Double coverage

JESUS CHRIST

2008-02-19T10:55:00.000-08:00

Steelers re-sign defensive end Travis Kirschke
By John Harris
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The Steelers signed veteran defensive end Travis Kirschke to a two-year contract extension today.

Kirschke, 33, recorded 29 tackles, two sacks and three quarterback hurries primarily as a backup in 2007.

He replaced injured starter Aaron Smith for three games during the regular season and also started against Jacksonville in the playoffs.

Kirschke joined the Steelers as a free agent in 2004.

Yet another scrap heap signing by Kevin Colbert. Is this man not the fucking jackass of the year I don’t know who is.

Kirschke is what he is. An overpaid stiff that is okay in small doses but worthless over the long haul of the season. This team needs to get younger and Kirschke and Dick Eason are not the ones that are going to help out Aaron Smith, Hampton and Keisel with adequate enough breathers. Moreover, these guys are the supposed dime rushers but have failed to actually you know generate any sort of pass rush. Kirschke is abysmal in the running game and is frequently caved to the point of no return. His 2 sacks are pathetic given his 20 snaps+ a game.

This team needs to add some competition to the roster and actually you know push Keisel and be able to you know give him a breather and remain stout against the run. Kirschke does not allow this to happen. Jacksonville/Baltimore took turns running right at this sad sack of shit.

Regardless, if they even attempt to resign Dick Eason I will personally drive back down to Pittsburgh to kick fucking Colbert in the face.

Is their any question that Colbert should officially be on a short leash this season. His moves since 2004 are half assed at best with the likes of Cedrick Wilson, Dick Eason, Sean Gayhan and the re-uppings of Simmons and now Kirschke.

Have we mentioned the day 2 draft picks? I’m an extremely vocal critique on Bill Cowhard but Colbert might be even worse. He has mailed it in since 2004 and has yet to receive any major backlash. The years of neglected the offensive/defensiveline and LB crew and bargain basement shopping for free agents is something is unacceptable to fans of this organization. We are in win now mode with a franchise QB and there should be no reason why an attempt can’t be made to actually get some real talent as opposed to Gayhan, Kirschke and whatever.

I’ll give this deal a * for now. Kirschke is fine as the #4 defensive end. As the #3 defensive end, and top backup he is inadequate.

Can't say I'm all that thrilled with this signing. Krischke is what he is, and that's nothing special. I think this resigning essentially kills any notion the Steelers might sign a defensive lineman like Paul Spicer or Corey Williams in free agency. They need to add a body through the draft so there was only room for one other veteran defensive end spot, which is now filled by Travis. If we paid anything more than league minimum for vets the Colbert will continue to solidify himself as the biggest cancer to this team winning another Superbowl.

Steelers Statement on the Continuing 'Spygate' Saga

2008-02-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

With Arlen Specter’s holy crusade to prove the New England Patriots have been cheating since Bill “Aqualung” Belichick took over as coach, the Steelers were going to make a public statement as Specter is a senator from Pennsylvania. The Steelers released this statement today:

"We consider the tapes of our coaching staff during our games against the New England Patriots to be a non-issue. In our opinion, they had no impact on the results of those games.

"The Steelers fully support the manner in which Commissioner Goodell handled the situation and the discipline that he levied against those who violated league rules," the statement said.

"We are confident that the Commissioner has taken appropriate action in his investigation of this matter, and will do so again if new information arises which requires further investigation and or discipline."

As always, you must read between the lines, so let us dissect what this statement really means.

Steelers: "We consider the tapes of our coaching staff during our games against the New England Patriots to be a non-issue. In our opinion, they had no impact on the results of those games.

Translation: “It was Bill “Run the Ball” Cowher they were playing against. The guy used the same game plan for his entire tenure as coach. You didn’t need to tape it because the gutless puke was so predictable. I mean you knew we were going to run and you knew we were going to kick the field goal. What is there to actually tape? Oh look, he said ‘Come on!’ instead of his normal ‘Let’s GO!’ yeah, like that’s gonna help you out. There’s a reason he only won one Superbowl with a stacked team every year, and it’s not cause people were taping us…”

Steelers: "The Steelers fully support the manner in which Commissioner Goodell handled the situation and the discipline that he levied against those who violated league rules"

Translation: “Listen, if this shit happens to us, we don’t want him to come down hard on us. I mean, the media isn’t drinking our cum by the barrel like they do the Patriots; we need to look out for ourselves.”

Steelers: "We are confident that the Commissioner has taken appropriate action in his investigation of this matter, and will do so again if new information arises which requires further investigation and or discipline."

Translation: “Of course he let them off easy, that’s what happens when you have the Commissioner in you’re pocket. I mean, he’s in the pocket of every owner in this league. Well, except Al Davis that guys got his head so far up his own ass he think he doesn’t need anyone else, which is why they suck so much, but that’s not the point. The point is we need a yes man we can bribe on the spot when the shit comes down, and Goodell is that guy.”

So both in the actual and translated statement it is what we expected of the Steelers.

-Jordan

Player/Coaching Grades for 2007

2008-01-19T11:19:00.000-08:00

So the playoff game is over and analyzed to death. I won’t bore you with that. Here are the final player grades for this season. I’ll follow up with some additional thoughts on this off-season in the coming weeks. To note, this is quite long.

If anyone follows our hockey grades, are guidelines are as follows:

I’ve tried to grade players on my previous expectations for them this coming season. I average general expectations I have for the player (as if someone has a bad year or if they are about to decline, bust out, etc.), regular season play, and finally post season play. Taking these 3 into account, I’ve averaged the scorers based on (F = 0, A+ =12) scale and an expectation scale was based on the following: 0- utter failure, 6- met expectations and 12-well beyond. Obviously, this is not a science and should likely be refined more. Naturally, this is also limited to just my humble opinion.

QB:
Ben Roethlisberger - 12/12/8 => A-

BRoth had his best season at quarterback with completion percentage of 65.3% of his passes and set a Steelers record with 32 touchdown passes, and made his first Pro Bowl. The "game manager" notion should be dusted off. Ben suffered from a poor offensive line, and was hurt by injuries to his receivers at times. All in all a bounce back year for Ben as he exceeded my already high expectations for this season. I thought he would bounce back from last year’s nightmare but not this well. Great season Ben and I look forward to watching your career in Pittsburgh. Ben struggled though in playoff game and needs to be much smarter with the football and limit hanging onto the football too long.

Charlie Batch – 6/7/inc => C+

Batch didn't get to play much in 2007, though he started the final game against the Ravens. His greatest value is his decision making. He also brings great character, and he seems to have a positive effect on Ben. I’d keep him around for next season at least.

Brian St. Pierre – Inc/Inc/Inc => Inc

BSP holds a mean clipboard. I would be fine if they brought him back but we should start developing a long term backup for Ben. Provided of course the other needs of the team are met. As a result, look for BSP to stay another season unless some rookie or free agent is brought in.

RBS:

Willie Parker – 10/ 11 / INC => A-

With a much worse offensive line, Willie struggled in the redzone but his overall game continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Willie improved his blocking and his vision and I hope to see greater improvement in those facets as well as pass catching and reading blocks. I’d like to see improvement near the goal line but that can be fixed with a real O-Line.

Najeh Davenport – 7/ 7 / 5 => C+

Dav did some good – against the Rams and some bad against the Ravens/Jagoffs. Dav contributed on 3rd down with some nice yac work. He is frustrating to watch and still runs to high. He did lead the team with 5 rushing touchdowns. Davenport also never seems to be able to stay healthy the course of a season also. Davenport as a kick return should be scrapped. He can chip in some on special teams. I like this utility role for him but he needs to be pushed.

Gary Russell – 7/ 7 / 7 => B-

In limited duty, Russel showed the potential. He may be the best runner on the team as he can read holes and run with authority. He can become a very good #2 in the league with a good off-season and learning the play book more and more. Let’s hope he gets a fair shot next season.

Verron Haynes – Inc / 6/ Inc => C+

Haynes signed when Parker got hurt played some in the Rat game and looked ok. His pass protection is nice to see. We will likely see him in camp. For the record, I’d rather have Haynes in a FB than say Carey Davis. Haynes provides some special teams help as well.

Carey Davis – 4/6/6 => C

I like what I heard from the offense when they stated they use the fullback more and thus needed a different style FB than Kreider, I was intrigued. However, Davis is not the right guy for the job. More over, the run game struggled more with Kreider. Davis wasn’t even the checkdown guy I figured he would. Still, Davis should be back next year but hopefully with some more competition.

Dan Kreider – 6/8/Inc = B-

He did what he does while he was healthy. Hit people and lead the running back through the hole. Tomlin/Arians seemed more reliant on Davis or 2TEs so Dan was phased out of the offense. Dan’s a FA and likely gone. Thanks for the memories Dan. I’d rather bring the guy back as opposed to drafting/signing someone else.

Wide Receivers:

Hines Ward 9/9/12 => A-

Hines I figured would eventually start to wear down somewhat but the man continues to bring it every week. Still a great blocker, Ward is the heart and sould of this team. He did have his fair share of drops and was banged up for much of the year. The playoffs saw Ward tool the living shit of Brian Williams and single-handedly almost willed this offense to a victory. Ward is one of the top possession guys in the league still and should continue to do so until a replacement is drafted.

Santonio Holmes 11/10/9 => A-

I had big hopes for Holmes from what he showed us late last season and Holmes kicked it up a notch. The man is becoming a good blocker and is already a solid route runner and the sky is the limit. Holmes’ true value was seen when he was out of the lineup as no other player on this team even had the same gamebreaker speed that Holmes has. Holmes better hope this team invests in an offensive line or we will see him go the way Plaxico Burress onto another team and greener pastures. Numerous times all season Holmes was open only to watch Roth get decked.

Nate Washington 4/6/5 => C

Clang is one of the more maddening Steelers in recent memory. At times he looks like a potential starter in the league. Other times he looks like the guy from Tiffin. He is still young and experienced but the team needs to have someone push him. Washington still makes some great catches and he does have deceptive speed. I had high hopes for him and he disappointed me somewhat. Let next year be his make or break season. Did nothing of note in the playoff game.

Cedric Wilson 3/4/2 => D+

Ced has the skills to actually tool on most 4th and 5th receivers but he has yet to actually do so. He makes way to much money to be a #4 and this will hopefully be his last season in Pittsburgh. Wilson does make some clutch plays but the problem is he doesn’t get open nor do we actually see him get open. I would like to see his spot given to Willie Reid/Dallas Baker or a UFA/Draft pick.

Willie Reid 2/2/Inc => D

He got some chances finally in 2007 but did little with them. This was still his rookie season for all intents and purposes and he should be given another chance. His return skills are in question as his is generally fragile nature. Reid needs to given a chance to show his skills and he MUST get on the field. He must also get his hands under control and curb his fumbling problems as Santonio has for the most part. I still have high hopes for Reid and he can still come through.

Tight Ends

Heath Miller – 9/9/9 => B+

Miller I figured would toil away once again. Luckily Arians did use the tight end to some degree more than Cheezenhunt and Miller had his finest season. Sure there were stretches he was ignored. But Miller ha shown that he is a reliable receiver when called upon. Is he in the same class as Gates, Winslows, Shockey, Tony G? Not yet. Miller is also a developing blocker still and should improve that this season. Miller is one of the more complete tight ends in the league and should finally see his role to expand some more next season. He also needs to become locked up after next season as well. Miller had a rough day blocking against the Jagoffs.

Matt Spaeth – 6/7/5 => C+

Spaeth I figured would be Mark Bruener 2k7 and be used primarily as a blocker which was one of his strengths in college. Matt was utilized in the redzone and is developing as a blocker. Matt has solid hands and good instincts in limited action. He needs to improve his strength but all in he this will be a very nice weapon for us in the future. He isn’t blessed with speed even on Heath’s level but he can be solid compliment to allow Heath to get out and catch the ball more. Hopefully, Arians too begins to use him more in the passing game. If we can develop him into say a similar weapon to the Cowboys, Anthony Fasano, this offense can be even deadlier.

Jerame Tuman 8/8/Inc => B

Tuman was the best run blocker TE on the team and added a good option in the run blocking game. He is a solid blocking tight end and will continue be used in this role next season. He should not pass over Matt Spaeth unless Matt has a terrible preseason. I finally saw value in Tuman this season. Luckily, he is a FA and should be brought back at the vet. minimum due to injury.

Offensive Line

Marvel Smith 5/7/Inc => C+

Marvel was the best lineman last season and I figured he would continue to do so. As the season wore on so did Marvel. Victimized by the Jags to the tune of 3/3.5 sacks, Smith was out indefinitely we found out with a back injury. Next year is Smith’s last under contract. Mid season he was a must sign. The team must think long and hard about taking a OT early in the draft. Is Marvel worth the money that a C3 will give him? At this point, he isn’t. If he can rebound, I’m still hesitant to give him big money.

Willie Colon 6/7/8 => B-

Colon sadly is miscast in the RT role and struggled at times with run blocking and some pass rushers. He made a lot of bad reads on blitzes early but as the season went on Colon turned it on. I hope Colon gets moved to RG next year as Simmons moves to LG. Regardless, Colon should be starting next season again. I thought he played well and wasn’t nearly as poor as some fans would have you believe.

Max Starks 6/10/Inc => B

Maxi lost his RT job and roved between LT and RT during the preseason. In preseason. he struggled mightly again against speed rushers again and stunk up the joint when at LT and was replaced in the starting line with Willie the Colon. Maxi played in 3 TE sets with Tuman got hurt and was by far the best run blocker on this team. When Smith got hurt, Starks stepped in admirably. Help by the Heinz Slop, Starks showed decent feet and definitely potential LT for the future. He needs to keep his weight down but this is entirely possible. Likely won’t be resigned but he should be. Coach Z actually did something right here as well. I had high hopes for Max who struggled initially but he made his way back into good graces.

Trai Essex 8/7/8 => B-

Essex is RFA this off-season and showed noticeable improvement in his overall play from even the preseason. Essex showed enough to get signed this off-season. He can continue to build on this work for next season and become a backup LT for either Starks, Smith, Rookie.

Alan Faneca 4/8/5 => C

Faneca kindof showed up but kindof didn’t. I’m glad he was there but the man was certainly half assing it. Faneca is solid with the run game and pulling. (Jordan: outside of pulling his head from his ass). Pass pro he is horrid and his skills are in decline. I will forever be greatful for Fan for what he did during his Steeler career but those days are clearly gone. The worst was watching the playoff game as he was turned around running away from defenders as opposed to blocking them. A sickening lasting memory for me of Faneca. Adios.

Kendall Simmons 0/2/3 => D

Like everyone else, I had hopes that Simmons turned the corner from diabetes and the knee injuries. I bought into the hype from the pre season and recalled that infamous counter where he pulled and blasted a defender with hustle and authority. Than came a ridiculous contract for a player of his ilk and it went downhill. Simmons was once the weakest link of the line and now he’s the 2nd. Simmons can’t block anyone big and he is a penalty machine. Simmons will likely not be cut because of his locker room presence but this guy is a joke and a liability. It’s going to be a fucking disaster watching this worthless POS for the next 2 years until his ass gets cut or Ben killed.

Chris Kemoeatu 2/6/Inc => C-

I thought Kemo would finally put away Simmons and grab that RG spot that many Steeler fans have wanted. Kemo again failed to live up to the hype. The mean and nasty mauler showed ability in the regular season but does not have the support of the coaching staff. Is this a ruse for the fans to act like Simmons is that good or Kemo really is as dumb as fucking rocks. The run blocking he could provide would be beneficial to Willie but it remains to be seen. Kemo has his last shot with the team next season. Lets hope he gets his head in gear. Talent is there.

Sean Mahan 1/0/0 => F

Mahan looked below average early but as the season progressed the man turned into fucking joke. Routinely snapping the ball and blocking a man proved to be difficult for Mahan. Mahan lacks any strength at all and his balance is absolutely terrible. Leverage is another issue for Mahan. It’s actually sickening to know we have this bastard playing. Mahan’s feet are actually decent and he can do okay against guys with similar size to him. The problem is this is RARE in THE NFL. A better option than Gayhan would be making a traffic cone or a bag of dogshit. Atleast, the dogshit can keep opposing players at bay. Mahan is the ghastliest acquisition I’ve seen in a long long time since maybe Dean Biasucchi or how about Donnel Woolford. If another center isn’t brought in for competition than I demand Colbert to be fired for this joke. What he and or Tomlin saw in this fuck’s play remains to be seen. The worst part is this fuck won’t improve. He’s going to be the same douchebag. Please put Stapleton/Rookie in and leave this abortion on the bench.

Darnell Staplton/INCOMPLETE

Hopefully our center of the future otherwise just a bum that Colbert keeps so that we don’t notice another one of his draft choice busts from Rutgers.

Nose Tackles

Casey Hampton 7/8/7 => B-

Fat Casey is indeed fat as hell. Overweight is an understatement as Casey needs to drop at least 30 lbs if he wants another contract. Casey is left winded and huffing and puffing for games. He needs to be spelled more but those issues lie with the depth of the team. Hampton was strong in games early but wilted late and as the season progressed was a shell of his former shelf. I hope Tomlin gets on him as he did to Pat Williams 2 season ago.

Chris Hoke 6/6/6 => C+

Hoke is a solid enough player but is getting older. He will continue to back up Hampton and give him a breather. Hoke is signed for 3 more seasons so I’m okay with that.

Defensive Ends

Aaron Smith 12/11/Inc => A

Aaron Smith was finally recognized as being a huge cog in the machine as the Steeler run defense was exposed without him. Smith was having a wonderful season prior to his injury and not be at that level next season. We need to start looking for his replacement ASAP. Smith is a fighter and will give us another 2 seasons hopefully. I was skeptic of the move this past off-season of resigning him but he totally showed his worth this season.

Brett Keisel 4/6/6 => C

All off season he heard about “Roving” Brett Kiesel and how we will unleash him upon quarterbacks. Uh yea. He once again led the team in pressures but ONLY recorded 2 sacks. Kiesel is average in the run game and he wears down as well without depth backing him up. He is an okay stop gap for a couple seasons but is much better coming off the bench on passing situations and helping on special teams. The team will likely continue to use Kiesel in the same role but he needs a breather.

Travis Kirschke 7/4/3 => C-

Kirschke kindof sucks and all but he did okay in spot duty. No way can he be expected to be a starter at d-end based on injuries. Kirsch is a free agent and should not be brought back.

Nick Eason 3/3/2 => D

Eason has some talent and gives you SOME snaps but he was horrid as a starter and didn’t bring the noise consistently as a pass rusher. GTFO

Ryan McBean INC

Needs to add weight but the potential is there. Absolutely must make the 53 man team next season and pay immediate dividends.

Linebackers

James Harrison 12/11/10 => A

Joey who? Harrison had his breakout season and established himself as one the finest 3-4 backers in the league. Harrison was among the few that could consistently bring a pass rush. He was solid against the run and didn’t get tooled a lot in coverage. His performance against the gaybirds will live forever. Harrison exceeded my expectations and than some. If only he could get someone on the other side. Harrison

Clark Haggans 3/3/3 => D+

Haggans was one of the most underrated players during the Superbowl run but has long since declined to mediocrity. Haggans could not get a pass rush consistently nor was he able to shed blocks or cover in space. His speed has also declined. He was on the field way too many times and foolishly took snaps away from Lamar Woodley. Did Haggans make a play or anything after say mid October? Haggans could be brought back as a backup but he should not be seen from again as a starter. Haggans was one of my favs but its best if he goes elsewhere.

Lamarr Woodley 7/8/10 => B

Wood showed a ton of potential in his amount of snaps and actually got to other teams QBs. Woodley is dangerous rushing the passer but is still young and needs to improve in both the run and coverage. Regardless, Woodley should be the starter from the LOLB spot starting next season. The defense will be much better for it.

Lawrence Timmons 7/7/7 => B-

For whatever reason, Timmons wasn’t allowed to see the field either outside of some packages and special teams. He showed tremendous ability though and has knack of finding the football. He’s got the range and coverage skills to see a significant increase in playing time. Moreover, Timmons is better suited to this roving position as well. Timmons will likely move to ILB and have a chance to unseat Larry Foote. He is a playmaker and makes things happen for a defense that desperately needs it. He needs to add strength and get off blocks but the potential is there and Steeler fans should chill out about him.

Arnold Harrison 5/6/5=> C

Harrison does have some talent but is mostly relegated to special teams. He is a solid backup player who I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing out there in various packages.

Andre Frazier 4/4/4 => C-

Frazier rejoined the Steelers and was a special teams guy. Needless to say, his work there was lacking. Frazier will likely be cut.

Marquis Cooper 5/5/4 => C

Tomlin’s version of Sean Morey. Cooper showed some ability on special teams but nothing more. He could be an okay 4-3 lb and I do like his speed. 50/50 on his shot with the team next season.

James Farrior 7/9/7/ => B

Farrior has a solid season again but wore down as time went on. Farrior too needs someone that can spell him. Farrior was one of the best pass rushers on this team and he can continue to make plays. Farrior is losing his speed but is still likely entrenched as the starter until the Steelers draft Rey Mualaga next draft :)

Larry Foote 6/6/6 => C+

I hate Foote but objectively he does what he’s told and is cheap. His fucking Detroit Pershing Doughboy shit is annoying but nearly as annoying as his unique ability to get trucked like a sack of shit. Foote’s tackling is weak as is his coverage ability. He blitzes okay I guess but Foote isn’t a playmaker nor will he ever be one. I would love Timmons to have a shot to upstage the Foote ster.

Clint Kriewaldt 4/4/ Inc => C-

Special teams captain so he’s a bastard by association. Kind of offers nothing really so he be sent up the river and replaced with you know actual talent with speed and upside. When special teams guys don’t really help its time to fuck off. Fuck off Clint!

Cornerbacks

Ike Taylor 8/9/9 => B

Overall a very good year for Taylor as he reestablished himself as one of the elite corners. The man NEEDS to learn how to catch the ball though. That’s the only thing from holding him back. Taylor is a solid tackler and should continue to improve under Tomlin’s wing.

Deshea Townsend 10/9/9 => B+

You know Townsend actually played very well again. He quietly did his job consistently. Townsend is at his best when he isn’t ask to cover #2 receivers but did an okay job. Still a good tackler. It might be worthwhile if Smith busts to put him at FS.

Bryant McFadden 5/6/7 => C+

McFadden was supposed to take that next step and grab the #2 corner spot. Problem is he didn’t and his play regressed. He slowly got some of it back but still. Fadd is a solid tackler and can play the ball well. He is aggressive tho and tends to get work at times in either zone or press. McFadden should not be asked to play off of receivers either.

William Gay 7/7/7 => B-

Ah Gay played decently in his first season. Shockingly. Dickbert may have gotten something finally on day 2. Gay isn’t blessed with top end speed but is adequate enough as a dime cb and can be a solid cover 2 corner in the future. Gay’s play also dumped Dick Colclough off the team. Gay is a decent tackler as well.

Anthony Madison 5/5/5 =>C

Madison is a solid special teams guy that actually can make plays ON SPECIAL TEAMS. MY GOD. Madison is a solid gunner on special teams and offers something at corner too. I’d like to see him improve as well under Tomlin’s watch.

Safeties

Troy Polamalu 7/9/8=> B

Troy is still solid as ever but seemed to not have it all there. Too much flailing around and not enough plays. No sacks nor INTS. Polamalu was even banged up for much of the season. His injuries are worrisome because he did have these problems in college. Regardless, TP is a corner stone of this defense and should be for a while. Lebeau turning him into a DE is retarded.

Ryan Clark 8/8/Inc => B

Clark’s value was one of a guy that won’t help you but he also wont hurt you. He is usually in the right spot at the right time and is a decent tackler. Clark got hurt and missed the rest of the season with a spleen. Clark should hopefully be a backup s from here on out.

Anthony Smith 7/8/7 => B-

Everyone’s favorite whipping boy based on the Gaytriot game, Smith had a tough year but he DID show that he can be superstar in the secondary. Smith makes plays happen, he is a decent tackler and he can make plays on the football. Smith must work on the mental aspect of the game as his physical attributes are there. He also brings some much needed attitude to a secondary that hasn’t been feared in a long time.

Tyrone Carter 7/8/1 => C

Carter is a try hard guy that brings the wood but ultimately lacks any sort of speed at all. Carter will likely be back next season but he should not be seen anywhere near starting FS in the near future. Carter had a HORRENDOUS playoff game was the sole reason to 10 Jagoff points.

Grant Mason / Inc

Played some on special teams but not enough to warrant a grade. Likely be a body at training camp.

Place Kicker

Jeff Reed 9/9/9 => B+

Skip was solid in the kicking game in general outside of his kickoffs. My biggest complaint with him is his Douchebag haircut. So yay!

Punter

Daniel Sepulveda 6/8/3 => C

Don’t get me wrong. I loved the pick and Sepulveda had a solid rookie season. Where is this big leg we heard about? What about all the shanks? I was annoyed by the 40 yard kick to Dropcutt but with this shitty special teams maybe that was the orders of special teams brain trust. Sep showed off with a long pass on a fake punt, solid hands on field goals, recovered a fumble and an onside kick. Hope Sep gets better now that his rookie jitters will be out of his system for.

Long Snapper

Greg Warren 12/12/12 => A+

Didn’t fuck up!

Coaching

Mike Tomlin 8/8/6 = > B-

Some good some bad. Loved the stoic presence on the field but I would like to have seen more emotion when called upon. Tomlin was woeful on challenges and his in game adjustments were lacking. Regardless, Tomlin has shown that he ISNT STUBBORN like his moronic predecessor and a willingness to learn. He must dump the underachieving players and find his own guys. He must begin to turn this into his team. He says the right things but his actions need to start embodying that from which he speaks. All in all he surpassed by 8-8 expectations and brought some excitement back to the burgh after last year’s bs. He needs to get a better feel for the game and when and when not to take chances.

Bruce Arians 7/5/5 => C

So Arians did throw up some really disgusting game plans and play calls but the offense managed to score a lot of points despite a piss poor o-line. I liked the schemes he established but his play calling was uneven and often way to predictable. Arians will likely return but he won’t be given a cart blanche again like this year. Thankfully he knows how to handle and get a lot out of Ben and that’s the most important thing.

Dick Lebeau 10/9/9=> B+

Dirty Dick at times looks like the best in the league (Seahawks) and shitty as fuck also (Patriots). His adjustments are usually solid and he had little to work with with a team that is beginning to get old at a lot of positions. Lebeau needs some new toys and the defense will be back to its dominating presence. Hopefully, we see more 4-3/Hybrid looks with Tomlin which Dick seems to be okay with. I’d also like to see rover role go to someone like Timmons. All in all, we can do a lot worse than Lebeau. Tiny Tim Lewis ring a bell to anyone?

Mahan: An Objective Look

2008-01-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

This past off season, the Steelers big acquisition was center Sean Mahan, a guard from the Buccaneers. He was given a large contract and handed the starters job because of it, while Chucky Okobi was given the boot despite outplaying him.

Through the year though, Mahan proved to be a monumental disaster. After hiking the ball he proceeded to fail in blocking anyone every single time. It was if he wasn’t even there.

