Roger Goodell Needs To Drop Hammer On Ray Rice, Jim Irsay

written by Jayden Matthews

So Ike Turner, Phil Spector and Ray Rice walk into a bar... Stop me if you've heard this one. 

Roger, Roger, Roger...why must we have these conversations? Oh, I know why. It's because you're a hypocrite. 

Many, including myself, are wondering when you are going to address the situation regarding the Baltimore Ravens' Ray Rice assault. You say that you will not tolerate any stain on your precious shield. Well, isn't dragging his unconscious fiancée, whom he conveniently married as soon as charges were filed, out of an elevator and then kicking her a stain? - http://tinyurl.com/pbs3lxk

Do you not realize, Roger, that every nine seconds a woman is assaulted at the hands of domestic violence, and it is the leading cause of injury to women? Do you also not realize that a lot of those women are fans of the NFL? 

by Matt Vargo

What kind of message would you be sending if you let Rice off with nothing? If some form of punishment is not handed down, it would be a slap to the face of the women that have suffered from this type of action and you would indirectly be an accomplice to their assaults. Ask any victim or families of victims of domestic violence, such as myself or William Gay, and we will assure you that any other reaction would be the wrong message. - http://youtu.be/dMZw8JIkOd8

The legal issues have played out in the courts and Rice agreed to an intervention program to avoid jail time. I hope this gives him the help he needs. He and his new wife Janay Palmer held a press conference on Friday, along with the usual apologies. But, basically it was a dog and pony show to show they're a happy couple now, with their "no relationship is perfect" comments. - http://t.co/qxo2eIk6o3

Intervention programs and press conferences notwithstanding, it still does not take away from the fact, Mr. Goodell, that there was video of him dragging her caveman-style out of that elevator in Atlantic City after knocking her out. He committed an act of violence against a woman. You do realize, don't you, that young men look up to these players? What kind of message is being sent to these young men? That it is OK to hit your lady and drag her around like a caveman? Really? 

In 2010, you said you did not need an arrest to hand down a punishment. Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, found that out first hand, being suspended for six games and later being reduced to four. Ben was never charged with any crime, never arrested, never had any videos of his actions, nothing. But Big Ben was made an example of because, as you put it, he put a "stain" on the beloved shield of the NFL. 

Since Big Ben’s suspension, there have been several NFL players arrested for drunk driving, domestic battery, having guns in airports and even an alleged serial killer that is now in jail. But the one thread that connects all of them is the lack of punishment handed down. None of them were stains, then?

The best one by far just might be Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who was arrested in March for alleged intoxication and operating a vehicle, he also had in his possession bottles of prescription drugs that were not his. Irsay was at the owners meeting and was seen on TV. Now if that isn't a big old glaring stain, then I don’t know what is. 

An NFL owner in possession of controlled substances that weren't even his? Oh, that’s right, you’re playing the wait-and-see and game. Well, you didn't with Big Ben. Even if he is suspended, you made it clear before anything was announced he would be punished and punished he was. - http://tinyurl.com/nr7zj3y

Ryan Clark, former Steelers' safety said it best on ESPN's First Take: “So here we have Jim Irsay, a guy, an owner, who has history of substance abuse, who's found in a car with over $29K and prescription drugs that weren't in his name, pulled over for driving under the influence, and now we're saying we need more information? What more information do we need than these aren't your prescription pills? You're obviously under the influence. You have $29K. There would be no questions asked if this was a player." -  http://tinyurl.com/papv46t

I fully agree with Clark. But what else is new when it comes to Roger Goodell and his handling of punishments? Which gets me to my point. Roger, you need to stop being all Stay-Puff-Marshmallow-Man soft and squishy and afraid of any repercussions from NFLPA, and start acting like Thor and bring the proverbial hammer down and bring it down swiftly. 

Start sending messages to these overgrown frat boys that enough is enough and that this type of behavior has no place in the NFL. If they want to do the crime, then they must do the time. Not slaps on the wrists, either - both Rice and Irsay need to be suspended. 

Because if you don’t start sending the appropriate messages, to find the biggest stain on the shield of the NFL, all you will have to do is look in the mirror. 

What Is The Steelers Direction After Loss To Ravens?

“Have to clean up some things down there at the goal line. The run comes first. We'll fix that. Gotta get the run game going.” - Pittsburgh Steelers fullback Will Johnson

That will be more difficult if rookie running back Le'Veon Bell is out for an extended period, and, if so, greatly hinders any real playoff hopes.

In the Steelers 22-20 loss Thursday night to the rival Baltimore Ravens, Bell, who appeared to lose consciousness, fell backwards into the end zone for what was originally ruled a touchdown, but the rookie running back was ruled down just short of the end zone because his helmet came off before the ball broke the plane. - http://tinyurl.com/osvtasu

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hit wide receiver Jericho Cotchery on a quick slant for a 1-yard touchdown, but fellow receiver Emmanuel Sanders was unable to hang on to a potential game-tying two-point conversion pass on the next play.

“He (Sanders) had a corner just come into the game, so I went to him,” Big Ben said. “You get so close, but it's a tough team, tough environment, and I've got to make plays down the stretch.”

After the game, though, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin after the game implied that Manny wasn't the primary target. It seems he was correct, or at least that Cotchery felt that way too. - http://tinyurl.com/nnm5eys

“I was open (on the two-point attempt), but a quarterback has a lot of decisions to make,” Cotchery said. “The touchdown (play) was going to be the 2-point play call, but we had to go with it.”

As for Bell, he got more than his rung and was promptly taken to the locker room and examined for a concussion. The Steelers haven't as of yet given an update in his status. But it would be a bad blow if they're forced to go without their leading rusher the final four games.

As the initial quote alluded to, getting the ground game going was and is important. Starting the game with five straight runs isn't exactly the way to do that, but that was done as part of a patient *ahem* gameplan due to the presence of Elvis Dumervil.

They were just starting to see Bell's potential and wanted also to establish his presence. Bell has rushed for 528 yards in nine games this season, had developed into a good every-down running back and a very good receiver out of the backfield (his 29-yard catch-and-run got the team to the Ravens 20-yard line on the near game-tying drive). His previous best game had been against the Ravens, and he then was repeating that against them again.

However, his wasn't the only injury sustained Thursday.

The Steelers team announced Saturday that center Fernando Velasco had been placed on injured reserve with an Achilles tendon injury. The 28-year old had stepped into the starting lineup after Maurkice Pouncey suffered ACL and MCL tears in the Steelers’ season-opening loss to the Titans.

Cody Wallace replaced him and finished out the game. Steelers also announced that they signed former Saints center/guard Eric Olsen and former Browns offensive tackle Rashad Butler. Wallace and Olsen are now the Steelers centers. 

Kelvin Beachum and Mike Adams were also hurt in the game. But Beachum won't likely be switched to center because the offensive line has been playing very well, better than they have in a long time, and cannot withstand any further shifts.

They also released cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke.

But what does this mean for the rest of the season? How will the team react to losing the game and one or more players?

“I don't expect any quit,” a resolute Big Ben said after almost pulling off yet another fourth-quarter comeback. “We haven't quit to this point. I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to fight my butt off all the way to the end.”

The same should be expected from the rest of the team.

