Steelers 2013 Roster Analysis, Defense: Linebackers

Steel Curtain Risings analysis of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 roster continues with the unit that has traditionally been the strength of  the franchise, the linebackers.

Starters: Jason Worilds, Lawrence Timmons, Larry Foote, and LaMarr Woodley
Back Ups:  Jarvis Jones, Chris Carter, Vince Williams, Kion Wilson and Terrance Martin

Strengths: If Lawrence Timmons can maintain his level from a year ago and LaMarr Woodley can play to his pre-injury standard this until can wreak havoc.

Weaknesses:  An under appreciated strength of James Harrison was his ability to completely snuff the run. Can Jason Worilds pick up that slack when he has struggled. Larry Foote's play in 2012 was generally solid but age is creeping up on him, and he's never been known for his speed.

The Skinny:  The transgenerational gift that Steelers have seemingly had had a gift for finding linebackers will be put to the test in 2013 as it was in 2012. The key here is consistency. Lawrence Timmons has yet to put together back to back solid seasons. LaMarr Woodley has always run hot and cold. While many were lamenting the absence of James Harrison in early 2012, Worilds proved he can rush the passer. Can he stop the run?

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

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Steelers Announce 2013 Training Camp Schedule

Breath easy Steelers Nation. We are about to exit “The Void.” Thanks to free agency, the draft, and the miracle of the internet, true NFL off season runs from mid-May to mid-July.

• But even the darkest night is broken by the dawn.

And the first signs of dawn came yesterday as the Pittsburgh Steelers announced their 2013 training camp schedule.

Those fortunate enough to think of traveling to St. Vincent’s College in Latrobe for a chance to shake Ben Roethlisberger’s hand, tell Troy Polamalu you love him, time yourself in the 40 against Lawrence Timmons or Ike Taylor, and see if Cortez Allen is the the real deal check on LaMarr Woodley’s weight, you can now begin to make plans.

The Steelers begin training camp on Friday, July 26 and fans can begin attending practices the very next day, although you’ll have to settle for watching Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders playing “football in shorts.”

It won’t be until July 29th that you’ll see Jason Worilds and Steve McLendon strap on full pads to justify their status as heirs apparent to legends like James Harrison and Casey Hampton.

As always, the Steelers will hold two night practices. The first at at 7 p.m. Friday on  Aug. 2 under the lights of Latrobe Stadium. The second will be 12 days later on fields of St. Vincents and that will start at 5:30 p.m.

The Steelers will break camp on August 18th, and conduct the balance of preseason preparations on the South Side.

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 full training camp schedule is as follows:

Friday, July 26 -- Players report; campus closed
Saturday, July 27 -- (Helmets and shorts)
Sunday, July 28 -- (Helmets and shorts)
Monday, July 29 – Full Pads
Tuesday, July 30 -- Players off; campus closed
Wednesday, July 31 – Full Pads
Thursday, Aug. 1 – Full Pads
Friday, Aug 2 -- Night practice at Latrobe Stadium, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 3 – Full Pads
Sunday, Aug. 4 – Full Pads
Monday, Aug. 5 – Full Pads
Tuesday, Aug. 6 -- Players off; campus closed
Wednesday, Aug. 7 – Full Pads
Thursday, Aug. 8 – Full Pads
Friday, Aug. 9 -- Campus closed
Saturday, Aug. 10 -- Steelers preseason opener vs. N.Y. Giants at Heinz Field
Sunday, Aug. 11 -- Players off; campus closed
Monday, Aug. 12 – Full Pads
Tuesday, Aug. 13 -- Players off; campus closed
Wednesday, Aug. 14 -- Evening practice at SVC, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 15 – Full Pads
Friday, Aug. 16 – Full Pads
Saturday, Aug. 17 – Full Pads
Sunday, Aug. 18 -- Steelers break camp, return to South Side; campus closed

The Steelers afternoon practices are open to the public, unless indicated above and they run from 3-5.

Just Do It - If You Live Close Enough, Go to Latrobe

Once upon a time I habored fantasies of making a pilgrimage to the fields of St. Vincients. I had the flexibilty in my work schedule (and then some) to make the trip. Could have even driven up and back in a day as budget for a hotel would have been tight.

• For one reason or another, I didn’t go.

That was when I lived in Maryland. Now of course I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Going to see Steelers training camp really is a fantasy now.

Granted, the two summers in question were that of 1998 and 1999 – two of the Steelers worst seasons of the post-Chuck Noll era. By that point ‘90’s studs like Kevin Greene, Yancey Thigpen, Greg Lloyd and Rod Woodson were gone, and other stalwarts like Dermontti Dawson and Carnell Lake were on their way out.

• Still, I would have liked to have gone and regret passing on the opportunity.

This may be your last chance to see the likes of Ryan Clark and Brett Keisel up close. So if you get the chance, take it.

