Steelers Lose to Bengals 20-10 at Paul Brown Stadium

For the first time since 2002 the Steelers will start the season at 0-2, after dropping a 20-10 contest to division rivals at Paul Brown Stadium.

20-10 seems like a manageable score, but the truth is that makes it look closer than it was. Ben Roethlisberger played a poor game. He was under heavy pressure all night (when hasn't that been the case) and even when he had time to throw his passes were long and or high.

For the second straight week the Steelers failed to establish any semblance of a running game, and its defense was held without a turnover, and without a sack.

Its going to be a long season Steelers Nation. Steel Curtain Rising will hang in for the duration, but it is 1:24 here in Buenos Aires, and work beckons tomorrow morning. Stay tuned for more!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steelers Roll Snake Eyes, End Up Snake Bitten

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steelers Defense Above the Line, But….

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

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

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

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

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

The Problem with Calculated Risks? Sometimes They Go Wrong

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

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

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

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

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

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Could John Malecki and Marshall McFadden Return to the Steelers?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Could Jonathan Dwyer return?

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

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

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

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

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Steelers to Begin Answering Questions on Peril, Potential vs. Titans

At 1:00 pm the Pittsburgh Steelers will open the 2013 regular season vs. the Tennessee Titans. And it is at that moment that the Steelers Nation will begin to get answers to some of the many questions that face their beloved franchise.

• No one knows what to make of the 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers.

Many, if not most pundits are predicting 8-8, no playoffs, 3rd in the AFC North if not worse. Yet there are others predicting the AFC Championship.

Who is right?

• The truth is no one really knows.

The 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers field a team that is riddled with question marks that intimate peril, yet each one of those question marks also offers potential.

Take the Steelers running back stable. Not happy with mediocre results in 2013, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin all but whipped the slate clean. Rashard Mendenhall is in Pittsburgh West aka Arizona. Chris Rainey, Baron Batch, and Jonathan Dwyer are filing for unemployement insurance.

Only Isaac Redman remains. Le’Veon Bell was to offer hope, but his NFL career amounts to four carries. Could Felix Jones realize that this is his last shot at NFL glory?

At wide receiver the Steelers situation is much the same.

Mike Wallace’s speed will be missed. But his lack of maturity and “me” focus will not. On paper Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are more complete receivers.

But are they complete enough to make up for the loss of Heath Miller?

Lynch Pin on Offense – The Line

When “the Steelers have done it before they can do it again” emotions fade, any rational analysis will hold that the Steelers receivers and running backs will face learning curve.

• But there’s a big X Factor at work, and that is the Steelers offensive line.

The Steelers offensive line had been substandard for the better part of the Tomlin era. Some of it has to do with Ben Roethlisberger holding on to the ball too long, but even when you account for that Pittsburgh has not enjoyed consistent run or pass blocking since Alan Faneca departed.

As Steel Curtain Rising (and others) have repeatedly observed, the Steelers Brain Trust has invested heavily in changing that.

• Now is the time for the Steelers investment in the offensive line to begin paying dividends.

Keeping Ben Roethlisberger healthy is certainly the variable of paramount importance in this equation. But it goes quite beyond that.

Ben Roethlisberger’s, the receivers, and running backs have played a lot of winning football in 2008, 2010, and 2011 behind offensive lines that were playing musical chairs.

• If the line’s personnel can stabilize and those men can stay healthy, and even begin to play to their pedigrees, then they can cover up for some growing pains in the skill positions.

But again, this depends on the players both developing and staying healthy, which has been a challenge recently. So there you have a question….

Word on Defense, it Isn’t Quite Polamalu or Bust, But…

The Steelers defense had its soul ripped out when James Harrison opted to walk over accepting a pay cut. But the heart of this defense is Troy Polamalu. As Tim Gleason aka Mary Rose of Behind the Steel Curtain has pointed out, Polamalu is like an expensive European sports car. When not in the shop, he is the ultimate football player.

