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.

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Steelers Roster Analysis, Offense: Tight Ends

Steel Curtain Rising continues its analysis of the Steelers 2013 roster with tight ends.

Starter:  David Johnson, Heath Miller (injured)
Back Ups:  David Paulson, Michael Palmer and Matt Spaeth (injured reserve)

Strengths: Heath Miller is one of the best tight ends in the league. When healthy. David Paulson had a great rookie year and is a good pass catcher.

Weaknesses:  The top two players in this until are not healthy. David Johnson is a solid blocker, but not much of a pass catcher. David Paulson is the opposite.

The Skinny:  Does Todd Haley have a plan for replacing Heath Miller's 71 catches? Can the unit "get by" until Miller returns? And when he returns will he approach full strength? At tight end the Steelers need to answer a lot of question marks affirmatively, and doing so will only bring them to the "not a liability" threshold. Matt Spaeth is out until mid season, which gives the Steelers added insurance in the event of another injury.

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

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The Life and Times of the Steelers David Johnson - From the PUP to Opening Day Starter?

Oh, to live the life and times of Steelers tight end-full-back-tight end David Johnson. Johnson:

• Was the last player taking from an undistinguished Steelers 2009 draft…
• Shifted to fullback with the arrival of Todd Haley…
• Saw the shift to fullback scuttled via a dreaded ACL tear (and the emergence of Will Johnson)…
• Entered free agency as an afterthought…
• Witnessed Steelers Nation meet his resigning by the Steelers with a collective yawn…

And where is David Johnson now?

• Well, David Johnson could very well end up as the Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 opening day starting tight end vs. the Tennessee Titans. 

Johnson, along with fellow tight end Heath Miller, open training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, but the Steelers have activated him from the PUP.

The Steelers find themselves in a precarious situation at tight end. Matt Spaeth, brought back in a surprise free agency reacquisition, has a lisfranc injury and will be out 8 to 10 weeks. Miller of course is rehabbing his own ACL tear.

David Paulson had what might have been the catch of the night, a 26 yarder from Ben Roethlisberger in the Steelers preseason loss to the Redskins, but his blocking has been suspect, and with a leaky offensive line that is an issue.

• David Johnson is no season savior. 

He’s the type of player who lives year-by-year. But, like a great many late draft picks, Johnson gives it his all and has shown the ability step it up when called upon. He is a solid blocker and he should provide some valuable veteran depth at an area where the Steelers truly need it.

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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.

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Steelers Offensive Line Depth Continues to Thin; Plaxico Burress Goes on IR

An NFL training camp injury to an undrafted free agent rookie or a player making a second stab at NFL stardom in a second training camp normally isn’t news worthy.

This sounds brutal, but they not newsworthy because:

• A big part of the value of these players is that they are expendable.

Yes, the reality is that harsh. The vast majority of these players will never see an NFL practice squad, fewer will see the 53 man roster, even less will dress, and slimmer number yet will see significant non-garbage time, non-special teams action.

With the Steelers this year, it’s is different particular on the offensive line, as Jim Wexell’s Tweet from Monday August 12th indicates:

Cheadle carted awaywith apparent right knee injury. Was the favorite to win 9th OL spot.
— James C Wexell (@jimwexell) August 12, 2013

• Just who is Justin Cheadle anyway? 

Well, you know the answer and do not have a personal acquaintance with Cheadle and/or California University, then you almost certainly need to revaluate your priorities in life….

Steelers Offensive Line Injuries - Too Early to Say “I Told You So,” But...

…A site called Spotrac.com tells us that Cheadle played his college ball at California and spent 2012 training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs. (You can also learn on the site that he’s costing the Chiefs $3,000 in salary cap dead money, should you really want to know.)

Jim Wexell however does tell us something that we do want to know, and that is that this aspiring offensive tackle was penciled in to be the Steelers 9th offensive lineman….

It should therefore surprise no one that the Pittsburgh Tribune Review’s Allen Robinson got Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley on record as saying the team would look to bring in outside help.

As Steel Curtain Rising warned less than a fortnight ago, the 2013 Steelers have rolled the dice that lightning will not strike twice four times in the form of offensive line injuries.

