Poor Play And Coaching Lead To Steelers Defeat, 34-24

It's a good thing Ben, jr. won't remember his first NFL game. Ben, sr. would like to forget it too.

In a game where the return of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was supposed to inspire the offense, nothing was inspired. - http://tinyurl.com/b9emofu

On his performance and what went wrong Sunday, Big Ben said: "A little bit of this, a little bit of that. A lot of this, a lot of that. It was frustrating."

It should've been. He didn't exactly help his team early on in his first game after missing three games with rib and shoulder injuries. He now has a record of 3-4 in such starts.

He didn't get much help from his wide receivers, both Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown missed on big passes (one of which should've been a touchdown), or the offensive line in the first half, all of 25 yards rushing in first half, causing him to look even worse.

Big Ben was 9-20 for 105 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions in the first half. Steelers 2-9 on 3rd downs in first half also.

But he made two costly mistakes of his own early in the second half. Both happened deep in Steelers own territory and led to touchdowns.

A lateral bounced off of the helmet or back of tight end David Paulson and was recovered by the Chargers in the end zone. Although Brown should've just kicked it out of the end zone and suffer the safety, he tried to field it and couldn't. Result: touchdown.

Then, Roethlisberger was picked off at the Steelers' 17-yard line and the Chargers quickly converted that into a 15-yard touchdown pass by Rivers to 6'5" wide receiver Danario Alexander.

In a game also where the San Diego Chargers having Manny, Moe and Jack substituting on the offensive line was to have the defense's mouths salivating, they suffered from dry mouth.

Against men who were on practice squads and moving furniture last week, the Steelers managed just one sack. Also, the Steelers defense was third in the league on 10-play drives allowed this year. Then they go and allow a 17-play drive that resulted in a 20-3 deficit.

It was a completely pathetic showing. Maybe the worst Steelers performance at home since the December, 2006 loss (31-7) to the Ravens. And most pathetic showing against a bad team since something called a Tim Couch walloped them (33-13) in 2003. This after a majorly gutsy performance at the Ravens last week. Their inconsistency is disturbing. - http://tinyurl.com/aw2d4ma

The Steelers (7-6) simply laid an egg against a Chargers team that had lost seven of its last eight. Though the Chargers had been in every game and lost by an average of less than a touchdown, as we pointed out last week, this still shouldn't have happened. - http://tinyurl.com/akewovq

"In a lot of ways, we'll enjoy this win, but in reflection, we'll be sick," Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. "We'll be sick we didn't find a way the last few weeks."

They shouldn't have this week, either. For some reason, the defense played soft on corners and got chewed up. Yes, their receivers are 6'4" and 6'5", but this week still should've been a press-coverage day.

Bottom line, the Steelers looked bad from the opening kick. As head coach Mike Tomlin said, they "coached poorly, [and] played poorly today." - http://tinyurl.com/apslzrs

Steelers linebacker Larry Foote offered up his assessment of their performance: "We lost. We got our butt whupped...a good ol' butt whupping. Why? I don't know."

You don't? Fellow defensive man Brett Keisel thinks he does. Keisel said he didn't think players were ready to play. "That's why we lost," he said. "The whole game felt out of hand. It didn’t really feel like we were in the game at all."

Cortez Allen agreed and added: "I feel like our enthusiasm wasn’t as high, our excitement, intensity wasn’t as high as it was previously in previous games."

Running back Isaac Redman said something similar: "We lacked enthusiasm. It showed on the field."

Yes, it did. Worse yet, they looked disinterested. Which raises a troubling question: If not now, when?

It's week 13 in a 17-week NFL season. When ARE you going to be ready and enthusiastic?

"Starting tomorrow," Foote answered, "we’ve got to correct this thing and start making a commitment. It’s going to be one of those gut-checking times." - http://sportstalk.triblive.com/content/chargers-34-steelers-24-postgame-quotes

"Tomorrow?" Allow me to quote Apollo Creed here: "THERE IS NO TOMORROW!" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC_1U7xgAeY

"Tomorrow" is a Training Camp or preseason word, not an end-of-the-season word. Now is not the time to find your identity. Nor is it a time to still fumble your timeouts and your game/clock management in general.

Tomlin's game management continues to be poor. We at If It Ain't Steel are Tomlin fans to be sure. He is a true leader and motivator of men. He knows the game and his players respect him. However, his in-game management is lacking. It is something he has to get better at going forward, especially if this team is to make any sort of run in the playoffs.

There were some things for the Steelers to hang their hats on to some degree. Things that can be positives as they head into the last few games. One was that the Bengals lost in the final seconds to Dallas, meaning that the Steelers and Bengals remain tied for the last playoff spot in the AFC.

The Steelers also stayed two games behind the AFC North-leading Ravens (9-4), who lost at Washington in overtime.

That isn't just good because the Ravens lost (that always feels good), but because, believe it or not, the division can still be won. With that in mind, the Steelers players know they have to take advantage. - http://tinyurl.com/at59rmn

Also, Big Ben is obviously healthy enough to move around in and out of the pocket. All told, he was 22-42 for 285 yards, three touchdowns and the one interception. He also ran 31 yards with a 6.2 YPC average.

All-in-all, it was a poor performance in every aspect of the game. Though Ben, sr. will have to endure watching it again in film study, I doubt he'll keep it on his DVR for Ben, jr.

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TIDBITS: INJURIES - Colon (knee), Clark (hip), Sanders (AC joint) and Troy (Achilles).

