Super Bowl champs. “We learned that after the last time, that everyone wants to come after you and get you. We can’t take anybody lightly and we know everyone’s coming for us.

“It helps to have been there before because you know what to expect and how to deal with it. I think we have enough veterans on this team that we’ll be able to deal with it.”

No matter how questions were put to him about the civil lawsuit, though, Roethlisberger would not respond.

“Any other football questions?” he said after one. “I can walk away if we want.”

Roethlisberger spent several minutes answering other questions just off the practice field after the first of two practices yesterday that opened training camp in Latrobe. Both ESPN and the NFL television networks had crews among the gaggle of media.

“From his motorcycle incident to all types of stuff, whatever he has on his mind he blocks it out,” Ward said, “and, when he gets on the field, it’s all about football.

“I don’t foresee anything being a distraction. He’s going to come out and work his tail off to lead this team and try get back to where we want to go.”

Steelers Notebook: NT Hampton defends his preseason training

Sunday, August 02, 2009
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

An ample Casey Hampton, who has been known to push the scale in the mid-300s at times, pointed to his stomach after lunch yesterday and smiled broadly.

“I got abs now,” the Steelers’ big nose tackle said.

Hampton practiced yesterday with his teammates, something he did not do for the first two weeks of training camp last year. Last summer, he opened camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, put there by coach Mike Tomlin after he failed the run test on the first day.

Friday, Hampton passed that same run test, even though he said he is in the same kind of shape as he was at the start of camp last year. Why did he pass a test he did not one year ago?

“I just felt like doing it,” Hampton said. “I just felt like making it.”

Last year “I just didn’t want to do it, so I didn’t do it.”

Hampton defended his training schedule, even if it does not coincide with the wishes of his coach. He said he does not like to beat himself up in the spring and prefers to ease into camp and get ready for the season gradually.

“I rest in the offseason, man. My thing is, I wait until like three, four weeks before training camp and then I work out. That’s what I’ve always done. I rest my body, get my body half ready and then use training camp to get ready for the season.

“It’s too much, all that banging on your body, especially the position I play. I’m not for the workout in March, April and May hard-hard-hard, for what? It doesn’t make any sense. Coaches say that’s when you win. I don’t feel like you win games then. That’s my opinion.”

The 6-foot-1 Hampton, who is listed on the training-camp roster as weighing 325 pounds, never has been one to be pinned down on how much he weighs.

“It fluctuates,” he said. “Nobody never knows my weight. I can make it look good or make it look bad.”

The Steelers’ run test Friday consisted of a series of 100-yard runs. But Hampton said, in a game, “If I have to run 100 yards, there’s something wrong.”

Hampton, Clark patient

Hampton and safety Ryan Clark, each entering the final year of his contract, reacted in similar manner to Steelers President Art Rooney’s statement to the Post-Gazette Friday that the team might not be able to sign any more players to contract extensions this year because they have little room left under the salary cap.

“I don’t really worry about that kind of stuff, I just play,” Hampton said. “If they ain’t got none, they ain’t got none, what do you want me to do? I can’t do nothing about it. I got no control of it.

“You never know what’s going to happen, but we’ll see. I’m not worried about it. I want to be here, I’d love to be here, but, if not, it’s a business, and whatever happens is going to happen.”

Said Clark, “There’s nothing I really can have any control over. I’m not used to being taken care of, I’m not used to being the guy they care enough about to get it done, so it’s not painful to me.

“You look at it like, OK, this may be your last year with this team, these guys, so you cherish it and have a good time.”

Stapleton at center

Darnell Stapleton, the starting right guard last season, was at center yesterday for Justin Hartwig, who has a sore toe. Trai Essex ran with the first team at right guard.

Many believe Stapleton, who played center at Rutgers, is more natural for that position, including Hampton, who plays over the center on defense.

“No question,” Hampton said. “I think he can get it done.

Quick hits

Linebacker Lawrence Timmons quit the afternoon practice early because of cramps. … Former Steelers linebacker Earl Holmes is working as a coaching intern with the linebackers and will be joined by former teammate Levon Kirkland today. … Daniel Sepulveda’s leg looks like it is healthy and more as he boomed punts high and deep. … Despite hamstring injuries, safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Deshea Townsend practiced, and tight end Heath Miller, who had hernia surgery in June, ran some routes in individual drills. … Offensive tackle Jason Capizzi also is working at guard.

