Ryan Clark's complete quote

Some in New York are trying to create a controversy over Ryan Clark's "we have six trophies" comment; but if one looks at the transcript released by the NFL it is clear there is a lot less there than one might believe (emphasis added):

Question: On if he expects a lot of chatter from the Jets’ end this week?

Ryan Clark: I don’t know. I don’t care. They had storylines in the other places. There’s not many good storylines with us. The only storyline we have is six trophies, and we’re trying to get another one, and that’s what we’re working towards.

Quote of the Day

One of our favorite players is Ryan Clark ~ does anyone hit harder? Well, in an article in today's Tribune Review Mr. Clark pulled no punches as to the recent announcement from Mike Tomlin regarding possible lineup changes:

They don't pay us to compete. They don't pay us to keep it close. They pay us to win football games, and when you don't win football games, they try to figure out why.

Exactly.

F=MA

Issac Newton's Second Law, and its application in the National Football League is the topic of an article in Friday's New York Times.

Of interest to fans of the Steelers is that Ryan Clark is quoted liberally.

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.

Ryan Clark's hit judged to be legal

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

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

We did not agree with the call when it was originally made, and we are glad to see that the NFL is not going to take all the hitting out of the league.

Sirius/XM Radio at Latrobe

As part of their "Training Camp Tour 2008" Sirius NFL Radio sent the hosts of their "Movin' the Chains" show, Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan joined 5,000 Steelers fans at St. Vincent College for a look at the Steelers. Here are the highlights (it's interesting that there wasn't a single question about Steelers' ownership situation) :

• The Offense: Steelers are gravitating to a spread pass offense and a zone blocking scheme on the run. Mr. Kirwan believes that the Steelers are moving away from the "blue collar," helmet-on-helmet blocking schemes of the Cowher era.


• Wide receivers: Limas Sweed had cramps during the practice -- no big deal -- but he also is having problems with his contact lenses. Mr. Kirwan sees him as a rising star who will have an immediate impact (third wide receiver). Kevin Colbert described him as "very smooth," and good on intermediate routes but not good on the deep ball.


• Kevin Colbert: Interviewed by Mr. Ryan and Mr. Kirwan, he expressed excitement about the upcoming season. Other items discussed in this wide-ranging interview included:
  
  As draft philosophies go, whenever the team drafts a junior (see Sweed and Santonio Holmes) "they get them for their senior year" -- i.e. the player will make a bigger contribution in the second season.
  
  On Willie Colon, he described him as having "a classic guard" body, but because he was at tackle in 2007 the team will keep him there this season.
  
  He described the competition between Justin Hartwig and Sean Mayhan as "a good battle."
  
  At running back, Rashard Mendenhall is a bigger, "thicker guy" than Willie Parker who is likely to be called upon to pick up "tough yards" between the tackles.
  
  The offense will continue to grow around its best player, Ben Roethlisberger who Mr. Colbert believes has not yet reached his full potential.
  
  Mr. Colbert found Casey Hampton's lack of conditioning "disappointing" that will "hold the team back." The strength coach and medical staff are working with Mr. Hampton in an effort "to get him out there as soon as he can."
  
  The return of Aaron Smith is great news because he is "critical" to the left side of the defense.
  
  LaMarr Woodley has "stepped into a starting role" [news to Larry Foote?] but has to prove he can do it over sixteen games; but he's very powerful and is always moving towards the quarterback.
  
  Lawrence Timmons is going to work inside and outside.
  
  Bruce Davis is going through a transition from being down at defensive end and up at the outside linebacker -- he is going to be a speed rusher versus a power rusher [think Joey Porter].
  
  Ike Taylor is moving to right cornerback, but having a good camp. Coach Tomlin likes bigger cornerbacks and that is what has predicated this move -- Taylor's skills and size are good, but he has to work on his hands [no kidding].
  
  Having Ryan Clark back is huge -- he is a quarterback in the secondary.
  
  Training camps are being negatively effected by the 80 man rosters -- a change from previous years -- and as a result most NFL camps are less physical than has been the case in the past. Mr. Colbert endorses a plan to have a 90 player roster for camps.
  
  Daniel Sepulveda is not on IR yet -- because he is not a "vested" player yet he would have to clear waivers in order to make it to IR -- but will be, Paul Ernster is with the team for now, but the team is looking to see "what else shakes out."
  
