Well, that sucked. I understand that it didn't mean anything and the seeding was pretty much already set and all that. But, really, as soon as San Diego went up by 14 and we went down by 20, that was that.
Roethlisberger was out. Hines was out. Troy was out. But... we still let up a crap load of points to a bunch of, well, back-ups. This is kind of like losing the third preseason game when you play your starters but the other team plays their bench guys.
The Vaunted Steelers Defense let up 27 points to Troy Smith, Musa Smith, some dude from Harvard, and some other midget from Nebraska. Derrick Mason looked like an All Pro. Their defense was pretty much in control until Batch and Company decided they were going to try to make a game of it.
Seriously. Just like losing the third preseason game. It doesn't mean anything, everyone didn't necessarily play to win and it's tough to take anything definitively away from the game... Except for the fact that we're totally screwed in the playoffs.
We're screwed. That's all there is to it. I don't care if it was a tune-up game. I don't care if Ben didn't play (by the way, did you see how fired up he was on the sidelines? It looked like he wanted to put his helmet on and go in there. He looked genuinely pissed off that Batch threw that interception and they didn't win.) I don't care if we rested a number of starters. The starting defense was still out there, except Polamalu, for three quarters. And, in those three quarters, they let up twenty-seven friggin' points against one of the worst offenses in the league. Against an offense that leads the league in turnovers, they forced one friggin' fumble. They looked sloppy, sluggish, and generally inept in all phases of the game.
Anyone that thinks they can "flip a switch" and turn it on when it comes to the playoffs obviously hasn't watched this team all season. Now, new coach, new attitude, I'm basing most of this opinion on Cowher teams, but they haven't shown the ability to bounce back, to rise to the occasion, or to get mentally prepared for a game all season. Really, I think the only game where they were ready to go at kickoff was the Monday night game against the hated Ravens.
They're not ready, mentally or physically, for everything that the playoffs bring. They're unprepared for it. Maybe, if they make it next year, they'll be ready. Sure, they've got a lot of guys on the roster with post-season experience. Sure, they've got a lot of talent. They just don't have that feel about them. Confidence, competence, execution... they don't seem to have it. Or, at least, they don't have it consistently.
You know who seems to "get it" right about now? The Jaguars. And, if not the Jaguars, the Colts definitely do. And the Patriots are pretty good. I think they had a fairly decent regular season and their coach and quarterback have had some success in the playoffs with less talented rosters.
The Steelers and the Titans are on the outside looking in. And, that sucks, but not bad results for a re-building year.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Steelers vs. Hated Ravens Preview
You know what? I don't care if this game doesn't have really anything to do with seeding. I don't care that San Diego is most likely going to crush Oakland and young JaMarcus Russell and clinch the 3rd seed and there's nothing we can do about it.
It's the hated Ravens. We need to win this game. We need to try. We can't rest our starters.
Aside from the fact that Roethlisberger needs to keep sharp and Davenport needs to get his timing down with the offensive line, we've kind of sucked ass on both sides of the ball the last three games and can't mail this one in.
And, well, it's the frickin' hated frickin' Ravens. We need to blow these guys out, right? We need to make up for last season, right? We can't just beat them, we need to destroy them like they destroyed us last year. Twice. We already kicked the shit out of them on Monday Night Football when Weidman and I met Hank Williams, Jr. We need to complete the set.
Say what you will about this being a divisional game and it's important for them to play the spoiler and we're all professionals here and they still have their pride. I'm sure there's some validity to that.
But, the hated Ravens' season was on life support prior to the game against the Patriots. The Pats took their season, pulled the plug, incinerated it, fed the ashes to a dog, took the poopy ashes and incinerated those, then ran a magnet over the ashey poopy ash. Okay? They've been getting absolutely humiliated ever since that game. They have nothing left. Their guys are probably going to walk off the field, strip down in the tunnel, then walk through the locker room and into their cars. No shower, no closing remarks by Billick. Nothing.
If anything, pride, professionalism, divisional rivalry, those factors are going to make them try for the first quarter. If we jump on them early, they may as well get in their cars and go home for the off-season, because that's where they'll be in their mind's eye.
Seriously, fourth seed or third seed or whatever... we need another old-school whipping of these guys to get some momentum going into the playoffs.
We'll probably play Batch most of the game, but that might be a good thing. Najeh needs to get some work, but we'll probably come out throwing, since their secondary has been ravaged by injuries and we've never been able to run the ball against them.
And, they're starting Troy Smith instead of Boller or McNair. Smith's about four feet tall and appears to have borrowed Brad Johnson's right arm circa 2004. He's a fast, little dude and he's got a lot of confidence and intangibles... but he's four feet tall and has Brad Johnson's arm. And Willis McGahee probably won't play. And their season with the ashey poopy ash.
Please. For the love God. We need to crush these guys. We deserve it. They deserve it. I need a blowout here to keep hope alive for the playoffs.
It's the hated Ravens. We need to win this game. We need to try. We can't rest our starters.
Aside from the fact that Roethlisberger needs to keep sharp and Davenport needs to get his timing down with the offensive line, we've kind of sucked ass on both sides of the ball the last three games and can't mail this one in.
And, well, it's the frickin' hated frickin' Ravens. We need to blow these guys out, right? We need to make up for last season, right? We can't just beat them, we need to destroy them like they destroyed us last year. Twice. We already kicked the shit out of them on Monday Night Football when Weidman and I met Hank Williams, Jr. We need to complete the set.
Say what you will about this being a divisional game and it's important for them to play the spoiler and we're all professionals here and they still have their pride. I'm sure there's some validity to that.
But, the hated Ravens' season was on life support prior to the game against the Patriots. The Pats took their season, pulled the plug, incinerated it, fed the ashes to a dog, took the poopy ashes and incinerated those, then ran a magnet over the ashey poopy ash. Okay? They've been getting absolutely humiliated ever since that game. They have nothing left. Their guys are probably going to walk off the field, strip down in the tunnel, then walk through the locker room and into their cars. No shower, no closing remarks by Billick. Nothing.
If anything, pride, professionalism, divisional rivalry, those factors are going to make them try for the first quarter. If we jump on them early, they may as well get in their cars and go home for the off-season, because that's where they'll be in their mind's eye.
Seriously, fourth seed or third seed or whatever... we need another old-school whipping of these guys to get some momentum going into the playoffs.
We'll probably play Batch most of the game, but that might be a good thing. Najeh needs to get some work, but we'll probably come out throwing, since their secondary has been ravaged by injuries and we've never been able to run the ball against them.
And, they're starting Troy Smith instead of Boller or McNair. Smith's about four feet tall and appears to have borrowed Brad Johnson's right arm circa 2004. He's a fast, little dude and he's got a lot of confidence and intangibles... but he's four feet tall and has Brad Johnson's arm. And Willis McGahee probably won't play. And their season with the ashey poopy ash.
Please. For the love God. We need to crush these guys. We deserve it. They deserve it. I need a blowout here to keep hope alive for the playoffs.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Playoff Preview
Well, so, anyone that was paying attention over the weekend knows that CLEVELAND LOST. That's of particular significance for two reasons:
1. That means we clinch the division. Guaranteed a home game for the playoffs.
2. That also means that Tennessee now has the inside track to the 6th seed. Which is insane.
So, that means that it's now very important that we win and the Chargers lose. If we win and the Chargers lose, we've got the 3rd seed. That means that we play Tennessee or Cleveland. If they win and we win, we play Jacksonville. If they win and we lose, we play Jacksonville. We need to not play Jacksonville in order to get the opportunity to lose to the Colts or Patriots.
We can beat Cleveland. We've already beat Cleveland. Twice. They're kind of floundering already, since they're not used to success. It's tough to beat a team three times in one season, but... well, it's Cleveland.
Tennessee has a tough defense and a crappy offense. We've done well against teams that have a crappy offense and a tough defense. We should beat them. But, there's always the Vince Young factor. And the Jeff Fisher factor. And the fact that they run the ball well and we're suddenly vulnerable against the run. We seem to be recovering well from the loss of Aaron Smith, but it's still a major concern. Not so much of a concern against Cleveland.
The devil you know is better than the devil you don't. For that reason, I'd rather play the Browns.
And, of course, the devil you know and the devil you don't is WAY better than the devil that beat you at home in Week 15 by a 29-22 count that was far more lopsided than the score would indicate. I fear the Jaguars. I think they can actually make some noise in the post-season. And I hope they beat the Chargers and advance.
Plus which, playing Cleveland in the Wild Card round would be like our Super Bowl. And theirs. That would be an awesome game. Remember the 2002 Wild Card game? Remember the comeback? Remember Dennis Northcutt dropping an easy first down reception? Remember Kelly Holcomb? Well, best that we forget Kelly Holcomb.
At any rate, I'd say that we're going to win one playoff game, then go home.
But, now that we're in the playoffs, anything can happen, right? Leave us not forget the 2005 playoffs.
