heels, sox & steelers
Thanks Ryan....I love the fact that you pulled that comment from last year.
Maybe it's just the fans - because I'm pretty confident that Coach Tomlin will have his men ready and focused on Denver...BUT, I am hearing/reading a lot about folks fast forwarding past the next two weeks and as far ahead as December 9th.
Carnac award?
Oh, and on the whole Palmer thing, I actually think he's a rather good quarterback. Would I trade Roeth for him straight up? Never. Would I take him over Tommy "pick-six" Maddox? Yes, definitely. He's got a lot of clowns to deal with in Cincy, but he's also done his fair share of whining and "we are the better team, we lost the game, they didn't win it" crap.
Also, he's recovered very well from what appeared to be a devastating knee injury.
Jesse: Carnac was a Carson character... not Palmer, but Johnny... I never thought of myself at 36 as particularly old until right... now.
Put me in the "pro-Palmer but I'd rather have Ben camp," too.
Jesse,
What ELSM said ... and yeah, I feel real old right now too. (And I'm not even 36!)
When Johnny Carson died, my parents had to explain to me who he was. So maybe I'm just young?
Have I mentioned I'm going to the game this Sunday? Look for me in the cheap cheap cheap seats up by where they have an extra giant tee-vee. I'm also pro-Palmer, but I like Ben even better.
I don't think Cowher was a cuddly type of coach and I am sure, like most bosses he was subject to a lot of under the breath mutterings. Still, he seemed to attract top shelf talent so they must have seen him as a tough SOB who could get you a HCing job in the league. I think, with all his faults and strengths that is what I liked about Cowher coached teams. He wasn't afraid to have very competent people on the staff who were potential threats to his job. You can look around the league and see how some coaches don't like that.
Carson Palmer Ihave no problem with but I really think he has taken a big step backward this year, much like Ben did in the "year of living dangerously" of a season ago. I question his leadership with all the public, in game bickering that he, as the putative captain of the ship, allows himself to get drawn into with Chad. It shouldn't be happening and Marvin Lewis, whom I respect, is also responsible for that . I really think all the character issues they have had with players has allowed a "me first, team 2nd" atmosphere to fester in what should be one of the AFC`s elite teams. Thank goodness we have an owner and mngmt that thinks character is important. They aren't perfect but they do try to find men who are leaders and people who understand the team concept. I think if they ever get it straightened out that they have a great core, on offense anyway, to build around. QB is the least of their problems.
Of the QB`s mentioned by Ryan..I don't see the same attitude that Ben brings to failures on the field. I see Rivers berating and sulking his way through the Chargers horrid start to the year, Carson with the already mentioned troubles with holding his team together (plus his intemperate remarks on occasion about the better team not winnning after a Bengals loss. Brings to mind the ancient Cowboys whine of "you didn't beat the real Dallas Cowboys today" ) Eli has been good in NY I think it terms of handling the pressure and media but he had some good help with that from a house full of knowledge and experinece in the NFL game.
It makes Ben's refusal to blame anyone but himself for the accident, the poor play and his stalwart refusal to call out his teammates (even when , as Hines has said, they might deserve it)even more impressive. I was a tad worried about the stories that he didn't train hard or perhaps had lett early success go to his head. All that is gone now. He may not be the best but he will be in the discussion for many years to come. Every time I think he has a fatal weakness, he seems to work on it and suddenly that weakness looks increasingly like a strength. I believe he throws a better ball now than in the 15-1 season. His delivery looks so solid now and he has a variety of release points like that slightly sidearm thing he does on short balls and screens. He is throwing to the right spots almost always now. A couple of the throws to Davenport were just beautifull..in stride..right where the ball needed to be. I enjoyed Aikman so much in that last game as he was clearly enjoying a fellow QB coming into his own. He's the best on the run in the league..Aikman says he's by far the best running and throwing to his left. His footwork is much improved. His decision making. I know ..its a lot of gushing this early in the season but I really thought he needed to make giant strides this year. And he has. I couldn't be happier with the way he is playing. So..one vote her for Ben over those others. But I have been for him from the time they called his name at the draft. He has that special thing the great ones have.
Johhny Carson? He's the young guy with the afternoon TV quiz show. I hear he will be replacing Jack Paar soon.
