Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

I know that most NFL bloggers are now focusing their attention on the NFL Combine, and the upcoming draft.  I’ll start talking about those things soon enough, but right now, I still want to hold onto the joy of the Steelers’ spectacular 2008 season.

Over the next several days, I will be presenting one final look at the season that was.  From the highs to the lows, and everything in between.   From the 2008 NFL draft, to training camp, the regular season, the playoffs, and the Super Bowl, we’ll revisit all of it.

Steelers Today presents the 2008 season in pictures.

Tune in tomorrow for Steelers 2008: The Year in Pictures (Part 2)

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February 11, 2009
By Donald Starver

Note: This is the third installment in a three-part series.  If you haven’t already read the first part, please click here.  If you haven’t read the second part, please click here.

The toughest decisions that Kevin Colbert will make this offseason will have nothing to do with this year’s free agents.  Instead, the hardest decisions that he will have to make will pertain to the players that will be free agents next year.

The Steelers have quite a few key players who have only one year remaining on their contracts.  So next year, all of them will be free to test the open market (and potentially leave) unless the Steelers lock them up now by extending their contracts.  This has typically been how the Steelers have managed situations with players that they want to keep.  However, I can’t ever remember this many key players’ contracts ending at the same time.

The players with one year remaining on their contracts include James Harrison, Hines Ward, Heath Miller, Ryan Clark, Deshea Townsend, Brett Keisel, Casey Hampton, Larry Foote, Justin Hartwig, and Jeff Reed.  Every one of those players was a key contributor to the Steelers’ Super Bowl season.  In an ideal world, the Steelers would probably want to keep every one of them.  But this is not an ideal world.  This is the world of free agency, where players’ are basically available to the highest bidder.

The first priority will be two-time Steelers MVP, and NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison.  Harrison has proven himself to be a more-than-capable replacement for Joey Porter.  We all thought that Harrison would be good, but nobody expected him to be this good.

Silverback has been one of the best values in the NFL over the past 2 years.  He earned $1.1 million in 2007, and $1.2 million in 2008.  Compare that to the $6.8 million that the Steelers paid Max Starks.

Harrison’s agent knows that if his client is ever going to get a big payday, this is the time to do it.  Harrison will be 31 years old when next season begins, so this will be his last big contract.  Several factors will be working against the Steelers.  Firstly, Harrison will probably feel that the Steelers need to repay him for working so cheaply for the past two years.  Afterall, how many NFL teams’ MVP makes just over $1 million per year?  Oh yeah, and he made the Pro Bowl both of those years.  James Harrison has been a steal, and the Steelers know it.

Harrison’s predecessor, Joey Porter, will also play a role his negotiation with the Steelers.  Harrison knows that Porter got a 5 year, $32 million dollar deal with $12 million guaranteed.  The first defensive player drafted in last year’s draft, Chris Long, got a 6 year, $56.5 million dollar deal with $29 million guaranteed, and he had never even played a down in the NFL, much less won the DPOY award.

Lastly, this year’s defensive free agents Terrell Suggs, DeMarcus Ware, and Albert Haynesworth will play a key role in setting the market price for top defensive talent.  I’m sure the Steelers wish those guys weren’t hitting the free market at the same time that they are trying to extend Harrison.

Last year, the Vikings gave free agent defensive end Jared Allen a six year deal at $12.2 million per year, with $32 million guaranteed.  Harrison is not a defensive end, but I’m sure his agent will be quoting those numbers early and often.

Suffice it to say that James Harrison is going to feel like a Powerball winner when this thing is done.  I won’t attempt to guess what the figures on Harrison’s contract will be, but I know that I wouldn’t want to be Kevin Colbert right now.

Obviously, every penny that the Steelers spend on James Harrison is a penny that they can’t spend on their other players that need to be extended.

In my opinion, the next guy the Steelers should focus on is Hines Ward.  Sure, Hines will be 51 at the beginning of next season (actually he’ll be 33).  But he still has some good years left in him.  Hines is definitely one of the leaders in the Steelers clubhouse.  This year was his best season since 2003.  He had 81 receptions and over 1,000 yards.  But Hines isn’t just about statistics.  Possibly more than any other player, Hines Ward embodies the Steelers toughness.  Hines Ward was born to be a Steeler.

