Steelers Salary Cap Scheme Goes Up in Smoke

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• What the Steelers once mocked, they now embrace.

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

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

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

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

• But another part of it is salary cap driven. 

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

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

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

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

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Steelers 2013 Roster Analysis, Defense: Defensive Line

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

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

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

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

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

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

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3 Unasked Questions of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 Preseason

A tumultuous off season has ended. Training camp is closed. The first roster cuts have been made. Only one preseason game stands between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the 2013 season.

Its been an eventful summer at St. Vincents and on the South Side. Lots has been said and done, with stories answering questions relating to:

• Troy Polamalu’s return to health, 
• Ben Roethlisberger’s relationship with Todd Haley,
• injuries and depth (or lack thereof on offensive line), 
• the emergence of Shamarko Thomas and Marcus Wheaton, 
• injuries, Lisfranc and other sorts, to the likes of Matt Spaeth, Isaac Redman, Plaxico Burress, LaRod Stephens-Howling,  Jarvis Jones, and Le’Veon Bell

Live tackling and increased focus on conditioning and the role of emerging leaders have also been frequent topics of conversation.

But there are a few stories that seem to have fallen from the cracks, a few “less frequently asked questions.

Did Golden Miss an Opportunity? 

The Steelers reputation of having an old defense continues to dog them. And while Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark aren’t the sole players dragging up that average, they certainly do their part.

The Pittsburgh Steelers liked Shamarko Thomas so much that they traded a future pick -- something that they haven’t done since Chuck Noll was head coach and "Star Wars" a rejected name for a Hollywood game show pitting studios of various Hollywood competing against each other.

• And Shamarko Thomas has delivered thus far.

Yet one of the bigger untold stories of the summer of 2013 has been Robert Golden. Golden made the Steelers squad in 2012 as an undrafted rookie free agent, and while he did not play enough his development was strong enough that management felt comfortable saying goodbye to Ryan Mundy and Will Allen – leaving no veteran depth behind Polamalu and Clark.

There were even rumblings on the blogesphere the Golden could make a more outspoken member of the secondary into a cap casualty….

…That later move doesn’t seem likely to come to pass. While there’s no evidence that Golden’s been a “disappointment” or that he’s in danger of losing his roster spot but his name hasn’t been heard much this summer.

Ziggy Heyward vs. Cameron Hood

This was to be Ziggy Hood’s make or break summer and if all went well Cameron Heyward would help push Ziggy Hood out the door.

Hood’s trajectory since assuming Aaron Smith’s spot in 2010 has plateaued since then and many snap-by-snap analysis showed Heyward out performing him in 2012. Others found Heyward equally disappointing.

While the situation of both men got attention early on in camp, there’s been little discussion who is leading the pack. The reason for that could very well be because Hood is holding off Heyward, but that’s only an assumption, making this yet another unasked question.

The Atrocious Teams 

Mike Tomlin hired Danny Smith to revive a special teams unit that had again regressed into a team liability.

His unit during the preseason would be more aptly named the Steelers atrocious teams. Throughout the preseason the special teams have been a painful constant.

Many have observed this fact, but few have explored its origin.

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Video Highlights of Steelers 26-20 Preseason Loss to the Chiefs

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost 26-20 in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, assuring them the first losing preseason record of the Mike Tomlin era, for whatever that little factoid is worse.

Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, (and no fan of watching things on the computer) Steel Curtain Rising could not see the game, but as always we’re happy to bring you highlights. Watch them while you can, because Roger Goodell’s YouTube police seem to be more aggressive than ever.



The results in preseason are of course meaningless. Its performance that counts. In that light Steelers Nation is faced with a half full, half empty situation.

On the plus side…

• Ben Roethlisberger looked sharp going 13-19-166, hitting Antonio Brown for 49 yards, Emmanuel Sanders for 24 yardsand Jonathan Dwyer for a 15 yard touchdown
• Markus Wheaton also looked strong with 3 catches for 54 yards including a 34 yard catch
• Felix Jones staked a claim to a roster spot, leading the team in rushing
• Cortez Allen roared back to life, leading the team in tackles
• Alan Baxter staked his claim to a roster spot registering 2 sacks
• Cameron Heyward and Ziggy Hood both registered sacks

On the negative side…

• Special teams were atrocious, giving up a 109 return for a touchdown and seeing a blocked field goal
• Despite playing Kelvin Beachum as a roaming tight end, Ben Rothlisberger was sacked twice and under pressure
• The Steelers were penalized 9 times for 98 yards, many of which ensured that the Cheifs stayed in the game
• The starting defense allowed Alex Smith to look sharp and tie up the score at half time
• Neither Jonathan Dwyer nor Baron Batch could make headway rushing the ball (no wonder why Batch was cut)

The other big news of the night was the injury to first round pick Jarvis Jones, but it has been reported that the tests he underwent were negative.

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5 Steelers Fighting for Their NFL Lives this Summer

Steelers Nation finds its hallowed ground on the fields of St. Vincent’s College in Latrobe. Since the mid-60’s the Steelers shifted their home from Forbes Field to Three Rivers Stadium and to Heinz Field but, through it all, St. Vincent’s has remained a constant.

• Every summer dreams are born at St. Vincent’s. 

In 1969 Andy Russell saw Joe Greene toss a veteran aside like a rag doll in his first Oklahoma drill and knew the franchise’s fortunes had changed. 20 years later Bubby Brister earned jeers of from the press for scrawling “Playoffs 89” on a St. Vincent’s chalkboard, later that January after the 1989 Steelers story book season, it was Brister who was laughing.