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Steelers Draft FSU's Vince Williams in 6th

After addressing their needs at linebacker in the first day of the 2013 NFL Draft when they selected Jarvis Jones with their first round pick, the Steelers again returned to the position on day three at the bottom of the draft by picking inside linebacker Vince Williams in the 6th round.

The Steelers used their compensatory pick to take Williams.

Williams stands at 6’11” and the Steelers are listing Vince Williams weight at 250 lbs although other sources have him at 233.

His time in Florida was marred by injuries, but he improved his stock in pre-draft workouts. In total he played in 50 games at Florida State and started 26, recording over 13 tackles for a loss during that time. He also defensed 7 passes and had one interception.

Clearly Williams is coming to the Steelers as some what of a project, but the Steelers are notably thin at inside linebacker. Behind starters Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons, the Steelers only have Stevenson Sylvester, Adrian Robinson and Chris Carter, none of whom have proven much.

The Steelers brought Williams to the South Side for a work out, and Behind the Steel Curtain’s Neal Coolong described him as “a fairly one-dimensional player, and it doesn't seem he'd be available for three downs due to limited pass coverage ability.”

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Steelers Draft Needs: Longing for More of the Linebacker Legacy

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise which yields nothing to anyone with it comes to its Linebacker Legacy. While the original Steel Curtain provided the heart of the Super Steelers defense, linebackers Andy Russell, Jack Ham and Jack Lambert provided the unit’s mind and soul.

• Russell and Ham knew enough to shut down opponents plays before the snap count started. Lambert simply brought attitude.

And the tradition has been handed down from generation to generation. From Greg Lloyd and Levon Kirkland to Joey Porter and James Farrior to James Harrison and Lawrence Timmons.

If the Steelers are to continue linebacker legacy they must do so in the 2013 NFL Draft.
The Steelers will begin 2013 with:

• One outside linebacker whose last two seasons have been ruined by injury (LaMarr Woodley)
• Another outside linebacker who is a big question mark (Jason Worilds)
• An aging inside linebacker who still has something left, but whose time is fading (Larry Foote)
• Another inside linebacker who can’t seem to string to strong seasons together (Timmons)

Worse yet, the Steelers have Adrian Robinson and Chris Carter behind them and neither of whom has proven anything and Stevenson Sylvester whom the Steelers did not think enough of to protect in Restricted Free Agency. (Marshall McFadden is also in the mix, for whatever that is worth.)

Linebacker Needs have “Got the Steelers Inside and Out” 

Clearly the Steelers have needs at linebacker to fill in the 2013 NFL Draft. But if forced to make a decision, as they likely will, which position takes priority, inside or outside?

• There is no easy answer here, but in this case a simple methodology based on math might help.

For the purposes of evaluating draft-day needs, the Steelers must assume a worst case scenario for 2012’s third round pick Sean Spence.

But even if you assume that Sean Spence’s NFL career is over before it started, the Steelers still have Stevenson Sylvester. At this point Sylvester isn’t likely to be anything more than a back up, but he has played well on special teams and has three season’s in Dick LeBeau’s defense under his belt.

Add to that fact that Lawrence Timmons and Larry Foote are both under contract, although Foote's career has clearly entered the “take it year-by-year” phase.

In contrast on the outside, Jason Worilds is a free agent, and even if Robinson and Carter have more of an upside that Sylvester, they both have less experience.

• Er go, outside linebacker is a higher draft priority than inside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2013 NFL Draft.

But the Steelers would do well to beef up at both positions.

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Steelers Sign Stevenson Sylvester; Workout Howling and Gooden

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered free agency both salary cap strapped and dangerously thin at inside linebacker. And with one bold* roll of the dice they helped shore up depth at inside linebacker while (probably) saving themselves at least 500,000 dollars in the process, when the resigned unrestricted free agent Stevenson Sylvester. (*Ok, that’s “bold” with a very lower case “b”)

The Steelers drafted Sylvester in the 5th round of the 2010 NFL draft and could have secured right of first refusal or compensation in the form of a 5th round pick by offering Sylvester a restricted free agent tender of 1.33 million.

However, the Steelers opted not to offer Sylvester any tender making him an unrestricted free agent, allowing him to sign with a team of his choosing. But as obersved here in the free agent focus on Sylvester, no one was going to offer Stevenson Sylvester big money.

Sylvester had a strong rookie season looking good on special teams, but struggled with spot duty in 2011 and saw his 2012 season hobbled by injuries. The reality is that Sylvester will likely have to fight for a roster spot in training camp, especially of the Steelers end up making linebacker a priority in the 2013 NFL Draft as their pre-draft visits indicate.

Nonetheless, the Steelers now have a body at inside linebacker with experience in a Dick LeBeau defense to back up Lawrence Timmons and Larry Foote, which is something they could not say 48 hours ago.

Free Agent Running Back, Linebacker also Pay Visits

The Steelers also entertained former Pitt running back LaRod Stephens-Howling who most recently played for Pittsburgh West (aka the Arizona Cardinals) and former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Tavares Gooden.

