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

Before the season began much of the talk regarding Super Bowl contenders from the AFC revolved around New England, Indianapolis, San Diego, and Jacksonville; and in many a season preview the Cleveland Browns were highlighted as a team that had a good chance of unseating the Pittsburgh Steelers as AFC North champions.

The NFL season takes many twists and turns, and the teams that were expected to contend may still do so, but right now San Diego and Jacksonville are winless in their first two games, the Colts are struggling with the NFC North, and New England is without their most valuable player.

Then there are the Browns.

Proving so far that being a Cinderella story is easier than being the favorite, the Browns now find themselves tied with their Ohio neighbors, the Bengals, for last in the division after having lost two home games. In fairness, the Browns played hard but some questionable decisions by Romeo Crennel and big plays by the Steelers doomed Cleveland to their tenth consecutive loss against the Steelers.

Without further adieu, here's our look at some of the highs, the lows, and the hideous.

The Good

1. Generally we like to focus our attentions on entire units within the team ~ e.g. the offensive line, the linebackers, etc. ~ but one player in particular showed us that the concerns we had regarding his ability to regain hi Pro Bowl form were nothing more than alarmist nonsense. For at least one night Troy Polamalu ~ who finished the game with four tackles, one for a loss ~ ran, dived, and vaulted like the young man we all fell in love with when he first showed up in the 'Burgh. Moreover, his interception at the end of the first half was the play of the game. The impact on the scoreboard was obvious, but its impact on the confidence of the Browns must have been even more significant. That fourteen play, seventy-one yard drive began with 6:20 left in the half, and instead of showing the Steelers that they were ready to take control it only reinforced the idea that it was the Black & Gold that was really in control.


2. Who are those players covering kicks and punts for the Steelers? It almost appears that they are "staying in their lanes" ~ a concept that we were convinced simply was not a part of Steelers special team play. But against the best return man this side off Devin Hester, on three kicks the Jeff Reed delivered two kicks for touchbacks, and the single kick that was returned went for twenty-two yards. On the punt team Mitch Berger continues to perform well ~ six kicks for an average of 45.5 yards, though the net yardage was only 38.2 yards ~ and the Steelers limited Joshua Cribbs to an average of 8.8 yards on five returns. One can only hope that this solid play will continue, and that it will inspire the kick return teams of the Steelers to play better.


3. Offensive line, you are beautiful! Willie Parker gets another one 100+ yards rushing and Ben Roethlisberger was well protected (yes he was sacked three times, but on each of those occasions the Browns blitzed multiple defenders ~ i.e. it was a numbers thing). Chris Kemoeatu continues to perform well in his attempt to replace one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history (want to know how skewed media coverage is in the NFL? For all the incessant talk about Aaron Rodgers replacing Brett Favre, Chris Kemoeatu replacing Alan Faneca is every bit as compelling a story), Justin Hartwig is making the painful memories of the Sean Mayhan era recede quickly, Marvel Smith looks like a different player, Kendall Simmons (and his tumbling skills) may be John Madden's newest favorite player, and Willie Colon just keeps doing his job. In two weeks this group has gone against two pretty decent defensive fronts, and in both cases acquitted themselves very well.


4. Honorable Mentions: Ben Roethlisberger playing well while injured, Bruce Arians for a well-called game (especially the pass on second-and-ten from the Steelers' own endzone with :39 left in the third quarter that resulted in a 31-yard completion to Hines Ward, and the play action pass on second-and-ten with 3:16 left in the game that resulted in a 19-yard completion to Heath Miller), Santonio Holmes looks like a Pro Bowler, and Bryant McFadden playing for the injured Deshea Townsend.

The Bad

1. The Steelers' punt and kick return teams, specifically their return men, were dreadful. Two near fumbles had us ready to crawl though the satellite dish and throttle Mewelde Moore and the tandem of Rashard Mendenhall/Carey Davis. Indeed the only "return man" to come out of the game with his reputation unsullied was Matt Spaeth who had the presence of mind to call a fair catch on the fourth quarter pooch kick by Phil Dawson.


