Terrell Owens is a Disgrace to all NFL players

The Cincinnati Bengals have two of the most outspoken wide receivers to ever play the game in Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. They are so outspoken that they got their own Versus television show entitled the "T.Ocho show."
I don't know who would give two overrated football players a show, but I guess Versus is just desperate for ratings. Too bad the show has been an absolute bomb as far as ratings go. So I guess after the show had a disastrous debut, Versus told Owens and Ochocinco to say some things that would catch the media's attention. Well, if that was the mission, consider it accomplished.
On Tuesday, November 23, Owens and Ochocinco were talking about the Richard Seymour incident, in which he punched Ben Roethlisberger in the face and was fined $25,000. Owens went on to call Big Ben "soft."
I am a Steelers and Roethlisberger fan. Big Ben is far from "soft." Generally, he is considered one of the toughest quarterbacks in the league. Ben is usually near the top in the league as far as taking hits from the QB position. He has suffered multiple concussions and even survived a motorcycle accident. Speaking of soft, how about the guy sitting next to you, Ochocinco?  He was complaining about people hitting too hard in the preseason.
Ben responded but didn't really take the bait: "I don't need to comment on that," Roethlisberger said. "I want to focus on winning championships."


Ben's teammate Hines Ward also chimed in on it: "We're not even going to listen to T.O.'s show. When you're at that point, you're just trying to pump up your show as much as you can so people can talk about it."
Couldn't have said it better myself. Ben wasn't the only victim from the T.Ocho show, as Owens called out New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, calling him "an average player."  Owens and the Bengals faced Revis and the Jets on Thanksgiving night, and Revis covered Owens mostly. Owens had three catches for 44 yards. Maybe Owens is the average player.

I just don't know where Owens gets off. He is a proven cancer in the locker room, getting kicked off of three different teams, and is currently playing for his fifth NFL team. He has great stats but has always been prone to drops. Every team that T.O. goes to turns into absolute garbage. The Cincinnati Bengals were a playoff team a year ago and are now 2-9, tied for the second-worst record in the NFL.
I've even heard some people call him a "Hall of Famer." That's hilarious. Stats don't get you in alone. Owens could arguably be the worst teammate in NFL history and is by far and away one of the most overrated players in the league.
His NFL peers seem to agree with me. In a recent Sports Illustrated poll, Owens was voted as the most overrated player in the league. There's a reason that the Bengals were the only team that wanted him this year. I'm sure they regret the signing now.

My advice for Owens is shut the hell up! You and Ocho have now become the official laughing stocks of the entire NFL. Those two players are everything that is wrong with this league. Hopefully next season, every NFL team comes to their senses and refuses to sign Owens. He needs a humbling experience. The sad thing is I'm not sure that will help. Owens is a disgrace to everyone that has ever played football, yet he doesn't seem to care. I just don't know who Owens thinks he is.

You can also read this and many other articles at bleacher report.com

Terrell Owens calls Big Ben soft

Now I can careless what T.O. and Chad Ochocinco have to say. I'm sure the 5 or 6 people that watch their show are real die hard fans. However, T.O. calling Ben Roethlisberger "soft" is absolutely hilarious. Especially considering that every team that T.O. goes to turns in to absolute garbage. The Cincinnati Benglas were a playoff team a year ago and are now 2-8, tied for the 2nd worst record in the NFL.


I'm not blaming T.O. single handily for the Bengals collapse but he is a absolute poison of a teammate, and he was also voted, by his NFL peers mind you, as the most overrated player in the league. Not to mention that the Bengals were the only team that wanted his ass and are now regretting in.

Speaking of soft, how about the guy sitting next to you. He was complaining about people hitting too hard in the preseason.

As for Big Ben, I'm sure he can careless what these overrated pieces of trash have to say about him. His team is 7-3, he has the third best qb rating in the NFL, has a contract worth 100 million dollars, and has two Super Bowl rings.

No doubt about it, Marc-Andre Fleury is the man

Marc-Andre Fleury and the Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltending has been by far the No. 1 topic for the team this year.
Fleury and the Penguins had a disappointing second-round elimination in the 2009-2010 Stanley Cup playoffs via the Montreal Canadians. In that series, Fleury was not at his best to say the least. He allowed three or more goals in four of the seven games, including nine goals in the last two games.
This year was a highly anticipated year for the Penguins. We saw the opening of the beautiful new arena, the Consol Energy Center. The Penguins are also participating in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field against their rivals, the Washington Capitals.
The Pens also entered the season as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
I, for one, expected Fleury to have a big year this year. I thought that he would use his poor performances from last season as motivation to have a career year. It just goes to show you that you can never truly expect anything.
Fleury had a miserable start to his season this year, going just 1-6 in his first seven starts. In those seven games, Fleury had a goals-against average of 3.54, which was good enough for second-to-last in the league.
His save percentage was even worse, dropping all the way down to 85 percent, which was 40th in the NHL.

