NFL FanHouse

Plaxico Burress: People Talked About Kordell Stewart Being Gay, I Don't Know If He Is

Michael David Smith — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:56:00 EST

Filed under: NY Giants, Steelers, NFL Media Watch, New York, Pittsburgh

New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress has a new book out in which he addresses the rumors that his former teammate with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kordell Stewart, is gay.

Burress says that while he doesn't personally know or care if Stewart is gay, he does think that the rumors affected Stewart. From Pro Football Talk:

"People were talking about [Kordell] being gay," Burress writes in Chapter 5. "The players heard that, but we never talked about it. I don't know if Kordell is gay or not. It was none of our business. If ever we would have talked about it, it would have made everybody uncomfortable. If some player was gay, I don't think he could come out while he was still playing. It would be real hard. It would mess a team up mentally and it wouldn't be good for that person."

If Burress is right that a player couldn't come out while he was active in the NFL, that's a sad commentary on the NFL. I'd like to think that we're enlightened enough as a society that in most workplaces, coming out to a co-worker wouldn't be a big deal. Burress seems to think NFL locker rooms are among our society's least-enlightened workplaces, and I fear he's right.

Plaxico Burress: People Talked About Kordell Stewart Being Gay, I Don't Know If He Is originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steelers Sale Could Be Done Soon

JJ Cooper — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:38:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

When the Wall Street Journal first reported that an outside investor may buy part of the Steelers, the news seemed discouraging, but not disastrous.

Since then, the news just keeps getting worse.

Now we've learned that instead of there being a likelihood that Dan Rooney would be able to buy back all of his brother's shares, there's the potential that an outside buyer will actually take over a majority share. The Associated Press is reporting that the deal could happen within the next week. While potential new owner Stanley Druckenmiller sounds like a diehard Steelers fan who is willing to let Rooney continue to run the team, that doesn't change the fact that any kind of ownership change is a pretty significant switch.
Druckenmiller has said he would want Dan Rooney to continue to run the team, but the question is how many years does Dan have left as the team's principal decision maker? He'll turn 76 this month, which makes it likely that even if everything goes well, he'll probably give up being the team's chairman sometime in the next five to 10 years. If Druckenmiller is willing to let Rooney's son, Art Rooney II, who is the team's president, run the team after that, then we are likely looking at keeping a Rooney at the top of the Steelers for years to come. But if the loyalty ends with Dan Rooney, we're looking at someone other than a Rooney running the Steelers for the first time since the team was founded in 1933.

If you are looking for a piece of good news from the potential moves, there is this. Druckenmiller ranks as one of the richest men in the U.S. While the Steelers under the Rooneys have always been a rather capital limited team (which explains part of the reason the team stayed away from salary cap shenanigans with large signing bonuses), Druckenmiller would ensure that big bonuses are not a big deal--he's worth $3.5 billion. The Post-Gazette has a feature on the potential new owner. It notes that Druckenmiller is a true Steelers fan who paints his face for games and screams just as loud as anyone else. He seems to have the right approach, and there are no worries about the Steelers moving, but after 75 years of stability, Steelers fans reasonably are worried about any kind of change.

Steelers Sale Could Be Done Soon originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL Owners Won't Approve a Steelers Sale Without Dan Rooney's Blessing

Michael David Smith — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, Pittsburgh

The shocking news yesterday that the Pittsburgh Steelers could be for sale got even more shocking today when multiple media outlets reported that the billionaire financier Stanley Druckenmiller has already been identified as the likely buyer, with a sale possibly being agreed upon as soon as this week.

First, the bad news for Steelers fans: The beloved Steelers chairman Dan Rooney is frequently referred to as the team's owner, but in reality Rooney owns only 16% of the team. His four brothers each also own 16%, and relatives of the late Jack McGinley own 20%. That means that if some billionaire -- Druckenmiller or anyone else -- comes along and can persuade the McGinleys and two of the Rooneys to sell, that billionaire can become a majority owner.

But the good news for Steelers fans is that in reality, it just doesn't work that way. NFL teams can't be sold without the consent of a three-fourths majority of the other NFL owners, and Rooney is held in such high esteem by his fellow owners that there's no way that anyone can get approval for a sale unless Rooney is OK with it.

So the only way a sale of the majority of the franchise can happen is if Druckenmiller agrees to infuse a lot of cash into the franchise, while taking none of the authority from Rooney. Which is why Druckenmiller is already saying he's happy to have Rooney run the franchise "as long as he wants."