I love Ben, but he still makes me nervous sometimes.
I don't know if - after all the mess the Bengals have been (and will yet be this year) - Carson Palmer might need not just a change in supporting cast. A complete change of scenery might be even better for him. There are several NFC teams that come to mind, though obviously I don't think it will happen.
Speaking of Johnny Carson, I read that he was the guy they really wanted for the Dick Van Dyke show.
Somehow I cannot see him tripping over that hassock every week.
Anyone who thinks that Eli has had a good career in New York so far hasn't watched very many Giants games. Eli is not very good in the regular season despite a pretty good crop of wideouts (65 TDs and 52 INTs). He also had 24 fumbles in four seasons (7 lost).
His former teammate calls him out on national TV! And remember the playoff games in the last two years?! Wow. 1 TD and 4 INTs. If this kid's last name wasn't Manning, I don't think he'd still be around, but everyone's betting on him developing into Peyton or Archie. I've got news for you, he ain't.
Oh, and Carson Palmer is good, but I'd rather have Ben. With our O-line, Palmer would probably look like Fleet Captain Pike by now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Ima...STMenagerie.jpg
Ben's escapability makes him special.
saw this over on FO in the DVOA article for week 6:
Ravens schedule so far: 32nd.
Ravens schedule rest of season: 1st.
That has to be somewhat discouraging for Ravens’ fans.
:: GBS — 10/16/2007 @ 1:57 pm
i would say that is very encouraging for a steelers fan. of course, on the flip side, the browns had the 5th hardest schedule so far, with the 27th hardest remaining and the bungles had the 3rd hardest schedule and the 24th hardest remaining.
the steelers had the 31st hardest schedule so far, with the 17th hardest remaining.
as far as i can tell that 17th schedule rating is just due to the jaguars and patriots because the rest of the teams on the steelers schedule currently look pretty weak. i'm also willing to wager that the 5th and 3rd schedule rating for the browns and bengals are due to having already played the patriots. FO's numbers agree with the mainstream media: the patriots are super dreamy.
How many different writing gigs does Ryan have? It is at least Scouts Inc, AOL, HSS, and FO (reprinted at Fox below). And taking care of a kid at home. I'm impressed.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/sto...140813162&
ATT=5
Anonymous was me.
As for the Pats, I'm hoping that the karma police have something in store for the cheating and recent running up the score. TMQ, replying to criticism in the ESPN ombudsman column, says he has more evidence that he's in the process of confirming and hopes to write an extensive story. Other shoes may be dropping...
Anon/ELSM:
I need about 10 more hours in the day because as you can tell, I have trouble keeping up here at HSS headquarters.
With the talk pertaining to Jacksonville being one of the better teams left on our schedule, and the comparason of Ben to other quarterbacks, it brings me to question who will have the better prime time game this week... Peyton vs. Jacksonville who seems to be his Kryptonite, or Ben vs. Denver where the worst run defense in the league will number the attempts made by Ben? I'm curious because both are in the spotlight, but also because I have both on my fantasy team.
With the Pats getting what seems like 80% of the media attention, the Colts 15% and the Steelers 5% (In my opinion), I think the Jaguars are flying very low under the radar. However, with a win this week with national media coverage, the Jaguars will be in first over the Colts. Anyone thinking upset?
I see the national bloggers have picked up on Tomlin's "plan" to deal with the altitude in Denver.
http://shakedownsports.com/
Jason R, I find them scary, too. I was surprised at their end of season collapse.
Also, since I'm no longer living in Pittsburgh, I've tried to find all the ways possible to watch games remotely. While they aren't offering full games, the NFL now offers highlights for your computer (or video iPod, if you have one) via iTunes. This also includes 90 minute recaps of the best 5 games and a recap show. Pricing is $2-3 per game, $25 for the season.
http://www.nfl.com/help/itunes?c...e=nfl-
ed_1017IB
ELSM
Sopcast works pretty well for me. Have you tried it yet?
Cols, I tried it earlier this season and couldn't get it to work. Could you post some basic instructions?
Oh, and Ryan, you are taking the completely random pictures / videos to a new level. I guess Ernie Holmes was the forerunner of Mr. T. Maybe Tomlin will say "I love it when a plan comes together."
