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(11/29) For those who are scratching their heads wondering what went wrong this year, I strongly urge you to read this article by the great Steelers writer Ed Bouchette. His argument is that this season's collapse has little to do with a specific coaching decision or the play of a specific player or the loss of some free agent. Instead it has to do with the Steelers' attitude entering this season.

Think about it - this team spent 26 years with the shadow of the 1970's team hanging over them, the expectation of "one for the thumb" becoming the unofficial team slogan each season. They spent the last 14 seasons establishing themselves as one of the best teams in football only to fall tragically short on multiple occasions. Even a 15-1 record didn't produce a championship! There was always a better team. Then all of a sudden, during a 7-5 season in which all hope seems lost, they start to get hot. They beat the top three AFC seeds on the road in the playoffs, including a Colts team who went practically undefeated. They defeat the top NFC seed in the Super Bowl, completing a run that, like Tony Dorsett's famous 99 yard dash, can never be mathematically topped (and is unlikely to ever even be matched). And by the way, it also happens in the final game in the career of a Steelers legend. After ALL of that, what motivation could you POSSIBLY have to top that? The Steelers simply did not want to work as hard this year. When you are the champions, EVERYONE aims for you. Witness the fact that three quarterbacks - Byron Leftwich, Michael Vick, and Jake Plummer - all looked like league MVP's when playing the Steelers but sucked against everyone else (Leftwich and Plummer lost their jobs while Vick has been reduced to a losing, fan-flipping-off fraud). The Steelers simply did not want to go the extra mile that it takes to defend a championship against efforts like those.

I'm certainly not justifying their lackadaisical attitude. After all, the fact that they are getting paid millions of dollars and having thousands of fans come support them should be motivation enough. But I do understand why this happened. Bouchette makes the point that it is hard to stay at the top after you reach it. He cites other Super Bowl defenders (including the 2002 Patriots, who as most people forget didn't even make the playoffs) and the many rock bands who are one-hit wonders. In the Steelers case, the way they reached the top was such an arduous journey that it made that attitude even more prevalent. It's by far the most logical theory as to why a championship team who was returning almost all of its starters got pushed around and dominated while making numerous stupid mistakes along the way. Let's just hope that like the 2003 Patriots, the Steelers wake up from the dream of the glorious season and realize how badly they want to get back to where they once were.

(11/6) Back in the spring, I wrote that I was so elated over the Steelers' Super Bowl championship that they could have a terrible follow-up season and I wouldn't care. What I didn't realize is that it would actually happen! Granted, the dismal play of the 2006 season has been tempered a great deal by the fact that we not only won the Super Bowl last year, but that we still have the long-term talent to make another run after this year ends. And let me tell you - it cannot end soon enough! The 2006 Steelers have a sickness that isn't going to be cured, at least not in time to do anything of significance in the standings. The sickness is causing them to do whatever it takes to lose. The root cause is up for debate. Maybe they lost focus after winning the Super Bowl. After making such an improbable, historic run last January, maybe the Steelers wondered, "How could we ever top that?" Maybe it was the tumultuous off-season. Maybe they just cracked under the pressure of every other team gunning for them. Whatever the cause, the effect certainly is evident on the field. The Steelers have gone above and beyond the call of duty to lose games. They have fumbled kicks, missed field goals, thrown costly interceptions, given up huge plays on defense, taken numerous personal foul penalties, blown double-digit leads, gotten called for false starts that have nullified the chance for game-winning field goals, have been unable to score from 1st and goal from the one yard line, and have turned the ball over in the red zone. Only Arizona has a worse record than Pittsburgh! What else could possibly go wrong? How will we lose our final 8 games?? With that great introduction, it's time to look back at the season's first half with the annual Mid-Season Report. It's hard to believe that the season is only halfway over!

(10/31) The Steelers are 2-5. Would you have ever imagined that? Yet here we are. The playoffs are out, but this team could still salvage a semi-respectable 9-7 or 8-8 record. Giving up on this season would negatively impact next season, when the pressure of being defending champions - a pressure that obviously overwhelmed this team - will be gone. So if there is still something left to play for, then who should be the QB? I still 100% stand by my stance that Ben Roethlisberger should continue to lead this team. What good would come from putting in a veteran QB who is going to retire within the next couple of seasons? Ben is a franchise QB. I know we NEVER have those here in Pittsburgh, so we don't know how to handle it. We think you just switch guys in and out depending on which way the wind is blowing. After all, that is what we did with Tommy Maddox and Mike Tomczack and Kordell Stewart and Kent Grahm and Jim Miller. But Ben is NOT on that same level. Taking him out would shatter his already diminished confidence. The year after New England won their first Super Bowl, the team struggled and did not make the playoffs, yet the team stuck with Tom Brady. The year after San Francisco won their first Super Bowl, the team struggled and did not make the playoffs, yet the team stuck with Joe Montana. I could go on and on. The point is that Ben should be the man come hell or high water. He may look sharp this week like he did against KC and Atlanta, but chances are he will struggle against Denver's very powerful defense. Either way, the team has to stick with him and as fans, we should stand by him. He did what only one other QB in the history of the team could ever do - he won the Super Bowl. We waited YEARS for that, and I'm not ready to trash the guy because of a few sub-par, post-concussion games.