Of course, Rooney is more than 20 years older than Druckenmiller, and Druckenmiller must figure he'll get his time eventually. But for now, the only way Druckenmiller will become the majority owner is if he convinces at least 24 NFL owners that he means it when he says he wants Rooney to keep running the club.

NFL Owners Won't Approve a Steelers Sale Without Dan Rooney's Blessing originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rooneys Look Into Selling Steelers; Next Pope May Be Protestant

JJ Cooper — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:04:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

The Steelers are one of the few teams in sports where the owners are actually a bigger deal than the coaches and the players. But if a Wall Street Journal story is true, that might change.

The WSJ says that the Steelers have been secretly shopped around by the Rooneys, largely because some of original owner Art Rooney's grandkids want to see how much money they could make if the team was put on the open market.

We've seen Chuck Noll and Bil Cowher retire, but the thought of anyone but the Rooneys owning the Steelers is worse news than finding out that Terry Bradshaw was retiring and the Steelers' new quarterbacks were Cliff Stoudt and Mark Malone. Some Steelers fans may have been upset at the Rooney's supposed stinginess over the years, but the reality is that the Steelers have had as much stability and success as any team in football over the past 40 years, and the credit for that goes to the ownership.How many teams have two owners in the Hall of Fame? How many teams credit the owner for being the glue that held a Super Bowl team together? Take away the Rooneys, and for all we know the Steelers could turn into the Redskins--a storied franchise owned by a "new-era" owner who spends a lot of money without a lot of wins, while gouging fans for every dollar he can.

Thankfully, Dan Rooney, the oldest of Art Rooney's sons, says that he's trying to buy out his brothers who want to sell to keep the team in the family. Hopefully he'll succeed, because without the Rooneys, a lot of what has made the Steelers special becomes ancient history.

Update: The WSJ story has been updated to say that some of the other Rooney sons are balking at Dan's offer, and may listen to an outside buyer. The news is getting worse for Steelers fans.

H/T: Pro Football Talk

Rooneys Look Into Selling Steelers; Next Pope May Be Protestant originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ben and Steelers Help Paralyzed Kid's Dreams Come True

JJ Cooper — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:02:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

There are a lot of things that ESPN can be rightfully slammed for--Who's Now will live in our nightmares for years to come. But there is one summer series worthy of praise. Not only is the My Wish series good TV, it's also a great experience for the kids who get to fulfill their dreams..

If you're a Steelers fan and you haven't seen the story of paralyzed teenager Akeem Havens' day as a Steeler, it's well worth checking out. After watching him score a touchdown, maybe Willie Parker should be worried.

Big Ben and Steelers Help Paralyzed Kid's Dreams Come True originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stats Say Steelers Should Ditch Fullbacks

JJ Cooper — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

Maybe Bruce Arians is on to something.

As has been noted several times, the Steelers offensive coordinator doesn't like fullbacks. It was one of the reasons that the Steelers drafted tight end Matt Spaeth last year, and it was why Dan Kreider was phased out for Carey Davis--a more versatile fullback who isn't the blocker Kreider is.

But what hasn't really been explained is whether Arians' preference for tight ends is paying off. According to stats compiled by Stats Inc., it is.

Last year, Willie Parker was a better running back when he ran out of two tight end sets, and Ben Roethlisberger was a better passer as well. Whether it's because of Spaeth, or because the two tight end sets gave teams more to worry about, the Steelers were a better team when they left their fullbacks standing on the sideline.

PARKER'S STATS
Form.	ATT	YDS	AVG
1 TE	410	1754	4.28
2 TE	331	1530	4.62
* Stats from 2005-2007

What's most telling is how much more common it was for the Steelers to use one back and two tight end sets last year. Parker had 177 carries out of a one-back formation in 2005 and 2006 combined. But when Whisenhunt left for Arizona, he took the fullback-centered offense with him. Last year, Parker had 184 carries out of a one-back set, and as you can see from the stats, he was very effective out of the one-back formation.

In case you're wondering, that's not something that's true of all tailbacks. Of the other four running backs who had more than 1,300 yards last season, only one, Adrian Peterson, was significantly better running out of a one-back set. LaDainian Tomlinson was better running from the I-formation, while Jamal Lewis and Brian Westbrook showed little difference between the two.

