The Pirates 2011 season is a story of could haves, should haves, but lasted only one have or half.

The Pirates 2011 season is a story of could haves, should haves, but lasted only one have or half.

I apologize for the lame play on words, but I just couldn’t resist. After all these bad years of rooting for the Pirates, one has to be able to laugh sometimes. Or, in the Pirates case, most of the time. Jokes aside, that sentence describes what exactly the 2011 Pirates season was. Which was a pretty good 100 games and a pretty awful final 62 games. 

In the end, the Pirates improved on 105 loss season by losing 90 games. If you would have told most Pirate fans before the season that the club would only lose 90 games, many would have thought you were crazy. Lyle Overbay and Matt Diaz were going to make this team that much better? Give me a break! I thought the Pirates would win 65 games, which I thought was generous at the time. Obviously, some crazy things happened this season. Let’s look back at the amazing first half first.

Whines Hard's Girlfriend Sticks Up For Him

I know how most of yinz rooted for Hines Ward while he was on and won ABC's Dancing With the Stars earlier this year. Why not? Ward is a Pittsburgh Steelers' legend and icon. Steeler Nation had no choice.

Hine's dancing partner, Kym Johnson, decided to stay loyal to Mr. Ward. Johnson called Ben Roethlisberger a douche. According to Ms.Jonson, Big Ben is a big douche because he won't throw the ball to Ward. Lol

Bill Cowher Nominated for 2012 NFL Hall of Fame

yinzluvsteelers



Former  Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher was named as one of 103 nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012.

2012 is Cowher's first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame. 


Cowher's resume is very impressive. 

Stats Aside, How Do The Panthers Look So Far?

Week 5 of the college football season and our Pitt Panthers are 2-2.  Big East play starts tomorrow and so far, overall, the fan base doesn't seem too impressed.  I thought that this would be a good time to give my opinion on the three aspects of the game so far: offense, defense, and special teams.

I wanted to do this all stats aside.  Sure some statistics will come up, but I want to base this argument more upon what I have seen in the stands and on television, and what I have felt from the team.  Statistics are sometimes misleading, emotions are not.

Steelers Offensive Line Woes Are Self-Imposed

Earlier this year the Steelers got the news that starting right tackle Willie Colon will be placed on the injured reserve for the second straight season. Colon was recently signed to a five-year deal worth $29 million. 

Earlier in the offseason the Steelers released tackles Max Starks and Flozell Adams. Both players were cut to make room on the Steelers bloated salary cup. I understand that but neither Adams or Starks has a job right now. 

Jonathan Scott, who for some reason was re-signed this year, then suffered an injury in the win over the Indianapolis Colts. Might have been a blessing in disguise as Scott has been by far the worst lineman for the Steelers so far this year. 

Scott leads the league in holding calls in the last 12 games. When he's not holding he's getting beat by pass rushers and getting his quarterback killed. 

The Steelers offensive line has been abysmal this year as a whole. Can't run the ball, can't protect their quarterback. At this point I'm impressed that they're able to dress themselves.

The current offensive line is just not acceptable. You have a $100 million dollar quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, and you're protecting him with a $5 offensive line. UNACCEPTABLE! 

Not one of the Steelers current offensive lineman would start for another NFL team, with the exception of Pouncey, who's a stud. 

Jonathan Scott sucks. Doug Legurksy sucks. Gilbert is a second round draft pick rookie. Chris Kemoeatu is good when he pulls to the right, but besides that he sucks and is overpaid. 

Hindsight is 20/20 but why did they give Colon the contract that they did? He missed the entire season last year with a major injury, and it's not like he was an All-Pro player before that. Colon wasn't worth that kind of money. 

Kemoeatu isn't worth the money and contract that he has right now either. Kemoeatu is highly inconsistent and is not a Pro Bowler. Contract was awful and the Steelers' are regretting it now. 

Legurksy is not a starting guard. He's a decent backup at best and his best position is at center. The Steelers already have one of those. They should have kept and started Tony Hills, who started right guard for most of the preseason. Hills has much more athleticism and upside than Legursky. 


Now with Scott injured, Trai Essex will start. Essex was cut by the Steelers after being here as a backup forever. Essex is nothing but a career backup, although he might be a better player than Scott, who sucks. 


