Steel City Jim

I am a day late as I was on the road to Sarasota since Saturday, having dropped off in Tallahassee for a visit to Steel City Joan's high school friend. But to their great credit, our hosts provided me with a beautiful 46 inch flat screen TV and they served dinner on Sunday night in the den right in front of the TV. So, I didn't miss anything.

Where do you start with this game? It was a tale of two halves. The first was almost all Steelers. Everything clicked on offense and defense as the Steelers built up a 24-0 lead before the Jets got a field goal at the end of the half. But the second half was a different story. The Steelers did not score, and the Jets were able to get 19 points, including the dreaded safety. But guys like Mendenhall, Gay, Taylor, and the offensive line and the whole defense held together.

The Jets were outplayed in the first half. Cowher said at halftime that having played Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the road in the previous two weeks, they were a tired ballclub. Coming into Heinz Field for their third road game in as many weeks, with 68,000+ screaming fans waving Terrible Towels, was no joy either. And the bitter cold had to be a factor. Truly, they looked lousy in the first half. But if they were so fatigued going into the first half, after playing a tough first half in the cold, wouldn't you think they would have been even more pooped coming out for the second half? Well, you might have thought so. But something at halftime invigorated them and they came out like a house on fire for the second half.

I have to tip my hat to Rex Ryan and his coaching staff. First they devised a plan that soundly defeated the heavily favored Patriots in Foxborough the week before. Who would have thought this was possible? In Sunday's game hey never let their guys quit. They played until the end. I saw the HBO show about the Jets' training camp in the motel on Saturday night. While he can be pretty foul-mouthed, you can easily see that Rex Ryan is a man's man. His coaches and players like the guy. They will run through a wall for him. His personality, his knowledge of the game, and his ability to game plan make him one of the best coaches in the game. For two years running he has taken his team to the AFC championship game, and there's no reason to think that he won't be back again next year knocking on the door, as they say. Don't forget, Mark Sanchez will be a year older and much wiser next year, too.

The Steelers, on the other hand, were a team with attitude. For one thing, they were determined to get to the Super Bowl. For another, the Jets embarrassed them just a month earlier in their own ball yard, and they were just not gong to let that happen again. There is something intangible about this team. You can't break it down by comparing running backs to running backs, corner to corners, etc. Having been denied the playoffs in 2009, after winning the Super Bowl the previous season, they came to camp with a chip on their shoulders. The memory of the five-game losing streak in 2009 provided a sour taste in their mouths.

When their franchise quarterback was suspended for the first four games of 2010 and they were without their best wide receiver who had been dispatched to the Jets, they reached a pact among themselves that they would win without these guys. When two of their starting offensive linemen went down with season ending injuries, they rallied behind their replacements. They ended the first four games with a 3-1 record, and only a last minute pass by the Ravens on blown coverage prevented them from going 4-0. This set the tone for the rest of the season. Yes, they lost another 3 games, and they scraped by with a hair raising win in Miami and escaped with a win in Buffalo when Johnston dropped a perfect pass in the end zone that would have won the game for Buffalo. But they got the AFC North trophy and the bye, which helped to set them up...so far.

I think the whole story starts with the Rooneys who keep a low profile, but gently nudge the other executives and coaching staff. Art Rooney, Jr. opined that they could use rookies more effectively and three became standouts this season, Pouncey, Sanders, and Brown. Others, like Sylvester Stevenson contributed mightily on special teams. This also demonstrated a pretty good ability to identify youngsters and draft them. They also picked an outsanding person as a head coach in Mike Tomlin. At first there might have been some grumbling about him being an African American. But Mike is their man now, no question about it. They believe in him and they love to play for him, all 53 players. Tomlin was also smart enough to retain coachs like LeBeau and Arians, and despite his unfamiliarity with the 3-4, he was flexible enough to allow it to continue under LeBeau. The fact that LeBeau, at 72, has already announced that he will return in 2012 shows that he enjoys working with Tomlin.

