What The Steelers Coach And Players Are Saying About Their Cardboard Defense

Do Troy or Ryan have any answers on defense?

      “I like the attitude, demeanor and approach to work that the guys have taken,” Mike Tomlin said. “That’s just part of the equation. Obviously, putting it together and producing victory is the most significant part of the equation.”“We have to minimize the big plays,” he said. “I think that has been an issue for us ... We just need to get more solid in that area, minimize big plays and make people work to produce points against us. That’s how we’ve done it for a long period of time. We have to quickly get back to that.”

      The lack of takeaways has the Pittsburgh Steelers on the verge of establishing a dubious mark. No team in NFL history has failed to record a takeaway five games into a season. The Steelers are at four games, and the players are still at a loss to explain what has to happen for the defense to start forcing turnovers. Turnovers, or the lack thereof, are a key again for the Steelers defense. But Troy Polamalu, said that securing them isn't just a product of what a defense does on the football field. "We've got to get more out of our offense as well. And we need splash plays from our special teams. So, turnovers aren't just a defensive thing."

      "I think the biggest thing we need to do more of is more people getting to the ball," safety, Ryan Clark said. "When you get multiple hats on the ball that gives the second guys opportunities to pull at the ball, try to get it out. So as a team I think that's a thing we can work on more." "Last year I had two interceptions and forced two fumbles and it just happened," free safety Ryan Clark said. "Sometimes those plays just come." But defenses have to make those plays happen too, Clark acknowledged.

      "Anytime we underperform, we let defensive coordinator, Dick LeBeau down, and we haven't performed very well during these first four games," Polamalu said. "Of course, he's displeased, as displeased as we are with what we've seen on film. It's tough to accept, being 0-4, but it's the state of what we are right now. We've put together 0-4 efforts and have executed an 0-4 style. "As a defense, we definitely have to stop the run first and we have to force teams to get into third-and-long situations, which teams have done a good job against us by not getting into those situations," Polamalu said.

Isaac Redman And Steelers Beat Giants 24-20

      The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to overcome questionable officiating and blind booth refs to beat the New York Giants 24-20 on Sunday. If you ask me, I couldn't see much difference between the regular NFL refs and the replacements. If this is the kind of officiating we're going to get from the NFL, then you can start giving the refs credit for some of the scores!

       On a lighter note, how about the Steelers running game? For the third straight week they had a hundred yard + running back. This week it was Isaac Redman who embarrassed the Giants defense by rushing for 147 yards. This is after Jonathan Dwyer rushed for over a hundred yards two weeks in a row. Give credit to an offensive line that has played well despite losing some key players.

      The defense also played well against Eli Manning. They were able to pressure Manning so that he had a hard time completing his throws. The Steelers are #1 in passing defense, even without Troy Polamalu. The coverage by Keenan Lewis and Ike Taylor kept the Giants wide receivers in check. This game looked more like Steelers football. They're starting to play better on both sides of the football.  

Steelers Looking Good Without Some Vital Parts!

        The Pittsburgh Steelers went into Cincinnati with a lot of missing parts. Their top two running backs, Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman, both were sidelined with injuries. Also the offensive  line was decimated with injuries, especially to all-pro center, Maurkice Pouncey. But, the worst injury was on the defense. Strong safety, Troy Polamalu has been trying to overcome a nagging calf injury for weeks. So, the 2-3 Steelers would have to have some players step up if they were going to get to 500.

        The defense was able to keep the game close, even without Polamalu. And Ben Roethlisberger kept looking for some receiver that could hold unto the ball. His most reliable receiver was tight end, Heath Miller. When Ben as in trouble he used Heath to bail him out. But the most surprising performances came from two back-up running backs.

        The speed and shiftiness of Chris Rainey proved to much for the Cincinnati Bengals defense at the goal line. He slashed through them like a hot knife through butter. And Jonathon Dwyer brought back memories of Jerome Bettis. This hulking back showed the same dancing feet and power as he rushed for over 100 yards.

         The Steelers won 24-17 to improve their record to 3-3. The Baltimore Ravens lost allowing Pittsburgh to gain a game on the division leader. The next test is RG3 and the Washington Redskins. Altough they beat Cincinnati, there were still too many dropped passes, especially by usually sure-handed, Mike Wallace. Get well Steelers and give us your best effort against the 'Skins.

Steelers Win! Experts and Patriots Lose!

