Helpful hints for Bruce Arians

We have been amazed,and mortified, throughout the season at how poorly the Steelers execute the traditional screen pass (i.e. allow defensive line to penetrate, pull a guard and tackle, throw a pass to a running back). They have been somewhat more successful in running the so-called "bubble" screen to a wide out, but the screen is just not a play that Pittsburgh has run well this season.

So it was with some interest that we read an older item from our friends at Football Outsiders that provides an in-depth look at a variety of screen packages (an example of which you can see above). We don't know if there is time to work any of these into Sunday's game plan, but it was worth a try.

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.

Steelers @ New England:The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

Based upon information from the Steelers' media relations department we happily provide you with this fun fact: Including the game against the Patriots, Pittsburgh is now 5-0 in games in which the opponent has scored first, and broke an 0-5 streak the Steelers had at Gillette Stadium. More importantly the Steelers are now 8-1 in the conference, and managed to maintain (at least for this week) their one game lead over a very hot Baltimore team.

With that, and so much more, in mind we offer some of our thoughts on the game.

The Good

1. Given the brilliance of the performances in all phases of the game it seems unfair to single at anyone for special attention; however we are going to begin with someone who has felt the sting of our (much deserved) wrath on more than a few occasions.
   
   Bruce Arians, you were magnificent on Sunday.
   
   Mr. Arians found the balance that he seems to always be in search of ~ the Steelers had 34 rushing plays and 34 passing plays ~ but more significant was the rhythm (always a subjective thing) that the offense achieved, especially in the second half. Moreover, during an incredible third quarter, Mr. Arians used his play calling to dictate personnel moves to the Patriots' defense (i.e. the use of the three wide receiver package kept the Patriots in the nickel) thereby opening up the run (the Steelers rushed for 54 yards ~ six more than they had in the entire first half.
   
   On this one day, after so many previous games against this opponent resulted in so much frustration, Bruce Arians outcoached Bill Belichick.
   
   There, we said it.


2. For years the Steelers' special teams were anything but special, and we were pretty critical of Bob Ligashesky's performance last season.
   
   Bob Ligashesky, you were magnificent on Sunday.
   
   Coming into this game the Patriots had been averaging 11.7 yards per punt return. Against the Steelers they averaged zero yards in punt returns.
   
   Coming into this game the Patriots had been averaging 25.1 yards per kick return.
   Against the Steelers they averaged 19.6 yards per return.
   
   Coming into this game the Patriots had given up an average of 12.9 yards per opponent punt return. On Sunday the Steelers averaged 14.5 yards per punt return.
   
   Keyaron Fox is showing the league why the Steelers signed him as a free agent (1 special teams tackle, 1 assist, 1 huge fumble recovery), and Anthony Madison leads the team in special teams tackles (3 versus New England).
   
   Lest we forget, welcome back Mitch Berger!


3. But no group within the Steelers has received as much criticism as the offensive line and their coach, Larry Zierlein.
   
   Larry Zierlein, on Sunday you were magnificent.
   
   For the third consecutive game, and the seventh time this season, the Steelers rushed for more than 100 yards ~ in the case of Sunday's game they rushed for 161 yards, the second highest total of the season (the highest total was 183 yards versus Houston in the opening game of the season), as well as the second highest total surrendered by New England this season (the highest total was 216 yards on September 21 versus Miami) ~ and the 4.7 average yards per carry is tied for second best this season (the highest was an average 5.0 yards per carry versus Jacksonville).
   
   On Sunday Ben Roethlisberger was sacked once, after not having been sacked at all in the previous game versus Cincinnati, for a two game total of one sack allowed ~ the lowest two game total of the entire season.
   
   It's a bit too soon to say that any of this represents a trend, but for one day we can all be encouraged.


4. There are no superlatives left with which to describe the Steelers' defense.
   
   On Sunday, the Steelers forced New England into as many turnovers (4) as the Patriots' had in their previous three games combined.
   
   On Sunday, the Steelers held the Patriots to 1-of-13 (8%) on third down conversions ~ and that came on the final play of the game.
   
   The Patriots' offense gained more than 500 net yards in each of their previous two games. On Sunday they were held to 267 net yards, their third lowest total of the season and their lowest since they gained 215 yards versus Miami on September 21st.
   
   The Patriots' ten points is tied for their lowest total this season; and their scorless second half is the first time all season they have been shutout in two consecutive quarters.
   
   Aaron Smith, James Farrior, James Harrison (we never thought we would see the day when Matt Light was lit up the way Mr. Harrison did), LaMarr Woodley, and Troy Polamalu all deserve your Pro Bowl vote, and Ryan Clark is arguably the most underrated free safety in the NFL (and we respectfully disagree with the personal foul call on his hit of Wes Welker).
   
   (oh, and Anthony Madison is a Pro Bowler at the Special Teams position)

The Bad

1. We are going to go out on a limb and say that the Steelers, as a team, have the worst hands of any team in the NFL. We counted two dropped interceptions (one each by Troy Polamalu and, the serial offender, Ike Taylor), three dropped passes (one each by Santonio Holmes ~ the offense's answer to Ike Taylor ~ Heath Miller, and Willie Parker), one fumbled kickoff (Carey Davis, nice way to begin the game), and one muffed punt (Mewelde Moore). With Pittsburgh in its toughest part of the schedule those kinds of miscues/missed opportunities might come back to haunt them.


