December 2, 2012;Baltimore, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cortez Allen (28) breaks up a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) at M

When defensive players are drafted by the Steelers, they have to be pretty good to see the field, much less start. For corners in the Dick Lebeau system, they often do not start until their third season, if at all. Keenan Lewis didn’t start until his 4th season, barely contributing as the 3rd corner until 2011. It takes a special player to contribute as a cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers for at least 3 years, even Ike Taylor, a staple in the Steelers secondary, didn’t make major contributions until his 3rd season.

A little more than 2 years ago, the Steelers drafted Cortez Allen, a 6’1 196 lb corner out of The Citadel. Allen was seen as a project, but the Steelers knew that this “project” could turn into a product with a little coaching. Last summer, Ike Taylor was quoted saying that Cortez Allen could be “way better than me.” Between being in the same defensive backs room, to Allen working out with Ike during the offseason, Ike Taylor would know better than anyone what Allen is capable of.

Does Cortez Allen’s play on the field support Ike Taylor’s claim? I decided to break down Cortez Allen’s film after his first two seasons in the NFL, because as they say “the eye in the sky will never lie.”

Huddle up guys!
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

Good Morning Steeler Nation!  If that may be too perky for your taste at this hour you might want to take another sip of your coffee.  There’s plenty to be excited about as a Steelers fan now that the dust has settled from the draft.  There are offseason workouts, minicamp, and training camp just around the corner.  Can almost smell that freshly cut grass at Saint Vincent’s huh?  This morning the mood is hopeful from the local media outlets regarding the Steelers draft picks and their abilities to contribute in the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, on the South Side, the Steelers have already begun Phase II of the offseason workouts per Teresa Varley of steelers.com.  This phase of the workouts includes position meetings between players and coaches for the first time this year.  Players will get their first opportunity of the season to get into the playbook along with the coaches in those position meetings.  Veteran CB Ike Taylor, who normally works out on his own in Florida, joined the group to encourage the younger players to get in gear for the OTA’s which will begin May21.

“It’s good for them to get a feel for each other on the field, get to know each other and see how they move.  You can do that stuff early, do it now.  When you get on the field for the OTA’s, coaches will be telling you what to do, but this is a stepping stone.  You want to know what to do without the coaches telling you.  It shows the coaches you are willing and capable and you are being responsible.”

Ed Bouchette of the PG breaks down the “New Young Money Crew” that were drafted this weekend in Markus Wheaton and Justin Brown in the third and sixth rounds respectively.  The drafting of the wide receivers was identical to the 2010 draft in which they picked up Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown.  Between the group of the new and the old, Ben Roethlisberger might just have some new and dare I say better options on offense this season.  This might provide a more productive offense than the “dink and dunk” that Ben lovingly criticized last season but also produced MVP-like numbers for him before his shoulder injury sidelined him.

Alan Robinson of the Trib explains how some of this year’s Steelers draft class could be entering training camp with a chance to start at their respective positions.  The number one overall pick Jarvis Jones will most likely enter camp as a “starter in waiting” behind Jason Worilds.  Just how well Jones competes in camp and preseason might determine how long he has to wait.  The only confidence this coaching staff has exhibited, in my opinion, in Worilds as the heir apparent to James Harrison is the fact that they dug in their heels and refused to give Harrison a chance to come back after initial talks failed and Harrison’s test of the market failed as well.  Handing over the linebacker tradition to Worilds by default, if you ask me.  Le’Veon Bell also looks to be a draft pick with a better opportunity to start as a rookie than the remaining class, explains Robinson.  Because the running back corps is, um, well let’s just say it is what it is, I agree with Robinson on this one.  I’d say that any of the RB’s that enter camp have the opportunity to separate themselves from the herd and emerge as the starter, just all about the work they’re going to put into it.  Mike Tomlin explained that all players must earn their jobs, but we all know what opportunities lie out there.

“I think it’s a daunting task for rookies to start in any system and play and perform well.  But we’re not going to close the door on anyone earning an opportunity.”

What do you think, Steeler Nation?  Who out of the draft class do you think can start right away?

