Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

At some point on Tuesday, the Steelers #2 corner, Keenan Lewis, tweeted that he was going to be with a team, but didn’t say with whom. On Wednesday night, reports started coming out stating that the Saints were interested in Lewis.  And, as expected with players and first visits to a team, Lewis walked away with a $26 million deal over five years – with over $11 million in guaranteed money.  Lewis finds himself a new home, the Steelers find themselves wondering how this one got away….. or are they?

Two years ago, all of Steeler Nation was in a state about signing Ike Taylor and how it was the #1 priority for the Steelers.  The Steelers dumped a lot of cap weight, restructured deals, and eventually signed their #1 pass defender to a new four year deal.  Taylor, despite the lack of turnovers, has held up his end of the bargain by shutting down most receivers he goes up against.  Lewis was an UFA this season and was set to be one of the more ‘desired’ corners on the market – just like Taylor was two years ago.

For those who are in a tizzy about Lewis leaving and never hearing nary a word about what the Steelers did to keep him on Pittsburgh soil, don’t be too surprised with this move.  Lewis walked away with an average of $5.2 million a year.  With the cap space that was available from the team, they absolutely could have afforded to keep him.  It would have come at much more a price than $5 million a year.  The team still needs to sign/tender numerous other players and try and find ways to fill the holes left by releases and free agency losses.  That all costs money and would have ultimately meant more releases or the inability to sign someone like say OLB gem Victor Butler (who is slated to meet with the Steelers Friday).  I’m sure the team made an offer immediately and just let it sit for Lewis to stew over.  The Saints became interested (as well as the Titans according to some Twitter sources), and Lewis decided returning home to Louisiana and getting $11 million in gair-ohn-tee money plus incentives sounded better than sticking with the Steelers.  That’s a pretty damn good deal for a corner who had one good emerging season out of four.  Lewis is moving on as are the Steelers, and so should Steeler fans.  Quite frankly, the Steelers may have let him slip by on purpose.  What’s kind of ridiculous to think of, however, is that Lewis’ deal is market value for a #2 corner.  There are media sources down in NOLA right now that are saying things like:

Lewis was one of the top cornerbacks on the market this off season and figures to compete favorably with current Saints Jabari Greer and Patrick Robinson for playing time on the edge.

That’s right – compete for a job.  A top market corner who’s competing against Robinson?  Bizarre.

In hindsight, this certainly proves that the William Gay signing earlier in the week was more than just beefing up the secondary.  It was an insurance policy for a secondary that has not developed the way we all had hoped.  If Lewis were to go elsewhere (and he has) that means third year man Cortez Allen would be sitting in the #2 spot and Curtis Brown in the nickel slot.  Allen certainly proved he has the potential to hang as the #2 corner.  A few butterflies and mistakes later, and Allen was short of brilliant in covering his receivers.  Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Brown who showed how much work was left in his development after getting torched in the game against the San Diego Chargers last season.  Gay was necessary because he is way better at the nickel position than Brown could ever hope.  Thus again, Colbert and Co. show a brilliant move in being able to read the writing on the wall and nab a player who is familiar with the defense and is good at the postion where there is the need.  A+ work in at least getting that insurance policy.  D+ work in losing Lewis.  Although, something tells me returning ‘home’ played a large factor.

Above all, remember this: This is the downfall to LeBeau’s system.  It takes so long for players to develop and fit within LeBeau’s complicated system that unless you truly are a brilliantly gifted football player, you will take for-ev-er to develop into that starting role.  This is what happened to Lewis.  Since entering the league, Lewis struggled but never got the playing time at a young age to ‘figure out’ his role as a corner.  Factor in the lack of coaching and Lewis was often deemed by Steeler fans as one who needed cut during preseason games.  The hiring of former safety Carnell Lake, and the secondary has improved so much – it certainly showed with Lewis.  But, because Lewis is an UFA instead of even being a RFA, the Steelers were limited with their options.  No tender, no draft incentives for the Steelers.

