Season on the Brink: Bengals at Steelers Preview

Well, the bad news is that the game against the Cowboys sucked.  The good news is that the Steelers are officially in playoff mode and it's win-or-go-home time.  They seem to do better in situations like this, unless of course they're up against Tim Tebow.

This is definitely a winnable game and that's not a dig on the Bengals.  The losses to the Titans, Raiders, and Browns weren't cases of the Steelers losing a winnable game, they were cases of them honking away a sure win.  Yes, things change when the game actually kicks off and you commit eight turnovers, but the fact remains that they had match-up advantages pretty much everywhere on both sides of the ball in those games and failed to capitalize on those advantages.

On Sunday, they don't have a ton of match-ups in their favor, but they have enough.  Cincinnati doesn't have anyone that can cover Heath Miller.  Dallas had a tough time dealing with Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown -- provided they held onto the ball -- and the Cowboys have a more talented secondary than the Bengals.  Emmanuel Sanders will be back this week and will be at full strength.  The only guys that won't play are Ike Taylor and Mike Adams, so they're healthier than they've been at any point in the season and certainly in better shape health-wise than they were for the first meeting in Cincy.  Ben Roethlisberger is a better quarterback than Andy Dalton and Dalton has struggled pretty mightily against this Steelers defense thus far in his career.  BenJarvis Green-Ellis hasn't been able to get much going this season, the Bengals offensive line has been far better in pass protection than they have in the running game, and the Steelers held the Law Firm to only 69 yards in the first meeting.

I'm aware of the fact that Cincinnati has Geno Atkins and he's a very good, very disruptive player on the interior of the defensive line.  But, Legursky and Ramon Foster were able to contain Atkins in the first game, to the tune of two tackles and a sack, which makes me think that Pouncey and DeCastro might actually fare better.  DeCastro looked a little rough at times in his first start, but he was coming off three months of inactivity and only had three practices to get used to the line calls and the tendencies of his line mates.  I think he'll be better this week and Pouncey usually steps up his level of play for big games (unless it's an actual playoff game, in which case he's usually hurt).

With all the talk about Atkins, I think people are forgetting that the Bengals have a really talented, solid front seven.  They lead the league with 43 sacks.  They pressure quarterbacks into making bad decisions and they're plus 3 in the turnover department (Steelers are minus 14).  But... they have the same personnel that they had when the Steelers plowed them over for 167 yards in Week 7 and the offensive line for Pittsburgh has benefited from a couple of upgrades since then.  Jonathan Dwyer ran for 122 yards on only 17 carries in that game.  The Steelers outgained the Bengals 431-185 in that game and really dominated throughout.  They just lost the field position battle and turned the ball over in the red zone.

If they can keep from committing a costly turnover -- especially a pick six, which is no sure thing with this team -- they should be able to win fairly easily.

One thing really scares the hell out of me in this game and his name is AJ Green.  Without Taylor to keep Green in check, you have either Keenan Ivory Lewis or Cortez Allen or... #35, whatever his name is, it doesn't really matter because he's awful.  (I know it's Josh Victorian, but that still doesn't matter because he's awful.)  If Green's able to roam free, then he'll do more damage than Miles Austin and Dez Bryant put together.  My guess is that they double him with Lewis and Ryan Grant and err on the side of not getting beat deep, but Green's good enough at adjusting to the ball when it's in the air that he's still open even if he's double covered.

I think that Green still runs wild, but it's kept within reason.

That's all the X's and O's and strategy, but here's the big reason I think they win on Sunday: If they lose Sunday, their season is over.  This team has been maddeningly inconsistent all year, but they've always been able to find just the right time and way to break the hearts of Steelers fans all over the world. 

This Sunday isn't the right time.  If they lose Sunday, they're done, Steeler fans have no hope for the next week.  Their hearts will be broken, sure, but their team will have lost to an up-and-coming team and, hey, the Bengals deserve a break every now and again.

Next Sunday is the right time, because they're playing Cleveland and there's every reason to believe that they absolutely should win that game and make it to the playoffs.  To lose out on a post-season berth by getting beat at home by the lowly, stupid Cleveland Browns is considerably more heartbreaking. 

The only thing that this team has consistently done all season is break our hearts and drive us crazy.  That will continue on Sunday against the Bengals.

Prediction:
Steelers 27, Bengals 23

Glory Hole Days: Steelers at Cowboys Preview

I've been waiting to preview this game all season, because I wanted to link to this video where Jerry Jones says that he wants the Cowboys to get back to the "glory hole days."

That's as stupid as it is funny, and it's about as stable as my prediction for this week.

Honestly, I have no idea.  The Steelers are a talented team, but they're also banged up, deeply flawed, and very inconsistent.  The Cowboys are a talented team, but they're also banged up, deeply flawed, and very inconsistent. 

Dallas has home field advantage, but it was the Cowboys-Steelers game in 2004 that first got announcers and reporters talking about how well Pittsburgh travels.  There were about 20,000 Steelers fans at that game and it got the nation's attention.  The Steelers won that game and also beat the Romo-led Cowboys at Heinz Field in 2008.  But, Dallas also hosted Super Bowl XLV and that didn't work out so well for the Steelers.

I know Ben Roethlisberger looked awfully rusty -- almost like a guy who hadn't played in a month or something -- but I also know that he's better than he showed against the Chargers and should play better against a Dallas secondary that has some injury issues.

I don't know what's wrong with Mike Wallace, but I know that he's an extremely talented player that can break a game wide open (like he did against the Giants).  Whether or not he gets his head straight this week, I have no idea.

I know Keenan Ivory Lewis and Cortez Allen looked pretty lost starting their first game together, but Dick LeBeau was probably pretty lost without Ike Taylor.  Ike's been in every game since 2004 and that had to be an adjustment for LeBeau.  And for the rest of the secondary, kind of like when Ryan Clark missed those two games against the Broncos.

Mike Tomlin has coached through this season like he forgot to take his Adderall, but it's not like he's suddenly forgotten everything that has made him successful.  He's got a strong, veteran roster that doesn't seem to care too much what Rashard Mendenhall does or doesn't do/Tweet.  I don't think there's as much discord in the locker room as we've been led to believe.

Looking at the match-ups on the offensive line, it's crazy to think that a team that got shredded by San Diego's front four last week could hold up against the likes of DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer.  But it also would've been crazy to assume they could hold up against Terrell Suggs and Jarrett Johnson, yet they did just that in the two games against the hated Ravens.

Sure, they looked like total crap against the Chargers and probably deserved to lose by more than they did.  They also looked like total crap against the Browns, then went on the road and beat Baltimore with their third string quarterback.  Since everyone's down on them this week, they probably have the "no one outside this locker room believed we could do it" mentality, even though the current Vegas line has them favored by a point.

So...

