Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

As we all expected, the Steelers and Ravens engaged in a defensive struggle on Monday night.  The game was truly a tale of two halves.  And the two halves were polar opposites of one another.

In the first half, the Steelers’ offense was completely dominated by the Ravens’ defense.  Rashard Mendenhall was stuffed for no gain on his first carry.  That would prove to be a precursor of what was to come for the rookie in his first NFL start.  Mendenhall would end up with 30 yards rushing on 9 carries before leaving the game with a shoulder injury.

Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall

With Willie Parker already out with an injury, Mendenhall’s injury left the Steelers with only Carey Davis and Mewelde Moore as healthy running backs.  When Davis twisted his ankle later in the game, Moore was left as the lone healthy running back on the Steelers’ roster. 

While most thought that Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco would be overwhelmed by the pressure of his first appearance on Monday Night Football, Flacco showed his doubters that he was ready for prime time.  In the first half, Flacco actually looked much more polished than Ben Roethlisberger did.  While Roethlisberger spent much of the first half on his back, Flacco looked like Joe Montana.  He was cool under pressure, and he had the Ravens up 13-3 at the half after throwing a touchdown pass to TE Daniel Wilcox.

Unlike last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers offense seemed to make adjustments at halftime, and looked like an entirely diffferent team in the second half.  Ben Roethlisberger attributed the difference to the no-huddle offense.  He said that he asked the coaches if the offense could start using the no-huddle offense to accelerate the pace, and it worked like a charm. 

In the second half, it was Roethlisberger who looked like Joe Montana.  He made quick reads, and was able to avoid the Ravens’ blitz.  He connected with WR Santonio Holmes early in the 3rd quarter for a Steelers touchdown.  15 seconds later, the Steelers scored again when James Harrison forced a fumble on Joe Flacco.  LaMarr Woodley dived on the ball, and when he realized there were no Ravens in his vicinity, he got up and ran it into the endzone.  In less than 30 seconds, the Steelers went from being down 3-10, to being up 17-10.

Roethlisberger under pressure.

Contrarily, Joe Flacco spent much of the 2nd half on his back.  While he looked calm and comfortable in the first half, he looked hurried and uncomfortable in the second half.  The Steelers defense applied constant pressure on Flacco, and made him look like the rookie that he is.

By the end of regulation, the two teams found themselves tied 20-20.

In overtime, the Ravens won the coin toss and chose to receive.  The Steelers’ defense held them just like they had done pretty consistently since halftime.  The Ravens were forced to punt.  On their first overtime possession, the Steelers were able to get the ball close enough for Jeff Reed to attempt a 46 yard field goal.  Reed’s field goal split the uprights, but the Ravens called timeout right before the kick, and Reed was forced to kick it again.  Apparently, the Ravens don’t know that Reed is the coolest kicker in the NFL.  As expected, Reed made his 2nd attempt, and the Steelers won 23-20.

The Steelers’ win was their 14th consecutive home win on Monday Night Football.  That is an NFL record for home effectiveness on MNF.

Injury update

Rashard Mendenhall left the game with a fractured shoulder.   Will be put on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

Steelers guard Kendall Simmons left the game with an achilles injury.  Coach Tomlin said that he will  have to be placed on injured reserve.  Out for the rest of the season.

Running back Carey Davis sprained his ankle, but it is not thought to be serious.

Linebacker Andre Frazier was injured on the first play of the game.  Fans got a scare when Frazier didn’t move after a collision.  He was carted off the field on a stretcher, but tests proved to be negative, and he seems to be okay.

Keyaron Fox was injured on special teams.  Injury not thought to be serious.

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This week on Monday Night Football, two NFL rookies will receive their baptism in fire. They are Steelers rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall, and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

Rashard Mendenhall

Rashard Mendenhall was the Steelers’ 1st round draft pick out of Illinois. In his only season as a starter at Illinois, Mendenhall rushed for 1,681 yards and 17 touchdowns, and was named Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

Since joining the Steelers, Mendenhall has not been able to break into the starting line-up, and he only has 10 regular season rushes under his belt. Those have accounted for 28 total yards. However, the injury to Steelers starting running back Willie Parker has thrust Mendenhall into the spotlight.

