After Firing Bicknell, Steelers Already Have New OLine Coach In Mind

In Biblical times, two male goats were obtained from the assembled sons of Israel by the high priest for use on the annual Day of Atonement (now called Yom Kippur). One goat was designated for sacrifice as a sin offering, while the high priest symbolically laid the sins of the people on the other and it was led away to escape "into the wilderness.” - Leviticus 16:8,10,26.

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced the firing of offensive line coach Jack Bicknell, jr., essentially making him this year's scapegoat. Bicknell came aboard last year after Sean Kugler left to become the head coach at his alma mater UTEP.

We say scapegoat because of the good job he'd done and that 'somebody had to be blamed for the Steelers 8-8 season' mentality among much of the Steelers fan base.

The Steelers lost starting center Maurkice Pouncey and backup Fernando Velasco to season-ending injuries, and because of injury or inept play they had at least six different starting units and between 12-16 different combinations.

Despite those mole hills, they allowed just seven sacks in the final seven weeks. They also ran for 461 yards and a yards-per-carry average of over four (4.01) in the last four games of the season. Within that, featured running back Le'Veon Bell also broke the Steelers 22-game drought of 100-yard rushers, including running for 214 yards in the final two games with a 4.65 YPC average.

So, it's no wonder that players like tackles Marcus Gilbert and Kelvin Beachum said they felt they had grown and improved as a unit. - http://tinyurl.com/ksjm8tm

Nonetheless...

“I have decided to go in a different direction with respect to the coaching of our offensive line,” coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement on Steelers.com. “I want to thank Jack for his contributions during the 2013 season, and I wish him well in the future.”

With no clue or sense of rhyme or reason as to why this would happen, If It Ain't Steel capitulated to a superior intellect and insight in the form of Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Trib Total Media.

"Where Bicknell struggled, I’m...told, is in the area of individual instruction. ... And while Bicknell was loved by the players as a person, there’s also a sense I get that he might have lost them as a coach - fair or not - when times were toughest." - http://tinyurl.com/msh75do

That being the case, the Steelers are now looking for their third OLine coach in as many years. They already seemed to have set their sights one as well.

Jason Cole of the National Football Post has reported that the "Steelers have expressed interest in Carolina assistant offensive line coach Ray Brown to fill the vacancy created after the team fired offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. on Friday. For the time being, the Panthers have declined to let Brown interview, but are expected to let him talk to the Steelers about the job after the playoffs have concluded."

Brown spent 20 years in the NFL as a player for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. He was a part of the Redskins' 1991 Super Bowl winning team, and his best season was 2001 when he went to the Pro Bowl and was named to that year's All-Pro 2nd Team.

He has spent the last seven years working his way up through the coaching ranks. Notably, he was an assistant offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills starting in 2008, was hired as offensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers for the 2010 season, and then was hired as the assistant line coach for the Carolina Panthers in January of 2011.

Considering what Kovacevic wrote and the aforementioned road grading the OLine was finally doing in the final quarter of the season, maybe Tomlin felt that they could be the mauling blockers that Steelers teams in the past had. Possibly he then realized that they didn't need to switch to a zone blocking scheme after all, thus making Bicknell expendable.

Regardless, in a few weeks we'll all see if Brown is the next foreman of this group of hard hat-wearing road pavers.

The 5 Key Players To Returning Dominance To Steelers Defense

The late Al Davis famously once said about his defense, "Don’t adjust. Just dominate."

The 2012 Pittsburgh Steelers were once again tops in total defense, in yards per game and in passing yards. They were the No. 2 rushing defense, including being top three in allowing fewest runs of 20 yards or more (and even one of those was a fake punt). The problem was that they neither 'dominated,' nor did they get to the quarterback enough.

To help quantify the 'lack of dominance factor' and how numbers can be deceiving, consider this: the Steelers defense, when compared to the rest of the NFL's top five defenses, faced the fewest scrimmage plays with only 951. That's 70 fewer, essentially equivalent to a full game, than the team with the most in the top five, the Denver Broncos, at 1,021. Conversely, though, the Steelers allowed more points per game (1.5 more) than any defense in the top five at 19.6 PPG.

The defense didn't take the ball away enough, either, though. Only 20 turnovers were recorded, which was the eighth fewest in the NFL. That included only 10 interceptions. To put that in perspective, according to Steelers Digest, the Steelers picked an historic-low nine passes in the 11-game 1940 season. Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount himself had 11 in the 1975 season alone. Get the picture?