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO IT, STEELERS.  JUST TRY TO PROVE ME WRONG.

Prediction:
Steelers 27, Cowboys 23

Get Sanchez: Jets at Steelers Preview

I have to admit that I only saw five plays of last week's game against the Broncos.  Interestingly enough, I was in Colorado at my brother in-law's wedding.

I got to look at this instead of Peyton Manning, which I think is a fair trade.

As a result, I wasn't able to witness them falling apart in the fourth quarter, though I somehow caught Demarius Thomas' 70 yard catch-and-run for a touchdown, which I took as a bad sign.  I've seen highlights and read some analysis and I have to say I'm not sure why a lot of people are freaking out.  I mean, I know why they're freaking out, it's because the Steelers lost and lost by meltdown and that's not something that people are accustomed to seeing from the Steelers.  But... I don't think the freakouts are warranted.

I tried to get everyone to calm down after the hated Ravens curb-stomped the Steelers in the opener last year.  My point was that it was only one game and the NFL would only give them one loss, no matter how poorly they played.  From what I can tell, the offense and defense performed pretty well for the first three quarters and kept Manning mostly in check.  They didn't get destroyed for four quarters like they did in Baltimore to open the 2011 season.  As you may recall, the Steelers were 12-4 last year.  They don't get to face the craptastic line-up of inept quarterbacks this season that they benefited from last season, but I think it is not yet time to panic and that there's a very solid chance they finish 10-6 or 9-7.


But, this is a Preview post for the Jets game, so I'm going to move on.

Three big items in this game:

1. Word came out today that Darelle Revis is out for this game.  That's huge.  If Revis Island is vacant, then Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders will all have better match-ups.
2. They get Ryan Clark back.  Even though Troy and James Harrison are probably out, I think adding Clark back in is a net win.  Harrison didn't play last week, either, and Troy freelanced a little too much (from what I heard and it also looked like he took himself out of the play on the Thomas touchdown).  With Clark back in there and Ryan Mundy playing things by the book, they should be fine in the secondary.  It'd just be nice if they could generate some kind of pass rush and force Sanchez into making some mistakes.
3. Read this this morning: "Pittsburgh hasn't started a season 0-2 since 2002, though that didn't stop the Steelers from finishing 10-5-1 and making it to the divisional round of the playoffs. The Steelers haven't even lost consecutive games since a five-game slide in 2009."  That's some serious consistency right there.  I have a feeling the veteran guys on this team will be extra focused on Sunday to make sure that continues.  With two teams as close talent-wise as the Jets and Steelers, that little bit of extra focus is going to help a lot.

I think the Jets offense isn't as good as the Bills made them look in Week 1 and the Steelers defense isn't as bad as Manning made them look, either.  Manning is a better quarterback than Sanchez and he also has more talent around him at the skill positions.  The Jets are almost as thin at tackle as the Steelers and I have a feeling that LaMarr Woodley "great performance against a bad player" games against Austin Howard.  Howard plays right tackle for the Jets.  I had to look it up, too.  It's OK, you shouldn't feel bad.  Howard's not that good, that's why you don't know who he is.

I don't think New York has enough push in the running game to bully a surprisingly deep Steeler defensive line.  Shonn Greene doesn't scare me and neither do any of the guys up front for the Jets.

On offense, I have to say the Jets defense doesn't scare me as much without Revis.  Without him to shut down half the field in the passing game, the opposing team's offense has a lot more options and a lot more ways to attack a pretty average group of re-tread defenders and roleplayers.  I'd also like to add that Bryant Thomas is out for this game, which decreases the odds that Ben Roethlisberger will get sacked 15 times.  My cousin, Dustin Keller, is also scratched for this game, which will hurt a Jets offense that already doesn't have a lot of weapons.  Get well soon, Dustin.  Auntie Claudette sends her love.

I think the Steelers will have trouble running the ball, because they always have trouble running the ball.  It's kind of their thing, but at least they're persistent.  There should be some real opportunities for Roethlisberger, provided he's able to stay upright.  And, provided New York decides not to blitz too much.  According to ESPN blogger Jamison Hensley, Roethlisberger was 6 for 14 with 60 yards and an interception when the Broncos blitzed.  Hensley also points out that the Jets have blitzed on 43.4 percent of all snaps since 2009, most in league.  So, yeah, I think they're going to blitz.  It will just come down to how well the Steelers can pick those blitzes up and how badly the Jets defense breaks down on the back end without Revis if the Steelers do manage to pick up the blitz.

I know I've talked a lot about how both offenses are going to struggle and how they're going to have to do a lot of things right to score points, but I still feel like this is going to be a pretty high scoring game (take the over).  I think that there will be enough breakdowns in coverage when the defenses blitz a little too hard and enough turnovers that give the offense a short field that this won't be a 13-10 slugfest.  Plus which, those kinds of games are usually reserved for November or December.

I think the Steelers win, in a push (line is currently Steelers by 5), but take the over.  Also, these happen to be the numbers in my football pool this week, so I hope I'm predicting the right score.

Prediction:
Steelers 28, Jets 23

Welcome Back, Peyton: Steelers at Broncos Preview

I'm actually leaving my house in about an hour to fly to Denver, so I feel as though the Steelers will have a little extra home field advantage in this one.  I also feel as though that won't make any difference.

I can't get past the fact that these are, essentially, the same two teams that met in January.  Same venue, same home field advantage for the Broncos, pretty much the same everything.  But, the edge goes for Denver because they swapped out Football Jesus for one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game.  I am well aware of the fact that Peyton Manning is not the same quarterback he once was and that no one -- not even Peyton or his doctors -- can say for sure how his neck will react once he starts getting hit for real.  Assuming that Manning is about 80%, that makes him about 300% better than Tim Tebow, and that makes the Broncos a much better team than they were in the Wild Card round of last year's playoffs.

So, that's one thing.  The other thing is that Ryan Clark will not be available for this game.  I think that his absence was a key contributor to the pass defense's collapse in January.  Yes, Dick LeBeau is really smart and really good at his job and will find ways to patch the holes Denver found in his scheme in the last game.  But, you can't overlook the fact that Ryan Mundy backs up Ryan Clark for a reason: It's not that Mundy is a bad player, he's just not as good as Ryan Clark.  I don't think that Clark is an all-star, but he does do an exceptional job of playing the "hero" and covering up for all Troy's freelancing.  Without him there to watch Troy's back, either Polamalu doesn't do as much freelancing or there's no one there to cover for him when he does.  Either way, it hurts the defense as a whole.

