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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To repeat Bouchette, "that absolutely cannot continue."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BR7 Proves Better Than RGIII As Steelers Defeat WDC In PGH

The Washington Redskins flew into Pittsburgh having rushed for at least 120 yards in each game this season. The main reasons for that have been Alfred Morris and Robert Griffin III who, as a quarterback, was 12th in the NFL in rushing.

Any thoughts of extending that streak ended on Heinz Field Sunday afternoon.

RGIII was turned into RG 3 points at a time as the Pittsburgh Steelers hurried, hit and confused the rookie quarterback phenomenon all day. At times it looked like a jail break (yeah, I went there). They also shut down the fierce run/option attack the Redskins' offense has been predicated on all season. - http://tinyurl.com/9sz3mm7

The Steelers shut down their running game and RGIII himself as he only passed for 177 yards and only had eight yards on six rushes.

Many of the keys to winning the game that we outlined in the article before the came to fruition as the Steelers defense kept RGIII at bay. The Steelers offense, led by quarterback Big Ben Roethlisberger, showed more diversity en route to a 27-12 win.

The Steelers had RGIII right where they wanted him all day as he sat back in the pocket and made throws rather than running.

James Harrison, Lawrence Timmons, Larry Foote and LaMarr Woodley, who strained his right hamstring, continually harassed RGIII, and Deebo in particular manhandled the tight ends the Redskins kept running at him, continually sealing the edge.

On the other side, Big Ben was 24-33 for 222 yards and three touchdown passes with a 121.0 QB rating. He didn't have any interceptions and wasn't sacked, the first time that's happened in over two years. When Ben stays as clean as he did Sunday, he's very hard to beat.

As Merril Hoge posted on his personal Twitter (@merrilhoge) account last week: "No SB QB has ever off set more offensive line issues the Ben and won game and SB! Ben is ELITE!!!!!"

Sunday, Big Ben was the same ol' Ben Roethlisberger. When that's the case, it means the Steelers are always going to have a chance to win. - http://t.co/v6sWApFt

Big Ben distributed passes generously once again, including all three TD passes going to the tight ends and to fullback Will Johnson. - http://tinyurl.com/9e3c5w2

One of those tight ends is the very underrated Heeeaaattthhh Miller, who tied the Steelers all-time record for touchdowns by a tight end (37) with his score Sunday.

Miller made a very poignant statement regarding the Big Ben-led D&D offense: "I think defenses have trouble determining who they want to take away in our passing game."

Very true. Especially when the receivers aren't dropping passes, which was much more in check Sunday. This time it was the Redskins receivers who acted like they heard footsteps all afternoon.

The Steelers went into the game with 11 drops in six games. The Redskins had 10 sunday alone.

The Redskins receivers gave little help to RGIII as they surrendered more balls than Queen concert after-party.

RGIII could easily have had 250 or more yards and another touchdown pass had the receivers done their part. They didn't, though, and it kept the Redskins in play-from-behind mode all day.

Another star in the game Sunday was Steelers running back Jonathan Dwyer.

In his press conference last tuesday, Mike Tomlin said that Dwyer is a guy in development. He said of Dwyer that "its good to see him take advantage of opportunities when they are given."

Dwyer did just that again Sunday when he went for 107 yards on 17 carries, the first Steelers running back in more than four years (Fast Willie Parker) with back-to-back 100-yard games. - http://tinyurl.com/8vjhlwd

That smacks at the changeover to a passing team the Steelers have become. Don't think that they don't want to run the ball, though.

The Steelers are 10-0 when they rush for at least 120 yards since the start of the 2011 season, only 6-7 when they rush for less. Point blank, the Steelers are suddenly dangerous with a gelling offense that includes a strong running game. - http://t.co/l6NKHyBX

Now that they seem to have hit their midseason stride, they have a real challenge in front of them as they head into the Meadowlands next Sunday, Hurricane Sandy permitting, to face the New York Giants.

For now, though, the Steelers are enjoying having weathered the storm of RGIII before thinking about EM10.

