Cleveland v. Steelers: The Friday Injury Report

If practice makes perfect then the Steelers have this week's game in the bag ~ the big revelation for us was that the Browns did not have practice on Thursday, while the Steelers (under the "bah humbug" regime of Mike Tomlin) had, at a minimum, had an abbreviated session on Christmas Day.

Here is the full, and complete report from the NFL:

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Status Report

DOUBTFUL
TE Kellen Winslow (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE
TE Darnell Dinkins (ribs)
LB Leon Williams (knee)
P Dave Zastudil (right knee)

PROBABLE
WR Joshua Cribbs (ankle)
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)
WR Donte’ Stallworth (neck)
G Eric Steinbach (back)
RB Lawrence Vickers (back)

Practice Report (The Browns did not practice on Thursday. The Thursday practice participation designations are an estimation.)

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Wednesday
TE Darnell Dinkins (ribs)
QB Ken Dorsey (concussion)
G Eric Steinbach (back)
LB Leon Williams (knee)
TE Kellen Winslow (ankle)
P Dave Zastudil (knee)

Thursday
TE Darnell Dinkins (ribs)
G Eric Steinbach (back)
LB Leon Williams (knee)
TE Kellen Winslow (ankle)
P Dave Zastudil (right knee)

Friday
TE Darnell Dinkins (ribs)
TE Kellen Winslow (ankle)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Wednesday
RB Charles Ali (not injury related)
WR Joshua Cribbs (ankle)
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)
RB Lawrence Vickers (back)

Thursday
WR Joshua Cribbs (ankle)
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)
RB Lawrence Vickers (back)

Friday
LB Leon Williams (knee)
P Dave Zastudil (right knee)

FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Wednesday
WR Donte' Stallworth (neck)

Thursday
WR Donte’ Stallworth (neck)

Friday
WR Joshua Cribbs (ankle)
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)
WR Donte’ Stallworth (neck)
G Eric Steinbach (back)
RB Lawrence Vickers (back)


PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Status Report

OUT
S Ryan Clark (shoulder)

QUESTIONABLE
LB James Harrison (hip)

PROBABLE
QB Ben Roethlisberger (ankle)

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)
Wednesday
S Ryan Clark (shoulder)

Thursday
S Ryan Clark (shoulder)

Friday
S Ryan Clark (shoulder)

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Wednesday
LB James Harrison (hip)
RB Willie Parker (not injury related)
DE Aaron Smith (not injury related)
CB Deshea Townsend (not injury related)
WR Hines Ward (not injury related)

Thursday
LB James Harrison (hip)

Friday
LB James Harrison (hip)

FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Wednesday
QB Ben Roethlisberger (ankle)

Thursday
QB Ben Roethlisberger (ankle)

Friday
QB Ben Roethlisberger (ankle)"

Cleveland v. Steelers: The Matchups

It is easy to be lulled into the belief that the Steelers are headed into a game that should be a walkover; however given the struggles that both the offense and defense had last week, the hope here is that the team comes out focused, and playing as though playoffs were beginning this Sunday rather than in two weeks.

With visions of a Steelers victory dancing in our heads, we give you this week's numbers.

Cleveland Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average total yards per game: Cleveland offense 31st (257.3) v. Steelers defense 1st (244.7)

Average net rushing yards per game: Cleveland offense 25th (99.7) v. Steelers defense 2nd (78.5)

Average net passing yards per game: Cleveland offense 30th (157.6) v. Steelers defense 1st (166.1)

Average points per game: Cleveland offense 29th (15.5) v. Steelers defense 2nd (14.9)

Steelers Offense v. Cleveland Defense
Average total yards per game: Steelers offense 23rd (308.1) v. Cleveland defense 26th (355.7)

Average net rushing yards per game: Steelers offense 24th (100.8) v. Cleveland defense 29th (150.3)

Average net passing yards per game: Steelers offense 16th (207.3) v. Cleveland defense 12th (205.3)

Average points per game: Steelers offense: 22nd (21.1) v. Cleveland defense 14th (21.3)

Special Teams
Average yards per punt return: Cleveland 21st (8.4) v. Steelers 31st (6.2)

Average yards allowed per punt return: Cleveland 10th (7.8) v. Steelers 4th (6.0)

Average yards per kick return: Cleveland 14th (23.2) v. Steelers 29th (20.2)

Average yards allowed per kick return: Cleveland 18th (23.2) v. Steelers 1st (19.3)

Net yardage punting average: Cleveland 8th (38.8) v. Steelers 24th (35.8)

Opponent net yardage punting average: Cleveland 3rd (34.1) v. Steelers 19th (38.0)

Miscellaneous
Turnover differential: Cleveland 6th (+6) v. Steelers 12th (+3)

Time of possession: Cleveland 30th (27:36) v. Steelers 9th (31:23)

Red Zone touchdown efficiency (touchdowns): Cleveland 30th (36.8%) v. Steelers 13th (54.3%)

Red Zone defense (touchdowns): Cleveland 11th (49.0%) v. Steelers 1st (33.3%)

Sacks allowed: Cleveland 7th (21) v. Steelers 30th (49)

Some Individual Numbers
AFC Passer rating: Ken Dorsey, Not Ranked (26.5) v. Ben Roethlisberger, 10th (80.8)

AFC Leading rushers: Jamal Lewis, 6th (908 yards) v. Willie Parker, 13th (673 yards)

AFC Leading receiver: Braylon Edwards, 26th (54 catches, 872 yards, 16.1 per catch, 3 touchdowns) v. Hines Ward, 9th (75 catches, 973 yards, 12.97 yards per catch, 7 touchdowns)

AFC Passes Dropped: Braylon Edwards, 1st (16) v. Hines Ward, 6th (7)

AFC Sack Leaders: Shaun Rogers, 28th (4.5) v. James Harrison, 2nd (16.0)

AFC Interception Leaders: Brandon McDonald, 4th (5, 1 touchdown) v. Troy Polamalu, 1t (7. 0 touchdowns)

Cleveland Week: The Mike Tomlin Press Conference

This week's press conference featured a prolonged, and painful, visit from Santa Claus. Here is some of what Mike Tomlin eventually discussed.

Injuries
The team has a few bumps and bruises ~ some players (e.g. James Harrison and Ben Roethlisberger) will be limited early in the week but will play on Sunday.

Ryan Clark has a separated shoulder, and will miss this week's game. Tyron Carter and Anthony Madison will replace him.

Brett Keisel played well after having been out for a number of games.

Comments
Mr. Tomlin is unwilling to make too much of the loss versus Tennessee, just as he was unwilling to make too much of the wins leading up to that game.

The loss to Tennessee was simply a matter of execution; and the ability of the Titans' backups to perform well is the result of having played regularly during the season.

Despite the fact that Cleveland is struggling, Jamal Lewis and Braylon Edwards are excellent performers. Also, the Cleveland defensive secondary is among the best in the league. Finally, Joshua Cribbs has hurt the Steelers in the past.

The fact that Cleveland is using their third-string quarterback may be significant in the game, but it is not necessarily a deciding factor in-and-of itself.

Mr. Tomlin is concerned about the Steelers' running game, and sees running effectively as an important factor in winning in the playoffs. He is concerned about the negative runs (i.e. running plays that resulted in losses) from last week's game, but he is unwilling to assign blame to any particular person or group.

Punting by Mitch Berger was very good against Tennessee.

Max Starks has "stood up well" for the Steelers this season, but has big challenges ahead.

Mr. Tomlin declined to answer a question regarding his thoughts on LenDale White's antics at the end of last Sunday's game, vis-a-vis the Terrible Towel.

The practice schedule this week allows the players to spend some time at home Thursday morning, but there will be practice on Christmas day.

The Greatest Day in Franchise History

All the Super Bowls, the great games, the great players.

December 23, 1972 is still the greatest day in the history of the
Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers @ Tennessee: The Good,the Bad, & the Ugly

We have always tried be "half glass full" kinds of observers, but sometimes the Steelers make it very difficult. But in an effort to stay positive we offer up this tidbit: four turnovers and a missed field goal, and Pittsburgh only lost by 10? Good job guys!

However, as we do each time the Steelers lose, we also want to give credit to Tennessee. Accepting the largesse of Ben Roethlisberger (i.e. his turnovers) is one thing, doing something with that generosity is quite another. The Titans used the turnovers to put 21 points on the board, and that is the hallmark of a good team.

A couple of other notes before getting into the meat of things: The Steelers lost their first game of the season in which their opponent scored first, and the Steelers' defense surrendered more than 300 yards of total offense (323 to be exact) for the first time in their last fourteen games.

But those things will seem minor once we have finished with our rant.

The Good

1. The best player in a Steelers uniform on Sunday was Mitch Berger. Yes, that is how bad Sunday's performance was. But we do not want to take anything away from Mr. Berger ~ he had a 44.0 yard gross average on five kicks, a net average of 39.4 yards (by way of comparison, his counterpart on Tennessee ~ Craig Hentrich ~ could only must a net average of 33.7 yards), and his long kick on the day was 50 yards. As a result of his effectiveness, and despite the fumbles and interceptions, Tennessee, on average, began their drives from their own 29 yard line. Well done Mitch!


2. We were not impressed by much else, but the performances by James Farrior, Ryan Clark and Ike Taylor did stand out. Those three combined for more than half of the defense's tackles (i.e. 23 of 44), and nearly half of the assists (i.e. 8 of 20). Additionally, Mr. Clark and Mr. Taylor played reasonably well in pass coverage. On what was arguably the worst day the Steelers' defense has had this season these three players were the closest thing that unit had to a bright spot.


3. For the second consecutive game Hines Ward had a very good game ~ this week it was seven catches for 109 yards and a hard fought touchdown (last week he had eight catches for 107 yards, and no touchdowns). His fumble was recovered by Santonio Holmes, so even his lone miscue did not hurt the team. To reiterate our point from last week, in the four games leading up to the Baltimore game Mr. Ward had 18 receptions (and 11 of those were in the game against San Diego) for 200 yards. Compare that with his two most recent games: 15 catches for 216 yards. Like John Fox said ~ people remember what you do in December. So far, Hines Ward is having a December to remember.

The Bad

1. Dick LeBeau is a defensive football genius, we believe that with every ounce of our being. However, it seems pretty obvious to us that teams have figured out how to shut down James Harrison ~ his sack on Sunday was the result of sheer determination ~ and LaMarr Woodley. Kerry Collins had ridiculous amounts of time to throw the football; and while we acknowledge the great play of Tennessee's offensive line, we also have to tell it like it is ~ Coach LeBeau got schooled by the Titans' offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger.
   
   Also, as if the passing of Kerry Collins was not galling enough, for the fourth consecutive game the Steelers' defense surrendered at least 95 yards rushing (on November 30th the Patriots rushed for 122 yards, on December 7th Dallas rushed for 95 yards, on December 14th the Ravens rushed for 112 yards, and Tennessee rushed for 117 yards, with 80 of those yards coming in the second half). This trend is a eerily reminiscent of last season when the Steelers were #1 in average yards allowed per game and #2 against rush. Then they played Jacksonville in week 15 only to give up 224 yards on the ground (and gave up another 135 yards of rushing against the Jaguars in their Wild Card matchup). Perhaps it was one bad game, but the trend is a concern.


2. We do not know if the blame rests with a single player, but the inability of the Steelers to consistently generate some kind of positive yardage of punt returns is becoming something of a joke. Mr. Holmes managed to gain a grand total of two yards on two punt returns. His longest return was for six yards. The punt return unit has been a disappointment throughout the season, and Sunday was definitely no exception.

The Ugly

1. Jeff Reed's missed 33-yard field goal was, arguably, the key to the whole game. Yes the turnovers were devastating, especially Ben Roethlisberger's first fumble, however if Mr. Reed had made his field goal attempt (and everything else had remained exactly the same) then the Steelers would have had the football, in the fourth quarter, with 2:26 play, looking for a touchdown instead of two scores. Maybe the interception return for a touchdown does not happen. Maybe. But, given the abysmal play of the Steelers on Sunday it probably would not have mattered, but it still would have been interesting to see it play out.


2. In an interview with Jim Rome on Thursday, Ben Roethlisberger indicated that he and his teammates would be able to player "looser" by virtue of having clinched the #2 spot in the AFC with their win against Baltimore the previous Sunday. If by "looser" he meant two interceptions and four fumbles (two of which he lost) then, mission accomplished!


3. Thank goodness Albert Haynesworth did not play on Sunday or else Ben Roethlisberger might have actually been killed. The offensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers ~ specifically Max Starks and Chris Kemoeatu ~ was overmatched by rooking defensive tackle Jason Jones? Mr. Jones, a rookie, entered the game with 1.5 career sacks and finished the game Sunday with 5.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. Not to mention that the Steelers running backs accumulated a grand total of 57 yards rushing. With the playoffs fast-approaching, the Pittsburgh offensive line is running out of time to elevate their play; and if this is the best the can do against a depleted defensive line then it is hard to envision a playoff scenario in which the Steelers will go very far.

Steelers @ Tennessee: The Friday Injury Report

Much has been made of Albert Haynesworth missing this weekend's game against the Steelers, and understandably so, but I also took note that Jevon Kearse's name popped up today ~ specifically that his participation in practice was limited on Friday because of a groin injury.

Frankly, I would be glad to see his participation in Sunday's game limited as well.

Here is the full and complete injury report from the NFL:

"PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Status Report

OUT
T Marvel Smith (back)

QUESTIONABLE
DE Brett Keisel (knee)

PROBABLE
S Ryan Clark (foot)
LB James Harrison (foot)
S Troy Polamalu (foot)
LB LaMarr Woodley (knee)

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
S Ryan Clark (foot)
LB James Harrison (foot)
RB Willie Parker (not injury related)
S Troy Polamalu (foot)
DE Aaron Smith (not injury related)
T Marvel Smith (back)
WR Hines Ward (not injury related)
LB LaMarr Woodley (knee)

Thursday
T Marvel Smith (back)

Friday
T Marvel Smith (back)

FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DE Brett Keisel (knee)

Thursday
S Ryan Clark (foot)
LB James Harrison (foot)
DE Brett Keisel (knee)
S Troy Polamalu (foot)
LB LaMarr Woodley (knee)

Friday
S Ryan Clark (foot)
LB James Harrison (foot)
DE Brett Keisel (knee)
S Troy Polamalu (foot)
LB LaMarr Woodley (knee)


TENNESSEE TITANS

Status Report

OUT
DT Albert Haynesworth (knee)
DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin)
CB Cary Williams (quadricep)

PROBABLE
CB Chris Carr (illness)
DE Jevon Kearse (groin)
LB David Thornton (hip)

Practice Report
OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
DT Albert Haynesworth (knee)
DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin)

Thursday
DT Albert Haynesworth (knee)
DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin)

Friday
DT Albert Haynesworth (knee)
DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin)

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB David Thornton (hip)
CB Cary Williams (quadricep)

Thursday
CB Cary Williams (quadricep)

Friday
CB Chris Carr (illness)
LB David Thornton (hip)
CB Cary Williams (quadricep)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Friday
DE Jevon Kearse (groin)

FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Thursday
LB David Thornton (hip)"

Aaron Smith, Your Defensive Player of the Week

On Wednesday the NFL announced that the Steelers' defensive end Aaron Smith had been chosen as the defensive player of the week. Here is the portion of the NFL's press release addressing Mr. Smith's selection:

"DEFENSE: DE AARON SMITH, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Smith registered eight tackles, one sack and two quarterback pressures in a 13-9 road win over Baltimore as the Steelers clinched the AFC North title in back-to-back seasons. A former fourth-round pick by the Steelers in 1999, Smith played a pivotal role as Pittsburgh’s defense limited Baltimore to 202 total yards on offense and held Ravens rookie quarterback JOE FLACCO to a 22.2 passer rating. The Steelers defense has held opposing offenses to less than 300 yards in 14 consecutive games, which ties the 1973 Los Angeles Rams for an NFL record. Through Week 15, Pittsburgh’s defense ranks first in the NFL allowing 239.1 yards per game.

In his 10th year from Northern Colorado, this is Smith’s first Defensive Player of the Week Award. He joins safety TROY POLAMALU (Week 2) and linebacker JAMES HARRISON (Week 11) as the third Steelers defensive player to win the award in 2008."

On Newsstands Now

The folks at Sports Illustrated were nice enough to send along an image of the cover of this week's issue of the magazine ~ and it is just too lovely not to share.

They also included a press release outlining their coverage of last Sunday's matchup between Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and I'm including it here in its entirety:

"(NEW YORK – December 16, 2008) – Pittsburgh and Baltimore, the best defenses of the decade, met to decide the AFC North—and to settle the debate over which unit can claim to be the NFL's best. The answer is etched in steel, and linebacker LaMarr Woodley, a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense, appears on the cover of the December 22, 2008, issue of Sports Illustrated, with the billing, STEEL CURTAIN II -DEFENSE - That Same Old December Song in the NFL.

In this week’s cover story titled D As in Dominant, SI senior writer Jim Trotter says of the game and the defenses: “Sunday’s battle provided everything one would expect from the NFL's top-ranked defenses, with offensive advances seemingly measured in inches rather than yards…. As the Steelers walked to the locker room afterward, one member of the defense barked, ‘Fourteen games in a row! Fourteen games in row! There shouldn't be no debate now!’ What he meant was, the 11–3 Steelers, who entered the game with the league's No. 1 defense, have held their opponents to less than 300 yards of total offense in every game this season, tying the postmerger record set by the Los Angeles Rams in 1973; and any talk that the Ravens’ No. 2-ranked defense is the better unit should cease” (page 34).

Trotter adds: “Despite the hostile nature of the rivalry, there is a mutual respect between the two units, and they are more alike than players on either side care to admit.”

The masterminds behind the two defenses are coordinators Dick LeBeau (Steelers) and Rex Ryan (Ravens). Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin praises LeBeau: “Dick is the epitome of a team player. He has no ego. He just wants to win. If I had come in and tried to change the defense, it would have been about ego. But we all have to check our egos at the door. I’ve worked with guys like Tony Dungy and Monte Kiffin, and I viewed working with Dick as another opportunity to work with a brilliant defensive mind. Every day he’s tinkering, trying to figure out how to do something better. He comes to work with an emphasis on getting better every day.”

Continuing on Rex Ryan [son of Buddy], Trotter says: “[Ryan] has tweaked the D to his liking, making it even more unpredictable and aggressive. He seemingly comes up with new pressure packages in his sleep, but one thing he refuses to change is what he looks for in a player.”

Ryan says: “It’s not necessarily the position, it’s the disposition. You’ve got to have the right guys, the right mentality, to have consistency. Every now and then you get a flash-in-the-pan team that shows up and has a decent year on defense. But for the most part it’s usually us and Pittsburgh right there with each other, and I think it has a lot to do with the type of players we have—and the mind-set of those players. There’s a passion that both teams play with on defense.”

As part of the cover story, SI senior writer Peter King takes a more in depth look at the philosophies of LeBeau and Ryan."

Steelers @ Tennessee: The Matchups

When looking at this game there are any number of directions to go.

For instance, the Steelers are 6-0 in which their opponent has scored first, and Tennessee is 8-1 in games in which they have scored first.

There is the fact that the Steelers have struggled mightily in Nashville (2-8 in their last ten games at Tennessee, and have been outscored 223-185).

Of course there is also the fact that, here in 2008, the Steelers defense continues to stake their claim to being the best Steelers' defense ever. For example, according to a brief item in the Los Angeles Times the Steelers have now tied the record for most consecutive games without yielding 300 yards of offense (the 1973 Los Angeles Rams previously held the record by themselves). Additionally, opposing quarterbacks have been held to a 60.9 collective QB rating, and running backs are gaining an average of 3.2 yards per carry ~ the lowest such average since the 2000 season.

Here is how the numbers measure up this week:

Tennessee Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average total yards per game: Tennessee offense 19th (326.5) v. Steelers defense 1st (239.1)

Average net rushing yards per game: Tennessee offense 5th (142.8) v. Steelers defense 2nd (75.8)

Average net passing yards per game: Tennessee offense 25th (183.7) v. Steelers defense 1st (163.3)

Average points per game: Tennessee offense 10th (24.57) v. Steelers defense 1st (13.71)

Steelers Offense v. Tennessee Defense
Average total yards per game: Steelers offense 24th (303.4) v. Tennessee defense 4th (281.0)

Average net rushing yards per game: Steelers offense 23rd (102.9) v. Tennessee defense 9th (93.4)

Average net passing yards per game: Steelers offense 17th (200.5) v. Tennessee defense 5th (187.6)

Average points per game: Steelers offense: 21st (21.57) v. Tennessee defense 2nd (14.07)

Special Teams
Average yards per punt return: Tennessee 12th (9.9) v. Steelers 28th (6.5)

Average yards allowed per punt return: Tennessee 16th (9.6) v. Steelers 4th (5.8)

Average yards per kick return: Tennessee 5th (24.7) v. Steelers 30th (20.4)

Average yards allowed per kick return: Tennessee 30th (25.4) v. Steelers 1st (19.4)

Net yardage punting average: Tennessee 16th (36.8) v. Steelers 27th (35.6)

Opponent net yardage punting average: Tennessee 5th (35.9) v. Steelers 23rd (38.4)

Miscellaneous
Turnover differential: Tennessee 2nd (+10) v. Steelers 8th (+7)

Time of possession: Tennessee 20th (29:41) v. Steelers 9th (31:25)

Red Zone touchdown efficiency (touchdowns): Tennessee 5th (61.4%) v. Steelers 11th (56.8%)

Red Zone defense (touchdowns): Tennessee 12th (50.0%) v. Steelers 1st (31.7%)

Sacks allowed: Tennessee 1st (8) v. Steelers 29th (44)

Some Individual Numbers
AFC Passer rating: Kerry Collins, 11th (78.7) v. Ben Roethlisberger, 10th (80.2)

AFC Leading rushers: Chris Johnson, 2nd (1,159 yards) v. Willie Parker, 13th (644 yards)
Note: Lendale White is the 10th leading rushing in the AFC with 700 yards.

Leading receivers: Bo Scaife, 25th (53 catches, 528 yards, 9.96 per catch, 1 touchdowns) v. Hines Ward, 10th (68 catches, 864 yards, 12.7 yards per catch, 6 touchdowns)

AFC Passes Dropped: Justin Gage, 8th (6 ~ tied) v. Hines Ward, 5th (7 ~ tied)
Note: Santonio Holmes officially has 6 dropped passes.

AFC Sack Leaders: Albert Haynesworth, 7th (8.5) v. James Harrison, 2nd (15.0)
Note: Jacob Ford is Tennessee's leading, active sacker with 6.0

AFC Interception Leaders: Cortland Finnegan, 3rd (5, 1 touchdown) v. Troy Polamalu, 1st (7, 0 touchdowns)

Peter King Talks Steelers Football,and Something Even More Important

Peter King's "Monday Morning Quarterback" column is a must read for all football fans, and this week there is a great deal of discussion regarding the Steelers-Ravens game ~ specifically how it ended. Mr. King also gives the Steelers their due for performing well in the face of a difficult schedule; but the most important part of this week's column has nothing to do with the Steelers.

Instead Mr. King uses his platform to focus attention on the efforts of Minnesota Vikings center Matt Birk to raise money for former players by donating $50,000 from this week's gamecheck to the organization Gridiron Greats, an organization whose mission is to assist former players in need, and is calling on all NFL players to do the same.

Mr. King uses the story of former NFL player Dwight Harrison to illustrate the plight of too many former players ~ Mr. Harrison "is a 60-year-old man, living alone, in a FEMA trailer in Beaumont, Texas, with no running water and an income of $637 a month from a Social Security disability fund. He gets no pension or medical benefits from the NFL or NFLPA, and the medication he needs eats up much of his monthly stipend."

It is an issue that receives far too little attention, and one in which too few fans take an interest. Moreover, while few of us can match the generosity of Mr. Birk it would be wonderful to see the league make an attempt to mobilize its considerable fan base to give something back to any and all former players who have fallen on hard times.

Titans Week: The Mike Tomlin Press Conference

Thanks to the auspices of ESPN 1250 we were able to listen in on Mike Tomlin's press conference. Here are some of what he said:

Opening Comments
Tennessee represents another big challenge ~ "they're in pole position in the AFC . . . thye're very good in all areas . . . +10 in turnovers . . . well-coached by Jeff Fisher."

Lendale White and Chris Johnson "are spectacular."

Kerry Collins "utilizes all five eligibles" ~ throwing passes to everyone. He is equally effective in short passing and vertical passing.

The Tennessee offensive line is outstanding.

The Titans' defense has great continuity ~ Keith Bulluck is one of the "best linebackers in the game."

On special teams, Chris Carter is a "dynamic return man."

Injuries
No major injuries were sustained in the game versus Baltimore.

The team is beginning to get healthy "at the appropriate time."

William Gay and Mewelde Moore have both taken advantage of the opportunities presented by the injuries that the Steelers have suffered.

Comments
The coaching staff is working to keep the players "humble and grounded," and the schedule (i.e. the tough teams on the schedule) helps in that regard.

Tennessee rotates defensive linemen, and all of them have been effective in the 4-3 scheme. The Titan's defense is dominant because of their excellent players.

Willie Parker is a very important part of the football team ~ "he's a worker who just wants to win;" and that is why Mr. Parker went out for the coin toss versus Baltimore.

The Baltimore special teams did an excellent job effecting field position(negatively for the Steelers), but Pittsburgh is "mentally tough football team," and as a result they were able to overcome that challenge.

The Steelers are trying to stay focused by living "one snap at a time."

Lendale White "appears" to be an unselfish back who shares carries as a professional after having done so in college as well.

Mr. Tomlin declined to tell the reporters what he would have done if Santonio Holmes had not been ruled in the end zone (i.e. on fourth down).

The comeback wins that the Steelers have had the last two weeks have "strengthened the resolve" of the team, and is preparing them for the playoffs.

"There's nothing mystical about home field [advantage in the playoffs]" other than having the home crowd on the team's side.

The ability to "not ride the emotional roller coaster" enables teams to see situations clearly, and make corrections.

The Steelers' receivers are capable of making plays, and demonstrated that in the winning drive versus Baltimore.

Kerry Collins does not make mistakes, and "is very inclusive" in distributing the ball ~ getting consistent pressure on the quarterback (not necessarily sacks) is critical to any success the Steelers might have on Sunday.

On Ben Roethlisberger, Mr. Tomlin said "I'm glad he plays for us."

The Steelers are "fresher" both physically and mentally because they are winning.

Steelers @ Tennessee: Injury Update

NFL Radio is reporting that two of Tennessee's more important defensive players will miss Sunday's matchup with Pittsburgh.

According to Tim Ryan of NFL Radio's "Movin' the Chains" show Albert Haynesworth will miss the game due to a sprained medial collateral ligament. So far this season Mr. Haynesworth leads the Titans in sacks with 8, and has a total of 51 tackles (41 solo, 10 assists).

Also out (with a groin injury) is defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, the Titans' third leading sacker (4 on the season, tied with Jevon Kearse and Dave Ball), who has 24 tackles on the season (12 solo, 12 assists).

Pittsburgh Steelers Fanatic will have the complete, final injury report from the NFL on Friday.

Rule 15, Section 9: Instant Replay

In the aftermath of Sunday's game between the Steelers and Ravens there seems to be a great deal of interest in the official NFL rules governing both a touchdown and instant replay. The definition of a touchdown has already been posted in our postgame commentary, but as a public service here is the full-text of the NFL's official rules on instant replay (note: While I have altered some of the formatting of the document, in order to enhance readability, none of the actual text has been changed):

Section 9 Instant Replay
The League will employ a system of Referee Replay Review to aid officiating for reviewable plays as defined below. Prior to the two-minute warning of each half, a Coaches’ Challenge System will be in effect. After the two-minute warning of each half, and throughout any overtime period, a Referee Review will be initiated by a Replay Assistant from a Replay Booth comparable to the location of the coaches’ booth or Press Box. The following procedures will be used:

Coaches’ Challenge. In each game, a team will be permitted two challenges that will initiate Referee Replay reviews. Each challenge will require the use of a team timeout. If a challenge is upheld, the time out will be restored to the challenging team. A challenge will only be restored if a team is successful on both of its challenges, in which case it shall be awarded a third challenge, but a fourth challenge will not be permitted under any circumstances. No challenges will be recognized from a team that has exhausted its time outs. A team that is out of time outs or has used all of its available challenges may not attempt to initiate an additional challenge.
Penalty: For initiating a challenge when all of a team’s time outs have been exhausted or when all of its available challenges have been used: Loss of 15 yards.

Replay Assistant’s Request for Review. After the two-minute warning of each half, and throughout any overtime period, any Referee Review will be initiated by a Replay Assistant. There is no limit to the number of Referee Reviews that may be initiated by the Replay Assistant. His ability to initiate a review will be unrelated to the number of time outs that either team has remaining, and no time out will be charged for any review initiated by the Replay Assistant.

Reviews by Referee. All Replay Reviews will be conducted by the Referee on a field-level monitor after consultation with the other covering official(s), prior to review. A decision will be reversed only when the Referee has indisputable visual evidence available to him that warrants the change.

Time Limit. Each review will be a maximum of 60 seconds in length, timed from when the Referee begins his review of the replay at the field-level monitor.

Reviewable Plays. The Replay System will cover the following play situations only:

(a) Plays governed by Sideline, Goal Line, End Zone, and End Line:

1. Scoring Plays, including a runner breaking the plane of the goal line.

2. Pass complete/incomplete/intercepted at sideline, goal line, end zone, and end line.

3. Runner/receiver in or out of bounds.

4. Recovery of loose ball in or out of bounds.

(b) Passing Plays:
1. Pass ruled complete/incomplete/intercepted in the field of play.

2. Touching of a forward pass by an ineligible receiver.

3. Touching of a forward pass by a defensive player.

4. Quarterback (Passer) forward pass or fumble.

5. Illegal forward pass beyond line of scrimmage.

6. Illegal forward pass after change of possession.

7. Forward or backward pass thrown from behind line of scrimmage.

(c) Other Detectable Infractions:

1. Runner ruled not down by defensive contact.

2. Runner ruled down by defensive contact when the recovery of a fumble by an
opponent or a teammate occurs in the action that happens following the
fumble.
Note 1: If the ruling of down by contact is changed, the ball belongs to the recovering player at the spot of the recovery of the fumble, and any advance is nullified.
Note 2: If the Referee does not have indisputable visual evidence as to which player recovered the fumble, the ruling of down by contact will stand.
Note 3: This does not apply to quarterback pass/fumbles, complete/incomplete passes,
or the ruling of forward progress.

3. Forward progress with respect to a first down.

4. Touching of a kick.

5. A field goal or Try attempt that crosses below or above the crossbar, inside or outside the uprights when it is lower than the top of the uprights, or touches anything.

6. Number of players on the field.

7. Illegal forward handoff.

Note: Non-reviewable plays include but are not limited to:

1. Status of the clock

2. Proper down

3. Penalty administration

4. Runner ruled down by defensive contact (not involving fumbles)

5. Forward progress not relating to first down or goal line

6. Forceouts

7. Recovery of loose ball in the field of play

8. Field goals that cross above either upright without touching anything.

9. Inadvertent Whistle

Steelers @ Ravens: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

I've made much of Pittsburgh's struggles in Baltimore, and that fact makes Sunday's victory all the more special. Oh, and clinching the AFC North title, and a first round bye in the playoffs, and putting themselves in a position to earn the #1 seed in the AFC (in another locale ~ Tennessee ~ where they have underperformed), all of that is pretty special too.

There are so many things to discuss, but let's begin with some statistical notes:

• The Steelers are now a perfect 6-0 in those games in which their opponent has scored first.


• Ben Roethlisberger recorded his 50th win as a starting quarterback in the NFL.


• According to the Steelers' media department the win versus Baltimore is the 550th of the franchise since the merger of the AFL and NFL, and is the highest win total of any AFC franchise.