Certainly LeBeau’s system is a bit of a safety net to catch any ‘unworthy’ players who don’t belong on the field quite yet.  On the other side of the coin to his system lies the situation the Steelers are currently in and what they faced with Lewis – a player who finally came out of his shell within the system, performed well in a contract year and is now too expensive for the Steelers to keep and make use of.  We could very well see the same situation with Cortez Allen in a year or two.

Lewis’ departure leaves many questions for how this secondary will perform come training camp and into the season.  It certainly doesn’t give anyone that warm fuzzy feeling considering how many other positional holes the defense is faced with.  But don’t expect the team to address the corner position early in the draft.  That still will be reserved for linebacker, safety, or running back.

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Although retaining Lewis is likely a top priority for the Steelers, I do not consider him to be the “Must-Sign At All Costs” UFA he is believed by many to be.  Moreover, I still staunchly believe that Pittsburgh’s brass should exercise fiscal responsibility when they take part in negotiations to re-up their Free Agent Cornerback.

Keenan Lewis could be leaving Pittsburgh this offseason. Mandatory Credit: Jim O’Connor – USA Today Sports

Recent Free Agent Contracts, and What Lewis Could Be Offered

Competent pass-defenders are always a welcome addition to any roster.  Thus, if a Cornerback can show some sort of promise early in his career, he can become a very rich man if he tests Free Agent market during his mid-late 20′s.

Even though Lewis was the Pittsburgh’s #2 man behind Ike Taylor at the position, the starter’s Passes Defended numbers from last year and overall skill-set could entice some Secondary-starved teams with plenty of cap-space (Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland) to consider him as a high-priority pickup.

If a market grows for Lewis, some of these franchises might even be willing to shell out “#1 Money” for the Steelers’ #2 man at the position to out-bid others for his services.

So how much do #1 Cornerbacks make in this day and age?  Well, these guys below became very rich men last Spring:

• Cortland Finnegan (5 years: $50 million), 79 Career Starts, 14 Interceptions, 28 years of age when deal was signed.

• Brandon Carr (5 years: $50.1 million), 64 Career Starts, 8 Interceptions, 6 Fumble Recoveries, 25 years old.

• Lardarius Webb (5 years: $50 million + $10 million s.b.), 19 Starts, 7 Interceptions, 4 Forced Fumbles, 1 KOR TD, 1 PR TD, 26 years old

• Eric Wright (5 years: $37.5 million), 71 Career Starts, 13 Interceptions, 26 years old.

How Much Lewis Should Be Offered

Look, I understand that the number of Passes Defended Lewis recorded last year were the most by any player in the A.F.C. last year.  In addition, I will give Lewis credit for how much he improved in numerous areas of his game, especially in man-to-man coverage, from Week 1 to Week 17.

I however did not consider the soon to be 5th year player to be “lights out,” or Pittsburgh’s most effective Cornerback over the course of the entire 2012 campaign.  I do not believe that a player possessing Lewis’ experience (45 Games, 17 Starts) and inconsistent ability to bring ball-carriers down (whiff against Philadelphia on 4th and Inches last year was awful) should be paid like a #1 guy at his position.  I should also mention that Lewis was not even covering opponents’ #1 targets until Ike Taylor went down with his leg injury against Baltimore in Week 13!  Thus, if the Steelers’ Free Agent Cornerback expects the already strapped Front Office to pay him “top-dollar” this month, I hope that Pittsburgh’s brass tells him to rethink that idea.

Sure, some fans might be wowed by the large number of PD’s Lewis recorded last year, and some believe that those numbers alone make him a #1 Cornerback.  But consider the following fans:

A large reason why Keenan racked up those stats was because the opposition was more willing to test him than they were the crafty veteran like Ike on the other side of the field.  Overall, Keenan was targeted a total of 112 times (2nd most in the League) during the 2012 season according to Pro Football Focus (ESPN.com)!  Thus, shouldn’t any somewhat competent player at Lewis’ position be able to break up the most passes in the A.F.C. if he is targeted that many times over the course of a regular season?

I should also mention that the number “112″ also points to the biggest reasons why I believe that Lewis is such a potential “big-money” risk:

His deficient ball-skills, and his inability to record Interceptions and Turnovers.

