Steelers Lab

Yinzers,

Let's all just forget about last week. The Steelers simply did not show up to play. If you read the MSM, it was a damn good game plan to win, but the Steelers simply did not show up. Even with the loss, the Steelers are still tied with the Rat Birds for first in the AFC North. Let's talk more about this week.

The Oakland Raiders are in town this week, but they are absolutely not the same Raiders that beat the Steelers just a year ago. This year's Raiders team is far better than last year's. The Raiders rank 2nd in the league in rushing offense. This is mostly due to Darren McFadden finally living up to his Heizman hype in the NFL. McFadden is getting both tough and fast yards to the total of 757, averaging 5.4 per carry. Do the math and the Raiders get a first down generally every other time McFadden touches the ball. Their pass offense is nothing too spectacular, but it is enough to keep some balance. The Raiders finally got rid of Jamarcus Russel and replaced him with a similar style QB in Jason Campbell. He can make throws when he needs to and is also fairly elusive with his legs. His favorite target is TE Zack Miller, but Darius Heyward-Bey is also coming into his own in the NFL. The Raiders' defense is also ranked 2nd in the NFL against the pass, allowing just under 185 yards per game. Richard Seymour and Kamieron Wimbley are getting to opposing quarterbacks with relative intensity, each with 4.5 sacks. If the Raiders want to beat the Steelers to get to 6-4, they will have to get Ben Roethlisberger on the ground, blitzing the mediocre Steelers line all day and stay stout against Rashard Mendenhall.

The Steelers just need to wake up. This week may be the first week where the MSM is going to say "It may not be a good idea to go deep to Mike Wallace this week." The only reason I say this is because Oakland is so athletic in their defensive secondary. It's not that they have anyone that can go stride-for-stride with Wallace, it's that the double team may actually work for this Raiders' defense. Heinz Ward, coming off a concussion last week, and Antwaan Randel El will be the key players for this week's pass offense. It's tough to go down the field on the Raiders' secondary, so the short, quick-hitter routes will be the safest way to get 5-10 yards per play. The Steelers also have to take advantage of the 24th ranked rush defense they will be facing. So basically, the offensive line needs to show up this week. On defense, the Steelers need to stay balanced. The Raiders run:pass ratio is almost 1:1. They like to pound the ball between the tackles, so the famous Dick Lebeau A-gap blitzes will be the most effective. If the Steelers are to avoid being beaten by the Raiders two years in a row, they have to stay balanced, get their blocks and control field position.

In case you haven't heard, Jeff Reed was cut by the Steelers following Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots. There were many factors involved with this decision: the drunken battles with vending machines and paper towel dispensers; his poor numbers this year including missing at least 3 important field goals; his comments about the "poor turf" and high expectations from fans. Reed is replaced by Shaun Suisham. Will Allen is still out with a concussion, Brett Keisel is still limited in practice from the hamstring, Chris Kemoeatu is limited from the ankle, Troy Polamalu did not practice due to an Achilles, Lawrence Timmons was limited due to the hip and Heinz Ward underwent a full practice in spite of concussion symptoms. The Polamalu injury is news to the MSM and I have no further info on it. Keep checking it out on FSN Pittsburgh or most likely ESPN.

Game time is 1:00pm. Get your hard hats on and get back to work.

Here we go,
B Brog