Cut Hartwig, Pay Woodley

With the outstanding play of rookie center Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers are likely considering to cut Justin Hartwig.

Hartwig has been an adequate plug but its only a matter of time until Pouncey takes over.

With that being said, why not make Woodley happy and give him a 2 million dollar pay increase this year and release Hartwig. Hartwig is due to make 2 mil this year and that’s too muh for a backup center. Release Hartwig and give Woodley the 2 mil.

Revis or Woodley

With Lamarr Woodley not receiving a new contract this season as well as Darrelle Revis, the Steelers could be posed with an interesting scenario.

Both players are respectively one of the youngest “up and coming” stars in the National Football League (NFL) and both will be commanding huge, long-term contracts.  This begs the question that if the Steelers can afford extending Woodley then can’t they afford to sign Revis instead?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a history of developing great outside linebackers.  However, they haven’t been as lucky in developing top tier cornerbacks.  Revis is a gem and quite possible one of the best all around defensive players in the league.  Revis is being compared to a young Champ Bailey, a true lock down which many “experts” say cannot exist in today’s pass happy NFL.

With that being said, which player would you rather have?  If the Steelers could sign either player based on their current status and contract demands, would you choose Revis or Woodley?

Fantasy Focus: Steelers vs Browns

This week kicks off another entry of our fantasy football prediction blog.  Steelers face off against the 1-4 Cleveland

Browns today at 1pm at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA.  The Steelers have the opportunity to win its 3^rd straight game against a struggling Cleveland Browns team.  Last week, the Browns somehow pulled out a 6-3 victory against the Buffalo Bills which was one of the most painful games I had to watch in a long time.  Starting Browns quarterback, Derek Anderson went a miserable 2-17 in passing, but somehow the Browns were victorious.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a 28-20 win against the Detroit Lions.  The Steelers offense looked impressive again with Rashard Mendenhall averaging over 5 yards a carry and Ben Roethlisberger distributing the ball nicely to a wide range of his weapons including Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, Heath Miller and rookie, Mike Wallace.

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Not so impressive was the Steelers defense.  Again, the defense allowed an inferior team to come back in the first quarter until a streak of sacks by LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison ended the game.  From the defensivie perspective, the good news is that all-pro safety, Troy Polamalu is returning to action for the first time since the season opener against the Tennessee Titans.  The bad news is standout defensive end, Aaron Smith, who is critical to the Steelers 3-4 is out for the rest of the season with a torn rotator cuff.

And now for our Predictions:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger – Big Ben is off to one of his best starts in his already very successful career from a statistical perspective.  Roethlisberger is 1^st in the league in completion percentage and second in total yards only behind Peyton Manning. Roethlisberger is being considered a league Most Valuable Player (MVP) by most and I expect his numbers to only get better especially against a struggling Browns team.  Big Ben is a strong pickup this week amongst fantasy owners.

Heath Miller – Miller is on pace for his first Pro Bowl appearance and has been exceptional for the Steelers passing game so far this season.  Miller is second on the team with 29 receptions and 235 yards. He also leads the receiving corps with 3 TD’s.  Expect about 60 yards receiving and another touchdown for Heath Miller this week.

Hines Ward – Ward is the Steelers leading receiver thus far this season with 33 receptions and 440 yards receiving.  With Holmes wrist injury continuing to be a nagging problem, Ward will see more balls thrown his way.  However, it’s concerning to fantasy owners that Ward only has 1 touchdown so far this season.  With all things considering Ward is still a good play this week against the Browns.

Rashard Mendenhall – Mendenall has looked real impressive the past couple of weeks with Willie Parker being out due to a turf toe injury.  In two games, Mendenhall is averaging over 5 yards a carry and has 3 touchdowns.  Against the league’s worst running defense Mendenhall is expected to start and will see the majority of all carries with Fast Willie being the change of pace back as he recovers from his injury.

