Troy Polamalu Needs to Wear Two Helmets...

Troy Polamalu is out of his damn mind. I mean, that's not really any big secret. He's the good kind of crazy. The kind that makes you go - "He's going to do WHAT? I didn't even know he owned a Santa suit!"

But dude, he just suffered the 7th concussion of his career and he's talking about playing on Sunday? Jesus. One concussion and I'd probably be thinking twice before getting back on the field at all. Of course, there's a huge difference between me and Troy Polamalu. Namely, I'm a pussy and he's, well, not. But that's neither here nor there.

First thing I want to know is - How effective are you one week after suffering your 7th concussion? I know Troy is a soldier (and I don't mean in the Kellen Winslow sense). But I'm just saying, what if he finds himself out there on the field, disoriented for even a second and something or someone slips by him that he might've stopped if he had his full wits about him?

Of course, I'm no Doctor. My shortcomings in understanding science are well documented. Just ask my High School Biology teacher, Mrs. Young. So what the hell do I know about concussions? Plus, I've never met Troy Polamalu. Never talked to him. Never apprised myself of his medical history, beyond his history of concussions, that is. So I don't know HIM either. It's entirely possible that this whole point is moot. But it's certainly something to think about.

Also, as far as I understand it, concussions can put the kibosh on any kind of career longevity real quick. Wouldn't he rather not risk it for one game that may not even mean anything when it's all said and done? I know what you're going to say - every game means something. Ok, sure. I think that too. But not when you're talking about my future livelihood. I don't know. I just keep thinking - any way you slice it, the man has got some gigantic cojones.

That all said, I love Troy Polamalu. I love watching him hurdle offensive lineman, make circus catches for interceptions, and absolutely murder opponents. There are only a few other players I love watching as much as Troy Polamalu. I'd probably watch Troy Polamalu attack a Primanti Brothers sandwich if you put that shit on TV. And listen, who am I to question Troy Polamalu? Over the summer, people were wondering - what the hell is Troy doing out in Southern California with Todd Marinovich's Dad? Not me. If Troy wants to do some crazy workout routine with the father of a former 1st round bust, hey, that's just like, his opinion, man. He's Troy Polamalu. So if Troy wants to play after a concussion, ok. I mean, he obviously knows a thing or SEVEN about it.

But let's talk about this...For the sake of conversation, if Anthony Smith were to play in Troy's place for some reason, do you think we would get...

A. Anthony Smith, The Sandman

OR

B. Anthony Smith, The Prophet


What say you?

Oh, and by the way - I found it rather disturbing that when I searched "Troy Polamalu" on Google images, I got an inordinate amount of pictures of Sanjaya from American Idol. Somebody call Al Gore. The internets are broken.

It's About To Get Real Serious...

"I know he doesn't like to get hit, man...Randy Moss doesn't like to get hit. I played with him in Minnesota. The main thing he had problems with was when guys got in his face, jamming him at the line, hitting him when they got a chance and getting him off his normal pace."
- Tyrone Carter

"They got a squad...They're chasing history. That's about all you can say."
- Face Me Ike

I'll admit - this morning I am conflicted. Part of me believes we have a really good shot at winning this game. But then part of me worries that we'll make some of the same mistakes we've made in this year's most disappointing performances. Don't get me wrong, I still think this team will step up when it really matters (now). Nevertheless, I'd be lying if I didn't say there were two sides to the story.

But screw all that negative shit. I'm trying to stay positive. The Sandman putting undue pressure on aside, we ARE in a good position to stage an upset. After all, if anyone can beat the league's untouchable Offensive force, it ought to be the team with the #1 Defense, right? This is a classic match of Thunder vs. Lightning. Pittsburgh is Smashmouth. New England is Finesse. As commenter "Quiet Strength" put it over at DC Steeler Nation yesterday, "this is the 2005 Colts 2.0." And he's right. Only New England's Defense might be just a hair better...

So, we've established that we've known all along how to beat this team, and that the numbers don't tell us anything we don't already know, but what will be the keys to victory for our Steelers on Sunday? I'm glad you asked. Check 'em out below. And keep in mind, there are many many things I could write here. But I've chosen a select few I feel are vital to achieving victory.

