The Blitzburgh Report

Ben Roethlisberger put in another gutty performance last Sunday against the Jaguars. He has almost single-handedly won some close games for the Steelers this year. He is emerging as a leader for the offense, someone that the guys can rally behind.

But it makes me wonder-just who is the leader on defense? I’m not so sure that they have a true leader. They have a number of guys like Troy Polamalu, Casey Hampton, and James Farrior who are great players, but more of the lead by example type. I am starting to think that they need more of a vocal leader.

The defense has the talent and coaching to be the top defense in the league, that has been proven. But the times that the team has needed the defense to step up most, they haven’t. How many times this season have we seen the opposing team march right down the field, quickly even, when the team needed a huge stop? It happened last Sunday on the Jaguars’ last drive. It happened against the Browns (luckily they missed the field goal). It happened against Denver where they kicked the game winning field goal. It happened in the Jets game where they went down the field and tied it to send the game into overtime.

That’s where I think a vocal leader is needed. Someone to rally the players, get them pumped, and get them focused. You can say what you want about Joey Porter, but being a leader was a large part of what he brought to the team. The Steelers were right in getting rid of him, as proven by his play with the Dolphins. However, they still ended up losing the defense’s leader, if not the team leader at that point.

There just hasn’t been anyone who has taken his place. He may have looked foolish sometimes, or gone too far at others. But you can see the power he had just by looking at the 2005 playoffs and the effect he had on the team during their Super Bowl run. Remember the “weak Colts” and Jerramy Stevens?

Bill Cowher being gone is another lost leader, I believe. He was the so called “players coach”, someone who showed a lot of emotion, especially for defense. Mike Tomlin is quite the opposite in this regard. I understand that there are different approaches to coaching, and pros and cons to each. I’m not even sure I could tell you which method is more effective and this is not a knock on Tomlin’s style. But, when the game is on the line and the pressure is turned up- I want to see the guys fired up and ready to take someone’s head off.

The defense is good; they wouldn’t be number one in the league for most of the season if they weren’t. But they have had so much trouble stepping up, being physical, and showing emotion when it matters most. I really think that is when guys like Joey Porter or Bill Cowher shined, and the team really misses that. The Steelers are going to need someone to step up and be the person that the defense rallies behind.

It is losses like the one the Steelers suffered today that make you wonder that identity that a team has. Usually by this point in the season, you know what teams are all about. It seems like the Steelers went from a team with an identity to one without as the season wore on. Their inconsistency is a bit baffling and you can’t really get a read on what their deal is. That said, here are a few observations from the game:

• I’m not saying giving up so many rushing yards was all because Aaron Smith was not in, but it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? We’ve said all along that losing Smith was going to be huge and this proves it. You can’t say that it was all because Smith wasn’t there but you can certainly say it had a lot to do with it…

• …but whatever it was, the defense just looked anything but the best in the league today. The Jaguars’ two running backs are very talented, but their offense isn’t exactly known for tearing up opposing defenses. But the Steelers got torn up badly. The stats speak for themselves: 421 total yards, 147yards and a TD for Fred Taylor, 69 yards for Maurice Jones-Drew, and three TD’s for David Garrard.
   
  This wasn’t the Patriots or the ’99 Rams that they played against. In the past it wasn’t often that you would see the Steelers get out-muscled, something that has really become an identity for the team. But it has happened numerous of times this season. Quite honestly, when the Steelers aren’t pounding the ball and playing tough, physical defense it just feels wrong. That’s who they are and what they do… at least it used to be.

• This team just makes no sense this season. You just don’t know if they are good or bad. They’ve had some bad losses, but any team that has already won nine games can’t be all that bad. They have (had?) the number one defense in the league- yet they have given up real stinkers like this game where they let the Jags put up over 400 yards of total offense. Willie Parker leads the league in rushing, but has had some pitiful games, and in of all those yards he hasn’t been able to provide any of those game changing runs that he has in seasons past.
   
  Even in the losses and close wins they’ve been hard to classify. In both this game and last week against the Patriots they’ve had moments where they’ve looked brilliant, then looked horrible. The Denver game they beat themselves but still made a come back and almost won. They played poorly in the last Browns game but battled back to win. They almost won again today. They show both flashes of a great team and flashes or a horrible one.
   