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Ginger Spice and Ben Roethlisberger. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

Here it is December 21, 2012 and the world did not end.  However, if the Steelers continue their woes of underperforming and being mistake-prone, their season will end this Sunday at home against the Bengals.  I don’t think that’s going to happen.  Do I have some mind blowing statistical analysis to back me up?  Of course not, what do you take me for, some kind of expert?  But there are some valid reasons to consider though if you’re willing to believe in my bold statement.

The Bungles

They can draft well and get rid of their dead weight like Palmer and Ocho all they want but they’re still the Bungles.  Cincy has not made consecutive trips to the playoffs since the 80’s and haven’t won a playoff game since Milli Vanilli were popular.  I realize AJ Green is a talented wide receiver and Ginger Spice Dalton is a giant step up at QB from their previous gun slinger but they’re still wearing those stripes which means they’re still subject to all the mediocrity that comes with them.  As good as Dalton and Green have been together along with the addition of Benjarvus Green Ellis they still haven’t been able to beat the Ravens or the Steelers.  When the playoffs are on the line there’s one thing you can count on, the Bengals will blow it.

This is not 2009

There has been a whole lot of comparisons made between this year’s Steelers and the 2009 team where Mike Tomlin declared will “unleash hell” in December but lost to horrible teams such as Oakland and Cleveland and failed to make the playoffs.  That 2009 team did not control their destiny with 2 games remaining like the Steelers do now.  I sat in Dolphins stadium that year and cheered the Steelers final victory of the year hoping they still had a chance and then sat in a pool hall in Ft Lauderdale and watched all my hopes dashed as all the teams the Steelers were counting on losing so they could enter the “tournament” won their games and collectively ended that horrible season.    This time around the plan is pretty simple; win the last two games and you’re in, if you do that and the Ravens lose, you’ll even win the division.  It’s a whole different scenario than the 2009 team dealt with.

Keys to victory

The Steelers haven’t really put together a signature win all season.  Their most dominant performance was against the Redskins at home but other than that there haven’t been games where the passing and running game have both been successful and no games where the defense has turned a game around with a score or big turnover at a key moment.  The Steelers need to be firing on all cylinders this Sunday.  I’m not sure what happened to the running game, I was all about Jonathan Dwyer starting after his early success but now I’m not even sure the right Steelers running back is even on the roster right now.  This should go without saying but the turnovers need to friggin stop.  Don’t put the piggy on the ground!  The Steelers need to convert their 3^rd downs like they did early on in the season and beat teams by the most effective strategy there is; keep the Bengals offense on the sidelines.

This up and down season has been uber frustrating for Steeler Nation.  Thankfully, it’s about time for an upswing on that coaster right about now.  I don’t think this team is going out like that.  2012 began with the Steelers losing in Denver at the hands of Tebow; it’s not going to end at Heinz Field at the hands of Ginger Spice.  It just can’t.  I think the biggest issue the Steelers will have other than avoiding turning the ball over is containing AJ Green.  In the first meeting, Ike Taylor held Green in check the entire game and limited him to only 1 catch for 8 yards.  It happened to be a touchdown catch but that’s all he got that day.  Now Taylor will be on the sidelines conducting the secondary (hopefully Keenan Lewis) to repeat his success on Green while he recovers through his ankle injury.  We all know the Steelers are good enough to flip the switch and win it all, we know they’re better than how they’ve been playing as of late.  This Sunday is all or nothing, everything is on the line and when those are the odds who would you pick to come out on top?  Here We Go Steelers!

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Face Me Ike breaks up this pass to Torrey Smith. But that’s about all he did before he left the game with an ankle injury.

The grass started to look a little greener last week for the Steelers, and it wasn’t because of the 70 degree temps either.  The team welcomed back Troy Polamalu to full practices and a green light for the game against the Ravens on Sunday.  Polamalu was being revered as a shot in the arm to a defense that seemed to be a hair’s breath away from being a dominant force – no not splashy, but shut down force.  As the game got underway, fortunes changed quickly once again for this Steelers team who is continually fighting off injury after injury.  Ike Taylor suffered a leg/ankle injury during the first series and never returned.  A full diagnosis has yet to be released by the team, but most ‘experts’ predict he will be out of the lineup 3-6 weeks.  And, while most would think losing your #1 corner would spell monumental trouble for a successful playoff run, Steeler fans should take a bit of comfort knowing who will now have to step up and take Taylor’s place.

