LC Greenwood knocks down 1 of 3 Vikings QB Fran Tarkenton passes in Super Bowl IX

With the passing this week of one of the NFL’s all time great players David “Deacon” Jones of the famous defensive front four the Los Angeles Rams “Fearsome Foursome” it got me thinking about Pittsburgh’s great front four “The Steel Curtain” and in particular L.C. Greenwood.

The Steel Curtain (Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, Dwight White) is considered the greatest defensive front four in NFL History and no one can argue with the results: 4 Super Bowl victories. Ernie Holmes only played with the Steelers through the 1977 season and therefore was only part of the first 2 Super Bowls.  The other great defensive lines in NFL history: Minnesota’s “Purple People Eaters”, the L.A. Rams “Fearsome Foursome”, Dallas Cowboys “Doomsday Defense”, Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers of the 60′s, Baltimore Colts and Cleveland Browns of the 1950′s and the Chicago Bears of the mid 1980′s can all argue for second place on the list. The Steel Curtain is #1.

Steel Curtain Finishes Last?                                                                                                                                                              

Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain on the cover of Time Magazine

However of those 9 dominant defensive fronts noted above the Steel Curtain is tied with Dallas for dead last in one very important category: having only one member of that unit enshrined in the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame (Joe Greene, Pittsburgh; Randy White, Dallas). The Packers (Willie Davis, Henry Jordan ), Rams (“Deacon” Jones, Merlin Olsen), Chiefs (Curly Culp, Buck Buchanan), Browns (Len Ford, Bill Willis) , Colts (Gino Marchetti, Art Donovan), Bears (Richard Dent, Dan Hampton) all have two inductees and the Vikings (Carl Eller and Alan Page) can even be argued for a third member in Jim Marshall. How is it possible the greatest front four ever has only one member in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Some of L.C. Greenwood’s accomplishments (1969-1981):

• 6 time Pro Bowl selection (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979)
• 2 time First Team All-Pro selection (1974, 1975)
• 6 time All-Conference selection (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979)
• NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
• 4 time Super Bowl Champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV)
• 4 sacks in Super Bowl X (“unofficial” Super Bowl record) for a total loss of 29 yards
• 5 career Super Bowl sacks (“unofficial” Super Bowl record)
• Batted 3 passes down in Super Bowl IX (“unofficial” Super Bowl game record & possible career record)
• Ranks #2 in sacks all time for the Steelers: “Unofficially” Recorded 73.5 sacks (Jason Gildon, 77.0)
• Led the Steelers in sacks 6 times
• 14 fumble recoveries in his career, including five in 1971, which tied for the NFL lead
• Starred for Steelers 76 defensive team: five (5) shutouts and held 3 other opponents to under 7 points. The defense surrendered 28 points (2 Td’s and 5 FG’s) during the final nine regular-season games not allowing a touchdown in 8 of those games. Allowed an overall average of 9.9 points a game.  #1 in scoring defense.  #1 in total defense (237.4 yards allowed/game) . 46 takeaways (3.3 per game in 14 games).  Eight (8) of the Steelers starting eleven defensive players were selected for the Pro Bowl. Four (4)were eventually selected to the Hall of Fame
• Super Bowl Silver Anniversary Team 1991
• Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team
• Pittsburgh Steelers 50th season All-Time Team
• Played in 12 or more games every year except 1977 (9)
• Played in 170 games
  

  LC Greenwood Lines Up. Courtesy bing images.

Greenwood Didn’t Play In ESPN Era: What Happened Last Was Best…..Or Worst      

L.C. Greenwood was 6′-6″ and listed at 245 but I would guess more 260, fast, long, lean, agile, a great run defender, great pass rusher, great pass disruptor with his ability to knock passes down and he could deliver hit.  I have witnessed L.C. Greenwood many times shoot through the offensive line like a bolt of lightning and blow up the quarterback or running back. For the Steelers fans of today who never saw Greenwood play, think of how Houston’s J.J Watt knocks down passes. In looks, stature and style of play the Giants Jason Pierre-Paul or San Francisco’s Aldon Smith. For more than ten years L.C. Greenwood was a dominant run stopper and pass rusher. Unfortunately he didn’t do it in the ESPN era which is whatever happened last was the best….. or worst.

