This Should Not Be Funny To You...

I'd be a real asshole if I sat here and made jokes about the Browns or really anyone in this situation. I mean, if allegations are true, Donte Stallworth hit and killed someone. Death really makes that situation pretty serious.

I will say this, though. At what point do you start to feel sorry for Browns fans?

I'm guessing I may be in the minority here, but I'm quickly moving on to hating the Ravens more than the Browns. Which is actually kind of fitting anyway, because the last time the Browns were a credible rival was when the Ravens WERE the Browns.

Anyways, I'm all about taking the Tara Reid approach this week. That is to say - taking it EASY.

Of course, I don't want to end this post on a somber note.

So here's some video I took the other night while I was re-watching the AFC Championship game...don't worry about what I'm saying. I don't know why I said "ball boy." That makes no sense...

Go get 'em, killer!

I give that form a solid 8.5 out of 10...

I'm still recapturing the several thousand brain cells I killed on Friday night. How about you?

Obligatory Footer - If you haven't already, become a fan of OFTOT on Facebook, join the blog network and follow me on Twitter. Or don't. Your choice, really.

Better Parka Up, Toolbox...

San Diego

Pittsburgh

Ben's in the hood...


Let's party...

We got a date Sunday, baby!

Here We Go, Steelers!

PS - Check it out, my Mom figured out how to use the interwebs and is now a member of OFTOT...see Google Friend Connect module...now if only someone could explain uploading an image to her...

Taking Inventory...

Night terrors, here I come...

Ok, so here's the state of the Steelers affairs, as I currently understand it...

Tomlin is only "hopeful" that Ben can PRACTICE this week.

Willie Parker, despite reports of a torn labrum, will hopefully be back in practice tomorrow and in the lineup on Sunday.

The Steelers signed Fernando Bryant to the active roster and Ryan Mundy to the practice squad. Which, as Domski pointed out earlier, is particularly apropos because it appears Deshea Townsend will not play Sunday and McFadden's still out with the forearm injury.

It also "appears" that Heath Miller's going to miss Sunday's game, but The Wood should be back.

And as if the eight interceptions in the last three games aren't embarrassing enough, Steely McBeam is still in existence (see above).

The Steelers are 6-3. So are the Ravens.

So as I'll paraphrase from Matt this morning - Playoffs? Are we talking about playoffs?

Personally, I think the Steelers will be fine. I'm certainly not pleased with the Offensive inconsistency and predictability. But when it comes right down to it, I have faith in Tomlin, Big Ben, Hines and the rest of the squad to go strong down the stretch run even with all of the injuries.

Besides, the Defense is playing out of its mind. It sucks that neither Deshea (likely) nor McFadden will be playing on Sunday. But Willie Gay has been filling in nicely and at least we've got a veteran backup there behind him (in Fernando Bryant) as well as Special Teamer Anthony Madison.

So at this point, I'm cautiously confident.

That said, I'd love to know what you all think about how the rest of this season will play out for us...?

Beware 85 - The Sandman Cometh...

“If anybody comes across the middle, if they don’t duck, I’m going to make something happen.”
- Anthony "Sandman" Smith

Cue Metallica! Hey 8-5, remember 2-7? That's right, the man that messed your day up on October 28 is waiting for you again with baited breath. Watch your back, and stay away from the middle, 'cause the Sandman Cometh...

Well friends, it's Friday, and you know what that means. Time for a little talk about what the Steelers should do to be successful against the Bungles Sunday evening. I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty psyched to be playing in prime time yet again, despite the Steelers dubious record in past Sunday night games. And who better to go head to head with than the division rival Bungles?

But before we even get that far, I think it's important to talk about the number of "milestones" that could be reached in Sunday's game. These being:

1. A win will make Mike Tomlin the 2nd Steelers Head Coach to post a winning record in his rookie season (yes the other is Cowher)
2. Two more Touchdowns and/or one more 100-yard receiving game and Hines Ward can take over sole possesion of those all-time team records (currently held by Stallworth and Louis Lipps respectively)
3. One more touchdown pass and Big Ben will move into a tie for 3rd all time (24 - Terry Bradshaw) in terms of touchdowns in a single season

Just a few things you all should know, so you can keep those on your radar as you're watching Sunday's action.