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Steelers Restructure Brown, Roethlisberger Contracts, Add

As expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers restructured the contracts of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown. Roethlisberger's restructure alone gained them 6 million dollars in salary cap space. With those two moves, in addition to the restructure of Lawrence Timmons, the Steelers are reportedly in compliance or close to compliance with the NFL salary cap.

Steelers Claim John Parker from Waiver Wire

In an apparent indication that the Steelers have in fact gained some wiggle room under the cap, Behind the Steel Curtain is reporting that Pittsburgh has claimed former Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson off of waivers. Wilson has never played in an NFL game, but spent time with Atlanta and Jacksonville, mainly on the practice squads of those two teams.

Restructuring Done? Heads to Roll Next? 

Earlier in the off season Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert warned that Pittsburgh was reaching the limits of its ability to restructure contracts, acknowledging that managing the salary cap by perpetual contract negotiation carries dangers, and saying that the Steelers would prefer to avoid reaching a point where they would need to blow the entire team up to stay under the cap.

The only other way for the Steelers to reduce their costs is by cutting veterans or getting them to agree to play for less money, something the Steelers have only seldom done (see Jerome Bettis.)

Willie Colon has long been suggested as a possible cut, although Colon would only save them 1.2 million dollars against the 2013 cap. The biggest X Factor involves James Harrison.

The Steelers want Harrison back, but at a lower cap number, and a restructure is not likely due to his age and injuries.  That means that Harrison is likely to be cut if he does not agree to a reduced salary.

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Steelers Restructure Contract with Lawrence Timmons

And so it begins.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have restructured the contract of Lawrence Timmons who was Mike Tomlin's first first round draft pick in the 2007 draft. Timmons renewed his contract with the Steelers in 2011 and had four years remaining on it.

The restructure will not require Lawrence Timmons to lose money, but rather converts a large portion of his 2013 base salary into a bonus and then pro rates it over the remaining years on the contract. Its been reported that the Timmons restructure will save the Steelers 5 million dollars against the salary cap.

• Prior to restructuring Timmons' deal the Steelers were reportedly 14 million dollars over the NFL salary cap

This is the first of many coming restructurings. The Steelers are expected to restructure the deal of LaMarr Woodley and Heath Miller's name has also been mentioned

Roethlisberger to get Restructured Not Extended....

Also scheduled for a restructure is Steelers starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. There had been speculation that the Steelers might extend Ben Roethlisberger's deal to gain additional cap relief but they are not taking that move.

Ben Roethlisberger has 3 years remaining on the deal he signed in 2008 and the Steelers typically do not extend deals of players before their final contract year, although they do make exceptions for quarterbacks, as they did with Tommy Maddox in 2003.

Steelers Talk with Bill Praise, James Harrison's Agent

The Steelers have also formally begun to talk with James Harrison about altering his deal. Harrison is due to cost the Steelers 6.57 million against the salary cap this year and the Steelers need space.

No one is sure what, if any, agreement the two sides will reach. Harrison's agent Bill Praise has said that Harrison will not accept a reduced salary for 2013, which is what agents are supposed to say.

While there are incentives for both sides to reach a deal, the Steelers could release Harrison outright if an agreement cannot be reached.

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Restricted Free Agent Stevenson Sylvester Unlikely to Get Tender from Steelers

Stevenson Sylvester provides a perfect example of why it takes a few years to judge a draft. Sylvester was taken in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL draft.

He didn’t get much action in at inside linebacker, but he did play well on special teams, including a forced fumble in the Steelers surprising upset of the Tennessee Titans.

Generally when a rookie defender excels at special teams that’s a sign of good things to come.

• However, Sylvester’s progress since then has stalled nonetheless.

Sylvester got one start in place of injured James Farrior in the Steelers regular season upset of New England, but was quickly pulled from the game. With injuries forcing Lawrence Timmons to move outside for portions of the mid-season, Sylvester figured to get more time. He apparently hadn’t shown coaches enough and only saw spot duty.

Stevenson Sylvester didn’t fare much better in 2012, and was part of a special teams unit known more for nullifying big plays with penalties than anything else.

Will the Steelers Tender Sylvester?

Stevenson Sylvester is a restricted free agent, meaning that the Steelers can retain their rights to him by offering any number of tenders.

Given his playing history, the Steelers would normally offer him the lowest tender, entitling them to a fifth round pick were he to be signed.

• Indications are that the Steelers are leaning towards not tendering Stevenson Sylvester. 

That does not mean he will not be back.

In fact, the Steelers are likely to roll the dice that they can get Sylvester back at a lower, non-guaranteed salary, hoping that NFL teams won’t exactly be lining up to offer him a contact, even if they can get him without having to give up compensation.

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Free Agent Focus: Steelers on Firm Footeing with Larry...

When injuries prevented Kendrell Bell’s from starting the Steelers 2002 season, Steelers Nation expected Bill Cowher to turn to linebacker John Fiala. Fiala had worked his way the Steelers via special teams and many felt he had the look of a Jerry Olsavsky type player.

