On The Black Side

My time is up

2008-11-02T08:05:00.002-06:00

I'm officially done with On The Black Side...it was a great ride while it lasted.

Not really, but no worries.

I have recently joined the kick-ass staff at Behind The Steel Curtain, which is the best Steelers blog on the web. I will continue posting there, so you should check it out to read the other, better, writers they have. I may contribute something worthwhile here and there.

I'm also still writing news blurbs on the AFC North for Real Football 365, so you should check that out, too.

Thanks for reading! I look forward to hearing from you on these other sites. GO STEELERS!

Game Wrap-Up: Ben Fuego is back

2008-10-05T22:53:00.005-05:00

Kudos to the Steelers' offense for implementing and creating an effective game-plan to pull out a huge 26-21 victory at Jacksonville, and beating a team they've lost to four consecutive times. But it was the defense that once again dominated the line of scrimmage.

I had a brief email exchange with Cotter at One For The Other Thumb prior to Sunday night's 26-21 win over Jacksonville.

In my ramblings, I mentioned to him that Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was going to make our darkest moment his finest hour.

Just to make sure all the Arians haters know this...that's exactly what he did.

Yes, execution is the ultimate judge, but Arians took Mewelde Moore, Najeh Davenport and a sore throwing shoulder of Roethlisberger's and turned it into the finest first half offensive performance the team has had against a team not based in Texas all season. After Jacksonville adjusted, he got enough from his brutalized offensive line (that added left tackle Marvel Smith to its Wounded List) for a dramatic 11 play drive that resulted in a touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Jacksonville's most hated opponent, Hines Ward.

After a completely bogus review of the play, and an embarrassing display of incompetance regarding the seemingly simple act of starting the clock at the correct time, the Steelers missed a two-point conversion. Fortunately, new front-runner-to-lose-Defensive-Player-of-the-Year-honors-to-Albert-Haynesworth candidate James Harrison took over, picking up a sack and a boatload of pressure, shutting down the overrated David Garrard.

(speaking of Harrison and Haynesworth...as long as the league stops feeding us the utter BS that self-promotion and celebrations aimed to garner the attention of the network doesn't gain anything and isn't tolerated, then I'll accept whatever award they choose. Fact is, Harrison gets little to no publicity because the league doesn't talk about him because he doesn't dance after his big plays. Don't tell me he has less of an impact on his defense than Haynesworth does. I shouldn't be worried about such things, what, with each passing week proving again that 2008 is the worst officiated year on record and all, but I will anyway.)

So what about Hampton and Keisel?

You're never going to hear a whole lot of negative commentary about Casey Hampton, but back-up NT Chris Hoke has a way of getting the job done in his absence. Sunday night's victory moves the Steelers to 12-1 in his career when Hoke starts. He did a great job against Jacksonville's zone blocking running scheme, and shut down a running back tandem who ran all over Pittsburgh in two games last year.

Hoke highlighted a fine performance from several Steelers back-ups forced into the lineup in a hostile stadium against a physical opponent. Right guard Darnell Stapleton ended up getting the start over Trai Essex, and he'll grade out well upon review of the film. Travis Kirschke played well in the absence of Keisel and DE Nick Eason.

None played better than the Steelers' top free agent acquisition.

That's ME-welde Moore

He made sure the Minneapolis media knew his name was pronounced ME-welde, so the radio people around here sort of made fun of that by overstating the "ME" part of his name. His 99 yards were easily the biggest 99 rushing yards of this season, considering the team's aim was to throw the ball, and he had to take his opportunities in spots.

He made the most of it. Again, credit to Arians to apply the perfect mix of Moore to compliment Roethlisberger's hot hand. Execution was not flawless, but the plan put them in position to win. Moore was a big part of that.

Bye Week fun

The Steelers get their usual early October bye, and rest up to go to rival Cincinnati in Week 7. Sandwiched between games against the Bengals in Week 7 and Week 12 is a brutal stretch of games against the Giants, Washington, Indianapolis and San Diego.

Knowing that, 4-and-1 is a pretty good place to be. With a 2-and-a-half game lead over the Ravens for the AFC North championship, they're in a good spot.

Game Wrap Up: A Painful Win

2008-09-30T05:17:00.003-05:00

It was a big Pittsburgh win, but losing Mendenhall and Simmons for the year, and two key special teams players, indicates Baltimore may end up being more able to out-last the Steelers over the season. Either way, the Ravens' defense is what got all the pre-game publicity, but it was the playmaking ability of the Steelers' D that won the game.

The Steelers got the better of rival Baltimore Monday night, sealing their seventh straight relevant win in the AFC North when Jeff Reed nailed a 49-yard field goal off Pittsburgh's first overtime possession.

Baltimore probably put themselves more in position to win the war, though.

Steelers players were dropping likes flies throughout the game, further depleting the team. Already without NT Casey Hampton, RB Willie Parker and DE Brett Keisel, the Steelers lost LB/special teams ace Andre Frazier, starting RG Kendall Simmons, RB Rashard Mendenhall, RB Carey Davis and special teamer Keyaron Fox.

Frazier was hit on the first kick of the game, and was taken off the field on a stretcher. If there is any justice in the NFL, Haruki Nakamura will be issued a fine for the helmet-to-helmet hit, which left Frazier with a spinal cord injury, according to the team.

Simmons suffered an Achilles' heel injury, and will be placed on the IR, ending his season. The rookie Mendenhall, making the first start of his career, fractured his shoulder, and will also be out for the rest of the season.

At least the Ravens can have comfort in losing, but physically disassembling the Steelers enough to severely damper their chances of continuing their dominance of the AFC North. Pittsburgh was 5-1 in the division last season, only losing at Baltimore when the division champions rested most of their starters in a meaningless game. They are 2-0 inside the division now, with wins over the hapless Browns and the Ravens.

Tomlin back to Minnesota roots in run game

The loss of Mendenhall for the year and possibly Davis for an extended period of time would put little depth behind (injured) starter Willie Parker. At the end of the game, Mewelde Moore - a big reason the Steelers were able to hang on for the win - was the only active running back available. Will the loss of Mendenhall bring with it a promotion of Gary Russell from the practice squad? Russell was cut not even two weeks ago for the sake of bringing in special teams depth.

Ironically, the Steelers will need that, and Russell, too, assuming Frazier's spinal cord injury will keep him out of action for a while.

Russell, a University of Minnesota product, joins Moore, a Minnesota Viking when Tomlin was the defensive coordinator, in the thinnest Steelers backfield in years.

Who had the better defense?

If one was go follow the 90 minute gush-fest about the Ravens defense, it would appear to have been pretty obvious.

Anyone who watches and understands the game in a capacity that does not include a need to increase TV ratings will be able to tell you it was the Steelers' defense - and not the highly touted Ravens - who controlled the second-half.

At the very least, it's fair to say the Ravens provided the tough-nosed stability and roughness, but it was the Steelers who provided the big plays and ultimately won the game.

If that is at all doubted, let's always remember who won the coin toss, who failed to move the ball, who punted, and who gave up 35 yards to Mewelde Moore to set up the game-winning field goal.

Harrison will pick up his second Defensive Player of the Week award

Lost in the hypnotizing and empty rhetoric of veteran, exhalted General Ray Lewis was the more impressive play of Steelers linebacker James Harrison. Interestingly enough, the broadcasting team barely touched on the fact that Harrison, in two games against Baltimore at home, now has 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. It's much more entertaining to watch Lewis wax moronical about finding balances and his best game instead of watching Harrison abuse the Ravens offensive line, and the most over-credited game-manager in football, Joe Flacco (that's FLACK-o, Mr. Jaworski, not FLOCK-o).

It's a good thing Harrison cares very little about getting his face on TV. He may be upset if he had Lewis's "team-first-as-long-as-the-team-is-about-me" attitude.

Giving credit where it's due, Lewis played a great game, and is clearly back from whatever was nagging him last year (ego bruise). The rest of the defense played very well, and first-year coach John Harbaugh clearly has them on the right track. The fact is, though, Harrison and OLB LaMarr Woodley were more impressive than any Ravens player, but got very little fanfare.

It's likely not a coincidence that while Harrison is second in the NFL with 5.5 sacks, the only headlines he'll get over the self-promotional genius Lewis is the one that reads "Steelers Repeat as Division Champs."

Has Lewis ever earned that one? Nope.

Steelers Key Player: Rashard Mendenhall

2008-09-29T10:10:00.004-05:00

The key to the Steelers success tonight is Mendenhall the Wrecking Ball, but not just his yards per carry. Mendenhall has to bring his A-blocking game to help provide protection to a battered Ben Roethlisberger so the Steelers can exploit the Ravens' depleted secondary.

One of the more overlooked aspects of a young running back's game is what he provides in pass protection. When Mike Tomlin evaluated his first overall pick in the 2008 draft, he mentioned his size (5-foot-10, 225 pounds), his speed (4.45 40-yard at the Combine) and the part that jumped out the most, he mentioned his ability and willingness to stand in and block.

Rookie running backs are usually not three-down players. It's not just the adjustment to the speed of the NFL game, and it's not just a lack of pass-catching skills. A lot of the time, it's a back's lack of ability to step into a blitzer and knock him flat on his butt.

Mendenhall was drafted by the Steelers because he's ready to do that right now. Any coach is going to be nervous putting a back in on a passing down if he can't handle the responsibility of being the last line of defense between a successful pass and a hit that brings in a back-up quarterback. It's even more true against a blitz-happy Baltimore team, bringing punishment with each snap.