Steelers rookie Rashard Mendenhall

Mendenhall makes his first NFL start Monday Night against the Baltimore Ravens. As if starting his first game weren’t enough pressure, Mendenhall has to do it in front of a national audience on MNF. And to add even more pressure to the situation, he must make his debut against Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens’ #1 ranked defense.

Facing Ray Lewis is intimidating enough for veterans. For a rookie making his first start, “terrifying” is probably an appropriate way to describe it. Hint to Mendenhall: Make sure you wear Depends under your pads.

The Ravens haven’t allowed a running back to rush for 100 yard in 21 consecutive games, the longest current streak in the NFL. Opponents are averaging only 70.0 rushing yards per game against them. Moreover, they haven’t allowed a single rushing touchdown this season.

I’m sure Mendenhall is wondering why he couldn’t be playing the Cincinnati Bengals in his debut. Where are the sorry teams when you need them?

Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco started his college career at the University of Pittsburgh. He dreamed of playing at Heinz Field. However, that dream was of leading the Pittsburgh Panthers to victory, not of playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Flacco has started two games already, accumulating a record of 2-0. Unfortunately, those two starts were against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns. Those two Arena League teams were a nice warm-up, but Flacco is going to be facing the real deal this time.

The Steelers’ defense is always among the NFL’s best. Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau’s has succeeded in confounding veteran quarterbacks like Peyton Manning. Joe Flacco doesn’t stand a chance.

Joe, when you see a guy with long hair on the other side of the line of scrimmage moving around like a crazy person, be afraid. Be very afraid. His name is Troy Polamalu. No matter what you anticipate he’s going to do, you’ll be wrong. Just accept it. His strategy is going to be to confuse you. And it’s going to work. Take my word for it.

To make matters worse, James Harrison is going to be trying his best to separate your head from your shoulders. You do know James Harrison, don’t you? He’s the Steelers’ Pro Bowl linebacker who single-handedly destroyed the Baltimore Ravens last year on Monday Night Football.

In preparation for Monday’s game, I’d suggest you practice saying this phrase; “May I get up now, Mr. Harrison?” You’re going to be saying that a lot.

As a former Pitt Panther, I wouldn’t mind seeing you succeed in the NFL. Just not this week. This week, you’re going to get a lot of much needed experience. It’s just not the kind of experience you are hoping for.

Both rookies dreamed of someday making it to this point. They have achieved their dream. They will be starting for an NFL team on Monday Night Football. All eyes will be on them. Frankly, I think they’re both going to learn what the old proverb means that says “Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it”.

Welcome to the NFL, rookie!

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On Monday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) take on their arch-rivals the Baltimore Ravens (2-0). In their last meeting, the Ravens defeated the Steelers 27-21. The Ravens have won 4 of the last 5 meetings, but the Steelers lead the all-time series 14-10.

The Ravens are coming off a big division win, having defeated the Cleveland Browns 28-10. The Steelers, on the other hand, are coming off a 117-6 loss to the Eagles………..What’s that? It was only 15-6? Wow, it sure seemed like 117-6. Oh well, I stand corrected.

This is a big game for both teams, as they battle for AFC North supremacy. Moreover, it is a battle of two teams that genuinely seem to hate one another. We all understand that fans in Pittsburgh are genetically programmed to hate the Cleveland Browns. However, Steelers vs. Browns stopped being a true rivalry the moment Art Modell moved his team to Baltimore. Since that time, a game against the Browns is essentially a guaranteed win for the Steelers. Contrarily, the Steelers-Ravens game has emerged as the true rivalry game on the schedule. When the Steelers meet the Ravens, the outcome is always uncertain.

One thing that IS certain when these two teams meet is that defense is going to be the focus of the game. Both teams boast strong defenses, and merely adequate offenses. Moreover, both teams live and die by the same philosophy; run the ball, and stop the run.

