Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

When the Steelers flew to Glendale, they knew that they were going to be playing the Arizona Cardinals.  What they didn’t know was that they were going to be having a coming out party for Young Money.

“Young Money” is the nickname given to the Steelers’ trio of young wide receivers, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, and Emmanuel Sanders.

In a game in which Ben Roethlisberger threw for 361 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a 121.8 passer rating, “Young Money” accounted for 266 of those yards and 2 of the 3 touchdowns.

Mike Wallace, who is already the Steelers’ star receiver, had 118 receiving yards, including a 95 yard touchdown reception.

Mike Wallace outruns Cards

Antonio Brown contributed 102 receiving yards.  He also had over 100 yards on combined kickoffs and punt returns.

Emmanuel Sanders had 5 receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.

If the Cardinals didn’t know who “Young Money” is before the game started, they certainly do now.

But the Steelers wide receivers weren’t the only ones who had a stellar game.  Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley was a one-man wrecking machine.  He led the defense with 7 tackles, 2 quarterback hurries, 2 sacks, and a safety.  And he probably should have been credited with 3 sacks, but he wasn’t awarded a sack on the play in which he had Cardinals’ quarterback Kevin Kolb in the grasp, but Kolb threw the ball away and was charged with intentional grounding.

The Steelers run defense also returned to form.  They held the Cardinals to 73 total rushing yards.  That’s the type of performance Steelers fans have come to expect from their defense.  Hopefully, today’s performance was a sign of things to come.

The final score of the game was 32-20.  And it was actually 32-14 with about 5 minutes left to play in the 4th quarter.  So the Steelers won this one by a pretty comfortable margin.  That was good to see, since the Steelers have a habit of making games closer than they need to be.

Now it’s on to New England to face the hated Patriots.

Here we go Steelers!

The Steelers placed defensive end Aaron Smith on injured reserve today, ending his 2011 season.

If that sounds like deja vu, it should.  This is the third consecutive year that Smith has played less than half of the season.  His season ended last year after only 6 games, and he was placed on injured reserve in 2009 after only 5 games.

While the team only announced that Smith was being placed on IR, they may as well have announced his retirement.  Smith will be 36 years old next season, and it’s highly unlikely that the Steelers will re-sign a 36 year old player who has missed more than half of the season for 3 consecutive years.

Smith was probably the top 3-4 defensive end in the NFL for quite a few years.  It’s unfortunate that the Steelers don’t ask their defensive ends to get sacks.  Smith’s lack of sacks probably kept him out of several Pro Bowls.  But despite his lack of national recognition, Steelers’ coaches and fans all recognized Smith’s contributions.

Steelers DE Aaron Smith

It’s always sad to see a Steelers veteran go.  Especially one who has been as dependable as Smith has.  But time waits for no man.

Backup defensive end Ziggy Hood is ready to man the position for the next decade or so.  Hood was called upon to start last season when Smith was placed on IR, and he did a stellar job of holding down the position.  More recently, Hood has done an excellent job since Smith got injured this year.

I’ll miss Aaron Smith.  He was a great player, and a great person.  I remember how Steelers fans rallied behind Smith when it was discovered that his son had leukemia.  Despite his personal challenges, Smith always carried himself with class and dignity.  He was the epitome of a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Goodbye, Aaron.  Steeler Nation salutes you.

The Steelers travel to Arizona to face the “Steelers West” this Sunday.  This will be the first time the two teams have met since they squared off in Super Bowl XLIII.

The “Steelers West” (also known by some as the Arizona Cardinals) are always an unusual opponent to face.  That’s because they look like an offshoot of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  And in some ways, they are.

We all know that former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt is now the head coach of the Cardinals.  Former Steelers assistant head coach and offensive line coach Russ Grimm holds the same position for the Cardinals.  Former Steelers assistant coach Ray Horton is now the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator.  Former Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend is now their defensive backs coach.

Former Steelers linebackers Joey Porter and Clark Haggans both play for the Cardinals.  Most Steelers fans probably thought they were both retired.  But they’re actually playing in Arizona.  So is former Steeler Nick Eason.  And Crezdon Butler (though he’s on injured reserve).  If Alan Faneca hadn’t chosen to retire during the off-season, he’d probably still be on the Cardinals’ roster as well.

I know they say that “Imitation is the greatest form of flattery”, but what the Cardinals have done verges on the ridiculous.

Despite emulating the Steelers’ roster, the Cardinals haven’t been able to emulate their results.   They ended the 2010 season with a meager 5-11 record.  They’re 1-4 this season, and are one of the worst teams in the NFC.

The Cardinals’ problems began with the retirement of quarterback Kurt Warner.  Ken Whisenhunt cut Matt Leinart, the supposed heir apparent, and has had a revolving door of starting quarterbacks since then.