Cowher instead handed the baton to that year’s 4th Round pick Larry Foote, who started three games that year, and while he did not become cement his first string status until 2004, Foote went on to start Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.

Unable to beat out James Farrior and feeling Lawrence Timmons breathing down his neck Foote went to Detroit in 2009 only to return a year later. He backed up Farrior and Timmons in 2010 and 2011 and played well when his number was called. James Farrior's departure after 2012 paved the way for Foote to return to his starting role in 2012.

Steelers Likely to Put the Best Foote Forward

Larry Foote came close to leading the team in tackles in 2012 and had his best year ever in terms of sacks. He also played that immeasurable role in getting the defense lined up properly.

But Foote had difficulties in coverage and was a half step behind at times. Foote is not the future in at inside tackle in Pittsburgh but he clearly has something left.

• Expect the Steelers to find the salary cap space to sign Foote

“Having something left” is something that Foote shares with fellow free agents Max Starks, Ramon Foster and Casey Hampton, yet none of these men is expected back.

Why is Foote different?

First, Larry Foote can likely be signed for the veteran minimum, or close to it.

Second, Foote knows how to get everyone on the defense lined up correctly, which is not something to underestimate in a Dick LeBeau defense.

Third is the depth chart. Stevenson Sylvester hasn’t shown much since he was a rookie, and there’s no way the team can bank on contributions from Sean Spence. Chris Carter has potential which quite frankly means one thing for someone coming off an NFL rookie season, after that the word begins to take on additional meaning.
The bottom line is that the Steelers clearly will benefit from the depth and experience at inside linebacker and Foote is the only one who can deliver.

Scenario that Sees the Steelers Stumbling over Foote

The Steelers have salary cap issues, and the NFL cap is not expected to rise much for even in 2015. Larry Foote could get caught up in a numbers game if say the Steelers keep James Harrison but at a higher salary than anticipated.

Or a free agent signing elsewhere could become available that makes Foote expendable.

Or the Steelers could simply decide for a more thorough renewal of their roster. But that’s not likely as Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Steelers are already in talks with Larry Foote about coming back.

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Steelers 2012 Report Card

From the grade book of a teacher who could never quite decide of his star pupils simply had too many absences due to sickness, under achieved  or was perhaps the victim of over estimation here goes the Pittsburgh Steelers report card for the 2012 Season.

Quarterback:
Steelers management sought to give some tough love to Ben Roethlisberger by showing Bruce Arians the door and bringing in Todd Haley. The question was, could Roethlsiberger get rid of the ball more quickly but still "be Ben?" Through the first 9 games of the season the answer as a "Yes" as in staistical terms Roethlisberger was having an MVP type season. Then came the injury, and not only was Roethlisberger not the same, he threw two interceptions that cost the Steelers two must win games, and Ben's slide at the end hurts his overall grade. Grade:  B-

Running Backs
Rashard Mendenhall began the season unable to play giving a golden opportunity to both Issac Redman and/or Jonathan Dwyer. Neither man sized it, although both were battling injuries themselves. Mendenhall had a chance to reestablish himself upon his return but instead found himself benched and then suspended. All three running backs showed flashes at times and struggled at others, all had issues with ball security. At the end of the day no one back established himself as "the man" and the Steelers offense suffered accordingly. Grade:  C-

Wide Receivers
Perhaps nothing was more disappointing about the 2012 Steelers than "Young Money." Antonio Brown (probably) dropped more passes in 2012 than he did in 2010 and 2011 combined. Mike Wallace made some spectacular plays, stretched the field, but also dropped the ball and admitted he wasn't concentrating at times. Emmanuel Sanders seemed to be quietly laying claim to the role of "go to guy on 3rd" until ball skills and ball security became an issue with him too. Jerricho Cotchery played well, but his opportunities were limited. Plaxico Burress made good on his return, for what it was worth. The only consistent star of this until was Heath Miller, who was heads and shoulders over everyone on the offense week in and week out. Were it not for Miller, this grade would be lower yet.  Grade:  C+

Offensive Line
After years "plug and patch" on offensive line the Steelers invested four premium picks into their offensive line yet still finished the season starting undrafted rookie free agents, 7th rounders, practices squad promotees and veterans they've tried to cast off. Injuries are no excuse. The report card measures performance and results. Neither were consistent in 2012. The offensive line’s performance rose and fell with Willie Colon. Early in the season pass blocking was better, except at critical junctures in games, but run blocking suffered. After Colon settled in guard run blocking improved, only to suffer again after his injury. The line played well at times and was under duress the whole season, but its performance was not that the Steelers needed.  Grade:  C-

Defensive Line
The Steelers rush defense was 6th in the league – a fall from prior standards but something they improved upon as the year progressed. The unit’s leader again was Brett Keisel, who had 4.5 sacks and got better as the year went on. Casey Hampton started out slow, but finished strong. Ziggy Hood remains a disappointment. Measured by pure statistics, Cameron Heyward had half of his productivity in a quarter of the snaps. Steve McLendon made a lot of noise in preseason, and made the most of his opportunities once the games counted. This unit improved as the year went on, but must bear some responsibility for the lack of turnovers.  Grade:  B-