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Big Ben on fans booing Mike Wallace: "Nobody should ever get booed. We are out their busting our butt. Nobody intentionally does anything to hurt the team. I don't intentionally throw interceptions and guys don't intentionally miss blocks or fumble. We don't intentionally do it. I just told him that I was going to come back to him, and keep his head up and he made plays for us late." Wallace's interview and reaction to his game: http://tinyurl.com/amne6d5

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Though no one should care about stats in a loss, Big Ben is now the 25th quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 29,000 yards (29,151) and run for at least 1,000 yards (1,033) during the regular season.

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Steelers average starting field position Sunday was their own 19-yard line.

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Big Ben on why we didn't see Plaxico Burress more after his 18-yard catch on 3rd down: "Did you ask coach that?"

Unhappy QB?

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Wallace was pushed right in front of an official on the deep pass in the first half, but no flag. Per Jim Wexell, even the San Diego media was laughing at the no-call. *sigh*

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Today marked the 14th time Big Ben and Wallace connected for a touchdown of at least 40 yards, extending their franchise and near-NFL record.

Steelers OL Coach Sean Kugler Leaves For Alma Mater

According to Asher Wildman of the ABC affiliate KVIA7 in El Paso, who first broke the story, Sean Kugler has been hired as UTEP's head coach: http://tinyurl.com/afygstq

MacGyver is moving to Texas.

Kugler, the Pittsburgh Steelers outstanding offensive line coach, will finish out the season, but has indeed accepted the UTEP job. Losing Kugler is a serious blow.

Kugler was liked by his players and coaches. You never heard the players speak of him in any way but with respect, and he wasn't reticent about his love for coaching the OLine or his players.

"The reason I like coaching offensive line is I like coaching all five guys collectively," Kugler said in a 2011 interview with 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh. "It's a challenge to get all five guys to play together as a unit, and I enjoy coaching the entire group. There's not a better position on the field to coach. The offensive linemen, those are usually the guys that are your most fun to be around, your must humble, and your hardest working guys. And I love my group here in Pittsburgh."

Kugler attended the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 1984 to 1988, where he earned letterman honors in football all four years. His 1988 team played in the Independence Bowl. His position coach at UTEP at the time was Andy Reid, future head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kugler signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1989, but after sustaining a concussion in training camp, he was released.

He joined the Steelers as OLine coach in 2010 following the firing of Larry Zierlein. He had also previously replaced Zierlein as assistant line coach for the Bills in 2007.

In his first coaching season with the Steelers, they made it to the Super Bowl despite season-ending injuries to both starting offensive tackles, Max Starks and Willie Colon, and the presence of a rookie starting center, Maurkice Pouncey, who ended up not playing in the NFL's final game because of his own injury.

The Steelers would go on to lose that Super Bowl, only their second loss in eight appearances, 31-25 to the Green Bay Packers.

Kugler has been credited with holding together the OLine with duct tape, chicken wire or any way he could. Because of that, he earned the nickname "MacGyver" from many Steelers fans in Steeler Nation.

Each position on the line had an injury during his tenure, but, "the standard is the standard." The team's "next man up" philosophy has applied to the OLine as much as any other positions on the team. Maybe more. MacGyver will be missed.

The question now naturally is whether the Steelers will look in-house or not for his replacement. The Steelers have gone outside lately when looking for replacements at their coaching positions, but Behind The Steel Curtain has already suggested that another "Shaun" may be the inside choice. - http://tinyurl.com/abr4cef

The article also suggests that two former Steelers currently coaching elsewhere may be candidates. Whomever it may be will soon enough be disseminated. Until then, we have MacGyver through the end of the season, however long that lasts. As long as he has a fair amount of glue and bobby pins, that could still be awhile.

Steelers Look For History To Repeat Itself Against Chargers

In case you missed the news, not that it's been mentioned all week or anything, the San Diego Chargers are 0-14 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh during regular season.

That and a $1.50 will get you a coffee at Starbucks.

We say that because what happened in years past has no bearing what happens this year. Remember: that same franchise is also 2-1 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh in the playoffs. Ask Tim McKyer about that.

That said, it's the former history that the Steelers (7-5) want repeated, not the latter. This version of the Chargers (4-8) does have its issues, but don't expect them to just lay down and concede victory, either.

The Chargers have weapons to throw at the Steelers and have the ability to turn back missiles launched their way as well. Despite having lost seven of their last eight games, they've been in each game into the fourth quarter and have lost by less than a touchdown on the average (6.6 points). ColdHardFacts.com breaks down the last game even further in a recent column that you can find here: http://tinyurl.com/arpoatx

Keeping that in consideration, the main thing that will be on the minds of every Steelers fan when the offense is on the field is "Protect Big Ben." One way to do that is to be able to run the football. That won't be overly easy.

The Chargers are the NFL's seventh ranked run defense and they're tied for fifth in run average per carry (3.8 YPC). The Chargers defense is ranked ninth overall.

Nevertheless, establishing the run to keep the Chargers honest in their attack is prudent. The less Big Ben has to endure, the better. To aid in this, he will be wearing a special "compression vest" that will have a layer of Kevlar to help to absorb hits to his clavicle/shoulder areas. (photo courtesy Will Graves-Associated Press)

Per Pro Football Talk, the Steelers asked Unequal Technologies to create the protective vest for Big Ben to wear in order to protect his injured right shoulder. The vest will include Concussion Reduction Technology (CRT) padding already in some NFL helmets. - http://tinyurl.com/aoeu852

Even so, the Chargers aren't exactly sacking the quarterback at a record pace this year. They have sacked the QB even fewer times than the Steelers have, doing so only 23 times. Shaun Phillips leads them with seven so far on the season.