  Mr. Colbert is very anxious to see Dennis Dixon play in the preseason, and the team was very fortunate to get him in the fifth round.


• More commentary from Pat Kirwan on Casey Hampton -- his poor condition puts all of the nose tackles at greater risk of injury. Because Mr. Hampton is not taking reps in practice Chris Hoke and Nick Eason are getting a greater work load.


• Max Starks interviewed -- he enjoyed the morning off (Coach Tomlin gave everyone a break) and the temperate weather. Other thoughts from Mr. Starks:
  
  The competition between himself and Willie Colon is "great" but he has had zero reps with the first team, and has no reps against the first team defense, so far this week. He expects to get some next week. His take is that the coaches are trying to determine whether or not he fits into what is still a new system.
  
  The scheme is much more pass oriented, single back, play action pass oriented.
  
  LaMarr Woodley has improved his pass rush tremendously from last season, and has had "Kevin Green in his ear for the past four days."
  
  "G-Power" blocking -- i.e. power blocking schemes -- were installed Wednesday.
  
  Trai Essex has done "a great job" playing left guard, and the center battle "is pretty heated."
  
  The Steelers' offensive personnel is still built around hard core running and is transitioning to a "more finesse" style of offense.
  
  Bruce Davis looks "average right now" but is still finding his way in the system --m he showed flashes in Wednesdays practice.
  
  Rashard Mendenhall "loves to power between the tackles" and Limas Sweed is "a great vertical receiver."


• Chis Hoke: Casey Hampton being out isn't having a terribly big effect on the amount of work he's getting.
  
  Aaron Smith looks good, looks healthy.
  
  Lawrence Timmons is doing well, he's delivered some big hits -- the competition between him and Larry Foote is very spirited.
  
  Rashard Mendenhall looks very good.
  
  The young players did a great job of preparing for camp. They are not making the typical rookie mistakes.
  
  Dick LeBeau is installing some new blitzes into the defensive playbook.


• Aaron Smith: He's doing well and feels great.
  
  Watching the defense struggle at the end of last season was the most frustrating part of the injury he suffered.
  
  The players are rallying around Casey Hampton, and he's confident that he will be on the field soon.
  
  Because the defense is a veteran group the camp "seems to be progressing much faster" than in previous years.
  
  Dick LeBeau draws up plays "that [are] amazing."
  
  LaMarr Woodley looks great, is transitioning well to "playing in space," has lost weight, and much is expected of him this season.
  
  Coach Tomlin is doing a good job of pushing the team hard but not too hard. He is someone who the players gravitate towards.


• Mr. Ryan and Mr. Kirwan posit that Justin Hartwig will eventually be the starting center (once he learns the system), and that Sean Mayhan is going to end up being the backup guard.
  
  Additionally, Dennis Dixon looked good in the practice they watched -- the knee looks as though it is sound.
  
  Deshea Townsend has moved to left corner and Ike Taylor has moved to right corner. The reason(s) for the switch are not immediately clear.


• Heath Miller: The best player on the offense is the quarterback, and the offense is being built around him.
  
  Willie Parker looks good and will be ready to go.
  
  Mike Tomlin is approaching his second training camp in a manner similar to his first.
  
  Matt Spaeth is great blocker and someone who can learn from.
  
  Ryan Clark is "back with a little bit of a vengeance."


• Larry Foote: He's feeling very tired and is grateful for the morning off.
  
  The media is talking about the competition between himself and Lawrence Timmons but he hasn't heard anything from the coaches.
  
  He's feeling good, feeling quick, and is healthy.
  
  He declined to discuss the situation with Casey Hampton but did say that he "went through some issues" during the offseason.
  
  The competition between the offensive linemen ("everybody knows how dirty offensive linemen can be") is very intense.
  
  "I've lost to the [Browns] once in seven years. When they start winning some games we'll start talking about them."


• Lawrence Timmons: Is working mostly MAC linebacker (the linebacker who lines up on the open side of the offense), but has worked some outside, and some special teams as well.
  
  Justin Hartwig is doing well.
  
  Casey Hampton is "going to be fine" and has "already shown what kind of player he is."
  
  Dick LeBeau is spending time showing him how to improve his pass rush.
  
  Rashard Mendenhall reads the field well, is low to the field, and very compact.


• Bryant McFadden: The schedule is going to be a challenge, and camp is an opportunity to gel as teammates.
  
