Steelers Today - A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

With Steelers training camp less than a week away, many Steelers fans are anxious to see if Bryant McFadden will beat out William Gay for the starting left cornerback position.

Okay, that’s probably an understatement.  The reality is that most Steelers fans are PRAYING that McFadden will beat out Gay for the starting spot.  Fans remember McFadden, and they feel confident that he will do a much better job than Gay did last year.

Personally, I don’t think it’s possible to do a worse job than Gay did last season.  However, I think fans are missing the mark if they believe that the Steelers have a two-horse race on their hands this summer at training camp.

Sure, McFadden and Gay are the Steelers’ most experienced cornerbacks, outside of Ike Taylor whose starting position is basically assured.  However, Gay and McFadden are not the only players with a chance of emerging as starters this season.

William Gay shared snaps with McFadden in 2008, and then took over the starting position in 2009 after McFadden signed with the Arizona Cardinals.  Gay struggled as a starter.  He was often out of position, and he seemed to have difficulty covering his man (regardless of who he was covering).  He didn’t make a single interception during the entire season.  In fact, none of the Steelers’ cornerbacks recorded an interception until the final game of the season in 2009.  Gay did have 10 passes defensed, but that number is not particularly impressive considering how opposing quarterbacks seemed to go at him at least 20 times per game.

While some believe that McFadden is the answer, I’m not sure that’s the case.  Remember that back in 2008, the reason that McFadden and Gay split playing time was that McFadden was better against the run, but Gay was thought to have better coverage skills.  Like Gay, McFadden also had no interceptions last year despite starting all 16 games for the Cardinals.  In fact, he only has 7 interceptions in his five years in the NFL.  By comparison, cornerbacks Asante Samuel (PHI) and Charles Woodson (GB) each recorded 9 interceptions last season.  McFadden also recorded fewer tackles than Gay last season (69 versus 78).  So I wouldn’t be so quick to anoint McFadden as the starter.

In 2009, the Steelers selected Keenan Lewis in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft.  Lewis was injured most of last season, so fans never really got to see what he could do.  But there was a reason the team took him so early in the draft.  He is long and rangy, and his size will remind fans of Ike Taylor.  Lewis is taller than either McFadden or Gay.  He is also almost 20 lbs. heavier than either of them.  Despite not getting to play last year, he has had a full year to digest Dick LeBeau’s defensive scheme.  That experience should serve him well in training camp this year.

The Steelers also took another cornerback in the 2009 NFL Draft.  Joe Burnett was selected in the 5th round out of Central Florida.  Burnett was taken primarily for his All-American status as a kick/punt returner.  Stefan Logan seems to have won the primary returner spot for the Steelers, but Burnett still has a chance to win a spot as a cornerback.  Most fans probably remember Burnett most for dropping an easy, potentially game-winning, interception against the Oakland Raiders last year.  It is probably not fair that that is the play that most fans remember Burnett by.  He was actually quite a playmaker in college.  He set the record for career interceptions at Central Florida.  While he is a bit under-sized, I won’t be surprised to see Burnett show a lot more during training camp than we saw from him last year.  He’s a better athlete than William Gay, and with a year of experience under his belt, he should be ready to compete with Gay and McFadden for playing time.

Crezdon Butler was drafted in the 5th round of this year’s NFL Draft, and expectations for him are high.  Like Keenan Lewis, Butler is a tall cornerback.  Butler has very good speed and athleticism.  However, in college he relied too much on his athleticism and did not develop good technique.  Like Keenan Lewis and Joe Burnett before him, I think that Butler is going to spend his rookie season simply learning the Steelers’ defense.

Despite not having a great season last year, I believe that Ike Taylor’s position is secure.  He is the Steelers’ best cornerback, and he usually defends the opposing team’s best receiver.   I believe that last season was an anomaly for Taylor, and that this year he will return to being the same “cover corner” with hands of stone that he has always been.  The one thing worth noting is that this is the final season of Taylor’s contract, and the Steelers have not offered him an extension.

