Opening Statement: So much has happened since the final 2009 season game against Miami and the start of the season must be a welcome sight for the Steelers players and coaches. The preseason was a bit of a blur and was overall a success until quarterback Byron Leftwich went down with a MCL injury in the final game against Carolina. The roster has been paired down to 53 and features 8 rookie draft picks and 17 players 30 years of age or over, 10 of which are defensive players.
The picture heading into the 2010 season is pretty clear for the Steelers as franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss the first four games of the season as punishment for violating the NFL personal conduct policy. The debate will go on for a while if the punishment met the crime or in this case, the alleged crime, but it is what it is at this point. The injury to Leftwich means that 3rd year quarterback Dennis Dixon will open the season under center, that center being rookie first-round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey. Pouncey is the the first Steelers offensive lineman to start the season opener of his rookie year since tackle Marvel Smith started at right tackle in 2000. Pouncey also is just the second offensive lineman ever to start as a rookie for the club. He also becomes the sixth rookie to start his first career game since 2000. Dixon is making his second career regular season start with his first being last season against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. On that night, Dixon completed 12 of 26 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown with one interception and rushed for 27 yards on three carries, including a 24-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that gave the Steelers a brief lead. The interception to defensive end Paul Kruger set up a 29-yard field goal that ultimately gave the Ravens a 20-17 victory.
The Steelers 2010 season basically breaks up into four mini seasons within a season. The first mini season starts with the first four games minus Roethlisberger in which the Steelers play Atlanta, Tennessee, Tampa Bay and division rival Baltimore. The Steelers at worst need to come out of these first four games with a 2-2 record. A record better than that and the Steelers very well could be leading the division or at worst, tied for the lead. A 1-3 or 0-4 start would likely be too large of a hole to climb out of in the tough AFC North, but not impossible mind you. If a 1-3 record is achieved, it would be nice if the lone win came against either Baltimore or Tennessee, both of whom are of course in the AFC, but preferably it would be against the division foe Ravens.
The second mini season begins with the week 5 bye as the Steelers will get Roethlisberger back and have several practices to gear up for their second division game against Cleveland and then play on the road against Miami. I consider this only a 2 game mini season and think the Steelers almost have to go an undefeated 2-0 in theses games, especially if they were under .500 in the first mini four game season. If they happen to escape over .500 in the first mini season, a split in these two games would not kill them as long as the win comes against the Browns. These two games should be enough to get Roethlisberger back into a full rhythm and the offense clicking on all cylinders. The worst the Steelers record can dare be at this point of the season is 3-3 as the meat of the schedule is yet to come.
The third mini season is the eight game stretch starting in New Orleans. The Steelers could make a huge statement on the road and in front of a prime time audience by beating the defending Super Bowl champs in their own house. A win there could be a huge catalyst heading into the second half of the NFL season. It also could be the back breaker game depending on the record coming out of the first six games. The third mini season continues on and features both meetings with the Bengals, a second meeting with Baltimore at their place and closes out with the tough New York Jets at Heinz Field. Also sprinkled in that eight game mini season are the Patriots, Raiders and Bills. The Steelers very easily could come out of this stretch 6-2 or 2-6 as there are some tough games in this portion of the schedule.
Finally the last mini season features only two games against Carolina and Cleveland and it could be two must win games to lock up a playoff spot or just merely playing out the string. Regardless, both of these games should be very winnable looking ahead right now.
Position Breakdown: Before I give my prediction, I will give a brief summary of the team by position heading into the season.
Quarterback: It is sink or swim for Dennis Dixon now. Go 2-2 or better in the first four games and he is the hero of Pittsburgh, go 0-4 and he will be run out of town on a rail. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians needs to use him up, by letting him use his feet. It is only four games and it is not a win-win situation for Dixon. His whole career going forward will likely be decided by how he plays in these potential four starts. Ben Roethlisberger looked sharp in the preseason and looks like he is in the best shape he has been in for quite a while. Maybe it was nerves; maybe he has come to the realization that this can all be gone in an instant. I am not worried about how he will play coming off of the suspension, I just hope the offensive line can protect him better this year. He has the tools around him and hopefully the hole is not dug too deep before he returns. If you see Byron Leftwich in the first four games, it is because Dixon is hurt or not playing well. Leftwich may be asked to beat Tampa and Baltimore to get the Steelers back to .500 before Roethlisberger takes back over. Leftwich is capable, but will now not play if Dixon is healthy and winning as it is has become Dixon or bust since the Leftwich injury. Charlie Batch is fragile, but a great leader on the sideline. Hopefully he stays on the sideline.
