SB Nation Pittsburgh: All Posts by Pete Wilmoth

Confidential to the Pittsburgh Steelers: Stop Spiking the Ball!

2012-09-10T02:12:39Z

Someone please tell Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers to stop squandering touchdown opportunities in the red zone. That's exactly what happened on Sunday Night Football as the Pittsburgh quarterback drove his team downfield to close the first half of his showdown with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. On first and goal-to-go with a timeout to burn, Roethlisberger hurried his unit to the line, and promptly wasted a play by firing the ball into the ground.

This is a terrible idea. Moreover, the fact that's it's terrible should be obvious to anyone who stops to think about it for a minute.

First of all, it's the first half. You're not in four-down territory, which means you're limiting your scoring potential to second and third downs. You can just use your timeout—because that's what it's there for—and have three (three!) chances to fire it into the end zone instead.

I suppose you can make the argument that keeping the timeout leaves you free to run the ball as well as pass it, which keeps the defense honest. I guess that's true, but any upside gained from that surely can't outweigh the harm done by flushing a goal-to-go play down the toilet.

For what it's worth, I'm howling at the moon a little bit; the drive ended in four-yard touchdown toss to tight end Heath Miller, so everything worked out in the end. This is a good thing for the Steelers in the short-term, but it will also ensure that no one in the Steelers camp questions the objectively irrational, mind-bogglingly self-defeating status quo.

And while I'm whining...someone tell the NFL that wacky facial hair does not equal charisma. Worst spokesperson ever, am I right?

Steelers' David DeCastro Tears MCL, Out Indefinitely

2012-08-26T18:32:46Z

Brutal news out of Pittsburgh today. Steelers first-round guard David DeCastro could miss the entire 2012 season an MCL tear suffered during preseason action against the Buffalo Bills. DeCastro was carted off the field after his right leg was bent backwards as he attempted to block a Buffalo pass rusher in Pittsburgh's own end zone. Head coach Mike Tomlin hinted after the contest that the injury may be severe; on Sunday, his fears were confirmed.

In addition to being terrible news for a young player just beginning his career, this leaves the entire Pittsburgh offensive line in dire straits. DeCastro was considered the most NFL-ready Steelers rookie since center Maurkice Pouncey.

Fellow rookie lineman Mike Adams does not appear ready to take on NFL caliber pass rushers and is battling some (infinitely less severe) knee issues of his own, leaving Max Starks to protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's blind side at left tackle. Meanwhile, with and without DeCastro last night, the interior line struggled against the Bills' terrific front four. Willie Colon was pushed backwards by defenders from both guard spots (he took DeCastro's spot on the left side following the injury, while Ramon Foster settled in at left guard). Pouncey was also exposed a few times in limited action and hasn't appeared to be a truly dominant player since his rookie year. That leaves second-year man Marcus Gilbert, who is solid but unspectacular, at right tackle. Doug Legursky and Mike Adams will play roles as the primary backups for the interior and tackle spots, respectively.

This is a shaky unit at best. Except Todd Haley's offense to incorporate even more quick strikes in the passing game—we saw plenty of those in last night's dress rehearsal—to help mask what should be suspect protection.

Steelers vs. Eagles: Pittsburgh Won't Miss Mendenhall

2012-08-10T02:55:32Z

I hate to kick a guy while he's down, but it's difficult to imagine that Rashard Mendenhall, who suffered a brutal knee injury toward the end of last season, will be a Steeler next year. Pittsburgh's NFL preseason debut against the Philadelphia Eagles was basically a showcase for the quality depth the team has (wisely) built up behind the former first-round running back.

Isaac Redman was heavily involved in the offensive attack, with seven touches during Pittsburgh's first drive. Jonathan Dwyer, who finally seems healthy for the first time in his career, flashed an excellent combination of size and speed, particularly on a 33-yard rumble. Rookie fifth-rounder Chris Rainey has speed to spare and could earn a roster spot as a return specialist and sometime third down back; the 180-pounder was explosive and shifty on a 57-yard catch-and-run score. And we still haven't seen the best of Baron Batch, last year's preseason darling.

I expect Redman, who is solid in every phase of the game, to be a bit of a workhorse for Pittsburgh this year, with Dwyer taking about a third of the carries. As for Mendenhall, I hope his recovery goes well, but it's tough to count on anything from him this year, which may sadly be his last in a Steelers uniform.

Steelers vs. Eagles: Roethlisberger and Receivers Settling Into Haley's New Offense

2012-08-10T02:44:13Z

Without wide reciever Mike Wallace, the Pittsburgh Steelers spent most of their opening drive of the NFL preseason in 22 personnel, with two receivers and two men in the backfield. New offensive coordinator Todd Haley had quarterback Ben Roethlisberger nickeling and diming his way through the Philadelphia Eagles defense, opting for lots of high-percentage looks and quick reads, particularly to targets emerging from the backfield.