If either Chris Kemoeatu or Legursky can't play, Ramon Foster will start. I personally think Foster should start over Legursky anyways. 


Right now the Steelers are in trouble. They got manhandled up front against the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts.

How do the Steelers plan on being an effective offense with such a bad offensive line? Roethlisberger never has time to throw, Rashard Mendenhall never has a hole to run through. 

Roethlisberger is the best player on the team, at least on the offense. The offense should be built around him. Look at the New England Patriots with Tom Brady. Three of their seven highest paid players are offensive lineman. Their first round draft pick this year, an offensive lineman. 

The Steelers only have one offensive lineman in their top 13 highest paid players. They've drafted one offensive lineman in the first round since 2004. The talent is just not there and neither is the commitment to improving the line. 

Every year they just try and put a band-aid on it, it's a offensive line patch-up job. That's a good way of getting your franchise quarterback killed. 

I understand the Steelers have been built on defense but their quarterback is a pretty good player. The defense is starting to look old really quick. Yet the Steelers have so much money invested in defensive players over the age of 30. 

James Farrior is 36, Larry Foote is 31. They split time at inside linebacker. This year they're making almost $10 million combined. There's no need for both of them to be on this team. If the Steelers would have released one of them like they should have, they would have the money to sign either Adams or Starks. 

Casey Hampton, a nose tackle who plays sparingly, is currently the fourth highest paid player on the team and is 33 years old. Hampton has been a good player and a great person in the community, but his prime is past and Chris Hoke has proven he can do just as good as Hampton for far less money. 

The Steelers also decided to re-sign Ryan Clark, Bryant McFadden, and William Gay. The secondary has a good mix of mediocre players and old players. 

The Steelers should be embarrassed about their current situations with the salary cap and the offensive line. Roethlisberger has won this team two Super Bowls and a lot of games and is just coming into his prime. They have to spend money to equip proper talent around him. That's what all the other teams do with their franchise quarterbacks. 

The Steelers are also paying Aaron Smith over $6 million this year. Why? Smith has been the most injury-prone player on the team and is 35 years old. The Steelers also just drafted defensive ends in the first round in the last three drafts. Let the young guys play. Save money for other positions. 

As for the what they can do with the offensive line right now, it looks very glum Steeler Nation. Max Starks had a workout with the Vikings. The Steelers still can't afford to bring back Flozell Adams. 
What's Alan Faneca doing? Maybe they can bring back Jeff Hartings as well? 


The Steelers' offensive line situation is an embarrassment. They should be ashamed of it. 


 The projected starting offensive line for the game against the Texans looks like this: 


LT: Essex
LG:Kemoeatu
C: Pouncey
RG: Foster
RT: Gilbert


The Texans have a very good front seven which features Mario Williams and Connor Barwin. Yikes. 


Hey at least the Steelers have plenty of linebackers! 

Follow me on Twitter 

Around the NFL With Mad Chad

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-1 right now but it sure feels like they're 0-3. They bareley beat the Indianapolis Colts, who were without Peyton Manning and their other win was against Tavaris Jackson and the Seattle Seahawks.


The Steelers have to face the Houston Texans next and they look very good this year and a bad match-up for the Steelers, especially with the Steelers' offensive line and secondary woes. 


This just in, everyone loves Tony Romo. Romo played with a "broken rib" or some type of rib injury on Monday Night Football. Romo was 22/36 for 255 yards with 0 td and 1 interception. ESPN described Romo as winning "ugly" and giving him so much love for playing hurt. 


Meanwhile Ben Roethlisberger does that all the time but never gets that kind of treatment. Why, because Romo plays for the Dallas Cowboys? ESPN acts like the Cowboys are relevant. 1 playoff win in the last 15 years. Romo is overrated and so are the Cowboys. Suck it. 




Michael Vick continues to show just how overrated he is. Against the New York Giants he threw for 176 yards with 0 tds and a pick. He also fumbled three times. During the game, Vick suffered a broken hand. After the game he decided to attack the officials, saying that "they need to do their job".

How can Vick get away with calling out the officials? He should be fined. Imagine if Ryan Clark, James Harrison, and/or Ben Roethlisberger had said that. Goodell would have a God damn aneurysm


Are the Buffalo Bills for real? Beating New England sure makes me think so. Up next they have the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati. Take care of business and they're 4-0. Bills' QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is having an MVP season and is the best athlete from Harvard I've seen since former Pro Wrestler Chris Nowinski. 

