thought on the OL

[steeler_george]

First of all, I am superstitious as they come, and I am starting to believe Kulger is a jinx to the OL. After all, he does have a history of coaching make shift lines even back in Buffalo. Now, that I got that in the air, let me rant about the OL and Blocking.

Is it time to hit the panic button yet? I was a postive even after the ass kicking from Baltimore that our OL will improve, but after 3 games im starting to think that is no improvement in sight. The blocking is just horrible, no cummunication, no timing, no effort by all OL, backers, and TE.

How many times did we see error blocks by Miller, and especially Johnson. It is time Kulger, BA, and Tomlin make them fall through on the details.

We might lack the talent, but the mental aspects are just killing us even more.

[Djfan]

First of all, I am superstitious as they come, and I am starting to believe Kulger is a jinx to the OL. After all, he does have a history of coaching make shift lines even back in Buffalo. Now, that I got that in the air, let me rant about the OL and Blocking.

Is it time to hit the panic button yet? I was a postive even after the bad word kicking from Baltimore that our OL will improve, but after 3 games im starting to think that is no improvement in sight. The blocking is just horrible, no cummunication, no timing, no effort by all OL, backers, and TE.

How many times did we see error blocks by Miller, and especially Johnson. It is time Kulger, BA, and Tomlin make them fall through on the details.

We might lack the talent, but the mental aspects are just killing us even more.

I agree. The fundamentals were lacking last night IMO. That's coaching.

[fezziwig]

Someone or some players needs to re-work their contract so we can get Flozell back or else we will be the next team to lose our quaterback.
Jonathan Scott is not the answer. If he wasn't getting run over, run around, thrown to the ground or pushed back into Ben he, was getting off the snap when the defense was already behind him practically.
Dang, another season of puke tackles !

[flippy]

The thing I was thinking yesterday watching the Buffalo game is how good Buffalo's line looks post Koogs. Not sure there's any correlation whatsoever.

And on a positive note for Koogs it did take a little over half a season for the OLine to start performing respectably last year.

But on that same note, the 2 best players on last year's line (Starks and Adams) are gone.

[NW Steeler]

You cant make chicken salad out of chicken SH!T. Not like they have a lot to work with, especially with not bringing back two of your starting OT's, then losing Colon. The good/bad news is it looks like Scott may be done now too, but who in the hell is going to play LT?

[insanesteelersfan]

You cant make chicken salad out of chicken SH!T. Not like they have a lot to work with, especially with not bringing back two of your starting OT's, then losing Colon. The good/bad news is it looks like Scott may be done now too, but who in the hell is going to play LT?




First of all, who said Adams was ever All World ? Yes he did a OKAY job after Colon got hurt, but he was not re-signed cause the team decided to bring back the original starting RT Colon, and Adams said he would NOT sign as a back-up. As for Starks, again, how do we know what the true story is here ? The type of nerve neck Injury Max suffered is simular to Mannings. And it is very normal after such a Injury that one has a great amount of strength loss that can never be reacquired again, and he was scheduled to make over 10 million as well. So calling Max and especially Adams are two best O-Linemen is not only a stretch, it is in Fantasyland.

[NW Steeler]

You cant make chicken salad out of chicken SH!T. Not like they have a lot to work with, especially with not bringing back two of your starting OT's, then losing Colon. The good/bad news is it looks like Scott may be done now too, but who in the hell is going to play LT?




First of all, who said Adams was ever All World ? Yes he did a OKAY job after Colon got hurt, but he was not re-signed cause the team decided to bring back the original starting RT Colon, and Adams said he would NOT sign as a back-up. As for Starks, again, how do we know what the true story is here ? The type of nerve neck Injury Max suffered is simular to Mannings. And it is very normal after such a Injury that one has a great amount of strength loss that can never be reacquired again, and he was scheduled to make over 10 million as well. So calling Max and especially Adams are two best O-Linemen is not only a stretch, it is in Fantasyland.

I never said either of them were All-World. I just said they were our two starting tackles. And yes, injuries and money were an issue with both of them. Point is it left the cupboard pretty bare, and you cant deny that.

[insanesteelersfan]

[quote="NW Steeler":2zfodhsh]You cant make chicken salad out of chicken SH!T. Not like they have a lot to work with, especially with not bringing back two of your starting OT's, then losing Colon. The good/bad news is it looks like Scott may be done now too, but who in the hell is going to play LT?