  Who are these Steelers? What is their identity?

• As much as I hate to agree with Dan Dierdorf, I do agree when he said that Ben Roethlisberger was giving it his all out there. He’s done that a lot this season and I believe he is really emerging as a leader. He has nearly single-handedly won some games this season and almost led them on another one today.
   
  Also, congratulations to Ben on throwing 29 touchdown passes this season, which breaks Terry Bradshaw’s record of 28. He’s having a heck of a season and he appears on pace to be one of the all-time greats, even if few outside of Steelers Nation give him the respect he deserves.

• The offensive line was back to its old tricks again. They gave up five sacks and looked shaky. Particularly Marvel Smith. I’m not sure if he is still hurting or not, but he had a pretty bad game against a back ups. In fact, I believe the Steelers pulled him on the last few drives. Again, I’m not sure if that was because his back was acting up again or because of his play.
   
  Max Starks was once the scapegoat of the line, but it seems like he possibly playing better then Marvel has been. Max, overall, has held his own over the past few games and if Marvel is hurt and/or just playing poorly, maybe it is time to give Max another shot.
   
  Honestly, at this point something has to happen. I’m not sure if the answer to fixing the line lies within the players we currently have, but they’ve got to figure something out fast.

• The two-point conversion that the Steelers ran was actually a nice call for once by Bruce Arians. I give Cedrick Wilson a lot of knocks, but that was a pretty nice ball he threw to Santonio Holmes. At least two point conversions is one thing the Steelers have done right this year.

• Why do the Steelers seem to run a draw play on every third and very long this year? How successful is it really? I know sometimes you can catch a team off guard with it, but when you run it nearly every time you have about 15 or more yards to go then they probably expect it. I don’t have a problem with the play, just that you can do it every time. Try taking some shots down field.

• It was nice to Troy Polamalu back in action. I, as well as others, have commented on his lack of big plays this season, but today showed that a lot of his contributions are just making plays (tackles, knocking the ball down) at opportune times. He may not be getting the interceptions or sacks, but he’s a ball-hawk and is usually in the right place at the right time. He wasn’t perfect, but at least he was one guy out there that appeared to be giving it his all.

I think I’ve ended all my recaps after losses this season with a lot of optimism and saying that the sky isn’t falling. I’m not so sure I feel as strongly right now. The sky isn’t falling, and I think the Steelers will in fact win the division still. But I don’t think right now that this team is giving any indication that they have it together enough to put together a Super Bowl run. Something just feels off about them, doesn’t it?
 
I’m asking you, Steelers fans, what’s wrong with the Steelers right now?

Ben Sits Out Practice for Second Straight Day

The Post Gazette reports that Big Ben sat out practice again today, the second he missed in a row. He apparently has a sore shoulder, of which Mike Tomlin said, “I don’t want to make more out of it than what it is. It is just sore.”

Hopefully his injury just needs some rest and is nothing serious. The injuries lately have been frustrating and with the Jags game coming up, the team doesn’t need anyone else out.

Former Steelers Kicker Saves Woman

Norm Johnson, place kicker for the Steelers for the 1995-1998 seasons, rescued a woman who was trapped in her overturned car. He was able to get into the car by breaking the window with a rock and then he pulled the woman to safety. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. If I was in a car upside down, I would hope somebody would come out and save me, ” Johnson told the Seattle Times.

Ben at Number Five

ESPN.com recently put together a ranking of 64 quarterbacks in the NFL this season. They placed Ben Roethlisberger at number five, behind Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Tony Romo. Of Ben they said:

Roethlisberger is a young QB who struggled last season, but he is healthy this year and is having a solid season. New offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has given him more responsibility, and Roethlisberger has responded with improved leadership. He’s making better decisions and is completing a career-high 66.9 percent of his passes this season.

I think number five is acceptable. I will agree that Brady and Manning are pretty much at the top, though I think you can argue that Ben could be doing better this season then either Romo or Favre. Honestly, between the three I think it is a pretty close call and number five isn’t bad at all. At least Ben is finally getting some recognition. Earlier this season you still saw a lot of people saying they’d take Eli Manning over Ben still.