Running Back: Rashard Mendenhall will be leaned on quite a bit early on as the Steelers will want to run and run often in the early portion of the season. Ball security is the only concern with Mendy going forward as he has the talent to be a 20 plus carry a game back in the NFL. He must know the details and help be a leader on and off the field. 1500 yards is not out of the question for Mendenhall, but 1300 is more realistic. Mewelde Moore is a third down back and a contributor on special teams. At this point in his career, I do not consider him a change of pace back or a back to spell Mendenhall for a series. Moore is a hard nosed player, but his role is about touching the football perhaps just 3 times a game. If Mendenhall goes down injured, Isaac Redman should be the main ball carrier with Moore getting most of his work on 3rd and longs. Redman will get plenty of initial opportunities early on for the short yardage and goal line work along with looks as the lead blocker in the pony backfield formation. Do not be surprised to see 500 yards and 8 touchdowns at the end of the year as he has excelled in bettering every area of his game. Rookie Jonathan Dwyer is red shirted this year. Baring injury, expect to see him on 16 straight game day inactive list as he learns the other part of being a NFL running back besides carrying the football.
Wide Receiver: Papa Smurf Hines Ward has quite a few little smurfs in tow this year. Mike Wallace had a great rookie year, but now must run the routes ran last year by Santonio Holmes. We know Mikey can go long on the plays drawn in the sand; it is his route running in the intimidate area that will be most scrutinized this season. Hines Ward is Hines Ward. He is the possession guy and must be the leader on the field and keep Dixon and company settled. He really will be counted on being Papa Smurf for sure in 2010 on and off the field. Look for another 70 catch season for Hines. Antwaan Randle El must do what he did in his first go around with the Steelers. A solid 35 catches, especially on key downs will be more than enough. He is a veteran of the game now and must help Hines get the other kids up to speed. Arnaz Battle is mostly a special teams guy who needs to make his contributions in that way on the field. Barring injury to other receivers, he will get an occasional snap or three in four wide receiver sets. Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are rookies. Do not expect the same type of numbers from them that Mike Wallace put up last year as a rookie. Brown will have his hands full in the return game and needs to worry about that first. He too will get looks in four wide receiver sets when active. Sanders will likely be the odd man out on game days early in the season, but will be up in a minute should an injury happen. He could easily bypass Battle or El as well as the season progresses. Look for most of his play to come later in the year.
Offensive Line: I mentioned Pouncey early in the article. He will make rookie mistakes, but is clearly an upgrade over Justin Hartwig at center. The Dermontti Dawson comparisons are real. This kid has all the tools and should only get better. The more he has to run block early on, the better. Max Starks and Chris Kemoeatu are not “all world” left side lineman, but they are very capable, especially as run blockers. They both seem energized under new offensive line coach Sean Kugler. Penalties and pass blocking are the biggest concerns with these two, but I think you will see improvement by both this year. Flozell Adams has made steady improvement as he attempts to switch from left tackle to right tackle. False starts and edge pass blocking are his weak suits, but the more snaps he gets into the season, the more adjusted to the right he should get. What do you want me to say about Trai Essex? He is the weakest link in the line, but every line has one. Hopefully he holds his own this year. Doug Legursky is the swing man inside and can play both guard spots and of course back up Pouncey at center. He very well could start on other teams if given the chance. Tony Hills looks to finally have the light come on, but I am not too sure he is an every down left tackle. Jonathan Scott and Ramon Foster are both backup guys, with Foster offering a bit more position flexibility than Scott. Essex and Adams hold the key to the line success this year. Pouncey should make quite a few highlight reels this year with pancake blocks. Hopefully the line gets lots of run block opportunities early in the season.
Tight Ends: Heath Miller is one of the best in the game. He could very easily total 90 catches this year if things go right. He could just as easily tally half that number if things go bad. Miller does everything and is the most underrated player on offense. Say what you will about Matt Spaeth and David Johnson, but they bring their lunch boxes to work. It showed tremendously in preseason. Both contribute heavily on special teams as well. They do the dirty work most do not see and hopefully their strong preseason play carries over into the regular season. Johnson will get most of the traditional fullback looks, if any.
