The Steep Price of Excellence for the Steelers’ Defense

I started watching football in 1980.

That qualifies as pretty bad timing if you are a Pittsburgh Steeler fan. I have the vaguest recollections of the Black and Gold’s fourth Super Bowl victory over the then Los Angeles Rams in 1979 but little else. My first true memories of Steeler football are of a 9 and 7 football team in 1980 that kicked off a decade of mediocre football in the Burgh. It was truly the only down period of Pittsburgh Steeler football in my lifetime.

I do not have memories of Joe Green and Jack Lambert eviscerating offenses with ferocity and skill. I do not have memories of Mel Blount blanketing and shutting down the top receivers in the game. I know of that only from books and the grainy highlight videos of that era. My memories are of those proud warriors on the back ends of their career when they were no longer elite players. There were occasions when they could still be great but never again was there the consistency of dominance that existed in the 1970s.

I cannot help but wonder if we are living that again in 2012.

The Steelers of the 70s got old together and the team simply could not replace those great players. That aforementioned decade of mediocrity in the '80s was the price of dominance.  For 4 Super Bowl championships in 6 years that price was a bargain.

The Steeler defense of the 2000s also got old together, again with championship results. You do not break up a dominant group that was the driving force behind an 8 year run of excellence including three Super Bowl appearances and two championships.

Eventually, the run has to end; especially given the NFL’s infinite array of methods to promote parity amongst its members. The question is, are the Steelers about to pay the same price they did in the '80s? Will it take a decade to replace the deep and talented group of stars that drove this recent success?

For what it’s worth, I thought the defense was showing its age in 2009 when the Steelers started regularly blowing 4th quarter leads; often to mediocre (or worse) opponents. To their credit, these proud warriors fought back with another brilliant season in 2010. The defense was the driving force behind an 8th Super Bowl run. That the Steelers ultimately lost that game does not change my view that keeping the unit together was the right move.

And statistically the Steelers had another strong defense last year. They ranked number 1 in the NFL in points allowed; a fairly difficult statistic to argue with. And yet I’m guessing most Steelers fans would say there was something different about last year’s unit. Somehow the defense never seemed as good as the numbers it produced, even before the unspeakable day they were Tebowed in Denver.

The 2011 defense was solid but certainly not the elite, game changing unit we’ve grown accustomed to. There was a shocking paucity of impact, game changing plays; a hallmark of the black and gold for the last 20 years. Worse than that, you got the sense that any truly elite QB was going to pick them apart. It was, adjusting for the philosophical differences of the era; very similar to the 1979 defense; a solid group but one that did not perform to the level of its immediate predecessors.

This results in part from the NFL’s incessant drive to become outdoor arena football. It’s hardly a coincidence that we are seeing record passing and scoring numbers in the league the last few years. It started with liberalized illegal contact rules that made it harder to cover. Then came the reflexive penalty flag pretty much any time a defender dropped a hard hit on a quarterback or receiver. A big component of the Steel Curtain for years was intimidation. Any receiver who went over the middle risked a trip to the hospital; and teams were well aware of that danger. Now those same receivers can run through the middle with impunity.

In short, the NFL has legislated intimidation out of the defensive game plan; a change that damaged the Steelers as much or more than any other team.

Even with the reality of these changes it’s impossible not to notice the aging of this defense. We’ve already seen age and injury take out Aaron Smith and James Farrior. Casey Hampton and James Harrison seem to be on the same path. And it’s slowly but surely taking its toll on the unit’s most indispensable player, Troy Polamalu. It seems only a matter of time before Troy loses that half-step of speed that makes him so dominant, and/or he takes one to many cracks to the cranium (if he has not already).

This transition was inevitable and quite frankly I expected it sooner than now. I’ll be the first to admit I was not overly surprised watching Peyton Manning pick the defense apart last Sunday night; most notably as a result of a complete lack of pass rush from the second quarter on. Certainly the absence of Harrison and Ryan Clark played a factor and hopefully their returns this week (or later) will be impactful. That does not change the fact that both players are aging; and Harrison is now doing so on an injured knee.

I am not suggesting things are hopeless. The Steelers used two first round picks in the last four years on defensive linemen in Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward. If either or both become impact players it would make a huge difference. The jury is still very much out but to this point neither has been a true difference maker. Heyward is still very young; the clock is ticking on Hood.

That means that in 2012, the Steelers two most dominant defensive players are the same as they were in 2008; Polamalu and Harrison. Given their age plus accumulated wear and tear, that’s not a sustainable formula for success at their age.

I also wonder if the zone blitz, 3-4 defense can still be effective in today’s NFL. That defense has always been predicated on obliterating the running game and then blitzing from all angles against QBs in long yardage situations. I’m not sure that approach can work in a league where teams play Madden, video game football, willingly abandoning the run and throwing 50 plus quick passes a game. New England and Green Bay have shown definitively how to beat the Dick Lebeau defense. Those same two teams were stymied twice in five years by the NY Giants; a defense built around a dominant from four. The Giants can pressure the elite passing QBs of today while still dropping 7 defenders in to coverage.

That said, any scheme can be effective with the right players. It’s possible the Lebeau scheme is outdated. It’s every bit if not more possible that the Steelers no longer have the depth of elite personnel to be a truly dominant defense. I’m pretty sure the 1974 and 2008 Steeler defenses could have dominated with virtually any scheme.  The players were simply that good.

So am I predicting doom and gloom? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I have tremendous faith in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ organization. No team in sports has been consistently better at rebuilding and retooling on the fly. Few teams in sports do a better job of maximizing the talent they have. The last eight years have been without question the second best era of Steeler football ever behind the 70s; but keep in mind this team has been a consistent championship contender for two decades. I always believe in this franchise and I still believe a playoff berth in 2012 is fully possible.

That said, sustained excellence in the NFL almost always comes at a price. Eventually teams are forced to rebuild or at least retool. I can’t help but think that the Steelers might be on that path, at least on one side of the ball.

One Day – Two Seasons End

With all due respect to David Volek and Alfred Pupunu, Sunday January 8th, 2012 may very well go down as one of the worst days in Pittsburgh sports history. In one day, two championship dreams came crashing down.

The painfully obvious, in your face case was the Steelers who lost on a stunning 80 yard touchdown pass in overtime to the woefully mediocre Denver Broncos. The more subtle case was the Pittsburgh Penguins who accumulated two more critical long-term injury losses to their already decimated line-up.

The common denominator in both cases is injuries; to an almost unfathomable degree.

In the case of the Penguins, we are now in season two of the most crushing rash of injuries I’ve ever seen in sports. As I write, the Pens are without the best player in the world, one of the best offensive defensemen in the game, their leading goal scorer, the best third line center in the game and several key depth players. The truly frightening part is that I cannot say definitively whether this is worse than the injuries that cost them Crosby and Malkin last spring.

The Steelers injuries were nearly as significant by the time they reached halftime in Denver. They played without their leading rusher, their all pro center, two starting defensive linemen and their starting free safety. Add to that an obviously hobbled Ben Roethlisberger behind center and Lamar Woodley on defense. The losses on the defensive line were particularly daunting and resulted in little or no pass rush against the living legend that is Tim Tebow.

Truth be told if the Steelers played any other team in football we might be lauding them for a heroic effort, especially in their 4th quarter comeback. Alas, since they played potentially the worst NFL team to ever make the post season (or a close second to Seattle last year) there will be quite a bit of offseason angst in the Burgh.

The Steelers are officially done. There will be no return trip to the Super Bowl; no chance to avenge either Baltimore or Green Bay this post season. We will not see them play a meaningful game again until September and the team will likely look a fair bit different. Several veterans including the venerable Hines Ward are likely to be gone due to age, salary cap or both.

The Penguins maintain some hope but are very much in survival mode. They need to revert to last spring’s agonizing philosophy of grinding out low scoring wins (or pathetic as it is overtime losses) in any way possible. The lone positive consideration on that front is a healthy Geno Malkin (although it’s hard to take health as a given at the New Energy Barn these days). The bad news is the Pens grinders are a step down from last year and the team is missing at least one critical defensive piece in Kris Letang.

Right now it is perfectly reasonable to suggest that the Penguins will be spectators when the NHL playoffs start in April. Their current line-up is simply not good enough to compete with the better teams in the eastern conference. And if today’s injury update is to be believed, there is no real help coming for at least a month, if not longer.

The reversal of fortune for Pittsburgh’s two signature sports teams is absolutely stunning, especially when you consider where we were at this time a year ago.

The Steelers had just wrapped up another 12 win season with division title and first round bye. They were on their way to a third Super Bowl in six years and were absolutely capable of winning. The Penguins were coming off a 12 game win streak, a record setting performance by Sidney Crosby, and an awe inspiring 8-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Our only hockey concern, and it was minor, was a “mild concussion” Crosby suffered that was expected to keep him out a week or two.

By the end of the day February 5th the Steelers had handed Green Bay the Super Bowl and the Pens were a rudderless ship without their two signature superstars. And it’s been all downhill since.

I make no bones that Pittsburgh sports fans have been spoiled rotten, at least if you ignore the abomination that plays all summer at PNC Park. Since 2004 the Steelers have arguably been the best team in football. Similar arguments could be made for the Penguins since about 2007. Both teams have delivered championships in stirring fashion.

We’ve benefitted from great organizations, superstar players, and an abundance of leadership and heart. The Penguins and Steelers earned their success and made their own breaks. But let’s be honest, there is always an element of luck when you win a championship. Whether it’s a missed field goal by normally reliable kicker or a lucky ping pong ball in a draft lottery, the black and gold in both sports have definitely gotten a break or two.

And right now I cannot help but wonder if that luck is finally changing. How can I not when Penguins and Steelers are being dragged off their respective playing fields in record numbers?

In the case of the Steelers it is at least somewhat explainable.

The quarterback acts weekly as a human target. I have unwavering respect for Ben’s ability and his toughness but it seems only a matter of time before he breaks down from the pounding he takes. The fact is the Steelers’ championship window lasts only as long as Big Ben’s prime and his prime gets shortened every time he gets creamed.

