Steelers Salary Cap Scheme Goes Up in Smoke

"The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry."

Don’t look now Steelers Nation, the wounds from the touturing suffered at the hands of the Titans are still smarting, but the Pittsburgh Steelers may have already dimmed their prospects for 2014.

That’s right, the impact of the injures the Steelers suffered vs. the Titans may reach into 2014 and beyond. And this has nothing to do with Larry Foote, Maurkice Pouncey and LaRod Stephens Howling’s prospects for recovery.

Each of those moves robbed the team of depth on a Steelers 2013 roster that was thin to begin with. But those injuries, along with Shaun Suisham’s pulled hamstring, forced Kevin Colbert to scramble for replace them with Jonathan Dwyer, Shayne Graham, and Fernando Velasco.

The Steelers routinely leave themselves some salary cap space to do some in-season roster shuffling, but when you need to sign three veterans it isn’t quite so simple, as Ed Bouchette’s tweet shows:

#Steelers convetr little over $3 M from Heath Miller's 2013 salary into bonus, which counts half this year, half next. Salary now $1,974,500
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) September 11, 2013

Normally restructuring a contract here and there isn’t a problem. But contract restructuring has become standard operating procedure on the South Side.

• What the Steelers once mocked, they now embrace.

The problem with salary cap contract restructures is that they’re like using one credit card to payoff another – you only delay the inevitable. Kevin Colbert has said as much himself, and the Steelers, while restructuring deals this off season, had begun to step back from that process.

In addition, they made no moves to extend the contracts of any of their impending free agents. Ziggy Hood, Emmanuel Sanders are due for their second contract, and both probably could have been signed for less this past summer. Ryan Clark and Brett Keisel likewise are in their contract years.

• But the Steelers offered no contract extensions this summer at St. Vincients

Part of this is prudence – simply waiting to see where these players are in terms of health and production at the end of the year instead of guessing.

• But another part of it is salary cap driven. 

NFL rules allow a team to credit unused salary cap space from one season to another. The Steelers were rumored to go into 2013 with between two and three million in cap space. While they made no public statements to confirm this, part of the Steelers plans was to save this space with an eye towards 2014.

• This cap consciousness is one potential explanation for the front office coaching split over Jonathan Dwyer

Now of course they’ve had to go and restructure Heath Miller’s contract, losing some if not all of that potential cap credit for 2014.

Alas, the Steelers can’t seem to catch a break.

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Steelers 2013 Roster Analysis, Defense: Defensive Line

Steel Curtain Rising's breakdown of the Steelers 2013 roster continues with a look at the defensive line.

Starters:  Brett Keisel, Steve McLendon, Ziggy Hood
Back Ups:  Cameron Heyward, Al Woods and Loni Fangupo

Strengths: Once a monument to the aging of the Steelers defense, this unit has seen incredible renewal at each position.

Weaknesses:  The nose tackle is the fulcrum that the success of the 3-4 defense rises and falls upon, as Ed Bouchette has said. He's right. Steve McLendon out performed Casey Hampton on a snap-per-snap basis in 2012. Can he keep that level consistently? Likewise, while this unit has gotten younger, can the youngsters prove they gotten better?

The Skinny: Like other areas of the team, the defensive line remains a question which could go one way or another. Ziggy Hood had a strong preseason by all accounts. Does the fact that he is starting mean that he's finally sustaining some development of a player, or does it simply mean that Cameron Heyward is likewise a disappointment?

Click here and scroll around to read analysis of other position areas on the Steelers 2013 Roster.

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Watch Tower: Digging Out Discord in the Steelers Locker Room & for Whom the Bell Doesn't Toll

The Pittsburgh Steelers have concluded training camp and the preseason, the roster has been trimmed, the waiver wire scoured, and the Steelers 2013 roster has been set, meaning that the time of the year when the media enjoys its most unfettered access to the Steelers players, coaches and front office staff is winding down.

With all of that access, what do they do with it? Let the Watch Tower take a look.

Kovacevic Gets to the Bottom of of the Steelers 2012 Discord

As the Watch Tower was critical of Pittsburgh Tribune Review Writer Dejan Kovacevic last season and it is only just that the Watch Tower now recognize Kovacevic for penning on of the top stories of this preseason/training camp.

Locker room discord was a major under current to the Steelers 2012 8-8 season, and since then there’s been plenty of dirty laundry aired – you know, critiques of LaMarr Woodley’s commitment to training, comments from Antonio Brown about players more focused on stats than winning.

And while the issue has been discussed by the press, Kovacevic went right to the leaders of the defense, Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu and addressed the issue and got both men to speak candidly about the dissension that infected their ranks in 2012.

• If you haven’t read Kovacevic’s column yet, do so. 

The role of the credential press in the digital age has been a focus of the Watch Tower lately, and its lights have not shied away from exposing some of the Steelers press corps recent failings.

But Kovacevic’s column shows once again just how fundamentally important it is to have seasoned reporters who have the relationship and the credibility to get straight talk out of players.  This bud’s for you Dejan.

Another Piece of the Todd Haley Puzzle Falls into Place

By now, for all of the talk in 2012 to the contrary, everyone knows that Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley had a rocky relationship last season.

• But apparently the Steelers signal caller wasn’t the only one on the outs with the new offensive coordinator.

And Steelers Nation has Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to thank for adding another key variable to the equation.

In writing about the maturing of the Roethlsiberger-Haley relationship, Ed Bouchette offered this:

Relationships with fellow offensive coaches and players never warmed up, and neither did the offense. Things seem to have changed a year later. Ben Roethlisberger, who called it "growing pains," opened training camp by saying he and Haley see more eye-to-eye. [Emphasis added]

One of the question marks that surrounded Haley’s arrival in Pittsburgh was his ability to work and play well with others. So the fact that he might have rubbed coaches the wrong way is nothing extraordinary.

