Watch Tower: James Harrison Slights Ben Roethlisberger, Profaning the Terrible Towel and More...

The Steelers took to the field vs. the Titans looking to answer a lot of questions. Suffice to say, Steelers Nation didn’t get the answer it wanted. But that led to a lot of interesting stories for the Watch Tower to shine its light upon but ironically the biggest story had to do with the week to come.

Silverback Scales Big Ben?

For as big as the Steelers loss to the Titans was, perhaps even bigger news is the impending match up with the Bengals which of course bring James Harrison up against his former team.

• In both the Steelers and Bengals locker room both factions studiously avoided providing (almost) any bulletin board material. 

The “story” as told by the Post-Gazette, Tribune Review, and ESPN was that James Harrison held no grudges, that this is all part of the business.

At least that’s the line that Ralph Paulk, Scott Brown, and Ray Fittipaldo held to in their stories based on the weekly conference call with opposition players (Ray Fittipaldo in fact parlayed the interview into two stories.)

There was one rather glaring exception, and it was only reported by free lance reporter Jim Wexell. Harrison had no ill words for the Steelers, but he did slight their most prominent player, Ben Roethlisberger.

As reported by Wexell Harrison had this to say on his Steel City Insider site:

Harrison did punch one Steeler in the gut. "They had a rough one," Harrison said of the Steelers' last game. "They lost their best offensive player they had in Maurkice Pouncey."

To his credit, Wexell made no attempt to blow the quote out of proportion, but did remind readers of how Harrison ripped into Roethlisberger in his infamous Men’s Journal interview in July 2011.

• Regardless, Harrison’s comment offers real news value.

If he’s trying to snub Roethlisberger by default, then that’s news. And if he sincerely believes that Pouncey is the Steelers best offensive player, that’s also news.

One can only speculate as to why this angle of the story was completely ignored by rest of the Steelers press crops. An easy conclusion is that they succumbed to pressure from the Steelers PR office. But that makes little sense upon further examination, as Wexell himself is a correspondent for Steelers Digest.

Either way, Wexell deserves credit for reporting on something that his colleagues ignored.

Steelers Supposed to Suck, Yet Still “Underachievers”

Few pundits preseason pundits picked the Steelers to do anything, but few were as strident as SI’s Don Banks. In his annual prediction column, Banks was merciless when it came to the Steelers, predicting a last in the AFC North finish.

That made his Tuesday column all the more interesting, when he labeled the Steelers as one of the top “underachievers” of the NFL’s opening weekend.

• So if the Steelers are really supposed to be bad, then how can they be “underachievers?” 

Banks never addresses that. To be fair, he did list underachievement as one of the weaknesses heading into 2013 saying Injuries, age and underachievement will combine to produce Pittsburgh's worst season since the Steelers plummeted to 6-10 in 2003.

• Banks’ post-Titans critique also had its flaws. 

However, Banks all but declares the Roethlisberger era to be over in Pittsburgh.

• Lest accusation of homerism should let fly, both Ben Roethlisberger’s short term health and longevity are very much in danger.

But if the story on the Steelers in NFL week one was “underachievement” then Banks picked the wrong poster boy in Roethlisberger, as he managed a pretty good game with very, very little help.

Profaning the Terrible Towel

The Post-Gazette’s Dan Gigler brought a very important story to light in his Blog and Gold column, when he informed his readers that the Steelers are desecrating the Terrible Towel with logos from other teams.

• That’s right, you can now get your Terrible Towel with Steelers and Titans or Jaguars logos printed on it.

This is near blasphemy and Gigler deserves a shout out for reporting it.

Lolley-Le'von Axis...r

Veteran Observer-Reporter journalist Dale Lolley did a little bit of his own Watch Towerism this week by calling out the rest of the press crops over the handling of the Le’Veon Bell injury.

Le’Veon Bell of course is the Steelers 2nd round draft pick who was all but anointed as the next Franco Harris/Jerome Bettis on the strength of a strong training camp, only to fall prey to a lisfranc injury in camp.

This fact was reported widely in August, although the severity of the story quickly diminished as it became clear that Bell didn’t have a lisfranc tear, unlike Matt Spaeth.

Bell himself had told reporters that he might return by week two, but that story got cold water thrown on it. Regarding the press’ handling of this pattern of events Lolley observed:

From the beginning, I reported that Bell had a Lisfranc injury. And, despite what some were reporting, Mike Tomlin never said Bell didn't have a Lisfranc injury.
He only said Bell didn't have a Lisfranc tear like the one Matt Spaeth did and that they were hoping he would recover without surgery.
The initial estimates on his recovery - not from the Steelers, but by reporters - was six to eight weeks.
So now, a story is written saying Bell will be out another month. That would put him right in line with the six to eight weeks that was being reported from the beginning of this thing.

Kudos to Lolley for his effort to keep a story in context and to hold his friends and colleagues accountable, albeit without naming them.

Lolley also offered some level headed thinking both immediately after the Titans game and on the Monday afterwards.

Wallace Watch Starts

In the 1990’s the Pittsburgh Steelers “enjoyed” an annual tradition of off season free agent exoduses. Perhaps none were as intently watched as Mike Wallace’s decision to bolt to Miami for a cool 13 million per year.

