8/28/16-A Few Thoughts on Keenan Lewis, Landry Jones and Tomlin’s Decisions
By: Mike Pelaia
Three weeks into the pre-season, the Steelers find themselves at 1-2. It wouldn’t matter if they were 3-0 or 0-3 however as it’s all meaningless, in terms of record. It’s not without meaning however, in terms of positional battles, areas of need and handling of players.
Here are few thoughts on each:
One major area of need is quite obviously the secondary. Despite picking Artie Burns in round one and Sean Davis in round two, the secondary is the weakest unit on the squad. So much so that the team brought in veteran and former Steeler Keenan Lewis for a look to see if they wanted to sign the injury prone corner after he was cut by the Saints earlier this week. After bringing him in, the black and gold chose not to proceed, much to the chagrin of the many screaming fans in Steeler Nation who know this team needs another experienced corner. Quite honestly, the fans have a real point here. I believe the team could have signed him for the veteran minimum to see what he can still bring to the table. Let’s not forget, at this point, Will Gay is the number one corner on the team, to me, that’s problematic. The team felt they were better off without Lewis a couple of years ago when they let him walk for more money and the clearly felt that way again when they didn’t re-sign him this week but they have paid the price for not bringing him back once before and they very well could again this time around too.
Moving on to Landry Jones and his constant battle to be the backup to Big Ben and the quarterback that Pittsburgh fans love. Many have screamed that Jones should go and doesn’t have what it takes, I’ve preached the opposite. What we saw on Friday night, to me, proved he does have backup stuff. The man was 19-22 for 206 yards and a touchdown. Yes, he played against the backups but that’s what he is and in this league, even in the pre-season, going 19-22 is fantastic. He’s not Big Ben and he’s not a starter in the NFL but he is a decent enough backup who can fill in when needed on a short term basis. Give the kid a bit more slack.
Lastly, the Tomlin decisions this pre-season to sit many of the veteran players has been spot on. We’ve seen plenty of injuries over the years with this team, Cam Heyward just the other day not withstanding and Tomlin is trying to avoid that with his prime time guys like Big Ben, A.B., Bell, Williams and the likes. I’ve been hard on Tomlin on various issues over the years but this time he’s due some credit for making an intelligent decision.
8/23/16-The Sky Is Falling!
By: Mike Pelaia
The Sky is falling, the Sky is falling! That’s what many in Pittsburgh seem to be crying out after the Steelers have dropped their first two pre-season games. Yes….Pre-season games. The games that mean all of nothing, zip, zilch, nada mixed in with a big dose of who cares?
Calm down Pittsburgh. Seriously. The outrage I’ve seen surrounding the 0-2 start is amazing to me. Especially the shear anger and disdain towards Steelers backup quarterback Landry Jones.
I get it, he threw four picks in one half against the Eagles….in the pre-season. Those four picks mean, nothing, zip, zilch, nada and who cares? Why the anger? Why the clamoring for the Steelers to go sign or trade for a different backup?
Do you really expect Jones to be Big Ben? C’mon Pittsburgh, you know better. Do you really expect Jones to even be himself when Tomlin, rightfully so, isn’t playing Antonio Brown, LeVeon Bell, DeAngelo Williams and LaDarius Green (due to injury for Green)? You expect success?
You think there is a better available backup? Who? You think they should trade an asset to grab a guy who might start a couple of games if Ben gets hurt? C’mon Pittsburgh, where is your football IQ on this one? You KNOW better.
The Steelers believe in Jones as a 2nd QB and so do I. He proved last year he has what it takes to be a BACKUP in the league, a guy called on in emergency duty. Stop expecting Ben, who’s one of the best in the business, it’s not fair to compare Jones to that.
Furthermore, chill out on the pre-season losses guys. Did I mention the guys who are NOT playing? Ben isn’t playing either by the way, because the games mean nothing, zip, zilch, well you get the idea.
8/17/16-Thoughts on The QB Situation, Harrison and A.B.
By: Mike Pelaia
As camp has ended it’s time to roll out a few thoughts on the current state of the Steelers.
