The Blitzburgh Report

I don’t know what’s worse- to play horribly and get beat badly, or to play horribly but make one of the greatest comebacks in playoff history only to still end up losing. Either way the result is the same and the Steelers’ season is over:

• The Steelers have had a lot of comebacks this season, which isn’t totally a great thing. I mean you love to see a team that can rally and doesn’t give up, but you also can’t keep starting out so poorly that you have to keep coming back.
   
  But along that same point, it is good to see that Ben Roethlisberger can recover from a bad performance. Quarterbacks will have bad days, but as the saying goes they need to have short memories- and Ben does. He’s done it all his career and it is good to know that the team is never really out of the game no matter how bad it gets.

• But, it must be said that Big Ben’s poor performance in the first half was probably the main contributor to the Steelers’ loss. I will give him a pass on the third interception because the Jacksonville player was basically out of the play, and just made a nice recovery and catch for a big man. But the first two interceptions were horrendous. Especially the second one. That pass intended for Najeh Davenport has to go down as one of the worst of Ben’s career so far in terms of decision and execution…

• …there just was no reason to throw it deep to a double covered Davenport who wasn’t in position to defend the pass, let alone try to catch it himself. Unfortunately I think it is just part of Ben’s game and something that will always be there. He reminds me of Brett Favre, slinging the ball around and trying to force it. They are talented enough to make the play most times, but they’re going to throw those dumb picks as well.

• One last point on Ben- and it is that nearly all of his sacks last night were because he held on to the ball too long. As bad as the offensive line has been this season, I think you can chalk a chunk of those sacks up to Ben not getting rid of the ball. I think that a large part of it is because he is always looking for the long ball. Sure, it makes for a lot of exciting plays, but at the same time he usually has a back wide open that he could dump the ball off to.
   
  I remember on one of the sacks last night they showed a replay of the Steelers receivers and Ben had two guys wide open that he could have thrown to. This is a part of Ben’s game that he really needs to work on.

• Speaking of the offensive line, they actually played a fairly good game. Especially Trai Essex. I give him a lot of credit for holding his ground, and it starts to make me wonder about Marvel Smith. When he went down he had two different guys- “the scapegoat” Max Starks, and “hasn’t started in two seasons” Trai Essex- step in and play better than he did. I know he was hurt but we’re going to have to include him in the pile with the linemen that will need a serious evaluation this offseason.

• Alright, I am just going to throw it out there, but I think the Steelers got hosed a bit last night on some of the penalties. It happens and teams have to deal with it, but that phantom holding call on Sean Mahan on the two point conversion is still bugging me today.
   
  Furthermore, it seemed like every replay they showed of an outside Steelers’ rusher, he was held after he had his man beat. I am sure holding happens a lot with every team, but there is nothing more frustrating then hearing Al Michaels talking about what a great block some Jaguars player had as on the screen we are seeing him with his arm hooked around James Harrison’s neck.

• What happened to the offense? Not just in this game but over the last half of the season. They started the year looking nearly unstoppable, and ended looking confused and sporadic. Especially the running game. The Steelers had been the best rushing team in the league over the last 15 odd years, so to see them struggling this season is just frustrating.
   
  What is it? They looked so impressive on that first drive last night, very reminiscent of their games in the 2005 playoffs. Then they looked horrible. As much of a dumb sounding comment it was by Madden when he said it looked like the Steelers didn’t have a plan on offense, he was kind of right.
   
  There were a lot of bad calls last night. That run by Ben on a third and six when they were trying to run out the clock was just a bad idea. Ben is no Vince Young, and furthermore I’m not so sure that at that point you may just want to throw it and try to get the first down. They only had a one point lead and I think getting the first down there was more important than running a couple more second off the clock.

• I think the two point conversion plays were garbage as well. We’ve seen some creative ones that worked well during the season, but this time they ran two fade passes. The first was insanely lucky to have been caught by Hines Ward, but it was negated by the phantom holding call anyway. After that they probably should have kicked the extra point.
   
  But the third two point attempt was just as bad. That fade to Nate Washington just seemed like more of a play that you would run on a first and goal, not when you absolutely need to get into the endzone. Where was the trick play? Where was that special play you keep just for those situations? A fade pass? Come on.
   
  I’m not very confident in Bruce Arians right now. I am not saying they need to get rid of the guy or that he is terrible, just that he still needs some work. Hopefully he is the type that can learn from his mistakes and improve his work.