Ravens' RB Willis McGahee was dogged early in his career for a lack of willingness to block. Since then, he's developed into one of the more physical blockers out of that position in the game. It's a guy Mendenhall could emulate.

Mendenhall had already been the team's third-down back in many situations through three games. RB Mewelde Moore is not the greatest blocker in the league, either, so it looks as if Mendenhall will go all three downs in tonight's game. He can expect the Ravens to come after he and Roethlisberger through land, air and sea all night.

This isn't a bold statement. The two games between the Ravens and Steelers each year mostly have a lack of ground success in common. Don't expect any back in this game to have many outstanding rushes, but the one key advantage the Steelers have is that Ravens CB Samari Rolle and S Dawan Landry are out with injuries. If Roethlisberger has the time to throw, and WRs Santonio Holmes, Nate Washington - Pittsburgh's bes two deep threats - and Hines Ward are able to get more than two seconds to get open (unlike Week 3), the Steelers could put up a nice number on the scoreboard.

If not, or if Mendenhall is not able to step up and stone a few guys cold, this could turn into a 10-10 gridlock match that does not favor the Steelers. And right about now is when people are really starting to wonder if Roethlisberger is even going to last to the bye week.

Mendenhall isn't going to rush for 150 yards in his career debut, but he'll become a favored player in Pittsburgh if he can help keep Roethlisberger's jersey mostly clean - especially on third downs, where the Ravens are holding teams to a microscopic 19 percent conversion percentage.

Game-Day Notes: Prediction? Pain

2008-09-29T05:17:00.004-05:00

It's 14 hours from kickoff, and the spotlight shifts from the rest of the NFL to Baltimore at Pittsburgh.

Clubber Lang says it the best:

Ravens Locker predicts a 9-7 Steelers win, but notes the Ravens are going to blitz Ben Roethlisberger back to the stone age. A fair assessment.

Five of the seven Baltimore Sun writers picked the Steelers. 'Course, all seven of them picked the Broncos to beat the Chiefs, too, but who didn't?

Dale Lolley points the finger at the only constant the Steelers have had in their passing game...Roethlisberger. An astute observation. Ben looks a little slow. The Ravens are going to look to come after him on every passing down, and maybe even when he's on the sideline during punts.

Behind the Steel Curtain poses an interesting question: considering how the Steelers developed Brett Keisel on special teams due to his athleticism, how are they supposed to develop a guy like Darnell Stapleton?

James Pete at Steel Tradition discusses the Hines Ward vs. Bart Scott "feud" that apparently exists. It was given life by the fact Ward cleaned Scott's clock last season, and Scott threatened to kill him. Pete says Scott allegedly tackled Ward after the game. I hadn't heard that, but I wouldn't put it past him, either.

Ryan Wilson gives Post-Gazette columnist Gene Collier a big "whatev" in response to a column he wrote. I certainly won't pretend I don't get frustrated at times with columnists of the local fishwraps covering the Steelers, but after reading Collier, I am usually reminded that he and I probably make the same amount of money, and there's a good reason for it. Neither of us really bring anything anyone cares about in the workplace.

It seems Wilson want to go knuckles with him, judging by his column on Steel City Insider. Ye gads! Someone gimme odds on Collier making a back-handed comment about "internet writers" in his next column. That's the classic grisled veterain journalist response to criticism nowadays.

Watch Cotter and Tecmo's pre-game show...the main points seem to be Flacco's a young QB, McFadden's getting a pick (second that) and Cleveland Rocks. I gave it a seven, mostly cuz eight wasn't an option.

Scott showing his true competitive side

2008-09-28T06:04:00.004-05:00

I've got the Mighty Os Holes in Fantasy this week. I'm not fooled at all by their 0-3 start. I've got a feeling J.T. O'Sullivan's gonna go off on New Orleans, and my squad, Blowcho Cinco, may be in trouble.

But what got me really fired up wasn't his vanilla comments, like, "we're not very good," or "I want my money back," or "there's not a chance I'm playing next year."

He told me he's sitting Ben Roethlisberger. That got me fired up.

See, Fantasy Football is a sacred thing between guys, and competitors step up to play when they're properly motivated. I had no reason to want to play until Os started talking trash.

Now I've got my bulletin board material. I wouldn't be able to get up for the game without out.

Sound ridiculous?

Steelers rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall allegedly sent a few text messages to friend and Ravens running back Ray Rice, apparently, suggesting Mendenhall was going to have a big game Monday night.

Allegedly, Rice beelined it straight over to the Ravens defensive players, and showed them the texts. That fired up the outspoken Bart Scott, who ESPN's James Walker quoted as saying:

"He said later that he was just joking, but it's too late. Thanks for the bulletin-board material, rookie.

What a pussy.

Bart, I took you for a real competitor. My mistake. The media give us the impression this is a really big game for both teams. I would think playing on Monday Night for the lead of the AFC North against your biggest rival would be enough in itself.

Apparently, you need text messages coming from rookie running backs to motivate you to play. That's gutsy, man.

The same way Os fired me up is going to motivate you to play better. All Steelers players are going to remember to steer clear of your verbal tirade when you or one of your Ravens buddies over-exaggerate a tackle, or celebrate a six-yard gain because you know you're on TV.

Here's some more bulletin board material for you:

Your defense consists of a bunch of pile-jumping, stats-before-team prima donnas.

Jason Whitlock once wrote: "Call me when the Ravens win a playoff game."

That was sometime around 2004. His phone's been silent since. Perhaps that's because you need a wireless device communicae between friends to get ready to play.

Opponent Spotlight: LB Bart Scott

2008-09-25T05:25:00.004-05:00

Ravens linebacker Bart Scott hasn't done much of anything since his Pro Bowl season of 2006. The division's short-but-explosive-linebacker-with-a-ginormous-chip-on-his-shoulder award has been transferred to Steelers' linebacker James Harrison. Is that the exact motivation Scott needs to make an impact in this game again?

On a crisp and clear Christmas Eve morning of 2006 in Baltimore, the Ravens gave the Steelers an early present - they ended their season one year after winning the Super Bowl. They returned the favor from the 2001 season, after the Steelers lambasted the defending champion Ravens 27-10 in the Divisional round of the AFC Playoffs.

That was the last year that saw a Ravens playoff win (shhh...they don't like it when you remind them of that), and it was the last year they did not have Scott on their roster. Scott, the bad-ass-and-attitude linebacker from Southern Illinois is a tough dude, and he loves telling people how tough he is. He even refers to himself as The Madbacker.

To his credit, Scott walked the self-imposed walk on that Christmas Eve in 2006. Blitzing free from his outside (mad)linebacker position, he gave Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger the biggest smackdown of his career en route to a huge Ravens victory.

Roethlisberger got even with a five-touchdown performance last year on Monday Night, the same night the Steelers honored their 75th Anniversary team. It was the same night the eerily similar Harrison had quite possibly the best individual defensive performance in team history.

Harrison finished with 10 tackles, 3.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, officially passing Scott as the resident badass of the AFC North.

The ever-loquacious Ravens take exception to that, though. They are back among the defensive leaders of the NFL. Any team worth its salt would be, considering they've only played Cincinnati and Cleveland - a combined 0-6 - but with the Steelers obvious protection problems last week at Philadelphia, there's no doubt Scott, LB Terrell Suggs and the rest of the Ravens pass rush is licking their chops at the chance to provide a Scottish smack on Roethlisberger again.

One issue of concern with Scott is the fact he's had one sack in his past 18 games. He creates disruption, and plays with serious intensity, but his talk hasn't matched his play over the past season and change.

Either way, grudge matches in the NFL like Baltimore v. Pittsburgh comes down to attitude. While each team has been on the winning side of blowouts the past two seasons, the games are usually competitive, defensive affairs in which the run game is a non-factor on either side.

With Steelers RB Willie Parker out, and Ravens RB Willis McGahee suffering a corneal abrasion in last week's win over Cleveland, the younger backs of each team (Rashard Mendenhall for Pittsburgh, Le'Ron McClain and Ray Rice for the Ravens) will be more in the spotlight. Neither of these teams have had a 100-yard rusher against each other in the last eight games. Scott will be instrumental in continuing that streak, and will look to regain his Resident Badass title.

Assuming Harrison doesn't wig out and have another career performance like he did last year.

Game Wrap Up: Offensive problem in Pittsburgh

2008-09-22T05:15:00.004-05:00

The only correct action it seemed Steelers' right tackle Willie Colon took Sunday was his admittance that Pittsburgh's offensive line was manhandled by Philadelphia in a 15-6 loss.

He wasn't the only one who was abused by a nearly comedic level of domination on the Eagles' defensive line. The Eagles hunted Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger as if he was a 12-point buck, forcing Pittsburgh to put TE Heath Miller in the backfield to help with protection.

Desperate times and desperate measures...

There was a series of seven plays in the second half where the Eagles picked up five sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery. That's an entire game's worth of quality defensive statistics wrapped up nicely in an efficient seven snaps. It's seven plays in three games that brought the Steelers back to the ominous pre-season predictions that they are a talented team, but their pass protection will ultimately be their undoing.

The Eagles finished with nine sacks overall, knocking Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger out of the game with a hand injury when the outcome was surprisingly in doubt late in the fourth quarter. It should have been 10. It was 10-6 when Roethlisberger, flushed out of the pocket to accomplish the exceedingly difficult task of getting rid of the ball, was flagged for intentional grounding despite being outside the tackles and was clearly releasing the ball to RB Mewelde Moore, who was past the line of scrimmage and was five yards from the passer.

The intentional grounding gave the Eagles a safety and a 12-6 lead. David Akers' ensuing field goal after the free kick gave the Eagles the final points of the game.

