Pittsburgh signed Flozell Adams to a 2 year contract today.  I’m a big fan of this move; Flozell will make a solid RT and is an immediate upgrade over everyone else on the roster than were in contention for that starting RT spot.  No need to re-invent the wheel……we posted the following a few weeks ago when the Steelers brought Adams in for a physical.

Flozell Adams to sign with Pittsburgh?

By Dagger, on June 29th, 2010

Just when it looked like the Steelers OL was going to turn the corner, insert a new starter, and gel as a unit, injuries strike.  Willie Colon going down is a big blow to the Steelers Offensive Line but at least the organization has plenty of time to find a replacement.  Former Cowboy Flozell Adams visited the Steelers facility today and could end up signing with the team in the near future.  Adams has had a nice career but at age 35 what can we expect from the guy?  Let’s take a look:

Translating Adams’ numbers is difficult because he started 16 games last year as a LT in the Cowboy’s offense but would be expected to play RT for the Steelers (you’d think).

*He gave up the 6th most QB pressures of all LT/RTs in the NFL last year

*He gave up the 7th most sacks of all LT/RTs in the NFL last year.

*He was called for 12 penalties last year (6th in the league)…..the RT/LT with the most was Alex Barron checking in with 14 penalties.

At RT he won’t be facing many outstanding pass rushers so you’d like to think that any deficiencies he has in the passing game will be covered up/hidden a bit playing RT in the Steelers offense.  He is known as a terrific run-blocker so perhaps at this stage of his career, moving him over to RT will allow him to continue playing at a high level.  Stay on the right side, do what you do best in the running game and hold your own in passing situations.

Statistically, the Cowboys were at their best last year when they ran the ball behind Flozell—averaging  6.8 yards per carry off his Left End and 4.5 yards per carry up his backside.  In comparison, running behind Colon the Steelers averaged 4.3 (up his back) and 5.3 (off his RE) yards per rush.  Different schemes, different positions, different offenses, different RBs…I realize….but these are the only comparisons we can make at this point in time.

If signed, I see no reason to get worried that he won’t be able to fill in admirably for Willie Colon.  In fact, I wouldn’t put it past him to perhaps play better than Colon has over the last few seasons.

The Steelers and Willie’s agent  may view Colon  as one of the best Tackles in the league but I just don’t see it.  I don’t think losing him will make or break the season.  Flozell Adams doubters will point to the stats I posted above but that was a guy playing LT in the Cowboys offense.  Put him at RT for the Steelers where his weaknesses are hidden and we could have a great fit.

Overrated:  stories getting too much hype, too much attention, too much worry……vs…..Underrated:  stories getting too little coverage, too little attention.

Overrated Storyline 1:  Not having Ben Roethlisberger for the first 4 games of the season is going to doom this team.  How could playing 25% of the regular season without your starting QB be an overrated storyline?  My logic is that without Santonio Holmes and Willie Colon, the Steelers need to ease their offense into Arians’ pass-first scheme no matter who the QB is.  I don’t think you put Ward, Wallace, Battle, and Randle El out there and pick up right where you left off last season.  There needs to be a transition and perhaps starting the year with a backup QB under center will force Arians and the Steelers to get back to a more simple offense to start the season.  Run the ball, play great defense, sprinkle in some passing plays, and do whatever it takes to win ugly.  Ben comes back in 4 weeks….the new RT should be acclimated, Mike Wallace should be comfortable in his role as #2 WR, and Randle El, Battle, Emmanuel Sanders, etc…should all be comfortable with the new offense.  I’m not going to say playing 4 games without Ben is a blessing in disguise but maybe the team will benefit from it.  We shall see.

Overrated Storyline 2:  Lamarr Woodley’s contract situation.  The Steelers have about a dozen issues/problems to worry about between now and September 12, we don’t need to be worrying about Lamarr Woodley and his contract at this juncture.  From all indications there will be a partial or full strike in 2011 without a new CBA so the last thing I want to be worrying about before the 2010 season even starts is what’s going to happen 14 months from now.  Woodley should have a monster year and the Steelers will re-sign him.  I’m confident in that.  They might release James Harrison after this year to sign Woodley or they might keep them both, or they could even franchise Lamarr….either way…I have no doubt that the Steelers will do whatever they can to lock him up long term.  I’m not stressing this one.  The Steelers organization can’t sign him to a contract right now because they don’t know what the landscape of the league will look like next year.  Blindly signing Woodley to a long term deal would be an unwise business decision at this point in time; the Steelers know what they are doing in these situations and they seemingly always re-sign the guys they want to re-sign in a timely fashion.

