Steelers Extend Miller, Polamalu; Cut Foote In Salary Cap Moves

Everyone just stay calm. What you smell from the South Side is just the smoke coming from the pens of Omar Khan and GM Kevin Colbert as the Pittsburgh Steelers cut costs.

The biggest two names involved in the process are strong safety Troy Polamalu and tight end Heath Miller as each signed three-year extensions, first reported by NFL Network's Ian Rappaport and the National Football Post's Len Pasquarelli and since confirmed by Steelers.com.

Miller, who's negotiations were first announced Tuesday, is now to receive base salaries of $1.02 million in 2015, and $4 million in both of the subsequent years. Though, from what I've gathered, there is no guaranteed money in 2015 and 2016.

More immediately important is that his Salary Cap number down to $6,133,166 for this year. That is an approximate $3.4 million Cap savings from the previous $9.5 million Cap hit the Steelers were due to take.

The normally sure-handed Miller is essentially set up to retire a Steeler now. He is considered by many, most of whom tend to say "yinz" a lot, to be the best all-around tight end in the game. Something that one of his former coaches still touts. - http://tinyurl.com/kgck3c9

Polamalu, currently 32 years old, signed a similar extension. His was a three-year extension that lowers his 2014 Cap number by $4.5 million (it was $10.887M).

Per The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette from his Twitter (@EdBouchette) account, "Polamalu gets no new money to extend his deal by 2 years. #Steelers converted $6.75M of his $8.2 M '14 salary into bonus. Gets $1.5 M base."

Entering the final year of his four-year, $36.5 million contract, the guy with the hair, who had been very erroneously rumored to be cut. The City of Bridges would have seen jumps from some and burnings of others if the Steelers had made that move.

But, the man who is tied for seventh all-time on the Steelers interception list and who was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 5 safety in the league last season will retire a Steeler.

As for the other moves, it was announced first thing Wednesday morning that free safety Will Allen re-signed with the team, according to he and his agent Blake Baratz.

In just 12 games last season after returning to the team from Dallas, Allen, 32 in June, had 35 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass defense. His solid, veteran play and leadership will be needed again as the Steelers look to get younger in their secondary.

Speaking of getting younger, the Steelers announced the release of veteran inside linebacker Larry Foote. After signing a three-year extension last season, If It Ain't Steel said that he would likely only see one year of that deal. One year later...

He was set to earn $1.5 million this season. This gives the Steelers a Cap savings of $833,333 minus the $666,667 still owed him (dead money).

His ruptured biceps injury, and the steadily improved play of 2013 sixth-round NFL Draft choice Vince Williams, made his departure a sure thing.

The 11-year Steeler will be 34 in June and may hang up his cleats. He leaves with 621 tackles, 21 sacks, 19 PDs, nine FFs, seven FRs, three INTs and a safety for his career.

Offensive lineman Levi Brown was released as expected. The 2013 mid-season acquisition from the Arizona Cardinals never played for the Steelers and will clear $6.25 million from the Cap.

Curtis Brown, third-round Texas product from the 2011 Draft, never really panned out and was cut. His release frees up $645,000.

Injuries played into his exit as well. NFL writer and reporter Brian McIntyre reported via his Twitter (@brian_mcintyre) account that the "Steelers released Levi Brown and Curtis Brown with "Failed Physical" designations."

Add the money saved from the extensions, which essentially just moves money forward, to the contract cuts and the Steelers shaved approximately $15,628,333 million from the Cap and are very close to being compliant.

Next up are the contract situations with cornerback Ike Taylor, outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley, the re-signing of wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and people keep suggesting another extension, one for someone named Ben...

Running Backs And Linebackers: Redman, Worilds And The Jones' Boys

Despite being limited to just two carries in the preseason, Isaac Redman will start at running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers opening day at Heinz Field against the Tennessee Titans. The fifth-year back is determined to go out and perform. Though his numbers last season were down, as the quote above insinuates, he believes he has what it takes to represent the Steelers' ground game.

"I just want to prove that I am a starting running back in this league", Redman said per the Steelers Twitter (@steelers) account, "and show that I worked hard all summer."

We have definitely seen flashes of what Redman can do. Just ask the New York Giants about the bullies being bullied as Redman ran roughshod over them for 147 yards on 26 carries. That performance was the top running game by a Steelers' back last season and included both a Mark Bavaro-like 28-yard run in which he carried several Giants like a scorpion carries its young on its back, as well as the game-winning touchdown.

Some, though, question whether Redman can stand the rigor of carrying the rock 25 times for an extended stretch. He has been nicked up more often than you want from a feature back. Then there is the fact that he is prone to putting the ball on the ground, doing so seven times in his four years.

So, will Redman carry the entire load?

“Obviously, we're going to spell Isaac,” head coach Mike Tomlin said at his press conference on Tuesday. “We haven't detailed the rotation or the nature of the rotation at this point....We're continuing to get to know Felix." - http://tinyurl.com/lsyq6t9

"Felix" would be Felix Jones who was gotten in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles on August 23 for linebacker Adrian Robinson (who was cut and then picked up by the Denver Broncos). Jones quickly showed he has abilities too as he ran well in his two preseason games, including running 14 times for 56 yards vs. the Carolina Panthers.

Will we see a bit of a "thunder and lighting" approach? Jones' speed and cutting ability would complement Redman's pounding, and would work well when the zone-blocking scheme is utilized. Regardless, at this point there is safety in numbers. Not another running back-by-committee fiasco mind you, but safety by means of depth.

Speaking of depth, the linebacker position has also long been a Steelers staple. With the likes of Lawrence Timmons, Jarvis Jones and a rededicated LaMarr Woodley, the tradition looks as if it will live on. The wild card in this, though, is Jason Worilds.

Especially against Chris Johnson and the Titans, Worilds' ability to hold the edge will be imperative. He will be needed to handle the tackles and tight ends and to contain Johnson and turn him back on stretch plays. If Worilds is able to consistently control the edge on the run plays as well as rush the passer to help wreak havoc, that will help tremendously the chances of winning.

As for one of the other Jones boys, Tomlin had a big smile on his face when emphatically said, “(Jarvis) Jones is going to play."

Jones has been a turnover machine in his short time with the Steelers. His presence creates unique dilemmas that the Steelers will want to exploit. So, while Worilds and Woodley are your starters, Jones will see his share of playing time. 

As If It Ain't Steel said many times, Jones will neither start week one nor early in the season, but his learning curve won't keep him out long. Not when he has to add his name to the Steelers linebacker pantheon. 

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TIDBITS: The Steelers practice report for Wednesday: Le'Veon Bell did not practice; Heath Miller, Jarvis Jones, Will Johnson were all limited.

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Tight end Heath Miller is off the PUP list, but has been doing only light drills. His return is uncertain, but he is "inching" toward his return. 