The Maturation of Cortez Allen

The 2011 4th round draft pick out of The Citadel stepped into the role of ‘#2 corner’ when Ike Taylor went down with his injury against the Ravens on Sunday.  Allen split time with Keenan Lewis covering Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin.  During the first half, the Ravens challenged Allen often, and Allen rose to the occasion.  He broke up several passes – often having to catch up in pursuit after the ball was thrown.  Allen’s style is very clear: leave some room, let the pass come in, an reach in to break up the pass even if the body is open for a hit. It was effective and seemed to frustrate the Ravens offense that they couldn’t break Allen.  That didn’t stop them from trying, and in the second half, they were able to complete several bigger passes that lead to a TD and a pass interference (which was a bit of a ticky tacky call at the 10 yard line).

Some might argue that Allen (based on his performance) is not ready for that role, but I think that he fairly ready to take up the mantle.  Yes, he was beat a couple of times, but he never let it get to his head.  He did not grossly change his coverage and knew that what he was doing worked.  Quite frankly, Ike Taylor gives up a big pass on occasion, so there’s no difference there.

Cortez Allen breaks up a pass intended for Torrey Smith. Allen was fairly solid against what has been a big play passing offense this season. Credit: US-Presswire

Let’s look at Allen’s maturation in comparison to his positional brothers.  He quickly became the favorite as the slot cover man late last season in his first season with the team.  He continued that role during training camp and all through the season – and has performed very well.  Allen’s maturation into the #3 guy was expedited by William Gay’s departure and Keenan Lewis’ subpar seasons.  Using those two as a litmus, Allen is years ahead of their development.  Look how long it took Gay to be a dependable cover corner.  Look how long it took Lewis to move into the #2 role and continue to have shaky weeks.  In a defense that touts a large learning curve – 3 years or longer – Allen appears to have the natural talent to swim with the big fish AND possess the brain power to ‘undertand’ Dick LeBeau’s defense.  I was very pleased to see his performance last night.

Will Allen be a shut down type corner like Taylor?  Eh, maybe not percentage’wise.  But, I do believe his ball skills raises the chances of the Steelers picking a pass off on a deep or crossing route.  Let’s give Allen the chance he seems to have earned.  Facing Rivers, Dalton, Romo and Weeden I expect Allen to be challenged but come out successful.  If he gets paired against Dez Bryant it will be a nail biter, but can anyone see Keenan Lewis hanging with him all game?  In Allen We Trust.

The Lake Effect

I’m not talking snow.  I’m talking about Steelers secondary coach, Carnell Lake.  Lake signed on with the team last season as the coach, and I think he is working wonders with the new guys like Cortez Allen.  How else can you explain Keenan Lewis’ ability to FINALLY cover guys at least 75% of the game?  How else can you explain that both Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown are impacting the secondary and special teams at the same time?  How else can you explain that Will Allen and Ryan Clark have been a force in the safety positions during Troy Polamalu’s absence almost all season?  How is it that this defense has been #1 in pass defense two seasons in a row?  Sure the secondary is full of talented players, but it’s Lake’s coaching that has gelled it all together.  What a stroke of brilliance by the Front Office to get Lake on board.

Steelers Continued Pass Rush Success

The Steelers pass rush is starting to come around after being absent almost all season.  James Harrison, as he ever creeps back to 100%, is beginning to gain back that explosiveness off the snap.  He may not have all of it back, but his speed is improving as is his strength as he fights off blocks.  Joe Flacco became ‘Jumpin’ Joe Flacco during the second half.  The pass rush got to him a few times for sacks and hit him just after throws.  This cause Unibrow Boy to get jumpy in the pocket and either rushed throws, threw off target, or a combination of both.  There was one series that Lawrence Timmons began a pass rush, and fell into an open part of the pocket – either because he slipped or got hit.  He landed three feet short of Flacco, but that presence of a black and gold jersey diving towards him was enough to make him throw the ball early to Smith and it was off target.  If the Steelers can keep this up for the rest of the season, QB’s like Rivers and Romo will have tough days behind their line, as they habitually fold under the pressure.

So Steeler Nation, fret not with Taylor gone.  Will it be a smooth ride the next four weeks?  Absolutely not.  But, the defense is far from dire straights as they race for the divisional title and a playoff spot.