The QB Situation: First and foremost, the backup QB situation has pretty much solved itself…at least in regards to who the number two guy is. Landry Jones was the front runner anyway but three minutes into Bruce Gradkowski playing in the pre-season opener, he went down with an injury that appears to have him out for the year, handing Jones the job.
The question now is do the Steelers keep Dustin Vaughan as the number three guy or do they go out and bring someone else in? Perhaps Mike Vick returns for another season? Honestly, at this point, I think the team should stick with Vaughan and take him on as a project. Should Big Ben go down, that’s when I’d consider bringing back Vick, if he’s still available.
Additionally, this has to be it for Gradkowski in a Steeler uniform. This will now be the second consecutive year that he’s been paid to not play and he’s not that good when he’s healthy anyway.
James Harrison: This won’t be popular amongst many Steeler fans but Harrison is wrong in the way he’s facing the NFL. Yes, I said it, he’s wrong. He’s refusing to listen to the league and go to New York for the interview. Listen, I’m not saying the man is guilty of PED use, in fact I’m quite positive he’s not. I’m also not saying that I like Roger Goodell and the way he conducts himself. However, the league has spoken and has threatened Harrison with a suspension and he wants to fight it and demand they meet with him on his terms? Sorry, that’s not how this works. The league office is the court, and his employer. Do you tell the court system or your employer that they need to come to you when you get a ticket or have a meeting with your boss in regards to your performance? No, you don’t. That’s called the rules. Harrison is deliberately putting the rules aside and quite frankly if he continues to let his ego do the talking, he’s going to hurt this team in a major way. The black and gold need him and he needs to stop playing games and just go to the meeting already.
For entertainment, I like to peruse social media to see what the fans take on things are and on this one, it’s laughable. Everybody is lauding Harrison for his stance, sorry, it’s ignorant. You’re essentially praising his potential in hurting this team. Do you want Harrison to win a battle against a suspension on his terms or do you want the Steelers to win the Super Bowl and gain the easiest path in doing so by winning as many regular season games as possible? I’m assuming you chose the latter so now I ask you this; do the Steelers have a better chance of doing so with or without Harrison? Think about it and get back to me.
Antonio Brown: This might just be my day to upset Steeler Nation but I think Brown needs to go back to being the humble guy that he is at heart. He’s the best wide receiver in the game in my opinion and pretty much un-guardable but does he need to start showing up refs in practice? Does he need to keep talking about his contract or at least letting leaks out about wanting a new deal? He’s right by the way, he’s underpaid, but he signed the deal, play it out and the Steelers will take care of him. He’s loved, he’s a phenomenal player and he’s going to end up shattering all Steeler receiving records when his time is over. Tone down the diva that’s starting to show up A.B.
8/9/16-Joint Practice Gives Some Steelers A Chance To Prove Themselves Early
By: Mike Pelaia
The Steelers will hold two joint practices with the Detroit Lions this week; leading into their opening pre-season game against those very Lions on Friday night.
The joint practice is a good time for the team to practice “Situational Football” as Mike Tomlin described it. It’s also a good time for some guys to get some opportunities earlier than normal to prove their worth and solidify their jobs.
While practice is not the same as even a pre-season game, the level of intensity picks up a notch or two when you involve other teams. The competitive juices will be flowing and the hits will be harder than normal.
The first set of guys to look at will be at the left tackle spot. Alejandro Villanueva and Ryan Harris are battling for that starting job, with Villanueva listed as the current starter on the first depth chart released the other day. Villanueva has some experience from last season as the starter and filled in admirably enough that the Steelers were willing to let Kelvin Beachum leave but not enough that they were ready to officially hand him the job, hence the signing of Harris off of the defending Super Bowl champion Broncos roster. Both men will be fighting hard in these practices.
It will also be interesting to watch Sammie Coates who is poised to have a big year and needs to step up in the place of Martavis Bryant. Getting him extra work is pertinent to his growth and development.
