Mike Tomlin and the Fear of the Lord

 By Jeffrey Burton

Last week my blog was a mystery entitled “Who stole Hines Ward’s Smile?” That mystery may never be solved, but Hines Ward’s galaxy class smile is back and looks like it could be here to stay. All of the things that seemed to be mysteriously stolen from the Steelers were back Sunday night.

Santonio Holmes hands; check. He had only one forgivable drop. That was it. Otherwise he was the same Santonio we know and love. The star receiver tonight though was Hines, blowing people up on blocks, running as Chris Collinsworth said, like a Fullback, and making every key catch as Ben’s prime receiver. Heath Miller, the Best Tightend in the NFL (we saw a great one tonight in Antonio Gates, but sorry you give me the choice, it is nothing but “Heeeaaatttthhh!”, say it at home, say it loud and say it proud,) was spectacular.

Mewelde Moore, was in the game for a receiving touchdown AND a passing touchdown. The Un-Dirty-Word, Believable, Big Check.

This game felt like Christmas to me given all the things I had on my wish list last Sunday.

I’d like to welcome some people back to the Steelers:

Bruce Arians – There has obviously been some imposter using Bruce Arians name, masquerading as the Steelers Offensive Coordinator. Double reverses, running backs throwing passes? Then Santonio Holmes almost throwing a pass as Doug Legursky played some Full Back/H-Back? Incredible trap blocking and pulling block plays? I thought his only trick was the Bunch Formation called by some the Banana Bunch and I wish that when he uses it at home they should play the theme from the Banana Splits. Check Youtube or Goggle you’ll see what I mean.

Rashard Mendenhall – This is where the fear of the Lord comes in. Tomlin seems to be able to summon that at will. He put in Santonio last season. He put it in Rashard last week and he has no doubt put in Limas Sweed this week. We can only hope that Limas responds like Mendenhall. This was the first round draft pick we had been missing, slashing, spinning, powering through, popping outside, exploding through the line and protecting the ball. His blow up block got a collective “Oh yeah!” out of the home crowd. As a long time resident I would like to welcome you to Steeler Country Mr. Mendenhall.

Isaac Redman – I thought you should have been on the roster from the beginning. I hope you will get some touches next week. Go Red zone!

The Offensive Line – They were a bit skittish in the beginning and a lot of plays seemed to be getting done in spite of them, not because of them. Then they settled in. Yeah, it’s a Charger Defense that is missing some starters, but we are missing Troy, which is like missing two to three starters. They were blowing big holes on run blocking and doing a good job on pass blocking Chris Kemeotou had a great game, minus the one holding call.

Mr. James Harrison and Mr. Lamar Woodley – They got consistent pressure on the extremely cagey Phillip Rivers, though they did not sack him much they consistently broke up his rhythm. Harrison’s strip at the end was classic Harrison.

Some things that need work:

Ben, please no longer one inch above the turf passes to Mike Wallace.

Get Stefan Logan on the field more please. Despite of the stand-up fumble that Collinsworth dwelled on, Stefan is an explosive offensive presence. Get him on the field, get him the ball and let him run.

My plea from last season is the same as it’s been from the beginning of my 36 year affair with the Steelers. Could you just play one regular un-dramatic game?

How do you let a team that was in the bag, score 21 points in one quarter?

I think that Mike Tomlin will hit the entire Defense with that this week. One thing I believe now is that when Tomlin summons the Fear of the Lord the players feel it. You get that into our defense and even without Troy next week the opposition will feel it as well.

Go Stillers!

Chargers @ Steelers – Week 3 Match Ups.

After opening the season with a hard fought 13-10 overtime victory against the Tennessee Titans the Pittsburgh Steelers have given up back to back early leads to the Bears and Bengals and at 1-2 are at an impasse and possibly facing a must win game verse the San Diego Chargers this week.

The offense has had fast starts turn into duds while the defense has given up last minute game winning drives in back to back games. Up next are the high powered Chargers and the red hot Phillip Rivers who finally has a few decent receivers to toss the rock too. The problem for the Bolts is they have about as much balance as the Steelers do with their run game being missing in action the last few games.

Games are won and lost on the outcome of situational football as Mike Tomlin likes to call it. How teams handle the situations and match ups the face on every drive in every game is usually the difference between a win and a loss and this week’s match ups to watch are as follows:

1. Steelers run game verse Chargers rush defense.

With Fast Willy Parker slowed by a turf toe and a possible scratch from the roster by the start of the game, Rashard Mendenhall could see his first extended action since being drafted by the Steelers. Also in the mix, if Parker can’t go, will be Mewelde Moore who could get a handful of touches as well.

This group is a talented group but has not shown much thus far on the season. They have improved each game though and with Mendenhall back from his excel to the bench just a week ago, he might finally get to show what the future has to hold. The Dolphins racked up 149 yards on the ground just last week verse the Chargers and the Steelers should try to copy that effort and take some pressure of Big Ben and the defense.

2. Steelers DB’s verse Bolts high powered air attack.

This matchup is one of the most important of the game. How the Steelers handle Phillip Rivers, Antonio Gates and the emerging Vincent Jackson could be the difference between a win and a loss. The good news is Rivers traditionally has less than stellar games verse Pittsburgh’s pressure based defense.

To win this match up the Steelers will need to kick James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley in the ass and get them to create some pressure and pull down a couple of sacks. Rivers usually falls flat when pressured and the best way to slow him down is to knock him down, then do it again and again until he taps out.

The possible return of Troy Polamalu to the mix could go a long way in determine how this match up turns out.