But this is the first time that the Watch Tower is aware of that any journalist has reported that Haley had difficulties with his fellow coaches, and Bouchette deserves credit for reporting this fact.

A Word on Contracts

Kevin Colbert told KDKA News during the Steelers preseason loss to the Carolina Panthers that there were no on-going negotiations for contract extensions.

That fact in and of itself might not mean much, because the Steelers, while not negotiating contracts during the season since 1993, have been known to make 11th hour signings days before the first game.

• The question of who is eligible for an extension has been banded about greatly during camp and preseason.

But Dale Lolley of the Observer Reporter went out on a limb and predicted that the two most likely players to get extensions were Brett Keisel and Ryan Clark. Kudos to Lolley for having the guts to take a swing at a ball that’s barely within the strike zone.

Steelers Radio Goes Live in LATAM

Ed Bouchette shared some important news for Steelers fans in the very corer of the world where Steel Curtain Rising is written:

If you're not in radio distance, you can hear #Steelers games at http://t.co/UfOfVCIJbb free. There is one hitch http://t.co/07YL36wC0V
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) August 10, 2013

As Bouchette explained on Shuila, the Steelers began broadcasting their games live on the radio in Spanish via their website.

The team has a huge following in Mexico and their games have been broadcast in Mexico for at least a year.

• But now radio broadcasts will be carried throughout Latin American cast via the Steelers website.

The broadcast team does a good job and is clearly knowledgeable of the game (which is a plesant treat, during the Steelers 2010 road victory over Baltimore, one of ESPN’s Spanish commentators confused Dante Stallworth with John Stallworth. Several times he claimed that Dante was a former Steelers, until Raul Allegre finally corrected him.)

One element which the production can improve on is filling in the commercial gaps. During the Steelers loss to the Giants, instead of airing commercials there was dead air time – leaving anyone who stopped by the site at that time to wonder if they were indeed broadcasting the game.

• Absent commercials, they could have provided additional commentary, or provided free publicity to American football clubs in Latin America, such as the FAA (Argentine American Football league).

Listening to a football game on the radio doesn’t compare to baseball on the radio, but this is a wise marketing move for the Steelers.

Are the Steelers Injury Problems Really Worse?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been ravaged by injuries during the last several seasons. But its been an open question as to whether the Steelers are better or wrose off than the rest of the league.

Basic statistics such as starter games lost to injury are not available to the public, leading Art Rooney II to cite one number and a columnist of the Dallas Morning News to calculate another.

PA-VA Steeler from Behind the Steel Curtain took the matter into his own hands (full disclosure, I also writer for BTSC). Using the best available research, the BTSC scribe compiled the Steelers injury totals for the entire Mike Tomlin era and compared them with the rest of the league.

• Steel Curtain Rising’s editorial policy is not to steal the thunder of another writer, so you’ll need to check the piece to see the conclusion.

But the Watch Tower doesn’t need to spill the beans to call out BTSC for sedding light on dearly deserves it.  And again, the Watch Tower asks, why has the credentialed press not pursued this story more aggressively?

Bragging Rights for a Paper Champion?

BTSC also earns kudos for its film analysis of Brian Arnfelt. No one on the press talked about him, but as their film review reveals, he is one kid who really took advantage of his time on the field.

While Brian Arnfelt did not survive the Steelers final cut, he did make the practice squad. Scott Brown, whom ESPN recently poached from the Tribune Review, made mention of Arnfelt after he’d made the practice squad.

But BTSC singled this kid out first, and if he develops into to another one of Kevin Colbert's undrafted rookie free agent steals, BTSC will have “bragging rights.”

Watch Tower Gets Some Competition?

Again, the Watch Tower finds space to single out BTSC, this time for doing a Watch Towerish piece of their own. While not strictly Steelers related, Christopher Carter, rightly called out the NFL for pressuring ESPN to pull out of a documentary on concussions.

• The NFL has gone on the offensive regarding concussions this off season, which they have a right to. 
• Steelers.com has in fact published many well researched articles on the subject.

But the NFL’s only fooling themselves if they think that pressuring broadcast partners to kill projects like this will some out make the concussion issue “go away.”

For Whom the Bell Doesn’t Toll

Finally, without a doubt, the hottest Steelers story in July and early August was the emergence of second round draft pick Le’von Bell. Both the professional press and fans making a pilgrimage to St. Vincents have been at a loss to describe how good Bell has looked.

Mike Tomlin has long been loathe to anoint starters, but there was little surprise when Gerry Dulac reported 3 days before the Steelers preseason opener vs. the Giants that Bell would run with the starters.

On the morning of the game, Ed Bouchette declared:

A new era that harkens back to an old one could begin at Heinz Field tonight when the Steelers play the New York Giants in their first exhibition game.

• Bouchette then went as far as to compare Le'Veon Bell's preseason debut to that of Franco Harris….

…By the time it was all said and done, it was the debut that never was, as Mike Tomlin made Bell a scratch due to knee soreness.

The Watch Tower does not want to single out Bouchette on this one, as the entire Pittsburgh press crops was caught flat footed on this one, in spite of the fact that these reporters are living, working, eating, and sleeping along side the Steelers franchise while at St. Vincents.

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Steelers Draft Samford DT Nicholas Willams in 7th

The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the 2013 NFL Draft the way they started their 2009 and 2011 drafts:  by picking a defensive lineman.

The Steelers used their 7th round and final pick to take Samford defensive tackle Nicholas Williams. Williams is tall, coming in at 6’4” and weighing in at 310 pounds. It is unclear exactly how he fits into the Steelers system, although the site NFL Draft Scout projects him as a defensive end in the pros.

