The Head, the Ass and the Wardrobe

I can't believe this is the same team as last year. I can't believe that Troy is the only glue that holds this D-team together.

First off, we seriously have to say "What no depth in the secondary?" I mean this hole in the defense is just silly and it tells me that Troy covers a lot of peoples asses as they blow coverages. Le-Blow, what the hell are you doing? We know your getting older, but you're taking the gas out of our D-team. Recover old friend and do what worked last year - rush and turn on Harrison and Woodley with a vengeance.

The Ass of this fairy tale as we all know him "They call me Bruce" is beyond retardation. But the blame needs to stop there. I turn us now to the Head...coach that is. If he can't see the Asses stupidity, the Head must be sharing the same shit for brains the Ass has.

5.1 yards average and you stop using the running back? Who the hell is The damned coach of this team? Why no catches for Heath? Where the hell is Moore and why is he not getting Moore in on this game with a one two punch with Rashard? Why even attempt to bring in Sweed as we have Mcdonald who knows how to catch a football?

I have no answers to these questions and I don't see the Head giving us answers. Please I don't want last year to be a fluke and I sure hope Tomlin isn't either since I'm not seeing a lot of changes. No the Lions aren't the push over they were last year, but for a team of our caliber, this should have been a buy week.

Quit loosing the game when you have it a shut out in the first three quarters Steelers!! Let Ben run the dammed offense, and feed LeBeau some Viagra to get back hard in the game!!

Let's take the Browns to the Super Bowl and flush twice to not offend others -

Joey

Pittsburgh Steelers Play is Cause for Concern

 by Brian Carson Brian CarsonScribe, Featured Columnist


 The Pittsburgh Steelers need to get their heads on straight or the 2009 season could end quicker than many expect.  I don't want to sound all gloom and doom here. I'm not a negative person by nature, but I do know what I see, and what I see has me concerned.

I know the Steelers have won two straight after a 1-2 start. I know Pittsburgh is 3-2 and only a game behind the first-place Bengals in the AFC North. I know they're the defending Super Bowl champions.  But the truth is the Steelers are not playing Super Bowl caliber football right now.  Dropped passes—hello Limas Sweed, lack of focus in the second half of games, and dumb penalties have become consistent week after week. How frustrating is it watching a team with so much talent fall apart in the fourth quarter of every game?
The blame isn't just on the players. The coaching staff hasn't been up to snuff either.

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is not-so-quietly turning into the second coming of Mike Martz. The former St. Louis Rams head coach was so pass happy, he once limited Marshall Faulk, the greatest all-purpose back in NFL history, to only nine touches in a game.  Arians is trying to follow suit. If given his way, he would throw 90 percent of the time. It would be Jim Kelly and the K-Gun reborn. Damn the torpedoes is the Arians philosophy.  It's that gunslinger attitude that almost cost Pittsburgh a victory in Detroit yesterday.

The Steelers were up 28-13 and cruising to the win. Inexplicably, Arians channels his inner Martz and keeps dialing up the pass.  The results: the Lions ran more plays (43-8), had more yards (205-77) and more first downs (14-4) in the second half. At one point, Ben Roethlisberger attempted five consecutive passes, and was sacked three times.

Making it worse, Detroit had four starters out, including first-overall pick, QB Matthew Stafford. This game should have been a blowout. It wasn't.  Rashard Mendenhall, who had 65 yards in the first half, ran it only six times in the second half. He could have dominated the game if he had the opportunity. He wasn't given one.

I'm reminded of the Pink Floyd song, "Comfortably Numb," when I think of these fourth quarter shenanigans.

"Hello.

Is there anybody in there?

Just nod if you can hear me.

Is there anyone home?"

Hello coach Arians, just a quick little message for you: run the damn ball when you've got the game in hand. Burn the clock, get some easy wins for a change.  Because if you were playing a good team yesterday, and ran those kinds of plays in the second half, the Steelers would have lost. The second-half inertia bothering Pittsburgh can be corrected, the damage is self-inflicted.