Polamalu’s ability has almost taken on mythic proportions in Steeles Nation and perhaps those comparisons are simply exaggerations.

ESPN’s Scott Brown has calculated that the Steelers defense allows on average 5 fewer points when Polamalu is healthy.

• It’s a good bet that the defense is stingier yet when Polamalu is healthy.

Beyond keeping number 43 healthy, there are other concerns and questions.

• Can the Steelers make up for Harrisons and Casey Hampton’s run stuffing ability
• Will LaMarr Woodley return to his explosive self?
• Are either Ziggy Hood and/or Cameron Heyward going to have a break out year?

Right now these are all questions.

And there are others. Can Danny Smith transform the special teams into something that is not a glaring liability? What of the depth, the younger players that played so poorly in the preseason?

In a very short time Steelers Nation will begin getting some answers.

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Steelers 2013 Roster Analysis: Offensive Line

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 Preview: 4 Challenges Mike Tomlin Must Overcome

The Steelers 2013 home opener is just days away and coming off of an 8-8 season there has never been as great a split either inside or outside Steelers Nation as to what the Pittsburgh Steelers true prospects for a coming season are.

• There are good reasons for this. The predicted salary cap Armageddon instead became the salary cap equivalent of the Loaves and the Fishes.

The Steelers scouting has been under assault. And for good reason, as the 2008 draft class is now a total bust. Yet, as Ivan Cole of Behind the Steel Curtain has pointed out, the Steelers saw teams take restricted free agent runs at not one, but two players in the form of Emmanuel Sanders and Steve McLendon.

Yes, these 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers are a hard nut to crack, with professionals and bloggers alike sparing over the meaning of an 0-4 preseason start. No one really knows what to expect.

Rightly or wrongly, the man who will be held most responsible for the Steelers success or failure in 2013 is Mike Tomlin. And to that end Tomlin has four very specific challenges he must meet. (Click on the link below for a specific challenge for scroll down to read them all):

Tomlin’s First Challenge: Develop Talent
Tomlin’s Second Challenge: Fill the Leadership Void
Tomlin’s Third Challenge: Take on the Trap Games
Tomlin’s Fourth Challenge: Keep Things on an Even Keel


Tomlin’s Challenge: Develop Talent

Kevin Colbert pooh pawed the departure of the likes of Wallace, Rashard Mendenhall and Keenan Lewis as "losing players from an 8-8 team." He promised change. He wasn't kidding.

Colbert didn't simply sit back and let other teams overpay for newly minted Steelers free agents ala Tom Donahoe, he let go overpriced and aging superstars like James Harrison, snake bitten studs like Willie Colon, and dependable standbys like Max Starks depart. He also cleared the ranks of the supporting cast, but allowing Doug Legursky, Will Allen and Ryan Mundy to walk.

• In their place he's assembled a smart 2013 draft class, mixed with some first year players, 2012 draftees, and undrafted rookie free agents.

Mike Tomlin has long defended "The Standard is the Standard" by explaining that merely qualifying for an NFL roster automatically puts a player in the top one have of the top 1% of people that play football.

• Kevin Colbert has given Tomlin cart blanche to prove it this year.

One of Art Rooney II's implicit criticisms of Mike Tomlin after the 2009 seasons was that the team needed to develop talent faster. The delayed development of Lawrence Timmons comes to mind as one example.

To that end, Mike Tomlin has done a better job since then (see Antonio Brown in 2010 and 2011 as one example).

• 2013 will provide a far bigger test.  

Tomlin needs to find a way for these youngsters to grow up fast.

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Tomlin’s Challenge: Fill the Locker Room Leadership Void

At some point after the Steelers 1998 disastrous trip to Detroit that included Phil Luckett's infamous "heads is actually tails" incident, a fan wrote into the Steelers Digest and offered something long the lines of "Cowher needs to realize that this team lacks the playoff veterans of years past, and needs to take the team by the collective collar."

