It was...bad. Just so bad. And not just the loss itself, going down 24-13 to the Washington Redskins. There were the injuries. LaRod Stephens-Howling was already sidelined due to a minor knee strain. Baron Batch got hurt (stinger). Fullback Will Johnson got hurt (ribs).
Then, I got hurt throwing things at the t.v. Feels like rotator cuff. I'm probably down for a couple of weeks.
What hit the hardest, though, was when Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that rookie running back Le'Veon Bell got hurt with a mid-foot injury and that there would be an MRI Tuesday. - http://tinyurl.com/mdhppr7
Then Will Carroll, lead sportswriter for Sports Medicine, tweeted from his Twitter (@injuryexpert) account: "Bad news on Le'Veon Bell. Midfoot sprain is going to keep him out weeks on the low end."
Well, let's just hope it isn't that b**ch Lisfranc, because we've had enough of her! Just ask Matt Spaeth. But, to ask Bell, he's ready to prove all doubters wrong.
UPDATE: Per Ed Bouchette from his Twitter (@EdBouchette) account: "#Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell's injury to right foot not as significant as teammate Matt Spaeth's Lisfranc." As Will Carroll said above, though, that still means Bell will be sidelined for awhile.
If he is actually down for an extended period, it could be even worse. The Steelers are a team doing all it can to simply tread preseason water. They were in the bottom six in rushing yards, yards per carry, and rushing touchdowns in 2012. So far, we are not seeing change in the offensive line play. They didn't even get their first 1st down until about nine minutes to go in the third quarter.
Le'Veon Bell is talented, but not that talented.
This just in: Guy Whimper was just penalized again.
The success that the Steelers did have running the ball last year was with power downhill running from Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman. Proof? Dwyer had 14 carries for 68 yards, getting the majority of his yards on just such runs.
That, though, really isn't Bell's style. He actually somewhat resembles Rashard Mendenhall in that he's big, but agile. Bell runs with more of a finesse style for a bigger running back. He has the power and balance to be a bruiser, but he'd prefer to string things out.
Unless things are remedied quickly, that isn't going to work with this OLine.
Speaking of the OLine, Maurkice Pouncey was candid in his description of their play: "Everybody kinda knows the OLine is gonna carry the team this year. We all feel like sh** tonight. We'll get better at it."
Um...you have to. You'd better if the quarterback is expected to last the season. Or even to be at least to be somewhat successful. One of the very things we talked about in the pre-game write up. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/08/steelers-prepare-for-redskins-as.html
One way to get better is to send Guy Whimper packing. Now. Jonathan Scott was...aaaargh! Sorry, I still get flashbacks. Jon...he was let go for a reason. Why being him back in the form of Whimper? We wrote a month ago that Whimper was a revolving door. He proved it Monday night. He was beaten so many times his new nickname is Tina Turner. Seriously, he may as well have not even have been in there.
Speaking of not being there, too bad Jason Worilds couldn't make the trip to the game.
In other post-game comments from Tomlin, he also acknowledged the rash of penalties and attributes them so far to "poor execution. Maybe an official or two will be at our practices to help us in that regard."
Or just send Guy Whimper packing.
Neither team looked like the '78 Steelers nor the '91 Redskins, though. There were 15 penalties and seven turnovers, including three Steelers offensive linemen committing infractions to kill what was otherwise a good drive directed by Ben Roethlisberger and a sequence of three giveaways in five plays.
As Steelers safety Ryan Clark said after the game, "Too much Steelers beating ourselves."
Bright spots? There were some. Markus Wheaton had 3 catches for 52 yards, including a big catch for 36 yards. Shamarko Thomas, who was the Steelers Digest Player of the Week, laid several slobber-knocking hits. Jarvis Jones is making everyone believe. Big Ben was 5 for 6 for 66 yards before putting on the baseball cap early in the second quarter.
The Steelers got their only touchdown in the fourth quarter when rookie Landry Jones, 9 for 22 for 111 yards and one 1 touchdown, hit wide receiver Derek Moye for a 10-yard score.
That basically it as far as bright spots. Unless you count Guy Whimper running off of the field with a few minutes left in the 4th quarter.
The coaches, both coaching staffs, have a lot of...teaching moments this week. A lot of challenges to attempt to solve.
Oh...and send Guy Whimper packing.
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