Ex-Steelers guard Faneca signs with Jets

By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, March 2, 2008



Steelers offensive lineman Alan Faneca blows a kiss to the crowd after his last game with the Steelers, Jan. 5, 2008.

While attending the franchise's 75th anniversary gala in November, All-Pro guard Alan Faneca unofficially came to grips with the 2007 season being his last with the Steelers.

"Rod Woodson said there were guys who didn't get to finish their careers as Steelers, but they'd always bleed black and gold," Faneca said Saturday night. "That resonated with me.

"Ten years is a long time. You'd like to finish it, but it's not always meant to be."

Faneca agreed Saturday night to a free-agent contract with the New York Jets. The deal is worth $40 million over five years, with $21 million guaranteed.

"It was a gut decision," Faneca said. "I just felt like that was the best place for me."

Faneca said the St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals also were vying for his services.

Faneca, 31, came to the Steelers as a first-round draft choice in 1998 (26th overall). He made seven Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro five times during his 10 years with the Steelers, including 2007, when he once again received both designations.



Faneca also was selected as a member of the Steelers' 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in November, one of three current players to be honored (wide receiver Hines Ward and strong safety Troy Polamalu were the others).

Faneca said he will fly to New York late this morning. He has yet to pass his physical or sign his contract with the Jets.

"I'm excited," Faneca said. "It's like a new challenge. I'll be playing with new players in a new environment. I'm going to go get my feet wet and get after it.

"It's very exciting."

Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert could not be reached for comment last night.

Faneca had announced during last spring's minicamp that the 2007 season would be his last with the Steelers after negotiations for a long-term contract extension broke down. Subsequent talks proved unproductive.

Mike Prisuta can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.

Faneca set to move on after 10 seasons

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Those weren't dollar signs Alan Faneca saw yesterday, but a decade's worth of memories. His days with the Steelers have come to an end, and he will sign elsewhere, almost surely accepting another team's offer Friday, the start of another round of free agency in the NFL.

The Steelers could have made him their franchise player and forced him to work for them at least one more year. But they decided they could not pay him the kind of money he will earn as a perennial Pro Bowl guard and did not want to have him as a forced laborer. There has been virtually no contract talks going on because of it.

"No, nothing's happening," Faneca said yesterday from his home in Louisiana. "I've been preparing for this day for a year now; it is what it is."

Faneca, who made the past seven Pro Bowls and turned 31 in December, should receive a whopping contract in a free agent class bereft of top offensive linemen.

Still, he has spent time recently reflecting on his days with the Steelers after they drafted him in the first round from Louisiana State in 1998. He has started at left guard -- and in an emergency, left tackle -- every season since.

He has discarded the bitterness that occurred last spring when he realized the team would not extend his contract at the price he and agent Rick Smith believe he is worth.

"You spend 10 years somewhere and, you know, you go through the things you've been through with the guys there -- 10 years is a long time to make friends inside and outside the organization," Faneca said. "You know, it's 10 years! Ten years is a long time."

Faneca will join a list of Steelers stars who departed as free agents through the years, along with those who were released because team officials felt they no longer fit their salary structure or were injured. They include Rod Woodson, Greg Lloyd, Hardy Nickerson, Chad Brown, Leon Searcy, Carnell Lake, Joey Porter, Plaxico Burress, Levon Kirkland, Kevin Greene, Neil O'Donnell and more.

Faneca was the only guard who made the Steelers' 75th Season Anniversary Team last year.

The Steelers did put the transition tag on offensive tackle Max Starks last week, but that, too, might do little to keep him. Starks, who started two seasons at right tackle before losing that job to Willie Colon at the start of last season, might have resurrected his marketability in free agency by playing well down the stretch, particularly when he filled in for four games at left tackle for injured Marvel Smith.

Kevin Colbert, the club's director of player personnel, said they put the transition tag on Starks because they felt they had a better chance of signing him to a long-term contract. However, if Starks does not come to terms on a contract with the Steelers or sign their one-year, $6,895,000 tender required under the transition tag, he also will become an unrestricted free agent Friday.

Again, with the dearth of good linemen expected to come onto the market, Starks could quickly sign elsewhere for much more money. If he does, the Steelers could opt to match the deal or, if not, receive no compensation in return.