And now for the fun stuff. If you read this blog with regularity, you know that I do this every week, and every week these keys seem to look a lot alike. So I apologize in advance if you think I'm repeating myself. But as you all well know, football is a relatively simple game, and thus the keys, aren't going to be rocket science. Nonetheless, check 'em out, enjoy 'em, digest 'em, shit 'em out. Too much? Yeah probably...let's just get to it. Here are the keys that I see on both sides of the ball:

---

OFFENSE:

• 867-5309 ~ Bruce Arians and Big Ben this is for you - let's dial the right numbers in this game, shall we? I've defended Arians lately because I don't think he's been getting a fair shake from most fans. But that doesn't mean I don't think our play calling hasn't been suspect at times. Call the plays that will move the ball. There's no need to get cute too often. This is the Bengals Defense. They can't stop the run. They can't stop the pass. Stick to a balanced but not overly predictable game plan. Let FWP do his thing. Spread the ball around. Take what they're giving you and get 7 points off your drives. I know we like field goals a lot lately, but 4 more points would be pretty nice if you guys think you can handle that...


• Heath. Miller. Touchdown. ~ And not just because he needs one more score to achieve a new season high mark for his short career. But when the Steelers Star Tight End catches a touchdown, the team is 11-4. I like those odds. Of course, I'm the 1st to admit numbers don't make realities. But when Miller is a factor in games, that presents just one more threat for the opposing defense to account for. Plus, this gives me an excuse to scream "It's Miller Time" all day whilst drinking a half case of Rolling Rock "nips" (Aside: Does anyone know what the story is there? Why the hell are these things called "nips" and not "ponies?" If you've got answers, email me. I must know).


• Get Your Willie Parker On ~ Over the past four games, FWP has only 280 total yards rushing, an average of 70 per game. Not exactly the pro bowl numbers we've grown to expect from our favorite undrafted stud. So I think you'll all agree with me when I say - FWP has to be a big part of Sunday's game. In case you hadn't heard, the Bengals Offense is quite good, and while I have confidence that we can contain them, the less they see of the field, the better. In order to keep them on the sidelines, however, we'll need to be able to control the game when OUR offense has the ball. Vis-a-vis, ipso facto, Willie Parker needs 22+ carries. Maybe throw a little Najeh in there once or twice as well. This might prove to be a little more difficult without Dan Kreider, but we've been trying Carey Davis at FB all year. Sooner or later, FWP is just going to have to get used to life without Kreider. Sad as it may make him...and me...sometimes I cry when I think about losing Dan Kreider...oh, here I go again...see what you made me do.

---

DEFENSE:

• Cornhole Carson Palmer ~ If you don't know what that's in reference to, click the link or search that on Google. I'm not just some sick asshole...at least not because of this. Anyways, what I mean is - just as we did so well on Monday night, get in the QB's face. Make him force throws, take sacks, maybe even toss Ike a pick or two. The Bungles passing extravaganza has been good enough this season to be ranked #3 in the league. That's pretty dern good. And we all heard about what a great outing Ocho Cinco had last week. So principally, to neutralize this, we have to neutralize the man with the ball in his hands. If you don't give Carson Palmer time to find an open Chad, TJ or Chris, how can he throw to them? However, no Kimo von Oelhoffen treatment please...we don't need to win that way...not again at least.


• Screw Rudi Johnson ~ This really doesn't have a ton to do with our Defense actually. Fact is, Rudi Johnson has averaged only 2.7 yards per carry when outdoors on the road (thus far in 2007). Sounds like a nice combination to me. Beyond being his own worst enemy however, I think it'd be nice if we could focus on tackling. Johnson is a north-south back with a low center of gravity, and he can run it up the middle just as well as any in the league. Our line may have to do some extra leg work on this, but it's nothing we can't handle. I also wouldn't mind seeing James Harrison force a Rudi Johnson fumble or two. He's already coughed it up three times outdoors this season, losing two of those, so you never know. Sort him out Silverback.


• Put Chris Henry On Lockdown ~ He ought to be used to this by now anyhow...but I digress. I simply mean, over the last two games Henry has played against the Steelers he's averaged 81.6 yards receiving, including THREE touchdowns. Over those same two games, Ocho Cinco has averaged 32 yards receiving with ZERO scores and TJ "Douchemanzadeh" (credit = Joey Porter's Pit Bulls) has averaged 69 yards with TWO scores (coming in the same game). So it would seem that we need to keep a collective eye on Chris Henry. After all, the stadium security is only so numerous. Tis a dirty job but somebody's gotta do it. I can't wait to see what Henry thinks of The Sandman...

