Bleacher Report - Articles by TJ Jenkins

Around the AFC North: Can the Pittsburgh Steelers Rebound?

TJ Jenkins — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:24:45 -0500

Essentially this is going to be a new series, chronicling the AFC North games of the week. Now, as I am mainly focused on the Pittsburgh Steelers, there will be an emphasis on their games, but the other three teams in the North shall also be covered.

Let's get on to the matchups.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Detroit Lions

1 PM Sunday

If you'd of told me at the beginning of the season that the Bengals would be doing this good and in control of the AFC North, I'd of had you committed.

But, such is parity in the NFL, I've really got to give the Bengals and Head Coach Marvin Lewis credit. He's done more with this team than anyone could have imagine. He's went from the hot seat to the throne in a matter of a year.

The Bengals will come into this game with their defense playing great, leading the league in passes defended and ranked third in total assisted tackles. The unit is as cohesive as the Bengals have seen in years, led by linebacker Keith Rivers.

They've got an Pro Bowl caliber quarterback in Carson Palmer, a potential Comeback Player Of The Year in Cedric Benson and Larry Johnson running well for their offense.

They've accomplished something no one thought was possible—an undefeated AFC North record.

Matching up against the Lions is something that most teams do well and the Bengals are no different. Barring a collapse by this team, they'll emerge victorious. But the game isn't played on paper, it's played on the field.

Lion quarterback Matthew Stafford absolutely impressed me and a lot of the NFL fan base by his gutsy performance against the Cleveland Browns, including the winning touchdown pass he threw with no time on the clock in the fourth quarter. Did I mention that he did that with an injured shoulder?

Sure the Browns basically put him in the position to win that game, but he still had to throw that pass. Gutsy move by him.

When you've got a tough leader throwing the ball against you, you've got a problem to deal with. Players rally around those kinds of players, look at what Ben Roethlisberger has done with the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. They respect him, they'll play for him. The Detroit Lions have found the same thing in Stafford.

That being said, the Bengals are going to run over, around and through the Detroit defense. Palmer's going to be solely handing it off come the fourth quarter and Louis Delmas is more than likely going to lay someone out.

The Detroit Lions are in a sorry state, but so were the Oakland Raiders, anything can happen in the NFL, but I foresee the Bengals taking this one with ease.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Oakland Raiders

1 PM Sunday

The Steelers are hurting. There, I said it.

The team is hitting win or go home territory now, with virtually the only chance of them even sniffing the play offs is for them to win out. Even Hines Ward agrees with me. That's good company I think.

Oakland's a good mediocre team. They have beaten the Philadelphia Eagles and the Bengals, but those were more than likely flukes.

Bruce Gradkowski organized some last minute heroics to stun the Bengals and the Eagles were just off their game.

I do think that this is the perfect game to get the Steelers out of their three game losing slump though. No one on the Raiders offense worries me, and that in itself is a worrying though. Always gotta look out for those quiet ones, right?

Ben Roethlisberger will be back under center for the Steelers, although Troy Polamalu will still be out. That means more Tyrone Carter. Oh, what joy! Not to say that Carter is bad, but I'll take a one-legged Polamalu over Carter any day of the week and TWICE on Sundays.

The Raiders two biggest play makers on the defensive side of the ball are defensive end Richard Seymour and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. The latter worries me more, even though the former guaranteed playoffs (cue Jim Mora).

There's a reason that quarterbacks don't throw towards Asomugha. It's because the man is an athletic machine. One of, if not the best, corner in the league. Most quarterbacks are scared (or perhaps wary is a better word?) to throw in his direction.

Roethlisberger...has no fear. I can see him attacking the young corner and doing it often as he'll more than likely be matched up against Santonio Holmes.

The Pittsburgh defense got to Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco five times last Sunday night, here's hoping that they can duplicate that against the Raiders. If they get pressure, they're a great team. If the defensive backfield sans the Hitman is forced to cover for too long, they'll give up big plays. That spells disaster for this team.

I hate to say it, but the Steelers special teams is once again going to be a deciding factor in this game. They've been absolutely horrid in coverage this year and despite the organization's best efforts to find more suitable players, nothing has happened for the better.

Corey Ivey was recently released and Anthony Madison was once again welcomed into the Steelers locker room. He was an absolute ace on special teams for us last year along with linebacker Keyaron Fox. Hopefully those two can take control of this group and get them to play with some pride.

I don't see any plausible way the team from Pittsburgh loses this one, but then again I said the same thing about the Kansas City Chiefs game.

Cleveland Browns vs San Diego Chargers

4:05 PM Sunday

This is another no-brainer in my opinion. The Chargers are on a roll lately and Phillip Rivers is playing like a man possessed. And probably the best thing about it all, is that since he's winning, there's less whining.

Not to say that Rivers isn't a great quarterback, in fact I believe that he's the second best quarterback to be drafted in 2004. Roethlisberger and his two rings are ahead of him, while Eli Manning is behind him despite his one Super Bowl ring.

LaDainian Tomlinson isn't playing like the LT of old, but he's still getting into the endzone, he has eight touchdowns this season, including five in the last three games. This may very well be his last year running the football in the NFL. If that's true, it's truly going to be an end to an era of running back domination.

To add an extra factor to this game, Tomlinson is just 55 yards away from tying Hall of Famer and former Browns back Jim Brown's NFL rushing total. It currently stands at 12,312 yards and at the time of his retirement, it was number one on the NFL's all time leading rushers list. Former Dallas Cowboys and future Hall Of Fame running back Emmitt Smith now holds the all time record.

To be perfectly honest, this is another that I don't see being close at all. I think the Chargers defense will use and abuse the Browns offense and quarterback Brady Quinn is without his starting running back Jamal Lewis. He's done for the season, and it likely spells the end to the former Ravens career.

Along with that, two key defensive players are out for the year on the Cleveland side of the ball. Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson and safety Brodney Pool are on injured reserve, leaving the tired out Browns defense without two starters.

Green Bay Packers vs Baltimore Ravens

8:30 PM Monday Night Football

The Ravens are coming off a win against their hated divisional rivals, the Steelers, on Sunday Night Football and now they're once again in the national spotlight.

The only difference is that instead of a first time starting quarterback, they're faced with one of the better ones in the league this time.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is currently fourth in the NFL for touchdown passes with 22 and third on the quarterback rating standings with a 104.9 rating. He's certainly in some elite company.

Joe Flacco is going to be throwing the ball against a very talented corner in Charles Woodson (is every corner named Woodson good, or what?) who is playing absolutely lights out this season.

The Packers are going to have to contend with Ray Rice out of the backfield along with the Ravens veterans receivers.

If you had the opportunity to watch that fantastic game against the Steelers, Rice absolutely man handled the Pittsburgh defense, showing teams once again that he cannot be covered in man-to-man by a linebacker.

James Farrior couldn't do it and I'm telling you right now that AJ Hawk can't do it either.

This is going to be the game of the week as far as the AFC North is concerned. Like the Steelers, the Ravens are fighting for their playoff lives, so expect them to attack first, then attack some more.

Rodgers is going to be seeing the turf quite a few times, hopefully he has a short memory for sacks and can manipulate the Ravens secondary for some touchdown passes to get him in rhythm.

Ed Reed is going to be the game changer in this one. The man is the best safety in the league. I've never seen a safety that can MAKE an opposing quarterback throw the ball in his direction by simply giving the receiver a little room to work with. He can do that because of his reaction speed and ball skills.

The crazy thing is that he's doing this all with a severe neck injury that could possibly end his career. That just goes to show his toughness.

I think I originally chose the Packers to win this one, perhaps because as a Steelers fan, I can use all of the Baltimore losses that I can get at the moment, but at the end of the day, I'll take the Ravens in this one.

Unlike the other games this week, it's not going to be an easy victory. They're going to have to scrape and fight for every inch. They'll rise to the challenge under the veteran leadership of Lewis and Reed though and gut this one out.

As always, TJ Jenkins' work can be found at both the Pittsburgh Pigskin Blog and the Sports Jabber Forums .

Pittsburgh Steelers: Still Banged Up, but Looking Better

TJ Jenkins — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:46:16 -0500

On the bright side of things this week, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expected to be ready come game time against the Oakland Raiders at Heinz Field.

According to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, his quarterback has not had any more post—concussion symptoms since the headaches he was suffering from during practice last week. He is expected to fully participate in practice on Wednesday.

With Roethlisberger back, it completely opens up the offense, as opposed to of the five to ten passing plays that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians called for Dennis Dixon against the Baltimore Ravens.

The sad thing about that is that between the Dixon and Roethlisberger, Dixon is more mobile one, yet Arians will have absolutely no problem allowing Roethlisberger to roll out and throw on the run.

Don’t get me wrong, Roethlisberger is more or less unstoppable once he breaks the pocket. My sole problem with the decision of Arians is that he has issues playing to his player’s strengths and problems with minimizing their weaknesses showing.

Let’s just all hope and pray in our own ways, to our own Gods that Roethlisberger is able to play on Sunday and we don’t have to hear him tell us all that he’s having headaches after practice again. That would only serve to not only divide the locker room but would also take valuable snaps away from Dixon in a practice setting.

With Roethlisberger back, that’s one of two play makers in the game that the Steelers need. The other playmaker, Troy Polamalu, is not expected to play.

Tomlin is listing him as doubtful for the Oakland game and says that he is still a week or two away from being in playing shape. It makes sense to sit him against both the Raiders and the Cleveland Browns so long as the team has him in their defensive backfield for the games against the Green Bay Packers and for when the Ravens come to Pittsburgh.

Starting left guard Chris Kemoeatu is going to participate in individual drills in order to evaluate him for game day. He’s currently listed as questionable and with him out, rookie Ramon Foster will certainly benefit from the game experience.

Stefan Logan and Mewelde Moore are also both banged up. Logan separated his rib cartilage while Moore’s ankle is swelling. The two running backs will be limited but will more than likely play come Sunday.

Quarterback Charlie Batch’s recovery is going smoothly and Tomlin is hoping to have him back on the field in a couple of weeks. Pittsburgh fans are hoping that they don’t see him on the field in a few weeks, as of course want to see Roethlisberger.

Ravens-Steelers: Dennis Dixon Asked To Work Overtime, but Clocks Out Early

TJ Jenkins — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:30:11 -0500

Wow.

What a game.

Let me start this off by saying congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens and their fans. Well-played game, as games in this series always are. Both teams played their hearts out and really dug deep within themselves to put forth their best efforts.

Moving on from that, let's take a look at how the Pittsburgh Steelers played.

Might as well start with Dennis Dixon, right?

Now, if you had the opportunity to join me and some friends of mine in the Live NFL Game-Thread at Sports Jabber, then you may have seen my frantic dismantling of Dixon's play directly after the interception he threw to Paul Kruger in overtime that set up the winning field goal.

Let me chalk that up as a heat-of-the-moment rant that was full of both Tommy Maddox comparisons and expletives.

To put it lightly, I was mad that we had lost a very winnable game and perhaps even more mad that the game had to be placed in the hands of a quarterback making his first NFL start.

To be honest with you, prior to that interception, Dixon played fantastically. He made plays with both his feet and his arm and truly shocked most, if not all, of Steeler Nation.

He was only called upon to throw the ball 26 times and responded well, tossing one touchdown on a perfect pass that saw Santonio Holmes sprint to the end zone.

He also rushed three times for 27 yards and a touchdown that was greatly aided by Mewelde Moore's vicious block to seal the edge for his quarterback.

The biggest issue with Dixon isn't really an issue with Dixon himself. It's with Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians. (I know what you're thinking: another Arians rant.) He absolutely refused to roll the speedy quarterback out of the pocket, even though Dixon's release point is a prime target to get knocked down at the line of scrimmage.

Think back to Dixon's college days. He played at Oregon, a team renowned for their speed and their execution of the spread offense.

Arians' excuse for not running him more? He was wary of injuring the young starter due to the lack of depth at the position.

The sad thing is that as paper-thin as the excuse is, it's passable and won't make a lot of people think twice.

While on the subject of running the ball, the Pittsburgh ground game looked good again. Rashard Mendenhall put up a 95-yard performance, spinning all the while.

In fact, I'm not sure that he knows that he's allowed to make a move besides spinning, which adds to his tendency to fumble the ball. Not to say that I have a problem with his running style per say, he's just not what I expected him to be. He's still an upgrade over Willie Parker though.

The Pittsburgh defense is what concerned me the most, however. Including an uncharacteristic mistake by Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau.

There is absolutely no excuse to have James Farrior playing man-to-man coverage on Ray Rice, Baltimore's leading receiver. It was an absolute disaster as Rice finished with 155 total yards from scrimmage against the generally tenacious defense.

Tackling is becoming a concern for our cornerbacks as well.

Ray Rice shook the check off of the entire defense's Nike's on fourth down that would set up the field goal to send the game into overtime. William Gay absolutely must improve his tackling.

Ike Taylor having no ball skills is really starting to irritate me as well. The man is an excellent cover corner, but even shadowing Holmes last year before training camp didn't help him increase his interceptions. He currently has a grand total of zero this season.

Ryan Clark and DeShea Townsend both also could have had an interception, but couldn't make a play on the ball.

That being said, the defense did pretty well and I'm just magnifying mistakes.

They got to Joe Flacco five times, forcing three fumbles.

Lawrence Timmons is showing us all why the coaching staff was confident enough to allow Larry Foote to walk to Detroit. He's a special player that is going to continue making an impact in the middle of the Steelers defense.

Timmons is surprisingly fast for a linebacker and there's always the option of moving him outside once James Harrison calls it quits.

The Steelers came into this game with viewers expecting an easy Baltimore victory. Many were expecting to be watching something else come halftime, but Dixon and company made it a game, and perhaps we found something special in the former Duck.

As I've said, great game on both sides.

Time for the defending champions to look ahead to the Oakland Raiders, grit their teeth, and push on, in the true fashion of Pittsburgh Steelers football.

As always, TJ Jenkins' work can also be found at both the Pittsburgh Pigskin Blog and the Sports Jabber Forums.

Pittsburgh Steelers: A Season Riddled With Injuries

TJ Jenkins — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:10:37 -0500

As if losing one of the best 3-4 defensive ends in the NFL wasn't enough, the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost All Pro Safety Troy Polamalu for at least a month. But we all knew that.

The newest Steelers injuries are to both starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his backup, Charlie Batch.

Roethlisberger was drilled and knocked out of Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs during overtime. In other words, at pretty much the worst possible time for one of the sure fire 'Kings Of Clutch' to go down. The Steelers would go on to lose the game 27-24 after a long Matt Cassel pass set up the game winning field goal.

But losing Roethlisberger wasn't enough, oh not even close. Second string quarterback Batch went down as well, breaking his wrist.

Well, let's take a look at the Steelers 53 man roster, scroll to the 'QB' slot and see what we've got.

Ben Roethlisberger - Injured, concussion.

Charlie Batch - Injured, broken wrist.

Dennis Dixon - Healthy, pre-season experience.

In other words, the Steelers front office is on the phone with multiple quarterbacks. Including former Baltimore Raven Cleo Lemon. But also former Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia.

Just the fact that the team is even contacting quarterbacks leads me to believe that Ben Roethlisberger is hurt. And hurt bad.

Not to say the man isn't tough enough to take a shot to the head and come back, after all he nearly died following a serious motorcycle accident prior to the 2006 season.

But when it comes to concussions, one has to draw a fine line, especially with all of these reports floating around with troubles for past NFL players due to concussions.

Jeff Garcia wouldn't be a bad choice, in fact he should very well still be on the Philadelphia Eagles' roster had they not decided to try to ride the Michael Vick Train to the playoffs.

In 2007 and 2008, he threw 25 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. He's definitely not going to lose the game for your team, and will more than likely win a few due to his experience and intelligence.

He's not the mobile passer that we once saw, but that doesn't take away from his mechanics.

He'll be working out for the team today (Tuesday, November 24th)

Let's review.

The Pittsburgh Steelers sans Polamalu, Smith and Roethlisberger are not a playoff, much less a championship caliber team.

Prior to the season if you'd of asked me to name three indispensable players on the team, those are the three names you would have heard come out of my mouth.

We desperately need Roethlisberger to play against the Ravens, he's an absolute bird hunter. The black and purple can't stop him when he's outside of the pocket, take a look at last year's AFC Championship Game for proof of that fact.