The Steelers have refrained from using the transition tag for most of the past 15 years of free agency because they felt it meant little, something the rest of the league also discovered. Starks is the only NFL player to receive the transition tag this year.

Faneca mentioned how, in 2006, Seattle put the transition tag on guard Steve Hutchinson but were helpless to match an offer Minnesota made because of a so-called "poison pill" inserted into the contract. Teams can make such contract offers in those situations, structuring a contract that would, say, guarantee Starks is the highest-paid offensive lineman on the team for the length of his contract.

"They'd have to hope his offer comes from a -- quote -- honorable team," Faneca said, "and that they not put in a clause that stipulates he can't play at Heinz Field."

The Steelers made a last-ditch effort to sign Faneca to an extension in August in a secret meeting with him. Colbert has said the team talked to Faneca's agent recently about a long-term deal, but there was not much substance to it.

"I think there was a brief conversation about where everything was headed," Faneca said.

Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
First published on February 26, 2008 at 12:00 am

Super Bowl Notebook: Tall receiver flap overblown, Roethlisberger says

Thursday, January 31, 2008
By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



PHOENIX - JANUARY 30: (L-R) Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck of the Seattle Seahawks and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals attend the Pro Bowl news conference prior to Super Bowl XLII at the Phoenix Convention Center on January 30, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

PHOENIX -- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, in town for his first Pro Bowl promotional news conference, said last night he has no problem with Hines Ward and no knowledge of any progress on a new contract for himself.

"I haven't heard anything yet, but I leave that between the Steelers and my agent," Roethlisberger said. "All I can say is what I've said, and that's that I want to stay in Pittsburgh."

Roethlisberger has two years remaining on his current contract, the point at which the Steelers have commonly begun negotiations with starting quarterbacks who figure prominently in their long-term plans.

As for last week's Ward blowup, Roethlisberger said he and the star wideout have talked about Ward's comments, and his own, and laughed about the whole public byplay.

"What I was asked was, 'What else would I like?' " Roethlisberger said. "I don't want to change anything. I like the team we have. Hines just said how he felt about it, but Hines and I are fine. I have no problem with Hines."

Roethlisberger told the Post-Gazette that the club might benefit from having a tall receiver. Ward, who is 6 feet, pointed out that the Steelers won the Super Bowl without one.

In the formal Pro Bowl news conference, Roethlisberger was asked specifically about former Steeler Plaxico Burress in another context.

"Plax was my neighbor, my friend, my teammate," Roethlisberger said. "I hope he does well on Sunday."

Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, seated next to Roethlisberger, then quipped, "Translation: He hates the Patriots."

Roethlisberger laughed, but quickly added his admiration for Patriots superstar Tom Brady.

"Someone asked what superhero I'd like to be and I said Tom Brady," he said.

"He just makes it look so easy. We go out there and try to do it, and it doesn't feel easy."

Super Bowl Notebook: Ward a finalist for another Super honor

Man of Year rewards community service

Tuesday, January 29, 2008
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Hines Ward -- 719 catches in 10 seasons

PHOENIX -- For the second time in three years, Hines Ward can win one of the NFL's highest awards on Super Bowl Sunday.

He earned the game's MVP when his Steelers beat Seattle in Super Bowl XL. This time he's one of four finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award that will be presented here Sunday.

He places the honor as high as the one he took home from Detroit in 2006.

"I've gotten a lot of awards; that would be right up there with my Super Bowl MVP," Ward said.

"No question it means the world to me, to sit there and be mentioned with Walter Payton and win that award, not only to be known for my production on the field but off the field as well."



Walter Payton- Chicago Bears (1975-1987)...rushed for 16,726 yards and 110 touchdowns...1977 NFL MVP...9X Pro Bowl selection...1993 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The winner will be announced before the Super Bowl. The other finalists are Woodland Hills High School graduate and Miami defensive end Jason Taylor, Kansas City guard Brian Waters and Dallas tight end Jason Witten.

The award is named after Payton, the Chicago Bears Pro Football Hall of Fame back who died in 1999. It is the only league award that recognizes a player's community service as well as his performance on the field.