Though some teams might (and have in the past) tank the remaining games to better position themselves for a higher draft pick, the Steelers won't do that.

Big Ben has said more than once that he never wants to have a losing record. To this point in his career, he hasn't. Last season was his worst record as starting NFL QB to date, a record that may be duplicated this season.

Consider this: many veterans on the team have at least one Super Bowl ring. A few have two. Big Ben, Troy Polamalu, Brett Keisel and Ryan Clark have a lot of pride, and losing hurts. Being that several, including some of the above mentioned, won't be on the team next season, it is something that they are not used to and isn't how they want to end their stay.

But, while the Steelers could still reach a 9-7 record, wouldn't a 5-11 record be better come the last weekend in April?

Actually, there is little value in the Steelers tanking their remaining four games of the season to ensure such a final record as it would likely only result in a selection three or four picks higher. Because, if they set their sights on a particular player within their reach, say in the 14-to-18 range, moving up two or three spots wouldn't affect them.

Case in point, last year they wanted Jarvis Jones. Period. If the team had lost the last one or two games they would have has a higher draft pick, but they still would've selected Jones.

Also, draft position does not always equate to draft success. There are busts every year and surprises every year. Drafting is an inexact science and is a challenge for all NFL teams. All still must make the right selection if they are going to have any success.

Not only that, but losing games means potentially losing your job. That goes for the players and coaches alike, and we all know that the Rooneys are patient with their coaches. But that doesn't go for assistants as much as it does for head coaches.

Also, general manager Kevin Colbert may feel the pressure as well given the lack of production from recent draft classes. As a point of reference, no players remain on the roster from the 2008 draft class.

No, the Steelers won't fold, won't mail it in. Too much rides on their licking their wounds and finishing out their season on a positive note. Too much pride. While they may not dare to dream of a run reminiscent of the 2005 run, their sights are still set straight ahead.

Steelers Look For 2nd Win In "Grudge Match" Against Ravens

via steelers.com

“It’s a grudge match. It really is. It always seems to be close." - Brett Keisel on rivalry with Ravens.

Whether it could be labeled a "grudge match," a blood bath or the 'best rivalry in the NFL' (to which it is often referred), one thing is very certain - these teams just don't like each other.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers and the defending world champion Baltimore Ravens take the field Sunday afternoon, one player new to the rivalry may not be able to get himself acquainted.

Outside linebacker Jarvis Jones was diagnosed with a concussion early this week and is listed as questionable for the game Sunday. He practiced fully on Friday but must still pass a concussion test.

If he is unavailable, fellow outside linebacker Jason Worilds will start in his stead. Something with which defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is just fine.

"If you look at the video and, really, the team record," said LeBeau, "you will see that Jason {Worilds} played pretty dag gone well last year....Jason has always been excellent at {the point of attack}. He is a good, growing young player. We are glad we got him."

Be it Jones or Worilds, they will need to get to quarterback Joe Flacco and to stop running back Ray Rice. While Bernard Pierce has been a valuable compliment to him, Rice is still the main man to stop.

Since the start of 2011, when Rice gets 20 or more touches (carries and receptions) in a game, the Ravens have a 22-2 record. However, when Rice gets fewer than 20 touches the Ravens are only 7-11.

Rice's value is undeniable. The Steelers run defense, unfortunately is ranked 22nd in the league, giving up 114.8 yards per game. What helps is that Rice is only averaging 2.8 yards per carry this season providing a dynamic that might lean in the Steelers favor.

While the Steelers still must contain Ray Rice if they expect to win, it doesn't end there. As LeBeau also said, they have "a good corps of wide receivers that can go deep. They kind of live on that big play..." Point blank, the Ravens have the weapons to hurt the Steelers by going deep.

They are led by wideout Torrey Smith who is fourth in the NFL in receiving yards with 568, including a 20.3 yard per catch average. Another player to watch out for is rookie Marlon Brown. His three receiving touchdowns are already fourth most by a rookie in team history.

The Steelers secondary would seem to be up to the task as it is ranked fourth best in the NFL allowing just 196 yards per game.

Speaking of wide receivers, the Steelers have their own who's leading the league in receiving categories.

Antonio Brown has been targeted 53 times by Ben Roethlisberger this season resulting in 41 catches and 498 yards. He is second in the NFL in receptions, behind Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans - who haven't had their bye yet. AB average 12.1 yards per catch and 99.6 per game. He is also second amongst all wide receivers, again minus Houston's Johnson, with 27 receptions for first downs.

“...He's our No. 1 guy,” offensive coordinator Todd Haley said on Thursday. “When Mike {Wallace} left, {AB} knew he had an opportunity to step into that role. He's embraced it, he's worked hard and he's making plays. That's tough to do when you're ‘the' guy because that's the guy that generally sees double coverage.” - http://tinyurl.com/k9myxhv

Truth. Case in point was the play that led the Steelers' lone touchdown scored against the Jets last Sunday.

On the 55-yard strike to Emmanuel Sanders last Sunday, the Jets were in the old "46 defense" with strong safety Dawan Landry cheating over to Antonio Brown's side, while free safety Antonio Allen was in the box for a blitz or hot read. i.e. AB was doubled covered which allowed Manny to take Antonio Cromartie one-on-one.

Teammates have even said that AB is even better and that he isn't taking any downs off. Manny had previously been the better route-runner of the two (especially three), but AB has been running his routes with greater precision than ever before, leading to possible record-breaking numbers.

AB is currently on pace for 131 receptions and 1,593 yards, which would decimate his previous career highs of 69 catches for 1,108 yards (in 2011), and would rearview mirror Hines Ward's team record of 112 catches in a season and Yancey Thigpen's team record of 1,398 yards.

With all that said, two things still need to be considered going up against the Ravens Sunday: the fact that, as successful as they were with them last week against the Jets, don't expect the Steelers to run as many screens against Baltimore, and Le'Veon Bell must continue to get better.

While Bell has battled injuries, after making his debut he’s become the clear top option for the Steelers. Though having a slow start as a runner, averaging only 2.84 YPC, he has shown promise and has done a very nice job as a receiver catching all seven of the passes targeted his way for 100 yards. He has also shown his blocking skills with no pressure being surrendered on his 16 pass-block snaps.

Yet, Bell is capable of offering more to this offense. With the ZBS and outside-run blocking, if he trusts himself and his teammates and displays a little more patience, he can be very good for this team for a very long time.

The Steelers will be up to the task regardless, though, as linebacker Terrell Suggs knows all too well.

"This is a team," Suggs told NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala, "they're never going to say die."

A team facing its bitterest rival. And it all resumes Sunday afternoon.

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TIDBITS: Jarvis Jones (concussion) practice participation was adjusted to "limited" Friday; listed as questionable for Sunday. Still must pass concussion test.
The rest of the Injury Report is as follows: Keisel, Gilbert, Heath all probable; Wheaton, Gordon both out

Ravens: ILB Josh Bynes (hand), Out; NT Ngata (elbow), OLB Upshaw (foot), CB Webb (thigh) all limited on Friday and all listed Questionable.

The Ravens have added linebacker Jameel McClain to their roster, the club said Saturday.