The story is the same for Roethlisberger. He had more attempts last year (78) out of two tight end sets, than he had in either 2005 (when he had 55 attempts) or 2006 (42 attempts). But what's most remarkable is how good Roethlisberger is out of two tight end sets. In the past three seasons, Roethlisberger has 21 touchdowns and only four interceptions when throwing out of two tight end sets. He has 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions when throwing out of one tight end sets.

BIG BEN'S STATS
Form.	A	C	Yards	YPA
1 TE	259	426	3108	7.3
2 TE	115	175	1648	9.4
* Stats from 2005-2007

About the only stat that I could find where Roethlisberger was worse when throwing out of two tight end sets was his sack percentage. He's a little more prone to being sacked (11 percent of attempts compared to 8 percent), but that is more than made up for by his increased productivity when he gets the ball off.

The good news for Steelers fans is that Roethlisberger and Parker's productivity out of two tight end sets last year came with a rookie (Spaeth) who was still learning how to play the position in the NFL. Spaeth's blocking was very suspect early in the year, but did get better as the year went along. If he improves as expected this year, it could make the Steelers offense even more productive in 2008.

All stats in this article are taken from the splits listed on ESPN.com.

Stats Say Steelers Should Ditch Fullbacks originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Long-time Steeler Fullback Heads West

JJ Cooper — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:02:00 EST

Filed under: Rams, Steelers, Pittsburgh

It looks like Dan Kreider's days as a Steeler are officially done.

The writing had been on the wall ever since the Steelers didn't make him a contract offer of any sort when he became an unrestricted free agent. But now the Lancaster New Era is reporting that Kreider is going to sign a contract with the St. Louis Rams, even if his chances of making the Rams roster are pretty remote.

By saying goodbye to Kreider, Pittsburgh appears ready to go into next season with only Carey Davis on the roster as a true fullback. New offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has de-emphasized fullbacks in general, and he seems to prefer guys like Davis--a runner and a blocker, instead of Kreider's pulling guard in a fullback's body approach.

The only other fullback on the Steelers roster heading into training camp is former Florida Gator Billy Latsko. Latsko spent last year on the Panthers practice squad. Barring an injury, he's unlikely to make the active roster, but he seems a sure bet to make the practice squad as a backup plan in case of an injury to Davis.

In the long-run, this move won't make much of a difference, as the Steelers seem more likely to use two tight end sets with Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth instead of a lot of two-back formations--last year, 57 percent of Willie Parker's carries came without a fullback in the game. Expect that number to go up in 2008.

Long-time Steeler Fullback Heads West originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do the Steelers Want Kevin Jones?

JJ Cooper — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:44:00 EST

Filed under: Lions, Steelers, AFC North, Detroit, Pittsburgh

A day after they cut Najeh Davenport because of the team's glut of running backs, the Steelers had a scout at ex-Lions' running back Kevin Jones' workout.

There's something said for being thorough, as the Steelers now have another scouting report on Jones to stick into his file. But beyond that, I can't think of any logical explanation for why the Steelers would bother to show up, when 28 other teams didn't.

Jones would be no better than the team's No. 3 running back (behind Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall) if he signed, and because Mewelde Moore will return punts, Jones would likely not even dress on gamedays. Even if he's struggling to find a job, some team should be able to do better than that.

There are instances where the Steelers have taken unwanted guys and turned them into something--Charlie Batch is a great example. But in Jones' case, it's hard to think of any reason the Steelers would be interested. Hopefully Steelers scouts are even more thorough when it comes to scouting offensive linemen.

Do the Steelers Want Kevin Jones? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Only 4 Teams -- Dolphins, Packers, Steelers, Lions -- Show Interest in Kevin Jones

Michael David Smith — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:15:00 EST

Filed under: Dolphins, Lions, Packers, Steelers, Detroit, Miami, Pittsburgh

Former Detroit Lions running back Kevin Jones, a free agent recovering from a serious knee injury, invited the entire NFL to a workout Saturday. Only four teams showed up.

Among those four teams -- the Lions, Dolphins, Packers and Steelers -- the best option might be for Jones to sign a deal to return to Detroit, assuming the Lions offer him one. In Miami, Green Bay and Pittsburgh he'd have almost no shot of rising any higher than third on the depth chart, and third-string running backs who don't play special teams don't have much job security.

In Detroit he'd at least have a shot at the starting job, although the Lions don't seem particularly interested in bringing him back -- they've even given away his jersey number.

Jones once looked like one of the league's up-and-coming young running backs, rushing for 1,133 yards and 4.7 yards a carry as a rookie. Since then he's never had even 700 yards or four yards a carry. At age 25, there's a chance that he's done.

