The 2012 season did not go quite according to plan for the Pittsburgh Steelers, nor for Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  An ominous black cloud descended on the team all the way back in the spring, when offensive coordinator and Big Ben best friend Bruce Arians was unceremoniously dumped by the team.  Under the guise of a “retirement”, Arians was shown the door.  This created a friction between Roethlisberger and team officials that had not been present before, a friction that only grew once Arians quickly took a job with the Indianapolis Colts and was replaced by the intense Todd Haley.  The media jumped on the Roethlisberger vs. Haley conflict from day one, and as they and the fan base stirred the pot on the new dynamic of the Steelers offense, more was happening in the Roethlisberger world.

The quarterback and his wife, Ashley, announced that they would soon be parents for the first time.  The grown-up portion of his life in full bloom, Ben became noticeably more sentimental in interviews and for the first time, fans began to start preparing themselves for the possibility of life without #7 behind center.  While that may be a ways off still, there is no doubt that the events of the past year, combined with another serious injury (this time a rib cage issue that came within inches of affecting the heart) and the birth of his first child – a son, Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Jr. has changed the quarterback immensely.  When we write and read about professional athletes, it is very easy to forget that these are people who have the same concerns as the rest of the world, minus the financial stress.  The injury Ben sustained against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10 was scary, but the added pressure of knowing his wife was less then a week away from the birth of their child added a perspective that could only be understood by a parent.  Now that the 2012 season is over, and the Steelers are making golf plans instead of holding playoff practices, we are left to wonder exactly which Ben Roethlisberger will show up in Latrobe this summer.

Steelers fans – more so than any other fanbase – tend to envision a personal connection to the players on their team.  When our players get hurt physically, it hurts us mentally.  When our players lose a heartbreaking game, we carry around that heartbreak on our sleeve for the rest of the week.  When the team experiences joy (such as the happiness which comes from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy), our fans allow themselves to cry tears of joy right along with them.  When a player becomes such a deep part of the local culture, as Ben Roethlisberger has, it is almost as if he is our neighbor.  We expect to turn that milk aisle at Giant Eagle and see #7 digging for better dates on the skim milk half gallons right along with us.  We envision him cleaning up dog poop at 2:00am, taking the garbages down to the curb on pick-up day, arguing with his wife over the remote control…..a normal Pittsburgh man.  We are tuned into the sub conscience of this all-time great, and we have all seen a major change in the way he goes about his business and conducts himself in public.

He came to us as a lanky kid out of tiny Miami University of Ohio, clean cut and looking more like an NBA forward than an NFL Quarterback.  He was the first major prospect the Steelers had invested in behind center since Terry Bradshaw.  In between, Steelers fans were subjected to two decades of Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, Neil O’Donnell, and of course Kordell Stewart.  The man Ben would replace as the Steelers starter, Tommy Maddox, became the most popular fellow in town during his amazing two and a half year run with the team.  Ben Roethlisberger was drafted on April 24, 2004 with the 11th pick in the 1st round of the NFL Draft.  He signed his first professional contract on August 4, a six-year $22.26 million deal that prompted then head coach Bill Cowher to call him “a franchise quarterback” before he ever took a regular season snap.  Originally designated the 3rd string QB, Roethlisberger shifted up to the backup role after Charlie Batch was injured in the preseason.  Tommy Maddox would start the season for the Steelers, but just six quarters of football later, Maddox was hurt and the Era of Big Ben began.  The Steelers would lose that game to the arch-nemesis Baltimore Ravens, but little did we all know that it would be the last time the Steelers would taste defeat until deep into the frozen depths of January.

The Steelers plan to allow Roethlisberger to sit behind Maddox and Batch for a season and learn the offense was shot, and a nervous Steeler Nation turned our attention to #7 and his very diverse playing style.  That 2004 season was amazing on so many different levels, from the unexpected MVP-caliber play of the 22-year old phenom to the unheard-of back-to-back wins over the undefeated New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles in consecutive  home games over Halloween week.  All told, Roethlisberger helped orchestrate SIX come from behind wins in 2004, including the AFC Divisional playoff game against the New York Jets.  He was named the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year,  and the Steelers quickly became a team that had the look of a Super Bowl contender once again.

