One If By Land, Two If By Air

The Steelers lost consecutive games for the first time this season, in a different kind of embarrassing fashion. On the bright side, Pittsburgh is now home to two professional football teams: the Good Steelers and the Bad Steelers.

This team has been maddeningly inconsistent all season long, notching big wins followed by even bigger losses. Now, a team that sat at 9-3 just two weeks ago (contemplating the big prizes like a division title and a first round bye) is in a precarious must-win situation with two weeks to go. The Steelers need one win to clinch a playoff spot and two wins to clinch the division.

After earlier losses, much of the criticism was laid at the feet of the coaches. Bad game plans, bad play calling and a lack of motivation were named as keys to the Steelers' failures.

In hindsight, I believe that this team simply isn't as talented as we all assumed. Sure, there are quality players all over the roster. But how many true stars does this team possess, and how many positions feature gaping holes as far as either starters, depth or both?

While only two seasons removed from the Super Bowl, this team no longer has Super Bowl talent. Players left. Players have aged. Players haven't developed. It's a team in need of a huge talent injection in the offseason, and it's up to General Manager Kevin Colbert to make it happen.

There are three areas of the roster that are most in need of upgrades.

1. Offensive Line.

This need is about as obvious as it gets. Alan Faneca's pending departure only adds to the need, though Faneca has likely had his worst season as a professional.

Marvel Smith returns, though he would fit best at right tackle.

Sean Mahan's best use is likely as an interior swingman. However, if the line is upgraded around him he can be a serviceable starter.

Kendall Simmons' contract makes him virtually immovable, which for him is a first. He might be tried at left guard in Faneca's absence.

Willie Colon has been inconsistent, but the jury's still out. He might fit best at guard.

Max Starks has been the Steelers' best lineman during his cameo appearances during the last month. Despite playing well at left tackle, his feet would likely be exposed at the position long-term. He's a free agent, as it is highly unlikely that he returns.

These are all known situations that will require the draft and free agency to fix, possibly over more than one offseason. A free agent guard such as Jake Scott or Ryan Lilja would make sense as a quick fix, and an early round tackle would be a nice way to infuse some talent and prepare for Marvel Smith's impending free agency after 2008, while giving the team more flexibility.

My issue, however, isn't with the guys getting playing time. For years, the Steelers' offensive line depth has consisted of no-future guys who barely cling to their roster spot each year in training camp. Trai Essex has shown nothing over his career. He needs to go. Chris Kemoeatu can't beat out Kendall Simmons. He needs to go. Will Darnell Stapleton represent more of the same? If so, he needs to go.

In pro personnel, it's not so much the decisions you make but how quickly you identify whether the right or wrong decision was made. Instead, two coaching regimes and one general manager have combined to wield a very slow hook with players who don't ascend to become contributors, allowing them to languish on the roster while other, more promising players could be using their spot.

Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert have a tough job ahead of them as far as rebuilding the starting offensive line. They cannot, however ignore the lack of line depth that has left them in this position in the first place.

2. Wide Receiver.

What was thought of as an offseason strength has been exposed as a decided weakness. Santonio Holmes has been effective when healthy, but he's been far from healthy this season, and it throws up a red flag. When he's out of the game, the receiving corps becomes very pedestrian.

Hines Ward is an all-time tough guy, and he's re-writing the Steelers' record book. But his best years are long gone. Ward has dropped more big passes this season than he has in the past 3 or 4.

Every time he has a big game (which for him means a lot of catches for not so many yards), folks claim that it was too soon to write him off. It's like when someone claims that a cold day in May is proof that there's no such thing as global warming. I would never write Hines Ward off. But he is mortal, and he wasn't gifted with the tools that will allow him to age gracefully. It's time to start thinking about what life without Ward will look like.

Nate Washington can't be depended upon. Cedrick Wilson can't be depended upon. Willie Reid isn't dressing except when Holmes is hurt. It's time to upgrade the receiving corps.

There are quite a few free agent wideouts that are somewhat interesting, and none of them are named Randy Moss, which just isn't the kind of signing the Steelers make. Bernard Berrian, Patrick Crayton and Bryant Johnson are all bigger receivers that have some flaws that might make them affordable for a Steelers team that will be looking for a #2B type of player. However, the draft is so thick with big, productive receiving prospects that the prudent option is to take a receiver (or two!) and let them learn from Ward until he decides to hang them up.

3. Defensive Line.

There were a few folks last offseason who expressed the desire to add a strong interior pass rusher to the team, even if that player didn't necessarily fit the mold of the Steelers' 34. That need is even more apparent after another season during which the Steelers have been unable to generate pressure against packages (3 and 4 wideout) without resorting to gimmicks. An inside pass rusher in the mold of Rod Coleman would do wonders against teams like the Patriots and Colts who rarely run their base offense.

It's often said that the 34 zone blitz scheme was concocted to stop the West Coast Offense, so why do the Steelers have so many problems with teams like the Pats who pass so much. It's simple. The Pats don't run a West Coast offense. The traditional WCO (concurrent to the birth of Dick Lebeau's scheme) rarely used packages. The traditional WCO rarely used the shotgun. The 34 is a great defense against a passing-intensive base offense.