Without further adieu, here are some of my thoughts on this week's game:

The Good

1. I try not to get into matters of officiating, but given that John Harbaugh was complaining about the touchdown call in his postgame press conference, we offer up the following quote from the NFL Rule Book: "A touchdown is the situation in which any part of the ball, legally in possession of a player in bounds, is on, above, or behind the opponent's goal line (plane) provided it is not a touchback" (Rule 3, Section 39). Rule 11, section 2, article 1 reinforces this important fact ~ the ball does not have to cross the plane ~ it simply has to touch the line
   ("Rule 11, Scoring, Section 2 Touchdown Article 1 It is a touchdown (3-38):
   (a) the ball is on, above, or behind the plane of the opponent’s goal line and is in possession of a runner who has advanced from the field of play; or
   (b) a ball in possession of an airborne runner is on, above, or behind the plane of the goal line, and some part of the ball was passed over or inside the pylon; or
   (c) a ball in player possession touches the pylon, provided that no part of the player’s body, except his hands or feet, struck the ground before the ball touched the pylon; or
   (d) Any player who is legally inbounds catches or recovers a loose ball (3-2-3) on or behind the opponent’s goal line; or
   (e) The Referee awards a touchdown to a team that has been denied one by a palpably unfair act.")
   
   Given that fact, not surprisingly, the view from here is that the touchdown call was correct, albeit close.
   
   If Ravens fans want something about which they can complain, consider this: Of the Ravens' twelve offensive possessions none began at or inside their own 20 yard line. Eight of those possessions began at or outside their own 35 yard line; and three began on the Steelers' side of the field ~ and they still came away with only nine points. Can't blame the officials for that.


2. Moving on, the offensive line, despite multiple penalties being called against them, was amazing. Indeed, considering the excellence of the defense they were facing, it was arguably their finest performance of the season. Sacked three times and rushed on more than a few occasions, Ben Roethlisberger had still had time to deliver on target passes throughout the contest; and the job that the line did on the final, game winning drive (not to mention the final, scrambling touchdown pass) was as good a job as an offensive line can do. Additionally, the Steelers managed to rush for 91 yards ~ 22 yards better than the first meeting this season between these two teams ~ and 311 total yards of offense ~ 74 yards more than their previous meeting this season; and everyone remembers (I'm sure) that the first meeting went to overtime.
   
   Special recognition goes to the oft maligned Max Starks ~ none of the three sacks on Mr. Roethlisberger came from the blind side (indeed my recollection is that they came from up the middle), meaning that Mr. Starks and those who helped him (i.e. Max Spaeth, Heath Miller, and Mewelde Moore) in pass protection were terrific.


3. Speaking of Ben Roethlisberger, his performance in managing the game was so refreshing. He threw the football away when no receivers were open, he ran the football when there was an opportunity to do so, he moved laterally in order to keep plays alive, and he did not allow himself to become frustrated by the inconsistent play of a couple of his receivers. In other words his performance was a mature one, and he showed the calm of a leader during the winning drive. His statistics are fairly run-of-the-mill (22/40, 246 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, QB rating 81.9), but he kept his poise under duress and led his team to an important victory.


4. All of this would be pointless if not for the continued excellence of the defense. Yes, James Harrison was largely contained (and continues to make a habit of crashing down the line while a running back carries the ball outside of the spot he just vacated) as was LaMarr Woodley, but there is no doubt that Lawrence Timmons more than picked up the slack ~ delivering a beautiful open field tackle on special teams, a ferocious hit on Derrick Mason, and a sack and strip on Joe Flacco (a huge play in the game) ~ in playing his best game as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
   
   We continue to be concerned about the rushing yardage suddenly being surrendered by the Pittsburgh defense (112 yards this week) but the scoreboard does not lie, and nine points allowed in an NFL game is mind boggling.


5. Hine Ward was criticized here last week, but this week we come to praise him. One clutch catch, often times going over the middle without fear or hesitation, after another literally made up for the inconsistent (i.e. maddening) play of his colleagues at the wide receiver position. Moreover, his eight catches and 107 yards is (in both categories) more than he accumulated in his previous three games combined.
   
   Well done Hines, well done.

The Bad

1. Coming into the game the special teams, specifically the punt coverage and kick coverage teams, were amongst the best in the NFL.
   
   Not on Sunday.
   
   The outstanding field position that the Ravens enjoyed all day was the direct result of the beat down that Baltimore's special teams delivered on Pittsburgh's. The Ravens averaged 18.0 yards per punt return (even if the 46-yard return is excluded they averaged 11.0 yards per return which is still 4.3 yards more per average return) and 22.8 yards per kick return (5.6 yards more than the average allowed coming into the game).
   
   As for the returns teams, the punt return unit gained a grand total of five yards on three punt returns and the kick return unit averaged 17.5 yards per return (the lone bright spot on special teams ~ that is .3 yards more than the average kick return coming into the game).
   
   The abysmal performance of these units should keep Bob Ligashesky working long hours all week in preparation for next week's game.


2. Nate Washington is making me crazy.
   
   Drop one pass, catch one pass.
   
   I believe that he may now have the team lead in that dubious category; and it is only the big plays that he did make that kept him from sinking into the "ugly" section of this posting. Also, I have grown weary of watching him run the football (either on a designed running play of after a reception) only to come to a veritable standstill as he approaches would-be tacklers. Feel free to deliver a hit every now and again, Nate. But only after you start catching those balls that are hitting you in the hands.

The Ugly

1. Santonio Holmes caught the winning touchdown pass ~ and it is a good thing that he did.
   
   The poor punt return totals? That was Santonio Holmes.
   
   Dropped pass on 3rd-and-6 in the first quarter? That was Santonio Holmes.
   
   Two fumbles, including one that gave Baltimore the football at Pittsburgh's 16 yard line? That was also Santonio.
   
   Indeed, until that touchdown catch I have to say that the best thing he did the entire game was to block downfield for his teammates.
   
   On the day when Santonio Holmes scored the winning touchdown he was the one player whose poor play cost the team the most.


2. A personal foul on Jeff Reed? Now that was a bad call.

Steelers @ Baltimore: The Friday Injury Report

Heading into the biggest game of the NFL weekend, we were intrigued to see that Ravens kicker Matt Stover is nursing an ankle injury; and after not practicing Wednesday or Thursday his participation on Friday was limited. So while the "experts" go on about the defensive struggle that will ensue on Sunday they seem to be ignoring an important, developing story (i.e. will Mr. Stover be able to kick as effectively as usual?).

Here is the full injury report from the NFL"

"PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Status Report

OUT
DE Brett Keisel (knee)
T Marvel Smith (back)


QUESTIONABLE
RB Carey Davis (calf)


PROBABLE
LB James Harrison (knee)
S Troy Polamalu (calf)


Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
RB Carey Davis (calf)
DE Brett Keisel (knee)
RB Willie Parker (not injury related)
S Troy Polamalu (calf), DE Aaron Smith (not injury related)
T Marvel Smith (back)
CB Deshea Townsend (not injury related)
WR Hines Ward (not injury related)


Thursday
RB Carey Davis (calf)
LB James Harrison (knee)
DE Brett Keisel (knee)
T Marvel Smith (back)


Friday
DE Brett Keisel (knee)
T Marvel Smith (back)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Thursday
S Troy Polamalu (calf)


Friday
RB Carey Davis (calf)
LB James Harrison (knee)
S Troy Polamalu (calf)


BALTIMORE RAVENS



Status Report

DOUBTFUL
WR Marcus Maxwell (hip)
RB Ray Rice (calf)

PROBABLE
WR Mark Clayton (knee)
WR Yamon Figurs (knee)
T Jared Gaither (shoulder)
G David Hale (ankle)
S Jim Leonhard (illness)
WR Derrick Mason (shoulder)
S Ed Reed (thigh)
CB Samari Rolle (thigh)
K Matt Stover (right ankle)


Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Thursday
WR Marcus Maxwell (hip)