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"@MarkKaboly_Trib: Did you know that the OL the #Steelers put out for the 2nd half of the season opener last year is 100% different than it is right now"

Steelers Elemental Wide Receivers Needed Against Ravens

Before the season ever began, If It Ain't Steel stated that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin's  reestablishing control, an iron fist when dealing with the team if you will, would be welcomed if not essential.

He must have been paying attention.

Last week, Tomlin banned games in the locker room, now he has banned somersaults into the end zone. We always want to bring you the most accurate and up-to-date information, and this is no different. In doing so, we were able to be privy to what Tomlin told the team.

'Put that ping-pong down! Ping-pong's for winners only....Oh, have I got your attention now? Good. 'Cause we're changing a little something with end zone celebrations, too - no more flipping.' -- http://youtu.be/8kZg_ALxEz0

Ok, that wasn't actually Tomlin, but the sentiment is the same - no more games. It's nothing personal, it's strictly business. And two of the most important matters of business are the maturation of Le'Veon Bell and the continued development of the mercurial corps of wide receivers.

As far as Bell is concerned, Tomlin had high praise for him in his weekly press conference on Tuesday, saying that he Bell "ran well."

"I thought he did a great job of picking vision and putting the ball where it was supposed to be and running with the type of demeanor that we desire," Tomlin said. - http://tinyurl.com/k3dwvr6

Bell only ran for 34 yards on 16 rushes, but he set up brilliantly the team's lone touchdown of the day.

After running for seven yards on first down and two on second down, he helped quarterback Ben Roethlisberger pull off a textbook play action pass which resulted in a 55-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders.

That said, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly made some salient points about his game when he tweeted that "Bell needs to make decision quicker and hit it; needs to realize he's not going outrun (for the most part) defenders to the outside."

"Bell just 2 games into career. He'll get better real quick....Le'Veon Bell," he continued, "has all the talent in world, but has to make better decisions and has to get accustomed to NFL game. It will come."

That it will.

Nonetheless, the Steelers will be facing their arch rivals the Baltimore Ravens who, despite the Packers' Eddie Lacy’s 120-yard performance last week, are still stopping the run. They currently rank seventh in the NFL in fewest yards per game and sixth in yards per carry.

So, if the Steelers continue to abandon the outside zone, at which Bell could very well excel, the short-passing game could help set up the run and the deep game.

Whether in the short game or via the long ball, the Steelers wide receivers were key again Sunday in the Jets victory and will continue to be Sunday afternoon.

This is nothing new as the offense, good or bad, has gone through them. Each of the main four wide receivers brings a little something different to the table that adds to the whole. Think of them as the four needed elements - Earth, Wind, Water and Fire - that contribute to our daily life.

Earth - Jerricho Cotchery:
Grounded, mature, seasoned and dependable. Over half of his career NFL touchdowns have come in the red zone. The elder statesman of the corps, and a rock steady contributor: he has the highest yards-per-catch average of the four.

Wind - Markus Wheaton:
This analogy is appropriate in more ways than one. Yes, he's very fast and can blow(ITALICS) past defenders, as we saw in the preseason. Also, though, he has barely been seen on the field - invisible, as it were, like the wind. Hopefully, as soon as his finger heals, only the former analogy will apply.

Water - Emmanuel Sanders:
The most polished of the corps. We have even referred to him in the past as "the future Hines Ward" because of his skill set, including his very good blocking ability. He can play both outside and in the slot and is a very fluid receiver...like water.

Fire - Antonio Brown:
Brown is becoming one of the hottest receivers in the league. He is second rated receiver in the NFL and also ranks second in receptions for first downs (27). His mercurial nature and sudden nature make him hard to catch, and also has the breakaway ability to burn defenders downfield.

The Ravens pass defense is ranked 16th in the NFL and their secondary has been susceptible to the big play at times.

If the Steelers receivers can get separation, it opens the door for them to be able to control the game in their favor. Add a seething quarterback who has lost his previous two games to them and it could be a recipe for victory.

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TIDBITS: Steelers Injury Report: LB Jarvis Jones (head) did not practice Wednesday; Marcus Gilbert, Brett Keisel, Heath Miller and LaMarr Woodley were limited. Sean Spence has begun to practice again, albeit on a limited basis. The Steelers have 3 weeks to IR him again or to add him to the 53-man roster.

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"Mike Tomlin is absolutely correct. It's dangerous, but it is something I have been doing since I was young ... I felt at that moment ... at that time, it was something I needed to do." -- Emmanuel Sanders

When asked what he has in store for his next TD celebration, Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders said: "Not a flip." - Mark Kaboly

Youth, Versatility Define Kelvin Beachum And Steelers Offensive Line

When Jack Bicknell, jr. was introduced as the Pittsburgh Steelers new offensive line coach back on January 29, 2013, one of the things all the pseudo-intellectual writers said was that the team was going to switch to a zone-blocking scheme. Well, two things about that: the Steelers have already been running behind some zone blocking the last few years, and they'd have to have the right personnel already in place to make a wholesale change.

Like Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin brought out regarding the subject when addressing members of the media at the NFL owner's meetings in mid March, the team will not commit itself to a philosophy it does not have the means to implement. He did point out, however, that the team will be looking into it throughout Training Camp and will look to use elements of it in their 2013 game plans.

That's to be expected since, top to bottom, the Steelers have very athletic offensive linemen, ones who have the ability to run this kind of scheme, despite not necessarily looking to run one scheme completely.

Once you get past potentially the youngest NFL starting five of Marcus Gilbert (as that seems to be the way the Steelers lean at left tackle), Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Mike Adams, your backups are Kelvin Beachum, John Malecki and new signee Guy Whimper. - http://www.steelers.com/team/depth-chart.html

Beachum should see most of his snaps on the right side at guard and tackle, which we'll explore deeper presently.

Malecki can play guard as well as center and would be third in line behind Pouncey and Doug Legursky if he were to come back.

The newly acquired revolving door known as Whimper, 30 years old in the 2013 season, provides depth behind Adams and Gilbert at tackle and, should he make the Steelers’ roster, could be the first lineman off of the bench. Whimper, however, is ideally a right tackle and would only likely get a look on the left side in a desperate situation.

He was signed instead of Max Starks, who remains unsigned. The reason Starks wasn't initially brought back last offseason was that he didn't want to be a backup, only to start. The same most likely occurred this offseason. The Steelers could conceivably bring him back, though, if injuries were to strike and he remains unsigned. - http://t.co/fuijAYpoWj

With respect to Dick Van Patten, eight is not enough, so behind them are a few players who have an outside shot at a roster spot, but more likely a practice squad designation. They will be listed in the TIDBITS section following the main body of the article.

However, the focus for the remainder of this will be on Beachum. There's a lot to like about Beachum. He's very smart and versatile enough to backup five spots. At 6'3", he's going to have to end up being above 300 lbs.(muscle weight), though, in order to do so on a regular basis.

But the coaches (should) know their personnel and will not ask them to stray too far from their own strengths, so don't expect Beachum to play the left side. He showed real promise last season on the right and they will be eager to see his progression.

Beachum is currently listed as the backup at two positions on the Steelers depth chart, he had experience in college at long snapper and believes he can backup the center position as well. But as was said earlier, he shows most promise on the right side as was evidenced last season against the Baltimore Ravens.

