Heels, Sox & Steelers

Wait, There's a Draft Tonight?

2011-04-28T18:02:00.003-05:00

Hey guys, just a heads-up: we're doing a live chat over at Les Lounge during the first round of the draft tonight so feel free to stop by. Fun starts around 8:00 p.m. EST.

NEW THREAD

2011-03-03T17:32:00.003-05:00

Because customer service is Job No. 1 at HSS, here's a new thread. And it's only weeks late. (Seriously: my apologies although, as you may know, most of my Steelers writin' is now at Steelers Lounge.)

Game Thread, Week 21: Green Bay Packers

2011-02-06T12:27:00.002-05:00

Here goes nothing, everything...

Game Thread, Week 20: New York Jets

2011-01-23T10:11:00.001-05:00

The power of Bussie compels you, Steelers. Let's do this.

Game Thread, Week 19: Baltimore Ravens

2011-01-15T10:31:00.003-05:00

Here goes nothin'. And by "nothing'" I clearly mean "everything."

Game Thread, Week 17: Cleveland Browns

2011-01-02T09:50:00.001-05:00

Sort of a big game today.

Game Thread, Week 16: Carolina Panthers

2010-12-23T15:45:00.003-05:00

The last time these two teams met, Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 86 yards, and Manny Sanders had 66 yards receiving. Tonight, I'd just settle for a win and no injuries.

Game Thread, Week 15: New York Jets

2010-12-19T08:55:00.002-05:00

Yeah, this is a really, really big game. And Ryan Mundy (!) will be reprising the role of Troy Polamalu.

Game Thread, Week 14: Cincinnati Bengals

2010-12-12T09:52:00.002-05:00

Despite the Bengals' abysmal record, this is a pretty big game for the Steelers. Just in case that wasn't obvious.

Game Thread, Week 13: Baltimore Ravens

2010-12-05T13:19:00.002-05:00

This is for the division. And Ben will be playing on one leg.

Game Thread, Week 12: Buffalo Bills

2010-11-28T08:51:00.002-05:00

My first reaction after seeing this photo? Nice hit, Key, but in today's NFL, that's a 15-yard penalty and a $50K fine. Hopefully, the Steelers can find a way to win without being penalized 14 times for 163 yards. But that's up to Rog.

Game Thread, Week 11: Oakland Raiders

2010-11-21T12:12:00.003-05:00

Don't want to overstate it, but this game could determine the rest of the season.

Game Thread, Week 10: New England Patriots

2010-11-14T16:41:00.003-05:00

Mike Tomlin has been 6-2 in each of his first four seasons in Pittsburgh. Here's to hoping he's 7-2 Monday morning.

Game Thread, Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals

2010-11-08T15:34:00.003-05:00

The Steelers are 5-2. I would very much appreciate them being 6-2 after tonight's game. Thanks in advance.

Game Thread, Week 8: New Orleans Saints

2010-10-31T15:38:00.005-05:00

Yep, that's Jeffy Reed back in college before he became Skippy the Party Guy.

No idea why I'm mentioning this now. Maybe he'll kick the game-winner tonight against the Saints. That would be nice.

Game Thread, Week 7: Miami Dolphins

2010-10-24T08:25:00.002-05:00

I'll go ahead and predict 20 personal foul penalties and four ejections. Ray Anderson and Roger Goodell, everybody!

Game Thread, Week 6: Cleveland Browns

2010-10-17T08:37:00.002-05:00

The Return of Ben (also acceptable: Fresh Meat, Charlie Fye 2.0 Edition)

Game Thread, Week 4: Baltimore Ravens

2010-10-03T13:28:00.002-05:00

Sorry I'm late getting this up -- I was traveling all weekend and I'm working on about 45 minutes sleep over three days. Whatever, no excuses. Let's go, nerds.

Stuff

2010-09-27T09:47:00.003-05:00

Just a couple Monday mornin' links to help you make it through the day:

* we did another podcast

* my quick Steelers-Bucs game recap

Game Thread, Week 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2010-09-26T08:09:00.002-05:00

The Steelers are trying for 3-0, this time with the fourth-string quarterback, who, honestly, would be the No. 2 on just about every team on the league.

Game Thread, Week 2: Tennessee Titans

2010-09-19T07:12:00.003-05:00

Well, the Steelers are 1-0 with three games to play before Big Ben returns. Pittsburgh's record in Tennessee (1-8) suggests that they face very long odds, but I'm sure nobody thought the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns had a chance in hell of defeating the defending Super Bowl champs, either.

Just trying to stay positive.

QB Controversy!

2010-09-13T07:53:00.002-05:00

The D dominated like it was 2008, Dennis Dixon made his way through opening day, and ROBO-PUNTER finally looked like the guy I told Kevin Colbert to draft in 2007. Coulda been worse (see Bengals, Browns).

There's a whole bunch of stuff at Steelers Lounge, including this postgame podcast JJ and I whipped up.

