If It Ain't Steel's 2013 NFL Not-So-Midseason Reports, MVP and Super Bowl Predictions

by Jayden and Jason

The NFL season is now past the midway point and we at If It Ain’t Steel are once again throwing our two cents in to the 'midseason awards and predictions' hat.

(Aside: We were down for approximately two weeks and missed getting this out after Week 9 or 10 at the latest. The choices, though, are no different now from what they were a week ago.)

Week 11 is in the books and we're now at a crucial point for a lot teams. It's the time of year when the cream rises to the top individually and as teams are concerned. 

Without further ado, let's just get into the midseason awards and predictions for 2013. We'll start off with...

Comeback Player of the Year: Running Back LeSean McCoy, Eagles, or Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, Ravens - McCoy leads the league in rushing yards (1,009), averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and in total yards from scrimmage (1,408), touching the ball 247 times, all of this after missing four games and only rushing for 840 yards last season.

But If It Ain't Steel's choice for the midseason winner and the season-award prediction is Terrell Suggs. Suggs suffered a partially torn Achilles tendon requiring surgery in the Spring of 2012, sidelining him for the first six games of the season and causing him to miss a total of eight games. He was largely ineffective and finished the season with just two sacks

Fast forward to 2013 and a fully recovered Suggs is wreaking havoc once again. He is tied for 6th in the NFL in sacks with nine (in 10 games) and has 65 tackles, which is 26 more than the NFL sack leader Robert Mathis - keep that name in mind for later.

Coach of the Year: Andy Reid, Chiefs - Andy Reid is the only one in the discussion. The one-loss Chiefs have already improved upon its win total from 2012 of 2-14. The NFL record for win improvement from one season to the next is 10 (the Colts from 3-13 in '98 to 13-3 in '99, and the Dolphins from 1-15 in '07 to 11-5 in '08). Reid and his team are well on their way to breaking that record. At 9-1 they are tied atop the AFC West with the Broncos and could easily make it to 13-3 or better in the regular season and could go a long way in the playoffs - earning Reid the award in the process.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Outside linebacker Alec Ogletree, Rams, or middle linebacker Kiko Alonso - With 65 tackles, 55 solo, six passes defended, three forced fumbles and a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown, Ogletree is definitely in the consideration for defensive rookie honors.

But our choice for the midseason winner and the season-award prediction is Kiko Alonso. Alonso, the second-round pick out of Oregon, leads his team with 112 tackles (including amassing a very impressive 22 tackles in a loss to the Bengals), leads them in interceptions with four (which is also tied for second in the NFL), has four passes defended and both a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. More worthy candidates could emerge over the next few weeks, like Sheldon Richardson or even our pre-draft favorite Kenny Vacarro, but Alonso is the current leader in the clubhouse.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Quarterback Geno Smith, Jets, or running back Eddie Lacy, Packers - The talented West Virginia product has the requisite tools to be a starter and star in the NFL. Smith was thrown into a difficult situation when Mark Sanchez went down for the season and has played well, leading the Jets to a 5-5 record so far after the team was 6-10 all of last season.

But the one we've chosen as the midseason winner and the season-award prediction is Eddie Lacy. Coming out of Alabama, there were concerns about Lacy: he had injury issues, he had bigger numbers against lesser opponents and he was the beneficiary of an NFL-caliber offensive line in college. Well, he's silenced his critics, yours truly included, and has become the main back in the Packers offense. He leads all NFL rookies with 696 yards rushing and a 4.0 yard average. While there's still time for him to be caught, say maybe by DeAndre Hopkins, he has a strong hold on the lead for now.

Defensive Player of the Year: Free Safety Earl Thomas, Seahawks, or DE/OLB Robert Mathis - Thomas is the "Road Runner", because when he catches you you're through! (Thank you, John Gruden.) He has 78 tackles this season to along with seven passes defended, four interceptions and two forced fumbles. According to his coach, also, the 2012 All-Pro is just hitting his stride. "There's no end to the potential Earl has," said Pete Carroll, "because he's so fast and he's so tough, but more than that, he's just so driven to be great."

Even with such a résumé, though, our midseason winner and the season-award prediction goes to Robert Mathis. The 6'2" 245-pound Mathis has been a strong-side defender throughout his career. Now with the switch to 3-4 defense, Mathis is the primary rush LB and doesn't have to set the edge and so just pins his ears back and attacks. Because the position change has buoyed his sack total, Mathis no longer has a pre-game meal - he simply eats left tackles for lunch. With 13.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a safety, Mathis is in good position for 21.5 sacks - a career-high - and DPOY award.