Almost all the so called experts had the Pittsburgh Steelers going down in defeat to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Not so fast my friend, you have to play the game. And that's just what the Steelers did as they went on to win 25-17. They beat Bill Belichick and the Patriots at their own game. Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff out coached the great mastermind on both sides of the football.

Offensively Ben Roethlisberger looked like Tom Brady, throwing 50 times for 365 yards. That's almost unheard of from a Steelers team. “We can be as good as we want to be,” Roethlisberger said. “When we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty dangerous.” Tom Brady on the other hand, was held to under 200 yards passing.  “We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out what we need to get better at,” Brady said.

The Steelers looked great on defense too. Before Lamarr Woodley got injured , he sacked Brady twice. Instead of their traditional zone defense, the Steelers played man 70% of the time. This switch confused Brady and disrupted the receiver's routes. With Troy Polamalu flying around and the rest of the defense playing up to their talent, the steelers looked good going into next week's rematch with the Baltimore Ravens. The Pittsburgh remains on top the NFL AFC North division at 6-2.

Is Troy Polamalu The Player He Once Was?

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu looked more like the player he was before he injured his Achilles’ tendon last season. Arguably the Steelers strong safety seemed to be in top form.

This was his first appearance since the Super Bowl and Troy looked like his old self with some amazing plays in the first half of Thursday night's 24-14 win over the Philadelphia. It was vintage Polamalu when he intercepted Michael Vick and returned it for 36 yards. He also broke up a couple of other passes throwing his body around and flying all over the place.

This is good news for the Steelers and Steeler fans who are hoping he will be the same force he was before his injury. In the off season Polamalu was able to rehabilitate the injury and avoided having surgery.

In 2010 he had a partial tear of the Achilles’ tendon that prevented him from getting up to speed and kept him from showing off his explosiveness. He played in the Super Bowl, but wasn't much of a factor.

The defense looked good against Vick and the Eagles were confused all night. Vick threw three interceptions and that allowed big Ben and company to spend more time on offense. Let's hope they keep this up when the season starts with the Baltimore Ravens on September 11th.

Should The Steelers Bow To The Inevitable?

I guess the Pittsburgh Steelers have met their match. They should throw up their hands and surrender. They should hang up their cleats and bow down to the "Cheese Heads". Yeah! Right? That's what you'd think if you took as gospel what the so called expert talking heads and football gurus have been spouting for almost two weeks. What a huge pile of putrid cheese crapiola!

Here's what it sounds like to me. If Super Bowl Man had a secret identity, it would be the Green Bay Packers Aaron Rogers. He's able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive. Well, not exactly. But, he is able to do more things than Ben Roethlisberger and he's not a bad guy in most peoples minds. He's more athletic with his legs, he gets rid of the ball faster, he makes quick decisions and he's the most dangerous player in the Super Bowl, especially with his arm.

If the Packers spread the field with five wide outs, the Steelers secondary won't be able to cover them. This will neutralize Troy Polamalu because he will actually have to play safety instead of every other position except nose tackle on the defense. Rogers gets rid of the ball so fast and is so accurate that Lamarr Woodley and James Harrison won't be able to get to him. Besides all that, they're playing in a dome stadium on artificial surface, a so called fast track, that benefits the Packers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line is so beat up, especially with the injury to all-pro center Maurkice Pouncey that the running game will be non-existent. Rashard Mendenhall will have a hard time running up the middle and with Clay Matthews on the outside there's no chance for a big gain. If Big Ben does somehow come up with some big plays to his receivers, he won't be able to match the magic and skills of Arron Rogers. So the Steelers should just throw in the "Terrible Towel" and be glad they made it to Super Bowl XLV.

Well I can remember how a 3rd string quarterback for the Chicago Bears almost beat the great Packers defense in the 2nd half of the NFC Championship game. So, Steelers when you hear this kind of nonsense you should get "Mad Dog Mean" and play like the Pittsburgh Steelers we all know and love. Kick some Green Bay ass and send the Packers packing as you climb that Stairway to Seven on Sunday. Go steelers!

Troy Polamalu Named AP NFL Defensive Player Of the Year Over Clay Matthews

The Pittsburgh Steelers Troy Polamalu beat out the Packers Clay Matthews, teammate James Harrison, Julius Peppers, Brian Urlacher, Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata for the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. While the sports talking heads had all but given the award to Clay Matthews, the nationwide 50 media member panel gave the most 1st place votes to Polamalu.