I do however, refuse to risk his career and his future health for my own selfish whims of beating the Ravens and attempting to make the playoffs. Some things are more important than football; Ben Roethlisberger's health is one of those.

The man's a competitor, a warrior. He'll want to play. But if there's ANY doubt that he won't be the same Big Ben, then I don't think Head Coach Mike Tomlin has a choice but to sit him on Sunday Night.

I'll leave you with one question...Aaron Smith, Troy Polamalu, Charlie Batch and Ben Roethlisberger are all hurt...who's next?

As always, TJ Jenkins' work can be found at both the Pittsburgh Pigskin Blog and at Sports Jabber .

Analyzing the Pittsburgh Steelers Safeties' Ability To Defend the Pass

TJ Jenkins — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:17:51 -0500

Yesterday we took a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers cornerbacks and their pass coverage skills, today we're going to look at the Steelers safeties and their ability to defend the passing attack.

As with the corner situation, three Steelers safeties have taken at least 25 percent of the snaps at either the free safety or strong safety position: Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, and Tyrone Carter.

Only Clark has taken over 50 percent of the defensive snaps at the position due to Polamalu being injured and Carter playing in his stead.

With his latest injury keeping him out for what appears to be at least one month, let's take a look at the long haired Samoan standout from the University Of Southern California .

In 242 defensive plays, Polamalu has been targeted by opposing quarterbacks 19 times and has given up 10 completions for a total of 52.6 percent.

Though leading the safety position in tackles, he's also leading in yards allowed with 122 yards total, yards after the catch with 55 and missed tackles with two. He's also given up one touchdown.

To his credit though, he also leads in interceptions with three (in limited time) and passes defended with two.

Opposing quarterback's only average a passer rating of 50.7 against the former Trojan.

Moving onto his replacement, Tyrone Carter we see a player who has taken 287 snaps at the safety position whilst filling in as an injury replacement for both Polamalu and Clark.

He's been targeted 13 times, allowing only six receptions (46.2 percent) for 34 yards.

Carter has picked off two passes, both against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night when he was filling in for Clark, but has also allowed two touchdown passes, more than the entire Pittsburgh secondary combined.

Opposing quarterbacks average a measly 53.0 rating against the backup safety of the defending champs.

On to the stud of the Pittsburgh secondary in 2009, Ryan Clark.

The former LSU Tiger has 40 tackles this season, effectively wrapping up the ball carrier all but one time.

Add to that impressive tackling statistic the fact that he's intercepted two passes, deflected one and has not allowed a touchdown all year long and you've got the safety that everyone expects Polamalu to be.

Clark has only allowed three receptions out of 12 attempts this year for 17 total yards and a 5.7 average, the same as Carter.

In fact the longest pass he's allowed in his coverage this year was a nine yard completion.

Perhaps the most impressive statistic is the rating that quarterbacks have when throwing against the vicious hitter, a stunning 0.0.

As you can clearly see, the leader of the secondary this year is not Polamalu, perhaps due to injury or perhaps due to Clark stepping his game up to match and/or surpass that of his counterpart.

Clark is the quintessential safety for any team and it's hard to believe that the Steelers will allow him to part ways with the team any time soon.

Using the statistics given, Clark is actually the best safety in the NFL when one takes into consideration the amount of time he sees on the field.

As always, TJ Jenkins' work can also be found at the Pittsburgh Pigskin Blog and at Sports Jabber .

A Look At the Pittsburgh Steelers' Cornerbacks' Pass Defense

TJ Jenkins — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:39:53 -0500

When looking at the trio of Pittsburgh Steelers cornerbacks that actually see some major game time, we're only looking at Ike Taylor, William Gay, and Deshea Townsend.

We all know that Taylor and Gay are the two starters and that Townsend gets extended playing time in the nickel and dime formations.

Of these three, Taylor and Gay have been tested time and again by opposing quarterbacks, to little avail.

Through nine games this season, Taylor has been thrown at 67 times, allowing 42 completions for a grand total of 513 yards, or 12.2 yards per completion. Along with that, he's only allowed a single touchdown pass.

Considering the fact that he's covered every opposing team's best wide receiver, it's not a bad statistic at all.

Quarterbacks complete an average of 62.7 passes against him all season long, with their average rating being 91.2.

On the opposite side of the Pittsburgh defense, left cornerback Gay has only allowed 44 out of 63 attempts to be completed which factors out to be 69.8 percent.

He's only allowed 391 yards, but 163 of those came after the catch, which speaks on his ability to wrap up the ball carrier, which we'll get into.

The average QB rating when throwing to Gay is 86.1. It isn't horrible, but it isn't spectacular either.

Deshea Townsend has seen far fewer snaps than either of the two above, which makes it reasonable to believe that his stats will look better as far as the cumulative numbers go.

He's been thrown at 18 times, only allowing eight of those to be completed which equates to 44.4 percent. He's only allowed 58 yards this season. He, like Gay, has gotten burned in the YAC statistic, allowing 43 yards after the catch.

The QB rating against Townsend? 52.5.

When comparing the three, you've got to consider that Taylor and Gay have seen over 400 more defensive plays this season and the fact that he's generally lined up over the opposing team's third string receiver, thus the deceiving statistics.

The tackling issue is one that needs to be addressed as soon as possible by Pittsburgh Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau.

Taylor and Gay have 38 and 39 tackles respectively. But Gay has missed a whopping seven tackles, which is evidenced by the spike in the number of yards after catch put up by opposing receivers that he is covering.

Taylor and Townsend have missed two apiece, not bad considering the traditional role of a corner is to stop the pass and not the run. Look at Deion Sanders; he never could tackle. Neither could Champ Bailey.

But the Pittsburgh defense is one in which the corners HAVE to be able to wrap up the ball carrier.

The trio has the pass defense part covered, as they've only allowed one touchdown pass between the three of them.

Gay needs to work on taking the ball carrier to the ground and the Steelers cornerback duo of Taylor and Gay could very well turn into one of the best in the league.

They won't put up the flashy stat, interceptions, but they will knock the pass away and keep it out of the receivers' hands. Taylor has eight knockdowns while Gay has nine.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers Safeties and their pass coverage ability.

Don't forget to read TJ Jenkins' work at the Pittsburgh Pigskin Blog & at Sports Jabber.

Pittsburgh Steelers Look To Baffle the Cincinnati Bengals

TJ Jenkins — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:17:26 -0500

The funny thing about the Pittsburgh Steelers is they've almost done a complete turnaround from last season, and it's proven successful.

No longer are they leading the league in all major defensive categories, but at the same time, they're not near the middle of the road in all offensive categories either.

They boast both the fifth ranked offense in the league and the fifth ranked defense in the league. Could a team be more complete?

Perhaps the biggest thing to watch for on Sunday is the Pittsburgh run defense, which is allowing just 70.4 yards per game. The Cincinnati Bengals are rushing for around 130 yards per game.

Cincinnati running back Cedric Benson seems to have found himself again, and is making as strong a case as anyone for Comeback Player Of The Year (I'm looking at you, Tom Brady), and will look to leave his mark on the defending Super Bowl Champions.

The difference between this game and the last time the two teams went head to head is almost the same difference as black is to white, or day is to night.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been transforming, evolving if you will.

No longer do they allow teams to come back on them in the fourth quarter and no longer is the defense taking a Baltimore Ravens-esque step back. Sunday, when the two teams sitting atop of the AFC North division clash, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will be there.

You can bet that is weighing heavily on Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer's mind.

The Bengals and Palmer are looking to win the division for the first time since 2005. During that postseason they were beat by the Steelers and Palmer went down in the first quarter after a Kimo von-Oelhoffen hit to the knee. The Steelers of course went on to win Super Bowl XL.

The funny thing about that is that if Palmer had not of been injured, the complexion of that game may have been very different. On the play that Palmer was hurt, he completed a 66-yard pass to wide receiver Chris Henry. With plays like that, there is no way the Steel City comes out of that game victorious.

But the past is the past. It doesn't mean anything now.

And that's exactly the attitude we see in the NFL. Team's need to be looking to the future, and once the game comes, they look at the present. You've got to keep looking ahead and forging your name alongside those of the greats.

The talk around the internet is all about this being a "must win" game for the Steelers. Well, what about the Bengals?

Is it not a must win for them as well? Because I for one think it is.

If they beat Pittsburgh Sunday, they'll have the AFC North essentially locked away and will have swept the World Champions this season. With a loss, they go back to being the "same old Bengals" that we've seen time and again over the years.

For all of the teams that I hype, the Bengals have never been a part of that illustrious group. A group that includes (but is not limited to) the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens.

I've never been one to talk much on the Bengals because I generally find myself saying something disparaging about them. That of course is not fair, nor is it professional, so I generally keep my mouth shut.

I will say this though, Marvin Lewis has that group playing well and stifled any and all distractions from Chad Ochocinco—I still hate calling him that by the way—telling him that he was not allowed to send any gifts to the Steelers secondary.

Lewis knows how big this game is. The players know how big this game is. The only matchup getting more hype this week is the Patriots/Colts game, and rightfully so.

Should the Steelers win this game, they will more than likely see a top-three seed in the AFC come playoff time, and more than likely have shut the Bengals down for the season.

But, there's a reason that the game has to be played.

The Steelers secondary is going to have to hit the Bengals receivers hard, early, and often. If they allow Ochocinco to burn them, then this one's going in favor of the Bengals. But should the secondary step up against Palmer and company, then the Steelers will win this game.

Good luck Ike Taylor, hopefully you don't have any mental lapses as you've been prone to this season for some odd reason.

Now, I know what some are thinking.

"The Bengals are only ranked 18th in passing offense this year, how on Earth does stopping the pass win the game?"

Due to the fact that the Steelers front seven will more than likely be able to stuff Benson and keep the Bengals well below their running average, it's going to force them to throw the ball more. Applying pressure on Palmer is key. Force him into quick throws and mistakes.

The biggest thing to watch for is going to be the Steelers pass defense against the short slant patterns that have been tearing them apart all season. I see it, so I KNOW the Bengals coaching staff and Palmer see it. Look for them to get the ball to their receivers quickly.

The good news for the Steelers is that the Bengals are allowing nearly 250 yards per game through the air, the bad news is that they're second behind the Steelers in rush defense.

Rashard Mendenhall is going to have his work cut out for him, but I'm sure the vision of Larry Johnson in the front row wearing a No. 34 jersey is reassuring. He absolutely MUST hold onto the ball in this game, it cannot be put in the hands of the Bengals on a foolish play.

Also, I'd like to see some hard nosed running out of him, instead of breaking a big run and stepping out of bounds while the team is trying to RUN THE CLOCK.

Ben Roethlisberger is going to have to put points on the board, and there's really no reason to think that he can't do so. With targets like Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Mike Wallace, Mendenhall, and Mewelde Moore; even JaMarcus Russell could get some nice passing stats.

Like Mendenhall, No. 7 is going to have to protect the ball and keep it out of the Cincinnati defense's hands. A turnover in this game could prove deadly for the Steel City.

History doesn't mean much, but it's fun to look at, right? The Bengals haven't beaten the Steelers twice in a row since 1998. Hopefully, that 1998 doesn't turn into 2009.

I think the Steelers gut up and take this one. I see them playing their hearts out and gutting a win out for the loyal fans they've secured over the years by being such a dominant force in the AFC.

TJ's Prediction: Steelers 24 Bengals 21

Larry Johnson Wants To Play For The Pittsburgh Steelers

TJ Jenkins — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:29:40 -0500

Prior to his release from the Kansas City Chiefs, Larry 'LJ' Johnson amassed a total of 5,996 yards on 1,375 carries, nearly four and a half yards per carry. Along with that he posted 1,369 receiving yards on 151 receptions for a grand total of 61 touchdowns combined.

Johnson also holds the NFL record for carries in a season with 416. That happened in 2006, the same season that he set a Chiefs single season rushing record with 1,789 yards.

Obviously the man has talent, he just enjoys beating on women and using homosexual slurs in retaliation to a poor season. Quite a shame when a player with all the talent in the world decides to let his emotions get the better of him and ends up losing his job because of it.

But, that's not why we're here. We're here because Johnson has stated that he wants to suit up for last year's Super Bowl Champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I'll pause for a second to let all of the Steelers fans jumping for joy, also take this time to grab your lucky rabbit's foot to hope and pray that he comes to Pittsburgh.

The only thing wrong with Johnson's lobby to join the team is the fact that the Steelers have three running backs who are better suited for the Pittsburgh offense than he.

Rashard Mendenhall just completed running over, around and through the third ranked defense in the NFL to the tune of 155 yards on 22 carries.

Willie Parker comes in to give Mendenhall a breather and to present defenses with a faster back who can stretch the field of play.

Mewelde Moore is the third down running back, who has a little Jerome Bettis in him. He genuinely enjoys lowering his pad level and attempting to bowl over defenders.

Johnson wouldn't bring anything to the table that would give the Steelers a reason to sign him. If the team truly needed another runner, they would promote from within the organization and Isaac Redman would get another shot at the game day roster, not Larry Johnson.

Luckily for Johnson however, the Washington Redskins and New England Patriots have both discussed adding him to their rosters.

As a Steelers fan, I can only say 'have fun with that.'

As always, TJ's writing can also be found at the Pittsburgh Pigskin Blog & at Sports Jabber .

Pittsburgh Steelers Dominate Denver Broncos at Mile High

TJ Jenkins — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:10:51 -0500

Once more the Pittsburgh Steelers defense has stepped up big and dominated a team. The best part about that is that they don’t even need to have all 11 opening day starters to do so.

Ryan Clark wasn’t playing due to issues stemming from his sickle cell trait that can be potentially life threatening during games at high altitudes, and his replacement, Tyrone Carter, intercepted two passes, taking one back for six points which opened the scoring for the Steelers.

Keyaron Fox started in place of middle linebacker Lawrence Timmons and was tied with 2008 Defensive Player Of The Year James Harrison in tackles to lead the team. Both had seven.

Prior to this game, Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton had thrown only one interception. Take that number, and triple it.

That’s how many he threw against one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Two of them to backup safety Carter, and one to the Hitman Troy Polamalu.

Denver’s third ranked rush defense was also exposed by running back Rashard Mendenhall, who ran 22 times for 155 yards but failed to get into the end zone. Perhaps the best news with Mendenhall is that he didn’t fumble this game.

Defensive end Brett Keisel had the team’s only sacks, coming up with two for a total of six yards lost by Denver.

Ben Roethlisberger had another great night, throwing three touchdowns. He did however turn the ball over twice, including a red zone interception (his first since 2007) and a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Robert Ayers.

The Pittsburgh receiving corps had a nice game all around with Mike Wallace and Hines Ward both getting into the end zone, Ward twice, including a short one to put the icing on the cake.

The Pittsburgh defense came up big, but they also disappointed a bit, not being able to stop the quick slant pattern all game long. Brandon Marshall had 11 receptions for 112 yards.

The Steelers continue to add to a streak of five consecutive victories on Monday night and win their fifth straight on the season, while Denver suffered its second straight loss, both coming to an AFC North opponent.

The Steelers finally showed everyone that they can indeed close out games after Carter picked off an Orton pass to seal the victory.

All in all, good game by both teams. Yet, the Pittsburgh defense was just a little too aggressive for the Broncos to handle, even though the Denver defense held the Steelers offense in check for a quarter and a half.

My prediction wasn’t too far off, as I said it was going to end with a 27-20 score in favor of Pittsburgh. Nearly nailed Pittsburgh total points and was just 10 off of Denver's as the scoreboard read 28-10 at the end in favor of the defending champs.

As always, TJ's work can be found at both the Pittsburgh Pigskin Blog & at Sports Jabber .

James Harrison: Undrafted To Unstoppable

TJ Jenkins — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:31:08 -0500

Every young boy’s dream is to be a professional football player. Every player who’s ever stepped foot onto the green, gleaming grass on a Friday night dreams of making it to the biggest stage of them all. They emulate their favorite football personalities in their backyard.

The cold, hard truth of the matter is that less than 4% ever see that dream come to fruition. Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison is one of those players.

Harrison was born and raised just down the road from myself, so this story is especially interesting in a hometown hero type of way. He attended Coventry High School in Akron, Ohio and was one of the first African Americans to play football for the school.