In 2007, however, the Steelers are at a disadvantage every time they go to their dime defense. They have linebackers playing defensive end and defensive ends playing tackle. Shocking it doesn't work, isn't it?

Adding just one legitimate inside pass rusher would add so much, bolstering the Steelers' ability to hold up against pass-happy offenses that prefer 3 and 4 wide receiver sets. The Packers' Corey Williams (7 sacks this year and last) would be my dream acquisition for this role, and he's a free agent.

This season is not lost. The Steelers have enough talent to win against anyone in the league if they play their best football. But they have little margin for error, and mistakes seem to snowball for this team. It will take a re-focused effort from the entire team to win an opening playoff game. From there, they'll need to play far above their heads in order to beat a team like the Pats or Colts. It's time to take this season for what it's worth, and look further down the road, because a great offseason could propel this team to excellence if wise decisions are made.

 

The Fine Five

1. Patriots

The Pats have begun construction of a dome over Foxboro Stadium, with completion to be expected by the time their first playoff game rolls around.

2. Green Bay

My biggest gripe with the Packers right now is that they don't have a good #3 corner. That's it. That's the only part of their roster that I don't like.

3. Indianapolis

The Colts are snoozing away the remainder of the season, and it just doesn't matter. They're good, not great.

4. Dallas

The only way I could ever see myself locked up in jail is if I was forced to sit next to Jessica Simpson for a Steelers/Cowboys game.

5. Jacksonville

I said it a few weeks ago, but the Jags looked like a Kordell Stewart/Jerome Bettis era Steelers team yesterday on both sides of the ball.

 

Quotes of the Week

"It would be very disconcerting if the Steelers go from losing a game of aerial ballet to the Patriots one week, to getting out-muscled next week against the Jags."

- Me, last week

 

The Awards Section

Offensive Player of the Week

Willie Parker. Parker can win the rushing title on Thursday night. I expect a huge game from Willie.

Defensive Player(s) of the Week

I can't in good conscience give this award to any defender this week.

Special Teams Player of the Week

This award has been canceled.

Goat of the Week

Kevin Colbert. He's the reason why there's no defensive line depth. Aaron Smith is a huge loss. Not having anything close to an adequate replacement is downright obscene.

 

Stat of the Week

45 yards. It's the longest offensive play from scrimmage this year, by Holmes and Najeh Davenport. If it stands, it will stand as the shortest longest play of a Steelers' season since 1968.

 

Factoid of the Week That I Hope Interests Someone Besides Me

The first seasons of Sesame Street are now available on DVD, but they're not for kids. Here's the warning label: “These early ‘Sesame Street’ episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.”

Why? Things have changed since the series premiered in 1969. Here's a prime example: in the opening episode, young Sally is lost. But a nice stranger, Gordon, offers to take her back to his house for milk and cookies.

In the more innocent era of the late 60's, Sally takes Gordon's hand and shuffles along, thinking nothing of disappearing into the home of a stranger. In current times, the scene represents one of the biggest no-no's around for school-aged kids.

 

Ten Things I Know I Think

1. Not winning the division wouldn't be the end of the world. I'm no more confident in the playoffs at home than I am on the road as far as this team is concerned. Plus, the Steelers would benefit from a 2nd place schedule next season, which would mean games against the Bills and Broncos instead of games against the Patriots and Chargers.

2. So long, Clark Haggans, you're already gone. I found it interesting that Peter King listed Haggans in his list of 6 intriguing future free agents for this offseason in last week's Sports Illustrated. Have you seen a Steelers game this year, Mr. King?

3. Ben Roethlisberger has a decent chance at going from leading the league in interceptions to leading the league in being sacked. It's not a coincidence.

4. This is where I usually make some remark about not seeing the no-huddle earlier in the game, but it's clear that I'm wasting my breath. Ben either starts games red-hot or ice-cold. If he's ice-cold, give him the no-huddle.

5. It's safe to say that Mike Tomlin blew his top at halftime. I have no doubt. He tries to hide emotions and he's had a reason to stay optimistic throughout this season, but I finally have a sense that the team's poor play got him yesterday.

(Around the League)

6. There are currently 13 teams above .500, pending the results of the Vikings' game tonight. This is the worst year of football I've seen in ages, as far as quality of play is concerned.

7. Miami wins! Miami wins! I watched the Steelers game with my friend from Miami, who got increasingly interested (he's a die hard Canes fan, a passive observer of the Phins) in the game as things got tight at the end. At least one of us was happy at 4:15.

8. Coaches who won't be back in 2008: Tom Coughlin, Joe Gibbs, Rod Marinelli, Scott Linehan and Marvin Lewis.

9. Only 4 NFC teams have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs with two weeks remaining, and it's not because the conference is filled with competitive teams.

10. When Troy Smith entered the game for the Ravens, I figured some ugly quarterbacking would follow. Instead, Smith looked somewhat comfortable running the Ravens' offense, and appeared to be more confident throwing the ball than Kyle Boller's ever been. That said, I'd love to get a long look at Smith on December 30th.

 

What I Like Tonight, and I Do Mean Line Play

If you like big hoss blockers who dominate the line of scrimmage, do yourself a favor and watch a little of the Bears/Vikings game tonight and enjoy as Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk, Artis Hicks (though he's questionable) and Ryan Cook open up holes for Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor.