Chattin’ Thread for the Week of October 31

Posted on October 31, 2011 by ryan

The Steelers are 6-2 and now have the best record in the AFC. Just in time for the Next Biggest Game of the Season: Ravens II. According to Bouchette, Pittsburgh could be without LaMarr and Potsie though there is some small chance that Deebo will be back.

Either way, chat about it here…

(Note: Pat-Steelers Recap Podcast is now live)

Related posts:

  1. Chattin’ Thread for the Week of October 9
  2. Chattin’ Thread for the Week of Aug. 15
  3. Chattin’ Thread for the Week of Aug. 22
  4. Chattin’ Thread for the Week of Oct. 17
  5. Chattin’ Thread for the Week of Oct. 24
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  • Hoffstra323

    A few things… Antonio brown is just as important to our team as mike wallace. He is quickly developing into a great receiver and his special teams play is something the steelers have been missing for years.
               the steelers should move keisel to outside linebacker if woodley cant go. having chris carter and sylvester in there will make us very susceptible to the run. I was glad to see Sylvester get his first start thou, he deserves it. He was doing his part in pass defense on sunday. I look forward to seeing him get after the quarterback as well. Like troy he has shown great instinct when it comes to jumping the snap count.

    • Matt

      i think brown still has a lot of room to grow.  he doesn’t seem to run great routes.  when he ran that in route in the end zone, he did a bad job of faking the corner, which caused him to not get separation.  but yeah, he has a lot of potential!

      • Anonymous

        Brown seems to need work on his “football IQ.” Kind of like Keenan Lewis last year, though obviously from a higher starting point.
        .

        • Hoffstra323

          Brown may need some work, as everyone does but he brings so much to the table. He is a deep threat, he makes clutch plays, a great return man and as we have seen the last few weeks he is capable of making some great one handed catches.

  • Cols714

    OK, I’m sick of hearing how Belichick screwed up by not challenging Gronkowski’s catch at the goal line. They still had the ball 1st and goal from the half yard line! It then took them 5 freaking plays to score from there. That’s the real reason they ran out of time.

    • Cols714

      That should read 3rd and goal and it took them 3 plays to score.

    • New Eric

      I’m not sure if I could ever get sick of hearing about how Belichick screwed up, regardless of the circumstances.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UR6KXGPFIFYZSVJNCXCJNHDQJQ Bob Costas

    Bouchette said on the radio that Farrior is out a month with a torn calf muscle, that he doesn’t think Woodley will play this week and that there is an outside chance that Harrison will be back.  He thinks Harrison is the most likely of the three to play and that that will depend on a medical examine he his having today or tomorrow.

    If Woodley and Harrison both can play, who would be the 2nd ILB after Timmons: Foote or Slyvester?

    • Hoffstra323

      Foote, they should get sylvester in on third downs for pass coverage, but foote is the starter. No question.

  • David

    Cols714, I think he should have, but it wasn’t a major pooch-screw. A QB sneak or a simple run could have resulted in a quicker score, since we had two backup LBs in, I think. Or would have, if they lined up in a power set with two RBs and 2 or 3 TEs.

    No, where Belichick screwed the pooch was when he went for the onside with 3 TOs and the 2 MW.

    • Sarah

      What did Eddie B say about the pass plays/sacks that took them out of FG range? (Papers todayhad it under the “what was he thinking?” headline and on the broadcast Ilkin was as negative as ILkin gets.)

      I just thought even though a 1st down would be great and they’d had success with the pass, a FG wins the game there. No reason on earth to let Ben run around and get sacked. Run the ball twice and gain 3-4  yards and if you can’t rely on Suisham to hit from <40 then why ever kick? Just go for it on 4th in the Red Zone every time.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UR6KXGPFIFYZSVJNCXCJNHDQJQ Bob Costas

        What makes you think the Steelers would have gained any yards, let alone 3-4, running against a stacked defensive front?  The Steelers haven’t been very effective running the ball and the Patriots were selling out to boot.

        • Sarah

          With 2 tries I like their chances. Plus there’s no stopping the clock with an inconmpletion.Plus there’;s no losing 30 yards on 2 sacks, the second with yet another empty set.

