Steelers Today - A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

July 12, 2009
By Donald Starver

I was asked by Most Valuable Network (MVN) to write a 2009 season preview on the Steelers.  In this article, I made a statement that upset some Steelers fans.  I stated that I didn’t think that the Steelers were the best team in the NFL last season.

If you think back to the 2008 season, you’ll remember that the Steelers were soundly defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles.  Frankly, I wasn’t looking forward to facing them again.  Similarly, the Tennessee Titans manhandled the Steelers during the regular season.  Perhaps it is blasphemous for me to say this, but I breathed a sigh of relief when the Baltimore Ravens knocked the Titans out of the playoffs.  The New York Giants had also beaten the Steelers during the regular season.  Though that game was much more competitive than the Eagles or Titans games, I still think the Steelers and Giants were pretty evenly matched, and a rematch could have gone either way.  Lastly, who predicted that the Arizona Cardinals, the lowest seed in the NFC playoffs, would take out the top-seeded Carolina Panthers?  The Panthers were probably the hottest team in the NFL going into the playoffs.  One could have made an argument that any of these teams was actually better than the Steelers.

So were the Steelers the best team in the NFL in 2008?  There’s no way of knowing.  But the Steelers got it done when it counted, and that is all that anyone will ever remember.  Moreover, that’s all that counts.

Going into 2009, the Steelers appear to be just as good as they were in 2008, if not better.  The team returns almost all of the starters from their Super Bowl championship team. They are likely to  get a greater contribution from their 2008 rookie class (which made almost no impact last year).   They also had an excellent 2009 draft.  Combine that with a much easier schedule than they had in 2008, and the Steelers appear to be guaranteed to make another deep playoff run.

Unfortunately, the rest of the NFL isn’t just going to hand the Steelers the title.  If the Steelers want to repeat as champions, they are going to have to hold off several worthy challengers to the throne.

Below is my list of the teams that may pose the greatest challenge to the Steelers’ continued dominance.  Please note that these teams are not listed in any particular order:

New England Patriots - Let’s face it.  The Patriots just aren’t the same team without Tom Brady.  As much as I hate to admit it, Brady may be the best quarterback in the NFL.

In 2007, the Patriots almost went undefeated.  Brady and Randy Moss rewrote the record books.  Matt Cassell’s Patriots of 2008 were a mere shadow of the 2007 team.  But the 2009 Patriots should be very reminiscent of the 2007 team.  Only they’ve added Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway.  Gulp!

The Patriots are the most important hurdle for the Steelers to overcome.  Not only must the Steelers prove that they are more than just interim champs who were merely keeping the throne warm until Tom Brady’s return.  They must also establish their dominance over the Patriots in order to prove that they, and not the Patriots, are the team of the decade.

New York Giants - The Giants won the Super Bowl the year before the Steelers did.  Moreover, they beat the Steelers in 2008.

The Giants are a very well-balanced team, finishing 2008 in the top 10 in both total offense and total defense.

Perhaps their only question mark is their receivers.  Amani Toomer is done, and Plaxico Burress will never play for the Giants again.  However, the Giants have several receiver waiting in the wings to fill the void.  Sinorice Moss may finally be ready to be the field-stretching receiver that he was drafted to be.  Super Bowl hero David Tyree is still in the mix.  Former Michigan star Mario Manningham is highly regarded by the team, and 1st round draft pick Hakeem Nicks may be the best of the bunch.  Suffice it to say that wide receiver should emerge as a strength for the Giants.

Oh yeah, did I mention that Osi Umenyiora will be returning to the line-up?

Philadelphia Eagles - I don’t understand Philadelphia fans.  Donovan McNabb has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL for a long time.  He consistently takes the Eagles to the playoffs, yet at the end of each season it seems like Eagles fans are trying to run Donovan out of town.

Personally, I think the Eagles will once again be a playoff contender.  Besides McNabb, the Eagles still have Brian Westbrook, arguably one of the best running backs in the NFL.  Wider receiver DeSean Jackson will be an experienced veteran, and should be even better than last year.  Rookies Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy should contribute during their freshman year.

If you look at the offensive weapons that the Eagles have provided Donovan McNabb, one could easily argue that this year’s Eagles could be even better than the Terrell Owens team that went to the Super Bowl a few years back.

Chicago Bears - The Chicago Bears haven’t had a good quarterback since…..well, ever.  Now they have a young Pro Bowl caliber quarterback in Jay Cutler.