“Will the Steelers stay competitive minus Big Ben?”

As sick as it has made me to answer the aforementioned question, I have uttered the same thing below to any and all friendly queries on the matter after Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger exited last Monday’s game:

“No Ben, No Chance.”

With Roethlisberger sidelined due to his Rib/Shoulder injuries, the Steelers must press on without their Pro Bowl Quarterback for an extended period of time.  While I tip my cap to both Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich as veteran spot-starting backups, they are still backups, and I for one am skeptical as to how effective they can ultimately play over a month-plus long period.

For those of you blindly riding the “Defense Will Save The Day” Bandwagon, take a time machine back to 2008 and grab yourself a refill of “LeBeau Altar Worshiping Kool-aid” while your at it.  The unit is not only banged up (Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, etc..), but has also collectively played at a mediocre and sometimes sub-par level all season long.  You readers are entitled to your own opinions, but I have been thoroughly unimpressed with a unit that has blown 4th Quarter leads in Five of their last Nine games, lost to vaunted “juggernauts” like Oakland and Tennessee, and should have rightfully lost to Philadelphia and Kansas City after they blew 4th Quarter leads.

Anyways, enough of me being a “Negative Nancy,” it is time to occupy our minds’ with something a bit more positive “Steeler Nation:” The 2013 N.F.L. Draft.  Thus, I thought that it would be a good idea to not only discuss a few positional areas with problems on the Steelers’ roster, but also explain why the Front Office might want to upgrade them when the Draft rolls around next April.

Ryan Clark misses Tony Moeaki after Keenan Lewis bit hard on a play-action fake. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

Areas of Need (In No Particular Order)

Safety (Free & Strong)

Writing about the state of the Safety positions on the Steelers’ roster brings me great pain at this moment as I have been such a big Troy Polamalu fan over the last decade.  It has been an utter treat to have watched the wild-haired whirling-dervish from Southern Cal establish himself as the best Strong Safety in the League ever since he became a starter during the 2004 season.  Sadly for the 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the year and all of us fans, his body has begun to betray him in recent years, and he has missed 28 games since the 2006 season due to an assortment of injuries.  Polamalu has only participated in 2 games so far this year due to his calf problem, and at 31 years old it might finally be the time that the prime of #43′s career is at its end.

The thought of replacing a former Hall of Famer in the form of Polamalu is scary enough to consider right now.  But in addition to Polamalu’s body beginning to fail him, starting Free Safety Ryan Clark is not what one would call “healthy” either.  Although he made his first Pro Bowl last season, the 33 year-old the hard-hitting Clark has sustained two concussions over the last three weeks.  Concussions aside, Clark will also be a Free Agent after the 2013 regular season ends and I would be shocked if the Steelers made a competitive offer to a soon to be 35 year-old Free Safety who has been targeted by the League for penalty purposes, has concussion issues, and has definitely lost a step or two in pass-coverage over the last two seasons.

Unfortunately for the Steelers, they do not have much of an established and stable “transition plan” in place to replace Polamalu and Clark when those sad days come.  Currently behind #43 and #25 on the depth chart is their top backup Ryan Mundy.  And I think I can speak for most if not all of “Steeler Nation” when I say that the soon to be Unrestricted Free Agent has been little more than a seldom-used and inconsistent penalty-machine when he has been allowed to play on Defense over the last few seasons.  Mundy’s play has caused him to be usurped by veteran Special Teamer Will Allen, who will also be an Unrestricted Free Agent after this season.

While I do have hope that Rookie and current Special Teamer Robert Golden can develop into a solid option in Nickel & Dime sub-Defensive packages (he was a Cornerback and Safety at Arizona) in the coming seasons, him and Da’mon Cromartie-Smith are still strictly Special Teams players and years away from competing for starting spots.  Thus, they will likely have to fight to keep their roster/Practice Squad spots over the coming years, especially if more competition comes to Latrobe via the Draft process.

Linebacker (Inside & Outside)

First of all, let me state that Lawrence Timmons has been an absolute beast over the last two months and seems to have returned to his solid play at the “Mack” position after he spent significant time in 2011 on the Outside due to injuries.  Timmons has the Weakside Inside position on lock-down for the foreseeable future and is one of the rising stars of the unit.  Outside of Timmons though is where things get a tad murky at the Inside Linebacker position when the future is considered.

