Pittsburgh Steelers: Big Ben, Stingy Defense and Other Post-Bengals Thoughts
After a playoff-clinching 23-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers have to feel good about a season that was originally believed to be lost before it even began. At 10-3, Pittsburgh not only has surpassed most expectations, but also has become one of the most intriguing stories of the 2010 regular season.
Here's a look back at what we learned against Cincinnati and also an impassioned plea that a few people be considered for end of year awards.
1. Stats Lie
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People will look at the numbers and say that Pittsburgh's offense did little to claim victory on Sunday afternoon, but that's very far from true.
Field goals aren't sexy, but they get the job done in a pinch. Just ask Green Bay, who would surely have liked a couple of field goal drives in Detroit yesterday.
That's not the point, though. Statistically, yes the offense was mediocre.
But when it comes to performance, they did what they needed to do to win.
Rashard Mendenhall didn't have a lot of yards (66 on 18 carries), but the yards he got were hard-fought and he also was difficult to bring down behind the line for a loss. Mewelde Moore, Ben Roethlisberger, and even Mike Wallace contributed to the running game as well, so it isn't as if runners weren't effective.
Ben Roethlisberger had what I thought was an excellent day throwing the football. Despite numerous questionable hits, Big Ben kept ticking once again. He didn't lead a touchdown drive, but the Steelers rarely were unable to move the ball on offense.
Sometimes, you win with heavy doses of offense. Sometimes, your offense puts your defense in good spots. That's what happened yesterday. The Steelers out-possessed the Bengals by over nine minutes. Keeping a good offense off the field is a key component of victory.
2. Who Needs Offense From The Offense Anyway?
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Who needs offense from the offense when the defense is providing it so consistently.
On a day when they seemed to need their defense to step up big, Dick LeBeau pulled out all the stops and got Pittsburgh a victory with some good, old-fashioned Steel Curtain football.
Carson Palmer was harassed all day. He was sacked three times, hurried even more often, picked off three times, and was unable to get the ball to his big deep threats.
Leading receiver Terrell Owens was held to one catch for 22 yards. Chad Ochocinco made six catches for only 71 yards to lead the team.
Cedric Benson and the rest of the Bengals' rushing attack were neutralized completely. Benson gained 19 of the Bengals' 34 rushing yards.
But it was the turnovers that grabbed the headlines. Troy Polamalu, who I recently crowned the best safety in the NFL today, had a command performance with two picks and a touchdown in which he ran past all 11 Bengals offensive players.
Lamarr Woodley, quietly putting together another Pro Bowl season opposite James Harrison, had a touchdown return on an interception as well that basically put the game away.
Not on the stat sheet, but there were excellent performances by Brett Keisel, Ziggy Hood, and James Farrior as well. Lawrence Timmons continued to be a quiet yet integral part of the team's plans.
3. Kicking It In
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It feels like 2002 once again.
Tuesday's are a good day to find kickers in Pittsburgh. On a blustery day in 2002, the Steelers found Jeff Reed, who won two Super Bowls here and was the most accurate kicker ever in Heinz Field's unfriendly confines.
A few weeks ago, on another blustery Tuesday, Pittsburgh unearthed Shaun Suisham. Previously marred by inaccuracy and poor leg strength, Suisham has been the very definition of spectacular in Pittsburgh.
He's made all of his field goal attempts. In tough conditions on the road in Buffalo and at home this Sunday, he's been money in the bank. He's said nothing about the kicking conditions at Heinz Field verbally, but his leg doesn't seem to be troubled at all by the turf or the winds.
After an injury to Daniel Sepulveda shelved the stellar punter for the remainder of the year, the Steelers found another diamond in the rough with Jeremy Kapinos. He boomed a 53 yard punt yesterday in poor wind conditions and looks to be a steady, dependable player we'll need.
Kudos must go out to the team's scouting department and Director of Football Operations, Kevin Colbert, for finding these two specialists.
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4. Keep Your Foot on The Gas
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There's no time to celebrate yet. There's a division and a Super Bowl still up for grabs. Pittsburgh has put themselves in good position to get those achievements, but plenty of work remains.
First, let's get the Jets.
This is shaping up to be another trap game. The Jets have looked purely awful in two games after dominating most of the season. Exposed or not, Rex Ryan and company will be angry and hungry coming into this game. That's never a good recipe.
It's also the recipe that brought us losses to New Orleans and New England. Must be something with the 'new' in the city names that makes teams more difficult for Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh can pretty much lock things up by beating New York. With games against Carolina and Cleveland remaining, New York is the last playoff-hopeful on the schedule. That doesn't mean we can coast after this game either, but this is one of those must-win games.
If they can come out and play the way they did yesterday, there is no reason to believe that Pittsburgh won't triumph. Certainly, Troy Polamalu will have to avoid the Jets' best tackler: their strength and conditioning coach.
5. A Look at Some Should-Be Award Recipients
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There are some members of the organization who should be considered for the end of year awards, yet I haven't heard any of their names mentioned. Here's a look at the candidates:
Coach of the Year
Mike Tomlin deserves this award more than any other coach. He's done more in the face of adversity than any coach. The Tampa Bay and Chicago stories are nice and so is what Bill Belichick has done with a young defense, but their resumes fall far short of Tomlin's.
Not only has the Pittsburgh coach navigated this team through four games without their star quarterback (with a 3-1 record), a rash of key injuries (their best defensive lineman, both starting offensive tackles, several others that kept players out for weeks), a change in kickers, and some other unique circumstances, he's also kept this team grounded in the face of some pretty questionable officiating.
Most Valuable Player
MVP awards should be awarded to a player who is the most valuable to his team. There are two such players here. Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu.
Roethlisberger makes the offense tick. He's been excellent both statistically and from a performance standpoint. Beyond that, however, he's the most gutsy quarterback in the league. He's put up two great games with a broken foot and broken nose. Against the Bengals, he fearlessly scrambled for yards regardless of his injuries and removed a protective face guard when it hindered his ability to play.
Find me another NFL quarterback today who would do that. Maybe Brett Favre, but I somehow doubt even he would play as well as Ben in similar circumstances.
Polamalu could also be in the running for Comeback Player of the Year. He's having a huge season that was only highlighted by his performance on Sunday. He's made huge plays all season and is still an elite safety and by far the best in the league right now. He's invaluable to this defense. If you need proof, look at last year's game tapes.
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