Maurkice Pouncey Leads List Of Steelers Signings - Was It The Right Move?

Contracts are being signed on the South Side. 

On Monday, June 9, fourth-round draft pick Martavis Bryant signed his rookie contract - a four-year deal worth $2,659,220, with a signing bonus of $109,805. 

The 6'4", 211-pound Clemson product "appeared in 37 games with 13 starts" in college, "registering 61 receptions for 1,354 yards with 13 receiving touchdowns. Bryant’s career 22.2 yards per reception average is an NCAA FBS record, an ACC record and a school record, and his 13 receiving touchdowns are the 10th-best total in school history." - http://tinyurl.com/ln44ry2

ESPN's Field Yates has now also reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed 3rd-round running back Dri Archer, though terms have yet to be disclosed. At the time of writing this, Stephon Tuitt remains the only draft pick left unsigned. 

But the news that has social media buzzing is the signing of former All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey. 

Per Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette, Pouncey's new deal, a 5-year, $44 million extension at its base, is a "6-yr, $48 M deal" that "includes total bonuses of $20.25 M, $13 M for signing..."

At the Steelers press conference announcing the extension, Pouncey said "It seems like five years all over again...I'm excited for this new adventure."

As mentioned, the deal pays Pouncey a signing bonus of $13 million. That’s more than the signing bonus paid last week to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The guaranteed money is about half of what Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack (5 years, $42, $26M reportedly guaranteed) received, but the new money he’s receiving makes him the highest paid center at $8.8 million per year (Mack is at $8.4M). - http://t.co/XFb0Acn2ZI/s/j4lm 

The real money in the contract is three years and a total of $26.5 million. Pouncey will also get $17.75M next year and $23M in 2016 per whatever provisos are set forth in the terms. 

Bouchette also said that the Salary Cap hit would be $3.6M, but OverTheCap.com has it at $5.514M. If Over The Cap is correct, the Steelers sit at $6.36M under their Cap with regard to the Rule of 51 numbers. 

Regardless of the particulars, Pouncey is very happy with his new deal. He said that free agency was "never on my mind." Especially after his injury last season, walking was his main priority. - http://tinyurl.com/oys5nyw

"It's really unbelievable. I'm so thankful for this moment right now," said a Pouncey when speaking on the loyalty the organization showed him after being injured again last season. "I am so thankful for this moment right now. It's really awesome....I'm just glad to be a Pittsburgh Steeler."

Loyalty that is well deserved. 

Despite what I may have said on social media Thursday morning, or how I may have been misconstrued, the signing of Pouncey was a must. It was the right move. Once I saw the real numbers also, after having flashes of LaMarr Woodley go through my head, I was completely in agreement with the contract. 

If you just go by statistics and listen to the "he's always injured" crowd, it could be easy to knock Pouncey. The truth is that Pouncey was on the field more than any other offensive lineman. 

Per a stat offered up by the Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib), "Pouncey played in 86% Steelers snaps first 3 yrs (not counting freak injury last yr). To compare, next highest OL is Foster at 77% over 4 yrs."

Pouncey is just 24-years old and was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in his first three NFL seasons. Though he has never been higher than 12th in Pro Football Focus' center grades, the game isn't played on paper. 

Pouncey is strong and very athletic for his size. Though he has been handled at times by a couple of the behemoth-like nose tackles in the league, he still holds his in that instance. But, to be blunt, he would be pretty damn good in the outside zone and the other things OLine coach Mike Munchak has in store. 

Feisty, mobile and respected, he's a true leader to his peers - his teammates named him an offensive captain at just 24 years old. 

Respected by teammates as well as ownership. A teary-eyed Pouncey hugged Dan Rooney after the brief press conference.

"There's a lot of love here." 

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TIDBITS: Steelers using Ryan Shazier all over the field - http://t.co/y1Z2yasXVz/s/8icA 

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"@MarkKaboly_Trib: #Steelers' Will Johnson is working at fullback and at tight end. Tomlin said he is goes to both RB & TE meetings" - #WVU

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"@MarkKaboly_Trib: #Steelers fans are going to have to get used to a lot of inside handoffs to Dri Archer from the shotgun in the red zone."

Turnover-Free, Ball-Control Steelers Surging, Beat Browns 27-11

Remember the 1991 movie "Hook?" The Lost Boys are in obvious disbelief that the shadow-of-his-former-self Peter Banning that Tinkerbell has brought them is their Peter Pan. It wasn't until Pockets smoothed away the wrinkles and looked deeper that the real deal could be seen: "Oh, there you are, Peter!"

The first four weeks of the season were like Peter Banning -- 0-4, -11 in turnover ratio and in disarray on offense and defense.

Since then, the edges have been smoothed out, the team focused and galvanized and have turned around the turnovers. They're starting to look like a team who might just be a legitimate contender come playoff time.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Right?

"Can't," Roethlisberger said after being asked about playoff scenarios. "I'm not looking around. It's all about focusing on one game because that's all we can control, you know?"

For the most part, the Steelers have done just that and have shown a resilience in the past few weeks that has brought them back to, not just respectability, but a team with which to be reckoned.

They are +7 in turnover ratio in the last three weeks, are creating turnovers and controlling the ball, are protecting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (just one sack in two weeks and none Sunday) and at least are running the ball effectively (80 yards on 23 rushes for Le'Veon Bell). Just as we said in the pre-game piece, turnovers were key. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/11/roethlisberger-turnovers-will-be-key-to.html

They also have become very comfortable with Todd Haley's offense and are incorporating the no-huddle efficiently if not impressively.

"I think it’s growing on this team, I think it's growing on the city of Pittsburgh. I think everyone likes it," wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said of the no-huddle. "We've got one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He can throw. Why not use him? He likes it, it's been successful."

"We said coming [into the first] series 'no-huddle', but think all runs," Big Ben said. "Even on third down, run it. Even on the second series."

It worked yet again, but not just there. The Steelers No. 1 wide receiver, Antonio Brown, was again one of the stars of the game partly because of it. His anticipated matchup with the Browns cornerback Joe Haden was advantage: Brown. AB caught six balls for 92 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown pass.

After the game, Joe Haden was classy and succinct when speaking on allowing the score: “That’s a good receiver, a good quarterback, making a good play. I’m saying I got beat.”

In all, AB has posted at least five receptions in 11 straight games this season, which is a franchise record, and is only the fourth wide receiver in Steelers history with an 80-reception season (Hines Ward - 2001-04, '08-09; Yancey Thigpen - 1995; and John Stallworth - 1984).

The defense, though giving up 367 total yards and 237 receiving yards to Josh Gordon (most of which coming because of being down most of the game and Ike Taylor more-or-less giving up late), was viciously reminiscent of Steelers defenses of the past recording five sacks, nine quarterback hurries, four quarterback hits, forced and recovered three fumbles and had one partridge-in-a-pear-tree pick six. The wealth was spread evenly as well.

Cornerback William Gay notched the pick six, as well as a strip sack of Browns quarterback Jason Campbell, which led to a touchdown. Troy Polamalu forced a fumble (he has two on the day) and the Steelers' recovery led to a field goal. The Steelers sack attack of Browns' quarterbacks Campbell and Brandon Weeden were led by Al Woods' two sacks and by outside linebacker Jason Worilds' six QB pressures.