First of all, who said Adams was ever All World ? Yes he did a OKAY job after Colon got hurt, but he was not re-signed cause the team decided to bring back the original starting RT Colon, and Adams said he would NOT sign as a back-up. As for Starks, again, how do we know what the true story is here ? The type of nerve neck Injury Max suffered is simular to Mannings. And it is very normal after such a Injury that one has a great amount of strength loss that can never be reacquired again, and he was scheduled to make over 10 million as well. So calling Max and especially Adams are two best O-Linemen is not only a stretch, it is in Fantasyland.

I never said either of them were All-World. I just said they were our two starting tackles. And yes, injuries and money were an issue with both of them. Point is it left the cupboard pretty bare, and you cant deny that.[/quote:2zfodhsh]





Adams was never our starter. He was not even on our roster, not UNTIL the Colon injury, then Colon was healthy, and re-signed, and Flozell didn't wanna be here, not unless he was a starter, and had a guaranteed 2 year, 15 million dollar deal. You think he is worth 15 million guaranteed ? The guy was released by Dallas, and they had a Bad O-Line already. And is the ALL TIME career penalty leader for O-Linemen, and it's not even close. Yes we could use him as a depth player, but not at starters money for his age, conditioning, and the fact that he has never been anything other then a slightly above average RT.

[NW Steeler]

You are still taking what I am saying out of context I never said Flozell was worth that kind of money. Losing Colon again was a killer. I'm merely saying that we weren't playing with a full deck to begin with. Continuity is the best thing for an oline, and we have not had anything close to that. Last night was a train wreck. And Jon Scott was abused last night - horribly, I dont think I've ever seen an OT get pancaked like that before. Freeney is a beast, but still. Scott was on roller skates all night. What the hell are we going to do at this point?

[insanesteelersfan]

You are still taking what I am saying out of context I never said Flozell was worth that kind of money. Losing Colon again was a killer. I'm merely saying that we weren't playing with a full deck to begin with. Continuity is the best thing for an oline, and we have not had anything close to that. Last night was a train wreck. And Jon Scott was abused last night - horribly, I dont think I've ever seen an OT get pancaked like that before. Freeney is a beast, but still. Scott was on roller skates all night. What the hell are we going to do at this point?




I agree with you on that. That our current group is not only bad, but is Inexperienced as well. So if you're pointing out that the loss of Max and Adams is also a loss of experience, then that I will agree with. But as others have stated, there ARE things a team can do to protect their QB under a Bad, or injured O-line. Like rolling a QB out, using misdirection plays, ect. And it does seem like Tomlin is not even looking at doing that....which is sad.



Sad for Ben.

[NW Steeler]

Hopefully what you say happens, because the alternative is that our QB gets killed and our running game continues to be non-existent. That was hard to watch last night. Indy averaged over 5 yards a carry with their "scrubs".

[steelblood]

[quote="NW Steeler":3uxdaes6]You cant make chicken salad out of chicken SH!T. Not like they have a lot to work with, especially with not bringing back two of your starting OT's, then losing Colon. The good/bad news is it looks like Scott may be done now too, but who in the hell is going to play LT?




First of all, who said Adams was ever All World ? Yes he did a OKAY job after Colon got hurt, but he was not re-signed cause the team decided to bring back the original starting RT Colon, and Adams said he would NOT sign as a back-up. As for Starks, again, how do we know what the true story is here ? The type of nerve neck Injury Max suffered is simular to Mannings. And it is very normal after such a Injury that one has a great amount of strength loss that can never be reacquired again, and he was scheduled to make over 10 million as well. So calling Max and especially Adams are two best O-Linemen is not only a stretch, it is in Fantasyland.

I never said either of them were All-World. I just said they were our two starting tackles. And yes, injuries and money were an issue with both of them. Point is it left the cupboard pretty bare, and you cant deny that.