NFL Not Giving Just Due To Players Pre-1982

Sacks didn’t become an official statistic until 1982, so anything done before then doesn’t count in “official” NFL records even though the sacks did occur. No one really knows how the sacks were totaled before 1982. Apparently each team was responsible for tallying them. According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, it is not on record as to how the Steelers recorded the sack totals before 1982. I have to wonder about the sack totals given to the Steel Curtain members during their careers. Here are their totals according to the Steelers media guide:The Steel Curtain: Holmes, White, Greenwood and Green. Courtesy bing images.

The Steel Curtain: Holmes, White, Greenwood, Green. Courtesy bing images.

Greenwood 73.5 (played 13 years) Average 5.6 sacks per year

Greene 66.0 (played 13 years)   Average 5.0 sacks per year

White 46.0 (played 10 years) Average 4.6 sacks per year

Holmes 40.0 (played 7 years) Average 5.7 sacks per year

That is an average of 20.9 sacks per year total during the years the Steel Curtain played together from 1972-1977. Considering they did not blitz all that much when those 4 played together I have to wonder about the methods used back then by the Steelers for tracking sacks as the career totals seem awful low for how dominant the Steel Curtain defense was.

My Favorite L.C. Greenwood Regular Season Memory

November 25, 1979 vs. the Cleveland Browns. The sickest, wildest, rollercoaster regular season win I remember from that 70′s team. Very similar to the 2002 playoff game win vs. the Browns (36-33). The Steelers had just come off of a 35-7 turnover riddled beating at San Diego the week before, giving the home field advantage tiebreaker to San Diego (who would beat the lowly Chiefs on this day to go 10-3).  This game with the Brown had first place in the AFC Central riding on it as the Browns (8-4) were one game behind and the Oilers (10-3) had just beaten Dallas 3 days earlier on Thanksgiving. Pittsburgh (9-3) needed to win or the season could go from home field to possibly not even making the playoffs in 2 weeks.

Steelers Defense huddles up against the Browns Nov. 25, 1979. bing images

For the first 3 quarters Pittsburgh could not stop the Browns. The Steelers were down 10-0 halfway through the first quarter.  Cleveland QB Brian Sipe made big play after big play taking a 27-13 lead into the 4^th quarter.  There just didn’t seem any possible way Pittsburgh could win because they could not stop Sipe. L.C. Greenwood took over the game in the 4^th quarter/overtime sacking Sipe 4.5 times. Greenwood’s late game dominance enabled the Steelers to finally stop the Browns (27 points in the first 45 minutes, only 3 points in the next 30 minutes) and tie the game at the end of regulation 30- 30.  Pittsburgh never led until there were 9 seconds left in the first overtime when Matt Bahr’s field goal went through the uprights for an exhausting 33-30 victory.

Greenwood Part of Greatest Defensive Team Super Bowl Performance

L.C Greenwood was a major factor in the greatest defensive Super Bowl game performances in history. In Super Bowl IX the Steelers defense held the Minnesota Vikings to a then record low of 17 total yards rushing for the game. Currently that ranks #2 (7 yards; Chicago vs. NE). The Steelers set the single game record for the fewest yards allowed (119 yards total) against Minnesota which still ranks #1. By the way L.C. Greenwood batted down 3 Fran Tarkenton passes in that game which also would be a record if made “official”.

Greenwood sacked Roger Staubach a Super Bowl record 4 times in Super Bowl X. Courtesy bing images.

