Bad News for Pitt

I can't blame him,, I'd do the same thing. Word is Pitt has a couple good young RBs who could step in next year, but with a shaky QB situation, they'll have to be very very good to make this a decent offense.

Pitt just went from Big East favorite and possible top 10 team to mid Big East and not in the top 25.

McCoy to declare for NFL - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

University of Pittsburgh star tailback LeSean McCoy is expected to announce Friday he will turn professional.

Two family sources confirmed that McCoy is scheduled to meet with Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt tomorrow and, barring a last-minute change of heart, plans to declare hardship to enter the April 25-26 draft. The application deadline for underclassmen is Jan. 15.

The news may stun the Pitt campus.

As recently as Monday, Wannstedt said he expected McCoy to return for his junior season.

The 6-foot, 205-pound McCoy, a two-time first-team All-Big East selection, is eligible because he is three years removed from the graduation of his high school class. McCoy left Harrisburg's Bishop McDevitt High midway through his senior year and spent three semesters at Milford Academy, a prep school in New Berlin, N.Y., before enrolling at Pitt.

McCoy evaded questions about entering the NFL Draft all season. He declined comment for this story.

In November before Pitt played West Virginia in the 101st Backyard Brawl, McCoy said he was "definitely" returning.

"There's a lot of stuff I've got to prove," McCoy said. "I don't think I did enough here at this university. There's a lot left to achieve here."

Wannstedt told reporters in a teleconference Monday that, after discussions with McCoy and his parents both before and after the Brut Sun Bowl, the tailback was "excited to come back for another year."

Daphne McCoy, the running back's mother, said Monday the family was awaiting a report from the NFL Draft advisory board, which graded McCoy a first-round pick. Fear of injury appears to be a key factor in the decision. A fractured leg ended McCoy's high school senior season early.

McCoy rushed for 1,488 yards and 21 touchdowns on 308 carries this past season, ranking 10th in the NCAA in rushing and tied for second in scoring. He became Pitt's first back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher since Curtis Martin in 1988-89.

McCoy's 2,816 rushing yards topped the 2,690 yards gained by Pitt legend Tony Dorsett in 1973-74. Twenty-one underclassmen have already declared for the NFL Draft, including three running backs: Iowa junior Shonn Green, Connecticut junior Donald Brown and Georgia redshirt sophomore Knowshon Moreno.

Big Ben vs Eli

So much is being written this week about these two quarterbacks. In reality, taking as objective a view as I can, there is no comparison between the two.

Eli backers only valid argument is that Ben played poorly in the Super Bowl while Eli led the Giants on the game winning drive late in the 4th quarter. But even that point, as it tries to prove that Ben can't play when the pressure is on, overlooks the dominant performances Ben had in the playoffs leading up to the game.

Ben a game manager only when a rook? I disagree quite a bit, but I'd take a rookie game manager who goes 13-0 over a rookie on the bench or failing miserably.

Again, in all objectivity, Eli was about to be run out of New York last season until he put together a nice 6-7 game run. And that is what tops his resume. Not a very long stretch of greatness by anyone's admission.

So, to get to the bottom of this, we will leave it to a site that is quickly becoming a favorite must-read, coldhardfootballfacts.com. Here is what they say:

Big Ben vs. Eli: Complete & Unabridged

Weigh all the evidence and one thing becomes clear: Big Ben quickly established himself as a winner in the NFL, he's put up historic passing numbers, while Eli's have been pedestrian. Big Ben's teams have consistently been better, and he even has a tasty sandwich named in his honor.

Steeler Fans Continue Domination of NFL

Today it's the unheard of before today Ross Tucker. Somehow he has a column on si.com (apparently he is a former player). But who am I to argue with Ross' latest topic: the passion of Steeler fans.

At this point, it is more surprising if anyone tries making an argument that any fandom other than Steeler fans (I do not like the term 'Steeler Nation'. Too similar to the original 'Raider Nation' and to the despised 'Red Sox Nation'. It's a Steeler Universe in any event, and we're all just living in it). The next writer who claims the Cryboys or Packers or Bears or whoever have fans that are more enthusiastic than the Stillers should, in all seriousness, be forced to watch games in Atlanta or Jacksonville or some other site where the fans are as apathetic as they come.

What is interesting about Ross's argument is that he focuses solely on the impact Steeler fans have when their team is on the road, not at home. Which is interesting in that I don't believe Heinz Field provides a great home field advantage, certainly not as great as Three Rivers did. Maybe the advantages the Steelers enjoy from their fans are greater on the road than at home? Sounds strange but based on how much it can deflate a home team to see black and gold towels overruning their stadium, it just may be true.