Beachum is decidedly better against the pass, but showed the ability to block the run also. He only gave up one sack against the Ravens, and that was in the fourth quarter. It was also one of the few instances when he showed his inexperience as he simply looked unaware of his protection assignment.

Otherwise, he more than held his own against Ravens linebackers Terrell Suggs and Paul Kruger in the Steelers 23-20 win. He played every offensive snap, only giving up the one sack. Not too shabby.



As an example, in the fourth quarter, he took on Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, allowing lead blocker Will Johnson to create a hole for running back Isaac Redman that resulted in a 24-yard gain.



At one point, Beachum turns Ngata just enough to allow space for Redman. He then forces Ngata backwards, and Redman is gone. (Photos courtesy of Andrea Hangst of Pro Football Focus)

If this truly is a sign of things to come, then Beachum could be a real integral part of the Steelers offensive line and team, and the offensive line itself could once again be a team strength.

(Addendum: Steelers depth chart has since changed and Bell nor, for some reason, Gilbert are any longer mentioned.)
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TIDBITS: The men who have a chance to stick with the team:

Joe Madsen - Center, 6'4" 310 lbs. -
In four years at West Virginia, Madsen started 38 straight games, except for two bowl games for which he was academically ineligible. Three-year starter. Only 25 reps of the 225-pound bench press at the NFL Combine, so he needs to improve his strength, but he does have quick lateral movement. - http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1707200/joe-madsen

Mike Golic, jr. - G/C, 6'4", 300 lbs. -
Listed among the best undrafted players, National Football Post says of him, "he may be a long shot, but his competiveness and toughness will serve him well in camp." At the Steelers minicamp last week, Golic played right tackle.

The Notre Dame product has pedigree on his side as both his father, most recently of ESPN's Mike & Mike fame, and his uncle, Bob Golic, played in the NFL. Therefore, he knows first hand that there will be competition.

"Anywhere you go, there’s going to be competition," said Golic. - http://tinyurl.com/cygken9

Nik Embernate - Guard, 6'4" 300 lbs.
Embernate, as If It Ain't Steel informed its readers, payed a pre-draft visit to the Steelers. He was so impressed with the South Side that he is quoted as saying, "I love this place." He now wants to be the one to make an impression. - http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/3964040-74/embernate-steelers-diego#axzz2SmZMTABQ

There was another quote from him, though, that caught our attention. No manufactured ado needed, just read what he said about playing football.

“If I hear a quarterback call [a run] play in the huddle,” Embernate said, “I've already got in my mind that I'm going to take that dude and slam him into the dirt, and as he's trying to get up, just not let him get up. Try to inflict a lot of pain on him.

“That's what this game is all about — not to the aspect where you want to hurt somebody, but you're going to try to knock somebody out. You've got to play physical.”

I'm sold.

Roger Goodell's Opening Night Excuse Not Valid

by Jayden and Jason

"{Roger Goodell} said playing the opener on Sept. 4 has been ruled out because of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah." - http://tinyurl.com/d5cq7k4

Umm...did I read tha...uh...I beg your pardon?

As has been the norm for several years now, the defending Super Bowl champions are awarded center stage via the NFL season opener on the Thursday night before opening weekend. This year, that honor was supposed to fall to the Baltimore Ravens on September 5th, but the Baltimore Orioles have a home game of their own scheduled that night against the Chicago White Sox and, with the two stadiums sharing a parking lot, the two games cannot be played at the same time.

When the NFL commissioner informed the public that the NFL was having trouble scheduling the opening game because of the conflict, the above quote was the reason given for not simply moving the game up a day.

The positive aspect of this is that on the surface it would seem that Goodell is showing himself to have an evolved set religious sensibilities and to be respectful of the culture and faith of others. After all, there are men of many faiths in the NFL.

When delving deeper into it, though, we find the negative aspect of it: there are men of many faiths in the NFL. That considered, there are actually a few things wrong with his statement.

If Goodell is truly looking to be culturally sensitive, considering the NFL Deportes program has been in place for years, where is the sensitivity toward Mexican Independence Day which is celebrated on September 16th? - http://www.inside-mexico.com/featureindep.htm

If it is more a matter of religio-cultural awareness by Goodell, why aren't games preempted for Hanukkah? Christmas? Kwanzaa? Though of inaccurate and pagan origins, many still consider Christmas as a religious holiday, yet games are often played and even highlighted on December 25th.

You might have thought to yourself at some point while reading this that it isn't something he can control, though, because Jewish holidays are based on the lunar calendar causing the dates on our Gregorian calendar to change each year. Well, if that is the case, why bother at all?

Rosh Hashanah is a two-day holiday, meaning that even if there wasn't a scheduling conflict, the game would still be played on the holiday. Additionally, in 2012, Rosh Hashanah fell on a Sunday - starting September 16 at sundown (the Jewish day originally went from sunrise to sunset, or approximately 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) to Tuesday, Sept. 18 at sundown.

Where were his evolved sensibilities then?

Whatever the real reason was for not moving the game back to Wednesday, we don't know. We must assume, therefore, that what the commissioner said is what he really believes, that he is being culturally sensitive in not scheduling the opening night game that day. Because he certainly couldn't be using it to veil an ulterior reasoning. I mean, Goodell has never done that. Has he?

Offense And Roethlisberger Still Key To Steelers Eventual Success

"I think that being familiar and getting a certain amount of exposure to it, it's going to bring comfort. But we can't relax in that comfort. We have to continue to move forward as a unit. I thought we did some good things, particularly initially. I thought we waned down the stretch. I look forward to putting the pieces together and trying to be the best we can be in 2013." - Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on Todd Haley's first season as offensive coordinator and the offense evolving this season.

As the team wades through the free agency waters and preparations continue for the 2013 NFL season, the focus for most is on whether enough will be done to rebound for a playoff appearance. Even this blog tackled this subject and declared that the Steelers are in for a rebuilding year. However, one thing is certain: if quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley continue to get into that "comfort" zone, the Steelers have a shot.

Haley's offense is predicated on two main concepts. Firstly, he wants his unit to go on sustained drives that kill the clock and, in doing so, keeps his defense and the opposing offense off of the field. When done successfully, thus inhibits the opponent's ability to score points of their own. Secondly, he wants the running game to set up the passing game.

Both of those were being accomplished early in the season. As we pointed out in a previous blog, the offense did work early on. Its failings were directly associated with injuries (especially to that of Big Ben and the offensive line), a limited running game, dropped passes, fumbles and interceptions. In the first nine games of the season, the team was 6-3, was scoring 23.0 points per game, was just -1 in turnover differential and was averaging 103.8 rushing yards per game.



The Steelers' offense was one of the most efficient in the league. By a large margin, it led the NFL in third-down conversions and in time of possession. Big Ben was leading the NFL in third-down passing and was on pace for having one of the best seasons of his career.

Then came the injury in that week nine game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He would miss three and a half games total and has admitted that, not only did he return to the field too soon, he didn't have the same confidence in himself and his game.

"Sometimes, certain passes just weren't right. I didn't trust myself to get enough zip on it to throw it out there. I tried to guide it too much instead of just throw it." - http://tinyurl.com/bwtvwoo

Fast forward to March of 2013 and faces among the crowd have changed. His left tackle, running back, his big-play target and his tight end (for a while anyway) are all gone. But he hasn't let that deter his outlook.