Polamalu gets third INT of the year

Lost, somewhat ironically, in the best defensive performance the Steelers have seen from an opponent since Christmas of 2006 (at Baltimore), was an interception SS Troy Polamalu made off a tipped Kevin Kolb pass in the second half. CB Bryant McFadden, who has played spectacularly in the absence of injured starter Deshea Townsend, broke up a pass, sending it high in the air. Polamalu broke on the ball, dove and was parallel to the ground, making the catch with one arm while rolling over just enough to keep it off the turf at Lincoln Financial Field.

An Eagles challenge upheld the call, and cemented what could be Polamalu's finest play in a remarkable career. It was Polamalu's third interception of the season, tying him for second in the NFL.

In case you were wondering, the last Steeler to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year was Rod Woodson in 1993.

Baltimore brings first serious AFC North battle

The Steelers travel to Baltimore in Week 4 for a Monday Night Football showdown with the Hated Ravens. With wins over Cincinnati and Cleveland, the Ravens now have more wins inside the North than they did all last season. Their only win came in Week 17 vs. Pittsburgh, who played its back-ups in a throwaway game.

Their defense looked sharp in a 28-10 win over Cleveland in Week 3. If the Ravens win, they're sitting at 3-0 both overall and within the division in a season that looks like 5-1 inside the North may not be enough to win it. Both Cleveland and Cincinnati are 0-3 and look horrible.

It's easy for Steelers fans to dismiss the Ravens and rookie QB Joe Flacco, but frankly, after Sunday's offensive abomination, they've got nuthin' on nobody offensively.

Alleged big-play threat Santonio Holmes has yet to see the end zone this season, and has 10 catches in three games. Hines Ward is the only Steelers receiver with a touchdown (3). In case you didn't notice, their offensive line was abysmal, and Roethlisberger's injured hand is being re-evaluate as I write this.

There's officially an offensive problem in Pittsburgh.

Opponent Spotlight: Donovan McNabb

2008-09-17T05:53:00.004-05:00

Did you SEE that play McNabb made Monday Night? Which one? All of them. A preseason pick for NFL MVP, Eagles QB Donovan McNabb didn't get the win Monday night at Dallas, but he showed he's back from injury, and is playing the best football of his outstanding career.

Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports wrote in August, before Tom Brady's injury, that Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was his choice for MVP of the 2008 season.

His words:

This may be more of a wish than a belief, but Donovan McNabb is my pick for league MVP. He's been written off by most the experts. He's too injury prone. He's overrated without Terrell Owens. I love the way McNabb approaches the game. In the right situation -- had Owens supported McNabb the way Owens supports Tony Romo — McNabb could've been as good as Brady and Peyton Manning. McNabb is going to have a rebound season and make his critics choke on crow.

No one's ripping Whitlock - or McNabb - now, not after the performance he put up in Week 2 at Dallas. He was 25-for-37 for 281 yards and a touchdown.

Those stats don't take into account the way McNabb was able to sluff off pressure, move around the pocket and keep plays alive. They don't indicate how calmly and confidently he scanned four options before making a decision - and how it was almost always the right one.

And he would have had two touchdowns had it not been for a moron rookie wide receiver.

Take note of one play McNabb made. The pocket collapsed around him, and he sought escape to his left. He sprinted effortlessly out of the pocket, and got hemmed in at the sideline. He took a shot from a head-hunting linebacker who forgot how strong McNabb's upper body is. McNabb twisted around just in time to see a safety come in for the kill. He gracefully spun off of him, and even used his free arm to help the safety fly past him with extra force.

He didn't gain more than two or three yards on the play, but it was a fine display of strength, balance and more than anything, confidence.

That's why the Steelers are in trouble. He clearly is not injured, and he has all the confidence in the world. That's not the kind of quarterback a defense wants to see on the road.

He hit deep passes, he exploited the seam, he efficiently got the ball to his world-beating running back Brian Westbrook. Make no mistake, this is the best player the Steelers will have faced by 8 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 21.

Matt Schaub? Good joke. Derek Anderson? Most overrated player in the game. McNabb?

Potential MVP.

The Steelers will be without athletic defensive end Brett Keisel (yes, you read here he'd be out two months, and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he'd be out week-to-week. All that means is Tomlin will tell us next week that Keisel is out for Week 4. Repeat this until about Week 6). They didn't get to the statue-esque Anderson very often, and forcing linebacker James Farrior or either safety, Ryan Clark or Troy Polamalu, into containment duties draws away from the Steelers' playmaking ability.

What will be tougher, though, is covering that Moron Rookie Desean Jackson. Granted, Jackson only had the ball for 60 of the 61 yards he needed to score a touchdown, but that doesn't make a bit of difference to anyone not playing Fantasy Football (read: the Steelers defense). Jackson showed other-world speed and burst, and there isn't a Steelers corner who's going to be able to cover him deep outside the numbers.

This makes pass-rush and contain on McNabb critical. He looked better than he has in years in the pocket, and as Tomlin said in his press conference Tuesday, if McNabb is committed to getting outside the pocket, he's probably going to be able to do so. He'll have to be watched closer than Jack watched Gaylord M. Focker, and the key to a big Steelers road win will be how much they can limit McNabb, especially on third downs.

The one optimistic stat the Steelers can take away from Philly's 41-37 loss at Dallas Monday is the Cowboys held McNabb and the Eagles to seven points in the second half. The only real problem with that is the fact their offense is explosive and savvy enough to put 37 points on arguably the best team in the NFL on the road on Monday Night.

McNabb's in a class of his own right now. The Steelers' defense is going to have a helluva time keeping him in check.

Keisel Out 2 Months

2008-09-15T17:15:00.007-05:00

The Steelers will go several games without one of their starting defensive end for the second time in two seasons.

KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh is reporting Monday afternoon that defensive end Brett Keisel will be out two months after suffering a calf injury in Sunday's 10-6 win over Cleveland.

The team hasn't confirmed this, but coach Mike Tomlin usually won't discuss injuries until his Tuesday press conference.

He left with an injury in the first half, and did not return. Nick Eason was his replacement, and likely will inherit the starting position.

The team lost DE Aaron Smith last season, and their run defense fell apart. It culminated in four losses in their last five games.

Coincidentally, Pittsburgh lost a starting defensive lineman, nose tackle Casey Hampton, two weeks before the team played Philadelphia in 2004. The Steelers inserted Chris Hoke and Travis Kirschke into situations, and were the top-ranked defense in the NFL.

One of the biggest question marks going into this season was the depth of their defensive line. Depending on the severity of the injury, Keisel could be placed on injured-reserve, which would end his season, and clear a roster spot. But if KDKA's report is accurate, and he is out two months, the Steelers may be forced to release someone, or elevate a lineman from the practice squad, where NT John Paxon, a second-year player from Penn State, is the only defensive lineman.

The Steelers cut DE Ryan McBean, a fourth-round draft pick in 2007, this pre-season. He's currently with Denver's practice squad. By rule, teams are allowed to sign players from other teams' practice squads if they are placed on the active roster. The Steelers would have to release someone if they are going to sign on another player to the active roster.

Game Wrap-up: 10th straight win over Cleveland put Steelers in familiar ground

2008-09-15T05:06:00.007-05:00

Neither rain nor sleet nor driving winds or poor clock management could stop the Steelers from winning their 10th straight over Cleveland.

In weather that only brought back bad memories of the Steelers 3-0 win over Miami last season, Pittsburgh was able to get just enough offense to pull out a 10-6 win over the trendy AFC North favorite Browns.

Unlike the Steelers' Week 1 thrashing of Houston, Pittsburgh actually had to play four quarters, and if it wasn't for a mismanaged offensive possession at the end of the first half that resulted in and interception by strong safety Troy Polamalu of Browns quarterback Derek Anderson, the result may have swung a different way.

Cleveland had the ball at Pittsburgh's 11-yard line with eight seconds left in the first half when Anderson dared put it near Polamalu. It was the closest the Browns (0-2) got to the end zone, and they have now managed one touchdown in their last eight quarters.

It was the second interception this season for the resurgent Polamalu - who had an epic battle with Browns TE Kellen Winslow. The Steelers now hold a two-game lead over Cleveland and Cincinnati, who lost 24-7 to Tennessee in its home opener.

Baltimore was scheduled to play at Houston, but damages to Reliant Stadium caused by Hurricane Ike postponed the game for Nov. 9.

The Steelers never trailed the division hunt last season en route to head coach Mike Tomlin's first division championship. The team was plagued last year by one victory in their final five games, a swoon that left the door open for the Browns. The division race came down to the fact the Steelers won the two regular season meetings the teams had.

Quarterbacks a serious concern in AFC North

Outside of Winslow, who played with great heart and didn't take the bait he was constantly being teased by the Steelers entire defense, the Browns offense didn't have a single playmaker Sunday night, most particularly Anderson, who is backing up his status as the league's most overrated player. He has a passer rating of 57.1 with 280 yards in two games. That leads only injured Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck's 48.6, and Cincinnati's Carson Palmer at 37.1. Palmer's rating is just slightly less than half of Roethlisberger's completion percentage - 75.8.

Will we begin hearing clamoring for back-up Brady Quinn? The Browns signed Anderson to a three-year, $21 million extension this off-season. Even with the brutal conditions and an offensive line that has allowed only three sacks in two games (one came from Steelers DE Aaron Smith, who took Anderson down with no time left on the clock), Anderson looked completely lost.