Linebackers
Larry Foote lead the unit in tackles and registered four sacks. While those numbers are good, he struggled in coverage at times and at other times was a step slow on run containment. Still, his job is to get everyone lined up correctly, and with the Steelers finishing number 1 in overall yards, he did something right. James Harrison started of slow but finished the season with a bang, making “splash” plays when they counted, and tied for the sack lead in spite of his injuries. LaMarr Woodley fought hamstring injuries all year and more or less disappeared form the defense late in the season. Jason Worilds did well in relief of Woodley. The class of the unit was Lawrence Timmons, who finally lived up to his potential.  Grade:  B

Secondary
If someone had told you Troy Polamalu would miss half the season but that the Steelers would finish number one against the pass anyway, would you have believed them. The biggest reason for this was the emergence of Keenan Lewis, who seemed to make highlight reel worth pass defenses week in and week out. Ike Taylor struggled early, called out the media for criticizing him, and then went and backed it up by improving. Ryan Clark was a force all over the field. His contributions are under valued. Will Allen proved his worth while Ryan Mundy disappointed. Cortez Allen came on strong at the end of the year. Strong performance from a unit who finished the year with the arrow pointing up.  Grade:  B

Special Teams
Chris Rainey was one of the few bright spots on this until and now he’s gone. And that’s the kind of year its been. Shaun Suisham’s kick offs were deeper than they’ve ever been, and he was far more accurate than anyone in Steelers Nation gave him credit for. Drew Butler was decent, but he left room to improve in terms of length and directional punting. Antonio Brown had some nice returns. His errors were game-changing however. And that’s the tale of this unit. At least two touchdowns were erased by penalties. Numerous long runs got called back. Even more normal runs saw penalties that put the Steelers with their backs to their own goal. Opponents converted two fake punts and partially blocked another. An errant snap cost the Steelers 3 points in a key division game decided by a field goal in over time. All unacceptable. Grade:  D

Coaching
Mike Tomlin graded himself as an 8-8 coach for 2012 and Steel Curtain Rising concurs. There are positives to the 2012 effort which the coaching staff must share credit in. Tomlin's move to improve the offsense with Todd Haley was a wise one, as Haley designed an offense that allowed Ben to be Ben while reducing punishment taken. Likewise, Tomlin and Dick LeBeau started the season with a defense that could not hold leads in the fourth quarter but they managed to reverse that trend by mid season. Certainly return to health of players like Harrison, Polamalu, and Hampton had a role in this, but early in the year there was talk of LeBeau's defense having been solved. No one said that at year's end. And Tomlin'sSteelers are the final team to defeat the defending AFC Champion Baltimore Ravens. The players of course deserve credit for that, but so do the coaches.

However, there are negatives. Tomlin could not prevent his players from riding the roller coaster following the Raven's win, and the horrendous performance vs. San Diego was the result. For all of the talk about "The Standard is the Standard" injuries hurt the Steelers, particuarly late in the season. It may seem harsh to criticize the coaches here but, as Kevin Colbert pointed out, there were teams that lost more starter games to injury than Pittsburgh yet still made the playoffs.

The issue of turnovers, however cannot be ignored, now that the Steelers finished a second year near the bottom of the league in turnovers and sacks. Perhaps its is because of smart coaching that the Steelers, in spite of this absence of "Splash Plays" still finished number one. Fair enough. But take aways and sacks are game changers, and those game changers were in far too short supply too often.

Discipline also is an issue. No, Tomlin is not responsible for the off the field transgressions of players like Rainey and Ta'amu, but on the field and in the locker room discipline was an issue. Rahsard Mendenhall got benched and opted to skip a game -- what if a running back had injured himself in warm ups? Mike Wallace admitted to checking out mentally during portions of games. The Steelers committed a host of penalties many of which were pre-snap penalities -- ones that good coaching can reduce to a minimum.

And of course special teams remains a glaring issue. We may never know why Tomlin chose to fire Al Everestt, but Amos Jones was clearly not up to the task. Amos Jones is now set to follow Bruce Arians to Pittsburgh West. This is a welcome sign. Tomlin and Jones are close going back to their days coaching together at the University of Cincinnati, so perhaps Tomlin "encouraged" his friend to seek emplomet elsewhere. But any objective analysis reveals that Jones deserved to get the ax outright.

In the final analysis, lurking below Tomlin's 8-8 record lies the fact that he entered the season without established team leaders like Hines Ward, Aaron Smith, and James Farrior. While coaching can only replace locker room leadership to a point, the fact is that the discipline issues show that Tomlin needed to adjust his coaching style to better compensate for the transition.  Grade:  C

Unsung Hero Award
When Steel Curtain Rising previewed the 2012 season the challenges, particuarly on defense were obvious - an aging unit was starting the season without some of its top stars. Others would have to step up if the Steelers tradition of stoudt defense was to be maintained.