The Detroit Lions are for real. Ndamakung Suh is some kind of monster who should be tested for growth hormones asap. The Lions have a good qb, good offensive line, one of the best receivers in the league, and perhaps the most dominate defensive line in the NFL. Can someone say PLAYOFFS. 


Every year I hear that Philip Rivers is better than Ben Roethlisberger and that Rivers is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He is a good qb but he's not elite. Rivers leads the league in interceptions right now and Roethlisberger has a better qb rating than him with 8 turnovers. What happens when Roethlisberger starts playing better? Rivers and the Chargers had a big game against the New England Patriots, Rivers threw a couple of picks and the Chargers lost. Fact is Big Ben > Rivers

Is 2011 the Final Year for Hines Ward?

The Steelers 2001 season has been one of the most memorable years to me for several reasons.  For one, I was 8-years-old and it was the first year that I had watched all 18 games, (counting the playoffs), from start to finish.  I can still remember balling my eyes out when we lost to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.  Also, it was the year of the 9/11 attacks.  I was in my second grade classroom at St. Nicholas Elementary School when I had learned of the tragedy.  Of course, being a little kid, the first thing I thought about was why in the world somebody would do such a thing.  Then, when I learned that the Steelers-Browns game was to be canceled for that week, I became even more angry and upset at the fact that the 21-3 loss to the Jaguars would be in my head for another week.  (Joking, of course)

So when most Pittsburgh fans think of the Steelers 2001 season, they remember having the wonderful feeling of that old fashion Steelers football being restored.  But when I think of the 2001 season, I think of Hines Ward, and Jerome Bettis.  Most people tend to forget that this was Bettis's LAST 1,000 yard season. Considering that the guy only played in 11 regular season games, I'd say 1,000+ yards was a pretty solid performance.  Ironically enough, this was Hines Ward's FIRST 1,000 yard season.  This is remarkable to me because it symbolizes how wonderful Steelers football truly is.  When one special player's career show's signs of slowing down, another's is just taking off.

Bettis was never the same after that season.  He struggled with injuries, and was hardly considered a "starter" for the squad in the years following.  Hines, on the other hand was only 25-years-old and just starting to make a name for himself as a possession receiver.  He hauled in 94 catches, for 1,003 yards, and 4 touchdowns.  Those are some solid numbers considering Kordell Stewart was at quarterback.  The following year, Hines had a career-high 112 receptions, for over 1,300 yards, and 12 touchdowns.  Undoubtably the best statistical season of his career.  Bettis, however, saw a huge decrease in both carries and yardage.  

Now here we are.  Ten years, two Super Bowl Titles, one Super Bowl MVP award later.  Hines Ward, now the Steelers all-time leading receiver is 35.  He's noticeably slower, noticeably older, and just isn't the same Hines that he was even three years ago.  As of right now, he has 966 catches.  After catching his 1,000th ball this season, (which I'm confident he will), I doubt we'll see much more of Hines Ward.  As tough as it is to admit it, there's almost no room for him in the receiving corp anymore.  Sanders and Brown are clearly passing him up as the weeks go by.  Still, I would take Hines in his prime over almost any receiver out there.

Typically, when people think of great receivers, name's like Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, and Randy Moss come up.  Needless to say, Moss came into the league in 1998, the same year as Hines.  Just this past off-season, Moss retired.  He finished his career with 954 catches.  You know what most people didn't notice?  Hines Ward also had 954 catches going into this season.  So I'll go ahead and say it.  I would take Hines Ward's career over Randy Moss's career any day of the week.  I don't care how many records Moss broke, how many insane catches he made, how many damn teams he played for; he never won a Super Bowl, and never had the emotional impact on a team than Hines Ward did with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Written by Alex Muchnok

Steelers Win a Close One Over the Colts 23-20

Darron Cummings - AP

Yours truly was at the game last night, sitting in section 606 in the upper-level of Lucas Oil Stadium. The stadium is beautiful, although it's a lot harder to navigate through than Heinz Field. 

The crowd was about 60-40 Colts' fans, which is really embarrassing. If you watch the game again, you can clearly hear "Here We Go Steeelers" chants. 