As most of you know, although Lewis was targeted so often in 2012, he recorded ZERO Interceptions and only ONE Takeaway (1 Forced Fumble) over the course of the 2012 season!  Let me state that again: 112 times the opposition threw passes Lewis’ way in 2012, and he was unable to record one single “pick!”  Sure, Steeler Cornerbacks have never been known for recording Interceptions in LeBeau’s Defensive scheme.  But “oh-for” in 112 chances for Interceptions, and only 1 Forced Fumble?  Give me a break with that “#1 Cornerback” nonsense.

Look, I am fully aware that Interceptions are not the “be-all, end-all” indicator of great Cornerback play.  And yes, I understand that “shut-down” guys at the position do not record large amounts of Interceptions.  Yet the elite’s lack of “picks” deals less with their overall ball-skills and ability to make plays, and instead more with the fact that opposing Quarterbacks do not want to make a mistake in their direction.

One would think that Corners who earn $50 million over a contract are supposed to have “field-days” on the stat-sheet in terms of Interceptions collected or chances to make “splash plays” if they are targeted 112 times in a season like Lewis was in 2012.  Although I am not an expert, I think that it is pretty safe to assume that none of those guys I mentioned above would have gone “oh-for” if they had 112 balls going their way over a 16 game stretch.

So how much do I believe that Lewis should be making per season?  Well it certainly is not $10 million, that’s for sure.  But Pittsburgh’s Front Office members might want to keep a couple of contracts signed by Cornerbacks last year in mind when they try to negotiate a deal with Lewis:

• Aaron Ross (3 years: $15.3 million), 41 Career Starts, 10 Interceptions, 2 Touchdowns, 2 Super Bowl Rings, 29 years old

• Richard Marshall (3 years: $16 million), 55 Career Starts, 17 Interceptions, 7.0 Sacks, 27 years old

The Marshall deal from last year has some numbers which G.M. Kevin Colbert and the rest of the Front Office should really keep in mind.  Lewis, like Marshall, is a Starting Cornerback, but not a #1 guy on his own team.  In addition, Lewis will also be 27 years of age by the time the 2013 regular season gets underway.  By 27 though, Marshall was much more of a productive player than Lewis currently is, and had already logged 38 more starts at the professional level than the former Oregon State Beaver has under his belt in the present.  Pittsburgh’s Cornerback might possess the upside to have a better career than Marshall, but his sample-size is so small that one must question how high his talent ceiling will inevitably be.

Thus, if the Steelers are looking to re-up Lewis, and he seriously wants t0 return, I believe that a contract in the $5-6 million dollar per year range over the duration of 4 to 5 years would be a great place to start for a #2 guy right now like him.  If Pittsburgh’s Coaching Staff believes that he can and will usurp Ike as the #1 guy once he leaves, and can keep the depth behind him at bay too, then some incentive-based bonuses (for TAKEAWAYS) can be included for Lewis to earn.

As I alluded to in a previous post, a 4 year deal worth anything between $22 and $24 million would be more than fair for the Steelers to offer a player with Lewis’ upside.  Yet I in no way shape or form believe that a current #2 Cornerback with only 17 career Starts, 1 career Interception, 2 career Forced Fumbles, 0 Postseason Starts, and hands reminiscent of “cinder-blocks” should receive anything more than that type of “fair” offer at this point in his career.

Final Thoughts

Look readers, I am completely and totally in favor of the Steelers re-signing Lewis.  I simply cannot comprehend why Pittsburgh’s brass would want to “break the bank” for such a Cornerback of his caliber and with his lack of experience.  If in fact any team offers Lewis more than $6 million per season, I hope that the Pittsburgh’s brass simply steps away and counts the money which they will inevitably allocate to other more important members on their roster (Maurkice Pouncey and Heath Miller come to mind).

I should also add that it is not like the Steelers have “chopped liver” set to take over for Lewis on the outside if he decides to leave.  Cortez Allen is waiting in the wings if Lewis takes his game elsewhere, and the soon to be 3rd year Cornerback should be primed to improve off of a very productive year as Pittsburgh’s Nickelback in 2012.  The former Citadel star not only set a career high in Tackles last year with 55, but he also finished with 10 PD’s, 2 Interceptions, 3 Forced Fumbles, and 1 Fumble Recovery.