Troy beat Matthews by just a hair, 17 first place votes to 15. Pittsburgh's James Harrison was 3rd with 8 1st place votes. Peppers got 6, Urlacher 2 and the Baltimore Ravens Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata received 1. Even though Polamalu missed a couple of late season games due to injury, he impressed enough members to win the award. Now the real competition between these two players will come to a head in Super Bowl XV. We will see which one has the most impact on the outcome. Congratulations Troy!

What Another Steelers Super Bowl Ring Could Mean

By

Todd Fleming

(Analyst) on January 19, 2011

Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Hines Ward will punch his ticket to the Hall of Fame if the Steelers win this year's Super Bowl.

If the Steelers complete their wild ride and win this year's Super Bowl, it will mean a lot more than the franchise's seventh Lombardi trophy. It will also mean this team is officially a dynasty, comparable even to the fabled 70s Steelers who won four Super Bowls. And, it will also mean that at least three, and probably four, Steelers have punched their ticket to the Hall of Fame.

In today’s era, any team that records three Super Bowl wins in a decade time span is a dynasty. The Cowboys did it in the 90s.  The Patriots did it early in the last decade.  The Pittsburgh Steelers are poised to join them this year. Once a team is a dynasty, players become much more appealing to Hall of Fame voters.
The four Super Bowl wins in the 70s pushed a lot of Steelers into the Hall of Fame who would not have made it had they played for a lesser team.  Players like John Stallworth and Lynn Swann come to mind.
The Hall of Fame is loaded with busts of those 70s Steelers while the only slightly inferior Cowboys of that period got far fewer invitations to football’s shrine of immortality. A third Super Bowl victory would lock in Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward and would probably be enough to push James Harrison in as well.

How many Steelers off this year's team will be locks for the Hall of Fame with a Super Bowl win?

How many Steelers off this year's team will be locks for the Hall of Fame with a Super Bowl win?

0

3.0%

1

1.5%

2

7.5%

3

25.9%

4

29.9%

More than 4

32.2%

Total votes: 776

Roethlisberger and Polamalu are arguably well on their way to Canton already.  Ward and Harrison, as borderline candidates due to the fact so many Hall of Fame voters are statistics-focused, would benefit significantly from one more ring. One more Super Bowl victory would guarantee Roethlisberger a spot in the Hall of Fame. Only now is Roethlisberger truly being valued outside of Pittsburgh for the greatness that has been on full display since his rookie season. The Steelers fortunes changed the day he took over under center, and the team has not looked back even for a second.  The prevailing belief Roethlisberger was along for the ride during the Steelers' 15-1 regular season his rookie year and during their first Super Bowl run the following season was always a myth.

Only one quarterback who has won two Super Bowls, Jim Plunkett, is not in the Hall of Fame.  No quarterback who has won, or even played in, three Super Bowls is not in Canton.  If the Steelers win this year’s big game, the discussion on Roethlisberger’s Canton credentials is over. Like Roethlisberger, Polamalu would lock in his Hall of Fame reservation with one more title.  He is the most exciting defender in the NFL, a high energy player who makes plays all over the field. He is one of those rare defenders so good offenses build their entire game plan around him. With two Super Bowl rings and a few highlight reel plays in the playoffs, Polamalu is well on his way to the Hall.  But, a third Super Bowl win would seal the deal in the event his career were to be cut short at some point down the line. The discussion of Ben Roethlisberger's Canton credentials will be over with another Super Bowl title.

Nobody wants that third ring more than Hines Ward, the ultimate Steeler who has epitomized Steelers football for his entire career. While he is in the downward slope of his career, playing a strong second fiddle behind young sensation Mike Wallace, he is still tough, plays his heart out on every play, and inspires everyone around him to be better.  Ward may be the best blocking wide receiver in the history of the NFL, and he remains the heart and soul of the team. Ward should already be a lock but would probably miss out on the Hall of Fame due to his numbers significantly trailing some of his contemporaries, like Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens, due to the Steelers run-first offenses. But would anyone in their right mind take Owens over Ward?  Ward makes his team better while Owens makes his team a dysfunctional mess. One more Super Bowl would guarantee Ward a place in the Hall, even though I think his body of work has already earned him a place there. And he is playing like he realizes it, recognizing the window of opportunity is rapidly closing in on him with Father Time knocking on the door. Mike Tomlin may jokingly call him “old man” after the games, but Ward still plays with the same fiery intensity he has shown from day one.