"I just enjoy being out there. Being out there consistently," said Worilds. It allows me to open up some of the things I do."

You want to be playing your best football in November and December. Though the pass defense is still a concern, the Steelers definitely are an improving football team.

It couldn't come at a better time, either, as the next two weeks are critical to the team's, dare we say, playoff hopes. They have the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving night, and in two weeks they host the Miami Dolphins.

Or as Sanders said following the game, "Right now we’re playing playoff football."

Oh, there you are, Steelers.

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TIDBITS: Injuries: Steve McLendon (ankle) and Curtis Brown (knee); post-game press conference and highlights of the win - http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Coach-Tomlin-Post-Game-at-Browns/16a544ce-8bf2-4927-a1e9-ddbaae58f1b9

If It Ain't Steel's 2013 AFC North QB Rankings

by Jayden Matthews

It’s that time of year again when we at If It Ain't Steel rank the quarterbacks. First up, we start with the QBs of the AFC North. This is the division and these are the QBs we know the most about because of playing them twice a year. Though we always endeavor to remain as objective as possible whenever we write, we still realize this list may not go over well will the Raven faithful. But we're neither the NFL Network or ESPN nor am I Ron Jaworski, and you will see that when our Top 12 QBs list comes out. But without further adieu, here we go.

1) Ben Roethlisberger

This is by no means a Black and Gold-blinders pick. This is where Big Ben deserves to be ranked. Yes, I know he got hurt and missed 3 games. But, SO WHAT? He still deserves to be ranked above the other three in this division. Before Big Ben’s injury, he was arguably right in the thick of MVP talks and was putting together what could have been one of his best seasons yet. He was consistent in his play and had the best 3rd down conversion percentage of any QB in the NFL until his injury. He had only thrown four interceptions before his injury. No, he didn’t look like the superstar stud QB we all know when he came back and we lost two heartbreaking games by 3 points and missed the playoffs, but we still give Ben the No. 1 nod because we mainly rank by regular season numbers with a nod to playoff numbers.

Despite missing essentially three and a half games, Big Ben still finished the season with 3,265 yards 26 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions. He had a 65% completion percentage and QB ranking of 97.0. Big Ben may have had his share of injuries over the past couple seasons and this may have been the longest that we have been without him, but he still deserves the No. 1 nod.

Big Ben is still the most consistent of the four in the AFC North. In his nine years, he has two Super Bowl wins under his belt and helped lead the Steelers to a third appearance. That’s pretty good for any QB, but is great for a QB playing in arguably the toughest division in football. It is hard enough to win the AFC North, let alone win the whole shebang. And we don't believe he's done yet.

The other reason I give him the No. 1 nod is because we all know that last season has to be eating at him as much as it does the fans. We believe he will come out and play like the champion we all know he is and that he will get it done. With the Steelers flying under the radar and the talking heads of mainstream media already sticking a fork in them, Big Ben and the Steelers, in one sense, have less pressure on them. That could set up to be a bad thing for the rest of the AFC North.

2) Joe Flacco

Yes, I know Joe Flacco just won the SB and the MVP. Again, SO WHAT? As we said, we mainly base this on regular season numbers and less on playoff and SB numbers. Joe Namath had a great playoff run and beat Baltimore's favorite son, the Colts. Is Namath supposed to be the best ever? Timmy Smith set a SB record by running for 204 yards, while also scoring two TDs, for the Washington Redskins in SB XXII. Did that make him a Hall of Fame running back?

Let’s be real, Flacco was hardly an MVP during the regular season. His inconsistencies reared their ugly heads a lot, in fact. While he had his ups and downs during the regular season, he is still a better player than the other two in the AFC North. Flacco owns the two worst QBR ratings of any QB in the NFL this past season and, might I add, two of the worst ever. Against a stout Houston Texans defense, he had a ranking of 0.3 and against the Denver Broncos he had a ranking of 0.4. Plus, as we'll further bring out in a moment, Big Ben had more TD passes and fewer INTs in less time. So why, again, should we have Flacco ranked higher?

That is what a lot of fans seem to overlook. Yes, again, Flacco had an amazing playoff run, but he had an inconsistent, yo yo-like season. They also leave out the fact that the playoff run was also fueled by the retirement announcement of Ravens great Ray Lewis. A lot also like to blame Cam Cameron and then are praise Jim Caldwell for Flacco's immediate turn around during the playoffs.

Time will tell if that is the case, because I personally still thinking Lewis’ retirement motivation had more to do with it. Plus, if Caldwell was so great, then why did the Indianapolis Colts tank when Peyton Manning was injured and out for the season?

This will be the season for both Flacco and Caldwell to shut critics like myself up. Are they up for the task? We will see. He finished the regular season with 3,817 yards 59.7% completion, 22 TDs to 10 INTs and a QB ranking of 87.7. Flacco is coming off a near historic playoff run, I do give him credit for that, but he is going to have to come out this season and play that good all the time for me to rank him above Big Ben.

Flacco and the Ravens also have the proverbial target on their backs that comes with being the reigning champs, so this season is by no means going to be easy. Because even bad teams show up to play the champs. Frankly, if the Ravens have any chance of taking the North for the third year in a row and making it back to the playoffs they are going to need that Flacco to show up. Especially with all the questions on their retooled defense and how it’s going to come together, more onus is on him. So this will be the year for Flacco to put up or shut up with all the attention and money he is receiving. Will he remain the media darling or the media kick stand? That is yet to be determined.

3) Andy Dalton

Andy Dalton can play and has shown that since being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. He is consistently building a nice résumé and his numbers are very good and right up there with the top two. He has helped lead the Bengals to back-to-back winning seasons and playoff appearances but has yet to get his first playoff win.

The Bengals are quietly building a very good offense around Dalton with very good young talent. Again, this is a brutal division and they still have their work cut out for them if they're going to take out the Steelers and Ravens.

Could this be the year the Bengals emerge and do just that? Time will tell, but things are definitely looking up for Bengals fans and they have every right to be optimistic with this young guy under center.

Dalton finished the season with 3,669 passing yards and a 62.3% completion, which is second behind Big Ben. We can't rank him higher than Flacco, though, until he wins some playoff games. He had 26 TDs to 16 INTs and a 87.4 QB ranking. The sky is the limit for young Dalton, and this could be the year he crosses the threshold.

4) Brandon Weeden

Weeden was drafted by the Cleveland Browns last season and was immediately thrown into the fire. He didn’t have the best of seasons, but he didn’t have the worst, either. A lot of the Browns problems are lack of weapons around Weeden. Given the fact that Trent Richardson was also hurt a lot, it just led to disaster again for the Browns offense.

The Browns have somewhat addressed their issues this offseason. It has been reported that Richardson is healthy and should be ready to go by training camp, which will help. But Weeden has felt the heat of the front office this offseason, and has a new coach to impress. This will probably be a make-or-break season for Weeden and his future with the Browns. I personally feel that is wrong because, with the dearth of weapons around him, how can the Browns' brass expect Weeden to succeed in one of the toughest divisions in football?

Will he be able to step up and improve from last season? We believe he will. Weeden finished the season with 3,385 yards 57.4% completion 14TDs to 17 INTs, with that last stat definitely needing to be cleaned up if he wants to do better. He also had a QB rating of 72.6. The best to Weeden in taking the next step, because we really think he can if given a chance. But if his numbers do not improve from last season, and the Browns don’t win a few more games, his time will be up.

