Steelers Attack Offseason With Blount Force Object

Let me be Blount...the Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be very serious about ending their streak of 8-8 seasons at two. Very serious. 

First, the Steelers signed safety Mike Mitchell formerly of the Carolina Panthers on the very first day of Free Agency. Not long after, they signed defensive tackle Cam Thomas (Chargers), wide receiver Lance Moore (Saints) and then linebacker Arthur Moats (Bills).

Now, true to the Tribune-Review's Alan Robinson's words that they'd have a veteran running back to help Le'Veon Bell by Friday, they have signed LeGarrette Blount. Thanks, in part to former Steelers draftee Patrick Bailey. (More on that in a minute.)

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter in a post on Twitter (@AdamSchefter), "Steelers gave RB LeGarrette Blount a two-year, $3.85M deal, including a $950K signing bonus." 

In a recent blog article, If It Ain't Steel referred to Blount as "battering ram" and a "Blount Force Object." The 27-year-old is just that as he ran for 772 yards last season with the New England Patriots. Those yards came on just 153 carries. That's a 5.04 yards per carry average. 

Blount is a strong, physical force. Just ask Byron Hout. -  http://youtu.be/DIp3vaAyffI

That marred Blount early on, showing a temper that got him suspended and also pushed him out of the 2010 NFL Draft. Blount, who had been projected to be a 5th-round draft prospect, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tennessee Titans. But after initially making the Titan's roster, they waived him to make room for needed linebacker help. One of those LBs was Patrick Bailey.

Blount was claimed off of waivers by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had a 1,000-yard rookie campaign. Two subsequent inconsistent seasons led him to being picked up by the Patriots - a move that paid off for both parties. 

Now the Steelers make it official that they have signed the 6'1", 250-pound back. -  http://stele.rs/1lsfDwN
WATCH: http://stele.rs/O6FdII 

The divisional-round domination of the Indianapolis Colts (24 carries for 166 yards) shows the potentially unstoppable combination of he and Bell. ("Killa B's"..."Bash Brothas"..."Bangers Ball"..."Blount Force Trauma, Inc"...? I'll work on their nickname.)

While Blount may not contribute much in the passing game and has 12 fumbles in four seasons, losing eight, his hard-nose running style (4.7 career YPC) makes for a valuable third-down, short-yardage and goal line ball-carrier. 

Add to that, his propensity for kick returns (29.06 yards per return last season) means an instant return on the Steelers' investment. Both of those traits give the Steelers something they've sorely been needing. 

Deliberation Of Penalties On Tomlin, Steelers Is Credibility Issue For NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was fined "$100,000 Wednesday for his actions on the sideline last Thursday in Baltimore" and "because the conduct affected a play on the field, a modification or forfeiture of draft choices will be considered after the final order of the 2014 draft has been determined," the NFL said in a statement.

In a statement released by Tomlin, he addressed the penalty this way: "As I stated yesterday, I take full responsibility for my actions, and I apologize for causing negative attention to the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. I accept the penalty that I received. I will no longer address this issue as I am preparing for an important game this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins."

In If It Ain't Steel's last article covering Tomlin's "SidelineGate", I was very clear that I didn't believe anything would happen to the Steelers themselves, i.e. a forfeiture of draft picks. What I said was:

"To honestly believe the NFL will actually take the quantum leap from a fine (knowing their true main objective is money) to taking away a draft pick is as viable as me walking into my closet and walking through it into a land where I find myself conversing with a talking lion." - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/12/tomlin-steelers-to-be-fined-but-wont.html

So, I was just in Narnia talking with Aslan and...

So, the fact that the Steelers could potentially lose a draft pick (a late-round draft pick is what is speculated) or see their picks somehow "modified" (moved from 17th to 32nd?) in the draft isn't the main issue for me. It's the elongated deliberation of the final decision.

If NFL is going to take or modify a Steelers draft pick, why wait until a later date? Why not simply announce it now and then announce the particulars at a later time? Why does there have to be so much time taken to make this decision? Consider this.

In 2007, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spent little time before handing down "SpyGate" fines to the New England Patriots that totaled approximately $750,000 ($500,000 for Bill Belichick, $250,000 for the team) and stripping New England of their first-round draft pick, though they already had a second first rounder that year, for the premeditated and willful video taping of teams for years. How little time? All of 6 days.

For premeditated and willful actions surrounding "BountyGate," the New Orleans Saints suffered a $500,000 fine and the loss of their second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 over that scandal. Sean Payton forfeited the entire 2012 season and his entire 2012 salary. Also, DC Gregg Williams was suspended for the season, GM Mickey Loomis for eight games and assistant coach Joe Vitt for six games. It took Goodell just under three weeks to mete out all that punishment.

Yet, for an unintentional and admitted "blunder" Goodell wants to wait as much as four months to decide whether or not draft picks are affected?

Now, because of this elongation, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac has reported that the "Steelers are very upset with the NFL's threat of draft choices in the Mike Tomlin penalty, saying 'there is no precedent for it,' per team source."

And rightly so. As Neal Coolong of Behind The Steel Curtain said recently in a conversation we had, "They haven't taken a pick, they don't have any justification for doing so, it's nothing more than precautionary talk for the rest of the league, and getting it on the record in case, in an extreme hypothetical scenario, Baltimore and Pittsburgh end up at a tie-breaker that is determined by points, they can take action."