2. Third down efficiency of twenty-five percent? 0-for-4 on third down conversions in the second half? If that becomes a trend the Steelers had better hope they never trail in any of their remaining games this season.


3. We tend not to worry about the officiating, but the inconsistency of this group ~ in particular the roughing the passer call against LaMarr Woodley,and the non-call when Ben Roethlisberger had thrown a pass and Sean Rodgers took two steps and buried the crown of his helmet in Ben Roethlisberger's chest ~ warrants a mention. Coaches, players, and fans just want to see the same rules apply to both teams. While the numbers balanced out (the Steelers had 7 penalties for 60 yards, the Browns 10-for-65), it seemed that "protecting the quarterback" meant different things to head official Tony Corrente depending upon which team had the ball.

The Ugly

1. This is going to seem a bit harsh, but Willie Parker messed up badly. In the fourth quarter, with 2:42 play, Mr. Parker took a hand-off on second down and six. He cut over the right side, got the first down, and then went out-of-bounds thereby saving Cleveland nearly thirty seconds of game time.
   
   In watching the play a second (and third, and fourth) time we can see that Mr. Parker had the first down, and was in-bounds with 2:38 to play. Two seconds later he is still in bounds, and has picked up an additional four yards. With 2:35 left he stepped out-of-bounds. Now, if he had fallen to the ground at nearly any moment after getting the first down (but before going out-of-bounds) the Steelers would have had the ball first-and-ten with the clock running (the Browns had used all their time outs at that point). At that point the Steelers might have been able allow the clock to run to the two minute warning without running another play (we admit it would have been close ~ depending upon when the ball was made ready for play by the officials).
   
   As it was the clock stopped with 2:34 remaining, the Steelers had to run their first down play to restart the clock, the clock then stopped at the two minute warning, and the Browns eventually regained possession with :26 left. It didn't have to be that way; and while we love Mr. Parker's determined running style that is the kind of mistake good teams do not make in a close game.


2. We believe in allowing the fans of other teams to analyze the performance of those teams, however the job that Romeo Crennel (a man for whom we have some genuine respect) did Sunday night was deserving of harsh judgment.

Conclusion
With some of the better teams (i.e. the teams against whom the Steelers are competing for home field advantage in the playoffs) struggling out of the gate, and their top rival in the division doing the same, this was a big win for the Steelers.

With the Eagles playing on Monday night it will be interesting see if their offense is all it appeared to be in week one. If it is, then the Steelers defense is in for a significant challenge (e.g. are the Steelers going to cover Brian Westbrook with a linebacker?).

So Many Decisions, So Little Time

This coming Sunday the Steelers begin their shortest training camp e-v-e-r. Twenty-two calendar days, and eighteen days of actual practice (with a couple of games thrown in to breakup the monotony) will be utilized to decide just who the best players are and they will best be utilized. From our perspective here are the pressing issues, presented in no particular order (except for the first one) facing Mike Tomlin and his staff:

• The Ghost of Alan Faneca: The offensive line is mess. At tackle, is Marvel Smith capable of playing like a man playing for a big, free agent contract or have the previous eight seasons revealed all that he is capable of doing? The transition player contract that Mr. Smith signed ($6,850,000) makes it tough to put him on the bench, but is Trai Essex ready to step up in his fourth seasons; and what of Jeremy Parquet? Of course all eyes will be at left guard where Chris Kemoeatu is being asked to replace a perennial All-Pro ~ no big deal, right?


• Which Larry?: Larry Foote has been terrific at right, inside linebacker ~ a solid run-stuffer. However, despite the fact that he is currently listed at right outside linebacker on the Steelers' roster, it is expected that Lawrence Timmons is expected to be given the opportunity to unseat the veteran. Very rarely is the second season for a first round draft pick described as "make-or-break," but the team is anxious to upgrade the speed of its defense, and it is hoped that Mr. Timmons will be a big part of that.


