August 4, 2012; Canton, OH, USA; Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jack Butler (left) and center Dermontti Dawson poses with their busts during the 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies at Fawcett Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

Steelers MMQB:  NFL HOF Weekend Wrap Up

• Two more Steelers added to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• 4 Steeler fan favorites officially earn Steeler for Life status
• Curtis Martin makes everyone uncomfortable with his speech
• NFL tries out replacement refs
• Goodell reportedly settling with Saints “bounty” players
• Tragedy strikes the Philadelphia Eagles

It was a big weekend for Steeler Nation with the annual Friday night practice in Latrobe including a special retirement ceremony of some very special former players as well as 2 Steelers joining the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.  Former Pitt star Curtis Martin dropped a very heavy and candid speech on the crowd Saturday night.  NFL fans finally got their beaks wet on the first taste of football for the season, how did it taste with replacement refs?  Goodell is reportedly backing down from some of the suspensions handed out to the Saints players involved in the Bounty scandal presumably in the hopes to have the lawsuits filed against him dropped.  Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid loses his oldest son tragically over the weekend. (more…)

ILB Larry Foote begins his season as the Steelers "Man in the Middle"

While fans will have very limited access to the happenings this week on the South Side, the Steelers first Organized Team Activities (OTAs) of the 2012 season should bring out the newshounds in the traditional media who have been stumbling through hockey and baseball highlights for the past four months while reporting every miniscule Steelers tidbit as if the season were starting tomorrow.

The OTA season is upon us, and that means very little to us – the “media” or to you, the fan.  Other than giving the football-starved folks of western Pennsylvania some Steelers gossip to chew on between gulps of depressing Pirates game nights, very little happens during the OTA’s.  In a normal year for the Steelers, the team would simply gather a third of their roster – mainly newly signed rookies and free agents – and bring them into the fold to start learning playbooks and terminology.  This is not a “normal” year for the Steelers.  New offensive coordinator Todd Haley has arrived with an entirely new offense that has turned a simple coaching change into a certified Black and Gold emergency, taking fans back in time to the year 1999, when Head Coach Bill Cowher brought offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride into Steeler Nation and helped make the final two seasons at historic Three Rivers Stadium two of the worst campaigns the team ever enjoyed at the old concrete bowl.  Change is a curse word in Steeler Country, a term rarely heard uttered around the most consistent organization in football.  For a team that has had three head coaches since 1969, fans are used to just tuning out anything that happens before the players move into their dorm rooms at St. Vincent College in late summer.  Not this year, folks.  Change is upon us – at least in theory – and both fans and players alike have hit the panic button already in late May.  Since Phase One of the OTA sessions are basically conditioning practice, the only real news we will hear will be if someone shows up grossly overweight (my money is on RB Jon Dwyer) , but it is football so we will be thrilled to hear about it.

Nobody knows who will show up for these OTA sessions, as they are not exactly mandatory for the veterans.  We know that first and second round draft picks OG David DeCastro and OT Mike Adams won’t be there, as they are still putting the finishing touches on their final year of college.  S Troy Polamalu won’t be there because he trains on his own until camp starts.  WR Mike Wallace won’t be there because he is still pouting over his failure to land a “Larry Fitzgerald-sized” contract in his restricted free agency period.  There is a chance Wallace will milk this contract business until he is mandated to be in Latrobe, and his story will be a source of endless debate all year.

So what can fans look for once the news starts pumping out of the South Side Complex this week?  Here are a few items that are worth investigating this week.

