My Hines Ward Blog

The Pittsburgh Steelers started the 2007 season off properly defeating Cleveland 34-7. The Steelers dominated Cleveland in every aspect of this game. The Browns never really had a chance.

Pittsburgh scored early and often against the Browns. Cleveland went 3 and out on their first possession. Cleveland looked as Brownesque as ever on a 4th down punt in which 4 penalties were called against Cleveland on a single play. The Steelers first possession began on Cleveland's 32 yard line. A couple of plays later Big Ben found Hines Ward in the corner of the end zone. Ward made an acrobatic catch to give The Burgh an early 7-0 lead. Cleveland's next possession didn't go any better for them. Deshea Townsend intercepted Charlie Frye and returned the pick 21 yards to the Cleveland 17 yard line. The Steelers had to settle for 3 this time, as Jeff Reed converted on his first field goal of the season to make it 10-0 Steelers.

The Steelers weren't content with 10 first quarter points. The first play after recovering a Jamal Lewis fumble, Big Ben found a Santonio Holmes wide open on a play action pass. Roethlisberger and Holmes connected for a 40-yard score. At the end of the 1st quarter it was 17-0 Steelers.

Both offenses struggled for the majority of the 2nd quarter. Pittsburgh was plagued by dropped pass syndrome. Fortunately Cleveland didn't do any better. Charlie Frye was benched after starting the game 4/10 for 34 yards with 1 int. His replacement Derek Anderson looked equally baffled by the Steelers D. By the 2nd quarter the Steeler Defense had already recorded 6 sacks by 6 different players. At half-time the score was still 17-0 Steelers.

The Steelers got their offense back on track early in the 3rd quarter. After a 23 yard completion to Ward, and a 23 yard Willie Parker Run; Roethlisberger found Matt Spaeth in the end zone to make it 24-0 Steelers. Cleveland was able to gain some momentum on their next possession. After a couple of Kellen Winslow receptions, Anderson found fullback Lawrence Vickers for a 1 yd touchdown pass. Cleveland finally got on the scoreboard making it 24-7 Pittsburgh.

The Steelers retaliated quickly though. Roethlisberger found Ward wide open across the middle of the field for a 22 yard gain. A couple of plays later, Cleveland got embarrassed by Najeh Davenport. Davenport caught a dump pass on 3rd down, and he was wrapped up well before the first-down marker; however Najeh was on a mission breaking 4 tackles en route to another Steeler first down. Roethlisberger then found Heath Miller for a 23 yard touchdown pass making it 31-7 Steelers. Jeff Reed tacked on one more field goal to make it 34-7 Steelers. Game Over.

Roethlisberger finished the game 12 of 23 for 161 yards and 4 touchdown passes. Roethlisberger set a career record with 4 TD passes. Fast Willie rushed for 109 yards on 27 carries. Hines Ward hauled in 3 passes for 51 yards. The Steeler defense smothered the Browns. Neither Frye nor Anderson looked comfortable against Pittsburgh. Brady Quinn looked visibly nervous on the sideline holding a clip board as well. Pittsburgh soundly defeated Cleveland in week 1.

Chris Cullinan writes for the Steeler Maniacs blog at http://www.SteelerManiacs.com Steeler Maniacs is a fansite for die-hard Steeler Fans.

The Pittsburgh Sports Buzz tonight revolves around the happenings in Tennessee. The game got off to an unusual start for the Steelers. Something happened that Steelers fans have not been accustomed to, a kickoff return for a touchdown. Mewelde Moore received the kickoff and Antonion Brown doubled back to receive a handoff. Brown ran around the kick coverage team and burnt past the last line of uh-defense, the kicker, and it was off to the races. We'll even forgive the little showboating, while crossing the goal line. The last Steeler to attempt that was Anthony Smith and he received a severe tongue lashing from Dick Lebeau afterwards. Something tells me Hines Ward might have a word of advice for Mr. Brown. That return turned out to be the only TD for the Steelers, but not the only score.

In the pregame article, "5 things the Steelers must do to beat the Titans", the Steelers succeeded in holding Chris Brown under 100 yards, way under. Early in the game Brown looked as if he would continue his string of 100 yard games, picking up several yards each play. But, the Steeler defense had other ideas. On several occasions during the game Brown was met with force. On one attempt Brown attempted to cut back only to hit the brick wall also known as James Harrison. He was hit hard time after time and the camera caught him a couple times trying to shake free the cobwebs. It would not be a surprise if we find out that he suffered a concussion during the game.