The Possibility Of Keeping Keenan Lewis; Roethlisberger Takes Control Of Team

This is arguably the most critical offseason the Pittsburgh Steelers may have faced under general manager Kevin Colbert. Several contract/Salary Cap issues, free agent issues, age issues and questions of leadership. How things are handled in the coming weeks will determine the direction of the team.

One of those issues that will be coming to a head as of March 12th centers around starting left cornerback Keenan Lewis. Lewis started all 16 games last season and showed that he has the ability to be a top-level cornerback in the league. His taking on the opponent's top receiver after right cornerback Ike Taylor broke his right ankle in Week 13, helped to prove that.

Lewis' 2011 campaign was heady enough to allow the coaches to part ways with veterans Bryant McFadden and William Gay. He then shined last season as a starter for the Steelers, recording 71 tackles, forcing a fumble and was second amongst cornerbacks with 23 passed defended. A season that garnered the attention of his peers as well: http://tinyurl.com/b879b76

This helps to make the unrestricted free agent highly sought after if and when he's allowed to test the free agency waters. Lewis has said, though, that he's "hoping" to be back with the Steelers after excelling last season, per Gerry Dulac, who also said last month that the team "almost certainly" plans to re-sign the 26-year old four-year pro.

What are the possible numbers of Lewis' eventual contract? Taking some data from last season's top free agent cornerbacks and projections from this offseason and we can formulate an idea.

Since Richard Sherman said that Lewis was one of the top three cornerbacks this season, let's look at the top three 2012 free agency CB signings:

Lardarius Webb (Ravens) - six years, $52.74 million, $10 million signing bonus;

Cortland Finnegan (Rams) - five years, $50 million, $27 million guaranteed, $5 million signing bonus;

Brandon Carr (Cowboys) - five years, $50 million, $25.5 million guaranteed, $10 million signing bonus.

If we only go by those numbers, an asking price of five years, $50 million and a $10 million signing bonus wouldn't be out of the question. Fortunately, a rich CB free agent market headed by names like Sean Smith, Charles Woodson, Aqib Talib and Derek Cox keeps Lewis' price down and allows us to surmise a contract possibly anywhere from $35 to $45 million. - http://www.footballsfuture.com/2013/fa/db.html

The recently increased salary cap for the upcoming season, which will add an extra $2.4 million per team taking it to $123 million, aids the Steelers in being able to work a deal with impending free agent.

Does this solidify the chances of signing Lewis, though. No. As Colbert stated after the season ended, all free agents would be allowed to test the waters. With Lewis gaining the attention he has, let's hope those waters don't flow out off the three rivers.

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Locker room schism? What locker room schism? Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took control of the situation Thursday and told us that no disunity exists with the team.

"For anybody to say there are locker room issues or leadership issues are completely off base. I believe that's the frustration. I believe that it's frustration of last year, I honestly do," the 31-year old QB said.

"Obviously, last year was frustrating for all of us, and when you're frustrated and the season doesn't go the way you want it to and things don't go the way you want them to, things are said. I know all too well, after the Dallas game I was frustrated and said some things."

He's correct there. Is this team in "total disarray" if they take care of business against the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns or the very Cowboys Big Ben mentioned? Take care of just two of those and they would've been a 10-6 team in the playoffs.

Big Ben continued, saying "The important thing to know is, there are no issues in our locker room. There are no issues with LaMarr. There are no issues on our team.

"The big thing for us is to move forward. Last year was last year, it was 8-8. We're not happy about it. There are frustrations, but you know what? We're done with it. We're moving forward and we're moving into this year...with whoever's here, we're looking to move forward. And we know Woodley's going to be here and we know Woodley's going to be ready to go as we all are going to be."

Ok, Ben, Sr. just proved himself the leader of this team. - http://tinyurl.com/avzmkj3

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TIDBITS: As a related point in the Keenan Lewis part of the discussion, the aforementioned William Gay was released from the Arizona Cardinals on Friday. and that release caused some to question whether the Steelers may bring him back to add depth behind Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown. Most likely not.

Gay was an unrestricted free agent last offseason and looked to greener pastures when he signed a two-year, $4.9 million contract with the Cardinals. Their defensive coordinator last season was former Steelers defensive backs coach Ray Horton, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.

Though anything is possible with him knowing the Steelers coaches and system, the more likely landing spot for Gay would be the Browns.

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As a non-related point to the Big Ben part of the discussion, quarterback Charlie Batch evidently doesn't listen to LL Cool J, because he said he wants to "come back."

"My plan is to come back, and I haven't heard anything differently from the organization," Uncle Charlie said. "And I think when you leave out of there at the end-of-the-year meetings, you know one way or the other. And they didn't tell me that they didn't want me back. So I think that's a good sign."

So James Todd was right, don't call it a comeback. You've been here for years. And since the Steelers only have two QBs under contract, Big Ben and recent signee John Parker Wilson, Uncle Charlie might just might be on the sidelines again as the QB coach-in-waiting.

Will the team bring Jerrod Johnson and Byron Leftwich back to camp to compete for spots also? They had four QBs last season before Johnson was finally let go. The same could happen this summer. Just which four, though?

Steelers Hire WRs Coach Richard Mann; Roethlisberger Inducted

"Steelers hire Aliquippa native Richard Mann as their new WRs coach." - Bob Labriola

The Steelers went into their backyard to find their next wide receivers coach. The Aliquippa native has 28 years of experience as an NFL WRs coach. He has coached with the Baltimore Colts (no typo), Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. - http://tinyurl.com/b6n24ol

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Mann have a history together as they coached together in Tampa. When Mann joined them in 2002, Tomlin was their defensive backs coach. The 65-year old Mann, though, hasn’t coached since the 2009 when his contract wasn’t renewed by then-head coach Raheem Morris.

The veteran Mann may just be what "Young Money" needs, though at least some of that money is travelers checks as Mike Wallace is sure to be gone this offseason.

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Speaking of wide receivers... If you missed it, the Steelers wideout Antonio Brown says he wants to spend career with the Steelers, and is working hard to be able to be a leader next season. - http://tinyurl.com/bc5lpuj

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TIDBITS: Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch would love to be back with the Steelers in 2013, even though he realizes plenty of changes are coming this offseason.

“I definitely want to play another year. The body feels fresh," Uncle Charlie said. "Right now, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but you have to figure at some point changes will be made."

The 1998 second-round draft pick who led the Steelers to a win at Baltimore in December, emphasized this by stressing the importance for the Steelers organization to succeed. "Not making the playoffs won’t be tolerated by the Rooneys much longer.”

The Steelers need a viable and young backup to starter Ben Roethlisberger. Uncle Charlie had indicated he wanted to retire toward the end of the season, but he seems to want to try another go at it. As long as they get a solid No. 2 QB as insurance for Big Ben, I'm all for it.

