The Blitzburgh Report

Last time Santonio Holmes and Troy Polamalu were out the Steelers went on to play their best complete game of the season, shutting out the Seattle Seahawks and putting up 21 points. Things could be a little harder this time, however.

I know the next opponent, the winless Miami Dolphins, aren’t the strongest foes but we said the same thing of the Jets last week. Unfortunately as well, Holmes (high ankle sprain) and Polamalu (knee) might be out for multiple games and with the Bengals, Patriots, and Jaguars coming up that isn’t exactly exciting news.

This time, there will be some new faces stepping in. Nate Washington will be replacing Holmes this time instead of Cedric Wilson. Wilson was solid in replacing Holmes last time, catching five balls for 69 yards, but the coaching staff would like to see what Washington can do. Washington normally is the back up flanker, but will be trying his hand at split end. The switch is not trivial, however, as Washington recently told the Post-Gazette:

“It’s totally different from the Z,” Washington said, referring to flanker, the only position Washington has played since joining the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. “It’s totally different blocking schemes and the sights [adjustments] are different. I’ll be in my book a lot more and studying film a lot more this week to prepare myself to play [split end].”

Washington offers up some big play ability over Cedric Wilson, and I suspect the coaches pegged him to start to keep up the same deep threat that Holmes has turned into. Washington is still a bit inexperienced and drops some balls. This coupled with his new blocking assignments will mean that he’ll have his hands full and will really need to be prepared.

On the other side of the ball, Tyrone Carter will be filling in for Troy Polamalu. This will be different then the last time Troy was injured, because veteran Ryan Clark was then paired with second year playerAnthony Smith. With Clark now on injured reserve, Carter and Smith will be the starters. Smith has been exciting but at times his inexperience shows. Carter has done well enough the times he has filled in during the past, but he is mostly good when needed in a pinch. He’s not a guy that you want to rely on for multiple weeks.

Another wrinkle into the whole thing is that the Post-Gazette also reports that rookie linebacker Lawrence Timmons might take Troy’s spot in the dime package. In that package, Troy plays more of a linebacker role, so it makes sense. But we have seen next to nothing of Timmons this season so it will be very interesting to see him out there.

The point is that while on paper it seems like the same situation as the Seahawks game, this time it is a bit different. There will be new players stepping in for Holmes and Polamalu, possibly for multiple games. One thing the Steelers have been great at is having back ups step in and not miss a beat; hopefully that continues.

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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Just how well did the Steelers do in the 2007 NFL draft? Peter Schrager of FOXSports.com gives the team a “B” in his midseason evaluation:

Pittsburgh: Expected to get instant production from rookie linebackers LeMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons, the linebacker quartet of veterans Clark Haggans, James Farrior, Larry Foote, and James Harrison have been arguably the best unit in the league. Woodley’s come along a bit faster than Timmons, but neither rookie’s really been given the chance to soar. Third-round pick Matt Spaeth already has three touchdown receptions as the team’s second tight end. And then there’s the punter, fourth- round pick Daniel Sepulveda. The two-time Ray Guy Award winner has been a rock for the Steelers, averaging 44.4 yards per punt and nailing 12 inside the 20. Nice production from this crew so far, and it’s only expected to get better.

I have no big problems with Schrager’s assessment and think that a “B” is a fair grade so far. Though, I am not sure that the Steelers “expected to get instant production” out of Timmons and Woodley. Also, I think he could have added cornerback William Gay to his list. I can’t fault him much for that one because most outside of Steelers fans probably haven’t heard much about him. But those of us paying attention know that Gay so far has the makings of a solid player. Of course, it is all still just talk anyway because it takes multiple seasons to get a true read on a player (Kendrell Bell, anyone?).

So how about you, Steelers fans? What tentative grade would you give the Steelers’ 2007 draft class so far?

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Steelers rookie linebacker LaMarr Woodley has been impressive every time he has come on the field so far in his short career. He had a great pre-season, and in the regular season has had three sacks in very limited play time. A lot of us have been waiting for him to see some more playing time, and coach Mike Tomlin’s comments at his recent press conference indicated might turn him loose:

LaMarr is growing in a lot of ways and developing into a complete football player. Some of his growth you guys haven’t seen in stadiums on the weekends, is happening right here at the facility during the week. He has a desire to be great. He is getting better everyday he comes in here. We are going to continue to give him opportunities. To his credit, you are talking about a guy that has probably played 65 or 66 snaps of defense and he has three sacks this year. That tells us we need to play him more.

Woodley is progressing into quite the player and frankly has me more excited then first round pick Lawrence Timmons. That is not to say that Timmons won’t develop into a great player. But while with Woodley you feel like he is destine to be a starter next year, we really have no idea with Timmons. Hopefully he will also start to make waves as he gets more experience and understanding of the defense. That’d be quite the linebacking corp for the future.