The Bears almost made the playoffs with Kyle Orton at the helm.  What will they do with a star QB running their offense?

Cincinnati Bengals - Just joking folks.  I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Indianapolis Colts - Sure, Tony Dungy is gone.  But the Colts shouldn’t lose a beat under the leadership of Dungy’s hand-picked successor.  Besides, Peyton Manning runs this team.  As long as he’s under center, the Colts will be a force to be reckoned with.

Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens were the 2008 AFC runner-up.  Thus, they have to be considered to be a contender.  However, with Rex Ryan leaving as defensive coordinator, Ray Lewis getting yet another year older, and Bart Scott no longer on the team, I don’t think the Ravens will be in the Steelers’ class.

Tennessee Titans - The Titans had a great season last year.  But I don’t expect to see a repeat performance from them this year.  Albert Haynesworth was the heart and soul of that team.  I’m not sure if there is another defensive player in the league who is as important to his team as Haynesworth was to the Titans.  The Titans’ defense should see a significant decline without him.

On offense, I think “smash & dash” will prove to be one-hit wonders.  I just don’t believe that LenDale White can be a consistent threat in the NFL.

Carolina Panthers - Is there a better running back tandem in the NFL than DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart?  Julius Peppers will be back with the team next year.  So will Steve Smith.  The only thing holding this team back is Jake Delhomme.  It’s too bad the Panthers signed him to a 5-year, $42.5 million extension.

San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys - Both teams are better on paper than their on-field performance indicated in 2008.  I expect the return of Shawn Merriman to help the Chargers.  Similarly, the Cowboys should benefit from the removal of distractions like T.O., Tank Johnson, and Pac-Man Jones.

Notice I didn’t include the Arizona Cardinals.  Despite making it to the Super Bowl last year, the Cardinals are still……..the Cardinals.  They were the lowest seed in the NFC playoffs last year, and I believe that the Bears and Cowboys will be greater threats in the NFC in 2009.

I feel much better about the Steelers’ chances this year than I did last year.  With a better team and a much easier schedule than they had last year, a 14-2 regular season record is very feasible this season.

Will they bring home another Lombardi Trophy?  Only time will tell.  After all, anything can happen in the playoffs.  But one thing seems certain, if the Steelers can stay healthy they will be a playoff team.

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Steelers Today has hooked up with 31 other NFL bloggers from around the country to do a bloggers’ mock draft. All 32 NFL teams are represented in the mock draft.

The mock draft is sponsored by Cleveland Browns blog No Logo Needed. For more details on the bloggers’ mock draft, click here.

With the 28th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft the Philadelphia Eagles blog Iggles Blog selects……

Man, I love this pick.  The scouting reports on this kid are glowing.  He’s considered the best center prospect since (at least) Nick Mangold.  I’ve heard him do a couple interviews since the Combine and have been impressed with him both times.

There’s really nothing not to love about this guy.  And the bottom line is that I’d much rather see the Eagles take a truly elite guy at the center position, rather than reach for the fifth-best dude at tackle.

As for how he fits in with the Eagles, there’s a short answer and a long answer.  The short version is right now the Eagles have four guys penciled in as starters for next year’s offensive line.  Mack will play center in this league some day, but just on raw talent and ability he can come in next year and start right away at guard, allowing one of the current guards to move out and play left tackle.

The long version is more complicated and — let’s face it — a lot less interesting to people who aren’t Eagles fans.  But for the benefit of the folks on the blog, I’ll dig in a bit.

Selecting Mack fixes the 2009 issue addressed above, but it’s most interesting for what it does in 2010.  Right now, there are a couple guys on this line who are never going to reach their full potential if they don’t demonstrate a more significant commitment to controlling their weight.  Fourth-year guard Max Jean-Gilles could be a dominating interior lineman, but he’s not going to get there by following his workout program from the 2008 offseason.  If he can get himself down to the 335 range, the sky is going to be the limit for what he can do.

At the center position, Jamaal Jackson has the same issue.  Once MJG got hurt last year, the Eagles offensive line was four trim dudes and one big ol’ chubs in the middle.  You could argue that the added weight helps him anchor against the league’s biggest nose tackles, but it’s also true that for every other task he has on the field, losing ten pounds wouldn’t hurt him.