Only 4 Teams -- Dolphins, Packers, Steelers, Lions -- Show Interest in Kevin Jones originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steelers Dump the Dump Truck

JJ Cooper — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:13:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

The Steelers have decided to drop the Dookie.

Najeh Davenport, the team's second-leading rusher last season, has been released, NFL.com's Adam Schefter is reporting.

Schefter and Pro Football Talk had previously reported that the Steelers were shopping to trade Davenport, but not surprisingly, no team was willing to send even a conditional draft pick to Pittsburgh for a backup tailback. Right now, Ron Dayne, Shaun Alexander, Kevin Jones and Travis Henry are all available as free agents, so it would have made no sense for someone to spend a pick on Davenport--who the Steelers picked up when the Packers waived him two years ago. Nothing Davenport has done in the past two years has really removed him from being that guy who's not that far from being waived at any point. The reality if that running backs, especially backup backs, don't have much job security.

.The reality is that Davenport didn't really fit on the 2008 roster. Willie Parker is the starter, first-round pick Rashard Mendenhall will replace Davenport as the primary backup, Mewelde Moore will be the third-down back, and second-year pro Gary Russell will potentially be the No. 3 back and/or a goal line/short-yardage option. With fullback Carey Davis also able to play as a tailback in a pinch, Pittsburgh didn't really need Davenport, even if he was only going to cost $1 million. And Davenport, the U's most famous closet dumper, didn't help his chances when he was charged in a domestic dispute.

Davenport did have a couple of highlights as a Steeler--he rushed for 123 yards while filling in for the injured Parker during Week 16 last year, and he had a 39-yard touchdown against the 49ers in 2007 and a 48-yard run against the Chiefs in 2006, but Pittsburgh will be in much better shape at running back with Mendenhall now on the roster. And unless Davenport could have made the conversion to fullback, he didn't have much of a role with the team this year

Steelers Dump the Dump Truck originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reid, Baker Battling for One Spot

JJ Cooper — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:06:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

With Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes set as the Steelers starters and Nate Washington and Limas Sweed set as the team's No. 3 and No. 4 receivers, one of the toughest battles during training camp will be for the fifth and likely final wide receiver spot.

A lot of times jobs are said to be wide open, but in reality, there's a clear favorite who has to lose the job. In this case, it's hard to say who's the favorite. The case for Reid is that he's (supposed to be) a quality returner. And his speed and shiftiness makes him potentially useful as a slot receiver who can work underneath and turn little screens into decent gains.

On the downside, Reid has looked overwhelmed by the pro game. A great college punt returner, he's struggled with injuries and fumbles as a pro.

Baker has the size (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) to be a red zone target, and he has a history of getting better as he gets acclimated to a new level of competition. He made significant improvement during his time at Florida, peaking as a senior.

But on the other hand, Baker has less than blazing speed, which leads to concerns about how well he'll get open. And he was cut last year, so Baker clearly has something to prove.

Apparently both of them are playing pretty well this offseason, at least according to Ben Roethlisberger.

"Through the OTA (practices), and it is without pads, I've been really impressed with Willie Reid and Dallas Baker," Roethlisberger said recently, "two guys that really stepped up and opened a lot of eyes."

What determines who makes the team may have little to do with who catches more balls in the preseason. If the Steelers feel comfortable using Holmes as Mewelde Moore's backup at punt returner, then Reid's chances to make the team slip. But if injury fears keep Holmes from returning punts, Reid's chances to make the team jump, largely because there aren't many other decent options at punt returner.

But if he's not returning punts, Reid will have to prove that a guy who was mainly a return specialist in college is capable of being just a receiver. That may be a tall order, especially since he's competing against a guy who is a more natural receiver.

Reid, Baker Battling for One Spot originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terry Bradshaw: I Used Steroids, but 'They Were Not Those Kind of Steroids'

Michael David Smith — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:16:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, NFL Media Watch, Pittsburgh, PEDs

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who said last week that he used steroids when he played for the Steelers, has now clarified his comments. The New York Daily News reports:

"I'm not bodybuilding here," Bradshaw said, laughing about the confusion that stemmed from the interview. "They were not those kind of steroids. They were anti-inflammatories."

This is tricky because in medicine, the word "steroid" just refers to a general class of chemical substances. But in sports, saying "we did steroids," as Bradshaw said last week on Dan Patrick's radio show, is almost always meant to refer to anabolic steroids, which were widely used in the NFL duing Bradshaw's playing days and have since been banned by every major sports league.