FTID - re Eli developing into Peyton or Archie
I agree Eli will never be Peyton and people who keep waiting for it to happen are sadly misguided. However, I think it is likely he'll have as good a career as Archie. That being said, I think Archie had an exceedingly mediocre career. I'll admit, I am younger and never saw him play, but it bothers me how people constantly speak highly of the Manning family as top quality qb's when only Peyton has actually delivered. Take a look at Archie's stats for his career:
http://www.pro-football-referenc...rs/
MannAr00.htm
He only threw more td's than interceptions twice and both times, just barely. Eli has already tied him there.
Archie's career QB rating was 67.1. Eli is sitting pretty at 74.6.
In 13 years as a qb, Archie never had a winning season. Eli already has him beat with one winning season.
I understand the idea that the Saints were a lousy team, but isn't it possible that they also had a lousy qb who for a short span happened to put up a lot of passing yards?
Every time I see them interview Archie during games, I have visions of Ryan Leaf's offspring becoming the league's best QB leading everyone to suddenly remember Ryan Leaf as a solid dependable qb who played for some bad teams.
ELSM
Go here and download the sopcast player
http://www.sopcast.com/
After running the setup, you should be able to run the program and login automatically.
Then in order to get the games (not all of the games work) go here
http://www.myp2p.eu/NFL.htm
Find the channel that the Steelers game is on and enter it into the channel box on the sopcast player.
Let me know if this helps.
Oops, the final instruction should be to click on play for the game you want, not enter the channel number.
ELSM,
How about this cast?
B.A. Baracus = Ernie Holmes
Hannibal Smith = Coach Tomlin
Templeton "Faceman" Peck = Mark Malone
Murdoch = Terry Bradshaw
Colonel Decker = Marvin Lewis
John,
I am old, and I saw Archie Manning play, and he was a hell of alot better than Ryan Leaf. He played on a craptastic team, and is the only QB to go to the Pro Bowl from a losing team (at least when he went he was playing...it might have happend since then). He was like a poor man's Fran Tarkenton or Steve Young. He would have been pretty good on a decent team...which the Saints were definitely not.
Ryan, you need to use a picture of Percy Dovetonsils some time... And if you feel old knowing who Johnny Carson is [*deep shudder*], then I feel absolutely archaic for bringing up an Ernie Kovacs character.
I'm old enough to remember Fred Savage....anything? Also old enough to remember how stupid he was to stick with Winnie Cooper through all those years after she pissed all over him 100 times. That dude had chicks fallin' over him. Personally, i'd have stuck with Becky Slater, but that's just me...Sure, she was a little rough around the edges (she'd kick your ass) but I think there was something...
No way, Adam.
Madeline all the way for Fred...
Not to mention that Archie Manning's youth and the prime of his career came before 1978 when the passing rules were changed, so you can throw the straight statistical comparisons with Eli's numbers out the window. Take a look at Terry Bradshaw's career numbers-- 51.9% completion pct, 212 TDs, 210 INTs (even including the nice boost Bradshaw received 1978-1981). Those kind of numbers make Jon Kitna look like a Pro Bowler...
You think all that QB lineage talk is bad, wait till the spawn of Brady the Almighty is old enough to grasp a football. Can't wait.
David, I like the A-Team cast. I'm not sure Bradshaw is crazy enough to be Murdoch... maybe some special teams ace like Keisel when he played wedge buster. Or Merill Hoge. Also, Mark Malone could do double duty for the Steelers Magnum PI spin-off.
I tend to be pretty color blind (I just realized this week that 3 of the 4 head coaches in the AFC North are black), so I feel a little strange bringing this up... but before Brian Leonard, was Hoge the last decent, regular NFL HB starter who was white?
Cols, thanks for the sopcast instructions. I'll give it a shot. I've got a decent set up with a Slingbox and a TiVo that are in Pittsburgh that is working for now, but that could be a good alternative.
I wonder whether Sopcast is legal. Given the number of fans who live in different cities than their teams, I also find it amazing and irritating that the NFL doesn't provide an easy way to watch out-of-town games from home. I'd be happy to pay for Sunday Ticket, but I can't get a DirecTV dish in my building.
