Right Off Russell

It’s the rivalry game in Baltimore with those sissies from Pittsburgh making their way to M&T Bank Stadium. To help give us some perspective with those sissies, we contacted a Pittsburgh Steeler’s Blog called Post Game Heroes. Here are the questions we answered for them.

Big Ben will most likely play on Sunday night. Are you terrified at the thought of Dixon running the offense if Ben gets hurt again?
If the Steelers were playing the Raiders or Tampa Bay this week you’d have to think that Ben would be sitting this one out but the Steelers can probably only lose 2 more games this year if they want to make the postseason. Many Steeler fans like the fact that Charlie Batch was very reliable, safe, and experienced…I am not one of those Steeler fans. In my opinion he was always too slow, was a statue in the pocket, and was only a nice backup QB if the offense asked him to pass the ball once every 3 or 4 plays. The Steelers are now a pass-first offense and their starting QB and their backup QBs need to be guys that are capable of tossing the ball around the field and avoiding the rush at times with their legs. Batch can’t do that. Losing him isn’t a big deal. He was the team’s 3rd best QB last year and some (including myself) would argue that Dixon should have passed Batch on the depth chart this year earlier this season.

Dennis Dixon looked very good at times over the past two preseasons. Many Steeler fans wanted to see him get some playing time this year in the Wildcat but that hasn’t happened yet. If he sees time this Sunday night he will be totally overwhelmed by the Ravens defense and the atmosphere in Baltimore but he is incredibly athletic, can make plays with his feet, and would be able to complete the easy/safe throws you’d expect a young guy to be able to make. The running game would obviously have to win the game for Pittsburgh if Dixon ends up playing.

6-4 is not anywhere close where this team wants to be. Injuries have played a part in the record, but what else has been hurting the defending champs?
Injuries have hurt the team in a huge way but perhaps complacency and special teams are the biggest reason for their 6-4 record. They have lost 2 or 3 games in the final seconds and don’t seem to have the killer instinct they did last year. I guess it’s hard to blame them, coming off a Super Bowl win, but there is no excuse for not giving 100% effort or taking opponents lightly. The Steeler have also have given up a return TD in 8 of their last 8 games, which is an NFL record. The 4 or 5 kickoff return TDs they’ve given up this year can be blamed for at least 2 oftheir losses.

Explain why losing Polamalou is so huge for this team
Losing Polamalu changes the entire complexion of the Steelers defense. Without him they don’t blitz as much. The Steelers secondary (as individuals) are not great in pass coverage. If the Steelers are not blitzing then opposing QBs have more time to pick apart the Steelers defense. When Polamalu is in the game, the Steelers blitz more and cover up the secondary by forcing the ball out of the QBs hands before the DBs can get beat in coverage. Polamalu is also great against the run and is the same type of playmaker that Ed Reed is…..when you take a guy like that off the field you’re missing Interceptions, Forced Fumbles, Fumble Recoveries, Sacks, highlight reel plays. It’s just a very different unit.

Are Steeler fans starting to fret that this team won’t even make the playoffs?
Yes, most Steeler fans are thinking that the playoffs are slowly slipping away…but not for the reasons you might think. The record (6-4) is worrisome but the way they are losing games and the way the team looks right now is the bigger issue. Not picking up key 3rd downs, suffering injuries on offense and defense, looking tired and unenergetic on defense, sloppy special teams play, turnovers, etc…they’re just not playing the type of football that Steeler fans are used to. Do solid playoff teams lose to the Chiefs? Do solid playoff teams give up a return TD 8 games in a row? Do solid playoff teams with good defenses give up this many 2nd half leads?

Ravens are passing out 70,000 purple and white towels on Sunday night. Do the Steelers fans get annoyed at stunts like this OR do they take it as a compliment?
Well, imitation is the highest form of flattery I guess but Steeler fans have seen this before. Many teams pass out towels for big Sunday night, Monday night games when the Steelers come to town to sort of drown out the terrible towels that typically overtake other team’s stadiums. In the end, Ravens fans aren’t responsible for what their team’s marketing department decides to give away on gameday so we won’t hold it against you guys. The Redskins tried this last year and it didn’t work out real well, check out the link from Washington Post.