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Speaking of Big Ben, we all know he's on an NFL Hall of Fame curve, but he's already received one induction. The Miami of Ohio University inducted the veteran quarterback into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Big Ben holds all of Miami of Ohio’s major passing records, and was also named Miami’s Male Co-Athlete of the Year in 2001 and 2003 and the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2003. Congrats, Big Ben. It's a stepping stone to the other HOF in Ohio, which you'll get to in about 10 years or so. - http://tinyurl.com/af84dlk

Steelers' Pride Will Prevent Them From "Tanking It" vs. Browns

"Thankfully, perseverance is a good substitute for talent." - Steve Martin

That may be the Pittsburgh Steelers season in a nutshell. The lack of talent behind the starters, as well as the underachieving, has been evident. To a man, however, the Steelers are persevering and intend to go out on Sunday and win.

Ben Roethlisberger said that Sunday's game is important for the 7-8 Steelers because "one of my goals coming in was to never be below .500." - http://tinyurl.com/bsne9pl

Honorable. Let's be real about this, Ben wants to play entire game Sunday. He should. He should want to lead his team to victory and avoid a losing record, something has never experienced as a professional. Neither he nor the rest of the rest of the Steelers care about draft positioning right, just a win Sunday against their longtime rivals, the Cleveland Browns. - http://blog.steelers.com/2012/12/27/steelers-playing-for-pride/

I've read various media articles and a smattering of posts and comments on social media that have suggested the Steelers should tank the last game for a better draft pick. Things like "#TankForTeo" and other such posts and suggestions are prevalent, but unnecessary.

Sure, this is the time when there are concerns about Pro Bowl snubs -- Lawrence Timmons, Ryan Clark (who were selected as alternates) and Larry Foote all had seasons that could be considered Pro Bowl-esque -- as well as concerns about futures. - http://tinyurl.com/bsv98by - http://tinyurl.com/bur8f62

For the moment, though, these are men who are solely concerned about one thing, beating the Browns and salvaging their season.

Additionally, per Tom Bradley, @TomScrapBradley on Twitter, Steelers Broadcast Network and Clear Channel radio analyst, the "Steelers have not lost four at home since 2003, have not lost four in a row since 2009 and have not been swept by the Browns since 1988."

Those are not records the team wants to match or break this Sunday. According to Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley, also, they look to even use it as a "springboard."

"I think a win in the last game or the last two games," Haley said, "whatever opportunity you have has a springboard effect for you. That's what we need to do, get this going in a positive direction to finish the season." - http://blog.steelers.com/2012/12/27/coordinators-corner-haley-lebeau-7/

To do that, the Steelers will want to prevent some other things from being matched as well. In the last three games against the Browns, the Steelers have scored just 41 points (14, 13 and 14).

A feat that will be even more difficult now that both wide receiver Mike Wallace and tight end and team MVP Heath Miller have been placed on Injured Reserve. Fans will likely see a version of the Steelers offense on Sunday that will be seen again at the start of next season.

If the Steelers offense does stall again on Sunday, they'll have to hope their defense is able to offer a rude welcome to the Browns starting quarterback...um...wait...sorry, ladies and gentlemen, I have to check...oh, here it is, Thaddeus Lewis.

A rude awakening from a defense that unfortunately has blown six 4th-quarter leads this season, four of them resulting in losses. A fact of which defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is well aware.

"Well, the truth of the matter is we didn't get off to a really good start on defense," LeBeau said. "I don't think it was ever quite as bad as it was perceived to be but we weren't playing the way we wanted to play."

Part of the reason for this is that splash plays were at a minimum all season. Safety Ryan Clark said that was one thing that was absent all year. The making of key plays to turn the tide.

"If you look at our years when we went 12-4 and went to Super Bowls, we didn't blow people out," said Clark. "But, in these types of games, we find ways to make plays in the fourth quarter. That was the story all year. We find a way, defensively, offensively, or on special teams not to make a play."

That being the case, it might not be a bad idea to play more of the younger talent that ones were so high on. Talent that for some reason only saw limited action.

To be specific, Cameron Heyward who only saw approximately 200 snaps on defense and Steve McLendon who saw even fewer. To listen to John Mitchell, regarding McLendon at least, you would've thought that they should've had more than that. It isn't troubling McLendon, though, as he believes his time will come. - http://sulia.com/channel/pittsburgh-steelers/f/00e5ac6c-e93d-4d49-8f13-08b20c0f3acb/?source=twitter

Let's hope that time is now. Through pride and perseverance, let's go out winning and let other issues work themselves out in April.

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TIDBITS: INJURY/PRACTICE Report: Steelers - OUT: T Mike Adams (ankle/IR), CB Curtis Brown (ankle/IR), LB Marshall McFadden (abdomen), WR Mike Wallace (hip/IR)
PROBABLE: G David DeCastro (hamstring), CB Keenan Lewis (knee), S Troy Polamalu

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Oh, Norman... Mark Kaboly says Boomer Esiason is way out of line with these comments about Ben Roethlisberger: http://sulia.com/channel/pittsburgh-steelers/f/66eb06e0-4bd8-48ff-b5df-0cfc48d8dc73/?source=twitter

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Steelers signed wide receiver David Gilreath and nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu from the practice squad, placed Mike Wallace, Curtis Brown and Mike Adams on IR.

Steelers' Turnovers Result In 20-14 Loss To Browns; Good News On Big Ben

The Pittsburgh Steelers looked as if they were celebrating the worldly Jewish holiday of Hanukkah a couple of weeks early Sunday as they gave eight gifts to the Cleveland Browns.

In a 20-14 loss in Cleveland, the Steelers turned the ball over eight times (5 fumbles and 3 interceptions), and the Browns capitalized by scoring 17 of their 20 points. The last time that we can remember this many turnovers committed by the Steelers was in 1989...against the Browns.

The Browns' 20 points against the Steelers are their most in a game against them since November of 2007, a 31-28 Steelers win.

Turnovers, however, weren't the only reason the Steelers lost this game. There were essentially three things that can be pointed to as reasons for the loss. The first has been touched on already, and we'll elaborate now.

TURNOVERS: You turn the ball over eight times, especially on the road, and you don't deserve to win. The Steelers division hopes slipped away as easily as did the football did on Sunday. They went into the game having lost seven fumbles this season. They lost five Sunday.

Last week, various Steelers fans blamed the Ravens loss on the Mike Wallace fumble. I'm on record as stating that if a turnover that early in the game is the reason you lose, you're just not a good team. You must overcome adversity. That was just one turnover (of two on the night) and other elements played into that defeat.

This week, however, was different. This was inexcusable. All four running backs fumbled, with Rashard Mendenhall giving it up twice.

Mendenhall had this to say about his fumbles: "That's tough to deal with. Easy at that point to start shadowboxing yourself, I don't really get into that."

It may be tough to deal with, but we've seen it too often now. I've been a supporter of him in the past, but no more. He needs to go. His contract is up at the end of the year as it is. Just wash hands of him and send him on his way.

Although Chris Rainey fumbled also, his went out of bounds and wasn't a turnover. Isaac Redman has shown himself to be charitable during his brief career as well. He needs to truly redeem himself, as does Jonathan Dwyer.

If It Ain't Steel said in the Browns pre-game blog that the running back-by-committee has to end, and it does. Give the ball to one, preferably Dwyer, and ride that one out. How can a player gain confidence and get hot if he constantly is being shuffled around back there? But, they weren't the only culprits.

Charlie Batch threw three interceptions to take it to a total of eight. He looked every bit of 38 years old (actually a week or so short of) from the first snap. He was 20-34 for 199 yards and threw three INTs. Despite a certain amount of clamoring Steeler Nation to put him in ahead of Byron Leftwich last week, Uncle Charlie showed why he was the Steelers third-stringer.

