Is Bryant McFadden Returning to Pittsburgh?

In an article in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Ed Bouchette discusses the relative lack of activity by the Steelers in the free agent market. But we are beginning to wonder if there are not some things in the works that could bubble to the surface in the next couple of weeks.

What piqued our interest is the NFL's official list of free agent signings; more accurately what piqued our interest is who is not on the list ~ Chris Kemoeatu. Like nearly everyone we were thrilled to hear of Mr. Kemoeatu's return to Pittsburgh however no such signing has been reported to the league office (as of 3/4/09). Indeed, the only official signing that has occurred in Pittsburgh is the re-signing of Sean McHugh which was reported on March 2.

As Mr. Bouchette points out in his article negotiations with James Harrison's agent are still ongoing, as are negotiations with the agent for Max Starks. The signing of more cap-friendly contracts by those two players, along with free agent signings in Arizona (i.e. Kurt Warner) and Detroit (i.e. cornerback Phillip Buchanon and running back Maurice Morris) ~ two teams that are perceived, along with the Steelers, as being most interested in Mr. McFadden's services ~ may be creating some downward pressure on Mr. McFadden's negotiating position. Stated as a question, is the market for Bryant McFadden breaking the Steelers' way?

Of course it could also be possible that more cap-friendly contracts for current players may be required in order to re-sign Mr. Kemoeatu ~ but we like Mr. McFadden and are trying to keep hope alive.

Happy New Year!

Today is the first day of the NFL's 2009 calendar, and the player movement ~ both in free agent signings, and other signings, and still more signings, and trades ~ has been hectic (so much so that a special free agent tracker is now required).

Word coming out of Pittsburgh is that Kendall Simmons is headed to Buffalo for a visit, while Sirius NFL Radio is reporting that Bryant McFadden is expected to drop in on the Lions, and Nate Washington is also expected to visit Detroit as well as Minnesota.

Mike Tomlin Weekly Press Conference

We were able to listen to Mike Tomlin's weekly press conference on ESPN 1250, and here are some of the highlights:

Injuries

• Willie Parker has a sublaxation of the shoulder [this is in direct contradiction to a couple of media reports], but is scheduled to practice this week. The injury is similar to the one that Ryan Clark suffered earlier in the season.


• Marvel Smith is scheduled to practice this week, but has to show that he is ready "technically" before he returns to the starting lineup.


• Health Miller "is questionable at best."


• Bryant McFadden is out; but it is hoped that he will return "soon."


• Deshea Townsend is out


• LaMarr Woodley is scheduled to practice this week

Player Personnel Move

In an effort to add depth the Steelers have signed Fernando Bryant, a former Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions.

Upcoming Opponent

• The San Diego Chargers "have some weapons."


• Because of their size and strength the Chargers' wide receivers "create matchup issues on the perimeter," and are "legitimate weapons."


• Antonio Gates (TE) is "the best route runner, at the position, in the league."


• On defense, Jamal Williams "is the man in the middle," and "it all begins with him."


• The San Diego corners ~ Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer ~ are among the very best iin the league.


• San Diego's special teams "are the best in the world."

Last Week's Game

• The pass play called near the end of the first half (i.e. the pass that was intercepted) came from the sideline and was approved by Mr. Tomlin.


• Ben Roethlisberger did not turn in a "winning performance" on Sunday; and he should benefit from a full schedule of practice; as will the "timing and cohesion" between the quarterback and receivers.


• Nobody on the offensive line "is performing great."


• Mr. Tomlin indicated that, because of its inability to consistently run the football, the Steelers' offense "lacks an identity."

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

Standing firm in our belief that late is better than never (having a real job can disrupt one's blogging routine enormously), we offer our assessment of the Steelers' victory last Sunday.

The Good

1. There can be no doubt about what the best thing about last Sunday's game was ~ Mewelde Moore. We mentioned after the Jacksonville game that if he could keep up his good play he might be a free agent signing on par with James Farrior and Jeff Hartings. Two consecutive good games does not a career make, but 120 yards on 20 carries, and two touchdowns does a great deal to elevate opinions about your skills.


2. The offensive line did a good job on Sunday ~ Mr. Mewelde's rushing totals are evidence of that, as is the fact that Ben Roethlisberger went an entire game without being sacked (the first time that has happened since December 2, 2007 when the Steelers faced . . . Cincinnati). However our enthusiasm for the performance is tempered somewhat by the fact that Cincinnati's defense has held an opponent to fewer than 100 yards rushing once this season (the Jets gained 86 yards) and has sacked opposition quarterbacks five times. But there's no sense in being negative ~ the Steelers offensive line went against an inferior opponent and managed to perform well enough to win


3. A little shout-out for Darnell Stapleton! We love the smart, physical brand of football he is playing. Time will tell whether or not he can continue to perform at this level (next Sunday versus the Giants defensive front should tell us plenty), but it has been a promising start.