1.  Larry Foote takes over the starting “Buck” ILB slot for the departed James Farrior – The last time the Steelers entered a season without #51 calling the defensive plays was 2001.  Foote has been with the team since 2002 – minus a one-year stint with his hometown Detroit Lions – and is going to be counted on as the leader in the middle of this Steelers defense.  The team will be without Farrior, DE Aaron Smith, and DL Chris Hoke – three of the respected, grizzled veterans of the past decade – and will need Foote to divide his time between making a ton of tackles against the run and trying to help develop young ILB Stevenson Sylvester and Sean Spence (who though unsigned, will most likely be in Pittsburgh this week).  For his part, Foote has always been a steady hand as a player.  As a starter between 2005-2008, Foote was a productive linebacker who was always better than he was given credit for.  As a back-up, he has been a consummate professional, understanding his role and just happy to be the Steeler.  It will be interesting to see how he reacts to becoming a major piece of the puzzle again, and taking over the former slot of his legendary buddy, James Farrior.  His battle to become a respected leader can begin this week.

CB Keenan Lewis will be competing for a starting CB spot this summer.

2.  The Cornerback position derby begins – Let’s just call it like it is – not many people are crying their eyes to sleep at night over the though of a Steelers secondary sans William Gay.  Gay took his ball and a nice contract and headed to Pittsburgh-West, leaving the Steelers with only Ike Taylor as a CB with any kind of game experience.  Since Ike can’t “swag” alone, he will need a new “swagging” partner in the defensive secondary.  That player will come from a group that includes Keenan Lewis, Cortez Allen, Curtis Brown, and newcomer Terrence Frederick.  The odds-on-favorite for the job is Keenan Lewis, who heads into his fourth season and at 6-foot tall and 208 lbs., has a natural build for the position.  Lewis will be pushed hard for the job by both Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown, second-year players that both turned heads last year.  Frederick comes in as one of the Steelers 7th rounders and has a real chance to make the roster for special teams duties.  No matter who wins the starting job, the Steelers finally seem to have some legit depth in talent at cornerback – a spot they have lacked solid backups for some time.  We should see all four players at OTAs this week, and it will be a good chance to see how their off-season conditioning either thrusts them into the limelight or turns them into the next Joe Burnett.

3.  The new Defensive Line takes shape – The first true team activities without Aaron Smith and Chris Hoke are upon us, and NT Casey Hampton is still nursing his ACL injury.  That means the Steelers will be looking at a defensive line potentially featuring DE Cameron Heyward, DE Ziggy Hood, and NT Alameda Ta’amu -not just for OTA action, but for the start of the season.  We won’t count out another stellar season coming from “The Diesel” Brett Keisel, but at 33-years old he should begin to be phased out this season.  It is a transitional period for the Steelers front three, and we should get a good look at how the young guns on the defensive line are looking this week.  While they won’t be wearing pads, just seeing the new players out there sweating and pushing around offensive linemen should be a sight that warms Steeler fans hearts.

DE Ziggy Hood will be starting for the Steelers in 2012

OK, I know…..this is just an OTA.  There won’t be much actual football taking place this week, but the excitement of seeing the Steelers doing anything is a sight for sore pigskin eyes in May.  The bitter taste of that loss in Denver is still in the mouths of most fans, and certainly the players are ready to move on from that debacle.  This is a minor step towards the new season, but hopefully it is enough to end the “sky is falling because Todd Haley threw out the Arians playbook” garbage we have been shoveled endlessly over the past month.  Let’s hope for some positivity out of the South Side this week, and start the push towards a very interesting and potentially Earth-shattering 2012 season.

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Step away from the Blackberry, Adam!

With Casey Hampton more than likely on the PUP at the start of the 2012 season and the release of Aaron Smith, at first glance the Steelers defensive line looks in dire need of some help.  Enter ESPN’s Adam Schefter with this:

This draft is so deep at defensive tackle that it’s easy to see the Steelers looking in that direction on draft day. The one thing about Pittsburgh’s defense is that it’s aging, quickly — the Steelers need an infusion of youth and talent. Then again, they also could use some reinforcements to help protect Ben Roethlisberger. But the needs along the defensive line would seem to be the most pressing and if there’s a bona fide prospect available, Pittsburgh could pounce on him.