3. Darren Sproles verse Stefan Logan

We already know just how dangerous Darren Sproles is on special teams but how the Steelers handle the return game and how their own Stefan Logan performs could go a long way in determining the outcome.

It has been a while since the Steelers could boast about a return specialist, but after proving himself in pre-season and earning a roster spot by doing so, it is time for Logan to return on that investment. His returns have been better then what was offered last season but he has yet to break a big one that counts.

If the Steelers can win this match up then they will also win the field position battle. Shorter distances and quality field position can help an offense get out of a late game funk. While pinning the opposing team deep in their own territory can go a long way in helping a defense stop a late game charge.

4. LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison verse the Chargers offensive line.

Two of the best linebackers in the league just a year ago, neither Woodley nor Harrison have found their groove thus far on the current season. What better way to get the motors running then verses a team that lives and dies by the pass? The return of a healthy Lawrence Timmons should help take pressure and some of the double teams away from Harrison as well.

If the Steelers can do what they do best and stop the Chargers run game, then San Diego will be forced to become one dimensional and help the Steelers pass rush specialist finally get after the QB. Three games into the season and only one sack from this due is not going to cut it. This is the game these two stars need to shine bright and return to last season’s form.

5. Mike Wallace verses the nickel corner.

When the season started it was all but decided that Limas Sweed would be the slot receiver in the Steelers offense but after another big drop, that should have resulted in a touchdown, Sweed may be on is way back to the bench. Top that with the rookie wide out Mike Wallace having his NFL coming out party in the same game and the speedster could be the next big thing in Pittsburgh.

Wallace has the speed the Steelers have lacked for years and has caught every ball thrown his way. In the loss to the Bengals he had 7 catches and went over a 100 yards receiving. He has shown he can be trusted when it matters most and has become somewhat of a security blanket for Ben Roethlisberger when it counts. It was his big catch that saved the day verse the Titans after the veteran Hines Ward almost fumbled it away.

No it is not time to hand Wallace the keys to the city, we are not Buffalo, but it may be time to give him more reps and let him grow into the role and see what happens. His speed and clutch catches are match up nightmares for most nickel backs in the league and the ability to exploit the mismatches could add a whole new dimension to the Steelers offense.

How the Steelers respond to the late game melt downs and how they fair in the match ups they will be faced with verse the Chargers will be the difference in this week’s game. I fully expect them to bounce back and if they play 60 minutes of football I expect them to win as well. Everything comes down to this, the entire season could be on the line and how they respond, will tell allot about how the rest of the season will go.

“Who Stole Hines Ward’s Smile?”

By Jeffrey Burton

There are a number of things missing from the Steelers this season. The first one I noticed from game one was Hines Ward’s smile. He was on the field before the game, no smile. He made a catch, no smile. All game, all the time, no smile. The next game, no smile. All game, all the time no smile.

Yesterday in a losing effort against the Bengals, a slight smile when he passed the 10,000 yard mark. A small ordinary human smile, not a Hines Ward, light up the world, endorphin releasing smile that you can’t help but smile in return when you see it. If I was Mike Tomlin I would hire a hundred Private Investigators, the FBI and the National Guard to find Hines’ smile. We will not be able to win without it.

Also missing is Santonio Holmes’ hands. The most sure-handed widereceiver in the league for my money is looking like Limas Sweed, who after today, I’m ready to give up on. I hope he hasn’t returned to Ricky Williamsland. I don’t think the Steelers would give even him a second chance.

Also MIA is Harrison and Woodley’s domination on the edge. Harrison had a good rush today and Woodley had a good one against the Bears, but by and large they are not factors in the games we’ve played so far.

Rashard Mendenhall, MIA, is he already perceived as a bust by the Steelers?

This is a bigger problem because the Steelers seem stuck on only using the same 13 or 14 people on offense. They are not shifting personnel in and out to give different options and skill sets to Big Ben. Why do they insist on trying to use Willie Parker as an every down back? He is not built for it and though he had a good day against the Bengals, he will break down like he always does. He is a feature back, use him like that, please.

Mewelde Moore, mostly MIA. I don’t understand why he doesn’t get more touches. All he ever does is make positive yardage and plays when he is in.

That is a good thing, isn’t it?

Why don’t we ever see Shaun McDonald? He was very good possession receiver in preseason and for the Lions. Shouldn’t we be getting these types of guys in for a couple downs a game, if not to see what they can do at least to give them a little playing time if they’re needed later in the season?

One of the biggest mysteries to me is why Issac “Redzone” Redman isn’t on the roster. I can’t believe he cleared waivers. If I was a NFL Head Coach I would have had his number on speed dial. Has Frank Summer’s lack of blocking ability and obviously being in way over his head, become such a source of amusement to the Coaching Staff that they can’t demote him to the Practice Squad and bring Redman up? I liked what I saw in Frank in college and had him in my Mock Draft. I think he will eventually develop, but he is not there yet. I think that keeping him on the Roster is actually hurting him at this point.

Please, let him develop at his own pace Steelers Staff.

In spite of a good effort today, the Non-Offensive Line is missing as usual. They are not a starting NFL O-line. I would welcome them as the second string with the exception of Justin Hartwig, who I think has been a great upgrade at Center and Willie Colon who would be a fine Right Guard, but is a bad Right Tackle. I don’t know why the Staff can’t see it. And as I said in my previous Blog “Steelers Offensive Line is the New Kordell?” enabling is bad.

Of course the biggest MIA is the easiest to understand, after burning it up for his entire effort in the season opener, Troy Polamalu went down with a knee injury.

