1997 || 1998 || 1999 || 2000 || 2001 || 2002 || 2003 || 2004 || 2005 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008

12/22 Here are the players who will represent the Steelers in the 2004 Pro Bowl:

• G Alan Faneca: no surprise there. Faneca, arguably the best guard in the entire league, goes to his 4th straight Pro Bowl.
  
  
• WR Hines Ward: no surprise again. Ward is also going to his 4th in a row.
  
  
• C Jeff Hartings: this one is impressive - there was talk of him retiring before the season. Hartings continues the long line of great Steelers centers.
  
  
• LB James Farrior: in my opinion, this guy is NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He has been absolutely dominant this year, making one huge play after another.
  
  
• LB Joey Porter: this one was a surprise. Joey is not having one of his best years. Yes, he's improved over last year, but he just isn't the dominant force he once was.
  
  
• SS Troy Polamalu: it's only his second year in the NFL and first as a starter, but my what an impact he has made thus far. Troy is the new Carnell Lake. The Steelers are a perfect 5 for 5 with #1 picks so far this decade, with all five players being impact starters.
  
  

(11/8) The 2004 regular season is now halfway over, and what an incredible run it has been so far for the Steelers! Who could have ever imagined that we would be 7-1 at this point? Who could have imagined that a rookie quarterback would be leading the charge? Who could have imagined that the NFL's two remaining undefeated teams would both suffer their first losses at the hands of the Steelers (in convincing style no less)? It's hard to believe that this is all really happening. This team was 6-10 last year and going nowhere. The offensive line was crumbling, the running game was non-existent, and the defense was completely washed up. But I've always said that there are a select few franchises in the NFL that refuse to stay down for very long, and the Steelers are one of those franchises. What has transpired thus far is nothing short of amazing. There is still a ton of football left to be played yet this season, but for now let's take a moment to reflect on the first half with the annual Mid-Season Report. Enjoy.....

(10/21) Be honest - would you have ever guessed that the Steelers would be 5-1 heading into the bye week? If you said yes, then you're a liar! All is not well in Steeler Country however. All-Pro NT Casey Hampton injured his knee in Sunday's game in Dallas and is out for the season. This is a HUGE blow to the Steelers defense. Hampton clogs up the middle of the line. Without him, teams will likely have much more success running the ball against us. His replacement is Chris Hoke, who surprsised a lot of people in the pre-season. In fact, he played so well that the Steelers cut Kedrick Clancy, they guy who had served as the backup NT for four years (Clancy was still umemployed and re-signed back this week). Now I'm the first person to admit that pre-season means absolutely nothing, but at least the guy has some potential. Regardless, injuries are a part of pro football, and the Steelers will have to deal with them just like everyone else.

To make matters worse, the Steelers have also lost CB Chad Scott for 4-6 weeks. This loss isn't quite as bad as the Hampton loss. I'm not sure what some members of the local media have been smoking, because I'm hearing a lot of despondency over this one, as if we just lost Mel Blount or something. Scott is a gifted athelete with great speed. He doesn't get flat out burnt too often, but he has absolutely ZERO awareness. Often he is right on a WR, but the guy catches it anyway because Scott doesn't know where the ball is. He has been the subject of Steelers fans ridicule for the last few years, but this year he was at least serving the purpose of providing veteran leadership in a secondary full of first-year starters. The good thing is that the Steelers have depth at the position. In 1995, CB Willie Williams stepped in to help save the season after starters Rod Woodson (knee) and Deon Figures (gang fight) went down with injuries. Now nine years later, he will be asked to do it again. Rookie Ricardo Coclough will also be waiting in the wings if needed. The Steelers also lost McKeesport Mike for the season, so they need all the help they can get.

I'm not a big bye week fan, but the Steelers need this one to heal up. If you want to root for someone this weekend, root for the Patriots to beat the Jets. I cannot even begin to imagine the pandimonium that would grip this town if the New England Patriots would come here riding a 21 game winning streak! I really hope it happens.

(9/30) Tragedy has struck in Steeler country. Justin Strzelczyk was killed in a car accident in New York this morning. "Jugs" was an offensive lineman for the Steelers for the entire 1990's. He was a big, lovable character. He was never a star, but fans all used to like him. That is why the circumstances of his death are particularly hard to accept. Apparently Strzelczyk led state police on a reckless and ultimately fatal chase through a busy highway. Reports say that he fled a hit-and-run, then with police in pursuit, Strzelczyk threw empty beer bottles out the window and crossed over into oncoming traffic, where he crashed into a tanker truck. What would have driven him to do something like that? Was he just really drunk? What a sad, tragic event. Let's all keep his family in our prayers. Jugs will truly be missed by Steelers fans.