---

I'm not going to get into "Special" Teams this week because (A) We already know the problems that could arise there, (B) They actually played a pretty good game on Monday and (C) It's 1AM right now and I'm tired. Hence, I deem that there's no need to discuss them separately here...or something...

So there they are. Los llaves a victoria (keys to victory...I think...either that or "I love dinosaurs"). Now that I've shared with you all, let's have a little reciprocation. What do YOU think will be important to a Steelers victory on Sunday? Will Chris Henry make it to Kickoff without finding his way into a pair of handcuffs? Will TJ Douchemanzadeh run into Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and get his ponytail cut? Will the Steelers Defense bring new meaning to the Carson Palmer Cornhole Classic?

PS - The one thing I actually do like about Cincinnati?...the Ben-Gals...


For A Good Time, Also Read:
Fair Warning [SteelCityInsider]
Steelers vs. Bengals - A Pivotal Matchup [Behind The Steel Curtain]
Steelers vs. Bengals By The Numbers [Behind The Steel Curtain]
Bengals Primer Against The Pittsburgh Steelers [Cincy Jungle]
Steelers-Bengals: What To Look For [WPXI]
Bengals Say They're Ready for Heinz Field [KDKA]

It's Times Like This I Wish We Played In The NFC...

Disclaimer: I know many of you have found this entry under the pretense that I think the positives I go on to mention below somehow outweigh the negatives. Just so there's no misunderstanding, it's actually the exact opposite. While I list 5 positives and 3 negatives, the negatives are definitely way more troubling than the positives are encouraging. So get it right...just trying to find SOME silver lining...

In a word - Awful. To be fair, when I started writing this post it was just about 12:30AM and I'd only had a solid hour to digest what happened on the field last night, but at the risk of sounding bitter - I mean, what the? Another loss predicated on turnovers. BIG BEN TURNOVERS, which are getting pretty damn old. Let's face it, we were lucky to get back into that game.

I'm going to try and keep my post game thoughts "brief" here, because games like that tell the story well enough on their own without me throwing my two cents around. Keep your fingers crossed.

I'll start with the positive, because I'd like to think about something that isn't going to make me feel like punching myself in the face. Plus, even though we lost, I can actually think of more positives (sheer quantity that is) than negatives. So here you go:

1. Character: We all know this team has enough of it to choke a horse. But I'm talking about the kind of character that allows them to locate their balls and mount a second half assault after being down 2 scores going into the half. Down 2 scores as the result of QB turnovers I might add. And yes, most of this is Ben. But frankly, it's the least he could do after getting us into the situation. I'm getting really tired of interceptions and fumbles. If there's one thing I hate to see it's giving away points. Case closed.


2. Sir Fast William Everette Parker: The man continues to impress. It's just too bad we put ourselves in a situation where we could not utilize him to the fullest. Still, even on 21 carries, he gained a solid 93 yards on the ground. Had we run him 5, 6, 7 more times I'm pretty confident that number would have been somewhere near 150 yards. I say it all the time, it's not mind blowing. The more chances you give him, the more he is able to help you. The Steelers talked all week about how we were going to use the run to wear them down and how bad Denver's rush defense is...and yet, we came out throwing. I can understand the idea of deception, but when you're up against a team whose rush defense isn't stopping anyone, let alone one of the league's top rushers, you probably don't need to be too deceptive. This game was primed for Willie to shine, and shine he did. But 5 more carries and who knows...anyways, bravo Willie. You're money my friend.


3. Baltimore lost: Sure, this also means we squandered a chance to put some distance between ourselves and the Ravens, but at least they didn't win when we lost. So our lead in the AFC North is safe for another week. Thank god for Buffalo coming up big. Consequently I am now a Trent Edwards fan.


4. Tight End Touchdowns: A whopping 3 scores registered by Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth! Now that's what I like to see. At least we exploited one Denver weakness! Heath Miller had 5 catches for 50 yards and 2 TDs and Matt Spaeth had 1 lonely catch for a 13 yard TD. I see Tomlin subscribes to the patented "when in doubt throw it to your tight end" theory. Keep that up. I'm gonna make my new motto - More Heath Miller = More fun for everyone.


