Just What Is "Steeler Football?"

While looking over Training Camp information and getting ready another season of Steeler football, I thought of this topic. What does the title of this article mean to you? We've all said those words in some fashion, and there might be different answers for different people. What, though, does "Steeler football" truly mean?

For the people who make up the fandom realize that it's more than simply rooting for a team. We're a part of a greater whole. We are Steeler Nation. It's a nation with nebulous boundaries that grows day after day. In truth, Steeler Nation is worldwide. This whole country is our neighborhood.

For those, though, living in western Pennsylvania, raised in the Pittsburgh area or from the area of steel mills and boilermakers, there's a pervasive blue-collar, hardworking mentality. It permeates the entire area and sets the tone for its favorite sons. From Morgantown, West Virginia to north of Erie, Pa., fans work hard and they expect their team to also.

For that reason, maybe the minds of some fans automatically go to the running game. Names like Byron "Whizzer" White, John Henry Johnson, Frenchy Fuqua, Rocky Bleier, Franco Harris, Frank Pollard, Barry Foster, Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker all come to mind. The Steelers truly have a rich history of running the ball.

In fact, since the AFL-NFL merger, no team has run the ball more or more effectively than the Pittsburgh Steelers. The ground-and-pound, three yards and a cloud of dust, massive offensive line-led approach has produced 89,525 yards--no other team is even close.

Compelling arguments can easily be made for running the ball, but it's by no means the end of the story. Because other fans may automatically go in their mind's eyes to the defense. And the Steelers have a very proud history here as well. That is, if "proud" means pummeling its opponents into submission. Even in years when the Steelers as whole were less than spectacular, the defense made sure the opponents knew they'd been in a fight.

The defenses, in fact, have been so good over the years that they've earned two very different, distinct and daunting nicknames: the Steel Curtain and Blitzburgh.

The Steel Curtain, interestingly, was initially named for only the front four defensive linemen of the 1970s. Those linemen were Dwight "Mad Dog" White, Ernie "Fats" Holmes, Mean Joe Greene and L.C. "Hollywood Bags" Greenwood.

Eventually the nickname spread to encompass the defense as a unit and stuck for years thereafter. Not a surprise, though, with players like the Jacks, Mel Blount, Donnie Shell, Mike Wagner and Andy Russell early and Robin Cole late terrorizing offenses. Well-deserved was that reputation for greatness too: 1974-defense scores first and first-ever safety in the Super Bowl; 1976-the fiercest and most dominant defense not to win a Super Bowl...maybe ever; and 1978-then record for fewest points allowed in a 16 game season. They also hold the distinction of being the only defense to have a trio, Greene, Jack Lambert and Blount, to be the NFL Defensive Player of the Year three years in a row.

All-in-all, for over a decade the Steel Curtain caused so many sleepless nights for offensive coordinators that they should've been sponsored by No-Doz. Don't remember? Maybe this will stir the memories:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJXY_fgcUkk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The 1980s saw the legends complete their résumés for Canton and, in doing so, brought some rust to the Steel Curtain. It was an up and down decade that offered only two top five NFL defensive rankings: 3rd overall in 1983 and 5th overall in 1984. In fact, they wouldn't see the top five in defense again until 1993. Enter Dick LeBeau.

The second of the Steelers fear-inspiring nicknames came with a decidedly different tone. During his first stint with the team, from 1992-1996, first as defensive backs coach and then as coordinator, LeBeau was the architect of the Blitzburgh defenses. He originated the zone blitz--where a lineman drops into coverage, generally the area occupied by a blitzing (linebacker) teammate--and brought the fire back to the blast furnace.

After a hiatus, he returned to Steeltown in the 2004. Since then the NFL just forgoes formality and sets aside a perennial top five spot for his defenses. His units have been controlled chaos and have bewildered and battered opponents. Blitzburgh is back! -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlJd9BJUkVo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

His zone blitz schemes have made the careers of more than a few players. Principally among those are linebackers. Which brings us to the next argument.

The argument could be made that the Steelers truest legacy is its linebackers. If It Ain't Steel posted an article regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers being "Linebacker, Inc." You can't possibly think Steeler football without thinking of Capt. Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, the aforementioned Russell and Cole, Greg Lloyd, Kevin Green, Jason Gildon, Levon Kirkland, Earl Holmes, Joey Porter, and most recently James Farrior, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. Many teams around the league would salivate at the thought of having a linebacking history such as that...and I purposely left out some names. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2012/03/pittsburgh-steelers-linebacker-inc.html

Not only have the Steelers defenses instilled fear over the years as a whole, but they've also always had that one LB who just wasn't...who had just a little...who was, well... Let's just say they always have that one about whom my grandmama would say, "Somethin' wrong w'that boy. He touched." Does anybody disagree that Lambert, Lloyd and Porter didn't and Harrison doesn't just scare everybody? I didn't think so.