~

TIDBITS: Before the Redskins game Sunday, Roethlisberger, Willie Colon, and Max Starks had played every snap this year, with Timmons, Miller and Ryan Clark missing only one.

That is no longer the case with Clark as he went down with a concussion in the second half Sunday. He says he ok and plans to play next, per Jason LaCanfora.

“@JasonLaCanfora: Texting w/Steelers S Ryan Clark, who suffered concussion. Says he feels good, recalls details of the game, including his big hit on RGIII” - from his personal Twitter account.

The right quad tightened up on Dwyer. Tomlin addressed all the injuries,but did not say who will start next week. - http://www.steelers.com/video-and-audio/videos/Mike_Tomlin_Postgame_vs_Redskins/599e96fc-3649-47e2-981c-afc927e8ebe5

~

Antonio Brown needs to be reined in a little bit. AB running backward is not very smart. What makes him think he won't get flagged in a situation like that? Didn't he learn from the preseason? C'mon, man!

Like Jim Wexell tweeted: "@jimwexell: Two Browns penalized on the same play. First time that's ever happened outside of Cleveland."

And if you're scoring at home, that's 183 yards in returns erased the past two games by six penalties. Like I said last week, "Special Ed Teams."

Former Steeler Willie Parker Runs To A Coaching Position; Ray Rice Signs

You can't coach speed. Willie Parker, though, is looking to coach the rest of what it takes.

Pete Roussel of COACHINGSEARCH.com reported Monday that former Steelers running back Willie Parker accepted a coaching position on the West Virginia Wesleyan staff. Good news for Fast Willie Parker.

FWP, who holds the record for the longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history, never had a chance to have any sort of swan song after being released by the Steelers. His bad-mouthing the organization didn't help matters any. Nonetheless, he tried to get on with several teams after that to no avail. So, If It Ain't Steel is glad to see him turning the page in his career.

FWP should do well as he begins his coaching career if he is able to apply what learned and endured as a player. He didn't start at the University of North Carolina. He wasn't drafted out of college. He had a Steelers legend in front of him when he got to Pittsburgh. He even had to endure being told, during a chance encounter with a Steelers fan before making the team his rookie year, "I hope you get cut!" when he revealed that he grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan.

Point blank, FWP knows what it takes to be successful at the position and the game: he knows about overcoming adversity and the mental toughness it takes, on top of whatever physical gifts, and he learned how to be a great running back and to be gracious while being so from a great running back who was gracious while being so. If he can take what he learned and overcame and convey that to his players, we're certain to see an FWP protégé in the NFL one day.

Who knows? Maybe we'll even him in the NFL again one day too. On the sidelines.

~

The Baltimore Ravens and Ray Rice sneak five-year, $40 million deal in under Monday's deadline. Total numbers are five years, $40 million, with $25 million in first two years. I believe only Adrian "AD" Peterson is higher. -  http://t.co/JXfzt1Vu 

Rice is essential to the Raven's offense, so this was a necessary signing. Even in a league where the quarterback is still the golden boy who gets the cheerleader, even in Joe Flaccid's case, there is always X-factor workhorse who is the glue holding it all together. That's Ray Rice.

Baltimore could get by without The Unibrow, but not Ray Rice. They're already in danger of being bereft of two former defensive players of the year, they couldn't afford any issues with Rice also.

The Pittsburgh Steelers - Like A Rock

"The discreet man [builds] his house upon the rock-mass. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded upon the rock-mass. - Matthew 7:24, 25

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a reputation and long tradition for being steady and consistent in the NFL Draft and free agency. They show discretion by rarely reaching or gambling in either, but more often than not they find their reach to be true and their grip to be firm.

Steady, sound, firm...like a rock.

With the 2012 version of the draft starting this Thursday, that rock-like approach will surely be on display once again. As a part of the week's events, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin held a pre-draft press conference on Monday to discuss their thoughts and concerns...and possibly to allay others.

To wit - Mike Tomlin said, "We are not worried about the reports about Mike Wallace, we will see how it plays out." Kevin Colbert also said, "Our intention has always been to sign Mike to a long term contract." The Mike Wallace situation, though, will not affect what they do in the draft. (Because we obviously can't go a week or a blog without mentioning Mike Wallace. Now that that's done...)