The Bad

1. What happened to the Steelers offense in the second and third quarters? The Steelers offense netted ninety-five yards of total offense on twenty-two plays (an average of 4.32 yards per play) in the middle two stanzas of the game, compared to 300 yards on 37 plays (8.11 yards per play) in quarters one and four. It was during that same stretch ~ i.e. the middle two quarters ~ that the Bengals had their best stretch of play, and made what should have been (and eventually became) a blowout a tightly contested match. More disturbing was that the Pittsburgh offense seemed, during that stretch, to be completely befuddled by Cincinnati's defense ~ a notion seemingly too ridiculous to be believed, but the numbers never lie, right? It can certainly be argued that the Steelers' offense wore down the defense of the Bengals, however more consistent play throughout each game is the hallmark of elite teams.

The Ugly

1. Bryant McFadden out with a broken forearm.
   
   Troy Polamalu with a concussion.
   
   The injury bug continues to bite the Steelers, virtually unabated. With games against the NFC East over the next two weeks the backups are certain to be tested dearly.

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

On October 30, 1966 the Pittsburgh Steelers travelled to Dallas and lost to the Cowboys 52-21. In that game the Steelers set a few team records that day that still stand including fewest rushing yards (7), and most sacks allowed (12) which should show us all that the game versus Philadelphia could have been worse.

Not much, but it could have been worse.

The Good

1. The performance by the Steelers' defense was enough to bring tears to our eyes. Faced with the ineffectual performance of the offense, we kept waiting for the defense to collapse under the strain ~ something they never did. Everyone on the defensive side of the ball was tremendous, but here are a few of the standouts:
   
   
   • LaMarr Woodley looked like a veteran, and played better than his two tackles and a sack would indicate.
   
   
   • Larry Foote is a veteran, his 1.5 sacks led the team.
   
   
   • Bryant McFadden? Five tackles and an interception
   
   
   • Travis Kirschke? Six tackles, and a half a sack.
   
   
   • James Farrior led the defense with seven tackles, and forced a fumble.
   
   
   • Then there was Troy Polamalu's third interception in as many weeks to go along with five tackles.
   
   The high-powered Eagles' offense, who had scored 75 points in their first two games, were held to thirteen points by a determined and tenacious Steelers defense. It should have been enough to win, but not this week.


2. On a day when field position was even more critical than usual Steelers punter Mitch Berger performed well. His net average for this game wasn't eye popping (39.2 yards), but three of his five punts (did he really only punt five times?) were downed inside the Eagles' twenty yard line. Keeping the Eagles on a long field helped the defense immeasurably, and that kept the Steelers in the game almost until the end.


3. While we're talking about kickers, Jeff Reed continues to perform at an All-Pro level, and his 53-yard field goal near the end of the first half should have been a momentum changer.


4. Our coach is better looking than their coach

The Bad

1. We've said it before, the line between "bad" and "ugly" is a thin one, and very subjective. With that in mind we are going to designate offensive coordinator Bruce Arians "ugly," at least for this week. Specifically the play calling, which has been rather good during the first two games, never seemed to register the fact that the Eagles' defense was (to put it mildly) disrupting the Steelers' offense.
   
   Drop back passes, especially when your quarterback is prone to holding onto the football, are not the best types of pass plays to call. We're sure we must have just missed them, but did anyone notice many two tight end sets? The idea of having the extra blocking available must have occurred to someone, and it might have even helped the running game. Moreover, the tight ends could have been used to "chip" oncoming rushers and then release as a safety valve. We only watched the game once, so it is possible that this approach was attempted but we certainly did not see any sustained efforts in this regard.
   
   The result was 5- and 7-step drops only to have Ben Roethlisberger swarmed over. We might also point out that this is just another reason to have the running back more active as a receiver in the passing game ~ but that would be piling on.

The Ugly

1. Throw the ball Ben!
   
   Much will be made of the offensive line's struggles on Sunday, and we will do our share in that regard, but a big part of the difference between Philadelphia's defensive effort last week (when they surrendered 41 points) and this week was Mr. Roethlisberger's insistence on holding on to the football. This is something we have harped on before, but apparently it did not do much good. So we are trying again.
   
   Throw the ball Ben!


2. The offensive line was beaten like a drum for much of the day; and while it is true that Ben Roethlisberger's propensity for holding on to the football did not help matters much we also think that Justin Hartwig did a terrible job of coordinating the zone blocking attack, and that Willie Colon looked overmatched.
   
   How many times will defenders come unabated, up-the-middle, before Mr. Hatwig figures out that it's probably a good idea for him to get in the way? As for Mr. Colon, we're not sure if it was just a case of the Eagles' defensive end having superior speed, Mr. Colon having average to below-average footwork, or a combination of the two factors.
   
   When an offensive line fails so completely, so utterly, it is as shocking as it is painful. Between Mr. Roethlisberger's inability to get rid of the football more quickly and the offensive line's inability to provide any real time to throw (which comes first, the chicken or the egg?) it's a wonder the Steelers scored any points at all.

Conclusion

What Philadelphia's defense did Sunday was something that Cleveland was able to do, to a much smaller degree, in the preceding week. It is clear that opponents perceive the Steelers' passing attack (i.e. wide receiver-centric), Mr. Roethlisberger's unwillingness to throw the ball quickly, and the offensive line's inability to contend with the blitz as something of a soft underbelly to the Steelers' offense. This past Sunday that weakness undermined an amazing performance by the Steelers' defense. Let's hope the coaches and players on the offensive side of the football figure out how to fix the problem sooner rather than later.