 

Is Marc-Andre Fleury the man?

yes

87.5%

no

12.5%

Total votes: 8

During that span, Fleury was feeling the heat from coach Dan Bylsma, who pulled him from games on multiple occasions and even called him out during press conferences.
I guess you could say that he was just giving Fleury some tough love, but I don't condone calling players out in the media.
Fleury was also feeling heat from his backup, Brent Johnson.
Johnson has had a great year for a backup goalie. Johnson is 6-2-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
After Johnson's hot start, and with Fleury's struggles, I heard a lot of people saying that Johnson is the man and that Fleury is overrated—both of which are ridiculous statements.
Yes, Fleury had a bad start, and yes, Johnson has had a good year, but Fleury is, was and always will be a better goalie than Johnson.
And that's no knock of Johnson. Having a backup goalie that you can count on is only a good thing. However, Johnson has looked more like, well, Brent Johnson as of late.
He gave up six goals in his last start against the Boston Bruins and gave up five goals in a loss to Dallas two games before that.
Fleury, on the other hand, has turned his season around in the past two weeks. Fleury is 5-0-1 in his last six starts, including a really impressive game against the Vancouver Canucks. He's also now won three games in a row.
One thing that has happened is he seems to have gotten his confidence back. His teammates have had his back in the media and the fans have been way more supportive at home games.
One thing you have to remember is all goalies go through slumps, even franchise goalies.
I've seen Patrick Roy give up nine goals on 20-some shots, and I've seen Martin Brodeur pulled on multiple occasions. Fleury may give up an occasional goal that makes you cringe, but in the same game he can make a save that can make you say, "How in the hell did he save that?"
What Johnson did at the beginning of the year was huge for the Pens, and he should be recognized for that. However, Johnson is a career backup, albeit a good one.
No offense to Brent Johnson, but Fleury is the goalie for this team and will be the goalie for this team for a long time. Fleury has a pedigree. He's a No. 1 overall pick and a Stanley Cup champion. I think that what you have seen from Fleury lately is what you will see for most of the rest of the season.
I think it's safe to say that Fleury is back.

Are the Steelers being picked on by Roger Goodell and the NFL?

Steelers safety Ryan Clark wrote on  his Twitter account the other day that "It's not just us. It's the whole Steeler Nation against the world. I think we have them out numbered."
Clark suggests that it's the Steelers versus everyone else. A lot of people are beginning to agree with that assumption.

2010 has been a year to forget off the field for the Steelers, between Ben Roethlisberger's sexual assault accusation in Georgia and Santonio Holmes getting in trouble once again, thus having the Steelers trade him away for a fifth-round pick. Then there was the sudden releasing of kicker Jeff Reed.
Despite all of that, the Steelers are 7-3 and primed for a possible playoff run.

However, it seems that Roger Goodell and the NFL are picking on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Steelers linebacker James Harrison has been fined on multiple occasions this year and has a whopping total of $100,000 worth of fines for the season.

Harrison was also flagged for a very questionable roughing the passer call this past Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. Harrison has been very vocal about his unhappiness with the league and Goodell. After he was fined $75,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit against the Cleveland Browns, Harrison even contemplated retirement.

Some of Harrison's teammates are saying that the referees are targeting Harrison and the Steelers for flags. Clark said that "the refs are looking to throw flags before the play is even over." James Farrior said that Harrison's roughing the passer penalty was "one of the worst calls he had ever seen."

The explanation wasn't much better. These are referee Tony Corrente's words—"with full body weight on top of him." That call wiped out a touchdown return by Steelers defensive back Ike Taylor.

On the day the Steelers were penalized for over 160 yards yet still went on to defeat the Raiders 35-3. Of those penalties, six were personal foul calls, including one on Clark that was absolutely ridiculous. This is a result of the league trying to crack down on helmet-to-helmet hits and "devastating hits," along with cracking down on "illegal" hits on the quarterback.

The problem is the hit that Clark put on Jacoby Ford wasn't illegal, at least as far as the rules of football.
Now I understand why the league wants to protect the quarterbacks the most. The quarterback is the most important position in football and arguably the most important position in sports. Any time Tom Brady or Peyton Manning gets touched, you almost always see a flag on the play.

That brings me to an incident that occurred during the Steelers-Raiders game. To me, the most outrageous thing that happened this week was the fine given to Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour. Seymour was fined $25,000 for  punching Ben Roethlisberger in the head. Seymour is a repeat offender who was fined for the same thing last year, when he punched Eagles running back Jerome Harrison.

That fine is unacceptable to me. Seymour should have been given at least a $75,000 fine and should have faced at least a one-game suspension. The NFL has come out and said that they considered the act a "fight," and the max fine for a fight is $25,000. If you've seen the highlight, you would know that it wasn't a fight. It was a total cheap shot, a sucker punch, and it has no place in the game.

What if it had been Brady or Manning that would have gotten punched? Would the result be any different? Logic says yes. What if would have been Harrison or Clark punching a quarterback in the face? Would the punishment been any different?

I know a lot of people won't buy into conspiracy theories, but this is all starting to build up. Remember this: Despite the accusations, Roethlisberger is still the only player to have been suspended without facing any actual criminal charges.
So is the NFL picking on the Steelers? Is Roger Goodell using the Steelers as an example? It would make sense being that the Steelers are arguably the most popular team in the league and have a very solid following. It would be smart for Goodell to use them as an example to get his rules established.
Is the NFL picking on the Steelers? As LaMarr Woodley said, "You be the judge."

Sidney Crosby is more talented then you

Thanks to Mark Madden and youtube, I came across this awesome video of Sidney Crosby showing off his talents. Some people are already trying to say that it's fake but knowing Crosby, it's all real. Enjoy!

Steelers should release or bench Antwaan Randle-El

In today's NFL, everyone is extremely worried about protecting their image. I don't have a problem with that. When you have hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, it's your God given right to protect your image. The Pittsburgh Steelers are very image conscious, or at least they would like you to believe that.

They booted Santonio Holmes out of Pittsburgh for a fifth round pick after he had multiple off the field incidents. Jeff Reed had some off the field problems also, and as soon as he started missing kicks, he saw his pink slip. However, Ben Roethlisberger, arguably the best player on the team has had two accusations, two years in a row and still on the team. James Harrison struck his wife and he his still on the team.

What that tells me is that image isn't everything. Winning trumps image everytime.