"My mindset's not going to change," Miller said. "I just want to keep improving each day and keep stacking those good days together. I still want to think short term, so that's day by day, and keep getting better. That's brought me to this point, and that will take me to a good point soon." - http://tinyurl.com/ly6sxn9

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Steelers signed Isaiah Green to the practice squad after he cleared waivers and then released Devin Smith.

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Fullback Will Johnson is nursing a pulled hamstring, and coach Tomlin said the team won't know until later this week if Johnson will be able to play Sunday against the Titans.

Johnson got hurt in the preseason finale against the Panthers and has only been a partial participant in practice on Monday and Tuesday, and is likely to be limited again on Wednesday.

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“@JohnnyBrovo11: Could never replace the greatness of Casey Hampton. I simply hope to do him proud. #98” 

Those were rookie linebacker Vince Williams' words when given Casey Hampton's old number. Mad respect shown to a Steeler great. For a touchingly poignant discussion on the subject, check out Behind The Steel Curtain's article: http://tinyurl.com/lyyalnb

Steelers Draft Pick Shamarko Thomas: "Work Hard Until Your Hands And Your Feet Fall Off."

Over the last couple of years, the brain trust of the Pittsburgh Steelers have tried to be more proactive during Pro Days to meet with families of potential draft picks. A solid practice - it helps one to ascertain what a player's home life and upbringing may have been like, and what values may have been instilled. A solid practice indeed, though not always possible.

Strong safety Shamarko Thomas was a promising talent even early on in his football career. He attended Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he set school records for tackles, interceptions and defensive touchdowns. Thomas eventually became an All-State First-Team selection, and would also go on to win All-State track honors in the 100-meter dash and in anchoring the 4x100 relay team.



All seemed good. He had a bright future and a family who loved, encouraged and challenged him. He would go on to attend Syracuse University where he became a fixture right away, including seven starts as a true freshman in 2009. His sophomore year could only prove brighter. Or so he thought.

Thomas would go on to suffer a great loss on July 10, 2010 when he lost his father, "the man who pushed him to gridiron greatness," was killed in a motorcycle accident. Unfortunately, his pain would not end there.

Less than a year later, on April 18, 2011, his mother died of "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the myocardium becomes too thick, making it harder for the heart to pump blood. She had unknowingly battled the condition for years; it has few symptoms and often goes undiagnosed." (italics ours)

The woman who was a true inspiration in his life, who called him her "chosen one" and who instilled within him to "work hard until your hands and your feet fall off" was now gone.

"When Thomas heard the news, he sobbed so violently that his friend in the upstairs apartment rushed to console him." (To experience the rest of his amazing journey, read the Sports Illustrated article from which the quoted material comes: http://tinyurl.com/ca9k4cs)

In the span of a year, he lost both of his parents. He had to become a man overnight. He would go on to assume responsibility for six brothers and sisters, fulfilling a promise to his mother. He told her "he would become successful in order to provide for his siblings."

Assuming responsibility for his Syracuse teammates also, becoming a leader of defense, he was able to live up to his word in full by becoming the 111th player taken in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Though Thomas wasn't as highly touted as other safeties in the draft, he was a physical presence nonetheless. He was known for his, as Steel City Insider's Jim Wexell put it, "bullet-style of playing strong safety," who has a "thirst for contact."

Thomas is a player and Orangemen team captain. As If It Ain't Steel wrote about him before the draft, at the NFL Combine he ran the fastest 40-yard dash of all the safeties at 4.42 seconds (despite falling over at the finish line - http://youtu.be/9lzuKEj6ETA), and 4.38 (4.37 on some watches) at his Pro Day. He had the most reps at the bench press, tied for the highest vertical jump and was one inch off the longest broad jump.

He's a versatile player also, as he played both cornerback and linebacker at times at Syracuse. So versatile, in fact, that he covered USC speedy wide receiver Robert Woods all over the field when they played Syracuse in 2012. Something that caught the attention of Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake.

"If you look at the USC game, when Syracuse played USC, I noticed that when I was watching film on Shamarko that he was in the nickel position covering Robert Woods, who was drafted in the second round. I said, “Well you play the nickel also.” He said, “Yes.” I said, “Well how come you were out wide playing Woods at the corner position. Did you play corner?” He said. “No, it was still the nickel, but our coaching staff just wanted me to match up wherever he went.” And I thought that was really impressive. Why would you have your strong safety covering one of the better receivers in the draft man-to-man throughout the whole game?...Sealed the deal in my opinion." - http://tinyurl.com/cbn4kur

Before the draft, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert matter-of-factly said, "I don't envision anybody coming in and having an impact year one."

As Lee Corso would say, not so fast, my friend. Shamarko Thomas has the drive, the determination and the inspiration to go along with speed, power and enough football prowess to make an impact. Then, the Steelers are providing him with quite possibly the best mentor in Troy Polamalu.

Maybe most importantly is that he has a promise to keep - to work hard until your hands and your feet fall off.

Addendum: Steeler Nation, follow Shamarko Thomas on Twitter at @Shamarko21ya and let him know mama and papa would be proud of him.

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TIDBITS: Bob Labriola reported earlier that the "Steelers signed veteran punter Brian Moorman as competition for 2nd-year pro Drew Butler. WR Bert Reed waived to open a roster spot."

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And since we gave you the Steelers' rookies' Twitter accounts, here is the entire rookie class and a link to the rest of the players' accounts:
@SacManJones_29 ;
@L_Bell24 ;
@twheat002 ;
@shamarko21ya ;
@LandryJones12 ;
@TerryHawthorne1 ;
@justinbrown19 ;
@JohnnyBrovo11 (Vince Williams) ;
@NickWilliams_94
http://www.tweeting-athletes.com/index.cfm?CatID=93

Steelers Coach Montgomery Leaves Staff; Salary Cap Updates

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

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

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

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

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

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

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

Nope.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Whether Offense Or Defense, Steelers Need Playmakers

by Jason and Jayden

If you watched the Super Bowl a few days ago, you probably noticed that, despite whatever differences, there were two things that both teams had in common: speed and playmakers.

The trends and rules of the current NFL make it so that no one should even expect to have real success without them. Whether Colin Kaepernick, Joe Flacco, Navarro Bowman, Paul Kruger, Frank Gore, Ed Reed, etc..., he list goes on for both teams. Look at the NFL's version of the final four, as well as the rest of the playoff teams, and numerous playmakers could be rattled off.

Now turn your attention to your Pittsburgh Steelers and see how many you can name who were true playmakers. Ben Roethlisberger? Definitely. Lawrence Timmons? For the most part, sure. Troy Polamalu or James Harrison? Maybe - at least when available or healthy. But, like Mr. Tony says, that's it. That's the list.

