Time For The Landry Jones Era To Begin; The Devil Went Down To...

by Jayden Matthews

Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed most of their draft picks and have also now signed center Maurkice Pouncey to an extension, they're faced with a bit of a dilemma. That being the getting of their franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger extended. 

With the contracts for quarterbacks skyrocketing here lately at a fierce pace, should the Steelers pay big money to Big Ben in order to keep him? I say...no.

If Big Ben wants to play hardball and demand all that money that Colin Kaepernick, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan and others have gotten, then let Big Ben ride the big bench and ring in the Landry Jones era. 

Many thought the Steelers wasted a draft pick on selecting Landry Jones, but I say it's time to see what this kid's got. Why not just throw him in the fire and see if the barbecue smokes?

Move over bacon, there's somethin' meatier!

If Ben wants to be overpaid like the rest of these guys, show him who the boss is!

I mean, it isn’t like that last season Ben really did anything to help the Steelers. He had a horrendous start where he himself had nine of the team's 20 turnovers before the bye. Sure, he ended with a QB Rating of 92.0, 28 touchdown passes, 4,261 passing yards and a completion percentage of 64.2%, but he had nowhere to go but UP! 

Plus, who in tarnation who wants a QB who plays every snap, sets records for completions in a season (375) and had a 2-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio while becoming the franchise's career leader in TD passes (219)? Why would we pay this guy??? Let him be a Divo!

Even if he did lead his team to three Super Bowls while winning two of them, that still doesn’t warrant a big contract, does it? 

If I've got a guy like Landry Jones on the bench that could potentially step right in and take over, why wouldn't I use him? I mean, we are in rebuild mode anyway. So why not? 

When Landry was at Oklahoma, he accounted for...well, he threw for...uh, he won...well, he did a lot! This guy really brings something to the table! He could be the next Bobby Douglas or Craig Morton for all we know, so we have to give him a shot!

Why are we even thinking about giving Big Ben an extension when we have this guy on the roster already and have him for the next three years?  

Let's not even bother getting a deal done fo...oh, forget it. I can't do this anymore... My eyes hurt from reading this hogwash. To everyone that made it this far without busting their computer and cussing us to no end, enough with the foolishness. 

Anyone who thought for one second that If It Ain’t Steel would actually entertain the thought of sitting our beloved Big Ben for one snap, unless it was due to injury, for Landry Jones must be so dumb that if you went bobbin' in a barrel of boobs, you'd still come up suckin' your thumb. This obvious SATIRE!

Y'all know we have to do this every once in a while to keep you on your toes. By the way, we said his whole name, Landry Jones, each time because they will have the only times you'll hear it all season. ;-)

~

"THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO...PITTSBURGH"

The devil went down to Pittsburgh, he was lookin' for a soul to steal. 
He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind. He was willing to make a deal
When he came across this young scribe writin' down her latest thoughts
And the Devil sidled up next to her and said "Girl, let me tell you what."

"I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a writer, too.
And if you'd care to take a dare I'll make a bet with you.
Now you write a pretty good blog, girl, but give the Devil his due.
I'll bet a Mont Blanc of gold against your soul 'cause I think I'm better than you."

The scribe said, "My name's Jayden, and it might be a sin,
But I'll take your bet; and you're gonna regret 'cause I'm the best there's ever been."

The Devil opened up his case and he said, "I'll start this off."
And fire flew from his fingertips as he brushed his shoulders off.
And he started crackin' his knuckles and flexin' his wrists.
And a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this.

"As I reported earlier...I'm the devil incarnate,
To overload with meaningless stats, I stay up late,
No sleep do I need, just Xanex and weed, 
And on a coffee IV will I feed. 
In eight short bars I'll prove I'm the best, no reason
To question. I'm all you need all through football season. 
I'm the best, and if you ever challenge me, bright eyes, 
I'll stomp and scream and claim you plagiarize."

When the Devil finished, Jayden said, "You ain't even pretty good ol' son,
So just sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done."