Which brings me to everyone's darling, Antwaan Randle-El. Randle-El is utterly useless. I want to make it clear that I still believe that he is only on this team for PR reasons. The Steelers had a hellacious offseason, thanks to Big Ben and Santonio Holmes.

Antwaan Randle-El is considered a model citizen who is both a media darling and fan favorite. He does the right things and says the right things. That's all great, I'm glad that he's a good person.

That being said, there is no more reason for him to get any playing time, at all. He offers very little besides being good for an occasional trick play.


This past Sunday, against the Oakland Raiders, Randle-El had zero catches. Yet the offense scored five touchdowns. Ben Roethlisberger had arguably his best game of the season, throwing four touchdowns and running of another.

Instead of Randle-El, we saw more of the young receivers, both rookies, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. Sanders caught two passes for 35 yards and a touchdown. Antonio Brown caught one pass, but it was for 21 yards.

For the season Randle-El has 17 catches for 205 yards. Mediocre at it's best. This isn't 2005 anymore. Randle-El was overrated as a Steeler before and he's really overrated now. He might be a good route runner and he may know the offense, but I would rather see Sanders and Brown from here on out. Their speed is more valuable to the team then just knowing the offense.

Not only is Randle-El useless as a receiver, he's even more useless as a punt-returner. He actually has more fair catches then actual punt-returns. He continues to be the fair-catch wizard, especially inside the 20-yard line.

On Sunday, Brown returned 7 punts for 66 yards, including a 20 yard return. He also took one all the way back for a touchdown but it was called back because of a holding penalty. That would have been his second touchdown of the season from returning kicks. You just don't get that kind of production from Randle-El.
Should the Steelers give Emmanuel Sanders and/or Antonio Brown more playing time?
yes no yes but not at Antwaan Randle-El's expense Submit Vote vote to see results


It isn't Summer anymore, people have forgotten about the offseason incidents for the most part. There is no reason for Randle-El to play, let alone be on this team anymore.

It's time for Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown to get even more playing time. So what if they make some mistakes. You have to learn somehow. I would rather take a gamble on those guys making mistakes, in return for having some much needed speed on the field.

Another factor you have to consider is this: One reason the Steelers traded Santonio Holmes away was that they felt Mike Wallace could fill his spot as the number one receiver in this offense. Wallace has certainly done that. The one thing that hasn't happened is no one has taken Wallace's spot as the third receiver.

Antwaan Randle-El just isn't good enough for that spot. It's time to see if Emmanuel Sanders and/or Antonio Brown does.

Richard Seymour cheapshots Ben Roethlisberger

In a game where officiating was at its worst, we saw Richard Seymour open-hand punch Ben Roethlisberger in the face.


Some feel Roethlisberger was taunting, some say that Ben deserved it. I don't. I know I'm considered a Roethlisberger supporter, but there is no reason to open-hand punch someone like that.

I can only imagine how everyone would have reacted if it had been Tom Brady or Peyton Manning receiving the punch. I suspect that Seymour is facing a fine or suspension. He deserves a fine and should be suspended for at least one game.

Another thing you have to think about is what if it had been a Pittsburgh Steeler that did that? What if it was Troy Polamalu? What if it was James Harrison or Ryan Clark? Based on the previous fines dealt down to Harrison this year, I imagine he would have been given a max fine and a multiple-game suspension.

Despite the fact that Big Ben has rubbed some people the wrong way over the years with his off-field actions, he did not deserve to get punched like that. Even if he was taunting. Taunting does not equal getting punched in the face.

The act committed by Seymour was both cowardly and uncalled for.

I haven't seen a cowardly act like that in the NFL since Albert Haynesworth stepped on Andre Gurode of the Dallas Cowboys.
The punch also resembled an act committed by LaGarrette Blount when he in college. Blount, then playing for the Oregon Ducks, punched a Boise State player in the face because he was being "taunted."

Again, taunting does not and should not equal getting punched in the face.

How many times have we seen NFL players having over-the-top celebrations? Do they deserve to get a penalty or a talking to? Sure. Do they deserve to get punched in the face? No.

As a Steelers fan, I would like to see Seymour punished severely. Especially considering that the NFL does not tolerate violent acts towards quarterbacks. You are barely allowed to touch quarterbacks during a play, let alone after the whistle.

You may not like Ben Roethlisberger very much, but he didn't deserve that.

Jeff Reed cut by the Steelers, total hypocrisy

The Pittsburgh Steelers do not tolerate players misbehaving off the field or at least they would like you to believe that. Santonio Holmes, and now Jeff Reed have been either traded or released by the Steelers in recent years, and all have been in the news outside of football. Cedric Wilson was the only one that Steeler's fans weren't very upset with.
Santonio Holmes was the biggest shock because he was the Steeler's biggest play-maker, he was young, and was Super Bowl XLIII MVP. Holmes was also entering his prime. However, he had multiple run ins with the law and was abusing his Twitter account.
The Steelers traded Holmes in the offseason after he had a few incidents that involved an allegation of him assaulting a woman at a night club.
With the Steelers down 17-3, Jeff Reed missed a 26-yard field goal.
Now, this did not lose the game. I don't blame Jeff Reed for the loss.
Thanks to the good folks at steelersdepot.com, who have the entire interview with Reed, everyone got to hear a sour Reed speak after the game. Dressed in a "haters hate" t-shirt, Reed went on to say that the fans are only there to bash him and then went on to blame to the turf for his misses.
Reed was 15 of 22 on field goals this season and his kicking percentage of 68.2 is the lowest of his career—lower than the 71.9 percent in 2003, his second year in the NFL. Reed missed nine field goals that season and the Steelers finished 6-10.