• They're back, but are they ready?: The Steelers suffered some significant injuries on both sides of the football ~ Aaron Smith, Ryan Clark and Willie Parker must notable amongst them ~ so one of the important tasks for the coaching staff will be to assess where those players are physically. Additionally, the declining performance of Troy Polamalu has, in our opinion, coincided with a decline in his physical well-being. It will be interesting to see if Mr. Polamalu's non-traditional off-season regimen will yield positive, long-lasting results.


• Shakin' Out at Wide Out: It seems that we have been predicting the demise of Nate Washington and Willie Reid as members of the Pittsburgh Steelers since the day they landed on the roster. But this time we really mean it ~ the axe is going to fall on one or both of these players this summer. At one time it was believed that Mr. Reid would have an impact as a return man on punts and kicks. His inability to field kicks cleanly certainly had an impact, but not exactly the one that was hoped for. If Jeremy Bloom can perform well in this role Mr. Reid's hold on a roster spot will be even more tenuous. On the other hand, in 2007 Nate Washington showed flashes of being the player the team thought he could be, but he was inconsistent at times both as a receiver and as a blocker. With Dallas Baker and Limas Sweed now on the roster Mr. Washington will be pressed to deliver consistent results.


• Just how tough are we?: In 2007 the Steelers rushing defense ranked twenty-second in the league on plays up the middle, giving up an average of 4.36 yards per carry ~ the first and only time the defense has performed that poorly in the past eight years (i.e. from 2000-2006 the defense yielded fewer than four yards per carry on plays up the middle); and anyone who saw last season's two games versus Jacksonville realizes that the Steelers were far from being their dominant selves. So, was 2007 an aberration or a harbinger of things to come?

Naturally this list is far from comprehensive, but there is little doubt that just addressing the issues we've outlined will occupy much of the time available in this year's training camp.

February 2009 Could Get Ugly

An article in Wednesday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette contained a couple of nuggets which correct points made here, and elsewhere.

First off, the 8-year deal signed by Mr. Roethlisberger is not an extension but a brand new contract (i.e. the final two years of his old deal were voided), meaning that he is signed with the Steelers through the 2015 season.

Secondly, instead of reducing his number against the salary cap the new contract actually increases his number for the 2008 season. Furthermore, as Ed Bouchette points out in the article, "[Mr. Roethlisberger's] salary leaps to $8.05 million in 2010. He will earn $11.6 million annually through the 2014 season. He will earn $12.1 million in the eighth and final year of the new contract, 2015." Which got us to wondering just what that might mean for future seasons (putting aside, temporarily, the collective bargaining battle that lies ahead for the league and the player's association) -- specifically next off-season.

So we went to the good folks at KFFL to find out just how many free agents the Steelers might have next February. While most of the names are not those of Pro Bowlers there are enough here, combined with the big dollars being paid to Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu (the two of them will account for more than $12,000,000 of the Steelers' $116,000,000 payroll), to make us wonder just what's going to happen. Here's a look at former Steelers, the 2009 edition:

Player	Position	Status
Charlie Batch	QB	UFA
Najeh Davenport	RB	UFA
Carey Davis	RB	RFA
Willie Reid	WR	RFA
Cedrick Wilson	WR	UFA
Jon Dekker	TE	RFA
Willie Colon	OL	RFA
Jerremy Parquet	OL	RFA
Marvel Smith	OL	UFA
Jason Capizzi	OL	RFA
Ryan McBean	DL	RFA
James Farrior	LB	UFA
Bryant McFadden	CB	UFA
Anthony Madison	S	RFA
Anthony Smith	S	RFA

A list of 15 potential free agents is a daunting thing, and considering that of those at least nine started games in 2007 we begin to get an idea of just how tough things could get.

As Steelers fans it is our nature to see the glass as at least half empty, so it's important to remember that the salary cap will increase next off-season -- our guess is that an additional 6.5% of spending will be permitted -- but how many of the players on the list will $7,540,000 bring back?