2. What was going on with the run defense in the first half? The Patriots had 80 yards on 10 carries in the first thirty minutes of the game, by far the highest total surrendered in the first half of any game this season ~ in fact it is more than the game total that the Steelers defense surrendered in eight of their previous games. While it is unlikely that the Patriots have uncovered a previously unknown weakness in Pittsburgh's defense, with Marion Barber to worry about next week we can only hope this is not the beginning of something ugly.

The Ugly

1. As rare as a day off for the players during the season, on this day we simply did not see anything from the Steelers that we could characterize as ugly. The team's performance against New England was solid throughout, and the third quarter was, to this point at least, the highlight of the season.

Cincinnati v. Steelers:The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Normally we utilize a very standard template ~ good stuff, bad stuff, ugly stuff ~ but for this game we are turning the whole thing upside down; and would like to begin by highlighting a portion of Mike Tomlin's post game press conference:

The Ugly

1. Question: It seemed like the punting was a problem tonight . . .
   
   Mike Tomlin: It was horrible.
   
   Question: Will you look at that situation?
   
   Mike Tomlin: We'll address it.
   
   Now we would like to repeat a portion of our post game analysis from last week:
   
   "Paul Ernster has to go.
   
   Four kicks, a 31.0 yard average, and a net of 30.8 yards. His average is tied for lowest so far this weekend (with only the Monday evening game remaining), and his net is the second lowest (Indianapolis punter Hunter Smith had a single punt with a net of 16 yards). He has done a good job holding for field goals, but his fourth quarter, 20-yard punt from the Chargers' 38 yard line was horrific."
   
   Thursday evening's performance makes that look spectacular:
   
   4 kicks, 28.4 yard average, 28.4 yard net.
   
   We checked the position list for punters at NFL.com, and there are any number of players available, including Zac Atterberry who had a good training camp with Chicago.


2. Having tall receivers may be something that Ben Roethlisberger wanted, but if Limas Sweed cannot ge away from a punted football then please keep him on the bench. Obviously that play could have been disastrous, and would have been if they had been playing a team with a better offense.


3. Ben Roethlisberger completed 17 of his 30 passes, and we believe that receivers dropped fourteen of those incomplete passes. For the second game in-a-row Nate Washington dropped a ball that hit him square in the hands. Santonio Holmes, after having his jersey grabbed by a defender, had the ball hit him in the chest before he dropped the pass. Hines Ward and (the usually reliable) Heath Miller each dropped at least one pass. The next five opponents have a combined record of 32-18 (a winning percentage of .640), and missed opportunities like that simply will not do.

The Bad

1. Why is it that the Steelers' offense will not take a knee when they should? After dodging a bullet following the Limas Sweed miscue Bruce Arians called a pass play? What good could have possibly come from that? Feel free to run out the clock, and head to the locker room next time.


2. Despite a good performance we want to remind Mewelde Moore that, with time running out in the game and the Steelers in possession of the ball, it is preferable that he remains in-bounds. This is not the first time a Pittsburgh running back has done that this season (as we pointed out following the game against Cleveland), and we would like to think that running back coach Kirby Wilson is delivering the same message.


3. We love the defense but Ryan Clark had what (we hope) was his worst game as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Missed tackles, poor coverage ~ he has had a Pro Bowl caliber season until now. We are sure (*fingers crossed*) he will bounce back.

The Good
(This may end up reading like the "All Redemption" team)

1. We have openly questioned Troy Polamalu. His physical ailments, we argued, were talking a toll that few others were willing to acknowledge.
   
   We stand corrected.
   
   Whether defending the run by launching his body like a missile into running backs, or tackling receivers in the open field, or picking off another pass he is back, and a force to be reckoned with.


2. A quick tip of the hat to Aaron Smith for his three deflected passes. Always one of our favorites, he continues to amaze us with his versatility


3. We have been unrelenting in our criticism of the play calling of Bruce Arians, but Thursday evening he showed us how good he can be. Sure we would like to see 100% running, but 37 rushes and 30 passes is a good mix; and more importantly the Steelers seemed more willing to stay with the run when it was working (we recall only one drive in which a relatively effective running play was followed by two unsuccessful passing plays, and a punt). Despite meager first half numbers the Steelers stayed with the run, and wore down the undermanned Bengals defense. Additionally, the short passing plays worked well, which leads us to item #2.


4. He has been roundly criticized, and some called for his benching, but Thursday night Ben Roethlisberger looked very good. With time to throw and receivers getting open he had a passer rating of 94.2 ~ his second highest such rating in his last five games (last Sunday's game was his highest in that stretch ~ 96.4). We especially liked the short passes to receivers in space who were then able to make big plays. We believe that that approach ~ i.e. get the ball to playmakers and turn them loose ~ is what good quarterbacks do. Making perfect, downfield passes should be the exception not the rule. Which leads us to item #3.


5. Yes, we criticized the receivers, but we also recognize that when they were able to hold onto the football (his second quarter catch, a completion that went for 27 yards, in which he grabbed the back end of the football was spectacular) they made things happen.


6. Last, but not least, a big shout out to the offensive line! Yes, the Bengals have a pass rush that is largely ineffectual, and yes the Cincinnati defensive line was horribly depleted, but the Steelers controlled the offensive line throughout. We were especially pleased with a play in the fourth quarter.
   
   Facing 3-and-10, Ben Roethlisberger dropped back to throw and was immediately pressured, and hit by a Bengals' defensive lineman. Mr. Roethlisberger escaped, and as he did Darnell Stapleton was there to drive that defensive lineman to the ground. That play enabled Mr. Roethlisberger to escpae to his left, and throw a 14-yard completion to Limas Sweed.
   