Smith’s injury will likely have a huge impact on the defense

Mike Tomlin said in his press conference today that defensive end Aaron Smith has a torn biceps and is likely done for the rest of the season. In his words, “there is a strong possibility” that the injury requires surgery that would end Smith’s season.

This is a huge blow to the defense. The three big men up front are really the unsung heroes of the Steelers’ defense, and a pro bowl player like Smith not playing will probably have a ripple effect. Tomlin said that Travis Kirschke and Nick Eason will help fill in but they’re not great long term options; not that you can easily replaced a player like Smith anyway.

Injuries are a part of every football season, but the Steelers have been hit particularly hard. For starters, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Casey Hampton and Troy Polamalu have all missed significant time. But the three players done for the season have more impact then some may notice at first glance.

Smith is a pro bowl player, who as I said, is an integral part of the 3-4 defense. Ryan Clark is a consistent, reliable player who’s loss was especially felt last Sunday against the Patriots. Dan Kreider was injured just when many of us were clamoring for the Steelers to start using him again to help protect Ben and lead the way for Parker.

The injuries really add up and just when it seems like the team was starting to get guys back, they lose Smith. But as with any season, injuries happen and players have to step up. They’ve been very good at this in the past and if they hope to make it far this season, they will have to do it again.

(Update: It is now official, the Steelers have placed Aaron Smith on injured reserve. They also moved defensive end Ryan McBean (not to be confused with Steely McBeam) up from the practice squad to the 53 man roster.

Remember when having only three losses this late into the season was impressive? Well, I am still impressed with the Steelers’ season so far despite the slip ups, but many aren’t. I can understand why a lot of you feel that way, however.

First, to get it out of the way- yes, the three losses were to bad teams. That does make you wonder how good a team is when they can’t win the games that they should. At least the Steelers have the talent in place to win it all, meaning they have enough to work with right now. They have their weak spots, but most of the issues seem to be with execution, focus, and motivation. The team has obviously had some issues playing down to their competition, but at least that is something that can be worked on immediately. This is probably Mike Tomlin’s first real test as a head coach, to see if he can focus his team now for the home stretch.

The other reason many aren’t satisfied with 8-3 is that there is just so much talent in the AFC. The big measuring stick is, of course, the undefeated Patriots. Given the level that they are playing at, even 8-3 looks bad. The Colts are sitting at 9-2 and the Steelers will have to keep pace with them be able to grab the second seed- something that is looking really attractive as the Steelers embark on quite a stretch to close out the season. They will face the Patriots, Jaguars, and then an always physical match up with the Ravens in the final game. The extra week of rest might be really appreciated at that point.

The problem is that there is very little margin for error, even at 8-3. The biggest threat starts in their own division, where the Steelers can only afford to lose one more game if the Browns win out on their fairly easy schedule. If the Steelers were to not win the division, things get even more complicated.

The Jaguars are in the lead spot for the first wild card with the same record as the Steelers. The Titans have looked shaky lately, but they are still in the mix at 6-5. Not to mention usually one of those five or six win teams will go on a streak to finish out the year and be right in the mix.

I’m still impressed with 8-3 and how good the team has looked when they are firing on all cylinders. But they have been so shaky at times, the AFC is so competitive, and there is so little room for error even with their record. Suddenly only three losses this late into the season isn’t as solid as in years past.

I still have faith. That’s the great thing about football- there is always chance. The 2005 team proved that. Make no mistakes, the Steelers have a very good team, but very good might not be enough this year. They still have a huge uphill battle. This final stretch of the season is going to tell us a lot about the true character of the team.

The Steelers have placed fullback Dan Kreider on injured reserve today, according to the Post Gazette. Kreider hyper-extended his knee in Monday night’s game against the Dolphins. (Update: The injury is now being described as a torn ACL)

The move is especially upsetting to those of us who were calling for Kreider to see more action to help with the run blocking and pass protection. It is also shocking considering Mike Tomlin said yesterday at his press conference that he thought Kreider might even be able to play this Sunday.