Another key to the game was to keep Vince Young in the pocket. This turned out to be prophetic, for Vince did remain in the pocket most of the day and was unsuccessful in providing any spark for the Titans. The one drive that looked as if it would lead to a score, Troy Polamalu intercepted a Young pass in the end zone. Throw in another Young interception by LaMarr Woodley and some fumbles and Young was replaced early in the 4th quarter in favor of Kerry Collins. Collins made his share of mistakes with a Bryant McFadden interception and a forced fumble but at the end all he did was make the last few minutes interesting, but he was not the difference.

The third key to the game was the Steelers backups must step up. Looks like defense didn't miss a beat with Chris Hoke starting in the middle. Larry Foote stepped in for James Farrior after he was shaken up. Jonathan Scott did not provide the protection of Max Starks, which led to the Steelers relying on the running game and Rashard Mendenhall for much of the second half. This might have annoyed the Steeler faithful, but getting your last quarterback injured would not have been a good idea. The Titans offense wasn't moving the ball against the Steelers defense, so why not run the ball and the clock. Not to mention the Titans were very generous today, and could not resist giving the ball back to the Steelers.

Key number 4 was consistency from Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall did not have that 50 yard run today, but he did have one 20 yarder and he was held to 69 yards on 23 carries. Once again, the defense expected the run with Dennis Dixon at QB. The Titans stacked the line and really 69 yards was not bad under the circumstances. The Steelers barely threw in the second half, preferring to hand off to Mendenhall to eat up the clock.

Key number 5 was the continued development of Dennis Dixon. This went out the door early in the second quarter when Dixon injured a knee on a rollout to the left. Charlie Batch came in to replace him and did a great job of handing off to Rashard.

Jerry Steege
I'm an aspiring writer who is using looking to help people while I continue to improve my writing skills. I've been writing professionally in a business setting for over 10 years and am currently looking to take that to the next level.
If you would like to learn more about the Steelers and what's going on with the Steelers, Pirates, and Pens. Visit the following site: http://pittsburghsportsbuzz.blogspot.com/

The NFL told many of the Pittsburgh Steelers star players that the NFL is not trying to make Hines Ward the subject of fines. The meeting was not common because it's rare that the league has a meeting during the season to discuss fines.

NFL executive vice president Ray Anderson repeatedly told Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, and head coach Mike Tomlin during a closed door meeting that was unannounced that their team is not being pointed out for discipline problems. Every team has discipline problems from time to time.
Now the Steelers can go on like nothing happened.

Ray Anderson and the Steelers now understand the fines the NFL gave to Hines Ward in the past weeks.

During the past two weeks, four Steelers players were fined a total of $50,000. That's including $15,000 in fines to Ward for two plays that weren't penalized on the field. That doesn't make sense to me. If there wasn't a penalty flag thrown for either infraction, then why is the league punishing them with fines? It sounds like they are singling the Steelers out to me. The NFL has given out 139 fines this season. The fines were supposed to improve player safety and conduct and no other reason.

"The meeting gave us a chance to get on the same page and, for lack of a better term, clear the air so this club could move on very confident that our interests are aligned with theirs and vice versa," Anderson said.

Ward said the meeting "gave us a better understanding of why the NFL imposes fines. They told us their side and we explained our side. We have a better understanding and that's all you can ask for. We're on the same page now."

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers QB, was among James Farrior and Ward while the meeting was taking place.

The meeting came about after Ward's fines caused Steelers chairman Dan Rooney to write and Tomlin to call the league office for clarification.

The unfined Polamalu spoke out against the numerous fines being levied this season. He argued the league was taking the physicality out of a game he said was becoming "two-hand touch" and "flag football."

"Given the discussion last week and some of the comments that were made by the players with regard to the genuineness and sincerity of our player safety initiatives, we just felt it made sense to come here and to engage directly with coach Tomlin and the players so we could talk things over and listen to them express their concerns about what we're doing," said Anderson, the league's executive vice president of football operations.

Tomlin felt the meeting was productive, saying, "I think that's the start at laying this thing to bed and moving on and focusing on what we should focus on and that's playing football games."
Anderson emphasized that an on-field penalty isn't required for a player to be fined.

"You've got seven officials at same-time speed, they're not going to catch everything," Anderson said. "We are particularly concerned about player safety violations and we will fine you even though you haven't been flagged."

Ward learned from Anderson that he won't be fined for a hit that broke the jaw of Keith Rivers.