Speaking of quarterbacks from decades ago, am I the only one that didn't know Len Dawson was a first round draft pick of the Steelers in 1957?
Crazy.
ELSM,
DAN KREIDER!!
but before Brian Leonard, was Hoge the last decent, regular NFL HB starter who was white?
Well, there's always Mike Alstott. Fullback, my ass.
Tune into Inside the NFL - their cover story tonight will be on Coach Tomlin. It's on right now and repeated throughout the week of course.
Collinsworth's distaste for the Black & Gold has been discussed on this Site before...thus I ask, why, why would you allow him to interview Tomlin?
(Repeating 10 times to myself - 'do not look ahead to Cincinnati, do not look ahead to Cincinnati'..)
am I the only one that didn't know Len Dawson was a first round draft pick of the Steelers in 1957?
The installation of Dawson as a starter in the AFL was one of the things the "real" football people laughed at regarding the upstart league.
The Steelers had Jack Kemp on the roster too - I think at the s ame time as Dawson.
Was Robert Smith of the Vikings white, can't remember. I just searched his stats to remember how good he was, 8 years, 6,818 yards rushing, 32 TD's, 178 catches, 1,292 yards receiving. But I do remember him walking away from the game in his peak.
Smith was black. He was an interesting guy. Apparently, he walked away partly to save his body but also because he found football to be tedious and boring. There were stories that he didn't fit into the locker room because he was a renaissance man. He would read organic chemistry textbooks while getting worked on in the training room. I can't remember what degree he earned at OSU but i seem to recall it was an actual degree and not underwater basketweaving... er, communications.
Communications? That's good. But I thought the most popular degrees earned by big-time college jocks are criminal justice (most already have earned credits from lots of experience with that) and hotel-motel management.
As for white HBs, the only one I can think of at the moment is Ian Johnson from Boise State, but he's in college still. He might be a decent NFL starter in a few years, though
Ian Johnson is also black, which was highlighted in the news when he and his bride-to-be (the cheerleader he proposed to after the OU game) received some racist threats around their marriage.
http://waronracism.blogspot.com/...aws-
racist.html
With respect to what courses athletes take in school....
What always amazed me is how quickly the general public is to criticize athletes for the courses they take or what their major is. Shouldn't the focus be on the 'institutions of higher learning' that OFFER these courses?
Ok, I feel better - let's beat the Broncos!
SteelerBill,
You bring up a good point. As you may know, I went to college with Mike Tomlin. I also played baseball (alright, I was on the team), but -- and this you probably won't believe -- I was on partial scholarship (yes, William & Mary was not very good). Anyway, my grades were AWFUL ... well, for about three years or so. In fact, my first semester junior year, me and my roommate (also a baseball player) had the lowest combined GPA of anyone in our fraternity house.
And that's no small feat. That said, I hesitate to call out guys who are basketweavers since they're just as likely to use that degree as a psychology degree had they majored in that.
I'm still just skeptical. I used Ryan Leaf for hyperbole. Looking at the stats, Kitna might actually be a more accurate comparison. An okay qb on some bad teams whose shown flashes of quality . I can't help but think the fact that Archie was a hometown hero and what seems like a very likeable guy helped his reputation and his tenure in New Orleans as much, if not more than his play.
Ryan...I played for a short period of time at NE MO State (now Truman State) and Eastern Illinois - so I completely understand. Personally I was on the 4.5 year plan....and have a cousin that coached at W&M (football)
Adam and Farfegnugen,
FYI, we also had Johnny U and let him go. Come to think of it, we had some pretty recognizable names Pre-80's: Unitas, Dawson, Bradshaw, Hanratty. And then came the 80's...ugh!
Run, run, the run some more?
Maybe not.
This might be a preview of the Steelers' plan of attack Sunday night...
http://
www.rockymountainnews.com...5725457,00.html
Wow, definitely didn't realize Ian Johnson is black. Guess I've never seen him with his helmet off, and his skin is fairly light...huh.
Remembering the black hole of Steelers football in the 1980s is strange. Walter Abercrombie, Earnest Graham, Delton Hall, Mark Malone, etc.
What's weird is that I became a Steelers fan in the mid 1980s during their only unsuccessful run of the last 30 years. The rest of my family and friends were Browns fans during the mid 1980s in just about their only successful run in the last 30 years.