Roethlisberger leads the NFL with a 136.3 rating after going 12-for-19 with 186 yards and a touchdown pass to Hines Ward - his third of the season.

Defense suffocating through two games

It was extremely difficult to get to the passer Sunday night just as it was last year against Cleveland. Their offensive line remains the lone bright spot for a dismal Browns team that will likely face a massive coaching and management overhaul this off-season. But the Steelers' defense gave up just 53 yards on the ground, which off-set the fact the Browns owned a slight edge in plays run (59-53) and TOP (30:17 to 29:43). If the Browns were able to bust one decent running play, it could have opened up something on the outside, but credit CB Bryant McFadden, who shut WR Braylon Edwards down for three catches and 32 yards. Winslow was effective enough to keep Polamalu on the move, but the Browns couldn't help out in any other phase of the game over four quarters.

Ward on Pro Bowl pace

Ward's third touchdown catch of the season ties him with Arizona's Anquan Boldin and San Diego's Chris Chambers for the NFL lead. He even "marked his territory" right in front of the Browns' Dawg Pound after his red zone grab Sunday night.

He looks fantastic. His routes are sharp, he's getting off the line aggressively and as usual, he's blocking like a demon. He looks like a healthy, younger Hines Ward. And the fact his quarterback has a ridiculous 75 percent completion rate is testament to the fact he's on pace to break several of his own franchise receiving records.

Steeler Fans of Minnesota set up at McGovern's

2008-09-14T08:28:00.007-05:00

The Steeler Fans of Minnesota have gotten used to moving their headquarters recently.

After a dismal 8-8 season in 2006, the fan club moved from the dank and dismal confines of The Starting Gate to the expansive Tavern on the Avenue (the Tav). Keeping the Steel Tradition alive in St. Paul was difficult with surly waitresses and a country-western theme, but they forged on.

Cheering for the team during a successful 2007 season was an enjoyable experience despite the odd TV angles and heartburn-inducing food of the Tav.

Much like fitting the new Mike Tomlin Administration with the Timeless Rooney Franchise, the club is now meshed with Patrick McGovern's Pub on West 7th St. in St. Paul. It couldn't be a more perfect fit.

The low-class of the Starting Gate combined with an odd feeling of expansive seclusion of the Tav gave Steelers fans a feeling of inferiority. Terrible-at-best service combined with poor aesthetic appeal made the environments of the previous locations added to a feeling of "we don't have anywhere else to watch the Steelers play."

There were even Steelers decorations stolen from the Tav last year.

Now, it's been replaced by the outstanding quality, perfect floor layout and outstanding service of one of the best establishments in St. Paul.

McGovern's Pub is one of the finest restaurant bars in the Twin Cities area. A warm ambiance inside is surrounded by a bustling cultural feel of downtown St. Paul - the most underrated area in the Twin Cities - makes one wonder why McGovern's wasn't considered by the club previously.

The old world tables, chairs and bar area blends with LCD flat-screen TVs around every corner gives the club an air of credibility after years of a feeling of disrespect from other establishments. It felt like the club was bothering ownership during 16 games a year, despite the group bringing in 100+ fans who just want to get the sandwich they ordered sometime before the game is over and gladly paying money to do so.

The wait staff at McGovern's was prompt, polite and professional. The food was delivered quickly, and it was warm and arranged on the plate the way a restaurant that cares about their product would arrange it. It even had everything you ordered, a luxury the club hadn't enjoyed in the past.

Previously, Steelers fans showed up early at the venue to read Wexell's Steelers Digest column, talk about the game and put in an order that would arrive before halftime. Now, fans will show up early simply because it's a fantastic environment; a place that deserves a high level of patronage.

The concrete proof for me was when my fiance, who's not a big football fan, said "we should have the Groom's Dinner here."

That same statement made about either previous venue would have been the punchline to a joke.

Imagine a place solely dedicated to your team, run by an obviously talented managerial and wait staff, filled by a club with equally dedicated and organized managers, with great and affordable food and the PG-13-rated rowdiness of a good home crowd. It's even got wireless access, and there isn't a spot in the area where cell phone calls and text messaging is not possible (just don't do it while Mayor Paul is talking).

Then top it off by knowing your non-football-interested wife, fiance or girlfriend actually wanting to be there.

That's what the Steeler Fans of Minnesota have found at Patrick McGovern's Pub. Congratulations to Paul Palmer, Glenn and Laura Leonberger, Jimmie The Spoons and Cody Jones, much like the selection of Ben Roethlisberger, they've struck gold.

If you're in the Twin Cities area for any reason (live here, travel here, stuck at a wedding for the weekend), feel free to come in for an excellent game experience. From someone who's seen several Steelers bars in a lot of different cities, this is truly one of the best you will find anywhere.

Steelers Key Player: Ben Roethlisberger

2008-09-14T05:47:00.004-05:00

Roethlisberger has the deck stacked in his favor tonight. But the Browns will have 4th down attempts, fake punts and other gimmicks, aiming to avoid the 0-2 start, which has ended more coaching careers than the West Coast Offense and Ryan Leaf combined.

My Key Match-ups column for Steel City Insider starts off with this:

Roethlisberger rocks Cleveland. He’s beaten the Browns seven times in his career, including a come-from-behind win last year where the Cleveland got four sacks and a slew of pressure from Wimbley and McGinest. This match-up plays favorably to Roethlisberger, as that pressure is going to be neutralized with a lot of 3-WR sets and tight end options. The Browns lost starting SS Sean Jones to a knee injury for the next few weeks, and in that, the Steelers are licking their chops with the idea of running TEs Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth down the field when covered by Wimbley or McGinest, or slipping WR Hines Ward behind either one if they are showing blitz.

There are three other match-ups to evaluate, but this is really 60 percent of tonight's game in Cleveland. The injury-ravaged Browns need to figure out a way to cool Roethlisberger down, which is something they haven't been able to do.

AOL Fanhouse writer JJ Cooper and I discussed the possibility of starting out the game with WR Santonio Holmes gashing the Browns' depleted secondary. This is a distinct possibility; the Steelers will start throwing haymakers at Cleveland right away. While I like the advantage the Steelers have on offense vs. Cleveland's defense, I think their defense against Cleveland's offense is strong enough they can afford to take some chances down the field, with the upside being blowing ahead to a 14-3 lead, silencing the crowd, and gaining all momentum.

To do that, Roethlisberger will have to be his usual accurate, poised and savvy self. His evolution as a passer has been enjoyable for Steelers fans to watch. While he has a bum shoulder (and Post-Gazette antagonist Ron Cook wrote today about him being the most indispensible Steelers player...thanks for the jinx, Ron), he's learned enough about the game where he is dropping back and quickly being able to make the decision to either attack, or simply take what the defense is giving him.

He's the key player in this game for the Steelers because he has the luxury of being able to do both. The defense is going to let him attack vertically. Their safeties are not strong, and it's pretty tough for a team that doesn't traditionally blitz from zone to get pressure from the edge if their safeties are not supplying adequate coverage help over the top.

Cleveland's biggest advantage, as I wrote earlier this week, is Shaun Rogers' ability to collapse the pocket, and create more one-on-one blocking assignments on Cleveland's 3-4 outside linebackers. That gives Steelers C Justin Hartwig a nod in the Key Player voting process, but it still falls on Roethlisberger to step into the rush and complete passes.

Last week, Houston did a decent job of rushing the passer. No, really, it's true. The difference was (with the exception of Mario Williams' two sacks) each time Roethlisberger had some pressure, he smoothly rolled from it, or stepped into it, and easily found the mismatch down the field. In the case of Week 1, it was Hines Ward on a linebacker in man, or Ward finding a spot inside Houston's zone underneath or behind their safeties (incidentally, the Texans' safeties were as bad if not worse than Cleveland's).

The third nominee for Key Player was RB Willie Parker, who added a spin move along with a healed fibula this off-season. He used both of them to trample all over Houston, and looked even better than his usual domineering self in Week 1. I just get the feeling Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is going to want to stick it to his former employer through the air. But if Roethlisberger's shoulder is bothering him that badly, they can let Parker continue to simply enjoy the by-product of a surprisingly good run blocking unit, and own the clock, the time-of-possession battle, and therefore, the game.

The biggest key factor for Cleveland is simply the fear of starting 0-2. Don't think that's not a big advantage, though. The Browns are playing in Primetime at home, and had big-time aspirations this season.

(brief aside...in my writing for Real Football 365, I peek around at fan forums to gather the feel for any particular team, and there are more than a few on Cleveland's boards who were expecting an 11-5 season coupled with a changing-of-the-guard AFC Championship victory at New England.)

As Joey Porter's Pit Bulls wisely points out, Bill Cowher is not currently the coach of an NFL team. It puts coach Crennel in a tough spot:

Browns head coach Romeo Crennel is borderline-panicked about this game. Bill Cowher looming. Job security and all that. Crennel must be thinking, "Damn! My 'vaunted' defensive line acqisitions couldn't stop the run against Dallas last Sunday and couldn't stop the pass. What are the Steelers gonna do?"

The Steelers are likely to drill the nail in Cleveland's season even further into the coffin. If Arians' game plan is to go up top early and often, it could be over quickly. But Crennel's Browns are quickly getting backed into a corner, and that means 4th down attempts, fake punts, the last desperation moves aiming to avoid the 0-2 start, which has ended more coaching careers than the West Coast Offense and Ryan Leaf combined.

Email Exchange: AOL Fanhouse writer JJ Cooper

2008-09-13T09:20:00.003-05:00

On the Black Side is so excited about Sunday night's game, we bugged AOL Fanhouse Steelers writer JJ Coope r until he granted us an email exchange.