The Steelers did sign former Baltimore Ravens CB David Pittman during the off-season.  Pittman has spent his career as a journeyman, and has never made an impact in the league.  I doubt he will make the Steelers’ roster.

Of all of the position battles that will take place during training camp, cornerback is the one that I am most interested in.  It is the position that looked the weakest last year for the Steelers.

The question that the Steelers will have to answer is “do they have a strong group of cornerbacks who simply looked bad due to Troy Polamalu’s absence, or do they have a weak group of cornerbacks who were exposed by Polamalu’s absence?”  One way or another, that question is going to be answered this season.

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So far, the Steelers have gone according to their usual script during the free agency period.  The Steelers typically seek first to re-sign their own players.  Then, once the big spenders have left the pool, the Steelers will usually make a free agent signing or two that cause little splash.  The Steelers never sign big name free agents, but the ones that they sign often make a big contribution.

Recent Steelers free agent signings include Justin Hartwig, Keyaron Fox, and Ryan Clark.  James Farrior may be the best free agent acquisition currently on the Steelers’ roster.  He was signed for next to nothing when the New York Jets gave up on him.  The Steelers then plugged him in, and he’s been a critical component of the Steelers D ever since.  He’s a defensive captain, and a multi-time Pro Bowl player.

Instead of chasing big name free agents, the Steelers believe in taking care of their own players.  The Steelers understand that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side.  They know what their own players can do.  More importantly, they know about the problems that their own players may bring to the table.  What effect a player like Albert Haynesworth will have on the Redskins locker room is anybody’s guess.

So for the most part, the Steelers’ 2009 roster will look much like the one that recently won the Super Bowl.  Max Starks has been re-signed.  So has Willie Colon.  Chris Kemoeatu as well.  That insures that the entire starting offensive line will be back next year.

Some fans may be thinking, “The offensive line was terrible.  Why would we want to keep them intact?”  There are a couple of answers to that question.  First, the offensive line wasn’t as bad as Ben Roethlisberger’s sack total made it seem.  Big Ben holds the ball too long.  Sometimes that results in a great play, and sometimes it results in a sack.  Roethlisberger has said that he doesn’t plan to change his gunslinger style, so Steelers fans will just have to live with lots of sacks. 

The second thing to keep in mind about the offensive line is that this was their first year playing together.  Remember, Max Starks didn’t start off the year as the starting left tackle.  Chris Kemoeatu was playing his first year as a starter at left guard.  Justin Hartwig was in his first year as the Steelers’ center.  Darnell Stapleton was in his first year as a starting right guard.  And Willie Colon was in his second year as the Steelers right tackle.  That is not a lot of time spent together as a unit.  Yet, they won the Super Bowl.  With more time together, the O-line should get better, not worse.

It appears that the Steelers have made the decision that they can no longer tie up money on players who might be health risks.  Both Marvel Smith and Kendall Simmons cost the Steelers a lot of money last season while making almost no contribution on the field.  Both players might make a complete comeback and become Pro Bowl players.  That would make the Steelers decision to cut ties with them seem foolish.  However, the Steelers were willing to take that risk in order to eliminate the downside of continued health problems.

The greatest potential losses for the Steelers are still unanswered.  Cornerback Bryant McFadden is the highest rated CB in free agency.  He will likely get a much higher offer than the Steelers can afford to match. 

The Oakland Raiders recently signed their free agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha to a three year, $45.3 million contract.  Asomugha is guaranteed $28.5 million in the first two years of the contract. The Raiders have an option for a third year in 2011, which would be worth either $16.8 million or the amount of the quarterback franchise tag, whichever is greater.  That’s a lot of money.  Sure, Asomugha is a much better cornerback than Bryant McFadden.  But try telling McFadden’s agent that.  McFadden’s agent knows that his clients’ asking price just went up.