But if St. Vincent’s is where the Steelers have forged their dynasties then it is also the venue where NFL dreams end:

Dwayne Woodruff, the last of the Super Steelers, drove to Latrobe to call it a career in the summer of 1991 on the first day of what would be Chuck Noll's final Steelers training camp. David Little got cut in 1993 when it was clear Levon Kirkland, Jerry Olsavsky, Chad Brown and Reggie Barnes had played him out of a roster spot.

• Woodruff and Little were lucky. 

Their dreams came to an end at St. Vincents only after long careers. Others have not been so lucky, nor will several this summer, as the Steelers first training camp cuts have reminded everyone.

While few players, other than first and second round draft picks, hold down roster spots on merit alone, others make it because they can play a role and for what they will contribute, not what they can contribute.

But there comes a time when the proverbial “Future is now” when players must transform potential in to production, or else get a visit from The Turk.

Steel Curtain Rising now takes a look at 5 Steelers fighting for their NFL lives they work their way into training camp.

Baron Batch
The Steelers drafted Baron Batch in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and during his first training camp he impressed the press, his teammates, and his coaches before tearing his ACL. Batch’s work as both a writer and an artist also gave him a connection with fans.

Batch dutifully went about his rehab and in the Steelers 2012 Training Camp was to be Batch’s time to shine.

• The good news? Baron Batch was the second leading Steelers running back during the 2012 pre season.
• The bad news? Despite getting 45% more carries than the next highest back, Batch only managed 3.0 yards a carry and didn’t catch a pass.

Batch made the final regular season roster, at least in part by virtue of the fact that Rashard Mendenhall was recovering from a torn ACL, and Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer were both injured. During the regular season Batch gained 49 yards on 25 carries and had 4 catches for 31 yards.

Having played in 12 games with the Steelers, Batch has no practice squad eligibility left and with the acquisition of Le’von Bell in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft and LaRod Stephens-Howling in free agency, Batch is facing now or never time.

Stevenson Sylvester
The Steelers picked Stvenson Sylvester in the 5th round of the 2010 NFL Draft, that year he did what rookie linebackers are supposed to do – he excelled on special teams. Big things were expected of Sylvester in 2011, and injuries to James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, and James Farrior would seemingly have been a blessing to Sylvester.

• His tenure as a starting inside linebacker in the Steelers '11 upset over the Patriots lasted all of a series.

Training camp injuries to several linebackers in 2012 likely saved Sylvester’s spot in 2012. During the year he saw little action at linebacker, and the attention he called to himself on special teams was generally for penalties (ok, we can say that about just everyone last year).

The Steelers chose not to protect Sylvester as a restricted free agent in 2013, yet no one showed an interest (in contrast to Emmanuel Sanders and Steve McLendon) let alone made an offer.

Sylvester’s biggest asset in making the cut in 2012 was his knowledge of Dick LeBeau’s system. This year Marshall McFadden and Adrian Robinson both have a year under their belts.

Clearly Stevenson Sylvester is going to need to do something both special and unexpected to make this roster.

Demarcus Van Dyke
The Steelers thought enough of Van Dyke to commit to his salary for the 2012 season by signing him to prior to their opener vs. Denver. The Steelers had looked at Van Dyke in the 2011 draft, and Van Dyke had the bad luck to be caught in a roster purge in Oakland.

Early on Van Dyke made his presence known, showing off his speed by getting down field on punt coverage. But those flashes faded quickly, and were replaced by special teams foul ups.

• Corner is one area where the Steelers are deep in, and Van Dyke probably entered camp as the odd man out.

Alameda Ta’amu
The Steelers thought enough of Ta’amu to trade up to get him in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft, declaring him as the last pure nose tackle on the board. Pundits quickly declared him as Casey Hampton’s heir apparent, and predicted he would push Steve McClendon, if not Hampton himself, for playing time.

Ta’amu barely got playing time in the pre-season. And of course there was his drunken rampage though the South Side in October. During mini camp he found himself behind Al Woods on the depth cart – despite the fact that Al Woods had never played nose tackle.

Ta’amu entered camp on the PUP list with a bad hamstring, which could leave his already precarious hold on a roster spot hamstrung (pun fully intended)

Ziggy Hood
OK, this one is a bit of a misnomer. Barring injury, Ziggy Hood land a spot on the Steelers 2013 opening day roster.

• But then what? 

Ziggy Hood was a first round pick in 2009 and Steel Curtain Rising singled Hood out in 2010 as one player whom the Steelers needed to ascend for Pittsburgh to contend. Hood stepped in after Aaron Smith’s injury and, after a slow start, caught fire late in the season and during the playoffs, helping spark the team’s appearance in Super Bowl XLV.

Since then, however, little has been seen of Hood. Statistics indicate that on a snap-per-snap basis, fellow first round pick Cameron Heyward out preformed Hood in 2012.

• Word is that the coaches will give Cameron Heyward a chance to unseat Ziggy Hood as a starter. As well they should.

As Hood enters his 5th summer at St. Vincents the questions he faces are whether he becomes the first bust in a long line of Kevin Colbert first round draft successes, and whether he proves himself worth of a second NFL contract with guaranteed money measured in 7 figures, or a series of contracts for around the veteran minimum….

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Watch Tower: Doing a Double Take on Tomlin's Coaching Changes, Plus Heyward vs. Hood

The NFL press credential unlocks access to a world that fans only dream of visiting – the NFL locker room. Many argue that social media diminishes if not eliminates the need and role of the traditional press.

• There’s some truth there. 

