What does Bruce Arians know that you don’t know?
Arians bashers are often criticized by a general statement that goes something like this. “You as a fan don’t know what he knows.”
And there is some truth to this.
The problem is that the statement never gets into specifics because the accuser is just playing an assuming role and rarely knows much more about the subject themselves.
Just listen to the Terry Foxx radio network in Pittsburgh and you undoubtedly catch onto this. But I digress.
So what does Arians know about the offense that others simply don’t quite understand?
Here it is.
In 2003, the Steelers ran a more up tempo offense with Maddox at QB. The downside to running an up-tempo offense is that unless you’re really committed to running the football, (and that era of football is over) you will leave yourself open to quick three and outs. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the problem with this is that your defense can find itself having been on the field way to long by the end of game/season. This is why you will often see teams get off to successful starts to begin a season, only to fall fade as the year goes on. There were times the Miami Dolphins in the Marino era struggled with this. His fast temp and quick strike offense just exhausted his defense by the end of the season.
The Steelers defense; Troy Polamalu has often said that their defense is not designed to be on the field for long periods of time due to its attacking scheme.
Arians understands this more than anyone does.
Fans get annoyed when they see Roethlisberger let the play clock run down to 1-2 seconds each time. But that is all by design to help the Steelers defense. But even Roethlisberger would like to speed up the tempo. That is why you hear the yearly request Ben makes to Arians about running more no huddle. Ben is basically saying he would like to speed up the tempo because he will perform better. All quarterbacks would like to play fast. A fast tempo allows a QB to keep in rhythm.
The way the fans thinking often goes is that Arians is a selfish bastard that just doesn’t want to give up his play calling duties.
But that is ridiculous!
Arians knows that his slow tempo offense is the best match for the Steelers defense even if that slow tempo will sometimes keep their average points per game down and not give his QB the best chance at getting into a nice rhythm. It has nothing to do with his coveted play calling duties. This is why the Steelers offense often looks disoriented or “ugly but effective”.
Arians also knows that Roethlisberger is talented enough to play the game at that tempo, while most quarterbacks would simply be way too inefficient.
It’s kind of like playing golf for 3.5 hours by going hole to hole and shot for shot without having to wait. There is a good chance that you will play better than having to sit for 15 minutes on every hole and end up in a 6 hour round.
It is hard to remain efficient in that environment.
But the heavily talented Roethlisberger can play that game. In fact, this is one of his incredible hidden playing traits that often go unmentioned. Roethlisberger is much better than what the fans and media are led to believe.
In the end, Arians offense is designed to match the high energy attacking style of the unique defense the Steelers like to play.
Football is the one sport where the offense and the defense really are designed to cooperate with each other.
Arians knows this very well.
The Bruce Arians offense saga
I figured I’d take the time to chime in on the Arians outing.
When it comes to the question of whether Arians should have been back, folks on both sides of the issue had real problems making their case and being 100% correct. Arians backers simply pointed to the number of Super bowl trips under his watch and were willing to overlook the Steelers offense that has underperformed their stats in the regular seasons. Meanwhile, Arians bashers were quick to point out the Steelers regular season offensive ranking in total points scored and then quickly credited the defense for the SB trips and ended their conversation.
But that is where the problem lies in this discussion. Yes, the Steelers offense has under achieved as an offense throughout the Arians era, but this has only happened in the regular season. What some have a very hard time coming to grips with is that once the post season began, the Steelers offense has consistently been one of the best.
Here are the playoff losses for each team in the past several years
Steelers
Den 29-23
GB 25-31
Jac 29-31
NEW England
NYJ 21-28
Bal 14-33
NYG 14-17
Ind 34-38
Indianapolis
Jets 17-16
NO 31-17
SD 31-17
SD 28-24
Pit 21-18
NE 24-14
NYJ 41-0
Colts have averaged just 15 points scored in 7 playoff losses.
Pats have averaged just 20 points scored in 4 playoff losses.
Steelers averaged 27 points scored in 3 playoff losses under Arians.
So as you can see, when the Colts lose in the playoffs, it is typically because their offense WAY UNDER PERFORMS based on their regular season play. You can also say the same for the Patriots as 3 of their 4 losses have come when they failed score more than 21 ( and they scored just 14 in 2 of their 4 losses).
I wonder if their team’s fans want a change in the offense after each one of those losses?
