Matt Mosley is Bitter

One more little bit from me regarding the Cowboys game, then all my attention is going to the upcoming game in Baltimore.

I've given ESPN "blogger" Matt Mosley a decent amount of grief. Right after he launched espn.com's first blog, Hashmarks, I tore apart the notion that he was, in fact, starting a blog. And I think I just used up my comma quota in that last sentence.

Whatever your feelings are regarding that little nugget, check out what Mosley had to say about Deshea's game-winning pick-6. Remember that Mosley writes the NFC East blog on the dot com, and was an award winning writer for the DALLAS Morning News.


The Steelers also hated the fact that Witten suggested that his slip led to the game-winning interception. Townsend wanted everyone to know that defensive coordinator Dick LaBeau knew the exact play the Cowboys were going to run when they lined up with trips to the right side. Well, I highly doubt that. That's the type of things players say when they return a touchdown to win the game.


Highly doubt? That's the type of things bitter Cowboys homers say when their team collapses.

And its LeBeau. Get to know his name before you knock his genius.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

I woulda got this to you a little sooner, but T.O. affected my timing with multiple, uncalled, hands-to-the-face infractions.

We won! Gatorade baths for everyone! 20-13 Steelers. But isn't that always the score? Or like, 23-10...or somewhere around there?

I'm a chronic nail-biter, but last game did me no favors in trying to stop my fixation. I have about no nails left. Actually, I think I have negative nails at this point. I owe my fingers some nails. Thanks, Cowboys-Steelers!

At some point, I'm gonna have to stop saying "We let the other team hang around too long...it's going to bite us in the ass at some point." I really do, because these Steelers have a habit of coming through games like this relatively unscathed. Yeah, the Cowboys moved the ball in the 3rd, but that was with the aid of the wind. I tried to keep my composure, knowing that any rally would have to come in the 4th, when WE had the wind. And that's why I'll start my ratings off with...

...Mike Tomlin. Man, I love how this guy constantly employs my Madden strategy, and ALWAYS defers to the Second Half when he wins the coin toss. In a place like Heinz Field, this is critical. Perhaps not so much when we're in Baltimore next week, or Tennessee the week after, but this seemingly unimportant decision looms large when you play a minimum of 8 games next to the Confluence. I can't fault Tomlin for the Cowboys making big defensive plays near the goal line...their team was on a mission (being on the outside of the playoffs will do that to some teams), and Tomlin stayed the course. He played the wind/field position game perfectly, and his playmakers stepped up to the challenge. The Steelers DID miss near the goal line, so I can't give Tomlin a perfect score, so we'll go with 4.5 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Sasso. His game was all-around meh, but Ben understood the urgency of the situation in the 4th, and brought his team back in it like he has many times before. Another near 50% completion game, with one passing TD to go with a lost fumble and 204 passing yards. No interceptions in the wind, so there's that. And that 40+ yarder to Santonio was perfect, even though it was into the wind. Ben didn't lose the game for us, which can't be said about Romo. 3.5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for Ben. That First Half was tough to watch.

D. We got outworked by Dallas on many occasions. Their O clicked in the 3rd (partly due to the wind), and Tashard Choice displayed his talents against the top ranked defense. But the D didn't cave when Dallas was moving, and refused to be completely outplayed by the 'Boys. Silverback looked tired by the end of the game, but still got his usual sack and forced fumble. It's pretty cool when I'm pretty indifferent about 9 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Overall, the unit had 3 sacks to go with 3 picks and 5 total turnovers. Dallas' last play on 4th Down was huge, as they had 289 total team yards, and a conversion would've likely ended the streak of not allowing a 300 yard game this season. Big stop to keep the win and streak alive. They'll mirror Tomlin here, and get 4.5 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Deshea. He gets his own spot today because he quietly does his job with little problem and is always solid on the field. He rung up 3 tackles, but its nice to see a 65 year old vet like Deshea factor into the winning points. Romo served him up an easy pick, and he outraced a hobbled Jason Witten to the end zone. Deshea, you get a perfect 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for the icing on the cake.