The internet, YouTube, blogs, streaming video, Facebook, and Twitter connect players, coaches, scouts, front office staff, and owners with fans in ways that Joe Gordon, Steelers Communications director during the Super Steelers era, never dreamed of.

• Yet a press credential remains invaluable. 

Simply because it gives accredited members of the Pittsburgh Pro Football Writers Association daily access to those self-same players, coaches, and scouts.

Yes can Steelers.com picks and chooses post-game quotes that Twitter, Facebook, ESPN.com, FOX Sports quickly recycle. Sure, Art Rooney II can change the spin of a story by using a video interview to explain that he didn’t mean the Steelers offense needed to run more just that it needed to be able to run better.

• These mediums have their impact, but they also have their limits.

And that’s because beat reporters establish build relationships players and coaches. They make small talk by the water cooler and in the lunch room. They’re privy to numerous 60 second “off the record” 1-1 elevator rides, parking lot exchanges and, yes, urinal conversations.

Credentialed Steelers press writers have an excellent feel for what gets said in private, behind closed doors, when the tape records and cellphone cameras are put way.

The Watch Tower has long suspected that many if not most of the Steelers press corps writers frequently know a lot more about the stories than reaches the light of day.

• And that’s what makes our first case so interesting.

Revisiting the Sean Kugler, Amos Jones and Scotty Montgomery’s “Resignations”

Steelers Nation knows well how Mike Tomlin said his coaching staff would be back in January 2012 after the Steelers suffered their playoff “Tebowing” in Denver only to have Art Rooney II pulled rank and fired Bruce Arians.

• The move drew a firestorm converge, and the attempt to pass it off as a “retirement” made the Steelers look bush league.

Mike Tomlin started the Steelers 2013 off season off with three coaching changes, which collectively got less coverage than the Arians fiasco.

Perhaps that was a mistake, because it appears there was a story behind the story...

• ...Depending on who you listen to.

But this plot takes an interesting twist. This is no case of local rivals peddling competing stories or even of the local press vs. the national press. No, this time the Watch Tower shines its light on divergent stories coming from the same publication….

Bouchette vs. Dulac with Blog Posts at 30 Paces….

In just two days in mid February PG Plus readers got a treat that gave them their money’s worth for a month.

On Monday the 11th, Ed Bouchette directly suggested that the resignations of Tomlin’s assistants were less than voluntary. And in doing so, he reported several interesting new facts.

Bouchette characterized Amos Jones move to Pittsburgh West, aka Arizona, as a “side ways move” and pointed out that Jones joined the Steelers as an assistant and only got the special teams coordinator job due to Al Everestt’s mysterious firing.

Although he doesn’t report any new facts, but reminds readers that Jones didn’t get the job after Bob Ligashesky got fired in 2010, and suggests that Tomlin either told him he would be demoted or suggested he find a new job or be fired.

Scottie Montgomery’s departure is Bouchette’s next target, and hits the bull’s eye with some new facts. Bouchette begins by reminding us that the Duke PR department was nebulous about what Montgomery’s new duties would be, and that a move from Pittsburgh to Duke is hardly a step up the career ladder. Then he delivers the goods.

We were told that Montgomery did not exert enough control over the wide receivers the past season and, with Hines Ward no longer around, the students ran the classroom and became more undisciplined. Their performance on the field certainly would back that up.

Although Bouchette does not mention this, the hiring of Richard Mann provides further evidence to support his claim. Anyone who saw his draft day press conference could easily see that Mann exudes and air of “Been there, Done that.

Bouchette closed by taking a look at Sean Kulger’s decision to accept the head coaching job at UT El Paso, suggesting that he might have at least been motivated by a philosophy class with offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Haley’s new offensive line coach Jack Bicknell has in fact installed a new, run blocking scheme.

So here we have an inside story from the Dean of the Pittsburgh press corps telling us that Tomlin’s coaching changes were as much about house cleaning as they were climbing the career ladder. Case closed, right?

Not so fast.

• Only a day later Gerry Dulac penned another PG Plus story telling a very different tale.

Dulac began by attacking the notion that the changes were a case of “rats leaving a sinking ship” and went as far as to state:  “And none were made because of any conflict or dissatisfaction with Coach Mike Tomlin.”

Dulac pointed out that Kulger’s chance to return to his alma mater was simply “too good to pass up.” In discussing Amos Jones move, Dulac reported that Jones got more money and a longer contract than was presumably available in Pittsburgh.

In discussing Montgomery’s return to Duke, Dulac says:

But Montgomerie [sic] was said to very friendly with Tomlin and, according to one assistant coach, was reluctant to leave Duke the first time to join the Steelers.

Bouchette vs. Dulac Who to Believe? 

So here you have two reporters for the same publication, telling very different stories based upon what they see from behind the scenes on the South Side. Who to believe?

Of all of the moves, the departure of Kulger’s appears to be the most straight forward. He got the chance to return to his roots, and presumptively would have stayed in Pittsburgh had that opportunity not surfaced.

There’s likely truth in both men’s rendering of Amos Jones’ departure. Jones quiet likely could have stayed in Pittsburgh, but only in his old role as a special teams assistant.

In the case of Montgomery, the Watch Tower is prone to believe Bouchette. The wide receiving corps was supposed to be Pittsburgh’s strength last year, but "Young Money," aka Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, and Emmanuel Sanders, played more like a penniless group of receivers, much to Ben Roethlisberger’s chagrin.

• There is one thing that both Bouchette and Dulac agree on, one that is perhaps a little disturbing for Steelers fans. 

In discussing Montgomery’s move, Bouchette observed this “If Tomlin – or someone above him – didn’t force Montgomery out, his move to Duke is a strange one indeed.”  Dulac went a step further, and finished his article suggesting:  “Of course, sometimes what Tomlin wants and what actually transpires are two different things. Just ask Arians.”