Highlighted in this OTBS and JJ discussed the Steelers' pass rush and did some breaking down of Pittsburgh's offensive line.

OTBS: Willie Parker named AFC Offensive Player of the Week! It was great to see that spin move he added, but after watching the game again, it looked to me more of an offensive line game than a Willie Parker game. He had a lot of space in which to be able to spin, especially behind Marvel Smith and Chris Kemoeatu on the left side. You're an offensive line aficianado, what did you think of their performance up front?

JJ: I'm on vacation, so I haven't had a chance to do my usual full o-line breakdown yet, but from watching it live, I was impressed. The Steelers took advantage of Mario Williams tendency to take an outside loop on his speed rush and ran Willie that way, letting Marvel Smith simply use Williams' momentum against him. Chris Kemoeatu had a screwup it looked like on one play for a sack, and there was the on other sack that could be credited partly to Williams' being a pass rushing stud, but overall, it was a very solid effort. Justin Hartwig looked very solid (although he'll get a much tougher test this week against Shaun Rogers), and the right side of the line looked a tick above adequate, which is outstanding.

I talked about the o-line, but I want to know what you thought about the defense. Can we get close to that kind of pressure every week?

OTBS:

I'm still waiting to see the highly-touted Alex Gibbs save Houston's offense. I mean, they put him with offensive line coach Kyle Shanahan, they can't produce a product that has more holes than a Chris Henry alibi, right?

Right?

The massive disruption caused by the Steelers was both by design and by ability. The part I loved was how well Lawrence Timmons and Troy Polamalu played in space. Timmons can cover a ridiculous amount of ground, and having two Troys on the field is downright frightening.

I think they'll pressure the passer consistently, but they'll get the benefits of that pressure even when the passer releases the ball - something they didn't have last year. Short checkdown options should be terrified, because 43 and 94 are going to knock then out if/when they catch the ball.

What I'm really excited for on Sunday, though, is to see Timmons in coverage. We all saw two years ago how much Browns TE Kellen Winslow enjoyed James Farrior D-ing him up (cheap shot in the back on Farrior at the end of the game). Timmons is twice as quick and fast as Farrior, and if Timmons is locked on him, and is the pass defender the Steelers say he is, it'll make for some good highlights.

Browns SS Sean Jones is out for a while, are the Steelers looking to attack their safeties early and often? While Cleveland has good offensive playmakers, their secondary is unholy thin. I think the Steelers have the defensive ability to let their offense take a few risks down the field, probably even able to land a few haymakers square on Cleveland's jaw.

Think of it like their game plan against Baltimore on Monday Night last year. Baltimore's starting corners were out, and knowing the Ravens' offense wasn't going to make them pay much if they turned the ball over, they stretched the field, and provided perhaps the most one-sided win over the Ravens they've ever had.

Whaddya think? Attack them vertically? Or will Willie just run all over them?

JJ: We didn't see much from Santonio Holmes last week, partly because the Texans seemed to focus on taking him out of the gameplan (which opened up things for Hines Ward and Heath Miller). I like the idea of starting out by gashing the Browns with the passing game, then turning it over to Parker/Mendenhall at the point where the Browns are overly worried about the passing game.

Of course, that depends somewhat on Ben's injury not being worse than they make it out to be.

I will disagree with you on one point thought. Timmons was taken advantage of one on one in coverage some during the preseason. I'd rather see the Steelers put Polamalu and Ike Taylor on Winslow (at different times). Winslow and Braylon Edwards are the two guys the Steelers have to worry about, and I don't think Winslow can be consistently covered by a LB.

So the Steelers covered kicks successfully for one week, do you think they can do it again?

OTBS: Maybe I'm jumping the gun on Timmons...if you didn't stop me, I'd start suggesting he put a hand on the ground and rush the passer like J-Peezy used to do.

I wrote about the kick coverage in my match-ups column for Steel City Insider. I don't recall many times where I felt truly confident in their ability to get down field and stop the guy with the ball, but Week 1 was one of them. Andre Davis is one of the best around, so obviously that was huge.

Josh Cribbs, though...even with him coming off of a high ankle sprain, we're still hurting from the 200 yards and TD he put on us last year. He nearly single-handedly won that game for Cleveland. They had 164 yards of offense that game, and two of Derek Anderson's TD passes came on drives of a combined 20 yards - field position is critical.

This game is going to largely hinge on Pittsburgh's ability to mark Cribbs, assuming he's going to play (as of Friday afternoon, he was). Do I think they can do it? I certainly do.

But I've been a Steelers fan for way too long to feel completely solid in our kick coverage.

Real Football 365: Woodley, Deebo and Other Steelers Observations

2008-09-09T06:54:00.002-05:00

Here's my column from Real Football 365. Probably a little dated now, but I couldn't get the link up until this morning. I had to watch Tarvaris Jackson provide me with comfort - the comfort a fan can have when his or her team has a quarterback who actually belongs in the NFL.

The format of the column is modeled (kind of) after Jason Whitlock's NFL Truths. Obviously, I'm not Jason Whitlock, but you already knew that.

Anyway...give it a read.

Opponent Spotlight: Shaun Rogers

2008-09-09T05:45:00.003-05:00

Newly acquired nose tackle Shaun Rogers was about the only defensive Browns player who showed flashes of mediocrity in Sunday's 28-10 whipping by Dallas - save LB Andra Davis. Rogers is going to have to come up big against Pittsburgh's interior line to help establish a pass rush if Cleveland wants to avoid an 0-2 start.

Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton commented this off-season that former University of Texas teammate Shaun Rogers is motivated and healthy, and could end up being the best defensive lineman in the AFC North.

Strong words from a large man.

Regardless, Rogers didn't tip the scales in the favor of the Browns defense Sunday, as Cleveland was gorged for 487 total yards, 30 first downs and converted 8 of 11 third-down attempts. The Browns biggest off-season acquisition had four tackles, as the Cowboys averaged a ridiculous 5.3 yards per carry.

None of these stats bode well for the Browns, who have playoff aspirations, and AFC North championship predictions. Rogers was brought in to shore up a run defense that ranked 27th in the NFL last season. Dallas is one of the best offensive teams in the game, but even considering that, their dividends for the addition of Rogers and defensive end Corey Williams are clearly not showing a return on their investment.

It gives the Steelers pause for thought, considering Hampton's proclamation. If Rogers is now motivated (still trying to see why anyone would believe that. Was the two-time Pro Bowl player not motivated to play for the Lions?), and he really is the player his college teammate says he is, he should be enough to anchor Cleveland's 3-4 defense, and provide a hefty dent to the Steelers' rushing statistics.

In theory, anyway. A nose tackle's primary function is to collapse the offensive line from the inside, providing a lane for the linebackers to fly to the ball carrier. It starts with Rogers, and he and the defensive ends, Robaire Smith and Williams, are going to have to command attention if the Browns are going to hope to stop an offense that had an impressive debut of its own in Week 1.

Running back Willie Parker ran all over Houston's vaunted rush defense, as Pittsburgh's offensive line got great push up front. Cleveland, player-for-player, has less talent than Houston's line, but Cleveland got whipped by Pittsburgh in Week 1 last year, and came back to win 10 of its last 15 games. The Steelers have to know they have a helmet-on-helmet advantage in the running game, and will use Parker and Rashard Mendenhall to take the Browns' home field advantage away.

They'll pass in spots as well. Look for the Steelers to continue to spread the field and attack vertically. Currently, both starting safeties, Sean Jones and Brodney Pool are listed on the team's injury report. Jones is probable despite a knee injury, and Pool suffered a concussion against Dallas, and is questionable for Sunday night's game. Considering those limitations, Rogers is going to have to get penetration in an effort to jump-start their beleagured pass rush, because Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has the vision and the weapons to pick apart their suspect secondary all game.

He had six touchdowns (a seventh came on the ground) and an interception against Cleveland last year. That was without a motivated Shaun Rogers.

Let's see how much that matters come Sunday.

Behind the Stats: Steelers roll Texans

2008-09-07T15:35:00.006-05:00

I haven't seen a beating like that since someone stuffed a banana down Cousin Eddie's pants and set a monkey loose.

Or, maybe just the last time the Steelers played the Texans.

As OTBS mentioned in this morning's Steelers Key Player column, outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley had two sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery. NFL.com is saying one of those sacks was credited to OLB James Harrison, who also dished out a dominant performance - two sacks (NFL.com gave him three), a forced fumble and the memory of watching rookie left tackle Duane Brown nearly in tears on the bench.

He was chum to Harrison, who feasted on QB Matt Shaub on the plays where Woodley or ILB James Farrior wasn't feeding on him. OTBS discussed this with Cotter last week, this could be the best linebacking corps Pittsburgh has seen in two decades.

Sunday's all-around disruptive performance from Harrison, Woodley, Farrior, Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons was evidence these linebackers are a special group, so much so I wanted the offense to punt right away just to see them get back on the field.

Alan Who?

Former Steelers guard Alan Faneca was not missed at all. Steelers LG Chris Kemoeatu gets paid approximately two percent of what Faneca does, and he was instrumental in RB Willie Parker's 138 yard, three touchdown day.

Faneca helped Thomas Jones to 101 yards against a team that has lost 16 of their last 17 games.

Kemoeatu plowed the way for all of Parker's touchdowns, which came inside the red zone.

Faneca helped Parker go from 15 touchdowns in 2006 to two in 2007. Parker did with Kemoeatu in one half of his first start what Faneca did in 15 games.