In any event, here's some of what Ross thinks of the Black n' Gold universe:

The news out of Jacksonville Monday morning that approximately 25 percent of the fans for Sunday night's Steelers-Jags contest were waving yellow Terrible Towels came as no surprise to me. The Steelers have the most dominant fan base in the National Football League and their ability to consistently travel, en masse, and infest other team's stadiums gives the Steelers a competitive advantage that no other franchise can claim.

And though there are thousands of die-hard fans in Green Bay, Washington, Dallas, Buffalo, Cleveland, New England, and every other NFL city, the simple truth is very evident to every player in the NFL: Steelers fans are the best in the business.

...the fact remains there is nothing quite as powerful in the NFL as Steeler Nation [c'mon Ross, get with the program!].

Secondly, I am well aware that the Packers, Raiders, Cowboys and Redskins, just to name a few, have great fans who pop up in away stadiums every time their team is on the road. Trust me, it does not compare to Steelers fans. I have played for some of those teams and it is not even close. The Steelers have the best fans in the NFL.

Heat Is On Wannstedt

Pitt lost to Bowling Green this afternoon, 27-17. So much for that West Virginia game. But maybe the loss is not as surprising as it seems.

After coming out of the gates impressively, gaining a 14-0 lead, Pitt regressed and looked a lot like the middling 2007 team. Turnovers, penalties and limp defense led to a Bowling Green romp.

A season that had so much promise before it began is suddenly in serious jeopardy. And once again, a Dave Wannstedt team fails to show up and beat a team it should.

Who to blame? Mainly the players, from Shady McCoy fumbling to receivers dropping balls all over the place and an offensive line that allowed a sack and fumble by Billy Stull, who for some reason threw 51 passes!!

But this is the first game and for players to not be ready to play is an indictment of the head coach. Wannstedt can recruit with the best of them (or so we read every offseason), yet it has yet to translate to the field. Maybe these players aren't as good as we hear? Or maybe something happens to the coach on Satrudays.

The season isn't over, the Big East has yet ot begin, but this is no more than a 7 win team. At best. And that's a shame.

Steelers Thursday Notes

Some interesting info and thoughts floating around today:

• PFW.com wonders if the Steelers secondary can bounce back from their embarrassing performance on Sunday. Their stunning conclusion: they are still very good against everyone else but the Patriots. The Steeler defense remains #1 overall by a wide margin but is now #2 in both rushing and passing yards allowed.
  
• PFW.com also ranks Ben as the best mobile QB in the league now that a certain Atlanta QB in is jail.
• Interesting site that gives the Steelers a 98% chance of making the playoffs. A couple of other items of note from the site, after you get through all the stats, are:
• their seed is currently calculated as 3.5, meaning they are as likely to be the 4 seed as the 3 seed. Still difficult to believe the Chargers would be able to come back vs the Titans but it would be nicer if somehow the Lions knocked them off.
• For this week's games, the ones with the biggest impact to the Steelers playoff chances and seeding are: Browns/Bills: a Bills win would help the Steelers the most in terms of playoff seeding (excluding the Steeler game itself), even more than a Detroit win over SD would help.
  
• Finishing anywhere from 3-0 to 1-1-1 puts them in the playoffs.
  
• If the Steelers go 1-2 in their last 3 games, they still have a 99.5% chance of getting in the playoffs and still a 47% chance of being the 3 seed. But that might include the Chargers losing a game and they play Detroit and Denver at home and Oakland on the road - not likely to happen. Or the Browns would have to lose a game and their schedule is also pretty easy.
  
• If the Steelers go 0-3, they still have an 86.8% chance of getting in, but then they have a 44% chance to be the 4 seed and a 38% chance as the 6.
• After running 20 million computer simulations, the most likely scenario is for the Steelers to go 1-2, just edging out going 2-1. Finishing 3-0 is as likely as 0-3 (a little less actually).

Steelers Run into Pats Buzzsaw

34-13? Not so bad, could have been worse. Clearly, the Steelers have a long way to go if they have any hope in a rematch, which is what all of them professed they wanted after the game. Coach Tomlin said as much after the game. The problem is they have a very big game coming up on Sunday and based on their performances over the past month, the Steelers will have a tough time winning even though it is at Heinz.
A few notes & thoughts from yesterday:

• Despite Cowher and others proclaiming at halftime that the Steelers should feel good about their first half, the game was already over. Settling for field goals instead of scoring TDs against the best team only dooms you to losing. Losing teams kick FGs, winning teams score TDs. If the score was 21-17 Steelers at the half, maybe it doesn't change much of what happened in the second half, but the mentality would have been different. The Steelers could not have expected to continue to have the chances in the 2nd half that they had in the first. And the fact that they didn't take full advantage of them in the first half put them in a hole at the half even though they should have been in the lead.
  