"I'm a lyrical miracle, you can call me the pinnacle
Proper breathing is critical, take a breath and now here I go! 
I could fly the TARDIS like The Doctor all through time
And never find anything weaker than that so-called rhyme.
Battling you, son, ain't even worth the hassle
When ya think your filet mignon but ya ain't even White Castle.  
Now lemme put it so you understand - I'm LeGarrette Blount: I rumble!
You're Rashard Mendenhall...fumble.

...now, retire."

The Devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat.
And he laid that gold Mont Blanc on the ground at Jayden's feet.
Jayden said, "Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again,
I done told you once—you son of a bitch—I'm the best that's ever been."

And she played:

"Fire on the Mountain." Run, boys, run!
The Devil's in the house of the rising sun;
The chicken's in the bread pan picking out dough.
Granny, will your dog bite? No, child, no."
...
original lyrics by Charlie Daniels

This wasn't *ahem* about anyone. It was purely *cough* a fictitious event. Any representation of resemblance of anyone, dead, alive or who subsists on Xanex and coffee, is purely coincidental.  

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." 

~

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

~

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

~

"@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."

Mike Munchak - Steelers' Best Offseason Addition to Offensive Line

Forrest Gregg, Norm Van Brocklin, Jack Del Rio... Not all great NFL players turn out to become great NFL coaches. The Pittsburgh Steelers, however, seem to have a knack for finding the ones that do. 

New offensive line coach Mike Munchak played 12 years in the NFL, was a 10-time All Pro and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001. Credentials laudable enough to create for him a "very high" degree of deference.

“He understands each player is different. He understands how to cater to everyone,” Ramon Foster said of Munchak. “The respect factor is very high. … It's a joy right now to be taking advice and coaching from him.” -  http://tinyurl.com/qyu2mq7

As the Tribune-Review's Alan Robinson points out further in his article, his 'understanding that each player is different' is because he "adjusts to them rather than being one who insists the linemen adjust to him," especially because he is still learning about his group. 

Munchak believes that "starters Beachum, Ramon Foster, Pouncey, DeCastro and Marcus Gilbert and backups Mike Adams, Cody Wallace, Guy Whimper, Wesley Johnson and others" have the chance to be a special group. 

Munchak does, after all, have two first rounders and two second rounders amongst those starters. He not only has Pouncey, one-time First-team All Pro, coming back from ACL surgery, but also guard David DeCastro, whom he should be able to take to the next level. DDC started road-grading his opponents in the second half of last season, and has the chance to become one of the best guards in the NFL via Munchak’s tutelage. 

Left tackle protection picked up appreciably in the second half of the season, also, when Kelvin Beachum was installed, but Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert are of greater interest. 

The Steelers invested high draft picks in both of them and neither has been great, although Gilbert has been serviceable. They will be Munchak's biggest challenge in helping this group to pick up where they left off in 2013.

Wallace, Whimper and this year's fifth-round draft pick Wesley Johnson rate high on the list of those who'll be the most likely backups. 

In reverse order, the fifth-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt, Johnson, has nice height (6'5"), but he's not even three bills (297 LBs), which indicates he'll need to get bigger and stronger to survive in the NFL. Being that he played all positions on a zone-blocking offensive line in college, Johnson will likely be moved into the role of swing lineman that was held by Beachum before he was inserted at left tackle. 

Whimper was signed back in March to a one-year veteran minimum of $920,000 ($635K against the Salary Cap), of which only $65,000 is guaranteed. Which means he'd only be a $65K dead money hit if released. 

The possibility of that happening increases if Fernando Velasco's achilles injury heals to the point where's ready to go by Training Camp. He had said he'd be back for OTAs, but achilles injuries take longer than that. Time will tell, therefore, on Velasco who brilliantly took Pouncey's place at center when he went down.  

It was then that the 2008 fourth-round draft pick, Wallace, took Velasco's place at center upon his injury against the Baltimore Ravens. Both men can play center or guard. Wallace, also, though has a nasty streak and physicality about him that showed when he responded by proving himself emphatically over the final month of the season.