Bradshaw would be wise to choose his words more carefully -- especially considering how prevalent "those kind of steroids" were on the 1970s Steelers.

Terry Bradshaw: I Used Steroids, but 'They Were Not Those Kind of Steroids' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terry Bradshaw Says He Used Steroids

Michael David Smith — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:17:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, NFL Media Watch, Pittsburgh, PEDs

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw said in a radio interview with Dan Patrick last week that he used steroids during the 1970s, when he was leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl titles.

Bradshaw indicated that he obtained the steroids with a doctor's prescription, and that his primary motivation in using them was to recover from injuries, not to build muscle.

"We did steroids to get away the aches and the speed of healing," Bradshaw said. "My use of steroids from a doctor was to speed up injury, and thought nothing of it. ... It was to speed up the healing process, that was it. It wasn't to get bigger and stronger and faster."

It's been well established that several players on the great Steelers teams of the 1970s used steroids, but this is, I think, the first time Bradshaw has said he used them.

Via The Big Lead.

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WESTHAMPTON, NY - JUNE 23: NFL wide receiver David Tyree of the New York Giants attends the 4th annual Hamptons Golf Classic at the Hampton Hills Golf and Country Club June 23, 2008 in Westhampton, New York. (Photo by Rick Odell/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers' Dwayne Jarrett catches a pass during the team's football minicamp in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, June 5, 2008. Jarrett pleaded guilty to driving while impaired on Monday June 23, 2008, minutes before he was scheduled to go on trial in Charlotte. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

New Orleans Saints' Charles Grant, a Georgia native, signs a shirt during his youth football clinic Friday, June 20, 2008, in College Park, Ga., during which more than 250 youngsters were coached in drills by 12 NFL football players. (AP Photo/John Amis)

New Orleans Saints' Charles Grant, right, and Minnesota Vikings' Kendrick Allen playfully pit their strength against each other during Grant's youth football clinic Friday, June 20, 2008, in College Park, Ga., in which more than 250 children were coached in drills by 12 NFL players. (AP Photo/John Amis)

New Orleans Saints' Charles Grant, in black, an NFL football player and Georgia native, watches Jay Galloway, 14, run a drill during a football clinic Friday, June 20, 2008, in College Park, Ga. Twelve NFL football players coached more than 250 youngsters in football drills at Grant's camp. (AP Photo/John Amis)

New Orleans Saints' Charles Grant, in black shirt, joined by other NFL football players, rear, gets a sea of responses as he asks a question of attendees during a youth football clinic Friday, June 20, 2008, in College Park, Ga. More than 250 youngsters received coaching from 12 NFL players. (AP Photo/John Amis)

This 2007 season handout provided by the NFL shows Arizona Cardinals football player J.J. Arrington. Arrington was among five people arrested after a fight at a nightclub in Rocky Mount, N.C., early Wednesday June 18, 2008. (AP photo/NFL) ** NO SALES**

NFL quarterback Eli Manning attends the Whitney Art Party and auction at Skylight on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

NFL quarterback Eli Manning and wife Abigal McGrew attend the Whitney Art Party and auction at Skylight on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

NEW YORK - JUNE 16: NFL Hall of Famer Boomer Esiason throws a football at the 7th annual Samsung Four Seasons of Hope gala on June 16, 2008 at Cipriani, Wall Street in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

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Terry Bradshaw Says He Used Steroids originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steelers Gambling On Health

JJ Cooper — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:03:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

For a position with an awful lot of talent, Steelers fans sure are worried about the defensive line. There's a good reason to be worried, as we all saw how things fell apart the minute Aaron Smith went down with a bicep tear late in the season. Despite that, Pittsburgh has made no appreciable moves to fix the team's lack of depth. It re-signed Nick Eason as the team's No. 4 defensive end and didn't draft any defensive linemen.

But the Steelers players sure don't seem that worried, according to a story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

"They have faith in the guys that we have -- the older guys," Smith said. "(We're) very capable."

While Smith may have been the guy who went down last year. I think that Casey Hampton is the player we all need to be worrying more about. Hampton, a four-time Pro Bowler, carries a lot of weight on his 6-foot-1 frame. While he's been very durable, Steelers fans have seen how the end can come quickly for a nose tackle. Joel Steed, Hampton's predecessor, was a Pro Bowler as a 28-year-old. Three years later he was out of the league, as his knees gave out.