"You never like to see anybody leave. But I'm pretty sure there's never been in the history of this sport the exact same team come back two years in a row.... I have confidence [the front office will] get guys in here who will be ready to compete and play," Big Ben said.

That being the case, the replacement of those missing faces is paramount. Because, as good as the defense was again last season, the offense steers this ship. Make no mistake, the NFL wants more scoring and its rules favor that end. Want proof?

Over the last five seasons (2008-2012) the NFL teams with the fewest yards per game allowed were the Steelers ('08: 237.2 YPG), the Jets ('09: 252.3 YPG), the Chargers ('10: 271.6 YPG), the Steelers ('11: 271.8 YPG) and the Steelers ('12: 275.8 YPG).

Did you notice the trend? The yards allowed increased each year over that period. The fewest points per game allowed during that same time frame also increased, going from 13.9 PPG (the '08 Steelers) to 15.3 PPG (the '12 Seattle Seahawks). Yet, only two of those teams turned those accomplishments into Super Bowl appearances: the Steelers (twice).

So replacing the missing pieces, limiting turnovers and being more efficient in executing the offense are the conglomerate key - a key still turned by Big Ben. Which he can do, along with Haley, if he lets it happen. Something that someone familiar with Haley says he can and should do.

Kurt Warner, former NFL quarterback who played under Haley had quite a bit to say regarding the benefits that can be had by Big Ben. He said, in part, that Big Ben needs to ask himself, "‘Why are we doing this? How does this benefit me? How does this play to my strengths?' If the offense didn't play to his strengths, I think it would be tough to ever buy in. But I do believe it plays to his strengths.” - http://triblive.com/sports/nfl/3406657-74/warner-offense-roethlisberger#axzz2JWrlKYRm

Taking the offense and embracing it is essential. His gaining a greater understanding of the offense, and they of each other as Tomlin alluded to, will lead to success. As it is, most of the so-called tension between the two was media driven. But you still have two stubborn, A-personality individuals here, both of whom want to win - tensions, especially in a season where expectations went unfulfilled, were bound to rise.

In essence, they need to make sure that they solidify their professional relationship, straighten up and fly right and determine the direction they want to go, which one the navigator is and which one is the pilot. (Just cool down, papa Ben, don't blow your top.)

Big Ben will be playing behind potentially the youngest offensive line in the NFL next season. Warner also faced a similar situation during Haley's tenure. How did he handle it?

“When we were together, we threw the ball down the field a lot. But we complemented that with a lot of the short-passing game — and we were limited at our offensive line position," Warner also said. “It was understood, ‘Hey, we can't just drop back seven steps and try to wing the ball down the field all the time.'"

Before Big Ben's injury, he was on pace for the fewest sacks of his career (23 in 2005), and still ended up being sacked "only" 30 times. The real difference in this is that he suffered the fewest sacks per pass attempt in his career (6.3%). So the 'tweaking' of things has helped in that at least.

It needs to continue. Adding a productive run game will help facilitate that, and will help facilitate winning in general. As a comparison, including the playoff games against the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots were 13-1 when rushing for 100 yards, yet they were 0-4 when held under 100 yards. Tom Brady's sack-per-pass-attempt ratio was also a low (4.1%). So the running game is still important. And Ray Graham of Pitt wants to feel important. - http://tinyurl.com/cx23jg3

This is still, though, a quarterback-driven league and your franchise must be protected - even from himself.

“They can eliminate hits and then they can take chances down the field, which is what Ben is so good at,” Warner said. “(The short passes) eliminate the risk factor of him having to get hit over and over again."

Not only that, but Warner summed it all up better than we could by what he said next.

"Not just the risk factor for Ben but the risk factor for the team that when Ben doesn't play, this team is a different team.”

That they are.

~

TIDBITS: Speaking of quarterbacks... There was the one that got away: http://sulia.com/channel/pittsburgh-steelers/f/4d2fe802-4363-464b-b001-6dfa7bdd8c1a/?source=twitter

And the one yet to visit...Tulane QB Ryan Griffin: http://tinyurl.com/cezzkpc

~

With the new helmet rule, should the Steelers forget drafting a running back in the first round? - http://tinyurl.com/bt9dzbs

Steelers Coach Montgomery Leaves Staff; Salary Cap Updates

Another has left the roost. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery served three seasons as wide receivers coach at Duke University, his alma mater.

These are the facts: Montgomery is the third Steelers' assistant to leave since the end of the 2012 season. The others were offensive line coach Sean Kugler, who left for the head coaching job at UTEP, and special teams coach Amos Jones, who made a lateral move to the Arizona Cardinals.

The 34-year old Montgomery played at Duke University from 1996-99, and ranks second on their all-time list receptions list and is fourth on all-time receiving yards with 171 catches and 2,378 yards respectively. He was the Blue Devils' Most Valuable Player 1998 and 1999. - http://tinyurl.com/ah9fg35

What is just as important, however, is how this affects the team continuity and preparations for next season. There are enough issues at hand with regard to the actual players, let alone the ones in charge of guiding them. And, as alluded to before, Jones and now Montgomery, who, according to many, were supposed to be Tomlin's guys, only took lateral transfers?

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

So now, per Ed Bouchette, Tomlin now has two openings on his staff to fill. As he tweeted from his Twitter (@EdBouchette) account on Friday: ".... Unfilled ST asst he may use elsewhere."

Who will it be, though, to fill the WR coach position? Some have suggested Hines Ward might fill it. Well, allow me to address that as elaborately and eloquently as I can.

Nope.

Ward has said that coaching may be in his future, but in so many words said that it would be 'no time soon,' and that if and when he did it would probably be at his "alma mater."

Mark Kaboly suggested this with respects the opening: "Steelers might not have to go far to find Scottie Montgomery's replacement. Bobby Engram is only right next door at #Pitt."

Whomever it shall be remains to be seen. What we have already seen, however, is that, either Tomlin is cleaning house and is dead set on presenting the best possible product for 2013 and forward, or the coaches under Tomlin are chafing badly under his headship. Let's hope, for continuity's sake that it's the former.

~

As we presented in our last blog, Pro Football Talk reported that the Steelers have a credit of $758,000 which is a carry-over of unused cap space from 2012. It's also more than originally expected or known.

In light of the extra monies provided the Steelers and to break down the Cap situation of the Steelers, we thought we'd turn to Ian Whetstone of Steel City Insider again as last season.

In part, he said "the Steelers currently have 44 players signed for 2013...and when including the Exclusive Rights Free Agents -
$555,000 CB Van Dyke, DeMarcus
$480,000 RB Batch, Baron -

{and} Dead Money {hits} -
$344,824 DT Ta'amu, Alameda
$37,368 WR Clemons, Toney
$34,422 CB Frederick, Terrence
$23,256 RB Batch, Baron
$3,334 CB Carter, Terry
$3,334 DE Igbinosun, Ikponmwosa
$3,334 OL Lee, Ryan
$3,334 WR Maze, Marquis
$2,667 LB Lindsey, Brandon
$2,667 DE Stoller, Jake
$1,667 WR Dixon, Connor
$1,334 TE Saunders, Weslye -
there is a $133,101,630 current Cap commitment."