Game Thread, Week 1: Atlanta Falcons

2010-09-12T07:54:00.003-05:00

Well, here goes nothing. This could be the start of something special, or the beginning of the "Let's all blame Ben!" run-up to missing the playoffs. As always: also feel free to comment here or at Steelers Lounge, both or neither.

Down Goes Byron

2010-09-03T08:17:00.004-05:00

Well, that sucked. I have no idea why Byron was playing with the second-teamers in the final preseason game. Or why Ben was out there at all. Either way, I've been asking for Dennis Dixon and it looks like I'm gonna get him.

If you're looking for ways to kill time at work today, here ya go:

* Dennis Dixon, Everybody!
* The Curse of MeMo
* JJ's Game 4 O-Line Breakdown
* Need Questions for the Bus

Listen to Me Talk About the Steelers...

2010-08-31T08:18:00.004-05:00

... Or don't. Your call. But if you need to kill 15 minutes at work, here's me flapping my gums about the Broncos game with CBS Sports' Will Brinson.

Game Thread, Preseason Week 3: Denver Broncos

2010-08-29T15:26:00.003-05:00

I can't believe we might be robbed of the awesomeness that is Tim Tebow. Feel free to leave comments here, at Steelers Lounge, both or neither.

Game Thread, Preseason Week 2: New York Giants

2010-08-21T17:00:00.002-05:00

Deebo has been practicing his long snapping! Also: feel free to leave comments here or over on Steelers Lounge. (Or both. Or neither.)

Not as Bad as I Expected

2010-08-15T13:26:00.003-05:00

My thoughts from the game here, and if you haven't seen them, JJ's are here. (JJ's planning an in-depth look at the o- and d-line later, so check back for that.)

Game Thread, Preseason Week 1: Detroit Lions

2010-08-14T17:42:00.003-05:00

Game time, peeps. First up: the Bettisburg Lions. I won't be able to see the game until the Sunday morning NFL Network replay, but feel free to leave your thoughts here or over on Steelers Lounge.

(Gretz will be at the game and have a report Monday, and I'll have something up tomorrow shortly after the replay. Also: RIP, Arnold Jackson)

SEAHAWKS VINDICATED

2010-08-09T11:18:00.001-05:00

Lord have mercy.

Stuff

2010-08-02T12:44:00.002-05:00

I'm back from a week in the middle of nowhere to get my mind right on the 2010 season. So there's that. Also, if you haven't seen JJ's latest on Flozell, go read it. Interesting stuff.

FINALLY

2010-07-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Alrighty, folks, I know I've promised much and delivered little over the years, but this Steelers blog thing is really happening. Probably because I'm not playing a critical role. Whatever, today's the day, so please check out Steelers Lounge early and often. We'll have at least four posts up today starting off with JJs analysis about why we should all be very, very happy about Mike Wallace (and perhaps a little concerned about Hines).

Honestly, I'm looking forward to writing about the Steelers again.

And just in case you're wondering: this here site ain't going anywhere. Expect the same level of crappy service and inattention to detail that made me famous.

(Seriously, though: check out Steelers Lounge, let me know what you think -- both there in the comments and here too -- and any stuff you'd like to see in the future. Also, feel free to retweet and Facebook the url.)

Greetings Earthlings

2010-07-05T07:45:00.000-05:00

Apologies for the long time between posts but training camp is in a few weeks, and more importantly: our new steelers venture is just a week or so from making me millions. in the meantime, a new thread. (in related news: we're trying to get willie colon to join our steelers blogging staff since he won't be doing anything else the next 12 months).

(Sorta) SITE NEWS

2010-05-11T12:01:00.004-05:00

Hey, so this has been in the works for a couple months and the plan is to fire it up next month some time: a new Steelers blog with me, Adam Gretz, JJ Cooper, and one of JJ's friends who specializes in draft coverage.

Clearly, I have gotten away from writing about the Steelers and I miss it. So we're going to give it a go and see what happens. For now, some questions for you:

* We need a name. All suggestions welcome.

* Is there anything you'd like to see? Specifically, are there things that aren't covered at your other Steelers stops that you think we might be able to do?

JJ and Adam can add any questions they have in the comments, but know this: the plan is to be pretty comprehensive.

Also, HSS will continue to provide the same mediocre service you've come to expect.

Colbert vs. Donahoe

2010-05-03T07:25:00.000-05:00

Here's the Colbert vs. Donahoe breakdown Early Like Sunday Morning worked up back in 2007. He e-mailed it to me late last week but because I'm unfathomably lazy, I'm not posting it until now. It's a good read and if nothing else, it'll distract us from the latest bad news concerning Limas. Poor guy.

Thanks to ELSM for digging this up:

"Randy Steele, thanks for sharing the Stillers piece. While I enjoy reading any analysis of the Steelers’ draft performance, I found their analysis to be limited on a number of levels. To be brief, the fact that it doesn’t take into account the contributions of the players seems to be a major limitation (for analysis geeks, they include no qualitative analysis and do insufficient quantitative analysis). If I understand their methodology, Troy Edwards and Plaxico Burress would be equally successful picks for the Steelers. Obviously, this isn’t the case.