Despite his advancing age, Ward is not likely to see his skills decline like some players do.  The reason for this is that Hines Ward has never relied on physical gifts to succeed in the NFL.  Hines Ward is short, he’s slow, and he can’t jump.  But he compensates for that by being fearless, running great routes, and having hands like a black hole (nothing ever escapes them).  These are traits that don’t diminish with time.

The Steelers will probably offer Ward an opportunity to end his career with the team if he takes a reduced salary.  They may have to give him a year or two more on his contract than they’d like to, but I think the Steelers can get Ward to agree to a deal that will keep him in Pittsburgh until he retires.

Next up is Heath Miller.  In my opinion, Heath Miller is one of the best (and most under-utilized) tight ends in the NFL.  After Hines Ward, Miller is Big Ben’s most reliable target.  In the red zone, he may be at the top of that list.  The Steelers have to keep him.

Everyone knows that Bruce Arians is obsessed with tight ends.  If he could run an 11 tight end offense, I think he’d do it.  Heath Miller is Arians’ best tight end.  So Miller is probably assured of getting his contract extended.

In my opinion, the first salary cap casualty among this list will be Casey Hampton.  “Big Snack” just isn’t the dominant player that he once was.    He’s only 31 years old, but Hampton seems to be aging in dog years.

Did anyone notice any drop off in production when Chris Hoke came into the game for Hampton this year?  Neither did I.  Sorry Hamp, but you won’t be seeing another contract from the Steelers.

Brett Keisel presents a bit of a dilemma for the team.  He hasn’t played great, but he has played well enough that the Steelers can’t afford to lose him.  We just speculated that Casey Hampton will be leaving after his contract is over.  Fellow defensive lineman Aaron Smith is also probably playing out his final contract as well.  With that in mind, the Steelers probably need to maintain continuity by keeping the youngest member of their front 3, Brett Keisel.

To be clear, Keisel is not a kid himself.  He’s 30 years old.  But Hampton and Smith are older, so that will benefit Keisel.  We’ve seen what too many changes have done to the Steelers’ offensive line.  They can’t allow their defensive line to suffer a similar fate.  So Keisel may get extended by default.  Lucky guy.

I never realized just how important Ryan Clark was to the Steelers until he had spleen and gall bladder problems last year.  Anthony Smith started in place of Clark and proved Ryan Clark’s true value.  If that weren’t enough to cement a spot on the team for Clark, his hits on Wes Welker and Willis McGahee surely earned him an extension.  Pay the man, Mr. Colbert.  PLEASE pay the man.

Justin Hartwig was a big improvement over Sean Mahan (which wasn’t hard to do).  However, his play has not been stellar.  If the Steelers take center Max Unger from Oregon or center Alex Mack from California in the upcoming NFL draft, then Hartwig won’t even be starting next year.

Hartwig’s presence probably saved Ben Roethlisberger from getting an additional 5-10 sacks that he would have gotten had Sean Mahan still been the Steelers’ starting center.  For that, Big Ben will forever be grateful.  However, the Steelers have a history of having Pro Bowl caliber centers like Mike Webster, Dermonti Dawson, and Jeff Hartings.  Harwig just isn’t in that category, nor will he ever be.  Both Mack and Unger have the potential to be.

Even if they don’t take a center early in this year’s draft, I think it is doubtful that the Steelers will extend Justin Hartwig’s contract during the offseason.  It is much more probable that they will maintain Hartwig as the starter through next season, and then let him leave when his contract expires.

Deshea Townsend is already 33 years old.  He’ll be 34 when his current contract expires.  The Steelers have gotten some great years out of Townsend.  Townsend was never super fast, he’s not particularly tall, and he doesn’t hit like a freight train.  But he’s always gotten all that he could out of his abilities.  He has made up for his physical shortcomings by being a smart player who understands Dick LeBeau’s defense.  In fact, I’ve always viewed him as a player that the Steelers could convert to safety to extend his career a bit if they wanted to.  He is the type of smart, dependable defensive backfield player that Anthony Smith needs to become.  But despite this potential, the Steelers will not have a 35 year old defensive back on their team.  So this is Townsend’s last contract.  Thanks for your service over all of these years, Deshea.  Unfortunately, time catches up to all of us eventually.

