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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Ben Needs To Go

I grabbed your attention with that title, didn't I?  The reason I say Ben Roethlisberger needs to go is not the reason you may think and not the Ben I think needs to go. All will become apparent.  

Opening Sunday against the Ravens, and again against the Colts, made me really think what I have been thinking for some time: the media is ruining my quarterback. I started seeing it last season at the Super Bowl. Last off season all we heard was about Ben's bad behavior and 'Ben is a douche' and things of that nature.  His teammates hated him, the fans hated him, the list goes on. Well I, as a Big Ben fan, supported him and did not buy into the media bull that Ben was a bad guy. I looked at it as Ben being human and humans make mistakes. He was faced with a lot of obstacles and he overcame them and become a better person for it.   Love the new and improved off season and the off field Ben. But that is not the Ben I love on the field.  

The media before this past Sundays game had been singing the praise of Ben and even dropped the word "elite" and "one of the best." But I have always thought that, even when the media was bashing him for his style of play. Look, lets face facts: Ben rarely has the sexy fantasy stats. But Ben has something that set him apart from other QBs, he has heart and he has a drive that willed him to win. He can take a blown up play and turn it into a big play. Usually. The guy I saw was a man trying too hard to be the hero and to save the day, only to have it bite him in the end against the Ravens and almost again against the Colts. That was not the Ben that I expect to see on the field, that I love to see on the field. He keeps trying to do it on his own, but he can't.

So what I am getting at is that "Gentle Ben" needs to go. The guy that does and says all the right things and plays the way the media and fantasy players think football should be played.  

Ben came back last season from all of this and played what I felt was his best football to date. He played with a purpose and played well. Yes, in '07 he had a great statistical year, but stats don't win championships.  "Big Ben" does. But then when he played lights out in the playoffs and helped the Steelers to another SB championship, the media machine reared its ugly head again and dredged up all the past off seasons' problems and even made a big to do about him being out with his teammates. That again falls back to him being a human being who is entitled to have a life outside of football. That was when I first saw the emergence of Gentle Ben.  

That is why I want Big Ben back. The Steelers need Big Ben back. You know, that bad ass on the field who could care less about style points and pretty plays. The Big Ben that had that arrogance to him and the rebel side to him on the field. The one that held onto the ball a little too long and, if a play broke down, that made the big play that people talked about. No, it wasn't always pretty, but it worked. That Ben did not care about stats and things of that nature. All he cared about was winning-winning championships and Super Bowls.  

Big Ben did not care what the media or anyone else thought. Big Ben just did his thing on the field and was great at it. Big Ben kept his private life to himself and didn't care what the fans or media thought because it was his life, not theirs. Some fans just need to realize that even though he plays for the Steelers, when he walks out of that locker room and gets into his car, then he is just Ben. That is the Ben he corrected and I applaud him for it. But the guy under center didn't need correcting.
  
Yes, I know Ben had his struggles because of the Big Ben persona, and almost lost things that were important to him because of it. But he matured. I just don't want his style of play to be ruined because of it as well. That would be a travesty. While I know it is one of those "damned if you do and damned if you don't"  kind of things, but it needs to happen. 

So my solution is for Gentle Ben to stay off the field, but please bring Big Ben back on the field. That is the Ben I want to see. Yes, he still needs to be the man he promised to be and he has been so far. The more mature Ben. But leave that guy at home. When he gets in his car and pulls into the parking lot of Heinz field or gets off the bus to an away game, he needs to get his "Big Ben" on. I know he is still in there somewhere, and I for one, and I know others will agree, I hope he makes his appearance soon. Because I miss that guy.

IT'S RAVENS WEEK: LET THE TRASH TALK BEGIN!

I was doing some reading and ran across this article. This guy takes it upon himself to call Ben Roethlisberger a Drama Queen (considering a man is a Drama "King" in this case, this gives you an idea of his intelligence level) and goes on about Big Ben's past injuries when it comes time to play the Ravens. The only piece of truth to this blog, if that is what you want to call it, is him calling Big Ben the "Raven Killer." Big Ben is 9-2 against the Ravens in the regular season, with both losses coming in the 2006 season, and is undefeated in the postseason. He even 'killed' their aspirations for the Super Bowl twice. Need I say more? No, but I will anyway. Before I do, though, You can check out this guy's ramblings for yourself here:

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/blog/2011/09/where_is_the_drama_queen_1.html

I have to take issue with some of the things the writer said.  Not just because I am a Steeler fan and a Big Ben fan, but because, frankly, he's wrong. Big Ben has missed 2 games against the Ravens, neither of which was by his choosing: one was due to a concussion & the other due to a Goodell enforced vacation. Those are the only two games that Ravens QB Joe Flacco has won against the Steelers. I could go into a "Lets point out all of Joe Flacco's flaws against the Steelers" rant, but I need to get something else off my chest first. 