In truth, from turnovers alone it could've been much worse. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, obviously upset at the post-game press conference, said almost as much.

"I'm surprised it was that close given the turnover situation," he said. "We were highly penalized, we turned the ball over, and when you do those things, you are going to lose. I don't care who is playing quarterback." - http://tinyurl.com/d35vvtd

With the offense playing the way they did Sunday, that may be true. Though the Steelers starting quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, may not have thrown the INTs that Uncle Charlie threw, there were still the fumbles by the running backs and Emmanuel Sanders, who had the fifth and final one.

Speaking of the injured quarterback, that brings us to the second piece of the pie as to why the Steelers lost.

THIRD DOWN: The Steelers were one for nine on third-down conversions Sunday. What was a plus for the Steelers with Big Ben has become a lost cause. One of three specific stats that we covered thoroughly in our 'Big Ben for MVP' blog. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2012/11/making-case-for-ben-roethlisberger-as.html

The Steelers as a team were just over 50% going into the Chiefs game. Before the injury, Big Ben had an NFL QBR of 121.2 on that down. After the injury, the Steelers are only 6-26 on third-down conversions. The two quarterbacks' QBR's on that down? Not worth mentioning.

In the 29 drives the Steelers offense has had without Big Ben, only two have resulted in touchdowns, both being set up by pass interference calls.

There was some good news to come down the pike, however, regarding Ben, Sr.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen relayed encouraging information for Steelers fans everywhere:

"The Steelers QB will begin soft-tossing the football early in the week to test his range of motion and work through the pain of his rare rib and shoulder injury, according to team sources," said Mortensen.

"Roethlisberger slept much better this week, a source said, even with newborn son 'Little Ben' in the house, and doctors have determined his rib has healed enough that he doesn't risk further damage," he continued. "Roethlisberger's pain tolerance and range of motion could determine whether he plays next week."

It's hard to type with fingers crossed...

Tomlin alluded to the third reason the Steelers lost Sunday.

PENALTIES: This has been a problem all season, but this was a day when the Steelers could ill-afford to shoot themselves in the foot.

The team committed nine infractions for 68 yards. The mental errors are ridiculous. Penalties while trying to make a play are easier to excuse, but pre- and post-snap penalties can make the vein in your forehead to become prominent to point of bursting.

Yes, there were ticky-tack and even bad calls again in this game, but you can't blame a loss on those. They happen every week to every team. Control your own mental errors and execute. The Steelers didn't do that Sunday.

Though many Steelers fan are jumping off of the bandwagon, the Steelers players remain optimistic that they can right the ship.

"We're gonna be all right, man. We're mentally tough. Everybody in this room. We gonna be together, we gonna fight for each other," Hampton emphatically stated. "Just like their defense got all the turnovers they got, we gotta do a better job of getting turnovers also."

He continued, "Guys will get healthy, but even if they don't get healthy, we've gotta find a way to win. No question about that."

He's right about that. They have to find a way. Without Big Ben, Antonio Brown and Troy Polamalu, all of whom could be back next week, it will be very difficult.

Difficult isn't impossible, though. As was related at the beginning, you must overcome adversity and that seems to be their mentality.

It needs to be the mentality of Steelers fans also.

As Larry S., a fellow Steelers fan and friend, said, "I learned never to give up after 2005. Look at all the teams who got on a roll late with a low seed in recent years. We did in 2005. The Giants did twice. The Packers did. Even the Colts had to win 3 AFC games. I never give up because if we get Ben back by San Diego, we can win the rest of our games. All you need to do is get in the playoffs these days. It's about who is healthy and hot. I don't like to get too high or low."

Well said. Because, is the season over? No. Steelers hold the last wild card spot over the Bengals, Dolphins and the Chargers. Get Big Ben, Troy and AB back and there is plenty of football left.

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TIDBITS: Ankles injuries on Mike Adams and LaMarr Woodley is all that Tomlin said regarding injuries. Woodley said he got rolled up on by an offensive lineman, hence the ankle injury. But he said, "I'll be back next week."

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NFL Network - Steelers-Browns Highlights: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000100490/Steelers-vs-Browns-highlights

ESPN Sunday Blitz Recap: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8674954&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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Brandon Weeden suffered a concussion against the Steelers. - http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/59799/weeden-suffers-concussion-against-steelers

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Trent Richardson: "That's the best defense I've played against since I've been in the NFL, hands down. Probably the hardest-hitting team too."

Steelers Face Old Foe In Cleveland Sunday; Injury Updates

As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. To me that was better than being a fan of the Browns. To be a Steelers fan was to own the NFL.

You know, we always called each other a family, goodfellas. Like, you'd say to somebody: "You're gonna like this guy, he's all right. He's a Steelers fan. He's one of us." You understand? We were Steelers fans, wise guys...

The Pittsburgh Steelers will face their oldest AFC rivals again Sunday at the Mistake by the Lake as they look to keep division and playoff hopes alive. In the last nine years, since 2004, the Steelers have won all but one game (2009) in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Steelers have, in fact, have won a total of 15 out of the last 16 meetings during that time and look to maintain their success this Sunday. If they do, they will increase their series lead on the Browns (2-8) to an all-time record of 63-56 since the rivalry began in 1950.

The soft and chewy Brownies are still my favorite rivalry. I hate the Baltimore Ravens more (especially because they took my original Browns from me), but, as far back as I can remember, the Browns were always there.

I remember them going an initial 0-16 at Three Rivers Stadium.

I remember Browns personnel sneaking dirt from Cleveland and sprinkling it onto sideline of Three Rivers trying to mojo a win...to no avail.

I remember the 51-0 blowout loss in 1988. In fact, I will never forget it.

I remember the 43-0 drubbing of the new and unimproved Browns in 1999.

And I remember the three wins by three points each in 2002 culminating in Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala's go-ahead touchdown and subsequent two-point conversion to secure the playoff win.

I simply love to hate the Browns. Even with the lopsided streak of late, I still look to the season schedule as soon as it's released and seek out the Browns games first.

This version of Paul Brown's progeny might just also be another challenge for the Steelers. The Browns always play division opponents tough and always give the Steelers all they have.

With the Steelers as banged up as they are, the Browns, who've played the Ravens closely and even beaten the Cincinnati Bengals, can't be overlooked at all.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin agrees. Even though he always makes the next opponent sound like a Super Bowl team, some of the points he made regarding them were accurate. One player in particular elicited this week's Tomlinism.

To be specific, the Browns feature a very talented and dangerous rookie running back in Trent Richardson. During the post-NFL Draft summer, a name from the Browns past, legendary running back Jim Brown, called Richardson "ordinary." He has been anything but that to Tomlin's chagrin. - http://tinyurl.com/auyxgoc

Speaking of names from the past, the Steelers looked to their past to help aid their present. It was announced late Tuesday afternoon that they had signed wide receiver Plaxico Burress to a 1-year, $925,000 contract to supplement the receiving corps.

"He's in really good physical condition based on the workout that I just saw," said Tomlin. "And obviously he's no stranger to football."

When on Sirius XM radio, Tomlin also said that Plax worked his camp with him this past offseason. Additionally, he's been working out in Florida, as Mike Wallace did during his holdout.