The defense is clearly showing its age. I give these guys immense credit for being warriors and true professionals. I’ve been bemoaning their aging for three years and they’ve done a phenomenal job of holding off father time. Alas it was bound to catch up to them eventually. It was hard not to notice both the inability to create turnovers this year and the increasing number of injuries to key defensive players; culminating with Hampton and Keisel suffering non-contact injuries today.

Losing today, in combination with significant oncoming salary cap issues may finally force changes on the defensive side of the ball. That may even include Dick Lebeau’s retirement. Of course cutting ties with the older guys is the easy part. Finding adequate replacements for players of this caliber is a whole different story.

On the Penguins’ side the injury bug is simply dumbfounding. There is no logical or reasonable explanation for it. And the ramifications are impossible to overlook.

The Sidney Crosby situation is untenable and cannot continue in perpetuity. The team cannot continue to operate having no idea when or if its best player will return; especially at $8.7 Million per year (and soon to increase). The Pens showed remarkable character and resiliency without Sid and Geno last year but I really believe the uncertainty of Crosby’s situation is starting to drag them down. The players just seemed to lose their edge when Sid bowed out for a second time. And Ray Shero has no cap room or free cash flow to address the resulting deficiencies.

I stated this over the summer and I know its absolute blasphemy but the Penguins need to determine whether Sidney Crosby can continue to be part of their future. The idea of trading Crosby may seem inconceivable on every level; but that ideal is based on Sid the healthy superstar. We are getting a free preview right now of how bad it could get if Sid struggles with concussion issues the remainder of his career.

That’s what is so disturbing about this. A year ago the Penguins’ future was as sure a bet as anything in professional sports. Now it is a perfectly logical consideration that the greatest player of this generation may be on the Eric Lindros road to career annihilation. The Pens have built every aspect of their organization around the idea of having a perfect one-two combination of superstars for the next decade. Right now that once certain ideal is very much in doubt.

I did not expect the Steelers’ season would end in Denver but I did not dismiss the possibility. There has been since opening day a troubling uncertainty around this club, even after a 12 win season. I freely admit I had doubts they were truly championship caliber.

Still, I figured even in the worst case scenario I could at least transfer my hopes to the Penguins. Now I’m not even sure of that. The calendar says January but it’s quite possible their season also ended today.

Steelers Lose Focus on Big Ben’s Injury

Whatever you might think of Ben Roethlisberger as a quarterback, or a human being, you cannot question or deny his toughness.

I don’t have statistics to back this but I'm fairly sure Ben takes more hits than any quarterback in the NFL today (and maybe ever). He plays through injuries that would keep many players off the field and most human beings in the hospital for months. Broken bones, sprained ankles, concussions, even appendectomies cannot sideline Big Ben for long.

It’s a trait that rightfully earns him admiration and respect from me and throughout the Steeler Nation. Steeler fans like their players tough and nasty. There is a certain perverse pride we take in watching Ben beat down Baltimore, the same night his nose was massacred by Haloti Ngata. That is leadership in its purest form; leaving it all on the field when by all accounts he should be sitting in an ice bath.

Leadership is also knowing when to step aside. And it’s just as clear to me that Ben does not.

I have no issue with Ben’s blind spot; I just assume my star quarterback is a warrior and wants to play whenever it’s remotely possible. That makes it incumbent on those above him to take that decision out of his hands when necessary. For whatever reason, Mike Tomlin elected not to do so in two of the last three games. And the Steelers may ultimately pay for that decision this post season.

I understood, with some degree of reluctance, Tomlin’s decision to play Roethlisberger in San Francisco a few weeks back. The Steelers had a chance to move ahead of Baltimore and put themselves in position for a critical first round bye. Tomlin presumed the best way to accomplish that; against one of the best defenses in football, was with Big Ben behind center. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on this even though hall of fame quarterback Steve Young clearly did not.

That said, once the Steelers fell behind 20-3 in the 4th quarter, keeping Ben in the game as an immobile human target was simply asinine. I’m a huge Tomlin fan and I can say it was bar none his worst decision as head coach of the Steelers. There was absolutely no conceivable reason for keeping Ben in that game at that point. The decision was a product of typical NFL bravado between coach and quarterback.

Big Ben survived the Monday night beat down, no worse but certainly no better for ware. After that, I genuinely hoped he would not see the field again until the playoffs and maybe not even the second round (presuming they Steelers could overcome the force of will and hope that apparently is Tim Tebow). No games, no practice, no nothing except healing his injury as much as possible. To me this is not even debatable. Not after watching Ben’s inability to walk down steps in week 16 or push off his foot in week 17, when he deemed himself 60% healthy.

This was not about conceding the division title to Baltimore and accepting life as a wild card. The Steelers are and were absolutely capable of beating both St ’Louis and Cleveland with Charlie Batch behind center. Batch is hardly a superstar but he’s an experienced quarterback and solid game manager with a reliable track record. He’s more than good enough to beat two of the worst teams in football. In fact, I think at 100% healthy he is a better option than Roethlisberger at 60%.

In contrast, the Steelers have little or no chance of winning at Baltimore or New England, let alone in the Super Bowl without a reasonably healthy Big Ben.

Given that reality, the entire focus of the organization should have been getting Roethlisberger as healthy as possible for the playoffs. There was no upside to playing Ben last weekend and as we now know, plenty of downside risk.

For whatever reason the Steelers have their own blind spot when it comes to Big Ben. They seem willing to let him play in almost all circumstances. Or perhaps Ben yields too much power over the organization and he ultimately dictates whether or not to play. There is enough historical evidence to make this a reasonable inference.

I was harshly critical of Bill Cowher for starting Roethlisberger twice in 2006 when he had no business being on the field. One could argue that he should have sat out half the season to recuperate from his motorcycle accident. Accepting that he did not, he certainly was nowhere near ready to play in week two against Jacksonville after an emergency appendectomy ten days earlier (on top of everything else). The Steelers were shut out in that game and Ben looked terrible.

A few weeks later Cowher trotted Roethlisberger out against Oakland seven days after his second concussion in five months (and other severe injuries from the crash). Roethlisberger was flat out awful in that game throwing five interceptions. He was the primary reason the Steelers lost to a terrible Raiders team.

Is it a coincidence that two extremely successful, secure, and hard nose coaches have both given in to Ben’s desire to play even when he clearly should not? Or was it ultimately not their decision.

Such considerations are hardly unprecedented in Pittsburgh sports. In 1993 the Penguins skated the best team in their history and quite possibly one of the best of the post expansion era. They were making a mockery of the National Hockey League right up to the day Mario Lemieux was shockingly diagnosed with cancer.

Le Magnifique spent six weeks enduring radiation treatments and heroically returned to the line-up the day of his last session. He and the Pens then went full throttle over the remainder of the season both to set regular season win records and get Lemieux an incomprehensible scoring title. That decision yielded some of the greatest and most exciting hockey any of us have or ever will see. Lemieux blew past Pat Lafontaine to win the scoring title and MVP; one of the most remarkable achievements in NHL history.

Remarkable, misguided, and short sighted.

Lemieux was coming back from CANCER TREATMENTS. His primary focus as an athlete should have been getting healthy for the playoffs. He could not or did not want to accept his limitations in that moment; hardly a shocking revelation given an athlete who often appeared superhuman on the ice. It was up to the Penguins to have a broader perspective.

I believe to this day that Lemieux ran out of gas in those playoffs; a consideration supported by Lemieux barely playing the next two years. The net result was a horrific defeat to a vastly inferior New York Islander squad. It cost the Pens a third straight cup and rightful recognition as a dynasty.

The entire organization, including legendary head coach Scotty Bowman took its eye off the ball. They caved in to Lemieux’s short-term desire to play much as Tomlin and Cowher did with Ben. And let’s not kid ourselves; they did so because Mario Lemieux called the shots at the Igloo long before he became a shareholder of the Pittsburgh Penguins. In that case, it was to the ultimate detriment of his team.

I fear we are reliving that scenario with Ben Roethlisberger. This Steeler team is not, relatively speaking, as good as the ’93 Pens but they are absolutely a Super Bowl contender. A Super Bowl championship should be the unquestioned goal and that is highly unlikely in Roethlisberger’s current state of health.

Look, Ben’s health issues may be inevitable this post season. He suffered a severe ankle sprain which will likely take weeks or longer to heal. There is a better than average chance even under the full rest scenario that he is hampered throughout the playoffs. I get that. And I understand the rust from inactivity argument as well.

And I don’t care.

It was a bad decision plain and simple, by an organization that gets it right far more often than not. It was a loss of focus on the ultimate goal; a loss of focus might very well cost the black and gold a shot at a 7th Lombardi Trophy.

Steelers’ Offense Sticks it to New England, Just as Planned

There truly are not many feelings in sports better than sticking it to the New England Patriots.

There is a smug arrogance about that Pats that defies description.  It permeats virtually every player and coach in the organization.  The trail of arrogance and ego starts with their condescending, know it all head coach and filters down through their condescending pretty boy quarterback. I respect Bill Belichick’s success as a coach. I respect Tom Brady’s brilliance on the field. And I truly cannot stand either one of them.

They don’t inspire quite the visceral hatred of say the Baltimore Ravens, but they’re definitely a close second.

Even as I know that next week’s game with Baltimore is the most important of the season, I’m downright giddy about yesterday’s result. They don’t hand out the Lombardi trophy in late October mind you but understand this; there are moments in sports truly worth savoring that do not involving winning a championship.

Yes it’s childish, yes it’s petty, yes it’s vindictive. So be it. Watching Brady and Belicheat slump off the field in defeat is worth a little premature celebration. Especially knowing how this victory was accomplished.

For the first time in a decade, the Steelers clearly and unequivocally out schemed, out coached, and out played the Patriots with Brady behind center.

The Steelers’ performance was eerily reminiscent of their playoff victory in Indianapolis in January 2006. That was the last time the Black and Gold went so out of character in a victory. It was also the last time they so thoroughly out played and out coached an elite opponent.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are built first and foremost with defense. They hire defensive minded head coaches and focus the greater percentage of their cap space and draft choices on the defensive side of the ball. The defense dictates games and the offense plays an important but often complimentary role. That’s Pittsburgh Steeler football and it has been for four decades.