Granted, if Lewis leaves the Steelers will have to rely on William Gay and youngsters like Curtis Brown, Josh Victorian, and DeMarcus Van Dyke to play with consistency, and pick up the slack in the Slot and sub-packages.  By the same token though, Pittsburgh’s brass will be able to learn whether or not the younger guys have the potential to improve, and are indeed worthy of being in the franchise’s long-term rebuilding plans.  While some of you will complain about the inevitable “growing pains,” just remember that Lewis was not exactly setting the N.F.L. “on fire” early in his career (2010 Denver Preseason Disaster).  It took him 3 full years before he showed any sort of competency as a starter, and I should add that it was during a “contract year” for him.  Remember readers, Ike Taylor signed a deal worth $28 million over 4 years after he had started on 2 Super Bowl teams, and established himself as the team’s best Cornerback over the half decade preceding the 2011 deal.  Has Lewis done anything like that over his 4 seasons at the professional level?

Current depth and concerns about Lewis aside, I actually would like nothing more than for the Steelers to re-sign their #2 Cornerback.  I just hope that the members of the Steelers’ Front Office do not have to “make it rain” to keep him in Pittsburgh.  A $30+ million dollar deal will simply not be worth the time, effort, and cap-space for a rebuilding franchise like the Steelers to take on at this juncture.

Readers: Should the Steelers pay “top dollar” to keep Lewis in town?  Or are they better off giving Allen a chance to start, and allocating their cap-space elsewhere?

Stats Courtesy of: Pro Football Reference.com and ESPN.com

Contract Information Courtesy of: Spotrac.com and CBS.Sportsline

Maybe he can buy a personality now. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

What We Learned This Week in the NFL Offseason:

• Joe Flacco becomes the NFL’s highest paid player
• Willie Gay returns to Pittsburgh
• Steelers do not use Franchise Tag for the third season in a row

Welcome to the Tuesday morning edition of my MMQB.  I couldn’t possibly let the week go by before dumping all over Joe Flacco’s contract now could I?  In this Bizzaro World we are living in right now where the Baltimore Ratbirds are the Super Bowl Champions and Joe Flacco is an MVP, we’ve now gotten a little weirder as he became the highest paid player in the NFL with his giant contract extension.  Not to be outdone by the men in purple to the south, the Steelers countered the Joe Flacco news with a splash signing of themselves.  Pittsburgh welcomes back Big Play Willie Gay to the Black & Gold as we all know we needed a scooch more depth in the secondary and Darrelle Revis was just outside our price range.  Cue Willie Gay haters.  For the third season in a row the Steelers declined to use the franchise tag on anyone and they weren’t the only team to do as such.  Only 8 players in the NFL received the tag, pretty much guaranteeing a lot of players are going to be moving around the league once the free agency period opens March 12^th.

How many cheap shots can be taken at Joe Flacco’s 6 year, $120 million contract?  Let’s see, we have to first give the dude credit for taking a chance on himself by turning down a more modest deal last offseason and gambling on his own abilities (or sheer luck, depending on how you look at it) to earn the highest contract in the league.  So the biggest credit for Joe Flacco’s instant fortune should go to none other than Denver safety Rahim Moore.  Moore’s total brain fart in coverage of Jacoby Jones that allowed Flacco’s signature chucking of the ball as hard as he can let Jones catch the 70 yard game-tying touchdown with 31 seconds left in regulation and set up the Ratbirds improbable 38-35 win in double overtime to propel them to the AFC Championship.  Here’s hoping Flacco takes Rahim out for a steak at the very least.  On second thought, he’s probably still bummed about that play so Flacco should probably take him to the strip club instead.   The Ratbirds were able to get Flacco’s ink on the contract before they had to franchise him and eat up a bunch of their cap space for 2013 in the process.  Although Bert will average about $20 million a season with his new deal, the reported cap hit this season is just under $7 million, which will give the Ratbirds the opportunity to sign more than just their personalityless quarterback.

