Can The Steelers Save Their Season?

Is Ryan Clark serious? I hope so!

      It doesn't seem likely that the Pittsburgh Steelers will even have a mediocre record like their 8-8 season last year. They are 0-4 and could be 0-5 after they play the 3-2 New York Jets on Sunday. What can save them if they play them like they have their first 4 opponents? No team that has started a season 0-5 has made the playoffs since the postseason field was expanded in 1990. Well, it's hard to be optimistic, but at least one of the Steelers is.

      Steelers safety, Ryan Clark was asked if the Steelers would make the playoffs this year. "I just believe we can win. That's just the bottom line," Clark said on First Take. "I think we have the people in this room, the coaches (to win). Also, looking at our schedule, we're not playing world beaters, we're not playing gods. We're playing men." "We're playing football teams that have vulnerabilities and teams I think we can beat," Clark said. "That's five division opponents left, so it's in our own hands. I think we can win those games, and I think we will."

       To their credit, the Steelers haven't even given a rally much lip service except for Clark. At this moment, winning a single game is a big enough task. Not that the Steelers have any business thinking about the playoffs. They simply need a win to stop the hemorrhaging. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisbeger admits they are in uncharted territory being 0-4 to start the season, while suggesting they are the worst team in the NFL. "I just have to hope and believe we can turn it around because we have to believe that we can still be a part of something special," he said. "And if you don't believe that, then you don't need to be on this team or be out here."

The Steelers Are Still In A Fog After Leaving London Losers

Ben Roethlisberger Loses The Ball Again

       With the Pittsburgh Steelers off to their worst start in 45 years, Ben Roethlisberger isn't mincing words about where the team stacks up against the rest of the NFL. "Right now, you could say we're the worst team in the league," after Pittsburgh fell 34-27 to the Minnesota Vikings at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. "That hurts." The Steelers' defense gave up nearly 400 yards and again failed to force a turnover. Pittsburgh is without a takeaway this season.

        Roethlisberger was sacked five times and harassed all game by Jared Allen and the Vikings, the Steelers dropped to 0-4, their worst start since 1968, when they lost their first six games en route to a 2-11-1 record. “We are in uncharted territory, and the water is dangerous right now. It stings. I have to hope and believe we can turn it around. That's the approach I'm going to take this week and next week. I'm going to do the best I can to lead these guys and let them see how I go about my job. ”

         Roethlisberger, who has won two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh, acknowledged that this is the lowest point of his career. Roethlisberger completed 36 of 51 passes for 383 yards and one touchdown but also had one interception and a fumble on Sunday. The fumble came in the final seconds after he led the Steelers from their 22 to a first-and-goal at Minnesota's 6. "I felt like we made good strides on offense," Roethlisberger said. "It's just hard to say that and to feel very good about yourself after a loss."

         With a bye week before facing the New York Jets on Oct. 13 and perhaps mainly pride left to play for, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin put players on notice that jobs could be at stake. "I have great patience," he said. "The team will work to get better. As long as I see belief and effort and we continue to improve, that's what's going to change the outcome of these games. If I don't, [they] ain't going to be a part of it, whoever it may be. It's that simple."The challenge resonated with Ben. "Yeah, I'd start with myself," he said. "We have to hold ourselves accountable." 

The Steelers Are Developing A Bad Habit

Ben Fumbles

      The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting into the habit of losing. Five turnovers, two of them returned for touchdowns, doomed the Steelers to a 40-23 loss to the Chicago Bears. The 0-3 Steelers will head to Europe and play against the 0-3 Minnesota Vikings to try to avoid becoming the franchise's first team in 45 years to lose their first four games.

       "We have to do a better job taking care of the football, period," said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, whose team has lost nine turnovers in three games this season and the defense hasn't gotten one turnover. It is the first time the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost their first three games since 2000. It was nice to see Heath Miller back in action.

        The 0-3 start, never experienced by any of them here, had some players groping for ways to describe it. "It's a deep hole," Roethlisberger said. "It's getting deeper, but we're not going to quit." "We need to make something happen here quickly," defensive captain Ryan Clark said. "It's hard, it's frustrating, it's all those words," said another defensive captain, Brett Keisel. "This team is not going to lay down and roll over."