Boy am I glad I made that choice.
Jesse - That's how I felt about Robert Smith, and why I questioned it. Take a look at the linked picture:
http://www.mst3kinfo.com/satnews...ages/
robert.jpg
I don't know their parents at all, but thinking of Ian Johnson... makes me wonder why when you have 1 white parent and 1 black parent who have a child, if their skin is just a shade darker than white he is referred to as black and not white, even though his skin color is closer to his white parent. Probably not a discussion for a sports message board but just something to ponder.
Yeah, Johnson is pretty light-skinned
The incentives for student athletes are, let's say, not perfect. Here's one example:
Doug Glanville was a baseball player and an engineering student at Penn. The rumor was that he dropped about 5-10 spots in the first round to 12th overall because he missed an international all-star tournament and one regular game to study for his exams and was therefore considered not serious about baseball. So, studying had the same effect of being a criminal or a headcase or something. I can't imagine that other smart, talented student athletes didn't notice this.
He ended up having a fine and reasonably lengthy but unspectacular major league career. If he'd juiced up and hit for power, though, he could have been an all star with his speed and defense. Another example of screwed-up incentives for athletes...
Javon Walker's out:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/st.../story/
10417335
Isn't he the one who thoroughly outmatched Ike play after play and had a 74-75 yard TD run vs. us last year?
Walker crushed us last year, through the air and on the ground.
So does Ike cover Brandon Marshall now? He's pretty imposing too and seems to be Cutler's favorite target.
Speaking of Steelers QB's between Bradshaw and Ben:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/p...=jerseys/
071018
On Walker, yes, he absolutely killed us last year. It was the classic double-whammy for me because I was at the game and was playing against him in fantasy.
And I do remember coming out of that game thinking "if only Walker didn't go OFF, we probably win. That and all the turnovers."
The last part was indicative of pretty much the whole season, though.
FWIW, on NFL Live, both Golic and Salisbury predicted that the Steelers would beat the Pats. With the game in Foxboro, I'm not so sure, but I certainly hope so...
And the article below has the six ways to beat the Pats (which sounds like it was written with the Steelers in mind):
1. Blitz and play tight man-to-man schemes behind it. Check.
2. FWP running more between the tackles. Check.
3. TDs to 3 different TDs. Check.
4. 3-4. Check.
5. #1 in TOP. Check
6. 6 total points in the first half so far. Check.
Since it is behind the wall, I'll copy this entire article (sorry for the length of the post):
It's not easy, but here's how to beat the Patriots
Updated: October 18, 2007, 4:16 PM ET
After New England's dominating win in Dallas, this looks like a team with very few flaws. Now comes more talk of an undefeated season and questions if the Patriots can be beaten. We decided to look at some of the Pats' potentially vulnerable areas and put together a game plan that would have a chance to defeat them.
1. Blitz and play tight man-to-man schemes behind it
Tom Brady has proved that he will carve a defense apart if he has time to read his progressions, especially versus zone coverage. Only two defenses, San Diego and Dallas, have pressured Brady and made him at least a little uncomfortable. However, Dallas played zone schemes behind the blitz, even in the red zone, and although he took some hits, Brady picked it apart. San Diego had success bringing its outside linebacker off the edge on speed rushes with some overload blitzes, but it played tight man-to-man schemes behind the blitz and pressure against even the spread offense. That forced Brady to double pump a couple of times because his receivers did not have separation and that led to a couple of coverage sacks, which may be the best way to get to Brady. Blitzing and man-to-man coverages are a gamble, but they're a risk worth taking because the alternatives are unacceptable.
2. Run right at the Pats' linebackers
This is a great group with unmatched experience and it may be the smartest unit in the NFL -- but age is a factor. Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and Junior Seau may be close to the finish line and even Rosevelt Colvin and Adalius Thomas are on the back side of 30. These guys know how to slip blocks, move laterally, make plays in space and they don't get a lot of contact because their defensive line does a nice job of tying up blockers and protecting them. Because opposing teams fall behind early, they are forced to throw more than they want to and this linebacker unit doesn't have to play a full smashmouth game. The Cowboys had a lot of success last Sunday attacking New England between the tackles with a physical combination of backs Marion Barber and Julius Jones. They averaged 6.5 yards per rush, but they ran the ball only 15 times and most of those came in the first half. Staying committed to an inside power run game not only eats up the clock and keeps Brady & Co. off the field, but running right at these linebackers can wear them down and lead to bigger runs late in the game. Make these guys step up, take on blocks, and play physical against an offense that is running the ball 30-plus times. That takes a very strong and determined mind-set from the opposing offense, but it could be worth it.