Next to Timmons is veteran Larry Foote, who has done a fantastic job manning the “Buck” position over the first half of the year.  Larry is tied for the team lead in Sacks (3.0), leads the team in Tackles (64), and Forced (2) and Recovered (2) Fumbles as well.  Foote however will be 33 next year and will also be an Unrestricted Free Agent once the season ends.  I for one would actually like to see Foote brought back for another season or two as he has been one Pittsburgh’s few consistent Defensive players this season in terms of his performance.  The question however will be whether or not Colbert & Co. decide to pony up the dough to bring Larry back.  To me the situation is a “no-brainer” because the Steelers have zero depth behind Timmons and Foote on the Inside.

Backup Stevenson Sylvester has started only one game since he came into the League in 2010, has made his only significant contributions on Special Teams, has missed 5 games already this season with a knee injury, is Questionable for Sunday’s game with a Hamstring injury, and will be a Restricted Free Agent once this season ends.  The Steelers appeared to have found an answer in Rookie Sean Spence after they drafted him in the 3rd Round last April.  Spence however suffered a horrific knee injury in the preseason against Carolina (ACL, LCL, Dislocated Knee Cap), and I would be surprised if he A) returned to form in 2013 and/or B) returned to form at all after how awful his knee was mangled.

As lowly and unfortunate as the depth at the Inside Linebacker spots appears to be for Pittsburgh, significant problems are also looming on the Outside too.  Like Polamalu, it really breaks my heart to see a player like James Harrison struggle to return to form (25 Tackles and only 1.0 Sack this season) from injury at his age (34 years old).  In spite of what the mainstream media and opposing fans will say, The 2008 Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl XLIII hero is an inspiration to any and all Undrafted Free Agents entering the League.  In spite of Commissioner Roger Goodell’s crusade to eliminate hard-nosed football and “wash his and the N.F.L.’s hands” of future lawsuits, Harrison is a beacon of hope for any and all UDFA’s looking to make their marks’ on the League by making the most of their talent with toughness and nastiness.  Harrison however has been dealing with back and knee injuries over the last couple of seasons, and will be due $6.5 and $7.5 million dollar base salaries over the next two years.  While the Steelers could restructure, we might have to come to grips as fans that #92′s days as a Steeler could be numbered.

At the other Outside Linebacker position, starter LaMarr Woodley has not been without some problems of his own.  Although Woodley played out of his mind during a four game stretch last year, the $61.5 million dollar investment has only appeared in 18 games over the last season and a half and has been held without a Sack and neutralized in 8 of the 18.  Compounding Woodley’s issues have been hamstring injuries which have limited the Pro Bowler.  These injuries have made him a limited factor as a pass rusher and crushed his ability to set the edge in the running game against Offensive Tackles, a trait which was put on display for the world to see in the Kansas City game.  While some might not agree with me, I believe Woodley is nearing the end of his prime production years.  At 28, with nagging hamstrings, and some apparent problems with weight and complacency, who really knows how big the window is left for Woodley in terms of productivity as a pass rusher.  I must also add that some recent examples of Steelers’ Outside Linebackers beginning to lose statistical effectiveness and/or health as pass-rushers in the late 20′s and early 30′s is evident in the examples of Clark Haggans, Joey Porter, Jason Gildon, and even Greg Lloyd.

And just like the Inside Linebackers, the Steelers have limited depth on the Outside as well.  Jason Worilds is tied for the team lead in Sacks (3.0), but has received limited opportunities over his three year career due to injuries (most recently a wrist) and the fact that Dick LeBeau would rather play two hobbled veterans over the less-experienced but younger and quicker Worilds.  It also does not help that Worilds will be an Unrestricted Free Agent after the 2013 season ends either.  Chris Carter, a 5th Round pick in 2011 and the other backup, started 3 games this season due to the injuries to Harrison and Worilds and only racked up 8 Tackles and 0.0 Sacks in his interim audition.  Carter just recently went to IR with an abdominal injury and will likely face an uphill climb to make next season’s roster if Undrafted Rookie Adrian Robinson can have another impressive Camp/Preseason or someone more talented is drafted.