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Jamaal Charles, Chiefs, or QB Peyton Manning, Broncos - Charles is all over the field. He runs the ball, catches passes out of the backfield, plays the option (w/QB Alex Smith) and even runs the Wildcat. He is the key to the Chiefs' offense.

However, our choice for the midseason winner and the season-award prediction needs no introduction. Peyton Manning has been nothing short of brilliant all season. Seeing Joe Flacco's image all over Peyton's city before the NFL's opening Thursday Night Kickoff caused this Bronco to stampede the Ravens and then never looked back. With a 118.3 QB Rating, almost 12 points higher than the next passer, a 69.9% completion rate, and 34 touchdown passes against only six INTs (a near 6-1 ratio), Manning just may get the award that eluded him last season. If so...

MVP: QB Peyton Manning, Broncos - Yes, Cam Newton, Calvin Johnson, Jamaal Charles and Drew Brees are in the discussion, but it may be against the Law to choose anyone but The Sheriff this season. His numbers are better across the board over every other QB in the league and he's poised to break Tom Brady's record of 50 TD passes set in the 2007 season, on a pace for 54. He isn't just the best player on the best team, he is the captain that drives the wagon train - they won't arrive at their destination in February without him. You don't get much more valuable than that.

Super Bowl prediction:

A few years ago, this would have been a prediction for the AFC Championship game. Now it's the final game. And while the 49ers, Patriots and Bengals may have something to say about it, Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos.

Three months of football are in the books, and in three more months we'll know how many of these will have come to fruition. Until then.

The Steelers Will Miss Heath Miller More Than Some May Think

by Jayden Matthews

With free agency set to start on Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers have several players who could be leaving. Wide receiver Mike Wallace is looking to get a huge payday in this market and some Steelers fans believe this will hurt the team's offense. While it may, we at If it Ain’t Steel have said more than once that "speed kills," but the fact of the matter is that it can also be replaced. What a lot of people are overlooking is that there is something and someone not so easily replaced, considering that the Steelers may be without unsung hero on offense, that being tight end Heath Miller.

Miller sustained a season-ending knee injury in the fourth quarter of the Bengals game in week 16. My heart was in my throat as I watched him being helped off the field, and I knew the season was done. With Mr. Dependable done for the season, I knew the offense would suffer. As expected, the Steelers lost the game and then missed the playoffs finishing with an 8-8 record. Miller isn’t on pace to return by the start of the season and will start out on the Reserve PUP list, because his injury is worse than the typical. In fact, it is one of the worst a football player can have, as he tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and damaged the posterior cruciate ligament (the ACL, MCL and PCL). The PCL, being that it must heal on its own, will take longer. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert somewhat confirmed our initial fears when he said that it was "uncertain" when Miller will return. This will be a larger blow, in my opinion, than the loss of Wallace.



Miller was named to the Pro Bowl this season and was voted the team’s MVP, and rightfully so. With all the issues of dropped passes and fumbles, he was the only offensive player with significant playing time who did not have a fumble. He led the team in receptions with 71 (out of 101 targets), seven more than Wallace (out of 119 targets). He also tied Wallace for the lead in touchdowns with eight. Again, though, with no fumbles. He was the only true consistent piece on an offense that was three games without its starting quarterback, a less-than-effective running back-by-committee and receivers that frankly didn’t produce to their potential. Before Ben Roethlisberger's injury, he and Miller were on a roll, and when Big Ben did get injured, Miller was the one constant that could bail out Uncle Charlie Batch.



Since Miller doesn’t put up Madden-like numbers, many overlook him and what he does for the team. He and his intangibles will surely be missed. When the line was riddled with injuries yet again this past season, Miller provided that extra block that was needed to free the running backs. He was also the bail out for Big Ben in the passing game, or the block needed to help protect him. No, he isn’t going to burn you down the field with blazing speed, but when he gets open and gets the ball in his hands he moves the chains in his own way.

He is very under appreciated as he isn’t considered by enough as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. He isn’t compared to the Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates or Rob Gronkowski types, but, then, he does more than just catch the ball. He is one of the best "true", or "all around", tight ends in the NFL and what he does for the Steelers offense will be missed. They will suffer from the loss of his blocking ability, quiet leadership and being open in those clutch moments. Even if he is only gone those first six games, they will feel the loss. You can’t just pull a guy off the streets and plug him in expecting him to give the team what Miller does. If that was the case, this wouldn’t even be a discussion. I don’t think there is a tight end out there that can do it.