Like Ward, James Harrison needs one more ring to punch his ticket.  He was a special teams ace on the 2005 Super Bowl team and the dominant defender on the 2009 Super Bowl team.  He has an NFL defensive player of the year award to his credit and played to that same level this year, even as he became the poster boy for the NFL’s crackdown on tackling. What will hurt Harrison is his career started late, which means his stats, like Ward’s, will trail some of his contemporaries. But, a third ring would nullify that problem. And all that bad publicity Harrison is getting this year?  It will probably help him after his career is over and will actually build his image in voters’ eyes. Harrison is virtually unblockable off the edge and is held on almost every down, although it is almost never called. It is almost as if the refs don't think it is fair for a tackle to try to block him one-on-one so they are willing to cut them some slack.  And he is a complete player who is equally devastating against the pass and run. Making the top defensive play in Super Bowl history doesn't hurt his cause, a play that will be replayed over and over again for the rest of time. He was arguably the best defender this past week during the divisional round of the playoffs.

There are a number of other veteran Steelers whose legacy would also benefit from another title, although they likely would fall short of Hall of Fame consideration unless they cashed in a couple more times.  Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton fall into this category, assuming Smith returns for the Super Bowl.
Being a Steeler sometimes means getting less credit than you are due because of the role you play.  Smith, Hampton and Heath Miller are all near the top of their position, but they rarely receive the accolades they deserve outside Pittsburgh. 

 

Chris McGrath/Getty Images 

If big Casey Hampton raises his finger again this year, he will one day enter the discussion for the Hall of Fame, especially considering the defense's incredible record at shutting down the run. Because of how good the Steelers have been against the run over this stretch, Hampton has a shot. He has been the rock in the middle of the line for both Super Bowl wins. And, while he no longer has the speed to chase Eddie George down the line and hammer him like he did early in his career in a playoff matchup, he is still an unmovable force in the middle of the line. Unfortunately for him, defensive linemen are measured by sacks and a 3-4 nose tackle isn't going to build his fame in that way, instead eating up blockers so that other players get to make the sacks. But, if you want to know why nobody can run against the Steelers and some teams don't even try, start with Hampton as the keystone to their modern version of the steel curtain.

Some of the younger Steelers have showed a tremendous amount of talent but are too early in their careers to project out that far.  Players like Lamar Woodley, Mike Wallace, Lawrence Timmons and Maurkice Pouncey fall into this category. Still, a Super Bowl ring will not hurt their cause as they continue to build their resumes and all will benefit from playing with a franchise quarterback at the top of his game for at least five more years.While these individual accolades will always take a back seat to the team's and city's goal of winning championships, Steelers' fans have grown accustomed to seeing their gridiron heroes inducted into the Hall of Fame on a regular basis.  One more Super Bowl win will ensure this parades does not come to an end any time soon.

Jets - Steelers Rematch Could Be Close Again

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets will meet for the second time this season in the AFC championship game on Jan. 24th at 6:30 PM in Pittsburgh. Although the Steelers won the statistical battle in their 1st encounter, the Jets won on the scoreboard 22-17. Pittsburgh had many opportunities to win the game, even with 2 seconds left in the game and the ball on the Jets' 10 yard line, but they couldn't make the play.

This meeting will be somewhat different in that Mark Sanchez is more experienced and has been making better decisions. Coming off an upset 28-21 win over the New England Patriots, the Jets have shown marked improvement since the 45-3 beat down they got from the Patriots in the regular season. Also missing for the Steelers in the 1st game was tight end Heath Miller and strong safety Troy Polamalu. Both are healthy and will play in the championship contest.

The big difference in the first time these to met was the opening kickoff was returned 97 yards for a Jets' touchdown. Special teams have been a problem for the Steelers all season. These two teams are very evenly matched on defense and both offenses have been shaky at times. Whoever comes up with the "Big Play" will most likely win this came. Special teams could also be a factor again.

Here's a video of the last time the Steelers played the Jets.

The Steelers Fly Past The Browns 41-9

The Pittsburgh Steelers came to Cleveland Sunday and played football like the Steelers we all know and love. On the Cleveland Browns 2nd play from scrimmage after the opening kickoff, Troy Polamalu flew in to pick of a Colt McCoy pass. It was obvious that the Steelers were about to make a statement with this game.