He further said there is a "$121,000,000 projected 2013 salary cap
Unknown 2012 cap carryover (should not be more than a few 100k)
Unknown 2013 cap adjustment. {editor's note: as stated at the outset, both have been increased since the original posting.}

"The Restricted Free Agents:
RB Dwyer, Jonathan
P Kapinos, Jeremy (I think)
DT McLendon, Steve
RB Redman, Isaac
WR Sanders, Emmanuel
LB Sylvester, Stevenson

"Projected RFA Tenders:
$2,879,000 First-round tender
$2,023,000 Second-round tender
$1,386,000 Original round tender

"Unrestricted Free Agents
S Allen, Will
QB Batch, Charlie
WR Burress, Plaxico
LB Foote, Larry
OL Foster, Ramon
DT Hampton, Casey
LB Johnson, Brandon
TE Johnson, David
CB King, Justin
QB Leftwich, Byron
OL Legursky, Doug
CB Lewis, Keenan
RB Mendenhall, Rashard
S Mundy, Ryan
TE Pope, Leonard
OL Starks, Max
WR Wallace, Mike
LS Warren, Greg"

So the Steelers do have the adjusted figure of a $121.1 million Salary Cap. Yet with all of their UFAs, even with having three $250,000 veteran Cap credits at their disposal, they still have no choice but to clean house. Especially considering that Baltimore Ravens team president Dick Cass said at the team's season-ending press conference that the "cap is not expected to go up dramatically in 2014....It should not be much more than $122 million in 2014.”

So, the nine-year extension of its Sunday broadcast television packages with CBS, FOX and NBC that will run through the 2022 season, was expected to blow up. It turns out that the cap will remain flat after all. Which means a careful stratagem will be needed continually into the seasons to come as well. All of which should start in mid-February.

~

TIDBITS: Who could the Steelers lose in their March purge? As we wrote last June, James Harrison could be one who would go. - http://tinyurl.com/bjlqooe

~

Ravens say they won't restructure contracts to keep their team together. If so, Anquan Boldin says he would retire before wearing another jersey. ...yeah, ok. - http://tinyurl.com/ax7442g

Baltimore "Holds" On To Turn Out The 49ers Lights, 34-31

Sorry this took so long to get out there, folks. I watched the Beyonce halftime show again...and then I watched it again...and again...and again...and well, I needed more alone time after that...(ahem)

Even though it was the Baltimore Ravens winning the Super Bowl, I have to admit to it being a great game. In fact, as Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco said, "it was f***ing awesome!" - http://tinyurl.com/b2ga2t5

Flacco torched the San Francisco 49ers defense for 192 yards and three touchdowns, going 13 for 20 in the first half. Flacco went 22 for 33 overall for 287 yards and three touchdowns Sunday. In our pregame article where we broke down whom we thought would win, we picked the 49ers. But the Ravens (ahem) held on to win. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/02/will-another-running-quarterback-lead.html

After an average, middle-of-the-pack season when he finished only 12th in the NFL in passer rating with 87.7 - even when missing three games, Ben Roethlisberger had a 97.0 rating - and throwing 22 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions, he was perfect in the playoffs throwing 11 TD passes and no interceptions, tying the record previously held solely by Joe Montana. All told, Flacco went 73 for 126 for 1,140 yards.

He also went four out of five for 106 yards and two touchdowns on third down, with the play of the day offensively coming late in the second quarter when Flacco hit Jacoby Jones deep for a 56-yard touchdown pass.

Congratulations on the MVP, Flacco. It was certainly deserved. But "elite?" Slow ya roll, youngin'.

Like Hip-Hop artist Nas said,
"You went platinum?...Oh, that's nice.
Now let me see you do the same thing twice.
Three times, four times,
Then a couple of more times..." - "Classic"

Merely as a point of comparison, Tim Smith set a Super Bowl rushing record with the Washington Redskins in 1988, rushing for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the Washington Redskins' 42-10 blowout of the Denver Broncos. Smith last played in the NFL in 1990 with the Dallas Cowboys. Last I heard, he was living in the Grey Bar Motel after being busted for drug distribution in 2006.

Now I'm not saying at all that Flacco is destined to have a roommate named Ben Dover any time soon, but the point is that this is the same quarterback who had the two lowest QBRs in the recent memory, 0.3 and 0.4, both this season.

I had a 0.2 just sitting on my couch after throwing the remote at the t.v. in disgust on Sunday. So, let's wait on the "elite" talk. (By the way, sorry about that, sis. Tell my brother-in-law that I'll get that repaired asap.)

To this point, I thought this was going to be a blowout and decided to just focus (closely) on Beyonce. Then Kelly and Michelle and jumped on stage, too, reminding us just how "bootylicious" they all still are. When I recovered from that, the 2 Broke Girls special promo aired. After coming to, I awoke to find the lights had gone out.

I totally missed Jacoby Jones putting on his new Skechers Go-Run 2 shoes and making the 49ers special teams look silly as he sped through them untouched for a 109...ahem...108-yard kickoff return.

I thought I was still out cold when I saw the lights inside the Superdome were out. I don't know what had happened...a circuit breaker tripped...a blackout...Ray Lewis crying so much that his crocodile tears shorted out some wiring... (Yeah, he was there. I don't see him, either. I had to look his numbers up in the stat sheet.)

It was finally found out what happened...

Since San Francisco was used to the dark, they went out after the more-than-30-minute delay and quickly scored 17 consecutive points to make things interesting and eventually pull it to 34-29.

The Ravens found a way to "hold" on, though, eventually stopping the 49ers on a fourth-and-goal at the five-yard line.

Everyone in the Superdome, except the referees, could see that Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith held on the play causing the pass from Colin Kaepernick to sail over the head of Michael Crabtree.

A livid Jim Harbaugh argued that Crabtree got held and bumped by Smith: "There's no question in my mind that there was a pass interference and then a hold on Crabtree on the last one."

No question in anyone's mind, Jimbo. Well, no one outside of Baltimore anyway. It stood, though, ending 34-31.

Oh, well...I swear, the Ravens got away with murder.

~

TIDBITS: Remember the 'guarantee' by LaMarr Woodley made that the Ravens would never win the Super Bowl as long as he's in the league/the Steelers have something to do about it?: I Wonder What Humble Pie Tastes Like to Steelers Linebacker LaMarr Woodley. - http://nicepickcowher.com/2013/02/04/i-wonder-what-humble-pie-tastes-like-to-steelers-linebacker-lamarr-woodley/

~

What are the Steelers odds to win Super Bowl 48? According to Sportsbook.com they are 18 to 1.
These are the odds on the rest:

New England Patriots: 7 to 1
San Francisco 49ers: 8 to 1
Denver Broncos: 8 to 1
Green Bay Packers: 10 to 1
Houston Texans: 14 to 1
Baltimore Ravens: 14 to 1
Seattle Seahawks: 16 to 1
Atlanta Falcons: 18 to 1
New Orleans Saints: 18 to 1
New York Giants: 20 to 1
Washington Redskins: 30 to 1
Dallas Cowboys: 30 to 1
Chicago Bears: 30 to 1
Cincinnati Bengals: 35 to 1
Detroit Lions: 40 to 1
Minnesota Vikings: 40 to 1
Indianapolis Colts: 40 to 1
San Diego Chargers: 40 to 1
Philadelphia Eagles: 50 to 1
Carolina Panthers: 50 to 1
New York Jets: 50 to 1
Miami Dolphins: 50 to 1
St Louis Rams: 50 to 1
Kansas City Chiefs: 50 to 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 60 to 1
Cleveland Browns: 66 to 1
Arizona Cardinals: 100 to 1
Buffalo Bills: 100 to 1
Tennessee Titans: 100 to 1
Oakland Raiders: 150 to 1
Jacksonville Jaguars: 150 to 1
http://www.sportsbook.ag/livesports/indexmember.php?sportsname=football

Will Another Running Quarterback Lead 49ers To A Super Bowl Victory?