Rather than solely criticize, I’ll try to contribute something. I used a little judgment to compare Colbert’s seven-year era (2000-2006) to the previous Donahoe era’s final seven years (1993-1999). I picked this because it seemed like a fair comparison. Also, even if I had the time to do a cross-franchise comparison, I don’t know enough about all the other teams and players to make these kinds of judgments. To make broad comparisons, I’ve put players into three buckets: starters, useful back-ups and busts. Since this is a draft performance evaluation and not an overall front office evaluation, I did not make a distinction between whether a player was a starter (or back-up) on the Steelers or on another team, but rather what his overall career role was. My dividing line between these categories is debatable (such as putting Kendrick Clancy as a back-up); but I’ve shown where I’ve placed them, so if anyone wants to put them in different buckets, you can move them around on your own. After putting them in these buckets I’ve applied broad judgments about their overall contributions as NFL players.

One small caveat: making judgments about Colbert’s picks might be a little early, but overall I think there’s been enough time to make good comparisons. One big caveat: these are my top-line thoughts based on overall contribution of the players, but others should look at the drafts for their own judgments. Also, I’ve referred to Colbert and Donahoe making the picks, although obviously lots of other people contributed to the scouting and decision-making.

First round picks under Colbert: all 7 drafted players are starters (Santonio Holmes, Heath Miller, Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polomalu, Kendall Simmons, Casey Hampton, Plaxico Burress), and none have been back-ups or busts. At least 6 are borderline Pro Bowl caliber-players or better. Kendall Simmons is debatable, but I think he was an emerging force before his various injuries and is still a decent player.

First round picks under Donahoe: 5 starters (Troy Edwards, Alan Faneca, Chad Scott, Mark Bruener, Charles Johnson), one backup (Deon Figures), and 1 bust (Jamain Stephens). The production of at least 3 of these players production did not match a first round selection (Edwards, Figures and Stephens). Only 3 players became borderline Pro Bowl caliber players or better (Faneca, Bruener and Johnson). Chad Scott could be argued either way; overall, I think he was a good but not elite player.

First round comparison: Personally, I think it is very clear that the Steelers have gotten much more out of Round 1 under Colbert than Donahoe. Colbert has drafted the core of an excellent team in the first round.

Other Day One picks (rounds 2-3) under Colbert: 7 starters / soon-to-be starters (Marvel Smith, Kendrell Bell, Antwaan Randle El, Chris Hope, Max Starks, Bryant McFadden, Anthony Smith), 5 (useful back-ups (Kendrick Clancy, Hank Poteat, Ricardo Colclough, Trai Essex, hopefully Willie Reed), and had 1 bust (Alonzo Jackson).

Other Day One picks under Donahoe: 11 starters (Andre Hastings, Chad Brown, Brentson Buckner, Jason Gildon, Bam Morris, Kordell Stewart, Brenden Stai, Jon Witman, Mike Vrabel, Hines Ward, Joey Porter), 3 useful back-ups (Paul Wiggins, Will Blackwell, Amos Zereoue) and had 5 busts (Steven Conley, Jeremy Staat, Chris Conrad, Scott Shields, Kris Farris).

Other Day One picks comparison: I think this is pretty close and I could see the argument for Colbert, but I’d give a slight nod to Donahoe. This is partially because I’d value the 4 additional starters more than the 4 more busts. But roughly one good starter and one decent back up per year is a strong performance from Colbert, too. The Steelers did very well in rounds 2-3 under both Donahoe and Colbert in the last 14 years.

Day Two picks (rounds 4-7) under Colbert: 4 starters (Clark Haggans, Brett Keisel, Larry Foote and Ike Taylor) and 8 useful back-ups (Chukky Okobi, Rodney Bailey, Verron Haynes, Lee Mays, Brian St. Pierre, Rian Wallace, Chris Kemoeatu, Marvin Phillip).

Day Two picks (rounds 4-7) under Donahoe: the Steelers picked 10 starters (Willie Williams, Kevin Henry, Oliver Gibson, Lee Flowers, Earl Holmes, Orpheus Roye, Carlos Emmons, Deshea Townsend, Aaron Smith and Kris Brown) and 5 useful back-ups (Myron Bell, Jim Miller, Jason Simmons, Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, Jerame Tuman).

Day Two picks comparison: Looking at these groups, it seems to me that Donahoe did a better job on Day Two than Colbert, with 6 more starters and several other clearly useful pieces. Even giving the benefit of the doubt to Colbert for backup guys like Mays, St. Pierre, Wallace and Phillip, Donahoe comes out clearly ahead on Day Two.

Summary: I think it is clear that Colbert did a much better job than Donahoe in round one, with 6-7 Pro Bowl caliber players and no misfires. Both Colbert and Donahoe had strong performances in rounds 2 and 3, with the slight overall edge going to Donahoe. And Donahoe did a better job on day 2."