I'm looking forward to seeing what he can still do because, taking into account his height and his hands, he's a very good red zone target and the Steelers are already working on just such packages for him. - http://tinyurl.com/bemyya2

He also sounds less like the Divo he was when he was in Pittsburgh before and in his first few years in New York. He sounds more mature and eager to contribute. Like a good fella.

"Feels great to be back, comfort level here with a lot of the guys, I'm anxious to get back to playing football," Plax said.

He also said that he doesn't think he's "been around a collection of better receivers and that says a lot....Knock some dust off the old No. 80 jerseys and let's go to work!" - http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8660452/plaxico-burress-pittsburgh-steelers-ready-get-back-field

His new and old teammates are buying into it as well.

"He's a great asset," Emmanuel Sanders pointed out. "He can stretch the field vertically and be a big red zone threat for us."

Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton also said of Plax: "He's a good locker room guy, a good guy to have around. I think he's always been misunderstood by people."

Plax will have another good locker room guy throwing the ball to him as Godfather Charlie Batch will be starting against Cleveland Sunday.

But with the loss of 2nd-string Byron Leftwich for the next few weeks, the Steelers went out and signed quarterback Brian Hoyer to provide a back up. Hoyer addressed the media before Wednesday's practice at the South Side facility. - http://tinyurl.com/bbdw6kw

Hoyer was brought in because of his football smarts and because he can pick things up quickly on limited reps, according to Tomlin. A solid signing, even if he is only going to be in Pittsburgh for about four weeks.

Without getting into too deep of an analysis, this should be another good Steelers-Browns game. They'll be ready for their longest standing rival. Save their three-year hiatus (1996-98), Steelers-Browns is also the oldest AFC rivalry.

Years ago, they were one of the best teams in the NFL. Spit-shined and polished NFL Trophies sit in their facilities. But that was before the AFL-NFL merger. In the Super Bowl era, they have no Rings.

Win or lose, though, I know I'll remember this game.

Now, go home, Cleveland, and get your fu**ing shine box.

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TIDBITS: INJURIES - Big Ben was re-examined and is improving. Was not wearing a sling on Wednesday and was even seen holding a cup of coffee in his right hand as well as talking on the phone. - http://tinyurl.com/b8lsxru

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Isaac Redman has been progressing through concussion tests, and one more is scheduled for Thursday.

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Antonio Brown and Marcus Gilbert will start individual work this week. Troy is progressing, but is still questionable at this point. None will play Sunday.

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David DeCastro, on IR-designated to return, practiced Wednesday for the first time since injuring his knee.

Per the Steelers, they have 21 days from Wednesday, Nov. 21, to put DeCastro on the active roster or he has to be placed on season-ending IR. They can, however, activate him at any point during the next three weeks. - http://tinyurl.com/agrp357

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Byron Leftwich believes he hurt ribs on the Paul Kruger "last sack", per a story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Per Tomlin, he "didn't see anything" in Leftwich's performance, coupled with sideline talks, to pull him from game.

Really? Not under thrown balls? Not inaccurate balls? Not overthrown balls? Not grabbing his shoulder/rib area after virtually every throw? - http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/home/118948-morning-links-11-21-12

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Marshall McFadden and Baron Batch get cut and then added to practice squad after clearing waivers. Jamie McCoy and Ryan Lee were released.

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Larry Foote was on 93.7 The Fan and took umbrage with LaMarr Woodley's tweet about signing Donovan McNabb: "(He) needs to shut up and play football." - http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/

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Speaking of Woodley... We've all seen Ray Rice waving and then wearing a Terrible Towel as he left Heinz Field Sunday. It not only upset Steeler Nation, but it upset LaMarr Woodley as well. - http://tinyurl.com/d7hfoan

Ray Rice, however, says he meant no disrespect and explains the Terrible Towel issue. - http://tinyurl.com/askk3jp

We don't care, RR, you shouldn't even be touching one.

Joey "Peezy" Porter To Retire As A Member Of The Steelers

It seems Kordell Stewart has started a trend.

NFL reporter Ian Rapoport confirms that former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter has retired. Porter, Peezy to Steelers fans, plans to retire as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“That’s where I started at,” Porter said,  “It’ll be an honor to go out there and retire as a Steeler. Started there, end there. Thirteen years. I never thought I’d play that long when I first started.”

Porter has said he's already talked to the Steelers organization about it. What led to the retirement decision, though? Peezy said it was because of health, and didn’t feel like himself last season with the Cardinals, aka Pittsburgh West.

“Not being able to get 100% healthy to play at the level I am accustomed to playing at,” Porter said, telling why. “The last two years, I tried to play and I wasn’t out there as healthy as I’ve been in the past. This year, I knew my knee wasn’t getting any better as far as this season.”

Peezy was beloved in Steeler Nation and there was an initial uproar when the Steelers let him go over contract and other issues. A personal friend, my Little Steeler Pixie Amanda Taylor, even called me up after it was announced and said, "What are they doing??? They released Joey!" I told to calm down and remember the name James Harrison. 'Nuff said.

Peezy was one of the best and most fierce. He was a leader in the locker room and on the field. He never backed down and he dared you to cross him. Just ask William Green and Terrelle Smith, formerly of the hated Cleveland Browns.

Peezy got into a pregame fight with Browns running back William Green in November of 2004. Peezy was already pissed because Browns defensive lineman Gerard Warren had threatened several days before the game to "rattle" Steelers rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger by hitting him in the head.

Bad idea. Since 1974, the Steelers have always had at least one linebacker who just scared everybody. At that time it was Peezy. Bad idea.

After Peezy and Green began yelling at each other, Green shoved Peezy (bad idea), who countered by throwing punches at, and connecting with, Green. Green left leakin'! (Sorry, street slang. Green left with a bloody lip.) Brown fullback Terrelle Smith was also there and tried to come to Green's aid (bad idea). He got tagged too. Go back and try to find tape on it. You could actually see Peezy say something like, "Oh, you want some too?!" Joey!!!

In Peezy's eight years with the Steelers he recorded 327 tackles, 60 sacks 10 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries. He went to three Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 2002.

It just feels right that he retires as a member of the Steelers. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nvS9w_vyxo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Rashard Mendenhall Returns To Twitter And With Good News

It's official! We at If It Ain't Steel have achieved a new level: Trendsetters. Just a day after coming back from the ashes, another Phoenix arose. Yes, Rashard Mendenhall is also back. He's back on Twitter and with good news.
His first tweet was a simple, "Hello Everyone : )." It was his second tweet, though, that got the attention.

He tweeted, “@R_Mendenhall: My knee has healed wonderfully, thanks for all the well wishes!”



This is very good news because it means that the Steelers have another running back body for the stretch-run of the season. As for now, Mendenhall just needs to keep rehabbing his knee to be able to be that dynamic player again.

I'm actually hoping, though, that it has a slight affect on his style. Anyone who has read this blog for the last year knows that we're Mendy fans. We're not blind, though. Mendy has two issues that keep him from being a top tier running back. First, he has little confidence in his offensive line and it causes him to dance at the line too much. He wants to hit the home run every time and that sometimes causes a loss of yards or no gain. Sometimes he just needs to hit the hole and get the two or three available yards. He's not Barry Sanders. Besides, sometimes you have to set up those home runs with a slew of singles and doubles.