Miller is a quiet guy and he doesn’t showboat on the field, but you know he has impacted a game when you hear the resounding roar of “HEEEEAAATTTHHHH!!!" Steelers fans love this guy for what he does for the team. Even fans sitting at home watching on t.v. do it. Admit it, you do the Heath cheer, don't you? I know I do. He rarely does interviews, but when he does, he never is an all about "me", he’s all about the team. He doesn’t care about stats or what records he breaks with the Steelers, he just plays the game and plays it well. That is why I call him the unsung hero. He never gets the praise he rightfully deserves.

His being voted team MVP was very well deserved, and, as stated earlier, he was the only consistent player on the Steelers offense. He was also finally named to the Pro Bowl after eight seasons. The ironic thing being the timing - because of the injury he was forced had to miss it.

I am hopeful that he will return this season. The Steelers offense should be able to manage to hold it together in his absence and win some games. Even without Wallace, I believe they can weather the storm of Miller's absence. Then, when he is able to return, this could be one of those stories for the ages: The Unsung Hero returns and the Steelers offense go on a roll.

I am realistic in that they need some other pieces and I believe they will address them this offseason. I, unlike other Steelers fans, am not throwing in the towel on this season. I am well aware its going to be tough and hard road but if any team can do it this team can. They have to do it, and make it worth his returning.

If It Ain't Steel's 2012 NFL Awards and Super Bowl Predictions

by Jayden Matthews

The NFL regular season has now ended and the debate can truly begin as to whom will win the yearly awards as well as which teams will take the coveted ultimate prize - the Super Bowl.

We at If It Ain’t Steel wrote a piece mid-season where we made predictions for the season awards based on what we knew then. Now that the season has shown us everything, we are going to follow that up to see if it has changed any and to make our official prognostications. Then, when the awards are announced, you can refer back to this to see if we hit it on the head (or, if Jason was wrong), and also if our Super Bowl prediction holds up. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2012/11/nfl-mid-season-grades.html

The MVP Award: We predicted that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning would win this in our mid-season article, and that has not changed. Though, there is a candidate who ended up making a good case for himself: Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. A.P., also known as A.D. for "All Day", cemented himself in the Most Valuable Player talk with a monster year. After coming back from an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and MCL (medial collateral ligament) injury that some thought would sideline him for some of the season, A.P. did not miss a single game and coming within nine yards of the recognized single-season NFL rushing record. - http://tinyurl.com/a6d6tro

We still believe Peyton, "The Sheriff", has the edge because, like A.P., he came back from what some considered a career-ending injury. Some, myself included, didn't think The Sheriff would make it much past the first game, let alone all season. But he did far more than that, he led the Broncos to a 13-3 season and the first seed in the AFC Playoff chase. The Sheriff played the way he always played, deadly lethal, again making household names out of ordinary receivers. For those reasons, we believe that Peyton “The Sheriff” Manning will deservedly win the MVP award.

As for A.P., we still believe that, though this and the MVP awards could ultimately be flipped, "Purple Jesus" has the Comeback Player of the Year award...all day.

Defensive Player of the Year: We predicted the Houston Texans J.J. Watt at the mid-season and that, like our MVP, hasn’t changed. San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith was building a good resume, but in the end we still believe it will be Watt. He led the league with 20.5 sacks, had 81 tackles, 16 passes defensed (which is more than some defensive backs), four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a partridge in a pear tree. Though the Texans Defense struggled down the stretch, the AFC's Defensive Player of the Month for December didn’t. He may even be more feared right now than Clay Matthews...no quarterback wants to see No. 99 coming for them right now.

Coach of the Year: We really didn’t make a choice on this one because there seemed to be a lot of good choices at the time. Arguably, one could say that Indianapolis Colts "interim-head coach" Bruce Arians deserves consideration, naturally, though, he won’t get it because he is still just an offensive coordinator. If he could be, though, he would be my (Jayden's) clear cut choice. What Arians was able to do with the Colts, to keep them winning in the absence of their head coach Chuck Pagano as he battled cancer, is nothing short of amazing. No one really give the Colts a chance once Pagano went out, but Arians took the bull by the horns and led them to a winning season and a playoff spot. Even his former team's (former) players admit he's a good coach. Way to go Brucey!!! - http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4681828/spaeth-arians-helps-qbs-succeed

So, while there are only a few truly viable choices, this even put my partner-in-crime and I in a quandary of as to who should get the nod. So, we are each going to make our individual cases for who we think will win.

