Preseason Game 3: Ask a Steelers Fan

I don’t see us cutting anyone worth grabbing though. We have our 3-headed monster in Timmons-Farrior-Foote. Next in line we have Keyaron Fox who has been pretty impressive in preseason, although it is going to be hard for him to find playing time behind those 3. Next I would put Stevenson Sylvester (Sly) a rookie from this years draft who has been impressive. He will most likely make the team after we lost Andre Frazier to the IR a week or so ago.

The only guy being trimmed will be Renauld Williams, some guy who hasn’t played a snap since 2006 and I know little to nothing about. If for some odd reason Sly was cut, I’d be very afraid of him getting snatched up.

I am still up in the air. I think they should start Lefty and give Dixon a series or two here and there. It’s hard to get a good grasp on Lefty because half the time he is getting hurried and sacked because Flozell has been a revolving door in pass protection so far. However, he is the first QB to ever hit Mike Wallace in full stride on a deep ball which was amazing.

The writing on the wall is there for Batch. He will probably be on the roster for the first four weeks and then looking for work (or retiring) after week 4.

has been throwing out some pretty ‘vanilla’ defenses so far this preseason. I think this could be the week that we finally see a few of the zone blitzes come out. I doubt he will run them the whole time the starters are in, but you will see a good bit on 3rd down packages. I have a feeling Harrison is going to have a really good game.

It is pre-season after all. Coach Dad doesn’t like to show his tricksy plays until the games count.

Ben should still be taking snaps then

I think we’re going to have the most solid WR corps we’ve had in the last 30 years. Rookies are REALLY stepping up and showing that they want hats come game time.

Isn’t Joe Gibbs older than Lebeau? No. Dick will never retire. So sorry. :)

This was seen as a big spot of weakness for the team. We lost Tone and Ward is getting old, although age doesn’t affect him as bad as some players, because his game was never based on speed.

Anyway, after the first two preseason games it appears our WR corp might become a strength, or at worst not a weakness. Mike Wallace has looked uncoverable without over the top safety help. I have said I think he might challenge Ward’s single season receiving record if he stays healthy. Randle El is a gamer, he will make 35-40 and be a great target on 3rd down.

Our two rookies, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown have looked tremendous, albeit against 2nd and 3rd stringers. But, they have produced with every opportunity they got. I would keep your eye on these two this weekend, they have played really well with Dixon.

Ike Taylor is a very underrated corner and has been solid for us for many years.

Anyway you look at it, whoever we put at #2 is a step up from William Gay. Right now that spot belongs to Bryant McFadden who we got back from the Cardinals. I think by mid season or earlier he loses it out to a much better player in Keenan Lewis, who is a 2nd year player. Along with him from the 2009 draft is Joe Burnett who has also looked very impressive. Both of those guys bested Calvin Johnson in 1on1 coverage in the end zone against the Lions. William Gay should slide back to the nickle position if he isn’t beaten out by Lewis or Burnett, and then we have some very good depth this year where we were lacking last year.

We also have this new crop of CB’s (Lewis, Butler, Burnett) that look pretty damn solid.

Also, with #43 back, the weaknesses will be shoved to the back burner because he’s just so damn good.

This means he will probably play on Sunday.

All reports on Troy are that the knee is healthy, but I haven’t seen that “wow” factor from him in the preseason yet. I am just assuming this is because of the ‘vanilla’ defenses and limited snaps.

Spindenhall’s back up looks to be Isaac Redman, a local BTSC favorite. Many people were outraged when the undrafted FA did not make the team last year. But, I think poor conditioning and his lack of flexibility for ST did him in. This year he has looked in great shape, runs hard, blitz pick up is top notch, and he blocks very well. You might see a few plays where they run a ‘pony’ back field, with both Redman and Mendenhall in there.

Aaron Smith looks as dominant as ever and will be starting this year.

Pleasant surprise? I would say either Dennis Dixon. Dixon still does not go through his progressions well, but he simply just makes plays. I was expecting him to be good, but two games with above 100 passer rating is crazy.

Ditto to you all, you guys have an awesome fanbase and I enjoy the talks.

but that’s the whole idea of pre-season, isn’t it?

Isaac “Roundhouse” Redman.

Aaron looks back to his old form, and back where he belongs with the 1st string D-line. Smiths’ injury was shoulder, whereas Troys’ was knees.

Stevenson Sylvester. That kid has shown (me, at least) to have a hunger and desire to smash people that I haven’t seen since James Harrison.

At least in the medias eyes. Most people look at us and say Tone gone, Ben suspended. They have no chance, but they forget that we are getting two stars back in Aaron Smith and Troy Polamalu. Also, as I said above our DB depth is a lot better than last year and we won’t have to see Tyrone Carter and William Gay on the field much.

I think the Bengals fall off a little bit, because I think they had a flukey year as they looked mediocre at the end of the year. The Ravens are lucky because they face the Steelers without Ben once and they most likely will see the Jets without Revis. I think the Ravens take the division and the Steelers slide into a WC.