(9/9) Steelers RB Duce Staley really blew it this summer. He came into training camp knowing that he had a golden opportunity to make an impact. Jerome Bettis had retired, FWP had only been the starter for one year and was by no means entrenched, and most importantly, Staley was finally healthy again. The Steelers had so much faith in him that they bypassed LenDale White in April's draft. So what does Duce do? He shows up for camp out of shape and proceeds to underwhelm the coaches in practice and in the pre-season games. Meanwhile FWP earned himself a new contract and Verron Haynes became his official backup.

Staley has fallen so far out of favor in Pittsburgh that the Steelers have been busy trying to stock their roster with big running backs. First they traded for New England's Patrick Cobbs. That apparently didn't work out, so last night they cut Cobbs and signed Najeh Davenport, formerly of the Green Bay Packers. You may remember Davenport as the guy who killed your fantasy team two years ago when you bought into all the pre-season hype saying he was going to unseat an injury-prone Ahman Green and have a monster year (not that I bought into that and drafted him of course....).

Davenport is a big back, and you have to wonder if watching FWP carry the ball 29 times last week scared the Steelers into realizing that they need a guy who can take a beating if they want to have FWP at full strength late in the season. As for Staley, I'm not sure where he goes from here. Frankly, I'm shocked that he is still on the roster. The only possible reason I can think of is that they are hanging onto him for a potential trade deadline deal, but the Steelers haven't made any kind of significant mid-season trade since the groundbreaking Earnest Jackson deal of 1986, so I don't see that happening. When the Steelers signed Duce two years ago, I really had mixed feelings about it. I knew he was a loser, but I thought maybe that was just a misperception based on his situation in Philly, much like how people thought Bettis was a bum when he played for the Rams. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bust. Hopefully Davenport, who is coming very cheap, will work out somewhat better.

(9/3) Bad luck just seems to follow Ben Roethlisberger around lately. Big Ben had to have an emergency appendectomy on Sunday, and he will miss the season opener this Thursday night. No word yet on when he'll be back, but this is a rather unexpected blow. What a terrible way to start the season, especially when everyone in Pittsburgh was so giddy about having the NFL kickoff game here in town. The Steelers will have to take on a very hyped Miami team without the services of their star QB. It definitely puts a damper on the excitement level for this one. It was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt last season that the Steelers are nowhere near a championship caliber team without #7 behind center. Charlie Batch and company will be lucky to escape with a win.

(9/3) In a very unexpected move, CB Ike Taylor signed a new 5-year, $22.5 million contract. It almost seemed certain that Ike would test the market after this season and garner an 8-figure yearly offer, given what other people who can play his position well (and there are very few around the league) are getting these days. This sure seems like a bargain for the Steelers. Maybe Ike just really wanted to stay and was willing to accept less. Whatever the reason, we're glad to still have him, and hopefully he can keep moving towards being a shut-down corner.

(8/30) It's time to make some predictions. I sometimes regret putting this stuff in writing when people email me at the end of the year to tell me how wrong I was, but those are the kinds of sacrifices I make for my readers. Last season I said that the "experts" had it all wrong. They were predicting that Baltimore would win the division, but I predicted that Cincinnati would be the surprise team while the Ravens would struggle. I was right on the money with my predictions (for once), and this year I think the tables will be turned. Everyone will be predicting big things for Cincinnati, but they will struggle while Baltimore will become the team most threatening to the Steelers' chances of success. Here is a closer look at how the AFC North, as well as the rest of the league, will shape up this year:

Baltimore: As much as I despise this team, you have to give them credit for always playing the Steelers tough. Pittsburgh has only lost six regular season games in the past two seasons, but two of them were against the Ravens. They also just barely missed beating us at home on Halloween last year. Their defense is aging but still solid, and now they have acquired Steve McNair, the biggest Steeler-killer of them all. Sure, McNair may be past his prime, but don't count him out. Many other quarterbacks have experienced revivals late in their careers upon changing teams (Randall Cunningham, Chris Chandler, Jim Plunkett, Doug Williams, Vinny Testaverde, Doug Flutie, ect). Add in quality receivers like Derrick Mason (McNair's old buddy from Tennessee), Mark Clayton, and Todd Heap, and the Ravens may actually have a formidable offense for the first time in franchise history. The Genius should be smiling right now because this team could very well take the division.

Cincinnati: Have you ever seen a bigger implosion? After winning the AFC North last December, the Bengals began a downward spiral that seems certain to ruin their 2006 season. It all started when they gave up in the playoff game against the Steelers, erupting in a locker room fight while still leading the game 17-14 (that still has to go down as one of the most embarrassing breakdowns ever). Then they suffered thru an offseason from hell. Half their team ended up in prison, their best defensive player was suspended for four games, and their golden boy quarterback was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated making bitter and childish comments about how angry he was watching the Steelers win the Super Bowl. They were such a joke that Bill Cowher openly mocked them at the Steelers Super Bowl rally in February. It's been a rough ride for this shockingly immature team, and I don't see them recovering from it anytime soon, especially given the fact that they will now have to deal with actual expectations for the first time in years. Congratulations on that AFC North "championship" last season, losers. Hope you enjoyed it, because you won't get another one this year.