So between his off the field antics, his press poor choice of words in his press conferences, his underachieving on the field finally cost him his job.
On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran, and journeyman kicker Shane Suisham who tried out for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005 and was cut. He's kicked for the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins.
For his career Suisham hasn't been anything impressive, just making 80 percent of his field-goal attempts.
That being said, Suisham has kicked at Heinz Field before and is a veteran. Suisham was released by two teams in one year last year.
He even has a play on youtube called "the choke". Suisham was kicking for the Redskins and had a chance to win the game with a 23-yard field goal attempt. He missed the kick. He also missed two kicks in the playoffs for the Dallas Cowboys last year.

Read the rest of this article here

Troy Polamalu needs to step up

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Pittsburgh Steelers lose to the New England Patriots, breaking down the game

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Jeff Reed's Time as a Pittsburgh Steelers might come to an end

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Steelers may cut Jeff Reed

Espn is reporting that the Steelers might cut Jeff Reed by as early as tomorrow.

With the Steelers down 17-3, Jeff Reed missed a 26 yard field goal. Now this did not lose the game. I don't blame Jeff Reed for the loss.
That being said I'm about down with him. I'm done with his whining. After the game last night, Jeff Reed talked to the media and had some interesting things to say.
Thanks to the good folks at steelersdepot.com, who has the entire interview with Reed, everyone got to here a sour Reed speak after the game. Dressed in a "haters hate" tee shirt, Reed went on to say that the fans are only there to bash him, and then went on to blame to the turf for his misses.
Reed has been playing at Heinz Field since 2002, so I automatically dismiss that excuse. As for the fans bashing him, don't give them a reason to bash you. Make some field goals, especially the ones that you're supposed to make.
All offseason Reed complained about his contract and said that he feels betrayed. Yet the Steelers franchised him, making him one of the highest paid kickers in the league this year.
Reed is not playing like a player that doesn't have a contract should be. Instead of blaming the fans, the field, and the Steelers, Reed needs to take a long look at himself, because he only has himself to blame.

50 Cent makes anything seem possible

I've seen this kid/or dwarf not sure what to call him. Anyways, I've seen him before and recently stumbled upon this little youtube gem.

Do you think you can run faster then him

Injuries catching up with the Pittsburgh Steelers, star players need to step it up

On paper the Pittsburgh Steelers look as good as any team in the entire NFL. They have pro-bowlers all over the place on defense, a few good skill players, and a two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback. That being said, the Steelers are starting to get beat up and are losing players left and right.
Before the 2010 season even started, the Steelers lost Willie Colon for the year to a torn Achilles injury. Colon was considered the Steelers best offensive linemen by most at the time and was a major loss. The Steelers then went out and signed free-agent tackle Flozell Adams. Adams has gotten adjusted to right tackle and has done a good job filling in.
Against the Miami Dolphins. the Pittsburgh Steelers then lost defensive end Aaron Smith to a torn rotator cuff. The Steelers didn't rule out a possible late season return for Smith, but he would miss most of the regular season. This was the 3rd time in the last 4 seasons that Smith suffered an injury of these proportions.
The Steelers other starting defensive end, Brett Keisel, also continues to battle nagging hamstring injuries. Keisel looks like he's going to try and tough out the injury, but the Steelers can't afford to lose any more linemen.
After a close victory over the Cincinnati Benglas, the Steelers seem to have what head coach Mike Tomlin describe as "a laundry list of injuries". Here's a list of players that are either questionable or probable for the Steeler's next game against the Patriots:

• Heath Miller (probable) Miller has fluid in his knees as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
• Isaac Redman (questionable) Redman suffered a concussion in Monday's game against the Bengals, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
• Mewelde Moore (questionable) Moore suffered a concussion in the Monday night win over the Bengals, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
• Will Allen (questionable) Allen suffered a concussion in the Monday night game against Cincinnati, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
• Brett Keisel (questionable) Keisel suffered a hamstring during the Monday night game.

To top that list off, the Steeler's lost their starting left tackle Max Starks to a neck injury Monday night. On Wednesday, the Steelers officially placed Max Starks on injured reserve, ending his 2010 season.
Now the Steelers have their starting right and left tackles to season ending injuries. The Steelers don't have a lot of other options for their replacements. They can move Flozell Adams from right tackle to the left tackle position, which he played for over 10 seasons, or they can have young tackle Jonathan Scott fill in at left tackle for the time being. Neither option seems that great but the Steelers have to try and overcome this.
The Steelers are 6-2 and gearing up for a big showdown with the New England Patriots (6-2) Sunday night at Heinz Field. If the Steelers are going to overcome these injuries and beat the Patriots, they're going to need their star players to step up.
I'm talking about two individuals in particular: safety Troy Polamalu and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
The Steelers played without Roethlisberger for the 1st 4 games of the season this year. They banned together and went 3-1 without him. They played a team game and made some big plays to overcome not having their star quarterback.
Roethlisberger has played well since being back, but now they need him to play even better. They need Roethlisberger to play some of the best football of his career to overcome all of the deficiencies of this team. He's certainly capable of it. They need him to "take over" games and make everyone around him better.

The same thing can be said for the Steeler's star safety Troy Polamalu. Polamalu missed 11 games last year and the Steeler's looked lost without him. The secondary gave up big plays in the passing game almost weekly, and nearly everyone blamed it on Troy's absence.
Now that Troy is healthy, he needs to be the hero of this defense. Polamalu needs to play the best football he is capable of playing. Ed Reed, who is often Troy's counterpart for being considered the best safety in football, already has 3 interception in the 4 games he's been back.
Polamalu hasn't had an interception since week 2 and hasn't been playing anywhere near the level that he's capable of playing. That has to change immediately.
Despite the list of injuries, if these two players step their games up and play the at their highest level of football from hear on out, the Steelers will still very much be contenders. If that happens the rest of the team will band together and this season can still be a great one. The Steelers just need to go back to 2008, when they thought of themselves as a "band of brothers".