7th round picks face an uphill battle to make it into the NFL, but Williams is fortunate in that the only depth the Steelers have behind Brett Keisel, Steve McLendon, Ziggy Hood, and Cameron Heyward is Al Woods and Alameda Ta'amu.

Like the site NFL Draft Scout, CBS’s pre draft site projected Williams as a 5th round pick. Clearly he fell, in spite of his 8 sacks recorded last year.

It has been the Steelers custom of late to draft defensive lineman late with hopes of developing them, but that has not worked out so well (and as Ziggy Hood’s stunted development shows, drafting them early has not worked out so well either.)

However, Brett Keisel joined the team as a 7th round pick in 2002 and blossomed into a strong starter. Have faith Nicholas Williams, it can be done.

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Steelers Draft Needs: Past Failures Make Defensive Line a Priority in Pittsburgh

After his first season as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin declared that the team needed to get “Younger and stronger” on the defensive line. The Steelers didn’t use a premium pick on the defensive line in now maligned 2008 NFL Draft, but they picked Ziggy Hood in the first round in 2009 and Cameron Heyward in the first round of 2011.

In 2012 they traded up to get one of the few ‘pure nose tackles’ remaining in the draft and they just extended nose tackle Steve McLendon for 3 more years.

• Those moves must mean the Steelers are set on defensive line and need to worry about that in the upcoming draft. Right?

Guess again.

In spite of (or perhaps perversely because of) their heavy investment of first round picks in defensive lineman in recent years defensive line remains a serious need area for the Steelers in the 2013 NFL Draft.

The unit is led by Brett Keisel who defied father time and played well last year, particularly in the later half of the season. But Keisel is an unrestricted free agent. More importantly he’s 34.

Should Keisel play at the level he played at in 2013 the Steelers could bring back. But if the Steelers do that and if Keisel oes return in 2014 in anything more than a Jerome Bettis ’04-’05 elder statesman type role then what will that say about the men drafted to replace him?

• Those of course would be Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward.   

Of the two Ziggy Hood is the greatest concern. He played well as a rookie in spot duty in 2009, was a little shaky entering the starting line up in mid 2010 but came on strong late in 2010 and during the playoffs. In short he had the look of a player who was establishing himself as a quality starter.

• Unfortunately that Ziggy Hood has been seldom seen in the two years since.

Hood has played four years in the NFL and coaches are suggesting that his natural position might be nose tackle, which doesn’t speak well about how they see him as a defensive end.

• But no worries, there’s always Cameron Heyward.

Yes, Heyward, the son of legendary Pitt running back Craig Heyward.

Heyward who, on a snap for snap basis, out performed Hood yet cannot seem to wrest the starting job from him. It is too early to for the Steelers give up on Heyward, but not too early for them to hedge their bets, especially with Ziggy Hood looking destined to be no more than an average starter.

• Those two realities in and of themselves mean the first round would not be too soon for the Steelers to think about drafting a lineman.

But the Steelers don’t need to just worry about replacing about finding Ziggy Hood and Brett Kiesel’s replacements in this draft, they also must find build depth.

Behind Hood, Hewyard, McLendon, and Keisel the Steelers have:

• Alameda Ta’Amu, last year’s 4th round pick who looked lost in camp and is currently on probation
• Al Woods whose has benches as a practice squad player and back up for parts of three seasons
• Hebron Fangupo, who? Yeah, we asked the same question

Suffice to say, defensive line remains a high priority for the Steelers in the 2013 NFL Draft

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Steelers Report Card vs. Browns @ Heinz Field

Taken from the grade book of is reminded of Wheaton High School’s old motto “Attenders are Achievers” and is aghast at the number of “sick days” the Steelers suffered during 2012 here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the victory over the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. Remember, no other grades were consulted prior to this posting.

Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger struggled early on with the entire offense. Is performance in the first half was dreadful – until he was able to transform a turnover into money. Roethlisberger was hardly spectacular all day, but he did spread around the ball, throw three touchdown passes and did not turn over the ball.  Grade:  B

Running Back
Jonathan Dwyer led the team with 52 yards rushing and was followed by Isaac Redman with Rashard Mendenhall and Chris Rainey brining up the rear. The Steelers running effort was nothing special and early on it struggled, but both Redman and Dwyer converted some key third downs late in the second half. Grade:  B-

Wide Receivers
Plaxico Burress scored his first touchdown for the Steelers after nearly 8 years. Antonio Brown also got into the end zone for 6, as did Leonard Pope. Emmanuel Sanders led the unit in yardage – at 22 yards and Jerricho Cotchery also came down with some nice ones. Given that Cleveland’s secondary was staffed 75% by back ups, the units performance was only “OK.” Grade:  B-

Offensive Line
It wouldn’t be a complete game without an offensive line injury, now would it? The Steelers out did themselves by sending both David DeCastro and Kelven Beachum to the sidelines, leaving them at 5 healthy lineman as Doug Legursky came in at while Ramon Foster moved out to tackle. Neither the run blocking nor the pass blocking was anything special that day, but at the unit did about as well as one could expect given the circumstances.  Grade:  C

Defensive Line
Cleveland had some success rushing the ball particularly after Brett Keisel went out injured. However, Steve McLendon and Cameron Heyward combined for a sack and Heyward was also credited with another pressure. Ziggy Hood had a fumble recovery and Casey Hampton had one solo tackle on what might have been his final game as a Steeler. Grade:  B