• The Steelers made it very clear, very early they were not going to pay Wallace that kind of cash.

One of the reasons why was that Wallace resented having to share the spot light with the likes of Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders.

As many fans know, Wallace’s Dolphins beat the Cleveland Browns, but Wallace was limited to one catch for 15 yards. Dan Gigler shared a Miami Herald article which painted a picture of a deeply disgusted Wallace who had to be consoled by the team’s general manager no less.

For their part, Behind the Steel Curtain also offered its own piece, comparing Wallace to Keyshawn "Will You Just Give me the Damm Ball"  Johnson.

Thanks for visiting. To read more analysis of the media that cover the Steelers, click here to read more from Steel Curtain Rising's Watch Tower.

Read More

Fernando Velasco - From NFL "Street" Free Agent to Steelers Starting Center

Note to future NFL “street” free agent offensive lineman, should the Pittsburgh Steelers contact you about joining the team in mid-season, you stand a strong chance of starting that next Sunday.

The Steelers set the precedent in 2011 with Max Starks, and now they follow it with Fernando Velasco per Gerry Dulac’s tweet:

New C Fernando Velasco will start in Cincy. Isaac Redman: “I’ve never seen anyone come in and look as comfortable in the offense so quick."
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) September 13, 2013

The Steelers waived Max Starks in July of 2011 following the NFL lockout after his weight had reportedly ballooned up to near 400 lbs. After Willie Colon tore his triceps during the Debacle in Baltimore the Steelers turned away offers from Flozell Adams and instead opted to start then rookie Marcus Gilbert.

• In 2011, the team desperately wanted to turn a new page on its offensive line.

But the Houston defense desperately overwhelmed Jonathan Scott the Steelers turned to Starks. He arrived at the South Side with his name penciled in as a back up, but within 24 hours the Steelers were talking about starting Max Starks and start he did.

The Steelers of course reached out to Velasco within 24 hours of Maurkice Pouncey’s ACL/MCL tear suffered vs. the Titans. Pro Football Focus rated Velasco as the 11th best center in 2012, but The Turk nonetheless darkened his door on cut down day.

Velasco’s experience with zone blocking attracted the Steelers, and Behind the Steel Curtain’s Steel34D film review confirmed Velaco’s ability in a zone blocking scheme, (a review which includes some success at Casey Hampton’s expense.)

Word that Velasco will start frees Kelvin Beachum to return to his role as primary backup across the offensive line and of course the new hat he wears, blocking tight end.

Thanks for visiting. Click here to check out the rest of Steel Curtain Rising. Or... Follow @SteelCurtainRis

Read More

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.

Thanks for visiting. Click here to check out the rest of Steel Curtain Rising. Or... Follow @SteelCurtainRis

Read More

Steelers Report Card vs. the Titans

Taken from the grade book of a teacher who didn't know whether to interpret the silence of his newly arrived pupils as a sign of genius or something far different, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers report card for the torturing they endured at the hands of the Titans. Please note, no other report cards were consulted prior to this posting.

Quarterback
The Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger is a class act. He's got the fate of the franchise on his back and that self-same organization essentially hung him out to dry by providing a tackle doubling as a tight end as his only back up at center. Roethlisberger was under duress all day, yet managed to remain poised and refrained from pointing fingers publicly. He also moved the team smartly down giving them at least a theoretical chance to win the game at the end, which is a credit to his spirit of his professionalism and competitiveness. His play wasn't perfect, and his grade much reflect that. But he is certainly not to blame for the loss. Grade:  B-

Running Backs
Vs. the Titans Steelers Nation saw what had to have been one of the worst rushing efforts in franchise history. Even in the pass happy NFL, 33 yards does not cut it. Early on Isaac Redman looked very much like a back who hadn't carried the ball in a month. LaRod Stephens-Howling played a little better, but tore and ACL for his troubles. While they might not be "at fault," players must be graded on "what they put on tape" and the performance and production of a both men was simply unacceptable. Grade:  F

Wide Receivers
Emmanuel Sanders dropped what looked liked could have been an opening score. He atoned for that to lead the Steelers in catches, but still suffered from other drops. Antonio Brown also looked good. Jerricho Cotchery simply did what was asked of him. Still, given the chaos in front of them, this unit needed to do something special, something extraordinary and they didn't. Grade: C

Tight Ends
David Johnson didn't do much more than catch a pass and clearly did not help improve the run blocking. David Paulson was invisible. Kelvin Beachum started the game here but was quickly shifted to center..... Again, perhaps not "their fault" but his group was not an asset on the field Sunday. Grade: D

Offensive Line
David DeCastro now holds the dubious honor of maintaining the Steelers offensive lines "tradition" of injuring your fellow teammates. Marcus Gilbert struggled, and the entire line looked lost without Maurkice Pouncey. Again, this might not be "their fault" but their production was simply unacceptable. Grade: F

Defensive Line
On paper, this group had a fine afternoon, holding Chris Johnson to 2.8 yards per carry and the Titans to 2.7 yards per carry. And that just goes to show you how statistics deceive. The Titans in fact, rammed the ball down the middle of the Steelers defense. They may not have done it eloquently, but they did do it effectively. Steve McLendon, Brett Keisel, and Ziggy Hood made plenty of tackles, but didn’t get much penetration. Grade:  C-