Without Peyton Manning the Colts were big underdogs. I wanted the Steelers to be dominate for the second straight week. They failed to do that, needing a game-winning field goal with 4 seconds left to win the game. 

Ben Roethlisberger played a very good game, completing 25-37 passes for 364 yards, with a 81-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace in the first quarter. Roethlisberger looked very methodical throughout the night making some really impressive throws. 

Big  Ben did have three turnovers, but only 1 was his fault, a nasty interception in the 2nd quarter. Ben had two fumbles, both caused by Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. The blocking on those plays were abysmal. 

Roethlisberger had another 4th quarter game-winning drive for his career last night. When he had time to throw, he looked great and so did the offense. Right now Roethlisberger is sixth in the NFL in passing yards, as is on pace for 5,000 yards. Imagine if the offensive line didn't suck. 

Wallace is having an unreal year. Wallace has 100 yards + in each of the first three games and is currently 2nd in the NFL in receiving yards. At the beginning of the year Wallace said he wanted to get 2,000 yards. Right now he's on pace for that. 

Antonio Brown had a great game, catching four balls for 75 yards, and made three first downs. Emmanuel Sanders had the opposite game, dropping a perfectly thrown ball which would have given the Steelers first and goal. Sanders also gave up on Ben's interception and failed to tag the defender on the ground. 

Hines Wards looks old and slow. 

Heath Miller had a weird night. Made a couple of catches, including a 30 yard catch, but also whiffed on a block and dropped a pass on the same play. 

Jonathan Scott left the game with a leg injury. Before that he was made Dwight Freeney's bitch. Freeney forced a fumble, had three solo tackles, two sacks, and had three tackles for a loss. Freeney is a great player but Scott is not a quality left-tackle. He should not be starting and should have never started in the first place. I wrote about the Steelers horrible management of the offensive line over the years. It's going to get their qb, their best player, seriously injured. 

Aaron Smith played bad, again. Smith is washed up. He's had a great career but he's old and has had a lot of injuries. His best days are behind him and now the Steelers are stuck with him and his bloated contract. 

Ziggy Hood started and played a good game. The run defense did not look good however, as the Colts ran for nearly 100 yards and a touchdown. 

So far James Harrison is the only Steelers' linebacker that's playing up to his potential. The Steelers gave all of their linebackers big contracts over the years, but James Farrior has looked old, and LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons have yet to show up. Great investments .

Troy Polamalu looked great for the second straight week, scoring a touchdown, recording two tackles, and defending two passes. I love when the Steelers blitz Polamalu facing the qb. 

Ike Taylor is the only good cornerback on this team. The rest of them are either mediocre or worse. I'm talking to you William Gay. 

In the end the Steelers have won back to back games and now the horrible loss to the Baltimore Ravens now feels like a long time ago. The Steelers still have a lot of work to do. They have only forced 1 turnover in three games and have turned the ball over 10 times. That's not gonna cut it. 

The Steelers need to get more pressure on the quarterback. 

The biggest weakness for the Steelers is their offensive line. They can't run block, they can't pass block, they just suck. 

It's a shame to because the Steelers have a lot of talented players at the skill positions, but their inability to block anyone totally cancels that out. 

Steelers travel to Houston to take on the 2-1 Texans next week. I expect the Texans to be favored. 

Follow me on Twitter 

Roger Goodell is taking away the physical aspect of football

Anybody who has played football, or let alone watched it, knows that it is a dangerous game.  There always have been and always will be injuries in professional football.  If there wasn't, it wouldn't be football.  Why do you think they have injuries on video games?  It makes the game more realistic and shows that injuries, (not just in sports), are apart of life.

Now it was about last year when Roger Goodell started to really tick people off.  Particularly us Steelers fans.  I honestly lost count of how many times James Harrison was fined for "illegal hits" last season.  Of course those are "illegal hits according to Roger Goodell," that is.  At first I thought that he was just prejudice against the Steelers, (which he is), but now it seems like the number of flags and fines have sky-rocketed.