       Although Ben Roethlisberger completed 26 of 41 for 406 yards and Antonio Brown caught nine passes for a career-high 196 yards and two touchdown, the turnovers killed them. Tomlin has a big job ahead of him, perhaps his biggest since taking the job in 2007. Part of that is to keep his winless team focused on their jobs."I'm not going to pat them on the back for sticking together, for continuing to work or for being mentally tough," Tomlin said. "I expect them to, and that's what I just told them in there."

Pittsburgh Steelers - Different Game Same Result

Ben Roethlisberger frustrated in Steelers loss to Bengals

      The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2002, done in by another game of self-destruction on offense. Pittsburgh struggled on offense for the second consecutive week, and was limited to just 278 total yards as they lost their opening two games. The Steelers had two turnovers in the Red Zone and failed to get a first down on seven of their 12 possessions."There's not a lot of positives going on right now," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "We can't start doubting each other. Right now, there's a general feeling of being upset.

      The Bengals quarterback, Andy Dalton attempted 32 passes in the first half as the Cincinnati Bengals ran the ball just 10 times for 53 yards. Cincinnati ran the ball 24 times in the second half to get the lead and then ran time off the clock. The Bengals finished the game with 407 total yards.  Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati's shifty young running back, earned the first score of his career on a seven-yard run in the first quarter then broke a 10-10 tie in the third on a 27-yard reception that helped the Bengals (1-1) to a share of the lead in the AFC North.

The Pittsburgh Steelers Have Nothing For The Titans

Titans make 2 point blunder on the kickoff

     The Steelers had nothnig Sunday for the Titans, but the Titans had a gift for Pittsburgh to start the game. The Tennessee Titans had the ugliest start to the season you’ll ever see on Sunday in Pittsburgh, as returner Darius Reynaud picked up the opening kickoff at the 1-yard line and then kneeled into the end zone for a safety. But after that, it was the Steelers who were ugly.
Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead on Reynaud’s bonehead play, but it was all Titans from then on, as the Steelers’ offense was horrendous and the Titans won 16-9.

      The Pittsburgh Steelers lost center Maurkice Pouncey to an early knee injury, and their offense was terrible all game. Ben Roethlisberger threw for just 191 yards on 21-of-33 passing, and his first touchdown pass didn’t come until late in the fourth quarter, when the game was all but over.
Tennessee’s offense wasn’t anything to write home about, either: Jake Locker went 11-for-20 for 125 yards, while Chris Johnson picked up just 70 yards on 25 carries. But the Titans had no interceptions and no fumbles, while the Steelers had one of each, and Tennessee did enough to win an ugly game.
For the Titans, this win wasn’t particularly impressive, but they’ll gladly take a 1-0 start to the season. The Steelers need to fix their offense in a hurry.

Steelers Too Close For Comfort 2012 Season

        No team in 2012 has been involved in more close games than the Pittsburgh Steelers. Outside of soundly beating the Jets and Redskins and losing badly to San Diego, the Steelers have played a dozen close games that were decided by the slimmest of margins. Pittsburgh scored the game-winning points in the fourth quarter or overtime of five games, but had seven losses in the same situations. Realistically, the Steelers could be anywhere from 2-13 to 14-1 right now. Instead they are 7-8, and a failure to close out more of these close games was the culprit. But it was a season of the Steelers unable to finish as a team.

        Pittsburgh peaked in Weeks 7-9 when they beat Cincinnati, Washington and the Giants. Even in those games, they had to come back from a double-digit deficit twice, but at least they came through, and that was the only time the running game was working. The season almost has taken on two halves, as it was more about the defensive failures early in the season. The defense surrendered a fourth-quarter lead in four of the first five games this season. But then the defense improved in the second half while the offense really struggled to close games out.

         The offense even had a chance to win a game late in all three starts Ben  Roethlisberger missed, but they could not come through with Byron Leftwich against Baltimore, or Charlie Batch in Cleveland. Batch however did get the job done in Baltimore, which is Pittsburgh’s only win in their last six games. Roethlisberger actually could have won the league’s MVP award with better play in crunch time. The offense’s inept play without him would have been the additional argument he needed to build his case, because he had the stats. He just had an unusually high number of failures in the clutch. Though Roethlisberger may finish 2012 with just eight interceptions, many will define his season by the four big ones he had.
 

         The offense and defense just could not get on the same page this year, and even the special teams had their struggles, like Brown coughing up the ball on a punt return in Dallas in a similar situation when the Steelers could have gone up two scores. But what might be most unacceptable is how the offense crumbled when they were so close to winning several of these games. We are talking about when one more completion likely would have did the job to run out the clock, and have Suisham come out for the game-winning field goal. Whether it is better execution or getting better calls by the coaches, they have to find a way to make the plays that win close games.

