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Whiskey, Winning, and Whining

2009-11-22T15:20:00.001-08:00

It has been far too long since I have written about the Black & Gold. Time has been my enemy with the responsibilities of parenting, a hectic schedule, and a struggling personal economy. Still, my troubles are nothing like the troubles the Steelers have been having. I plan each week to write about the game, but then something happens and I end up drowning my sorrows and my liver in a pool of whiskey. The Steelers faithful and I will moan and complain, cursing individual players from Jeff Reed to Ty Carter to Max Starks. This was not supposed to be how the season should have been playing out.

Inexplicably we are 1-2 in the division and the Bungles, of all teams, are 5-0. With today's loss to Kansas City, all bets are off. This feels like the type of year that the Browns could grab a win and that would be an utter failure on all levels. It boggles the mind. There is no reason this team should not be dominating the division or even the NFL given the schedule this year compared to last year's. It isn't even the fault of one particular player or group of players, special teams blunders notwithstanding.

Ben Roethlisberger has been doing an amazing job. He looked like Ronnie Bass from Remember the Titans, seemingly intangible until the fourth quarter when the weight of four Chiefs defenders finally brought him to the turf. Was it a certain win if Ben had not been hurt? No, but I liked our chances. I still liked them with Batch under center until the quick pitch that ended the game, at least in my heart.

Last week Farrior said that defensive veterans will start playing special teams if they don't start making plays. It was a scolding delivered by the nightly news to the players who allowed another runback for points today. They need to do something drastic. I would even like to see Sepulveda on the kickoffs just because of his tackling ability. Jeff Reed said there was only one missed opportunity for a tackle and that is obviously ridiculous. Although there are 10 other players who need to shoulder the blame.

One player that has long drawn my ire, showed just the kind of hustle that is so sorely lacking on the special teams unit. Had we won the game it would have been in no small part because Mendenhall kept Studebaker from running into the endzone, and that allowed the defense to hold them to only three, sending the game into overtime. Mendenhall is also making an excellent showing this season, allowing us the hope that he will be as good as they thought he would be. It's the hustle of a winner.

Lastly, there is the absence of Troy. It is amazing that one player can make such a difference on the field. When he was first injured my heart was in my throat and I lamented for my favorite player, especially watching his pained expressions during the Bears and first Bengals games. Yet now, I am a little pissed at him. It seems ludicrous to be angry at him for playing without regard to his own well-being, fueled by an even more intense desire to win. However, important as he is to the team, perhaps he needs to tone it down. Or am I just lashing out at the ones I love? Perhaps it's just the whiskey talking.

Who is the best QB of all time?

2009-11-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

WHICH QUARTERBACK TO BACK?
Who is the best QB of all time?
By Brad Davis

The best quarterback of all time? In America, there’s no greater sports debate. If Baseball is America’s pastime, then football is its present and future. Football is so great it makes everyone forget that they have to go to work on Monday. It’s basically a religion, or at least in my house growing up it was. And nobody in the sport is more important than the starting quarterback. Teams give guys 40 million dollars in guaranteed money before they even take an NFL snap because he has a possibility of being one of the greats. That’s how important having a great one is.

Even my beloved Steelers couldn’t win Bill Cowher or Jerome Bettis a Super Bowl until they got rid of the Neil O’Donnell’s and the Kordell Stewart’s. They had one of the best defenses and running games year in and year out, but not until they landed their franchise quarterback, did they win it all. And they did it twice. I’m not saying Big Ben’s the best. He’s not. It’s too early, his team is too good, and his coaches have been too good. I would love to make the argument for Terry Bradshaw, who is one of two quarterbacks to win four Super Bowls, but it’s the same problem. Bradshaw had the Steel Curtain defense, two Hall of Fame wide-receivers, a Hall of Fame running back, and his regular season statistics were never anything to write home about. He only had two 3,000 yard seasons and twice threw for over 25 touchdowns in a season. He even got booed his first few seasons in Pittsburgh. Bradshaw was clutch, which there’s something to be said for, but not enough to be the best.

After that, there are no more Steelers possibilities. I’ll wait for the Tommy Maddox chant to die down. Okay. So I move on to my Alma Mater, The University of Pittsburgh and the great Dan Marino: The man who never had anybody. No running game, no great defenses, and a couple of good receivers, but not nearly enough. I’d love to give it to the Pittsburgh boy, but he never won a Super Bowl. How can you be the best when you’ve never achieved the best? So I go down the list of other Pittsburgh boys. Jim Kelly? 4 Super Bowl APPEARANCES, no victories. Joe Namath predicted one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history and then delivered on it. His drunken attempt to make out with Suzy Kolber was classic, and I can’t blame him for the effort. I can blame him for throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in his career. Sorry Broadway Joe.

Sticking in the Burgh, we got our first legitimate candidate in Johnny Unitas. He revolutionized the quarterback position. He was the first to ever throw for over 40,000 yards and they only played 12 or 14 game seasons, as opposed to 16 today. It’s hard to do a perfect comparison because of that same reason. He won three championships, two before the game was even called the Super Bowl. And he holds the record to this day for most consecutive game with a touchdown pass at 47. Yes, 47. There’s no denying he belongs in this discussion, it’s just hard to determine exactly where. Near the top for sure.

If we want to stay a little more contemporary, we can move to John Elway. Before Big Ben’s drive this past Super Bowl, Elway was known for having the best one. His career numbers definitely qualify and he won the Super Bowl twice. But both times was when he had Terrell Davis in his prime, which was exactly those two years. Davis rushed for 1,700 yards and over 2,000 yards in those two seasons. That’s pretty significant considering Elway couldn’t win it without it. If we are in the Marino/Elway Era, we might as well talk about Brett Favre, because that’s all anyone else does. As a huge Favre fan, let me preface this by saying his bit the last few years has tainted my love for him to a certain extent. I will say he’s doing great things in Minnesota this year and if he continues to play at this level, this could change the entire discussion, especially if he gets another ring. There’s no denying all of the passing records including most passing yards and touchdown passes ever, and his consecutive games started streak speaks for itself. However, he also holds the record for the most interceptions ever thrown. Only one Super Bowl and his, let’s call it erratic, behavior off and sometimes on the field, keeps him off the top for now, but not by much.

The case for Favre could change if Peyton Manning ends up breaking all of those records, which he could. Everyone thought he’d me a modern day Marino, until he won the big one. He already has 3 League MVP’s, tied for most all time with Unitas, but only one Super Bowl. Peyton may get in the discussion if he wins one or two more, but isn’t quite in the mix, yet. To be honest, and as much as it pains me to say this, Tom Brady is. I’ve watched Brady torch the Steelers over the years, almost single handedly. He had the record-breaking season two years ago, with the help of Randy Moss, but no Super Bowl. He did win three before that with an unknown supporting cast. Yes, they had a good defense, but not the best. Many people want to credit Bill Belichick as being a genius and the big reason behind their success, but coaches can only call the plays, not make the throws. Before Brady, Belichick coached six full seasons and only had a winning season once. If Brady wins a fourth super bowl, this discussion could be over.

If he does win the fourth that would probably leap him over the guy whose number one right now, Joe Montana. I’m not saying that’s definitely the correct answer, but he’s the one you can make the easiest case for. He’s the only other quarterback to win four Super Bowls, along with Bradshaw. He had Jerry Rice, arguably the best receiver ever, but nothing compared to the support cast Bradshaw had. He was consistent and never made mistakes. And “The Throw” is an iconic play that is about as clutch as it gets. Montana’s got the complete resume and he’s ANOTHER Pittsburgh guy. I got to admit, I kind of love it.

In this debate, the biggest factor is Super Bowl victories. Career numbers are key, as well, but you have to look at the ones who were champions the most. That’s what it’s all about. Ask any player. They’ll tell you MVP’s and even the Hall of Fame are great, but both take a back seat to winning it all and holding that Lombardi Trophy above your head. I’m sure Marino would agree.

How Much Longer Can Big Ben Stand?

2009-10-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

It's a strange question to ask. Since Ben Roethlisberger took over as the starting quarterback from Tommy Maddox in 2004, the Steelers have averaged 11 regular season wins per year, and have won 2 Super-Bowl titles. This season they are two uncharacteristically sloppy 4th quarters away from a perfect 7-0 start heading into their bye week. At age 27 and just entering what should be his prime, Roethlisberger already has a career QB rating of 90.9 (8th all time). This season he is 2nd in passing yards (2062), 2nd in completion percentage (70.4), and 5th in QB ratings (102.6). No reason for Steelers fans to think that Ben can't last for at least another 8-10 years right? Right?

But perhaps the most fascinating number to statistically associated with Ben Roethlisberger is 212, for that is the number of times over the course of his career that he has been sacked. A staggering number, made all the more alarming when you consider that in the last 3.5 seasons alone that number is 159. To put this in better perspective consider the sack totals of Steve Young from 1991 to 1999 as the starter for the 49ers, and compare them with Roethlisberger's career to date.

	SACKS	GAMES	AVERAGE
Steve Young	254	115	2.21
Roethlisberger	212	79	2.68

For those of you who remember, Young suffered from post-concussion syndrome and was forced to retire. Some say that Young brought this upon himself with his penchant for scrambling outside of the pocket. Others choose to blame an offensive line that was practically beat before Young could finish saying “hike”. Extrapolate the above table over the course of a 16 game season and you have nearly an 8 sack difference between the two. The numbers becomes even more pronounced when you remember that Young played in an offense (West Coast) which emphasized the passing game much more than the Steelers traditional run based offense. Consider also that in the above time-frame, Young attempted 3324 passes, divide that by the aforementioned sack totals and you have a ratio of 1 sack for every 13.1 passes attempted. Roethlisberger by comparison has attempted 2138 passes in his career for an average of 1 sack for every 10.1 passes. In the brutal AFC North those extra hits take on extra levels of hurt when delivered by the likes of Ray Lewis or Terrell Suggs.