The dearth of speed and playmakers, reliable and consistent ones, was an issue for the Steelers last season and could be a real problem next season considering who all may be lost in free agency. Just as speed kills, the lack of it does also. - http://tinyurl.com/avkosga

Wednesday morning, Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider tweeted from his Twitter (@jimwexell) account: "Stop mocking these for #Steelers: {linebacker Alec} Ogletree, {nose tackle John} Jenkins, {linebacker Jarvis*} Jarvus Jones. Not that there's anything wrong with UGA. players.” (Brackets ours)

He then followed that immediately with: "Start looking at this guy instead: Tavon Austin. #Steelers”

We already have, Jim. If It Ain't Steel, being that we're WVU Mountaineers fans as it is and saw every game of his, provided a breakdown of Tavon "Awesome" in a previous article. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/01/do-kevin-colberts-comments-give-insight.html

As we stated in that posting, Austin is fast, quick, elusive and lined up at wide receiver, in the slot, as a returner and as a running back. When watching him play, it was often like looking at the old Bugs Bunny baseball cartoons where it was "Bugs Bunny: shortstop; Bugs Bunny: left field; Bugs Bunny: right field; Bugs Bunny: centerfield..."

Basically, like what Chris Rainey was supposed to have been last season. As well, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders were supposed to be some of the best playmakers in the league. Instead they dropped the ball - literally and figuratively. And as Brown told KDKA-TV recently, since he wants to be a Steeler for life, he and "guys like myself...we have to take this team to the next level." - http://tinyurl.com/ar7lme6

Austin is a perfect example of what the Steelers could use, as a compliment or a replacement, in their lineup. He's in high demand, though, so they must have other options in place as contingencies. One player who used the Senior Bowl to become several teams' main choice or contingency is Texas Longhorns wide receiver Marquise Goodwin.

SportsDayDFW offered this regarding Goodwin: "NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah compiled his list of Senior Bowl risers and sliders, and former Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin is one who’s made quite the impression.

'Every time Goodwin lines up for a repetition in one-on-ones, there is a hush in the crowd,' Jeremiah writes. 'NFL evaluators have been intoxicated by his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage and ability to find another gear when the ball is in the air. He has been caught up in press coverage a few times this week, but his overall performance has left quite an impression on clubs in need of a home-run hitter at receiver.'"

For some reason, Goodwin only had 33 touches on offense all season for Texas, and that includes 13 carries. But he made those touches count. In spades. There were a couple of games in particular where this human pinball machine was directly responsible for the TILT of his opponents.

Goodwin, a 10.4 100-meter speedster and Olympic long jumper, had five total touches for 132 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon State, and another four touches for 182 yards and two touchdowns against Ole Miss. Included in those stats were TD runs of 64 and 69 yards respectively. Definitely underutilized, but it could be a blessing in disguise if the Steelers are interested and are able to pick him up. - http://tinyurl.com/agg6txu

Since Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin values versatility, each of these players fits to a tee.

With all that speed a splash-play making ability on offense, someone has to be able to keep up on defense. The Steelers were bereft of an abundance of playmakers there too. This year's NFL Draft offers viable options for being that playmaker stopper. One who comes to mind is a safety we've highlighted before. Now, though, we offer him as the very solution to the "awesome" WVU player we so covet.

Senior safety Kenny Vaccaro has size, speed and athleticism and was on the short list of the best safeties in the Big-12 last season. He earned First Team all-conference honors while tackling 82 ball carriers, eight for a loss, recording two sacks, breaking up eight passes and intercepting two more.

That alone makes him worth a look. But, as we said earlier, we didn't miss one WVU game, so we know first-hand what Vaccaro is capable of doing. As does Tavon Austin.

When the Longhorns and Mountaineers met in week five of the college football season, Vaccaro lined up primarily against Austin. Much to the dismay of many Mountaineers fans, turning "awesome" into just "Aww..." A breakdown of the spread offense stopper's performance is provided here: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/41661/321/kenny-vaccaro-spread-stopper

Don't tell Wexell, but on top of providing a Tavon stopper, we're also going back to Georgia. With the size and speed to play either safety position, Bacarri Rambo is a player who could possibly interest the Steelers.

The 6'0" 210-pound run stuffer is also a coverage guy who runs a 4.5 in the 40. At Georgia, he had 162 tackles (110 solo) and 16 interceptions. Rambo is a first blood type of player who fits the physical style of the Steelers defense.

Be it on defense or on offense, though, speedy playmakers are definitely needed. Because it's kill or be killed.

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TIDBITS: NFL Live on Wednesday suggested that free agent Reggie Bush could be picked up by the Steelers. With new offensive line coach Jack Bicknell, jr. wanting athletic linemen who can play in space, that would lend itself to obviously having a running back who can play in space and run intelligently between the tackles.

It's at least plausible when you consider that with 443 carries for 2,072 (a 4.67 yards-per-carry average) and 12 touchdowns, by himself he surpasses the three "feature" backs for the Steelers the last two seasons. Between themselves, Rashard Mendenhall (2011) and Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman (2012) accumulated 494 carries for only 1,961 yards (3.93 YPC) and 13 touchdowns.

Bush is also a very dangerous receiver out of the backfield and returner. Best of all, after seven seasons in the NFL he's just 27 years old.

Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley had a similar player in Dexter McCluster when he was the coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. As stated earlier, the Steelers drafted Rainey to be a similar player, so they clearly want that explosive, versatile player. Either Austin, Goodwin or Bush could fill the need for speed and versatility.

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Speaking of Rainey, he cleared waivers on Tuesday. The Steelers released him after the Super Bowl, but none of the other 31 NFL teams wanted to gamble (pun intended) on taking him. - http://tinyurl.com/b3hbdh3

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According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the 2013 salary cap will be $121.1 million and not barely-over $120.9 million as had been reported previously. Also, as Pro Football Talk reported, the Steelers also have a credit of $758,000 which is a carry-over of unused cap space from 2012. This is more than was originally reported, as we posted in a blog about a month ago. - http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/06/team-by-team-cap-adjustments-for-2013/

Update On Roethlisberger Injury, What It Means; Ravens Message

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

On a lighter note...

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

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

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

Ravens' week. 'Nuff said.

Exclusive Interview With Ben's Ankle As We Debunk Roethlisberger/Haley Fued

"Ben's ankle has local media all aTwitter. Breaking News! Does anybody REALLY think it keeps him out of Sunday's game at Cincy? Me neither." - Bob Labriola (@BobLabriola on Twitter)

Ben Roethlisberger injured his right ankle Thursday and left practice early. He claimed to be fine afterward, but was later seen with it wrapped and was walking with a slight limp. According to Ben, he stepped on someone's foot and "rolled my ankle a lil bit."

But, Steel City Insider columnist Jim Wexell said: "I watched Roethlisberger drop back. His plant foot slipped. No other player around him. He fell, limped a little bit, left 30 mins later.