(9/20) When Ravens cornerback Gary Baxter hit Tommy Maddox from behind on Sunday, he may have unknowingly altered the course of Steelers history. First round draft pick Ben Rothlisberger was seen as the future of the team, but no one expected him to play this season. He would be the third-string guy. He would hold the clipboard and learn from the veterans. Then Charlie Batch went down with a season-ending injury early in the summer, suddenly vaulting Roethlisberger up to #2. While that was unexpected, Baxter's hit on a usually healthy Maddox was a shocker. Tommy will not even be able to throw a football again for at least six weeks (if not more). Now all of a sudden, Ben Roethlisberger is the Steelers starting quarterback, for better or worse.

It's no small task playing QB here. You have to have thick skin and be able to consistently win. No one has been able to do that since Terry Bradshaw retired more than 20 years ago. But from hearing Rothlisberger talk, he doesn't seem phased by the pressure, or maybe he just doesn't realize it's there yet.

He is going to face a tough defense on th road during his first start next week, so it should be interesting to see how he does. Let's be honest - you can't really rate his performance in that Baltimore game (though I'm sure hundreds of yinzers will attempt to do so via the talk radio airwaves this week). He came in for what would have been mop-up duty had Maddox been pulled rather than knocked out of the game. This may be an interesting season after all.

(8/27) Here are some observations now that the pre-season is almost over:

• I think that I'm going to take Plaxico Burress really high in my fantasy league draft. Plex is in a contract year and it's obvious from his play in pre-season that he is going to give it 100% this season (as opposed to his usual 60% or 70%). My prediction is that he will have the year of his life, get a huge contract (either from the Steelers or someone else), then flame out. I can't stand these guys who only play hard in a contract year. Is money the only reason they play football? (stupid question I guess).
  
  
• I think that Alonzo Jackson is about to join the Pittsburgh Steelers 2nd Round Draft Pick Hall of Shame, where he will be proudly welcomed by current members Will Blackwell, Jeremy Staat, and Scott Shields. Jackson had a chance to start this pre-season due to a Clark Haggans injury, and he has been noticably awful. He has missed tackles (like when he let Donovan McNabb slip out of a sure sack last night) and been out of position on several plays. Also, reports out of camp are that he has been struggling in practice too. Zo is a bust - let's just hope Cowher will swallow his pride enough to cut him in favor of someone worthwhile.
  
  
• I think that the Steelers offense looks sharp so far, and I also think that this new pass interference rule is going to help us a lot. I hate this rule based on principal - why is the NFL always making defense out to be a bad thing? - but with three decent receivers, the Steelers should be able to take full advantage.
  
  
• I think that everything I said about the pre-season means very little because it is after all the pre-season.
  
  
• I think that Pat Summerrall is a nice old man who had a long successful announcing career, but that he should be nowhere near a TV now that he is 107 years old. ESPN has him calling the pre-season games (like the Pittsburgh-Philly game last night), and it's just sad. The other announcers were just trying to help him through it like they were spoon-feeding him baby food or something.
  
  
• I think that my prediction about the Eagles not making the playoffs was verified by their play last night. They just don't have a good enough team to lose a 4th consecutive Championship game. They are also a bunch of cheaters on offense. They held onto Joey Porter like he was their boyfriend. No wonder McNabb gets so much time to pass or scramble.

(8/19) Well, there goes this season. Maybe we can look forward to 2005. Starting guard and 2002 first round draft pick Kendall Simmons is done for the season with a torn ACL. As you will recall, Simmons had health problems much of last year, as did fellow lineman Marvel Smith. As a result, the explosive Steelers offense of 2002 turned into a pathetic crapfest. Amos Zeroue failed miserably as starting RB (and Bettis did not fare much better), and Tommy Maddox often threw awful interceptions as the result of the enormous pressure he got from opponents front seven. Now it looks like we're in for more of the same this year.

If you think this is a "bad break", think again. The Steelers had every chance in the world to improve their depth at offensive line in the offseason, yet they did NOTHING. They worked on defense, which was also much-needed, but figured they could survive with a banged up left side, a 107 year old center, and two worst right tackles in NFL history. Well, we've only played one pre-season game, and already it's falling apart. Not sure where they go from here, but if I'm Big Ben, I want to stay on those sidelines until they get someone that can protect me.

