Football is back.
Fall is almost here.
And a new season of Monday Evening Quarterback begins with a special Sunday Evening Edition.

 
Anatomy of a Winner

 
The Head

Bruce Arians took a lot of flak as a play caller last season, and rightfully so.  His strength has always been teaching and play design, not playing chess on Sunday afternoons.

Well, there's a new play caller this season and his name is Ben Roethlisberger.

Arians is from the school of thought that the quarterback is best equipped to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage, adjustments that keep the offense variable and threatening.  Think Peyton Manning.

Ben was given a lot of responsibility last season after barely being allowed to audible under the Cowher/Whisenhunt regime.

Like anything, improvement only comes with practice.  The sight adjustment on the Santonio Holmes touchdown against the Eagles was a great example of Ben and his skill players learning and growing together, and the offense will benefit.  Even the OL issues we all expect can be mitigated if Ben consistently receives the snap with the right play, routes and protection in place.

This season, I expect even more freedom for Ben, both in the base offense and in the no-huddle.  Against defenses that now have the luxury of having a transmitter in a defensive helmet, pre-snap reads and the audibles that follow them are going to gain even more importance.

Arians is still going to have a hand in the play calling, don't get me wrong.  But as he cedes more of it to Ben, the level of success on offense should increase and the scapegoat mantle should pass from Arians, at least slightly.

 
The Neck

Marvel Smith looked very good against the Eagles, far better than he looked in his final appearance last season against the Jaguars.  If his neck is right throughout the season, the Steelers have a great chance to protect Ben and give themselves a chance against the group of All Pro RDE's they face this season.

 
The Shoulders

The Steelers got beat on the interior far too often last season, both in the running game and the passing game.  Many would argue that they got worse along the IOL heading into 2008.  It remains to be seen.

However, Chris Kemoeatu appears to be at least the equal of the now-departed Alan Faneca (the equal of 2006/2007 Faneca, not the young Faneca), and Justin Hartwig (when he assumes the starting role) will provide a better anchor and more girth in the middle.

Additionally, a move towards inside runs that take less time to develop will allow the IOL to simply tee off on the defense.  If Hartwig simply provides more of a physical presence, the IOL should be somewhat improved.  Against the Eagles, the first team offensive line opened holes and pushed the pile effectively - we'll see if it continues against better competition.

 
The Arm

Roethlisberger is the leader of this team and the team takes its cues from him.  His arm will determine how far this team goes, and you can tell that he had a very productive off season with little in the way of distraction.  In camp, Roethlisberger commanded respect on and off the field, showing mastery of the offense.

Many question whether Roethlisberger can improve on his career year of 2007 - well, he took care of his side of business by reporting in shape mentally and physically.  If his help improves (OL and WR), look out.

The Hands

The receiving corps is widely lauded, but they struggled last season with separation and injuries.  If Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward stay healthy, many of the lingering issues will take care of themselves.  However, the Steelers possess high quality depth in Nate Washington (who should be focused and highly motivated heading into a contract year) and Limas Sweed who could elevate the foursome into a truly fearsome unit.  Their development as a group will go a long way towards defining Roethlisberger’s season.

 
The Core

The Steelers have in place an extremely young core of talent that will grow together for the next 3-5 years, especially at the skill positions.  Having players like Rashard Mendenhall, Santonio Holmes, Limas Sweed, Heath Miller, Lawrence Timmons and Lamarr Woodley in place will allow the Steelers to fortify positions where they need future help, like the offensive line, defensive line and secondary.  There should be ample ammunition in future drafts to address those positions, and if Kevin Colbert hits on those picks the window that is now open is going to grow even bigger.

The Waist

Casey Hampton will not be coddled by this regime, and he needs to realize that they're doing him a big favor by drawing a line in the sand.  Had they decided his conditioning was a non-issue, he would have continued to allow himself to balloon into Gilbert Brown territory, possibly shortening his career.  If he stays in passable shape, he has a much better chance of hitting it big with a third professional contract, either in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.

I’m anxious to see how his motor is affected by Tomlin’s actions.  Hampton with a point to prove and the fitness to prove it would be a beautiful thing.

The Bum

Anthony Smith has earned the reputation he's been given with some outlandishly stupid incidents that he doesn’t seem to learn from, but he brings an element to the secondary that can't be replaced.

If he can simply move from being a distraction to a distractor, he will play a large role in the package defenses.  When he broke out at the end of 2006, he was in the minds of opposing receivers - just ask Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmanzadeh.

Smith can be hidden in the packages more so than as a starter, his liabilities as a deep safety in the base becoming assets in a role where he can look to make the big hit with the knowledge that he's got help behind him.