While the idea of Art Rooney II involving himself in Mike Tomlin’s staffing decisions  isn’t in and of itself bad, one would hope that Art II would emulate macro-manager Daniel Rooney and not micro-manager Daniel Snyder.

Which Way is Heyward Heading?

One of the the most important story lines at Steelers training camp in St. Vincent’s will be the development of Cameron Heyward, the Steelers 1st round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Cameron Heyward’s limited contributions as a rookie drew good reviews, however opinion of his second year development remains split.

Ralph Paulk of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review wrote a feature-length article admonishing Hewyard to “step it up” commenting that:

The Ohio State product begins his third season amid a cloud of uncertainty.
He isn't likely to supplant Ziggy Hood or Brett Keisel in the starting lineup, but he can dictate how much playing time he'll get — and how his future will be shaped.

To back up his argument, Paulk cites any number of statistics on Heyward’s production, and quotes Heyward himself discussing how he’s fallen short of his goals.

However, Kyle Curry of the Pittsburgh Sporting News also ran an article on Heyward last week citing statistics that show Hewyard out performing Ziggy Hood on a snap-by-snap basis, and he informs that Ed Bouchette is reporting that Heyward has a chance to replace Hood in the starting lineup.
Heyward’s development, and the press’s coverage of it will be interesting to see.

Smizik on Wallace

The final off season installment of the Watch Tower would not be complete without comment about retired Post-Gazette columnist turned blogger Bob Smizik’s criticism of Steelers salary cap management and free agent decisions.

• Mike Wallace, as everyone knows was one of the top available free agents, regardless of position and was expected to command at least 10 million per year and he eventually got closer to 12.

Keeping Wallace, in Smizik’s view was essential for the Steelers, and the retired scribe all but implied that the Steelers needed to do what was necessary to keep him. And in the same breath, he slammed the Steelers for being so tight against the cap that they couldn’t make an offer.

• That’s right – slam the team for not writing Wallace a blank check in one breath, while slamming them for salary cap problems in the next.

Sounds like the same guy who criticized the Steelers for drafting Rashard Mendenhall without taking Willie Parker’s feelings into account, and then complained when Mendenhall wasn’t getting more carries early in ’08….

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Steelers Draft Samford DT Nicholas Willams in 7th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guess again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Steelers Report Card vs. the Ravens @ M&T Stadium

Taken from the grade book of a teach who has just seen yet again live out the all important lesson of believing in themselves, here is the Steelers report card for their upset win over the Baltimore Ravens. As a caveat, no other Steeler report cards were consulted prior to this posting.

Quarterback
Yes, Charlie Batch overthrew Mike Wallace in the end zone. Yes, he threw to Ed Reed in the end zone. Yes, his missed other throws that could have helped the team. But the stat sheet doesn’t detail Batch’s block on Dwyer’s touchdown. It camouflages the 8-8 performance after the interception. It fails to reveal the poise and focus that let him lead the Steelers to 10 4th quarter points. Steel Curtain Rising’s report card grades on performance and results. While Batch’s numbers might not have been excellent, the results were. Grade: A-

Running Backs
Measured purely by the stats, the Steelers running backs had a weak day. But if numbers don’t lie, they sometimes disguise the truth. Against the Ravens the Pittsburgh Steelers running backs ran the ball when they needed to. Jonathan Dwyer’s 16 yard TD confirmed that Pittsburgh was playing to win. Isaac Redman’s 24 yard run was equally impressive and helped set the tone for the 4th quarter. Grade:  B+

Wide Receivers
Yes, Mike Wallace dropped one he should have caught. Yes, Emmanuel Sanders fumble was costly and could have been lethal. But Sander’s atoned by making a key catch to set up the tying touchdown. And Wallace was Mr. dependable on the final drive. Under appreciated in all of this is Heath Miller who made clutch catch after clutch catch, and whose touchdown was a testament to will and focus. Antonio Brown also played well.  Grade:  B+

Offensive Line
Another game, another starting front five for the Steelers, continuing a now three year theme. In run blocking the Steelers did not dominate the Ravens as they might have, but no one can fault their protection of Charlie Batch, who had time to throw all day. Maurkice Pouncey also played well as an out of position center. And how many coaches wouldn’t like to have a player with Doug Legursky’s versatility?  Grade:  B

Defensive Line
Ziggy Hood led the team in tackles, registered a sack, several tackles for a loss, and was spot on in the fumble recovery. He was the only member of the unit that stood out, and the Ravens did have success running the ball at times, although Flacco also found himself facing many third and long. Brett Keisel had 3 tackles. This unit had a solid night, but must bear some blame for Ray Rice’s TD.  Grade:  B

Linebackers
Larry Foote was all over the field making tackles on both sides of the line of scrimmage, sacking Flacco and pressuring him into bad throws. Jason Worilds had a quiet game, but did his part as did Lawrence Timmons. But the real star of the unit was number 92. As Mike Tomlin said after a hard-fought, close victory over the Bengals in 2010, “James makes plays, and he makes them in a timely fashion.” The Ed Reed interception should have doomed the Steelers, but Harrison’s strip sack shifted momentum right back to the Steelers.  Grade:  A-

Secondary
Joe Flacco tried to go deep to Tory Smith early in the game, and Ike Taylor broke it up. Then he left for the game. So Cam Cameron thought he might feast on sophomore cornerback Cortez Allen. Guess again, Cam. Allen was excellent in his first “start” breaking up 3 passes and given the Ravens no quarter. Keenan Lewis had another strong game. Ryan Clark pulled down an easy interception. And Troy Polamalu was back, blitzing early and then covering deep. Flacco did have one 31 yard pass, but overall failed multiple times going deep on a day when the Ravens were 3-11 on third downs. Grade:  A