Finally, you have the mile-high effect.  These are highly trained athletes and most of them are in great physical condition.  The issue is that they're not in mile-high condition just yet and the Broncos have the advantage of having practiced and trained at a higher altitude all spring and summer.  Historically, Denver enjoys a home field advantage early in the season simply because they're used to the conditions and their opponents aren't.  I just have a feeling that Casey Hampton, for one, will be gassed midway through the second quarter, especially considering he didn't have training camp to play himself back into shape.  Since these are two teams that played a tight game that was decided in overtime eight months ago, every little edge that Broncos have is significant, and I feel that this is a big edge for them.

I don't think there's anything actually wrong with the Steelers on offense or defense, I just don't think that they're good enough to overcome everything they'll need to overcome to win this game.  I think that, overall, they'll have a good showing this season and finish between 9-7 and 11-5, depending on how they do against the hated Ravens.  Denver's defense is too good, they have just enough of an edge on offense with Clark on the sidelines, and they have the altitude on their side.

I think they also have the psychological edge in this game.  Sure, the Steelers are made that they got beat in such dramatic fashion last season and the defense will be fired up, trying to prove that the playoff collapse was a fluke.  But, the Broncos have a nationally televised prime time game, a shiny, new, big name quarterback to show off, and they're just as motivated to show that their playoff win wasn't a fluke as the Steelers are to prove that their loss was a fluke, if not more motivated.

Mike Wallace is going to be fine.  He's still fast enough and scary enough to keep defenses honest.  He doesn't need to know the offense to know how to run in a straight line.  He just needs to be there.  He occupies two guys and allows Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown and Heath Miller to draw single coverage and get better match-ups.  Roethlisberger may not look his way that often -- unless he sees single coverage -- but I think Wallace is more than capable of making some plays when Roethlisberger does call his number.  I also wouldn't be surprised if they got Wallace involved early by throwing him some quick slants and screen passes and seeing what he can do, as well as taking a shot with him deep even if it's not there.

What worries me is that the Broncos have an exceptional front seven and a solid defense overall.  They feel like they can pressure anyone and they will blitz with regularity.  The Steeler offensive line is still in flux and I'm not sure they're up to the task of blocking all these guys.  It could get ugly.

The x-factor for Denver is Manning.  If LaMarr Woodley decapitates him on the first series, the Broncos are sunk, at least for this game.  We also don't know how much arm strength he's been able to build back up after having basically no arm strength following the 2010 season.  He also hasn't taken a real hit in 18 months.  It'll be interesting to see how he reacts to the first one.

I know I've been all over Chris Rainey all pre-season, but he's the x-factor in this one.  Denver has a slight edge on offense and defense, so special teams needs to step it up.  Special teams is basically just Rainey now that Brown is no longer returning punts.  If he can get a big return -- not even necessarily a touchdown, just a long return that puts the Steelers in a position to score -- they can win this game.  Do I think he'll do that?  I have no idea, but I don't think it'll happen.

Ultimately, they don't have enough to win this one without a little luck and a little help.  It's not going to be a blowout, but I don't think they're going to pull this one out.

Prediction:
Broncos 20, Steelers 13

Steelers Preseason Game 1 Watchlist

For the most part, the preseason is a bunch of meaningless games that try to determine, once and for all, whose third team defensive end is better than whose fourth team offensive tackle.  But, there are some things to watch for in every game and not just when the starters are on the field (though that's mostly what to watch for).

Here's what I'll be watching:

1. Because I keep meaning to write something about Mike Wallace and keep not doing so, here's what I think: Until he reports to camp, nothing's going to happen with his contract.  I keep hoping that this situation will work out like it did with Hines Ward back in the day.  Both sides hem and haw and dig their feet into the ground until one side-- always the player, never the team -- relents, reports, and begins negotiating.  Until that happens, the coffee table in my living room knows about as much about what's going on as anyone else.  I really hope it happens, because Wallace is the only guy the Steelers have on offense that scares defenses.  Sanders, Brown, Heath, Redman, they're all great guys and good players, but they don't scare anyone.  For this offense to be really productive, I think they need a guy who scares people.
2. There has been a lot of talk thus far about Mike Adams and David DeCastro struggling in practice.  They're both going to be starting tonight, so I want to check them out and see if they struggle in games when it really matters.  Well, it doesn't really matter matter tonight, but it matters more than practice.
3. Chris Rainey.  He had some issues fielding kicks cleanly in practice, but everyone's also talking about how fast and explosive he is.  I want to see how fast he looks when other people are chasing him and really trying to catch him.  I'm excited about Rainey this season.  I think he adds a scary element to the offense.  If he's the guy that scares defenses, we still need Wallace, though.  Rainey will only be able to scare them for 10-12 plays a game.  Wallace scares them for the entire game.  Having both makes them... well, it makes them scarier.
4. With James Harrison and Jason Worilds both on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, Chris Carter starts tonight at Harrison's position.  I'd like to see how he does against Philly's first team and how he stands up to the challenge.  Hopefully, he'll play angry and show the NFL Hall of Fame voters that he belongs in Canton.
5. It sounds like Cortez Allen has the inside track to the second cornerback job opposite Ike Taylor.  I'll have a close eye on Allen, but I'm also curious to see how Keenan Lewis and Curtis Brown look.  Lewis had the inside track on that job before camp started and Brown was a dark horse candidate to grab it.  The popular theory is that, whoever loses the competition, the Steelers win.  They'll have a solid #2 guy and depth at the #3 and #4 depth chart positions.  My theory -- until I see them in-game -- is that when you have three guys fighting for a job, you have no guys that are worthy of the job.  If you need further evidence of this, look at the three guys fighting for the starting quarterback job in Seattle.
6. I think the Steelers took a pretty big step forward on special teams last season.  I want to confirm that wasn't a fluke.

As things stand right now, the optimism I was feeling after the draft is waning.  I assume that Wallace will be back in the line-up when the season starts, but I don't know that he will and I also don't have many valid reasons upon which to base that assumption.

The offensive line is new and it's younger, but I have no idea if that translates to them actually being better.  I have to see for myself, but the reports I've been hearing from camp haven't inspired me with confidence.

The defense is another year older and I actually think the overall talent level on defense has improved, but I also think that they need to stay 100% healthy this season to match last season's success.  And, with all the guys they have on the wrong side of 30 and the fact that no defense in the history of ever has gone a full season without anyone getting hurt, I don't see them staying 100% healthy, so I'd really welcome a chance to see the third defensive end, because he might be starting by the end of the year.

I'm excited for kickoff, I'm looking forward to the upcoming season, but I'm also anxious as hell.

The Mike Wallace Situation

I already had two posts called "The _____ _____ Situation" and I tried to come up with a snappy title for this one.  I thought about, "Should the Steelers Sign Mike Wallace?" and, "Will the Steelers Sign Mike Wallace?" but then I realized that those would make for short, unrewarding posts.  The answers to those questions are, "Of course" and "I have no idea" and that's about all I know on those subjects.