Writer and editor, Freddie Brister, is a former high school football coach of 25 years. His love of the game of football is reflected in his words and memories of growing up in the South and playing football in the back yard with his brother, cousins and neighborhood friends. His biggest thrill is watching former high school players he has coached play at the college level. His favorite pastime is watching NFL football on tv and attending the games in person every chance he gets. Freddie Brister is a huge fan of the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After watching the Steelers take the ball down and score on their opening drive I was sure we were going to win. The Steelers moved the ball into the red zone like a well-oiled machine and they actually scored a touch down and not a wimpy field goal. The only problem after scoring the td was that we had to kick the ball to the Jags and that meant our horrible kick coverage unit would be tasked with stopping Jones-Drew!

The team kicked the ball away and just as I had feared, Jones-Drew ran up the middle like an indy car on a straightaway. Got to give props to Madison who showed some speed when he ran down Jones-Drew at the 1-yard line. How about kicking the ball high enough to give the coverage unit enough time to get down field to be in position to make a tackle? The special teams has been killing us all year long and they killed us early in the playoff game.

By the end of the 1st half the team was down 21-7 and the deficit was the result of 3 Ben Roethlisberger interceptions. In my opinion, all 3 interceptions were bad throws, including the one thrown to the defensive lineman. It looked as though Ben was trying to do too much and he made some bad throws which were easy picks.

At the end of the half the Steeler's had 3 interceptions and 3 punts. The positives were we had an 80 yard scoring drive and our defense had held the Jags to only 118 total yards and they were containing Fred Taylor. Even though we were down by 14 points I felt good about our chances in the 2nd half.

I felt the offense needed to come out in the 2nd half and completely abandon the running game. Davenport was not effective and he obviously is not going to fill the shoes of Willie Parker. Davenport is a short-yardage brut but we can't use him in the role of an every down back. The defense had to keep playing the way they had in the 1st half and if we stopped throwing int's, we had a chance in the game.

During the 2nd half they showed a stat that said Big Ben was either #1 or #2 in the league in 4th quarter come back wins. I was just worried that Ben might have been rattled after throwing 3 awful picks. I was also concerned that our special teams could give up more big plays which would hurt our chances.

The Jags get the ball in the 3rd quarter and Harrison intercepts Garrard's pass at the Jag's 45 yard-line. That was just what the doctor ordered, a Jag's interception. The problem is that after the interception we drive to the 10 yard line where we have to kick a field goal. I'm tired of field goals! When we are on the 10 yard-line we need touch downs, not field goals. Now the score is 21-10 when it could have been 21-14 if we had scored a td.

The Steeler's kick the ball to the Jags who muff the catch at the 18 yard-line. We have the Jags deep in their own territory so now all we have to do is force them to punt and we will get good field position. On 2nd and 7 we sack Garrard for a 5-yard loss but Ike Taylor gets flagged for a bone head face mask penalty! That penalty was a killer. The Jags then drive down and score, making it 28-10.

With a little over 4-minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, the Steeler's start with the ball on their 31 yard-line. Big Ben engineers a solid 10-play 69 yard drive that results in a td pass to Santonio Holmes. The score is now 28-17 and I am feeling better. The Jags get the ball back but we hold them and they punt. Now were playing solid football. The offense is scoring and the defense is shutting down the opponents offense.

Big Ben engineers another solid drive where he throws a td to Heath Miller. The score is now 28-23. Tomlin elects to go for a 2-point conversion which is converted on a Hines Ward catch at the back of the end zone.

The 2-point conversions is negated because of offensive holding. What a waste of a nice 2-point conversion pass play because of a holding penalty. We try the 2-point conversion again and we fail! I thought we should have kicked the field goal after the holding penalty but I'm not the coach.

The Jags get the ball back and on 2nd down Garrard is intercepted again by Ike Taylor. I believe Garrard only threw 3 picks all year and he had thrown 2 in the game. Taylor showed some nice moves and speed as he returned the pick to the Jags 16 yard-line. Now we're in business!

Big Ben drives us down to the 1 yard-line and Davenport come through with a td run. Holy Cow! Now we are winning 29-28. All we have to do is convert a 2-point conversion and we will be up by 3. Ben throws incomplete to Washington and the score remains 29-28. I felt real good because we were up by 1 point and our defense was playing solid. This game was our's!