Special Teams
Jacoby Jones did have one long one, but overall was a non-factor. Antonio Brown tried to return some punts he probably should not have, but did not hurt the team. But Chris Rainey had an under appreciated role in victory, as his 42 yard kickoff return set up the Steelers second field goal, allowing them to go into the half just 7 down. Drew Butler had a so-so day punting. 46, 41, and 42 – those were the distances of Shaun Suisham’s field goals, all of which were necessary all of which came outdoors in December, on a wet field, including the one to win the game with 3 seconds remaining.  Grade: B+

Coaching
The Ravens and Joe Flacco and the offense have been red hot at home. Yet Dick LeBeau kept him under 50% passing by playing to his weaknesses. Todd Haley devised a solid game plan to exploit Batch’s talents. While his attempt to go deep did not bear fruit, there’s no criticism here for taking shots down the field. But the real kudos here go to Mike Tomlin. The Steelers sorely lacked focus in their 8 turnover game to the Browns, and Tomlin shook up his roster. He and Haley also deserve credit for moving their Pro Bowl Center out of position. Pittsburgh won because they wanted it more, but all of that “want it” only mattered because the Steelers were focused, confident, and ready to persevere thanks to Tomlin. Grade:  A

Unsung Hero
Paul Kruger is playing extremely well this year, and if the Ravens defense is having an off year, it’s still better than many. Being asked to start your first NFL game going on the road to a team that has beaten you three times and shows now quarter is not easy. But this rookie 7th round draft pick embraced this challenge and lived up to Mike Tomlin’s “Standard” by delivering a winning performance for 60 minutes, and for Kelvin Beachum is the Unsung Hero of the Steelers-Ravens game.

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Steelers Report Card vs. Raiders @ Oakland

From the grade book of a teacher who worries that his star student capable of authoring an epic master piece will fall prey to failure due to poor attention to fundamental nuts and bolts issues, here goes the report card for the Steelers loss to the Raiders. Caveat, no other grades were consulted prior to this post.

Quarterback
Has Ben Roethlisberger ever played better? You’d be hard pressed to make that argument. Ben made good decisions, bought time with his feet, spread the ball around, coverted third downs and threw touchdowns.  Grade: A

Running Back
Baron Batch, Isaac Redman, and Chris Rainey all had some good individual runs. But again, consistence remained absent. Remove Roethlisberger’s scramble, and Pittsburgh for 44 yards. Total. The backs caught the ball well. But rushing is their primary role and never, have I ever seen a Steelers team run the ball so poorly. Run blocking is an issue, but someone must find a way to get it done.  Grade:  D

Wide Receivers
The stat sheets says this was another banner day for Young Money and company, and in many ways it was. Health Miller? All he does is make tough catches and catch touchdowns. But for a strong as this unit played at times, they did commit three fumbles, one quite costly and the other two indicated a lack of focus that plagued the team. The fact that the wide receivers are the strength of the team gives them no license to take plays off. Grade:  B-

Offensive Line
Another game and no major injuries, good. Another game and a sub 3 yards per carry rushing average, bad. Willie Colon committed a holding penalty when the team could least afford it and the only sack the unit gave up was later on that same drive when the Steelers needed to score. Strong pass protection is nothing to sneeze at, but more progress in the running game and more consistency in crucial moments are needed if the unit is to transform itself into an asset. Grade:  C

Defensive Line
The Steelers run defense contained the Raiders’ rushing attack. Except for the 64 yard run. Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the… You get the picture. Statistics aside, this unit fails to distinguish itself. Ziggy Hood was supposed to have a break out year, instead he’s invisible. Brett Kesiel had gotten better with age, is age now getting the better of him? Individually the defensive lineman are not winning their match ups, collectively they’re getting no penetration.  Grade:  D

Linebackers
Why are the Steelers paying Lawrence Timmons 60 million dollars? Timmons is supposed to be the unit’s athlete, but Larry Foote, the man he made expendable, is out performing him. LaMarr Woodley made some noise, but mostly in the first half. Neither Jason Worilds nor Chris Carter come close to convincing anyone he’s James Harrison’s heir apparent. Carson Palmer picked the Steelers defense apart with audiles, the no huddle and short, quick release passes. Those are difficult to defend, but that’s what linebackers are paid to do.  Grade:  D

Secondary
Even if the Steelers win the Super Bowl this year, no one will remember that the secondary helped force a few 1st half 3 and outs, they’ll recall the Raiders scoring  every second half possession. That’s the second time an offense has accomplished this feat. The secondary hardly deserves the all blame for that, but they sure could step up to contribute to a solution. Ryan Clark’s interception nudges this group’s grade up.  Grade:  D+

Special Teams
After two weeks of nearly flawless play special teams served up…. A touchdown nullified by a penalty, a 50 kickoff return, a 29 yard punt, and a facemask that puts the Steelers back to their own 8. You cannot hang all the blame for the loss here but, early on, special teams breakdowns gave the Raiders multiple chances to get back into the game when they were on the ropes. Grade:  D+

Coaching
The fumbles, penalties, and special teams breakdowns indicated a chronic failure to focus. That blame falls squarely on Mike Tomlin’s shoulders. Any temptation to say “yeah, well that happens” should be met with the realization that losses to inferior opponents doomed the 2009 Steelers. Its hard fault Todd Haley, but he must take some blame for the running game. On defense, the Steelers are below the line. While execution is an issue, Palmer’s familiarity with Dick LeBeau’s offense keyed his success.  Grade:  D-

Unsung Hero
The unit did not escape criticism above, but the fact is that Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, and Health Miller cannot put up a fantasy owners dream come true like numbers of Number Seven is on the Ground. Pass protection needs to hold up better on key plays, but overall Ben is getting the time he needs to thrive, and for that the offensive line is the Unsung Hero of the Raiders game.