Wallace is the best receiver on the team, one of the best receivers in the league, he's only 25, and he's lightning fast.  He's the second most important player they have on offense after Ben Roethlisberger.  They certainly should sign him, the question is whether or not they'll be able to.

As to whether or not they'll be able to, I have no idea.  Three weeks ago, when the Steelers were $25 million over the salary cap, I didn't think there was a chance in hell.  Now that they've restructured some contracts and they're $10 million under the cap, I think they have better than a 50/50 shot.  Wallace may very well be able to get more money playing for a different team, but he's unlikely to sign with an organization that's as stable and consistently competitive that also has a top five quarterback.  Plus which, football players are creatures of routine and habit.  They'd prefer to stay with the devil they know versus the devil they don't, even if all things (i.e. money) aren't equal.

That gives the Steelers the inside track to sign Wallace, but the clock is ticking and the deadline is March 13th, when free agency begins.

The Steelers decided not to franchise Wallace and I think that's the right call.  If they franchised Wallace, then every team in the league would've backed off.  If they weren't able to reach a longterm deal with him -- and the franchise tag sometimes brings out animosity in players, most times leads to a longterm deal, but you never know -- then they would be in the same situation next year.  Not only would they need to go through the same process with Wallace, they'd also have to deal with impending restricted free agent Antonio Brown.  With the way they've restructured contracts and managed the salary cap the last few years, their cap situation is going to get worse before it gets better.  Even if, as expected, the cap jumps significantly in 2013, everyone else in the league will also have lots of extra money to spend.

By placing a first round tender on Wallace, the Steelers can continue to negotiate in good faith and allow the market to determine his price if they don't get a deal struck by the 13th.  That gives them flexibility, but it also gives other teams the opportunity to come in the back door and steal Wallace away.

Any team that signs Wallace would need to offer him a contract that is heavily front-loaded and would pay roster bonuses in the first year of the deal, making it so that the Steelers couldn't match the offer without cutting more players.  They could also offer more than the Steelers think Wallace is worth, but I have no idea what that number is.  Any team that signs him would also need to give the Steelers a first round pick in this year's draft.  A front-loaded, rich contract and a first round pick is a steep price to pay for any player.  Are there any teams that would be willing to pay that price?

At first blush, I didn't think so.  Then I read this article by Bill Barnwell at Grantland.  Barnwell wrote that from an agent's perspective with an obvious bias towards selling Wallace's good qualities while attempting to hide -- or neglecting to mention -- his bad attributes.  But, you have to admit that the man has some good points.  Especially when compared to Santonio Holmes (signed a five year, $45 million contract last year), Wallace looks like a sure thing.  You take a risk signing any free agent, but Wallace's upside, talent, and production level at this early point in his career seems to justify the risk.

The two teams in most desperate need of receiver are the hated Ravens and 49ers.  I'm sure Baltimore would love nothing more than to take a big weapon from their rivals, but they tend to build through the draft and wouldn't be likely to sacrifice that pick.  The same goes for the 49ers.  Also, both teams could explore the unrestricted market, which has plenty of big names with no draft pick compensation linked to them.  This is not to say that Wallace isn't worth it, he's just not worth the added compensation of the first round pick, given the fact that a number of unrestricted options would represent a significant improvement for either of these teams.  Also, neither of these teams is deep enough at the position that simply adding Wallace would upgrade their offense across the board.

If there's a team the Steelers need to fear, it's a team that could see a huge benefit by adding Wallace, has plenty of cap space, and has a first round pick to spare.  That leaves the Bengals and the Patriots.  Both teams have at least $20 million in cap space -- Cincinnati has a reported $60 million worth of room and the new CBA says that Mike Brown needs to spend that money -- and both teams have a reason to hurt the Steelers.  New England would have a pretty explosive offense with Brady, Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Wallace and they have a spare first round pick that the Saints traded them last year for the rights to draft Mark Ingram.  Even Mike Brown would open up his check book at the thought of the Mighty Ginger throwing to two Pro Bowl receivers under the age of 26 and they have a spare first round pick from the Raiders courtesy of the Carson Palmer trade.  A first round pick is not something that teams tend to throw around, but a spare pick gives them something to mitigate their risk.

The bottom line is that Wallace will draw interest if he hits the open market.  How much that interest will translate to in terms of dollars remains to be seen, as well as what the Steelers ceiling is in terms of what they're willing to pay when faced with other offers.  They can eliminate a lot of variables and questions if they lock up Wallace before the 13th, but whether or not they will is still up in the air.

Hines Ward: Should He Stay or Should He Go?

The news surrounding Hines Ward's future with the Steelers has been unreliable and has pretty much changed by the day, but the one thing that's well established is that he's not staying on the team at a price tag of $4 million.  He's said he's willing to re-structure his contract and make less and the Steelers have said that they'd love to have him back if the price is right.

My only problem with the situation is this: If they're both thinking the same thing, why hasn't this gotten done yet?  My guess is that it's because Ward's idea of re-structuring is more like $2 million and the Steelers idea of the "right price" is the veteran minimum.  That means they've been staring at each other since February 11th when news broke that the Steelers were going to cut Ward, and both of them are waiting for the other to blink.  Ward has a clause in his contract that the Steelers need to tell him whether or not he's going to be on the team by Thursday, March 1st, not March 13th when free agency begins.  That means that someone had better blink soon.  Since the Steelers are still over the cap, I'm thinking that Hines will need to blink first.  Otherwise, he's gone.

So, assuming that Ward is willing to take the veteran minimum ($925,000 in his case), we end up with another question: Is he worth retaining, even at that price?

If the Steelers manage to retain Mike Wallace -- which is starting to look more and more likely -- and also re-sign Jerricho Cotchery, that puts Ward fifth on the depth chart behind Wallace, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, and Cotchery.  Future Hall of Famer or not, $925,000 is a lot of money to pay a fifth wide receiver that (presumably) won't help out on special teams.

There's the argument that Ward will be able to contribute in other ways, such as tutoring and developing all the young receiving talent currently ahead of him on the depth chart.  I think there's something to that, since I firmly believe that Terrance Mathis helped Antwan Randle-El considerably in his rookie year, but that was a different situation.  Mathis was a specialist: He was a smaller guy that played slot receiver and returned kicks, just like El.  He had a unique perspective and set of experiences that helped make El into the player he became.

Ward doesn't have much in common with the other receivers on the roster.  Plus which, aside from teaching guys how to block, I haven't heard much about Hines coaching and tutoring young guys.  There's nothing wrong with the fact that he doesn't do it, but Jerome Bettis added value in his later years by giving advice to Willie Parker, helping him become the back he was.  Bettis was able to do that even though he and Parker had vastly different builds and running styles.  I don't think Ward adds that extra value.  Plus which, as Mike Prisuta correctly pointed out on DVE, there are guys that already get paid to teach players.  They're called coaches.