We kick the ball to the Jags with a little over 6-minutes left in the game and our defense comes through by holding the Jags to 1 first down. The key play here was on 3rd and 7, Garrard is sacked by Woodley as he drops back to pass. Nice defense! The Jags are forced to punt.

This is where I have a problem with the play calling by the Steelers. We get the ball back with just under 4 minutes remaining in the game and all we need is a couple 1st downs and we win. This is a playoff game and if we lose our season is done. We are up by a meager 1 point! A field goal by the Jags wins the game so we must ensure that they do not get the ball back at any more. We have been moving the ball rather well in the 2nd half so it should be no problem to get a couple of first downs or drive down and score again.

On 1st down we run Davenport to the right for 5 yards. On 2nd down we run Davenport to the left for -1 yards. I am ok with running the ball on 1st and 2nd downs because there is less of a chance for a turnover. It's 3rd and 6 and I feel our chances of converting are superb. Ben gets in the shotgun formation and when the ball snaps he runs to the left for 1 yard. Why on earth did we run Big Ben from the shotgun against the Jags defense that stuffs the run? Hines Ward is almost a guarantee to convert the ball for us on 3rd and 6.

The Steelers punt the ball and it goes 40 yards where it is fielded and returned to midfield. Great! 2 1/2 minutes left in the game and the Jags have the ball at midfield. Our defense had been playing good so I thought we had a good chance of stopping the Jags. Garrard killed us on this drive when he ran for 32 yards on 4th and 2. A 32 yard quarterback scramble on 4th and 2 is a punch in the face and I felt it sitting on my couch.

A couple of Jones-Drew runs and it was time for a game winning field goal with 40 seconds left in regulation. J.Scobee kicked a 25-yard field goal to make it 31-29. This sucks! We still have a slight chance because we get the ball back with 29 seconds and anything can happen. The Jags kick the ball to us and Navenport takes it to the 28 yard-line. A couple nice passes and we have a chance at our own game winning field goal.

Ben lines up in the shotgun and when he takes the snap he fumbles the ball when he is sacked. The game end on a sack and fumble! Horrible! I had visions of 2 deep passes and then a Jeff Reed game winning field goal attempt. I would have been ok if we had gotten Reed an attempt to kick the game winner and he had missed.

Author is the webmaster for the Steelers fansite at http://www.SteelerManiacs.com where fans can blog, join discussions, play games, and much more

Last season was a dream one for Bill Cowher, the Pittsburgh Steelers and all the fans in the Steel City. Because in 2005, the Steelers finally did win one for the thumb.

Led by a second year quarterback, the Steelers became the first team to win three playoff games on the road and the first sixth-seeded, wild card team to capture a Super Bowl. It was the fifth Super Bowl championship in team history, placing Pittsburgh in a tie with Dallas and San Francisco.

But that's the recent past. Now a new season is dawning and the question on the minds of football fans everywhere is, can the Steelers repeat in 2006?

Offense: Of course the big concern is with Ben Roethlisberger and how he recovers from a June motorcycle accident that broke his jaw and caused numerous facial injuries.

He won't be available for training camp and he'll probably miss the beginning of the regular season. Will his timing, conditioning and strength be seriously lacking when he's finally ready to go? The answer to that question will determine how well Pittsburgh fares in 2006.

After taking the team to the championship game in 2005, Roethlisberger did one better last year, becoming only the second player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in his second year (the other was Kurt Warner for the Rams in 1999). The key to his success is he plays within offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt's scheme and makes few mistakes. If he can't go to begin the season, veteran Charlie Batch will start.

The running game is solid but 'The Bus' will be missed. Jerome Bettis retired after 13 seasons and will take his 13,662 yards and 94 touchdowns into Canton very soon. His leadership and motivational skills were a big part of Pittsburgh's success. Undrafted free agent Willie Parker shocked everyone last season by winning the job in training camp and rushing for 1,202 yards and four scores. Duce Staley and Verron Haynes are capable backups. Dan Kreider is a blistering blocker at fullback.

Hines Ward (69-975-11) returns after another solid season but Antwaan Randle-El left via free agency and that created a big void for the Steelers to fill. Not only was he a solid number two receiver, but he was deadly on special teams as well. Cedrick Wilson (26-487), Quincy Morgan and top draft pick Santonio Holmes, (if he can stay out of trouble), will battle for the number two slot. No matter who wins the job, Ward better be ready for a lot of double teams this season.

Heath Miller had an excellent rookie year at tight end, grabbing 39 receptions for 459 yards and six touchdowns. He's a real weapon and will only get better with more experience. Jerame Tuman is a capable backup.

