Steelers Run Over the Titans

With a handful of injuries and an offensive line in their fourth shuffle of this young season, the Steelers (3-2) came out and punched the Titans (3-2) in the mouth as they ran all over the Titan defense. The Steelers, on the heels of their second and third string running backs put up 174 yards rushing while Big Ben added five touchdown passes and the defense kept Hasselbeck and Johnson in check all day long.

I have to start by talking about the offensive line. Wow. What a huge difference one player makes. The Steelers brought back Max Starks, who shouldn't have been cut in the first place, and he solidified the left side of the line. Max and the rest of the line kept the Titans defense in check all evening and really looked great only giving up one sack. Pouncey left the game for a short while to deal with his knee and Gilbert left after he re-injured his shoulder; both of them will hopefully be good to go against the Jaguars Sunday.

I was so happy about the running game against he Titans. The Steelers did not have Rashard Mendenhall, who I don't feel should be the starting back anyway, and the team seemed to take a step towards getting back to their old ways. Isaac Redman carried the ball 12 times for 49 yards while Jonathan Dwyer carried 11 times for 107 yards, including a 76 yard scramble early in the game. Redman seemed to gains yards even if there were none to be had and Dwyer controlled the clock in the third and fourth quarter to help the Steelers win. I am not going to proclaim that the Steelers run game is back. What I will say is that this is the right step to getting it back. The Steelers will play Jacksonville and Arizona the next two weeks and they can build towards their running attack even more in those games.

Big Ben looked solid, and since he was on his feet all day we shouldn't be shocked. Ben tied his career high with five touchdown passes along with 228 yards passing. There was a stupid pick at the end of the half as the Steelers tried to do too much even though they had a 21 to 3 lead. The pick was Ben's tenth turnover of the season, which is the most in the NFL. The pick didn't amount to anything and overall this game leaves me optimistic about the coming weeks.

Now the defense, oh, our beloved Steel Curtain defense. Again, I will not say that they are back, but they looked amazing. LaMarr Woodley doubled his season sack total, adding one and a half more; he also picked off a batted Hasselbeck pass for the Steelers first INT of the season. Ziggy Hood added a half sack and first round draft pick Cameron Heyward had his first career sack and forced fumble late in the game. Everyone got in on the action on defense with big plays; Hoke controlled the line and kept Chris Johnson off his game as the team gave up only 66 yards rushing, the linebackers tackled well and the secondary kept the Titan receivers in check.

The Steelers really dipped into the playbook running fake punts and a few end around runs with the receivers. Antonio Brown really looked great returning the ball as well as he returned two kicks for 41 yards and kept Big Ben and the rest of the offense on short fields. It was good to see Ben passing the ball around as seven different receivers caught Big Ben passes with four of them catching touchdowns, Wallace, Johnson, Miller and Ward with two.

On a final important note, Hines was smiling again. So, no worries everything seems to be going back to normal.

Week 5 Breakdown

AFC Central Renewed



The Steelers (2-2) will try to end their struggles in the friendly confines of Heinz Field against the upstart Titans (3-1) The Steelers run defense took another huge hit last week against the Texans as the banged up Texans piled up over 150 yards on the ground while only giving up 138 through the air.

The Steelers have played against the Titans since the days of the Houston Oilers back in 1970. When the AFL/NFL merged in 1970 these two teams became AFC Central rivals till the re-alignment in 2002. In their 73 meetings the Steelers hold a large advantage 43 to 30; When the game is played in Pittsburgh the Steelers hold an even larger margin winning 25 and only losing 10 times. The last meeting at Heinz field was a 13-10 overtime win in 2009.

The Steelers took a huge hit this week when they lost a plethora of players to injury and will have to attempt to beat the Titans with young and inexperienced players. The Steelers have shocked fans with their poor run defense and great pass defense and this game has the chance to help the Steelers get back to their ways. They will need to shut down the upstart Hasselbeck and ever so talented Chris Johnson to do that.

TITANS SEASON STATS:
Matt Hasselbeck- 88 of 132 1,152 yards 8 touchdowns 3 interception
*Off to the best start of his career.

Chris Johnson- 69 carries for 199 yards
*Only one hundred yard rushing game this season.

Nate Washington- 23 catches for 320 yards and 1 touchdown
*Will get the bulk of the catches due to Kenny Britt injury.

Defense- The Titans are giving up 299.7 yards per game and 14 points per game with 10 sacks and 5 interceptions; they have forced a total of eight turnovers in their first four games of the season.

INJURY REPORT
Mewelde Moore- out; Cortez Allen- out; Chris Kemoeatu- out; Aaron Smith- out; James Harrison- out; Jason Worilds- out; Casey Hampton- out

FINAL TAKE
As much as I would like to be optimistic about this game, I can't. This is not the same Steelers that we are used to in the past. They are all over payed and have no real heart. I hope that I am wrong about this game but I just don't see the rush defense holding up in this game. Expect the Titans to use a lot of short dump passes to Chris Johnson and use a run heavy rotation of Johnson and Javon Ringer. With all that being said, the nay sayers will be sorry.