The Steelers filled the open roster spot with tight end Jon Dekker who was previously on their practice squad.

I’m not too happy with this news. I was really hoping we’d see more of Kreider now with the line performing so poorly and the Carey Davis experiment not really working well. Now that Kreider is done for the year, his status with the team is in serious doubt. Has anyone else gotten the feeling that Krieder did not fit into Tomlin and Arians’ plans right from the start?

I think the team held on to him because of his talent, but with how little they’ve used him (especially as time went on and it became apparent that he could really help) really shows the direction the offense has been headed in. I don’t know, after seeing the result so far, I still love big ole Dan leading the way for Willie.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Steelers’ 3-0 victory over the Miami Dolphins was a win none the less. Though, I’m not sure that you can take much away from this game in terms of real analysis. The field condition was just so horrendous that honestly the game was a toss up.

That said, the Steelers did win and it shows that they can win in adverse conditions. I don’t think the game will have the bonding effect on the team that the Hurricane Game in Miami did a few years ago but at least they can take away that they toughed it out and won.

• Joey Porter actually had a decent game with six tackles and an interception. I suspected he might do OK only because he feeds so much off of emotion and I knew he’d be hyped for this game. That said, it was his only decent performance of the season and proves that the Steelers really know when to cut ties with players.

  Still, it was good to see Joey smiling on the sideline when Steelers players did his “boot” celebration. I’m grateful for the leadership and emotion that he brought the team over the years, but it was time for him to go. Unfortunately, I think the Steelers right now are really lacking a true leader, at least an emotional one. Mike Tomlin is more of the cool/clam type and players like Ben Roethlisberger, Casey Hampton, and Troy Polamalu are far from loudmouths. I think there is something to be said for “rah rah” guys who can get the team amped up.

• The offensive line was terrible again and I really don’t know what else to say on the matter. I’ve talked some about possible changes as well have many other writers and fans. It is hard to comment on their performance because it was an odd-ball game, but they still gave up a ton of sacks. Though I must say that Ben did hold onto the ball a bit long again; something that may be just as much a factor on all these sacks as blown blitz pick ups.

• Hines Ward came up huge last night. I’ve almost commented a few times over the last number of weeks how he hasn’t been as sure-handed this season, but he usually ended up making enough catches that I thought maybe I was being too critical. However, last night he caught basically everything thrown his way, including two huge third down catches that were unfortunately negated by penalties.

  He had nine catches for 88 yards in a game where the Steelers needed him most. His great diving 21 yard catch on the scoring drive is what really helped win the game as it marked the only time either team even made it into the red zone.

• What was with the team stalling on third down? The field excuse only goes so far as they moved the ball relatively well overall on first and second downs. It seemed like every third down either Ben got sacked or there was a dumb penalty that gave them even longer yardage to convert. What was worse was that those sacks often took the team out of field goal range (even if the changes of making it were low).

• The playcalling last night was suspect at best and unfortunately continues a trend with Bruce Arians. He started the season quite impressively, but now has some real head-scratchers. The highlight had to be the last three offensive plays for the Steelers.

  If you remember, the team made it down to the six yard line with 1:19 left. At this point, you would think the team would run the ball to run down the clock and leave the game up to a Jeff Reed kick at about as close as you can get.

  Only the ran a dangerous pass play on first down that Joey Porter knocked down. OK, they took a chance to get the score to avoid having to kick on the horrible surface, I guess I can live with that even if I don’t agree with it. On second down they ran it which made sense. Miami stopped the clocked with their last time out and you would suspect that the Steelers would run the ball again to A) try to get the ball in a good spot to kick from, and B) run out the clock to leave the game up to Reed’s kick. Passing the ball would be a terrible idea, you would think, because A) Ben seemed to get sacked every third down pass, and B) an incompletion would stop the clock.

  So what did the Steelers do? They ran a pass play and Ben was sacked. Fortunately, the clock kept running and the Steelers were able to take it down as far as they could, call a time out, and eventually make the game-winning kick.

• It just seems to me that Arians tries too hard to do the opposite of what you expect them to. Yes, of course you want to try to surprise the defense from time to time, but sometimes you just need to man up, make the smart call, and execute. Arians seems to be outsmarting himself lately.