So while the Colts and Pats offenses have cost their team the right to advance in a number of post seasons, you would be hard pressed to blame the Steelers offense that has averaged a very good, 27 points per game.
In fact, the Steelers offense has been quite consistent in all post season games (even in 04 & 05 with Whiz) as their team has scored more than 20 points in 14 consecutive post season games (league record for a QB) under the heavily talented Roethlisberger. (yes, a couple of Defensive Touchdowns in the mix, but most of your annual playoff teams have a couple of those over the years)
When the Steelers lose a regular season game, the offense is often blamed and rightly so. But when those same critics try to parlay their arguments into the post season losses, they run smack into the information I provided above.
So what is a team to do?
It's time for a change. The regular season points scored must begin to come up while an aging defense begins to give a bit. But there are still reasons to believe that had the Steelers not been on pace by week 12 for the fewest takeaways by any a defense in the history of the league, they might have scored a lot more points. After all, when a defense gets takeaways, they often provide short fields for their offense and quick scores. The Steelers offense did NOT have that luxury this year.
Furthermore, the Steelers were ranked 30th worst in average starting field position. In fact, their average starting field position In the SF game, was the worst of any team, in any game, since 1995. Blame Tomlin for that. He was simply outcoached in many aspects this year. But it is doubtful that many will call him out for it. Some Arians bashers also point to the Steelers rather mediocre red zone play as a reason to show him the door. But let us take a look at 4 of the top redzone offenses and see what they all have in common.
Top Red zone offenses (what do they have in common?)
1) Jets
2) Detroit
3) NE
4) NO
These great red zone offenses have a big tall, athletic WR or TE that can simply catch the ball in tight spaces by leaping over the top of the defender. The Steelers do not have a great red zone target like that at all. They do not have a basketball like player that can cause red zone matchup nightmares that Gronkowski, Burress, CJ, and Graham can cause.
Therefore, for the Steelers to improve in the red zone, must improve their offensive line so that their power run game is more respected inside the red zone. That in turn will open up room for the receivers and TE Miller. But until they get a freakish player like the one's mentioned above, don't expect a top 5 red zone TD conversion pct anytime soon. They can be better, but they won't be great in that area.
There is one case however to be made against Arians and his red zone offense. Arians offense is a big play offense and many of their scores are from outside the 20. But being a big play offense can often lead a team to be out of their element inside the red zone. But that is why the Steelers power run game needs to be more effective. A big play offense with a power run game would be deadly. Throw in a defense that that gets a bunch of takeaways and a head coach that doesn’t get outcoached, and well, you would have all the points you need.
My Two Cents....
NFL yards per play differential rankings
1. Ten +1.7 – Defense numbers are schewed due to Browns & Jags offense
2. Dal +1.5 - My NFC SB pick is right on schedule ladies and gentleman
3. Bal +1.1 - Ravens new WR’s better fit for Flacco deep ball
4. Pit +0.7 - Jonathon Scott is the worst player I’ve ever seen in my lifetime
5. Det +0.7 – They have that look of the NFL’s next juggernaght
6. NE +0.6 - Best offense, worst defense
7. Ari +0.5 - Losing close games despite dominating is a coaching problem
8. Cin +0.5- Cincy offense got reality check against 49ers
9. Buf +0.4 – Just loved watching Brady toss those four picks.
10. NO +0.4 – If Gabbert beats Brees Sunday, then you know the fix was in
11. Hou +0.4 – Still looking for that one great win
12. Cle +0.4 – Winning close games is a sign that Holmgren made right choice
13. NYJ +0.3 – should be a war in Baltimore next week
14. NYG +0.2 – no one seen win over Philly coming
Phi +0.2 – Mike Vick will never win a SB
15. GB +0.0 – Pass defense has gone to hell
16. SD +0.0 – Norv is a master of making easy things seem so hard
17. Oak +0.0 – Looks like we have a race in the AFC west
18. Atl -0.1 – They weren’t any good last year. They just got lucky.
19. Min -0.2 – great first half team, bad 2nd half team, and you get about avg
20. Mia -0.5 – Bill Cowher on line 1
21. Chi -0.5 –Ya think that 45 pt total had anything to do with ref throwing flag?
22. Car -0.5 – Cam Newton takes step in learning how to win
23. Jac -0.6 – Gabbert fumbled every snap in the 2nd half it seemed
24. Ind -0.7 – They aren’t as bad as the media portrays them to be
25. Tam -0.8 – They will start losing shortly
26. Den -0.8 – How does John Fox keep getting jobs?
27. KC -1.0 - Something wrong with the rebuilding process
28. Was -1.2 - Frauds
29. Stl -1.1 – Sam Bradford is a bust
30. Sf -1.2 – Same ol AFC west I guess
31. Sea -1.2 – Will they win 1 game outside the division? Doubt it.
STEEL CURTAIN RADIO #150: THE STANDARD IS THE STANDARD … OR IS IT?