Jayden: John Fox I believe John Fox is the best choice for Coach of the Year. He took the Broncos from 8-8 last year to 13-3 this year and in the playoffs again. Yes, my partner argues that it was because of Peyton, and we both do say that Peyton makes any coach look great. While that is true, I still just think that he deserves the nod. Even though he has Peyton now, he still had to provide Peyton a dominant defense as a compliment in order to have a chance at the last dance. To his credit, he has done that. He has slowly built a great team in Denver that keeps a smile on John Elway’s face. Therefore, I believe he deserves that nod and should get it. Peyton doesn’t may not need coaching, but the rest of the players do.

Jason: My choice for the coaching award is, once again, Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons. But, I admit that his winning it in 2008 may put a damper on this prediction. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, there have been only been six repeat winners (Chuck Knox{3x}, Joe Gibbs, Mike Ditka, Bill Parcells, Dan Reeves and Bill Belichick {3x}), but I believe his team's consistant performance all season, pulling them up from an average 2011, gets "Smitty" the trophy this season.

Rookie of the Year: Andrew Griffith 1.5 - No, we didn’t have a clear cut choice then and we still don’t now that the season is over. RGIII and Luck are arguably the best rookies to come into the NFL at the same time in a long time. At the quarterback position at the very least. Both are playing very well and both will be in the playoffs this year as the 4th and 5th seeds in their respective conferences. So, we still are at a quandry over coming to a clear choice because an entire article could be written making a case for either of them. Not to mention the fact that another emerged as a solid choice, the rookie playing for the Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson.

Wilson has also played well enough to be in consideration for this honor. And oh, yeah, he has his team in the playoffs as well. So, with that being said, we're going to go out on a limb and say that the 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year will be Russell Luck III. We know it's a bit of a cop out, but we have no idea which one of these guys will win it.

That now brings us to our Super Bowl prediction, which naturally will not involve a repeat champion considering the Giants missed the playoffs. With the Pittsburgh Steelers also on early vacation, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger cannot participate in helping keep the streak alive of one of only three teams representing the AFC in the big show. However, while the Colts and the New England Patriots are in the playoffs, Manning is with Denver now. There is still a chance that either he or the Patriots Tom Brady, the other two QBs in this streak, could be in the Super Bowl and we believe the streak will remain intact.

We chose the Texans and the Chicago Bears as our early picks, and that has definitely changed. The Bears took a turn for the worse and missed the playoffs, and while the Texans at the time were arguably the best team in the AFC, they are not anymore. The Texans were sitting pretty in the No. 1 spot for a long time, but fell down to the third seed in the AFC and now may have to take their act on the road. We believe the Denver Broncos will come out of the AFC and that The Sheriff will fire his six-gun all the way to New Orleans and could walk away with another piece of jewelry in the process. On that, we agreed. The NFC, not so much.

As stated earlier, there will be a new team emblem on the NFC side of the Super Bowl ensign. My partner and I have once again disagreed on who that will be. Shocking, I know. So we are going to again make our case just like with coach of the year.

Jayden: I think the Seattle Seahawks will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. They are playing lights out right now and have a very good defense. They have been on a tear as of late with Wilson and Marshawn Lynch going all "Beast Mode" on defenses. The though that they could not win on the road has been laid to rest with wins over Buffalo and Chicago. They have a ball-hawking secondary that can pick you off or force a team to fumble and are poised to make a strong run and make it to the big show. I know I may be wrong on this, but I like the Seahawks chances.

Jason: As long as Justin Smith is on the field, the defense of the San Francisco 49ers and the Colin Kaepernick-led offense will take them to The Big Easy. Linebackers Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith get more of the publicity, but defensive tackle Justin Smith is the glue to their front seven that solidifies a bruising and stingy unit. Add to that a running game led by Frank Gore, and the 49ers should see their first NFC Championship and Super Bowl berth since 1994.

There you have it, If It Ain't Steel's final 2012 season award and Super Bowl predictions. Come February 4th, we'll see how many of our prophecies came true.