Let's get to it.

OFFENSE:

• Control the Game ~ How do you stop an Offense like the Patriots'? Keep 'em off the field, that's how. Oh, and play stout Defense. But our Offense can certainly help out by maintaining control of the clock and dictating the flow of the game. Of principal importance will be FWP. To be blunt, Willie better locate his balls and friggin' use them. We'll need him to rack up a good amount more than the 73 yards he's averaged over the last 3 games. That is, if we have any hopes of using play action and winding down that clock as the game goes on. FWP, no pressure man...


• You Must Protect This House ~ Or at least Big Ben. Thankfully, we finally saw a game last week in which Big Ben was not sacked even once. Of course, the Bengals have only rung up 18 sacks on the year total, while the Patriots have notched 31. So this will be a more definitive test of our O-line for sure. For the Pats, Mike Vrabel leads the charge with 9.5 sacks, and he'll be rushing the oh-so-strong right side of our line. So let's just hope Willie Colon and Kendall Simmons can play their asses off. This here is my worry:
  


• Do NOT Let Up~ Hey, what's the knock on the Pats Offense? They like to run up the score, right? So if we get the chances, let's give them a dose of their own medicine. Ok, I don't actually believe there is a snowballs chance in hell of that happening. What I really mean here is whether we're up or down - keep the pedal to the metal. Keep working. Keep executing. Keep them on their heels. As Joey Porter's Pit Bulls pointed out, their linebackers are old. Wear them out. Keep hitting them with Offensive punches until they can no longer stand. No one else had been able to do that this season before we saw Philly and Baltimore do it. And I'd like to think Big Ben is a little better than the two backup QBs who almost slayed the giant. So just roll with it.

DEFENSE:

• Dear Anthony Smith... ~ You ran your mouth. Now you better be ready to back it up. I ain't mad at ya'. I'm just saying, you can't make bold predictions and then sit back and relax. I expect another performance like we saw at Cincy (the 1st time) in Week 8. Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to hit everything you can, as hard as you can. Find Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte Stallworth and sort 'em out. I'm not screwin' around here man, play balls out...see below...
  


• Win The Mental Game ~ Tom Brady is the league's best QB. Accept it. But one thing he, and just about every other QB in the league, is susceptible to is pressure. If you get in his face, knock him down, force him to make throws he doesn't want to make, he will start to unravel (as much as Tom Brady can...which isn't nearly as much as Carson Palmer). Put it this way - he's the nail, you are the hammer. You know what to do...
  


• Do NOT Let Up~ Sounds familiar, right? You may have noticed that one of the main reasons the Eagles and Ravens came so close to upsetting the Hatriots the last two weeks is that their Defense played a full 60 minutes. On the other hand, our Defense has been known on occasion to play 58 great minutes, only to let up in the final two and give up a game tieing or game winning field goal (See Broncos, Browns, Jets). And let's just say we weren't exactly playing against the league's "elite" then, either. So if we're hoping to win this game we better be solid as Steel...Keep the pressure on Tom Brady all game. Greet Lawrence Maroney and Kevin Faulk rudely at the line of scrimmage. And knock the Pats star wideouts into next week. For 60...Freakin'...Minutes.

And that's the bottom line. 60 Minutes. Everything aside, it's about playing the game well for 60 minutes. Do that and ye shall receive that which ye crave - a signature win.

What say you Steeler faithful? Any chance we actually win this game? Will the Pats D be able to hang for 60 minutes of hard fought football? Will OUR D be able to hang for 60 minutes of hard fought football? Will FWP shine without the sleeves? Will Big Ben ride off into the sunset with Giselle Bundchen? Bring it.

REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Reasons to Believe [Joey Porter's Pit Bulls]
Big Ben vs. Pats Video Game [Doubt About It]
Patriots Work At The Gaps [Boston.com]
Action Speaks Louder [Boston.com]
Patriots Take Steeler's Guarantee In Stride [Hartford Courant]
Steelers Smith Not Backing Down [Associated Press]
Tomlin Mini Presser on Guarantee [SteelCityInsider]
Steelers Plan to Rattle Randy Moss [Tribune-Review]
Steelers' Arians, Belichick to Match Wits [Tribune-Review]
Picking Apart The Pats [SI]
Physical Steelers Eager to Tackle Challenge [Fox Sports]

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]

Say Goodnight! - Anthony Smith Is The Sandman...