Ben Roethlisberger Jersey
Hines Ward Jersey
Rashard Mendenhall Jersey
Heath Miller Jersey
Santonio Holmes Jersey

Cleveland Browns

Joshua Cribbs – Unfortunately for the Browns, based on their play thus far this season, Cribbs is the only guy I would consider as a fantasy owner this week.  With Braylon Edwards being traded to the Jets, Cribbs should see some increased action as a 3^rd WR.  Aside from that, Cribbs is well known to be an extremely dangerous kick-off returner and has had prior success against the Steelers special teams unit.

Fantasy Focus: Steelers vs Bengals

This week kicks off another entry of our fantasy football prediction blog.  The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.  This may be a more difficult game than what most Steelers fans are anticipating.  The Bengals have 3 straight division games starting with the Steelers so expect them to try to set the tone against the Steelers.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger – Big Ben will rebound just fine against the Bengals defense.  The offense struggled last week to put points up on the board but they were able to move the ball against a solid Bears defense.  I see Big Ben and company putting up 27 points against the Bengals this week.

Hines Ward – Historically a Cincinnati killer (just ask Keith Rivers).  Ward is closing in on his 10,000 yards receiving mark and it very well could happen this week against the Bengals.

Santonio Holmes - Holmes had one of his worst performances in recent memory last week.  3 dropped balls including a tough but catchable winning TD catch capped off a disappointing day for Holmes.  Even though the weather was less than desirable and the field was messy, Holmes dropped several catchable balls that ended up as “drive killers”.  I expect Holmes to rebound and post a solid overall performance with over 100 yards and a TD.

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Parker / Mendenhall – Parker has been the most disappointing player on the team so far this season.  He’s not running the ball with any authority and he’s been “tip toeing” to the line of scrimmage.  Mendenhall might steal some of Parker’s opportunities and rightfully so.  It’s time for one of these two to step up and provide some sort of rushing attack.  The Bengals run defense has struggled so this might be a good game to get this offense going.

Heath Miller – Miller continues to be one of Roethlisberger’s favorite targets.  He’s consistent, has great hands, and picks up first downs.  With the offensive line struggling, Miller is a nice safety net for Big Ben.

Steelers Defense – Although the Steelers defense hasn’t necessarily struggled, they do have some flaws.  For one, the Steelers outside linebackers including Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), James Harrison and emerging star LaMarr Woodley only have a combined 2 sacks on the year.  Lawrence Timmons appears to be healthy which should hopefully add to the pass rush this week.  This is a shocking statistic that no one would have guessed going into the 2009-2010 season.  With the loss of Polamalu, Tyrone Carter was exposed by Jay Cutler last week being responsible for 2 touchdowns.

Cincinnati Bengals

Carson Palmer - If last game was any indication, Palmer appears to be healthy.  Palmer has one of the best deep balls in the game and is typically very accurate.  If the Steelers defense doesn’t get a pass rush against Palmer, it will be a long day for the Steelers and their fans.

Chad Ochocinco – Ochocinco has had just one 100-yard game and three touchdowns against the Steelers since Ike Taylor’s rookie season in 2003 so don’t expect much out of him today.   He talks a good game and is being outspoken against Steelers cornerbacks William Gay and Ike Taylor but until he produces on the field against the Steelers, I would steer away from picking Ochocinco.

Cedric Benson - Benson has been one of the bigger surprises this year for Cincinnati.  However, like most other running backs, expect Benson to struggle against the Steelers stellar run defense.  Don’t start Benson this week on your fantasy team.

