Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

This is Part 8 of our Steelers position review series.  If you haven’t read Part 1 – 7, please click the links below.

Steelers position review – Cornerbacks

Steelers position review – Safeties

Steelers position review – Linebackers

Steelers position review – Defensive Line

Steelers position review – Quarterbacks

Steelers position review – Running Backs

Steelers position review – Tight Ends

The next position that we’re going to look at is the offensive line.

Offensive line is the position that I most often see the “experts” list as the Steeler’s greatest need.  I don’t agree with that assessment.  Frankly, I don’t think the Steelers are very far from having an exceptionally good offensive line.

Let’s take a look at what the Steelers have to work with.

Max Starks was the Steelers’ starting left tackle until he went down with a season-ending injury.  Every indication is that Starks will be ready to take back his starting position next year.  So the left tackle position gets an immediate upgrade due to Starks’ return.  And no draft pick was necessary for the upgrade.

Starks is a good, but not great left tackle.  He is big and strong enough to withstand anyone’s bull rush.  However, he doesn’t have the swiftest feet in the NFL.  So speed rushers like the Cowboys’  DeMarcus Ware tend to beat him routinely.

Anytime a team can get a great left tackle, they should do so.  But with the 31st pick in the draft, the Steelers aren’t likely to get anyone better than Starks.  So I think that Starks will suffice for now.

Jonathan Scott came over from Buffalo expecting to be a backup with the Steelers.  Little did he know that he would be thrust into a starting role when Starks got injured.  Scott is never going to be confused with the Cleveland Browns’ LT Joe Thomas, but he did an adequate job as a replacement.  The experience that he got starting in 2010, along with the 4 years of experience and 14 starts that he already had under his belt, will make him an even better backup in 2011.

Tony Hills is officially listed as the 3rd string left tackle.  Hills was drafted by the Steelers in the 4th round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and he’s been AWOL ever since.  Even with all of the injuries that the Steelers had on their offensive line in 2010, Hills only saw action in 4 games.  Moreover, he wasn’t even on the active roster for the majority of the games, while undrafted free agents like Ramon Foster saw plenty of action.  That fact alone says just about all that needs to be said about Hills.  He’s likely seen his final days in a Steelers uniform.

Chris Kemoeatu is the Steelers’ left guard.  Kemoeatu is a bit of an enigma.  “Kemo” is a massive player who seems to have been born to play guard in the NFL.  Physically, Kemoeatu is a stud.  Mentally………..well that’s another story.  Kemoeatu is prone to making stupid mistakes at the most inopportune times.  He can be counted on to get an off-sides penalty or to get flagged for a late hit after the whistle.  We can never be sure WHEN he’s going to do it, but when know that at some point during the game, it’s gonna happen.

Physically, Kemoeatu is bigger and stronger than Alan Faneca ever was.  But mentally, he’s not even in the same league.

Trai Essex is officially the backup at left guard (and right guard).  But each time he’s called into active duty, he seems to play badly.  Then he’s replaced by an undrafted free agent (e.g. Ramon Foster, Doug Legursky, etc.).

Essex is valued by the Steelers’ coaching staff because of his “position versatility” (i.e. he can play all of the offensive line positions except center).  Unfortunately, he seems to play all of the positions badly.  Do you really want to see Essex playing left tackle (even if only for a few plays)?  I didn’t think so.

Essex, a former 3rd round draft pick, has spent 6 years with the Steelers, and hasn’t been able to win a starting position in all that time.  He’s a free agent this year, and I strongly believe that the Steelers should allow him to continue his career with another team.

Maurkice Pouncey is the Steelers’ starting center.  He was All-Pro at his position…….as a rookie.  Need I say more?  He’s a keeper.

Doug Legursky replaced Pouncey at center during the Super Bowl, and played reasonably well.  He’s no Pouncey, but he did a good job on short notice.  Moreover, Legursky has also filled in at guard.  Legursky is a guy that I trust to come in and fill in when needed.

Ramon Foster manned the right guard position after Trai Essex proved to be incapable of doing so.  Foster was an undrafted free agent from Tennessee that the Steelers picked up in 2009.  Since he’s been with the team, he’s stepped in for Chris Kemoeatu in 2009 and played well (for an undrafted rookie), then he beat out Trai Essex for the starting right guard position in 2010.  Not bad for an undrafted guy.  He still has to prove that he has the potential to be a long-term starter, but I definitely like him as a proven backup.