The players need to keep their focus and realize it's a 60-minute contest, not 30 or 45 minutes. The coaches need to wake up and understand when you're the champs, the bulls-eye is on your back and every team gives you their A-game.

After the 1-2 start, there are good things happening in the Steel City:  Mendenhall, after setting out the Cincinnati game, has returned with passion and a mission—to be the featured back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He looks like it right now. He's running hard and playing with confidence. Note to coaches: give him the ball more.  The offensive line was the eyesore for Pittsburgh last season, but this unit seems to be finding a groove. The right side of G Trai Essex and T Willie Colon is blasting out holes for Mendenhall, while LG Chris Kemoeatu is playing the best football of his career.  The Steelers defense has awakened from its slumber, along with NFL Defensive Player of the year James Harrison. The defense recorded seven sacks against the Lions, and Harrison has collected five in two games.  They're still giving up too many big plays and falling asleep in the fourth quarter, but the guys have a ton of pride and are starting to look like the Steeler D that other teams fear. How the defense goes, so goes Pittsburgh.

The Steelers need to find their focus and avoid the dreaded Super Bowl hangover. They need to get hungry again and find that killer instinct all great teams have. It's just a matter of making it happen. They can't continue to play the way they've been or the good teams will beat them. That's not a statement, it's a fact.
This squad has too much talent to be playing like they are. The Steelers are the defending champs and the most successful franchise in the Super Bowl era.

They just have to start acting and playing like it.

Pittsburgh, we have a problem...or do we??

Thoughts by Dean

You know you saw it!  The same pattern emerged Sunday against the hapless Lions that we saw in each of the previous 4 games.  The defense forgot how to close again!  Should we be worried?  Maybe, but maybe not.  Even though we once again took an easy victory and tried to lose it late, I saw a spark.  Ok it was more like a fire!  LeBeau finally unleashed the dogs on Detroits last drive instead of playing prevent defense.  All of a sudden we sacked the QB 3 straight downs in a row--with ease!   It brought me to my feet--FINALLY!!  It was Steeler football!  Can we take those 3 downs and use them as a stepping stone for the rest of the season?  I think so.  Another plus -- Polamalu returns this weekend against Cleveland and that may be all we need to get over the "what the hell is wrong with Pittsburgh's defense" hump.  Oh by the way, we are the #5 defense in the league--in spite of spending many a fourth quarter looking like #32.

On offense, this game should have been over at halftime and we should have hit 38 points minimum.  Rashard Mendenhall was a wild man running the ball for over 70 yards by the time we got midway thru the 2nd quarter, well on his way to another buck fifty in yards.  Can you say Willie who??  But then something funny happened.  Arians decided to get pass happy and ignore the run AND Rashard for some 20 minutes of gametime.  I have to admit that this is the first time this season I am questioning Arians as I think he is doing a (gulp) good job with the offense. (that was hard to admit)  When you have a workhorse and he's running downhill from his first run of the game, you work him til he drops.  Granted, Ben is having a fantastic season and can lead us from anywhere on the field.  But Ben's job becomes so much easier if you ride the horse that's getting the job done to begin with.  And what can you say about the offensive line??  They are repeatedly opening up holes left and right and protecting Ben like I haven't seen in years.  I would have to say they are finally playing as a unit.

So what lies ahead?  Well first and foremost,  a trap game against the Cleveland Browns.  We have to show we are back in all phases of the game against the hapless Browns before anybody will stop the aforementioned defensive issue stories.  This is our last tuneup before things get quite serious on the schedule.  It has to be a smash mouth, beat em til they're dead then beat em some more kinda victory!! The Vikings are coming to town in two weeks.  Some say it's a Superbowl preview--I'm not so sure right now until we straighten out our own backyard.  And then we get the unbelievably lucky Denver Donkeys!  But hey, who am I to say?  They ARE 5 and 0--they got there somehow and they must be taken seriously!  I can see us 5 and 2 going into the bye week before Denver.

Please add your thoughts and opinions!  My wonderful wife put together this site for all of us to share!  Ain't she great?!?  GO STEELERS!!