Unless you’ve been under a rock lately or just staring longingly out the window for the leaves to appear on the trees, any Steelers fan knows that the team has slashed their way under the cap.  I think Schefter misses the fact that by getting rid of many higher payed players thus far during the off season, they’ve also dumped a bunch of 30 somethings along the way.  Hines Ward, Aaron Smith, James Farrior, Bryant McFadden, Chris Hoke – all over the age of 30 and gone.  The average age of the Steelers starting lineup right now is around 26 years old – that includes factoring in Charlie Batch’s age of 62.  And can someone explain to me how you can age ‘quickly?’  I’m pretty sure the team is aging just as fast as any other team in the league.  He is correct that the Steelers need to continue their tradition of infusing youth with talent that already exists on the team – it’s won a few Super Bowls so far.

I don’t doubt the Steelers will be looking to score a DT on draft day.  But let’s not get carried away and use words like ‘pounce.’  If the defensive tackle list is as deep as Schefter says it is (and more or less it is), then the Steelers can take their time to fill a need when they want to.  That’s the beauty of the Steelers’ draft ‘system.’  They draft by value congruently with need.  The Steelers don’t pounce.  Cougars pounce (the kind at the zoo or at the bar, take your pick).  Colbert is calculated and patient.

Secondly, if there ever is a more urgent need to fill for the Steelers it’s the offensive line.  The Steelers won’t ignore that they need to protect their $100 million investment.  The passing game and running game are dependent upon at least two picks this draft.  And, even with a need like that the Steelers will still look to a higher value by the time pick #24 comes rolling around.  Cordy Glenn will more than likely be off the board.  The guard class is deep too.  So, the Steelers won’t rush that pick either.  The highest value congruent with need right now lies within Dont’a Hightower.  Farrior is gone and they will need a 3-4 ILB ‘quickly’… oh shoot there I go using that word.  But this time the word is being used in the right context.

The defensive line is not the most pressing need.  It’s a LeBeau offense, and it will take time for any rookie to get acquainted.  That’s why Dont’a is such a good fit – he already has played in a Nick Saban true to the ‘T’ 3-4 defense.  A huge step in the right direction for getting someone in the lineup and starting quic…soon.  Steelers fans know better, and know that ‘The Hood’ will step up should Hampton be placed on the PUP.  Guys like Sylvester will step up in the LB spot should Hightower need more time.  Don’t be surprised if a DL/DT pick comes after round four.  And don’t be surprised if that player is a gem – Colbert has a way with knowing what the hell he is doing.

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Can LaMarr Woodley become a defensive leader in 2012?

A quick inventory of players who will NOT be in Latrobe this summer for the 2012 edition of Camp Tomlin:

- The franchises all-time leading receiver, and spiritual leader of the offense for the past six years.

- A starting middle linebacker who had earned the Captain patch by leading the defense into battle for the past decade.

- Two long-time defensive linemen who were leaders in the locker room and respected unconditionally by every player that has come through Pittsburgh during their tenures.

That, my black and gold minded minions, is what we call in the business “Leadership”.

The Steelers off season isn’t even over yet, and already the team is heading into 2012 with a major gap in leadership – a tangible quality that no NFL team wins without.  While it doesn’t show up in stat lines or your fantasy football box score, leadership counts in a league where the roster is populated by 52 young men with a ton of money and very little life experience.  Without leadership, you can have all the talent in the world and achieve absolutely nothing (see Jets, New York 2011).  Players like Hines Ward, Aaron Smith, Chris Hoke, and James Farrior led on and off the field.  They ensured that players gave their all in every practice, treated each other with respect, followed the game plan, and most importantly they mentored your players who needed to be looked after.  There is a reason why James Farrior was the man to pump up the team before they headed out of that Heinz Field tunnel on Sunday – respect.  Farrior had earned that right by proving to the coaching staff and ownership that he was able to bring the defense group together into one cohesive unit.  Do you ever wonder why teams like the Washington Redskins always seem to have so much talent, yet they never win anything?  It’s because football is a team sport, and the strongest link in the chain is the most important one of all.  Teams like the Redskins have too many guys pulling chains in every which direction, never together.  The players the Steelers have lost this off season were some of the best leaders this franchise has ever seen, and to replace them will require numerous men to step up and take the reins as vocal and spiritual leaders of the most successful professional football franchise in NFL history.  It is not an easy task, and very few current players have the swagger and overall team respect to forge ahead as the new leaders of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On offense, its very simple.  Ben Roethlisberger is a future Hall of Fame quarterback who has been to the brink of losing it all and rebounded to reclaim the love and respect of his peers.  With Hines Ward gone, he is the unquestioned leader of the offense, and frankly, the entire team.  Roethlisberger is now two years removed form his social issues, and has continued to develop into the type of man the Rooney family wants representing their team.  “Big Ben” has done everything short of play with a broken neck, he is a tireless competitor who will never allow injuries to keep him out of a game, even though he spends most weeks getting thrown around like a sack of potatoes.  Ben Roethlisberger is now the “face” of the Steelers, a position he has earned through hard work and persistence.  Coach Tomlin knows that he has a leader in his quarterback, and he will be calling on him to keep the troops in line this season.