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Ziggy Hood Poised to Lead Steelers Defensive Line

The Steelers overtime playoff loss to the Denver Broncos left a lot of bad memories for SteelersNation. At times the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers played with so much promise, at other times they were maddeningly inconsistent.

But the playoff game also saw a changing of the guard on the defensive line. Long time anchor Casey Hampton went down with a ACL tear. Brett Keisel also fell injured. That left Ziggy Hood, Cameron Heyward and Steve McLendon on their own. Literally.

• The results were not pretty. 

Tim Tebow had his way with the Steelers defense. And although some of that does fall on the shoulders of the secondary and Dick LeBeau’s staff, the Steelers defensive lineman didn’t feel that they’d done their part.

As Joe Starkey points out in the Tribune Review, Ziggy Hood didn’t pout, he went out and did something about it.

Check out this video of Hood pulling a 1200 pound sled.



And if that’s not enough for you, check out a longer version of the rest of Hood’s workout:



If Ziggy Hood doesn’t have a break out year it won’t be for lack of preparation, because Hood clearly has the look of a man on a mission.

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Steelers 2012 Draft Need Matrix

Unlike other sites, Steel Curtain Rising has no inner Mel Kipper Jr. to channel. Here you’ll find no mock drafts, analysis of hypothetical trade values, or doomsday scenarios.

Those are all great, and to my fellow colleagues in the blogging community, I say have at it!

But I make no pretense of pretending to know or even have an educated guess on who the Steelers should pick and who they should avoid in the draft. College football is not shown here in Buenos Aires, even if you have Direct TV, and even when I lived in the United States, I never followed it. Nothing against it, just never had a rooting interest. (Now, if Loyola Maryland ever gets a football team... Watch out.)

What I can do, however, is give you an analysis of the Steelers needs. If you’ve been following, you’ll know that I’ve broken down the Steelers by position area, evaluating what they need at tight end and quarterback, running back and wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, and secondary.

But how does that all fit together? Well, that’s what Steel Curtain Rising's annual Steelers draft need matrix is all about. If, in a given situation the Steelers find multiple players of the same grade on their draft board, who do they pick?

Mind you, the Steelers, at least since Kevin Colbert arrived, have rarely allowed their draft decisions to be driven by need. But, for as much as they might protest to the contrary, need does come into their equation, even if its not the prime consideration.

This year’s draft matrix has an odd shape, thin at both ends and fat in the middle.

Steelers First Tier Draft Needs

The Steelers have to urgent needs. They need to continue to rebuild their offensive line, and they need to begin grooming a successor to Casey Hampton.

Fate might complicate that mission in this draft, as we are told there are few quality nose tackles. And that’s where this gets tricky.

Because the Steelers only need one nose tackle, yet they need to field five offensive lineman and could conceivably upgrade any of the the four exterior line positions, with a quality first round pick.

And while the Steelers need at guard is greater than it is at tackle, I lump to two together, because if the Steelers get a good tackle Willie Colon can make the oft-discussed move to his so called natural position of guard (which he has never played.)

So the temptation to reach for a nose tackle, given the dearth of talent in this draft, has got to be great.

But the Steelers First Tier Draft Matrix goes like this:

Offensive line takes priority over nose tackle, by a nose (pun intended)

Second Steelers Draft Needs

The second tier is very fat indeed. For once you can believe Kevin Colbert when he says that everything (or almost everything) is fair game after the first round.

That’s because while the Steelers don’t have many gaping holes to fill, just about every position area either has depth issues, age issues, or injury issues.

Still, it is possible to sort out some information from the noise.

Safety takes priority over inside linebacker, which takes priority over outside linebacker, which takes priority over running back, which takes priority over cornerback, which takes priority over wide receiver, which takes priority over defensive end.

Wow, that is a complicated web to unweave. But here goes. The Steelers are aging at safety, and their only young back up will be a free agent this time next year.

With question marks about both Jason Worilds and Stevenson Sylvester, inside linebacker gets the nod over outside linebacker because of Lawrence Timmons inconsistency.

You could make the argument that running back and outside linebacker should be switched, I will not argue, but I lean that way because the Steelers have bodies at running back and the NFL favors that pass more and more every year.

The need for a good corner is evident as is the need for good wideouts. The corner gets the nod because they have less proven talent that wideout.

Lastly, the Steelers don’t have tons of depth at defensive end, particularly if Ziggy Hood is to move to nose tackle for some portion of the 2012 or 2013 season. But with 2 out of the last three first being defensive ends it is hard to put this higher in the pecking order.

Steelers Third Tier Draft Needs

Tight ends takes priority over quarterback.

This one should be pretty self evident. IT would be great if the Steelers could get a tight end similar to those that New England has. But they have more pressing needs to address.

Ditto quarterback. I’d love nothing more than to draft a guy, bring him along and “develop” him the way coaches used to (at least on paper.)

But the Steelers have spent a couple of three 5th round picks on quarterbacks (Tee Martin, Brian St. Pierre, Omar Jacobs, and Dennis Dixon). With the exception of Dixon, none of them did more than hold a clipboard (which, well, isn’t a bad thing to say about your third string QB). In the case of Dixon, if the Steelers really saw some him as a viable long-term back up, they’d have resigned him instead of Charlie Batch.

