Kordell Stewart rumor?!?!

There is a rumor floating around league circles that the Steelers are interested in signing the enormous "growth" on Kordell Stewart's face...Supposedly, they are interested in promoting "it" to the active Super Bowl roster and they would like "it" to cover Larry Fitzgerald...

On a side note...the Queen himself...Kordell "I'm a little Gay" Stewart picked the Cardinals to beat his former team in the Super Bowl.

(Matt Leinart must have agreed to slap his ass Cowher style...)

It's Official: Lebeau NOT retiring after Super Bowl!

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator put all retirement rumors to rest today in Tampa. He addressed the rumors in a team meeting and told his players that he will be returning for the 2009 season. Lebeau said, "the way they're playing, they're going to have to run me out of here."

Rumor has it...Lebeau to retire after Super Bowl

The rumor that Dick Lebeau is going to retire after the Super Bowl has been permeating through league circles. That rumor was confirmed today by Tim Ryan of Sirius NFL Radio.

Leabeau has put together an almost certain Hall of Fame career as a player and a coach. As a player, Lebeau was drafted in the 5th round of the 1959 draft by the Cleveland Browns. He was then cut by the Browns and signed as a rookie free agent by the Detroit Lions.

As a defensive back for the Lions, Lebeau had 62 career interceptions with 762 return yards and 3 touchdowns during his 14 year career. He also holds the NFL consecutive game appearances record for a cornerback with 171 games.

As a coach in the NFL, Lebeau has won 10 divisional championships, 5 AFC championships, and 1 Super Bowl.

Additionally, Lebeau is credited with inventing the zone blitz. Lebeau has been involved with the NFL for over half a century and is beloved among his Pittsburgh Steelers players and many of them call him "coach dad". It will be a sad day when he finally hangs it up and it may happen sooner than most of us would like.

Tomlin set the tone in training camp

On July 27, 2008, Mike Tomlin set the tone for the entire season. Displeased by Casey Hampton showing up to training camp overweight and out of shape, Tomlin promptly placed Hampton on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Hampton was only permitted to work out with the team, but was not permitted to practice.

Tomlin said, "he's not in any kind of shape to play football". When Tomlin was asked if he was concerned that Hampton would not be ready for the start of the season, he flatly answered with, "yes, I am ".

It was then that the team realized that they must respect the 2nd year head coach. Tomlin was not afraid to discipline the 3-time pro bowler...or anyone else. Defensive captain James Farrior said of the incident, "Doing this to a player of Casey's stature sends a message to everyone else -- nobody is safe." Hines Ward commented on the situation by saying, "It doesn't surprise me with Tomlin. It doesn't matter who you are with him. You have to perform."

Tomlin finished by saying, "I don't send messages, I take action."

Mike Tomlin promptly earned the respect of the team, even the veteran leaders. The Pittsburgh Steelers want to play hard for Mike Tomlin as well. Through all of his discipline and his tough demeanor, Tomlin as voted one of the top 5 NFL coaches to play for by the players. His leadership and the positive effect he has on the players is more evident than ever.

I believe Mike Tomlin deserves a lot of credit for the Steelers having the opportunity to try to win their 6th Super Bowl. His discipline is the key ingredient for what elevated the team to its full potential. Tomlin built this foundation in training camp and he hasn't looked back since.

Can Larry Fitzgerald be stopped?

With 3 post season games under his belt and 1 to come, Larry Fitzerald has already broken Jerry Rice's single post season receiving yardage record with a whopping 419 yards. Fitzgerald also became only the 3rd receiver in NFL history to have 3 touchdown catches in an NFL Championship Game. Did I mention that he has 5 consecutive 100 yard receiving games dating back to week 16 of the regular season?


Can Fitzgerald be stopped?

The answer is yes.

In fact, Fitzgerald had 9 games during the season that he was held under 100 yards, and he had less than 80 yards in 8 of those games. So, what's the secret?

Seven of the nine games that Fitzgerald was held under 100 yards came from defenses that finished the season ranked in the top 14 in the NFL. Four of the games that Fitzgerald was held under 100 yards came from teams that finished the season ranked 3, 5, 6, and 8. See a trend?

The only head scratcher on the list was the St. Louis Rams. The Rams featured the NFL's 28th ranked defense and 19th ranked passing defense. The Rams held Fitzerald under 100 yards twice this season and only allowed him to score 1 touchdown. Tye Hill and Fakhir Brown found a way to contain him and only allow him to catch 12 balls for 154 yards in the two meetings combined.