          • Cols714

            Then if the Steelers run twice, get stuffed and miss the FG you’d be mad that they didn’t pass the ball at least once. Passing is what got them their lead. I don’t have a problem with what they did. Plus the empty set, which for some reason is absolutely hated by fans, was pretty successful on Sunday.

          • GlennW

            I wouldn’t have been upset at all.  As it was the Patriots got the ball back with 19 seconds left, folks, and in better field position than they should have had.  I respect Tom Brady as much as anyone, but I don’t fear even him in that situation.  I’d much prefer having Sepulveda pooch a punt from around the Patriots’ 25 as opposed to having to play it straight from the Steelers’ 48 (he wasn’t going to kick the ball deep there because of the threat of a return).

      • Hiddenaway

        This is really really bad.  How are you going to get through the Ravens and resurgent Bengals with a bunch of LBs (most important position on defense as far as tackling/run stopping/coverage) that have never played before.  Worilds needs to get healthy, now!  Come on with the nagging quad, he hasn’t been out there in close to a month!   I’m assuming Woodley is shut down at least a week with his hammy.   This could be the starting LB lineup on Sunday:

        Timmons-Sylvestor-Foote-Carter

        You’d feel a lot better about:
         Harrison – Foote/Sylvestor – Timmons – Carter/Worilds. 

      • Anonymous

        I agree with how the plays were called. Runs might have worked, but probably not against that many in the box. Passes were what had been working and I think gave them a better chance at making a first down. A pass only stops the clock on an incompletion, but I think that was a low provability. Ben seems to have been willing to throw only a very high probability pass which just didn’t materialize. He took the sacks because that keeps the clock moving whereas a throwaway doesn’t. I agree that it’s a shame you can’t get a couple of yard on the ground then kick the field goal, but I can’t blame the coaches or the play-calling for not putting trust in Suisham that he just hasn’t earned.

    • Joel Miller

      After watching that game, do you honestly believe that Belichick had any faith that his defense would produce a stop and get the ball back?  The onside kick was a must for them.

      • David

        Yeah, now that I think about it, he didn’t have much faith in his D.

        I thought ARI should have done it vs. us, BAL shouldn’t have done it vs. JAX, and NE shouldn’t have. They did the opposite in all cases. Tells you how much I know.

        • GlennW

          I think the proof was in the pudding on Belichick’s decision– what did his defense do after the onsides kick?  They gave up a first down, game over (effectively).  You can make the argument that the Patriots defense would have performed better if Belichick had shown more confidence in it by kicking away, but I don’t put stock in such psychology over the cold hard facts.  It’s just too damned easy to pick up *one* first down, especially the way the Steelers were gutting the Pats’ D.  With that little time left, possession is more important than field position.

  • Kvnfaber

    If/when Woodley and Harrison are out this week, Could Cam Heyward rush the passer from an OLB position on passing plays?

    • Hoffstra323

      I don’t think so. He does not have the experience to do that. Keisel playing olb is even a shot in the dark. My thing is Keisel is more athletically gifted than heyward. I would let Keisel play outside linebacker and give cam Heyward the start on the defensive line. We have some options, our whole line should be good to go this week with the exception of aaron smith. Lebeau might sneak Keisel in there at backer some, I noticed he moved him around a good bit against new england. Chris carter and sly sylvester are not going to work in run support. the same can be said for Jason Worilds. He needs to step up this week and finally get on the field and show us why we made him a second round pick.

  • Mike L

    Ben on pace to be sacked 50 times.  Wallace on pace for 1600 yds.

  • Anonymous

    The Steelers are set at WR, as Emmanuel Sanders is ready to become Hines Ward.

    But I’d like to see Hines stay one more year at a very reduced salary.

    Here is how you do that.  Give him ten-twelve more catches this year, no more.  Then he signs for cheap in order to get to a thousand for his career.

  • GlennW

    > They were never going to kick a field goal there. If the safe play isn’t there, don’t force it and down’t throw it away; take the sack and drain the clock. The yards don’t matter since the punt is going deep anyway.