It wasn’t just his play on the field that intrigued us, it was also his immediate leadership and football maturity.  On a team loaded with veteran superstars, Roethlisberger seemed to almost immediately earn the respect of his peers.  We all looked on like proud parents as he developed into a professional player and an icon to the city of Pittsburgh in just a few short months.  In 2005, he would lead the Steelers back from a 7-5 hole to lead the team into the playoffs.  Under his guidance and the emotional support of the retiring Jerome Bettis, the Steelers would finally put the nail in the coffin of “One for the Thumb”.  The Steelers would win eight straight games, including three road playoff games and Super Bowl XL to achieve the goal that so many had fell short of in the past.  Roethlisberger would save the season one final time in Indianapolis, making a shoe-string tackle on a fumble recovery that secured the road win against the heavily-favored Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional round.  Despite a lackluster performance in the Super Bowl versus Seattle, Roethlisberger cemented himself into the forever lore of a great sports city by delivering the elusive fifth Lombardi Trophy.  In doing so, he secured the legacy of Jerome Bettis – who retired on stage holding the hardware in a stadium in the town he grew up  – a classic sports moment if there ever was one.  He helped wipe the cobwebs off of the coaching legacy of Bill Cowher, who wanted nothing more than to hand Dan Rooney that Lombardi since the day he was hired to coach his home town team in 1992.  The win also allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers to regain a piece of their dominant past, becoming just the third team to win five Super Bowls.  It was a magical season that would not have been possible without the 2004 draft pick of Ben Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger would accomplish another feat in 2008 that had eluded every Steelers QB since Heinz Field opened in 2001.  He guided the Steelers to an AFC Championship Game victory over the hated Ravens in the frigid confines of the “new” stadium.  While it may not seem like such a major achievement to fans outside of Pittsburgh, those who had suffered through horrendous losses in the AFC title games at home in 1994, 1997, 2001, and 2004 were beginning to doubt it would ever happen.  When Troy Polamalu returned a Joe Flacco interception for the game securing TD, the sense of relief set off a celebration that will forever be remembered as one of the great moments in team history.  A few weeks later, it was Roethlisberger leading a last minute drive – masterfully – to score the winning touchdown in the waning seconds of Super Bowl XLIII.  The victory over the Arizona Cardinals gave the Steelers an NFL-leading six Super Bowl titles, and it gave Ben his second in only his fifth NFL season.  It seemed as though the winning would go on forever, and a second Steelers dynasty was ready to emerge.

Prior to the 2006 season, the first crack in the armor of Big Ben occurred.  While riding his motorcycle in downtown Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger was involved in an accident.  He was not wearing a helmet – not a crime, but not smart for a multimillion dollar NFL QB – and sustained injuries to his head, mouth, jaw, and teeth.  The injuries were not serious, but for the first time in his career, fans began to wonder about the general mindset of their star QB.  It was right around this same time that stories and pictures began to flood the internet of Roethlisberger partying with college students.  Ben Roethlisberger had quickly morphed from small town college star to national celebrity, and the status change may have begun to hinder his decision-making ability it seemed.  Even more stories poured out about Ben, from general cockiness to an inability to treat wait staff and service workers with respect around town.  By the time Super Bowl XLIII was over, most people had forgotten about the accident and the rumors, as the hardware seemed to solidify that regardless of what Roethlisberger was doing off the field, he could deliver on the field – where it mattered.

