The 2003 regular season is
upon us. As I have stated many times previously, Cowher has my support one
final time as he embarks on a quest for the Lombardi trophy. It�s one for the
thumb or out for Bill this year. Of course, I don�t make the hiring decisions
and would already like to see Mularkey at the helm. This year the B&G have
a QB capable of playing at a championship level and more youth, speed and
athleticism on the defensive side of the ball. How that talent is utilized is
squarely on the shoulder of Bill Cowher. On last note: It was wonderful to see
that Joey Porter will be back at full speed for the B&G this season.
However, the better news is that his health is not in jeopardy. My thoughts
have been and are still with Joey Porter and his family.
First the Offense:
The offensive line has been battling
injuries and inconsistencies all preseason. It was nice to see the o-line
finally clicking by the end of the preseason. Todd Fordham dodged two bullets
in the preseason when an MRI showed no significant damage in his elbow; then he
sprained his ankle against the Panthers but it showed to not be serious. Cowher
made the correct call in inserting Fordham into the starting lineup at RT.
Should Jeff Hartings stay healthy and Kendall Simmons continue to get a hold of
his diabetes and get his strength back, the o-line could return to 2002 form.
Marvel Smith seems to be making a fairly smooth transition to LT. His play this
season will determine whether or not his contract extension was foolhardy by
the FO. Chucky Okobi looks to be an adequate backup at C and will probably start
around 4 games this season. Keydrick Vincent is another guy who gives the
B&G solid depth in the interior o-line. Depth is still a question for this
group, especially at tackle. Should Fordham go down, Oliver Ross would come in
and that is a concern based on his poor performance in the pre-season. The real
nightmare would be an injury to Marvel Smith. He would then have to be replaced
by Oliver Ross or a very athletic but inexperienced Mathias Nkwient. In that
case, I hope Maddox kept open a short-term disability policy from his old
insurance business.
Cowher made the right call
at the running back and tight end positions. The Stillers have a slow-footed,
pocket QB and need to surround him with as much speed as possible. This is why
starting Amos Zereoue and Jay Riemersma is the right call. Amos Zereoue has a
nice combination of speed and power packed into his 5�8� frame. Zereoue is in
his prime at age 26 and has a lot of mileage left as he has not had to carry the
load of 20-25 carries per game for an entire season. The bus can still contribute
off the bench and could have some nice yardage once the passing game and Zereoue�s
shifty running style tire the defense a bit. Zereoue and The Bus give the
B&G a nice one-two punch at RB with Bettis being the change of pace back. Verron
Haynes has come on strong and is a threat as a 3rd down back. He has
good hands, nice size and a quick burst; he also has the versatility of playing
FB in a pinch. If Zereoue proves unable to handle the full time duties at RB,
Haynes could be the future feature back in the �Burgh. I was all for the
Stillers cutting Fu. When healthy, Fu is a very productive player, but as one
member of the Carolina Panthers said about Barry Foster in 1995, �You can�t
make the club in the tub.� I did not understand why Matt Cushing was kept
instead of Dante Brown, however, it was nice to see him clear waivers and land
on the practice squad.
The passing game should be
solid with Tommy Gun throwing to Ward, Plex and Antwan Randle El. Doering has
made a splash in the preseason and wrested the 4th WR job from Lee Mays.
As I previously mentioned, Jay Riemersma gives the Stillers a legitimate threat
to open the middle of the field. He is a big target and has the speed to get
separation from opposing defenders. Bruener still has a role on the team and
can adequately spell Riemersma from time to time, however, Riemersma needs to
be on the field the VAST MAJORITY of the time. Riemersma made a nice 28 yard
catch against the Panthers and made a tough catch for a first down against the
Cowboys. I don�t believe Bruener would have been able to make either of these
plays whereas Riem has the ability to do this on a regular basis. Ward and Plex
should be set for pro-bowl type years and Antwan Randle El is what Kordell
Stewart should have been. ARE is a dynamic 3rd receiver who can work
the middle of the field, return punts and occasionally play QB on a trick play.
I�m sure opposing d-side coordinators will lose sleep trying to figure out how
Mike Mularkey will utilize this dynamic threat. My favorite player on offense
right now is Hines Ward. This guy is a top 5 WR in the NFL who will sacrifice
his body to make ANY catch. He will also throw crushing blocks and is a great
example to the other wide receivers of how to play this game. Ward is not just
a great receiver, but a great football player who happens to play receiver. As
opposed to other top flight receivers in the NFL who put as much effort into
blocking as, say, most QB�s.