Larry Foote is an interesting situation.  He is the least talented of the Steelers’ four starting linebackers.  Moreover, he has physical freak and former #1 draft pick Lawrence Timmons breathing down his neck for playing time.  Timmons got so much playing time this year that he may as well have been a starter.  He actually had more tackles and more sacks than Foote, despite not being a starter.

Foote has been a solid, but not spectacular starter for the Steelers.  He knows Dick LeBeau’s defense.  Moreover, he will only be 29 years old when his contract expires.  That’s younger than all of the players that we’ve just discussed are RIGHT NOW except for Heath Miller.  So age is not really a problem for Foote.  His problem is Timmons.

Foote will not be able to hold off Timmons next year.  That’s for sure.  But he could still be a very valuable backup player.  If the Steelers could keep him at a reasonable price, they would probably be wise to do so.  Foote is not important enough to extend this offseason.  So you probably won’t be hearing his name in any press releases in the coming months.  Nevertheless, if Foote wants to remain a Steeler (at a reduced price, of course) when his contract ends, I think that is something that the Steelers should consider.

Lastly, we have Jeff Reed.  Reed is an interesting character.  He is probably the Steelers’ player who is most likely to get in a bar fight, get an under-aged girl pregnant, or get arrested for a DUI.  Reed is a wild and crazy guy.  But he’s OUR wild and crazy guy.  More importantly, he’s one of the best kickers in the NFL.  How many other kickers could be as successful playing in muddy, windy Heinz Field?  Not many.

As strange as this may sound, Reed may be one of the most important players for the Steelers to keep.  Give this guy an extension before he discovers that they have much better bars in Miami.

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January 27, 2009
By Donald Starver

A little less than a week to go until the Super Bowl, and I’m already tired of all of the hype. Let’s get it on already!!!

If I had my way, the NFL would eliminate the extra week between the AFC/NFC Championships and the Super Bowl. In my opinion, two weeks is just too much time. Fans get tired of hearing the media rehash the same stories over and over (and over, and over, and over) again. By the way, did you know that Cardinals’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt was once the Steelers offensive coordinator and was passed over for the Steelers’ head coaching job that eventually went to Mike Tomlin? Oh, so you’ve heard that story 97 times today too? Darn, I thought I had a scoop.

Well, since I can’t get a scoop on the Whisenhunt story, I guess I’ll have to write my normal pre-game analysis.

First of all, these two teams aren’t strangers.  They played one another in 2007.  That was both Mike Tomlin’s and Ken Whisenhunt’s freshman years as head coaches.  Whisenhunt’s Cardinals won that game 21-14.

For those who say that the Cardinals don’t have a chance against the vastly superior Steelers, I would remind them that that was exactly what they said last year (when the Cardinals beat the Steelers despite the supposed hopelessness of their cause), and these two teams haven’t changed very much.

So let’s take a look at exactly how the Cardinals beat the Steelers last year, and see if those factors still apply, or if things have changed significantly.

The thing that I remember most about that game was that the Cardinals played “Steeler football” much better than the Steelers did.  They manhandled us.  Everyone expected the Cardinals to be a finesse team, but instead they came out and showed the Steelers just how physical they could be.  They controlled the line of scrimmage, particularly on defense, and imposed their will on the Steelers.  Nobody was surprised that they were able to outplay the Steelers’ offensive line.  Afterall, just about every team dominated the Steelers O-line last year.  But nobody expected the Cardinals to have success against the Steelers’ defense.  Some attributed it to “the Gruden Effect”;  Coach Whisenhunt knew Dick LeBeau’s defense, and was able to game plan against it.  I don’t really buy that theory, but it was suggested by many.

Let’s first look at what happened when the Cardinals were on defense.  Despite a history of being a “smash mouth” football team, the Steelers Offense were the ones who got their mouths smashed.  The Cardinals lived in the Steelers’ backfield.  They sacked Ben Roethlisberger 4 times, and had him on the run plenty more.  It was definitely not a fun day for Mr. Roethlisberger.

Even more telling was the fact that they held the Steelers’ running backs to 52 yards rushing.  That’s right, 52!!!  Willie Parker got 37 yards on 19 carries.  That’s 1.9 yards per carry.  I hate to say this, but that’s not very impressive.  Especially not against a team that was thought to be “soft” prior to the game.