(Hey! Didja know that two brothers were facing each other in the Super Bowl? Really! I'm serious. We figured that we'd better tell ya since NEITHER ESPN NOR NFL NETWORK HAS MENTIONED IT AT ALL. And now that you know...)

When you're at least 6'2" and in excess of 220 pounds, athletic enough to play multiple positions (and sports) and set NCAA records at a respected west coast university, you're expected to do well in the NFL....and that's just what Steve Young did.

The current version of the San Francisco 49ers multi-threat quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, had almost an impressive of a résumé, and is just a touch bigger (he's 6'4" 230lbs) than Young. Add to that, Young is "jealous" of what Kaepernick has going for him so early in his career. Attributes and assets that have him in Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens in what will be his ninth start.

“He’s got a lot of great weapons with the best offensive line maybe since the 2000 Rams, and maybe then since the ’92 or ’93 Cowboys,” Young said, via Pro Football Talk and Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I mean, this offensive line is well ahead of most everybody else. That dictates terms...for Colin Kaepernick....I’m actually really jealous about the pistol. I think it’s such a cool thing.” - http://tinyurl.com/awqndzh

The Pistol is a hybrid of the Shotgun formation where the quarterback lines up four yards behind the center rather than the normal shotgun seven yards. It has the advantages of being able to be utilized as a read-option offense, and allows an athletic quarterback such as Kaepernick to be a dangerous X-factor.

Young had maybe the most iconic touchdown run in NFL playoffs history when he ran 49 yards while breaking five tackles on his way to a score. That was from under center. Imagine if he would have had an offense like the Pistol/read option. No wonder he said he's jealous.

As Young admitted, though and as the article made lucid, the 49ers are doing their best to keep him out of harm's way to best utilize his skills. Because a running-styled quarterback opens himself up to being hit more often. He's potentially in greater danger to injury.

How the Ravens attack this will determine their success. They had a look at a very similar offense earlier this season when they faced Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins. They didn't fair so well in that one, losing 31-28.

In that game RGIII passed for 242 yards a touchdown and 34 rushing yards, while running back Alfred Morris ran for 129 yards on 23 carries (a 5.6 YPC average). The Ravens had no answer early on, but adjusted as the game progressed. Still, they eventually succumbed to the combination of the multi-threat read-option QB and the bruising runner.

Exactly what they'll face in Kaepernick and Frank Gore on Super Sunday.

But the 49ers are far more than an option team. Kaepernick won't let the bright lights affect him, either. His first ever collegiate start was in hostile territory, the blue turf of Boise State, and all he did was pass for 243 yards and three touchdowns and to run for 177 yards and two more touchdowns.

That said, there are two main ways the Ravens can handle a Pistol/read-option offense: play back and adjust to what they hive you, which is much what they did against the Redskins, or attack with a form of controlled fury where your unblocked defender attacks from the outside to contain. Points which Greg Cosell breaks down very well here: http://tinyurl.com/b63to3v

Team defense is absolutely necessary against a QB with Kaepernick's skill set. They must hit him and hit him often. As said a few paragraphs earlier, a running-styled QB opens himself up to being hit more often. He's potentially in greater danger to injury. Something that Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Bernard Pollard are more than willing to do. - http://tinyurl.com/a5wnzns

It's that defense that has led the Ravens to winning the last three meetings with 49ers by combined score of 69-19, with the last game being a 16-6 win on Thursday Night Football on November 24, 2011.

But what of their offense? The Ravens have a QB who bears a bit of a resemblance to Steve Young also. Not only Young, but also Joe Montana.

Ravens QB Joe Flacco can join Young and Montana as the only QBs to finish a postseason with nine touchdown passes and no interceptions if he throws at least one touchdown and no interceptions. He’ll tie Young at that point. Less likely is his throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions to tie Montana.

Nonetheless, leading his team to four losses in their last five regular-season games and having the two lowest QB Ratings in recent years, Flacco has turned things around in the postseason. He has passed for an average of 276 yards a game to go along with the absence of interceptions.

On top of that, running back Ray Rice is controlling the ground game. With a balanced offense of Flacco, Rice and Anquan Boldin, the Ravens are a force and at times even surgical. - http://tinyurl.com/alzfuxd

However, one reason for that is the lack of pressure on the quarterback. Knowing the Ravens the way we do, Flacco can be rattled when hit. Not grazed, not glancing blows...HIT.

The 49ers defense can and will do just that. With Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Aldon Smith and the rest of the NFL's third-ranked defense, they will look to do some purple-people eating. Aldon Smith alone had 19.5 sacks on the season and is likely salivating over the only 20th-ranked Ravens offensive line that allowed 38 QB sacks and 69 QB hits.

But this still comes back to the X-factor: Kaepernick. Gore and LaMichael James can be key for the Ravens to contain, but the amount of physicality the Ravens bring to Kaepernick that will be needed to limit him, intimidate him or even stop him is what will win or lose this game.

If the Ravens can do that, win. But I don't think they will be able to do it enough to get the win. I picked the 49ers in If It Ain't Steel's postseason prediction blog at the end of the regular season, and I'm not coming off of that. Take the 49ers with another multi-threat QB to win the Super Bowl over the Ratbirds. (I just had to...)

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.

Without Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers Fall Again to Ravens, 13-10

The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated...or something like that. Thanks to Jayden for holding down the fort while I was...incapacitated last week. Without her, this blog wouldn't survive. Now, on to the game...

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have played some epic battles over the years. This, though, wasn't one of them...

In ugly fashion, the Steelers lose their 3rd in a row to Ravens and 4th in the past six regular-season match ups against them, 13-10.

Though congratulations goes to the Ravens, a lot of blame must go around for this loss. Penalties, turnovers, poor clock management, wasted timeouts, and outmatched special teams all contributed.

The backbreaker was a Jacoby Jones 63-yard punt return for a touchdown. It was the difference in points and the only touchdown the Ravens scored. It was his third in five weeks. Jones is also the first Ravens player to post three combined return touchdowns in a season. - http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8651279&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

For the first time all season I actually have to question Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley's play calling. Why was he throwing so much with an injured quarterback when Jonathan Dwyer was running so well? When a running back is averaging 4.6 yards per carry (12 carries for 55 yards), don't try to outthink the room. Feed the hot hand!

