Steelers Today - A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

This is Part 3 of a multi-part series that is intended to identify what went wrong with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2009 season.

If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, please click here.  If you haven’t read Part 2, please click here.

We’ve already discussed two of the reasons for the Steelers poor showing this season.  Now it’s time to discuss the third reason.

Factor #3 - Failure to generate turnovers.

If there was one thing that characterized the Steelers team last year, it was their ability to generate turnovers at just the right moment.

If we think back to Super Bowl XLIII, one of the plays that probably stands out in everyone’s mind is James Harrison’s interception that he returned for a touchdown.  It seemed like the Steelers defense was always able to come up with a key play when the team really needed it.

Do you remember Troy Polamalu’s interception against the Chargers?  How about DeShea Townsend’s interception against the Cowboys?

And let’s not forget James Harrison’s many forced fumbles.  In fact, Harrison invented a new statistic; the “strip sack”.  Last year, it seemed like  every time Harrison sacked the quarterback, he also stripped him of the ball.  The two seemed to go hand-in-hand.  Sack and strip the ball.  Sack and strip the ball.  It happened so often, I just started calling it a “strip sack”.

When you get down to it, football is a fairly simple sport, and some fairly simple principles apply.  For example, having the ball more often than your opponent gives you more chances to score, and thus a better chance of winning the game.  Therefore, turnovers can play a critical role in generating wins (or losses).  Taking the ball away from your opponent can help you win, and turning the ball over to your opponent can help you lose.

Last year, the Steelers’ turnover ratio was +4.  That means that they took the ball away from their opponent 4 more times than they lost the ball to opponents.  That was 11th best in the NFL.

This season, their turnover ratio is -5.  They have allowed opponents to take the ball away from them 5 more times than they’ve been able to take it from opponents.  That’s not a good thing.  The Steelers rank 25th in the NFL in this regard.  There are only 32 teams in the NFL, so ranking 25th isn’t good.

The key reason for the Steelers’ drop in their ability to generate turnovers has been their lack of interceptions.  Last year, the Steelers were ranked 6th in the NFL with 20 interceptions.  This year they have only 8 interceptions, and are ranked near the bottom of the NFL.  Only the  Cleveland Browns have fewer interceptions than the Steelers.

With 3 games remaining, the Steelers are on a pace to finish the season with 9 interceptions.  That’s less than half of last year’s total.  Last year, they averaged 1.25 interceptions per game.  This year they are averaging .62 interceptions per game.

Troy Polamalu is one of the Steelers’ most prolific interception generators.  He leads the team this year with 3 interceptions (which is sad, since he’s missed most of the season).  Troy also led the team in interceptions last year with 7.  So his production is greatly missed.

But the biggest failure this season has come from the team’s cornerbacks.  Ike Taylor, William Gay, Deshea Townsend, Joe Burnett, and Keenan Lewis have managed to generate a total of 0 interceptions this year.  That’s right, ZERO.  None.  Nada.  Zip.  Zilch.  They are the only group of cornerbacks in the entire NFL without an interception.

Oops, dropped another one.

Back-up linebacker Keyaron Fox has more interceptions than all of the Steelers cornerbacks combined.  That’s pathetic!

We all remember watching Joe Burnett drop an interception late in the game last week that would have assured the Steelers of a victory.  That has been the story of the Steelers’ 2009 season.  The cornerbacks have dropped too many potential interceptions.

Today’s NFL has become a pass-happy league.  Just look at the dominant teams this year.  The Colts, Saints, Vikings, and Eagles are all passing teams.  If you can’t stop passers in the NFL, you can’t win.  And unfortunately, the Steelers cornerbacks can’t seem to stop anybody.

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According to head coach Mike Tomlin, the MRI revealed that Troy Polamalu’s injury is to his posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).  This is not the same ligament that Troy injured earlier in the year.  Troy’s earlier injury was a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury.  This injury doesn’t appear to be as severe.

Troy Polamalu

Troy is said to be “questionable” at best for this Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

We all know how the Steelers defense struggled the first time Troy was out of the line-up.  Hopefully, this absence will be much shorter.

