Break out the sunscreen Brucy. You’re in the southwest now.

They really can’t just help themselves can they down there in the Copper State.  In the past ten years alone, the Arizona Cardinals organization has grabbed so many former Pittsburgh Steelers, one would begin to think that the Steelers had a AAA minor league team in the southwest (or would it be the other way around – who’s ‘calling up’ who?).

The latest former member of the Black & Gold to head down to Arizona would be former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.  Arians coached with the Steelers for a grand total of eight years – wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator.  Arians was fired/retired at the end of 2011 and went to the Colts where he became their offensive coordinator.  When head coach Chuck Pagano went under treatments for leukemia, Arians took over as interim head coach.  He lead the Colts to a 9-3 (11-5 overall) record and a playoff birth once he took over.

Arians is a still hot button topic here in Pittsburgh – not only for the way he was dismissed from the team, but also his perceived lack of production while he coached the offense.  Arians has a tall task in front of him as Arizona’s OC.  Their QB situation is dismal – probably the worst case scenario in the NFL.  It will be up to him to help find a new QB to pave the way to better days.  People in Arizona should be somewhat encouraged.  Arians is a quarterback kind of guy.  The relationship he had with Ben Roethlisberger while in Pittsburgh was a strong one, and his relationship with rookie Andrew Luck while in Indy helped make Luck a force in his first year in the NFL.  The same is sure to happen while in Arizona.  Whether he can keep the rest of the team, defense and special teams, in order while he is there is to be seen.

Best of luck to Arians and the Mini-Steelers in the 2013 season.

Ward’s commentary is usually not riveting. But last Sunday, he had quite a mouthful of juicy gossip about the Steelers, Arians, and Roethlisberger.

The addition of Hines Ward to ‘the booth’ during halftime of NBC’s Football Night in ‘Merica has been a bland, albiet smiley, rendition of ‘Hey retired guy, give me your summarized 20 second thoughts on this matter.’  Yet, on Sunday night, while watching his former team face off against the Bengals, Hines Ward revealed a bit of closed door culture the Steelers offense lived in during the late tenure of Bruce Arians.

There’s always been speculation that BA and Ben Roethlisberger became a little ‘too close’ and that was what prompted the move of BA out and Todd Haley in.  When Costas asked Ward if he bought into that, Hines became very open about the matter:

Well, sometimes I think when you get so close, partiality sets it, and you don’t know if Bruce Arians is doing what’s best for the Steelers or if he’s doing what’s best for Ben Roethlisberger. And I think that set in. And they had to part ways, because when you go out there and you can’t decide what’s best for the team, and you’re doing what’s best for the player, sometimes it can be a problem.

Holy shnikees.  I don’t think anyone watching this ever thought that Ward would open up this much about what happens behind the closed doors of meeting rooms and the locker room.  Not only does this damn BA in the way he schemed the offense, but, in a way, it also damns Roethlisberger and how he handled his relationship with BA – which turns out (if what Hines said is true) to be a bunch of BS.

If ya buy into what Hines is dishing out, it certainly pours a mountain of salt into the wound of Steeler Nation and their strong disliking (ok…. hatred) of how BA ran the Steeler offense.  Many, including myself and others here on NPC, felt that BA called a horrible game and was somehow ‘selfish.’  Turns out that may not have been as delusional as some called us out to be.

There is, however, another side to this coin.  Is Ward still a bit bitter about being let go by the Steelers organization this spring and is a little loose with his tongue when it comes to his critique?  Teary eyed as it was of a ‘retirement’ speech, I can’t believe that Hines left with his big bright smile on his face the day the front office said, ‘Thanks for all your hard work over all these seasons, but we’re going to decide when you are ‘done.”  I’m suspicious about the motives as to why Ward became so brutally honest about BA’s and Roethlisberger’s relationship.  To say that a coach actually called the offense to benefit the player over the rest of the offense, and therefore, the overall success of the organization is ballsy…. and just a touch vindictive.  It’s small slap (or huge depending on how big you envision that white glove) in the face of not only BA, but even more so the Steelers organization.

Who else knew what was going on and for how long?  Ward, unless he moonlighted with Kojak on the side, could not have been the only one to deduce what was going on.  Higher ups had to know.  Coaches had to know.  Therefore, it’s a slight against the organization for letting it take place at all and for a certain period of time.

So, was Ward right to say what he did?  Or was there just a bit too much bitterness underlying the whole thing?

Colts fans cheer on the team and their coach. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

What We Learned in Week #5 in the NFL:

• BA gets his first win as interim Head Coach
• Chiefs players and media attack fans for booing Matt Cassel injury
• Drew Brees breaks Johnny Unitas’ passing td record
• Steelers win in final seconds but lose more starters to injury (more…)

Bruce Arians must bear the weight of stepping in as head coach while Chuck Pagano undergoes chemotherapy for Leukemia.

I don’t think that former Steelers offensive coordinator had head coaching on his mind when he signed with the Indianapolis Colts as their new OC for the 2012.  But, a sudden diagnosis of leukemia for Chuck Pagano has thrust Arians into the head coaching position.

Monday brought somber news to Colts fans as news was released that head coach Chuck Pagano is suffering from a treatable form of leukemia.  According to multiple outlets, Pagano (52) was showing symptoms of the disease – fatigue and easy bruising – during training camp but waited until the bye week to have tests.  Pagano has started treatments as of last week and is slated to be in the hospital for the next six weeks.  Colts owner Jim Irsay moved Arians to the role of head coach and was clear to state that Pagano would not be back as head coach the rest of the season.