One player did that. In a second season where the Steelers defense faced a shortage of "Splash Plays" this man stepped up and not only led in sacks but also interceptions -- two categories for which his position is not necessarily know. He also came in second in total tackles but even there, numbers do not quite tell the tale.

This player excelled because, like other true Steeler defensive legends such as Rod Woodson or Greg Lloyd, he was around the ball at critical times, making tackles that ended drives, prevented scores, or stopped the loss of additional yards. And he did it, for the most part, when most in the media and many in Steelers Nation, were focusing on injuries to James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, and LaMarr Woodley.

For all of that, Lawrence Timmons wins Steel Curtain Risings "Unsung Hero Award" for the Steelers 2012 season.

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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 Close 2012 by Defeating Browns, Offer Glimpses of What Was, Could Have Been....

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered their 2012 season finale with the Cleveland Browns carrying a unique distinction – for the first time in the Mike Tomlin era, the men in Black and Gold would play a game with zero playoff implications.

• How would the Steelers respond?

In defeating the Browns 24-10 and evening their season to 8-8 the Steelers fittingly offered Steelers Nation glimpses of both what was and what could have been.

2012 The Way It Was

Disappointment was in no short supply for the Steelers in 2012, and the first half of their game vs. the Browns showed why.

Through the first 28 minutes the Steelers managed to:

• Punt the ball way 4 times
• Secure zero first downs
• Fail to convert a turnover into any points whatsoever
• Give up a long punt return (which was mercifully called back on a penalty)

Nor does the stat sheet take into account the interception that safety er um, tight end David Paulson broke up. And of course there were the injuries. A 2012 Pittsburgh Steelers game would not be complete without the loss of at least one starter to injury.

And the Fates were not about to choose Week 17 to disappoint. During the course of the game the Steelers lost:

• Kelvin Beachum to a concussion resulting for a cheap shot
• Keenan Lewis re-injured his knee and was lost for the game
• Brett Keisel injured his MCL
• David DeCastro suffered a stinger and left the game.

That’s 3 starters for those of you taking notes at home, leaving the Steelers with their 4th string offensive tackle, their 2nd string defensive lineman, their 4th string guard and their 5th or 6th string cornerback.

If you’re a member of Steelers Nation who was holed up at the South Pole and only now are catching up on the 2012 season, the 203 words written below the subtitle provide a concise summary.

Yes, for most of the first half it looked as if Mike Tomlin was going suffer his first losing season. But then the Steelers offered a peek at what could have been.

2012 The Way It Could Have Been

With 3:48 left in the first half the Steelers got the ball and, after making their first down of the half, proceeded to do what they’d done all day so far – go three and out.

Cleveland, playing under second year player Thaddeus Lewis, had looked like the team that wanted it more, and had an excellent shot at getting into the end zone with just two minutes remaining.

But then the Steelers defense went and did something it only began doing with any regularity a week ago – they caused a turnover.

If the Pittsburgh Steelers offense has been consistent at anything this season, it has been at scoring in the final minutes on the first half. And week 17 was no exception.

Isaac Redman set the tone with a bruising 11 yard run, and two plays later Ben Roethlisberger was connecting with Leonard Pope for the Steelers first touchdown.

It would be poetic to say that from this point on, the Steelers controlled the game. Alas, that was not to be.

The Steelers defense did its part, stalling Cleveland at their own 25 on 4th and 5, but for the second time in a four games, the Steelers special teams got caught with their pants down on a fake punt as Raymond Ventrone scampered for 35 yards.

An inane pass interference penalty on Joshua Victorian gave the Browns 1st and goal at the 1, and they only needed two plays to tie the score.

But Jonathan Dwyer answered immediately with the frist of two 12 yard runs on an 12 play 6:24 drive that ended with Ben Roethlisberger hooking up with Antonio Brown in the end zone.

• The Steelers were ahead, but could they stay there?

The Steelers would stay there on the strength of:

• A tag team sack by Steve McLendon and Cameron Hewyard
• Cortez Allen’s forced fumble, recovery and 21 yard return
• Plaxico Burress’ first regular season touchdown as a Pittsburgh Steeler since December 2004
• Back to back, lightning quick sacks Lawrence Timmons, including a forced fumble and recovery by Ziggy Hood

In a word, the Steelers closed out 2012 with the type of situational plays that they didn't make consistently enough to keep their season going into January.

Steelers Finish 8-8, Face a Long Off Season

The win over the Browns evened the Steelers 2012 regular season record to 8-8. While missing the playoffs disappointing, this year it is particularly poignant in Pittsburgh.

As discussed here on Steel Curtain Rising this morning, aging, free agency, and looming salary cap complications will likely force the Steelers to retool their roster considerably.

Max Starks, Casey Hampton, Larry Foote, and Mike Wallace are all free agents, Brett Keisel and James Harrison will both be 35 and Deebo may very well be carrying a cost-prohibitive salary cap number.