Well, four decades with a few notable exceptions, such as yesterday.

Yesterday the Pittsburgh Steelers changed their identity, by necessity. It was the offense that dictated and controlled the game. Not only that, they did it almost entirely by throwing the football. The Steelers controlled the entire game with a high percentage passing attack that ground up yards and clock with equal proficiency.

In so doing, they exposed the obvious weakness of the New England defense, its inability to stop the pass. And they took out New England’s greatest strength, Brady’s pinpoint passing. I don’t care how good a QB Giselle’s husband may be, he can’t win football games standing on the sideline.

This is my 32nd year of watching Pittsburgh Steeler football and I cannot ever remember a game plan like this for a full game. Even that famous game in Indy where the Steelers went airborne for 30 minutes and then settled back in to running in the second half. More than that, the Steeler defense that day dictated the game to Peyton Manning. Yesterday’s defensive performance was solid, but very much complimentary.

To be clear, I’m not dismissing the defense in any way. This was bar none the best game plan Dick Lebeau has ever engineered against Brady. The Steelers got in the face of his wide receivers and did not allow Mr. Bundchen the easy completions of prior years. That’s a tribute to Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu and a secondary that is considerably improved in 2011.

It’s also a credit to the substantially improved defensive line play, a wake up from Lamar Woodley, and a much needed shuffling out of aging players in the last four weeks.

On merit alone, the Steelers finally stopped Brady; finally stopped him from exploiting the obvious mismatch he presents to the typical Lebeau scheme. In so doing they validated a group that has been shockingly steady this season while rarely imposing its will on opponents.

At the same time, I cannot fathom this much success if Brady had the ball for 30 minutes instead of 20, especially given Woodley’s 4th quarter injury. We saw this on New England’s last touchdown drive where Brady went right back to slicing the Steeler D. Ask yourself this question. If Brady gets the ball back with two minutes left and at least one time out, are you confident in a Steeler win?

Simply put, the most effective scheme the Steelers used to stop Brady was to keep him on the sidelines gnashing his teeth. There is nothing wrong with that. As noted above, its brilliant total football strategy and solid execution, lead part and parcel by Ben Roethlisberger.

I continue to fight the dreaded and ignorant “game manager” characterization of Big Ben. I’ve come to resent even more those who say, “It’s not pretty but he finds a way to win.” Both labels unfairly demean the accomplishments of one of the truly great and truly under-appreciated quarterbacks of this generation.

On Sunday, Ben was brilliant and effective, and everything else his critics claim he cannot be. Excepting one truly awful interception, he played a tremendous football game. The Steelers ran a New England offensive game plan against New England. It worked because Big Ben out played Brady and made it work. Somehow I don’t see this game plan with Neil O’Donnell, Kordell Stewart or Phillip Rivers behind center.

He did not do it alone of course. He was helped by and offensive line that has improved ten-fold in the last four games. It’s amazing what a difference Max Starks has made since his return. He was helped by a young core of receivers that has matured brilliantly before our eyes. And let’s not forget Heath Miller whose great start today was reminiscent of that playoff game in Indy. Miller’s best effort of the year, hands down.

At the same time, kudos to Mike Tomlin for clearly out coaching Belicheat. Credit to the far too often maligned Bruce Arians for putting in place a great game plan. It’s not easy for a leopard to change its spots but the Steelers did it with shocking ease on Sunday.

Sadly we get less than a week to savor this victory. As great as this game was, Sunday night’s battle with the Ravens is the game of the season, a true must win. As is so often the case, this game will dictate the Steelers ultimate post season path. A victory makes home field advantage and a first round bye a realistic course. A loss almost certainly requires the arduous wild card route in January.

It seems almost unfair for the Steelers to run this schedule gauntlet; to face their two most hated rivals in back to back games. Not to mention the surprisingly improved Bungles before the bye.

Such is life. If there is one team in sports that can overcome this it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers. The standard is the standard as coach Tomlin says, regardless of the opponent(s). Beyond that, the Steelers should be pretty frosted about their horrific performance on opening day against Baltimore. Avenging that embarrassment should bring added levels of motivation, focus, and determination to a team that does not lack these traits to begin with.

For now, let’s savor a tremendous victory; one that showcased the talent, heart, and brilliance of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let’s enjoy truly sticking it to Brady and Belicheat for once. The Ravens can wait…at least a few days.

HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO !!!

Penguins Making Super Bowl Week Easy

As a sports fan, there is nothing better than having your favorite team in the Super Bowl. It is so to speak, sports nirvana.

Unfortunately, as former Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz frequently reminded me, you do not get something for nothing in this life. The cost of that Super Bowl glory is the interminable two week wait leading up to it. One minute you are celebrating the thrill of reaching the summit of the sports mountain; the next you are stuck in a two week abyss of no football.

Compounding the misery is the non stop dissection of the event by the various and bloated talking football heads; supplemented by a steady does of rumor, innuendo, and pointless gossip. Everyone and their mother is on TV or the internet with their own useless analysis and meaningless predictions. Let’s face it, the average human being is not equipped to handle 14 days of Deion Sanders, Keyshawn Johnson, and Steve Marriucci.

The oversaturation of pointless news and gossip reached a historic low point today when it was reported as breaking news that Ben Roethlisberger was seen drinking with teammates at a piano bar on Tuesday night. Unless Ben singing under the influence is consider a potential felony this is a total non story. Unless of course its Super Bowl week.

Maybe I’m just spoiled after three Super Bowl trips in six years but I frankly can’t stand it. Fortunately I have the perfect cure. It’s called Pittsburgh Penguins hockey.

The Penguins are doing a phenomenal job keeping my mind of the Super Bowl week abyss. Instead of being immersed in the endless minutia of Super Bowl week, I’m watching perhaps the gutsiest regular season performance in the history of our beloved hockey team. And I’ll be doing so right up through Sunday afternoon. Instead of eight hours of senseless pre game babble, I’ll be watching Disco Dan’s boys taking on the hated Washington Crapital’s in a matinee special.

By all accounts, the Penguins should be in free fall right now. In case you did not get the memo, they have played the last ten games without the world’s best player, a young fellow named Crosby, and the last five games without his superstar sidekick Evgeni Malkin. To up the ante on Tuesday night, Jordan Staal decided to go all Brent Johnson and punch out a Ranger forward, thus earning an early shower.

If I had told you after the winter classic that the Pens would be without Sid for ten games and Geno for five of those games, would you in any way, shape, or form believed they would earn 13 points?

I’m not above admitting that I would not.

With this performance, the current group has redefined the image of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Our boys have always been thought of as a run and gun, offensive skill team. They’ve never been considered a team that wins games with defense, physicality and grit. At least until now.

All of a sudden the Pens are winning games because Max Talbot and Matt Cooke are running guys all over the ice, Zbynek Michalek and Brooks Orpik are dominating the defensive zone, and Brent Johnson is punching out Ricky DiPietro. Okay, the last part is more of a bonus parting gift but you get the point.

And think, some idiot on this blog keeps insisting that this team has too many grinders and not enough scoring wingers. Blasphemy.

Anyway.

Two months ago, I wrote a blog overflowing with praise for the Steelers brilliantly gritty victory in Baltimore. The game was the classic embodiment of Steeler football. The team battling for 60 minutes through a brutally physical encounter and all but willing themselves to victory. It was men pushing themselves beyond the limits of human endurance for nothing more than one regular season victory. I was so fired up afterwards that I could not sleep until 3am.

I had nearly the same feeling after the Penguins gutted out a 4-3 win at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night without their top four centers (including Mark Letestu). Oh and after spotting one of the league’s best goaltenders a 2-0 lead. The Pens just refused to quit, right up to the point where a rookie with less than ten games of experience scored the game winning goal in the shootout. It was quite frankly a “Steeler-like” performance.

I love the Steelers and the Penguins but I sometime marvel at how different they are. Steeler football is so emblematic of Pittsburgh. It’s about brutal physicality (except when it angers Roger Goodell), hard work, and an overwhelming desire and will to win. It’s rarely pretty; a fact we were comfortable with long before Mike Tomlin clarified that style points do not matter.

The Penguins on the other hand have been considered a brilliantly talented, finesse team pretty much from the day they were raised to prominence by a quiet French Canadian simply known as Le Magnifique. Go back and watch Hockey Night in Canada’s coverage of Lemieux’s mind numbing playoff goal against Ray Bourque and Boston in 1992. The announcer sums up the perception of Penguin hockey perfectly when he asks, “Have you ever seen such finesse?”

That’s not to suggest in any way that the Pens are not tough. Ulf Samuelsson was tough. Rich Tocchet was tough. Ryan Malone played a playoff series with a broken nose. We know all about the likes of Cooke, Brooks Orpik and Mike Rupp. Hockey players frequently play through injuries that would keep a good accountant in bed for weeks (hypothetically).

That said, when you think of the Steelers, you think of Jack Lambert or James Harrison, covered in blood and driving some poor running back through the turf. When you think of the Pens, you think of Lemieux’s Jagr, Crosby, and/or Malkin undressing some poor defensemen and humiliating the likes of John Casey, Andy Moog, or whatever AHL caliber goaltender is suiting up for Philadelphia.

Steeler fans prefer a 7-3 victory behind a dominant defense to a 40 point, 400 yard passing explosion. Penguin fans prefer that same 7-3 score, with Crosby and Malkin tallying 5 points each. It’s a shocking dichotomy in our sports preferences.

At least until now.

I pointed out last season that the Pens have become one of the toughest teams to play against in hockey. It’s not just because of Deryk Engelland dropping the gloves two out of three nights. It’s because of fast, physical forwards who pummel defensemen on the forecheck. It’s because of big, strong and mobile defensemen taking out guys in the defensive zone. Heck, even our back-up goaltender is tough.

And did I mention that the Penguins are the top penalty killing team in the NHL? The Pittsburgh Penguins? What next, the New Jersey Devils in last place?

