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

Surprisingly enough, home field can be an advantage, even in Pittsburgh (many thanks to my friend Joe Brugh for the included photograph ~ taken from section 524 of Heinz Field). In a postseason that witnessed an unprecedented strength amongst the road teams (i.e. in this postseason visiting, and home, teams were 5-5) the Pittsburgh Steelers overcame their franchise's history, and the angst that all Pittsburgh fans feel for no other reason than they are Pittsburgh fans, to earn a trip to Florida and Super Bowl XLIII. Here are some of our impressions from that game.

The Good

1. What does one say, what can one say when everything has been said? In the afterglow of the AFC Championship can anyone really question whether or not the Steelers have the NFL's most dominant defense? During the 2008 regular season the Baltimore Ravens' offense averaged 324.0 yards per game, and 248.5 yards per game in the postseason. But in the AFC Championship the Steelers held Baltimore's offense to 198 total net yards ~ their lowest single-game total of the season (their second lowest total was 202 yards ~ against the Steelers in the second meeting between these two teams).
   
   Obviously the most impressive part of that low yardage total is the job that the Steelers' run defense did ~ the 73 yards rushing for Baltimore was their second-lowest total of the season (the lowest total was 10/12/08 versus Indianapolis ~ 51 yards), and came against an offense that averaged 148.5 yards of rushing during the regular season and 91.3 yards per playoff game.
   
   In addition to the yardage allowed, the Steelers defense sacked Joe Flacco three times, making it an even 10 sacks by Pittsburgh against Mr. Flacco on the season. To put that into some kind of perspective, in the other 16 games the Ravens played this season Mr. Flacco was sacked a total of 25 times.
   
   During the previous 18 games Joe Flacco threw 12 interceptions. On Sunday the Steelers picked off three passes.
   
   Going into the game there were some who expected the Ravens to have an answer for the Steelers. Based upon this game we are not sure the Ravens' offense understood the question.


2. Every time Baltimore and Pittsburgh play we hear all about Ray Lewis, and what a great player he is. Fair enough ~ he is a great player; however if he is great then what about James Farrior? In the game Mr. Lewis had 6 tackles, 3 assists, defended 1 pass, and forced 1 fumble. Meanwhile, the less heralded James Farrior had 6 tackles, 3 assists, and defended 1 pass ~ and had the good fortune of having played on the winning team. Mr. Lewis talks more, but Mr. Farrior's impact on the field of play iis as least as significant.


3. Special teams were something of a mixed bag on Sunday, but the kick coverage team did a terrific job. During the regular season Baltimore averaged 20.1 yards per return, and averaged 22.8 yards per return in the December 14th meeting between these two teams. This past Sunday the Patrick Bailey, Keyaron Fox, Anthony Madison, et al limited the Ravens to a 14.3 yard average. As a result the Ravens' average starting point was the 24 yard line and, based upon the results (i.e. the turnovers) keeping them on a long field had a significant impact.


4. Troy Polamalu, we salute you. The interception and return for a touchdown ~ on a play which we predicted would be the most important play of the game (our exact words immediately before the snap were "this is the ballgame!") ~ is obviously a moment no Steelers fan will ever forget. But his leaping stop of Joe Flacco late in the first quarter on fourth-and-one at the Steelers 34-yard line kept Baltimore off the scoreboard (and there is no doubt as to how important that was), and certainly set the tone for the game ~ despite trailing by only six points at halftime, the Ravens ran the ball 10 times in the second half.
   
   However unorthodox Mr. Polamalu's offseason training regimen, here's hoping Casey Hampton gets on the same program.


5. Last but certainly not least is the matter of Ben Roethlisberger. The passing numbers are decent if not spectacular ~ one can only imagine how those numbers would have looked if Willie Parker had held on to the first quarter pass thrown in his direction, or if the first quarter pass thrown to Santonio Holmes had been ruled a touchdown rather than an incompletion when it was reviewed, or if Limas Sweed had held on to the second quarter touchdown pass thrown to him ~ but what pleased us most was that he threw no interceptions and did not fumble the football. He created opportunities by moving around in the pocket, but when it was time to get rid of the football he did so, and did so without falling victim to Ed Reed. It was a mature and seasoned performance.