The 2009 season ended up being a disappointing one for the Steelers coming off their Super Bowl victory.  Injuries plagued the team, including Roethlisberger, who missed a Week 12 match-up with the Ravens, an overtime loss that would eventually secure the Steelers missing the postseason.  Despite the lackluster season for the team, Roethlisberger played very well.  He threw for over 4,000 yards, the first Steeler QB to ever accomplish that feat, and was selected to the Pro Bowl as a first alternate, although an injured shoulder prohibited him from attending.  Following the 2009 season, the real trouble began in the personal life of Pittsburgh’s biggest celebrity.  Two very public accusations of sexual misconduct were raised against the Pittsburgh quarterback.  The first one, filed on July 19, 2009, claimed that Roethlisberger had forced himself onto a Lake Tahoe resort worker in his hotel suite while attending a golf outing there in 2008.  The case began to fall apart as soon as it hit the mainstream media, with the details and stories of all involved conflicting and the lack of evidence due to the long time span between the alleged event and the actual report causing authorities to abandon the case.  Just a few months later in March 2009, another woman claimed that Ben had forced himself onto her while at a college bar in Milledgeville, GA.  This case became ever more of a national newsline, and eventually led to Reothlisberger being suspended for the first six games of the 2010 NFL season.  The suspension would be reduced to four games, and served.  No criminal charges were filed due to a lack of evidence, and despite what many detractors will continue to say to this day – Ben Roethlisberger was never charged, nor found guilty of any alleged sexual misconduct.  Regardless, the stain was now on the record of Ben Roethlisberger.  It seemed that his life needed to be evaluated on a personal level, and that frankly, he needed to pull himself out of any situation that could result in “allegations”, whether truthful or simply made up.

After the events of 2009-2010 died down, Ben Roethlisberger made many conscious changes to his lifestyle.  He embraced his religion, he began doing even more charity work (although he was always a generous person with his time and money, he turned it up a notch), and he began to do every requested interview to answer as many questions about the past legal issues, becoming an open book for all to see.  Ben Roethlisberger grew up quite a bit between 2008 and 2010, and he once again led the Steelers to the brink of a championship.  The Steelers would lose Super Bowl XLV to Green Bay, but getting back to the big game served as a marker in the life of Big Ben – a moment in time that quantified just how far he had come as a professional athlete, as a teammate, and most of all, as a man.

Much has changed with the Pittsburgh Steelers over the past two years.  The team would go 12-4 in 2011, but lose in the first round of the playoffs to an upstart Denver Broncos team.  The Arians saga seemed to take a lot out of Roethlisberger, and his subsequent bickering with Todd Haley was a product of that saga.  The Steelers sagged to an 8-8 finish in 2012, and for the first time we have begun to hear Ben answer questions about retirement.  While he seems to be a ways away from any legitimate retirement concerns, the facts remain that Ben Roethlisberger will be 31-years old at the start of the 2013 season, heading into his tenth season at the helm of the Steelers offense.  He has been hit more than any other TWO quarterbacks in the NFL combined over the past six seasons.  He has battled injuries to his ankles, knees, shoulder, fingers, neck, and many that we probably don’t even know about.  Ben Roethlisberger is the definition of warrior in the football sense, but when do the injuries become a major concern for a man who is now married and the father of an infant son (Little Ben)?  The eight-year extension that he signed in 2008 runs through the end of the 2016 season, which gives him three more full seasons to build on a resume that should land him as a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.  His desire to win a third Super Bowl is obvious, but more so it seems that the past year has simply taken its toll both mentally and physically on Roethlisberger.  With the team entering a transition phase in terms of veterans leaving and younger players beginning to move up the depth chart, it is possible that the Steelers have another middle of the road season ahead of them in 2013.  A 100% healthy Ben Roethlisberger could change that, as his presence on the field gives the Steelers a chance to win every Sunday.  While the finish to this past season was dreadful – game-losing interceptions, missing more time with the shoulder injury, and of course missing the playoffs – it was the way Ben seemed to be disconnected from the game and the fans that really caused the greatest concern across Steeler Nation.  Perhaps a full offseason of healing his body and mind and spending time with his wife and son will be just what the doctor ordered, and Roethlisberger will return fresh and ready to go after that seventh Lombardi this summer in Latrobe.

Or perhaps these are the waning days of the Big Ben Era in Pittsburgh.  Either way, this year – 2013 – is the virtual crossroads in the career of one of the greatest players to ever wear the black and gold.  Hopefully, the organization will ensure that Ben Roethlisberger gets to go out the way that he has always wanted – as a Steeler, and as a Champion.  In this era of free agency and salary cap issues ripping franchise players away from their teams, if there was ever anybody who deserved to finish what he has started, it is Ben Roethlisberger.  He has given it ALL to Steeler Nation – 29 4th quarter comeback victories, including two playoff games and one Super Bowl, a career .714 winning percentage, a slew of franchise and league records, and of course two Super Bowl rings.  Maybe now is the time that we all pay him back for what he has given to us.