Roethlisberger was excellent, connecting on all but one of his eight pass attempts on the evening. While we're used to seeing Roethlisberger shrug off would-be tacklers, run for his life to the flats, and chuck the ball 40 yards downfield to an open receiver—either that or, you know, get sacked—it might be prudent for him to evolve into a more cerebral, deliberate pocket passer. Roethlisberger is now in his 30s, so who knows—perhaps doing his best Kurt Warner impression and getting rid of the ball could extend his career by a couple years.

Haley's attack is also a good fit for wide receivers Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. Both guys shifty, immaculate route-runners with great hands, so Haley's West Coast scheme suits them perfectly. Brown is more of a known quantity, particularly after signing a new deal, but I'm weirdly more excited about what Sanders could do. His finest moment of the evening came when he smoked Philly cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha on a double slant route for a red zone score. Sanders, a former third-round pick, has always had the talent, but lingering foot injuries have kept him on the sidelines. Hopefully this is the year he can stay healthy.

Steelers vs. Eagles: Pittsburgh Offensive Line Still A Work In Progress

2012-08-10T02:28:14Z

Despite a draft day haul that included Stanford guard David DeCastro and Ohio State tackle Mike Adams, both of whom started against in preseason action against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line is still a work in progress.

DeCastro was solid enough at right guard, particularly in the running game, but Adams was exposed repeatedly, albeit by an Eagles defensive line rotation that may be the league's best. (All due respect to the New York Giants.) The rookie tackle allowed two sacks in limited action and seemed ill-suited to protect against pro-level speed and power on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's blindside.

Hopefully, Adams improves, because it's hard to determine who would replace him in the starting line if Pittsburgh is committed to keeping second-year man Marcus Gilbert at right tackle. Adams really needs to improve his strength—he was pedestrian at best in the bench press at the NFL Combine—and while NFL conditioning can go a long way, the Steelers need Adams to be ready now.

Adams also tweaked his knee and had to leave the game, so Thursday really wasn't his night.

Todd Haley's Rosetta Stone: What to Expect from the Steelers' Offense in 2012

2012-05-16T12:00:44Z

Ben Roethlisberger recently likened new offensive coordinator Todd Haley's playbook to the Rosetta Stone -- the ancient, hieroglyph-laden decree stone, not the software Michael Phelps used to learn 14 words in Mandarin.

Obviously, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is being hyperbolic. (And maybe he, like, just learned what the Rosetta Stone even was, what with his newly-acquired bachelor's degree endlessly publicized during pro football's insipid period of hibernation.) Learning a new offense isn't akin to deciphering some strange language that's been dead for centuries. But this does beg the question, what will the Steelers' offense look like in 2012? Here are a few things to expect.

The Steelers Will Live in '11 Personnel'

If Haley has proven anything, it's that he's not married to any particular offensive schemes.

As head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, Haley installed a power running game, working rushers Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones on the perimeter and in between the tackles, respectively. When the Chiefs threw, it was often off of play action; safe underneath routes to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and then rookie tight end Tony Moeaki masked Matt Cassel's physical limitations, and the quarterback enjoyed a highly-efficient season behind a heroic, 1,400-yard effort from Charles.

With the Arizona Cardinals, however, Haley's attack was essentially a spread offense. Clearly, it doesn't take a football genius to figure out that with quarterback Kurt Warner and receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin on your roster, you throw the football. A lot. But still -- slot receiver Steve Breaston also eclipsed 1,000 yards under Haley, and Arizona's unrelenting deployment of three- and four-receiver sets kept opposing defenses in their sub packages, allowing Warner to consistently beat the blitz behind a deficient offensive line.

Haley isn't Mike Martz with the Chicago Bears -- he's not going to try to jam a square peg through a round hole. Instead, he'll likely field cater to Pittsburgh's personnel, meaning that the Steelers are going to live in 11 Personnel next year -- the base offense will be a singleback, three-wide set.

What's more, fans clamoring for a misguided return to the "Steelers football" of old are in for disappointment. In 2011, Pittsburgh's ratio of dropbacks to rushing attempts was about 3-to-2, and that won't change in the upcoming season. Your team has a top-shelf quarterback and a bunch of young receivers who can fly and embarrass people after the catch; they're going to throw the football.

Early reports suggest that Haley's offense will feature a lot of no-huddle, which Roethlisberger loves. So if a defense lines up in their base package on first down, anticipating the run despite Pittsburgh's 11 Personnel, expect the Steelers to initiate the hurry-up on the subsequent play -- maybe even split Heath Miller out in the slot, drop Roethlisberger back into the shotgun -- and exploit mismatches in zone coverage.