This injury also illustrates what I always say about fluff training camp coverage by the media. Just this morning, there was an article in the Post-Gazette with the bogus headline "Simmons' injury not serious"!! Good in-depth reporting there, boys. Now how about you get back to your little Latrobe vacation and give us some more great articles about Plaxico's car!

(8/13) Ok, I have neglected this site for far too long. Football season is pretty much upon us, so I figured it's time to return to regularly updating my web site. To kick things off, let's review some of the recent news-worthy stories surrounding our beloved Steelers:

• Training Camp Opens: Is there honestly a more over-hyped event than this? I agree that the players and coaches need this time to prepare for the upcoming season. I do NOT agree that the media should be covering this like it's some kind of major event. Every day we are bombarded with fluff news pieces about players, along with stupid little tidbits like, "Lee Mays made a nice diving catch during one of the drills." As if that is any indication as to what kind of a season the Steelers are going to have!! Now when Quincy Carter gets cut or Ricky Williams goes crazy and abruptly retires from football, that is news-worthy. But when Joey Porter tackles Bill Cowher in practice, I don't need to hear about it for five days.
  
  
• Coach Gets an Extension: Bill Cowher's recent contract extension has been the source of a lot of grumbling, including Sports Illustrated, who accused the Steelers of being too "old school" because of their loyalty to coaches (as evidenced by the fact that they have only had 2 in the last 35 years). Now, I can see arguing that Cowher doesn't necessarily deserve this, but I still think he is a more than capable coach. I have no problem with the Steelers not rotating coaches like some other teams do. For every "Jon Gruden goes to Tampa and wins the Super Bowl" moves, there are about 50 changes that don't work out for the better. And to argue that Cowher won't be "motivated" to win unless his job is on the line is ridiculous. The guy wants to win regardless.
  
  
• Plex and Hines Unhappy: More overblown stuff. I personally could care less what Plaxico Burress feels he is entitled to. The guy has never lived up to the potential of being such a high draft pick, and personally I won't care if he leaves after this season. The more we ignore him, the better off we'll be. As for Hines Ward, I really doubt if he was ever seriously considering holding out. You have to realize that these guys are told to say and threaten certain things by their agents. For what it's worth though, Hines Ward is probably the most valuable member of the team, and if he wants more money, then I'll start a fund to give it to him!
  
  
• QB Controversy: Forget about this ever being a story. Ben Roethlisberger is going to sit for a while. Just get used to it now. I'm tired of people trying to figure out scenarios like, "Well, what if we are 4-9? Should we let Roethlisberger start the last three games??" Only time will tell when Big Ben gets his chance, but it will happen eventually. For now, just accept the fact that Maddox is still the starter for 2004.
  
  
• The Upcoming Season: I'll have more insight and predictions before opening day, but right now I think this team is headed in the right direction. I really like what they did on defense, dumping veterans like Gildon, Alexander, and Washington in favor of younger players. The revamped secondary will feature three new starters from opening day 2003 (how in the world did Chad Scott end up being the guy who was allowed to keep his job?!?!) and some younger guys (Ike and Ricky) trying to prove their worth. Plus Dick Lebeau is back, so that gives me a lot of confidence in the defense, which is what needs to improve if the Steelers want to go back to the playoffs. The offense is still shaky, espeically the O-line. I don't understand how you can have Oliver Ross starting again, and have the worst Steelers lineman in 20 years (Todd Fordham) backing him up.
  
  
• Non-Steeler Predictions: I am putting this in writing now: The Philadelphia Eagles will NOT make the playoffs this season. I don't know why I think this. They finally have a go-to WR, they signed Jevon Kearse, and they have been to (and lost) the last three NFC Championship games. They are the favorites to win the NFC this year, but I just have this incredibly strong hunch that they will shock the football world by having a bad season. I wish I could put money on this.....

(5/26) Ok, I know I haven't written anything since the draft, but I've been kind of busy getting married and stuff. Besides, nothing interesting has been going on anyway. Unlike many other people in this town, I see absolutely nothing exciting about Plex deciding to skip mini-camp. He is a selfish player, and he's always done his own thing - who cares.

But what happened today was real interesting. The Steelers signed a veteran cornerback, and it's none other than Willie Williams! That's right - the same Willie Williams who played for the Steelers from 1993-1996. During his first stint in Pittsburgh, Williams was often the victim of long pass plays, and gave such a large cushion to wide receivers that my brother and I cleverly nicknamed him "Cushion Willie".

