Carson Palmer isn’t as good as the Steelers defense made hime look. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

What We Learned in Week 3 In the NFL:

• Shockingly, the replacement refs still suck
• Tennessee outlasts Detroit in the weirdest game of the week
• More NFL fans familiar with new OT rule as 3 games finish in extra time
• The Ravens pull out win over Patriots with last second field goal
• The Steelers blow 10 point 4^th quarter lead to the Raiders in a disappointing loss (more…)

“I guess I’m just a worrier.  That’s why my friends call me ‘Whiskers.’”

- Fictional Harry Caray on “Space, The Infinite Frontier”

Outside of the 1st Quarter when their Pass Defense appeared to be on the verge of becoming shredded once again, the Steelers played a fine football game against the Jets last weekend.  The 27-10 win upped Pittsburgh’s record to 1-1 as the Steelers won their 10th consecutive home-opener.  Before Pittsburgh gets their much needed Week 4 Bye though, the Black & Gold must hit the road, and head West yet again to take on the 0-2 Raiders.

As it stands, the Steelers possess edges over the Raiders in almost every matchup category on the field, and are considered by a majority of people as heavy favorites to win the game and improve to 2-1 on the year. Advantages aside, I still have some sinking feelings that Pittsburgh’s matchup in Oakland next Sunday has the makings of turning into a quintessential “trap game.”

Intro. & Why

So why exactly do I believe the Steelers should be on “high-alert” for the possibility of a dog-fight in Oakland this weekend?  Well to me, there are three things which the Raiders have working in their favor, and could use to their advantage on Sunday afternoon: Carson Palmer, Darren McFadden’s explosiveness, and the fact that the game will be played at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.  So before you start to question my sanity, let me at least break down the few yet still relevant reasons why Pittsburgh should not take Oakland lightly this weekend.

During his days in Cincinnati, Palmer saw the Steelers twelve times in the regular season. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Carson Palmer & Experience

Look, I am not one of those Carson Palmer fans which believe that the former #1 overall pick from the 2003 Draft is an “elite” signal-caller.  He might have been well on his way to doing so before Kimo von Oelhoffen made his knee essentially explode.  Heck, Palmer would have likely had a far superior career up to this point had spent the prime years of his career outside of an absolute dumpster-fire of a situation in Cincinnati and not missed significant time in 2008 due to an elbow issue.  Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve aside, Palmer still remains a heady, veteran Quarterback.  One which probably 10-12 teams in the League would trade for, and one which possesses loads of experience, and most importantly, loads of experience against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dick LeBeau coached Defenses.

After a shaky debut with the Raiders during a 2011 season which he literally was signed off the couch because of Mike Brown’s frugal and stubborn nature, Palmer has actually been one of the few if only bright spots in Oakland’s Offense this season.  Palmer ranks 3rd in the N.F.L. in Passing Yards with 670, and has been able to do so by literally throwing to a depleted and thus inexperienced Wide Receiving corps.  While the weapons might not be named Cliff Branch or Tim Brown, Palmer can still sling the ball, and the Steelers’ Defense must not sleep on the fact that he has logged a significant amount of games against them over his career.

Overall, Palmer has started 12 regular season games against the Steelers, and has achieved some statistical success along the way.  While the 4-8 record against Pittsburgh does not appear to be that impressive, Palmer’s stats (17 Pass TD’s, 1 Rush, 11 INT’s, 234 for 410 2,402 Yards) and play have illustrated that he can win, and did do so in some pretty important games.  Each of Palmer’s victories were immensely important for the Bengals franchise at the time they were played.  Palmer helped the Bengals all-but clinch the A.F.C. North crown at Heinz Field in 2005, won again at Heinz Field to drop Pittsburgh to 1-2 in 2006, and led a sweep of the Steelers in 2009.

The Steelers under Dick LeBeau have feasted on inexperienced Quarterbacks which have led less than stellar Offenses over the years.  Granted, the Offense which Palmer is leading has its deficiencies, especially the Offensive Line which should have its hands full against LaMarr Woodley and Co..  But Palmer’s experience against LeBeau’s Zone-Blitz and Defensive Schemes can only work in his and his Offense’s favor.  If Palmer is allowed get comfortable, he has illustrated that he can play well against Pittsburgh, and has done so against some more talented and dominating Defenses than Pittsburgh’s transitional 2012 unit.

