Taking The Morning Off...

Caption: 7 is the loneliest number...

I will not write about Big Ben sucking.

I will not write about Big Ben sucking.

I will not write about Big Ben sucking.

I will not write about Big Ben sucking.

I will not write about Big Ben sucking.

I will not write about Big Ben sucking.

...so I'll get you something once I can think of anything else.

In the meantime, do yourselves a favor and check out Daniel Sepulveda's crib. And then tell me that's the first time Allison Morris has eaten his pancakes. I think not, my friends.

And finally...

So Long Mikey Potts, We Barely Knew You...

It is with a heavy heart that I deliver this sad news to all you ravenous Steelers faithful - OFTOT fav, QB Mikey Potts has just been cut. We knew this day would come. We just thought we would have gotten more time with him. Mikey P, good luck in Arizona. No doubt you'll be on a plane, headed there shortly. That's probably Whisenhunt on the horn now. Better let you go...

In other cuts/roster moves...

Jeremy Bloom - OUT!
Martavarius Prince - OUT!
Robopunter - OUT! (On IR, that is)

...And there will be one more lost before tomorrow's out (when the Steelers need to be down to 75).

But never you fear, Eddie Drummond's still here...

REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Steelers Cut Bloom, Put Sepulveda on IR [Trib]
The Legend of Mikey Potts [OFTOT]

Seriously, WHAT Just Happened Here?

"Sepulveda averaged 42.4 yards and placed 28 of 68 punts inside the 20 as a rookie last season, so the Steelers didn't bother bringing a second punter to camp."

- Associated Press

Uh...I...uh...I just...uh...I mean...how?...I mean...what?

HOW THE HELL DOES A PUNTER TEAR HIS ACL ON THE 2ND DAY OF TRAINING CAMP?

"Oops, sorry guys. I slipped."

Daniel Sepulveda TORE HIS ACL?!?! Tore. His. ACL? On the second day of camp? Somewhere in the 60 minutes allotted for "Special" Teams practice?

Honestly, I've got two observations right off the bat. One - Why was "Special" Teams practice only one hour long? If they look anything like they did last year, that ragged bunch needs at least a solid 12 hours a day. And Two - How many times could Sepulveda have possibly punted in 60 minutes? 20? 30? What are the odds?

Either way, don't worry. Never you fear friends, the Steelers went out and got the completely known and capable, Paul Ernster. I mean I know being a punter in the NFL is like being Milton from Office Space, but they couldn't get a guy who had punted MORE than three times as a professional? For Christ's sake, Tomlin couldn't even get his last name right at the press conference...

Anyways, yes this is unfortunate. But I'm pretty sure it's not going to keep us from winning the Super Bowl.

What do you guys think? Does this matter? Are you at all worried about winning the position battle now? Was Sepulveda a victim of Jeff Reed's Tonya Harding syndrome?

PS - I just want to point out that if you saw this story, don't worry, we did not trade Bob Ligashesky back to the Rams. It's just an old picture. But maybe SteelCityInsider is trying to tell us something?

Daniel Sepulveda - Kind Of A Big Deal at The Cracker Barrel...

It was hardly noon and Sepulveda had already been to church and drafted to the NFL. Kicker Jeff Reed wasn't even awake yet!
- KDKA

In some of the latest hard hitting broadcast journalism to come out of da' 'Burgh, KDKA's Alison Morris got to know the brighter side of the Steelers Special Teams - Kicker/Head Beer Drinker Jeff Reed and Punter/Head Pancake Chef, Daniel Sepulveda. Pittsburgh's odd couple? I don't know if I'd go that far. But these two dudes are definitely special...in completely different ways.

It's no secret that Jeff Reed is the guy that would show up at your party, drink all your beer, probably eat your goldfish, piss in a house plant, and leave with at least 10 of your female friends. But what about Daniel Sepulveda? Well, Jeff Reed may leave with 10 of your female friends, but I'm willing to bet they're all just settling for Skippy because his shy, wallflower friend Daniel Sepulveda was as talkative as that ficus Skippy relieved himself in.

Just for fun, I decided to do some research and learn more about the man behind the leg. What I gathered was...Sepulveda is a soft spoken, god fearing, Austin Texas native, who apparently likes fishing, Chick-Fil-A, mid to late 90's Christian rock and George W. Bush (no comment)... He often takes bike rides, and finds himself attracting fan attention at such consumer electronics retail giants as Best Buy and modestly priced, yet delicious eateries as The Cracker Barrel (side note - Domski spent at least two summers working at The Cracker Barrel...he had one star, and I think they made him wear a hairnet). And while the rest of the known universe under the age of 40 has their own Facebook and/or Myspace page, [unfortunately for my research] Sepulveda is thus far sans-social networking.

Also, his nickname is Spatula, though I'm still not sure why. Maybe it's because he likes pancakes and considers himself a gourmet pancake chef. Or maybe it's because that's what you need to peel the guys off the turf who he's flattened on punt returns. Either way, this 6'3", 230 pound mass of muscle is quite a contrast to our beloved Jeff Reed...which is only appropriate considering the world can only handle one Skippy.