• 36 straight pass plays? Shades on 2002 when the Pats and Raiders both dismantled the Steelers at Heinz by ignoring the run and just whipping up on the secondary. I don't think there is another team that can or will do what the Pats did, thank goodness. Well, maybe the Colts?
• Despite clearly making defensive adjustments in previous games to shut down offenses after they had early success, were any made yesterday? I won't and can't say for sure, but it sure looked to me like none were made, even after the 5 straight passes to Welker and no pressure was applied to Brady at all in the second half.
  
• Anthony Smith was burned twice and the second flea flicker from Moss to Brady to Gafney looked like it could have been designed this week in the dirt just to go after Smith.
• Belichick on Smith: "We've faced better safeties than that." Very true. Bottom line is that Smith isn't good enough right now. He needs to get better; let's hope yesterday was a learning experience.
• Ike Taylor was also guilty on the first long TD that went to Moss. Why on a play action does he even react? Why take a step toward the line of scrimmage? Taylor's task should have been to just stay with Moss. Go wherever he goes. Ignore the run. When was the last time he made a tackle on a run anyway? Smith has to come up against the run even though he bit too hard on that play fake as well. But Ike has to stay with Moss and can't let him run by him.
• Game may have been over, or just about, but facing third and then fourth and goal from the 1 and the Steelers call a fade and a gadget reverse? Do offensive coordinators out think themselves? It's not just Arians who is guilty of this, it seems all offensive coordinators are scared of running the ball too often and/or sticking with something that is working. So on third down, knowing the Najeh had already converted two short yardage situations very easily and that they were running well against the Pats, did Arians think: "well we can't do that again, they'll surely stop us this time, let's try the fade, they won't suspect that play at all." It's one yard, there is no need for trickeration. Hand it to either Parker or Najeh two times and, listen up Anthony Smith, I guarantee they get into the end zone.
• The fade pass at the goal line is the absolute worst play call I can imagine in that situation. It works maybe 10% of the time and even then only if you have a superior receiver. Antonio Gates made it work for the Chargers yesterday to tie the game, but he's an All-Pro and that was the second fade the Chargers ran at the goal line. The Jets tried it as well and failed. It fails the majority of the time. Even if you acknowledge that this play works 50% of the time (and I don't think it works anywhere near that often), are you telling me that you want to run a play from the 1 that has as much a chance to not work as work? It's one yard, your success rate better be around 80%, not south of 50. Ditch the fade please!
• I don't have as much of a problem with the 4th down reverse to Hines because I generally don't have a problem with getting the ball in Hines' hands as often as possible, especially with only a yard to gain. But again, the play there is to run the ball.
• Those two plays tell you as much about the Steelers "identity" as you need to know. The next time you hear a TV head say the Steelers identity is to run the ball and then play tough defense, pleas turn them off, they are demeaning your intelligence and clearly not watching the Steelers play. They are relying on stereotypes that are not true and stem from the image of Pittsburgh in general, which has as much to do with the Steelers style of play as Anthony Smith's guarantee had to do with the outcome of the game: nothing.
  
• Two overlooked plays that just may have changed the outcome: after taking a 3-0 lead, allowing the Pats to return the kickoff to their 48 was inexcusable. And at the beginning of the second half, on their first drive, after Willie Parker runs for 18 yards, Arians calls for a fake screen, fake draw, long pass from midfield. Woolfork blows up the play by torching Mahan and Faneca. Why not continue to run? Or if you have to throw, why call a play that requires two fakes and Big Ben to have his back to the line of scrimmage for so long that by the time he turns around, big fat Woolfork is right on top of him? Who cares if Hines doesn't have anyone within 20 yards of him, the offensive line can't hold their blocks long enough for Ben to execute two fakes. And on top of that, if Ben can see Woolfork, he avoids him easily. Leaving him without a sense as to what is happening at the line and without a sense as to where pressure is coming from takes away his best attribute: his ability to get away from pressure and make a play. This play call is a prime example of an offensive coordinator getting enamored of his own imagination and not applying the offensive talents he has to the best of their abilities. The outcome of this play not only set the tone for the drive by causing the Steelers to punt, but it set the tone for the entire second half. Again, you can't allow opportunities to slip by, and being at midfield and being able to run the ball should have resulted in points.
  
• The Steelers have achieved a nice balance on offense, but when it comes down to needing yards, to a play that absolutely has to be made, a play that everyone on offense better have confidence in and that should succeed 85% of the time, they don't run the ball. They throw. Even on fourth and 1 yesterday, they threw the ball. And that is their identity. And unfortunately it is becoming more and more similar to every other NFL team. In number of plays, they are balanced, but in terms of importance of plays, they almost invariably throw the ball.
• That may not be such a bad thing since Big Ben is their best offensive player. But then again, their offensive line is not a good pass blocking unit and their receivers, especially without Santonio, are weak.
• Just so everyone understands where I'm coming from: my idea of a perfect offensive football game is to do the exact opposite of what the Pats did yesterday: run the ball on every play. The ability to effectively run the ball demoralizes and wears down a defense that throwing cannot.
  