Linebackers
If this was James Harrison’s final game as a Steeler, he went out with a bang.  And he wasn’t even the best linebacker on the field. That distinction belonged to Lawrence Timmons who was once again all over the field, sealing victory with back-to-back sacks and a final forced fumble. However, Larry Foote got burned in the end zone on coverage leading to Cleveland’s only touchdown and LaMarr Woodley was once again invisible.  Grade:  B+

Secondary
The Steelers number one defense has been turnover starved all season long. So you strip the Steelers secondary down to two healthy corners, injure Ryan Clark, and what do you get?  Three turnovers produced by the secondary, including 2 by Cortez Allen alone. Troy Polamalu set the tone with his first interception, and although the offense could not convert on that one, it did turn the other two into money. While the turnovers, and the ability to transform those into points, carried the day, the injury depleted secondary also held Cleveland to 3-10 on first down conversions. All in all, a fine day for an injury plagued unit.  Grade:  A

Special Teams
All year long the Steelers special teams have remained suspect. And so it was on the last day of the season. The unit contained Joshua Cribbs, but Cleveland did have one return approaching 3 yards, although so did Chris Rainey. Antonio Brown added a 10 yard return while Shaun Suisham made his only field goal attempt, from 41 yards. So far a solid day. But they unit suffered another fake punt that resulted in a 35 yard run, one where Robert Golden was caught asleep at the switch. These kinds of lapses have haunted the unit all year and cannot be excused. Grade:  D

Coaching
The Steelers defense had a fine game and although spoiled fans might have wished to see Dick LeBeau’s unit torment a rookie QB making his first start a little more, the bottom line is the defense did its job. The sailing was rougher on the other side of the ball, but the Steelers offense likewise made the plays necessary to win, particularly after the first two turnovers in addition to answering Cleveland’s score in the second half. Its true that in the early going the Browns appeared to be playing like a team that wanted it more, but Mike Tomlin’s Steelers did not get caught up in the ebb and flow of a meaningless game, and Cleveland’s final series firmly erased any doubt who wanted it more. Grade:  B

Unsung Hero
Cortez Allen stole the spotlight with two turnovers. Lawrence Timmons mugged his way in the scene with his twin sacks to close the game. Excellent performance all around. There’s one player who has been steadily gaining strength all season. One player who only knows one speed, which is high gear. This player led the team in tackles, hit the QB once, registered a tackle for a loss, and sacked the quarterback.  If an outside observer used this player’s intensity to gauge the stakes involved, he or she could have only concluded that the Steelers were fighting for a playoff spot, and for that James Harrison is the Unsung Hero of the victory over the Browns.

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Steelers Bid Farewell to 2012, Are They Also Saying Bye James Harrison, Casey Hampton, Mike Wallace and Others?

On Sunday December 30th 2012 the Pittsburgh Steelers end 2012 just as they started it by playing their historic rivals, the Cleveland Browns.

2012 did not start well for the Steelers. Yes, they rang in New Year’s day in Cleveland with a victory, but it came at the cost of injuries to Rashard Mendenhall, a further tweak to Ben Roethlisberger’s injury added to the losses of both Keenan Lewis and Cortez Allen.

• Unfortunately, that game was only the warm up.

The Steelers traveled to Denver short-handed for a show down with Tim Tebow, and lost Max Starks, Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel. Doug Legursky, starting for Marukice Pouncey, was also injured in the game.

The tendency that began in January sustained itself throughout 2012.

• Both starting outside linebackers missed significant time due to injury
• 2011 team MVP Antonio Brown missed time due to a high ankle sprain
• In the space of two weeks, the Steelers lost their number 1 and number 2 quarterbacks fallen by injury
• By the end of the game in Dallas, the Steelers were playing their number 5 and number 6 corners
• Despite investing heavily in their offensive line, the Steelers saw four starting offensive lineman spend time on injured reserve.

Finishing a season with no playoffs certainly qualifies as a disappointment to Steelers Nation. But the Steelers if ‘13 can bring better luck on the injury front, then Pittsburgh should shed no tears in bidding 2012 good bye.

Final Game for Hampton, Harrison, Keisel, Starks, Foote, Mendenhall and Wallace?

The Steelers 2012 off season marked a major transition of the Steelers as they parted ways with Aaron Smith, James Farrior, Byrant McFadden, and Hines Ward.

But of the above group, only Farrior was a starter at the close of 2011.

The season finale vs. Cleveland could mark the final game of several starters for the Steelers, many of whom wear two Super Bowl rings.

• Casey Hampton is in the final year of his contract, and while he still has something left, he is unlikely to return
• Brett Keisel likewise is finishing 2011 strong, but he will be 35 next year…
• Max Starks has no contract for 2013, and the Steelers drafted both Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert with an eye towards replacing him
• At times Larry Foote played well, at other times he was a half step behind, and a half step might be too much
• Rashard Mendenhall contract is up, and recent events hint that he probably wants out and that the feeling is mutual
• Finally, James Harrison is another who started slow but has finished strong, but he has a monster contract and the Steelers are facing serious salary cap issues

One player may have already played his final game in Black and Gold and his name is Mike Wallace. Wallace has been ruled out of the Browns game, yes you guessed it, because of injury, but he will be an unrestricted free agent, one whom the Steelers have shown no sign of expecting to resign.

On the defensive line, the Steelers have Cameron Heyward and Steve McLendon waiting in the wings. Ditto Stuart Spence at inside linebacker.

But Young Money was supposed to make the Steelers forget Hines Ward. Instead, Heath Miller out preformed them all.

And while Jason Worilds has shown flashes, but as far as being a replacement for James Harrison is concerned, thus far he has show himself far more of a Jason Gildon or even Carlos Emmons type of player as opposed to being in the mold of Joey Porter or Greg Lloyd.