The fact that the Washington Redskins just signed CB DeAngelo Hall to a 6-year, $54 million deal with $22 million in guaranteed money was probably the last nail in Bryant McFadden’s Steeler coffin.  The market for cornerbacks is just too high.  The Steelers know that William Gay is ready to play, and Deshea Townsend is still around for insurance.  Expect the Steelers to draft a cornerback in the 3rd or 4th round of the draft, and to let McFadden sign a contract that is much richer than the Steelers would have offered.

Nate Washington is the other Steelers free agent that is likely to be gone come training camp.  Washington is one of the better (and faster) wide receivers available in free agency.  There will definitely be a market for his services.

Washington has always been fast, and he can get good separation from his defender.  However, his hands have not always been sure.  Whether Washington was going to hold onto the ball has always been a 50/50 proposition.  The Steelers have an exact clone of that already on the roster.  His name is Limas Sweed.

Personally, I’m not quite comfortable with Sweed as a starter just yet.  But I think he is going to be a quality wide receiver in the NFL.  In his limited time on the field, Sweed was getting excellent separation from his defenders.  He just couldn’t hold onto the ball.  It took Washington a few years to develop, and Sweed may need similar development time.  I won’t be surprised if the Steelers sign a low priced free agent wide receiver to help solidify the WR position until Sweed is ready to start.

Perhaps the Steelers biggest question mark during this free agency period concerns a player who isn’t even a free agent.  Albert Haynesworth’s $100 million dollar deal has certainly increased the price of retaining Steelers LB, team MVP, and NFL defensive player of the year, James Harrison. 

Harrison has one more year remaining on his contract.  However, the Steelers have been working hard to extend Harrison’s contract before next season when he could become a free agent.    Despite the fact that they play different positions, Haynesworth’s contract will affect Harrison’s negotiation. 

We’ve already mentioned that Nnamdi Asomugha got a $45.3 million contract with $28.5 million guaranteed, and that DeAngelo Hall got $54 million deal with $22 million in guaranteed money.  Now Haynesworth’s deal has to also be added into the mix.  Haynesworth got $100 million with an NFL-record $41 million in guarantees.  

Last off-season Minnesota gave defensive end Jared Allen a six-year deal worth $74 million with just over $31 million guaranteed, and the year before that the Colts handed defensive end Dwight Freeney a six-year, $72 million deal.

Joey Porter’s 5-year, $32 million contract, with $20 million in guaranteed money now seems rather small.  It is probably the cellar of James Harrison’s negotiations.

  Based on the above figures, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for Harrison to seek a contract in the neighborhood of six years, $70-$80 million with at least $30 million guaranteed.  I don’t think the length of the deal will be nearly as important to Harrison as the amount of guaranteed money.

“I was hoping we’d get $100,” Harrison’s agent, Bill Parise, recently said.  Yeah, right.  One thing is for certain.   Harrison will not be playing for the $1.8 million next year that his contract calls for.

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I hate to blow my own horn, but I’m going to do it anyway.  I wrote a 3-part series called “If I were Kevin Colbert”, that predicted everything that has happened during the Steelers’ free agency period.  If you haven’t already read that series, please go back and do so.    Part 1 can be found here, and Part 2 can be found here.

In that series, I predicted that the Steelers would sign Max Starks to a whopping contract for the second year in a row.  I predicted that they would let Marvel Smith go.  I predicted that they would make an offer to Willie Colon, but that they wouldn’t do the same for Chris Kemoeatu.  I predicted that Anthony Smith would be let go.  Mitch Berger too.  I even predicted that they would let Arnold Harrison go, while resigning Anthony Madison and Sean McHugh to modest contracts.

A couple of things that I predicted have not yet happened.  I said that Bryant McFadden and Nate Washington would both receive offers that were too rich for the Steelers’ tastes, and they’d both be with new teams next year.  That hasn’t happened yet, but it will.