This is not necessarily new, it’s just that nobody noticed until the team’s two offensive superstars went on the shelf. The Penguins are not scoring nearly as much without 87 and 71 but they have not changed their system one bit. They continue to dominate on the forecheck resulting in a huge disparity in zone time. They continue to choke off scoring chances when the puck is in their defensive zone (without trapping by the way). And offensively they are now opportunistic. Not a word frequently used to describe Penguin hockey over the last 25 years.

The result is some of the grittiest hockey in Penguin history. The gold standard to me remains games six and seven of the Stanley Cup finals against Detroit two years ago. That said, this is a close second and it’s being accomplished with $17.5 Million of all world production in the press box. I don’t know that I’ve ever been prouder of our boys.

Dan Bylsma has risen to another level as a coach. And let’s be honest, he set the bar pretty high to begin with. I hate to poach quotes from Mike Tomlin but I can almost picture Bylsma telling his injury riddled team, “the standard is the standard.” Of course it does not hurt that Marc-Andre Fleury is playing perhaps his best hockey ever; and has to just to stay ahead of Johnson.

Let me be clear on this. As impressive as this run is, the Penguins are not going deep in to the post season without a healthy Crosby and Malkin. And I still think the team needs one more offensive winger to win a cup. You need grit in the NHL but you also need guys who can put the puck in the back of the net. Alas, that’s a subject for another day.

For now, I’m just enjoying this remarkable display of Steeler style hockey from the Pens. The fact that it keeps Keyshawn off my television for the better part of the week is just an added bonus.

Are We Ready to Forgive Big Ben?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are five days away from their third Super Bowl in six years. This is a truly remarkable accomplishment in sports and it should be the focus of the week.

Oh but if life were only that simple.

Sadly but predictably, there is a great deal of focus on Ben Roethlisberger this week. I admit I’m pleasantly surprised by the amount of accolades Ben is getting for his continued on field excellence. Alas those accolades are diluted through continuous reminders of his off the field issues. Roethlisberger’s superlative and gritty play seems to have finally swayed the football world to the reality that he is one of the elite quarterbacks in the game. And yet that reality is obscured in the shadows of what happened last spring.

Let’s be honest, this was inevitable.

In a rational world, Ben’s off the field behavior would be completely irrelevant. He is a football player; nothing more, nothing less. As long as he does his job every Sunday, it should not matter whether he spends his weekends in churches or VIP rooms.

Alas, we all know sports are not rational. And nothing is more irrational than Super Bowl week.

We as fans make an emotional commitment to our favorite athletes that is impossible to explain or justify. We feel as though we are personally vested in them. We don’t just want to cheer for them, we want to genuinely like them (or at least like our perception of them). And when they let us down, we feel truly betrayed. It’s irrational and illogical, but its reality.

To reiterate what I said back in April, I did not want Ben to be found not guilty. I wanted him to have not done what he was accused of doing. The Milledgeville district attorney’s not to press charges is enough for me to accept Ben the quarterback. It’s not enough for me to like him or be emotionally vested in him. I need to genuinely believe that he is not a monster before I can do that.

I noted the following last April in a blog entry entitled, “Big Ben at a Crossroads in the Burgh:”

It’s sad that I’m probably one of Ben’s most staunch defenders and the best I can offer is, “it’s not illegal to be a jerk.” When the best thing people can say about your actions is that no crime was committed, that’s not a good thing. Let’s be honest, there are a lot of people who feel far more strongly than I do that Ben should be playing somewhere else next season (or not playing at all). And make no mistake, if he does not get his act together that’s exactly what will happen

Steeler fans are a forgiving bunch. In all likelihood, their forgiveness can be purchased at a cost of one additional Lombardi trophy. That being said, they will never truly accept and love him again unless he clearly makes a commitment to change in his life.

When I wrote that, I had no idea that the Steelers would be on the precipice of their 7th Super Bowl title. I did not even know if Roethlisberger would be a Steeler on opening day. I admit I was just hoping that the team could stay afloat without him and maybe compete for a playoff spot. It’s a testament to their skill and character that they rose so far beyond that

And yet without suggesting any clairvoyance on my part, it’s amazing how much we are living out the situation I described nine months earlier.

I think most of Steeler Nation has “accepted” Ben back. Truth be told, I was more than ready to do that after living the Byron Dixonbatch experience for four games. That said, any doubt of his “acceptance” was likely erased seconds after Ben’s final completion to Antonio Brown against the Jets.

Alas there is a huge difference between accepting Ben and liking Ben. And that’s where the part about changing his life comes in to play. For Ben to regain his status as a beloved sports icon in the Burgh, he needed to demonstrate a complete commitment to changing his life and being a better person. In short, he needed to stop being an ignorant jerk.

A properly motivated person can effect such changes virtually instantaneously. It takes considerably longer for those around him to trust and believe in it. The worst case scenario for Steeler fans is to reinvest emotionally in Ben and then have him let us down with another ugly off the field incident.

Ben has zero “obligation” to seek our forgiveness. His only true “obligation” is to perform on Sundays, which he has always done to the highest level. That said, there are absolutely ramifications when players lose the trust of their fans.

Did you notice how quickly the city of Chicago turned on its supposed superstar QB Jay Cutler last weekend? Cutler compounded a poor performance in a big game with a questionable but very real injury. And for this he was blistered both by fellow NFL players and a Chicago fan base that has been desperately seeking a franchise QB for a quarter century.

And why did this happen? Because in two years in Chicago and five years in the NFL, most of the football world has come to believe that Cutler is a first class jerk. He has forced Bear fans in to the unenviable position of being emotionally vested in a person that they genuinely do not like. As a result he gets zero benefit of the doubt from those fans. If he performs to the expected level of stardom, they will grudgingly accept him. If he falls in the slightest, they will start the lynch mob to run him out of town.

Want a closer to home example? How about Jeff Reed? I noted in November that Reed was ultimately cut because he stopped making kicks. That said, his poor behavior, bad attitude, and lack of accountability cost him any benefit of the doubt with the Steelers or their fans. Both were more than happy to run him out of town.

So no, there was no “obligation” for Ben to seek or receive forgiveness from Steeler fans, but it’s truly in his best interest to do so. Otherwise, he would face the same wrath as Cutler and Reed the moment his on the field performance failed to live up to standard. You need only remember many of the fan reactions to Big Ben this summer to recognize that.

Which brings us back to the question, are we truly ready to forgive Big Ben? Yes we’ve accepted him back, but are we truly ready to embrace him again?

For me the answer is yes. And not just because Ben has lead us to another Super Bowl. I truly believe that he has grown and matured as a human being. I think we really are seeing a new Ben Roethlisberger. I know there significant skeptics but I’m not one of them. And here is why.

Often when a person is truly on the wrong path, they have to hit rock bottom before they turn things around. They need a genuine slap in the face before reality sets in. Big Ben got more than a slap, he got flat out punched; first by the accusations, then by the investigation and finally by his four game suspension. And he continues to endure daily slaps in the form of negative press and a steady public relations battering. I can’t even walk to work in Chicago without hearing Big Ben criticism on the street.

In short, Big Ben got a desperately needed wake up call.

What I’ve seen from Ben since then genuinely impresses me. I strongly believe that deeds overwhelm words so I’m happy to hear both teammates and media members saying that Ben is acting like a better person and better teammate. That said, I’ve been extremely impressed by his words. I hear a man who genuinely gets that he went off course and needs to change; not a man trying to placate the fans and media.

Maybe that makes me a fool. Maybe when you pull back the curtain it’s nothing more than a weak justification to enable my Super Bowl dreams. Maybe I’m no better than San Francisco fans who celebrated Barry Bonds’ home runs and blissfully ignored his steroid use.

Maybe, but I don’t think so.

The ultimate proof for me came when I pulled on my #7 jersey after a season of confinement to the top shelf of my closet. Sports are about emotion and there is nothing more emotional than pulling on a player’s jersey. It was telling that even as I supported Ben last summer, I could not bring myself to this simple act. It’s just as telling that I’m willing to do so now. That act comes from my heart; which more often than not is a better judge of character than my brain.

I’ve always believed in Ben Roethlisberger the football player. Slowly but surely I’m regaining my belief in him as a person. That to me is nearly as important as a 7th Lombardi trophy…although I’ll happily take both. I’m not sure we could have had the latter without the former anyway.

The message in all ways is I am ready to finally forgive Big Ben. Let’s hope he does not let me down…and I don’t mean this Sunday.

The Ghosts of AFC Championship Games Past

I remember with shocking clarity the Steelers’ loss to San Diego in the 1994 AFC Championship game.

The final play is burned in my memory, a desperation Neil O’Donnell pass towards Barry Foster that was batted down in the end zone. Just as clearly I remember what lead to that. A slowly building feeling of doom as the Steelers dominated the first three quarters but failed to score. The moment of shock and terror when Alfred Pupunu torched Tim Mckyer for a long touchdown reception. The flicker of hope as O’Donnell led the Steelers down the field towards a potential winning touchdown. And the ultimate moment of dread when the drive failed.

One of the worst losses in Pittsburgh sports history for my money. At a time when there was an abundant supply to choose from.

Here is the other thing I remember. I remember going in to that game feeling with absolute certainty that the Steelers were going to win. There was not a doubt in my mind. The Chargers were a mediocre, warm weather team. The Steelers had nearly beaten them in San Diego on Jim Sorgi Sunday with a slew of back-ups in the game. I felt the game was little more than a coronation for Bill Cowher’s AFC Super Bowl representative.

I could barely sleep the night before. My 15 year wait to finally see the Steelers in the Super Bowl was finally going to end. All I had to do was sit through was a three hour demolition of Stan Humphries and friends. I did not know if the Steelers could beat San Francisco or Dallas in the Super Bowl but San Diego…please. That was a gimme.

That’s why I sat motionless on my couch in State College for a good 90 minutes after that game ended. I just could not comprehend that the Steelers lost to that joke of a team. I still can’t believe it and it’s been 16 years. I put that right up there with the Penguins losing to a beer league expansion team in the 1996 conference finals, excluding 20,000 plastic rats of course.

I can honestly say I’ve never been that confident going in to a championship game since.

That my friends, is what we call emotional scars. And when it comes to the AFC Championship game…I have many.

