James Harrison WILL NOT Play Sunday; Troy May Not too

[Slapstick]

back issues last year.

How many games did James Harrison miss due to the back problems that everyone keeps talking about?

Zero...

[hawaiiansteel]

Good news for Steelers

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012
posted by Dale Lolley

It appears that both James Harrison and Troy Polamalu will be back on the field for the Steelers when they return to action against the Philadelphia Eagles.

That's good news for a defense that has been cheesy soft on the road.

There has been some question as to how much Harrison can help this team because of his health.

Remember, this is a guy who started last season at about 50 percent due to two offseason back surgeries.

Harrison on one leg is better than 75 percent of the pass rushers out there.

[URL]http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sidelines/[/URL]

[hawaiiansteel]

bad news for the Steelers. I'm really starting to wonder if James Harrison has played his last down for us...

Ed Bouchette@EdBouchette:

LB James Harrison left #steelers facility in street clothes before practice. Not a good sign
26 Sep 12

[URL]https://twitter.com/EdBouchette[/URL]

[fordfixer]

bad news for the Steelers. I'm really starting to wonder if James Harrison has played his last down for us...

Ed Bouchette@EdBouchette:

LB James Harrison left #steelers facility in street clothes before practice. Not a good sign
26 Sep 12

[URL]https://twitter.com/EdBouchette[/URL]

Great

[squidkid]

smart move for harrison to hide the injury for this long so he could make the team this year and collect that big check

[RuthlessBurgher]

smart move for harrison to hide the injury for this long so he could make the team this year and collect that big check

What was he hiding? The team knew the injury was there throughout OTA's, minicamps, training camp, and the preseason. The team, aware of this injury all along, could have cut him when we had to get the roster down to 53.

[BigRob]

How many games did James Harrison miss due to the back problems that everyone keeps talking about?

Zero...

See above, he's done. He is starting to fall apart. I.E. Marvel Smith. Its time to move on from James Harrison as an every game reliable starter. He will not be back next year at his current salary. He will get cut and they will hope to sign him back to a very small contract for one more year.

[Oviedo]

See above, he's done. He is starting to fall apart. I.E. Marvel Smith. Its time to move on from James Harrison as an every game reliable starter. He will not be back next year at his current salary. He will get cut and they will hope to sign him back to a very small contract for one more year.

Seems like we are moving in that direction. We set a 21 year low in sacks last year. Looks like we will be going in that direction again.

[hawaiiansteel]

James Harrison Leaves Practice, Knee Is 'Bothering Him,' According to Source

By Neal Coolong ON SEP 26, 2012



Injured Steelers linebacker misses the team's last practice before the bye week.

Post-Gazette reporter Ed Bouchette reported (via. Jamison Hensely of ESPN) Steelers outside linebacker left the south side facility this afternoon without practicing, and a source told Bouchette his knee is "bothering him."

Harrison had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Aug. 15, and has barely practiced since. He did do some work before Pittsburgh's Week 1 game at Denver, but was ruled inactive for that game as well as those in Weeks 2 and 3.

How much any of this means is suspect. The Steelers don't play this weekend, and it would seem strange they would trot Harrison out for a full workout before giving the players four days off for their bye week.

His absence, though, has been a big factor in the Steelers' 1-2 start. There's some improvement starting to show from Chris Carter and Jason Worilds, but with teams attacking the Steelers in the flats and short curls - right around where Harrison's physical presence is best utilized - quarterbacks should expect their game plans to include a heavy dose of their shorter throws.

It's worked well for both Broncos QB Peyton Manning and Raiders QB Carson Palmer, who have gone a combined 43-for-60 (71.6 percent) for 455 yards and five touchdowns. The Steelers are 0-2, facing both of these quarterbacks on the road and surrendering 65 points.

[URL]http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2012/9/26/3413452/steelers-injury-report-bye-week-james-harrison[/URL]

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers' Polamalu feeling better at long last

September 29, 2012
By Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



The pass sailed over the middle, intended for one of the scout team's receiver, and, with one flying motion toward the ball, this much became apparent about Troy Polamalu.

"It feels much better," Polamalu said.

The reference was to the calf Polamalu said he injured in practice the week leading up to the season opener in Denver, an injury that kept the seven-time Pro Bowl safety out of the past two games for the Steelers.

Polamalu, though, returned to practice Tuesday, worked both days with the first-team defense and said he is "optimistic" he will play when the Steelers return from their open week to play the Philadelphia Eagles Oct. 7 at Heinz Field.

Then he added, "As long as coach [Mike] Tomlin is optimistic."

How could he not be?

Polamalu's return -- both to the lineup and to health -- should help a defense that has not made many significant plays and also surrendered game-changing plays in losses in Denver and Oakland.

Against the Raiders, all Polamalu could do was watch from the sideline as his former college housemate, Carson Palmer, brought his team back from deficits of 24-14 and 31-21 in the second half.

"I think if you kind of individually watched a player in the game, you can say everybody [on the defense] played pretty good," Polamalu said. "But everybody was messing up on the wrong play, one play consistently. Eleven guys weren't doing their job together on every play. And the way we play defense, whether you get one breakdown in the front [seven] or the secondary, it's pretty obvious."

Why?

Polamalu said it's because the Steelers play so much man defense.

"We play so much more man-to-man than anybody else," Polamalu said. "All those fire zones [blitzes], those are man-to-man. Those aren't zone coverages."

The Steelers got caught in one of those fire-zone blitzes in Oakland when Palmer checked out of a pass play on Darren McFadden's 64-yard touchdown run -- the longest run against the Steelers in the Tomlin era.

It was the second long touchdown against the Steelers this season. In the 31-19 loss in Denver, the Broncos scored on a 71-yard catch-and-run by wide receiver Demaryius Thomas that turned the game around.

"Any of those close games, a play here, a play there, make a difference," defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said. "We got to be the ones making those plays, which, in the two losses, we weren't."

Granted, Ryan Clark's interception on the first offensive play led to the first touchdown and a 7-0 lead against the Raiders.

But it not only was the only takeaway in the game, it also was the Steelers' only interception so far this season.

What's more, LeBeau is also bothered by the defense's decline in the second half of the losses against the Broncos and Raiders.

In Denver, the Broncos scored 24 of their 31 points, gained 208 of their 334 yards and had 11 of their 20 first downs in the second half. In Oakland, the Raiders scored 20 of their 34 points, gained 216 of their 321 yards and had 16 of their 21 first downs in the second half. What's more, Palmer converted 7 of 8 third-down chances in the second half.

"I wish I knew the answer to that because that's something we got to address," LeBeau said.

"We finished the [New York] Jets game, and it's our only win. If we finish the other two, we probably would have three wins. We're all aware of the problem and we're working on the corrections."

Having Polamalu back should help.

[URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-polamalu-feeling-better-at-long-last-655428/#ixzz27sdG8Us8[/URL]