It’s a double standard for franchise QBs vs other players. You let a lot more slide with him than you would another player. Players like him do not come around very often.

The only way they get rid of Ben is if he screws up again, which I honestly believe will never happen.

Old “Neckbeard” Orton not doing it for you?

You trade a prima donna WR who’s pissed dirty twice in a row. You don’t trade a franchise QB who has never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one. You suspend him for acting like a 22 year old frat boy. He’s the “face” of our franchise, so his actions reflect directly upon the Rooneys.

I expect Mendenhall to have about a 1400, 10TD type season with a healthy 4.5 average. All of that is dependent on the O Line though. So far Mendy has been tackled behind the line of scrimmage a few times because of the O Line being porous. I wish he would get a chance to run behind Pouncey.

KR/PR is a competition between Stefan Logan and rookie Antonio Brown. Logan set the Steelers record for kick return yards last year, but he doesn’t offer much outside of that besides a decent ST gunner. Brown took returns last saturday and looked really fluid and fast, but his balance was a bit off. I can see Logan making the team only if the Steelers have a spare spot, which doesn’t look likely with all of the rookies making plays.

The 1st team O Line has looked terrible. Flozell has been terrible in pass protection. Hartwig has looked worse than ever. Essex looks okay but not great. Kemo okay. Starks is about the only guy playing very well.

Mendenhall is iffy in my opinion, if he struggles early Isaac Redman could get carries, and while Mendy is an explosive runner who is prone to getting stuffed and ripping off huge runs, Redman is a grinding back we haven’t had in a while, he could take a lot of carries from Mendenhall if he can gain consistent yards like he has every time he’s played so far. That said Mendy has huge potential and could go off for a sick year. I think Redman will end up taking clock killing duty and more than a few goal line TD’s away from Mendy, if you are thinking fantasy.

Pouncey is starting, so that should improve the line play. I think Pouncey and Kemo might bring our run game back.

Has been amazing. I think he wins the starting job by week 1, because Hartwig has only experience on Pouncey and that is it. Pouncey has an incredible motor, strength, smarts, etc. I have seen him push players out of the way on the line and then run down the field and make another block. If this kid has a flaw, we have not seen it yet.

in 2009 as a junior, became the first player in school history to capture the Rimington Trophy, given annually to the nation’s best center

All-America first-team selection by The NFL Draft Report, Football Writers Association and Walter Camp, adding second-team honors from the Associated Press

led the nation’s interior linemen with a 91.57% grade for blocking consistency, producing 119 key blocks/knockdowns that included 20 touchdown-resulting blocks and seven more blocks downfield…did not allow a quarterback sack or pressure, nor was he penalized on any of the team’s 919 offensive snaps

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Steelers-select-Maurkice-Pouncey-in-first-round/eeec80c9-88fc-4d49-aa70-66b78a2a5d87

This is why he went in the 1st round. We haven’t had a decent center for…10 years. Not since Dermontti Dawson, really. Also, he is the first center taken in the 1st round by the Steelers since the 1937 draft.

Little excited here, they pretty much just handed Pouncey the starting Center job. You’ll get to see him on the first team, man he’s good.

He’s dominating the middle of the line, he switches off assignments so fluidly, man he’s gonna cut out a lot of sacks this year.

We are all wondering how that is going to break down. Leftwich has practically zero mobility and no escapability (is that a word?). If the OL doesn’t get better the Steelers might be out tombstone shopping for Byron.

For some odd reason I caught a good amount of Broncos games last year and I was a fan of McD to open the season. Personally, I didn’t like how he handled the Marshall situation, and I am sure you all will disagree, but to each their own I guess. Back on topic, I thought Orton was solid in short to intermediate routes but lacking as a deep threat. His yards per pass left a lot to be desired IMHO. I haven’t seen him play yet this year though.

Dick LeBeau’s defense is absolutely dependent on a good pass rush, that is why we drafted so many LBs this year and left people wondering why. Woodley and Harrison are easily the best pass rushing duo in the league, but I doubt you will see them in full effect Sunday. As I said above, LeBeau probably won’t bring the house against you all with his blitzes this weekend. Even then I do not think you will have as much success against the Steelers in the air as you did with the other teams. Our secondary is looking very much improved this year. We shall see though.

CB is deeper than it is top heavy for us this year. With Lewis healthy and B-Mac back, we pretty much added two #2 CB’s to our roster. Burnett and Gay whould lock down teh nickel spot pretty effectively and my favorite rookie not named Pouncey Butler is playing himself onto the team with speed size and good instincts. I think he’s a find and he may get on the field in Dime coverage.

We have a lot of speed and size this year at corner, a lot of potential. I think we’ll see a good test this game for both teams. Really looking forward to this game.

Although, I seriously doubt you will see him throwing 100% into Sundays game. He’s taking it easy, getting back up to the speed of his game.

By the way, nice butt you have there, kwool79…

I’m actually outside of Pittsburgh in Maryland. I catch them lousy east coast waves.