Though at 6’5”and roughly 250 pounds maybe it doesn’t matter how much Big Ben gets hit. Maybe 8 years from now he’ll still be leading the Steelers to the playoffs, and possibly to more Super Bowls. Still all the while knocking heads with the meanest, ugliest Linebackers and Defensive Ends the league has to offer. But maybe, just maybe, Steelers fans should prepare for the possibility of an end that will come sooner than expected.

Domination is Only Interesting to Some People.

2009-10-06T10:39:00.001-07:00

There is a conspiracy afoot. Let me preface this by saying that I have no faith in any type of conspiracy theory. CIA kills Kennedy, White House brings down the Towers, and America is the land of the free. All nonsense from people too dumb or scared to actually think and reason and figure out why that despite all evidence to the contrary things are screwed. Until now.

Picture this: Reigning Super-Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers play a team with a completely fabricated rivalry, the San Diego Chargers, due to Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers, alumnus of the same draft class. However, with the remarkable arrival of a professional-caliber Rashard Mendenhall and an amazing performance by the offensive life, by halftime the game was practically over. The Steelers had their number and this is when all the weirdness begins.

The Steelers had possession of the ball for two-thirds of the first half. Troy Polamalu sat on the sidelines the entire game, but his absence was only lamented after this first half; the defense had allowed only five first downs and no points up to the first half of the third quarter. Then all hell broke loose. Coming up with plays seemingly designed by drunken pirates, the sea-faring variety and not the ne'er-do-well Pittsburgh team, San Diego marched up the field and had the entirety of Steelers nation on the edges of their seats and abusing whatever it was they chose to abuse during the game, food, drink, or drug.

How could this happen? We have Dick Freakin' LeBeau and James Damn Harrison and all of the other defensive juggernauts that until they began to accept not giving up a big play over the desire to make one had owned the field. This would be concerning. One of the reasons the Steelers are never looked at with the proper awe and respect of the Patriots manned by Brady or any of the Mannings' teams, is because of our inability to dominate a game and walk away winning a contest 50-2.

I imagine that it went something like this:

NBC CORPORATE GREEDHEAD: Some game huh?

STEELERS ORGANIZATION CHUMP: We are killing them! Collingsworth said we were kicking their stinking butts! And he hates us!

NBC GREEDHEAD: Right. About that. See our numbers dipped during some commercials and halftime there.

STEELERS CHUMP: Oh yeah. People were probably checking out those slutty housewives or something, I always said we should have cheerleaders.

NBC GREEDHEAD: Yeah. See, we're gonna need to make this game more interesting. How about two special teams boners and one uncontested rush up the field. Oh and if Ben could make that "how is this happening to me?" face we'd love that. It tests well.

STEELERS CHUMP: Uhh…I mean…C'mon, really? You said that having Reed throw the Bears game was the LAST time. I mean we both had money on the Bengals, but this is just getting out of hand.

NBC GREEDHEAD: Do what you have to do. Or Coach Tomlin might get a lucrative offer for his own variety sports show before the new Jay Leno show.

STEELERS CHUMP: You wouldn't!

NBC GREEDHEAD: I have the theme song ready to be released as a ringtone. DARE ME TO!

Or something like that. It has to be a conspiracy of some sort to generate high viewership for these big national stage games. The Steelers love to put on a good show and who in Pittsburgh isn't willing to "play a little ball?" It would be much more disturbing if despite all of our achievements in the realm of defense we are simply programmed to fall apart in the fourth quarter. It's why Troy is special, not because of his superhuman ability to be wherever the ball is heading, but because he plays every down as if the Superbowl is on the line. Something foul is afoot in the depths of the Steelers locker room and I will be assuredly investigating this further.

My relentless pursuit of this conspiracy has everything to do with a commitment to good journalism and has nothing to do with the fact that I am eating some crow about Mendenhall right now. He had a very impressive showing and if he continues to perform that way with the high level of blocking provided by the O-Line, he may just become the Bettis replacement we have been looking for as a club and as a fanbase. I worry most about Willie Parker who, if Mendenhall does become the back to do it all, may be facing that long walk to the glue factory, forgotten as the undrafted record-breaker and person who helped us let Jerome go.

Steelers Bungle the Bengals.

2009-09-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

By Joshua M. Patton

The blurry vision from my whiskey-drunk is slowly starting to dissipate. Two days of drunken debauchery and petty larceny are behind me and if I had to blame anyone specifically it would be Tyrone Carter. I sat through the pre-season with nothing but high hopes for the Steelers’ performance this year and I even postulated that without any major injuries that we would dominate the NFL like Mike Tyson on Robin Givens. I stand by that, since we lost Troy Polamalu, but I was surprised to learn that he made up our entire professional secondary.

Traditional Steelers’ fans across the country are surely going through the same thing I am at this moment, we are an unforgiving fan base. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the radio sports jockeys begin predicting us to go 6 and 10. This type of basless, fair-weather fandom is unfair to the still-reigning champs, but at the same time, I understand where it is coming from.

No one expected this to happen. Even Mike Tomlin seemed at a loss when he told reporters after the game that they had to go back “to the lab” and work up a winning formula. Dick LeBeau, I’m assuming, was unavailable for comment because his head had exploded. There is something missing from the team that allowed the Bears and now the Bungles to thoroughly embarrass us on a national stage.

Anyone who has watched football, played a game of Madden, or has eyes that were pointed at the TV on Sunday can see that we have a serious problem in our secondary. Our D-Line made some mistakes, but it seemed that they were trying to spread themselves around the field more than they should. Yet, Palmer was able to throw pass after pass with impunity and our formerly number one defense seemed, well, defenseless.

However, while defense can win games, so can a really good offense. The receiver corps has made few errors, but the ones they have made were substantial. The O-line, while looking a bit more disciplined, still leaves a little to be desired when it comes to allowing Ben the time he needs to allow the plays to develop. Yet, this is hardly even a problem. No, the real trouble lies in the fact that our running game is inconsistent at best.

Willie Parker had his best game so far this year, nearly breaking 100 yards rushing. As unrealistic as it sounds, Parker has always needed time to “warm up,” before he can really contribute. He has more than doubled his total yards rushing with each game. If he continues to improve, it will be easier for the offense to move the ball around on the field. Yet, we still seem to lack that back that can drive into the endzone, (dare I say it?) like a Bus. I still hold onto the idea that if we had Redman on the roster, the score to this game and the last would have looked much different. Next week’s game against the Chargers will be tough, but with the chilly weather and playing in the heart of Steelers Nation there is hope that Troy will not be making that pained face on the sidelines next week. Res Ipsa Loquitor.

A Weak Start to A Strong Season

2009-09-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

by Joshua M. Patton

Author's note: This should have been posted on Tuesday. Readers, I owe yinz a beer.

Pittsburgh looked good on Thursday night. There was an incredible concert, beautiful shots of the city on national television, and the season and home opener at Heinz field. There was a fireworks display capping off the national anthem. It couldn’t have been better, until we took the field.

Yes, we won the game. Yes, the “yinzers” in my favorite bar exclaimed at the end of regulation, “I KNEW THEY WERE GONNA DO ‘ISS! I gotta work in the mornin’. ‘Nother Ahrn City, please….” The Titans and the Steelers proved to be very evenly matched, but as is typical when the Steelers struggle, the Titans seemed to merely capitalize on windows of opportunity left open by the Steelers. Again, with the victory in overtime, all complaints about their performance are merely academic and as Steelermix.com’s own Ken Torgent put it, and I’m paraphrasing, Ben is as good as he needs to be when the team needs it.

The first half of the game was all about defense. The Steelers defense was effective in stopping all but the last of the Titan’s drives, including an amazing blocked field goal by Aaron Smith. However, it was Troy Polamalu who was involved in more plays in the first half than he was not. A penalty that stemmed from his aggressive style of play was the only reason that the Titans even made it far enough to attempt a field goal. Yet, Polamalu left the field with what is being reported as a torn MCL, but he will not require surgery. His presence was immediately missed when the Titans were able to take the ball right down the field to tie the game.

The offensive performance of the Steelers was lackluster at best. The offensive line, as is typical since the loss of Alan Faneca, left much to be desired. Ben made some deft and expert moves behind the line of scrimmage and avoided the rush as much as he could. Ben held on to the ball far too long at times, but towards the end of the game even this improved with a few key throw-aways at the end of the game. The most obvious omission was the lack of any sort of effective running game. Willie Parker should have played more during the preseason. Always a slow starter, it could be a few more weeks before he is adequately “warmed up,” if it is even going to happen at all. Mendenhall gave a lackluster performance as well; I imagined Issac Redman at home during the game and staring at the phone ever since.

As the season begins, hope still runs high throughout the city that the black and gold will dominate this NFL season and the potential for that still remains. The Titans are no easy opponent and, as a fan, I am glad that it was as close as it was for the Steelers. It will allow for the veteran players and coaching staff to make the necessary adjustments early. They will be forced to defend without Troy for about six weeks; the offensive line and the running game need attention; and Ben seems to grow more confident in his role each game. As my friend with the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates logos all tattooed on his forearm said, “We never really start winning until we’re losing anyway.” True indeed.

From Tennessee to Chicago Week 1 Alls Well That ends well for the Steelers

2009-09-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

The season opener for the Steelers sure had it share of highs and lows. But in the end the world champs prevailed in spite of the team’s mistakes and shortcomings. The Steelers came up against the Tennessee titans a team that had defeated them solidly late in the season last year. I love the fans and national writers who were predicting a 10 pt plus blow out in favor of the Steelers. I never thought this was going to be anything but a close game. Whenever the Steelers have played Tennessee team with Jeff Fisher as coach the Steelers have rarely blown them out. So with that being said I thought it would be a close game.
First the officiating was terrible and inconsistent. I have to believe that the Mike Tomlin had a few questions about the inconsistent application of the holding rule. The referees called holding on Max Starks for falling on top of a guy. Then Roos the tackle for the Titans wraps his arm around James Harrisons neck how is that not a holding call!