5. Distributing the ball: Last but definitely not least, it was good to see that everyone was contributing last night. Ben completed 24 passes to a total of 8 different recipients. Even Carey Davis registered a catch...finally. 'Course the majority of the load fell on Hines Ward who had 7 catches for 78 yards and Santonio Holmes who had 6 catches for 54 yards. And that's the way it should be. But the way we were spreading the ball around in the 2nd half of that game last night was/is a good sign. The more weapons we utilize, the harder it is for the other team to key on 1 or 2 guys.

And now, the not so good...For all our sakes I'll try and curb my frustration and keep this objective...operative word being "try."

1. Turnovers: Yes, I'm talking about turnovers again...reluctantly. Big Ben, could you please try and maintain a little composure in the pocket? There were a number of times where I saw Ben get unnecessarily flustered, second guess himself on throws, or not take what the defense was giving him in hopes of making a long completion. Now, I couldn't see down the field so he may have been rightfully holding back on certain reads, but everytime he pump faked we lost precious seconds to make a play. We've gotta either start calling better plays to get guys open, Ben needs to get rid of the ball quicker, or he needs to take advantage of what the defense will offer him - IE like that 1st down run he had. Done.


2. Offensive line play: See exhibit A below...We all knew coming in that Denver did not have what most would qualify as a good defense. They let up 20 points to the Raiders in a winning campaign earlier this season, a team that only scored 10 points on Kansas City's poor-excuse-for a defense yesterday. So let's suffice it to say we should not have been letting guys come free and hassle Big Ben nearly as much as they did last night. This was a problem last season and so it is now as well. Obviously replacing Max Starks did not solve our problem. Actually, last night it really looked to me like Kendall Simmons was the biggest asshole on that line. I seem to remember 2 or 3 times guys coming after Ben from Simmons' territory. Simply, Kendall Simmons and Willie Colon need to get it together. Sort it out dicks.


3. Late Game Defensive Breakdown: Listen. When you score a touchdown to tie things up with a minute left on the clock, all you need to do is make sure the other team does not move the ball into field goal range. Obviously we forgot that we had just come back to TIE IT UP and had not ACTUALLY WON the game yet. All we needed was 1:10 worth of solid defensive play. And what happened? Completion to the tight end for 16 yards (with a really nice offsides penalty, though it didn't mean anything...thank you Clark Haggans). Completion to Brandon Marshall, who shat on us all game, for 9 yards. A Silverback Offsides penalty = 1st down at the 50 for Denver. Completion to Glenn Martinez (anyone know who that is? Me neither...) for 11 yards. Another completion to the other tight end for 9 yards and a 49 yard Jason Elam field goal sends us home with our tails between our legs. Seriously, that did NOT look like what you would expect from the #1 defense in the league. Coming in, we had let up 47 points all season. Last night we gave them 31. What more can I say?

There you have it. My slightly less than full roster of positives and negatives from last night's losing effort. I find it appropriate that Denver only scored 3 points in the entire 4th quarter and it happened to be the only 3 points that mattered. And just for the record, anyone who thought Jason Elam was going to miss from 49 yards, you're nuts. The guy has been hitting 49 yarders in Denver since the god damn early 90s.

So I guess overall I'd say while I'm discouraged because we lost a very winnable game, I did see a few things that were encouraging as well. We can't dig ourselves holes with turnovers, but at least when we did, the team responded and showed us that we are not just a team that plays from ahead (though we certainly like to). Which is important if we have any hopes of a playoff run this year.

Anyways, after that novel of an entry, I'm done. If you need me, I'll be here at my desk until 5:30 trying not to screw anything up royally. It's Monday. Kill me.

Game Recaps:
[Behind The Steel Curtain]
[Blitzburgh Report]
[Die Hard Steel]
[D.C. Steeler Nation]
[Joey Porter's Pit Bulls]
[Mondesi's House]
[Nonstop Steelers]

[Associated Press]
[Post-Gazette]
[Tribune-Review]
[SteelCityInsider]
[ESPN Boxscore]

Attention Cleveland -- Thanks for Making My Job Easy...

I mean, a 34-7 victory in which Big Ben threw 4 TD passes? That just about says it all! But let's talk about what was really telling - 0 interceptions. Ben just about exceeded all expectations yesterday, and while it was Cleveland, which may or may not be a true test of how efficient the Steelers offense will be, this is very promising for the rest of 2007.