   We loved the determination and the refusal to quit on the play that Mr. Stapleton displayed. It really was indicative of how all the O-linemen performed Thursday; and gives us hope for the remainder of the season.

San Diego v. Steelers: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

We're not certain what is most noteworthy about this game ~ that the Steelers were victorious, they were victorious in the first ever 11-10 game in NFL history (so say CBS, with help from the Elias Sports Bureau we assume), or what we assume were huge sums of money that changed hands when Troy Polamalu scored a touchdown on the final play of the game; only to see all that money handed back over on the basis of an incorrect illegal forward pass call that ended the game. In our effort to decide we look at what went well, what was not so good, and what was downright horrible.

The Good

1. Big Dan the 'Burgh Man sent along a text message during the first half which said "Thank God for Dick LeBeau." Beautiful in its simplicity, yet comprehensive in capturing just how much the Steelers are depending upon their defense this season to be competitive. Philip Rivers' 43.6 passer rating was his worst such number this season (the previous low was 58.8 versus Oakland), and LaDanian Tomlinson's 57 yards rushing was his fourth worst total this season, and the team's 66 net rushing yards was their second lowest this season (the lowest is 60 yards versus Miami). Moreover, their 50 offensive plays was the third lowest total in a game this season, and their 4.3 yards per offensive play was the second lowest total this season (the lowest was 4.1 yards per play versus Miami).
   
   If this was the first time this season the Steelers' defense had done something like this we might only discuss player performance, but the season-long excellence of the defensive unit is certainly the result of leadership from their ageless leader, Dick LeBeau.


2. If James Harrison is not the defensive player of the year we simply do not understand the criteria for the award. Often double-teamed (and occasionally held, despite the lack of a call from the officials) he still managed to collect two tackles and two assists.
   
   And forced a fumble.
   
   And assisted on the tackle that resulted in a safety.
   
   And came up with a key interception that kept the Chargers off the scoreboard late in the first half (and there is no need to ask, given the final score, just how big a play that turned out to be).
   
   The intensity, bordering on rage, that he exhibited early in his career has been harnessed for good (i.e. if you are a fan of the Steelers) and he is following up a very good 2007 season with a Pro Bowl 2008.


3. During our recent visit to Pittsburgh Big Dan the 'Burgh Man and I spent a great deal of time going through the Steelers' media guide, and while doing so we discovered that Jack Lambert, arguably the greatest linebacker to play in the National Football League, waited until the end of his third full season to go to his first Pro Bowl.
   
   We mention this just so that you understand that we understand the full weight of this next statement: Second year linebacker LaMarr Woodley has earned a spot on the AFC Pro Bowl team. Sure, the Steelers' defense played reasonably well last week against Indianapolis (i.e. well enough to win); but as good as they are without him, the defense is even better with him in the lineup. He pressured the quarterback, he was in on the safety with James Harrison, and his ability to drop into coverage (e.g. the deflected pass intended for Vincy Jackson) makes him supremely valuable.


4. The defense was terrific, but there were also some good performances on the offensive side of the ball as well, but we were especially impressed by the hard running (i.e. aggressive, downhill running) of Gary Russell and Willie Parker. Tunch Ilkin mentioned it on the Steelers' radio broadcast ~ the Pittsburgh running attack is just different with a healthy Willie Parker in the lineup. We also thought Mr. Russell's contributions, especially in short yardage situations were very significant (e.g. third quarter, 3-and-1, six yard gain; third quarter, 3-and-1, four yard gain).

The Bad

1. So let's review:
   • 24 first downs
   • 410 net yards
   • 36:31 time of possession
   • +3 in turnovers
   • 8 points ?!?
   
   Five of the Steelers' nine offensive possessions terminated inside San Diego's 35 yard line, but all the offense ended up with was nine points. Execution is obviously a part of the problem, but we also have issues with the play calling.
   
   For example, on the Steelers' first offensive possession they worked their way from their own 41 yard line on a 4-yard run by Willie Parker and a 17-yard pass completion to Hines Ward (that put them at the Chargers' 38 yard line). At that point Bruce Arians called three consecutive pass plays ~ an incompletion, a sack, and a 13-yard completion on 3-and-18. That resulted in an ugly, 51-yard, missed field goal from Jeff Reed.
   
   On their second possession they moved the ball 69 yards, 33 of which was on the ground, but on a critical 2nd-and-4 at the San Diego four yard line a pass play was called and Ben Roethlisberger was sacked.
   
   On their first possession of the third quarter the Steelers moved from their own 23 yard line to the Chargers' 28 yard line (49 net yards), gaining 26 yards on the ground on five carries. Yet, with a 1-and-10 at that point, they called three consecutive passing plays (completing the first one for five yards, and the other two were incomplete) and had to settle for another field goal.
   
   We understand the need for a balanced offense, however we also believe in forcing an opponent to stop you before going to something else. On a day when the running game was closer to being a ground attack it seems that Mr. Arians more interested in balance than simply going with what was working.


2. We sing the praises of the defense often, but allowing San Diego to go 78 yards in the fourth quarter . . . u-n-a-c-c-e-p-t-a-b-l-e.