On the very next play, Ben Roethlisberger  connected with rookie wide receiver, Mike Wallace for a 56 yard touchdown pass. The Steelers would score 5 touchdowns and a field goal on six consecutive drives before they would have to punt. The result, a 41-9 beat-down to put an explanation point on their season!

With a 4 to 6 game suspension of quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger looming before the start of the 2010 season, most experts did not pick them to make the playoffs. The Steelers won 3 out 4 without Ben and with Ben the went 9-3. This Steelers are starting to come together at just the right time.

Knowing they had to win to get the 2nd seed and a bye week in the playoffs, the Steelers played inspired football. They were concerned about the health of Polamalu and Aaron Smith, but Troy played like he was already at 100%. Good new for the Steelers, bad news for the competition. Pittsburgh will play either the Indianapolis Colts or the Kansas City Chiefs at home in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Go Steelers! Got Penn State gear?

Pittsburgh Steelers Beat Carolina Panthers 27-3

An unimpressive win by the Pittsburgh Steelers over a bad Carolina Panthers team gets them closer to a much needed bye in the playoffs. If they're able to beat the Cleveland Browns next and finish the season 12-4, they will be the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs and rate a week off.

The Steelers defense played a typical shut down game allowing just 3 points.Although the offense scored 27 points, they could have scored more. Ben Roethlisberger even admitted after the game that he left a lot on the field and they had a lot to work on. Brights spots were the return of tight end Heath Miller and the maturing of Mike Wallace who got over 100 yards receiving.

By playing the Panthers on Thursday, they have 11 days until they play Cleveland. Troy Polamalu was on the sidelines and may not play against the Browns. If the can get that bye week in the playoffs, Troy should be ready and maybe Aaron Smith will be able to play as well.

Bad Play Calls, Injured Defense, Lousy Special Teams and Blind Refs = Steelers Loss

           Another agonizing Pittsburgh Steelers game to watch. The Steelers managed to snatch defeat from victory in a 22-17 loss to the New York Jets. With an opportunity to put some distance between them and the Baltimore Ravens and a shot at home field for the NFL playoffs, the Steelers managed to come up short.

         The Jets were coming off a couple of losses where quarterback, Mark Sanchez had less than stellar performances. He was plagued by interceptions and the offense had trouble scoring points. The Steelers defense had been carrying the team waiting for the offense to get on track. So, what went wrong?

         Tragedy struck before the game when super safety, Troy Polamalu could not start because of an injury. Although the Jets had never won at Heinz Field, The Steelers record without Polamalu favored the New York team. If that wasn't bad enough, the Steelers go-to tight end, Heath Miller would have to sit out another week after suffering a concussion in the Ravens game.

         Then the game! Pittsburgh's special teams fell asleep during the opening kickoff and the Steelers started 7 points in the hole. As the game progressed, the referees became blind and decided not to flag some interference and holding calls on the Jets defense. On a crucial drive, that would have put the Steelers ahead, the refs missed a defensive holding call by the Jets against, Steelers wide receiver, Emmanual Sanders.

         The Pittsburgh offense put up good numbers and the score was tied three times then the Steelers had the lead 17-10 in the 3rd quarter. Rashard Mendenhall had 100 yards rushing and Ben Roethlisberger threw for 264. So, how did they lose? Well  the the Steelers defense had trouble getting off the field on 3rd down. An unnecessary roughness penalty by Ryan Clark which put the Jets on the Steelers 17. Now the Pittsburgh defense fell asleep and let Sanchez run a naked bootleg to the left and scored untouched. Game tied 17-17.

          The Jets started the 4th quarter running on the Steelers which produced  a field goal. With less than 3 minutes left, the Steelers needed 3 points to tie the game and send it into overtime. But they were pinned at their own 3 yard line after a punt destined for the end zone was batted back by the Jets. Now they would have a long way to go to keep their hopes alive.

          Here's where the brain-dead, bone-head bad play call came from the sidelines. Mewelde Moore took the hand off from Ben in the shotgun deep in the end zone and barley made it to the goal line. The result, a safety which gave the Jets 2 points, a 5 point lead and the ball back with 2:40 left on the clock. Now the Steelers would need a touchdown instead of a field goal. The Steelers defense held and gave the ball back to Ben with 2:08 left. I couldn't believe that they still had a chance to pull it out.