The Ravens enter the game with the NFL’s #1 ranked defense, allowing only 161.5 total yards per game. The Steelers are the NFL’s #2 ranked defense, averaging only 234.0 yards allowed per game. The Steelers are #2 in the NFL this year at stopping the run. Their stingy defense is only allowing 64.3 yards per game. The Ravens defense is #3 against the run, allowing only 70.0 rushing yards per game. The Ravens are the #2 scoring defense in the NFL, having allowed only 10.0 pts/gm. The Steelers defense is 3rd, allowing only 12.7 pts./gm. Finally, the Steelers defense has allowed only 1 rushing touchdown this season, while the Ravens “D” has allowed none. Did I mention that this was going to be a defensive struggle?

Baltimore LB Ray Lewis

Both the Steelers and the Ravens are known for running conservative offenses that primarily run the ball. Based on the defensive numbers that I just presented, that may be a tough thing to do this week.

The Steelers’ offense is going to be further hampered by the loss of starting running back Willie Parker, who is sidelined with a knee injury. In his place, rookie Rashard Mendenhall will make his first NFL start. Mendenhall was the Steelers 1st round draft pick this year, but he has seen little action since the pre-season. So far, he has only accumulated 10 regular season carries.

The Baltimore Ravens’ defense hasn’t allowed a 100 yard rusher in 21 consecutive games, dating back to December 10, 2006. That is the longest current streak in the NFL. How many of you believe that Rashard Mendenhall is going to break that streak in his first NFL start? Neither do I.

Rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall

Since the running game will probably not be able to carry the Steelers this week, they are going to have to rely on the passing game, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger was treated like a tackling dummy last week by the Eagles’ defense. I’m sure that the aggressive Ravens defense has watched those tapes closely and hopes to do the same thing. Remember, in November 2006, the Ravens’ defense had one of their most dominant performances ever against the Steelers. In that game, they sacked Roethlisberger 9 times, and intercepted him twice, en route to a 27-0 blowout in Baltimore. They’d love nothing more than to have a repeat of that performance.

In order to prevent that, the Steelers offensive line is going to have to give Big Ben much more time to find his receivers than he got last week. But Ben is also going to have to take more responsibility by getting rid of the ball quicker.

Ouch!!

After last week’s game, I am assuming that Steelers Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians made the team practice quick slant routes to Hines Ward, and short passes to Heath Miller. Quick hitting plays like those will keep the Ravens’ defense honest, and prevent them from bringing the house on every play. If the Steelers are going to win, it is going to be up to Ben Roethlisberger to read the blitzes, and to react accordingly.

The Ravens recorded 5 sacks last week against the Browns. I’m sure they are itching to get even more sacks against the Steelers.

When the Ravens are on offense, they are going to have challenges of their own. They are starting rookie Joe Flacco at quarterback. To date, Flacco has faced the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense, and the Cleveland Browns’ defense. Neither of those defenses is in the same class as the Steelers’ defense. In those two games, Flacco has never passed for more than 129 yards. Moreover, he has never before faced the exotic blitz schemes that Steelers Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau is going to throw at him. By the end of the game, I expect Flacco to be very familiar with James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, and Troy Polamalu.

The one thing that will help the Ravens is that the Steelers will be missing three starters on defense. Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton is out with a groin pull. Defensive end Brett Keisel, and cornerback Deshea Townsend are also out. Hampton and Keisel make up 2/3 of the Steelers’ defensive front. That’s hard to replace.

The Ravens have an all-time record of 4-6 on Monday Night Football. They were 0-3 on MNF in 2007. The Steelers, on the other hand, are 13-0 at home on MNF dating back to 1992. Last year they crushed the Ravens in a Monday night game at Heinz Field (38-7). They also beat the Ravens on MNF in 2005 by a score of 20-19.

I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I’d say put your money on the Steelers. My prediction is Steelers win 13-6 in a defensive struggle.

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