Welcome back Willie. Mandatory Credit: Eric P. Mull-USA TODAY Sports

As much as we all know that as soon as a player, coach, or any other person with any kind of ties to the Steelers organization is released for one reason or another the Arizona Cardinals will pounce on them like they’re the last donut in the box.  But now we know that you can come home again once you’ve been out in Steelers West.  The Cardinals released former Steelers CB Willie Gay rather than pay him the $3.225 million he was due and the Steelers quickly scooped him back up.  The signing provides a modicum of insurance in case Keenan Lewis is lost to free agency, but most of all provides depth in the secondary either way.

Speaking of free agency and Keenan Lewis, the Steelers declined to tag Lewis this Monday thereby allowing him to enter the realms of free agency if they cannot extend his deal before next week.  As Craig pointed out, the Steelers didn’t have many options when it came to using the tag as they’re already in a pinch when it comes to the cap this season and each position for tagging a player have quite a hefty cap hit associated.  The Steelers have gone the past three seasons without tagging anyone and thanks to going on a restructuring rampage the past couple of weeks, just might be in the position to offer a reasonable contract to Lewis other than using the tag, as Colbert has put that Lewis was their top FA priority of the offseason.  For those of you still holding out hope that Mike Wallace will resign with the Steelers you might want to check into some kind of support group for that.

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Although some restructures of certain players, and cuts could come in the form of expensive and injury-prone veterans (Willie Colon and James Harrison), G.M. Kevin Colbert and the rest of the Front Office must decide on the fates’ of their soon-to-be Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA’s) as they try to get under the cap.

Because the Steelers are a veteran laden team with 17 UFA’s, it will not be an easy task for Colbert & Co. as they eventually determine who should stay and who is allowed to go.  I for one do not envy the work ahead of Colbert, or the franchise’s “Salary Cap Wizard” Omar Khan.  Nevertheless, I thought that I would share my thoughts on each of Pittsburgh’s upcoming UFA’s today, and discuss whether or not I believe they will be signed next year.

The Steelers 2013 UFA’s

Will Allen

Lack of experienced depth at the Safety position should be cause enough for the Steelers to re-sign the soon to be 10th year veteran.  To his credit, Allen stepped up in 2012, and played decent football for Pittsburgh on the Defensive side of the ball as he logged 34 Tackles and 1 Forced Fumble during the regular season.  The soon to be 31 year-old is also a top contributor on Special Teams, and I would be shocked to see Pittsburgh part ways with a valuable role-player like him unless he asks for too much money.  The Steelers should look to offer Allen, who just finished a 3-year $4.495 million dollar deal, a deal in the neighborhood of 2 years at $3.8 to $4.2 million to cover their depth and Special Teams bases’.

Charlie Batch

The Steelers will likely have to rid themselves of one of their veteran backup Quarterbacks for cap/rebuilding purposes this offseason, and Charlie Batch, who will be 39 in December, will likely be the signal-caller who sticks around for one more season with the team.  “Chuckie” is still a capable backup, and even led Pittsburgh to an improbable win over the Ravens in Baltimore last year.  Batch’s presence should be helpful to whichever young QB prospect the Steelers bring in during the offseason to groom as Big Ben’s eventual replacement.  Colbert & Co. could sign Batch on the cheap yet again and tender him another 1-year deal in the $1 million dollar range (Batch made $990,000 last year) for 2013.

Plaxico Burress

Pittsburgh will likely try to get younger at the Wide Receiver position this offseason, and they will probably cut ties with their 2000 1st Round pick.  The Steelers do lack any sort of size at Wide Receiver, but I would figure that Pittsburgh’s Front Office would address that issue through the Draft as opposed to re-signing a soon to be 36 year-old veteran who lost two full seasons of his career to a prison sentence.

Will Foote be back in 2013? It will be interesting to see if he is. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Larry Foote

The decision regarding Larry Foote will be a tough one for Pittsburgh’s Front Office to make, and I for one am interested in seeing what the final verdict is on the Inside Linebacker’s future with the franchise.  On one hand, Foote not only led the Steelers with 113 Tackles last year, but he also registered 4.0 Sacks, 2 Forced Fumbles, and 2 Fumble Recoveries from his Inside Linebacker spot.