Ben Is a Jerk, Part Infinity

2010-04-26T08:10:00.002-05:00

Najeh!

Day 3

2010-04-24T07:55:00.001-05:00

For the sake of our country's future, here's to hoping the Steelers take some DBs.

Maurkice

2010-04-23T07:25:00.003-05:00

No surprises from the Steelers in the first round. Here's to hoping they trade up and get Clausen at some point Friday.

It's Draft Day! All Our Problems Are Solved!

2010-04-22T07:45:00.000-05:00

This could turn out to be one of the weirdest first rounds since the Steelers had Ben Roethlisberger fall in their lap in 2004. Which means that this is all Eli Manning's fault.

Nobody Got Arrested Last Weekend

2010-04-19T08:10:00.000-05:00

So it looks like Ben is staying. Too bad. I was hoping the Steelers would draft Jimmy Clausen.

In Other News: the Draft Is Next Week

2010-04-15T08:10:00.000-05:00

Just in case we wanted to talk about something else.

He's a Leader!

2010-04-13T09:01:00.004-05:00

In general, I don't get too caught up in appearances, but it's like Ben consciously made the decision to look like a fat slob. In which case: well done, sir.

Lord

2010-04-12T05:36:00.002-05:00

I hope the Steelers got more than a fifth-round pick for Santonio. Upside: maybe this will be the catalyst for Limas' turnaround.

Upside, part II: Ben wasn't accused of sexually assaulting anybody this weekend.

Hola

2010-03-29T08:10:00.005-05:00

Let me apologize for my absence last week. I'm sure it was hard to function without my insight and guidance. For what it's worth, I was in an epic battle with the IRS over an unresolved issue from 2007.

Turns out, I made the mistake of hiring the worst CPA in Upstate New York, and possibly the solar system (if anybody is looking for a really shitty accountant, just shoot me a line!). In any case, that's behind me and I'm now focused solely on next month's draft and who will be playing quarterback for the Steelers in 2010.

Viva la ... something.

Monday

2010-03-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Too bad the Steelers didn't trade for Brady Quinn. In all seriousness: Jake Delhomme?! Really?

Fedora

2010-03-09T20:05:00.000-05:00

Just a new thread. Also, there's this from PFT regarding Limas Sweed, trade target.

Don't Be That Guy

2010-03-07T15:40:00.001-05:00

Usually not much going on this time of year for the Steelers, but thanks to Big Ben kickin’ it in MillyVegas, as well as this almost-as-troubling news via Mike Lombardi, well, there’s plenty to discuss.

Shorter version: I pray Ben isn’t as dumb as he seems, and here’s to hoping Lombardi’s wrong about Limas Sweed.

So What Did We Learn?

2010-03-01T09:42:00.003-05:00

I DVR-ed the Combine but have only watched bits and pieces. I did see that C.J. Spiller ran 40 yards at half the speed of light, which must make him a target late in the first round, right? RIGHT?!

Finally Out of That Coma

2010-02-22T10:55:00.004-05:00

I'm back. I've been training for this weekend's combine. Speaking of which, my good buddy from Football Outsiders (and now Yahoo) Doug Farrar has written extensively about some of the people we should be watching in Indy.

And I'll be honest, I still haven't gotten into draft and I'm not sure why. So feel free to use this thread to educate me.

Super Bowl XLIV Game Thread

2010-02-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

Let's go Saints. And if you'd like to relive the magic, here's last year's Super Bowl game thread. Good times.

Senior Bowl

2010-02-01T10:00:00.004-05:00

I've watched three quarters of the Senior Bowl and still have a few more North and South team practices on the DVR, so I'm not completely up to speed on all of Mike Mayock's favorites, but feel free to discuss guys you noticed. Or how awesome the Pro Bowl was.

QOTD: QBs

2010-01-26T10:00:00.001-05:00

A new thread.

Something I was thinking about a few weeks ago: if Big Ben was going to miss, say, four regular-season games due to injury, and you could have any quarterback in the league replace him, who would it be? And remember, that quarterback will have the same o-line issues that Ben has had for years. Manning, Brady and Rivers are all obvious choices, I think, but here's my guy:

Aaron Rodgers.

He does a lot of the same things Ben does -- takes a beating, holds onto the ball, makes plays with his feet -- but hasn't yet had the same success. Maybe that's why we don't hear more about him. Or maybe it's a vast right-wing sports media conspiracy perpetrated by those who can't quit Brett Favre. Certainly one or the other, though.

Al Everest Thread

2010-01-21T08:55:00.000-05:00

Alternative title: Middle-of-January-and-the-Steelers-Aren't-in-the-Playoffs thread.

Saturday Non-Steelers Game Thread

2010-01-16T15:25:00.003-05:00

Here's to hoping the Colts win by 100. Oh, and go Cards. Or Saints.

Sean Kugler, Everybody!