• All told, it was a win and I’ll take it. I really had the feeling that on a clean field the Steelers would have won comfortably. But because of the conditions, the game was truly a toss-up and a slipping player away from being another major upset. I don’t think that you can take a whole lot away from this game in terms of performances and what they mean, but they did get the win and ultimately that is all that matters right now. All I can really say is that I hope the field is fixed and it good shape in time for the game next week, especially considering the long-term forecast right now calls for more bad weather.

Steelers MVP

The Steelers MVP of last night’s game was Hines Ward. It was tempting to give it to Jeff Reed for the winning kick, but Hines’ nine catches were huge and a classic example of a player stepping up just when you need him most.

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I think most Steelers fan would agree that there are some positional changes that could be made on the team right now. Former head coach Bill Cowher wasn’t known to be one who often switched out under-performing players, especially veterans. He was a “players coach” who was often loyal to his players, sometimes to a fault. That is why I am interested in seeing what Mike Tomlin will do.

It is never an easy decision to bench or move a player. Without a doubt, it is a fine line. You don’t want to overreact and pull someone too soon. But after 11 weeks, I think that you have a good idea about who is under-performing and who might have just had a bad game or two.

The first player that needs a look is Allen Rossum. I called for Willie Reid getting a shot last week, but it didn’t happen. There’s more of a real chance for it this week, however, as Reid should be active on gameday due to Santonio Holmes‘ injury. I think that it is time for a spark on returns and it is worth the risk of trying Reid, especially against the Dolphins.

The other glaring spot is the offensive line. It is the one position where you don’t really say you’re bringing someone in to provide a spark; it is not a very spark-y position. You kind of know what you have who does what best. The concern is that I’m not sure the Steelers have any special guy waiting in the wings, just begging to get his shot. The Steelers OL backups are: Trai Essex, Chris Kemoeatu, Darnell Stapleton, Marvin Philip, and Max Starks. Not exactly a who’s who of rising OL stars.

As far as the starters, Sean Mahan just isn’t getting it done and should probably be the focus right now. Marvel Smith and Alan Faneca might not be playing their best but I don’t think they should be benched, because who would take their place? I like Willie Colon and while his inexperience shows, I think he is a very solid player in the making. With Mahan, you can say he is still learning but I would have hoped that he would be further along at this point. That is not to say he might not be good at another position. In fact, I would think that he would be headed that way after this season. But is it worth trying before then?

I’ll freely admit that I am no expert on offensive line mechanics, but I do know enough to realize that switching positions is not cut and dry, especially in the middle of the season. The team thought highly enough of Darnell Stapleton to keep him on their 53 man roster to start the season. Would they be confident enough in him to give him a shot? They then might give Mahan a turn at right guard, or even try Kendall Simmons at center, where he does have a little experience. How viable is all this? Maybe not very much, but I am just throwing some things out there.

Also, what about fullback? Count me in with the group of people that were high on Carey Davis after the pre-season. I did not, however, feel that he should be replacing Dan Kreider and I feel even more strongly about that today. Carey Davis is not getting the job done blocking, and his versatility ( the supposed reason he was playing ahead of Kreider) has yet to really have any impact.

Running out of three tight end sets has been very slow going, especially with rookie Matt Spaeth’s poor blocking. The biggest issue facing the team presently is that they can’t pass block, and really haven’t been doing great run blocking either. So why not bring back the guy who specializes in it? If you can’t protect your quarterback, bring in the guy who is basicially another offensive lineman. Willie Parker has made it well-known he prefers running behind Krieder as well.

The point is that there are changes out there that can be made. I am not saying they are all great changes (well, except for putting Kreider back in, which I feel very strongly about). But it will be interesting to see if Tomlin is the type of coach that will make them. As I said earlier, it is a fine line of when to make a switch, but some changes might just be what the doctor ordered to help shore up some weaknesses.

What are some changes that you would like to see be made for the team to strengthen it self?