Mitch Berger. Negative 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets. I may owe myself some fingernails, but you owe me a bunch of motorcycle helmet ratings.

In Baltimore next week. The Ravens D is looking just as good as ours. Glad we got a 1-game lead going into this.

What's The Deal With Ryan Mundy?

Has anyone noticed the lower leg injury to rookie Ryan Mundy? The question comes from Anon on yesterday's ill-excuse for a post. See, all anonymous commenters are not horribly misguided.

The Trib took it serious, wondering if the injury was worse than originally thought. The Beaver County Times had a concerning little note, saying:


[Mundy] will miss at least the next two preseason games with a lower leg injury. He may even be a candidate for the season-ending injured reserve list.


The Post-Gazette finally chimed in with a blurb, calling the injury a high ankle sprain.

So, is it time to pay attention? I know Charlie Batch and his collarbone take precedence over a rook, but this could hurt our defensive backfield moreso than anyone cares to think. Last week, I was ready to anoint Mundy as Troy's perfect partner in the secondary. I hope this injury doesn't derail that sentiment.

Early reports have Mundy missing a few preseason games, but is that the extent of the injury? The Beaver County Times piece, which mentions season-ending IR as a possibility, had me the most worried. Take a look at our secondary. Troy still has yet to practice, and he did little more than stand around in a jersey at St. Vincent this weekend. Barring any freak accidents, Troy should be back soon, solidifying the Strong Safety position. Free Safety is a crap shoot, with perennial stopgap Ryan Clark poised to start. Backing him up is Anthony Smith and Tyrone Carter. Mundy, in my mind, was the cute pick to come outta nowhere either this season or in the very near future and team up with Troy to create a formidable backfield. Now, Clark, Smith and Carter aren't total scrubs, but there must be concern when your safeties are either injured or career backups.

Am I putting too much thought into this, especially concerning Mundy? I mean, he is a rook...a late-round rook with a history of injuries at that, and the starting job was in no way his. He got bumped...his leg was sore...and he might miss a few games. Or, the cheap shot did more damage than originally thought, Mundy loses out on an injury-filled rookie year and never reaches any of the potential that made the Steelers draft him in the first place (for reference, think of Willie Reid and how his rookie injuries have slowed what was expected to be a decent Steelers career at worst).

So yeah, Mundy's injury has yet to be completely revealed, and we're stuck with a time frame stretching from a few weeks to possibly an entire season. Should we be concerned, or are you confident with a Clark/Smith/Carter/Townsend(?) chorus line at FS?

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

Fantastic.

That game was so fun to watch. We did everything right, everyone looked sharp, Phil Simms wasn't an idiot, etc.

No more sarcasm from me. I promise.

Now, I'm always excited for Steelers games, and never want to see the team lose. However, with the playoffs a week away and many a key starter on the sidelines, it was like watching your old high school jayvee squad get beat by the conference rival. The other team was better, and you took the beating, accepted the loss and moved on.

The Ravens wanted to end their season with a win. They got what they wanted. The Steelers wanted to rest a buncha guys while waiting for the playoff scenarios to shake out. That happened, too. Now, the Ravens winning doesn't mean they are the better team. Today, yes. But the win did come against a team that is playing a meaningful game next week, and had most its stars roaming with the coaches. Next week, the Ravens will be on a beach somewhere...not competing for a potential Super Bowl.

Basically, the Steelers showed up, went through the motions and lost the game. I'm not overly pissed about it, mainly because the only good that could've come from a win would be a bump up in the seeding. And that outcome still hinged on the outcome of the San Diego game.

The best thing that happened in the game...Deshea Townsend forcing a 4th down early in the 1st quarter and giving the Dikembe Mutumbo-finger wag. I guess its only appropriate to do that when you're over the age of 75, as is the case with Deshea/Dikembe. I can't wait til I'm 75. I'm gonna do that all the time.

Charles Hatch. Sorry. That's a pet name that Bob and I gave Charlie. I know the weather wasn't that great, but Charlie struggled to find a vertical passing game. When he wasn't handing off (or getting picked off), he was primarily throwing towards the sidelines. He did find Heath a couple of times, but failed to create first downs. He did heat up late, but the team needs Ben to challenge for the title. Let's just pray we don't need Charles in the playoffs. 3 out of 5 motorcycle helmets.