1. That means we clinch the division. Guaranteed a home game for the playoffs.
2. That also means that Tennessee now has the inside track to the 6th seed. Which is insane.
So, that means that it's now very important that we win and the Chargers lose. If we win and the Chargers lose, we've got the 3rd seed. That means that we play Tennessee or Cleveland. If they win and we win, we play Jacksonville. If they win and we lose, we play Jacksonville. We need to not play Jacksonville in order to get the opportunity to lose to the Colts or Patriots.
We can beat Cleveland. We've already beat Cleveland. Twice. They're kind of floundering already, since they're not used to success. It's tough to beat a team three times in one season, but... well, it's Cleveland.
Tennessee has a tough defense and a crappy offense. We've done well against teams that have a crappy offense and a tough defense. We should beat them. But, there's always the Vince Young factor. And the Jeff Fisher factor. And the fact that they run the ball well and we're suddenly vulnerable against the run. We seem to be recovering well from the loss of Aaron Smith, but it's still a major concern. Not so much of a concern against Cleveland.
The devil you know is better than the devil you don't. For that reason, I'd rather play the Browns.
And, of course, the devil you know and the devil you don't is WAY better than the devil that beat you at home in Week 15 by a 29-22 count that was far more lopsided than the score would indicate. I fear the Jaguars. I think they can actually make some noise in the post-season. And I hope they beat the Chargers and advance.
Plus which, playing Cleveland in the Wild Card round would be like our Super Bowl. And theirs. That would be an awesome game. Remember the 2002 Wild Card game? Remember the comeback? Remember Dennis Northcutt dropping an easy first down reception? Remember Kelly Holcomb? Well, best that we forget Kelly Holcomb.
At any rate, I'd say that we're going to win one playoff game, then go home.
But, now that we're in the playoffs, anything can happen, right? Leave us not forget the 2005 playoffs.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Steelers vs. Rams Review
Wow. Just, wow. I mean, the Penguins won a shoot-out after letting the Bruins back in the game and Pitt beat Duke in overtime. That's awesome.
Throw in the fact that the Steelers won and I wouldn't be surprised to hear this morning that Pittsburgh got an Arena Football team and that the Pirates traded Jack Wilson for Alex Rodriguez. Just a great night for Pittsburgh sports. This is how Boston fans must feel every day.
I must admit that the Steelers game, given the fact that it was competitive way longer that it should have been, kept my attention away from the Pens and Pitt. And, I must also admit that I did an absolutely horrible job of switching back and forth between games, especially considering that I forgot the Pens were even playing and never bothered to figure out what station they were on (I have DirecTV, so I don't get Fox Sports Pittsburgh -- I get all the games that are on those channels, I just can't figure out where they are).
At any rate, not even Fast Willie's broken fibula can derail the sports high that I am on right now. And this is for more reasons than the simple fact that we went 3-0 last night.
So, let's forget the fact that this was a 7 point game at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Let's forget that we still struggled in the red zone. Let's forget the fact that we needed an interception return for a touchdown (Uh oh... Ike learned to catch) and a fake punt (I knew that we'd be happy we drafted the Sepulverizer) to beat the freakin' Rams. Let's forget about the fact that the run defense and the pass defense both struggled on the same night. Let's forget about the fact that we couldn't run the ball early. Let's forget about the fact that Ben got sacked four times by a team with one of the worst defensive lines in the NFL. Let's forget about the fact that St. Louis lost five starters to injury this year on the offensive line and our vaunted zone blitz scheme only sacked Marc Bulger once. And, really, let's forget about Jim Haslett's hair. It's just too freaky.
Did you forget about all that yet?
Okay. Good.
Now that we're thinking clearly, I'm gonna say something crazy: Fast Willie breaking his leg might be the best thing that could have happened to this team all season.
Think about it:
1. If he didn't get hurt, he was on pace to carry the ball 366 times this season. Then you add the playoffs. He probably would've had 450 carries if we make it to the Super Bowl. That's a lot. Ask Jamal Anderson. Ask Larry Johnson. And they're bigger guys than Fast Willie.
2. He was one of the reasons we were crappy in the red zone. We figured, "Hey, why give the ball to Najeh? Willie's the one that got us here. Let's give it to him." Now, with Carey Davis and Najeh Davenport in there, we'll actually have guys that are good by the goal line. Did you see how easy Najeh made that one TD look? Get used to that. Struggling in the red zone is one of the many issues for this team. Looks like we went a long way towards solving that with one, little injury.
3. I suspect that Willie's knee was not right all year. In the Jets game especially, he seemed to lack the ability to make a quality jump cut and break the play to the outside. He had a bunch of yards this year because he had a bunch of carries. He wasn't as effective this year as he was in 2005 or 2006 and I think a big part of that was that his knee was bothering him. At least I hope that's why he wasn't as effective this year.
4. The other reason that Willie needed fifty-eleven carries to get to 1,300 yards is that our offensive line hasn't been opening up big holes for him like they have in past seasons. They're just not playing as well this year, not attacking the line of scrimmage like they used to, and not blowing people off the ball. I love Fast Willie and, while this may seem like an attack on him, it isn't; I'm just being logical. He doesn't have good vision and if there isn't a big hole for him to run through, he tends to run into the back of his blockers and hope for the best. Big, fat guys like Davenport and Davis get more yards than little guys like Willie in those situations. Those extra two or three yards give us more options when we get to third down.
5. Speaking of third down... Ladies and gentlemen... VERRON HAYNES! I was driving into work this morning with Weidman and we had the following exchange.
Weidman: Now that Willie broke his leg, who are we going to get to replace him?
Me: Most likely Verron Haynes. And it's about damn time.
Weidman: Is he still out there?
Me: Yep. They held a tryout with him a few weeks ago.
Weidman: He was on the team last season, right? Why didn't we keep him?
Me: I have no fucking clue. Near as I can tell, he must've had a threesome with Tomlin's sister. He's our best third down guy, a great blocker, and he had a hell of a pre-season. I don't know why we cut him.
Even though we've been pretty damn good on third down, we miss Haynes. The offensive line misses him because he waaaaaaay better at picking up blitzes than Najeh. The team misses him because he somehow always found a way to pick up 7 yards on 3rd and 6. Think about it: That flare pass that Heath caught on 4th and 7 in the Jacksonville game is a play that would've gone to Haynes if he were on the roster. And, nothing against Heath, but Haynes would've found a way to get 8 yards on that bad boy.
I'm not saying Verron Haynes is the Second Coming or anything. There's probably an actual reason that the Steelers cut him and he's no more than an emergency guy and a third down back... But, hey! That just happens to be exactly what we need at this point.
So, pretty fuckin' please. With sugar on top. Sign Verron Haynes.
6. Did you see how well the guys up front were blocking after Willie went down? There were a few times where Marshall Faulk could've come down from the booth and gained 20 yards through those holes. Sometimes injuries can cripple a team. Sometimes, though, they can bring everyone together. You know that Faneca, Smith, Mahan, Simmons, and Colon had a little meeting and said, "Okay. Willie ain't coming back. We've got a closet pooper and a dude named Carey. The only way we're getting anything on the ground is if we destroy these guys up front." And, that'll be their attitude for the rest of the season. Success in the running game is equal parts talent, attitude, and determination. We can't do anything about the talent deficit and the fact that Faneca's thinking about scheduling a connecting flight in Phoenix on his way to Hawaii, but the other two things were lacking to this point in the season. You got the feeling that the offensive line would get to the end of the play and say, "Really? Willie didn't score on that one? Aw, crap. Guess we gotta go back to the huddle." But, I think we've got the attitude and determination back.
7. (I realize that I'm rambling, but this all sort of came to me this morning.) What do Davis, Haynes, and Davenport all have in common? They're all excellent receivers. Or, at least, they're all better receivers than Willie. Or, at least, the coaching staff thinks they're all better, so that means they'll actually use the running back in the passing game. Since Arians seems to have forgotten that Heath is on the roster, teams have had a really easy time game planning for us. Stop the receivers from getting deep, tackle them if we try to do anything cute (or something other than having them sprint down the field and wave their hands), and don't worry about the tight ends or the running backs catching the ball. When we play teams that suck (like, say, the Rams), we can get away with this strategy because we have better players. When we play good teams (like, say, the Patriots or the Jaguars, or any of the other five teams that are going to the playoffs), we can't get away with this strategy because they have good players, too.
So, I'm going to hit you with some insider information and analysis here: Giving the other team's defense more things to game plan for is a good thing. If we can start working the running backs and the tight ends into the passing game, we'll be in good shape for the playoffs.
8. Along those lines, giving the other team three guys to worry about as opposed to one guy to worry about is a good thing. Think about how worried we must've been about the two-headed monster of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Worked out pretty well for the Jags, right?
9. I was going to try and stretch this to ten points (I originally only had four when I started writing this), but I think I ran out of gas.
10. Maybe not! I was getting pretty hammered by the third quarter last night and wanted to find out something about Najeh. Can't remember what it was now, but the point is that I Googled him. So, if you haven't already, install the Google Toolbar.
