Steelers-Jets Talking Points, Week 14

No doubt one of the games to watch this week in the NFL, and for Steelers fan it will be a strange sight to see Santonio Holmes in green and white running out in Heinz Field. Before we get started with the important stuff, I hope he gets cheers before the game as long as the defense doesn't let him do anything to silence the crowd while the clock is ticking.

All the outside-the-lines drama aside, let's approach the scrimmage line and talk football. Here are 4 topics to keep in mind for this week's game.

Polamalu-less Defense

Without question the Steeler defense, led by Troy Polamalu, has been the fuel that’s fired the team’s current 4-game win streak. But with their top playmaker most-likely sidelined to recharge for the playoffs, the unit will need to draw up another strategy to hide a secondary that has proven to be easily exposed. Enter pass rush. Simply put the play of the linebackers and defensive line could very well determine the outcome of this game. LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison will need to pressure Mark Sanchez a bit more than Carson Palmer to force poor throws, but the Patriots and Dolphins have laid the blue-print for that game plan. I think the defensive line could have just as big an impact, as they will be responsible for opening up the pocket for the linebackers and an occasional cornerback (say, Willie Gay) to rush Sanchez into turning over the ball. The Steelers need to handle the run like they have all year, stopping Tomlinson and Greene from getting into an early rhythm and taking away the ground-offense by the end of the first half. After stopping the likes of Chris Johnson, Michael Turner and Ray Rice, the run defense isn’t dealing with anything new in Greene and LT. They’re streaky backs that become useless if they aren’t used early and often. Frankly, I’d be more intimidated by the shifty and slippery Leon Washington. With regards to the secondary, the best matchup of the afternoon features Ike Taylor against Santonio Holmes. Ike has successfully shut down several big-play receivers, but as a former Holmes fan, I can’t say I’d be surprised to see a quick slant or two go for 30 yards. Dustin Keller and Braylon Edwards pose a worthy threat to McFadden the Ryans (Clark and Mundy). The Steelers need a big game out of Clark if Sanchez isn’t consistently pressured. As long as the defense as a whole doesn’t give up any huge plays, going along with their season’s trademark, it should buy the defensive front enough time to figure out how to rattle the Sanchize.

3^rd and Long

The Steeler Offense has found itself stuck and 3^rd and 6+ often in crucial situations throughout the season, but Big Ben has found receivers in the clutch, and made the necessary plays to keep the chains moving. However if the offense wants to control the clock effectively, they’ll need consistent 5-6 yard run/short pass plays to get more 3^rd and short opportunities. Isaac Redman has proven that he can get 2 or 3 yards when his number is called, and Mendenhall can break away for 15/20 yards if he catches the Jets defense is on its heels. The Jets pride themselves in stopping the run, so the offensive line will really need to drink their block-juice for this game. If Mendenhall can’t find holes and the line can’t buy Ben time, the Steeler offense transforms into a unit of hurried passing and -1 yard stuffers, which is the poorly-oiled machine that cranks out 3^rd and long situations. For the short passing game to be effective, the passing game needs production from David Johnson, Manny Sanders and Hines Ward. I’m on the lookout for the short pass to Ward or Wallace in the WR bunch-right. It will also be interesting to see if Bruce Arians or Ben will be the one to test Darrelle Revis with a Mike Wallace deep ball. That is, of course, if #7 ever gets the time to see his receivers run more than 15 yard routes.

Just for the kickers

These are two teams with inconsistent offenses, and hard-nosed defensive units. With that said, a low scoring game is in order, and the kickers will most-likely have their stab at winning the game. Shaun Suisham has been nothing short meat and potatoes as far as field goals go, but I’m not sure if Nick Folk can be trusted on the Heinz Field turf. He’s only 4-7 in the 40-49 yard range. Still, there’s got to be a reason Suisham was job-less right? I stubbornly keep waiting for him to lose his cool, but he’s kept it simple and knocked 3 points on the scoreboard when the Steelers have desperately needed the aid. With regards to special teams in general, the field position battle could be just as influential as any other aspect of the game, given the lack of offense that both teams have turned in the past few weeks. If either team can make a return-play to get their offense in opponent-territory, it could be enough to decide, or at the very least alter the momentum of the game. Antonio Brown, in a Mendenhall-like trend, looks like he could break away on any given return, but he hasn’t been doing so in the past few weeks. Will this be the week that the special teams take over the game? If so, the Steelers will have the edge with home turf and a fired-up bunch of playmakers.