• This is getting a bit long so I will quickly go through some of the props I wanted to give. Props to Hines Ward and Heath Miller for being dependable and clutch. Props to LaMarr Woodley for his pass rushing- he should be starting next year. Again, props to Trai Essex for having a solid game. Props to Ben for bouncing back from the first half, but most of all for waiting for David Garrard to finish his interviews so he could congratulate him; he is a class act. Props to the entire defense for playing a good game, they held Fred Taylor in check this time and had two interceptions on Garrard- they certainly did enough to win on their end.

• For whatever the reason, the Steelers went on quite a slide to end the season after starting 9-3. There were a lot of key injuries and I am sure that had a lot to do with it, but that is part of life in the NFL. They went from looking like a possible darkhorse in the AFC to losing 4 of their last five games. Ouch. There will be a lot of discussion over just what went wrong, but I am willing to bet that there is no easy answer. A lot of things went wrong, and fortunately I think they are fixable. But we’re going to have to wait until next year to find out.

That’s it, the end to another season. The Steelers went from a team that started out looking like one of the best, to a team that limped into the playoffs. I am sure a lot of time will be devoted to trying to figure out why. But for now it is time to fold up the terrible towels and put them away until next year.

Thanks to all of the readers of this site and for your great comments and discussion. We’ll keep updating regularly this offseason including some reviews of the season , so check back in the coming weeks for a for that.

Today I’ll have to break from my usual style for game recaps. The main reason being that I didn’t see or hear the game which hasn’t happened in a long time. We have a large project at my “Real Job” that needs to be completed for January 1st. That means that I’ve been working long hours, including full days yesterday and today. That’s also why my posting has been slowed over the past two weeks, and for that I apologize.

But by the end of the week things should have calmed down and I should be back to a more regular schedule. But you didn’t come here to hear me whine about work because I know you all deal with junk at work as well- so I’ll share some thoughts on the game and the playoffs.

The very first play of the game stands out greatly because of Willie Reid’s fumble. If you’ve been a regular reader, then you know that I’ve been calling for the Steelers to give Reid a shot returning kicks to try and give the return game a spark. Well, I guess we got an answer right away on how that works out.

Hey, I got what I wanted when they gave him a shot, but it seems like maybe he isn’t the answer. No, I’m not ready to completely give up on the guy, but remember this isn’t the first time he had trouble returning kicks. I guess I just hoped that he would have gotten his stuff together by now. Which makes me wonder- why have the Steelers had such trouble finding a returner since Antwaan Randle El left? I’m not saying that they grow on trees, but it does seem like many teams have a good return man. This season there was a record number of kicks returned for touchdowns. I just wish the Steelers could get in on the party.

One more point on the game specifically, and I apologize for not having more, but I have to mention that Charlie Batch is a pretty darn good back up. I wouldn’t want to have to start him for most of a season or anything, but he has proven time and again that he has enough to put the Steelers in position to win. He is certainly one of the better back ups in the league.

Though I think the last drive pretty much summed up his place in the NFL exactly. He threw a beautiful pass out of the Steelers’ own end zone to thread the needle to Santonio Holmes for a first down, and it was placed so he could head out of bounds as well. That was about as nice a pass that you can throw. But on the next play, Batch tried his best Ben Roethlisberger impersonation as he avoided the rush and ran to his right to throw a perfect pass down field to David Pittman, who unfortunately plays for the Ravens. He’s a good back up, but just not a full-time starter.

But fortunately the real Big Ben returns next week as the Steelers face the Jaguars. But is he enough to save the day? The Steelers have lost three of last four games after a 9-3 start. Ouch. I’m not sure who to point the finger at anymore and honestly I’m tired of speculating because it really isn’t time for it now. It is the playoffs and it is time to just get it done- and the Steelers have their work cut out for them.

The Jaguars just might be the hottest team in the league at the moment considering that they Patriots have looked beatable lately, and quiet honestly they spanked the Steelers a few weeks ago. The Steelers had a chance to come back late, but the Jaguars really pushed them them around most of the game and were just more physical. They are going to be a huge test for the Steelers, but all games from here on out will be.

