Steelers Today - A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

We have a special guest blogger today.  Steelers Today welcomes Patrick Cartwright, one of our regular readers, and our resident haiku guru.  Patrick is sharing his keys to the upcoming Steelers-Chargers game.  Take it away, Patrick.

Five Keys to the Steelers-Chargers Game
By Patrick Cartwright

1.  Where is Ben Roethlisberger’s head

Despite multiple reports out of Pittsburgh assuring the public that Ben will be ready to go for the playoff game against the Chargers, you have to wonder just how concussion-free he’ll be when he takes the field on Sunday.  It’s certainly a positive sign that the doctors cleared him to play, and that he’ll now practice with the team all week.  One of my biggest fears entering this week (other than the possibility of Ben not being cleared by the doctors to play) was that he would not participate in practice during the week.  We’ve seen this season how much difference a week of practice makes; when he was taking off practice to rest his sore shoulder, he was not the same quarterback.   Throws were mis-timed, he wasn’t on the same page as his receivers, and he was much more prone to throwing bad interceptions and fumbling.  For all his talent, he’s a quarterback who needs to throw during the week to be effective.

If Ben is still feeling the effects of his noggin bouncing off the Heinz Field turf like a superball, then it could be a long game for the Steelers.  The last time he had a head injury, it affected him long after the incident.  It doesn’t take much for a Steelers fan to recall what happened a few years back.  In that instance, his pre-season motorcycle crash and subsequent head injury affected his play for the entire season.  It took him an entire year to get back into form.  If Big Ben’s head isn’t right, I can easily see something along the lines of a 3 INT game.

If, however, Big Ben is really a-ok, concussion-free, and ready to go, then I see him lighting up the Chargers to the tune of 250 yards and 2 TD’s.  Call it a hunch, buy you only need to look at how he performed in the San Diego game earlier this season to understand my reasoning.

2.  Penalty Yards and the Refs Who Love Them

When the Steelers played the Chargers earlier this season, there were 15 penalties called.  Two of those were on the Chargers, for a grand total of 5 yards.  The Steelers were called penalized thirteen times for 115 yards.  This represents the largest disparity between both fouls called and penalty yardage between two teams in a single game this year.  Even more outrageous is that James Harrison was held on nearly every play, and there was not a single holding call against the Chargers all game.  This was also the game, you might remember, where a phantom “illegal forward pass” negated Troy Polamalu’s fumble recovery for a touchdown.  The ref for that game was Scott Green, an official who was described by former NFL commisioner Paul Tagliabue as having committed “the most disappointing officiating blunder he’d ever seen in his years as NFL commissioner” referencing another blown call in the 2003 playoffs.  Yet, he’s considered one of the best back judges in the league.  Interesting.

Now maybe I shouldn’t be too hard on the officials.  Ed Hochuli, who in my opinion is one of the best in the game, blew a call earlier in the year that cost San Diego a win against division rival Denver that (arguably) started their early season freefall.  And I’m not complaining about penalties being called.  The Colts/Chargers game had a ton of penalties, but I felt they were all justified.  And guess what?  That crew CALLED HOLDING.  (Sorry, that just drives me nuts that it isn’t called more on Steelers’ opponents).  Really, all I want is a good performance from the officiating crew.  Call what needs to be called, but be fair and equal in your judgment.  There is absolutely no reason the calls should be 13-2 against any team.  In fact, if we could see that not just for this game, but for the entire playoffs, it would be a welcome change.  I’m sure any fan of the NFL would agree.

3.  Let’s Play a Game Called “Who’s Healthy?”

By the end of an NFL season, there are usually numerous injuries to every team.  The main questions heading into the postseason is 1) “Who is injured”, and 2) “How badly”?

On the Steelers side of the ball, James Harrison went down a few weeks ago with a “hip pointer”.  After three weeks, we’d hope that he’d be at 100%, but that is one of those injuries, like turf toe or the dreaded high ankle sprain, that can bother a player to the point where their performance is seriously affected.  While all indications seem to be that the Defensive Player of the Year is going to be healthy and raring to go, you just never know about these things.  Brett Keisel has had problems.  So has Aaron Smith.  Both are now healthy, and Steelers fans hope it stays that way.