They made that gamble when they let Max Starks walk to San Diego, Doug Legursky head off to the Bills and did not select an offensive lineman in the 2013 NFL Draft.

• They had hopes of developing an unheralded one in training camp from the undrafted rookie free agent pool.

Unfortunately one of those was Nik Embernate who is already on IR. Cheadle was apparently the next man up. Just saying.

Steelers Place Plex on IR

As expected, Plaxico Burress’s rotator cuff surgery has ended his season, and likely Burress' NFL career, as the Steelers placed him on injured reserve.

Interestingly enough, Matt Spaeth will not be placed on IR, at least yet. Spaeth was injured in practice and it was later revealed that he suffered from a Lisfrac injury.

And for those of you who’re dying to know, Jim Wexell provided Steelers Nation with its midday Cheadle health update:

@retiredmd37 No Cheadle update. I'm pretty much alone on campus now. Finishing up a McLendon feature for the Digest and then going home.
— James C Wexell (@jimwexell) August 13, 2013

No news, we trust, is good news….

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Watch Tower: Are the Renegade Steelers the NFL's Next "Lean, Mean, Fighting Machine?"

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened training camp as a team looking to fulfill a host of needs and the press has done its best to keep Steelers Nation up to speed covering a wide range of topics, giving the Watch Tower ample subjects on which to shine its light.

Renegade! BTSC On-Line Pre Season Magazine Subdues Traditional Press

Sports publications ramping up coverage at the start of NFL training camp goes back decades – who can forget the early 80’s Sports Illustrated commercials that ran in early July talking about “a time when hands are taped and protected…”

The mainstream Pittsburgh media has been no exception, but this year they were outfoxed by Behind the Steel Curtain and its “Renegade” on line magazine, featuring 26 articles in 26 hours (which didn’t quite reach that goal to a technical snafu.)

In case you're missing it: #Steelers preview posts every hour today to celebrate training camp, and they're all here: http://t.co/JpMC0PagAD
— BTSC Steelers (@btsteelcurtain) July 26, 2013

What’s more amazing is that the 26 articles were written almost entirely by site editor Neal Coolong, despite the fact that he’s got one top Steelers blogging staffs at his disposal (full disclosure, I also write for BTSC.)

When asked about why he undertook such an ambitious project, Coolong explained, “…I go big or I don’t go at all.” Beyond that, Coolong expressed a desire to produce coverage that offers readers something different than other sites provide.

For example, he intentionally chose video highlights on the Steelers 3rd round pick Marcus Wheaton that underscore his likely role in Todd Haley’s offense, as opposed to trying to ride the “Marcus-Wheaton-is-Mike-Wallace” coat tails.

Similarly he took a more sober, but substantive look at 2012 first round draft pick David DeCastro, opting to review video highlights that show DeCastro’s struggles in the Steelers losses vs. Dallas and Cincinnati in addition to highlights that show some of his promise.

• Likewise, in his piece of Jason Worilds, Coolong chose to focus on what he considers the under covered story of Worilds struggles with injuries as opposed to the unenviable task of replacing James Harrison

While Coolong declined to provide specific numbers, he did say that traffic was good, although perhaps not necessarily better than it would have been had he opted for a more conventional approach.

• Regardless of traffic, it is BTSC’s unconventional thinking that the Watch Tower salutes

With respect to the traditional press, both the Tribune Review and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featured stories pushing the yin vs. yang nature of this Steelers training camp.

Allen Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review wrote that the normal crush of national media and talk about Super Bowl expectations was absent at St. Vincent, but then contrasted that with quotes from Larry Foote and Ryan Clark who of course vowed that the Steelers would prove the critics wrong.

Gene Collier of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette attempted to weave a similar piece together drawing upon his drive to Latrobe, quotes from various Steelers, and a reference to ground hog issues St. Vincent’s have been having.  The Watch Tower has long recognized Collier as one of the nation’s wittiest and most insightful sports writers, but whatever he was trying to do in this article quite frankly did not work.

Ray Fittipaldo Joins PG Beat Staff… Then Disappears

Post Gazette Fittipaldo has done occasional pieces on the Steelers since OTA’s in 2010, providing Steelers Nation with some of their first insights on Jonathan Dwyer, for instance.