The Bad

1. We understand that the Baltimore defense is very strong versus the run; however 52 yards of rushing, and a per rush average of 1.9 yards is putrid (by way of comparison, in the first meeting between these two teams the Steelers averaged 2.5 yards per rush, and in the second game they averaged 3.4 yards per rush). The offensive line did a very good job protecting Ben Roethlisberger on pass plays, but their inability to open holes for the running backs ~ in re-watching the game it was clear that there was little or no surge from the offensive line (i.e. Baltimore's defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage on running plays) ~ has been a problem all season long.


2. We do not have any major complaints about the offensive game plan; however Bruce Arians nearly cost the Steelers a chance at the Super Bowl with a single play call. Early in the fourth quarter, with third-and-one at their own 37 yard line, the Steelers went to an empty backfield, and Ben Roethlisberger threw a very poor pass. Creativity is a great thing, but we question the empty backfield ~ if a pass is to be thrown, why not make it a play action pass? It was a poor play call poorly executed, and (thanks to the Steelers special teams) nearly had disasterous consequences.

The Ugly

1. Mitch Berger's 21-yard kick in the fourth quarter appeared to be what one wag (i.e. Big Dan the 'Burgh Man) described as "an onside punt," and immediately followed the questionable third-and-one play call previously mentioned. The result of these two plays was to give Baltimore the football at their own 42 yard line, and the Ravens managed to score their second touchdown on a six play drive.
   
   More generally, poor punt coverage ~ a problem that cropped up versus San Diego ~ reared its ugly head again, with Jim Leonhard averaging 10.8 yards per return, and had a long of 45 yards. Though it must certainly be obvious we feel compelled to point something out: Making mistakes in special teams play, especially at this time of the season is a formula for losing, and nobody knows that better than fans of the Steelers.


2. Chris Kemoeatu, feel free not to get any more ill-advised personal foul calls for the remainder of your career with the Steelers (he is a free agent this offseason). His transgression turned what should have been third-and-five into third-and-nineteen, effectively killing the drive. Playing with composure is always important, but is especially so in big games.

Looking forward to Super Bowl XLIII, as big as the challenges will be for the Steelers the team (and their fans) can take some comfort in knowing that they got to the big game without playing their best football. However, no one should doubt that it will take their very best effort to win their sixth Lombardi trophy.

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

Because it was a playoff game, and a divisional matchup to boot, the game between San Diego and Pittsburgh was analyzed ad nauseum. However there are a couple of points we would still like to make.

The Good

1. He receives a great deal of criticism, but on Sunday Mitch Berger outkick his more heralded counterpart (i.e. Mike Scifres) by five yards per kick (i.e. Mr. Berger had a net punting average of 42.0 yards ~ 5.6 yards better than his regular season net average ~ while Mr. Scifres had a net average of 35.0 yards ~ 5.9 yards worse than his regular season average). Naturally Mr. Scifres' net average took a big hit thanks to the 67-yard return by Santonio Holmes, but we still like to give credit when it is earned.


2. Teams are going out of their way to control James Harrison ~ he was double teamed all day long ~ but as a result LaMarr Woodley is getting opportunities to make plays; and on Sunday he took full advantage. His five tackles were second best on the team Sunday, and his three quarterback hits and two sacks led the Steelers' defense.

The Bad

1. That the Steelers' defense made San Diego's offense one-dimensional is undeniable, but we were not particularly pleased with the stat line generated by Philip Rivers: 21/35, 308 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a 105.4 quarterback rating. Frankly, if we had been told in advance of the game that Mr. Rivers would have those kinds of numbers we would have been very concerned about the outcome. Yes, 20% of his total passing yardage came on the 62-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles with two minutes left in the game, however it still was a less than ideal performance by the Pittsburgh pass defense.

The Ugly

1. The kickoff coverage unit has been a strength throughout the season ~ in fact they were the #1 unit in the NFL during the regular season ~ but on Sunday they nearly allowed the Chargers to climb back into the game on the strength of the 63-yard return by Mr. Sproles. Unfortunately, it seemed like old times.

