Jeff Reed Is A Golden God...

I'm not going to lie to you, Saturday night was kind of a stressful experience. Sure, we won. And yes, it's only preseason. But we had four chances to get six and each time we had to settle for three. If we have any hopes of beating the likes of New England, San Diego, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Dallas, and umm, pretty much any of the other teams we play this season, we'd better figure out how to put the ball in the end zone. Quick.

Nevertheless, Jeff Reed came to play. And he just may have gotten the best workout of the day. Four field goals, hitting from 35, 37, 43 and 47, the last of which being the longest, and coming with just four seconds left on the clock. So I think what I'm saying is, game ball goes to Jeff Reed. He may be quirky, outlandish, and perhaps a little out of his mind. But he's also a damn good kicker and looking to be rock solid gold going into the regular season.

Anyways, big thanks again to Tobiathan, who ripped some nasty live blogging in the comments of Saturdays gameday discussion post. I greatly appreciate him doing it. Especially because for the second straight week, the game was blacked out in NYC. Well played, Steelbiathan.

So let's now take a look at the good, the bad, and the Browns. Err...I think what I meant there was, "the ugly." But using the Browns to illustrate that point was probably pretty obvious to you then, wasn't it?

The GOOD

1. The Defense
Pressure, check! Coverage, check! Turnovers, check! Of course, they weren't flawless. But I don't really ever expect them to be. Still, despite allowing Adrian Peterson to get six on a one yard run, they held last year's Rookie standout to just 21 yards on 12 carries, amassed three out of the team's four total sacks, and Face Me Ike stepped in front of a Gus Frerotte pass for an unexpected, yet completely welcomed, interception. In other news, that may have been the most commas ever used in one sentence...

2. Willie Reid
I'm still not sure I'd rather have him on the active roster than Dallas Baker. But he definitely helped his cause Saturday night in the receiving category. 5 catches for 55 yards, including a 22 yarder. Nothing to shake a stick at. Plus, we're talking about four catches of Lord Byron's bullets (one from Big Ben). That dude throws the ball around like it's a shotput. So I'm not going to pretend like he's Hines Ward or something. But it's nice to know that Reid can perform when he knows he's on the bubble...

3. That Photoshop on the Gameday Post
I'm not one to go around touting my work as creative genius. But that image was definitely one of the cooler things I've ever done. Like, in my life. Way cooler than the time I did multiple beer bongs and jello shots and ate penne vodka with my bare hands. Which was, Saturday night...

Moving on...

The BAD

1. FWP aka Master Fly W. Large
Granted, Minnesota is definitely one of the toughest run Defenses in the league. But 18 yards on 10 carries is pretty terrible. That's an average of 1.8 yards per carry. And four of the 10 carries were for no gain or negative gain. Ouch. Nevertheless, I can't say this will have any more than a temporary impact on my opinion of the Fast one. I'd like to chalk it up to not wanting to do anything to get himself hurt. At least that'll help me sleep better at night...

2. Big Ben
A 67 passer rating? I can only think this was Ben channeling his inner Rex Grossman. Completing only 10 of 17 (59%) for just 65 yards, he threw behind the receivers and danced around the pocket like an excitable high school senior hopped up on Robitussin and Caffeine pills at the prom. Of course, the line wasn't exactly helping at all times (see below). But it definitely looked like there were a number of miscues that amounted to our own personal Super Hero's underwhelming performance. I'll probably give it another week before I call for his head, though...

3. The Offensive Line
I'd try to do something funny here. But there was nothing funny about the Offensive Line's performance on Saturday. They clearly weren't getting any push, as evidenced by FWP's stat line, and on some plays, they looked like they were tackling dummies. And if anyone knows why Willie Colon is still starting over Max Starks, please share. In case you missed it, Señor Colon was responsible for one pretty bad sack on Big Ben in which he allowed Ray Edwards to go pretty much untouched. Certainly can't crucify him for one sack, but I mean...yeah...

The UGLY

1. Wreckingball's Concrete Hands
If you're Rashard Mendenhall, there's one thing you can't do. And that's cough up the football. You've been brought in to run between the tackles and get those tough yards that a smaller, quicker back (read: FWP) can't get. It's pretty tough to do that if you can't keep the ball in your hands. That said, one exhibition game does not a season make. And I'm certainly not expecting this trend to continue. Plus, he did gain 79 yards on 15 carries. So overall, I'm still encouraged by the young blood.

2. The NFL
Honestly, if you're going to make us play these preseason games, the least you could do is make sure people can see them. This was the second straight week that I found the game blacked out in the NYC region. Of course, had I been a couple of hours further South in Jersey, I'd have been able to see it. But oh no, not in Hoboken. Not when both NY teams were playing each other. And that's understandable. But couldn't you make it a little easier for those of us who live in the biggest TV market in the country to choose which game we want to watch? Help a brotha out!

3. This Beer Bonging
Lest you assume no one was drinking this weekend, let this video of Tecmo and I bonging beers serve as evidence to the contrary...


All this said, if you're concerned about our shortcomings this weekend, just gander at how our AFC North Rivals fared...

Browns

It's ok, Sean Rogers changes everything...

Bengals

Defense is overrated anyhow...

Ravens

"Viral illness," sounds like a case of not-wanting-to-play-preseason-itis...

And finally, can we get a moment of silence for the impending death of the Browns poopy-pants? It seems their days are marked...


Ok, your turn. What did you guys think? What encouraged you? What discouraged you? And did you see those Vikings cheerleaders? [Insert witty remark here]

PS - Apologies for the excessively long post. What can I say? I love the Steelers...

GAME RECAPS:
Gigs' Live Blog [Blog 'N' Gold]
Reed the Only Kick in Offense [Post-Gazette]
Reed, Steelers "D" Boot Vikings [Trib]
Vikings 'D' Shines in Last Second Loss to Steelers [Associated Press]
Steelers Pull Out Victory Over Vikings, 12-10 [KDKA]
Steelers vs. Vikings Box Score [ESPN]

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?