Last season Ben Roesthlisberger went the longest without having a "Roughing the Passer" call come his way, and ended the season with the fewest in the NFL. Big Ben had his nose broken in the second Ravens game by Haloti Ngata with a flagrant hands to the face, but it went unflagged. But did Big Ben cower and go into the fetal position and leave the game. That would be a "HELL NO". Like a Timex he kept on tickin' and not only finished the game, but shook off Terrell Suggs with a stiff arm and won the game.  Not once did he complain. Ben came back last season from a four-game suspension and never missed a beat. He played like the champion he is. He not only played for himself but for his team, leading them again to a Super Bowl appearance. Though he didn't come away with the win, he did get there and will assuredly go back again.   Now who was it again we had to beat on our way to the Super Bowl? Oh, yeah, that's right: the Ravens.   Even this preseason Big Ben took some hits that should have been flagged, but were not. Did he cry or complain? No, he just did what he always does. He went out and won the game, and did so with his impressive play and ability to make things happen.  

So I chalk this piece up to either sour grapes or wishful thinking. Ravens fans know that if Ben is in the game, their chances of winning are slimmer indeed. Big Ben and the Steelers aren't all the Ravens have to worry about, they have problems of their own. But for some reason all you see is them trashing the Steelers and complaining of how they cannot beat them. We lost to them once last season and never whined a bit, our fans never made one excuse. We lost. We moved on to the next game. End of story. 

But in all reality, as a Steeler fan I mark these games on my calendar. Let's face it, these games are what football should be: blood, sweat and no tears smash mouth football. They show what and how football should be played. They take no prisoners and play great defense. 

This year, though, could be different. Big Ben and Flacco both have weapons with which to work. Both teams also have questions due to injuries in their respective secondaries. This game could very well come down to a shoot out. Both quarterbacks are very capable of doing just that. But, if that is the case, which one will shine under pressure and which will falter?  

My money is on Big Ben shining. That is when he plays his best, when under pressure and the game on the line. Steeler fans know what he is capable of, and I personally believe we never even got a glimpse this preseason of what the possibilities are with this offense. The sky is the limit and I think Big Ben and Co. will take full advantage of it. Flacco, on the other hand, seems to falter under pressure and when the game matters most. Is he ready to take the next step? Can he carry a team on his shoulders and pull  a game out when it matters most? I guess we will find out Sunday, because we know the  Steelers defense will be bringing it.
 
So I will end this by saying I look forward to Sunday and seeing the Steelers take the field against the Ravens. It'll be a great game regardless. Win or lose. 

The 2011 Steelers Starting Lineup and Position Depth (Chart)

    The Steelers initial roster is now set and all eyes look forward to the start of the season and the hated Baltimore Ravens. Aside from former West Allegheny High School star WR/TE/H-Back Dorin Dickerson and former Bears third-round draft pick WR Juaquin Iglesias getting workouts with the Steelers on Tuesday, all is set. You can read more about them here thanks to steelersdepot.com: http://burgh.us/7ea
    Before looking forward to the 2011 roster and depth chart, though, here's the link to look back at the 53-man projection made here on If It Ain't Steel to see how we did:  http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7665637725330682289&postID=6868306088995289676
    Ok, now that we see that prognostication isn't an exact science, on to the current roster and depth chart. The starters will be bold lettered and in italics. Here we go:

OFFENSE:

Quarterbacks:
Ben Roethlisberger- #7 (captain) has made incremental improvements reading defenses and has quietly improved other parts of his game too. His shortened delivery has also helped him avoid sacks and interceptions better than ever before; Charlie Batch- Uncle Charlie benefits from an injury to a QB seeded in front of him for the second straight year and will make the most of it; Dennis Dixon- would seem to make the most sense for the no. 2 spot now that Leftwich is out because he's younger, faster and more athletic than Uncle Charlie, but Batch knows the system inside out and is more football-wise.

Running Backs:
Rashard Mendenhall- his 13 TDs last year led the team in scoring and he has the chance at 1,500 yards this year because of a much better passing game setting up the running game; Isaac Redman- gained 5-10 lbs of muscle and ran with authority all preseason; Mewelde Moore- slow and steady wins the race...and the 3rd RB spot; Jonathan Dwyer- thank Baron Batch's torn ACL for this one....but he has started to show real promise.