          Roethlisberger wa like a surgeon slicing the Jets defense with passes and running to keep the drive going. With 29 seconds left, he threw deep to Sanders and if the Jets defender wouldn't have grabbed his jersey, he would have scored the winning touchdown. But, the refs didn't throw the flag. On 3rd and ten, with 2 seconds to go, Ben threw an incomplete pass as time ran out.

          It was an exciting game to watch, but you felt empty and drained when it was over. I hope the Steelers have a better outcome when they play the Carolina Panthers on Thursday. It's not known whether Polamalu will play or not.

The Best Offense Is A Good Defense!

I know I'm late with this post, but anyone who saw the Pittsburgh Steelers offense Sunday would agree: The best offense was a Great defense. The Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-7, but Ben Roethlisberger and company could only score 9 points on three field goals.

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense scored 14 points with two touchdowns. Troy Polamalu and Lamarr Woodley scored enough points to beat the Bengals without the offense. They both returned Carson Palmer interceptions for TDs leading the Steelers to a 10-3 record and a spot in the NFL playoffs.

Pittsburgh is atop the AFC North division with three game left on their schedule. They will try to beat the New York Jets this week, then the Carolina Panthers and division rival, Cleveland Browns.  Let's hope they can muster more offense than three field goals against the Jets. If not, I hope the defense can score some points.

Men Of Steel With An Amazing Finish

    Another agonizing game to watch. The Pittsburgh Steelers were not able to score a point the whole 1st half. The offense was just not clicking and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got his nose broke on the Steelers first offensive series. Ben came into the game with a broken foot. The Steelers punter, Sepulvada left the game with a season ending leg injury. The Steelers defense held the Baltimore Ravens to 7 points and played tough all night.

    About 5 minutes into the 3rd quarter the Steelers were able to get a 45 yard field goal from newly acquired place kicker, Suisham. Midway through the quarter Baltimore added a 24 yard field goal to make it 10-3. As the quarter came to the end, Pittsburgh lost offensive lineman, Flozell Adams yo injury and tight end Heath Miller to a concussion  just as they started a drive to the end zone. The offensive line came into the game already depleted by several injured players. The Ravens defense was able to hold Pittsburgh to another field goal.


    Two punts for the Steelers and two for the Ravens and I'm screaming at the TV and the coaches to find a way to win this game. It was like "pulling teeth" for the Steelers to score a touchdown. I turned to my wife and said " It looks like, if the Steelers are going to win this game, the defense is going to have to score".

    Then it happened! An all out blitz with Toy Polamolu knocking quarterback, Joe Flacco's arm and causing a fumble recovered by Lamarr Woodley and taken to the Ravens nine yard line with 3:22 left in the game. Three plays later, Ben Roethlisberger, broken nose and foot throws a touchdown pass to back-up running back Redman as the Steelers take a 13-10 lead and leap to the top of the AFC North division with a 9-3 record.

    Amazingly Steelers linebacker, James Harrison didn't get fined for any vicious hits. However, the Ravens defense committed at least 4 hits to the head that weren't called penalties. The Ravens Haloti Ngata put his hand or fist through Ben Roethleisberger's helmet and broke his nose. Jameel McClain was involved in a deliberate helmet to helmet shot on Steelers defenseless wide receiver, Heath Miller. And the hit no one is talking about as Ben was trying to dodge the rush of Terell Suggs and get rid of the ball. Suggs twice slapped Ben on the side of his helmet.

    In spite of the injuries and the penalties that weren't called (I guess they were wearing the wrong uniform) , the Men Of Steel were able to defeat their arch rivals in a hostile Ravens stadium where Baltimore had won 8 straight games until the Steelers came to town.

Steelers Win Ugly In OT - Ravens Next!

     I've been trying to let the memory of the Steelers game Sunday fade into oblivion. I know they got the win, but if not for a dropped perfect pass in the end zone in overtime, it could have easily been a loss. It's amazing how the Pittsburgh Steelers can have 426 yards of offense and only score 19 points.

     With that kind of offense they should have gotten at least 30. Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 151 yards, Hines Ward had 107 receiving yards and Big Ben Roethlisberger threw for 246. Besides that, they held the ball for 45 minutes to the Buffalo Bills 27. So, how did they just barely win 19-16 in OT?

     Well, the penalty bug bit them again. The Steelers were penalized for the 2nd week in a row for over 100 yards. I'm not saying that the Refs and the League have it in for the Steelers, but they might. Besides the penalties, Ben was sacked a few times and suffered an ankle sprain, while Mendenhal's fumble almost cost them the game. There were also some dropped passes, especially the one by Emmanuel Sanders that would have resulted in a long gain.