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Show Topics:
- Offensive Game Grades
- Defensive Game Grades
- What is the Standard
- Why Inconsistent is the Way to Describe the Steelers?
- Coach Tomlin's Post Game Comments
- Ben Roethlisberger's Post Game Comments
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STEEL CURTAIN RADIO #146: MYRON COPIOUS
Show Topics:
- Stop Panicking Steelers Fans
- Offensive Game Grades
- Defensive Game Grades
- Copious ... What's Copious?
- Polamalu's Extension
- Why I'm not Worried
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Ravens vs Steelers quick hitters
1. A few months ago the Steelers defense was good enough to get to the Super Bowl, a few months later this defense is all of a sudden too old to keep up with the Ravens offense? Uh, no.
2. 90% of the Ravens offense is dumps and screens to RBs and TEs. The Steelers see this 2 or 3 times per year yet seem surprised that this was the focal point of the Ravens attack. Why were they not prepared for this? Baltimore registered 13 catches for FB/RB/TE and only 4 catches for their WRs (all by Boldin). The Ravens realize that you can neutralize an aggressive/blitzing defense by getting the ball to RBs/TEs and creating mismatches against LBs. For some reason the Steelers have never been able to do this. Why can't we scheme Mendenhall 1-on-1 vs a slower Linebacker? Why does Ray Rice find himself in situations where he goes into motion and gets to run a pattern against Foote or Farrior? When was the last time Redman or Mendenhall were schemed or game-planned into a mismatch vs a safety or LB?
3. Sure the score dictated it, but rushing the ball only 16 times against Baltimore is not a recipe for success.
4. Having said that, the Ravens secondary is suspect and the Steelers passing game is supposed to be WAY above average. I'm very disappointed in the offense. Wallace, Sanders, Ward, Brown, Cotchery, Miller, Saunders, Battle, Mendenhall, Moore, Redman. There are enough weapons right there to move the ball through the air against any defense in the NFL. This offense should be putting up 28+ points per game and should be on a Patriots, Saints, Packers level. Getting to the endzone 1 time is embarrassing.
5. LT Scott is going to have to improve in a big way before week 2. Any chance Max Starks or Flozell Adams get a call at some point over the next week? In my opinion Legursky isn't a starting NFL Guard and Scott isn't a starting NFL LT. The way I see it, the Steelers have at least 2 Offensive Linemen who are fringe starters. Not good. You can have all the WRs in the world but you're not moving the ball if you don't have time to throw down field.
6. Sepulveda was the best Steeler on the field today. When your punter is the best guy in your lineup on Sunday, you're not having a great day.
7. The Ravens were blitzing, playing aggressive, and pressuring the pocket. You counter that pressure with draws and RB screens. Did you see either of those today?
8. Where was the deep ball? The camera doesn't really give us the benefit of seeing the entire field but I'm assuming the Ravens secondary was playing extremely deep and keeping the Steeler WRs in front of them. I don't recall any deep bombs to Brown, Wallace, etc...which is usually a huge part of our offense.
9. Foote is a nice backup but I don't think I like the Foote-Farrior rotation mid-game. The defense seemed confused on many occasions and Ravens were running free on short/intermediate routes all day long.
10. Polamalu lost a foot race to TE Dickson for a TD. Timmons lost a foot race to RB Rice for a TD. Those are 2 of the best guys on our entire team, they need to win their individual battles.
11. Flacco is 1-7 against Big Ben. Over the next week you will hear so much praise heaped on Reed, Rice, Flacco, etc....that you will think the Ravens just won the Super Bowl. We have beaten the Ravens senseless over the past few seasons and have CRUSHED the hearts of their team and their fanbase in many postseasons. Think about that...we have ended their seasons and denied them trips to the Super Bowl on numerous occasions. They can win game 1 of this regular season. Congrats. I'll take the multiple trips to the Super Bowl, the playoff daggers to their hearts, and Ben's 7-1 record vs Flacco. If we win today, hey, it's just another W over Baltimore. If they win today (like they did) it's the biggest W for them in a long, long time. I think that mentality showed a bit today as well. Looked like we were prepared for an exhibition game and they came out like this was their Super Bowl.