Linebackers: Very experienced bunch with some youth now sprinkled in. Left to right it is LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons and James Harrison. This is a nasty, nasty group. Timmons looks ready to make a huge jump in 2010 and Larry Foote was brought back to help spell Farrior inside and occasionally Timmons. Keyaron Fox mostly contributes on special teams, but is also capable of covering sideline to sideline. Three rookies will be eased in mostly on special teams in the form of second rounder Jason Worilds, fourth rounder Thaddeus Gibson and fifth rounder Stevenson Sylvester. All three will likely compete weekly for a game day hat with Sylvester being the most useful on special teams thus far in preseason. This is the best linebacking group in the league if you ask me and the strongest part of the defense.
Defensive Line: Nose tackle Casey Hampton seems reinvigorated by his new deal and in great shape. At ends, both Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel are just asked to hold the edges and push on passing downs. Neither players are going to tally big sack numbers. They both know their role in the Dick LeBeau defense and only battle father time as a main opponent. Second year man Ziggy Hood will get a heavy increase of playing time this year and will spell Smith the most on the left end. He needs to make a huge jump and prove his worth as a first rounder this year. He flashed in training camp, but not so much in preseason games this year as hoped. Nick Eason looks like a different player following his near death medical problems this offseason. He will be asked to rotate in for Keisel without a drop off in play. One word describes him, capable. Chris Hoke will spell the Big Snack a couple series a game at nose tackle. Except for Hood, this line has some age on it, but looked above the line in preseason. Hopefully the rotation will keep them fresher and healthy all season.
Defensive Backs: Troy Polamalu is back. Need I say more? He looked a bit rusty in preseason, but showed he still has burst. His ability and freedom to freelance is what makes him deadly. Offenses always have to account for him and he is a play maker and catalyst on defense. He must stay healthy this year as there is just no replacement for his style of play. With Polamalu back, it makes free safety Ryan Clark even better as Clark has less area to cover. He remains a heavy hitter on defense and adequate in pass coverage and reading defenses. They are perhaps the best safety combo in the NFL. Behind them are Will Allen and Ryan Mundy. Allen is an upgrade over Tyrone Carter from last year and Mundy has another full camp under his belt. At right corner it is a contract year for Ike Taylor and he will be auditioning for a final payday in 2011. He still has the skills, but does take a play off every now and again. He is still one of the better corners in the league though. Bryant McFadden is back on the left side after a rocky year in Arizona in which the defense did not match his skill set. McFadden will be pushed by the improving, yet inconsistent second year Keenan Lewis. It looked like Lewis was primed to unseat McFadden in the preseason, but he melted down in his preseason start in Denver and must start over earning his way back. William Gay goes back to his nickel job, where he is better suited as his time at left corner in 2009 was a disaster. Anthony Madison and rookie Crezdon Butler round out the defensive backs with Madison returning more for his special teams play than anything else. It will not be surprising to see Butler crack the lineup sooner than later. He has the complete skill set and may unseat Gay for the nickel job should he stumble out of the blocks. Butler looks to also be the heir apparent to Taylor at right corner and also got some work in camp at safety.
Special Teams: Punter Daniel Sepulveda got a chance to unseat Jeff Reed as the kickoff guy, but could not do it. Sepulveda can boom punts fine and Reed is deadly from 43 yards and in, so nothing really changes there. Both players are in their final years of their contracts this season and Greg Warren returns as the long snapper as long as his knees hold up. Arnaz Battle and Will Allen were brought in to help on special teams and Anthony Madison returns in his role as well. Rookie Antonio Brown gets first crack at the return job and one hopes the addition of new special teams coach Al Everest can help map out better coverages. A few rookies will be mixed in as well, so this could go either way as far as kick coverage goes. If Reed could nut up and kick out of the endzone, it sure would help things. It would also get him a big payday in free agency.