Ben Returns After Batch Beats Ravens

     After the Pittsburgh Steelers so called dinosaur quarterback, Charlie Batch out-played Joe Flacco and defeated the Baltimore Ravens 23-20, Ben Roethlisberger is slated to return Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.Ben is returning to action after missing the last three games with a shoulder injury.

     Roethlisberger practiced for the second straight day on Thursday, and Coach Mike Tomlin was comfortable enough with what he saw to say Roethlisberger will start this week.“He has been above the line in all areas,” said Tomlin following Thursday’s practice. “Really, the only question we can’t answer is taking a hit. Obviously that will be answered in the stadium on Sunday.

     “I am extremely comfortable with his ability to work"I'm getting there," Roethlisberger said. "I'm getting there," Roethlisberger said. "I've got to talk to (tight end) Heath (Miller). He's my barometer. He lets me know how close I am to 100 percent on velocity and stuff like that." He has great velocity on his ball. We’re ready to go.”

      The Baltimore Ravens will play the Washington Redskins and RG3. The Ravens will welcome the return of Ray Lewis on defense. The Baltimore offense struggled against the Steelers last week. Find Pittsburgh Steelers fan clubs.

Steelers Almost Beat Ravens With Wounded Back-Up

     Less than a minute into the game, the Pittsbugh Steelers' Byron Leftwich rolled right on a pass play, then took off up the right sideline. Leftwich fell awkwardly as he stumbled across the goal line and grabbed for his right shoulder. This would be the only offensive touchdown of the game. The Steelers scored only 3 more points on a field goal to lose 13-10 to the Baltimore Ravens.

     Baltimore's offense did next to nothing. Ray Rice managed a only 40 yards on 20 carries. The Ravens only had 200 yards of offense to the Steelers 311. Joe Flacco struggled in the passing game  throwing for just 164 yard to an injured Byron Leftwich's 201 yards. The Ravens’ six points on offense came off two Pittsburgh turnovers. Pittsburgh’s second punt was returned for a touchdown adding 7 more.
    
     Pittsburgh had its chances, including two forced drops on the final drive of the game. In fact, the Steelers came within inches of taking a lead late in the third quarter, when Leftwich and Mike Wallace narrowly missed on a touchdown. You could tell Leftwich was injured, but they kept sending him out there. The injury appeared to limit Leftwich, as he missed badly on several throws late in the game. He was seen wincing and grabbing his ribs  multiple times.

     Leftwich reportedly injured his ribs during the first quarter on Sunday, but still played the rest of the game. He fractured two ribs on Sunday and will now miss Pittsburgh's next game, according to a report from the Associated Press. With Leftwich out and Roethlisberger's status still unknown, the next man up is Charlie Batch.

     The Steelers (6-4) will likely start 37-year-old backup Charlie Batch when they face the (2-8) Cleveland Browns next. It will be Batch's first start since the 2011 season. Batch is 5-2 as a substitute starter over the past decade . Byron Leftwich hasn't won an NFL game since 2006. What they gain with Batch is a better game manager and a proven track record.

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.

Injured Ben Roethlisberger Inspires Steelers To 14-3 Win!

Already smarting from a broken thumb and wearing a splint on his throwing hand, might be enough to inspire any team to victory. But the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback showed how tough he really is when he experienced an unexpected injury that would have sidelined most players. Ben Roethlisberger was not going to let his team down in a game the Steelers needed to stay ahead of the Baltimore Ravens for the lead in the AFC north division.

The 9-3 Steelers were favorite to beat the 4-8 Cleveland Browns on Sunday and resume their march toward another playoff appearance . The crowd at Heinz field was glad to see Big Ben put together a masterful drive to give the Steelers a 7-3 lead before half-time. But, with less than 3 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, Ben was sacked and was unable to get up. After being looked at on the field, he was helped to the locker room for x-rays.

It seemed like all the air was sucked out of the stadium. No one knew if he could even return to the sidelines, let alone play the second half. Back up Charlie Batch filled in, but was ineffective. Roethlisberger wasn't the only Steeler injured in the first half. All-pro center, Maurkice Pouncey also left the game with a leg injury and didn't return.