Fantasy Football Pick of the Day: Santonio Holmes (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers)

Max Starks Interview (Radio)

STEEL CURTAIN RADIO #4: MAX STARKS INTERVIEW

Check out the 1 on 1 Interview with Max Starks

Click Link to Listen

Show Topics:

1.  Max Starks talks About Free Agency and his Long Term Plans
2.  Max talks about what makes Big Ben so Special?
3.  Max gives his thought son Albert Haynesworthss Deal
4.  Max speaks on the media’s focus on contracts?
5.  Max gives his thoughts on Demarcus Ware
6.  Max gives his thoughts on the differences between Tomlin and Cowher

Interview Provided by: whatchatalkinbout.com

McFadden Testing the FA Market

Bryant McFadden, the Steelers starting cornerback (opposite of Ike Taylor) became a free agent at 12:01 Friday, February 23rd.  With the big market signings of Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha and Redskins CB Deangelo Hall, McFadden and high-profile agent Drew Rosenhaus may be looking for a pay day. 

McFadden has been said to have visits scheduled with the Lions, Cardinals and possibly the Ravens.  I also wouldn’t be surprised to the see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers interested. 

The Steelers would be very wise to sign McFadden.  That would allow the Steelers to focus more exclusively on the offensive and defensives lines.  They lack quality starters and depth on the offensive line.  The defensive line has very little depth but a solid starting lineup.  The entire defensive line is now over 30 years old and Casey Hampton is in the last year of his contract.  Don’t expect the Steelers front office to extend Hampton’s contract which leaves a gaping hole at NT, leaving vacant one of the most important positions in the 3-4 defense. 

The Steelers haven’t fared well in the offseason thus far.

• The Steelers have been unable to lock down James Harrison for a long-term contract. In fact, his agent said that they’re “not close”.
• The Steelers franchised Max Starks. The FO has said that they plan on working out a long-term contract. Well, that’s what they said last year when they slapped him with the transition tag. Starks made close to 7 million last year with the transition tag and now is scheduled to make close to 9 million this year due to the franchise tag. Wouldn’t the Steelers see that it’s financially more sound to sign him to a long term deal instead of paying him close to 16 million for 2 years?
• Willie Colon was tendered a 1^st round pick. Are the Steelers planning on signing Colon long-term? Will he be playing guard or tackle?
• The Steelers haven’t extended LaMarr Woodley or Heath Miller
• The Steelers are very thin at offensive line and haven’t signed ANYONE. Kemo is returning but Essex remains unsigned, and Simmons was cut. This leaves the Steelers with an empty slot at guard and the other guard as Darnell Stapleton who struggled at times last season. A look towards the future (2010 season) indicates that Justin Hartwig, Willie Colon, and Max Starks will all be UFA next season. That could possibly mean that the entire offensive line could contain new starters in one year.
• Nate Washington is expected to sign with the Detroit Lions for #2 wide receiver money.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 Salaries

Steelers 2008 Salaries
Rk	Player	Salary (US$)
1	Ben Roethlisberger	$27,701,920
2	Max Starks	$6,899,800
3	James Farrior	$6,802,400
4	Hines Ward	$5,453,840
5	Ike Taylor	$4,643,360
6	Troy Polamalu	$4,625,000
7	Marvel Smith	$4,551,440
8	Casey Hampton	$4,100,960
9	Brett Keisel	$3,903,840
10	Willie Parker	$3,903,840
11	Kendall Simmons	$3,601,920
12	Aaron Smith	$3,255,760
13	Charlie Batch	$3,036,720
14	Rashard Mendenhall	$2,815,000
15	Larry Foote	$2,542,880
16	Lawrence Timmons	$2,199,760
17	Santonio Holmes	$2,176,920
18	Mewelde Moore	$2,005,760
19	Justin Hartwig	$1,980,760
20	Limas Sweed	$1,861,000
21	James Harrison	$1,806,720
22	Ryan Clark	$1,505,280
23	Deshea Townsend	$1,434,320
24	Jeff Reed	$1,430,280
25	Chris Kemoeatu	$1,423,240
26	Nate Washington	$1,419,880
27	Heath Miller	$1,347,260
28	Travis Kirschke	$1,133,360
29	Chris Hoke	$1,106,240
30	Greg Warren	$1,055,280
31	Tyrone Carter	$1,001,920
32	Trai Essex	$932,280
33	Nick Eason	$874,800
34	Mitch Berger	$870,000
35	Orpheus Roye	$870,000
36	LaMarr Woodley	$839,800
37	Bruce Davis	$800,626
38	Andre Frazier	$765,280
39	Keyaron Fox	$649,800
40	Byron Leftwich	$645,000
41	Bryant McFadden	$623,360
42	Sean McHugh	$605,000
43	Tony Hills	$599,500
44	Willie Colon	$451,720
45	Anthony Madison	$450,760
46	Arnold Harrison	$449,800
47	Anthony Smith	$448,840
48	Dennis Dixon	$425,000
49	Jon Dekker	$376,240
50	Matt Spaeth	$376,240
51	Darnell Stapleton	$376,240
52	Carey Davis	$375,760
53	Daniel Sepulveda	$375,760
54	William Gay	$374,800
55	Gary Russell	$370,000
56	Mike Humpal	$366,575
57	Dallas Baker	$301,720
58	Donovan Woods	$298,500
59	Scott Paxson	$295,000