O-Line. Hey! Ben didn't get sacked this week! 5 of 5 motorc...oh, wait. Whoops.

Najeh. Can we please play the Rams next week? Najeh's best 2 games have been against St. Louis, but he can't bank on meeting them in the second season. Because they suck. In the simplest form, Najeh failed to remove any postseason doubts. Without Fast Bill, the team is going to need Ben...in a big way. And Najeh is going to need to go for more than 50 yards rushing. 2.9 out of 5 motorcycle helmets for the Dump Truck. I don't feel comfortable giving him a 3.

San Antonio. With no Fast Willie, San Antonio might be just as important as Ben Roethlisberger come playoff time. He's a stud, and he'll stretch the field. We could sure use San Antonio's deep threat to set up Najeh for some big time holes with less guys in the box. 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for Holmes.

D. I'm hoping Dick LeBeau/Mike Tomlin told the D to take it easy this week, because that was disgusting. I know there were a bunch of backups playing, but there were enough starters to at least make the game competitive. The game was not competitive...until it was too late. The D looked awful. 2 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Forgive me for being so blasé this week. I know we lost, but I'd rather lose a meaningless game than a key starter due to injury. Our banged-up guys got a chance to rest, while backups saw actual, live-action snaps. It just felt like preseason. And I refuse to get all emotional over a preseason-type game.

Oh, and I just remembered, the Steelers are currently on a 4-game postseason win streak. Say something...

The Deshea Townsend Show? I'm In

This could be epic.

The Deshea Townsend Show? Never heard of it.

Apparently, this thing is taped live at dejAVu in the Strip. A quick glance at the website makes me assume that Deshea, although clearly ripping off good buddies Hines Ward and Jerome Bettis, has yet to tape a show. Tons of stuff seems to be works in progress.

Deshea has already proved a lot of people wrong this season by holding Bryant McFadden from taking his job all while showing that he isn't too small or old to play decent coverage. Maybe the show will prove us all wrong, too.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

1 and 0, baby! All around, that was a fantastic way to start the regular season. I actually felt weird during the game, because I couldn't find many faults to criticize in this, the regular season premiere of MMCNY. Honestly, any/all criticisms are ridiculously minor this week. If we continue to play like this week in and week out, there should be no excuses/losses.

Tale of the tape: Cleveland Steamer. Underlying theme: Highlight plays = Comfortable wins.

I've never been a fan of the showboat-y types, and would rather see smash mouth football played by humble warriors. However, the highlight plays (interceptions, sacks, fumble recoveries, deep passes, breakaway runs, etc.) are a great way to separate a good team from a dominant team. A team can be comfortable with close games and just doing enough to win, but I want to see my team absolutely destroy the opposition. I don't want to have to worry about the sheer possibility of losing. A Steelers loss means I am in a horrible mood for the entire week (and that will reflect in my writing). Now, this is PSaMP's first go-around for Steelers season, so you (the reader) have yet to experience that. I can assure you, though, that I will not be a happy camper if/when (I'm emphasizing if) the Steelers put up an L. The highlight plays really put this game away.

No, Troy Polamalu didn't intercept Charlie Frye on the Brown's opening possession, but the D stepped up, and the O took over right away in Cleveland territory. Actually, that happened a lot this game. With all the short fields, Big Ben's passing yards were down, but his touchdowns were way up.

So let's look at the highs and lows. Here's a bit of foreshadowing...there aren't many lows when you absolutely dominate your rival (can we still call them that?)

Ben Roethlisberger. Did '06 happen? Large Ben showed everyone why '07 will be more like '05 rather than '06. Finishing 12 for 23 for 161 yards...eh. However, when 1/3 of those completions are touchdowns, then you know something is working. Ben created a healthy blend of downfield passes with underneath check-downs. The check-downs outweighed the bombs, a main reason why he only threw for a buck sixty. That, and he barely played in the fourth quarter. In the first quarter, Ben would've gotten 5 helmets. However, to end the second quarter, Ben missed his last nine straight pass attempts. The receivers were to blame on several of those nine, so Ben gets one helmet per touchdown toss. 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets for Enormous Ben.