At the opening of Steelers training camp, Ed Bouchette announced that Fittipaldo was now working the Steelers beat full time for the Post-Gazette. Fittipaldo then did the opening day a video with Bouchette (where he looked a tad bit uncomfortable on camera.)

• The funny thing is, during the week since, Fittipaldo’s bye line has appeared only once.

Its way too early to make anything of this, but it is peculiar to say the least.

Meet Sanders the Steelers New Stud Speedster, Deep Threat

Emmanuel Sanders gave Steelers Nation one of the most interesting stories during the Steelers 2013 off season. First Sannders had an offer with New England. Then he didn’t (or at least Sanders didn't sign New England's offer sheet). Then Sanders did sign it. Then the Steelers were going to let Sanders walk. Then, with Ben Roethlisberger's support, the Steelers matched the offer and kept Sanders.

• And now Sanders is a Steeler again (and wants to stay one apparently.)

The Watch Tower chronicled the Sanders story, and observed that most of the professional press was of the opinion that the Steelers should let Sanders walk and take New England’s third round pick.

• Those arguments had some merit, but they do add irony to some of the early lead stories on Sanders.

Jim Wexell offered an excellent free piece on his subscription site Steel City Insider, titled “When Did Sanders Get So Fast.”

Dejan Kovacevic wrote a piece titled “Call Sanders the X-Factor” and discussed how Sanders had taken over Mike Wallace’s slot as the “X” receiver. The Tribune Review's Steel Mill Blog also focused on Sander's as a downfield threat.

The Steelers the NFL’s New “Lean Mean Fighting Machines?”


The clip is of course from the timeless ‘guy movie’ Stripes.

The movie was released just as the Super Steelers were entering their decline, but if press coverage is to be any guide, the 2013 Steelers have taken John Candy’s “Ox” character’s mantra as their rallying cry.

A quick (and very unofficial) survey of press stories shows that no more than four focus on or at least detail weight loss on the part of the Steelers.

• The Tribune Review told us about how Isaac Redman dropped 10 pounds and has seen an immediate difference in his running style.
• Ed Bouchette tells us that Jonathan Dwyer lost between 25-30 pounds in the off season (now why did Dwyer let his weight go up so much, again?) 
• Gerry Dulac wrote a story on how Cameron Heyward is tying his hopes of winning a starting job to weight loss.
• Dulac also dutifully told us about how Marcus Gilbert also shed extra pounds on coach’s orders.

Kudos to Dejan Kovacevic for tying it all together and saying what some fans suspected -- last season too many Steelers were out of shape.

At this point it might be apt to include another clip for Stripes, the one where Bill Murray’s character inspires “Ox” to victory in a mud wrestling match with the “Lean Mean Fighting Machine” mantra, but that clip is not on YouTube and this is a family site.

And perhaps it wouldn’t quite be fitting, as Ed Bouchette did do an article about Steve McLendon’s use of ballet al la Lynn Swann, where he also observed that McLendon "officially" gained 40 pounds from his rookie listed weight of 280....

Steelers Salary Cap

John Clayton, former Pittsburgh Press and current ESPN writer, gave Steelers Nation some hope following the 2013 NFL Draft, when he told fans that the Steelers were more or less out of the woods in salary cap trouble. Happy story, right?

• Not so fast.

Behind the Steel Curtain has done two salary cap pieces taking issue with Clayton’s conclusion. The first went as far as to suggest (citing a Yahoo! article) that the Steelers might need or want to reduce their 2014 salary cap burden by parting ways with expensive veterans, such as Ryan Clark and/or Brett Kesiel.

And BTSC threw further cold water on Clayton’s argument, by providing some analysis that suggest that the NFL’s upcoming TV contracts won’t do much to lift the salary cap – filling in the gaps on what has been a greatly under covered story, both nationally in Pittsburgh.

Steelers Special Teams History Under the Microscope

Bob Labirola did a feature on the Steelers history with special teams in the recent Steelers Digest. One interesting nugget to come out of the story was on Bobby April’s departure.

When Bobby April left Pittsburgh for New Orleans after Super Bowl XXX, word was that he found Bill Cowher too demanding. Labriola sheds a little light here, asserting that the April-Cowher dispute was over who got credit for calling the surprise on-sides.