Pittsburgh Penguins news and notes

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Boston Bruins tonight in a crucial Eastern Conference match-up.
These are the projected lines for tonight via PittsburghPenguins.com
Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Rupp-Letestu-Kennedy
Cooke-Malkin-Asham
Talbot-Adams-Godard
Comrie-Conner-(Tom Fitzgerald - filling in)

I'm sure you are also shocked to see Evgeni Malkin on centering Aaron Asham and Matt Cooke on the 3rd line. Then again this could finally be a message being sent by Dan Bylsma to Malkin.

Malkin makes the same amount of money (8.7 million a year) as Sidney Crosby and is on pace to have another year below the standards that he is capable of having. Since the Pens have 17.4 million a year tied up on two players, they have to expect Geno and Crosby to be carrying this team. Sid is in the top 5 in goals and points, and is still doing well in face-offs.

Malkin on the other hand isn't even in the top 30 in points in the entire NHL. This has to change. Malkin has to step his game a.s.a.p. Here's a very good article about this very subject on bleacherreport.com


It also looks like Brent Johnson will be starting it net tonight and even though I am a Marc-Andre Fleury fan and supporter I think it's the right move. Fleury is struggling and Johnson is not. I don't think that this is a permanent move or that the Pens should give up on Fleury but until he plays better the Pens have to go with Johnson.

Pittsburgh Steelers Defeat Cincinnati Benglas, 27-21: Complete Game Breakdow

ThePittsburgh Steelers (5-2) went into Cincinnati to take on the Bengals(2-5) on national television on Monday Night Football. Unlike some people I was expecting a Steeler's victory and was more interested in seeing if the Steelers could show themselves to be the dominant team they are capable of being.

Building to a 20-7 lead, it looked like that's what we were going to get. I expected the Bengals to fold and the game to be over. However, credit the Bengals for still fighting and not giving up to almost complete a great comeback. That being said, the Steelers defense once again showed tremendous issues against the pass late in the games.

In the end though the Steelers prevailed and won a crucial game on the road against a division rival. Now looking ahead the Steelers are 6-2 and in very good position to make the playoffs this year. Staying healthy and winning games that "they should win" will be crucial.

In this article I will discuss everything good and bad about this game and the future for the 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers.

Offense: The Good

he Steelers offense had an weird night if you ask me. They definitely tried to establish the run and did a decent job. They had a few run plays that were an inch here or a block there from being big plays. The Steelers ran the ball 32 times for 121 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt. I thought Rashard Mendenhall ran hard and made some big plays, including a 22 yard run which was his longest, and scoring on a touchdown on from the 1 yard line, and that's promising considering that the Steelers have been struggling in their short yardage running game.

Mendenhall also did a good job picking up pass rushers and caught 3 passes 31 yards and nearly scored on one of those.



Speaking of the passing game, Ben Roethlisberger looked good for the most of the game, making some very impressive throws, including on his only touchdown pass of the game which went to Hines Ward. Roethlisberger also once again made defenders look silly on a few plays with his scrambling ability. I don't know why defenders continue to try and arm/jersey tackle him, he's simply too big and strong for that.Ben also picked up a key 1st down on a 12 yard run.

Big Ben only threw for 163 yards, and was 17/27, with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. However, he made some key plays, including a good job blocking on a trick play. He made some beautiful throws, including a

Overall Ben had a decent game, really only have 1 big blemish on the night.



Mike Wallace continues to be the Steelers most reliable receiver, catching another a 39 yard touchdown pass from Antwaan Randle-El on a well executed trick play. Wallace caught 5 passes for 110 yards. Wallace continues to be one of the best deep threats in the NFL and if he can work on his short routes, could be an elite receiver in this league.

Antwaan Randle-El once again didn't do much returning punts or catching only 1 pass for 10 yards. However, he did provide a huge spark as he threw a 39 yard touchdown pass on a well executed receiver pass.

The offensive line played a lot better then they have been, allowing only 1 sack which wasn't even their fault. Ben bailed them out a few times escaping from pressure but they looked more prepared and aggressive. It was a scary when rookie Maurkince Pouncey went down with an injury but he did return.

Offense: The Bad:

Despite the Steelers offense scoring 3 touchdowns and 27 points, they still didn't perform up to their potential. They once again had turnover troubles as this is the 3rd straight game in which they gave the ball away at least twice.
Ben Roethlisberger threw a wobbly pass that got picked off by veteran safety Roy Williams. The interception was a great play by Williams but Ben can't throw that pass at that point in the game. The Bengals then took over and scored a touchdown to get within six. Big Ben was very close to being the goat.
The other  turnover was another fumble by a usually dependable Hines Ward. Now credit has to go out to Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall for delivering a text book hit on Ward, but Hines can't fumble there. It's also looking like Hines is finally losing a step as he continues to have a had time getting open against man defense.
Speaking of receivers getting open, it looks like the only player that can accomplish that on a consistent basis is speedy Mike Wallace. While Hines is having trouble getting open, the same can be said for Heath Miller and especially Antwaan Randle-El.
Randle-El threw a touchdown pass but he is the Steelers 3rd receiver and is having a ridiculously hard time getting open right now. He caught 1 pass for 10 yards Monday night and that's not going to caught it. The most receiving yards that he's accumulated in one game this year is 50 and his season high for receptions in a game is a whopping 3. Isn't it time to start seeing what Emmanuel Sanders or Antonio Brown can do in that role? It might even be time to see what Arnaz Battle can do.
The receivers are also having a hard time adjusting their routes to blitzes by other teams. When a team brings more defenders then blockers the receivers have to look back for the ball. You don't have a very good chance of catching the ball if your heads turned to the quarterback .