Williams had almost zero athletic skill, and the fact that he has lasted in the NFL this long is a tribute to the man's will and dedication (Plex: take notes). Williams became a starter in 1995 after Deon Figures got shot and Rod Woodson tore his ACL, and he was a key figure in the Steelers Super Bowl run that year, leading the conference with 7 interceptions. In the 1995 AFC Championship Game, Williams made quite possibly the greatest tackle in Steelers history on Colts RB Lamont Warren. The next season, Willie came back down to earth, but played well enough to earn a free agent contract from the Seahawks.

Now after 7 seasons in Seattle, Willie is back. Williams will go down as an average cornerback and a great overachiever, but I'm not sure what use the Steelers have for him now. The CB spot is primed for young players like Ike Taylor and Ricardo Colclough. Maybe this is just one of those camp tryout deals. Still, it's rare in the free agent era to see the Steelers bring back a player (Boo Bell and Tom Myslinski are the only players I can think of who have been signed back). Oh well - best of luck, Cushion Willie. I can't believe you're still hanging around after all these years!

(3/10) After the debacle that was the Josh Miller situation, the Steelers desperately needed to do something to placate their fans. First, they hired legendary Steeler Joe Greene in their front office. Everyone was happy to see one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) players in team history come back, but that didn't help much on the field. So late last night the Steelers agreed to terms with a fairly big-name free agent - former Philadelphia Eagles RB Duce Staley. It is a five-year, $14 million contract which includes a $4 million signing bonus. At 29 years of age, Duce will be looked at as the RB of the future, since Jerome Bettis is almost certain to retire after next season.

I kind of have mixed feelings about this signing. I really did not like Duce Staley after he held out like a little baby during training camp last summer, costing him his starting job in Philly. I don't care what the situation is - there is no excuse for missing all of training camp. He obviously has some attitude issues. I also happen to think that like everyone else on the Eagles, he is overrated. That being said, this is still a big signing for Pittsburgh. As previously mentioned, it is a good PR move. However, it is also a good football move. The Steelers running game ranked 31st in the NFL last year, their lowest ranking in history. Staley has the prototype Steeler RB size (5 feet 11, 220 pounds), and he can catch passes out of the backfield, something the Steelers have been unsuccessfully trying to do for years. Furthermore, this frees up the Steelers to draft an OT or a CB in the draft. Duce may have had issues with his old team, but think about how we got Jerome Bettis in 1996. Bettis was a RB who had some previous success but had fallen out of favor with his old team, and his career was rejuvenated in Pittsburgh. Hopefully the same will be said of Staley.

(3/6) As free agency began this week, I listened to all the typical Yinzer Steelers fans complain about how the Steelers aren't making any bold moves to get better, then listened to them propose ridiculous trades like Plex for LaDainian Tomlinson. "C'mon," I thought. The Steelers can only do so much within the confines of the cap. They could make smaller, New England-type moves to improve rather than going after big-name free agents. They've always been smart about that kind of stuff, right?

First, the Steelers shocked no one by re-signing Jerome Bettis at a much lower salary. Bettis is pretty much finished, but since the Steelers don't even have the RB of the future yet, Bettis will work for one more year. Plus they made the correct decision to dump disappointing Amos Zeroue. The Steelers then stayed in house some more by re-signing FB Dan Kreider and LB Clark Haggans. The signing of Haggans (4 years, $10.2 million, $3 million signing bonus) is big because it means that the Steelers will not keep washed-up Jason Gildon. I thought for sure that the Steelers would never be serious about signing a linebacker to replace Gildon - they brought in a guy from the Colts but had Captain Moneybags from the Redskins steal him away - but this maybe showed some progress. I thought maybe the Yinzers were just being Yinzers. I thought the Steelers were at least trying to go in the right direction. I thought all this, until.....

The Steelers made their first big free agent acquisition from another team. Who would it be? The offensive tackle we desperately need to rebuild the running game? The cornerback who will finally solidify the shaky secondary? That running back of the future to take the torch from Bettis? No, instead the Steelers signed....(drumroll).... punter Chris Gardocki!!! What?!?!?! I honestly thought this was a joke, but when I read that the Steelers paid this chump $6.5 million over 5 years AND gave him a $1 million signing bonus, I quickly realized it was too sick to be a joke.

