Tebow'd (from CBSSports.com)

The Steelers got Tebow’d. Sadly, I have little more than that.

How about some thoughts now that the off season has begun?

First, Mike Tomlin needs to make some changes.  Learn more about situational coaching.  I’m not saying he should be strictly reactionary but some display of cognizance of the game at hand would be welcome.

And he should fire Bruce Arians immediately.

Reign in Ben Roethlisberger.  There has to be a happy medium between whipped and gunslinger.

Prepare the team for their opponent.  Continue adjusting (see first point above).

Enough with the platitudes.

This was the worse Steelers defense of the last decade.

Isaac Redman is a keeper.  So is Rashard Mendenhall if the price is right.

Get a new offensive coordinator.

The offensive line needs work.  Kemo has no future on the Steelers line.

Pouncey was a great pick as evidenced by his absense.  Here’s to hoping he can stay healthy.

The future of the defensive line looks bright, but the nose tackle position needs to be addressed asap.

The secondary is still a shambles.

Ike Taylor may play hard but he’s over-rated.

Ben is darn near useless if he can’t move but refuses to throw away the ball.

Bruce Arians must go.

The season was a disappointment.

And while it may often be true that you are what your record says you are, the Steelers were no 12-4 team by any measure other than their record.

And sometimes statistics don’t tell the whole story.  Their #1 Defense was not the best in the NFL.

It can’t be said often enough, fire the guy calling the offensive plays.

It’s four long months until the draft.

It was a  Pittsburgh Steeler day in the AFC North.  The Steelers traveled to Cincinnati and beat a winning team while the Ravens found a way to lose to a terrible Seahawks team in Seattle.  Toss in another Cleveland loss for good measure.

In one day the Steelers rose from third in their division to a share of the AFC lead.  It has been a strange season so far.

The Steelers jumped out to an early 14-0 lead but anyone paying attention this season knew what was coming.  On their next possession the Bengals drove 79 yards for a touchdown.  Three plays later Ben Roethlisberger’s 3rd down pass to Heath Miller was bobbled, tipped in the air and intercepted.  The Bengals converted that turnover into a field goal which the Steelers matched to take a 17-10 halftime lead.

Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived.  After a quick Steelers 3-and-out to start the 2nd half, the Bengals drove 67 yards for a game-tying touchdown.  However, on the next possession the Steelers drove 81 yards for what would be the game-winning score to take a 24-17 lead.

I’ve been trying to figure out the Steelers all season.  Are they the team that was blown out by the Ravens in week one or the unit which just won in Cincinnati today?  This was a quality win for the baffling Steelers and without a doubt we’re due more perplexing play before the North is settled.

Yes, you heard me.  They’re 6-2 and looking every bit like a playoff-caliber team.  Could they win the division?  They control their own destiny with four games remaining against rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Andy “The Ginger QB” Dalton looks like a worthy second round pick this last draft.  As does his favorite target, A.J. Green, their first round pick in ’10.  Green is pulling down 5 receptions per game for an average of 15 yards.  Dalton’s efficiency belies his inexperience  with 12 TDs to only 7 INTs.  His top four targets are wide receivers and the talented tight end, Jermaine Gresham.  These four are pulling down 75% of Dalton’s completions so we’re not talking about dump offs to the running back.

They’re also pounding it on the ground with Cedric Benson running at a 1200 yard pace.

Their defense has been stingy and at 17.5 points allowed, they’re a half point better than the Steelers.

I had no idea.  How did this happen?

The Steelers travel to Cincinnati for week 10.  They better bring their “A” game if they want to get back home in possession of a Wild Card slot.  Yes, it’s time to consider that perhaps they’ll be subletting the Division Title this year.  And it might be to these Cincinnati Bengals.

Still, hope springs eternal and the Steelers were a few muffed plays and bad decisions from victory last week.  I believe they can get it done for the first time this season against a winning team on the road.

Give me the Steelers, 20-19.

When they fell behind 16-6 late in the 3rd quarter, I held little hope for a Steeler victory.  The offense looked inept and the defense could not get off the field on 3rd down, no matter how great the distance.

But then the Steelers offense started running with no huddle.  Ben Roethlisberger called the plays and made adjustments at the line.  They moved the ball.  Two touchdowns and some stingy defense later the Steelers had a 20-16 lead with 4:59 to play.  Judging by their harassment of Joe Flacco in the 4th quarter, it looked like a done deal, the Steelers would pull it out and lead the division.

Not so fast though.  After a quick 3-and-out by Baltimore and a Steelers’ punt following a strange sequence at the end of a 6-play drive, the Ravens got the ball back with 2:24 to play and 92 yards to cover.

They covered it with 8 seconds to spare and won the game 23-20 to sweep the season series from Pittsburgh.

Thus the Steelers began their last eight games as they started their season – losing to the hated Ravens.