The Steelers signed Wallace to a three-year deal back on March 12th.

These men are the core of an offensive line that allowed just seven sacks over the final seven games and helped boost the running game to more than a 100 yard per game average and to 4.0 yards per carry. 

Munchak has said that he isn't changing much terminology from when Bicknell, jr. was the OLine coach, and believes they can be molded into a "special" unit that may still be a zone-blocking one. -  http://tinyurl.com/n2x4rga

Though sparingly used last season, such a system is well suited for running back Le'Veon Bell and can help the run game get going even more so. 

In the interview linked above, Munchak said about the scheme that "it stretches the defense. They’re not sure exactly where he’s going to cut. Watching [Bell] run the inside zone and some of the runs they’ve run, I can [see] he has very good vision, he has a good feel for the game, and it’s just a matter of him getting more reps at it." (Brackets ours)

Then throw in LaGarrette Blount taking part of the load and you have the makings of a powerful ground game. And sharing the load to make for a more lethal corps is something Bell is "definitely" on board with.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Bell said. “We’re going to give defenses different looks, a change of pace. [Blount will] bring that power to the game and bring a lot more tough yardage. I won’t have to get all that tough yardage runs. I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m excited about it.”

And Steeler Nation should be excited that Mike Munchak is making it all possible. 

~

TIDBITS: Flashback on FA additions this offseason:

Mike Mitchell, S, March 11th
Greg Warren*, LS, March 12th
Cody Wallace*, C/G, March 12th,
Cam Thomas, DE/NT, March 14th,
Guy Whimper*, G/T, March 17th,
Michael Palmer*, TE, March 21st
Lance Moore, WR, March 21st,
Arthur Moats, LB, March 24th,
LaGarrette Blount, RB, March 28th,
Brice McCain, CB, April 1st,
Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, April 2nd,
Eric Olsen, C, April 3rd,
Adam Podleah, P , April 15th

* indicates own free agent signed

Ryan Shazier's Bold Prediction: Super Bowl In Steelers' Near Future?

The Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft pick Ryan Shazier is already making quite an impression. Not all of it may being so good. 

As the Steelers OTAs began Tuesday, Shazier lined up as first team Mack linebacker, with his speed and aggressiveness turning heads. However, not all have appreciated his aggressive play. Ask recently-returned center Maurkice Pouncey.  

“I didn’t want to break rule No. 10,” said Pouncey, referring to coach Mike Tomlin’s edict which forbids fighting.

He said this because, as reported by Chris Bradford of TimesOnline.com, "Shazier threw down C Maurkice Pouncey during a drill." He tried to "make amends," but Pouncey wasn't having it." -  http://tinyurl.com/n6svq3t

Shazier, buddy, c'mon. Love the aggression, but we can't have Pouncey hurt...again. 

But the impetus of this article is born of a tweet by Shazier (@RyanShazier on Twitter) on Monday when he portended great things for the city of Pittsburgh when he wrote that within "5 years" the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates would all win a championship in their respective sports. 

Leaving the Pens and Bucs to hockey and baseball blogs, the question needs to be asked of the erstwhile Pittsburgh Pirates: Are the Steelers close to reaching and winning another Super Bowl?

First off, I think we have to acknowledge that winning a Super Bowl title involves a healthy dose of good fortune as well as skill. We all agree there? Good. 

That said, back in February of this year, If It Ain't Steel laid out what we believed were the seven musts for this offseason. In it we wrote, among other things, that the Steelers need to make sure to have few changes on offense. Because, make no mistake, the offense wasn't the problem. -  http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-seven-musts-for-steelers-2014.html

Sure, things started off badly as the offense was anemic early on. There were a plethora of turnovers - nine in the first four games by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger alone - and no offensive line to speak of - just 1,383 yards rushing, easily their fewest in a 16-game season at only 3.51 yards per carry.