• The fan dead right of course, because so many players quit down the stretch in 1998.

Bill Cowher unfortunately did not get the lesson, and the late season meltdown in 1999 year was more spectacular. Lee Flowers even called out teammates for quitting.

Now fast forward to 2012. In the blink of an eye during the 2012 off season, the Steelers lost Hines Ward, Aaron Smith, and James Farrior, three acknowledged leaders both on and off the field.

As 2012 wore on and inconsistency became habit forming, it became clear that the leadership void was real.

• To his credit, Mike Tomlin seems to have readily realized that and acted accordingly.

Gone is Scotty Montgomery, a young coach feeling his way in the NFL. In his place is Richard Mann, someone who has been around enough to have coached for the Baltimore Colts, old Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens.

Tomlin hasn't stopped there, asking Ben Roethlisberger to take on a more active leadership role. He held the first training camp with live tackling since Chuck Noll began his "Life's work," and he and Colbert have been unsentimental in wielding the axe to the roster.

• On paper all of these are the right moves.

But ultimately it is performance on the field that will determine whether or not these moves bear fruit.

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Tomlin’s Challenge: Take on the Trap Games

Its become cliché in Steelers Nation to say that Mike Tomlin teams have an issue with trap games. But unlike Warren Sapp’s dictum of "Old, Slow and Done" the trap game charge stands up to scrutiny.

In 2007, Tomlin's rookie year, the Steelers dropped games to the Jets and Cardinals. In 2009, the dropped games to the Bears, Browns, and Chiefs. In 2012 the Steelers gave away "Gimmies" to the no-account Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and San Diego Chargers.

One criticism of Tomlin made in mid-2007 was that the Steelers played down to their competition under their new coach.

Since than that observation has been proven to be true... at times.

• At other times this has not been an issue.

Note that during the Steelers 2008 Super Bowl season, the Steelers dropped regular season games to the Giants, Colts, Eagles, and Titans -- all playoff teams. Yet that team made it into the playoffs with a first round bye because they won the games they were "supposed" to win, in addition to defeating the Ravens.

In 2010, the story was similar, with the Steelers losing games to the New Orleans Saints and getting spanked mightily by the New England Patriots. Yet that season they also beat the teams they "should have" beaten.

• The 2011 Steelers were a far inferior version of their '08 and '10 predecessors, yet the '11 Steelers avoided the trap game.

The ability of a team to take all opponents seriously is directly related to a head coach's ability to mentally prepare his players. At times Tomlin has been adept at doing this; at others his ability has failed him.

Tomlin cannot allow that ability to fail him in 2013.

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Tomlin’s Challenge: Keep Things on an Even Keel

Chose your cliché. "Start fast, finish strong." "Go the distance." Whatever.

Tomlin's less successful teams have had another nasty habit -- peaking near mid season.

• In 2007 the triumph of the 75th Anniversary game was followed by a 4-4 finish and first round playoff loss to Jacksonville
• In 2009 the Steelers dominated a Denver team that went into the game at 6-1 and finally looked like a defending champion - then followed with a 5 game losing streak
• In 2011 the Steelers enacted some vengeance by defeating Tom Brady and New England, only to follow it up with a home loss to Baltimore

In 2012 the Steelers won three straight games, getting stronger with each, then limped to victory over the Chiefs before dropping games to Baltimore and Cleveland. Then Charlie Batch rallied the team for a stunning road upset over the Ravens in Baltimore. The 2012 Steelers, it seemed, had arrived...

• ...Except that they went and lost 3 of their next 4.

To be 100% fair to Tomlin, injuries played a large part in several of these late season drop offs. However, to quote Tomlin himself "Injuries are no excuse."

And he's right. Injuries certainly didn't cause force the fumbles, kickoffs returned for touchdowns, coverage lapses, and interceptions that marked some of the '07, '09, '11 and '12 signature losses.

• Like the trap games, this is a demon that Tomlin vanquished in 2008 and 2010. In 2009 he also pulled the team out of an 0-5 nose dive.