In the seven games that Fitzgerald piled up over 100 yards, five of the games came against defenses ranked 16, 25, 29, and 32 twice.

Fitzgerald only had 100 yard games against two teams with defenses ranked in the top 11. (109 yards against #7, Washington, and 101 yards against #11, New England.

Unsung heroes of the defense: Farrior and Clark

You don't have the number 1 defense in the NFL without having several superstars. The Pittsburgh Steelers are no different. In fact, Lamaar Woodley and James Harrison set the all time Steeler single-season sack record for a linebacker duo with 27.5 sacks. James Harrison went on to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and made the Pro Bowl.


Troy Polamalu floated around the secondary making plays all year. Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith get lots of credit for stuffing the run for Pittsburgh's suffocating defense.


However, two guys have been playing in the shadows of the superstars all season and have achieved "superstar-like" accomplishments. James Farrior and Ryan Clark are serious contributors to the 2008 version of the Steel Curtain. They quietly do their jobs and they do them very well.


Farrior was recognized by the league by making the Pro Bowl this season, but still seems to play in the shadows of the flashy, sack machines next to him. Through it all, Farrior and Clark continue to bring their blue collar, lunch pail attitude to the field every Sunday and simply get the job done. They're not flashy...they don't tell you how good they are...they just repeatedly make plays.


Did you know that James Farrior finished the season 3rd in the AFC in tackles with 133? Did you know that Ryan Clark led all Steeler defensive backs in tackles and ranked 7th in the AFC among defensive backs with 87?


Farrior racked up 32 more tackles than James Harrison and Clark finished with 14 more tackles than his counterpart, Troy Polamalu.




Oh yeah...Farrior is leading all Steelers in tackles in the post season with 18 and Clark isn't too far behind with 10. And Clark's brain jarring hit on Willis McGahee last Sunday forced a fumble that sealed the deal for the Steelers Super Bowl bid.


I'm not trying to disparage the achievements of the superstars of the Steelers defense, but I'm simply shedding light on what the "others" accomplished this season. Nobody on the Steelers defense puts themselves above the team and they all play for each other. You usually find qualities like that on teams that win the Super Bowl. I don't think this season will be any different.

Lawrence Timmons quietly had an amazing season

Lawrence Timmons quietly had a very impressive season. Timmons only started two games, yet received adequate playing time most of the season. As the season wore on, Timmons adapted to his pass rushing role and started to become a force.

However, it wasn't until I reviewed some stats that I began to realize just how special of a player Timmons is going to be. In a limited role, Timmons had more tackles for the season than Lamaar Woodley and Larry Foote. What I found to be very shocking were Timmons's numbers compared to Larry Foote.....

Foote: 63 tackles, 1.5 sacks, & 1 FF
Timmons: 65 tackles, 5 sacks, & 1 INT.

In fact, Timmons tied Ike Taylor in tackles and had only 8 tackles less than Troy Polamalu.

Timmons is a budding superstar and our LB corps should be even better next season.

Tony Beasley....Pessimistic?

The Pirates winter caravan made its annual stop in Altoona yesterday and I enjoyed the opportunity to meet several Pirates players, coaches, and broadcasters. (Nate McLouth, Ross Ohlendorf, Paul Maholm, Tony Beasley, Greg Brown, and John Wehner. I got plenty of autographs and most of the guys were pretty open to discussion.


I talked to McLouth about how he plays the game the right way...I talked to Maholm about how he's been working out in the off season to try to replicate his stellar 2008 season. Then I got to Pirate 3rd base coach Tony Beasley.....I asked Beasley if he thought that the Pirates were going to be able to prevent their 17th consecutive losing season. I was stunned when he thought about the question, chuckled, and then didn't answer for about 30 seconds. When he looked up at me, he said, "All we can do is try our best".

Philosophically speaking, Beasley is right. But, there was not an ounce of optimism in his response. Take it for what its worth..

Now or Never Time?

As a Steeler fan, it is easy to get used to our team being a perennial powerhouse. It seems as if the Steelers rarely go through periods of re-building because of their uncanny ability to draft and develop players that are ready to become playmakers conveniently before the “big-named” players are ready to cash in on their large contracts. Well, I believe the time has come where several years (2002 to present) of poor late-round drafting are starting to catch up with the Steelers. After this season, the Steelers have many key free agents that the team may not be able to re-sign; and the lack of talented depth will be more evident than ever.