Isaac Redman Will Be Pittsburgh's Featured Back

Of course, none of this is to say that the Steelers are just going to stop running the ball. On the contrary, I think they'll improve in terms of efficiency, although perhaps not in terms of volume.

Including the playoffs, Pittsburgh averaged nearly 4.5 yards per carry last year. Not bad at all. However, excluding Rashard Mendenhall, who has always danced in the hole too much for my liking, that metric rockets up to almost five yards flat.

We haven't event talked yet about how much Pittsburgh's offensive line improved during the draft, which is basically Steelers blogger sacrilege. As I pointed out after the first round, the Steelers are obviously in love with their new mauler up front, Stanford guard David DeCastro:

If you need proof of how excited the Steelers war room must have been, look no further than the rapidity with which they turned in their pick after the Detroit Lions at No. 23. That was the single fastest pick I've seen in a decade, hands down.

Second-round tackle Mike Adams may not contribute right away, but center Maurkice Pouncey and second-year man Marcus Gilbert have yet to peak and should be improved. When you put the youngsters' collective upside together, this could be the most talented line the Steelers have fielded in nearly a decade.

The draft was also an enormous vote of confidence for halfback Isaac Redman, as Pittsburgh didn't select a runner until the third day. While Redman doesn't have Mendenhall's top gear or his first-round pedigree, he has been the statistically superior rusher over the past seasons (yes, yes -- it's a small sample size), averaging almost a full yard more per carry. What's more, he's a decisive, straight-line runner who can catch and pass protect, too.

If Mendenhall can't get back on the field, and Redman can touch the ball 200 times or more, the previously-undrafted back could break out and possibly play himself into a long-term contract with the Black & Gold. (Take note, fantasy owners.)

We'll translate more of this Rosetta Stone as training camp unfolds this summer. Position battles will reveal themselves (who else wants to play guard?), and preseason never fails to add some intrigue.

For now, though, I expect Todd Haley's offense to be balanced -- by 2012 standards -- and extremely effective. In fact, it could be the best we've seen from Steelers in years.

NFL Draft Results: Pittsburgh Steelers Select David DeCastro, Let The Draft Come To Them

2012-04-27T03:32:04Z

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Stanford guard David DeCastro with the 24th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

This is just another draft day slam dunk in a long line for general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin. After position runs on defensive backs and defensive linemen, DeCastro — the third offensive lineman selected after tackles Matt Kalil (No. 3) and Riley Reiff (no. 23) — was just sitting there at 24, low-hanging fruit for Pittsburgh to pluck.

Once again, the Steelers let the draft come to them, and it paid off big time.

DeCastro is a strong, athletic, nasty road-grader — one of the highest-graded talents at any position in this draft class. He has the potential to be Alan Faneca reincarnate, pancaking opposing defenders in the run game and excelling at stifling interior blitzes in pass protection.

Stanford's offense — a pro-style attack if there ever was one at the collegiate level — incorporated lots and lots of guard movement. This means pulling on counters and screen passes and relying on DeCastro's athleticism to engage linebackers and safeties at the second level. Can you imagine him working in tandem with center Maurkice Pouncey, another athletic big man on the inside? This is going to mean big things for Pittsburgh's attack going forward.

If you need proof of how excited the Steelers war room must have been, look no further than the rapidity with which they turned in their pick after the Detroit Lions at No. 23. That was the single fastest pick I've seen in a decade, hands down.

Make no mistake, Pittsburgh nabbed one of the most talented players in the draft at a position of need. DeCastro starts from day one. I expect him to line up opposite Ramon Foster at whichever guard spot he feels most comfortable, with Doug Legursky being the swing / interior backup.

It's a good day to be a Steelers fan.

Poll

What grade would you give the Steelers' first-round pick?

A

215 votes

B

15 votes

C

2 votes

D

1 votes

F

0 votes

233 votes | Poll has closed

2012 NFL Draft: Cleveland Browns Take Trent Richardson

2012-04-27T00:38:02Z

The Cleveland Browns were clearly worried that a team below them might make a play for Alabama running back Trent Richardson. The team gave up a handful of late-round selections to the Minnesota Vikings as a preventative measure, moving up one spot to ensure that they could get their man.

With the bizarre, underwhelming departure of Peyton Hillis, this move makes sense for the Browns, who have a serious lack of playmakers on their offense. There was speculation that the team could be a player for Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but how can you really evaluate Colt McCoy without surrounding him with adequate talent? Richardson will step in immediately behind a stout offensive line lead by left tackle Joe Thomas and center Alex Mack. Expect him to become the bell cow for Cleveland — he's a three-down player who can do it all and should touch the ball 350-plus times in 2012.

Look for the Browns to address right tackle and wide receiver with another first-round pick (22) and an early second-rounder (36).