Pittsburgh Steelers: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Week One
The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off their season this afternoon against the Atlanta Falcons, and showed the resiliency of a team that might just survive the adversity facing them starting the 2010 season.
While the Steelers certainly didn’t turn any heads with their 15-9 performance in Week 1, there was no doubt they came to Heinz Field with a new sense of team unity that was simply not there in 2009.
With all of the chaos surrounding the Steelers during the offseason, Week 1 is a welcome sight for Steelers fans. Some things were good, some bad, and there were certainly some ugly things, but overall, the Steelers came out without Ben Roethlisberger 1-0.
Here are the top things, good, bad, and ugly, after a game that should be considered a battle won.
The Good – Overall Defense
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Coming into the season, many critics said the Steelers’ defense was getting too old, too slow, and certainly too frail to carry a team that desperately needs to rely on what has always been their biggest strength.
Not only did the Steelers’ defense show up today, they held an otherwise potent offense to 58 yards rushing and no touchdowns.
Outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley brought down Matt Ryan to account for the Steelers’ two sacks, and Troy Polamalu posted the Steelers’ first turnover of the season, with an interception that put them in position to win the game late.
While there is still room for improvement in certain areas, the Steelers defense as a whole was the biggest bright spot in Week 1.
The Good – Dennis Dixon
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This may be the good, bad, and ugly, and since there is no category for mediocrity, it only seems fair that Dennis Dixon should get credit for not losing the game for the Steelers.
Dixon managed to go 18-26 for 236 yards and an interception, and while those numbers would hardly scare a future opponent, they certainly don’t scare the Steelers’ coaching staff.
In only his second career start as an NFL quarterback, Dennis Dixon looked somewhere between comfortable and a deer in the headlights.
Regardless of his mental state, Dixon only failed to do one thing that was expected of him in the season opener; he never made the major mistake that cost his team the game. While his one interception was so poorly thrown that one could wonder who he was throwing the ball to, Dixon managed to tie a knot and hold on in the midst of the storm surrounding him.
Whether it was overcoming questionable play-calling in the redzone, placekicker Jeff Reed attempting to relive the Chicago game of a year ago, or losing his left tackle to injury, Dixon handled himself well enough to keep his team in the game.
The Good – Hines Ward
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The grizzly old veteran still has it.
In a game that proved to be a defensive battle between the Steelers and Falcons, Hines Ward still managed to accumulate six catches for 108 yards. Most of those receptions came when the Steelers needed them most, moving the chains in large chunks.
Ward’s offensive production proved to be worth it’s weight in black and gold yesterday, as it accomplished so much more than just moving the Steelers into field goal range.
While Ward managed to move the chains and then some, he also managed to move the emotional and mental state of his team as well. His big gains over the middle provided an emotional lift on multiple levels. Ward lifted the energy of an offense that had been on the doorstep and stalled several times during the game, and while that’s important, he also boosted the confidence of his young quarterback Dennis Dixon.
There is no way to understate the importance of giving a young, hesitant quarterback the confidence to trust his arm and decision making when it comes to throwing the ball downfield. When an inexperienced player like Dixon trusts himself to unleash a deep pass without second guessing it, it begins to open up your offense and allows you do more with less.
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The Bad – The Steelers Secondary
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Yes Troy Polamalu is back. Yes Troy Polamalu was able to create all the things defensively that Troy Polamalu does. And yes, Troy Polamalu made a late game interception that put the team in position to win it.
But…
The rest of the secondary was mediocre to inconsistent at best. Did they show some flashes of things done well? Sure, but for every Bryant McFadden pass defended, he got caught off guard two more times by Roddy White.
Ryan Clark looked more like the ghost of Tyrone Carter in a No. 25 jersey than he did the hard hitting, fast reacting, safety he has been in recent years.
With the reversed progress of Keenan Lewis in the later part of the preseason, and the slow play of their current defensive backs, the Steelers’ defensive secondary may be their biggest defensive question mark going forward.
The Bad – The Redzone Play Selection
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Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians has indeed recommitted himself to running the football, but has he committed himself to getting better at calling plays in the redzone?
If Week 1 was any indication, the answer is a resounding no.
While you can argue that he is running his offense on a limited, watered-down, and otherwise thin playbook, there still no excuse for changing the flow and rhythm of what your offense has done all the way down the field to get to the redzone.