    Given the Steelers’ play-calling here, I think it’s obvious that they had no intention of attempting a FG (a decision I completely agree with, both based on Suisham’s accuracy from 40+ but more importantly on the threat of a block).  I also don’t think Ben was even going to throw the ball unless he saw a 90% likelihood of a completion.  Still, this bothers me a bit.  If ball security is paramount (and it is) I really don’t want my QB taking sacks there.  I’m pretty confident that Ben will take care of the ball in that situation, but in the unlikely event that he does get stripped, those are the kind of fumbles that can be returned for TD, or into good field position at the very least.

    I loathe end-of-game conservatism in general, but with the clock/timeout situation guaranteeing that New England wasn’t going to get the ball back with more than 30 seconds remaining and needing a TD, hell, that’s the *one* time you can just plow into the line a couple times and then punt.  I would have had absolutely no problem with that, as opposed to seeing Ben get knocked around a couple times very unnecessarily.  The Steelers lost so many yards there between the sacks and the penalty that the Patriots ended up getting the ball back at the 22– after our last set of downs started at the 27!  Even running the ball three more times (including on 4th down) would have been preferable to what happened.

    Anything short of a quick Tony Romo-like turnover and we weren’t losing that 6-point lead.  I know this is all a minor complaint because Ben protected the football, but still, for future reference… 

    • Cols714

      I agree it was a weird sequence. The Steelers really need to find a kicker they can trust. Is Skippy still around?

      • Randy Steele

        They would never bring back Skippy. But you’d like to think there must be someone else available who’s better than Squeeze ‘em. After having been more than serviceable last year, he’s been shockingly disappointing.

        • Hoffstra323

          Suisham is not a great kicker by any means. He has been floating around the league for a while. He may look like a kid but he is like 30 years old. He should not be asked to kick field goals beyond 40 yards. Him being a disappointment should not be shocking to anyone. He did a good enough job last year to keep him around for this year, look for him to be replaced for next year.

    • Sarah

      So you are OK keeping it a less- than one- score game?
      i.e not try the FG and let a Brady Drive win it?

      Because – why?You don’t trust the Steelers to gain 2-4 yards on 2 carries?
      You don’t trust Suisham to kick successffully from say 38-42 yards?

      Seriously – why?

      A successful FG WINs the game.

      Curious.

      • GlennW

        Yes, seriously.  Like I said, I would have preferred that the Steelers just the run the ball twice more (not risk even taking a sack) and punted.  If we pick up 5 yards on the ground, that’s still a 40-yard FG attempt.  If we pick up nothing, it’s a 45-yarder and we don’t even think about the FG.
         
        So this is all about the percentages, more than a lack of faith in Suisham.  Run the clock down, pooch punt and Brady has the same *20 seconds* left from deep in his own territory.  20 seconds, to score a TD!  I’d play those percentages rather than risk the blocked FG attempt (which is much more dangerous than a pooch punt from a short dropback formation).  Are we really worried about the Patriots scoring on some crazy lateral play from their 10 or 15 with 20 seconds left?  It’s unlikely that they’ll even get into position for a Hail Mary attempt (which is precisely how this played out– Brady didn’t get a pass off).  We’re talking about a bigger miracle than a blocked (long) FG attempt, in my estimation.

  • Hoffstra323

    I did not see anyone say anything about Suisham’s horrible kick out of bounds early in the first quarter. That is just inexcusable. The pot rots did not really do anything with the ball, but that is not the point.

  • GlennW

    So what does everyone think of the success of this past game’s man/press coverage?  (Ryan Clark: “we played more press coverage than any game I’ve ever seen here”.)  Does this put the lie to the notion that you just don’t play in such coverages behind an aggressive and talented front in the LeBeau zone-blitz defense?  Some of us have been begging for such coverages against Tom Brady for years, but the answer has always been that the secondary needs to be more conservative and not get burned, allowing the LBs to make big plays.  So do we keep playing with the tighter coverages?  I think we do, against any of these prolific passing offenses that are more about ball control than going deep (which includes the Patriots, Packers, Saints et al).  Against the Ravens, maybe not.