But an obviously hurt Leftwich kept throwing and despite it being apparent that he needed to pull himself or that he needed to be pulled. Maybe you can blame Tomlin for keeping him in, because those hits added up to being too much on BLeft and he just couldn't throw after awhile. But Mike Tomlin said he wasn't close to putting in Charlie Batch. - http://tinyurl.com/cyda7oa

Nonetheless, with the win, the Ravens (8-2) took control of the AFC North, moving two games ahead of the Steelers (6-4). The win was Baltimore's 12th straight win in the division, which ties for the longest such streak in the league since division realignment in 2002. The Steelers had won seven straight games at Heinz Field. - http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8651283&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

After giving up a touchdown 43 seconds into the game, the Steelers were held to a field goal the rest of the way by a Ravens defense without key players. The Ravens flustered a hurting Leftwich into 17-of-38 passing for 201 yards and an interception. The Ravens forced two turnovers, leading to six points. - http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8651385&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The other turnover was by wide receiver Mike Wallace. Wallace wants a high-end contract at the end of the season, but hasn't shown ample reason to receive it. He has already had a problem with dropped passes, but Sunday night he didn't exactly show great hands after the catch, either when he was stripped of the ball by Chris Johnson, a player who had only been signed by the Ravens this week.

In his post-game press conference, Tomlin said the Steelers didn't have signature plays in key moments. In fact, they only had one.

Not known for his mobility, in truth he looks like one of Jerry's Kids when he runs, BLeft ran for a 31-yard touchdown on the third snap of the game. He outran Terrell Suggs, broke a Bernard Pollard arm tackle and fell into the end zone hurting his throwing shoulder.

It was this very play, in fact, that defines why the Steelers lost. As good as he can be, BLeft simply isn't Ben Roethlisberger.

Big Ben has a 47% conversion rate on third-down throws this season, which is second best in the NFL behind only Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. The Steelers were only 5-17 on third down Sunday night.

Before the Monday Night Football game, Big Ben had the fifth-best quarterback rating in the red zone. He hadn't been intercepted in the red zone this season, either.

The difference between BLeft and Big Ben in this aspect is noticeable on two plays.

Monday night, Big Ben's 7-yard fade pass to Mike Wallace in the second quarter was his 13th red zone touchdown toss of the season.

Sunday night, down 13-7 in the third quarter, the Steelers drove to the Ravens' 4-yard line where BLeft made a throw to the right side of the end zone. Wallace was led too far and didn't get both feet down inbounds. Instead of going ahead, the Steelers had to settle for a field goal to make it 13-10.

Outside the pocket is where Big Ben tends to work his best magic, when he is scrambling around, extending plays and doing his Houdini routine. Again before Monday night, he had the seventh-best quarterback rating on passes outside the pocket. He had completed 63.6 percent of his passes and averaged 7.7 yards per completion.

When flushed from the pocket Sunday, aside from the touchdown run, BLeft had passes tipped or had his arm hit and was fairly discombobulated.

No disrespect toward BLeft, but he simply isn't Big Ben.

The Steelers are now 0-5 against the Ravens when Big Ben doesn't start. If he is indeed sidelined for the second Ravens bout, the Steelers playoff hopes may be sidelined with him.

Update On Roethlisberger Injury, What It Means; Ravens Message

"Man, I just came up with one heck of a saying by accident: "I don't determine what is news. News determines what news is." - Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly from his Twitter (@MarkKaboly_Trib) account.

With regards to the Pittsburgh Steelers, that may never be more true than right now. Because we had a completely different schedule of topics set for you heading into Ravens week.

In his weekly Tomlin Tuesday press conference, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger does in fact have an SC (sternoclavicular) sprain as we stated in the post-game blog: http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2012/11/steelers-ben-roethlisberger-injured.html

The SC sprain that Big Ben sustained, according to Tomlin, “puts his participation into the questionable category this week.” - http://tinyurl.com/chulce3

In brief, the injury is a stretching or tearing of the ligament connecting the sternum (origin) to the clavicle (insertion). It’s called an "uncommon" injury, and the expected recovery time depends on the severity.

Though Tomlin said he had no knowledge, as Big Ben still has another MRI to undergo, on the degree of the injury, the injury does carry at least an automatic 2-3 week recovery timeframe with it. - http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8627685&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

To verify this, we did some research to get the particulars as to what the injury is and what to expect.

Firstly, I personally turned to Dr. Melanie F., @GirlSurgeon on Twitter, who tweeted this information:

“@Girlsurgeon: Per my sports medicine ortho guy, Ben probably out 2-3 weeks. Good chance to see him play against #Ravens @ BMore. Lucky it's not AC joint.”

Potentially good news as to length and severity. From a sports standpoint, the Steelers are 9-5 all-time when Big Ben doesn't start. Unfortunately, that includes an 0-4 against the Ravens.

Alan Robinson of Total Trib Media in Pittsburgh later tweeted that there was a parallel that fans could look to as a reference:

"@arobinson_Trib: Rams WR Danny Amendola was out 5 weeks this season with SC joint fracture. Just returned Sunday. #steelers"

Dr. Melanie then tweeted this as clarification: "Ben's injury is different from Danny Amendola's. WR had posterior dislocation. Sounds like Ben has sprain, maybe had anterior subluxation.”

It seems more so to be the same injury that forced Brett Favre to end his consecutive games streak before his (final) retirement. Favre returned after missing one game in that situation.

However, to clarify Dr. Melanie's comments even further, below is an in depth description of the injury from ESPN injury expert Stephania Bell, and attached is a medical link for any who want to delve even deeper:

"This joint is reinforced by ligaments. A bony injury to either the sternum or clavicle (anything ranging from a bruise to a break) would make the joint painful. Likewise, ligaments can tear, resulting in a subluxation (slip or partial dislocation) of the sternoclavicular joint, also quite painful. Injuries to this area are often a result of high-speed motor vehicle accidents where the seatbelt restraint creates stress across the joint, or, if you happen to play football, high-impact collisions to the front of the chest or the shoulder can do the same.

"The injury here is compounded by the fact that it is nearly impossible to immobilize the SC joint directly; the best solution is to limit shoulder motion on the same side, via sling, to keep arm movements from affecting the joint." - http://www.orthogate.org/patient-education/shoulder/sternoclavicular-joint-problems.html

Regardless, this is just more bad news for a Steelers team already playing without Antonio Brown, Rashard Mendenhall and Marcus Gilbert on offense. Not to mention first-round draft pick David DeCastro. Not counting DeCastro, that's one-third of the first-team offense.

It raises the question as to whether the Steelers' playoff chances are too greatly affected as well. Several media sources and fans are already throwing dirt on the Steelers season with the approximate four weeks the team will be without its two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback. - http://tinyurl.com/c6uat4z

If Big Ben is out for an extended period, Byron Leftwich would be the interim starter.

Leftwich has taken 50 snaps in 45 games since returning to the Steelers in 2010, with 32 of them coming in the Monday night game against the Chiefs. He has played in one game, Monday, in 22 months and has one other start in the last three years.

~

On a lighter note...

The Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers' hated rival and next opponent, re-signed former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dennis Dixon. (He may have worn the Black and Gold, but he went from Heaven straight to Hell-timore and is therefore dead to me. Thus, he is only the former Oregon Duck quarterback.)

When the Ravens saw what happened to Big Ben they obviously said, "Aaargh! Call Dennis and sign him back!"

So, to the Ravens I simply say, in the immortal words of Ice Cube, "You scared! You scared! You scared, mutha f@&%#er! You scared!" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llJLigihMyw

Ravens' week. 'Nuff said.