Go to the Google Toolbar and type in Najeh. The search options it gives you are hilarious. Weidman and I were laughing about it the entire second half.
Um... I think that's it.
Ten days to rest up for the hated Ravens. Watch the scoreboard this weekend. If the Browns or Titans lose, we're in the playoffs. Of course, I'd rather that the last game of the season actually mean something, but the important thing is to qualify for the post season.
Throw in the fact that the Steelers won and I wouldn't be surprised to hear this morning that Pittsburgh got an Arena Football team and that the Pirates traded Jack Wilson for Alex Rodriguez. Just a great night for Pittsburgh sports. This is how Boston fans must feel every day.
I must admit that the Steelers game, given the fact that it was competitive way longer that it should have been, kept my attention away from the Pens and Pitt. And, I must also admit that I did an absolutely horrible job of switching back and forth between games, especially considering that I forgot the Pens were even playing and never bothered to figure out what station they were on (I have DirecTV, so I don't get Fox Sports Pittsburgh -- I get all the games that are on those channels, I just can't figure out where they are).
At any rate, not even Fast Willie's broken fibula can derail the sports high that I am on right now. And this is for more reasons than the simple fact that we went 3-0 last night.
So, let's forget the fact that this was a 7 point game at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Let's forget that we still struggled in the red zone. Let's forget the fact that we needed an interception return for a touchdown (Uh oh... Ike learned to catch) and a fake punt (I knew that we'd be happy we drafted the Sepulverizer) to beat the freakin' Rams. Let's forget about the fact that the run defense and the pass defense both struggled on the same night. Let's forget about the fact that we couldn't run the ball early. Let's forget about the fact that Ben got sacked four times by a team with one of the worst defensive lines in the NFL. Let's forget about the fact that St. Louis lost five starters to injury this year on the offensive line and our vaunted zone blitz scheme only sacked Marc Bulger once. And, really, let's forget about Jim Haslett's hair. It's just too freaky.
Did you forget about all that yet?
Okay. Good.
Now that we're thinking clearly, I'm gonna say something crazy: Fast Willie breaking his leg might be the best thing that could have happened to this team all season.
Think about it:
1. If he didn't get hurt, he was on pace to carry the ball 366 times this season. Then you add the playoffs. He probably would've had 450 carries if we make it to the Super Bowl. That's a lot. Ask Jamal Anderson. Ask Larry Johnson. And they're bigger guys than Fast Willie.
2. He was one of the reasons we were crappy in the red zone. We figured, "Hey, why give the ball to Najeh? Willie's the one that got us here. Let's give it to him." Now, with Carey Davis and Najeh Davenport in there, we'll actually have guys that are good by the goal line. Did you see how easy Najeh made that one TD look? Get used to that. Struggling in the red zone is one of the many issues for this team. Looks like we went a long way towards solving that with one, little injury.
3. I suspect that Willie's knee was not right all year. In the Jets game especially, he seemed to lack the ability to make a quality jump cut and break the play to the outside. He had a bunch of yards this year because he had a bunch of carries. He wasn't as effective this year as he was in 2005 or 2006 and I think a big part of that was that his knee was bothering him. At least I hope that's why he wasn't as effective this year.
4. The other reason that Willie needed fifty-eleven carries to get to 1,300 yards is that our offensive line hasn't been opening up big holes for him like they have in past seasons. They're just not playing as well this year, not attacking the line of scrimmage like they used to, and not blowing people off the ball. I love Fast Willie and, while this may seem like an attack on him, it isn't; I'm just being logical. He doesn't have good vision and if there isn't a big hole for him to run through, he tends to run into the back of his blockers and hope for the best. Big, fat guys like Davenport and Davis get more yards than little guys like Willie in those situations. Those extra two or three yards give us more options when we get to third down.
5. Speaking of third down... Ladies and gentlemen... VERRON HAYNES! I was driving into work this morning with Weidman and we had the following exchange.
Weidman: Now that Willie broke his leg, who are we going to get to replace him?
Me: Most likely Verron Haynes. And it's about damn time.
Weidman: Is he still out there?
Me: Yep. They held a tryout with him a few weeks ago.
Weidman: He was on the team last season, right? Why didn't we keep him?
Me: I have no fucking clue. Near as I can tell, he must've had a threesome with Tomlin's sister. He's our best third down guy, a great blocker, and he had a hell of a pre-season. I don't know why we cut him.
Even though we've been pretty damn good on third down, we miss Haynes. The offensive line misses him because he waaaaaaay better at picking up blitzes than Najeh. The team misses him because he somehow always found a way to pick up 7 yards on 3rd and 6. Think about it: That flare pass that Heath caught on 4th and 7 in the Jacksonville game is a play that would've gone to Haynes if he were on the roster. And, nothing against Heath, but Haynes would've found a way to get 8 yards on that bad boy.
I'm not saying Verron Haynes is the Second Coming or anything. There's probably an actual reason that the Steelers cut him and he's no more than an emergency guy and a third down back... But, hey! That just happens to be exactly what we need at this point.
So, pretty fuckin' please. With sugar on top. Sign Verron Haynes.
6. Did you see how well the guys up front were blocking after Willie went down? There were a few times where Marshall Faulk could've come down from the booth and gained 20 yards through those holes. Sometimes injuries can cripple a team. Sometimes, though, they can bring everyone together. You know that Faneca, Smith, Mahan, Simmons, and Colon had a little meeting and said, "Okay. Willie ain't coming back. We've got a closet pooper and a dude named Carey. The only way we're getting anything on the ground is if we destroy these guys up front." And, that'll be their attitude for the rest of the season. Success in the running game is equal parts talent, attitude, and determination. We can't do anything about the talent deficit and the fact that Faneca's thinking about scheduling a connecting flight in Phoenix on his way to Hawaii, but the other two things were lacking to this point in the season. You got the feeling that the offensive line would get to the end of the play and say, "Really? Willie didn't score on that one? Aw, crap. Guess we gotta go back to the huddle." But, I think we've got the attitude and determination back.
7. (I realize that I'm rambling, but this all sort of came to me this morning.) What do Davis, Haynes, and Davenport all have in common? They're all excellent receivers. Or, at least, they're all better receivers than Willie. Or, at least, the coaching staff thinks they're all better, so that means they'll actually use the running back in the passing game. Since Arians seems to have forgotten that Heath is on the roster, teams have had a really easy time game planning for us. Stop the receivers from getting deep, tackle them if we try to do anything cute (or something other than having them sprint down the field and wave their hands), and don't worry about the tight ends or the running backs catching the ball. When we play teams that suck (like, say, the Rams), we can get away with this strategy because we have better players. When we play good teams (like, say, the Patriots or the Jaguars, or any of the other five teams that are going to the playoffs), we can't get away with this strategy because they have good players, too.
So, I'm going to hit you with some insider information and analysis here: Giving the other team's defense more things to game plan for is a good thing. If we can start working the running backs and the tight ends into the passing game, we'll be in good shape for the playoffs.
8. Along those lines, giving the other team three guys to worry about as opposed to one guy to worry about is a good thing. Think about how worried we must've been about the two-headed monster of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Worked out pretty well for the Jags, right?
9. I was going to try and stretch this to ten points (I originally only had four when I started writing this), but I think I ran out of gas.
10. Maybe not! I was getting pretty hammered by the third quarter last night and wanted to find out something about Najeh. Can't remember what it was now, but the point is that I Googled him. So, if you haven't already, install the Google Toolbar.
Go to the Google Toolbar and type in Najeh. The search options it gives you are hilarious. Weidman and I were laughing about it the entire second half.
Um... I think that's it.
Ten days to rest up for the hated Ravens. Watch the scoreboard this weekend. If the Browns or Titans lose, we're in the playoffs. Of course, I'd rather that the last game of the season actually mean something, but the important thing is to qualify for the post season.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Steelers vs. Rams Preview
I've been thinking about how to approach this, but I can't escape the bottom line...
Bottom Line: No way in hell we should lose this game. Period. End of story. If we lose, we might still make the playoffs, but we won't deserve to be there.
The only way we deserve to be in the playoffs is if we beat the Rams tomorrow and the hated Ravens on December 30th. In convincing fashion.
If this team is like the 2005 team, we need some momentum going into the playoffs or we're fucked. I mean, we're probably fucked anyway, but this is a bonus season, so I'm not real upset about it. Or, at least I'm starting to accept the fact that I shouldn't be real upset about it.
This team has a tremendous ceiling, but a pretty low basement, too. If we lose to the Rams, we need to break up the concrete floor and start digging a trench.
Bottom Line: No way in hell we should lose this game. Period. End of story. If we lose, we might still make the playoffs, but we won't deserve to be there.
The only way we deserve to be in the playoffs is if we beat the Rams tomorrow and the hated Ravens on December 30th. In convincing fashion.
