Something's Afoot in Steeler Nation...

Strange things are happening today...I might not be ok. Allow me to explain...

Does anyone else find it a little disconcerting that Cowher predicted the Steelers would finish 3rd in the AFC North behind Cincy and Baltimore??? I know he's crossed over to "the dark side" now, as an analyst for CBS, but you'd think he would at least even jokingly give us better than 3rd!! Though I didn't get the whole story, and I did notice this moderately-optimistic quote:

"I think Pittsburgh, they've got a chance with their schedule to get off to a good start," Cowher said Tuesday in an interview on the NFL Network. "They've got a chance to be a team to be contended with."

Contended with, but not nearly good enough to win a division? Bill, come on, my heart be still man...I believe this knife belongs to you. First the Bus' book (which I didn't really care about anyway, but who's counting), now this! Oh the drama...[yes I'm joking...]

Ah, but I digress.

In other news, and equally as disappointing (though I'm trying to be optimistic) - Carey Davis replaces Dan Kreider...didn't actually think this would ever happen, but as reported previously, Kreider might not even dress for most games!

Also, check out these Interesting Point/Counter-Points --

• The Ever-Riveting Tribune-Review's, "What Will the Steelers Record be in '07?"...
• Mondesi's House, "Why the Bucs Will Be Better Than The Steelers in '07"...what a scorcher. "Louis Lipps is my homeboy" delivers a super entertaining dialogue, with Steve DeBerg as the Point maker and the immortal Mr. Lipps himself delivering the counter-points...check it out...highly recommended.
• And Finally, Steelers Fever's "Steelers Will Be Better Than 8-8 in 2007"...still not sure if this is a statement or a question but it's a pretty solid journalistic endeavor either way...good read.

Here's to [hopefully] victory on Sunday! Cheers and Happy Friday bitches!

- C

Five More Reasons Not To Cut Dan Kreider...

Ever since we first caught wind of the potential that Dan Kreider could be left off of the Steelers 53-man roster, I've been following the story pretty closely. So I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I read a Post-Gazette article in which Fast Willie Parker professed his man-love for Kreider.

According to Parker, who seems to be coming to grips with the realistic notion that he could be down one blocking back in 2007:

"It's not the same, we got a lot of plays with the tight end as the extra blocker. I'm not saying something's wrong, but it's not the same."

Agreed Willie. And in honor of Parker's lament, I've come up with the following 5 reasons why the Steelers should NOT cut Dan Kreider...at least not anytime soon ~

1. Our Offensive line is still tentative...at best.
2. We have no proof that Matt Spaeth or Carey Davis can block like Kreider.
3. Who wants to see Kreider in a Browns (or Cardinals) uniform? Not me, I'll tell you that...
4. He's a native Pennsylvanian...how can we cut one of our own who's been a stud for so long?
5. I know he's strictly a blocking back for us, but I think if given the chance, he could be a fairly useful receiving weapon. I'm no "insider" per se, but I can't remember any distinct instances in which we've thrown a catchable ball his way, and he hasn't brought it down for some positive yardage...though maybe I missed something.

There you have it, 5 (probably in no way) credible reasons why the Steelers should think long and hard before cutting Dan Kreider. Any reactions? Am I way off? Anyone want to make a case for cutting Kreider?

More:
Dan Kreider Career Notes/Stats [Steelers.com]
Parker Likes to Have Kreider Out In Front [Post-Gazette.com]...PS - glad he doesn't like Kreider from behind...was that too much? I couldn't resist.

No Kreider = No Good...

I apologize in advance if this post is less humorous and light-tempered than most of my stuff. But when I read Ed Bouchette's article this morning, I felt a little ill (headnod to Fanhouse blogger JJ Cooper for the inspiration).

As the article's title, "Fullback spot going, going, not quite gone" suggests, according to Steelers Offensive Gangsta' and coordinator Bruce Arians, Dan Kreider's role as the blocking fullback may at times this season be cut altogether. IE - there may be games for which Kreider doesn't even dress!

This is absolutely as blasphemous as it sounds. I'm sorry, I don't really care how many four wide sets we're going to use, or whatever silly offensive nuances Arians has planned. There will always be situations where you want a solid blocking fullback, whether for protection or lead blocking. How about this? - We're on the goal line, 1 yard out and we just need one big run to punch the ball in and our options for fullback are limited to our halfbacks, a tight end (the option identified by Arians...guess this may be the rationale for drafting Matt Spaeth...) or even a lineman (perhaps this is the reason we signed Sean Mahan as a free agent, cause it sure doesn't seem like he'll be playing Center).

When you need tough yards, you need Dan Kreider paving the way. Arians openly admits that Kreider is arguably the best at his position in the league. So why would you ever NOT want to have him in the lineup. Play him with less frequency? Sure. Not dress him at all = unacceptable. I hope for our sake Arians is just stating the possible and not the probable. There's always going to be situations where we need him, unless we're up by 30 points in the 4th quarter. Let's not kid ourselves.

First Steely McHandjob, now this? Depending on how this notion comes to fruition (if it does at all), I may be starting the petition to "Dress Dan Kreider for every game regardless of game plan." Either way, Dan, you've got a spot in my heart man. Best fullback in the modern era, as far as I'm concerned. Anyone care to disagree?