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Leave YOUR Writing on the Wall! Send your predictions, smak, & insults about our upcoming opponent as well as your postgame critiques, analysis, ranting and raving about the last game. Whether your message is a simple "Go Steelers" or detailed, in-depth analysis, tell us what you think and we'll post it below.
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In Good Hands
While only the Steelers know for sure who will be under center Sunday, one thing is certain: we're lot more stable at QB right now than we are at LB, in the secondary and on the O-line.
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Do or Die Time
Yet another must-win game
Article by McMillen & Wife
I'm guessing it's not often that a retired Episcopal Bishop inspires an article about football, but I read a quote a couple of days ago by Gerald Burrill that struck me as particularly applicable to the Steelers:
"The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth."
Bruthas, if that ain't the truth! The Steelers find themselves in a rut so deep right now that all it will take is the Jacksonville Jaguars to start shoveling dirt back down in the hole to bury us. Let's hope our boys can snatch that shovel away from the Jags & hit 'em upside the head with it, because the outcome of Sunday's game will either finish us off or give us new life.
Speaking of depth...
Many fans seem to be worried about the Maddox/Stewart situation, but it's our glaring lack of depth at linebacker and in the secondary that could very well be the difference between observing and participating for the Steelers come January. If these guys fail to step up against the likes of Mark Brunell, Jimmy Smith & Fred Taylor (who's past success against us is well documented), cash in your poker chips & head for the exits. We simply cannot afford to lose this game, folks.
What's the perfect compliment to any Terrible Towel?
McMillen and Wife's very own handmade
Steel City Soap!
(pictured above)
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Thankfully, it looks as though starting ILB James Farrior and safety Mike Logan (dimeback) will be able to go Sunday. Unfortunately, our offensive line is also licking their wounds this week, with two starters out (center Jeff Hartings and right guard Kendall Simmons). Chukky Okobi will again try to fill Hartings shoes (Chukky didn't perform well last week in my view) and Keydrick Vincent (whom I'll admit I know nothing about) will replace Simmons. The performance of our O-line conerns me as much as anything, because if we can't get the running game going and control the clock, we could have major problems.
In a related note, our injuries on the O-line could be the very reason Cowher has decided to go with Stewart over Maddox this week. Stewart's mobility could help negate the advantage Jacksonville would have against a comparatively imobile QB with an inexperienced line. Food for thought. And true or not, Stew is perceived by many to be a better QB on the road than at home. Guess we'll find out soon enough.
The keys to victory...
No secrets here, peeps: Control the clock, don't turn the ball over, and get our defense off the field on 3rd down. We have yet to turn in a satisfactory performance in all three categories this season (and only ocassionally have we managed success in two out of three). This week would be a damn fine time to finally get it done. If I was a greedy man, I'd demand a good performance from our special teams as well, but... hey, we can't expect miracles, can we?
The bottom line: Seems a lot of people out there are picking the Jags to win this one, presumably because the Steelers have a history of playing poorly in Jacksonville. But let's consider the facts: the Jaguars have lost to the Ravens, the Texans, the Giants and the Cowboys during the last 6 weeks (their two wins during that time came against the Skins and the Texans). If we play a clean, relatively mistake-free game offensively (as we did last week vs. Cinci) and force even one turnover on defense, we will win this one (provided we don't give away points on special teams).
Tims's Prediction: Steelers 23, Jaguars 20
Sandy's Prediction: Steelers 23, Jaguars 17
See 'yins after the game, bruthas & sistas!
Tim McMillen
Webmaster, McMillen & Wife
P.S. -- It's worth noting that Bill Cowher stole a page from Tom Coughlin's book this week when he signed former Jaguar center Jeff Smith to back up Chukky. In the past, Coughlin's standard operating procedure has been to sign a former Steeler to his roster before seemingly every Steelers game, presumably to pick their brains. With apologies to Alanis Morissette, isn't it ironic (don'tcha think)?
P.P.S. -- I keep hearing all this talk about how our DBs suck, and while I'll agree none of them are world beaters, they're not entirely to blame.
Our PASH RUSH (or lack thereof) is the bigger problem.
Look at what has changed the MOST from last year. It's not interceptions. It's sacks. They've literally been cut in half. And it's not just that we're not getting sacks. The fact is, we rarely even pressure the QB. It's our puny pass rush that's killing us defensively, not our DBs.
I'll admit I don't like the way Chad Scott, in particular, is playing. He plays WAY too soft, gives up WAY too many big plays, and contributes little in the way of turnovers. But a little pressure from our front seven would help our DBs immensely.
The question is, can we generate any pressure the way teams are scheming us? I dunno. So far, the answer is no. I really think we're gonna have to start taking chances on defense instead of sitting back & letting teams rip us apart underneath the zone. More press coverage, more bump & run, more crowding the line of scrimmage. Something has got to change. This lazy zone defense we're running isn't getting it.
Will we get burned? Maybe. Probably. Definitely. But we may also find we come up with some big plays defensively. Maybe we'll even get a hand on a QB again. Besides, we're getting torched as it is, so why not try to stir things up a bit?
Mac & Wife is Hosted and Sponsored by Pittsburgh's Finest!
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Fan Smak & Analysis
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The following articles are listed in the order they were received (with the most recent entries at the BOTTOM). This isn't a "guestbook" format... I read and manually insert every message, so you may not see your submission show up immediately. Thanks a million for your comments, people!
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Author: Your name here!
Comment: Coming soon!
Leave YOUR Writing on the Wall! Send your postgame critiques, analysis, ranting and raving about the last game as well as your predictions, smak, & insults about our upcoming opponent. Whether your message is a simple "Go Steelers" or detailed, in-depth analysis, tell us what you think and we'll post it here.
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Author: Your name here!
Comment: Coming soon!
Send us your comments!
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