So, while it's obvious that Big Ben turned his right ankle and that it was wrapped later on, how did it actually happen. Did he step on someone? Did someone step on his foot? Did someone not replace a divot?

To get the full story, I had to virtually break into the training facility. Once inside, I was able to get a few minutes with Big Ben's ankle before leaving the South Side.

If It Ain't Steel: Thanks for giving me a few minutes. I know you'd like to get off of your...well, relax as soon as you can. What should I call you? "Big Ben's Ankle?" "Thing 1?" "Little Ben?"

Thing 1: Ahh! I like the Dr. Seuss reference! Let's go with that, because people might misunderstand "little Ben", if you know what I mean.

IIAS: Ok, then. "Thing 1" it is. So, to start off, how are you feeling right now?

Thing 1: Other than feeling like Kobe Bryant just broke me when driving to the hoop, I guess I'm a'ight.

IIAS: *chuckles* That's right, you and Ben used to play point guard. I would've thought you'd have said 'LeBron James' instead since he's from Akron and played for Clev...

Thing 1: If you mention that name again this interview is over.

IIAS: Understood. Sorry. Well, let's get to the actual injury: what happened out there?

Thing 1: Well, when the big guy dropped back, I thought it was understood that it was a 5-step, but he tried to set Thing 2 and I after three. I took the worst of it. I'm big enough to admit I screamed. It hurt!

IIAS: So, no one stepped on you?

Thing 1: Admittedly, I thought Marcus Gilbert had. I mean, who hasn't he hurt, right? I started callin' him "Suggs" for a minute there. Ironic in a way, huh? Me calling Gilbert that. Ya know, because of Suggs' injur...never mind. It didn't go over well with him either. Anyway...then I remembered that he wasn't on the field because of his own injury. So, I realized that I just buckled because of trying to take the extra steps when the big guy wanted to stop. Just got attacked by the Turf Monster, I guess.

IIAS: Ok. So, Jim Wexell was correct. You didn't roll over anyone, just kind of got shuffled.

Thing 1: Yeah, unfortunately.

IIAS: Let me address something else while I have you here. Thursday, Ian Rapoport stated fairly openly that the relationship between Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Big Ben here is bad. His exact words were that it's "not great." Any thoughts on that?

Thing 1: What?! Are you serious? That's ridiculous. Where did you hear that?

IIAS: He wrote it in his NFL blog.

Thing 1: Who was his source? Bruce Arians?! Let me see it.

IIAS: I have the link. Um...here it is. David Todd of ESPN tweeted it. Personally, I think it is much ado about nothing myself, but I had to ask. Here you go: http://t.co/5a1AMnc4

Thing 1: Ian Rapoport? Really? Did he "report" that we tore an ACL too? Ridiculous.

Look, I admit that he and the big guy may not be passing love notes in class, but this is going overboard. Ask those close to the situation, I mean besides me. I think Mark Kaboly has even written that he hasn't seen any friction between the two. Not a noogie, not an eye gauge, not even an "Oh! Wise guy, eh? Nyuck-nyuck!" Not even one round-the-world snap from either diva. This is blown out of proportion.

Hey, we have to get out of here, but I'll finish by saying that, if Ben practices Friday, he'll play Sunday. Pretty much that simple. But if he's sore enough to stay off of me as a precaution, I may not have as much mobility come Sunday.

IIAS: Ok, got it. Appreciate your time. I'll be looking for both of you tomorrow.

~

The low down on Big Ben's ankle: http://t.co/1dFAlzzO

Public Enemy No. 1: Showing Respect For Ray Lewis

Originally written 10/16/12
Updated 01/02/13

"On that day, I shall mourn." - Spock, Requiem For Methuselah, Star Trek

Respect. I cannot think of any other way to begin this article. Respect.

Respect for the man, respect for the player, respect for the image and respect for the leader that is Ray Lewis.

It was announced Monday that Baltimore Ravens veteran middle linebacker Ray Lewis would be out for the rest of the season with a torn right triceps injury. The accolades from players around the league for the 17-year veteran were immediate.

As soon as he heard the news, LaMarr Woodley tweeted this on his personal Twitter account: "Just heard on ESPN that ray lewis is out 4 the yr. hate hearing that because hes 1 of the NFL's true legends. wishing him a full recovery...”

This is from the main rival of the Ravens, no less. But that is the ultimate show of the respect that Lewis has earned throughout his career. A career that has had very few speed bumps on the road to Canton.

Just to be fair about his entire legacy, one of those speed bumps was a fairly large one. One of those kinds of speed bumps that could do serious damage to your undercarriage if not handled correctly. That being the murder charges in 2000.

Following a Super Bowl party in Atlanta on January 31, 2000, a fight broke out between Lewis and his friends and another group, which resulted in two stabbing deaths. Lewis and two friends were questioned by Atlanta police, and eleven days later the three were indicted on charges of murder and aggravated assault.

Lewis initially claimed that the he was not involved in the murder. Later, however, he admitted that he gave a misleading statement to police on the morning after the killings.

Lewis was sentenced to 12 months' probation, the maximum sentence for a first-time offender, and he was fined $250,000 by the Paul Tagliabue-led NFL.

Lewis has since devoted his off-field life to not only turning around his own life and righting his own wrongs, but also to being a leader, mentor, charitable contributor and Christian. - http://tinyurl.com/9l7t6yc

While I know that many haven't forgotten or forgiven those actions, Lewis paid his debt to society and to the NFL. He has shown repentance and has endeavored to make amends and to make certain that others learn from his mistakes. After all, this is America, right? The home of the free, land of the second chance. Too many people tend to forget that...unless if affects them directly. So, if someone can't accept that Lewis has done all he can to show his contrition, then the problem lies with them.

On the field, though, Lewis has been a destructive and disruptive force and an even greater leader and mentor, but he's hardly been charitable.

Lewis is the only man in NFL History to have 40 sacks and 30 interceptions, and is second among linebackers all-time with total takeaways at 50. Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jack Ham is first with 53 (though, in fairness, Ham did most of his pilfering in 14-game seasons).

There is no greater leader for a team in the NFL today. Maybe ever.

ESPN personality Tom Jackson may have said it best. On the pre-game show of Monday Night Football, Jackson said that 'if you check Ray Lewis' phone or Rolodex, you'll find numbers of not only young players, but veterans alike who reach out to him for advice.'

That is a complete truism. We in Steeler Nation know this first-hand as he and Big Ben have that relationship. Lewis was the first to reach out to Big Ben as we've written in a previous article. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2012/08/skip-bayless-wrong-vilifying-ryan-clark_24.html

In 2010, Lewis was quoted as saying he and Big Ben text one another and have a good relationship. In part, he said: “He texted me last night and things like that. It’s a respect we have for each other, but more importantly it’s a respect you got to have for yourself.”