Once the Steelers got Hines to 1,000 receptions, he completely disappeared.  I don't remember seeing him on the field after that.  If he's not going to be an effective surrogate coach, he's not going to be involved on offense, and he's not going to contribute on special teams, then he's not worth $925, to say nothing of $925,000.  That sucks to say, but it's true.  From a business/team perspective, it doesn't make sense to retain Ward, even at the veteran minimum.  They're better off grabbing a cheaper rookie in the late rounds or as an undrafted free agent for the fifth spot and developing that guy from there.

But... here's the thing.  It's weird to think of Hines playing for another team.  It's weird that Franco Harris closed out his career with the Seahawks.  As a fan, I don't want this to get weird.

Here's the other thing: It's highly unlikely that the Steelers will sign Wallace and Cotchery by Thursday.  If they don't sign either of those guys, then Hines becomes a bargain at 925K as the third receiver.  I don't think that will happen, but I can't guarantee that it won't.  Signing Ward gives them insurance -- and at a pretty good rate -- if they don't sign Wallace or Cotchery.  If they do sign both of those guys, then Cotchery can help out on special teams and they have insurance in case anyone gets hurt.  Wallace had a calf issue last season, Cotchery had hamstring problems, and Sanders wasn't available until about mid season.

Steelers N At Official Stance:
Hines should stay.

Good News and Bad News: Steelers at Chiefs

I was talking to a co-worker about the game this morning.  He's from Argentina and follows soccer a lot more closely than he follows the NFL, but I thought he summed last night's game up nicely.  He said, "The Steelers sucked last night.  Fortunately, the Chiefs sucked even more."  That's about all the information you really need, but you can read on if you want to check out the good news and the bad news.

Good News first...

1. They won.  And, gosh darnit, a win is a win.  They'll need to keep winning games in which they suck, because the hated Ravens don't look like they're going to go away any time soon.  Baltimore plays Cleveland twice, Indy, at San Diego, and at Cincinnati the rest of the season.  The Steelers also draw Cleveland twice, Cincy once, and they get to play the Rams, but they also have to travel to San Francisco to play the 49ers on a Monday night.  If the season ended today, the hated Ravens would win the division and the Steelers would be the #5 seed.  The only way to improve that seeding is to win out and hope Baltimore drops another game.
2. They forced four turnovers.  I don't care that Tyler Palko played a horrible game and basically gift wrapped three of the turnovers.  The defense still took advantage of the opportunities that were presented to them and they haven't been the most opportunistic bunch thus far this year.  One of those turnovers closed out the game, which has also been an issue since about Super Bowl XLIII.
3. Max Starks did a great job against Tamba Hali.  I'm not sure what got into him.  Maybe it was being unemployed and out of shape that lit a fire under him.  I've been unemployed and out of shape before and I don't recall improving this much in a two month period, but whatever.  I'm happy that he's in at left tackle and playing well.
4. Ike Taylor continues to impress.  He had another great game with four tackles, an interception, and two passes defended.  Yes, one of those "passes defended" was an interception that went through his hands and bounced off his facemask, but we all knew going into this game that Taylor can't catch.  What was particularly impressive to me was that he accomplished everything he accomplished in man coverage and he was generally assigned to Kansas City's hottest receiver all game.  He lined up across from Steve Breaston and Dwayne Bowe at different points in the game, depending on who Dick LeBeau thought was going to get targeted.  In general, Palko was smart enough to avoid Taylor, which means his hottest receiver was unavailable to him for most of the evening.  That's a pretty nice weapon for LeBeau to have in his arsenal.
5. Suisham converted both his field goal attempts.  Jeff Reed is still available.

Now for the Bad News:

1. The box score says that the Chiefs had one sack and four quarterback hits.  If you saw that and didn't watch the game, then checked Steelers N At and saw that Starks played well against Hali, then you'd think that the offensive line had a good game and Ben Roethlisberger wasn't pressured all that much.  Fortunately, we both watched the game and we've gotten to the Bad News section of the post, so we can dispel that misguided assumption.  The offensive line sucked.  Without Pouncey to make the line calls and fortify the middle of the line, they got shredded up the middle and Roethlisberger was dodging defenders all night.  Really, the only pass rushing weapon the Chiefs have is Hali.  Stop him and you're supposed to stop their pass rush.  Given the fact that Hali was stopped and the pass rush still harassed Roethlisberger all night, we had all better hope that Pouncey doesn't miss a significant amount of time.  The interior of the offensive line got abused by a bunch of marginal players.  That's very, very bad news considering that they don't play a lot of teams with marginal players on the defensive interior the next few weeks and they certainly won't face any in the playoffs.
2. I really have no idea what was going on with the offensive game plan.  This is not to take anything away from the Kansas City defense, because they played extremely well, hung in there, and didn't have any lapses in coverage like they did against the Patriots.  I know Mike Wallace didn't play well -- he had two drops, looked like he quit on a few other routes, and was not a very enthusiastic blocker -- but you still need to get him the ball.  If the defenders are giving him a 10 or 11 yard cushion, throw some slants or some quick screens.  If they crowd him at the line, throw deep.  This is a strategy that also works for Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown.  All three of those guys are fast and explosive and are dangerous in the open field.  Hines Ward is no longer that guy, if he ever was.  Why throw a bunch of those quick screens to him when you have Brown, Wallace, and Sanders?  Why keep trying to throw deep to Wallace when two members of the secondary are essentially lined up at the goal line?  Bruce Arians has never been great at making in game adjustments, but the two adjustments he made -- the screens to Ward and putting Wallace in motion to get him away from Brandon Flowers -- were bad ideas and also didn't work.  It could be that Roethlisberger was supposed to audible to a screen or a slant or a 10 yard out when he saw the cornerbacks playing off and never did.  But, if he missed that the first time, it's up to Arians or quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson to remind him.
3. They turned the ball over twice, with one of those turnovers coming in the red zone.
4. They were 1-for-3 in the red zone, including the aforementioned turnover.
5. I'm concerned about the illness that got Pouncey pulled from the game.  Is it just the flu?  Is it something worse?  Does he have Lupus?  It's just weird that team doctors said, "illness" instead of just saying that he had the flu.  I guess we'll check the injury report on Wednesday and see if this mysterious ailment still has him sidelined.  I'm just suspicious because the Steelers are keeping everyone in the dark, which only adds to the conjecture.  Whatever the illness is, I'd prefer that they just tell us and get it over with.
6. I'm more concerned about Troy's injury.  If it was a concussion or "concussion-like symptoms" (whatever that means) that kept him out of the game, then maybe he should shut it down for a few games.  He's got a history with brain injuries going all the way back to Southern Cal and you only get one brain.  Ever since Crosby took an extended leave because of his concussion injuries, I've been thinking that football players should be treated even more gingerly.  Sure, they wear better helmets and more padding than hockey players, but the guys they're hitting and getting hit by are bigger and stronger.  Again, I'm not a doctor, but I'm thinking the Steelers should err on the side of caution and not rush him back, even if he keeps insisting on it.  I'd rather see him out of the line-up than become a vegetable or lose his mind like Mike Webster did.
7. According to the stats, Jason Worilds had the team's only sack and four quarterback hits.  To me, he looked really uncomfortable and awkward when he had to rush the passer.  I can't wait for LaMarr Woodley to come back.