Darren McFadden

Darren McFadden has shown flashes of being an explosive play-maker when he has been healthy during his four-plus years as a professional.  McFadden however has been bottled up so far this season to the tune of 26 Rushes for 54 Yards and a Long Rush of 8.  While the Raiders are one of the few teams in the League which have had less statistical success (68 Total Team Rushing Yards) than the Steelers, I fear McFadden and what he can do, especially since he rushed for over 5 Yards per carry during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

If the Steelers come into this game and sleep on McFadden it could be a huge mistake which ends up costing them chunks of Yards if not points.  Willis McGahee found some success running the ball against the Steelers in the opener, and Shonn Greene gashed the Defense last week during the 1st Half until he collided violently with Ryan Mundy.  And although McFadden has had his issues running the ball so far, he has been a reliable target for Palmer and actually leads the Raiders in Receptions with 15.  His abilities in the passing game should not be taken lightly by the Steelers, as I am sure that Palmer will look his way if his pass catchers are not up to par and/or McFadden is allowed to catch the ball in space.

On the Road, West Coast Struggles, Versus a Team with Nothing to Lose

It is an odd stat I know, but the Steelers have had their fair share of issues the last three times they have traveled to California, and cross-country games always scare me as a fan.  The “Golden State” has been less than kind to the Black & Gold in recent years, and Pittsburgh has dropped each of their last contests at Jack Murphy Stadium, Candlestick Park, and Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.  While the Steelers were definitely bested by a better Chargers team in 2006, and basically were behind the proverbial “8-ball” when the lights went out at Candlestick and Big Ben played on one-leg last season, Pittsburgh fell into a “trap” the last time they played in Oakland back in 2006.

To avoid rehashing any bad memories, I’ll just give the abridged version of the utter nonsense which transpired that day.  The Defending Super Bowl Champions lost a game to the team which would finish with the eventual worst record in the League by a 20-13 score.  Worst of all however was the fact that the Steelers’ Defense gave up only 98 Yards of Total Offense, but were nevertheless edged by an Oakland Defense which took two Roethlisberger passes back for Touchdowns.

Just like 2006, this Raiders team will get to face the Steelers at home in a game where they have nothing to lose, and everything to gain with a win.  As much as people like to rag on them for their eccentric nature and sometimes violent behavior,  I still salute the loyal members of “The Black Hole” which keep coming back year after year despite the fact that the team has been essentially non-relevant over the last decade.  And I can guarantee that they will be out in full-force to support their under-dog Raiders as they try to pull an upset.

Oakland’s Defense will be pumped for the occasion also, and I am sure that they would love nothing more than to put a licking on Big Ben after losing to Rookie Ryan Tannehill last week, and division rival loud-mouth Philip Rivers the week before.  Needing to avoid an 0-3 start and a possible finish in the cellar of the A.F.C. West, Oakland desperately needs this game just as much as the Steelers do, and will not “roll out the red carpet” for Pittsburgh and simply hand them the victory.  This game will more than likely “make or break” their season, and even if Oakland is not a playoff contender, what better way to make a statement during the 2012 season than to beat a team like Pittsburgh?

Final Thoughts

In spite of my fears, all the Steelers really need to do this weekend is to not take the Raiders lightly and take care of business.  The Bye Week looks enticing, and the Steelers just came off of a huge statement win against the Jets.  Oakland however is still standing in their way, and should give the Steelers all they can handle later this week.  Nevertheless, as long as Pittsburgh can limit their Turnovers and jump out early on Oakland, they should cruise to an easy victory.  Yet the worst thing that this team can do is to allow the vastly inferior Raiders to hang around and believe they can win this game, especially if they can take advantage of things like Palmer’s experience, McFadden’s explosiveness, their home crowd, etc..  On any given Sunday, anything can happen, and this is something that Pittsburgh must keep in mind when they are running through the infield dirt and trying to make plays come Sunday afternoon.

Share Your Thoughts Readers:  Will the Steelers win on Sunday?  If so, by how much?  Should they be worried at all?

Stats Courtesy of: Pro Football Reference.com

Despite not scoring a single offensive touchdown, the Pittsburgh Steelers cruised to an easy 23-7 victory over the hapless Cincinnati Bengals yesterday.  It was far from a pretty, at least offensively speaking, but this Steeler team has clearly learned from last year’s mistakes.  They find a way to win the games they should win instead of playing to level of their competition.

Although when it comes to the Bungles, it’s almost impossible to play that low.

Cincy scored on their opening drive which would be their one and only fleeting moment of competence.  And even that was tainted by massive assistance from a clearly biased officiating crew.  Had they not been gifted 20 yards and a spot on the 1 yard line thanks to a ridiculous pass interference penalty against Ike Taylor, the Bungles wouldn’t have crossed mid-field until late in the fourth quarter.  The only question was how long the Steelers sputtering offense would allow them to hang around before putting the game away.