Some people call Mahan a piece of shit. However, I find this to be a very unfair comparison. So I will make objective comparisons between Mahan and a piece of shit (referred to as POS for the remainder of the article).

Hiking
Mahan- is capable of getting the ball to the QB
POS- as it lacks any extremities, it can’t really hike the ball now can it?
Winner- Mahan

Post Hike
Mahan- falls flat on his face, apparently not coordinated enough to hike the ball and remain standing
POS- sits there but is pretty much immovable since no one wants to step in it
Winner- POS

One on One
Mahan- is pushed aside like a little bitch, if he manages to remain standing
POS- is so feared because of its nastiness everyone avoids one on one contact with it
Winner- POS

Buying Time for the QB
Mahan- doesn’t. Hikes the ball then disappears, possibly phasing into the same alternate dimension as Optimus Prime’s trailer in the cartoon
POS- because no one wants to step in it, the rusher will either jump over, thus losing the momentum from his push off, or go around taking longer. Either way, there will be a delay unless he wants to step in it and get laughed at by everyone on National TV (especially if he slips and falls into the remainder).
Winner- POS

Versatility
Mahan- none, is useless in every situation
POS- Depends on who took the shit. Obviously the Casey Hampton shit will be massive and provide a large object to get around, many a toilets have met their demise at this man’s hands, err, ass. Fast Willie Parker gets his run on, and by “run” I mean “the runs.” Watch out for this oil slick. And of course the master of shitting himself, Najeh “Dump Truck” Davenport can probably pump out just about anything he wants.
Winner- POS

Cost
Mahan- $16 million over 4 years
POS- However much lunch cost
Winner- POS

Smell
Mahan- probably just like a sweaty fat guy, which is pretty bad
POS- well, is there really anything worse smelling than shit?
Winner- Mahan

Disposal
Mahan- would cost the Steelers millions plus count towards the cap for years
POS- just flush
Winner- POS

The final score:
Mahan- 2
POS- 6

So there you have it. When looking at on field performance, the POS holds a decided edge. Not only is it capable of delaying the defensive rushers longer than Mahan, but also costs significantly less, and because it’s not an actual person, doesn’t go against the cap, giving it an even more significant financial advantage. Sure, you’re probably going to need a new pile every play or two, but with what these guys eat, it shouldn’t be a problem.

So next time you or your friends refer to Mahan as a piece of shit, just remember this: you are insulting the shit as it is far better at the job than Mahan is. Instead of calling people shit when they suck, it’s now time to call them Mahan instead.

“That guy sucks.”
“Yeah, what a Mahan.”

Sounds good, huh?

-Jordan

Jagoff Preview

2008-01-03T19:57:00.001-08:00

Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
TV: NBC
Gametime: 8:00 pm

Jacksonville is everyone's sleeper team now. They have looked extremely dangerous routing teams all over the place with the finest rushing attack in the league. David Garrard has only thrown 3 picks all season and the Jags have a physical defense. They MANHANDLED the Steelers 3 short weeks ago. Seems to be a cake walk right? Heck even the ESPN braintrust has this one all figured out.

Not so fast grasshopper. There was a lot more positive to take out of the first meeting with this team than most realized. The Steelers had some very positive match-ups that they did not exploit to their full advantage. A regular season loss against a team like Jacksonville can work to your advantage in the post-season in the end because it allows you to see where you were wrong about them, while the Jaguars are likely to come in with the same game plan. They are the Steelers under Cowher - an arrogant, we do what we do sort of team. There is a reason Jack Del Rio is on the hotseat STILL in Jacksonville. Time and time again, we continue to hear about how this will finally be the year and he has yet to deliver. The reason ladies and gents is because they are STILL too one dimensional to face good teams and win consistently.

Offensively the Jags are piloted by David Garrard. Garrard has minimized turnovers, has a quick release and can move around in the pocket and out. Garrard is equipped with the best running attack in football and a run blocking line that is big and nasty. The receivers on Jacksonville are also big and mean and are more than adequate run blockers. Jacksonville dominated the last meeting because they were able to hit some huge cutback lanes which is uncommon in Pittsburgh. While the loss of Aaron Smith and subsequent play of wave pass rusher Travis Kirschke has rendered the left side of the Steelers D-Line into a cavern of opportunity for opposing rushers. Furthermore, the Steelers have yet to compensate for this as they are showing an entirely too aggressive nature and lack of gap responsibility leading to big time holes and cut back lanes. This time the shotgun draw/delay shouldn't nearly be as effective provided the Steeler brain trust reviews the game film as they say they've done. I expect the Steelers to take a more simplistic approach in this one with less stunts and crossfire blitzes and more straight vanilla schemes. Troy Polamalu will also be seen in the box more which should limit the Jags success. Don't get me wrong but the Jags can run on the Steelers. However, it won't be to the tune of 240+ yards as it was before which was helped by the 20 play drive in the 3rd Q of the last game which turned the game in Jacksonville’s favor and wore out the Steeler D.

In reviewing some of the previous game's action, the Steelers had Garrard confused. So much so that they should have had up to 4 INTS if the defenders would remember to bring their hands to the game. This doesn't even include a HORRENDOUS INT by Garrard to Mr. Guarantee Anthony Smith which sparked a Steeler comeback. The Steelers were able to force third and long but time and time again Jacksonville converted via the draw or they got close enough to go for it on 4th down. Del Rio is conservative in nature unless it's 4th and short and he's near the 50 yard line. I don't think his team will attack the Steelers with play action enough especially early on in the contest (which they should). He will play it safe much like Billy Cowher used to and "try to win it in the 4th quarter" by grinding it out.

Offensively, The Steelers are banged up. Gone is Willie Parker (who had 100 yards rushing on only 14 carries against Jacksonville) and missing its top two LTs. Protecting the Franchise is little used Trai Essex who is on the last legs potentially of his fledgling NFL career. The Jags got 5 sacks on Ben Roethlisberger primarily due to an injured Smith and will likely have similar success as well. Defensively, the Jags don't blitz much but rely on their D-Line to get after the QB. The Steelers are equipped with a terrible O-Line championed by worthless Kendoll Simmons and Sean Mahan who do their best to get their QB killed every week. There overall play has improved so maybe MAYBE they'll once again only allow 5 sacks.

To beat the Jags is by spreading them out (which makes the talk about them beating the Patriots more ridiculous) as their coverage abilities are lacking. The Jags are also way too prone to blown coverages. Rashean Mathis is an elite corner and should lock up with Santonio Holmes for much of the afternoon. Leaving veteran Brian Williams to battle Ward. SS Sammie Knight is more of a linebacker than safety and lacks the speed to keep up with most receivers. Steelers must integrate TE Heath Miller into the offense more as he can get open against a young Jagoff lb corps and Knight. Without Parker, Steelers are left with the great Najeh "Duce, Dump, Defacator" Davenport who won't have much the success Parker had running the football. Dump will hopefully see some action in the passing game where he does have better hands than Parker and should provide Roeth a safety valve. The Steelers must not run straight ahead against Jacksonville. They won't win with the mindless run up the gut 40 times a game right into the waiting arms of John Henderson and Grady "360 lbs" Jacksons. Jacksonville ate that up last game. Steelers need to attack the edges.

Roeth is the wildcard in this. Sure Jacksonville has much better O-Line and D-Line and talent overall but Roeth can will this team to victory. All it takes is a couple broken tackles and Roethlisberger can hit one of his receivers for big gainers. The weather will also be beneficial for the Steelers as they will not be trying to air the ball out in 30 mph winds and snow. This isn’t your fathers Steelers. They use the pass to setup the run and when successful they win. The Steelers must not fall behind this game by more than 10 points and they must not come out flat. Mike Tomlin even resorted to having the old Jacksonville/Pittsburgh game from 3 weeks ago wired into all TVs of the Steelers practice center. Maybe, just maybe this team will nut up.

Jacksonville played their A game 3 weeks and it will be very tough to duplicate once again. In the Steelers 75 year history, they have YET to lose to a team twice at home. The Steelers can beat Jacksonville and let me be the lone asshole to pick them here. I see the Steelers coming out early and getting a lead and forcing Garrard to beat them. He won't.

Pittsburgh - 28
Jacksonville - 20

Jag Off Thoughts 12.20

2007-12-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

Work and Xmas parties up the ass have limited by ability to give this game as much as before but hopefully that should change next week.

Here's some quick thoughts on grades:

QB: Roth - 2 ; once again Roth came out skittish and warmed up. This needs to change. I know the conditions were less the optimal but Ben needs to be able to start off a little quicker. Maybe Arians needs to go to hurry up more often as Ben is much more in this mode.

RB: 4 – Parker ran like a man; Dump did crap

WR:

Ward – 2
Holmes – 2
Washington – 3
Wilson – 3

Holmes drew my ire for stopping on Roth’s pass but I think it was woefully underthrown as usual. Holmes also missed a read on a deep in that Ben seemed to show some frustration. These two need to get on the same page and quick.

Washington played okay and had a nice leaping td catch. The pass he dropped was a poor throw from Roeth

TE:
Ignored once again. Why can’t we involve MILLER through out the game as opposed to only specific drives. This shit is maddening. We move the ball when we throw to him !!!!!

Spaeth was drafted in the 3rd round. SO FUCKING USE HIM.

Blocking was crap.

OL:

Horrid outing again with multiple sacks against while missing the two best players on that defensive line.

Smith – 0
Faneca – 2
Mahan – 1
Simmons – 1
Colon – 1

DL:

Embarassing effort as they got dumped around all day and night. Need depth badly. McBean signed but so no time.

Kierschke – 1
Hampton – 2
Kiesel – 2
Eason – 0
Hoke – 1

LB:

Harrison – 2
Foote – 1
Farrior – 1
Haggans – 0

Haggans is done in my eyes. I like the guy but he is not getting it done. He had chances to do some damage but doesn’t have the speed nor the moves to get it done

Pass rusher didn’t get anywhere near Garrard.

Farrior struggled in coverage and in the run game as did Foote. Harrison is the only one to get some pressure but he too struggled. These guys need to be rotated in far more.

CB:

Some good some bad.

Smith got burned again but turned the game around with a Larry Brown INT. 1.5

Troy – 3 ; made a ton of plays but missed some as well.

Ike – 2 ; meh .. the gobs and cushions are unnecessary

Deshea – 3

McFadden – 2

Carter – 2 ; barely noticeable

Special Teams:
3 ; decent. Sepulveda punted well

Coaching:

Arians – 3 ; I think he called an okay game. I do hate his give up calls though on like 3rd and 13 though. Players failed to execute more often than not.

Lebeau – 0 ; couldn’t do anything in the run game and was victimized by the soft cushions in the fucking snow against SLOW receivers. Retarded.

Tomlin – 1 ; stood there and took it up the ass.

Thoughts:

We got manhandled through the trenches just as Cowhard likes it. It was completed mindnumbing just how far we’ve fallen. The lines on both sides of the ball need immediate action.

I think the Line at this point should be: Smith/Faneca/Mahan/Colon/Starks ; Simmons might be okay in the Faneca’s spot but the man has too small arms to actually engage Dt’s and De’s alike. He would be better off as a swing guy or heck maybe a fullback in goal line? His strengths are speed and pulling and really him playing in a phone booth is a bad idea. Kemo must be really shitty if he isn’t beating out Kendoll.

Mahan is shitty and all but no other option is available outside of Simmons. Mahan has picked it up the last couple of weeks so maybe there is still hope. I’d like to see us draft a center – my preference is Drew Miller from Florida who could play some guard as well.

We need at least one of each – G, T,C

We need to resign Max Starks as his plays seems to have picked up in the last few weeks. This might be due to the shitty field of Heinz but I’d still resign him if possible (doubt it.)

Defensive line is a bigger problem without Aaron Smith. We need to try to find someone to take the load off. Is their someone available now on FA? Or through waivers? I don’t think so.

Lebeau really needs to stop with the cushions in shitty weather.

The Rams game scares the shit out of me. They have an offense that can put up points on us quickly. Thank god their line is almost as bad as ours but this will be a colossal joke if we lose. The Rams aren’t as bad as you think and have talent. Their defense blitzes a shit ton so they can be had. It’s up to everyone to step it up and make plays.

We can definitely beat these guys but I just don’t think they can

Jackson will give us problems

Holt will as well

Bulger is healthy

Anthony Smith should be starting. Why Ty Carter is against a speedy rams team on turf, I don’t know. This scares me because Carter is a solid tackler but too slow to do anything in coverage. If we want to bench players for sucking there are about 10 guys more deserving than Anthony Smith. He bit on a play fake; I’m sorry but I think 98% of the league would have done the same. Unfortunately, our OC hasn’t learned about the benefits of the play action.

At this point, I think we miss the playoffs @ 9-7. I hope I’m wrong but this team has completely soured on me. It’s not the fact that we lost to Jagoffville and the Gaytriots but how we lost to them. We were exposed and now every team is going to come after us.

Prediction

Rams – 28
Steelers - 23

Steelers-Gaytriots Fallout Report 12/11

2007-12-11T14:50:00.000-08:00

Playing god’s team in Boston seemed to be a game everyone would classify as a measuring stick of sorts to see where this team stacks up with one of the best teams of all time as of now. The Steelers hung around for half and gave us all a reason to believe but alas the 2nd half saw adjustments fell by the wayside and another loss to add to the column.

Let’s take a look at some grades before delving into some additional thoughts.

QB:
BRoth had a ho hum day. On the bright side there wasn’t any turnovers but on the other was another erratic and spotty performance. New England doesn’t have the best secondary in the world but was able to keep this offense in check. Ben finished with a respectable 19-32 for 187 but did have a number of weak throws including shoddy passes to open receivers, missed td opportunities and general skittishness.

The TD pass to Davenport was more luck than anything. Ben is going to have to exercise the demons against the New England team hopefully in January. Something tells me the whole aura and Gaytriot mystique is in his head. 2

RB:
After last week, Parker ran with determination, heart and speed something that has been in missing with the last couple of games in the fucking mudpit that is Heinz Field. He ripped off a 30 yard dash in the Q2 which led to our lone td of the game. He even had a solid 19 yard run in the opening drive of the Q3. Parker was also used in the passing game but committed an as asinine false start as well as a drop on a dumpoff that could have yielded some good yardage. Davenport chipped with the impressive 32 yard td grab , stack vault in Q2 and had a solid power run in Q3. Davis was hardly seen as the group went mostly 2 tight ends. 4

WR:
Facing a WEAK secondary, the receiving crew had a way too mediocre of a performance. Ward had 5 grabs but none of them memorable. Holmes was banged up for much of the game and was limited. As a result, the lack of speed by the Patriots wasn’t attacked as much as it could. Holmes did have a solid block on Hobbs in the Q3 on Parker’s 19 yard run. Clang returned to form with a couple drops in Q4. Wilson caught a clutch 4th down pass but otherwise wasn’t heard from. The crew is lacking some serious playmakers as well as another deep threat with Holmes banged up. Washington again came up small. At this point, I’d rather have Willie Reid in the lineup over both Washington and Wilson. 1

TE:
Run blocking was good for the most part. Miller again was ignored for much of the game. Shockingly we only drove when he got into the action against shitty Bruschi. Spaeth was also ignored in the pass game. You know I’m a fan of 2 Tight ends but what’s the point if you don’t use them? 3

OL:
MUCH better than expected performance against a very good D-Line. Parker had 5 yards per carry and had some holes he could actually run through.. Smith returned to the lineup and Starks was rarely out there. Not for nothing there were as usual big time faults to go around:

Faneca had a piss poor game leading to TWO sacks including the play that turned around the entire game in my eyes. He got destroyed on a counter play and allowed inside pressure for a sack in the first quarter. Than early in Q3 after Parker had the big run, Faneca got juked out of his fucking soul by Vince Wilfork which ended up in a huge sack. The play was huge because Ward was WIDE OPEN and would have gotten some serious yards that would have gotten us within at least field goal range. Instead Wilfork and his 340 pounds spun around Faneca and smacked Roth for an easy sack.

Colon was equally pitiful as he kept getting walked by Mike Vrabel. Two holds also and his pass technique was consistently wretched leading to constant pressure by POS Vrabel. The 4th and 1 counter play to Hines was blown up because Colon was blown up. Colon atleast has potential.

Mahan played okay against Wilfork and was able to wall him off at times. Simmons was okay outside of the 2nd run of the game where he gets shoved 5 yards in the backfield by Ty Warren. Simmons had some good blocks in the 2Q.

Smith was solid for the most part.

Smith – 4
Faneca – 1
Mahan – 2.5
Simmons – 2.5
Colon – 1

Low grades and all but still a solid performance. This level of play needs to be raised as the season progresses. Faneca and Colon will bounce back and I think we can see a much better performance going forward.

DL:
Another quiet day for the unit outside of a batted pass by Keisel. Smith was exceptionally quiet again which has believe that the guy is still banged up or wearing down. Keisel added some pressure but outside of the batted ball was quiet. Hampton was in the game and had one stuff of Maroney but he also is carrying way too much weight and was worthless in the 2nd half when the gaytriots went all pass happy. This team could really use some depth here and an interior pass rushing DT. At this point, I’d put Hoke in if we play the Patriots again as he can sometimes get some sort of rush. Eason and Kirschke did their usual nothing. 1

LB: Yet another nothing performance from this crew. Haggans had one pressure and was unheard of the rest of the game despite playing every defensive snap. Foote did nothing. Farrior was owned and Harrison did little as well. This entire group is running on empty and needs some fresh blood inserted into the lineup. Pass rush was feeble and the blitzes were ineffective against Lord Brady’s 3 step drops in the 2nd half.

Coverage was equally as feeble. Farrior was slow to get to the area on Moss’s first td on a post. Farrior could barely wrap up Ben Watson on another play and got dragged another 4 yards. Farrior/Harrison/Haggans covering Welker was a mismatched and abused on about 5 consecutive plays. 0

CB:
Another nightmare performance against the Gaytriots. Leading the fight for shit was Anthony Smith. Smith has always been very aggressive and the Patriots targeted him and abused him sexually. Furthermore after the Gaytriots score their first td, Tom Prick Brady got in his face and mouthed off. This was only the beginning. Smith got his manhood taken by the Patriots on the Q2 playaction pass deep to Moss. Smith bit on it because apparently the BEST RUN BLOCKING UNIT IN THE LEAGUE couldn’t stop Laurence Maroney. This is absolutely a no can do for the deep safety and we were screwed. On the double flea flicker, Smith bit on the pass to Moss and than pass back to Brady before realizing what was happening and missed out on the tip by a hair.

Taylor shared some struggles with Moss. On the first drive for the Patsies, Taylor was in perfect position to make a play on a football but alas again watched Moss tip it up to himself. This is type of play Taylor HAS to make especially since it was a 3rd down play. On the long pass play to Moss, Taylor once again bit like a sack of shit on the playaction and was toast. Ike also got flagged for a hold on Moss in the endzone. Than after those big plays, Taylor gave his SOFT CUSHION of death and for all intents and purposes we were fucked.

Carter made some tackles including one on Watson but is too slow to be a factor in the secondary. Townsend held Welker in check during the first half before switching around in the 2nd half leading to more room for Welker. McFadden wasn’t seen or heard from much. 0

Special Teams:
Started off poorly once again after we scored on a field goal allowing a 39 yard return to Chode Jackson giving the Patsies a first down on their own 48 yard line. Reed stuggled on his kickoffs. Seps did okay but did shank a punt. Allen Rossum being a veteran punt returner failed to warn Gay about a shanked punt that ended up hitting gay in the ankle and being recovered by the Patsies. This is the type of play I don’t expect from a rookie let alone a NFL veteran with loads of return experience. Arnold Harrison committed a foolish late hit on a punt return and Gay was flagged for running out of bounds in punt coverage in Q1.

Mistakes like this is why this team is within an eye lash of being out of the playoffs. 1

Coaching:

OC:
Ugh. Arians started off really well with the opening drive that ran the ball and saw use of Miller and the receivers. Yet once again the play calls were neither built on nor was there any sort of plan of attack. The Patriots have poor coverage within their linebacking unit as well poor overall secondary talent outside of Samuel. Not once, did I see this team attack them. Red zone play calling was once atrocious. Rhythm was once again missing from this offense. Parker and Davenport barely saw any routes. Playaction passes took way too long to develop. Quick drops and 3 step drops were once again absent. Arians needs to wake up and start attacking defenses. He also can’t be too hesistant to rely on field goals as opposed to going for actual scores. Not once did this team go after Hobbes, Sanders and Harrison. The Pats defense was never on their heels either. The goal line sequence in the Q4 was awful. First the shuffle pass was something nice and all but than why run a similar play on 4th down? Why try a jump ball to Holmes on 3rd and 1? Why not have Davenport run for a 3rd and goal at the one and than try again on 4th down. This is type of shit that baffles me. I don’t mind taking chances but when something is working it’s okay to do it again and on the same drive too. Heck Brady and Welker were doing that during the 2nd half of the game yet Bruce Arians can’t do that? This isn’t Madden or anything when the defense knows you are running the same play. The 2nd half in general was a total waste of time as Arians appeared to have no plan of attack at all and it showed. After Feeley and Boller carved up the Patriots, why BRoth couldn’t be put into position to do the same is a down right joke. Even the random touchdown to Davenport was made on a broken play as opposed to something Arians called.

1

DC:
All week we heard about that oh so elite Steeler defense that had some ridiculous stats not seen since that of the 70s. Unfortunately, the Pats were once again able to feast on Lebeau’s scheme as neither blitzing nor playing passive worked at all. Once the trick plays hit, Lebeau went vanilla with blitzes and rushes that opponents have seen the Steelers run since 2004. This may work when you are facing John Beck, Kellen Clemens but against the elite of elitists Brady made this defense look like a sack of shit. Last week, Palmer had numerous chances to hit some plays on these defense yet couldn’t. Brady did just that.

Casey Hampton being on the field when the Patriots were passing was just retarded as Hampton could get no where near the QB even if he tried. The pressure was non existent and the half time adjustments seemed to be hey let’s be more soft and blitz the same vanilla blitzes we’ve ran for a while.

I hope Lebeau can find another way to get to the QB because we have big time issues if the blitz doesn’t work. Not to mention, he needs to find a way to counteract the 3-step drops that have victimized us since what 2004?

Lebeau needs to plant in Smith’s head that he is the deep safety and isn’t supposed to freelance.

Dick’s soft zone plays right into the hands of the Patsies. I don’t care if you get blown out but by playing in his receivers’ faces, gives us a far better chance at being competitive.

Steven Neal one of the best guards in the league was a late scratch and yet BILLY FUCKING YATES WASNT to be attacked at all by Lebeau. WELL DONE SIR!

I know Lebeau is one of the better defensive coordinators around and the Patriots are one of the better adjustors also but Dick needs to improve his performance if we want a shot at beating this team in January.

0

Tomlin:

We can hear about Tomlin’s coolness factor and his quotes all we want but this is getting repetitive. He says the right things and is a calming influence on the sidelines and all but when am I going to start seeing some kind of improvement? This team looked a shit ton sharper at the beginning of the season and now is as flat as can be.

Smith guarantee needs to be dealt with in some fashion. I don’t know how scolding will work but now Tomlin/Lebeau are going to have to TEACH SMITH how to play FS and to remind him of his responsibilities. This can be the lesson that can propel Smith into Brian Dawkins territory in terms of his skill set and he has to play up on that.

I will say this, I least he has the balls to go for it on 4th and short as long as we nearing the 50 yard line. Something Senor Cowhard would have gladly punted away. Against the Patsies we need to take a little more shots. Some fake punts or onside kicks or something?

NE was coming off a Monday night football game as well as an off day on Tuesday AND Wednesday but they were still BETTER prepared than we are. Tomlin’s attacking strategies seem to be a little lacking and there needs to way more of an effort to work on weak links in teams. The half time adjustments were equally piss poor. This effort is unacceptable and it starts up at the top.

1

Random Thoughts:
A little harsh yes but this game left a sour taste in my mouth. This team can beat the Pats. They have more than enough talent to do so. They can outphysical this finesse offense. They can get to Brady. They can POUND Moss and Welker.

They aren’t super like what ESPN would have you believe. There are significant weaknesses on this team that can be attacked and should have been but this team was simply outclassed in the 2nd half.

Anyway, here are some positives:

- Parker: ran hard against a defense and played up to his standards
- O-Line: did much better against this unit than they did in 2005 and other years
- Learning experience for Smith: It’s up to him now to take advantage
- No offensive turnovers for Roethlisberger
- Holmes/Pola were hurt and are big reasons for doing what we do
- We stayed with this team for a half even tho they outclass us all across the board

The problem is there isn’t any overall improvement from either side of the ball. No players are taking their game to the next level. Maybe the O-Line will but everytime they do they take one giant step back.

Jacksonville is very tough and will give us fits. It’s up to our offense to finally lit these fuckers up. It’s going to be tough and players will get hurt but we can get it done.

Luckily for us Stroud and Hayward might be out so that should help with our line. Troy/ Holmes will hopefully be healthier.

Aaron Smith is also out for the season now so I see more of Travis Kirschke. I think that’s a bad thing. Let’s see if Hoke can spell Kirschke too if need be.

Anyway, I think we can beat Jacksonville. Garrard does nothing for me as a game manager. I’m not to impressed with his game. Taylor scares me as does MJD but I think we can limit them to around 100 yards we will be fine. The tall receivers can be a problem so our secondary needs to stay in cover 2 and pound the shit out of them.

Don’t look now but Cleveland is right under us still. The Rams in St. Louis will probably get Bulger back just cause that’s how it is. The Rats will look to murder us too. These games are going to be extremely tough for us even they shouldn’t be.

I’ll take 11-5 or 10-6 but that could mean a showdown with the Jags who is a team I don’t want to see at all in the playoffs. I would much rather play Cleveland as would most.

Fallout Report for Steelers/Bungs 12/3

2007-12-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

Last week had me by the balls so I couldn’t finish the report from the Dolphin game. It was generally tough to really get a gage on this team's performance anyway with all the slop. I hoped that the field “improvements” this week would actually put a focus on the game and it did! So woohoo horticulturalists everywhere.

Anyway, the Steelers dominated the Bungles again but resorted to giving away the game. If only for Mr. Overrated horrendous passing display this would have been another loss. This team has played like crap since the Jet game and it will likely getting majorly exposed this week against the vaunted Gaytriots. There is no chance we win this game with the type of effort I’ve seen the past 3 weeks.

Heck, even if we played the perfect game it would be close. This is not to say that we can’t compete with them because we can. The Patriots aren’t nearly as great as ESPN would like them to be and there are definite opportunities here for us to torch them. This team needs to finally play a complete game this season and has yet to do so I remain skeptical. Let’s take a look at this grade for this past Sunday night game.