The bottom line is that they needed to win to keep pace and they won and kept pace.  They can't play this sloppily against the Bengals and hope to win.  They can't play this sloppily again this season if they expect to win -- not even against the Browns or the Rams.

Let's just hope they keep sucking a little bit less than the competition.

Defending the Bungles: Steelers at Bengals Preview

The Cincinnati Bengals are 6-2 on the season and they're in first place in the AFC North.  That was weird to type.  This is a team that people picked to finish anywhere between 1-15 and 4-12 before the season started.  The fact that they're 6-2 and in first place has led a number of people to try to come up with reasons as to why this is possible.  They've been lucky, they haven't played anyone, they're not ready to step up against elite competition.

Well, they don't make the schedule.  They just play the games that are on the schedule.  The one time they played against elite competition, the 49ers needed to rally late to beat them.  Sure, four of their wins are against Seattle, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Tennessee, but four of the Steelers' wins are against those teams.  Against elite competition, the Steelers are 1-3, with a win against the Patriots, two losses to the hated Ravens, and a loss to Houston.  It could be that it's the Steelers that aren't ready for prime time.

This season has played out in a very similar manner to 2009 for Cincinnati.  They're coming off a bad season. Everyone's talking about Pittsburgh and Baltimore.  Everyone thinks the Steelers -- coming off a Super Bowl appearance -- will roll an overrated Bengals team that isn't ready to win this game.  Well, I've learned something from the 2009 season and certainly won't be underestimating the Bengals like I did then.  Actually, twice.

Cincinnati is a solid, tough team with a solid, tough defense.  They're not explosive on offense, but they're efficient.  Rookie Andy Dalton has been impressive thus far and is 4-1 on the road.  He hasn't gotten rattled when teams have blitzed him and he isn't acting like a rookie quarterback.  Dick LeBeau loves to face rookie quarterbacks and he's got an exceptionally strong track record against them, but I think that Dalton will be able to hold his own on Sunday.

Ordinarily, this would be a much bigger game for the Bengals than the Steelers.  Cincinnati has been, in their eyes, disrespected.  They've heard all the talk that they're overrated, they're lucky, and that they haven't beat anyone.  They know that the best way to quiet all their detractors is to beat the Steelers on Sunday.  They're at home, it's a division game, and they will be very intense and highly motivated.  But, the Steelers suffered an emotional loss to Baltimore on Sunday night and all their guys are angry and determined.  Throw in the fact that there may be more Steeler fans at the game than Bengal fans and that levels the intensity playing field.

This game will come down to who makes the plays they need to make when they need to make them.  When the Steelers get in the red zone, they need to close the deal.  When Cincinnati faces third down, the defense needs to get off the field.  I'm past the point of thinking that the Steelers will suddenly start forcing turnovers.  If they're going to end the season with seven or eight forced turnovers, then they're going to need to get off the field on third down in order to survive.

Dalton is playing beyond his years, so just blitzing the hell out of him isn't going to get the job done.  The Steelers need to get pressure with four guys and vary their coverage schemes in the secondary.  This is not an explosive offense, so the defenders need to play sound fundamental football.  They need to wrap up on tackles, not take bad angles, and always be in position.  This is an efficient offense, but it's a young offense.  If the Steelers force them to plod their way down the field and play a perfect game, then someone somewhere is going to screw up.  It will be a battle of wills and the Steelers can't be the first ones to flinch.

On defense, Cincinnati has a good front seven that gets consistent pressure, but isn't as ferocious or relentless as the front seven for the hated Ravens.  If the pass blocking holds up and the front five play as well as they've played in recent weeks, then Ben Roethlisberger should have enough time to throw.  That's important, because he's going to need to take some shots deep.  Bengals cornerbacks Leon Hal and Nate Clements are both great players and they're accomplished man-to-man defenders.  But, given the talent levels of Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace and the fact that the rules are set up to favor the offense, neither Clements nor Hall can cover their guys one-on-one deep.  The Bengals safeties are a liability.  When this pass defense has gotten beat, it's gotten beat deep.  Roethlisberger's first read needs to be to the deep man and he needs to throw the ball long early and often.  Cincinnati doesn't have the kind of offense that can overcome a big deficit, so a big, early lead will be the best way to take some of the wind out of the sails of the home team and the home crowd.

The Bengals are second in the league in run defense and allow a league best 3.3 yards per carry.  I don't think the Steelers will be able to run on them, but they have to try and they have to run the ball efficiently.  If they're purposefully one-dimensional like they were against the Patriots, then they have a chance to move the ball and score some points.  If Cincinnati completely shuts the run game down and the Steelers abandon the run for the pass, it's going to be a long day for Roethlisberger.  He also probably won't have time in the pocket to wait for the deep receiver to break free.  That's a lethal combination right there, so they need to take steps to ensure it doesn't play out that way.

Point blank, the Steelers are a more talented team than the Bengals.  They have more weapons on offense, more game changers on defense, a better quarterback, and a dangerous returner in Antonio Brown.  But, games are not won and lost on talent alone.  Cincinnati has been winning games because of their patience, their discipline, and their ability to make timely plays.  If they keep the game tight and make more of those plays than the Steelers, they will win this game.

It's going to be a fight.  It's not going to be easy.  It's going to take a tremendous effort from the Steelers in all phases of the game.  I think they're up for the challenge.

Prediction:
Steelers 24, Bengals 20

Good News and Bad News: Seahawks at Steelers

I actually don't have a ton of good news, which is rare following a 24 point shutout victory:

1. The Steelers won, which means they didn't lose.  A win's a win, but a loss would have been pretty humiliating.
2. They didn't turn the ball over seven times.  In fact, they didn't turn the ball over at all.
3. They used Mike Wallace in a number of different ways, including throwing the ball deep to him.  He cashed in on that play with a tremendous catch.
4. Marcus Gilbert played well and Robert Mathis might still be out of the line-up on Sunday night, so Gilbert might get another free pass in Week 3.  He needs time to adjust and settle in.  Practice helps, but there's no substitute for in-game experience.
5. William Gay and Ike Taylor both played well.  As a matter of fact, Gay played so well that I think the Steelers should keep him in the line-up.  I know I defended Bryant McFadden last season, but the guy isn't very good and he's certainly not as good as Gay.  Gay had a rough 2009, which is why they brought McFadden back last season, but I think it's time to give 22 another shot and see what he does with it.
6. The offensive and defensive lines controlled the line of scrimmage for almost the entire game.  Running the ball in goal-to-go situations is still dicey, but we're talking about good news here.
7. Tennessee beat the hated Ravens, which means there's a four-way tie in the AFC North.  A four-way tie is much better than being one game back of Baltimore, with them holding the tie-breaker.