To everyone's surprise Big Ben limped unto the field to start the 2nd half. Apparently he had a high ankle sprain but wanted to play anyway. With his ankle, shoe and lower leg heavily taped, he inspired his offensive linemen to give him the protection he needed to finish the game. After throwing an interception that almost cost them the lead, he found Antonio Brown down the sidelines for a touchdown that sealed the win.

It should be noted that Pouncey also had a high ankle sprain and Troy Polamalu had a slight hamstring injury. At one point in the game it looked like Polamalu was having safety Ryan Clark pull on his arm as if he had a dislocation. At least the Steelers will have 10 days to heal before they have to play the 10-2 San Francisco 49ers on NFL Monday Night Football.

Thumbs Up For Ben Roethlisbeger,He's Tough!

Ben Roethlisberger did not miss a snap as the Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 pass attempts for 70 yards in the 2nd half, which included a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the 3rd quarter. Big Ben seriously injured the thumb on his passing hand at some point during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. He is not certain just when it occurred, only that he recognized it while coming out for the 2nd half.

“It hurt, but Steelers head trainer John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape so I could go on it. ” Roethlisberger said. “Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit. ” “It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests Monday, and it’s fractured in there, ” Ben said.

This is not the 1st time Big Ben has performed with a broken thumb. He experienced a similar injury in 2005, even though it did not stop him from leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to their 5th Super Bowl championship. There ought to be no problems this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh journeys to the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 27.

It is not uncommon for Ben Roethlisberger to play with minor injuries. He experienced a sprained foot in a loss to The Houston Texans on Oct. 2nd then tied a team record with 5 TD passes in a win over The Tennessee Titans. “That’s just Ben, ” Mike Wallace said. “You know that something small isn’t going to slow him down like that. ”.

Pittsburgh Steelers Back On Top!

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-17 in their first meeting this season. The 6-3 Bengals competed all game long and the Steelers had to work hard to secure the win. The best thing about the win is that it helps to erase the pain of losing the 2nd time to their other division rivals, the 6-3 Baltimore Ravens. The AFC North is the only division in the NFL with three teams having at least 3 wins half way through the season. Right now the Steelers are on top.

The Steelers have one more win than the other two team because they haven't had a bye week yet. Ironically the Steelers will have their bye week this week while Baltimore and Cincinnati play each other. That game could determine which team is on top when the Steelers return.

The bye week couldn't come at a better time for the Steelers. With a tough schedule ahead and players needing time to mend, it's just what the doctor ordered. Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisbereger and Lamarr Woodley along with some offensive linemen could really use the time off. Nagging injuries and two emotional games in a row have really taken a toll. Get well Steelers, see you next game.

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.

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!

1 Half Is Better Than None!

I know we're in the Super Bowl. And as a Steelers fan I should be ecstatic. I know Ben Roethlisberger made a terrific play to pick up the 1st down that iced the game for the Steelers in the final 2 minutes. But, the Steelers only played one good half. The Pittsburgh Steelers played like Super Bowl champs in the 1st half to lead the New York Jets 24-3. But, as the 2nd quarter ended the defense allowed the Jets to march down the field with sloppy play, poor tackling and stupid penalties. Right then I felt that those 3 points shifted the momentum of the game. And just like Lee Corso on ESPN's College Gameday, I was saying "Not so fast my friends."

At half time people were calling my house and telling me what a total beat down the Steelers were going to put on the Jets. Even my wife whose watched every Steelers game with me this year and knows how the Steelers leave teams hanging around and make every game a heart attack, she was just beside herself with optimism. I had to put out the caution flag to preserve my own sanity. "Don't you remember the lousy 1st half we played against the Baltimore Ravens?", I asked. "And didn't we play an awesome 2nd half to beat them?" Could it happen to the Steelers?

Well no on expected the Jets to do the same thing to us, but maybe the Jets. The Steelers came out flat on defense in the 2nd half. It was like we knew we won and just wanted to let the time run out, not have any turnovers and move on to the Super Bowl. The only thing was, there was too much time left to waste! A lot can happen in a half with a team as desperate as you are to win a championship. If we could make adjustments to turn the game around against Baltimore, so could they. And they almost did!

In The NFC championship game we saw the Green Bay Packers only play half a game with the Chicago Bears and almost let a 3rd string quarterback beat them. Let's hope the Steelers have a better half than the Packers do in Super Bowl XLV. And why not play two good halves? That might give us our 7th Lombardi trophy. Go Steelers!

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.

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.