Monday Evening Quarterback - Week Eleven

There is no evidence that the Steelers are capable of running the table and securing a wild card spot.  It's possible if they start to come together, but if there's evidence for anything it's that this team is about to split apart.

I'm not jumping off the bandwagon.  This team is consistently "close" to being good enough, which still doesn't cut it.  But sometimes all it takes is for a switch to flip and a team will go on a roll.  I'd feel better about that idea if the team was mentally healthy.

Will this team remember that they're a band of brothers before it's too late?

I knew the Steelers were toast the moment I heard Hines Ward question Ben Roethlisberger's availability during the pregame show.

Hines Ward has always been more of a whiner than a leader, always the first player to snipe in public at any sign of adversity.  I could care less how tough Hines Ward is.  He's never taken on a Buick without a helmet, which changes the game completely when it comes to head injuries.  Whoever made the decision for Ben not to play, it was the right call.  Whatever Hines Ward says.

In fact, if Hines Ward wasn't fuzzy from all the concussions that he's apparently sustained but not reported to the medical team, he'd recall how his own vain attempts to play through injuries in 2006 and 2007 severely hurt the team.  Hines Ward has a hard enough time getting open when he's 100% healthy.  He had no chance playing on one leg, yet his pride kept him in the lineup to the Steelers' detriment.

The Steelers would have had a better chance to win against Baltimore if Ben had played.  But they would have had no chance for the rest of the season if Ben had played and sustained another head injury so soon after the last one.

To me, it was a test of the team. They could have either come together over the loss of their best player or they could allow his loss to impact their ability to simply play the game.  Hines Ward chose to gripe instead of shutting up and going to work.  It's a shame that they're saddled to Ward for the next few seasons.

Casey Hampton has had a nice year, but he got a Harvard education from Matt Birk against the Ravens.  He could be so much more than he is if he showed a little concern for his own fitness.  But he has been moved to criticize others instead of looking in the mirror.  Blamestorming never solves problems, it just creates a lack of trust.  It's only words to the media, but it shows that their focus is not on finding ways to win games.  This team doesn't overlook teams in the future, they get caught looking back to the week before.

There is a pattern among those who have had a hard time adjusting to the Tomlin Way, even after winning a Super Bowl.  They're all Cowher-era stalwarts.  First it was Alan Faneca who threw a temper tantrum to ensure his way out of town.  Then it was Willie Parker questioning the commitment to the running game last year.  Now, it's Hines Ward  questioning anything and everything.  Ward has disappeared for large stretches this season, and has made as many blunders as he's made big plays. 

Maybe it's time to shed these Cowher-era holdovers.  They're losing their effectiveness and their loyalties are to themselves at this point, not to Tomlin.

There are some Cowher draft picks that fit in with the Tomlin regime.  Ben obviously was no fan of Cowher or Whisenhunt.  He's a Tomlin guy all the way.  Holmes was drafted and then ignored during his only year under Cowher.  He's showing more maturity than Ward of late, he's a Tomlin guy.  Max Starks and Chris Kemoeatu have been rescued by Tomlin, they're fine.  James Harrison got his big break from Tomlin.  Ike Taylor got benched by Cowher.  Troy would play for anyone, as would Clark and Farrior.

Whether they're Tomlin guys or Cowher guys, there's room for the Steelers to get younger, especially on defense.  And it has nothing to do with the mental makeup of the team, it has to do with their performance.

I have always been a fan of James Farrior.  It's time for him to hang them up.  That's two crucial fourth down plays this season where all the defense had to do was manipulate a RB on Farrior matchup.  Folks criticize the Steelers for emptying out the backfield, but it worked to perfection for the Ravens.  Farrior moves with Rice, Flacco knows it's man coverage, Farrior misses the first of a few tackles and that's all she wrote. 

If anything, it's time to move away from the nickel package in those kinds of situations.  Timmons and 6 defensive backs need to be on the field to get the proper matchups.  With Troy in the game, that's more likely to happen as he can make up for whatever is lost against the run, and he can blitz like a linebacker.