Day to Dream

We of course don’t have “draft day” any more, its now “draft days.”

But you know what I mean.

There may be more pomp and circumstance surrounding the NFL draft than there should be. There is certainly too much pontification, and too many definitive day after pronouncements.

So be it.

The NFL draft is something special. It’s a day a that opens the door to hope for fans from every NFL team. It’s the day when some team is going to make a move that changes or cements its future for the next decade.

It’s a day when a select group of young men realize the dream that all of us had the first time we touched a Nerf Football in the back yard and called out some random snap count.

What a day indeed.

Enjoy it.

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Steelers Draft Needs at Defensive Line

Having discussed the Steelers draft needs at tight end and quarterback, running backs and wide receivers, and offensive line, we now turn our attention to the defensive side of the ball.

Steelers Needs at Defensive End

The Steelers drafted Ziggy Hood with their first round pick in 2009 and drafted Cameron Heyward with their first round pick in 2011, therefore they can't possibly be thinking of drafting a defensive lineman early in the 2012 NFL Draft, right?

Not quite.

Yes, the Steelers have worked hard to stock themselves to inject youth into their defensive line, and while Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward both need to develop more, the team has good depth when you pair those two with Brett Keisel.

But Brett Keisel turns 34 this year, and the Steelers have very little in terms of proven talent behind their top three defensive ends, as evidenced by the playoff loss vs. Denver (although any 3-4 team that loses both a starting end and a nose tackle is going to struggle.)

We should also note for the record that the Steelers have Al Woods under contract. Woods hasn't done a whole lot, but Mike Tomlin appears to like the guy.

The Steelers need to continue to stock their bull pen at defensive end, but realistically they won’t look to do so until relatively late in the draft.

• Priority of defensive end for the Steelers in the 2012 NFL draft: Medium/low

Steelers Needs at Nose Tackle

Casey Hampton has been the rock upon which the Steelers defense of the last decade has been built, figuratively, if not literally. Alas Casey Hampton’s time in the NFL is coming to an end. Coming off an ACL injury, he agreed to a massive pay cut.

While Casey Hampton's paycut assured that he will make the team in 2012, one can also read into it that if Hampton had not agreed to the pay cut, the Steelers may have simply cut him. It is conceivable that Hampton might have another year in him, assuming he avoid injury in 2012, but either way “Life’s Work” is fast closing in on Big Snack.

Besides Hampton, who might not even start the season, the Steelers have Steve McLendon, who signed in 2010 as an unrestricted rookie free agent. McLendon looked solid in the time he has played, but it’s doubtful he can be counted on as a long-term answer.

The Steelers also have Corbin Bryant and Elisha Joseph on their roster at NT. The former was a training camp phenomena, for a while, the later remains a total unknown.

All of this points to the Steelers urgently needing to groom a successor to Casey Hampton, ASAP.
Word from the Draft Nicks is however, that the nose tackle is especially thin in the 2011 NFL Draft class.

The Steelers shouldn’t and probably won’t reach to fill this need. And that’s a good thing, because when you reach, Troy Edwards happens. But that doesn’t alter the reality that in an ideal world, the Steelers would address nose tackle very early in the draft.

• Priority of defensive end for the Steelers in the 2011 NFL draft: High

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Containing Kerry Collins the Steelers Key to Victory Over the Colts?

Quick name an NFL quarterback who has:

• Fended off Chad Brown’s pass rush to toss a TD with Rod Woodson in the secondary
• Victoriously stared down a front seven featuring the likes of Aaron Smith, Kevin Henry, Earl Holmes, Kimo von Oelhoffen, Joey Porter, Levon Kirkland, and Jason Gildon
• Schooled a number 1 defense headlined by playes like James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, and Troy Polamalu
• Given scare to a similar version of that defense, reinforced by presence of players like Lawrence Timmons and Ziggy Hood

That quarterback is of course none other than Kerry Collins.

The Pittsburgh Steelers seek their fist road win tonight against the Peyton Manningless Indianapolis Colts.

Observers near and far have argued that no NFL franchise has seen its fortunes revolve around one player more than the Colt’s have revolved around Manning. Joe Bendel of the Steelers Digest went as far as to claim that taking Manning from the Colts is akin to taking Bruce Springsteen from the E-Street Band.

Thus far the Colts 0-2 lack luster start lends credibility to those dire predictions.

A friend, who is not a Steelers fan, even observed that, “Collins suddenly looks very old.”

There’s a fine line between “old,” and “seasoned pro.” Collins has only had a limited amount of time to learn the Colts offense, get to know his receivers, and feel comfortable in their system.

The process figured to take awhile, and the bitter taste of two defeats added to the adrenaline of playing in prime time at home can serve to speed up the learning curve.

And it is not as if Kerry Collins is any stranger to the Steelers. He’s played the many times before. In 1996 it was with the Carolina Panthers. In 2000 it was with the NFC Champions New York Giants. In 2008, 2009, and 2010 it was with the Tennessee Titans.

Collins record as a starter in those games is 3-1. In both the season opening loss in 2009 and the second game of the 2010 season where Collins came off the bench he pressed the Steelers to the wire.

Is then, Kerry Collins the key to the Steelers-Colts game?

In a manner of speaking yes.

By himself, Collins cannot beat the Steelers. But the Steelers will lose if they allow Collins to get into any kind of rhythm. Unlike his predecessor, Collins is a game managing quarterback as opposed to a franchise quarterback.