Tyrone Carter’s hard and gutsy play is about as good a replacement you could get, but Troy’s Super-Human presence is badly missed.

There have been some good things. I almost like Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians’ play calling. He’s not yet the Three Rivers River Boat Gambler that Whisenhunt and Gailey embodied, but he’s now calling to win the game rather than to not lose his job. Hey, Chan Gailey is no longer employed as an Offensive Coordinator, maybe that is motivating Bruce.

Mike Wallace rocks, but another mystery is here. Ben, why do you always throw your passes to Wallace one inch above the turf? Isn’t the whole point of having a guy with blazing speed to let him run and hit him in stride? You know, like the ones you hit Limas Sweed with that he drops? We got a glimpse of that today and I hope we see it more. To Wallace’s credit he has shown exceptional hands and very good route running, things that most of the scouts thought he would have to develop.

Stefan Logan looks like the Brother from Another Mother to Darren Sprolles. Get him in the game! Get him the ball in space let him run! Line him up as a running back in play action! Screw with Defensive Coordinator’s heads! Let Stefan run! Run Stefan Run!

And finally, one thing that is very much not missing is Casey Hampton’s gut. It is so huge he actually waddles. He has gotten to the Quarterback twice this year and would have got to them more if they couldn’t walk away while he was running after them. This super-sized Casey’s gut is so big it looks like he’s ready to give birth to a normal sized Casey Hampton and maybe that would be a good thing. I’m pretty sure that the NFL has no rules about having one guy giving birth to another version of himself and having both play on the field at the same time. Maybe that is what we need until Troy gets back.

Well as you can tell, these mysteries are beyond me and since Barack Obama came out that he was pulling for the Steelers in the Super Bowl and has appointed Mr. Rooney as Ambassador to Ireland, the FBI and National Guard involvement in the ‘Hines Ward Missing Smile Case’ seems a very reasonable thing to ask. The Steelers Coaching staff needs to foot the hundred Private Eyes bills.

Go Stillers!

Ward approaches 10,000 yards

Ben Roethlisberger, trying to shoot a fist-sized basketball into a garbage can in the Steelers’ locker room yesterday, stopped and popped at the top of the key, which happened to be within earshot of Hines Ward’s locker.

“One seventeen is the magic number!” Ward said, his tone slightly higher.

“For what?” Roethlisberger replied as he dropped another into the bucket. “I don’t need that many yards.”

Ward shook his head and laughed, “Don’t worry about it, you’ll find out.”

Soon enough, perhaps Sunday, Ward will catch passes worth another 117 yards, and that will put him in yet another exclusive club, where the required membership fee is 10,000 yards receiving. here are 31 receivers in NFL history who have reached that number, and Ward relishes becoming No. 32.

“That’s a big deal,” Ward said, almost to himself. “Ten thousand yards? That speaks volumes. When I first came into the league, there was no way 10,000 yards, 800 catches was a goal. I just wanted to play.”

He has 808 receptions after the most productive opener of his career when he caught eight passes for 103 yards, the only time he has hit 100 in an opener in his 12 seasons.

“Ten thousand yards! Not too many people in this league can say they caught 10,000 yards,” Ward said. “Catching 10,000 yards here is like catching 12,000 somewhere else.”

He has caught them from seven starting quarterbacks — Kordell Stewart, Mike Tomczak, Kent Graham, Tommy Maddox, Charlie Batch, Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich — plus two others, Jerome Bettis and Antwaan Randle El.

“Jerome threw me a touchdown pass in Three Rivers on a halfback pass and, of course, Randle El threw me a touchdown in the Super Bowl.”

That last one did not wind up in the hands of a fan wearing a Steelers No. 86 jersey, as so many other of his touchdown receptions have. Ward kept that one, and it holds a prized spot in his trophy case. The ball that he uses to cover his 10,000th yard will have a similar spot.

His climb up the wide-receiver charts while playing in mostly a run-oriented offense is remarkable, and while No. 32 on the NFL all-time list might not seem impressive, he can shoot up quickly.

If he gets another 1,000 yards this season, he can approach the top 20 all time, and if he gets another 1,000 in 2010 he can approach the top 15 — although there are active players ahead of him such as Joey Galloway, Tony Gonzalez and Torry Holt.

But Ward has so much more than those players — two Super Bowl rings and a Super Bowl MVP. Not bad on a franchise that celebrates Super Bowls and traditionally gets there on the ground.

The Steelers keep evolving with the no-huddle offense, and the more successful they become at it, the more tempting it is to use it.

After seeing it work when it counted in their past two games, their overtime victory against Tennessee and the Super Bowl, why not use it more?

“Well, we’re not Buffalo, we’re not the K-Gun of Jim Kelly,” coordinator Bruce Arians said. “But we could be; we could be very easily.”

Arians said Roethlisberger and the rest of his offense are so comfortable in the no-huddle that most of the offense now can be used with it.

“That package has tripled in size now, and it’s damn near the whole offense,” Arians said. “It’s evolved to where he can almost use 80 percent of the playbook in it, and he’s gotten very proficient at it.”

The Steelers have laid out plans for their running backs Sunday in Chicago, and they are similar to the one they used against Tennessee.

Willie Parker will start and play two series, Rashard Mendenhall will play the third series, and they will rotate that way. Mewelde Moore will continue to play in passing downs.

“Anytime Willie gets tired, he can come out,” Arians said. “If we get into a very long no-huddle mode, Mewelde is the no-huddle guy and we’ll rotate from there. In short yardage, goal line, whoever’s in the game.”