But it wasn't just Ben. Willie Parker pitched in to the tune of 27 carries (!) for 109 yards, the Defense came up with 3 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions, 6 sacks and limited Jamal Lewis to just 37 yards(though it's kind of tough to run the ball when you're behind by like 21 points...), and Allen Rossum held onto each of the kicks he fielded (sad as it is...Upgrade).

Here's some other things I liked:

• The 1st quarter, 40 yard Ben to Santonio hook up, capitalizing on a Browns turnover
• Ben did not appear to force the ball at any point(though he did hold it a bit long at times)
• Najeh Davenport - 8 rushes for 43 yards, a 5.4 yard per rush average (and 1 catch for 17 yards)
• Rookie [monster] TE Matt Spaeth's 1st Career NFL TD...now I kind of feel bad shitting on this pick...
• Heath Miller Touchdown!
• Ike Taylor picks up his 1st career sack (can this be true??) and adds an interception. Questions answered?
• Sepulveda continued to shine...pinning the Browns deep on a couple of different occasions. I think he can do better than his 37.2 average, but these things tend to happen when you don't have to punt often and punt on a short field, word.
• Jeff Reed appeared to be sober for the entire game...APPEARED to be...

And that's all well and good, but my STAT OF THE GAME was:

Braylon Edwards was credited with 3 tackles, one more than LB Kamerion Wimbley...hahahaha

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

So yeah, one could not script an opener better than that which the Steelers enjoyed yesterday. Let's hope this momentum continues and we have even close to the game we had yesterday against the Bills this coming Sunday. The Bills are coming off a last second loss to Denver, which I'll admit surprised me. I figured the Bills would be pushovers after the departures on Defense and Willis McGahee (though of course now they have Marshawn Lynch). But it doesn't look that way. The good news is it seems like Tomlin isn't taking anyone or anything for granted. So he will likely have the team heads down all week so that this Sunday ends up looking a lot like last Sunday (maybe with 0 turnovers and 0 dropped passes this time)!

Anyone else have any thoughts? Likes? Dislikes? Does Hines Ward like Heinz ketchup?

Cheers to a great 1-0 start!!

- Cotter

These Are NOT Your Father's Pittsburgh Steelers...

The theme of the day is acceptance. Acceptance and embrace of the NEW Pittsburgh Steeler offense. Not that it's all that new. Most of us remember a similar foray in 2003, with a man once known as Tommy Gun running the show. But as Steel City Insider Adam Gretz notes, do not make the mistake of thinking that this year's Steelers are anything like the 2003 Steelers. Tommy Maddox is no Ben Roethlisberger. Amos Zeroue is no Willie Parker. Plus, now we're working with Tight End Heath Miller, and most importantly Wideouts Santonio Holmes, Cedrick Wilson, Nate Washington, and Willie Reid (also of course Hines). So no, this offense is nothing like that offense. We should be ready for this change. We saw how the Steelers shocked everyone by throwing the ball during the 2005 playoffs en route to a Super Bowl victory. Our personnel is only better now, with Willie becoming an established back and the additions of burners Santonio Holmes and Willie Reid. The future is bright for the Steeler offense under Bruce Arians.

And also, don't kid yourself in thinking we aren't going to run the ball (not that any of you are necessarily). The Steelers will always run the football. It's ball control, a big part of winning games. But with an offense that threatens the long pass at any moment, things can really open up for the running game, especially with Willie Parker coming out of the backfield. If you think 213 yards in one game is where he stops you're deluded. It's not out of the question that Willie could break his own record this year if the circumstances are right. Plus, with Carey Davis or Gary Russell, we have our traditional between the tackles back. Sure, we're hoping Najeh will be able to be successful at this too. But I'm just being realistic with my expectations. Najeh hasn't shown us that he is much of a threat, and I personally would love to see Davis or Russell take over the 2nd back duties at some point this season.

So as you watch the game this evening (that is if you're lucky enough to be in the 'Burgh and not have it blacked out) try and wrap your head around how great the Steelers can be this season with a new approach. It may be hard to digest since the Steelers have pretty consistently played the same "pound the rock" game of football for the duration of their 75 year existence. But don't let your love for the past cloud your vision of the future. Does it really matter how the Steelers win so long as we're winning? We'll still get our running game, but we'll also get some fireworks from the passing game. I envision a lot of excitement from Big Ben, Santonio, Ced, Nate, Willie Reid and Fast William Parker. God I love Steeler football. Why can't it be September 9 tomorrow?