3. Be creative in the red zone offense
The Pats are ranked last in the NFL in red zone defense and have given up nine touchdowns in 12 trips. That statistic must drive them crazy. When you look at their personnel, you realize that individually this is not a defense that is great in man-to-man schemes, which is what most teams are inclined to play in the red zone. Their linebackers are adequate in zones, but they are not turn and run guys. If they make a play in pass defense it's usually because they read the route and their instincts get them to the necessary spot. Strong safety Rodney Harrison is a liability in coverage on any part of the field, especially in the red zone. Finding the right matchup is critical in exposing the Patriots' defense. Find Harrison or one of the linebackers and release a tight end or back to hopefully match up one-on-one. You are not going to beat the Pats mentally in the red zone, but you can beat them athletically if the right play is called.
4. Play a 34 defense
So far only two defenses have been able to pressure Brady -- San Diego and Dallas -- and both play 34 fronts. With the Pats playing a lot of multireceiver sets, their offensive line is usually on its own in pass protection with minimum help from backs and tight ends, who are usually involved in pass routes. That leaves the offensive tackles, Matt Light and Nick Kaczur, on an island versus edge rushers. They have done an excellent job through six games of protecting Brady and both are smart guys who match up well versus 43 defensive ends rushing the quarterback, but when they face a 34 scheme in which the edge rushers are outside linebackers, it's a tougher matchup in terms of speed and athleticism for the Pats' tackles. Defenses that bring some overload blitzes off the edge also put a lot of pressure on these tackles. Still, you better get to Brady if you blitz him because if you don't he will exploit the zone that the blitzer vacated with a hot route. Attacking the Pats off the edge may be risky, but it's the best way to make Brady uncomfortable because pressuring him from the inside is not a viable option because of the strength and power of New England's interior offensive line.
5. Control the clock
Because the Patriots have an older, veteran defense, the fewer snaps they have to play the fresher they are. Well, Brady and the offense take care of that. New England averages 35:08 in time of possession, which is second in the NFL (behind Pittsburgh) and the Patriots rank third in third-down conversions (48.5 percent). That allows a bunch of aging guys on defense to get a lot of rest throughout a game and makes them effective in the second half. They do a good job of finishing a game. You must be able to turn the tables on the Pats by running the ball versus their defense, especially on first and second downs. This leads to manageable third-down situations, which must also be converted. You cannot have a lot of three-and-outs against the Pats' defense and still have any chance to beat them. First of all, it gets their defense off the field and, secondly, it gives Brady additional offensive possessions. That is a recipe for disaster. Commit to the run, stay with it and be prepared to attack the Pats between the tackles. If you have to throw the ball, make it a safe, low-risk pass that moves the chains but doesn't stop the clock.
6. Survive the early New England onslaught
This is an offense that goes for the jugular from the first time it touches the ball. The Patriots will open a game with multireceiver sets, spread the field and may show some no-huddle and empty backfield sets. The Pats have outscored their opponents 58-7 in the first quarter and by the time an opponent settles into the flow of the game, it's already behind and usually is forced to change its game plan. Opening the game with nickel and dime personnel gives a defense an early chance to match up versus the Pats' pass offense. Utilize three corners, two safeties, two linebackers and four defensive linemen early in the game and play press schemes versus New England's receivers. Defenses seem to be so afraid of this passing game right now that they play a lot of off coverages and rarely do they jam anybody at the line of scrimmage. As good as Randy Moss is and as fast as he is and as big as he is, he is a receiver with whom you can get physical coming off the ball. That gives you a chance to frustrate him, make him late getting into his routes, and hinder his timing with Brady. That could lead to some of those coveted coverage sacks. You must match up athletically with the Pats' offense early in the game with the right personnel on the field, and don't allow the Pats to dictate favorable matchups. Disrupt the timing of this passing game early and you have a chance to frustrate an offense that has not seen much adversity in 2007.