There's that word again...

Though the word "malevolence" could be used as a definition of his position, respect is still the most important thing to Lewis.

When asked once in an interview what he wanted his legacy to be after he retires, Lewis said that he wanted his name to be the first one mentioned when middle linebackers were brought up.

In this writer's humble opinion, he is very definitely on the short list of greatest NFL middle linebackers. A list that contains only four other members. Those being Jack Lambert, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Ray Nitschke. That's it, that's the list.

I spoke earlier of Lewis' road to Canton. The biggest question facing Lewis right now is whether or not the injury that inspired this piece marks the end of a sure-to-be Hall of Fame career.

Given his age and years in the league, it very well could be.

The determination and drive that Ray Lewis has shown over his career, however, challenges that sentiment. ESPN injury expert Stephania Bell agrees.

"It can be repaired," Bell said. "He can come back strong. He can play the position again."

Deion Sanders agrees based on knowing him and having played with him: “The Ray Lewis I know will not end his career off this injury. He's conquered much more than this. He will determine when its over not a injury."

Lewis himself even said that he would be the determiner of his departure.

"I don't know when it will all be over for me," Lewis said before the 2011 season. "People want to use my age against me. They say I'm too old. People fear getting old. I don't fear that because now I have wisdom and a tough body to go with that wisdom."

Lewis is one of six players to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award multiple times since the award was first handed out in 1971 (2000, 2003). He's been selected to 13 Pro Bowls, seven All-Pro teams, has three AFC Defensive Player of the Year awards, a Super Bowl with the Super Bowl MVP and a partridge in a pear tree.

While Lewis may not have the same dominance he had a decade ago, he remains the unquestioned leader of the Ravens. He was also still a leader on the field as well. After losing an approximate 20 pounds in the offseason, he was once again leading the Ravens in tackles with 57 total, including 14 in the Dallas game, before the tackle that caused the triceps tear.

Are you ready to count Ray Ray out? I'm not.

Being a devoted Steelers fan, I can't even reconcile seeing that dismal purple uniform lined up across from my beloved black and gold without Ray Ray out there.

Ray Lewis is the Baltimore Ravens. He's my favorite villain in my favorite movie. He's public enemy No. 1 in Steeler Nation. I love to hate him, but I respect him too.

The aforementioned Captain Jack Lambert in an interview once related that a particular player on the Cleveland Browns said that every player on the team "hated Jack Lambert," but that each player would "love to have him on [their] team."

That was the ultimate compliment to Captain Jack.

In harmony with that, you don't have to love Lewis, you don't even have to like him, but you must respect him.

Remember that tweet from LaMarr Woodley expressing his good wishes to Lewis? He got a not-so-nice reply from a Steelers fan afterward. Woodley retweeted it and replied to it. It went like this:

“@LaMarrWoodley: Its called respect RT @DJJonnyHaze: @LaMarrWoodley how could u [say] that, lewis is a joke & we hate baltimore! U lost my respect for that one.”

Yes, Woodley, it is.

See ya next year, Ray Ray.

UPDATE:
"Ray Lewis announced he is retiring at the end of the season."

I guess we won't see ya next year after all.

At approximately 9:08 a.m. PST, that tweet came through from ESPN's Adam Schefter via his Twitter (@AdamSchefter) account. It was a shock, to say the least, as can be gathered by the way this article was written. That said, we've written enough. A listing of his Hall of Fame stats or a video of his masterful highlights could accompany this update, but we thought we would let his peers speak.

The media, opposing coaches, and former teammates alike have been chiming in on the retirement of Ray Ray. In more than one instance it has been said of him, like former teammate Deion Sanders said, that "he will go down in history as arguably the best linebacker to ever play this game." - http://tinyurl.com/ajsrxxf

Jamison Hensley, ESPN reporter and AFC North blogger, made a compelling, though not necessarily convincing, argument for Ray Ray as the greatest defensive player that the NFL has seen. - http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/62536/ray-lewis-greatest-defensive-player-ever

As was reported by Aaron Wilson, who cover the Ravens for the Baltimore Sun, two former coaches showed their respect as well.

On his Twitter (@RavensInsider) account, Wilson quoted Marvin Lewis, former defensive coordinator of the Ravens who coached Ray Ray and the record-setting Ravens defense that led them to a win in Super Bowl XXXV 34-7 over the New York Giants, as saying: "I'm happy for him. It's disappointing for the game after what he's done.”

Wilson also quoted Chuck Pagano, who served as secondary coach and then defensive coordinator for the Ravens and whom Ray Ray would've faced this weekend, as saying: "Nobody studied the game and prepared as well as Ray. He taught so many how to do that. He always had great insight.”

"He's obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer," Pagano continued, "and he'll be sorely missed.”

Yes, he will. By the Ravens, the NFL and especially by the Steelers-Ravens rivalry, he will indeed.

Fall Is Time For Steelers LaMarr Woodley to Rise

Ahh...Fall is here. Smell the autumn leaves burn, feel its heat as the lazy smoke from it rises up over the West Virginia mountain top...and see LaMarr Woodley finally start to show up in football games.

Woodley, for whatever reason, is a notoriously slow starter to this point in his career. We're seeing it again this season as he only has two sacks, one of which was a miscue where it could easily have been Larry Foote who got to Carson Palmer.

Granted, Woodley has been chipped and double-teamed with the absence of James Harrison on the other side. But he should be doing more to warrant the major money thrown his way by the Rooneys.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler also believes he can do/be more.

“Wood has to decide if he wants to be a great player,” Butler said, via Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review back in August. “When he decides that, he is going to be a bear.”

The numbers seem to prove that to be a fair assessment when you break it down. Look at how each year as a starter has gone.
2008:

First 4 games - 3.5 sacks

Last 12 games - 8 sacks

2009:

First 4 games- 0 sacks

Last 12 games- 13.5 sacks

2010:

First 4 games - 2 sacks

Last 12 games - 8 sacks

2011:

First 4 games - 1.5 sacks

Next 4 games before injury - 7.5 sacks

Not counting this year or his non-starting rookie season (4 sacks), Woodley has seven sacks in the season's first four games during his career as a starter (16 total). That is less than a half of a sack per game. In the final 12 games of the season in his career as a starter, which totals 41 because of games missed due to injury, he has 37 sacks. That is almost a full sack per game. In other words, his production doubles.

Why can't we see that all the time? And that doesn't even include his playoff numbers.

While I personally am a firm believer that the way you end a matter is better than how you start it, Woodley needs to find a way to put up greater numbers before the autumnal equinox.

Like Lance Williams of SteelCurtainRadio.com is fond of saying: "The young guys have to become the guys." With the exception of Lawrence Timmons, with no one is that more true than Woodley.