Grades:
QB:
Roth started off in horrendous fashion. Crying/whining about the ball and constant misfires were the common theme of the evening. Roth threw a piece of crap duck INT that glanced off of Ward’s hands into Madieu William’s hands for an INT. He finally remembered that he is an elite QB and went off during the 2Q aided by some timely scrambles and the hurry up offense. The gutty scramble and dive had me and my cohorts worrying if he hurt himself. Alas, Ben gutted it out and continued his hot streak – hitting Ward on a nice rollout. The 2nd half saw more of the same. Ben hit Ward again for a td in the 3Q. 4Q saw a piss poor interception in which one Bungle covered 2 Steelers. Ben needs to be able to limit the turnovers this week as we play easily the best team in the game. 2.5

RB:
Willie Parker struggled all game and fumbled 4! times. I’ve always been a Parker apologist and this time I had no way to spin this in anyway positive. Willie himself acknowledged this piss poor performance and made no excuses about it. Thankfully 2 of those fumbles were overturned but Parker is going to have to be as smart with the football as humanly possible from here on out. Davenport didn’t dress due to some mysterious injury and Russell had ONLY a goaline plunge. If Davenport is out for a long period of time than we need to get Russell involved as well as find some running back off the scrap heap. Davis started and didn’t play too bad. He did not get a ball thrown his way nor did he get any carries. Common sense would dictate that he WOULD since he’s the backup but apparently the coaching staff thought otherwise. Blocking again by Davis was average.

Parker – 0
Davis – 1
Russell – 1

WR:
Shockingly, Hines Ward led the way again without Santonio Holmes with a gutty effort that the fans of Pittsburgh have been exposed for quite some time now. He made continuous nice grabs and plucks out of the air and single-handedly come up with clutch catches, first downs and touchdowns. Roth only has to put it near Ward and he will go balls out. Great performance from Ward, Cedrick caught 3 balls!!!!!!. Clang again watched the football clang off his hands in the Q1. Washington also caught a bubble screen WHICH IS FUCKING RETARDED when Willie Reid is rotting away on the field. Washington also bumbled and slipped his way on the field when he should have ran out of bounce. Reid caught nothing and looks to not get any chance to show why the Steelers took this kid in the 3rd round.
Ward – 5
Wilson – 2
Washington – 1
Reid – INC

TE: Miller was instrumental in the 2nd Q as being used as a “GASP” a primary target. Of course he was ignored the 2nd half. His blocking was okay for the most part. Spaeth’s blocking which was his strong-suit in college isn’t translating well to the NFL game and the guy is getting embarrassed. 3

OL:
Shockingly the line didn’t suck a TREMENDOUS amount of goat anus. This is partly due to one of the weakest pass rushing units in the league. Run blocking again was a bit lacking. Parker barely found any holes or anything to run through. This makes me sick because I see other lines open up cavernous holes for the running backs yet Parker barely gets even a hint of daylight. This is painfully evident in the Q4 with the Steelers trying to ice the game and Parker couldn’t do anything. In the streaming pile of shit play had to have been Kendoll Simmons on the aborted safety as simple served as a concierge for Robert Geathers to have an easy sack at Hotel Roethlisberger. See if this has been me at my job or something, I’d be collecting unemployment but Simmons continues to find playing time. Simmons also committed A BONE HEAD unnecessary roughness penalty where he acts like a big tough guy. THIS FUCKING PUSSY has yet to act like a hard ass nor play like one. Why doesn’t he try to do this legally when he’s facing a fucking defense? Starks filled in for Smith again and played well against Justin Smith. Colon too had a decent game but the lack of a push in the run game is bothersome. Mahan didn’t stand out but I’m growing entirely too tired of seeing him out there week to week, much like Simmons but whatever. No sacks so I guess I won’t complain too much. 3

DL:
The Bung line is one of top 10 in the league and missing RT, Willie Anderson and had a solid day running the ball. Watson, Dorsey and Johnson all had their room to run. Pass rushing again saw Carson Palmer have all day in the pocket. Keisel showed some hustle and continues to bat down passes! Smith had a quiet game outside of a few disruptions. Hampton was in normal fat self and held up well against the run but the man is seriously ballooning. Nor is getting single blocked by an average NFL C something that should be taken lightly. Eh whatever. 3

LB:
Another average game for the linebackers. Foote and Farrior were active with their X Fires Blitz as usual including Foote stripping Palmer for a fumble. Harrison and Haggans were quiet for the most part outside of a couple of plays. This needs to improve next week. Or maybe let’s USE THOSE TWO GUYS WE DRAFTED? Arnold Harrison saw some duty last week too but barely registered any playing time of sorts. 2

DBs:
Cincy possesses a very good receiving corps and did have some opportunities to make some big plays. Had it not been for Carson’s pussying the game would have been made for the Bungs but alas nope! Carter was all over the field making plays and tackles but thankfully the turf limited some of the speed. Smith had a horrid penalty in the Q1 but have a solid game. Taylor again is playing well but he did quit on some throws that could spell doom if the other team’s qb has any stones. Deshea had another good game against doucheman. McFadden also. 4

Spec teams:
Kickoff coverage was OUTSTANDING for once. Frazier started off with a nice stop on the opening KO. Grant Mason added a FF in Q2. Sepulveda has still yet to actually CRUSH a ball and he even choked up a 27 yard punt. 4

OC:
Decently called game overall by Arians. LOVED the fact he went no huddle a couple of times and it got the offense in gear. Also loved utilizing Miller especially when Holmes was out yet than in the Q4 no Miller, same run, run, pass philosophy and we almost choked away the game. Still it’s an improvement from some of the filth we’ve seen in recent weeks. 3

DC:
Let me say that there were plays open for the Bungs to take control of the game but Palmer fucked up so Dick gets away. The allowing the other team to do whatever on the first drive so we can adjust can’t happen next week but I have faith in Dick’s adjustments. Sadly I feel Dick is limited by the personnel and the fact these blitzes aren’t nearly as effective with Smith/Haggans out there ALL the time and without any breathers. Still good work Dick and I hope you thought about something new to get to Tom Gaydy. 4

HC:
Tomlin is a great PR guy and says everything you want to hear but the results are worrisome. Eh the luster isn’t wearing thin but Tomlin again saw this team come out really flat but they were able to rebound thanks to Carson choke boy. Would I have like to seen a better effort sure but what can you do. I liked the adjustments made and TOMLIN won his first challenge of the year! WOOHOO!!!! Still, I disagree with his handling of Parker and felt Russell would have been a nice break even if he hasn’t ran yet or if not him than Carey Davis? There is a reason Carey Davis is playing a lot more than Kreider? (Before Dan’s injury of course) so why don’t we use him? Still though, I saw some improvement so I’m content for the time being. Tomlin is going to have his work cut out for him this week. I’m praying he can come through. I guess though being 9-3 with this team is an achievement and I’m content overall at the job he has done. 3

Eh a win vs. the Bungs is something I’ll enjoy. I hope this team can come through on Sunday. I know they can but as a betting man and as a half empty guy at that, I’ll say they can keep it respectable. Let’s hope that if we do lose to them this time than we can go to their stadium in the playoffs and drop these jokers and their bandwagon fan base on their sox hats.

I'll maybe do a more indepth preview later on this week if work doesn't decide to rape me again.

In Ben We Trust!

Steelers/Jets Fallout Report 11/19/07

2007-11-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

At times, you wonder if this league is scripted. As if some great booker in the sky wields his wand and let’s down a yinzerific fanbase because they were believing the hype. Because they don't see this teams glaring issues. Because we had this game wrapped up before we even considered waking up to go the game. This was the case Sunday as the Steelers had their one horribly shit ridden loss of the season against the ALREADY eliminated from the playoffs, NY Jets.

In a performance of the ages—one that hasn’t seen since the Raider game last year – where a grossly overrated team lays the biggest egg/turd of the season against a bottom feeder in the league. For the the last two years in a row, your Pittsburgh Steelers have been that team. As I was witnessing this monstrosity in all its frigid, windy glory, I likely missed some things. I need a fucking tivo although watching this game again is not likely the most sane decision of my lifetime.

Grades:

QB: BRoth had his fair share or shit led by a poor decision to throw to Clang in double coverage. The problem with this is that the pass hit the Jet defender and hopped straight in the air leading to a solid athletic play by underrated Kerry Rhodes. Ben outside of that played okay. He had to move around a bit too much for my liking and could not get into a rhythm at all. Ben couldn’t scramble nor did he take it as much as he could have. From my vantage point, he missed some open receivers downfield but when you can’t passblock, you have no hope. 2 of the sacks he also held the ball on two long. Sadly, I can’t blame him for this loss though the fumble was painful. 2

RB: The Bus Fans are out in full force this week. There was absolutely nothing open at all. When there was a crack, Park fell down again. He must change his shoes or something because this is getting entirely too problematic. Davenport chipped in effectively with 8 carries for almost 39 yards. Parker’s hip might be a bigger problem than we had envisioned. Kreider was seen on 2 plays maybe but again wasn’t utilized. Carey Davis saw two shotgun draws but blocked like a bitch. 2

WR: Holmes once again led the way with 5 catches for 75 yards and touchdown. Holmes did drop a long pass play but it wouldn’t have counted anyway. Holmes also was banged up and missed the 4th Q and OT. Holmes needs to be healthy otherwise this team is sunk. Ward was not used at all in the way he should be. The undernearth was open against the Jets but here was Ward running 20 yard patterns. Clang dropped a huge pass that would have been a 30 yard game as he decided to the jump before the ball was 20 yards near him and it went through his hands. Cedrick the douchebag caught a pass. 1

TE: Miller and Spaeth were ignored for the most part. Miller and Spaeth were open throughout the entire game. Miller and Spaeth couldn’t block shit. Miller and Spaeth need to be used more. Miller and Spaeth need to block much better. 2

OL: About as embarrassing performance as we have seen since last year’s Ratbird game. Run blocking for the most part was horrid. There were some holes given on quick hitters but other than that PISS fucking poor job once again. It’s a bad day when Kendoll isn’t the worst linemen of the game. That belong to Sean Mahan who got so routinely tooled on my Dwayne Robertson that Mahan should immediately begin packing groceries. Robertson was credited with 2.5 sacks AS A NOSE TACKLE. This was a complete and absolute joke. Equally piss poor was Willie Colon. Colon played like a fucking colonoscopy and was also tooled on too many times. Colon has skills but the sad thing is this kid is not improving at all. Smith was okay for the most part but he must have still hit the bong. I’m tired of his fat ass missing blockers and allowing people unimpeded rushes to the QB. Faneca too played like whale shit including a WHIFF on a 280 pound guy. Is this possible? The line gave up 7 sacks to a defense WITHOUT pass rushers. 2 were because of Ben but still. Absolutely pathetic performance by this group of “men” that should not be glossed over by any Steeler fan and should be remembered anytime this team is mentioned as a contender. -4

DL: Thomas Jones is a good back and he showed why last night. Actually he didn’t. Another mediocre performance by these guys too. Nick Mangold urinated on the Big Snack and routinely took turns shoving Casey backwards. Smith had a ticky tack roughing the passer penalty and Kiesel added some pressure and a sack in the first half. He than did nothing in the 2nd quarter. 2

LB: Harrison led the way by actually tackling. The others boobed and whiffed their way to allow Jones a solid outing. Haggans got flagged on a horrid holding penalty in the endzone that would have likely ended in a touchback and a victory for us. Foote and Farrior were as quiet as humanly possible oh except when they took turns to fail to wrap up any jet’s offensive member. 1

DB: Deshea had an INT and could have had another. Taylor/Smith got tooled on a flea flicker and got called on another tacky PI call that 90% of the refs in the league don’t call. Smith needs to act like he’s been there before as he was still yapping and dancing anytime he made a play. Polamalu had a horrendous game missing way too many tackles. He made no big plays in the pass game and got solo’d anytime he was blocked. Polamalu overcommits still and is too likely to over pursue than most 5 year veterans. I can’t blame these guys for Polamalu’s overzealousness. 3

Special teams: Reed was the team’s best player as he got his kickoffs short but right to the last wave of blockers everytime. Reed chipped with clutch fieldgoals including a 47 yarder in the Jersey winds. Rossum again was none existent and Sepulveda fired off one of the worst punts of the season in OT that was of course returned with ease by Washington to setup an easy win. The massive leg of Danny boy is of course no where to be found. Moreover, he fails to come up short when this team needs him the most. 2

OC: Bipolar Bruce seems to have no idea what to do against the Jets. Whether it be run or pass or anything. The team could not get into any rhythym. The team didn’t use the tight ends or how about one of those Willie dumpoffs. It’s such a sickening thought to see this team waste Fast Willie so much. The quick hitters with Duce Davenport worked so well that Bruce continued to use the long stretch handsoffs which doesn’t even utilize our line or takes any advantage of what they do. Why is Hines Ward 30 yards downfield and not attacking any of the underneath stuff. Where are the quick slants? It seems that Arians tries to throw about 30 things against the wall and hopes that something works. Plays don’t build off each other. Arians doesn’t attack pieces of crap like Hank Poteat. Arians doesn’t put his players in position. Arians doesn’t no huddle nearly enough especially when this team needs a spark. He seems to be entirely to content to do what we do. He seems content to not open up the playbook and have BRoth start chucking the football all over the place. Red zone inefficiency continues once again. -2

DC: Dick for the most part called an okay game. It’s not his fault the players didn’t execute. Dick needs to start trying some new things out too instead of the soft zone crap that allowed us to lose to Denver and the JETS and nearly to Cleveland last week. Dick has to get Troy back into the game and that doesn’t mean him blitzing up the fucking gut every week. 3

HC: I like Tomlin. I really do. He said all the right things but this performance is inexcusable. Once again the team was not ready to play. I know you can’t channel up what this team did against Baltimore every week but some fucking emotion to start the game would be really good right now. The execution was once again horrid. The playcalling is horrid. Special teams again fell short. Terrible penalties that continued to give the fuck Jets chance after chance. Tomlin seems to believe in having these players believe the ESPN hype. I hope now he will lash out on these underperforming cream puffs. I have bosses that yell at me for crap and yet Tomlin doesn’t? The stoic nature is fine but this team sometimes needs someone to curse, yell and get into the face of people. Yet, he does nothing. Players don’t seem to be improving in anything right now. Another horrid outing and it starts at the top. 0

I'm still way to angry to talk about this game. I'll wait a couple for some general thoughts.

Keeping your head up today is extremely difficult.

Steelers Browns Fallout Report 11/13/2007

2007-11-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

After the first half performance for the ages, The Steelers looked to take a commanding lead in the AFC North if they were to beat the 2nd place Cleveage Browns. Amidst a lot of just unpreparadness and flatness, the Steelers arose and hung on by 2 yards to beat Cleveland. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the individual performances of the team units.

QB: BRoth started the game in a funk before once again coming to life in the fourth quarter. He did a throw a pick to Brodney Pool but that was more of Holmes slowing up on his route. Ben struggled mightly in the first half which was part of the reason for 3 field goals. He also continued to miss Santonio Holmes who was OPEN the entire game. Granted a lot of this is the offensive line failing to actually provide time and Arians calling slow developing pass plays when the offensive line can’t hold a block for anything. Roth also failed to throw the ball when things just weren’t open. I know you can break tackles Ben but seriously we need you for the long haul. As the game went on though Ben took it up a notch. On 3rd and 10, after finding no one open, he took off up the middle and 10 seconds later found himself in the endzone for a HUGE touchdown run. Roth was clutch all 4Q with completion after completion on 3rd and long. On On a 3rd & 9 on the late TD drive, Ben scrambled again for 10 yards to the Clev. 2 for the 1D. The late TD pass to Miller, while under pressure from McGinest, was a rifled pass that threaded the needle. Ben was able to make the McGinest look like the douchebag he is on more than one occasion so that’s a plus. Ben seemed timid and gun shy for much of the game and I’d like to know why. 3.5

RB: Parker had 105 yards on 25 carries but was seriously limited by the horseshit field. Consistently, Parker was slipping all over the place. At some point, shouldn’t the equipment manager step in and give Parker some longer spikes? Parker did break a couple of runs including a 31 yarder in the first quarter when there was no hole to where the play was designed to go. Parker in the 4Q did not sell a HB-Option at all although he did make a somewhat decent throw. Parker had the ball cocked as soon as he got it and by that time the shitstain secondary was all over Miller. Davenport saw some action with 4 carriers for under 10 yards. He found little room. Davis started again and did little. Kreider did not dress for whatever reason. Let’s hope because they wanted to rest him. 3

WR: Hines continued his strong play from last week with a number of grabs for yardage. Facing an average secondary should do that. He did have some negatives though. The waltz to the endzone was uncalled for and gaytriot-esque. A ticky tack holding call was also called on Ward but to be fair it was a shit call. Ward did have a couple drops but both were tough plays. Holmes as noted above was open the entire game. The Clowns had no answer for him but Ben rarely had time to actually hit him. He also was to blame for Broth’s INT which led to 7 points the Stains shouldn’t have had. Clang had a drop on a slant but had another solid game with 56 yards receiving on 4 receptions. Wilson was no where to be found. Willie Reid should be playing! 3

TE: Heath Miller continues to ascend to levels not seen by a Steeler TE since Eric Greene. In the 4th quarter, Miller saved the game with a mega clutch catch and run on 3rd and 18 that yielded 20 yards. He finished off the drive with a tough catch in the endzone to give the Stillers the lead. Miller also saved the game previously when Roeth got the ball stripped from in the 3rd quarter. Spaeth had a horrid drop. Blocking was average. 4

OL:
Cleveland has the NFL’s worst defense. D’Quell Jackson was out and replaced by Da U’s Leon Williams who is as green as St. Patrick’s day. Cleveland was missing nose tackle Ted Washington and was replaced by scrub Ethan Kelley. Cleveland’s d line is terrible. YET FOR SOME REASON, Cleveland was able to channel the 2001 Raven defense to the tune of 4 sacks and domination of the line of scrimmage until late. Routinely, the Steelers are unable to run the football. The front 7 of Cleveland nutted up and shoved back these pieces of shit constantly. One push comes to shove, this team is going to get stuffed on a 3rd-1 or 4th and 1 since none of these motherfuckers can get any sort of push in the run game. Willie Colon struggled mightily getting tooled on for a sack by Antwaan Peek. Colon failed to pick up his man on a stunt by the Browns which led to another sack. Simmons again was wretched. Mahan again was average. Faneca did little of note and Smith was solid in general in taking out Wimbley. 4 sacks against allowed to this unit is a complete and utter joke. 1

DL:
Cleveland has a top 10 O-Line in the league so granted the D-Line would have some trouble and in the first quarter they sure did. Hampton got tooled on by HANK FUCKING FRALEY as Jamal Lewis had adequate room into the 2nd level. Smith played okay in his return including a nice stuff of Lewis in the 1st half. Keisel was active including a couple knockdowns and running stuffs. As they game progressed, Lewis found less and less room. Pressure on Anderson was minimal. 2

LB:
The linebackers are supposed to be the playmakers for this team and this past Sunday did not show that outside of Harrison again. The whole team came out flat and the first drive was sickening all around. Larry Foote gets slammed into my Fraley and taken for a ride and than he gets RUN THE FUCK OVER by Jamal Lewis. Foote was seen getting run over frequently and looking lost in coverage in the 1st Half. As was fellow MILB, James Farrior. Farrior whiffed like a POS on JJ’s dumpoff that yielded a first down on 3rd and 10. This is a place Farrior has to make and led to a td. Farrior was absolutely clueless on Vicker’s td in 2Q as he got caught up in the wash and let his man get to the outside. This team is way too susceptible to that and its quite embarrassing. Farrior saw some action rushing the passer from the outside and did nothing of note. Haggans did okay as he had 2 solo tackles and 6 assists but the pressure was no where to be seen. Why not spell him some? Why rot Woodley and Timmons? WHY!!!!????? Is Haggans not tired at all from BEING ON THE FIELD ALL THE TIME? Harrison continued his solid play including another game altering play on the Lewis fumble. Harrison too started off poorly but made up for it. I really would like to see more rotations for the linebackers. Coverage on Winslow was effective after the 1st Q. Pressure on Anderson was also minimal. 2

DB:
Polamalu had a very active game again and seems to be finally getting back into the swing of things. Polamalu was able to limit Winslow in the 2nd half and had a nice cut down on Lewis after Cocaine Trafficker was stung out wide. Smith got trucked by Lewis in the first quarter and responded by tackling him and committing an ASANINE taunting call that gave Cleveland a first and goal. Smith played deep safety for much of the game and wasn’t heard from. Taylor was far too weak on the Edwards touchdown catch but in general played well. Townsend did okay for facing a receiver as slow as he is. Clark was out again and Tank Carter makes his presence felt with a big hit on soldier. Facing Anderson who looked HORRID for the 2nd half, the secondary played okay but again the first half was an embarrassing display. They will need to step it up when they take on teams with FAR better receiving options later with the Jets, Bungs, Pats, Rams etc. 3

Special Teams:
A COMPLETE UTTER EMBARASSING DISPLAY. We hired 2 special coaches and practiced this shit tirelessly all during the summer and ITS STILL FUCKING TERRIBLE. Cutting dicky ricky served now purpose as Josh Cribbs (WHO HAS SHIT ON US BEFORE) took turns setting up Cleveland with a ton of points. The First return was sickening as Allan Rossen had a chance to make a play but was continuously stiff armed like a tool for 30 yards before eventually eating turf. Thankfully, Cribbs didn’t score than. He would only do that LATER in the 4Q after the monumental Roth run. Cribbs one-upped him even after misplaying a squib. Yet for some reason 7 guys ALL MISS HIM including Andre Frazier whose sole responsibility on this team is to play special teams FAILS to use the sidelines as a defender and shove that POS out of the playing field. Instead he tried to tackle him and flails like a scrub and Cribbs is long gone. I was equally annoyed at Bryant McFadden who watched Cribbs get into the endzone. I can see what he was trying to do but fuck man atleast take out someone’s knees. Heck with that shitty turf, Cribbs might have slipped. Rossum also faircaught a ball where there was NO one in front of him for 10 yards. Bah. MASSIVE improvements needed. Leon Washington, Glenn Holt, Ted Ginn, Ellis Hobbs, Dante Hall, Yamon Figurs are all upcoming and are all very dangerous return man. 0

Coaching:

OC:
Cleveland has the worst defense in the league. Maybe not on paper but by stats with an abhorrent secondary that was ripe to be owned. The end around was retarded as it wasn’t even setup to succeed. Throwing on first down was also missing as Arians was entirely to content to pound it up the gut. The slow developing pass players were irritating. But hey anytime you can score 31 points, your coach is doing their job. I did enjoy seeing the hurry up as it clearing caught Cleveland off guard. 2

DC:
Sure the Defense got lit up to the tune of 28 points but 21 of those came off short fields/turnovers/special teams. I can’t really fault Lebeau for this one. The first drive though was an embarrassment with once again, the opponent converting 3rd and long. After that Lebeau’s defense could have limited some of the other touchdowns as it was embarrassing. The last drive was equally embarrassing with again the soft zone rearing its ugly head. For as mediocre as this offense is and as mediocre Anderson played, Lebeau could have had a much better performance. 0 sacks on Anderson is equally infuriating. No one got anywhere near him outside of what 2 plays (maybe?) 3

HC:
Tomlin had these guys come out as FLAT as humanly possible and it costs us. There is no way a team should be coming into this game with so much at stake and fail to show up. Tomlin did a poor job of not allowing this team to give into the hype that the media was lavishing on us. This team once again also laid an egg after a big win. Once is random, two is conspicuous and three is a trend. We are now seeing a Tomlin trend that absolutely must be rectified soon.

Special teams is an abortion. There were a significant number of long returns in previous games as well. This needs to be addressed now. It is now a significant weakness on this team that can and will limit our chances in the post season. It makes me sick to think of all the time and effort dictated to this during the preseason and yet the same crap continues to happen.

The O-Line is an abortion that lacks leg strength to do anything.

As the head coach, Tomlin oversees the offensive and defensive playcalls. Times we see Tomlin laughing it up a little too much during the sideline. As opposed to actually you know coaching and providing input and feedback on the games. Why did they after short kicking the ball on kickoffs to Cribbs, stop after the BRoth run. This is inexcusable. I can’t chaulk that up to coaching. The players were able to make plays and were in position but they failed to do so. It’s a sign of poor technique, execution and preparation; things Tomlin swore he would focus on. The Browns are no where near us on paper yet were able to come up within an eye lash of victory. 1

Random Thoughts coming later this week.

Fallout Report Ratbirds vs. Steelers 11.7

2007-11-07T14:40:00.000-08:00

Unlike most Steeler fans, I never feel to optimistic about games. I never outright say oh yea we’ll kill them. For ever moment I start to drink the koolaid, an egg is laid and the team frivels away another victory. I’m not complaining in the least. Sure my heart and liver may not but as long as I see some games like we saw on Monday I remember how much fun football is. The thing is with all of us backseat coaches and coordinators is that times we love this team so much and want them to succeed so much that we lose enjoying the moments that make this team the greatest in all of sports. Every week I expect the worst because like all things in life I can only find the faults with it. This Monday however was the first game since SB XL that I remember how fucking awesome it is to root for the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Kool-Aid mode off)

Last year, the Ravens shit on us. I’ve never felt as bad as those games since the Championship game in 2004. The Ravens pounded us in every way possible twice. The team always had chances to win but for whatever reason would always execute. The problem with the games last year, we didn’t even compete. We were embarrassed, raped, ravaged to the team a lot of us HATE more than any other.

ON MNF, the Steelers were celebrating 75 years with a celebration that included the 75 Anniversary team. Amidst rain and breezy winds, the Steelers made past, present and future proud with a thorough dismantling of the Ratfucks in display for the entire nation. It won’t take out the sting of last year but it does goes a long way. Steelers took it to them on every occasion and made a resounding statement that this team (when it’s on) can devour any fucking other team in the league, including the ESPN Gaytriots.

Grades:

QB: Ben had a career evening, tossing 5 TDs in the 1st half and finishing the nite 13 of 16 along with the 5 TDs. With the rain and howling, Ben showed how great he is /can be. Early in 1Q, Roeth escaped POS Pryce's sexual advance and than hit Heath in the EZ for a td. Roeth hit Holmes on a perfect td strike between a corner and Gay Ed Reed for his 2nd td. The 3rd td was vintage BRoth as he eludes a Suggs hurry and promptly chucks a 30 yard td strike to a wide open Clang. Roeth’s next pass was even better as he chucked a 35 yard bomb to Holmes perfectly. The final td was a nifty little bootleg as he faked a toss and rolled to his right and hit Clang again!!! For another td. Ben was shaken up in 3Q from Suggs (again!!) but later returned to show how tough he is. Batch saw some mop up duty and threw a pick. 5

RB: With the heavy rain and wind, the Steelers were looking to run the football early and often. Problem is Willie was completely neutralized by the shit turf and the shit weather as he had no traction at all. The Ravens severely limited the lanes available to him as they dominated the LOS. Parker did provide solid pass blocking as he stepped out to take on the Murder before shoving him to the turf on the 1st Holmes td. Parker also caught a dump off for 17 yards. Duce Davenport saw some action with 11 carries but he too find the lanes limited. Carey Davis capped it off with some last action runs. Davis blocked poorly but it’s alright. Kreider started and saw limited action. He did drop a td pass from Batch in the 4th Q. 3!