• But I know you have to be able to pass and that the 2007 edition Steelers are a better passing team than running team.
• Phil Simms talking about Big Ben's "excellent" game and that the Steelers offense was "doing their job" almost made me sick right on the TV. Ben wasn't bad but he made one play all night and that was a simple side step of a lineman before hitting Najeh in the end zone. Coming into the game, the Steelers needed Ben to make plays and he didn't. Someone on offense needed to make plays on offense and nobody did. Right now, Ben is their only play maker on offense. Santonio is getting there, Parker is not a play maker, he is too dependent on his o-line. The problem with Ben being the only playmaker is that he needs another playmaker to be on the other end of his passes. Maybe Sanotonio will be that soon. The Steelers are a good offense right now, they are not a great offense because they don't have the players who make the plays that decide games, or who make sure you get 7 instead of 3.
  
• The Steeler defense has players who do make plays in Troy, James Harrison and Casey Hampton. They don't measure up to Woodson, Lake and Lloyd but they do things like cause turnovers, bust up running plays in the backfield and produce defensive scores. They don't just make tackles after 2 yard gains or bat down passes. There has not been a long period of time in recent Steeler memory when they did not have playmakers on defense.
• Next Steeler defensive playmaker: Lawrence Timmons.
• I think the Allan Rossum experience should be shut down. The big show got off to a rousing start including a kickoff return for a TD early on in game 3 vs the Niners. But since then, he has been average at the very best and not anywhere near the advertised "All-Pro" returner that he is tagged with. Um, that was 2 years ago and he regressed since then. The "at least he holds onto the ball" argument is really a lame one and it only resonates because of who he is replacing: remember Ricardo? If Cowher had not lost his mind last year and had run a competent football player out to return kicks last year, Rossum's season would not look so rosy.
  
• Who else thought the Pats would keep throwing the ball when the got it with just under 3:00 to go in the game and the towel already thrown in? I'm surprised Brady remembered what to do with someone else in the backfield.
• For all the pain yesterday will inflict, mostly because the ecstasy of victory would have been so great, next week's game vs the Jags is bigger. Lose to the Jags and winning the division is in doubt, holding on to the 3 seed is in serious jeopardy and even making the playoffs becomes less than certain. That is, unless you think a 2-4 road team will somehow rebound off of two straight losses and go on the road and win: a prime time game in St Louis (no matter how bad they are, prime time games jack up the home team) and the season finale in Baltimore, who will have had enough time to regroup from their Pats effort to get up again for their hated rivals, especially if there is a chance to knock them out of the playoffs.
  

Pitt/WVU: It Actually Happened

Pitt Blather covered it well with several posts:

• Screenshots right as the game ended.
• The scene inside the Stadium in Morgantown
  
• Summarizing the national take on the officiating

What can I add?

• This game is the biggest upset for Pitt football in my lifetime and will surely stick in my mind for the complete opposite reason that the 48-14 game in 1982 does, a game I attended and left early because it was so miserable a game (a surprisingly cold too). It's nice to have a game to balance out that game from 25 years ago.
• How can a defense play so well after it played so poorly vs Navy and Virginia? Or, if Pitt's defense is closer to what we saw on Saturday, and I think they are, how could they have played so poorly vs those two?
• Pitt played two of the top 4 rushing teams in the country (Navy is #1, WVU is now #4 but was #2 coming into the Pitt game). Against one, they allowed 331 yards rushing. Against the better team that was playing for everything, the allowed 104 (net) rushing yards. Who can explain that?
• How long is Shady McCoy destined to remain a Panther? Sorry to rain on the joy but we might have only one more year to enjoy this guy.
• Interesting that there is thought going around that Pitt needs to recruit a JC QB to fill in next year, I suppose to give Bostick a full year to improve his footwork, arm strength, delivery and defensive recognition - ok, to improve just about everything. Question: how was he the PA Player of the Year? If he's such a blue chipper, he gained enough experience this year, that when bolstered by an offseason of work and without personal issues, he should be the starter in the fall.
• Oderick Turner: how cursed was he? Two phantom holding calls vs WVU that followed the phantom offensive pass interference call against him in the end zone at the end of the Rutgers game. They lost to Rutgers because of the call, at least they held on vs the 'Eers.
• I couldn't exhale until Brytus walked out of the end zone on the final play. Too many last second failures this year made me think that somehow they would punt and give up a TD.
• Great day for Wannstedt - an extension and that signature win he was looking for. The pressure to win will be high in '08, and he's adding fuel to the fire already:
  

  "We're going to win and we're going to a bowl game. ... A couple more recruiting classes and this thing will really roll. We can get this program back to where it was in the early '80s. I truly believe that."