Make or Break for the Jets

This week will assuredly play out as the turning point of the Jets season. Either they’re able to rebound and show the NFL that they weren’t just a team that was exposed after getting lucky in the fourth quarter in 5 straight weeks. They could very well go back to being a legitimate threat in the AFC, but recent weeks point towards the opposite. Instead, Mark Sanchez has shown his youth and inexperience, simultaneously exposing the offense as unproductive and exploitable. If a sense of urgency comes into play at any point in the Jets season, it will have to be this Sunday for the Gang Green to maintain any hope to fuel a playoff run. If the Jets come out playing with everything to prove, will the Steelers match the intensity and respond to the challenge? Or will they fall back on an almost-certain playoff bid. One thing’s for sure, the Black and Gold could definitely use a bye week to rest Polamalu and Ben, and anxiously await the verdict on Aaron Smith. If Steelers can find a way to win this game, and it’s absolutely within reach, they can rest assured that they’ll have much more potential to make a dangerous playoff run in 4-5 weeks.

Overall, I expect this game to be a thriller, even if it’s only a battle driven by special teams or defensive playmaking. However the cards fall, the matchup promises a hard-nosed battle between two talented AFC teams.

A lot to like about Pens

I’m dealing with a massive problem here as a Penguins fan. I know what you’re thinking, how could a Penguins fan have any problems with the way this team is performing? I mean, what’s not to like about how they’re playing this early in the year? Despite a below-average start and a myriad of significant injuries, the Penguins are lounging alone atop the conference and league standings thanks to a 12-game win streak. Well that’s exactly the problem; I’m spoiled with the struggle to pinpoint what exactly to like most about the team’s performance through the past four weeks.

The obvious answer is the play of Sidney Crosby. It seems as if we all forgot Crosby’s age, his steady desire to improve on every aspect of his game, and his constant leadership that comes with the C stitched on his sweater. Crosby has once more reminded the Hockey World that he is the best player in the league. Without a big-name winger on his top line, without the natural shooting skill that Ovechkin and Stamkos were gifted with, and without the star power of Evgeni Malkin and the two-way presence of Jordan Staal, #87 has taken this Penguins team on his shoulder and piggy-backed them to the top of the conference. Crosby is the first player to score 50+ points since Mario Lemieux did the same in 2002-2003, thanks to an 18-game point streak during which he scored 36 points, more than all but two other players have racked up this season. He’s on pace to score 137 points and 71 goals in an era when 100 point seasons are scarce. Behind Crosby, the Penguins are scoring 3.2 goals per game, a stat good for 5^th in the NHL.

Has Crosby finally reached his scoring peak? With his pattern of improvement, it’s far too early to guess. You want him to score more goals? This season he’s got more goals than assists, with 26 to 25 respectively. How about face-offs, he struggles in with that right? Not anymore. Crosby won a regular-season single-game high 25 face-offs in the Penguins last loss (in overtime) against the Rangers. What more can you ask for from a 23 year old? What’s not to like?

The Penguin defense deserves equal praise. From puck-blocking, to penalty killing, to the return of Marc Andre Fluery, the D is shutting down opponents on all cylinders. Let’s start with the penalty kill. After last season’s collapse in the playoffs, GM Ray Shero knew he had to look elsewhere for defensive help; he did just that by signing defensemen Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin to five year deals. The duo is already paying its dues, as the Penguin defense is seemingly unbreakable. So far in 2010 the D ranks 2^nd in the league in penalty killing, shutting down the power play 88% of the time. Want more? The PK unit is tied for second in the league in short-handed goals. This feat is even more jarring given that the unit is missing one of the best two-way players in the league, Jordan Staal. In some fashion, the Penguins have managed to turn Staal’s injury from a negative to a positive. His awaited return is no longer a crucial need , but rather point of excitement for what he could add to an already streaking team.