Chalk yet another personnel victory up for GM Kevin Colbert. Pittsburgh's offensive line paved Heinz Field with the Texans' helmet paint. Faneca's Jets needed four quarters to beat the Dolphins.

Mainstream Media Interns

The NFL has a crack journalism staff when it comes to breaking news. Adam Schefter is among the best in the business in ferreting out information from what seems to be hundreds of sources. But this kind of stuff smacks of "interns following the games through their Fantasy Football teams."

From NFL.com:

It was over when Ben Roethlisberger connected with Hines Ward in the end zone for the second time, putting the Steelers up 34-3 in the third quarter. Pittsburgh has won its season-opener for the fifth straight year, the longest Kickoff Weekend winning streak in the NFL.

This was over well before the Steelers went up 34-3 in the third quarter. I'd say it was when the Steelers went up 14-0, and Woodley made his first career interception on a nifty juggling grab in front of WR Andre Johnson.

Genius title thrown around like Texans offensive linemen

I can't recall a time when an offensive line coach has been given more respect than the Texans' Alex Gibbs. He's been labeled as a genius, a savior, a visionary and a great coach by fans who clearly don't know anything about the play of an offensive line. Maybe he inoculates diseased children in Kampucea, or provides free health care for Americans, too.

Gibbs' line looked embarrasingly unprepared, sloppy, slow and stupid in front of a defense that's at least as good as the ones Houston will see in AFC South foes Tennessee and Jacksonville.

The Texans Bandwagon is letting members off on the left side. Please, mass media, disembark and never speak of this again.

Brady injured

Patriots QB Tom Brady left in the first quarter of an eventual win at Kansas City with a knee injury, and did not return.

I didn't much appreciate the fans I heard cheering when this news broke during the Steelers massacre of Houston. I still don't. Hate the team (I do), don't ever cheer for a player getting hurt. That's classless, and completely unnecessary.

Pre-Game Notes: Houston Blog Soup

2008-09-07T06:22:00.006-05:00

Just hours from kickoff...glancing around the InterVista 2.0s, there's some good info about Pittsburgh's Week 1 opponent, the Houston Texans.

Battle on, Eugene Wilson

I think this is the best one...The Battle Red Blog proclaims former Patriots safety Eugene Wilson is better than advertised. That's probably a good thing for Wilson, considering he was signed after the final cut this season. He'll be in the rotation at cornerback for the Texans, which means they do have some experience to bolster Fred Bennett, a second-year defender who's had some problems getting beat this preseason. If nothing else, Battle Red Blog feels he adds a big value.

With depth issues of their own, the Texans jumped at the opportunity to add an experienced defensive back with the versatility to play several positions.

How much the Steelers see Wilson is likely contingent upon how badly Santonio and Ward run Bennett, Jaques Reeves and DeMarcus Faggins into the loose Heinz Field turf, I suppose.

Texans Gab gabbing about Winston, blogs

Blogging guru, Matt Loede, writes up something quick on Texans Gab about right tackle Eric Winston's five-year, $32 million contract extension he just signed.

Of note, Loede was just featured by Baltimore Sun writer Andrew Ratner in a piece about various Ravens blogs existing on the web.

Houston Die Hards loves them some Green

Chris at Houston Diehards has a good pregame reference guide for Steelers fans looking for last-minute info on the Texans.

Highlighted in that is his take on Texans head coach Gary Kubiak's statement that RB Ahman Green will get 12-15 carries today.

Smokescreen? Maybe, maybe not. It's not like the Texans have multiple runners with huge success in Pittsburgh...

More coming...

Steelers Key Player: LaMarr Woodley

2008-09-07T05:12:00.003-05:00

Starting his first game in Pittsburgh could be a source of intimidation for a 23-year-old playing arguably the most defining position in the franchise. There's little doubt second-year man LaMarr Woodley is up to the task.

I watched Michigan take back college football's oldest rivalry trophy, the Little Brown Jug, against the overmatched Minnesota Golden Gophers in September of 2006. For some reason, the Gophers had played Michigan tough the past few seasons, and actually beat them the previous season - the first time since 1986.

I'm used to seeing the Wolverines beat Minnesota one way or the other. What I took away from that game was a short but powerful defensive end named LaMarr Woodley who I knew would be in a Steelers uniform.

I proclaimed him the Steelers future first-round draft pick to my buddy Chuck, who calmly questioned if he was a first-rounder.

Going into the draft, it was obvious Woodley wouldn't be a first-rounder, but the Steelers miss so rarely on second-round picks, it almost seemed more fitting he'd be taken then, considering this tweener (too short for end, thought to be too heavy for outside 'backer) didn't fit the prototype of a guy with a $20 million guaranteed deal.

I just smiled when I heard his name read off for the Steelers pick, and anticipated writing what I'm writing now.

Now, we've got a guy who fits this team's mindset perfectly, and he's got a second-round-sized chip on his shoulder. He's gonna bring the noise all season long.

I dug around for hours over the course of last season and this season to find a site that runs a play counter for each player in the league. A tall task, no doubt, but I wanted to prove my theory that Woodley had a higher sacks-per-play ratio than any other player in the league. This was highlighted by the playoff loss to Jacksonville last season, when Woodley was in the game for less time than just about any other non-special-teams-only player, and registered two sacks.

He looked as effortless against the exhaulted Jaguars offensive line as he did in destroying the hapless Gophers that day in September.

As much as I like Clark Haggans, and am happy for the fact another team is going to pay him a nice final contract, Woodley went from The Future to The Now, and that begins today at Heinz Field.

My match-ups column on Steel City Insider highlights Silverback against rookie Duane Brown because it's the most newsworthy battle. But I'm pumped to see Woodley against Houston's new $30 Million Man, Eric Winston. Woodley's got the size to hold his own against the run from that side as long as he stays on his feet (assuming the ethical practice of cut-blocking is utilized by "genius" offensive coordinator Alex Gibbs), and has that explosive strength to blow up the undersized running back tandem of Steve Slaton and Ahman Green.

With Silverback rightly getting tons of pub in preparing to make Texans' message boards go boom with "why did we draft him?" calls about Brown, Woodley's quietly prepared to handle his first start, and getting penetration, owning the line and not getting cut by the pussy Texans' blockers will be paramount in this game.

Key Match-Ups: Texans at Steelers

2008-09-06T20:29:00.004-05:00

Here's a sample of my match-up column for Steel City Insider. There are three more previews, but I'll save those for SCI.

SS Troy Polamalu vs. TE Owen Daniels

The Steelers will get Polamalu at 100 percent, which hasn’t happened in a while. The defense is significantly better when he’s in there, and his missile-like speed and ability to penetrate off the blitz will be a key component to the Texans’ ability to get the ground game going, therefore, set up WR Andre Johnson in space.

Daniels must not only help block Harrison and OLB LaMarr Woodley (making his first career start), but he has to be crisp enough of a route runner to draw defensive attention away from Johnson. If he is able to get open enough, and make a few catches on a Steelers linebacker, should they choose to cover Daniels with one, he will force Polamalu into coverage more often, and out of blitzing schemes.

Opponent Spotlight: Mario Williams

2008-09-04T05:29:00.004-05:00

He's the size of a flying fortress, and has the quickness of a gazelle. Houston's Mario Williams will be the key component as the Texans try to ride his mismatch advantage to an upset victory

I wrote these words for Steelers Fever in review of the 2006 NFL Draft:

I think Mario Williams will be a good player, and Houston's move is logical. Defense wins championships, and that defense starts with your front line. It's similar to that of the Panthers, who took DE Julius Peppers over QB Joey Harrington in 2002.

I also did claim that Reggie Bush would have more impact than Julius Pepper, and likened Williams to Joey Harrington, somewhat.

Whoops.

Hey, I was one of the few people praising his ability more than denouncing the Texans and GM Charlie Casserly for taking the land mass with lightning speed. It took him 22 NFL games, but he's got the ability to challenge former Giants DE Michael Strahan's sack record.

Williams, the Houston defensive end received all kinds of hype last season after posting 14 sacks, isn't the key player of this game just because of his explosive ability off the snap, or his wingspan that rivals a B-2 bomber. It's the height of the level he finished the 2007 season (10 sacks in his final seven games), and how Williams' ability alone gives the Texans a strong enough advantage to possibly make up for unfavorable match-ups at every other position.

These two teams squared off in a Week 2 game at Reliant Stadium in Houston in 2005. It was the relentless Steelers pass rush and a perfect game from Roethlisberger that led the Steelers to a 27-7 win, but this is a considerably improved Texans team, anchored by Williams' freak physical attributes.

The combination of speed and quickness along with length rivaled by no one else, Williams could/will pose major problems for Steelers' veteran left tackle Marvel Smith, but the result of this game could easily come down to how much they can isolate him without his wake rippling into the rest of the defensive front four.

Second-year DT Amobi Okoye played at a high level last season, with a lot of what he gained being the direct result of Williams' ability to penetrate deep into the backfield directly off the snap. Watching a few of Williams' games last season, he's got several moves he works with a high level of efficiency, and a relentless-but-controlled rush, highlighted by his insanely long arms. Working on an overmatched Denver offensive line, Williams essentially took over for the Texans, logging 3.5 sacks and seven total tackles. The Broncos couldn't run or pass at him or away from him. The Texans laid a 31-13 whipping on the visiting Broncos.

There's a reason Denver drafted left tackle Ryan Clady in the first round this year. That's the kind of impact Williams has, and the Steelers can expect that level of play from the third year lineman out of North Carolina State.