When passing, the Steelers will have all of Young Money, aka the Bugatti Boys, aka "the boo boo crew" to throw to again. One of whom caused a bit of a stir in an interview with Ralph Paulk of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Mike Wallace had some...interesting comments regarding his inclusion in the offense and his production. He referenced his drops as an issue he's well aware of.

"I've never been a guy who dropped balls or just lose focus," Wallace told Paulk. "The first three years, I was always involved, so you just warmed up in games and were just into it.

"But when you don't get the ball for two-and-half quarters, you lose focus," Wallace continued. "But that's the type of offense this is. We're spreading it around, so you're not going to get as many targets. When you get them, you have to make the best of them." - http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/3090560-85/wallace-yards-ball#axzz2EPi2Xplb

O...kayyy... Really?

Granted, Wallace was labeled as a co-starter (i.e. "demoted") by coach Mike Tomlin last week. Wallace did start against the Ravens, yes, but his snaps were significantly down compared to other games, per Mark Kaboly. Also, he's had just six targets over the last five games.

And as he pointed out, the Steelers wide receiver snaps vs. Ravens went as follows: Antonio Brown, 52; Emmanuel Sanders, 49; and Wallace, 41. - http://tinyurl.com/as58cl9

Does that equal fewer targets on the whole, though? Let's break down the key points of his assertion and see what's real.

1) "Focus" is a 'you' problem first of all. Faithful readers to If It Ain't Steel know that we've talked about this before. If he isn't involved early, he can become disinterested. Now, he's admitted it.

2) The "dropped balls" is much more of a problem this year as, I do believe, he's now credited with eight. He has 52 catches so far on the season. So, if he catches those other eight, he would have 60 by now, i.e. the total he had in 2010.

3) How can he say he's not getting "as many targets" when he's actually getting targeted more often? Look at the actual numbers:

Targets -
2010: 100 in 16 games (6.25 avg per gm)
2011: 113 in 16 games (7.06 avg per gm)
2012: 93 in 12 games (7.75 avg per gm)

Receptions -
2010: 60 in 16 games (3.75 avg per gm)
2011: 72 in 16 games (4.5 avg per gm)
2012: 52 in 12 games (4.33 avg per gm)

Now, help me with this, how is he less involved? He's currently on pace for 69 receptions. Not only that, but he could also attain a career high in receptions if he caught more of the passes where he was targeted.

That being the case, expect him to be looked for early in the game to appease him and to keep him from falling asleep at halftime. Either that or expect the team to buy stock in 5-Hour Energy.

With Willie Colon saying he "felt real good," and being listed as Probable on the Friday report (he says he's a game-time decision), that's added help against those rushers so Big Ben can gets Wallace those targets, and for pushing the run game that will be led once again by Jonathan Dwyer.

"He obviously is being tested, but he passed that first test. Now he has to come out and back it up," Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley said of Dwyer. Most of the questions naturally were about the return of Big Ben, but he did address his running back. - http://blog.steelers.com/2012/12/06/coordinators-corner-haley-lebeau-4/

“The older guys, we keep telling the younger guys about this. They’ve got to believe, they’ve got to understand how important these games are to us. We’ve just got to get a ticket.” - Steelers inside linebacker Larry Foote

Cam Heyward and Steve McLendon are two of those "younger guys." They saw more snaps against the Ravens last week and it needs to continue. They are proving themselves to as effective, and sometimes more so, as the "older guys" they're subbing in for throughout the game. This will continue to be necessary so that the Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel won't be so banged up heading into the playoffs.

No time like the present.

In the Chargers loss last Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals, they lost starting right tackle Jeromey Clary (knee), left guard Tyronne Green (hamstring) and left tackle Mike Harris (high ankle sprain). Head coach Norv Turner said on Monday that he doesn’t expect any of those players to be able to go this Sunday.

He was right, don't expect any of them. The Chargers Friday injury/practice report said, among others, that Clary is out, Green is doubtful and that Harris is questionable. And if Harris does play, he'll be very limited.

To offset all the injuries, three different offensive linemen were signed off of their practice squad or off of the street during the week.

Maybe it's the chicken I have thawing in the sink, but I can literally smell blood in the water.

Steelers offensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will definitely dial up schemes designed to exploit those mismatches and get after Philip Rivers early.

"Yeah, that's what we do," quipped LeBeau. "I never answer any questions about game plan."

He did answer questions about his players, though, and what he expects of them. Specifically Troy Polamalu and James Harrison.

"Troy's instincts are so great and that's something you don't lose," LeBeau said. "From the first snap that he went in there, you could tell it was Troy in there. He's just a special player. We're happy to have him back."

Of his other former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, LeBeau said that he believes that the Silverback has 'turned the corner' and that "he's been getting better every week," but that he's finally "playing at a very high level."

It was Deebo's strip sack that fueled the comeback victory over the Ravens last Sunday, and he knows he'll need to continue his heroic play this week.

Despite having an offensive line decimates by injuries, the Silverback knows not to assume they'll just lie down for the Steelers. The sacks that Rivers has endured, 36 so far this year, has affected his overall play, resulting in poor numbers for Rivers.

Deebo, when asked about Rivers' poor numbers, said, "I'm not worried about that. I hope they get lower. That's not my problem."

Yes, sir, Mr. Harrison.

Deebo has always been that way, though. He has no regard for the opposing players and teams. He's judge, jury and executioner on the field when healthy. And, like LeBeau said, he's getting back there. - http://tinyurl.com/ac3oa2x

The other aspect of the defense that LeBeau spoke of, though, was the secondary and what to expect with Ike Taylor out for a couple of weeks.

Ike, who has never missed a game under LeBeau, had 32 tackles, 13 pass defenses and one interception in the 12 games prior to his injury.

