Monday Evening Quarterback - Preseason Edition

It's Getting Better All The Time

The Steelers won the Super Bowl last year.

But they certainly weren't a perfect team, especially on offense.

This fact causes some to worry.  It causes me to get excited, because there is plenty of room for improvement and plenty of evidence that improvement is coming.

I look at the New England Patriots of 2007, and I see a team that played to its potential all season long and yet fell short in the end.

I look at the Pittsburgh Steelers of 2008, and I see a team that played underneath its potential for much of the year yet still added a 6th trophy to its case.

Here's how the offense will improve compared to last year.

Roethlisbeger vs. Roethlisberger

I expect Ben Roethlisberger to have a better year in all phases.  Many forget how much Ben's shoulder injury affected him early in the season last year.  He fought through it, but it hampered his ability to get the ball down the field, and so much of the Steelers' offensive identity is based on forcing a defense to account for the deep ball.

Ben has thrown the ball with excellent velocity this preseason, though he has as yet to connect on a deep ball.  It's simply a matter of time.

Against the Bills, Ben showed no lingering affects from his bruised achilles either, at one point tossing a lob to Heath Miller while running full speed that was reminiscent of Magic Johnson tossing an alley-oop to James Worthy off the fast break.

Ben has shown that he's confident within this offense, and he's shown that with just slightly improved protection, he can be downright lethal.

Parker/Mendenhall/Moore vs. Injured FWP/Moore/Russell

The stable is full this year, and that's a great thing for the offense.

Fast Willie Parker has his speed back.  By the end of last season, he was healthy enough to go but he wasn't himself.  He's got the extra gear again, which allows him to bounce runs to the outside when (certainly not if) the offensive line doesn't get enough push.  He's going to get 20 carries a game and is the most likely candidate to serve as the goal line back.

The coaching staff would be wise to find carries for Rashard Mendenhall, especially early in the game.  While he hasn't made the splash many expected, I give credence to the idea that he's a young player making a big adjustment from his college system, and will take a little longer to break out than most first round running backs.  Mendenhall's deficiencies right now all lie in teachable areas.

Mewelde Moore will be back in his rightful spot as a valuable third down contributor, whether that's as a pass catcher or as a pass protector.

With the primary ball carrier healthy again, the prized first round draft pick healthy and more experienced and the 3rd down back returning to his proper role, the sky is the limit if they have room to run.
 

Pansy Spaeth and Miller vs. Brutish Spaeth and Miller plus DJ Johnson

The tight ends caught the ball just fine last year, even Matt Spaeth in Heath Miller's absence.  What was lacking was the ability of the tight ends to make positive contributions in the running game.

I don't know what went on this offseason, but things have changed this preseason, especially when it comes to Spaeth.

Spaeth was a dominant run blocker for a Minnesota Golden Gopher squad that didn't do much but run the ball.  However, he's looked like a mannequin on a skateboard in the running game in the past.

This preseason, he's been locking on and moving defenders out with ruthless efficiency.  If this continues, Willie Parker is going to have room to break runs outside for long gains.

If it doesn't continue, David Johnson will be ready to help.  He's a stocky, wide-based run blocker in the Howard Cross mold, a guy who can get movement and finish blocks.

Miller has also looked better in the running game this preseason, turning a very big negative last season into what appears to be a positive for the entire group.
 

Offensive Offensive Line vs. Cohesive Offensive Line

This is never going to be a top 10 group in the league, but it's a better group than what they put on tape last year and I'm selling the kool-aid if anyone wants to buy some.

Trai Essex will be an upgrade as a pass protector - I would be shocked if he gets charged with anything close to the 5 sacks that Darnell Stapleton was charged with last season.

Willie Colon wants a new contract and he's playing like it, simply a man possessed.  If he can eliminate his obligatory one-per-game pre-snap penalty and improve his footwork against speed rushers, he's going to get his money.

Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu and Justin Hartwig haven't been overly impressive this preseason, but they've been together for almost a full year now and figure to at least work together better as a group, which was a serious deficiency last season when it came to handling stunts and games.  Kemoeatu has been the most hit and miss out of the group, but at least they have some backups with potential who could be inserted if his struggles become a major problem.  At the least, the backup line can show the starters a thing or two about passing off pass rushers, something the 2nd unit has done extremely well so far.

The Fearsome Threesome vs. The Fearsome Foursome

The Steelers can and will field a group of wide receivers that have the ability to put a big scare into opposing defensive coordinators.

Santonio Holmes is primed for a breakout season after his dominant performance in the Super Bowl.  Hines Ward has succeeded where Ponce de Leon failed, finding his fountain of youth in the form of ring #2.  He looks like he's 27 years old right now, spry and healthy.

The newfound excitement comes in the form of Limas Sweed and Mike Wallace.  Sweed has allayed many doubts with a solid training camp and by making some exceptional catches in preseason games.  He's long, lean and quick and nearly impossible to cover.  If he keeps catching the ball, he has a chance to exceed what Nate Washington brought to this team.

Mike Wallace's quick development has been stunning.  Everyone knew about his track-star speed.  No one expected him to be so sure handed or so fearless going across the middle.  He'll push Limas Sweed and help create a lethal four wide receiver set.

The Steelers had room to improve coming off of their championship season, even if no new contributors established themselves.  What has happened is that the incumbents have improved while some new faces have made their presence felt, which should push already-lofty expectations for this team through the roof.

If they stay healthy in key spots, team of the decade is within their grasp.

THE FURIOUS FIVE

1.  New England Patriots

Their defense is going to be awful, but that's part of Chilly Billy's master plan - giving up endless touchdowns gets the ball back in Tom Terrific's hands more quickly and more often.  (No offense to Bill Cardille for the moniker used above.)