San Antonio Holmes. (How many times did Kevin Harlan call him that?) This guy is gonna be a beast. Simple as that. The dude's a weapon, and displayed his sophomore maturity all game. He threw a few keen blocks, had an 11 yard run (I'll forgive the fumble at the end if it isn't repeated) and got wide open for a 40 yard touchdown catch. We haven't had a speed receiver like Santonio since Plax, and the combo uses of Homes and Wilson lets Bruce Arians call 'Twaan-like gimmick plays. Holmes is a component of this offense that can really make the team dynamic. Hold onto the ball, and the you can help the Steelers compete in the rough AFC North. 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets for the beast.

D. Wow. I love when the experts put all their money behind excuses like "The loss of Joey Porter is really going to hurt this D." I don't know of anyone who said that specifically...its more of a general bone that I needed to pick. The D looked ferocious all day. 6 sacks by 6 different players and 5 turnovers...you can't really expect a defense to give (I guess take would be a better word) any more. 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets. That was Super Bowl-winning defense being displayed. A closer look at two players below...

Deshea Townsend and Ryan Clark. Early on, I was impressed by Deshea and Ryan. Both guys have been on the hot seat, with the popular notion around Steelers Nation being that Bryant McFadden and Anthony Smith, respectively, would step into their starting roles. Deshea played some tight coverage, and benefitted from a poorly-thrown Charlie Frye pass attempt. The old cat showed some moves, and was able to return it for 21 yards. Clark, on the other hand, came flying in on Frye's blind side, recording the sack and forcing the ball out of the QB's throwing hand. He added 3 tackles, and put a couple of hits on Kellen Winslow. For keeping the younger guys at bay, Deshea and Ryan each get 4 of 5 motorcycle helmets...or a combined 8 of 10!

Dan Sepulveda. Does anyone want to question the Steelers for drafting a punter to replace Chris "The Unblockable" Gardocki? This Aussie-style punter is showing why he was chosen as the Gardocki replacement by continually pinning the Browns deep. His style is different from the majority of NFL punters, but how often do rookies come in and pin 4 of 6 punts behind the 20? He's getting some massive english on the ball, and its bouncing how he wants it to bounce. I can't do that. Neither can you. Sepulveda gets 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets. Good job, rook.

Oh, and Mason Crosby, PSaMP's pick in AA's Sportsblogger's Mock Draft, kicked the game-winning field goal for the Pack over the Eagles (as well as an earlier 53 yarder). I told yinz that he was gonna be good. Compliments will be accepted at any time.

These are the players/aspects that stood out the most in my mind. Feel free to add your own thoughts and observations (and there's plenty more, I know) from the hellhole that is Cleveland.

The Bungles Are Already Talking

Smack talk. A sure fire sign that football season is about to start.

Recently, Carson "Where's Kimo?" Palmer proclaimed that the Bengals were the team to beat in the AFC North this season. Now, Ocho-Cinco is taking his turn.

"Let (Troy) Polamalu and those boys know I'm not having it this year."

I'm sure Troy knows, Chad.

He then went on to call out several other players in the secondary.

"Tell Ike (Taylor) I love him. Tell Deshea (Townsend) I love him. It's going to be a good year, man. I can't wait. I'm really looking forward to (those games)."

It is wise to know that despite leading the league with 1,369 receiving yards last season, Johnson hasn't caught a touchdown against the Steelers in the past two seasons. The last time Chad caught a touchdown against Pittsburgh was 2004, before Ike Taylor became the starter (and was primarily responsible for covering Ocho-Cinco).