Then, there are the players, a pretty good mix of veterans and youngsters. This is a team in which the youngsters look up the vets like Ward and Farrior. So, it's not as if the coaches do all the exhorting. The guys in the locker room do it, too.

Then, what can you say about Ben? He's certainly not the slickest of quarterbacks. He's not Manning, Brady or Brees. But his third and fourth quarter stats are amazing. He takes sacks, he underthrows (like when Reavis intercepted a pass when Wallace would have had a touchdown except that Wallace was about four steps beyond the ball), and he does all kinds of things that drives fans crazy. But he also plays against a header hunting team like the Ravens with a broken foot and a broken and bleeding nose. Do you think Cutler would have done that? He also takes off when he can't find a receiver and more times than not will not take a slide, but will charge in head first. Do you think Brady would do that? He plays ugly, but somehow he seems to win.

Now, does all that mean that the Steelers are guaranteed a win in the Super Bowl? Certainly not. The Packers are a fantastic team, both on offense and defense. They have weapons everywhere and they are healthy. But the Steelers wll be in there with their game plan and their grit and resolve and a bit more history in games like this, so we'll see what transpires. But win or lose, this has been a very satisfying season for the Pittsburgh faithful.

... And now we're down to four. If the NFL isn't a true example of the survival of the fittest, I don't know what is. Sixteen regular-season games, plus at least one more of clawing and hitting and punching and yelling, and we're up to the championship games on Sunday. It's even a bruising experience for the fans.

Saturday's game was a clash of titans. There's no other way to put it. My hat is off to the Ravens. They are one tough bunch of hombres. Coming into the hostile environment of Heinz Field with 64,000 leather lungs waving Terrible Towels, it must be daunting. After taking the initial kickoff and being stifled, they saw the Steelers march to a touchdown on their first possession. But then the Ravens scored 21 unanswered points and went into the locker room with a 21-7 lead at halftime.

It looked bleak for the Steelers. In looking back, however, the 21 points were scored mainly by the Steelers shooting themselves in the foot through turnovers. Apparently, the Steelers quietly vowed to straighten out that situation in the second half. The third quarter told the tale. The Steelers held the Ravens to a net yards gained in that quarter to -4. Yes, minus-4 yards. That allowed the Steelers to claw their way back and make way for Ben's unbelievable connection with rookie Antonio Brown, which led to the winning touchdown. Houshmandzadeh and Boldin dropped some key passes, too. Those things happen ... and always at the wrong time.

I know there are some bitter feelings on the part of some Ravens fans about the officiating. But I can assure you it cut both ways. Harrison was held constantly but it was never called. Ben was roughed up on that abortive fumble that turned into an easy TD for the Ravens. But this was never called either. In fact, no one is ever charged with roughing up Ben. Even, as I have stated before, when Suggs broke Ben's nose and received a $35,000 fine from the league, no penalty was called. And to put the officiating thing to rest, let's look at a few stats:

Net Rushing Yards: Steelers 71, Ravens 35
Net Passing Yards: Steelers 192, Ravens 91
Total Net Yards: Steelers 263, Ravens 126
Time of Possession: Steelers 34:28, Ravens 25:32

I have to say one word about Suggs. His chest thumping and celebration after every play gets old (I think he's auditioning for Ray Lewis' rantings before games when Lewis finally hangs them up.). But he lived in the Steeler backfield all game. The guy is a force. He'll be back next year with a vengeance, as will all the Ravens, and the rivalry, which is almost a Backyard Brawl, will continue.