If the Steelers truly expect to get back into the playoffs next season, those are the two things that have to be reversed. Like the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Dejan Kovacevic recently wrote, "let's face this, too: The NFL's No. 1-ranked defense could be better, mathematically daunting as that sounds....And if you ask me, nothing will mean more to the Steelers than resetting some snarl to that defense, than regaining their intimidating identity." - http://tinyurl.com/l2uyw5l

To that end, there are five defensive players who are key to this and to potential success of the team:

1) STEVE MCLENDON - While some may argue that the most important aspect of the 3-4 defense is being able to get the outside linebackers to pressure the quarterback, we contend that it is a nose tackle who is as hard to move as Excalibur. Therefore, the core of a successful Steelers defense is its defensive line with Steve McLendon being the cornerstone. The Steelers expect to use him in at least 60% of the snaps this season, but McLendon expects even more.

“I am going towards greatness and there is only one way to get there," said the 6'4", 320-pound McLendon, "through hard work and dedication....It's all about discipline." - http://tinyurl.com/n9xvm8j

McLendon is backing up those words by working hard to fill the gargantuan shoes of Casey Hampton who had held down the position since 2001. But even Hampton has given him his stamp of approval, at one point calling McLendon a "beast" and saying he is ready to take the position as his own.

2) ZIGGY HOOD - In a defensive scheme where the linemen are asked to play a two-gap style in which they engage the guard or tackle and keep blockers off the linebackers, Ziggy Hood has not exactly been stellar. He hasn't been a washout, either, though. In fact, he has suited up for every game since being drafted, made 39 starts, including 30 in a row, is the strongest player on the team and is very durable.

The problem is that, with all his strength, Hood plays with more finesse than power. Add to that, he has erratic technique and footwork. He may need to use his strength to develop a bull-rush move to overpower tackles. Nevertheless, both are things that he is working on. And rightly so, because the clock is ticking. - http://tinyurl.com/meokwww

Hood won't just be playing for a big contract next season, but a contract, period. To that end, Hood is once again also working with Outer Limits Athletic Performance in Pittsburgh. He has been working on multi-directional training for practical use on the field. Because jumping 50" from a seated position is very impressive, but...when would he need to do that during a game? - http://youtu.be/P_Iz40cqCJE

3) LAMARR WOODLEY - Anonymous teammates criticized LaMarr Woodley's weight and work ethic earlier this offseason. His response?

“It doesn’t bother me at all. They’re coming at the wrong person when they try coming at me. I don’t listen to nothing,” Woodley said.

To ask Woodley, it wasn't his weight at all, rather his injuries (hamstring and ankle) that kept him from performing. Injuries, in particular his ankle, which he says are healing fine.

But, while Woodley may be distancing himself from the anonymous pyroclastic comments for now, he will need a strong year to make them go away completely. He began process by training in Arizona at Performance Enhancement Professionals at the urging of his teammate Ryan Clark, who has himself been training there for years. Woodley won't say how much he weighs, but his position coach, Keith Butler, approves.

"Whatever he did, it appears to be right," Butler said. "The biggest thing is we've got to (do is) keep him on the field....He's working on it."

On the field and upright...save when he is laying on top of QBs. Sacks are important, but not just sacks alone, it's also when you get them. You have to put teams in bad down-and-distances early (1st & 2nd downs) consistently to get sacks. Those sacks then lead to mistakes and turnovers. Speaking of which...

4) CORTEZ ALLEN - "I think I've shown an ability to make plays in the defensive system," Cortez Allen said.

Ya think???

Tez Allen was a turnover machine at right cornerback when he replaced the injured Ike Taylor late last year. In the final two games, Tez had two interceptions, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery, making him a breakout player to watch next season. - http://tinyurl.com/nxwfxhp

That kind of play from him is going to be paramount to a Steelers defense that simply hasn't been getting turnovers like they had in the past. Especially with a still very capable but aging Taylor on the other side. He and the other youth in the Steelers defensive backfield know this all too well, though, as the coaches had them working on it feverishly at OTAs and minicamp.

"We're working on it everyday, doing more ball drills, more emphasis on attacking the ball so we can do better in that category," Tez said.