Alex Mack is by all accounts a very bright guy, but I don’t foresee the Eagles turning over the line calls to a rookie with the team in the place it’s at right now.  Add that to the fact that MJG is still coming back from his rather gruesome season-ending broken ankle injury from last year, and it’s not easy to see how MJG is going to beat Jackson onto the field in 2009.

It’s a wide open competition in 2010, however, and once that all shakes out, you’re looking at one heck of a line for the next five years.  (And one that should be able to block well for whichever back-up running back the Eagles select somewhere later in this draft after not taking one with this pick.)

The draft results so far are shown below. Click on the individual pick to read each blogger’s rationale for his selection.

1. Detroit Lions: Mathew Stafford, QB (Georgia)
2. St. Louis Rams: Eugene Monroe, OT (Virginia)
3. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, LB (Wake Forest)
4. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Crabtree, WR (Texas Tech)
5. Cleveland Browns: Rey Maualuga, LB (Southern California)
6. Cincinnati Bengals: Jason Smith, OT (Baylor)
7. Oakland Raiders: Jeremy Maclin, WR (Missouri)
8. Jacksonville Jaguars: B.J. Raji, DT (Boston College)
9. Green Bay Packers, Brian Orakpo, DE (Texas)
10. San Francisco 49ers, Everette Brown, OLB (Florida State)
11. Buffalo Bills, Clay Matthews, OLB (Southern California)
12. Denver Broncos, Malcolm Jenkins, CB (Ohio State)
13. Washington Redskins, Andre Smith, OT (Alabama)
14. New Orleans Saints, Brian Cushing, OLB (Southern California)
15. Houston Texans, Michael Oher, OT (Ole Miss)
16. San Diego Chargers, Eben Britton, OT (Arizona)
17. New York Jets, Tyson Jackson, DE (LSU)
18. Chicago Bears, Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR (Maryland)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Percy Harvin, WR  (Florida)
20. Detroit Lions, Aaron Maybin, DE (Penn State)
21. Philadelphia Eagles, Vontae Davis, CB (Illinois)
22. Minnesota Vikings, Mark Sanchez, QB (Southern California)
23. New England Patriots, Knowshon Moreno, RB (Georgia)
24. Atlanta Falcons, Clint Sintim, LB (Virginia)
25. Miami Dolphins, Larry English, LB (Northern Illinois)
26. Baltimore Ravens, Kenny Britt, WR (Rutgers)
27. Indianapolis Colts, Peria Jerry, DT (Mississippi State)
28. Philadelphia Eagles, Alex Mack, C (California)

The New York Giants are on the clock.

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Steelers Today has hooked up with 31 other NFL bloggers from around the country to do a bloggers’ mock draft. All 32 NFL teams are represented in the mock draft.

The mock draft is sponsored by Cleveland Browns blog No Logo Needed. For more details on the bloggers’ mock draft, click here.

With the twentieth pick of the 2009 NFL Draft the Philadelphia Eagles blog Iggles Blog selects…

Say what now?  A cornerback?  And one with character issues to boot?

Yes.  Yes, indeed.

Davis is the perfect Andy Reid draft choice:

1. He plays a high-value position in which first-round athleticism makes a huge difference.
2. No one sees the pick coming.
3. On its face, the pick is completely inexplicable.

But what about offensive line (you ask).  Or tight end?  Or running back?  Or all the other places the Eagles have actual needs?  Not cornerback, where we have a Pro Bowler, a solid starter, a very wealthy nickel man and a “first-round talent” prospect coming off a knee injury.

Let me explain.  First of all, as a cornerback, Davis is very, very good.  He’s also — for a cornerback — very, very big.  The brother of Vernon Davis is a physical freak.  You don’t find many 6-0, 200-pound guys who can turn and run with most wide receivers.  Can I get a “Plaxico Burress” anyone?

Secondly, everyone remembers the story of how the Eagles drafted Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown even though they already had Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor locked in as starters.  What most people don’t realize is that Sheldon Brown is now older than Taylor was when his replacement was drafted (and only one year younger that Vincent was at the same time.)

Cornerbacks don’t age well.  You can never have enough guys around to keep pushing them.

Now, with that said, the other intriguing thing about Davis is that he may actually project to FS at the next level.  He’s a born hitter, loves contact, and his “tremendous athleticism” at the cornerback position would translate to “Hall of Fame caliber athleticism” at the safety position.