Here is my 2009 position by position outlook:

Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger and Dennis Dixon are the only 2 quarterbacks on the payroll for next season. Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch are both free agents and may seek the opportunity to compete for a starting position somewhere else. Dennis Dixon’s lack of game experience is a bona fide concern and the Steelers will have to find a backup QB that is capable of winning games if Roethlisberger experiences a serious injury.

Wide Reciever: Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, and Limas Sweed will be returning. Nate Washington is a free agent and may be able to cash in with another team after posting a solid 600+ yard season. The impact of losing Washington should be minimal as Sweed should be ready to take on a bigger role in 2009.

Running Back: Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore, and Gary Russell will all be back next season. There is a log jam at running back and I wouldn’t be surprised is the Steelers try to trade Parker for a draft pick in the coming off-season. Mendenhall was drafted in the first round in 2008 and will be expected to contribute in 2009. Mewelde Moore a few years younger than Parker and is a proven running back with considerably more versatility than Parker. Parker’s trade value has decreased this season though, because of injuries and a few lackluster performances. Solid play by Parker in the playoffs could be beneficial for increasing his value. Mendenhall, Moore, and Russell would be a fantastic backfield next season.

Offensive Line: If you think the line is a concern this season, just wait until next season! Chris Kemoeatu, Max Starks, Willie Colon, Trai Essex, and Marvel Smith are all free agents. The only offensive linemen signed through next season are Kendall Simmons, Justin Hartwig, Darnell Stapleton, Jeremy Parquet, and Tony Hills. None of the returning offensive linemen are game changers and the line is in need of an overhaul this off-season. Expect the line to be addressed in the draft and in free agency.

Tight End: Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth will be returning. They are one of the best TE tandems in the league right now. As for the third tight end, Sean McHugh has proven to be very valuable as a lead blocker in the power running game and may have bought himself some extra time in Pittsburgh.

Fullback: Carey Davis is a free agent and I believe he is the most worthless player on the Steelers roster since the “sidelines in sweatpants” version of Duce Staley. Sean McHugh has been far more productive as a hybrid blocking fullback/tight end this season. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers draft or sign a free agent to fill the void at fullback. The Steelers haven’t had a real power running game since Dan Kreider was leading the way and I’d love to see the team find somebody in his mold.

Defensive Line: The defensive line concerns me as much as the offensive line. Though this group is playing at a high level, they are beginning to age and there is absolutely no depth behind them. Next season Aaron Smith will be 33 and Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel will be 31. If you think they’re getting old, you should see the depth: Travis Kirshke will be 35 and Chris Hoke will be 33. Free agent, Orpheus Roye, will be 36. Thankfully, the youngest member of the defensive line unit (Nick Eason) will be 29! The defensive line will have to be a point of focus for the front office going into the 2009 season. Future starters will have to be drafted or signed in free agency during the off season.

Linebacker: Two-time Steelers MVP and the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison, is going to be a free agent in 2010. Harrison is going to be 31 years old and his agent will likely try to talk him into going after a large contract. Harrison is still being paid a minimal contract and you can’t blame the guy for wanting to be paid what he is worth. This off-season should be interesting and I would not be shocked is Harrison is a hold-out going into next season. Given the Steelers history of not offering large contracts to players over the age of 30, I’m not sure what is going to happen.

Lamarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons are going to be a fierce tandem for years to come. James Farrior just signed a 5 year deal that will enable him to retire a Steeler and Larry Foote will be back for the final season of his contract. Bruce Davis was drafted to be groomed into a productive Steeler linebacker, but a little bit of depth may be necessary. No matter what, the Steelers are going to have a very solid linebacking corps again next season. Hopefully James Harrison will be part of the group.

Cornerback: Ike Taylor is finally playing up to his abilities and is proving that he is one of the better cover cornerbacks in the NFL. However, his counterpart, Bryant McFadden, is a free agent after this season. McFadden came on strong this season after losing a pre-season battle with Deshea Townsend. McFadden may command more money than the Steelers are able to pay and it wouldn’t be shocking if he is wearing a different uniform next season. Deshea Townsend is going to be 35 next season and is not a viable option to be a starting corner. William Gay played very well when he was forced to start a few games this year and could be a starting corner next season. Signing McFadden would be the best possible scenario, but the Steelers may lack depth at cornerback going into next season.