Adams was never our starter. He was not even on our roster, not UNTIL the Colon injury, then Colon was healthy, and re-signed, and Flozell didn't wanna be here, not unless he was a starter, and had a guaranteed 2 year, 15 million dollar deal. You think he is worth 15 million guaranteed ? The guy was released by Dallas, and they had a Bad O-Line already. And is the ALL TIME career penalty leader for O-Linemen, and it's not even close. Yes we could use him as a depth player, but not at starters money for his age, conditioning, and the fact that he has never been anything other then a slightly above average RT.[/quote:3uxdaes6]

We signed Flozell to a 2 year 7.5 million dollar contract. year one he made 2.5. He was under contract for this season for 5 million (I have no idea where you got 15 million for 2 years). The Steelers did not want to pay him 5 million for this season and asked Hotel to take a pay cut. When Flozell refused the Steelers signed Colon, then cut Flozell. It appears that was a mistake. Flozell never asked for 15 million over two years. All he wanted was his 5 million for this season (under his current contract) and to know that he'd start.

[feltdizz]

Koogs is a jinx. Sorry but the guy had hurt lineman on Buffalo and these last 2 years our line has been injured something awful. Maybe OL is hurting across the league but if one coach has 20+ injuries to his crew in 3 years something is up. Is he asking too much of them? Technique? Not sure but we need to look into it.

Ben, I feel for him... but the guy knows by now that he has a short clock and if he holds the ball looking for Wallace or deep passes the chances of getting hit are high.

I'm sure he is well aware of it and OK with it given his love for his OL over the years.

[steelz09]

I would bring back Flozell for RT. Flozell played RT better than Colon has IMO. Colon is the most overrated player on this team. I don't know how his agent talked him up enough to be considered one of the best RT in free agency. He isn't even close to that level.

I would let Scott and Gilbert battle out the LT spot week to week. I would also consider Starks if healthy.

Gilbert played at FL against speedy SEC competition. Scott has got to be on a short leash about last night. We have to keep in mind though that Starks got tore up by Freeney at one point in his career as well.

What REALLY concerned me about Scott was that he got so spun around (literally) that his back was sometimes facing the defender. You can't block what you can't see.... I mean for crying out loud, at least FACE the defender.

[insanesteelersfan]

In my past thread about other teams practice squad players, I mentioned maybe signing the rookie Michael Jasper off the Bills PS. He is a DT, but he also played on the O-Line as well. He is 6ft, 6, and 380 Lbs....maybe we can play him as a FB, and Ben can just hide behind him :lol:

[fezziwig]

Cook on the radio today that Starks wants to come back and he lost 75 lb since he's been gone.

[insanesteelersfan]

Cook on the radio today that Starks wants to come back and he lost 75 lb since he's been gone.




I personally heard Starks on the Radio where he said he is 355 Lbs, and wants to play again. Now if he lost 75 pounds, and is currently 355 Lbs, that means he was at 430 Lbs when we released him. I'm glad he has lost weight. But I doubt he can fit into Angelina Jollie's Bikini just yet :lol:

[fezziwig]

Ah, Angelina ! She hot but, when I die I woiuld like cremated and my ashes to be thrown upon Jennifer Aniston.
Angelina is getting too thin and I'm worried that my buddies will miss such a skinny target.
I told them I would prefer having my ashes tossed on Jennifer when she gets right out of the shower so I stick but, that has it's own problems.

All she is going to do is walk right back into the shower and rinse me off. Probably call the police first but, I better tell them to douse her when she's out for dinner so that I will have more time to hang with her and I'll probably get a ride in her car while, she's racing home to take a shower.

The average funeral is around $9,000.00 My way, $200.00 to be turned into ashes, $1,200.00 round trip to California, $1,000.00 bail for my buddies. Shiit, you would think more hot chicks would have dead people thrown on them for that little of expense.

[hawaiiansteel]

I personally heard Starks on the Radio where he said he is 355 Lbs, and wants to play again. Now if he lost 75 pounds, and is currently 355 Lbs, that means he was at 430 Lbs when we released him. I'm glad he has lost weight. But I doubt he can fit into Angelina Jollie's Bikini just yet :lol:


I'm not sure about Max, but I know I would like to get into Angelina Jolie's bikini...

[fezziwig]

I personally heard Starks on the Radio where he said he is 355 Lbs, and wants to play again. Now if he lost 75 pounds, and is currently 355 Lbs, that means he was at 430 Lbs when we released him. I'm glad he has lost weight. But I doubt he can fit into Angelina Jollie's Bikini just yet :lol:


I'm not sure about Max, but I know I would like to get into Angelina Jolie's bikini...


As long as she is wearing it at the time.