Rest assured it’s not just that one horrifying loss that caused this. It was three subsequent losses over the next decade, all at home, all against teams I perceived at the time (correctly or not) to be inferior. Five times in 11 seasons I prepared for a potential Steeler Super Bowl appearance. Four times I went home bitterly disappointed.

Even the one victory came with a healthy dose of pure angst. We all remember that the Steelers were a dropped hail mary pass from losing to a 9-7, Jim Harbaugh lead Indianapolis team in 1996. What you may not remember is that just like the San Diego game, the Steelers dominated play and yet fell behind late in the 4th quarter. This time, O’Donnell was able to pull off the late comeback, though not without help. Two weeks before he killed us in the Super Bowl, our buddy Neil threw a perfect pass in to the gut of a Colts defender. Amazingly, he dropped it and a few plays later the Steelers scored. Otherwise we would be talking about a 5th home loss.

Then of course came a loss to Denver following the 1997 season and losses to New England after 2001 and 2004. At the time those games were played, we thought the Steelers were superior to all three of those clubs. Denver was a wild card team with a history of playoff chokes. New England in 2001 was thought to be a fluke with some dopey second year QB from Michigan. And the 2004 Steelers were 15-1 and had battered New England in the regular season.

Of course given 15 years of perspective, and more importantly two Super Bowl championships to ease the pain, I have a far different view point on things. That Denver team went on to win back to back Super Bowls. That 2001 Patriots were the first of three champions in four years. And in all three cases, there was a tremendous disparity at quarterback. I’m sorry but all things being equal, Kordell Stewart is not going to beat John Elway in a championship game (not to mention Bill Belicheat). The true miracle is that the Steelers got to five championship games and a Super Bowl with a significant deficiency at quarterback.

(Note, I consider Ben Roethlisberger without question one of the top five QBs in football. That does not change the fact that as a rookie, he was not ready to win playoff football games, especially against a mini-dynasty and a future first ballot hall of fame QB).

You might think that armed with this perspective, I would be able to cope with those previous losses better, or at least not let them effect my view of this Sunday’s game with the Jets. And you would be wrong. I simply can’t shake the haunting memories of those bitter home defeats.

I came to this realization two years ago when the Steelers played Baltimore in the AFC Championship game. Notwithstanding that we had won the Super Bowl three years earlier, I was an emotional wreck. I knew the Steelers were the better team and I knew that the Flacco factor would likely doom the Ravens. And yet my head could not convince my heart of this.

When Baltimore got the ball, down 16-14 midway through the 4th quarter, I could foresee history repeating itself. The Steelers were clearly outplaying their hated rivals and yet I just sensed somehow Matt Stover was going to bank a 52 yard field goal off the cross bar and we were going to be left with yet another crippling home loss in a championship game.

A rational mind does not think that way but when it comes to the final game before the Super Bowl, I become devoid of such clarity. I just keep having flashbacks to those other losses. I see blocked field goals returned for touchdowns, kickoffs returned for touchdowns, and interceptions…returned for touchdowns.

That’s why I spent three plus hours that day alternately pacing, screaming, swearing, and throwing a roll of paper towels (the latter reaction I blame entirely on the late, great Limas Sweed). That I did all this in direct view of my future wife makes it all the more frightening. That’s how deep the scars run.

Thankfully, the incomparable Troy Polamalu picked off Flacco and the Steelers went on to one of the greatest victories in Super Bowl history. It’s telling of my scars that I was far more calm when Ben took over after the Larry Fitzgerald touchdown than I was while leading against Baltimore. It’s almost as though I have more faith in the Steelers to win on Super Bowl Sunday than I do if they are at home two weeks earlier.

So here we are again, another AFC Championship game at home against what appears to be a lesser opponent. We got exactly the scenario we wanted. The Jets knocked off Giselle’s husband and his arrogant, cheating head coach giving us a home game against a wild card team with a shaky second year quarterback. We could not get a better situation, unless Stan Humphries was behind center for the Jets (oops). And guess which fan and part time blogger is nervous beyond belief?

What’s amazing was I was totally relaxed and confident going in to last Saturday’s game. I never lost my faith in the Steelers, even down 14 to a hated rival with a bruising defense. Conversely, I started worrying about the Jets about ten minutes after they left the field in New England. I assure you it’s not because I think the Jets are better than Baltimore, New England or the Steelers.

I find some inner peace in my new found belief that champions find a way to win, regardless of obstacle or path. The Steelers showed their championship metal last Saturday. How many teams could overcome a 14 point deficit against Baltimore? How many quarterbacks could play like Big Ben did in the second half and especially on the winning drive?

That’s why I believe deep down the Steelers will win. It’s not about being better than the Jets, because the better team does not always win. It’s about having that championship metal, an exceedingly rare quality in sports.

These Steelers have great players; but more importantly players who know how to be great when it matters most. They have a quarterback who excels in the highest pressure moments, and a defense that dominates with shocking consistency. They accept no excuses, the standard is the standard. They never quit on a game, even when circumstances look dire.

My head thinks the Steelers will win 23-17. So does my heart. Sadly those title game scars will not let me believe that…until it happens.

Bring on the Ravens…Again

I think it’s fair and pretty obvious to state that the Baltimore Ravens have become far and away the Steelers biggest rival. Which means that Saturday’s match-up is more than just your typical divisional playoff game.

The Steelers and Ravens have a one of a kind rivalry in today’s NFL; a brutally physical match-up where the teams beat each other up as much as beat each other. Truth be told, it’s the only current rivalry that would make the Steelers and Raiders of the 70s proud. The games are ultimately about survival as much as victory.

Both teams are built on the same philosophy; brutally physical and dominant defense. They play at least twice each year; each game a classic battle of attrition decided on or near the last possession. It’s the perfect storm for a rivalry as good as any in sports; and that’s before you consider that the Steelers swept Baltimore on the way to their 2008 Super Bowl championship. As if there was not enough fuel in the fire already.

The masochist in me wants to see the Steelers slug it out in another of those epic, bruising, physical games that they always play against Baltimore. Even in today’s kindler, gentler NFL, these teams still bring out that primordial brutality that we love in football. We may hate Haloti Ngata punching Ben in the face, and yet there is something about Ben playing…and WINNING…with his nose in three pieces that screams Steeler football.

Every playoff win is a huge deal. That said, there is something even more satisfying when it comes at the expense of a hated rival. I lived it twice during the Penguins remarkable Stanley Cup run two years ago. I can only imagine that’s how Steelers fans felt in the 70s when they would knock off Oakland and Dallas. Watching the Raven’s once again stagger off the field in bitter defeat would be nearly as enjoyable as watching the Steelers celebrate victory.

And that’s before we consider what is likely to be yet another 200 minute CBS love fest for Joe Flacco; the man who I’m told has reinvented the QB position in three short years.

Allow me a minute to bask in the glow of hope.

Now back to reality.

I would like to believe that the Steelers are better than the Ravens but let’s be honest, these teams are about as evenly matched as they get. It is merely by a fluke of the tiebreaker world that the Steelers have home field advantage and an extra week to rest. Crush the Ravens if you want for their early season loss to Cincy but remember that it apparently required divine intervention for the Steelers to beat Buffalo in November (for the record, this blog is not necessarily in agreement with Stevie Johnson’s interpretation of why he dropped that ball).

The two teams played twice this season and the games were classic Steelers/Ravens. Both came down to the final possession, both could easily have gone either way. In all honesty, I thought the Charlie Batch version of the Steelers played a better game in week 4, than Ben and the boys played in early December, but in the end, both games were decided by the narrowest of margins.

And let’s be honest, were it not for the incomparable Troy Polamalu, the Steelers would have been the team tearing the guts out of Indianapolis last weekend rather than getting a critically needed week to rest and heal.

Regardless that’s all irrelevant now. The situation is what it is. I’ve spent the week trying to convince myself that home field advantage and the first round bye is a huge advantage for the Steelers but deep down I don’t really believe it. Not after watching Baltimore brutalize an overmatched Kansas City team in Sunday’s glorified scrimmage. Not after seeing the Steelers lose countless home playoff games before finally winning the Super Bowl the year they had to play three straight road games.

No, I’m pretty set on the reality that this will be another classic Steelers/Raven’s slugfest.

There is not much point in analyzing this game from a strategic standpoint. These two teams have met 15 times in the Roethlisberger era and the blue prints are pretty well drawn. They will play a low scoring game where rushing yards come at a serious premium. Field position will be critical which will put the emphasis on special teams and of course not turning the ball over. Little mistakes that are often overlooked in other match-ups will be game changers here (see Sweed, Limas).

The Raven’s actually play the field position game better. They have a better kicker and punter and better coverage teams. That means that all things being equal, the Steelers will be fighting uphill on the field position battle all day. Historically the Steeler defense has overcome this with 60 minutes of brilliant play and one spectacular game changing moment. In short, if the Steelers win, I fully expect we will be recounting another moment where Polamalu wrecks Flacco. Dare to dream.

And there is also the Roethlisberger factor.

Personally, I’ve had enough stories of Ben’s personal redemption (though I doubt the networks have). This is now about high pressure, playoff football which is where he excels. I continue to say that Ben is one of the truly elite players in sports in regards to his ability to raise his game when it matters. Well this is yet another chance for him to prove it.

Steeler fans understandably gripe about Ben not getting enough respect from the fickle national media. Rest assured, that will change if he wins a 3rd Super Bowl, especially considering the brutal path the Steelers will likely have to travel. This is absolutely his opportunity to stuff it to the myopic football think tank that somehow pushes Phillip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers and for the love off all that’s good and holy, Flacco above him.

Ben’s history suggests he can and will step up in this moment; especially now that his offense line finally seems committed to prolonging his football life. Flacco’s history suggests he might just drop an extra possession or two in our laps. Keep in mind that while Phil Simms was basking in Flacco’s radiant glow last Sunday, the man who could not start for Dave Wannstedt at Pitt did manage to fumble twice. I’m not sure the Steelers will be as forgiving of such transgressions as Kansas City was.