Mean while the vistors defense destroyed the steelers run game. And when the champs went to the passing game the titans pressuered and sacked big ben multiple times. It wasn’t until the Steelers went to the no huddle offense and short passing game that the titans could not substitute on defense. That ben and the passing game began to have success. As the game progressed the pass rushers for the flaming thumbtacks could no longer generate any pass rush.
With a total lack of a running game you wonder if the Steelers are now a pass first team. You know the Patriots won a lot of games with this game plan. Hey big Ben is your best player on offense right now why not put the ball in his hands and let him win you some games.
Heinz ward has taken a lot of heat this week from talk show host Mark Madden for being selfish in the final minute of the game. For a veteran to fumble the ball in that situation is inexcusable. But I don’t believe Hines was being selfish. He saw the endzone and just thought about scoring. And how can you fault A guy for trying to score. Although i will say Hines Ward was not using his head in that situation. Tennessee would rather him score and leave time on the clock for their offense to respond. He was already at the 15yard line. Jeff Reed was not going to miss that easy of a field goal.
The bottom line is the Steelers drove the field again in overtime and big Ben proved why he is the best clutch Quarterback in the league. All that matters is wins and loses. Ask Tom Brady if he cares that he played a sub par game on Monday night no all that matters is winning and losing.
As for the evening the city looked incredible in what was a great showcase for the city on national T.V. This game was the highest rated show since the super bowl last February. So tell me again why the Steelers don’t seem to get more hype from the N.F.L.. This is much better showcase for Pittsburgh than the G-20 Summit coming to town later this month.

On to the windy city QB Jay Cutler looked terrible against the packers. I thought the rule at quarterback was to not throw late and over the middle. Cutler did that at least 6 times on Sunday. He literally threw to the packers DBs three times in a row on the one drive. Finally the defense of green bay got one of those. Cutler has to play better this week if Chicago has any hope of fulfilling the preseason predictions of peter king and making the Super Bowl.
On defense the bears lost their talented linebacker Brian Urlacher for the season. For the Steelers they lost Troy Polamulu for a month or so. For this game it’s a even lost for both defensive teams. But once again this hits Chicago harder especially if their offenses can’t pickup the slack and score some points. The Steelers meanwhile just have to survive some games until they get troy back.

The Steelers coming through this week with another close win. Tyrone carter has a career day getting three picks as Jay cutler keeps proving Josh McDaniels right. On offense Big ben keeps going throwing a couple more Touchdowns and the black n gold win another close game 17-13. That’s a stone cold lock you can bet the house on!

What an Evil coach may look like.

Rob Carter.

Steelers Nation Euphoria

2009-09-08T10:14:00.001-07:00

With the Steelers' roster in order, I find out what the fans are thinking.

By Joshua M. Patton

The last game of the pre-season is many things to many fans. Some love it because it is the last chance for the newer players to really make a name for themselves on the field as many players fight to prove their worthiness. I decided to view the game from The Hop House, one of the few bar-restaurants that still allow their patrons to smoke, to experience the game from a myriad of viewpoints. Stefan Logan’s brilliant punt-return for six points set the enthusiasm level high. Shots were passed around in celebration of the touchdown and even the casual fan seemed to want to soak up every second of Steelers football. Pre-season in Pittsburgh is usually a rough time because we have typically had glaring problems, but this year the main problem is an overabundance of talent.

“Redman is the running back we wanted Mendenhall to be!” said a forty-ish man in a Steelers bandanna.

“That Logan kid can do anything!” cheered an older man, mouth full of pasta.

The Steelers Nation is pleased. Ben played only one series and it was a poor showing, but this game is not about him. What makes this final game of the pre-season exciting is the hunger and passion, or lack thereof, we see in those attempting to survive the roster cuts. Yet, the majority of fans in the bar became less interested in the game and more interested in getting drunk. It is a good time to be a Steelers fan. There seems to be absolutely nothing to worry about, and that is what frightens me.

Perhaps I am just being paranoid and there really are no concerns outside of untimely injuries, but nonetheless I worry. For example, our performance in the red zone has always left a little to be desired, especially in regards to the run. Isaac Redman delivered in the red zone and led the pre-season with 145 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Yet, he was relegated to the practice squad in an effort to make room for Logan. It is a shame that Mendenhall is on the roster and Redman is not, given that Mendenhall did not break 100 yards rushing, his longest run was only 13 yards, and he averaged only 3.1 yards per carry. Luckily, Redman cleared waivers and was signed to the practice squad. I imagine we will see him during the regular season should injuries provide room for him on the roster.

The talk of the fans quickly shifted from the game at hand, to the season-opener a week away and the season as a whole. Kelly, a college student and avid Steelers fan, explained her excitement, “I simply feel that we are going to have a year like New England has in the past. I am not saying we will be ‘undefeated,’ but I am certain that our playoff position will be locked up as early as possible.” Her attitude was similar to the other fans that I questioned; no one feels that is any kind of jinx to suggest the possibility of a repeat Super-Bowl appearance and the emergence of a new Steelers Dynasty.

The attitude of this city is visibly affected by the success of one of our professional athletic teams. Yet the Penguins and our way-station for players of a baseball team, nothing can truly affect the mood of this town like the Steelers. It’s only Mike Tomlin’s third season and already the people of Pittsburgh hope he stays the head coach for a long time, unlike Bill Cowher who retired just when he got started. Young as he is, it is a realistic expectation that Mike Tomlin’s stewardship of the team will more closely resemble Chuck Noll’s than Bill Cowher’s and never has that promise seemed more realistic than right now. Reality will intrude soon enough. For now Pittsburgh, let’s just sit back and enjoy this feeling.

labor day rerun Season preview

2009-09-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Since its labor day and I dont feel like laboring today. I'm going to repost my season preview from March of this year. Enjoy this rerun its got to be better than the jerry lewis telethon. one note since my last post the steelers had their first major injury of the season. Darnell stapelton went on I.R.. this makes Trai Essexs as the starting Gurad for the season. Its not ideal to break up last years line. But its not like last years line was the greatest offensive line in the history of football. So if Essexs can just play okay the steelers should at least be as good as last year on the line. Check back next monday for my reaction to the steelers opening game.
Rob Carter

Previewing the steelers chances in the afterglow of the superbowl.

As we all bask in the afterglow of the Santonio Holmes catch and subsequent Steelers 6th super bowl win. Its hard to think about next year but leave it to me To throw water on Steelers fans victory lap and think about next season. So maybe the best way to make a prediction for next year is to compare this off season to the off season the Steelers had after Superbowl 40.

After Superbowl 40 the Steelers lost their 3rd wide receiver and a member of their defensive backfield. Sound familiar, it should, this season Bryant McFadden and Nate Washington but while I think Ryan Clark was a great replacement for Chris Hope. Don’t think anyone is thinking that Nate Washington was as good as Antwaan Randall el. As for Bryant McFadden it seems as the new coaching staff is not as high on him as Cowher was. And with the ready made replacement William Gay waiting on the bench the Steelers management did not see resigning McFadden as a priority. As long as big Ben stays out of any traffic accidents, personal wise the Steelers are in better shape now than they were after their fifth Superbowl.

What kind of competition will the black and gold face. Well the biggest roster move made in the NFL this off season will be by the patriots just by having Tom Brady get healthy and being able to play this year. In our own division Baltimore lost some key members of their defense who left with defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to play for the jets. But Baltimore should have a better offense this year as Joe Flacco continues his development. The Indy colts are an interesting team very young on defense while having veterans on offense. If the Houston Texans can ever play the whole season the way they do in December they could make themselves a playoff contender. As usual the biggest threats in the A.F.C. to the Steelers should be the Patriots and the Colts.

Coach Tomlin is a much younger coach than Cowher was when he won his championship. While Cowher viewed his win as a validation of a very successful coaching career like a lifetime achievement award. Which may have been a reason for the backsliding to an 8-8 record the next year. Tomlin views his championship much differently. He has just begun his coaching career and is still looking to solidify his legacy not just as a good coach but as a great coach in the NFL.

In this very early analysis, from the personnel to a much easier schedule this upcoming season. It looks like the Steelers are in much better position this off season to repeat than they were after the last championship win.

Rob Carter

The Steelers Wind Down The Pre-Season, Defeat Bills In a Shutout.

2009-09-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

By Joshua M. Patton

As the pre-season comes to a close, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a much better place than when they defended the title in the waning months of 2006. Ben Roethlisberger is no fluke and it shows in the small details of his behavior on the field. This was evidenced most specifically when Ben, perhaps taking a page from hockey, attempted to draw Buffalo off-sides at the end of second quarter. However, it is not just Roethlisberger’s skill that drives this offense. Hines Ward and Heath Miller have proven again to be dependable targets for Ben when he finds himself in trouble. Limas Sweed, however, is exponentially better than he was at the close of last season. He has come a long way from the night he dropped a perfect pass with no coverage as if he had never seen a football before and perhaps thought it was some strange animal. All right, maybe I have been too hard on him; he has proven to be exactly what Ben was looking for when he was wishing for a tall receiver. The other rookie that has performed below expectation up this point is Rashard Mendenhall. Before his injury last year, I had been underwhelmed by our first-round pick and fumbling the ball seemed to be his main problem. Against the Bills, he had a very impressive showing, save for one fumble that could have changed the entire scope of the game had it happened while facing a more capable team. It is easy to dismiss the importance of this mistake because our defense is stronger, meaner, and more difficult to manage than ever before. The defense is a well-oiled machine with Dick LeBeau madly pulling levers and driving up the liquor bills of offensive coaches across the league. Any problems we may face, as per usual with the Steelers, lie with the offense.

