From Week 1, there has been a quarterback problem of sorts. Not only with our beloved Steelers, but over in Kansas City. The controversy? How would journeyman Damon Huard do at the helm of the powerful Kansas City offense in the wake of the vicious hit Trent Green fell victim to at the hands of Robert Geathers? It turns out that hešs not doing too badly. Though hešs currently ranked 25th in the league with his yardage (769), attempts (104), and completions (73 for 70.2%), he does have the second highest QB rating in the league at 107.4, following only the Houston Texanšs David Carr. This is in no doubt due to his 5 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions. He also was able to lead his team to a win over the Arizona Cardinals that had the Chiefs down 17-10 going into the half. But Huard was able to lead his team on three scoring drives in the 4th, resulting in a 13 point turnaround and the win.

This is also in stark contrast to our own starting QB. Ben is almost at the very bottom of the league with a rating of 41.7. He¹s also thrown 7 interceptions and 0 touchdowns. Not something we¹re used to seeing from Ben. The only starting QB with a lower multiple game rating is the Oakland Raiders¹ Andrew Walters. Once again, let me reiterate what I put forth in last week¹s pre-game summary: Ben is still not completely recovered from all of his medical mishaps this year. I know he¹s an athlete with exceptional recovery speed and his body is a finely tuned machine. But he is human and you simply cannot overcome all the adversity he has faced in an extremely short time and expect to just pick up where you left off. Look at his timidity and tentativeness in the pocket. And when he¹s out of the pocket, even though the offensive line is giving him a virtual lifetime to throw the ball, he seems reticent to do so, holding on too long and ending up getting sacked. Last week he moved around a bit more, but his decision making abilities are still off and it ended up resulting in 5 sacks.

By the way -- The QB at the top of the list with a QB rating of 126.5? Season opener Charlie Batch who was able to throw for 3 scores while getting sacked 3 times, before our offensive line truly started to gel. I¹m not saying that we should bench Big Ben; that may actually be counterproductive. I¹m just throwing out some food for thought.

Offense
Once again, Ben needs to move around more. Especially after the way the Chargers defense was able to come after him. Currently the Kansas City defense is 4th in the league, allowing only 254.2 yards per game. Getting yardage against them will be almost as hard as our second half against San Diego last week. However, it will be an uphill battle with Ben and the receivers still not on the same page. Out of the top 30 receivers in the league right now, none of them are Steelers. Watching how many passes are going through the receivers¹ hands or into the outstretched arms of the opponent, it¹s easy to see why.

Fast Willie Parker and the running game are what we need to focus on this week. Willie is 19th in the league in rushing, averaging 3.8 yards per carry. Though Willie was held to only 57 yards against the Chargers, we need him to carry the ball again this week. He needs to be patient and wait for the line to open up holes in the middle for him, like he did on his 15 yard scamper up the middle. When he swept to the outside, he was brought down immediately, as was Najeh Davenport. With our O-line playing as strongly as they have and the ball looking so uncertain in Ben¹s hands lately, this is the way to go. Kansas City¹s defense will be as tough as the Chargers, so going to the outside isn¹t the answer. Willie and Najeh found that out last week.

Believe it or not, the offensive match-up this week will be between the two least penalized offenses in the game this year. The Steelers offense has only been called for 10 penalties - the lowest in the NFL - while the Chiefs have only netted 14. Whichever line can show the most discipline is the one that will win this trench battle.

Defense
I won¹t say that Troy Polamalu was a non-factor last week. He did throw his body around more than he had in the previous two games, making 7 solo tackles. But he also needs a little bit more healing time before the Tasmanian Devil is fully up to speed. Also, as I mentioned last week, Joey Porter needs to be a little more vocal. He started out that way against the Chargers. You could see his warrior face on the sidelines, mouthing off when the offense was showing signs of life in the first half and spurning on his teammates on the field when the defense made some key plays. But he needs to keep elevating his level of performance. It gives the defense an edge and something to sink their teeth into. Of course, they were able to sack young Philip Rivers four times. I look for them to keep up their penetration of the opponent¹s offense.

I also look for our secondary to be more disruptive. I think our corners will be the difference makers this week. They have an opportunity here. Though Damon Huard hasn¹t thrown any interceptions, he¹s due. Though he throws the ball around to multiple receivers, none of them have been shining stars, not even all-pro tight end Tony Gonzalez. Like the Steelers, the Chiefs have no receivers in the top 30 in the league. And their other offensive weapon, Larry Johnson, suffered an injury that, as of this writing, still had him listed as questionable for Sunday. It should also be noted that Johnson is only one step above FWP on the rushing chart, ranked 18th with a 3.7 yard per carry average.

Special Teams
What can I say about this unit? Though Willie Reid didn¹t do anything of distinction last week, he also didn¹t do anything that made the city of Pittsburgh want his head on a platter. That is a step in the right direction for the season. They also need to watch out for Dante Hall. He¹s known as a prolific returner. Our special teams squad needs to keep this guy in our sights so he doesn¹t break one for a touchdown like he has against so many teams.

Borrowing a page from Peter King...
Other Football Thought of the Week
What the heck was Art Shell thinking pulling Andrew Walter from the field? The Raiders season is already a lost cause, but I thought the kid was doing some good things out on the field. He should have been allowed to stay in and finish the game.

Non-Football Thought of the Week
In the past two seasons, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhart Jr. have had some of the worst luck I¹ve seen in my brief NASCAR viewing career. I thought their inclusion in the Chase for the Cup would turn things around for them. As Sunday proved, I guess I was wrong. I hope to see both of these world class drivers back where they belong: at the top of the leader board.

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