The Ugly

1. Paul Ernster has to go.
   
   Four kicks, a 31.0 yard average, and a net of 30.8 yards. His average is tied for lowest so far this weekend (with only the Monday evening game remaining), and his net is the second lowest (Indianapolis punter Hunter Smith had a single punt with a net of 16 yards). He has done a good job holding for field goals, but his fourth quarter, 20-yard punt from the Chargers' 38 yard line was horrific.


2. 13 penalties, 115 yards.
   
   Yes, we thought the pass interference call against Ike Taylor (that set up San Diego's touchdown) was ridiculous (if that is pass interference then the rule needs to be changed), and referee Scott Green has already admitted his error on Troy Polamalu's fumble recovery for a touchdown; but our real problem is with the sloppy, sloppy play the Steelers turned in.
   
   Nearly a quarter of the Steelers' penalties were called on wide receivers (three on Hines Ward, one on Santonio Holmes), and two more were called on tight ends (one each on Matt Spaeth and Sean McHugh). In fact, only two penalties were called on offensive linemen (one on Willie Colon and one on Darnell Stapleton) and neither was for holding.
   
   All of this was nearly the undoing of the Steelers, and it is a testament to the good play of the offensive line and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that they were able to overcome it all.

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

For us, being at the stadium to see the game usually makes it easier to absorb a loss (however unpalatable they might be). Certainly there have been exceptions (e.g. the drive home following the loss to San Diego in the 1994 AFC Championship game was interminable), but it usually helps.

And then there was Sunday's game against the Colts. Proximity to the game (rather than going to our seats in section 539 we stood on the rail in the end zone) has clouded our judgment significantly. But we will give objectivity a try and see how it all turns out.

The Good

1. For all the frustration that Steelers fans may feel the team's defense performed capably. Peyton Manning had his third lowest net passing total of the season (228 yards), the two sacks the defense recorded is the most that any team has recorded against the Colts (a total that three other teams recorded versus Indianapolis), and the Colts had their season-low in total net yards (290). It is undeniably true that the Colts had a short-field to work on a couple times, thereby artificially limiting the Colts' yardage (i.e. the Colts had a 25-yard drive for a touchdown, and a second drive of 32-yards for a touchdown) but the defense certainly played well enough to win.


2. Related to that is the performance of James Harrison: 8 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for a loss, and 2 quarterback hits. Whatever else happened in that game Mr. Harrison delivered an outstanding performance.


3. The difference between greatness and being good is making the great plays ~ on Sunday Ike Taylor was good, not great. For most of the game he was responsible for covering the Colts' best receiver, Reggie Wayne, and though Mr. Wayne had a very good day (6 catches, 114 yards, 1 touchdown) our very subjective judgment is that Mr. Taylor was in a position to make plays (i.e. he covered well). That he did not make some of those plays is why Mr. Taylor is not considered an upper echelon cornerback.

The Bad

1. Where do we begin?
   
   Not where you may have expected.
   
   One of the great advantages in being at the game was the opportunity to see the Pittsburgh wide receivers being physically dominated by the Colts' secondary. We acknowledge that we are no experts (and those who read regularly will second that) but there was very little separation between the Steelers' receivers and the Colts' players responsible for covering them. Watching the game from where we did (the picture above gives you a perspective) revealed to us what we have suspected for some time ~ that Ben Roethlisberger's issues are not all of his own making.


2. We are officially beating a dead horse ~ the offensive line was terrible. The 55 yards rushing was the second lowest total gained against the Indianapolis defense this season (Green Bay gained 51 yards), and as a result the Steelers' offense became extremely one dimensional; and nothing was more galling than watching their offense struggle in vein to gain a yard at the goal line (at the end zone where we were standing). Moreover, Ben Roethlisberger was sacked twice and hit at least three other times.
   
   Another horrible performance.


3. We pay special attention to special teams, and Paul Ernster's performance yesterday (despite doing well in his role on extra points and a field goal) was less than impressive. His net punting average (37.7) was the sixth worst (out of nine games) this season.

The Ugly

1. Ben Roethlisberger's interception at the end of the first half was a poor decision that defies description or explanation. From our vantage point in the stadium there was no way that pass was going to be completed. We have not read any of Mr. Roethlisberger's post-game comments, and frankly we do not really care what he has to say ~ bad decision.


2. Related to that first item is the fact that Bruce Arians called a passing play (an out pattern no less) with less than ninety seconds left in the half. The Steelers had the lead with time running out in the half. If the Steelers had called a running play what is the worst that would have happened? They punt (yes, the punter had not done especially well), and the Colts get the ball around the Pittsburgh 40 yard line ~ ten yards farther back than they actually did ~ with less time remaining on the clock (as it was the Colts had 1:18 left when they took possession). There is a time to be aggressive, and a time to play it smart. We are not sure Bruce Arians knows the difference.


3. Losing is horrible, we know that. But those Steelers fans who think Ben Roethlisberger should be benched need to relax. He is mid-way through his fifth season, and we believe that he will develop into a Hall-of-Fame quarterback. However, growing pains are a part of that process and all fans of the Black & Gold (not the most patient group, we know) should keep that in mind.

Steelers @ Washington: The Good,the Bad, & the Ugly ~ the LIVE Edition

Because of some scheduling issues ~ not the least of which is a 7:00AM flight later this week into Pittsburgh (that's right, Pittsburgh Steelers Fanatic is coming home for the big matchup between the Steelers v. Colts!), we will be offering up contemporaneous insights of the game. For the purposes of clarity we will post those insights at the conclusion of each quarter, so feel free to check back early and often!

The First Quarter
What a beginning!