• For at least a year, Pitt can claim supremacy over both WVU 13-9 and PSU 12-0. How Sweet it is!
  

3-0!

What to make of that disaster? Let's see:

• According to Blog N' Gold, Vince Neil was set to sing the national anthem but didn't sound so good warming up in the afternoon. Maybe that' was the real reason they didn't sing the anthem last night - not this silly excuse that TV wanted to hurry up and start the game, what does TV ever control?
• Whoever thought to put a new layer of sod OVER the old one and then do so without looking at the weather forecast should be fired. The old field would not have been worse than what they put down. Plan to put new sod down guys, but have a contingency plan in place in case the forecast on Saturday afternoon (which is only 2 days before Monday night meaning even the weather guys could be right) calls for cats and dogs living together kind of rain coming on Monday. If so, leave the field be.
• Last night's field conditions, broadcast to the entire country will go a long way to forcing the Steelers to rip up the real stuff and install fake grass for next year. Which is too bad. Players, the Rooneys, and most fans prefer real grass and playing in conditions that real grass presents is an element of football that shouldn't be taken out of the game. That said, the conditions last night were horrible, but I attribute that more to putting new sod down in the rain. Can't they get real grass that doesn't get torn up every year?
• Mike Celizic at MSNBC.com rails against the Steelers and the NFL for allowing the field to get that bad:
  

  It was a travesty of football and an insult to the NFL, the players, the fans, and anyone who turned on a television in the hopes of enjoying Monday Night Football. It was a disgrace.

  Calm down Mike.
• How is it that every year the WPIALs, Pitt and the Steelers play at Heniz on the same weekend? Can't someone ensure that either or both Pitt and the Steelers are on the road the weekend after Thanksgiving when the WPIALs are played?
• Ed Bouchette at the PG uncovers a couple of interesting notes about turf and the league:
• The new turf for last night was not from Kentucky or some other area known for its grass. It was from New Jersey!! Now it all makes sense, what does NJ do right?
• Teams wanting to change their playing surface in the middle of the season must get approval from the league office. The New England Patriots did not do that last season, when they installed Field Turf late in the season, but the league office did nothing to stop them. What? Why not? Another conspiracy here...
  

• Steeler defense with Troy in the lineup gives up 16.1 points/game. Without Troy: 0.
• Big Ben completed a team record 15 straight passes at one point - how does that happen in those conditions? Just goes to show that bad conditions do NOT mean you have to run the ball, as the TV talking heads always proclaim. You can throw the ball in the rain and mud and is often more effective than running, for many reasons.
  
• Ben's tackle on Joey Porter after his interception may have been the best tackle of the game and even the play of the game. If he doesn't slide and make that tackle, Porter has clear sailing all the way up the sideline for a TD. How big would that have seemed in the second half?
• At one point midway through the 4th quarter, Ben had attempted 13 passes (completing 11). 9 of those came in the first quarter, 10 by 14:07 of the second. He attempted 1 in the entire third quarter. Then on the last drive, he threw the ball 5 out of 9 plays - and they scored! I know they tried a few more passes and either Ben was sacked or there was a penalty but that "balance" is absurd. They threw the ball 5 of 8 on the first drive then basically put Ben's arm in hibernation until the last two drives. They need to have better balance than that.
• When they did attempt a pass, it was (until the final drive) invariably a short one, 5-10 yards at most. Why? This is a team that throws the ball downfield more than all but a couple of other teams. Weather? The Dolphins, with inferior talent, were throwing the ball vertically. No Santonio? Maybe, but someone should be able to get open against the Dolphs secondary. No time? Ahhhh, very likely.
  
• Speaking of no time to throw - for a few weeks now, teams have gotten pressure on Ben but the routes and play calling haven't changed much (until last night, though even the short routes last night took time to develop). What happened to draw plays? Might slow down a rush....
• Heath Miller was brutal last night. Two costly penalties and not a good blocking performance at all. I thought he would make a good mudder. Guess not.
• A true mudder: Hines Ward. What a game he played. No drops - these days he is usually good for one or two a game. But not last night, he had the right attitude:
  

  "We play in Pittsburgh. The weather and the field are not going to be perfect all the time."

• Longsnapper Greg Warren may be the MVP of the game:
  

  "On the winning kick, at least my feet were level," Warren said. "On the miss [late third quarter from 44 yards] one foot was about 5 inches below the other and the ball hit grass on the way out." Warren said that because the Steelers called a timeout with 19 seconds left before Reed's winning kick, he had time to tamp down the turf with his feet to get a level stance to snap the ball. The Steelers didn't call a timeout before Reed's first attempt.