Last week, Troy Polamalu was fined 15k for a horse collar tackle on Ricky Williams.  Seriously?  He didn't do it on purpose.  That's like if somebody unintentionally hits a cameraman when pushed out of bounds, and is fined for it.  It's ridiculous, and a disgrace to the game.  But believe it or not, the Steelers aren't the only team being abused.  Other big names such as Ed Reed, Brian Urlacher, Robert Mathis, and Brandon Meriweather have all been fined at least once in the last two seasons.  Even the "safety video" released by the NFL late last season doesn't show much of a difference in the hits that they are contrasting.  Maybe Goodell likes some players better than others?  Ray Lewis leads with his head every play.  Why hasn't he been fined?

After Goodell had eliminated all big hits in the NFL, he figured he might as well take the kickoffs away too.  That's when he crossed the line.  Are you kidding me?  Aren't kickoffs apart of football?  Aren't certain players trained specifically to be special teams players?  The new rule states that the kickoff tee will be placed at the 35-yardline, instead of the 30.  So in essence, there will be a significant increase in touchbacks, and a decrease in kick returns.  I wonder if Goodell wrote a personal apology letter to Devin Hester?

So in conclusion, I will say that players safety is definitely an important part of the game.  Concussions are becoming more and more serious as the years go by.  But why not just issue personal letters to each team about player safety before you hand out all of these fines, and enforce all of these rule changes?  But what are the odds of that?  That would be the smart thing to do.

Written by Alex Muchnok

Pitt Vs. Notre Dame: Todd Graham's Wake Up Call

Through the first three weeks of college football, Pitt is 2-1.  The first two games of the season against Buffalo and Maine were must-win games.  Losing to one of those teams may have brought the Panthers' season to a screeching halt.  As most of us expected, though, they came out on top with Iowa in their sights.

We all know what happened next - the Panthers led the Hawkeyes by 17 points with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter.  Coach Graham elected to continue his "high-octane" play-calling, snapping the ball every fifteen seconds or so.  The decision to not run the clock out and take away some time for Iowa to score points has come into question all week long.  Todd Graham's first game against a bigger opponent resulted in a loss due to, in my opinion, a coaching error.  He told the press that he did not want to get away from their game plan regardless of the score and given the same opportunity would call the plays just the same way.

What's done is done and Notre Dame will be at Heinz Field this Saturday.  The game will be nationally televised on ABC, and could be Graham's "coming out party."  Win this game and the entire Panther Nation will be behind him.  If he loses, though, (especially if it is anything like the disheartening comeback loss to Iowa last week),  he'll be facing more scrutiny than he probably has in his entire life.

So, Why Was WVU (allegedly) Turned Down By The ACC and SEC

With the exhausting weekend filled with conference realignment talk, I had expected that the first few days of this week would be a little bit slower.  I thought that most of the other Big East schools would take their time deciding what conference their future would lay.  Unexpectedly, a tweet heard around the world arose from CBSsports.com National college footbal writer, Brett MdMurphy's twitter.

"@McMurphyCBS: Multiple Big East sources said they have been told by WVU officials that WVU rejected by ACC & SEC"

By now, all of the country has heard about the news and ESPN was covering the topic all day.  No one though has come up with a real reason as to why they were turned down by BOTH conferences.  Because there are no legitimate reports that WVU ever applied to the SEC, I will focus on the university's denied application to the ACC.  Now, none of these possible reasons for the declination are facts.  They are just opinions that I have seen throughout the internet and social networking sites.

Pitt's Move to the ACC and What It Means for Fans and the School

The last few days have been pretty crazy for Pitt fans.  The team lost in disheartening fashion to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, and to even further complicate things, applied to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, or ACC.  This move came out of nowhere, and I do mean literally out of nowhere.  There was no press release from the Athletic Director, Steve Pederson, or Chancellor Mark Nordenberg.

Steelers Blank Seattle 24-0

Justin K. Aller - Getty Images

After getting their pride hurt in a blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers came out and dominated the Seattle Seahawks 24-0.

The game wasn't much of a contest as the Steelers dominated the entire game.

Here's the stat breakdown courtesy of ESPN.com

• Steelers almost doubled the Seahawks in time of Possession, almost quadrupled them in total yards, and almost tripled them in first downs. Domination. 
• Zero Turnovers by either team. Now both quarterbacks got lucky a few times but the Steelers have now forced 0 turnovers in the first two games of the season. Not a good sign. 
• Steelers 2-4 in the Red Zone is not going to cut it. 
• The Steelers had 16 passing first downs. That's great. 