Fortunately for the Steelers, the Chargers are currently dealing with much worse injury problems.  Running back, and perennial #1 fantasy pick, LaDainian Tomlinson is probably not going to be able to play.  Antonio Gates has what has been described as “Keyzer Sose foot”.  And Shawn “I’m not Irish so I don’t spell it Sean” Merriman has been out for the season.  If you had to rank the five best players on the team, those three would be on the list.  This bodes well for the Steelers.

4.  Home Field Advantage

The Steelers are 6-3 all-time against the Chargers.  Since 1994, they are 5-0 in the playoffs when coming off a bye.  San Diego is sunny and warm.  Pittsburgh will be approximately negative three hundred and forty degrees on Sunday (with the wind chill) and it’s only going to get colder as the sun goes down.  Playoff game in Pittsburgh.  Terrible Towels waving.  Crowd noise off the charts.  It’s going to be fun.

5.  We Want Philly! (Rivers)

Philip Rivers had the best QB rating of anyone in the league this year.  No arguing, he had a big year.  The Big Ben/Eli Manning/Philip Rivers comparisons will now never end.  Regardless, the Steelers defense took that big 105.5 passer rating down a few pegs, as he threw 2 INT’s, didn’t top 200 yards, and finished he game with a paltry 44.4 passer rating, his lowest of the year.  If the Steelers’ defense can make him play the way he did in the game earlier this year, then the Steelers can win this game and win it big.  If, however, Rivers plays the way he has most of the season, then it could be a long day for the Steelers.  With his primary target, tight end Antonio Gates, on a bad leg, the Steelers should be able to harass Rivers all day.

Something to watch is the screen pass to Darren Sproles, who is filling in for Tomlinson.  Sproles is small and fast, a terrible combination for defenses because sometimes defensive backs and linebackers can’t see small guys over the linemen.  By the time they pick up the runner, he might already be past them.  If Sproles catches a screen pass in space, look out.  The guy has wheels.  But if the Steelers are smart and look for the screen early, keep on their receivers, and pester Rivers, this could be a long, long game for the San Diego offense.

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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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On Sunday hence, the valiant Steelers of Pittsburgh journey to the land of Baltimore to take on their long-time nemesis, the hated Ravens.  Supremacy of the kingdom called the AFC North hangs in the balance.

This contest shapes up as a battle of good versus evil. It’s Superman vs. Lex Luthor, Barack Obama vs. George Bush, Miracle Whip vs. Mayonnaise, and the other girls on “The View” vs. that Hasselbeck chick, all rolled into one.

Representing the forces of darkness, we have the Baltimore Ravens.  You know, Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, Ed Reed (the second best safety in the NFL after Troy Polamalu), Willis McGahee, and the rest of the villainous thugs from the rancorous land of Baltimore.  Everybody knows about Baltimore.  That’s the foul village where the tale of “The Wire” was told.  Anyone who has heard the tale of The Wire knows that just about everybody who lives in Baltimore only wants to do one thing; pop a cap in your @$$.  Yes, Baltimore is a land of great wickedness.

Welcome to Baltimore

Representing the forces of good, we have the Pittsburgh Steelers (cue harp music).  You know, the gallant knights Troy Polamalu (the guy who is better than Ed Reed), Big Ben, Sir Willie, Friar James, and the rest of the noble men of steel.  The Steelers are the embodiment of goodness and virtue; the opposite of the Baltimore Ravens.

The most famous tale to ever eminate from Pittsburgh was tale of friendly Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.  You remember Mr. Rogers, don’t you?  He was the kindly gentleman who taught children helpful lessons like being respectful of their parents and how to play nicely with one another.  See the difference between “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “The Wire” ?  Well that’s the difference between Pittsburgh and Baltimore.  The noble Steelers versus the foul Ravens.  Good versus evil.

Mr. Rogers

The Ravens’ most famous warrior is Ray Lewis.  Ray Lewis is from a slimy swamp called “The U”.  ”The U” is a fabled land that is known for spawning foul, hideous, smelly creatures.  Kellen Winslow Jr. is from”The U”.  Need we say more?  Ray Lewis is a vile but powerful warrior.  He is evil incarnate.

The Baltimore Ravens weren’t always evil.  Once upon a time, the Ravens were the harmless Cleveland Browns.  They dwelt in the dirty but peaceful place called the land of Cleve.  The Browns were faithfully worshiped by the simple, uneducated folk of the Land of Cleve.  But then an evil wizard, Art Modell, demanded that the poor farmers of the Land of Cleve build him a giant castle lest he take their Browns away from them.  When the gentle country folk of Cleveland were unable to meet the wizard’s demands, he snatched the Browns away from the powerless peasants, and transported them to the more dastardly land called Baltimore.  Modell knew that the vile denizens of Baltimore would be much more supportive of his wicked shenanigans.  Drawing upon arcane magicks, the wizard Modell tranformed the harmless Browns into the villainous Ravens.  Since then, the Ravens’ evil has grown, unchecked by civilized folk.