WR: Holmes led the way with outstanding 4 catches for 110 yards and 2 tds as he torched the Rat nickel backs all day and night. Holmes threw a crushing block too in the 1st half. He did drop a Roth lob but I’ll give him a pass. I actually thought he caught it anyway but the refs beg to differ. Ward was limited to 28 yards on 4 catches but provided a physical element to the Rat bitches that was sorely missing. On Parker’s 17 yard dump off, Ward decleated Bart Faggot Scott into next Tuesday. Soon after, Ward smacked Ed Reed back to Baltimore with another crushing block. This is what this team needed to do after last year and of course Ward led the way in that aspect. Clang caught 3 balls and had 2 tds!! Wilson was nowhere to be seen. 5!

TE: Quiet day outside of Miller td. Miller got another pass but it was for a measly -1 yard. Spaeth didn’t catch anything and was barely targeted either. Blocking was crap for the most part. 3

OL: Some good some bad. I can see the cohesion of the line improving. The run blocking was pure garbage as Parker had no room or no hope. Kendoll led the way in the garbage report getting routinely crapped on by Fuck Scott and his usual 3 penalties. Faneca was solid overall. Smith was solid too. Colon had some struggles with Suggs but nothing to bad except a couple of pressures. Colon’s run blocking was poor and he too got flagged. Starks and Kemo saw some time in late to run the football but they too struggled. This team has severe issues with Ngata all night but I will say very rarely were Rats running in untouched so it’s a step in the right direction. These unit must continually improve if we have any shot in the playoffs. 3!

DL: Missing Smith, DL did a decent job in limiting McGayfaggot outside of a long td run in which Kirschke was murdered by the Rats blockers. Kirschke outside of that played welll enough and should totally start again if Smith is out. Kiesel had his best game of the season with constant hustle and pressure. Hampton was fairly quiet and Hoke saw some snaps as well. Much better effort from the past week. 4!

LB:

In 2002, Joey Porter had one of the finest games of a LB in recent memory. Not since than has a Steeler LB been that dominant and as much of a playmaker. Curiously enough, Porter’s replacement had an even BIGGER game that like hasn’t been seen in forever. Harrison was unblockable and made things all over. Sack and strip of Mcdouchebag. Harrison on special teams pummeled Reed on a punt return leading to a fumble and recovery for Timmons.!! He forced Mcgayfaggot to cut into Polamalu on a 3rd and 2 which led to a fumble!!! Forced an intentional grounding. Adding another 2 sacks and another fumble leading to a 17 yard loss by Willis!! Harrison also added another pick in which he faked a blitz and picked off a pass intended for D. Williams. This performance may single handedly vault Harrison into probowl/elite status. He has played very well all season and now the media may have actually caught on to this performance. Farrior and Haggans were solid as all hell. Haggans was relentless all night and got helicoptered twice but still kept battling and battling. Farrior got 6 tackles and Foote was no where to be seen. There is no chance Harrison can duplicate this effort again but wow – A performance of all ages. 10!!!!

DB: McNair has played like dogpiss all year and this game was no exception. McNair’s longest completion of the game was 9 yards! He did not even remotely challenge the Steelers deep and as opposed to reading the field from Touchdown to checkdown., McNair just took the checkdowns. Troy played his best game of the season as he was hovering around the line of scrimmage all day. He made a nice stuff on McGahee during the first series and than stripped him soon after. Pola smacked Quinn gay #3 tight end Sypniewski in the 2nd half. Taylor almost had a pick but general played very well. Townsend was quiet and that’s a good thing. Anthony Smith too was quiet and fucked up on the long td to Willis as he attempted to tackle him too high and promptly got shoved to the turf. Someone needs to show him some clips of Chris Dope and his adventures of trying to tackle Rudi Johnson. 4

Special Teams: More hit and miss from this unit. More long returns against by Musa Smith and Figurs. Sepulveda punted 8 times with 4 into the endzone. Reed was solid and even tried to fight in one of the most hilarious things I’ve seen in a while. I think Reed’s Doucheitis needs to be curbed but I loved how he went after some purple motherfucker. The coverage needs to improve if this team doesn’t want to suffer a 2001 relapse. 2

OC: A nice game overall for Arians but the gift of turnovers and McCallister and Rolle out led to a fairly simple game plan. The running attack was neutered and Arians thankfully went to the air. He called a solid game and there weren’t a lot of wtf calls was that this game. I enjoyed the 5th td call as that is something that took the uber-aggressive Rats to school. 5

DC: Big Dick was more less the whole game had to cover about 20 yards since McNair was too much of a pussy to try anything else. The defense for the most part was able to play some cover two and send 4 and 5. Still this Rat offense is probably was one of the most pathetic displays I’ve seen in 20+ years. Armed with a huge lead, McNair still wouldn’t try anything. 5

HC: Tomlin had his boys ready to go and they stepped up and delivered the finest half of Steeler football in a long time. I found the rationale for putting Ben back in retarded but again what do I know but regardless. SHARP, FOCUSED AND MOTIVATED. 5

Brownie Thoughts:

So now we got that out of our system, let me say this. This was a perfect storm similar to Denver and Arizona before it. They didn’t even celebrate their history either like us. The corners were out as was Heap and as we should we spanked them. I’m happy about that but make no mistkes about it, we are still an above average – good team. Not a great team. Not an elite team. If they play like this more than we can call them a great team but that would mean line play to improve and special teams to also do the same. Roth has to keep it up too. This team though needs to fucking smack the shit of the Ravens again last week of the season. I’m tired of their purple bullshit and shit talking.

The Browns are the surprise of the AFC with a scintillating 5-3 start. Make no bones about it, this team is not the same that the Steelers pissed on in week 1. Their O-Line has since gelled and Derek Anderson has shown to be a difference maker from the QB position. What makes Anderson so much better than Frye is that he makes quick decisions and actually has a quick release. This offense isn’t at the Bungle level but they do posses the weapons that can give this team fits. The tall lanky possession guy in Joe J. The Brownies have an athletic tight end and one of the most dangerous receivers this side of the AFC in Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards.

Moreover, once Anderson got on the field in week 1, he led the team to points. He now is more in rhythm and has his timing down. The line too again is much improved and should give Anderson adequate time to make all the throws necessary. I’m weary of getting pressure on the QBs.

Lewis is still healthy but I don’t expect much from him.

The Brownie d is also different with Willie McGinest showing up. McGinest gives are guys fits and will go head to head against Colon. This is a tough matchup for Colon and should give us an indication about how good the young kid is. Wimbley vs. Smith scares me once again eventhough Smith was decent against the man last time. Ted Washington is hurt so Mahan should be able to wall out the replacement and I look to see that continue. Kendoll is still there sucking ass and will likely get eaten alive by Roye.

The Browny corners are crap and Sean Jones tho underrated is more of an in the box type guy. Holmes and Ward should feast upon this unit.

Ben just needs to keep up the level of play and limit the mistakes.

Despite the talent, this Stain defense is still poor. Outside of turnovers there is no reason we don’t score 30+ on this team. Can Anderson put up 30 against our defense? Not likely.

Steelers - 34
Browns - 17

Fallout Report Bungs vs Stillers

2007-11-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

Being a first place team, it’s hard to be told that a game is a must win game. This past Sunday, The Steelers had a must win game. A game that if they lost would have made all their other division rivals to be aware that the division is up for taking. Steelers had an opportunity to end that talk as well as continue to throw dirt over their hated Cincinnati rivals and implant them inside a 6 foot hole in the NFL cemetery. With a horrid outing in Denver behind them, the Steelers traveled to the Queen City and beat the Bungles to ensure a one game lead over the hated Pussies.

QB: Ben had a strong overall game, completing 19 of 26 for 230 yards and 2 TDs. First half Ben was impressive including hitting Holmes on a 40 yard that was slightly behind him but still good enough. Ben executed a good pump fake on the touchdown to Ward as well as threading a ball inbetween hands and defenders to Ward for another TD. Ben was able to again fight off tacklers and make plays. Than idiot Ben shows up in the 3rd Q. Again, the Steelers were driving and Ben under duress heaves a horrendous throw going across his body into a mess of Bungles. The Bungles pick it off and march down the field and scored and were back in the game. The play makes me literally dumbfounded as Ben was under a similar situation in the 2nd Q and threw the ball out of bounds. Ben did have a nice drive in the 4th but I can’t get that poor throw out of my mind. 3.5

RB: Parker had a strong game, dashing for several big gainers en route to 126 yards and 1 TD. Routinely Parker was able to bounce runs intended to go up the gut outside. He had a measure of success on the left side including a monster draw play that put the Steelers in position to win the game. Davenport chipped in some in the 4Q but did nothing of note. I’d like to see him get into the game soon. Kreider started and promptly got hurt. Davis played ok including breaking through a tackle on a screen play and gaining 5 yards. 4.5

WR: Hines Ward’s rust is officially off as he had strong day with 8 catches and routinely tooled on Bungle coverage. Holmes also took turns tooling on the Bungs and would routinely signal first down to the moronic Bungle fans who obviously needed these sort of reminders. Nate nor Ced caught anything but Nate did almost make a play on a TD/INT depending on who you are asking. Either way, these two need to be involved more especially with some of the tougher teams on their way. 4

TE: Miller only caught 2 balls for 23 and 19 yards. Miller also had a holding penalty. Spaeth saw some action. Blocking was okay. 4

OL: The Line ravaged in almost every game had a much EASIER task this week against a defense that is neither physical, nor blitz, nor covered well, nor has any talent. Smith had some struggles with Justin “7 million dollar man” Smith but played okay. Mahan got to the second level enough times. Even Kendouchebag looked okay though there was a false start which is becoming entirely too frequent. Starks tooled his man on Parker’s goal line run. Faneca was solid overall. Colon is still played well in pass pro. 4!!!

DL: No Aaron Smith meant that Kenny Watson would run for nice chunks of yardage. I don’t think any of us expected him to finish with 88 yards on only 19 carries! Eason/Kirschke were the result of this embarrassment as the two were routinely driven off the LOS. Casey didn’t play nearly as well as a result and was holed off enough times. Watching Casey and Keisel getting blown off the LOS on a Pussboy sneak in 4Q pissed me off. Keisel was way too quiet once again. You seriously can’t have Timmons do some of that Rover work? He too can be stood up by opposing OLines. I know they were playing against one of the top lines in football but this was embarrassing. Neither was the lack of any sort of hurries by these linemen either. This needs to be improved on Monday or we can expect another loss. 2

LB: Uh Hello? Guys. Harrison continues to be the best linebacker giving consistent effort and continuously making plays left and right. Harrison added the big fumble to in essence give the Steelers the win late in 4Q. Harrison, Foote, Haggans? Uh..you guys around? I’m not saying replace any of them (except fucking Foote) but I will say at least rotate some of Woodley and Timmons in there. Haggans tries hard but I feel he needs a break. Farrior was/is too quiet and still is our best linebacker. Foote was busy in coverage? Maybe that would explain his lack of doing anything of importance. 2

DB: Facing Doucheman, Chode and Pussboy, the secondary responded with a more cover-2 and LESS GOD DAMN FUCKING SOFT ZONE BULLSHIT. Townsend was okay for the most part. Taylor had a solid game though I can’t remember him actually making any plays of note. He was always around Chode and Douche also. Gay looked horrid on a reception from Chode and otherwise didn’t stand out (GOOD). Troy was active but really didn’t make any plays once again. I really want to know what’s going on with him. Now that leads me to the guy that I’ve wanted to play since last year, Anthony Smith. Ryan Clark though solid as all hell and whose plays suits freelancer Polamalu a ton a better, was out and we knew that Smith would be tested. ONCE AGAIN, the kid comes up big. Despite being the deep FS, Smith was able to find himself in a number of plays all over the football field. He did let up on a long incompletion to Chode but he’s presence was felt as he brought the wood to Douche and Chode so much that both of their concentration for the game was gone. Smith helped some in the run game too including limiting a Glenn Holt end around to a measly gain. Smith must start from here on out especially with a defense that has missed that intimidating presence since old #95. Not to mention, it’s about time someone on this defense laid the wood to the fucking Ravens. Smith is that guy. 5

Spec teams: HORRENDOUS coverage with two left sides returns by Glenn Holt. Who was to blame on that? Why it was Dicky Ricky who failed to stick in his lane and gets victimized because of it. ADIOS YOU SON OF A BITCH. Reed and Sepulveda did okay but the coverage units in general need to improve.

OC: I’m by no means an Arians fan yet but this was a very nice effort to see. Bruce utilized Parker enough to milk that clock down. Also the pump fakes were something, we haven’t seen in a while and something that needs to happen against the Ratbirds on Monday. Granted the Bengals didn’t really dictate anything with only a limited number of 8/9 man fronts. Things will be MUCH different against the Ravens but everything is better offensively when you play one of the worst defenses of the league. Arians has his big test of the year coming up. The playoffs go through Baltimore until we have at least a 2 game lead. I hope Arians becomes more adjusted to the demands of being the OC so I’m going to give him before I crown or hang him. 4

DC:
Dick obviously knew that he must limit the passing attack of the Bungs and he certainly did that. At the same time, the running game of the Bungs was the real problem as they chewed us up without Smith in there. Troy is still in some other world and needs to be able to become the dynamo we all know he can become. Roving Keisel still isn’t working. 2-4-5 is still nothing. Pressure was minimal on Puss boy. Dick benefited from the TOP advantage without question. I guess limiting that offense though to 13 points is indeed a noteworthy accomplishment but let’s not fawn over Dicky Dick just yet. 3

HC: Tomlin righted the ship this week but the work is far from over. Despite all the hype they get, the Bungs are a BAD football with an even more questionable coaching staff. Marvin Lewis took the wind of his teams sails by going for a Cowhardian field goal and the team was dead and buried. The real test comes this week. Tomlin has got to remind this Steeler team about last season’s nightmare games against Ratiwhore and the attention to details must be played up for this week. Baltimore is SHIT. They aren’t nearly as good nor is their defense half as dominating as last year. This is going to be a tough tough game and this team again needs a win to get breathing room. Otherwise, Baltimore will be the top team in the division and will be in the driver seat with room to grow. 3

Quick Thoughts on Baltimore:

Baltimore matches up against us better than any team in the NFL. Not only that, but they also know what we are planning to do.

The Rats are fresh off the bye week and are getting healthy. Billick has had this game circled for over 2 weeks now and the preparation will make or break his season. Rex Ryan feasts on this team offense and is already crowing about it. He will expose any and all weaknesses this team has starting first and for most with Kendoll fucking Simmons and the O-Line.

Arians really needs to bring his A game as does Ben and the O-Line. Regardless, I’m happy with the win in general but this game on Monday will go a long way to show how good we really are.

Lebeau can bottle up most offenses but McNair knows what’s going to happen and whose coming so Dick needs to add some of those new wrinkles we heard about all off-season. The Rats will be running and will try to impose their will on us.

This is going to be a tough one folks.

Fallout Report Pittsburgh @ Denver

2007-10-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh traveled up to Denver in frigid cold to battle a desperate Bronco team with their season on the line and ceremony honoring falling teammates. At this moment and time, I knew we were fucked. Than I heard one of my friends about how she picked Denver over Pittsburgh for no reason. (it's one of those things were the least you know about something the more correct your predictions are) than I knew we had no hope.

Here are some grades:

QB: Another tale of two halves for Ben. He had some horrid throws in the first half. Missing receivers, holding on the ball too long, missing open receivers and the same wtf Ben decisions that we’ve have grown to love. He is not to blame as a lot of it again was the shitty display by an offensive line. 1st INT was just a horrid decision especially with Ward coming in underneath somewhat open. The 2nd glanced off of Ward and right to Williams which was oh so similar to last year, I figured I’d see Cowshit on the sidelines. The fumble was terrible blocking but the guy has not to realize this and be careful. It was a gamchanging play that more or less ended the game. 2nd Half saw a much better overall performance including actually checking down the football to a guy open in the flat. Ben was sharp and crisp and yet continued to evade the pressure. The kid’s reciliency is his strong suit and he was able to continue to play with out another INT. We need to Ben to be the 2nd half Ben going forward. 3

RB: Willie got 90 yards rushing but for all intents in purposes was mostly bottled up. Parker shockingly was used on 2 checkdowns in the 2nd half. WHERE THE FUCK WAS THIS ALL SEASON. The kid needs 30 touches at least every game. Davenport was rarely seen which is pure stupidity on the Arian/Tomlin’s part. Carey Davis experiment is shit. He caught a dump off. His blocking is still crap so if they plan on playing him than use him. Kreider again was no where to be found which puzzles everyone especially when we NEEDED to run the ball against a shitty unit. 2.5

WR: Reid was scratched with Ward back which pisses me off but I’ll let it slide. Ward had a terrible 1st half after missing the last 2. He will be fine once he gets his timing back. Holmes made somethings happen but foolishly ran out of bounds on a near pick. Holmes also needs to see the ball more. Wilson, after leading the team against the Seafaggots, saw one catch all game as did Clang Washington who caught a 40 yard pass from Roth. Really need these guys to all step up. 2

TE: Miller led the way once again which is a welcomed sight. Miller snagged two tds and was actually used all game! Spaeth also caught a td. Very nice game for this group. Tuman was out. Blocking was average. 4

OL:
These fucking guys all need to look at themselves in the mirror and think about what they are doing. Some of it is the playcalling yes but the effort or lack there of is just piss poor. Every fucking game I see Kendoll Simmons getting walked into Roethlisberger’s crotch. Simmons added 2 holding calls as Sam Fat Fuck Adams took him to the woodshed. Pathetic Display. Sean Mahan needs to learn how to shotgun snap. He also needs to be able to get movement on Dts. He doesn’t. He whiffed on a block on Williams stopping Parker behind the line. He also was flagged for being downfield like a POS. Smith struggled against Dumervil when most tackles who grab this undersized DE and smacked him on the turf. Faneca was average but is nowhere near what he thinks he is. His running after Crowder was equally infuriating as he gives up about 20 yards too late. Colon played ok passing blocking game and didn’t do anything noticeable outside of the continued lack of movement in the run game. I REALLY hope Max Starks is put at RT and Colon moved inside to RG at this point. We need to be able to run. I’m glad no one went to Ben’s aid after he got tossed to the ground either on a shitty horseshit no call on the referees. If that happened to Palmer or Brady, that flag would have been out quicker than you could say shit.

DL: Aaron Smith gets hurt mid way through the first and the team went to shit. Run defensewas okay for the most part. Hampton wasn’t in a game playing mode and was out a number of times. Hoke played okay and included a couple goaline stuffs. Eason/Kirshcke were/are worthless and should be replaced this off-season. Kiesel once again was all too quiet. This needs to change. 2

LB: J Harrison led the way including sack of Cutler and a Henry stuff on back to back plays. Harrison got rocked on the first pass play of the game as Sheffler took him to the woodshed. Harrison and Haggans both we called for offsides on the last drive of the game. Farrior did nothing and Foote made a couple of stops and had a solid INT of Cutler to turn the tide in the 2H. Foote was routinely rocked in coverage though especially on playaction including chasing after the wrong guys. Woodley sacked and stripped Cutler but no defender was anywhere. Woodley would not be heard from again. Timmons saw only special teams action. It’s about time they rotate some other guys in this mix. 2

Secondary: We were all scared about Javon Walker and figured that with him not dressing, we could have an easier time. NOPE! Cutler and his friends tooled the entire secondary all day and night. Townsend had his worst game of the season and looked to be running in sand. Taylor was getting routinely tooled on including the 1Q touchdown. The long gains on 3rd down continue to happen based on either shoddy tackling or horrid cushions. I thought we have established that this team needs to be able to do a little of both. Polamalu came back amidst much fan fare and had a piss poor game including a crap 15 yard penalty on Cutler’s long ass scramble. Rushing Polamalu or moving him around can be effective to team who you know DON’T SEE THIS SHIT all the time. Pola made a nice stop on Henry but was tooled on far too often. I’m getting the sense that this team plays way better with Smith and Clark as the safety pair. Smith continues to make plays as he picks off a gift Cutler pass. 2

Special Teams: A lot of crap. Sepulveda punted okay. The gay play of the week was Davenports and Rossum’s failure to call I got it which resulted in our Steelers being trapt deep. Reed missed a 65 yard field goal which was asinine to even warrant al though his kickoffs were solid. Return game did crap. 2

Coaching:

Arians tried to outsmart the Broncos and instead outsmarted himself. Facing the 31st ranked run defense in the lead, you’d have figured that we would have run more but no. We ran predictable crap as usual. The 2 tights, have ward motion on either side and block. It’s so fucking retarded how Arians expect this shit to work. Naturally, the Broncos respond with 10 man fronts and Parker goes no where. This would have been the perfect time to go I form with Krieder and go to town. Or hey, all off-season we heard about this fantastic new spread offense? Not so much. We could try to run out of those sets at times also without having again Ward motion in. It’s so fucking predictable. How about some quick hitters? Or to get those safeties out of the box. Miller got a 27 yard playaction pass reception and similar sort of plays weren’t seen again. Parker finally got some receptions but where this sooner? Wilson and Washington were ignored once again as the line gives Ben no time to do anything or go through his various progressions. Shouldn’t lord Arians try to help the situation? Shouldn’t he see that our personnel is limiting us and accommodate? 2nd half improved somewhat but the damage has been done and the game was over. Arians apparently doesn’t know how to beat the cover 2 either. Davenport didn’t spell Parker nearly enough. 1

Lebeau had a bye week to try to shutdown a Denver d that is way to reliant on Javon Walker and Travis Henry. As Walker was out, apparently Lebeau wanted to go as vanilla as possible. Objective Completed! Lebeau made an overhyped Cutler into a superstar quarterback is pathetic. Long completions on 3rd and long were again seen way too many times. Soft cushions were indeed back as is this 2-3-6 thing that’s supposed to confuse offenses. Neither worked. Polamalu playing NT is retarded. Rushing Tyrone Carter all the time is also stupid when he doesn’t have the speed to make anything happen. The defense barely rushed more than 5 and Cutler ate that all up. Cutler was even willing to give it up on more than one occasion but the defense didn’t want to upset him. Pathetic. Not switching in for Harrison and Haggans is also retarded. The last drive again was more of the same. As we saw our Steelers getting passed on like a joke. Roving Kiesel still serves no point. 0

Tomlin
Pathetic effort in the first half. Facing a team on the brink and coming in desperate, Tomlin allowed the troops to believe their own hype how this was the 3rd best team in the league. This loss proves this is not the case. The team jumped out to an early led than gave up and allowed Denver to get right back in the game and than take a commanding lead. Tomlin needs to focus on the preparation some more. I was impressed that this team was able to adjust during the 2nd half. The problem is they need to be able to adjust much much quicker. The Ward challenge again was blown as there seems to be no one in the top actually watching the replays. Tomlin needs to fix this quickly. Preperation needs to be upped significantly. Attention to details too. All the shit he was saying initially vanished tonight. 2

Other thoughts:

Kendall “Pussy” Simmons continues to show why he shouldn’t have received a contract extension

Losing Smith is huge and will weaken this defense substantially. Smith was one of the players that seemed rejuvenated.

Good riddance to Faneca.

If you want Polamalu moving around than put him in a linebacker position. I’m tired of watching him rush against 350 pound guards and being taken out of the play. On 3rd and 10+, Smith and Clark need to be back there.

Add receiver as an issue that needs to be addressed. Other than Holmes no one can get separation.

Kreider needs to see the field now most of the time. I don’t care if he’s one dimensional. Having Carey Davis fuck up blocks constantly is getting tiresome.

Mahan and Simmons sucking dick out there on the field needs to be fixed and soon.

Larry Zierlein amidst much fanfare has not gotten this group turned around. I’ll wait until the mid point of the season before I call his ass out. Grimm had the luxury of 4+ seasons of mediocrity before getting called out. He needs to focus more on this shitty O-line play as opposed to emails and porn.

We need to add some speed at MLB. Not to mention some players with coverage ability at the linebacker spot.

Is Timmons really that clueless to not see the field at all?

This team has also lost it’s edge on defense. They are no longer as physical as the media thinks they are.

WHY ARE WE STILL DRESSING 9 FUCKING LINEBACKERS IF ONLY 6 PLAY EVER.

This team will now face another desperate team in Cincinnati. A team that knows what we do and how we do it. A team that can piss all over the soft fucking coverage. A line that has owned our overrated defense in the past as well. A defense so weak yet is able to feast on our QB and his high risk nature. The Bungs will be jacked up and ready to go. They will take it to us and will fight for the season. Beating a crappy Jet team should not be overlooked. This team was down and out and yet they fought out of it. Steelers showed a little of that on Sunday and they will need to show a lot more of it this coming one. Steelers are the only good team the Bungles have ever beaten. Thankfully, Piss Henry is no where near us this game as watching him shit on our nickel guy was getting really aggravating. Things need to change real quick or this great start will be all for not.