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Antwan Barnes (not injury related)
WR Mark Clayton (knee)
WR Yamon Figurs (knee)
S Jim Leonhard (illness)
WR Derrick Mason (shoulder)
RB Willis McGahee (not injury related)
S Ed Reed (thigh), RB Ray Rice (calf)
K Matt Stover (right ankle)

Thursday
T Jared Gaither (shoulder)
WR Derrick Mason (shoulder)
RB Ray Rice (calf)
K Matt Stover (right ankle)

Friday
WR Marcus Maxwell (hip)
RB Ray Rice (calf)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
T Jared Gaither (shoulder)
G David Hale (ankle)

Thursday
WR Mark Clayton (knee)
WR Yamon Figurs (knee)
G David Hale (ankle)
S Ed Reed (thigh)
CB Samari Rolle (thigh)

Friday
T Jared Gaither (shoulder)
S Jim Leonhard (illness)
WR Derrick Mason (shoulder)
K Matt Stover (right ankle)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Thursday
S Jim Leonhard (illness)

Friday
WR Mark Clayton (knee),
WR Yamon Figurs (knee)
G David Hale (ankle)
S Ed Reed (thigh)
CB Samari Rolle (thigh)"

Steelers @ Baltimore: The Matchups

The last time the Steelers were victorious in Baltimore Joe Flacco was 18 years old, and Rashard Mendenhall (whose memories of the first meeting this season between these two teams are less than pleasant) was 16 years old.

For Mr. Flacco at least this will be the biggest game in which he has ever played.

Here's a look at this week's numbers:

Baltimore Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average total yards per game: Baltimore offense 19th (320.2) v. Steelers defense 1st (241.9)

Average net rushing yards per game: Baltimore offense 4th (144.0) v. Steelers defense 1st (73.0)

Average net passing yards per game: Baltimore offense 28th (176.2) v. Steelers defense 1st (168.9)

Average points per game: Baltimore offense 10th (24.31) v. Steelers defense 1st (14.08)

Steelers Offense v. Baltimore Defense
Average total yards per game: Steelers offense 26th (302.8) v. Baltimore defense 2nd (253.4)

Average net rushing yards per game: Steelers offense 23rd (103.8) v. Baltimore defense 3rd (77.0)

Average net passing yards per game: Steelers offense 20th (199.0) v. Baltimore defense 2nd (176.4)

Average points per game: Steelers offense: 20th (22.23) v. Baltimore defense 3rd (15.38)

Special Teams
Average yards per punt return: Baltimore 25th (15.4) v. Steelers 26th (1.0)

Average yards allowed per punt return: Baltimore 5th (5.8) v. Steelers 2nd (6.7)

Average yards per kick return: Baltimore 30th (20.6) v. Steelers 29th (17.2)

Average yards allowed per kick return: Baltimore 18th (21.2) v. Steelers 1st (19.1)

Net yardage punting average: Baltimore 4th (44.0) v. Steelers 21st (39.2)

Opponent net yardage punting average: Baltimore 19th (35.7) v. Steelers 21st (45.5)

Miscellaneous
Turnover differential: Baltimore 4th (+8) v. Steelers 5th (+7)

Time of possession: Baltimore 1st (33:41) v. Steelers 9th (31:24)

Red Zone touchdown efficiency (touchdowns): Baltimore 16th (52.6%) v. Steelers 9th (58.5%)

Red Zone defense (touchdowns): Baltimore 2nd (36.5%) v. Steelers 1st (34.2%)

Sacks allowed: Baltimore 14th (23) v. Steelers 28th (41)

Some Individual Numbers
Passer rating: Joe Flacco, 10th (81.3) v. Ben Roethlisberger, 12th (99.4)

Leading rushers: Le'Ron McClain, 12th (606 yards) v. Willie Parker, 13th (597 yards)

Leading receivers: Derrick Mason, 9th (65 catches, 871 yards, 13.4 per catch, 4 touchdowns) v. Hines Ward, 12th (60 catches, 757 yards, 12.6 yards per catch, 6 touchdowns)

AFC Passes Dropped: Derrick Mason, 18th (4) v. Hines Ward, 4th (7)

AFC Sack Leaders: Terrell Suggs, 11th (6.5) v. James Harrison, 2nd (15.0)

Ravens Week: The Mike Tomlin Press Conference

Thanks to the auspices of ESPN 1250 we were able to listen in on Mike Tomlin's press conference. Here are some of what he said:

Opening Comments
The Ravens are even better than their record, a very hot team, and very tough at home.

Le'Ron Mclain is the featured back, and tough to keep out of the end zone. Mr. Tomlin expects the Steelers defense to struggle containing him.

Joe Flacco and Derrick Mason have developed a good "flow," and are a big part of their offensive success.

On defense, Baltimore's Jarrett Johnson is "wreaking havoc."

Injuries
Carey Davis suffered a calf strain against Dallas ~ unlikely to practice on Wednesday.

Brett Keisel may practice this week.

Marvel Smith is still out with a back injury.

A few players may get tomorrow off.

No injury issue(s) with Ben Roethlisberger

Comments
The quality of the opponents that the Steelers have faced all season has helped the team to perform at a high level.

The veteran nature of the team, and the tough schedule the Steelers have faced this season, has helped the team stay away from emotional letdowns.

Joe Flacco is growing/maturing, and is a better quarterback than the one the Steelers faced earlier in the season.

Mr. Tomlin had no explanation for why the Steelers have played well on the road, except to point out that he did discuss the need to play well on the road in order to compete in the playoffs.

Ed Reed is an "unbelievable football player." He is not a "gambler or risk-taker," but is a great athlete who is where he needs to be.

Evidence of the Ravens' defensive excellence can be found in their six touchdowns so far this season.

The rivalry between Baltimore and Pittsburgh is "born of mutual respect" between the franchises.

Bryant McFadden played very well versus Dallas, and William Gay continues to perform well.

Travis Kirschke is playing well in place of the injured Brett Keisel.

The turnovers versus Dallas were a big part of the struggles the offense had last Sunday. Also, teams tend to play their best versus Pittsburgh. However, the ability of the offense to overcome adversity ~ i.e. to move the ball when it was absolutely necessary ~ has been encouraging.

The struggles of the running game are being worked on.

The struggles of the punting game last Sunday were due, in part, to the weather conditions (i.e. both punters struggled when kicking into the wind). "We weathered the storm ~ literally."

Mr. Tomlin feels as though the success of the Cowboys to run the ball was more a case of Dallas hitting a few big plays rather than grinding out four- and five-yard gains.

When asked about postgame comments by Jason Witten that it was "Christmas in Pittsburgh," Mr. Tomlin indicated that all that matters is who has more points at the end of the game. Furthermore, he indicated that comments of a similar nature could have been made by the Steelers following the Indianapolis game, but the Steelers players and coaches understand that winning football games means finishing strong.

The Steelers' offense has to "find a way to control the ball, run the clock" in order to win against Baltimore.

The Baltimore defense does a good job of keeping offenses off-balance.

Mr. Tomlin was more surprised by Baltimore's lack of success last season than he is of their current success this season.

The lack of success running the ball last week was because of a "lack of opportunities" to run the ball.

The first meeting between Baltimore and Pittsburgh was the most physical game Mr. Tomlin has seen as a coach.

The offense is definitely working on silent counts for this week.

Mr. Tomlin interacts a great deal with Deshea Townsend whom Mr. Tomlin described as a "very savvy, mature, football player."

As to the defensive call that resulted in the Deshea Townsend interception, Mr. Tomlin said that Dick LeBeau is "the guy," but that it is the execution by the players that makes those calls work.

Great win, now what about Baltimore?

We harp about this incessantly, but the Steelers have struggled mightily in Baltimore. So in order to prepare all of you (and ourselves) for what could be an ugly game, we offer up a statistical snapshot of the Steelers' performance on the road versus the Ravens (i.e. since the 2002 season):

Won-Loss record: 1-5

Average Points Scored: 14.67

Average Points Allowed: 21.83

Average Net Rushing Yards per Game: 66.0

Average Net Passing Yards per Game: 216.5

Average Quarterback Rating: 65.6

Turnover differential (aggregate): -7

Dallas v. Steelers:The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

We know we are a little late with our weekly postgame analysis.

The smelling salts just kicked in.

