Week six is nearly in the books, and the Black and Gold look more black and blue. The scheduling gods finally got one right, and Pittsburgh gets its bye week at the best possible time. After going through a meat grinder against Jacksonville and Baltimore, the Steelers needed this week to heal up, with the running back and D-line positions being hardest hit. Willie Parker looks set to return, which will take some of the load off of Big Ben. He’s partnered up with Najeh Davenport, who made his return last week after first round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall was lost for the season.

 Now, I’d like to go all the way back to August, when Week One was still a full preseason away, and everybody was just so sure that Pittsburgh would be lucky to finish second, if not third, in the AFC North. What a difference two months can make. Let’s start with Cincinnati, who is living up to my father’s favorite nickname for them, the Bungles. Carson Palmer has been ineffective, and that’s being kind. Chad Ocho Cinco Martinez Johnson Rodham-Clinton, or whatever he’s calling himself this week, wants out of Ohio more than Amy Winehouse wants out of rehab. The only thing Cincinnati has going for it is the prospect of a number one overall draft pick in ’09.

Continue reading "The State of the (Steeler) Nation: Week 6"

Well, in retrospect, maybe Rashard Mendenhall wasn't the best choice for the Steelers number one pick. After the horrible performance put on by the offensive line against the New York Giants, do you think that head coach Mike Tomlin is second guessing himself? Should they have spent a portion of their picks on shoring up the only glaring weakness on a Super Bowl caliber teeam?

I beleive the answer to be a resounding yes. Mendenhall may have been a steal, but with nobody to open up lanes for him, how well can he really do? The Steelers' number two pick, Lymas Sweed, while I'm sure he has great potential, will take longer to make an impact than a quality lineman would have. Let's not forget that Sweed was seemingly drafted in response to Ben Roethlisberger's comments about the Steelers' lack of tall receivers. Hines Ward, Heath Miller, and Santonio Holmes all seem to do just fine when Ben has enough protection to do his job, though. At the very least, Dennis Dixon was a stretch, and will probably never start at quarterback in a Steeler uniform. Wide receiver, maybe. But Dixon is yet another draft pick spent seemingly frivolously, when the offensive line has holes big enough for Terrell Owens

Continue reading "Steelers troubles begin with offensive line, but don't end there"