Wide Receivers:
Mike Wallace- so fast...but he needs to be more than that and will be this season; Hines Ward- (captain)the REAL Man of Steel; Emmanuel Sanders- the outlook is getting more and more optimistic regarding Manny's feet to the point where he played and looked very good in the last preseason game; Antonio Brown- has been the preseason MVP and, as long as he doesn't try to be Spider-Man again, should be MVP in a few games this year too; Jerricho Cotchery- he's a poor man's Hines Ward and half of his career NFL touchdowns have been in the red zone; Arnaz Battle- (captain) wasn't even on my first roster projection mainly because of his (lack of) performance against Washington. But he has shown himself overall worthy of a spot mainly because of his Special Teams play. Proof being that he was named ST captain.

Tight Ends:
Heath Miller- incredibly underrated TE who does everything; David Johnson- is a big part TE set mainly because he fills the H-Back role so well, but also played well when called upon during the preseason; Wes Saunders- this young man is a beast and should only get better.

Offensive Line:
Jonathan Scott- blindside; Chris Kemoeatu- if he keeps his head in the game...honestly, he's the best pulling guard in the league when he wants to be; Maurkice Pouncey- the anchor; Doug Legursky- The Big Legursky; Willie Colon- I have a habit of calling him Willie Colon Cancer, but all I'm seeing is good things as he was mauling guys in preseason games; Chris Scott- will back up at right tackle...for some reason, just don't ask me what that reason is; Marcus Gilbert- coming along slowly at left tackle, but wasn't unimpressive in the latter preseason games; Trai Essex- Y'all remember him, right? The emergency Center in the Super Bowl if something had happened to the Big Legusky. His entrance also meant sixth-round draft pick Keith Williams' exit and will mainly play right guard; Ramon Foster- solid as a backup right guard who'll also play left guard and is better against the run.

DEFENSE:

Defensive Line:
Aaron Smith- possibly the smartest DE...ever, and the unsung hero's last hurrah; Casey Hampton- looking solid as always; Brett Keisel- finally made a Pro Bowl last year; Evander Hood- Now the boys in the hood will pull ya card...and have Aaron's job by the end of the year; Cam Heyward- another lineman with a mean streak....and he's not afraid to use it; Chris Hoke- veteran player who can play multiple positions if needed; and my only real surprise, Steve McLendon- Steelers proved they wanted him by cutting Leftwich last year to add him to the roster for a game for help on the line, a game in which he had a sack. He then proved again that he belongs by having a disruptive preseason.

Linebackers:
Lamarr Woodley- expect bigger things this year from The Wood; James Farrior- (captain) blessed by Father Time; Lawrence Timmons- the mind boggles at what he could accomplish this year; James Harrison- "you got knocked the fu** out, man! (Deebo reference) he says his back is better, so we'll see as the season progresses; Sylvester Stevenson- not calling him a "beast" yet, but I've seen the fangs; Larry Foote- his swan song with the Steelers; Jason Worilds- better live up to my name, boy!; Chris Carter- all he does is catch touchd...oops, wrong Chris Carter...needs to gain weight, though.

Defensive Backs:
Ike Taylor- Face me, Ike!; Bryant McFadden- hurt again, but has to be pushed out of the starting position; Keenan Lewis- please push BMac out of the starting position; Willian Gay- *sigh* Willie, Willie, Willie...you need to excel in the nickel because you ain't worth a dime at Corner; Curtis Brown- needs to step up and be ready for special teams and nickel duties, but he WILL see playing time; Cortez Allen- Allen was hampered by a leg injury and couldn't get onto the field til the last preseason game, but had a very good coming out party. He is VERY RAW and needs time to hone his skills, but what an upside! Ryan Clark- glad he didn't decide to change careers permanently and park cars for a living; Troy Polamalu- The Predator is the reigning DPOY, but he may start to decline from this point; Ryan Mundy- stepping up well, played very well all preseason; Will Allen- still a valuable backup safety.

Special Teams:
Shaun Suisham (K)- Sushi! I really wanna see ID; Dan Sepulveda (P)- he's running out of ACLs, but, then again, maybe he really is Robo-Punter; Greg Warren (LS)- he wears no. 60 and you'd be surprised at how many downfield plays he actually makes.