  Dick Lebeau's playbook is designed to put players in a position to make plays and take advantage of their abilities.
  
  Most offenses come out in three receiver sets and that requires that the Steelers defense spend a majority of the time in the nickle or dime package.
  
  The AFC North has a large number of outstanding wide recivers.
  
  The mental aspects of the NFL -- i.e. learning schemes and understanding how offenses operate -- is the toughest part of the transition from college to pro football.
  
  The rules of the NFL make it very difficult to cover receivers.
  
  Limas Sweed is doing a good job of picking up the offense, does a good job of getting off of press coverage, and has soft hands.
  
  Rashard Mendenhall has good feet and is having a good camp so far.
  
  The pass rush is looking good.
  
  Coach Tomlin is pacing camp a bit differently than last year -- not quite as physical.


• Tunch Ilkin: So far the camp has been physical and the team looks good.
  
  Ben Roethlisberger is practicing with great confidence. The offense is featuring lots of no-huddle.
  
  The Steelers' defense is going all-out to stop the Steelers' offense.
  
  Despite the changes in the offense, fans can expect the team to play a physical brand of football that will feature the run.
  
  Willie Colon is run blocking well, but does struggle a little on a defender playing wide. Mr. Colon plays with more attitude than even Alan Faneca.
  
  Marvel Smith is in good condition and playing well.
  
  Limas Sweed found out he couldn't see without contact lenses, and is now picking up the ball much better.
  
  Ben Roethlisberger is only 26 years old and is still improving.
  
  Deshea Townsend is the best at tracking the ball in the air, and never gets lost going from the ball to the man.


• Santonio Holmes: Practice is tough but it's going well.
  
  Ben Roethlisberger is throwing the ball well.
  
  He feels as though he's practicing better -- i.e. when to go all-out and when not to -- than he ever has before. Hines Ward has taught him how to do that.
  
  He is improving his ability to scramble with Ben Roethlisberger.
  
  He's becoming a "2-and-5 guy" (five yards in two strides).
  
  The Nike Vision contacts cut down glare, especially during day games.
  
  Ben Roethlisberger is communicating with his receivers much better.
  
  Hines Ward is a student of the game and a teacher.
  
  Deshea Townsend "knows everything."


• Carey Davis: Playing mostly at fullback so far in camp.
  
  In the stretch play the fullback has to read the defense with the running back.
  
  Coach Tomlin understands his players better, and camp this year has been different.
  
  He is playing on every special team.
  
  Lawrence Timmons "doesn't understand that we're teammates . . . he's a linebacker" [he said with a chuckle].
  
  The Steelers' defense moves around more than most of the defenses that the Steelers will actually play against.
  
  Dennis Dixon is doing well -- he is fast and has a strong arm.

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.

Getting Draft Ready -- Assessing the Secondary

This is, without a doubt, one of the most difficult groups to assess. On the one hand the secondary showed steady, significant progress during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Conversely, because of injuries (most notably to Troy Polamalu) and inconsistent play (that means you, Ike Taylor) this group took a big step backwards in 2006.

The safety position is an obvious strength for the Steelers. Though he struggled with a nagging injury, and his skills as a pass rusher were largely neutralized by enhanced blocking schemes by opponents, Troy Polamalu is one of the best strong safeties in the National Football League (and a free agent at the end of next season). At the free safety, Ryan Clark had the type of season that makes an observer realize just how talented the Steelers' scouts and front office staff are; and as if that wasn't enough the depth at safety -- Tyrone Carter, Mike Logan, and rookie Anthony Smith all saw considerable playing time (though some of it was filling in at the corners, the Steelers safeties had the third highest number of man-games played in the AFC, 70)-- is most impressive.

Then there is the cornerback position. Ike Taylor's struggles -- at covering receivers and catching passes -- have been well-chronicled. On the other side of the field Deshea Townsend excelled, if only in comparison to the struggling Mr. Taylor. Behind them are Anthony Madison, who played reasonably well --- his high-stepping interception and subsequent tongue-lashing from Dick LeBeau not withstanding -- and Bryant McFadden who, when he plays well plays very well, but was seemingly inconsistent during 2006. It seems obvious that the cornerback position is very much in need of strengthening.

The Steelers have a good mix of youth and experience in the secondary, but stronger cover corners are definitely going to be on the team's shopping list going into free agency and the draft.