• Mike Tomlin press conference
• Injury report

 

• Steelers lead 16-2
• Won 7 of last 8
• 9-2 @ NYJ

Another week, another special teams gaffe, or two.  Take away two long kickoff returns and Mike Tomlin is ordering the troops to take a knee in the 4^th QTR. Instead, coach Bob Ligashesky and his ST’s unit that plays with sieve like consistency, allowed 2 long returns to phenom Josh Cribbs as he took one to the house and another inside the 5.  But what it effectively did was allow QB Ben Roethlisberger to orchestrate his 10^th career come from behind victory and only the 2^nd of the year coming from down 15 points or more.  #7 continued his rampage registering TD passes 21 and 22 on the year maintaining the poise and athleticism that is beginning to earn him MVP votes.  The defense was also surgical and methodical in its attack keep Browns QB Derek Anderson in check for most of the game only allowing a grand total of 92 yards after the opening drive.  Without registering a sack,  the demeanor of the defense forced Anderson to “see the rush” forcing accuracy and execution problems.  Mike Tomlin remains 0 for his career in challenges,  but he least he earned style points in my book after watching Cleveland coach Romeo Crennell waddle onto the field,  red flag in hand with the utter grace of a fully matured Seal.  The Steelers improved to 7-2 (4-0) on the year with a foot on the throat of the AFC North by gaining a 3 game lead, tiebreakers included.  #7 kept his torrid pace alive and remains #2 among active QB’s in win % behind only Tom Brady with a min of 25 starts posting a 40-14 career record at a .735 clip.       

Week 11 brings yet another enemy.  Gang-Green.  J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets !!!! Led by Head Coach Eric Mangini, the NYJ have fought to a less than stellar 1-8 record and all he seemingly accomplished on the season was to effectively end his NFL career once his Jet tenure is over by turning the league on its side by exposing spy-gate in week 1.  The Jets are currently amidst a QB change by inserting 2^nd year rifleman Kellen Clemens into the lineup in place of the lolli-popped arm Chad Pennington. Mangini brought over his exact same philosophy from his days as a Patriot,  but has been unable to maintain the consistency that even he held in college as a NT at Wesleyan College where he remains the all time sack leader with 36.5.  The Jets season is all but over and the remaining games are all about playing spoiler and documenting potential of young players.  

The Offense:  led by OC Brian Schottenheimer    This unit has not live up to expectations this year even after the prize FA acquisition of Bears RB Thomas Jones.  Jones is averaging a paltry 3.8 ypc on the season and held without a TD.   Actually,  the NYJ have only had one rush TD from the RB position on the year coming from 3^rd down back Leon Washington who has turned out to be an elusive 3^rd down back and registering 21 catches on the year.  As mentioned, the NYJ are in the middle of a QB change by inserting 2^nd round pick of a year ago, Kellen Clemens.  Clemens has what it takes to stick every NFL throw there is and was praised this past week by HC Eric Mangini for his decision making with regards to taking what the defense gives you and not taking the sack.  His inability to read defenses will wreak havoc with his psyche this week as stares at the teeth of the leagues #1 defense.  The majority of the offensive production has come from starting wide outs Jerricho Cotchery and Laverneus Coles.  Together, they have amassed 93 catches for 1255 yards and 7 TD’s even playing with a QB having limited arm strength.  The offensive line is anchored by 2^nd year prize draft picks D’Brickshaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold.  Although their play is much improved from a year ago, the Jets still struggle to employ NFL caliber blocking principles due to lack of strength and cohesion along the line.     

The Jets will come with a high % short pass attack in attempts to gain confidence for their young general by chipping away with the run game and employing the short pass game.   Thomas Jones is the type of back who has the most success off the Steelers, if success is even the right word, by being strong enough to break a tackle and quick and elusive enough to excel in a one cut zone style slashing run.  But he won’t get too far.  The Jets will max protect in attempts to keep their QB upright with Clemens attempting to showcase his arm rifling curls to the hash and out patterns to his wide outs waiting for a CB to bite and show a double move strike quickly by going downtown in efforts to stay in the game.  The RB’s play a large role in the passing game.  They will utilize a lot of screens and continually dump to a back in the flats including FB Darrien Barnes.  