Linebackers
There was the good, the bad, and the injuries. LaMarr Woodley registered the game’s only sack and was the backfield consistently. Rookie Jarvis Jones made a show stopping behind the line of scrimmage tackle of Johnson. The sight of 95 making splash plays for the Steelers was hair raising. Larry Foote led the unit in tackles, but Tennessee appeared to be targeting him in the running game. Lawrence Timmons, while not playing poorly, needs to be heard more than scene. Jason Worilds was sadly invisible. Grade:  B-

Secondary
Cortez Allen’s reign as starting cornerback lasted less than a half. William Gay played a very strong game in replacement of Allen. Ike Taylor’s name was not called much, which is good for a corner. Ryan Clark went out of the game twice with injuries, but was back in after a play. No wonder he led the team in tackles. Troy Polamalu showed flashes of his old self, although should have been more attentive on a possible fumble recovery. Overall, a solid performance from the oldest unit on the field. Grade:  B

Special Teams
Yes there were the dumb penalties. No, there was no spark from the return game. But in spite of that, this until was succeeding in not making themselves a glaring liability for 3 and a half quarters.  Then Zoltan Mesko followed with a 39 yard punt (not terrible, but he was kicking from the 5) which Houston returned for 27 yards, giving Tennessee 1st and 10 at the Steelers 17. The Steelers are settling into a very dangerous “special teams mishap of the game” rut. This must stop. Grade:  F

Coaching
Mike Tomlin does not coach scared. Sometimes that philosophy has its consequences, and your number two tight end going to play center was one of them. Tomlin failed to refocus his team after was clearly a deflating injury. Todd Haley likewise could not get into any sort of a groove with his play calling. Dick LeBeau’s unit did better, but the success of the Titans running up the middle will be noted in the AFC North and parts elsewhere. Danny Smith was supposed to revitalize the special teams. Steelers Nation continues to wait.  Grade:  F

Unsung Hero Award
When times get tough teams look to an unselfish player who simply steps up to make plays. They might be game changing, they might simply convert a third down, or they might simply involve doing what was asked of them. Such characteristics made Hines Ward one of the NFL’s best kept secrets until 2001 or so. Jerricho Cotchery is on the other end of his career, he only made four catches but he came up with them when the Steelers needed him to, and for that he is Steel Curtain Rising’s Unsung Hero of the Titans game.

Thanks for visiting. Click here for other Steelers Report Cards. Or, click here to follow Steel Curtain Rising on Twitter @SteelCurtainRis.

Read More

Can't Get Enough of Tennessee? Steelers Sign Former Titans Center Fernando Velasco

Note to aspiring NFL centers. If you're looking to for a shot at the mantle of Ray Mansfield, Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, and Jeff Hartings and you don't get drafted by the Steelers, you should try to first latch on with the Tennessee Titans.

One of Mike Tomlin's more unsuccessful personnel moves was to bring Sean Mahan to the Steelers from Tampa. After that experiment failed, the Steelers looked to free agent center Jeff Hartwig who'd cut his teeth in Tennessee.

Now the same cycle is repeating itself. The experiment with Kelvin Beachum at center may last one merciful game as the Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran center Fernando Velasco.

Long time free lance reporter Jim Wexell described Velasco in these terms:

I watched new Steelers OL Fernando Velasco this preseason and am surprised he was available. Strong, some mobility. Quality pick-up.
— James C Wexell (@jimwexell) September 9, 2013

It is not know if Velasco will start Sunday vs. the Bengals but, unlike Kelvin Beachum, he'll at least have game experience at center. One thing is certain, regardless of whether Velasco starts or not, he won't spend his week in practice as the team's number 2 tight end...

Steelers Continue to Shuffle Roster

The shuffling of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 roster in the wake of their disastrous loss to the Titans also continued in other areas, as Jonathan Dwyer returned to the team and kicker Shayne Graham also came on board due to Shawn Suisham's hamstring injury.

Maurkice Pouncey, Larry Foote, and LaRod Stephens-Howling officially went on season-ending injured reserve.

Thanks for visiting. Click here to check out the rest of Steel Curtain Rising. Or... Follow @SteelCurtainRis

Read More

Steelers Roll "Snake Eyes," Come up Short in 16-9 Loss to Titans

As the 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers took to the field against the Tennessee Titans they did so as a squad looking to answer many questions, questions whose response typically began with “ifs.”

• If the investment in the offensive line pays off… 
• If the injury gods would grant them a hiatus from their wrath
• If they can incorporate 22 new players alongside a group of playoff tested veterans

So what was the answer to those “ifs?” Look no further than Mike Tomlin himself, who said “…we didn’t play well enough. We didn’t coach well enough.”

Steel Curtain Rising whole heartedly agrees with the Steelers reigning field general, but would add one additional “well enough” as in “We didn’t plan well enough.”

Steelers Roll Snake Eyes, End Up Snake Bitten

Steelers Digest editor Bob Labrolia previewed the season observing “The Steelers will be doing a Nik Wallenda imitation this season – working on the high wire without a net….” In fact, the Nik Wallenda metaphor is one he used multiple times in preseason.