Lawrence Timmons went through a full practice yesterday, even though he “tweaked” his sprained left ankle in practice Wednesday. It remains unknown whether he will play and how much if he does.

Limas Sweed did not practice at all yesterday, and it’s likely he will not play. He left practice Wednesday with a mid-foot sprain. Veteran receiver Shaun McDonald should dress in his place Sunday against the Bears.

Sweed out for Sunday’s Steelers game

Friday, September 18, 2009

By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Wide receiver Limas Sweed did not practice for the second day in a row and will not play Sunday against the Chicago Bears in Soldier Field. Veteran Shaun McDonald, who did not dress for the season-opening victory against Tennessee, will serve as the No. 4 receiver. McDonald, though, will play in some of the packages as the No. 3 receiver — a role in Sweed has been rotating with rookie Mike Wallace. Also, ILB Lawrence Timmons practiced for the third day in a row and the possibility of him starting against the Bears has not been ruled out. Either way, Timmons will play against the Bears, even if Keyaron Fox starts for the second game in a row.

Mission Accomplished – Preseason week 3

With most game three’s in the preseason it is a dress rehearsal for the season. The Starters play an entire half then those bound for the waiver wire, practice squad or to be starters in waiting take it from there. It was no different when the Steelers took the field against the Bills for their third preseason game. It was to be a test to see if the Steelers were ready for the season and after watching the way they played I am happy to say mission accomplished.

In week two of the preseason the Steelers played flat across the board verse the Redskins but that would not be the case in the one practice game that matters verse Buffalo. The starters got the job done. They showed intensity and passion. They answered the call and rang the Bills bell.

Before the game started though, I had some questions I hoped to get answered. All in all I am happy with the test results. Below is a list of the good, the bad and the ugly but most importantly the Steelers test results I had presented in my own head before the game started.

In this game I wanted to see first and formost the stating offense show some moxy both in the run and passing game. I wanted to see the offensiveline give Ben some time and open holes for the backs. I wanted to see Mendenhall in extended action and I wanted them to show me more then I had seen thus far in the preseason.

The passing game was well oiled and almost perfect as Ben Roethlisberger was back, and looked ready for the opener, going 15-for-19 for 168 yards. The offense had 359 yards of offense, and held the ball for a staggering 41:15 to just 18:45 for the Bills. Having Roethlisberger back was an inspiration.

The run game didn’t have big numbers (81 yards on 38 carries, 2.1 per carry), but they were able to set a tempo, and Rashard Mendenhall was the starter, putting up 48 yards on 16 carries. He looks like he and Willie Parker will be as solid of a 1-2 punch as their will be in the league. His lone mistake was yet another fumble.

Limas Sweed all but clinched the third WR spot, making four catches for 34 yards, including one very good catch on the sideline. 12 players caught passes on the night, and Sweed and Hines Ward combined for 9 catches for 108 yards. Sweed still has a ways to go to reach his potential but he is miles ahead of where he was at this time last year.

The offensiveline was not perfect but they looked good. Ben had time to throw and a few holes where opened for the runningbacks. I still am not sold on the way the Steelers use or lack there of, the fullback these days, but these ain’t your grandaddy’s Steelers no more and I am not that upset about it either.

The second thing I wanted to see was how well the defense played. The first two games where vanilla with the play calls as expected and the run defense did not look to be as good as they can be. Timmons is a beast but still has some on the job training to get done before he is as good as Larry Foote was in the run game. I also wanted to see how the battle between Joe Burnett, Keenan Lewis and Kewain Ratliff was shaping up. As well as some pass rushing out of Harrison and Woodley.

James Harrison was unblockable all night, and it was his pressure that seemed to cause Trent Edwards to rush the pass that was picked off by James Farrior. Harrison has had a great presason, and seems on his way to another season where he’ll be up for defensive player of the year honors.

Linebacker James Farrior had an impressive outing, returning an interception 22 yards for a touchdown while adding a sack and a forced fumble.

“I think we did pretty good,” said Farrior. “There are some things that we can improve on. We can improve on our blitz timing and a couple things.”

The Steelers avoided allowing many mistakes to cause any damage as the defense stepped up, not allowing the Bills to go anywhere for most of the game as they seemed to be in mid-season form. The pass rush dominated the Bills patch work offensiveline and held their run game in check to boot. Again, I will say it, mission accomplished.

The final thing I wanted to see and something I hope to see much more of this season, was Stafan Logan. It has been many moons since the Steelers had a real threat in the return game. Not since Antwan Randle El defected to the Deadskins to be percise. Logan had a great game being the feature returner verse those same Skins, and I hoped to see more of it this week. Though he did not have as much open space to work with this outing, he still proved to be a threat on every return and in my book earned a spot on the final 53 and BOTH the kick and punt return spots on the team.

All in all a great game. Even when the practice fodder got in the game, the Steelers defense played great. The offense was not as impressive, but they got the job done and did’nt do anything to mess up what the starters accomplished in the first half.

With the test complete and the game graded, I will give the Steelers a solid B+. They answered all of my questions and showed they are ready to get the real games started. All I gotta say is bring on the Tits and Lenwhale White. It’s time to get some revenge on those towl stomping pee-ons.

Until next time, thanks for reading and feel free to leave your thoughts on the game. What questions did you wanted answered and where they?

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 3

Today we will post excerts from around the net from those who observed Day 3 of the Pittsburgh Steelers traing camp with their own eyes. Unfortunatly I live 100 miles away and have a day job and can not make it there myself as much as I would like. I will be live August 15th though and have a report myself then. But until then, enjoy what others have to say about the Steelers.