But as Mike Tomlin always says, “the standard doesn’t change”.  Looks like Tyrone Carter is going to have to step up again.   We all know that he is a seasoned veteran who is more than capable of pulling his weight when called upon.  Go Steelers!

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The Steelers’ schedule is about to get interesting.  On Sunday, they face the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.  Then after a bye week, they must face the currently undefeated Denver Broncos.

Steelers fans have been longing for a true measure of how good their team is.  They’re about to get it.

The last time the Steelers faced two undefeated teams in back-to-back games was in 2004.  The Steelers defeated the undefeated Patriots, ending their 21 game winning streak, and then defeated the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles the following week.  They were the only NFL team in history to ever achieve that feat so late in the season.

Getting a win this week won’t be easy.  The Vikings are a team that is very similar to the Steelers.  In recent years, the Vikings have been a team that primarily depended on a strong running game and strong defense to win games.  However, this year they find themselves with a suddenly potent passing attack led by a brash, gunslinger quarterback.  Sound familiar?

The Vikings’ potent running attack is led by Adrian Peterson, one of the best running backs in the NFL.  Peterson leads the NFL in rushing, and he torched the Baltimore Ravens’ defense for 143 yards last week. Peterson’s combination of size and speed will pose a daunting task for the Steelers’ defense.

After struggling in the passing game with QB Tavaris Jackson for the last several years, the Vikings’ passing attack is suddenly revived after the addition of legendary quarterback Brett Favre.

Vikings QB Brett Favre

Steelers fans know how great a season Ben Roethlisberger has been having so far.  Yet Favre has a higher passer rating and has thrown for more touchdowns than Roethlisberger.  Think about that for a moment.

The Vikings defense was the only defense in the NFL that allowed fewer rushing yards than the Steelers last year.  The Vikings’ run defense ended the 2008 season ranked #1 in the NFL, while the Steelers were ranked #2.

Are you starting to see the similarities between these two teams?

Fortunately, the Steelers are starting to come into their own.  The offense is on fire behind the arm of QB Ben Roethlisberger.  More importantly, the Steelers’ running game is finally starting to show signs of life.

Since inserting Rashard Mendenhall into the starting lineup, the Steelers’ running attack has been noticeably better.  Mendenhall seems to be more capable of getting the tough, short yardage that Willie Parker often struggled to get.

Based on Mendenhall’s performance the past 2 weeks, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has decided to name Mendenhall as the starter for the foreseeable future.  “Rashard has earned the right to take the majority of the snaps as we move forward”, said Tomlin.  This is welcome news to many Steelers fans who had been calling for Mendenhall to replace Parker in the starting lineup.

Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall

While both teams have potent offenses, the real difference in the game should be the Steelers’ defense.  The Steelers defense is among the best in the league.  They are strong against the run and the pass.  Contrarily, while the Vikings defense is stout against the run, they have proven to be vulnerable to the pass.  The Vikings are ranked #24 against the pass.  That’s not a good thing when you are about to face the NFL’s leading passer (I still can’t get used to saying that about a Steelers’ quarterback).

I predict that the Steelers will bring the Vikings winning streak to an end by a score of 24-17.

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October 2, 2009
By Donald Starver

After 2 straight losses, the Steelers will attempt to regain their winning ways this Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.  The game will begin at 8:20 PM (ET), and will be nationally televised on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

The Steelers have never lost a game to the Chargers in Pittsburgh during the regular season.  That’s right, NEVER.  The Chargers’ only win in Pittsburgh came in the 1994 AFC Championship Game.

The Chargers enter the game with a 2-1 record.  Their lone loss came in week 2, when they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 26-31.

Like the Steelers, the Chargers have been playing without one of their star players.  LaDainian Tomlinson injured his ankle in week 1, and has missed the last two games.  If Tomlinson can’t play, the Chargers will have to rely on Darren Sproles to lead their rushing attack.

Despite missing Tomlinson, the Chargers offense has been potent.  Chargers QB Philip Rivers leads the NFL with 991 passing yards through 3 games.  Rivers leads a Chargers offense that reminds some of the old  “Air Coryell” Chargers offense.

Chargers QB Philip Rivers

In his last two games, Rivers has passed for 739 yards (303 vs. Miami, and an amazing 436 versus Baltimore’s normally stout defense).  That’s the most yards by a Chargers QB in a 2-game stretch since Dan Fouts threw for 784 yards in 1985.