On defense, things are a bit trickier.  Most fans would say that Troy Polamalu is a fine example of a leader, but despite the fact that he is the best player on the field – when he is on the field – Polamalu is a man of few words.  Let’s just say that the chances of seeing #43 leading the pre-game rally in the tunnel is pretty slim.  Polamalu leads by example on the field, and off the field.  He is a deeply religious man who values his family over anything the game of football could ever bring him, which are the reasons that he is beloved by so many.  However, as a leader in the locker room – the soft-spoken safety may have trouble getting his point across.  Better we leave Troy to the issue at hand- scaring the snot out of opposing quarterbacks and slot receivers going over the middle.

Ike Taylor would be a candidate based on seniority.  Ike has been with the Steelers since 2003, and has been a starter since 2005.  He re-signed with the team last year when he probably could have taken a more lucrative deal elsewhere, and he has earned a reputation as one of the best cover corners in the league by people who obviously do not watch enough Steelers football.  Ike Taylor is not a leader, he is a great player who will follow a great leader and probably be better for it.  Lawrence Timmons is a beast, easily the best athlete on the defense and a scary human being to see running at you full speed.  He is also a laid-back type of locker room guy, with no patience for the “Ra-Ra” energy a defensive leader needs to have (think Ray Lewis – unfortunately).  Casey Hampton has had opportunities to step up as a leader before, and never fully embraced it then.  I would assume he is happy with his current role of speaking softly and eating opposing running backs for mid-game light snacks.  James Harrison is a player that is respected by all, but he is a tad bit on the not-so shall we say…..sane side.  There is also the matter of his ongoing battle with the NFL over decapitating opposing players to contend with.  Better to leave Harrison alone.  Ryan Clark is a leader, outspoken and brash, with a tendency to hit first, think later (here’s looking at you Willis McGahee).  Clark has become a vocal leader for the team and could very well be the guy who replaces James Farrior as the leader of the defense.  Additionally, Clark plays free safety – a position that is integral to most of the plays in the Dick LeBeau bag of tricks.  Could Ryan Clark emerge as the next defensive captain of the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Last but not least, I give you my choice.  The Michigan Monster, the man with the stomp, the Steelers most intimidating defensive player.  LaMarr Woodley has embraced Steeler Nation, he has been one of the most consistent forces on the Steelers defense, and he has in his possession a Super Bowl ring.  All prerequisites for anyone who wants to be the Steelers defensive captain.  Woodley is entering his sixth season with the team, and is signed through 2017.  By the time his career comes to an end, he should be a lifetime Steeler, just like Ward, Smith, and Hoke.   Woodley is an outside linebacker, a position that is the calling-card for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  He is a shining example of a player who works hard in the community as well as on the field, and is a good role model for younger players.  The time is right for LaMarr Woodley to become the new leader of the Steelers defense.