Cleveland: This poor franchise. They went out and signed LeCharles Bentley, an all-pro center who would bring stability to their offensive line and provide protection for their young quarterback. But then during the first practice of the summer, Bentley hurt his knee and was done for the season. Then the next guy in line to play center unexpectedly retired. Then another center got himself suspended! This is the way things typically go for the Cleveland Browns. Can you really hate this team anymore? I just find myself feeling sorry for them and their fans all the time now. Last year I documented the horrors this franchise has suffered thru for the past 20 years. If any team/city deserves a championship, it's this one. If the Steelers were eliminated and the Browns were making a post-season run, I would totally root for them at this point. And I'm being 100% serious when I say that. Unfortunately for Cleveland, that isn't going to happen this year. Charlie Frye is no Ben Roethlisberger (who by the way the Browns passed on two years ago), and while their offense features some talented young players like Braylon Edwards and Soldier Boy Winslow, no defense is going to think twice about sending the kitchen sink at Frye. Still, I think they made a very smart move in hiring Romeo Crennel last year, and it may pay dividends in the near future.

Pittsburgh: That brings us to the Steelers. The past two seasons have been like an amazing dream. The Steelers have gone 31-7 during that stretch and are currently riding an 8-game winning streak. On paper, they should be just as good if not better than they were last year. Roethlisberger is quietly becoming a superstar QB, and the rest of the offense should return intact (while Antwaan Randle El was involved in some huge plays last year, let's not lose sight of the fact that his only TD catch came in week 1). The defense should be tough as usual, and the special teams should continue to improve. So is there cause for worry? Well, in the modern NFL, you just never know what can happen. Teams surprise and disappoint all the time, and repeating is near impossible. The Steelers should have a good season, but for some reason, I'm just not real confident that they can repeat as NFL champs or even win the division. I hope they prove me wrong.

The Rest of the AFC: Things just get tougher in the ultra-competitive AFC, where 10 wins wasn't good enough to get a good Kansas City team into the playoffs last year. The Patriots are always a huge threat, even if they lost their Hall-of-Fame kicker. The Colts are always tough as well, although you have to wonder if they will be able to recover from what happened last January. The Dolphins are everyone's dark horse favorite, although I think it's a huge stretch to put them in the Super Bowl as Sports Illustrated did this week. The Broncos, Chargers, Jaguars, and Chiefs all have good reason to be optimistic as well. This is a golden age of football for the AFC.

The NFC: Meanwhile, the NFC continues to stink. I can't get over how easy it is to make it to the Super Bowl in that conference. In 2004, the Eagles had to beat just one team with an over-.500 record to advance to the big game. In 2005, the Seahawks (who fittingly began this decade as an AFC team) merely had to dispose of the #5 and #6 seeds. The conference does seem to be slowly improving, especially in the bad-for-football NFC East. Dallas, Washington, and New York should put together a great fight for that division. Carolina should still be the favorites to win the conference, but they will be chased by Tampa Bay. I see Chicago and Seattle dropping off (the Seahawks are going to have to get over the Super Bowl if they ever want to compete again), while surprise teams like Arizona or even Detroit could sneak their way into the post-season. Regardless, the NFC still has much to prove if it wants to claim more than one champion in this decade.

(8/23) Steelers LB Joey Porter caused a stir this week when he went on the NFL Network to complain that he is underpaid. Porter has two years left on his current contract and wants to renegotiate and/or extend the deal. In the NFL Network interview with Marshall Faulk (what?!), Porter stated that he was so upset over the situation that he almost didn't show up for camp.

Joey is scheduled to earn a $3.85 million this year and $5 million next season, including a $1 million roster bonus. My first reaction to this was to wonder what he is so upset about. Porter did have a monster post-season in 2005, but let's not forget that he was MIA for the first 11 weeks of the season, not to mention the two seasons prior to that. Joey claims that he also brings something more than just football to the table, like the ability to psyche up his teammates and mess with the other team's head. While that may be true (see Stevens, Jerramy), it's really not worth more than $5 million.

However, I can understand why Porter is doing this. He has most likely peaked as a pro football player, and this is really his final chance to get one big fat contract to take with him into retirement. The problem is that the Steelers would be foolish to even think about renegotiating Porter's deal. They have seen this scenario play out before. Nine years ago they had to choose whether or not to hang onto veteran Greg Lloyd. They had a great linebacker in Chad Brown who was waiting in the wings to replace Lloyd, but even though Lloyd's best years were behind him, the Steelers bought into the theory that Lloyd was more than just a football player. He was a leader and an intimidator, and they couldn't possibly let a guy like that line up for another team. I agreed at the time and even said so on this site. But when the following season rolled around, all Lloyd was able to bring to the table were a bunch of offsides calls and a bizzare phone incident with Jaguars WR Keenan McCardell. After the season ended, the Steelers were forced to admit defeat and waive Lloyd.

Porter said that the reason he didn't hold out was because of his close relationship with Bill Cowher. That may be partially true, but Joey also knows that, unlike Hines Ward last year, he has virtually nothing to leverage. He realizes that the Steelers have a very capable linebacker in James Harrison who is waiting patiently to fill Porter's shoes. So there will be no new deal whether he likes it or not. Porter has been a great player and many Steelers fans will be sad to see him go, but that is what will no doubt happen after next season.

(8/15) Yes, I hate football in August. I've said it many times before on this site, and I'll keep saying it until people quit putting so much focus on it. Poor Clinton Portis probably won't even be able to suit up for week 1 all because of stupid pre-season. He was not too happy, and I don't blame him. Playing in that game was a waste of his time and our time, plus it throws my upcoming Fantasy Football draft into a tailspin (I was all set to take Portis with my #4 overall pick).