    • Cols714

      Yes. And like I said earlier somewhere on this site, I think that was the plan vs the Packers in the Super Bowl. But their receivers are much better than the Pats and this year Lewis, Gay, and now Allen are all playing much better than last year’s version of Gay, McFadden, and Madison. Also, Rodgers was so accurate in that game that the tight coverage even by Taylor didn’t mean much.

      • GlennW

        The wrinkle we’ve never really seen before was Ike shadowing Welker all over the field.  But likewise if LeBeau tried this against a team like the Packers (say, on Greg Jennings) it might go unnoticed if there are breakdowns elsewhere.  Welker is all the Patriots have for WRs, the TEs being their remaining threats.

        • Randy Steele

          It was noted on another site, but that remark Ike Taylor made about how the Steelers’ secondary has improved so much because it gets to practice against the best receiving corps in the NFL shouldn’t be forgotten.

        • Hoffstra323

          Great point… I dont know if we have the talent to play man against the packers. Also Aaron Rodgers is not Tom Brady. You can scheme against Tom because he is not a threat to run. Play man against Aaron Rodgers and he will tuck the ball and run. This is why quarterbacks that cant scramble are a dying breed.

    • Anonymous

      I think you nailed it at the end there. It’s puts the lie to it only if you interpret the dictum against press coverage as a prohibition instead of rightfully as a tendency. The normal zone blitz defense is a good one, but it’s even better to adjust yourself to the proclivities of the offense being played. Good secondary play this season allowed that adjustment, and continued good play Sunday made it work.

    • Hoffstra323

      I think its an Ace up our sleeve, and that is where it should stay. Keep it for the teams with elite quarterbacks, like you said. If we come out and play man all the time and have 5-6 db’s on the field i am sure teams will adjust. Also it may open up the run game for opposing teams. The Steelers have something special on Defense, we have great versatility. Many guys on the defense can play multiple positions. This week I think it will make the most sense to see Keisel line up at outside linebacker, that will give Cameron Heyward his first start at end. You still have options then with Worilds or Timmons on the outside and possibly even timmons in his traditional spot. This hybrid 3-4 defense should keep us from being susceptible to the run. I also think you will see Polamalu around the line a lot to help with run support. If we can get some pressure on Flacco with our d-line we should be fine. These injuries are somewhat of a blessing in disguise because other teams have no idea what we are going to do. Last week we came out and proved to the world that we can play man coverage. This week we will bring another different scheme to the table. I expect to see a zone type scheme against Flacco, that is what the steelers are used to and I think it will help in terms of stopping the run, stopping Ray rice is most important. I also don’t expect to see a 4-3 type defense because none of our guys are used to that. I think that would cause some confusion up front and even more so for the linebackers.

      • GlennW

        Agreed.  Ray Rice is my biggest– maybe only– fear with so many of our LBs out (Rice abused even our starters in Week 1).  I’m not nearly as concerned with Flacco and the passing game, and see no need to be terribly aggressive in our coverages there.  LeBeau may just pack the box even more than usual against the Ravens, and take his chances with Flacco.  Flacco is capable of some big games in such a situation (he’s had them before, even decent ones against us) but it’s just a matter of priority.  As for containing Rice, it all starts with good tackling upfront and not letting him get loose in the defensive backfield.

        • Anonymous

          Mine is Haloti Ngata.

          • GlennW

            Yeah, I was focused just on the Ravens’ offense there vis-a-vis our defense’s injury issues.  Certainly given the Ravens’ formidable defense and our seven turnovers in Week 1, there are plenty of challenges on the other side of the ball.

  • Anonymous

    How bad are the Steelers at giving up points off of missed field goals? It seems that they have been particularly dangerous this season. They also seem to be “momentum” swings.

  • Anonymous

    The stinger seem to be an incredibly variable injury. Last season it put Starks on IR. This season Hoke got one and the talk is that he is expected to play again this season. Taylor got one on Sunday and went back in the same game.

  • Randy Steele

    I’m getting a little leery of all the love being thrown at the Steelers this week by the media. It wasn’t that long ago that we were old, slow, and done, and it wasn’t only Warren Sapp who was saying it.