He saw his college days end as he went unnoticed in the 2002 NFL Draft, but was shortly after signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, making him the first Kent State alumni to play linebacker for the Steelers since Jack Lambert.

He, like many other un-drafted rookies spent time on and off the practice squad of the team, eventually making the game day roster, where he was strictly a special teams player. Fellow Steelers linebacker James Farrior has said that when Harrison first came to the team he was so inexperienced that he would give up on plays and even go to the length of asking coaches not to play him when he wasn’t on top of his game.

After the 2003 season he was signed by the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens and they quickly shipped him overseas to play in the NFL Europe league as a member of the Rhein Fire. He was subsequently cut by the Ravens and the Steelers once more signed him to the active roster after linebacker Clark Haggans sustained an injury during training camp in 2004.

Harrison has been quoted as saying that if he had not gotten signed he would have retired from the game of football to pursue his dream of becoming a veterinarian.

On November 14, he started his first career game after Joey Porter was ejected prior to the game for fighting with Cleveland Browns running back William Green. His first career touchdown came in the final week of the season against the Buffalo Bills on a fumble recovery.

Harrison was the talk of the town after intercepting a Drew Brees pass against the San Diego Chargers, and returning it 25 yard return which included an amazing hurdle over future Hall Of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson. He again was in the news when on Christmas Eve against the Cleveland Browns he body slammed an intoxicated fan that charged onto the field.

Harrison also received a Super Bowl ring from Super Bowl XL even though he played special teams during the game.

2007 would be Harrison’s first year as a full time starter, as new head coach, Mike Tomlin cut Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter for salary cap reasons. The team started to build for the future by drafting two linebackers in the first two rounds—Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley. This would be Harrison’s first season where he was voted to the Pro Bowl as well.

His best game of the season came on November 5 in a Monday Night Game against the Ravens. He had nine tackles, three and a half sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovered, and one interception in the game.

He was voted the 2007 Team’s Most Valuable Player for his impressive season which included 98 tackles, eight and a half sacks, seven forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.

In 2008 Harrison was teamed with bookend pass rushed, LaMarr Woodley after the team allowed Clark Haggans to walk during free agency. Once more he absolutely lit the game up against the Ravens, this time finishing the game with 10 tackles, two and a half sacks, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.

Teaming together they had a total of 27.5 sacks, a Steelers team record, with Harrison getting 16 of them and a Steelers record previously held by Mike Merriweather.

Harrison swallowed any bit of pride he may have had during 2008 and played special teams, though he arguably cost the team a game after snapping a ball out of the end zone against the New York Giants.

James Harrison was rewarded for his stellar season by being awarded the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and became the first un-drafted player to win the award.

Even though he had a spectacular season, the most important play came in Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals where he intercepted a Kurt Warner pass on the goal-line and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown as the first half ended. He currently holds the record for the longest play in a Super Bowl, previously held by Desmond Howard.

The Steelers locked Harrison in for the long haul, as he signed a six year, $51.75 contract extension this offseason.

Harrison is now regarded as one of the most dominant defensive forces in the NFL. His name is mentioned with the premier pass rushers in the league such as DeMarcus Ware, Joey Porter, and Osi Umenyiora. The Steelers faithful expect nothing but the best from the player known to many as "Silverback” or “Mr. Monday Night.”

A Blast From the Past: Jack Lambert

TJ Jenkins — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:26:45 -0500

In the first installment of "A Blast From The Past," we’re all going to get a history lesson on one of the best linebackers to play the game of football. His name? Jack Lambert.

Lambert spent his college days at Kent State University (just as current Steelers linebacker James Harrison did). During his time there he managed to achieve All Mid-American Conference (MAC) honors twice en route to the 1974 NFL draft.

Drafted in the second round, 46th overall, many professional scouts felt that the former high school quarterback was too small to play linebacker in the National Football League. The tale of the tape lied, as it so often does, adding nearly 20 pounds to his frame in an attempt to make him look bigger to opposing offenses on scouting reports.

Thought not expected to do too much, he quickly climbed a pinnacle of success with the team showing a demand for hard work within himself and teammates and a highly advanced skill in shedding blockers during plays.

He was the NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year in 1974 and was a huge part of a Steelers team that reached and won Super Bowl IX, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 16-6. This was the Steelers' very first Super Bowl win.

For 11 years he was a constant in the Steelers linebacking corps, averaging 146 tackles for 10 years until suffering an injury in his 11th and final season.

To go along with that impressive tackling average, he finished his career with 28 interceptions, 1,479 tackles, and 23.5 sacks (sacks did not become an official stat until his ninth year in the NFL). He was the first player to sack Hall Of Fame quarterback John Elway in the 1983 season opener, Elway’s rookie season.

During the 1976 NFL season, Hall Of Fame defensive tackle "Mean" Joe Greene missed a few games with a back injury, and Lambert rallied the troops on one of the greatest NFL defenses of all time. He threatened to physically harm anyone who did not play their hearts out to reach the playoffs. They started 1-4, they finished 10-4.

During that nine-game winning streak, the "Steel Curtain," as the defense was nicknamed, allowed only two touchdowns and only 28 points. In fact, throughout the entire season they only allowed 138 points. Of the 11 defensive starters in 1976, eight of them made the Pro Bowl, including the 1976 Defensive Player of the Year—Jack Lambert.

In 2004 he was named the ‘"Toughest Player to Ever Play in the NFL."

Career Achievements

-Nine-time Pro Bowl selection
-Seven-time first team All-Pro
-One-time second team All-Pro
-Four-time Super Bowl Champion
-NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
-NFL 1970’s All-Decade Team
-NFL 1980’s All-Decade Team
-1974 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
-1976 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
-Member of the 20/20 Club
-Pro Football Hall Of Fame Member

America's Team? Dallas Cowboys Can Keep That Moniker

TJ Jenkins — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:20:16 -0500

First and foremost, allow me to explain that I in no way, shape or form expect to make any friends out of Dallas Cowboys fans from this article. But I digress, I have a duty to call them like I see them. For all those who disagree, I look forward to your intelligent debate that shall stem from this article in the comments section, so have away at it.

There are 32 teams in the NFL, every single one of them are based in the United States of America. Only one, however, has been called America's Team. Unless you've been living under a rock since 1978, then you know that this team is the Cowboys.

To actually put forth an intelligent argument for or against the Cowboys having this moniker, once must journey back into NFL history and learn just why the Cowboys have been dubbed as such.

Whilst narrating a 1978 highlight film for the Cowboys season, now NFL Films Vice President Bob Ryan needed something catchy. He coined the term America's Team due to the excessive crowds seen at Cowboys home games and by the fashion of the fan base.

Prior to the first game of the 1979 NFL season, the team was announced as such and the nickname has stuck ever since.

The exact quote from Ryan during that film reads as follows:

"They appear on television so often that their faces are as familiar to the public as presidents and movie stars. They are the Dallas Cowboys, America's Team."

Through thick and thin, the Dallas faithful have remained ever loyal to their favorite team and reminded everyone along the way that they are America's Team.

As a player in Dallas, you're exposed to a whirlwind of media extravaganzas. Each and every player is thrust into the spotlight by simply signing with the team.

But why Dallas? The term was coined in the 1970's when another team was just as dominating if not more so than the team hailing from Dallas. A team that won four Super Bowls during the decade. A team that beat those very Cowboys TWICE in the Super Bowl. I'm of course referring to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So, why Dallas? Why not Pittsburgh?

Throughout the decades, the teams have both tasted success and both have known the utter shock of defeat. They've gone head to head in the big game three times. More times than any other NFL teams have. Between the two they've won 11 Super Bowls. But only one can wear the prestige of America's Team, such is life in the NFL.

Does a star quarterback thrust a team into the spotlight? Both teams have had their share of those. Dallas had Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. Pittsburgh was led into battle by Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger.

Field general quarterbacks? Check for both.

Or how about a mauler at the running back position? Dallas boasted Tony Dorsett and Emmit Smith while Pittsburgh handed it off to Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis.

Great runners? Check on both.

How about the guys that make the quarterbacks look good? The wide receivers? Dallas' stars threw to Drew Pearson, Butch Johnson and Michael Irvin. The Steelers quarterbacks have had John Stallworth, Lynn Swann and Hines Ward catching their passes.

Sure handed receivers? Check on that.

Or maybe it's the defense that truly makes teams great, after all 'Defense wins championships'? Dallas had their Doomsday Defense while the Steelers boasted the Steel Curtain.

Dominating defenses? Check and double check.

As far as the common names go, this is a fairly balanced matchup. By common names I mean household names and by that I mean names that people who don't make it a point to follow the NFL have heard.

Everyone knows who Emmit Smith, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw and Jerome Bettis were. If they don't then they apparently haven't ever read a newspaper or turned on the television.

Looking back from the present time, it's actually a bit dumbfounding that the Steelers weren't the firs team to be tagged as America's Team.

After all, what represents America more than hard work, determination and winning? The Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s. Super Bowl IX, X, XIII and XIV. The Cowboys only won half as many in that decade. Two of Pittsburgh's Super Bowl victories also saw the Cowboy's tasting defeat.

The team's today could not be more opposite.

The Steelers are a perennial playoff team that have won two Super Bowls this decade (Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII). In fact, this decade the Steelers surpassed both the San Francisco Forty Niners and Dallas' own Cowboys in Super Bowl wins with six to their name.

The Cowboys seem to be the polar opposite, not seeing the post season since 2007 after a last minute interception by Dallas quarterback Tony Romo sealed the win for the division rival New York Giants.

Prior to that season, Romo had bobbled a snap on an extra point that would have tied the game against the Seattle Seahawks.

I see no reason why the Steelers aren't considered as America's Team. Other than the fact that...we don't want the title.

Shocker, right? Allow me to explain.

Cowboys fans, you can keep the nickname, trust me, we don't want it. The Steelers organization would much rather stay out of that national spotlight that comes with holding that title. They'd rather proceed on a business as usual basis without the distractions.

The name is simply too glamorous for the team in Pittsburgh, they're perfectly happy with being simply Pittsburgh's Team. Perhaps that name's more prestigious anyway.

America's Team and Pittsburgh's Team could not be further apart as far as nicknames go.

The Steelers are the grind it out, blue collar, leave it all on the field kind of team.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, are the prima donna, superstar, go-to-Cabo-with-my-starlet-girlfriend kind of glamor team that the media flocks to. They feed off of the national spotlight.

The fans of the Steelers relate to the team more than one could know without observing them. They epitomize hard work and determination, just like their team. They struggle and strain to work the nine to five pace kind of jobs just to sustain families.

Look no further than one team being nationally known for the beauty of it's cheerleaders. Sometimes that overshadows the team's success or lack thereof.

The other team has no cheerleaders, never has and never will. That's just one more distraction that's not needed on the football field.

I can't speak for any other Steelers fans, but myself, I'd rather be a fan of Pittsburgh's Team than one of America's Team any day.

What about you?

As always, my work can also be found on the Pittsburgh Pigskin Blog and at Sports Jabber.

A Pittsburgh Steelers History Lesson: A Decade of Defensive Domination

TJ Jenkins — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:24:23 -0500

Today we shall embark on the second leg of the journey that is tracing the Pittsburgh Steelers' history book. Hang on for the ride, because we’re in the 1970s now.

In 1969, the Steelers hired a former Cleveland Browns players as their head coach. That player? Chuck Noll, who played for the Browns from 1953-1959. Before accepting the head coaching position in Pittsburgh (a job that Joe Paterno turned down) Noll was an assistant coach for both the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Colts.

While with the Colts, Noll was the defensive coordinator and set an NFL record for points allowed (144), the Colts went 13-1 that season, beating the Cleveland Browns to win the NFL Championship but lost Super Bowl III to the New York Jets.

In his first year with the Steelers, Noll won only one game, against the Detroit Lions. Though he did select Joe Greene with the fourth pick in the 1969 NFL Draft prior to the season.

Prior to the 1970 NFL Draft, the Steelers won a coin toss between them and the Chicago Bears for the first overall pick (both teams were 1-13, with the Bears win coming against the Steelers.). With that pick, the Steelers selected Louisiana Tech star quarterback Terry Bradshaw.

In 1970, the Steelers, Browns and Colts joined the American Football Conference (AFC) to join with the former members of the American Football League (AFL) due to the 1970 merger.

The Steelers home games were now played exclusively in Three Rivers Stadium. Also in 1970, Myron Cope stepped into the broadcast booth for the first of 35 years of service to the team in a radio capacity.

Terry Bradshaw was now the team’s starting quarterback, though for the next two years, the Steelers would not taste success. Neither year saw the team posting a winning record, but the Steelers were rebuilding for greatness drafting Jack Ham in the 1971 NFL Draft.

In 1972, the Steelers used a draft pick on Franco Harris, who rushed for over 1,000 yards as a rookie running back for the Steelers. Along with those yards, he managed to find the end zone 11 times while helping the team post an 11-3 record, which was first in the AFC Central division. This season would mark the first since 1947 that the team had seen the playoffs.

The very first playoff game at Three Rivers Stadium proved to be one that would go into the NFL history books. Maybe you’ve heard of it? The Immaculate Reception happened at Three Rivers during a playoff game against the Oakland Raiders.

The Steelers were trailing the Raiders 13-6 and a fourth-down pass attempt by Bradshaw had seemingly resulted in an incompletion after Jack Tatum batted it away. But Harris scooped it up near his shoes and took it in for the winning score.

The next week, the Steelers would not be so lucky, facing the undefeated Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship game. The Dolphins went on to finish that season 17-0. A perfect record.

The Steelers had lost, but they were slowly becoming an NFL dynasty.

The very next season, the team started 8-1 but hit a losing streak and ended up losing to the Raiders in the playoffs.

Then came 1974: A year which all Steelers fans should familiarize themselves with.

The epicenter of the dynasty was selected in the 1974 NFL Draft, including Mike Webster, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and Jack Lambert.

Place that with other Steelers talent acquired from past drafts like Mel Blount, Ham, Bradshaw, Harris, and Greene, and you’ve got a winning squad. And winning is what they did best.

Bradshaw actually lost the starting quarterback job for awhile to Joe Gilliam but came back to take it over once more, leading the team to a 10-3-1 record and first place in the division. On the other side of the ball, Joe Greene won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Buffalo Bills and the Raiders once more were defeated by the Steelers in the playoffs on their way to the first Super Bowl appearance for the team.

Super Bowl IX, in New Orleans, LA against the Minnesota Vikings. The final score was 16-6 in a complete defensive struggle, with the Steelers' defense scoring a touchdown and getting a safety on Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton.

In 1975, the team was even better than before, Harris was second in the NFL in rushing behind Buffalo’s OJ Simpson, Swann hauled in 11 touchdowns and Blount was the AFC Defensive Player Of The Year.

Before Super Bowl IX, the Steelers had endured more than 40 years of futile attempts to win an NFL Championship but they’d find themselves repeating the feat from 1974 as they faced the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X.

A 64-yard touchdown pass from Bradshaw to Swann put the Steelers in the lead, even though the Cowboys matched the touchdown. Roger Staubach threw an interception to seal the deal for the Steel City as they went on to win 21-7.

Prior to the Raiders game in the playoffs, another legend was born in the Steel City. Radio announcer Myron Cope came up with the Terrible Towel, a uniting factor among the fans of the Steelers known as Steeler Nation.

Many of players did not like the idea of the towel gimmick as they were in concurrence with Cope’s original thoughts that they were not a "gimmick team." The towel, however, caught on with both the players and the fans and has become just as much a part of the franchise as its storied history.

1975 would not see Super Bowl success, but it wasn’t a failure of a season either. Though the team would eventually lose to the Raiders in the playoffs, Jack Lambert was the AFC Defensive Player of the Year. That marked the third year in a row that a Steelers player won that honor.

In 1977, Bradshaw threw more interceptions than touchdowns. The most surprising thing was that the defense, who had been dubbed the Steel Curtain, gave up twice as many points as they had the previous season. The Steelers still made the playoffs after posting a 9-5 record but lost to the Denver Broncos.

In 1978, the Steelers got in trouble. They were caught wearing shoulder pads during a training camp session and would end up losing a draft pick in the 1979 NFL Draft because of it. The team didn’t seem to mind as they absolutely rolled through the season and playoffs including racking the Broncos and Houston Oilers by a combined point total of 67-15 in the playoffs.

