Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

The Steelers won an action packed, physical, penalty-filled game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.  Now it’s time for fans to capture the key elements of the game in a haiku.

The contest rules are simple. You must summarize the Steelers-Raiders game in a haiku. A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that contains only 3 lines. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables. Typically, haiku do not rhyme.

Please note, the emphasis is on syllables, not words. Remember 5/7/5.

I start the competition by offering a haiku of my own. Then you readers write a haiku of your own to try to beat mine. On Thursday I will announce this week’s contest winner. But remember, your haiku has to be better than mine.  If none of your entries are better than mine, then I take home the prize.

Here is my entry:

Neither flags by refs
Nor blows by Richard Seymour
Could stop our Steelers

The winner of this week’s contest is going to win a copy of the book “Find A Way” by former Steelers player and current NFL analyst Merril Hoge.  It’s a great book that belongs on the bookshelf of any Steelers fan.

Okay readers, your turn.  Lets see who can come up with the best haiku about the Steelers-Raiders game.

Are you ready for some haiku?!!

Today’s featured item:

With the holiday’s coming, Steelers gear is sure to be on everyone’s shopping list.  No Steelers fans should be without a basic black Steelers polo shirt.  Why not take the time to buy one for your favorite Steelers fan?

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In an unprecedented move, the NFL has fined the Pittsburgh Steelers for winning.  The Steelers’ 35-3 victory over the Oakland Raiders drew a $500,000 fine from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

“I believe that parity is good for the game of football.  The Steelers just don’t seem to understand that.  This fine should send a very loud message to the Steelers organization; stop winning so much”.

Goodell expounded further on his vision for the NFL by stating, “I believe in a kinder, gentler NFL.  That’s why I keep fining the Steelers’ players.  Their brand of football is just too physical.”

“I’ve instructed the referees to punish teams that believe it’s okay to play aggressive, physical football.  We are a civilized nation, and we deserve a civilized sport.  Players don’t hit one another in baseball or basketball.  Why should it be allowed in football?”

The Steelers were penalized 14 times for 163 yards in their 35-3 win over the Oakland Raiders.  That’s almost more yards than the Raiders’ offense was able to generate during the entire game (182 net yards).  Moreover, it established a new record for penalty yards by the Steelers.

“I was pleased by the referees’ performance”, said Goodell.  “I believe that teams need to be more evenly matched.  When one team is much better than the other team, it hurts the lesser team’s self-esteem.  At least that’s what my therapist tells me”.

In a game that became almost comical at times due to the ridiculous penalties that were being called, the Steelers still managed to get a dominant win.

Safety Ryan Clark was penalized for a helmet-to-helmet hit on a play in which his helmet never came near the other player’s helmet.  I guess the referees think that the receiver’s helmet is located below his shoulder pads, because that’s where Clark hit him.

In another silly play, James Harrison (who seems to be Public Enemy #1 with Roger Goodell) was penalized for roughing the passer on a play where he clearly had no possibility of stopping his forward momentum.

“The Steelers are just too good”, said Roger Goodell.  “They seem to be heading for another playoff run, and potentially a 7th Lombardi Trophy.  That’s just being greedy, and I’m not going to tolerate that!”

In another unprecedented move, Goodell also issued fines to several Steelers for plays that would have been celebrated in years past.

Wide receiver Mike Wallace was issued a $50,000 fine for scoring a 52 yard touchdown in the 4th quarter.

“That kid’s just too fast.  It’s not fair”, said Roger Goodell.  “Besides, the Steelers were already leading by 18 points.  Was it necessary for them to score again?  They are going to have to learn to consider their opponents’ feelings.  Perhaps this fine will give Mike Wallace something to think about.  I’ll bet he’ll run slower next time”.

Safety Troy Polamalu also received a $50,000 fine for his interception against the Raiders.

“I felt that Troy’s interception was unsportsmanlike”, Goodell explained.  “The Steelers were winning by a significant margin.  There was no need for Troy to intercept the ball”.

Finally, Steelers linebacker James Harrison was fined $150,000 for his overall aggressiveness during the game.

When asked about Harrison’s fine, Roger Goodell replied, “That guy’s just got too much fire in his belly.  He needs to be cooled off.  Would it hurt him to give his opponents an occasional hug?  He’s such a meanie.  I’m going to keep fining him until he learns to be nice to the other teams”.

Goodell explained the genesis of his new vision for the NFL.  “I was watching Dr. Phil, and he said that winning and losing shouldn’t be emphasized in sports.  Participation should be the key.  Emphasis on winning and losing only instill competitiveness in athletes, and it leads to hurt feelings.  We wouldn’t want to see that, would we?”

Despite the poor officiating, and the resulting fines by Goodell, the Steelers still managed to achieve a dominant victory, and remain tied with the Baltimore Ravens atop the AFC North.

Editor’s note:  Like much of what we write at Steelers Today, this article was written in jest.  The Steelers were not fined for winning.  However, it would not surprise us if a few Steelers received fines for today’s game.

Today’s featured item:

With the holiday’s coming, Steelers gear is sure to be on everyone’s shopping list.  No Steelers fans should be without a basic black Steelers polo shirt.  Why not take the time to buy one for your favorite Steelers fan?

(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.)

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Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour was ejected from the game for his blow to the face of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

For those of you who missed it, here was Seymour’s blow.

This was a far more blatant offense than the one that drew a $75,ooo fine on Steelers linebacker James Harrison.  It deserves at least a $100,000 fine, as well as a suspension.