The Super Six

The Super Six

The Pittsburgh Steelers are Super Bowl XLIII Champions.  How sweet it is to bring back another Vince Lombardi Trophy to the city of Pittsburgh.  It is well deserved.

I had to wait a few days to write this blog to let the victory sink in.  To be honest, I am still in the process of reading every Super Bowl article on the internet still.  You name it, the Post Gazette, Tribune-Review, ESPN, CBS SportsLine, Yahoo! Sports, etc.  I just can’t get enough of this Super Bowl victory.  It was perhaps the most emotional game I have ever watched.  I can honestly say that I thought destiny (and the referees) were against us when I saw Larry Fitzgerald score a touchdown, to take the lead, with just under 3 minutes remaining.  I thought the game was over.

Then, our franchise QB, Ben Roethlisberger marches 88 yards down the field (in spite of a holding call on Darnell Stapleton).  To cap off the drive and the Super Bowl victory, Santonio Holmes made one of the best catches I have ever seen and possibly the best catch in Super Bowl history.  Give huge props to Big Ben Roethlisberger; he put together possibly the best 2-minute drive in Super Bowl history.

I won’t review the game since you all have probably seen all the highlights and read all the analysis you can handle at this point.  However, in a future post, I will add all the Super Bowl XLIII highlights to our Steelers photo and highlight gallery.  What I will review is a few plays and thoughts from the Super Bowl.

James Harrison returns interception for 100-yards
The interception return was easily one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history and is now in the record books as the longest play for a touchdown in Super Bowl history.  I couldn’t believe what I was watching and was going crazy in watching him go yard-by-yard on the way to a pick-six.  I think I was gasping for air just as much as James Harrison was by the time he reached the end zone.  That play was simply unbelievable.  That was most likely, at a minimum, a 10-point swing.

Troy Polamalu lining up face-to-face with Larry Fitzgerald
I personally think this matchup wasn’t talked about nearly enough and should have been one of the post-game story lines.  Larry Fitzgerald, the best athlete on the Arizona Cardinals (and best WR  in the NFL) matched-up with Troy Polamalu whom is equally as athletically gifted.  Polamalu played bump and run with Fitzgerald to try to slow him up a bit and delay him from ‘hitting his routes’.  The media downplayed this matchup.  Most people questioned why Kurt Warner didn’t get the ball in Fitzgerald’s hands earlier but you can’t throw the ball to the guy if he’s double and sometimes triple covered.  Give Ken Whisenhunt credit for moving Fitzgerald around later in the game to get better matchups.  I thought Dick Lebeau and the Steelers D should have started moving Troy Polamalu around to ‘spy’ Fitzgerald later in the game.  They didn’t do it and you saw what happened.  Fitzgerald started torching our secondary.