The other issue that Mendy has is vision. He doesn't have the great vision that the truly elite have and it affects his production. Not only does it affect his production, but it can, and does, kill drives.

Lance Zierlein of THESIDELINEVIEW.com said something similar recently: "Watching some Steeler tape & is unreal how many yds Mendenhall leaves on field due to lack of vision."

So, I'm hoping that Mendy, along with his rehab, has been looking at tape also and realistically looked at what he could do better and focus, no pun intended, on what he could do better.

Regardless, it's good to see Mendy back on Twitter and we at If It Ain't Steel are glad we had a hand in that. (That's our story and we're sticking to it.)

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We posted yesterday that the Steelers would be stupid to waste a draft pick on a risk of a player in the supplemental draft. The player in question, Josh Gordon out of Baylor, was projected to go between the third and sixth rounds.

The Cleveland Browns evidently thought differently because they took him in the second round. I know they need wide receiver help, but this could be a stretch. They'd better hope that this is a high risk, high reward situation and not a high risk who just wants to get high.

Cleveland, though, has a history of bad decisions that have lead to bad teams. The basketball and baseball teams are just as snake-bitten and historically bad. There's a reason LeBron James, Jim Thome and, well, the entire Browns team left Cleveland.

Do any current Cleveland sports fans under 35 years old even know about having a winning team? Do they remember Brad Daugherty and Craig Ehlo? Do they even know about Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield? Have they ever heard of Albert Belle and Joey Belle? (Please tell me you got that last one.)

Look, I could keep this to football, considering how this was introduced and just say "that's why they're the Browns", but I need to lay it on the line and call a spade a spade: Cleveland sucks.

And if you hate what I said, YOU'RE READING THE WRONG BLOG! I'll just let my man Dwayne close this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-4xvO1z58o&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Quarterbacks: AFC North

The time of year has come for lots of talk about quarterbacks.  I have decided to do a series on the quarterbacks of the AFC.  I am going to start this off with my favorite division, the AFC NORTH.  This division sent three teams to the playoffs last season and is considered one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.  They are known for their tough defensive play for the most part.  But in here we're going to take a look at and list the quarterbacks.

1.  Ben Roethlisberger:   I am putting Big Ben at the top of this list because frankly he deserves to be there.  Big Ben has gone to three Super Bowls, winning two of them.  Big Ben has been the most consistent quarterback in the AFC North, only missing the playoffs in two of his 8 seasons thus far.  He has only lost one AFC Championship, and that was in his rookie year, the other three he appeared in he led the Steelers to the Super Bowl.  A lot has been said about Big Ben’s play in the Super Bowls but, personally, I do not judge a quarterback strictly on that.  I look at the overall play that got them there in the first place. Even if you consider the two early exits the Steelers suffered since Big Ben has been there, he did everything he could to get the win.   

I look for much of the same from Big Ben next year. There has been a lot of talk that the Steelers will take a step back, including Ben, due to the fact they have a new offensive coordinator in Todd Haley. I, for one, do not believe everything I read.  Big Ben has too much desire to win to allow that to happen.  Big Ben has been branded one of the toughest quarterbacks in the NFL, and with good reason. He has played with some sort of an injury pretty much every season, but it does not seem to slow him down.  Big Ben not only has a new OC, but he also has the most dynamic set of wide receivers he's ever had in the Black and Gold. Not to mention the fact that the Steelers also addressed the offensive line this offseason.  Big Ben recently has come out and said he is not going to change the way he plays.  I like this because letting Ben be Ben is what got them where they are, which is two Lombardi trophies heavier. Now that they're giving him the protection he needs, this could be a big season for him and the Steelers offense. 

2.  Joe Flacco:   Joe Flacco gets my number two nod for many of the same reasons for which Ben got my number one nod, outside of Flacco not having played as long.  Flacco's numbers are not as good as Big Ben's, but he has been consistent in the win column.  Flacco took a step forward last season with his play in the AFC Championship game, even though the Ravens lost.  They did not lose because of Flacco.  He did everything he had to do to win.  I personally believe that if Lee Evans would have caught that pass in the end zone,   then the Ravens would have gone to the Super Bowl, and people who know me know that it stung me to say that.  But we are not known to stay inside the box when putting out our blogs.  We give credit where credit is due.

 This season Flacco will have to step up even more if the Ravens plan on being successful.  In the past they have depended on their defense, and for good reason, but they are going to be missing their defensive player of the year, Terrell Suggs, and, let’s face it, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are no spring chickens.  It showed in the championship game in which Suggs was a non-factor to begin with.  Personally, I don't think they addressed the offensive issues that needed to be addressed either.  Yes, they will still have Rice, because they will get a deal done before the season starts, but what else do they have?  Yes, Torrey Smith proved to be a speedster and improved as the season progressed, but they don't have much else.  They drafted Tommy Streeter, an unproven rookie, and they still have Bolden, but outside of that I don’t see much improvement. The Ravens also have the third toughest schedule this year.  They are going to have their hands full on their road back to the playoffs.  This is going to be the tale of the tape as to whether Flacco is truly their franchise quarterback or not.  He is in the last year of his contract and has asked for top tier money.  This will be the season he will have to prove he is worth that kind of money.

3:  Andy Dalton:  Dalton was the rookie in the AFC North last season.  No one, including myself, gave the Bengals nor Dalton much of a chance to have a winning season, let alone make the playoffs.  This kid, though, went out, with the help of rookie wide receiver A.J. Green, and proved everyone wrong.  Dalton should have gotten more of a consideration for Offensive Rookie of the Year.  He led the Bengals to a 9-7 record and a wild-card bid in the AFC.  This kid also showed something else.  He has no fear.  He stayed in the pocket, even with the likes of Harrison and Woodley, and Suggs and Ngata coming at him.    That is something you most usually do not see out of rookies.   Despite defenses catching up with him toward the end of the season, I believe he will only improve this season and push the top dogs of the AFC North.  The Bengals had a successful draft in addressing problems spots on their roster and signed some key pieces via free agency.   This team is only going to improve with the youth on offense and the play of a very good defense.  

4:  Colt McCoy/ Brandon Weeden:  There isn’t much I can say about the Browns situation at QB.  We do not know for sure who is going to be the starter.  All signs are pointing towards rookie Weeden, but who knows?   So, that is the reason for the low ranking.   They have not been consistent at QB for some time now.   I don’t look for that to change this season. But, hey, I was wrong about Dalton.   If it is Weeden, then all I can say is don’t look to put up 40 points a game like you did with Oklahoma State.  These are not the same defenses that you played in the Big 12.  The Browns added rookie RB Trent Richardson, but did not address much else on offense. Still, they should be a little better overall.  Their line allowed their quarterback  to be sacked A LOT, and that does need addressing.   So time will tell with this team if Weeden can step up and be their quarterback of the future. 

Much Ado About Nothing, So Subscribe To Steel Curtain Radio

There has been a lot of news that has come down the pike this week regarding the Steelers that directly or indirectly involves them. Some of it seemed relevant, and some of it didn't. But given the time of year, it's much ado about nothing. 

Word came down a few days ago that Mike Wallace won't sign his tender until he absolutely has to do so. 

Um...ok. Who's that hurting?