From Bradshaw t0 Franco to Swann to Lambert to Hoge to Ilkin to Gildon to Porter to Ward to Smith to Farrior and now to Woodley.  The tradition of leadership in the Pittsburgh Steelers organization continues in 2012.  We may see some younger players – Antonio Brown, Keenan Lewis, Maurkice Pouncey – emerge as leaders in the future, but for 2012 this Steelers team will rely on the leadership of Ben Roethlisberger and LaMarr Woodley to lead them to the promise land.  With much more off season to go before the trip to Latrobe, anything can happen.  However, the Steelers should feel pretty good about having these players wearing the C patch – at least theoretically – this season.

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And so, the time has come at last…

For the past two weeks, you’ve no doubt heard an endless parade of “experts” analyze the match-up between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers from any number of angles.  From Ron Jaworski and his 172 hours of tape study to Shannon Sharpe mumbling something in his mush-mouth assassination of the English language, everybody has an opinion.  It’s paralysis of analysis to the nth degree.  When it comes time to determining the deciding factor in Super Bowl XLV, it comes down to one simple thing.

Slippery balls.

No, I’m not speaking of Ben Roethlisberger‘s unbreakable pair.  I’m referring to John Clayton’s assertion that Super Bowl balls are slippier than regular game balls because they have extra logos painted on them.  The Professor, you see, believes Aaron Rodgers‘ inexperience with gripping the special Super Bowl edition may lead to an unfortunate accident or two.  Makes sense as that tends to happen when squeezing strange and unfamiliar balls.

STEELERS DEFENSE vs. PACKERS OFFENSE

GM Ted Thompson looks like a genius for jettisoning Brett Favre in favor of Aaron Rodgers.  He’s the modern-day gunslinger without the phony drama, overpriced Wranglers, and pictures of his junk floating around the internet.  Rodgers has the rifle-arm and quick release to be a clear heir apparent to the Brady/Manning duo as best pure passing quarterback in the league.  Working without benefit of a running game, Rodgers was a one-man show most of the season and rose to the challenge time and time again.

When he was healthy that is.  See, the story the media has sadly missed out on because they were too busy analyzing videos of Big Ben singing “Piano Man” is that it is very likely Rodgers suffered a concussion in the NFC Championship game.  If you watched his performance, there was a clear drop off in his timing and accuracy after the helmet-to-helmet hit by Julius Peppers.  Being the man he is, and not a rifle-armed vagina like Jay Cutler, I have no doubt he told whatever lie he had to tell in order to stay in the game.

Rodgers has been concussed before.  Twice this season alone to be exact.  If he did indeed suffer a third in less than six months, well, I wouldn’t expect to see him at Mensa meetings during the off-season.  And Steeler Nation no doubt remembers how poorly Ben played post-motorcycle accident when it was whispered the head trauma left him in a perpetual fog.

James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley must hit Rodgers early and often.  I’m not advocating anything dirty nor would I expect anything of that nature seeing as the Steelers play a clean but hard-hitting brand of football everybody but the Ginger Dictator loves.   But the Steelers D have long boasted the reputation of the biggest baddest bullies on the block.  On Sunday, the bullies have to rough up that goofy looking beanpole at every opportunity.

Rookie running back James Starks is a nice story but the Steelers historically dominant run defense shut down All-Pro caliber backs with ease so if they run, he’ll be the bug and they’ll be the windshield.  The game comes down to Rodgers and his cadre of excellent receivers against Dick LeBeau‘s creative blitz schemes and suspect secondary.  One factor in Blitzburgh’s favor is the shaky line of the Pack.  They surrendered 38 sacks a year after giving up a league leading 51 and now play a team who can bring pressure from unexpected places.

On the flip side, this will be the best passing attack the Steelers have faced all year.  The Patriots have a great quarterback but sub-par receivers.  The Ravens have great receivers but a sub-par quarterback.  The Pack have great talent on both ends of the equation.  Donald Driver is the dependable veteran.  Greg Jennings is a big play threat.  Slot men James Jones and Jordy Nelson cause all kind of match-up problems in four-wide sets.