Years ago I was at this bar and it had a hot bartender girl working there. This guy leans over the bar and told her, " I'd like to get into your pants, " She leans over the bar to him and asked, " why, did you shiit yours ? "
Me and my buddies screamed in laughter and the guy walked out the door. Oh, I'll never forget that !

[hawaiiansteel]

I personally heard Starks on the Radio where he said he is 355 Lbs, and wants to play again. Now if he lost 75 pounds, and is currently 355 Lbs, that means he was at 430 Lbs when we released him. I'm glad he has lost weight. But I doubt he can fit into Angelina Jollie's Bikini just yet :lol:


I'm not sure about Max, but I know I would like to get into Angelina Jolie's bikini...


As long as she is wearing it at the time.

Years ago I was at this bar and it had a hot bartender girl working there. This guy leans over the bar and told her, " I'd like to get into your pants, " She leans over the bar to him and asked, " why, did you shiit yours ? "
Me and my buddies screamed in laughter and the guy walked out the door. Oh, I'll never forget that !

that's funny, that girl had obviously heard that line before and was ready for it.

as for Angelina (or Jennifer for that matter) it would be okay with me if they took their bikinis off...

[fezziwig]

She might have heard it before because she was quick. Then again, someone has to think of stuff like that so, maybe she was fast on her feet.

I was at Sheets late one night and a biker is ahead of me in line smoking. The cashier girl said, " sir, there is no smoking in the store" The biker replied, " well you sell them here. "
The cashier responded, " we sell condoms too ! "

[hawaiiansteel]

Tackle Scott had ankle wrapped after win over Colts

By Scott Brown, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, September 26, 2011

http://photos.triblive.com/photos/PITT/1329253/37944477E.jpg

INDIANAPOLIS — Left tackle Jonathan Scott had his left ankle wrapped in ice and used crutches to get around the visiting locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium following the Steelers' 23-20 win Sunday night.

Scott's injury appears to be the most serious of the ones that sidelined three of the Steelers' five starting offensive linemen in their win against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Steelers only dressed seven offensive linemen Sunday night. When Scott, who struggled against Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney, left the game late in the fourth quarter, Marcus Gilbert replaced him at left tackle.

Gilbert had been knocked out of the game earlier with a shoulder injury. The Steelers put the 6-6, 330-pound rookie on the left side because it was determined that would put less pressure on the shoulder he had injured earlier. Had Gilbert been unable to play, the Steelers would have had to play tight end David Johnson at left tackle.

"When J. Scott went down I was the first one out there," Gilbert said. "I wanted to help my team in any way."

Both Gilbert and starting right guard Doug Legursky, who was knocked out of the game early in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury, said they expect to play next Sunday at Houston.

"I'll be fine," Legursky said.

In other injury news, wide receiver and special teams captain Arnaz Battle didn't finish Sunday night's game because of a hamstring issue.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1Z5Zf2AxA (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_758738.html#ixzz1Z5Zf2AxA)

[DukieBoy]

You cant make chicken salad out of chicken SH!T. Not like they have a lot to work with, especially with not bringing back two of your starting OT's, then losing Colon. The good/bad news is it looks like Scott may be done now too, but who in the hell is going to play LT?


:lol:

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers are better than they looked last night, if marginally

by Homer J. on Sep 26, 2011


Every coach's nightmare is where your opponent's strong point matches up directly against your weakest point. And that's exactly what happened Sunday night.

Indy's two fabulous trench warriors, Freeney and Mathis, were matched against Jonathan Scott and Marcus Gilbert. It wasn't pretty from the beginning, and got downright ugly.

Indy stacked against the run and gambled that they could keep the game close by forcing the Steelers to pass. The calculus was they'd lose on some long passes (one to Wallace comes to mind), but would win on turnovers (three come to mind). Tony Dungy said before the game that the Colts could keep it close - or even win - if Ben had to pass on every down.

That's Bruce Arians' conundrum: he has half a dozen great pass receivers and a strong QB with an even stronger arm, but he doesn't have the offensive line to establish a running game or protect the quarterback. Unless things change, it's going to be a long, painful, frustrating season for Roethlisberger and his two fragile backups.

Arians kept Ward and Miller home a bit more than usual to block last night...but not enough. And we didn't see enough of David Johnson in the backfield. As Tomlin has said, there are many ways to protect the QB, and that's a good thing because the Steeler tight ends and wideouts are often better blockers than their offensive linemen.