The starting line is one of the best in football and returns all five starters for 2006. Center Jeff Hartings and guard Alan Faneca, both All-Pro performers, anchor the offensive line. Guard Kendall Simmons and tackles Marvel Smith and Max Starks make up the rest of the starting unit. Barrett Brooks, Trai Essex and Chris Kemoeatu are solid reserves.

Defense: The real strength of the Pittsburgh Steelers is on the defensive side and that should be the case once again. Nine starters return from a unit that gave up only 16 points per game and finished fourth in the NFL in total defense.

Casey Hampton mans the nose and is a run stuffing disturbance at nose tackle. Aaron Smith is at one defensive end spot, while Travis Kirschke replaces departed Kimo Von Oelhoffen at the other end position. Rookie Orien Harris, Brett Keisel, Chris Hoke and Rodney Bailey will see time as well.

The Steelers have arguably the best linebackers in the NFL and they'll be counted on once again to lead the defense. All-Pro Joey Porter (57 tackles, 11 sacks) and Clark Haggans (61 tackles, nine sacks) are a force on the outside, while James Farrior (121 tackles) and Larry Foote (101 tackles) are just as disruptive on the inside. James Harrison, Clint Kriewaldt and Rian Wallace provide depth.

When you speak of the Pittsburgh secondary one name leaps out. That name is Troy Polamalu. The hard-hitting, long-haired bruiser is very quickly becoming the most dominant safety in the league. He's a Ronnie Lot type with a motor that never quits. Free agent Ryan Clark (57 tackles, three picks) moves into the free safety spot. Mike Logan, Tyrone Carter and rookie Anthony Smith will also see action.

Chris Hope took his 97 tackles and three interceptions to the Tennessee Titans, but the Steelers still have Ike Taylor (84 tackles), Deshea Townsend, Bryant McFadden and Ricardo Colclough at cornerback. Taylor and Townsend are the most likely starters.

Special Teams: The Steelers special teams took a blow with Randle-El leaving, but one area that's strong is the kicking game. Jeff Reed (117 points, 24-29 field goals and 37-37 extra points) and Chris Gardocki (41.8 average) both return. Morgan (25.3) and Colclough (21.5) are the kick returners and Taylor is the likely candidate to step in for Randle-El.

Outlook: It all depends on Ben Roethlisberger's health and recovery time. If he comes back at full strength without any ill effects, the Steelers have all the pieces in place for another Super Bowl run. A solid running game, a powerful offensive line and a great defense are the cornerstones of championship teams and Pittsburgh has all three of those facets in spades. This team is not as good as last years though. Bettis, Randle-El, Von Oelhoffen and Hope are big losses, but the Steelers have the experience, talent and coaching staff to overcome the losses.

Prediction: A healthy Roethlisberger means the Steelers will challenge for the AFC crown and the Super Bowl. Look for them to go deep in the playoffs. Pittsburgh will go 11-5 or 12-4, if and only if, Big Ben can bounce back to form.

Brian Carson is a writer and sports fanatic who, along with a select group of coaches has created the ultimate multimedia guide to coaching youth football at http://www.pigskinplaybooks.com To read more football articles go to http://carcorner.blogspot.com/

It's week 6 in the NFL and the Steelers have a bye. Going into a bye and being 4-1 is fantastic for the Steelers who need the extra time off for Hines Ward and Troy Polomalu to heal up. Were playing great on both sides of the ball right now and getting Ward and Polomalu back will make us that much better.

Let's take a look at the AFC picture at this point in the season. The Steelers are the top dawgs in the north division at 4-1 and they are 2-0 in the conference which is huge. NFL teams have to win there conference games. Baltimore is on our heels at 3-2 and they are 1-2 in the conference. Cleveland is 2-3 and the Bengals are 1-3.

New England is on top of the AFC East at 5-0 and they look tough again this year. I figured the Patriots getting caught cheating would have put a damper on their winning. The Colts are 1st in the AFC South at 5-0 just like the Patriots. I think the Colts look weaker than the Patriots and I look form them to lose a game before the Patriots.

The AFC West is comical with the Raiders on top at 2-2 and all the other teams are tied for 2nd at 2-3. I truly believe that the Patriots, Colts, and Steelers are the only heavy weights in the AFC this year. I know things can change on the fly and a team like Tennessee could emerge as a contender in the next few weeks. As a Steeler fan I don't care about the NFC standings because it does not affect us.

