Dan Kreider Supplanted

Wow wow we wow! Its been a rough stretch for the former (that sounds odd) starting fullback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. A week ago, Dan was sitting on the bubble, just wondering if he'd make the team. Less than a week later, he's been demoted in favor of an undrafted free agent, and could even be deactivated for the season opener.

PSaMP's preseason fave, Carey Davis, will occupy the starting fullback position for the season opener against the Browns. To be fair, I wanted Davis to make the team, but I assumed Danny would still be the starting fullback. I assumed wrong.

At this point, I'm wondering if Kreider did something to piss off Bruce Arians. Kreider has been the starter for the past five seasons, and his position was never questioned before Arians took control of the offense. First, Arians puts most of his stock in big, white TEs, then lets Kreider ride the bubble, then yanks him in favor of a guy who hasn't played a down in the NFL. And now he expects Willie Parker to build on last year's success? Even Willie said he wanted Dan blocking for him. This doesn't bode well for Fast Bill.

This is nothing against Davis. I love what he did in the preseason, and I expect great things from him. I just can't see the running game excelling with this lack of consistency. Jerome Bettis was mad when Tim Lester was let go. There must be some consistency between RB and FB for any hope of success. Willie said he's comfortable with Kreider, and that's been taken away. I know Arians said the position will be evaluated week by week, but that just adds to the inconsistency.

I really hope Arians knows what he's doing. He's not the Offensive Coordinator of the Browns anymore.

Browns Choose Opening Day QB For Steelers To Feast On

The Browns ended months of speculation by naming their opening day QB. And its the tool in the above picture.

Charlie Frye, the wanna-be NFLer from the MAC, who won a total of 4 of his 13 starts last season, beat out last year's sentimental favorite, Derek Anderson and possible man-lover, Brady Quinn.

There were rumors that Frye was Romeo Crennel's guy, but the official word was just put out. Now the Steelers know who they will be dominating come September 9th.

When I originally heard the news, I told my Dad that I wanted Quinn to start the regular season (and his career) opener against the nasty Black and Gold, just so he could see how brutal the NFL, let alone the AFC North, will be. Sure, he engineered 4 touchdown drives in his 3 games of play in the preseason, but the Steelers aren't a whole bunch of backups. I said, "Bring on Quinn...I ain't scurred."

Frye has yet to beat the Steelers (please remind me if I'm wrong about that stat), and the pinnacle of his futility came in the Week 11 game last season, when the Browns coughed up all kinds of leads before the Steelers won, 24-20. My Aunt Barb was rushed to the hospital at the start of the game, and I had to drive to Somerset to make sure she was alright. I spent the majority of the game in the waiting room, high-fiving nurses and celebrating the come-from-behind-victory with other patients' concerned families. The win brought a sense of delight to a place (hospitals) that I can't stand.

Will Frye exercise all of his demons, leading the upstart Brownies over the celebrated Steelers? I doubt it. With Carey Davis making the team for sure, the Browns have no chance.

I'm kidding for the most part with the Davis-thing, I was just thrilled to see that he made the final cut. However, the end result will not be different. Whether it would've been Frye, Anderson or Quinn, I really don't see the Browns taking the W in Week 1.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

Three cheers for a special Friday edition of MMCNY!

Hip hip! _________
Hip hip! _________
Hip hip! _________

Thanks for participating, ya jerks.

This is going to be a semi-condensed version of MMCNY, seeing as how the game was awful to watch, the starters barely played and it was the final preseason game.

Tale of the tape: Steelers won, 19-3. Underlying theme: Dan Sepulveda and Jeff Reed are tired.

Oh, and flags were flying like they were going out of style, and both offenses were sluggish to say the least.

With that being said, let's look at some parts of the team that stood out.

Jeff Reed. Shaft (I might just call him that now) connected on all 4 of his FG attempts, and prior to Tyrone Carter's interception return for a touchdown, he provided the only Steeler points of the game. And Carter's int came with a little over a minute left in the game. The Carolina game was a great regular season tune up for Mr. Reed. Special teams are oftentimes overlooked and sometimes under-practiced. Tomlin is stressing special teams, and Jeff came through when needed. Anything less than 4 of 4 would have caused some doubt in my mind about Jeff going into the season opener, but he was perfect, and we couldn't ask for anything more. 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for Shaft.

Mike Lorello. "Who?," you might ask. Lorello is #45, and played primarily special teams and in the 2nd half of games throughout the preseason. However, last night, Lorello came up with the kind of game-changing play that I want to see out of every player. After a Dan Sepulveda punt (and there were a few of those), Lorello came charging after the punt return specialist. He took a crappy angle, and was beat by the much faster returner. Lorello refused to give up, and continued to tail the speedy return man. Once the Panther made a few too many jukes, Lorello caught up from behind, blindsiding the returner and forcing a fumble. Sepulveda (what!?) recovered the dropped ball. I was miffed when Lorello took such a bad angle, but kept watching him as he turned and followed his missed target. His determination paid off, and he finished the play that he was originally supposed to make. And he forced a turnover in the process. 5 of 5 helmets for the spectacular display of will.