5) TROY POLAMALU - The Tasmanian Devil. The Flyin' Hawaiian. The Elder Statesman. For several years now Troy Polamalu has been the face, well, maybe the hair, of the Steelers organization. When he is healthy and his body is in perfect union with his instincts, he has no equal.

So often over the years, where he went is where the Steelers defense went. We could easily throw out the stats that show the win-loss record when he isn't available, the statistical drop-off that occurs when he isn't in the lineup, etc... But we've already done that several times. The bottom line is that a healthy Polamalu means a greater chance at W's for the Steelers.

In order to assure he is healthy and can help generate those W's, he added a new physical therapist aimed at working out the scar tissue in his often-injured calf, the one that caused him so much trouble in the 2012 season. He feels good now, but he wants that to continue. - http://tinyurl.com/mj9wfgf

We're coming upon the twilight of Polamalu's career and it won't be long before he takes his Head & Shoulders and gets the follicle outta Dodge. But if one more healthy season can be squeezed out of out beloved Polamalu, he just might help take the Steelers somewhere they haven't been lately - January.

~

TIDBITS: There are two whom we felt, for one reason or another, reasons which we will illuminate, didn't quite fit into this particular mold. Those receive honorable mention, and they are:

Cameron Heyward - As the third-year defensive end continues progressing, many feel he is doing so more slowly than he should. Heyward had similar stats to fellow DE Ziggy Hood in getting 1.5 sacks and five QB hurries - but he did it in 1/3 the snaps (only 267). So while Hood will be playing for a contract, Heyward will still be trying to establish for the first time that he is an every-down player. That said, and as Ralph Paulk of the Trib points out, Heyward "finds himself in the unenviable position of being labeled a bust if he doesn't improve on the rather pedestrian numbers he put up the past two seasons." - http://tinyurl.com/mm2r2pc

Lawrence Timmons - For the exact opposite reasons, Timmons is among the honorable mentions: he's a straight up BEAST. Arguably among the top three inside linebackers in the NFL. We expect him to wreak havoc. So he has to there regardless. Whether he was in coverage, stuffing the run or rushing the QB, "Juan" is coming off a very strong season of 106 tackles, six sacks and three interceptions. Timmons is poised to become a cornerstone of the team and, as just as the team expects, he expects to be a "game-changer." - http://tinyurl.com/lvmfvbd

Taking A Look At Three Important Steelers Free Agents; Larry Foote Willing To Take Less; Steelers Sign Six

With the Pittsburgh Steelers season now officially over, like head coach Mike Tomlin said, it's time to "wrap a bow" around it.

In his season-concluding press conference, Tomlin praised and thanked many players for their efforts all season, but was realistic about why they were 8-8 and blatantly said that "we didn't like it." - http://blog.steelers.com/2012/12/31/time-to-wrap-a-bow-around-the-season/

Not only did the players receive their press time, but the coaches did also. He was honest about what his offensive and defensive coordinators, Todd Haley and Dick LeBeau, did over the course of the season, admitting that they did not perform as well as they could have at various points. To say the least.

In doing so, he gave thumbs up to LeBeau, saying that "he's a special guy." Tomlin noted that the defense started slowly, but rounded into form as the season progressed. The defense once again ended the season as the No. 1 ranked unit.

But we'll save looking back for future articles. For now, let's take a quick look at what is currently transpiring and what it could mean for the future, i.e. free agency.

According to the Steelers website, there are 24 free agents, and 26 in total. The Unrestricted are: Will Allen, Charlie Batch, Plaxico Burress, Larry Foote, Ramon Foster, Casey Hampton, Brandon Johnson, David Johnson, Byron Leftwich, Doug Legursky, Justin King, Keenan Lewis, Rashard Mendenhall, Ryan Mundy, Leonard Pope, Max Starks, Mike Wallace and Greg Warren.

The Restricted are: Jonathan Dwyer, Jeremy Kapinos, Steve McLendon, Isaac Redman, Stevenson Sylvester and Emmanuel Sanders. - http://tinyurl.com/bc27am3

The two not mentioned are Exclusive Rights are: Baron Batch and DeMarcus Van Dyke. - http://rotoworld.com

Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently took the 18 unrestricted free agents and offered his predictions on who would be in a Steelers uniform next season. - http://tinyurl.com/amu6lus

Amongst his predictions were "Gone" votes for three of the more important UFAs: wide receiver Plaxico Burress, right guard Ramon Foster and cornerback Keenan Lewis. But, are all hopelessly gone? No. There is the possibility of seeing two of them come back.