All that said, the reality remains that these are two very evenly matched teams. There is little doubt in my mind that the 2008 Steelers were at least a half step better than Baltimore. We can not say that this time. If the Steelers bring anything less than their ‘A’ game on Saturday, my next Steeler blog will be a post mortem and a look ahead to next year’s draft.

It is pointless and in fact inappropriate to look beyond Baltimore but hard not to given the prospect of the next opponent. Giselle’s husband and the NFL’s most arrogant head coach will likely be waiting for whoever survives Sunday’s match-up. It will take a nearly perfect performance to knock of Belicheat’s boys and I don’t see that coming from the big talk, little action New York, Jets.

The concern of course is the physical toll a playoff win against Baltimore might take on the Steelers. Remember how beat up they were for the Bungles following the Sunday night blood bath in December? It’s hard to play a “perfect game” if half your players are hobbling in and out of the huddle. That issue is compounded by the reality that even at their best, the Steelers do not match-up well with New England.

So be it. True champions find a way to win, regardless of the path. They are undaunted; not by the schedule, by the officials, or by seemingly insurmountable obstacles. They do not rely on fortuitous match-ups; they beat the best to be the best. Just the same, teams that lack championship metal tend to come up short regardless of circumstances.

How could the same Penguin team that won 7th games in Washington and Detroit lose one at home to 8th seeded Montreal the next season? How could the Steelers’ team that pulled off that epic drive against Arizona lose a critical Thursday night game in Cleveland the same calendar year? How can New Orleans win the Super Bowl and mail in a loss to 7 and 9 Seattle inside of 12 months? It’s the difference between being championship caliber…and everything else.

The Steelers have played like Champions all year. They have maintained “the standard is the standard” and no excuses. They did not back down from the loss of their franchise quarterback, injuries or questionable officiating.

The Steelers will not win a championship because they beat Baltimore and New England. They will beat Baltimore and New England because they are a championship team. That’s what champions do. Champions also take it one game at a time; which means right now its all about the Ravens.

Steelers 16 – Ravens 13

Goodell Drops the Ball on Favre

Yesterday was a new low point for the NFL and its dictatorial commissioner Roger Goodell. In a season that has given us ample reason to question his abilities as commissioner, Goodell’s pathetically impotent slap on the wrist punishment of Brett Favre was his ultimate failure leadership.

Here’s a question commissioner, does the term “cop-out” mean anything to you? Does it feel good to selectively mediate justice depending on how much angst there is on TMZSPN?

If I understand King Roger correctly, Favre was not suspended because the league did not have sufficient evidence to prove he sent the now infamous “illicit” text messages to a female NY Jets employee. Which I find kind of funny since four months ago Goodell felt perfectly comfortable suspending Ben Roethlisberger for 25% of his season with likely less evidence than he had on Favre. Good luck explaining this one commissioner.

Let me start of by clarifying two things.

First, I am not a member of the group that rips Favre for his annual off season retirement waffling. It’s his option to play football as long as somebody out there is willing to give him a job and there is no requirement that he make a definitive decision before training camp starts. The NFL is a more interesting league with Favre in it and I give the man his full props for an all time great career.

My honest feeling notwithstanding is that Favre did not want to play this year but the Vikings talked him in to returning. That’s two straight years that the now unemployed Brad Childress begged Favre to play. That plus $20 Million in cash can be pretty compelling to one’s ego.

Second, I have resisted the anti Steeler conspiracy talk that is being shouted throughout the Steeler nation. I do not believe the commissioner of the NFL has it out for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The league clearly is trying to legislate a certain level of physicality out of the game and the Steelers are one of the most physical teams in the NFL. So they are going to bare a larger portion of the burden.

That is not to say I’m happy with the league’s witch hunt of James Harrison or its blatant failure to protect Big Ben on the field. There have clearly been some highly questionable calls and even more so non calls in Steeler games this year. All of which is a topic for another blog.

That said, there is little doubt in my mind that Goodell caved to the monster that is Favre’s reputation in this pathetically juvenile incident. The fact that he did not have the guts (not the word I would prefer) to suspend a retiring QB on a bad team is shocking in both its impotency and hypocrisy.

First off, this is not going to turn in to a defense attorney’s brief on Big Ben. I have covered that topic ad naseum in previous blogs. My opinion on Ben has never changed. He acted like an ignorant jerk but that’s not illegal in this country. In a he said/she said situation, I default to the police and a motivated district attorney saying there is not sufficient evidence to even consider a charge. They also mentioned, “we prosecute crimes, not morality.”

Based on that I concluded that Ben should continue as the QB of the Pittsburgh Steelers and should not be suspended. It’s a scary world we live in when a person’s livelihood can be taken away over unsubstantiated accusations. That said I reluctantly accepted the suspension for two reasons; I felt there was probably more to the story than we knew and that it would be the slap in the face Ben needed to turn his life around.

So be it.

Clearly Goodell felt in Ben’s case he COULD legislate morality. He was clear to point out that his powers as commissioner are not reliant on criminal findings. I agree with him to a point. I can be suspended or fired from my job for detrimental conduct even if that conduct is not illegal. I just found the punishment inconsistent given numerous other players who committed crimes and are still on the field, including one other player with a pending rape charge.

With the Favre situation you can scrap the term “inconsistent” above and replace it with “hypocritical and self serving.”

Let’s be clear on this. Favre deserves the same benefit of the doubt that we demanded for Ben. You are innocent until proven guilty in this country. And just like Ben he got it. He’s not going to jail. That’s the extent of innocent until proven guilty; you do not have your personal freedom taken away through incarceration without definitive proof of a crime.

Let’s be just as clear on this. Many people made and continue to make conclusions on Ben based on nothing more than the inconsistent testimony of two drunk college girls. This includes media people with tremendous ability to influence public opinion; some of whom never let facts stand in the way of a good story. In Favre’s case, there is far more compelling electronic and pictorial evidence of what he did that’s being swept under the table.

There is some pretty significant circumstantial evidence here that makes any reasonably intelligent person believe Favre sent those texts. His refusal to publically defend himself is at the top of the list. If I were faced with similar accusations, I would go to every possible length to publically clear my name. There is no way I would allow my reputation to be annihilated like this without defending myself. And Brett Favre is about 10 Million times more famous than I am. His silence on this issue is deafening.

Add to that the fact that he has apparently obstructed the investigation at every turn and I think we can draw our own conclusions.

I agree that nobody can prove that Favre sent those pictures and I agree that if this were about whether or not he should go to jail, that would be the end of the story. It’s not. The issue here is whether Favre should be allowed to play QB in the NFL which is a privilege not a right. Simply put, if Big Ben can be suspended four to six games based on unsubstantiated accusations, Favre absolutely should be suspended one game for blatant and juvenile sexual harassment.

Remember, it’s Goodell who set the precedent by suspending Ben without evidence or charges. Once he did that the door was open for him to suspend Favre. There are plenty of situations where a reasonable person can make conclusions that would not be acceptable in a legal setting and this is one of them. If it turns out he’s wrong, what was the ultimate cost to Favre? He would lose one NFL game in 20 years, a game he should not be playing in anyway.

Instead Favre pays a fine which is, to quote Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, pocket change.

So why did Goodell and his cronies back down? For my money, two reasons. First, they don’t want to tangle with Favre and his legendary reputation. I don’t know why but they continue to cow tail to this guy even now that he’s been exposed to some degree as a media fraud. It’s no different than the high soccer school coach who suspends some poor bench warmer for drinking but looks the other way when a star player does the same thing (purely hypothetical of course).

Second, I believe that Goodell’s over reaction in Ben’s case had a lot to do with the immense media scrutiny that resulted from it. For reasons I dare only speculate, the talking heads at TMZSPN did not make nearly as big a deal of the Favre story as they did with Big Ben. Apparently the ENTERTAINMENT and sports network would rather run “BREAKING NEWS” alerts on whether Favre is going to start a meaningless game for a bad team rather than call him out for ignorant behavior. It’s interesting that they did not show such restraint for Big Ben, who lets face it, was never a media darling.

Look, there are worse things in this world than what Favre is accused of. If Ben actually did what he were accused of, it would be far worse. And I’m sure Favre is not being well received on the home front for this. In the end, one dumb text message may cost him millions of dollars (see Woods, Tiger).

And I’m not asking for the law to lock Favre up and throw away the key. I’m just asking the commissioner to be consistent with his punishments. I’m asking him to take the same proactive and dictatorial stance on a beloved media icon that he took on a player who did not always conduct himself admirably the last few years. I’m asking him to stop running his league at the behest of ESPN.

Apparently I’m asking too much.

Steelers Display the Heart of a Champion

There are moments when champions define and separate themselves from their competitors. Sunday night in Baltimore was such a moment for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On a night when the Steelers had every conceivable excuse to quit, they battled to the very end. With injuries, officials, and their toughest rivals stacked against them, the Steelers refused to succumb to defeat. In the most critical of moments, under the most intense pressure, the Steelers prevailed, against all odds.

I can not possibly overstate the importance of this victory. Physically, emotionally, and in the standings, it was the game of the year. We’ve known that since the hard fought last second loss in Pittsburgh in early October. This was an absolute must win game.

I will never give up the Steelers; I learned that lesson in 2005. At the same time, let’s be honest. Going the wild card route to a Super Bowl is tenuous under the best of circumstances. For a team as beat up as the Steelers, in a year with so much parity in the AFC, a first round bye would be an enormous advantage.

If the Steelers lost tonight, they were stuck going the wild card route. Now the division and a first round bye is a very real expectation.

That’s certainly a critical part of it. The other part was that the Steelers needed to step up with a signature victory in a significant game. To do so with a dramatic late game victory, spurred on by their defense was a potential season changing moment. To do it on the road, against their biggest and most physical rival…well that’s how championship teams come together.

Yes, this was a sloppy, ugly victory. I could write a 5,000 word blog on all the errors, physical and mental, that were made in this game. The Steelers made some ugly mistakes including three different brainless special teams’ gaffes. The offense struggled for 60 minutes to string together successful drives.

In other words, it was just another Steelers/Ravens battle, especially in Baltimore.