Especially now that James Harrison is obviously in the twilight of his career, and if this defense stays in a base 3-4 alignment, Woodley has to do more to be a disruptive force.

Harrison's return may help to get a head start, though, on that run that Woodley routinely makes. It isn't the fifth game, but it is the fifth week and the presence alone of the Silverback could bolster Woodley and the defense.

Linebacker Chris Carter, who has inadequately filled in via a dual threat with Jason Worilds, said of the Harrison effect: "When he steps on the field he's the man. We respect that around here. He runs the show when he's there"

As a matter of fact Deebo's return means that Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles will mark the first time since last year's opener that the Steelers will have their projected starting defense on the field at the same time. And the Silverback has guaranteed that he will be present.

Per ESPN's Josina Anderson, @JosinaAnderson on Twitter: "James Harrison in the locker room just now: 'Yeah, definitely, I'll be ready for Sunday.'"

That's good news considering the Steelers need this game and will also want to maintain a trend. They don't often lose to NFC teams, winning 26 out of the last 32 against NFC opponents, including their last seven games at Heinz Field. Another trend the Steelers want to maintain is winning after a bye week. They have only lost once after a bye with Mike Tomlin as head coach.

Having Deebo back on the field, even if it is no more than about 30 snaps, will help bring balance back to the front seven. Because without him the Steelers have started slowly also.

Woodley recognizes this: "The last two games we lost, we didn't make the [opposing offense] one-dimensional."

Well, it's time for him to do his part and rise up now that Fall is here.

~

TIDBITS: ESPN's "Tools For Victory": Wide Receivers - http://tinyurl.com/9mwm7x9

ESPN's Playbook: Eagles vs. Steelers - http://tinyurl.com/9mruchg

Antonio Brown "disses" Brandon Boykin. - http://tinyurl.com/986ecso

Brandon Boykin responds to Antonio Brown's 'candy bar' comment. - http://tinyurl.com/996c94k

David DeCastro (knee) on the mend...and getting his teammates snacks. - http://t.co/wGl5iQp4

Return Of Key Steelers Players Important But Unknown Element vs. Eagles

"The most elementary and valuable statement in science, the beginning of wisdom, is 'I do not know.'" - ScientificQuotes.com

The post from the Pittsburgh Steelers official Twitter site Thursday said that Rashard Mendenhall, Troy Polamalu and James Harrison all practiced fully. Add to that Stevenson Sylvester who will return to play this Sunday and, again, it's all hands on deck.

The fact that these players is back is one thing. They're potential effectiveness is quite another. Thus the quote above. While we love getting our stars back, we still don't know what we'll exactly get from them.

In a recent article we asked if James Harrison had maybe played his last down. Seeing that Harrison practiced two days in a row is very encouraging. His practicing Monday and coach Mike Tomlin saying that he worked out heavily last week is nothing short of surprising.

This is a situation where we love being wrong. Even so, as alluded to above, the question is how effective he'll be. How many snaps or series will he see? We're still talking about a man who didn't participate in any OTAs, minicamps or Training Camp. It will be interesting to see his snap count and how many series he'll see on the whole.

Polamalu shouldn't be as much of a concern as he saw all of those offseason camps and has seen game action. From all that has been reported, he seems good to go. Coach Dick LeBeau says, though, that neither of them may "play the whole game." - http://tinyurl.com/8pj7fo3

As for Mendenhall, running backs coach Kirby Wilson has already said that it isn't as if Mendy will get 55 snaps Sunday, but said that they would like him to get "a significant amount of work." - http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Mendenhall-believes-he-will-play-Sunday/ff96d32a-cfa8-40d2-9314-ed8c4b09fc0f

That makes since. Since it sounds like he's ready, he should get the work. His balance and vision will be welcome. As long as he just hits the hole, that is. And providing there are any.

With the offense in mind, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that an array of 11-personnel packages may be used to spread the Eagles defense out. The Steelers will want to get one-on-one coverage against the Eagles dangerous bump-and-run cornerback tandem of Nnamdi Asomogha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with Pro Bowl wide receivers Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace.

Though Asomugha has not been quite the ballhawk so far that he was for years with the Oakland Raiders, rookie cornerback Brandon Boykin and veteran Brandon Hughes have helped make up for it. Hughes has been more than effective filling in for Asomugha when he has been sidelined, and Boykin has been impressive in the slot. Emmanuel Sanders could see a lot of him. Read Neal Coolong, and follow him (@NealCoolong) on Twitter, of Behind The Steel Curtain break that probability down beautifully. - http://tinyurl.com/8tega7h

So spreading them out to give the wide receivers room to hit their routes and hot reads will be important. The use of the tight end and the running backs out of the backfield will also be important as the Eagles will press the edges with the Wide 9 formation they use. A defensive front that almost dares you to run it up the middle. They shave the edges as good as anyone with Jason Babin and Trent Cole and look to apply constant pressure. They can be run on, though.

"They're pretty much trying to sack the quarterback, they're not really worried about the run," said Isaac Redman regarding the Eagles defense. "They're not built to stop the run."

Defensive end Cam Heyward spoke on their defensive formation also. "They rotate like nine guys on their D-line. We don't have as many guys, but I'd like to think our line gets the job done."

The Steelers run game has been insultingly bad this season, so don't expect them to run it up the gut 30 times against them. They must attack the middle enough, though, to slow down the Eagles excellent pass rush. They must get effective yards, not necessarily a lot of yards. Having Mendy back can aid in that, but we still expect a balance of carries between the backs.

To that end, Jonathan Dwyer, on the possible running back rotation, said: "We're going to do what works at the time. If (someone) has a hot hand, we'll keep going with the hot hand."

The Eagles defense has allowed 91.5 yards per game rushing and 3.81 yards per carry. Something to which the Steelers should look to attain. The way things have gone this season, though, if the Steelers offense would attain those numbers sunday, I'll go back to bed assuming that I was asleep and still dreaming anyway. But, I digress...

If Mendy does make it to the field Sunday, it should help the running game, but it will by no means be a panacea. Like Max Starks said regarding the run game, "It just takes a rhythm and a tempo. You look at certain games, you try and take advantage of other team's weaknesses."

Still, Jonathan Dwyer looks forward to the return of Mendenhall. "He's a great player. He's a Pro Bowl caliber running back and he got drafted in the first round for a reason. He just adds more athleticism and talent to the group. It makes us more talented, more special, and more dangerous."

Even so, the key is still Ben Roethlisberger. The nine-year pro is playing some of the best ball of his career early in the season. Big Ben is second in the NFL in passer rating, second in fewest interceptions, fourth in touchdown passes, fifth in yards per game, fifth in completion percentage and is tops on third down with a 146.8 passer rating. Per Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, he's 28 of 37 for 374 yards and five touchdowns. Dwyer sums it up succinctly.

