It's not even officially the offseason, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have already had enough twists and turns to last them until training camp starts in July.
The latest is the strange saga that is linebackers coach Keith Butler and his willingness to stay on in the same role (apparently) after turning down a possible promotion to defensive coordinator for the second time in the last three years.
Following the 2009 season, the Miami Dolphins wanted Butler as their defensive coordinator, but somehow the Steelers front office convinced him to stay. Evidently, there was some sort of verbal or handshake agreement that Butler would be the "defensive coordinator in waiting" and would assume the position once legendary defensive wizard Dick Lebeau finally called it a day.
Well, that day hasn't come yet, and over the weekend it was reported that Butler was in-line to be the Colts defensive coordinator under new head coach Chuck Pagano.
After former Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians ended his brief "retirement" to assume the same role in Indianapolis, it seemed all but a done deal that Butler would join Arians.
Surprisingly, however, Butler has agreed to continue his role for the Steelers as their linebackers coach.
I can't say I would have blamed Butler for leaving. I was surprised to find out that he's 55 years old. For some reason, I thought he was a lot younger. He obviously wants to be a defensive coordinator, and since there aren't too many of those jobs out there, even the most die-hard Steelers fan couldn't have been too unhappy if he had left.
I mean, let's face it, verbal agreement or not, there is no real guarantee that Butler will be named the next defensive coordinator once Lebeau does officially retire. Above all, the NFL is a business, and even though the Rooneys are honorable people, things can change in a matter of a year or two.
What if, after Lebeau's departure, Mike Tomlin decides he wants to implement his old Tampa 2 defense? This is just a guess, but he's probably going to want to go with a coordinator that knows that system. Butler has been a 3-4 zone-blitz guy for years. It would probably be much easier to bring in a guy who knows that system than it would be to ask Butler to try and learn it so he could, in turn, teach it to his assistants and players.
Or what if, Heaven forbid, the Steelers have a bad couple of years and there's a call for sweeping changes on the coaching staff? Sometimes, remaining loyal can come back and bite you. Look at what happened to former Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley. For years, Bradley was considered maybe the successor to Joe Paterno--heck, he was pretty much coaching the team over the last decade or so as it was--but even before the Jerry Sandusky scandal surfaced, it was believed that the people in charge at Happy Valley had had enough of the Paterno regime and were going to completely wipe the slate clean once the legendary coach finally decided to call it a career. For all of Bradley's loyalty, he was rewarded with a brief stint as interim head coach after the Sandusky controversy forced Paterno's dismissal last November. The president and board of trustees then went in a new direction with a new coach and his own staff. Now, Bradley is out of work. Like Butler, Bradley is in his 50's, and who knows if he'll ever coach his own team.
Kudos to Keith Butler for remaining loyal to the Steelers, but he needs to remember that it is a business above all. Hopefully, for his sake, his loyalty will be rewarded some day in the future.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Thanks a lot, Pitt. Now you're gonna go and get my hopes up: Panthers down Hoyas at the Pete
This is normally the time of year (if the Steelers aren't making a run to the Super Bowl) where I begin to focus on Pitt men's basketball and start to dream about a possible deep run in the NCAA tournament and that long-sought after Final Four appearance.
Unfortunately, thanks to an eight-game losing streak--including an 0-7 mark to open their Big East schedule--I allowed myself to disengage my emotions from the team.
I mean, let's face it, after the emotional let-down that was the end of the Steelers' 2011 season, I needed a reason to decompress the passionate sports side of myself just a little.
Well, now with point guard Travon Woodall back in the lineup after being sidelined for weeks with a strained abdominal muscle, the Panthers are on a modest two-game winning streak, including a 72-60 upset of the Georgetown Hoyas yesterday afternoon at the Peterson Events Center.
Normally, a home (or even road) victory over a top ten Big East team wouldn't be big news for the Panthers, and certainly wouldn't be considered an upset, but this year it is, and now people are wondering if Pitt will start to resemble the top 10 team it appeared to be before Woodall's injury and Khem Birch's sudden transfer to UNLV.
I can almost guarantee you they'll resemble their preseason projection down the stretch. Freed of his point guard responsibilities with Woodall back in the lineup, sharp-shooter Ashton Gibbs has found his 3-point stroke again and is starting to look like the player many thought he would be when he was selected as the Preseason Big East Player of the Year.
Right now, the Panthers are 13-9, and if they can go 7-2 in the second half of their Big East schedule, they'll finish the year with 20 victories and a .500 mark in the conference.
Will that be enough? I don't know, but I am certain that they will be a bubble team. The Panthers' postseason chances will be talked about ad nauseum as the team approaches the Big East tournament, and Jamie Dixon will be RPIing everyone to death. The local radio stations will have the bracket experts on, and they'll start building up the hope by saying stuff like, "hey, if you can go 9-9 in the very elite Big East, in my opinion, you're one of the top 68 teams in the country."
My brother will start to call me every day in early March to discuss the possibilities. Pitt might even be seeded 12th or 13th on one of those daily bracket projection websites.
At 9-9, Pitt will need to win at least a couple of games in the Big East tournament, and maybe they will. Will it be enough?
I don't know, but I am certain that I'll be watching Selection Sunday with a level of emotion usually reserved for a Steelers playoff game.
Over the past decade, it was just a matter of where Pitt would be seeded, and when and where they would play.
Not this year.
Thanks a lot, Pitt. Now I'm emotionally invested again.
Unfortunately, thanks to an eight-game losing streak--including an 0-7 mark to open their Big East schedule--I allowed myself to disengage my emotions from the team.
I mean, let's face it, after the emotional let-down that was the end of the Steelers' 2011 season, I needed a reason to decompress the passionate sports side of myself just a little.
Well, now with point guard Travon Woodall back in the lineup after being sidelined for weeks with a strained abdominal muscle, the Panthers are on a modest two-game winning streak, including a 72-60 upset of the Georgetown Hoyas yesterday afternoon at the Peterson Events Center.
Normally, a home (or even road) victory over a top ten Big East team wouldn't be big news for the Panthers, and certainly wouldn't be considered an upset, but this year it is, and now people are wondering if Pitt will start to resemble the top 10 team it appeared to be before Woodall's injury and Khem Birch's sudden transfer to UNLV.
I can almost guarantee you they'll resemble their preseason projection down the stretch. Freed of his point guard responsibilities with Woodall back in the lineup, sharp-shooter Ashton Gibbs has found his 3-point stroke again and is starting to look like the player many thought he would be when he was selected as the Preseason Big East Player of the Year.
Right now, the Panthers are 13-9, and if they can go 7-2 in the second half of their Big East schedule, they'll finish the year with 20 victories and a .500 mark in the conference.
Will that be enough? I don't know, but I am certain that they will be a bubble team. The Panthers' postseason chances will be talked about ad nauseum as the team approaches the Big East tournament, and Jamie Dixon will be RPIing everyone to death. The local radio stations will have the bracket experts on, and they'll start building up the hope by saying stuff like, "hey, if you can go 9-9 in the very elite Big East, in my opinion, you're one of the top 68 teams in the country."
My brother will start to call me every day in early March to discuss the possibilities. Pitt might even be seeded 12th or 13th on one of those daily bracket projection websites.
At 9-9, Pitt will need to win at least a couple of games in the Big East tournament, and maybe they will. Will it be enough?
I don't know, but I am certain that I'll be watching Selection Sunday with a level of emotion usually reserved for a Steelers playoff game.
Over the past decade, it was just a matter of where Pitt would be seeded, and when and where they would play.
Not this year.
Thanks a lot, Pitt. Now I'm emotionally invested again.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
With Bruce Arians off the menu, who will the Steelers' Blame Monster Feast Upon next?
Every team has a Blame Monster lurking in the shadows, complete with a hearty appetite that must be satisfied, especially after a loss, when the hunger pangs are at their strongest. Your average Blame Monster will dabble in a variety of dishes, but he always chooses a favorite that he goes back to time and time again.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Blame Monster loves goaltender Marc Andre Fleury so much, the creature put on 50 pounds during the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Pirates Blame Monster has feasted upon team owner Bob Nutting so many times, he is considering joining "Nuttings Anonymous."
Just like those other teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a Blame Monster, and for five seasons, his object of desire was offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. The Blame Monster had a field-day feasting on Bruce. The beast loved to chew with his mouth open while eating, and really weird sounds would come out, like, "I know Lebeau's unit gave up a 92-yard drive to lose the game, but if Arians would have gotten a couple more first downs, our number one ranked defense would never have been put in a position to have to win the game at the end."
Now that Arians has officially "retired," the Steelers Blame Monster will have to change his diet in-order to meet his daily nutritional requirements.
There are many candidates that would easily satisfy the Blame Monster's cravings, but none of them really want to be on the menu. Therefore, my sources tell me that several of the prime choices are reportedly going to great lengths in-order to avoid being the Steeler Blame Monster's next daily meal.
Chris Kemoeatu
The big, undisciplined guard would obviously be a delicious choice for the Blame Monster, and this is why the second that Big Juicy learned of Arians' retirement, he turned to his teammates and said, "screw you guys, I'm going home!"
William Gay
The much maligned cornerback has always been a favorite side-dish of the monster, but now with Arians out of the picture, Gay is in serious danger of being the daily "Chef's Special." Therefore, he is reportedly going to spend the entire offseason carrying around a Rob Gronkowski blow-up doll in the hopes that it will do for him what carrying around a football does for a running back with a fumbling problem.
But just in case this doesn't work, Gay has apparently been lobbying for the return of former Steelers safety Anthony Smith. Why? Well, because every defensive back looks good compared to Anthony Smith.
Rashard Mendenhall
The Steelers Blame Monster has been known to graze on Mendenhall from time-to-time, but with B.A. no longer in the pantry, the running back would certainly move up the menu pretty fast. And this is why, among other things, Rashard has agreed to be one of the first contestants on the new hit show: "Not Dancing With the Stars."
He's also decided to delete his Twitter account, paint his house red, white and blue, and has enlisted in the Army Reserves.
Lastly, just to give himself a little more insurance, he's convinced Isaac Redman to go on a beer and cake diet this offseason.
Future Offensive Coordinator
The future offensive coordinator would obviously be a meal all by himself for the Steelers Blame Monster, and that's why his car is already sporting a bumper sticker that reads: "I brake for fullbacks." He also will reportedly wear a t-shirt to his introductory press conference that says, "If Running the Football is Wrong, I Don't Want to be Right."
Ben Roethlisberger
The Blame Monster has only hunted Big Ben for sport in the past. He'd call up talk shows disguised as "Bob from Greensburg" or "Randy from Mt. Washington" and say stuff like, "I wouldn't trade Ben for any quarterback in the world, but he aint no Brady. He just needs to stop being such a hot-shot and start throwing the football away! I don't want to hear about no Super Bowls. He had to win that second one in the last minute. You tellin' me that's an elite quarterback? He aint no Montana!"
Now with Arians out of the picture, the Blame Monster would love to feast on Ben any chance he gets. After all, Roethlisberger and Arians are practically the same species. But Ben is just way too stubborn to try and avoid the Blame Monster, and he'll never make himself less appetizing--it's like he's been to a few Super Bowls or something--therefore, he's apparently been begging the Steelers to hire Josh Mcdaniels to replace Arians as offensive coordinator. Sure, this wouldn't do much to enhance Big Ben's stats, but it sure would keep the Blame Monster occupied. Mcdaniels would be tastier than a triple decker chocolate cake with a Sundae chaser to the Steelers Blame Monster.
Mike Tomlin
As Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tomlin is never too far off the Blame Monster's radar, but with Arians around for so many years, Coach was able to keep the monster pretty much at bay. However, with Arians gone, Tomlin would represent a season's full of meals for the Blame Monster. Fortunately, Mike is verbally gifted, and he's apparently going to put his talents to great use at future press conferences by using Arians name in place of other words while discussing negative issues.
Some examples include, "(insert player here) has a torn Arians Cruciate Ligament," and "you can't Arians the football over that many times and expect to win the game," and my own personal favorite, "Commissioner Arians is probably going to fine me for saying this, but that penalty was a bunch of B.A."