Defense: The Good

I expected a good performance by the Steelers defense tonight and they were having a very good night until the 4th quarter. The Steelers defense once again shut down the run, allowing just 58 yards on 18 attempts by the Bengals. It was a team effort lead by James Farrior, who lead the team in tackles with 11 and had 1 sack.
I saw quite a few Steelers in the backfield on running plays especially James Harrison who had a very busy night. Harrison had 6 tackles, including 3 tackles for a loss. Harrison also had a sack and looked very good all night and continues to get held by opposing offensive tackles despite the referees not calling it as much as they should.
Harrison was also a key part in a pretty effective pass rush for most of the night. The Steelers hit Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer 6 times, including 4 sacks. LaMar Woodley joined the party getting 2 of them for himself.
With that pressure, the Steelers made Palmer uncomfortable for most of the night,causing him to fumble the ball and throw an interception, Lawerence Timmons made the pick and continues to play at a pro-bowl level.
Cornerback Ike Taylor had a good night being matched up with Chad Ochocinco for most of the night, holding him to just 1 catch for 15 yards.
The Steelers defense was also very good on 3rd downs, only allowing the Benglas to convert 3 of their 12 chances.

Defense: The Good

I expected a good performance by the Steelers defense tonight and they were having a very good night until the 4th quarter. The Steelers defense once again shut down the run, allowing just 58 yards on 18 attempts by the Bengals. It was a team effort lead by James Farrior, who lead the team in tackles with 11 and had 1 sack.
I saw quite a few Steelers in the backfield on running plays especially James Harrison who had a very busy night. Harrison had 6 tackles, including 3 tackles for a loss. Harrison also had a sack and looked very good all night and continues to get held by opposing offensive tackles despite the referees not calling it as much as they should.
Harrison was also a key part in a pretty effective pass rush for most of the night. The Steelers hit Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer 6 times, including 4 sacks. LaMar Woodley joined the party getting 2 of them for himself.
With that pressure, the Steelers made Palmer uncomfortable for most of the night,causing him to fumble the ball and throw an interception, Lawerence Timmons made the pick and continues to play at a pro-bowl level.
Cornerback Ike Taylor had a good night being matched up with Chad Ochocinco for most of the night, holding him to just 1 catch for 15 yards.
The Steelers defense was also very good on 3rd downs, only allowing the Benglas to convert 3 of their 12 chances.

Defense: The Bad

The almighty Steeler defense once again struggled against the pass late in the game. From my perspective it's a mixture of bad execution and not making the right adjustments again. The Cincinnati Bengals were not going to be able to run the ball that well, that's a given. Down 27-14, the Bengals were in full comeback mode and completely one-dimensional.
Yet the Steelers still couldn't stop them. Despite the Steelers putting a decent amount of pressure on Carson Palmer, the Steelers couldn't seem to figure out how to stop Terell Owens. For some reason Bryant McFadden tried to watch him most of the game, tried being key word. Owens had a huge night catching 10 passes for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns.
His first touchdown came when he was lined up in the slot against William Gay. Mismatch. That can't happen, William Gay has no chance there. The second touchdown came when he was once again lined up on man, but this time he was being covered by Bryant McFadden. McFadden continues to struggle in man coverage no matter how far he lines up off the line of scrimmage.
My question is why didn't they put Ike Taylor on Owens?  Taylor is the best Steelers cover corner and Ochocinco is playing second fiddle to Owens. I don't know hard it is to figure that out.
Furthermore, where is Troy Polamalu at? He played good against the run but he the Steelers can stop the run with their front seven. The Steelers need Polamalu to be a difference maker. Other teams try their best to take the play from the opposite side of the field Troy is at but they need him to step up and be the player he is capable of being.
I keep hearing that he's the best defensive player in the league but eventually he has to prove that. He certainly has the ability to but for this team to win a Super Bowl they are going to need Polamalu to play at a different level.
Overall this defense is still one of the best in the NFL but it's still a concern that they won't be able to stop a really good passing attack late in games.

The Rest of the Bad: 

Besides the pass defense and the receivers not getting open the Steelers have a few other concerns that need to be addressed.
The play-calling on both sides of the ball continues to be mediocre. Bruce Arians offense is predictable and he still doesn't understand the strengths of his players. Not enough play-action, running back screens, or designed roll outs for Roethlisberger.
On defense, coaches Mike Tomlin and Dick LeBeau continue to struggle in making in-game adjustments. Teams continue to march down the field on the Steelers defense in the 4th quarter. The Steelers seem to get way too conservative on both sides of the ball late in games.
The Steelers had the ball with in Cincinnati territory with little over 4 minutes to go. They ran three straight runs and attempted a 46 yard field goal. Why not go for the jugular? Why not attempt a pass on any of those three downs to put the game away? Was it because Roethlisberger threw an interception in the 4th quarter? It's not like he was horrible the entire game, besides that one pass I thought Ben played well. Go for the win.
That entire series of reminded me of the playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in which they ran three straight plays and gave the ball back to the Jaguars. The Jags then went down the field and scored a game winning field goal.
Speaking of field goals, Jeff Reed could have also put the game away if he makes a 46 yard field goal. Reed is now 0-4 on field goals that are 40-49 yards away, and just 2-8 from 40 yards or longer. And this is the same guy that was complaining about his contract.
That isn't the only special teams area that needs improvement. The Steelers are dead last in punt-return yards in the entire NFL. They had 1 yard from punt returns last night. Why is Antwaan Randle-El out there at all anymore? So he can make a fair catch inside the ten? The only way guys like Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown get to show you what they have is if they let you play.
Last but not least, the other area the Steelers struggled is in the officiating area. The Steelers were penalized 7 times Monday night for 73 yards. Against a better team these penalties could be the difference. There were some questionable calls, including a pass interference call on Ike Taylor, and a roughing passer call on Casey Hampton.