Not sure what the issue is here, as one NFL Films clip clearly showed April suggesting it to Cowher, Cowher agreeing, and radioing Chan Gailey about the decision.

• Labriola’s article is good, but the Watch Tower has two bones to pick.

First, there is an error, as Labriola claims that errors in the Steelers 1987 finale vs. Kansas City led Chuck Noll to hire his first special teams coach. Unfortunately the ’87 Steelers finished their season with a home loses vs. Houston and Cleveland (I remember listen to the latter game on the PA Turnpike -- it was my introduction to Myron Cope.)

Second, Labriola does a good job of singling out some of the higher profile speicla teams breakdowns in Steelers history, but ignores the quality special teams the Steelers enjoyed under George Stewart, Ron Zook, and Kevin Spencer.

If you're interested in learning more about the Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde nature of the Steelers special teams (sniff, sniff, if you've read this far you probably are,) then click here for Steel Curtain Rising’s article on it.

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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.

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Back to School: 3 R's to Guide the Steelers at Saint Vincents: Retool, Recalibrate, and Refocus

It is fitting that the Pittsburgh Steelers still hold training camp at a college, because this franchise needs to concentrate on the 3 R’s while at St. Vincents.

Of course the 3 R’s in question are not reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic but Retool, Recalibrate, and Refocus. While each of the Steelers "3 R's" represents an area of individual urgency, all of them are interrelated.

Steelers First "R" for 2013 Training Camp:  Retool

The Steelers personnel philosophy since opening Heinz Field has been simple:  Keep the core together.

• Victories in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII vindicate management’s M.O.

But a shift away from this philosophy began after 2009 (see the departures of Willie Parker and Deshea Townshend) and has continued in fits and starts (see the return of Foote and Randle El in ’10) since then.

• Now the Steelers strategic personnel pivot has reached its end-game.

Whether the draftees and rookie free agents of 2012 and 2013 can win starting jobs and roster spots is now a moot question. They will win them because there are no veterans left to hold them back. Max Starks is in San Diego, Willie Colon is in New York, James Harrison is in Cincinnati.

The question now is can players like Jason Worilds, David DeCastro, Cortez Allen, and Mike Adams produce at high enough level for the Steelers make a Lombardi run while Ben Roethlisberger retains some youth (and health).

• The Steelers have been here before.

Precisely 30 summers ago a fair contingent of the Super Steelers had retired, and Pittsburgh found itself with some aging, yet viable, stars mixed with untested youth.

We now know that there were too many Keith Gary’s, Walter Abercrombie’s and not enough Tunch Ilkin’s, Brian Hinkle’s and Louis Lipps for the Steelers to snatch the elusive “One For the Thumb.”

But in 2013 Mike Tomlin has two advantages that Chuck Noll lacked in 1983:

• Terry Bradshaw was 35 and Ben Roethlisberger is 31
• Free agency, yes, free agency

The benefit of a younger franchise quarterback is self-evident. Free agency’s is not, but perhaps it should be.

Historically Steelers Nation has had a hate-hate relationship with free agency, viewing it has a force that has robbed Pittsburgh of talented players as they reach their prime. And that of course has happened.

But free agency also gives the Steelers the ability to divest itself of players who are not up to par or might be good but don’t fit their system. In practical terms this means that Mike Tomlin can get rid of Ryan Mundy whereas Chuck Noll was stuck with Lupe Sanchez.

The story of the Steelers 2013 off season was Kevin Colbert’s attempt to get the most bang out of the Steelers salary cap buck.

They made hard choices, saying good bye to tenured veterans and promising youngsters alike. At St. Vincent’s this summer Mike Tomlin's challenge is to simultaneously develop and mold that talent into a winning roster.

Steelers Second "R" for 2013 Training Camp:  Recalibrate

We all know the story of the Steelers 2012 season.

• When the offense was effective, the defense lacked
• When the defense began shutting down opponents, the offense imploded

Injuries were at the core of some of this ineffectiveness and inconsistency in 2012, but not all of it.

On offense Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley kept denying friction existed between the two of them until the Steelers Digest itself outed them, labeling the improvement of the Roethlisberger-Haley relationship as the off season imperative.

• On defense the issues are both trickier and more challenging.