Gary Russell/Carey Davis. Both still on the bubble. Russell had a few decent runs, but one or two were called back due to offensive holding. My favorite run of his was when he took the ball, and just crammed it up the middle for 12 yards. There were Panthers and Steelers all around, but he bowled through the masses to get the first down. The final RB/FB spot might be between Russell and PSaMP fave Carey Davis. Davis impressed me by taking a pass in the flats, and refusing to go down after being hit by multiple Panthers. Russell showed a little bit last night, but nothing that clearly distinguished between the two players. 3 of 5 helmets combined for the duo, only because both players are still on the bubble. We will find out this weekend if Russell and/or Davis makes the team.

Tyrone Carter. He's not on the bubble, which is why I was surprised to see him playing so late in the fourth quarter. He'll probably be Polamalu's primary backup, and showed why he will make the team with his interception to seal the game late. In my Second Quarter Observations from last night, I mentioned that Carter was everywhere. He was involved in plenty of tackles early, and played some strong coverage. Carter validated my statement by being in the right spot at the right time with just over a minute left in the game, and he sealed a previously touchdown-free game with a pick-6. carter gets 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets for a game well played.

There wasn't a whole lot to be discouraged about, aside from the slow-developing offense. The starters on both sides of the ball barely played, so most of my concerns fell on the shoulders of backups and likely cuts. The defense did step up this week, and provided plenty of turnovers to please my appetite.

Since it was the final game and we got little to no looks at the starters, I'm refraining from pointing out too many blemishes in this edition. I can assure you, that will not be the case once the regular season gets underway.

I hope you enjoyed the preseason installments of MMCNY. It was a learning experience, but also tons of fun. When the games are for real, be sure to add your own critiques, either in the comments, or emailed directly to psampmail@gmail.com. If they're good enough, they might even make the final cut as MMCNY points of interest. Til then...

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

Quick summary: Keisel nearly pulled a Kimo, Todd Collins dissected the starting D, LaMarr Woodley and Deshea Townsend are on a mission, Carey Davis is a beast and Conner Hughes is making Jeff Reed look over his shoulder (which he probably already does, in order to take Motorola Razor-cameraphone pictures of the top of his fanny). Steelers squeak past the 'Skins, 12-10. Eat it, MattyG.

I needed to get that out, because I would've forgotten it otherwise.

I spent most of the game disgusted, because the combination of Jason Campbell/Todd Collins made the new Steelers D look like a Pop Warner team. Sure, Deshea and LaMarr brought some pressure, and Troy Polamalu looked good, but either the coverage was terrible, or the Redskins are going to convert 3rd downs at a record pace this season.

Despite completion after completion (mostly to Chris Cooley), the defense stepped up when needed, especially evident on Woodley's sack to force a Redskins punt. Todd Collins, however, hit Brandon Lloyd to put The Redskins up, 7-0.

The offense continued the recent cold streak, and used ill-timed Washington mistakes to sustain the most successful drive of the night, a 15 play drive that resulted in a field goal to end the first half.

Charlie Batch and Brian St. Pierre kept the team in the game late, allowing Connor Hughes (who?) to kick 3 fourth quarter field goals to defeat the home team and up the preseason record to 2-1.

Now...let's nitpick.

Ben Roethlisberger. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on the potential captain being critiqued in a good many MMCNYs. This was our first chance to see him play for more than a drive, and I'm still left with a good many questions. Why couldn't the team convert from the 3 yard line at the end of the half? Ben finished 8 for 12 with 87 yards, so on paper, Ben looked decent. When Tomlin felt the team was "out-tempoed," he let Ben go no-huddle, which resulted in the first team's only points. However, it should have been 7 and not only 3, so I'll give Ben 3 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Willie Parker. Not much to say. 4 yards on 4 carries. He says he's healthy. I believe him. 3 of 5 helmets.

Wood and Timmons. Lawrence got his first taste of the NFL. LaMarr got his first sack. We must remember that Timmons is a rookie, and his progress will come. Woodley has just shown a rather quick adjustment to speed of the NFL version of the game. Timmons has a bright future, and its unfair to label him a bust. He will come around and turn some heads. Woodley is already starting to do that. 4 of 5 combined motorcycle helmets for the duo.