2010-01-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

JJ Cooper is one of the most optimistic people I know, so when he writes things like, "The Steelers have found their new offensive line coach, and it's clear that Sean Kugler must have had an excellent interview with Mike Tomlin because he sure didn't get his new job because of his resume", I'm not expecting much to change with the o-line.

One more thing: JJ and Gretz talk about the Arians hire here. Good stuff.

Steelers To-Do List: FIX RUNNING GAME

2010-01-11T22:00:00.002-05:00

Concerning the notion that the Steelers must "regain their core identity" …

Just a thought: maybe the defense should regain it's core identity. If the thinking is that the running game should be able to "finish games," I'd just point out that the 2009 Steelers season was doomed mostly because the defense couldn't "finish games."

Pittsburgh had the lead in the fourth quarter 12 times in '09. They won nine games. Pretty sure that's not all on the running game. (By the way: NFL rules allow teams to get first downs through the air, too. Even in the final period. It's almost as if people are spinning a wheel and "running game" randomly came up. "Let's fix that!")

Yes, the running game could be better, but Ben could be better, too. Maybe we should trade for Peyton Manning.

I'm overstating it, obviously, but here's the point: how about people focus on the biggest problems and work back from there? I'm fine with drafting an o-lineman because the Steelers need one. But if the idea is to draft an o-lineman so the Steelers can "run when they want to" because the AFC North is a bruising division, well, that's dumb. I'll say it again: where was this talk last season when the Steelers' had a similarly average running game?

Since then, the passing game has gotten much better and the defense has gotten markedly worse. So the solution is to invest limited resources in getting back to smash-mouth football even though smash-mouth football guarantees nothing? That makes sense.

Here's to hoping Bobby April gets hired so we can change the subject. Lord have mercy.

Come On, Asteroid! Game Thread

2010-01-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

And if no asteroid, go Pats. Just for this week, though.

Saturday's Wild Card Game Thread

2010-01-09T14:15:00.000-05:00

So here's your Saturday game thread. I'm actually traveling as I write this on my iPhone so keep that in mind as you notice the normal-than-usual number of typos. Anyway: I have no idea which AFC team deserves to lose today, but as many of you have pointed out previously: go asteroid (!) in the Ravens-Pats get-together Sunday.

The Fancy-Pants Digital Age

2010-01-07T19:30:00.002-05:00

Well, depending on when you started the clock, we're either two or three days into Bruce Arians' new (old) tenure. And I'll repeat what I've said all along: he's the least of this team's worries. I know there are concerns -- and I don't dispute those -- just pointing what should be obvious.

And I think we're all in agreement on that. I mention it because, as was pointed out in the last thread, media folk around the series of tubes (made popular by Senator Stevens!) have sorta blurred the lines between professionalism and just spouting off opinions.

But as Glenn pointed out, in the particular instance of Wex, Twitter and BA, it had more to do with getting the story wrong (and perhaps the out-of-nowhere anger that followed) than it did with sharing his personal thoughts on the matter.

And like most of you, I think opinions are a good thing. If you want news, you can read the newswire. I mean, the reason HSS works so well is because we all have a common interest, IQs above 80 (give or take), and relatively thought-out opinions on the Steelers. The days of columnists sermonizing to the unwashed masses are long gone. It's an idiotic model -- I'd argue that we know as much (if not more) about the Xs, Os, draft, roster, etc… than Cook or Smizik (and certainly any national columnist). So why are they useful again? (Seriously, I'd love to hear a good answer to that question because I got nothin'.)

At this point it's cliched, but Bill Simmons had a lot to do with making the whole process more, for lack of a better word, transparent. Obviously, blogspot and Facebook and Twitter and whatnot have played a huge role, but you get the point.

Anyway, just continuing the conversation from the previous thread. And in what will become my signature until something happens: HIRE BOBBY APRIL. NOW.

He's Like a Zombie, You Can't Kill Him

2010-01-06T18:40:00.001-05:00

So, to update: it looks like Bruce Arians is staying (that's the word this hour, anyway) and Larry Zierlein is not. As was mentioned in the previous thread, if that move was made to placate the torch-and-pitchfork crowd calling for somebody's head, well, that's a big fat fail.

I'm sure the decision was more measured than that (or at least I hope it was), although it seems a tad odd since the offensive line had its best season under Zierlein, and as DJ pointed out, it's not like the front five is chocked full of first-round picks. Just the opposite, in fact.

As for Arians' return, eh, I still can't get too worked up over it. Yes, he's made some dipshitastic decisions, and I would love to see the Steelers put up a few more touchdowns in first-and-goal situations (among other things, all mentioned in the previous thread -- that's just my pet peeve), but on the list of stuff this team needs to fix in the offseason, I don't think BA ranks particularly high.

If nothing else, maybe it'll push Tomlin into taking a more hands-on role in game-planning. Meanwhile, I'll repeat what I said yesterday: HIRE BOBBY APRIL. NOW.