• Best quote of the night comes from Larry Foote about Joey Porter's interception:

  "His mouth was moving so fast you couldn't understand him. But you know he was talking trash. He was screaming."

• The Steelers have gone 99 minutes and four seconds without scoring a touchdown.
• Despite all the ugliness, Ron Cook (for once) gets it right: It's a win and no one will remember come January.

PFW: Offensive line not getting it done for Steelers

What Big Ben could hide by scrambling and Willie Parker could overcome by sprinting around end against poor defenses can no longer be hidden, the 2007 Steeler o-line is not good:

In short, the Jets won the battle in the trenches and embarrassed a Pittsburgh offensive line that's coming under more and more criticism.

Steeler fans on Jets' turf

Too much ugliness stemming from yesterday to get into it yet. What 24 hours ago looked like a special year, helped by a weak remaining schedule, has turned into a bizarre one leaving no room for error. My thoughts will come eventually I guess, but first some of the only good news to come out of the game yesterday: Steeler fans make another stadium their own, from Ian O'Connor:

In losing seasons past, Jets' fans have quit making the brutal commute from Long Island and Queens. Only it's hard to recall a takeover of a home Jets' game any more hostile and humiliating than this one.

More Reason to Hate the Pats

Mondesi's House posts an email received from Steeler fan Zane in NYC who had to watch last week's game with a Pats fan. Judging from some of the post-game questions, I don't think this Pats fan is exemplary of all Pats fans, but obviously fans like this do exist:

I was in NYC for business over the past weekend and linked up with the New England rep and his fiancee to watch some football on Sunday. They're Patriot fans. Found out about a Steeler Bar in NYC, Scruffy Duffy's, donned my #36 jersey and headed over. An hour before kickoff, the place is filled with #7, #12, #32, #47, #58, #75, #86...........with more and more by the minute. As game time approaches, the Steeler polka and Here We Go is played. People are singing and my buddy asks me, "Do you know the words to this song?" Of course I do. Game starts and there's passion in the air. Folks are disappointed by the start, but no one has given up. The place is erupting with every key 3rd down pick up and exploding with Ben's touchdown run. After momentarily being silenced by Cribbs' return TD, the place builds up and explodes again with the final TD drive. Final Browns drive. The bar has a wheel that it spins with numbers associated with different plays that will result in a free drink: Interception return for TD, Fumble return for TD. The free drink for the second half was a 50 yard field goal. So as Dawson lines up, a make equals a free drink, and miss equals a victory. Victory is preferred to even a $6 beer and place goes crazy. Here We Go is being blasted again. High five and hugs for people who would be strangers if not for their Steelers garb.

The scene and passion of the past four hours has confused my Patriot friends. As we walk back to our hotel to begin going our seperate ways, the comments I heard were:

- "Why don't we (Patriot fans) have a song?

- "I'm not sure I wouldn't have been rooting for the free beer."

- "Even the girls wear Steeler jerseys. And not those pink ones."

- "You guys (Steeler fans) are crazy."

- "Do you think they have Patriots' bars in other cities?"

I have also come to find out that my buddy bought a Pats #12 jersey on Monday. It's amazing what happens when fans of other teams get a glimpse at the Steeler Nation.

Debunking Steeler Myths, Part 1

• The Steelers offense is heavily run oriented and they use the run to set up the pass.
  
  While the Steelers are maintaining a balance of runs vs pass plays, 55% runs vs 45% passes, that is very similar to what they have posted in past years, the difference is when these plays are occurring.
  
  On difference is that in 2007, the Steelers are passing to score TDs instead of running, a significant change from previous years. This year, they are on pace for 39 TD passes and only 11 rushing TDs. In 2006, the ratio was 23 pass/16 rush. In the Super Bowl year of 2005, it was 21/21. In 2004, Ben's rookie year, it was 20 by pass / 16 by run. Even the pass happy Mularkey team of 2003 had a 19/10 TD ratio. In the Super Bowl year of 1995, the ratio was 21/17. It is not a coincidence that they are averaging more points per game, 28.1, then they have at any time since Cowher became coach by over 3 points/game and are 5th in the league in scoring. So while the Steelers remain focused on running the ball, the purpose behind running and passing has changed: in 2007, they are passing to score and running when they have a lead, to chew time and in the second half.
  
  A second difference is how they are getting into position to score those TDs. As JJ Cooper points out on AOL FanHouse, the Steelers have 65 first downs on the ground and 106 in the air. In comparison the Colts have 83 rushing first downs and 117 passing first downs. And as we noted on Monday, the Steelers are the best in the league at converting third downs at 53%. And they have had the 4th most 3rd down plays. As much as it pains me to see them throw the ball or turn to a reverse on 3rd & 2, the Steelers are effectively converting third downs via the pass and staying on the field,a s evidenced by the fact that they lead the league in time of possession. And that means they are keeping drives alive and moving down the field primarily via the pass, and not the run, as many still believe.
  