Ward, a four-time Pro Bowler who holds most of the Steelers' career receiving records, established the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation to assist biracial children in South Korea who face discrimination. He donated $1 million of his own money to establish the fund and has raised another $1.5 million. He frequently participates in the NFL's annual Take A Player to School program.

He also co-hosts an annual golf outing to benefit the Caring Foundation, with proceeds benefiting families in western Pennsylvania for healthcare for children and adults.

"I'm all about helping kids, trying to raise money for parents who don't have health insurance," Ward said, "and caring places where kids can go and talk to others who lost a loved one.



Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
Some of the Heinz Field turf kicks up during the Monday night game vs. Miami in November.

"I always want to be known as a great player on and off the field."

Other Steelers who won the award were Jerome Bettis in 2001, Lynn Swann in 1981, Joe Greene in 1979 and Franco Harris in 1976.

Ward blindsided by Big Ben's comments

Former Super Bowl MVP says Brady, Manning haven't requested taller receivers

Friday, January 25, 2008
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
An unhappy Hines Ward leaves the field after the Steelers' loss to the Jaguars Saturday night. (vs. Jaguars 01/05/08)

Hines Ward spends his time these days at home in Atlanta, recovering from postseason surgery on his right knee. A different kind of hurt was delivered by his own quarterback last week.

Ben Roethlisberger called for the Steelers to acquire a tall wide receiver, specifically to help inside the 20 and for a bailout target when he's under pressure. He said he had that with 6-foot-5 Plaxico Burress, but not since after the 2004 season.

"I'm always going to ask for a tall receiver," Roethlisberger said in an interview with the Post-Gazette. "That's just me. Our receivers are unbelievable, but our tallest guy might be Hines. Or Santonio [Holmes]. Hines is going to say he's 6 foot, but he's 5-11."

That stung Ward, the most decorated Steelers receiver in history.

"I don't hear Tom Brady or Peyton Manning asking for that," Ward said yesterday.

"I don't know, whatever he says. I have no idea. To me, it's a rare combination of receivers out there who are good and tall. We won a Super Bowl, we didn't have a tall receiver then. I don't see Tom Brady caring about who's tall or not. He got Randy this year, but he did it before without him.''

Randy Moss, who is 6-4, is Brady's first good, tall receiver in New England, which is trying to win its fourth Super Bowl in the past seven seasons. Moss joined the team this year after a trade and set an NFL record with 23 touchdown receptions.

Reggie Wayne, one of Manning's stable of Indianapolis Colts receivers, led the NFL with 112 receptions and 1,510 yards this season. Like Ward, he is listed at 6 feet. So, too, is Marvin Harrison, who long has been Manning's favorite receiver.

"To me, I have enough problems to worry about than what Ben wants -- I can't give him the contract,'' Ward said, referring to Roethlisberger's wish to have a contract extension as soon as possible. "He wants a tall receiver? Why did we draft Santonio?"

Holmes, who stands 5-11, led the Steelers with eight touchdowns and 942 yards receiving last season, on 52 catches. His 18.1 yards per catch were higher than any of the top 50 receivers in the NFL. Ward led them with 71 receptions despite playing much of the season with a sprained knee and caught seven touchdown passes. Nate Washington, who stands 6-1, was third with 29 catches.

"I don't buy into height,'' said Ward, one of four finalists for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award that will be chosen next week. "Look at my red-zone touchdowns -- I have as many as anyone in the league.''

Since 2002, Ward is tied for second in the league in percentage of touchdowns in the red zone, described by the NFL as inside the 20. Moss is first with 36 percent and Ward, Harrison and Terrell Owens are tied with 33 percent.

That's why Roethlisberger's appeal for a tall receiver to help in the red zone hurt Ward, who holds most Steelers receiving records to go along with his four Pro Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl MVP award.

"In the red zone, it's nice to have a guy like that,'' Roethlisberger said of wanting a taller receiver. "Obviously, we have a guy like Nate who can jump out of this world, he can jump so high. It's nice to have that.

"But to have a big guy who can create mismatches -- the same thing happened when Plax was here. So much presence went to Plax's side just because he's a big, good receiver, that Hines was always open or Antwaan [Randle El]. I just think it would open stuff up for us a lot more."

Said Ward, "I don't buy into the hype you have to be tall.