Keep your fingers crossed, Steelers fans.  There’s still hope for redemption and revenge in the playoffs.

Tom Brady was 6-1 when he visited Pittsburgh. He and the rest of the NFL-aware world likely figured he’d be 7-1 when the Patriots headed back home. But they forgot about Halloween in Pittsburgh. As in 2004, the Steelers jumped on the Patriots early. Unlike the previous game, the Patriots made it interesting in the end, despite being outplayed in all phases of the game.

The Steelers dominated the statistics, running nearly twice as many plays, doubling the Patriots yardage total and time of possession.  Yet, at the end, the Patriots were a lucky play or two away from winning the game.

Bruce Arians prepared an excellent game plan that called for short and medium passes and plenty of them.  There were 5 yarders to receivers near the middle or sides of the field, medium ones to the flats, and slightly deeper ones to tight ends running up the middle.  For once, Heath Miller was a favored target!  Ben and the offense executed it to near perfection, save for the atrocious interception that gave life to the stunned Patriots.  The offensive line seemed to gel, they blocked well throughout the day and handled the Patriots’ massive defensive tackles Albert Haynesworth and Vince Wilfork.

On the defensive side Dick LeBeau devised a brilliant scheme to stop Tom Brady and his merry band of tight ends and midget receivers.  After years of  zone coverage and blitzes that never seemed to get there, a failing game plan to be sure, LeBeau relied on pressure from the front five while the defensive backs jammed at the line and played man coverage.  Surprisingly, Ike Taylor covered Wes Welker for much of the day.  Rather than risk the mismatch of a linebacker on Rob Gronkowski the Steelers slowed him with defensive backs.  Troy Polamalu turned in a great performance, punctuated by batting a fumbled ball out of the end zone on the Steelers’ final defensive play.

Let’s hope this season turns out better than 2004, Ben’s rookie year.  For while the Steelers beat the Patriots that October day and finished with a 15-1 regular season record, they lost the rematch in the playoffs.  The Patriots went on to win the third Super Bowl of the Brady era.

Next week is Raven’s Week.  Hell, it’s already Monday.  It’s Raven’s Week now!  Hope the boys aren’t enjoying the victory too much, Tomlin should make sure of that.  Have to be ready for the slug fest, the rematch, the grudge match, the Ravens.

No, they’re all good. But Pittsburgh continued to baffle as they hung on for dear life to defeat a terrible Jaguars team at Heinz field.

The Steelers held a 17-3 lead at half time but the score did not indicate their dominance of the over-matched Jacksonville Jaguars. The balanced offensive attack gained over 300 yards while the defense stuffed the Jaguars over and over, yielding less than 70.

But the teams must have switched uniforms before the 3rd quarter because this was a game of two halves. The Steelers offense put on a display of ineptitude while the defense couldn’t get out of its own way. After a quick Steelers 3-and-out the Jacksonvilles spent 10 minutes on an 80 yard touchdown drive aided by a roughing-the-punter penalty and a 4th and 2 conversion. To answer, the Steelers punted 5 times and gained exactly 50 second-half yards.

Thankfully, the clock ran out, preserving a 17-13 victory.

Next up, a road game at Steelers West.

Yes. Yes I do. But not this week. The Steelers put a thumping on Tennessee, they of the Titanic whipping of the Ravens a mere three weeks ago. Those same Ravens who kicked the Steelers down the field, dragged them back up it and kicked them down it again, for 60 straight minutes on opening day.

It’s been a season like that so far and the Steelers have gone from bad to not-so-bad to great to suck and now to mediocre-at-best-until-they-prove-otherwise-by-beating-the-Patriots.

Yes, that’s where the Pittsburgh Steelers are right now.

Granted, the re installment of Max Starks on Big Ben’s blind side along with a quick-release passing attack (whether by Arians’ design or Roethlisberger’s sense of self preservation) seems to have fixed the offense. Add Redman’s no-nonsense running style along with Ben’s willingness to check down to said back and one senses an emergence. But the Titan’s defense is not the Ravens’ defense.

This week the Pittsburgh defense seemed to awaken from a season-long coma. They stuffed the run, keeping Chris Johnson dormant for another week, and covered receivers well enough. Most importantly, they pressured the quarterback. It’s something to build on in the coming weeks.

If a season is about peaking at the right time, the Steelers are in no danger of peaking too soon, they’re the football version of whiskey dick. Perhaps they’ll continue to slowly build through the end of the year, improving week by week until it’s time to explode into the playoffs for another title run.

I bet that’s the plan anyways. So, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a middling team and that’s just fine for now.

They are a bad football team.  Don’t try to sugar coat  it.  There is no hiding from it and no amount of reasoning will change it.  This.  Team.  Sucks.