The week 6 game that is huge for the Steelers is the Patriots - Cowboys game on Sunday afternoon. We want the Cowboys (who we despise) to knock off the Pats so we can hang with them in the overall AFC standings. I'm always thinking playoffs and a first round bye at the end of the season. The Cowboys - Pats game should be a wild one and I will be tuning in to watch. Lucky for me, I have the NFL package and I get all the NFL games each week in my home! That way I never miss a Steeler game and I get to watch all the big time match ups like the Cowboys-Pats game on Sunday.

The Steelers have the #1 ranked NFL defense by giving up 9.4 points per game. The Defense is giving up 72 rushing yards per game and 163 passing yards per game. These stats tell me that we have a one damn stingy defense right now and we need to maintain this level from here on out! The stats for the Steelers offense are not as impressive as the defense but they are solid.

We are the 6th ranked offense averaging 26.4 points per game. The stat that astounds me is that we are averaging 167 rushing yards per game! The only team that has more rushing yards per game is the Oakland Raiders at 194 yards per game. We are only averaging 184 passing yards per game but when you run the ball effectively you don't have to throw a lot.

The stats show that the Steelers are playing tough defense and the offense is pounding the ball with an effective running game. Our running game is keeping the opposing teams defenses on the field for extended periods of time and our swarming defense is holding opponents to very few points.

I know it's early in the season my fellow Steeler fans but you have to be jacked up by what we've done so far. It looks as though Mike Tomlin is the real deal and the players are motivated and well coached and the game plans are sound. I still miss seeing Cowher's jaw on the sideline but Tomlin and his winning ways are growing on me.

Pray to the football gods that the Pats get spanked by the Cowboys and the Colts have a lousy bye-week!

#18 - Trent Williams - Oklahoma

When people talk about the Steelers, they will talk about Ben Roethlisberger getting hit too much and the poor running attack. Expect the Steelers to take the best offensive lineman available with their 18th pick of the draft. Roethlisberger's off the field issues have been well documented, so I'll pass over those here.

The team needs to upgrade their o-line. The defense will be fine if Polamalu can come back healthy and play the entire season. The 2009 season showed how important he is to the defense/team. The team resigned Ryan Clark and brought back Antwaan Randle El, who never should have left. Larry Foote also came back and will provide great LB depth to the team. If William Gay resigns with the team, the defense will be set for 2010.

The offense playmakers are set with the WR group and Rashard Mendenhall at RB. A backup RB can easily be plugged in from either what the team already has or off the street. Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, and Mike Wallace are a great WR trio. Ward should still have a year or two left as Wallace grows into the #2 receiver role. Heath Miller provides the big end zone threat, so they are set at all of the skill positions.

The only spot left is offensive line players so the team can get back to 'Steeler Football' of running all the time. They might have trouble going back to that running style because their WRs are so good. This team is better suited for a 50-50 running vs passing attack.

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The Pittsburg Steelers won their 6th Super Bowl title and 2nd in 4 years in 2008 by defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in a heartstopping classic. Ben Roethlisberger rebounded from his poor showing a couple years earlier against Seattle by completing 21-30 passes for 256 yards and the game winning TD to Santonio Holmes with just seconds left. Although the Steelers capped their impressive season by winning the Super Bowl they were an inconsistent bunch all year long in terms of fantasy performance. With pretty much the entire team returning this year will the Steelers offer fantasy owners more week to week options heading into 2009? I examine that now.

As good as the ultimate result was for Roethlisberger and the Steelers last year the QB proved to be a nightmare for owners last year with his inconsistent play. Roethlisberger finished2008 with 3314 passing yards along with 17 TD's and 15 Int's for a rating of 80.2. Not exactly the type of numbers you are looking for out of your number 1 QB. The bottom line is that Pittsburg is, was, and will always be a power running team and quite frankly when Ben is asked to throw a lot he usually gets himself into trouble. Ben is a very good QB just not a good fantasy QB. He possesses great leadership skills and has his statistical moments but do not trust him with your fantasy team because you will be greatly disappointed. Ben actually went in the 3rd round in my draft last summer and the owner who selected him won 2 games all year. Owners seem to be getting the point as Roethlisberger has been going around the 9th-10th rounds in the mock drafts I have been participating in. Treat him as a serviceable number 2 options heading into 2009 but nothing more than that. There are far better options.