This offseason there have been rumblings that Hampton's absence from some of the minicamp workouts is because he's off trying to lose weight. He's listed at 6-foot-1, 325 pounds, but he likely has played the last couple of years at a heavier weight than that. It hasn't led to an appreciable drop-off in his play yet, but it does make it worth starting to plan for his replacement. Thankfully if Hampton does start to slow down, nose tackle is one position where a replacement can go from the draft to the starting lineup in a very short period of time, although you wouldn't know it from what Smith is saying:

"Even if you draft a young guy in this defense, it takes a couple years for him to play anyway," Smith said.

Fortunately it's not really true. Casey Hampton was the Steelers starter at nose tackle as a rookie. Fourth-round pick Aaron Smith was a starter in his second year in the league. It is true that Keisel had to wait until his fifth season to start, but that was because he had Kimo Von Oehlhoffen playing in front of him.

Everything Smith says about the Steelers' defensive line being in good hands is true. But it's all dependent on health. As bad as the offensive line may be, there is no one linemen on it who is irreplacable. On the defensive line, there are three guys who carry that tag. One unfortunate injury and the Steelers season could start circling the drain in October.

Steelers Gambling On Health originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steelers Can Survive Losing Faneca

JJ Cooper — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:11:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

Good news Steelers fans, Pittsburgh's offensive line have been pretty bad last year, but if past history is a guide, losing Alan Faneca won't make a significant difference to the Steelers chances in 2008.

Football Outsiders did a study on ESPN.com looking at what happened the year after a premier lineman left a team. In the case of the the top 21 lineman in recent NFL history (17 Hall of Famers plus four soon-to-be Hall of Famers), FO found that the year after they retired, their team actually averaged winning nearly a game better the year after they lost the lineman.

Now that was a study of linemen at the end of their careers. FO also studied 45 elite linemen who have switched teams since 1997. While the team's losing the lineman lost an average of one more game the next season, they actually showed very similar production as far as points per game, yards per game and adjusted sack rate.

It's not always true--ask Seattle how much they miss Steve Hutchinson, but if the FO study has some validity, maybe the Steelers won't miss Faneca as much as everyone thinks.

Steelers Can Survive Losing Faneca originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Roethlisberger the Steelers' Sack Problem?

JJ Cooper — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:26:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

This post is part of a series of posts that try to figure out who's to blame for the Steelers sack problems. The first story in the series listed how many sacks each lineman was responsible for. Now we're looking at how much of the blame can be put on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Click here for all the posts in the series. To get this data, I went back and rewatched all 53 sacks from the Steelers' 2007 season including the playoff game, logging the type of rush, the time it took for the defender to get to Roethlisberger, who was responsible and any mitigating factors.

If Sean Mahan has gotten the majority of the blame for the Steelers' sack problems from Steelers fans and media members, Ben Roethlisberger hasn't been far behind. The logic is that the Steelers' guarterback holds onto the ball so long that he turns incomplete passes into sacks.

It's hard to argue the point. We all have seen numerous plays where Roethlisberger has slipped out of a blitzing linebacker's grasp, scrambled to the outside and then found Hines Ward or others downfield. But we've also seen plays where he spotted a blitzing cornerback, figured he could break the tackle, and went down on the initial hit. There are plays where Roethlisberger hangs on to the ball, gets hit and taken down when a quarterback who's less of a gambler would have simply thrown the ball into the stands.

SACKS FROM 3-MAN RUSH
<3 seconds	1
3-4 seconds	2
4+ seconds	1
SACKS FROM 4-MAN RUSH
<3 seconds	15
3-4 seconds	9
4+ seconds	7
SACKS FROM 5-MAN RUSH
<3 seconds	8
3-4 seconds	2
4+ seconds	1
SACKS FROM 6-MAN RUSH
<3 seconds	4
3-4 seconds	1
4+ seconds	0
SACKS FROM 7-MAN RUSH
<3 seconds	2
3-4 seconds	0
4+ seconds	0

While it happens, it's not happening as often as you may think. By my count, 30 of the Steelers 53 sacks were recorded on plays where Roethlisberger was initially hit in three seconds or less. From everything I can find, three seconds appears to be the generally accepted amount of the time when the warning bell in the quarterback's head starts to go off. On most plays, the line is expected to give the quarterback three seconds to drop back, set up, check one and maybe two receivers and get the ball out.