Burress came to the Steelers late in the season and only had a handful of catches. Being that he saw only limited time, and that he was inactive half the time, was a reason that Dejan Kovacevic, also of the Trib, thinks Plax's value would be held down enough so that he could be back next season. - http://tinyurl.com/ax6kslu

The one who may be the biggest enigma is Foster. The good news is that he became much more valuable when showing that he not only was very good at his position, but by showing his versatility when playing right tackle and left guard.

The bad news is that he became much more valuable when showing that he not only was very good at his position, but by showing his versatility when playing right tackle and left guard.

That value could bring him a multi-year contract in free agency, if he decides to test the waters. Waters that Kaboly speculates could bring him somewhere in the range of $13 million over four years with an approximate $3.5 million signing bonus. - http://tinyurl.com/adkx2dp

Though Foster did say in his season-ending interview that he'd like to be back because of the potential on this offensive line, he realizes that this is still a business. - http://blog.steelers.com/2012/12/31/foster-likes-potential-on-the-line/

Lewis, one of the Steelers' most important UFAs, was involved in a bit of controversy Tuesday when it was reported that he wanted out of Pittsburgh. He then took to the social media airwaves to clear up his future intentions with the team.

He posted this to his personal Twitter (@KeenanLewis23) account: "I just want to clear this up: I never said anything about @steelers making a mistake by not signing me last season. I love the Rooneys, Organization & fans. I only stayed that my agent will handle the contract talks."

He said further: “I was misquoted by a reporter saying it was a mistake not to give me a contract last year. Try to make my image look bad, but here Wat it is, I'm not money greedy, I had my exit meeting today and it went great. I know we in the right direction as far as a contract, I believe strongly I would be apart of Steeler Nation next season. To do a three peat as the number one pass defense period. Here we go."

The reporter in question Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Trib Total Media. He had reported that “Keenan Lewis plans to test free agency. He told #Steelers "they made a mistake" by not offering multi-year deal before 2012 season.”

Robinson is a quality reporter, one whom If It Ain't Steel often uses as a reference, so there was assuredly some miscommunication with he and Lewis' agent. Nonetheless, it's a good sign that Lewis is looking at this positively, because the Steelers will need him. He ended his season with 71 tackles, 23 pass defenses and a forced fumble.

As Dale Lolley of the Observer-Reporter of Washington (Pa.) tweeted from his Twitter (@dlolleyor) account: "I'll be shocked if the #Steelers don't make a serious play to keep Keenan Lewis. Played outstanding this year and is perfect fit for scheme."

So will we, Lolley, because he is a major key to the Steelers secondary going forward. With Ike Taylor getting older and Curtis Brown not yet developing, Lewis and Cortez Allen may be the two most important cornerbacks right now as the Steelers prepare the offseason roster for the 2013 season.

~

Speaking of the offseason roster, the Steelers announced that they've signed former New England Patriots safety Ross Ventrone (per Mark Kaboly, his brother, Ray, is a safety for the Browns), offensive linemen Joe Long (whose older brother is Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl tackle Jake Long) and Justin Cheadle, wide receivers Derek Moye and Bert Reed, and cornerback Isaiah Green to Reserves/Futures contracts, with the last five all spending time on the Steelers practice squad this season.

~

Another UFA the Steelers may look to for a veteran presence in the 2013 season, especially to help mentor 2012 draft pick inside linebacker Sean Spence, is Larry Foote. Foote was on 93.7 The Fan Wednesday and said that to do that, he'd be willing to take less to stay in Pittsburgh: http://tinyurl.com/amx7u3b

~

TIDBITS: Kaboly had an interesting...well, tidbit about Ross Ventrone whom the Steelers signed. He said that Ventrone "was either signed, promoted or released 30 times in 32 months since being undrafted in 2010."

~

Another important UFA is Will Allen who really stepped up this season and showed he's more than just a special teams player. What does he think about his future in Black and Gold?

Allen said he wants to be back next year, because "it is a hard place to leave. Even if they let you go it is a hard place to leave."

Latest Meltdown Exposes Steelers Many Flaws

After letting Thursday night's loss sink in a little bit, I realize two things: by no means should the Steelers have allowed it to happen, and we all should've seen it coming.