     If they can play like the did against the Bills, but without the mistakes, they can beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. If they want to reclaim the AFC North crown, they'll have to have their heads in the game against Ray Lewis and company. Troy Polamolu's interception late saved the victory for the Steelers. Let's hope they don't need any late game heroics when they play the Ravens.

The Steelers Need To Take The Tigers By The Tail

Search Amazon.com for Steelers The (5-2) Pittsburgh Steelers need a win over the (2-5) Cincinnati Bengals to keep pace with the (6-2) division leading Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers are 2-1 since the return of quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger and Monday night will be a test of two AFC North rivals.

Ben's return has accelerated the Steelers' passing game and with the emergence of WR Mike Wallace and the acquisition of former Steeler wideout, Antwaan Randel El, Pittsburgh is set to make some big plays. Key players to watch are Hines Ward, Heath Miller and Troy Polamalu.

Beside a potent offense, the Steelers have one of the top defenses in the League. Lawrence Timmons has emerged as as star at linebacker. With James Harrison and James Farrior they may best the most formidable linebacking group in the NFL.

The Bengals are hungry for a win, especially in their division. They'll have to solve the Steelers 'D" and slow down Pittsburgh's Rashard Mendenhall to get a 'W'. The Bengals are coming off a 22-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins and with Chad Ochcinco and T O, the Bengals are looking for an upset. Steelers if you take these cats for pets, they just might bite you.

Steelers Still Alive - Barely

By beating the Green Bay Packers 37-36 with a dramatic last second touchdown pass, the Pittsburgh Steelers are only a game behind in the hunt for a wild-card spot. The Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens lead the AFC wild-card race with 8-6 records. There are several other AFC teams with 7-7 records, including the Steelers with only two games remaining.

Pittsburgh's chances for making the playoffs will depend a lot on what the other teams do, even if the Steelers manage to win out. Their two remaining games are with Baltimore and Miami. Both teams are vying for a chance at post season play. The offense seems to be playing well, but defensively they haven't been the same since Troy Polamalu went down. If it looks like they could make the playoffs, he may be in the line-up.

Let's just hope they can win the last two before we get playoff fever. Ben Roethlisberger was unbelievable against the Packers, passing for a record 503 yards. Watch the Steelers vs. Packers video highlights.

The Steelers Can Run And Win!

The running game came alive in the Steelers 38-28 victory over the Chargers. Steelers running back, Rashard Mendenhall had been benched a week ago for not having his head in the playbook. Apparently, this week he must have put his whole body into it because his performance was key to the Steelers second win of the season.

When the Steelers lost to the Bengals last week, Willie Parker approached 100 yards rushing with a 93 yard effort. He also suffered an injury to his toe that sidelined him for the Chargers game. So, Mendenhall was given a chance to redeem himself and stay out of coach Tomlin's doghouse if he could show some improvement when San Diego came to town.

Well, he not only got the message, he sent one to the coaches, the Steelers fans and the league when he ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers. He was like a man on a mission. He showed moves that we hadn't seen since he was in college. He ran with power and confidence, slashing his way through the Chargers defense. Let's hope his performance was not a flash in the pan.

A lot of the credit for his success should go to the Steelers offensive line. They created holes with the kind of blocking Steelers fans had been used to seeing in the past. Along with Mendenhall's determination, they were almost unstoppable. With the help of the offensive line, Rashard was able to get 5.7 yards a carry.

Besides the offense supplied by Mendenhall, Roethlisberger passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Running back, Mewelde Moore added to the total with a 6 yard TD pass to Heath Miller. The Steelers racked up 497 yards of offense to the Chargers 251.
For the first time this year they were able to score in the fourth quarter with 10 points.

The score was closer than it should've been because of poor special teams play by the Steelers and two late drives by Phillip Rivers and the Chargers offense. Aided by a stolen ball from Steelers punt returner, Stephan Logan that resulted in a touchdown and a muffed on-side kick, the Chargers scored 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Despite the absence of Troy Polamalu, the Steelers defense was able to limit the Chargers to just 251 yards total offense and recorded 3 sacks. They still missed him on blitzes and pass coverage, but managed to shut out the Chargers in the first half. The Steelers play Detroit and Cleveland before they play the red-hot Vikings and Broncos. We can only hope Polamalu returns before then.