(Honestly, I have no idea what the hold up is.)

Life After BA

2010-01-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

So word on the street is that Bruce Arians will be gone at some point in the not-too-distant future. Also, apparently the Rooneys nudged Tomlin into the decision to make the change even though Tomlin wanted to Keep Arians. Something about "new investors" or some such.

Here are my questions: anybody worried about owners undermining a head coach 11 months removed from a Super Bowl win? And, two, who would you like to see replace Arians?

I'm a little worried about the former and have no idea on the latter. Oh, and HIRE BOBBY APRIL. NOW.

Draft Talk!

2010-01-04T16:25:00.000-05:00

A few things:

* I'm all for hiring Bobby April ASAP, appearances of scapegoating be damned. Special teams is a huge problem and I don't think Ligashesky would be shocked if he got canned.

* Count me among those who are ambivalent about Bruce Arians. The Browns game was a debaclement and I have no idea why he refused to use Mendenhall as a pass catcher for most of the season, but it's not like the offense was the reason for all the fourth-quarter collapses. There are bigger concerns, I think.

* Finally -- and I'm half-kidding because it would never happen, but suspend reality for the sake of conversation -- would you trade the Steelers' 2010 first-round pick for Josh Cribbs, straight up? I would and I'm serious. He's the best returner in the league, he's a threat on offense, and he's the best returner in the league.

Did I mention he's the best returner in the league? Cribbs is worth what, a couple points a game? If the Cowboys are willing to part with a first-rounder for Roy Williams, this seems like a no-brainer. (Of course, you could argue that the Cowboys are stupid, which I would conveniently ignore.)

Keep Hope Alive

2010-01-03T16:10:00.001-05:00

An Ike Taylor interception seems like a fitting end to the 2009 regular season.

Also: consider this the Hope and Pray thread for the rest of today's games.

Game Thread, Week 17: Miami Dolphins

2010-01-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

Here goes nothing, Part II. (Prays for miracle.)

Playoff Talk, Continued

2009-12-29T12:15:00.001-05:00

Just a new thread to continue the slim-to-none playoff chances conversation now that Marvin Lewis has admitted that the Bengals might half-ass it if the Pats win the early game.

Ravens Like to Cheat

2009-12-27T16:13:00.002-05:00

I'm sure the Ravens will bellyache about all the penalties but, well, quit cheating. Either way, one down, one to go for the Steelers.

Game Thread, Week 16: Baltimore Ravens

2009-12-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

Here goes nothing.

Down Goes Warren

2009-12-21T20:45:00.003-05:00

So Greg Warren's on IR for the second time in as many years. Apparently, he blew out his knee on the final play of the Packers game. Can you imagine what would have happened if he was injured at some point before that?

Either Tomlin would have made him snap with one leg, or he would have just gone for two after Mike Wallace Happened. Because there's no way you can put James Harrison in there, right?

In other Steelers news: Limas Sweed has also landed on IR with … something. And I'll be honest, I'm not even thinking about playoff scenarios until the Steelers beat the Ravens.

MIKE WALLACE

2009-12-20T20:55:00.004-05:00

At no point in this game did I ever stop and think: "You know, there's a chance the defense gets a stop here." Aaron Rodgers is too good and -- I'll admit it now -- this defense, without Troy, is an abomination.

And let me go on record thusly regarding the late-fourth quarter onside kick: I had no problem with it. Obviously, I would have preferred Ike Taylor wait till the ball traveled 10 yards, but more than that, with the defense sucking as much as it did, why give them a full field and an extra 3-4 minutes of clock to give up a touchdown? Make it quick. The failed onside kick accomplished that.

It would be a different story if the Steelers were, say, 9-5, but they're not. And even though this game probably won't have any lasting implications, it was nice to see a win after a month-and-a-half of some dreadful football.

New commenting system: 1-0!

Game Thread, Week 15: Green Bay Packers

2009-12-20T11:00:00.002-05:00

Maybe the new commenting system will turn things around for the Steelers. If not, expect more changes. For now, just remember:

If you reply to a specific comment (hitting 'reply' in the thread instead of just typing your comment in the box up top), it'll be nested. Which means that if you're replying to something someone wrote an hour ago, no one else might see it because it will be so far down the page (most recent comments are at the top). Just something to keep in mind if you plan on making an insightful observation. If you want us to read it, just post it at the top of the thread.

Also: I expect 50 sacks in this game.

Finally: go Steelers.

Steelers Should Hire Vinny Cerrato

2009-12-17T22:38:00.003-05:00

New thread. And this one's troll-free. (Obvious exception: DJ Any Reason.)

Packers Week!

2009-12-16T21:15:00.001-05:00

It's weird to think that there are three weeks left in the regular season, and I spent part of my weekend looking at NFLDraftScout.com thinking about which players would best help the Steelers next season.