Well, there you have it. Now that the season is over and Bruce Arians is a Steeler no more, the Blame Monster will be going into hibernation for a few months. But you can rest assured that his appetite will be bigger than ever when he arises for another season of Steelers football. It will be interesting to see who he chooses as his next meal.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Blame Monster loves goaltender Marc Andre Fleury so much, the creature put on 50 pounds during the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Pirates Blame Monster has feasted upon team owner Bob Nutting so many times, he is considering joining "Nuttings Anonymous."
Just like those other teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a Blame Monster, and for five seasons, his object of desire was offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. The Blame Monster had a field-day feasting on Bruce. The beast loved to chew with his mouth open while eating, and really weird sounds would come out, like, "I know Lebeau's unit gave up a 92-yard drive to lose the game, but if Arians would have gotten a couple more first downs, our number one ranked defense would never have been put in a position to have to win the game at the end."
Now that Arians has officially "retired," the Steelers Blame Monster will have to change his diet in-order to meet his daily nutritional requirements.
There are many candidates that would easily satisfy the Blame Monster's cravings, but none of them really want to be on the menu. Therefore, my sources tell me that several of the prime choices are reportedly going to great lengths in-order to avoid being the Steeler Blame Monster's next daily meal.
Chris Kemoeatu
The big, undisciplined guard would obviously be a delicious choice for the Blame Monster, and this is why the second that Big Juicy learned of Arians' retirement, he turned to his teammates and said, "screw you guys, I'm going home!"
William Gay
The much maligned cornerback has always been a favorite side-dish of the monster, but now with Arians out of the picture, Gay is in serious danger of being the daily "Chef's Special." Therefore, he is reportedly going to spend the entire offseason carrying around a Rob Gronkowski blow-up doll in the hopes that it will do for him what carrying around a football does for a running back with a fumbling problem.
But just in case this doesn't work, Gay has apparently been lobbying for the return of former Steelers safety Anthony Smith. Why? Well, because every defensive back looks good compared to Anthony Smith.
Rashard Mendenhall
The Steelers Blame Monster has been known to graze on Mendenhall from time-to-time, but with B.A. no longer in the pantry, the running back would certainly move up the menu pretty fast. And this is why, among other things, Rashard has agreed to be one of the first contestants on the new hit show: "Not Dancing With the Stars."
He's also decided to delete his Twitter account, paint his house red, white and blue, and has enlisted in the Army Reserves.
Lastly, just to give himself a little more insurance, he's convinced Isaac Redman to go on a beer and cake diet this offseason.
Future Offensive Coordinator
The future offensive coordinator would obviously be a meal all by himself for the Steelers Blame Monster, and that's why his car is already sporting a bumper sticker that reads: "I brake for fullbacks." He also will reportedly wear a t-shirt to his introductory press conference that says, "If Running the Football is Wrong, I Don't Want to be Right."
Ben Roethlisberger
The Blame Monster has only hunted Big Ben for sport in the past. He'd call up talk shows disguised as "Bob from Greensburg" or "Randy from Mt. Washington" and say stuff like, "I wouldn't trade Ben for any quarterback in the world, but he aint no Brady. He just needs to stop being such a hot-shot and start throwing the football away! I don't want to hear about no Super Bowls. He had to win that second one in the last minute. You tellin' me that's an elite quarterback? He aint no Montana!"
Now with Arians out of the picture, the Blame Monster would love to feast on Ben any chance he gets. After all, Roethlisberger and Arians are practically the same species. But Ben is just way too stubborn to try and avoid the Blame Monster, and he'll never make himself less appetizing--it's like he's been to a few Super Bowls or something--therefore, he's apparently been begging the Steelers to hire Josh Mcdaniels to replace Arians as offensive coordinator. Sure, this wouldn't do much to enhance Big Ben's stats, but it sure would keep the Blame Monster occupied. Mcdaniels would be tastier than a triple decker chocolate cake with a Sundae chaser to the Steelers Blame Monster.
Mike Tomlin
As Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tomlin is never too far off the Blame Monster's radar, but with Arians around for so many years, Coach was able to keep the monster pretty much at bay. However, with Arians gone, Tomlin would represent a season's full of meals for the Blame Monster. Fortunately, Mike is verbally gifted, and he's apparently going to put his talents to great use at future press conferences by using Arians name in place of other words while discussing negative issues.
Some examples include, "(insert player here) has a torn Arians Cruciate Ligament," and "you can't Arians the football over that many times and expect to win the game," and my own personal favorite, "Commissioner Arians is probably going to fine me for saying this, but that penalty was a bunch of B.A."
Well, there you have it. Now that the season is over and Bruce Arians is a Steeler no more, the Blame Monster will be going into hibernation for a few months. But you can rest assured that his appetite will be bigger than ever when he arises for another season of Steelers football. It will be interesting to see who he chooses as his next meal.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Super Bowl XLVI is set: Get Ready for Giants vs. Patriots II. And Some Really Scary Deja Vu
What a wacky couple of conference championship games. The Patriots and Giants will meet in the Super Bowl for the second time in the last five seasons, but both teams escaped with their very lives, and we could have very easily had our first ever Harbaugh Bowl if a few plays in each game had gone the other way.
The New England Patriots advanced to their fifth Super Bowl since 2001--and seventh overall--after one of the most gut-wrenching finishes in playoff history.
Trailing, 23-20, in the closing seconds, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco came oh so close to putting himself in the upper echelon of NFL passers when he found Lee Evans in the end zone with what looked to be the AFC-clinching touchdown pass. However, the pass was knocked out of Evans' grasps and fell incomplete.
Moments later, kicker Billy Cundiff came on to try a 32-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. In shades of Ray Finkle, it wasn't even close; Cundiff pulled it very wide-left and the Patriots survived.
Speaking of which, there is no way I would have survived that game if the Steelers were involved. Win or lose, I would have been given my last rights after all that went down at the end of that game.
And to make the Super Bowl XLII rematch a reality, the New York Giants completed what seemed like their destiny by going into Candlestick Park and walking away with a 20-17 overtime victory after kicker Lawrence Tynes ended things with a 31-yard field goal that was set-up by a fumbled punt by 49ers returner Kyle Williams. Williams was also the goat in regulation. With the 49ers winning, 14-10, in the 4th quarter, Williams let a punt graze off his knee, and the Giants recovered deep in San Francisco territory. New York took advantage of the miscue when Eli Manning hit Mario Manningham for a 17-yard touchdown pass to put the Giants ahead.
As a Steelers fan, I take an almost perverted pleasure in seeing both of the Harbaugh brothers eliminated in the conference title games. The Steelers lost three of their four regular season games to teams coached by the Harbaughs. As far as John Harbaugh is concerned, he's realizing right now that the only thing a Gatorade bath in September is good for is keeping yourself cool.
On to other matters. Can you believe how eerily similar this postseason is to the 2007 campaign? I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how the Steelers season was haunted by the ghosts of 2007. Looks like the entire NFL postseason was possessed by those same ghosts.
Not only do the Giants and Patriots meet in this year's Super Bowl, but just like four years ago, New York had to get there by winning three postseason games, and they won the NFC championship on the leg of Tynes in overtime following a critical turnover.
I'm happy about the match up. It should really be an exciting game, and now with San Fran out of the picture, I have a clear rooting interest.
Go Giants!
And as a Steelers fan, let's hope the Deja vu cycle completes itself in 2012 with a repeat of what happened in 2008. We all know how that year ended.
Super Bowl XLVI in two weeks!
The New England Patriots advanced to their fifth Super Bowl since 2001--and seventh overall--after one of the most gut-wrenching finishes in playoff history.
Trailing, 23-20, in the closing seconds, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco came oh so close to putting himself in the upper echelon of NFL passers when he found Lee Evans in the end zone with what looked to be the AFC-clinching touchdown pass. However, the pass was knocked out of Evans' grasps and fell incomplete.
Moments later, kicker Billy Cundiff came on to try a 32-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. In shades of Ray Finkle, it wasn't even close; Cundiff pulled it very wide-left and the Patriots survived.
Speaking of which, there is no way I would have survived that game if the Steelers were involved. Win or lose, I would have been given my last rights after all that went down at the end of that game.
And to make the Super Bowl XLII rematch a reality, the New York Giants completed what seemed like their destiny by going into Candlestick Park and walking away with a 20-17 overtime victory after kicker Lawrence Tynes ended things with a 31-yard field goal that was set-up by a fumbled punt by 49ers returner Kyle Williams. Williams was also the goat in regulation. With the 49ers winning, 14-10, in the 4th quarter, Williams let a punt graze off his knee, and the Giants recovered deep in San Francisco territory. New York took advantage of the miscue when Eli Manning hit Mario Manningham for a 17-yard touchdown pass to put the Giants ahead.
As a Steelers fan, I take an almost perverted pleasure in seeing both of the Harbaugh brothers eliminated in the conference title games. The Steelers lost three of their four regular season games to teams coached by the Harbaughs. As far as John Harbaugh is concerned, he's realizing right now that the only thing a Gatorade bath in September is good for is keeping yourself cool.
On to other matters. Can you believe how eerily similar this postseason is to the 2007 campaign? I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how the Steelers season was haunted by the ghosts of 2007. Looks like the entire NFL postseason was possessed by those same ghosts.
Not only do the Giants and Patriots meet in this year's Super Bowl, but just like four years ago, New York had to get there by winning three postseason games, and they won the NFC championship on the leg of Tynes in overtime following a critical turnover.
I'm happy about the match up. It should really be an exciting game, and now with San Fran out of the picture, I have a clear rooting interest.
Go Giants!
And as a Steelers fan, let's hope the Deja vu cycle completes itself in 2012 with a repeat of what happened in 2008. We all know how that year ended.
Super Bowl XLVI in two weeks!
Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno dies at 85
Just two months after being fired from Penn State following the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, Joe Paterno died this morning of comlications from lung cancer. Paterno was 85.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Missing on their All-Americans has damaged Pitt's basketball season more than anything
The Pitt Panthers lost their seventh game in a row last night, including their sixth straight loss to open the Big East part of the schedule, and are 11-8 and going nowhere fast. The loss wasn't too surprising since it came at the hands of top ranked Syracuse, but it doesn't help numb the sting of a catastrophic slide that few saw coming.
As I said before, sooner or later Jamie Dixon's basketball program was going to experience a down season or two--even the great programs have bad years--and Pitt certainly has strung enough good seasons together that it should be able to sustain a poor season every once in a while.
However, I'll bet Dixon and his staff wonder how much more his teams could have accomplished in recent years if they were able to develop (or keep) their All-Americans.
When Pitt landed forward Dante Taylor a few years ago, he was the first McDonald's All-American to commit to the program since the 1980's. The Panthers had already established a winning tradition in previous years with players such as Ontario Lett, Brandon Knight and Julius Page, and in the 2008/2009 season, the program looked better than ever after DeJuan Blair and Sam Young had such great careers at Pitt, they were selected in the NBA draft.
Now that the program was starting to land the occasional All-American, maybe the elusive Final Four would soon become a reality.
Taylor is now a junior at Pitt, and unfortunately, he hasn't even come close to having the kind of career that most people envision for an All-American. He barely even shows up on the stat sheet most nights and his spot in the starting line-up is shaky at best.
Khem Birch, a center from Notre Dame prep, was an even bigger feather in Dixon's cap when the big man committed to Pitt before this season. However, in a surprising twist shortly before the start of the team's current slide, Birch announced he was leaving the program and eventually transferred to UNLV.
So, unless Taylor suddenly has an epiphany and realizes his full potential, Dixon will be 0-2 in the All-American department.
Imagine how good Pitt could have been the past two seasons with Taylor as an inside force. As always, the Panthers were major players come tournament time in the 2010 and 2011 seasons, and just last season, led by shooting guard Ashton Gibbs, Pitt was a number 1 seed. You combine a talented inside threat with an outside sharpshooter, and Pitt may not have bowed out in the second round.
At one point early this season, the Panthers were ranked in the top 10, even without major contributions from Taylor and Birch. Had those two lived up to their hype, Pitt may not be in the middle of their worst losing-streak in nearly 15 seasons.