Ben Roethlisberger is made of iron.  Or steel.  Or adamantium.  Whatever your super-strong metal of choice.  I don’t think even Ivan Drago could break him.

Big Ben took the kind of beating usually reserved for pinatas or Tom Cable’s ex-wives.  Cincy’s four sacks don’t begin to convey the number of hits this man absorbed, most of which were so very very late I could time them with an hourglass.  The amount of filthy and illegal shenanigans the Bengals got away with was absolutely disgraceful.  The Steelers got so fed up a mini-battle royal erupted after the game.  Although nobody was victimized more than Big Ben.  Following one sack, a cowardly Bengal attempted to knee his broken nose.  Later, another sacker fell on his broken-sprained ankle.  On just a single play, Ben was smacked upside the helmet (again), then horsecollared (again) when he escaped to discover not a single flag from the refs (again).

To prove they did indeed have yellow hankies in their pockets, the officials threw them quite often on the Steelers offensive line.  LT Jonathan Scott is now the 2nd most penalized linemen in the NFL.  Unfortunately, most of these flags are justified.  Even though I did appreciate Steeler Nation greeting the officials with a “Refs, You Suck!” chant.  That began shortly after two consecutive holding penalties turned a 1st and 10 at midfield into a 1st and 30 deep in our own end.

Naturally, the Bungles are who we thought they were and a leaping 29 yard snag by Hines Ward got us off the hook.  Hines had a fantastic game, catching 8 balls for 115 yards.  Guess local windbag Mark Madden will have to postpone his next “Hines is nearing the end!” rant for a couple weeks.  Mike Wallace (5/78) also made a nice catch later in the game although the highlight reel play was Antwaan Randle-El’s brilliant one-handed stab to set up the Steelers first FG.

Rashard Mendenhall redeemed himself for last week’s cowardly performance.  Although he finished with only 66 yards, they were tough yards.  As with Ben, the O-line did him no favors.  Instead of finding a hole, he just had to put his head down and plow forward.  Isaac Redman only had 1 carry which is kinda ridiculous since I don’t care how young or in shape Mendy is, he’s going to be a beaten-up shell unless they start splitting some of his workload.

Ben and Rashard combined on one of the best screen passes you’ll ever see.  It started as a flea-flicker, which was quickly blown up by a Bengal in the backfield.  Ben somehow managed to shot-put the ball back to Mendy, who took it 9 yards.  I understand trying to manufacture offense but as usual B.A. does it in the dumbest way possible.  He actually called a Dennis Dixon play with Banged-up Ben under center.

Seriously, who the hell calls a QB Draw with a guy who has a broken-sprained foot and surgically reconstructed snoot?   Bruce Arians, that’s who.

One coach who had a good day was Dick LeBeau.  Games like yesterday’s are exactly why I have little tolerance for armchair coaches who criticize him for “not making adjustments” or claim “the game has passed him by” or whatever nonsense.  LeBeau is the not only the best defensive mind in football, he may very well be the best D-coordinator ever.  If there is a breakdown, it’s because the players either aren’t talented enough or screw up an assignment.  With Arians or Mike Tomlin, it is fair to question their decisions.

In LeBeau We Trust.

The defense played absolutely lights-out, forcing three turnovers while holding Cincy under 200 yards of total offense.  As I predicted in Know Thy Enemy, they switched Ike to T.O. which allowed Ochocinco to have his best game against the Steelers in forever.  However, neither Tweedledumb nor Tweedledumber were much of threat with a complete lack of running game (34 total yards!) and inept QB play holding them back.  Oh, Carson Palmer, how far you have fallen.

Funny thing was, Troy Polamalu narrowly missed an interception by jumping a route early in the game.  So on THE VERY NEXT DRIVE they run the exact same play and this time Troy gets the Pick-Six.  Soaring into the end zone on a wing and a prayer wasn’t exactly the best move for Troy’s gimpy ankle but given our lousy offense, I don’t blame him.  Early in the fourth quarter, LaMarr Woodley also jumped a route for an almost identical looking Pick-Six.  Then to close out the game, Troy picked off his former USC roommate one last time as a farewell present.

On the attempted run-back, or in this case limp-back, Troy looked around for somebody to lateral to.  He spotted Bryant McFadden by himself about half way across the field and launched a silly pass to him which B-Mac was luckily able to fall on before disaster ensued.  Despite being up 16 with the game sealed, LeBeau, channeling Clint Eastwood in “Gran Torino,” grabbed Troy by the shoulder pads and gave him an earful.  Again, how many coaches would chew out any player, let alone the team’s biggest star, after they basically win the game for you?   That’s Dick LeBeau and that’s why the players call him Coach Dad (He did give him a hug a few moments later.  Troy is a sensitive young man.).