Cortez Allen replaced Ike and, after giving up a long pass interference penalty and a 28-yard touchdown to Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin, settled down and played well having five tackles and three pass defenses.

Curtis Brown, who had a tackle and a pass defense against the Ravens, now becomes the third cornerback. In the nickel packages he'll stay outside and 'Tez Allen will move inside to his normal slot position as he has the most experience in it.

The other side of that coin is a player should be in Pro Bowl consideration: Keenan Lewis.

Lewis has recorded 57 total tackles and is one of the top cornerbacks in the league in passes defended with 19. He is only allowing an approximate 53% completion ratio on passes thrown his way.

He predicted back in May that he'd make the Pro Bowl, but having no interceptions may hurt his bid. Still, he's locking down one side of the field.

All of those men will be needed against the tall receivers of the Chargers. If they close the back door, though, and Deebo and Jason Worilds, who now leads the team in sacks with five, can bust down the front door, the Steelers could find themselves repeating history again.

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TIDBITS: Practice/Injury reports: Steelers - Mike Adams, Ike Taylor and LaMarr Woodley are out; Leftwich is questionable; Antonio Brown, Drew Butler (illness), Ryan Clark, Willie Colon, Jerricho Cotchery, Will Johnson, Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, Emmanuel Sanders and Mike Wallace are probable.

Chargers - Donald Butler, Eddie Royal and Jeromey Clary are out; Tyronne Green is doubtful; and Mike Harris is questionable.

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Love for the big guy:
"Ben Roethlisberger is not only one of the best quarterbacks, but one of the best players, in the NFL. Having him back changes the mindset of all the players and gives them confidence. It gives the coaches confidence in what they’re trying to do in calling and designing plays.

“The one thing about Ben Roethlisberger that people don’t pay enough attention to is that he’s a terrific thrower of the football. When there’s a play to be made by throwing it down the field, he makes it. It always gets lost when people talk about these quarterbacks in the NFL. He may not put up the numbers of Drew Brees or Tom Brady but he takes advantage of every opportunity that’s presented to him." - Phil Simms

"He's awesome. He's a comeback quarterback, he's our leader, he's our field general -- he's everything....It's December football and we're trying to clinch a spot. With him back, our odds are good." - Willie Colon

"Ben's one of the best players on our team and one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Whenever we get him back that's good for us." - Heath Miller

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Charlie Batch is completely embarrassed after almost losing to Joe Flacco. - http://www.theonion.com/articles/charlie-batch-totally-embarrassed-after-almost-los,30634/

Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Another episode of the Sunday matinee that is the rematch of the 2004 NFL Draft is upon us as the San Diego Chargers will travel to Heinz Field to do battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The marquee will once again light up brightly as it features the names of the two teams' draft mate quarterbacks: "Big" Ben Roethlisberger and Philip "Whiskey" Rivers.

This duel between the two gunslingers, their fourth showdown, has added edge because of events that have transpired over the last week. Events that affect each paladin differently. Events we'll refer to as: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

The Good: Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin Wednesday on his quarterback Ben Roethlisberger: "I'll see how his body responds in the morning and we'll go from there." - http://blog.steelers.com/2012/12/05/tomlin-it-was-a-positive-day-for-ben/

Big Ben Wednesday on his arm: "Getting there. I have to talk to Heath Miller. He's my barometer. He tells me how close I am to 100% on velocity and stuff."

Per Bob Labriola of Steelers Digest on Thursday on his Twitter (@BobLabriola) account: "Tomlin tells Teresa Varley of Steelers.com that Ben (Roethlisberger) will start on Sunday: http://blog.steelers.com/2012/12/06/roethlisberger-will-start-vs-chargers/"

This assures the two gunslingers will face each other for the fifth time since their draft in 2004. They're four shootouts (three in the regular season and one in the postseason) have seen Big Ben still standing three times. One time leading to the Super Bowl in 2008.

The two have similarities between them that can't be ignored, either. These are their statistics averaged out over a 16-game regular season through their nine years in the league as of the start of this season:

Big Ben:

Completion percentage: 63.1
Yards: 3,862.9
Touchdowns: 25.1
Interceptions: 14.0
Y/A: 8.0
Y/C: 12.7
QB Rating: 92.1

Whiskey Rivers:

Completion percentage: 63.5
Yards: 3,933.3
Touchdowns: 26.6
Interceptions: 12.5
Y/A: 8.0
Y/C: 12.6
QB Rating: 95.5

Fairly even, thought Whiskey Rivers pleases the fantasy numbers, fancy pants types. That's when things change.

The Bad: When you get down to brass tacks, the two riflemen start to look a little different. Like which one is Wyatt Earp and which is Billy Clanton at the O.K. Corral.

As mentioned earlier, Big Ben has ridden off into the sunset three of the four times. The average head-to-head is as follows:

Big Ben:

Completion pct: 71.4
Yards: 1,048
Touchdowns: 4
Interceptions: 2 (both in 1 game)
Record: 3-1

Whiskey Rivers:

Completion pct: 60.4
Yards: 968
Touchdowns: 8
Interceptions: 4
Record: 1-3

Then things change even more. Big Ben and the Steelers have gone on to take home two Super Bowl trophies, going through Whiskey Rivers to get one of them, and have fought for a third.

Whiskey Rivers? Well, shucks, he hadn't even russled himself up an AFC Championship game.

Now, things get even worse. With his team already sitting at 4-8 and Whiskey Rivers trying to help his team prepare for Sunday, he has to hear this...

The Ugly: According to Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego, head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith are to be fired at the end of the season: http://tinyurl.com/a2kvqjh

Sources told Acee that Chargers owner Dean Spanos has “resigned himself to the fact that Smith can’t be kept in the current environment of plummeting performance and fan unrest.”