To break the Ravens’ reign, the forces of good (the Steelers) must vanquish the Ravens in the midst of their halls of power (M&T Stadium).  The Ravens are at their most powerful at M&T Stadium, where they draw from the macabre energies of their worshipers.

Orcs and Trolls from Baltimore

With the power of their followers flowing into them, the Ravens are almost unbeatable in their lair.  The Ravens draw further power from The One Ring.   The One Ring was given to the Ravens in 2001 after Super Bowl XXXV.  The One Ring represents the lone noteworthy accomplishment by the Ravens.  Without it, they are nothing.

To defeat the Ravens, the Steelers will have to draw upon the power of The Five Rings.  The Five Rings is a source of far greater power than The One Ring.

The Steelers last defeated the Ravens in their evil lair in 2002.  The Steelers were only able to defeat them there in 2002 because they had the valiant Prince Bettis fighting by their side.  Without Prince Bettis, victory is far more difficult.  However, the Steelers do have Prince Bettis’ young apprentice, Sir Willie, to help lead them to victory.

If the Ravens win, it will usher in a new era of struggle.  The Steelers and Ravens will find themselves locked in a battle to the finish for rulership of the kingdom of AFC North.

If the Steelers are victorious, then goodness and light will continue to shine upon the AFC North.   The Steelers will likely win the AFC North and a 1st round playoff bye.  Songs will be sung, and we will eat, drink, and be merry.

May the power of The Five Rings be with the men of steel.

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The football gods finally smiled upon the Pittsburgh Steelers. It seemed like each time the Steelers were in a close game this season, fate would snatch victory from their hands. Not this time, though.

The Steelers got a masterful performance from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger had thrown eight interception in the Steelers’ last 3 games. His play had been so bad, that some fans had even called for Big Ben to be benched in favor of backup Byron Leftwich. But in this game, Roethlisberger played like a virtuoso. He completed 31-41 pass attempts for 308 yards. More importantly, he threw no interceptions.

Big Ben was accurate with his passes, and perhaps more importantly, he was quick with his reads. Roethlisberger made quick slant passes early and often. When the Chargers showed blitz, Big Ben was quick to change the play to a quick slant pass to either Santonio Holmes or Matt Spaeth. This ability to make the hot reads has been one of Roethlisberger’s (and Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians’) shortcomings this year.

Roethlisberger completed passes to 7 different receivers. That’s right, seven. That may not be a shocking stat for Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, but it is very unusual for Big Ben. Roethlisberger even completed a pass to third string tight end and backup fullback Sean McHugh. That’s not something you see everyday.

Roethlisberger ended the game with a 96.4 QB rating. By contrast, Chargers’ QB Philip Rivers ended the game with 2 interceptions and a 43.6 QB rating. Rivers had entered the game as the AFC’s highest rated passer, and the NFL’s leader in touchdown passes. Playing the NFL’s top-rated defense can certainly screw up a quarterback’s stats.

The Steelers welcomed back running back Willie Parker who had missed time this season due to knee and shoulder injuries. In his return to action, Parker rushed for 115 yards. Parker’s running probably helped to keep the Chargers’ defense honest, and made it easier for Roethlisberger to have a great passing day.

Perhaps the unsung hero of the game was backup tight end Matt Spaeth. Spaeth, who started in place of injured Heath Miller, caught 6 passes for 55 yards. Most of those seemed to be for 1st downs. Spaeth appeared to be Roethlisberger’s “go to” receiver anytime he anticipated a blitz. The strategy worked beautifully.

Of course, Steelers Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians also gets credit for calling a brilliant offensive game. We have written an entire article about Arians’ performance, which can be found here.

Despite 308 passing yards from Roethlisberger, 124 receiving yards by Hines Ward, and 115 yards rushing by Willie Parker, the Steelers’ offense actually failed to get into the endzone. Can you believe that? Neither could I. The Steelers’ offense was stifled more by penalties than it was by the Chargers’ defense. The Steelers were penalized 13 times for 115 yards.