When successful the meat and potatoes of the Steeler offense lies with the running game. Last year the team's backfield was hit with numerous injuries leaving Head Coach Mike Tomlin painfully thin at the position. Once again Willie Parker failed to make it through the entire season missing 5 games and finishing the season with 791 yards and 5 TD's. Parker has only played 16 games once in his career and he will turn 29 about halfway through the season. When healthy Parker is definitely a number 1 option at RB but when is he ever healthy? Furthermore, the Steelers will certainly be looking for 2nd year back Rashard Mendenhall to make much more of an impact in his sophomore season after playing in only 4 games as a rookie. The Steelers are extremely high on Mendenhall who is built more in the mode of what a typical Pittsburg back usually looks like. At 5-10 225 Mendenhall is a power runner who will inevitably steal short yardage and goal line carries from Parker who has never really been a TD machine to begin with. With both Parker and Mendenhall both out of commission the Steelers emergency plan actually stepped in and played fairly well. Mewelde Moore rushed for 589 yards and 5 TD's down the stretch run while also chipping in with 320 yards receiving and another score. The ex Minnesota Vikings castoff proved more than capable of holding the fort down while Parker was readying himself for the playoffs. In terms of fantasy potential I like Mendenhall the most out of all the Steelers RB's for the upcoming season. It will be a miracle if Parker stays healthy the entire year and even if he does Mendehall will be the goal line back at the very least. That being said treat Parker as a low end number 3 fantasy RB heading into the season. Mendenhall is far more interesting because if (when) Parker goes down he will have a real opportunity to become a stud due to his talents and the system he plays in. Mendenhall has been going between the 8th-10th rounds in the mock drafts I have been doing and spending a late round selection on him could prove to be a treasure for you as the season goes on. With Mendenhall back in the fold Moore's value goes down dramatically and he has typically not been drafted in these preliminary mock drafts.

Similarly to Roethlisberger the Steelers receiving corps has it's moments but in my estimation provides fantasy owners with nothing more than stop gap/match-up options on a very limited basis. Although showing definite signs of slowing down Hines Ward continues to be the Steelers number 1 option through the air. Ward remains a cagey veteran who is almost as well known for his blocking skills as he is at catching the ball. Ward had a really nice '08 statistically accounting for 82 catches for 1047 yards and 7 TD's. The 1047 yards represents his best yardage total since he went for 1163 in 2003. Ward will continue to be the receiver that Roethlisberger will look for when he is in a pinch or when the Steelers need a clutch catch. After you grab your first 3 receivers Ward is a nice option for you to have on your bench who is worthy of playing time depending upon who Pittsburg is playing. Super Bowl hero Holmes will be the Steelers number 2 option come opening day. Holmes caught 55 balls for 821 yards and 5 TD's in 2008 and with Nate Washington leaving for Tennessee should see more balls thrown his way. Holmes has much more big play ability than Ward does at this stage of their careers and thus Holmes is more valuable in fantasy terms especially if your league awards bonuses for long TD's as mine does. Treat Holmes as a nice number 3 WR or Flex option come draft day this August. The only other Steeler receiver that is worth a look is 2nd year pro Limas Sweed. Sweed had a rather forgettable rookie campaign catching only 6 balls for 64 yards and failed to reach the end zone. Pittsburg has big plans for Sweed and he is the big target the team has been yearning for since the departure of Plaxico Burress. Sweed has some real sleeper potential heading into '09 and is worthy of a late round pick. If he happens to not get drafted in your league be sure to snag him off the waiver wire if you get a chance and let the chips fall where they may. Keep and eye on him. TE Heath Miller is really not a number 1 option and although at times Ben will look for him in the Red Zone he is not really utilized enough to be anything more than a backup used only in emergency purposes.

The Steelers DST is always a solid unit and if you play in a league like mine that rewards DST's with enormous point totals that can greatly assist your chances of winning a championship. I know full well what a good DST can do as I rode the Eagles DST to a title last year. With Troy Polamalu and James Harrison continuing to anchor down the defence treat the Steelers DST as an elite unit and one of the top 3 DST's on the board this summer. Well, that is it for the champs. Next up: The Cincinnati Bengals.

Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider and fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL and fantasy football. Sign up for my free newsletter at: [http://www.gothicfootball.com]

President Bush Met with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, at the White House, while speaking with them he made reference to people drinking some Iron City Beer in the East Room. This was due to the racket that the team was making while waiting on the president to arrive. Chants of " Here we go Steelers, Here we go!" echoed throughout the White House and drew quite a bit of attention.

