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.

Steelers – Bengals Preview

A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this season put the Cincinnati Bengals on the national radar as legitimate playoff contenders. Another victory over the defending Super Bowl champs will put them in the driver’s seat to win the AFC North for the first time in four years.

The Bengals look to sweep the regular-season series over the Steelers for the first time in more than a decade when they visit Heinz Field on Sunday.

Cincinnati has won six of seven, including a 23-20 upset of Pittsburgh on Sept. 27 on a touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds remaining. The Steelers haven’t lost since their visit to Cincinnati, and are tied with the Bengals for the division lead with 6-2 records.

While a Bengals win this weekend would give them a sweep of the season series for the first time since 1998, and put them in control of the North, Palmer tried to keep this matchup in perspective.

“It’s a game,” he said. “We’re not going to look too far ahead of who’s on the schedule, who’s left, worry about playoff implications, worry about home-field advantage. We don’t need to be thinking about any of those things. … They’re in a must-win situation. We feel we’re in a must-win situation.”

Pittsburgh has regrouped by winning five in a row since that loss – aided by the return of Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu, who missed the earlier matchup with the Bengals due to a knee injury. The Steelers are 4-0 this season with Polamalu, including a 28-10 win at Denver on Monday night in which he intercepted his third pass.

“To me he’s one of the best players in the game, and when you add that guy you’re only going to get better,” Palmer said.

Palmer and the Bengals are looking to improve to 5-0 against division rivals after beating Baltimore 17-7 last Sunday. Palmer threw for 224 yards and one touchdown while Cedric Benson recorded his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season, finishing with 117 yards and a score on 21 carries.

The defense, meanwhile, gave up a season-low 215 yards total offense.

“Today was a statement game,” said receiver Chad Ochocinco, who caught five passes for 66 yards in his fourth straight game with at least five receptions. “I want every game to be a statement game.”

Benson is making a loud statement that he’s become one of the game’s top running backs. After rushing for 747 yards and two touchdowns last season, Benson is one of only two backs – along with Tennessee’s Chris Johnson – to average more than 100 yards per game in 2009. Benson has scored in each of the last four games, averaging 117.5 yards in that span.

“We used to be an air-it-out, explosive offense, and when you play in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore and Cincinnati, you get to those December games and you can’t throw the ball 40 times,” Palmer said. “You have to be able to run the ball. We are at a good point now.”

Pittsburgh is coming off a short week following the victory in Denver, where the Steelers scored the game’s final 21 points after trailing 10-7 in the third quarter. Ben Roethlisberger threw three TD passes, two of them to Hines Ward.

Strong defense made Roethlisberger’s heroics possible. The Steelers picked off Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton three times – two of the interceptions by safety Tyrone Carter.

“We have guys that are designed to be great,” coach Mike Tomlin said of his defensive unit, which has forced nine turnovers in three games since Polamalu’s return. “They play hard every time they come out, regardless of their opponent or story line if you will. Those guys are committed to being great every time they step in the stadium.”

The Steelers defense will be seeking redemption for its last performance against the Bengals. They failed to record a takeaway in that contest, and allowed 100 rushing yards for one of only two times this season.

Pittsburgh had won the previous five games in the series against Cincinnati, including a 27-10 home victory last season.

Blitzing Tuesday – Vikings Week

Welcome to the first editition of “Blitzing Tuesday”. Each week we will bring you this column that will consist of bits and peices of Pittsburgh Steelers news from around the web, mixed with our own twist on things. We hope you enjoy…..

Idiot Tightend caught with pants down, while kicker stands guard.

It was reported early monday morning that Steelers kicker, Jeff Reed, was arrested for the second time this year, for public drunkeness. The strange part was not that Reed was arrested, but that he was keeping watch for teamate Matt Spaeth, who was taking a whiz outside of a bar in the parking lot.

