THE TALLY THUS FAR!

[AngryAsian]

The Tally thus far.... of injuries:

RG: Simmons- achilles (out for the year)
Punter: Sepulveda- knee (out for the year)
RB: Mendenhall- shoulder (out for the year)

RB: Parker- sprained knee
Kicker: Reed- strained calf
FB: Davis- ankle sprain
NT: Hampton- groin pull
DE: Keisel- shoulder?
LT: Smith- cramps?
CB- Townsend- to tell you the truth I can't remember?

Holy crap.... that's a crap load of injuries and with the exception of Mendy... all are starters. That's a sick statistic, when you consider we are 4-1 and atop of our division w/ this ugly schedule. I can't even fathom what the rest of the season will bring. One thing for sure, it gets harder after the bye. I love being a Steeler fan. Talk about a team to be proud of... this list proves that we're tough as nails and pretty friggen' deep. Anyone I missed please feel free to fill in the blanks.

[frankthetank1]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

i agree, its amazing how resiliant this team is. also frazier got hurt against baltimore but some how he is ok. thank god ben hasnt missed any time. i think ben and troy are the most important players on this team and maybe also aaron smith. if ben goes down we are screwed.

[LouSteel]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

I think the best indication of our depth is that a guy on the very bottom of the depth chart almost hit 100 yards rushing.

Besides that:

Our third CB might've won the starting job after subbing for Townsend.

66% of our DL is injured, and the second team is filling in without missing a beat.

If you told me last year that we'd be 4-1, with our schedule, and missing 2/3 of our DL, 2/5 of the OL, and our two starting RBs, I'd honestly say you were nuts. I've got to admit -- I didn't think we were nearly this deep.

And man, I'm happy to be proven wrong

[SteelTorch]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

I said before the start of the season that we would be one of the deepest teams in the NFL. With these injuries in mind, I sure am glad I was right. Thank God for this bye week.

[Iron Shiek]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

You forgot the most important injury(ies) (even though no time has been missed):

QB:Roethlisberger, Ben (multiple body parts)

and last but not least:

QB, Batch, Charlie (shoulder)

[SteelTorch]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

You forgot the most important injury(ies) (even though no time has been missed):

QB:Roethlisberger, Ben (multiple body parts)

and last but not least:

QB, Batch, Charlie (shoulder)

When you count those two, that's 12 injuries total. Damn.

[Iron Shiek]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

At least there might be some relief ahead. Keisel returned to practice today and FWP ran around without pads from one report I read.

[Oviedo]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

At least there might be some relief ahead. Keisel returned to practice today and FWP ran around without pads from one report I read.

Need to get "Fats" Hampton back in gear. Hoke can't do it all by himself.

Good time for the Bye!!!!

[buckeyehoppy]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

For all the harping I do on the OL, I will clarify that my concerns are mostly directed at the Ts.

That said, I am extremely proud of the Kemo, Darnell and Hartwig to this point. I'll even toss in an honorable mention for KSimm. The biggest hallmark for these guys is the strength of the running game and the versatility they have allowed in terms of what the RBs can do during the game. You can also point to the # of effective RBs and that is directly attributable to your Gs and C.

Your Gs and, to a very slightly lesser degree, your C anchor the charge for the overall rushing game. It's not all about running. It's also about catching the ball out of the backfield and working screens.

Losing KSimm might have been the greatest blessing in disguise for the Steelers. I really think we're all about to find out that Darnell might be the best OL pickup, next to Kemo and KSimm, in Colbert's tenure. Sometimes blind squirrels find acorns...Darnell is the biggest acorn that Colbert has copped yet.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

I believe Marvel was Colbert's 2nd pick in his first draft as the Steelers' GM (after Burress). Marvel is the best o-lineman to come to Pittsburgh in the Colbert era.

[AngryAsian]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

BH makes great points. I too like the way our interior looked last Sunday night. Kemo and Stapleton (two young bucks) anchored by the veteran center. If these three establish the synergy we were seeing flashes of against the Jags, we may very well have the chemistry we need to make a serious run throughout the rest of our heinous schedule. Hopefully a building block towards fortifying our line during the next draft.

[buckeyehoppy]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

I believe Marvel was Colbert's 2nd pick in his first draft as the Steelers' GM (after Burress). Marvel is the best o-lineman to come to Pittsburgh in the Colbert era.

Y'Know what? I thought 2001 was Colbert's first draft. Upon further review (thanx to Wikipedia), you would be correct with 2000, sir. Let's add Marvel to the list, too.

I always start Colbert's era, for some nutty reason, at 2001. Maybe I don't want to admit that he drafted him. But perhaps it's just as likely that I don't want to admit that Marvel is the only effective, starting caliber T that he has drafted in his tenure.

Maybe Colon and Hills will, somehow, "get it". I hope, for Captain Kevie's sake, that they do.

[buckeyehoppy]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

BH makes great points. I too like the way our interior looked last Sunday night. Kemo and Stapleton (two young bucks) anchored by the veteran center. If these three establish the synergy we were seeing flashes of against the Jags, we may very well have the chemistry we need to make a serious run throughout the rest of our heinous schedule. Hopefully a building block towards fortifying our line during the next draft.

Thanx for the love AS

In the off-season, and, particularly, leading in to the draft, I was saying that the Steelers were just fine at G and that a lot of players were playing out of position on the OL.

I still think Mahan could have contributed at G much more effectively than he could have at C. But the Steelers needed him off the bench, and that kind of $$$ wasn't about to come off the bench with Max Sucks being around, too.

Colon, IMHO, is still playing out of position. He isn't effective at T, and he came to the Steelers as a G candidate. I think the way he plays suggests that he would be a better G than T.

I like how the Steelers OL is positioned on its interior. If they can get any effective T play, the Steelers will go very far.

But the Steelers will absolutely need to address OTs and the DL this coming off-season. I sincerely hope that Colbert isn't planning on doing the data gathering on his own. His scouting has to include people who know what the f--- they are doing as far as evaluating OTs and DL talent. It might also require a position coaching change as well, but I think that only happens if the Steelers don't advance any further in the playoffs than they did last year.

[Slapstick]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

Don't forget special teams aces Donovan Woods and Keyaron Fox with their respective hamstring injuries...

Also, Keisel had a strained calf...

[ikestops85]

Re: THE TALLY THUS FAR!

and I think Eason had a groin injury.