Roethlisberger looks in his element as Steelers’ training camp opens

Here’s what Ross Tucker had to say about the Steelers’ camp in Latrobe, Pa.

Setting the Scene

The Steelers have held training camp at St. Vincent College, about an hour due east from Pittsburgh, for the last 43 years, making it one of the longest standing training-camp traditions in the NFL. When league personnel are asked for the ideal camp setting, Latrobe is usually one of the first that comes to mind. That the fields are below the parking lots and fans can sit and watch on the hills makes the setting even more perfect. Latrobe and the Steelers have been a record-setting combination in terms of Super Bowl championships over the years, so I wouldn’t expect the black and gold to train anywhere else in the near future. Why fix something that isn’t broken?

Even though there was an 80-percent chance of rain and thunderstorms on this particular day, fans waited in a long line to enter the training camp fields two hours before the afternoon practice. I have often said the Steelers have the best fans in the country, and they absolutely did not disappoint as they cheered on the reigning Super Bowl champs, even when it began to pour late in practice. Talk about die-hards. More than half the people in attendance were wearing a Steelers jersey, and the variety of numbers was astounding.

Read More…

What Behind The Steel Curtain had to say

One of the best and most complete accounts I have read from the first weekend of training camp come from Steelperch over at Steeler Fury.  In the piece he Also over at Steeler Fury, our very own Blitzburgh participated in a training camp Podcast with the guys over there.  Just about every position is covered in the training cam write-up at Steeler Fury and it had some great opinions on position battles.

Read More…

Big Ben off to slow start in camp (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Ben Roethlisberger has thrown more interceptions in training camp practices than he would prefer because, he said, his arm does not feel strong. But, he said, that’s normal for him this time of year.

The quarterback said it usually takes him the first week of training camp before his right arm is where it should be.

“It’s frustrating at times, I think I have a pick every day in practice because my arm is not where I want it to be yet,” said Roethlisberger. “Trying to make the throws I can make later in the year that I try to do now, my arm is not ready for it.”

Read More…

10 observations from Steelers training camp Day 3 (From Steelers Today)

1)  Hines Ward did not practice today.  I don’t know if he was injured or if coach Tomlin is just giving him a rest.  However, he wasn’t in pads.  He just had on shorts and a t-shirt.  He was wearing a baseball cap turned backwards.

2)  If you ever wondered if the Steelers practice in the rain, the answer is “yes”.  It started raining really hard in the middle of practice.  A few of the players started to leave the field.  Someone on the field yelled that they saw lightning.  Coach Mike Tomlin yelled back “We play games in the rain in the NFL”, and that was that.  Nobody left the field, and practice proceeded as usual.

Read More…

Madden 10 – Behind the Scenes with the Steelers

by Alain Quinto

In a second night at the LA Coliseum, EA SPORTS brought the confetti, the Vince Lombardi trophy, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in to re-create their Super Bowl XLIII celebration with a little twist.  For the past three days, the EA SPORTS ad team has been in full force in and around the LA area filming scenes for a couple of upcoming commercials and I had been invited to cover the event and share it with our gaming community.  On Tuesday night, we once again went live and I had the chance to share some of the pictures as the event was happening during a live chat late in the evening.  For those that missed the chat, you can check out a replay of it here:  Pittsburgh Steelers

The premise of the shoot revolves around an EA SPORTS gamer controlling the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory in a game of Madden NFL.  Along with the players, about 200 extras were brought in as fans of both the Steelers and the Cardinals, referees, and even coaches to re-create the celebration.  From a touchdown celebration to the trophy presentation, even the player’s couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgic of the event.  The only thing missing was the champagne.

During and prior to the shoot I did get a chance to chat with some of the Pittsburgh Steelers that were in attendance including Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, LaMarr Woodley, and Willie Parker.  For now, I’ve posted a video recap along with with my interview with Hines Ward here.  Soon to come, I will also post a couple more videos of my chats with Big Ben, Woodley and some footage of Parker.  It’s been pretty cool to get behind the scenes over the past few days to see what it’s like to shoot an EA SPORTS commercial and I’m glad that we had the opportuinty to share it live with our fans on chat and here on the Inside EA SPORTS blog.

We’ll be continuing the shoot on Thursday turning our focus to basketball followed by some more football coverage early next week.  Stay tuned for that, EA SPORTS fans!

To read this original blog post and make comments, visit the Inside EA SPORTS Blog.

(Click on images)

Blog Gallery by Picturesurf

Four Position Battles To Watch In Training Camp

by jonathan staub

When a team that is fresh off a Super Bowl victory goes into their following season with 20 of 22 starters returning, it is hard to pinpoint where the position battles will ensue.

For the most part, returning players know their place and incoming rookies know that their chance of breaking into the starting lineup, or even seeing a significant amount of playing time, is scarce.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, fresh of an instant-classic caliber win against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, lost only Larry Foote and Bryant McFadden from their starting lineup in the offseason, and enter the 2009 season with very lofty expectations.

In what will be one of the blandest mini-camps in recent memory, the Steelers have beyond adequate replacements ready to fill in for their departing starters, as well as enough depth to hint that their aspirations for this following season will go unfilled if they do anything other than hoist the Lombardi Trophy again at the end of the season.

There are, however, four position battles that will be worth watching, and a couple minor storylines that should keep things interesting in the hot summer weather of Latrobe at St. Vincent’s College.