Overrated Storyline 3:  The demise of the Steelers and the rise of the rest of the AFC North.  A few weeks ago I was about as down on the Steelers as I have ever been in my life.  Never before have we entered a season with this little “positive hype”, with nobody talking about us as SB contenders, with everyone talking about how great the rest of our division is and how much we have slipped.  We had some awful losses last year, we had devastating injuries, we missed the playoffs, Big Ben gets in trouble again, Lamarr Woodley is upset, we trade Santonio Holmes for peanuts, Willie Parker leaves via Free Agency, etc…..add up all these factors and you find yourself taking the bad news as gospel.  Slap yourself in the face real quick and come back to reality.  The Steelers have many impact players and big weapons on both sides of the ball.  As crappy as last season seemed, the Steelers missed out on the playoffs due to a TIE BREAKER.  The most god awful season we can ever remember and really??? we missed out on the playoffs due to a tie breaker? Yes.  Turn that frown upside down….the Steelers return a very solid team, their QB will be back in 4 games, some young guys are going to step up and fill some big roles, and winning the AFC North is a very real possibility.

Underrated Storyline 1:  This one is related to the paragraph you just read.  The Steelers defense is getting no love.  Last year, even with all of the devastating injuries and new personnel, the Steelers put up a top 10 defense.  We add McFadden and Foote (two incredibly underrated moves) we add Worilds, add a more experienced Ziggy Hood, remove Ty Carter and all of a sudden you realize that this is basically the EXACT SAME DEFENSE that finished #1 in the league in 2008.  If the Steelers can stay relatively healthy we have ourselves a top 3 defense.  Period.  No ifs ands or buts.  The Ravens are big and bad and now they have Boldin.  The Bengals had a solid season last year, won the division and now they add a 36 year old Terrell Owens.  That’s great and all but you could argue that the Steelers added Polamalu, Aaron Smith, McFadden, and Foote this offseason.  Pretty good additions.  This defense will keep them in every game they play and allow them to survive the first 4 games of the season without Ben Roethlisberger.

Underrated Storyline 2:  The Steelers Special Teams units should be much improved.  One could argue that the main reason the team didn’t make the playoffs last year was because of Special Teams.  It would be almost impossible for this unit to get worse so there really is nowhere to go but up.  It’s also worth noting that Pittsburgh seemingly went out of their way to draft Special Teams studs a few months ago at the NFL draft.  I think we have finally seen the end of guys like Patrick Bailey and Anthony Madison making the active roster.  With Worilds, Gibson, Sylvester, Brown, and Sanders stepping onto the field, we now have guys that are going to contribute to special teams immediately while still bringing something to the table 11-on-11.  Bailey was never going to play LB on this team.  Madison was never going to be a legit CB.  We have improved this team by adding 3 LBs that can contribute on ST right now while they learn and grow with the organization; guys that have the potential to get “real” 11-on-11 playing time.

Underrated Storyline 3:  Steelers entering a re-building tooling mode?  The Steelers are usually so stacked at just about every position that rookies and young players rarely get a chance to come in and make an immediate impact.  As a fan of the Steelers you learn to come to grips with certain facts of life.  Your team won’t be active in Free Agency, you’re not going to have too much hype/attention surrounding your team, you won’t have many media darlings (ocho cinco, T.O, Portis, etc…) drawing tons of attention to your organization, and you’re not going to have many impact rookies.  Being a steady/proven successful team for years upon years upon years is almost boring at times, no?   Ho-hum….another trip to the AFC Championship game.  The playoffs are a given.  We’re going to finish the season with a top 3 defense, a top 5 rushing game, and a bottom tier passing game….but we’ll win our division with ease and take our chances in the playoffs.  This is our reality right?  It has changed a bit over the past 12 months or so but this is more or less how most of us should feel.  As Steeler fans we’re used to watching our team click along like a machine.  Very successful, very few changes.  
There is a possibility that things change a bit early this season, and we are in for more intrigue than usual, check it out:  If Dennis Dixon has a strong camp we’re looking at a young Dixon starting the season at QB.  Not all that likely but certainly possible.  I’ve seen enough of Jonathan Dwyer and I’ve seen enough rookie RBs step into the NFL to predict that this guy will make the squad and contribute.  IF he has a nice camp he could jump over Summers, Redman, and Vincent on the depth chart.  We could have Mendenhall and Dwyer splitting more carries than you ever thought possible.  Mike Wallace is your #2 WR.  Any chance Emmanuel Sanders jumps up to #3 or sees significant playing time splitting duties with Randle El/Battle?  If so…on any given offensive passing play you’ve got a rookie and a 2nd year guy getting a ton of playing time.  Pouncey will start somewhere.  Guard? Center?  Who knows….but he has to start somewhere.  Ziggy Hood will get more action than he saw last year.  Worilds will likely step onto the field at times in pass-rushing situations.  One of Crezdon Butler, Joe Burnett, and Keenan Lewis is going to have to step up and play a significant role.  Look at the list we just went through, do you remember a season in recent memory where so many guys had legitimate shots and contributing at such an early age?  This will make for a very exciting camp/preseason.