Despite being despondent the past month or so, I don't think the Steelers have suddenly turned into the Browns. Clearly that's not the case -- they're worse. (JOKE.) It's been a bunch of stuff, some of it bad luck, a lot of it really poor execution by players and coaches. Hey, it happens.

Oh, and Ryan Clark needs to shut up. Lethon would want it that way.

Anybody but the Steelers Thread

2009-12-13T12:35:00.000-05:00

Just checked and the Steelers still suck.

FAIL

2009-12-10T23:10:00.000-05:00

Next stop: last place in the division!

(By the way: I needed a scorecard to keep up with all the "changes" Tomlin alluded to earlier in the week. Pretty sure Santonio Holmes returning punts won't magically solve everything.)

Game Thread, Week 14: Cleveland Browns

2009-12-10T19:00:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe if I predict a Browns victory that'll fix things.

Cleveland 112

Steelers 5

It's Browns Week!

2009-12-08T21:15:00.000-05:00

Troy's season may or may not be over, there may or may not be benchings against the Browns and Hines Ward is probably out. Silver lining: more Limas Sweed.

What's the Opposite of 'Unleashing Hell'?

2009-12-07T13:30:00.000-05:00

Sigh. The defense has been a disaster, granted, and Ike struggled last week ... but, really? He might get benched? Tomlin does know he's No. 24 and not No. 22, right?

Maybe he meant he was going to "Leash Hell," in which case this all makes sense.

Welcome to the Terror Dome

2009-12-06T16:10:00.004-05:00

This team is a circus. You can say what you want about people being injured, bad luck or whatever else, but those are all excuses. They just lost to an outfit that previously won three times, are led by Bruce Gradkowski, whose owner is a senile fool, and whose coach allegedly punched an assistant and various ladyfriends.

I'm looking forward to the rose-colored glasses set explaining this one away. The Steelers just lost to the Raiders. At home. I defy anybody to rationalize this ridiculousness.

And I'm not even kidding when I say I'm seriously considering deleting any comments of the "well, look, there's still an upside..." variety. You're insane and need help. This team is a joke. I don't think I've every been this frustrated.

Game Thread, Week 13: Oakland Raiders

2009-12-06T11:05:00.003-05:00

When the schedule came out I just assumed this would be a win. I thought the same thing about the Chiefs game, too. Good news: Bruce Gradkowski will be under center. Bad new: JaMarcus Russell won't.

TURNING POINT!

2009-12-02T21:40:00.003-05:00

This is like that time the Steelers brought back Chidi Iwuoma in 2006. Wait a sec... Whatever, I welcome Anthony Madison with open arms.

And Godspeed, Huck. HSS salutes you, sir.

6-5

2009-11-30T09:55:00.000-05:00

Pretty sure moral victories aren't factored into the the wild card race.

Also: oddly, I'm okay with Hines calling out Big Ben on national television. I don't even think his comments were about the concussion, just Ben's drama queen history.

Next post: 2010 draft talk!

Game Thread, Week 12: Baltimore Ravens

2009-11-29T19:45:00.000-05:00

Sit back, relax, and behold the magic that is Bruce Arians' offensive genius.

DENNIS DIXON, EVERYBODY!

2009-11-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's Dennis Dixon time. Probably should have accepted that after Ben wobbily (yep, made it up) made his way off the field last Sunday and before Chaz took his first snap. It seemed clear that Ben had a concussion and it's only a matter of time (in this case, four snaps) until Batch is injured.

So here we are, season on the line, and the Steelers will trot out the 185-pound, second-year third-stringer to face the Ravens. Not the 2008 Ravens, but still not a team you want facing your backup to the backup in an important game.

But you know what? Touchdown Tommy started in Baltimore in 2005. The results were predictably awful, but here's the silver lining: pretty sure it won't be that bad tomorrow night. (Feel better? No? Moving on...) I went searching for some Dennis Dixon college footage and after watching the YouTubes above here's what came to me: Vince Young.

Don't laugh. I know VY has been a punchline for a year and a half, but he's dangerous when given a short script and managed properly. The Ravens' defense is banged up (they have no cornerbacks, Ray-Ray and Ed Reed are both questionable, Suggs is doubtful), and I wouldn't mind seeing some variation of the VY-CJ option with DD and Mendenhall. The problem, of course, is that if Dixon gets hurt the Steelers are in deeper shit than they already find themselves. Wex writes that Mewelde has been taking backup snaps which renders Mike Wallace useless, I think. (Then again, MeMo has a TD pass on a Byron Leftwich fastball to the back of the end zone, so maybe he can throw the deep ball, too.)

So while this game could decide Pittsburgh's playoff fate, in a sense, the pressure's off. Ben's out, Dixon's in, and the expectations have been lowered. Now it'll be up to Dennis' athleticism and Arians' coaching ability.

See, nothing to worry about.

Happy Turkey Day, Peeps

2009-11-25T20:30:00.000-05:00

Because there's only so much Jeff Garcia you should be exposed to. Also, consider this your Thanksgiving Day thread if you're so inclined.