The Steelers are backing into the playoffs a bit, and maybe my next comment is fanatic-driven optimism but I think the Steelers have as good a shot as anyone. I’m pretty sure that they have it in them to make a run. They are a talented team and just have to put it all together. They have at times this season and I believe that they can do it again. It is looking like a long shot at this point, but the Steelers were the biggest long shot two seasons ago and got it done. Can they do it again?

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?

After watching the game last night I have two questions- Did you hear that Anthony Smith guaranteed that the Steelers won? Yeah, I thought so. But more seriously, what happened in the second half there?

They had ‘em. Things felt pretty good at half-time, didn’t they? The Steelers were showing heart and despite blown coverage on one play, they were right in the game. Too bad they never scored again after the half.

• This was another game where I was left scratching my head a bit over some of Bruce Arian’s playcalling, specifically at the goal-line in the fourth quarter. The shovel pass to Hines Ward was not bad and got them to the one. But after that, I’m not sure why we didn’t see Najeh Davenport come in and pound the ball. He has shown to be very reliable in short yardage this season. So why give it to Hines to try and run in? Arians just gets too cutesy sometimes.

• Speaking of that goal-line stand, why was there no defensive holding called on Rodney Harrison on the fade pass to Santonio Holmes? It seemed like a pretty clear call. There was also that third down on the Steelers’ first drive where Mike Vrabel seemed to jump offsides before the snap but was not penalized. Both instances would have given the Steelers more cracks at getting into the endzone.
   
  I don’t think you can ever use the officiating as an excuse, but it is still very frustrating. Especially against a team like the Pats where for whatever reason (them making it happen, or luck, or whatever you want to say) the ball just seems to bounce their way… like the punt bouncing straight into William Gay’s crotch on that one play.

• I think one play summed up the game and playing this year’s Patriots in general- Under ten minutes to go in the 4th, Partiots have a 2nd down and two yards to go. James Harrison is defending Kevin Faulk, who is lined up as a receiver in the slot. Harrison reads the play perfectly, and is ready to pounce as Tom Brady turns and fires a quick pass to Faulk right after the snap… only Harrison slips and falls down and Faulk gets the first down. That’s just the way things were going.

• Anyone else put off by that announcement during the game that CBS partnered with the Patriots to build some upcoming complex at or near Gillette Stadium? I guess we’ll have to wait for more details, but something about the network that shows the AFC games partnering with the Patriots rubs me the wrong way.

• I wasn’t happy that the Steelers ran out the clock to end the game. I’m of the mind that you keep going, even when it is obvious you’re not going to win. With just under two minutes left, why not keep throwing and try to get a score? I don’t see that as cheap. It is not giving up and going out fighting. Running the clock out was the same as holding up a white flag.

• I’m wondering what those who had no problem with Anthony Smith’s comments think now. The problem wasn’t so much that he made a guarantee, but that you have to be smart about what you say. Any slip, and it gets blown out of proportion. The proof was all there- it got mentioned 8,000 times before the game, 5,000 during the game, obviously discussed on the field by the players, and chanted by the fans.
   
  Not to mention Anthony Smith had a horrible game and ended up looking pretty foolish. Hopefully he was humbled a bit, but his comments after the game about it being taken out of context make me think otherwise. Sure, they may have been, but at this point he just needs to eat some humble pie and move on.

• I don’t have a problem with a quarterback being emotional or fired up, but Tom Brady getting in Anthony Smith’s face annoyed me. It was the fact that Brady and the Patriots as a whole acted all week like they were above trash talking and things of that nature. Then you saw Brady’s true colors during the game. Again, I don’t have a problem with trash talking during the game, but then don’t turn around and act like you are above it.
   
  I absolutely loved the bump that James Harrison gave him, though. I can’t say I would have minded if he body slammed Brady like he did to that Browns fan. But Brady had a great game and is having a record season, so it is hard to talk smack about him; at least his play. I still think after all these years that Bill Belichick’s villainous demeanor has rubbed off on him, however.

• Ben Roethlisberger still had a good game. He made good decisions with the ball and the offense still moved fairly well. It was also refreshing seeing Willie Parker actually getting runs longer then 2 or 3 yards again. But the offense just ended up stalling out; something that has been an issue all season. You just can’t keep settling for field goals, especially when you are at or near the goal line. It has happened a lot more then it should be. I think a lot of it has to do with the above mentioned Arians’ playcalling.