The one thing that surprised me is that the Steelers released Kendall Simmons.  He still has time left on his contract, so they didn’t have to make a move with him yet.  Either their doctors are telling them something that we don’t know, or they just don’t think he’s worth what he’s making. 

To be honest, even BEFORE Simmons hurt his ACL this past year, he was a revolving door on the offensive line.  He may as well have layed out a welcome mat for defensive linemen, he was so accomodating to their needs.  And 2007 was an even worse year for him.  He sucked.  He looked more like a matador than an offensive lineman.  Mike Tomlin obviously noticed that too.  Oh well.  See ya later, Kendall.

The bottom line is that Steelers’ Director of Football Operations, Kevin Colbert, obviously reads Steelers Today.  He did everything that we said that he should do, and we couldn’t be any happier.

By the way, Mr. Colbert, our consulting bill is in the mail.  Please pay promptly.

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February 7, 2009
By Donald Starver

The Super Bowl is over.  The confetti has been swept from the streets of downtown Pittsburgh.  The trophy is in the trophy case.  And Steelers’ Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert is back to work.

Colbert faces the unfortunate problem of having to protect his roster from opportunistic raiders.  This is an annual ritual in the NFL.  Teams that didn’t make it to the Super Bowl think that the easiest way to get better is to steal players from a team that DID make it to the Super Bowl.  Inevitably, the teams tend to pay way too much for those Super Bowl players.  A case in point is former Steeler Antwaan Randle El.  After the Steelers won Super Bowl XL, the Washington Redskins offered Randle El more money than Bernie Madoff stole from investors.  Randle El was a decent player, but he wasn’t worth what the Redskins paid him.  In the years since signing Randle El, the Redskins have learned that lesson too.

But despite the errors of the past, many NFL teams will line up this year to make the exact same mistake.  Nobody ever said that NFL GM’s were the brightest bunch.

The most vulnerable part of the Steelers’ roster is the offensive line.  Yeah, those guys who took tremendous heat from fans this season for letting Ben Roethlisberger get sacked 7,000 times (or maybe it just SEEMED like 7,000).  Despite their very public struggles this season, the offensive line will be the target of NFL raiders.

Four Steelers offensive linemen (Marvel Smith, Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu, and Trai Essex) are unrestricted free agents.  Starting right tackle Willie Colon is a restricted free agent.  That means that 3/5ths of the Steelers front five will potentially be leaving in the off-season.  That is not a good thing for a team that lost Alan Faneca last year.  History has shown that continuity is an important factor in the success of offensive lines, and continuity is the one thing that the Steelers’ offensive line has been lacking over the past 3 years.

The easiest decision (in my opinion) is Marvel Smith.  Smith has missed 19 games over the past two seasons (including post-season games) due to back injuries.  Smith has had back surgery twice.  After the first surgery, Smith said that he felt better than he had ever felt.  Despite feeling “great”, Smith’s back problems caused him to only be able to play in 5 games in 2008.  The Steelers remained hopeful that Smith would make a full recovery and be able to play, so they kept him on the active roster until December when they finally put him on the injured reserve list.

Smith will be 31 years old when the 2009 NFL season starts.  That’s not particularly old for an offensive lineman.  However, for an offensive lineman with a history of back problems, he may as well be 200 years old.

Everyone thought that Kevin Colbert was crazy when he signed Max Starks to that huge contract last year.  As it turned out, signing Starks ended up being a brilliant move, and Marvel Smith turned out to be their worst investment.  Starks’ $6.8 million dollar salary brought a much greater return on investment (ROI) than the $6.6 million that the Steelers paid Smith to get back massages.

When healthy, Marvel Smith is a very good left tackle.  Much better than Max Starks.  Moreover, he’s a very nice guy.  But can the Steelers afford to take another risk on his unpredictable back?  I say no.  B’bye Marvel.