Notes from Steelers training camp: Day 2

As told by Steelers Today

2:55 PM practice starts.  Things are slow as the players break up into their respective units and walk through drills.  The offense is on one practice field, and the defense is on another.

-Santonio Holmes‘ arms look noticeably bigger.   He’s been pumping iron.

-Who is the short white guy wearing #19 standing with the wide receivers?  He’s standing next to Mike Wallace who is listed as 6′0″, and Mike is at least 3 inches taller than him.

-#19 is Tyler Grisham, a rookie out of Clemson.  He’s listed as 5′11″, but he can’t be much taller than 5′9″.

-Say what you want about Willie Colon, but his legs are massive.  They’re far bigger than any of the other offensive linemen’s.

3:22 PM A horn blows, the fans cheer, and practice gets started in earnest.

-”Big Snack” is very efficient with his motion.  Translation: he stands around when everyone else is running or stretching.

-Frank “The Tank” Summers isn’t as massive as I expected him to be.  Rashard Mendenhall actually looks more powerful.

-Dennis Dixon throws a beautiful spiral, but he looks a bit frail.  He needs to gain some weight.

-Shaun McDonald, Mewelde Moore, Joe Burnett, and Santonio Holmes take turns fielding kickoffs.  Where is Mike Wallace?

-#18 ( rookie WR Steven Black out of Memphis) looks impressive.  He’s big and has already made a few shoestring catches.

-Matt Spaeth looks too tall and lanky to ever be an effective blocker.

-Shaun McDonald is playing like he wants to impress the coaches.  He ran all of his routes very fast, and he makes quick, precise cuts.

-Martin Nance has already dropped too many balls, and they’re not even playing against a defense yet.

-#84 (TE Dezmond Sherrod) is slow and plodding when he runs his routes.

-Santonio Holmes’ status is clearly elevated since his Super Bowl MVP.  The crowd erupts each time he catches a ball.

-The Steelers were blessed with great weather for their first day of open practice.

4:03 PM – Another horn sounds and the defense comes over to join the offense.

-Big Ben’s first pass against the defense is a quick slant to Sean McHugh for a completion.

-Willie Parker broke a long run, and the crowd erupted.

-Jeff Reed is practicing kicking to Dan Sepulveda.  Jeff is kicking across the field (53.3 yards) and Sepulveda is catching the ball.  Reed’s kicks are so accurate that Sepulveda never had to move more than 4 steps to catch the ball.

-Andre Frazier intercepts a pass from Roethlisberger.

-Santonio Holmes looked very elusive dodging and weaving after a short pass from Big Ben.

-#85 (rookie TE David Johnson) looks very effective holding his blocks in drills.

4:28 – The crowd erupted when Hines Ward caught a quick slant pass in traffic.

-Mike Wallace made a pretty sliding catch along the sideline on a pass from Charlie Batch.

-Keyaron Fox intercepted a pass and was chased down by Hines Ward.

-Dennis Dixon threaded a pass to Steve Black that went right between two defenders for a completion.

-If this had been full contact, Donovan Woods would have destroyed Ben Roethlisberger as he came in unblocked on a blitz.

4:34 PM – Another horn blew, and the team split up again for drills.

-Jeff Reed is kicking field goals.  Has he missed one yet?

-Jeff Reed hits 3 straight 47 yard field goals and the horn blows again.

4:42 PM – Keenan Lewis breaks up a long pass from Charlie Batch to Mike Wallace.

-Rookie Andrew Schantz gets in a shot on David Johnson that was probably harder than it should have been on the first day of practice.  The team is not doing any hitting or tackling today.

-The crowd erupted when Dennis Dixon completed a 45 yard pass to #19, rookie WR Tyler Grisham.

-On the next play, Dixon connected with Grisham on a diving catch along the sideline.  This kid has good hands.

-Dixon connects with Steve Black along the opposite sideline.

