2008 Pittsburgh Steelers thread

[Turk]

How many DBR folks are also Terrible-Towel-waving citizens of Yinzer Nation? Are there enough of us to keep a Steelers thread going during the season?

Seemed like a pretty quiet camp; here's what I noticed:

1. "The Big Snack's" weight - Tomlin making an example of All-Pro Casey Hampton, but all's well now...

2. Anthony Smith flattening Hines Ward in practice - that just isn't done, and now people (OK, me and another guy at work) will be wondering if Smith will be at risk for cheap-shot penalties during the season...

3. Mendenhall's fumble-itis - that's been getting beat to death, but I'm hoping the sample size of the data is insufficient and that he'll be fine...

Looks like most people still have the Steelers in the AFC second tier just behind NE, SD, and Indy...

[roywhite]

Brutal schedule, question marks on the O-line.

Big Ben is near the top of QB's; good WR's with Sweed joining Hines Ward and emerging star Santonio Holmes; really good at RB, with Fast Willie Parker and Mendenhall, who I think will come through.

Sorry to see Duke's Patrick Bailey not make the cut; he busted his tail on special teams, but I guess couldn't quite win a job.

10-6 would be good, and probably make the playoffs.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I was raised a Steeler's fan, and still watch and yell when I can, but the Panthers are my team now. I remember being a kid, on Sundays, if the Steelers were losing my sister and I wanted to be as far away from the house as we could. Pretty much how my family feels now about me if Duke is playing.
Hoping to see Willie and Troy healthy for the rest of the season, and looking forward to seeing the new guys. I hate it about Charlie Batch, I always felt better about our chances knowing we had a capable QB at backup. I haven't seen the new guy enough yet (and hope not to) to make a judgement on him.

[hurleyfor3]

I was raised a Steeler's fan, and still watch and yell when I can, but the Panthers are my team now.

Come on, plenty of people root for both Pitt and the Steelers.

Here we go, Steelers, here we go!

[Turk]

I saw a couple quarters of the last exhibition game vs. Panthers, and Leftwich looked pretty good. I like Chas Batch as a backup, but with Leftwich they'll be in good shape if Ben happens to go down. The third string QB, Dixon didn't get any run however, and I'm hoping to see if they can work him into some gadgets like they did with Randle-El.

[roywhite]

Good first game for the Steelers as they whipped up on Houston Texans 38-17. Big Ben was 13-14; Willie Parker had 138 yards and 3 TD's; defense put pressure on Matt Schaub.

Real solid, efficient game. On to Cleveland next week.

[rthomas]

Huge fan. I played golf this afternoon and meant to dvr the game, BUT FORGOT!

Fill me in. How did the D look? Did Polamalu look healthy?

[roywhite]

Huge fan. I played golf this afternoon and meant to dvr the game, BUT FORGOT!

Fill me in. How did the D look? Did Polamalu look healthy?

The defense looked very good; big Casey Hampton clogged up the middle, Troy looked good, and Lamar Woodley looks to be an emerging star at LB---two sacks, an interception, and a fumble recovery. The Texas got most of their yards and two scores in the 4th quarter, well after the outcome was decided (both Ben and Willie Parker sat out the 4th).

It's still a very hard-hitting defense.

[Turk]

Saw the first half - Polamalu got a pick when Schaub threw it right to him. Defense was tough and Ben looked sharp. Steelers got the benefit of a dubious call on the Texans' first possession - Houston went for it on 4th and 1 around midfield and everyone (including the ref) thought they made it, but it was a really bad spot. I don't think it would have mattered in the end, but the Steelers really ignited from there for a 21-3 halftime lead.

In addition to Woodley breaking out, I noticed Eason on the D-line made some nice plays next to Hampton...

Nice start; Cleveland next week...

Summary: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08252/910362-66.stm

Box: http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=280907023

(By the way, Houston's punter is tastefully named - I'll have to find out if he is a distant relation...)

[Turk]

All right, Stillers took care of business against the Cleve Brownies in a howling maelstrom Sunday night. For a guy with a sore shoulder, Ben was surely zipping the ball around pretty well. Unfortunately, the P-G says DL Brett Keisel is down for two months with a calf injury.

I think the Browns coach Crennel might have put his job security on the line with that gutless choice to take the field goal to cut the lead from 10-3 to 10-6 with three minutes and change left in the game. Even with the FG, they still needed a touchdown and chances of them getting back inside the 20 for realistic shots at it were not very good... Steelers know how to grind it out at the end of the game...