Ryan Clark is another guy who is hard to criticize, and it's even harder when he's playing without Troy.  But he has to occasionally make a play on the ball instead of trying to line up wide receivers.  He's got 4 interceptions in 38 starts for the Steelers.  I would love to have Clark back if I could be sure that Troy would stay healthy, but as it stands the Steelers need to draft a safety with athletic ability.

There were a few positives in this game, though.  Not just for this season either - questions are being answered about the long-term makeup of the Steelers' roster.  A group of guys stepped up to the plate and showed that as the older players are phased out, they're ready to step up and make plays.

The young, entrenched offensive line took another huge step.  They didn't sit and gripe about their plight, they took the game into their hands against a tough defense and did a great job under tough circumstances, grinding out a decent running game and giving Dennis Dixon time to throw.

Dixon didn't look completely overmatched, though he couldn't hit the Monongehela from a coal barge for most of the 2nd half.  He at least showed that he deserves consideration as a backup next season, maybe with an eye towards getting him on the field in certain looks even if Ben is healthy.  His athleticism in the red zone and in short yardage is an asset this team could find a way to make use of.

Rashard Mendenhall was a delight to watch run against a Ravens' defense that typically takes the run away.  He still has some technique issues to work out, but the sky is the limit for him.

David Johnson makes the tight ends ahead of him on the depth chart look like dime store mannequins as blockers, and Johnson was also a hammer in the run game from the fullback position.  He needs to see the field over Spaeth, right this minute.

Ramon Foster played a decent game, though his weakness (blocking on the move) prevented the Steelers from running some of their favorite plays.  I don't like him at left guard long-term, but he can play right guard for me anytime, he gets great movement when he's simply asked to move his man.  He could also be an answer at RT down the road or even just as a swing guy that can backup 3 positions on game day.  However it ends up, he's a piece of the puzzle that fits nicely.

Santonio Holmes has stepped his game up quite a few notches.  Especially impressive was the 3rd down catch and tiptoe routine that was called back because of a penalty.  There's no question in my mind that he's the best receiver in the NFL with the ball in his hands.  He's headed for big things once he gets some more help from the young receivers.

Lawrence Timmons has gone from being a question mark in training camp to a certified weapon from his inside linebacker spot.  He has been fine against the run and exceptional against the pass.  Lamarr Woodley has woken up from his early season slumbers as well.

All is not lost for 2009, and even if it is there have been enough young guys stepping up to believe that the window is wide open for awhile, even if this season amounts to a hiccup.

This is when a team finds out who their real leaders are.  There's a leadership void waiting to be filled.  To me, this is a test for Ben.  This is the latest, best chance for him to win the locker room once and for all.  How he handles this week and how he handles the Raiders' game will tell me everything I need to know for the rest of the season.

FURIOUS FIVE

1.  New England Patriots

In a battle of unbeatens tonight, the winner is John Gruden.  Tom Brady and Drew Brees in the same game?  There won't be enough superlatives for Gruden to use.

2.  New Orleans Saints

Will the Patriots run at the Saints' weakness tonight?  I don't think so, and it could be their undoing.

3.  Minnesota Vikings

The best team in the league and it isn't close.  They can do as they want against most teams, they have every single piece of the puzzle in place.

4.  Indianapolis Colts

They keep escaping, but it just can't last.  Or can it?

5.  Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are good.  They're not that good, they struggled against Cleveland here and there.  I still wouldn't be surprised if they folded down the stretch.

AWARDS

Offense

Rashard Mendenhall

He ran hard against a tough defense.  I can't wait to see what he can do against the Ravens in the future with Ben back in the lineup.

Defense

Lawrence Timmons

He has 6 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in 8 starts.  He's a one man wrecking crew who is only 23 years old and will only get better.

Special Teams

Carey Davis

Call me crazy, but he makes a difference when he's in the lineup.  He's smart and fundamentally sound and will take on blockers and make tackles.  Davis has been active for 4 games since he was re-signed after being a camp cut - San Diego, Detroit, Denver and Baltimore.  He didn't dress for Cleveland, Minnesota, Cincinnati and Kansas City.  Quick, what happened in all four of those games?