Shaun Suisham continued to be the Anti-Skippy, steady and dependable with 85% less peroxide.  Good thing since he has been our most consistent weapon as the Steelers have now scored two offensive TDs in three games.  Don’t buy any of this stupidity about the Bengwads D playing a good game.  The line is a complete mess with Ben getting harassed and/or smashed every time he drops back and precious little running room for Mendy.  And now the Jets come to town!

Buckle up your chin strap, Big Ben.  It’s going to be another looooong afternoon.

Thanks, Ryan.

The Pittsburgh Steelers continued their unfortunate habit of making games closer than they have any right to be, holding on to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 27-21.  Can we please stop leaving “The Steelers should win easy this week.” type messages in the comments?   NOTHING is ever easy for this team.   The Black and Gold held a 27-7 lead IN THE FOURTH QUARTER and came within one James Harrison shellacking of blowing it.

The Bengals seemed hellbent on giving the game away from the opening kickoff.  Emmanuel Sanders put a nice hit on Bernard Scott and Jason Worilds pounced on the fumble.   Three plays later, Rashard Mendenhall bulldozed his way into the end zone.  On Cincy’s next drive, the Bungles continued their comical special teams play by getting the punt blocked.  This time, the Steelers had to settle for a Skippy Reed FG.

Spotted a ten point lead, you’d think the Steelers would cruise to an easy victory.  As soon as those foolish thoughts entered my head, sure enough Hines Ward fumbled away a WR screen pass (which Bruce Arians called approximately 195 times last night).  Terrell Owens torched Gay for a 21 yard TD and the game was on.

But wait…never underestimate the Bungles desire to lose.   Carson Palmer threw an ill-advised pass into triple coverage where it was intercepted by NPC reader’s pick for Mid-Season MVP Lawrence Timmons (good call).   Ben Roethlisberger hit Mike Wallace streaking down the sideline with a beautiful 35 yard strike and three plays later a dump over the middle to Hines scored a TD.  Actually, Hines was about half a yard short of a TD but inept Marvin Lewis had already wasted a challenge on the Wallace catch and didn’t want to blow his wad early.

While all this was going on, Steelers were falling by the wayside left and right.  I was watching the Bengals and a Ravens game broke out.  Brett Keisel’s balky hamstring acted up, Chris Kemoeatu had some sort of ankle problem, and the man who should be Rookie of the Year, Maurkice Pouncey, went down with a sprained knee.  It was like a preseason game with Doug Legursky at center and Jonathan Scott at guard.

Meanwhile, the Bengals injuries continued to be self-inflicted.  After a long return by Scott, Cincy missed a 51 yard field goal.   Starting almost at mid-field, Ben was able to hit The Flash for 24 yards.  This set up another Skippy boot to close out the half 20-7.

For those keeping score at home, that’s five huge Bengal-blunders resulting in all our points.

The Steelers tried running the ball in the second half but weren’t having much luck behind a banged up line.  When they did throw, Ben ran around like his pants were on fire (although in his case, that burning sensation is probably a gift from the loose women he associates with).  When he finally decided to throw after breaking four tackles and surveying the field for 35 seconds, it was mostly short stuff.  The Steelers had a golden opportunity to break the game open early in the third when Wallace blew past the entire secondary but Ben underthrew him by 2 yards.  In fact, the nicest deep ball all night was Antwaan Randle-El‘s 39 yard TD bomb to Wallace, who still had to come back for it.

That was the first play of the fourth quarter and put the Steelers up by 20.   The Bengals quickly responded with a 57 yard TD drive which took all of a minute and a half.  This time, T.O. was matched up against B-Mac and McFadden didn’t fare any better than Gay.  Perhaps giving every receiver an 8 yard cushion isn’t the brightest idea, Bryant.

On our next drive, Ben threw a crappy lollipop late into traffic and was picked off.  Although his final numbers weren’t horrible (17-27 for only 163 yards 1/1), they weren’t great either.  Four games into his comeback, something still seems off with him.  At times, like the fantastic over-the-shoulder throw to Wallace, you see flashes of last year’s Ben but the consistency isn’t there.   I suspect he’s trying so hard to be the hero his teammates and Steeler Nation already view him as that the pressure is rattling him.

The Bengals took the gift and scored another TD by gaining 1 yard.   Did I forget to mention they returned the INT to the 1 yard line?   No, I did not.   They took possession at Pittsburgh’s 36.   But first there was a bogus roughing the passer call on Casey Hampton then a phantom pass interference flag on Ike Taylor.  So Cincy managed to move the ball 35 yards without actually doing anything except looking at the refs and crying for a penalty.