The team would again find themselves in the Super Bowl. This time, Super Bowl XIII, they would once again face the Dallas Cowboys.

This game would go down in history as one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time, with both teams playing their hearts out. Bradshaw would throw four touchdowns and the Steelers would score 14 points in a span of 19 seconds but allowed the Cowboys to counter with two scores of their own.

With 22 seconds remaining, the Steelers recovered an onside kick to preserve the 35-31 win.

The end of the dynasty and the end of the decade would coincide. 1979 was a season in which Stallworth posted over 1,000 receiving yards and Bradshaw threw 26 touchdown passes en route to Super Bowl XIV.

The fourth Super Bowl for the team would be against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams forced Bradshaw into mistakes in the form of three interceptions. He did however rebound with a long touchdown to both Swann and Stallworth. The Steelers would win this game 31-19.

The Steelers had won four Super Bowls in the 1970’s after not even appearing in a single one for the years prior to 1974. They were benefited greatly by the drafting success of Noll and his staff.

Noll won more Super Bowls than any other coach, with his last one coming against the Rams of Los Angeles in Super Bowl XIII.

Would the Steelers success continue into the 1980s? Guess you’re going to have to stick around for part three of the installment.

NFL Week Nine Preview: Pittsburgh-Denver

TJ Jenkins — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:15:38 -0500

Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) at Denver Broncos (6-1)
Monday November 9th, 2009
Mile High Stadium (Denver, CO)

This game between the defending Super Bowl Champions and the surprising Denver Broncos, led by quarterback Kyle Orton and first year head coach Josh McDaniels, could either be the best Monday Night Football game that we’ve seen this year, or it could be a complete dud.

The reason I say that is because of the fact that both of these teams have two faces. Both look Super Bowl ready at times and then completely flat at other times.

This game is going to be an aerial attack from both sides. Both teams are going to throw the ball until they’re around. Or at least until they’re in the red zone. The Steelers offense has shifted from a primarily running offense to a pass oriented attack over the past few seasons.

Roethlisberger has a plethora of targets to throw the ball to. The ever-reliable and recently acclaimed ‘dirtiest player in the NFL’ Hines Ward is having a strong season and leading the team in yards and receptions. The speedy Santonio Holmes rounds out the duo of Super Bowl MVP’s with his threat on the edge. Not to mention rookie sensation Mike Wallace who is coming into his own in the Steelers offense.

And that’s just the wide receivers for the defending champions. Along with that trio of pass catchers, Big Ben has one of the premier tight ends in the league in Heath Miller, and two backs who are very good at catching the ball out of the backfield in Mewelde Moore and Rashard Mendenhall.

Roethlisberger has hooked up with his teammates for 11 touchdowns this year.

Kyle Orton, on the other hand, has Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, and Jabar Gaffney to throw the ball to. Orton’s receiving corps may not have the gaudy numbers that Roethlisberger’s does, but that’s because Orton has seemingly mastered the art of the check down and throwing the ball away. He’s thrown nine touchdowns and only one interception this season.

Orton’s style of play presents a problem for the Steelers, as they’ve had little success stopping the ‘dink and dunk’ offense from marching down the field. They absolutely must make it a priority to keep Orton’s backs in check while playing the hook zone against his receivers.

Orton must make it a point to target one of the few weak links in the Steelers secondary, Ike Taylor. In 2008 Taylor allowed only 7.1 yards per attempt against him but has slipped this season to somewhere around eight to 10. In fact, against the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns, the corner has given up 174 yards on 17 attempts. That’s just over 10 yards an attempt. Should Orton choose to target Ike Taylor 10 to 12 times in this game, he should find success.

James Harrison and Ryan Clady are going to be battling it out all game long, while on the opposite side of the game Elvis Dumervil and Max Starks will be having their own personal battle. The only difference is that Starks is at an advantage due to Roethlisberger’s ability to move and make plays on the run.

The Steelers running game is anchored by left tackle Chris Kemoeatu, who is a master at the pulling guard position. Rashard Mendenhall should find room running behind him to either side. Denver running back Knowshon Moreno has only two more yards than the Steelers starter on 31 more attempts, and less touchdowns than Mendenhall.

Special teams may again be a key to the game for the Steelers as they’ve allowed special teams touchdowns in their previous two games, one to Cleveland return man Joshua Cribbs and the other to Minnesota return man Percy Harvin. Eddie Royal has already taken both a kick and a punt for a touchdown this year, both in the same game in fact.

Denver is coming off of a throttling at the hands of another AFC North opponent, the Baltimore Ravens. The final score? 30-7. They’re hungry, but are they hungry enough to knock off the champs? Only time will tell.

The wild card for the Steelers is whether or not Ryan Clark is permitted to play, both he and Head Coach Mike Tomlin are waiting until later in the week to announce that. He’s been cleared by all his doctors, but it’s still a game time decision.

TJ’s Prediction: I’m thinking that the Steelers take this one in a fairly close game. The Denver defense is playing lights out, led by outside linebacker Dumervil. As long as Roethlisberger can pass against the Broncos talented secondary, it’s the Steelers game to lose. The score? Pittsburgh 27 Denver 20

As always, my work can also be found on the Sports Jabber Forums & the Pittsburgh Pigskin Blog .

Pittsburgh's Hines Ward Voted League's Dirtiest Player

TJ Jenkins — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:18:00 -0500

During training camp, the illustrious magazine and website known as Sports Illustrated polled 296 NFL players, asking them the not so simple question: ‘Who is the dirtiest player in the league?’

The top five winners (losers?) of the poll are as follows:

1. Hines Ward—Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers
2a. Joey Porter—Outside linebacker, Miami Dolphins
2b. Albert Haynesworth—Defensive Tackle, Washington Redskins
4. Roy Williams—Safety, Cincinnati Bengals
5. Kevin Mawae—Center, Tennessee Titans

That’s right, the all time leading receiver in Steelers franchise history tops the list formerly perennially topped by former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison. In fact, he got 11.6 percent of the vote.

Apparently 159 players polled were playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.

Ward is accused of being a dirty player due to his crushing blocks, very few of which are dirty. Every player in the league is going to make a stupid choice now and then in the heat of the moment during a crucial game. Do a few bad decisions mixed with playing your heart out classify you as dirty?

I don’t think so either. The sheer fact of the matter is that Hines Ward is generally penalized for everything illegal he does. He’s not a flashy guy, he doesn’t dance after touchdowns, he simply blocks the defenders—a pivotal part of playing wide receiver in the Steelers offense. In fact, it’s ideal in all wide receivers in any offense, at any level. The Steelers just place a higher priority on it than most.

If a receiver like New York’s Braylon Edwards decided to throw a vicious block on a linebacker from the New England Patriots, he wouldn’t get penalized and even if he did he would be praised for being a hard nosed guy and attempting to open up a running lane.

For some reason though, Ward doesn’t get the same treatment, perhaps it’s because he consistently blocks his man?

Now there’s an argument that he ‘blindsides’ defenders. But why should the blocker be penalized when the defender isn’t doing one of the things he’s taught in Pee Wee football? At all levels of the game you, as a defend, are taught to keep your head on a swivel. I’m looking at you, Keith Rivers.

Hines Ward doesn’t play the game dirty, he plays the game hard.

Perhaps he should consider the award an honor, one to place next to his two Super Bowl rings and one Super Bowl MVP. Because if he’s getting all this ‘praise’ from knocking defenders around whilst being a small(ish) wide receiver in a league full of huge defensive linemen and linebackers, then he’s certainly doing something right.

Rod Woodson: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

TJ Jenkins — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:55:33 -0500

After seeing what Rod Woodson could be and what he did in college, it was almost a no-brainer that he’d be special in the pros. One of those players that comes along once in a very long time; If not once in a lifetime.

Prior to the 1987 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers had suffered two losing seasons in a row and once again had a top-10 draft pick. Then Steelers coach Chuck Noll decided that it was time to upgrade his once proud defense that had slipped to No. 18 overall in the league in 1986.

It took awhile for the franchise and Woodson to come to a contract agreement due to the 1987 NFL Players Strike and as a result the cornerback from Purdue University only saw action in eight games in his rookie year. He did however, make an immediate impact leading the team in both kick and punt returns and playing in the nickel formation.

On Nov. 22, 1987 he recorded his first interception—and his first interception returned for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Boomer Esiason. He took the play 45 yards and into the end zone and a legend was born in Pittsburgh.

For years upon years in Three Rivers Stadium there was a banner hung that proclaimed: “Rod Is God.” Which goes to show how big he was with the fans of the Steel City. Indeed he should have been, he breathed new life into a defense, a team, and a city.

In 1994 he was regarded as one of the best return men in the league and also as one of the best corner backs.

He was also named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team; One of only five active players on the list. The other players? No one too great, no household names or anything. Just Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, and Reggie White. That was 10 years prior to his retirement.

In the first game of the 1995 NFL season, against the Detroit Lions, Woodson suffered a torn ACL while attempting to tackle Barry Sanders and his season looked to be over.

But in a testament to how important Woodson was to the Steelers defense and team as a whole, head coach Bill Cowher did not place his All-Pro corner on injured reserve. Rather he felt that he owed it to Woodson to have the chance to play in the Super Bowl. What a bold prediction for just one game into the season, right?

During his time recovering from that injured knee Woodson was still around the Steelers practice, helping Willie Williams progress as a corner back along with Carnell Lake.

Even without their stud corner, the Pittsburgh team did manage to win the AFC Championship game and go on to play in Super Bowl XXX, against the Dallas Cowboys.

This game marked the third meeting between the two teams in the Super Bowl, which is the most by any two NFL teams. The 27-17 Cowboys victory would mark the Steelers first loss in the Super Bowl and Dallas’ fifth win, which tied the San Francisco 49ers as the most in NFL history. That would be broken by the Pittsburgh Steelers after their victories in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.

Though Lake and Williams got to start at the corner-back spots, Woodson did get to play in his first Super Bowl, where he broke up a Troy Aikman pass intended for Michael Irvin. Directly after he made the play he got up and pointed to his knee.

Not only was Woodson excellent in coverage he was also great in run support and blitzing the quarterback. Just ask Houston Oilers Hall-Of-Fame quarterback Warren Moon —Woodson sacked him and gave him a concussion.

After another Pro Bowl season in 1996, Woodson left via free agency, a move which Hall-Of-Fame Steeler Mel Blount felt was a mistake. He said that it was obvious that Woodson was a special player.

In fact the same thing has happened to a few Steelers players including Franco Harris in 1984 and Alan Faneca in 2008. Contract disputes and salary cap issues show everyone involved that in the end the NFL is a business.

After leaving the Steelers he played for the 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, and Oakland Raiders where he appeared in two more Super Bowls, winning one with the Ravens.

His last career interception came against the Minnesota Vikings' Daunte Culpepper.

When asked what the most important characteristics of an NFL quarterback, Woodson had this to say:

"To play cornerback you have to be the best athlete on the field,” Woodson commented. "You're all by yourself against a wide receiver. You have to run backward, which isn't natural, then turn and sprint as soon as the receiver makes his break, matching him stride for stride at top speed.

"If you want to be the best cornerback, you have to play like a linebacker, too,” he further observed at the time. “You have to take on pulling guards and tackles, and you must hit tight ends and running backs. Most cornerbacks, if they're honest, will say, 'I'm a cover guy. I don't want to get involved in contact.' You can't be passive. If you don't sell out on every play, you'll come up a play or two short."

Woodson is in the NFL history books as one of (if not the) best defensive back to ever play the game. Take a look at his career statistics:

1,163 tackles
71 interceptions
1,483 interception return yards
12 interceptions returned for touchdowns
13.5 sacks
32 fumble recoveries
1 fumble returned for a touchdown
2,362 kick/punt return yards
2 kicks returned for touchdowns
2 punts returned for touchdowns
17 total touchdowns

And a look at his career accolades:

11 Pro Bowls
6 First Team All Pro selections
2 Second Team All Pro selections
NFL 75th Anniversary Team
1990s All Decade Team
1993 NFL Defensive Player Of The Year
1993 UPI AFL-AFC Player Of The Year
Super Bowl XXXV Champion
2009 Pro Football Hall Of Fame Inductee

The man, the myth, the legend of Rod Woodson is nothing short of a feel good story. He has since repaired relations with the Rooney family and gives back to the community and his old high school by assisting in coaching their defense, which his own son plays on as a defensive back, wide receiver and he also returns kicks.

Rod Woodson: Boilin' Over At Purdue

TJ Jenkins — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:05:38 -0400

As a kid growing up with his mother and father in Indiana, Rod Woodson attended R. Nelson Snider High School and played three different sports: football, basketball, and track.

As a football player, he was essentially a utility man playing defensive back, kick returner, and a variety of offensive skill positions including running back and wide receiver. He achieved All-State honors in both his junior and senior seasons.

As a track star, he won the state tournament and a total of four state titles in his junior and senior seasons for the high and low hurdles.

As a basketball player, Woodson was an All-Conference player his senior season.

We all know that Woodson had what is considered a Hall of Fame career as a professional football player and we’ll get into that in the next article. But how was the man in college?

He was so good in high school in Fort Wayne, Ind. that the Purdue Boilermakers offered him a full scholarship, which he gladly accepted to pursue a degree in electrical engineering.

While playing at Purdue, the man was quite simply an athletic monster, playing not only football for the Boilermakers but also running track.

He was such a good runner that he actually qualified for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics as a 19-year-old hurdler in the 100m event. In fact ,Purdue basketball coach and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback (drafted in 1958) said that Woodson could have played varsity basketball for the school as well as running track and playing football. Instead of going through with his Olympic opportunity, he chose to pursue his football career.

That’s how amazing an athlete he was.

During four years of football for the Boilermakers, he started 44 games, however he won only 18 of them. That was by no means his fault as he was essentially a one man team. This included returning both punts and kicks, playing defensive back, and starting as wide receiver in his final game.

The saving grace about his 18-26 record?

He won his final game in a Purdue uniform.

What makes that victory sweeter is that it was against rival Indiana and Woodson had a combined 150 yards from scrimmage between running the ball and catching it. Along with that, he had 10 tackles and forced a fumble.

Along with his football accomplishments—which included being an All-American defensive back in 1985 and 1986, a three time All-Big Ten First Team selection, and tying the record for the most interceptions in school history with 11—he also achieved All-America honors for track and field twice on his way to winning five Big Ten titles in two events.

When he graduated from the university, he held or tied a total of 13 school records in football and two in track and field.

His NFL Combine numbers may not "wow" you, but you must take into consideration that this was in 1987. Woodson didn’t prepare for the ultimate job interview for months.

His numbers:
40 Yard Dash: 4.31 and 4.33 seconds
Broad Jump: 10 feet, five inches
Vertical Jump: 36 inches
Short Shuttle: 3.98 seconds
Bench Press: 10 repetitions

Prior to the draft, legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry said that if Woodson had foregone running track and played spring football that he would have stepped into a starting spot in the NFL as a rookie.

In 1987, he graduated from Purdue with a criminal justice degree and was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 10th overall draft pick.

The man is obviously a freakish athlete and absolutely lit up the college scene.

Gee, I wonder how he did in the pros?

We’ll just have to wait until next time to see.

Steelers' Ryan Clark: Fighting The Good Fight

TJ Jenkins — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:51:19 -0400

Ryan Terry Clark is yet another undrafted free agent pickup that is starting on one of the most storied defenses in the NFL.

The former LSU Tiger was an undrafted rookie in 2002 when the New York Giants signed him to play mostly special teams. After the bye week he was waived and signed to the Giants practice squad.

The very next year, he came back with fire in his soul, and appeared in every game for the Giants that season, starting four of them.

In 2004 he got a change of scenery, playing for the Washington Redskins . Due to injuries, he started 11 games that year, and was fourth on the team in tackles with 91.

Two years later, he’d find himself taking the spot of veteran safety Chris Hope in the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary. In 2007 Clark kept his starting job intact after a training camp battle with fellow safety Anthony Smith .

Alas in the 2007 season he had to have both his gall bladder and spleen removed due to a blood disorder stemming from Sickle Cell traits. He lost 30 pounds that year, and was literally fighting for his life.

He returned to the Steelers during the 2008 season and helped the team win a Super Bowl, whilst reminding people that he is a ferocious hitter from the safety position.