But they’ll be plenty of time to sort those issues out in the months to come, and Steel Curtain Rising will be there to comment on it all.

In the mean time, thanks to all of for visiting this sight and taking time to share in its insights.

For any number of reasons -- some good, some bad, some on my shoulders, some out of my control -- traffic was down this season, but Google Analytics tells me that we did retain a core of loyal followers, and for that you have my deepest appreciation.

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Bengals Best Steelers 13-10 at Heinz Field

“Obviously, not our day and, thus, not our year.” – Mike Tomlin following the Bengals loss

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2012 campaign has been one riddled with ironies and the loss at Heinz Field to the Cincinnati Bengals added yet another layer.

An inability to sack the quarterback and force turnovers plagued the Steelers defense all season.

• Against the Bengals the Steelers intercepted two balls and forced and recovered one fumble, and sacked Andy Dalton six times

Yet... 

• ...the Steelers offense scored zero points off of those turnovers

The Steelers secondary was brutalized first against San Diego and then again against Dallas

• Against the Bengals, the secondary held Cincinnati to 4-15 on third down conversions

Yet...

• ...when Andy Dalton needed to complete a pass, he did

All season long, ball security and drops have plagued Young Money at critical points in crucial games

• Against the Bengals, the wide receivers committed no turnovers, made some nice catches and drops were a non-issue

 Yet...

• ...too often they never got a chance to work their magic because Ben Roethlsiberger simply lacked time

And what 2012 Steelers loss would be complete without a special teams snafu? Shaun Suisham has been impeccable all year, yet missed another field goal beyond his range, and shanked an absolute gimmie because of – get this – a bad snap.

Steelers Start Hungry, Focused But…

You can describe the 2012 Pittsburgh Steelers with a single word.  “Inconsistent.”

To be truly inconsistent implies highs as well as lows, and today certainly qualified for the Steelers, because it may have been one of their better defensive performances.

Against San Diegothe Steelers defense looked dazed, confused and at times appeared to play almost in slow motion. Against Dallas, the Steelers defense seemed over matched for much of the game (although the unit did ‘turn it up’ fairly well in the second half.)

•  None of that was apparent today. In the words of my wife “this is a different team.”

 And it was.

• At times the Steelers run defense has been suspect this season. Cincinnatitotaled 14 yards rushing.

Series after series ended in frustration for the Steelers offense, but the Steelers defense never batted an eye. Yes, Andy Dalton made a number of key throws and connected with A.J. Green and Jermaine Gresham, but neither of those men sniffed the end zone.

Cincinnatioffense made enough noise to pin the Steelers deep into their own territory, their total offensive output for the day was six points. 

• Normally in the NFL you win when you hold your opponent’s offense to six points.

But the 2012 Steelers, ever creative in their endeavors to find new ways to self-sabotage, succeeded yet again.

It’s (Not Quite) About the Quarterback, Stupid

The loss to the Bengals, as all losses are, was a team effort.

If Greg Warren, Drew Bulter, and Shaun Suisham keep it together long enough to make a 24 yard field goal, this game likely goes into overtime.

Rashard Mendenhall and to a lesser extent Jonathan Dwyer ran strong in the first half. Cincinnatimade the adjustments necessary to shut down the Steelers running game in the second half.

The Steelers inability to rush the ball in the second half forced them to rely in Ben Roethlisberger and his receivers. Antonio Brownatoned in part for his awful performance last week by burning his man on the Steelers only touchdown of the day.

• Yet that burst was the exception and not the rule.

 The Steelers passing game might look respectable on the stat sheet, but in truth it struggled all day. They only managed to convert two third downs, and Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 4 times in the second half.

It’s important to get all of these very relevant points out into the open, so that the record reflects that no one man was responsible for the Steelers loss. 

• But one man must bear extra responsibility for the loss, and that man would be Ben Roethlisberger.

Cincinnati’s only touchdown came when Ben Roethlisberger attempted to force the ball to Health Miller deep in his own territory. Leon Hall wasn’t fooled for a moment and scored easily.

Ben Roethlisberger waited until the 4^th quarter for his next self inflicted wound, when he forced a pass to Mike Wallace that he didn’t have to force, setting up the Bengals for a field goal.

Steel Curtain Rising has long argued that Ben Roethlisberger gets short shift from the national media. Yet, if he wants to be regarded as a truly elite quarterback, he needs to stop throwing these stupid interceptions.

Ben’s ability to improvise and make something out of nothing is legendary, and no serious Steelers fan should want to take that away from him. But sometimes he tries to take too much upon himself. He did that today, and it cost the Steelers.

And that adds additional irony to the Steelers 2012 season. Arguably Ben Roethlisberger has played some of his best ball during stretches of 2012. Along with Heath Miller and Lawrence Timmons, Roethlisberger has been one few consistent performers game in and game out this year.

But in this must win game vs. the Bengals Roethlisberger’s number came up, and it was his turn to fall short with the playoffs on the line. Unfortunate and frustrating, but that’s reality in Steelers Nation this Christmas Eve.