Prediction: OK, I bleed black and gold and have done so since the age of 4. I am also good at seeing things clearly by taking off my Steeler Nation glasses. The 2010 Steelers are a talented bunch; they will be handicapped by not having Big Ben the first four games. I do think that 2-2 is not out of the question until he returns for the 5th game versus the Browns. I think two straight wins is doable following the bye and will have the Steelers at 4-2 entering the key eight game stretch. 4-4 or better in that stretch is certainly attainable with season splits against both Baltimore and Cincinnati. After 14 games the Steelers would be 8-6 and looking at two relatively easier games to end the season on. I think they close out winning both and end the season at 10-6 and an AFC Wild Card spot. As we all know, anything can happen in the playoffs. I am not bold enough to say it is a Super Bowl year, but if the team is healthy come playoff time, you have to like their chances. If indeed it plays out this way, head coach Mike Tomlin certainly deserves Coach of the Year consideration.
Here is to a run for a 7th Lombardi. Let the season begin!
Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!
The 53 man roster is set for now and the Steelers are about to announce their practice squad and begin preparations to face the Altanta Falcons in week 1 of the 2010 season. Before the season starts, I wanted to take a look at the current players on the 53 man roster who are in their final year of their contract and schedules to be free agents in 2011, if a new CBA is reached and a lock out is avoided. Currently 18 players are entering the final year of their contract and I have a small blurb on each. we will revisit this list much later in the season as it surely will be changed.
QB Dennis Dixon - Mike Tomlin has not announced Dixon as the week one starter, but all signs point to Dixon getting the nod against Atlanta. Regardless, we will likely see him at some point during the first 4 games and he will be auditioning likely to play somewhere else in 2011. The new CBA will decide if indeed there is a 2011 season and if the Steelers can place some sort of tag or tender on Dixon as he is unlikely to get a long term contract from the Steelers. It would not surprise me to see Dixon in a different uniform in 2011 and Byron Leftwich backing up Ben Roethlisberger next season.
RT Willie Colon - Before blowing out his Achilles, right tackle Willie Colon already lost in the free agency department because with no new collective bargaining agreement in place it made him a restricted free agent instead of an unrestricted free agent. When and if a new CBA is reached it will decide his status in 2011, coming off the injury will not make him that attractive in the tackle market.
RG Trai Essex - He will need a remarkable 2010 season, to not only stay on the roster all year, but have any chance at being a back up in 2011. This is likely his last year in Pittsburgh and that is music to the ears of Steeler Nation.
ILB Keyaron Fox - Fox is a big contributor on special teams and a solid back up inside linebacker. James Farrior will likely be asked to take a pay cut or be released in 2011 and there could be a small chance Fox returns. Rookie Stevenson Sylvester is closing fast as well on an inside position.
LT Tony Hills - Hills has finely made strides in his 3rd training camp, but will not play much in 2010 barring injury and he could likely be out the door in 2011 regardless unless he wants to play for the minimum as a backup.
NT Chris Hoke - The Steelers will likely try to draft the heir to Casey Hampton at nose tackle in the 2011 draft. Hoke likely will not be asked back next year.
G/C Doug Legursky - Legursky is not starter quality, but is a good backup center and guard. He has quickness to space and may get some sort of deal to return for a couple of years to back up Maurkice Pouncey and back up both guard spots as the swing man.
DB Anthony Madison - Good special teams play is what has allowed Madison to stick as long as he has at different times. at this point, he has no guarantee he will finish the 2010 season on the roster. If a roster spot is needed, he is on the short list to be first out the door.
RB Mewelde Moore - Still one of the best blitz pickup backs in the league. Hard nosed do anything player and seems to be a favorite of head coach Mike Tomlin. I would not rule him out being back in 2011.
S Ryan Mundy - Safety is another position the Steelers expect to address in the 2011 draft. Mundy is a special teamer and last safety in the game right now. Hard to say what the future holds for him right now in the black and gold.
CB Ike Taylor - The writing was on the wall this offseason when Taylor didn't get an extension offer. The Steelers are hoping rookie Crezdon Butler is the new right corner of the future. Ike will be looking for one final big payday and the Steelers are unlikely to give it to him.
LS Greg Warren - Sooner or later those knees will just give out. I think they might have to take Greg out back and put him down. The Steelers brought in some serious competition for him in the form of Matt Stewart this past training camp, but Greg won the job. He is getting expensive though for a long snapper and the Steelers might want a cheaper option in 2011.
OLB LaMarr Woodley - The 30% rule and LaMarr Woodley has been discussed all offseason. I am not going to tell you anything new here. I think they find a way to pay him. Some how, some way.
P Daniel Sepulveda - Hard nosed punter that is willing to kickoff as well. I see him being brought back depending on how the new CBA looks.