Whether he comes out and announces his retirement tomorrow or plays for another five years, Ben Roethlisberger deserves our respect and admiration.  He is a player that we will all tell our grandchildren that we saw play, just like the stories we all grew up on about Bradshaw, Swann, and Lambert.  Enjoy him while he is here folks, for there will never be another Big Ben Roethlisberger.

First, let me apologize for my erratic posting schedule the past week or so.  I’ve been waylaid by the Avian Flu so haven’t felt much like posting as you may well imagine.  I’m starting to feel a bit better so I should get back to my Pittsburgh Steelers Report Cards and other stuff in short order.

Anyway, in between trips to the bathroom, I saw on Friday that the Steelers placed the Franchise tag on LaMarr Woodley.  This is interesting for a few reasons.  Not the least of which is the salary cap implications.  Last season, Mister Woodley made $550,000.  Next year, he’ll make a cool $10 million.

The use of the Franchise tag on Woodley as well as Michael Vick and Peyton Manning seems to indicate the owners think it’ll be part of the next CBA.  Maybe, maybe not.  It’s well known the players hate it and if they walked in to the meeting room and said “Get rid of the tag and you can have your 18 games” it would likely be gone before the owners could start smiling like a butcher’s dog.  Thanks Mike Lange.

Also expected to be part of the next CBA is a salary cap.  This is where Woodley’s new salary presents an interesting situation.  The last cap (in 2009) was approximately $127 million.  The Steelers’ payroll back then was about $120 million.  Since then, the only significant salary which has come off the books has been Fast Willie Parker.

Everybody else has gone up.  James Harrison went from $1.4 million to an estimated $7 million+ next season.  Ben Roethlisberger‘s contract extension signed three years ago is also going to increase his cap hit by about $2 million.  Factor in Woodley’s salary going up almost 10x and that leaves the Steelers with precious little cap room assuming the new cap is determined the same way as the old one (as a percentage of revenues).

Therein lies the problem.  The owners are trying to roll back player salaries by changing the method revenue is shared much like they do in hockey.  In simpler terms, they want the players to accept a smaller share of the pie.  Since the size of the pie determines how big the cap is, a smaller slice by extension would equal a smaller cap. Good for lousy teams like Detroit or Carolina who only have a few highly paid players on the roster.  Bad for the Steelers who have already committed big money to their stars.

Since we have no idea when the CBA will be ironed out and what it will say, this is all speculation.  But it does open up a pretty big potential can of worms for this team.  Do they use whatever scant space left under the cap to bring back Ike Taylor and basically go into next year with the exact same team?  Or do they lose Ike because they can’t pay him enough?  If they lose Face Me Ike, are you prepared for B-Mac and Willie Gay to be your starting corners?  The thought of that gives me the chills.  Or perhaps that’s the bird flu.  Either way, I’m pleased Woodley will continue to be part of the best defense in the NFL but I’d be lying if I said I’m not worried about the cost.

With the season over, I find myself with a frightening lack of structure.  It was nice knowing every Monday I could recap the previous afternoon’s game and every Friday I could roll out Know Thy Enemy.  So in that vein, I’m starting a recurring feature whereby I look at every area of the Pittsburgh Steelers, evaluate their 2010 performance, and assess their outlook for 2011.  I’ll still post relevant Steelers news and talk a little about the ongoing labor strife but this will give us a little something to talk about from now until the draft.

We’ll start by getting the most insignificant part of the team out of the way.  I know some people don’t like it when I say kickers aren’t real football players so allow me to explain.  The average guy off the street would get killed trying to play linebacker.  They would have no chance at wide receiver.  But my schlub of a brother, whose greatest athletic accomplishment is two years of J.V. soccer, has successfully booted a 40 yard field goal to win a free meal at Benihana.

In fact, my favorite non-Steelers moment of the season was when Ndamukong Suh attempted an extra point.  The Big Fella had nice form and was only about a foot and a half away from an exact copy of Shaun Suisham‘s hideous conversion in the Super Bowl.