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 @ 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.

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.

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

The Steelers wrapped up their 2008 preseason with a win which improved their record this preseason to 3-1, and 8-2 in Mike Tomlin's first two seasons as head coach in Pittsburgh. Even more importantly were the roster cuts that were made this past Saturday. Here's a look back at the game and those roster decisions.

The Good

1. With his fumbles in consecutive games Rashard Mendenhall came frighteningly close to be consigned to the "Ugly" portion of this posting, however his work in the second half which resulted in 11 caries for 54 yards ~ along with the decision by the coaching staff to keep him in the game ~ had even the most cynical Steelers fan believing that the team has finally come up with their Bettis replacement. And there is this note: Mr. Mendenhall was the third leading rusher in the NFL this preseason (54 carries, 222 yards).


2. We are the first to admit that, leading into this game, we hadn't heard much about Roy Lewis as a member of the Steelers. However, living in Pac-10 country we are familiar with a player who had a solid college career at Washington. In the game against Carolina Mr. Lewis made the most of his opportunity ~ with two tackles and two passes defended he did enough to impress ~ and after our initial dismay at his release we were pleased to see that he had cleared waivers and been signed by the Steelers to the practice squad.


3. Anthony Smith is best known for his outlandish guarantee prior to last season's game versus New England and the nightmarish results, but his play at strong safety, as opposed to free safety which is the position he played last season, has been impressive. The switch allows Mr. Smith to play closer to the line of scrimmage and deliver big hits which he did versus the Panthers ~ 3 tackles, 1 for a loss, 1 assist, 1 hit on the quarterback, and 1 pass defended. If he can play at at that level for an entire season he may make people forget all about Troy Polamalu.


4. Darnell Stapleton outperformed Justin Hartwig, period. While the center cannot be given all the credit, the running game was more effective in the second half (108 yards versus 70 yards in the first half) and time of possession also improved (18:04 in the second half versus 14:34 iin the first). But more than that Mr. Stapleton showed better quickness, speed, and overall understanding of the offense. For one half of one game Mr. Stapleton was the better option at center.


5. We're glad Mitch Berger was around to be signed. Though it is only the preseason he ranked third in the NFL in both gross punting average (46.3 yards) and net punting average (42.7 yards).


6. As for the Steelers' placekicker, Jeff Reed was in mid-season form (he was #2 during the preseason in scoring by kickers), and we are looking forward to next Sunday's battle between Mr. Brown and Houston's kicker ~ the former Steelers player formerly known as Mr. Brown.

The Bad

1. The Steelers pass defense was borderline ugly.
   
   We know Matt Moore is a former UCLA Bruin but, with the exception of Bryant McFadden's first quarter interception, it seemed as though more than a few of the starters were sleepwalking through the first fifteen minutes. Even worse of course is the fact that, after Mr. Moore's departure from the game (at the end of the third quarter), Brett Basanez (who had not previously played this preseason, and who has played in one game in his entire NFL career, had a 118.0 passer rating. Moreover, though he played just one quarter Mr. Basanez ended up with 106 yards passing and one touchdown. One can only wonder what the likes of Peyton Manning, Tony Romo, Philip Rivers, and Tom Brady are going to be able to accomplish in their respective games against this defense.


2. When push came to shove we were surprised that Willie Reid was cut. He was the preseason leader in receptions (9) second in receiving yards (81), he led the team in kickoff returns (5) and kickoff return yards (110). The decision to keep Limas Sweed ~ who seemingly had more drops than receptions during the preseason ~ is an argument for a rookie salary cap. The only thing going for Mr. Sweed, beyond his raw physical ability (often referred to as "potential"), is the fact that the Steelers could not afford to take the salary cap hit that they would incur by cutting him.

The Ugly

1. Someone tell John Fox that you do not play for the tie in preseason. Despite the obvious benefit that the Steelers derived from the situation (i.e. practice the two-minute offense, kicking under pressure) it was a ridiculous decision.