"You throw the ball up and give somebody a chance to make a play, I'll make as many catches as anyone.



Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Ben Roethlisberger talks about what he would like to see happen in the off-season.

The Steelers do have two tall receivers in 6-5 Heath Miller and 6-7 Matt Spaeth, both tight ends.

"If Ben wants a tall receiver to make him feel comfortable or whatever, maybe the organization will get him one,'' Ward said.

"To me, I like the four guys we have. This is Ben's first year with [coordinator] Bruce Arians, and he had a tremendous year, a Pro Bowl year. I think he's coming into his own. We have weapons, let's gel together a couple more years and let's see what happens.

"If they go and get a tall receiver in the first round, someone's got to lose a job. Now we had all these weapons around us, now what are we going to do?

"I was here with me, Plax and Antwaan; we had three deadly weapons. Did that win us a Super Bowl? No, the year we won the Super Bowl we had me, Antwaan and Cedrick Wilson. If there's a formula for bringing a tall guy in to win, I don't buy that."

He also did not buy Roethlisberger's opinion that because the 6-5 quarterback was throwing down to his smaller receivers, they got "killed" on occasion reaching up for passes. Roethlisberger said he'd like to throw to someone tall who is on his plane.

"A lot of that has to do with technique,'' Ward said. "If he wants to say it's height or whatever or he didn't see me -- I've caught 719 balls. I don't think me being short had anything to do with catching those balls.

"That's his opinion. Even with Plax and Kordell [Stewart], I would be wide open in the red zone, but people get enamored of tall receivers -- 'I have to throw it to him, throw it to him.' Tom Brady looks at coverage. Me, I'd take a guy who will scratch and claw and do anything to get the ball rather than go with height."

Ward had surgery on his right knee Jan. 9 to repair a torn meniscus and said he will be good as new in about four weeks. He said the MCL and PCL in his right knee were torn Sept. 23 against San Francisco, causing him to miss two games. The meniscus was torn at St. Louis Dec. 20. He missed the season finale in Baltimore, then had his most productive playoff game with 135 yards on 10 catches in a loss to Jacksonville.

"I played all year on that one knee," Ward said. "As time went on, the knee got worse because I never let it rest ... That's why I didn't practice on Wednesdays and Thursdays, we were trying to let the PCL heal."

Ward said he talked to coach Mike Tomlin and his trainers about the option of surgery during the season vs. the risk of playing and making the knee worse. He preferred to play.

He said he'd like to play another three or four years and noted that at age 32 come March, he's only one year older than Burress, who turns 31 this year, and Moss; the same age as Torry Holt, and younger than Owens (34), Harrison (35) and Isaac Bruce (35).

"I have three, four good years left, I would like to think,'' Ward said.

"All these other guys are playing 12, 13 years and still going strong. Why can they go strong and 'Hines Ward will be the one to fall off.' I never could fathom that.

"There will always be question marks around me because I'm not the prototypical guy, not flashy. But I've shown you what I can do when they pass the ball."

"I was here with me, Plax and Antwaan; we had three deadly weapons. Did that win us a Super Bowl? No, the year we won the Super Bowl we had me, Antwaan and Cedrick Wilson. If there's a formula for bringing a tall guy in to win, I don't buy that."

Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
First published on January 25, 2008 at 12:00 am

Big Ben on ... Alan Faneca, his contract and his wish list for 2008

Wednesday, January 16, 2008
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's wish list for 2008

Ben Roethlisberger has three desires as he enters the offseason: A tall wide receiver, the return of guard Alan Faneca, and a new contract as soon as possible.

The contract most likely will be worked out, even if it does not occur as quickly as the Steelers quarterback might prefer. The other two are more problematic.

Faneca becomes an unrestricted free agent Feb. 29, and while the Steelers plan to talk to his agent before then, even director of football operations Kevin Colbert noted Monday that "the price most likely has gone up."

Still, Roethlisberger made his pitch to management that they try to keep his All-Pro guard, who has been a linchpin of the offensive line for a decade.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Roethlisberger said yesterday. "That's hard for me, there could be an outlying story, something here or there I don't know about. But they do know how I feel about it. They know how valuable he is."