Speaking of which, did anybody else catch the Punt, Pass, And Kick girl whose dream is to be an NFL kicker?  Frankly, I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened.  My cool physics professor at CMU once broke down the mechanics of kicking and “leg strength” is actually a misnomer.  Acceleration of your leg through the kicking motion and the angle which you strike the ball are just as important.  And we all know women, at least the ones who make the best girlfriends, are much more flexible than men.  So I fully expect to see the NFL’s version of Gina Carano take the field before the end of the decade.

Anyway, back to Suisham.  He did a pretty good job for the team after replacing drunk malcontent Skippy Reed midway through the season, converting fourteen of fifteen field goal attempts including eight of nine from 40-49 yards.  His kickoffs were more than satisfactory as well.  The only question with him is how he responds to pressure.  Suisham is infamous in Washington for missing an easy kick against the Saints and shanking two easy ones in the playoffs for Dallas.  He kicked the game winning 41 yarder in OT against the Bills so I’m willing to chalk his previous failures up to playing for cursed franchises.  Yeah, he had a shaky Super Bowl but a 52 yarder isn’t automatic for any kicker so I fully expect him to be back next year.

The punting situation is a little more interesting.  Daniel Sepulveda, who suffered his second season-ending injury in three years, is a free agent.  His replacement, Jeremy Kapinos, was adequate at best.  Then you have to factor in that the Steelers used a 4th round draft pick on Sepulveda.  Kevin Colbert may re-sign him just to prove he didn’t waste that pick.  Obviously I don’t have access to Sepulveda’s medical reports but if he’s healthy, I would imagine he’ll be back.  Otherwise, the job is likely wide open to whomever the Steelers bring into camp this fall.

I cannot finish this post without talking about actual football players so let’s talk returners.  The three-headed monster of Manny Sanders, Antonio Brown, and Antwaan Randle-El shared duties at various points throughout the year.  We’ll eliminate ARE from this discussion because he’s basically the football version of a DH.  Or, in his case, Designated Fair Catcher.

Which leaves us with the youngsters.  Sanders began the year as a return man and handled the duties fairly well.  Then Brown was given a shot and responded with an 89 kickoff return for a touchdown.  By the end of the season, Brown had “won” the job and I expect that to continue going forward.  He narrowly missed breaking a few after that and his 27 yard return in the AFC Championship Game was crucial in sealing the victory.

Oh, one final point about special teams.  Mike Tomlin has learned from previous years where he refused to have “special teams specialists” and would cut guys who excelled as gunners because they couldn’t play during the game.  A big part of our improved coverage this year was because of guys like Anthony Madison and Arnaz Battle.  Although one guy who better not be here next year is Keyaron Fox.  Fox’s dumbass antics in the Super Bowl severely hampered Big Ben’s chance to perform the superhuman heroics only he can perform.  It was not his first offense as his dumbass penalty in the Ravens game was what pushed the team back inside their 5 where a few plays later Ben was sacked and fumbled.  If your only job is to be a special teams ace and you suck at it, pack your bags for Kansas City because that crap don’t fly in the ‘Burgh.

FINAL GRADE FOR 2010:  B

Breaks down as follows:  Kickers: C+ (Skippy gets an F, Suisham gets a B+), Punters: C  Returners: B+ and Coverage: B+

Don’t judge.

I’ve finally managed to pull myself together enough to write about the Pittsburgh Steelers without having to blink back salty yet manly tears.  It’s time to lock memories of Super Bowl XLV in the same box as Super Bowl XXX and never speak of either again.  Rather let us turn our attention to next season.  Provided the greedy dickhead owners and high-living meathead jocks ever agree on a new collective bargaining agreement so we have a season.

Let’s start with the coaching staff.  Pittsburgh West Arizona wasted no time trying to poach yet more assistants from our staff.   Unfortunately for Ken Whisenhunt, the Steelers denied him permission to speak to LB coach Keith Butler.  Butler was given a new deal last season and word around town is he has been promised the defensive coordinator job when Dick LeBeau retires.   And if the Rooneys promise you something, take it to the bank and open an account.