    • David

      I agree. I hope we don’t start believing what we’re reading this week. 

  • Step2654

    wrt the out-of-bounds kickoff, i think it’s a stupid rule to give the receiving team the ball @ the 40. 

  • Step2654

    just a comment on Ike’s comments wrt the secondary’s improvement.  I think Carnel Lake is the reason.  Did anyone notice that the Ravens blew through Ray Horton’s Arizona defence.

    • Cols714

      Carnell probably helped on the margins, but more importantly Keenan Lewis, William Gay, and Cortez Allen are much more talented group than Bryant McFadden, William Gay, and Anthony Madison.

      I think that Lewis has been playing exceptionally well. So well that my biggest worry this weekend is the Ravens running game. 

  • David

    BTW, Dulac thinks our starting LBs will be: Worilds, Sylvester, Foote, Timmons

    All things considered, that would be OK with me.

  • Randy Steele

    I heard on ESPN that Harrison might be held out of the game because his doctors fear a possible infection around the area of his injured eye. Infection? Why would he risk any more infection during a game than he would a practice, in which he is participating. Something smells bogus.

    I think Tomlin & Company are trying a misdirection with Harrison’s status, all of which leads me to believe that if he can practice, he can and will play.

    • GlennW

      Are these “practices” that Harrison is participating in effectively non-contact or low-speed (when he’s on the field at least)?  That’s the only difference I can see for any injury, really.  The infection risk would be due to him opening up a cut around his eye, which any helmet contact could cause.  But I have my doubts that Harrison is even engaging in such full-contact practices (and there aren’t many of those even allowed any longer, in-season).

    • David

      Infection is one of the leading causes of long-term eye disability. Rest is the best medicine for any infection, including those in the eye.

      My guess is what GlennW said, half speed at practice, no really big risk for further injury, etc.

      • GlennW

        Yeah, I don’t think Harrison has necessarily been going at it in practice– he’s been listed as “limited”.  But Harrison has changed his story and now says that if he checks out with the doctors today or tomorrow, he’ll play.  And it sounds like that’s going to happen.

  • John S.

    Am I crazy or was Keisel once listed as a LB/DE for the team before he became a starter.  I seem to remember reading stories about him having to put on like 20-30 pounds to play DE after Kemo left, but I may be making all that up.

  • http://www.steelerslounge.com/ ryan

    Just a heads-up: Ted is working up his 2012 mock draft (it’s never too early!) and it’ll either go up Saturday or Tuesday. 

    Here’s to hoping the Steelers get Andrew Luck and then trade him to Denver for Tim Tebow.

    • Anonymous

      Pretending I have any clue is always fun.

      1. Alameda Ta’amu
      2. Kelechi Osemele
      3. Robert Lester
      4. Donnie Fletcher
      5. Emmanuel Acho
      6. Kellen Moore
      7. Antoine McClain
      UDFA: Josh Harris
      UDFA: Blair Walsh
      UDFA: Max Gruder

      • Cols714

        Wow. You draft people know way too many players. Anyways, I know nothing about any of these guys. However, position wise, I’d be amazed if the Steelers don’t draft a LB in the top 3 rounds. They almost always do. I like NT, OG in the first two rounds though.

        • Anonymous

          I find playing these “what if” games to be a fun part of following football. I get to pretend to be an NFL quarterback (not literally) when I go out and toss the ball around. I get to pretend to be a coach when I predict or question play calls. And I get to pretend to be a GM when I evaluate draft choices and free agents. For the record, I don’t really think I know what I’m doing. I just enjoy the exercise and hope to be better than your average fan at it.

          As for individual selection, you might be right about getting an early linebacker. I think ILB is a real need considering Farrior and Foote are in their twilight. I think Sylvester has shown promise, but I wouldn’t want to pin such an important position on any single unproven player. Audie Cole in the 3rd seems a possibility.