"Receivers better account for him. His name is getting out there. The film being put out there in the league, receivers see it and they know they better be thinking about it when they go across the middle."
- Larry Foote

Morning Stiller fans! Since we have the luxury of a Sunday off, I thought I'd give yinz something fun to chew on in the form of a profile of the hottest Steeler this side of the Allegheny, Anthony "Sandman" Smith (hey, Merriman already has "lights out," what do you want...). In just one and a half short years with the Steelers, the Free Safety out of Syracuse has made his impact more than felt. Just ask any receiver who has faced him...most recently the glitz and glamour tandem of Ocho Cinco and TJ Howsmyponytail...er Houshmanzadeh (see below for visuals¹). But where did this monster come from?

Oddly enough, Smith is product of Ohio, just like a couple of other young Steelers we know. Hailing from Hubbard, a town just east of Youngstown and not far from the Pennsylvania border, Smith attended Hubbard High School, where he gathered All State honors his Junior year, and All Midwest Region honors his Senior year as a standout offensive/defensive back. From there, he departed for Syracuse, to become one of the best football players the school had ever seen (²).

At Syracuse, Smith was originally a back up running back, but not long into his freshman season, the coaching staff realized his true calling and moved him to free safety. Beginning with his sophomore season, Smith became a starter, and the rest is school history. In his 3 years as a starting Safety, Smith was responsible for 293 tackles and 14 interceptions, putting him 3rd in line among the school's all-time leaders. Plus, he nabbed a school record six blocked kicks and recorded 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries (1 returned for a touchdown), and 2 kicks returned for touchdowns. Basically, the man did it all and more in 46 games (³).

Smith was then drafted by the Steelers with their 2nd overall pick, in the 3rd round of the 2006 NFL draft, behind fellow native Ohioan Santonio Holmes. Smith played in all 16 games in 2006, recording a total of 15 tackles (a number he's already eclipsed through 7 games this season) and 2 interceptions. In his first career start last December against Cleveland, Smith recorded 2 solo tackles, 2 passes defended and his 1st career INT, merely foreshadowing his ability. Over the next 3 games as a starter, he recorded 9 more solo tackles, 2 passes defended, 3 Special Teams tackles, and yet another INT. So naturally, we all kind of assumed he'd be the starter come 2007. But then, September rolled around, and he was not.

Undiscouraged, Smith started this season as a backup, but still saw a decent amount of playing time over the first 4 games. And while he has only started TWO games this season (Week 5 against the Seachickens for an injured Polamalu and Week 8 against the Bungles, for injured Ryan Clark), he is impressively 5th in total tackles with 23 solo and just 3 assisted. The guys ahead of him in tackles: James Harrison, Ike Taylor, James Farrior, and Larry Foote. All full time starters. In fact, if you notice, Smith has more tackles than Polamalu (1 more that is), though Polamalu did miss a game and a half. But guys, Smith has only started TWO GAMES! PLUS, oh yeah, he's got a forced fumble and interception under his belt as well...

Like Troy Polamalu - soft spoken off the field, an untamed beast on, at only 5'11" and 192 pounds, Smith packs a punch with Greg Lloyd-esque force. The man plays to win, and plays with intensity, making no qualms about his physical style. When asked recently about said physicality, Smith asserted:

"Once I get on the field you can't tell me anything. I'm trying to hit everything."

So Derrick Mason, Demetrious Williams, Todd Heap, Steve McNair - watch your backs and say your prayers, 'cause the Sandman is coming.

Good. Night.

REFERENCE MATERIALS
¹Make 'em say uuuuuggggghhhhhhh...


Show me that greeeelllll now Chad...



²Anthony Smith Bio [Steelers.com]
³Anthony Smith College Bio [SUathletics.com]

Smith's style of play makes receivers pay [Post-Gazette]
Steelers' Smith showcases intensity [Tribune-Review]
Steelers Anthony Smith might be hard to bench [Beaver County Times]