The Steelers hired Todd Haley as the new offensive coordinator and he brought with him an entirely new offense. It would be in Wallace's best interests to show up, learn Haley's offense, and let his agent and the mighty Omar Khan work out the details of a long-term deal. Didn't Wallace learn anything from Hines Ward? 

But Wallace will take his sweet time signing a one-year tender offer that will pay him $2.74 million in 2012.  

This is especially idiotic when his own quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, was asked what had changed with Haley's offense. “Everything," he said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Podcast. "The similarities would be on a shorter list. Off the top of my head, from what I've seen so far, there's a 90 percent change.” 

Again, who's that hurting? Moving on. 

We also found out that Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor underwent surgery to repair a torn chest muscle he injured while lifting weights. An injury which I myself endured once. A slight tear, 5%-10%, but a tear nonetheless. 

Taylor tore his left pectoralis major while bench pressing during the offseason conditioning program last week at the team's facility. The Browns said the surgery ''went well'' and the 335-pound Taylor is recovering now.

The team did not provide a timetable for Taylor's return, but Browns coach Pat Shurmur said Taylor would need ''months, not weeks'' to recover. He would not, though, rule him out for this season.

These injuries typically take six months-to-a-year to heal. I had my right arm hanging and couldn't work without pain for approximately six months. Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson missed most of two whole seasons with torn pecs. So this is definitely something to watch. 

Hard on the heels of the news of the Terrell Suggs torn Achilles injury we get news that Ed Reed has acknowledged contemplating retirement. 

Let me just say this first: No Suggs + no Reed = no Ratbirds defense. Period. End of sentence. They are two of their three best defensive players, including Haloti Ngata, and arguably two of their three best players period. 

Hours after getting that news, though, Reed was quoted as saying that he planned to continue to play football. "It's not about retirement, it's about my focus in the offseason, health, family and football," said Reed, who has had trouble with neck, hip, and shoulder injuries in recent years. "This is the time of year where players think through things. My goal is to play football in the years to come."

Reed, 33, went on to say where his focus is now. "A totally different focus now, trying to take care of my son, spend time with my son and my family," Reed said during the radio interview. "Other things have taken priority."

Reed can't be faulted for wanting to take of his family, but there's doubt that the Ravens organization would do everything but literally kiss his toes to keep in uniform. Their secondary suffers dramatically without him. His skillful play covered a multitude of sins the last two years, even while missing the first six games of '10, in that secondary. It's a secondary that certainly got better as the season progressed last year, but that would still suffer if he were to retire. So "will he or won't he?" is what Ravens and Steelers fans will be curious to find out.

Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported early on Friday that "Mike Adams and David DeCastro are NOT permitted to take part in any of the 10 OTAs. They will take part in mandatory minicamp June 12-14." 

The OTAs (Organized Team Activities) aren't so much a need for entrenched veterans, but essential for rookies who are looking to get acclimated to the pro game. So, though it's early, we'll see if this has any early effects. 

To close this out is like to encourage people to listen and subscribe to Lance Williams of Steel Curtain Radio. It's one of the best Steelers podcasts around and Big Swa always brings the real. You'll even get an earful of the Beastie Boys in the latest podcast. 

As someone who has been interviewed by him as well as someone who spends his own time and resources to bring as much Steelers information, history and overall content as possible, I completely endorse subscribing to his podcast. You can also follow him on Twiiter at @SteelRadio and the Steel Curtain Radio group on Facebook. A link to his website steelcurtainradio.com is on the front page of our Blog. So, as Lance always says, "listen, tell a friend and subscribe." 'Nuff said.

Roger Goodell and the Hypocrisy of the NFL

Since it is the season of giving , I felt that I would give some food for thought.


Roger Goodell has been on TV and in the media preaching that his main concern was the players and their safety, and that the rules would be changed on how defensive players were allowed to hit. They were putting a stop to helmet-to-helmet hits and things like that.

Ray Anderson starting laying down the fines and even some suspensions as of late for what they consider to be illegal hits. I call it football, but it is all for safety...or so we thought.

They have changed the way a defensive player is allowed to hit. Again sighting player safety, but, then, still allowing running backs to lead with their heads which is just as dangerous. But, that is for another blog.

The game between the Steelers and Browns on Thursday Night Football on NFL Network, Colt McCoy was hit by Steelers' linebacker James Harrison. The referees flagged the play, a helmet-to-helmet hit/roughing the passer call. Harrison was suspended for one game without pay for the hit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2MaOY_SXYY&feature=endscreen&NR=1

After the game it was reported that McCoy suffered a concussion, yet he had been allowed to still finish the game. Well, based on Goodell's new and improved NFL, that is not supposed to be allowed. If a player suffers a concussion or shows "concussion-like symptoms" they are not supposed to return to the game. This has been well documented and talked about endlessly. It is all about safety, right?


McCoys father went to the media saying that he was furious that the Browns staff allowed his son to return to the game with a concussion. He stated that his son could not remember anything after the game and should not not have been allowed to return to the game with them knowing that he was injured. He also stated that they did not even check him for concussion-like symptoms, but only checked his hand and let him return.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/12/colt_mccoys_father_says_mccoy.html


But, the Browns took another stance on this and said that the medical staff missed the concussion-like symptoms.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/sports/football/browns-didnt-give-mccoy-concussion-test-because-they-didnt-see-hit.html?_r=1

There was outrage to this which started people speaking out and saying the Browns staff should be held accountable for this. Well, today the NFL announced that the Browns will not suffer any sort of punishment for this incident.


This is where I have an issue. After constantly listening to Goodell and his stance on this and his hard line on this issue and changing the way football should be played all for the safety of players, the medical staff missed this. How does that happen? Are they not trained to look for stuff like this, and aren't the referees supposed to be looking for indications of concussion-like symptoms as well per Goodell's rules for the new NFL? Yet, he was allowed to return to the game with a concussion anyway.

I am sure that with all their research into this they should have the knowledge to know that by letting Colt return with such an injury, they could have caused this young man more serious injury, including death. Do they not realize that one more hit like that and Colt could possibly not be around right? But the Browns staff, that is supposed to be trained to know things like this and what to look for, missed it. Thank goodness that he was not more seriously injured and will play again. Because this could have ended badly. Then what would Goodell have done?

But they find no reason for any punishment for the Browns not doing their job. They could very well have not only ended this young man's career, but possibly his life. So, therefore, to me this makes Roger Goodell and his staff hypocrites. How can you fine and suspend players for this and not punish teams when they allow players to play with the very same thing that you are trying to protect against and have gone on endlessly about?


You say, Goodell, that you are trying to prolong players careers, but did that same standard not apply to Colt McCoy? The last time I checked he is a player in your NFL after all. Don't you think that maybe Colt wants to continue playing? Or does such protection just apply to other, more marketable players? You say you are protecting players from these violent hits, but do not protect them from people that are supposed to have the knowledge to know they have an injury like this.

I mean, I was sitting at home watching and I could literally see the birds flying around his head, but trained medical professionals couldn't spot it, and therefore let him return to the field. James Harrison was held accountable for his actions in causing the injury, but the Browns' staff that allowed him to return to the game and the referees that called the hit are not accountable? I would think so, but...

I guess there are a different set of rules in these cases: ones that apply to the players of Goodell's, Anderson's and the media' choosing, and then the rules for the the people that are actually paid to keep these players safe. And these rules aren't quite the same. That is what I call Hypocrisy at it's finest.