With this in mind, this is what we have holes at in order of importance:
1) Smith’s replacement
2) Faneca’s replacement – since they seemed to be a bit too content with Kendoll Simmons
3) DE/DT depth – Kirschke, Eason, whoever aren’t good enough. Keisel needs snaps off.
4) Ward’s replacement – cardinal sin but he’s not going to get any healthier.
5) Farrior’s replacement
6) Center Depth

Fallout Report Seattle @ Pittsburgh

2007-10-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

DC felt a growing sense of dread with this game approaching. How could the Steelers combat losing 3 probowlers? I was further annoyed when I saw Santonio Holmes on the sidelines and knew our offense had to rely on Clang Washington and the Complainer. I expected the worst…

Needless to say, I was ecstatic following the game. :)

Here are some grades:

QB: Flawless performance from Ben this week. Sure there were times he holds the ball on way too long but he made a lot of things happen as usual. Roth evaded pressure consistently and found room in the pocket and made smart decisions. In the 2nd half, Roethlisberger was simply on fire, and finished with a perfect 9 for 9 passing while leading the offense to 2 long scoring marches. If Ben plays like this, The Steelers can play with anyone including God’s team the New England Patriots. Batch saw some spot duty and looked AMAZING handing the ball off. 5

RB: Some good and some bad for Willie. Not a ton of room at all in the first half for Willie. He again a couple of plays took his eyes of the football and nearly fumbled again on a pitchout. As the game wore on, Willie took over. Running hard and making solid cuts against the grain. Willie actually saw some room to run in the 2nd half and made the most of them to the tune of 102 yards on 28 carries. Dump saw some action and made plays all over the field. Dump ran hard all game and broke arm tackles. The Heinz Hop is also something I can get used to seeing more. We need to continue to give both Parker and Dump carries as the season progresses. This is what a change of pace back is supposed to be. 5

WR: With Holmes and Ward out, Clang and Complain started and preformed admirably. The Complainer led with 5 grabs for 69 yards and added some clutch 3rd down conversions in 3q. Wilson committed a horrid hold on a 33 yard run by Parker that enraged us all. Clang had his hands show up and responded by making some plays. His biggest play was the “block” on Davenport’s long run in the 2Q. Reid made some things happen including breaking a tackle en route to a 25 yard gain. Reid hopefully will continue to see the field more and progress as a receiver. 4

TE: Miller finished with 4 grabs for 44 yards and 1 TD. His blocking was solid, including a great block on the 5-yard TD run by Davenport. Spaeth returned to action so the tight ends actually saw the field some what especially with the injuries to the receivers. There were some sightings of Jerame Tuman as well. Very productive day for the group and I hope we continue to see more of Miller and Spaeth in the passing game. 4

OL:
The line continues to enrage me to unprecedented depths. Simmons enjoys getting shoved into the backfield way too many times. Colon failed to pick up Tatupu on an inside blitz and let Broth get killed. Smith’s game returned to form as Darryl Tapp was no where to be seen. Faneca got tooled on some by Bernard but step his game up somewhat. Mahan at the center spot is not great. Far too often, you see him get shoved backwards. Mahan can pick linebackers in the second level good enough but I would like to have some stronger at the POA. The Line played better as the game progressed but much of this was due to the strong play of the offense in the 2nd half as the worn out Seafags got warned down. I still will have nightmares when this group plays the Patriots, Jags, Chargers as there is no way they can keep fighting against players like that. Smith got hurt apparently so Starks saw some time as well. Let’s hope Maxi can turn around his game and help out some on short yardage situations. If they stop missing assignments, I think we’ll be fine but I keep seeing the same shit. This has to be improved. 2.5

DL: With Hampton out, I thought the Seahawks could get some room to run the football. Amazingly they could not. Hoke filled in admirably but the real story was the work by Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel. Alexander could not get wide on without having Smith and Keisel get in his way. The group got some pressure also while only rushing 3 down linemen. It was a truly great performance by this unit. The 2nd wave saw some action with minimal contribution. 4

LB: The group was once again led by James Farrior as he continues to get to the QB on his blitzes. Farrior was actually present in the running game today as well as he was able to make some plays stopping the run and actually making some tackles unlike last week. Harrison and Haggans played much of the day in coverage but did get a few pressures on Hairlessback. Larry Foote was once again invisible, which is becoming an alarming trend. Woodley and Timmons barely played. Is it necessary for us to dress 9 linebackers? 3

Secondary: In one of the best games I’ve seen from a secondary, the Pittsburgh Steelers completely overwhelmed Hasselback and the Seattle receivers and completely blanketed them. Even more impressive was that the team did this without Troy Polamalu and Bryant McFadden. Ike Taylor may have finally gotten the light as he had one of his best games as pro despite dropping 2 INTS. He made the play of the game though with his end zone pick at the end of 2Q. Clark laid a devastating hit on Bobby Engram which set a nice tone for the rest of the game. Carter was used in a blitzing role but is painfully slow. Smith got flagged for a BS roughing the passer penalty that wouldn’t have been called if it happened to Roethlisberger. Townsend had a quite afternoon but was solid in the process. Gay took over the nickel corner spot and performed decently enough. Ricky Ricardo saw his first action of the season and didn’t fuck up. 5

Special Teams: Some good and some bad. Reed and Sepulveda played well. The coverage units didn’t allow anything major outside of a 4Q kickoff. There are tons of penalties though being committed that need to be rectified. Rossum had a piss poor day including an asinine lunge at a ball with a horde of Seattle defenders on the Stillers 2 yard line. 3

Coaching: Tomlin had his boys ready to go and the results were splendid. After a game like last week in the Cowhard era, I would often figure another loss would occur especially with his reluctance to change. Amazingly, the team came out and gave one of the most dominating performances by this team in a long time especially when looking at the second half of the games. Some may argue that Tomlin doesn’t do a whole lot during the game but I don’t see anything wrong with that. I would like to see Tomlin let it out a bit more but the composure and calm resolve he demonstrates has translated well to his players who so far have shown the same calm demeanor. 4

Arians had a better game than last week but that’s not saying much. I was impressed by the bunch formation td pass to Miller which allowed Miller to make a play. The first half play calling was a bit weak and I would like to see him go no-huddle to get Ben in rhythm but I’m just grasping at straws here. Loved some the unique plays used including a tight end screen. I would also like to see Arians try to Parker in space a lot more as not many people can cover him. I liked also running out of the 3 tight-end formation. The end around to Clang pissed me off as I’d rather see Wilson or Reid take those. I would also like to see more getting the ball to Reid in space but once Ward comes back does it really matter. All in all a good rebound for coach Arians which I hope continues. 3.5

Lebeau put together a defensive scheme that not only limited Alexander to terrible day but also he was able to completely shutdown the Seafag passing game. The game plan was masterful as often times Hasselback was so completely confused he would even throw the ball away. Hass was completed out of the game as he also missed open receivers all day and night and even got benched in favor of Seneca Wallace. 5+

Other thoughts:

Kendall “Pussy” Simmons continues to show why he shouldn’t have received a contract extension

Aaron Smith has shown the exact opposite. I just hope that the guy can hold out for another couple of years to make the contract deal work.

I’ve been clamoring for Anthony Smith to play but I like what they are doing now with Clark. Smith has seen some decent action so I’m happy.

I’ll say it again I like what Willie Reid can bring to this offense. More so, than Ced or Nate.

Nate is close to being a productive receiver in this league but he’s also close to being a grocery store employee.

I really hope that we get Ben a real offensive line next season. It’s what is going to hold us back this year.

We need some middle linebacker depth. Foote has been way too quiet these past two games.

All in all, DC is pumped at this game and excited for the rest of the team to get healthy during the bye week.

I hope that the team continues to build of this and not get too complacent or content with how they are playing. They have the horses to whip both Denver and the Bungles. The Rats scare me naturally but I like the progress this team has shown so far. Now we can rest up and focus again on some fundamentals for the difficult part of the schedule.

Ugh

2007-10-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I bought into it. I drank the Koolaid. I had my pom poms ready to go. Had my terrible towel in my pocket but than I saw Sunday. Watching us lose to Ken Cheezenhunt and Russ Grimm made me angry. I saw our line getting mauled all night. I saw our franchise get hammered constantly. I saw our all pro runningback look like an undrafted free agent from North Carolina. I saw Edge James have WAY too much success. I saw our defensive line getting mauled at the POA. I saw Nick Eason playing way more than he should ever play. I saw Steve Breaston break tackles on route to the endzone. I saw a horrid interception by Ben in the endzone. I saw Nate Washington let up on a fly route that would have been a sure touchdown. I watched our team fold up like a cheap tent as they got hammered all day and night before finally succombing in the 4th quarter.

Here's some grades:

QB: Overall, Ben wasn't the reason we lost today eventhough he said he was. Breaking tackles all day, running for his life, this offseason is the time we revamp this offensive line. He made some solid throws on the run and hit Holmes on a beautiful touchdown throw. Horrendous endzone throw though turned the evening sour. The INT to end the game wasn't much better. Regardless, Ben is a leader and will eventually show all the idiots he has the goods.
2.5

RB: Willie Parker found nil to nothing running the football. Often he could barely cross with the line of scrimmage without being nailed. Consistently, Willie would be found running inside or over the left and kept literally a yard per carry. Willie also seemed to have no focus as he dropped a pitch out and bumbled a draw. Dumptruck didn't see enough action. 2

WR: Through all the shit, Santonio Holmes had his bar mitzvah. A terror all over the field, the Cards could barely keep up with the man. The sky is the limit for Holmes as he is making anyone who questioned that pick. Washington did some but did a lot of nothing. I like Nate and hope he succeeds but the man needs to get his head in the game. The kid has a knack for getting open and making plays but some consistency would be nice. Ced Wilson was no where to be found as usual. Willie Reid saw some time and made a couple plays. Reid needs to see the field more. Wilson needs to be cut now. Holmes - 5 ; rest - 0

TE: As if Cheezenhunt and Cowhard never left, the tight ends and Miller were seen in the first couple of series before being written out of the playbook. When your leading receiver is out why not try to get your game changer involved? Tuman was looked at once on an abortion of a play.
Inc.

OL: Yet again, the offensive line continues to be the bane of my liver's existence. Leading the way was Alan Faneca. Piss piss piss poor. Darnell Dockett had a career day while shoving Faneca backwards. The pass blocking of Faneca was never his strong suit but now he's getting no push as well in the run game. The Steelers are the only team in football to have 2 guards that only look good when they are pulling. Marvel Smith had a piss poor game as well despite a strong season overall. Smith moves like a buffoon and at times looks so completely flat footed, I find it amazing the he does anything. Colon had his worst game as a pro and was tooled on. Kendall Simmons is a POS who routinely likes getting shoved backwards and trucked by all comers. Mahan didn't commit a penalty but gets absolutely no push at all in the run game. Horrid Horrid display in which I feel will likely be an all too common theme this season. I'm also curious why we did not see any Kemo or Starks in this nonsense. Sometimes, one needs to try something new. 0

DL: Smith was all too quiet, Hampton got banged up and Keisel saw some pressure. Behold yet another weakness on this team with a lack of depth. Eason, and Kirschke saw wayy too much time and Hoke, tho solid, got nicked up. Instead of hoping for one of these 5 rounders to come through, the team needs to start looking at these 3-4 ends sooner in the draft or in FA. 2

LB: Hey Linebacking crew, you guys around. On Sunday, the answer was a resounding no. Far too quiet a day for the crew that this defense is designed to look like heroes. Farrior seemed to be on vacation. Foote was probably with him or he was getting blocked. Harrison dropped an easy INT but atleast had a sack. Haggans played hard and got a sack. The offside call in 4Q was dogshit. Why weren't Timmons, Woodley or Harrison playing more? 2

Secondary: I thought that without Boldin, the Steelers could contain this offensive but noooo. LFitz gave us fitz all day and night. Some POS scrub named Urban carved up this secondary like a buzzsaw. The soft zone was in full display again. Troy and Mcfadden got hurt and the lack of depth showed. No one made a play on a football nor broke up any sort of passes at all. Ricky Ricardo will likely make his debut this week. Be afraid. 2

Special Teams: Sepulveda boomed the ball all over the place but the punt return for touch was awful. This team committed WAYY too many penalties. The tackling on Breaston's PR was sickening. 1 for Sepulveda's punting. Kick return and punt returns yielded nothing to our benefit. Reed hasn't boomed a kick into the endzone. 1 for Sepulveda's punting.

Coaching:

Tomlin again doesn't seem to know how to use challenges. Harrison had a touchdown by all accounts but did not challenge. The Urban play was a shot in the dark but still a worthy challenge. I liked the call going for it on 4th and short in 2Q but the lack of adjustments was sickening. 1

Arians called one of the worst games I've ever seen. Nothing made sense. No plays built off of plays before. Barely tried to throw it deep. Holmes was open the entire day but nothing. The Tuman pick was just another awful decision. This man needs to wake the fuck up in the endzone. All offseason, we also heard about the no huddle. How about trying it when things are sputtering? That 2 minute drill at the end of the game was also an abortion. 0

Lebeau did okay despite losing Hampton, Troy and McFadden. The blitz were picked up. Warnart were able to make throws all day and once again the soft zone reared its ugly head. Edge James had enough success to worry me also but 14 points allowed is still 14 points allowed. 2

After this display, I feel another loss coming on Sunday.

Fallout Report on Steelers vs. Browns 9.9.07

2007-09-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

Despite the obvious match-up problems and hostile shitstain crowd, the Steelers ventured into Heinz Field West and urinated all over the Brownies. From the first drive of the game with Aaron Smith bowling over Kevin Shaeffer like a piece of shit, you knew the game was well in hand. The following shitty punting display echoed those sentiments even further and the Steelers were able to grind it out for a 34-7 win.

Overall, I walk away happy with a victory. While I’m still not used to not having Cowhard out there, I can say that Tomlin passed his first test. There will be some tests he aces and some he fails but hey hats off on getting the boys ready to go. The clowns came out jacked but immediately did jackshit on offense. Momentum killer followed with the fumbled and the Steelers coast.

Let’s break it down by position.

QB: Overall Broth had a phenomenal game. Showed excellent touch on several throws downfield to both Holmes and Heath Miller. Rarely forced many throws and mad some solid decisions overall under surprising some duress. 5

RB: Willie Parker continues to grind some yardage out on way to another 100 yard but this new penchant he has for putting the ball on the turf is something that needs to be addressed ASAP. In two straight games, Parker has put the ball on the turf. This is now an issue that must be rectified by Kirby Wilson tomorrow. You can not continue to carry the ball so recklessly Willie. In general, the problem appears to be that he tries to hard sometimes. I love Parker and feel he can become a stud back but when the line has trouble opening holes for him as they did in the first half, he tries to get as much yardage as possible and not stick with the correct technique to limit fumbling. Davis started but added mostly to special teams. Davenport dropped some passes but overall ran with authority. His madden-esque spin moves were interesting to watch but the man needs sometimes just lower the boom on some secondary. He did show some determination at least so props. Russell didn’t dress. Kreider saw a few plays and did nothing of note. 4

WR: An overall solid day from this group. Ward made an incredible catch at the corner of the end zone on the Steelers opening possession. Holmes flashed the big play potential we know was there as he streaked passed Brodney Pool and got a td on the deep post. Both Holmes and Ward blocked effectively including some crushing blocks by our new tandem. Wilson and Washington saw some action but contributed through their block mostly. Washington was flagged for a hold. 4

TE: Miller and Spaeth overall looked okay. In a move out of left field, the Steelers actually threw to them after the first quarter! They’re run blocking seemed sort of half assed but at least there is hope to eventual progression. 3

OL: IMO the weak aspect of this team and was shown today. Absolute piss poor run blocking. Colon and Simmons were routinely getting shoved back into the backfield right into Parker. Constant penetration and run blitzing by the Browns was the cause of that. Turned around somewhat in the 2nd half but by then the Browns removed Sean Jones from the box. Pass blocking improved with Colon there as opposed to Max Starks in that regard. Simmons is still the weak link. Faneca got bulldozed a couple of times but is still the best lineman we have. Mahan looked okay in his first game but was still nothing to write home about. He did get to the second level enough to make Andra Davis a non factor. Marvel Smith had his hands full with Kamerion Wimbley and need some chip help a lot. Ben did take a lot of unnecessary shots that need to be addressed hopefully with more continuity. 3

DL: I thought the starting dl played well. Smith as mentioned above was solid in the run game as usual. Hampton tooled on Fraley at will and was constantly moving the LOS wherever he damned well please. Kiesel had an uneventful game and added nothing overall. The rover position that Kiesel was supposed to play looks to be a waste as Kiesel does not have the athletic ability to be Adalius Thomas. Frankly, the weight loss Kiesel went through so he could do this shit should be tested during the next coming weeks. The wave defenders were piss poor as always. Hoke did play okay but Kirschke and Eason add nothing in the pass rush game and were easily handled by the stain line. 3

LB: Mostly solid day overall. Haggans and Harrison had some sacks. I would like to see a more consistent pass rush from them though. I’m getting tired of the fact that this team only gets sacks when they blitz. Farrior is a hoss when he rushes the passer. And had an overall solid game. Had an INT clang of his stone hands that allowed Derek “fucking” Anderson to score a td. Foote needs to stop wrapping up people and actually tackle them instead of waiting for the boys to come finish them off. The Linebackers did have trouble trying to contain the Soldier who feasted on our weak coverage. All in all a good days work. Woodley and Timmons saw some time out there as well and did nothing of note. I’d like to see more of Arnold Harrison in there as well. 5

Secondary:
Solid day overall again but that was more for Charlie Frye being terrible. Ike Taylor shocked the world with a pick as did Townsend. Taylor needs to show some improvement in locating a football but hey I’ll take it. McFadden and Gay saw some time and played okay. Fadd got called on a hold but in general solid. Ricky Coke didn’t play. Clark and Polamalu got the start and nothing to egregious. Clark did get taken out to the woodshed by Winslow on a block which saw Anthony Smith see some time. Smith made an outstanding tackle on Jamal Lewis on the stains td drive. Smith also smacked Braylon Edwards leading to a fumble. I’m shocked that this kid isn’t playing already. Everytime I see him he makes positive happen and is always around the ball. The Steelers haven’t had this type of stick in the lineup since Lee Flowers and Smith is already better in coverage. Ty Carter saw some dime action and talked some shit. 4

Special Teams:
Sepulveda had a very good start to his career. Usually having to punt from midfield, Sep was able to place the ball inside the 20 4 times. He didn’t have to boom any punts but it’s good to know that he also has a touch of placement available as well. He will only become better with time and that makes me very happy. Jeff Reed showed some skills on kickoffs for once consistently booming them in the end zone. I guess all that partying does have its benefits. I also hope he got his douche hair cut. Cribbs had one decent return but in general was bottled up. 4

Other thoughts:
Lebeau seemed to call off the dogs until Andersen started making noise in our side of the field again. I hope this trend stops now. After the first half, Steelers couldn’t sniff Andersen. That in itself worries me and needs to be improved upon. Sure the Browns have a decent online now but come on.

Timmons was everywhere on special teams. I love the fact that he is seeing some time out there in his first campaign. Perhaps, if Zo Jackson would maybe he wouldn’t be such a bust? Regardless, it was good to see and hopefully Timmons will become the real rover in this defense.

I love the term hybrid especially with defense involved. As the cover-2 and 34 defense mix, I hope our two coaches can come to form a new phase of defense that can rock the cover 2 behind some of the zone blitzing techniques. This would have Polamalu playing in some other role as opposed to deep safety and probably would be better suited to his skill set.

Willie Colon in general is a much better pass blocker than max Starks and at least plays with attitude. Starks though seems to dominant more in the run game.

Simmons is still filth despite some decent blocks. He is not strong enough at the POA and that worries me. Luckily the Bills shouldn’t be able to take advantage but you can damn well know the Pats, Rats and Jags will. Look Simmons seems like a great guy and all but giving him an extension for constantly getting trucked is asinine.

Mahan will not be the next great Steeler center but played alright. Seemed to do okay with Washington and was able to get to the 2nd level with enough frequency.

I liked the fact that we continue to use the tight ends more but in general the blocking by both Heath and Spaeth was pedestrian. Miller and Spaeth were both solid blockers in college (Heath in his rookie year too) but didn’t get noticeable movement. Too be fair, the Browns were shoving 8 and 9 guys in the box.

I love Parker and his attitude and the fact he always pushes himself but man please don’t try so hard. It was refreshing to see him last year try his hardest but sometimes the poor kid tries to hard. Hell of guy and a great player

Anytime you can beat a divisional opponent in their crib, you walk away happy. However, there should be some legitimate concern for the line. In time these issues might become rectified with continuity and repetition but the concern should be there. I hope we see it shored up as the Steelers must start off the season 5-0 or at worst 4-1 to even think about getting into the post season. All in all though, a very good start to a season with enough room to improve. Not every week will be able to feast on Charlie Frye or anything but the fact of the matter remains is that this is a playoff team and should be contention for not only the division but also the superbowl. Keep it up Tomlin!

Updates

2007-09-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

DC has decided that we will now be shifting to a Stiller only blog. We will still comment on general NFL happenings but look for much more Steeler focus. On that note here are a couple previews of this weekend's AFC North Battles:

AFC North Week One Preview

Baltimore @ Cincinnati

Key Matchup: The Bengals’s no huddle offense has traditionally given the Ravens D fits benefiting by one of the top offensive lines in football However, this year, The Bengal’s have lost a borderline all-pro guard in Eric Steinbach and starting center Rich Braham who has the strength to handle the beastly Haloti Ngata. Replacing them are unproven Stacy Andrews at Guard and Eric Ghiaciuc at center. The Ravens themselves have lost all world utility guy Adalius Thomas but feel comfortable with Jarret Johnson who is your average ham n’egger who doesn’t have the size nor skill set to do what Thomas can. If the Bengals oline can give Carson time, he will exploit Rolle and McCallister. This is a game however that Piss Henry and all his drunken glory will be missed. Henry would have feasted on the weak raven nickel and dime dbacks. The Ratbird secondary despite all the hype does give up some big plays. Chad and Housh will due their respective damage though it’s unlikely for either to put together a massive game. All world Ed Reed is still the best safety in football but sometimes is prone to brain farts but I guess we all are.

The other side of the ball, we should see the Ravens chew up the Bengal defense. The front seven of the Bengals might be the worst in football not to mention they are lacking a solid enough run stuffer in the middle. McGahee should have a field day. The prize free agent the Bengals signed Ed Hartwell was just cut last week. Ahmad Brooks will man the middle with Rashad Jeantty and Landon Johnson as his side cars. Neither of them is anything to write home about but they are young so you hear the word upside being thrown around. I don’t know I have yet to see this.
Brooks has skills but should get rocked by Rat lineman coming up in to the second level. None of the backers of the Bengals can keep up with Todd Heap especially with play action

You see the Bengals feel are molding themselves after the Colts model in an attempt to get in to the Superbowl except without nearly the amount of talent on the defensive side of the ball. Robert Geathers is a very good pash rusher but will get tossed around like a sack of shit in the run game. Opposite Geathers is the worst 7 million dollar man in the league, Justin Smith. Why the Bungs gave him that much I don’t understand. Not to say that Smith is god awful but seriously there are way better options than to spend that much. Suffice to say, neither of these are what Colts have so expect new RT Adam Terry + Heap vs. Geathers and all world John Ogden vs. Smith to each win that matchup.

The Bengals also do not have a game changing safety like Bob Sanders. Actually they do but in the wrong sense of game changing. Madieu Williams though promising is more adept to missing a tackle, getting trucked by an Rb or taking a bad angle on a tackle than making a game winning pick. Dexter Jackson is still woefully average. The Corners vs. the Ravens Receiver should be another interesting matchup. Cincy has drafted Leon “Dwayne Jarrett is my master” Hall and Johnathan Joseph that past 2 seasons to shore up the pass defense also returning is incumbent Deltha “Don’t call me April” O’Neil. O’ Neil has great hands for a corner but also is uber aggressive and prone to the double move. With playaction and a successful run game though the Ratbird receivers should see plenty of opportunities downfield. Mcnair will dink and dunk his way to a decent outing.

Prediction:

Cincy keeps it close before finally succumbing to a late Stover field goal

Baltimore - 24
Cincinnati - 21

Fantasy Outlook:

Bengals:

Palmer – 275 yards passing 2tds/2ints
Rudi – 86 yards rushing/1td
Ocho – 75 yards receiving
TJ – 70 receiving/1 td

Ravens:

McNair – 220 yards passing 1td/ 1 int
McGahee – 120 yards rushing/1td
Heap – 80 yards receiving/1td
Clayton – 50 yards receiving
Mason – 50 yards receiving

Pittsburgh @ Cleveland

Key Matchup:

The most interesting matchup will be the Browns defense vs. the Steelers offense. The weakness of the Browns is their defensive line which is paramount to being a successful 3-4 unit. The ends are no where near the stud 3-4 ends who can occupy atleast 2 blockers and keep the linebackers free. Robaire Smith, Orpheus Roye and Simon Fraser should all be handled effectively by the Steelers. The Steelers offensive line took a hit with the retirement of Jeff Hartings but should be able to open enough lanes for Fast Willie to take advantage. Look for an interesting battle between new Steeler center, Sean Mahan vs. Ted Washington. Washington has been in the league for a while now and isn’t as dominating as he was before. Because of his age and girth, expect Washington to be rotated in an out frequently. Jeff Hartings, last season, was able to man up and block Washington one and one and thusly the Steelers had their way. Mahan should be able to hole him off as well allowing the Guards to swarm a very good Brown linebacking squad.

The Browns will also be missing Willie McGinest due to injury. I expect the Steelers to have trouble containing Kamerion Wimbley so look for a tight end to line up on his side and help on passing downs leaving young RT Willie Colon to matchup against either Antwan Peek or David McMillan. Look for the highly underrated Sean Jones to crowd the line especially if Parker and the Steelers have success running the ball initially. The Steelers should have their way with the Browns on passing downs. Despite all the fanfare for the new Steelers offense, it’s still mostly effective off of running the football. Expect to see the Steelers showcase their new offense by mix it up a bit more with more 3, 4, 5 receiver sets, two tight end sets and the occasional no huddle. Look for big plays downfield for Santonio Holmes and Nate Washington. Hines Ward will be his usual steady possession receiver self.

I fully expect Crennell to have this defense blitzing early and often in attempts to challenge this revamped Steeler offensive line and test to see if they can withstand the exotic blitz packages. Crennel has also had success with zone blitzing and dropping back 8 man back in coverage and flooding the passing lines. Thus it is imperative for the Steelers to come out and get a successful ground game going to minimize the blitzing. Parker, throughout history, has made of living of running through the Cleveland Browns and look for that trend to continue. The Browns last year in Cleveland shut this offense down for 3 quarters so there is hope.

The other side of the ball should be an interesting sort of chess match as well. The Browns revamp their offensive line with the drafting of Joe Thomas and signing of Eric Steinbach. Kevin Shaeffer, last year’s left tackle, will move to RT and is far better suited to that position. Seth McKinney also takes over at RG. In general, the unit should be vastly improved.

Former Ratbird, Jamal Lewis will take over the bulk of the running. Lewis isn’t the same as he was in previous years but sadly is still an upgrade for the Browns. I don’t expect Lewis too have much room available especially with LeCharles Bentley still hurt. Casey Hampton should devour Hank Fraley and limit rushing up the gut. Lewis will need to find success off tackle but doesn’t have the speed anymore to do so forcing a number of 3rd and longs.

I expect the Steelers to unveil some new wrinkles in their blitz packages but also expected a lot of max protection from the Browns to counter. Frye will try to nickel and dime his way to Winslow and Edwards to get the Browns upfield. Winslow will have a big game for the Browns as tight ends always give the Steelers problems. Braylon Edwards vs. Ike Taylor & Joe Jurevicius vs. Deshea Townsend should also be an interesting matchup in man coverage, look for the Browns to try exploiting this matchup.

For the Browns to be successful they need to get 4 yards a carry. If Thomas and Steinbach (two finesse blockers) can handle the wood that the Steelers will throw at them than look for Lewis can find some success rushing on the left side. I expect the oline of the Browns to hold off the Steeler rush just enough allowing Charlie Frye to potentially take advantage. The question is though can he make the plays necessary? Thus far, the answer is no. He is not the right man for the job and will not be able to consistently make these high pressure throws for the Browns to win.

Prediction:

Expect the Browns come out like a house of fire and keep the Steelers bottled up for a half. Frye and company should get an early lead but fail to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns.
Frye eventually will remember that he is indeed Charlie Frye and Steelers pour it on in the 2nd half with another big game from Willie Parker. Steelers must avoid the egregious turnovers that plagued them last year and Frye and Co must not make any turnovers themselves. That is the only way the Browns can win this game.

Pittsburgh - 27
Cleveland - 13

Fantasy Outlook:

Browns:

Frye – 175 yards passing / 1td / 2 ints
Lewis – 65 yards rushing
Winslow – 60 yards receiving /1 td
Edwards – 40 yards receiving
Jurevicius – 55 yards receiving

Steelers:

Roth – 275 yards passing 2td/ 1 int
Parker – 150 yards total/1td
Ward – 80 yards receiving/1td
Holmes – 65 yards receiving/1 td
Miller – 30 yards receiving

25 things to show me for this upcoming NFL Season

2007-08-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

1) Peyton Manning – You struggled in the playoffs and didn't deserve the SB mvp but now can you win despite having an EVEN worse defense.

2) Shawn Merriman – Please prove to me that you are not a fraud. That you don’t need roids to blow up offensive tackles anymore. You sure looked like crap against the Patriots.

3) New England – Can you play as being the favorites and be successful in that role where everyone is gunning for you. Can you live up to the sportscenter hype?