          I assumed, optimistically, that the Steelers would draft near the end of the round. The one I expect to raise the most eyebrows is Kellen Moore. I thought a QB there made sense if you’re drafting a guy with the idea of being a career backup. I think Dixon is about done, and Batch will make his transition to coach somewhere. Leftwich’s contract is up, and you want a third QB on the roster anyway, so they need someone from somewhere. I think you sign Leftwich for another year if you can do so cheaply, and pick up a late round QB. If he works out great, he’s your #2 next season, if not, oh well he’s a #3 anyway, you replace him when you can, and you only spent a 5th rounder.

      • Anonymous

        Here’s a totally crazy one with no bearing on reality whatsoever:

        1. Andrew Luck, QB
        2. Matt Kalil, OT
        3. Justin Blackmon, WR
        4. David DeCastro, OG
        5. Vontaze Burfict, ILB
        6. Dre Kirkpatrick, CB
        7. Alameda Ta’amu, NT

    • David

      OK, I’ll bite. The only thing I’ll say about the draft is, don’t expect to have a 2nd, and even a 3rd R pick. We’re trading down a few spots and drafting an OT.

      • Cols714

        Nope. We don’t need an OT. We have Colon, Starks, Gilbert (future LT), and Scott. 

        The problem is the guards. Right now only Foster is playing OK, Kemo is terrible. I’m guessing we aren’t going to take any OL in the first round, but if we do it will be an interior guy.

        • GlennW

          I can’t just rule out OT so easily, if the superior player value happens to be at OT as opposed to OG.  Colon has missed two full seasons in a row, Starks was pulled off his couch in the middle of the season, and Scott sucks.  We can’t just continue to say “plenty of bodies, we’re all set” forever.  Plus, I’d think it easier to find a serviceable OG on the league scrap heap than an OT.  Not sure why we haven’t already attempted that in Kemo’s case especially.

          I think the “problem” (i.e. a good problem to have) is that the Steelers will again finish with a very good record and a low draft pick, drafting where all the blue-chip O-lineman have already been picked clean.  And unlike David I don’t see the Steelers attempting to move up nearly far enough to draft a top OL prospect either.  Trading the 2nd- and 3rd-round picks?  No way, not our style.

          • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UR6KXGPFIFYZSVJNCXCJNHDQJQ Bob Costas

            Trading up is something fans are always clamoring for but, like you say, the Steelers traditionally haven’t done it.  But to steal your phrase, I can’t just rule out trading up so easily. 

            In the past the Steelers have been reluctant (but not completely averse if a player like Polamalu is there) to trade up because of the extreme cost, both in picks and dollars.  But the math on that is different now with the new CBA.  The tops picks are no longer going to get the salary cap busting contracts that they used to.  So now the main cost is just in picks.  So teams, including the Steelers, might be more likely to move up in the first round. 

            However, based on Ted’s salary cap articles, it seems that this year more than ever they will need all of their picks to assemble a full roster.  So they probably won’t trade up, unless they decide to go all-in with retreads and undrafted rookies.

          • GlennW

            I was thinking more the cost in draft picks than the dollars– the ridiculous cap-busting rookie contracts really came only with the top 5 picks anyway, and the price (in picks) to move that far up is very high regardless.  To move up to draft Polamalu and Holmes, the Steelers didn’t give up anything higher than a low 3rd-round pick (plus later picks).  Sure, I could see a trade like that happening again, but not a blockbuster.  I think that’s something you should do only for a franchise QB, and we’re all set there. 

          • David

            I’m being optimistic and thinking we’ll pick #32. So move down a few, pick up an O-lineman, maybe CB…

            But my draft knowledge sucks. I haven’t called the right 1st R pick since Jamaine Stephens…

          • Cols714

            Jamaine Stephens, oh man I forgot about him. I think the top needs going into the draft are going to be.
            1. NT
            2. OG
            3. LB
            4. Safety
            5. RB

            I don’t think CB is going to be a big need. They have Ike, Lewis, Allen, Brown, and probably Gay back next year. I could see a safety coming in though.

          • EasyLikeSundayMorning

            Cols, I agree with your list exactly (except possibly RB). By LB, I assume you mean ILB.