Most all of this was early, however, and it turned around to the Steelers advantage in the second half of the season. 

Only the Carolina Panthers (7-1) had a better second-half record than the Steelers (6-2). To accomplish that, they scored 28.2 point average over the final nine games, they went from a -11 in turnovers in the first four games alone to +7 over the final eight, they allowed just seven sacks in the final seven games, they were a more efficient offense going 14-for-20 (touchdowns) in the red zone in the final six games, and they committed to the run more culminating in 461 yards gained with a 4.0 YPC average in the final four games. 

Not that the offense will just hit the ground running and automatically beat everyone 28-17, especially with the loss of wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and the addition of WR Lance Moore and also of running back LaGarrette Blount. By no means, though, is the offense the problem and won't ultimately be the reason this team fails. 

Unfortunately the same cannot be said about the defensive side of the ball.

The Steelers' porous defense surrendered 17 plays of 40 yards or more, including 11 of over 50 yards, last season. Five of those those 17 plays were runs, two of which being by quarterbacks. 

There is no way that can continue if the Steelers want to be successful. 

We have seen what a brutal, intimidating and opportunistic defense has done for the Steelers in the (recent) past, and we saw what such a defense did for the Seattle Seahawks this past season.

Having a high-powered offense can only get you so far. Just ask the Denver Broncos. Or the 2007 New England Patriots. Or almost any of the top offenses that have faced the top defenses in the Big Game. 

Even in this pass-happy, fantasy football-driven NFL, defense still wins championships. And the Steelers must successfully rebuild their unit into a dominant one if they want to be considered Super Bowl contenders again.

There is good news and bad news, however, when it comes to turning around those pathetic statistics and results. The bad news is that upgrading the defense isn't a quick fix. There were holes to fill everywhere - in the defensive line, in the linebacking corps and in the secondary. 

The good news is that the Steelers defense still has good players and very good coaches, although it is far from a Super Bowl-contending unit. But, even though it's too early to say definitively, via free agency and the NFL Draft, GM Kevin Colbert and company have seemingly brought together the appropriate pieces.

Finally, though we won't discuss it in detail here, the last thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is Special Teams. The return game is an area the Steelers are continually lacking, but which can only be benefitted by the addition of rookie Dri Archer. 

Well, was Shazier's prognostication valid and potentially accurate? 

It still may be a couple of years before the Steelers can call themselves Super Bowl contenders or even champions again, but that five-year window is certainly attainable. Why? The aforementioned Super Bowl champion Seahawks had back-to-back 7-9 seasons in 2010 and 2011. It is absolutely feasible. 

~

TIDBITS: Cam Thomas started at left defensive end opposite Cam Heyward during the first OTAs. Thomas will play both LDE and NT, much like Al Woods and Chris Hoke before him. Heyward is coming off a very good year - 59 tackles (35 solo), 30 QB pressures, 8 passes defended, 5 sacks and a fumble recovery. 

~

Markus Wheaton opened OTAs as the starting X receiver opposite Antonio Brown. He naturally has the inside track on the job, as that is why he was draft last year. 

"There are a lot of us chasing that spot," a humble Wheaton conceded. "It’s not mine. There’s a lot of good competition." The 5'11", 189-pound WR ran a 4.4/40 at the 2013 Combine.

~

ROLB Jarvis Jones said he hasn't really gained many actual pounds, but that he is much stronger and that he studied hard to be ready for the new season. 

~

According to the a Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly, the NFL’s transactions wire said that the Steelers were awarded former Alabama corner Deion Belue (5'11"/182 LBs) on waivers from Miami on Wednesday.

Belue was a two-season starter for the Crimson Tide, notching 60 tackles, breaking up 10 passes and recording three interceptions.

Steelers waived offensive tackle Kaycee Ike.

After Firing Bicknell, Steelers Already Have New OLine Coach In Mind

In Biblical times, two male goats were obtained from the assembled sons of Israel by the high priest for use on the annual Day of Atonement (now called Yom Kippur). One goat was designated for sacrifice as a sin offering, while the high priest symbolically laid the sins of the people on the other and it was led away to escape "into the wilderness.” - Leviticus 16:8,10,26.