Max Starks presents a dilemma for the Steelers.  He has been a starting tackle in two Super Bowls.  Yet, we all know that he’s not a top-tier tackle.  So what do the Steelers do?  Good left tackles rarely hit the free agent market.  A left tackle who has started in 2 Super Bowls is probably going to be considered to be a desirable acquisition by many teams.  In addition to having 2 Super Bowl rings, Starks is huge.  He’s 6’8″ and 340 lbs.  That’s pretty impressive (much more impressive than his actual on-field play).

It’s likely that some team will offer Starks lots of money.  Probably more than the Steelers would like to pay him.  But if they let Marvel Smith go, then they have to do something to keep their $100 million quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, alive.  Letting their top two left tackles go in the same year might not be something that the Steelers are willing to do.  So unless Tony Hills is starting to look like an emerging superstar, the Steelers may end up paying Max Starks far more than he’s worth for the second year in a row.

Chris Kemoeatu and Willie Colon may as well be the same player.  Their situations are almost exactly the same.  Both players were thought of pretty highly when they were brought in.  Yet, after spending 4 and 3 years, respectively, on the Steelers roster, neither has developed into an offensive lineman who instills much confidence in his coaching staff.  Both players are an off-sides call or a holding penalty just waiting to happen (and they usually happen at the most inopportune times).

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t think there would be a big market out there for either of these players.  However, the Super Bowl champ phenomenon will probably cause both players to have unexpected suitors.  The surprising play of Darnell Stapleton and the return of Kendall Simmons will probably make Kemoeatu more expendable than Colon.  I’d expect the Steelers to let Kemo walk, and to tender a reasonable offer to Colon.  However, if the price tag gets too high, Colon will be gone as well.

Trai Essex is not likely to attract many offers.  In his 4 years with the team, he has not been able to break into the starting lineup except for when someone has been injured.  When Kendall Simmons went down with an ACL injury, undrafted practice squad player Darnell Stapleton earned his starting spot, while Essex continued to languish on the bench.  That probably tells us all that we need to know about how much confidence the Steelers’ coaches have in Essex.  Essex’s future with the Steelers is probably nonexistent.  See ya, Trai.

The next easy decision for Kevin Colbert is Bryant McFadden.  McFadden was arguably the Steelers’ best cornerback this year.  He doesn’t have the physical talents of Ike Taylor, but his effectiveness can’t be denied.  Unfortunately, McFadden took too long to prove his worth.  Had he played this way last year, the Steelers would have extended his contract and we wouldn’t be talking about him now.  But he didn’t, and we are.

Good cornerbacks are prime candidates for getting over-paid in free agency.  Bryant McFadden is going to be the beneficiary of that phenomenon.  Most Steelers fans would probably like to see McFadden remain on the roster.  So would I.  But the Rooneys have proven over the years that they don’t pay extravagant prices for free agents, no matter how well they’ve played.

Bryant McFadden has already tasted Super Bowl glory.  Twice.  So the allure of playing for a winner is not going to be his primary motivation.  He realizes that his next contract is going to be the one that sets up his family financially for generations.  He’s going to steal a line from “Jerry McGuire”, and adopt the mantra “SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!”

Fortunately for the Steelers, Deshea Townsend continues to be a dependable player despite his age, and William Gay has been reliable whenever he’s been on the field.  I haven’t yet forgiven Gay for wearing Arizona Cardinals’ colors to the Steelers parade (is it just me, or was that the most boneheaded move ever?  Our colors are BLACK & GOLD, William.  Black and gold!!!!!), but I’m glad that we have him as an insurance policy.  Goodbye, B-Mac.  We appreciate your contribution.

Nate Washington spent his first 3 seasons with the Steelers proving that there was no such thing as a pass that couldn’t be dropped.  Nate redefined “butter fingers”.  In fact, he appears to have taught his methods to Limas Sweed.