The offensive side of the football is cluttered with one of the most solid arrays of talent in the NFL…once you get past the offensive line of course.

Pittsburghhas the potential to conceivably send four or five players to the Pro-Bowl in February with Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Heath Miller filling out their skill positions.

Their performances rely heavily on the success of the offensive line which, unless you have been kept out of the loop, is the known weak-point of the Steelers attack.

An interesting storyline that will monopolize much of the press this upcoming season is whether or not the front five of Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu, Justin Hartwig, Darnell Stapleton and Willie Colon can build on last year and develop the cohesiveness necessary to turn one of the NFL’s weakest front five into the traditional stalwart unit that has paved the way for one of the most tenacious rushing attacks in NFL history.

Pittsburgh was not as active in the draft as initially suspected in regards to building depth at the offensive line position.

They selected two linemen in Wisconsin’s Kraig Urbik and 2008 Rimington Trophy winner, given annually to the player considered to be the best center in college football, A.Q. Shipley of Penn State; Shipley was voted the 2008 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year as well.

Shipley will be an interesting rookie to watch develop. He scored a 40 on the Wunderlik Test, which is twice the NFL average, benched pressed 33 reps of 225 pounds (fifth among offensive linemen, measured a 31-inch vertical jump (eighth), ran a 7.46 in the three-cone drill (second) and a 4.40 in the 20-yard shuttle run (fifth).

Pittsburghmay have the steal of the draft in Shipley, he has all the athletic tools to succeed and the smarts to be the quarterback of the offensive line, but at 6’1”, 304 pounds, there is concern that he may be undersized against some of the league’s bigger nose tackles.

While the offensive line makes for an interesting storyline heading into the season, the most important position battle will be taking place amidst a group of individuals vying for a non-starting spot in trying to become the Steelers third option at wide receiver.

Position Battle No.1 – No.3 Wide Receiver

The Steelers boast the NFL’s first ever pair of Super Bowl MVP’s at wide receiver in Hines Ward (XL) and Santonio Holmes (XLIII).

Ward, perhaps the team’s all-time greatest receiver, continues to make the hard catches in heavy coverage, over the middle, while laying out vicious blocks that not only shatter jaws (my apologies for the painful reminder to Keith Rivers), but change NFL rules.

Holmes’ break-out game in the Super Bowl has him poised to emerge as Big Ben’s go-to-guy, as well as one of the AFC’s elite. His ability to create yards after the catch makes him a dangerous threat in the open field, and he has developed enough chemistry with Roethlisberger that he knows when to break-off a route and improvise as Ben scrambles.

The departure of Nate Washington has created a void in the deep passing game for Pittsburgh.

Washington had been a deep threat for Pittsburghfor three seasons, before signing a six-year 27 million dollar contract with Tennesseein the offseason, as he never averaged below 15.5 yards per catch in a season.

In 2008, Nate caught a pass of 48-yards or longer in four straight games; three straight with a reception of 50-yards or longer.

In seven of 16 regular season games Washington recorded a reception of 20-yards or longer en route to a 40-catch year with 631 yards and three touchdowns.

His ability to stretch the field enabled Holmes and Ward to catch balls underneath, Mewelde Moore to catch 40 balls out of the backfield for 320 yards and one score.

The 6’1”, 185lb Washington will be sorely missed, but the Steelers, as they consistently do on defense, should have no trouble plugging the hole with a completely capable cast of individuals ready to fill-in.

The prohibitive favorite to fill-in immediately is recently signed veteran Shaun McDonald.

McDonald, entering his seventh NFL season, spent the last two seasons with Detroit after serving his first four NFL seasons with the St. Louis Rams.

For his career, McDonald has registered 220 receptions, 2,490 yards (11.3 average per catch) and 11 touchdowns.

His best season came in 2007, while with Detroit, when he hauled in 79 receptions for 943 yards and six touchdowns; he dropped off a bit last year, while only playing in 12 games, with 35 receptions, 332 yards and one touchdown.

In his 12 games last season, McDonald registered four or more receptions in six games.

The former two-time All-Pac 10 receiver, third team AP All-American, and Biletnikoff finalist was selected in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2003 NFL entry draft by the Rams.

McDonald’s only disadvantage is his size. Standing at 5’10”, 183lbs, he would find himself looking up at Hines Ward (6’0”, 205lbs) and Santonio Holmes (5’11”, 192lbs).

His experience gives him an edge over the other men competing with him for the job, and he should find himself in the number three spot come opening day.

His primary competition for the role will come from 2008 second round pick (53rd overall) Limas Sweed.

Sweed had a bittersweet rookie campaign with Pittsburgh, becoming better known for his dropped balls and inability to grasp the playbook than the big-time potential he displayed while at Texas.

Sweed only caught six balls for 64 yards in a Steelers uniform last year while sporadically seeing the field; his first taste of NFL action came in the seventh week against Cincinnati where he registered one catch for 11 yards.

When asked to fill in for Hines Ward in the AFC Championship game, Sweed dropped a 50-yard bomb in the endzone after looking at the scoreboard as opposed to his hands; there was no one within 15 yards of him at the time; he subsequently laid on the field after his drop and cost the Steelers their final time-out before the half.

It was very reminiscent of that old Snickers commercial where the trainers asked the fallen football play what was hurt.

“My feelings,” he replied with a sniffle…as the deafening boo’s rang down upon Sweed after his drop, Steelers fans across the nation knew that he was more frustrated with himself than anyone at that given moment.