4) Mike Tomlin – Can you live up to Bill Cowher standards? Will you actually win by out strategizing other teams as opposed to doing what we do?

5) Norv Turner – Can you win with the most talented team in football?

6) Tony Romo – Are you for real? Or just another qb that gets hyped way too much before he actually wins anything.

7) Carson Palmer – You have shown you can be a leader off the field. Can you translate this into beating a quality opponent when the game matters this year? (I'm not counting the gifts that Pittsburgh has given Palmer over the past 2 years)

8) Donovan McNabb? – Prove to me that you are healthy and that you can stay healthy for a season

9) Brian Billick – Since you got your wonderful new contract extension, isn’t time to finally show everyone this great offense you have

10) Tom Coughlin – Please show me a reason to not have you canned upcoming season. You lost some talent this offseason but you can still challenge in the NFC

11) Seattle Seahawks – Prove to me that last year was a fluke with all the injuries and that you can make something of your strong chances this season

12) San Francisco 49’ers – Please show the league that you are capable of taking that next step toward respectability.

13) Arizona Cardinals – It’s time to stop hearing how you may finally contend for the division crown and actually go out there and do it. I'm tired of hearing about the Cardinals being a sleeper team/

14) Romeo Crennel – Sure you play in the toughest division in football but its about time to be competitive

15) Atlanta – Show me that you can be competitive with Joey F’nin Harrington as your starting qb

16) John Fox – Can you lead this team into the playoffs and beyond? Most importantly, can you keep your players healthy?

17) Oakland Raiders – Can you finally sign your Franchise qb and get him in camp?

18) Detriot Lions – Can you really be successful with Jon Kitna as your starting quarterback

19) Calvin Johnson – prove to me that you are truly one of the top prospects that has ever come into the NFL as many, including myself, think you are

20) Brett Favre – please retire this year you aren’t getting closer to a championship and your legacy is getting tarnished.

21) New Orleans – show me that you improved a defense just enough that the offense doesn’t need to score 30+ points a game

22) Rexy – Please work on the turnovers. He was talking last night about how everyone starts clean and new in September. Son, you HAVE to. Otherwise have fun holding the clipboard.

23) Randy Moss – show me that you aren’t a broken down receiver on a bad wheel

24) Jay Cutler – prove that you are worth the ESPN hype

25) New York Jets – please show me that you aren’t a team that feasted on the Texans, Raiders, Dolphins, Lions, Packers, Vikings, Bills

Quicky Offseason Thoughts

2007-05-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Like a Saturday Night BJ, here we go with some quick, mid laundry thoughts on the offseason in the NFL:

New England appears to be destined to romp through the NFL this season on route to a 19-0 season. Doubt it. The big favorites never seem to put it together all season and they do have a tough schedule without having to play the cream puff NFC Central. Not to mention Tom Brady has lasted almost 6 years without major injury. Eventually that good fortune will run out.

Draft thoughts:

Winners in no particular order:

Cleveland – 2 franchise players potentially. The browns will be very competitive this year in the AFC north
Falcons – huge first day with Houston, Anderson and Blaylock
Panthers - BPA
49ers – time will tell if Staley was worth a pick. Great draft + Darrel Jackson
Arizona – Brown was a bit of a reach, Branch is a potential stud, Buster Davis is a steal
Minnesota – Great draft imo – Petersen if healthy will be a top 3 back in the league; Rice is a gamebreaker, McCauley though inconsistent has tremendous potential. Brian Robison is one of steals of the draft and Rufus Alexander is a steal in the 6th

Losers:

Bengals – The bengals defense got worse this offseason.
Titans – Will either be big winners or big time losers
Eagles – They do have a deep team as is but Kolb?
Packers – reaches all around except for Mason Crosby
Dolphins – could/would/should have traded down

Bravo to Ron Mexico for housing dog fights. Pure class act

Keyshawn might as well just stay at ESPN..I felt he did a good job and should take over Irvin’s spot

Bungles with their overexpanding lists of drafted turds… is quite amusing

Everything I read about Mike Tomlin makes me love the pick. Something tells me though despite whatever he does, he will always have his detractors especially unlike Cowher, he won’t have a bad Browns and Bengal teams to beat up on for 8 years

Pre Combine Mocksanity

2007-02-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

Round 1
1. Oakland – JaMarcus Russell, QB LSU
2. Detroit – Joe Thomas, OT Wisconsin
3. Cleveland – Adrian Peterson, RB Oklahoma
4. Tampa Bay – Calvin Johnson, WR Georgia Tech
5. Arizona – Jamaal Anderson, DE Arkansas
6. Washington – Gaines Adams, DE Clemson
7. Minnesota – Dewayne Jarrett, WR USC
8. Houston – Levi Brown, OT Penn State
9. Miami – Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame
10. Atlanta – LaRon Landry, S LSU
11. San Francisco – Alan Branch, DT Michigan
12. Buffalo – Patrick Willis, LB Ole Miss
13. St. Louis – Amobi Okoye, DT Louisville
14. Carolina – Reggie Nelson, S Florida
15. New York Jets (from Pittsburgh) – Marshawn Lynch, RB California
16. Green Bay – Leon Hall, CB Michigan
17. Jacksonville – Jarvis Moss, DE Florida
18. Cincinnati – Darrelle Revis, CB Pittsburgh
19. Tennessee – Ted Ginn, WR Ohio State
20. New York Giants – Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
21. Denver – Adam Carriker, DE Nebraska
22. Dallas – Dwayne Bowe, WR LSU
23. Kansas City – Robert Meachem, WR Tennessee
24. New England (SEA) – Paul Posluszny, LB Penn State
25. Pittsburgh Steelers (from New York Jets) – Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB Purdue
26. Philadelphia – Lawrence Timmons, LB Florida State
27. New Orleans – Daymeion Hughes, CB California
28. New England – Sidney Rice, WR South Carolina
29. Baltimore – Justin Blalock, OG Texas
30. San Diego – Michael Griffen, S Texas
31. Chicago – Tony Ugoh, OT, Arkansas
32. Indianapolis – Jon Beason, LB Miami

tune in next week as breakdown who improved their stock most/least among other combine/draft musings

Mock Madness!

2007-02-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

Oh YES ITS MOCK DRAFT TIME! No Trades this time but those will be coming in the future as well as explanations.

Round 1
1. Oakland – JaMarcus Russell, QB LSU
2. Detroit – Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame
3. Cleveland – Alan Branch, DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay – Calvin Johnson, WR Georgia Tech
5. Arizona – Joe Thomas, OT Wisconsin
6. Washington – Gaines Adams, DE Clemson
7. Minnesota – Dewayne Jarrett, WR USC
8. Houston – Adrian Peterson, RB Oklahoma
9. Miami – Jamaal Anderson, DE Arkansas
10. Atlanta – LaRon Landry, S LSU
11. San Francisco – Reggie Nelson, S Florida
12. Buffalo – Patrick Willis, LB Ole Miss
13. St. Louis – Amobi Okoye, DT Louisville
14. Carolina – Ted Ginn, WR Ohio State
15. Pittsburgh – Levi Brown, OT Penn State
16. Green Bay – Marshawn Lynch, RB California
17. Jacksonville – Jarvis Moss, DE Florida
18. Cincinnati – Darrelle Revis, CB Pittsburgh
19. Tennessee – Dwayne Bowe, WR LSU
20. New York Giants – Leon Hall, CB Michigan
21. Denver – Adam Carriker, DE Nebraska
22. Dallas – Justin Blalock, OG Texas
23. Kansas City – Robert Meachem, WR Tennessee
24. New England (SEA) – Paul Posluszny, LB Penn State
25. New York Jets – Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB Purdue
26. Philadelphia – Lawrence Timmons, LB Florida State
27. New Orleans – Daymeion Hughes, CB California
28. New England – Sidney Rice, WR South Carolina
29. Baltimore – Troy Smith, QB Ohio State
30. San Diego – Michael Griffen, S Texas
31. Chicago – Rufus Alexander, LB Oklahoma
32. Indianapolis – Jon Beason, LB Miami

Check back periodically as we intend to breakdown some of the latest headcoaching moves as well as a special look at the wonders of Bill Cowher

Thoughts

2007-02-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

a long time coming but with the 2 week break and the superbowl everythings been said. Peyton winning the mvp is a joke. Dominic Rhodes in my opinion is your superbowl mvp. Manning managed the game and despite a horrid int in the first quarter dumped it off and checked it down as by standard precedure. All in all a smart efficient game for him but no where near the mvp the media is christening him as.

It feels good to see Dungy win the trophy and to handle everything he has/had to deal with with such class and honor. A truly deserving man to win lombardi's trophy.

Marvin Harrison is the real choker on the Colts. His consistently hits 50 yards receiving performace in clutch games not to mention coming up big nor taking hits, etc. As he inches towards retirement, Reggie Wayne will continue to thrive. Next season, look for teams to start double teaming Wayne

So Favre is coming back. Atleast he updated his team now rather than in July or whatever.

Other Round 2 Thoughts

2007-01-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

- All hail ye Marty Ball, which hath caused yet another early playoff exit.

Ok, it was really all Marty’s fault though the challenge at the end of the game was dumb. The Chargers successfully choked their way out of the playoffs while having the best team in the league. Shawne “I am useless without steroids” Merriman once again lived up to his nickname (ok, so I made it up, but he made up his own so mine is completely valid too).

Bill Belichick continues to wear a dirty rag and embarrass the NFL coaches with his lack of respect for looking anything approaching decent. Seriously, you make millions a year, spend it on some clothes.

- Ladanian Tomlinson (notice how I did not say LT, cause that solely belongs to Lawrence Taylor) was justified in his comments. Being classless is the New England way. I should know, I lived there for five years.

- No surprise the Ravens lost to me. They weren’t that good of a team, and their defense made McNair look like his true self: old and over the hill. And the sad thing is, the Colts defense isn’t that great either. Even Peyton once again choking against a good defense couldn’t help the Ravens win. Best in the AFC my ass. They beat up on a bad division all year and it showed.

- The Seahawks lost by a field goal, and the amazing thing is Mike Holmgren isn’t blaming the refs.

- The Saints, who many are rooting for (myself including, but not because of the whole Katrina thing like many people), beat the Eagles, who were the hottest team going into the playoffs. No one gave Philly a chance after McNabb went down, but you have to give them and Garcia credit for what they did.

Round 3… Fight!

Patriots vs Colts
Sadly, I think the Patriots will pull this one out cause Peyton will choke again. Though wouldn’t it be justice if Viniateri knocked the Pats out with a last second field goal?

Saints vs Bears
I think the Saints magic run will be coming to an end, with the Bears defense being too much for them. Of course, there always is the Rex Grossman factor.
-Jordan

Thoughts on Round 2/Coaching news

2007-01-15T16:19:00.001-08:00

Once again the magic of the patriots. It's unbelievable to watch this team continue to be in position to win games by the skin of their teeth through some freak occurance like a fumble on the interception. Frankly though with their first half last minute drive, I think we all knew they would once again prevail.

Brady is great as you know but that offensive line is easily top 3 in the NFL. To judge how effective the line was look at Tom's jersey post game. Frankly one or 2 patches of grass on it. Frankly Brady probably could have done a commercial for tide with bleech with how white that jersey. The line continues to keep upright and give a very good pocket against a solid pass rushing defense.

I would like to put an APB out on Roidboy. Outside of one play, did he even sniff Brady?

LT is now being called a sore loser by Patriot nation and their apologists. While he may have went about it the wrong way, his comments were spot on accurate. He is a classy guy that doesn't say anything derogatory to anyone or anything. In a world of look at me pro football players, LT acts like he's been there before. While Ellis Hobbs or whoever is Roidboying on the midfield logo it was a slap in the face.

Kickoff Weekend Thursday Night - Patriots at Chargers... book it

Rivers played adequately enough to win this game for his team and his potential is great. He was not the reason they lost this game.

Marty Schottenheimer continues to come up short. You can blame him all you want for wasting a timeout etc, but frankly these players have played football 20+ years. They should know fundamental things like holding on to a football or falling on a fumble. That is where the blame. Fundamentally sound teams with discipline wouldn't have blown a huge lead to the Pats at home!!

The Seahawk/Bear was a fun game to watch.

I can't blame Holmgren for the 4th and 1 call. You have supposedly a top 2 runningback and former MVP and you can't get a yard! It's unbelievable especially with a very good oline that the Seahawks possess.

Eventhough, Hester's punt return was called back that was still impressive/pathetic special teams to not push him out.

Rexy all in all played a solid game. No backbreaking turnovers that have plagued him so far. However, he is known to have these stinkers every other week so the real test will be next week against an overrated Saint's defense. Payton and co can hide their weaknesses through smoke and mirrors but eventually the luck will run out.

That offense in general with the Saints will put points on the board. The Bears defense isn't nearly what it is with Tommy Harris and Mike Brown. Alexander was able to pound them and I see no difference with Deuce in their on Sunday. Expect a good game from him as the Bears seem to have trouble with the bigger contact driven runningbacks.

Is their any doubt that the Eagle's MVP this season is Westbrook?

Jeff Garcia made himself quite a bit of money this season. He would be dumb to not return to the Eagles.

Speaking of good offensive lines that Saints line is right up there with the Pats and Colts

The colts went into a hostile Raven territory and punched the Ravens in the face. See what the majority of media pundits will fail to realize is the fact that the Colts with the lead are much much different from the Colts trailing or tied. The colts rely on outscoring the opponents first and than forcing them into a one dimensional pass fest. Falling right into the hands of Freeney and Mathis and a speedy overall defense that can fly around hit and make plays. Sort of like the Bengals to an extent except with a much better overall defense. Naturally the Ravens with Offensive Genius piloting the offense went into a predictable Cowherean / Schottenheimer run run pass punt offense. The teams in the NFL are too skilled now where they can atleast sellout to stop the run and somewhat limit a team's effectiveness as they did on Saturday. McNair also dinked and dunked his way around the place to much without actually running more playaction and vertical passing routes.

The Colts oline also kept Manning relatively clean. He just still shat himself in the playoffs.

Ed Reed is by far the best safety in football. Anyway who says Troy Polamalu is better is clueless.

Ken Whisenhunt is now the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. While Ken stole the show last year with his trick plays and actually attacking defenses, he resumed his natural Shottenheimer philosophy of run, run and face predictable long 3rd and 7 offensive. Often times, it seemed as Whisenhunt would be playing a game of Madden rather than attacking other team's defenses etc. I feel he will be mediocre in the same vein as fabled Cowher assistants like Mike Mularky and Chan Gailey but I have been wrong before.

I would love to see a Saints and Colts superbowl but I feel the Patriots and their "fabulous fumble" magic will propel them to a win over the Bears as Rex "5 Turnovers" Grossman returns to form in the Superbowl.

The Patriots when facing a team in their second time in a season are undefeated with Brady and Sweatshirtchek and this will be seen on Sunday.

Happy MLK day everyone.

Other thoughts

2007-01-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

First

hahahahha

I also want to say RIP to tonyhomo.com

Here are some additional thoughts on this past playoff action

- OK so the colts defense is back apparently. That's what espn would love for you to believe. Frankly though its simple for the Colts, get the early lead and than force the team to throw. Leading right into the the speedy edge rushers of the Colts to go attack the QB. Combine this with the dome and its a very tough place to play without or with their enhanced noise.

- They were able to limit LJ's effectiveness which was indeed surprising. Fact of the matter is Trent Green in hindsight should have been sitting and Damon Huard should have been playing. Would it have matter? Likely not but Trent Green was not able to make the throws he needed to make to win. Problem is none of his receivers could also catch either.

- The final minutes of the Seahawk and Cowboy game was a joy to watch but the rest of the game was a continual mess of slop and cheese. However, the Cowboys had a clear advantage and should have spread the field against the injuried secondary.

- Romo despite the incessant hype did perform well for the boys and gives the franchise hope.

- Roy Williams continues to solidify his role as the most overrated player in football

- The Terry Glenn quickout was an abortion of a playcall. You have a solid runningback in Marion Barber who specialises in gaining yardage. Use him especially when backed up.

- I fully expect Tuna to be back. Frankly, I hope he comes back with TO again. Cue the hilarity.

- I'll give credit to the Jets for a successful season and for hanging around against the Pats.

- However, they do have a serious amount of holes that were exposed. It will be interesting to see them next year and with a lot of cap room and solid drafting..the future is bright

- The Pats at home with sweatshirtchek...foggatabouttit or something

- So ends the Giants. A huge injuried dissapointment. While Coughlin will get blamed can we also point blame at the following. 3rd and long Tim Lewis. A guy who consistly has in team to force a 3 and out until he allows the 12 yard run, scramble, out, slant, etc..

- Eli Manning needs a real qb coach and an offensive coordinator. He is a different qb in the hurryup shotgun yet we never see it. This is what allowed the Giants to come back against the Eagles in week 2.

- Garcia may look awful but he has been clutch. Frankly he may not be as good as Mcnabb can be but he is a better fit for WCO.

- BDawk and Ed Reed are head and shoulders above the rest of the safeties in the league

- I wish Tiki Barber would come back for a few years but doesn't look good for him. He had a solid (not HOF career) but he is allowed to walk away on his terms

- Jeremy Shockey gets dumped on too much by the media...he is an absolute warrior

- Playoff picks:

1) Ravens vs Colts -- Peyton can't handle the 3-4. Can he handle the 34, 43, 46, 52, 3-3-5, 4-2-5, 1-5-5, 3-5-3? Ravens win

2) Eagles vs Saints -- Tough matchup to predict here. Lito Sheppard being hurt gives the Saints an advantage. Westbrook would a tough matchup for most teams but Payton has his own Brian Westbrook that we should hear a lot from. Both team defenses have seen players like that so thats a wash. Both offenses will score points but with the shakey performance by the Saints defense the last couple of weeks I see an Iggle victory

3) Bears vs Seahawks -- The Bears crushed the Seahawks the last game but much of that was attributed to Tommy Harris singlehandedly caving in the Seahawk oline. He won't be there. Grossman will and in these tossup games you go with the QB. Hasselback on the road leads the Hawks to the upset.

4) Pats vs Chargers - another hugeee matchup. Sweatshirtcheck and friends take out LT and put out a ton of different schemes and sets to confuse Philip Rivers and will. First year starters don't win in the playoffs.

Tune in later the week for more playoff talk as well as new coaching updates and comments.

Cheers

Playoffs Round 1

2007-01-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

-I can’t help but notice how incredibly overblown the Patriots-Jets game was this past Sunday.

I keep hearing things like “Belichik won the chess match” “teacher beats student” blah blah blah. But here’s something the people that write these are forgetting: the Jets aren’t that good! If anyone seriously thought the Jets were going to win that game you are crazy.

It wasn’t Bill “Aqualung” Belichick* being a great coach. It wasn’t Tom Brady being a great QB, it was the fact that the Patriots all around are a much better team than the Jets are. So don’t go acting like it was great coaching and what not, it was a mismatch from the get go.

-And that wasn’t the only mismatch of the day. The Chiefs proved why it was they shouldn’t have been in the playoffs. They got destroyed in every aspect of the game. Every one. NO first downs until near the end of the 3rd quarter is horrible.

Sorry Herm, you were wrong. You didn’t earn your trip to the playoffs, and this game was why.

-Where’s the Tony Romo savior/all star talk now?

- Tom Coughlin sucks. That's all I have to say about that game.

-Jordan

*If you don’t get the reference, I’m referring to the fact he wears a rag/sweatshirt he took off a dead bum and put a Pats symbol on it

Saban

2007-01-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

This week Nick Saban announced that he will in fact be leaving the Miami Dolphins for the Alabama Crimson Tide. I know a lot of people will be real quick to berate him, and it’s not unwarranted, but I don’t think he should be.

Yes he did lie about, and adamantly at that, he would not be leaving the Dolphins. But you know what? A lot of coaches lie about things. It’s nothing new. Coaches lie, players lie, and owners lie. It happens. Does that make it right? No, but it’s far from uncommon, yet every time it happens people throw a fit.

Also, let’s be realistic here. Alabama gave Saban $32 million over eight years, guaranteed nonetheless, and apparently gave him all his demands. So basically you have a guaranteed cash flow, good job security (since Alabama won’t fire him until at least half way through his contract to avoid looking foolish) and essentially total power with your job. Now tell, can anyone honestly say that is a deal they can turn down?

We all ask where they loyalty is. But to be honest, if that deal was thrown at you, wouldn’t you take it? You’d be stupid not to. A job you love where you have the power and are getting paid lots of money to do it? You don’t throw your dream job away just to not piss a few people off. Not to mention, we have no idea what he really thought about coaching the Dolphins. Maybe he hated the owner, or much preferred the college gig over the NFL. Maybe his family wasn’t happy in Miami. There are many factors that we potentially do not and never will know about.

So before anyone wants to berate Saban for what he did, just take a minute to think about if it were you in that position (for whatever dream job you want, whatever city its in), would you really throw it away because you didn’t want to hurt the feeling of you boss at your current job? I can honestly say I sure as hell would have done what Saban did.

-Jordan

Weekly Thoughts

2007-01-03T12:29:00.000-08:00

DC would like to send our condolences to the family, friends and teammates of Darrent Williams: a great young player and even a better person from all accounts. Darrent, You will be missed...

I don’t try to buy into the hype but honestly people need to get over the deep ball. Jay Cutler can throw a ball far but to already anoint him “god of qbing” like people in the media are is sickening. I do believe he will be the best of the past draft class though.

I saw this Vince Young is awesome thing before. But this when one Ronald M. Mexico had his first season starting and he took the Falcons to the playoffs -- including beating the Pack in Lambeau which at the time was truly incredible. It’s been done before that even also. I also saw that in 1997, when Kordell Stewart did the same thing for the Steelers. I hope for Vince’s sake that his career turns out better but I will like to see how he can handle the multiple schemes and fronts that the NFL turns on qbs. Once he falters the book will be out on him and the rapid success will fizzle much like all rookies. Vince Young though does seem to rise to the occasion unlike the others and already he seems to have a more accurate arm.

With Brett Favre breaking down after the Sunday night game I hope that this indeed his swan song. You gotta love Favre’s spirit and enthusiasm and he was absolute treat to watch since the early 90s but these past seasons have made his image tarnished somewhat in my mind. Easily one of the best Qbs ever..

The Roughing the passer shit needs to further elaborated ie) Farrior and Palmer. The penalty may have been warranted but it isn’t right that defenders can only tackle Qbs in between the Chest and the Stomach.

The New York Jets with their .400 strength of schedule get into the playoffs as a 5th seed! While Mangenius deserves credit so does the astounding talent of the NFC north and bottomfeeders like the faiders and Texicans. Regardless of my bitterness, the season is still success. There is even a small chance of an upset due to the fact that Mangini knows what he is going up against. Problem is so does Bradichek. Also the vaunted new turf will also be there. The turf that was so horrid that it made the Pats change it in mid week.

Here’s my thing with Jim Mora. He may be a nice guy and probably gets a lot out of his players but jeez sir you a moron. Not for the numerous questionable calls on the field, for not knowing his teams playoff chances, for his slips of the tongue but the still continued usage of Mike Vick in a west coast offense. Sure some of the cute little options plays were neat at first but for allowing that to happen is still unfathomable. I understand that you believe that such an offensive system may allow Vick to develop more into a passer – which he has to be fair, it still doesn’t take advantage and more so Vick does throw a good deep ball but his short and intermediate throws range from good to borderline awful. He is still useful and the Falcons shouldn’t give up on him but atleast accentuate what your own players to well and utilize it.

Dennis Green being fired was also understood. The man has not brought the Cardinals to that next level. However, you have GOT to blame the GM somewhat for some questionable free agency moves and drafts and the consistent failure to get oline help.

I would like to give a toast to Jason Taylor for the haterade on Roidboy. We here at Double Coverage never fail to point out the ridiculousness of having a noted cheater being not only rewarded as an allstar but also to be in contention for LEAGUE MVP!!
At this rate, I’m going to take some roids and get into the NFL also. Maybe I too can be voted MVP. To those Charger fans that whine and bitch at me, I will give Roidboy his do when he earns it legitally. Until than Roidboy will be hated on!

Hit of the Week:
Anthony Smith on TJ Houshmanzadeh or James Harrison’s suplex on Chad Johnson

Games of the Week:
4) Gints - Skins
3) 49ers - Broncos
2) Steelers - Bengals
1) BOISE STATE vs Oklahoma

Yea okay it’s not Pro ball but wow. Best game I have ever seen in 17 years of watching football.

I guess I should also include Playoff Picks:

NFC:

Philly Eagles - New York Giants : Gints

Seattle SEAHAWKS - Dallas Cowboys : Seahawks

Gints vs. Bears – Bears

Seahawks vs. Saints – Seahawks

Seahawks > Bears

AFC:

Indy Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Colts

New England vs. New York Jets – Pats

Colts vs. Ratbirds – Ravens

Pats vs. Chargers – Pats

Ravens > Pats

Happy New Year everyone! Tune in later this week as breakdown this weeks playoff games and Jordan speaks about Nick Saban,

Week 15 !!

2006-12-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

- colts defense "shutdown" the bengals..okay those words should never be echoed again..
- The bengals apparently tried to run too much against the colts...
- Carson Palmer with all his accolades and pretty passes really needs to curb his fumbling problem
- I thought the Bengal defense was horrid but now after Monday's game, I feel that they have improved to awful
- AFC playoff madness
- seriously if the steelers, bills or titans get in, holy cow
- Rivers has his first truly awful game and they still win..this charger team is like the 2004 steeler team
- Steelers never had an LT tho
- I will say this though Baltimore and NE can beat SD
- Baltimore comes out of the AFC imo
- Give Herm another year to fix that defense and dump the dead weight: K. Bell, Wesley and Knight and KC will be a playoff team
- I give Mangini credit and all but lets be honest..this is more or less the same team that should have been in the afc championship game in 2004 if not for Doug Brien. They had talent last yr too but the injuries piled up. Drafting two linemen was also very smart. The transition from college ball to pros is indeed a tough one for all positions but def. less of a learning curve for lineman
- Frank Gore is further proof it takes 2 years to recover from an acl.
- That wind sure screws up the west coast offense
- DCulp will be the comeback player of the yr next yr
- Eli Manning is in the shotgun so he has adequate space to view the ENTIRE field...apparently he doesn't notice the cornerback coming at him. As a qb, he is just not improving with his awareness and mechanics. I feel that falls not only on him but Gilbride who continues to do less with more.
- Tiny Tim Lewis continues to allow the opposing team to convert 3rd and longs consistently..I guess soft zone coverage with 4 pass rushers will do that
- why teams bother to run on the Vikings I will never know
- Chris Weinke shows why he is a backup
- abysmal preformance
- you knew it was bad when Steve Smith had a towel on his head in the first quarter
- Steeler's oline is still horribly overrated
- Roidboy got manned up with Jordan Black and outside of a few instances wasn't heard from. Welcome back to reality
- The raiders should just punt everytime they get the ball
- AFC Probowlers (imo as usual)

QB: Manning, Palmer, McNair

RB: LT, LJ, Willie Parker

FB: Lorenzo Neal

WR: Chad Johnson, Marvin Harrison, Wayne, Andre Johnson, Lee Evans

TE: Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates

T Marcus McNeil, Willie Anderson, Jon Ogden

G Will Shields, Logan Mankins, Mike Goff

C Jeff Saturday, Jeff Hartings

DE Jason Taylor, Aaron Schobel, Derrick Burgess

DT Richard Seymour, Jamal Williams, John Henderson

OLB Adalius Thomas, Roids, Keith Bullock

MLB: Ray Ray, London Fletcher

CB Champ Bailey, Nnamdi Asimougha, Chris McAlister, Rashean Mathis

S Ed Reed, Kerry Rhodes, Sean Jones

kr: Justin Miller

NFC:

QB: Brees, Bulger, Vick (doesn't deserve it but the hype machine)

HB: Gore, Barber, Westbrook

WR: Steve Smith, Holt, Roy Williams, Colston, Darrell Jackson

TE: Crumpler, Shockey

T: Walter Jones, Jammal Brown, Chris Samuels

G: Steve Hutchinson, Shawn Andrews, Chris Snee

C: Olin Kruetz, Matt Birk?