Need proof? Take a look at his hit on Wes Welker of the New England Patriots , his hit on Willis McGahee of the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, and this past Sunday his hit on Percy Harvin of the Minnesota Vikings .

Clark may not play come November 9 against the Denver Broncos , and no one will be able to blame him. Twice in his career he has had medical problems stemming from playing in the high altitude of Mile High Stadium, most notably in October of 2007 when he was hospitalized directly after the game.

That was when he had the surgeries, the spleen in November and the gall bladder in December. Many thought that he’d never play again after fighting for his life, but he returned to prove everyone wrong.

Chances are that he plays, as long as there will be no complications due to his illness mixed with the altitude.

Toughness is not an issue with Clark. He’s proved time and again that he has no problem playing through pain, as evidenced by the dislocated shoulder he sustained that only kept him out a week.

He’s playing not only for himself, but for fellow safety and former Redskins teammate Sean Taylor . He still wears number 21 during practices to pay tribute to the former University of Miami star.

Even if he doesn’t play, there is no reason that his commitment or ability to play through pain should be questioned. I won’t have it.

Join in the discussion on this and other topics in the NEW Sports Jabber Forums!

A Chat With A Vikings Fan

TJ Jenkins — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:09:53 -0400

So a good friend of mine, Mark, from Sports Jabber agreed to toss me his thoughts. He’s a long time Minnesota Vikings fan, and one great guy all around. He predicted a close Pittsburgh Steelers win as well.

Here’s what Mark had to say:

From the perspective of a Vikings fan watching yesterday’s game at Pittsburgh, a couple things come to mind:

1. The Vikings are actually a better team than I thought. After getting called for what appeared to be a very specious tripping penalty and giving up a defensive TD on the fumble, they stayed in the game. Harvin’s kickoff return was a great boost to the defense.

2. The Steelers offensive line may have some serious weaknesses. The pressure the Vikings got on Roethlisberger all day was pretty good. And the team did a good job of corralling him and not letting him make any “cheap” completions.

3. I was surprised the Steelers didn’t attack the Vikings secondary, given that their best defensive player was out. Not just their best defensive back, their best player. (Full disclosure here: I started both Santonio Holmes and Mike Wallace in my fantasy league because I was sure they’d have big days.)

4. Steelers approached this game defensively as most teams have this year. They worked to stop or minimize Adrian Peterson and take their chances on Brett Favre. It worked, but just barely. That could be good news for my team as the season goes along. After all, not every team is as solid up front as the Steelers and Peterson will definitely get his yards.

Overall, the Vikings had a chance to win with less than two minutes to go. As a fan, that’s pretty much all you can ask for on the road against the defending league champions. I didn’t expect to win this game so it doesn’t sting too bad. I thought that Mike Tomlin would be better able to predict the play calling and tendencies. It didn’t really turn out that way.

Also, it gives the Vikings a chance to re-focus and be better prepared for what is—for them—a more meaningful (ie, division) game against the Green Bay Packers.

Great game. Hope we get to do it again in Miami.

I’d really love to see this as a potential Super Bowl rematch. It’d be quite the game once more, with Peterson and company up against the Steelers defense once more. Although just because the league is so topsy-turvy it would probably end up being the quarterback duel a lot of people hoped to see.

Great game by both teams, the Vikings and their fans are truly class acts. Good luck to you guys throughout the season, perhaps we’ll meet again.

Pittsburgh Steelers Defense Gets Offensive

TJ Jenkins — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:05:05 -0400

Steelers 27 Vikings 17

Living in Cleveland Browns TV coverage territory got me again, as the two teams played at the same time for yet another week. I did not get to view the game live as I was trick or treating with my daughter and younger sister. It was quite fun, a lot more than I’d of had if I’d of stayed to watch the Green Bay Packers dominate the Browns.

So, I get home and immediately go for the computer to check the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings score and statistics.

Of course I let out a huge "hell yeah" after seeing just what had transpired during the game.

It seems that the Steelers defense is back to old form, as the line backing corps took two to the house handing Brett Favre his first loss of the season.

First things first though.

Ben Roethlisberger didn’t do too much during the game, getting sacked three times. He didn’t have to do much because the Steelers defense stepped up. He finished the game with a season low 175 yards and one touchdown. He didn’t throw a pick though, and we saw flashes of the Roethlisberger of yesteryear.

Rashard Mendenhall continued to be successful as the Steelers starting running back, though his opportunities were limited. Only 10 rushes for the second year back, with 69 yards gained. Not too shabby in my book. I mean, sure it’d of been great had he not fumbled and lost it, but things happen.

The rookie Mike Wallace was the team’s leading receiver, while Hines Ward, who was the league’s leading receiver, was held to just one catch for three yards. Not exactly something Steelers fans are accustomed to seeing out of him.

Wallace now has two touchdowns in his past three games. Limas Sweed on the other hand, well, he makes sure that Wallace is fully hydrated.

The Steelers linebackers were all over the field, with James Farrior leading the team in tackles and sacking Favre. LaMarr Woodley returned a fumble for a 77 yard touchdown. Lawrence Timmons had five tackles before leaving in the fourth quarter.

Timmons leaving the game opened the door for Keyaron Fox to catch a blooper reel screen pass off of Chester Taylor’s helmet and taking it 82 yards for the score to seal the game. James Harrson had two sacks of his own. Just a completely dominating group that literally won the game for the Steel City.

The former USC Trojan Troy Polamalu seems to be returning to pre-injury form. With six tackles, he’s certainly not shying away from contact like you’ll see a lot of recently injured players doing. I suppose he’s somewhat immune to any Madden Curse.

The defense also held the league’s leading rusher and freak of nature Adrian Peterson to 69 yards on 18 attempts. He got into the end zone once but his longest run was only two yards more than Mendenhall’s 17.

The biggest detriment to the Steelers in this game is their third down efficiency. Thirty-three percent does not cut it. You’ve got to be able to win the battle on third down. Four of twelve is not good at all. I’d settle for even 50 percent. I really would. But a third of the time? No way.

Also in that "bad" category, the Steelers special teams gave up the second consecutive kick return touchdown to rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin. Remember the old saying, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,"? Well, look for special teams to be the epicenter of work this week.

All in all, I can only imagine how Favre feels, setting season highs in both yards (334) and attempts (51). The Vikings were forced into throwing the ball due to Dick LeBeau’s consistent blitzing schemes that allowed Favre no rest. The Steelers defense is finally back to old form and at the exact moment in the season where they needed to turn up the heat.

Phenomenal Previews: Tennessee Titans At Pittsburgh Steelers

TJ Jenkins — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:20:29 -0400

2009 Kickoff Weekend

Thursday, September 10th 8:30 PM

Tennessee Titans (0-0-0) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0-0)

Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Capacity: 65,050

TV Coverage: NBC

Last Meeting: Week 16, 2008 Titans 34 Steelers 14

All Time Series: Steelers 41-30 (includes post-season)

Coaching:

Steelers – Mike Tomlin (22-10)

Titans – Jeff Fisher (128-102)

Once again the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves beginning the NFL season on a Thursday night. The stakes this time are a bit higher however. The visiting Tennessee Titans embarrassed the Steelers last season sacking Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger five times in a 34-14 victory.

Directly after that beat down, they also gave them what is essentially a motivational poster—LenDale White and Keith Bullock proceeded to stomp on the Terrible Towel in a harmless, yet childish antic. This will only serve as locker room fodder if you will, a way to light a little extra fire under the Steelers squad.

Also on the Steelers side is their history in team openers—they currently hold the NFL record for consecutive season openers won with six. They’ll look to extend that streak to seven against last year’s number one seed in the AFC and we’ll take a look at the keys to the game for each team.

Steelers Keys to the Game

1.Use The Personnel At Their Disposal

With Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall in the Steelers backfield behind the powerful Frank Summers this year the Steelers will employ the popular running back by committee tactic, using Parker’s speed and Mendenhall’s strength to wear down opposing defenses.

Along with the two-headed beast in the backfield, the Steelers also have two tight ends that have shown their ability to not only catch the ball, but to block as well. Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth are both very athletic and have the ability to stretch the field from the tight end position. Maybe not as much as freaks of nature like Antonio Gates and Kellen Winslow Jr., but they do a very good job at sliding underneath zone coverage.

Defensively, everyone in the league knows that the Steelers are coming after you using defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau’s zone blitzing scheme. They just don’t know where the pressure is coming from. It’s all about giving the offense one read, and coming at them from an unexpected angle. You’ll see this whenever an outside linebacker is in a three point stance, because you never know if one will drop back into hook zone coverage, or if they’ll come off the edge for the attempted sack.

If the Steelers can keep the Titans guessing, they’ll have no problem using their offensive and defensive play makers to gain yards and shut down the Titans offense.

2.Make The Titans Throw The Ball To Win

Chris Johnson and LenDale White are the perfect complement to each other. With Johnson being one of, if not the, fastest players in the NFL and LenDale White building a career on being a bruising power back they can easily wear down any defense in the NFL without breaking a sweat.

Johnson had nine touchdowns on the season, with almost five yards per carry throughout. White found the end zone 15 times at nearly four yards per carry. Shutting this dynamic duo is a key for the Steelers defense this week.

On the other hand the Titans wide receivers don’t strike fear into the hearts of any defense in the NFL, or rather any respectable defense in the NFL. With the Steelers more than adequate secondary they’ll have no problems containing the Titans aerial attack that averaged less than 180 yards per game.

3.Quick Passes And Play Action

Perhaps the biggest question on the Super Bowl Champions mind is once again the offensive line. Just recently starting guard Darnell Stapleton was lost for the season to an injury. The line was nothing spectacular with him, but losing him still hurts and it will take time for the unit to gel once again.

Taking advantage of Tennessee’s aggressiveness will save Roethlisberger multiple headaches because even without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth plugging up the middle the Titans still have a very formidable defensive front.

Three step drops and Roethlisberger’s quick and powerful release will need to be utilized for at least the first quarter. If the running game can get going, this will also open up the play action pass, something Roethlisberger can do almost flawlessly.

The Steelers will also need to get Roethlisberger on the run, as that is when he excels. When his feet are moving he is without a doubt the most dangerous quarterback in the NFL. Getting him out of the pocket will force the defense to play up and give him time to throw.

Titans Keys to the Game

1.Bring The Heat

As previously stated, the Steelers offensive line is perhaps the weakest spot on their team at the moment. Bringing pressure up the middle will be a key to knocking Ben Roethlisberger off of his rhythm and stuffing the run.

Looking at the Week 16 match-up last year is evidence of this fact. The Steelers allowed Roethlisberger to be sacked five times and the Steelers were demolished by a Titans team that held the best record in the NFL last season.

Stuffing the inside run will hurt the Steelers more than one would like to imagine. Running back Willie Parker isn’t as fast as he used to be and that’s evident when watching him in the open field. His injuries have caught up to him. He’s still a very good back, but nothing like he was.

This will allow the talented secondary of the Titans (including former Steelers safety Chris Hope) to back off and better cover Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes and could very well spell trouble for the Steelers.

2.Attack The Middle

Bet no one’s ever told a team to attack the middle of the Steelers defense, right?

Well, this time it’s different. Tennessee has the offensive line and running backs to do it. That’s coupled with the likelihood that Lawrence Timmons will not play and it’s a very good possibility that they will catch backup Keyaron Fox out of position a time or two.

The same holds true for the passing game. Timmons is leaps and bounds a better athlete than Fox and would have better success covering running backs and tight ends out of the backfield. Utilizing the short passes will be something we see out of the Titans if they want to win this game.

3.Don’t Quit

Even if the Titans find themselves ahead with less than two minutes in the fourth quarter, they have to keep employing the same strategy they used the entire game.

Roethlisberger has 17 regular season come from behind wins, and showed everyone that the post-season doesn’t phase him either as he orchestrated a 78-yard game winning drive in Super Bowl XLIII.

All in all, this game is going to be another great one in Steelers history. Roethlisberger will look to stay perfect on Thursday nights and with a win will sit at 4-0.

Four preseason games and training camps have come and gone, and now it’s time for the players to prove themselves when it counts. It’s time for rookies to take their knocks, sophomores to avoid the slump, and veterans to continue to do what they do best. The NFL season is finally here and there’s no better way to start it off than with a Steelers game.

TJ’s Prediction:

The Steelers jump out to an early lead and hang onto it throughout the game with their defense just as dominate as it was a year ago. This game won’t be decided by a large margin, but rather a very small one. My best guess would be Steelers win 24-13.

A Pittsburgh Steelers History Lesson: Baby Steps

TJ Jenkins — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:59:40 -0400

This is a little history lesson on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Most of the information was before my time and thus I have no first hand accounts of games, player attitudes, skills, etc. Bear with me though, as it’s sure to open your eyes to something you may not have known about the team. The first part will concern the baby steps of the team as it emerged as an NFL franchise and paid its’ dues as a perennial punching bag for opponents.

On Sept. 20, 1933 the football franchise now known as the Pittsburgh Steelers was born. Then known as the Pittsburgh Pirates they were manhandled that day at Forbes Field by the New York Giants (23-2).

The 1930’s was an immensely disappointing decade for the fans of the Pittsburgh team—they never managed to achieve a winning record. In fact the best record boasted by the club was a measly .500 posted during the 1936 campaign. The futile efforts of the squad never got them the division crown either.

In 1938 they awarded future Supreme Court Justice Byron White the largest contract in NFL history at the time and then watched him bolt to play for the Detroit Lions the following year.

Realistically the only good that came out of the first decade or so in the team’s history was the adaptation of the name in use today (The Pittsburgh Steelers) prior to the 1940 season.

Not many people know that in 1940 Steelers owner Art Rooney actually sold the franchise to Alexis Thompson and became half-owner of the Philadelphia Eagles along with Bert Bell. Soon after the two decided to switch places, and once more the Steelers were in Pittsburgh.

Due to a loophole, the Steelers were considered an unbroken entity as NFL franchises are distinct from corporate entities.

In 1946, Rooney once again became the majority owner of the club as Bert Bell sold his share to accept the job of Commissioner of the National Football League. Rooney held 58 percent of the team’s shares and his brother in law, Barney McGinley held 42 percent. 21 percent of that has since shifted to the Rooney’s control.

In 1942 Bill Dudley led the Steelers to their first winning season in franchise history, with a 7-4 record. Dudley finished the season with 696 rushing yards, which was an NFL best for the year.

When World War II broke out, it certainly effected the entire world, and in smaller fashion affected the NFL, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Twice during the war the team was forced to join forces with a separate NFL franchise due to shortages in players, who were serving their country overseas.

The first team merge was in 1943 with the Philadelphia Eagles and the team was referred to as the Steagles. The record was 5-4-1. Not impressive by a long shot, but not horrendous either.

The next year they were forced to merge with the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) and became Card-Pitt, though they were often referred to as the ‘carpets’. This team failed to win a single game during the season and the Steelers returned to being just the Steelers in 1945.

In the 1945 season they posted a final record of 2-8. Come 1946 Dudley returned from his services to win the League’s Most Valuable Player Award en route to a 5-5-1 record.

In 1947 the Steelers faithful got a taste of what the NFL’s post-season was like, as the team tied for first place in the division which was decided by a tie-breaker with the Philadelphia Eagles at Forbes Steelers quarterback Johnny Clement finished second in rushing yardage in the league with 670 yards on the ground.

The Steelers lost this game 21-0 and wouldn’t see the playoffs for 25 long years after. This also marked the first and last time that the two teams based in Philadelphia met in the playoffs as after 1970 they were placed in two different conferences with the Eagles in the NFC and the Steelers in the AFC.

In 1948 the Steelers suffered a loss worse than any they’ve ever received. During the off-season Coach Jock Sutherland died and the emotional toll it took on the players was evident.

The team struggled throughout the year, with Ray Evans throwing only five touchdowns and 17 interceptions en route to a 4-8 record.

From 1950-1957 the Steelers were unable to achieve a winning record. During that nine year time span the Steelers drafted and cut future Super Bowl winning quarterback Johnny Unitas.

The lone bright spot was the hiring of Lowell Perry, the NFL’s first African American coach, as the wide receivers coach for the team.

During the 1958 season the Steelers made a trade for Bobby Layne, who had led the Detroit Lions to the promise land and an NFL championship. His impact was immediate and obvious as the team finally had a winning record (7-4-1) though it was still not good enough for them to make the playoffs. The Steelers home games were moved to Pitt Stadium this year as well.