 
The Legs

The Steelers have unmatched depth in the backfield this season after limping to one-dimensionality after Willie Parker was injured late last year.  Parker has returned as healthy as ever and has yet another big chip on his shoulder after watching the front office spend their first round draft pick on running back Rashard Mendenhall.

Mendenhall is a strong slasher with the ability to be a three down back down the road once he improves in blitz pickup.  He's also very young with not much tread on the tires.

Mewelde Moore adds a receiving threat on 3rd downs for now, while Gary Russell might be a luxury the Steelers cannot afford.  The front office and coaching staff went out of their way to solve an issue and should be applauded for the results.

 
The Feet

Team speed has been an issue the past two seasons, especially on defense.  An influx of fast players should start to swing things the other way.

Mendenhall is yet another back with speed.  Moore brings quickness and start/stop ability that former third down back Najeh Davenport lacked.

Holmes and Washington can both get behind a defense.  Limas Sweed is fast and quick for his size, as is roster long shot but likely practice squad find Micah Rucker.

Woodley and eventually Timmons are significantly faster than the players they have and will replace.

A healthy season from Troy Polamalu would bring back much needed pure speed to the safety position – Tyrone Carter has started way too many games the past two years.

The Furious Five

1. Indianapolis

The Colts welcome back a healthy Marvin Harrison and Dwight Freeney.  That's a lot of firepower they were missing at the end of last season.  They also had a deep, useful draft from which they might emerge with 6 or 7 contributors.  The Colts are solid up and down the roster and should be the preseason Super Bowl favorites.

2. New England

They didn't finish their business last season, and they got worse, not better.  Asante Samuel is a huge loss - they've made do with suspect corners before, but that was years ago.  Jarod Mayo is not the equal of Lawrence Timmons, and he’s not enough to re-invigorate an aging linebacker corps.  Expect increased competition in what has been a limp AFC East, and don't expect anything close to an undefeated season.

3. Dallas

Dallas has all the pieces, but Tony Romo is developing a reputation as a playoff choker, and that can be a hard thing to shake.  Can the Cowboys survive a season with a roster full of strong personalities and outright bad citizens?  I don't think so, but they’re extremely talented on paper.

4. San Diego

San Diego also lost a lot this off season.  However, they have good depth and legitimate studs at a variety of positions.  I'm not a fan of the offensive line or the inside linebackers, though the Chargers have good young depth at ILB that might emerge in Brandon Siler and Anthony Waters.  San Diego's hopes hinge on the further development of Phillip Rivers and an inconsistent receiving corps that should benefit more from all the attention Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson attract.

5. Carolina

My sleeper pick.  They should have a great running game with the additions of Jeff Otah and Keydrick Vincent along the O line and the theft of Jonathan Stewart in the draft.  Their defense is deep and talented, with a good mix of young vets and talented but unproven youngsters.  Julius Peppers shows up every other season, so he should be back to his even-year self.  Jake Delhomme had 8 TD's and 1 INT after three games last season before getting hurt.  If he's recovered from Tommy John surgery, the Panthers' easy schedule should set them up to make a splash in the NFC, thus ending the Cowher to Carolina rumors.

 

Quote of the Week

"I think that one of the things that is very exciting is our play-action pocket passes have been nice and secure. It has been that way in training camp and I think that it was that way again tonight."

- Mike Tomlin, echoing a concern that was exposed by the 47 Sacks video, a lack of respect and protection on play action.

The Awards Section

Offensive Player of the Week

Willie Parker.  His leg is fine, which is the best news so far this off season.  Parker is a consummate pro and was extremely effective during his brief action against the Eagles.

Defensive Player of the Week

Lawrence Timmons.  Great speed and pursuit.  Would he have run down Garrard on fourth and 2?  Tomlin and Lebeau have to promote this kid, now.  At the least, Timmons will back up all 4 LB positions and see a ton of time in packages, but Foote starting over Timmons is like sending Mr. Bean to track down Han Solo instead of hiring Boba Fett.

Special Teams Player of the Week

It's only preseason.  This award is still cancelled until further notice, despite the positive developments the other night.

Goat of the Week

Tony Hills.  Hills.  Fitting name.  Jerome McDougle looked like he running down one against the Dropfoot Matador on Friday night.

Stat of the Week

35/16.  It's the run/pass ratio from the other night, and of course it doesn't mean much since it was a preseason game.  But I do believe that the 2008 edition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to use the spread and the threat of the pass to set up the run, with great success.  The top 3 RB's need space in order to be effective.  I expect less bunch, more spread out of 3 WR sets this season, but I expect a lot of run plays out of those formations.