We all know the phone is ringing at the Flozell Hotel and the Steelers are scouring practice squads for large, warm bodies. They may also do the unthinkable: offering players or draft choices for guys on actual rosters. Even assuming the guys who were hurt last night will be back soon, there is an obvious need for reinforcements. Now.

Adding a player or two and keeping in an additional blocker or two will help the Steelers next week. The fact that Freeney and Mathis don't play for Texas will help even more. The Steeler OL might be able to handle one superstar (Williams). Last night made it clear they can't handle two.

It should be interesting to watch how Emmanuel Sanders responds to his inexpiicably horrid performance on Sunday night. His intentional avoidance of DB Joe Lefeged after an interception was one of the worst bonehead plays in recent years. And this came after a big dropped pass and a couple of bad routes where he ran the wrong way or didn't realize he was the hot read. He's young and has a ton of promise. Mike Tomlin is a leader of men and I expect he'll screw Sanders head on straight. Homer would have smacked Sanders upside his head. Of course, that's why Tomlin is the youngest Super Bowl winning coach in history and Homer is busy on his word processor.

Homer can't understand all the hate on the D for allowing one damned drive. Of course, it should have been two, because that 17th string Indy QB couldn't hit that Garcon boy (multilingual pun) when he was open by at least 15 yards. And why was it whenever Homer saw that guy Painter, he kept thinking of that Aerosmith song, "Dude looks like a Lady!"

Homer doesn't really care what Painter looks like. He's just happy that the Dude Throws Like a Lady, or at least he did when Garcon had Ike looking for his jock strap on that sideline hitch-and-go.

We really don't know how good the defense is, because Indy's QB's were so awful. But we do know that Polamalu was absolutely awesome and Harrison is coming along fast. People should stop bitching about the ILB's because LeBeau had Polamalu on the line of scrimmage and all over the place, so 51 and 94 stayed home a lot. Especially Timmons, who stayed back when Polamalu guarded key receivers one-on-one. It worked, especially on third down.

This team is starting to click on defense and will get much better, so long as they stay healthy.

Texas has a lousy defense, and a world-class lousy secondary. If the Steelers can find a way to give Ben time to throw...... But that's a long order.

The story of this season will be how a team with numerous weak spots is able to patch them over week after week... and the first of those is the offensive line. It's gonna be a patchup job every week.

Of course, we said that after the third game of the 2008 season, when Ben got sacked 117 times by the Iggles, and even got dumped for a safety. The Iggles won that game 15-6. But somehow, with that horrid offensive line, the Stillers ended up winning a Lombardi trophy. There's a lesson there, somewhere. Somehow.

Go Steelers.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/20 ... #storyjump (http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2011/9/26/2450836/steelers-are-better-than-they-looked-last-night-if-marginally#storyjump)

[SteelAbility]

In my past thread about other teams practice squad players, I mentioned maybe signing the rookie Michael Jasper off the Bills PS. He is a DT, but he also played on the O-Line as well. He is 6ft, 6, and 380 Lbs....maybe we can play him as a FB, and Ben can just hide behind him :lol:

And maybe he could show DJ a thing or two about blocking from the FB position. :lol:

[isonator07]

Id swear this was Johnathon Scott if he was white.

http://forgifs.com/gallery/d/191579-1/Blind_kid_playing_football.gif

[hawaiiansteel]

Offensive line of Steelers struggles vs. Colts

By Scott Brown, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, September 27, 2011

http://files.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2011-09-26/0927SteelGilbCAP-a.jpg

INDIANAPOLIS — It probably wouldn't do much good to point out to angst-ridden Steelers fans that on a rainy Sunday night, a storm of events ganged up on an embattled offensive line.

There were injuries, Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney playing like one of the leaders of a desperate team and showing why he is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.

There were other timing issues as well — namely the Steelers having to use a silent snap count because of the crowd noise, negating the advantage offensive lines have over defenses by knowing exactly when to fire off the ball.

"Not trying to make excuses or anything, but they did do a lot of stunting inside," center Maurkice Pouncey said after the Steelers held off the Indianapolis Colts, 23-20, at Lucas Oil Stadium. "We'll learn from it and build on it in practice."

It is tempting to ask, "Build on what?" The Steelers have run the ball effectively for exactly one half through three games and have not kept defenders from getting to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Whatever answers the Steelers search for as they prepare to play the 2-1 Texans in Houston, they will do so from within.