So why did the Cardinals’ defense dominate the Steelers’ offense so effectively?  Well, the biggest reason, in my opinion, was Sean Mahan.  The former Steelers center was absolutely owned by Cardinal’s DT Darnell Dockett.  Dockett was bull rushing Mahan on every play, and Mahan couldn’t hold his position.  Dockett spent more time in the Steelers’ backfield than Willie Parker did.  He was the biggest reason that the Steelers’ running backs couldn’t run the ball.  Moreover, he also harrassed Big Ben all day, and ended up with 2.5 sacks.

That type of performance was Sean Mahan’s trademark, and it’s a key reason why he’s no longer on the team.  The Steelers now have Justin Hartwig, and he is much more stout at the point of attack than Mahan was.  I doubt that Dockett will be quite as effective this time around.

But it wasn’t only Sean Mahan who played poorly.  The entire Steelers offensive line was plagued with penalties.  They had 4 false starts, and 2 holding penalties.  That’s just not going to win you very many games.  Of course, two of those penalties were on Mr. Dependable, Willie Colon.  If there is one thing that Steelers fans can count on, it’s Willie Colon getting called for at least one penalty every game.  You can set your watch by it.

The Steelers offensive linemen weren’t the only ones making mental errors.  The defense also had their share.  Ike Taylor was penalized for taunting.  I know that players get emotional during games, but that’s just not acceptable.  Be a professional.  If you make a good play, go back to the huddle and get ready to make another one.  There’s no need to taunt.

Clark Haggans and Lawrence Timmons both picked up off-sides penalties.  In total, the Steelers were penalized 13 times, while the Cardinals only got 5 penalties.  The official box score says that the Steelers were penalized 11 times, but that’s only because twice the Steelers had two penalties on the same play, and the Cardinals had the luxury of declining the lesser penalty and taking the one that worked most to their advantage.  But regardless of whether there were 11 penalties or 13, either is way too many.  A team that beats themselves with mental errors can’t expect to win a Super Bowl.  I expect Mike Tomlin to have rectified this problem, and to have the Steelers ready to play both physically AND MENTALLY on Sunday.

The other factor that played heavily into the outcome of that game was special teams.  The Cardinals’ Steve Breaston returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown.  That seemed to happen a lot last year.  It almost never happened this year.  That’s another thing that I give Mike Tomlin a lot of credit for.  Special teams has been a weakness for the Steelers since the last 3 years of Bill Cowher’s tenure as coach.  Tomlin has changed it into an actual strength for this year’s team.  The Cardinals shouldn’t count on picking up any free touchdowns due to poor special teams play by the Steelers.

The Steelers were also without Hines Ward during that game.  So even if Hines plays hurt during the Super Bowl, he will contribute more than he did to last year’s loss.  That is a good thing.  Hines is the emotional leader of the team.  His presence on the field means a lot, even if it is in a limited capacity.

Despite missing Hines Ward, Big Ben still passed for 244 yards.  That not a good outing for Drew Brees, but it is a very good outing for Ben Roethlisberger.  Santonio Holmes had 128 yards receiving, and scored two touchdowns.  Unfortunately, Big Ben also threw two interceptions.

On defense, the Steelers were fairly successful.  The special teams touchdown can’t be attributed to the defense, so they actually held the Cardinals to two scores.  The Cards got a rushing touchdown from Edgerrin James, and Kurt Warner threw a touchdown pass to WR Jerheme Urban.

Both Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner played during that game.  The Steelers held the two to a combined 225 yards passing, while sacking each quarterback once.  Kurt Warner tossed for 132 of those yards, and had a QB rating of 99.7.  I’d say he had a pretty good game.

The Steelers did a pretty good job of stopping the run.  The Cardinals rushed for 86 yards on 25 carries.  However, 9 of those yards came from Matt Leinart, so the Steelers held the Card’s running backs to 77 net yards rushing.  The Cards’  longest running play of the game was a mere 9 yards.

The bottom line is that weak offensive line play and mental errors killed the Steelers in a game that they should have won.

So fast forward to this year’s matchup.  What will be different, and what will be the same?

Firstly, the Steelers’ offensive line is not going to let Darnell Dockett build a house in their backfield like he did last year.  Justin Hartwig will see to that.  Hartwig has held his own against much stronger players than Dockett.  I don’t think you’ll be hearing Dockett’s name very often on Sunday.