Right now, Dixon is discovering just how vital All-Americans can be to a program, and just like in the NFL with quarterbacks, if you miss on a blue chip prospect or or two, it may set your program back for quite a while.
Word is, Pitt has an outstanding recruiting class coming in next season. Maybe they can live up to their hype and do for the Pitt program what Taylor and Birch were unable to do.
As I said before, sooner or later Jamie Dixon's basketball program was going to experience a down season or two--even the great programs have bad years--and Pitt certainly has strung enough good seasons together that it should be able to sustain a poor season every once in a while.
However, I'll bet Dixon and his staff wonder how much more his teams could have accomplished in recent years if they were able to develop (or keep) their All-Americans.
When Pitt landed forward Dante Taylor a few years ago, he was the first McDonald's All-American to commit to the program since the 1980's. The Panthers had already established a winning tradition in previous years with players such as Ontario Lett, Brandon Knight and Julius Page, and in the 2008/2009 season, the program looked better than ever after DeJuan Blair and Sam Young had such great careers at Pitt, they were selected in the NBA draft.
Now that the program was starting to land the occasional All-American, maybe the elusive Final Four would soon become a reality.
Taylor is now a junior at Pitt, and unfortunately, he hasn't even come close to having the kind of career that most people envision for an All-American. He barely even shows up on the stat sheet most nights and his spot in the starting line-up is shaky at best.
Khem Birch, a center from Notre Dame prep, was an even bigger feather in Dixon's cap when the big man committed to Pitt before this season. However, in a surprising twist shortly before the start of the team's current slide, Birch announced he was leaving the program and eventually transferred to UNLV.
So, unless Taylor suddenly has an epiphany and realizes his full potential, Dixon will be 0-2 in the All-American department.
Imagine how good Pitt could have been the past two seasons with Taylor as an inside force. As always, the Panthers were major players come tournament time in the 2010 and 2011 seasons, and just last season, led by shooting guard Ashton Gibbs, Pitt was a number 1 seed. You combine a talented inside threat with an outside sharpshooter, and Pitt may not have bowed out in the second round.
At one point early this season, the Panthers were ranked in the top 10, even without major contributions from Taylor and Birch. Had those two lived up to their hype, Pitt may not be in the middle of their worst losing-streak in nearly 15 seasons.
Right now, Dixon is discovering just how vital All-Americans can be to a program, and just like in the NFL with quarterbacks, if you miss on a blue chip prospect or or two, it may set your program back for quite a while.
Word is, Pitt has an outstanding recruiting class coming in next season. Maybe they can live up to their hype and do for the Pitt program what Taylor and Birch were unable to do.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Just when you thought you knew the NFL playoffs.......
Last weekend, everyone thought they knew that the Steelers would go to Denver and take care of business against the Broncos in the wild card game last Sunday evening. Tim Tebow simply wouldn't have a chance against the league's number one defense. The Broncos were 8-8 and had no real business being in the playoffs in the first place. The 12-4 Steelers could just set a date for the following Saturday night against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
316 Tim Tebow passing yards later, the Steelers were stunned and out of the first round of the playoffs.
A lot of people thought they knew that the Saints were playing better football than anyone in the league down the stretch, and even though they had to go to Candlestick Park to take on the 49ers in the divisional playoffs Saturday afternoon, the odds makers suggested that New Orleans was the better team. And since it's an offensive league, and the '9ers were led by quarterback Alex Smith, Drew Brees held the ring and the passing records, and the better quarterback would prevail.
Brees did throw for 462 yards, but the Saints turned the football over five times, and the 49ers led most of the game. Even though Brees did lead the Saints on two late touchdown drives, Smith turned out to be the hero as he matched Brees touchdown drive for touchdown drive in the closing moments, including the game-winning pass to Vernon Davis with nine seconds remaining.
Everyone thought they knew that the 49ers would be traveling to Lambeau Field next Sunday to take on the defending champion Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. The Packers finished the year 15-1, and no way were the New York Giants, who were 9-7 in the regular season, going to end the Packers' bid for a second straight Lombardi. The home teams won the first seven games of the postseason, and the Packers would Lambeau leap that number to a perfect 8 for 8.
Well, the Giants not only won, but they dominated pretty much from start to finish as they took care of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, 37-20, and are headed to Candlestick Park for the NFC Championship Game. You think we Steelers fans were feeling pretty down last Sunday, imagine how the Cheeseheads are feeling right about now. They thought they knew homefield advantage. Not against the G-Men in recent playoff meetings.
I think I know that the Patriots will take care of the Ravens in the AFC Title Game, and that, unfortunately, Jim Harbaugh will make it to the Super Bowl, but I'm not counting on anything.
I don't know crap.
316 Tim Tebow passing yards later, the Steelers were stunned and out of the first round of the playoffs.
A lot of people thought they knew that the Saints were playing better football than anyone in the league down the stretch, and even though they had to go to Candlestick Park to take on the 49ers in the divisional playoffs Saturday afternoon, the odds makers suggested that New Orleans was the better team. And since it's an offensive league, and the '9ers were led by quarterback Alex Smith, Drew Brees held the ring and the passing records, and the better quarterback would prevail.
Brees did throw for 462 yards, but the Saints turned the football over five times, and the 49ers led most of the game. Even though Brees did lead the Saints on two late touchdown drives, Smith turned out to be the hero as he matched Brees touchdown drive for touchdown drive in the closing moments, including the game-winning pass to Vernon Davis with nine seconds remaining.
Everyone thought they knew that the 49ers would be traveling to Lambeau Field next Sunday to take on the defending champion Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. The Packers finished the year 15-1, and no way were the New York Giants, who were 9-7 in the regular season, going to end the Packers' bid for a second straight Lombardi. The home teams won the first seven games of the postseason, and the Packers would Lambeau leap that number to a perfect 8 for 8.
Well, the Giants not only won, but they dominated pretty much from start to finish as they took care of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, 37-20, and are headed to Candlestick Park for the NFC Championship Game. You think we Steelers fans were feeling pretty down last Sunday, imagine how the Cheeseheads are feeling right about now. They thought they knew homefield advantage. Not against the G-Men in recent playoff meetings.
I think I know that the Patriots will take care of the Ravens in the AFC Title Game, and that, unfortunately, Jim Harbaugh will make it to the Super Bowl, but I'm not counting on anything.
I don't know crap.
Pitt loses to Marquette to drop to 0-5 in the Big East
Boy, do I have great blog timing or what? Friday night, I wrote about the recent struggles of Pittsburgh's sports teams as of late. Shortly after I finished my blog, however, the Pittsburgh Penguins made me look foolish by knocking off the first place Florida Panthers, 4-1.
Speaking of the Panthers, the ones who play Men's basketball at the University of Pittsburgh couldn't duplicate the Pens success as they lost at Marquette yesterday afternoon, 62-57.
The loss drops Pitt to 0-5 in the very strong Big East conference, and with the Panthers traveling to the Carrier Dome tomorrow night to take on top ranked Syracuse, it doesn't look like the losing skid will end anytime soon.
When I found out the score of yesterday's game, I joked that I wanted to see the Panthers duplicate what the Indianapolis Colts did in 2011 and just completely fall apart for a year. Hey, if you're going to lose for the first time in a while, might as well do it with gusto. But then someone else joked that at least the Colts will have quarterback Andrew Luck as a prize, and the Panthers won't be so lucky. That's true. Luck has no control over which NFL team drafts him, but in college athletics, the blue chippers can sign wherever they want, and a team going winless in its conference tends to make top talents run the other way.
There is no doubt that Jamie Dixon is a great coach. This year, with his team falling apart right before his very eyes, it'll be interesting to see how he gets his players to respond.
Speaking of the Panthers, the ones who play Men's basketball at the University of Pittsburgh couldn't duplicate the Pens success as they lost at Marquette yesterday afternoon, 62-57.
The loss drops Pitt to 0-5 in the very strong Big East conference, and with the Panthers traveling to the Carrier Dome tomorrow night to take on top ranked Syracuse, it doesn't look like the losing skid will end anytime soon.
When I found out the score of yesterday's game, I joked that I wanted to see the Panthers duplicate what the Indianapolis Colts did in 2011 and just completely fall apart for a year. Hey, if you're going to lose for the first time in a while, might as well do it with gusto. But then someone else joked that at least the Colts will have quarterback Andrew Luck as a prize, and the Panthers won't be so lucky. That's true. Luck has no control over which NFL team drafts him, but in college athletics, the blue chippers can sign wherever they want, and a team going winless in its conference tends to make top talents run the other way.
There is no doubt that Jamie Dixon is a great coach. This year, with his team falling apart right before his very eyes, it'll be interesting to see how he gets his players to respond.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Does the Mayan calender say anything about the doomsday of Pittsburgh sports teams?
According to the ancient Mayan calender, the world is supposedly going to end on December 21st, 2012. I don't know if the Maya people really predicted that date as the end of the world, but that's what a lot of people really seem to want to believe. I don't happen to be one of those people (although, I will turn 40 this year, so maybe the world will end for me, at least as I know it), but if it is all true, I wonder if the current streak of losing by Pittsburgh sports teams is a sign of the End Times.
If you're in-touch with the Pittsburgh sports scene like I am, you probably know that the home teams have been struggling big-time so far in 2012.
The Penguins haven't won a game since they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on December 27th, 2011. During the losing streak, the team has only managed to score six goals. But who can blame them for not being able to score? Apparently, the injury bug that tore through the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011 has been passed on to the Penguins, because, in addition to Sidney Crosby being out indefinitely with on-going concussion-like symptoms, Kris Letang and Jordan Staal are also out with injuries. The team is in shambles and is currently tied for the 8th and final playoff spot in the NHL Eastern Conference. I'm supposed to go to the Pens game with my girlfriend on Tuesday. It'll be interesting to see who gets hurt in that game.
The Pitt Panthers football team won their last regular season game against Syracuse in early December to become bowl eligible at 6-6 but lost their coach shortly thereafter when Fraud Sham, I mean, Todd Graham abruptly left the team in mid-December to go take his "dream job" as head coach of Arizona State. Evidently, Scram, I mean, Graham has like a 7th cousin in Arizona and really wanted to go live there so he could be closer to him/her. Anyway, since it is 2012, and since the Panthers were being coached by interim head coach Keith Patterson, the 5th guy to coach the team in the last 13 months, Pitt had no shot at defeating SMU in the BBVA Compass Bowl last Saturday and were blown-out, 28-6. I don't blame those kids one bit. At this point, the Pitt players need a "my coach hates me and/or is insane" hot line that they can call, and the way things have been going at Pitt--Paul Chryst officially became the sixth head coach shortly after the bowl game--they probably need to have people manning the phones 24/7.
Speaking of Pitt athletics, what the heck is going on with the Pitt Men's basketball team? Jamie Dixon's team hasn't won a game since December 20th, 2011, and has lost five games in a row. And that's not the worst of it. The Panthers have started out 0-4 in the Big East, and because the Big East is so unbelievably awesome, being 0-4 is like being 0-44 in any other conference. And THAT'S not the worst of it. Just the other night, the Panthers were blown-out at home by the Rutgers Scarlett Nights, 62-39. The 39 points were the lowest output by a Pitt team since another game against Rutgers in 1972, and that game was called at halftime because of a student protest! Now, Pitt is in serious danger of missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001. Also, if Pitt goes to the NIT, Panthers fans will be put in the uncomfortable position of hoping for an NIT championship, this after mocking WVU and Penn State in years past for being NIT Champions. We're number 69!
And then there are, I mean, were, the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers. Technically, they did win a game this calender year--they defeated the Browns, 13-9, on New Year's Day--but it sure felt like a loss. Especially after Rashard Mendenhall was lost with an ACL tear, and the Ravens defeated the Bengals to capture the AFC North and send Pittsburgh to Denver for Wild Card Weekend. I had planned on writing a blog about how miserable things were going for the local teams, but that we could always count on the Steelers to come through and give us hope when nobody else could. I figured Pittsburgh would take out the Broncos in short order, but I forgot that it was 2012, and Pittsburgh teams are now prohibited from winning. The Steelers were Tim Tebowed in overtime and sent limping into the offseason.