Though Coolong is correct, the notion of waiting to see how it affects draft order based on tie-breakers is ridiculous and just as egregious as the "crime" itself. (But, it's Goodell, what else is new?) The NFL's "unforeseen ramifications" response in this case is simply absurd.

The game still could have gone any direction because I firmly believe that Cortez Allen would have caught Jones anyway. Then they say that four points (the difference between a field goal and a touchdown) is an impact on playoffs? Please!

Does anyone truly believe playoff tie-breaker factors ever go that deeply into the process? The tie-breaker factor of points is so low that the only factors following it were the colors of the teams' uniforms and whether Fireman Ed was at the last New York Jets home game. Stop it. The NFL is simply embarrassing itself.

As for those four months referenced earlier, compensatory picks are announced for every team in March and this punishment could be part of that equation. If so, it is then the NFL who is committing a premeditated and willful act.

Tomlin, Steelers To Be Fined But Won't Forfeit Draft Pick

 “I lost my placement as he broke free, and (I) saw at the last second how close I was to the field."

This was Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin's apology and explanation for what happened Thursday night against the Ravens. Tomlin possibly interfered with Jacoby Jones' 73-yard kickoff return in the third quarter by being on the field, which is not permitted.

That's the part of this that is old news. The part of the story that has Steeler Nation up in arms is the talk of the Steelers possibly losing a draft pick over this. Now, allow me to delineate my rebuttal to this as eloquently as I possibly can.

Please!

The concern over the loss of a draft pick is with the Steelers, is in-house. They are the ones mainly concerned that it will cost them a draft pick in the late rounds. Per Fox reporter Jay Glazer, the NFL isn't actually discussing it to that degree.

Now, don't get me wrong, Tomlin will be fined. The NFL rule regarding such potential incidents and what are deemed "sideline interferences," per Glazer, had been reiterated before the game earlier this week. So, yes, a fine is forthcoming.

The last time something like this happened was with the New York Jets in 2010. In that happening, an assistant coach, Sal Alosi, actually tripped a Miami Dolphins as he ran up the sidelines. After admitting intent, they were fined $100,000 and he himself received a $25,000 fine.

Let me emphasize that he actually tripped the Dolphins player and all they received were the fines. No draft picks were forfeited.

Fast forward and the Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s near-interference is the subject of what has been called “an aggressive review” by the league office and is likely to result in similar stiff financial penalties for the coach and the team.

The trump card in this, though, is that Tomlin was recently appointed to the NFL’s powerful Competition Committee. Therefore, he knows better, and the league could take that into consideration regarding any action along those lines.

They may, therefore, also be the ones who leaked the draft pick-threat information to the Adam Schefters, Ian Rapaports and Jason LaCanforas of the NFL world in an effort to put a little fear into Tomlin as well as other teams to ward of anyone who may have an inkling to try something like this again.

But to honestly believe the NFL will actually take the quantum leap from a fine (knowing their true main objective is money) to taking away a draft pick is as viable as me walking into my closet and walking through it into a land where I find myself conversing with a talking lion.

To go to that length would mean the league knew his intent and that he was in the "white area" to purposely deter Jones. Which they cannot. How could Tomlin have known Jones would be coming that far up that sidelines in order to be perfectly positioned to get in his way just in enough time to jump out of the way? Just as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly brought out in his article: http://tinyurl.com/oskzmzz

This is in now way equivalent to the black eye the New England Patriots gave the NFL with SpyGate. That garnered a fine for the team, for the coach and the forfeiture of a draft pick. Is this in any way, shape or form as egregious as that deplorable fiasco?

No, I didn't think so, either.

Making The Case For Tavon Austin And Stedman Bailey In The 2013 NFL Draft

photo by J. Meric/Getty Images
by Jayden Matthews

When the news broke Wednesday that Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders signed a $2.5 million one-year tender with the New England Patriots, it divided a nation. Sanders is a restricted free agent and if the Steelers decide to not match the Patriots offer, then they would receive their 3rd-round pick in the 2013 draft. It has not been determined yet what the Steelers are going to do, but the uproar from fans on social media has been divided. Some fans say let him go and take the pick, while others are clamoring for the the Steelers to match the offer saying that otherwise this will kill the team. There have been rumblings that the Steelers are not taking care of their franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, by first letting wide receiver Mike Wallace walk, and now by only tendering Manny at his original draft round instead of using the high-round tender like they did last season with Wallace. But, the one question asked often and loudly is 'how do you replace their production?' Well, I am here to enlighten because that's what I do.

Can the production of Wallace and Manny be replaced? It's a good question because, in their time with the Steelers, these two receivers accounted for a total of 5,332 yards and 37 touchdowns, with Wallace accounting for 32 of those in his four years. So again can it be replaced? You bet your sweet backside it can be. Both the speed that Wallace brought and the overall production and skills from both he and Manny.

The Steelers were most likely going to draft a wide receiver this April, but if they do not match the Patriots offer to Manny, then they most likely will need to draft two, and there are several options for the Steelers to look at in this draft. There is Robert Woods from USC who could be taken in the third round and Keenan Allen from the University of Cal. Woods is a Wallace clone and should be available in the second or third round. And after a poor performance at his Pro Day, Allen could be possibly fall to the second round and would be a “steel” at that point. But there is a tandem that stands out to me who, like Wallace and Manny, have also played together for three years, but whose production is off the charts. They are the real deal - TDs, speed, route-running ability, can play in the slot or outside, good hands, running the ball and punt/kick returning.