Injuries aside, the one thing that really bugs me about this time of year is how the media/fans/talk show hosts have to go fishing for stories that otherwise would be meaningless. The "big" story this week was the fact that NBC commentator Jerome Bettis speculated that this would be Bill Cowher's final year. Nevermind the fact that it seems kind of obvious to anyone who can read between the lines of Cowher not renegotiating his contract and buying that house in North Carolina that this will indeed be his farewell tour. Instead we were treated to a whole slew of, "How could Bettis throw his ex-coach under the bus like that", followed by everyone who said that phrase being enamored with the pun (you know, because Bettis' nickname is "The Bus" and all).

To make matters worse, Cowher foolishly took time to address the comments made by Bettis, prompting headlines of "Cowher Riled by Bettis Comments". If you actually listen to what coach said, he really didn't sound that ticked off. He basically just said that the comments he made to Jerome (which Bettis used on NBC) were made several months ago when he was feeling more reflective, and that it doesn't mean he is definitely retiring. Even if he is retiring (and I SERIOUSLY doubt he has 100% made up his mind yet), he isn't going to tell everyone, so quit asking him about it!

Unfortunately, everyone has to talk about it, because you see there is really nothing else to talk about. The first exhibition game was incredibly boring and there are no significant position battles, so now everyone is fishing. KDKA's John Steigerwald made a great point today. Steigy said that the blame for this pre-season madness could be placed solely on the Pittsburgh Pirates. God forbid they would ever even make a slight run for even a wild card spot. Then maybe people would actually have something to distract them. But until that happens (i.e. never), I guess it will just be more of the same crap.

(8/1) Training camp opens this summer following a somewhat tumultuous offseason. The Steelers lost several starters in free agency, saw their top draft choice get arrested multiple times, almost lost their franchise quarterback to a near-deadly motorcycle crash, and perhaps most discouraging, dealt with the horrific reality that Steve McNair will be back in their division this season. Any other year, this string of events would have been a depressing way to enter the season, but not this year.

For the past six months, the lasting memories for The Nation have been of its team completing the single greatest playoff run in sports history while hoisting their fifth Super Bowl trophy at the end of it. It has been a glorious time to revel in championship fever. Personally, I smile every time I think back to that brilliant February night in Detroit when I sat there in awe, realizing that my team had finally won a title after so many years of narrowly missing out. I get a warm feeling every time I hear Van Halen's Standing on Top of the World, the song that blared out of the Ford Field speakers immediately after the clock struck zero.

Now a new season begins with the Steelers in an unusual position. They will be defending a championship for the first time since 1980. They have done well in this situation before, twice repeating in the 70's, but the road back to glory will be extremely challenging. I'm not ready to give any predictions yet - I typically save that for after the pre-season - but regardless of how the 2006 Steelers perform, nothing will ever tarnish the memories of last year. I hate to let them go - I almost want the offseason to last longer just so we can continue to say "defending Super Bowl champions" - but on the other hand, I love Steeler football and I can't wait to see it again.

The next month will be filled with the usual waste-of-time over-analysis of training camp and pre-season games. As loyal readers know, I've been whining about this for years, and last summer my point was made clearer than ever when numerous panic-stricken fans and media types began advocating the notion that Ben Roethlisberger needed to be benched because he had played poorly in the exhibition games. After Roethlisberger subsequently won the Super Bowl, pre-season officially became 100% meaningless. Same goes for the annual "that 7th round draft pick who torched Carolina's 4th string defense should be a starter" garbage. It's typical of football in August, but at least this year there are some new angles, such as "are the Steelers still hungry now that they won it all?" and "can Santonio go more than a week without ending up in jail?" The only thing I'm looking forward to this month is to see whether or not that new Cardinals field accidentally slides out into the parking lot in the middle of the game next weekend. Other than that, I will just wait patiently, knowing that the season opener is a mere five weeks away, and that my Pittsburgh Steelers will always be 2005 world champions.

(6/15) Some random thoughts on Ben Roethlisberger's accident now that a few days have passed:

• We all owe a big thank you to God, because that was an absolute miracle that Ben not only lived thru that crash, but that he came out of it fairly unscathed. He basically broke some bones in his face and suffered a mild concussion. It wasn't pleasant and he is still going to need some time to recover, but when you consider what should have happened, Ben is a very fortunate human being. He was released from the hospital and should be ready to play by the fall.
  
  
• As I wrote on the day of the accident, I can totally understand why The Nation was so disappointed in Ben's decision not to take better precautions with his life and health. However, I have to admit that I was a bit surprised at the force of which people expressed their anger. An hour or two after the accident, no one was sure whether or not he was going to suffer permanent or life-threatening damage, yet there were still people calling the talk shows screaming about how irresponsible he was being. I just thought that was a bit harsh. I also thought that it was somewhat hypocritical given the fact that Pittsburgh is a town where "dude, I somehow drove all the way home last night even though I was completely wasted" is considered a badge of honor.
  
  
• Speaking of people commenting on the situation, is anyone else sick and tired of hearing the opinions of former NFL players? Joe Theismann bashed Ben earlier this week, and even Joe Montana is weighing in with his thoughts on Ben's stupidity (apparently Montana was too busy to attend the Super Bowl but he has all the time in the world to trash our quarterback). I don't disagree with the fact that he should be wearing a helmet when he rides a motorcycle, but I just don't see the point of these guys publicly talking about it. Either he is going to learn a lesson from all of this or he is going to stubbornly continue to ride helmetless, but it's not like he's going to say, "Wow, Merril Hoge thinks I am being too reckless? I guess I need to re-think this."
  