During the 1962 season Layne regained his starting quarterback spot and led the Steelers to a winning record with help from John Henry Johnson, Ernie Stautner, and Clendon Thomas. This season marked the best record from the team to date at 9-2 and it enabled them to reach The Playoff Bowl.

The Playoff Bowl pitted the number two teams in both conferences against each other, this time it was the Steelers VS. the Lions. Layne’s old team was victorious 17-10.

The rest of the 1960’s were nothing short of a disaster for the team, as player retirements took their toll. The team lost Layne, Stautner, and coach Buddy Parker during the decade.

2-12 was the worst record in the league in 1965 and it belonged to the Pittsburgh Franchise that used eight different starting quarterbacks between 1965 and 1969.

The Steelers efforts would not be futile for long as the 1970’s began the start of an era…and a dynasty.

The Pittsburgh Steelers Pre-Training Camp Tidbits

TJ Jenkins — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:11:56 -0400

The summer season is slowly coming to a close. Children are lamenting as school approaches, teachers are gearing up preparing teaching lessons, and NFL players are preparing for the grueling experience that is training camp.

Rookies are nervously awaiting their first, while seasoned veterans are grumbling about getting "too old for this stuff" and fans are eagerly awaiting the kick off of the season, the preseason, the flag football league down the street—anything to get their football fix.

All Pittsburgh Steelers players must report to the team facilities in Latrobe, Penn. on July 31. Practice begins the next day. There is one night practice, and unlike the day practices which are held at St. Vincent College, it will be held at Latrobe High School and is available to the public for a small fee.

On the 13th of August, the Pittsburgh Steelers will once again clash with the Arizona Cardinals, a rematch of the Super Bowl we Steelers fans so fondly remember.

The Steelers have quite a few rookies that want to secure a spot on the opening day roster, and camp is where it all starts.

Players like Evander Hood, Kraig Urbik, Mike Wallace, Keenan Lewis, Joe Burnett, Frank Summers, Ra'Shon Harris, Allan Shipley, and David Johnson were all drafted by the Steelers, three of them in the third round in this year's NFL Draft.

Hood, Ubik, Lewis, and Burnett are all likely to make the opening day roster. Summers, Wallace, and Shipley may find themselves on the practice squad. While players like Harris and Johnson are likely going to be searching for new NFL homes.

The Steelers have also signed 13 rookie free agents who may or may not have a shot at wearing the black and gold.

A young wide receiver has no better opportunity to step up to the plate than in this year's training camp, with Hines Ward's career likely coming to an end after this season and Limas Sweed not being as productive as many thought and hoped he'd be.

The pressure is on for Mike Wallace, Steven Black, Cedric Goodman, and Tyler Grisham, all of whom are rookie wide receivers either drafted or signed by the Steelers. All of them will have an equal shot to show that they have the grit and fortitude to play football in the Steelers system.

Offensive line issues from last year have once again arisen inside the inner circle of Steelers' bloggers and Internet discussions. This gives players like Urbik and Ramon Foster a golden opportunity to earn a roster position by pushing veterans to the limit.

Urbik has the best chance at securing a spot due to his versatility. He played and started at both right tackle and right guard at Wisconsin, and one is led to believe that he may be asked to make the transition to center to replace Justin Hartwig.

Rashard Mendenhall must step up and step up big in the training camp and preseason period to have any hope of being worked into the running back rotation. He must out-perform Willie Parker, who at this stage of his career has lost a step due to injuries. The quickness and speed in the open field just isn't there for Parker anymore.

Mendenhall could either be the savior for the Steelers or a bust. This is essentially his second try at a rookie season as his first was cut short by Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens.

With Larry Foote departing to the Detroit Lions, Lawrence Timmons will bring a refreshing sense of youth to the Middle Linebacker position starting alongside longtime veteran James Farrior. With a four headed monster at the linebacker position (James Harrison, Farrior, Timmons, LaMarr Woodley) the Steelers are set for the year; beyond that, a replacement for Farrior must be found.

The defensive line is getting older; Hood will be groomed to take over one of the starting spots. Whether it be the nose tackle or defensive end position is a mystery and entirely speculation at this point in time.

Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith aren't yet showing any signs of slowing down, even though they've anchored the Steelers dominant defensive line for years. It's going to show through sooner rather than later, and younger players must step up to push them.

The Steelers also signed two quarterbacks but neither of them should make the roster, perhaps the practice squad for one of them though. The team is set for years to come at the QB spot with Ben Roethlisberger leading the charge.

The weakest spot on the defensive side of the ball for the Pittsburgh Steelers is the cornerback position. With Bryant McFadden signing with the Arizona Cardinals this offseason the Steelers are left with one incumbent starter (Ike Taylor) and some question marks in DeShea Townsend, William Gay, Keiwan Ratliff, Joe Burnett, and Keenan Lewis.

Both rookies should make the roster with Ratliff possibly being th odd man out in the situation, due to the fact that Townsend knows the defensive system far better than him.

The Steelers defense will be as dominant as ever and the offensive side of the ball is doing nothing but improving. Very few question marks arise and the Steelers are poised to make another run at a Super Bowl ring.

2009: Teams To Watch For

TJ Jenkins — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:42:08 -0400

I’ve said it countless times before, and I’ll say it many more times—the NFL is a league of parity. The essence of ‘Any Given Sunday’ is apparent every play of every game.

Last year, we, as NFL fans, saw many surprises, some good, some were bad. We were surprised with the success of teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens. We were also forced to watch the train wreck of a season suffered by Detroit’s very own Lions.

Teams lost players for the year, and teams saw rookies step into roles they could only dream of. We saw Tom Brady lose his season during the first week. We also saw Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco lead their teams to the post-season.

What does the ever changing NFL have in store for us next year?

Five Teams To Watch Out For:

The New Orleans Saints

The key to the Saints season will be a balanced offensive attack. They finished first in the NFL in points, total yards, and passing yards, but 28th in rushing yards. That means the pressure’s turned up for running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush. Talks of bringing in Edgerrin James may prove helpful, as it would give the two younger backs a mentor, along with another running back to help the wear and tear down the stretch.

Drew Brees is an elite quarterback, I don’t think there’s any arguments as far as that goes, and he’s found his go to guy in Marques Colston. Along with Colston, Lance Moore has really come into his own, and with Bush and Jeremy Shockey as receiving threats as well, it’s no wonder that the Saints passing attack is so potent, and no wonder Brees made it so close to Dan Marino’s NFL record for passing yards.

The Saints looked to bolster a secondary that allowed 221.7 yards a game through the air by drafting Ohio State’s very own Malcolm Jenkins, who’s likely to start in his first year of service.

Can the Saints overtake the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers in the NFC South? Possibly, both teams have question marks in the secondary along with high octane offenses led by quarterback’s with intelligence and quarterback’s that can make all of the throws necessary.

The Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals had a dismal season, but what would one expect when you have your starting quarterback go down, and have two Pro Bowl wide receivers that lost the passion during the season?

Not much.

The Bengals defense, however quietly, ended the season ranked 13th in the league in total defense, even after linebacker Keith Rivers’ season was ended during a game against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

With the departure of T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the arrival of Laveranues Coles, Carson Palmer’s primary target will remain Chad Johnson (I refuse to call him Chad Ocho-Cinco). Along with the running tandem of Cedric Benson and Kenny Watson should open some eyes, pending the offensive line creates a good push for the two.

Playing in the AFC North, the Bengals offense will have to be clicking on all cylinders against potent defenses in the rival Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals will bounce back from their previous season and give the Ravens a run for their money for second place in the division.

The Seattle Seahawks

Adding a Pro Bowl wide receiver in Houshmandzadeh will give quarterback Matt Hasselbeck a legitimate number one receiving threat to throw to this coming season. The 11-year veteran out of Boston College is likely nearing his swan song and wants to return to the Super Bowl no doubt, he hasn’t seen that stage since his Seahawks lost to Ben Roethlisberger’s Steelers in Super Bowl XL.

The Seattle linebacking corps is going to be a huge asset, with the starters likely shaping up like this: Lofa Tatupu, Aaron Curry, and Leroy Hill. Along with an experienced secondary and defensive line, the Seahawk’s may look to become one of the NFL’s more formidable defenses, especially against the run.

Per usual the NFC West is no man’s land, with any team being able to win it virtually every year since the fall of the 49ers dynasty. It will likely come down to the Arizona Cardinals against the Seahawks. Only time will tell which of these teams will emerge with the division crown and a playoff berth.

The Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers offense was explosive at times, inconsistent at others. But the biggest flaw of the team was depth on the defense, with injuries plaguing them. The defense yielded nearly 335 yards a game, including almost 132 on the ground per game.

With their starters receiving time to heal this off-season and adding the dominant B.J. Raji out of Boston College to the defensive line, those numbers should improve greatly, pending the injuries don’t reoccur. But Raji’s frame will make it hard to run on the Packers this coming season, so at the very least expect the average yards per rush and average rush yards per game to drop.

Aaron Rodgers will have a year of experience as a full time starter under his belt, and he performed very well, throwing 28 touchdowns to only 13 interceptions. He made the fans of Green Bay reminisce to the glory days of Brett Favre, a Favre that was playing like a kid, a Favre that was happy to be on the team, and happy to lead the Packers to the playoffs. Can Rodgers do the same this year?

The New England Patriots

So, maybe this isn’t a surprise team at all, but perhaps they are.

The Patriots and a healthy Tom Brady will be looking to silence the doubters. Tom Brady’s going to be a madman, proving critics and fans wrong about the limitations they’ve already placed on him due to his knee injury.

Randy Moss and Wes Welker make up what could be the second best wide receiver duo in the league and adding a proven veteran like Joey Galloway isn’t going to hurt the Patriots at all. And let’s be honest with each other, it doesn’t matter who Tom Brady’s throwing to, he’s going to find a way to rack up the yards and the touchdowns, as evidenced by his 2007 campaign.

Adding Fred Taylor to the running attack will be hit or miss, will we see the old Fred Taylor? Or an injury riddled one? With today’s NFL seemingly consistently unified on the concept of running back by committee, he can only help Kevin Faulk and Laurence Maroney achieve to their full potential.

Defensively the Patriots lose two key members, at least as far as leadership, work ethic, and charisma goes. Rodney Harrison retired, and utility man Mike Vrabel was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs along with Matt Cassel.

It’s a team with really no weaknesses pending injuries don’t take their toll this season, and not as big of a surprise as most teams. But for the first time since 2002 the Patriots missed the playoffs.

Other Teams Of Note:

The New York Jets

Pending the QB position, the Jets have a very good team under Rex Ryan. The defense will more than likely finish in the top ten of the NFL, and the offense could do great things if the starting quarterback (whether it be Mark Sanchez or Kellen Clemens) can find a rhythm and ride the talented running game behind a fantastic offensive line to the playoffs.

The Chicago Bears

The biggest area of concern for the Bears is the wide receiver group. Adding Jay Cutler was a great move, but without someone with No.1 talent to throw to like he had in Denver may hurt his numbers, and thus hurt his morale. The Chicago defense is probably talented enough to hold on for another year, though the emotional leader in Brian Urlacher is aging, and it’s showing year after year. The special teams remains ranked among the top of the NFL, even without Devin Hester assuming full time return duties.

The House That Dick Built: The 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Starting Defense

TJ Jenkins — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:37:17 -0400

The National Football League is a league of parity; things are constantly changing. Though the faces and names change for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, one thing remains unwaveringly constant: the ferocity and tenacity of each player that sees the playing field.

This is largely attributed to defensive mastermind Dick LeBeau, a two-time Super Bowl champion defensive coordinator with the Steelers.

Let's take a look at the kingdom of defensive talent that he has surrounded himself with, a look at the house that Dick built.

The Defensive Line

Casey Hampton, Nose Tackle.

Casey Hampton epitomizes what a nose tackle should be: big, mean, and powerful. He easily commands a double-team every play that he's on the field.

He stepped in as a rookie and emerged as a solid two-gap defensive tackle after being a first-round selection out of Texas in the 2001 NFL Draft.

He only has four and a half sacks in his career but in the 3-4 defense the defensive linemen aren’t playing for stats, their main focus is to tie up the offensive linemen and allow the linebackers to roam the field to make plays.

Hampton does his job, and he does his job very well. The only knock on him is that he has a tendency to show up at training camp well over his designated weight.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin was not pleased with this in 2008 and sent Hampton to work with strength and conditioning coach Garrett Giemont on a field adjacent to the Steelers practice field to work that weight off.

Hampton is entering the final year on his contract and will turn 32 years old on Sept. 3.

Aaron Smith, Defensive End

Smith was selected in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft out of the University of Northern Colorado, where he holds the school record for sacks with 44.

He is an ideal defensive end in a 3-4 defensive scheme-big and strong as an ox. He’s currently ranked ninth all time on the Pittsburgh Steelers sack leaders with 42 in his career.

Smith has proven time and again that he is not only a great football player, but an exemplary human being as well, taking it all in stride when his son Elijah was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

He plays with the heart and tenacity that embodies the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Brett Keisel, Defensive End

Keisel started his football career as a linebacker and tight end in a Wyoming high school, where he lettered four times and was voted the Wyoming Player Of the Year in his senior season.

He was a seventh-round draft pick in 2002, out of Brigham Young University (BYU) and appeared in five games his rookie year.

Once Kimo von Oelhoffen took the money from the New York Jets and departed the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006, Keisel signed a new contract with the team and became a starter at the defensive end position.

Keisel, like most 3-4 defensive ends isn’t going to go out on gameday and give your team 3 sacks. What he IS going to do is tie up an offensive tackle and allow the linebackers behind him to get those sacks, as James Harrison how helpful that is.

Linebackers

James Harrison, Outside Linebacker

As we all know, James Harrison had a breakout 2008 season with the Steelers, amassing 16 sacks. Prior to that in his 2007 campaign he played very well, earning the nickname “Mr. Monday Night.”

After he went undrafted in 2002 out of Kent State in Ohio, he spent time with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and AFC North rivals the Baltimore Ravens.

He spent time on the Steelers practice squad and also had a brief stint playing for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe before being cut by the Ravens.

He started for the first time in his career in 2004, against the Cleveland Browns due to Pro Bowler Joey Porter being ejected prior to the game for fighting with Browns running back William Green.

Harrison and fellow outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley amassed a total of 27 and a half sacks on the year.

He also became the first undrafted player to ever win the NFL Defensive Player Of the Year Award, after beating out Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware for the award.

In Super Bowl XLIII, Harrison set a Super Bowl record by intercepting a Kurt Warner pass at the goal line and taking it back the entire length of the field for a 100 yard return; the longest in Super Bowl history. The Steelers would go on to win the game.

Along with the nickname of “Mr. Monday Night,” he’s also known as “Silverback” and “Deebo” to teammates.

LaMarr Woodley, Outside Linebacker

Yet another beneficiary of the Steelers dominant defensive line, Woodley combined with fellow outside linebacker James Harrison to rack up 27.5 sacks as a duo.

In his first career start he recorded three tackles, one sack, one pass defense, one interception, and a fumble recovery. Subsequently, he was named the GMC Defensive Player of the Week. He didn’t slow down over the course of the 2008 season either.

He currently holds an NFL record, as he is the only player to record four multi-sack playoff games in a streak that dates back to a crushing 31-29 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2008 playoffs.

Woodley effectively ended Super Bowl XLIII by sacking Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner for the second time in the game and forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Steelers.

James Farrior, Middle Linebacker

James Farrior was the definition of an athlete in high school, lettering three times in three sports: football, track, and wrestling.

During his senior year of football he played both fullback and linebacker. Over the course of that season his stat line looked like this:

78 tackles

11 sacks

5 blocked kicks

2 interceptions

4 forced fumbles

105 carries

1,006 yards (9.6 average)

22 rushing touchdowns

19 receptions

340 yards (17.9 average)

4 receiving touchdowns.

That’s simply amazing. He was an absolute force on both sides of the ball.

Farrior was chosen by the New York Jets in the 1997 NFL draft as the eight overall player selected.

In 2002 he signed a contract with the Steelers and has been a staple of the Steelers defense ever since. After a great 2004 campaign, he finished second behind Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed in the Defensive Player of the Year Award voting.