We expected this might happen, right? That vaunted Jets run-stuffing defense would stop the running game and get pressure on Ben Roethlisberger. Actually, I don’t think anyone was thinking that, and again the Steelers failed to win at the line of scrimmage. The last time the Steelers got beat in the trenches was their last loss, a game against the Broncos where they also failed to take advantage of the worst run stopping defense. You really can’t feel too good after a loss like this, and while the offensive line was the main disaster, as Coach Tomlin said after the game, “We win together, and we stink it up together”.

• The Steelers started right out with the pooch kick on the opening kick off. At first I looked at it as them having no confidence in their coverage unit (which is still true I suppose), but the more I thought about it, I decided that it isn’t such a bad strategy. Other teams have started doing it as well with guys like Devin Hester. Is it ideal? Not really as you’d rather stop them at least at the 20 yard line. But with the way the Steelers’ special teams have been playing and the way kick returns for touchdowns are on a record pace this season, maybe it isn’t a completely horrible compromise against the better returners.

• The Jets defense has been horrible against the run and the Steelers still couldn’t pound the rock. This wasn’t like the Broncos game either, where the Steelers faked themselves out by trying to pass more– they actually really tried to run it this game and failed badly. There’s been some questioning now on Steelers’ forums of whether or not Willie Parker is any good, etc. Look, he is good. But a game like yesterday played into his weakness. If the offensive line is struggling, he is not going to be one to either make guys miss or knock people over. It is just not something he is great at…

• …which is why, I presume, the Steelers have a guy like Najeh Davenport as their number two back, ready to come in to games like this one. In fact, they did try Najeh and he had a bit of success. At least he was getting three or so yards a pop. I didn’t mind them putting Willie back in later on, but the one part I still can’t understand is why they didn’t use Najeh when it was his time to shine. He has been spectacular so far this season at getting yards at the end of games to help run the clock out. So why when the Steelers got the ball back on a Deshea Townsend interception did they try to run with Willie and not Najeh?
   
  When you absolutely need tough yards to run the clock out, and the other team knows you are going to be running it… are you going to go with the guy that has been struggling to get past the line of scrimmage all night, or do you give it to the guy who was born to push the pile and get tough yards? The Steelers chose Willie, went three and out, and gave the Jets the ball back with plenty of time left. The Jets then went down for the tying field goal (and came damn close to getting the winning touchdown too).

• Slow starts are really killing the Steelers this season. Even in some of their better games they started out slowly, especially on offense. These past two games the defense got in on it as well. The defense did play better in the second half, at least enough to allow the offense to come back. Though they again couldn’t come up with a big play on the last drive of a game, allowing the Jets to boot the game tying field goal.
   
  Not to mention they gave up their first 100+ yard rusher in 34 games. Did that sneak up on anyone else as well? I didn’t even realize Thomas Jones was that close until the announcers mentioned it. It is a bummer to have the streak snapped, but at the same time it isn’t the end of the world. Like I said earlier, despite them not playing particularly like the #1 defense in the league, they still did just enough to win the game.

• I am hesitant to lump the Steelers’ punt in over time into the “another example of how the Steelers’ kick coverage blows” category only because I think the real problem on that play was the awful punt by Daniel Sepulveda. It was really set up by his short kick. He’s had some poor punts lately. I’m not sure what happened. He could do no wrong to start the season.
   
  In fact, it seems like almost everything we held the Steelers in such high praise for to start the season has done a complete 180. Sepulveda’s been unimpressive. After a touchdown and signs he might have been a huge pick up for the Steelers, Allen Rossum’s returns have been pitiful. Willie Parker and the Steelers’ run game looked unstoppable, but after leading the league in rushing Willie has had only 199 yards on 69 attempts in the last three games, for an average of 2.9 yards a carry. Their usually smothering defense has seemed a bit leaky and absent at times. The Steelers seemed trapped in bizarro world.

• All that and I still haven’t gotten to the main culprit last night. So without further ado, the offensive line. I know that the whole team had bad plays, and some bad penalties. But it happens most games; rarely does a team put on a perfect performance on all phases of the game. But at least everyone else did well enough at times. With even a little better performance by the line, they could have won the game. The case has usually been that if the line isn’t the best at pass protection, at least they can run block. They couldn’t even do that yesterday.
   