  
• You have to love Steelers fans. Our quarterback was in serious condition and undergoing surgery, so what better way to support him than by tailgating in the Mercy Hospital parking lot. I tried explaining this to someone from out of town this week, and I eventually just said, "You'd have to be a member of The Nation to even begin to understand."
  
  
• The Post-Gazette had an article today reprinting some bitter and tasteless comments about Ben made by Bengals fans on Internet message boards. Anyone who surfs the web on a regular basis knows that stuff like this is said all the time on message boards and that it's really not a big deal. Clearly the PG is just trying to stir controversy and get Steelers fans all riled up. However, I thought the one hilarious part of the article is how they had the director of clinical psychology at UPMC talking about how people in Cincinnati don't have fully developed brains! This rivalry just keeps getting more fun.

The Steeler Nation is so unlike any other group of sports fans. It's a family. Like it or not, the players have a lot of people who depend on them. If it seems like everyone is beating up too much on him for this, it's only because they care so much, not just because they're the "I told you so" types (well, at least most of them). I can see why people are so upset right now, especially given the fact that this was made into an issue long before today. However, I'm really not interested in chastising the guy right now. This was such disheartening news. The guy was in his absolute prime and was poised to build upon a legacy which at age 24, was already ingrained as part of Steelers history. Now who knows what his future holds, not just for the 2006 season, but beyond that? My prayers go out to Big Ben. Regardless of what his playing status is, we should all just hope he gets well soon.

(6/10) Speculation is growing that Steelers coach Bill Cowher will retire after the 2006 season. The main reason for this speculation is that Cowher and his wife have recently purchased a large house in North Carolina. Their daughter has reportedly transfered to a school down there as well, so that probably means that the whole family plans to relocate sometime in the near future. If Cowher does retire, I'd really wish him all the best. He has given so much to this generation of Steelers fans, and last year he finally won the big one. He deserves to be happy, and the Steelers would be in safe hands with Ken Wisenhunt, who would most likely be the new head coach.

(5/25) Whenever I look back on last season and view the aftermath, only one word comes to mind: "wow". What the Steelers did in the post-season earlier this year will never be forgotten. By defeating the top three seeds in the AFC and the top seed in the NFC, they accomplished a feat that is similar to Tony Dorsett's 99 yard TD run - it can never be bettered, and it is extremely unlikely that it will ever be matched. But there was another apsect to this memorable journey to glory that won't be reflected in the record books. It's something that I didn't even realize until my insightful wife pointed it out to me. In the course of winning their fifth Super Bowl, the Steelers left an astonishing path of devastation in their wake. Consider the following:

• In this week's Sports Illustrated, Bengals QB Carson Palmer goes on an acrimonious rant about how much he "hates" the Steelers. "I keep thinking about how much, back in college, I hated UCLA," says Palmer. "I hate the Steelers more than I hate UCLA. Yeah, it's because I'm jealous and want what they have. It's how everybody in our locker room feels. I hope they lose every game." In today's world professional football players usually talk about how it is a "game" or a "business" - I can't even remember the last time I heard someone go off on another team quite like that. Palmer has enough to worry about trying to rehab, and being consumed with hatred isn't going to help him or his team next year when they have to play a first-place schedule. After all, this is the same club who got into a locker room fight at halftime of the AFC Wild Card Playoffs over losing to the Steelers, and that was while they still held the lead! This young team has so much promise, but right now they are allowing themselves to be mentally destroyed all because of the Steelers.
  
  
• The Colts had to dump their franchise kicker because of the loss to the Steelers. Peyton Manning's line may never forgive him for totally betraying them. But worst of all, they have to come to terms with the fact were 13-0 at one point last year and they couldn't even win one playoff game. Seriously, where do you go from there? What free agent signing or coaching change do you make in order to do better than 13-0? That franchise may never recover from what has to be considered the most shocking NFL loss since the same team blew Super Bowl III.
  
  
• In last month's draft, the Denver Broncos traded up to select an overrated quarterback, all because the Steelers defense forced Jake Plummer to turn the ball over four times in the AFC Championship Game. The guy was an MVP candidate before he played the Steelers, and now he'll be out of a job soon. And I don't even know what will happen to Foxworth, the guy who made 87 tackles in the Championship Game because our receivers were open every time he was assigned to cover them.
  
  
• As reported by Peter King this week, the crybaby Seahawks held a meeting with the head of NFL officiating to whine some more about the calls in the Super Bowl. They still just don't get it. The NFL keeps telling them that if the game could be played all over again knowing exactly what plays are coming, there would only be ONE call that they would change and that was an inconsequential illegal block that took place after Matt Hasselbeck had already thrown his costly interception. But it's still not good enough for them. Rather than try to address all the problems they had in that game (the clock management, the bad punting, the dropped passes, the missed field goals, ect), they want to believe that they played a great game and were unfortunate victims of some ridiculous conspiracy. Mike Holmgren has been a head coach for a long time. He has always been considered classy and respected, but now he is throwing away all of that just because he couldn't handle the fact that we beat him.

It's just mind-boggling, isn't it? These players, coaches, and fans just cannot believe that they lost to a #6 seed whose playoff hopes were all but dead in early December. They cannot accept the fact that even though they seemingly had the dominate team during the regular season, they just weren't championship material like the Steelers were. Because of that, they have all come completely unglued. I don't know whether to shake my head in disbelief or smile in satisfaction (I am leaning towards the latter). The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers not only completed the greatest Super Bowl run the NFL will ever see, they also impacted the future of four of the league's premiere franchises. What can you say other than "wow"?