12. Ike Taylor usually covers the other team's fastest WR. That's a great strategy most of the time but against Baltimore I don't want Willie Gay and McFadden matched up against Boldin. Ike took Evans out of the game but when team's have more than 1 good WR you're left with our subpar CBs locked up against guys they have no business covering. For this very reason, you need 3 starting CBs in the NFL. The Steelers only have one. This weakness is most exposed against elite passing attacks, obviously, but if teams with average passing games like the Ravens start exposing your secondary then you have major concerns.
13. The Ravens had 6 scoring drives. 4 of them started in Steeler territory. This is why I don't want to hear the "defense is getting old" excuse. You will hear that all week I'm sure. Is our defense to blame for coughing up the ball 7 times on offense? The Ravens scored a TD on a drive that covered 37 yards. Then another TD on a drive that covered 18 yards. Then added on a FG after going for -3 yards on 3 plays. They gained 52 yards and walked away with 17 points. Can't blame the defense for this one. They were not good, don't get me wrong, but they shouldn't shoulder the blame.
14. The Ravens move Oher to RT and all of a sudden he's good enough to shut down Woodley?
15. The Ravens sign McKinnie, put him at LT and he shuts down Harrison?
16. The Ravens sign FB Leach and in game 1 Rice runs for 100+ yards?
17. The Ravens acquire Evans from Buffalo and he instantly demands coverage from Ike Taylor, allowing Boldin to run free against our scrub Cornerbacks?
18. The Ravens release Todd Heap because he's too old/slow. His replacements (Pitta and Dickson) combine for 7 catches, 104 yards, and a TD.
19. The Ravens signed Ricky Williams in the offseason. He ran for more yardage than all of our RBs combined.
20. Did every Steeler who was given a new contract this offseason take the day off?
That's all for now...
STEEL CURTAIN RADIO #145: RAVEN BREAKDOWN w/ VERRON HAYNES
Show Topics:
- Ex-Steeler Verron Haynes Breaksdown Week 1 vs the Ravens
- Analysis of the Steelers Offensive 53 Man Roster
- Analysis of the Steelers Defensive 53 Man Roster
- Why Tony Hills was Expendable?
- Why Crezdon Butler Got Waived?
- My Week 1 Prediction
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Quarterback records vs the NFL’s best defenses
Listed directly below are statistically the top 5 defenses (in yards per play allowed) the last 3 years. I used statfox.com to get the yards per play stats. You will notice that for 2010 there are 7 defenses listed. That is because there was a tie in 5thplace with the Bears, miami, and carolina by which they all allowed the same amount of yards per play. Listed below that is just about all the top quarterbacks that you here of and their records last 3 years (If applicable) against the top defenses.
2010 top defenses
1 Pitt
2 SD
3 Jets
4 Balt
5 Chi, car, mia
2009 top defenses
1 Jets
2 Balt
3 Cin
4 Buf
5 Sf, den, phi
2008 top defenses
1 Pitt
2 Balt
3 Phi
4 Ten
5 Chi,wash
Ben roethlisberger 11-5
2010
W Mia 23-22
L Jets 17-22
W Jets 24-19
w Balt 13-10
W Balt 31-24
W Car 27-3
2009
L Cin 20-23
L Cin 12-18
W Den 28-10
W Bal 23-20
Steelers Roster Battles: the final 53
*guys in red are the ones you want to watch tonight; see if they can make a move to get themselves a roster spot
Quarterback (3): Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, Dennis Dixon
Offensive Line (9): Maurkice Pouncey, Doug Legursky, Chris Kemoeatu, Willie Colon, Jonathan Scott, Trai Essex, Chris Scott, Marcus Gilbert, Tony Hills.....(Ramon Foster)
Running Back (4): Rashard Mendenhall, Isaac Redman, Mewelde Moore, Jonathan Dwyer
Wide Receivers (6): Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, Jerricho Cotchery, Tyler Grisham..... (Arnaz Battle)
Tight Ends (3): Heath Miller, David Johnson, Wes Saunders.....(John Gilmore)
Defensive Line (7): Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, Aaron Smith, Ziggy Hood, Cameron Heyward, Chris Hoke, Steve McLendon
Linebackers (8): James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, Jason Worilds, Larry Foote, Stevenson Sylvester, Chris Carter.....(Mortty Ivy)
Defensive Back (10): Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, William Gay, Keenan Lewis, Ryan Clark, Troy Polamalu, Will Allen, Ryan Mundy, Crezdon Butler, Curtis Brown.....(Donovan Warren)
Special Teams (3): Shaun Suisham, Daniel Sepulveda, Greg Warren
Notes:
*The Offensive Line just seems like a bunch of random guys without true positions thrown up on the wall to see what sticks. Foster, Hills, Scott, Essex, Legursky, etc...these are all the same type of player. Fringe starters? Fringe backups? Not sure how much confidence the coaching staff has in guys like Hills and Foster. Wouldn't surprise me to see 1 of them get cut.