However, in his 4th year something changed.  Nate Washington blossomed into the Steelers best long threat.  He even managed to surpass Santonio Holmes in that regard (until the Super Bowl).  Washington averaged 15.8 yards per catch (during the regular season) as opposed to only 14.9 for Holmes.  Moreover, Washington had 4 catches of 40 yards or more, while Holmes only had two.

Washington has always been able to get separation from his defenders, but holding onto the ball was an issue.  Now that he’s solved that problem, I think the Steelers will try to keep him.  He’s only 25 years old, he has worked hard to improve.

Of course, if another team offers Washington a ridiculous amount of money, then the Steelers will wish him well.  But Colbert will probably make a legitimate effort to keep Washington.  In fact, he may offer him more money than fans expect.

Mitch Berger is a no-brainer.  Dan Sepulveda will be back next season.  See ya later, Mitch.

Tomorrow, in Part 2 of our series, we will take a look at the rest of the Steelers’ unrestriced free agents, and the the restricted free agents.  In Part 3, we will look at the players with one year left on their contracts.

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January 29, 2009
By Donald Starver

We are (finally) getting closer to the big game.  Time seems to go in slow motion in the two weeks between the AFC/NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl.  I could swear that the Steelers-Ravens AFC Championship game happened about a month ago.

With only 3 days remaining until kickoff, it’s time to look at the key matchups that will probably determine the outcome of the Super Bowl.  However, before reading this, you may want to check out our Super Bowl Preview.  In that article, we break down the Steelers-Cardinal’s meeting from last season (that the Cardinals won 21-14), and we outline why this year’s meeting will be different.

So, without further ado, here are this week’s key matchups:

Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. Steelers CB Ike Taylor
Ike usually lines up on the opposite side of the field than where Fitzgerald normally does.  However, whenever the Steelers play a team with a world-class wide receiver (Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison, etc.), they typically have Ike Taylor shadow him, regardless of where he lines up.  The Steelers have a tremendous amount of confidence in Ike Taylor and his abilities.  Ike has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL for several years, and he still doesn’t get the credit that he deserves.

Everyone has been anointing Larry Fitzgerald as the greatest receiver in the universe lately, and admittedly, he has been phenomenal during the playoffs.  However, Ike Taylor is going to pose a different challenge than Larry has faced recently.   Most cornerbacks in the NFL tend to be small and fast.  Ike Taylor is BIG and fast.  While Larry Fitzgerald is 6’3″, Taylor is 6’2″, and will be able to look Fitzgerald directly in the eyes.  Moreover, Taylor is faster than Fitzgerald.  Much faster.  Fitzgerald has been praised for his amazing leaping ability.  Throughout the playoffs, he has consistently jumped higher than his defenders and come down with the ball.  Leapin’ Larry’s 38 inch vertical is indeed impressive.  Unfortunately (for Larry), Ike Taylor’s measured vertical is 40 inches.  So Fitzgerald will be going against a corner who is just as big as he is, but who can run faster and jump higher.

I know everyone has already crowned Larry Fitzgerald as the king of this Super Bowl, but I’m going to disagree with the crowd.  Ike Taylor is going to show the rest of the world what Steelers’ fans already know.  He won’t be able to shut Fitzgerald down completely, nobody can do that.  But he won’t get abused by him either.  Advantage: Neither.

Steelers center Justin Hartwig vs. Cardinals’ tackle Darnell Dockett
As we wrote in our Super Bowl Preview, the Cardinals’ win over the Steelers last year was partially due to the dominant performance that Darnell Docket had over former Steelers’ center Sean Mahan.  Dockett owned Mahan.  He spent almost the entire game in the Steelers’ backfield.  He also recorded 2.5 sacks on Ben Roethlisberger.   That is probably one of the reasons why Justin Hartwig was brought in to replace Mahan.

Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu will help Hartwig with Dockett.  Together, they should be able to keep the 2007 Pro Bowler from repeating the performance he had last year against the Steelers.  Advantage: Cardinals.