If this team is like the 2005 team, we need some momentum going into the playoffs or we're fucked. I mean, we're probably fucked anyway, but this is a bonus season, so I'm not real upset about it. Or, at least I'm starting to accept the fact that I shouldn't be real upset about it.
This team has a tremendous ceiling, but a pretty low basement, too. If we lose to the Rams, we need to break up the concrete floor and start digging a trench.
Pro Bowl
I'm actually kinda pissed that Troy made it. It goes back to what I said about Joey Porter back in the day. Think about it. Troy's been hurt for a pretty big chunk of the year and the only game this season where he actually looked like the Troy Polamalu we all know and love was the Jacksonville game... which just happened to occur right before voting closed.
I'm glad Faneca made it. That'll pad his resume and make the contract he signs when he leaves all that much bigger. I'll be happy for him when he gets that huge payday and some team grossly overpays for his services, just like I was legitimately happy for Porter and Kimo when they were able to pull that off. He's also on the wrong side of 30 and he's not worth the money he's going to get. But, good for him.
I'm happy for James Harrison... but aside from a great Monday night game against the hated Ravens and two good games against Cleveland, he really hasn't done anything this season. Just like the rest of the team, he's been up and down. I've always thought that Pro Bowl guys should be consistent. Maybe that's just me.
Really happy for Fast Willie and Big Ben, because it's their first time at the Pro Bowl. Willie has been very consistent this season, he leads the league in rushing, and he has way more 100 yard rushing games than the next closest guy. And, obviously, Roethlisberger has been awesome.
And, I bitch, but I'd probably be bitching more if only Ben and Fast Willie went. So, I guess the Pro Bowl selectors can't win.
I'm glad Faneca made it. That'll pad his resume and make the contract he signs when he leaves all that much bigger. I'll be happy for him when he gets that huge payday and some team grossly overpays for his services, just like I was legitimately happy for Porter and Kimo when they were able to pull that off. He's also on the wrong side of 30 and he's not worth the money he's going to get. But, good for him.
I'm happy for James Harrison... but aside from a great Monday night game against the hated Ravens and two good games against Cleveland, he really hasn't done anything this season. Just like the rest of the team, he's been up and down. I've always thought that Pro Bowl guys should be consistent. Maybe that's just me.
Really happy for Fast Willie and Big Ben, because it's their first time at the Pro Bowl. Willie has been very consistent this season, he leads the league in rushing, and he has way more 100 yard rushing games than the next closest guy. And, obviously, Roethlisberger has been awesome.
And, I bitch, but I'd probably be bitching more if only Ben and Fast Willie went. So, I guess the Pro Bowl selectors can't win.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Steelers vs. Jaguars Review
Well, there you go. I guess I was right to be scared. Then again, I was wrong to predict that we'd win by 17. So there's that.
I hate losing like this way more than I hate losing the way we did to the Patriots. The Jags completely owned us on the line of scrimmage, made Travis Kirschke and Brett Kiesel their bitches, and Fred Taylor was partying like it was 1999. Just terrible. The worst part is that we knew they were going to run and couldn't stop them. Reminds me of a team... real physical, ran the ball well against eight man fronts, great team in the snow... who was that team?
Seriously. Jacksonville is the new Steelers and the Steelers are the new... Colts? Maybe in two years? Then again, the Colts didn't let up 224 yards to the Jaguars in two games this season.
It could just be that the Jaguars were on and we were off. Could be that this was their Super Bowl and they came out more focused and angry than we did. Could also be that they're a better team and they actually have an identity.
We used to be a physical team. We used to be a boring team. This version of the Steelers is much more exciting, but they don't appear to be all that effective. In back-to-back weeks, they gave up nearly 400 yards in passing, then almost 225 yards rushing. Bad weather, good weather, who cares?
Great defenses find a way to take your biggest weapon, the thing that you do best, out of the game and force you to beat them with something that is not one of your strengths. We weren't a great defense yesterday. We weren't against the Patriots. We've been consistent all year, but I think I was a tad premature to crown the defense after we beat up on the Bungles.
Here's the thing... Tomlin has said all along that he wants a physical team. I believe that. But, he wants a Tomlin physical team and right now he has Cowher physical guys. He's not Cowher, though. Cowher could get his guys up for a game and make sure they didn't screw up certain things because the players didn't want him spitting on them. Tomlin's more laid back. The offensive guys like him, but I'm not convinced they're afraid of him. And you need a little of that.
This is not to say that I don't like Tomlin. I do. I think he was a great hire and he's going to be damn good.
But, this is one of the things I mentioned early on that is starting to come to fruition. Tomlin's now starting to try and build his team with his guys, coached the way he wants it to be coached. He can't do that with most of Cowher's roster still hanging around. Plus which, those guys are used to Cowher, since he drafted most of them and coached most of them since they were rookies. They're used to certain reactions, certain consequences, certain benefits, certain expectations.
I expected this to be a re-building year. A successful re-building year, but a re-building year nonetheless. This is, like any talented team in transition, a boom-or-bust group of guys. Some weeks, they'll slaughter anyone. Some weeks, they'll lose to the Jets or Broncos. And, once we give Tomlin a couple years to get his guys in place, some weeks we'll get pushed around on both sides of the ball and out-muscled like we did yesterday.
As for the rest of the season, we're in a very similar position to where we were in 2005. Five losses, need to win out to guarantee a playoff game, up-and-down season, lots of question marks.
But, finishing 11-5 and barely making the playoffs worked pretty well for us that year, now didn't it? I don't think we have the talent, consistency, mental or physical toughness to make it through the AFC bracket (because, really, I don't care if Dallas and Green Bay are good, whoever wins the AFC is winning the Super Bowl). That's not to say we won't. I didn't think we had what it took in 2005, but we won the Super Bowl anyway.
(I mentioned that, right? We won Super Bowl XL. We beat the Seahawks. We've got a fifth Lombardi Trophy in South Side and everything.)
At any rate, for a re-building year, 10-6 or 11-5 (I don't think we lose to the Rams, but the hated Ravens will be up for the last game of the season) ain't bad at all. And, once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen.
Plus which, this is something all of us have to admit: When Cowher retired, then Tomlin got hired, you didn't think we had a chance in hell of making it this far. Just sit back and enjoy it.
Sure, our pass protection blows, we only open up three decent holes a game when we actually run the ball, one of our best run defenders is on IR, Nate Washington's probably done for the season, and the Patriots and Jaguars showed everyone in the league, in successive weeks, how to attack our #1 ranked defense. But, really, we're still going to the playoffs.
We're beating the Rams on Thursday and the hated Ravens will have packed up and gone home for the offseason by the time December 30th rolls around. Like I said, sit back and enjoy it.
However, if we end up as the third seed and Cleveland gets the sixth seed, we had BETTER FUCKING WIN THAT GAME.
I hate losing like this way more than I hate losing the way we did to the Patriots. The Jags completely owned us on the line of scrimmage, made Travis Kirschke and Brett Kiesel their bitches, and Fred Taylor was partying like it was 1999. Just terrible. The worst part is that we knew they were going to run and couldn't stop them. Reminds me of a team... real physical, ran the ball well against eight man fronts, great team in the snow... who was that team?
Seriously. Jacksonville is the new Steelers and the Steelers are the new... Colts? Maybe in two years? Then again, the Colts didn't let up 224 yards to the Jaguars in two games this season.
It could just be that the Jaguars were on and we were off. Could be that this was their Super Bowl and they came out more focused and angry than we did. Could also be that they're a better team and they actually have an identity.
We used to be a physical team. We used to be a boring team. This version of the Steelers is much more exciting, but they don't appear to be all that effective. In back-to-back weeks, they gave up nearly 400 yards in passing, then almost 225 yards rushing. Bad weather, good weather, who cares?
Great defenses find a way to take your biggest weapon, the thing that you do best, out of the game and force you to beat them with something that is not one of your strengths. We weren't a great defense yesterday. We weren't against the Patriots. We've been consistent all year, but I think I was a tad premature to crown the defense after we beat up on the Bungles.
Here's the thing... Tomlin has said all along that he wants a physical team. I believe that. But, he wants a Tomlin physical team and right now he has Cowher physical guys. He's not Cowher, though. Cowher could get his guys up for a game and make sure they didn't screw up certain things because the players didn't want him spitting on them. Tomlin's more laid back. The offensive guys like him, but I'm not convinced they're afraid of him. And you need a little of that.
This is not to say that I don't like Tomlin. I do. I think he was a great hire and he's going to be damn good.
But, this is one of the things I mentioned early on that is starting to come to fruition. Tomlin's now starting to try and build his team with his guys, coached the way he wants it to be coached. He can't do that with most of Cowher's roster still hanging around. Plus which, those guys are used to Cowher, since he drafted most of them and coached most of them since they were rookies. They're used to certain reactions, certain consequences, certain benefits, certain expectations.