What I don't tend to hear as much as a definition for Steeler football is the passing game. That's odd considering the Steelers have had two great quarterbacks who've won multiple Super Bowls: Terry Bradshaw (4-0) and Ben Roethlisberger (2-1). Bradshaw's records as a Steeler may eventually all be eclipsed by Big Ben, but his legacy is intact. Beyond that, Big Ben is etching his own niche in Steelers and NFL history. Here's a piece If It Ain't Steel wrote where an article is quoted that compared Big Ben's first seven years to another QB who was 4-0 in Super Bowls: http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2011/08/written-by-jayden-matthews-and-melissa.html?spref=tw

Further than that, wide receiver is a position that may not be as deep or rich as others, but it is one that contains two Hall of Famers, John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, and one who'll don a yellow jacket in the future Hines Ward. There have been ones who've shown flashes over the years as well: Louis Lipps, Kordell Stewert (who fits in two main categories) and Yancey Thigpen. All made their mark on the team and the NFL in some fashion. Most importantly, they've been responsible helping the Steelers win.

Speaking of Super Bowls as we were before, let me remind everyone that three of the six game MVPs were wide receivers: Lynn Swann, Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. Which, I believe, brings us finally to the center of this gridiron maze: Super Bowls and winning in general.

Each and every aspect of what was covered in this article was intricate to the ultimate goal. Despite what Harris, Bettis and Parker have done in getting to and in the Super Bowls, the running game alone couldn't bring such great success seen over the years. 

As dominant as the defense has been, whether blue-collar tough or blitzkrieg complex, it itself would never have been able to sustain that dominance. It needed help from the offense. 

Although the passing game has produced five Super Bowl MVPs and numerous Pro Bowlers and All-Pros, they would never have had the chance to give us the beautiful game winning plays by Swann, Stallworth, Ward and Holmes respectively without the defense and/or runners setting up the opportunities. 

Pointedly, they are always greater than the sum of their parts. It takes those parts to create the whole that just keeps winning and winning. 

So, that's it right there. When you really think about it, wherever your mind may initially go when you hear those words, it's simple: Steeler football is winning football!

Young Money Is No Longer New Money, Steelers' Young Wide Receivers Must Step Up

The young can't teach traditions to the old. ~ African  proverb

With the release of wide receiver Hines Ward on February 29th, the future of the Steelers offense was potentially set in motion. Steelers fans worldwide will miss his professionalism, his reliability, his work ethic, his toughness, his durability, and, most of all, his smile.

With his exit, full attention then was turned toward the Steelers corps of young wide receivers. Whether known as Young Money or the Bugatti Boys, they are Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown, and they are considered the future.

The future is now.

As was expected by most, the Steelers didn't place the franchise tag on Mike Wallace. He will instead, then, receive the highest tender of $2.74 million for this next year. The Steelers have until March 13th to officially tender Wallace. Then teams would have until April 20th to sign Wallace to an offer sheet which, of course, the Steelers would have seven days to match. Which, also Wallace has to accept in the first place. There is still a good chance, though, they workout a contract for Wallace.

The contract Stevie Johnson signed with the Bills today, five years for $36.25 million, might just be the starting point of a deal with Wallace. It possibly makes it less likely that the Steelers get something done with him before free agency starts -- Wallace knows where to start now.

Regarding this, Colbert said today that the Steelers still hold the cards with Wallace regarding matching any offer he should get in free agency: "It will be our call!"

Assuming, though, that the Steelers are able to get that contract worked out, one would have to consider Wallace, outside of Roethlisberger, to be the key component to the Steelers offense. With Wallace on the field you have two speedy wide receivers to account for when considering Antonio Brown as a part of the equation. Who do you double-team in that scenario?

Emmanuel Sanders, who is himself a sub 4.45 in the 40 (clocked at 4.41 at the 2010 NFL Combine), is the third member of this talented young corps that just could be the best wide receiver corps in the league.

Add to the mix the possible re-signing of Jerricho Cotchery and you have a veteran wide receiver who is approximately a 4.55 in the 40 and is money in the red zone (11 of his 20 career touchdowns have been inside the 20). Though, no one can truly replace Ward, he has the requisite skills needed to help ease the that aforementioned departure.

There you have it: Young Money...with a little borrowed money mixed in too. A potentially beautifully woven tapestry.

Upon closer inspection, though, there are a few loose strings on that tapestry, that, when tugged on, could unravel the Steelers future as well.

So much of what we love about this crew is based on speed and potential. Well, speed is great, but every true fan knows that more than speed is needed. For those who don't understand this, please look up the names Renaldo Nehemiah and Johnny "Lam" Jones. We'll be here when you get back. Trust me. There won't be much else to read after the words "world-class speed."

No, speed isn't everything. Some of the NFL's greatest receivers didn't even have great speed. Look at Jerry Rice, Michael Irvin and Lynn Swann: all great, all winners, all multiple Super Bowl winners, and all with sub-par 40 times -- one was as "slow" as 4.65-4.71.

Potential, by the way, can be a dirty word when attached to someone without the intestinal fortitude, or guidance needed, to live up to it. The examples of those in the NFL are legion. So much so that I won't recount any here. Just watch ESPN for the next "All-Time Draft Busts" discussion.

There are so many things that go into being a good NFL wide receiver. It goes far beyond speed, as was touched on, game speed or being able to catch. (Limas Sweed, I'm looking at you.)

