Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

There are certain truths that are simply incontrovertible.  They are established facts, and only a fool would argue against them.  You know what I mean.  Things like “the Earth is round”, “the sun is hot”, and “Alec Baldwin is fat”.  We all know these things to be true.

Another such truth is this;  Cleveland sucks.

“Well D’uh”, you’re probably saying.  “Like we didn’t know that”.

Yes, the statement is rather obvious.  But sometimes, we have to take the time to point out the obvious.  So that’s what we’re going to do today.  Steelers Today presents the top 10 reasons Cleveland sucks.

10.   Seneca Wallace

Do I even have to take the time to explain why Seneca Wallace is a clear sign of total suckitude?  Suffice it to say that if he’s on your roster, YOU SUCK!

9.  This guy

8.    Too dumb to think of a real team name

The “Browns”?  Really?  Who thought that was a good name for a team?  It’s a color.  Have you ever heard of a team called the “Yellows”?  How about the “Pinks”?  Or what about the “Purples”?  Of course you haven’t.  That’s because no other city would name their team after a color.  To hide their obvious stupidity, Clevelanders have taken to saying that the team is named after former coach Paul Brown.  But any rational person realizes that that answer is even dumber than the first.  Would Pittsburgh ever name their team the Pittsburgh Tomlins?  How about the Pittsburgh Cowhers?  Or the Pittsburgh Nolls?  Of course they wouldn’t.  Why?  Because naming your team after a coach sucks even more than naming your team after a color.

7.  Worse than the Bungals

We all know that Cincinnati’s football team has been a joke for a very long time.  They were even nicknamed “The Bungals”.  But the real joke of a football team resides on the eastern side of Ohio.  Can anyone guess who they are?  Hint:  They’re named after a color.

6.  Jake Delhomme

The Browns actually thought that bringing in “Interception Jake” was a way to improve their team.  In 2009, Delhomme threw 8 touchdowns for the Carolina Panthers.  However, it was his 18 interceptions that got him shipped out of town.  Prior to getting injured, Delhomme had thrown 4 interceptions and 1 touchdown for the Browns.  If your team views that as an “upgrade”, then they’ve reached new levels of suckitude.

5.  Even New Jersey makes jokes about Cleveland

Humans have an innate need to feel they’re not at the bottom of the barrel.  But when you live in the toxic waste dump known as New Jersey, it’s pretty hard to find anyone who lives someplace that’s even worse than you do.  Fortunately, there’s Cleveland.

4.  Brady Quinn

There was a reason that most teams passed on Brady Quinn in the 2007 NFL draft.  He sucked.  But of course, Cleveland couldn’t pass on the idea of having Quinn as their savior.  I guess when your team sucks, anything looks like an improvement.

3.  The former Browns (AKA the Ravens) think so

I hate to pour salt in an old wound, but it has to be said.  Even Cleveland’s patron saint, Art Modell, realized that Cleveland sucks.  So he took his team and moved them out of town.  Soon after exiting the suckquatious environment of Cleveland, the former Browns went on to win a Super Bowl.  Obviously, it was Cleveland itself that was holding the team down.

2.  LeBron James thinks so

LeBron was a hometown boy.  Sure, he was from Akron.  But Akron is practically a suburb of Cleveland.  That’s why it was such a coup for Cleveland to get James in the draft lottery.  The hometown hero could actually stay home.  Only in this case, home sucked.  And LeBron knew it.  So he got out of Dodge.

Sayonara, Suckville!!!

1.  Zero

That’s right, zero.  That’s how many championships Cleveland has.  Zero.  I don’t mean championships from leagues that no longer exist.  So don’t tell me that Cleveland once won a polo championship in 1847.  I’m only talking about championships in the modern era (which means, when most of us were alive).  The Cavs?  Zero.  Indians?  Zip.  Browns.  Zilch.  That’s right, Cleveland’s major sports teams have a combined total of zero championships.  Zero!!!!!