When approached by Jonny Law, Reed got mad and started to argue. The question is why? Was he upset that the cops interupted Spaeth during a private moment or was it that he caught the cop checking out his brotherns pee-pee while it hung out in the wind? The answer may never be known!

The problem is Reed’s temper tantrum got him arrested for stupidity and lack of respect of the fuzz. The last time he was put into handcuffs, he beat up a paper towel dispensor, this time at least his abusee talked back.

Sources inside of Pittsburgh say he will play this week against the Vikings but no one is telling if this second arrest has hurt his chances of getting resigned in the off season.

Our advice to Jeff Reed is to not drop the soap when arrested as we all know where that leads too!!

From Ed Bouchette’s weekly chat: (Our answers)

Q. MendenhallsDaMan: With the vaunted ‘Williams Wall’ coming to town, is this the week we maybe see some “Wildcat” formations w/ Dixon in there? I’d hate to see Ben have to throw it 40+ times.

Ed’s Answer: They do not have the wildcat in their playbook and why would you hate to see Ben throw it 40 times the way he’s been throwing it?

Our Answer: Williams Wall? WTF is that, what kind of twisted moron are you asking these stupid questions? Arian’s does not know how the Wildcat even works, he is too busy drawing up more and more pass plays, to figure out a new wrinkle to the run game. Come on man….

Over at Behind The Steel Curtain we found a neat little post:

9 Insane Predictions for the Vikings game….

1. Jarred Allen sacks big Ben five times…

Are you shitting me, just 5!!!

2. Adrian Peterson has one run for over 40 yards, then is held to less than 3 yards per rush after that.

One over 20 yards maybe, 40 is pushing it.

3. Heath Miller sets a personal record for most catches and yards in a game.

I can see this happening, I can also see Jeff Reed being arrested at half time for beating up a ball boy

5. Down by 11 points entering the 4th quarter, Favre leads two scoring drives, the second of which gives the Vikings their first lead of the game.

Ok I was on your side until now, but gosh darn it they won’t come back from 11 down, it will be 13, get it right.

6. On Favre’s final drive of the night, which would put the Steelers down by two scores, he throws an INT to Polamalu, who runs it back deep into Packers’ territory. But the refs make a terrible illegal block call against Ike Taylor and give the Steelers the ball inside their own ten, with less than two minutes to go.

What you talking about Willis???

7. Ben engineers a final drive that culminates in a long, impossible TD pass to Mike Wallace to end the game. Steelers win! Two dozen fans are hospitalized for cardiac arrhythmia.

I think the writer gives Ben too much credit, I mean come on he is no Tom Brady!!! (Can you say sarcasim?)

8. Three days later, the entire nation gets sick of hearing sportscasters say that this game marks the moment that Favre “passed the torch” to a new generation of QB’s.

Wait didn’t Farve already pass the torch back in 300 BC, I believe it was to Fred Flinstone, right?

9. Favre announces that this game convinced him to retire for good. He lies.

He may not announce his retirement but after a day being sacked by Woodley and Harrions 5-6 times he might wish he did.

Well thats all folks. Thanks for reading “Blitzing Tuesday” and check back next week for another exciting episode when we feature how the Steelers will spend their bye week.

Steelers Sack Detriots Late Ralley Attempt

It was a game the Pittsburgh Steelers were supposed to win. One they should dominate. A game verse a team that had won only one of their last 29 contests. It was the Detriot Lions on the schedule and a trap game hidding in the brush.

The Steelers were without all world strong safety, Troy Polamalu and halfback Willy Parker but they still had everything in their favor. A roster full of stars verse one of mainly unknown talent and has or never beens.

What was supposed to be a walk in the park started to look like another fourth quarter meltdown as Detriot began a ralley late in the game and threatened to pull the upset.

The Steelers built a 28-13 lead by mid third quarter and had everything going their way or so it seemed. Then  offensive coordinator Bruce Arians got greedy and things started to come unglued as the offense stalled, while looking one to many times for the kill shot and not enough toward the run game and gave way to a Detriot ralley.