Larry Fitzgerald scoring with just under 3 minutes to play
This was a devastating play and it really showcased why Fitzgerald is the best in the business.  He’s got the intelligence, the speed, leaping ability, and the hands to dominate in this league.  I really thought this was going to end up being the game winning touchdown.  Larry lined up in the slot, beat his man, split the seam and was off to the races.  Troy Polamalu took a gamble and the Steelers defense paid the price.  Polamalu was over aggressive and attacked the out pattern which opened up a huge hole down the middle of the field.

Larry Fitzgerald beating Ike Taylor on the fade route
This is just another showcase of this guys ability.  Also, give props to Ike Taylor because he had absolutely incredible coverage.  It’s just that if Fitzgerald gets his hands on that football in a “jump ball” situation, he almost always comes down with it.

The play of Big Ben
In watching this game, Ben Roethlisberger had an absolutely incredible game and really deserved the MVP award and that’s not taking anything away from Santonio Holmes because he had an amazing game as well.  Ben Roethlisberger made some plays that showcased why he’s an elite quarterback in this league.  His scrambling ability to buy time in the pocket was amazing.  In particular, the throw to Heath Miller in the first quarter while buying time and throwing across his body displayed his underrated athleticism, arm strength and his field vision.  Steve Young said it best (and I’m NOT a Steve Young fan) when he asked Ben, ‘How do you do that’, ‘Do you have eyes in the back of your head’.  It sure seems that way, Young.

The playmaking of Roethlisberger doesn’t stop there either.  His pump fakes caused the Arizona Cardinals cornerbacks major headaches as well as his ability to extend the play in the pocket.  His accuracy was “spot-on” in the biggest game in the world (or maybe I should refer to the Planet hereJ ).  For example, his 1^st down throw to Holmes on the last drive displayed his accuracy and arm strength.  His throw out of the end zone (which resulted in a safety due to the Hartwig bogus holding penalty) was equally impressive.  His 2-minute drive was typical Ben fashion.  Even though I’ll admit that I wasn’t confident at the point, I knew that with Big Ben this game was not over.

The game winning touchdown pass to Holmes in the end zone was perfect.  It couldn’t have been thrown in any other place.  If Ben threw that ball a foot to the left, it’s intercepted.  If Ben throws that ball a foot to the right, it’s out of Holmes’ reach.  Ben was simply incredible on the biggest stage in the world and in my mind, is well on his way to becoming a Hall of Famer.  Did I mention he’s only 26?

Holmes Breakout Party (and a bit on Hines)
The play of Holmes’ was equally as impressive.  He just made play after play after play.  I give him huge credit because I knew that the extra coverage was going to be rolled his way because of the injury to Hines Ward.  I thought the first reception to Hines Ward was instrumental because it scared the Cardinals in thinking that he was healthier than what he really was and opened the door for Holmes.

Hines played more of a decoy role in this game but he’s equally as good.  The guy is a flat out football game that plays the game the way it was meant to be played.  Hines Ward plays tough, healthy/hurt, emotional, physical and great.  He’s the ultimate Steeler and I can’t wait to see him inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

With Ward not being 100%, it was time for Santonio to step up.  And step up he did, by winning himself the Most Valuable Player honors.  The media hype up rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie all week and said he would shut down one of the Steelers receivers.  Well, that was far from the truth.  I think Holmes took a little offense to that as well.  Cromartie was used and abused by Holmes all game.  It was a complete mismatch and the Steelers exploited it.

Other Notes:

Offensive Line – While they played a decent game, especially the tackles (wow, did I really say that?) it just makes me wonder how good Big Ben would be with a solid o-line.  I think we’ll see the offensive line addressed this offseason.  I am predicting that they’ll be one new starter at guard and tackle come next year.  Our offensive line in short yardage situations is a terrible though.  The Steelers failed to score a touchdown on two occasions (1inside the 10 yard line, and 1 on the inch yard line) that could have put this game WAY out of reach, early.

Coaching - Overall, I think the coaching was good.  Both Whisenhunt and Tomlin had their guys prepared to play.  I’m more impressed with Mike Tomlin more than ever now.  I guess a Super Bowl victory in your second season will do that.  Bruce Arians had a better than expected game plan but I would have thought, I’d see more passes to Heath Miller especially with the early success.   Dick Lebeau had a great game plan as well but that is nothing new.  It’s great that he’ll be back next season!