• On a last note, the offensive line played pretty well all things considered. I’ve called them out enough over the season when they’ve been horrible so it is worth mentioning when they did OK. That’s two weeks in a row now and hopefully they are on their way to coming together.

It is a loss but the sky is not falling. I think I’ve written that line after each loss, but it needs to be repeated. We’re a super-passionate fans base in both wins and losses, so we can go a bit crazy. But now that we’ve had some time to catch our breaths, we need to place this in perspective.

The Steelers did show, at times, that they do have what it takes to beat the Patriots. It is in there somewhere, but things fell apart. If these teams met again, when it is all on the line, the Steelers have a pretty solid chance. Even with the loss, they are still in lead of the division and on the road to the playoffs. History is on their side in proving that things are far from over just yet.

It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. The Steelers have had a lot of ugly games lately, haven’t they? Fortunately they’ve won most of them, but that doesn’t make them any less concerning. They had some bad penalties, turnovers, and close calls. But the defense really stepped up and shut down the Bengals offense, no matter how hard the Steelers offense tried to let them back in the game.

• The Steelers continued to struggle getting started. Even in some of their best games they’ve started out very slow; on both offense and defense. But the team really picked it up as the first half wore on. They are going to have to start games faster because against better opponents they could find themselves 14 or more points down before they know it.

• As great punts that Daniel Sepulveda has had this season, he has had some real stinkers as well. I think I mentioned him in my recaps every week for the first 8 or so, but he’s come back down to earth a little. He really helped the team out last week with field position, but was a bit shaky again last night. He closed the game out a lot better then he started, however. I am willing to cut the guy some slack right now because he is a rookie. I think he’s going to be a great punter for the Steelers, but he obviously still has some consistency to work on.

• That Ben Roethlisberger run for a touchdown in the first half was so reminiscent of the Super Bowl run he had. I was holding my breath as the Steelers lined up for the extra point as I waited to see if Marvin Lewis would challenge it. I am really surprised that he didn’t. I can’t say for sure that Ben got the ball over. I’m not complaining or anything obviously, but from the limited replays they showed of it I think Lewis could have won a challenge, or at least it would have been worth the try. (By the way, it was great to see Ben run it there instead of trying to force a throw).

• Willie Parker’s fumbles were a huge disappointment. He tied for the most fumbles for running backs last season with six and he seems to be continuing the trend here. He got lucky on the first and third fumbles as they were reviewed to not be, but they were both very close (especially the third). To me he still lost control of the ball on each play and whether it was official or not he still fumbled.

  Also, how does Willie come out again right after the third (non)fumble then be so careless with the ball and lose it again? The review didn’t save him on the fourth. I know it was wet, but losing the ball four times is unacceptable, especially losing the ball on two plays in a row.

• The Steelers’ secondary was solid after a slow start. It seems like they used the same game plan this time as in the last game. I remember James Harrison said some time after that game that they purposely didn’t do as much blitzing (presumably to help with coverage). Whatever it was, it worked. I know a lot of fans have been upset that the team hasn’t had a lot of interceptions, but they aren’t giving up a lot of big yards either. That works for me.

• In fact, the whole defense was great. That four-down goal line stand late in the fourth quarter after Ben’s interception was a thing of beauty. In fact, the way the Steelers offense was playing late in the game, they came up huge, holding the Bengals after the fumbles and interception. James Farrior was constantly in the right place at the right time. Clark Haggans was getting pressure. Brett Keisel was batting down balls. It was great to watch.

• Good thing the Bengals are still the Bungals. They had some bad plays, in particular two in the 4th. They had a safety taken away by defensive holding call, and an off-sides on a Steelers punt gave them a first down. There’s nothing like watching the Bengals do themselves in.

• Two of the the Steelers’ weak spots played pretty well last night and deserve mention- the offensive line and the kick coverage unit. The line gave Ben time and gave up no sacks. It was good to see them bounce back and usual scape-goat Max Starks was actually solid in place of Marvel Smith. On the special teams side, the Steelers went back to normal kick offs (instead of pooch kicks) and contained the returns. They also did well covering punts.

• Man, wasn’t it great to see T.J. Houshmandzadeh so frustrated out there? I loved seeing him sulking on the bench at the end of the game. Also, is it me or did it seem like Chad Johnson didn’t realize it was fourth down on the Bengals’ last play?