DT: Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Corey Redding

DE: Julius Peppers, Leonard Little, Aaron Kampman

OLB: Demarcus Ware, Lance Briggs, Julian Petersen

MLB: Urlacher, Antonio Pierce

CB: Terrance Newman, Walt Harris, Charles Woodson, Lito Sheppard

S: Brian Dawkins, Adrian Wilson, Roy Williams (0verrated!!)

Kr: Devin Hester

- Playoff Predictions: AFC

1) Chargers
2) Colts
3) Ravens
4) Patriots
5) Bengals
6) NY Jets

Chargers vs Pats, Colts vs Ravens

Ravens > Chargers

- NFC:

1) Bears
2) Cowboys
3) Saints
4) Seattle
5) Eagles
6) Giants

- Giants > Saints, Seattle > Eagles
- Bears > Giants , Cowboys > Seattle
- Cowboys > Bears

Superbowl champions your Baltimore Ratbirds!!!!

Weekly Spiel of Week 14

2006-12-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

- Devin Hester is Mel Gray 2k7 ; You almost have to consider simply kicking the ball out of bounds. He seems to be also able to do it when the Bears need it the most. Easy run a way for special teams player of the year.
- I thought with Laroi Glover and Spoon and Tye Hill, that the Rams defense would improve and they have but still ways to go. It’s a shame though that Bulger and the offense has to be counted on to outscore teams when sometimes its tough
- A Steeler offensive line sighting
- Say what you will about an underrated Brown defense (imo) but Parker ran all over them. For all the praise the Bus got he never did this (2 X 200 yard games) in a season
- I feel Santonio Holmes is going to be starting next season…yes I know call me Nostradamus
- They still can’t rush the passer…there I said it
- This Soulja vs Porter feud is hilarious
- Chris Winky shows that he does have talent atleast on some throws.. I can see why Carolina kept him around
- Gabril Wilson makes a play on the secondary..is that a first?
- You can’t knock Eli’s performance the last 2 weeks
- Plaxico was on his way to being too pissed to catch balls etc for a lot of the first quarter…guess he shut me up..I’m in awe of the talent he has
- That isn’t the same Randy Moss..injuries have knocked out his burst..he’s just a tall possession receiver
- Asimougha is the best cornerback you can’t pronounce..but seriously…I’m very impressed by him and to a lesser extent Fabian Washington
- Bengals are rolling now…Right into the Indianapolis…let me say that this game is for the season I feel
- That Bronco defense sure looks good
- That Colt defense is also very good
- The Jag oline blew holes big enough for the intrepid to go through
- Maurice Jones Drew is a playmaker
- That might be the worst I’ve seen the Colts look in a long long time
- That’s the worst I’ve seen the Pats look in a long long time
- Not since that opening day loss to the Bills
- Bills looked sharp against the Jets
- Course the Jets aren’t really an 8-5 team
- The Jags look good and scary and all but seriously losing to buffalo and Houston on the road makes you look like scrubs..especially when you will open up on the road
- Drew Brees vs LT will be interesting for the NFL mvp race
- Sucks that Brees would / should probably win it most years
- All aboard the Romo Bandwagon…err
- Roy Williams continues to show how overrated one can be
- I love how everyone makes a big deal about TO yet they discuss how he should go away and what not…than WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT HIM ALL THE TIME AND INTERVIEW HIM TO BOOT.
- I have anger issues
- That’s all for now or until the IT guys shuts off my blawg access.

Edit: I'm also too lazy to fix the format.

Weekly Thoughts

2006-12-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

- So I had an awful couple weeks of work which severely limited by blawging capability. Alas, lets get to an abbreviated weekly thoughts for week 12

- I find it almost repulsive that Romo is already an MVP candidate. While his accomplishments are indeed great so far during his starting QB phase. Who else is there in that conference that justifies an MVP in the NFC? Urlacher? If Brees gets the Saints in the playoffs there is that possibility. Peppers even? But wow nevermind. If the Cowboys are able to keep it up than heck Romo is the NFC Mvp almost by default. Pathetic.
- The Giants being down right now is a surprise. I actually thought they would win the Superbowl. I felt Eli was turning into a qb that we all that he could be but somewhere along the lines it get messed up. I really feel Gilbride is stealing a paycheck. The loss of “False Start 77 Offense” has also hurt but really the majority of the blame should be placed on Eli. He isn’t a kid anymore but he continues to play like it. His “Aww shucks” demeanor elicits no sort of leadership tendencies. Personally, he doesn’t need to be a leader with Barber, Strahan, Shockey etc. But Eli for the love the god wake up. I actually still feel the Giants will get in the playoffs. They are too much of a talent not to.l
- I was completely shocked to see the Baltimore Ravens blitz and blitz and blitz the Steelers offense. Actually I was not. Anyone who has watched this pathetic display all season, realizes that it’s been a complete joke to watch. As the defending champion, you would think that on the biggest game of the year, the Steelers would come out atleast with some desire. The only only time I saw anything was the opening drive in the 2nd half by the defense. An absolutely horrid horrid performance by the offensive line. ESPN and other media outlets thought these jokers were the best line in football? It’s really not even an issue. Last year, the line was also leaky as my bathroom faucet. Defenders would come in also and only Broth would shrug them off or throw it away etc. Jeff Hartings I feel is officially done at the moment. Alan Faneca is been getting trucked and pancaked all season and there definite moments where Starks and Marvel Smith don’t even block ongoing rushers like Suggs, Thomas, Scott etc. On the concussion shot, many of the Pittsburgh media chooses to blame Willie Parker for allowed Bart Scott to come in untouched. But notice the Right Guard and tackle. Simmons and Starks gang up on the LE Trevor Pryce and naturally take him out of the play. Parker sees Faneca getting trucked and Smith backpedaling so he goes inside. There is definitely something wrong there. I’m sure media outlets will pull the blame on Roethlisberger.
- The Steeler defense also has been as soft and gooey as a chocolate cookie. Watch as Jamal Lewis runs over linebackers with ease. Watch as right end Brett Keisel gets thrown nearly across the football field or even wave man Travis Kirschke gets blasted even farther away. I would also like to put on APB out for Joey Porter. He got within Mcnair once all game. Of course Mcnair threw the ball well before Porter even got there but still. Is this the most feared Linebacker in football? I beg to differ. He went to media to say how he wanted to get 6 million a year. If I were Kevin Colbert, I would laugh. Porter had a wonderful playoff but to define him as an elite linebacker well that time has come and gone. Sadly to say, not since he was shot in the ass, have we seen the real Joey Porter.

- Another issue over the past weekend is still flex scheduling. The problem with Football is as all fans now: Any time your best players can be hurt. Sure that Eagle Colt showdown looked great 3 weeks ago. This scheduling problem needs to be discussed during the next offseason. While I understand the need to inform fans and advertisers and the like, the problem though is that we can still get a dog game during the NFL’s “showcase game.” I would also like to venture that Espn will also be requesting some form of flex scheduling this season too. The MNF games have been complete dog during much of the season as well. Flex scheduling is the right thing to do but as most things needs to be refined.

- It is exciting to have all the NFC teams more or less in the hunt but jeez the inconsistencies displayed from EVERY team are really tough to watch.

Playoff Predictions:
o AFC
1. Colts
2. Chargers
3. Ravens
4. New England
5. Chiefs
6. Jets

o NFC
1.Bears
2. Panthers
3. Cowboys
4. Seahawks
5. Giants
6. Saints

- I also love when media outlets give their fantasy picks – Gee Start LT, LJ and Peyton Manning. Awesome

- Tune in shortly for the Power Rankings and yes oh yes The Mock Draft Madness!

Two Bad Teams

2006-11-27T19:20:00.000-08:00

The Steelers, under coach Bill Cowher have once again managed to absolutely embarrass themselves. This is what Steeler football is under Cowher: absolute lack of discipline, effortless play on both sides and a complete inability to adjust to the situation. Steeler football isn’t “smash-mouth football” it’s just going through the motions, and sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Many credit Bill Cowher with the Steelers Superbowl Win. Don’t. Don’t think he even had a small part in it. The Steelers won the title despite Cowher, not because of him. Every time a Steeler game came down to coaching, Cowher lost. If you want a good example, look at two years ago when the Patriots ran circles around Bill Cowhers “game plan.” For fourteen years Cowher stood on the sidelines yelling and spitting. There is no doubt he was a good motivator, but strategy was a concept beyond his comprehension.

Notice the past tense. Cowher literally does nothing now. He is going to be gone after this year so he doesn’t care. And how can the players care when the coach doesn’t? They can’t. The team looks every bit as lifeless as their coach.

The year is a wash (and I have no doubt Cowher will win the last five games and screw the team out of a good draft pick), but the future isn’t. The Cowher era is at an end, and all remnants need to be gone. So here is what the Steelers need to do.

1) Fire the coaching staff. All of it. Starting with Bill Cowher immediately. Set a tone that a coach half assing his job will not be tolerated.

2) In the off season, get rid of the trash, or in this case the trash talking Joey Porter. He has done nothing this year since the first game. Release Jeff HArtings since he is obviously at the end of his career. Duce Staley will be gone, and also needed to go are Kendell Simmons and Marvel Smith. Aaron Smith’s contract is up, and unless he wants a major pay cut, bid him adieu.

3) Get Dan Rooney out of the picture. Rooney is not the great saint the players make him out to be. He is as greedy as they get and is lazy. People give the Steelers credit for their coach stability, but know this: Rooney keeps Cowher because he doesn’t want to search for a new coach. And its almost certain the coach after Cowher will be either Ken Whisenhunt or Russ Grimm, both already in the organization.

Also, I want to take time to address the “success” of the Ravens. This is not a Superbowl caliber team. Not even close. Look at the teams they have beat: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Tampa Bay. All bad. The only good team the Ravens have actually beat are the Chargers, and good old Marty Ball handed them the win. The Ravens only two losses, to the Panthers and Broncos are both decent teams. Also, the Ravens have barely managed wins in three of their games. They have played on only team that can actually be considered a good team. Their schedule is easy, the only remaining challenge they have this year will be the Bengals, but only because of their offense.

The Ravens are not a good team. They're just the best team in a bad division. Theyre defense is decent, but their offense is ok at best. Don't think that McNair is the QB he used to be, or that Jamal Lewis is that good.

Come playoff time, the Ravens will make it, and promptly get embarrassed like the Steelers have been all year.

-Jordan

Power Rankings of Death w/ Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

2006-11-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

1
Chicago Bears
We will find out what type of team the Bears are on Sunday

2
San Diego Chargers
The darlings of the NFL but naturally you don't win championships in November

3
Indianapolis Colts
A team that knows you don't win championships in September, October, November and a couple weeks in December.

4
Dallas Cowboys
Is that Tony Romo or Steve Young?

5
New England Patriots
Will beat the Bears

6
Baltimore Ravens
Are they really this good?

7
Denver Broncos
Need to stop LJ

8
Carolina Panthers
The Team no one wants to play

9
Jacksonville Jaguars
Request to play all games at home on Monday Night was declined by the league.

10
Seattle Seahawks
Need their team to get healthy

11
New York Giants
Need their team to get healthy part II

12
Kansas City Chiefs
Should give thanks to Larry Johnson

13
New Orleans
have been figured out...

14
Cincinnati Bengals
Can they keep it up?

15
San Francisco 49ers
The Jets of the NFC

16
New York Jets
Primo position to claim a playoff spot

17
Atlanta Falcons
Sinking

18
Miami Dolphins
uh oh

19.
Philadelphia Eagles
Could have been a contender

20.
Tennesee Titans
Is that really Travis Henry?

21
Pittsburgh Steelers
Season wraps up on Sunday

22
St. Louis Rams
The first Seahawk loss killed their hopes and their hearts.

23
Buffalo Bills
JP Losman shows signs...yea yea it was the Texans.

24
Green Bay Packers
Gotta feel for Aaron Rodgers..not only is he wasting away but he is going to have to go through with the growing pains...Green Bay will be ways away

25
Minnesota Vikings
A few more losses and I'd put in Jackson

26
Houston Texicans
Carr ties record with 22 straight completions in the "wow-really" award of the week

27
Cleveland Browns
Atleast they didn't lose by 42 points this time

28
Tampa Bay Bucs
Rice probably played his last game in a Bucs uniform.

29
Washington Redskins
Uh...it might be time for Al Saunders to trim his playbook

30
Arizona Cardinals
VICTORY!!!!!!

31
Oakland Raiders
The final drive for the Raiders was Aaron Brooks' career in a nutshell

32
Detriot Lions
Losing to the Cardinals would drop anyone to last place.

Thoughts on Week 10

2006-11-14T17:09:00.000-08:00

another wild week in the nfl..its becoming too random. The mock draft i promised is naturally in limbo but will be coming probably this week. Onto the weekly thoughts from week 10.

- I dont know if Drew Brees is that good or the Steelers D that bad
- Steve Mcnair is clutch...course it was the Titans but still
- Vince Young is a playmaker..sure who knows how he will turn out but he makes things happen
- Memo to Ravens: Vince Young can scramble
- Who knew Travis Henry would be that good against that defense
- Is Ray Lewis that important?
- A Drew Bennett sighting
- Pats lose two in a row? Holy god!!!
- Jerrico Cotchery making plays...looks to be a solid #2
- I felt the Pats could have run the football more than they did again
- Chad Pennington is still the comeback player of the year
- The Jets are like Rutgers..They have won big win...atleast this was on the road
- Defense was missing in Cincy
- Fun to watch though
- While I think Rivers is a tremendous future, it's almost ludicrous that some are already calling him a franchise qb
- McCree's hit was PI but not dirty...he hit him with his shoulder
- Chad Johnson shows up..I did like the Merriman he pulled
- Will the real Mike Vick show up?
- I guess Garrard won't be the starter unless Byron is out for a while
- Miami making a playoff push.. KIDDING
- but they are playing like the experts thought
- They will favorites for superbowl XLII
- Hats off to Dick Jauron for the Colts gameplan
- Colts defense despite what every media outlet tells you is still horrid
- What's the deal with the Vikings?
- The Santa Clara niners in the playoff hunt?
- Eagles get back on track
- The Skins continue to play terribly
- Atleast they are putting in Campbell...might as well see what he has
- Oakland really needs an offensive overhaul...very good defense tho on the rise
- Willie Parker is right behind LJ and LT in yards, tds, etc..
- When people say the Steelers need a big back dont they see Najeh Davenport on the roster?
- Romo may not be great but that offense looks much better
- TO continues to drop the ball
- Memo to Giants: Use Brandon Jacobs
- Memo to Giants: Blitz Grossman more
- Memo to Giants: the play isnt over when you miss a field goal
- Memo to the Giants: You're still better than Chicago on paper
- Horrible first half of Monday Night Football
- Peppers is the defensive player of the year
- Delhomme is not a great qb like many people think
- Tampa should probably blow up that team next season..o line is still weak and the defense is also finally showing its age
- Regardless of hype things always fall into place over the season, it should be interesting to see what happens

Tune in midweek for the power rankings of death

Power Rankings of Death

2006-11-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

1
Indianapolis Colts
Same Old Colts..see you in January

2
Denver Broncos
Champ Bailey is playing at an incredible level as in Javon Walker

3
New York Giants
Seems to play to the level of its competition until they realize they are playing the bucs and texans and than they finally wake up and pull away

4
New England Patriots
Tom has a rare off day in a big game

5
Chicago Bears
Miami goes Superbowl 2005 preseason favorites on the Bears ; Rex is still a glorified rookie..

6
San Diego Chargers
Losing at KC, plus defensive injuries and tough schedule can be difficult to overcome

7
New Orleans Saints
A cute little story…will be interesting to see if it can maintain throughout the season

8
Baltimore Ravens
Still has an impotent offense even with Offensive Genius as Offensive Coordinator

9
Seattle Seahawks
Survived and will continue to get better

10
Jacksonville Jaguars
Injuries taking their toll…still not a team to be taken lightly

11
Kansas City Chiefs
Solid running game and all world back make it easy for backup Qbs.

12
Philadelphia Eagles
Can Mcnabb regain MVP form?

13
Atlanta Falcons
Lose to abysmal Lion team ; Mike Vick returns to normalcy

14
Carolina Panthers
Likely to go on a run ; too much talent not to

15
St. Louis Rams
Not quite there yet but should be in playoff hunt..need some playmakers on defense

16
New York Jets
Played some incredibly weak teams and schedule actually gets easier!

17

Dallas Cowboys

Idiot kicker continues to be an anti clutch vacuum.

18
Minnesota Vikings

Johnson is no longer managing the game..means offensively will be in less explosive!

19.
Cincinnati Bengals
Team is on the verge of mutiny but offense is still as scary

20.
Washington Redskins
Showed some life against Cowboys but still likely out of the playoffs

21
Tampa Bay Buccanears
Good every other year

22
Buffalo Bills
Still no offense

23
Houston Texans
David Carr = underrated…there I said it.

24
Green Bay Packers
Will go as far as Brett Favre takes them..will miss the playoffs regardless

25
San Francisco 49ers
Defense is still bad

26
Detriot Lions
There is hope!

27
Tennessee Titans
Maybe next year

28
Miami Dolphins
The Bears are who they thought they were. Yea I know its old.

29
Cleveland Browns
If I told the Browns they would have the same record as the Steelers they would take that before the season

30
Pittsburgh Steelers
Some how turned the ball over 5 times in their opponents redzone!!

31
Oakland Raiders
Worst oline ever.

32
Arizona Cardinals
Dennis Green wasn’t fired during the bye week!

Week 9 Thoughts

2006-11-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

A ton of interesting things happened this week including some teams stepping up and some teams choking it all away.

- lol @ raider's oline
- that is absolutely embarassing..giving up 7 sacks in a game is pathetic but in one half?!
- I feel sorry for Andrew Walter and the passing game
- It's almost impossible to get any sort of flow or rhythym going
- I'm a Wallace fan now
- Actually, i'm not but he looks solid as a developmental prospect and is improving
- Seahawks are extremely dangerous especially with home field and with people getting healthy
- Tom doesn't have his best game
- Here comes all the hype about the Colts defense
- You can still run on them fairly easily
- I'm still not convinced
- If these teams play in playoffs i'm still taking the Pats and Tom Brady
- I think Javon Walker is healthy
- Shows how dominant a receiver can be against the Superbowl champs
- Speaking of hangover
- To be fair this is more or less a similar Steeler team from the Kordell Stewart 2001 team.
- Faneca, Hartings, Porter, Farrior tho he came in 2002, Townsend are all showing their age.. one good draft/offseason and they will be back
- if anyone thinks they are making the playoffs though you are wrong
- Steelers has an amazing trend of making qbs looking a lot better than they are ie) Leftwich, Rivers, Vick, Plummer.
- Ben Roethlisberger will be back. I'm convinced of that from Sunday
- The Chargers are rapidly becoming one of my least favorite teams minus having one of my favorite players LT..the late hit on Frye was ridiculous
- Potentially they are a scary team however first year playoff qbs unless you are tom brady will struggle.
- The LT vs LJ debate will rage on forever...amazingly both are in the same conference which is awesome for the football fan
- Apparently the 49ers have a defense?
- or is the Viking o that bad?
- I think Brad Johnson needs a break..
- He looks out of it
- Qb controversies of the year: Jags and Chiefs : one of the teams will stick with their backup while one will go back to their general.
- Frankly I was always a Trent Green fan
- Jags looked good and can only get scarier with starters returning
- Every year in the playoffs there seems to be one team lucky to be there: hello baltimore!
- despite massively outplaying cincy the game was still close
- I have grown to appreciate Carson Palmer as a leader
- The only class on that team
- Gutless play by Henry in the end to not atleast try to get the ball
- Chad crying like a girl after the game is also pathetic
- Still Ravens defense is again very good
- offense is still horrendous and will only score when put into by position by the defense like the Bears last yr
- Speaking of the Bears..
- I think everyone missed that..thats what buying into the hype will do kids
- Troubles will continue for the Bears on Sunday
- The Giants play again leaves a lot to be desired yet they win
- Unlike the Bears they dont kill teams they should..
- My NFC superbowl rep
- David Carr shows me a lot everytime I see him
- It's sad tho he was wasted for a couple of years there with that oline
- I thought Tampa Bay had a solid pass defense?
- Rebuilding mode for Chucky?
- Nice catch TO
- Idiot kicker continues to do his absolute worst in the clutch
- Redskins and Boys are still both out of the playoffs
- Thankfully the Mike Vick lovefest can end for one week

Will be back mid week with power rankings of death and the first round MOCK DRAFT!

Power Rankings o Death

2006-11-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

1
Indianapolis Colts
Big showdown with arch nemesis and one of Peyton's ghosts of postseasons past.

2
Chicago Bears
Still haven't played anyone outside of Seattle @ home

3
New England Patriots
Will always be in the hunt w/Brady and Belichek

4
New York Giants
Continue to win games ..should easily dispose of Texicans

5
Denver Broncos
Look to avenge AFC championship game with a showdown with struggling Steelers

6
Baltimore Ravens
Huge game in AFC North will go a long way in determining who wins division.

7
San Diego Chargers
2 first round picks from last year busted for Steroids. Rivers will be hitting that rookie wall despite impressive showing so far.

8
Atlanta Falcons
Mike Vick with 7 tds in the last 2 weeks of football…who would have thunk it?

9
New Orleans Saints
Despite loss to Ravens, still in hunt of the NFC playoff picture but have they been expose

10
Jacksonville Jaguars
Way too inconsistent and banged up but still as dangerous a team in the AFC

11
Cincinnati Bengals
Tough loss to Falcons but still in the hunt despite injuries to oline

12
Kansas City Chiefs
Incredible team at home ; poor on the road

13
Dallas Cowboys
Great performance on Sunday Night gives hope though Romo is nothing special.

14
Minnesota Vikings
Embarassed by Patriots in the Viking dome

15
Seattle Seahawks
Injuries plus losses continue to mount.

16
Philadelphia Eagles
3 game losing streak has halted the mvp for McNabb

17
Carolina Panthers
Still don't seem to get it quite yet…way too much talent to be 500

18
St Louis Rams
should be pissed at Merriman for being involved the past game

19
New York Jets
Always plays to the level of competition…good against colts..horrid against browns

20
Green Bay Packers
Welcome back Ahman Green..Brett Favre sure missed you

21
Washington Redskins
The "best coaching staff in football" better fix this team now otherwise…nevermind it's too late

22
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Loss at gmen with the horrid wind ends Tampa's win steak.. Will still be a spoiler the rest of the season

23
Tennessee Titans
Vinsanity! Travis Henry was on his way to being a comeback player of the year…key word is was

24
Cleveland Browns
Solid win against a decent football team ; fighting out of the basement

25
Oakland Raiders
Defense showed some heart, skill and importantly speed in win against steelers ; offense still ways away

26
Pittsburgh Steelers
pathetic display in loss to raiders..too inconsistent to win football games consistently

27
Houston Texans
Rosenfels is the quintessional backup in the nfl that always leads to qb controversies. I'm still a David Carr believer.

28
San Francisco 49ers
Manhandled by Bears ; need defensive upgrade

29
Buffalo Bills
Need another good draft + offseason and will be a factor next yr

30
Miami Dolphins
Another loss coming up against Bears team..will turn it around though towards the end of the season and be everyone's playoff pick next yr

31
Detriot Lions
solid coaching staff..horrid gm still. Like the cockroach that never goes away

32
Arizona Cardinals
too much talent to lose 7 games in a row..

Tune in next week for the power rankings, weekly thoughts and my new monthly mockdraft!!

Enjoy Football Sunday Everyone

Rebuttling the same Yahoo part 2

2006-11-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

Ok once again I was disgusted on Monday. I mean come on I root for the Steelers. Anyway, I stumbled upon yet another gem from Football columnist, Charles Robinson. Does anyone not see the hilarity that is this article? Well how about I show you, double coverage reader!

SAN DIEGO – The quintessential Shawne Merriman moment came when the San Diego Chargers linebacker moved from one side of the defense to the other Sunday. Standing in an unfamiliar spot with the football about to be snapped, Merriman could hear what sounded like half the St. Louis Rams' roster screaming his name.
"The whole offensive line pointed at him," Chargers safety Marlon McCree recalled with a grin, after Merriman notched three sacks and multiple quarterback hurries in San Diego's 38-24 win. "When he moves, they know where he's at. We can tell how they are protecting, which way the offensive line is going to slide based on where Shawne is. And when we moved him today, they didn't know what to do."
-- For one, anyone who even watches football knows Merriman only does one thing very well. This is rushing the passer. He has great strength (ahem) and the speed to not only run by slow-footed tackles but also run them over as well. Frankly, him simply going over to the outside should indicate to Alex Barron and friends that the “best defensive player in the league” would naturally be rushing the passer since that’s all he really does. Granted, he is very good at doing it but anyway. I still remember the clips of Heath Miller pancaking this guy in a VA – MD college football game about 2 years ago but my how the times have changed. Now this guy runs through linemen and blockers alike. If there even was the slightest glimpse of this sheer athleticism and power than how come Merriman wasn’t an earlier pick? Because he never frankly showed this type of ability or incredible combination of strength, speed, agility and force. To be fair, he was a combine warrior and rose aboard the draft charts but the question lingers on.

This is what Merriman has become to this team. He's the soloist you can't afford to live without – the compass you can't afford to lose. Asking what happens to San Diego's defense if he is subtracted is like asking what the Earth would rotate around if the sun suddenly disappeared. It's generally not a pleasant concept. And yet, thus is reality for the Chargers.

-- Soloist you can’t afford to live without? Compass you can’t afford to lose? Who comes up with this stuff? Outside of the nautical and camping world, does anyone even use a compass? Horrendous metaphors.

"Better than Shawne? I would say one guy is as good – Julius Peppers," McCree said. "When I was in Carolina last year, I had never been on a team where a guy didn't play and I actually felt the difference on the field. I've always played on teams that if a guy missed a game or two, we always had a guy that could pick up the slack. If Julius Peppers missed a game, I knew it. And it's the same with Shawne Merriman. If he misses even a series, I can tell it."

- Hmm lets compare the two. One recently got BUSTED for taking anabolic steroids while the other one is legit athlete playing defensive end. Yep that’s very close. Peppers can also drop back into coverage and/or cover tight ends.