On Thursday Night Football the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Tennessee Titans by a score of 26-23, following yet another late-game collapse. One thing was made very apparent. That being that the 2012 version of the Steelers just aren't very good.

For the fourth time this season, they allowed a team to come back on them, and for the third time, they lost. They've also allowed 47 points through five games in the fourth-quarter after allowing all of 68 in the combined first three quarters. This abomination of a defense has taken the blame for it. - http://tinyurl.com/8tvjc99

Speaking on this moth-eaten steel curtain, ESPN analyst and former Pro Bowl and Super Bowl quarterback Ron Jaworski was on PTI last week and offered up his assessment.

"I watched the game last week against Philadelphia, and I did not see the dominant interior defensive line. And when you play that 3-4 defense, those guys down in the trenches, that 3-gap on that tackle, that nose head-up on the center, they must make plays," Jaws said.

"I didn't see Casey Hampton being very active," he continued. "I didn't see Keisel making plays. I didn't see Hood making plays....You need that defensive line to have impact for the Steelers. I haven't seen it yet. I'm not going to throw the age card out there just yet, but maybe it's creeping up."

Fine, the Polish Rifleman won't, but we will. As we've said and quoted from Steel Curtain Radio before, the young guys have to become the guys. The jury is still out on Ziggy Hood, Cameron Heyward needs to see the field more and we've sung Steve McLendon's often. He absolutely needs to be used more. Much more.

But, other, more distressing problems are now evident also.

We at If It Ain't Steel recently suggested a lack of conditioning, which was denied by head coach Mike Tomlin. While the jury is still out on that issue, two other problems are painfully obvious: a lack of leadership and a lack of mental discipline/toughness.

As to the mental discipline and/or mental toughness aspect, veteran inside linebacker Larry Foote was all too willing to express his feelings on the matter.

"We’re not strong mentally,” Foote told 93.7 The Fan. “We don’t look like a championship team right now. Everybody here’s been knocked down, everybody’s had doors shut in their face, everybody’s gotten beat.”

Foote, who has never endured a losing season as a starter in a Steelers uniform, went on. "You can't have mental breakdowns. That's what gets you beat in this league. That's what happened to us in the fourth quarter. But it's only five games. We're 2-3 but our goals are still reachable. So, 10 games from now when we get this thing corrected, who's going to remember the first five games? So, we're going to see what we're made of."

What they're made of, indeed. Can Ike Taylor stop getting worked like a part-time job? Is he able to focus enough to stop the penalties? Is Hood even able improve on his stat line of zeros across the board? Is Lawrence Timmons able put a string of games together?

Because this is systemic and therefore goes beyond just dealing with the absence of an elite defensive player or two. Especially considering one of those players will be absent a little longer.

Mike Prisuta of WDVE Radio said during the pregame radio show of the Titans game that he'd heard that Troy Polamalu is expected to miss four weeks of action after re-injuring his right calf against the Eagles. That's three more weeks. In other words, after Halloween.

Trick or treat.

So, with Polamalu sidelined for that much longer, the Steelers are minus a player of sound mental character and strength, but also minus a leader on the field. Which brings us to the other obvious problem: a lack of leadership.

If It Ain't Steel said in the offseason that leadership can't necessarily be found in the draft. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2012/03/finding-leadership-in-draft-no-easy.html

Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly sees and has said the same thing regarding the lack of leaders on this team. - http://t.co/z4hHKpgz

A shortage of vocal leaders means that men you'd expect to step up and rein in players like Ike Taylor and work with Mike Wallace on his hands aren't doing so. Because this reflects on Ryan Clark, Brett Keisel and, yes, even Ben Roethlisberger. They MUST take Foote's cue and speak up. Remember when Joey Porter called out everyone, including Big Ben?

Speaking of Big Ben, he's the only reason the Steelers have the two wins they do. Can you imagine how bad the Steelers would be if Big Ben, the Steelers Digest Player of the Week and all-time Steelers passing leader, wasn't there? I don't even want to imagine it.

Regarding leadership again, that must extend beyond the field and into the locker room. From respected players as well as coaches.

From the standpoint of the coaches, that can simply mean putting players in the best positions possible to win. They didn't do that against the Titans.

Though we disagree with some of the points he attempts to make, Dejan Kovacevic calls out the coaches brilliantly in the article he wrote Friday regarding the ills of the confusing passivity of the coaches' play calling. - http://tinyurl.com/8hmm88w

Despite these three major problems, there are correctible measures that can be taken to salvage the season. - http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8495698&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The question, however, is, "Will they?"