K Jeff Reed - Skippy has worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh. Very accurate still, but can't kickoff worth a damn and tends to be a distraction. Yes, a kicker that is a distraction. Enjoy his final year in black and gold.
RT Jonathan Scott - Scott followed offensive line coach Sean Kugler over from Buffalo and only got a one year deal. He is backing up Flozell Adams and this could be his only year with Pittsburgh. Jury is still out on Scott until the end of the season.
RDE Nick Eason - This is it for Nick as the Steelers will look to get younger on the defensive line in 2011.
CB William Gay - See Trai Essex blurb.
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Bob Labriola and Mike Prisuta are back with another Agree to Disagree on Steelers.com. In the latest Season Outlook episode they discuss AFC North playoff teams, and if there will be a repeat champion in the NFL this year.
Mike Bires writes that cornerback Keenan Lewis will bounce back from his Denver debacle. Lewis says he will still be the same aggressive, physical player he's been all preseason when he plays tonight, but promises to be smarter when it comes to hitting receivers near the sideline. Lewis likely will be the second left corner in behind William Gay.
Scott Brown has a closer look at George Whitfield Jr., the ex-Arena league quarterback that Ben Roethlisberger will be working with once his suspension begins.
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Right as things are calming down for Roethlisberger up pops the Nevada court case location story in the Post Gazette this morning.
Bob Smizik has the recap of the Merril Hoge interview on ESPN 1250 yesterday in which Hoge said the Steelers best option at quarterback is Charlie Batch and right guard Trai Essex played poorly against Denver. I think Hoge is correct on one of those two statements. You can listen to the Stan and Guy interview here.
Dan Gigler checked in to tell us about the new Turkey Hill Blitzburgh Crunch ice cream flavor that was recently released.
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Attached is the preseason Broncos game Steelers offensive player participation chart for all plays on offense and does not include penalties considered no plays. You can follow along play by play with the gamebook here. The thing that jumps out the most this week is that veteran Justin Hartwig received so many snaps in relief of Maurkice Pouncey and Doug Legursky received no snaps at center and all snaps at right guard in relief of Trai Essex. It makes you think that both Hartwig and Legursky might both make the 53 man roster. Ramon Foster and Kraig Urbik rotated series at the end at left guard making it appear that these two are battling for one spot. I was also surprised by the snap count of Arnaz Battle versus Tyler Grisham. Could Grisham actually beat out Battle for a spot or will both be gone? Let me know if you see any errors as I will have the defensive participation chart up later tonight. Please make sure to credit us if you lift this information and post elsewhere.
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The Steelers lost to the Denver Broncos 34-17 in the 3rd preseason game of the 2010 season. Below are my notes and nuggets I kept on the game along with my observations. I have much more coming on this game and am working through the night. These are initial reactions of mine as I am about to watch the game a second time and begin working up tape selections. Below are the notes I compiled throughout the game. remember these are initial reactions one time through the game.
Ben Roethlisberger looked more ready to start a season than any other season I have ever seen. Too bad we have to wait at least 4 weeks.
Maurkice Pouncey had another good night making his first start. The game is not too big for him as a rookie. He had a few errors, but nothing horrible.
Rashard Mendenhall shows he can make something out of nothing on runs. He did not fumble and got positive yardage. He looks sound assignment wise.
Mike Wallace is great running up field. Nothing new there. Thought I saw a few lazy routes, but need to watch the tape again to focus in on him. No one better in open field though. He will have quite a few big gainers through the season.
Trai Essex remains Trai Essex. Not his best game for sure.
Not a game Dennis Dixon will save on the DVR. Bad decisions all night and looked uncomfortable at times. No problem with his legs, but looked like he was given a bigger play book tonight and was overwhelmed.
Flozell Adams looked noticeably better this week in pass blocking, but I reserve judgment until I go over the game again. He looked like he slid to his right much better and got off the ball better. Also should be noted that Denver was missing several regulars on defense.
Keenan Lewis is no threat to Bryant McFadden at left cornerback to start the season. He really got frustrated easy and off his game in a hurry. Needs to understand he will get beat sometimes and needs to put it behind him.
11 penalties for 93 yards. Need I explain?
Lawrence Timmons continues his great preseason. Really consistent player. Dumb penalty though.
Pony backfield seemed to work again with Isaac Redman in the lead back role.