Heck, if Cleveland ever got an NHL team (which they’d inevitably name “The Cleveland Lime Greens”), we all know that they too would be destined for centuries of championshiplessness.  I’m not even sure whether that’s a word.  Prior to Cleveland, there has never been a city that required such a descriptor.

Regardless of whether “championshiplessness” is actually a word, I think there is one thing that everyone will agree on; Cleveland sucks!

(If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a comment by clicking on the square at the top right of this article. Also, please subscribe to our blog by pressing the orange button below. You can also follow us on Twitter by clicking the bird doohicky below. Also consider following us on Facebook. Thanks.)

Subscribe in a reader

This Sunday, the Steelers and the Browns will renew one of the oldest rivalries in the NFL.  These two teams have been facing one another since 1950.

The Steelers hold a slim lead in the all-time regular season series 58-56.  However, the Steelers have owned the Browns of late.  The Steelers had won 12 straight games in the series until the Browns finally got a win last December in Cleveland.

The Browns won that game 13-6, but the game was much more lopsided than the score indicated.  Frankly, the Browns beat the #%$&*! out of the Steelers.  They sacked Ben Roethlisberger 8 times during that game.  The Browns threw so many blitzes at Big Ben that he probably started wondering if his offensive line was even trying to protect him.

For that reason, it is important for the Steelers to make sure that they don’t take the Browns for granted.  Despite their 1-4 record, the Browns are actually a good team.  Stop laughing, I’m being serious.

The Browns are the best 1-4 team in the NFL.  I know that sounds odd, but it’s true.  Several of their losses could have easily been wins.  They lost by only 3 points to Tampa Bay.  Then they lost by 2 points to a surprisingly good Kansas City Chiefs team.  Then in week 3, they were beating the Baltimore Ravens until the Ravens made a late comeback to beat the Browns in the closing minutes of the game.  They followed that near-win against Baltimore with a win over the reigning AFC North champs, the Cincinnati Bengals.  And then finally they suffered a loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week.  So the  Browns’ 4 losses have been by an average of only 5 points per game.  That indicates that they are playing all of their opponents close.  Underestimating this team would be a BIG mistake.

Of course the story of this game is going to be the quarterbacks.

Big Ben will be making his regular season debut with the Steelers, following his 4 game suspension.  In Ben’s absence, the Steelers have gone 3-1, but they did that mainly by running the ball and playing good defense.

The Steelers are ranked last in the NFL in passing.  That’s right, dead last.  Number 32 in the league.  They are only averaging 136 passing yards per game.  Those sound like rushing numbers, not passing numbers.

With Big Ben back in the lineup, there is little doubt that the Steelers’ passing attack is going to get a boost.  In fact, based on what Roethlisberger did last year, the Steelers’ passing offense should become one of the top 10 in the NFL.

Of course, quarterback is going to be the position to watch for the Browns as well.  The Browns have gone through quarterbacks almost as quickly as the Steelers have this season.  Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are both out with injuries, so rookie Colt McCoy will be making his first start on Sunday.

McCoy was a highly touted quarterback who played for Texas in College.  Many thought McCoy would be drafted earlier, but he slipped to the Browns in the third round.

If there is one defense that McCoy probably doesn’t want to make his NFL debut against, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is probably going to throw some things at McCoy that the rookie has never even dreamed of, much less seen.

As was mentioned earlier, the Browns are not a team to be taken lightly.  However, with the added pressure of starting a rookie quarterback, this game will likely prove to be too much for the Browns.  Big Ben should start his 2010 season with a win, and the Steelers will improve their record to 4-1.

With Big Ben back in the lineup, the stairway to seven is not nearly as steep.

Here we go Steelers, here we go!

(If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a comment by clicking on the square at the top right of this article. Also, please subscribe to our blog by pressing the orange button below. You can also follow us on Twitter by clicking the bird doohicky below. Also consider following us on Facebook. Thanks.)

Subscribe in a reader

Some of you are probably asking, “What the heck is “WWBAD”   Is it a word?  Is it an acronym?  Or has Donald been sniffing tartar sauce again?

The answers are “no”, “yes”, and “maybe”.

