Gospel 4...Home is where the heart is

  The linebacker and defensive line play has been uninspiring against the pass…The front seven have been dominant against the run…The Defensive backs have been left out to dry from a lack of pass rush and 12 yard cushions in zone coverage’s. The offensive line play has improved, it’s far from great. The tight ends run blocking has been awful…Miller and Spaeth both have made plays in the passing game…The Steelers receiver core continues to disappoint me…Mike Wallace is a stud rookie…Ward, Holmes and Sweed need to bring their “A” games if this offense expects to have success moving the ball. That leaves the backs and Ben…Ben was money against the Bengals…Zero complaints…The running backs I have a different view than most posters…Willie Parker is a decent NFL back…He is no longer great…Mendy better show something quickly…He has a ton of talent…He needs to act like a pro…Mewelde Moore is consistent…He does nothing great…Does nothing poorly…He competes hard every down. The Steelers need to find their swagger… …X’s and O’s and execution is vital… Players making plays win games.

 

-The Steelers are 10-1 in primetime regular season games under Mike Tomlin.

 

-The Steelers will be wearing their throwback uniforms. The uniforms were inspired by the ones worn for home games by the Steelers from 1947-62.

 

-The Steelers defense has held teams to a 38% conversion rate on 3^rd down this season

 

-Phillip Rivers leads the NFL in passing yards with 991 through 3 games.

 

-The Steelers have scored Zero 4^th quarter Touchdowns this season.

 

With or without LaDainian Tomlinson the Chargers are a pass first offense under Phillip Rivers. The Chargers have a group of big athletic targets…Vincent Jackson has developed into one of the better vertical options in the NFL, Antonio Gates may have lost a step but he still is one of the best pass receiving tight ends in the NFL… Gates is a very underrated run blocker…Legedu Naanee is a hybrid TE/Slot who creates mismatches all over the field…Naanee is too big for a safety in coverage(6-2 225)…Too quick for a backer(4.48 40)… Malcolm Floyd is a huge target who is averaging 32 yards per catch this season...Last but not least the oft injured Chris Chambers…Chambers has fallen off the NFL radar…Lets hope that continues this week. The Chargers run an intricate screen game with a ton of deception…The Chargers will involve the backs in the passing game. The bad news for Steelers fans is the talent of the skill players on the Chargers offense…The good news for Steelers fans…The Chargers offensive line is a mess.

 

It was reported James Harrison was playing with the flu last week…He looked a step slow to me…Harrison still played every down hard…He made plays against the run…He chased the ball…He didn’t look explosive. Hopefully Harrison is healthy this week. Harrison dominated Chargers left tackle Marcus McNeil last season…I expect much of the same this week. Harrison is the ultimate mismatch against McNeil…McNeil is a bigger slower version of Max Starks…Harrison is too quick and stocky for McNeil to handle without help rushing the passer…I expect the Chargers to keep in a tight end or they will chip with a back…Harrison cannot be expected to have much of an impact rushing the passer against double teams...Other players must show up and beat single blocks. Lamar Woodley has been missing in action this season. Woodley needs to show up rushing the passer…Chargers right tackle Jeremy Clary is a bum…Woodley should destroy him…Woodley must make plays it’s that simple. Woodley and Harrison play the run better than any outside linebacker tandem in the NFL…Harrison will be tested this week; Chargers tight end Brandon Manumaleuna is a top notch run blocker…Harrison and Woodley better strap on their big boy pads. I expect the Chargers to lineup Manumaleuna beside Marcus McNeil 90% of the game… Manumaleuna is not much of a threat in the passing game he will spend most of the evening helping McNeil with Harrison. Antonio Gates is a fantastic pass receiving tight end…He is a very underrated run blocker…I expect Harrison or Woodley to handle Gates in the run game…It’s not an easy matchup like Todd Heap or Owen Daniels in the run game. I do not expect Troy Polamula to play this week…The Steelers will most likely use a combination of players to cover Gates in the passing game…I believe Timmons could shut down Gates…Farrior or Carter covering Gates in space scares the poo out of me. Most of the passing plays to the backs in the Chargers offense come from the screen game. Sproles in space scares me…LT in space not so much. The Chargers wide receivers are huge…Vincent Jackson beat coverage in both games against the Steelers last season…Jackson is a legitimate big time vertical threat…William Gay will draw most of the coverage against Jackson…Gay has been up and down this season…Jackson will be Gay’s first big time cover as a starter. Ike Taylor will shut down Cris Chambers or Malcolm Floyd…Ike’s play has been solid…Not spectacular. My biggest concern in this game comes from a player most of you have never heard of… Legedu Naanee…He is a tough cover for the Steelers personnel. I don’t expect much from the Steelers safeties this week…LeBeau doesn’t trust Clark or Carter to make many athletic plays…He will drop both 12-18 yards off the ball in vanilla 2 deep coverage.

 

I do not fear the Chargers run game…LT or no LT…Darren Sproles is only a threat until he takes a big shot.

 

I do fear the Chargers athletic play makers in space…I do fear Rivers having all day to hit receivers in windows of zone coverage.