Secondly, the Steelers won’t kill themselves with stupid penalties.  Sure, Willie Colon and Chris Kemoeatu are each going to get their mandatory stupid penalties.  Probably an off-sides call for Kemo, and a holding call and an off-sides call for Colon.  But beyond that, Mike Tomlin is going to have this team mentally ready.  Unfortunately, even Vince Lombardi couldn’t keep Kemo and Colon from making stupid mistakes.  That’s a sad fact that Steelers fans have just come to accept.

Lastly, the Cardinals will not get a special teams touchdown.  Not on THIS Steelers team.  Not in the Super Bowl.  No way, no how.  You can bet your life on that.

So if the Steelers won’t beat themselves by making the same mistakes that they made last time these two teams played, then what SHOULD we look for in this game?

Everyone is predicting that Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are going to be the stars of this game.  They are supposedly an unstoppable duo.  When you add in Steve Breaston, the Cardinals may have the deadliest receiving trio in the NFL.  The Cardinals were the 2nd leading passing offense in the NFL this year.

While the Cardinals’ receivers are scary, the Steelers have faced quality receiving corps before.  Let’s look at who they faced in 2008.  They held the tandem of Braylon Edwards and Donte Stallworth to 17 yards on 2 catches.  They held Dallas’ duo of T.O. and Roy Williams to 5 catches for 48 yards.  New England’s duo of Randy Moss and Wes Welker were held to 8 catches for 75 yards.  Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh had 16 catches for 110 yards.  Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison combined for 9 catches for 151 yards.  And finally, the NY Giants’ Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer had 5 catches for 64 yards.  So with the exception of Harrison and Wayne (with the help of a guy named Peyton Manning), the Steelers have stopped some of the most potent receiving corps in the NFL.

Kurt Warner has always been a difficult quarterback to play because he is very experienced and can get rid of the ball quickly.  Warner is very hard to sack because he reads defenses so well.  When defenses try to blitz him, he makes them pay by completing short passes to his receivers or running backs.  Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles.

Fortunately, the Steelers have the top ranked passing defense in the NFL.  The #1 passing defense facing off against the #2 passing offense should make for quite a battle.  The Steelers’ defense was 2nd in the NFL in sacks, so if anyone can get to Kurt Warner, it will be the Steelers.

These two units are pretty evenly matched, and should cancel one another out.  That means that the outcome of the game will probably be determined by the matchup of the Steelers’ offense against the Cardinals’ defense.

The first key is probably going to be the Steelers’ running game.  The Steelers MUST get Willie Parker going if they hope to win.  The Cardinals have a very average run defense, both literally and figuratively.  Literally, the Cardinals were #16 out of 32 teams in 2008, so that makes them very average (and if any of you statistics geeks write in about the “mean” versus the “mode”, I’ll shoot myself).  The Cardinals weren’t particularly stout against the run during the regular season.  However, they seem to have corrected that during the playoffs.  In the NFC wildcard game, they held Atlanta’s Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner to 42 yards rushing.  Next, they held the Carolina Panthers’ duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to only 75 yards rushing.  Finally, in the NFC championship game, they held Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter to 66 rushing yards.  Those defensive performances are Steeler-esque.

Steelers’ offensive coordinator Bruce Arians must avoid his tendency of giving up on the run halfway through the first quarter.  Arians is in love with the passing game.  It’s like girl-on-girl porn to him; he can’t seem to get enough of it.  But he has to remember that the running game enables the passing game.  Without a legitimate running threat, the defense can concentrate solely on stopping the pass.  And that is a formula for failure for the Steelers.

But having looked at all of these elements, the truth is that the outcome of this game will probably come down to one factor; the Steelers’ gazillion dollar man.  No silly, not Max Starks.  I’m talking about their OTHER gazillion dollar man, Ben Roethlisberger.

As has become a recurring theme this season, the Steelers’ fate will depend on Big Ben.  The Steelers will go as far as Big Ben takes them.

If “Good Ben” shows up, then the Steelers will probably leave Tampa with their 6th Super Bowl trophy.  “Good Ben” is the Ben Roethlisberger who efficiently manages the game, avoids careless turnovers, and doesn’t take needless sacks.  “Good Ben” was the quarterback who made the Pro Bowl last year, and who had one of the highest QB ratings in the NFL.