Such transitions are painful but necessary in the NFL.

If this is the final time that we’ll see these men in Pittsburgh Steelers uniforms, let’s hope they go out with a bang.

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Steelers Report Card vs. Browns @ Cleveland Stadium

Taken from the grade book of a teacher who is watching one half of the class fail its written test horribly, while the other half is acing the oral exam, here is the Steelers report card for the loss vs. the Browns. As a caveat, no other grades were consulted prior to this posting.

Quarterback
The positives – Charlie Batch worked the two minute drill very well to put the Steelers up at the half. But the rest of the afternoon all but obliterates the one moment. Batch couldn’t hit his man down field and several passes were wild. The Steelers were 1-9 on third downs. He threw three picks, although they weren’t entirely his fault, the quarterback’s job is to avoid tunovers. Grade:  D-

Running Backs
Positives – Chris Rainey was positively brilliant on his touchdown run, showing the type of “X-Factor” that the coaches thought he had in preseason. But that was his only strong run of the game. And he fumbled. As did Rashard Mendenhall. As did Jonathan Dwyer. As did Isaac Redman. Worse than that, when they weren’t fumbling none of the running backs even came even close to establishing the run. Grade:  F

Wide Receiver
The fleeting moments when the Steelers feigned a comeback found Heath Miller catching the ball. Coincidence? Not at all. Emmanuel Sanders was the only receiver to make any downfield head way or do anything with the ball in hand. In his return as a Steeler, Plaxico Burress cut off a route resulting in an interception and dropped a pass he should have caught. Mike Wallace bobbled one ball that got picked off and watched as another got picked off. Batch completed many check downs because he could find no one open. Grade:  D

Offensive Line
Positives – Charlie Batch actually had decent time to throw (which is scary, actually). But the offensive line contributed to the Steelers failure to get into a groove with multiple penalties that negated gains. To win, the Steelers needed to run the ball, and that’s something that rushers did not have much daylight. As a unit, the line needed to step up, and it failed in that regard.  Grade:  D

Defensive Line
If their was any possibility that the coaches might forget him, Steve McLendon made his presence felt loud and clear, slamming Trent Richardson for 3 yard loss. However, Casey Hampton played well too, while Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward did their part. But it was Brett Keisel who was all over the backfield, tipping passes, hurrying the passer, tackling guys for a loss and registering a sack. Grade:  B+

Linebacker
In preseason Steel Curtain Rising said that for the Steelers defense to excel, Lawence Timmons would need to come on strong. Well, Timmons has come on strong at mid season, and his pick six was masterfully executed. He was all over the field after that, leading the team in tackles. James Harrison played well. And don’t look now, but Jason Worilds posted double digit sacks, including one that got the ball back for Pittsburgh. An almost great effort by the linebackers wasted.  Grade:  A-

Secondary
Another strong game by the Steelers secondary that limited Cleveland to 1 for 9 on third downs. When that happens a unit is doing a lot of things right. Keenan Lewis had another strong game. Ike Taylor had two passes defensed, which is actually a problem as the Steelers needed them to be picks. Ryan Clark again was all over the field, and Will Allen continues to ably fill in for Troy Polamalu. Grade: B+

Special Teams
Drew Butler had a solid day punting and Shaun Suisham’s kickoffs were deep. The Steelers punt return coverage unit did contain Joshua Cribbs, but allowed a long return by Travis Benjamin. However, the Steelers struggled could have used a bust from their return game and instead got nothing, although one nice Chris Rainey return was called back on a penalty. Emmanuel Sanders muffed a punt that could have been another turnover. The Steelers needed something special from this unit. They didn’t get it.  Grade: C-

Coaching
Positives – Dick LeBeau has this unit executing at a high level, despite the absence of some key players. That says a lot, although the lack of turnovers is uncanny. “Horrendous” does not do justice to the performance of the Steelers offense. But can you blame an offensive coordinator whose unit turned over on half of its possessions? No, you really can’t.

In a conventional sense, you can’t blame Mike Tomlin for the fumbles and interceptions either. But, as noted in Steel Curtain Rising’s post game analysis, the Steelers suffered from a lack of focus. When things begin to become unglued, it falls on the head coach to find a way to keep his team on track. Tomlin found a way to keep his defense trained on the mark, but the offense only got worse, and that puts the coaching staff below the line. Grade:  C-

Unsung Hero
The Steelers defense began the season as the team’s weak link. Since the Tennessee game they’ve improved bit by bit, and so has one of its key players. By his own admission, he lacks the explosiveness on the premeter that once made him feared, but he’s been finding new ways to quietly contribute each week. Against the Browns, he was no longer quiet, and if he may not have roared, a loud growl was heard in Cleveland’s backfield as he tackled four players for losses, had a sack, and was number 2 on the team in total tackles, and for that James Harrison is the Unsung Hero of the Browns game.

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Steelers Report Card vs. Ravens @ Heinz Field

Steelers Report Cards

Taken from the grade book of a teacher who sees a pupil with a performance arch that is startingly familiar to the one he saw last year, here is the Steelers report card for their loss to the Ravens. As a caveat, no other grades were consulted prior to this posting.