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Steelers Report Card vs. Cowboys @ Jerry's World

Taken from the grade book of a teacher who is wondering if what once seemed to be his star pupil is actually underachieving or is simply mired in mediocrity, here is the Steelers report card for the loss to the Dallas Cowboys at Jerry’s World. As a caveat, no other report cards were consulted prior to this posting.

Quarterback
Had the Steelers won, it would have been forgotten that Ben Roethlisberger started shaky, was uncharacteristically low on several key throws, and was below 50% passing for much of the early going.  The amnesia is justified, as Roethlisberger put on a sterling performance to close the second half, and brought the Steelers back from deficits in the fourth quarter in strong fashion. But… He threw an interception, inside his own twenty, in over time. Maybe one costly error doesn’t negate everything Roethlisberger did, but it negates a lot.  Grade:  C-

Running Back
Jonathan Dwyer started off with a strong 6 yard run, and then end up averaging 2.4 yards per carry, although nine carries isn’t much to judge by. Isaac Redman had a spectacular 22 yard run and looked good, on his other 2 carries. Ditto Chris Rainey, who made the most of his carries. It may have been through no fault of their own, but the running backs were largely a non-factor. Grade:  B-

Wide Receivers
This unit started out with some ball security issues, drops and inability to get in bounds, and of course finished with an inability to stay in bounds. But in between, the receivers turned in a pretty good game. Heath Miller was phenomenal in the first half. Mike Wallace burned his men so badly he had to wait for the ball, and Jerricho Cotchery made a couple of key catches.  Grade:  B

Offensive Line
Ben Roethlisberger didn’t go down often early, but that was largely from his “Roger the Dodger” imitation. The run blocking was average at best. Both Max Starks and Kelvin Beachum struggled to contain pressure off the edge. But unit put up a winning performance until the Steelers final two possessions – when Roethlisberger needed time the most. That breakdown was unacceptable.  Grade:  D

Defensive Line
Unlike Pittsburgh, Dallas’ running game was a factor, giving Tony Romo lots of 2nd and 3rd and shorts which he converted with relish. That starts with the defensive line. Likewise, the Steelers got little significant  pressure on Romo. In fact, Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward were the only players to register any stats, although Brett Keisel recovered a fumble. With a depleted  secondary, the Steelers needed something extra up front. They didn’t get it much from the line. Grade:  C-

Linebackers
Lawrence Timmons continued to make his case for defensive MVP registering a sack and stopping a key Dallas third down conversion. James Harrison saved a touchdown with a masterful strip at the goal line, and nixed some sort of trickery by slam dunking Romo on another 3rd and short. LaMarr Woodley played, but was invisible throughout the game. Larry Foote did little to distinguish himself. Grade:  B-

Secondary
You had to feel for Joshua Victorian. Has a Steelers corner ever been picked on so badly? Clearly he was over matched early on, but he did perk up, a little during the game. Still, poor tackling and yards after the catch were as much issues as completions, which were plentifully. Keenan Lewis turned in a strong game including some great touchdown saves. Ryan Clark led the team in tackles, and Troy Polamalu was second, although he’s clearly failed to be a force since his return. The Standard is the Standard, and the secondary was below the line.  Grade:  D

Special Teams
Shaun Suisham was 1-1 on field goals. Chris Rainey had one nice kick return. No returns got called back on penalties. Dallas did have a long punt return. Antonio Brown had two long punt returns. Unfortunately on his second one, where he looked primed to set Pittsburgh up to ice the game, he put the ball on the ground. For an encore he passed on fielding a punt and the ensuring bounce put the Steelers another 15 yards in the hole. This unit cannot seem to stop tripping over its own too feet. The fumble was a decisive momentum shift. Inexcusable.  Grade:  F

Coaching
After a heart breaking letdown the Steelers started off jittery. To their credit, Mike Tomlin kept the team on an even keel. On a day when Tony Romo was moving with alarming ease, the Steelers maintained their composure and did not hesitate to go blow for blow. And for all of the defense’s flaws, they did force Dallas off the field at a couple of key points (only to watch their special teams self destruct.)

Dick Lebeau had a difficult task. His adjustments didn’t manage to get much pressure on Romo, but overall the defense’s performance might have been good enough. Ditto Todd Haley. Much is made of the inability to get Heath Miller the ball in the second half, but the Steelers offense did tie the game in the 3rd and took the lead in the first. Ultimately the Steelers did make some adjustments, but they weren’t enough. Grade:  C

Unsung Hero
He’s a guy who doesn’t see the stat sheet a lot and will in all likelihood have to fight for a roster spot every summer at St. Vincents. But Ben Roethlisberger called his number twice, and twice he delivered with double digit receptions, including one that helped set up the Steelers first score. On the Steelers second score, he helped open the daylight that lead to Dwyer’s first half ending touchdown, and for that Will Johnson is the Unsung Hero of the Dallas game.

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