Then, later, Spanos himself comes out and says that this is not actually the case.

As quoted by Adam Schefter on his Twitter (@AdamSchefter) account: "Dean Spanos: 'I haven't shared my thoughts with anyone. I will make my evaluations at the end of the season. Anything coming out now, from sources or otherwise, is pure speculation.'"

Nah...that won't be a distraction.

We'll leave all that to Judge Roy Bean. Because, whatever ends up happening there, the two quarterbacks will still face each other again for 2004 NFL Draft bragging rights and another notch in their belt come high noon Sunday.

Well, 1:00 p.m. EST at least.

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TIDBITS: Steelers injury/practice report: DNP: Mike Adams, Drew Butler (illness), Ryan Clark (hip), Byron Leftwich (shoulder), Troy Polamalu (not injury related), Ike Taylor (ankle) and Woodley (hamstring); LIMITED: Emmanuel Sanders; FULL: Antonio Brown, Willie Colon, Jerricho Cotchery, Will Johnson, Mike Wallace and some guy named Ben.

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Speaking of Troy...
Per Ed Bouchette from his Twitter (@EdBouchette) account Thursday: "#Steelers Polamalu said today the calf injury that cost him 7 games was to a different muscle than the one in the first game of the season."

So much for them taking it slowly with Troy, as he played in 50 of 64 defensive snaps (78%) against the Ravens Sunday.

Up until that game, Troy had missed nine games and had played five total quarters of football.

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What to expect from Ben Roethlisberger according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley: http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/60711/what-to-expect-from-roethlisberger

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The last time Plaxico Burress wore a Steelers uniform inside Heinz Field was the 2004 AFC Championship game.

Burress will make his return Sunday, but it may not be a triumphant one. It could be a dud, per Mark Kaboly: http://tinyurl.com/bmtw6af

Ben Roethlisberger Must "Prove" He's Ready; Heath Miller is "Big Money"

"There are so few quarterbacks that actually give their team a chance to win just because they're on the field. Ben (Roethlisberger) is one." - Ryan Clark

In Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin's weekly Tuesday press conference, he informed everyone that the quarterback Clark was praising will have to work his way back to being on that field.

The Tomlin message was very clear: Big Ben must show he's healthy, strong armed and ready to go. Tomlin said that he "is closer" to health and threw on Monday.

"Ben will be given an opportunity to prove whether or not he is healthy, obviously Charlie Batch is our guy right now," said Tomlin, pointing out that the Wednesday practice will help to determine his health and availability.

He later reiterated, "We'll focus on the two healthy quarterbacks and the one who's trying to prove he's there in Ben." From the sound of it, Leftwich won't get many reps. - http://tinyurl.com/a4zhtey

Big Ben doesn't need to take any huge leap from end of last week, he just needs to continue his current path of progression. As Tomlin said, "seven days does wonders for injuries."

This is despite what Jason LaCanfora misleadingly stated in an article he wrote saying that Big Ben could have practiced Friday and that his teammates were frustrated with him over it. - http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/jason-la-canfora/21231665

Nowhere else was anything found to support this. Neither by the team nor by any other writer. There wasn't even any intimation of it by any of the supposedly "frustrated" teammates.

According to Big Ben himself, he wanted to be sure that he was absolutely ready so that he wouldn't be a hindrance or liability to his team. Like last season in San Francisco for example.

"I can play through a lot of pain...mostly it's just, to me, ability," Big Ben said last Friday. "Can I make a long throw? Can I put a lot of zip on the ball?"

Per Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly, Big Ben was barely able to throw more than 10 yards at that point. That hardly sounds like someone who would be ready for an NFL football game.

That said, it would still be a surprise if he isn't suited up on Sunday to match throws with his NFL Draft mate Philip Rivers. Barring some substantial setback, he should "prove" his readiness soon enough.

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Steve Wyche of NFL.com wrote on Tuesday that Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley's offense is continuing to evolve.

He wrote of how the Ravens game showed the proof thereof. A change from the previous two games when the offense had stagnated.

Wyche wrote that "when the Steelers got the Ravens to change from rushing up the field, that opened up throws down field, especially to tight end Heath Miller, who had five catches for 97 yards." He also was the one who essentially closed the door on the Ravens. - http://tinyurl.com/bfuvptg

In doing so, Haley made use of one of the NFL's most underrated players. At least by the NFL in general. His teammates, not to mention all of Steeler Nation, know full-well how "money" Heath Miller is, and has been since being drafted out of Virginia. - http://tinyurl.com/atfzxky

One of his teammates in particular readily sings his praises.

“I’ve always looked for him,” Big Ben said. “He’s always been a comfort zone and blanket. He’s a great player, great teammate, maybe the best teammate I ever played with at any level. That’s a high compliment but he deserves it.”

Big Ben has always called Miller the best tight end in the game, and has reiterated it this season.

“Absolutely,” Roethlisberger said. “All-around tight end? Yeah. People are going to argue with numbers, but all-around tight end? There’s no doubt about it.”

If one wants to "argue with numbers," this season, in Haley's offense, there is more evidence in that category.

Last season, the Steelers scored touchdowns 47% of the time when reaching the red zone (counting post-season). During that time, 7% of the plays and 15% of the passes were sent Miller’s way.

This season, with the Steelers scoring touchdowns well over 50% of the time they visit the red zone, Miller has received almost 20% of the plays and approximately 35% of the passes.

Miller is already eyeing his career high in touchdowns, tying his 2007 output with seven. His touchdown against the Ravens broke the Steelers all-time record for most touchdown catches (38) by tight ends. He surpassed Elbie Nickel (1947-1957).