The onside kick revealed what the Steelers' coaches must certainly be thinking ~ that Pittsburgh's defense can handle the Redskins' offense. The performance of the defense in that opening possession seemed to vindicate that belief; but three points is three points.

Offensively the Steelers look inept. The offensive line appears completely overmatched ~ Washington is deploying a maximum pressure approach a la Philadelphia and Baltimore ~ despite the quick-hitting pass plays being called by Bruce Arians. To that point, Santonio Holmes looks very ragged after his one week suspension; and frankly none of the receivers has looked very good ~ is Hines Ward even playing? Finally, Willie Parker has had a bit of success, mostly inside the tackles, picking up 29 yards on six carries.

Defensively Pittsburgh had a tremendous quarter. The secondary was more than up to the challenge of covering the Washington wideouts, and except for one carry Clinton Portis has been contained (6 carries, 28 yards ~ his long was a 22-yard carry; so the other five carries have netted six yards).

Special teams have been adequate, even with the unsuccessful onside kick. The new long snapper, Jared Retkofsky has done his job well but Mitch Berger's left leg continues to bother him. Also, the use of Mewelde Moore on kickoff returns seems a good idea, the the per return average is only 18 yards.

The Second Quarter
A tale of two quarters if ever there was one.

Offensively, the Steelers continued to struggle, but their 62-yard drive for a field goal was huge, even only to demonstrate that they couldpass protect a bit, and get down field. In fact, that drive netted more yards than the other seven offensive possessions combined (61 yards v. 62 yards). However Max Starks is killing the Steelers ~ i.e. he's getting beaten like a drum on passing plays, and then was called for a hold deep in Redskins territory.

Defensively . . . this defense is playing amazingly well; and are being led by James Farrior who, frankly, did not play particularly well last week. But tonight, through two quarters, he has five tackles, three assists, a sack, and a blocked pass.

Finally, when a team's offense is not playing well that team needs special teams to step up. Santonio Holmes' struggles seemingly are extending to punt returns, but there are no words to describe how big Andre Frazier's blocked punt was.

Halftime stats snapshot:

Pittsburgh Net Rushing: 46
Washington Net Rushing: 40

Pittsburgh Net Passing: 44
Washington Net Passing: 31

Pittsburgh Net Punting: 33.4
Washington Net Punting: 28.8

Pittsburgh Time of Possession: 14:03
Washington Time of Poseesion: 15:25

The Third Quarter
The injury bug is now an epidemic.

With Ben Roethlisberger out, Byron Leftwich did more than we ever believed he was capable of (we admit it, Mr. Leftwich was singled out for a fair amount of criticism during the preseason). The opening drive of the second half ~ 8 plays, 72 yards ~ was such a breath of fresh air; and despite a -5 net yards on the second possession Mr. Leftwich delivered iin key situations, converting two consecutive third downs to maintain possession.

The defense continued to dominate ~ the interception snuffed out the best Redskin drive of the night.

Special teams was the weak link ~ Jeff Reed had his first missed extra point of the season.

The Fourth Quarter
Last season, at least for most of it, some Steelers fans criticized Mike Tomlin for not showing enough emotion.

Based on Monday night's performance we say that criticism has been laid to rest.

We do not often get into discussions about the officiating, but the roughing the passer call against James Farrior, on fourth down, was utter horse****, and was followed up shortly thereafter by a ridiculous touchdown call. Weak.

Despite all that the Steelers' defense showed how an elite unit plays, with James Farrior showing the way with his diving deflection of what would have been a touchdown pass, and Lawrence Timmons delivered an exclamation point, sacking Jason Campbell on fourth down.

The pressure up front meant that the Steelers' secondary played better than at nearly any time we can remember since the AFC Divisional game in 2005 versus Indianapolis. To underscore this point, the wideouts for the Redskins accumulated 55 yards on 9 catches ~ combined.

Finally, not to be a downer, but we feel compelled to point out that the Steelers offense had two net yards in the final quarter.

We'll have a bit more tomorrow, but for tonight we're going to celebrate a great win.

Steelers @ Jacksonville: The Good,the Bad Better, & the Ugly Best

Every once-in-awhile a performance comes along that does not fit into an existing framework. Such was Sunday's win by the Steelers. Though far from perfect, the team, considering the quality of the opponent, played its best game of this season. So as we head to the bye week in a celebratory mood, we give you the very first "good, better and best."

To begin, we alerted you to an Xbox 360 simulation that predicted a Steelers' loss; and while it had the final score wrong (thankfully) it was pretty close in some other respects. Here as look at some of the numbers:

	Simulation	Actual	Variance
Total Offense - PIT	409	415	6
Total Offense - JAC	276	213	-63
Rushing Yds - PIT	49	129	80
Rushing Yds - JAC	81	38	43
Pass Yds - PIT	360	286	-74
Pass Yds - JAC	195	175	-20
1st downs - PIT	22	28	6
1st downs - JAC	13	14	1
Points - PIT	17	26	9
Points - JAC	24	21	-3

Basking in the warm afterglow of a what was arguably the Steelers' best performance this season we offer up some of our impressions of just what happened.

The Good

1. Going up against a banged-up offensive line the Steelers defense showed no mercy ~ the Jaguars' dynamic duo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew was limited to 26 yards on 15 carries. To provide a bit of perspective less than a year ago ~ on December 16, 2007 ~ those same two combined for 247 yards on 37 carries. However the Steelers defense seemed to have learned their lesson because in the two most recent games between these two teams (i.e. 1/5/2008 in the Wild Card game and Sunday evening) they have rushed for only 92 yards on 50 carries.
   