So the Cards will have to settle for secondary coach Ray Horton, who is also interviewing with the Cowboys.   Maybe he can teach Whiz’s corners his fabulous technique of backpedaling at the snap so every receiver gets a nice comfy five yard cushion.  I sure hope this Butler guy is worth the hype when he eventually ascends to the top job.  Although that won’t be in the immediate future as LeBeau has told his men he is definitely returning for next season.

Which leaves us with Bruce Arians.  B.A.’s contract has also expired and he’s really done precious little to earn a new one.  People seem to have forgotten the stretch in the middle of the season where we scored two offensive touchdowns over three entire games.  In an ideal world, B.A. would be gone although the labor issues may prevent any changes.  If there is a lock out, it would be stupid to bring in a new offensive coordinator since they would have very little time to work with the players over the off-season.  Then again, the Steelers could promote from within since the plays aren’t really the problem but rather the Einey, Meany, Miney, Moe Method he uses to call them.

Roster-wise, Hines Ward (34), James Farrior (36), and Aaron Smith (34) are all reaching retirement age.   All three have said they plan on returning for one more go-round, with Ward scheduled to have multiple surgeries this week.  Hines and Farrior are not as effective as they used to be but aren’t at the stage where they embarrass themselves out there.  Smith is the question mark.  He’s due to make about $6 million this year which is way too much for a guy who gets hurt all the time.  Smith is a good man but the emergence of Ziggy Hood makes him kind of expendable.  I can see the Steelers asking him to renegotiate to a much smaller cap hit and, if he refuses, releasing him ala Joey Porter.

The Steelers have a list of free agents which I will get into when/if the free agency period ever begins.  Suffice it to say, the list is headed by LaMarr Woodley and Ike Taylor, both of whom we absolutely need to keep.   Woodley is a young stud linebacker who’ll be a fixture on the outside for years to come.  Taylor, whether you like him or not, is by far the Steelers best corner.  They’ve already started talking with Face Me Ike so I can see them signing one and Franchising the other.

Unless talks completely break down and Taylor leaves via free agency, I wouldn’t expect the Steelers to do anything except dumpster diving for free agents.  Paying high-priced mercs is just not their way.  So anybody dreaming of Nnamdi Asomugha in Black and Gold should just put those thoughts out of their head.  If he pulled a Bettis and told the team he’d play for a winner for a meager contract, maybe, but he’s not going to do that and the Steelers don’t have the cap room to pay him what he’s worth.

Would you let Woodley and Taylor go in exchange for Asomugha?   The Steelers wouldn’t but that is the choice you have if you’re in the Sign Nnamdi! camp.  For the sake of argument, let’s say you make that trade.  Then you still have B-Mac on the other side and instead of him getting targeted 15 times a game, he gets thrown at 20.  And you lose Mister Woodley in the process.  I love Asomugha as both a player and a character guy but it makes no sense.

If the salary cap returns (as expected) and the Steelers keep Woodley/Ike (as expected), that gives them very little wiggle room.  They may sign a few unloved veterans to either fortify the offensive line or play nickel but I wouldn’t expect any major roster additions to come through free agency.  Picking at the ass end of the draft, they’ll likely go Best Player Available which means I can see them taking anything from a corner to a young safety to groom behind Clark/Troy to another young defensive linemen (remember, Ziggy was our pick after our last Super Bowl).  We’ll examine both free agency and the draft in more depth in the days to come but suffice it to say, I don’t expect major help to come from either.

It’ll be more of the same from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011.  Can they rebound from arguably the most devastating loss in this core group’s history?  Can they stay healthy?  Can Big Ben stay away from drunk sluts?   They’ll be plenty of questions heading into the off-season but remember this group was good enough to still be playing when 30 other teams were sitting at home.  And that’s good enough for me.

Super Bowl XXX was the first time the Pittsburgh Steelers lost a championship game in their illustrious history.  Their opponents were the Dallas Cowboys.  Troy Aikman was the victorious quarterback.  The Steelers started off slow in that game but mounted a furious comeback that was ultimately undone by one too many mistakes.