Come the 2008 season, he expressed his wish to finish his career as a part of the storied Steelers franchise and his wish was granted as he signed a five-year contract with the organization.

Lawrence Timmons, Middle Linebacker

With the departure of middle linebacker Larry Foote, Timmons is slated to be the 2009 starter opposite of James Farrior in the middle of the Steelers tenacious defense.

He got a considerable amount of playing time in 2008 and certainly made the most of it. He finished the season with 65 tackles, five sacks, and one interception.

Timmons will be an immediate upgrade over Foote due to his speed and athleticism. This will give the Steelers a three-headed monster in the pass rushing department.

Secondary

Ike Taylor, Cornerback

Finding statistics that accurately reflect a cornerback’s play is a very grueling and time-consuming process.

That being said, here are some quick stats about Ike Taylor when he’s covering the opposing team’s number one wide receiver.

Why just the No. 1 receiving target? Simply because Ike Taylor was the Steelers No. 1 cornerback and was called upon to defend the opponents top wideout.

Offenses went to their primary target 9.1 times a game against Ike Taylor and achieved an average of only 59.5 yards per game.

William Gay, Cornerback

The second cornerback position in 2009 will be up for grabs in a battle between the young gun Gay and the savvy veteran Deshea Townsend. The majority of fans believe that Gay will emerge victorious.

After former starter Bryant McFadden went down with an injury, Gay started four games, though he played in all 16 last year.

He finished the season with 41 tackles (33 of them solo), seven passes defended, and one interception.

He would add an element of speed that Townsend could not bring to the table. Either way, Gay will see the field throughout the season for the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ryan Clark, Free Safety

Yet another undrafted player starting for the Super Bowl champions, Clark has been a member of both the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins.

In 2006, after Chris Hope departed for the Tennessee Titans, the Steelers signed Clark to take over the starting free safety position.

In 2007 he had to have his spleen and gall bladder removed, losing 30 pounds during the process. He returned from that to play a pivotal part in the Super Bowl XLIII run.

The highlight of Ryan Clark’s 2008 season in the eyes of most fans is more than likely his clobbering of Wes Welker in a 33-10 trouncing of the New England Patriots in week 13.

Troy Polamalu, Strong Safety

The Steelers first round draft pick in 2003 out of the University Of Southern California was actually the team’s second choice; they had originally planned on signing the previous years Super Bowl MVP, Dexter Jackson.

He owns a very clear distinction as the only safety to be drafted by Pittsburgh in the first round of the draft.

Troy Polamalu, to put it quite simply is an animal. An all around player who can do anything asked of him on the defensive side of the ball. He has the perfect blend of speed, anticipation, technique, intelligence, and heart.

Injuries have plagued him up until the start of the 2008 season, which was his first full season since 2005.

Polamalu clinched the AFC Championship game against the Ravens by returning an interception for a touchdown, effectively sending his team to the Super Bowl to face the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals.

His impact in Super Bowl XLIII wasn’t a statistical one (two tackles, one pass defense) but it was truly felt by the Cardinals wide receivers. Polamalu helped keep star receiver Larry Fitzgerald ineffective until the second half of the game.

He’s been named to the Pro Bowl every year since the 2004 game. He also has every intention of remaining a Steelers player for the entirety of his career.

The starting lineup for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2009 season will be a formidable one, with each and every player being immersed in the style of play and the playbook. They know what they’re doing and do it well.

A Look At The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2009-2010 Schedule

TJ Jenkins — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:05:14 -0400

The 2008-2009 Pittsburgh Steelers had the toughest schedule in the league, this coming year they will be faced with a far less daunting one. They will play teams from the AFC West and the NFC North, two of the weaker divisions in the NFL.

Let’s go week by week and examine each opponent and the Steelers chances against them.

Week One (Thursday, September 10 - 8:30 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans

The Steelers are still stinging from a week 16 throttling at the hands of the Titans, the final score being 31-14. The two teams change venues this year, as the Steelers look to start their season on a winning note as the reigning Super Bowl champions.

The biggest factor in this game will be how well the Pittsburgh offense manages against the talented Titans defense. Even though the Titans lost massive defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, they’re still a top defense in the NFL.

The secondary that has been put together in Tennessee is nothing short of stellar, sans perhaps one cornerback spot.

Not to mention the Steelers are still fired up after Titans running back LenDale White and linebacker Keith Bulluck stomped on the Terrible Towel during last years meeting.

The Pittsburgh defense shouldn’t have too many problems as long as they keep Chris Johnson in check, though admittedly that’s not an easy feat for any team to do.

(1-0)

Week Two (Sunday, September 20 - 4:30 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Chicago Bears

The Bears may or may not have found the answer at quarterback by trading for former Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. He has a deep threat in Devin Hester, though Hester is far better utilized as a return man.

Brian Urlacher seems to lose a step with every play he’s on the field, not showing the glory of the player that he once was. Lance Briggs has taken over as the most dominant linebacker on that team, though Urlacher still gets plenty of attention due to his name.

Once more the Steelers gameplan has got to be getting the offense into a rhythm early in the game, and let the defense take them the rest of the way.

Chalk up another win for the Super Bowl champions.

(2-0)

Week Three (Sunday, September 27 - 1:00 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are coming off of an embarrassing season to say the least, amassing only four wins in 16 games. Pittsburgh completely obliterated the Bengals in two games last year, and look for that to continue.

The Bengals just don’t have the offensive firepower to handle the Steelers dominant defense, nor will their defense be able to win this game for them.

The Steelers will start this season at 3-0.

(3-0)

Week Four (Sunday , October 4 - 8:20 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Diego Chargers

The Steelers beat the Chargers twice last season, the first time November 11th with the final score of 11-10 in a game that caused Vegas to virtually implode. The second win came in the divisional round of the playoffs, with the Chargers falling 35-24 in favor of the future Super Bowl champion Steelers.

This year, San Diego gets linebacker Shawne Merriman back on it’s defense. He may prove to be the x-factor in this year’s meeting of the teams. If Merriman can keep constant pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and force him to throw into the athletic Chargers secondary it could spell disaster for the champions.

The Chargers will get their revenge, but just barely by edging the Steelers out.

(3-1)

Week Five (Sunday, October 11 - 1:00 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions

0-16. That was the Lions record for last year. They’ve hopefully found a franchise quarterback in Matthew Stafford, but that’s at least a year away from coming to fruition.

The Steelers will take control of this game early and coast to the easy win.

(4-1)

Week Six (Sunday, October 18 - 1:00 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

The Browns and Steelers have the best rivalry in the NFL in terms of parity. Though, the Steelers have dominated for the last decade.

The Browns have talent, that’s for sure. It’s just a matter of getting that talent to coexist without stumbling through the season that’s the problem. The biggest factor for Cleveland this year will be the quarterback position. Every report that’s gone out lately has said that Brady Quinn will be the opening day starter.

The Steelers will continue to own the series, beating the Browns at Heinz field with relative ease.

(5-1)

Week Seven (Sunday, October 25 - 1:00 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings

Will the Vikings bring Brett Favre into the equation? Or will Tarvaris Jackson be the starter? Either way you’ve got to believe that the Vikings will live and die with the running game led by the phenomenon that is Adrian Peterson.

If the Steelers can stop the Vikings running game, they will win the game. Though, all of their offensive strategy will have to be primarily focused on the passing game, as the Vikings had the first ranked defense against the run in 2008.

Chalk up yet another win for the Steelers.

(6-1)

Week Eight

Bye Week

A bye week in the middle of the season gives the Steelers a great advantage over some teams. It allows them to get healthy, as chances are good that the defense will be worn down from attempting to stop Peterson in week seven.

Week Nine (Monday, November 9 - 8:30 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos allowed the Jay Cutler situation to get out of hand and ended up losing a Pro Bowl quarterback in the process.

The Broncos are stockpiling running backs, leading us all to believe that they’re going to focus on a running attack and simply take what they can get through the air.

I can’t see them giving the Steelers too much of a problem however, as the Pittsburgh defense is sure to be a top one in the league.

(7-1)

Week Ten (Sunday, November 15 - 1:00 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Once more, the Steelers will beat an AFC North opponent by a large margin. Carson Palmer or no Carson Palmer, the Bengals simply cannot hang with the Steelers in any facet of the game.

(8-1)

Week Eleven (Sunday, November 22 - 1:00 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs offense was nothing short of pathetic last year, with the lone highlight being the number 16 ranking as far as rushing offense goes. Even that, however, is middle of the road.

With a dismal offense goes up against a stellar defense, the results aren’t usually very pretty. The Chiefs will get dominated by the Pittsburgh defense, and barring any sort of Bernard Pollard hit on Ben Roethlisberger the Steelers will continue their domination of an easy schedule on paper.

(9-1)

Week Twelve (Sunday, November 29 - 8:30 PM)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens

This is the game that everyone has been waiting to see since the 2008 AFC Championship game. The Steelers travel to M&T Bank Stadium to take on AFC North rivals the Baltimore Ravens.

Each game they played last year, the Steelers were victorious. But, alas, nothing gold can stay after all.

This is more than likely going to be a low scoring affair, full of hard hitting defensive football. It’s this game that epitomizes what both teams are all about. Hit them before they hit you.

The Ravens will take this game at home, and hand the Steelers just their second loss of the season.

(9-2)

Week Thirteen (Sunday, December 10 - 8:20 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Oakland Raiders

The defending champions will have a field day with JaMarcus Russell. The main focus will be to pressure him into making mistakes, all while keeping an eye on two talented running backs in Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden.

If the Steelers stop the run, then they will emerge victorious.

(10-2)

Week Fourteen (Thursday, December 10 - 8:20 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

The Browns are sure to have found a rhythm by this point in the season, and will more than likely give the Steelers a run for their money, even if it’s solely for pride. The Browns will more than likely be out of the playoff hunt by now and simply playing to prove that they have mental toughness.

If the Browns are going to beat the Steelers this year, this will be the game. It will take a lot of things to get it done, they’ll have to play near perfect football, limit mistakes, hope that Jupiter and it’s moons are in the seventh house of Pluto and pray in their own special way.

(11-2)

Week Fifteen (Sunday, December 20 - 1:00 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers

The Packers defense was absolutely decimated by injuries in 2008, that more than likely will not be the case in 2009. They added defensive tackle B.J. Raji and linebacker Brian Cushing via the draft and both will likely step in and make an immediate impact.

The Steelers will have to slow down Brett Favre’s protégé Aaron Rodgers, who had a very good season last year in a losing effort on his team’s behalf. He’s only been a starter for a year, but he’s been waiting in the wings before a sure Hall Of Famer and knows how to make all of the throws asked of him. But, more importantly, Rodgers knows how to read a defense.

If the Steelers can come up with a creative defensive front, they’ll win the game, if not, they’ll once more have to rely on take-a-ways and Ben Roethlisberger leading a touchdown drive or two.

(12-2)

Week Sixteen (Sunday, December 27 - 1:00 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

It’s the Ravens turn to come to Pittsburgh in the rematch of the century.

Pittsburgh’s going to be angry and ready for revenge from their loss earlier in the season to Baltimore. Another hard fought, close, defensive game will deem the Steelers the winners and this game will also more than likely decide the winner of the AFC North division.

(13-2)

Week Seventeen (Sunday, January 3 - 1:00 PM.)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Miami Dolphins

The Steelers starters will likely only play a quarter or two in this season ending game.

The Dolphins, hopefully, won’t be relying on the Wildcat at this point, as NFL teams are very quick to pick up on that after a game of another team using it. The speed and reaction time of NFL defenses is simply too quick for it to be an effective offense for very long.

Depending on how the AFC East shapes up, the Dolphins will either be competing for a wildcard or the division title outright, and that might affect the personnel they use.

The Steelers starting players will get them to a lead in the first quarter and the second string players will grind it out and end up with a season ending win.

(14-2)

The 2009-2010 Pittsburgh Steelers will be greatly aided by an easy schedule, but that’s not to take anything away from the talent amassed on the team.

The AFC North is likely going to be a tight race between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens once again, with the final meeting between the two in week 16 being the deciding factor.

With the same determination that led them to the Super Bowl last year, along with a hunger and sense of heart that only champions have, the Steelers will find themselves on a fast track to the Super Bowl, being rewarded for their hard work with a first round bye in the playoffs.

Final Record: 14-2

The 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers: Business As Usual

TJ Jenkins — Wed, 13 May 2009 21:35:54 -0400

With the coming of the 2009 NFL season, many teams are left quizzically staring at their playbooks, wondering just why things didn’t work out as planned. Others are quietly revamping and shifting their depth charts around to make room for new additions.

Or, at least every team but the Pittsburgh Steelers is making those changes.

The 2009 edition of the team that epitomizes hard work and even harder hitting retains every single member of its’ coaching staff from last year. Not one has left for another NFL team. What that means is that the Super Bowl champs don’t have much to change at all about their playbook or game-plan.

Sure, they’ll have to make some minor adjustments to the depth chart in order to replace Bryant McFadden, Larry Foote, and Nate Washington, but that’s a very simple task compared to what other teams are doing right now.

Bryan McFadden’s starting cornerback spot opposite of Ike Taylor will more than likely be filled once more by veteran Deshea Townsend. As for Foote’s starting middle linebacker role, that’s easily filled by Lawrence Timmons. Nate Washington and Limas Sweed have the exact same skill set, so that position is already likely filled.

Timmons is faster than Foote ever was, so we may see him blitzing considerably more than Foote did in his time with the Steelers. That speed, combined with his athleticism, will open up a whole new demon in pass coverage as well, allowing James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley to blitz freely without worrying about a coverage zone.

Deshea Townsend is a good, veteran option at corner, though admittedly he’s a tad bit slower than what is ideal for a starting cornerback. We may be faced with the option of reorganizing pass coverage to suit his needs more, either allowing a safety to give him a blanket over the top when the call is man to man, or simply allowing him to guard the flat routes in a zone coverage scheme.

When Nate Washington’s third wide receiver spot is taken over by Limas Sweed, there won’t be too much of a drop off. They both are very fast receivers, a little sloppy on the route running, and completely hit and miss in the hands department.

While I’d love to say that Sweed won’t be relied on too heavily due to the Steelers having one of the best possession receivers in the game in Hines Ward and one of the up and coming stars of the league in Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, that may not be true. Last year as the backup Washington caught 40 passes for over 500 yards and three touchdowns. So Sweed’s going to get his playing time for us next year.

The Steelers are going to trust Holmes a lot more when going for the long ball, thus making it necessary to give Sweed some intermediate routes to get him fully submerged in the offensive scheme. If we allow him to slowly grow into the system, he could and very well should have a great career as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The defensive gameplan will change from week to week, throwing in new formations, assigning different pass coverages and blitzing schemes. But that’s the mark of a good defense, to never show the same thing twice.

The biggest factor into the change of the Pittsburgh Steelers gameplan next year is going to be the rule changes. Hines Ward will no longer be allowed to legally unleash his bone jarring blocks against defenders that he has seemingly passed onto Limas Sweed, just ask Corey Ivy.

Offensively, we may see the Steelers throwing the ball a bit more, due to Willie Parker not looking like the Parker of old. He seems to have lost some of his straight line speed, though the initial burst is still there. He simply has lost his open field speed. He’s not the same Parker that played in Super Bowl XL.

Look for the Steelers to get the ball to tight end Heath Miller more this year as well. He simply destroys zone coverage schemes by finding the holes, he’s every quarterback’s dream—a safety blanket over the middle.

No major changes will be made on either side of the ball, as the personnel is nearly the same, factor that in with the coaching staff 100 percent intact and there’s no need to change from a formula that won the Super Bowl last year.

The 2009 season will be business as usual for the Steelers.

Santonio Holmes: Grilling the Super Bowl MVP

TJ Jenkins — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:17:06 -0400

When asked to write up a set of questions for any Pittsburgh Steelers player to answer for me in interview form, dozens of names ran through my mind. Up to and including Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Heath Miller, Troy Polamalu, and virtually every member of the Steelers.

That being said, I've decided to get Santonio Holmes to answer a few questions for us all. At least, I hope to have him answer them.

I'll be giving the question and then my reasoning for asking that question.

The Question: Now, Santonio, you certainly came up big in the Super Bowl, what are your feelings about being there? The excitement in the air, winning in such a fast paced game, and finally earning the honors of being the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player? What does that mean to you?