Todd Collins. It's gotta be tough to be Mark Brunell, especially when Todd Collins gets the nod when Campell goes down with a knee injury. Then , the journeyman responds by hitting on 10 of his 13 attempts for 74 yards and a score. And this was mostly against the first team defense. Collins gets much respect, and 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Connor Hughes. Won the game. 3 of 3 motorcycle helmets, for obvious reasons.

Carey Davis. He needs to make the team. Didn't get any carries, which still leaves me scratching my head, but did catch 3 balls for 17 yards. The Steelers could use that little 5.7 yards per catch that Davis brought last night. Plus, dude is hittin' some people in the mouth on special teams. If he keeps making standout special teams tackles, Tomlin will recognize and the carries will come. I gotta give him 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets. Some of his greatness is below:

Preseason legend in the making?

Feel free to point out any of your own observations/critiques/personal favorites.

Fast Bill to Debut His '07 Skillz Against Redskins

I'm sorry. I truly am.

I needed to apologize for not being able to post yesterday, which included the absolutely rare omission of a tiny horse of the day. Internet access has been shaky at best for the past several days, and yesterday included no internet. At all. I'm hoping it doesn't kick out while I'm writing this, because at this point, I've prepared myself to expect anything.

But I'm back. And so is Fast Bill. Appropriate timing, #39.

Fast Bill's 10-day absence was felt by a much larger audience than my small sabbatical. However, Parker will make his preseason debut against the Redskins on Saturday night.

"I think I'm ready now," Parker said after going through a full afternoon practice. "I'm 100 percent. It's the other things I need to work on, like the plays. I'm trying to get that back in my memory bank."

Parker wanted to play last week, but was held out for preventative reasons. His acceleration was down, and I don't fault Tomlin for holding him out of an extra game.

With Fast Bill in the lineup, I have to say that the Skins have no chance (take that, MattyG). My buddy is a huge Skins fan, and he went to college with me at St. Vincent. Nothing like a Skins fan (or any other fan, for that matter) at Steelers training camp.

I'm anxious to see what kind of RB depth chart Tomlin uses. Bill will be playing approximately 20 snaps with the first team. Najeh is sure be up there, with Verron Haynes and Kevan Barlow also filtering in. Gary Russell looked strong last week, and Carey Davis proved himself the week before. Will Davis see more playing time this week? Or will Iron Mike reward Russell for his 6.2 yards per average against the Pack?

Good to have you back, Bill. You presence will add another dynamic element to the offense (who needs to rebound after last week).

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

Hooray! Here's a special Sunday evening edition of Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker. Technically, it works, seeing as how the game was yesterday. Also, your hard-working part-time Pittsburgh blogger might not make it around tomorrow. I have my reasons.

We lost. Simple as that. All the positives from last week went down the tubes, so its time to call it even, and start from scratch.

Like an escape tunnel in prison, I started from scratch...

If you know what that is, you rule. It seemed to fit.

I, personally, had an awesome time at the game. Win or lose, Steelers atmosphere is the best. I went with my buddy Bob and his pal Kev. Me and Bob had a great time. Kev would've had a great time as well, but the (hick-ish) family sitting next to him talked at great lengths about everything under the sun. To Kevin. Who they never met before. Many a knowing/hilarious glare was passed through section 521.

I even saw an old college friend who moved to another school. I hadn't seen him in a couple years, but their he was, climbing the ramps of the closed end of the stadium with right with us. For sheer fun, long-lost Craig gets 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets!

The Steelers scored the first 9 points in the game. Sweet. The Pack scored the final 13. Not so sweet. In my usual (still tentative) fashion, I'll pick several of the bright spots, while also acknowledging the warts.

Ben Roethlisberger. He finished 2 for 2. A 100 percent completion rate is nothing to gripe about. However, Ben looked out of rhythm. One of the completions was low, and the much-lauded no-huddle looked shabby. I want Ben to play more, and I know this will happen as the preseason wears on. However, the preseason doesn't last forever, and Ben needs to get more reps. 3 of 5 motorcycle helmets for Ben.

Walter Young. Touchdown, baby. WY's been my guy (here, too.) I've been wanting him to make the team for the past few camps. The dude is 6'4, 220. He shows flashes of brilliance at odd times, then disappears. He averaged 17 yards a catch last season (although I will concede that he only had one catch last season). WY finished with 2 catches for 50 yards and a score. That score covered 41 yards, where WY bounced off a would-be tackler and made his way to the house. 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for the PSaMP fave.