What makes the Chargers’ passing attack so difficult to stop is their collection of big receivers.  Wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd are both 6’5″.  Tight end Antonio Gates, another Chargers receiving threat, is 6’4″.  This is going to create match-up problems for the Steelers’ defensive backs.  Cornerback Ike Taylor is 6’2″, however CB Willie Gay is only 5’10″.  The Steelers’ safeties aren’t big either.  Safety Ryan Clark is 5’11″, and safety Tyrone Carter is 5’8″.

The Chargers’ defense is also depleted.  Linebacker Shawne Merriman did not practice on Thursday due to a groin injury.  He will be a game-time decision.

The Chargers will also be playing without massive nose tackle Jamal Williams.  The Chargers’ 350 pound lineman is out for the season with a tricep injury.  His backup, Ogemdi Nwagbuo was a member of the Chargers’ practice squad last year.  Nwagbuo is 50 lbs. lighter than Jamal Williams, and will not pose the challenge that Williams does.

As Steelers fans know, the nose tackle is the most important position on a 3-4 defense.  So playing against Nwagbuo may be just what the Steelers offense needs to get their running game in gear.

The Steelers’ running game looked much improved last week, as Willie Parker rushed for 93 yards on 25 carries.  Perhaps the running game will get a boost this week.  The team signed RB Carey Davis this week.  Davis had been released after Steelers training camp, but was still available when Frank Summers suffered a mysterious back injury (am I the only one who thinks that the only thing on Summers that is injured is his blocking ability?).

Steelers RB Carey Davis

The Steelers passing game should also be improved, as wide receiver Shaun McDonald will probably replace Limas Sweed on the active list for the game.  After dropping a sure touchdown pass in last week’s game, Sweed has been dropped to the bottom of the Steelers’ WR depth chart.

As much as I’d like to predict a big win by the Steelers, we know that the Steelers never seem to win by a big margin.  Instead, they like to keep their fans on the verge of cardiac arrest until the final seconds of the game.  With that in mind, I predict the Steelers will win a close game by a score of 21-17.

Note:  To check out our Steelers vs. Chargers key match-ups, please click here.

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September 14, 2009

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said today that he won’t need surgery.

Steeler Nation watched anxiously on Thursday as star safety Troy Polamalu went down with an injury in the game against the Tennessee Titans.  Polamalu was attempting to pick up a loose ball following a blocked field goal when Titans tight end Alge Crumpler fell on him.  Polamalu’s knee bent in an unnatural way, and his legs actually did a split. 

Some said that Polamalu had been hit by the Madden Curse.  The Madden Curse got its name because players that appear on the cover of the Madden NFL video game have a history of getting injured.  Polamalu and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald are on the cover of this year’s game.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoqBeQ-KYyU

At the time of the injury, the Steelers announced that Polamalu had sprained the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left leg.  Head coach Mike Tomlin guessed that it would take 3-6 weeks to recovery from the injury.  However, this was only an estimate based on how long it’s taken other players with similar injuries to recover.

Now that the Steelers’ medical staff has had an opportunity to evaluate Polamalu thoroughly, they agree with the original assessment.  Polamalu will be out 3-6 weeks, and will not require surgery.

“Regarding an injury to the knee this is the best-case scenario,” Polamalu said as he addressed the media in the Steelers’ locker room this afternoon.

Troy Polamalu

Polamalu wore a brace on the knee.  However, he indicated that the only rehabilitation that he will go through at this time is “just rest”.

Not only is this a best case scenario for Polamalu, but it is also a best case scenario for Steelers fans.  Many of us feared that Polamalu might require surgery and be lost for the season.  After watching the first quarter of the game against the Titans, it was obvious why Polamalu is so important to the defense.  Did anyone other than Polamalu even make a tackle in that quarter?  It certainly didn’t seem like it.  Troy was everywhere, making tackles and one-handed interceptions.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqj9j4jne8Y

We are certainly happy to hear the positive report about Polamalu.  In fact, I think that all of Steeler Nation is thinking the exact same thought right now; “Thank you, God”.

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