That two-headed monster is none other than Tavon Austin (aka Tavon Awesome) and Stedman Bailey (aka STUDman Bailey) out of West Virginia. This tandem was responsible for 6,631 receiving yards and 70 TDs, and for 7,675 and 76 TDs from scrimmage in the three years they played together.

A lot of people knock Austin for his size...fine, let them. Because if you think that this kid can’t change a game in a hurry, then you are fooling yourself. If he isn’t changing games for the Black and Gold on Sundays next season, he will for some other team. Austin is also a great kick and punt returner (and with AB being the No. 1 WR now the Steelers need a guy like that). He returned 97 kicks for 2,407 yards for a 24.8 yard average and four TDs, and 34 punts for 433 yards for a 12.7 average and one TD in his four years. He also had 1,031 rushing yards and six career rushing TDs to his credit. Yes, he can the ball too. Don’t believe me? Go take a look at his highlights. Hell, watch the highlights from the game against Oklahoma alone. The Big 12 is known for its defenses, but Austin made them look mediocre at best that night. And as Fox Sports analyst Charles Davis said, they had no answer for the “Awesome One.” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3_UNFZHSQU

Austin himself accounted for 572 total yards, including 344 rushing yards, and 2 TDs against Oklahoma, and Bailey accounted for 205 receiving yards and 4 TDs. So again, the production of Wallace and Manny can’t be replaced? Um...yeah, it can. So if Manny does leave, then the Steelers will need players like these two that can help a team right away. The extra third-round pick would potentially allow them to get both players, and their familiarity with one another also means won’t have to learn to work together because they have been doing so for so long now. It would be a win-win situation.

Austin is projected to go in the first round, with several mocks having him going at No. 16 to the Rams. Even though they are are projected to take him, it does not mean they will. Jeff Fisher likes his tall receivers after all. He may go earlier, like possibly to the New York Jets with the 9th pick. But they are a hot mess on offense and in general, so who knows? The New Orleans Saints may take him with the 15th pick, which is also rumored, but if he is sitting there at No. 17 when the Steelers pick they absolutely should pull the trigger. With all the questions the Steelers now have on offense, and knowing that they always take the best player available, well...you do the math. Some fans may not like that pick and will complain, but once Austin takes the field and does his thing, he will silence his critics.

Just imagine all that talent and then you throw Antonio Brown in there to boot. An offense that is pretty well dead-in-the-water and has Big Ben pulling his hair out, with those two would go from dead to deadly. If WVU QB Geno Smith could do all that damage with those two, just imagine the damage that Big Ben could do. (And that is by no means a knock on Geno, because I love me some Geno, but truth is truth.)

Even if they don’t nab Austin, I am still optimistic that they will take Bailey, who is projected as a late second-to-third rounder. It has also been said that he will transfer well from college to the pros. His numbers do not lie, and drops were rarely an issue. His style of play (both, actually) is in line with the style offensive coordinator Todd Haley has brought to Steelers offense, i.e. short passes that produce yards and control the clock - Bailey had over 300 yards and five TDs against Baylor from an array of catches lineups - and the occasional deep pass to keep the defense honest - he averaged 15.3 yards per reception in his three-year career. You get both with Bailey. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TWLXrlF8SE

Look, I know this is a bit of a pipe dream, especially with both of them. In the last 162 draft picks, approximately 20 years, the Steelers have drafted exactly two WVU players: running back Amos Zereoue and safety Ryan Mundy. But I am hoping that things line up and that this little dream can become a reality. Big Ben would be happy, Haley would be happy and some Steelers fans may not be happy at first, but they'd come around. But it would end the question once and for of whether or not Wallace and Manny can they be replaced.

What Patriots Signing Steelers' Emmanuel Sanders To Offer Could Mean

Three little Bugatti Boys walking in the zoo;
A dolphin sprayed one and then there were two.

Two little Bugatti Boys sitting in the sun;
One was covered by a patriot's shade and then there was one. - paraphrased from Ten Little Indians

The New England Patriots have signed Pittsburgh Steelers restricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to a one-year offer sheet, according to Steelers.com and other sources. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the amount of the contract "shouldn't scare the Steelers," meaning that it is within the range that for them to be able to match it, which they have to do by Sunday. This was confirmed by fellow ESPN reporter, Ed Werder.

"Expect Steelers to match Patriots offer sheet and retain WR Emmanual Sanders," wrote Werder. He's vital after loss of Mike Wallace and offer easy to match."

It has since been confirmed that the amount of the deal is for $2.5 million, which, being that the Steelers Salary Cap numbers include his tender, they can match. So, as Schefter said, the Steelers shouldn't be scared to match it. However, money may not only be the issue.

If they choose not to match it, the Steelers would receive the Patriots third-round pick. Sanders was given an original round tender offer in free agency, worth $1.33 million. The Steelers have a little less than $2 million in cap room available, and the decision could simply be made based on that.

They also, though, need to consider what their not-many-years-left-in-his-prime franchise quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, must feel about this. No Rashard Mendenhall, no Mike Wallace, whom Big Ben said the Steelers would miss, and now potentially no Manny?