"Ben's on fire right now...so you can't take away the fire from the guy with the hot hand."

Steelers offensive line has to protect Big Ben against that Wide 9 attack. If they can hold their blocks just a hair's breadth longer, especially Marcus Gilbert, Big Ben can connect with his receivers. Even if the Eagles do get pressure, Big Ben is showing himself to be adroit at completing the short pass, the dump off, to his running backs and tight end Heath Miller, a top red-zone target. - http://t.co/wFiak9Mx

Offensive coordinator Todd Haley has been pleased with his production but knows there is still work to do. He said he doesn't "care whether we throw it 50 and run it 10," he just wants the production. - http://tinyurl.com/9n9zgyp

Stevenson Sylvester is a key special teams player and looks to make his season debut against the Eagles to help the special teams unit. His return will be a welcome sight.

Special teams hasn't exactly been stellar on defending kickoffs so far through three games. Steelers kick coverage has been pathetic allowing a 33.2 yard average, which is 31st in the league.

All-in-all, the return of such key players is a definite bonus for the Steelers this weekend. How much they'll be able to contribute is another consideration. If Harrison can look like Deebo, if Polamalu can look like The Tasmanian Devil and if Mendenhall can look like...Mendy, then we should see the Steelers come away with a close, needed victory.

NFL Offseason Arrests Prove Goodell Has No Fist In His Glove

"Calling all cars! Calling all cars! Be on the look out for several subjects of Caucasian and African American persuasions. Subjects range from 6'0" to 6'5" and 190-325 pounds. Last seen speeding in a vehicle suspected to contain drug paraphernalia and from a residence where physical assault was reported. Subjects considered armed and dangerous."

Yep, that about sums up this NFL offseason. There has just been one after the other. There have been several arrests that range from DWI/DUI to possession of marijuana to simple and aggravated assault. All we've seen is a bunch of overgrown frat boys acting like they're on Spring Break, but they haven't ever seen a woman, had a drink or smoked a blunt before. The result has been a virtual Pandora's Box.

How did Deadpool/Wade Wilson put in X-Men Origins: Wolverine? "Great. Stuck in an elevator with five guys on a high-protein diet." That's a microcosm of this offseason. Except maybe that our abs aren't as good as Ryan Reynolds'. But, I digress...

This offseason has seen 32 NFL players and one cheerleader arrested. Some are even repeat offenders (not the cheerleader). The Detroit Lions alone have had three repeat offenders this offseason with two of them being released, cornerback Aaron Berry and offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath. I refer to such guys as “The Turds of the NFL" and it's time that Roger Goodell starts flushing some of them.

Thirteen of these players have been arrested for different ranges of DUI. Inexcusable. These guys make more money than most people even dream about in their lifetime. There is no excuse for them to be out drinking and then getting behind the wheel and endangering innocent lives. These guys could easily afford to hire a driver to drive them around, or even call a cab. They chose not to, though. I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Retired NFL running back Derrick Ward released a pyroclastic barrage of tweets recently, July 21st, over what he called "dumb" and "ridiculous" behavior. Below is that barrage, which is basically one long thought over several tweets:

Derrick Ward (@DerrickWard32): "Guys that actually do right in the NFL look bad. How easy is it to call a cab to get a ride home? So what? Leave your car get it in the am!?"

"Stop being so dumb! Yes that's right dumb! I'm sitting here retired enjoyed a great career now all I want to do is become a fan and I see..."

"Numerous arrest for DWI in the past several weeks? How many has it been this week 4? Absolutely ridiculous your not only putting yourself..."

"In danger but your putting other innocent people in danger that don't deserve your stupidity. Open your eyes and do the right thing. I know..."

"What its like to get go out get drunk and debate on weather to drive home or not. Call a taxi! So what if u spend some money to take one or..."

"U get a ticket on your car in the am when u go bac 2 get it At least u won't have to pay bail and then lawyer fees and then miss game checks..."

"From being suspended for a few games. Damn this really has me furious and its so avoidable. Tighten up youngesters of the NFL because guess..."

"What it doesn't mean National Football League it really means Not For Long league..... #JustVentingSorryEveryone"

"There's no excuse to drive drunk! NONE! If all else fails WALK! NFL players are world class athletes Walking should be nothing!"

What he said.

The rules of the NFL, in the CBA, state that this falls under the substance abuse policy of the NFL. This, I feel, needs to be changed. I understand that it's been collectively bargained, but something more needs to be done. The message isn't getting through to them. Goodell NEEDS to have a heavier hand.

The players don't seem to care if they get caught because most of the time the Law lets them off too. They're celebrities and they generally get star treatment. If that was me or any other normal citizen, though, we wouldn't get our charges pleaded down. We would go to jail and lose our licenses. Why fear a glove that has no fist?

These overgrown kids simply do not care. They act like they feel they're  untouchable, so to speak, and seem to have the mentality of, “Oh, well, I’ll just get docked a game check, it's not that big of a deal.” That is the attitude that needs to change and change in a hurry. There have already been innocent lives taken because of these boys behaving badly. If the Law cannot do its job, then I feel Goodell needs to do his and bring the hammer down on these players.

If this offseason has shown anything it's that these guys have not learned anything. I guess it is ok to stain that shield that Goodell holds so highly after all. A few years back he was suspending players with no actual charges, but now that there are actual charges and he chooses to turn the other cheek. That is not the kind of message that needs to be sent.

The Penn State mess should be a good reminder what turning the other cheek causes. But this “boys will be boys” mentality and the letting things go all for the sake of the game is the culture that needs to be changed. These guys should be held to a higher standard, but, as of late, they are not being held to any kind of standard.

Goodell has put all those rules into place and then very few get punished for breaking them. It makes it all just so laughable. These players agreed to allow Goodell to keep all his power when they voted in the new CBA. Yet, outside of the Saints Bounty Scandal, Goodell has done nothing. These guys are running around like a bunch of criminals with no regard for authority or public safety. That is not the message that Goodell said he was going to send.

It's the message being received nonetheless. A message so clear that various websites, including NFL.com itself, have tracked the list of frat boys. There were 31 arrests as of the publishing of the article posted below. Since then there has been one more: defensive back Russell Stuvaints was arrested and tasered by McKeesport police for allegedly threatening a female. -  http://www.buzzfeed.com/jpmoore/the-30-arrests-of-the-nfl-off-season 

That makes 32, almost twice as many as last offseason. Is that clear, Mr. Goodell? Let me make it even clearer still for you: that's one for each NFL team. You're trying so hard to keep the NFL pristine, yet the shine of "the shield" is being tarnished right underneath your nose. A similar thing happened with Michael Corleone, and we know how that ended.