I expected this to be a re-building year. A successful re-building year, but a re-building year nonetheless. This is, like any talented team in transition, a boom-or-bust group of guys. Some weeks, they'll slaughter anyone. Some weeks, they'll lose to the Jets or Broncos. And, once we give Tomlin a couple years to get his guys in place, some weeks we'll get pushed around on both sides of the ball and out-muscled like we did yesterday.
As for the rest of the season, we're in a very similar position to where we were in 2005. Five losses, need to win out to guarantee a playoff game, up-and-down season, lots of question marks.
But, finishing 11-5 and barely making the playoffs worked pretty well for us that year, now didn't it? I don't think we have the talent, consistency, mental or physical toughness to make it through the AFC bracket (because, really, I don't care if Dallas and Green Bay are good, whoever wins the AFC is winning the Super Bowl). That's not to say we won't. I didn't think we had what it took in 2005, but we won the Super Bowl anyway.
(I mentioned that, right? We won Super Bowl XL. We beat the Seahawks. We've got a fifth Lombardi Trophy in South Side and everything.)
At any rate, for a re-building year, 10-6 or 11-5 (I don't think we lose to the Rams, but the hated Ravens will be up for the last game of the season) ain't bad at all. And, once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen.
Plus which, this is something all of us have to admit: When Cowher retired, then Tomlin got hired, you didn't think we had a chance in hell of making it this far. Just sit back and enjoy it.
Sure, our pass protection blows, we only open up three decent holes a game when we actually run the ball, one of our best run defenders is on IR, Nate Washington's probably done for the season, and the Patriots and Jaguars showed everyone in the league, in successive weeks, how to attack our #1 ranked defense. But, really, we're still going to the playoffs.
We're beating the Rams on Thursday and the hated Ravens will have packed up and gone home for the offseason by the time December 30th rolls around. Like I said, sit back and enjoy it.
However, if we end up as the third seed and Cleveland gets the sixth seed, we had BETTER FUCKING WIN THAT GAME.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Steelers vs. Jaguars Preview
Yep. This game scares the shit out of me.
On the one hand, the defense is probably going to be pissed off and mad at the world, we're playing at home, and the Jags will be without man-mountain Marcus Stroud to plug the middle.
On the other hand, Jacksonville's been on a roll, teams that the Patriots have beaten have not fared well the next week, the Jaguars are shockingly similar to us from a personnel and game plan standpoint, we'll be without Aaron Smith, and Marcus Stroud wasn't playing that well this season anyhow.
Can we win? Sure. I also said that we could beat the Patriots and look how that worked out.
So, if we win, here's how it happens.
We get up on the Jags early. This is a team that wants to run their game plan, they're not built to come from behind, and they get very uncomfortable when they're required to throw the ball. Plus which, home crowd, last game at Heinz Field in the regular season, if we get an early lead, it's going to get awfully loud and uncomfortable for Jacksonville.
We need to pressure David Garrard. If he can sit back in the pocket, go through his progressions, and wait for someone to come free, someone's gonna come free. The Jacksonville receivers aren't all that spectacular, but they're a lot like the Steelers receivers. Give 'em time and they'll get open against anyone. It's also a comfort issue. The more you pressure Garrard, the less comfortable he feels. He won't make a ton of mistakes if you take him out of his comfort zone like Derek Anderson or Carson Palmer, but he'll definitely start hearing footsteps if you hit him a few times. Throws will start sailing on him, he'll start skipping the ball to his receivers, may even fumble. What we need to do is get him focused on what might go wrong, not what could go right.
I'm actually not real worried about Maurice Jones-Drew. He's been up and down all season and mostly down the last few games. Plus which, he's a little dude with little feet. If it starts raining or snowing, he'll look like a drunk girl in high heels trying to run. Fred Taylor is the man who worries me. He's been on a roll, he's been able to stay healthy (actually, he's been really damn healthy for about three years now, but no one in Fantasy Football or regular football seems to notice), and he's starting to break big plays. Without Smith to seal off one side of the field, our linebackers are vulnerable. Not sure if Nick Eason or some other jack-ass is going to replace him on Sunday, but there's really no way to replace him. If the Steelers let him walk in the offseason, they had better damn well move to the 4-3, because they don't have anyone that's even close to him on the roster.
But, even though the running backs scare me, Taylor in particular, the big thing that scares me is the passing game. Jacksonville's receivers average 7', 280 pounds, or something crazy like that. They're all huge and no one in our secondary can match them man-for-man. If there are any jump balls, we're screwed.
And, while we're talking about the secondary, they need to listen to this, because they didn't frickin' listen to me last week with the play action passes and look what happened. If Reggie Williams or Matt Jones comes in the game and the Jaguars are outside the 10 yard line, they're running a slant. Be ready for it. Williams comes in and Jacksonville is at their 30? Slant to Williams? Jones comes in and they're at midfield? Slant to Jones. It's simple, but no one in the NFL seems to have caught onto this yet. If they're inside our 10 yard line and Jones or Williams comes in, it's a fade route. If they're both in the game, slant to Williams, fade to Jones. Who Garrard throws to all depends on whether or not we cover Williams.
Even though Jacksonville is going to be preoccupied with trying to stop Fast Willie, I really think we can run on these guys. Tennessee did. Indy did (twice). If you're committed to it and you stay the hell away from the two inside guys (400 pound tackle Grady Jackson is going to be in for Stroud), you can run on this team. And, since they're kinda slow on the edges and their defensive ends suck balls, Fast Willie should be able to run outside the tackles and get a bunch of yardage. Kinda like he did against the Patriots, but hopefully with better overall results for the team.
Where the Jaguars scare me is when we try to throw the ball. They have the guys in the back seven to cover whoever we throw out there. They're good enough at creating pressure with their defensive line that they don't have to blitz. So, that means a long game of Ben dropping back and trying to squeeze the ball into tight spaces against a very quick and athletic Jacksonville defense. That's been how they've handled him ever since blitzing him didn't work so well in 2004. And it has worked. Rashean Mathis pretty well owns Hines Ward. Brian Williams could possibly get torched by Santonio Holmes, but he didn't exactly look like he was 100%.
If we come out with the same, tired game plan we've had the past few weeks where everyone goes deep except Heath and Willie, we're fucked. That's all there is to it. If we come out and run some underneath stuff, some slants, some screens (what the hell happened to the screens? why did we stop calling them when Willie and Najeh Davenport run them so well?), and get those guys to start creeping up. As soon as they start creeping up... BAM! throw the ball deep. Maybe even use some play action in the first and second quarter to take advantage of the fact that Jacksonville has an absurdly aggressive defense. Don't think that's going to work? That's exactly what the Patriots did to us and what the Colts always do to the Jaguars. And it has worked.
But, the biggest thing that scares me about this game is that I don't see it being close. One of the reasons I don't see a close game is because EVERYONE thinks this is going to be a close game. We know each other pretty well, we're very similar teams with similar talent on both sides of the ball. I think it's going to come down to who wants it more in the early going. I really believe that, if we come out and run all over them and hit a few big plays in the passing game, they'll start to fall apart. We'll start to fall apart if they do that to us.
Both teams are 9-4 and have something to play for, but I keep getting the feeling like both teams are also really tired and want to get past this game (and the next two) and get to the playoffs already. They're not looking past each other, they're looking past everybody they have to play before January.
So, I really think that the team that comes out focused and attacking will win the game, probably by a large margin. Personal loyalties aside, I really think that team is going to be the Steelers. I just don't see them taking a giant shit in their pants two straight weeks, especially since the game's at home (we're 7-0 at home and have only won division games on the road... that's weird).
Prediction: Steelers 30, Jaguars 13
On the one hand, the defense is probably going to be pissed off and mad at the world, we're playing at home, and the Jags will be without man-mountain Marcus Stroud to plug the middle.
On the other hand, Jacksonville's been on a roll, teams that the Patriots have beaten have not fared well the next week, the Jaguars are shockingly similar to us from a personnel and game plan standpoint, we'll be without Aaron Smith, and Marcus Stroud wasn't playing that well this season anyhow.
Can we win? Sure. I also said that we could beat the Patriots and look how that worked out.
So, if we win, here's how it happens.
We get up on the Jags early. This is a team that wants to run their game plan, they're not built to come from behind, and they get very uncomfortable when they're required to throw the ball. Plus which, home crowd, last game at Heinz Field in the regular season, if we get an early lead, it's going to get awfully loud and uncomfortable for Jacksonville.
We need to pressure David Garrard. If he can sit back in the pocket, go through his progressions, and wait for someone to come free, someone's gonna come free. The Jacksonville receivers aren't all that spectacular, but they're a lot like the Steelers receivers. Give 'em time and they'll get open against anyone. It's also a comfort issue. The more you pressure Garrard, the less comfortable he feels. He won't make a ton of mistakes if you take him out of his comfort zone like Derek Anderson or Carson Palmer, but he'll definitely start hearing footsteps if you hit him a few times. Throws will start sailing on him, he'll start skipping the ball to his receivers, may even fumble. What we need to do is get him focused on what might go wrong, not what could go right.