I’ll be watching Roger Goodell to see how he handles this one.

Today’s featured item:

With the holiday’s coming, Steelers gear is sure to be on everyone’s shopping list.  No Steelers fans should be without a basic black Steelers polo shirt.  Why not take the time to buy one for your favorite Steelers fan?

(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.)

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When the Steelers face the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, two of the fastest wide receivers in the NFL will be standing on opposite sides of the field.

In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders surprised most other NFL teams by selecting Darrius Heyward-Bey, from the University of Maryland, as the first wide receiver chosen in the draft.

Most experts believed that Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree was the top receiver in the draft.  In only 3 college seasons (compared to 4 by Heyward-Bey), Crabtree had accumulated almost twice as many receptions, and more than 3 times as many career touchdowns (41 versus only 13 for Heyward-Bey).

But as had long been his tendency, Raiders owner Al Davis chose to focus on 40-yard dash speed, rather than tangible receiving skills or on-field production.  So Davis got the fastest receiver in the draft.  But did he get the best?

Had Davis not been so infatuated with pure speed, he might have actually looked at how the player performed in college.  If he had done that, he would have noticed that the wide receiver who ran the second fastest 40 yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine actually had better college statistics than Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Darrius Heyward-Bey’s 4.30 forty yard time was the fastest of anybody at the Combine.  But the second fastest time by a wide receiver was posted by Mike Wallace out of Ole Miss.  Wallace ran a blazing 4.33.  While it wasn’t as fast as Heyward-Bey’s time, it was still an eye-popping performance.

While Heyward-Bey’s speed earned him the #1 pick among wide receivers, Mike Wallace wasn’t selected until the third round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Wallace was actually the 15th pick of the 3rd round (#84 overall), and he was the 11th wide receiver taken.

Yet if we compare Wallace’s college statistics, they actually compare quite favorably to Heyward-Bey’s.

What must be noted is the Darrius Heyward-Bey played 4 years for Maryland, while Mike Wallace only played 3 years at Ole Miss.  Despite having a shorter college career than Heyward-Bey, Mike Wallace almost matched Heyward-Bey’s total yardage (he ended his college career with 179 few yards), and he surpassed his total touchdowns.

But perhaps an even more important statistic for speedsters is their average yards per catch.  And in this category, Mike Wallace surpassed Darrius Heyward-Bey by almost 4 yards per catch.

Since entering the pros, the difference between Mike Wallace and Darrius Heyward-Bey has been even more pronounced.

Wallace has shown himself to be a better overall receiver.  He has great hands, is a TD threat on every play, and is developing better route running skills.    Heyward-Bey, on the other hands has not shown himself to be much of a threat.

Mike Wallace has out-produced Darius Heyward-Bey in almost every way since entering the NFL.  Wallace led the NFL in yards per catch as a rookie, and has become a fantasy football darling.  Meanwhile, Darius Heyward-Bey could easily be considered to be a bust.  Particularly when you consider where he was drafted.

WR Mike Wallace

Moreover, because of where he was drafted, Heyward-Bey cost the Raiders far more than Mike Wallace has cost the Steelers.

Hindsight is alway 20/20.  If teams had known how good Mike Wallace was going to be, he probably would have been drafted much sooner than he was.  Fortunately, the Steelers’ scouting department was able to recognize Wallace’s considerable value.

Since taking over for Santonio Holmes, Wallace has been a touchdown machine.  He still isn’t as good as Holmes was at running with the ball in the open field.  But he is much faster than Holmes, and his hands seem to be just as dependable as Holmes’ ever were.

I’m sure that most Steelers fans are quite happy with what they’ve got in Mike Wallace.  I’m not sure that Raiders fans would say the same about Darrius Heyward-Bey.

If the NFL ever decides to institute competitive 40-yard dash races, then I’ll take Darrius Heyward-Bey.  But as long as NFL players are actually required to play football, I’ll take Mike Wallace any day of the week.

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I’m old enough to remember when the Steelers-Raiders rivalry was actually meaningful.  In fact, it was one of the biggest rivalries in the NFL.

Those days are long past, and Sunday’s game will merely feature two teams fighting to stay on top of their respective divisions.

At 6-3, the Steelers are tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the lead in the AFC North.  Meanwhile, the 5-4 Raiders are tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the lead in the AFC West.

Despite the fact that the two teams are no longer bitter rivals, this is an important game for both teams.

The Steelers are coming off of a demoralizing loss to the New England Patriots, and they desperately need to get back to their winning ways.

The Raiders are coming off of a bye week, and have had two weeks to prepare for the Steelers.  They’d love nothing more than to show that last year’s  27-24 victory over the Steelers was not a fluke.

The Raiders have the 2nd ranked rushing offense in the NFL.  They are averaging 162.2 yards per game.  Only their division rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, run for more yards per game than the Raiders.

The Raiders’ rushing attack is led by running back Darren McFadden.  McFadden is finally showing the skills that many expected to see from him when he came out of college.  He’s averaging 5.4 yards per carry, and is proving to be one of the more dangerous running backs in the league.

Raiders' RB Darren McFadden

However, we know what the Steelers do to dangerous running backs.  Just ask Chris Johnson,  Or Ray Rice.  Or Ronnie Brown.  Or Michael Turner.  Or…..well, you get the picture.

This should be a classic match-up of immovable object versus irresistable force.  In this case, I’m gonna put my money on the immovable object; the Steelers’ run defense.

I project a Steelers win.  Final score Steelers 24, Raiders 13.

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