There wasn't anyone in Pittsburgh not rooting for the Jets on Sunday in Foxborough. Every Steeler fan knows that Belichick/Brady has the Steelers' number. Time after time, Belichick has drawn up game plans to exploit Steeler weaknesses. Brady and company have executed them well. Invariably, these have led to Patriot wins, including a 39-26 thumping in mid-November. The idea of having to go to Foxborough next Sunday to face B/B still again was hard to contemplate. With the Jets' win, the Steelers' fans fondest wish was fulfilled. Not only don't they have to play the Patriots in Foxborough, but they play the Jets in Pittsburgh. But one is cautioned to be wary of what one wishes for. The Jets undressed the Patriots after suffering an ignominious defeat earlier in the season by a 45-3 score. My hat is off to Ryan who certainly drew up a game plan that B/B couldn't answer. So, the question is: If Ryan could devise a game plan to roundly defeat the Patriots, might be also be capable of doing the same to the Steelers?

In looking forward to Sunday's game, the Steelers' obvious weakness is the offensive line. A makeshift unit all season, due to season-ending injuries to Willie Colon and Max Starks, it was really devastated on Saturday evening when Flozell Adams, he of the size 22 shoe, was so sick during halftime that he couldn't return. So, they moved guys around to fill the slot and made do. But Ryan will surely expose this on Sunday. It seems to me that the Steelers' defense will have to get after Sanchez early and late and not let him breathe. The Patriots didn't get to him once Sunday. The Steelers will have to find a way. These two teams played recently and the Jets won by five points. But with Heath Miller out, Ben had two shots from the 1-yard line to win the game. Both times the receivers dropped the ball. So, it was awfully close in December and we'll see what happens on Sunday.

By the way, I thought the Packers would defeat the Falcons. The Packers are tough, built in the mold of the Steelers and Ravens. The Pittsburgh kid, Mike McCarthy, has them purring. It wouldn't surprise me if they beat the Bears on Sunday. Appropos of nothing, McCarthy is from Greenfield (right down the road from where I am sitting) as was Greenfield Jimmy Smith. Smith was Billy Conn's father-in-law, and while Conn was lightweight champion of the world and almost beat Joe Louis in 1941, Greenfield Jimmy was known to have decked Conn. Tough dudes, those guys from Greenfield.
One final word: There were three highly sought after quarterbacks in the 2003 NFL draft, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. Manning was drafted first by the Chargers and the Giants took Rivers right after that. But Eli wanted to play in New York. So, the Giants and Chargers traded their draft picks. Ben was taken by the Steelers who were picking in the 11th slot. Win or lose next week, even with his off-season exploits (he seems to have straightened himself out since then), and his playing both with a broken nose and broken foot a good deal of the season, is there any doubt in anyone's mind as to which of the three is the real prize of the 2003 draft?

Big college basketball game in town tonight, Pitt-Syracuse. SCJ's motto ... never count Boeheim out. Never!

What a game that Saints-Vikings game was. I am glad that I am not an avid Saints or Vikings fan as I would have been a wreck by the end of that game. The sales of blood pressure medicine in those cities must be off the charts. Neither team had more than a 7-point lead at any one time. Turnovers played such an important role, and the Vikings got the short end of that problem. I think I noticed that Adrian Peterson runs with the ball too far to his right side with his elbow sticking up in the air. It makes it easier for a defender to pop the ball loose. He should cradle the ball closer to his chest. But if Childress doesn't know this, who am I?

I found myself rooting for the Vikings because of the pounding the aged Bret Favre took throughout the game. I kept thinking about that movie "North Dallas Forty." It showed how the pro players in that movie couldn't even get out of bed the morning after a game. The way Favre was getting crushed it is a wonder if he can get out of bed for a month. How he would ever consider coming back for yet another season is beyond me. He certainly proved what he is all about as a pure football player and a courageous guy this season. He ought to go quietly into the night and await his election to the Hall of Fame.

I have to say that Rex Ryan got the most out of his Jets as there was to get out. He took over a moribund franchise and turned it around ... with a raw rookie quarterback at that. I can't say that I love Rex Ryan. I could do without his bravado. But I can't argue with his ability to put a defense together. It shows how much difference the right coach can make. But I wonder how long he can go with his bluster until his players and fans tire of it. Oh, it will be fine as long as he wins. But if he slips he may well be considered to be a buffoon.