The Steelers got off to a bad start as they were stopped on the goal line on fourth down in the first quarter. The Steelers;' offensive line really late the team down there. 

Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben had a great day. 22/30 for 298 yards with a touchdown and zero turnovers. Roethlisberger was hit illegally in the knee by Raheem Brock in the second quarter which drew a 15-yard penalty. Christ Mortenson of ESPN says the league will review it and I expect a fine to be issued. 

The play looked really bad and myself, along with Steeler Nation were worried sick that Roethlisberger was seriously injured. Roethlisberger, the tough S.O.B. he is, came back into the game and played great, finishing with a 115 qb rating and was just two yards shy of a 300 yards day. 

Sunday was Roethlisberger's 100th career start and he captured his 70th win of his career. Roethlisberger is the 4th fastest player to reach 70 wins in a career. 

Mike Wallace really is becoming a complete receiver. He was thrown to 9 times and got 8 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. He made a fantastic 53-yard catch and is really blossoming into one of the better receivers in the league. 

I thought the offensive line, which only gave up 2 sacks, played a decent game. I really like rookie Marcus Gilbert, who made his first career start at right tackle. He's a big boy who has much more talent and upside over Jonathan Scott. The Steelers now just need to find upgrades over Doug Legursky and Scott. I would start Ramon Foster over Legursky when Chris Kemoeatu comes back. 

Only people that won't admit that Legursky sucks are Polish people. 

I was not impressed with Rashard Mendenhall's 19 carries for 66 yards. Needs to quit tip-toeing around. Offensive line isn't great but Mendenhall is treated like a top back in the NFL. Great backs create their own holes. 

Isaac Redman on the other hand played great. 10 carries for 49 yards, broke tackles, ran angry. 

Defensively really nothing to complain about. I mean they had a shutout and gave up 164 yards. 

I thought Troy Polamalu looked really good. Led the team in tackles, had a sack, and should have had a pick.  

Lawrence Timmons, James Harrison, James Farrior, and Larry Foote all played really well. LaMarr Woodley not so much. Woodley has been very silent and disappointing this year. I expected a big day from Woodley against the Seahawks because he was facing a rookie at right tackle. 

Ike Taylor is having an All-Pro start to his 2011 season. In two games he's allowed 1 catch. Swaggin! 

I really would like to see the pass-rush do a better job in future weeks and for the defense to make some plays and force some turnovers. 

I would like to see the Steelers use more play-action and take more shots deep to Wallace, Brown, and/or Sanders. 

I loved the no-huddle usage and I think the Steelers should continue to use it 2-3 times a game besides when they have to.

Steelers travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on a desperate 0-2 Peyton Manning-less Indianapolis Colts team next week. We should expect another victory. All of the AFC North teams are now 1-1. People in Baltimore are confused by this, they thought they won the Super Bowl last week. 

Oh by the way Bill Leavy didn't really have much impact on today's game. Not sure what Seahawks' fans will blame this one on besides the fact that their team and quarterback SUCK. 

Why the Steelers will dominate the Seahawks tomorrow

The 35-7 loss last sunday to the Ravens was the worst feeling I have had while watching a Steelers game since the 2004 AFC Championship game against the Patriots.  Terrible offensively.  Terrible defensively.  It's that simple.  This whole week you have heard nothing but criticism about Ben Roethlisberger's performance.  Now although he has seen better days than that one, the game shouldn't necessarily be on him.  I am confident that he will bounce back tomorrow against the questionable Seahawks secondary.  This game could potentially be a way for the Steelers to release their frustration from last week.

I think it's safe to say that Earl Thomas is certainly an up and coming player.  He had five interceptions last season as a rookie who started in all 16 games at free safety for the Seahawks.  That being said, the remainder of Seattle's secondary doesn't bring much to the table.  Cornerback Marcus Trufant has always been overrated in my opinion.  I personally have always remembered him as the guy who Hines Ward tore up in Super Bowl 40; but that's just me.  On the other side, there's Brandon Browner.  (Yes, I don't know who he is either)  According to NFL.com, he was on the Denver Broncos roster for the 2005 season, but did not appear in a single game.  After a six-year drought, the 6'4, 221 pound Browner is back and now starting for the Seahawks.  This week he will face Mike Wallace.  Best of luck to him.