On defense, the Steelers showed why they have the NFL’s #1 ranked defense. They held LaDainian Tomlinson to a paltry 57 yards rushing, and held Rivers to 159 yards passing and no touchdown passes. Linebacker James Harrison added a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception to his already impressive statistics. If he’s not the NFL’s Defensive Player of The Year, I don’t know who is.

Safety Troy polamalu also added an interception. He made an amazing play on the ball that had to be reviewed before the Chargers (and the referees) were convinced that it was actually an interception. Troy dived for the ball, and just barely got his fingers under the ball before it hit the ground. He maintained control of the ball, rolled over, and got up running.

Polamalu was also stout against the run. He had several plays against LaDainian Tomlinson that were reminiscent of their Nike commercial.

Despite the low score, and the lack of a Steelers touchdown, this was a dominant performance by both the Steelers offense and their defense. It was just an odd game that ended up with an odd score. In fact, according to the NFL, this was the first time that a game had ever ended up with a score of 11-10. The football gods even had the referees call back a touchdown by Troy Polamalu that would have led to a more reasonable score of 17-10. After the game, the refs acknowledged that they had blown the call. But in this game, it was probably fitting. An odd game like this deserved an odd score. 11-10, that’s one for the books.

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Before reading this article, please read our Steelers-Charger Preview found here.

This Sunday, the San Diego Chargers invade Heinz Field to take on our Pittsburgh Steelers. San Diego has never won a regular season game in Pittsburgh. If the Steelers are to keep that streak alive, these are the key match-ups that they must control.

Steelers center Justin Hartwig vs. Chargers’ nose tackle Jamal Williams
Williams is a huge 6’3″, 348 lbs. nose tackle. According to Hartwig, Williams is one of the most most difficult tackles he has ever faced. If the Steelers running game is to succeed, Hartwig will have to keep Williams from collapsing the pocket. This may prove to be a difficult challenge. However, facing huge nose tackles is exactly the reason why Justin Hartwig was brought in to replace last year’s center Sean Mahan. Advantage: Chargers.

Steelers linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley versus Chargers QB Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is the top-rated QB in the NFL. He leads the league in touchdown passes. In order to prevent him from picking the Steelers apart, the defense is going to have to put constant pressure on him. Fortunately, the Steelers have two of the NFL’s sack leaders to apply that pressure. Harrison and Woodley will need to keep Rivers on the run, or it could be a long day for the Steelers’ secondary. Advantage: Steelers.

Steelers cornerback William Gay vs. Chargers wide receiver Chris Chambers
Ike Taylor will probably be called upon to guard 6’5″ Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson. That leaves Chris Chambers for William Gay. Gay is making his first NFL start. While Gay has done well for the Steelers as a nickel back, he has never been called upon to stop an opposing receiver for the entire game. With Philip Rivers delivering the passes, this is going to be a tough debut for Gay. Advantage: Chargers.

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu vs. Chargers receiver Antonio Gates
Gates is Philip Rivers’ favorite target. He is one of the best receiving tight ends in the NFL, and he is sure to challenge Polamalu. But Troy Polamalu is a Pro Bowl caliber safety, and he should more than hold his own against Gates. Advantage: Neither.

Steelers offensive tackle Willie Colon vs. Chargers LB Shaun Phillips
Shaun Phillips is the Chargers’ best defensive lineman. He is one of their leading tacklers, and he leads the team in sacks. Phillips will challenge Colon, but Colon should be up to the task. It is not very often that I get to say that, so let me enjoy this moment for a second. Advantage: Neither.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger vs. Chargers secondary
Big Ben has not been having a good time lately. He has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns over the past 4 games, and his QB rating is far below his usual standard. However, this week Roethlisberger will be facing the NFL’s worst passing defense. This may be just what the doctor ordered to help Big Ben get out of the funk that he’s been in lately. Advantage: Steelers.

Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Steelers’ run defense
LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the best running backs in the NFL. However, this year has not proven to be a very good one for Tomlinson. Tomlinson’s average of 69.9 yards per game is the lowest of his career. Things shouldn’t get any better for him this week as he faces the Steelers top-rated defense. Advantage: Steelers.

Overall, I believe the Steelers have the advantage in this game. The Chargers are playing below expectations, and they don’t tend to play particularly well on the road. They’ve never won in Pittsburgh, and they’ll be facing the toughest defense they’ll probably meet all year. That is a formula for failure. I predict a 24-13 Steelers win.

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