Greenwood: Greatest Individual Defensive Super Bowl Performance 

In the greatest individual defensive performances in Super Bowl history was L.C. Greenwood’s four (4) sack performance in Super Bowl X against Dallas totaling 29 yards in losses. FOUR SACKS.  Because the NFL didn’t “officially” count sack statistics until 1982 it isn’t an official Super Bowl record. I can verify that Greenwood had 4 sacks as I have watched the replay of that game many times.  The NFL can too as they have the tape of the game and or play by play records of all of the Super Bowls before 1982.

Greenwood Is the Legitimate #1 Super Bowl Single Game Sack Leader

The NFL can legitimately recognize Greenwood for the Super Bowl single game sack record as “official” if they wanted to. The current  Super Bowl single game record is 3 sacks (Darnell Dockett, Reggie White). Dwight White would also be tied for second with Dockett and Reggie White if the NFL counted his 3 sacks against Dallas in Super Bowl X. However when NFL television analysts talk about great Super Bowl performances by a defensive lineman all NFL fans ever hear about or see are the highlights of Reggie Whites 3 sacks of Drew Bledsoe in Super Bowl XXXI against the Patriots. Has anyone ever seen them show one replay or talk about Greenwood’s 4 sacks in Super Bowl X?

Greenwood set the Super Bowl career sack record (5) in 4 Super Bowls. Courtesy bing images.

Greenwood Is the Legitimate #1 Super Bowl Career Sack Leader                                    

 The NFL could also make Greenwood the “official” all time Super Bowl career sack leader with 5 if they wanted to. But they don’t. Why don’t they? According to the NFL Charles Haley is the #1 Super Bowl career sack leader of all time with 4.5 sacks in 5 games.  Greenwood would also hold the Super Bowl single game record for passes batted down (3)  and quite possible the career record for passes batted down in the Super Bowl if the NFL did made that statistics “official”.

The Pittsburgh Steelers handed the Minnesota Vikings their first defeat of the season with an incredible 27-17 victory. That sentence may seem self-explanatory but it doesn’t even begin to cover what happened. In all my years of watching football, I don’t remember a crazier fifteen minutes of football than what occurred in the fourth quarter. Even for a team which seems to make a habit of the thrilling last second comeback, this one will be remembered by Steeler Nation for a long long time.

Things went well for the Steelers in the early going. Adrian Peterson was held to negative yardage in the first quarter, a first for him. He finished the game with only 69 yards (although he did have another 60 on catches), which is an accomplishment for any defense, let alone one playing without their best run-stopper. They ran right at Travis Kirschke on several occasions and he held his ground, while our linebackers attacked him like a Kit Kat bar at a Jenny Craig meeting.

The first quarter was a punt-fest which the Steelers got the better of thanks to a Mitch Berger impression by the Vikings’ punter. Mike Wallace had a 10 yard catch and then a 13 yard reverse to set the Steelers up at the Vikings thirteen yard line. Ben Roethlisberger, who was a fairly mediocre 14/26 for 175 yards, hit Santonio Holmes for a TD.

Unfortunately, the score was negated by a pass interference penalty against Heath Miller. Evidently, you can interfere with a pass that you not only didn’t catch but was thrown to another receiver 15 yards away. I understand you’re not allowed to run into DBs to prevent them from covering their man. However, it looked to me like the two, yes TWO, DBs Heath ran over bumped into each other first. And there’s still the little fact they were FIFTEEN YARDS AWAY FROM THE PLAY!

The Steelers settled for a FG. After more punts, the Vikings began a methodical drive down the field featuring a 28 yard pass to Percy Harvin and capped by a Peterson blast.  With 1:39 left in the half, the Vikes went to some soft zone type defense and Big Ben methodically picked them apart. A 22 yard pass to super-rookie Wallace (Who deserves a cool nickname. Suggestions please.) was followed up with a 40 yard bomb for a TD. Black and Gold up 10-7 at halftime.

The third quarter saw an exchange of FGs.   The Steelers wasted a great opportunity to score a knockout blow with a first and goal from the Minny 8. Three consecutive pass plays resulted in a near INT, a busted play, and an incompletion. This team leaves the barn door open more often than Matt Spaeth after an all-night bender.

