The Blitzburgh Report

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.

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?

The Steelers open their season tomorrow in Cleveland against the Browns. With a new coaching staff and new philosophies there could be a different Steelers team on the field then we are used to. The pre-season is over and it is time to see if it has all be talk, or if the big bad Steelers are back.

The Much Anticipated New Steelers Offense- Now that the pre-season is over with, it is time to play for real. No more generic formations and plays. Three tight end sets, Carey Davis leading the way for Willie Parker, the ball getting thrown all over the field… Let’s finally see this new offense in motion.
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The Beaver County times is reporting that Carey Davis will be starting ahead of Dan Kreider in this Sunday’s opener versus Cleveland. The article contain his quote from offensive coordinator Bruce Arians:

When asked what he like best about Davis, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said, “All-around ability - very good blocker - good receiver - best pass blocker among all our running backs.”

When Arians saying “running backs” does he literally mean the running backs or is he including fullback as well? I doubt Davis is a better blocker then Kreider. Which leads to this point- Davis having better athleticism is great but how often do you need that? The fullback maybe runs or catches the ball a couple of times a game. But Willie Parker is certainly going to be running the ball a lot more times then that. Willie has already said he prefers to run behind Kreider. So why not use the best blocker you have to lead the way?

Tonight’s pre-season game versus the Philadelphia Eagles is an important one for many players hoping to make the team. But perhaps the most hotly contested positions are both halfback and fullback, where some veterans might be ousted.

Willie Parker is, of course, safe, but after him all spots seem to be open. Even Dan kreider seems in danger of losing his job. New comers Carey Davis and Gary Russell are making a strong case for the team, and Najeh Davenport and especially Kevan Barlow have been unimpressive.

Will Kreider Still be Leading the Charge this Season?

Kevan Barlow likely has no shot of making the team. He went from an interesting offseason signing to forgotten before the pre-season games even started. There were reports that he looked bad even in the training camp practices. Barlow probably wouldn’t make the team even if there wasn’t the log jam at the position.

Najeh Davenport will likely make the team, but he can strengthen his case with a better showing. For a big back, he is not great at moving the pile. Davenport’s strengths lie in pass catching and decent return skills. He shows just enough to make the team but is no long term answer for the Steelers.

Verron Haynes is another question mark. He is a talented third down back but his problem has always been injuries. Without all the good candidates, he would probably make the team, but the odds may be against him right now.

Carey Davis and Gary Russell have both been very impressive. There is a real chance both can make the team. Russell shows great vision and drive and Davis is a great blocker who is also nifty on his feet. Both players seem to be excellent pick ups for the Steelers, and if they make the team there would be four undrafted backs on the Steelers (if Krieder isn’t cut).

Carey Davis, in particular, may be a real threat to Dan Krieder. I am a huge Krieder supporter but the team seems to be moving away from pounding the ball behind a fullback. They have been using the fullback less and less and because Kreider is mostly one dimensional (although the thing he does well, blocking, he is one of the best at) Kreider faces the possibility of being cut. With Davis being a better runner, the team might opt for him instead because he can hold his own in blocking and also run and catch the ball. As much as I like Davis, personally I just think you can’t get rid of a guy like Kreider- just ask Ray Lewis about his blocking skills.

Here are some things to keep an eye on tonight:

-We should get to see Willie Parker’s first action of the preseason
-Lawrence Timmons will finally see some limited action
-Trai Essex will be playing most of the game at Left Tackle- this is make or break time for him
-Can Gary Russell and Carey Davis continue to impress and land a spot on the roster?
-Ben should see more time tonight then the 3 or so series he has seen so far
-Will William Gay continue to impress?

We’ve had a lot of people interested in hearing more about Carey Davis after his impressive play in the first preseason game.

Carey Davis has actually been around for a few years. He had a very promising college career at Illinois as a fullback. That was until his senior year when he suffered a knee injury and staph infection that kept him sidelined for a good part of the season.

He went undrafted and was signed as a free agent by the Colts in 2004. He spend 4 days on the Colts’ practice squad before being cut. He was signed by the Falcons in January of 2005 and remained with the team until August of that year. He then spent a year on and off with the Buccanneer’s practice squad, a brief stint with Miami’s practice squad, and finally ending up with our beloved Steelers this past January.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were quite impressive in Mike Tomlin’s first game as an NFL head coach, here are some highlights and lowlights:

Highlights

Carey Davis- Wow. Carey Davis looked very Bus-like tonight as he bulldozed his way through would be tacklers. He also caught a screen pass and took it 33 yards. In the 2nd quarter he broke a tackle and bounced outside for a 56 yard run. This kid just keeps impressing and just might force out Kevan Barlow.

Ben Roethlisberger- Big Ben looked great, highlighted by a 55 yard bomb to Cedrick Wilson that was right on the money and not underthrown like a lot of his past long balls have been. His only incompletion was a drop by Nate Washington.

Carey Davis Continues to Impress

Cedrick Wilson- I can’t say that I am a huge fan of Cedrick Wilson, especially after his recent outburst about not getting the ball. But Ced stepped it up tonight and made catches all over the field.

Santonio Holmes- Showed great burst to get separation from the defensive backs. Ran a great fade pattern for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Holmes looks like he will be continuing right were he left off at the end of last season.

The Steelers’ New Offense- The passing was crisp, the screens were run well, the running game was still there and hard hitting. Over 400 total yards. The debut of the new Steelers’ offense looks good so far.

The Secondary- The Steelers secondary had a solid game, broke up a lot of passes, and made Drew Brees look rusty. William Gay, the guy many people knew little about when drafted, came away with a huge hit and a nice interception.

Lowlights

Max Starks- Starks looked a bit weak, especially when he was placed in at left tackle where he gave up 2 sacks.

Nate Washington- Washington has a good receiver somewhere in him which he flashes from time to time, but if he keeps dropping passes he is going to have a hard time moving up the depth chart.

Tightends- It is still early, but for all the talk of three tightend sets, getting the tightends more passes, etc- the tightends were a complete non-factor. Hopefully the getting the them more involved talk is not just more of the same lip service from past seasons.

Kevan Barlow- Didn’t run with much power, especially for a player trying to make the team in a powerback role. His chances of making the team seem to be getting slimmer and slimmer.