New SS Sean Jones is a one-year stopgap, we still don’t know for sure what we have in Quintin Demps, and Quintin Mikell turns 29 later this year.  Another safety prospect would not be a bad thing to have around.

The final interesting note is that Davis’ Pro Day is today at Illinois.  Depending on the numbers he puts up then, the idea that he’ll be around at #20 is quite possibly a pipe dream.  But I’ll take him for now.

The draft results so far are shown below. Click on the individual pick to read each blogger’s rationale for his selection.

1. Detroit Lions: Mathew Stafford, QB (Georgia)
2. St. Louis Rams: Eugene Monroe, OT (Virginia)
3. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, LB (Wake Forest)
4. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Crabtree, WR (Texas Tech)
5. Cleveland Browns: Rey Maualuga, LB (Southern California)
6. Cincinnati Bengals: Jason Smith, OT (Baylor)
7. Oakland Raiders: Jeremy Maclin, WR (Missouri)
8. Jacksonville Jaguars: B.J. Raji, DT (Boston College)
9. Green Bay Packers, Brian Orakpo, DE (Texas)
10. San Francisco 49ers, Everette Brown, OLB (Florida State)
11. Buffalo Bills, Clay Matthews, OLB (Southern California)
12. Denver Broncos, Malcolm Jenkins, CB (Ohio State)
13. Washington Redskins, Andre Smith, OT (Alabama)
14. New Orleans Saints, Brian Cushing, OLB (Southern California)
15. Houston Texans, Michael Oher, OT (Ole Miss)
16. San Diego Chargers, Eben Britton, OT (Arizona)
17. New York Jets, Tyson Jackson, DE (LSU)
18. Chicago Bears, Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR (Maryland)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Percy Harvin, WR  (Florida)
20. Detroit Lions, Aaron Maybin, DE (Penn State)
21. Philadelphia Eagles, Vontae Davis, CB (Illinois)

The Minnesota Vikings are on the clock.

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The Steelers scored no rushing touchdowns. The Steelers scored no passing touchdowns. The Steelers only got one rushing 1st down in the entire game. Willie Parker was held to 20 yards rushing. Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 8 times (6 times in the 2nd quarter), and was held to 131 total passing yards. Score: Eagles 15, Steelers 6. Any questions?

I was tempted to end my post-game analysis right there, but that would be taking the easy way out. Writing this report feels just like it felt to watch the Steelers game today; painful.

I tried to think of headlines for this article, but everything that I thought of seemed too negative. “Steelers get their ***es kicked” was the most accurate headline I could think of, but it just sounded…..inappropriate. So I stuck with “Steelers vs. Eagles: Post-Game Analysis” as my headline.

Going into the game, I was expecting a physical contest of titanic proportions between two evenly matched gladiators. What I actually watched looked more like a street fight between Richard Simmons and Kimbo Slice. And unfortunately, the Steelers weren’t Kimbo Slice.

The Eagles dominated the Steelers in all facets of the game. Let’s take a look at each of them.

Steelers’ Defense:

The Eagles offense seemed to be able to move the ball at will, until Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook (the Eagles’ two best offensive players) both suffered injuries. McNabb was a perfect 15/15 passing before throwing his first incomplete pass with just over 2 minutes remaining in the 1st half. Westbrook injured his ankle early in the 1st quarter, and rushed for only 12 total yards before leaving the game for good.

In my pre-game analysis, I said that the Steelers’ defense needed to do two things; contain Westbrook and pressure McNabb. If they weren’t able to do these two things, the steelers were in for a long day. The early injury to Westbrook took care of my first concern. Westbrook was rendered a non-factor. And while McNabb was unstoppable in the 1st half, Dick LeBeau and the Steelers’ defense made adjustments at half-time, and made life difficult for the Eagles the rest of the way. Despite giving up 13 points (two points came on a safety and can’t be charged to the Steelers’ “D”), the Steelers’ Defense played a good game, and they were the only reason that the final score wasn’t 59-3 (although it certainly felt like that was the score).

In particular, LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons looked good. While neither recorded more than 2 tackles, they both provided good pressure on McNabb. Woodley completely over-powered Eagles tackle John Runyan on his sack of Donovan McNabb. While Timmons did not start for the Steelers, it was very noticeable when Timmons came into the game. He provided key pressure on McNabb at the end of the 1st half that changed the tempo of the game, and ended McNabb’s perfect passing streak.

James Farrior led the team in tackles (with 7 solo tackles), and also forced a fumble. Larry Foote also recorded 1.5 sacks on McNabb.