Offensively, the Seahawks will start Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback.  Critics have certainly questioned his ability throughout the years, but he actually played a pretty impressive game last week in the 33-17 loss to the 49ers.  Still, I don't see him being much of a factor in tomorrow's game.

For the Steelers defense, the pass rush needs to improve.  The 2010 sack leaders had just one last week (Woodley).  Whether or not it was the blitzing scheme, or just poor effort, Flacco had way too much time in the pocket.  Adjustments will certainly need to be made.

Prediction-

Steelers 34
Seahawks 10


written by Alex Muchnok

Random Thoughts : Pittsburgh Sports By Ron Porter

We had our Fantasy Draft out Buffalo Wild Wings last week. I was drafting 12^th and I was worried that I would not get into good position to win the league. I was wrong. My first two selections were Mendenhall and Calvin Johnson. I also was able to get Stevie Johnson, Kenny Britt, Maurice Jones Drew, Vernon Davis, and Matthew Stafford. I was cruising along until I outsmarted myself. I grabbed Peyton Manning. I was positive he would be ready for at least the first month of the season. Wrong. Thanks for the misinformation Indianapolis propaganda machine. Nevertheless I still skull fucked my opponent by 60 points...

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Seattle Seahawks Preview

Last week the Baltimore Ravens apparently defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the most important game of all-time. Not really,for the Ravens it was. The Ravens needed that victory and wanted it more. They prepared better, coached better, and played better. The way they executed their plays and beat up the Steelers was actually impressive.

Now the Steelers and Ravens have to move on. I'm sure Baltimore did some celebrating but it's week two now. The Steelers season isn't a disaster....yet.

Jerome Bettis Undermines Ben Roethlisberger's Contribution

It's been a while since Jerome Bettis has pissed me off. This week he finally said something ignorant enough to let me go on a rant.

This is an exact quote from Jerome Bettis from an interview Bettis did with Josiah Schlatter from offthebench.nbcsports.com:

Tyler Myers Deal Makes Kris Letang's Deal Look That Much Better

http://hockeysfinest.files.wordpress.com

The Buffalo Sabres and defenseman Tyler Myers have agreed to a seven-year contract extension worth $38.5 million, a source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun Thursday.

Myers will receive a $10 million signing bonus July 1, 2012, the first day of the extension, the source said. He will receive $2 million in salary next season and $6 million in 2013-14.

Myers

In 2014-15 and 2015-16, he will receive $5 million each season, followed by salaries of $4 million, $3.5 million and $3 million, the source said.

The Sabres have called a 2 p.m. ET Thursday news conference.

Myers, the NHL's Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year in 2009-10, would have been a restricted free agent July 1.- ESPN.Com 

Hines Ward Thinks the Pittsburgh Steelers Should Run the Ball More

http://i.huffpost.com

Hines Ward is always opinionated about everything. This week is no different. Ward, courtesy of observer-reporter.com, decided that he thinks the Pittsburgh Steelers should run the ball more. 

Here's some of what he said: "We have talent on this team," said Steelers receiver Hines Ward. "Every year, we get excited about something. Let's just do what we've been doing, what got us to the Super Bowl last year, and we'll be fine. It's great that we have these (receivers) and, of course, we want to put them on the field at the same time, but we need to find our identity. We need to do what we do best."-observer-reporter.com

At least You're Not A Browns Fan

Controversy at Quarterback at Pitt

Two games in to the season with a veteran quarterback and his job is already seemingly on the line.  University of Pittsburgh’s current starting quarterback, Tino Sunseri, started every game last season and the two already played this year.  There is also a one hundred percent chance that he starts this week’s game against Iowa.

Troy Polamalu Fined 15K Dictator Roger Goodell Strikes Again

mashedreport.com

Pittsburgh Steeler's safety Troy Polamalu has been given a $15 dollar fine by the NFL for a horse collar tackle on Baltimore Raven's running back Ricky Williams in Sunday's game. The play happened late into the 3rd quarter.

In the same game, Raven's linebacker Brandon Ayanbadejo was also flagged for a horse collar tackle, there is no news indicating that he will receive a fine or not. Steelers' fans shouldn't hold their breath on that one. -Steelersdepot.com

Pittsburgh Steelers Continue To Make Questionable Decisions

Yesterday the Steelers got the news that starting right tackle Willie Colon will be placed on the injured reserve for the second straight season. Colon was recently signed to a five-year deal worth $29 million. 