There are other duties a wide receiver can have and must master in order to make an NFL field. For a team like the Steelers, blocking is imperative. Being able to read the defenses and to recognize the hot reads is essential. Being able to snatch a ball out of the air and away from the body is very important as well.

Wallace proved as much in the 2012 playoff game against Denver when a 52-yard pass play was called incomplete after being reviewed. If he catches that with his hands and secures it, we might have seen a different outcome when momentum is considered.

Wallace had issues with that all season. It was just one reason why he wasn't completely able to shed the "one-trick pony" moniker placed on him by coach Mike Tomlin. Even if you believe he's at least a one-and-a-half-trick pony now, his drop off in the latter half of the season is concerning. His numbers literally dropped by half  as he seemed to get lost at times, and the offense, as a whole, suffered. How much does that 4.33 speed matter if he can't catch under duress?

If Wallace is truly going to be that "key component" mentioned earlier, the potential lynch pin to the offense, this is definitely an area where he needs to step up and be accounted for.

Emmanuel Sanders is somewhat of an X-factor. He seems to be, even with the injuries and surgeries, the most polished of the three young wide receivers. He is the best blocker of the three, most polished route runner and, though he still has minor issues with it, is the most proficient of the three at his hot reads. He's also the second fastest receiver on the team at 4.41, as I wrote earlier.

There are question marks, though, surrounding Sanders: Are his feet issues finally behind him, or is it a degenerative problem? Also, did the knee issue that was caused by the feet issues get rectified? If so, will he be able to handle the return duties that he's been assigned as well as his receiving duties next season?

We still don't truly know what we have in this X-factor. He does, after all, only claim approximately 50 career catches for some 600 plus yards. Sanders, nicknamed "Manny", could be another injury away from having no NFL future at all, or just being a marginal receiver. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he could be gone after next season, having only his original draft round tender placed on him (third).

In the flashes we've gotten from Manny, he's seemed to be the real deal, so hope springs eternal. I've even tagged him as the Future Hines Ward. High praise, yes. But he has the promise to live up to it.

Antonio Brown may just have the highest ceiling overall of all three of them. While he could be a one-hit wonder, all evidence, barring injury, points to a long and successful career. I believe we've only seen the tip of the proverbial iceberg with AB. It isn't even out of the realm of possibility that he could be the actual lynch pin. He has that much potential.

To be fair, AB is a bit undersized and still sometimes struggles with the physicality of the game. He has lined up out of the slot and wide both, and is explosive off the line and has great burst out of his speed cuts. He, as was said about Wallace, traps too many passes in his body.

AB's route running, though, is improving. He is nearly as fast as the other two talked about, but he's quicker and his motor just doesn't seem to start to stop running, and he has started improving his hot reads. He'll be very good yet again this season in this blogger's opinion. I really only have one concern about him: Is he able to catch the ball without using the side of his helmet?

A child who is to be successful is not to be reared exclusively on a bed of down. ~ African proverb

They say that a person is like a tea bag: you cannot tell how strong one is until you add hot water.

That's what we're looking at here. It's all about them being thrown into the deep end, individually and as a unit. As I've discussed, there are some devil's advocate issues: Wallace is a "one-trick pony." Ok, but he certainly helps Roethlisberger, AB and the running game with that one trick. Manny has feet issues, but, if he's past them, is already so polished that he could be the Future Hines Ward. AB is a bit undersized, but uses every inch and pound, and the side of his helmet, to his advantage.

The future is potentially very bright with these young receivers, and not just because they're all always smiling. I wonder where they got that from...

~

Free Agent wide receivers still available as of 2100 hrs PST:
Vincent Jackson - San Diego: He's a big, downfield guy. 49ers?
Mike Wallace - Pittsburgh: Restricted free agent. Stay home!
Marques Colston - N.O.: Almost Mr. Irrelevant, now a Pro Bowl-caliber player.
Pierre Garçon - Indianapolis: Still young and potentially very productive.
Robert Meachum - N.O.: Good size and speed.
Laurent Robinson - Dallas: Young and fast.
Mario Manningham - NYG: A good No. 2 receiver.
Joshua Morgan - S.F.: Good young receiver.
Plaxico Burress - NYJ: Giants or Steelers?
Brandon Lloyd - Rams:  Really good and improved route runner.
Ted Ginn - S.F.: Great on special teams, good speed too.
Eddie Royal - Denver: Tough receiver.
Early Doucet - Arizona: Tough and experienced.
There are others, but few of any consequence.

~

The Pats are most likely out of the Wallace sweepstakes after franchising their unrestricted free agent wide receiver, Wes Welker. The only viable candidate left in the free agent market may just be San Francisco.

Wallace was supposed to get a ton of attractors on the RFA market. Seems now to have been a ploy by someone in Wallace's camp to drive up his proposed value.

It isn't a surprise, though. As I've said in previous blogs, it just isn't fiscally responsible and is too expensive to give up a 1st rounder and front-load a long-term contract for a still-somewhat-unproven receiver. Especially when others can be had at a much less-expensive price.

But, let's hope that something more than 'wanting to be in Black and Gold' stops Wallace from holding out. Because that's also still a possibility.