They offered Manny an original-round tender instead of a first-round tender. If they truly wanted him that much, they would have given him the higher tender like they did Wallace last season. Are they willing to do a tabula rasa, take the Patriot's 91st pick and draft from the admittedly deep wide receiver class? They haven't exactly been stellar in that category of late. Only 21 (22 if Manny stays) out of the last 59 players Kevin Colbert has drafted, spanning the Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin eras, are still with the team, and none from the 2008 draft class.

I, for one, am a believer in known commodities over unknown ones and would prefer to keep him. It means having a player whose attributes you're familiar with, who already knows the system and is already comfortable with the receiver on the other side and with the aforementioned franchise quarterback.

Like the orchestrator of this offer sheet himself, Bill Belichick said at March's annual meetings: "It’s a lot easier to watch a guy in the NFL perform and translate his skills for your team than watch a guy in college perform because of the discrepancy in the passing game."

At the same time, though, it is only a one-year deal, and Manny is going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year anyway. Since he has actually signed the offer sheet, that means he has seriously entertained the idea of leaving. That means that there is no guarantee he will be back after next season, unless a long-term deal is signed after June 1st when the Salary Cap money from the release of Willie Colon kicks in. So the Steelers could assure themselves of some return on their investment by not matching the offer.

Like Albert Breer of NFL.com tweeted earlier, "If Pitt is gonna match, they'd likely figure whether Sanders is just in for '13 or long-term. Third-rounder under their control for 4 yrs." So, is the Manny cup half full or half empty?

There is more to come on this and If It Ain't Steel will be offering more on this regarding the draft side of things and what keeping Manny could mean.

~

TIDBITS: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was named to the NFL Competition Committee on Tuesday. Will it cause Steelers' players to complain a little less? (No) - http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/09/mike-tomlin-joins-competition-committee/

~

Steelers nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu was sentenced Thursday to 18 months of probation and will spend four days in a program that's an alternative to jail. He still, though, may get further attention from the NFL. - http://www.postbulletin.com/sports/national/college/steelers-ta-amu-gets-probation-in-drunken-crashes/article_0c56e603-29d9-5cb0-806d-153facf714a3.html

~

The Steelers worked out two running backs recently: UCLA's Jonathan Franklin and one we've highlighted before, Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell.

In four years, the 5'10" and 205-pound Franklin rushed for 4,403 yards on 788 carries and had 31 touchdowns. He ran 4.46/40 at the NFL Combine and also showed good leg strength with a 31.5" vertical and a 9'07" broad jump.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that that the Steelers were one of five teams to put Bell through a private pre draft workout.

The 6'1 1/2" and 230-pound Bell, ran a 4.6/40, and showed good overall strength at the Combine by posting a 32 ½-inch vertical jump, 9’3” broad jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 24 times.

He rushed for 3,346 yards and 33 touchdowns on 671 carries at Michigan State. For our complete breakdown of him, read here: http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/03/do-recent-pro-day-visits-indicate-who.html

Offense And Roethlisberger Still Key To Steelers Eventual Success

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That they are.

~

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

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

~

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

Art Rooney II: The State Of The Steelers, pt. 3: Injuries

With all due respect to every sideshow, Atlantic City, and downtown Las Vegas "magician" ever, the real magic words still are "please" and "thank you."

Last Wednesday, when Pittsburgh Steelers team president Art Rooney II held his postseason 'State of the Steelers' address he pointed out several areas of contention that led to the team's failure in 2012. The last article surrounded the many turnovers - those on offense and the lack of those on defense. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/01/art-rooney-ii-state-of-steelers-pt-2.html

The final article deals with the part of the interview which arguably 'frustrates' and confounds the Steelers organization and its fans the most, that of its rash of injuries: "We have to look at everything we're doing," Rooney II said, "and we will look at everything we're doing, from the training and conditioning side of things, from a practice side of things and see if there are things we can do to get better." - http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Team-to-investigate-rash-of-injuries/7a52fef7-d231-4726-99f1-624c12207ae0

Please and thank you.

As Bob Labriola of Steelers Digest noted in the article on Steelers.com, the Steelers were a M.A.S.H. unit again this season: "Troy Polamalu missed nine games. Rashard Mendenhall missed seven. Marcus Gilbert missed 11. Mike Adams missed six. Ben Roethlisberger missed three, as did Antonio Brown. James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley were on the field together for only nine games."

"David Johnson," Labriola continued, "went on the injured reserve list before the start of the regular season, and No. 1 pick David DeCastro didn't come off that list until the regular season was 13 games old." As a matter of fact, Steelers players missed over 100 games due to injury, with 11 players ending the season on the Injured Reserve list.

The Steelers offensive line alone started seven different line combinations. They started nine different offensive line combinations in 2011. Now with guard Willie Colon hurt again and Ramon Foster, Doug Legursky and Max Starks all being unrestricted free agents, major questions once surround the depth of the OLine and how this will affect offseason moves. Even prompting some to say that it needs to happen sooner rather than later. - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1476681-pittsburgh-steelers-why-they-must-use-the-draft-to-fix-the-offensive-line

The player on the Oline that many are pointing at is Colon. Considering his injury history, it may just be time to cut ties and continue the Kelvin Beachum experiment. Cutting Colon outright will save $1.2 million and it is something the Steelers need to think about doing. If he had stayed healthy/healthier this season, he might have received the benefit of the doubt. Now there's just just plain doubt. - http://steelblitz.com/kelvin-beachum-could-be-steelers-left-guard-in-2013-and-beyond/2455/2013/01/14

According to team GM Kevin Colbert, the Steelers, per one study taken, had fewer injuries that some playoff teams had. "We were not the only team that had injuries. Teams that had more had better results." He said the amount of injuries "really wasn't unique to us."