Hines Ward Hired To NBC As Part Of Their Sports Team

We knew this was coming. We knew we'd see that smile again.

Early Thursday it was announced that former Pittsburgh Steelers wide reciever Hines Ward will be a part of the network's Football Night in America/Sunday Night Football as well as other NFL-related roles.

Ward, who announced his retirement on March 20, 2012, was drafted in the 1998 NFL Draft's third round and played 14 seasons, all with the Steelers. He racked up multiple franchise records, including receptions (1,000), receiving yards (12,083) and receiving touchdowns (85). He was also a four-time Pro Bowl selection, three-time second team All-Pro selection and played in three Super Bowls, winning two. In Super Bowl XL, Hines Ward was the MVP with five receptions for 123 yards, one rush for 18 yards, and the game-winning touchdown. He was also the best blocking wide receiver in the NFL and an excellent route runner who always seemed to find the open spot to save the Steelers. Hines Ward was the real man of steel.

"We think Hines is a perfect match for television because he brings with him a unique combination of charisma and football experience, which he demonstrated on our Super Bowl pre-game show from Indianapolis," said Sam Flood, executive producer, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network in a release that was issued to announce Ward's hiring. "He's an opinionated personality who can draw upon his 14 years of experience, having excelled at the highest levels of the game. Just don't expect him to dance."

Along with Aaron Rodgers, Ward appeared on NBC’s Super Bowl XLVI pre-game show, and he was also a part of the Oscar's Red Carpet coverage. So he's no stranger to a studio's bright lights, which is where that memorable smile should be in the first place.

One thing, though, to anyone reading this who may know Hines Ward. Please ask him, since he's not in the NFL anymore and can't get fined or suspended, to level Mike Florio who is also a part of the NBC SNF team. I mean just flatten him. Tell Hines to straight go Keith Rivers on Florio. Like this, remember? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPbraVljIrc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
That would make me very happy...and I would imagine it'd be great for ratings too. Don't y'all think?

BEN AND THE GANG IMPRESS IN GAME 2 OF THE PRESEASON

Last night the Steelers played their second preseason game. They played the self appointed "Dream Team" of the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles. Well what I saw was a repeat of the NBA finals and the, you know, other "Dream Team" getting exposed.  

The Steelers went from looking like hot garbage to looking like a contender again. Coach Mike Tomlin, after last week's loss, went off on the guys and they responded to the call.  We had to listen to the talking heads all week saying that Michael Vick was better than Ben Roethlisberger, Philly was the team to beat, and so on and so forth. As a Steelers fan I am used to the skepticism of my team. But once again, as a Steelers fan, I was left a happy camper over the way my team responded.

First off I will address the Vick is better than Big Ben talk, which Big Ben pretty well squashed on his own last night. For one, what has Vick, done to deserve all this hype? Yes, he is a good player. One who came back from disgrace and had a good season. But so did Big Ben. I mean was Big Ben not suspended for four games and came back and led his team to another SB? Vick, on the other hand, made an early exit at the hands of the current champs. So there you go.

But still, Ben isn't all that great. Well as a fan ,again, I am used to it but it makes me furious. So now I am going to be Nancy Grace, so to speak, and defend a wronged  person.That wronged person would be Ben Roethlisberger.

The talking heads have always done this to Big Ben and have never given him the accolades he deserves. They seem to forget the fact that in seven seasons Ben has been to 3 Super Bowls and has won 2 of them. He has the highest playoff win percentage of current quarterbacks, including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees and Philip Rivers. You know, the other QBs the talking heads love to love. He played in 12 games last season and still had very impressive stats. I have to believe that, if he had played all 16 games, he would have been right up there with all the other media-appointed greats. Even though he lost in the SB, with the Steelers having turned the ball over 3 times, Big Ben was still only within six points of winning a third SB and tying Tom Brady in that department. But that will come. I have a feeling Big Ben will not only tie Brady , he will pass him and another Steelers QB in that category. Just sayin.

Last night Big Ben, being the champion he is, came out and made the so-called experts look foolish once again.  He had a great showing, even after taking a hit to the knees that should have been flagged and was not. (Shocking, I know). Ben threw for 2 TDs and had no turnovers. He even ran the ball effectively to get out of a jam and did that scrambling, moving, shaking and making something happen when the play breaks down thing he does so well. You know, what the talking heads love to hate and bag on the guy for. He also had a passer rating of 140.6 to end the night, giving me and other Steeler fans that satisfaction of being proud he is our QB.  I know that Big Ben's style of play isn't worthy of making him a fantasy darling or anything like that, but, the last time I checked, fantasy stats do not win Championships. Big Ben and his style have. 