On more than one occasion, the Steelers marched the ball down the field, only to slow the pace and take the ball out of the hands of Dixon with a short field.
While wanting to take the pressure off of a young quarterback where the pressure increases most seems logical, the Steelers do not have the strength up front to rely upon their offensive line to change the line of scrimmage.
The running game was much improved, especially in the “pony formation,” including both Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman, but in order to allow them room to run, Dixon has to be an established threat.
Dixon’s mobility was rarely a factor in the game, especially in the redzone. Keeping him in the pocket on a short field is not only more difficult for him against an increased pass-rush, bit it never allowed him the option to make plays with his legs.
Rolling Dixon out and getting him mobile in the redzone would force the defense to respect his run ability, while giving him an option to ad lib, rather than keeping him in the pocket where he was under duress and sacked three times.
The Steelers and Bruce Arians will need to find a way to utilize the only high-caliber skill Dixon possesses at this point in his young career if they are going to be successful on the opponent’s side of mid-field.
The Bad – Casey Hampton’s Hamstring Injury
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The Steelers made a big financial commitment to Casey Hampton in the offseason, despite recent injury concerns.
Now they are going to have to manage the hamstring pull that took him out of the game against the Falcons with great care as well.
Hampton left the game in the first half with a pulled hamstring, and did not return.
While Chris Hoke has filled in successfully in the past, the nine-year veteran got less penetration against the running game than he has in the past. He specifically looked over-matched in several short-yardage situations, where he got blown off the ball where Hampton typically is at his best.
The Steelers do not have another clear-cut nose tackle on the roster, and could go in one of two ways if the injury lingers.
They may need to move last year’s first round pick Ziggy Hood inside from defensive end, or convert fellow defensive end Nick Eason to the position, if necessary.
The other direction could be the free agents that were recently cut from other teams in the final round of cuts last week. While this is a much less likely scenario, the Steelers will need to add someone if Hampton is out for any length of time.
The Ugly – Injury to Max Starks
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Losing Max Starks in the third quarter to what looks like an ankle sprain could prove deadly to the Steelers.
While the loss of Hampton is bad for the Steelers defense, the Steelers are already playing thin on talent and depth at the offensive line, and the ramifications of losing Starks could mean a complete shake up at the position.
If Starks is out for any length of time (test scheduled for today), Jonathan Scott is the primary backup to both Flozell Adams and Max Starks at tackle, and it is extremely unlikely that Tony Hills will get a shot as the starting left tackle.
The Steelers could likely look to Doug Legursky, who played some significant time at guard during the preseason. If the team feels Legursky could handle the workload, it could be possible to see him take over for Trai Essex, and to see Essex move out to the right tackle, moving Flozell Adams back to his natural left tackle position.
No matter which direction the Steelers go under the current situation, it is going to be a strain on the current offensive situation with an inexperienced quarterback.
The Ugly – Placekicking
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In a fashion eerily similar to an early season game against the Chicago Bears last season, placekicker Jeff Reed all but lost a game that was decided completely on field goals until Rashard Mendenhall broke a 50-yard touchdown run in overtime.
After missing a field goal from 50+ yards, Reed went on to make his next attempt with a hair length to spare.
After a Troy Polamalu interception late in the fourth quarter with 1:40 left to play, the Steelers had to attempt a field goal for the win after failing to convert a third and one play.
The 40-yard attempt sailed wide right, and the Steelers by all rights would and should have been dead after losing the coin toss to begin overtime. Like they did all game long, the defense rose to the occasion and gave their team another life to live.
Reed’s inconsistency on and off the field in recent years has been somewhat of a concern, and with Reed playing on a franchise tag for the season; he is playing for his future in Pittsburgh.
He will have to show the mental fortitude and will to get passed his Week 1 failures both in field goal kicking and kicking the ball off if he is going to get a contract extension at season’s end.
The Wrap Up
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For a team that had a lot of questions coming in, the Pittsburgh Steelers showed a level of heart that was absent from the 2009 version of their team. Different players rose to the occasion at different times to give the Steelers a shot in the arm when they needed it.
In order for them to make it back to the playoffs, they will have to continue showing the same iron-will and determination to win pretty, dirty, or flat out ugly like they did here in Week 1.
If they can shore up the bad and the ugly, and show this type of desire over the next three weeks, they should be in position to be competitive the rest of the way once Ben Roethlisberger comes back following the bye-week in Week 6.
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