Troy Polamalu had another good game, and recorded his 3rd interception in as many games. Cornerback Bryant McFadden also recorded an interception (his 2nd in the past 2 games).

Despite a rough 1st half, the Steelers’ defense looked good, and they have no reason to hang their heads.

Steelers’ Offense:

The Steelers’ offense was an entirely different matter. The offense stunk. There’s no other way to put it.

Was it just me, or did it seem like the referees were allowing the Eagles to rush 15 defensive linemen on each play? How else do you explain the constant pressure on Ben Roethlisberger? Even when the Steelers went to their “max protection” formations, they still couldn’t stop the Eagles’ rush. Usain Bolt couldn’t have gotten to Big Ben faster than the Eagles linemen were.

In total, the Offensive Line gave up 9 sacks. That’s right, 9! Eight sacks on Roethlisberger, and one of Byron Leftwich. At one point, the Eagles’ Defense recorded 5 sacks in 6 plays. I’ve seldom seen a defensive line dominate an offensive line so completely. Kendall Simmons was a revolving door. Willie Colon played like a matador. And Chris Kemoeatu showed that he is much better at run blocking than he is at pass blocking.

I’m not one to call for coaches’ heads, but Steelers Offensive Line Coach Larry Zierlein should hide his face in shame. He had no clue how to stop the Eagles’ rush. He was like a 3rd grader taking a trigonometry exam; completely baffled. While Dick LeBeau made adjustments at half-time, Zierlein and Steelers Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians apparently made none. The offensive line’s performance was truly an embarrassment.

Beyond the constant pressure that he was getting from the Eagles defense, Ben Roethlisberger didn’t look like himself. His passes weren’t accurate, and he looked rattled. Perhaps his shoulder was hurting worse than he let on. In fact, the only time the Steelers were able to establish a viable passing game was when Byron Leftwich came on in relief after Roethlisberger injured his hand.

To make matters worse, the Steelers offense was never able to establish the running game. The Eagles came into the game with the NFL’s #1 ranked defense against the run. I said in my pre-game analysis that the match-up of Willie Parker vs. the Eagles Defense would determine the game. Unfortunately, my prediction proved to be true.

Willie Parker was never able to get the running game going. He ended up with only 20 yards rushing on 13 carries. But even that number is deceiving. Parker got 8 yards on one play. If you eliminate that play, Parker got only 12 yards on his remaining 12 carries. That’s 1 yard per carry. Even I could do that.

On a positive note (there weren’t many), did anyone else notice Jeff Reed’s 53 yard field goal that looked like it would have been good from 73 yards? That guy has got to be one of the best field goal kickers in the league. He is consistently accurate, even in the mud bowl called Heinz Field. Not many kickers could do that.

Special Teams:

The Eagles’ punter actually outplayed the Steelers. Need I say more?

Summary:

History was not on our side going into this game. The Steelers had not beaten the Eagles in Philadelphia since 1965. That’s 43 years. Philadelphia is one of the toughest places in the NFL for any visiting team to play. Perhaps a loss was inevitable.

What bothers me is the way we lost. The Eagles were more physical than the Steelers. They played “Steeler football” better than the Steelers did. That can’t happen.

It’s probably going to be a long, quiet ride back to Pittsburgh. But the team can’t dwell on this. They have to get back on the practice field and fix these problems. They play the Baltimore Ravens next week on Monday Night Football. I’m sure the Ravens are going to use today’s game as a blueprint for how to beat the Steelers.

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(Note to Readers - It was brought to our attention that our site was not working properly on Friday, September 19, 2008, and many of you were not able to read this article. We apologize for this problem).

This week, the Steelers face their toughest opponent thus far, when they travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. The Keystone State showdown will be nationally televised on CBS. The game is scheduled for a 4:15 p.m. kickoff.

Both teams are coming off of big games against division rivals. The Steelers beat the Browns, while the Eagles lost in a shootout against the Cowboys.

The last time the two teams met was in 2004, when the Steelers dominated the Eagles in a 27-3 victory. However, Philadelphia has won two of the past three meetings, and they enjoy a 45-27-3 advantage in the all-time series with the Steelers. More importantly, the Steelers have to travel to Philadelphia where they have not beaten the Eagles in 43 years. Talk about a tough place to play.