2.  New York Giants

They came into the preseason with endless defensive line depth, which appears to be prescient as they've got 3 different defensive tackles injured heading into the season (Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard and Jay Alford).

3.  San Diego Chargers

Everyone knows that their run defense suffered without primo pass-rusher Shawne Merriman.  Wait, that doesn't make sense!

4.  Dallas Cowboys

Not putting them on this list would make about as much sense as putting a low-hanging jumbotron directly over the playing field.

5.  Baltimore Ravens

Coming off the best season ever for a rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco is looking to do what has never been done - lead a team to a Super Bowl victory as a 2nd year player.

WEEKLY AWARDS

OFFENSE

Ben Roethlisberger

He went McNutty all over the Bills, completing 15 of 19 passes for 168 yards while showing that his improvisational skills are already in mid-season form.

DEFENSE

James Farrior

This is a no-brainer, a "Michael Oher" if you will.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Stefan Logan

The first of a great many this season for The Jackrabbit?  It remains to be seen if he'll get some offensive snaps at some point, a double-dip like his namesake, but the possibilities are enticing.

GOAT

Russ Brandon

The Bills' General Manager got rid of his best offensive lineman due to contract issues, and patched together an offensive line with rookies and retreads, none of whom are ready for NFL action.  They make the Steelers offensive line look dominant in comparison.

QUOTABLE

"I was pleased with the performance collectively, in terms of where we are. We still have to continue to be a team on the rise. I think we are prepared to do that. I like the feel and the vibe in the locker room; the guys know where we are."

- Mike Tomlin

When the coach is never satisfied, it's contagious.

STATS, STAT

The Steelers have allowed 3 sacks in 93 combined pass attempts over three games.  That works out to 16 sacks allowed over the course of a 500 pass attempt season.  It's preseason, but it's an improvement.

MAKING THE ROUNDS

1.  Ah, the Stefan Logan dilemma.  I didn't believe he had a chance when he was signed.  I didn't believe he had a chance when he was injured for bits and pieces of the first few weeks of camp.  But after seeing him against the Redskins two weeks ago, it was hard not to buy into the fact that this little guy can help the football team this year.  The Bills game did nothing to dissuade me.  I wrote a column last year about Mike Tomlin the mechanic, fixing problems issue by issue until the machine runs flawlessly.  Well, the return game was in need of repair, and Logan is a spare part that just might solve the problem.

2.  Lawrence Timmons looked better against the Bills than he did against the Redskins, and it had nothing to do with him.  The defensive line clogged things up exceptionally well and kept offensive linemen from getting to the second level, and Timmons was clean to roam around and make plays.  This is a key to his success this season, but let's be clear - very few linebackers in the NFL have success when they have to engage offensive linemen.

3.  William Gay might be better than I thought.  He closes on the ball very quickly, but it's not because he's the fastest guy in the world, it's because he has a very high football IQ and excellent instincts.  A willing run support guy, he's starting to remind me of Antoine Winfield, a Mike Tomlin favorite while he was the defensive coordinator in Minnesota and a guy also plays bigger than his size.

4.  James Harrison might kill someone this year.  On the field.  During a game.  Take a look at the offensive tackles he's scheduled to face.  After the opener against quality tackle Michael Roos, the slaughter list includes young players like Ryan Clady, Brandon Albert and Jake Long and a bunch of scrubs like Jeff Backus, Andrew Whitworth and Khalif Barnes.

5.  Here's an exercise for the readers:  create split squad teams from the Steelers' preseason roster, and then match it up against the Browns' projected starting lineup.  Would the Steelers' A and B teams both beat the Browns?  I think so.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

6.  Who is going to be the worst team in the league?  It could be a very tight competition, as there are a variety of contenders.  The Chiefs are a bad team with or without Matt Cassel.  The Raiders gave up a billion yards to the Saints.  The Bills are a TO meltdown away from joining the Canadian Football League, where they'd finish behind the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Eastern Conference.  The 49ers' best player beyond Patrick Willis is probably their head coach.  The aforementioned Browns could be historically bad.  I actually think Detroit has some things to be thankful for, I like Jim Schwartz and love Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford is going to be a better pro quarterback than wunderkind Mark Sanchez, who is getting all the press and attention.

7.  Does Randy Moss look like he's lost a step, or is it just me?  Now, the guy had more than a step to lose and he's still fast, but he's not crazy fast anymore.

8.  Hard Knocks with the Cincinnati Bengals is seriously entertaining.  When Chad Ochocinco is the most together, most focused member of the group, it's pretty sad.  Mike Brown couldn't manage an IHOP let alone a professional football team.

9.  Why does every team in the league post a pre-season depth chart except for the Steelers?  Even the notoriously clandestine Patriots have a complete depth chart posted on their web site.  I wonder who is responsible for the Steelers' lack of a posted depth chart, and why.  It's from the top, and I'm sure there's a reason.

10.  Rex Ryan's mouth is almost as big as his gut, and it's going to get him into trouble at some point this season.  Incidentally, I didn't know that fat man pants included extra belt loops, like they're fitted by a cooper instead of a tailor.  The things you learn from football, simply amazing.

IN THE CROSSHAIRS

Josh McCown, Matt Moore and Hunter Cantwell

The Carolina Panthers' backup quarterbacks are going to play a lot, and the Steelers' have so many defensive players who need to make a quality impression in this last preseason game.  I expect the Steelers' backup linebackers to come out with bad intentions, as Keyaron Fox is the only backup linebacker whose spot and/or role is solidified.