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.

James Harrison Voted Team MVP

James Harrison was voted team MVP by the Steelers players. My first reaction wass I am very happy for Harrison. He’s come a long way and has had a great season- one that is worthy of team MVP. But my second thought is, was it really worthy over Ben Roethlisberger’s season?

I know there are mixed feelings out there about profootballtalk.com, but they raised an interesting point today:

In 2005, we heard plenty of rumors that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger isn’t one of the most popular guys among Steelers players. A Super Bowl win diluted such talk, and his popularity took a back seat last season to his near-death experience after driving a motorcycle into a car.

This year, we’d assumed that everything had changed. Apparently, it hasn’t.

Though Roethlisberger wasn’t named a team captain at the start of the season, the fact that Hines Ward received the nod for the offense didn’t raise eyebrows. More recently, after having one of the better passing seasons of any quarterback in franchise history, Roethlisberger wasn’t named the MVP of the team.

But Harrison still is worthy none the less and both players have had remarkable seasons and deserve congratulations. The team has done co-MVP’s in the past, so it is even surprising that they didn’t share the honors. It really does make you wonder, but I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions just yet. Aside from this incident, all indications this season have been that Ben has won over a lot of people with his gutty performances and leadership on the field. We really don’t know what went on with the voting and why the players voted as they did. So file it away, but don’t necessarily get worried that everyone hates Ben or anything.

Ben Will Likely Sit Out Ravens Game

Speaking of Big Ben, the Post-Gazette is reporting that he is expected to sit out the game against the Ravens.

I think it is a good move by coach Tomlin. They mention that his ankle is still a bit sore from the Rams game, but I am sure he is hurting all over as well. The Steelers do have a bit to play for with trying to get the 3rd seed in the AFC, but not enough to risk having their star quarterback out or even more injured for the playoffs, especially with how physical Baltimore is and Ben’s history of getting knocked around by them.

It will be interesting to see how long Tomlin plays a lot of the starters. Will he also take other players out as the game goes on? You would have to think that if the Steelers jump out to an early lead they would. I just wish Charlie Batch luck with that offensive line as I am not sure that he is quite the Houdini that Big Ben is.

Marvel Has Back Surgery

The Post-Gazette is also reporting that Marvel Smith had back surgery and will miss at least the Ravens game and the first game of the playoffs.

Max Starks will take his place at left tackle. Starks has actually played quite well recently while filling in and Smith’s absence makes it the decision easy to sit him for Starks. He started the season as the line’s scapegoat, but after riding the bench for a bit he seems to be playing with a new sense of purpose.

The Steelers will be sending five of its players to the Pro Bowl this season. The two starters are Alan Fancea and James Harrison. Willie Parker, Ben Roethlisberger, and Troy Polamalu are in as reserves.

Big congratulations are in order for both Big Ben and Harrison. Ben could have easily made the Pro Bowl in 2004 or 2005, so it is good to see him finally get in. Hopefully it goes a long way in garnering him some respect, however, some idiots such as Vic Carucci still don’t give it to him. He said he would replace Ben with Derek Anderson. Anderson is of course having a good season, even a Pro Bowl one, but not at the expense of Ben’s spot. Ben is having a better year when you look at the stats, and he even beat the Brown’s twice.

It is also great to see James Harrison make the Pro Bowl in his first year as a starter. I think his career game on Monday night against the Ravens really opened a lot of people’s eyes. He is having a great year and has brought a lot of excitement back to the Steelers’ linebacking corp.

Willie Parker also deserves his spot. He has struggled at times this year, but does lead the league in rushing. It is his second Pro Bowl in a row. Not bad for an undrafted free agent who didn’t get a fair shot in college, eh?

But it isn’t all roses. We are always reminded that a lot of the Pro Bowl voting can be a bit of a joke and that a lot of people make it on name alone. We all love Troy, but he missed a ton of games this season because of injuries. I’m not sure he was the most deserving and I am sure he would say that himself. Same with Faneca. He’s a great lineman and still one of the best, but he also hasn’t had his best year. Not to mention he was voted as the starter on the Pro Bowl roster. You don’t really look at the job the line has done this season and think “Pro Bowl”.

But regardless, congrats to all five of the Steelers who made the 2007 Pro Bowl.

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.

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.

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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There is no denying that the Steelers are pretty hot right now (at least against teams that don’t bring more intensity then they do) and after the Ravens’ games last year, they have to be looking to be the ones doing the beating this time around. It should be a tough game, as they always are no matter the standings of the two teams. But, the Steelers look like they have a real good shot at going 2-0 so far in their three game tour of the AFC North. Here are some things to look for in the game Monday night:

• Which offensive line will show up? If the “run for your life, Ben!” version shows up, the Steelers could be in serious trouble. Just look at their losses so far this year and, of course, the two Ravens’ games last year. The offensive line really dictates how this offense plays and they need to have a good game against a strong defensive team like the Ravens.

• Steve “The Steelers Killer” McNair looks like he will be starting the game. For whatever reason, this guy has always played well against the Steelers, to the tune of an 11-4 record. But at the same time, McNair is not quite the same player that he was back in the Titans (update: apologizes for an earlier reference to his celebration; should have researched it better). Still, you have to be nervous any time this guy goes against the Steelers.

• James Harrison says that the Steelers’ lessened sack production over the last few games has been more by design, especially against the Bengals. It will be interesting to see if the team brings more pressure this week, especially against a Raven’s line that is a little banged up. Some have suggested that the lack of consistent pass rush has been because of Aarron Smith’s absence, but he could be back this week so keep an eye on that.

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Heading into the bye week, the Steelers are off to an impressive 4-1 start, in which they dominated their four wins. Here’s a brief look at some of the stats so far:

Offense

Passing:

• Ben Roethlisber already has 1013 passing yards, with a 61.8 percent completion rate. He has 9 touchdowns versus 3 interceptions. His quaterback rating is 99.2. He has been sacked 11 times.

Rushing:
• Willie Parker leads the NFL in rushing yards with 507. He has 121 attempts for an average of 4.2 yards, and an average of 101.4 yards per game. He has one touchdown.
• Najeh Davenport has 209 yards on 28 attempts for an average of 7.5 yards per attempt, and 41.8 yards a game. He has three touchdowns.

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The Steelers jump to #5 (from #9) on ESPN’s power rankings.

Fox Sports agrees and also puts the Steelers at #5.

Linebacker James Harrison is cleared to play Sunday after his scary injury against the Bills. Die Hard Steel has a take on what went down at the end of the first half.

Dale Lolley fills us in on what we learned from the Buffalo game.

Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette says Ben Roethlisberger is back to his old self once again.