Well, it is finally here. The bye week was no doubt a great time for the Steelers injured players to rest up. But for us fans it was a time of slow news and getting stuck watching exciting matches such as the Titans vs the Buccaneers. We’ll still be sitting around waiting as the game isn’t until 8pm est tonight, but it is finally their first nationally televised game this season.

The match up must have seemed bigger before the season started- two classic AFC teams who both figured to be in the mix. Only the Broncos have fallen apart and the Steelers are red hot. Suddenly it has gone from a solid match up to some being concerned it could be a trap game. All told, it should be a winnable game for the Steelers and they should be rested up and ready to go.

Here’s some things to look for:
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The Steelers have only played two games so far, but already their rookies are having a huge impact. The Steelers may have struck gold in the middle of the draft, specifically rounds two through five. It is still very early and we have limited stats to look at, but why not indulge ourselves:

LaMarr Woodley, round two: Last game, Woodley held his ground while filling in for the injured James Harrison. He already has a sack and continues his lightning pace learning the defense. He got a lot of hype with his progress last off-season and it looks like he is delivering on it.

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Training Camp is over and the preseason is halfway done, here is a look at how the Steelers’ 2007 rookie class is performing so far:

1) Lawrence Timmons- Timmons’ story has been pretty well documented. He finally saw he first real practice time with the Steelers last week after missing most of the offseason workouts and training camp. He saw limited action last game against the Redskins, and actually looked OK. He needs a lot of work, but at least he didn’t embarrass himself. He has a lot of catching up to do.

2) LaMarr Woodley- Woodley has been a real bright spot. He is a hard worker and it shows. His impressive practices have translated onto the field where he has made plenty of plays. He seems to be on his way to being another successful defensive end to linebacker conversion for the Steelers.

3) Matt Spaeth- Spaeth has had a mediocre preseason thus far. He’s a big target that should come in handy in the passing game, but he has shown that his blocking still needs a ton of work. Still, he isn’t in any danger of being cut.

4) Daniel Sepulveda- So far, Sepulveda has certainly justified the Steelers using a 4th round pick on him. He is booming kicks and looks like he might finally shore up a position that has been lacking the last two years with Chris Gardocki.

5) Ryan McBean- McBean has been fairly disappointing so far. He has been slow to pick up the defensive playbook and hasn’t shown much in practice or on the field. Still, he has a lot of raw talent and could be a project. But the Steelers really could have used some insurance at back up for the defensive line.

6) Cameron Stephenson- Stephenson has had an extremely quiet offseason. I like to pretend that I know it all, but I have heard and read next to nothing on the guy- which really doesn’t bode well for him.

7) William Gay- Gay just might be the biggest surprise of all. He went from a guy most hadn’t heard of (most draft websites didn’t even have a full bio on him until well after the draft), to someone everyone has their eyes on. He’s making plays all over the field, from big hits, to sacks, to the game ending interception last week.

9) Dallas Baker- Baker is another one who has had a quiet offseason. His size is intriguing, but it was known the moment he was drafted that he would be a long shot at making the team, and he hasn’t done anything yet to show he deserves a spot on in the already deep Steelers’ receiving corp.

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?

The Post Gazette is reporting that the Steelers have signed their first round draft pick, linebacker Lawrence Timmons. The 5 year deal is reportedly worth $12 million in base pay or up to $15 million is certain incentives are reached. The deal includes just over $8 million in guaranteed money.

With all the rookies signed and Alan Faneca saying he will report on time, the Steelers should have a full house to start coach Mike Tomlin’s first training camp as the Steelers’ head coach.

Coach Mike Tomlin’s first NFL draft is over, and you can definitely feel his influence on the picks that the Steelers made. They wanted to shore up the team’s pass rush, and they certainly made a move to that with both Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley. They have two tall receiving targets in Matt Spaeth and Dallas Baker. They picked perhaps the best punter in the draft in Daniel Sepulveda. They have some good potential in some project picks in Ryan McBean, Cameron Stephenson, and William Gay.

Click each player to check out our analysis:

1 (15) Lawrence Timmons OLB Florida State

2 (46) LaMarr Woodley DE Michigan

3 (77) Matt Spaeth TE Minnesota

4 (112) Daniel Sepulveda P Baylor

4 (132) Ryan McBean DE Oklahoma State

5 (156) Cameron Stephenson G Rutgers

5 (170) William Gay CB Louisville

7 (227) Dallas Baker WR Florida

It was an interesting draft and opinions are split (but really, when aren’t they?) on a lot of the picks. But the Steelers are no longer Bill Cowher’s team and that means things will be done a bit differently. A lot of the defensive picks seems to be suited for both the 3-4 and the 4-3, so a hybrid or 4-3 defense might be closer then we think.

With the offensive line trouble, the team might have done itself a service to pick up a lineman before a Stepehnson, and taking a TE with the 3rd round pick was a bit of a shocker. Dallas Baker was a pretty solid pick for the 7th round.

It should be fun to see how all these players develop and what new coach Mike Tomlin does with them.