I'm actually not real worried about Maurice Jones-Drew. He's been up and down all season and mostly down the last few games. Plus which, he's a little dude with little feet. If it starts raining or snowing, he'll look like a drunk girl in high heels trying to run. Fred Taylor is the man who worries me. He's been on a roll, he's been able to stay healthy (actually, he's been really damn healthy for about three years now, but no one in Fantasy Football or regular football seems to notice), and he's starting to break big plays. Without Smith to seal off one side of the field, our linebackers are vulnerable. Not sure if Nick Eason or some other jack-ass is going to replace him on Sunday, but there's really no way to replace him. If the Steelers let him walk in the offseason, they had better damn well move to the 4-3, because they don't have anyone that's even close to him on the roster.
But, even though the running backs scare me, Taylor in particular, the big thing that scares me is the passing game. Jacksonville's receivers average 7', 280 pounds, or something crazy like that. They're all huge and no one in our secondary can match them man-for-man. If there are any jump balls, we're screwed.
And, while we're talking about the secondary, they need to listen to this, because they didn't frickin' listen to me last week with the play action passes and look what happened. If Reggie Williams or Matt Jones comes in the game and the Jaguars are outside the 10 yard line, they're running a slant. Be ready for it. Williams comes in and Jacksonville is at their 30? Slant to Williams? Jones comes in and they're at midfield? Slant to Jones. It's simple, but no one in the NFL seems to have caught onto this yet. If they're inside our 10 yard line and Jones or Williams comes in, it's a fade route. If they're both in the game, slant to Williams, fade to Jones. Who Garrard throws to all depends on whether or not we cover Williams.
Even though Jacksonville is going to be preoccupied with trying to stop Fast Willie, I really think we can run on these guys. Tennessee did. Indy did (twice). If you're committed to it and you stay the hell away from the two inside guys (400 pound tackle Grady Jackson is going to be in for Stroud), you can run on this team. And, since they're kinda slow on the edges and their defensive ends suck balls, Fast Willie should be able to run outside the tackles and get a bunch of yardage. Kinda like he did against the Patriots, but hopefully with better overall results for the team.
Where the Jaguars scare me is when we try to throw the ball. They have the guys in the back seven to cover whoever we throw out there. They're good enough at creating pressure with their defensive line that they don't have to blitz. So, that means a long game of Ben dropping back and trying to squeeze the ball into tight spaces against a very quick and athletic Jacksonville defense. That's been how they've handled him ever since blitzing him didn't work so well in 2004. And it has worked. Rashean Mathis pretty well owns Hines Ward. Brian Williams could possibly get torched by Santonio Holmes, but he didn't exactly look like he was 100%.
If we come out with the same, tired game plan we've had the past few weeks where everyone goes deep except Heath and Willie, we're fucked. That's all there is to it. If we come out and run some underneath stuff, some slants, some screens (what the hell happened to the screens? why did we stop calling them when Willie and Najeh Davenport run them so well?), and get those guys to start creeping up. As soon as they start creeping up... BAM! throw the ball deep. Maybe even use some play action in the first and second quarter to take advantage of the fact that Jacksonville has an absurdly aggressive defense. Don't think that's going to work? That's exactly what the Patriots did to us and what the Colts always do to the Jaguars. And it has worked.
But, the biggest thing that scares me about this game is that I don't see it being close. One of the reasons I don't see a close game is because EVERYONE thinks this is going to be a close game. We know each other pretty well, we're very similar teams with similar talent on both sides of the ball. I think it's going to come down to who wants it more in the early going. I really believe that, if we come out and run all over them and hit a few big plays in the passing game, they'll start to fall apart. We'll start to fall apart if they do that to us.
Both teams are 9-4 and have something to play for, but I keep getting the feeling like both teams are also really tired and want to get past this game (and the next two) and get to the playoffs already. They're not looking past each other, they're looking past everybody they have to play before January.
So, I really think that the team that comes out focused and attacking will win the game, probably by a large margin. Personal loyalties aside, I really think that team is going to be the Steelers. I just don't see them taking a giant shit in their pants two straight weeks, especially since the game's at home (we're 7-0 at home and have only won division games on the road... that's weird).
Prediction: Steelers 30, Jaguars 13
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Bonus Content That's Not About the Steelers
So, Bobby Petrino left the Falcons tonight and he's going to go coach Arkansas. He left Louisville in the offseason to go to the Falcons, coached 13 games, sucked, and went running back to the college ranks.
What have we learned from this? Don't trust college coaches. After Spurrier, Saban, and... well, those are the two I remember besides Petrino. Coaching in college is way easier if you coach a good school, the guys that are good at it aren't good at coming to the NFL, and it takes a certain type of person. Wannstedt and Bill Callahan haven't had success going from the pro ranks to college. Then again, they were pretty crappy NFL coaches, so there's that.
Bill Walsh and Jimmy Johnson. Those are the guys that went from college to the pros and succeeded, so far as I know. Guys like Jeff Tedford, June Junes, Pete Carroll, Chan Gailey, Dennis Erickson and... I'm sure there are others... they need to stay in college. The guys in the pros need to stay in the pros. As a matter of fact, I think we have the right guys in the right places. I really hope that the guys that are in the NFL pool stay in the NFL pool and the guys that are in the college pool stay in the college pool. Maybe Neuheisal and some of the former college coaches that are some assistants go to college.
We've got lots of good former NFL coaches still in play, though. Maybe Dennis Green comes back. What about Mariucci? Of course, you've got guys like Cowher and Schottenheimer. And, there's a number of former coaches that are now assistants or assistant head coaches that could take the jobs that will come available. Plus which, since a bunch of assistants have been hired the past few seasons, so the pool's full there as well. And, there's always the pool of up-and-coming assistants to choose from, if someone's looking to take a chance (like, say, the Steelers did in the offseason). Rex Ryan, Rob Ryan, Josh McDaniels, Russ Grimm, maybe Ron Rivera or Mike Singletary.
At any rate, I see a surprising number of openings next offseason, especially considering that there have been 17 changes the past two years.
Here's where I see changes:
So... Go Steelers.
What have we learned from this? Don't trust college coaches. After Spurrier, Saban, and... well, those are the two I remember besides Petrino. Coaching in college is way easier if you coach a good school, the guys that are good at it aren't good at coming to the NFL, and it takes a certain type of person. Wannstedt and Bill Callahan haven't had success going from the pro ranks to college. Then again, they were pretty crappy NFL coaches, so there's that.
Bill Walsh and Jimmy Johnson. Those are the guys that went from college to the pros and succeeded, so far as I know. Guys like Jeff Tedford, June Junes, Pete Carroll, Chan Gailey, Dennis Erickson and... I'm sure there are others... they need to stay in college. The guys in the pros need to stay in the pros. As a matter of fact, I think we have the right guys in the right places. I really hope that the guys that are in the NFL pool stay in the NFL pool and the guys that are in the college pool stay in the college pool. Maybe Neuheisal and some of the former college coaches that are some assistants go to college.
We've got lots of good former NFL coaches still in play, though. Maybe Dennis Green comes back. What about Mariucci? Of course, you've got guys like Cowher and Schottenheimer. And, there's a number of former coaches that are now assistants or assistant head coaches that could take the jobs that will come available. Plus which, since a bunch of assistants have been hired the past few seasons, so the pool's full there as well. And, there's always the pool of up-and-coming assistants to choose from, if someone's looking to take a chance (like, say, the Steelers did in the offseason). Rex Ryan, Rob Ryan, Josh McDaniels, Russ Grimm, maybe Ron Rivera or Mike Singletary.
At any rate, I see a surprising number of openings next offseason, especially considering that there have been 17 changes the past two years.
Here's where I see changes:
- Atlanta, obviously.
- Miami. I don't care if Cameron's only been there one year. C'mon. 0-16, for Christ's sake.
- Washington. Gibbs is gonna retire.
- Baltimore. Billick's gone.
- Maybe Cincinnati. Marvin Lewis, aside from that one 11-5 season, has treaded water too much. The defense still isn't fixed. He's done a lot for the franchise, considering where they started. He just can't take them that extra bit. They need a specialist. They need someone that can bring them to the next level. They need Cowher or Marty, but ownership would never spend the money.
- Possibly Mike Nolan in San Francisco.
So... Go Steelers.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Steelers vs. The Evil Empire Review
Well, that royally SUCKED.
We got our asses handed to us. I blame myself. I turned to Weidman at halftime and said, "Ya know, I bet they have a game plan for the first half and a game plan for the second half." Well, whatever game plan we had for the second half royally SUCKED.
I do have a few comments, though...
We got our asses handed to us. I blame myself. I turned to Weidman at halftime and said, "Ya know, I bet they have a game plan for the first half and a game plan for the second half." Well, whatever game plan we had for the second half royally SUCKED.
I do have a few comments, though...
- What. Did. I. Say? About playaction? WHAT DID I SAY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??! DON'T FALL FOR IT. Moving on.