Flozell Adams started at right tackle in 2010.  The former All-Pro left tackle from the Dallas Cowboys had to learn a completely new position with the Steelers, and he did it.  He made a lot of mental errors early in the season (which was to be expected), but by mid-season, he seemed to have settled in at right tackle.  Some might even argue that after Maurkice Pouncey, Adams was the second best offensive lineman for the Steelers in 2010.

Adams is 93 years old, and his career is coming to an end.  But he has one more year left on his Steelers contract, and I believe he’s earned the right to stay for that additional year.

Willie Colon is the final (meaningful) offensive lineman for the Steelers.  Colon got hurt before the season missed the entire year.  Reports say that he is on track to return to the field in 2011.

Before being injured, the Steelers coaches seemed to think that Colon was their best offensive lineman.  Unfortunately, Colon is a free agent this year.  This will probably be his last opportunity to get a big payday, and so he’ll probably be quite open to the idea of leaving the Steelers.  After all, the Steelers are not known for breaking the bank to keep their free agents.

It’s unknown what Colon will do.  But if he stays, then I believe that the Steelers offensive line has the potential to be a strength in 2011 (despite what all of the “experts” are saying).  In my opinion, the Steelers should move Willie Colon  to right guard.  Then they’d have a starting lineup of Starks, Kemoeatu, Pouncey, Colon, and Adams.  Their primary backups would then be Ramon Foster, Jonathan Scott, and Doug Legursky.

I could definitely live with that group.  Moreover, there’s no way that an offensive line made up of those individuals could be considered to be a weakness for the team.

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This is Part 7 of our Steelers position review series.  If you haven’t read Part 1 – 6, please click the links below.

Steelers position review – Cornerbacks

Steelers position review – Safeties

Steelers position review – Linebackers

Steelers position review – Defensive Line

Steelers position review – Quarterbacks

Steelers position review – Running Backs

The next position that we’re going to look at is the tight end position.

Tight end is a strength for the Steelers…….sort of.

Part of the problem is that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has a unique view of the tight end position.  Arians is a firm believer in using a tight end as an H-back to serve as the primary blocker for his running back.  Steelers fans have long complained about this approach and lobbied for a traditional fullback, or using two running backs so it isn’t always so obvious who is going to get the ball.

Arians has also shown a greater reluctance to throw to his tight end relative to many other offensive coordinators.  Seventeen tight ends caught more passes than Heath Miller in 2010.  Dallas Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten caught 94 passes in 2010.  That’s more than twice as many as Heath Miller caught (42 passes).  Moreover, it’s twice as many as Heath Miller has averaged throughout his career (47 catches/season).

So in my opinion, part of the Steelers problem at tight end lies with the offensive coordinator, and not the players.

Heath Miller is one of the most talented tight ends in the NFL.  He has sure hands, and seldom drops a pass.  He’s also one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL.  But as mentioned earlier, Miller doesn’t get nearly as many opportunities to catch the ball as many of his contemporaries at the position.  Players like Witten, Tony Gonzalez, Ben Watson, and Kellen Winslow play a much more integral role in their team’s passing attack.

Part of Arians’ reluctance to involve Miller more in the passing attack is probably due to the Steelers’ suspect offensive line.  Because the Steelers’ offensive line has been a weakness for years, they are often forced to keep Miller at the line of scrimmage to help in the blocking scheme.  If their offensive line were upgraded, I believe Miller would be freed up to catch more passes.

David Johnson is the Steelers’ H-Back.  He’s a vicious blocker who is rarely targeted in the Steelers’ passing game.  In fact, Johnson only has 6 reception in his two year NFL career.  The Steelers use Johnson so seldom in the passing game, that I believe that they should do so every now and then just to catch their opponent by surprise.  Having watched film of the Steelers, the opponent will NEVER expect them to throw to Johnson.

While Johnson is a very physical blocker, he has shortcomings at the position.  He sometimes fails in picking up blitzes.  He’s also not particularly fast, and sometimes seems to be in Rashard Mendenhall’s way when he’s trying to hit the hole.