I have to admit to being a big fan of James Farrior, but he will be 34-years old next January. As a result of all the factors at work it seems certain that 2008 will be his final season in Pittsburgh. Additionally Cedrick Wilson, who has been something of a disappointment, will turn 30 in December -- bye, bye Ced. Najeh? Charlie? It definitely doesn't look good for them, at least right now. And Marvel Smith has probably already got his boxes ready for packing.

On the other hand the restricted free agents -- especially Messrs. Colon, Davis, Madison, Reid, and Smith -- all can be expected back (i.e. barring an insane contract offer from another team) in Pittsburgh.

Ahhh, but all of that can be put aside for now -- what with the draft . . . and training camp . . . and an entire season to be played before any of this comes to the fore. But, like you, we're not happy unless there's something to worry about.

Getting Draft Ready - Assessing the Offensive Line

Editor's Note: In an earlier version of this posting it was incorrectly reported that Chukky Okobi did not start in place of Jeff Hartings during the 2006 season. My thanks to the loyal reader who pointed out the error, and my apologies for the mistake.

There isn't a more important unit to the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers than the offensive line, and during this offseason there isn't a unit that is more unsettled. With the retirement of Jeff Hartings, and the free agency status of Max Starks (restricted) and Barrett Brooks (unrestricted) there are clearly important decisions to be made.

Though they are also receivers, the tight ends are also getting a look here if only because there isn't much that is found wanting. Heath Miller is a good run blocker, who is improving, and as a pass catcher he has 73 receptions over his first two seasons and 852 yards receiving. His backup, Jerame Tuman, has been an above average run blocker and an adequate pass receiver. Finally, Jonathan Dekker -- a Bill Cowher favorite -- is still on the roster.

Of course the offensive line proper is anchored by its guards, Kendall Simmons and Alan Faneca, and while that should remain the case remember this: In five seasons Mr. Simmons has played all sixteen games only twice; and while Mr. Faneca hasn't missed a game in the last five seasons, he is now the oldest of the Steelers' offensive linemen (he turned 30 in December). So even in strength there are questions. At the tackles Max Starks and Marvel Smith -- backed up by Willie Colon and Trai Essex -- are firmly entrenched as starters despite what was a very inconsistent 2006 season.

And then there is the center position.

Jeff Hartings retirement was rumored about last offseason, which led Pittsburgh Steelers Fanatic to advocate the drafting of Nick Mangold (the Ohio State center who started sixteen games for the New York Jets in 2006). Now Mr. Hartings has retired, and it appears that Chukky Okobi, who accounts for $2,456,000 of the Steelers' salary cap space in 2007, will assume the starting position. However, with only seven games played in six seasons -- and only two in the last four seasons -- he remains an unproven commodity. Additionally, given that Mr. Okobi's cap number climbs in 2008 and 2009, next season is undoubtedly the most important of his career. Causing some additional concern is that Mr. Okkobi's backup, at this point, is Marvin Phillip who struggled during his rookie season. All of this may lead the Steelers to look at unrestricted free agents like Robbie Tobek (Seahawks) and Jeremy Newberry (Forty-Niners).

Of course all of this concern stems from the significant drop-off in performance by this unit from 2005 to 2006. The experts at Football Outsiders have developed a statistical measure to evaluate the effectiveness of offensive lines, and the Steelers' group dropped from twelfth (2005) to twenty-second (2006). One of the more telling measures within this statistical analysis is what Football Outsiders call "power success" (i.e. the ability to gain first downs when running on third or fourth down, with two or fewer yards to go). The Steelers' offensive line ranked 20th. This inability to employ a "smash mouth" approach offensively led to this: In 2006, on third down and less than five yards to go, the Steelers passed the ball nearly 71% of the time. Additionally, total rushing yardage in 2006 was nearly 12% less than the previous season; and quarterback sacks were up by nearly 35% -- the most allowed in any season during the last seven years.

No unit within the Steelers is more important to winning and losing than the offensive line. In 2006 the team and offensive line both struggled; and the new season, still off in the distance, promises to be filled with significant challenges to be met and questions to be answered.