I am happy that Peyton Manning will play in another Super Bowl. The guy is great. He can read and react to defenses like no other. With the Jets taking a 17-6 lead in the first half I found myself rooting for the Colts. I really think that the Jets, without taking anything away from their success this season, were pretenders. Manning and the Colts are the real thing as they showed with their almost perfect regular season. He also did this without his favorite receiver, Marvin Harrison. But other guys stepped up. You also have to give credit to his offensive line. It protects his like no other.

So, I am happy to look forward to a super Super Bowl in two weeks. I think Manning versus Brees is a dream matchup, although when the chips are down my Monopoly money will be on Manning.

I can tell you this morning that I will never again give any credence to the so-called experts who predict the outcome of an NFL season before the season starts. Practically all pundits base their opinions on the previous season's results, and year after year, with some exceptions, they fail to see what is going on with various teams. Of course, injuries play a major part in how a season unfolds, but who figured:

1. New Orleans having a perfect season so far as guided by the passing arm of Drew Brees? Boy, did they undress the previously unbeaten Giants this past Sunday.

2. Minnesota also having a perfect season so far. And I thought that adding Favre would be a disruptive force in the land of the Vikings. I wondered what they were thinking bringing in an over-the-hill quarterback. But with Favre's arm and Peterson's running, they have been unstoppable so far.

3. Indianapolis' perfect record isn't quite as astounding given that Peyton Manning is at the helm. But the Colts had many changes, including the head coach. But there they are.

4. The Broncos? I thought their new head coach was in such disarray before the season started that I would have paid him off and brought someone else in. But Orton seems to have gotten new life in the thin air and they dominated San Diego last night IN San Diego. I saw Cowher predict that San Diego would rise up to defeat Denver last night. Hey, it didn't happen.

5. The demise of the Titans? How can a team that had something like 13 wins last year start off 0-6 this year? I know Haynesworth is gone. But could he have made that big a difference? And they have one of the best coaches in the league in Jeff Fisher.

6. The Ravens defense. Has the Ravens defense finally pooped out? The front doesn't seem too bad, but the backs are getting beat time after time. Are they missing Rex Ryan that much? And this happens to the defense when the offense is really doing a job.

7. The Jets' rise and fall? I thought the Jets were going to roll at the beginning of the season. Their defense was blitzing like crazy and Sanchez seemed to be a phenom. But things have settled down there. Rex will have to inject something into that group.

8. What's that noise out of Cincinnati? The Bengals look like the real thing.

The Steelers had a ho-hum game against one of the league's most pitiful franchises, the Browns. I thought Cleveland was on the right track when it got Savage from Baltimore to take over football operations. But it shows in sports where a guy can be a genius in one place and a dunce in another. Tom Donahoe is another example. He did great things in Pittsburgh before his run in with Bill Cowher. The Rooneys went with Cowher, and Donahoe was out. After a year or so, he caught on at Buffalo. But he couldn't work his magic there and after a few years was out of a job again.

The Steelers are emerging in 2009 as a passing offense. That's what they were last year, too, as a result of the meltdown of the running game. Ben was forced to pass last year with success. He also got to run the no-huddle offense, which he loves. This year, while the running game has shown some spark, it's the passing game that has moved them back to a tie for first place in the AFC North. Hines Ward is as good as ever, and when they double-team Holmes, the Steelers have found a new kid, Mike Wallace.

But of all things, the Steelers, yes, the Steelers have discovered the tight end! For years and years, the Steelers used their tight ends as another blocker, seldom, if ever, throwing to them. But Heath Miller is second in the league in catches by a tight end right now. It's been effective, too. So, as Bruce Arians says, we'll take what they give us.