Linebackers – The Steelers ‘backers had an amazing game.  Harrison is simply a beast and must be accounted for on every play.  Woodley is an all-pro type player and we should be lucky to have him and he’s only in his second year!  He dominated Levi Brown all day and clinched the game with the forced fumble.  Foote is still solid and very good against the run.  James Farrior is Mr. dependable and is the leader on defense.  He had a great game and is well deserving of his Pro Bowl status.  Farrior is playing like he’s 24 years old, not 34.  It’s a credit to his preparation.  Lawrence Timmons is a star in the making.  Timmons has his troubles in run defense, but he’s great in pursuit, an explosive hitter, great in coverage, and has speed and burst.

Steelers Defense vs. Kurt Warner

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense will face it’s toughest challenege tomorrow against the Kurt Warner and their loaded-weapons offense.

Pittsburgh’s defense doesn’t exactly match up well against the high-powered Cardinals offense featuring Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Bolder and Steven Breaston.

Kurt Warner will pose a significant challenge against the Steelers.  Why you may ask.  The Steeler defense was ranking #1 in every statistical category but haven’t faced a passing offense like the Cardinals.  However, the Cardinals have not faced a defense even close to the Steelers.  This is a very intriging matchup to say the least.  Warner has the quickest release in football (putside of Tom Brady) which  may neutralize the blitzing of LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison.  Then, if the Steelers send additional blitzers such as Troy Polamalu, Deshea Townsend, Lawrence Timmons, James Farrior then this could expose the secondary.  Kurt Warner has the experience and field vision to find the open receiver and pick the Steelers apart.  Very few quarterbacks we have faced, have the ability to do that; Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, and Kerry Collins to name a few.  Kerry Collins was very successful against the Steelers being very accurate and having loads of time to throw the ball.  It will be up to the Steelers defense to get to Warner quickly and early to force him into a few quick turnovers.  The New England Patriots gave the Steelers a very good blue print on how to get to Warner.

Expect Dick Lebeau to have a few tricks up his sleeve to make it a miserable day for Warner.  I see the Steelers getting 5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and holding the Cards offense to under 300 yards before becoming the only team in Super Bowl history to have 6 Lombardi Tropheys.

Here We Go Steelers!

Rivers poses significant challenge

Philip Rivers, QB, of the San Diego Chargers poses a significant challenge for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense tomorrow afternoon at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Rivers who was considered for offensive player of the year is leading his team to a strong finish down the stretch.

For the 2008 NFL season, Rivers has racked up quite the statistics with over 65% completion percentage, 34 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and boasts a quarterback rating of 105.5. Based on these statistics alone, Rivers can make a strong case for offensive player of the year considering that he matched the same touchdowns as Drew Brees, but threw 6 less interceptions. Most of this weeks media has been geared towards LT, and Sproles, but the Steelers must not get caught up in the media hype. The Chargers real star of the year lies in the hands of their quarterback.

To put Philip Rivers great season into prospective, let’s compare his 2008 stats with Ben Roethlisberger’s 2007 pro bowl year. In 2007, Big Ben posted a completion percentage of 65.3%, 32 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a QB rating of 104.1. These statistics are almost identical to Rivers. Steelers fans know the great year that Big Ben had, so it’s not very difficult to see that Rivers has had his career year thus far.

However, Rivers struggled in his last meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers top ranked defense by going 15-26 for 164 yards and two interceptions.

Expect Dick Lebeau to dial up blitzes heavily on Rivers and force him into making inaccurate reads and bad decisions. James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley are coming off some much needed rest and I expect them to get to Rivers early and often in this matchup.   Add that to Pittsburgh weather conditions of win, snow (6-8 inches) and a rabid Steeler fan base, I say .. advantage, Steelers.

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