Gary Horton, a pro scout for Scouts Inc., has been a football talent evaluator for more than 30 years. He spent 10 years in the NFL and 10 years at the college level before launching a private scouting firm called The War Room.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/i...gary&
id=3068624
Has anybody watched the Steelers Report on PPG? Did a middle school AV club shot it. The camera work is incredibly bad.
Ryan, more diversity with the photos. Maybe another like that picture of Hasselbeck and Dilfer, or the one of Hasselhoff, or Gary Coleman. Those are really great. Keep up the good work.
All in the name of "inclusion", right?
If I'm bringing up old news, fine, but I just found these:
Casey's ready to play this week:
http://drunkathlete.com/2007/03/...-his-
belly.aspx
Skippy's just scary . . .
http://drunkathlete.com/2007/06/...-jeff-
reed.aspx
Being a fan of both the Steelers and the Montreal Canadiens (thou shalt not parade false Penguin Gods before me! Away!!) I can't help but think how much some of us are taking for granted the custom made coach we are currently enjoying. The Canadiens coach was a terrific defensive player of some standing in the league in his playing days but behind the bench and with the ravenous MTL press he displays none of the qualities of Saint Tomlin. He may turn out to be a good one but right now the reviews are not glowing.
Its beginning to look like an 'easy' game in Denver and we all know how that can bite you in the ass if a team buys into it. Still, they almost look like a team designed for the Steelers strengths. Denver looks like a team adrift in terms of long term success. I think they tried to stave off descending into mediocrity with such moves as the wholesale importation of Browns defensive players and trying to fill glaring holes with players like John Lynch but the bad drafting gets you eventually.
I hope that Casey is ready to go for this one as well but also hope they don't try to force him back too soon. Let that hamstring rest if there is any doubt about it at all. We will need him for bigger contests down the road and I love Hoke and his "can do" attitude and effort.
I guess we will probably see a lot of Willie Parker and from the sound of it, Heath Miller. I wonder if Gary Russell will be in uniform after getting some practice time during the bye week? I would like to have a better look at him but its probably not going to happen given Dookie`s stellar play of late.
Will we see more Woodley and Timmons? The best part about this year is that many guys who were thought to be in danger of losing their jobs or being challenged at least, have responded with superior starts to the year (Farrior, Haggans, Marvel Smith (who is, by all accounts, playing at a Pro Bowl level)Dookie, Ike.)
Not that many disappointments other than McFadden (I thought he would be starting) Simmons (JJ at AOLsports chronicles the O-line play on a weekly basis and Simmons is getting poor grades) and uhhhh..yep, it's really picking at straws. I guess the ST`s coverage hasn't been as air tight as you would like it, given Coach`s fixation on it in pre-season...but I really like this team overall and they are looking good.
Yeesh, even the Rocky Mountain News thinks the Steelers are going to win. I don't like it when most people predict a Steelers victory, it makes me nervous. Except against the Browns, of coure.
not sure if this has been posted here yet or not, but just in case it hasn't...and someone knows a Browns fan or two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w...h?
v=w5oGzuYkqWw
BTW, Ryan, if I have some pics to send you, how do I get them there?
Speaking of the Steelers of 80's got me thinking about my favorites from the various eras. I have been watching football probably since I was five years old in 1975.
Favorite Steeler from the 80's, hands down for me was Louis Lipps.
Favorite Steeler from the 90's, was Yancey Thigpen.
Favorite Steeler from the 70's, all of them.
Adam,
I can't blame Kevin for always wanting Winnie Cooper. Have you seen how she turned out? And smart, too, some sort of mathematician.
1979 Pittsburgh Steelers on America's Game Saturday Oct 20 at 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. est.
on NFL network.
Hit publish too soon.
ESPN has some kind of computer simulated game feature. It shows the Steelers at Denver at http://sports.espn.go.com/videog.../nfl?
id=3068104
The Steelers intercept Cutler five! times, Parker rushes for 123 yards and another 35 receiving, with the final score...
DEN 21 - PIT 0
Retarded.
Israel...the were doing that last year as well with Madden 08. Consider the source....
Commenting by HaloScan