In 2013 it will be essential for Mike Tomlin to keep his players mindset focused on the long term.

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Preparing for the “Unknown Unknowns”

Every NFL season brings a certain X-Factor, a certain amount of unpredictability. Think ever reliable Jeff Reed sudden descent into mediocrity in 2010.

Steelers Nation already knows that a younger roster with desperately thin depth, particularly on the offensive line, will test the Steelers.

• But 2013 will present the Pittsburgh Steelers with additional trials that no one can anticipate today.

But if Mike Tomlin can master the four challenges discussed here, he'll have given the Steelers a shot at also overcoming the unexpected.

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Steelers Continue Roster Moves - Cody Wallace in, John Malecki Out...

The fact that Guy Whimper's name was not alongside Jonathan Dwyer's as one of the 22 players cut by Pittsburgh Steelers was met by outcry in Steelers Nation. And the more level-headed response was, “Don’t worry, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin will scour the waiver wire seeking upgrades.”

Well, Tomlin and Colbert have made their first waiver wire transaction, and it didn’t include Guy Wimper or an offensive tackle.

Instead they picked up Cody Wallace, who most recently played center and guard in Tampa Bay.

• To make room for Wallace, the Steelers cut reserve guard/center John Malecki. 

The move amounts to somewhat of a surprise, as Malecki played on the Steelers regular season roster last year, and was generally viewed as having had a good camp. And the Steelers depth on the interior of the offensive line is not seen as being nearly as suspect as it is at the tackle position.

Malecki is only listed has having played one game in 2012, although Steelers.com informs that he was added to their active roster in October of that year.

If he has dressed for less than 8 games, he is eligible to return to the Steelers practice squad. Which will be bad news for one of the 8 hopefuls who were added to that list on Sunday….

Further Steelers Roster Moves Expected

Tomlin and Colbert are not likely finished with the Steelers 2013 roster. Observer-Reporter journalist Dale Lolley expects the team to resign linebacker Marshall McFadden after they play Matt Spaeth on injured reserve.

And of course there is Max Starks. One must suppose that if the Steelers were going to resign Max Starks they would have done so already. But until that doesn't happen, rumors will persist.

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Chargers Cut Max Starks; Could Starks-Steelers Hook Up One Last Time...?

The Pittsburgh Steeerls have announced that they will make their final cuts on Saturday, but many other NFL teams are not content to wait.

The San Diego Chargers made one move that should catch the attention of Steelers Nation:

Chargers announced: Released veteran OT Max Starks.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) August 30, 2013

Ah yes, Max Starks. Earlier this year the Steelers completed one half of what has become a familiar ritual for them – informing Max Starks that he is no longer in their plans. Starks, opted to sign with the Chargers seeking starting money.

But a woeful performance vs. the San Francisco 49ers made him expendable (Starks himself is reported to say that it was the “worst game of his life.”)

• Its been widely acknowledged that the Steelers would search the wavier wire in depth to bolster their offensive line.

Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams are set as starters, although Kelvin Beachum has been rumored to challenge Gilbert. But Beachum is also a back up at guard and center.

After Beachum the Steelers have Guy Whimper, who has lived up to his surname by all reports…

…Could the Pittsburgh Steelers and Max Starks be destined to complete the cycle? Could we see Max Starks once resign with the Steelers for a final time.

• Dale Lolley of the Irwin Observer-Reporter suggests it’s a possibility.

The Steelers and Starks are very much like that couple in high school that keeps breaking up, only to get back together again. The Steelers and Starks have more break ups and reunions that The Who.

The "no we won't" "yes we will" relationship between Starks and the Steelers began before the waiving and resigning began. In 2008 the Steelers named Starks their transition player, yet Max Starks couldn’t win a starting job and couldn’t even get top back up priority over Trai Essex in 2008, making him the highest paid 4th tackle in NFL history.