He also knows that a similar plea he made to keep 6-5 receiver Plaxico Burress when he became an unrestricted free agent three years ago went unheeded.

Now Roethlisberger has made another appeal for the Steelers to acquire another tall wide receiver. His top three receivers are Hines Ward, listed as 6 feet, 5-11 Santonio Holmes and 6-1 Nate Washington.

"I'm always going to ask for a tall receiver," Roethlisberger said. "That's just me. Our receivers are unbelievable, but our tallest guy might be Hines? Or Santonio? Hines is going to say he's 6 foot, but he's 5-11, now."

The Steelers do have tall tight ends in 6-5 Heath Miller and 6-7 Matt Spaeth, but Roethlisberger would like to spot a taller target at wide receiver as well.

"It's nice to have a bailout guy, you know when you're in trouble and you just kind of throw it up. In the red zone its nice to have a guy like that. Obviously, we have a guy like Nate who can jump out of this world. He can jump so high. It's nice to have that.

"But to have a big guy who can create mismatches -- the same thing happened when Plax was here. So much presence went to Plax's side just because he's a big, good receiver, that Hines was always open or Antwaan [Randle El]. I just think it would open stuff up for us a lot more."

Part of it also has to do with the physics of the forward pass when he delivers it.

"I'm 6-5," Roethlisberger noted. "I throw down to a lot of these guys. You see so many times Hines reaching up and I'm getting him killed because he's reaching up for balls and I'm just throwing it on my plane. To have someone on the same plane as me would just make my job ... I wouldn't get Hines killed going across the middle all the time."

Roethlisberger said he has talked to the Steelers about it and that "we'll probably look for some guys in free agency, I would assume, look in there and see what we can find."

He also said that 6-3 Dallas Baker, a seventh-round draft pick from Florida who spent his rookie season on the Steelers' practice squad, might ultimately help in that regard.

"As soon as he gets out of that wide receiver funk of just running routes on a card, he has the potential to be pretty good," Roethlisberger said.

The quarterback has two years left on the contract he signed as a rookie in 2004, and both sides acknowledge that this is the year to extend it. He would prefer that to happen sooner rather than later.

"I'm eager, anxious because I want to get it done with, I want to say let's go, let's get it over with so the talks can stop, people can stop bugging me about it. Because I just want to play football. Let's get it over with, let's get it done so I can get right back into football and not think about it and not have people talking about it all the time."

His agent, Ryan Tollner, wanted to try to extend the deal a year ago, but the Steelers preferred to wait. No talks have yet been scheduled as far as Roethlisberger knows.

"My guys are waiting for that call," Roethlisberger said. "We don't want to push it. We are waiting to hear something from them.

"I don't know what to expect because you hear so many different stories from guys who have been here before and the media."

Might he take a Tom Brady-like stance where he does not demand as much as he might be able to get in order to save salary-cap room so the Steelers can sign others?

"You know what? I'm not even dealing with that right now," Roethlisberger said. "I'm always going to do what's best for this team."

• • •

NOTE -- DT Scott Paxson signed a contract with the Steelers. Undrafted from Penn State in 2006, he spent time on their practice squad the past two seasons.

Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
First published on January 16, 2008 at 12:00 am

2007 should be remembered as the year the Steelers rediscovered their franchise quarterback

Thursday, January 10, 2008
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Gene J. Puskar /Associated Press
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger

Had the Steelers not won their first division title in three years with a new coach, had they not earned a playoff game at home, had they not improved by two games over 2006, the past season would have been a success for one reason:

The return of Big Ben Roethlisberger.

After the 2006 season, doubts swirled around Roethlisberger and whether he could ever return to the form of his first two pro seasons. He was the first quarterback in NFL history to compile a 13-0 starting record in one season, and became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

His third season turned disastrous in many ways, on and off the field. Not only did Roethlisberger fall from rising star, but he also fell hard. He was downgraded in many evaluations, to as low as ninth among NFL quarterbacks by Peter King of Sports Illustrated before the start of the season.

Roethlisberger returned in a big way under a new head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He eclipsed Terry Bradshaw's record with 32 touchdown passes, third most in the NFL; cut his interceptions by more than half with 11; had the second-best passer rating in the league at 104.1, breaking his own team record; and made his first Pro Bowl.