The Reasoning: I'd absolutely love to hear about the Super Bowl experience from someone who's played in it, and played such an instrumental part in the winning of one.

The Question: What is the one play that sticks out in your mind as your own greatest play? From any of your years as a football player.

The Reasoning: Being a former football player myself, it would be an interesting change of pace to hear what his favorite play was. Certain plays and games just stick in your memory forever. I want to know what his is.

The Question: What is the one area of your game that you're trying to improve upon the most this offseason and season?

The Reasoning: No player is perfect and the way to get as close to perfect as possible is to practice and work for it. I want to know where he feels he needs to improve to become one of the greatest receivers in the NFL.

The Question: Are you working with Limas Sweed at all? Helping him with his concentration and whatnot? What tips have you given him since he was drafted last year?

The Reasoning: Players are people too, they build relationships and in many cases a football team is a part of your extended family. Interaction happens whether or not you're absolutely crazy about each other and you can make your own time on the field more enjoyable by liking the men you're playing with.

I want to delve into Holmes' mind and find out how he's giving back to the team.

The Question: What was going through your mind before, during, and after you caught the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl?

The Reasoning: There had to be a million things running through his head during the plays leading to that and directly after: I want to know what they are.

The Question: Being an Ohio State alumni and playing in Ohio twice a year, do you do you feel that some people still view you as just an Ohio State Buckeye? Or are they still as receptive to you even though you're playing against a division rival?

The Reasoning: Tying in his college and NFL play is key. Some people follow players because they played for their favorite college team, and since the majority of Ohio residents are Buckeyes' fans it's intriguing to see their reactions to a favorite player playing for a rival.

The Question: Do you partake in any pregame rituals? Maybe a special meal, special way to get to the stadium? Anything?

The Reasoning: Athlete's can become very superstitious, even without knowing it. I want to find out what makes Holmes tick.

The Question: What do you do in your spare time, as little time as that may be?

The Reasoning: As I've said, these guys are more than just football players, they're people and they have lives themselves. We already know Santonio Holmes: The Football Player, we want to know Santonio Holmes: The Person.

The Question: Do you play the popular Madden games? If so, what team do you use? If it's the Steelers do you tend to bomb the ball to yourself all the time or do you mix it up a bit? What's it like seeing yourself in the game as well?

The Reasoning: I want to have fun with this, and more importantly, I want him to have fun with it. Madden is played by millions of people, it's safe to assume that he plays it as well.

The Question: What has been the most important thing that Hines Ward has taught you about the NFL or the game of football in general?

The Reasoning: Players learn from each other and Holmes got a huge bonus by being able to be mentored by Hines Ward, I want to hear about what Ward did for him.

The Question: What's the first thing you bought with your rookie signing bonus?

The Reasoning: Like I say, I want to delve into his persona, figure out who Santonio Holmes is.

The Question: What are your personal goals for the 2009 season?

The Reasoning: I want to know what kind of season he expects from himself, and only himself.

The Question: What about the team as a whole? I know you're going to say a Super Bowl win is the only option, but I'd like to know more about the plans for the offense, are you aiming to take over the number one receiver position this year?

The Reasoning: Everyone wants to know what players think about their team goals. This simply touches on it without asking him to reveal any sensitive information like new plays or new formations.

The Question: If you could choose one mantra, or one motto for this season, what would it be and why?

The Reasoning: Throughout my years playing sports, we always had a motto for the year and one for each and every week. I'd like to know what the Steelers are using to fuel their locker room.

The Question: How much film do you watch on the defense you're going to be facing in the coming week?

The Reasoning: I want to find out just how much work he puts in when it comes to watching film. It's a meticulous task but it's well worth it in the end.

The Question: What NFL players did you idolize growing up and why?

The Reasoning: Every young boy's dream is to be an NFL player. We've all been playing in the backyard and said something to the effect of: "Did you see that catch? I'm the next Lynn Swann.

The Question: If you'd of never made it to the NFL, what would you be doing right now?

The Reasoning: Every prospective NFL player has to have a backup plan, nothing is guaranteed in this world.

The Question: Any advice for someone who wants to one day be in the NFL? Tips, tricks, motivation factors, anything?

The Reason: This ties in with knowing where you came from. We all need to give back to the community, to our roots. Besides, every potential player wants some tricks of the trade to gain the upper edge on his competition.

The Question: Well, thanks for your time Santonio, is there anything else you want to add or anything you want to say?

The Reasoning: I'm leaving it open, just in case he has something important that he'd like to get off of his chest.

Men of Steel: Dick LeBeau and Mike Tomlin

TJ Jenkins — Sun, 10 May 2009 03:19:08 -0400

Current ESPN NFL analyst and former NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski once called Dick LeBeau “the best to ever coach defense,” because of his consistency over such a long period of time.

To fully understand LeBeau’s passion and knowledge for the defensive aspect of the NFL, we must go back in time. More specifically, we have to journey to 1959, when he was a fifth round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns, as a defensive back.

The Browns subsequently cut him and the Detroit Lions signed him immediately. He found himself playing alongside legendary Dick “Night Train” Lane for the first portion of his 14 year career.

At times, he would play safety, simply to get playing time on such a star studded defensive backfield.

Looking at the stat line, the defensive master was a phenomenal player as well. He earned a spot at the Pro Bowl between the years 1965 and 1967. He also managed to snag 62 interceptions (seventh most in NFL history), returning them for 762 yards and three touchdowns. On top of that, he has nine fumble recoveries for 53 yards and a score.

He currently holds the record for consecutive game appearances by a cornerback, with 171.

Directly after his retirement as a player, the Philadelphia Eagles hired him as a special teams coach. And after three seasons with the Eagles, He was hired by the Green Bay Packers to coach defensive backs.

As a member of the Green Bay staff, he worked against Bart Starr, the winning quarterback of the first two Super Bowls. His defensive backs racked up 10 interceptions combined in his first season, so he obviously did something right.

After his tenure with the Packers, he was the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator, and defensively, what a season they had in 1981. They didn’t allow opposing offenses to put up more than 30 points in any game played that year, playoffs included.

The defense totaled 19 interceptions for 318 yards, and also sacked opposing quarterbacks 41 times.

The Bengals would go onto the AFC Championship game, beating a star studded San Diego Chargers team that boasted three current Hall Of Famers, Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner and Kellen Winslow. Along with that talented trio they also had Chuck Muncie at running back, who led the league with 19 touchdowns in the '81 season.

With such a potent offense, one would imagine that the Chargers would put up an unfathomable amount of points, but they would be wrong. The Chargers prolific offense only managed to achieve a single touchdown against Dick LeBeau’s defense.

The Bengals played the San Francisco Forty-Niners in Super Bowl XVI, and gave an early appearance of defeat, while facing a 20-0 halftime deficit. But they fought back, eventually narrowing the margin to the final score of 26-21 in favor of San Francisco.

Seven years later, in 1988, the Bengals would once again reach the Super Bowl led by a powerful defensive line that consisted of Tim Krumrie, Jim Skow, David Grant, and Jason Buck. To go along with that superb line, LeBeau also coached two great defensive backs, who combined for 12 interceptions.

Once more, however, the Bengals would fall short in their Super Bowl endeavors. And once more, it was to the San Francisco franchise.

In 1992, LeBeau's Pittsburgh legacy began. He was hired as the defensive backs coach and promoted to defensive coordinator by 1995.

During the 1994 season, he sent four defensive players to the Pro Bowl, Kevin Greene, Carnell Lake, Greg Lloyd, and Rod Woodson.

One year later, he coached the second ranked defense in the league, allowing only 4,833 total yards. Led by Kevin Green (nine sacks), Greg Lloyd (86 tackles), and Carnell Lake (one interception; one touchdown).

Once more, LeBeau would fall short in the Super Bowl, and this time losing to the Dallas Cowboys.

In 2000, he was hired by the Bengals again, this time as head coach. He experienced dismal seasons in Cincinnati, then moved on to become a Bills assistant for a year.

He then returned to the Pittsburgh in 2004, becoming a two time Super Bowl winner, and coaching the league's best defense in 2008.

This number one ranked defense consisted of stars and role players alike, with some players making an entirely new persona over the course of the season. The team was led by University of Southern California product, Troy Polamalu, and Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison.

The Steelers stifled opponent’s offenses throughout the regular season and on to the Super Bowl.

LeBeau is commonly credited for creating and mastering the "Zone Blitz," which is primarily run out of a 3-4 defensive alignment.

The entire focus and goal of this blitz is to confuse opposing offenses, never allowing them to know which players are rushing and which will drop back into pass coverage. Commonly, a defensive lineman will drop into a short coverage zone, while allowing a linebacker to blitz in his wake.

Although it’s recorded as a blitz, at times it’s not technically a traditional one. Sometimes his defenses will still only rush four defensive players, just not the ones generally expected.

This allows the defense to keep an advantageous position over the offense, by never allowing them to get comfortable, due to the enormous amount of looks shown by the defense.

When asked about why he created the new defensive scheme, LeBeau replied:

“It was a thought process kind of born out of necessity. It was basically an outcropping of the run-and-shoot [offense] that was becoming pretty prevalent in the league back then. We were in the same division as Houston, and they were tremendous at it with Moon and Co.

Then the West Coast offense was spreading throughout the league. Those were all quick-rhythm, get-the-ball-out-of-your-hands-and-cut-up-the-defense types of passing games. We were just looking for ways to get pressure without exposing our defensive backs to have to cover the whole field all of the time.”

Dick LeBeau is quite simply a defensive genius, beloved by players and fans alike, respected throughout the league, and a sure first ballot Hall Of Famer.

Mike Tomlin, like Dick LeBeau is a former football player, though he never played in the NFL.

His coaching career started in the college ranks, the year after he graduated from the College of William & Mary, as a wide receivers coach at the Virginia Military Institute. More than likely, it's because he played the position in college.

From 1995 to 2001, he remained in the college ranks, staying at the University of Cincinnati for longer than a year.

In 2001 he accepted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive backs coaching job, and held the position until 2005.

He got his first taste of the Tampa 2 defense with the Bucs, and would use it to further his coaching career down the line.

During Tomlin’s reign in Tampa Bay, they boasted the number one overall defense twice, in 2002 and again in 2005. He was also a part of the coaching staff that won Super Bowl XXXVII in January of 2003. During that Super Bowl season, his defense intercepted five passes and returned all but two for touchdowns.

He became the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator in 2006. While in Minnesota, he was reunited with former college teammate, Darren Sharper. The 2006 Minnesota team finished the season ranked No. 8 in overall defense, ranking first against the run, but an abysmal 32nd against the pass.

The very next year he was hired as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, as Bill Cowher’s successor. Tomlin had also interviewed for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job, which was eventually filled by Cam Cameron.

He’s Pittsburgh’s 19th head coach and just the third in 40 years, with the others two being Chuck Noll and Cowher. All three of these men were hired in their thirties, and all have won a Super Bowl with the Steelers.

Tomlin is also the first African American coach in the history of the Steelers, and the tenth in NFL history.

Tomlin continued the Steelers rookie head coaching success by winning his first game, while also becoming the first Pittsburgh coach to win his first meeting with the Cleveland Browns.

Mike Tomlin bit the bullet and kept Dick LeBeau from Cowher’s staff, even though their defensive philosophies were leaps and bounds apart. It was done mainly as a motivating factor for the players and to keep team chemistry going, as the team had won a Super Bowl only a year prior.

In his first season as a head coach, his team led the NFL in defense. He also won his first AFC North divisional title, with a 10-6 record. He did not, however, progress through the first round of the playoffs, as the Steelers were beaten by the Jacksonville Jaguars in a close game.

Tomlin and Cowher began their careers with the exact same number of wins in regular season play (15-7). Don Shula, who is the NFL’s all time wins leader, also began his career that way. Not to mention, Tomlin is the only Steelers head coach to win his division in his first two seasons.

This past season, Tomlin became the youngest head coach to ever coach, and win, a Super Bowl. And only the third African American to coach in the big game, and the second to win it.

Mike Tomlin’s career record currently stands at 25-11, including 22-10 in the regular season and 3-1 in the playoffs.

The AFC North: Bitter Rivalries Fuel Playoff Runs

TJ Jenkins — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:54:37 -0400

The AFC North ranks as one of the toughest divisions in all of football. Perhaps it’s the proximity of the four teams, maybe it’s the similarities between them, and just maybe it’s due to a genuine mix of hatred and respect shown for one another.

The division plays host to one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries at the moment; the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Baltimore Ravens.

Pittsburgh swept the Ravens in all three games played between the teams between 2008 and 2009 by a grand total of 16 points, including a win in the conference championship game en route to a record sixth Super Bowl victory.

These two AFC North rivals are built from the same mold. They both boast stout defenses, with the Steelers having the No. 1 overall defense and the Ravens the No. 2 as of the conclusion of last season.

Both teams are primarily known as "run first" teams on the offensive side of the ball, advocating the phrase "use the run to set up the pass."

This, of course, leads to the play-action pass and its effectiveness against opposing defenses, who are so intent on stopping the run that they move everyone closer to the line, leaving various passing patterns open.

Baltimore has no shortage of playmakers including one of the best ball-hawking safeties to put on an NFL uniform in Ed Reed and a future first ballot Hall Of Fame linebacker—Ray Lewis.

On offense, they boast what many consider to be the best offensive line in the AFC North and a Ben Roethlisberger-like quarterback in Joe Flacco.

They’re currently in search of a playmaking wide receiver, to give the young Flacco a big time passing target.

This division is also home to one of the most storied rivalries in the NFL; The Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Cleveland Browns.

The Steelers and Browns played their first game in October 1950, and have played a grand total of 114 times since that day. The rivalry is fifth in all-time games and first in the parity of the games, with the Steelers barely edging the Browns 59-55.

The Steelers currently hold an 11 game win streak over the hapless Browns, dating back to 2003. That year, Pittsburgh knocked the Browns out of the playoffs with a 36-33 win. The date also marks the last time the Browns made the playoffs.

To be fair to Cleveland, they did have a remarkable 2007 season, led by quarterback Derek Anderson, offensive tackle Joe Thomas, and wide receiver Braylon Edwards. They finished the season in second place in the AFC North, trailing only the rival Steelers, with a 10-6 overall record.

They also had six players named to the Pro Bowl, their most since 1995, and it was the first time since Jamir Miller in 2001 that a Browns player played in the game.

The Browns seem to be a hot and cold tea. When the team is clicking together they can really be a dangerous foe, but when even one cog isn’t working properly they seem to fall apart in the blink of an eye.

The Cincinnati Bengals seem to be the odd man out in the division, differing from the first trio in their basic game-plan.

They prefer the pass first style offense—and with good reason. With one of the NFL’s most prolific passers, in USC product Carson Palmer, and a Pro Bowl caliber wide receiver, in Chad Johnson, you can’t blame them for wanting to air it out and change the pace of the game.

The Bengals defense quietly finished ranked 13^th in the NFL last season—quite an accomplishment considering the amount of time they spent on the field due to an injury that sidelined Palmer and thrust Ryan Fitzpatrick into the starting quarterback role.

They seem to be in a re-building state at the moment and should pose no real threat for the divisional crown.

It’s a safe assumption to say that the AFC North is the Steelers' division to lose, though the Ravens, providing Flacco doesn’t have a "sophomore slump," will put some serious pressure on them and more than likely make a late season run for the division once again.

The Browns are one of the hardest teams to judge, but getting rid of their best offensive weapon, in Kellen Winslow Jr, isn’t the best way to go about winning the AFC North, especially not with two stellar defenses and a really good one in Cincinnati.

The Bengals could very well make a run at the division as well, with Palmer being the x-factor.

The North is, and probably always will be, an incredibly intense and difficult division to win and I see none of the four teams easily winning it, either now or in the future. The competition is just too fierce, the rivalries too big, and the passion of every team far too great for that to happen.

At the end of the day though, the Steelers are still the Super Bowl champions and returning all but one starter on the No. 1 defense in the league.

Be it by winning the division outright or being edged out by Baltimore and getting a wild card spot, the Steelers will easily make the playoffs with utter ease in 2009.

And that will instill every Steelers fan with faith and hope of winning an NFL record seventh Lombardi Trophy.