• If the high wire metaphor is apt, then Steelers Nation got to see the football equivalent of an offense falling off that wire.

As the game started it looked as if the Fates might have chosen to smile on the Steelers, as Darius Reynaud stepped back into the end zone to give the Steelers a safety.

And on the Steelers first drive the offense gave Steelers Nation a glimpse of the best of what they could have reasonably hopped to see from a unit starting its third tight end, second string running back with a young offensive line learning a new blocking scheme.

• It wasn’t spectacular, the running game struggled, but the Steelers moved the ball in into scoring position in workman like fashion.

Of course they fumbled it away due to a bad handoff – which isn’t excusable, but perhaps understandable given the circumstances.

Its dangerous to extrapolate too many “could haves” based on the first 8 plays of a football season, but Ben Roethlisberger was sharp and Jerricho Cotchery and Antonio Brown showed that they could make a few plays.

Of course nestled into that 8 play series was a disaster of, shall we say, titanic proportions – Maurkice Pouncey went down, tearing his MCL and ACL.

The Steelers worst nightmare had come true, the rock upon which Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert had constructed their offensive line rebuilding project had crumbled.

• After that nothing else went right for the Steelers offense. Literally nothing.

The Steelers offense had 11 drives. Seven end in punts, one got fumbled away, another ended in an interception, the clock ran out on another and yes, on one the Steelers did get a garbage time touchdown.

• …OK, technically that wasn’t garbage time, but did anyone really think the Steelers were going to recover the on-sides kick and score?

Isaac Redman couldn’t run or hold onto the ball. Felix Jones didn’t get much of a chance. LaRod Stephens-Howling did and didn’t look horrible, but of course got injured and it appears may have torn his ACL. Ben Roethlisberger got sacked 5 times and hit 6 times.

If you subtract the 75 yards the Steelers consumed on their garage time touchdown drive, the team had 120 total yards of offense.

There really are no hidden gems, moral victories, or silver linings. The offense was atrocious.

Steelers Defense Above the Line, But….

Normally when you hold a team to 16 points in the NFL, you have a good shot at winning. When you hold them to 13 (as the Steelers defense very well might have had it not been for a 27 yard punt return after a bad punt) you stand a very good shot at winning.

• So judged purely by numbers, the Steelers defense played well vs. the Titans, especially when you consider Tennessee was working with short fields.

That doesn’t mean everything went well. Jake Locker had time to throw and was only sacked once, by LaMarr Woodley. The Steelers run defense held Chris Johnson in check, but the Titans did successfully nickel and dime the Steelers on their only touchdown drive of the day.

• And for the unteethen time since 2010, the Steelers defense failed to secure a turnover.

There’s no way to lay blame at the Steelers defense for this defeat but, given the quality of opposition, the level of dominance needed to carry an offense that looks to limp for a while was missing.

The Problem with Calculated Risks? Sometimes They Go Wrong

So disaster struck on the offensive line, and the Steelers did not have the personnel to compensate. The Steelers shoved Willie Colon out the door and let veterans such as Max Starks and Doug Legursky leave without so much as a token effort to keep them.

• Is it fair to say the Steelers didn’t “prepare well enough?”

Perhaps, and perhaps not. The Steelers salary cap situation is precarious, and management made a number of calculated risks in what amounted to a sort of Loaves and Fishes variety of salary cap maneuvering.

• They gave it there best shot and hoped for the best.

During the first round of what looks to be a marathon 16 round fight, Art Rooney II, Kevin Colbert, and Mike Tomlin’s best clearly wasn’t good enough.

Thanks for visiting. Click here to check out the rest of Steel Curtain Rising. Or... Follow @SteelCurtainRis

Read More

Could John Malecki and Marshall McFadden Return to the Steelers?

The sting of the Steelers 16-9 opening day loss to the Tennessee Titans is not yet 24 hours old, and the news continues to get worse.

• Maurkice Pouncey is out for the year with a torn MCL and ACL
• Larry Foote has a torn biceps and will likely miss the year
• LaRod Stephens-Howling, if rumor is confirmed, also has a torn ACL

All of these players will go on injured reserve ending their seasons.

That also means the Steelers will need to replace them. Quickly. Where to turn? There are a number of possibilities.

One of the surprise cuts that the Steelers made was of John Malecki, who started one game for the Steelers and served as a back up. The Steelers cut him in favor of Cody Wallace, who didn’t even dress vs. the Titans. Malecki didn’t get picked up, and the Steelers will likely bring him back.

Larry Foote’s injury also creates another vacancy at linebacker. One candidate is Marshall McFadden, who was another surprise cut. McFadden landed on the Raiders practice squad, but the Steelers can sign him with the provision that he stays on the active roster for 3 games (which shouldn’t be a problem.)

The Steelers also need to make a move a running back.

• Could Jonathan Dwyer return?

Its possible but doubtful. Doubtful that the Steelers would seek his serveices and probably equally doubtful that Dwyer would agree to return.

Another potential move the Steelers could make would involved Max Starks. That depends on what they wish to do at center.

Kelvin Beachum had been serving as an emergency tight end and as the team’s top back up at tackle, guard and center. If he is to continue to start in front of Ben Roethlisberger at center, the Steelers will need to add depth, and Starks is currently without a job (although his experience in San Diego was terrible.)