Frank Summers is no fullback. I will be surprised if he sticks.
Did Aaron Smith, Brett Kiesel or Casey Hampton play tonight? Really quiet night up front.
William Gay had a nice interception. Probably his best game in a long while.
Ryan Mundy needed all the work he could get at free safety tonight. Was late reacting when relied on to give help over top of linebackers.
Say what you will about Matt Spaeth, but he has had a great camp and preseason. Always willing to block.
As expected, Jason Worilds looked faster in second game of work. Long way to go, but making progress.
More missed tackles by Troy Polamalu and Anthony Madison.
The best days of Justin Hartwig are way behind him.
Crezdon Butler read the interception all the way. Not sure he has done enough to make the 53 man roster though. I think he can be snuck to the practice squad.
Jonathan Dwyer needed that success tonight. Makes errors, but another one that can likely be shipped to the practice squad.
Daniel Sepulveda can kickoff for sure, but is he as consistent as Jeff Reed? Jury still out on if he has the job.
I am still waiting for Ziggy Hood to be an impact relief guy. He had such a great camp by all reports, but is not flashing in games.
Antonio Brown has done enough on returns to make Stefan Logan expendable.
Sunny Harris continues to disappoint me.
Denver's punt gunners out gunned us on special teams.
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Steelers right guard Trai Essex insists Flozell Adams will be starting the season at right tackle and noted that he has not lined up at right tackle one time in camp. Ed Bouchette notes in the article that the Steelers thus far in two preseason games, have run 76 times in 120 plays or 63.3 percent of the time.
Speaking of the offensive line, former Steelers lineman and current sidelines reporter Craig Wolfley joined 105.9 THE X to discuss the offensive line and the win over the Giants this past Saturday.
Scott Brown checks in on wide receiver Tyler Grisham who is facing the numbers game at wide reciver with just two presaeason games to go. The Steelers will keep 6 receivers at most and Grisham is battling veteran Arnaz Battle, rookie Antonio Brown and perhaps return man Stefan Logan for that one spot.
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Bob Labriola has posted his observations from the Steelers win over the Giants up on Steelers.com.
Mike Bires looks at how the preseason play of quarterback Dennis Dixon thus far and notes his 86.7 percentage completion rate and his 141.0 quarterback rating through two preseason games.
Two former Steelers have been signed by the Redskins over the past few days as both safety Tyrone Carter and fullback Carey Davis agreed to deals and both practiced Monday with their new team.
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Attached is the offensive player participation chart for all plays on offense and does not include penalties considered no plays. You can follow along play by play with the gamebook here. The thing that jumps out the most this week is that rookie Maurkice Pouncey received another 32 snaps strictly at center and none at right guard. In my opinion Pouncey is close to, if not already overtaken veteran Justin Hartwig for the week one job at center. It is hard to imagine that Pouncey would be started at right guard with so little preseason work. Doug Legursky received 27 snaps at right guard behind Trai Essex and 14 snaps at center. Right tackle Jonathan Scott got a long look on Saturday night as he played every snap in relief of Flozell Adams. One last note is that Isaac Redman lined up at fullback for 4 plays and Rashard Mendenhall lined up like a slot receiver in sets that included 3 additional wide receivers and an empty backfield. Let me know if you see any errors as I will have the defensive participation chart up later tonight. Please make sure to credit us if you lift this information and post elsewhere.
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The Steelers beat the New York Giants 24-17 in the 2nd preseason game of the 2010 season. Below are my notes and nuggets I kept on the game along with my observations. I have much more coming on this game and am working through the night. These are initial reactions of mine as I am about to watch the game a second time and begin working up tape selections. Below are the notes I compiled throughout the game.
The team overall looked a little sluggish getting started. Camp finally breaking and traveling did not help.
Let us hope Ike Taylor got that out of his system. Any how I gave Taylor the unanimous decision.
Post snap penalties have to stop by start of season.
I will break down both Flozell Adams snaps and the early snaps of Jonathan Scott at right tackle, but Flozell failed again in my opinion. Athletic defensive ends can beat him on the edge with ease. Hard to see him sticking right now for the price he demanded as 2.5 million should buy a better free agent product. Scott looked adequate on the surface, but I sure would like to see him start next week to see how he fares.
Max Starks looked tired and going through the motions tonight. Trai Essex looked like Trai Essex. Enough said.