 

Some will argue Brett Kiesel has done a nice job against the run…I argue playing beside Casey Hampton the best nose tackle in the NFL and James Harrison the best outside linebacker in the NFL makes Kiesel look a tad bit better against the run than he actually is. Marcus McNeil is not a road grading run blocker…Kiesel once again will do just enough not to be placed on his ass against the run. I have to be honest at this point I hate Brett Kiesel…Kiesel is the laziest pass rusher in the NFL. He doesn’t even try…If I didn’t know better I would swear Kiesel was spying the Quarterback…If LeBeau has Kiesel spying Carson Palmer or Kerry Collins we have some serious defensive issues. Chargers left guard Kris Dielman is a far better run blocker than pass blocker…I hope Kiesel shows something this week…I doubt he will. Dielman and rookie starting right guard Louis Vazquez will have to help center Scott Mruczkowski in the run game…They have the fun task of double team blocking Casey Hampton in the run game…Hampton will eat both blockers allowing the backers to make plays. Dielman is pretty athletic for a big man…He will be able to get to the 2^nd level on backside run plays…I doubt Vazquez will be able to. Vazquez comes from a pass happy college offense…He will have his hands full with Aaron Smith in pass pro. Aaron Smith humiliated Jeremy Clary last season…Smith humiliates most right tackles in the run game…Like I said earlier Clary is a bum…That’s a weakness that must be exploited.

 

 

The offensive line has played pretty well…Ben is healthy and whipping the ball all over the field. Heath Miller looks great in the passing game…Mike Wallace looks like a steal. That’s the good news…Miller and Spaeth have really struggled in the run game…Hines Ward needs to make plays…He can’t get caught cheating…Maybe he is a target…Acknowledge it and fine tune your game. Willie Parker is breaking down...Rashard Mendenhall has not prepared to be the man…Mewelde Moore is a fine 3^rd down back…He can spot start…He is not a bell cow back. I understand Halloween is coming…Santonio Holmes is Casper the Ghost…I have supported Holmes from day one…He has the talent to be a very good wide receiver…Very good wide receivers make plays…They show up every game. The Steelers offense continues to make mental errors…Blown assignments, dropped balls, dumb penalties, they don’t line up right. The Steelers offense should be explosive even without a running game…Arians is not to blame…I admit I hated the 4^th quarter play calling against the Bengals…The play calling and design should have led to 4 touchdowns Sunday…The Bengals didn’t stop the Steelers…The Steelers stopped themselves.

 

Santonio Holmes and Antonio Cromartie is a key matchup…Cromartie is all hype…He has been abused the past 20 games. Holmes should be able to eat up Cromartie on short and medium pass routes…Holmes must run the correct route and catch the freaking ball. Quinton Jammer prides himself on being tough and nasty…Hines Ward can’t take the bait… …Ward needs to play his game… Ward can beat Jammer in coverage. Chargers nickel back Antoine Cason is a quality young corner…He doesn’t have the greatest long speed…The Chargers love to bump the slot receiver off the line of scrimmage with Cason…I expect Mike Wallace to light his ass up a few times vertically down the field. The Chargers don’t carry a dime corner...Shaun McDonald could play a major factor in this game…Limas Sweed will be benched…Sweed has all the talent in the world…He needs to control the mental side of the game or he will never meet his potential. Heath Miller will draw a ton of Kevin Barnett in coverage…Barnett is a quality cover backer…This is the matchup that intrigues me the most…Arians is going to attack the middle seam of the Chargers defense…At the very least he wants to clear out the safety for Holmes or Wallace vertically down the field…If Miller can beat Barnett in coverage vertically the Steelers will hit a ton of plays in the passing game. Willie Parker will start…I don’t believe he will be effective…Rashard Mendenhall will rush for 100 yards…Yes I said it. Mewelde Moore may not show up on the stats sheet this week…His job won’t be fun…Help Starks and Colon in pass pro. Last but not least the return of Carey Davis…He will be healthy at least.

 

Max Starks showed a mean streak in the run game last week…He needs to play like a big nasty man every game. Chargers defensive end Jacques Cesaire is more of a quick penetrating 34 end…If Starks locks on he should destroy Cesaire at the point of attack. Starks will have his hands full in pass pro with overrated oft injured Shawne Merriman and rookie Larry English…Merriman lost his first step explosiveness with the knee injury…He won’ beat Starks with a power game…English does concern me…English is the type of player who gives Starks fits…Short compact and explosive. The Steelers guards won’ be covered this week…Chargers nose tackle Ogemdi Nwagbuo is nowhere near the player Jamal Williams is…Hartwig will still need help because Hartwig sucks. If Kemo and Essex get to the second level in the run game the Chargers inside backers Kevin Burnett and Stephen Cooper can’t beat blocks to save their lives. Kemo will have his hands full with Cesaire in pass pro…Kemo has showed great improvement in pass pro lets hope that trend continues this week. Trai Essex will draw another overrated player Luis Castillo in pass pro…Castillo’s claim to fame to this point of his career is the hatchet job he did on Ben. Colon and Castillo could be interesting in the run game…Colon tries real hard…Castillo is not real stout at the point of attack. Colon did a real nice job against Shaun Phillips last season…To be honest Colon has done a real nice job all season…Phillips is not real fast or strong…He takes advantage of mistakes by the offensive tackle…Colon needs to keep his technique solid and his feet moving.

 

Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth can’ be dominated in the run game…I have a feeling both players show up big time in the run game this week.

 

Steelers kick coverage units are great…Logan shows a ton of potential in the return game. Skippy is still struggling to find his confidence…DS is pounding punts. I am scared shitless of Darren Sproles in the return game. The Chargers kickers are hurt…Steelers should have the advantage in special teams play.

 

Prediction

 

Steelers-31

Chargers-21