No Steelers playoff run. No Panthers in the NCAA tournament. No Sidney Crosby.
I haven't seen it this bad around here since the last time the Pirates played baseball.
At least let the Pirates win before it's all over.
Screw you, Mayans!
If you're in-touch with the Pittsburgh sports scene like I am, you probably know that the home teams have been struggling big-time so far in 2012.
The Penguins haven't won a game since they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on December 27th, 2011. During the losing streak, the team has only managed to score six goals. But who can blame them for not being able to score? Apparently, the injury bug that tore through the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011 has been passed on to the Penguins, because, in addition to Sidney Crosby being out indefinitely with on-going concussion-like symptoms, Kris Letang and Jordan Staal are also out with injuries. The team is in shambles and is currently tied for the 8th and final playoff spot in the NHL Eastern Conference. I'm supposed to go to the Pens game with my girlfriend on Tuesday. It'll be interesting to see who gets hurt in that game.
The Pitt Panthers football team won their last regular season game against Syracuse in early December to become bowl eligible at 6-6 but lost their coach shortly thereafter when Fraud Sham, I mean, Todd Graham abruptly left the team in mid-December to go take his "dream job" as head coach of Arizona State. Evidently, Scram, I mean, Graham has like a 7th cousin in Arizona and really wanted to go live there so he could be closer to him/her. Anyway, since it is 2012, and since the Panthers were being coached by interim head coach Keith Patterson, the 5th guy to coach the team in the last 13 months, Pitt had no shot at defeating SMU in the BBVA Compass Bowl last Saturday and were blown-out, 28-6. I don't blame those kids one bit. At this point, the Pitt players need a "my coach hates me and/or is insane" hot line that they can call, and the way things have been going at Pitt--Paul Chryst officially became the sixth head coach shortly after the bowl game--they probably need to have people manning the phones 24/7.
Speaking of Pitt athletics, what the heck is going on with the Pitt Men's basketball team? Jamie Dixon's team hasn't won a game since December 20th, 2011, and has lost five games in a row. And that's not the worst of it. The Panthers have started out 0-4 in the Big East, and because the Big East is so unbelievably awesome, being 0-4 is like being 0-44 in any other conference. And THAT'S not the worst of it. Just the other night, the Panthers were blown-out at home by the Rutgers Scarlett Nights, 62-39. The 39 points were the lowest output by a Pitt team since another game against Rutgers in 1972, and that game was called at halftime because of a student protest! Now, Pitt is in serious danger of missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001. Also, if Pitt goes to the NIT, Panthers fans will be put in the uncomfortable position of hoping for an NIT championship, this after mocking WVU and Penn State in years past for being NIT Champions. We're number 69!
And then there are, I mean, were, the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers. Technically, they did win a game this calender year--they defeated the Browns, 13-9, on New Year's Day--but it sure felt like a loss. Especially after Rashard Mendenhall was lost with an ACL tear, and the Ravens defeated the Bengals to capture the AFC North and send Pittsburgh to Denver for Wild Card Weekend. I had planned on writing a blog about how miserable things were going for the local teams, but that we could always count on the Steelers to come through and give us hope when nobody else could. I figured Pittsburgh would take out the Broncos in short order, but I forgot that it was 2012, and Pittsburgh teams are now prohibited from winning. The Steelers were Tim Tebowed in overtime and sent limping into the offseason.
No Steelers playoff run. No Panthers in the NCAA tournament. No Sidney Crosby.
I haven't seen it this bad around here since the last time the Pirates played baseball.
At least let the Pirates win before it's all over.
Screw you, Mayans!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A Recap of the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers: A Season that Ended Before it Could Become "Magical"
As a Steelers fan, I've experienced my share of heartbreaking losses over the years. I've seen them lose multiple AFC Championship games and two Super Bowls. I've seen a 5-11 season, a 6-10 season or two, and I've witnessed a couple of non-playoff years following Super Bowl Championships. When you're a fan, you have to experience your share of heartbreaking moments and disappointing seasons; it goes with the territory.
However, I just can't wrap my head around the Steelers overtime loss in Denver on Sunday night. It was just so unexpected. And that's probably why the loss to the Broncos is so hard to take. Did I expect them to defeat the Patriots this Saturday night? Well, their injury situation became downright laughable by the time the game ended Sunday, and even though I probably would have been just as depressed after a loss to Belichick's charges, I don't think I would have been totally stunned.
When you add the shock to the depression and sadness that a playoff loss normally brings, well, that's why there are so many Steelers fans walking around in disbelief this week.
Maybe I should have seen this coming for a while. The Steelers were simply beat up by the time the playoffs started. Speaking of which, I read in yesterday's Pittsburgh Post Gazette that had the Steelers won on Sunday, in addition to center Maurkice Pouncey, their offensive line would have been missing Max Starks, who suffered an ACL tear, and possibly Chris Kemoeatu and Doug Legursky for the Patriots game. And when you add that to the injuries to Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel on the defensive line, as well as the many other injuries the team suffered down the stretch, it just wasn't in the cards for the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maybe my memory is a bit skewed because of how last year unfolded, but the 2011 campaign never seemed as magical as 2010.
Everything about the 2010 season just seemed more enchanting. The trip my girlfriend and I took to the Hall of Fame in August was awesome, our voyage to training camp a few days later was great, and the season itself had a lot of really compelling story lines.
For starters, there was the four-game suspension that Ben Roethlisberger had to serve to open the year. After all the talk of gloom and doom during the preseason, the Steelers responded as a team and went 3-1 with Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch taking turns under center, including an exciting overtime win vs. the Falcons in week one. There was the controversy surrounding several fines against linebacker James Harrison for multiple flagrant tackles. Instead of tearing the team apart, this seemed to galvanize the entire organization, especially after Roethlisberger became a frequent target of excessive hits that weren't called, including having his nose broken by Haloti Ngata in a game in Baltimore.
There was nothing that compelling about the 2011 Steelers. In fact, the biggest story lines had negative connotations, like the 35-7 loss in Baltimore in week one that had everyone wondering if the team was "old, slow and done," Big Ben's high ankle sprain late in the year against the Browns, and James Harrison's one-game suspension after his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns quarterback Colt Mccoy.
The only positive win that you could really sink your teeth into was Pittsburgh's impressive, 25-17, win over the Patriots on October 30th. Other than that, it was just a bunch of wins against the likes of the Seahawks, Rams, Jaguars, Colts, Browns and Cardinals.
The Steelers were a much better team at home than they were on the road in 2011, and maybe I dismissed their road struggles throughout the year because I was in denial and really wanted to believe they could rectify their problems on the road once the playoffs started. That obviously didn't happen as the team went one and done.
Maybe the 2010 Steelers just had more luck on their side. Remember the controversial call at the end of the Miami game that went in Pittsburgh's favor? Remember the touchdown pass that Bills receiver Stevie Johnson dropped in overtime? If Pittsburgh loses either one of those games, they don't win the division, and they probably don't make it to the Super Bowl.
The Steelers didn't seem to benefit from much luck in 2011, but maybe that's because they didn't really create much of it on their own.
And that brings me to the turnover situation. The 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers were -13 in the giveaway/takeaway department, and yes, that was helped greatly by the seven turnovers the offense committed in the week one loss to Baltimore, but even if you don't count those turnovers, the offense still averaged nearly 1.5 a game in the other 15. And the defense didn't make up for it, only creating 15 turnovers the entire season.
The 2011 Steelers defense spent the majority of the year near the top of the NFL, and finished number one by the end of the season, but they just didn't make the splash plays that they did in 2010. Early in the year, I wrote an article on Behind the Steel Curtain about the Steelers turnover situation, and how teams with opportunistic defenses have been the ones competing for and winning Super Bowls in recent years. In 2010, the Steelers finished +17 in the turnover department and made it to the Super Bowl. In 2009, they finished -3 and missed the playoffs.
Included in those 15 turnovers, the defense only recovered four fumbles the entire season and only came up with one defensive touchdown. Maybe the sack totals being down (35) compared to 2010 (48) had something to do with it. The lower sack total can easily be attributed to the fact that both Lamarr Woodley and James Harrison missed significant portions of the season with injuries and a suspension, but it still doesn't change the outcome.
Still, though, the Steelers were pretty stingy on defense, and amazingly, after many months of worrying about the secondary this past offseason, the unit finished the year with the number one ranked passing defense in the league.
The offense was, once again, a big source of angst among Steelers fans in 2011, and for good reason. The Broncos offense was considered a joke during the year, and rightfully so, but for all of the playmakers that Pittsburgh had on offense, they only scored 16 more points than the Broncos in 2011. I've never been one to bash Steelers OC Bruce Arians, but the offense struggled to score points despite having a 4000 yard passer, two 1000 yard receivers, and a running back that was approaching a 1000 yards when he was injured in the final regular season game in Cleveland. The offense finished 20th in scoring, and they've been in the middle of the pack for years, so obviously, something is amiss.
Is it the play calling? Is it the offensive line?
I was listening to "Monday Evening Quarterback" on ESPN 970am the other night, and Steelers insider Bob Labriola was pretty adamant that the reason the Steelers offense isn't as productive as teams like New Orleans, New England and Green Bay is because Roethlisberger simply holds onto the ball too long, and if he would just take advantage of the rules that clearly favor today's quarterbacks and receivers by using quick passes up and down the field, the offense would be way more productive.
The games against Tennessee and New England, where Roethlisberger used a quick, short passing attack to pass for a combined 622 yards and seven touchdowns in the two games, certainly lends some credence to what Labriola was saying the other night.
Back to that playoff game in Denver. It's amazing how everything that haunts a team throughout the regular season generally comes home to roost in the postseason.
The Steelers were victimized, once again, by the injury bug when Max Starks, Hampton and Keisel left the game.
On offense, the team failed to score touchdowns early on after moving the ball in the first quarter and had to settle for two Shaun Suisham field goals; Jerricho Cothery and Mike Wallace each dropped passes that could have, if not gone for scores, changed the momentum significantly; Roethlisberger threw a bad interception that led to a field goal in the second quarter; and on the last offensive possession of the season, with the game tied and the team getting close to field goal range, there were break downs in the offensive line, and Roethlsiberger was sacked twice, giving the team no shot at a game-winning field goal as time ran out.
As for the defense, Tim Tebow wasn't sacked the entire day, and he was barely disrupted or confused as the unit failed to generate any significant pass rush. And, yes, the defense did come up with a Willis Mcgahee fumble late in the game that ultimately led to the Steelers tying the score at 23, but early in the first quarter, with the Steelers leading, 3-0, the defense failed to come up with a Mcgahee fumble after a great play by Troy Polamalu. If the Steelers get the ball there and make the score, 10-0, things could have been a lot different.
But the thing that ultimately did the Steelers in was the defense's shocking failure to stop Tim Tebow through the air. I'm not going to complain about Dick Lebeau's strategy of selling out to stop the run, but maybe he should have tweaked it in the second half after Tebow demonstrated the ability to complete deep passes. Maybe Lebeau should have rolled help Ike Taylor's way, who clearly had the worst day of his professional career after having maybe his finest season.
Oh well, the Steelers lost, and you can't win every year. And it's not like I'm not grateful for their 12-4 season, because I'm more than appreciative.
I was getting kind of sick of the Steelers sleep-walking through the season following a Super Bowl, so it was nice to see them have a consistent year. But I can't help but wonder if the 2011 Steelers were just the 2009 team in disguise, aided by a schedule filled with the league's most delicious cream puffs. I suppose we'll never know.
Or, maybe the difference between the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 2010 squad was the outcome of two games played against the Ravens at the end of each season. Last year, on Sunday Night Football, the Steelers were trailing the Ravens, 10-6, late in the game when Troy Polamalu blitzed Joe Flacco and caused a fumble that the Steelers recovered and eventually turned into an Isaac Redman touchdown. The Steelers went on to win the AFC North as well as a first round bye. The Ravens were a wild card team despite having the same 12-4 record as Pittsburgh and eventually found themselves back at Heinz Field for a divisional playoff game that the Steelers would ultimately win, 31-24.
This year, late in a Sunday night game at Heinz Field in early November, the Steelers were leading the Ravens, 20-16, very late in the game before Joe Flacco led Baltimore on a 92 yard touchdown drive that was ultimately the difference in the AFC North as the Ravens won the division and a first round bye despite Pittsburgh finishing with the same 12-4 record. Pittsburgh had to enter the playoffs as a wild card, and ultimately limped into the off season after the overtime loss in Denver.
Maybe the Steelers could have found a way to make this season feel a bit more magical by pulling out a postseason win or two, but sadly, we'll have to wait another year for the magic to return.
Or maybe as my friend Keith Thomas from Steel Curtain Rising asked the other night in an email he sent me, was it all just a bad dream?
However, I just can't wrap my head around the Steelers overtime loss in Denver on Sunday night. It was just so unexpected. And that's probably why the loss to the Broncos is so hard to take. Did I expect them to defeat the Patriots this Saturday night? Well, their injury situation became downright laughable by the time the game ended Sunday, and even though I probably would have been just as depressed after a loss to Belichick's charges, I don't think I would have been totally stunned.
When you add the shock to the depression and sadness that a playoff loss normally brings, well, that's why there are so many Steelers fans walking around in disbelief this week.
Maybe I should have seen this coming for a while. The Steelers were simply beat up by the time the playoffs started. Speaking of which, I read in yesterday's Pittsburgh Post Gazette that had the Steelers won on Sunday, in addition to center Maurkice Pouncey, their offensive line would have been missing Max Starks, who suffered an ACL tear, and possibly Chris Kemoeatu and Doug Legursky for the Patriots game. And when you add that to the injuries to Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel on the defensive line, as well as the many other injuries the team suffered down the stretch, it just wasn't in the cards for the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maybe my memory is a bit skewed because of how last year unfolded, but the 2011 campaign never seemed as magical as 2010.
Everything about the 2010 season just seemed more enchanting. The trip my girlfriend and I took to the Hall of Fame in August was awesome, our voyage to training camp a few days later was great, and the season itself had a lot of really compelling story lines.
For starters, there was the four-game suspension that Ben Roethlisberger had to serve to open the year. After all the talk of gloom and doom during the preseason, the Steelers responded as a team and went 3-1 with Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch taking turns under center, including an exciting overtime win vs. the Falcons in week one. There was the controversy surrounding several fines against linebacker James Harrison for multiple flagrant tackles. Instead of tearing the team apart, this seemed to galvanize the entire organization, especially after Roethlisberger became a frequent target of excessive hits that weren't called, including having his nose broken by Haloti Ngata in a game in Baltimore.
There was nothing that compelling about the 2011 Steelers. In fact, the biggest story lines had negative connotations, like the 35-7 loss in Baltimore in week one that had everyone wondering if the team was "old, slow and done," Big Ben's high ankle sprain late in the year against the Browns, and James Harrison's one-game suspension after his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns quarterback Colt Mccoy.
The only positive win that you could really sink your teeth into was Pittsburgh's impressive, 25-17, win over the Patriots on October 30th. Other than that, it was just a bunch of wins against the likes of the Seahawks, Rams, Jaguars, Colts, Browns and Cardinals.
The Steelers were a much better team at home than they were on the road in 2011, and maybe I dismissed their road struggles throughout the year because I was in denial and really wanted to believe they could rectify their problems on the road once the playoffs started. That obviously didn't happen as the team went one and done.
Maybe the 2010 Steelers just had more luck on their side. Remember the controversial call at the end of the Miami game that went in Pittsburgh's favor? Remember the touchdown pass that Bills receiver Stevie Johnson dropped in overtime? If Pittsburgh loses either one of those games, they don't win the division, and they probably don't make it to the Super Bowl.
The Steelers didn't seem to benefit from much luck in 2011, but maybe that's because they didn't really create much of it on their own.
And that brings me to the turnover situation. The 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers were -13 in the giveaway/takeaway department, and yes, that was helped greatly by the seven turnovers the offense committed in the week one loss to Baltimore, but even if you don't count those turnovers, the offense still averaged nearly 1.5 a game in the other 15. And the defense didn't make up for it, only creating 15 turnovers the entire season.
The 2011 Steelers defense spent the majority of the year near the top of the NFL, and finished number one by the end of the season, but they just didn't make the splash plays that they did in 2010. Early in the year, I wrote an article on Behind the Steel Curtain about the Steelers turnover situation, and how teams with opportunistic defenses have been the ones competing for and winning Super Bowls in recent years. In 2010, the Steelers finished +17 in the turnover department and made it to the Super Bowl. In 2009, they finished -3 and missed the playoffs.
Included in those 15 turnovers, the defense only recovered four fumbles the entire season and only came up with one defensive touchdown. Maybe the sack totals being down (35) compared to 2010 (48) had something to do with it. The lower sack total can easily be attributed to the fact that both Lamarr Woodley and James Harrison missed significant portions of the season with injuries and a suspension, but it still doesn't change the outcome.
Still, though, the Steelers were pretty stingy on defense, and amazingly, after many months of worrying about the secondary this past offseason, the unit finished the year with the number one ranked passing defense in the league.
The offense was, once again, a big source of angst among Steelers fans in 2011, and for good reason. The Broncos offense was considered a joke during the year, and rightfully so, but for all of the playmakers that Pittsburgh had on offense, they only scored 16 more points than the Broncos in 2011. I've never been one to bash Steelers OC Bruce Arians, but the offense struggled to score points despite having a 4000 yard passer, two 1000 yard receivers, and a running back that was approaching a 1000 yards when he was injured in the final regular season game in Cleveland. The offense finished 20th in scoring, and they've been in the middle of the pack for years, so obviously, something is amiss.
Is it the play calling? Is it the offensive line?
I was listening to "Monday Evening Quarterback" on ESPN 970am the other night, and Steelers insider Bob Labriola was pretty adamant that the reason the Steelers offense isn't as productive as teams like New Orleans, New England and Green Bay is because Roethlisberger simply holds onto the ball too long, and if he would just take advantage of the rules that clearly favor today's quarterbacks and receivers by using quick passes up and down the field, the offense would be way more productive.
The games against Tennessee and New England, where Roethlisberger used a quick, short passing attack to pass for a combined 622 yards and seven touchdowns in the two games, certainly lends some credence to what Labriola was saying the other night.
Back to that playoff game in Denver. It's amazing how everything that haunts a team throughout the regular season generally comes home to roost in the postseason.
The Steelers were victimized, once again, by the injury bug when Max Starks, Hampton and Keisel left the game.
On offense, the team failed to score touchdowns early on after moving the ball in the first quarter and had to settle for two Shaun Suisham field goals; Jerricho Cothery and Mike Wallace each dropped passes that could have, if not gone for scores, changed the momentum significantly; Roethlisberger threw a bad interception that led to a field goal in the second quarter; and on the last offensive possession of the season, with the game tied and the team getting close to field goal range, there were break downs in the offensive line, and Roethlsiberger was sacked twice, giving the team no shot at a game-winning field goal as time ran out.
As for the defense, Tim Tebow wasn't sacked the entire day, and he was barely disrupted or confused as the unit failed to generate any significant pass rush. And, yes, the defense did come up with a Willis Mcgahee fumble late in the game that ultimately led to the Steelers tying the score at 23, but early in the first quarter, with the Steelers leading, 3-0, the defense failed to come up with a Mcgahee fumble after a great play by Troy Polamalu. If the Steelers get the ball there and make the score, 10-0, things could have been a lot different.
But the thing that ultimately did the Steelers in was the defense's shocking failure to stop Tim Tebow through the air. I'm not going to complain about Dick Lebeau's strategy of selling out to stop the run, but maybe he should have tweaked it in the second half after Tebow demonstrated the ability to complete deep passes. Maybe Lebeau should have rolled help Ike Taylor's way, who clearly had the worst day of his professional career after having maybe his finest season.
Oh well, the Steelers lost, and you can't win every year. And it's not like I'm not grateful for their 12-4 season, because I'm more than appreciative.
I was getting kind of sick of the Steelers sleep-walking through the season following a Super Bowl, so it was nice to see them have a consistent year. But I can't help but wonder if the 2011 Steelers were just the 2009 team in disguise, aided by a schedule filled with the league's most delicious cream puffs. I suppose we'll never know.
Or, maybe the difference between the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 2010 squad was the outcome of two games played against the Ravens at the end of each season. Last year, on Sunday Night Football, the Steelers were trailing the Ravens, 10-6, late in the game when Troy Polamalu blitzed Joe Flacco and caused a fumble that the Steelers recovered and eventually turned into an Isaac Redman touchdown. The Steelers went on to win the AFC North as well as a first round bye. The Ravens were a wild card team despite having the same 12-4 record as Pittsburgh and eventually found themselves back at Heinz Field for a divisional playoff game that the Steelers would ultimately win, 31-24.
This year, late in a Sunday night game at Heinz Field in early November, the Steelers were leading the Ravens, 20-16, very late in the game before Joe Flacco led Baltimore on a 92 yard touchdown drive that was ultimately the difference in the AFC North as the Ravens won the division and a first round bye despite Pittsburgh finishing with the same 12-4 record. Pittsburgh had to enter the playoffs as a wild card, and ultimately limped into the off season after the overtime loss in Denver.
Maybe the Steelers could have found a way to make this season feel a bit more magical by pulling out a postseason win or two, but sadly, we'll have to wait another year for the magic to return.
Or maybe as my friend Keith Thomas from Steel Curtain Rising asked the other night in an email he sent me, was it all just a bad dream?
Saturday, January 7, 2012
If there is a round 2 for the Steelers, they're going to Foxboro.
I just got done watching the Houston Texans put the Cincinnati Bengals out to pasture with a very impressive, 31-10, victory at Reliant stadium.
So, now, along with their first playoff appearance in team history, the Houston Texans can also put their first ever postseason win in the record books.
What this means if you're a Steelers fan and were holding out hope for one last tailgating session outside of Heinz Field is that the Steelers have officially been eliminated from playing any postseason games at home. The Bengals entered the playoffs as the 6th seed, and if they could have somehow found a way to win two games, and if Pittsburgh could keep pace with two victories of their own, the Steelers would have hosted the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on January 22nd, and we all would have spent the entire week leading up to the game looking ahead to the Super Bowl on February 5th.
Now, the winner of the Broncos/Steelers clash will be the lowest seed heading into the second round. And in the NFL, the lowest seed always plays the highest. In this case, the highest seed is New England by virtue of their AFC-best 13-3 regular season record. That means a trip to Foxboro to take on the Patriots next Saturday night for whoever walks away from the first ever Tebow Bowl with a victory tomorrow evening.
As a Steeler fan, provided they get past Denver tomorrow, I like this scenario. The Patriots' offense is predicated on rhythm and timing, and a bye week could throw Tom Brady and Co. off a bit.
The Patriots fell behind by three scores in each of their last two games, and even though they did bounce back to defeat both the Dolphins and Bills, it might not be so easy against the Steelers and their number one ranked defense.
If it takes the Patriots a couple of quarters to find their groove on offense, and if the Steelers roll into New England after having found their offensive rhythm the week before, Pittsburgh could be celebrating a second-straight berth in the AFC Championship game.
But, that's getting way ahead of myself. It's very dangerous to assume. You know what they say about people who do that, and I don't want anyone to call me an ass tomorrow night.
First things first, deck those Yonkos!
So, now, along with their first playoff appearance in team history, the Houston Texans can also put their first ever postseason win in the record books.
What this means if you're a Steelers fan and were holding out hope for one last tailgating session outside of Heinz Field is that the Steelers have officially been eliminated from playing any postseason games at home. The Bengals entered the playoffs as the 6th seed, and if they could have somehow found a way to win two games, and if Pittsburgh could keep pace with two victories of their own, the Steelers would have hosted the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on January 22nd, and we all would have spent the entire week leading up to the game looking ahead to the Super Bowl on February 5th.
Now, the winner of the Broncos/Steelers clash will be the lowest seed heading into the second round. And in the NFL, the lowest seed always plays the highest. In this case, the highest seed is New England by virtue of their AFC-best 13-3 regular season record. That means a trip to Foxboro to take on the Patriots next Saturday night for whoever walks away from the first ever Tebow Bowl with a victory tomorrow evening.
As a Steeler fan, provided they get past Denver tomorrow, I like this scenario. The Patriots' offense is predicated on rhythm and timing, and a bye week could throw Tom Brady and Co. off a bit.
The Patriots fell behind by three scores in each of their last two games, and even though they did bounce back to defeat both the Dolphins and Bills, it might not be so easy against the Steelers and their number one ranked defense.
If it takes the Patriots a couple of quarters to find their groove on offense, and if the Steelers roll into New England after having found their offensive rhythm the week before, Pittsburgh could be celebrating a second-straight berth in the AFC Championship game.
But, that's getting way ahead of myself. It's very dangerous to assume. You know what they say about people who do that, and I don't want anyone to call me an ass tomorrow night.
First things first, deck those Yonkos!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Pitt loses to Depaul. NIT, here we come?
I've been spending so much time writing and talking about the Steelers playoff prospects lately that I haven't had much time to spend watching and following the Pitt Panther's men's basketball team. There normally isn't much reason to pay attention to them during this time of year because they've been so unbelieveably consistent over the past decade. It's very rare for a Jamie Dixon team to have even one loss in early January, but the 2011/2012 Panthers just suffered their 5th loss of the season last night to Depaul. That's right, I typed Depaul, and it wasn't an error.
Going into last night's game, Depaul was 2-53 over the last three seasons in Big East conference play. Pitt led by as many as 12 points in the game, and four with just over 17 seconds left, but because of poor foul shooting, Pitt blew the lead, and ultimately, the game, 84-81.
I better hope the Steelers give me another month or so of distractions in the form of an epic Super Bowl run, because Pitt is 0-4 in the Big East, and unless there is a huge winning-streak real soon, the team might miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2000/2001 season.
Oh well, all good things must end, and as a Pitt fan, I knew the team's run at making the tourney would have to end sooner or later. And that's certainly nothing to be ashamed of--after all, perennial powerhouses like UConn and Syracuse have missed the tournament in recent years--I just didn't think it would happen this year. Not when the Panthers were ranked in the top ten at the beginning of the year.
I'm not necessarily saying Pitt's run will end this season, but it's certainly not going to be easy, that's for sure.
Going into last night's game, Depaul was 2-53 over the last three seasons in Big East conference play. Pitt led by as many as 12 points in the game, and four with just over 17 seconds left, but because of poor foul shooting, Pitt blew the lead, and ultimately, the game, 84-81.
I better hope the Steelers give me another month or so of distractions in the form of an epic Super Bowl run, because Pitt is 0-4 in the Big East, and unless there is a huge winning-streak real soon, the team might miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2000/2001 season.
Oh well, all good things must end, and as a Pitt fan, I knew the team's run at making the tourney would have to end sooner or later. And that's certainly nothing to be ashamed of--after all, perennial powerhouses like UConn and Syracuse have missed the tournament in recent years--I just didn't think it would happen this year. Not when the Panthers were ranked in the top ten at the beginning of the year.
I'm not necessarily saying Pitt's run will end this season, but it's certainly not going to be easy, that's for sure.
Well at least I have the Cotton Bowl
ESPN pretty much took over the college football bowl scene last season, and that tradition has carried over into this year. And thanks to having just basic cable, I've watched maybe three for four quarters of bowl action over the course of the last two seasons.
I never thought I'd see the day where ESPN(and cable, in general) would get so big that the Powers That Be in division I college football (sponsors) would be comfortable enough to agree to air marquee bowl classics like the Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl on a cable network.
But that's where we are in 2012. There is the occasional second-tier bowl on ABC, but ESPN gets all the beefy match ups, including the National Championship Game between LSU and Alabama next week.
For me, a huge football junkie, I'm now more likely to sit down and watch the NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day than I am to see any bowl games. That's rather unfortunate, but that's the way it's going to be until I expand my cable package.
All is not lost for yours truly, however, because it's been sort of a tradition of mine over the past two years to sit down on the first Friday evening after New Year's and watch the Cotton Bowl. The Cotton Bowl used to be a pretty big deal. Well, it still is, but it's not as big a deal as it used to be because the BCS tells us so. You see, the "big" bowls are the aforementioned Sugar and Fiesta, along with the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, and the Title game. Those are the games that all the teams shoot for, because, in today's world of college football, they're considered the elite bowls. Of course, only the title game decides anything, really.
Anyway, the Cotton Bowl used to be played during the afternoon on New Year's day, but in recent years, it's been moved back to the first Friday after New Year's and is played in prime time on the Fox network. And the match ups are actually really good. Heck, they always have been.
Last year, for instance, LSU played Texas A&M in a pretty exciting, 41-24, game won by the Tigers.
This year, the match up is Arkansas vs. Kansas St. For what it's worth, both teams finished in the top eight in the BCS standings. Not bad.
It's not New Year's Day, we're damn near into the second week of January, and most of the bowl games are over. Keith Jackson is no where to be seen, and neither is Brent Mustburger. But what the hey, it's a great night for some college football on Fox.
I never thought I'd see the day where ESPN(and cable, in general) would get so big that the Powers That Be in division I college football (sponsors) would be comfortable enough to agree to air marquee bowl classics like the Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl on a cable network.
But that's where we are in 2012. There is the occasional second-tier bowl on ABC, but ESPN gets all the beefy match ups, including the National Championship Game between LSU and Alabama next week.
For me, a huge football junkie, I'm now more likely to sit down and watch the NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day than I am to see any bowl games. That's rather unfortunate, but that's the way it's going to be until I expand my cable package.
All is not lost for yours truly, however, because it's been sort of a tradition of mine over the past two years to sit down on the first Friday evening after New Year's and watch the Cotton Bowl. The Cotton Bowl used to be a pretty big deal. Well, it still is, but it's not as big a deal as it used to be because the BCS tells us so. You see, the "big" bowls are the aforementioned Sugar and Fiesta, along with the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, and the Title game. Those are the games that all the teams shoot for, because, in today's world of college football, they're considered the elite bowls. Of course, only the title game decides anything, really.
Anyway, the Cotton Bowl used to be played during the afternoon on New Year's day, but in recent years, it's been moved back to the first Friday after New Year's and is played in prime time on the Fox network. And the match ups are actually really good. Heck, they always have been.
Last year, for instance, LSU played Texas A&M in a pretty exciting, 41-24, game won by the Tigers.
This year, the match up is Arkansas vs. Kansas St. For what it's worth, both teams finished in the top eight in the BCS standings. Not bad.
It's not New Year's Day, we're damn near into the second week of January, and most of the bowl games are over. Keith Jackson is no where to be seen, and neither is Brent Mustburger. But what the hey, it's a great night for some college football on Fox.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Are the Steelers a flawed team as they head into the playoffs? Yes, but they're one of many in the postseason field
To say the Steelers are limping into their postseason game against the Broncos in Denver this weekend would be an understatement. Rashard Mendenhall's season-ending ACL tear is just the latest of many key injuries the Steelers have had to deal with in recent weeks. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is still hobbled by a high ankle sprain, and so is center Maurkice Pouncey. The secondary is so banged up right now, don't be surprised if the newly signed Anthony Madison is out there covering receivers this Sunday. Also, it is still way up in the air as to whether or not safety Ryan Clark will play in Denver because of his health situation. Linebacker Lamarr Woodley may play, but the way his hamstring has reacted in recent weeks, it's hard to say just how dominant of a pass-rusher he can be at this point in the season.
And that's just the injury situation.
The offense has been below the line for weeks now, scoring just 57 points over the last four games of the regular season (27 of those points coming in the Christmas Eve win over the Rams).
As for the defense, well, they did finish the season ranked number 1 in the NFL, and that's certainly nothing to sneeze at, but they were far from opportunistic, finishing with only 15 takeaways the entire season, their lowest for a season since the 1960's.
So, yes, the Steelers are a flawed football team, but you know what? So are a lot of teams in the NFL playoffs.
Take the Steelers opponents this week, the Denver Broncos. Tebowmania might be runnin' wild in Denver, but the Broncos won the AFC West with an 8-8 record, and they backed into the playoffs by losing their last three games. The Broncos controlled their own playoff destiny this past Sunday but lost, 7-3, to a Chiefs team that was starting a quarterback in Kyle Orton that Denver released earlier in the year.
The Patriots, Packers and Saints have the top three passing offenses in the NFL, led by, no doubt, the three most prolific passers in Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, but those top passing teams also have the three worst passing defenses in the league, "led" by the defending champion Green Bay Packers, who are dead-last in that category. At 15-1, the Pack surely is favored to repeat, but if they're going to do so, Aaron Rodgers is going to have to continue to put up epic numbers week after week.
Speaking of passing defense, the NFC, the newly crowned superior conference, doesn't have a playoff team ranked any higher than 16th in passing defense.
The Saints might be playing the best football in the league right now, but because the 49ers edged them out for the number 2 seed in the NFC, New Orleans will have to play on Wild card Weekend, and then have to go on the road to San Fran if they beat the Lions. Sure, a seed isn't necessarily a flaw, but it could be a hindrance. The Saints prolific attack might be unstoppable in the Superdome, but outdoors, in San Francisco, playing in the football fossil that is Candlestick Park? It could be a different story. And if they have to travel to Lambeau Field for the NFC Championship game in a few weeks, who knows how frozen the tundra will be by then.
About those 49ers. It's been quite a remarkable turn-around for the team under first year head coach Jim Harbaugh. San Francisco has made the playoffs for the first time since 2002, and as I said earlier, they're the 2nd seed in the NFC. They've gotten the job done with mostly a stout defense and a strong running game. However, led by quarterback Alex Smith, their passing attack is near the bottom in the league, and beings that their passing defense ranks near the middle of the pack, it could make for a very short postseason stay for the '9ers.
At 13-3, the Patriots are the number 1 seed in the AFC, but because of that very poor defense, New England had to overcome huge deficits to win each of their last two games. It's one thing to comeback against the likes of the Dolphins and Bills, it's quite another to do so against a team like the Steelers.
The Houston Texans will be making their first playoff appearance in team history this coming weekend, but they'll so do on a three-game losing streak. The Texans have also been hit with the injury bug, and after injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart in back-to-back games, they had to use rookie T.J. Yates to finish the season. Now, the veteran Jake Dehlomme is also an option under center. Not much of an option, especially for an injury-plagued team that is entering the playoffs on a three-game losing streak.
The Texans' opponents this Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals, backed into the postseason despite losing their last game at home to the Baltimore Ravens. I know the Ravens had a lot on the line, but the Bengals were presented with a golden opportunity and couldn't come through. And now they're only in the playoffs because of dumb luck. Cincinnati might be an up-and-coming team, but they're not ready for prime time just yet.
As for those Ravens, they don't have very many flaws. They have a top three defense, naturally, and they're not too shabby on offense, despite Joe Flacco. However, Cris Collinsworth called them the best team in the AFC two weeks ago, and they responded to that high praise by getting totally embarrassed by the Chargers on Sunday Night Football. And that could be their biggest flaw: Coming up short in the big moments. Everytime the Ravens have a chance to really make a statement, or better yet, cement a statement that they made the week before, they go out and fall on their faces. The Ravens blew the doors off the Pittsburgh Steelers in week one, and then lost at Tennessee the following week. They also lost to a pretty pathetic Jaguars team on national television and followed up another epic "Super Bowl" win over their arch rival Steelers by losing in Seattle a week later.
So, you see, a playoff team having flaws is not out of the ordinary. And for all of their warts, the Steelers did finish the year out by winning 10 of their last 12 games and were a botched 92 yard drive away from being the number one seed in the playoffs. And that number one ranking by the defense includes the top passing defense (always good to have in the pass-happy NFL), and despite not being up to their usual standards against the run, the defense still managed to finish eighth in that category. Not bad. And for all of their offensive woes, the team did finish in the top ten in passing, and with just under 119 yards a game, the rushing attack did just enough to keep teams honest. Roethlisberger had over 4000 yards through the air, both Wallace and Brown had over 1000 yards receiving, Heath Miller caught 51 passes, and before his injury, Mendenhall was close to gaining 1000 yards on the ground.