“WWBAD” is not a word.  It’s an acronym.  You’re probably familiar with those bracelets that some Christians wear that say “WWJD”, well this is the Steelers’ version of that.  For Christians, WWJD stands for “What would Jesus Do?”.    Similarly, WWBAD is an acronym for the question that is on the minds of Steeler Nation; “What Will Bruce Arians Do?”

Bruce Arians is the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Thus he is the guy who calls the plays that make the Steelers’ offense tick.

Arians is faced with the task of trying to integrate Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers’ franchise quarterback, into a team that has gone 3-1 in his absence, primarily due to suffocating defense and a pounding running game.

There probably isn’t an offensive coordinator in the NFL who wouldn’t LOVE to have that “problem”.  But for Bruce Arians, things are a bit more complicated.

Steelers fans know that Bruce Arians seems to have an aversion to running the ball.  Actually, it’s more than an aversion.  It’s more like an allergy.  I believe that he becomes physically ill any time he calls a running play.  Or at least that’s the way it seems sometimes.

How else do you explain that game last season when Rashard Mendenhall was averaging 7 yards per carry in the first half, and Bruce Arians hardly gave him the ball during the entire second half?

Or how do you explain the countless times that the Steelers got into the red zone last year and couldn’t score.  Despite their lack of success in the red zone, Arians kept trying the same formula; Pass, pass, pass, bring in Jeff Reed to kick a field goal.

For Arians, there is apparently no situation that doesn’t call for a passing play.  If the Steelers have a first and goal at the 1 yard line, Arians will probably call for 3 passing plays. 

If the situation were 3rd down and inches to go, most coordinators would call for a running play or a quarterback sneak.  But to Bruce Arians, that is an ideal situation to call for a 20 yard pass into double coverage.

That’s why the simple question of how to integrate Big Ben back into the Steelers’ offense becomes much more complicated than it may seem.

My suggestion would be to continue doing what the Steelers have been doing.  After all, Rashard Mendenhall is averaging 4.6 yards per carry.  And that has been against defenses that were stacking the line because they knew that the Steelers were not a passing threat.

With Ben Roethlisberger back in the line-up, that is no longer the case.  The Steelers ARE a passing threat.  So defenses can’t keep 8 or 9 men in the box.  That will open things up significantly for Mendenhall.

But just as Ben’s presence will open things up for Mendenhall, Mendy’s running will also open things up for Ben.  When a defense has to respect the offense’s running game, they become more vulnerable to the pass.

Fortunately for the Steelers, they have a potent running game, and they are now adding a quarterback who threw for over 4,000 yards last season back into the mix.  Do you think that is going to give opposing defensive coordinators ulcers?  Yeah, so do I.

The Steelers offense just has too many weapons.  We’ve already talked about Mendenhall.  But with Roethlisberger back, Hines Ward will become a threat once again.  Ward has been the invisible man during the Steelers’ first 4 games.  Ward had 95 catches last season for 1,167 yards.  This season, he has 12 catches for 165 yards.  Do you think he’s happy to have Big Ben back?  I do too.

And when Ward is covered, Big Ben can always go to his dependable tight end, Heath Miller.  I’ve long argued that Miller is one of the best tight ends in the NFL. 

And let’s not forget Roethlisberger’s latest toy; speedster Mike Wallace.  Wallace is a 40+ yard touchdown waiting to happen (assuming Ben doesn’t under-throw the ball like he usually does).

That’s a lot of weapons to try to defend.  Particularly when you have a quarterback who can extend a play the way Ben Roethlisberger can.

If the Steelers vary the play calling and give the opposition a good mix of passing and running plays, they should be virtually unstoppable.  But if they become one dimensional and rely almost exclusively on the passing game, then they will be much easier for defenses to stop.

This logic seems fairly self-evident to most of us.  But history has shown that it sometimes escapes Bruce Arians.  Which brings us back to our original question;  WWBAD?

(If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a comment by clicking on the square at the top right of this article. Also, please subscribe to our blog by pressing the orange button below. You can also follow us on Twitter by clicking the bird doohicky below. Also consider following us on Facebook. Thanks.)