  They simply got manhandled by the Jets. They couldn’t open holes and they couldn’t give Ben time. The rare times that Ben had a moment, he seemed to have no where to throw to anyway (though I guess that one isn’t the line’s fault). The numbers speak for themselves- Ben was sacked seven times, and Steelers’ runners had only 112 yards on 33 attempts.
   
  Heck, if Ben wasn’t such an escape artist, he might be rivaling David Carr’s record of being sacked 76 times in a season. Or at least the team would probably be no better then .500 right now.
   
  It is cliche and I’ve said it a number of times already myself- but the team is only going as far as the offensive line takes them. If this isn’t proof that the big guys up front just might be the most important part of the offense then I don’t know what is. If the offensive line doesn’t figure something out then the Steelers have all the making of a one and done playoff team.

• OK, now to catch our breath on this last point. It is OK. The Steelers still have only lost three games. They were all games that they should have won, but they were also all games that the were in position to win. It was bad losing to the Jets, but better them then the Browns last week or the Ravens, or the Bengals, etc. Yes, they have weaknesses and a lot to work on. But so do most teams not called the New England Patriots. In fact, I think the only reason that some many people are so down on the team today even though they are 7-3, is that the Patriots are playing at such a high level.
   
  We can’t compare this team to the Patriots right now. No team is currently in their class. In fact, I’m not convinced that the Steelers beating them in three weeks is super important. Ideal yes, but not the end of the world if they don’t. The real time to compare the Steelers to beat the Patriots is if/when they meet up in the playoffs. Right now, the Steelers have to concentrate on shoring up and winning the games that they are suppose to win. Obviously they didn’t do a great job of that yesterday, but fortunately they are in a position to be able to get right back up and get on track. Don’t dump on the team just yet, there’s still so much left to be played.

The Stats on Harrison

A lot of the Steelers’ offensive players that are performing at the top of their positions get a lot of attention, but how about linebacker James Harrison? He’s making a strong case for the Pro Bowl. Aside from tackles he is at or near the top in key categories for linebackers. His 6.5 sacks are tied for fourth, his six forced fumbles are the best in the league (at any position), and his three fumble recoveries are tied for first. Not to mention he also has an interception. He is really hitting his stride in the last few weeks and if he keeps up his pace he’ll no doubt carry on the tradition of Pro Bowl Steelers linebackers. The fact that he had his best performance on national TV should certainly help his case.

Banged up, but ready to go

Willie Parker and Ben Roethlisberger will miss some practice time, but will play against the Jets next Sunday, Mike Tomlin said at his press conference today. Willie still has swelling in his knee, and Big Ben still is nursing his sore hip in addition to a sore shoulder. Deshea Townsend has an injured ankle but is also expected to play. It is never fun seeing your quarterback and running back both banged up, but it is the reality of life in the NFL at week 11.

Is it time to shelve Ryan Clark for the season?

I wrote last week about how Ryan Clark is apparently in a lot of pain still from his enlarged spleen and does not appear to be suiting up any time soon. I mentioned how it has given Anthony Smith a chance to showcase himself, but Die Hard Steel raises another point in that maybe it is time to place Clark on injured reserve and bring in someone to help with special teams, namely Chidi Iwuoma.

It actually makes a whole lot of sense, in fact, maybe too much and we won’t see it happen as these things tend to go. The Steelers need a lot of special teams help right now if they intend to not lose or almost lose another game because the kick coverage is terrible. Bringing in a guy like Chidi might go a long way. Then again, bringing Anthony Madison back was suppose to have the same effect and he was one of those who missed tackling Josh Cribbs on his 100 yard return last Sunday.

(Update: As of the evening of 11/13 both Ryan Clark and Jerame Tuman have been placed on injured reserve)

Steelers Power Rankings Run Down

ESPN - 5th
Fox Sports - 5th
NFL.com - 4th
CBS Sportsline - 4th

I can’t complain about those too much. I think it is best overall for the Steelers to remain somewhat under the radar. Let people still think the Colts are number two or that the Cowboys or Packers really have a chance against any of the top AFC teams. All that matters is where the Steelers are in the standings, and as of today they are the number two seed in the AFC.