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced the firing of offensive line coach Jack Bicknell, jr., essentially making him this year's scapegoat. Bicknell came aboard last year after Sean Kugler left to become the head coach at his alma mater UTEP.

We say scapegoat because of the good job he'd done and that 'somebody had to be blamed for the Steelers 8-8 season' mentality among much of the Steelers fan base.

The Steelers lost starting center Maurkice Pouncey and backup Fernando Velasco to season-ending injuries, and because of injury or inept play they had at least six different starting units and between 12-16 different combinations.

Despite those mole hills, they allowed just seven sacks in the final seven weeks. They also ran for 461 yards and a yards-per-carry average of over four (4.01) in the last four games of the season. Within that, featured running back Le'Veon Bell also broke the Steelers 22-game drought of 100-yard rushers, including running for 214 yards in the final two games with a 4.65 YPC average.

So, it's no wonder that players like tackles Marcus Gilbert and Kelvin Beachum said they felt they had grown and improved as a unit. - http://tinyurl.com/ksjm8tm

Nonetheless...

“I have decided to go in a different direction with respect to the coaching of our offensive line,” coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement on Steelers.com. “I want to thank Jack for his contributions during the 2013 season, and I wish him well in the future.”

With no clue or sense of rhyme or reason as to why this would happen, If It Ain't Steel capitulated to a superior intellect and insight in the form of Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Trib Total Media.

"Where Bicknell struggled, I’m...told, is in the area of individual instruction. ... And while Bicknell was loved by the players as a person, there’s also a sense I get that he might have lost them as a coach - fair or not - when times were toughest." - http://tinyurl.com/msh75do

That being the case, the Steelers are now looking for their third OLine coach in as many years. They already seemed to have set their sights one as well.

Jason Cole of the National Football Post has reported that the "Steelers have expressed interest in Carolina assistant offensive line coach Ray Brown to fill the vacancy created after the team fired offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. on Friday. For the time being, the Panthers have declined to let Brown interview, but are expected to let him talk to the Steelers about the job after the playoffs have concluded."

Brown spent 20 years in the NFL as a player for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. He was a part of the Redskins' 1991 Super Bowl winning team, and his best season was 2001 when he went to the Pro Bowl and was named to that year's All-Pro 2nd Team.

He has spent the last seven years working his way up through the coaching ranks. Notably, he was an assistant offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills starting in 2008, was hired as offensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers for the 2010 season, and then was hired as the assistant line coach for the Carolina Panthers in January of 2011.

Considering what Kovacevic wrote and the aforementioned road grading the OLine was finally doing in the final quarter of the season, maybe Tomlin felt that they could be the mauling blockers that Steelers teams in the past had. Possibly he then realized that they didn't need to switch to a zone blocking scheme after all, thus making Bicknell expendable.

Regardless, in a few weeks we'll all see if Brown is the next foreman of this group of hard hat-wearing road pavers.

Steelers Sign Center, Bring Back Dwyer - Is It Enough?

The news came through early Monday morning from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette. His simple tweet read, "#Steelers will re-sign RB Jonathan Dwyer." A move expected by many. A move that was to be followed by two more later on in the day. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers also brought in veteran kicker Shayne Graham to kick in place of Shaun Suisham who suffered a hamstring injury before the game and possibly hurt his toe with a misstep (resultant of the hamstring?) on the opening kickoff Sunday. Sushi is out 2-3 weeks. 

The move, though, that is of greatest interest deal with their offensive line. Veteran center/guard Fernando Velasco was signed to replace center Maurkice Pouncey who was placed on IR along with linebacker Larry Foote and running back LaRod Stephens-Howling. 

Velasco agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Steelers. He started 16 games last season for the Tennessee Titans, and graded out as the 11th ranked center last year by Pro Football Focus. A solid player who is likely going to step right in and be the Steelers starting center if he can make the calls. Definitely a solid move for the Steelers. 