The Steelers’ third tight end is Matt Spaeth.  When the Steelers first drafted Spaeth out of college, I was excited about the pick.  After all, I was envisioning Ben Roethlisberger throwing the ball to the 6’7″ Spaeth in red zone situations.  Yet, in the 4 years that Spaeth has been with the Steelers, we’ve seldom seen him used in that fashion.

Spaeth has 36 total catches during his 4 years in the NFL, and has only reached double digit receptions once (in 2008).

Heath Miller missed games due to injury in both 2008 and 2010.  In both cases, Spaeth proved to be a liability when he filled in for Miller.  Spaeth drops balls that Miller routinely catches.  Moreover, Spaeth is not a good blocker like Miller and Johnson are.  Frankly, Spaeth blocks like a matador (although he has gotten slightly better over the years).

So if he can’t catch, can’t block, and the team doesn’t utilize his height in the red zone, I have to ask “why is Matt Spaeth on the team?”

Spaeth is a free agent this season, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Steelers let him leave without tendering an offer.  His production (or lack thereof) can easily be replaced by a late round draft pick or an undrafted free agent.

The Steelers’ tight ends fit well in their current offensive system.  However, if they were to use their tight ends in a more traditional fashion, both Spaeth and David Johnson would probably need to be upgraded.  But until they do that, Johnson is probably safe in his role with the Steelers.

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Troy Polamalu scored as many touchdowns as the Cincinnati Bengals’ entire offense did.  So did LaMarr Woodley.  Both intercepted Carson Palmer passes and returned them for touchdowns in the Steelers’ 23-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Steelers defense put on a truly dominant performance against the Bengals.  They held the Bengals to only 190 net yards total.  Of those, only 34 came on the ground.

And as if his “pick 6″ weren’t enough, Troy added another interception in the 4th quarter just for good measures.

Unfortunately, Troy’s first interception also left him limping for the rest of the game.  Hopefully, it is just a minor injury, and won’t effect him further.

Troy limps off the field

As effective as the defense was, the offense was equally impotent.

Once again, the Steelers’ offense was unable to score a touchdown.  The Steelers have only scored 2 touchdowns in their last 30 offensive possessions.

It has become the norm to see the Steelers get into their opponents’ red-zone, only to have them settle for a field goal.

A good example of this happened in the end of the second quarter.  The Steelers had the ball at the Bengals’ 5 yard line.  They attempted consecutive pass plays, and both almost resulted in interceptions.  Finally, they settled for a field goal.

Same thing happened in the third quarter.  The Steelers had the ball on the Bengals’ 19 yard line.  They attempted 3 consecutive (unsuccessful) pass plays, and then settled for a field goal.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m very happy with the performance that Shaun Suisham has turned in since replacing Jeff Reed.  Suisham has been perfect since joining the Steelers.  However, the Steelers seem to be on a collision course with the New England Patriots in the playoffs.  They will not be able to beat the Patriots if they can only score field goals.

The Steelers have three games remaining, and two of them are at Heinz Field.  Moreover, two of the Steelers’ remaining games are against teams with losing records (the Carolina Panthers and the Cleveland Browns).  The only game they have remaining against a team with a winning record is next week’s game against the New York Jets.

The Steelers have a very real possibility of finishing the season at 13-3 or 12-4.  They could potentially receive a first round bye in the playoffs.  However, unless they can find a way to score touchdowns instead of field goals, the Steelers’ playoff run might not be very long.

Fortunately, we have 3 games remaining to fix the problem.

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

Today’s featured item:

What could possibly be better than having your bedroom decked out in black and gold?  Get your this Steelers bedroom set that includes bedding and drapes.

Please note that this set is a queen size bed.  Sets are also available for full size or twin size beds.  Make sure that you order the appropriate size for your bedroom set.

Don’t delay.  Order now!  There’s still time to get your set before the holidays.

(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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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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The Steelers won a hard-fought battle last night on Monday Night Football.  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-Bengals 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:

Bengals fear Steelers
But T.O. didn’t know that
Guess he knows it now

The winner of this week’s contest is going to win a copy of the book “The Ones Who Hit the Hardest” by Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne.  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-Bengals game.

Are you ready for some haiku?!!

(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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