(3/18) There were lots of moves in the past few days, so let's get right to them. I think there is one common factor in all these moves: the Steelers were definitely thinking with a "past lessons learned" mentality.

• The Steelers lost DE Kimo von Oelhoffen when he signed with the New York Jets. Kimo was a really good player for the past six seasons, but he was getting up there in age, and the Steelers had to think towards the future. So they let Kimo go and instead re-signed DE Brett Keisel. The 27-year old has never started a game, but he has been a special teams standout and has done well playing on defense, including a big play in last year's AFC Championship Game. Remember back in 2000 when the Steelers lost Orpheus Roye to Cleveland? Roye started out as a special teams standout too. He was still young and he was developing into a good DL in the 3-4 scheme. The Steelers said it was their "top priority" to re-sign him, then watched helplessly as Cleveland snatched him up on the first day of free agency. Last season, Roye had a career high 95 tackles and was nearly selected for the Pro Bowl. The Steelers did not want to see Keisel follow the same course.
  Evaluation: Great signing.
  
  
• Free safety Ryan Clark signed with the Steelers. Clark was a starter for the Redskins last season. Pittsburgh's starter from the last two seasons, Chris Hope, reportedly wanted too much money to come back. He eventually signed with Tennessee instead. Free safety is the centerfield position of football, but it's still an important spot, especially since the FS is usually the guy who calls out the plays. The Steelers discovered that when they lost Darren Perry in the late 1990's. Neither Clark nor Hope are star players. In Washington, Clark played on a good defense opposite an all-pro strong safety. In Pittsburgh, Clark will play on a good defense opposite an all-pro strong safety.
  Evaluation: This one is a total push. Nothing gained, nothing lost.
  
  
• The Steelers re-signed CB Deshea Townsend, who has been with the team as long as anyone. Townsend was part of the great 1998 draft which brought Alan Faneca and Hines Ward to Pittsburgh. He has been a solid starter the last few seasons and has brought stability to a position that was unstable before he became the starter. That being said, this was an odd signing. The Steelers have been stockpiling cornerbacks via the draft for the past three years. It paid off this past season when Ike Taylor became a great starter, and rookie Bryant McFadden showed signs of brilliance playing in the nickel. They have Ricardo Colclough as well. The Steelers really didn't need Townsend back. I could see them bringing him back to play on 3rd downs, but the contract they gave him (4 years, $8 million) in order to keep him from going to New England sure seems to indicate that he will start again. I honestly believe this was just a case of front office panic. After the Steelers went to the Super Bowl 10 years ago, they lost their pass-rushing outside linebacker, all-pro offensive tackle, and starting quarterback. It created just enough of a drop-off that they were unable to go deep into the post-season the following year. After putting their faith into unproven players like Keisel and Nate Washington to make up for this off-season's losses, the team just wasn't ready to trust in yet another young guy to take over a key position. It's a shame too, because I think McFadden is more than capable.
  Evaluation: Bad move.
  
  
• The Steelers also added some depth this week by re-signing TE Jerame Tuman and by picking up free agent Rodney Bailey, who had been with the team from 2001-03. If you're looking for solid backups, it probably can't hurt to have guys who are already familiar with the system.
  Evaluation: You can never have enough depth.

During Tommy's first year with the team, the Steelers went 13-3 and starting QB Kordell Stewart was a candidate for league MVP. It seemed like Maddox was destined to ride the bench, but when the 2002 season started with two straight losses, Tommy got an unexpected chance. Down by 7 at home to Cleveland, Maddox replaced Stewart and led the Steelers to a comeback victory. The rest of that season was a dream. Maddox threw the ball all over the place, setting team passing records which included an unreal 473 yard performance against the Falcons. He came back from a scary neck injury to lead the team to a division title. In the playoffs, he orchestrated the greatest comeback ever and nearly pulled off an upset for the ages in Tennessee.

In 2003, the team and Maddox slipped, but he opened the next season with a strong performance and appeared to have the starting job locked up for the next few years. But then fate intervened: Tommy got hurt, Big Ben came in, and the rest as they say is history. Maddox was confined back to the bench, and along the way lost all his confidence. He was forced to start two games this past season when Roethlisberger and Batch were injured, and it was a disaster. He lost both starts, and the first one (against Jacksonville) will go down as perhaps the single worst performance ever by a Steelers quarterback.

Many members of The Nation beat up on Tommy this past season, even going as far as allegedly throwing garbage on his lawn. I choose to remember what Tommy did before this season. I want to remember how he saved the 2002 season from becoming the biggest travesty of all time. I want to see the replay of that now legendary performance against Atlanta, and see that shot of him celebrating the comeback against Cleveland. I really did like Tommy Maddox. He was a fighter - he didn't have to come back to football after he had failed so miserably, but he did, and we as Steelers fans are all better off because of it. I wish Tommy the best on wherever he decides to go from here. He will truly be missed.

(2/27) I've been getting a lot of emails asking what my thoughts are on the upcoming free agency period. After all, this is going to be a big offseason for the Steelers. Several key players could be departing, and the league in general is facing some uncertainty due to its inability to get a new CBA in place. Normally, I would have been all over this situation weeks ago, with a full preview of things to come. However, I'm still in post-Super Bowl mode.