Max Starks isn't returning to take over left tackle, a position he manned for the previous three seasons when healthy. Flozell Adams isn't coming back either, barring another major injury along the line, and money isn't a factor when it comes to going outside the organization.

If the Steelers thought Starks or Adams were better options than the players in their locker room, one of them would have been here before Freeney abused Jonathan Scott -- and before Rashard Mendenhall continually encountered choked running lanes against a defense that has generally been a panacea to struggling ground games.

Stability has made the Steelers a model franchise. It will keep them from looking for some elixir that fans crave, but what the organization would see as a concession to panic.

There is no question that the line has to get better, and there is reason to think that it can.

A return to health by left guard Chris Kemoeatu, who still appears bothered by the left knee injury he has been nursing since before the start of training camp, would help. Pouncey is also capable of playing at a much higher level than he has shown through the first three weeks.

Rookie Marcus Gilbert has shown promise at right tackle, and for all of Scott's shortcomings the Steelers were still able to make it to the Super Bowl last season with the sixth-year veteran starting the final 11 games at left tackle.

Continuity and help from the coaches in the form of adjustments should aid in the improvement of the offensive line.

And the situation up front will have to get a lot worse before the Steelers seriously consider going outside the organization to make it better.

http://files.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2011-09-26/0927SteelCarouselCAH-g.jpg

3 QUESTIONS WITH STRONG SAFETY TROY POLAMALU

What is your favorite movie?

"The Godfather I and II. As far as gangster movies, I just like the way that Don Corleone and Mike Corleone kind of handle themselves with class. They kind of went about it in a peaceful way but then they didn't succumb (when challenged)."

What is your favorite meal?

"I eat everything. I love food. The Food Channel I enjoy watching. I watch the Travel Channel more because those are like Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, all of these travel shows that are basically based on food."

Can you cook?

"No, my wife can cook. I'm the stay-at-home taste tester."

3 PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arian Foster, RB: The NFL's leading rusher in 2010 has been limited to 10 carries through Houston's first three games because of a nagging hamstring injury. If he is unable to play Sunday, the Steelers will get a steady dose of Ben Tate, who is fifth in the NFL with 301 rushing yards.

Antonio Smith, DE: Played well against the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII while with the Cardinals, and won't make life easy for a beleaguered offensive line. Smith has a sack in each of Houston's first three games.

Ike Taylor, CB: Playing as well as anyone on the Steelers' defense, Taylor figures to spend most or all of Sunday shadowing Andre Johnson. Arguably the best wide receiver on the planet, Johnson has caught seven passes in each of Houston's first three games.

NUMBERS

1 — Steelers' NFL rank in passing defense (164.0 yards per game).

3.0 — Rashard Mendenhall's yards per carry, fourth-lowest among NFL running backs with at least 40 rushing attempts.

27 — Games quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has won after the Steelers trailed or were tied in the fourth quarter or overtime.

85.7 — Steelers record for completion percentage in a game (minimum of 20 pass attemtps), set by Roethlisberger in 2007.

92.9 — Roethlisberger's completion percentage (14 attempts) in 38-17 win against the Texans in 2008.

138.0 — Texans' rushing yards per game, fifth-best in the NFL.

QUOTABLE

"Did we play well? No, but we know we didn't play well. Do we have to get better? Yes, and we will get better. I like the resiliency of the guys. All of these games are a learning process that we go through during the course of the season." — Wide receiver Hines Ward on the Steelers' 23-20 win at Indianapolis Sunday night

"Every time I get it I feel I can go the distance, so I'm always excited when I get an opportunity to get it." — Kick returner Antonio Brown, who had punt returns of 37 and 25 yards against the Colts

"He's been fine. I thought he was solid all night. I thought he was very tough against the run." — Coach Mike Tomlin on outside linebacker James Harrison's health and his play against the Colts

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1Z7YwPjh5 (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_758855.html#ixzz1Z7YwPjh5)

[Ghost]

Id swear this was Johnathon Scott if he was white.

http://forgifs.com/gallery/d/191579-1/Blind_kid_playing_football.gif

I'm laughing so I don't cry. That could also be D. Johnson on just about every play where he doesn't put a helment on anyone!