The Offensive Line has faced a lot of scrutiny and despite the many criticisms thrown their way, it could be argued successfully that they are as good enough as they need to be. Yet, Max Starks hurt Ben Roethlisberger and was more responsible for a sack on Saturday than not. Chris Kemoeatu was as much to blame for the first quarter fumble as Mendenhall. Also there have been a seemingly excessive number of penalties, specifically false starts coming from the line. In the red zone, the line still struggles, especially during the running plays. Mendenhall was able to run for a touchdown, but the Bills’ defense seemed to wear down considering they were on the field much more than the Bills’ offense. Overall, though, I have to say that the overall performance of the offense was outstanding. Despite these are small adjustments to an already efficient group. There remains room for improvement and it is not impossible that more serious problems may develop.

Daniel Sepulveda is in top form and his ability will give the Steelers an edge in the special teams’ side of things that they did not have last season. Also, there is some much needed skill in the return position coming from number 41 Stefan Logan. We have not had someone with his ability on the team since Antwaan Randle El. On the other side of special teams, I noticed that the Steelers are doing a much better job of quickly closing in on the return man for the opposing team. They are disciplined and excellence in this area gives the Steelers the chance to dominate games much in the way that the Patriots have when Tom Brady is healthy and on point. The second half was only remarkable because of the showcased abilities of Charlie Batch. He is quite possibly the most poised and knowledgeable back-up quarterbacks in the game. To say that he manages the game is an understatement. He is hungry and keeps his offense aggressive, but at the same time he is able to burn precious seconds off the clock. There were no specific players of note in the second half. Vincent had an impressive run and Desmond Sherrod proved to be his own worst enemy when he tripped and downed himself. Rookie Joe Burnett showed almost superhuman athletic prowess and successfully blocked a field goal to preserve the shut-out. With no apparent problems and an overflow of talent, the Steelers and Mike Tomlin seem to be in an enviable position. Yet no matter how good the Steelers are, they always somehow find a way to be the underdogs and they operate well from that position. The true test of this season is if the Steelers are going to be able to be comfortable from a position of dominance instead of falling into a hole and clawing their way back to the top.

Answers to all your questions plus i know what you did this summer

2009-08-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a long summer and thankfully preseason is almost over. No one important got hurt seriously. My apologies to Dennis Dixon! So after totally being bored by camp and all the preseason football, the mind does start to wander. So here is the answers to all of the questions that I know were bothering you or mainly me during this summer.

West Coast Football
The cardinals went 9-7 in the regular season while San Diego went 8-8, and yet both won their respective divisions and made the playoffs. Lets just say that U.S.C. was probably the best football team west of the Mississippi last year.

Mascots and Cheerleaders
The browns have four mascots and they are cb, td, chomps and trapper. Apparently they are supposed to be dogs. But the one I saw is a drawing of is cb and he looks more like a deranged fighting Irish mascot than a dog. Hey I'm not from Cleveland so what do i know. Here is a pic of cb the ugly mascot for your enjoyment.

Who needs a mascot anyway the Jets, raiders, packers, giants and Rams don't have them. So yes somebody at the Steelers organization not the N.F.L. thought it was a good idea to come up with steeley mcbeam in all his glory. Who isn't running out to pick up their very own Steeley Mcbeam plush toy. That would be the scariest doll since chucky and sure to give kids nightmares.

As for cheerleaders there was a show on the NFL network in 1996 ,it rerun this summer, and the show was called the N.F.L. Cheerleader playoffs. It was hosted by Matt Galant the direct tv info guy. The judges for the dance contest were, choreographer Chris Judd, actress model bonnie Jill-Lafflin and wait for it Chad ochcinco Johnson whatever his name is this year. I'm really jealous of Matt gallant that had to be the easiest gig ever. Part of this show was a trivia competition. Watching the Tampa bay cheerleaders get such difficult questions wrong as who are the teams of the N.F.C. South was pretty funny T.V.

There are 7 teams that don't have cheerleaders first the teams that have never had cheerleaders are Cleveland, Detroit and the New York Giants. Secondly Chicago, Green Bay, Pittsburgh and the Jets currently don't have cheerleaders but have had them in the past.

Hall of Fame Stuff

Rod Woodson made the NFL hall of fame this year after his 5 year waiting period. He is by far one of the greatest defensive backs to ever play the game. His 71 interceptions rank him in the top five all time and 12 interceptions returned for a touchdown are the most ever by a defensive back. In my opinion he was better than Deion Sanders. Woodson had more interceptions and played at pro bowl level longer than prime time did. When i have argued this with people. I always get well Deion didn't have many interceptions Because teams stop throwing to his side of field. So stats don't matter when it comes to former espn analysts and Dallas Cowboy players. But when you bring up lynn swann or the possibility of Heinz Ward making the hall of fame all the sudden stats matter again. Got love sports debates sometimes.

Finally Dick Lebeau Gets a nomination for the hall of fame why he is not in the hall already as a player i don't know. I guess 62 career interceptions weren't good enough. He has 8 more career interceptions than Deion Sanders but hey i digress. Also i guess redefining the 3-4 defense and inventing the zone blitz wasn't enough either. Hey it took the hall a long time But it looks like they are going to get it right after all.

Jerome Bettis should be eligible next year for the hall of fame i wonder if all you hear from the Steeler haters is how he shouldn't be in the hall. because there are already to many Steelers in the Hall of Fame. Of course you never hear this complaint about the Dallas cowboys and their 11 players in the Hall.

All time Steeler-killer

A sad development this summer was the death of Steve McNair. Personally the former QB had some issues. But like my dad told me "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones or take showers" So i will restrict my comments to his on field play. Steve McNair was the toughest QB I have ever seen in the pros. No matter how hard the Steelers hit him he would just get up and complete another big pass to Frank Wycheck. His Play on the field earned the respect of this Steeler fan for just his sheer heart and will to win. It was too bad Air McNair only got to play in one Super Bowl.

Getting Paid in the N.f.l.

How much do practice squad or players that get cut in training camp get Paid???

I think nothing if a player gets cut Before the start of the season. The reason is there are no guaranteed contracts in the N.F.L. But the practice squad guys get 1/16 of the league minimum for every game they are on the active roster for. Also if you are on a teams practice squad. and another N.f.L. team picks you up and puts you on their roster. Then the player will get paid for that week. unfortunatley if a player gets hurt they dont get anything. In that case it sucks to be Isaac Redman who appeared to get hurt on the last play of the preseason game against Buffalo.

Key West North

I summered with the rest of the Carter family in Nags Head NC. Its the most relaxing vacation one can take with out going to Key West. You could call it Key West North. During my vacation Hurricane Bill made a cameo appearance late in the week. No problem though all the storm did was make 6 to 12 foot waves in the ocean which are great for surfing and boogie boarding. The weather was great and the outer banks saw only a 1/2 hour of rain the whole week! You cant beat that weather.

That satisfies my curiosity I cant wait for September 10Th and those towel stomping titans. Bring on the start of the regular season!!!

Rob Carter

Things i hate about the N.F.L.

2009-08-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

Things I hate about the N.f.l.

Ugly Kid Joe - Everything About You

I hate the rain and sunny weatherAnd I hate beach and mountains tooI don't like a thing about the city, no, noAnd I hate the countryside tooAnd I hate everything about youEverything about you
And I get sick when I'm aroundI can't stand to be aroundI hate everything about youEverything about youEverything about youEverything about you
Lyrics to Ugly Kid Joe song “everything about you.”

In the spirit of 90’s one hit wonder Ugly Kid Joe Its time to get some hate off my chest. I think you always feel better after you clear the air with your true feelings. Although my mother would always say you should never hate anybody. With that in mind maybe the title of this article should be things I strongly dislike about the N.f.l.

Carl Pickens did he ever make big plays against anyone else except for the Steelers then proceeded to act like he was as good as Jerry Rice I remember a game in the late nineties where he and Neil O’Donnel drove down the field in the final seconds with three jump balls, to win the game for Cincinnati.

The Houston oilers when they had jerry Glanville then Buddy Ryan and Chris Dishman, What a cheap shot team they were. Buddy Ryan had a rule when his defense intercepted a ball, 1 guy runs with the ball the 10 others block the quarterback. Also there was a game when during the post game handshake Chuck Knoll yelled at Jerry Glanville for all the cheap shots during the game. . A real class act they were during those days in Houston.
The philly eagles and John Ryunan in particular. Just a bunch of cheap shot guys like him who would hit defensive players after the whistle has blown. The Eagles are one of the teams that Steelers seem to always lose to. What about the game in three rivers were a referees misruling on a onside kick gave the eagles the game. And that game kept the steelers from getting into the playoffs that year. Also its governor Ed Rendells favorite team so I just cant wait to see the eagles lose and the governor cry about it. Which brings us to …
Governor Rendell or any politician pretending to be a steelers fan just for votes. He publicly said he was happy the steelers won the superbowl. But you know as a long time Eagles fan it was all just pandering for votes. I have had Enough with politicians who make those stupid bets on outcomes of football games. Please save your pandering and lies for the campaign trail.

Rodney Harrison has there been a guy who has been more proud of being an admitted cheap shot artist. For example in the Superbowl against Carolina where he dropped an forearm on RB Stephen Davis head. Harrison new he couldn’t stop davis within the rules of the game so he had resort to cheap shots to attempt to injure him.