To counter it, the Steelers are likely to run a similar scheme on Williams as they did on Vikings pass rusher Jared Allen in the third preseason game. Tight end help, a running back chipping him on the line, quarterback Ben Roethsliberger throwing into the face of the rush and hoping they can work the flats behind his rush.

The crafty veteran Smith did contain Allen, and Okoye doesn't pose the same match-up problems that Vikings All Pro DT Kevin Williams did on the Steelers' interior line, but the Texans know the havoc those two created in that one half of football (two sacks, several hurries, no big plays).

That, in and of itself, could be enough for the underdog Texans to steal a win in Pittsburgh.

Email Exchange: Cotter of OFTOT

2008-09-02T05:16:00.007-05:00

(Editor's note: This is an email exchange On The Black Side had with One For The Other Thumb editor Chris Cotter. Both side agree there are better ways to spend one's time than watching the Tyra Show, and that James Harrison is a scary individual. We get into more Steelers-related topics, including dubbing a new PermaName for Lawrence Timmons, and even throw a reference to a few really campy movies.)

On The Black Side:

What's up, Cotter? I'm in the clothes I wore (Sunday) night simply because I don't have to change if I don't want to. I'm going to eat potato chips (Lay's) for lunch and probably flip on a Season 3 Simpsons DVD. I love holidays.

What are you up to? That sounds lovely.

Now...are we expecting too much from Pittsburgh's linebacking unit this year? Neither Woodley nor Timmons are game-proven over an entire season and while I love the guy, I'm not ready to proclaim Silverback the next Greg Lloyd. But do you think this group has the potential to be one of the best units this team has seen in the past several seasons?

When have the Steelers had Timmons' speed on the inside? When in the past seven seasons has one of their OLBs had Woodley's size and quickness? Is anyone on earth not afraid of Silverback?

Oh yeah, and we've got that James Farrior guy still there. Ya know, the dude who misses games about as often as Alaskan Governors get VP nominations.

One For The Other Thumb:

Morning Senor,

Sounds like you’re thoroughly enjoying your Labor Dabor as everyone should – dirty and fatty. Me? My pants are off right now...wait, what?

Moving on...

I think it’s pretty obvious that our linebacking corps is going to be the strongest part of our Defense this year. Which is good, because hopefully that’ll mean Lebeau will readily exercise his creative genius in coming up with inventive ways to allow Woodley, Timmons (hereinafter referred to as, “The InTimmonator” or “The Law”), Farrior and that ravenous ape on the weak side to wreak havoc on Carson Palmer and company.

Number one, Silverback is a monster. Another season like last year and he’ll be right up there with Greg Lloyd in my mind. Have you seen him in preseason? He’s a FORCE, man. And to answer your question – I firmly believe there is no one on earth that isn’t afraid of him. Not even Chuck Norris. Or Brian Billick...

As for the young’ns -- overall, like you said, it’s great to have two young guys full of talent who appear to be ready to dominate. Not only does the InTimmonator have speed, but the best part is...he’s still only 22! And Woodley, well, let’s put it this way – the dude wasn’t even an every down player last year and he still had four sacks. That was one more than starting inside ‘backer, Larry Foote and the same as strong side ‘backer, Clark “Raising Arizona” Haggans. I’m honestly pissing my pants in anticipation of watching him make opposing QBs hurt this season.

Matt Schaub – you are on notice. We’re six days from gameday. Prepare thyself accordingly. I suggest not showing up.

Is that an adequate response?

Cheers!

On The Black Side:

Henceforth, from Sept. 1, 2008, Lawrence Timmons shall forever be known as "The Law," a la Judge Dredd.

Ya know, I watched the first hour of that movie thinking it was a joke. Apparently, it was supposed to be serious. At least Last Action Hero was obviously a joke. And we got a very underrated AC/DC song out of it.

(My fiance is watching the Tyra Show. This email will also serve as grounds for divorce at some point. You're my witness.)

I think a combination of play-making linebackers and the return of Ryan Clark at free safety will create a mix of talent and savvy that will allow LeBeau to create defensive looks only seen on other planets, and possibly straight from hell itself. The Monster Backer look with Keisel standing up didn't provide the pass rush they wanted, largely because no one else rushing had Harrison's explosion. Re-enter Polamalu, along with a solid deep defender (Clark) and Woodley, you've got a a pass rush that could possibly equal the amount of sacks Pittsburgh's offensive line is assumed to give up this year.

Speaking of that...Marvel Smith was blocking Jared Allen and Willie Colon was on Ray Edwards in Minnesota...and Ben survived! Is it just maybe slightly possible that the line won't be as big a factor this year as the trendy analysis suggests?

One For The Other Thumb:

Judge Dredd...wasn’t that a comic book or something? Don’t think I ever saw that one. I was probably too busy watching such cinematic treasures as Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and Wayne's World 2.

Anyways, I honestly think trying to run Keisel around is a losing venture. Under Dick LeBeau, the line’s main job is to tie up O lineman so that our master ‘backers can descend easily on the pocket and it’s respective inhabitants (be it RB, QB, FB, or otherwise). This worked fine with Kimo, Big Snack and Aaron Smith (aka Superman). But you’ll notice that when Keisel took over for Kimo, Joey Porter’s stats went far south. Of course, so did Joey’s play (and eventually his body...south to Miami in case I’m not being clear enough). But I think it’s possible that Keisel’s pass rushing style may have contributed to that.

As far as the O Line goes, I’m still reserving my judgment. While they haven’t been putrid this preseason, they certainly haven’t shown enough to instill any confidence that they’ll be significantly less porous than they were last year. Example A – Willie Colon’s whiff on Ray Edwards in that same game you mentioned. I’m not so worried about the left side. But the right side could be a source of trouble for us. Kendall Simmons wasn’t that great last year and I’m still not sure why Willie Colon is starting at RT. Say what you want about Max Starks, but in my opinion, he’s the better option at that position.

Then again, hey, what do I know? I just write a blog...

Oh, and I have good news for you – I believe Minnesota has actually just added “Watches the Tyra Banks Show” as an official grounds for legal dissolution of a marriage. This of course used to be lumped into “irreconcilable differences,” but clearly Minnesota has a big enough problem on their hands so as to facilitate this handy excuse for you and others who desire a partner that can recognize quality television programming.

PS – my blurb on your triumphant return, for tomorrow’s OFTOT post =

“Some of you may remember Neal from his stint last season at Die Hard Steel. Well, unbeknownst to him, his site was yanked from the interwebs by the admin without but an email letting him know to secure any outstanding content. Nevertheless, our hero trudged on in the face of adversity and set up his new blog home at, On The Black Side. The name is a play on the fact that the Steelers helmet has only one logo. So I'd like to officially welcome Neal back to the Steelers blogdome, and I strongly encourage all ye who crave Steelers analysis for the next 17 weeks (and hopefully more) to check OTBS out. Now if we could just get Neal up on skates, we'd have something.”

Blog Soup: The Five Best Steelers Blogs of the Week

2008-09-01T11:24:00.006-05:00

(Editor's note: Blog Soup appears once a week, highlighting our five favorite posts from top Steelers-based web sites and blogs. If you have a nomination, or would like your site considered, email Neal Coolong at ncoolong@gmail.com or make a comment below.)

It's a great day to not labor. It's also a nice day to avoid the impending riots brewing outside the Republican National Convention in St. Paul (approximately four miles from On The Black Side's headquarters). We've been spending much of our time gathering our nominations for this week's Blog Soup, a list of the five best posts from the past few days from the best Steelers writers in the Blogosphere.

It's new, we just got going with it, so you'll forgive a somewhat lack of consistency with the format. It'll be tightened up, we swear on the five Lombardis on the South Side.

Anyway...here they are.

5. RF 365 gettin' Woods

My colleague at Real Football 365, Kyle Chrise, writes up a quick-take on some of the final roster decisions the Steelers made Saturday. The highlight of the final cutdown was the inclusion of Donovan Woods - a longshot to even make the practice squad.

Chrise writes:

Woods, an undrafted rookie who played some quarterback and safety at Oklahoma State before moving to linebacker, is a roster surprise. He had a sack in each of the last two preseason games.

Woods, the younger brother of Sooners legends Rashaun and Dejuan Woods, is the only undrafted rookie to make the roster.

4. OFTOT establishes PS supremacy on the B-Sphere

Long-time bloggist friend Cotter at One For The Other Thumb (OFTOT) sets new highs even for him with the second part of his Season Preview series (you can see Part I here).

We'll ignore the fact Willie Reid, Cotter's predicted Week 9 hero is now on Philadelphia's practice squad. Other than that, one of the main reasons I wrote in my intro post that I'm not going to go the Photoshopped Pictures route is because I couldn't possibly compete with him. Pay particular attention to Week 14.

3. Wannstache loves him some '9ers

Anyone who can spend 1,500 words selling me on the San Francisco 49ers as this year's sleeper team in the NFC, I'm gonna pay attention.

Wannstache of Doubt About it got my attention.

He does something most writers getting paid more than he and I times 200 combined conveniently ignore when it comes to making such predictions: basic fiancial motivation.

His words:

I had wanted to write about the Texans (who will make the playoffs, by the way. That’s for the NFL Preview post later this week, though). Alas, they were not on the list, and I didn’t want to take the easy way out by picking the Jets (which I’m sure Sam will do). So, I opted for the team that plays in a crappy division in the NFC with a head coach that will be fighting for his job.

The San Francisco 49ers.

Mike Nolan is certainly gone if the 49ers don't make an impressive showing this season. With the NFC West largely open between three teams at least making an argument for their claim at the top, Wannstache avoids the obvious pick of the New York Favres, and goes with a solid choice and an even better argument.