Quarterback
Mike Tomlin has reaffirmed his faith in Byron Leftwich several times over through the years. Leftwich began by exceeding everyone’s expectations, but it was all down hill after that. Yes, Leftwich was injured. But, the Report Card focuses on performance and outcome, and Leftwich didn’t get the job done. While it’s hard to blame Leftwich for not taking himself from the game, it doesn’t excuse his misplaced gallantry. Grade:  D

Running Backs
When Rashard Mendenhall, Isaac Redman, and Jonathan Dwyer posted all strong performances, Mike Tomlin promised to go with the hot back. The stat sheets says that hot back vs. the Ravens was Dwyer. Unfortunately, he about split carries evenly with Mendenhall, who looked a little tentative at the line. Redman gained 5 yards on a run, and Baron Batch moved the chains with his lone carry.  Grade: C

Receivers
Catching a ball from an unfamiliar hand requires an adjustment, and the Steelers receivers offered a mixed bag. Some plays were made, but there were drops and times when receivers failed to catch the ball in bounds. Likewise, Leftwich had to throw the ball away several times. Emmanuel Sanders and Mike Wallace led the group, although Wallace’s fumble cost the team dearly as did the non-touchdown catch. Heath Miller played well, but was held back to block. Grade:  D+

Offensive Line
Another shaky performance for a unit that seemed to be coalescing. At times the run blocking was excellent. At times, the line protected Leftwich well. Consistency however lacked. Mike Adams struggled at times, although he was not the only one at fault. The difference in the game probably did not come down to the failed exchange between Maurkice Pouncey and Leftwich, but such mishaps are inexcusable on final drives. Grade:  D

Defensive Line
It was perhaps the defensive line’s strongest performance, with Ray Rice being held to 40 yards on 20 carries. He had no where to run. Brett Keisel led the unit in tackles and the stat sheet doesn’t do justice to the way Casey Hampton clogged up the middle. Cameron Heyward played well in relief of Ziggy Hood. Keisel’s offsides penalty hurt however. Grade:  B+

Linebackers
The linebacking corps also turned in a strong performance. Lawrence Timmons seemed to be in on every tackle and so was James Harrison, whose sack could have be a difference maker. LaMarr Woodley also clocked in with a sack, and Larry Foote was his reliable self. The only thing lacking was a forced turnover, which the Steelers needed.  Grade:  B+

Secondary
With each game, Keenan Lewis just seems to get better. But Ike Taylor is playing very good football, simply making it hard for opposing teams to throw when they need to. Ryan Clark didn’t light up the stat sheet, but whatever he lacked in quantity he made up in quality. Will Allen continued with his solid play, and Ryan Mundy didn’t get noticed for the wrong reasons. Baltimore was 3-14 on third downs. Like the linebackers, the only thing lacking was a turnover, and the again, the Steelers needed one. Grade:  B+

Special Teams
A truly awful night for a unit that has run hot and cold all season. Jacoby Jones 63 yard touchdown on a punt return put the Ravens over the top. But Baltimore’s return game was strong all night, and neither Chris Rainey nor Sanders did anything for the Steelers Shaun Suisham was 1-1, but his kickoffs, which were deep early in the year, fell shallow. Grade:  F

Coaching
Steel Curtain Rising already took Mike Tomlin to task for either not knowing Leftwich was injured and/or failing to act on that knowledge. However, he is not the only one to blame. Dink-and-Dunk is not Byron Leftwich’s game. And while he did attempt and compete some long passes, the question is why was Todd Haley had him throwing so much to begin with? The Raven’s run defense is suspect to begin with, and the Steelers entered the game with a stud stable of healthy running backs. Why didn’t Jonathan Dwyer get more carries?

In contrast, Dick LeBeau called a tremendous game and his players executed, and that’s all that saves the coaching staff from an F-bomb in this weeks’ report card. Grade:  D

Unsung Hero
The 1998 and 1999 Steelers defenses started strong only to peter out, with the rest of the team, down the stretch. One reason for the decline was the disintegration of Joel Steed’s knees. As Ed Bouchette has said, the nose tackle is the fulcrum on which the Steelers 3-4 rises and falls.

Early in the year when something big happened up front, Steve McClendon was as likely as not to be in the game. Not so vs. the Ravens. The Steelers front seven made play after play, and the only happens if Casey Hampton is wrecking havoc in the middle. Havoc Hampton wrought, and for that he win the Unsung Hero award for the game.

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Steelers Report Card vs. Chiefs @ Heinz Field

Taken from the grade book of a teacher who is once again late with his grades on the Steelers because he was, in fact, grading real papers, here goes the Steelers Report Card for their victory over Kansas City.

Quarterback
Even before Ben Roethlisberger fell to injury, the Steelers passing game wasn’t quite in sync. Big Ben went 9-18 before leaving the game, and while he did lead one touchdown drive and did not turn over the ball, he also could not get the offense into a rhythm against one of the NFL’s worst teams. Byron Leftwich came into the game, and looked like a player who last saw action a season an a half ago – he looked sharp on some throws, rusty on others. Grade:  C+

Running Back
Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman had put in strong performances while the other was injured, so how would the Steelers rush the ball with both men healthy? Not particularly well, unfortunately. Neither man was particularly effective rushing, and Redman fumbled away the ball at Pittsburgh’s 9, giving Kansas City an easy score. Yes, the Chiefs played inspired defense, yes they stacked the line, and yes the offensive line did little to help them, but the Steelers still needed more from their rushers. Grade:  C-

Wide Receivers
Mike Wallace showed incredible concentration in coming down with the ball in what was a decisive score for the team. Beyond that however, he was quiet for much of the night. Heath Miller did not score touchdown, but did lead the team with four catches, followed by Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery, but no one in the group it seems, could do quite enough to make the necessary catches in the Red Zone or on third down.  Grade: C

Offensive Line
Ben Roethlisberger was only sacked once, and that was one of those plays when Ben was trying to make something happen. But that stat is misleading, as he did face pressure for much of the night, as did Byron Leftwich. The Chiefs also registered several tackles for losses. In short, they won the battle at the line of scrimmage, and the Steelers offense struggled all night because of it. The offensive line cannot turn in a similar performance against the Ravens. Grade: D+