New England patriots and Bill Belicheck I respect everything they did this decade. You don’t win 3 Superbowls by accident. But the media hype for this team over the top with Chris Mortesen a couple years ago calling them the greatest team in the N.F.l. ever. Well every time the patriots have a had a chance to prove it they have come up short for example losing to Denver in the 05 playoffs then to the colts in 06 afc championship game and then blowing the perfect season by losing to the giants in Superbowl 42. If the steelers repeat this year the patriots might not even be the best team of the decade.
Pass interference and instant replay. The pass interference rule is so open for judgment that football is starting to get like basketball where referees are able to decide the outcome of a games. This rule needs to be more tightly defined and regulated. The defensive has right to be on the spot of the field and needs to be given an equal opportunity to play the ball. Instant replay was a nice idea but the officials are starting to rely on it to much to correct a mistake that may have been made. I would rather just have the refs make the call, right or wrong and we will all just live with the consequences.
Wow I feel much better if you have anything to add to my list or things I forgot please leave a comment.
Rob Carter

The Defending Champions

2009-06-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

Repeating as Super Bowl champions is not easy. Next season the Steelers are going to be the big game on every team’s schedule. Everybody is going to be gunning to take out the Pittsburgh Steelers to try to prove themselves to the league. Despite this intangible fact, the Steelers will be favorites to win their 7^th Lombardi trophy in ‘09. Here is why the Steelers will become a dynasty by winning their second consecutive Super Bowl and third in five years:

Special Teams

The special teams unit will be a difference maker in close games next year. Jeff Reed will continue to master his trade of being a very dependable kicker especially at Heinz Field, which is known to be the toughest place to kick. In the last 2 years Reed has made 50 of 56 FG attempts and 80 of 81 extra points, an overall 95% success rate. Daniel Sepulveda will make his return as the punter and prove why the Steelers drafted him in the 4^th round in 2007. Sepulveda has the potential as being a top 3 punter in the NFL and will help make it even easier on the league’s best defense. The Steelers return game has been slacking in recent years, but they have addressed that this offseason and will look to some speedy new guys for help. Steelers 3^rd round pick Mike Wallace owns records at Ole Miss for single game, season, and career return yards and the coaches are excited about his potential as a big play returner. Newcomer Stefan Logan and rookie Joe Burnett will get opportunities as returnmen as they try to prove themselves to the league. Logan is coming off a season where he gained 1412 yards in the CFL and has agility that has been compared to Darren Sproles. Joe Burnett will try to pick up where he left off in college, where he had 5 returns for touchdowns and was an All-Conference kickoff and punt returner at Central Florida. Santonio Holmes will surely get his situational punt returns. His big-play talent was huge in the playoffs, and his 67 yard punt return touchdown against San Diego was maybe the biggest play of the year (until the Super Bowl).

Experience

There is no substitute in sports for having been to the Promised Land. The Steelers know what it takes to win big games. Confidence will carry over into next season as the Steelers will know how to play like champions. This team has done it before, most of them have done it twice, and they are poised to do it again.

Running Game

Look for the Steelers to have one of the best rushing attacks in the league next year. Last year they had to overcome injuries to Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall, and Carey Davis throughout the year so it was hard to find some consistency. All five starters from the offensive line of their Super Bowl team will return in ‘09. That unit was very effective as run blockers despite all of the criticism that they received early during last season. The wide receivers and tight ends are all excellent run blockers which will contribute in making the running game roll. Rookie Frank “The Tank” Summers could pick up some goal line carriers and potentially be the short yardage back the Steelers have been lacking. Willie Parker is looking better than ever and his speed will cause big problems for opposing defenses. Rashard Mendenhall will look to have a breakout season and be the next Steelers first round pick to become a star player. The 22 year old has a rare combination of size, speed, and agility which will make him a force in the Steelers offense for years to come.

Passing Game

Ben Roethlisberger returns and will lead a very dangerous passing attack. The receiving corps is tough and talented and Big Ben will have many options when dropping back (or running around). The passing attack will revolve around short to medium range passes with Hines Ward, Santonio, and Heath Miller. Both Big Ben and Bruce Arians love to throw the deep pass and this team will definitely have deep threats. Limas Sweed showed that he has the speed to get open downfield and has great potential as a big play receiver. Mike Wallace, who has run a 4.28 40 yard dash, will be the fastest player on the team and will get some opportunities to burn the defense. As long as they can keep it close in the 4^th quarter, the Steelers will be comfortable if they have to send Big Ben out to win the game with one last drive in a big game..

Coaching

Mike Tomlin and Dick LeBeau will have this team ready for another run at the title. Mike Tomlin has quickly become the best young head coach in the NFL. Since his arrival the Steelers have been 25-11 and have produced the #1 ranked defense both years. The players enjoy playing for him and the fans love him. He is an exciting and energetic coach and isn’t afraid to make a big decision. Defensive mastermind Dick LeBeau has gameplans and schemes that are always a step ahead of opposing offenses. People have questioned whether this team will be motivated for another run because they have lost their hunger to win it. "It's not hunger that drives me, it's not hunger that needs to drive our football team," Tomlin said at the NFL owners meetings. "Hunger and thirst are things that can be quenched. We have to be a driven group, we have to seek greatness. I think driven is a more appropriate word, it's a word I tend to use with them as we prepare for '09.” Expect Mike Tomlin to have his team motivated for a championship in 2009.

Defense

Defense wins championships, and the best defense the NFL has seen this decade is going to be even better in ‘09. The Steelers defense is stacked with stars and every position is their strength. Safeties Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark lead a secondary that finished ranked #1 in yards in 2008. Cornerback Ike Taylor will return and William Gay is ready to replace Bryant McFadden as a shutdown corner. Third round picks Keenan Lewis and Joe Burnett will give depth at the cornerback position. The secondary looks to be stronger than ever and will be stable for many more years. Lawrence Timmons will see his first full season as starting inside linebacker as he replaces Larry Foote. Timmons and LaMarr Woodley are about to enter the prime of their careers and their talent will take the Steelers defense over the top. Not to mention that the Steelers also have defensive MVP James Harrison and pro-bowler James Farrior in that linebacking corps that could soon be legendary. The big defensive line also returns and will be even better with the addition of first round pick Ziggy Hood. Hood will make the Steelers D even more dangerous because his specialty is penetrating the line of scrimmage and putting pressure on the quarterback and blowing up running plays. Dick LeBeau will have this defense playing smart and firing on all cylinders, which will naturally have this defense ranked #1 once again.

By Jeff Cupp

Dan Rooney - Forever A Steelers Icon & Legacy

2009-04-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Dan Rooney – Forever A Steelers Icon & Legacy
By Rob Carter

In 1965 the most popular sports in America were baseball, boxing and horse racing. Pro football was as niche, like pro hockey is today. The Steelers were tenants in Pitt Stadium and rarely had capacity crowds.
Yet, who could have predicted that by 2009 the Steelers have had 30 years of sell outs, and Pitt is a tenant in Heinz Field. That Super Bowl and football as a whole would have overtaken baseball as America’s favorite pastime.
One man had the vision and foresight to see this transformation. Dan Rooney. The man who still lives on the North Side or “Old Allegheny” as the old timers still call it. Rarely does an appointment to an ambassadorship cause such serious ramifications in pro football, but such is the rare individual that is Mr. Rooney. So as he leaves his duties as the Steelers chairman, its time to look back on his tenure with the Steelers.
Step back to 1965 and the Steelers were the bottom feeders of the N.F.L. with only one playoff appearance and no championships. They were run by a horse handicapper named, Art Rooney SR., who had purchased the team after a good day at the track.
Art Sr., or “the chief” as he was called, knew how to treat people and always treated them right, but when it came to football he did not understand how to put a winning team on the field. His son, Dan, graduated from Duquesne University, and Art decided to let his son start running the football team.
Dan Rooney soon learned that his father’s way of running a football team was greatly flawed. After hastily hiring an assistant coach from the Green Bay Packers, and suffering 4 more losing seasons, Dan decided it was time for a change in the way the Steelers operations were being conducted.
The first change was that he held an exhaustive search for a new head coach. Which led him to hire a young assistant from the Baltimore Colts named, Chuck Knoll. And that was the beginning of not only a new and improved Steelers, but the Dan Rooney way of running a football team.
And since the change in leadership? The Steelers have won 6 Super Bowls and had only a handful of losing seasons. Dan had to make some tough decision along the way, such as firing his older brother from the scouting department, and keeping Bill Cowher, while getting rid of general manager, Tom Donahoe. All successful changes, not easy but respectfully done.
As Dan Rooney’s influence in the N.F.L. grew, he developed the salary cap and revenue sharing for professional football. This allowed small market teams to stay competitive. His salary structure has been so successful that it has also been copied by other pro leagues, such as the N.B.A. and N.H.L.. In the most recent negotiations between the league and the players union, he was looked upon by both players and owners as an honest and fair negotiator.
A class act, Mr. Dan Rooney, has left a legacy of fair management and took his father’s philosophy of putting people first to a new level. He used his own way of doing what’s right for the organization, and combined them with great success for not just the Steelers, but the entire National Football League. Anyone who steps into Mr. Rooney’s place will have big shoes to fill. Yet even there Dan was prepared for he left a strong philosophy and a blueprint for all who follow.

Rob Carter
***Source used: Mastich E. Andrew and Hallas David F., Dan Rooney My 75years With The Pittsburgh Steelers and The NFL

The Offseason: No News is Good News?

2009-03-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

By Ben Davis

The Steelers, historically, have barely ever gone after big names in free agency during the off season. The team will occasionally dip into the mix to fill some immediate holes, ala Mewelde Moore, Mitch Berger, Ryan Clark, and Justin Hartwig, but they most often opt to build through the draft.

Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, and former coach Cowher have done an excellent job of perennially solidifying the team we already know and love. Consider the following role players drafted in the past few years: LaMarr Woodley-In hindsight, an absolute steal in the second round. Not only did Woodley provide solid play, but contributed at least two sacks per playoff game. Lawrence Timmons- With freakish athletic ability (A LB playing nickel back in his first season?), and a knack for the big play, is it really hard to see why the Steelers have been so lethargic about resigning James Harrison? Timmons could easily step in and not miss a beat. Santonio Holmes, Heath Miller, Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisburger, Willie Paker...Need I go on?

The real question facing the Steelers heading into the new season, is whether or not they can reload after such an epic Superbowl win. Once again the answer lies within the draft. Will players be able to step right in and contribute from day one? If Colbert and Tomlin are smart enough, they will find players to do just that.