   The Steelers' defense also seems to have figured out how to contain David Garrard ~ force him to throw the football. In the aforementioned Wild Card game Mr. Garrard had 58 yards on 5 carries (including the back-breaking 32-yard scramble on fourth down late in the game) while throwing for 140 yards on 9-for-21 passing ~ and still Jacksonville scored 31 points (thanks in part to Rashean Mathis). Sunday night Mr. Garrard was limited to 12 rushing yards, forced to throw the ball 32 times, and the Jaguars could only muster 21 points (thanks in part to Rashean Mathis). So in addition to the intense pressure that the Steelers front was able to generate throughout the game (despite the fact that James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley were held constantly) they were also able to contain the extremely mobile Mr. Garrard.
   
   While the outstanding performance of the defense was very much a team effort, particular attention must be given to Aaron Smith whose ability to trip up Mr. Garrard, limiting him to a two yard gain (despite a great deal of open ground in front of him), on 1st-and-10 with less than a minute to play, set up the next play on which James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley converged on the Jaguars' quarterback in the backfield, stripped the football away, and forced Jacksonville to use their final timeout. To top-off an outstanding evening it was Mr. Smith who swatted away Mr. Garrard's pass on 4th-and-14, thereby ending the Jaguars' comeback attempt.


2. Mewelde Moore is the best Steelers free agent signing since Jeff Hartings ~ at least this week. His ninety-nine yards rushing (46 in the first half, 53 in the second) was the difference maker in this game. He showed tremendous field vision, a great first step, and far exceeded our expectations. We don't know if he could pull it off a second time (though with Cincinnati coming up following the bye week we would like to see him try), but once was certainly great.

The Better

1. Battered and beleaguered, the offensive line ~ even after the loss of Marvel Smith ~ was better than anyone could have expected. We watched the right side of the offensive line (i.e. Darnell Stapleton and Willie Colon) very closely and were impressed by its consistently good play. In fact, it was our impression that the majority of the pressure that Ben Roethlisberger felt came almost exclusively from the left side of the line. Yes Mr. Roethlisberger was banged around, especially in the second half, but most of that pressure was the result of excellent coverage by the Jacksonville secondary not poor blocking. The three replacement linemen ~ Colon, Essex, and Stapleton ~ performed capably, and this group had its best performance in weeks.


2. Nobody deserves the bye week more than Ben Roethlisberger, and his performance Sunday night is one that we will remember for some time. Thanks to a good job by the offensive line Mr. Roethlisberger had time 'o plenty to throw (as witnessed by the pump fake on Nate Washington's double-move, touchdown reception), and his ability to manage the no-huddle offense (i.e. the improvement in play that occurs when the Steelers' offense employs the no-huddle) has been impressive. While our love of the running game means that we would like to see fewer passes (the 41 attempts in Sunday's game was his highest number of attempts in a game), there's also little doubt that as one of the league's elite quarterbacks Mr. Roethlisberger is more than capable of carrying the load.


3. We hammered Bruce Arians last week, but this week we come to praise him for a pitch-perfect game plan. Anticipating the blitz that came early in the game, Mr. Arians looked to quick passes and an effective running game. Additionally, allowing Ben Roethlisberger to go no-huddle early wore down the Jacksonville defense. There's no doubt that the Steelers offensive coordinator still struggles in responding to the changing tactics of the opposition (i.e. when Jacksonville largely discontinued the blitz in the second half the Steelers' offense began to struggle ~ after 300 total yards in the first half they 115 yards in the second), but his original game plan was a winner.

The Best

1. His team more ravaged by injury than any other Steelers team we can remember, Mike Tomlin refused not only use that as an excuse for poor performance, but refused to believe that it was even a factor to be considered. He may not have convinced us before the game but he convinced his players, and all of the backups . . . and backups of backups (e.g. Scott Paxson and Darnell Stapleton) performed well. The Sunday night performance simply would not have been possible if not for the mental and emotional strength of Mr. Tomlin.

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

For the better part of the Monday evening's game we were not sure there would be much good news to discuss, and by the end of the game . . . we remained convinced that there is not much good news to discuss. Be that as it may, here's our perspective of the latest Ravens-Steelers slugfest.

The Good

1. The best news to come out of Pittsburgh last night was that Andre Frazier was on his feet and walking around when the game ended. Any injury is unfortunate but none has the tragic ramifications of a spinal cord injury. Seeing Mr. Frazier driven off the field strapped to a backboard was frightening (not to mention an ominous harbinger of things to come) and we are thankful to our personal God that his injury was not more serious.


2. Special teams ~ specifically the kick and punt coverage units ~ turned in another strong performance. In fact, if Mitch Berger continues to perform as he did Monday night (6 punts, net average 39.1 yards, total punt return yards for Baltimore was 7 yards) the Steelers will have a tough decision to make between him and Daniel Sepulveda. As for Jeff Reed, what can we possibly say that hasn't been said? He is as clutch as a kicker can get, and his kickoffs have improved dramatically (i.e. they are routinely sailing into the end zone). At the same time the coverage unit has improved even more dramatically ~ Monday night the Steelers limited the Ravens to 120 return yards on six kicks. So far in 2008 the kick coverage team is limiting opponents to an average of 19.4 yards per return, as compared to an average of 22.6 yards last season ~ an improvement of nearly 15%.