The Lions would make it 28-20 late in the fourth quarter as their defense started to make stops and give their offense extra chances and it looked like they might have a chance to tie the game as they drove down to the Steelers 21 yard line with about two minutes left in the game.

Then out of nowhere it happened. The mighty beast once known as Blitzburgh, or better known as James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley woke up. Defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau dialed it up and the pass rush began to click with three consecutive sacks backing the Lions up to the 45 and yeilding their comeback attempt.

Harrison was not in on any of the three crutial sacks, but he did have three of the Steelers seven on the day.

“We dialed them up,” safety Ryan Clark said. “A lot of other games we haven’t been dialing up the pressures. Coach LeBeau just got aggressive. I guess he figured if we’re going to get beat, if we’re going to give up leads, let’s give them up being who we are.”

The Steelers pulled out the win but have yet to find their identity on either side of the ball. The Defense has struggled without Troy in the mix and the offense can’t seem to find balance in the second half of games.

At 3-2 the season is far from over but if Pittsburgh wants to be alive late in january then they need to fix what ailes them and some extra carries for the halfbacks in the second half of games could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

The kill shot theory is not working. Spreading the ball out and going pass happy while leading big is not the solution as much as it is the problem. The old Steelers would get a big lead and run it down your throat for the win.

Granted these are not your grandpa’s Steelers and that is not completly a bad thing, but balance and getting back to the basics on offense could go a long way in curing the defensive woes.

When you control the trences you also control the clock. Let the run game dictate the tempo and the pass game will find itself.

The kill shot is a great concept, but mixing it in with the run is even better. Not only does your offense eat the clock and move the chains but it allows the defense time to rest.

Though the Steelers pulled out a win, with the way things are going, they can’t expect to do it every week. When they lose site of the basics they also lose. Putting the ball into the halfbacks hands more in the second half will create the balance they have lacked. With that balance, they will find their identity and be well on their way to another Super Bowl run.

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!

Ben Roethlisberger will host WWE’s Monday Night Raw

By MJD

As it turns out, there will be two NFL quarterbacks surrounded by overwhelming hype, fawning announcers and media-whoring nonsense next Monday night: Brett Favre on ESPN, and Ben Roethlisberger on USA. Roethlisberger will serve as a guest host on WWE’s Monday Night Raw.

Large Benjamin will call the shots on Raw for a week; making matches, creating stipulations and maybe throwing a flying clothesline at a bad guy or two. The WWE brings in a different celebrity every week for the job. Shaquille O’Neal’s done it, Jeremy Piven’s done it, Bob Barker’s done it and Reverend Al Sharpton did it last night.

In a move that took me by surprise a bit, Ben Roethlisberger’s doing it, in-season. Maybe it could benefit the Steelers, though. Maybe we’ll hear him say something along these lines: “COMING UP TONIGHT! It’s the BIG SHOW! Against MARK HENRY! On Raw, in a LUMBERJACK MATCH … and in a special stipulation, the winner starts at left tackle FOR THE STEELERS NEXT WEEK!”

Here’s more, from the WWE themselves:

Next week’s special guest host for Monday Night Raw is no stranger to pressure situations and making snap decisions.

Just hours after leading the Pittsburgh Steelers against the San Diego Chargers, Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the defending NFL Super Bowl Champions, will guest host Monday Night Raw at Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., this Monday.

And he’s not coming alone. Roethlisberger, the youngest Super Bowl winning quarterback in NFL history, will be bringing protection in the form of his Steelers’ offensive line teammates to Wilkes-Barre.

 

“Snap decisions.” Whoever wrote that has obviously never seen Roethlisberger drop back and hold onto the ball for 45 seconds.

Anyway, if you come back for our weekly Monday Night Live Blog, I offer you this promise: We’ll have our usual coverage of the Favre-fest on ESPN and bonus coverage of Ben Roethlisberger piledriving his way through Raw. It should make for quite an evening.

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.

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