He's also ranked sixth in the NFL amongst tight ends. Those numbers don’t even include the two-point conversion against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Simply put, you can count Miller near the top if the list of those who don't miss Bruce Arians. You can also count him amongst those in Pro Bowl consideration. - http://tinyurl.com/b5w3ar5

If you need any further proof of the fact that Miller's greatness is underrepresented and under recognized, consider this article by Marc Uhlmann, @SteelDad on Twitter, on how Miller's value and importance can be exemplified in just one play. - http://tinyurl.com/a4y6nvz

Underrated, under recognized and under appreciated by the Madden-video game and fantasy-numbers driven NFL. To football purists who also appreciate the subtle niceties and nuances of the position and of the game, he's "Big Money."

~

TIDBITS: INJURY REPORT: Will Johnson (concussion) has already started the process of going through the needed battery of test to play against the Chargers.

Emmanuel Sanders (shoulder) has an AC shoulder sprain that could limit him at the front part of the week.

Mike Adams (ankle) will be out again with his high ankle sprain.

Ryan Clark (hip) might be limited early in the week with a hip contusion.

Willie Colon (knee) is back this week, but could be limited again early on in the week.

LaMarr Woodley (hamstring) is questionable.

Jerricho Cotchery (ribs) is expected to practice fully this week.

Byron Leftwich (ribs) is getting closer.

Ike Taylor (ankle) suffered a right ankle fracture and will be out for a couple of weeks.

With Ike now sidelined indefinitely, Tomlin was asked if they will bring in any defensive backs for a work out.

"We could potentially do that and maybe not even necessarily to make a specific move right now, but when your lines get thin, you evaluate people for potentially the next injury," said Tomlin. "So we're open minded potentially to bringing in a corner or two..."

The Steelers will likely bring in a few cornerbacks to evaluate and work out. A few names out there are Leigh Bodden, Bryant McFadden, Kelly Jennings, Justin King and Alphonso Smith.
UPDATE: Per Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette on Twitter): "#Steelers work out CB Justin King, Gateway High and PSU. Getting updated numbers on him is all, in case they lose another CB....King was 4th-round pick by Rams in '08. Was this season with Colts, who cut him after week five."

~

Per Bob Labriola: "WR Derek Moye cut from practice squad. CB Josh Victorian signed to practice squad. This is an injury-related move."

Steelers Get Their Revenge; Beat Ravens Without Roethlisberger, 23-20

726 straight days, 15 games in a row at home and the last 12 games in the AFC North. The Ravens streak now reads zero.

And on the 727th day, the Steelers rested.

More important for the fans may have been the fact that the Baltimore Ravens (9-3) were 5-0 when the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) were without Ben Roethlisberger. Thanks to Charlie Batch, James Harrison and Heath Miller, that's no longer an issue.

After they did all the heavy lifting, wunderkind Shaun "Sushi" Suisham batted clean up and sent one through the uprights to bring the Steelers a hard-fought 23-20 victory over their hated rivals. - http://tinyurl.com/c2lx4pt

Uncle Charlie Batch, 38 on Wednesday, was 25-36 passing for 276 yards and was the Steelers Digest Player of the Week. It was the most yards that Uncle Charlie has thrown for as a Steelers quarterback. And it was certainly his biggest victory as a Steelers starter.

He also threw a touchdown pass to Heath Miller for the tying score. It was Miller's 38th career touchdown, passing Elbie Nickel for the most touchdowns for a tight end in Steelers franchise history. He had five catches total for 97 yards.

Harrison's strip sack, recovered by Ziggy Hood, late in the game led to the touchdown in question as the Silverback welcomed Michael Oher (more commonly know to Steelers fans as "Deebo's b**ch) back to the blind side. He finished with seven tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

Then kicker Shaun "Sushi" Suisham drove home a 42-yard field goal as time expired to cement the win, his 7th career game-winning field goal.

Running back Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 49 yards and scored the other touchdown - the first of his career.

The Steelers rebounded from last week’s disaster-ridden, turnover-laden game and "only" gave it away three times. Even those shouldn't have happened, and the Steelers paid for them early.

A trick play of a fake end-around from wide receiver Antonio Brown across the field to Jonathan Dwyer was intercepted by Ravens cornerback Corey Graham. Four plays later, Flacco hit Anquan Boldin for a 28-yard touchdown.

Emmanuel Sanders inexplicably lost handle of the ball as he tried to secure it by switching hands. Instead of tucking the ball away, he coughed it up and lost his second fumble in as many games. It was the ninth lost fumble for the Steelers as a whole in the last four games.

What's worse is that he so open that there was nothing in front of him but grass. With his speed it would easily have been a touchdown.

Six plays after Sanders' fumble, Ray Rice scored on a 34-yard run. Rice had only 34 yards rushing up to that point. He finished with 78 yards on the ground.

The other was an ill-advised throw over the middle that was intercepted by (who else?) Ed Reed. Uncle Charlie is 15-year veteran. He should know that you never throw it late over the middle. Especially when Reed is playing centerfield. Bad decision. Bad throw. Bad results.

Earlier in the game Uncle Charlie had actually overthrown Mike Wallace who was wide open in the back of the end zone as a result of a mix-up in coverage. A play similar to what happened with Wallace against the Oakland Raiders earlier in the year. Big Ben hit Wallace on that play for the touchdown. Uncle Charlie's pass hit someone's Terrible Towel in the first row.

Ultimately, though, that last gaff didn't matter because the Steelers bounced back as they had all game. Mainly by way of the Harrison forced fumble and sack.