STEELERS WIN: 13-10

Plenty of RB Depth

Rashard Mendenhall could possibly sit this weekend when the Steelers (2-2) take on the Titans (3-1) in Pittsburgh. This doesn't faze me one bit because I don't even think that Mendy is the best running back on the Steelers roster; I believe that Isaac Redman is and that it will be proven to the world after the upcoming week 5 match-up.

The Steelers made a series of roster moves in anticipation of Mendy's injury; the Steelers moved rookie running back from Wisconsin John Clay from the practice squad to the active roster. The Steelers then added Tristan Davis, a third year pro from Auburn to the practice squad.

The Steelers will go into their week 5 game with Isaac Redman getting the bulk of the carries with rookie John Clay and second year pro Jonathan Dwyer acting as his supporting cast. The trio may not have a large amount of pro success but they have had success at the college level, with John Clay leading Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer by a slim margin.

John Clay * Wisconsin
619 carries 3,413 yards 5.5 average 41 touchdowns 72 long

Isaac Redman * Bowie State
613 carries 3,300 yards 5.4 average 35 touchdowns 99 long

Jonathan Dwyer * Georgia Tech
517 carries 3,226 yards 6.2 average 35 touchdowns 85 long

Of the three running backs only Dwyer and Redman have any pro experience, Redman with the most. Issac Redman has carried 74 times for 354 yards with a 4.8 yard average and a touchdown; while Jonathan Dwyer has carried the ball nine times for 28 yards with a 3.1 yard average and no touchdowns.

Dwyer and Clay received a bulk of playing time this preseason though; Dwyer had the majority of those carrying 37 times for 175 yards averaging 4.7 yards and a touchdown. Clay added 15 carries for 57 yards and a 3.8 yard average.

This game is a huge statement game for Redman, Dwyer and Clay as they could each solidify their futures with the Steelers. If the trio prove that they can handle the Steelers running game on their own then we may see a switch from the inconsistent Mendenhall.

Mewelde Moore

The season has had its shares of issues for the Steelers; Our quarterback has been on his back a large portion of the time and turning the ball over the other half of the time, while our defense has had issues forcing turnovers and stopping the run. With all of these issues I have, like most fans, been forced to look at any positive that we can find.

For me it has been Mewelde Moore and his big play ability. The fact that we are associating Moore is one of those underrated players that nobody prepares for and has trouble dealing with when he gets the ball.

Moore was drafted in the fourth round, 119th overall by the Minnesota Vikings out of Tulane. In four years with the Vikings Moore ran for 1,285 and a touchdown while catching 116 balls for 1,093 yards and three touchdowns in his 54 appearances.

When Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin came to the Steelers in 2007, Mewelde Moore followed suit.and has been just as productive in the Burgh. In his four years with the Steelers Moore has carried the ball for 848 yards and five touchdowns while grabbing 91 passes for 739 yards and three touchdowns.

Now, with this season heading in a direction that no Steeler fan is enjoying, Mewelde has been a huge spark in the passing and running game. In the first four games Moore, in his limited time on the field, has carried the ball six times for 43 yards averaging 7.2 yards per touch and has four catches for 61 yards averaging 15.3 yards per catch.

He hasn't had a large number of touches but it is the timing of his touches that has me really positive. It seems that every time the Steelers need a big play he is there for them. He is quietly the most consistent player the Steelers have and barring any injury I expect him to get more touches, especially with the inconsistency from Rashard Mendenhall.

Moore will miss the game this Sunday against the Titans, so these hopes and his big plays will be in the hands of Issac Redman and John Clay.

Texans Run Over the Steelers

I don't really know where to start. This game was terrible at the beginning and then steadily got better before dropping off yet again. The Steelers (2-2) were absolutely ran all over by the Texans (3-1) who controlled the clock, kept the defense on the ropes and Big Ben on the ground.

It is hard to even pick where to start, oh wait, how about the offensive line? Wow. What else can you really say? The line looked like a bunch of grade school kids trying to block bulldozers. From the left to the right not a single player looked good at all. Even pro bowler Maurkice Pouncey looked bad, but really if you are trying to make up for other players issues wouldn't you?

The Steelers have ignored the offensive line since the departure of Alan Faneca and it is really biting them now. I blame the front office for the issues the offense has had over the last five or so years. Over the last ten years they have only drafted offensive lineman three times in the first two rounds; Gilbert in 2011, Pouncey in 2010 and Kendall Simmons in 2002. The Steelers have spent 100 million dollars on Ben Roethlisberger, 60 million on James Harrision and 50 million dollars on Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley and Troy Polamalu, but none on top offensive line free agents.

I have to keep bringing up the defense as well, even though this pains me as well. What the hell is happening to this team? Oh yeah, that whole age thing. The defense is getting over matched and destroyed off the ball by everyone. The defensive line cannot get any pressure and the linebackers are making a majority of their tackles ten yards too late. The most surprising part of the defense so far is that the secondary is leading the NFL only allowing 157 passing yards per game, while the front seven is giving up 119 yards per game. That may not seem big but last year they allowed 62 yards per game.