I don't even know where to start on this rant. First of all, the Steelers already have a punter. His name is Josh Miller, and he has been a consistent punter for the last eight seasons. Everyone likes Josh - what did he do to cause the Steelers to do this? Secondly, even if we did need a punter, there is NEVER a good excuse to pay a punter that much money. Thirdly, why would you sign a punter when you have so many other holes to fill? How does a punter win you more games?? And lastly, who is Chris Freaking Gardocki??? All I remember about this guy from his years in Cleveland is that time he gave Joey Porter the finger in front of the TV cameras. What a fine, upstanding citizen.

This is just embarrassing. This is the first time I have ever been willing to admit this - Bill Cowher is losing it. The Steelers need a GM (sorry Kevin Colbert, but you are NOT a real GM and everyone knows it). Meanwhile, poor Josh Miller has been released. On behalf of the fans of Pittsburgh, I'd like to apologize to Josh. You didn't deserve this. I'm not sure what you did to make the Steelers 6-10 last year. I don't understand the logic that says Jerome Bettis and Chad Scott get spared, but Josh Miller gets cut. Hopefully you will get to play for a team that has some idea of what it takes to win.

(2/27) The Steelers waived two veterans today, parting ways with TE Mark Bruener and CB Dewayne Washington. Bruener was the Steelers #1 pick in the 1995 draft and established himself as one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL. He was also a very well-liked guy around the community. Bruener's production dropped off due to injuries in the last couple of years and he was relegated to third-string much of last season, so everyone knew the end was near for him. Mark Bruener was a good player and a good guy, and he will be missed by the fans of Pittsburgh.

The sentiment for Dewayne Washington is altogether different. I'm not sure you could fine one person in this town who will be sad to see him go. He was often an easy target for ridicule (for example, when a protester somehow evaded security at a local hotel where President Bush was speaking last fall, people joked that the Secret Service must have hired Washington to cover the front door). When the Steelers signed Washington in the spring of 1998, I received an email from a fan in Minnesota (Dewayne's former team) telling me what a huge mistake the Steelers had just made. For six seasons, Washington had a number of rocky performances that really hurt the Steelers, including his game-costing mistakes in the 2002 AFC Divisional Playoffs. Washington wasn't the most horrible cornerback who ever played, but he always seemed to find himself out of position or making a bad play at the absolute worst time. His time as a starter came to an end in the middle of last season, when Seahawks WR Darrell Jackson stiff-armed him to the ground on his way into the endzone for a key 4th quarter TD. That was the last straw for Bill Cowher, who made Deshea Townsend the new starting cornerback the following week. Ever since then, it was obvious that the Steelers no longer wanted Washington and his big salary. I don't want to totally bash Dewayne though, as he did have some good moments in his time here. So I'll end this by inviting everyone to look back at November 22, 1998. It's only fair that this game be mentioned, because it's not often that a cornerback single-handedly beats another team.

(1/28) The 38th Super Bowl will be played Sunday, and around this time of year there is often lots of reminiscing. Everyone does their "10 Greatest Super Bowl moments", and we get to relive all the ghosts of Super Bowl past. The 1970's Steelers are almost always talked about as one of the greatest - and often THE greatest team - of the Super Bowl era. But how often do you hear people talk about their coach Chuck Noll? You hear lots about Lombardi, Shula, Landry, and Walsh. Then you hear lots about Parcells, Gibbs, and Jimmy Johnson. The media even treats one-timers like Holmgren, Vermeil, and Ditka like gods. Those guys were great coaches, but what about Chuck Noll? He is the only coach to ever win four Super Bowls, but you'd never know it. Perhaps the dominating defense, the charismatic QB, and the graceful receiver all overshadow the brilliant coaching effort that produced it.

Here is another great argument for Noll's legacy: two years ago the Carolina Panthers were 1-15. Now they are in the Super Bowl, thanks to the fine coaching of John Fox, a former Noll assistant. Who does Fox credit for his success? None other than his old boss. "He was a great influence on me," Fox said. "Teaching things. Skill's involved, not just talent. He had so much attention to detail." Another former player and coaching disciple of Noll's is Tony Dungy, who had his team in the AFC Championship Game this year. Chuck Noll's influence is still making a difference in the NFL some 13 years after he retired. He probably would never ask for it, but I think he deserves way more credit than he ever gets.