Who Ya Got?!

2009-11-23T19:55:00.000-05:00

Commence with the speculation. I'm going with Jeff Garcia. Or Jeff George.

Oh, and here's a little something I put together for FanHouse. (I can't stress "little" enough.)

Really?

2009-11-22T16:18:00.002-05:00

Hey, another game I can immediately delete from the DVR. Jesus H. What an abomination on just about every level.

Game Thread, Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs

2009-11-22T10:15:00.000-05:00

Neither Larry Johnson nor Troy Polamalu will be playing in this game today. I also can't believe it's already Week 11.

Bruce Arians Fired!

2009-11-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

That was solely for DJ's benefit. I can't muster the weekly BA outrage. In other news, it looks like Troy is out for 2-3 weeks.

Not Sure How That Coulda Been Worse

2009-11-15T16:10:00.005-05:00

Ben and the o-line looked like it was 2006. I immediately deleted the game from the DVR after it was over. No way in hell I'll rewatch this. You couldn't even pay me to do it.

Game Thread, Week 10: Cincinnati Bengals

2009-11-15T10:15:00.004-05:00

I'd like to think the Steelers will roll -- they dominated in Week 3 without Polamalu (... and lost) -- but the Bengals usually show up to play at Heinz Field. That said, I'll conservatively predict Pittsburgh to win by five touchdowns.

Please Don't Doubt Tyrone Carter

2009-11-10T17:30:00.000-05:00

Another thread.

Game Thread, Week 9: Denver Broncos

2009-11-09T19:15:00.000-05:00

It seems like the Steelers haven't played in years.

Greetings

2009-11-05T14:42:00.005-05:00

Hola, peeps. Sorry for disappearing -- had a family emergency and had to head to North Carolina on short notice last Sunday. I'm still in NC and probably won't be home for a few more days. Anyway, here's a new thread.

Hopefully, your irregular HSS programming should be back on schedule soon.

Tripping!

2009-10-28T11:15:00.002-05:00

I was never worried that the "phantom" tripping call that brought back a Vikings touchdown was, well, phantom, but FanHouse's Matt Snyder, who is also a high school official, writes that, according to the rules, the flag was warranted.

Oh, and I just included the video of William Gay getting steamrolled because it's still amazing, three days later.

Defense

2009-10-26T00:45:00.001-05:00

I'll be honest: on both huge defensive plays -- the LaMarr and Keyaron runbacks -- I was yelling "DON'T FUMBLE!" and "GO DOWN!" right up until the time they crossed the goal line. I blame Rashard Mendenhall. Also: since when did Santonio start carrying the ball like an insane person?

Okay, like most of you predicted: 5-2 heading into the bye. Two weeks to get people healthy and figure out how to replace Ryan Clark before heading to Denver.

Game Thread, Week 7: Minnesota Vikings

2009-10-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Gunslinger vs. Brett Favre.

Waterheads Will One Day Rule the Earth

2009-10-21T18:40:00.003-05:00

Hello, fellow HSS-ers! This is your weekly thread update!

So I was just reading through the comments from the previous thread (posted SUNDAY!) and somehow the discussion turned to the frequency of posts. Yeah, I got nothin'. When I started this thing back in 2004 (I really can't believe I've been sorta doing this for five-plus years; that's insane on any number of levels) I was fresh out of grad school, just started a "real" job (one that required me to leave the house), and had loads of time on my hands. Now, as a stay-at-home blogger/dad/puppy owner/(other excuses here) I have a lot less time. It's weird, frankly.

Oh, and I'm chronically lazy. Plus, in all honesty, the conversation isn't "what does Ryan think!?" it's "what do the folks who frequent this site think?" It's better that way. You know that, of course, but I thank you for pretending that I'm important.

I'll take it.

Waterhead

P.S. I'll repeat what I wrote last thread: FWP is done in Pittsburgh after this year. I'm not necessarily excited about it -- he was a fantastic story and his '05 season was a lot of fun to watch -- just the reality for a mediocre back in the NFL.

Okay, my fingers are tired. Expect another post in two weeks or so.

New Thread, Browns Still Suck

2009-10-18T18:30:00.000-05:00

Sloppy wins count, too.

Game Thread, Week 6: Cleveland Browns

2009-10-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Troy's back (sorta), Mendenhall's starting, it's the first game of '09 in the post-Aaron Smith era ... and it's the Browns.

Ziggy, Sunny and Aaron

2009-10-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

Sunny's back (apparently, he goes by "Sunny," not "Sonny"). So all you people lamenting his fate last month, take solace! Sure, the circumstances surrounding his return aren't ideal, but the future is now, look on the bright side, and any other cliche that might work here...

Obviously, the Aaron Smith news is a huge deal, but here's how I'm rationalizing it: just like Madden, when you sit your starters to get a look at the young guys with upside. If they work out, great; you get a quality player already under contract for seven years at the league minimum AND you can trade the veteran for a first-day pick. There's your silver lining.