Statistically the Steelers have fielded a dominating defense each of the last two seasons. But statistics can deceive. For as strong as the Steelers were in limiting yards, taking away the big play, and winning on third downs turnovers and sacks remained in short supply in both ’11 and ’12.

And this was also the case for the Steelers in 2009.

• There’s a pattern here, and one that reveals a deficiency that Dick LeBeau must rectify.

It won't be an easy task, and a single example suffices to show this.

The Steelers defense has been predicated on stopping the run. Casey Hampton took away the middle of the field almost single handedly, and James Harrison, for all of his hell raising in the backfield, was phenomenal vs. the run.

Stopping the run has been cited as a weak point for both Jason Worilds and Cameron Heyward – two potential starters on the front seven.

Dick LeBeau has a delicate balance to strike.

Steelers Third "R" for 2013 Training Camp:  Refocus

Friend and Behind the Steel Curtain scribe (full disclosure I also write for BTSC) Ivan Cole recently submitted were that were it not for a fumble in Oakland and one in Dallas that the Steelers would have finished in a three way tie for the AFC North crown.

• That’s a tantalizing hypothetical, as success or failure in an NFL season often does boil down to a handful of plays.

But the picture in Pittsburgh in 2012 was far more complex. Several times in 2012 in the comments supporting the Steelers post-game report cards it was observed that coaches shouldn’t be held responsible for fumbles and inopportune penalties.

• And that’s true.

Neither Mike Tomlin nor Amos Jones forced Antonio Brown to fumble in Dallas, just as momentum swung to Pittsburgh.

But Brown’s fumble wasn’t an isolated incident. There were myriad lapses vs. Oakland. The Cleveland road game was a comedy of errors, and vs. Chargers nearly everyone wearing black played just like they’d exited shock treatment. (Heck Mendenhall didn’t even grace the team with his presence that day.)

It is ironic, but not coincidental that the Steelers followed their best game of the season, the backup-powered road victory over Baltimore, with their worst, at home against San Diego where they did their best to make Norv Turner and Philip Rivers look like a modern day Air Croyle

• Such erratic performance generally boils down a lack of focus.

Fortunately focus is something that can be taught, practiced and bred into a football team. Chuck Noll called it "Singleness of Purpose." Neither Greg Lloyd nor Merril Hoge were gifted with natural athletic talent. But both men became household names in Steelers Nation because they with competing on every play in every practice, did extra reps and always put in the necessary physical and mental preparation.

A generation later, Hines Ward and James Harrison followed their example.

• And so it must be with 90 men the Pittsburgh Steelers have brought with them to Latrobe.

Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher both referred to training camp as the time to lay a team’s foundation. Mike Tomlin is no different. The summer the Steelers spent at St. Vincient's in 2013 needs to be a time where they lay a foundation based on fundamentals and focus.

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Watch Tower: Putting the Haley-Roethlisberger Relationship Under the Microscope... And more

The 2013 NFL draft is in the books, most of the Steelers draft picks are under contract, free agent signings have largely been complete, and even OTAs are at an end. But there’s still plenty for the Watch Tower to shine its lights on.

Big Ben Likes the Changes to Todd Haley’s Offense….

The most important news to come out of OTA didn’t deal with the rookies, offensive line shuffling, or even Mike Adams stabbing.

No it was Allen Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review article’s on Ben Roethlisberger’s regarding the changes that Todd Haley has installed to the offense.

As Robinson details, no one was happy with the offense last year, not even Haley himself.  Roethlisberger was coy about the specifics, but he explained that everyone from the position coaches, to the players to Haley himself chimed in on how they could improve.

Robinson went so far as to observe “it was obvious he seemed more comfortable with the offense than he did at any time last season.”

That’s an interesting, not to mention encouraging, observation. Assuming it is accurate. Past history suggests it might not be….

Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley’s Unspoken Conflict in 2012

…No bigger subplot to the 2012 season existed than the relationship between new offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Ben Roethlisberger. Ben had been out right chummy with Bruce Arians and was not happy to see him go and Haley had a reputation for getting in the faces and under the skin of his players.

• How would the two gel?

The professional press entered the season looking and smelling for the slightest whiff of conflict. Each stray comment got magnified, but each time either Haley and/or Roethlisberger raced to the microphone to assure that nothing was wrong.