2. Slight holiday mix-up, bigger prediction problem

Not that it is Memorial Day, like Blitzburgh seemingly says in error, but it's a nice thought all the same. Blitzburgh at Behind the Steel Curtain (the best Steelers-based site name on the Net) goes through some observations about The Hated Bengals.

His words:

There is a part of me that thinks that Carson Palmer, TJ Houshmanzadeh and Chad Johnson are good enough to keep the Bengals relevant. And it's hard to imagine the Bengals suffering as much bad luck injury wise on the defensive side of the ball as they did last year. Those two realities (at least in my mind) are enough to make me believe they're no worse than a 7 win football team, but, when I stopped to think twice (or rather, a third time) about the internal dynamics of the team, I stopped myself in my tracks and thought better of it.

We'll forgive you this once, Blitzburgh, for the honor of Memorial Day. May the words "Bengals" and "relavent" never be used in an affirmative tense again. A very well-written post, all joking aside. Very sensible, and the kind of copy you want to know will consistently be there. It always is on BSC.

1. Steel Curtain Rising the pall of the media

Steel Curtain Rising has a really interesting "semi regular feature" which, they say, "casts a critical eye on the press coverage of Steelers."

In this particular edition, SCR talks about a meeting between the four Rooney brothers looking to sell their stakes in the team and Stanley Druckenmiller, the billionaire hedge fund manager who is rumored to be in line to purchase the majority share from them.

Fantastic feature. It's like what Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk does with the legalese behind contracts and union disputes in the league, but aimed at the media. More writers trained in journalism and communication analysis should write sites like this.

Steelers practice squad members

2008-09-01T06:42:00.003-05:00

The Steelers announced their 2008 Practice Squad, writes Dale Lolley of Steel City Insider and the Observer-Reporter.

From SCI:

Each of the eight players added to the Steelers’ practice squad were in training camp with the team this summer. All NFL teams were able to sign a maximum of eight players to their practice squad beginning at noon today.
The players signed by the Steelers include: LB Patrick Bailey, CB Roy Lewis, S Grant Mason, OT Jeremy Parquet, DT Scott Paxson, WR Micah Rucker, TE Dezmond Sherrod and RB Justin Vincent.
Wide receiver Marvin Allen was also designated to the team’s practice squad as a part of the NFL’s international player development program.

Former Steeler Wilson suspended for one game

2008-09-01T06:13:00.005-05:00

Not that he's currently on a team, but if/when he is, he will have to sit out one game.

Former Steelers WR Cedrick Wilson was suspended for a game, according to NFL.com's Adam Schefter. He allegedly hit his girlfriend at a restaurant back in March.

At the time, the big brouha was about how Wilson was punished, and nothing happened to Pro Bowl outside linebacker James Harrison, who was accused of the same crime. Harrison told Steelers owner Dan Rooney right after the incident. Reports were that Rooney found out about Wilson through a reporter calling asking for comment.

Now, no one seems to care about either incident. Harrison wasn't on the commissioner's list of damned, so it's probably safe to say nothing will happen to Silverback. Moral to the story, 'fess up to the situation directly with the owner of the team immediately after it happens.

It seems to help to be Catholic, too.

If anything, it simply brings up how the Steelers wide receiving unit has been shaken up somewhat. With Wilson's departure, the Steelers listened to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and got some bigger receivers. Wilson and Willie Reid went out, rookie Limas Sweed and Dallas Baker, 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-3, respectively, replaced them. Last year's receiving corps averaged a little over 5-foot-10. Now, they average 6-foot-1.

Sweed is currently battling a case of the drops, and Baker has the least amount of experience of everyone on the roster except the rookies.

Perhaps that's why offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is splitting out Roethlisberger and back-up QB Byron Leftwich on a few packages.

Not that I'm complaining...JJ Cooper of AOL has a nice piece on the comforting feeling of other receivers the Steelers could have taken in 2006.

So long, Willie Reid, you didn't want us to know ye

2008-08-31T09:08:00.004-05:00

I was eating a double cheeseburger at Wendy's with my Vikings fan friend Chuck the night the Steelers took Florida State WR Willie Reid. I munched quietly because I just had a bad feeling about him. In between bites, I complained a little bit.

"Why him? What did he do that was so spectacular?"

I never saw it, and as of Aug. 30, the Steelers released the bust Reid. I'm aware of the foot injury he had that apparently robbed him of the speed he used to have. The problem with that theory is he suffered that injury in 2006. Why wasn't he released in 2007?

It's easy to point out that Broncos WR Brandon Marshall and Ravens WR Demetrius Williams were taken not long after Reid, and no, I didn't call for GM Kevin Colbert's head for not pulling the trigger on these two, but Reid signifies one of the bigger problems Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has faced since taking over for Bill Cowher.

There are a slew of misses in the third and fourth rounds of recent drafts.

The jury is still out on 2007 third rounder Matt Spaeth or 2008's Bruce Smith (for the record, I think he's going to be a helluva player).

Reid, the 2006 third-round pick, was cut Saturday. The other third round pick from that draft is Doghouse Club Seat owner Anthony Smith. Post-Gazette writer Gerry Dulac reports the Steelers were looking to trade the 2005 and 2004 third round picks, Max Starks and Trai Essex, yesterday. Both tackles, neither start. After not drafting in the third round in 2003 (turns out to be one of the best years they've had recently at that spot), they took Florida State S Chris Hope, won a Super Bowl with him, then let him go to Tennessee.

He's by far the best third round pick of the new milennium.

Another pair of winners came in 2000 with DT Kendrick Clancy and CB Hank Poteat.

As for the fourth round, Huge Upside Bust Ryan McBean was put to rest yesterday, ending one of the more well-known careers that never resulted in a play on the field in Steelers history. He was 2007's fourth round pick. The Sepulverizer in 2007, opposite McBean has worked out, despite his knee injury this preseason. Willie Colon was a guard in 2006, and a fourth round pick, but because the third round picks, Essex and Starks, missed so badly, he took their right tackle spot, where he's not exactly imposing fear in opponents' game-planning.

Orien Harris didn't make the team in 2006. Neither did Fred Gibson in 2005. Ike Taylor worked out well in 2003 as did Larry Foote in 2002. But mix in a little Mathias Nkwenti and Danny Farmer in 2001 and 2000, respectively, and it wasn't a great decade.

Let's do some math. That's 10 picks in the fourth round from 2000 to 2008. We got a punter, two starting defensive players and a starting guard. One quasi-back-up (Nkwenti) and four guys who didn't even make the team.

That's not as bad as the third round. Anthony "The Guarantee" Smith is a back-up at best and has an attitude problem to boot. Reid couldn't beat out a seventh-round pick (Dallas Baker) who has never suited up for a game. Starks used to start, but got beat out by a guard with half as much experience. Essex is an affordable back-up who the team tried to trade. Hope left via free agency and Clancy and Poteat left a long time ago.

Hope is the only guy who would start in the NFL on merit and not injury replacement.

Don't think the Steelers won't really hope it works out for Davis, Sepulveda, Spaeth and T Tony Hills (who nearly got cut halfway through training camp).

Welcome to On The Black Side

2008-08-31T06:30:00.003-05:00

For the 10s of people who read Die Hard Steel (don't bother clicking this link, it's been down for some time now), you may be wondering what happened to it.

Your guess is as good as mine. I'll leave it at that.

On The Black Side represents the left side of the Steelers helmet, which is intentionally left logo-less. Plus, it's a quasi-reference to the Miramax classic movie series Eddie & The Cruisers, and the song "On The Dark Side." It's a college thing.

I am in the long and arduous process of creating a web site. It will have the same name, and it'll be a little less Blogger-esque than this one. In the meantime, I'll maintain a pretty rigorous posting schedule, and my aim is to provide Steelers fans with a place to read about the latest happenings of the Five Time Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

It's not just going to be a collection of links to stories written by Bouchette, Wexell, Dulac, Prisuta and other top Steelers writers (although the Blog Soup feature will contain links to several other great Steelers sites). I will use their articles and news as reference points, but I want to provide insight of my own. It will be somewhat light-hearted, but if you want schmaltzy web writing, I can point out about 85 blogs about the Steelers alone making reference to trendy pop culture themes, generic, overdone "from the cheap seats" perspectives and various other cheesy Internet gimmicks.

My goal is to provide a web site Steelers fans can read and discuss the daily activities of the team in an intelligent manner where substance and content are given higher priority than swinging at the easy joke softball, lame Photoshopped pictures or short snippets of stories, expecting you, the reader, to be entertained but not informed.

Steelers fans are not dumb. I'm not writing this because I'm impressed with myself, or because I have aspirations of taking the jobs of the aforementioned writers. I'm writing this because I enjoy writing and I want to connect with other Steelers fans. I'm a freelance journalist with a modest background of work at a few daily newspapers, and a decent amount of experience as a writer. I write a Steelers column and the Fan Pulse feature for Real Football 365, and I will be writing a Match-Ups column for Wexell at Steel City Insider again this season.

Again, I'm not trying to impress anyone, but there is a difference between quality writing and hack writing. I think I fall in between there.

Comments are encouraged. I'm even going to have a guest column spot on the new site, and consistency is going to be essential. I am never going to go more than a day without a post, and it's not going to be random stuff. I will have a feature each day of the week, and I'm hoping readers and fans can suggest some as well. I'm really hoping to meet some other like-minded fans looking to discuss the Greatest Team on Earth.

So yeah...as Worm says, there's the river, down and dirty. Drop me a line if you feel so inclined. Blog Soup is coming this afternoon.