Sweed would redeem himself in the second half when he landed an absolutely crippling blow on Corey Ivy that sent Heinz Field into a frenzy.

While Sweed may be the long-term option at receiver, it will be up to him to make his case for playing time this season.

There will be little room for error in Pittsburgh, and Sweed will need to show that he can hold on to the ball before he is challenged to hold onto a significant role in the offense.

At 6’4”, 220lbs, Limas Sweed could be the big receiver that Pittsburgh has sought since the departure of Plaxico Burress.

Two other players will also be vying for a role in the Steelers passing game this season.

While not as publicly prominent as McDonald and Sweed, Dallas Baker and Mike Wallace will also be given opportunities to earn playing time in camp.

Baker, a seventh round pick (227 overall) out of Florida in 2007, has split time between the practice squad and the 53-man roster for Pittsburgh.

The former first team All-SEC standout played in eight games for the Steelers in 2008, registering only one catch for six yards.

At 6’3”, 206lbs Baker adds an element of size that only Sweed can match, but still has a lot of work to do if he hopes to play a significant role this upcoming season.

Mike Wallace, the team’s third round selection (84th overall) out of Ole Miss in this year’s draft will most likely be asked to fill a preeminent role on special teams returning kicks.

However, after recording 784 yards and seven touchdowns on only 39 receptions in the 2008 collegiate season, he only played in six games by the way, Wallace will warrant some looks at wide receiver.

In 2007, the 6’0” 199lb Wallace saw action in all 12 of Ole Miss’ games, with nine starts at slot receiver, and recorded 716 yards with two 100-yard games, seven catches of at least 40-yards or more, three catches of 50-yards or more, was first in the SEC in yards per catch at 18.8 and was named to the third-team all-SEC.

The credentials are there, and you can rest assured that he will be given a chance to lay his claim to a spot on the offense.

This battle, for all intensive purposes, will come down to Limas Sweed and Shaun McDonald.

McDonald will most likely have the spot on opening day, but don’t be surprised if come the season’s end that Limas Sweed has earned a spot alongside Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward.

Position Battle No.2 – Mewelde Moore vs. Rashard Mendenhall

In 2008 the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Rashard Mendenhall with the 23rd overall selection in the first round.

Expected to be a compliment to Willie Parker, the 5’10”, 225lb Mendenhall was expected to get the tough yards up the middle and take the big-bruising place of Jerome Bettis.

Fumbling problems in the preseason limited Mendenhall’s role early on, and at one point he was forced to carry a football around for an entire week after Hines Ward taped a note to the ball saying, “Take Mendenhall’s ball and he’ll pay you 100 bucks!”

In 2007, while at the University of Illinois, Mendenhall earned first team all-Big 10 and Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year honors after racking up 1,681 rushing yards (6.4 average), 17 rushing touchdowns, 318 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Initially considered a top-ten talent, Mendenhall fell down the draft board to Pittsburgh who stuck with a tradition of selecting the best player available.

The Illinois standout would carry the ball 19 times for 58 yards in 2008 as he would suffered a fractured shoulder at the hands of Ray Lewis in the Steelers fourth game of the season; Mendenhall got the start in this game after Willie Parker went down with an injury the prior week.

When Mendenhall went down, it was Mewelde Moore that would step in and play perhaps the biggest role of any Steeler in their quest for a Super Bowl.

The 5’11”, 209lb Moore was a fourth round pick (119th overall) out of Tulane; Moore was the second player in NCAA Division I history to rush for 4,000 yards and record 2,000 yards receiving.

He arrived in Pittsburgh after spending his first four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

He finished the 2008 season with 140 carries for 588 yards and five touchdowns; he would also register 40 receptions for 320 yards and one score.

While his numbers are not staggering by any means, Moore may have been the team’s MVP for the role he played after Parker and Mendenhall were forced to miss extended time with injuries.

In the six games he was asked to carry, or assist a returning Parker in carrying the load for Pittsburgh, Moore carried the ball 107 times for 483 yards.

If not for Moore’s contributions during the Steelers time of need, it is highly doubtful that Pittsburgh would have remained an elite team in the AFC.

These two payers will be battling it out for the right to be Parker’s backup, as well as the third-down back, again.

This battle will all but come down to the progress that Mendenhall shows in recovery from his injury, and his ability to hold onto the ball on the field.

Moorehas the experience and has shown what he is capable of doing, and any improvements he can show will certainly help his cause, but the uber-talented Mendenhall could provide an upgrade in short yardage situations, something that haunted Pittsburgh all season, and take a considerable load off the shoulders of Willie Parker.

Position BattleNo.3 – William Gay vs. Keiwan Ratliff

Pound-for-pound this is the most even matchup of any position battle that could take place in Steelers training camp.

All indications are that this is William Gay’s job to lose, but the offseason acquisition of Ratliff should create a situation similar to that of the place-kicker every year.

Pittsburgh brought in a guy to challenge and push Gay in order to see if he is ready to take over as a starter in Dick LeBeau’s vaunted defense.

Ratliff is no slouch however, and could very well steal this job right out from underneath Gay’s nose if he is not up to snuff.

Gay, a fifth round pick (170thoverall) in 2007 saw significant playing time last year after injuries forced Bryant McFadden and DeShea Townsend out of the lineup.

The Louisvilleproduct filled in admirably, and showed enough potential that Steelers management allowed McFadden to sign with Arizonain the offseason.

Gay registered 41 tackles and one interception in 2008, and that one interception locked up the division title in Baltimore in week 15.

At 5’10”, 190lbs Gay has enough size to hold his own on the line, and has shown enough quickness to allow Steelers fans to feel comfortable with him taking over as a starter.