Contrarily, if “Bad Ben” shows up, then it could be a long day for the Steelers.  “Bad Ben” is the Ben Roethlisberger who tries to win the game all by himself, holds onto the ball way too long, throws interceptions at the most inopportune times, and doesn’t seem to realize that throwing the ball away is better than taking a sack.  “Bad Ben” was the quarterback who started for the Steelers during most of the 2006 season.

Of course, the Steelers could still win even if “Bad Ben” shows up.  Afterall, they managed to win Super Bowl XL despite Ben recording the lowest QB rating by a winning QB in Super Bowl history.  In that game, Ben had a QB rating of 22.6.  To illustrate just how bad that is, if Ben had spiked the ball after every snap, he would have ended up with a QB rating of 39.6.  Yeah, he played that bad.

So history has shown that the Steelers CAN win with “Bad Ben” at the helm.  Unfortunately, they aren’t likely to.  If “Bad Ben” makes an appearance at Super Bowl XLIII, then Steelers fans may be treated to unpleasant memories of Neil O’Donnell, and the Cardinals should make preparations for a parade in the desert.

From the press conferences, it is clear that Roethlisberger wants to erase the memory of Super Bowl XL.  He seems to be embarassed by that performance, and desparately want to do better this time around.  Hopefully, he won’t try too hard and put undue pressure on himself.

If Ben remains calm and just takes what the Cardinals give him, the Steelers should leave Tampa with a victory.  I fully expect that to happen, and am predicting a 27-14 Steelers win.

Here we go Steelers, here we go!!!!

For even more Super Bowl analysis, please see our Steelers vs. Cardinals Key Matchups which can be found here.

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January 20, 2009
By Donald Starver

Special thanks to “Mutt” for suggesting that the “Purple Dragon” series needed to be a trilogy.   Great idea, Mutt.  And so, as you requested, here is part 3 of the trilogy.

For those of you who haven’t read the first two segments, please do so before reading this final chapter of the trilogy.

Click here to read chapter 1 of the trilogy.

Click here to read chapter 2 of the trilogy.

Chapter 3: Resurrection

The villagers of Pittsburgh didst enjoy a time of great peace and prosperity following the defeat of the purple dragon many months ago by their beloved Men of Steel.  Little did they know that the beast had not been destroyed, but rather, it had simply been diminished.  Whilst the beast appeared to be dead, it didst yet cling to a flicker of life.

The beast had been laid low in his last encounter with the Men of Steel by a killing stroke by the young squire “Santonio of the smoky weed”.  Yet the powerful magicks that did empower the beast proved more difficult to overcome than had been originally believed.

While the great beast appeared to be vanquished, it was secretly resting in a death-like state as its powers were being renewed.  The beast’s powers were fed by the faith and worship of its followers, the orcs and trolls of Baltimore.  Their unwavering devotion to the foul creature didst resurrect him, this time more powerful than before.

The purple beast remembered being humbled at the hands of the Men of Steel, clad in their black and gold armor.   He recalled the might of Lord Ben, Sir Hines, Sir Heath, Sir Willie, and the rest of the heroic band of brothers from Pittsburgh.  The very thought of them made the beast’s blood boil.  He hated them more than any could imagine.  He longed to destroy the Men of Steel once and for all.  And woe be unto any who sought to deny him his revenge.

Having tasted the might of the Men of Steel once before, the dragon had his mightiest sorcerer, the dark lord Rex Ryan, devise even more powerful defenses than the beast enjoyed before.  The Dark Lord conjured forbidden defensive magicks that made the beast virtually unbeatable.

Emboldened by his newfound might, the beast set his eyes upon an even greater prize than he had before.  In times past, the beast had challenged the Men of Steel for dominion of the Northern portion of the Kingdom of AFC.  This time, the hell-spawned behemoth would seek to rule the entire Kingdom of AFC.

Rather than challenge the Men of Steel right away, the beast didst devise a plan most foul.  He would first test his newfound powers against the mighty Titans of Tennessee.  The Titans were a strong but arrogant army.  While the Men of Steel ruled the northern realm of the kingdom of AFC, the Titans ruled the southern realm.  The Titans had proven themselves to be more powerful warriors than even the gallant Men of Steel.  Recently, the Men of Steel dared challenge the Titans in their home territories of Tennessee, only to be rebuffed most brutally.  Not only did the Titans soundly thrash the Men of Steel, but they also desecrated their sacred gold and black coat of arms.