Earlier in the offseason the Steelers released tackles Max Starks and Flozell Adams. Both players were cut to make room on the Steelers bloated salary cup. I understand that but neither Adams or Starks has a job right now. Both of them are better players than current starting left tackle Jonathan Scott and/or rookie Marcus Gilbert, who will now be starting at right tackle in place of Colon. 

I thought that Adams and/or Starks would be signed but apparently they both want too much money. Without Colon, the Steelers starting offensive line will look like this:

LT-Jonathan Scott

LG-Chris Kemoeatu 

C- Maurkice Pouncey

RG- Doug Legurksy

RT- Marcus Gilbert 

That offensive line is just not acceptable. You have a $100 million dollar quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, and you're protecting him with a $5 offensive line. UNACCEPTABLE! 

Not one of the Steelers current offensive lineman would start for another NFL team, with the exception of Pouncey, who's a stud. 

Jonathan Scott sucks. Doug Legurksy sucks. Gilbert is a second round draft pick rookie. Chris Kemoetu is good when he pulls to the right, but besides that he sucks and is overpaid. 

Hindsight is 20/20 but why did they give Colon the contract that they did? He missed the entire season last year with a major injury, and it's not like he was an All-Pro player before that. Colon wasn't worth that kind of money. 

Kemoeatu isn't worth the money and contract that he has right now either. Kemoeatu is highly inconsistent and is not a Pro Bowler. Contract was awful and the Steelers' are regretting it now. 

Legurksy is not a starting guard. He's a decent backup at best and his best position is at center. The Steelers already have one of those. They should have kept and started Tony Hills, who started right guard for most of the preseason. Hills has much more athleticism and upside than Legursky. 

Now the Steelers are in trouble. They got manhandled up front against the Baltimore Ravens. Now they just lost their second best lineman. Even if Gilbert pans out, which I do believe he's better than Scott already, the line is still going to be mediocre at best. 

How do the Steelers plan on being an effective offense with such a bad offensive line? Roethlisberger never has time to throw, Rashard Mendenhall never has a hole to run through. 

Roethlisberger is the best player on the team, at least on the offense. The offense should be built around him. Look at the New England Patriots with Tom Brady. Three of their seven highest paid players are offensive lineman. Their first round draft pick this year, an offensive lineman. 

The Steelers only have one offensive lineman in their top 13 highest paid players. They've drafted one offensive lineman in the first round since 2004. The talent is just not there and neither is the commitment to improving the line. 

Every year they just try and put a band-aid on it, it's a offensive line patch-up job. That's a good way of getting your franchise quarterback killed. 

I understand the Steelers have been built on defense but their quarterback is a pretty good player. The defense is starting to look old really quick. Yet the Steelers have so much money invested in defensive players over the age of 30. 

James Farrior is 36, Larry Foote is 31. They split time at inside linebacker. This year they're making almost $10 million combined. There's no need for both of them to be on this team. If the Steelers would have released one of them like they should have, they would have the money to sign either Adams or Starks. 

Casey Hampton, a nose tackle who plays sparingly, is currently the fourth highest paid player on the team and is 33 years old. Hampton has been a good player and a great person in the community, but his prime is past and Chris Hoke has proven he can do just as good as Hampton for far less money. 

The Steelers also decided to re-sign Ryan Clark, Bryant McFadden, and William Gay. The secondary has a good mix of mediocre players and old players. 

The Steelers should be embarrassed about their current situations with the salary cap and the offensive line. Roethlisberger has won this team two Super Bowls and a lot of games and is just coming into his prime. They have to spend money to equip proper talent around him. That's what all the other teams do with their franchise quarterbacks. 

The Steelers are also paying Aaron Smith over $6 million this year. Why? Smith has been the most injury-prone player on the team and is 35 years old. The Steelers also just drafted defensive ends in the first round in the last three drafts. Let the young guys play. Save money for other positions. 

The Steelers had an offseason from hell this year, from losing the Super Bowl, to Rashard Mendenhall's tweets, to James Harrison's magazine fiasco, to Hines Ward's D.U.I. They started the year by getting blown out by their biggest rivals.

2011 is not going very well. If the Steelers have a disappointing season they'll have no one to blame but themselves. 

Follow me on Twitter