-Dixon hit David Johnson right in the hands over the middle of the field, but Johnson dropped the ball.

-Dennis Dixon hits Tyler Grisham for another diving catch in traffic.  Who is this kid?

-Keenan Lewis intercepted a long pass from Big Ben to Hines Ward.

-Ben overthrows Dallas Baker on a long fade route.

4:56 PM – The #1 offense and #1 defense take the field.

-On the first play, Willie Parker burst through the line and avoided the linebackers on a play that he would have taken all the way for a touchdown in a real game.

-Carey Davis breaks a nice run that would have gained 15 yards.

-Charlie Batch hits Rashard Mendenhall on a short pass behind the line of scrimmage that looks like no gain, but Mendenhall reverses field and picked up 10 yards.

-Ryan Clark intercepts a 20 yard pass from Big Ben that hit Santonio Holmes in the hands and bounced off.

5:07 PM – The final horn blew, and coach Tomlin gathered the team to end practice.

-After huddling together, the team breaks up and practice is over.

-Coach Tomlin leaves the field and runs past fans without signing any autographs.

-Dan Sepulveda is very gracious with fans.  He signs more autographs than any other Steelers player.

-Sepulveda assured me that he is 100% recovered.  When a fans said “We missed you last year”, Supulveda replied “Not as much as I missed the team”.

-Ryan Clark is also very gracious with fans.  Only Sepulveda signs more autographs.

-Ziggy Hood is very good with fans.  He is friendly and humble.  He signs lots of autographs.  Fans are going to like this kid.

Position Breakdown the QB’s

Day 1 of the Pittsburgh Steelers positional breakdown analysis – The Quarterbacks

The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have five quarterbacks on the roster and by tradition thats two more then normally makes the final 53 man roster in the ‘Burgh.  Unlike many teams in the NFL, the Steelers have an incumbent in Ben Roethlisbereger who is the king of his thrown. There is next to no chance the 100 million dollar QB is not the starter on day one.

The back-up role is one for debate though, as the wily vetern, Charlie Batch, is coming off a season ending injury and the ultra-talented Dennis Dixon enters his second season as a Steeler. This role is a critical position for Pittsburgh as the oft maligned offensive-line allows Big Ben to hit the turf more then we would like to see. Batch is the likely back-up but Dixon could make it an interesting camp battle, one we will watch very closely here at Pittsburgh Blitz.

Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger - Better known to the avid fan as Big Ben, was selected 11th overall in 2004 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Drafted out of Miami University of Ohio, Roethlisberger was 13-0 as a rookie and lead the Steelers to a 15-1 record. Earning him the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

He became the youngest Super Bowl–winning quarterback in NFL history, helping lead the Steelers, in his second professional season, to a 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL at the age of 23. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2007. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a second Super Bowl title in four seasons as they defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, 27-23, after he made a game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes in the final 35 seconds. Roethlisberger currently ranks seventh all-time in NFL passer rating (89.4) and yards per attempt (7.86) among quarterbacks with a minimum of 1500 career attempts.

Known for playing outside the quarterback pocket in what he calls “backyard football”, Roethlisberger is often compared to his childhood idol, former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, due to the similar styles and fourth-quarter comebacks. Roethlisberger, who also grew up idolizing Joe Montana, wears number 7 in Elway’s honor. With two Super Bowl rings already on his fingers, Big Ben will only get better as his career progress’s and he is the unquestioned starting QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

Charles D’Donte Batch – Though he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers signed him to a one-year contract for 2002 as a backup, but he did not play. The move to initially sign Batch wasn’t a surprise, given that Batch was from Pittsburgh and the Steelers’ current Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert initially drafted Batch in Detroit. Despite not playing in 2002 (being third string behind Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox, who split the year as the starters), Batch became popular with Steeler fans, likely due to having grown up in nearby Homestead.

His contract was renewed by the Steelers, and Batch saw some action in 2003. In 2004, Batch spent the season on injured reserve after off-season knee surgery. In 2005, he became the second-string quarterback for the Steelers, playing behind Ben Roethlisberger. During 2005, an injury to Roethlisberger gave Batch two starting opportunities, yielding two victories. In the process, Batch became the first Pittsburgh-area native to start for the team at quarterback since Terry Hanratty, a native of Butler, Pennsylvania, who tarted for a few games during his rookie season in 1969 before becoming a backup the following season to Terry Bradshaw.