2. This may seem a bit harsh, but we're wondering how much longer it will be ~ if ever ~ before Troy Polamalu returns to "form." We would never question Mr. Polamalu's work ethic but his effectiveness has declined steadily over the past couple seasons, and after missing most of the preseason one wonders if he is really the person to start at strong safety as the season begins ~ or if he is even physically able to perform as an adequate backup. We love Troy, but the Troy we fell in love with hasn't been seen in Pittsburgh since 2005.

For all the excitement and angst expressed here, and by everyone in the Steeler Nation, every member of the National Football League starts with a clean slate this week ~ are you ready for some football?

What a silly question.

Steelers v. Vikings: The Good, the Bad & the (Really) Ugly

After watching the Steelers and Vikings muddle through their preseason tilt Saturday evening there is only one thing that need be said.

Eeewwwwwwww!

An an ugly game and an ugly win, here are a few observations for your consideration.

The Good

1. Larry Foote wasn't seriously injured. After watching him go down and taking in the "dramatic" shots provided by CBS (not to get off on a rant here, but is there any commentator more hateable than Dan Dierdorf?) it was a huge relief to see him hop up and trot off the field. Injuries have been a big part of this preseason for the Steelers, fortunately this one wasn't something catastrophic.


2. Rashard Mendenhall is going to make more than a few teams regret not selecting him while they had the chance. He showed great speed, and more importantly a terrific ability to run between the tackles. The stats (79 yards on 15 carries) do not adequately express the energy he infused into what was otherwise a moribund offense.


3. Willie Reid's performance was encouraging and showed just how much this young man is capable of as a receiver. We've been pretty critical of Mr. Reid, and like nearly everyone we believe that this is a make-or-break preseason for him. Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians gave Mr. Reid ample opportunity to showcase his receiving skills (he ended up as the Steelers' leading receiver ~ 5 catches, 55 yards) and, though he was unable to elevate above defensive back Marcus McCauley on a jump ball play (third quarter, first-and-10) and was whistled for an illegal formation penalty, he acquitted himself well.


4. Obviously the field goal team was terrific ~ and that is no small accomplishment considering that the battle for the punting position on the Steelers' roster between Mitch Berger and Paul Ernster may come down to which of those men works best with Jeff Reed and Greg Warren (though Mr. Berger did not punt at all Saturday night). Mr. Reed's 4-for-4 performance was the only bright spot in an otherwise miserable evening offensively.

The Bad

The starting offense was horrible ~ a shocking revelation we know, but it's true. A few pertinent facts to support this claim:

• Minnesota's starting defensive front seven limited the Steelers' starting offense to a first half performance of 76 net yards on 33 plays (2.303 yards per play).


• In the first half Willie Parker carried the ball 10 times for 18 yards.


• The Steelers' starting offense was 1-for-7 on third down conversions.


• In the passing game Ben Roethlisberger was hounded on nearly every play that required more than a three step drop.

Certainly the offensive line deserves its share of the blame, however when it comes to passing the ball Ben Roethlisberger needs to get rid of the ball more quickly. This has been a criticism of ours since Mr. Roethlisberger ascended to the starting QB position, and he just doesn't seem to understand that dumping the ball off is preferable to getting hit. Additionally, running backs need to be able to pass block and if Mewelde Moore is going to be the featured back in third-and-long situations he had better pass block more effectively than he did Saturday.

The Ugly

1. Rashard Mendenhall achieves a rare "Good, Bad, Ugly" double dip. Two lost fumbles is a thousand too many.


2. Limas Sweed improved his vision by heading over to the ophthalmologist and being fitted for contact lenses. Who does one go to in order to improve the gripping ability of one's hands? It got so bad that Byron Leftwich could be seen expressing his frustration to the rookie wide out.


3. Who does Byron Leftwich think he is to be yelling at anyone? Out of the league until the Steelers rescued him from oblivion, from our perspective it seems as though he would do well to be a tad bit more encouraging ~ i.e. a team leader. While we understand that he is striving for a long-term place on the Steelers' roster, Mr. Leftwich should remember that it's only preseason and everyone is trying to improve.

It wasn't much to look at, but if we thought Saturday night's game was ugly just wait until this Thursday when the benches will be emptied against Carolina.