Now Vick on the other hand had, let's just say, not so good of a showing. He threw for 3 INTS and no TDs. So he is better than Ben, huh? Just to throw it out there, Vick is 2-4 in the playoffs. Big Ben is 10-3. So how is Vick better again?   

Again I will say it, Vick did have a good season last year and impressed a lot of people. Even getting him into the MVP talks, an honor which Tom Brady earned and won.  But is Vick better than Big Ben? I don't think so. Not yet anyway. 

So before you go appointing him the best or even better than any other QB who has proven their worth, let him do...something.  Let's see if he can come out and have another such season. Let him take another team to the playoffs and past the first round. If last night was any indication, and I know this is just preseason where teams look to work out the bugs, then frankly I wasn't impressed at all. Yes, he had a good showing against the Ravens D, but, then, maybe the Ravens aren't as good as people would like to believe either. But that is a whole other blog, not going there right now. But I will be addressing it, I am sure, as the season moves along.  

The so-called experts already have the self-proclaimed "Dream Team" winning the SB this year, which is ridiculous. There are other noteworthy teams out there, including the reigning champs, that deserve that hype as well. All you hear about on the Steelers is they will have the SB hangover and how hard it is to get back after losing, again bagging on the Steelers any chance they get.

Now since I have that off my chest, on to the other highlights of the game. Antonio Brown once again impressed.  He has been one those jewels that Kevin Colbert and Co. seem to find that comes up big for the Steelers. That kid is straight up ballin' and making his mark. They are also showing other teams around the league that the speedster Mike Wallace is not the only Steelers receiver that you are going to have account for. Brown also had an impressive end zone dance after his TD. Then the real man of Steel, Hines Ward, got in on the action and showed that, yes , he's still got game too, and you very well better account for him. And on a side note his dance at the end of his catch showed why he is also the Champ of Dancing with the Stars and me and my panel gave him 10's across the board. Mendy and Redzone Redman also had impressive showings. Newly acquired receiver Jerricho Cotchery also got in on the action with an impressive catch from Leftwich for 29 yards and showed that we have another weapon for Ben to work with. Underrated TE Heath Miller even had an impressive catch and Arnaz Battle made an impression with some of his catches.  The only sore spot was the O-line. The injury bug hit once again for them. Jonathan Scott and Marcus Gilbert both went out with injuries and are making O-line coach Kugler earn his money once again this season. So if they get that issue corrected and keep Ben vertical, he has all the weapons to conten and even light up the scoreboard if needed.  

Now onto our awesome Defense. Once again they impressed, Clark, Lewis and Troy came up with INTs and the line was in the quarterback's faces all night. They showed that they may be old, as the talking heads have been saying, but they have not missed a step. The first team completely dominated this game. So if that is what we get all season, I will take them old fellas any day of the week and twice on Sunday.  

All in all after their showing against the Redskins, and, yes, they looked horrible, they have made the necessary adjustments to get things corrected as they always do and will only improve. So this fan is pumped up for the season ahead! I see big things for our underrated QB and our old defense.  

HINES WARD : HALL OF FAMER?

Written by Jason Robinson

  The image is etched in my memory: Ben Roethlisberger gets the ball from Jeff Hartings the center, turns right and pitches back left to Fast Willie Parker. It's a sweep left and the Seattle Seahawks have to respect Parker's speed. As Parker runs he hands the ball to Antwaan Randle El on the Reverse and, with help from a key block from Roethlisberger, Randle El throws the ball to an open Hines Ward for the touchdown. Ward skipped into the end zone, smiling as he always does, sealing the victory in Super Bowl XL. Ring number five, one for the thumb. Hines Ward was the MVP with five catches for 123 yards and a touchdown, plus one rush for 18 yards, and it was the first time I truly gave thought to his being a candidate for the Hall of Fame.

    Since then Ward has been the real man of steel as one of the Steelers truest leaders and unquestioned captain of the wide receivers. His play over the years has caused him to have virtually every Steelers receiving record. The only Steelers' records he doesn't have are receptions in a single game, receiving yards in a season, receiving yards in a game and 100-yard games in a season. All the important numbers, though, he has. He even has the hardware: two Rings in three Super Bowl appearences, including the aforementioned MVP award. So he's an all-time great from a Steelers standpoint, but the real question is whether he makes the HOF or not.