- We caught a great team in a dangerous spot. They needed to re-prove themselves to the rest of the league. Add in Anthony Smith's guarantee and that's all there is to say about that.
- Our secondary isn't as bad as everyone thinks it is. We had a couple lapses, then we were playing with our backs against the wall. If we were able to dictate the entire game, Brady's passing stats would've been different.
- We needed to force some turnovers. And we didn't. Bottom line. That's one of the reasons we lost.
- Now... work with me on this... it might be a good thing that we lost to them in the regular season. We lost to the Colts in the regular season in 2005 and beat them in the playoffs, based off what we learned. The Patriots lost to us in the regular season in 2004 and beat us in the playoffs, based on what they learned. I'm not saying it's a good thing to lose in the regular season, I'm just saying.
- We couldn't tackle, we couldn't block, and we couldn't get to the quarterback in the second half. I thought New England was supposed to be the old, worn out fuckers.
- They'll be more worn out by the time we meet them in the playoffs.
- It still all comes down to our outside linebackers... and they suck.
- We're locked into the #3 seed in the playoffs, that's all there is to it.
- The prospect of winning three games to get to the Super Bowl has worked for us in the recent past. I'm just saying...
Friday, December 07, 2007
A Few More Things...
I realized that, in my drug-addled haze, I forgot to mention a number of things in the last post. Also, I'm starting to get caught up in all the hype and I'm beginning to convince myself that the Steelers have a shot.
They can win if...
Which is all we need. A pissed off Patriots team. Great.
We're so fucked.
They can win if...
- They can get the ball to Willie and Heath in the passing game. No linebacker for New England (don't know if I mentioned this at all, but they're old and slow) can keep up with Willie in space. No safety for the Patriots can cover Heath. Especially Rodney Harrison.
- Haggans and Harrison have big games. I alluded to this in the last post, but this is really what it comes down to on defense. This is what it always comes down to on defense. Foote and Farrior need to be involved on blitzes, but Haggans and Harrison are the two guys that absolutely need to come through. If we can get Brady to hear footsteps, he'll start patting the ball with his left had and skipping his feet. Once he starts with that, we've got him. We just need to keep bringing heat.
- The Patriots stay arrogant. Against the hated Ravens, they were positively begging New England to run and they didn't. If the Patriots keep lining up and throwing, we definitely have a chance. If we can pressure Brady. As a side bar, we need to make like Baltimore and completely ignore play fakes from Brady. They're not going to run, we shouldn't get sucked in, and it takes longer for a playaction pass to develop, simply because you have to fake the ball to the running back. Ignore that and you have more time to get to Brady.
- Run the ball at will. Get big gains on first and second down. Run the ball against a 10 man front when they know we're going to run it. Baltimore couldn't do it and you saw the results.
- We force three turnovers and don't give any up.
- Along those lines, NO FREAKIN' DUMB INTERCEPTIONS. In both the Eagles and hated Ravens game, the quarterback tried to do too much and threw a dumb-ass interception late in the game that gave the Patriots a chance. I can really see Ben doing this.
- Trust the defense. Seriously. I trust them now. I don't think they'll implode like Baltimore and Philly did.
- Even though we're supposed to run the ball, we need to throw more on first and second down to set up the pass. Nothing crazy like coming out no-huddle with five wide receivers, but we need to throw the ball on first and second down.
- Don't crack, don't break down, keep our composure.
- We keep with tradition. We've always played to the level of our opponents. We've lost on the road to crappy teams because we took them lightly. No way that's going to happen here. We're bringing our Big Boy Pads on Sunday. And, much as I love Cowher, I think that Tomlin's going to be a better big-game coach. He's better at coming up with a unique game plan for each game, especially on defense. He's better at adjusting on the fly. He's still got a lot to learn about when to challenge or not challenge a play, when to use his timeouts, and game management, but that's all pretty simple. He'll have them ready to go.
Which is all we need. A pissed off Patriots team. Great.
We're so fucked.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Steelers vs. The Evil Empire Preview
Okay...
I'm tired, gooned out on cold medication, and mostly drunk. I think I'm in the correct head space to write this preview.
Someone asked me earlier today if I thought the Steelers could beat the Patriots. Ultimately, my answer was yes. We can beat the Patriots and the Evil Empire of Darth Brady and Grand Moff Bellichick and... Admiral Moss? Do I think we actually will? No.
See, for years the Patriots have been a savvy, smart team that keeps it close, beats the teams they're supposed to beat, and makes enough plays to come out on top at the final gun. This season, they suddenly have way more talent than everyone else in the NFL and they aren't only beating the teams they're supposed to beat, they're killing them. For the most part, though, the teams they've destroyed have been the crappy teams in their division.
Think about it. The Ravens came into the Monday night game against us expecting Ben to be a scared, little kitten, wilting under pressure and coughing up turnovers. They expected us to run first and ask questions (and, maybe if we were in the mood and not too frightened) pass later. We came out slinging, they turned the ball over a few times, and we were up 35-7 at halftime.
So, really, these are two completely different teams than the squads that faced off three times between Halloween 2004 and late September 2005. Seriously. Both teams are very different. Both teams like to pass the ball more now. Both teams have more talented wide receivers (though the arrow points significantly in favor of the Patriots on this one). We still have Ben, they still have Brady, but the offensive lines are basically the same.
The primary difference is that New England really only has two chinks in its might armor...
The thing about the defenses that the Eagles and the hated Ravens unleashed upon the Patriots is that they had the guys to pull it off. I don't think we have those guys. Unless Clark Haggans and James Harrison play completely out of their minds, like Harrison did against the hated Ravens on Monday night, we just don't have the horses.
The only other thing that we have working in our favor is the Expectation of the Perfect Season. When the '72 Dolphins went for perfection, the NFL was still a fledgling league that had their little deal with Congress and their merger. They had to give away tickets to the first few Super Bowls. If some beat writer wanted to come up with a story, Miami was a nice place for sun and hot women. But, it wasn't THE story. Right now, the NFL is king. There are more NFL related stories in the OFFSEASON on most days than there are in any other sport. The Quest for the Perfect Season is a bigger story than the Patriots. It's a bigger story than anything. Win and you're immortalized. Lose, and you're just another footnote on the path to perfection.
The pressure is mounting, regardless of whether or not the players on New England's roster choose to acknowledge it or not.
Those are the intangibles that we can cling to. Old roster. Complete lack of a running game. Perfect Season. Can we take advantage of it? Yes. Do I think we will? No.
BUT, if we can come off the line firing, if we can open holes for Fast Willie, if we can protect Ben against the bevy of weird packages that Bellichick is going to send at him, if Willie can finally jump cut and bust long runs to the outside on the SLOW AND OLD linebackers for the Patriots, if we can change our game plan on offense in the passing game from deep outs, comebacks, and fly routes, and if we can pressure Brady with four or five guys while covering Moss, Welker, and Stallworth with the rest... we can win.
Do I think we can do it? Yes. Do I think we will? No.
Prediction: New England 38, Steelers 21
I'm tired, gooned out on cold medication, and mostly drunk. I think I'm in the correct head space to write this preview.
Someone asked me earlier today if I thought the Steelers could beat the Patriots. Ultimately, my answer was yes. We can beat the Patriots and the Evil Empire of Darth Brady and Grand Moff Bellichick and... Admiral Moss? Do I think we actually will? No.
See, for years the Patriots have been a savvy, smart team that keeps it close, beats the teams they're supposed to beat, and makes enough plays to come out on top at the final gun. This season, they suddenly have way more talent than everyone else in the NFL and they aren't only beating the teams they're supposed to beat, they're killing them. For the most part, though, the teams they've destroyed have been the crappy teams in their division.
Think about it. The Ravens came into the Monday night game against us expecting Ben to be a scared, little kitten, wilting under pressure and coughing up turnovers. They expected us to run first and ask questions (and, maybe if we were in the mood and not too frightened) pass later. We came out slinging, they turned the ball over a few times, and we were up 35-7 at halftime.
So, really, these are two completely different teams than the squads that faced off three times between Halloween 2004 and late September 2005. Seriously. Both teams are very different. Both teams like to pass the ball more now. Both teams have more talented wide receivers (though the arrow points significantly in favor of the Patriots on this one). We still have Ben, they still have Brady, but the offensive lines are basically the same.
The primary difference is that New England really only has two chinks in its might armor...
- They can't run the ball.
- They are fucking old. Like, think of how old George Burns was. Then multiply that by 100. Then add Bob Hope (not in his prime, the guy that interrupted Congress when they falsely announced that he was dead, only to have him hang on for a few more years). They. Are. Fucking. Old. At least on defense.
The thing about the defenses that the Eagles and the hated Ravens unleashed upon the Patriots is that they had the guys to pull it off. I don't think we have those guys. Unless Clark Haggans and James Harrison play completely out of their minds, like Harrison did against the hated Ravens on Monday night, we just don't have the horses.