Steelers CB Bryant McFadden vs. Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin
There’s been so much talk about Larry Fitzgerald during these playoffs that everyone seems to be forgetting the Cardinals’ other wide receiver, Anquan Boldin.  You know, the other Cardinals wide receiver who will also be starting in the Pro Bowl.  Boldin hasn’t been utilized as much during the playoffs as he was during the regular season (and he let Cardinals’ offensive coordinator Todd Haley know that he doesn’t appreciate that fact).

Boldin will be matched up against his former Florida State teammate Bryant McFadden.  Having practiced against one another in college, these two should be pretty familiar with one another.  In his first year as the Steelers’ starting CB, McFadden quickly proved how effective he can be.  He rarely gets beat, and is very physical.  I’m going to give the nod in this matchup to Boldin only because he’s a Pro Bowl starter.  Advantage: Cardinals.

Steelers WR Santonio Holmes vs. Cardinals CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Everyone is talking about Larry Fitzgerald vs. Ike Taylor, but the more meaningful WR/CB battle may prove to be Santonio Holmes versus Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.  Last year when these two teams met, Holmes torched the Cardinals for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He actually had more receiving yardage and touchdowns than Larry Fitzgerald had in that game.

Rogers-Cromartie is a young, brash, athletic rookie who has really helped the Cardinals’ secondary.  He is going to get even better as he matures.  But right now, he is not good enough to stop Santonio Holmes.  Advantage: Steelers.

Steelers TE Heath Miller vs. Cardinals S Adrian Wilson
This should prove to be another interesting matchup.  Heath Miller has probably the best hands on the Steelers team after Hines Ward.  He never drops the ball.  I mean NEVER.  Miller could (and should) be in the same category as Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates.  Unfortunately, the Steelers seem to be allergic to throwing him the ball.  When it is thrown to him, Heath always catches the ball, and after the catch he seems to drag tacklers at least ten additional yards following their initial contact.

When Miller comes into the seam of the Cardinals defense, he will be met by safety Adrian Wilson.  Wilson is best known by casual fans for his YouTube video in which he jumps over a 66 inch high bar.  But beyond being a physical freak, Wilson is actually a very good safety.  He will be an NFC starter in this year’s Pro Bowl.

Both of these players are so good that it’s hard to pick one over the other.  Advantage: Neither.

Steelers NT Casey Hampton vs. Cardinals center Lyle Sendlein
This matchup features two University of Texas alums going at it.  However, it is a Longhorn reunion that Lyle Sendlein would probably rather have avoided.  Sendlein is a competent, but not spectacular center who is in his first year as a full-time starter.  “Big Snack” is going to eat the poor kid alive.  If I were Sendlein, I’d load up my pockets with Krispy Kreme donuts and offer one to Hampton before each snap.  That won’t stop Hampton from running him over, but it will at least give him a brief reprieve while Hampton chews.  Advantage: Steelers.

Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley versus RT Levi Brown
Levi Brown and LaMarr Woodley came out of college the same year, Brown from Penn State, and Woodley from Michigan.  As Big Ten Alum, they’re used to going up against one another.  Only this time, it is in the Super Bowl.  Brown was the more highly touted player coming out of college.  He was the 5th overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft, and some scouts thought he was as good or better than Browns’ tackle Joe Thomas.  Woodley slipped to the second round in that same draft.

Fast forward one year, and while Brown is a starting right tackle on a Super Bowl team, he has not been spectacular.  Woodley, on the other hand, has turned into a sack machine.  He is strong enough to bull rush his opponent, and fast enough to go around them.  In this battle of Penn State vs. Michigan, go with Michigan.   Advantage: Steelers.

Steelers LB James Harrison vs. Cardinals LT Michael Gandy
James Harrison is the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.  Gandy is a journeyman left tackle who is playing for his third NFL team.  That just about sums it up.  Advantage: Steelers.