Gay was as close to a shutdown corner as Pittsburgh had all season last year during his time filling in, and barring a total mental collapse in training camp, he should find himself in the starting lineup.

However, nothing is a given in the NFL, and in the spirit of Herm Edwards’ “You play to win the game” rant, Pittsburgh brought in capable opposition to challenge Gay for that starting role.

With DeShea Townsend being relegated to mostly nickel and dime packages towards the tail end of his career, granted he is more than capable of filling in as the starter but he is better preserved in this manner, Keiwan Ratliff will offer the chief competition for William Gay in Steelers training camp.

Ratliff has quite the collegiate resume to his credit, as he accumulated numerous individual accolades in 2003 including a first-team all-SEC selection, first team All-American selection, the Sporting News SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a spot on the ballot as a Thorpe Award finalist, given annually to the player considered the top defensive back in all of college football, Ratliff’s pro-career has been that of a journeyman to say the best.

After being drafted by Cincinnati in the second round (49th overall) of 2004, and spending three seasons with the Bengals, Ratliff moved on to Tampa Bay, where he spent 16 days with the Buccaneers, Indianapolis for one season and now finds himself on the defending Super Bowl Champions.

The 5’11”, 188lb Ratliff had 32 tackles and two interceptions for the Colts last season, one against Pittsburgh, and has been continually trying to find a niche in the NFL that would allow him to return to his collegiate form.

Ratliff is well-traveled, as well as very experienced, but it may take him some time to learn the complicated schemes of a LeBeau defense.

However, while he might not find himself in the starting lineup, granted he has the ability, he is a beyond satisfactory addition that should provide some depth the NFL’s top rated passing defense.

Position Battle No.4 – LawrenceTimmons vs. Himself

Lawrence Timmons will start opposite James Farrior as an interior linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009, and the duo of James Harrison and Lamar Woodley will continue to flank the outside edges.

This tetrad of linebackers will be the focal point of LeBeau’s zone blitz schemes once again in 2009, and the athleticism that oozes from this quartet makes them among the best linebacking core in the NFL.

Larry Foote, the starting interior linebacker for the Steelers last season, got his wish and is out of Pittsburgh; he signed with his hometown Detroit Lions.

Foote, it should be noted, wanted out of Pittsburghdue to the increased playing time that Timmons was receiving.

The 6’1”, 234lb first round (15th overall) selection from Florida State earned it, period.

The success of this linebacking contingent will hinge greatly on Timmons ability to take the next step in his career.

After seeing time in all 16 games as a rookie, his time increased last season and he finished with 65 tackles, five sacks, one forced fumble and one memorable 89-yard interception return against the New England Patriots.

Timmons is the perfect mix of a defensive back’s athleticism, mixed with a safety’s speed and a defensive end’s strength all in the ideal package of a middle linebacker’s frame.

His progression is on par with many of history’s great linebackers, and he appears to be the next in what is a long lineage of Pittsburgh Steelers Pro-Bowl caliber linebackers.

Timmons will be virtually unopposed for the starting position in the Steelers 3-4 scheme, but that’s not to say he won’t have people vying to push him to his limits.

There will be several young studs trying to make a name for themselves in Pittsburgh’s training camp this season, they include, but are not limited to, Patrick Bailey (the teams rookie of the year last season), Donovan Woods, Bruce Davis, Arnold Harrison, Andre Frazier and Keyaron Fox.

Many of these men will find themselves on the Steelers special teams however, as the main obstacle awaiting Timmons is himself.

Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons, named after NBA great Hakeem, knows the system and what will be asked of him.

All that is left is for him to avoid any kind of letdown and continue to build on the success he has experienced in his young career.

Other things to watch for in Steelers training camp

As stated previously, a Super Bowl winning team returning 20 of 22 starters, with replacements already in place, will lack a lot of drama in training camp.

Players and coaches alike know what to anticipate when they take the field at St. Vincent’s College in Latrobe, PA.

There will be, however, a few other interesting things to watch come July and August.

Daniel Sepulveda may be the most important Steeler returning from injury this upcoming season. After Paul Ernster and Mitch Berger combined for the second worst punting season of any team in the NFL, Sepulveda will be looked upon to once again upgrade the glaring weakness on the Steelers roster.

The high-praise that first round selection Evander Hood has received from collegiate teammates and coaches has been well documented in Pittsburgh.

While his chances to see significant time are slim, they typically are for first round defensive linemen in Pittsburgh, he will have a chance to learn from one of the best in Aaron Smith.

His development will lie squarely on the shoulders of assistant coach John Mitchell, and with the depth and experience on the Pittsburgh defensive line he should have a full season to watch, learn and prepare for his sophomore campaign.

Mike Wallace, who is a long shot to see time at wide receiver, will be looked to in hopes of adding some speed to a weak return game.

Pittsburghdoes not want to risk injury to Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, and the duo of Carey Davis and Gary Russell does not provide the Steelers with a true return man capable of break a big return.

With a returning Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore’s history of returning kicks in Minnesota (he still holds many punt return records for the Vikings) and Mike Wallace providing some depth, Davis and Russell could be in danger of losing their spot on the roster.

The Steelers do not have many holes to fill, after all they did win the Super Bowl will virtually the same team they will field to open the 2009 season.

There are, however, a few things to keep an eye on in Steelers training camp as Pittsburgh looks to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for a seventh time, make another run at defensive history and fully establish themselves as the NFL’s premier organization.

The Source

Next Page »