As Alan Robinson, staff writer for Trib Total Media, wrote: "They can’t rush the passer. [Defense] They can’t hold a lead. [Mental Discipline/Toughness] And when it’s over, another apparent victory now lost, they can’t find a reason for it." [Leadership]

Those are a lot of flaws to overcome that few will admit that they, that we, should've seen coming.

Steelers Offense Will Improve, Defense Must Improve

"Troy Polamalu takes blame for Thomas TD. Ben takes blame for INT. But blame Steelers loss on Peyton Manning, the master of [the] 4thQ."

Those words were written by Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review after the game on Sunday in Denver. By now, you know all the numbers and why those individuals said what they did. But, what Robinson wrote truly epitomized the outcome of the game: regardless of the bad angle taken by either Big Ben's throw or Polamalu's pursuit, the ultimate blame lies with Peyton Manning. - http://tinyurl.com/9cslgfk

That said, Big Ben Roethlisberger was straight forward when commenting on his part in the loss.

"There’s no one to blame but myself. I already told my teammates and coaches that it’s my fault. It’s on me. It’s disappointing. I hate to let my team down, my coaches, the fans. That loss is squarely on my shoulders. I'll take that and get better and learn from it," said the Steelers Digest Player of the Week.

While both Ben's offense and Troy Polamalu's defense share responsibility for the outcome, though, one unit already looks to have a higher ceiling. While it may not be immediately obvious by a cursory look at the numbers, the offense instituted by Todd Haley has real big game potential. 

I know, I know, I'm in the minority in this so far-I've already seen the message board, Twitter and Facebook posts, which is why I waited before writing this piece. And at first glimpse, I could see how I would seem to be wrong. Haley's offensive focus, though, is to run the ball more and more effectively, to protect the quarterback by utilizing shorter drops and to throw the ball to tight ends and running backs more. There is also an impetus on getting the ball out of Big Ben's hands quicker and on using shorter drops. For the most part, with the big picture in mind, mission accomplished. Big Ben agrees.

“I thought we did pretty well. We were going against a great defense in a hostile environment. We did a lot of no-huddle, mixing things in. We used a lot of clock, worked down the field, made plays when we needed to," Big Ben said. "Overall, I was happy with the way the guys handled the offense.”

Dejan Kovacevic wrote a fantastic article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review regarding his thoughts on this as well. You can read it here: http://tinyurl.com/8j7bnmv

Speaking again of Big Ben, those were the realistic words of a quarterback who understands that this was only one piece of the pie and one who is looking at what eventually will be. It's the typical fan who only sees 26 rushes for just 75 yards, and not the fact that Jonathan Dwyer carried the ball nine times for 43 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and that Rashard Mendenhall will be back after the bye. Haley wants more ball-control, Dwyer has shown that he can be that running back, a sentiment seemingly echoed by head coach Mike Tomlin. He said in his Tuesday press conference that Dwyer will get more opportunities. - http://tinyurl.com/95r86zg

That said, certain elements do still need tweaking, such as the 28 total first downs that produced only 79 yards and the four sacks allowed. All-in-all, though, I'm reservedly optimistic about the offensive line considering they were down to just five players after right tackle Marcus Gilbert (knee) and right guard Ramon Foster (eye) were injured, both of whom will be available this Sunday. Considering that, there was good overall protection from the offensive line. 

Unfortunately, that has a second edge to it. The Steelers OLine pass blocked better than it run blocked on Sunday, managing to keep Big Ben clean most of the game. The problem lies in the poor first down numbers mentioned earlier. Keeping Big Ben upright is good, forcing him into "Ben being Ben" because of too many third and long down and distances (they were 11-19 in those) is not. Which is one of the main things they're wanting to avoid this season forward. 

The Steelers played good ball-control and kept Peyton Manning off of the field as they wanted to do, they just weren't able to close the door enough. That will improve. Remember, overall it's not Haley's playbook that's the issue, it's the players grasping that playbook. Haley's job is get those players in a position to execute. The blame is ultimately on them.

The comments vilifying the offense just aren't warranted. I've seen the shouts of "predictable" play-calling regarding what was seen against the Broncos, but I don't subscribe to that notion because (1) it was the first game and (2) 'predictability' is the most overrated concept in football - they still have to stop you. 

Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers 'predictably' created "a seal here and a seal here" and ran it "right up the alley." No one stopped them. He and his teams were predictable all the way to five NFL Championships, including two Super Bowls. Execution trumps predictability 24/7/365.

The defense gets a needed boost in that starting free safety Ryan Clark comes back this Sunday against the New York Jets. It may also get another in the return of Pro Bowl outside linebacker James Harrison. According to Tomlin, "James Harrison worked out Monday. He will run [Wednesday] and see where he is. We'll work him up to activity and let that be our guide."

I am on record in previous blogs and on the http://SteelCurtainRadio.com podcast as saying that the "telepathic" and even "symbiotic" connection between Clark and strong safety Troy Polamalu would be missed. It was. I also said that Harrison's absence would mean less pressure on Manning and a run game that would test the side vacated by him. It did. Let's hope the Steelers return both of those two players this Sunday.

In that podcast interview I also downplayed the impact of wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, saying that his historic game was as much a product of the unpredictability of the Triple Option (really a "Spread Option") offense run by Tim Tebow. I was actually wrong and right on that one. While the X-factor that was Tebow affected game plans, I can't take anything away from Demaryius Thomas who had five catches for 110 yards on Sunday. 

The majority of that, though, was the big catch-and-run off the bubble screen which he took untouched to the house. Tackle the catch better, which was a problem all game, and he only had four receptions for 39 yards. Have to tackle the catch better, as defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau likes to say, and disallow all the yards after the catch (YAC). 

To illustrate why this is so important: Manning was 19-26 for 253 yards - only 127 of those yards were in the air, meaning the defense surrendered 126 in YAC. (Thank you, NFL Rewind.) So, half of the passing/receiving yards were because of poor tackling. 

Plus, as was alluded to in the opening paragraph, Polamalu was caught completely out of position to make the play. He took the wrong angle and Thomas, aided by a possible hold by Jacob Tamme on Ike Taylor and a definite hold by Zane Beadles on free safety Ryan Mundy, was off to the races. 

Too bad LaMarr Woodley couldn't make it to Denver. 

The return of Ryan Clark and James Harrison won't be a panacea for this defense. Chris Carter and Jason Worilds need to continue to contribute and Cortez Allen must wrap up better. Before LeBeau's defense and schemes start to come into question, also, the defense as a whole must improve. Giving up 334 yards on 55 plays is not a LeBeau defense. 

In fact, outside of Buck inside linebacker Larry Foote, who registered eight total tackles, one sack (almost two), one forced fumble and one pass defensed in the week 1 loss, the defense wasn't overly impressive and was gouged from mid-third quarter onward. This is definitely my greater concern. The defense didn't look like last season's No. 1 ranked unit, but instead simply looked to return to the scene of the crime. And that crime was never solved. 

OTAs Give Us Ingredients, Not The Recipe.

When I was teaching Massage Therapy back in another life, I focused on one modality in particular-Deep Tissue. By that I mean real Deep Tissue, not just deeper pressure like you may get at a local spa. Dr. Ida P. Rolf was a biochemist who invented Structural Integration, or "Rolfing", a form of bodywork that reorganizes the connective tissues, called fascia, that permeate the entire body. I taught Deep Tissue based on this modality and one of the things I stressed to my students was that I was giving them the "ingredients, not the recipe." They would have everything brought completely into focus at the next level at The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration.

The OTAs are similar to this. They give us those niceties of insight as to what to expect from the team's direction with the new offense and from individual players. Being that it's "football in shorts" as Tomlin and other coaches say, it isn't remotely the recipe that will constitute the complete offensive and/or defensive body of work, but merely the various ingredients that will eventually come into focus in training camp and, of course, the season.

The various Steelers beat writers and Pittsburgh columnists allow us to have a glimpse of that insight as they report to us what they're seeing.

Bob Labriola of Steelers Digest told us Tuesday that "John Clay looks like he has a nice burst running the ball." I threw out the possibility about two weeks ago that we could see a possible roster spot for Clay if he were to live up to what was projected based on his play at Wisconsin. If he continues to show that "nice burst", he'll provide a nice dilemma for the Steelers coaching staff. They could be looking at a real "problem" with Rashard Mendenhall (who reportedly is looking good and rehabbing well), Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, Baron Batch, Chris Rainey, John Clay AND the implementation of a fullback. There will most likely only be four running back/fullback spots, so there essentially is already a log jam. Might we see Chris Rainey listed a wide receiver to make room? Check back in August for that answer.