Practice Squad:
LB Mortty Ivy- West Virginia university product who would make the roster of virtually any other NFL team, but these are the Pittsburgh Steelers, aka "Linebacker, Inc"
T Trevis Turner- A tackle who is VERY RAW and will only benefit from being placed here in order to learn from OL coach Sean Kugler.
WR Tyler Grisham- Grisham has the edge in blocking and experience with the team and playbook, but just couldn't crack the top six.
TE Jamie McCoy- I don't know much about him admittedly, but he obviously showed enough to make the practice squad.
C/G John Malecki- Showed himself well in Camp and in the preseason games in general.
RB John Clay- He's one-dimensional and really needs another year to maturate.
DE Bryant Corbin- Wasn't on my original practice squad projections, but he found his way back, mainly because Gray was cut early.
S Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith- Last, but not least... He's back on the PS and is creeping his way closer to seeing a roster spot considering this is McFadden's and Gay's last year in a Steelers uniform.

2011 Steelers Final 53-Man Roster Prediction 3.0 - Final Roster

    The Steelers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-16 Saturday night at Heinz Field. It was a showcase of big plays on offense and defense and showed Steelers fan a little of what they can expect this season. It also helped to be able to solidify what the 53-man roster will look like, including the Practice Squad. Unfortunately not completely in a good way.
    Byron Leftwich broke his left arm on what looked like a routine scramble in the 3rd quarter. It turned out to be anything but routine as he immediately got up in obvious pain, pulled off his helmet with his right hand and ran toward the sidelines with a look of extreme pain on his face. It looked as if his elbow had dislocated and he just held it gingerly to his side. He'll be placed on injured reserve and will thus miss the season.
    Trai Essex has lost weight and gained a possible roster spot as he was signed back to the team on monday, August 22nd. The move was necessitated by two knee injuries to their left tackles, Jonathan Scott and Marcus Gilbert who'll also play left guard.
     Another change surrounds the defensive. Cortez Allen has pretty much (not) played himself onto the Practice Squad. I will state, though, that Crezdon Butler needs to prove that he actually belongs on the active roster and not the Practice Squad himself. He hasn't shown anything and, therfore, really only has one more week to prove that he does belong. If not, that would allow the Steelers to place Allen on the active roster preventing some other team from taking a fly on him. He'd have to clear waivers and the team taking him would have to put him on their active roster as well if he were placed on the PS, so he may be safe either way. So who is it that has played his way onto a possible roster spot? Donovan Warren. He has shown himself to be ready for primetime in the limited action he's seen, and all reports out of Camp and team practices say that he has real potential. Lastly on the defense was the cutting of Anthony Gray. His being cut will mean that a familiar name will find it's way back onto the PS.
     I also had to adjust the wide receiver position because I'd initially had Grisham on the roster. I thought that he was no longer eligible for the PS, but Ed Bouchette has reported that he actually is. Not only that but Ken Laird of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has said that Arnaz Battle actually has played better in Camp and in practices. So that means, along with the addition of Essex, a couple of players had to be moved off. The other players affected by this were Weslye Saunders and Wes Lyons. This concerns me because of the very reason I spoke of regarding Cortez Allen earlier. But there are only 53 roster spots. That being said, let's look at the revised list complete with the PS prediction.

OFFENSE:

Quarterbacks:
Ben Roethlisberger- 7 for #7; Charlie Batch- Uncle Charlie benefits from an injury to a QB seeded in front of him for the second straight year. Dennis Dixon- would seem to make the most sense for the no. 2 spot now that Leftwich is out because he's younger, faster and more athletic than Uncle Charlie, but Batch knows the system inside out and is more football wise.

Running Backs:
Rashard Mendenhall- his 13 TDs last year led the team in scoring; Isaac Redman- ran with authority against the Redskins; Mewelde Moore- slow and steady wins the race...and the 3rd RB spot; Jonathan Dwyer- thank Baron Batch's torn ACL for this one....but he has started to show promise.

Wide Receivers:
Mike Wallace- so fast that when he turns out the lights to go to sleep, he's in bed before the room gets dark; Hines Ward- the REAL Man of Steel; Emmanuel Sanders- the agony of da feet? Maybe, but the outlook is getting more and more optimistic; Antonio Brown- has been the Camp MVP and has shined brightly in all three preseason games; Jerricho Cotchery- he's a poor man's Hines Ward and half of his career NFL touchdowns have been in the red zone; Arnaz Battle- wasn't even on my first roster projection mainly because of his (lack of) performance against Washington. But he has shown himself overall worthy of a spot mainly because of his Special Teams play.

Tight Ends:
Heath Miller- incredibly underrated TE; John Gilmore- I'm somewhat leaning toward him being supplanted by Saunders considering his size and tenacity, but Gilmore is the better blocking TE at this point; David Johnson- completes the three TE set mainly because he fills the H-Back role so well.