And there you have it. The less than 30-second life story of the man they call Spatula. I hope you're all better people for having read this...errr something...

PS - Alison Morris is pretty hot...it's a fact, look it up.

Reed, Sepulveda: The Steelers' Odd Couple [KDKA]
Daniel Sepulveda Interview [Go Magazine]
Daniel Sepulveda on Wikipedia [Wikipedia]
Daniel Sepulveda Fan Myspace [Myspace]
Daniel Sepulveda Steamrolls Dude on Punt Return [Youtube]

Oh No, We Suck Again!

Just kidding. But in all seriousness, I was pretty unimpressed with what both the offense and defense did against Washington this weekend. First of all, 0 points off our starters who played basically the whole first half (at least Ben did) is pretty piss poor.

Even beyond that, there were a number of things I noted in the first half of Saturday's game (which I watched Sunday...and yes, only the 1st half...what're you gonna do), including:

• Verron Haynes looked better than all running backs. How many times in the recent past have you been able to say that? 7 rushes for 30 yards. Not too shabby. Speaking of running backs though, Gary Russell, 7 rushes for 24 yards, not bad either.


• It's seconds from the end of the 2nd Quarter, we're on the 'Skins goal line, and we false start? I'm sure this was because Ben was trying to snap the ball and Mahan just didn't hear him, but blame is not important. What is, is that it happened and as a result we had to settle for a field goal. That just isn't going to fly in the regular season.


• McFadden getting beat by Brandon Lloyd for that TD in the 2nd quarter wasn't exactly a slick move. I don't believe we were in man coverage so maybe "getting beat" is the wrong term but however you slice it, McFadden was responsible for covering Lloyd and he obviously did not do that well enough. This was just disappointing for me because he has been so good lately and was jockeying for a starting job. Not that this will negatively impact that but just that it will be duly noted.


• Was anyone covering Chris Cooley at any point? After first 2 or 3 catches you'd think we'd pay more attention to a pro bowl TE. Just so we're clear, Cooley (the TE) finished with 5 catches for 60 yards! You think Todd Heap will do any worse? Kellen Winslow? We need to be able to keep these guys under control. Didn't look promising on Saturday.


• On a brighter note, the punt coverage looked pretty good and Willie Reid didn't fumble. Actually, he had 2 kick returns totaling 37 yards. Hey, could be worse.


• O-Line still does not look like it's there. As Ed Bouchette pointed out in his recap, not having Marvel Smith at left tackle is a big problem, the only solution to which seems to be moving Alan Faneca into that spot. Max Starks clearly is not able to play there (nor is he really able to play his true position but that's another story) and Trai Essex did not exactly impress on Saturday. So that's one problem. But generally we just looked week in pass protection. That's gotta get better and fast.


• On another bright note, Santonio looked great as the starting split end. 2 catches for 51 yards in limited action is alright by me. He showed some of that speed we wanted to see and clearly he's going to become quite a weapon. Rock n' Roll.


• William Gay had yet another INT. Kid is a machine! Getting him in the 5th round seems to be a steal. Sure, we could've taken Revis in the 1st round but apparently we may have made another great decision. Gay has been exceptional this preseason...whereas Revis has yet to play (or did he play the other night? I didn't really watch that game).


• I think I might owe DeShea Townsend an apology. I've been touting McFadden as the right option at starting corner opposite Ike Taylor, and saying how DeShea is older, and a little on the short side. But who cares if he's making plays. From what I saw, he had a nice sack and played some pretty nice coverage. Overall he looked good. Cheers DeShea!


• Woodley continues to kick ass, with a sack and two solo tackles in Saturday's game. Going to be a tough decision where to put him this year. He's still young but he's already shown he's ready to run with the big boys. I'm curious to see where this nets out...


• Another dominant force was Sepulveda. 50 yard punt avg! I can dig that...I mean hopefully we won't be punting all that often, but if we have to, I wouldn't want anyone else performing that duty but SEPULVEDA!


• Last but certainly not least -- No TDs? None? We better get ourselves together. No TDs against Cincy and Baltimore will = no win. Especially since our first team offense couldn't even get a score out of an entire half of play!

So all in all not the best effort we've put forth. Still, this coming week is another test, and hopefully we will use the results of this game to correct mistakes and come out stronger on Sunday against cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. What did you all think of the game? Any other spots of promise? How did the 2nd half go? I only saw the first couple minutes...

Are You Ready For Your Closeup, Mr. Sepulveda?

Rookie Punter Daniel Sepulveda is rapidly becoming a national media darling.

Not only did FoxSports.com's Peter Schrager designate him one of the top 10 players "ready to have a breakout year," but just this morning USA Today ran a feature story focusing exclusively on Sepulveda.

Schrager points out that he has followed and basically adored Sepulveda (I'm a little worried about Schrager's unhealthy obsession actually) since his early days as a walk on at Baylor. He also points out that in the Pittsburgh weather conditions, Sepulveda's knuckleball-like punts, 4.43 40 speed and linebacker mentality will wreak havoc on opponents. So we hope Peter, so we hope. Oh, and he also aptly notes that Steeler fans will go crazy for this guy...I can't disagree with that.