The Beast knew that by first defeating the mighty Titans, it would send a powerful message to the Men of Steel that their age-old foe was back, and that he was even more powerful than before.

And so it went that in a battle that saw the Titans show forth great might and prowess, the beast did yet prevail.  He vanquished the Titans, and sent forth word that he was coming next for the Men of Steel.  Unlike times past, this battle would not be for the Northern realm of the kingdom of AFC.  Nay, this battle would determine who would reign over the entirety of the kingdom.  The winner of this battle would be the Champion of the kingdom of AFC.

The last time they battled, the Men of Steel had vanquished the purple dragon in his own lair.  This time, the dragon would take the battle directly to the Men of Steel.  He would challenge them in their vaunted Field of Heinz.

And so on a Sunday that will be sung about for generations, the purple dragon did enter the Field of Heinz to do battle with the Men of Steel.  The clash was both violent and vicious.  Some used the term “smash-mouth”.  The dragon and the Men of Steel battled as the Field of Heinz ran with blood (or was that ketchup?).

Early in the battle, the Men of Steel were dealt a devastating blow when the dragon injured the mighty Sir Hines, and rendered him unable to fight on.  Sir Hines’ strength was admired by all of the Men of Steel, and having him removed from the battle was a crushing blow to the morale of the black and gold.

Without Sir Hines, the Men of Steel were forced to call upon Sir Hines’ young apprentice Limas Wastedpik.  Wastedpik had been taken under the wings of Sir Hines when Sir Hines noticed that Wastedpik had been born with a severe deformity; he had no hands.

In the heat of the battle, young Wastedpik had an opportunity to deliver the killing blow to the dragon.  Unfortunately, his handicap came back to haunt him as Wastedpik dropped his sword.

And so the battle waged on, with each side being battered and bruised yet refusing to budge an inch.  limbs were severed and bodies broken, yet still the struggle continued.

It appeared that the conflict would not end until the final combatant lay dead on the battlefield.  As day turned to night, and the number of wounded mounted, the battle raged.

Lesser warriors, like those who dwell in the valleys of Ohio, could never even dream of participating in a battle of such consequence.

The Men of Steel and the purple dragon were locked in a battle of the ages.  The two forces were locked in stalemate, until finally, one of the mightiest warriors on the field of battle rose to the occasion.  The gallant knight “Sir Troy of the flowing hair” lifted his gilded blade and drove it deep into the heart of his purple nemesis.  The beast lurched as it belted out its final death knell.

And so the Men of Steel didst claim the title of champions of the entire Kingdom of AFC.  None could stand before their might, and all hailed their accomplishments.  Mugs were lifted and songs were sung in celebration of the final victory of the Men of Steel over the purple dragon from Baltimore.

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December 17, 2009
By Donald Starver

I respect the Baltimore Ravens.  I may not like them, but I respect them.  I think most Steelers fans feel the same way.  Afterall, how can you not respect a team that plays “Steelers football” better than anyone else other than the Steelers?

The Ravens are rough, and tough, and they come ready to beat their opponent into submission (Or a coma.  Whichever comes first).  They play smash-mouth football, the way it was meant to be played.

Let’s face it Steelers fans.  If Ed Reed played for the Steelers, we’d love him.  It’s hard for us to admit it, but we would.  Can’t you just imagine Ed Reed paired up with Troy Polamalu?  Wow!  I could root for that tandem any day of the week.  Ed Reed, you have my admiration and my respect.

Or what if Ray Lewis replaced Larry Foote as a Steelers linebacker?  Would you root for him?  Yeah, I thought so.  In fact, I think there would be a massive number of black and gold #52 jerseys filling the stands of Heinz Field each week.  It may be hard for you to verbalize as much, but in your heart, you know it’s true.

Same with Terrell Suggs.  Or Samari Rolle.  Or Le’Ron McClain.  We’re genetically programmed to root against them, but if they played for the Steelers, we’d all embrace them.  They got game.  We hate them anyway, but we acknowledge their talent.

But one thing that I don’t respect about the Baltimore Ravens and their fans is the way the react towards Hines Ward.  Hines Ward is persona non grata in Baltimore.  He’s public enemy #1 to both the Ravens and their fans.  They hate him.  Moreover, they think he’s a dirty player.  Personally, I think they’re just whining, and I just can’t respect that.