Now the Chargers are on the verge of watching Merriman sit out four games for violating the league's policy on banned substances. Few within league circles are asking if Merriman will be suspended. All seem to be talking about when it will happen. The definitive answer to several questions comes soon, chief among them being whether Merriman will ditch his current appeal to the league's ruling. The appeal, which is slated to be heard Nov. 7, allowed Merriman to play against the Rams and would allow him to see action next week against Cleveland.

- Further ridiculousness. As anyone associated with the Rams should be foaming at the mouth over this. Merriman really shouldn’t have played. Further with his recent dismissal of the charges to begin with, He dangled the I was innocent carrot over everyone so he can suit up for one game. Was he even needed against the rams? Looking at his impact, Merriman was all over the field causing havoc and wrecking things up. But let’s face it, it’s not like he was off the juice or anything. He might have been caught but the roids are still present in his body and technically he would still be performing with an unfair advantage.

… Merriman drove home what has been made clear: In only his second season, Merriman has become to San Diego's defense what running back LaDainian Tomlinson is to the offense. He's the one player that changes the complexion of a game in an instant, and he must be accounted for by opposing quarterbacks, offensive linemen and coordinators on a play-by-play basis.

- I don’t understand this. CHARLES. HE CHEATS. A lot of players would change the complexion of games in an instant if they took steroids. Let see how Shawne handles being on the watch list. Most importantly, lets see how he performs when being legit. I hope that he is able to still be a star linebacker in the league. I would hope that maybe he is just this freak of nature who is such an incredible blend that he crushes tackles yet still is able to chase down running backs. Time will tell if he is able to maintain this freakish nature throughout his career.

According to one AFC West scout, his team spent the offseason putting together cutups of every play of Merriman's rookie season in which he managed some kind of disruption – all in an effort to draw up protection schemes to keep him out of their backfield. That's treatment given to only the most indispensable players. And after watching Merriman against the Rams, in which he moved his sack total to 18½ in his last 19 games (more than any other player in the NFL during that period) – he might be able to lay claim to the best defensive playmaker in the league.
"I've gone against some great ones, and I'm not saying the Denver linebackers aren't good or the Pittsburgh backers aren't good," Chargers tight end Antonio Gates said. "But the total package of what Merriman brings to the table is scary."
"And we saw it right away. When he first came into the league, just as a rookie, we had to do blocking one-on-one drills. And he drew Lorenzo Neal. You're talking about one of the best fullbacks to play in this game. And the way he came out against Lo Neal was as impressive as anything you'll see. Guys were just standing around in practice looking at each other like, 'Did we just see that?' This guy was a rookie, and he just took Lo Neal head-on and won. From that point, we all knew this guy had the potential to be one of the best linebackers in the league."

- Time will only tell if this is accurate. It will be interesting to see once he comes back, if he can maintain this LT like dominant impact on games that he had before.

Now he has the potential to be one of the biggest turning points. On one hand, the Chargers are sitting at 5-2 and boasting a remarkably impressive offense, with quarterback Philip Rivers having developed at an astronomical rate and Tomlinson once again looking like the league's scariest offensive weapon (240 yards rushing and receiving against the Rams with three total touchdowns). On the other, they are staring down the barrel at losing a dynamic defensive presence in Merriman for a month, and then dealing with possible lingering calf problems to linebacker Shaun Phillips. And lest anyone forget to look at the standings; the Broncos might be the team to beat in the division, and the Chiefs are coming on fast.
- Suffice to say perhaps the real reason for Merriman to play vs. the Rams and than take the suspension now is that now Phillips will be likely healthy and closer to seeking playingtime. While Phillips is now world beater at outside linebacker, he is still underrated young linebacker. Maybe not the best run stuffer either, Phillips has shown that he can have some impact on the defensive side of the game by rushing the passer. Having him in the lineup as opposed to Marques Harris or Polk is still better than having both Polk and Harris see significant playing time.
"It's a tough [scenario]," Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo said. "We move Shawne around and we put him in different positions and really help other guys get kick started. We'll have to find another way to do that."
- I find it amusing that fellow roider Luis Castillo adds his two cents. Perhaps Castillo can advise Merriman on how to survive in the league without the juice.
"But look at what Marques Harris and Carlos [Polk] did today in place of Shaun Phillips. They're kind of interchanging right now, and they're going to have to step up. The bottom line: We're not going to let one guy ruin our season just because we lost him."
- interesting story none the less.

Okay guys, we at double coverage do appreciate football players and up until recently Shawn was an outstanding young football player but much like Ray Lewis, Joey Porter and others before him, the hype became a nauseating puke fest that made it almost unbearable to watch games. I hope that Merriman is able to show me for instance that he can be the same type of player he was before. Honestly, whatever he does in my eyes will be forever tainted by this. I will throw up a little inside anytime the ESPN crew tosses him some props. Maybe he can learn that the NFL does a listing of suitable drugs that you can use and still accomplish gaining muscle, mass, etc. You don’t always have to take the back roads to superstardom.

Regardless, if there is now any doubt left, until proven otherwise, Brian Urlacher is still the best linebacker in football.

Week 8 Thoughts

2006-10-31T17:44:00.000-08:00

With the first pick in the 2007 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select..

- officially done cooked buried
- pathetic display in a must win situation against a team called the worst team since the 76 bucs
- broth = doug williams?
- willie parker = timmie smith?
- last place pittsburgh steelers
- the oakland defense showed speed, skill and heart and coaching!
- still 92 yards of offense and they win?
- vinatieri not only doesn't miss but even the kicks are kicked perfectly in the middle of the goal posts..unbelieavable
- reggie wayne I bow at your feet
- Mike bell I bow at your feet
- give the Bears credit for pounding a team they should pound
- the Niners actually have a decent offense
- Welcome to the NFL Reggie Bush
- Raven offense still not good
- Mike Vick still good. :0
- Props to Carson Palmer for ripping off ocho cinco
- Chris Henry ..please get a brain to go along with your undeniable skill
- Jets get screwd..maybe they should stop playing to the level of the CLEVELAND BROWNS
- playoffs?
- Carolina?
- Philly?
- two talent teams that need help pronto
- Arizona is going through the motions
- Romo looked good and all on Sunday night but wow what happened to Carolina
- Biggest dissapointments with Steelers and phins.
- Merriman owns Rams...hmmmmm
- I'm sorry..this makes me sick
- We all know he did it please stop
- Heck Jamal Williams is the best player on that defense
- Roy Williams is still overrated
- Hey Espn we get it Tom is a good.
- Course the rest of the world got that idea after he won his second Superbowl
- Laurence Maroney has fit in like a glove to the Patriots. Rookie of the year
- what happens when the ultimate game manager stops game managing?
- horrid throw on the harrison int
- Vikes oline should be the top in the league...apparently not
- The ultimate slobbering fest will occur within the next two weeks as we get Peyton vs TAWM and than ELI~!!!!!!! vs Favre Jr. Please send a box of tissues to Espn.
- Please fire whoever that Oakland @ Seattle would be a good game.
- Why are the Duhs even on prime time games anymore?

On tap:

- we got a special roided up response to the NFL newest dirtbag
- power rankings ready for some major shifting
- and lastly wishing you all a Happy Halloween!

Team Rankings

2006-10-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

(editor's note: format is crap but it's a work in progress :p)

1
Indianapolis Colts
Will probably get the one seed again

2
Chicago Bears
exposed by Arizona ?..should be able rebound against terrible 49er Defense

3
Denver Broncos
Plummer and impotent offense is still a concern ; best defense in AFC so far

4
New England Patriots
Year in and year out..always near the top..playing in a dreadful division plus easy schedule help

5
New York Giants
Superbowl Contender with talent to burn

6
New Orleans Saints
Defense still a question mark but near unbeatable at home so far

7
Cincinnati Bengals
Desposed of a very good Carolina Panther team after 2 straight losses

8
Baltimore Ravens
Billick: will go down with this ship

9
Seattle Seahawks
Still a superbowl contendor..injuries to offensive players hurts

10
San Diego Chargers
Losing at KC, plus defensive injuries and tough schedule can be difficult to overcome

11
Minnesota Vikings
Impressive win at Seattle and the "12th" man..win over New England would be huge

12
Philadelphia Eagles
All 3 losses on last plays of the games..still have talent to get to Superbowl

13
Atlanta Falcons
Vick had open receivers and wide open dumps all day. Must be able to keep it up against other teams

14
Carolina Panthers
Too much talent to be in the position they are

15
St. Louis Rams
Not quite there yet but should be in playoff hunt

16
New York Jets
Played some incredibly weak teams and schedule actually gets easier!

17
Jacksonville Jaguars
Injuries taking their toll…still not a team to be taken lightly

18
Pittsburgh Steelers
Need to go on another killer streak but tough to do so with difficult schedule

19
Dallas Cowboys
Horrible decision by Bledsoe in the endzone ends the Cowboy playoff hopes

20
Kansas City Chiefs
Incredible with the sea of red..Trent Green can make this team a playoff contendor..Huard has managed offense very well.

21
Tampa Bay Buccanears
Impressive win vs Eagles but will likely be highlight of season

22
Houston Texans
Kubiak has done a solid job in turning team around…but still ways away

23
Green Bay Packers
Favre playing well but at what cost

24
Washington Redskins
Talent is there but apparently coaching, heart and will are not

25
San Francisco 49ers
Offense is growing up but defense may be NFL's worst

26
Buffalo Bills
Losman looked good up until a few weeks ago..

27
Tennesse Titans
Solid team will improve til the end of the season and beyond

28
Cleveland Browns
Talent is there but tough division and inexperience makes it tough.

29
Detriot Lions
Atleast they have the Tigers

30
Miami Dolphins
A complete mess right now ..will probably improve towards end of the season but not a contendor

31
Oakland Raiders
Commitment to Dreadfulness

32
Arizona Cardinals
Aren't really the worst team in the league but tough to come back after the Chicago Loss and losing to Raiders

Weekly Thoughts Week 7

2006-10-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

all in all a pretty shitty week from a fantasy / real team pov but alas momma always said there'd be days like this:

- first off, will espn finally stop with the Shawne Merrimen is the best thing ever shit. He's not even legit!!! It's unbelieveable how they were saying he is the best linebacker in the league etc. That guy in Chicago is and has been the best linebacker for about 3 years now. Merrimen... piss off you rat bastard.

- Brandon Jacobs doesnt get stopped on the first hit ever
- I really doubt tiki retires unless they win a superbowl. If he keeps his current level of play for maybe 2 - 3 more years maybe a hall of famer but not at the moment.
- Roy Williams can complain about the referee tripping him all he wants but he still wouldnt have located that ball in the air or made a play on it. Big hits = overrated. Williams also got faked out of his gord on the Shockey td pass. Pathetic display but this "probowler"
- The giants have the best oline in the league. Outside of the Eagle game, Manning doesn't get touched. It's pretty easy game without pressure.
- Mike Strahan is making plays...i guess thats what happens when you dont block him!!!!!!
- the Giants are probably the best basketball team in New York!!!
- The Cardinals are officially on the clock. The loss on Monday is one you dont get over
- Raiders win!!!
- Commitment to Joe Toledo, OT, Wisconsin or Calvin Johnson?
- I'll bet they beat Pittsburgh too
- Pittsburgh is an uncanny way of making average qbs look incredible.
- Troy Polamalu has a game but doesnt make a play when it counts the most.
- Hey uh Lebeau COVER CRUMPLER
- Wasn't that a helmut to helmut on Ben?
- No more luck for Blitzburgh
- Ronde Barber owns Mcnabb
- Florida makes Mcnabb puke apparently?
-Memo to Bucs -- TRY TACKLING...yeesh that looked like me in Madden
- What a kick by Bryant...its going to be funny when he misses a 30 yd field goal next week.
- Joke Delhomme ?
- What a pick by Keanu Reeves in the endzone on that duck
- Steve Smith is the best player in football by about 3 miles
- A Chad Johnson sighting?!
- Gutsy call by Marvin Lewis but next time try your all pro runningback
- Lights out Chargers
- Good win for KC
- Welcome back LJ to my fantasy team.. (sorry for the Kornheiser reference)
- Wow Charles Woodson welcome back
- Ahman Green welcome back
- Hell of a catch by Driver
- Randy McMicheal needs to wake up
- Superbowl fins?
- Superbowl Jags?
- Superbowl Skins?
- Nice return by Randel El - atleast ha makes punters look shitty
- Jason Campbell should be playing now
- Colts = Mrs October (Misters October)
- I'm shocked Marvin didnt get his 2nd foot down. That never happens
- There goes Wayne
- There goes Harrison
- Tony Romo should be playing now
- David Carr is finally showing signs. Who knew?
- Wali Lundy returns from the Yahoo waiver wire bin to a team near you!
- Bye bye Dennis Green. Atleast you tried?
- Edgerrin James is awesome
- no seriously
- err
- Leon Washington...fsu runningbacks dont get any attention or careers down in bowden land.
- Micheal Boulware is still chasing Chester Taylor
- And you thought the Cincy fans complained a lot? Wait til the Seahawk fans go to town on the "sweep the leg" (trademark Sportsguy). He GOT PUSHED INTO HASS ! sorry bad habit.
- Before we crown the New England Pats champs again...can they please pay a decent team?
- Yes Cincy is not a decent team
- Neither are the Jets..I dont think i've seen a team play more cream puffs
- Broncos vs Colts and Steelers next 2 weeks are huge!
- That d continues to impress and those corners are playing well also.

All in all a good week of games.. tune in midweek for my official power rankings!

Weekly Thoughts on the League

2006-10-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

oops... now it will be a weekly thing.

Anyway, i went to a great place in manhattan called ship of fools. If you dont mind crowded places, it was fairly awesome, as were the nachos.

Lets get on with thought for week 6.

- Mike Vick scares the hell of out me. He actually looked semi-decent in the first half. His receivers need to learn how to catch though.

- Eli Manning is doing a 1997 Kordell Stewart impersonation that is almost dead on ; complete with first half picks and fumbles to second half touchdowns and accuracy. I'm sure he will end up a lot better in the long run

- The Giants have superbowl talent

- Is that Travis Henry?

- IT IS!

- Holt is incredible

- Seahawks still put up 31..granted it was the Rams defense but hey its getting better all this without Madden cover boy.

- Bruce Gradkowski does something Carson Palmer has yet to.. lead his team down the field for a late 4th quarter comeback.

- Steve Smith is incredible. Literally there is no way to stop him. The best corner so far is Champ Bailey and he would get toasted by him.

- God was a Kyle Boller fan today for 2 passes.

- Great game with Saints and Iggles. How do the Saints win with that defense? Sure their dline is top 10 but painfully average linebackers and secondary.

- I can answer that actually: Props to Sean Payton

- Espn and the Bears romance is on full on nausia-inducing mode.

- Wait til they play someone

- Welcome back Steelers.

- If they lose on Sunday, it will be all for not

- Wow the niners defense i thought was improving. oops

- Everything is coming up Detriot!

- There goes David Carr's lead in the efficiency battle

- the first 3 quarters of Jets and Fish was by the far the worst close game I have ever seen.

- Its sad that the Patriots will win that division by default.

- Bledsoe is still horrible. I was under the impression that with time he could make the difficult throws and he can but he can't even make the easy throws anymore and his throwing motion is abysmal

- For the love of god no more Raiders on prime time. Seriously, someone needs to be fired. Besides that UM color commentator. Sure it's cool saying i'm from the U and all but really you are retarded.

- This weeks laugher: Randy Moss to the Steelers? HAHAHAHAHHAH

- Monday Night Thoughts

- Wow

- WOW

- Leinart will be good until teams see that he cant gun a ball in there.

- 16 - 0 huh?

- What a waste of Edgerrin James ; can that oline run block?

- If anyone tries to say Ray lewis is better than Urlacher please punch them in the face

- Tommy Harris where art thou

- I like Alex Brown.

- Grossman does have an arm. Incosistent though but aren't we all

- 6 turnovers..wow

- devin hester...wow

- Anyone see that Neil Rackers kicking thing at the beginning of the season where he would kick between the uprights blind folded.. uh yea..maybe try it blindfolded next time.

- I feel awful for Denny Green and that defense to lose after a performance like that

- Giants and Patriots will beat the bears.

Rebuttling a Yahoo

2006-10-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

I noticed a blurb on a yahoo sports column about which team personifies the 7 deadly sins. Apparently, the Steelers were listed as a team that embodies PRIDE or vanity.

Let’s take a closer look at this.

The sin: PRIDE (otherwise known as Vanity)

- Since the Steelers are doing all those commercials and with all their “look-at-me-schtick.” They aren’t the team that has their star QB coming out of footballs or hassling grocery store employees or talking to us from the huddle or anything.

The sinner: Pittsburgh Steelers Remember the blue collar, hard hat mentality that typified the Steelers?

- Yea I remember them too. You know the team that would be in the playoffs every year and yet magically choke because all they could do was wear that hard hat and run it predictably right up in the gut. Sorry, but this plan doesn’t work in the playoffs. It wasn’t until the team lucked out and got a franchise qb but hey I think you still refer to him as a game manager.

It's fading. If you haven't noticed, the Steelers spent the offseason loving themselves on multiple levels.

- This is a good thing. Ironically, the favorite Steeler of the media who probably loved himself more than anything else ended up retiring. You know that one rotund guy that would would get up and dance after any 3 yard run but alas. It's that hard hat mentality with costly fumbling and playoff stuffing that made it tough to be a Steeler fan.

Anyway, they should love themselves. Do you want the Superbowl champs to run around being sad and crying? I mean never have any other Super Bowl teams went to do commercials, the White House, Late Shows, etc.I guess Hines Ward really loves himself for going to Korea and trying to extend out to kids of mixed race backgrounds. God what an asshole!

There were the "we're-too-smart-for-our-own-good" personnel moves like failing to complete a trade for bruising back T.J. Duckett in favor of finding a short-yardage guy within the roster (the attempt failed).

- I love this notion that a so called short yardage back is what we need. Frankly, how can anyone classify this as a need? First of all, Willie Parker has more than handled this job and handled it well. He can run inside okay, outside very well and if he gets a crease, adios. But apparently, the media still clamors for the need for the steelers to grab up a short yardage back. The problem is Bettis was always a short yardage. He would never break anything for over 30- 40 yards but he could get those 4 yards a carry. Sure, he worked behind a good run - blocking team that would open up holes big enough for me on crutches to run through. The fact is Bettis wasn’t a sure fire thing anyway. He had been seen bumbling and fumbling and shockingly not even getting those tough yards that happened prior in the regular season. You can blame the FO all you want for having Staley etc but the fact is when he is healthy / if he is healthy and up to speed, he can do it. Remember, Staley was healthy for about half the season last year. Coincidentally enough right when the Steelers went on their big tear. Duce forced to sit because the Steelers had 3 other runningbacks who played their roles better than Staley would and so be it, he rode the pine. Fell out of game shape, and most importantly, Staley lost his timing. While the season is young still and their may be a chance for him to turn it around, the Steelers FO did pick up Najeh Davenport who can be the short yardage back. Honestly though, is that the biggest problem for the Steelers though? Or is that Ben Roethlisberger has played an awful brand of football?

And lest we forget, at a time when every team in the league had red-flagged draft prospect Santonio Holmes, the Steelers tabbed him as the guy who would soften the loss of wide receiver Antwaan Randle El (it might take a few seasons).

Wow really? They red flagged him huh? Let’s see here. The reason Santonio wasn’t a pick sooner was due to a number of reasons. 1) He’s not 6’ 3’’ etc. 2) Relatively deep draft of receivers (take a look at who the Saints drafted in the 7th round) 3) Other need areas 4) Majority of teams picking ahead of 25 had young receivers already that were drafted early. 5) lacks ideal strength 6) disappears in big games (shitty quarterbacking has no impact on this area of course)

Frankly, until recently Ohio State had dogshit at QB too but I’ll let that go. Also Charles, the Steelers in all actuality got Holmes to replace Plaxico Burress as the deep threat receiver/big play receiver. Holmes and Jackson both were considered mid first round picks by any mock drafter in the league. Furthermore, they drafted Willie Reid to replace Randle El. Boy did he have a killer season too last yr. A whole one touchdown receiving wow?! He will be missed in special teams and trick plays but not in the receiving game there. The Steeler FO drafted Reid for the special teams aspect anyway. For them to not play him is all coaching.

But for real moments of vanity, you had to hear coach Bill Cowher's mocking comments of Cincinnati's "Who Dey" chant, or see Joey Porter's "I'm the biggest badass you ever met" sunglasses routine at the White House ceremony.

- But when Marvin Lewis does it, its okay? Please every coach including Sweatshirtchek does it to some degree especially when their teams are victorious. Joey P is a jackass but apparently SI calls him the most feared player in the league. Heck, even I don’t even think he is with all his hoofing and barking. He needs to show up more when he’s facing above average tackles and when he’s not coming in unblocked because 3 interior linemen block Troy Polamalu in the playoffs.

And of course, there was Ben Roethlisberger's bulletproof biker mistake. Roethlisberger's accident and lack of work with his receiving corps in the offseason are costing Pittsburgh plenty.

- This has been argued to death here Charles. Yes he is a moron for doing this. Anyone will tell him that. But again, it’s not a law in Pennsylvania to wear a helmet. Additionally, reports out of the incident seem to indicate that Ben wasn’t even the guilty party. It’s an accident, Charles as is almost every wreck in the world. But yes, him missing time with the receivers is why he and our offense is so out of sync. In all honesty, that gives me hope also knowing that they could have played so awfully offensively and have been in all 3 of the games they have played.

Not to mention the defense's consistent woofing during games, something that seems to have become an outgrowth of Porter's pre-game routine at the 50-yard line.

- We can say that about every defense in football including college. While this may be a black mark to the honorable hard hat Steelers, this is the nature of the NFL these days. The Defense, however, has backed up all this incessant barking and the look at me attitude that seems so prevalent in today’s National Football League.

What made Pittsburgh great last season was that it stuck to its core run-first belief and developed a sense that it was an underappreciated team.

- NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!! What made the Steelers great was that they finally had a quarterback who could make throws necessary. Cincy rolls up with 8 or 9 in the box and so did Indy and what happens? Ben throws the ball all over the field. It was balance, Charles. The ability to not only run but to also pass kept the defenses honest. Sure most teams use the run to build up the pass but the Patriots of 03 proved that they can control the ball with their Weis coast offense of screens, slants, and outs and with zip at the running back position. It’s all about adaptability. You want to be able to counter what your opponent’s attacks. People forget that the Steelers passed a lot in the first half of games and we staked to big leads. Than that’s wear the hardhat mentality works the best. When you pound the football and make the clock wind down. That’s also how those stats and the mentality that the Steelers are a run first team were made.

Values that were supposed to stick after the Steelers made the mistake of integrating a pass-first mentality in 2002 and 2003. Cowher vowed to always remember the core values once Roethlisberger became the starter.

- Let the season finish before you write off this team. This is what gave them this underappreciated role. While you and your media brethren were slobbering all over the Colts, Bengals and Patriots of the world, you failed to notice the first #6 seed that was an incredible 11 – 5 and a team that in most years would contend for Home Field Advantage getting better and better after every game in the season.

And for two years, Pittsburgh made good on the promise. Now? The Steelers are 11th in the league in rushing and Roethlisberger has thrown 71 passes in his two starts (including an unthinkable end zone interception from first and goal on the Cincinnati 6-yard line).
- AND THEY STILL SHOULD BE 2 – 1 outside of a bone headed play by a backup cornerback who apparently now is on injured reserve!

Hype, glitz and woofing won't deliver another Super Bowl. Core blue collar values and discipline will.
- As you know when you write off a team, especially a Bill Cowher led team, you will get a team that comes out fighting and scraping. But hey I guess that means you are already writing off the Colts, Ravens, Bears etc. with all the hype, glitz and woofing too. I guess that means the only team that’s going to win is the Patriots right?

The steelers are in trouble now yes but come on one or two bounces the other way and they could be atleast 2 - 1. Can we wait til the end of the season before writing off teams especially with the pedigree they have.

2006-10-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

Sunday Thoughts – 10.1

So every Sunday, I go to a bar and watch the games. Here are my thoughts.

Ø The Bengals are not the best team in football
Ø Seahawks are still the class of the NFC without Shaunte
Ø Espn is unbearable
Ø Shawn Merriman is a force indeed Before we anoint him the best linebacker shouldn’t he do other things besides rush the passer?
Ø The Ravens are not the best team in football. Beating the overrated Bucs, Raiders and Browns barely? Jury is still out
Ø Mike Vick is fun to watch but still not a good quarterback
Ø Gotta love the Saints…who knew you could a decent defense without really any decent linebackers…that’s good coaching
Ø TO needs his own network. Oh wait that’s Espn
Ø Vincesanity begins a little sooner than expected
Ø I know the nation is loving that 4 pm Fox game – great game though
Ø Watching Peyton Manning, it’s seems almost too easy. Sometimes it’s just so incredible to watch and even borderline impossible to stop. How do they lose? Oh right that defense still won’t win games for them.
Ø People are already calling Edgerrin James a bust: It’s the OLINE STUPID
Ø Brunell set a record against the Texicans. He also threw dumpoffs, screens, etc. Granted if it’s available, take it but was it really that impressive?
Ø What makes the Bengals effective is a top 5 Offensive line and a top 2 Offense in general. Teams are hard pressed to keep up.
Ø Patriots are back….some would have you believe they left/went on vacation/lost too many players…whatever they can run and Maroney is a stud. Cincy’s defense was exposed last 2 weeks
Ø David Carr is finally making strides…he has to keep it up but is off to a good start
Ø If Albert Haynesworth plays again this year, I’ll be shocked.
Ø Colston continues to make plays..not bad for a 7th round pick
Ø The ending to that Jets/Colts game was incredible..hell of a game..
Ø Wow Peyton pulls a Brady and leads a comeback
Ø The bend don’t break defense/soft zone defense proves again it doesn’t work. Attacking and forcing mistakes is the way to play
Ø I know Espn has to hype up their game but really Brett Favre isn’t back nor is he having fun again..unless they play the Lions of course
Ø Problems galore in Arizona..hint: GET AN OFFENSIVE LINE
Ø The Bengals secondary is built upon one single concept - route jumping..obviously tackling isn’t one of them.
Ø Going for two too early is a problem..unless you actually convert it – Hindsight is a wonderful thing
Ø The Bengals have no lbs and it shows
Ø JP Losman seems to be turning into a fine young qb..ditto Charlie Frye
Ø Santana Moss:Playmaker
Ø Leftwich looks like a totally different player than last yr...he push his way into superstardom
Ø San Diego will never get far in the playoffs with that playcalling
Ø I’m still not convinced the Ravens are real. Next week will be the test
Ø You have to admire Chad Pennington..I thought he was done but so far he is proving otherwise
Ø TJ Houshmanzadeh backs it up and bails Palmer out early and often
Ø Brunell isn’t what he used to be but wow that “Walk-off” throw was placed absolutely perfectly
Ø The rookie rbs in this years draft continue to impress
Ø These excessive celebrations need to go..make something tangible but its too up in the air and to the discretion of the ref.
Ø Seattle wins tonight
Ø Philly wins tomorrow

I’ll be back midweek to explore more fallout from week 4