Just when you think the Penguins lost their Norris Trophy Candidate in Sergei Gonchar, Kris Letang’s rise to the top had made #55’s departure near-meaningless. Gonchar has made Shero look like a genius with his sad decline in Ottawa, posting a -16 in 2010. Meanwhile, Letang leads defenseman in All-Star voting as a write-in candidate, and leads the league in +/- at +18. If this young man continues to play at this level, Norris trophy talks will undoubtedly return to Pittsburgh.

And then there’s Fleury. His rough start this season stalled the Penguins out of the gate, but despite the criticism, there’s no question he has returned to form. Behind MAF, the team is third overall in average goals against, allowing only 2.3 twine-ticklers per game. What’s more is that the team has also found consistency in Brent Johnson as a solid back-up. Johnson held down the fort during Fluery’s struggle, and will continue to give him needed rest during the regular season. By overcoming early struggles and receiving consistent and reliable backup, Fleury is in prime position for a strong playoff performance. And goaltending, as Penguins fans have learned in years past, is always a major factor in the playoffs.

So I’ve found one thing not to like about the Penguins: the power-play. The unit only converts with a man-advantage 16% of the time. But even with this negative, there is an obvious bright spot. This team has time to improve the power play and is still winning in spite of it. Malkin, the power-play goal machine has been off the ice, and hasn’t been scoring goals when he’s on the ice. Is there any question that he’ll return to form and bring the pens’ power play back with him?

The Penguins play their division rival Flyers tonight in Philadelphia. The winner will claim sole possession of the top of the NHL standings. Malkin is returning from an injury, as the Penguins will try for their 13^th straight Crosby will go for 19 straight games with a point. What’s not to like about this game? What’s not to like about this team? What’s not to like about this predicament?

Steve McNair Football

I was happily thrown into the past on Sunday afternoon. That’s right, the past; The only place I can escape to without hearing the continuous blowing of a whistle, without seeing referees slash their hands on their knees over and over, and if only to avoid James Harrison’s look in disbelief at another yellow flag falling to the grass.

Let’s add some background to this time-travel. It’s 3^rd down and 17 for the Steelers at the Pittsburgh 29. Four flags and seven runs ago, Rashard Mendenhall kicked off the drive with a 42 yard run, turning around only to see the team marching back the other way. Holding. It’s always something. Back to third down: As soon as Ben snaps the ball he’s hit with pressure. Announcer Solomon Wilcots thinks he’s already sacked. Steeler Nation knows better. #7 doesn’t go down in 3 seconds. He escapes to the outside, and he’s still looking for options. Getting chased by a bills defender, Ben darts for the first down. No one in front of him, one big Buffalo behind him, he makes 18 yards look like a mile. Instead of sliding at 17, he goes all out and smashes his way past the marker. That’s when I went back and simply forgot.

I forgot about the 163 yards in penalties that were called against the Steelers the week prior. I forgot about the unfair target the league has placed on James Harrison. I forgot all about Roger Goodell, and Mike Florio and Richard Seymour. I forgot about the “If Tom Brady we’re this” and “If Peyton Manning were that” phrases. All I could think about was Steve McNair on the Titans.

You see, back in Steve McNair’s glory days, no one could tackle that man. He’d play with a broken thumb, and bruised thigh and a black eye and you still couldn’t bring him anywhere close to the ground. Then he’d throw a block or scramble to a first down just to remind you that he wasn’t just a quarterback. He was the toughest quarterback in the league, and if you wanted to bring his team down, you had to bring him down first.

I can’t think of anyone that comes close to McNair’s playing style besides Ben Roethlisberger. His fairly consistent passing, his clutch style, his ability to avoid the sack unless you’ve got 3 linebackers hanging on him. I mean, you’ve got to surround this guy to bring him down, or he’ll make a play.

You had to do the same with McNair, or soon you’d be seeing those turned out hands on the side of his helmet, and you’d be 7 points down. I mean really, if McNair was still living, what would he have to say about all this? This guy would’ve shredded the injury report weekly if he had the chance. He was in the huddle and un-sackable no matter what. That’s football.

That 18 yard scrambled showed me how much of a football player Ben Roethlisberger continuously proves himself to be. It was such a fierce football play, that I couldn’t help but forget all the nonsense that’s been going on in this league of “transitions” and “safety concerns.” I just felt that Steve McNair would rather I didn’t ponder all that.