The Rest of the Good:
Despite all the analysis the Steelers won a crucial game against a division rival on the road and that shouldn't be taken lightly. No wins are guaranteed in the parity filled NFL. The Patriots lost to the Browns as did the Saints. The easiest way to lose a game is to take your opponent lightly.
How about the Steelers getting a blocked punt? That's a huge play that really helped the Steelers get some early points and helped the Steelers get a a quick 10-0 lead.
The special teams came made a play before that as rookie Emmanuel Sanders made a nice hit on the kicking team and another rookie Jason Worilds recovered it. Sanders is playing hard and has talent so I would like to see the Steelers get a little more playing time.
If the Steelers can get some big plays like that in the playoffs they will be tough to beat.

The Steelers also came away from the game without that many casualties to injury. They did have three starting offensive linemen leave, Pouncey, Max Starks, and Chris Kemoeatu, and Pouncey was the only that returned. Starks has a reported neck injury and Kemoeatu has a ankle injury. Brett Keisel also left the game with a reported hamstring injury.
In some good news, I think I can safely say that James Harrison won't get fined for anything this week. Even though he may have hit receiver Jordan Shipley too hard for the NFL's taste.
In moving on, the Steelers are a very respectable 6-2 and can now look to their match-up with the New England Patriots next Sunday. The Patriots are also 6-2 and the game will be very meaningful for both teams. I expect the players and fans to treat almost as if it's a playoff game.

This article appears on www.bleachereport.com and you can visit my bleacher report profile here

Spoof on LeBron James Nike AD

There have been a lot of spoofs of LeBron Jame's "What should I do" Nike ad.


South Park also took a shot at LeBron in a much more hilarious spoof in their latest episode.

Pittsburgh Steelers biggest concern is their pass defense

After the 20-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steeler's fans, as expected, are overreacting. That's just how it goes when you have a die-hard fan base. Most of the blame goes to offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, and rightfully so. Others blame Ben Roethlisberger and some blame Mike Tomlin. I think the entire coaching staff as a whole is to blame.
It's only one game, however, and the Steelers are still one of the better teams in the NFL. But there is a big concern I have for this team: The Steelers pass defense is quickly becoming something that might hold this team back from winning the Super Bowl this year.
The NFL is a passing league, and that concerns me a lot; the Steelers haven't faced that many good quarterbacks this year, yet they still have looked mediocre at best defending the pass.
Every week, we hear that the opposing team won't be able to run the ball and that the Steelers don't get the ball run on them. While that is true, I'm not sure opposing teams should even be concerned about running the ball against the Steelers. The Saints had no intention of running the ball against the Steelers. They lined Drew Brees up in the shotgun with three-, four- and sometimes five-receiver sets, and threw the ball over 40 times. Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the game, but I still think it's the only way to beat the Steelers.
Brees went on to complete 34 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns on the night. In the second half, Brees completed 20 of 22 passes and led the Saints to 17 of their 20 points, which leads me to believe that the Steelers coaching staff must be one of the worst in the league at making halftime adjustments, both offensively and defensively. The Steelers did a decent job against Brees but the Saints obviously made some minor adjustments at halftime that allowed Brees to go 20 of 22 throwing the ball.

Looking back all the way to Super Bowl XLIII against Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals, the Steelers did a good job in the first half, holding the Cardinals to seven points. But in the second half, Warner threw for over 200 yards, and the Cardinals regained the lead.

Last year, Bruce Gradkowski led not one, but two game-winning drives against the Steelers, who made him and Louis Murphy look like All-Pros.

Last year, everyone gave the defense a pass because Troy Polamalu missed most of the year and the Steelers had replaced cornerback Bryant McFadden with William Gay. Now both Polamalu and McFadden are back and starting, but we're still getting the same results. Polamalu, had one of the worst games of his career against the Saints, getting beat deep in coverage and missing more than one tackle.
The last three games, the pass defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to have big games. Rookie Colt McCoy of the Cleveland Browns threw for 281 yards with a QB rating of 80. Chad Henne of the Miami Dolphins threw for 257 yards with a 94 QB rating. Then Drew Brees threw for 305 yards with a QB rating of 101.
Part of the blame goes to Dick LeBeau and Mike Tomlin. They continue to have their corners play eight and sometimes 10 yards off the ball, allowing teams to complete short passes the entire game. The Steelers play a safe coverage trying to prevent the big play. That's fine, but at the same time, if the opposing team continues to complete 4- to 6-yard passes, it still adds up the same.

The Steelers need to be more aggressive and press the corners with a blitz, the same thing that other defenses try to do the Steelers. Playing safe isn't always the best option.
Luckily for Pittsburgh, they don't face too many more "elite" QBs, but they do face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Week 10, and Brady is the same kind of passer that Brees is.
This prevent-style defense could end up costing the Steelers a big playoff, however, especially considering that their opponent will most likely have one of the better quarterbacks in the league.
I just hope the Steelers aren't too arrogant to realize that they have a big problem to fix.

Week 9 Power Rankings: Where do the Steelers fit in at?