I'm not sure if any of you are also experiencing this, but here is how I feel right now. I feel like this offseason doesn't even matter. I feel like we could trade all of our draft picks in April for a third-string offensive lineman, and it wouldn't bother me. We could go 0-16 next season, and I wouldn't blink twice. See, all I've ever wanted in my whole life as a member of The Nation was one - just one - world championship. I never got to experience one of those before, and now that I have, I am perfectly content.

I'm not naive enough to think that this feeling is going to last forever. I know that if we started next season 0-3, I'd be panicking up a storm. I know I'll want the repeat really bad. I know I'll watch the first six hours of draft coverage, overanalyzing it the whole time to see who the Steelers will pick at #32. I just don't care about any of that right now. We won the freakin Super Bowl!!!! I never get sick of typing or saying those words! But I know life will return to normal, and we do indeed have to think about free agency (which begins on Friday), so with that in mind, here are some thoughts about who may stay and who may go:

• 2/7: Time to Celebrate!
• 2/2: Super Bowl Preview
• 1/31: Random Thoughts: Super Bowl Edition
• 1/28: One for My Generation
• 1/26: The Road to Detroit: An Amazing Ride
• 1/25: Quotes of the Year
• 1/25: Pittsburgh Pride and Passion
• 1/23: The Seahawks: An Early Look
• 1/23: The Legend of Big Ben

(1/16) Has everyone started to settle down from yesterday yet? I have been completely useless since that game ended. I've never experienced that level of emotional chaos in such a short time span. On the season premiere of 24 (my favorite TV show) last night, they abruptly killed off two of the major characters in the first ten minutes, and I wasn't even phased because nothing could shock me at that point! Now that I have had some time to collect myself, here are some thoughts on the Steelers and the playoffs in general:

• Lost in the excitement and craziness of yesterday's win was the fact that Bill Cowher put forth the best coaching performance of his storied career. I've complained non-stop this year about how annoyed I get when certain members of The Nation blame Cowher for everything that goes wrong. I'd like to hear what those people have to say after Cowher and his staff found a way to do what only one other team had done all year? (i.e. shut down Peyton Manning). I want to hear what they have to say about him playing "not to lose" after he boldly went for it on 4th down not once, but twice during a key clock-killing drive in the 4th quarter. You can criticize Cowher all you want, but not today. Even if the Steelers fall short next week in Denver, what Cowher accomplished yesterday is already the stuff of legend.
  
  
• That being said, I did hear a few voices from the anti-Cowher crowd (as well as a few respected broadcasters) ripping him for running Jerome Bettis up the middle when the Steelers had the ball late in the game. As you know, that play that led to the nearly disastrous Bettis fumble, but that was not Cowher's fault. Keep in mind these are the same people who ripped Cowher for NOT running Jerome up the middle in the overtime game against Jacksonville on a play that led to a truly disastrous Tommy Maddox fumble. Apparently Cowher can't win. I'm just not sure what he was supposed to do on that play. He couldn't take a knee because the Colts had all three of their timeouts left, and if he would have done that, he would have been ripped (rightly so) for playing way too conservatively. He went for the kill, and he called the absolute safest play possible - handing off to a Hall of Fame veteran who never ever coughs up the ball. It was the right call - it just so happened that Indianapolis LB Gary Brackett made a great play in causing the fumble. I feel like a broken record this season, but I'll say it one more time: sometimes in football games PLAYERS botch plays. It's not always the fault of the guy who calls the plays!!
  
  
• While I don't buy into the conspiracy theories put forth by TJ Houshmandzadeh and Joey Porter, I do have to agree with them that the officiating in this year's playoffs has been overwhelmingly awful. This past weekend saw a number of questionable calls. The refs in the Steelers-Colts game really looked lost. On a big 4th and 1 play in the 4th quarter, everyone jumped at the line of scrimmage and the refs eventually ruled that there was "no foul" on the play and that they would just do it over. Now either the Colts jumped or the Steelers jumped, but SOMEONE was offsides! That was nothing compared to the Troy Polamalu interception fiasco. I can't say enough bad things about that call. To their credit, the league came out today and admitted that it was the wrong call, but they need to do more. The NFL needs do something to prevent this from happening again - even if it is as simple as gathering these refs together for a "let's all get on the same page" meeting - because we are now heading into the biggest games of the season.
  
  
• The Steelers lucky number this year appears to be the number 6. They are playing in their 6th Championship Game under Cowher this Sunday, for the right to go to their 6th Super Bowl, riding a 6 game winning streak, going in as the #6 seed. I'm just hoping the Vegas guys make us 6 point underdogs for the game.
  
  
• Neither the Steelers nor the Broncos will ever admit it, but they were rooting for each other this past weekend. Denver would much rather play at home where they've gone undefeated this year rather than have to travel to the RCA Dome where they have gotten pummeled the last two post-seasons. And the Steelers would much rather face Denver than take on the Patriots dynasty that has knocked them out of their last two AFC Championship Games. Both teams will not have to deal with the ghosts of playoffs past thanks to each other.
  
  
• Does anyone remember that episode of Cheers where all the guys in the bar grew really bad beards and then held a competition to see whose beard performed the best? (Cliff won, by the way). I think Jake Plummer and Ben Roethlisberger need to stage a similar contest before this week's game.
  
  
• I can't believe Chicago's defense played so poorly. So much for my insightful Vegas bet (I bet them to win the NFC back in May at 30-1 odds). And why can't anyone cover Steve Smith?? Now Carolina and Pittsburgh could both accomplish something that has only been done one time in the history of the league - win three road playoff games.

