SteelCrazy
08-25-2010, 09:41 PM
Sporting News
The Pittsburgh Steelers now have had four months to absorb the news that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss the first four or six games of the '10 season because of a league suspension. With time comes some perspective.
Steelers star safety Troy Polamalu, for one, says the battle-tested team can survive with Byron Leftwich or Dennis Dixon at quarterback the first month-plus of the season.
"It's adversity that we're going to face, but it's nothing we haven't faced before," Polamalu told Sporting News' Clifton Brown. "We've played games without Ben. Honestly, I think we've done well in the past with our backup quarterbacks."
Since Roethlisberger became the starting quarterback during the second game of his rookie season, he has missed eight starts. The team went 4-4 in those games, but three of the losses were to divisional-rival Baltimore.
Commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly is leaning toward reducing Roethlisberger's suspension to four games. To survive against the first-month schedule — vs. Atlanta, at Tennessee, at Tampa Bay, vs. Baltimore — Polamalu says more responsibility for the won-lost record will fall to the defense, not Leftwich or Dixon.
"We understand as a defense that we have to step up and play a bigger role," he said. "He won't be there to help us win games."
The Steelers ranked fifth in the NFL in total defense last year, but there is good reason to believe the unit will be better in '10. First and foremost is Polamalu. The five-time Pro Bowler missed 11 games last year. Not only did the defense miss his havoc-wreaking and big plays, his absence forced teammates out of position. Case in point: In trying to compensate for Polamalu’s loss, free safety Ryan Clark often was burned for big pass plays.
The team yielded nine pass plays of 40-plus yards last year, but only two the year before when Polamalu played all 16 games.
The defensive line also will be fortified by the return of run-stuffing end Aaron Smith, who missed 11 games last year with a torn rotator cuff. The run defense got progressively worse without him, allowing an average of 124.3 yards over the last six games. And second-year end Ziggy Hood, a ‘09 first-round pick who played sparingly as a rookie, has been a star during training camp.
With pass-rush demons James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley still in place and with an improved run defense up front and an improved back end, there is reason to believe the unit could again return to its '08 form — when it led the NFL in total defense and pass defense and ranked second in run defense.
The '08 unit also led the league in sacks and interceptions en route to winning Super Bowl 43.
So the Steelers' players are looking at Roethlisberger's suspension as just another hurdle to clear.
"With us, there have been years when I thought we'd be good and we didn't do well," Polamalu said. "There have also been years when I didn't think we'd have a chance, and they turned out very good. But one thing has held true in Pittsburgh: We play the underdog role really well.
"I think the stage is set for us this year."
http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/20 ... ut-for-big (http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/2010-08/sharp-debut-for-big)
The Pittsburgh Steelers now have had four months to absorb the news that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss the first four or six games of the '10 season because of a league suspension. With time comes some perspective.
Steelers star safety Troy Polamalu, for one, says the battle-tested team can survive with Byron Leftwich or Dennis Dixon at quarterback the first month-plus of the season.
"It's adversity that we're going to face, but it's nothing we haven't faced before," Polamalu told Sporting News' Clifton Brown. "We've played games without Ben. Honestly, I think we've done well in the past with our backup quarterbacks."
Since Roethlisberger became the starting quarterback during the second game of his rookie season, he has missed eight starts. The team went 4-4 in those games, but three of the losses were to divisional-rival Baltimore.
Commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly is leaning toward reducing Roethlisberger's suspension to four games. To survive against the first-month schedule — vs. Atlanta, at Tennessee, at Tampa Bay, vs. Baltimore — Polamalu says more responsibility for the won-lost record will fall to the defense, not Leftwich or Dixon.
"We understand as a defense that we have to step up and play a bigger role," he said. "He won't be there to help us win games."
The Steelers ranked fifth in the NFL in total defense last year, but there is good reason to believe the unit will be better in '10. First and foremost is Polamalu. The five-time Pro Bowler missed 11 games last year. Not only did the defense miss his havoc-wreaking and big plays, his absence forced teammates out of position. Case in point: In trying to compensate for Polamalu’s loss, free safety Ryan Clark often was burned for big pass plays.
The team yielded nine pass plays of 40-plus yards last year, but only two the year before when Polamalu played all 16 games.
The defensive line also will be fortified by the return of run-stuffing end Aaron Smith, who missed 11 games last year with a torn rotator cuff. The run defense got progressively worse without him, allowing an average of 124.3 yards over the last six games. And second-year end Ziggy Hood, a ‘09 first-round pick who played sparingly as a rookie, has been a star during training camp.
With pass-rush demons James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley still in place and with an improved run defense up front and an improved back end, there is reason to believe the unit could again return to its '08 form — when it led the NFL in total defense and pass defense and ranked second in run defense.
The '08 unit also led the league in sacks and interceptions en route to winning Super Bowl 43.
So the Steelers' players are looking at Roethlisberger's suspension as just another hurdle to clear.
"With us, there have been years when I thought we'd be good and we didn't do well," Polamalu said. "There have also been years when I didn't think we'd have a chance, and they turned out very good. But one thing has held true in Pittsburgh: We play the underdog role really well.
"I think the stage is set for us this year."
http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/20 ... ut-for-big (http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/2010-08/sharp-debut-for-big)