Most recently, the Cardinals signed Philadelphia Eagles’ backup QB Kevin Kolb to be their starter.  At best, Kolb has been adequate.  He’s thrown 6 interceptions, while throwing only 5 TD passes.  In general, teams like to see their quarterback throw more touchdowns than interceptions.  Kolb may want to work on that.  He may also want to work on improving his QB Rating, which is only 77.2.

Make no mistake, the Cardinals have weapons.  Former Pitt Panther wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is still one of the most dangerous receiving threats in the NFL.  He’ll give the Steelers’ secondary a considerable challenge.  And running back Beanie Wells is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, and has 6 touchdowns in only 5 games.

But despite their impressive list of former Steelers players and coaches, the Cardinals have little chance of actually beating the Steelers.  They have a mediocre offense, and a defense that’s even worse.

The Steelers never seem to blow anybody out, regardless of how bad their opponent is.  So the game will probably be close.  But the Steelers should come away with a win, and a 5-2 record, while the Cardinals sink to 1-5, and Ken Whisenhunt finds himself on the hot seat.

I guess copying the Steelers can only get you so far.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have wrestled with the question of age for several seasons.  The majority of the starting players on their defensive front 7 are over 30 years old.

Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, James Farrior, and James Harrison are all closer to the end of their careers than either fans, or apparently the Steelers’ coaches, seem to want to admit.  The same is true for Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark.  And key backup players like Chris Hoke and Larry Foote, aren’t spring chickens either.

We’ve all heard the cries for more youth on the defense.  But what I haven’t heard very much is cries for youth on the offense.  Specifically at wide receiver.

The Steelers have a talented group of young wide receivers who have given fans reason to believe that the team’s future at the position is bright.

Mike Wallace is already the team’s top receiver, and he’s also emerged as one of the most dangerous receiving threats in the NFL.  Wallace will lead the Steelers’ receiving corps for years to come.

Second year receivers Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are dynamic playmakers.  They both have speed to burn, and are proving to coaches that they deserve more playing time.

Antonio Brown has caught 18 passes for 262 yards through 6 games.  He’s averaging 14.6 yards per catch.  Emmanuel Sanders has caught 8 passes for 127 yards, and is averaging 15.9 yards per catch.

Hines Ward is the veteran of the receiving corp.  He’s 35 years old, and in his 14th season in the NFL.  More importantly, Ward is the Steelers’ all-time receptions leader, and he’s one of the most beloved players in Steelers’ history.

And therein lies the problem.  Fans love Hines.  Coaches love Hines.  Players love Hines.  Nobody want to be the one to disrespect Hines.

But at this point in his career, Hines Ward is no longer the player he once was.  Ward was never a fast player.  But at 35 years old, Hines is just plain slow.  He still has great hands, but he can’t really get separation from defenders.

Ward is still targeted routinely by Big Ben.  In fact, only Mike Wallace has more receptions than Ward.  However, Ward has the lowest yards per catch of the 4 primary wide receivers.  Antonio Brown has fewer catches than Ward, but he has more yards.  And Emmanuel Sanders is averaging over 5 yards more per catch than Ward.  Do you know how much 5 extra yards per catch would help the Steelers?

Sanders excels as a possession receiver, just like Ward.  The difference is that he’s much faster.  So he can get to the spot faster than Ward.  The same is true for Antonio Brown.  If the Steelers played Wallace, Brown, and Sanders, they’d have a trio of speedy receivers who could blow the top off of any defense.  That would open up things for the running game, and it would allow Heath Miller to run free underneath.  Or it would simply allow Big Ben to pick his target as he launches bomb after bomb over the top of the defense.

None of that can happen with Ward in the lineup.  But I believe that both coaches and fans are willing to accept the status quo out of respect for Ward, and in appreciation for the contribution that he’s made over the years.

It’s hard to say goodbye to star players.  Just think about when Jerome Bettis was no longer good enough to start.  Or Franco Harris.  Or John Stallworth.  or Louis Lipps.  Nobody wanted to see them go.  But for the good of the team, we knew that the time had come.

I love Hines Ward.  He’s still probably the best blocking receiver in the NFL.  But he’s no longer an elite wide receiver in the NFL.  Moreover, he’s not going to be able to hold Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders off for much longer.

Respect keep Hines on the field for now.  But pretty soon, the raw talent of Brown and Sanders is going to trump respect.  And that’s going to be a hard day for fans and coaches alike.  But that day is coming.  And it’s coming soon.

Maybe it’s already here.

I love the way Head & Shoulders shampoo has used Troy P0lamalu as their spokesman.

In this commercial, they bring a few other Steelers players into the action.  Enjoy!