Steelers Today - A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

December 28, 2008
By Donald Starver

I wrote a piece on Christmas day called Steelers vs. Browns Recap (In Advance).  In that piece, I stated that the outcome of the Steelers-Browns game was so inevitable that I could write the post-game recap before the game was even played.  Well, now that the game is over, I see that I wasn’t very far off.

I predicted that the Steelers would beat the Browns 31-6.  The actual score was 31-0.  I also said that the Steelers would keep the Browns from scoring a touchdown for their sixth consecutive game.  They did.  Lastly, I said that Romeo Crennel would be fired after the game.  I believe that will happen within the next 48 hours.

Now, back to the game.

The Steelers won by a score of 31-0, but the score should have been 45-0.  The Steelers had a touchdown brought back when a flag was thrown on Limas Sweed for holding on a Steelers’ touchdown.  Another touchdown was called back when the referees incorrectly said that a Browns’ fumble that Anthony Smith returned for a touchdown was an incomplete pass.  Steelers’ head coach should have challenged the ruling on the field, but for some reason he didn’t do so.  Had he challenged the play, it would have proven to be a Steelers touchdown.  Fortunately, we didn’t need those 14 points.

Despite the two lost touchdowns, nobody can complain about a 31-0 victory.  There were a couple of positive things about the game that should be mentioned.

First, wide receiver Hines Ward surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for the fifth time in his career.  He also caught his 800th career pass during the game.  Both are Steelers records.  Not a bad day’s work.

Also on the offensive side of the ball, running back Willie Parker ran for over 100 yards for the first time in…..way too long.  The Steelers need the running game operating on all cylinders if they’re going to be effective in the playoffs.    The 176 rushing yards that the Steelers accumulated Sunday against the Browns should make them feel good going into the playoffs.  Of course, the Bengals’ Cedrick Benson rushed for 171 yards last week against the Browns, so maybe we shouldn’t take too much comfort from this.

The Steelers’ defense held the Browns to 126 yards of offense.  That’s right, 126 yards.  Total.  Now that’s some mighty fine defense.  Bruce Gradkowski passed for 18 yards on 16 attempts.  If that’s not some kind of defensive record, then I’d sure like to see what defense allowed even fewer passing yards.

Steelers’ safety Tyrone Carter, who was starting in place of Ryan Clark due to injury, recorded 2 interceptions during the game.  He ran one of those interceptions back for a touchdown.

On the negative side, Ben Roethlisberger did have to leave the game due to a concussion.  Roethlisberger was hit hard by D’Qwell Jackson and Willie McGinest.  Roethlisberger stayed on the ground for a long period of time, and was finally carried off the field on a stretcher.  As he was leaving the field, Roethlisberger gave the thumbs up sign to the crowd to let the fans know that he was okay.

Mike Tomlin had planned to play Roethlisberger in the first half, and then play Byron Leftwich in the second half.  The plan almost worked, but Roethlisberger got hurt with only 1:58 left in the half.

Some will say that Roethlisberger shouldn’t have even played during a meaningless game, but that isn’t necessarily true.  There is no definitive answer to whether a coach should rest veterans late in the season.  The Colts rested their key players 3 years ago and then lost their very first playoff game because the players were rusty.  It’s a catch-22 for coaches.  If they don’t rest their players and they get hurt, then the coach will be questioned for playing them.  If the coach rest them and they lose in the playoffs, the coach will be questioned for allowing them to get rusty rather than keeping them in playing condition.  The coach just can’t win.

Every indication is that Big Ben should be fine for the Steelers’ first playoff game.  With the bye week, he will have two weeks to recover from the concussion that he incurred.  If Ben can’t go, the Steelers can take comfort knowing that they have a veteran QB like Byron Leftwich waiting in the wings.  Leftwich is a playoff veteran, and is more than capable of leading the Steelers’ offense.

Let the playoffs begin!

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12/28/08
By Donald Starver

Today the Steelers play the Cleveland Browns in what should be a meaningless game.  However, we’ve all learned by now that Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t allow his team to become complacent.  Not even for a meaningless game.  So Tomlin is using the goal of sweeping the AFC North as motivation to make sure that his team doesn’t have a letdown.