Of course, our thoughts and prayers go out to Pagano, his family, and the Colts organization.  Leukemia is a nasty cancer where being ‘cured’ means that the cancer is in remission for five years.  Just five.  We hope that Mr. Pagano beats the odds and defeats this cancer.

The football implications of this turn of events could either keep the Colts on pace or turn out to be devastating.  Arians has only been a positional coach or offensive coordinator his whole NFL career.  He was head coach for Temple back in the mid 80′s for five seasons.  Arians had been highly criticized as a coordinator while in Pittsburgh, but so far he’s been moving the Colts in a positive direction after their dismal 2-14 season last year.  He’s continued his tradition of working well with young talent – especially rookie QB Andrew Luck.  They currently have the lowest scoring offense in the AFC, but there are glimmers of a good offense each game.

The question is: Will the Colts offense and the development of Andrew Luck take a setback now that Arians will be taking over head coaching duties?  And, who will call the offensive plays from the sidelines?  Will every offensive play be a bubble screen to Reggie Wayne?  I’m never a fan of a head coach who also calls plays.  That kind of duality breeds inconsistency in a team and spells trouble in my opinion.

The rest of the season will be difficult for the Colts.  Even though Pagano is new as of this year to the Colts, no player or staff wants to see this happen to one of their own.  It will effect them emotionally and mentally and more than likely translate a bit on the field.  This is a tough time for Arians – as a cancer survivor himself, you have to think that plays on his mind a bit.  The whole thing is a damn shame, and I hope to see Pagano back on the sidelines soon.

Wilson covers most of his body when outside to protect his healing burns. Credit: Vincent Pugliese-US PRESSWIRE

The back of his neck, his face and fingertips.  Those were the only parts of Steelers’ RB Coach Kirby Wilson’s skin that were exposed to the open air Thursday as he took the field with his fellow coaches and players in Latrobe.  You see, one who is recovering from second and third degree burns can’t be exposed to the sun – so Kirby needs to not only wear tons of sun screen, but also cover as much of his body as possible.  Less than seven months after being severely burned in a house fire, Wilson not only walked onto the field, he jogged.

‘You don’t know how much it means to us. For us players who know Kirby and have a relationship with him, it truly is special. To see him walking around and kind of getting a little jog in almost brought a tear to my eye.’     ~ Ben Roethlisberger

And so for Wilson, today signifies a large step in the healing process.  Wilson’s odyssey from critical condition to jogging on a football field with his teammates is nothing short of inspirational.  As the summer months wane into fall, so to will Wilson’s burns turn into complete scar tissue.  The man who, as rookie RB Chris Rainey put it, ‘cheated death’ will move on and continue coaching as his focus lazers in on this complex roster of running backs.

As one his own continues to heal from ACL surgery, Wilson must distinguish who is ‘the stud’ of the group and will quite literally carry the running game for the first half, if not the entirety, of the season.  Wilson believes most of these guys – Batch, Dwyer, Clay and Rainey will have to make their way through special teams first if they want to get reps at the RB spot.  Let’s just put it this way, it won’t be easy.  Even Redman is questionable in Kirby’s eyes because he, ‘really (hasn’t) done it over the long hurl.’

The healing doesn’t stop there.  This summer the ‘healing’ of the Pittsburgh Steelers ripples throughout the organization.

Wilson had his tragic accident just two days before the Steelers faced off and lost to the Denver Broncos in that surreal Wild Card game.  No player ever spoke of Wilson’s accident, near death experience, hospitalization or absence from the sidelines as an emotional excuse as to why they lost against the Broncos.  Just because they didn’t say anything doesn’t mean it didn’t weigh on each and every member of that team that day.  They lost that game, and they almost lost a coach and dear friend.  That Wild Card game was a very tough loss for a team that took its licks and verbal abuse during the course of the season, yet still ended up being rated the #1 defense in the league.  The wound of that loss against Tim Tebow and his Broncos runs deeply, and only wins this season will help that wound to scar over.

The offense will be healing this summer after several years of bruises from a Bruce Arians styled offense.  An offense that was rated 21st in point scoring last season will look to improve in the Red Zone under their new coach Todd Haley.  Ben Roethlisberger will continue to heal from his ankle injury and thousands of bumps and bruises caused by 40 sacks last season.  A newly youth injected offensive line should be the right prescription for what ails #7.

Big Ben isn’t the only one who finds himself under the healing spell of St. Vincent College.  LT Max Starks is back after knee surgery and will look to mentor rookie Mike Adams at that position during camp and maybe even give him a run for his money.  Willie Colon is healed again from injury and hopefully can stay healthy for the majority of the season.  Casey Hampton is making his way back, but quite possibly, rookie DT Alameda Ta’amu might heal the entirety of this defensive line if he can fill the shoes of Big Snack.

The healing is all over the campus of St. Vincent – Physical, emotional and mental.  Camp truly is a magical place for Steelers and Steeler Nation.  And this year it all starts with a man named Wilson as the true inspiration and catalyst for what will be a summer, and quite frankly, an entire season of healing.  The emotional stakes seem higher already.  Steeler Nation is humming with the energy of anticipation.  Can you feel the rumble in the distance?

Or maybe that’s just some guy in a beard showing up to camp in a tractor…….