Anyway, next up - off to Philly to play the Beagles coming off a tough Dallas loss. Should be a tough game but maybe Steelers will catch the Eagles letting down a bit. There's a lot of season left to go, but at this point both the Steelers and Eagles look like they could go deep in the playoffs...

[rthomas]

We are 10-3. Huge win tonight against Dallas. Huge win last week against NE. Our defense is a beast (as my kids told me, where did that come from?). Woohoo...

And let me add...10-3 against the toughest schedule this year!!!!!

[rockymtn devil]

Great win. The defense is playing really well, especially the line and LBs. They get enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks to make up for a secondary which is just okay. It's really not fair to expect a tackle to block James Harrison by himself. I'm a little worried about the running game, and was dismayed to see, yet again, a stop on 4th and goal from the 1. I fear that too much pressure is being put on Ben to make plays.

Given the matchup nightmares that the 3-4 presents, I've always wondered why more teams don't utilize it. I suppose it's because you need a very specific personnel set, most notably a D-line that is capable of eating up blocks and will be comfortable working in a system that doesn't allow you to be a star.

[roywhite]

Amazing 4th quarter and great win for the Stillers vs the Cowboys. They really came through in the clutch.

Anyone else notice #55 Patrick Bailey, rookie from Duke, in on special teams? Good for him.

[hurleyfor3]

Did I hear right that the Steelers have yet to allow a team to gain 300 yards on offense this season? That's not 300 passing yards, that's 300 yards total from scrimmage. Dallas ended up with 289.

As impressive as the recent wins have been, the next game is @Baltimore, and the Ravens have been winning in lock step, so the Steelers need to beat them there to clinch the division. Of the remaining three games this one is the most important to win.

[rthomas]

Did I hear right that the Steelers have yet to allow a team to gain 300 yards on offense this season? That's not 300 passing yards, that's 300 yards total from scrimmage. Dallas ended up with 289.

As impressive as the recent wins have been, the next game is @Baltimore, and the Ravens have been winning in lock step, so the Steelers need to beat them there to clinch the division. Of the remaining three games this one is the most important to win.

I just heard on Mike and Mike (probably tongue-in-cheek) that the over and under for Pitt-Balt is 13. lol.

[hurleyfor3]

I just heard on Mike and Mike (probably tongue-in-cheek) that the over and under for Pitt-Balt is 13. lol.

I'll take the under if that's total points scored by the offenses.

[Turk]

I'll take the under if that's total points scored by the offenses.

Looks like we have our theme for the week. A Pittsburgh columnist writes about both defenses here:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08344/933791-66.stm

"I'm predicting 6-3, Steelers.
No, that's too many points.
How about 2-0?"

I'm thinking a win on Sunday should lock up a first round playoff bye. It would have been nice to get some help from the Skins since the Steelers knocked off the Cryboys... Can we take up a collection and send a box of pacifiers and a nice warm fuzzy blanket to Jerry Jones?

[roywhite]

Well, another low-scoring game and another 4th Quarter comeback by the Steelers to beat another tough opponennt!

The controversy about the call on the Steeler touchdown seems to dominate the coverage of the Ravens-Steeler game, but great job by Ben and the team to march 90+ yards for the key score. And, even if the TD had been disallowed, they would have still had the ball on the 6-inch line with a chance to win or tie.

Patrick Bailey continues to play well on kick coverage.

Congrats to the Steelers, 2008 AFC North Division champs. On we go!

[rthomas]

The screwup play calling by the Titans at the end of the Texas game makes the Steelers at Titans a huge game.

14 games with <300 yds passing and rushing. Historically, the only defense that I can compare to this year's Steel Curtain is the Steeler's 1976 - the original Steel Curtain.

The overturn at Baltimore was questionable but...I'll take it. It was the correct call.

[rockymtn devil]

The screwup play calling by the Titans at the end of the Texas game makes the Steelers at Titans a huge game.

14 games with <300 yds passing and rushing. Historically, the only defense that I can compare to this year's Steel Curtain is the Steeler's 1976 - the original Steel Curtain.

The overturn at Baltimore was questionable but...I'll take it. It was the correct call.

On ESPN, Mort just said that "irrefutable" should not be a crutch to justify making the wrong call. It was a touchdown and so the replay system worked.

Gutsy drive by the Steelers. Had it not been called a touchdown, I would've kicked the FG and gone to OT. The Ravens hadn't done anything against the Steelers D (scoring FGs after having a great field position all day). Trust your defense to make a stop in OT and then use the same formula you used to go 92 yards in 3 minutes. Luckily it didn't come that.