While the time to initial hit is not an absolute measure of whether Roethlisberger had time to pick out a receiver, it is a helpful indicator of whether the line did its job. There's no doubt that the 16 sacks that Roethlisberger took in 3.0 seconds or less against straight-up three or four-man rushes are the fault of the offensive line--it's not asking too much for five linemen to block four defensive linemen for three seconds. And it's actually pretty reasonable to expect that Roethlisberger will have four seconds to pick out a receiver against a three-man rush--after all, there are eight men in coverage so there's less open spaces for receivers to find.

As one of the commenters pointed out during the season, there is a difference between having three seconds to throw against a four-man rush and having three seconds to throw against a six-man rush. But the fact that 16 of the Steelers sacks came on plays where Roethlisberger was hit in less than three seconds by a three or four-man rush is a pretty clear sign of some serious offensive line problems. To put it in perspective, the Saints gave up 16 sacks all season.

On the other hand, I counted 19 sacks that could be termed coverage sacks. Not all of those are Roethlisberger's fault , but a large number of those sacks come on plays where someone like Peyton Manning might have thrown the ball away and avoided the sack.

In a most extreme case, there was a play against the Rams recorded a sack 6.3 seconds after the snap. No line can reasonably be asked to hold out a four-man rush for more than six seconds. There were three more sacks that took longer than five seconds to occur, and another five that took longer than four seconds. That's nine sacks where the line can reasonably say that Roethlisberger was asking too much from them.

Two of the Steelers sacks came on screen plays where the defense sniffed out the screen. Those can be blamed on play calling rather than any player--it's the offensive lineman's job to let the rush by, and if the rush gets to Big Ben too quickly while the running back is covered, it's better to take a sack than risk an interception.

I counted a total of 17 sacks that could reasonably be termed coverage sacks. Those include the nine sacks where Roethlisberger held onto the ball too long, several where there simply was no one open, and a couple of plays where an overload block left the line and backs with more blitzers than they could block., In one case Roethlisberger simply stepped out of bounds behind the line.

But here's the bad news for the Steelers offensive line--those 36 other sacks would still rank as a below average line (33 of them happened during the regular season). That would be worse than 16 other NFL teams by itself. And if you allow that even the best quarterback is going to hold on to the ball too long a couple of times a year, and that there will be four or five plays where a bad play call leaves the quarterback helpless and it's hard to envision any way that the Steelers would have given up less than 40 sacks with this line.

And there's one other factor to acknowledge. While Roethlisberger's decision to hang onto the ball may be responsible for some of the sacks, we also know that his size, strength and scrambling ability also keep him out of several sacks a season on plays where the average quarterback would have gone down.

This is a rough approximation, but if you blame 15 of the Steelers' 2007 sacks on Roethlisberger's tendency to hold onto the ball (and that's holding him to a very high standard), but also credit him with five sacks he avoided by breaking out of tackles where the average quarterback would have gone down, you're looking at him costing the team 10 sacks a season. That's a significant number, but the reality is that the Steelers line would give up plenty of sacks whether it was Roethlisberger or Dan Marino under center.

Is Roethlisberger the Steelers' Sack Problem? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A White Interview Well Worth Reading

JJ Cooper — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:56:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

The late Dwight White was not only one of the Steelers greats of the 1970s, but he was also one of the team's best quotes. White was a thoughtful and opinionated man who had plenty of interesting insights into the NFL's greatest dynasty. Over at Steel City Insider, Jim Wexell has posted the complete transcript of his 2004 interview with White that he did for the "Tales Behind the Steel Curtain" book he was working on.

The conventional wisdom is that in the final years of the Steelers dynasty, Chuck Noll and the front office was too unwilling to let go of one-time greats and replace them with youth. The biggest example is that the Steelers cut Dwaine Board, a promising rookie fifth-round pick in 1979, to keep Dwight White as a backup. White retired after the 1980 season, while Board started all 16 games for the 49ers as a rookie and went on to record 45 sacks during a nine-year NFL career.

White didn't see the Steelers problems the same way. As he saw it, one of the problems was that the coaches didn't respect the veterans enough as they tried to make names for themselves.

We had guys and coaches and people in their infinite wisdom talking about 'Well, you know we've got to re-tool the team and these guys are getting old.' And a guy like Franco [Harris] ran for a thousand yards the year before and then they cut him. You need to re-tool there a whole lot, right? My point is some people got too smart for their own good. They figured it's not the players, it's my great coaching. It's my great ability to handle these guys, and that was a bunch of bullshit. You had people who wanted to get head coaching jobs and athletic director jobs and they needed to catch a rising star. Look at the direction so many of some players and some coaches went as a result of just being on that team. They were able to put down things on their resume that enhanced them.