Prior to kickoff tonight I reminded Emily of what she already knows; what all Steeler fans know. Steelers/Ravens games are low scoring, incredibly physical affairs that come down to the last moments. It happens every game between these brutally physical rivals. There has not been a more violent and physical rivalry in the NFL since the Steelers and Oakland in the 70s.

And as is so often the case, when it really mattered, the Steelers showed more heart and character than their loud mouthed division rivals to the south.

There are certain things in sports that can not adequately be measured. Heart and character are at the top of that list. The Steelers consistently display championship heart. I will take that in a second over Peyton Manning’s arm or Adrian Peterson’s legs. No team in sports has consistently displayed more heart and character than the black and gold over the last 20 years.

I’m sure the critics will be all over Bruce Arians tomorrow for the offensive struggles. So be it. I’m sure Steeler fans will be up in arms about another 60 minute miscarriage of officiating justice. It is what it is.

Once again the Steelers proved what I always say about great teams in sports. Champions simply find a way to win. I’ve said it in many forms but the quote, “winners win, losers blame the ref” seems especially apropos these days.

The Steelers offensive line, a weak unit to begin with is continually devastated by injuries. They lost their punter. Their quarterback has a broken foot and suffered a broken nose. The officials flat out whiffed on two horrific personal foul calls, one of which cost the Steelers a critical player in Heath Miller. The opponent is the most devastatingly physical and impressive defensive team’s in football, except for the Steelers of course.

And the Steelers won. Champions find a way.

Honestly, this is the most impressed I’ve been with a Pittsburgh team since the Penguins beat Detroit in games 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. Those were ugly games as well. Like those games, tonight was not about making pretty or stylish plays. It was about the willingness to battle non stop until the final whistle. A willingness to endure pain and injustice for 60 brutal minutes and persevere to victory. A willingness to go beyond the limits of human endurance, simply to win a football game.

It may seem trite to non football fans. To the Steeler Nation, it’s a thing of beauty.

This game was the ultimate embodiment of Pittsburgh Steeler football. A victory only true members of the Steeler nation can understand and enjoy. Let the critics bash the coaches and the refs if they want. Let Trent Dilfer mock the game as a comedy of errors on TMZSPN. Let New England and New Orleans call it ugly football.

I call it Pittsburgh Steeler football, at its best. I call it the heart of a champion. Criticize Mike Tomlin if you want but I continue to believe he is a leader of men. He sets the tone for his team. No excuses, find a way to win. It’s what separates the Steelers from so many other franchises. The goal of every game is to win at all costs, under any circumstances.

I can not overstate my pride in this performance, ugly as it was. When Joe Flacco’s final pass hit the turf, I round myself stomping around my condo, screaming with pride. I have not been this fired up about the Steelers since Santonio’s catch in the end zone in Tampa. All I could think, just as it appears on this paper was, HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO !!!

Kudos to Big Ben. For those who continue to worship one dimensional fantasy football QBs that put up stats when they don’t matter, Ben once again showed what QB play is all about. I don’t care what people think about Ben as a person; on the field he is a leader of men. If a 300 pound man punched me in the face and broke my nose, I would leave work for a week. And of course I would not be there to start with given a broken foot. That we tend to take this for granted shows how spoiled we’ve become by our QB.

Keep in mind that when plays had to be made, Ben made them. And as is so often the case in this rivalry, the overrated Flacco did not. Give me Peyton Manning in the first quarter in October; give me Big Ben in the 4th quarter in December.

Kudos to Issac Redman for not being denied. There are times when the only acceptable result is the end zone. Redman absolutely should have been tacked on the five yard line. He simply wanted it more than the Ravens.

Kudos to the defense. This was the signature performance that was so often missing last season. It was without question their best game since Tennessee. It was a statement performance by a group of men tired of being pushed around by the hypocritical NFL stance on physical football. Kudos to James Harrison for ignoring the six figure hit to his pocketbook and playing dominant physical football. Kudos to Troy Polamalu for once again showing that he is the best game changing defender in the NFL.

Kudos to Shaun Suisham. Instead of a fat tub of goo kicker that whines about his contract and the grass, we now have a man who makes kicks without excuses. Suisham’s job punting tonight should be remembered as one of the critical performances of this season. If not for the two aforementioned brainless plays on special teams, he would have twice pinned the Ravens inside the five. Welcome to the Steeler Nation Shaun.

Most important, kudos to a team that has been persecuted by the league and the officials for weeks, overcoming two horrific officiating mistakes. There is not a sane football fan on earth who can explain the personal foul calls against Harrison the last two weeks and explain missing the helmet to helmet shot on Heath Miller. And if Tom Brady were punched in the face by a 300 pound linemen, the NFL would call in a SWAT team and the Navy Seals.

I’m angry, you’re angry, the entire Steeler Nation is angry. The players and coaches are angry. And behind the leader of men that is Mike Tomlin, they overcome and win. I spent most of the game lamenting key mistakes that should have cost the Steelers the game. In the end, all I can remember is this phenomenal display of the heart of a champion.

I don’t know if the Steelers will win the Super Bowl, but they are champions at heart. Tonight was yet another reminder of why I’m so proud to be a lifelong, card carrying member of the Steeler Nation. There is simply nothing on earth like the black and gold.

Every game against Baltimore is the ultimate battle of attrition. They are games that most players and most teams simply could not handle. Somehow, someway the Steelers find a way, time after time to be the better team. I can’t explain it or quantify it, but I can define it. Simply put, it’s the heart of a champion.

A Much Deserved Tribute to Hines Ward

It’s understandable that most of the Steeler Nation woke up this morning paying homage to Troy Polamalu and the defense. Yesterday was the kind of dominant, game changing performance we’ve grown accustomed to from that unit; sadly the kind that was missing for most of last season.

As for the offense, well that’s a different story.

Yes, he Steelers did exactly what we thought they had to do with Dennis Dixon at QB. They simplified the game plan and focused on the run. They did not let Dixon beat them with his arm, nor help them with his legs. If Dixon had chucked a few more balls in to the stands, we might have thought him a sleeker, modern version of Neil O’Donnell.

Amazingly, even with all those limitation, the best wide receiver in the NFL over the last decade had another huge day. And no, Randy Moss did not sign with the Steelers before Sunday’s game.

In all seriousness, has there ever been a more underrated superstar in Pittsburgh sports history than Hines Ward? With all due respect to Max Talbot of course.

I can already hear the laughter and dismissal from football fans everywhere. If I asked 1,000 non Steeler fans who was the best WR in the NFL the last decade, I doubt #86 would get a single vote. Well read carefully before you laugh my friends.

Hines Ward is a player who can not be adequately measured with statistics; at least not until they have stats for downfield blocking, decleating hits and locker room leadership. So I’m somewhat reluctant to show them here; lest we lose site of the bigger picture. That being said, looking at his stats gives some necessary historical perspective on his greatness.

One game in to his 13th NFL season, Ward eclipsed 900 catches and 11,000 yards. To put that in context consider what that translates to for an average season:

· Full career – 75 Catches, 912 Yards, 12.2 Avg, 7 TDs
· Last 9+ years (his prime) – 86 receptions, 1,043 yards, 12.2 Avg, 7 TDs

For a bit more perspective, Ward’s 901 receptions rank 12th best in NFL history. If he plays four more years and averages 52 catches per season, he will finish with the second most receptions in NFL history, at least as we stand today. That’s pretty amazing but here is another dish of shocking perspective.

John Stallworth and Lynn Swan, the two HALL OF FAME Steeler wide receivers combined…COMBINED…to catch 873 balls in their NFL careers, for 14,185 yards. Ward has already caught more balls then the two of them and could conceivably retire with more yardage as well.

I’m well aware that the NFL game has changed exponentially from 1974 to 1998. Comparing Ward to those guys is hardly apples to apples. Still, it gives you some idea of how productive Ward has been. And let’s not forget, that for most of his career in Pittsburgh, the Steelers were the NFL’s predominant running team. Yesterday’s game was a stark reminder that Ward get’s it done whether his QB is a future hall of famer or a struggling former 5th round draft pick.

Seriously, what do you think Ward could have done if he, Ben, and Bruce Arians came in to the league together?

Here are a few other numbers that are even more telling when considering a player who truly should not be measured by stats (again over 12+ years):

· Games missed – 6
· Fumbles – 10 (or about 1 season for Adrian Peterson)
· Steelers record – 117-75-1 (regular season); 10-4 (playoffs)
· Super Bowl XL MVP

Oh and did I mention that he played in Super Bowl XLIII, two weeks after sustaining a knee injury that should have ended his season.

Getting the point?

What’s truly amazing about Ward is his consistency. He’s tallied 94 or more receptions 4 times, plus two other seasons over 80 and two more over 70. He’s accumulated over 1,000 yards receiving six times and has been at 975 or higher in eight of the last nine seasons. I doubt you’ll find that kind of consistency from Chad OchoStinko or Terrell Owens. During that time he’s never once tried to run his QB out of town or publically questioned their sexuality.

And again, this is a player whose best attributes are truly difficult to quantify. Ward quite literally leaves everything on the field every week. There are so many paycheck players in sports today. Hines Ward will never be one of them. I doubt the Steelers have ever gotten less than a full effort from him. Moreover, you get the feeling that he genuinely loves playing in the NFL and especially being a Pittsburgh Steeler. We’ve grown accustomed to Ward hopping off the turf grinning from ear to ear after making a great catch, often after taking a bone jarring hit.

Ward’s biggest problem is he refuses to self promote. If he ran his mouth incessantly like T.O. or Keyshawn Johnson or was self absorbed and pouty like Randy Moss, maybe he would get more attention. Did you notice how much coverage ESPN focused on Moss, T.O., and OchoDufus yesterday? All Ward did was catch 6 balls for over 100 yards including one spectacular catch in the third quarter; all while playing with a third string QB.

Ward spent the day helping and mentoring Dixon. Moss spent the day crying about his contract. How many lousy games can Carson Palmer player before his loud mouthed WR duo turns on him?

Do you think the Steelers would have traded Ward in his prime for Moss and a first round pick? I’m guessing no way.