Steeler LB Lawrence Timmons (timmons94.com) blogs about training camp:

July 28, 2010

I did a lot of great things in the off-season. It hasn’t all been fun, though. I’ve been working out hard. I’m up to 248 pounds right now, no fat. I’ve got my abs back.

I threw out the first pitch at a minor league baseball game for the Florence Red Wolves in my hometown of Florence, South Carolina. I signed autographs all day long during the game. It’s a good feeling when your hometown fans show you a lot of love and I really appreciate it. They showed up wearing Steelers jerseys and that really made an impression on me.

I also went to James Farrior’s celebrity weekend in Richmond, Virginia. That was fun. I played in a celebrity softball game but that was kind of disappointing. I flew out every time. I thought I was a better ballplayer than that. I also signed a lot of autographs and just had a lot of fun with it.

Now it’s time to get ready for training camp on Friday. I’ve been working out like a dog so camp will be easy for me and I’m in some serious shape. I’ve been working out hard, doing two-a-days, working out then running or lifting. My trainers have me on some supplements now and I’m improving my wind, speed and strength so everything is going well.

I feel like I should have a good camp and we’re ready to get to Latrobe and start building team chemistry. That’s what training camp is really for when you have a veteran unit, doing all the reps together, feeling each other out, knowing where each guy is going to be on certain plays. You build camaraderie and get as close as possible on and off the field.

We have pretty much our whole defense back, with Bryant McFadden back to start at corner. The linebackers have been together quite a few years and we’ve all grown together. I know we’ll be one of the team’s strengths this season, and all together our defense is solid. We have no weaknesses in the secondary, on the line or at linebacker. We should definitely contend for the league’s top defense again this season.

A lot of people are asking me if we can win without Ben. Truth is, we have a lot of confidence in Byron. The last time he played here we won the Super Bowl, so I like those odds. He’s used to the system here. And if anything happened to him, we have Dennis Dixon, he posted good numbers against one of the best defenses in the league in Baltimore last year so we know we can win with him too.

I have set some goals for myself this season. Making the Pro Bowl is No. 1 on my agenda, and of course we all want to win another Super Bowl. I want to be in the high teens in sacks, maybe 17 or 18. That would be a good way to help the team win.

I want to thank all the people who came out to support me in Florence, my hometown. It means a lot to me that there are so many Steelers fans there now. It was crazy seeing all of those people wearing Steelers jerseys in South Carolina.

?

We are joined today by two PGH buddies:   JJ Cooper from the newly formed SteelersLounge and Fanhouse and PGH’s own radio personality and Herald-Standard contributor Dutch Wydo.

What camp battle are you looking forward to the most?

Dutch: That’s a great question because I’m looking forward to quite a few of them.  I will go with the short yardage running back battle. I would think you have 3 backs that want to be on that field.  This could be the season where the Steelers finally begin to improve in this area.

Dagger: I’ll go with the battle for the depth RB/FB spots.  Mendenhall is your starter but beyond that, it’s a crapshoot.  You can pencil Mewelde Moore in as your 3rd down scat back but where does Redman fit in?  What about Frank Summers?  What about promising rookie Jonathan Dwyer.  I’m excited about all of these guys and in the preseason you can really get a good look at backup/depth RBs.  Of all the positions in preseason RB is by far my favorite.

Dutch: I was worried when it happened and I’m still concerned now. I’m referring to the loss of Santonio Holmes of course. Around 80% of Holmes catches last year went for First downs. That was the highest percentage of any receiver with at least 60 catches.  What happens if Mike Wallace doesn’t take the next step in his development?

That being said, Randle El interestingly enough had the 8^th highest percentage of 1^st downs per passing target. Holmes slipped in this category to 16^th.  The Steelers could be alright here. Maybe not quite as explosive, but more efficient.  But I really liked the idea of having 2 Receivers like Wallace and Holmes having the ability to stretch a field.