3. The best group of linebackers in the NFL, led by their two Pro Bowl caliber outside linebackers (i.e. James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley), delivered the win Monday evening by making 32 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown. Even Lawrence Timmons playd well ~ possibly his best game as a member of the Steelers.

The Bad

1. We dinged Bruce Arians last week, and now we want to hit the point more emphatically ~ Bruce Arians is coaching himself off the Steelers' staff. Early in the game we were pleased to see two "sidecars" in the backfield on passing plays, one of those being Heath Miller who delivered a solid hit on an oncoming rusher before releasing into the flat as a safety valve receiver. We were also heartened to see (in the first quarter) the use of a fullback, even if it was tight end Sean McHugh. These, and other factors, resulted in the Steelers' offense gaining fifty yards during that first quarter.
   
   So imagine our surprise when they moved completely away from that approach during the disastrous second quarter, a quarter in which their ten offensive plays resulted in -4 total yards. Looking at the offensive numbers another way the 38-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes ~ that single play ~ accounted for 16% of the Steelers' total offensive output.
   
   Some will point to injuries as a way of explaining the difficulties the offense is facing; however it is fairly clear already that this offensive unit is not capable of protecting the quarterback much less running the ball on a consistent basis. It's time for Mr. Arians to look at this group, its skills and weaknesses, objectively and begin creating game plans accordingly.


2. Related to Mr. Arians, has anyone seen or heard from quarterback coach Ken Anderson lately? Ben Roethlisberger's propensity for holding on to the ball too long is not improving, and either he or his receivers are missing hot reads in blitz situations.


3. We love Dick LeBeau ~ who doesn't? At age 71 he looks better than men half his age, not to mention the great work he's done over the years in Pittsburgh. But Monday evening's performance was, overall, somewhat disappointing especially in terms of the zone coverage scheme that was employed. How does Derrick Mason end up with 71.35% of the receiving yards for the Ravens? At times it seemed that the Steelers' defense was more intent on squeezing in as many pre-snap formation shifts as possible than actually stopping the Ravens' offense ~ as evidenced by the Ravens' fourth quarter, 76-yard touchdown drive to tie the game.

The Ugly

1. Broken shoulder? Spinal injury? Achilles tendon rupture? Ankle sprain? It was not that long ago that a friend was riding his bike, and during this ride he was hit by a car ~ and ended up in better shape than some of the Steelers did in Monday's game. Wow


2. We try to be constructive in our comments, but we are incapable of intelligently expressing our feelings regarding the Steelers offensive line play. The reduction in the number of sacks from the game against Philadelphia to this game is more a testimony to Ben Roethlisberger's strength than it is to any improvement by the linemen. The offensive line has been pummeled two consecutive weeks, and they now look forward to playing Jacksonville.

Steelers @ New England: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

As the final seconds of Sunday's game wound down one could here (or at least thought they heard) the Patriots' players saying "Blueprint?!? We've got you're stinking blueprint right here!" So, with the question as to whether the Steelers are "contenders" or "pretenders" answered, at least for now, here's our perspective on the game.

The Good
The best thing about this week's game is that it's over; and the Steelers now face a must win game, the final home game of the regular season, against the very tough Jacksonville Jaguars. But beyond that, and more specific to the matchup with the Patriots, here's some of what the Black & Gold did well this past Sunday:

• Willie Parker had a good day -- 21 carries, 124 yards (56 yards in the first half, 68 yards in the second). Also impressive about the performance is that only 27 of those yards came during so-called "garbage time" at the end of the fourth quarter. Stopping the run is not a strength of the New England defense, and the Steelers exploited that weakness. That the Steelers running game was not, in-and-of itself, enough to change the final outcomes doesn't mean that the effort was a wasted one. Given the Steelers' struggles to run the football it was good to see them have some success in the phase of the game.


• Ben Roethlisberger's struggles against New England have been well-chronicled, but his performance on Sunday was a significant step forward. His statistics were not eye-catching (i.e. nothing like Tom Brady's) but the fact that he threw for a touchdown and no interceptions, in 32 pass attempts, is something positive to take from the game. Perhaps for the first time, at least when facing the Patriots, Mr. Roethlisberger did not appear overmatched or easily rattled. His performance, like those of many of his teammates, may have fallen short of what was needed to produce a win but it was, on the whole, a good (if not great performance).

The Bad
Where does one begin . . .

• It would be easy to lambaste Anthony Smith. After all, he ran his mouth too much before the game, and then didn't use his head during the game. However it is the entire defense that disappointed on Sunday. Two big plays resulted in 14 points for the Patriots -- but the question we ask, rhetorical though it might be, is what about the other 20? For those the Patriots put together drives of 9 plays/52 yards, 8 plays/54 yards, 10 plays/50 yards, and 13 plays/89 yards. Pittsburgh Steelers Fanatic firmly believes in giving opponents credit for the things they do well -- and the Patriots deserve lots of credit; however the Steelers defense failed to make any significant plays against the best team in the NFL. As a result, the Patriots scored points of some kind on six of their ten possessions. Whether it was game planning, execution on the field, or some combination of both the Steelers' defense -- the heart & soul of the team -- was outgunned and outplayed all day long.