*I have 4 RBs making the roster but I could easily cut Mewelde Moore and not lose any sleep over it. If you really love somebody else on the roster that you are worried about letting go, I wouldn't hesitate in letting MeMo go. Redman can fulfill his 3rd down role as we saw last year. Embarking on NFL season with only 3 RBs on the roster seems a bit risky given the likelihood of injury but stash somebody on the practice squad and boom, there's your 4th RB.
*I put Grisham on the roster instead of Battle because the special teams aces won't be as valuable as they have been in the past. Any chance a 1 dimensional guy like Sean Morey makes a team in this environment? No way. Grisham has more upside as a WR and the Steelers are a pass-first football team. If you are a pass-first offense you can't go into week 1 with only 5 WRs on the roster...you have to roll with 6.
*I went with Saunders over Gilmore because he has more upside, plain and simple.
*Steve McLendon has impressed me over the past couple of camps, I think he sticks.
*Chris Carter makes the team because the coaches have liked what they have seen of him in practice. Mortty Ivy and Mario Harvey have also been hyped up a bit but I'll go with Carter on a gut feeling.
*After Ike Taylor I feel like the Cornerbacks are similar to our Offensive Linemen. Are these guys going to be starters in 2 years? They could just as easily be bagging groceries in 2 years. Not sure what to make of the group as a whole. I see a whole bunch of guys that can't cover very well, give up soft cushions (sometimes by design) and don't have a ton of playmaking ability. Curtis Brown makes the team because of his draft status but I wouldn't be surprised if Donovan Warren knocked somebody off the roster. Could he bring to the table what Willie Gay does? If the coaches think so then maybe Gay is gone?
STEEL CURTAIN RADIO #144: THE STANDARD IS THE STANDARD
Show Topics:
- Is Jame Harrison Okay?
- Steelers vs Falcons Post Game Thoughts?
- Final Offensive Roster?
- Final Defensive Roster?
- Mike Tomlin's Comments on the Falcons Game
- Why the Steelers missed the Standard
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STEEL CURTAIN RADIO #143: PAID IN FULL
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Show Topics:
- Why Tony Hills will Start at Right Guard?
- Why Timmons got Extended before Troy?
- What Timmons Extension Means to Troy Polamalu?
- What I'm looking for in the 3rd Pre-Season Game?
- Mike Tomlin's Comments on the Eagles Game
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Is Jason Worilds still on the team?
Jason Worilds continues to be a no-show. He has been pretty solid in coverage but he has generated zero pass rush and cant shed a block in the run game. At some point he needs to start showing us something.
Spotlight on Cameron Heyward
After watching him for 2 preseason games I think you can be pretty pleased with what you see. He plays the game like a Steeler. DL in a 3-4 front isn't a very glamorous position but he's all over the field making athletic plays, collapsing the pocket, and looking sturdy at the line of scrimmage. What more could you ask for of a rookie at this stage? Take a look for yourself....
Steelers vs Eagles video potpourri
Random plays that caught my attention for whatever reason...
Ramon Foster dirty play?
The "dirty play" talk has been mostly directed at Mike Vick's tackle on Troy Polamalu. I didn't think Vick's low hit was out of line...take a look at the pic and you make the call:
Perhaps the play we should be talking about is this one. I actually thought it was an accidental roll-up when I saw it live but now I'm not so sure:
STEEL CURTAIN RADIO #142: WANTED: RIGHT GUARD FOR HIRE
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Show Topics:
- Why the Steelers are confused about who should start at Right Guard?