The only other thing that we have working in our favor is the Expectation of the Perfect Season. When the '72 Dolphins went for perfection, the NFL was still a fledgling league that had their little deal with Congress and their merger. They had to give away tickets to the first few Super Bowls. If some beat writer wanted to come up with a story, Miami was a nice place for sun and hot women. But, it wasn't THE story. Right now, the NFL is king. There are more NFL related stories in the OFFSEASON on most days than there are in any other sport. The Quest for the Perfect Season is a bigger story than the Patriots. It's a bigger story than anything. Win and you're immortalized. Lose, and you're just another footnote on the path to perfection.
The pressure is mounting, regardless of whether or not the players on New England's roster choose to acknowledge it or not.
Those are the intangibles that we can cling to. Old roster. Complete lack of a running game. Perfect Season. Can we take advantage of it? Yes. Do I think we will? No.
BUT, if we can come off the line firing, if we can open holes for Fast Willie, if we can protect Ben against the bevy of weird packages that Bellichick is going to send at him, if Willie can finally jump cut and bust long runs to the outside on the SLOW AND OLD linebackers for the Patriots, if we can change our game plan on offense in the passing game from deep outs, comebacks, and fly routes, and if we can pressure Brady with four or five guys while covering Moss, Welker, and Stallworth with the rest... we can win.
Do I think we can do it? Yes. Do I think we will? No.
Prediction: New England 38, Steelers 21
Monday, December 03, 2007
Steelers vs. Bengals Review
Good news! I am decidedly more on the ball this week... or, I'm decidedly less busy at work. One of the two of those.
The first three quarters were an impressive all-around display. After all, this is the same Bengals team that dismantled Tennessee two games ago and the Titans are now 7-5 (and a pretty damn good team). They got Chris Henry back, they still had Housh and Chad Johnson. Sure, Rudi Johnson was pretty banged up, but this isn't a shitty team that we beat last night. And, in particular, this is not a shitty offense.
We had four turnovers, they started three drives inside our 30 yard line, and they still only scored 10 points. I think that we should really start thinking about just how damn good this Steelers defense is.
I would say that it's the best one we've had since the '70s.
I realize that's a bold statement, since Ike Taylor ain't Rod Woodson, Anthony Smith ain't Carnell Lake (maybe Troy is in that conversation), and we don't have any linebackers on the outside that compare with Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene in their respective primes. But, I'd take James Farrior and Larry Foote over Levon Kirkland and Chad Brown (especially considering that Brown was always a way better outside linebacker than an inside one).
Casey Hampton's better than Joel Steed and Deshea is better than Deion Figures. Smith/Tyrone Carter is better than Darren Perry.
The biggest difference between this year's defense and every other defense we've had since Cowher started is that this defense can actually defend the pass. It's true. Our secondary does not, in fact, suck. It is, in fact, quite good. We're still screwed against the Patriots, but the secondary stepped up big time yesterday. The Bengals picked up pretty much every blitz we sent their way and there was still no one open. When we rushed only three or four, we still got pressure and there were even some coverage sacks mixed in there.
Once again, those were three really good receivers we faced last night. And we pretty well shut them down. But, since everyone out there (including myself) has had it drilled into their heads year after year that the Steelers secondary sucks big balls and all they know how to do on defense is stop the run, the pass defense has gone largely unnoticed this year.
We have the #1 overall defense, the #2 rush defense, we've allowed the fewest points in the NFL... and we have the number one pass defense. I know that we haven't exactly faced a bunch of offensive juggernauts thus far this season, but we've also had a number of games where we were waaaaaaaaaaay ahead in the second half. Generally speaking, the defense relaxes in those situations and you let up some yards. And some points. But, we haven't done that. Even in a situation last night, where for half of the third quarter and all the fourth quarter, we were trying to sit on the ball and the Bengals were passing on pretty much every play, we didn't yield a bunch of yards.
A lot of times, a defense playing with a big lead adopts a bend-don't-break philosophy. We didn't. We haven't. We've been shutting teams down all year.
Consider the fact that we've only let up 230 yards per game. Total. Passing and rushing combined. 230 yards. Per game. Total. You can say we've had some turnovers on offense that have given the opposition a short field and you can say that our special teams suck, which also gives the opponent a short field. But, my defense of the defense is that, even with a short field and all the touchdowns on returns, we're still allowing the fewest return yards in the league. Even playing with big leads for half the season, the defense hasn't allowed a bunch of yards in garbage time.
And the next closest team (Indianapolis of all teams has the #2 overall defense in terms of total yards allowed per game) is letting up 277 yards per game. At this late point in the season, the next closest team is almost 50 yards per game away.
That's just friggin' impressive. When we had the #1 defense in 2001 (in terms of yards allowed and, I think, points), we were 1st against the run, but 20th against the pass. Just something to keep in mind.
The end result of this long, involved stroke-fest is that the defense can be trusted. This defense can win games for us. If we have the lead, we can put the game in the hands of the defense with full confidence.
All last night, I kept thinking, "Christ. We're letting them hang around. This is a really good offense. They're going to catch us." And they didn't. The defense stepped up. Big time. By the last five minutes or so, I had reached the point where I believed that there was no conceivable way that Cincinnati was going to come back.
We're still going to get shredded by the Patriots, but this gives me hope that we'll at least live to meet them in the playoffs.
The first three quarters were an impressive all-around display. After all, this is the same Bengals team that dismantled Tennessee two games ago and the Titans are now 7-5 (and a pretty damn good team). They got Chris Henry back, they still had Housh and Chad Johnson. Sure, Rudi Johnson was pretty banged up, but this isn't a shitty team that we beat last night. And, in particular, this is not a shitty offense.
We had four turnovers, they started three drives inside our 30 yard line, and they still only scored 10 points. I think that we should really start thinking about just how damn good this Steelers defense is.
I would say that it's the best one we've had since the '70s.
I realize that's a bold statement, since Ike Taylor ain't Rod Woodson, Anthony Smith ain't Carnell Lake (maybe Troy is in that conversation), and we don't have any linebackers on the outside that compare with Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene in their respective primes. But, I'd take James Farrior and Larry Foote over Levon Kirkland and Chad Brown (especially considering that Brown was always a way better outside linebacker than an inside one).
Casey Hampton's better than Joel Steed and Deshea is better than Deion Figures. Smith/Tyrone Carter is better than Darren Perry.
The biggest difference between this year's defense and every other defense we've had since Cowher started is that this defense can actually defend the pass. It's true. Our secondary does not, in fact, suck. It is, in fact, quite good. We're still screwed against the Patriots, but the secondary stepped up big time yesterday. The Bengals picked up pretty much every blitz we sent their way and there was still no one open. When we rushed only three or four, we still got pressure and there were even some coverage sacks mixed in there.
Once again, those were three really good receivers we faced last night. And we pretty well shut them down. But, since everyone out there (including myself) has had it drilled into their heads year after year that the Steelers secondary sucks big balls and all they know how to do on defense is stop the run, the pass defense has gone largely unnoticed this year.
We have the #1 overall defense, the #2 rush defense, we've allowed the fewest points in the NFL... and we have the number one pass defense. I know that we haven't exactly faced a bunch of offensive juggernauts thus far this season, but we've also had a number of games where we were waaaaaaaaaaay ahead in the second half. Generally speaking, the defense relaxes in those situations and you let up some yards. And some points. But, we haven't done that. Even in a situation last night, where for half of the third quarter and all the fourth quarter, we were trying to sit on the ball and the Bengals were passing on pretty much every play, we didn't yield a bunch of yards.
A lot of times, a defense playing with a big lead adopts a bend-don't-break philosophy. We didn't. We haven't. We've been shutting teams down all year.
Consider the fact that we've only let up 230 yards per game. Total. Passing and rushing combined. 230 yards. Per game. Total. You can say we've had some turnovers on offense that have given the opposition a short field and you can say that our special teams suck, which also gives the opponent a short field. But, my defense of the defense is that, even with a short field and all the touchdowns on returns, we're still allowing the fewest return yards in the league. Even playing with big leads for half the season, the defense hasn't allowed a bunch of yards in garbage time.
And the next closest team (Indianapolis of all teams has the #2 overall defense in terms of total yards allowed per game) is letting up 277 yards per game. At this late point in the season, the next closest team is almost 50 yards per game away.
That's just friggin' impressive. When we had the #1 defense in 2001 (in terms of yards allowed and, I think, points), we were 1st against the run, but 20th against the pass. Just something to keep in mind.
The end result of this long, involved stroke-fest is that the defense can be trusted. This defense can win games for us. If we have the lead, we can put the game in the hands of the defense with full confidence.
All last night, I kept thinking, "Christ. We're letting them hang around. This is a really good offense. They're going to catch us." And they didn't. The defense stepped up. Big time. By the last five minutes or so, I had reached the point where I believed that there was no conceivable way that Cincinnati was going to come back.
We're still going to get shredded by the Patriots, but this gives me hope that we'll at least live to meet them in the playoffs.
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