(1/23) The Steelers have hired TE coach Ken Whisenhunt to replace the departed Mike Mularkey as offensive coordinator. Cowher sure loves TE coaches (that's what Mularkey was prior to his promotion). I can't say much about this because who knows what Whisenhunt is planning to do with the offense. I'll just wait and start booing him after the first incomplete pass next year like all the other Steelers fans.

Meanwhile, Russ Grimm got promoted to "assistant head coach", whatever that means. Here is my definition -- assistant head coach to Bill Cowher: the title one is given in order to placate an individual after he was nearly hired to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears and offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cowher also filled the rest of the open spots on his staff: Mark Whipple is the new QB coach, Bruce Arians is the new receivers coach , James Daniel is the new tight ends coach, and old #39 Darren Perry gets promoted to secondary coach.
Also: The Steelers picked up CB Terry Fair, who was once a #1 draft pick of the Detroit Lions but has since been hampered by injuries (so much so that he hasn't played football for two years). This is a good low risk pick up - Fair is likely going to not be able to compete anymore, but there is still a chance he could somehow live up to his college expectations like other players have done later in their careers.

(1/16) After firing their defensive coordinator and receiving coach, and losing their offensive coordinator to the Bills, the Steelers then proceeded to lose their secondary coach (Willie Robinson) and their QB coach (Tom Clements). But today they got one of their coaches back - Dick Lebeau has returned to Bill Cowher's staff to resume the defensive coordinator job he left back in 1996. As an assistant coach from 1992-1994, LeBeau invented the zone blitz (better known back then as "Blitzburgh"). As defensive coordinator in 1995-96, he oversaw the defense that carried the team to the Super Bowl. He was so respected that when he left after the 1996 season, Sports Illustrated predicted that the loss of LeBeau would doom the Steelers the following season (they were wrong - the team made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game - but that's beside the point). This is a great move. Granted, LeBeau no longer has people like Greg Lloyd and Carnell Lake. But our defense has been a joke the past two years, and it can't hurt bringing in a guy who has had plenty of success doing this before. I've said this before - the defense always has been and seemingly always will be the heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let's all hope that LeBeau can inject the shot needed to revive our once proud D.

(1/13) Last week it was defensive coordinator Tim Lewis by way of firing. Today it was offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, who was hired to be the next head coach of the Buffalo Bills. Former Steelers Director of Football Operations Tom Donahoe was most likely the guy who pushed Bills owner Ralph Wilson to hire Mularkey. The Bills offense was disappointing this past season despite having stars like Drew Bledsoe, Travis Henry, and Eric Moulds. We all know that Mularkey has proven that he is an innovator when it comes to offense (this past season aside). This is great for Mularkey. I remember when he was a scrub tight end chasing errant Bubby Brister passes. He rose all the way through the ranks and now has a golden opportunity to take over a pretty decent team with one of the NFL's best fan bases. Unfortunately, this is NOT good for the Steelers. They now have two coordinator positions to fill, and to make matters worse, they may lose offensive line coach Russ Grim to the Bears. Cowher needs to start interviewing people before all the good coaches are gone.

(1/6) The Steelers announced today that defensive coordinator Tim Lewis has been fired. Lewis was a DB at Pitt back in the day and had been on Bill Cowher's staff since 1995. Wide receiver coach Kenny Jackson was also let go. I already know what the argument is going to be from some Steelers fans: why let Lewis go when the defense improved and keep Mike Mularkey when the offense sucked? Well, it is legitimate to say that the defense improved a bit over last year, but that's not saying much. And it is also true that the defense finished 9th in the league in 2003. However, let's look beyond misleading stats. The defense allowed Denver, Cincinnati, and Baltimore to put together last second game-winning drives. Had the Steelers won those 3 games, they would have won the division. The defense was helpless against stars like Priest Holmes and Tory Holt, which is somewhat excusable, but how do they explain making Tim Couch look like Johnny Unitas? Furthermore, they displayed an inability to keep the team in the game when the offense was actually keeping pace with the other team. Examples of this annoying flaw were Kevan Barlow's 78 yard run that put the Monday night game out of reach, and the entire 4th quarter of the Seahawks game. The defense is still a joke as far as I'm concerned. It's probably more a personnel issue - Lewis is a decent coach - but the coach always gets the blame when your team underperforms. On the offensive side, Mularkey faired no better, but he did not have two bad years in a row and also had the excuse of having no offensive line whatsoever. It should be interesting to see who Cowher picks as his new guy for the D.
Copyright © 2002 - All Rights Reserved