USA Today's piece is supremely more comprehensive, but utilizes some of the same core points. One thing I thought was pretty funny was, when Special Teams Coach Bob Ligashesky was asked about Sepulveda, he responded:

"When I first saw him, I thought he was on the cover of Muscle & Fitness (magazine)," says Ligashesky. "He's a great-looking kid, very strong. But he's worked to be that way."

I think Ligashesky has a crush. And who wouldn't? Despite the fact that he plays a generally innocuous position when it comes to the physical aspects of the game, he still looks like a rock! Which leads me to believe this guy was born to play in Pittsburgh and hopefully he will feel the same way.

Another thing I took note of was a more detailed description of Sepulveda's so-called knuckle-ball punt. According to the USA Today story, Sepulveda takes a page out of the Aussie Rules football playbook and when inside the opponents 40, he kicks with the point facing down, ultimately willing the ball to fly end over end like a kick off and bounce near the goal line, hopefully producing the expected poor field position. Can't wait to lay eyes on that.

But ultimately, the most poignant thing I noted from either article was Sepulveda's quote in USA Today. When asked how he felt about being in camp (with fellow Punter Mike Barr), Sepulveda implored a typically Steeler-esque logic:

"It's only natural to feel a little bit nervous," says Sepulveda. "But pressure and feeling all that kind of stuff are products of your preparation. If you feel like you're prepared … it's just a matter of executing."

So if it's any further indication of how Sepulveda will mesh with the team and the city, I think we've all gotta feel pretty good about trading our sixth round pick and releasing veteran stud Chris Gardocki to pave the way for the man simply known as SEPULVEDA!

More to come as the day goes on...hopefully (cross your fingers).

Drink the Kool-Aid, Seriously...

This video speaks for itself, but all I can say is if you were on the fence about the newest Steelers Punter Daniel Sepulveda, watch this clip of a 2004 game against North Texas. You'll see him launch a booming punt, then truck downfield and absolutely crush the North Texas returner, Linebacker style (fitting since he came to Baylor as a Linebacker).

Bottom Line: Don't mess with Daniel Sepulveda, leg of steel and rock solid nerves...

I think Ed Bouchette puts it best - "He punts like Ray Guy, tackles like Jack Lambert, heals like Rod Woodson. If you're going to throw away two draft picks for a punter, make it a good one."

So Much Action, So Little Time...

for blogging that is.

But I do want to discuss one thing, hit on by the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette in this morning's paper - The Steelers traded up in the 4th round to get a punter but made no attempts to add depth at Running Back. Now, Ed's column seems to suggest this was a mistake, but as tough as it is for me to disagree with such a football savaant, I have to think that the Steelers know what they're doing.

In his column, Bouchette mentions that Head Coach Mike Tomlin said they "considered some backs in this draft but the value just was not there." Michael, I wholeheartedly agree. After you got through the top 3 or 4 backs, there really wasn't a super impressive lineup to choose from, especially bigger backs that would complement Fast Willie's finesse running style. The guys I thought would have made sense were Tony Hunt and Michael Bush, who went in the 3rd and 4th rounds respectively - positions we obviously weren't comfortable drafting a running back in vs. other positions which we needed more (Punter, ahem ahem).

The value of a good punter cannot be understated. Gardocki has been the best for a long time, but after 16 years in the league, his leg is bound to have lost some power. Sepulveda was the top guy in this draft at the position, a two-time Ray Guy award winner, and although one really can't tell how good a guy will be until he's put in the situation, I think he'll be a good fit.

Plus, Punter is definitely a more pressing need than tailback. We resigned Najeh, and his job really should be to complement Willie. That doesn't mean I wasn't underwhelmed by his play last year, because I was. It's just that Punter was a more immediate need for us - let's face it, Mike Barr ain't exactly Gardocki incarnate.

So I like it, I know it's a high spot to draft that position and we gave up a 6th round pick to get him, but as usual, I gotta think the Steelers know what they're doing.

PS - why do I get the feeling I'll be talking about the draft for at least the next week?

4th Round Paydirt?...aka 2007 NFL Draft Retrospective Part VIII

Steelers just selected Punter Daniel Sepulveda out of Baylor and Defensive Tackle Ryan McBean out of Oklahoma State as their two 4th round guys.

Love the Sepulveda pick. I joked with Domski yesterday about the Steelers taking Sepulveda with our first round pick (JOKED = operative word), but I'm glad to see we got what we needed. Always nice to get a guy who's 6'2 1/2", 228 at PUNTER! (He's a former High School Linebacker)

McBean? I guess this is because Tomlin wants to transition to a 4-3, but I can't say I'm completely psyched about this. McBean is a smaller DT, at just under 6'5" and only 277 pounds, which is part of the reason I think the Steelers are looking at him for the 4-3. Still, he's quick and with that 6'5" frame has the potential to get bigger and bulkier. Plus, I hear he hits hard and with a "mean streak", so I like that rabid attitude.

Overall, good picks, but I guess this means we're going to leave the RB position alone? No second backup for Willie?