After Reed picked Batch in the end zone, the Silverback made his biggest play of the season. That led to a 7-yard touchdown pass to Miller who scored by stretching forward and, keeping his foot from stepping out of bounds, hitting the pylon with the ball.

Then the Steelers defense, the No. 1 unit in the NFL, got the ball back for the Steelers and Uncle Charlie completed all five passes on the final drive for 45 yards to get the Steelers in field-goal range. - http://tinyurl.com/bqkqkrr

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who is usually better at home, was streaky throughout, finishing 16 of 34 for 188 (177 minus the sacks) yards, one interception and the fumble.

This was a telling game for the Ravens. They might just be third best team in AFC North at present. They have a big lead, yes, but the Steelers were the better team in both games against them. Baltimore actually should have lost to Leftwich too. Now they go to Washington and could lose there next week with the threats the Redskins have. If so, watch out.

Think about it: Could they have gone into Pittsburgh and beaten the Steelers and Big Ben with their back up quarterback, let alone their third stringer? Not. A. Chance. The next four weeks will be telling.

Maybe another streak has already started.

~

TIDBITS: In his post-game press conference, Mike Tomlin said Emmanuel Sanders suffered a shoulder joint sprain, but he did return and should be fine for next week.

Fullback Will Johnson may have suffered a concussion. More on him later.

Tomlin said Ike Taylor needs an MRI after suffering an ankle/lower leg injury. Per Pro Football Talk, league source says Ike has fibula injury; fears are that it could be significant, 2-6 weeks absence. More will be learned on Monday via MRI and will be disclosed by Tomlin at his Tuesday press conference. - http://tinyurl.com/csl9v5j

~

Paul Kruger on his roughing the passer penalty: "It was a big mistake on my part. I just can't believe I put my teammates in that situation."

~

Ray Rice: "This game is not going to make or break our season. Give credit where it's due. They made the plays we've been making over the last few times. They were the last team to beat us here. I guess they're on their playoff run right now. They deserve it. The flip of the coin didn't go our way this game. We'll live to fight another day."

~

Speaking of Ray Rice, remember his quotes last week? We put them in our pre-game blog. They were all warm and cozy, weren't they? Well, did anyone see the exchange between the head coaches Tomlin and John Harbaugh? Heh...

Harbaugh says congrats and Tomlin had zero time for him. Harbaugh pulled him back and Tomlin acted as if he'd said all he needed to say. Here's the video of the Mike Tomlin-John Harbaugh "handshake." - http://tinyurl.com/d8zsjep

~

Then...
Ed Reed takes pot shot at Charlie Batch: http://tinyurl.com/bsomke6

So much for warm and cozy. But, it's all good, we hate you too. See ya in the playoffs, Ratbirds.

Steelers Look To Get Even With Ravens At Baltimore

It's official: Steelers' Roethlisberger ruled out: http://tinyurl.com/cdnea9c

Now that that is out of the way...

The Pittsburgh Steelers invade M&T Bank Stadium to play the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday afternoon. The Steelers are healing from some of their injuries, but will be without their offensive leader, Ben Roethlisberger.

The Ravens haven't lost at home this season. They're perfect there in their last 15 regular season games in fact. Their last loss in the friendly confines? December 5, 2010 to the Steelers. However, that was with Big Ben. The Steelers are 0-5 against Baltimore and have lost the last three overall.

We had a feeling Big Ben wouldn't play this week, and were fairly sure that Antonio Brown and Troy Polamalu would. The Steelers' question mark this week is with left guard Willie Colon.

Per Steelers beat and Beaver County Times writer Mike Bires: "Left guard Willie Colon practiced. Unless he has any setbacks from today's workout, he'll play in Baltimore. We'll see how he feels tomorrow."

If Colon plays, then no major shuffling will have to occur on the offensive line. If he doesn't play, then Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey will play left guard, and backup Doug Legursky will fill in at center. As was brought out in the previous article, Pouncey last played guard in his freshman year at Florida.

As for who actually is starting on the offensive line this week, all eyes are on Kelvin Beachum. It also sets up the eight things that must take place if the Steelers expect to leave with another win in Baltimore.

THE RIGHT STUFF?
Beachum, the Steelers seventh-round draft pick out of SMU, will have his hand full Sunday as he will see quite a bit of Paul Kruger, the Ravens outside linebacker. Kruger gave fellow Steelers rookie Mike Adams all he could handle in the game at Heinz Field. In that game Kruger had two sacks and three quarterback hits.

To his credit, in the two games he's been in this season, Beachum hasn't allowed a sack and has only allowed one quarterback hit. As we mentioned in the last article, though, Beachum has had two holding penalties against him in his 27 total snaps.

One of those was last week against the Browns, when he was flagged for holding on Jabaal Sheard, negating a big pass completion from quarterback Charlie Batch to Heath Miller.

Such plays are the very lost or 'hidden yardage' plays that the coaches have talked about in the past. Such mental errors can end up being very costly, and Beachum needs to be able hold down that side without actually holding.

We've said before that to get him help the Steelers could employ some 12-personnel and use the fullback (as in 21-personnel) to chip block. Lance Williams of Steel Curtain Radio breaks this down even further here: http://steelcurtainradio.com/?p=350

RUN. THE. BALL.
Allow me to let you in on (not) a secret: the Ravens have trouble stopping the run. They're 21st in the NFL against the run, allowing over 128 yards per game and four yards per carry. They've gotten better over the last four games in how many yards have been allowed, but are worse in the average yards per carry.

The Steelers ran the ball 27 times for 134 yards (5.0 YPC) in their first meeting, with newly instituted starter Jonathan Dwyer rushing the ball for 55 yards on 12 carries.