Another spot to keep an eye on will be at right outside linebacker. Jarvis Jones is listed as the top guy but let’s all be honest with ourselves here, James Harrison is the better player. How much Harrison practices in these circumstances is up for debate, as he really doesn’t need it but Jones certainly does. These practices give him a shot at further along his game play in a more real atmosphere.
Strong safety will see a current battle between Robert Golden and Shamarko Thomas, though don’t count out Sean Davis. All three will need to play out practice against Matt Stafford so that will be a good test for each man. That same test will be presented to Ross Cockrell who currently sits at the number two corner with rookie Artie Burns injured. Cockrell can help solidify his starting role if he plays well in these practices.
While these joint practices aren’t quite a pre-season game, they are a level up from a typical day in Latrobe and will provide for some intense play, heated positional battles and perhaps a glimpse at what 2016 will hold.
8/7/16-It’s Not Just On The Offense In 2016
By: Mike Pelaia
The 2016 Pittsburgh Steelers offense has high expectations. Even with the loss of Martavis Bryant for the year, the retirement of Heath Miller and the four game suspension looming over LeVeon Bells’ head, the offense is expected to put up lofty numbers. After all, they still have Big Ben, AB, Wheaton, DeAngelo Williams and Sammie Coates.
But are those expectations fair, can they be lived up to? The answer to both questions is; YES.
The issue however is with the above expectations and potential outcome on the offensive side of the ball, many people want to give the defense a pass, overlook them or just genuinely don’t want to ask them to deliver.
That has to change and the defensive players know this. “We have something to prove, we’re going to be great this year” said Bud Dupree outside of the team lunch room after morning practice. He’s right, they do have to prove something and they have the potential to be just as great as the offense, which should allow for less pressure on the offense to have to put up 28 points a game.
The defense may be young but they started to put it together last year. Stephone Tuitt and Cam Heyward are both all pro caliber defensive ends and with another year of experience, they should be that much better. They are the new version of Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith and can be just as dangerous. I expect rookie Javon Hargrave to start at defensive tackle and at 305 pounds, he’s deceptively quick and extremely disruptive. With Tuitt and Heyward on both sides of him, he won’t be short on leaders to help coach him on the field of play.
The linebackers continue to get better by the year, Dupree has high expectations for the team but also himself. When asked if double digits sacks were in his future he stated; “that’s the goal”. It should be and quite honestly, he’ll achieve that. He may be the best linebacker they have but pair him with the progressing Ryan Shazier (if he can stay healthy), savvy vet Lawrence Timmons, Jarvis Jones and the ageless wonder James Harrison (that units coach on the field) and they can impose fear in the opposing quarterbacks on a weekly basis, much like their predecessors of Joey Porter, James Farrior, LaMar Woodley and Timmons once did during the Super Bowl runs a decade ago.
The defensive backfield still has questions and this is the unit that could make or break the entire season for the black and gold. We know that Mike Mitchell at Free Safety should deliver and the expectation is William Gay will be the number one corner (which might concern some out there) but the questions really start being asked with the Strong Safety and second corner positions.
Strong Safety will in all likelihood be a battle between 2013 fourth round pick Shamarko Thomas, who’s been a disappointment to date and rookie 2nd round pick out of Maryland, Sean Davis. Logic would say Thomas should be the guy to step up and deliver based on his experience but my gut tells me it’s Davis. Partially because I don’t trust that Thomas can play at this level, he’s not shown that he can in three seasons to date and partly because I just believe Davis is that good. Either way, the team is looking at a rookie or a disappointment in that spot and that could pose problems.
The second corner spot will be battled out between Ross Cockrell and rookie Artie Burns. Burns, the Steelers first round pick is going to be a good player and will most likely make a big impact early. I think he’s the guy and is of no real concern other than having to match up with some experienced and fast NFL vets. I don’t trust Cockrell and despite some big plays last year, I actually don’t think he’s too talented and shouldn’t be a guy who plays outside of the nickel package.
Time will tell how far both units can and will take this squad but it’s is no longer the era where the offense should be accountable for everything. Despite their plethora of youth, the defense has experience, talent and the motivation to take this team a long way.