If Peyton Manning has been the field general that led the Colts from the front lines, then this field general has had some very talented foot soldiers standing behind him.

Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Dwight Freeney cannot beat the Steelers on their own. They need something from Collins. Against the Steelers Colllins has completed a composite total of 64% of his passes, and has thrown for six touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Collins history suggests that he can give them that “something.”

The Steelers need not walk into this game “fearing” Collins the way they would a Tom Brady, Drew Brees, or Aaron Rodgers. But they had give him the respect he deserves.

If they Steelers can contain Collins on defense and keep Ben Roethlisberger upright on offense then they should conclude the night with their first road win under their belts.

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Keys to the Steelers Success in 2011

The 2011 NFL regular season is now upon us.

The Steelers 2011 off season started in Dallas on the sour note Super Bowl XLV’s final gun. Since then, collegiate pre-draft visits, NFL Owners-NFLPA labor mediation, the lockout, the draft, training camp, free agent signings, and preseason have occupied the attention of Steelers Nation.

All of that is well and good, but the hopes of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2011 come down to two words: Balance and Opportunity.

Pittsburgh and the Punditry

To read what’s written in some quarters the Steelers are more likely to contend for the first draft pick and Lombardi Number Seven this season.

The litany of the Steelers sins goes something like this:

• The defense is too old,
• James Harrison isn’t fully recovered from back surgery
• The Steelers have one viable corner when three are needed
• Pittsburgh has no offensive line strategy

Either collectively or individually these issues could derail the Steelers season. But every NFL team has strengths and weaknesses – the question as always lies in how you deal with them.

Black and Gold and the Mean Between Two Extremes

Aristotle taught that virtue is about moderating between two extremes. The Steelers success or failure in 2011 will be measured by their ability to do that on the football field.

Age Meets Maturity

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is the NFL’s oldest. This will matter for little if the Steelers match age with maturity.

3 of the last 4 of Aaron Smith’s seasons have ended in injury. And he’s a year older.

• Ziggy Hood is also a year older – and a year better. Ditto Steve McClendon.

If the Steelers can rotate Smith, McClendon, and 1st round draft pick Cam Heyward, they can benefit from the energy that youth brings and the wisdom of aging veterans.

Don’t Be Timid About Putting Your Foote Forward

James Harrison’s recovery from back surgery is a serious issue, and Jason Worilds isn’t ready for Prime Time.

• Perhaps its time for a change up in rhythm at OLB and
• maybe Larry Foote becomes the unit's unsung hero

Over the last three years, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley have unleash fury on opposing quarterbacks unlike no other outside linebacking duo. But their play has followed a similar pattern – Harrison starts out strong then tapers off while Woodley starts slow and finishes with a bang.

2011 would seem to be an appropriate time to reverse that pattern.

That only works if James Harrison back can heal in the middle of the rigors of an NFL season, which might be totally unrealistic.

If that turns out to be the case and the pass rush suffers, then Dick LeBeau needs to balance the situation by inserting Larry Foote into the lineup and begin working Lawrence Timmons into the rotation at outside linebacker.

Finding Equilibrium Between Coverage and Pressure

It’d be nice to think that the Steelers can get contributions from Curtis Brown or Cortez Allen the way they got them from Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown last year.

And that might happen, but Dick LeBeau cannot bank on it.

But the Steelers corners were good enough to get them to the Super Bowl last year. To transform a Super Bowl appearance into a win Dick LeBeau need to cleverly disguise coverages and pressure schemes. Perhaps no where is the Aristotelian concept of virtue more applicable than here. LeBeau needs to finely calibrate the mix.

Be that as it may, as Mike Tomlin says, “schemes are overrated."

Dick LeBeau and Carnell Lake are smart enough to get their players in position, but the Steelers corners must execute and, yes, Troy Polamlau must stay healthy.

Sean Kugler Must Do His Thing

Injuries kept the Steelers offensive line in almost constant disarray last year, yet offensive line coach Sean Kugler shifted guys in and out of position all year long, some times on a series-by-series if not play by play basis.

Having just written extensively on Behind the Steel Curtain about the Steelers offensive line, there isn’t much more to say here.

The Steelers have won pretty big with their “situational offensive line strategy” of late. Kugler is no stranger to balancing personnel against constantly shifting needs and that trait should continue to serve him and the Steelers well in 2011.

Opportunity Knocks

It is so important that pull off the balancing feats indicated above, because their Super Bowl window remains open.

Super Bowl windows are temperamental things. Sometimes they slam shut quickly, as they did for Tampa Bay after 2002.

Other times they remain, or appear to remain, open indefinitely is it did for the Dallas Cowboys who made Super Bowl appearances in ’75, ’77, ’78 and then tantalized their fans with NFC Conference Championship in ’80, ’81, and ’82 before fading into the mid-80’s.

The Steelers have their Super Bowl window of opportunity and they must seize it.

Book makers would say the percentages are against this happening.

• ...Only a handful of recent Super Bowl losers even made it to the playoffs in the succeeding season.
• ...The 1971 Dallas Cowboys were the last team to flip their Super Bowl fortunes for the better in a single season.
• ...Wikipedia, that ever infalable source, even has its own “Super Bowl Losers Curse” page.

And that’s what makes the Steelers situation so beautiful because you needn't bother breathing a word of that to Mike Tomlin.

He doesn’t care.

The Past is the Past. They Don’t Write Our Story, We Write Our Own Story.

And he’s right.

To bring home Lombardi Number Seven the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers might need to walk a few tight ropes, but their destiny is in their hands.

Sunday against the Ravens we’ll began to see what the Steelers can make of that destiny.

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