Considering President Bush states he is a Dallas Cowboys fan, he had to admit the Steelers franchise, was a really great team with loads of history behind them. President Bush received a Steelers jersey with the number 43 on the back, to represent his place in presidential history. He also received a football with all of the team member's signatures on it, to which president bush used to throw a short pass to Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward.

Once all of the fun was over, Bush asked for some tips to give to Vice-President Dick Cheney, from Steelers coach Bill Cowher, about the sideline game face scowl. President Bush made a wonderful speech to the team about teamwork, and how this team had a load of character; this is why the Steelers are standing in the White House on the wonderful Friday afternoon. While many people did not feel the Steelers had a chance this season, they showed great perseverance and dedication to find the formula to win.

Read more exciting sports articles at Suite101 [http://sportscommentary.suite101.com]

The AFC is the elite conference in the NFL and this is going to be the game of the weekend. Even though this is not a matchup between the Colts and Patriots, this is a matchup of two fundamentally sound football teams and represents a football fan's delight.

Both teams are great rushing the football. The Broncos averaged 158.7 yards per game in the regular season and they feature two running backs. The Steelers also feature two running backs and themselves average 138.9 yards per game on the ground. When it comes to total number of rushes per game, these two teams rank #1 and #2 in the league.

Their strong rushing attacks are offset by each other's strong rushing defense. In the regular season, the Broncos allowed 85.2 yards per game on the ground while the Steelers only allowed 86.0 yards per game.

The difference in this game might just turn to their passing offenses. Although the passing statistics of the Denver Broncos are better, there is no doubt that the Steelers have the better offensive attack. With the maturity of Big Ben and the big game ability of Antwaan Randle-El and Hines Ward, the Steelers attack is the best.

As long as the Steelers play smart and do not turn the ball over, and keep Denver from having any big passing plays, they should dominate this game. The home field advantage will probably give the game to Denver in some way, whether its a fumble, an interception, a big passing play, or a big run, Denver squeaks out a win.

If you are looking to start betting on these games, then check out our online sportsbook reviews for safety before depositing money anywhere.

Three games into 2007 the Pittsburgh Steelers remain undefeated. The San Francisco 49ers were the latest team to catch an L at the hands of the Steelers. The Niners kept it close for a half before the Steelers got serious. At halftime the score was 14-6 Pittsburgh. The final score was 37-16.

Allen Rossum earned his paycheck this week. The dangerous return specialist took a kickoff 98 yards early in the first quarter to put The Burgh on the scoreboard. Rossum seems to have filled the void at returner that the Steelers have struggled to find since the departure of Antwaan Randle-El.

Willie Parker rushed for 100 yards for the third time in as many games this season. Parker actually has run for over 100 yards in his last four games dating back to last season. Parker ran for 133 yards on 24 attempts. In case you haven't heard--this guy is REAL fast. His running vision seems to be steadily improving as well. Parker could very well be in the midst of career year this season. Najeh Davenport should not be slept on as a back up either. Najeh ran for 47 yards on only 5 carries. The majority of his yards came on a 39 yard touchdown run late in the 4th quarter.

The Steelers D has looked nearly invincible this season. It has become a generally accepted fact that you cannot run the ball against The Burgh. Niners star running back Frank Gore was held in check rushing for 39 yards on 14 carries. His longest run of the day was for 11 yards. Alex Smith completed only 49% of his throws. Smith threw 1 TD pass and 1 Int. His interception proved to be a costly one, as Brian McFadden returned it 50 yards for a Steeler touchdown. That guy with long hair led the Steelers defense with 8 tackles.

Ben Roethlisberger finished the game 13 of 20 for 160 yards and 1 TD pass. While Big Ben didn't set any passing yardage records on Sunday, he did play a relatively mistake free game. He didn't force any throws and was able to take what the Niners' defense gave him. Heath Miller led the Steelers with 82 yards on 4 catches. Santonio Holmes caught 3 passes for 49 yards. Hines Ward left the game with a knee injury. However Ward was quoted saying that his MRI results revealed no damage. His status against Arizona next week is questionable.

The Tomlin Era couldn't have started off any better. 3 games-3 W's. None of the Steelers games have really been close yet this season. The Steelers offense has looked good, and the defense has looked unbreakable. The Arizona Cardinals are on deck. Good luck Whisenhunt--you're gonna need it.

Chris Cullinan writes for the Steeler Maniacs blog at http://www.SteelerManiacs.com Steeler Maniacs is a fansite for die-hard Steeler Fans.