Defensive Line
It wasn’t too long ago that the proverbial “they” had written off Brett Keisel. Some of “them” even suggested that he should have already followed Aaron Smith into retirement. Keisel shined for the defense vs. Kansas City, registering two sacks. But the stat sheet doesn’t do him justice, as he was in Matt Cassel’s face all night, and caused all kind of problems for the Chiefs running game. Casey Hampton also helped keep the middle clogged up, while Ziggy Hood also disrupted things in the backfield.  Grade:  B+

Linebackers
LaMarr Woodley led the unit in tackles, but was shut out on sacks, as was James Harrison. Larry Foote turned in a respectable performance, but the real hero of the unit was Lawrence Timmons, who seemed to be in on every play, defending passes, hitting Matt Cassel and of course coming up with the game changing interception in overtime. Grade:  B+

Secondary
Ryan Clark is no longer merely one of the Pittsburgh’s most underrated players, he’s quite possibly one of the most underrated players in the NFL. Clark was in on every play it seemed, and it should come as no surprise that the only time Kansas City had any luck moving the ball in 4th quarter was when Clark was out. Ike Taylor and Keenan Lewis both played well helping to keep Kansas City to 2-13 on third downs. Another strong night for the secondary when the Steelers needed it.  Grade:  B+

Coaching
For all of the praise heaped on the Steelers defense above, the truth is that the Chiefs did move the ball, particularly on the ground, with stunning success early in the game. While Dick LeBeau did make the necessary adjustments, the Steelers defense cannot afford such slow starts vs. the Ravens. Todd Haley’s offense put in his first mediocre night of the season, and overall the unit just managed to stay “above the line.” Mike Tomlin has done an spectacular job as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. But there have been times during his tenure that his teams have played down to the competition. Steelers Nation will remember the game against the Chiefs as one of them.  Grade:  C

Unsung Hero
Under the best of circumstances Heinz Field is one of the most difficult venues in the NFL to kick. Factor in the wind, rain and steadily dropping temperature and you get a hostile environment for any kicker. A single missed kick in a game like this makes a huge difference as the Chiefs can attest. However, as they have all year long the Steelers got quiet consistency for this player, and that was ultimately the difference, and for that Shaun Suisham is Steel Curtain Rising’s unsung hero of the Chiefs game.

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Steelers Report Card vs. Redskins @ Heinz Field

Taken from the grade book of a teacher whose now seen his star pupil live up to expectations two weeks in a row, here goes the Steelers report card for their victory over the Redskins. As a caveat, no other report cards were consulted.

Quarterback
It may be 'dink and dunk' but its winning football for Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger was 3-3 in the Red Zone, hitting three different receivers and led the Steelers to 5 scores. The Steelers, however were only 4-11 on third downs. That didn’t really hurt the Steelers, but does pull his grade down a smidge. Grade:  A-

Running Back
Jonathan Dwyer gave the Steelers their first back-to-back 100 yard games since Willie Parker in weeks 1 and 2 of 2008, and in doing so made a play on the mantel as the team's starter. Chris Rainey broke another long one at the goal line to set up a touchdown. Baron Batch struggled on the ground and caught 1 pass. Will Johnson blocked well and got his first NFL TD.  Grade:  A

Receivers
We've said this before:  All Heath Miller does is catch touchdowns (and in the process, is making his case for team MVP.) Mike Wallace atoned for his butter fingers by making several clutch catches. Emmanuel Sanders did have a drop, but his third down conversion set up the first touchdown. Antonio Brown didn't show a lot of fire works, but made the bread and butter catches that resulted in a 6 minute advantage in TOP. Leonard Pope executed his role to perfection on the touchdown play. A strong outing for the receivers. Grade:  A-

Offensive Line
After posting its best outing vs. Cincinnati, could the offensive line made it two in a row? The answer is yet, it could. If you want to see why Willie Colon's move to guard excited people so much, take a look at the block he threw on Sanders early 3rd down conversion. Mike Adams did well in his second start. The offensive line is gelling nicely, and that process is having spill over effects elsewhere. Grade:  A-

Defensive Line
Defending a player like RG3 is tricky, but the Steelers defensive line was more than up to the task. Moreover, they shut down the NFC’s most prolific passing attack. Brett Keisel defensed a pass, hurried RG3 and his tackle of Logan Paulsen on 4th down for a 7 yard loss sealed the game for Pittsburgh. Ziggy Hood got a hand on a pass, and Cameron Heyward led the team in tackles, by ESPN’s count. All in all an excellent afternoon for the defensive line.  Grade:  A

Linebackers
Larry Foote had the game’s only sack, which forced a field goal late in the game. Lawrence Timmons got into RG3’s face and got guys down behind the line of scrimmage. James Harrison might not have gotten a lot of pressure, but he did make 8 tackles. LaMarr Woodley also registered a tackle for a loss. Commentators enjoyed talking about how RG3 “frozen” the Steelers linebackers with his play fakes – which is true, but the bigger truth is that the linebackers never lost containment on RG3, and that made a huge difference.  Grade:  A

Secondary
So you go up against RG3 without your top All Pro strong safety and lose Pro Bowl free safety, and what happens? You hold him to 12 points. The Steelers secondary was excellent in coverage, containment and run support on Sunday. Yes, the unit benefited from drops, but their hard hitting helped plant the seeds for some of those drops. This group was down right aggressive, and that aggressiveness paid dividends.  Grade:  A

Special Teams
The good news.  Shaun Suisham was 2-2 including a 48 yarder. Drew Bulter punted well. Rainey was solid returning kicks.  The bad news. The Redskins has a 17 yard punt return that set up their final score. Their kick return average was a little better than you’d like. But the most egregious error by the special teams was yet another touchdown was nullified by a penalty at a time when Redskins could have been put away. Sure the Steelers over came it, but That’s just inexcusable and pulls the unit “Below the Line.” Grade:  D+