This is the type of game Dick LeBeau has made a living at.  Feasting on young QB’s.  Expect the Steelers to blitz early and often pulling out the full arsenal of dog and fire zone blitzes attacking the interior to get the youngster on the run and out of his comfort zone.  Their dink and dunk style will keep SS Troy Polamalu in the box most of the day where he excels in blitzing and cutting off hot routes and just may have the opportunity to take one to the house this week.  FS Anthony Smith will be salivating all game long waiting to lay the wood to the undersized WR’s looking to come his way.  He must stay focused and disciplined and be the captain of the secondary from his centerfield spot.  I truly believe the Casey Hampton/Nick Mangold match up could end up on a bloopers video by games end which describes my feeling on what the Steelers will do to the Jet run game.     

The Defense:  led by DC Bob Sutton    Mangini brought his same philosophy with him over from NE that employs a 34 base with emphasis on the DL.  But this style is anything but useful when attempting it with a NT such as Dewayne Robertson.  He is a square peg in a round hole as his best suit is definitely in the 3 technique position of a 4 man front.  Rookie prize draft picks Darelle Revis and David Harris have quickly become team leaders combining for 123 TKL, 10 passes defended, a sack and INT between them.  Revis’ production can be attributed to a front 7 that fails at contain in the run game forcing him to peek into the backfield on every play and Harris’s inflated numbers are due to the DL preventing anything from a carrying a football to enter the 2^nd level.  Safety Kerry Rhodes production is down from last year, but he is a baller who must be accounted for in every facet of the game.  The Jet pass rush is just as anemic registering only 9 sacks on the year led by Bryan Thomas and Shaun Ellis with 2 each, but the same was said about a Cleveland front 7 that had only 7 sacks on the year before camping out in the backfield a week ago.     

The Jets must stop the run, no getting around it.  And they aren’t very good at it.  Rhodes will spend a lot of time in the box as the 8^th man and is a nice match up for the Jets in coverage on tight ends.  But the Jets will show a variety of looks trying to gain any sort of advantage by having Rhodes also lined up in a Cover 2 shell as well as on the slot WR.     

The Steelers, simply put, need to just come out crisp and execute by limiting mistakes and this one will be over by the half.  The Jets D lacks passion and it could be the coming out party for the offensive line, finally.  There is no doubt they should be able to re-establish a new line of scrimmage 3 yards down field on every snap and even OC Sean Mahan gets the edge in the interior heads up with the NT.  Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are definite mismatches for the Jet CB’s and should have their way most of the day.  Big Ben needs only to do what he does and that’s being a field general.  Maintain the poise, trust your first instincts, and show the same athleticism and he’ll headline Sports Center again.  I do have a feeling the Steelers will run even more than usual this week b/c I’ve yet to hear the weekly plea from Coach Arians and Big Ben himself using the media as a message board to inform the other team how much they will tote the rock.  The Steelers have turned 33/35 red zone attempts to points to date and there is not reason to think that should change this week.   

Special Teams:  Led by who cares:    One thing of note.  Leon Washington is a game breaker with the ability to change field position at any given moment.  And with their inability to stop anyone, he gets plenty of chances and has brought back 3 returns to the house for a TD already.  I don’t have the answer, remedy, or solution for the problem,  I can only offer my thoughts of what I believe to be the 4 key fundamentals of kick coverage which the Steelers sorely lack:  

1. Maintain your lane 
2. Blow up a blocker 
3. Breakdown the ball carrier 
4. Be a sure tackler

Facts Every Steelers Fans Should Know:  

• The Steelers are only the 3^rd team since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger to win its first 4 home games by 20 or more points.  The other 2 teams went on to reach the Superbowl. 
• Since 2002, Hines Ward is tied for 2^nd among active players in red zone TD’s with Terrell Owens and Antonio Gates with 30, 2 ahead of Randy Moss. 
• ILB James Farrior was the 1997 1^st round pick of the New York Jets 
• OLB Clark Haggans is 6^th in the NFL in sacks among all linebackers since '04
• QB Ben Roethlisberger has thrown a TD pass in 14 consecutive games