Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

If there is one thing that I hate more than a Steelers’ loss, it’s a Baltimore win.  Unfortunately, I got both this weekend.  The Steelers lost to the Titans 31-14, and the Ravens beat the Cowboys 33-24.  I think I’d better hide all of the cutlery in my house, or I might slice my wrists.

The thing that hurts even worse than the fact that the Steelers lost, is the fact that they allowed a team to gain 300+ yards for the first time this season.  I don’t think I’m the only Steelers fan who would have loved to have seen the team go the entire season without yielding 300 yards to a team.

Despite the loss, I still believe that the Steelers are a better team than the Titans, and that they can beat that team.  So what happened?  In short, Big Ben happened.  I’m not saying that Ben lost the game for the Steelers.  The Steelers win as a team, and they lose as a team.  However, Ben didn’t have the best game of his career.

Bill Cowher used to keep Ben under a tight leash.  He never really gave Ben the freedom or responsibility of having to win the game.  Instead, he simply asked Ben to manage the offense and to try not to lose the game for the team.  I didn’t think that was the right way to use Ben back then, and I definitely don’t think the organization can shackle him now that they’ve made him their $100 million franchise quarterback.  Nevertheless, there are times when I wish Ben would remember some of the lessons that Bill Cowher tried to teach him.

On Sunday, Ben appeared to try to do too much, and it came back to haunt the team.  His two interceptions and four fumbles (although 2 were recovered by the Steelers) were more than even the Steelers’ defense could compensate for.  It’s tough to beat any team when you give up 4 turnovers.  It’s nearly impossible when the team you’re playing has the best record in the AFC.

Anyone who watched the game knows that it was much closer than the score indicated.  I’m hopeful that the Steelers will get another crack at the Titans in the AFC championship.  I believe that things will be different if the two teams meet again.

The Titans will probably be an even stronger defensive team if we meet them again.  Both Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch are expected to be back for the playoffs.  However, the Steelers’ defense should be better too.  Linebacker James Harrison got hurt early in the first quarter, and was originally thought to be out for the game.  He ended up returning on the next possession, but he didn’t seem to be his normal dominant self.

If given another shot at the Titans, I have the utmost confidence in Dick LeBeau to prepare a game plan to stop them.  Now that he’s seen them firsthand, LeBeau will go back to his laboratory and create a new concoction especially for them.

But the most important difference that I would hope to see if the two teams face one another again is a more careful Ben Roethlisberger.  When Big Ben turns the ball over, bad things happen for the Steelers.  But when he protects the ball, good things tend to happen.  Big Ben merely needs to play like he used to for Bill Cowher.  He needs to stop trying to do too much, and simply manage the offense and avoid turnovers.  Sure, he can go down the field every now and then.  But don’t force the ball unnecessarily.  An when he feels pressure, he needs to get rid of the ball rather than giving up a sack, fumble, or interception.

There was a time when Steeler Nation wanted LenDale White.  When he was coming out of college, many thought that he was the “big back” that we needed to replace Jerome Bettis.  But after his antics after the game, I want him for a completely different reason.  I want the Steelers to put a hurting on him.  A national audience saw him stomp on a Terrible Towel after the game.  Not a smart move.  If the two teams meet again, I think LenDale will be reminded of his little act of disrespect.

Next week, the Steelers close out the season against the Cleveland Browns (yawn!).  After that, the playoffs start.  Despite the lopsided loss today, I want to face the Titans again more than ever.

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The time is finally here. Let’s get it on!

Is it just me, or has the rest of Steeler Nation been looking forward to this game since about week 9 of the season? Back then, the Titans were undefeated, and I just knew in my heart that the Steelers could beat them. I hoped that nobody would beat them before the Steelers got the opportunity to exert their dominance over them.

Of course, the New York Jets ruined that dream when they beat the Titans 34-13 in Tennessee. Then the Houston Texans further messed up my fantasy by beating the Titans last week by a score of 13-12.

Nevertheless, there is still a lot on the line when the Steelers play the Titans this Sunday. Both teams have already clinched a first round playoff bye. But the winner of this game will gain home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Some will say that home field advantage may not be a good thing for either of these teams. Afterall, the Titans were 13-3 in 2000 and had earned home field throughout the playoffs, but lost their very first game. Similarly, the Steelers had the #1 seed in 1994, 2001, and 2004, but lost in the conference championship at home each time. To that, I say “phooey”! Only a complete idiot would say that earning home field advantage is not a good thing. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past. The Steelers should want home field advantage.

By gaining home field advantage, they will have the benefit of having the crowd on their side. They will also avoid unnecessary travel that can take so much out of a player. They will get to sleep in their own beds, and eat their own food. That’s worth a lot. And most importantly, the Steelers should want to earn home field advantage as a gift to their fans. Sure, Steeler Nation will follow the black and gold wherever they go. But what could possibly be better than playing all of their playoff games in the ‘Burgh in front of the world’s greatest fans?

As investment companies say, “past performance is not an indication of future results”. That’s how I feel about the Steelers’ past playoff history with home field advantage. It is meaningless. Those games have nothing to do with the ones that the Steelers will play this year. Home field advantage is a prize that is to be sought. Period.

A win over the Cleveland Browns in the final game of the season is essentially guaranteed. Afterall, the Browns haven’t beaten the Steelers since…… ummmm, I can’t even remember when it was. But I’m pretty sure that Jim Brown was still playing for Cleveland at the time.

Since the win over Cleveland is all but assured, the Titans are the only real obstacle in the Steelers’ quest for home field advantage. That is why this may be the most important game of the season.

The Tennessee Titans are the AFC’s #1 ranked running offense. Unfortunately, they are about to run into the AFC’s #1 ranked rushing defense. The Titans average 142.8 yards per game on the ground. However, the Steelers’ defense is only giving up 75.8 rushing yards per game. Something has got to give.

The Titans’ rushing attack is led by the running back tandem of LenDale White and Chris Johnson. They go by the nickname of “Smash ‘n Dash”. However, like Clinton Portis, Brandon Jacobs, LaDainian Tomlinson, Jamal Lewis, Willis McGahee, Fred Taylor, and Brian Westbrook before them, “Smash ‘n Dash” is about to find out that nobody can run against the Steelers’ defense. Nobody. White and Johnson don’t know it yet, but the Steelers are going to crash and bash “Smash ‘n Dash”.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Titans won’t present the challenge that they might have earlier in the season. Two of their best defensive players, DT Albert Haynesworth and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, are out with injuries. The Titans don’t blitz much as a team. Instead they rely on their 4 man rush. Without two of their four front line players, their rush will be greatly diminished. That’s bad news for the Titans, but great news for Big Ben.

With their pass rush rendered impotent, Ben Roethlisberger should pick the Titans’ secondary apart. Last week, Texans’ wide receiver Andre Johnson burned the Titans for over 200 receiving yards. Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes may not get that many yards, but they should have a good game.

Barring divine intervention, there is little doubt in my mind that the Steelers are going to beat the Titans. The Steelers are a better team, and they’ve faced better opposition. The Steelers’ opponents this season are a combined 98-95-2, while the Titans’ opponents are 82-113-1.

The Titans are merely the next rung on the ladder that the Steelers have to climb. I predict a final score of Steelers 24, Titans 10.

If you like the picture above, you can download it here. It is a Steelers cheer card. They are available for free at Post-Gazette.com. Check them out before each game.

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