• Congratulations to Hines Ward for grabbing his 64th career touchdown reception to put him in the lead all-time for the Steelers. He beat out two Hall of Famers in John Stallworth and Lynn Swann. Do you think Hines will be voted into the Hall of Fame? I’d like to think so but you never know with the voters.

The win was huge last night, especially because the Browns lost earlier. They are in fairly good shape heading into Foxboro next week. We’ll have to see how the injuries play out and who will be ready to go. They are probably about as ready as they’ll ever be to face the Pats. I think they’ve got a good shot but as Hines said after the game, each player is going to have to bring their A game.

Steelers’ MVP
This week I am giving the MVP to Hines Ward. It was close between him and the defense, but I have to give it to Hines because of how big he was catching on third downs and also because of his record-setting day. Congrats to Hines on the Steelers’ record for touchdown receptions.

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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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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.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was a win. The offense and defense recovered from shaky starts to complete the 15 point comeback and take a strong lead in the AFC North, despite the best efforts of the special teams to prevent it. The Josh Cribbs 100 yard kick off return was one of the worst special teams displays in recent memory. But still, the Steelers showed a lot of character in pulling out the win today.

• I’ll start with this because it is freshest on my mind, but did anyone catch Mike Tomlin’s post-game press conference? He called out his special teams and said the offense still has room for improvement. I like that; I like that a lot. Mike Tomlin will tell it like it is, which is a refreshing change.

• …But the point about the special teams is the real focus. They did stink. I am openly wondering now if we will ever see the Steelers have good kick coverage again in our lifetimes. It has been a huge problem for years now- especially on kicks after the Steelers had a big score. Doesn’t it seem over the years that when the Steelers have a big game-changing touchdown, one of three things happens 1) Jeff Reed kicks it out of bounds, 2) Reed kicks it very short, or 3) They give up a huge return. Nothing sucks up momentum more then something like that.

• This was another one of those games where the offense kind of snuck up on you. It seemed like the running game was going no where, but Willie Parker did go over 100 yards (for the 19th time in his career). Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t on the money, but he threw for two scores and ran for another. The offensive line gave up four sacks, but at times (stressing “at times”) Ben had great protection. The offense moved the ball with relative ease in the second half, but got held to three field goals in the first half.

• One thing was clear, however. Ben was great again and added another comeback to his career. I brought it up last week and I will say it again- Ben is an elite quarterback and right now is at least in the top three of the league. He still has his unique talent of making plays out of nothing, but this season he is also making the great plays a “typical” QB does. Ben is just a winner, plain and simple.

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I believe I caught someone on ESPN saying yesterday that the Steelers have won 12 Monday night games in a row at home, their last loss being in 1991. I am glad that trend seems to be continuing under the new head coach. That said, last night was a game that the Steelers could not lose. Monday Night Football is big enough, and the AFC North implications aside–how could you go out and lay an egg in front of all those great former Steelers? Fortunately they did the direct opposite.

Here are some thoughts from a thoroughly enjoyable Monday night:

• When is the last time you have seen a worse offensive performance than what the Ravens put up last night? It really looked like Steve McNair wasn’t even trying. On the flip side, when is the last time you have seen a performance like the one James Harrison put up…

• …With all due respect to the night Ben Roethlisberger had, James Harrison was flat out amazing. Nine tackles, three and a half sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and an interception. I think we as Steelers fans saw a game like this in James Harrison, but hopefully now the rest of the league takes notice. Check out a very humble Harrison after the game:

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That’s more like it. Nothing puts Steelers fans at ease like another thumping of the Bengals on their home turf. The Steelers have now won seven in a row in Cincinnati. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough. The Steelers are now 1 for 1 on their three game trip through the AFC North with a Monday night game against the Ravens coming up next week. Here are some thoughts:

• The Steelers’ offense looked good today behind better blocking from the offensive line. They had clock eating touchdown drives of 80, 80, and 67 yards. The two first downs running the ball to end the game helped seal the victory and it was yet another game this season that ended with kneel-downs.

 

• Willie Parker had another 100+ yard game, making it 18 times in his career that he has gone over 100. He now has 726 yards, and appears on his way to another Pro Bowl caliber season.

 

• Santonio Homes and Hines Ward were on fire today. It was great to see Hines back catching touchdowns and Santonio is turning into quite the player. He had some really nice grabs and provides the legitimate deep threat the Steelers haven’t had in a long time. He has all the signs of a star in the making.

 

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