So while teams like the Patriots are stockpiling 30+ year old players like free candy, and TO takes on yet another team, the Steelers will continue to build a solid core of young players.

Quick Thoughts:
-The Offensive line obviously needs to be the number one priority in the early stages of the draft
-Is William Gay ready to fill Bryant McFadden's shoes?
-How will the older defensive players fare? Deshea Townsend, James Farrior, Aaron Smith
-Getting Rashard Mendenhall back will be a huge boost. With effective offensive line play can you imagine the punch of four healthy RB's among Parker (speed), Mendenhall (power), Moore (do-it-all), and Russel (goal-line)?
-Can Limas Sweed fill the third wide receiver role? He's certainly athletic enough, but he and Mendenhall need to work on holding onto the ball during camp.
-Did the Ravens really ask not to play the Steelers in the opening game? Wow.

Looking Forward to Next Season in the Afterglow of the Steelers 6th Super Bowl Win

2009-03-17T07:09:00.000-07:00

Looking Forward To Next Season
in the Afterglow of the Steelers 6th Super Bowl Win.
by Rob Carter
As we all bask in the afterglow of Santonio Holmes’ catch, and subsequent Steelers 6th super bowl win, it’s hard to think about next year. But leave it to me to throw water on Steelers fans’ victory lap and think about next season. Maybe the best way to make a prediction for next year is to compare this off season to the off season the Steelers had after Super Bowl 40.

After Super Bowl 40, the Steelers lost their 3rd wide receiver and a member of their defensive backfield. Sound familiar? It should. This season Bryant McFadden and Nate Washington who left via free agency to Arizona and Tennessee respectively. I don’t think anyone is thinking that Nate Washington was as good as Antwaan Randall el. As for Bryant McFadden, it seems as if the new coaching staff is not as committed to him as Cowher was. And with the ready made replacement William Gay waiting on the bench, the Steelers management did not see resigning McFadden as a priority. As long as Big Ben stays out of any traffic accidents, personal wise, the Steelers are in better shape now than they were after their 5th Super Bowl.

What competition will the Black and Gold face? One of the biggest roster moves made in the NFL this off season will be by the Patriots. And that’s just by having Tom Brady get healthy and being able to play this year. In our own division, Baltimore lost some key members of their defense. They left with defensive coordinator, Rex Ryan, to play for the jets. But, Baltimore should have a better offense this year as second year quarterback Joe Flacco, continues his development.

Some other contenders could include the Indy Colts, who are an interesting team - very young on defense, while having veterans on offense. And if the Houston Texans can ever play the whole season the way they do in December, they could make themselves a playoff contender. As usual the biggest threats in the A.F.C. to the Steelers should be the Patriots and the Colts.

And as I’ve explained in my previous article, the Steelers being successful in the coming year will rest on in large part on Tomlin. He’s a much younger coach than Cowher was when he won his championship. In contrast, Cowher viewed his win as a validation of a very successful coaching career, like a lifetime achievement award, which may have been a reason for the backsliding to an 8-8 record the next year. Tomlin sees his championship much differently. He has just begun his coaching career, and is still looking to solidify his legacy, not just as a good coach, but as a great coach in the NFL. He is not at the end but is instead on the way up.
So, are the Steelers in better place in this off season than they were after the last championship? In my very early analysis, even considering the personnel and much easier schedule for this upcoming season, it looks like the Steelers are in a lot better position this off season to repeat a win, than they were after the last championship win. Bask in the afterglow, but don’t sweat what’s next for the Steelers.

The Two year Scorecard-Is Mike Tomlin a better coach than Bill Cowher

2009-03-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

The Two Year Scorecard:
Is Mike Tomlin a better coach than Bill Cowher?
by Rob Carter

In football, more than any other sport, coaches can have a powerful affect on the outcome of the game. Every play is carefully planned out during the week, before it is sent in for the players to run during the game. It’s not a “throw the new coach into the water and see if they sink or swim” kind of game. With strategy being so carefully considered, coaching a football team takes time to see the true merit of a coach.

So, how does Mike Tomlin’s first two years measure up to Bill Cowher’s first two? For Tomlin, he has two more regular season wins than his predecessor, and he also has three playoff wins. Cowher didn't even win a playoff game until his third season of coaching.

If you compare position by position of the teams in 2008 and 2007, versus 1993 and 1992, there is definitely more talent on the teams than the early years of Cowher. One big advantage for Tomlin over Cowher is at the quarterback position. The first two years Cowher didn’t have the players Tomlin had. Byron Leftwich is a better back up quarterback than anybody on the ’92 – ‘93 teams. And Big Ben may become the best quarterback in team history, but that’s a subject for another article. Cowher took over a team that went 7 -9 in the last year under Knoll, and had not made a Super Bowl in 11 years. Mike Tomlin, by comparison, took over a team that had went 8 - 8 under Cowher, and was one season removed from having won a Super Bowl. In fact a lot of players he inherited from Cowher were still on the team for this year’s Super Bowl. So, in the case of who had better raw talent to work with in their first years, Tomlin had an advantage in that he inherited the stronger team.

But in order to really get a fair analysis, let’s dig deeper and take a look at the level of competition both men coached against. Cowher’s 1992 team lost to a very experienced Buffalo Bills team that had won two AFC championships previously. And don’t forget the week before that the Bills had just completed the largest comeback in NFL playoff history. They were a formidable foe to face.

However, Tomlin’s ’07 Steelers faced a very talented Jacksonville team. They only lost on a controversial play. And interestingly enough, this was a play which the NFL later apologized that they did not call holding on the Jaguars like they should have. “Mike Pereira, the NFL's head of officiating, admitted yesterday that his crew working the Steelers-Jaguars playoff game erred in not calling a holding penalty against Jacksonville on a crucial play that allowed the Jaguars to kick the winning field goal.” 1

Follow this up with the recent ’08 season, where Tomlin beat a solid San Diego team, then the arch rival Baltimore Ravens, and won the Super Bowl against the Arizona Cardinals’ absolutely unstoppable Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzjerald . These seasons and the overwhelming opposition the Steelers faced make Tomlin’s two year coaching gig not only incredible, but it has now become very historic as well.

Even when comparing the playoff achievements of the first two years, it’s pretty apparent that Cowher may have been too conservative, thus not able to have playoff success early in his career. Meanwhile Tomlin’s playoff strategies were much more aggressive. Such as, a failed fake punt against San Diego, and throwing deep to Limas Sweed. Even though neither of these plays worked, I guarantee Cowher would have never taken the chance. Tomlin allowed Santonio Holmes to return punts in the game, where Cowher allowed Rod Woodson to only return punts during the preseason. Cowher never would have done that in the playoffs.

In retrospect the results also point to another one of the fundamental difference between them, and this leads to our final comparison – the underlying difference in these coaches’ philosophies. On one hand you have Mike Tomlin’s freeing, let your best players make the plays, mentality versus Cowher’s conservative, tell your players not to make a mistake, mentality. And here the proof is in the pudding. Two years for Tomlin and look at the results. This year’s win in the playoffs over the Ravens ranks pretty high in my favorite games list. And Tomlin’s freeing philosophy comes through loud and clear.

So, what’s the final two year scoreboard for the better coach? It’s pretty daunting for me to choose between two such renowned coaches, whom I have really enjoyed watching. But, when it comes down to it, the two year comparison says it all. Mike Tomlin is the better coach.
-Rob Carter ©2009

1 Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, April 02, 2008,
NFL Spring Meetings Notebook: Radio helmets for defense gets OK, too.
http://www.postgazette.com/pg/08093/869712-66.stm

No, but maybe yes...

2009-02-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

Written by John V.

Alright, so Jordan Gross coming to Pittsburgh WAS too good to be true. He signed a 6 year deal with Carolina earlier this week, which means that the Steelers will have a harder time finding an offensive tackle of his caliber. On the lighter side, there are some other potential veterans that could help with one in particular. Long time center for the Indianapolis Colts, Jeff Saturday, has reportedly not accepted the offer given to him by the Colts and will test free agency. He would bring an Alan Faneca-type leadership and productivity to the team. Saturday would give the team a solid center to mentor the younger talent on the team. I would love to see "Sixburgh" draft the center out of Penn State, A. Q. Shipley. A solid center and winner of the best center in college football for this past season, Shipley would bring a great sense of toughness to the line. From Moon Township, just outside of Pittsburgh, it would be a nice homecoming and I'm sure a dream come true. I mean, who wouldn't want to play for their home team when they grow up? Jeff Saturday would make a nice mentor, but there's still the chance he could stay in Indy. There's still hope even beyond that, because yet another veteran center could possibly become a free agent. Matt Birk of the Minnesota Vikings could become a free agent this off season and bring some veteran leadership to an offensive line in need. If I were head coach Mike Tomlin come draft day, I would move up. First, I would make a serious effort to get Jeff Saturday, who is indeed a better center than Matt Birk even though he will be 34 coming into next season. He still is one of the best in the game, and has a lot to bring to a team like the Steelers. Back to the draft, I would trade my first, fourth, and maybe a third from next year, for a top ten pick and try to get my hands on someone like Eugene Monroe from Virginia or Andre Smith of Alabama or even Jason Smith of Baylor. I'd head into the second round and get my hands on Shipley, who for some reason is considered the fourth best center? I will have a blog later on later round picks, but as for now, that's what I would do if I were Mike Tomlin, but I'm not, so hopefully he will do something to help protect the best money quarterback in football. He being Ben Roethlisberger.

Sixburgh Superstition

2009-02-18T13:54:00.001-08:00

So a little over two weeks have passed and I’ve had plenty of time to think and reflect on this season and the Super Bowl. I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous to watch a football game in my life than on February 1^st. I wasn’t around in the 1970s to see the Steelers win their first four titles, nor was I around for the Immaculate Reception in ’72, and I was only seven and more into dolls than balls when we faced the Cowboys in ’96. But I’ve obviously have seen the last two, watched every game, go on the ESPN message boards to argue that the Steelers are the best, and I will talk about the Steelers to anyone who will listen. So I’m going to give you my Steeler experience with the last two Super Bowls.