Now the defense:
The d-line starting 3 is
stout, but depth here is worrisome. Casey Hampton is a perfect 3-4 nose tackle,
strong and stout and always making it a tough day for anyone trying to
establish a running game on the B&G. I believe he is ready for a pro-bowl
type year; his only disadvantage is that they play a 4-3 in the Pro Bowl. In
addition, NT is a thankless position but Casey is the best in the league, IMO. Rodney
Bailey gives solid depth but does not seem to have the size and strength to be
a starting DE in the 3-4. His best asset to the B&G is in the dime rushing
the QB on obvious passing situations. Brett Keisel was dubbed �the next Aaron Smith�
in the off-season but never really showed that promise on the field in the preseason.
He is out for the year with shoulder surgery and if he does not improve next year�s
training camp will be his last with the B&G. Aaron Smith is as solid as
they come and this year should be no different. Kimo is steady and seems to
show no signs of slowing down at 32 years of age. Hopefully the B&G cutting
Fu, who was one of his best friends, will not distract him. I seriously doubt
that will happen and this unit should be stout barring injuries. One last note
on the d-line is cutting David Upchurch and keeping Kendrick Clancy. I did not
agree with this move but at least Upchurch made it through waivers and ended up
on the practice squad.
The LB core should be solid,
if not spectacular when Joey Porter returns to good heath. Another way to get
this group to the next level is the insertion of Clark Haggans into the starting
lineup. Where should he start? You guessed it, LOLB replacing none other than Big
Jay Gildon. Those plans will have to of course be put on hold until Joey Porter
returns to the lineup. I would also like to see what Alonzo Jackson could do as
the right end in the dime. I love what Kendrell Bell can do in the nickel. However,
the right rush end in the dime is not suited for him. Erik Flowers could be a
project for the B&G to develop into a future OLB. Most likely, he will provide
the Stillers depth at OLB until Joey Porter returns. Then he will go the way of
Fu and Hank Slowteat. All in all, this is a good group that could be great with
a healthy Porter and Bell (a situation we did not have last year) and Haggans
filling in for Jason Gildon.
Ughh, well you twisted my arm
so I guess I�ll have to talk about the secondary. Firstly, kudos to Bill Cowher
for cutting Hank Slowteat and making sure he will no longer disgrace the
B&G on Sundays. Chad Scott and Dewayne Washington have to stop giving such a
large cushion to opposing receivers each and every play. If they play more
press coverage and get crispy fried, my suggestion would be to start Deshea
Townsend for Dewayne Washington. I would also like to see Ivan Taylor get some
work in the packages and even in the base from time to time rather than rot on
the bench. The Steelers can afford to take chances on defense because a big
play or two can be atoned for by their potent passing attack. Should playing
more aggressively create turnovers for the B&G, the offense will more times
then not cash in. What the Stillers can�t afford is for teams dictate to them
with a short passing game and control the time of possession. I like what Mike
Logan has shown in the preseason and will like it more when he moves to FS and
Troy Polamula takes his place at SS. While their may be some growing pains
involved with starting a rookie, that tandem will be an immediate improvement over
Logan and Burnt Alexander. Once Polamula gets comfortable, the B&G will
have a formidable pair at safety. Burnt Alexander was once again invisible in
the preseason and needs to join Darren Perry on the sideline coaching Polamula
when he misses an occasional assignment.
In summary:
I believe the Stillers
offensive problems will be solved by their two most competent coaches. Mike
Mularkey and Russ Grimm will have the offense ready to go and I do not think they
will look that disjointed on opening day. The real problem comes in on defense
where Tim Lewis and Bill Cowher are calling the shots. They have a whole year of
watching their secondary get toasted on a regular basis. How they solve that problem
and the return of Joey Porter should determine how far the Stillers go this year.
My prediction is 11-5 and a #2 seed in the playoffs. Then Bill Cowher should
reach his fate one way or another. Either a Vince Lombardi trophy or one way
ticket out of the �Burgh.
Week One prediction:
My week one prediction is a
28-17 victory by the Stillers. The offense will come out fired up and play well
after a slow first quarter. The defense will be sloppy and ill-prepared as
Cowher coached teams always are on opening day. It�s just that the rookie QB
won�t be able to cash in on the d-side sloppiness.