Still more good news than bad news, though:

1. They also didn't force any turnovers on defense.  That means the defense has gone three straight games (two games this season and the Super Bowl) without forcing a turnover.  They're going to need to be on the plus side of the turnover margin when they play better teams.
2. Rashard Mendenhall had 19 carries for 66 yards.  Sure, he had a touchdown and sure it was a one-yarder, but the Steelers also ran four plays from the one yard line on the opening drive and came up with nothing.  Ike Redman averaged 4.9 yards a carry and also had a score, which may only be bad news for me, since I have Mendenhall on my fantasy team.
3. They were 2-for-4 in the red zone and 1-for-3 in goal-to-go.  Again, these are things that will come back to haunt them when they're playing better teams (hopefully in the playoffs).
4. Someone needs to fire the spotter that told Mike Tomlin to challenge that fourth and goal play on the first drive.
5. I can't tell if it's just that the Seattle passing game is really craptastic or if the secondary and pass rush actually performed well.  It's probably a little of both.  Maybe this is "neutral" or "meh" news.

The point is that they won and they needed to win.  Baltimore losing as well is a bonus.  But, I didn't get the sense that they went out on the field on Sunday and just pummeled the Seahawks into submission.  I didn't watch much of the Seattle-San Francisco game in Week 1, I was just going off of what I saw on the Seahawks roster. 

From what I saw on Sunday, I think it was more a case of Seattle having a bad team than it is of the Steelers playing really well.  After the game, I didn't have that satisfying feeling that I get after my blowout bloodlust has been satiated.  I felt very ambivalent about the victory.  Kind of like, "Oh, OK, well they won.  That's good." 

The Steelers didn't beat the Seahawks down.  They just seemed to... kinda... lean on the Seahawks until they fell over.  Then they spent most of the fourth quarter laying on top of Seattle, grabbing them by the wrists, and making them punch themselves in the face while repeating, "Quit hitting yourself, quit hitting yourself."

They only allowed eight first downs.  Marshawn Lynch rushed six times for 11 yards.  They had a 39-21 minute advantage in time of possession.  It was a game they statistically dominated, but I don't think it was a dominant performance. 

Sunday's game doesn't fix everything, it just helps to patch up a lot of the structural issues that were exposed/caused by the hated Ravens in Week 1.  A win in Week 3 against the Colts with similar results will make me think the Steelers are continuing on the right path.

Preseason Review: Falcons at Steelers

Well, I had to jinx Maurkice Pouncey.  I had to talk about how he's the best guy on the line and how he gives the line some much-needed stability.  Then, last night, he goes out and hurts his ankle.  His injury didn't seem as severe as the knee injury sustained by Keenan Lewis or Byron Leftwich's broken arm, but it's still significant.  If it's a high ankle sprain or a break, Pouncey probably won't be able to make it for the start of the regular season.

That's really the only bad news that came out of last night's game.  The defense gave up a lot of yards and seemed to be in full-on retreat mode for most of the first half, but they were able to (mostly) hold things together in the red zone.  The score could've gotten way more out of hand if they hadn't held the Falcons to field goals inside the 20.

It looks like Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Roddy White are all worth grabbing for Fantasy purposes.  White had eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown on ten targets in just the first half.  Jones would've had a much more productive night if he had been able to hang onto that 48-yard bomb from Ryan in the second quarter.  It also looks like Michael Turner will not have a productive season.  I know it's only the preseason and it's no time to panic, but he just looked slow to the hole and finished with 19 yards on seven carries.  He got 11 of those yards on one run.  With great blocking and a big hole, he wasn't able to explode into that hole the way he used to.  The old Michael Turner probably would've gained 30 yards or so when given that kind of opportunity.

Ultimately, I think this game came down to the fact that the Steelers made big plays when they had the opportunity and Atlanta did not.  If Jones hangs on to that touchdown, the game is very different.  If Antonio Brown isn't able to get his feet under him and split the safeties, he gets tackled before he can scamper off for a 77-yard touchdown.  I'm not discounting any of those plays.  The Steelers still had to make those plays and you can't look at this game without putting them in there.  But, the Falcons ran 86 plays to the Steelers' 51.  Atlanta had 25 first downs, the Steelers had 15.  I understand that the goal is to score in as few plays as possible, but this defense isn't going to hold together -- for an entire game or for the balance of the season -- if they have to face 86 plays every week.  On average, you give up a lot more than 16 points when you face 86 plays.

The Falcons were 10-for-20 on third downs.  That means that, not only did they convert on half of their opportunities, they also faced third down a full 20 times in this game.  That's a lot of chances for the Steelers to get off the field, but it's also way too many chances for the other team to stay on it.  If the first team played both halves on both sides, I have a feeling that the defense would have eventually caved in.  They actually did a good job of containing Ryan -- he completed only 52 percent of his passes, threw an interception, and his quarterback rating was 65.6 -- but they also let him throw 42 passes in the first half.  He had 42 attempts in one half of football.  Yes, Lewis went down in the first half and McFadden and Taylor didn't suit up for the game, but that's a ridiculously high number.  Teams are going to focus on spreading the Steelers out and throwing the ball all season, so I guess we had better get used to it.

I thought the offensive line played well in pass protection, especially considering that the Falcons were blitzing like crazy.  I also think that, after the last two weeks, the teams on the Steelers schedule this season realize that blitzing Ben Roethlisberger is a bad idea.  That's unfortunate, because most of the big plays he's made thus far came against the blitz.  I also think that the Atlanta coaches called that insane, jail break, Cover 0 blitz in the second quarter just to see what would happen.  I think the whole team came on that thing, with Mike Smith sprinting in from the sidelines.  I doubt we'll see that in their playbook once the 2011 season kicks off.

The bad news on the offensive line is that the same issue that has plagued the team since 2008 is still there: I doubt that we'll be able to run for one yard when we absolutely, positively need to.  Mendenhall didn't have a lot of room to run and his stats were padded by that touchdown on the first series (yes, I'm aware that it was a one-yard score, but I stick by what I said).  None of the running backs saw a lot of daylight, which means that this could be a passing offense that struggles in the red zone... kinda like how the Falcons looked last night.