As we'd alluded to before, the Steelers needed to get away from the running back-by-committee thing and settle on one runner so that he could get into a rhythm with the offensive line. Dwyer now has the opportunity to do so. Plus, there are three other healthy backs behind him. A strong dose of smash mouth to tire out the Ravens defense and to give them fewer opportunities to score will be crucial. - http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8695446&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

THIRD'S A CHARM
Third down has been atrocious since Big Ben went down. This must change. One way to do it is to be more effective on first downs.

Ideally, you want to gain your yardage on approximately a 50/40/10 percentage clip. Charlie Batch only has a 48% completion rate on 3rd down with the Steelers. So, the fewer yards he has to convert, the better.

As many third and shorts (four yards or less) as possible will help to extend drives and keep the Ravens defense on the field.

HALE(Y) TO THE CHIEF
Todd Haley HAS to stop being so conservative.

What was a strong and consistent winning unit has become inept. Haley's comfort level with Big Ben has become an albatross around the neck of the offense. His play calling has just been bad since Big Ben has been out.

Uncle Charlie's comfort level with the offense matters too, but Haley needs to revert back to what he had them doing when No. 7 was in there: pass on first down, more short and medium passes, run the ball to set up the play action. Get creative with it, also, now that Antonio Brown is back. - http://blog.steelers.com/2012/11/29/coordindators-corner-haley-lebeau/

HE WHO THINKS BY THE INCH AND TALKS BY THE YARD WILL GET KICKED BY THE FOOTE.
The NFL is a game of inches and Ray Rice gained a first down by only one on a controversial 4th and 29 play against the San Diego Chargers. That was a microcosm of what Rice is capable of as a running back and offensive player. Larry Foote, James Harrison and the rest of the unit of linebackers must stop Rice once again. - http://tinyurl.com/bm7ombs

Not much else needs to said on this. Faithful readers to this blog know that we preach gap control. Maintaining gap containment on Rice keeps the Steelers solidly in this game. Period.

TROY

"I think it means a lot, getting leadership and stability out there again....Let's face it, when you can have him on the field it's a plus for us." Defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau on Troy Polamalu.

There have been comments made that Troy shouldn't be brought back in, that the defense is playing well together and they shouldn't mess with that.

Stop it. Just...just stop.

As LeBeau said, "He makes plays only he can make." Will Allen has been playing well, yes. But, it's absolutely ludicrous and asinine to suggest to keep one of the (still) best defenders in the game on the bench if he is available.

Continuity that Allen has developed over five or six games pales in comparison to the Ryan Clark has with Troy over the LAST FEW YEARS. They have nearly a telepathic relationship together and, even if Troy does only play on a limited basis, it will be good to see the hair back. - http://tinyurl.com/br46346

MAKE A BIG SPLASH
John Steigerwald tweeted from his personal Twitter (@Steigerworld) account that, "Since 1978 when the Steelers win the turnover battle, they are 229-31."

When the Steelers sack Joe Flacco four times or more, they are 4-2 against the Ravens.

Getting splash plays on defense, turnovers and sacks, is essential for the Steelers. That can't be stressed enough. There can be no, NO, hangover from last week's disgusting display. NONE.

"TIME IS THE FIRE IN WHICH WE BURN."
If you've ever had an actual or cyber conversation with me, you've probably heard me criticize Mike Tomlin for his questionable timeout and game management. There are several examples of it over the last few years, including the last time the two teams met.

He used two timeouts at non-crucial points in the game which eliminates the ability to stop the clock when needed.

The forced fumble by Foote against the Browns was missed by the officials. But because the Steelers had no timeouts left, they couldn't challenge. It may not have led to a comeback win, but it doesn't matter because they didn't even have the ability to challenge it. (Which is one of the worst rules in the game, by the way. They have all this technology that can show definitively that it was a fumble, but they can't do anything about it??? *spread cheeks, remove head*)

If the Steelers can do most of those things, they might actually be able to pull off a hard-fought and close victory in Baltimore. Might.

~

TIDBITS: Practice/Injury Report - Steelers: DNP: Mike Adams (out), Willie Colon (questionable), LaMarr Woodley (out), Casey Hampton (probable), Byron Leftwich (out); LIMITED: Ben Roethlisberger and Cotchery (out); FULL: Antonio Brown, Troy Polamalu and Max Starks.

Ravens: CB Jimmy Smith (sports hernia surgery) is OUT; TE Ed Dickson (knee) is DOUBTFUL; LB Dannell Ellerbe (ankle/foot/thumbs), CB Chris Johnson (hamstring), DE Pernell McPhee (thigh/knee) are QUESTIONABLE.

~

Ray Rice on Steelers and Terrible Towel-gate via CBSSports.com:

On Ravens maybe surpassing Steelers: "I wouldnt call it a tide turn. I don't think the tide will change until we win our Super Bowls. Any time you are trying to get where the top dog of the division, is you are going to build a team around how to beat those guys. You have to be a team that can compete with the Steelers. I think we've done that over the past few years, done pretty well at it.

"This rivalry has never been soft. I don't buy into the whole thing that you shouldn't be cool after the game. We went to war with each other. We're hitting each other like car crashes, so why not embrace the moment after? 'Hey, man, what's goin on? I wish you well. And stay healthy.' When the game is over, you aren't going to go around and hate a person just because he was a Pittsburgh Steeler."

"You aren't going to catch me out there burning the (Terrible Towel) or doing anything to disrespect their organization. I am a respectful guy. When my child gets older, I will get to show her. She will ask, 'Daddy, who is that?' I will say, 'It's the Pittsburgh Steelers.'"

Respect.