Safety: I’m concerned about the safety position going into next season. Polamalu is still on the top of his game and will be 29 next season. Ryan Clark, however, is entering the last year of his contract and he will be 30 next season. Anthony Smith was drafted to fill the void at free safety, but has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff and likely won’t be with the team next season as he is in the final year of his contract. Tyrone Carter will be 33 and he likely won’t be in the team’s long term plans either. The safety position will also have to be addressed in the off-season.

Kicker/Punter: Jeff Reed will return next season and Daniel Sepulveda will return from the injured reserve next season. We realized how important the punter is to a football team this season and it will be a relief to have Sepulveda healthy next season.

Special Teams: The only reason I am mentioning special teams is because of the horrid return game the Steelers have had this season. The Steelers ranked 29th in kick return average and tied for last place in punt return average. The Steelers never effectively replaced Antwaan Randle El in the return game and will have to find a return threat in the off season. The Steelers have won a plethora of games by winning the field position battle and the team could certainly use a little help in the return game.

Going into the 2009 season, there are more questions than answers. I believe that if the Steelers are going to make a Super Bowl run this season, it may be now or never time. Free agency will be hitting Pittsburgh hard this off-season. The off-season should be busy and we can only hope that open positions can be adequately filled or upgraded. I expect to see many new faces wearing black and gold next season and Mike Tomlin’s coaching abilities should be more prevalent next season than his first two seasons.

Clark will NOT be fined for hit on McGahee

More good news coming out of Pittsburgh. There was speculation that Ryan Clark may be receiving a fine (or worse) from Mr. Roger Goodell for his knockout hit on Willis McGahee during Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Ravens.

The good news is that a league spokesmen reported tonight that the hit was "clean" by NFL standards. Helmet to helmet contact is illegal when a defenseless receiver or quarterback is hit. The league deemed that McGahee was not defenseless when he got licked by Clark.

Ward has a slight MCL sprain

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette is reporting that Hines Ward has a slight MCL sprain. If that is indeed the case, there is no reason why Ward will not be able to go in Super Bowl XLIII.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that Ward would suggest having his leg amputated from slightly above his knee, rather than sitting out the Super Bowl.

Heath Miller said of the injury to Ward, "I don't think there's any question that 86 will be on the field". Miller went on to say, "I don't even know the extent of his injury, but I saw him walking today so I'm pretty sure that two weeks from now he'll be playing."

That's good news for the Steelers. On a side note, the other injury concerns from the AFC Championship were the ankle of Mewelde Moore and the head of Ryan Clark. Moore was spotted walking through the team's facilities without any kind of protective support and Ryan Clark did not sustain any injuries from his brain crushing blow to Willis McGahee.

Limas Sweed - Bust or Playmaker?

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Limas Sweed is under fire for his wicked case of "stone hands" during the last 3 games. In the season finale against Cleveland, Sweed dropped a perfectly thrown Byron Leftwich bomb that would have been a sure touchdown. Two games later, in the AFC Championship against the Ravens, Sweed dropped a perfectly thrown Roethlisberger bomb that would have resulted in a touchdown as well.

Many in Steeler nation are already calling Sweed a bust...these are the same people that called Lawrence Timmons a bust for the last couple of seasons. That said, I'm giving Sweed a free pass.

Yeah, Casey Hampton could have caught the two balls that Sweed dropped. But, Sweed doesn't deserve to take the verbal beating that he is experiencing. There are so many rookies making an impact in the NFL currently that the rookies that are playing like "rookies" are not being treated as rookies....(Side note: That may be a world record for the most number of times the word "rookie" was used in a single sentence)

Sweed ranks 6th on the all-time receptions list at the University of Texas and 5th on the career receiving yards list. Additionally, Sweed is 2nd in Texas history in career touchdown receptions and tied for most touchdown catches (12) in a season with the great Roy Williams. (Now he's just Roy Williams since he's playing with a star on his helmet.)

Limas Sweed did not forget how to catch a football. If anything, people should be extremely impressed with Sweed's ability to create separation. He has been wide open on the two notable drops that he couldn't haul in. Sweed will be okay....as soon as he gets some game experience under his belt...and some glue on his gloves.