Goat

James Farrior

After the Steelers scored the go-ahead touchdown, I got the feeling that we had seen the offense climb the mountain one final time, and that the 17 points were going to have to stand.  James Farrior had made a big play earlier on a sack that forced a fumble, but he not only allowed Ray Rice a to convert a big 4th down, he allowed the Ravens to flip the field for the tying score.
 

QUOTABLE

“I thought we made enough plays to win the game. But they made more significant plays and that’s why they won.”

- Ryan Clark

STATS, STAT

The Steelers were 4-2 when Ben Roethlisberger missed games under Bill Cowher, and 0-2 without Ben under Mike Tomlin.  So which is it, is the team around Ben not the equal of what it was under Cowher?  Or is Ben simply that important to this offense these days?

 
MAKING THE ROUNDS

1.  I'm not that down on William Gay.  Against the Ravens, he responded once again after being picked on early, forcing a huge fumble that could have prevented the game from getting out of hand.  I am convinced that his early struggles are part of Dick Lebeau's vanilla game openings, which we've been seeing for years.  The Steelers have three cornerbacks worth developing, William Gay included.  He'll be given room to continue to grow, but he should expect a stiff challenge from Keenan Lewis next year if he doesn't progress.

2.  Mewelde Moore should only see the field if he's out there to fair catch a punt, it's sickening.  Not only was he his usual slow self against the Ravens, he got abused in pass protection three different times.  Mendenhall should play every third down, and Parker should get 5-8 carries a game to give Mendenhall a breather.

3.  Daniel Sepulveda has been one of the lone bright spots on special teams this year, but he had a down night when his team needed him most.  He didn't get good distance except for a couple of punts, and then had a few ineffective efforts when he could have pinned the Ravens deep.

4.  It was nice to see Lamarr Woodley really rise up and assert himself over the course of the Ravens' game, continuing an upward trend for him of late.  After being held to two sacks in the first 8 games, he has 4 sacks in the last 3.  That's the frustrating thing about this three game winning streak, a lot of young guys (Woodley, Timmons, Holmes, Mendenhall) have stood up to be counted while a lot of veterans have made mistakes instead of big plays.

5,  All right, pep talk time.  There's nothing going on with this football team that can't be fixed.  But they need some help.  They need the Jaguars, Broncos, Ravens and Texans to drop games.  They can't afford to lose another key player, and they need to get their top two players back.  They need to figure out that they win and lose as an organization, and not as individuals.  They need to remember that playing for the guy next to you means even more than playing to get another ring.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

6.  Jacksonville is the most dangerous of the wild card contenders, but they've got the toughest path.  However, they have matchups remaining against Houston, Indianapolis and New England, three difficult opponents but also all AFC opponents.  The Jaguars are painfully inconsistent and they lack overall talent.  3-2 would be a nice finish for them, which might leave them out of the picture.

7.  The Broncos' defense stood up again after three straight bad games.  It's simple for the Broncos, if Elvis Dumervil wins his matchup, the Broncos have an elite defense.  If he doesn't, they have problems against the pass.

8.  Let's just sum up the whole wild card situation.  If the Colts go undefeated, the Steelers will make the playoffs.  So far so good after wins against the Ravens and Texans.  Up next for the Colts are the Titans, Broncos, Jaguars and Jets, all wild card contenders.  I'm not telling you to pull a Jeff Fisher and don a Peyton Manning jersey, but it might not be a bad idea.

9.  It's hard to get much press with Brett Favre, Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson around, but the biggest story in the Vikings' season may be the emergence of Sidney Rice.  He can do it all (go deep, run good routes, block in the running game), and is on pace for a 1500 yard season in his third year.

10. I happen to think that Vince Young is for real, though with the caveat that he's Chris Johnson's sidekick and not the other way around.  The two complement each other well, and Young's tendency to hold the ball too long is actually helping that offense make plays down the field.

IN THE CROSSHAIRS

Bruce Gradkowski

It couldn't be anyone else.  In two starts against Pittsburgh (this will be his third start with three different teams in four years in the league), Gradkowski has thrown 5 interceptions and has been sacked 8 times with a passer rating of 19.