Bryant McFadden practiced this week and appears to be ready to play his regular role after seeing limited action in our previous two playoff games.  A nickel of him, Ike Taylor, and Willie Gay is much preferable to seeing Anthony Madison or Ryan Mundy out there.  Troy Polamalu also practiced a lot more than usual this week which is a positive sign he may return to being the sideline to sideline demon which won him Defensive Player of the Year.  In last year’s Steelers-Packers shootout, the defense got to Rodgers five times without bringing him down.   Convert those opportunities to sacks and I like our chances.

STEELERS OFFENSE vs. PACKERS DEFENSE

What more can be said about Ben Roethlisberger?  The man is simply the best big game quarterback in football.  His numbers haven’t been spectacular this post-season but he has an uncanny knack for making a play when one needs to be made.  There is a fire which burns inside him, an indomitable desire to win, which transcends any statistical measure of greatness.

He’s going to need every ounce of his legendary courage when facing a swarming defense coached by former Steelers defensive coordinator Dom Capers.  Capers has built a defense in Green Bay that is almost the mirror image of what we have here in Pittsburgh although their unit averages only 27 years of age.  NT B.J. Raji is a load in the middle much like our Big Snack.  OLB Clay Matthews is a relentless pass-rusher who can also drop back into coverage not unlike our Silverback.  Last year’s DPOY CB Charles Woodson is the rover, the piece who must be accounted for on every play because you never know where he’ll line up.  Doesn’t have the magnificent flowing locks, though.

Unlike the Steelers, the Packers strength would seem to be in the secondary.  In addition to Woodson, CB Tramon Williams is having a fantastic playoffs.  He’s the best cover corner on the team.  Rookie corner Sam Shields is the unit’s unsung hero, a speedster who can run with anybody.  Altogether, they make up the 5th best pass defense in football.

However, the unit is not without their weaknesses.  The outside linebackers opposite Matthews have combined for only three sacks.  Woodson, while crafty with a nose for the ball, no longer has elite speed at 34 years of age.  And while Raji has emerged in the playoffs, the Pack has been inconsistent against the run.  They finished 18th in run defense allowing 115 yards per game.

When the Steelers won their last Super Bowl, they did so without much of a running game.  Willie Parker was nearing the end of his usefulness as a featured back and the offensive line was mediocre at all positions.  Enter Rashard Mendenhall.  His performance in the AFC Championship game was a defining moment in his young career.

Maurkice Pouncey is a no-go for Sunday.  He gave it a shot but Mike Tomlin wasn’t happy with what he saw.  It’s a major blow without a doubt.   But remember Mendy rushed for almost all of his 100 first half yards with Doug Legursky at center two weeks ago.  Legursky is a natural center with a mauler mentality suited to running the ball.  Pouncey’s mobility in pass protection and ability to recognize defensive shifts and make the appropriate line calls cannot be replaced.  Their ability to run should not be as adversely affected.

Some people are predicting a shootout similar to the epic 2009 meeting.  With these two elite quarterbacks who can blame them?  While I believe the Steelers would be well-served to employ a ground and pound game plan similar to what they used against the Jets, Ben will have to air it out eventually.  That’s when things get interesting.  Hines Ward and Heath Miller have had better statistical seasons but they remain Ben’s go-to guys.   Mike Wallace has been quiet during the postseason although all it takes is isolating him on Woodson one time and he’s off to the races.  Then we have the rooks, Antonio Brown and Manny Sanders, who continue to impress on a weekly basis and have seemingly saved their best football for the biggest games of the year.

Despite the good-natured ribbing between Pittsburgh and Green Bay these past couple weeks, I believe there is a genuine respect between both teams and both fanbases.  And why shouldn’t there be?  This is truly a clash of the titans.  Number two overall defense versus number five.  Best big game quarterback in the league versus brightest up-and-coming young quarterback.  Terrible Towels versus Cheeseheads.  The City of Champions versus Titletown USA.

To quote a certain maniacal clown from The Dark Knight Returns, “And here we go…”