Hines Ward is quite possibly the toughest player, pound-for-pound, in the NFL.  How many other offensive players make safeties and linebackers quake in fear when they’re on the field.  Though they may not admit it publicly, defensive players try to ALWAYS stay aware of where Hines Ward is.  They fail to do so at their own peril.

But while Hines Ward is tough, he’s NOT dirty.  Hines Ward has knocked a few defenders unconscious, and he’s broken some jaws, but he has seldom been called for a penalty while doing it.  In fact, the times that the league has chosen to fine Ward were on plays that were rather innocuous.  But the plays that keep him in the minds of defenders seldom draw penalty flags or fines.

The problem with Hines Ward is that he works too hard, and his opponents don’t like that.  Hines Ward plays until the referee blows the whistle.  That’s what every high school and college coach tells their players to do, but few actually do it.  Even when the ball is not coming to Hines Ward, he stays involved in the play.  Unlike supposed superstars like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens who jog their routes and act uninterested when the ball is not coming to them, Ward gives 100% on every play.  With no exceptions.

When the ball is going to another receiver, or when the Steelers call a running play, Hines Ward stays engaged in the game.  He is more than happy to be a surrogate fullback for Willie Parker.  Santonio Holmes knows that Hines Ward is going to be in front of him clearing a path to the endzone.  That’s what Hines Ward does.  How can anyone not respect that?  Particularly the Ravens.

Do you think that Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain would appreciate it if their wide receivers blocked for them the way Hines Ward does for his running backs?  Yeah, so do I.  Think Derrick Mason would like having Hines Ward as his wingman?  Me too.

Given that, how can the Ravens dislike Hines Ward?  The Ravens are supposed to be tough.  And they should respect toughness.  So who is tougher than Hines Ward?

Unlike Calvin Johnson, Hines Ward is not 6’5″.  Unlike Steve Smith, Hines Ward doesn’t run the 40 in 2.7 seconds.  Unlike Larry Fitzgerald, Hines Ward doesn’t have a 79 inch vertical leap.  Unlike Terrell Owens, Hines Ward doesn’t have the physique of a greek god.  Quite the opposite in fact.  Hines Ward is relatively slow.  He doesn’t jump particularly well.  He’s listed as being 6’0″, but that’s only true if he’s wearing 2 inch heels.  Yet Hines Ward is a multi-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.  How can anyone not respect that?

But perhaps the most impressive thing about Hines Ward is that he has managed to become one of the most feared blockers in the NFL.  He’s short, slow, and weighs 205 pounds soaking wet.  Yet 250 pound linebackers fear becoming a part of Hines Ward’s highlight reel.  Just ask Bart Scott.

On the play shown below, Bart Scott had a clean shot at Ben Roethlisberger, and he was about to knock Ben’s block off until Hines Ward came in and made Scott duck for his life.  Roethlisberger slid safely, and took no damage.  Thanks Hines.

Bart Scott was very upset after that play.  Why?  Was what Hines Ward almost did to him any worse than what he planned to do to Ben Roethlisberger?

The Ravens also hate Hines Ward because he once rung Ed Reed’s bell.  Here’s the play below:

As you can see, the play was coming to that side of the field.  After taking out Reed, Ward looks to make another block to free up his teammate.  That’s solid football, not dirty play.

The controversial play this year was when Ward broke Cincinnati Bengals’ linebacker Keith Rivers’ jaw.  As you’ll see below, Ward put a clean block on Rivers.  Moreover, if not for Ward, Rivers would have tackled the steelers’ player.  Ward probably allowed the Steelers to get an extra 5 yards on this play.

Hines Ward is a hard-nosed player who doesn’t stop until the ref blows the whistle.  How can the Ravens not respect that?  Did the Steelers, or their fans, complain when Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs used Ben Roethlisberger like a crash test dummy?  Did the Steelers, or their fans, complain when Ray Lewis broke our star rookie’s shoulder and ended his season?  No.  On both occasions, the Steelers and their fans acknowledged that they were clean plays.  We respected the fact that Roethlisberger and Mendenhall were on the receiving end of good, physical football plays.  We never whined.

But that is exactly what the Ravens do each time Hines Ward’s name comes up.  They whine.  And I’m sick of it.  The Ravens should like Hines Ward’s game (even if they don’t like him personally), and they should definitely respect him.  To do anything else is hypocritical.

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