Colbert started off the presser by saying that they were about 98% done with their prep. The board, Colbert said, is about set. The last minute character and medical checks are currently being done. Colbert said they will draft from about 150 players and that most of the depth is at wide receiver and cornerback. Whereas the least amount of depth is at fullback, safety, center and tight end.

There has been speculation over the last month as to whether or not they will trade up or down depending on whether the players or players whom they're keying in on is available or not. Or whether they find enough value to stand pat in the first place. Colbert essentially answered that when he said, "As always, we will make all our calls and find out what teams want to move up and down accordingly in the draft"

Colbert admitted that there are a few "surefire" first-rounders. After those players, teams will be taking more of a flyer than in past years.

"You get beyond the first seven or 10 guys [and] everyone's going to be picking and hoping. We'll be one of those teams. I guess there's less easy picks this year than in a lot of recent years. Quite honestly there's not a lot of players in this draft that can come in and be immediate impact guys for us."

Acknowledging that is basically stating that they aren't expecting much this year out of top pick. At that point, Dontari Poe or Dont'a Hightower seem logical picks for the Steelers. If they are there, that is.

Since the overwhelming choice by Steelers fans is Hightower, we'll use him in the scenario. If the Steelers take Hightower, linebackers coach Keith Butler would be able to groom him for a year behind Larry Foote and then have him take over at the buck linebacker position.

Hightower brings leadership and size and seems to have recovered from the knee injury and resultant surgery that cut short his sophomore campaign.

Some, though, question that size saying that he's too big and that it affects his open-field tackling ability. To that I say two words: Levon Kirkland.

The Steelers are simply rock solid. Time and again they make solid if not spectacular choices in their draft and free agency selections, of which Kirkland is an example.

Sure, mistakes have been made. But for every Daniel Sepulveda (traded up to get him in the fourth round) there's a Willie Parker and a Donnie Shell (undrafted free agents).

This may best sum up the Steelers draft success, especially under Colbert: "Need is not a good word. It's want. We want players, we don't necessarily need."

They truly have built their house on that rock-mass. Neither the winds of change nor the torrents of free agency have collapsed it. The most consistent and successful franchise in the Super Bowl era...and they're ready to continue that success this week.

Like a rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lhWfINja64&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Things to be Hated: Puppies, Bunnies & Mendenhall

This article is for all the Rashard Mendenhall fans out there. So, those of you who crush him no matter how well he plays, y'all can go on doing what you've been doing. Tweet your hateration for him, or post your doctored pics to Facebook, or upload videos to YouTube of the reasons he sucks or...kick puppies or whatever it is you do to have fun. Just, please, don't tag me in those photos. Unless you superimpose me next to Rihanna or something. That I can deal with.

Ok, to back to you guys. I don't know about y'all, but I really don't get all the Mendenhall hate. I really don't. I mean, he just won the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award and they still won't give him his due. What's he done to deserve the hate? Is he fragile? Has he been injured a lot? Does he constantly turn the ball over? A low yards per carry average? Well let's just break it all down.

To give a bit of a background, Rashard Mendenhall played at the University of Illinois and in his final season with the Illini he rushed for a then school record 1,681 yards and 17 touchdowns with a 6.4 ypc average. Throughout the 13 game season, he also had 318 yards receiving and two touchdowns on 34 receptions, Mendenhall was then drafted 23rd overall by the Steelers in the 2008 NFL Draft and was looked at as being a complement to Pro-Bowl running back Fast Willie Parker.

An injury to Willie Parker, though, put Mendy, as fans have taken to calling him, into the starting lineup September 29, 2008 against the rival Baltimore Ravens. It didn't go well. He was forced to leave the game with a fractured shoulder in the third quarter after a huge hit by Steelers fans' favorite criminal, Ray Lewis. (Ok, ok..."accomplice") Season over. Thanks for playing. We have some nice parting gifts for you. (Namely a Super Bowl ring. Number six, if you're counting.)