Subscribe in a reader

It’s Tuesday, and I still haven’t quite recovered from the Steelers’ loss to the Ravens on Sunday. But time moves on, and we have to move on with it. So here are a few miscellaneous items that I thought I’d share with my readers.

Big Ben’s return

The biggest news is of course the return of Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben met with the press yesterday, and for those of you who didn’t see the interview, here are some snippets:

The NFL was kind enough to give the Steelers their bye week right after Big Ben’s return.  So Ben will have an extra week to get his timing down with his receivers, and to refresh his memory of the playbook.

As Ben jokingly stated, he is going to have to re-acclimate himself to Mike Wallace’s speed.  Ben routinely under-threw passes to Wallace that would have easily been touchdowns if Ben had hit Wallace in stride.  Instead, Wallace usually had to come back to the ball which allowed the defender to catch him.  Hopefully, Ben & Mike will spend the next two weeks alleviating that problem.

Yinz Luv Da Stillers

On a totally different note, Jim Shearer has released another episode of Yinz Luv Da Stillers.  This week’s episode can be seen by clicking the link below:

A miracle has happened

I don’t want to forget to mention a very significant event that happened this past Sunday.  It was an event that is truly rare; like Haley’s comet.  Or the 17 year locusts.  Or spotting Bigfoot.

I have only seen it a few times myself.  And the memories are only vague, near-forgotten images since they happened so long ago.

“What happened?”, you’re probably saying.  Did Troy Polamalu use a curse word?  Did Casey Hampton turn down a second helping at the dinner table?   Did Big Ben leave a nice tip for a waiter or waitress on the South Side?  (C’mon guys.  We all know that will NEVER happen).

Nope!  You’re all wrong.  What happened on Sunday was just as rare as the things mentioned above, but it was far more noteworthy.

This past Sunday…………(drum roll, please)………..Ike Taylor caught an interception!  That’s right, the hands of stone actually held onto the ball.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love Ike.  Ike can play on my team anytime.  But let’s be honest.  Ike can’t catch.

With Ike’s height and speed, why do you think none of his coaches ever converted him to a wide receiver?  Frankly, I’ll bet every coach that he’s ever had tried to switch his position, and they all came to the same conclusion;  Ike can’t catch.  So Ike plays cornerback.

Ike’s size and speed allows him to cover the biggest and fastest wide receivers in the game.  When the ball comes their way, Ike can knock it down.  He can defend passes with the best of them.  But he can’t hold onto the ball.

So when Ike DOES make an interception, I believe that it’s cause for celebration.  In fact, I think we ought to begin a new Steelers tradition.  Every time Ike makes an interception, there ought to be free chicken in the Hill District of Pittsburgh.  Those of you who are over the age of 30 probably remember that the Pittsburgh Pirates used to have free “chicken on The Hill” each time Willie Stargell hit a home run.  Well, I think we should do the same thing for Ike’s interception.  After all, they’re far less frequent than Stargell’s home runs.  The chicken joints would only find themselves offering free chicken once every 4 years or so.  How much could that possibly cost them?  Not much.

So everybody head over to the Hill District.  “There’s chicken on The Hill!!!”

Today’s featured Steelers gear:

Not only are we Steelers bloggers, but we’re also Steelers fans.  We search hard for the coolest Steelers stuff.  We try to find Steelers gear that we want.  Then we make you aware of them in case you want to add them to your Steelers collection.

We love the Game Stopper 1/4 zip sweatshirt!  It features an embroidered team logo on the left chest, team-colored stripes down the sleeves, and hand warmer pockets to keep you in the game when the temperatures drop.

And we don’t want the ladies to feel left out.  So how about this lightweight Breakout Play fleece pullover for perfect layering on cold days.  Its bold team color stripes on the shoulders and sides showcase your Steelers spirit for all the world to see!

(If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a comment by clicking on the square at the top right of this article. Also, please subscribe to our blog by pressing the orange button below. You can also follow us on Twitter by clicking the bird doohicky below. Also consider following us on Facebook. Thanks.)