          • GlennW

            I still put OT above LB, and possibly S also.  We don’t have enough faith in Worilds, Sylvester and Carter to carry us over for a couple years?  We add to the LB position year after year, and it’s generally been with success.

            In any case let’s face it, from the general need categories of NT-OL-S-LB, our #1 and #2 selections (at minimum) will come down to ”BPA”.  And that’s fine.

  • EasyLikeSundayMorning

    According to Bill Barnwell’s mid-season report, “the Ravens’ defensive starters have also failed to miss even a single game so far this season.”  Meanwhile, he notes that, “We’re now eight games in and the Steelers defense has just two
    interceptions and one fumble recovery. That’s three takeaways, and it’s
    the fewest for any team in NFL history through their first eight contests.”  To repeat one of Barnwell’s favorite phrases, both of those issues should regress to the mean over the rest of the season.  http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7185791/afc

    • GlennW

      I’m pretty happy though with the Steelers being #3 in the league in points allowed/game, #2 in total yards allowed/game, and #1 in passing yards allowed/game (the latter category being our biggest perceived weakness going into the season), albeit against some fairly weak competition overall.  As Tom Brady pointedly put it when an interviewer mentioned that the Patriots’ offense had at least played a clean game against the Steelers with zero turnovers: “Well, I consider a three-and-out to be an offfensive turnover, and we had two of those”.  I’d rather consistently get off the field on 3rd down than force turnovers, which as you say will probably come in time anyway.

      Still, good point by Barnwell about Polamalu’s sudden strange inability to catch the football.  He had another one of those early in the Patriots game that couldn’t have been much easier to pull in.  I don’t expect that to continue either.

  • EasyLikeSundayMorning

    I tend to think of the season in quarters of 4 games.  In the first, we went 2-2 and in the second we went 4-0.  The third is relatively hard (depending on how good the Bengals really are) and will very likely determine the NFC North: Ravens, at Cincy, at KC, Cincy.  The fourth quarter should be pretty easy: Cleveland, at SF, Rams, at Cleveland.  If we can go 3-1 in the third, we should be in good position to win the division and get the #1 seed as long as the 1 loss isn’t to Baltimore. 

    The Ravens and Bengals each have 9 remaining games, having already had their byes.  For the Ravens, it is:  at PIT, at SEA, CIN, SF, at CLE, IND, at SD, CLE, at CIN.  For Cincy, it is: at TEN, PIT, at BAL, CLE, at PIT, HOU, at STL, ARI, BAL.  It’s funny that our schedule looks easier to me, but that’s mainly because we don’t have to play ourselves…

  • Randy Steele

    I haven’t heard it or read it anywhere else, but  WFAN in New York just said that Harrison is playing on Sunday. (Woodley is out, as expected.)

    • GlennW

      I can’t read the Post-Gazette’s PG+ insider stuff, but Gerry Dulac’s headline reads “Woodley out, Harrison should start”.

      • David

        So it looks like our LBs, from left to right: Silverback, Sylvester, Timmons, Worilds

        Also, Manny out, but Cotchery in.

        I like it.

        • David

          Check that, I mean Foote for Sylvester (at buck).

        • Anonymous

          That’s good news if true and safe.

          Woodley has been phenomenal these past few weeks and his absence is a loss, but getting the best LB in the league back is a bigger gain, and getting Timmons back at ILB is big as well. That’s especially true this week since run contain and covering the TEs could be particularly important.

  • Anonymous

    Daniel Sepulveda just got put on IR. I always liked him, but I suspect he’s about done now with such an extensive injury history. But who knows? I wish him well in whatever comes next. Kapinos was signed to replace him.

    • EasyLikeSundayMorning

      Well, that’s crappy. We sign Andy Lee, arguably now the best punter, to an offer sheet in 2007. Too bad we didn’t get him.

    • Canadian Steeler

      Superbowl bound, baby!

  • David

    Yeah, that sucks, especially since it happened in practice. Is he done now as a Steeler?

  • http://aokc.net/ Mark waugh

    I consider a three-and-out to be an offfensive turnover, and we had two
    of those”.  I’d rather consistently get off the field on 3rd down than
    force turnovers, which as you say will probably come in time anyway.