[fezziwig]

At least this kid found his way back. Johnson couldn't have figured that much out.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

[quote="NW Steeler":2g6nri77]You cant make chicken salad out of chicken SH!T. Not like they have a lot to work with, especially with not bringing back two of your starting OT's, then losing Colon. The good/bad news is it looks like Scott may be done now too, but who in the hell is going to play LT?




First of all, who said Adams was ever All World ? Yes he did a OKAY job after Colon got hurt, but he was not re-signed cause the team decided to bring back the original starting RT Colon, and Adams said he would NOT sign as a back-up. As for Starks, again, how do we know what the true story is here ? The type of nerve neck Injury Max suffered is simular to Mannings. And it is very normal after such a Injury that one has a great amount of strength loss that can never be reacquired again, and he was scheduled to make over 10 million as well. So calling Max and especially Adams are two best O-Linemen is not only a stretch, it is in Fantasyland.

I never said either of them were All-World. I just said they were our two starting tackles. And yes, injuries and money were an issue with both of them. Point is it left the cupboard pretty bare, and you cant deny that.





Adams was never our starter. He was not even on our roster, not UNTIL the Colon injury, then Colon was healthy, and re-signed, and Flozell didn't wanna be here, not unless he was a starter, and had a guaranteed 2 year, 15 million dollar deal. You think he is worth 15 million guaranteed ? The guy was released by Dallas, and they had a Bad O-Line already. And is the ALL TIME career penalty leader for O-Linemen, and it's not even close. Yes we could use him as a depth player, but not at starters money for his age, conditioning, and the fact that he has never been anything other then a slightly above average RT.[/quote:2g6nri77]

We would have never had to sign Flozell to a two year deal. He was still under contract for one more year at $5M. The team was not willing to bring him back under the terms of his deal so they let him go.

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers' O-line confident despite revolving door

By Mark Kaboly, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, September 29, 2011

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With left tackle Jonathan Scott (ankle) and right guard Doug Legursky (shoulder) likely to miss Sunday's game, the Steelers will turn to a pair of backups — Trai Essex and Ramon Foster — who are quite familiar with the offense.

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During a conference call with Houston Texans reporters, Ben Roethlisberger was asked how he can have confidence in the offensive linemen the Steelers keep pulling off the street and plugging into the starting lineup.

He wasted no time correcting the assertion.

"Well, actually, the guys we've signed off the street are guys that have been here," he said.

"I am not worried at all," center Maurkice Pouncey said. "If we just signed a guy and he had to come in and start this Sunday, it would be a little different."

That's not the case. Essex is a seven-year veteran who has played 62 career games. Foster started 10 games at right guard last year, including the Super Bowl. Having experienced backups is a luxury but also the product of recent instability.

"You feel they are vet guys, and you expect them to do well," left guard Chris Kemoeatu said. "There is no fall-off. ... They've been around."

But they're still backups, and that's not ideal for a line reeling from a poor performance at Indianapolis on Sunday, when it gave up three sacks and five more pressures and helped the team rush for just 68 yards. For the season, the Steelers are 22nd in sacks per pass play and 26th in rushing yards per attempt.

"As long as we don't overreact, we'll be OK," said Essex, who will start his first game at left tackle in more than four years. "Unfortunately, this has happened before to the Steelers, and we survived. We feel like we have a great situation here. Look at what we've done in recent years."

Last year, the Steelers had six starting line combinations and five linemen who played three or more positions during a game — and they advanced to the Super Bowl, had a top-10 running back and gave up their fewest sacks in five years.

"This has been happening for three or four years now," Kemoeatu said. "And we still find a way to get it done."

In the offseason, the Steelers went through a major overhaul on the line. They opted not to bring back veterans Max Starks and Flozell Adams, instead choosing to re-sign Scott and Willie Colon. The latter tore his triceps in the first game and was lost for the season, and the former is likely out for a while. Only Kemoeatu and Pouncey remain from the line that started Week 1 at Baltimore.

Offensive line coach Sean Kugler is used to these kinds of problems. In 2009 with the Buffalo Bills, Kugler lost three starters and five linemen total to injured reserve. He was forced to field six tackle tandems and nine line combinations. He twice signed players and had them in the starting lineup four days later — and once dressed an injured player as the sixth lineman in case of emergency.

The Steelers' case isn't nearly that extreme, which leaves them confident as they head to Houston.

"We have a lot of guys with experience in our room," Foster said. "We can pick up right where we left off when guys go down."

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