Then came the unbelievable fourth quarter. The Steelers drove downfield, mixing pass and run quite effectively. First down at the Minnesota 9 and it appeared they were finally going to club that baby seal.  A hand-off to Rashard Mendenhall and…and…

…and what the f*#k happened?? I saw what happened but can’t quite believe it. In over two decades of watching football, I’ve never seen a dumber play. Mendenhall launched himself skyward, unfortunately failing to take the ball with him. The Vikes pounced on his horrendous fumble while I literally screamed at my television. Rashard, you see, attempted what looked like perfect goal line dive.  Problem was, he jumped from the SEVEN YARD LINE!! Does he think he’s Michael Jordan!? Who attempts an endzone dive from SEVEN FREAKIN’ YARDS AWAY?!?

Predictably, Brett Favre took this gift and marched the Vikes right down the field. Our secondary fell apart as Troy Polamalu was way out of position several times and they picked on Will.i.am Gay mercilessly all game long. To make matters worse, Kirschke and Lawrence Timmons both left the game with injuries during the drive.  In Timmons’ case, that would come back to haunt the Vikings later, much like the movie Paranormal Activity haunts my dreams on a nightly basis.  A tripping call on Minnesota nullified a TD pass to Sidney Rice, momentarily saving the Steelers from yet another 4th quarter choke.

Still, with a third and 8 from the Steelers 8, it looked like the Vikes would get the tying FG. Then Brett Keisel darted up the middle and swatted the ball out of Favre’s mitts. Mister Woodley rescued the pigskin from the evil clutches of Captain Wrangler and a whole convoy of Steelers escorted him 77 yards the other way for a TD.

To say everybody was excited is like saying Megan Fox kinda looks like a stripper.  Even Dick LeBeau was celebrating!  Steeler nation was excited.  Heinz Field was rocking. I was doing my patented Snoopy Dance of Joy.

Then we kicked off.

Percy Harvin took the ball and without the slightest hesitation streaked the other way for an 88 yard TD. He was barely touched. And I never EVER want to hear how kickers are football players again because Skippy Reed‘s attempt to “tackle” him was laughable. After apologizing to Steeler Nation this week, you’d think he’d at least try to make up by throwing his body at Harvin. Instead he just gave him a dainty little push like he was afraid to break a nail.  Way to go, dipshit.

The Steelers got the ball back and at this point I was just hoping we could somehow run out the clock.  Naturally, Bruce Arians answers my prayers by dialing up a SHOTGUN PASS.  This ends in epic failure as Ben gets the ball stripped and the Steelers are lucky to swat it out of bounds.  Which left Brett Favre with the ball, down 3, with three minutes left. In other words, exactly where we didn’t want to be.

And Favre immediately makes our nightmares come true by leading his team down the field.  The key play here was Purple Jesus SMITING William Gay on a short dump pass before rumbling 30 yards. Minnesota had the ball at the Steelers 19 and at this point I was just hoping for OT. Then Favre floated a screen pass to Chester Taylor who got his fingertips on it enough to deflect it into the waiting hands of Keyaron Fox. Fox was escorted 82 yards for the second thrilling defensive TD in the quarter.

I don’t know what else to say about this one.  We played a legitimate Super Bowl contender and held them to one offensive TD.  We also squandered several chances to put the game away on offense, continuing the disturbing trend of not finishing teams when they have the chance.  On the other hand, our defense playing without three starters had four sacks, a ton of pressures, held the league’s best RB pretty much in check, and scored two TDs.  Sure our secondary isn’t nearly as good as it was last year but this was the first time I felt our defense matched 2008′s level.  And we all know how last year ended.  If the Steelers could figure out how to stop sabotaging their efforts with dumb mistakes on offense and special teams, this team would really be dangerous.