Steel City Insider's Jim Wexell tweeted that he "watched new Steelers OL Fernando Velasco this preseason and (was) surprised he was available. Strong, some mobility. Quality pick-up."

Good. Because this team needs help on the offensive line, especially in pass blocking. The prime years of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could be wasted if matters aren't rectified quickly. The signing of Velasco aids that.

As for the OLine woes in general, this is a problem that has been going in for years now. Yes, this is a young line that is still gelling as a unit, but their learning curve must be shortened greatly if the season, and Big Ben's career, can be salvaged. 

Big Ben actually looked good at timed, despite five sacks. Like Bouchette said in a column on Monday, though, it isn't a trend the team needs to see develop.

"That absolutely cannot continue. If they have to chuck the whole zone blocking scheme and re-sign Max Starks, something’s got to be done before this thing really goes into the dumpster." - http://tinyurl.com/no24t9t

The Steelers offensive line woes in the last few years have become almost as legendary as the offensive line dominance that the team had since Ray Mansfield anchored the "big uglies." 

For decades the Steelers OLine punished defensive lines opening holes for the likes of Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Barry Foster and Jerome Bettis. Even during the years of lesser known running backs like Ernest Jackson, Walter Abercrombie, Frank Pollard, Merril Hoge and something called a Rich Erenberg, there was room to run. And run they did- the Steelers still lead the NFL in rushing yards gained since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger.

Those Steelers lines also provided time for the quarterbacks to throw the ball. They threw it proficiently, even dynamically. Simply put, the Steelers OLine was stout for the better part of 35 years.

Lately, though, the line is less Achilles and more achilles heel. Yes, the Steelers did go to three Super Bowls in six years, winning two of them. But it could be argued that the OLines that went to and won those Super Bowls were the worst to ever do so. It seems they have done just enough, along with having a tough-as-nails quarterback to absorb some of the blows, to consistently win.

To repeat Bouchette, "that absolutely cannot continue."

The only lanes the running backs see opened up to them on a regular basis are those they see when the team plane touches down in opposing team's cities. For Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall to be 1,000-yard rushers behind those OLines was nothing short of amazing.

The Steelers mentality under GM Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin has seemingly been to simply develop lower-round offensive linemen, yet not to go after bigger names in the NFL Draft. Granted, that changed recently with the drafting of four OLinemen in the first or second rounds in the last three NFL Drafts. But, is it too little, too late for Big Ben? If so, might that signify being the same for those in charge of the draft also?

At a post-draft press conference in 2008, a question was posed to Colbert and Tomlin regarding the Steelers issues on the offensive line. Tomlin provided a seemingly acceptable answer by saying that 'one way to aid the passing game and the getting of the ball out of the quarterback's hand quicker is to provide him multiple targets', or words to that effect. 

Ok, that seemed fair enough at the time - a team does need to be versatile and even explosive. But, what have those weapons reaped recently? 

As Terry Silver told Danny LaRusso in The Karate Kid III, "A man can't stand, he can't fight." Well, if Ben can't stay upright, he can't fight to get his receivers the ball. It isn't just Big Ben, either. 

There are few holes through which the running backs can even run. And when there are no holes, when the pocket breaks down before it even forms, when there is immediate penetration from the defense, the weapons simply don't matter. 

The aforementioned Steelers running back and current ESPN analyst Merril Hoge, when speaking of the 2011 Steelers-Colts Sunday Night Football game, said, "Penetration is the number-one killer of a running game: it neutralizes the point of attack, it deters your instincts as a runner, it dictates where you're going to go and it destroys you as a runner." 

Few running backs can thrive in that environment. It has also affected Big Ben. Look at Tom Brady Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. He had clean pockets all day. They scored 24 points. Aaron Rodgers? Under some duress, but it was manageable. They lost, but scored 28 points. Peyton Manning? Yeah... 

At the risk of going to the well once too often, "that absolutely cannot continue."