Either way, the Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 Roster is about to get reconfigured again.

Thanks for visiting. Click here to check out the rest of Steel Curtain Rising. Or... Follow @SteelCurtainRis

Read More

Steelers 2013 Roster Analysis: Offensive Line

Steel Curtain Rising begins its analysis of the Steelers 2013 roster with the offensive line.

Starters:  Mike Adams, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Marcus Gilbert
Back ups: Kelvin Beachum, Guy Whimper, Cody Wallace

Strengths: The Steelers have invested heavily in their offensive line via premium draft picks. On paper, these men have the pedigree to grow into a dominat unit....

Weaknesses:   ...And that is also the groups greatest weakness. This is a young an inexperienced line. Expect growing pains. How severe will the growing pains be?

The Skinny:  Beyond the issue of growth, the Steelers have crossed their fingers in the hopes that the injury gods do not again rain their wrath down upon the Steelers offensive line, as they did in '08, '10,'11, and '12. Because if they do, this is a unit that has next to no depth as Willie Colon is in New York and Doug Legursky is in Buffalo. Max Starks is available, but the team has not been interested in renewing the love affair yet. An injury to Gilbert or Adams could change that fast.

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

Thanks for visiting. Click here to check out the rest of Steel Curtain Rising. Or... Follow @SteelCurtainRis

Read More

Video Lowlights for the Steelers 24-13 Loss to the Redskins

Perhaps it is a bit of a misnomer to call the highlights from the Steelers loss to the Redskins in preseason “lowlights” as some individual players did have good moments. But any sober Steelers fan has got to admit that the negatives outweighed the positives.



What can we take from this? Is it too early to panic? Or is this “just preseason?”

• Steel Curtain Rising’s golden rule of preseason is that the preseason is good for evaluating individual players and individual units.

Once upon a time the Pittsburgh Steelers played an America Bowl game in Montreal against the New England Patriots. The Steelers triumphed 30-14 and a strong running game masked a the chaotic debut of Joe Walton’s offense.

Their next game was in Washington, vs. the Redskins which happened to the first pro football experience of yours truly. The Steelers offense was in total disarray. Warren Williams and Merril Hoge looked good, but Bubby Brister, when not running for his life, was throwing to Louis Lipps on the strong side when Lipps was cutting towards the weak side.

• Those two games began what was an ominous trend that lasted for two seasons, as Joe Walton's offense ultimately drove Chuck Noll into retirement.

Where does that leave us today? Well, Vs. the Redskins Ben Roethlisberger was only sacked once, but was hit numerous times and pressured into a pick six. Marcus Gilbert was completely overwhelmed and Maurkice Pouncey was manhandled. Mike Adams and David DeCastro got hit with penalties.

• And then there were the injuries.

Second round pick Le’Veon Bell’s debut lasted all of four carries. Issac Redman didn’t play. Neither did Rod Stephens-Howling. Baron Batch suffered a stinger. Full back Will Johnson injured a rib. Jonathan Dwyer looked strong at times but, surprise, put the ball on the ground.

The Steelers defense put in a stronger showing, with first round Jarvis Jones forcing a fumble, LaMarr Woodley registering a sack, and Lawrence Timmons playing like he was on a tear. Shamarko Thomas also hit everything in sight.

The offense had its moments, with Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, and David Paulson catching some nice long balls along with rookie Marcus Wheaton.

But none of that will mean anything if the Steelers cannot right the ship on the offensive line – staying healthy would help too.

When Steelers Nation Should to Know to Panic

While what Steelers Nation has seen so far is hardly encouraging, it is too early to panic. The Steelers don’t game plan for preseason. A fair number of play calls are designed towards testing players rather than specific game situations.

• Still getting manhandled is getting manhandled. There's no way to sugar coat it.

If history is any guide, the next game’s performance will be the true gauge.

Back in 1998 after the Steelers let John Jackson depart San Diego, Bill Cowher tried Jamine Stevens, Paul Wiggins, and Chris Conrad out as replacements. The Steelers had an extra preseason game then, giving Bill Cowher a four full games to see all three men go.

• The coach's most difficult challenge was figuring out which one was worse.

After their fourth game against Atlanta, played at Morgantown, Cowher had had enough. He started Roger Duffy at guard (soon to be replaced by rookie Alan Faneca), moved Will Wolford from guard to tackle, and shifted Justin Strzelczyk from left to right tackle.

• That worked fairly well until Strzelczyk got hurt.

The moral of the story is that no improvement from the offensive line in the third week of preseason = time to panic. If Mike Tomlin is starting Kelven Beachum over Gilbert in the final preseason game, you’ll know the coaches are really worried…..

Thanks for visiting. Click here to check out the rest of Steel Curtain Rising. Or... Follow @SteelCurtainRis

Read More

Watch Tower: Right or Wrong, ESPN's Chadiha Simply Fails to Understand the Steelers

ESPN’s Jeffri Chadiha recently weighed in on the Pittsburgh Steelers prospects for 2013, and Steelers Nation will not like his conclusions. In a nut shell Chadiha says that the Steelers are destined for a downswing on the level that epic franchises such as the Redskins, Cowboys, and 49ers experienced.