• But Starks did come off the bench after a disastrous two quarter experiment with Essex at left tackle and Starks saved their 2008 season and did so again in 2011.

It could happen again. Its a good bet that his dear friend Ben Roethlisberger will lobby Kevin Colbert to bring him back.

Eagles Cut Robinson, Dixon

The danger of the Philadelphia Eagles becoming “Steelers East” appears remote, as the Eagles cut former Pittsburgh Steelers Dennis Dixon and linebacker Adrian Robinson. This move comes one week after Adrian Robison was traded to Philly.

Felix Jones on the other hand very well may have earned himself a roster spot.

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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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Tomlin Says Kelvin Beachum Threatening Starters; Le'veon Bell Injury Less Severe than Feared

Trai Essex held down a roster spot, and a lifeline to the NFL, with his ability to be the 6th offensive lineman. But that took time, as Essex was drafted as a tackle in 2009, only moving to guard full time in 2009, and didn’t see action at center until 2011.

• Steelers 2012 7th round draft pick Kelvin Beachum is threatening to do it all in just his sophomore season.

During training camp Beachum has practiced at all five offensive line positions. And while that versatility is golden as the Steelers depth at offensive line remains precarious, Mike Tomlin is not ruling out giving Beachum a shot at starting at either right or left tackle.

As the Steelers head into their third preseason game vs. the Kansas City Cheifs, if nothing else Tomlin's words should serve as a wake up call to incumbent starters Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams.

Bell’s Injury Less Severe than Feared

The Steelers got some good news on the injury front, as reports that 2nd round pick Le’veon Bell’s foot injury is less severe than feared. Bell has sprained ligaments in his foot, including apparently the lisfranc ligaments, but he is progressing rapidly and will not need surgery.

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Le'Veon Bell Suffers Lisfranc Injury, Wreaking Havoc with Steelers 2013 Early Season Roster

It seems like the Steelers 2012 Draft Class has set an unwelcome precedent in the form of preseason injury. The Steelers first and third round picks David DeCastro and Sean Spence saw their rookie season’s ruined by injuries suffered in preseason games.

Now the same is threatening to happen to Le’Veon Bell, the Steelers 2nd round pick from the 2013 NFL draft who, without so much as a preseason touch, found himself listed as a co-starter along side Issac Redman.

Early in the day the Steeler announced that they were seeking a second opinion on Bell’s MRI and today Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Tweeted this news:

Jay Glazier reporting steelers believe Bell has Lisfranc but hope no surgery needed. TE Matt Spaeth had surgery for Lisfranc, out 8-10 wks
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) August 21, 2013

The fact that the source of the news is Jay Glazer is important, as Glazer is reported to have a close friendship with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. The early word is that Bell will not need surgery, unlike tight end Matt Spaeth. Spaeth also suffered a Lisfranc injury and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks.

Move Impacts the Steelers Early Season Roster

Even if Bell is able to make a return to health to salvage something of his rookie year, his injury already will have an adverse impact on the Steelers early season roster.

If a player goes in injured reserve prior to the season, he is lost for the year. For that reason the Steelers are not putting Spaeth on IR nor are they likely to add Bell.

But that means they’ll have to carry both men on their opening day 53 man roster. Last year the Steelers opened the year with James Harrison and Rashard Mendenhall on their active roster, but neither man could play.

The move will also make for interesting roster choices. Rumor has it that either Jonathan Dwyer or Redman would be cut (which would have been a mistake), now both will likely stay. LaRod Stephens-Howling will likely stay. That leaves four running backs with Bell, not including full back Will Johnson.

Baron Batch would seem to be the odd man out, but his value as a special teams player and a blocker who can help protect Ben Roethlisberger behind what has been a leaky offensive line could make him hard to part with….

Suffice to say Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson has a lot on his mind….

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

• And then there were the injuries.

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

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

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

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

When Steelers Nation Should to Know to Panic

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

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

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

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

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

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

• That worked fairly well until Strzelczyk got hurt.

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

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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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