Yet, October Ian Rapaport of NFL.com claimed the two men were butting heads, suggesting that Haley would be gone by year’s end. But Behind the Steel Curtain (full disclosure I also write for BTSC) quickly cast doubt Rapaport’s sources, reminding everyone that his “exclusive” on the extent of David DeCastro’s preseason injury had been wrong.

• Nothing serious surfaced as Ben was in route to an All Pro season before getting injured. 

Then came the Steelers disappointing loss to Dallas, where Roethliberger openly criticized the play calling in the second half, specifically referencing the inability to get the ball more to Heath Miller, complaining “I just don't think we called the right plays to get him the ball.”

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review immediately proclaimed a “100-percent legitimate, non-manufactured quarterback vs. coordinator controversy,” further arguing that “No team can function without its quarterback and offensive coordinator on the same page, and these guys aren't in the same library right now.”

But before the 2012 season began, the Steelers fire fighting strategy was to give the press liberal access to Todd Haley, which contrasted starkly from Mike Tomlin's previous practice of preventing the press from speaking with his coordinators.

After the Dallas game the Steelers PR unit moved into high gear, as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that “The reality is, the Steelers called nine plays designed for Miller in the second half, but the Cowboys' coverage forced Roethlisberger away from throwing to Miller.”

Dulac did not credit that statistic to anyone, but clearly he got it from somewhere inside the Steelers organization, and such a specific information was almost certainly leaked on purpose.

All was well the faithful of Steelers Nation were assured….

We Have Met the Enemy, and He is Us…

The Steelers neat little PR strategy for denying any Haley-Roethlisberger rift was undone early in the 2013 off season by their own hand.

Editor Bob Labriola’s lead article in the February Steelers Digest had a picture of Ben and Haley and headline that proclaimed “This Has to Get Fixed First.” Labriola is of course employed by the Steelers, something evident in the Super Bowl ring that can sometimes been seen on his hand in Steelers.com videos (I love Labs, but why does he get a ring?)

Fans often criticize him for being a Rooney stooge, and sometimes that’ true. But historically Labriola hasn’t hesitated to call it like it is, something that goes back as far as his merciless criticism of Joe Walton’s offense during Chuck Noll’s ill fated trek up Walton’s mountain.

• Labriola did not mince words here either. 

First he admonished Ben and Haley to accept that they’re stuck with each other. He then charges that the situation that saw Haley replacing Arians “was not a positive in 2012” explaining that “Roethlisberger and Haley weren’t communicating last season.”

Labrolia was quick to indicate that Roethlisberger and Haley of course spoke and were civil but implored both men to “communicate in a manner that’s both honest enough and productive enough for the Steelers offense to become a force in 2013.”

• Has that process occurred? 

Alan Robinson’s article would have us think so. Hopefully Robinson’s report turns out to be more than spin from the Steelers PR team.

Legursky Gets No Love II

Pittsburgh Steelers back up/part time starting Center/Guard Doug Legrusky signed last week with the Buffalo Bills.

• Not that you’d have learned that if you relied on the Post-Gazette or Tribune Review for your information.

As of Saturday June 9th, news of Legursky’s departure was not reported by either paper despite being reported by Behind the Steel Curtain on June 6th and the Bills website.

• Legursky leaves a lesson for future free agents

If you’re an unrestricted free agent that wants to leave Pittsburgh without any fanfare, do it during June. Last year Mewelde Moore, one of the unsung heroes form the 2008 Super Bowl season, signed with the Colts and as the Watch Tower noted, Pittsburgh’s dailies all but ignored his defection.

• Honestly, there is no excuse for this lack of coverage. 

Certainly OTA’s provide reporters with ample access to rookies and veterans which in turn gives them excellent story material. And one can say that in this age of Twitter and 24/7 Sports Talk radio that fans have other means of learning of such departures.

• But neither is a reason to ignore departures of players like Legursky or Moore.

As Steel Curtain Rising will write in the future, Legursky’s loss could come back to haunt the Steelers mightily in 2013. Did the Steelers attempt to sign him? If not, why? If so was it a money issue, or does he not fit into the new zone run blocking scheme?