The Browns were not a true test. But the upcoming three games are going to be pivotal for the Steelers. They have Minnesota at home this Sunday, and they go on the road after a bye week to take on the Broncos. Then they have Cincinnati at home. That's two undefeated teams in two games and one on a roll. A tall task if you ever saw one. At least Polamalu is back and the triumverate taking over for Aaron Smith are holding their own. The season could come down to these three games.

Goodness. Golly. Gracious me. Did you see that machine called Ravens last night? Forget the final score. After the vets sat down, the has-beens and never-wuzzes took the field. But when the first-team Ravens were playing, they were slick as could be in all phases of the game. They look not only to be in mid-season form, but in playoff mode.

Joe Flacco is the real deal. He was zipping the ball all over the place. And, to think, he couldn't make a mediocre Pitt squad several years ago and transferred to Delaware! Could he be the most embarrassing Pittsburgh cut since the Steelers dismissed Johnny Unitas? And where did they both end up ... in Baltimore.

The Ravens defense didn't look like it was missing much even though its vaunted defensive coach, Rex Ryan, defected over the winter as did some key Ravens players. It looks like the Ravens very successfully replaced both Ryan and those players. They were all over poor Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez who looked like a deer in the headlights.

To boot, Ravens didn't have a full game plan in effect. They were essentially playing street football. I think you can say that the Jets aren't really going anywhere this year. But Ravens sent out a clear signal that they were be reckoned with, and the Steelers better pay heed. If there is anything the Ravens want in 2009, it is revenge for those squeaky three losses to the Steelers last year.

In the meantime, the Steelers looked anything but wonderful on Saturday night against the so-so Redskins. A few guys showed some flashes. Interestingly, guys who showed the most were two free agents who were under-the-radar signings over the winter. Nobody knew about them. Keiwan Ratliff, who had short stints with the Bengals and Colts, had an interception. The other is diminutive Stefan Logan, a former Canadian league star who had over 200 return yards on kickoffs and punts. Compared to the returners the Steelers had last season -- Carey Davis and Najeh Davenport struggled as they lumbered toward the 20-yard line -- Logan was a streak, a much-needed swifty. Rookie Joe Burnett, a fifth-round pick from Central Florida, was supposed to be a returner, but he has already fumbled kicks twice in exhibition games. That won't get it done, son.

Of course, the whole town went down in a funk when Big Ben's ankle was hurt. But then a loud collective sigh came over the Alleghenies when we found out the injury wasn't serious. Then third-string quarterback Dennis Dixon, who has improved markedly this year, went down with a separated shoulder. It's not serious, and, while he might miss some practice, he'll be back in a week or so. In a long NFL season, teams need their three quarterbacks as the front runners take their nicks.

Some thoughts on baseball: In case you hadn't noticed, the Pirates put together a five-game winning streak this past week. OK, it was against Milwaukee and Cincinnati, not exactly premier teams. But it was good to see some decent pitching and some timely hitting, with a glimmer of power at times. Now the Pirates play the Phillies and reality will set in again. It's like sending up the boys to play men. It's gonna be painful to watch.

I've been thinking about the relative brilliance of the Yankee brass. It got me thinking. Last year the Pirates gave up Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte for Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, Jose Tabata and Daniel McCutchen. Nady hasn't meant much to the Yankees. I don't know where Marte disappeared to.

But Ohlendorf has been stellar so far for the Pirates. He and Zach Duke have been their most consistent performers. Karstens has been quite effective out of the bullpen in middle relief. Tabata is tearing up AAA ball at a .353 clip and is tabbed as a future outfield fixture. And McCutchen, a pitcher, is progressing.

Now, I don't want to take anything away from the Yankee management and its usurious $200 million-plus payroll, because the Yankees are leading their division by seven games. But maybe, just maybe, the Pirates' officials aren't as stupid as they appear. I think I will take the Nady trade and I hope the Yankees make more of them.

But when the Yankees can make a pretty lousy trade and still lead their division, face it, baseball still sucks.