The Steelers Find No Safety At Home, Lose 16-9 To Titans

The Pittsburgh Steelers got off to a great start Sunday when Darius Reynaud of the Tennessee Titans took the opening kickoff back a step into the end zone to kneel the ball which resulted in a safety. The Steelers led 2-0 with just three seconds off of the clock. The fastest score in the history of the NFL. 

Squeamish and/or bandwagon pom-pom waving fans should stop reading now. 

When the ensuing kickoff was taken by Antonio Brown for 16 yards to the 41-yard line, it officially ended the highlights on the day for the Steelers as they, aside from a garbage-time touchdown, did little else en route to a 16-9 loss. 

What happened next was a comedy of errors rivaling anything ever written by Shakespeare. They're the 2012 Steelers in a form of déjà vu. - http://tinyurl.com/ooyboco

All the problems that plagued the team last season reared their ugly heads again on Sunday. The offensive line was porous (five sacks, 32 yards and zero first down rushing), offense stalled from dropped passes, turnovers (fumbles and an interception), lack of its own pass rush (one sack and minimal pressure), lack of forced turnovers and too many injuries. 

The last one being in the forms of Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey (ACL & MCL) and Larry Foote being done for the season. The Steelers had several other injuries as well. LaRod Stephens-Howling (knee) needing surgery and likely gone for the season also, Cortez Allen (ankle), Shaun Suisham (toe/hamstring and could be out 2-3 weeks) and Ryan Clark (knee?) all went down at one point in the game.

At some point it has to be considered more than just being "snake bit." But, ultimately the team has no one to blame but themselves. -

“That was the problem, we did it late and we couldn’t do it early enough,’’ Ben Roethlisberger said. “It was just little things here and little things there.’’ - http://tinyurl.com/pj52uu9

Big Ben connected on 21 of 33 passes for 191 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Steelers, who came in with 10 straight victories in home openers, the longest active streak in the league. 

Last season Big Ben headed into the Titans' game poised to surpass Steelers Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw as the team's all-time leading passer. He went into Sunday's game ready to pass 30,000 yards for his career. Neither milestone was accompanied by a win. Both losses were because of lack of execution and mistakes.

"The first [fumble] was a [bad] quarterback-to-running back exchange. I never had it. Ben said he got it out slow because he was working with a new center," said Isaac Redman per Ken Laird. "We were supposed to have two tailbacks in the game. I looked up to see if we could flag Felix (Jones) on the field. They put DJ (David Johnson) at tailback." - http://tinyurl.com/puozazr

While it is true that that the exchange wasn't clean, this sounds more like an excuse than a reason. Absent is the "it's my fault and I'll make it right next time" tone. He would fumble again only to recover the second one. Was the running game affected by Pouncey going out?

"We didn't execute. They did. They had a nice plan. Our plan could've been better under the circumstances." - http://tinyurl.com/oxbf3r8

The loss of Pouncey, which Marcus Gilbert referred to as "freak play" and "no one's fault", is unmistakably a major one. He was one of the team captains and a three-time Pro bowl center. This loss is dangerous to a team who's offensive line is already held together with spit and chicken wire. 

It doesn’t get any easier for the Steelers, either, as they travel to Cincinnati Monday Night Football. Some pick the Bengals the best team in the AFC North, and if the Steelers struggled at home against Tennessee, how will they fair against a motivated James Harrison, Geno Atkins and the rest of the Bengals?

Regardless, regardless of how utterly pathetic, inept and putrid they looked, it is human nature to still try and find bright spots. 

Bad week one to be certain, but there were some positives: Troy looked like Troy, Jarvis Jones and LaMarr Woodley made some plays and the rest of AFC North lost. 

Also, the 1989 Steelers lost to the Cleveland Browns (51-0) and Bengals (41-10) by a combined 92-10. They came back to finish 9-7 and make the playoffs. They even won their wild card playoff game. Who'd they defeat? The Houston Oilers - what the Titans used to be known as.