So, like most of the teams in this year's playoff pool, the Steelers do have flaws, but like a lot of teams in this year's playoff pool, the Steelers also have plenty to bring to the dance.
And that's just the injury situation.
The offense has been below the line for weeks now, scoring just 57 points over the last four games of the regular season (27 of those points coming in the Christmas Eve win over the Rams).
As for the defense, well, they did finish the season ranked number 1 in the NFL, and that's certainly nothing to sneeze at, but they were far from opportunistic, finishing with only 15 takeaways the entire season, their lowest for a season since the 1960's.
So, yes, the Steelers are a flawed football team, but you know what? So are a lot of teams in the NFL playoffs.
Take the Steelers opponents this week, the Denver Broncos. Tebowmania might be runnin' wild in Denver, but the Broncos won the AFC West with an 8-8 record, and they backed into the playoffs by losing their last three games. The Broncos controlled their own playoff destiny this past Sunday but lost, 7-3, to a Chiefs team that was starting a quarterback in Kyle Orton that Denver released earlier in the year.
The Patriots, Packers and Saints have the top three passing offenses in the NFL, led by, no doubt, the three most prolific passers in Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, but those top passing teams also have the three worst passing defenses in the league, "led" by the defending champion Green Bay Packers, who are dead-last in that category. At 15-1, the Pack surely is favored to repeat, but if they're going to do so, Aaron Rodgers is going to have to continue to put up epic numbers week after week.
Speaking of passing defense, the NFC, the newly crowned superior conference, doesn't have a playoff team ranked any higher than 16th in passing defense.
The Saints might be playing the best football in the league right now, but because the 49ers edged them out for the number 2 seed in the NFC, New Orleans will have to play on Wild card Weekend, and then have to go on the road to San Fran if they beat the Lions. Sure, a seed isn't necessarily a flaw, but it could be a hindrance. The Saints prolific attack might be unstoppable in the Superdome, but outdoors, in San Francisco, playing in the football fossil that is Candlestick Park? It could be a different story. And if they have to travel to Lambeau Field for the NFC Championship game in a few weeks, who knows how frozen the tundra will be by then.
About those 49ers. It's been quite a remarkable turn-around for the team under first year head coach Jim Harbaugh. San Francisco has made the playoffs for the first time since 2002, and as I said earlier, they're the 2nd seed in the NFC. They've gotten the job done with mostly a stout defense and a strong running game. However, led by quarterback Alex Smith, their passing attack is near the bottom in the league, and beings that their passing defense ranks near the middle of the pack, it could make for a very short postseason stay for the '9ers.
At 13-3, the Patriots are the number 1 seed in the AFC, but because of that very poor defense, New England had to overcome huge deficits to win each of their last two games. It's one thing to comeback against the likes of the Dolphins and Bills, it's quite another to do so against a team like the Steelers.
The Houston Texans will be making their first playoff appearance in team history this coming weekend, but they'll so do on a three-game losing streak. The Texans have also been hit with the injury bug, and after injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart in back-to-back games, they had to use rookie T.J. Yates to finish the season. Now, the veteran Jake Dehlomme is also an option under center. Not much of an option, especially for an injury-plagued team that is entering the playoffs on a three-game losing streak.
The Texans' opponents this Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals, backed into the postseason despite losing their last game at home to the Baltimore Ravens. I know the Ravens had a lot on the line, but the Bengals were presented with a golden opportunity and couldn't come through. And now they're only in the playoffs because of dumb luck. Cincinnati might be an up-and-coming team, but they're not ready for prime time just yet.
As for those Ravens, they don't have very many flaws. They have a top three defense, naturally, and they're not too shabby on offense, despite Joe Flacco. However, Cris Collinsworth called them the best team in the AFC two weeks ago, and they responded to that high praise by getting totally embarrassed by the Chargers on Sunday Night Football. And that could be their biggest flaw: Coming up short in the big moments. Everytime the Ravens have a chance to really make a statement, or better yet, cement a statement that they made the week before, they go out and fall on their faces. The Ravens blew the doors off the Pittsburgh Steelers in week one, and then lost at Tennessee the following week. They also lost to a pretty pathetic Jaguars team on national television and followed up another epic "Super Bowl" win over their arch rival Steelers by losing in Seattle a week later.
So, you see, a playoff team having flaws is not out of the ordinary. And for all of their warts, the Steelers did finish the year out by winning 10 of their last 12 games and were a botched 92 yard drive away from being the number one seed in the playoffs. And that number one ranking by the defense includes the top passing defense (always good to have in the pass-happy NFL), and despite not being up to their usual standards against the run, the defense still managed to finish eighth in that category. Not bad. And for all of their offensive woes, the team did finish in the top ten in passing, and with just under 119 yards a game, the rushing attack did just enough to keep teams honest. Roethlisberger had over 4000 yards through the air, both Wallace and Brown had over 1000 yards receiving, Heath Miller caught 51 passes, and before his injury, Mendenhall was close to gaining 1000 yards on the ground.
So, like most of the teams in this year's playoff pool, the Steelers do have flaws, but like a lot of teams in this year's playoff pool, the Steelers also have plenty to bring to the dance.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Rashard Mendenhall tore his ACL in regular season finale. Out for the playoffs
Well, it looks like the Steelers injury problems will not stop. Starting running back Rashard Mendenhall suffered an ACL tear in his right knee in the season finale in Cleveland against the Browns yesterday and will be out for the playoffs.
It's certainly a blow for the Steelers as they enter the playoffs as the 5th seed in the AFC and will have to try to reach their ninth Super Bowl as a road team, starting this week with a trip to Denver to take on the AFC West champion Broncos.
It's certainly a blow for the Steelers as they enter the playoffs as the 5th seed in the AFC and will have to try to reach their ninth Super Bowl as a road team, starting this week with a trip to Denver to take on the AFC West champion Broncos.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
My favorite Pittsburgh sports moments from 2011
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope your New Year's Eve activities were joyous and safe. Living in Pittsburgh, there's always something to talk about in a sporting sense, and 2011 was no exception.
Join me as I discuss my favorite sports moments from 2011 involving the teams I follow and care about. And heck, I'll even throw in some personal moments that involved yours truly.
* The first memorable moment happened on the very first day of 2011. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals played in the NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field on New Year's day. I'm not a huge hockey fan, but I remember the city and fans treating the day almost as if it was a Super Bowl. It was no small task finding a ticket for the game as hockey fans traveled from all around the world looking to be in attendance. My girlfriend, a huge Penguins fan, was one of the lucky ones who got to witness the rare outdoor hockey event in person. The Classic was originally scheduled for noon, but because of a very rare mild and rainy New Year's day in Pittsburgh, the game had to be pushed back to 8pm. And because the rain persisted throughout much of the day, it was touch-and-go for a while there as to whether or not the NHL would get the game in, but thankfully, things went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, the Penguins lost, but most Pens fans who attended the event said they had an awesome time, regardless. A little unfortunate side-note from the memorable day was that the Winter Classic just so happened to be the day that Penguins star player Sidney Crosby suffered the hit that led to his year-long battle with concussions, and he's missed a significant amount of playing time over the past year.
*Just two weeks after the Winter Classic, Heinz Field would see another memorable event, only this time it was a more common occurrence-- an exciting playoff game involving the Steelers and their bitter AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. When the playoffs began last January, the Steelers were the number 2 seed and the Ravens were number 5, but it seemed almost inevitable that the two teams would eventually clash at Heinz Field. January 15th, on a Saturday evening, just so happened to be that night. Things didn't start off well for Pittsburgh, and they trailed at the half, 21-7. I had just left work when the second quarter ended, and even though I still had hope for a comeback, the rational side of me was prepared for a very depressing evening. But by the time I got home from work, the Steelers had already tied the game at 21. Thanks in large part to safety Ryan Clark, the defense had two quick takeaways in the third quarter, and the offense capitalized with two touchdowns. Fast-forward to late in the 4th quarter with the game tied at 24and the Steelers facing a 3rd and 19 just before the two-minute warning. Just when it looked like the Steelers would have to give the ball back to Baltimore, Ben Roethlisberger unleashed a pass 58 yards down field to rookie receiver Antonio Brown, who pulled the pass in and helped cradle it against his helmet before going out of bounds inside the 10. Rashard Mendenhall eventually punched it in, and the Steelers held on for a very memorable, 31-24, victory. I remember talking to my mom that night, and she said, "I can't believe we have to go through this all over again next week." Welcome to playoff football, Mom!
*Speaking of the next game, due to the New York Jets upset of the heavily favored New England Patriots at Foxboro, the Steelers got to host the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field on January 23rd. The Steelers built a 24-3 halftime lead, before holding on at the end, 24-19. The game wasn't nearly as exciting as the week before, but one thing I will remember is Jets coach Rex Ryan slamming his headset down in disgust after Antonio Brown caught the game-clinching pass on 3rd down with under two-minutes remaining.
*The Steelers were off to their third Super Bowl in six seasons, and another time that I will always cherish from 2011 was the two-week period leading up to the Big Game. Yes, I know the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV, and years from now, the only stuff anyone will remember about that game will be Big Ben's pick six, the secondary getting schooled by Aaron Rodgers all night, and of course, Rashard Mendenhall's critical 4th quarter fumble. However, Steelers fans seemed way more festive during the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl than they were before Pittsburgh's other recent Super Bowls. I don't know why. I know my mom was happy about it, and she relayed story after story to me about her interactions with people, and how happy they were when she would bring up the Super Bowl. I also encountered many people who were pretty happy about it, too. Even my boss, who is normally more critical than not, was very excited about the build up to XLV. A week before the game, I went to a party at a friend's house, and stopped at an establishment to pick up a six-pack of whatever so I wouldn't show up empty-handed. I was discussing the Super Bowl with the guy behind the bar, and when he gave me my change, he said with a sparkle in his eye, "You enjoy that game next week!" You could tell it meant a great deal to him. Anyway, to the people who say stuff like, "I'd rather see the Steelers not make the Super Bowl at all rather than see them make it and lose," how can you say such a thing? Weren't you happy when the Steelers beat the Jets? Didn't you celebrate that night? Weren't you festive for two weeks? That all has to count for something, right?
*A few weeks later, I had my own little highlight as I bowled a 190 in a league game. This, of course, enhanced my desire to get better at the sport, and I went out and bought my own ball. I spent the next couple of weeks spending way too much money, trying to improve my skills. Didn't work out as well as I'd hoped.
*Shortly after Super Bowl XLV, Michael Bean, founder and editor of Behind the Steel Curtain asked me if I would like to write some stuff for the main page. I had been writing fanposts on the Steelers blog site all throughout the 2010 season, and I was very excited about the opportunity. Beings that it was the offseason, however, I was worried about coming up with one or two stories each week. Fortunately, I was more than able to do that, and this helped me become a better, more well-rounded writer. It also allowed me to search the vault of my memory-bank and sort of relive many great moments that I've experienced as a Steelers fan throughout my life.
*Speaking of BTSC, in late June, I wrote a fun little "preview" of the Steelers 2011 season. Basically, I was just having a little comedic fun (even if I do believe in deja vu and want every Steelers season to end like 2005), and it was received rather warmly on BTSC. However, the day after I wrote this, I found the post linked to an Atlanta Falcons message board on NFL.com (I said the Steelers would beat the Falcons in Super Bowl XLVI because they always do well against "bird teams" in the Big Game), and the people on this board took me to task. I wish I had the link to the site, but I do remember that someone said, "This guy is not a writer, he's a blogger. To call this guy a writer is an insult to writers." Someone else called me pompous, and yet another Falcons fan gave me the best compliment of all: "A legendary moron." Believe it or not, I was proud of that. Anyway, if the Steelers have to enter the playoffs as the 5th seed, don't fret. Remember what transpired in 2005. It's written in the stars.