- Why Antonio Brown will have a great year?
- How will Troy and Silverback look against the Eagles?
- Why I am not worried about the loss to the Skins?
- Who will emerge as the backup Offensive Tackles?
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My Storyline of the Season: McFadden and Gay vs multiple WR sets
My early prediction for storyline of the season will be the Steelers ability or inability to deal with multiple WR sets.
It's nothing new around here but the continued lack of concern from the front office is alarming. The ONLY way to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers is to throw on them. The only time they every lose (it seems to me) is when their secondary gets torched or runs into a QB/WR/passing gameplan they can't handle. Why the CB spot hasn't been addressed in ages is unfathomable to me.
Let's get one thing straight before we get too crazy: The Steelers are capable of winning a Super Bowl with McFadden and Gay as their #2 and #3 cornerbacks. Having said that, the only way they can accomplish that goal is with a tremendous amount of luck and good fortune. Elite passing teams like New England, New Orleans, Green Bay, etc…must be avoided at all costs. In all honesty, if the Jets don't beat the Patriots last year in the playoffs, the Steelers probably don't get to Dallas last year. Our team has to play near perfect football to have a chance against teams with top notch QB/WR combos and a coach willing to implement a pass-first gameplan against us. Other high profile teams like the Jets, Baltimore, Philly, Atlanta, etc…don't worry us as much as these pass-first teams do. If you want to waste downs by running the ball and trying to impose your will, thank you very much for doing us a favor. Each run play is a wasted down against our defense. I know that, you know that, and the rest of the league is starting to pick up on it like never before. Luckily for us, not everyone has the talent to pick us apart the way Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady can.
We will get more into this as the season rolls along but lets take a look at the matchup Gay and McFadden will have to deal with this season. (I'm assuming Ike Taylor remove the other team's top WR from the game so I'm not including any #1 WRs). Teams have exploited Gay/McFadden with their Tight Ends as well so we'll include them in this list.
Baltimore: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Lee Evans, David Reed, Ed Dickson, Dennis Pitta, Tandon Doss
Seattle: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Mike Williams, Golden Tate, Ben Obamanu, Zach Miller
Indianapolis: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Anthony Gonzalez, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Dallas Clark
Houston: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Jacoby Jones, Dorin Dickerson, Kevin Walter, Owen Daniels
Tennessee: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Nate Washington, Justin Gage, Craig Stevens
Jacksonville: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Mercedes Lewis, Joshua Hill
Arizona: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Early Doucet, Chansi Stuckey, Todd Heap
New England: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Wes Welker, Chad OchoCinco, Ben Tate, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez
Cincinnati: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Andre Caldwell, Jordan Shipley, Jermaine Gresham, Bo Scaife
Kansas City: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Steve Breaston, Dexter McCluster, Jerheme Urban, Leonard Pope
Cleveland: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Greg Little, Ben Watson, Brian Robiskie
San Francisco: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Ted Ginn, Vernon Davis
St. Louis: McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Brandon Gibson, Danny Amendola, Mike Sims-Walker, Billy Bajema
So those are your guaranteed games. Let's take it one final step further and say you end up playing for another Super Bowl:
You might see the New York Jets in the playoffs…..McFadden and Gay…..vs…..Derrick Mason, Plaxico Burress, Dustin Keller.
Preseason Game 1 quick hitters
*Total yards indicate that the Steelers got their butts kicked....452 yards to 186. When one team's starting QB throws 3 passes and the other teams starting QB throws 26 passes that is to be expected.
*What wasn't expected (well, actually maybe it was) is the abomination that was the Steelers secondary. Just horrendous.
*Giving up a 65% completion rate is what you do when you face Brady, Brees, Manning, or Rogers. Our reserves allowed the Redskins anemic offense to throw the ball on them like it was a 7-on-7 drill. Grossman's 109.0 QB Rating leads all preseason QBs.
*Please don't be an omen: first defensive snap of the season and William Gay gets roasted by Santana Moss.
*Looks like Sepulveda is feeling fine after knee surgery. Good, we need him.
*Couldn't judge much of the OL, WR, or RBs because we never had the ball. Time of possession was 40 minutes for the Skins and 20 minutes for the Steelers.