It bothered me period. Even though it was a great period in Pittsburgh Steeler football history, there were some things from a human-resource perspective that probably could've been handled a lot better, from Franco Harris on down.

That's only one aspect of a very interesting interview that's well worth the read. White also gives insights on the chemistry of the 1970s Steelers, the difficulty of winning a fourth Super Bowl and life in Pittsburgh.

A White Interview Well Worth Reading originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvel Forced to Play Waiting Game

JJ Cooper — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:35:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

As the Post-Gazette points out today, Marvel Smith is right where Alan Faneca was at this time last year--a one time Pro Bowl offensive lineman who is heading into the final year of his contract. But as the P-G explains, unlike Faneca, Smith is not carping about his lack of a new deal, but that doesn't mean he's happy about it.

"There are a lot of similarities, I would say," Smith said, again comparing his situation to Faneca's. "Around this time of the year, we were both going through the same situation. It's my last year, really. I'm sure Alan wanted to stay here and finish his career; I'm the same way. I love Pittsburgh. I miss Pittsburgh when I'm not here in the offseason. It took a while to get used to Pittsburgh, coming from California, but now I love it."

Pittsburgh has not talked to Smith's agent about any form of a new deal--not even a lowball offer. Considering that the Steelers have on rookie Tony Hills under contract for 2009 with Smith, Max Starks and Trai Essex in the final years of their deals, that would seem pretty risky. Smith may not be the league's best left tackle, but he is an above-average one, on a line that's filled more and more with below average guys.

But one thing the P-G leaves out is that Smith is coming off of back surgery. It actually makes sense to ensure that the 30-year-old Smith is healthy and fully recovered from the back surgery before offering him a new long-term deal. Letting Smith go to training camp, get banged on a little bit and prove he's OK would be proper due dilligence on the Steelers part. The deadline to get Smith re-upped may be the start of September, but in this case August is the perfect month to work out an extension.

Marvel Forced to Play Waiting Game originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 Has One of America's 10 Best Restrooms

Michael David Smith — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:33:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, Pittsburgh

Much like George Costanza (or Larry Craig), I've always liked finding a good public restroom. So I'm glad to report that one of the NFL players I've always respected most, former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, provides one of the best bathrooms in America in the restaurant he owns.

BestRestroom.com has listed its 10 finalists for America's best restroom, and Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 made the cut. The Pittsburgh Channel reports:

The grille's restrooms feature custom marble tile, plus a one-way mirror above the urinals in the men's room, which lets patrons see out into the bar.

"The lighting is dim, so I guess it's a comfortable atmosphere for your restroom needs," said manager Candy Mann.

The Bettis restaurant has a one- way mirror above the urinals so patrons can monitor the 50 HD TVs in the bar area. It's a restaurant so nice, you won't want to leave.

Via Sports By Brooks.

Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 Has One of America's 10 Best Restrooms originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Foote May Not Start, Should Stick Around

JJ Cooper — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:24:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, Pittsburgh

Ed Bouchette has put 2+2 together to figure out that there's a very good chance that last year's first round pick Lawrence Timmons will beat out Larry Foote for a starting job this year.

That's a good thing. It's hopefully a sign that Timmons will bring the athleticism and big play ability that made him a first-round pick last year. But it's not necessarily bad news for Foote in the long term.

The man who could be most impacted by Timmons development is actually James Farrior. Foote still has two years left on his current deal while Farrior is heading into the final year of his current contract. There's a good chance that Timmons will get a one-year trial at the mack linebacker spot. If he lives up to expectations, he'll slide over to the more demanding buck position next year, replacing Farrior, while Foote will move right on back into the starting lineup. If Timmons falls flat on his face, than Foote will be starting again at some point in 2008, and the Steelers will likely start talking about a contract extension with Farrior.

With no other likely starters at inside linebacker on the roster (unless rookie Mike Humpal develops), Foote looks like a relatively inexpensive insurance policy in the short term, and is likely to continue as a starter in the long term. He's not great, but he's also not very expensive, and the man is consistent. He's started 64 straight games, records between three or four sacks a season and is decent against the run. The fact that Timmons may beat him out is a good sign, but it's a good thing that Foote will still be around.

Foote May Not Start, Should Stick Around originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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