Chadiha projects the Steelers as a third in the AFC North with 8-8 likely their best possible outcome. Chadiha’s overall argument has some merit. He could in fact be right. But the Watch Tower is more interested in deconstructing how Chadiha builds his argument.

ESPN’s Chadiha on What Ails the Steelers - Offense

The base of Chadiha’s argument for the demise of the Steelers can be summed up in two sentences:

The offense has quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a ton of questions. The defense is old and missing key performers from a unit that led the league in total yards allowed in 2012.

Right off the bat, the Watch Tower finds bones to pick with Chadiha’s methodology. Taken at face value, his breakdown of the offense appears to be correct, on defense, not so much.

• So just what are those questions the Steelers face on offense in Chadiha’s eyes?

The first two specifics that Chadiha’s cites are these:

It has been years since Roethlisberger has taken snaps behind an offensive line that could be described as sturdy and it's anybody's guess as to how well he'll coexist with offensive coordinator Todd Haley this season.

On the issue of the offensive line, Chadiha is right. The last time Ben Roethlisberger had a quality offensive line in front of him was 2007…

…And while Steel Curtain Rising has been beating the drum, the fact is that the Steelers have done quite well instead of offensive line deficiencies, particularly in Super Bowl XLIII.

• This is the first instance of Chadiha being (potentially) right, but through no fault of his own.

Offensive line remains an issue. The issue however is more one of health and depth rather than quality. Chadiha fails make that argument, and ignores the fact that the Steelers have invested heavily in building a high quality offensive line in the form of Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Ramon Foster, Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams.

Chadiha is on firmer ground when it comes to the Ben Rothlisberger-Todd Haley relationship but only slightly. As the Watch Tower pointed out, the press saw lots of smoke there in 2012, only to have Ben and Haley say all the right things, which worked fine until Bob Labriola of the Steelers Digest outed them after the season.

• But Chadiha ignores what have to be at least a dozen stories detailing how Haley worked constructively with his coaches and players to open up the offense.

It would seem that any argument for the Steelers demise that’s based on the Roethlisberger-Haley relationship would have to take those developments into account. Chadiha doesn’t.

Chadiha also talks about the Steelers dismal 2012 running game and the loss of Mike Wallace and now Plaxico Burress.

• Again, these are potential issues, but he also ignores potential remedies. 

As Steel Curtain Rising has argued, the performance of the Steelers running game in 2012 was directly proportional to the health of the offensive line. In this respect Chadiha’s in good company – everyone else is also missing this.

Mike Wallace will be missed, but Chadiha ignores the fact that Wallace’s attitude has been at issue, and that he’s largely developed into a home run or bust type player.

Furthermore, there are other arguments Chadiha could use in his favor but fails to do so. The Steelers will open the season with David Paulson as their number 1 tight end. Emmanuel Sanders has a lot of potential, but his health has been suspect.

As for losing Plaxico Burress, Burress could have contributed, but he was projected to be a 4th or 5th receiver at best, and was no lock to make the team.

Deconstructing ESPN’s Chadiha on What Ails the Steelers – Defense

The bulk of Chadiha’s argument on the defensive side lies in the perceived age of the defense. Its as if Warren Saap’s “Old, slow and done” pronouncement has been recited enough to somehow take on an air of truth – facts be dammed.

In this respect, Chadiha focuses on the age of the Steelers secondary and ignores tendencies elsewhere. As Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review pointed out in may, the average age of the Steelers starting defense is projected to be at 29.3 years, almost two years younger than its 2011 predecessor.

• And such analysis doesn’t factor in likely increased playing time from younger players such as Cameron Heyward, Jarvis Jones, Shamarko Thomas, Al Woods and possible Marshall McFadden.

Perhaps the biggest potential liability facing the Steelers defense is how they’re going to compensate for the absence of James Harrison’s run stopping ability is one that Chadiha leaves untouched.

Deconstructing Jeffri Chadiha ESPN -- National Media's Failure to Understand the Steelers

All of these flaw’s in Chadiha’s methodology lead to one larger, and more fatal, flaw in his overall approach. Chadiha just doesn’t get how the Steelers operate. After detailing the franchise’s legendary stability and success he goes on to observe:

That level of success is the major reason it's so hard to envision their impending demise now. They've always beaten the odds. They've rarely stayed down for long. Just when it seems they've lost one too many key performers, another unheralded contributor steps up his game. This team seemingly can do no wrong at finding players to fit most pressing needs.

The Steelers have been so good in this department that they've never had to go on a spending spree in free agency. The coaches simply waited for their draft picks to grow up, step in and live up to expectations. But that formula will not be as reliable this coming fall. There are too many holes for the Steelers to fill. It's hard to believe they can be that fortunate at every position requiring an upgrade.

This team actually needs to get back to its roots before it ever can become championship-caliber again… [Emphasis added.]

There are a couple of issues here.

Have the Steelers always beaten the odds? Well, they’ve been better than many, but what about 1980’s? Sure, they never quite hit bottom the way say the ’88-’89 Cowboys did, but the period doesn’t exactly serve as an example of Steelers excellence (Steel Curtain Rising’s beloved 1989 Steelers not with standing.)