Dagger: I thought you guys were going to say Big Ben and I was going to come in here with something different, but alas, we are all in agreement.  Make no mistake about it, the Steelers are a pass-first offense right now and tossing Santonio Holmes to the curb is a devastating blow.  This was most likely going to be his last year as a Steeler anyway but they will certainly miss him this upcoming season.  One thing that isn’t getting brought up enough is the impact this is going to have on Mike Wallace.  He’s a “fantasy sleeper” all of a sudden and people are expecting him to have a breakout season.  WRs usually don’t “break out” until their 3rd year and I just get a feeling that this guy is getting rushed through his development a bit.  An aging Hines Ward is your #1 WR, a semi-unproven rookie is your #2 and Randle El/Battle are battling for the #3 spot.  The WR position went from a position of strength to a bit of a question mark very quickly.

Dutch: Mendenhall.  He’ll get 1400 yards and make Lance Williams happy.

Dagger: We’re going out on a limb here….Jonathan Dwyer.  He’s better than Frank Summers, he’s better than Isaac Redman, and he’s more of an every-down and shortyardage back than Moore is.  By the end of the season he’ll be getting carries near the endzone, he’ll be getting shortyardage carries at times, and he’ll be getting in the game every 3rd series or so.  Will he break out in spectacular statistical fashion?  No.  But he’s going to play a much bigger role than many expect.

Dutch: I sure hope it is Lawrence Timmons. In fact, that’s one of the camp battles I’m looking forward to.

Dagger: I’d like to say Timmons but I think him and Foote will split time like they did a few years ago so I expect him on the field a bit less.  The addition of Foote is extremely underrated and will make the defense overall a better unit.  I’ll go with Ike Taylor.  As an upcoming UFA, he’s playing for a new contract, he has Polamalu back with him in the secondary, the Steelers will generate more pass rush this year, and he’ll have plenty of opportunities to catch balls.  This is the year he holds on to all those INTs he’s been dropping over the past few seasons.

JJ: Emmanuel Sanders. I’m counting on Pouncey being a solid contributor on the o-line, but if Sanders can become the team’s No. 3 receiver and a poor-man’s Mike Wallace (the rookie version), he could make a big difference in how well the offense plays.

Dutch: Pouncey.   He might be their best lineman already.

Dagger: Worilds.  Is he Alonzo Jackson part duex?  Is he the next Lamarr Woodley?  If Worilds plays well in camp he could find his way onto the field for situational pass rushing and should be a solid contributor on special teams.

Jones was cut by Houston during training camp last year and went the entire season without joining another team.  The last time he stepped foot onto an NFL field was in 2008 where he started 10 games for the Kansas City Chiefs.  The signing of Adrian Jones is seen as as a replacement for Willie Colon but Jones played Guard exclusively in 2008.  Perhaps somebody already on the roster slides out to RT and Jones becomes a G/T depth swingman like Essex and Stapleton have been utilized over the past few seasons.

I don’t recall ever seeing Adrian Jones play so I won’t pretend that I know his game inside and out but all indications are that he is slightly below average; don’t expect him to start unless the Steelers suffer ANOTHER injury.  I’m sure he came cheap though, which is why we’re reporting Adrian Jones has signed with the Steelers instead of Flozell Adams.

*No Antonio Brown.

*McHugh is rated higher than Matt Spaeth?

*Randle El rated one point higher than Battle?

*Apparently EA Sports thinks Mendenhall is an injury waiting to happen.

*Wow, Leftwich + Batch + Dixon = no respect.  Lefty really gets dumped on unnecessarily.

*I expected the OL to get lower overall ratings.

*Nice to see they respect Kemoeatu’s strength.

*Gibson is rated higher than Worilds??

*Timmons gets the “acceleration” rating he deserves.

*Casey Hampton’s “stamina” rating took a beating.

*Ike Taylor’s “catching” rating is a 34.  I think they may have been a bit generous.

*No distinguishable difference between Joe Burnett and William Gay?

*Ryan Clark deserved a better rating.

*How in the world did Tuff Harris make the roster?

10 days away from the start of Steeler training camp so perhaps now is the time to take a look at the schedule:

I rarely look at the final score to determine the strength of a football team. I prefer to use statistics that reveal much more, such as Yards Per Play and Yards per passing attempt.

Steelers have a 9-18 record since 1992 when they gain 300 or more Net passing yards in a game.

Steelers are 60-11 since 1992 when their Quarterback averages 8 or more Net passing yards per attempt in a game.

Despite those incredible stats above, you will rarely hear about yards per pass attempt throughout a post-game show. You will undoubtedly here about the overall passing yards as if it has some major importance. Yards per play is a vitally important stat to consider when diagnosing a football team. Here are a couple of examples that show why:

The Pittsburgh Steelers dropped games to the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals in Weeks 2 and 3 last season, respectively.