  
• Big Ben is a game manager only.
  
  After leading the comeback vs the Browns, Ben now has 12 4th quarter game winning drives in his career. And don't forget has game against Denver this year, which could have been very similar to his game vs the Browns. In both games, Ben committed costly turnovers in the first half and then staged second half rallies. Versus the Broncos and down 21-7 at the half, Ben threw 3 TDs in the second half, including 2 in the 4th quarter to tie the game with only 1:16 left. The only difference in that game is that the defense then allowed the Broncos to drive into FG range and the Steelers lost.
  
  Of course, the strongest support for Ben as much more than someone whose task is not to lose the game and let others win is the 2005 playoff run. True, his Super Bowl numbers were not good, but he did make several big plays in that game (including a TD run and a scramble and throw to Hines that set up another) the team would not have been in that game without Ben putting up these numbers in the playoffs:
  -@ Cincy: 14/18; 208 yards; 3 TDs
  -@ Indy: 14/24; 197 yards; 2 TDs; game saving tackle
  -@ Denver: 21/29; 275 yards; 2 pass TDs; 1 rush TD
  
  As Cris Collinsworth said last Sunday night, Ben is off to the greatest start to a career of any QB in history. The current benchmark for that is Dan Marino. But what Ben is being criticized for now (not having to throw 35 times a game to carry his team) is exactly what Dan Marino had to do to help his early Dolphin teams win. And Marino never did earn a Super Bowl win, largely because the rest of his team wasn't good enough and in all probability they weren't good enough because Marino proved he could throw so well that the Dolphins concentrated on getting him tools to work with instead of a good defense or a quality running back. If the Dolphs were good enough Marino wouldn't have thrown 40 times per game and put up the gaudy stats he did.
  
  The last I checked, the object of football is to win and, as has been proven time and again, the formula for winning, with rare exception, is not based solely on throwing the ball. The formula is having a balanced team: run vs pass; offense vs defense. So Ben does not throw the ball 35-40 times per game because that is not the formula to winning, not just the Steelers formula for winning (though they understand that formula as well as any team). Ben wins. He is 41-15 as a pro. Show me a game manager who puts up those numbers.
  
  
  

Steelers as #2 Seed Looking Better

Colts pass rushing terror Dwight Freeney is out for the season.

Steelers starting safety Ryan Clark is out for the season.

Both have been placed on IR.

Without Freeney, much more pressure will be on the Colts secondary. We'll see if they are up to the task. Bob Sanders is, but are the rest of them?

Mad Mike

A couple of interesting bullets in PFW's Audibles this week:

• “Bill Cowher was emotional. Mike Tomlin just gets plain mad. He’s got that intensity. He’s like a baby Chucky (Jon Gruden), but he’s not fake and it’s not all about himself.”

• “The Ravens have really taken on the personality of their head coach — they are all talk. They make excuses. It’s amusing listening to them talk about (Steelers OLB) James Harrison, saying he will never have a game like that again in his life. The guy just kicked the (crap) out of Jonathan Ogden, a future Hall of Famer, and he cannot play? … He looked like he should be wearing an ‘S’ on his chest with the way he was flying around.”

Good thing Pitt doesn't have QB issues

Ok, we all loved Tyler Palko's enthusiasm and sometimes his play bailed Pitt out of big jams. But he just didn't progress enough from his sophomore year when I was saying that he was a sure fire first round NFL pick. And now that he's gone, the Stull/Smith/Bostick era has gotten off to a rousing start.

But going back to 2005-2006: There was something else going on: nobody wanted to stick it out and be Tyler's backup.

First it was Luke Getsy who transferred from Pitt to Akron after losing the competition and proceeded to put up numbers that outdid Palko's.

Now, out the the Blue (Hens) comes the name of Joe Flacco, who just may be a first round pick in next year's NFL draft after putting some spectacular numbers at Delaware. He has has thrown for 3,040 yards, 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions this season to go with a 70.3 completion percentage.

I mean Joe Flacco? If Getsy and Flacco could do these things, why couldn't Palko, who beat out these two, do the same with a supposedly better team around him? Or was going with Palko really the right choice? Walt Harris and Davey Wannstedt will have to answer to that.

Palko was a Pittsburgh high school star and maybe love of our own was the clincher. But Getsy is also a Burgher and he bolted town as soon as he didn't win the job. Whatever the reason, it would have been nice to have Getsy and/or Flacco available over the last couple of years.

Ben Love

Look out, the love for Big Ben is flowing in! Who would have thought beating the Brownies would earn anyone such praise, but nary a bad word can be heard about Ben. Suddenly he's gone from being a 'game manager' who was surrounded by a good team and who happened to win a Super Bowl, into a legit MVP candidate who may be the 3rd best QB in the NFL.