Coaching
Mike Tomlin mentioned that he saw an intensity from his defense that he had not seen all year. That was evident, and if the D is in fact finding its Mojo, then they’re doing it at just the right time. Todd Haley’s game planning was phenomenal. Roethlisberger’s goal line touchdown to Pope (and also to Johnson) show just how deadly this offense can be when the opposition must respect the run. Dick LeBeau is now 15-1 vs. rookie quarterbacks and he clearly had his team prepped to contain RG3. An outstanding game by one of the finest defensive minds in the game. Special teams coach Amos Jones needs to find a way to stop the penalties.  Grade: B+

Unsung Hero
18 months ago much of the Steelers coaching staff, let alone Steelers Nation had written this man off another failed third round draft pick. However, Carnell Lake took a personal interest in this young man, and he got on to the field in 2011, and more importantly, he kept himself there with his play. For the second consecutive game this man’s determination to play to the whistle saved the Steelers a touchdown in the end zone, in addition to two other passes defensed and plenty of hard hitting, and for that Keenan Lewis is Steel Curtain Rising’s Unsung Hero of the Redskins game.

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Steelers Report Card vs. Eagles @ Heinz Field

From the grade book of a teacher who was pleased to see some under performing students perk up, and a little dismayed to see others slip, here go the Steelers report card for their victory over Philly at Heinz Field. As a caveat, no other grades were consulted.

Quarterback
For the first time this season, Ben Roethlisberger didn't throw a touchdown. Ben played generally well, evading pressure and making things happen with his feet. And while he missed some key throws, he was also a victim of several drops. Most importantly, he made the throws he had to make on the Steelers winning drive.  Grade:  B+

Running Backs
Who was it that said the Steelers wouldn’t miss Mendenhall much? Me, among others. This is a time when I am gladly wrong. Rashard Mendenhall showed that he’s clearly the Steelers most talented back and also confirmed that when Mendenhall commits to a hole he can run with the best in the league. Isaac Redman also played much better, and was a key player on the 2nd half scoring drives. Chris Rainey was a non-factor.  Grade: A-

Wide Receivers

Studs numbers 1 and 2 of Young Money, Inc. both played subpar games. Mike Wallace could not get past press coverage and dropped a few, and Antonio Brown had two ugly drops, including one in the end zone. Jerricho Cotchery should have had a touchdown, but lost his footing. Emmanuel Sanders, on the other hand, came up with a couple of key completions, as did Heath Miller.  Grade:  C+

Offensive Line
This unit help short circuit a couple of drives with penalties and did an adequate job of protecting Ben against a fierce pass rush. The biggest improvement here was the run blocking, particularly with Willie Colon. The Steelers were able to run repeatedly right up the middle when called upon, and that was not something that they’d been able to do all season long. Grade:  B-

Defensive Line
Another unit that improved its performance. Michael Vick faced pressure all day, and a big part of it was because the defensive line was getting penetration. Brett Keisel lost a footrace to Vick (as you’d expect) but his presence in the backfield was a welcome site, as was that of Ziggy Hood and Steve McLendon. Nonetheless, the line must shoulder its share of the blame for the two 4th down conversions.  Grade:  B-

Linebackers
Was that a Lawrence Timmons sighting? Yes it was. Timmons was on fire, moving to the ball, making plays and disrupting things in the backfield. Larry Foote recovered both fumbles. James Harrison didn’t record any sacks, but was in Vick’s face. And low and behold, Jason Worilds also made his presence known on several occasions. Like the line, the linebackers share blame for the 4th down conversions, but a quality afternoon nonetheless.  Grade:  B+

Secondary
Vick had a fairly good day statistically and, while you can’t discount his ability to regain the lead with 6 minutes remaining, he was ineffective on third down, and never really developed the kind of rhythm that Carson Palmer or Peyton Manning did. A big part of that has to do with the pass rush, but the Steelers secondary effectively defended Vick’s attempts to go deep. Ryan Clark also had a touchdown saving strip, although he and Ryan Mundy must watch the helmet-to-helmet hits.  Grade:  B

Special Teams
Chris Rainey had a 44 yard kick off return, and Antonio Brown had a 7 yard punt return. The Steelers kick coverage was solid, but the Eagles had a 13 yard punt return, which mustn't become the norm. Shaun Suisham was 3-3 on the day, including another game winner into the open end of Heinz Field. Drew Butler’s punting was solid if not spectacular.  Grade:  B

Coaching
Dick LeBeau moved Lawrence Timmons in closer to the action and the results spoke for themselves. Beyond that, LeBeau looked like a better coach with James Harrison back didn’t het…? Although the defense's performance was soild overall, the unit still lost another 4th quarter lead, which is never good. For three weeks Todd Haley’s offense was all about an air game that was so effective, one wondered if the Steelers even needed to run. Haley never bought into that, and his commitment to the run paid handsome dividends. All three phases of the game were hurt by penalties, and that reflects on the coaching, regardless of whether they were coming off of a bye week or not.  Grade:  B

Unsung Hero
Entering the league behind two All Pro’s is never easy, especially when you’re expected to eventually replace one of them. This young man started 12 games last year, and while he may not have struggled, he certainly lacked the “wow factor” as Simon Cowe would say. However, he was back in the line up on Sunday, and this time he delivered to the tune of 1 sack, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 passed defensed and two more QB hits, and for that Jason Worilds is Steel Curtain Rising’s Unsung Hero of the victory over Philadelphia.

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