Indeed, one of the issues weighing down the Steelers in ‘80’s was their unwillingness to part ways with aging veterans and an inability to keep drafting and scouting aligned.

• Note, these Steelers have taken pains to avoid that.

Indeed, it wasn’t until Dan Rooney fired his brother Art Rooney Jr. that the Steelers drafting improved. (If you think that is a stretch, the firing occurred in late ’86 – Chuck Noll drafted Rod Woodson in 1987 and Dermontti Dawson in 1988 in addition to players like Hardy Nickerson, Merril Hoge, and Greg Lloyd.)

The other issue is Chadiha’s interpretation of the Steelers attitude towards free agency. He claims “[the Steelers] never had to go on a spending spree in free agency.”

Really? The Steelers had multiple times when they could have opted for wholesale rebuilding via free agency in the mid and late ‘90’s, the ‘00’s, and even in this decade.

• They never have gone on a free agency spending binge because it goes against the philosophy of the franchise.

The fact that Chadiha simply misses or doesn’t get this really cuts into his credibility as a commentator on the team.

One final criticism of Chadiha. He ends his piece saying that the Steelers need to get back to their roots, implying that it is not something in the offing, when a large part of the Steelers offensive plan going into 2013 is to take advantage of the tendency to build defenses to protect against the pass by running on them.

• Now the Steelers aren’t exactly announcing this strategic shift on their home page, but if a blogger in Buenos Aires with no direct access to sources can learn this, so should a reporter from a network with a billion dollar contract to cover the NFL.

In the final analysis, Chadiha’s predictions for gloom and doom in Pittsburgh in 2013 could turn out to be right. The Steelers have little to zero margin for injury on the offensive line and perhaps the secondary. A number of other things must work exactly as planned.

But Chadiha’s methodology and understanding of the franchise is so flawed that if he is right, the Watch Tower will say he is right be accident, and will award no bragging rights.

Thanks for visiting. To read more analysis of the media that cover the Steelers, click here to read more from Steel Curtain Rising's Watch Tower.

Read More

Batiste Signing Begs the Question – Will We Be Singing “Where did you go Maxwell Starks, Steelers Nation Turns Its Lonely eyes to you….”

It is far, far too early for Steelers Nation to begin panicking, but the injuries the Steelers have suffered thus far in training camp reveal just how little margin for error the Steelers have left themselves in 2013.

In wrapping up the Steelers 2013 off season, Steel Curtain Rising looked back at the gloom and doom predictions and preceded free agency, and complemented Kevin Colbert for pulling off the equivalent of a salary cap “Loaves and Fishes” miracle.

The premise was that, while the Steelers might have had to swallow hard watch stars on the rise like Mike Wallace and Keenan Lewis depart for greener pastures, Colbert had positioned Pittsburgh to get the most bang for its salary cap buck.

While that analysis holds true, success in such a maneuver depends on some very calculated risks.

Steelers Operating Without Safety Net

As Bob Labriola of the Steelers Digest pointed out, the Steelers in many ways are entering 2013 without much of a safety net.

• Doug Legursky a staple “next man up” philosophy on the interior offensive line is in Buffalo
• Max Starks, who bailed out the line in both 2008 and again in 2011 is in San Diego
• Instead of Keenan Lewis, to fill in for injured Cortez Allen, the Steelers instead must rely on William Gay

In no area are the Steelers more exposed than on offensive line.

While the Cortez Allen’s injury is believed to be minor and should heal well before the season, in addition to Gay, the Steelers can still count on Curtis Brown and Josh Victorian, even if Demarcus Van Dyke and 5th round draft pick Terry Hawthorne are out with injuries of unknown severity.

They also have 4th round pick Shamarko Thomas, whose versatility is already on display (in camp at least):

With Cortez Allen out and William Gay moving up to LCB, look for #Steelers to use rookie Shamarko Thomas in the nickel defense
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) August 2, 2013

The loss of Nik Embertate is drawing a lot of attention, some of that is simply because of the nature of the NFL news cycle. Fans have long demonstrated a nearly insatiable appetite for news about the NFL, and in the age of smart phones and tablets, they have the means to get it.

Websites respond in kind with “content.”

But it goes beyond that....

Steelers Tempting Fate with the Offensive Line?

....The Steelers Achilles heal in 2011 and 2012 was neither their secondary nor their inability to create sacks and force turnovers on defense. No, it was the instability on their offensive line.

In Marcus Gilbert, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, and Mike Adams the Steelers have given themselves a potentially strong starting front five. Kelvin Beachum gives them another solid, young back up. John Malecki also has some game experience and adds stability to the inside.

Depth gets thin, quickly at tackle. Guy Whimper is the only player with real NFL experience, and Whimper’s ability has been savaged from every where from Behind the Steel Curtain to the Steel City Insider.

The hope was that Embertate would show enough to be an option their, if not on game days then certainly on the practice squad. Mike Golic Jr. was brought in as a tackle, but word his he looks better at guard.

Jim Wexell wrote glowingly about Pittsburgh-area native Mike Farrell and of course the Steelers have Joe Long, Jake Long’s younger brother.