Remember how Plexico Burress was supposed to be the star receiver and Ward the side kick? How did that work out? Throw out the fact that Burress is an imbecile and Ward is one of the classiest players in the league off the field. Just remember that when the Steelers needed a big catch from Burress in the 2005 AFC Championship game, he dropped an easy touchdown.

Ward sometimes takes grief for opening his mouth too much, such as when he publically criticized Ben last year for not playing against Baltimore. I did not agree with his stance on the issue; but I never doubted his passion or desire. I wonder though if we have a bit of a different perspective on Ward’s comments given the ‘pay no attention to the man behind the curtain’ revealing of Ben in the last 12 months. And let’s not forget who walked on to the field with Ben on the first day of training camp this year.

Ward sometimes takes criticism for his open field hits on linebackers. I’ve heard him called a blind side, cheap shot artist. I wonder how many of those same people would kill to have Ward on his team. I wonder how many yards Bettis and Willie Parker owe to Ward’s tenacious down field blocking.

Some players talk a great game; Ward plays one. Ever wonder why the “Steeler way” has worked so well for the last decade plus? It has a lot to do with the example set by the team leaders. Ward is without question one of those guys.

Ward is not the guy who catches 80 yard touchdowns in September. He’s the guy who catches 7 balls in traffic that move the chains in December and January. That’s how he manages to have 80 receptions and 1,000 yards every year for a run oriented franchise and never get his due nationally. So be it.

What’s amazing is Ward does not always get his full due in the Steel City. Would he be on your list of the five greatest Steelers of all time? How about ten? I’m sure many people would still have him 3rd beyond Swann and Stallworth as the team’s best wide receiver. Quite honestly, I’m not sure that’s fair, especially since Ward is a guy who could play in any era. Do you have any doubt he would have succeeded in the 70’s with DBs draped all over him? I don’t. I think he would have loved it.

I’m not trying to deify Ward. He’s not perfect on or off the field. I am trying to point out a great player and a solid human being; exactly the type that is too often ignored in today’s NFL. It’s amazing how often Ward is ignored; unless a pansy Bengal or loud mouthed Raven is griping about him. The guy is the definition of a football player, especially a Pittsburgh Steeler. He’s the one wide receiver any football players would want to go to battle with.

The Steeler Nation devoted the entire 2005 season to celebrating Bettis. I wonder what they will do when #86 has his last hurrah? The day he leaves there will be a cavernous hole to fill for the black and gold.

There is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the black and gold this season, especially until #7 is back behind center. Thankfully, Hines Ward is one player they don’t have to worry about.

Uncertainty Hangs over Steelers’ Season

Over the past two decades, I’ve developed quite a comfort factor with the Steelers. More often than not, I go in to the season believing they have a pretty good chance to be playing in mid January. Rest assured, this is not the blissfully blind optimism my fellow Chicagoans feel for the Cubs or the delusional belief of Pirate fans. This is the real deal, based on an 18 year run of success.

So like most of the Steeler Nation, I find myself dealing with an unfamiliar emotion on the eve of the 2010 season…uncertainty. I honestly can’t remember this level of uncertainty since the blessedly short lived Tommy Maddox era. For the first time in a long time, the Steelers have a team that could just as easily compete for the Superbowl or a high draft choice.

My gut instinct, not to mention three decades of watching the NFL, tells me that this is a huge red flag. If you think there is a legitimate chance your team could win only 5 games, then they probably are not a Super Bowl team regardless.

If I were truly an impartial observer of the Steelers, I would probably be leaning towards a rough year for the Steeler Nation. Of course I’m about as impartial as Rush Limbaugh or Hockey Night in Canada; which explains why I’m about to fork over another large sum of money to DirecTV to watch Byron Dixonbatch.

Even taking my less than subtle bias out of the equation, I remind everyone of what happened two years ago in Philly. I sat amongst the world’s most pleasant human beings at the Linc and watched the Eagles defense literally trample the Steelers’ offensive line. I walked away that day thoroughly convinced that the Steelers were in no way, shape or form a Super Bowl contender. Given what happened four months later, I think writing off the black and gold before the equinox is a bad idea.

Anyway, back to the uncertainty, the most obvious of which is behind center.

It’s hard to believe this given the two decade quarterback drought we endured pre Big Ben but we’ve become truly spoiled as fans. We are quite comfortable living the life of elite quarterback leisure (at least between September and February). Now we have to go back to living with the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses of Buffalo and Tampa.

The Steelers have to figure out a way to win at least 2 games with either or both of Dennis Dixon or Charlie Batch, at least now that Byron Leftwich has hobbled into the background. Anything less than that and the season could spiral out of control. I just don’t see Ben coming back from his 4 week, unpaid vacation and turning around an 0-4 team.

That’s uncertainty number 1. Well more like 1, 1a, 1b, and 1c through 1q(u). We do not know how good Dixon is. We don’t know if Tomlin is making the right decision. I’m not sure he does either. Is Dixon the next Donovan McNabb or the next Tavaris Jackson? Who knows.

If the Steelers are going to win without Ben, they need to go back to their roots; back to the days when they won in spite of the guy behind center. As much as this might cause a painful, irritating rash, coach Tomlin needs to cue up some old Kordell Stewart game film circa 2001. That was the year that Mike Mularkey earned coach of the millennium honors for finishing one game short of the Superbowl with Slash at QB; two years after the NFL had zeroed in on his multitude of weaknesses.

That Steeler coaching staff did a brilliant job crafting a game plan around a mediocre but extremely athletic quarterback. First, they built the passing game around what Stewart could do while scrapping what he could not (which sadly was a lot). They did not give him the whole playbook. Instead, they used a Paterno like strategy of sticking with five or so passes that he could throw effectively. Are you listening Bruce Arians? Most important, they did not hold Slash in the pocket. He had free reign to take off running when necessary (until 2002 when he decided to be a pocket passer).

It worked until the AFC Championship game when Bill Bellicheat and the Pats game planned against exactly those five passes. Still, it did work for 17 games. Tomlin only needs it for 4 weeks.

Of course the Kordell game plan involves more than just limiting the QB. It also involves running the ball and dominant defense. Which brings more uncertainty in to play.

There are serious questions about the offensive line. That’s not new as I noted above but now Big Ben is not around to bail them out. I question how that offensive line will deal with eight men in the box focused entirely on stopping the run, or how Rashard Mendenhall will deal with being the focus of opposing defenses. My guess is Dixon’s mobility was an overriding factor, given how poor this o-line can be at protecting the passer. That’s without even considering that Batch probably could not make it through three quarters of a flag football game without breaking his collarbone

Even worse, the Steelers go in to 2010 with serious questions on the defensive side of the ball. We have to go back to 2002 to find the last time that was the case.

We all hope that getting Troy and Aaron Smith back will return the defense to elite status. There is no doubt their absences were profoundly felt last year. That being said I can’t get past this nagging feeling there was more to it than that. I guess that happens when you get shredded by the likes of Bruce Gradkowski, Matt Cassel and Tyler Thigpen in the 4th quarter.

The Dick Lebeau defense is built around the front seven and the front seven is getting old fast.
I know the defensive backs got slaughtered last year but I really don’t see them as the issue. When the Steelers generate pressure on the quarterback, those mediocre (we can only hope) cornerbacks suddenly look a lot better. When they do not, we see William Gay getting torched with impunity.

What bothered me last year was not just the results. It was the fact that the defense so clearly tired in the 4th quarter of games and then the 4th quarter of the season. That’s the first sign of aging players and/or a shortage of depth. Sadly, the second sign is guys breaking down (see Parker, Willie F.). The harsh reality here is that Hampton, Smith, Keisel, Farrior, and Foote all have that potential at any moment.

So if we truly believe the Steelers need to play Steeler football its worth asking this question; is the defense really good enough?

Honestly, I don’t know and neither does anybody else. Two years ago they had one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history. Last year it was a bust. Even if the unit is better this year; are they better enough to carry Dixonbatch? Which brings us back to that term “uncertainty” that I’ve splashed throughout this column. And ultimately back to our quarterback saga.

I admit, I was favoring Batch as the best of three mediocre options. If there was no Ben Roethlisberger, I would fully endorse Dixon as the man since long-term development would be the key issue. Alas, assuming Ben put’s to rest his legal problems, he’s the man here for at least another half dozen years. That means this is all about who is the best four game option. My admittedly skittish belief is that is Uncle Charlie.

Dixon may be brilliant but he may also be brilliantly bad. We saw that against Denver. Maybe he learned from that performance or maybe that’s just who he is. We will not know until we see him in games that count. That being said, I acknowledge the obvious. The coaches see these guys every day, I’ve seen them in three meaningless games. So I’ll refrain from bashing the decision until at least 2:30 eastern time this Sunday.

Which brings us back to my comments about the Kordell Stewart game plans above. One of the coaching staff’s most disappointing moments last year, amidst a plethora to choose from, was the Dixon game plan against Baltimore. It triggered painful Dave Wannstedt flashes watching Mendenhall run off tackle 30 times while Dixon was forcibly constrained to the pocket. The coaches played scared and not to lose. Ask Wanny what happens when you do that.

Tomlin and Arians have taken a fair amount of criticism this summer but now is their opportunity to step up. It’s a lot easier to coach an offense with a future hall of famer calling signals. Like Cowher and Mularkey in 2001, they have to take it to another level. Game plan to Dixon’s unique strengths and away from his weaknesses. Don’t give him the whole playbook because at this point he can not handle the whole playbook. Don’t try and make Dixon in to Big Ben or worse yet, Leftwich. Work with what he does well, even if its not traditional NFL stuff.

To that end, Tomlin should channel his inner Forest Gump and scream…”Run Dennis, Run !!!” whenever Dixon is in trouble. Taking is one step further, in the words of Robin Wright Penn, “if you get in trouble, don’t be brave (or throw into double coverage). You just run. You hear me, you just run !” Here’s hoping Tomlin is movie buff.

Honestly, I never thought I would be preaching the benefits of a Kordell Stewart offense. Of course I never thought Big Ben would get grounded for a month by the NFL. I also never thought Bruce Gradkowski would carve up the Black and gold in the two minute drill at Hines Field. I guess that’s what a little uncertainty will do to a guy.