Looking at the numbers, both teams pose daunting challenges. On offense, Donovan McNabb and the Eagles lead the league in passing yardage, averaging 336.5 YPG. Meanwhile, the Steelers’ passing offense is ranked #25 in the NFL, averaging only 143 YPG.

As they’ve historically done, the Steelers prefer to play “Steeler football”. They pound the ball down their opponent’s throat with the running game. The Steelers average 150 YPG in rushing offense, and Willie Parker has back-to-back 100+ yard performances. By comparison, the Eagles average only 93 YPG on the ground. As you can see, this is a battle of contrasting offensive philosophies.

Overall, the Eagles’ offense is #3 in the NFL averaging 429.5 YPG, while the Steelers only average 293 total YPG.

On defense, both teams pose challenges. The Steelers defense is ranked #4 in the NFL, and is allowing only 221 YPG, and 11.5 PPG. The Eagles’ defense is ranked #11 in the league, and they give up an average of 273 YPG, and 22 PPG.

It may surprise some to learn that the Eagles’ run defense is actually ranked higher than the Steelers’. The Eagles have an aggressive defense that only allows 52 rushing YPG. That makes them #1 in the NFL. The Steelers’ defense is close behind, allowing only 64 rushing YPG (#3 in the NFL).

Philosophically, the Eagles defense believes in attacking. They believe in sending as many players as possible after the quarterback. few teams rush 6 defenders as often as the Eagles do. Despite this aggressive approach, the Eagles’ defense has accumulated only 4 sacks, compared to 7 by the Steelers.

This should be an exciting match-up of two tough defensive teams with very different offensive approaches. The question is will the Steelers be able to run effectively against the NFL’s top ranked rushing defense? Similarly, can the Steelers apply pressure to Donovan McNabb to prevent him from picking them apart in the air?

Key Match-ups:

Steelers Defense vs. Brian Westbrook

Brian Westbrook is one of the most versatile running backs in the NFL. His 2,104 yards from scrimmage led the NFL last season. What makes Westbrook so deadly is that the Eagles use him in an almost infinite number of ways. One play he might line up wide as a split end, the next play he might line up in the backfield as the lone running back, then he might line up inside as a slot receiver on the next play, and on the very next lay he might be in the backfield in a two running back formation. Westbrook’s role in the Eagles’ offense is analogous to Troy Polamalu’s role in the Steelers’ defense. The guy is all over the place.

Willie Parker vs. Eagles’ #1 ranked run defense

Do you remember the old saying about what happens when an immovable object meets an irresistible force? Well, we’re all going to learn this weekend. The Eagles have the top ranked run defense in the NFL, but Willie Parker has two consecutive 100+ yard games. “Fast Willie” was leading the NFL in rushing last season before he broke his leg. This match-up may decide the game.

Heath Miller vs. Brian Dawkins

Dawkins is a former Pro Bowl safety. However, he struggled with injuries in 2007. It is not clear whether he is fully recovered from those. Last week, he struggled against Dallas TE Jason Witten. Witten seemed to get open with ease, and Dawkins seemed to be slow in his backpedal. Heath Miller is one of the best tight ends in the game, and should be able to exploit Dawkins’ weakness.

LaMarr Woodley & James Harrison vs. Donovan McNabb

In order to stop Donovan McNabb from picking the Steelers apart, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley are going to have to provide constant pressure. Donovan can’t deliver his passes if he’s constantly running for his life.

Steelers Secondary vs. DeSean Jackson

The Eagles have not had a true playmaker at WR since Terrell Owens left for Dallas. However, rookie DeSean Jackson appears to be the real deal. Despite his silly rookie mistake last week, jackson is a very talented receiver. Jackson is the first rookie receiver since 1940 to have 100 yards receiving in his first 2 NFL games.

Marvel Smith vs. Eagles DE Trent Cole

Cole is a Pro Bowl end, and he will provide a challenge for Marvel Smith. Smith must protect Ben Roethlisberger’s blind side, or Big Ben is going to be in for a long day. Cole has not recorded a sack in the Eagles’ first two games, and he’d like to change that streak against the Steelers.

Injury Report

Steelers:

Brett Keisel - Injured calf. Out 4-8 weeks.

Ben Roethlisberber - “Sore” shoulder. Please don’t call it a “separated” shoulder. Mike Tomlin will get mad.

Deshea Townsend - Heel.

Eagles:

Shawn Andrews - Back.

Tony Hunt - Hamstring.

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