If you could hand-pick one starter from the Offensive Line to get replaced, it would be Kendall Simmons. He has been consistently sub-par for about 2 years now. The line will have to adjust and communication issues may be a problem for a few weeks but if any member of the OL had to get hurt, losing Simmons is the most palatable. The OL might actually improve from a bit of a shuffle. The Steelers have a few options here and I’d love to get your thoughts on this:
1. Simmons out. Insert Darnell Stapleton or Trai Essex. Nobody else moves, you keep some continuity with the rest of the Line.
2. Here is my choice. Simmons out. Max Starks replaces Willie Colon at RT and Colon shifts inside to replace Simmons at RG. This was my “dream team” OL during training camp but we knew we’d never see it assembled unless the injury bug hit. Your new line would look like this:
Marvel Smith, Chris Kemoeatu, Justin Hartwig, Willie Colon, Max Starks.
FYI….Sean Mahan played Guard last week for the Tampa Bay Bucs. If he was here, we’d no doubt be watching him at RG next week vs Jax. Surprisingly, I don’t think that would be too bad of an option right now….but I digress.
I don’t know how likely option 2 is because the Steelers really like Colon at RT and moving him to RG for the entire season may stunt his growth (even though I think he’d make a great RG and his natural position in college was Guard). By getting Stapleton or Essex into the lineup you get those guys ready for next year and you only mess with 1 position rather than 2. I think option 2 is a no-brainer if your only concern is the 2008 season (and for my money….you worry about 2008 right now and worry about development in the offseason)
Mewelde Moore has played in the NFL for 5 years….he has 116 career receptions and averages 9.2 yards per catch.
Rashard Mendenhall is going to be a very good RB in Pittsburgh for a long time, but this season, having him in the lineup was more of a luxury than a necessity. Mewelde Moore was brought in to be a 3rd down RB, a return man, and another weapon added to the offense. If you followed this guy in Minnesota at all, he was GREAT at what he did. He was never really asked to carry the load as a full-time traditional RB, but out of the backfield the Vikings got him the ball in the passing game. This guy is exactly what the Steelers need to combat blitz-happy defenses and for some unknown reason, it took Arians about 4 games to figure out how to properly utilize him….or maybe it was Big Ben who was calling the plays at the time.
Either way, Mewelde Moore getting bumped up the depth chart is a good thing for this offense if he is properly utilized (which is a huge caveat). It comes at the expense of Mendenhall going down, but honestly, Gary Russell (who I’m very high on) can fill in for Mendenhall right now and not miss a beat. Moore was miscast as a goalline back tonight for a play or two but that’s because the Steelers had no other options. Next week I’d like to see Russell in that role. Both have more upside than Carey Davis.
So this is how I’d like to see the depth chart:
Willie Parker is your #1.
Gary Russell is your traditional Power Back and will play very well if given the chance.
Mewelde Moore is your 3rd down back and should be averaging 3-4 receptions per game.
Carey Davis brings absolutely nothing to this team.
So I ask you, what can Mendenhall do (this year, as a rookie) that Gary Russell cant? What can he do that Moore or Parker can’t? The Steeler depth chart at RB is fine as long as Willie Parker can come back after the bye week and return to form. Maybe Moore can show the coaching staff a thing or two vs Jacksonville and earn more playing time from here on out. Think about how many teams kill the Steeler defense with swings and dumps to speedy RBs like Steve Slaton, LT, Maurice Jones-Drew, Kevin Faulk, etc….he can really help this offense out. Right now, Defensive Coordinators know we don’t throw the ball to the RBs so they don’t have to account for them at all. Get Moore the rock a few times per game when facing a blitz and watch him “do his thing”.
Much like Heath Miller, Mewelde is the type of player that will have you saying “Get him the freaking ball more often!” for the rest of the season.
Fumble? Just kidding…
It’s interesting, we have 4 backs, and they all bring something different to the table. Parker is the home run threat, Moore is the versatile do-everything back, Russell is really the only power back, and Mendy is a slashing one cut back, built for the zone blocking game we use some of the time. We saw 2 really nice looking runs by him early, and you wonder if he wouldn’t have had a nice game against a tough defense if he had stayed in the whole time.
As for the OL, I hope we don’t put Essex in at guard. Stapleton seemed to play pretty well, and the only guy I’d want to see him replaced by would be Colon. Actually, I don’t know if you take requests, but we’re all very curious about Stapleton, so it would be cool if you broke down some of his play against a good defense so we might have some realistic expectations for his future with this team.
Lastly, you said Simmons/Colon is the weakness of the line, so Baltimore kept lining 2-3 rushers way out wide against those 2 for some reason. It didn’t really work, but it made it obvious that the Ravens coaching staff is reading PGH. I recommend you either stop writing here or include some different analysis like “If you watch the game tape, you’ll see that Larry Foote is the real center of this defense. If I’m an opposing coordinator, I’d make sure I have him accounted for with 1 or even 2 guys on every play.”
Simmons is out for the year, well at least now he can spend more time with his new baby.
I can’t say I notice ANY drop off when he went out last night.
Ha…. Did you guys noticed when Bart Scott hit the ground pushed by Santonio Holmes?
It was on that reverse by Washington….
great bump…
So McHugh will be our Fullback, but only be in when Benji or Tomlin want him in. BA will never come around to a 275lb guy making the final block to spring a 210-225lb RB, idiot.
Najeh is signed, rumors have it.
Why can’t the IDIOT(BA) use Willie P out in space like he used Moore last night? What is wrong with that guy?
Gary Russell > Fast Willie Parker. Don’t make me take it to the frame-by-frames…mainly because I don’t have any…but still, don’t make me take it there!!
Dillweed—
your ties to the Big Ten have blinded you
Random note to blow Dagger’s mind: Peter King called Simmons our best o-lineman in the TMQB column today.
HA! Saw that. He’s been referring to Simmons as “our best lineman” for the entire season. I have no clue where he gets that from. Because we drafted him in the 1st round? Because he’s been on the team for a while?
This is nothing new though, the national guys don’t get much time to cover each team, they have a broad/general idea of every team but don’t know the ins-and-outs like a diehard fan does.
An example: this preseason we knew Kemo was going to be great. 3 weeks into the season play-by-play guys are just now discovering Kemo. If Peter King had the time (he doesn’t) to sit down and watch film of Simmons he’d retract that statement. Steelers didn’t seem to miss him much in the 2nd half. 0 sacks.
Jaws had the same drivel going with Simmons last night after he went out .(Jaws comments on Simmons’ injury “He’s the anchor of that OL”). Dear hell in a handbasket!! I know..it must mean he was weighing us down,right?
I think we may make the playoffs if they can hold it together but this team is just way too screwed up on offense to win a championship or even an AFCG, in my opinion. Its almost chaos out there at the moment and I think there’s a lot of friction between Ben and Arians with Tomlin trying to be peace keeper. Not a recipe for success. Oh, and if Martz comes here,,I would commit suicide. thanks…hee hee
Anyone know what happened with other injuries? At various times Monday night, I saw Marvel Smith, Polamalu, and James Harrision all looking gimpy.
Also, would anyone object if Tomlin make Lane Kiffin the offense coordinator tomorrow?