The secondary limited one of the top three passing attacks in the NFL to 138 yards passing while the rest of the team allowed 180 yards to an injured Arian Foster and Ben Tate. The defense is not the same as it has been in the last few years. Where is the fire? Where is that toughness? I don't know what has gotten into the Steel Curtain, but if they need to fix it with a large turnover then so be it.

Now, we can't blame this on the defense alone. No team can win when the offense scores 10 points, well, no team without Bill Cowher can win after only scoring ten points. Someone, anyone needs to explain to Bruce Arians that short slants, dump passes and draws are a great way to keep blitzing defenses back. The Steelers use too many slow developing down field plays, especially since their offensive line is as bad as it is.

One of the most riveting things I seen from the game last night was Hines Ward was not smiling. I have noticed that he is smiling less and that is never a good sign. When the happiest man to ever get up in the morning is not happy anymore then things are really bad.

I love this team more than any thing in the world, and I have seen losing seasons. I was there for the AFC Championship losses in 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2004. The Super Bowl losses in 1995 and 2011, and no matter what I will be here next week, the week after that and after that. We need to adjust our team to accommodate the poor offensive line and the aging defense or we will never get back a hold of our season.


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Week 4 Breakdown

Texas Showdown


The Steelers (2-1) look to end the first quarter of the season on a high note as they travel to H-Town, Houston, Texas to battle the high scoring Texans (2-1). With the Colts struggling this season the Texans find themselves atop the AFC South, tied with the surprise Titans. The Steelers have won two straight games and find themselves in a three way tie with their two rivals, the Browns and Ravens.

The Steelers have faced the Texans three times in the teams history, winning two of them. The only loss was in the Texans expansion year as Tommy Maddox threw two interceptions and fumbled, all returned for touchdowns. The defense only allowed forty yards but lost to David Carr in an odd game. Since then the Steelers have played the Texans in Houston twice beating them down both times. The last Steelers game in Houston was a 2008 win, 38-17.

The Steelers have went from a Super Bowl favorite to the team on a "downturn" and the Steelers really haven't done much to shut those critics up. Ben Roethlisberger has turned the ball over eight times in three games, four fumbles and four interceptions. The Steelers linebacker corp has only forced one turnover and sacked opposing quarterbacks only five and a half times.

There just seems to be something missing from the Steelers that I can't put my finger on. It could be something as simple as they are just getting a slow start, and lets hope that is all it is. With the issues the Steelers have so far this season they find themselves in a rare position as underdogs.

TEXANS SEASON STATS:
Matt Schaub- 60 of 92 823 yards 6 touchdowns 3 interceptions
*Big surprise the Texans are one of the most prolific passing teams in the league.

Ben Tate- 66 carries for 301 yards 1 touchdown
*Even with a 4.6 yard average, Arian Foster will start over Tate.

Andre Johnson- 21 catches for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns
* Ike Taylor has only allowed a handful of catches and no touchdowns this season.

Defense- The Texans are allowing 332 yards and 17.6 points per game, even though their two wins were against the Colts and Dolphins who are both 0-3.

INJURY REPORT
Brett Keisel- out; Jonathan Scott- out; Doug Legursky- out;

FINAL TAKE

The Steelers rush ranks 23rd in the NFL and their defense is not much better ranking 12th, 12th! When is the last time that you could say that the Steelers were 12th in defense? Most of the the yardage was from that horrible week one game against Baltimore so I won't get too over heated about that. The Steelers really need to get back to thier old ways, run the ball the prevent Big Ben turnovers and rush the passer to force turnovers. Last week was a trap game and this week looks like the Steelers might get a beating and for that reason I don't think they will. The media is verbally destroying the Steelers so I think they will come out swinging.

STEELERS WIN: 24-20

Former Steeler into ASU HOF

Two time Super Bowl Champion Marvel Smith will be honored today in Arizona, as the Sun Devils induct him into their Hall of Fame. Marvel was a standout offensive tackle for the Sun Devils from 1996 to 1999 before being drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2000 draft.

At Arizona State, Marvel was named All-PAC 10 honorable mention in 1998 as a Junior. As a Senior, he was named first team All-PAC team and first team All-American after allowing only one sack.

Smith was drafted in the second round, 38th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2000 draft. Smith played for the Steelers from 2000 to 2008 including Super Bowl XL and XLIII. He was selected to his only Pro Bowl in 2005 after helping anchor a terrific offensive line that led the Steelers to their first championship since 1979. Smith played in 111 games, starting 108 of them.

Marvel missed three games at the end of the 2007 season and nearly all of the 2008 season, only playing five games. The Steelers chose not to resign Marvel and out right released him. He caught on with the San Francisco 49ers, but did not play a regular season game.

Marvel was a cog on the Steelers line for just shy of a decade and was a force, helping the Steelers get back to their championship ways. Congratulations to Marvel and his family on this honor.