That's the problem. Yes, injuries happen - they're an unavoidable part of the game - but it's the recent consistency of them and how the Steelers have reacted to them that is of concern. We've already touched on the fact that the OLine has been especially ravaged and what may be expected to happen, but there was more of what seemed to be a lack of mental toughness.

How often was the 'standard not the standard?' Wasn't the 'next man up' seemingly sometimes absent when roll was called? As was said, all teams face injuries. How they react, as individuals and as a team, speaks volumes. And, as much as Steelers fans may not like reading this, the team that tends to speak the loudest in this regard is the New England Patriots.

In a league where a team's hopes crash and burn because of one key injury, the Patriots' version of the "next man up" continues to produce winning results year after year. Patriots insider Tom E. Curran talks about that quality here: http://www.csnne.com/football-new-england-patriots/patriots-talk/Curran-on-Patriots-mental-toughness-defe?blockID=805607

There has to be a mental toughness to go far. It takes time to develop, but that's where the veterans who have been through the tough days help to pass it on to the younger players. It must become contagious, permeate the entirety of the team. It's something that was missing with the Steelers this season.

As former Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins defensive end Bruce Smith once said in an interview, there's a difference between playing "hurt" and playing "injured." Playing hurt is something players often do. Like he said, players can be dinged up in some fashion from week two on. Playing injured, however, in the most cases, is detrimental to the team and usually only serves to worsen the injury.

Winning is a mindset - 10% is physical and 90% is mental. Which also means knowing when your offseason regimen may not be working. Like as brought out in part two of this series, Woodley has been offered to work with Ike Taylor's trainer Tom Shaw since Woodley's offseason routine...aww, who are we kidding? What offseason routine?

Another who may consider adjusting his offseason regimen to aid in durability throughout the season is Polamalu. Especially because of his wonderful reckless abandon, he has seen fewer field time the last few seasons.

The website pittsburghjedi.com (Pitts Burgh-Jedi on Facebook and @Pittsburgh_Jedi on Twitter) offered up an assessment on Polamalu's offseason ritual.

"I think a lot of [Polamalu's] getting hurt is because he's not training using the same standards as everyone else," they surmised. "He does holistic-style training with no weights at all. As a younger, more resilient man, he could get by [with] doing that. At 30 years old, 10 years in the league, and 10 years full of big hits and collisions, it seems logical to say his sort of wear-and-tear calls for something additional. He's still huge, but with gravity-based training that depends on using your body-weight as resistance, it means there's a ceiling you can hit with your training."

People are training harder than him using weights and he's not holding up against their hits....maybe it's time to use some more health science and not so much of these alternative, natural methods," they continued. "A half-baked theory, but knowing the correlation of proper training and risk of injury, it holds some water, if not a lot of it."

It just might. But, whether because of training, conditioning, mental toughness, offseason regimens or even because of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement rules, there has to be a reason or conglomerate of reasons to why the Steelers have been snake bitten the last few seasons.

"I would like to see us have some of that [CBA] loosened up a little bit, but that's not something completely in our control," Rooney II pointed out.

Regardless, as he said, "people are always coming up with new ideas on how to train, and so we'll look at all of that."

Please and thank you.

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.

Junior Seau - The Darkness And The Light

This hits a little close to home.

Wednesday morning, May 2nd, 2012, it was announced that longtime NFL linebacker, Junior Seau, 43, among the greatest in the history of the game, was found by his housekeeper with a gunshot wound to his chest. It is believed to have been suicide. - http://t.co/HHc9RzUr 

Seau was a former USC star and was selected fifth overall in the 1990 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played there from 1990-2002, then spent three years with the Miami Dolphins before finishing his career with the New England Patriots from 2006-2009.

Seau made the Pro Bowl 12 times and was a 10-time All-Pro. He was also on the NFL's All-Decade Team.

“Everyone at the Chargers is in complete shock and disbelief right now. We ask everyone to stop what they’re doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family,” the Chargers said in a released statement.

Maybe there were signs. That's what first came to mind when I started to digest this earlier. When we think of these types of individuals we think they don't have a care in the world. That they live charmed lives of fame and fortune. That even when they lose, which Seau did in Super Bowls XXIX and XLII, they still have their fans and money to fall back on.

Rarely is that truly the case. Early in his career Seau was nicknamed "Tasmanian Devil" because of his play. It turns out he may have had his own demons to battle.

In October 2010, he drove off a beachside cliff in Carlsbad, California in his SUV and was found in the car on the beach, about 100 feet below the roadside. Hours before that he'd been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence involving his live-in girlfriend.

Seau later said that he wasn't trying to kill himself, but that he simply had dozed off at the wheel.

Like I said, maybe there were signs.

The situations surrounding Wednesday's events do in fact point to a suicide. Per U-T San Diego columnist Kevin Acee, “The gunshot wound was to the chest. It was almost certainly self-inflicted according to someone on scene.”

ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted that the "Chargers confirmed reports on the stunning passing of NFL great Juinor Seau. Sad day. Thoughts and prayers with Seau's family. Police have [also] confirmed Junior Seau committed suicide.

I'm not going to delve too deeply into the ins and outs of the mindset or home life or anything like that. I don't know all of the details, though they may be divulged eventually, and won't speculate any further than I already have.

I'm writing this rather to say that judging or speaking out of hand about this is morally and ethically wrong. Sure, jokes will be made-it's inevitable. But nature abhors a vacuum, as does the mind of a dullard. The only way to fill that void is to callously joke about another person's suicide.

If it seems I feel strongly about this it's because I absolutely do. I've contemplated suicide twice in my life. I even made a poorly executed attempt once.

I've been told many times over the years of my adult life that I'm the type who gives good advice, or at least that I'm a good listener. I'm told how I seem to never let things affect me. I've been told that, aside from when I'm watching my Steelers or Lakers play, I have a quiet calm. Well you know the old saying, "Beware of the quiet ones."

It is that very type of person, though, that has been through much more hardship and gone to lower depths than you or than you may realize. Otherwise he wouldn't have been able to come up with those encouraging words in the first place. He knows them first-hand.

Unfortunately, some aren't able to cope the same way or as well. Some allow drugs or alcohol to befriend them. Some don't feel they have the strength and succumb to those aforementioned demons.

The mind is a vast frontier that has yet to be truly mapped or conquered. So I am most certainly not going to attempt pseudo-psychology and try to stake a claim on Seau's grey matter and reasoning. I don't begin to claim to know the actual cause for this or what he was thinking at the time. I simply remember what I was thinking. And it was frightening.

I had great respect for Seau on the field. Off the field he did have his share of domestic problems, though. Hopefully that won't be the focus of the initial reports.

Let's first remember the brilliant light that he stood in on the football field and not too quickly peer into the shadows that followed so closely behind in his personal life.

My condolences to his family. - John 5:21, 28, 29

This Time Goodell Gets It Right With Punishment Of Saints

The news finally came down Wednesday morning on the New Orleans Saints' bounty program after a lengthy investigation. The punishment for former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, head coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis has been announced and it is unparalleled in it's severity.

"Bountygate" brought penalties against the Saints organization, coaches and GM that is unprecedented in NFL history. It tops the New England Patriots "Spygate" scandal from and makes it clear that commissioner Roger Goodell finds the purposeful and complicit organization of injuring players distasteful and egregious.

For once, we agree on something.

This blog has been consistent in it's disdain for Roger Goodell. His inconsistency in punishing players is a point of contention for players and fans alike. So much so that he even comes across at times as impotent, showing favoritism and/or being vindictive. He even seems to have a personal grudge against the Pittsburgh Steelers and, in particular, James Harrison. So, to admit that Goodell actually got something right is like swallowing medicine without the teaspoon of sugar.

The actual sanctions, though, were as follows according to the NFL:

"The New Orleans Saints are fined $500,000. Because the violation involves a competition rule, the Saints will have their second round picks of the 2012 and 2013 NFL drafts taken away."

"Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis is suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games of the 2012 season."

"Former Saints (and current St. Louis Rams) defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is suspended indefinitely from the NFL, effective immediately. Commissioner Goodell will review Coach Williams’ status at the conclusion of the 2012 season and consider whether to reinstate him, and, if so, on what terms. Commissioner Goodell said he will give close attention to the extent to which Coach Williams cooperates with the NFL in any further proceedings."

"Saints head coach Sean Payton is suspended without pay for the 2012 NFL season, effective April 1."

"Saints assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt is suspended without pay for the first six regular-season games of the 2012 season."

"The Saints and the individuals disciplined today are expected to participate in efforts led by the league office to develop programs that will instruct players and coaches at all levels of the game on the need for respect for the game and those who participate in it, on principles of fair play, safety and sportsmanship, and to ensure that bounties will not be part of football at any level."

March 2nd was the date we all heard the announcement of the NFL’s initial findings. It was then that the league office conducted a further investigation, including the meeting of Goodell with several of the key individuals involved, sometimes with subsequent visits. He also met with the leadership of the NFL Players Association and individual players to discuss it.

Along with all of the sanctions levied, the Commissioner also released this statement:

Commissioner Roger Goodell notified the New Orleans Saints today of the discipline that will be imposed on team management for violations of the NFL’s long-standing “bounty” rule that endangered player safety over a three-year period.

Discipline for individual players involved in the Saints’ prohibited program continues to be under review with the NFL Players Association and will be addressed by Commissioner Goodell at a later date. The program included “bounty” payments for “knock-outs” and “cart-offs,” plays on which an opposing player was forced to leave the game. At times, the bounties even targeted specific players by name.

The NFL’s extensive investigation established the existence of an active bounty program on the Saints during the 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons in violation of league rules, a deliberate effort to conceal the program’s existence from league investigators, and a clear determination to maintain the program despite express direction from Saints ownership that it stop as well as ongoing inquiries from the league office.

“We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game,” Commissioner Goodell said. “We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities. No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised.”

“A combination of elements made this matter particularly unusual and egregious,” Commissioner Goodell continued. “When there is targeting of players for injury and cash rewards over a three-year period, the involvement of the coaching staff, and three years of denials and willful disrespect of the rules, a strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game.”