While considering the fact that the Steelers are now enjoying their first four game winning streak since the 2005 season (they actually had two such winning streaks that season), and that Ben Roethlisberger is now 15-4 in his career versus the NFC, we offer up some of our thoughts on what was an unbelievable Steelers win.

The Good

1. How important was this win? Consider this: The Steelers have not won a regular season game in Baltimore since 2002, and their regular season record in Nashville, Tennessee is 1-6. So, a win against Dallas keeps the Steelers competitive for the division and the playoffs ~ a loss would have been an unmitigated disaster.


2. Pittsburgh did not do much that was good enough to qualify for this category, at least until Deshea Townsend took an interception 25 yards for the winning score. But he did do just that, and the best thing that the Steelers did was to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
   
   The defense was good ~ they forced four of the opponent's five turnovers (even Ike Taylor managed to hold onto an interception), they still have not allowed any team to gain 300 yards in a game this season (though just barely ~ Dallas gained 289 net yards), kept the Cowboys to under 100 yards rushing (though just barely ~ Dallas rushed for 95 net yards), and held them more than 11 points below their scoring average (i.e. 13 points in the game versus an average of 24.92) ~ though not as good as they have been of late, but the effort and the results were that of a champion.


3. Patrick Bailey was officially given credit for a single assisted tackle, but his play today on kick coverage was something special. He busted wedges and kept on coming. He was tremendous all afternoon/evening long, as was Keyaron Fox and all the members of that coverage team. To wit, coming into the game the Cowboys had been averaging 22.7 yards per kick return, but on Sunday they were held to 17 yards per return (i.e. 25% lower than average).

The Bad

1. This is a very tough one to write, but James Harrison has to be included amongst the "Bads." His efforts against Flozelle Adams were tremendous ~ the fact that he had a sack, five solo tackles, and three assists is testimony to that. However, there were far too many instances in which Mr. Harrison allowed himself to be sucked inside by misdirection, only to have a running play go outside to the left side. Being aggressive is Mr. Harrison's game, but he would do well to remember that run containment is one of his responsibilities.


2. If an offensive line does not give up a sack in the first half, but then gives up five sacks in the second half are they bad or ugly? This is another close call for us, but we have opted to be charitable. Moreover, watching the offense fail, for at least the third time this season, to get into the end zone from a yard out was painful (and something that has to be laid at the feet of the offensive line). After having improved steadily throughout the season this game was a step backwards.


3. We also were less than pleased with Ben Roethlisberger's propensity for ~ and stop me if you've heard this one before ~ holding on to the ball too long. Yes he managed to escape trouble a number of times during the fourth quarter, and yes those escapes sometimes led to positive plays, but we renew our call for Mr. Roethlisberger to (everyone say it with us) THROW THE BALL, BEN! No fewer than three of the five sacks suffered in the second half could have been avoided by simply throwing the football away. Dallas did a good job of covering receivers, and Mr. Roethlisberger seemingly recognized as much. Holding the ball for an extra second or two, in the hope/belief that someone is eventually going to get open, is a mistake ~ and may get him killed next week in Baltimore.

The Ugly

1. Just one question, why did Bruce Arians abandon the running game? Eleven rushing plays in the entire first half? Ten more in the second? Additionally, why did Mike Tomlin allow him to do so? The one-dimensional nature of the play calling led us to wonder whether Mr. Arians was trying to wear down the Dallas defensive line by forcing them to rush the quarterback all day. Obviously we have no explanation, but we can tell you that the Steelers are well on their way to having their worst rushing season since 2003 ~ a season in which they had ten losses.


2. Hines Ward ~ with a single catch for two yards against Da1las (and seven catches for 76 yards in his three most recent games) ~ was (and has been) a non-factor. Apparently, teams have discovered a method for neutralizing the once dangerous wide out. Considering that in the last meeting with Baltimore he had two catches for 57 yards, it is hard to see that trend changing any time soon.


3. Jeff Reed had an unusually poor game, at least for him. A missed field goal we can forgive, kicking the ball out of bounds? Not so much.


4. Mitch Berger, meet Paul Ernster. If not for a fortuitous bounce into a member of the Dallas return team ~ a "fumble" that was recovered by Lawrence Timmons ~ his 28-yard punt from the Steelers' own five yard line would most certainly have resulted in points for the Cowboys. Here is hoping that Kevin Colbert has some additional names in his rolodex.

On December 7, 1969 the Steelers, playing in Pittsburgh against Dallas, trailed by ten points in the fourth quarter. A touchdown pass from quarterback Dick Shiner to running back Jon Henderson cut the lead to three, but they came up short and lost their 11th straight game of the season.

Now that the '69 team has been avenged ~ and at times the 2008 edition of the Steelers looked eerily similar to Chuck Noll's first team ~ we can only hope that the team's performances in the weeks to come are of a better quality that the one they turned in on Sunday.

Dallas v. Steelers: The Friday Injury Report

According to the official injury report Marion Barber did not practice at all this week, including Friday. His official status for the game Sunday is questionable. Meanwhile Ben Roethlisberger participated fully in practice on Thursday and Friday, and is listed as probable.

Here is the full report for Dallas and Pittsburgh:

"DALLAS COWBOYS

Status Report

OUT
WR Miles Austin (knee)
CB Mike Jenkins (hamstring)

QUESTIONABLE
RB Marion Barber (toe)

PROBABLE
WR Isaiah Stanback (shoulder)
LB DeMarcus Ware (knee)
WR Roy Williams (foot)

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
T Flozell Adams (not injury related)
WR Miles Austin (knee)
RB Marion Barber (toe)
T Marc Colombo (not injury related)
LB Greg Ellis (not injury related)
CB Mike Jenkins (hamstring)
WR Terrell Owens (not injury related)
LB Zach Thomas (not injury related)
LB DeMarcus Ware (knee)

Thursday
WR Miles Austin (knee)
RB Marion Barber (toe)
CB Mike Jenkins (hamstring)

Friday
WR Miles Austin (knee)
RB Marion Barber (toe)
CB Mike Jenkins (hamstring)
WR Roy Williams (foot)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Thursday
LB DeMarcus Ware (knee)

FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Isaiah Stanback (shoulder)

Thursday
WR Isaiah Stanback (shoulder)

Friday
WR Isaiah Stanback (shoulder)
LB DeMarcus Ware (knee)


PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Status Report

OUT
DE Brett Keisel (knee)
T Marvel Smith (back)

PROBABLE
DE Travis Kirschke (back)
CB Bryant McFadden (forearm)
RB Willie Parker (knee, shoulder)
S Troy Polamalu (calf)
QB Ben Roethlisberger (knee)
DE Aaron Smith (knee)

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DE Brett Keisel (knee)
DE Travis Kirschke (back)
RB Willie Parker (knee, shoulder)
S Troy Polamalu (calf)
DE Aaron Smith (knee)
T Marvel Smith (back)
CB Deshea Townsend (not injury related)
WR Hines Ward (not injury related)

Thursday
DE Brett Keisel (knee)
S Troy Polamalu (calf)
T Marvel Smith (back)

Friday
DE Brett Keisel (knee)
T Marvel Smith (back)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Wednesday
QB Ben Roethlisberger (knee)

FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Wednesday
CB Bryant McFadden (forearm)

Thursday
DE Travis Kirschke (back)
CB Bryant McFadden (forearm),
RB Willie Parker (knee, shoulder),
QB Ben Roethlisberger (knee),
DE Aaron Smith (knee)

Friday
DE Travis Kirschke (back)
CB Bryant McFadden (forearm)
RB Willie Parker (knee, shoulder)
S Troy Polamalu (calf)
QB Ben Roethlisberger (knee)
DE Aaron Smith (knee)"

Why does the NFL hate James Harrison?