• But the Steelers may have tipped their hand in signing D’Anthony Batiste

Batiste has played for 3 teams in six NFL seasons and been cut loose after his only extended stretch as a starter. Yet, as Neal Coolong has observed, he’s out performed Whimper….

The injury streak suffered by the Steelers at offensive line has been uncanny. The Steelers had some hard salary cap calculations to make.

• Did they roll the dice and calculate that lightning can’t strike 3 times?

Too Early to Start Missing Max Starks? 

Steelers Nation rightly cringes at the thought of either Adams or Gilbert falling injured. The decision to sign Batiste signals that Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert do too.

“Where did you go Maxwell Starks Steelers Nation turns it lonely eyes to you…” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as the famous bar from Mrs. Robinson, but hopefully those bars will not be hummed on the South Side this fall.

Thanks for visiting. Click here to check out the rest of Steel Curtain Rising. Or... Follow @SteelCurtainRis

Read More

Steelers Bad Luck with Offensive Line Injuries Continues: Nik Embernate Goes Down....

The Pittsburgh Steelers began their 2013 training camp with Steelers Nation crossing their fingers that dice would have memories – namely that the horrendously bad luck the team has endured with injuries to offensive lineman would end.

Its still early, but those hopes already appear to be in vain, as offensive lineman Nik Embernate of San Diego State went down at St. Vincents. Dan Gigler of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described it form the scene:

UFA Embernate from SD St. carted off w/ serious potential leg injury
— Dan Gigler (@gigs412) August 1, 2013

During the Mike Tomlin era no position has been the subject for more turmoil for the Pittsburgh Steelers than offensive line. In and effort to change that, the Steelers have invested heavily in rebuilding their offensive line in the 2010, 2011, and 2012 NFL Drafts, with the picks of Maurkice Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert, Mike Adams, and David DeCastro.

• Alas, by mid-season 2012, Mike Tomlin again was forced to play plug and patch, and musical chairs on offensive line again became the norm as the team’s playoff chances faded away.

In spite of that, the Tomlin along with Kevin Colbert chose to risk the wrath of the injury gods and did not select a single offensive lineman with their 9 picks in the 2013 NFL Draft.

They did however, include quite a few offensive lineman in their 2013 undrafted rookie free agent class. For other franchises that might be a ho-hum observation, but not in Pittsburgh.

Kevin Colbert has had an uncanny knack for striking gold in the undrafted rookie free agent pool. And Colbert has done particularly well with undrafted rookie free agent offensive lineman, with Darnell Stapelton, Doug Legursky and Ramon Foster starting in Super Bowls for the Steelers.

While Mike Golic Jr. grabbed everyone’s attention when joined as rookie free agent, many felt that Nik Embernate had better long-term prospects.

If the reports of the injury’s severity are confirmed, those prospects might have to wait until another summer…..

Thanks for visiting. Click here to check out the rest of Steel Curtain Rising. Or... Follow @SteelCurtainRis

Read More

Steelers 1st Day at St. Vincents: Roethlisberger's Knee and PUP List

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their 47th training camp at St. Vincent’s college in Latrobe to a subdued atmosphere as the franchise attempts to retool, recalibrate, and refocus after a disappointing, inconsistent, injury-plagued 8-8 finish in 2012.

The first day’s agenda consists of little more than players moving and Mike Tomlin’s run test, but there was a little news for Steelers Nation to consume.

Big Ben Sits Out Run Test, Gilbert Carted Off

Ben Roethlisberger had minor knee surgery in early June and while the quarterback reported the he felt fine, Mike Tomlin held him out as a precautionary.

The quarterback spoke about the infamous Roethlisberger-Haley relationship, and admitted to being “frustrated” with Todd Haley’s offense last season, although he confirmed that most frustration lay in new terminology.

While Roethlisberger downplayed the absence of former locker room leaders like Hines Ward and James Farrior, he said he planned to take a larger leadership role this season, and had asked Maurkice Pouncey and Heath Miller to follow suit.

In what might not be so good news, Marcus Gilbert, the Steelers projected starting tackle, passed the Tomlin’s run test but had to be carted off the field after that. Given the utmost important role that the offensive line will play for the Steelers this season, this is not encouraging news.

Miller, Johnson, Spence and Ta’Mau Head Steelers PUP List

The Steelers also began camp with four players on the physically unable to perform list, or PUP list. As expected Heath Miller and Sean Spence headed the list. Reporter Dale Lolley indicated “…[Miller] looks closer to a guy who intends on playing from the get-go than he does somebody who will be out the first six weeks.”

Sean Spence stated that his goal is to make the active roster by mid season.

The other two players starting on the PUP amount to somewhat of a surprise. David Johnson is one, who reportedly is still working his way back to health from the ACL tear he suffered last year in preseason.

The other is Alameda Ta’amu, who reportedly has a hamstring issue. This is very bad news for Ta’amu. The Steelers traded up in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft to get Ta’amu and he has done nothing but disappoint since then.

Adams, Cleared to Play

Steelers Nation did get good news on the injury front. Starting tackle Mike Adams, who was stabbed last month on the South Side continuing what has become the Steelers "June Curse", has been fully cleared to participate in all activities.

Thanks for visiting. Click here to check out the rest of Steel Curtain Rising. Or... Follow @SteelCurtainRis

Read More