Regarding the employes and players, Goodell said, “Beyond the clear and continuing violations of league rules, and lying to investigators, the bounty program is squarely contrary to the league’s most important initiatives - enhancing player health and safety and protecting the integrity of the game,”

Goodell also said. “Let me be clear. There is no place in the NFL for deliberately seeking to injure another player, let alone offering a reward for doing so. Any form of bounty is incompatible with our commitment to create a culture of sportsmanship, fairness, and safety. Programs of this kind have no place in our game and we are determined that bounties will no longer be a part of the NFL.”

He further stated that NFL coaches and supervisory employees need to "communicate openly and candidly with the principal owner and/or his designated representative; to ensure that club ownership is informed on a complete and timely basis of all matters affecting the club’s operations; and to avoid actions that undermine or damage the club’s reputation or operating success.”

Coach Payton knows this. It's in the contract he signed.

Commissioner Goodell will address players separately along with assistance from the NFLPA. Regarding this Goodell said, “While I will not address player conduct at this time, I am profoundly troubled by the fact that players - including leaders among the defensive players - embraced this program so enthusiastically and participated with what appears to have been a deliberate lack of concern for the well-being of their fellow players.”

Goodell further said. “While all club personnel are expected to play to win, they must not let the quest for victory so cloud their judgment that they willingly and willfully target their opponents and engage in unsafe and prohibited conduct intended to injure players.”

One player who is believed to be the player to face the harshest punishment is Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma. He reportedly offered $10,000 to any player who could knock Brett Favre out of the NFC Championship Game.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees was "speechless" over the sanctions and wants an explanation. http://t.co/2OuVkDzX

Roger Goodell's response to Brees' demanding an answer regarding the suspensions: "We were lied to" http://t.co/111FiNmI

I agree...for once. Goodell has actually handled this well. But, hey, even a blind pig finds a truffle now and then. (I'm sorry, did I get off track?)

The Saints, though, as an organization was contrite regarding the bounty punishments http://t.co/1fLQwKqx

Gregg Williams is also quotes as being "shocked but remorseful" over it all.  http://t.co/rZ8DuAg2

All in all, the NFL Commissioner laid down a heavy hammer regarding the bounty program, and rightly so. There's simply no place in the already-very-violent NFL where there are full-blown, blatant attempts to "willingly and willfully target" someone to injure them.

Goodell may have caused hair on the back of many necks to rise with his trying to deter and curtail debilitating, career-ending and life threatening hits and overall play. I still maintain that it is because he has been very incongruous in how he doles out his punishments. This time, though, he actually got it right.

3-4 vs. 4-3 Defense: Is it time for a change?

It was recently suggested to me that the 3-4 defense the Steelers run had lost it's effectiveness and that it was time to move on from it. As preposterous as it sounded at the time, I've never been one to summarily dismiss a notion without first considering the facts. So neither will I do so here. Let's actually look at the two defenses, examine the differences and consider what experts have to say about the two.

The history of 3-4 defense in NFL dates back to 1974 when former Oklahoma Sooners coach Chuck Fairbanks introduced it in his second season as head coach of the New England Patriots. He used the 3-4 on nearly every down that season with Ray Hamilton as his Nose Tackle - the first one ever seen in the modern NFL. Though the Sooners mainly used a 5-2 defense up through the early 1970s, Fairbanks, considered the Grandfather of the "30 Front" 3-4 defense, introduced the basis of the 3-4 as early as the 1950s. Because of that, other coaches did pick up on this new style of defense. There were quite a few teams, therefore, who used it before the Steelers. Among them were New England, Miami, Denver, Oakland & Buffalo.

For a brief synopsis of coach Chuck Fairbanks and his Oklahoma years, follow this link: http://www.eteamz.com/WNBA/news/index.cfm?cat=746490&subsite=5678765

It should be noted that Joe Collier, NFL coach and defensive coordinator for 30 years, coached with the Bills for seven seasons, from 1962 to 1968 in the AFL. It was there, at least as far as pro football is concerned, that the 3-4 was born, with Collier using it as first defensive coordinator and then head coach. “We initially used it in 1964, but we used it quite a bit against San Diego in 1965 in the AFL Championship Game,” Collier said of a 23-0 Bills victory that gave them their second straight title game victory over the Chargers, the top-scoring team in the league that year. “But for the most part, we didn’t use it. It was not a big part of our defense, maybe for just five or six plays." So this was the first time that pro football, not the NFL, but pro football saw the 3-4 defense.

So the suggestion of dumping the 3-4 defense begs the question: Is the 4-3 defense better? Or more pointedly, was the 1970s Steelers' 4-3 defense better? The Steelers switched to the 3-4 because of injuries and retirements. It wasn't as if Noll had a sudden stroke of genius, rather it was out of necessity. But with some tweaking and a player or two playing somewhat out of position, the 3-4 in Steeltown had begun. The Steelers are, in fact, the only team to strictly use 3-4 for last 30 years. But does that mean it's better than the 4-3? Well the Steelers defenses of the '70s were stellar to say the least, and full of hall of famers. The 1976 defense for instance is considered by some as the best defense ever as it allowed only 138 points over a 14 game schedule and completely blanked 5 of it's last 9 opponents. That calculates out to just 9.85 points per game. Simply devastating. The 1978 Steelers defense only allowed 195 points for a 12.19 points per game average as well. The Steelers also accomplished something no other team in the modern era has in representing the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award three straight years. No other team since the merger has accomplished this.