Rashard Mendenhall Returns To Twitter And With Good News

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Florio Gets It Wrong In Vilifying Steelers Coach Tomlin

As I quietly perused the news feeds and timelines of Facebook and Twitter I came across a tweet by a friend of mine by the name of Amanda. A woman who is as intelligent as she is lovely, Amanda has no problem expressing her opinion. So when I read “@pghsteelersgrl: Mike Florio is a fu**ing idiot", I figured that I must have missed something.

I redoubled my efforts and found that Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk had taken Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to task for things he said during his William & Mary Hall of Fame induction speech. Tomlin started at wide receiver at W&M for three years.

The taking of Tomlin to task isn't necessarily a problem. Taking his words out of context is.

In an article entitled "Tomlin is a “win-at-all-costs” guy" Florio wrote, "Per Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback...Tomlin gave a rather eye-opening glimpse into his mindset." By this alone one can assume that Florio possibly didn't delve any deeper than quotes mentioned therein...which gives also gives a bit of a glimpse into his own mindset.

He goes on to take pieces of the speech as piecemeal to make a patchwork article. But as with most patchwork material, it doesn't hold together very well. What Florio fails to realize, based on not doing the necessary research, is that Tomlin is speaking with his tongue somewhat in his cheek. Tomlin is disarmingly charming and charismatic and he's simply keeping all of this light and is joking with the crowd. But why should I expect a news source to do actual research? What was I thinking?

Florio next wrote, "One of the reasons I work in the National Football League — I’m tired of the NCAA rules." To that he replied, "It’s also clear that he’s tired of the NFL rules. Every gripe and complaint and piss and moan from Steelers players regarding the league’s rules for hitting offensive players naturally traces to...Tomlin. Last year, for example, safety Ryan Clark was celebrated in the film room for a hit that got him fined $40,000 by the league office."

The so-called "celebration" of a fined hit should be more accurately referenced as a teaching point to the team as it happened before the fine was handed down. Yes, it was flagged, but check the film: Clark leads with the shoulder and hits the receiver, the Ravens' Ed Dickson, just after the ball is caught and Dickson has had both feet to come down to the ground. He was not "defenseless." Was it helmet-to-helmet? The easy answer is that it was, but the helmet contact was minimal at best. Realistically, it is impossible to completely avoid at least some helmet contact when highly-conditioned athletes are going at full speed. The Steelers as a whole were disappointed with the fine and supported Clark.

Getting back to the specific matter at hand, Florio sums up the article by writing, "As the NFL tries to make the game safer, Tomlin needs to realize that his “win-at-all-costs” mindset needs to be tempered by a genuine respect for whatever rules may apply."

Very noble...if not very misguided.

You be the judge, though. I'm posting the parts of the speech in question, and the YouTube link below. And after you do so, go follow Amanda on Twitter via @pghsteelersgrl.
TOMLIN: "We’ve got our chief financial officer in the building from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Where is my man Mark Hart? Is he in the building? Hart? He exited stage left. (laughter from crowd) His son, Kevin, is in the next incoming class of football players at William & Mary. And I'm proud to say that hopefully I had a part in that and I didn’t break any rules in the process. (laughter) Um...I think. (laughter) That's one of the reasons that I work in the National Football League, I'm tired of the NCAA rules. I'm a win-at-all-costs kind of a guy. The NFL is just right for me. Although, I’m not a bounty guy in any form or fashion. (laughter) Any form or fashion. (laughter) What you’ve got to understand about the Pittsburgh Steelers is that they'll get you for nothing. I ain’t gotta offer them anything. Guys like James Harrison and company, they enjoy it. Nah...I love the group of men that I work with...."

2012 Tribe Athletics Hall of Fame: Mike Tomlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOvXdU2drtY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The Offensive Line Has To Do Better (or Thank you, @RamonFoster, for my 15 minutes of Twitter Fame)

Growing up as a Steelers fan I'd always wanted to meet or get the chance to talk to the players I was seeing on the t.v. screen. Players that I followed, emulated, even practically idolized. Living on the west coast for most of my life, though, I've had few opportunities. So those few opportunities that have been presented to me have been cherished.

I remember meeting former Outside Linebacker Mike Merriweather and got and autographed picture from him. I had the ultimate pleasure of meeting and speaking at length to one Robert Patrick Bleier...aka Rocky Bleier...aka Prune Juice. Not only did we have a conversation, and not only did he autograph a photo for me, but he dubbed me "Steeler Jason" as can be seen in the picture above. Thus the reason I go by "SteelerJsun" on certain social websites. Trust me, I could spend the rest of the time writing this blog about that night alone, but that isn't my purpose for this evening's keystrokes.

I've also recently had an exchange with a current Steelers player, though this one will be memorable for a different reason. After sunday's week 4 game against the Houston Texans, a game in which the offensive live gave up 5 sacks and allowed Ben Roethlisberger to be hit or hurried many more times on top of that, I posted on Twitter the following: "@ProBowler53 (Pouncey), @MGilbert76, Essex, @RamonFoster, and Juicy (Kemoeatu)= #Fail". Let's face it, they were seemingly never comfortable and even seemed as if they weren't even always on the same page. There were no holes for the running backs to run through in the first half at all and Big Ben was running for his life in the second half. So I didn't feel I was out of line at all in saying how I felt and would say it again regarding any position or positions if they merited such criticism. As I said, though, there was an exchange.

Some time later as I was attempting to get over the loss, I received a Twitter notification from offensive guard Ramon Foster saying "and ur a #FAILURE at LIFE." Now let me make one thing perfectly clear here: I'm a self-proclaimed "ass". I recognize it, I admit it, and I embrace it. So, trust me, Ramon Foster's reply to me only fueled my fire. I even replied once more to him asking, "Truth hurt?" There was no further reply from Foster. But it turns out that it didn't matter because I started seeing tweet after tweet (what Twitter calls it's posts) of Foster's reply and the comments being made by other Steelers fans regarding it. Most seemed to echo my sentiments as well.



All that having been said, the reason for my Twitter post wasn't to publically undress him or the rest of the offensive line, it was to state the facts of the line's play. To be blunt, they couldn't have have opened a hole for Mendenhall in the first half if it had the name Jenna Jameson attached to it. And while Big Ben may be strong and elusive, you still don't want him running like that-he's no Michael Vick. I've got a rock in my back yard that could beat Big Ben in the 40 yard dash. Plain and simple, the offensive line HAS TO DO BETTER. The lack of blocking is a major factor in the team barely being 2-2. The lack of a run blocking means the Steelers become one-dimensional quickly, and that means teams can pin their ears back and go after Big Ben. That could very easily spell the end of his season. He is already in a walking boot after all.

So to Ramon Foster and any other current player who may read this blog post, this isn't a 'could any of them have played on the better Steelers' OLines of the past' argument. It's simply a calling out of the players to get them to realize that we as fans are paying attention and are concerned. We love our team and will always cherish those opportunities to interact with them...even if they're just snapping at us.