Subscribe in a reader

Coulda, woulda, shoulda.  The Steeler coulda won.  The Steelers woulda won.  The Steelers shoulda won.  But ultimately, the Steelers didn’t win.

The Steelers fell to the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 17-14, and now find themselves tied with the Ravens for 1st place in the AFC North.

The Steelers had a chance to go 4-0 without Ben Roethlisberger.  A very real chance.  In fact, only 34 seconds separated them from that goal.  But a late touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to T.J. Houshmandzadeh spoiled the Steelers’ hopes of going undefeated with0ut their starting quarterback.

The game was yet another hard-fought battle that has become typical for this rivalry.  And for the fifth time in the last five meetings between the two teams, the margin of victory was 4 points or less.

There are lots of reason why the Steelers lost.  Too many penalties.  Predictable play calling on offense.  Missed field goals by Jeff Reed.  Ineffective coverage by the defensive backs.  Not enough pressure on Joe Flacco.  Charlie Batch’s inability to find receivers.  Blah, blah, blah.

But the point is not to place blame.  Yes, we lost.  But Baltimore had something to do with the loss too.  It wasn’t only due to the things that we didn’t do.  It was also due to the things that they DID do.

Ultimately, we win as a team, and we lose as a team.  So trying to assess blame is counter-productive.

Rather than focus on why we lost, I’ve decided to focus on how close we came.

Without our franchise quarterback, the Steelers were within 34 seconds of being 4-0.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.  In fact, it’s something that we should all feel very proud of.

The Steelers played a very tough Baltimore Ravens team to a virtual standoff with what was effectively our 4th string quarterback.  How much additional offense would Big Ben have accounted for?  There’s no way of knowing for sure, but I don’t think there are many who believe that he wouldn’t have generated more offense than Charlie Batch did.

Yes, Jeff Reed missed two field goals.  Making one of those kicks would have tied the game, and the second would have potentially won the game.  But Reed didn’t miss them on purpose.  Reed is usually a very accurate kicker, and Heinz Field is a very difficult place to kick field goals.  There aren’t many kickers in the league who could do much better than Jeff Reed does under the conditions at Heinz Field.  So despite what happened today, next time there is a game winning field goal to be made, I’m going to trust in Jeff Reed to make it.

Bruce Arians’ play calling may have been too predictable, but now that Ben Roethlisberger is returning to the lineup, Arians should go back to being his usual pass-happy self.  And because he had to rely on Rashard Mendenhall during Big Ben’s absence, perhaps Arians has gained a new-found appreciation for the running game.  In fact, we may have a born-again offensive coordinator on our hands; one who values the run, as well as the pass.

So regardless of what happened against the Ravens, the real season starts now.  Ben Roethlisberger is back, and the team is 3-1.  The defense is playing great.  The running game is working well.  And now our franchise quarterback will be added back into the mix.

The Steelers survived Ben’s suspension.  And the team fared much better than most expected them to.  But Big Ben is back now, and it’s a whole new ballgame.

Look out, NFL!  The Steelers are at full force now.  And they’re coming after you.

Here we go, Steelers!  Here we go!

Today’s featured Steelers gear:

Not only are we Steelers bloggers, but we’re also Steelers fans.  We search hard for the coolest Steelers stuff.  We try to find Steelers gear that we want.  Then we make you aware of them in case you want to add them to your Steelers collection.

We love the Game Stopper 1/4 zip sweatshirt!  It features an embroidered team logo on the left chest, team-colored stripes down the sleeves, and hand warmer pockets to keep you in the game when the temperatures drop.

And we don’t want the ladies to feel left out.  So how about this lightweight Breakout Play fleece pullover for perfect layering on cold days.  Its bold team color stripes on the shoulders and sides showcase your Steelers spirit for all the world to see!

(If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a comment by clicking on the square at the top right of this article. Also, please subscribe to our blog by pressing the orange button below. You can also follow us on Twitter by clicking the bird doohicky below. Also consider following us on Facebook. Thanks.)

Subscribe in a reader