Hey thanks for visiting my blog. Recently I've been doing a lot of work for www.bleacherreport.com  and that's where my critically acclaimed NFL power rankings appear. Feel free to comment and discuss my power rankings.

breaking news

This breaks my heart. Jordan Staal was all set to return to the Pens for the game in Dallas on Wednesday but now it looks like that's going to happen. Staal has suffered a broken hand at practice and is expected to miss another few weeks.

And this just in, the Vikings have placed future Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss on waivers. I guess they didn't find his post game press conference as funny as the rest of us did.

Steelers lose to the Saints 20-10. Time to play the blame game

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the New Orleans Saints 20-10 last night, and now it's time to play the blame game.

In Pittsburgh, it's very popular to blame Big Ben Roethlisberger every time the Steelers lose. However, if you actually watched the game last night, you would know it's really hard to blame him for the loss.

The next obvious choice would be the coach, and in this case that would be the right answer.

I rarely blame the coaching staff for a loss. They can only do so much as far as preparing their players for their next opponent. Well, from the very start it looked as though the Steelers weren't prepared to face the Saints.

Offensively the Steelers, on paper, looked like they had a great matchup versus the Saints defense. However, the Steelers apparently weren't ready for the very good blitzing scheme the Saints were hell-bent on bringing last night.

About 75 percent of the time, the Saints brought six, seven and even eight guys in for an all-out blitz. The Steelers countered that by having receivers run 10- to 15-yard routes that took about four seconds to develop. Most of the plays developed into Ben running for his life, getting hit by more than a defender often.

So who's to blame? How about blaming Ben? I know that's what typical Steelers fans love to do. Ben didn't audible enough last night. He held on the ball as he normally does and didn't look like he was very cerebral last night.
Who do you blame for the loss last night
Ben Roethlisberger Mike Tomlin Bruce Arians The Wide Receivers The Offensive line The Enitre Coaching Staff Submit Vote vote to see results

I'm hearing things like, "Ben just can't read defenses like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady." If you saw last night's game, you would probably agree with statements like that.

However, Ben is not the reason the Steelers lost last night; he was actually one of the better players on the field. He didn't call most of the plays, and in fact the one time the Steelers went to a "no-huddle" offense, Ben got to call some plays, and it was very effective as usual.

It also wasn't Ben's fault that Heath Miller fumbled at a key moment or that Antwaan Randle El didn't score on a play that should have been a touchdown.

I don't blame Ben for this loss, and neither should you.

Do you blame the offensive line? The Steeler offensive line also took a step backwards last night; actually, they were taking a lot of them, because the Saints had them on their heels, giving Roethlisberger little time to throw and play the style of football that he's used to playing.

The offensive line also wasn't winning many one-on-one battles with the Saints defenders. The offensive line looked confused and overwhelmed. However, I won't blame the offensive line for the loss; they weren't prepared well enough for what they encountered last night.

Do you blame the receivers? Hines Ward is the leader of the receivers, as he often reminds us. Last night he shouldn't be proud of that. The receivers got smothered all night last night. NBC even gave some great shots downfield during the game, showing the blitz coming and the receivers being 15-plus yards downfield, covered and not looking for the ball.
106408315_crop_340x234 Matthew Sharpe/Getty Images

Even when they were going against man coverage, the Steelers receivers got little separation.

Also, it's the receivers' responsibility to readjust their routes accordingly (a hot route) if the other team brings a blitz. The receivers also have to look back for the ball if they feel a blitz. Last night this didn't happen. The receivers often left Ben out to dry.

However, the receivers don't get the blame, or at least not the main blame for last night's game.

No, to me Mike Tomlin and Bruce Arians are to blame. They had all week to prepare the offense for a Saints team that blitzes a lot.

The Saints defense showed Arians what they were going to do from the very first series. Then he had halftime to readjust the offense for the blitz. He obviously wasn't able to counter the blitz. He continued to call plays that took way too long to develop, having Ben take five-step drops and having receivers run 15-plus-yard routes.

No slants, short crosses, running back screens, delayed pop routes by the tight ends and running backs? These are routes that can be effective via the screen. I've defended Arians in the past, but last night he failed as the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In fact, the only time the Steelers offense got into a real rhythm was when they finally went to a no-huddle toward the end of the fourth quarter. Ben got to control the offense and moved the ball downfield, completing a big play to Heath Miller, which would have had the Steelers in field goal range. Unfortunately, Miller fumbled the ball, and the Steelers would go on to lose the game.
Shold the Steelers use the no-huddle more often?
yes no Submit Vote vote to see results

I think last night shows that on most weeks, the Steelers offensive players overcome their horrible offensive coordinator by making big plays. Think about it: Most of the Steelers' big plays in the passing game come from Ben scrambling and making a play. Ben makes this offense look better than it really is.

Why wait till the end of the game to run the no-huddle? Ben is one of the best quarterbacks at running it, and the offense almost always produces when it's in it. That's on head coach Mike Tomlin.

Speaking of Tomlin, he's right there in guys to blame for last night's loss. Tomlin coached not to lose instead of coaching to win the game. His conservative coaching was a big reason why the Steelers lost.

For example, when the Steelers had the ball on first down at the half-yard-line, they tried a standard handoff three times and got stuffed. Why not run a QB sneak behind your best offensive lineman, center Maurkice Pouncey? Why not run a play-action pass and roll Ben out on one of those plays? Why not go for it on fourth down? If you don't make it, the Saints take over from their own one.

Tomlin was very unimpressive last night, and if this team wants to win a Super Bowl this year, the coaches are going to have to do a better job.

So go ahead, blame who you want to blame, but the coaches were responsible for that loss last night.