• The play calling of Bruce Arians, specifically in the (Heinz) red zone left something to be desired. Going into the game the Patriots had the league's worst red zone (touchdown) defense; but despite this fact the Steelers came away with only three points on their two three trips inside the New England 12-yard line. Additionally, the play calling early in the fourth quarter left us shaking our heads. On the drive that ended at the new England 1-yard line (which began late in the third quarter) Nate Washington made a catch which put the ball at the New England twenty. From that point Steelers' running backs had four carries, netting fifteen yards. But two passes (one to Hines Ward for one yard, and one to Santonio Holmes -- which was perfectly defended) yielded little, and the fourth down end around drew Hines Ward from the outside towards the strength of the Patriots defense (i.e. Mike Vrabel). Given the the success that the Steelers had had on the ground the argument here is that a power toss to the left (a play that was run by the Steelers late in the fourth quarter) -- thereby taking the Steelers' ball carrier from the inside away from the Patriots' defensive strength -- would have been a better second down call. As it was, the Patriots played downs two, three, and four perfectly. When Hines Ward was held out of the end zone on fourth down the Steelers' slim chances of coming back were extinguished.

The Ugly

• Like Anthony Smith, Willie Colon makes an inviting target here -- he was completely overmatched against Mike Vrabel -- but the real culprit is the coach, or coaches, who put him out on that island in the first place. Mr. Colon may someday be an All-Pro, but he isn't there yet, and nothing he's done this season should have led any member of the coaching staff to believe that he was prepared for the kind of responsibility that was foisted upon him for this game. The result was that Heath Miller, who had a good first quarter catching the ball (3 catches, 19 yards), had to be kept on the line to block; and the result of that was one fewer receiver for Ben Roethlisberger to look for, and the result of that was stark: In the first half Ben Roethlisberger's passing statistics were 12/17, 121 yards, 1 touchdown. In the second half, with Mr. Miller consigned to assisting Mr. Colon, Mr. Roethlisberger was 7/15, 66 yards, 0 touchdowns. Coincidence? Of course not (in the second half Mr. Miller had 1 catch for 9 yards).


• When a team loses a big game, and performs in a manner that disappoints themselves and their fans, there is plenty of "ugly" to go around. However, I want to make special mention of one member of the Black & Gold who shamed himself in a way for which the Steelers are not know. Arnold Harrison's fourth quarter cheap shot, well after a New England punt had gone out of bounds, has no place on this team. The Steelers had their chances to make plays, and however frustrated they were there simply is no excuse for that type of conduct -- we're not the Raiders. And frankly, I don't blame Bill Belichick for wanting Mr. Harrison ejected. If the situation had been reversed all Steelers fans would have been called for the same thing. The hope here is that someone -- either the league or the team -- fines Mr. Harrison for his juvenile behavior.

The Final Analysis
It's over, and the sooner the Steelers forget about this game the better. Jacksonville is playing for a wild card berth; and don't look now but the Cleveland Browns are just one game behind the Steelers for the AFC Central championship. The last thing the Steelers should want is to face the Baltimore Ravens in the regular season's final game actually needing a win to get into the playoffs.

Fun Fact
Coming into the game the Patriots had had 40 possessions which were 1-4 plays in duration. Of those 40 possessions, 8 resulted in touchdowns. Against the Steelers the Patriots had 6 such drives and two resulted in touchdowns. Another of those resulted in a field goal, while still another resulted in a missed field goal.

Mike Tomlin Announces Hall of Fame Game Strategy

Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin announced Friday that, heading into the first game of the preseason, it was his "intention to play Ben [Roethlisberger] a little less than most of the starters and go with Charlie Batch after that."

On the surface that would seem to be a prudent move, after all there isn't much sense in risking an injury to the injury prone starting quarterback. However a look back at 2006 gives one pause. Coming off their Super Bowl victory the Steelers limited Mr. Roethlisberger to eight passing attempts during the entire preseason (the average starting quarterback threw 20.29 passes during last season's preseason). Of course the fact that Mr. Roethlisberger was also coming off his motorcycle accident certainly didn't help matters (though at the time Bill Cowher indicated that Mr. Roethlisberger was physically ready to play) but the paucity of passing attempts -- and live game work with his new wide receiver, Santonio Holmes -- also contributed to the woeful early season performance by the Steelers starting quarterback.

So as Mike Tomlin and Bruce Arians make their plans for the preseason here's hoping that they don't give in to the temptation to be overly protective/conservative with their QB.

I'm Sure There's Nothing to Worry About

The elevation of Bruce Arians from wide receiver coach to offensive coordinator was widely anticipated, and there is certainly something to be said for the continuity that comes from keeping a familiar face amongst the coaches on the offensive side of the football.

However a look back at the performance of Cleveland's offense during the years 2001-2003, while Mr. Arians was their offensive coordinator, is a bit unnerving. For example, in 2001 the Browns were last in the NFL in total yardage, average yardage per play, and average yardage per game. That same season they ranked 28th in time of possession and third down efficiency, and were 25th in average points per game.

In 2002 the Browns' offense showed some improvement. They moved up to 23rd in total yards and average yards per game, and were 19th in average yards per play. They were 17th in per game average time of possession, and 14th in points per game average. Based upon the improvement from 2001 to 2002 Browns fans must have been optimistic about the 2003 season.

However in 2003 the Browns offense slid backwards, falling to 26th in total yardage and average yards per game, 23rd in yards per play, 22nd in per game average time of possession, and 14th in third down efficiency.

During Mr. Arians' tenure as offensive coordinator in Cleveland the Browns passing attack (which, in fairness, featured Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb at quarterback) was never better than 18th in the NFL; and the rushing attack never rose above 20th best in the league -- and never produced a 1,000 yard rusher.

Let's hope that, in this case, the past is not prologue!