These questions are important, and Steelers Nation deserves a press corps that is attentive enough to ask them.

Untold Story Behind the Thomas Signing

And while the Watch Tower is burning into professional press its only right to point out another non-story, this one involving rookie safety Shamarko Thomas.

Days after the Kevin Colbert told season ticket holders that draftee signings would have to occur after June 1st, the Steelers went out and signed 4th round draft pick Shamarko Thomas. Pittsburgh’s dailies reported the move, but did nothing to detail why.

Behind the Steel Curtain did, reporting about how Thomas is supporting his brothers and sisters and can put his signing bonus to immediate use.

Assistant Coaches Get Face Time

One of the treats of NFL draft coverage in the digital age is that post pick press conferences with position coaches get posted on the Steelers website in full.

Watching Carnell Lake and Randy Fitncher was a real treat and an insightful experience, and seeing Johnny Mitchell spar with the press as he compared Nicholas Williams to Steve McLendon was not to be missed. Check them out if you haven’t already.

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For Whom the Bell Tolls... Steelers Draft Le'Veon Bell in Second Round

Mike Tomlin made no bones about the fact that the Steelers needed to beef up the talent they had at running back and tonight in the 2nd round of the 2013 NFL Draft he made good on his promise.

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Michgan State’s Le’Veon Bell in the second round of the draft. Weighing in at 230 and standing 6-1, Bell runs a 4.57 in the forty and proved to be a durable back at Michagn State, carrying the offense there by running the ball 382 times.

Steelers offensive Coordinator Todd Haley immediately compared him to Eddie George. Speaking with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette, Bell described himself this way:

I'm a balanced runner . . . I can go in there and get tough yardage and short yardage. A lot of people look at me like, 'He's just a short-yardage back.' But I don't look at myself like that. I can get to the outside and beat you with speed. I can catch the ball out of the backfield. I can pass protect. I can play special teams.

That’s a biased assessment, but as Mike Tomlin reminds us, you are what you put on tape (available as of 4/17/13):




Bell’s athleticism, versatility and outside speed certainly are in evidence and his style looks to complement that of that Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman. Or will we soon say that Redman’s and Dwyer’s style complements that of Le’Veon Bell?

That question will be decided later in July under the hot summer sun at St. Vincent’s in Latrobe.

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Steelers Resign... Matt Spaeth?

The Pittsburgh Steelers attitude towards departing free agents during the Tom Donahoe era was “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.” A player no less the stature of Rod Woodson left and wanted to comeback but were firmly told that the door did not swing both ways.

Kevin Colbert took a different approach welcoming back role players such as Ainsley Battles, Myron Bell, Tom Myslinski, Willie Williams and Chad Brown during Bill Cowher's tenure.

• But perhaps the word to departing free agents in the Mike Tomlin era now should be “We’ll see you again.” 

Two years ago the Steelers brought back Antwaan Randle El, Larry Foote, and Bryant McFadden. A week ago they did the same with William Gay.

• And now apparently they’ve done it again with Matt Spaeth, according to ESPN Chicago.

The Steelers drafted Matt Spaeth in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft. During his first three years with the Steelers Spaeth was primarily a blocking tight end who caught touchdowns when the Steelers threw to him.

However, in 2010 when Heath Miller was injured Spaeth struggled to perform Miller’s role in the offense, and left for Chicago via free agency.

In Chicago he was used again as a blocking tight end, and NBC’s Pro Football Talk sighted a Pro Football Focus evaluation that named Spaeth as the top blocking tight end in football.

Why Bring Back Spaeth?

The move to bring back Spaeth will likely underwhelm the masses in Pittsburgh, and for good reason. Speath is nothing special. He doesn’t even know Todd Haley’s offense.

But if Spaeth’s run blocking has improved as much as Pro Football Focus suggests, then he almost undoubtedly offers more than Leonard Pope.

With Heath Miller still ailing the Steelers opening day depth chart at tight end could easily raid David Paulson, David Johnson, and Matt Spaeth. That will scare no defensive coordinator, but could be worse one would suppose.

Post Gazette Reports Spaeth Signing to Occur Monday

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Gerry Dulac is reporting on Saturday March 16th the the Steelers will bring Spaeth to the South Side with the intention of signing him to a contact.

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