For those who have been riding high on Ben since he went 13-0 in his rookie season, be prepared for a crowded bandwagon the rest of the way, they are all jumping on:

• Don Banks at si.com got on the wagon first Sunday night.
  
• Peter King at si.com jumped on in his MMQB column: "When I watched Roethlisberger last year, I thought, "Flawed quarterback.'' When I watched Roethlisberger on Sunday, I thought, "Franchise quarterback.''
• Pro Football Weekly has moved Ben ahead of a certain Super Bowl QB in their MVP meter (Willie Parker is 8th): "An MVP-like second half against the Browns. He willed them to victory, spurred by that 30-yard touchdown run."
• Clark Judge of cbs.sportsline.com gives his Judgement: "At some point, Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger joins the MVP conversation."

And Mondesi's House finds a few more who have climbed aboard:

• The Washington Post's Mark Maske: "I would have to go Brady first, Manning second and Roethlisberger third."
• Yahoo's James Black asks: "Was that Roethlisberger or John Elway taking off for a 30-yard scoring run in Pittsburgh?"
• Rich Cimini at msnbc.com climbs on: "In Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger, whom the Giants could’ve (and should’ve) picked in 2004, continued his MVP-caliber season"

Thanks for the fresh insight guys, welcome aboard.

Steelers By The Numbers

Always fun to look at the numbers after a win. Here are a few that should not be overlooked with the Steelers sitting at 7-2:

• The Steelers are 5th in the NFL in total offense with 358 yards/game. The Browns are 11th. As we saw yesterday after their first drive, the Browns offense can be stopped.
• The Steelers lead the league in time of possession at just about 35 minutes/game. That is almost 1:30 more than the Patriots who are second. The gap between the Steelers and Pats is the largest gap between any two teams in the league.
• The Steelers are the best in the league at converting third downs at 53%. And they have had the 4th most 3rd down plays, so it is imperative that they remain excellent at converting on third.
• The Steelers are 5th in the league in points/game at 28.3, ahead of Favre's Packers.
• The Steeler defense is giving up the fewest yards/game in the league at 229. The gap between them and the #2 Titans is larger than the gap between the Titans and the #10 Packers.
• The Steelers are giving up the fewest yards/play in the league at 4.2 (FYI - the Bungles are last, allowing 6 yards per play).
  
• The Steelers lead the league in points allowed per game with 14.
• The Steeler defense is only 12th in the league at getting off the field on 3rd down at 41%.

• Heath Miller is tied with Dallas Clark for most TD's by a TE with 6.
• Willie Parker is 2nd in the NFL but leads the AFC with 873 yards, or 97/game. Interesting is that his longest run is only 32 yards.
• Ben Roethlisberger in 3rd in the league at yards per pass attempt at 8.3.
• Roethlisberger is now 11-3 (counting postseason) in games decided by 6 or fewer points.

Steelers rally to beat Browns, 31-28

Steelers win a close one at home that their special teams tried to give away. Except for the first drive, the defense was excellent and Big Ben was the difference, making great plays with his arm and feet. So much for being a "game manager".

Steelers/Bengals Game Dec 2 likely to stay at 8pm

As we begin the second half of the NFL season we approach the flex scheduling that gives NBC the power to screw with fans and move gametimes as they see fit. As of now, the Steelers are scheduled to play one Sunday nighter on Dec 2 vs the Cincy Bungles and according to Pro Football Weekly, it looks like that game will remain at that time. But not because it has the makings for a great game, but because there isn't another attractive game available to move t prime time.

Already gametimes of two Steeler games have been moved, but those were from 1 to 4 and are both on the road.

Other Steeler games that could potentially be moved include:

• Dec 9 at Patriots. Likely will stay at 1 on CBS because the Steelers are on Sunday night the week before, CBS is likely to protect the game and the scheduled game isn't bad (though it got a lot worse Monday Night): Colts / Ravens.
• Dec 16 vs Jacksonville. Will likely stay on CBS because the scheduled NBC game is Redskins / Giants.
• Dec 3o at Baltimore. Only if there are playoff implications on the line will this get moved and even then, it';s likely there are other games that will be more attractive to national audiences who will remember the thrashing from last Monday.

Election Night: Burgh Mayor Race Influenced by Monday Night Football

What was once perceived as steps to a Ravenstahl coronation has been dramatically changed to a legitimate political race.

"While I don't think Ravenstahl will lose, anything less than a 3-1 victory is a loss to Democratic victory in the city," Shuster said.

The professor cites weather conditions, Democratic fatigue and the Monday night Steelers-Ravens game all as factors that could come into play affecting voter turnout today for a race that may or may not turn the tide of the city, but has made serious waves.

Only in the Burgh baby....