    When I think of someone worthy of the Hall of Fame I think of someone truly great. Like Peter King once said, "This isn't the Hall of Very Good." Well said, and well received. Well, then, what is "great?" We could use the dictionary definition for the word, but for these purposes it essentially means someone who is or does something that is large or prodigious in proportion, has significant impact, value and worth, has influence on others and leaves behind some form of legacy. In the case of the NFL, it would also mean being the best for a period of time. That means we can't just look at numbers. You can skew numbers to fit whatever you want. I could throw Terrell Owen's numbers at you and present them in such a way to make you think he's the greatest thing since Stretch Armstrong. *sigh* I miss that toy. It was just so cool! Stretch him all around anything I wanted. But I digress... Anyway, the truth is that Owens has great numbers to be sure, but he also has been a pariah wherever he has played. He's torn teams apart and, on top of that, you never had to worry about your popcorn in the playoffs because he's never won a significant playoff game. So is he truly great? No.

    Not that the HOF necessarily takes character into consideration, but being arrested for Cocaine possession, i.e. Michael Irvin, is something that happens outside of the game. Derailing and/or breaking teams up, though, directly deals with the game itself. So that means that one such as the aforementioned Owens would fail when graded against that particular criterium. Does Ward? How, in fact, does Ward fair against the criteria set up in general? As I alluded to before, numbers are only one part of this. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, he has the numbers to warrant having his smiling bust in Canton despite never being the absolute best any given year. So let's look at the proposed definition and go from there.

    Part of the definition proposed was "someone who is or does something prodigious in proportion." Hines Ward has certainly had a prodigious career as he holds all of the most significant of Steelers receiving records as was mentioned before. He has been a key component to reaching the playoffs 7 of the last 10 years and to reaching the Super Bowl three times in six years. He is a four-time Pro Bowler, a Super Bowl MVP and still one of the best blocking WRs in the League.

    Another criteria put forth was one's impact, value and worth. The "impact" Ward has had on players over the years is well documented. Ed Reed found this out in a 2004 when he wasn't paying close enough attention to his surroundings and was knocked out cold by a legal block by Ward. So clean and devastating was the blow that Ward immediately signaled to the Ravens' sideline for them to come get him. If it had been a cartoon there would have been little birds flying around Reed's head. After the game Reed was asked what he thought of the hit. He said, "(snore)". Then there was the, again, legal block on Keith Rivers in '08. Rivers also neglected to keep his head on a swivel as to what was going on in his vicinity and paid for it. The block so jolted Rivers that it broke his jaw. You can find Rivers at the downtown Cincinnati Jamba Juice drinking his dinner if you want to ask him his thoughts on Hines Ward's blocking ability. I bring these examples up because they and others resulted in a rules change by the NFL that is affectionately (ahem) referred to as "The Hines Ward Rule." That, ladies and gentlemen, is impact. The value and worth part of that is simple: he's incredibly valuable to his team as he not only does whatever is needed for his team to win, but they see that this is the case and have voted him captain or team MVP multiple times.


    The influence and legacy that Ward will leave behind is summed up in a series of names: Burress, Randle El, Holmes, Wallace, and, soon to surely be added, Sanders and Brown. All of whom are at least Super Bowl participants and two have Super Bowl game-winning touchdown catches. His influence on them is great. These receivers to a man have spoken extremely highly of Ward and his influence, work ethic and leadership on the field and in the locker room. He is greatly respected and admired as a football player and as a man. When I watch NFL Films replays of practices, games or otherwise and I see the other receivers standing there listening to him as if to a father, I can't help but to smile. When the word "honor" is used in conjunction with Hines Ward, it isn't contextually, "Yes, Your Honor." The honor, admiration and respect for Ward is real and is boundless. Even when opposing players hate him, they still have to respect him. That, my friends, is greatness.

    So, yeah, I could have thrown out stat after stat to make a case for Hines Ward to don a yellow jacket, but he's greater than the sum of his parts. Pure stats don't do him justice, because he's a Hall of Famer on and off the field. Will he get in on the first ballot? I'd have to say no, but I believe that a Hall of Famer is simply a Hall of Famer. So expect to see him up on that podium, oh, sometime in early 2020's. But expect him nonetheless.