Since then Mendy has been a very good running back, even great at times. He did have the fumblitis issues early on, but he's taken care of that, despite what James Harrison said. (Mendy only fumbled once in 2010.) Yeah, I know he fumbled in the Super Bowl, I'll get to that too.

Upon coming back from his injury, Mendy ran for nearly 2,400 yards for a 4.25 ypc average in 28 starts over the last two years. He also had 20 touchdowns in that timeframe. He even led the Steelers in scoring last year. Bastard! Franco Harris never did that. Oh, wait...yeah, he did. In 1976 he led the Steelers in scoring with 84 points. Well, then, that can't be the reason people hate him. I may need help in figuring this out.

Could it be a tougness issue? After all, I did just state that he was injured virtually the entire '08 season. Nah, he can't be faulted for being out for the season after that hit. If Ray Ray had hit me like that I'd be out for a year too. But really out. Like 'being fed intravenously' out. Like my mama crying, "Oh, Lord Jesus, they done killed my baby!" out. Plus, he hasn't suffered any real injuries since then. So it can't be a matter of toughness. He neither shies away from blocking nor runs out of bounds just to avoid a hit. (You hear that, Franco?) Anyway, I just can't see it being that. What else?

I talked before about the fumbles Mendy had early in his career and especially the one in the Super Bowl. As was said before, he conquered his fumbling problems and hasn't had them since. But, he did fumble in the Super Bowl last year. Yes, it happened. As it would have with any running back. Think back to the play.

Keeping it in simple terms, the Steelers were in 13-Personnel with a designed guard pull to the right. David Johnson, no. 85, lined up as fullback and led the right side run as Doug Legursky, no. 64, pulled out to engage the linebacker, Clay Matthews, and defensive end, Ryan Pickett, respectively. They missed. Badly. They actually split them. Don't ask me how, but they split them. In two-and-a-half steps Mendy had Pickett's helmet and Matthews' right shoulder right on the ball. Breakdown by the offensive line caused the forced fumble that was recovered by Green Bay.

Such breakdowns in the offensive line have been the norm since Mendy has been in Black and Gold. Let's face it, the Steelers don't have the offensive line they once had. This isn't the the 1997 Steelers Line that had Jerome Bettis running behind it. He saw more gaping holes than at an AVN porn convention. He also had a designated full back, but that's for another article. As I was saying, the Line isn't always very good and it's caused him to be indecisive in his runs. He just doesn't hit the holes, as few as they may be, like he should. Which might just be the reason for the hate. The typical Steelers fan would rather see a plodding, big running back. Thus the clamor for Isaac Redman.

Don't get me wrong, I love Redman. I just know he isn't as good as Mendy. Mendy has power, moves and speed. Real speed. Speed that Redman just doesn't possess. Plus, when Mendy sat out the Titans game with a pulled hamstring, it was both Redman and Jonathan Dwyer who filled in for him. Redman, whom everyone wanted, only had 13 rushes for 49 yards. He's nowhere near the dynamic runner that Mendy is. But the typical fan always wants the backup.

Should Redman maybe be used more? Yes, he definitely should be. But Mendy haters shouldn't think for a moment that he could do what Mendy does. It's ludicrous to even suggest that he could. Those who truly know never lost faith in Mendy. Least of all Mendy himself. When asked of all the backlash he's been receiving lately, Mendy said, “If you paid attention to that stuff, it would drive you crazy.” You can read the rest of the article this quote comes from here: http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local_sports/mendenhall-quiets-critics-after-sunday-s-performance/article_9c8adebf-6d1f-5943-b3a9-c951c36ee5da.html

Look, Mendenhall is a dynamic runner. He is an NFL starter. Period. Deal with it. And with the likes of him as the starter, Redman simply won't start. Not that he couldn't elsewhere, he just won't be a starter in Pittsburgh. So go ahead and hate, haters (if any of them kept reading, that is). Unless Mendy pulls a Barry Foster, we can expect to see him for a long time. Now I don't mean to make anyone go and boil someone's bunny over this, it just happens to be the truth.