I’ve heard differing opinions about Coach Tomlin, but this writer really likes him.  I love the way that he makes sure the Steelers stay focused.  Can anyone even imagine Coach Tomlin allowing his team to lose on purpose?  Neither can I.  Even if the Steelers had one of the worst records in the NFL, I think Tomlin would still want to win, rather than lose intentionally to get a better draft pick.  Some would say that would be poor strategy.  Perhaps they’re right.  But I still love the fact that he wants to win, no matter what.  In my opinion, that unquenchable urge to win is a consistent trait of champions.  Michael Jordan had it.  Derek Jeter has it.  Tom Brady has it.  And Mike Tomlin has it.

Because of Tomlin’s desire to win, we will probably see Ben Roethlisberger start the game.  So will Willie Parker.  So will Hines Ward.  Tomlin will not use this as an opportunity to get Limas Sweed some catches.  Or to see what Tony Hills can do in the starting lineup.  He won’t use it as an opportunity to see what Gary Davis could do if he got 20 carries.

The one thing that’s for sure is that Tomlin will rest safety Ryan Clark who injured his shoulder during the Tennessee Titans game.  Ryan will be needed for the playoffs, so he will get some much needed rest.  But everyone else will probably play.  Even linebacker James Harrison, who injured his hip during the Titans game.  Knowing Silverback, he wouldn’t want to sit out the game even if Coach Tomlin suggested it.  Harrison would probably prefer to add to his sack total, which is already a Steelers’ record.

If the Steelers get a lead, we will probably see Byron Leftwich replace Big Ben.  But other than that, don’t expect to see anything but the Steelers fighting to win another game.

The game won’t be meaningless to the Browns either.  Their fans are already disappointed enough with their team.  They came into the season as the favorites to win the AFC North.  The NFL thought that they had so much potential that they scheduled them for at least 5 nationally televised games.  That never happens to a team that didn’t even make the playoffs the previous season.  To salvage a very disappointing season, the Browns need a win over the Steelers.

Browns head coach Romeo Crennel is definitely on the hot seat.  His team has underperformed more than any other team this year except the Dallas Cowboys.  Crennel had better start updating his resume, because he is probably going to need it if the Browns lose today.

Not only have the Browns lost when they were expected to win, but Crennel has also become known for making baffling coaching decisions.  Unusual play calls can make a coach look like a genius if they work, and if the team wins.  But when the team loses, and the plays don’t work, the coach ends up looking like an idiot.  That’s where Crennel finds himself.  Idiot is tattooed on his forehead.

Despite desparately wanting a win over the Steelers, it won’t be easy for the Browns.  They have already lost 10 games in a row to the Steelers.  Despite having many talented players on their roster, the Browns found a way to get shut out by the Cincinnati Bengals last week.  That’s right, they were shut out by the Bungles.  There is only one logical conclusion to draw from that; the Browns suck!

To make things even worse, the Browns are going to have to face the Steelers with their 4th starting quarterback of the season.  Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn are both on injured reserve (IR).  Ken Dorsey got hurt last week, and he won’t be able to go today.  So the Browns are forced to start Bruce Gradkowski, who wasn’t even on the Browns’ roster in November.

Gradkowski is a Pittsburgh native who played high school football at Seton-LaSalle.  I’m sure that as a kid growing up in Pittsburgh, he probably fantasized about being on the field with the black and gold.  But in those fantasies, he probably wasn’t playing for the Browns.  And he probably wasn’t running for his life from Steelers’ linebackers.  Gradkowski’s dream has somehow morphed into his worst nightmare.

Some of the Steelers also have something special to play for.  Wide receiver Hines Ward needs just 27 receiving yards to break 1,000 yards for the season.  This would be Ward’s fifth 1,000 yard season of his career.  Not bad for a guy who was always thought to be too small and too slow.  Take that, Troy Edwards!

Though Mike Tomlin will strive to get another Steelers’ victory today, I believe that we will see some players that we haven’t seen much of.    Why not allow Lawrence Timmons to start, and possibly even play the entire game?  Let’s see what the former #1 draft pick can do when given the opportunity.  He’s shown us glimpses already.  Why not turn him loose on the Browns.  Same thing with Limas Sweed.  Throw the kid some balls and see if he can catch or not.