Speaking of wide receivers, Labriola told us that "No. 88 (Emmanuel Sanders) looks fast, has been catching everything and making it look easy." Again, it's football in shorts, but any time that Manny has on the field is valuable time. He had feet (surgeries) and knee issues last year that kept him from flourishing like I had expected him to do. He has a very high ceiling, world class speed (4.41 in the 40) and, with the retirement of Hines Ward, is the best blocking receiver the Steelers have. He's also a polished route runner, which is an advantage he has over Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace. I'm personally pulling heavily for Manny-he has the tools to be a No. 1 receiver.

Labs gave us "One more: Ziggy Hood wears a weighted vest under his practice jersey every day." I've blogged before about Ziggy and his gap and technique limitations, but I'm only slightly less concerned about his core strength, being that he's been moved out of position before. Like Casey Hampton alluded to once when asked about Ziggy's being the strongest on the team, there is a difference between weight room strength and "grown man strength." That may have shown itself on the field in that the first season in which Ziggy was alone at the position, the Steelers defense gave up 99.8 yards per carry. So, I'm in favor of the weighted vest if it helps him in any way. The on-the-field practice and gameplay, though, are still the best ways to get that "grown man strength."

Dejan Kovacevic, sports columnist with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, had some interesting if not encouraging comments about certain players too. Kovacevic stresses the need for playmakers on defense, the scary type that the Steelers have acquired of late on offense. In line with that he said that Curtis Brown looks really good and even spoke specifically of a particularly sensational athletic play during an OTA session. He also talked about former West Virginia Mountaineer Mortty Ivy, calling him a "ballhawk" and saying that even near the goal line he just "has a nose for the football." Ivy, who was mainly on the practice squad last year, simply needs the opportunity to show those skills more definitively. Kovacevic's description, though, of Brown and Ivy is exactly what is needed on defense: players who are young, athletic and, especially, hungry.

Both James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley are being reported as looking very healthy. Harrison looks good and doesn't seem to be hampered by the back problems that hindered him all of last year. Woodley is spoken of as running "full sprint." Their presence is going to be sorely needed to bring back the splash plays that the Steelers defense was missing last year. Turnovers, sacks and getting the ball back on a short field were simply missing last year, and the aggressive play that those two bring is directly tied to that.

Another player who affects that is Lawrence Timmons. Kovacevic again provides some insight as he had a chance to talk to "Juan". Kovacevic wrote, "Timmons just told me he's aiming for "12 to 14" sacks this year. If that sounds high for a guy who had two last year, consider a) he bounces back and forth between inside and outside all year because of injuries to others and b) the man actually predicted 18 for last year. "I'm being a little more careful," he said with a grin."

Very true. Timmons was moved around a lot because of the aforementioned injuries last year. He needs to stay put so he can prove that he truly is one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL like the coaches say he is and like I personally believe he can be.

Oh, evidently Chris Rainey is fast.

Speaking of the OTAs from a different angle, Ed Bouchette reported Wednesday that Mike Adams, David DeCastro and Alameda Ta'amu "can attend once their course ends, not necessarily when the semester ends. So, it now appears that all three will be here for the June 12-14 minicamp, at the least, and Adams actually could be here sometime next week." This is good news because, considering Adams and DeCastro are being looked at as potential starters, they need as much time and as many reps as they can get.

DeCastro might be under contract at that point too, because the Patriots signed Chandler Jones, the last unsigned draft pick left in front of DeCastro, last week. I expect the deal should get done soon.

Ryan Clark: "There were a lot of scenarios we talked about how we could lose that game.Tim Tebow throwing for 300 yards wasn't one of them." It wasn't for me either.

One last thing. With the release, and possible soon-to-come retirement, of James Farrior the Steelers lost more than just a player, they lost a leader. As I wrote in a blog a couple of months ago, leadership can't be drafted, nor can one just assume a player's replacement can take on that mantle. It will most likely take a few players to take on various aspects of that role. Think of it this way: when Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent retired, he held all major NFL receiving records, including: most receptions in a career (819), most receiving yards in a career (13,089), and most touchdown receptions (100). He also held a then-record streak of 177 consecutive regular-season games with a reception. Point: it took four different men to break the records held by one man. We should look at Farrior and his record of leadership the same way.