Gary Russell. 6.2 yards per carry average. That's a hardcore number. Unfortunately for fellow PSaMP fave Carey Davis, there was only 60 minutes in the game. Davis did, however make the tackle on the opening kickoff. Here's to versatility, baby. Russell led the team with 9 carries, and seemed to hit the holes he was given. His 9 touches included a 19 yard scamper. Next week, Tomlin could surprise everyone by reversing the Davis/Russell roles. Russell played smart, and didn't waste his opportunity. Since Davis made it into Russell's mention, he gets at least 2 of 5 motorcycle helmets, while Russell pulls in 4 of 5 of his own.

Deee-Fense. The first team looks sick. The offense struggled last night. Everyone knows that. The defense made the game winnable. The sacks aren't where I'd like them to be, but Brett Favrve was under some serious pressure (see above photo. I'd lay mean skidmarks in my gutchies if I saw a Samoan blur like that). Two games in the books, and the first team hasn't allowed a touchdown. First string opposing QBs Brees (6 yards) and Favre (7 yards) have combined for 13 total passing yards. The run defense was not as flattering, but I'll sacrifice the run defense for the current pass defense. For now. 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets for the first team, 3 of 5 overall.

Mason Crosby. Threw ya for a loop. I had to mention Crosby, PSaMP's draft pick in Awful Announcing's Sportsbloggers Mock Draft. The guy kicked a 52 yard field goal into the open end of the Big Ketchup Bottle. Deserving of a quick mention and 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets. He missed out on the fifth helmet by kicking the FG against the Steelers.

Have a good Monday if I don't see you.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

A win is a win. Yeah, its only preseason, but this was our first chance to assess new coach Mike Tomlin and his first team as a head coach.

Final result...20-7 Steelers over Saints.

Overall, I can't really nitpick when the team downright outplays the opposition. There wasn't one time when I thought, "Hmmm, we might be in trouble, here." However, I want to touch on several of the good (and the shaky) aspects of the game.

Mike Tomlin. Its safe to say the guy was under a microscope. Collinsworth and Gumbel were debating how he would open the game. Will he air it out? Will he stay true to the running game? In my assessment, Iron Mike put together the perfect first two plays of the game. He appeased the Steelers Nation by opening the game on the ground. 2 yards...whatever. Then, what better time to call a play-action pass then at the beginning of the first preseason game, when teams are still in training camp and working to not bite on the fake. 55 yards..on a perfect toss by everyone's favorite punching bag from '06, Ben Roethlisberger.

Critics wondered aloud about Tomlin's physical camp and the insane amount of two-a-days. The hard work really showed itself last night, up and down the depth chart. On a scale of one to five, I'll give Mike Tomlin 5 motorcycle helmets for his game plan. I can't fault a guy who won his first career game, whether its the preseason or not.

Ben Roethlisberger. The guy performed. Simply put. 2 for 3 for 73 yards.

I have 2 points of concern regarding Big Ben, however. The first is that he only played one series. Last preseason, Cowher did the exact same thing with Ben. Natalie Gulbis' ex was held out of the bulk of the preseason, albeit for the reason of the motorcycle accident. Cowher claimed he didn't want to overwork his quarterback, and the lack of playing time in the preseason definitely showed itself early in the regular season. Hopefully, Ben plays more than one series in the coming games.

The second point of concern is how well Ben still throws under pressure. His one missed completion was due to a drop by Nate Washington. Nate did that a lot last night. However, that pass was the first time Ben was under pressure in the game. As soon as he let the ball go, he ducked down and to the left. If you watched any of the 2006 season, then you know that this was a major problem, leading to a good many of Ben's league-leading 23 INTs. I'm hoping his little duck from last night is due to the fact that its early rather than an overlap of last year's hesitant apprehension.

Still, Ben did well. I'll give him four of five motorcycle helmets.

LaMarr Woodley. In college, he was a quarterback-hunting DE. How would the rook respond to dropping back into coverage as a LB?

How about a diving play to break up a sure-fire completion, all while forcing 4th down on the Saints' opening possession. I'd say the rook adjusted nicely. Five of five motorcycle helmets.

Backups. Did you see Carey Davis' 56 yard scamper? He looked like a young Bettis all night, lowering his shoulder to initiate contact. On his long run, he cut it outside before taking off and hurdling the last Saints defender.

Brian St. Pierre also looked capable for the first time in his career. 8 of 14 for 129 yards and a touchdown. Much better than Jamie Martin, Jason Fife and Tyler Palko combined. And St. Pierre didn't leave a young receiver out to get clocked like Palko did.

I'd have to say that Davis was the epitome of the Steelers backups all night. Hard-working grit, while completely outplaying the opposition. Four of five motorcycle helmets for the backups. They did allow a touchdown, but played very well for a bunch of guys who most likely won't make the team.

This concludes the first installment of Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker. I might have to change the name to Monday Afternoon Chrysler New Yorker, or even Sometime-Between-The-Last-Game-And-The-Next-One Chrysler New Yorker.