One Steelers rookie who just might see some playing time today is QB Dennis Dixon.  The Steelers have had Dixon imitate Cleveland’s Joshua Cribbs during practice.  Cribbs is the Browns’ featured player when they go to their “wildcat” offense.  Dixon was apparently so effective running the offense in practice, that several Steelers defensive players requested that the Steelers use him during the game.  They said that if the Steelers’ defense couldn’t stop Dixon, the Browns’ defense won’t be able to either.

“I think we can make plays with him on offense,” inside linebacker James Farrior said of Dixon. “The man’s a great athlete”.  That’s pretty high praise coming from the Steelers’ defensive captain.

The Steelers’ offense has struggled this year, and I don’t think they should ignore any opportunity to add a spark to their offensive attack.  More importantly, this is their final opportunity to fine tune their offense before the playoffs start.

The Steelers must get their running game on track.  The Steelers, who have historically been a running team, have struggled to run the ball this year.  Even running back Willie Parker has said that the Steelers have gone away from playing “Steelers football”.  The running game is going to be vital for the Steelers in the playoffs.

Hopefully, we will see the Steelers working to impose their will on the Browns’ defensive line.  The Steelers have to find a way to get short yardage when they need it.  They haven’t been able run the ball effectively in short yardage situations for most of the year.  I’m sure that I’m not the only one who is getting tired of seeing the Steelers running game get stuffed on 3rd downs.

So, both the Steelers and the Browns have something to play for this week.  This might not be a meaningless game afterall.

Also please see our Top 10 Reasons the Browns Will Lose To The Steelers found here.

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Merry Christmas Steelers fans.  It’s Christmas day, and I’m traveling due to the holidays.  I don’t know how much access I am going to have to a computer while I’m on vacation.  Therefore, I decided to write my recap of this coming Sunday’s Steelers-Browns game now.  Some of you may be asking yourselves “how can he write a recap of the game before the game even happens?”  Well the answer to that question is pretty simple.  The Steelers have beaten the Browns 10 straight times.  The Browns haven’t scored a touchdown in five straight games.  So do you really think my recap will be that different if I write it before the game or after the game?  Neither do I.  Therefore, without further ado I present my Steelers-Browns recap.  Have a very happy holiday.

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers played the final regular season game of the 2008 season against their long-time rivals the Cleveland Browns.  The Browns came into the game nursing a bruised ego due to ten consecutive losses to the Steelers.

Both teams were seeking to rebound from losses the previous week.  The Steelers lost to the Tennessee Titans 31-14.  Meanwhile, the Browns were shut out by the lowly Cincinnati Bengals 14-0.

In what should have been a meaningless game for both teams, the Steelers entered the game determined to win and finish a sweep of their AFC North opponents.  When asked about resting veterans, Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear that his goal was to win the game, not to rest players for the playoffs.

The Browns were forced to start Bruce Gradkowski at quarterback.  Gradkowski had only joined the Browns 3 weeks earlier.  Both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson had been placed on injured reserve (IR) by the Browns, then third string quarterback Ken Dorsey suffered a concussion and bruised ribs last week.  Thus, the Browns were forced to start Gradkowski at quarterback.

Gradkowski faced pressure from the very beginning.  Mike Tomlin and Dick LeBeau chose to start linebacker James Harrison despite a hip injury that Harrison had suffered last week against the Titans, and Harrison proved that to be a smart decision.  In the first quarter, Harrison beat Browns tackle Joe Thomas and recorded his 17th sack of the season.  Fellow linebacker LaMarr Woodley also got into the action and sacked Gradkowski in the first quarter.

To make matters even more difficult for Gradkowski, Browns’ starting wide receiver Braylon Edwards dropped several passes that probably should have been caught.  Edwards has been a model of consistency this season.  Prior to Sunday’s game against the Steelers, Edwards had recorded a reception in 57 consecutive games.  Unfortunately, Edwards had also dropped at least one catchable pass in 75 consecutive games.

Edwards has not been a fan favorite in Cleveland, and earlier in the year, he claimed that Browns fans didn’t like him because he played for Michigan.  He failed to consider the possibility that fans might not like him because he drops too many passes.

Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor shadowed Braylon Edwards through most of the game.  He harassed him all game long, and caused Edwards to end the game without a single reception, thus ending his 57 game streak.

Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. whined through much of the game, and he was actually seen crying several times during the game after hits by Steelers’ safety Troy Polamalu.

Browns head coach Romeo Crennel made several puzzling calls during the game, including attempting a 73 yard field goal, three failed on-side kicks, punting the ball from the Steelers’ 13 yard line rather than attempting a field goal, and calling a quarterback sneak on a 4th and 11 play.  Crennel was fired immediately following the game.

On offense, the Steelers were able to run the ball at will.  This didn’t come as much of a surprise, since Bengals running back Cedrick Benson had torched the Browns for 171 yards rushing the previous week.  Willie Parker and Mewelde Moore combined for over 200 yards rushing.

Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who had fumbled 4 times and thrown 2 interceptions against the Tennessee Titans, was much more careful with the ball this week.  Roethlisberger completed 11 of 13 passes in the first half and threw 1 touchdown pass before being replaced by backup Byron Leftwich in the second half.  Despite his earlier claim that he had no intention of resting players, Coach Mike Tomlin decided to sit Roethlisberger for the entire second half in an apparent effort to avoid injuring his quarterback during a meaningless game.

Replacing Roethlisberger, Leftwich threw 2 touchdown passes in the second half.  Running back Mewelde Moore also ran for a touchdown.

The Steelers’ defense kept the Browns from scoring a touchdown for a sixth straight game, as the Steelers beat the Browns 31-6.  The Browns were able to score two field goals, but were kept out of the endzone by the stingy Steelers defense.

The Steelers will now get to rest during their first round playoff bye.  They will await the results of the first round playoff games to see who they will play in round two.  Regardless of who their opponent will be, the Steelers take comfort in knowing that they will have to come to Heinz Field where the Steelers are very hard to beat.

Also, please see our Top 10 Reasons the Browns Will Lose To The Steelers found here.

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Before reading this article, please read the precursor found here.

“Minstrels shall sing of this epoch battle and children shall learn at their fathers’ knees of the fateful Charge of the Men of Steel. Woe unto the evil minions of the Dark Hall for they shall fall in utter defeat to the warriors of the Black and Gold”.
-The soothsayer Nick

And lo, the men of steel didst traverse into the lair of the purple dragon on their quest to slay the mighty beast, and lay claim to the kingdom of AFC North.

The mighty warriors, adorned in their black and gold armor, found themselves surrounded by an  assembly such as had never been seen before in the vile land of Baltimore.  It is said that a record 71,502 orcs, trolls, and other foul worshipers of the purple beast did gather in M&T coliseum to witness the clash that had been foretold.

The mighty purple beast.

The purple dragon did draw first blood.  The mighty beast inflicted much damage to the valiant men of steel, yet their mettle did not waver.  For almost sixty minutes the two sides did battle, and victory for the forces of purple darkness seemed all but assured.

But when all seemed lost, the mighty warriors Lord Ben, Sir Hines, and Sir Nate did lead a final valiant charge that rallied the men of steel.  Emboldened by the courage of Lord Ben, Sir Hines, and Sir Nate, the other men of steel did rally in kind until finally the young squire “Santonio of the Smoky Weed” did draw his mighty blade and deliver the death blow to the purple beast.

By defeating the great beast, the Men of Steel did lay claim to the kingdom of AFC North and received the gift of the “first round bye”.  The threat of the purple beast was no more, and the children of light could sleep soundly, knowing that good had triumphed over evil.

The Men of Steel must now leave the foul land of Baltimore and travel back to the civilized valleys of Pittsburgh.  Upon returning home, they must prepare for battle once again as they have been challenged by the over-rated Titans of Tennessee.  Like all AFC challengers before them, the Titans shall be found wanting, and the Men of Steel will prove their worthiness to rule the kingdom of AFC.

Epilogue: When the Men of Steel didst defeat the mighty purple behemoth, the sorcery that did empower the beast was lifted, and he reverted to his true form.    Behold, the true nature of the beast.