(1/9) Back in early September, I wrote that I had hoped this season would parallel the memorable 1995 season. As the year played out, that proved to be right on the money. Consider the following comparisons:

1995 Steelers	2005 Steelers
In previous year, posted best regular season record since 1979 but lost at home in the AFC Championship Game. Began season wanting to avenge that loss.	In previous year, posted best regular season record since 1933 but lost at home in the AFC Championship Game. Began season wanting to avenge that loss.
Started the season by winning their first two games, including a dominating week 2 win at Houston. Afterwards, team was talked about as the favorites to win the AFC.	Started the season by winning their first two games, including a dominating week 2 win at Houston. Afterwards, team was talked about as the favorites to win the AFC.
Suffered a mid-season slump during which many people assumed their playoff hopes were dead. The slump's low point was a miserable loss at home to Cincinnati.	Suffered a mid-season slump during which many people assumed their playoff hopes were dead. The slump's low point was a miserable loss at home to Cincinnati.
Recovered to win 8 in a row to finish 11-5 and make the playoffs.	Recovered to win 4 in a row to finish 11-5 and make the playoffs.
Convincingly won their first playoff game (vs. Buffalo), setting up a showdown with Indianapolis.	Convincingly won their first playoff game (vs. Cincinnati), setting up a showdown with Indianapolis.

However, this is where the similarities end. In 1995, that 11-5 record was good enough to earn the Steelers a #2 seed, and when Indianapolis came to Pittsburgh in the playoffs, they were huge underdogs. This season, 11-5 was only good enough for the #6 seed in an extremely deep AFC, and now it is the Steelers who will be huge underdogs when they head to Indianapolis on Sunday (which by the way will take place exactly 10 years and 1 day after that epic 1995 Championship matchup). Can the 2005 Steelers produce the same outcome as the 1995 team and earn themseleves a trip to the Super Bowl? It's going to be near-impossible, but then again, so was making the playoffs two months ago.

(1/9) It was nice to see that the Cincinnati Bengals completely backed up my assertion in yesterday's game recap that they were a bunch of amateurs. Instead of showing some class - you know, the way a PROFESSIONAL should - they decided to act like five year old children after their loss. First off, they were upset about losing their QB. That is understandable, but it did not cost them the game. Cincinnati twice jumped out to a 10 point lead without their golden boy, but as usual their defense blew it. Losing Palmer became a convinient excuse.

That didn't bother me as much as the assertion that Kimo von Oelhoffen, a guy who was quoted days before the game as saying how nice it was to play for a "class" organization with no "punks", somehow made a dirty play. If Plamer gets up on that hit, no one even thinks twice about it. Kimo was obviously distraught about the incident (even though he did nothing wrong), but that didn't stop the Bengals players from screaming at him from the sidelines and saying crap about him after the game. I would expect that from their loser fans, but not from the players. You didn't see the Steelers react like that when the guy from San Diego rolled into Ben's knee earlier this year.

It wasn't all about Palmer though. When asked if he thought Pittsburgh was the better team after going three games against them without a big play this year, Mr. Mouth (aka Chad Johnson) simply replied, "No." Cincinnati's other wide receiver, TJ Houshmandzadeh, implied that the refs had somehow cheated the Bengals because the NFL wants a New England-Indianapolis Championship Game.

But the icing on the cake came from the top dog himself. Head coach Marvin Lewis was asked about the hit on Palmer, so he decided to use the opportunity to slam Ben Roethlisberger. "I'm not going to sit here and baby and cry like their quarterback did," said Lewis. Wow!! What a little sore loser! No wonder your players have no clue how to be ready for the spotlight of the NFL playoffs. Some advice for Lewis in the offseason: GROW UP!! "Wah Wah Wah... Their quarterback just smoked us, we just lost in front of our home crowd, we gave up in the second half - but at least we don't cry like they do! Ha - take that, Pittsburgh!"

If you find yourself stressed out at work this week or looking for a good chuckle, just picture all those Cincinnati crybabies sitting around their houses watching the Steelers take on the Colts next Sunday (preferably on a "black and white TV"), knowing that they STILL have accomplished absolutely nothing of significance in the past 15 years. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

(1/2) It's been a strange season for sure. The story of the 2005 Steelers season can be broken down into three chapters:

• Chapter 1: the Steelers open the season looking like true Super Bowl contenders. They win a tough game at San Diego and their only losses are narrow ones to New England and Jacksonville. The Steelers reach their peak with a huge 27-13 road win over Cincinnati. That game puts them in first place and touts them as one of the top three teams in the league.
  
  
• Chapter 2: the Steelers start to stutter, struggling to beat bad teams like Baltimore and Green Bay. Eventually the season starts to cave in, as the Steelers drop three in a row. The last of those three losses is a 38-31 loss at home to Cincinnati. That game not only gives Cincinnati the division, but it also leaves the Steelers at a paltry 7-5 and puts their playoff hopes on life support.
  
  
• Chapter 3: the Steelers get back on track with convincing victories over two red hot NFC teams. They finish the regular season with four straight wins, enough to earn them a wild card spot in the deep AFC. It sets up a third meeting with Cincinnati.

As you can clearly see, the crossroads of the season came when the Steelers played the Bengals. It's only fitting that the two teams will meet again with the entire season on the line. This is the end of chapter 3 - let's just hope there is a chapter 4.


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