Maurkice Pouncey will be your opening day center in my opinion. I do not think he took any snaps tonight at right guard and was 3 times the center Hartwig was. What is sad is I thought Hartwig showed more fight for his job tonight. Pouncey was moving two at a time on some plays.
Byron Leftwich to Mike Wallace was a great all around play. Line blocked well, Leftwich sold it. Wallace will win all foot races.
Leftwich I think is your starter with packages mixed in for Dennis Dixon. For only 4 games you can play to both quarterbacks strengths.
I think Ben Roethlisberger will be fine. I do not think he forces that ball up in the regular season. He looked relaxed, but thought he stayed in a series too long.
Too many negative plays on the night.
Rashard Mendenhall should be able to run up the middle this year especially if Pouncey starts.
Frank Summers still is slow off the snap and leading to the hole. Still getting acclimated to the NFL.
Brett Kiesel is hot and cold at times. Will certainly need snaps off this season.
Bryant McFadden is a better left corner than right corner. Not sure the reasoning he was moved over there after Taylor was ejected other than to get Keenan Lewis into the game earlier and not take snaps away from BMac.
Troy Polamalu showed some burst, he also showed he still can miss a tackle or two. Regardless, he is still the best strong safety in the league.
I liked the effort to get the ball more to Antwaan Randle El this week along with Heath Miller. These two will get plenty of chances to contribute this year. Miller may even lead the team in catches. Miller did wiff on a block. It happens.
Outside linebacker play tonight was pedestrian, especially from the rookies Thaddeus Gibson and Jason Worilds. Oh, and wave goodbye to Patrick Bailey. God forbid he ever had to start at left or right outside linebacker.
There is nothing wrong with the motor of Lawrence Timmons. Larry Foote and James Farrior looked more focused this week as well. Inside linebacker play was good overall on the night.
I think Nick Eason is still ahead of Sunny Harris. I will look closer in the next 8 times through the game, but Harris has not taken the roster spot in my opnion.
Will Allen is an upgrade over Tyrone Carter from last year. His recognition and quickness are still there and he is great on special teams.
Joe Burnett caught him one. Corners need more plays like that. Burnett does get cauight out of position at times.
Daniel Sepulveda did an adequate job kicking off. I need to time the hang times though before I can give a true assesment. He did make a huge tackle though. You want that to happen never though.
Antonio Brown did a great job on returns. Stefan Logan still seems adequate as well. It will come down to the progress of Brown as a receiver in my opinion. I think Emmanuel Sanders will get his chance returning next week in Denver. Logan needs to really make himself uncut-able and has yet to do it.
I really was hoping Ziggy Hood will be a little more dominating than he has been in the first two games. I am not too worried though.
Casey Hampton can still plug up the middle.
Tony Hills on the surface looked good again in the snaps I was watching him specifically. The tape will not lie though. I reserve my judgment until I get a closer look.
I do not see how Kraig Urbik makes the 53 man roster without an injury. 3rd round pick wasted.
I can do without seeing Byron Leftwich run. He makes Dan Marino look like Usain Bolt.
I like the way Dwayne Wright runs. It will not matter though.
Mewelde Moore is one of the best blitz pickup backs around. Fearless and will take 3rd down snaps away from Mendenhall again.
Isaac Redman has become a complete running back. His work on special teams is improving.
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Attached is the offensive player participation chart for all plays on offense and does not include penalties considered no plays. You can follow along play by play withe the gamebook here. The thing that jumps out the most is that rookie Maurkice Pouncey received 33 snaps at center and only 7 snaps at right guard. If Pouncey continues to get this many preseason snaps at center, it could signal the end of the line for veteran Justin Hartwig. Doug Legursky received 21 snaps at right guard behind Trai Essex who received 22 snaps as the starter. Let me know if you see any errors as I will have the defensive participation chart up later tonight or on Monday. Please make sure to credit us if you lift this information.
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Day 5 of training camp has started in Latrobe now as today features two practices with the later being open to the public. The morning session is an abbreviated practice focusing on special teams. We will have news, notes, nuggets and practice information from today posted up on this page as we get it in. Check back often through out the evening to see the updates.
Compiled from interviews and info on Steelers.com | ESPN Radio Pittsburgh | 93.7 The Fan Radio | Pittsburgh Post Gazette | Pittsburgh Tribune | Twitter Updates
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