Then as all the stars of the '70s Steelers dynasty faded, the much dimmer '80s were endured. The team had meager success, only making the AFC Championship game once, after the 1984 season. The Steelers simply weren't as strong or intimidating either. From 1985-1992 the Steelers only recorded more than 40 sacks in a season once. In fact, in 1988 they only recorded 19. If you go simply by those numbers, awards and results, it would seem that a 4-3 defense is something the Steelers might want to consider again considering the pourous defense that has been witnessed so far this season. But as an analyst on the four-letter network is fond of saying, "Not so fast, my friend." There's a gentleman who might like to make an argument in favor of the 3-4. His name is Dick LeBeau.

Fans in Steeler Nation refer to the team as Blitzburgh because of LeBeau's Zone Blitz schemes in the 3-4. For years before LeBeau first became the defensive coordinator, he was the defensive backs coach. His impact, though, could still be felt as the likes of current Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake and Hall of Famer Rod Woodson terrorized offenses. Then when LeBeau was elevated to defensive coordinator, all he did was coach the defense to the no. 3 and no. 2 defenses respectively and a trip to the Super Bowl in 1995. Dick LeBeau, Coach Dad as he is also referred to at times by teammates and pictured above, left after two seasons as defensive coordinator, but returned in 2004 and has been here since that time. Under LeBeau the Steelers have only once failed to be in the top five in the NFL in defense, no. 9 in 2006, and have been the best in total defense three times. He's also coached two Defensive Players of the Year, James Harrison and Troy Polamalu, and has been to the Super Bowl 4 times, winning 2 of them.

More information on the actual comparison of the two defenses is in an article written by NFL.com senior analyst, Pat Kirwan. You can read the article here: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d80d6974b/article/effectiveness-of-34-vs-43-is-found-in-the-numbers

LeBeau, though, is himself a Hall of Famer and, quite simply, a legend. His Zone Blitz 3-4 schemes, mentioned earlier is built on confusion. Organized confusion. The fact of it is that it’s usually hard to decipher for opposing offenses. Pass rushers come from all different directions in a myriad of situations. On one play, they come from the left, then the next play from the right, or the middle. Sometimes, a lot of them will come, and on other occasions, few, or maybe even no one. There are so many things going on all at the same time, so many stunts, so many linebackers and safeties moving in and out of spots as the quarterback barks out the signals, that it can become a blur in trying to figure out who’s going to do what, and when. For years it's been that way. Until this year...

The 2011 version of the Steelers defense has only one turnover and only 7 sacks. Worse yet, the defense is being gashed on the ground, giving up two 100-yard rushers in 4 games. Not teams, individual runners. That is something that Steeler Nation simply isn't used to seeing from it's defense. At all. Since 2007 the Steelers had only allowed three 100-yard rushers. Again, there have already been two in four games this year alone. Thus the reasons for the article being written in the first place. Are these really signs that time has caught up with LeBeau and the 3-4? Is it time to revert back to a 4-3 defense? After all, Coach Tomlin did have major success with a 4-3 Cover 2 defense at his previous stops. Is this a possibility?

To answer this properly you'd have to ask whether the deficiences on defense are actually scheme related. That's key. Because, let's face it, the tool is only as good as it's user. If the defense is sound but the execution is flawed, then the fault lies not in the scheme. The best examples of this come from the Texans game in week 4. The Steelers found themselves succeptable to the stretch play on multiple occasions and were caught in a slant regularly. In one instance the nose tackle Casey Hampton was cut, and the outside linebacker Lamarr Woodley was hooked into a seal block. Because the inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons overplayed to the strong side, the running back Ben Tate found a wide open lane for a big gain. In the fourth quarter Arian Foster was allowed to run basically untouched 42 yards for a touchdown because Polamalu arrived late to the play and Woodley was caught embarrassingly out of position because he bought full-price the bootleg that Schaub was selling. So much so that whatever remaining chance Polamalu had of making the play, Woodley took it from him by colliding with Polamalu, freeing Foster completely. Things of this nature happened all game long.

It isn't just a matter of being caught out of position, though. There have also been missed opportunities and plenty of missed tackles. James Farrior had a chance to tackle Arian Foster in the backfield on one particular play and seemed to have him dead to rights. Foster fought through the grasp of much to easily and turned a loss into a big gain. These are examples of what has happened all year on defense. These are not scheme issues, these are plainly and simply matters of lack of gap sound execution, poor tackling and not being able to hold blocks that would normally free up the linebackers for pressuring the quarterback.

The good thing about this is that it's all able to be fixed. These are matters of getting back to fundamentals and playing your gaps and not getting caught watching the paint dry. Read, react and keep the feet moving. The Steelers know how to do this. LeBeau knows how to coach 'em up. This is, after all, the same defense that was no. 2 in the NFL last year and that went to the Super Bowl. So this isn't a scheme issue or a "The NFL has passed you, LeBeau" issue. It's an executon issue. This is absolutely something that can be rectified. It's like my poppa always said, "When ya done something wrong, when ya stray off course, what'r the directions back? Turn 'right' and keep goin straight." And the Steelers can certainly "right" themselves. They just have to be willing to roll their sleeves up and actually do it.