*The new kickoff rule is god awful. 9 times out of 10 it's an automatic touchback. The NFL needs to change this thing ASAP, it's really a buzzkill when you're watching the game and the kickoff/kick return units are out there loafing; expecting the ball to be kicked off through the uprights and into the bleachers. Used to be an exciting part of the game, now, not so much.
*Antonio Brown is gearing up for a great season. We knew he was good based on what we saw last year but he looks to be a special player.
*How did you like seeing Big Ben injure his throwing hand on his first pass? A few plays later he gets hit in the hip/thigh and limps off. Then Ike Taylor breaks his thumb. Then Timmons almost breaks his neck. Sheesh, just please avoid injuries at all costs this August.
*John Clay and Jonathan Dwyer did jack squat.
*With no more kickoffs or kick returns, the value of a guy like Arnaz Battle goes way down. No need for a special teams "ace" when there aren't many ST plays anymore. Couple that with the fact that he had 2 or 3 drops tonight and he could be out of a job in a few weeks.
*Part of the Steelers struggles on offense can be blamed on the Redskins defensive scheme. How many Cornerback and Safety blitzes did we see from them tonight? You never see that in the preseason; Washington really wanted to win this game.
*I liked what I saw from Cameron Heyward.
*The lack of RB depth basically guarantees Mewelde Moore makes the team, which is fine, but no way on earth he should see more playing time than Redman.
*TEs had no catches tonight. Kind of weird?
*Dennis Dixon looked real bad. I'm not sure if it was just an off-night or what, he looked like a rookie. I can see the Steelers management laughing to themselves in a luxury box high above Fedex Field saying "this guys wants a trade so he can go start somewhere? hahhahahaaaaa"
*Overall, one of the worst displays I've ever seen from a Steeler team during the preseason. They were just totally flat. Getting manhandled in every facet of the game is embarrassing. Having said that, these games are meaningless; Washington is going to finish under .500 and the Steelers are going on a deep playoff run.
*Listening to the Redskins telecast, the Redskins might be getting championship rings after tonight's performance.
*Washington had four drives of over 69 yards. Steelers had four drives with under 8 total yards gained.
*It's only preseason but I can't really see much positive to take away from the game. Antonio Brown and Isaac Redman. That about it?
*How much does Philly wan't for Asante Samuel? Give it to 'em.
STEEL CURTAIN RADIO #141: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
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- Why you should watch the Backup Offensive Lineman?
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Who are you watching on Friday?
The first preseason game of the Steelers season kicks off on Friday night in Washington. Who do you have your eye on?
Offense:
1. OT Jonathan Scott. He looks to be the most likely guy to take the starting LT spot. He was solid last season in relief duty but the coaching staff must think very highly of him if they are entering the season with him at starting LT with really no camp competition (Gilbert/Hills?).
2. WR Antonio Brown. Outside of Baron Batch he's probably getting the most hype out of training camp. He was impressive last year and if he can continue improving the Steelers will have quite the young trio in Brown, Sanders, Wallace.
3. QB Dennis Dixon. Raise your trade value young man. I actually like watching him play and wouldn't mind keeping him as Big Ben's backup for the next few years. I doubt Dixon wants any part of that but hey, play well in the preseason and maybe you will be our Kevin Kolb.
4. RBs John Clay and Jonathan Dwyer. With Batch going down with injury and the Steelers lacking a true #2 backup RB, the opportunity is there for these two guys to impress and make the team.
Honorable Mention: Keith Williams (OL), Wes Saunders (TE), Tyler Grisham (WR)
Defense
1. LB Jason Worilds. As a 2nd round pick you need to start showing something in your second year. This preseason we need to see some pass rushing ability and the speed/quickness we were promised when he was drafted. You can never have enough quality LBs in a 3-4 defense and you can't afford to swing and miss on 2nd round picks.
2. LB Stevenson Sylvester. I was real impressed with Sly last year and I think he can be non only a key special teams contributor but also a starter-in-waiting at ILB.
3. DL Cameron Heyward. No matter how well he plays this preseason, the number of snaps he sees during the regular season will be limited. Still, I'm always excited about watching 1st rounders and I'd love to see Heyward play well enough to get involved in the DL rotation this season.
4. I'll cheat here. I'm watching all of the young CBs. Somebody has to step up and show that they have the quickness and speed to develop into a #2, #3, or #4 CB on this team at some point.
Honorable Mention: Anthony Gray (DT), Steve McLendon (DT), Keenan Lewis (CB)