Steelers CB DeShea Townsend vs. Cardinal WR Steve Breaston
The Cardinals usually have an advantage when they go to Steve Breaston.  Breaston is a #3 receiver who is good enough to start for most NFL teams.  However, the Cardinals have two Pro Bowl starting receivers, so Breaston is stuck at #3.  Most opponents don’t have a #3 cornerback who is good enough to stick with Breaston.  The Steelers do.  DeShea Townsend has been the Steelers’ starter since…….well, I’m not sure how long it’s been, but I’m pretty sure that he played alongside Mel Blount.  Townsend lost his starting position this year to Bryant McFadden only after Townsend got injured.  McFadden played so well that he never gave up the starting spot when Townsend returned.  But Townsend is still starter quality.  Just like Breaston.  Advantage:  Neither. 

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu vs. Everybody
Troy Polamalu isn’t your usual safety.  If he were an ordinary safety, we’d probably be doing a matchup of him versus a tight end or wide receiver, or even a running back coming out of the backfield.  But this is Troy Polamalu we’re talking about.  Troy’s position defies definition.  He’s called a “safety”, but he’s really a cornerbackertacklesafety.  He plays all over the place.  That’s why Troy will be matched up with just about everyone on the Cardinals’ team at some point during the game.  Regardless of who he goes up against, my money’s on Troy.    Advantage: Steelers.

Steelers LB Lawrence Timmons vs. Kurt Warner
It’s going to take a group effort to slow down Kurt Warner. However, I know that Lawrence Timmons is going to play a key role in whatever formula Dick LeBeau concocts. Timmons is insanely fast, and will probably replace Larry Foote quite often to help drop back and cover the seams in the defense that Warner is so good at finding. Timmons has the speed to cover a tight end (or even a WR) one-on-one. He can also close so quickly that any opening that Warner sees will quickly be shut. Timmons may well be one of the most valuable non-starters in the NFL. Advantage: Cardinals.

Cardinals’QB Kurt Warner vs. Steelers defense
This is going to be a good battle.  The NFL’s top pass defense against the NFL’s #2 passer (in yardage).  It is going to take the whole Steelers defense to stop Warner.  That’s because Warner reads defenses so well, and gets rid of the ball so fast.  Warner is a former league MVP, so he has to be respected.  But he’s not Superman.  Warner can be sacked.  He’s already been sacked 26 times this season.

To get to Warner, the Steelers are going to need a group effort.  James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley are going to have to provide heavy pressure from the edges.  Simultaneosly, the cornerbacks are going to have to play the Cardinals’ receivers close to the line and make early contact to redirect them from their intended path.  Warner is a disciplined QB who throws timing patterns where the receiver is supposed to be.  If they get delayed, Warner’s pass will fall incomplete.  The Steelers’ linebackers may not get many sacks on Warner, but their pressure will account for incomplete passes that won’t show up in the box score.  Advantage: Steelers.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger vs. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
I’m sure my readers get tired of hearing me say this, but the Steelers’ fate rest on the shoulders of one man, Ben Roethlisberger.  As Roethlisberger goes, so go the Steelers.  When Big Ben is good, he’s very good.  But unfortunately the inverse is also true; when he’s bad, he’s very bad.

The Steelers don’t need Roethlisberger to play the role of Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.  Roethlisberger isn’t that type of quarterback.  He doesn’t carve up defenses with his arm the way those two do.  Instead, we need him to play smart, disciplined football.  If Ben manages the offense and avoids turnovers, the Steelers should win this game pretty easily.

Unfortunately, I’ve been hearing Ben reflecting far too much on his poor play in his first Super Bowl.  Ben really seems to be bothered by that.  I hope he doesn’t try to do too much in order to prove that he can do better than he did last time.  If he does that, he’ll probably press and throw silly interceptions.

Trust me on this one, Ben.  Nobody will care about your stats if your team wins.  Stay within yourself and trust your teammates to make plays.  If you do that, you will go down in history as a great quarterback who won multiple Super Bowls, regardless of what the statistics say.   Advantage: We shall see.

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