Now when I watch a game, I get a little intense. I will never forget when we played the Indianapolis Colts on January 13^th 2006. Everyone remembers this game, we were ahead by three, Bettis has the ball, he hasn’t fumbled all season, no big deal. Well the unthinkable happened when a Colts linebacker popped the ball from Jerome’s hands, Nick Harper started down the field with it, and a Steeler fan had a heart attack. Thank God Big Ben was there or we could have possibly lost the game. Well you see I tend to throw things when I watch the game and on this occasion threw my phone across the room, luckily it didn’t break! So since that game my mom takes my phone off of me and I can only have it during commercials, but it’s a small price to pay. So each game during the season I sit there screaming at the TV, since I like to think they can hear me screaming Run! as loud as I can, and enjoy the game.

For the Super Bowl in 2006 I’m watching it at an uncle’s house and we have the usual, decorations, the fake penalty flags to throw, tons of food, wearing Steeler gear, and my mom is in possession of my phone. I will always remember watching my first Super Bowl win, the excitement, the screaming, and the tears in the end as we won! Now that game was a great one to watch but this year was out of control!

When it comes to watching not only am I intense but superstitious as well. In ’95 we watched the game at my aunts and lost, and when I heard we were going there again I was nervous. You can’t watch the big game in a place where the last time you watched you lost. I was out numbered so off we went. Now we bought my dad a shirt that said Sixburgh on it and to me it’s jinxing it but I let it slide. The last thing that made me nervous was that my best friend was coming to watch with me and she hasn’t seen a game all season. You can’t come in on the last game and expect everything to be perfect if you didn’t watch a single game all season! But none the less she came. Now of course I wore the exact same outfit I did for the AFC Championship game, it worked once when I wore it so I better wear it again right? The game begins and I’m fine, still nervous, sitting in the same seat the whole time and only getting up to get food or a strong drink, but I was hanging in there, until the fourth quarter. I went through so many emotions in that 15 minutes I swear I should have been committed! First I was calm and happy but as the game went on I started freaking out, my heart pounding out of my chest. Watching the Cardinals take the lead was killing me! I wouldn’t move from the position I was in, one foot shaking, my hands holding my head and repeating ‘Please God help the Steelers win.’ My whole family thought I was crazy but weren’t they watching the same game I was? There was about five minutes left and I starting thinking, well we could all drive really fast to my uncles, my dad can take off his Sixburgh shirt, and my friend can go home, if all of this happens we will win! We have enough time!! But as sat there watching Holmes score the final touchdown I knew that my superstitions were broken, we didn’t need to make a location change. So as the clock ran down to zero with tears in my eyes, shaking and screaming I knew that I will never forget that game for the rest of my life.

<3
Jessica

Pittsburgh the "new" New England?

2009-02-10T19:01:00.001-08:00

Written by: John V.

Randy Moss, even with his pathetic 2 years at Oakland, could have received A LOT more money than he settled for in New England. Why? New England had, going into that season, one of the best chances to win the Super Bowl. They have that reputation because of their "dynasty". Players will sign for less, especially if they are ending their careers, if they think the team has a good chance at winning a ring. I wouldn't be surprised if Tony Gonzalez ends up in New England in the coming years. People for years have been neglecting the Steelers' success. They may not be the flashiest of teams and they don't make a big splash in the free agent market because unlike most teams, they build through the draft. The Steel City's front office is among the best in pro sports. They have some of the best players in the NFL and they don't ask for a lot of money. You have arguably the best pass rushing tandem in the NFL in Lamar Woodley and James Harrison. Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, and the most underrated player on the line Brett Keisel, make up one of the best defensive lines in the league. Ben Roethlisberger could be the best comeback quarterback in football. The biggest problem that is needed to be addressed is obviously the offensive line. The Steelers have the 32nd pick this years upcoming draft, so the chances of them drafting a quality lineman are slim to none. This is where it gets interesting though. Pittsburgh has shown the NFL that they can win; that a six seed can win a Super Bowl. They've proven that a good scouting staff and front office can really help a team's chances at success, rather than relying on free agency and trades. After proving that they can win big games and that they have a great staff, I think more players might be willing to take a pay cut to play in Pittsburgh. The Steelers never did spend a lot of money big name free agents, but now they might not have too. I think now that hopefully the Steelers have opened the eyes of the rest of the world that they are indeed the best franchise in the NFL. Although they've been that way for quite some time, the rest of the world remains ignorant to the fact that they are in fact great. There aren't any distractions when it comes the players wanting more money or wanting the ball more or accusing the quarterback of throwing to the wrong person. They are a "team". The Steelers might be the best example of the lost term. A lot of players in the league are looking out for their best interest and money, whereas the Steelers are happy to be there and happy to apart of something special. I see "Sixburgh" beginning its "Stairway to Seven" come August with a favorable chance to repeat and becoming a dynasty yet again.

Possibly Some Good News

2009-02-09T22:21:00.001-08:00

Big name on the free agent market pertaining to Sixburgh's needs; offensive line. Jordan Gross, the phenomenal left tackle from Carolina, is indeed the most attractive free agent for the Steelers this off season. He's not the mountain of a man like a Jonathan Ogden from a few years ago, but more of a new breed tackle. Smaller, and more athletic which helps with a speed pass rush, like that of Baltimore's, a division rival. The Steelers are already a force to be reckoned with in the NFL, and just imagine what Roethlisberger could do if he had a line. Well, maybe not. Think about it, When Big Ben scrambles and does his magic, defenses breakdown and coverage breaks down. Therefore he makes those unbelievable plays that we've come to expect from him. At least with an anchor like Gross, Ben wouldn't be on his back quite so fast. It would be nice to protect and I quote from Mr. Mark Madden, "THE best money quarterback in football." I mean who else would you want leading your team with 2 minutes left in a game. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethisberger, or Kurt Warner? I don't think its fair to try and compare Ben to them, he's a completely different game. He's not like a quarterback we've seen for a long time. So he won't throw 50 touchdowns in a season and he'll throw 20 plus interceptions in a season, which makes him not exactly the greatest pick for fantasy teams. But he wins! That's what matters at the end of the game doesn't it? The final score? Manning can throw 5 touchdowns and still lose, not likely. Ben can throw 3 interceptions and they'll still win, and that's already happened. It comes down to the Steeler's are too far down in the draft to get a quality lineman, so I think its time for the Rooney's to open up their pocketbooks and invest in protecting their $102 million dollar investment...

Mr. Perfect

Six Thoughts on the Six Pack

2009-02-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

By Gretel T.G. Egan

So, it's a done deal. In the books. One for the ages. Whatever your cliché of choice, the bottom line is this: the Pittsburgh Steelers stand alone. And it sure doesn't feel lonely at the top.

Now that I've had time to process everything, I've found myself reflecting on the spectacle that was the Super Bowl. I watched a lot of coverage leading up to, during (natch), and following this game of games. I'm sure many of my sentiments were shared throughout Steeler Nation: the bittersweet emotions conjured by the piece on Myron Cope and the history of the Terrible Towel; the knowledge that Mike Ditka could be the coolest dude on earth; the jubilation of James Harrison's 100-yard pick six; the anxiety of the last 2:30; and, finally, the heady exhilaration of victory.

Days later, there are some specific moments/thoughts/speculations that continue to stand out. And in honor of the Steelers' sixth Lombardi Trophy, I will share six of them with you:

1. Why, suddenly, no respect for the schedule?
Throughout the year, we heard lots of talk about how Pittsburgh had the toughest schedule of any team. That a trip to the playoffs would be a coup in itself. Why then, in the days leading up to the final match-up, did I hear commentators making remarks like, "But who have they really played?" OK, I'll tell you:

Of the eleven other teams who made the playoffs, the Steelers faced six of them (Indy, San Diego, Baltimore, Tennessee, Philly, and the Giants) during the regular season. (They also played two of the others -- Minnesota and Carolina -- in the preseason. Not that you will ever catch me making the case that the preseason counts in any way. I just found it interesting.)
Of the seven other teams that made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Steelers had faced five in regular-season play.

I just found it irksome that, at the eleventh hour, anyone was trying to make a case that the Steelers top defensive rankings weren't all that they seemed. I know there was a need to manufacture some drama…but couldn't that have been left to Kurt Warner's wife and Larry Fitzgerald's dad?

2. Holy crap, Jennifer Hudson smoked the National Anthem.
For those of you who heard her and have a brain in your head, I clearly mean "smoked" in the most positive of all senses. It sounded like a different song entirely, and that (again) I mean in the most positive of all senses. It's quite possible that I'm building this up in my mind as the days pass (much like I did Footloose in the multiple decades between viewings), but I don't think so.

3. Pittsburgh must be the worst team in history in the red zone.
How painful were these moments? I was afraid my face was going to freeze in a perpetual grimace when we got to try 6 of 6 during Arizona's we're-trying-to-hand-you-the-game-by-taking-a-zillion-penalties stretch. Horrifying, predictable, pointless play calls. If Jeff Reed had missed that field goal…well, I'd rather not think about it. But don't tell me you weren't waiting for it.

4. Ben must be top-five in the two-minute drill.
Phenomenal, right? Good decisions, smart plays, efficient clock usage, the whole nine. I suspect he calls the majority of plays in this scenario. And he came close to confirming that when, during post-game questioning about who was calling the plays during the last drive, he said something along the lines of (and I'm paraphrasing here), "Well, I called some plays, then we took a time out and Bruce called some plays." Ben compared it to "backyard ball," and all I can say is, keep playing. And please, Steelers, get a new offensive coordinator next year. That brief period of fresh, interesting plays in the first quarter was potentially not too late, but it was far too little.