The dragon's true form.

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This weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to play the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers enter the game atop the AFC North with a 4-1 record. The Bengals are in last place at 0-6. The Bengals have the worst record in the NFL, 1/2 game behind the 0-5 Detroit Lions.

The Steelers lead the all-time regular season series against the Bengals 45-30. The Bengals’ last win was in 2006 at Heinz Field.

The Steelers have defeated the Bengals the last 7 times they’ve traveled to Cincinnati. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is from Findlay, OH is a perfect 10-0 in the state of Ohio (5-0 versus Bengal, 5-0 versus Browns).

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is a perfect 2-0 versus the Bengals.

Although we are only 7 weeks into the season, Bengals fans may already be giving up hope. Rumor has it that thousands of tickets are available for this match-up of division rivals. Of course, that is great news for Steeler Nation, who loves to take over opponents’ stadiums. All indications are that black and gold should be prominent in the crowd on Sunday.

The 0-6 start is the longest losing streak of head coach Marvin Lewis’ career, and some say that his job may be in jeopardy. Interestingly, the last Bengals head coach to start the season 0-6 was current Steelers Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau.

The Bengals futility begins on offense. With weapons like Carson Palmer, Chad Ocho Cinco, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Bengals should be an offensive juggernaut. Yet, they are dead last in the NFL in total offense.

The Bengals’ passing offense, which is their strength, is ranked 27th in the NFL, and only averages 155.7 yards per game. By contrast, the Steelers, a run-oriented offense, are averaging 177.4 passing yards per game.

Chad Johnson only has 19 receptions this year in the Bengals’ pass-happy offense. Meanwhile, T.J. Houshmandzadeh has twice as many receptions with 38. Amazingly, Johnson has fewer reception yards than both Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, both of whom play in the Steelers’ conservative, run-oriented offense. Johnson says that he is being punished for negative comments that he made during the offseason.

The Bengals passing offense won’t be helped by the fact that Carson Palmer will miss his third start in four weeks due to an injury to his right elbow. His backup, Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the start. Fitzpatrick has been sacked 8 times in 2 starts, and is likely to receive heavy doses of James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley on Sunday.

The bengals’ rushing offense is even worse than their passing offense. They are ranked next to last in the NFL in rushing, averaging only 72.2 rushing yards per game. leading rusher Chris Perry is averaging only 2.6 yards per carry. Moreover, the Bengals’ second leading rusher is Ryan Fitzpatrick. Their third leading rusher is Carson Palmer. No wonder their rushing attack is so futile.

As if things couldn’t get any worse for the Bengals, they are going to have to face the Steelers #2 ranked defense. The Steelers defense is only allowing 66.8 rushing yards per game. So the Bengals already paltry rushing average is likely to go even lower.

On offense, the Steelers were preparing to welcome back starting running back Willie Parker this week. However, Parker re-injured his knee during practice, and probably won’t play on Sunday. Nevertheless, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers “O” should have little trouble with the Bengals’ defense.

The Bengals defense allows a whopping 156.8 rushing yards per game. This will play to the Steelers’ strength. Even with Parker out, the Steelers should have success running against the Bengals.

Surprisingly, the Bengals pass defense is very good. They are ranked #4 in the NFL, right behind the Steelers. They have an attacking defense that really tries to get after the quarterback. The Bengals are in the top 10 in the NFL in blitz frequency. Despite their frequent blitzes, the Bengals have been unable to convert their pass rush into actual sacks. The team has only 5 sacks on the year. By contrast, Steelers linebacker James Harrison has 6.5 sacks all by himself, and LaMarr Woodley has 5.5 sacks.

The one bright spot for the Bengals is that their kick returner, Glenn Holt, leads the NFL in kickoff return yards. However, that statistic is misleading. Holt is actually not even in the top 15 in the NFL in yards per kickoff return. His statistics are due to the fact that he has the highest number of kickoff return attempts in the NFL. That is the one statistic that a team DOES NOT want to lead the league in. If your team is getting more opportunities to return kickoffs than any other team in the league, it is usually because your defense is allowing more touchdowns than any other team in the NFL. Ouch!

I predict an easy Steelers win, with a final score of 24-7.

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