The National Football League announced today that Dwight Freeney, defensive end with the Indianapolis Colts, was named the defensive player of the month for November. Here is the league's statement as released to the media:

"Freeney set the tone for the Colts defense by registering five sacks and two forced fumbles as the club posted a perfect 5-0 record in November. Freeney recorded a sack in three of five November games, including multiple-sack games in Week 10 (11/9) at Pittsburgh and in Week 11 (11/16) against Houston. In Week 13 against Cleveland (11/30), Freeney played a pivotal role in the Colts capturing the lead. Trailing 6-3 with 9:55 remaining in the game, Freeney sacked quarterback DEREK ANDERSON and stripped the ball away, which was then recovered by defensive end ROBERT MATHIS, who raced 37 yards for the Colts’ only touchdown and a 10-6 lead for the eventual game-winning score. Freeney ranks first in franchise history with 68.0 career sacks."

With that being said, here is a comparison of Mr. Freeney's November with that of James Harrison:

	Solo Tackles	Assists	Sacks	Forced Fumbles
James Harrison	27	13	5.5	3
Dwight Freeney	7	2	5	1

Adding insult to injury, James Harrison has yet to be selected as player of the month this season.

There has been no defensive player this season more impactful than Mr. Harrison ~ unless someone wants to argue that Troy Polamalu is deserving of some consideration on that point ~ and we are amazed that he has yet to receive the credit he has earned.

Ryan Clark's hit judged to be legal

"It is a foul to hit with your helmet against a defenseless receiver. It is a foul to throw a forearm into the neck or head area of your opponent. I don’t think either of those things happened. I’m not a fan of those high hits but if you do it with your shoulder you’re OK."

So says none other than NFL Supervisor of Officials Mike Pereira in an article published online by the Boston Herald which seemingly vindicates Ryan Clark's hit on Wes Welker.

We did not agree with the call when it was originally made, and we are glad to see that the NFL is not going to take all the hitting out of the league.

Another Game Simulation

We love game predictions based upon some kind (i.e. any kind) of simulation; and the one we found for the game coming up made us quite happy.

According to AccueScore.com the Steelers will win their tenth game of the season, 22.8-21.2, over Dallas.

This particular forecast goes into tremendous detail ~ going so far as to provide a predicted boxscore (something all the fantasy players will no doubt appreciate) for the game.

One thing that caught our eye (beyond the final score) was the predicted performances of the starting quarterbacks. AccuScore predicts that Tony Romo will end up with a quarterback rating of 85.3 for the game, despite the fact that Mr. Romo is second in the NFL in quarterback rating for away games (95.9). Meanwhile Ben Roethliisberger is predicted to come in at a quarterback rating of 95.0 despite the fact that he is 23rd in the league in quarterback rating at home (78.6 ~ Mr. Roethlisberger's away quarterback rating is 81.5), and despite the fact that the Cowboys' defense is predicted to sack Mr. Roethlisberger 4.2 times and intercept him once.

Well, let's all hope the computer knows best.

Steelers can clinch a playoff spot this weekend

Only NASA scientists are more capable than the good folks at the NFL; and when it comes to figuring out the myriad playoff possibilities for the league's teams the NFL's "scientists" are without peers.

Today the league came up with their first "playoff scenarios" for this season, and it turns out that Pittsburgh can clinch a spot in the postseason dance this weekend. Here's how:

• Steelers beat Dallas
• Miami loses at Buffalo
• New England loses at Seattle

OR

• Steelers beat Dallas
• Miami ties Buffalo
• New England loses at Seattle
• N.Y. Jets lose at San Francisco

Neither scenario has us rushing out to purchase champagne, but it is nice to know that the Steelers are getting close.

Dallas v. Steelers: The Matchups

In his fledgling career as a head coach, Mike Tomlin has a fairly mediocre record of 4-3 against the NFC, is 2-2 on the road, and 2-1 at home. Needless to say, 3-1 as a home record would look might good.

While contemplating just how the Steelers are going to handle the NFC's top rated passer, the irresistible force of Marion Barber, and the NFL leader in sacks, we offer this week's look at the numbers (and we draw your attention to a new statistical category we are now including ~ dropped passes).

Dallas Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average total yards per game: Dallas offense 8th (356.4) v. Steelers defense 1st (238.0)

Average net rushing yards per game: Dallas offense 16th (112.4) v. Steelers defense 1st (71.2)

Average net passing yards per game: Dallas offense 6th (244.0) v. Steelers defense 1st (166.8)

Average points per game: Dallas offense 8th (24.92) v. Steelers defense 1st (14.17)

Steelers Offense v. Dallas Defense
Average total yards per game: Steelers offense 24th (308.3) v. Dallas defense 9th (296.8)

Average net rushing yards per game: Steelers offense 22nd (106.7) v. Dallas defense 10th (96.8)

Average net passing yards per game: Steelers offense 19th (201.6) v. Dallas defense 11th (200.0)

Average points per game: Steelers offense: 20th (22.42) v. Dallas defense 15th (21.67)

Special Teams
Average yards per punt return: Dallas 26th (7.0) v. Steelers 29th (6.1)

Average yards allowed per punt return: Dallas 17th (9.5) v. Steelers 3rd (4.5)

Average yards per kick return: Dallas 19th (22.7) v. Steelers 29th (20.4)

Average yards allowed per kick return: Dallas 9th (22.1) v. Steelers 1st (19.3)

Net yardage punting average: Dallas 18th (36.9) v. Steelers 21st (36.6)

Opponent net yardage punting average: Dallas 20th (38.3) v. Steelers 23rd (38.5)

Miscellaneous
Turnover differential: Dallas 23rd (-5) v. Steelers 10th (+4)

Time of possession: Dallas 18th (30:15) v. Steelers 10th (31:33)

Red Zone touchdown efficiency (touchdowns): Dallas 5th (64.7%) v. Steelers 6th (62.2%)

Red Zone defense (touchdowns): Dallas 12th (48.8%) v. Steelers 1st (33.3%)

Sacks allowed: Dallas 8th (18) v. Steelers 27th (36)

Some Individual Numbers
NFC Passer rating: Tony Romo, 1st (103.2) v. AFC Passer Rating: Ben Roethlisberger, 12th (80.0)

NFC Leading rushers: Marion Barber, 9th (870 yards) v. AFC Leading Rushers: Willie Parker, 11th (572 yards)

NFC Leading receivers: Jason Witten, 8th (58 catches, 709 yards, 12.2 per catch, 3 touchdowns) v. AFC Leading Receivers: Hines Ward, 10th (59 catches, 755 yards, 12.8 yards per catch, 6 touchdowns)

NFC Passes Dropped: Terrell Owens, 2nd (7) v. AFC Passes Dropped: Hines Ward, 4th (7)

NFC sack leaders: DeMarcus Ware 1st (15.0 sacks) v. AFC sack leaders: James Harrison, 1st (14.0)

Santonio Holmes, are you paying attention?

First and foremost, we are very glad that Plaxico Burress was not injured more seriously by his (apparently) self-inflicted gunshot wound. Without going off on a tangent we are always saddened when someone with everything to live for is killed, or seriously wounded, by any means.

However, for all of his on the field brilliance last season, Mr. Burress is showing once again why the Steelers made no attempt to re-sign him at the end of his fifth season in Pittsburgh. In fairness it must be pointed out that it is not clear to us that Mr. Burress has violated the "Guns and Weapons Policy" of the NFL ~ that policy, while discouraging gun ownership, only bans the carrying of a weapon "while traveling on League-related business or whenever you are on the premises of . . . [a] facility owned, operated or being used by an NFL club . . . [a] stadium or any other venue being used for an NFL event . . . [and a] facility owned or operated by the NFL or any League company" ~ however we have shaken our heads ruefully more than once over the last few days at this significant misstep by Mr. Burress.

All of that leads us back to Santonio Holmes. Since being drafted by the Steelers Mr. Holmes has been arrested or cited by police on three separate occasions: disorderly conduct in Miami (May 2006, charges that seemed trumped up at the time and which we believe were dropped), domestic violence in Columbus, Ohio (June 2006, charges that were later dismissed when the reported victim ~ LaShae Boone ~ declined to testify against Mr. Holmes), and most recently for marijuana possession (October 2008).

An allegation is not a conviction, but how much bad publicity does Mr. Holmes believe his employers will tolerate? More importantly, does he want to live from one entanglement to the next? We hope ~ for the sake of the team and the individual ~ that the cautionary tale currently unfolding in New York resonates with Mr. Holmes enough to inspire a genuine change in his behavior.