Batch has been a vital part to the Steelers organization since he joined the team and we do not see that changing anytime soon. His age may limit his playing time but his knowledge is invaluable to the team and Big Ben’s growth as a NFL quarterback. We see Batch as more of an extra coach now then a back-up QB for the Steelers. He will be in the mix to be the #2 QB, but we won’t be surprised if Dixon beats him out at camp for this spot on the team. Which won’t be a bad thing for Batch as the team values his services too much not to keep him around as the #3 clip board holder.

 

Dennis Lee Dixon, Jr – Dixon was a consensus 4-star recruit, and was ranked among the top passing and rushing quarterbacks in the nation before attending the University of Oregon. During his college career Dixon made quite a name for himself and was a front runner for the Heisman Trophy during his senior season while pushing Oregon to a #2 ranking in the BCS poll, before suffering a torn ACL. With the devastating injury, Dixon’s team and draft stock would plummet from a possible 1st rounder to an after thought.

In the 2008 NFL Draft, Dixon was taken in the 5th round (156th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was deactivated for most of his rookie season and acted as the third-string quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich. He does hold one memorable stat as a Steeler as on December 28, 2008, Dixon completed his first official NFL pass to Hines Ward—the reception was Ward’s 800th. Look for Dixon to possibly be named the #2 quarterback this year as the Steelers would need to do so, to be able to bring him in and out of games in certain formations, such as the Wildcat. We feel Batch would get the starting nod as a long term replacement for Big Ben, due to injury, if the situation was to arise.

A little known fact about Dennis Dixon – Following his junior year at Oregon, Dixon was picked by the Atlanta Braves in the fifth round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. Dixon only hit .176 in 74 at bats with two Atlanta Braves rookie league teams, and returned to Oregon for his senior football season in 2007.

Kevin McCabe - Signed as a rookie free agent by the Steelers on April 27, 2009. McCabe began his college career with the University of Virginia then transferred to California University of Pennsylvania for his final season of eligibility. In 2008 (California University of Pennsylvania): Started all 14 games for the Vulcan while completing 253-of-386 passes for 3,214 yards with 32 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. McCabe also set four school records – passing yards, total yards, touchdowns and completions.

Though he had some decent numbers as a collegiate don’t get to familiar with McCabe as his signing was mostly as camp fodder and to fill out the roster. We look for McCabe to be cut early and move on to other professional opportunities. His chances to remain a Steeler are next to none.

Mike Reilly – Began his college career as a walk-on at Washington State but transferred after red-shirting. Went on to become a four-year-starter and set virtually every passing record in Wildcat history. He was runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy as a senior, which is given to the nation’s top Division II football player. Reilly also holds the NCAA all-divisions record with at least one touchdown pass in all 46 career games. Bottom line, Reilly was a productive small-school prospect with top intangibles but marginal physical tools.

ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski had this to say about Reilly, “His wasn’t the easiest tape in the world to get,” Jaworski told USA Today. “I just saw an NFL quarterback. This is a guy who has (Tom) Brady-like attributes.” Some high praise from Jaws. More then likely Reilly makes the team as a practice squad member only. He could possibly become the third string quarterback in a year or two when Charlie Batch decides to hang up the cleats. It will be interesting to see how Reilly progress’s though. He could be a training camp wildcard and we will be keeping a close on eye him here at Pittsburgh Blitz.

 

Training Camp Battles

The competition at quarterback won’t revolve around the starting position but Batch and Dixon both could be given the chance to earn the #2 job. There is no official word out of Pittsburgh that there even is a battle for this slot, but Mike Tomlin has been known to allow silent competition and select the options he feels are best for the team as far as positional and depth charts are concerned.

We look for Batch to remain the true #2 QB on the charts but Dixon to be named to that role as to be used on game day in certain situations without violating any NFL rules.

Thanks for reading and your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think.

*Check back May 10th for the 2nd edition of this 9 part series. Next up will be the running backs.

Part 2 – The RB’s