On defense, I think the front seven is ready for the season to start.  Lewis -- if healthy -- and Gay have gained some valuable experience and the Steelers are going to need four quality cornerbacks if last night is any indication (and it is).  The secondary should be fine, provided Troy and Ryan Clark stay healthy, since they seem to be able to cover up for a lot of the shortcomings of the cornerbacks.

Of course, Antonio Brown is awesome.  He played an outstanding game and was running with the first team.  But, I think everyone needs to temper their optimism and realize that this is the preseason.  Yes, Brown had 246 total yards and two touchdowns last night, but Crezdon Butler also led the team in tackles and had a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown.  I believe that Brown has locked down the third receiver job and I think he's going to be very involved in the offense this season.

I also heard that, in a recent Fantasy Football draft, someone took Brown in the fourth round.  That is more than a little crazy.  The plays that Brown scored on last night both looked really familiar and I couldn't figure out why at first.  I eventually realized that they were kinds of plays usually called with Mike Wallace in mind.  I think that the Steelers coaches were testing Brown to see what he could do in those situations and they were very pleased with the results.  But, being pleased with the results and giving Wallace's touches to Brown are two different things entirely.  Ward and Wallace will still be the main guys in this group and they'll get most of the targets in the passing game.  It's good to know that Brown will be able to do a lot with the opportunities he gets when he gets them.

With one game left to go, I have to say they look pretty solid.  Let's just hope they escape next week without any major injuries.

Preseason Game 2 Review

I have to come clean.  I didn't watch the first preseason game.  The Arena Bowl was on (read Weidman's review, because it's awesome), then I went out of town for the rest of the weekend, then I didn't watch the recording because I read a lot about the game and figured I knew enough from that.

Also in the interest of full disclosure: I'm started this at halftime of the Steelers-Eagles game, because the second half will mostly just determine whether the third and fourth string guys for the Steelers are better than the third and fourth string guys for Philly.  In this game, at least, the first string guys for the Steelers dominated.

What I Liked:

1. Hey, so, we all know that Michael Vick had a really crappy game.  He looked lost and he forced several passes into double coverage.  The key for the Steeler defense is that they made him pay for those mistakes.  One of the biggest issues last year's unit had was that they didn't force a lot of turnovers.  Even if it was the preseason and Vick looked like he just graduated from Virginia Tech, it was still nice to see.
2. Troy sure doesn't look like he's coming back from an injury.  He was all over the place.  If it weren't for a pretty nice tackle by Vick, maybe Troy goes all the way on that interception return.  Credit for that interception should go to LaMarr Woodley, though.  Dude's supposed to be a rush linebacker, but he was 25 yards back in coverage and pivoted, jumped, and threw his arm up to tip that ball so Troy could pick it.
3. Lots of nice pressure, mostly by rushing just four guys.  The blitzes, when they came, were well timed and pretty exotic.  I didn't know Ryan Clark was allowed to blitz.  Turns out getting juked out of a sack was the best thing that could've happened on that play (led to the Polamalu interception after Vick scrambled).  Clark also did a good job of playing possum, then jumping on the ball on his interception (another throw into double coverage by Vick).
4. Defensive line should be in real good shape -- especially Casey Hampton and I'm sorry I said he'd check in at 400 pounds after the lockout -- and should be able to weather the injury when Aaron Smith goes on IR in Week 8.
5. Maybe the injuries to Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden have a silver lining.  Keenan Lewis and William Gay got a lot of reps against Philly's first team offense and they looked sharp.
6. Ben Roethlisberger has very strong hands. Mrs. Roethlisberger and a number of ladies in the Atlanta area are probably already aware of this fact, but I want to mention it.  That was a brilliant pump fake on the Antonio Brown touchdown.
7. The offense, in general, looked great.  Lots of nice holes for Mendenhall and Redman, Roethlisberger had ample time when the Eagles didn't jail break blitz, and Brown seems like he's progressing nicely.  This was against was it supposed to be a top five defense.  I know, it's only the preseason, but it was still encouraging.
8. As happy as I was when Baron Batch was drafted and as much as I wanted him to replace Mewelde Moore as the team's third down back, I have to admit that Moore looked good.  Maybe, possibly, Mendenhall or Redman or Batch would've scored on that wheel route Moore caught when Philadelphia overloaded the right side on third and short in the second quarter.  But, hey, he caught the ball and he gained a bunch of yards, setting up that second touchdown.  As bummed as I am that Batch blew out his knee and ended up on injured reserve, I'm happy that Moore seems to have found the Fountain of 2008 and looks to be back to his old tricks.
9. Arnaz Battle is still alive, which adds depth at receiver and helps the Steelers out on special teams.
10. Time of possession in the first half was almost 24 minutes to six.  With an old defense, those long drives will pay off over the balance of the season.

What I Didn't Like:

What's not to like about a first half that ends with the Steelers holding a 21-0 lead?  This is more like a list of things that concern me.

1. Why isn't Jerricho Cotchery working with the first team?  Is he hurt?  Taking a long time to learn the system?  Past his prime?  I know it takes time to learn a new system, but some dude named Tyler Grisham was working as the fourth wide receiver.  Maybe there's nothing to it, but you gotta think that Cotchery should be able to beat out some kid... unless he's got nothing left in the tank.
2. Where was Mike Wallace?  I know he was on the field.  I saw him and everything.  But, zero catches for zero yards.  I still think he's a fantastic receiver with a tremendous future ahead of him.  My only issue is that he might have a down year this year.  With all the injuries along what was already a pretty depleted offensive line, I have to assume that the Steelers aren't going to throw deep a lot in 2011.  If they don't, that takes a whole lot of targets away from Wallace.  Fewer targets means fewer opportunities means fewer catches means fewer yards means fewer touchdowns.  Right now, the Steelers seem to be running a "Clear and Sweep" offense, where they send Wallace deep, half the secondary follows him, and then they pick the defense apart with routes under 15 yards.  Judging by tonight's results, this doesn't appear to be a bad thing for the offense in general, but it's not a good leading indicator for Wallace, especially for fantasy purposes.
3. Injuries.  Jonathan Scott and Marcus Gilbert both left the game with knee problems and Redman hurt his ankle.  Given those injuries, I would think that Tomlin would want to get his first team defense off the field after a strong showing.  He didn't.  So, that concerns me.
4. Even though Gay and Lewis played well, the pass defense will suffer if Taylor and McFadden can't be back for the start of the season.
5. Man, I sure hope Shaun Suisham is OK.  I was not impressed by Swayze Waters.
6. Second Half Note: Dennis Dixon threw a lot of fluttering, helicopter passes.  Some balls had some nice zip on them.  But, I wouldn't say he's in a position to demand a trade so he can compete for a starting job or a top back-up job.

All in all, a strong follow-up to what I read was a pretty dismal effort against the Redskins.  It's too early to start designing the Super Bowl rings just yet, but tonight's game was certainly promising.