*To the surprise of many, a memorable part of 2011 involved the Pittsburgh Pirates actually flirting with contention for the first time since the late 90's. As late as the end of July, the Pirates were five-games over .500 and in first place in the National League Central division. Unfortunately, they soon suffered through a ten-game losing streak and fell out of contention pretty quickly. But it was a great summer being a Pirates fan again. I will always remember how the fans came out and showed their support for the team and demonstrated to the rest of the baseball world that there are plenty of Pirates fans out there, and PNC Park is an amazing place to watch a baseball game. If the Pirates can ever get it together and become a true contender, people will realize what a great baseball town the City of Pittsburgh truly is.
*Another great thing that happened to yours truly in 2011 was getting the opportunity to appear on Terrible Towel Talk--an Internet radio show produced by Michael Bean--one night in October, a few days after the Steelers defeated the Titans at Heinz Field. I was talking to Michael online, and he asked me if I would be interested in calling into his show. This was around midnight, but I said I would because I've always had an interest in sports talk radio. Needless to say, I was a little nervous having never appeared on the radio before. To calm myself down, I was out on my street, after midnight, doing wind-sprints. I think it worked, because even though I was still a little nervous, it wasn't as bad as it could have been if I hadn't found a way to release a bit of tension. It was a ton of fun, and maybe I'm just full of myself, but I think I did pretty well for my first time. Many thanks to Michael for the opportunity.
*My last two favorite sports moments from 2011 happened on the same day on October 30th. The first, and most important to Steeler Nation, was Pittsburgh's impressive, 25-17, victory over the New England Patriots at Heinz Field. To say that Steelers fans were a little sick and tired of Tom Brady's dominance of the Steelers defense in recent years is a bit of an understatement. "Styles make the match" is a phrase often used when one player or team appears to have the number of another player or team, and Brady's quick release and willingness to pick a defense apart with underneath passes was the kryptonite of Dick Lebeau's philosophy that, sooner or later, a quarterback will make a mistake. Well, Brady is one of the all-time greats; mistakes are not his norm. That's why much credit has to be given to Lebeau for his willingness to have his corners play a more aggressive style against Wes Welker and Company on Devil's Night. Brady was off his game the entire day, and Pittsburgh's secondary turned in maybe its most impressive performance in a season filled with many great performances. As for me, well, just as the Steelers were putting their finishing touches on a great night, I was in the beginning stages of the greatest bowling match of my life. In my first two games, I bowled a 168 and a 188. But I saved my best for last. In game three, I was in a zone and didn't have an open frame until the 9th. I wasn't sure of my score at that point, but I thought I had a real good shot at my 2nd 200 game (first in league play). When I began the 10th frame, I had a 190, and for the first time in the match, I was a little nervous. I knew I needed at least ten pins to accomplish my goal. On my first roll, I picked up eight pins, but unfortunately, the two pins that I left were the 4 and 7. Since I'm left-handed, this required me to pick up a pretty difficult spare for any recreational bowler. Unfortunately, I didn't pick it up, but a 198 is nothing to sneeze at, and I was very proud of what I had done. A 548 isn't too far away from a 600 series. It was truly a great day all the way around. The Steelers knocked off their long-time nemesis, and I bowled a 548. Can't get much better than that.
I hope you enjoyed reliving some great moments with me. May 2012 be even greater for you and yours.
Happy New Year!
Join me as I discuss my favorite sports moments from 2011 involving the teams I follow and care about. And heck, I'll even throw in some personal moments that involved yours truly.
* The first memorable moment happened on the very first day of 2011. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals played in the NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field on New Year's day. I'm not a huge hockey fan, but I remember the city and fans treating the day almost as if it was a Super Bowl. It was no small task finding a ticket for the game as hockey fans traveled from all around the world looking to be in attendance. My girlfriend, a huge Penguins fan, was one of the lucky ones who got to witness the rare outdoor hockey event in person. The Classic was originally scheduled for noon, but because of a very rare mild and rainy New Year's day in Pittsburgh, the game had to be pushed back to 8pm. And because the rain persisted throughout much of the day, it was touch-and-go for a while there as to whether or not the NHL would get the game in, but thankfully, things went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, the Penguins lost, but most Pens fans who attended the event said they had an awesome time, regardless. A little unfortunate side-note from the memorable day was that the Winter Classic just so happened to be the day that Penguins star player Sidney Crosby suffered the hit that led to his year-long battle with concussions, and he's missed a significant amount of playing time over the past year.
*Just two weeks after the Winter Classic, Heinz Field would see another memorable event, only this time it was a more common occurrence-- an exciting playoff game involving the Steelers and their bitter AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. When the playoffs began last January, the Steelers were the number 2 seed and the Ravens were number 5, but it seemed almost inevitable that the two teams would eventually clash at Heinz Field. January 15th, on a Saturday evening, just so happened to be that night. Things didn't start off well for Pittsburgh, and they trailed at the half, 21-7. I had just left work when the second quarter ended, and even though I still had hope for a comeback, the rational side of me was prepared for a very depressing evening. But by the time I got home from work, the Steelers had already tied the game at 21. Thanks in large part to safety Ryan Clark, the defense had two quick takeaways in the third quarter, and the offense capitalized with two touchdowns. Fast-forward to late in the 4th quarter with the game tied at 24and the Steelers facing a 3rd and 19 just before the two-minute warning. Just when it looked like the Steelers would have to give the ball back to Baltimore, Ben Roethlisberger unleashed a pass 58 yards down field to rookie receiver Antonio Brown, who pulled the pass in and helped cradle it against his helmet before going out of bounds inside the 10. Rashard Mendenhall eventually punched it in, and the Steelers held on for a very memorable, 31-24, victory. I remember talking to my mom that night, and she said, "I can't believe we have to go through this all over again next week." Welcome to playoff football, Mom!
*Speaking of the next game, due to the New York Jets upset of the heavily favored New England Patriots at Foxboro, the Steelers got to host the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field on January 23rd. The Steelers built a 24-3 halftime lead, before holding on at the end, 24-19. The game wasn't nearly as exciting as the week before, but one thing I will remember is Jets coach Rex Ryan slamming his headset down in disgust after Antonio Brown caught the game-clinching pass on 3rd down with under two-minutes remaining.
*The Steelers were off to their third Super Bowl in six seasons, and another time that I will always cherish from 2011 was the two-week period leading up to the Big Game. Yes, I know the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV, and years from now, the only stuff anyone will remember about that game will be Big Ben's pick six, the secondary getting schooled by Aaron Rodgers all night, and of course, Rashard Mendenhall's critical 4th quarter fumble. However, Steelers fans seemed way more festive during the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl than they were before Pittsburgh's other recent Super Bowls. I don't know why. I know my mom was happy about it, and she relayed story after story to me about her interactions with people, and how happy they were when she would bring up the Super Bowl. I also encountered many people who were pretty happy about it, too. Even my boss, who is normally more critical than not, was very excited about the build up to XLV. A week before the game, I went to a party at a friend's house, and stopped at an establishment to pick up a six-pack of whatever so I wouldn't show up empty-handed. I was discussing the Super Bowl with the guy behind the bar, and when he gave me my change, he said with a sparkle in his eye, "You enjoy that game next week!" You could tell it meant a great deal to him. Anyway, to the people who say stuff like, "I'd rather see the Steelers not make the Super Bowl at all rather than see them make it and lose," how can you say such a thing? Weren't you happy when the Steelers beat the Jets? Didn't you celebrate that night? Weren't you festive for two weeks? That all has to count for something, right?
*A few weeks later, I had my own little highlight as I bowled a 190 in a league game. This, of course, enhanced my desire to get better at the sport, and I went out and bought my own ball. I spent the next couple of weeks spending way too much money, trying to improve my skills. Didn't work out as well as I'd hoped.
*Shortly after Super Bowl XLV, Michael Bean, founder and editor of Behind the Steel Curtain asked me if I would like to write some stuff for the main page. I had been writing fanposts on the Steelers blog site all throughout the 2010 season, and I was very excited about the opportunity. Beings that it was the offseason, however, I was worried about coming up with one or two stories each week. Fortunately, I was more than able to do that, and this helped me become a better, more well-rounded writer. It also allowed me to search the vault of my memory-bank and sort of relive many great moments that I've experienced as a Steelers fan throughout my life.
*Speaking of BTSC, in late June, I wrote a fun little "preview" of the Steelers 2011 season. Basically, I was just having a little comedic fun (even if I do believe in deja vu and want every Steelers season to end like 2005), and it was received rather warmly on BTSC. However, the day after I wrote this, I found the post linked to an Atlanta Falcons message board on NFL.com (I said the Steelers would beat the Falcons in Super Bowl XLVI because they always do well against "bird teams" in the Big Game), and the people on this board took me to task. I wish I had the link to the site, but I do remember that someone said, "This guy is not a writer, he's a blogger. To call this guy a writer is an insult to writers." Someone else called me pompous, and yet another Falcons fan gave me the best compliment of all: "A legendary moron." Believe it or not, I was proud of that. Anyway, if the Steelers have to enter the playoffs as the 5th seed, don't fret. Remember what transpired in 2005. It's written in the stars.
*To the surprise of many, a memorable part of 2011 involved the Pittsburgh Pirates actually flirting with contention for the first time since the late 90's. As late as the end of July, the Pirates were five-games over .500 and in first place in the National League Central division. Unfortunately, they soon suffered through a ten-game losing streak and fell out of contention pretty quickly. But it was a great summer being a Pirates fan again. I will always remember how the fans came out and showed their support for the team and demonstrated to the rest of the baseball world that there are plenty of Pirates fans out there, and PNC Park is an amazing place to watch a baseball game. If the Pirates can ever get it together and become a true contender, people will realize what a great baseball town the City of Pittsburgh truly is.
*Another great thing that happened to yours truly in 2011 was getting the opportunity to appear on Terrible Towel Talk--an Internet radio show produced by Michael Bean--one night in October, a few days after the Steelers defeated the Titans at Heinz Field. I was talking to Michael online, and he asked me if I would be interested in calling into his show. This was around midnight, but I said I would because I've always had an interest in sports talk radio. Needless to say, I was a little nervous having never appeared on the radio before. To calm myself down, I was out on my street, after midnight, doing wind-sprints. I think it worked, because even though I was still a little nervous, it wasn't as bad as it could have been if I hadn't found a way to release a bit of tension. It was a ton of fun, and maybe I'm just full of myself, but I think I did pretty well for my first time. Many thanks to Michael for the opportunity.
*My last two favorite sports moments from 2011 happened on the same day on October 30th. The first, and most important to Steeler Nation, was Pittsburgh's impressive, 25-17, victory over the New England Patriots at Heinz Field. To say that Steelers fans were a little sick and tired of Tom Brady's dominance of the Steelers defense in recent years is a bit of an understatement. "Styles make the match" is a phrase often used when one player or team appears to have the number of another player or team, and Brady's quick release and willingness to pick a defense apart with underneath passes was the kryptonite of Dick Lebeau's philosophy that, sooner or later, a quarterback will make a mistake. Well, Brady is one of the all-time greats; mistakes are not his norm. That's why much credit has to be given to Lebeau for his willingness to have his corners play a more aggressive style against Wes Welker and Company on Devil's Night. Brady was off his game the entire day, and Pittsburgh's secondary turned in maybe its most impressive performance in a season filled with many great performances. As for me, well, just as the Steelers were putting their finishing touches on a great night, I was in the beginning stages of the greatest bowling match of my life. In my first two games, I bowled a 168 and a 188. But I saved my best for last. In game three, I was in a zone and didn't have an open frame until the 9th. I wasn't sure of my score at that point, but I thought I had a real good shot at my 2nd 200 game (first in league play). When I began the 10th frame, I had a 190, and for the first time in the match, I was a little nervous. I knew I needed at least ten pins to accomplish my goal. On my first roll, I picked up eight pins, but unfortunately, the two pins that I left were the 4 and 7. Since I'm left-handed, this required me to pick up a pretty difficult spare for any recreational bowler. Unfortunately, I didn't pick it up, but a 198 is nothing to sneeze at, and I was very proud of what I had done. A 548 isn't too far away from a 600 series. It was truly a great day all the way around. The Steelers knocked off their long-time nemesis, and I bowled a 548. Can't get much better than that.
I hope you enjoyed reliving some great moments with me. May 2012 be even greater for you and yours.
Happy New Year!
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