Ten Things I Know I Think

1.  The special teams weren't special Friday night, but they were better than awful and that's an improvement.  Paul Ernster looked great as a kickoff man but he's been prone to miscues throughout his NFL career.  Mitch Berger would have been a great signing - in 1998.  Drummond needs to clearly separate himself both as a punt returner and as a gunner to make the team.

Andre Frazier is a forgotten man.  He's been pretty good on coverage the past few years and actually did a good job in the regular defense against scrubs, at one point disengaging from a blocker with a rip move to provide pressure.  Is there a spot for him?

 
2.  I don't understand why many observers are down on Bruce Davis so early in his Steelers career.  He's a guy making a position change who needs to mature a little physically.  Davis has a very quick first step that can't be taught and he'll likely get to spend the year wearing sweats on game day.  Davis will make a big play sooner than later this preseason - he's a gamer with a motor and a knack for sealing the deal.

 
3.  Byron Leftwich has been signed.  He started the windup for his first pass as a Steeler the moment the ink was on the paper.  The ball will leave his hand shortly before game time Thursday night.

The Steelers have three weeks before final cuts to get a better read on Charlie Batch's status, and they'll take their time.  If Leftwich survives the pass rush in a few preseason games despite his Luis Tiant delivery, Batch might be put on the IR.

There is no chance that Dennis Dixon will get cut - there's plenty there to work with and if the Steelers won't be patient with him, some other team will.
 

4.  The defensive line depth is really the biggest question mark two weeks into camp.  Travis Kirschke isn't quite right physically and his back problems are chronic.  Speaking of chronic, Eason tends to fade into a dazed haze when pushed into the spotlight - he looked great against subs Friday night, but can you count on him against top offensive lines?

Scott Paxson and Ryan McBean have definite shots to make the team, Paxson on improvement and production and McBean on potential and flashes.

Kyle Clement and/or Jordan Reffet probably have homes on the practice squad.


5.  Cuts are going to be tough to predict this year, and it will be reflected in SteelerFury's Pick 53 contest, where many did quite well in 2007.  The Jon Dekker/Cody Boyd battle for #3 TE is lackluster at best.  Hills isn't making any kind of a case for carrying 10 linemen.  Anthony Madison and Travis Williams haven't upped the intensity of their battle for 5th CB.

All 3 remaining preseason games will be required for the bottom 5 or 6 roster spots to shake out.

(Around the League)

6.  Tennessee continues their TE-centric ways under Jeff Fisher.  Against the Rams a few nights ago, the Titans' quarterbacks completed 13 passes, 7 of which were to TE's.  The Titans have ignored their pedestrian receiving corps for too long, missing badly on David Givens in free agency and blowing semi-precious picks on duds like Brandon Jones, Courtney Roby and Paul Williams.

The game plan against the Titans is obvious - pack your defense in and don't worry about Vince Young going over the top to the wideouts.  It's not his strength and he doesn't have the weapons outside, and Chris Johnson’s speed isn’t going to change anything.

7.  Colt Brennan got a ridiculous amount of press for his performance against camp fodder last week, so much in fact that Jason Campbell performance was ignored.  Campbell was 5/5 for 61 and a TD while playing against starters, and looked very comfortable in Jim Zorn's offense.

The Redskins are old and already pretty banged up, but Campbell could allow them to at least be competitive in a strong division.

8.  Patriots’ reserve quarterback Kevin O'Connell looked utterly lost in his debut, going 6 for 13 with an interception and actually playing worse than those numbers.

I'm only mentioning it because the Patriots spent a third round pick on O'Connell despite having Tom Brady in the fold, while the Steelers have been widely lambasted for spending a fifth on Dennis Dixon, who looked surprisingly comfortable in his debut.


9.  I don't think Brett Favre makes the Jets an instant contender.  In fact, I still like their defense more than I like their offense.

I wish Favre and Faneca all the worst, like a 2-14 season with the only wins coming against the Patriots.


10. Cleveland gave up on Gary Baxter.  You know, the CB/S with the career-threatening injury who was supposed to save the Browns' secondary, at least according to their fans?

Braylon Edwards had his foot gashed while running in his socks.  Insert the staph infection joke of your own preference here.

Cleveland is back on top as the team to hate in the AFC North - for now.

What I Liked Last Week, and I Don't Mean NFL Preseason Coverage

The NFL should be paying people to watch preseason games featuring players most folks have never heard of playing games that are utterly meaningless.  Instead, the league makes it almost impossible for out of town fans to catch their team's preseason games live.

At least NBC has the excuse of an enormous time difference to explain away their highly annoying tape delayed Olympic coverage.  Watching a Steelers game that has already happened is unnecessary with the existence of the NFL Network and a schedule featuring games every night of the week.