The Offensive Line Woes May be the Fault of Colbert and Tomlin

The setting was a post-draft press conference in 2008, similar to the one shown in the picture above. The question that was posed to Colbert and Tomlin was regarding the Steelers issues on the offensive line. Tomlin provided a seemingly acceptable answer by saying that 'one way to aid the passing game and the getting of the ball out of the quarterback's hand quicker is to provide him multiple targets', or words to that effect. Ok, fair enough. A team does need to be versatile and even explosive. But is that all he and Colbert are looking to do? To their credit, they did draft Pouncey in the first round last year, but this was the exception rather than the rule.

The Steelers offensive line woes in the last few years have become almost as legendary as the offensive line dominance that the team had for...well, a little bit longer. For decades the Steelers OLine punished defensive lines opening holes for the likes of Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Barry Foster and Jerome Bettis. Even during the years of lesser known running backs like Ernest Jackson, Walter Abercrombie, Frank Pollard, Rich Erenberg and Merril Hoge, there was room to run and the Steelers were generally among the tops in the NFL in rushing.

Those Steelers lines also provided time for the quarterbacks to throw the ball. They threw it proficiently, even dynamically. Everyone knows about the most popular name in this group of quarterbacks, 4-time Super Bowl winner Terry Bradshaw, but even those who succeeded him rarely had to run for their lives. Simply put, the Steelers OLine was stout for the better part of 35 years.

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

The running backs during this most recent era have been nothing short of spectacular considering that the only lanes they have seen opened up to them on a regular basis have been those they see when the team plane touches down in opposing team's cities. To be able to do what Willie Parker, aka Fast Willie Parker, and Rashard Mendenhall respectively were able to do behind the OLines that the Steelers have had since approximately 2006 is nothing short of amazing. Willie Parker was an injury in the 2007 week 16 Rams game away from a potential rushing title. He had nearly 1,500 yards the year before. Rashard Mendenhall had over 1,100 yards in only 12 starts in 2009, and almost 1,275 yards and 13 touchdowns last year.

The Steelers mentality under Tomlin and Colbert has seemingly been to simply develop the offensive linemen and not to go after bigger names in the NFL Draft. Granted, being that the Steelers have been as successful as they have been, they have been at or near the bottom of the draft rounds, so they would have to trade up to get a high end lineman such as a tackle. And while they have traded up in the recent past, they've only done it for specialty/position players.

This year it seems the lack of quality players on the OLine, and the injuries accompanying them, is beginning to truly manifest itself. There are few holes through which Mendenhall can even run. The aforementioned Merril Hoge, now an ESPN analyst, when speaking of the Steelers-Colts Sunday Night Football game, said, "Penetration is the number one killer of a running game: it neutralizes the point of attack, it deters your instincts as a runner, it dictates where you're going to go and it destroys you as a runner." He also called Mendenhall "extremely powerful and gifted." But the OLine was simply overmatched. Too often that is the case. It has affected Roethlisberger too as he is very obviously playing timid. The Steelers are bottom dwellers in rushing in the NFL and are turning the ball over at an alarming rate. This could easily lead to another post-Super Bowl malaise. Or, worse yet considering the hits Roethlisberger has already taken, the loss of our quarterback for the season.

True to his word, Tomlin, along with Colbert, has gone out and gotten playmakers for his franchise quarterback. But, since that same quarterback often has very little time to let a play develop, the advantages provided by those playmakers are being negated. A problem that could have been affected for the positive over the years by paying more attention in the draft. But they seem to be content to with developing B-list linemen to fit their needs and schemes. In a similar vein, Cowher didn't believe in drafting a franchise quarterback for years but to rather develop QBs and build the defense and run game instead. It worked for him too...until the most important games, that is, when a franchise QB might have been the difference. Could the Steelers be looking at a similar situation here? I, for one, hope not. Let's hope Tomlin and Colbert see the trend and look to change it this next offseason, whether or not they're picking in the middle of the first round or at at the end of it.

HINES WARD : HALL OF FAMER?

Written by Jason Robinson

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

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


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

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

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

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


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

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