Wait, I thought the Steelers got all the calls?

A twenty point lead had shrunk faster than Bret Favre in an ice bath.   With the score an uncomfortably close 27-21, the Steelers went Old School.   Defying all logic (Legursky was at LG, for crying out loud), they started pounding the ball down their throats.  Mendy ripped of runs of 8, 9, and 18 yards in rapid succession.  A lame draw play on 3rd and 6 (Why isn’t our superhero behind center throwing in that situation?), set up a 46 yard field goal.  Skippy shanked it as the Steelers were suddenly trying to out-bungle the Bungles.

You suck, Skippy.  I could put up with your whiny troll-doll lookin’ drunken idiocy when you made all your kicks.  Now, not so much.  Where’s Piotr Czech?

The Bengals moved down the field with little resistance.  Palmer was an equal-opportunity exploiter as he picked on all our inept corners.  A 20 yarder over the middle to a wide open T.O., who held on despite getting steamrolled by Troy, moved them down to the Steelers 17.   I’ve been very critical of T.O. but I have to give big props for yesterday’s performance.  He’s proven to be the clutch, gutsy veteran receiver Ochocinco has never been.

A penalty and three plays later and we were at 4th and 5 from the 12.  Palmer completed a first down pass to Jordan Shipley, who had the ball dislodged by a crushing blow from the Silverback.  Had Shipley held on to that pass, I have no doubt the Bengals would’ve scored the go-ahead touchdown.  And we would’ve had another fourth quarter collapse.

I don’t understand what goes on with this team at the end of games.  It’s like as soon as the scoreboard switches to Q4, everybody goes on auto-pilot.  It’s a disturbing trend on defense which began last season and continues to this day.  We thought no Troy and no B-Mac and no Smith explained the problem but there’s more to it than that.   And on the flip side, the offensive explosion we had last season and we expected with Ben’s return still hasn’t materialized.  Yes, we’re 6-2 and, yes, we’re as  good as anybody in the NFL but at this point I don’t think I’d be surprised if any of the Jets, Ravens, Steelers, Colts, Patriots, Chargers, or Chiefs went to the Super Bowl or didn’t win a playoff game.

Ah, the bye week.   It gives you the chance to sit back, relax, and watch other teams play without any of the emotional turmoil one feels while watching our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.

This weekend, I was (un)fortunate enough to view two of the Black and Gold’s three AFC North rivals.  Of course the one I didn’t watch, the Baltimore Ravens, scored an impressive win over the Denver Broncos.  As much as it pains me to admit, the Ratbirds look like the real deal.  Especially when they have a healthy Ray Rice at their disposal.  The rest of our division, however, leaves a lot to be desired.

The Steelers’ next opponent, the Cleveland Browns, fell at home to Atlanta.  The Brownies may only be 1-4 but have played pretty well as of late.   They led the Ravens 17-14 in the fourth quarter before ultimately falling to defeat in week 3 and then upset the Bengals the following weekend.   That’s the good news.  The bad news is the reason for their sudden resurgence was the steady play of QB Seneca Wallace.  I say bad news because Wallace sprained his ankle against the Falcons paving the way for washed up Jake Delhomme to put the kibosh on any chance they had of winning.  Rivalry games are always a crapshoot but without Wallace, I’d put the Browns chances this Sunday somewhere between little and none.

Meanwhile, the team they upset last week, the Bengals, were busy self-destructing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The defense Charlie Batch toasted like a tasty Quiznos sub somehow perplexed the overrated Carson Palmer into a meltdown of epic proportions.  Up 21-14 with a bit over 2 minutes left, the Bungles proceeded to call a pass on 3rd and 13 which was intercepted.  After surrendering the tying touchdown on five plays taking all of 52 seconds, Palmer’s comical attempt at a game-winning drive ended in a third interception (he was Pick-Sixed earlier by Russ Grimm‘s son, Cody).  Two plays later and the Bucs were kicking the go-ahead field goal.

I’m honestly confused as to how any of the so-called “experts” could have picked the Bengals to finish ahead of the Steelers this season.  Palmer is terrible.  It’s easy to point to idiots like Ocho and T.O. and say, “They must be the problem.”  But the bottom line is Palmer has been an abomination.  I wonder how Bungle fans will spin it so it’s all Kemo Von Ohlhoffen‘s fault.

SWEEP THE LEG!

Anyway, this weekend has left me confident of two things.   First, Arby’s curly fries will never be topped.  And second, the AFC North is a two horse race between the Ravens and the Steelers.