Offensive Line:
Jonathan Scott- blindside; Chris Kemoeatu- if he keeps his head in the game...honestly, he's the best pulling guard in the league when he wants to be; Maurkice Pouncey- the anchor; Ramon Foster- solid at right guard; Willie Colon- I have a habit of calling him Willie Colon Cancer, but all I'm hearing is good things about him and he was mauling guys in both preseason games; Doug Legursky- The Big Legursky; Marcus Gilbert- coming along slowly, but wasn't unimpressive in the Washington game; Tony Hills- where was this the last two years; and the aforementioned and recently reacquired Trai Essex. Y'all remember him, right? The emergency Center in the Super Bowl if something had happened to the big Legusky. His entrance most likely means Keith Williams' exit to the PS for this year.

DEFENSE:

Defensive Line:
Aaron Smith- the unsung hero's last hurrah; Casey Hampton- looking solid as always; Brett Keisel- finally made a Pro Bowl last year; Evander Hood- Now the boys in the hood will pull ya card...and have Aaron's job by the end of the year; Cam Heyward- another lineman with a mean streak....and he's not afraid to use it; Chris Hoke- veteran player who can play multiple positions if needed.

Linebackers:
Lamarr Woodley- expect bigger things this year from The Wood; James Farrior- blessed by Father Time; Lawrence Timmons- the mind boggles at what he could accomplish this year; James Harrison- "you got knocked the fu** out, man!; Sylvester Stevenson- not calling him a "beast" yet, but I've seen the fangs; Larry Foote- his swan song with the Steelers; Jason Worilds- better live up to my name, boy!; Chris Carter- all he does is catch touchd...oops, wrong Chris Carter...needs to gain weight, though.

Defensive Backs:
Ike Taylor- Face me, Ike!; Bryant McFadden- hurt again, but has to be pushed out of the starting position; Keenan Lewis- please push BMac out of the starting position; Willian Gay- *sigh* Willie, Willie, Willie...you need to excel in the nickel because you ain't worth a dime at Corner; Crezdon Butler- could see time at safety at some point in the year if he makes the team, because his CB skills are starting to be questioned; Curtis Brown- needs to step up and be ready for special teams and nickel duties; Donovan Warren- has benefited from the rash of injuries throughout the DBs in Camp and has made the most of it; Ryan Clark- glad he didn't decide to change careers permanently and park cars for a living; Troy Polamalu- The Predator is the reigning DPOY, but he may start to decline from this point; Ryan Mundy- stepping up well, played very well on defense against Redskins and Eagles; Will Allen- still a valuable backup safety.

Special Teams:
Shaun Suisham (K)- I really wanna see ID; Dan Sepulveda (P)- he's running out of ACLs, but, then again, maybe he really is Robo-Punter; Greg Warren (LS)- he wears no. 60 and you'd be surprised at how many downfield plays he actually makes.

Practice Squad:
LB Mortty Ivy- West Virginia university product who would make the roster of virtually any other NFL team, but these are the Pittsburgh Steelers, aka "Linebacker, Inc"
G Keith Williams- A guard who is VERY RAW and will only benefit from being placed here in order to learn from OL coach Sean Kugler.
WR Tyler Grisham- Over Lyons? Yes, because Grisham has the edge in blocking and experience with the team and playbook. Lyons will have a real chance next year too, but I doubt he makes the PS this year.
TE Weslye Saunders- I labored over this one, but here he is. He's big and nasty with a mean streak, I just hope that no one else grabs him off of here.
C/G John Malecki- Showed himself well in Camp and in the Redskins game.
G Chris Scott- He really needs another year to maturate.
DE Steve McLendon- Wasn't on my original roster projections, but he found his way back, mainly because Gray was cut. Serviceable back up who had a sack last year in limited action.
CB Cortez Allen- Last but not least. Allen was hampered by a leg, either hamstring or groin, injury and couldn't get onto the field. He is another who is VERY RAW and needs time to heal and hone his skills. Let's just hope he's safe here. But with little film being available on him considering he played at the Citadel, he probably is.

     There you have it, the revised final 53-man roster prediction by If It Ain't Steel. The upcoming game against the Panthers will mainly be a catalyst in seeing which players will solidy the last one or two roster spots that still may be available. It can also help to prove me a prognosticator worthy of writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette or for condemning me to barista coffee detail and not being allowed to even look at a newspaper. (Help me out, guys!)