Sadly, Warren Sapp was correct, the defense is old.  Casey Hampton is finished.  Aaron Smith doesn’t have it.  The secondary is a shambles:  Troy Polamalu, while solid, is not an impact player, Ike Taylor is not a shut-down corner and the rest don’t bear mentioning.  Opposing quarterbacks no longer fear Harrison and Woodley.

Against the Texans they yielded a shameful 5.4 yards per carry.  Matt Shaub had a pleasant afternoon of pitch and catch with friends on his way to a 100.9 rating.  He hit the lockers with a clean jersey and may decide  to use the treadmill before showering.

And while the Steelers seem to be stocked at the offensive skill positions, Bruce Arians’ woeful designs preclude judgement.  Is it the offensive line?  Is it the entire scheme?  Is it the design of the plays?  Their execution?  Who knows?

I will be utterly stunned if this team wins again this season.

I hope Kevin Colbert is planning the next draft because the Steelers need a talent infusion.

As for this season?  Got a fork?

It’s Not the Game We Thought It Was.

Before the season started this game was a no-brainer victory for the Steelers.  Chalk it up, done deal.  Now one can’t be so sure.  First, the Texans look like a contender.  They had a lead on the road against a high-scoring New Orleans Saints team but faltered down the stretch, allowing 23 points in the fourth quarter.  And that’s been the knock against Houston for years, their defense is mediocre at best.  For all their offensive firepower, they have yet to consistently win against good teams.  And that’s the measuring stick, quality wins.

So far the Texans have beaten the Colts and Dolphins and lost a road game to the Saints.  That’s comparable to the Steelers’ opening loss at Baltimore with added home and road victories against terrible teams.

 How Can the Steelers Win?

The Steelers defense must dominate and that begins with shutting down the Houston running game.  Ike Taylor will be tasked with covering all-world receiver Andre Johnson.  But Johnson isn’t the only weapon on offense.  Matt Shaub likes to throw to his running backs and tight ends.  The whole mix works great when the running game produces.  Pundits say the Texans have the best offensive line in the league.  Make sure James Harrison and Lamar Woodley know this, both men must pressure Matt Shaub.

Forget about injuries along the line, there are no more excuses for the offense, they need to play better.  There must be a greater commitment to run the football.  Ben Roethlisberger must not turn over the ball.  The Steelers need to rip some pages out of their playbook, particularly those designed to throw a pass within 5 yards of the LOS.  The Steelers should utilize their big-armed quarterback and collection of speedy receivers to pressure opposing defenses with a vertical attack and pound them with their two power backs and offensive line.

Clearly, Bruce Arians doesn’t believe this.  And Mike Tomlin’s failure to recognize it may be his downfall.  The Steelers have a sublime collection of pouding power and speed but it is wasted in their current offensive scheme.

How Can the Steelers Lose?

If the Steelers travel to Houston and fall behind early, it will be their demise.  If their turnover ratio continues as-is, they will lose.  If they don’t remember that they are the Pittsburgh Steelers, they will lose.  Failure to stop the Houston running game will end in defeat.

Basically, if they don’t do the things they need to win, they will lose.  Football can be that simple.

Prediction

Steelers 27 Texans 20

It was easy enough to write off the opening week loss to the Ravens as an anomaly.

“It was their Super Bowl.”

“They’ve been pumped for that since the schedule came out.”

“It’s only one game, just wait till next week!”

Right.  The week two victory over the Seahawks  was to be expected.  Seattle is a dismal team with a substandard quarterback and no running game.  They are coached by a male cheer leader.  The home opener told us only that they can defeat a vastly inferior team at Heinz Field.

But what if they travel to face a vastly inferior team?  They need to get lucky.

It took almost three games before the Steelers’ defense generated a turnover.  And who coughed up the ball?  Curtis Painter.  Who?  Curtis Fucking Painter, the guy who has a career QB rating of six.  A guy who maybe threw 10 passes in the NFL.  A guy who was held in such low regard by his own team that he was replaced by the retired Kerry but-I’ve-been-slamming-vodkas-all-summer Collins.

The front three aren’t getting a push, there’s no gap for the middle linebackers and the outside backers can’t get off their blocks in time.  When they do, the ball is gone.  When  they don’t, the QB has time to eat a sandwich and take his pick of the tight end, open 20 yards down the middle, or any of the wide receivers running free deep in the secondary.

Why are all these people open?  Because one of the corners fell down and the all-world safety is 4 yards deep in the backfield having bit on another run fake on 3rd and 23.

Things are worse on offense.  The line looks like a bunch of keystone cops, they’re getting pushed into their own quarterback.  They’re falling on him, they’re turning around and whiffing as guys sprint past.  They’re clogging up running lanes and rolling up on their follow lineman’s ankles.  It’s a fucking joke.

My, what a mess.   The Steelers are seriously looking like a last place AFCN team.  Looking up at the Browns and the Bengals?  Don’t bet against it.  The Steelers are a mediocre team?  I wish.