The beleaguered Pittsburgh Steelers defense was dealt a crippling blow yesterday when it was announced DE Aaron Smith is likely gone for the next three months. Head coach Mike Tomlin at his Tuesday cliche-fest press conference said Smith suffered a torn rotator cuff during Sunday’s game against the Lions. No specifics were given on exactly when or how this injury occurred. A torn rotator cuff is an odd injury as outside of quarterbacks and Pittsburgh Pirates #1 draft picks, this is the first time I’ve heard of it in football.

In fact, I neglected to mention anything being awry during my obnoxiously long post-game recap because, well, nobody knew Smith was hurt. Evidently, he was injured sometime in the third quarter but other than missing a handful of snaps here and there, he continued to play. I suffer indescribable pain from a pebble in my shoe so I can’t imagine engaging in trench warfare with a blown out shoulder. Aaron Smith is officially a man’s man.

The loss of Smith comes just as the Steeler D is expecting superstar safety Troy Polamalu back. Although Troy should help solidify what has become a horror show of a secondary, losing Smith creates a brand new set of problems for Dick LeBeau and company. The saying, “If it wasn’t for bad luck…” comes springing to mind.

Smith is universally considered the best 3-4 end in the league. In normal speak, he’s really good at creating gaps for the linebackers to make plays. More importantly, he’s the key to our run defense. Before Smith tore his bicep in 2007, the Steelers were the #1 team against the rush. Shortly thereafter, they gave up over 200 yards to the Jaguars duo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. I’m not so much worried about the running game this week but the week after that the Black and Gold plays this dude up in Minnesota, I forget his name, Adrian whatshisface…

We’re in trouble.

Unless of course somebody steps up in his place. The Steelers invested their 1st round draft pick this year in a defensive end by the name of Ziggy Hood. Unfortunately, in the words of Tomlin, “he’s not quite ready to come out of the oven yet.” Which means Ziggy is either still learning LeBeau’s defense or he’s the Muffin Man. Do you know the Muffin Man?

What made the Steelers defense special last season was the fact none of their key players missed any significant time.  This year, it’s been one catastrophic injury after the other.  Losing Casey Hampton or Willie Parker for a game or two isn’t that big of a deal because the drop-off with their backups isn’t so steep.  When you go from a stud like Smith to a platoon featuring the law firm of Kirschke, Eason, and Hood, that’s the Grand Canyon.

Yep, we’re in trouble.   Big trouble.

The inevitable came to pass on Monday when the Pittsburgh Steelers announced the release of longtime starter Larry Foote.

The circumstances over his departure are a bit murky to say the least. The Steelers are painting this as a salary cap move but if that were the case, why wait until now? If they released him months ago, they could have used some of his $2.89 million salary to try and woo free agents. Also, with the recent release of Gary Russell and the restructuring of Hines Ward‘s contract, the Steelers are well under the cap. There was no pressing need to cut anybody, let alone somebody making a measly salary.

Reading between the lines, it appears the salary cap excuse is simply a way for the Steelers to save face. Foote has given several recent interviews noting his unhappiness over sharing playing time with second year LB Lawrence Timmons. Apparently, he sensed the writing was on the wall as far as Timmons taking his place on a full time basis so he wanted out now while his value was high as the incumbent starter on a championship team. He also may have heard rumors of the Steelers trying to trade him and preferred a release so he could sign with the team of his choice.  Pittsburgh’s hand was forced when he didn’t show up to minicamp last week so rather than deal with a sulking distraction, they simply cut the cord.  Foote has been quoted as saying he’d like to take his two Super Bowl rings and spend the final years of his career playing for his hometown Detroit Lions. Good luck with that.

In the meantime, this is the 2nd starter from the NFL’s best defense to not be returning next year with CB Bryant McFadden already having left for Arizona Pittsburgh West. Timmons did see his playing time increase steadily as the season progressed but has yet to prove he’s an every down player. While a tremendous athlete who made some terrific plays when brought in on passing downs, Timmons is a bit on the small side and will have to prove he can play the run as well as the pass. Foote was a solid if unspectacular player whose dependable play earned him a spot in the starting lineup in every game since winning the job back in 2004.

Thanks for everything, Big Foote. You will be missed.