Don't get it twisted, though. I like Chad Johnson. He might be my favorite player on a team that I really can't stand. In this league, there are two extremes. At one end sits the power-mad Roger Goodell with his quest to create a bland NFL with no true characters. The other end houses the Pacman Joneses, who push the envelope just a bit too much. Chad Johnson sits somewhere in the middle, but far enough away from the Goodell end. All his "smack talk" and endzone dances are a way to get people talking about the NFL, in a good way. His near-fights with Joey Porter were perfectly staged to grab your attention. They weren't really going to fight, because they were good friends. It was all to make the NFL fun and interesting.

The end of his interview showed how down-to-earth his comments were.

"It is (a good rivalry). Everyone's really looking forward to the Pittsburgh game and the Baltimore game,'' Johnson said. "Really, Cleveland has been downplayed when it comes to playing those two opponents. We're always sitting at 1-1 with those two. We need to come out on top this year in order to get to where we want to."

Key word - rivalry. Without the Chad Johnsons of the NFL, rivalries aren't all that interesting. Do we really want the grayscale, politically correct-type players blandly discussing next week's opponent and how respected they are? Hell no! We look forward to the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati games because Chad Johnson makes them interesting. I'm all fired up for October 28th, when the Steelers play the Bungles for the first time in 2007. Do I hate Chad Johnson for calling out Troy, Ike and Deshea? Not at all.

However, I can't say the same for the rest of the team. The Palmers and Hoos-your-mamas take the rivalry too serious. Palmer's recent comments and T.J.'s wiping of the shoes with the Terrible Towel don't have that same energy as a Chad Johnson comment. I mean, the guy raced a horse. Is is possible to take him seriously at all?

Plus, if we're talking about Chad Johnson, then it means its football season.

And despite last night's 15-1 drubbing of the Cards, its still better than Pirate season.

Badass Mike Tomlin Uses Pencils, Not Pens

Spring practices are over, which means Mike Tomlin's first offseason camp has wrapped up. Since the drills are over, Tomlin needed to create a preliminary depth chart for his first team. Tomlin did just that, but stressed that the selections are written in pencil, to show that no starter's job is safe.

"No job is secure," Tomlin insisted. "This is not a security business and if they are looking for security, they need to find a new line of work."

Bad. Ass.

If any Steeler wants to see their name written in pen, they need to put forth the effort required, and prove to the new coach that they have what it takes. Tomlin isn't Coach Cowher. He's made that abundantly clear. He's a rookie coach who is trying to turn around a .500 team. But what about the Super Bowl? That's in the past, too. Pittsburgh is no longer the reigning champ, and needs to understand that they can be just as bad as the next team. Or just as good.

Those of us who have been around the Steelers long enough know that several players are sure-fire starters. Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, Jeff Reed and Willie Parker would really have to mess up to be replaced in the starting lineup. For the rest of the team, though, they only need to look at their names written in pencil to see that it can easily be erased.

Here's some of the starters that Tomlin has "penciled" in.

Chukky Okobi at Center. Although the team brought in free agent Sean Mahan, Okobi will open training camp as the first stringer.

Ryan Clark over Anthony Smith at Free Safety. Consensus says that Smith has a good shot at taking Clark's starting spot. PSaMP is a huge Anthony Smith fan. He's a big hitter who can make fans forget that Chris Hope was ever on the team.

Max Starks over Willie Colon at Right Tackle. Starks was the starter last year, but Colon has looked good. Starks is a beast, but needs to work to prove that he deserves to stay in the starting spot.

Deshea Townsend over Bryant McFadden at Right Cornerback. Townsend is getting older, but can still provide veteran leadership to our young CB corps. PSaMP is a McFadden supporter, but still admires the longevity of the undersized Townsend. Plus if the Steelers get rid of Deshea, Hines Ward is gonna have to look for a new roomie at training camp.

Ike Taylor over every other corner at Left Cornerback. Taylor is on Tomlin's good side, after Bill Cowher benched the former starter last year. Taylor needs to show that last year's struggles were a fluke, and he needs to live up to the big contract he signed.

Training camp starts next month, and these "starters" still need to work to have the pencil changed to pen. PSaMP likes Tomlin's message, and it appears that he has the team focused on coming into the season strong after last year's debacles.

He's young. He's a rookie. But Tomlin's showing that he isn't about to take any shit.