Fifteen years later, the Steelers found themselves in Super Bowl XLV.  Ironically, it took place at Cowboys Stadium.  Troy Aikman was there calling the game.  And, once again, the Black and Gold staged a valiant comeback which was ultimately thwarted by too many miscues.

You can only dig so many holes.  Eventually, you run out of shovels.

The Steelers lived dangerously throughout this year’s playoffs.  Gave up a huge lead to Baltimore.  Ben Roethlisberger played lousy against the Jets.  Yet they found a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.  Against the Green Bay Packers, they tempted fate once too often.

This performance was pretty much a Cliff’s Notes version of everything which had led to this point.  The Steelers went into halftime staring at a 21-10 deficit.  Ben made a handful of plays but played poorly overall.  The secondary, a question mark all season, broke down at inopportune times.  And if this game doesn’t signal the end of the Bruce Arians era, he must have pictures of Art Rooney II cross-dressing at a Lady Gaga concert or something.

I said in my game preview the Steelers would be well-served to emphasize the running game like they did against New York.  On their second possession of the game, Pittsburgh lined up with David Johnson at fullback and ran the ball down Green Bay’s throat.  Then, on 3rd and 1, Arians went with his beloved empty backfield and the pass fell incomplete.  They wouldn’t return to a consistent ground attack until the second half.

Backed up at their 7, Arians dialed up a deep bomb to Mike Wallace.  He was open but Ben’s arm was hit on release and the duck was picked by Nick Collins.  Collins returned it for a touchdown.  A few drives later, Ben tried to squeeze a pass to Wallace between two defenders.  Jarrett Bush snatched the ball away from Flash for the second costly turnover of the half.

Why were we throwing so much against what is generally considered the strength of the Packers defense?  WHO KNOWS.  Why does the rain in Spain fall mostly on the plain?  WHO KNOWS.  Do androids dream of electric sheep?  WHO KNOWS.

I’m taking nothing away from the Packers.  They played like the Super Bowl veterans while Aaron Rodgers earned a well-deserved MVP award.  This game could have been uglier than Fergie’s outfit during that debacle of a halftime show if not for the Packers young receivers repeatedly dropping his perfect passes.  So to say the Steelers beat themselves would not be fair because most of those drops would’ve went for long gains.

In a happier alternate reality, Wallace would have been the MVP after being left wide open time and time again by a badly banged up Green Bay secondary playing without Charles Woodson.  Ben’s throws were routinely off-line, missing a streaking Wallace on a sure touchdown early in the third quarter being perhaps the most egregious of his errors.  Every game has bounces that go one way or the other.  The outcome hinges on who makes the plays when they need to be made.  When the chips were down, Rodgers made the plays.  Ben did not.

Neither did Dick LeBeau‘s defense.  They didn’t play badly but they didn’t play particularly well either.  Troy Polmalu was a total non-factor.  They failed to generate a single turnover.  And they wilted toward the end of the game, surrendering a 31 yard pass to Greg Jennings and a 21 yarder to James Jones when they desperately needed to get off the field.  Granted, they eventually forced a field goal but by then the clock had been milked past the two minute warning while Green Bay’s lead had been upped to six points.

Despite all the errors, the proud Steelers did not go quietly right up to the final drive of the game.  Although the game really turned when they rediscovered the running game in the second half and it allowed them to cut the 11 point deficit to 4.  As the fourth quarter began, the Black and Gold had the momentum and were driving when Rashard Mendenhall was double-humped by Clay Matthews and Ryan Pickett and the ball popped loose.  A lot of football was left to be played but that ultimately proved to be one mistake too many.

Congratulations to the World Champion Green Bay Packers.  Also, a heartfelt thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Losing the Super Bowl sucks.  No way around it.  But when you consider the adversity they faced this season, from the unfair persecution of their starting quarterback, to the injuries to key personnel, to being targeted by a corrupt commissioner and being victimized by blatantly biased officiating, there really is no way to consider this year a failure regardless of how the journey ends.   So, thank you, Black and Gold, for playing with the heart of a champion even if you eventually fell short of that goal.

There’s always next year…