Steelers 5.2 – Bears 4.8

Steelers 6.2 – Bengals 4.9

Above are the yards per play averages for each team in those particular games. As you can see, the Steelers outgained the Bears and Bengals in Yards Per Play.

One of the most important things to remember is that Yards Per Play is not the same as overall yards. A team can lose while amassing many more total yards because their offense played against a prevent defense in the 4th quarter. But Yards Per Play is much more telling. It really gives you a better feel for which team got the better of the play.

Despite outgaining both teams in yards per play, the Steelers lost both games. The kicking game and turnovers killed them. Despite outgaining all three opponents in Yards Per Play, the Steelers were heading into Week 4 with a 1-2 record.

As a handicapper, here is what I know at that point: The Steelers were much better than their 1-2 record indicated, and that they were about to take out their frustrations in the form of a blow-out soon.

Check out the following stat:

The Steelers are 16-3 in home games after two consecutive games with a turnover margin of -1 or worse since 1992.

Here we have the Steelers beating the Bears and demolishing the Bengals in Yards Per Play, yet taking the losses because they turned the ball over. In other words, a strong team is returning home after coming off a couple of fluky losses.

Uh oh! Look out!

Week 4 result—-> Pittsburgh Steelers 38, San Diego Chargers 28

And it wasn’t even that close.

Now let’s flip the script and examine a 2-0 team from 2009 that was overrated.

The Atlanta Falcons began last season with wins over the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers.

Yet, Yards Per Play would indicate that Atlanta was more fortunate.

Atlanta 4.3 – Dolphins 4.6

Atlanta 5.8 – Carolina 6.6

As you can see, the Falcons won, despite being outgained in Yards Per Play.

Their +4 turnover margin at that point into the season had something to do with that. But turnovers, especially fumbles, have a great deal to do with luck.

So here we have the Falcons, a playoff team from a year ago, that just got out to a 2-0 start. Yet, the Yards Per Play stats show that they did not get the better of the play in their two wins. This was an overrated team that is about to get their comeuppance.

Week 3 result—–>New England Patriots 26, Atlanta Falcons 10

Not only would the Falcons lose in Week 3, but they would lose seven of their next eleven games and miss the playoffs.

Early this season, keep an eye on the hidden stats like Yards Per Play. You will have a better idea after a few games if a team is a fluke or the real deal.

Call in line: 206-202-4468

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Just when it looked like the Steelers OL was going to turn the corner, insert a new starter, and gel as a unit, injuries strike.  Willie Colon going down is a big blow to the Steelers Offensive Line but at least the organization has plenty of time to find a replacement.  Former Cowboy Flozell Adams visited the Steelers facility today and could end up signing with the team in the near future.  Adams has had a nice career but at age 35 what can we expect from the guy?  Let’s take a look:

Translating Adams’ numbers is difficult because he started 16 games last year as a LT in the Cowboy’s offense but would be expected to play RT for the Steelers (you’d think).

*He gave up the 6th most QB pressures of all LT/RTs in the NFL last year

*He gave up the 7th most sacks of all LT/RTs in the NFL last year.

*He was called for 12 penalties last year (6th in the league)…..the RT/LT with the most was Alex Barron checking in with 14 penalties.

At RT he won’t be facing many outstanding pass rushers so you’d like to think that any deficiencies he has in the passing game will be covered up/hidden a bit playing RT in the Steelers offense.  He is known as a terrific run-blocker so perhaps at this stage of his career, moving him over to RT will allow him to continue playing at a high level.  Stay on the right side, do what you do best in the running game and hold your own in passing situations.

Statistically, the Cowboys were at their best last year when they ran the ball behind Flozell—averaging  6.8 yards per carry off his Left End and 4.5 yards per carry up his backside.  In comparison, running behind Colon the Steelers averaged 4.3 (up his back) and 5.3 (off his RE) yards per rush.  Different schemes, different positions, different offenses, different RBs…I realize….but these are the only comparisons we can make at this point in time.

If signed, I see no reason to get worried that he won’t be able to fill in admirably for Willie Colon.  In fact, I wouldn’t put it past him to perhaps play better than Colon has over the last few seasons.

The Steelers and Willie’s agent  may view Colon  as one of the best Tackles in the league but I just don’t see it.  I don’t think losing him will make or break the season.  Flozell Adams doubters will point to the stats I posted above but that was a guy playing LT in the Cowboys offense.  Put him at RT for the Steelers where his weaknesses are hidden and we could have a great fit.