5. Why did Obama get top billing over the fans?
When Dan Rooney got his hands on the illustrious and record-setting sixth Lombardi, he proceeded to thank…President Obama? Really? Sure, the Pittsburgh fans followed, but it was still strange. I know everyone's on the bandwagon and that Obama -- when forced to answer with a bajillion cameras in his face -- tossed his loyalty to the Steelers (for this game, anyway). But top billing? Really? And I know I've said already, but…really? It was just such a non-Rooney thing to do. I don't necessarily think the fans should have been the first thing out of his mouth, but at least something relevant, please.

6. Mike Holmgren is still BITTER.
It appears that the pill that was Super Bowl XL is still stuck in our buddy Mike's crabby little throat. During the pre-game, when asked who he was taking, Mike picked the Cardinals. Not surprising, and not flagrant. (Though I suspect Mike would pick a pee-wee team over the Steelers if pressed.) The really funny bit came after the game, as the coaches roundtable went down the line making comments about the outcome of the contest and Mike…wanted to take the time to say how great the Cardinals had been and how it was a difficult time in their locker room at that point. Of course he did. Because it's still a difficult time in Mike's locker room. Just can't seem to get...that…dang…pill…down!

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

2009-01-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

By Gretel T.G. Egan

It’s been a mere three years since the Steelers journeyed to and won Super Bowl XL, besting the Seahawks and bringing a championship back to Pittsburgh for the first time in 26 years. The controversies of that contest have faded to the background for most (though Mike Holmgren likely still mumbles "striped shirts" and "low block" during nights of fitful slumber), and the Steelers are simply regarded as five-time Super Bowl champs.

Are they destined for six? And how might the XL experience influence this go-around?

In the relatively short time since that last trip, many things have changed. Let's start with the roster. Naturally, in this age of free agency, money talks and, well, we know what walks. Notable losses include Alan Faneca, Joey Porter, and Antwaan Randle El. Not-so-notable losses? Let's comfortably lump Tommy Maddox and Duce Staley in that bunch.

Of course, there have been notable additions as well. Santonio Holmes and LaMarr Woodley were not part of the Steeler Nation three years ago. Neither were the 30 or so punters we've had through the ranks this year. In all, 23 of the 53 active roster members are repeat Bowlers, so roughly 43% of the XL team remains. With the likes of Big Ben, Hines Ward, James Harrison, and Troy Polamalu still in the fold, we can feel pretty good about what turnover there has been.

Obviously, coaching is another big difference. Gone is the chin, the spitting, the kissing, the press conference death stare. In its place: studiousness, a no-nonsense attitude, Robert Frost references, and Omar Epps's doppelganger. Count me as one who is quite pleased with this change.

On the more nebulous side, this time just feels different. There is no "Let's do it for Jerome!" war cry. No Mama Bettis serving family-style meals in Detroit. No miraculous fingertip tackle that kept hope alive and virtually screamed, "We are destined to win!" And it seemed -- dare I say it? -- easy. Or at the very least quick, given the playoff bye week. As the Ravens game drew to a close, I found myself thinking, "Is this it? Really? The next game is the Super Bowl? Is there a possibility my spinach dip will keep two weeks?"

Truth be told, it's the Cardinals who have Cinderella on their side this year. They were the Number 4 seed in the NFC, this is the franchise's first Super Bowl trip, and Kurt Warner is just shy of qualifying for Medicare. Add that to Coach Whisenhunt's real or perceived ax to grind, and you've just found the media darlings of 2009.

But there is a "sameness" to the Steelers that transcends rosters, staff, and Media Week baloney. They are still all about hard-nosed defense. They are still run before pass (perhaps to a fault). And they still have destiny points in their favor, some real and some harebrained: They would be the only NFL team to win six Super Bowls. The O-Line has come out of hibernation (a feat perhaps more miraculous than even Santonio's punt return). They will be wearing the win-inducing white jerseys. And my new pitch for the secret X factor -- that 43% of their active roster members played in Super Bowl XL, and they will now be playing in Super Bowl XLIII.

Oh, and we've got Obama in our corner. Seriously. Can the sixth Super Bowl victory be far behind?

2008-12-06T07:40:00.001-08:00

Steelers-Patriots Preview|Steelers Game Score,TV Time

2008-11-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

The Steelers at Patriots- game time Sunday, November 30, 4:15 PM ET. Get the latest live Steelers game score on this page. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Patriots is on CBS. Find Steelers game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest Steelers blog talk and rumors. Always get the latest 49ers game preview,score, news and more at Steelersmix.com!

Steelers-Bengals|Preview, Steelers Game Score,TV,Recap

2008-11-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

The Steelers vs Bengals at home- game time Thursday, November 20, 8:15 PM ET. Get the latest live Steelers game score on this page. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Bengals is on NFL Network. Find Steelers game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest Steelers blog talk and rumors. Always get the latest Steelers game preview,score, news and more at Steelersmix.com!
Wanted Steelers Fan Talk! Are you a big Steelers fan with something you want to share, we will post all civil items submitted to FanTalk@Sportsmixed.com in the Steelers blog section. Wanted Steelers Featured Writers! Steelersmix.com is looking for 3-5 writers to write on a more regular basis about the Steelers, if interested please contact us at Writers@Sportsmixed.com

Steelers-Chargers|Preview, Steelers Game Score,TV,Recap

2008-11-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

The Steelers at home vs Chargers- game time Sunday, November 16, 4:15 PM ET. Get the latest live Steelers game score on this page. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Chargers is on CBS. Find Steelers game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest Steelers blog talk and rumors. Always get the latest Chargers game preview,score, news and more at Steelersmix.com!
Wanted Steelers Fan Talk! Are you a big Steelers fan with something you want to share, we will post all civil items submitted to FanTalk@Sportsmixed.com in the Steelers blog section. Wanted Steelers Featured Writers! Steelersmix.com is looking for 3-5 writers to write on a more regular basis about the Steelers, if interested please contact us at Writers@Sportsmixed.com

Steelers vs Colts|Preview,Steelers Game Score,TV,Recap

2008-11-08T23:02:00.000-08:00

The Steelers at home vs Colts- game time Sunday, November 9, 4:15 PM ET. Get the latest live Steelers game score on this page. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Colts is on CBS. Find Steelers game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest Steelers blog talk and rumors. Always get the latest Steelers game preview,score, news and more at Steelersmix.com! Submit all game talk for the Steelers to FanTalk@Sportsmix.com, all submissions posted.

Steelers-Redskins|Steelers Game Score Live|Preview,TV Time

2008-11-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

Steelersmix.com - The latest live Steelers Score,News and Talk! The Steelers at Redskins- game time Monday, November 3, 8:30 PM ET. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Redskins is on ESPN Monday Night Football. Find Steelers game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest Steelers blog talk and rumors. Also find the opponents game spin.

Steelers Score-NY Giants| Steelers Live Score,TV,Time,Preview

2008-10-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

The Steelers at home vs Giants- game time Sunday, October 26, 4:15 PM ET. Get the latest live Steelers score on this page. TV coverage of the Steelers vs NY Giants is on FOX. Find Steelers game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest Steelers blog talk and rumors. Always get the latest Steelers game preview,score, news and more at Steelersmix.com!

Steelers-Bengals|Preview,Steelers Game Score,TV,Recap

2008-10-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

The Steelers at Bengals- game time Sunday, October 19, 1:00 PM ET. Get the latest live Steelers game score on this page. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Bengals is on CBS. Find Steelers game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest blog talk and rumors. Always get the latest Steelers game preview,score, news and more at Steelersmix.com!

Steelers Bye

2008-10-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

Steelers Bye
Next Game
Steelers at Bengals

Steelers-Jaguars| Steelers Score Live,TV,Game Preview, Recap

2008-09-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Always get the latest Steelers score, preview, news and more at Steelersmix.com! The Steelers at Jaguars - game time Sunday, October 5, 8:15 PM ET. Get the latest live game score on this page. Also find game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest blog talk and rumors. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Jaguars is on NBC.

Steelers-Ravens| Steelers Score Live,TV,Game Preview,Recap

2008-09-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

Always get the latest Steelers score, news and more at Steelersmix.com! The Steelers at home vs Ravens - game time Monday, September 29, 8:30 PM ET. Get the latest live game score on this page. Also find game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest blog talk and rumors. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Ravens is on ESPN. Monday Night Football

Steelers vs Ravens Score-Game Preview,TV,Stats, Final Score, Recap

2008-09-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

The Steelers at home vs Ravens - game time Monday, September 29, 8:30 PM ET. Get the latest live game score on this page. Also find game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest blog talk and rumors. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Ravens is on ESPN. Always get the latest Steelers score, news and more at Steelersmix.com! Monday Night Football

Steelers vs Eagles Score -Preview, Recap, TV, Time, Game Stats

2008-09-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

Steelers vs Eagles
Final Score 6-15 Steelers Lose
Always get the latest Steelers score and more at Steelersmix.com!
The Steelers at Eagles - game time Sunday, September 21, 4:15 PM ET. Get the latest live score on this page. Also find game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest blog talk and rumors. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Eagles is on CBS. Always get the latest Steelers score and more at Steelersmix.com!

2008-09-16T10:15:00.001-07:00

Steelers vs Browns Score-Preview, Recap, TV, Time, Game Stats

2008-09-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

The Steelers at Browns - game time Sunday, September 14, 8:15 PM ET. Get the latest live score on this page. Also find game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest blog talk and rumors. TV coverage of the Steelers vs Browns is on NBC Sunday Night Football. Always get the latest Steelers score and more at Steelersmix.com!

2008-09-08T20:31:00.001-07:00

Steelers vs Texans, Time, Live Score, TV, Stats, Photos, News

2008-09-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

The Steelers vs Texans at home on Sunday, September 7, at 1:00 PM ET. Get the latest live game score and photos right on this page. Also get the latest talk and game news after the game updated constantly from local and national news and blogs. TV coverage of the Texans vs Steelers is on CBS. Always get the latest Steelers score at Steelersmix.com!