But as nice as Foote’s season-long statline was, he proved to be a liability in pass-coverage as athletic Tight Ends ate him alive throughout 2012.  What Foote has working in his favor for a return however is the fact that there is absolutely zero experienced depth at Inside Linebacker right now.  Stevenson Sylvester has yet to prove he can be a starter, while Sean Spence is still recovering from the gruesome knee injury he suffered in the preseason finale last year.

But even if the Steelers do select an Inside Linebacker early like Alec Ogletree, said Rookie will undoubtedly be forced to rot on the bench by Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau no matter how talented they are.  So while the Rookie is forced to sit, the Steelers will likely need Foote back for one more season.  Foote made $3 million dollars in terms of a base salary in 2012, so the Steelers could decide to offer him another 1-year deal in that price range and see what happens.

Ramon Foster

At least to me, the Steelers should strongly consider re-signing Foster.  Not only has he been a steady presence along Pittsburgh’s Offensive Line since his rookie season of 2009, the former UDFA has been a healthy and versatile presence as well (42 career starts).  I believe that Foster deserves a chance to win the starting Left Guard position against Kelvin Beachum during the upcoming offseason.

And even if Foster does not overtake the 2012 7th Round pick, his versatility and presence as one of the League’s most experienced and effective backups should be rewarded by a team whose Offensive Line has been a downright casserole of madness due to injuries over the last half decade.  Foster however should garner quite a bit of interest on the open market, and some team in need of a steady presence at Guard could give the 28 year-old a lucrative offer which Pittsburgh simply will not be able to match.

Casey Hampton

First of all, I have to tip my cap to “Big Snack” for his performance during the 2012 campaign.  For a 35 year-old to play as effective as he did at the Nose Tackle position (26 Tackles and 4.0 TFL’s last year) is a credit to what an unsung hero the 2001 1st Round pick has been throughout his career.  Sadly, Hampton’s career with the Steelers is probably at its end as the soon to be 36 year-old will likely be too expensive to keep.  Also not helping Hampton’s case to stay is the fact that his backup, Steve McLendon, has made significant strides over the last two seasons, while Alameda Ta’amu and Hebron Fangupo are two younger and cheaper options to turn to behind McLendon.

Brandon Johnson

If the Steelers can afford him, and he beats out Adrian Robinson, I would be happy if they brought Brandon Johnson back for Linebacker depth and Special Teams purposes.  He was a Special Teams captain in Cincinnati, and if the Steelers have injuries yet again at Outside Linebacker, they should try to sign Johnson to another 1 year-deal in the $700,000 range (what he made last year) if Robinson is unable to contribute on Defense.

Justin King

In terms of backups at the Cornerback position, it’s not a favorable situation for King.  The Steelers have Cortez Allen as their Nickel Back, Curtis Brown as their Dime Back, and have DeMarcus Van Dyke, Josh Victorian, and Robert Golden as sub-package help.  King would really need to wow the organization to stick and stay in a backup role, and he will likely be looking for work elsewhere this Fall.

Byron Leftwich

Leftwich is likely going to be the “odd man out” in the Quarterback Derby in Pittsburgh if Charlie Batch does not retire in the next few months.  The Steelers will almost assuredly cut ties with Leftwich this offseason as it would make zero sense whatsoever to keep a 33 year-old backup on the roster who has been perpetually injured over the last three seasons, and completed only 30 of his 60 pass attempts.

Doug Legursky

To his credit, Legursky has been a solid backup to Maurkice Pouncey over the last three years (17 Starts), and played some of his best football when Pouncey went down during the 2010-2011 postseason.  In addition to his ability to be a the team’s top backup at Center, the 2008 UDFA has chipped in at Left and Right Guard over said span too.  It could however come down to a “numbers game” and a “financial game” for Legursky this offseason, especially if the Steelers elect to re-up Foster who will likely command more money than him due to his ability to play at Tackle.  Nevertheless, the Steelers could definitely try to offer the soon-to-be 26 year old a 3-year deal worth close to $4.5 million (2012: 1 year, $1.26 million) to back-up Pouncey and the other two Interior Linemen.

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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