He did all this while under siege much of the season from a pass rush that sacked him 47 times, second most for a Steelers quarterback.

Perhaps management still was optimistic about its quarterback one year ago, but the Steelers have every reason to believe today that he will remain among the NFL's elite for a long time to come.

The next-best thing about 2007 was the sense the Steelers picked a good coach. Mike Tomlin might have made all the right moves and impressed everyone in his interviews last year, but until he went through a full season on the job, the Steelers could not be sure what kind of head coach they had. He passed that test while walking through potential land mines that included resentment by some players that Cowher left and Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm were passed over for that job, by the release of popular teammate Joey Porter, the acrimony over Alan Faneca's contract status and the questions surrounding Roethlisberger.

Tomlin made some rookie coaching mistakes but nothing major. For example, he challenged seven officials' calls and only two were reversed by instant replay. Going for a 2-point conversion from the 12 in the playoff game against the Jaguars also was a debatable call.

The main problems this season were a lack of big plays from the No. 1-ranked defense in yards allowed, a lack of big stops by that defense at the end of games, and an offensive line that rarely gave Roethlisberger much time to throw and did not get the kind of consistent push to generate a good short-yardage ground game.

The Steelers' 11 interceptions tied with Houston for the fewest in the league. One reason they did not have more interceptions was that they concentrated on not allowing deep passes, which they accomplished for the most part.

Last year, football operations boss Kevin Colbert said one of the goals would be to improve their pass rush, yet their sack total dropped from 39 to 36.



Peter Diana / Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

LaMarr Woodley should help that. He showed how good he can be as a pass rusher with six sacks, including two in the playoff game, in a limited role as a rookie. He will move into Clark Haggans' job at left outside linebacker next season.

Their other prized rookie linebacker, first-rounder Lawrence Timmons, will compete with Larry Foote to start at the "mack" position inside. Although they said Timmons was an outside linebacker after they drafted him, his future is inside.

They also need another big defensive lineman, not so they can switch to the 4-3, but because Aaron Smith turns 32 in April and they need to groom someone and rotate him into the line on both sides. Casey Hampton also turns 31 before the start of next season and his backup, Chris Hoke, turns 32 in April. Their top backup end is Travis Kirschke, who will be 34.

The Steelers have no plans to switch to a 4-3 defense, even though that's what Mike Tomlin had coached previously. Their outside linebackers are not suited for that defense, for one thing. For another, they were happy with their defensive play this season -- except for the end of four games.

That would include losses to Jacksonville in which the Jaguars had late drives to win twice at Heinz Field. The others came at Denver and at the New York Jets.

There were two changes in the starting offensive line last season and there will be more in 2008. First, All-Pro guard Alan Faneca will leave as a free agent and perhaps tackle Max Starks will join him. The Steelers won't make Faneca the kind of offer that will bring him back. They should make one to Starks before free agency begins in March, sign him and return him to his old job as the starting right tackle.

Next, move right guard Kendall Simmons to center. Sean Mahan, in his first season as the Steelers' center, was overpowered by nose tackles and that had a domino effect on the line. Mahan can compete to start at one of the guard spots and, at the least, serve as the top backup at center and guard.

Right tackle Willie Colon had his ups and downs because he has shorter arms than most tackles, which often prevents him from keeping the big pass rushers off him. He belongs at guard, so put him at Simmons' old spot.

That leaves left guard, where Mahan, Chris Kemoeatu and either a draft pick or free agent can compete.

Good linemen are hard to find in free agency and, when available, are often cost prohibitive, especially when there's a franchise quarterback to sign. That's another reason for them to sign Starks, even though he won't come cheaply.

Marvel Smith not only will be OK after back surgery in December, but it also should help him next season. It was minor as back surgeries go and repaired the disk problem that was causing him so much pain. Trai Essex played well as his replacement in two games and should be their top backup.

Even all that might not correct the problems in the line. It would involve four more changes in the starting lineup, although one of them would put Starks back where he should have stayed this past season.

It's hard to determine if Willie Parker, the NFL's leading rusher heading into the final two games, will be the same after his fibula was broken. Parker relies on speed and quickness and no one can say how a broken leg will change that until he's out there running again.

The Steelers changed their approach to the running game by abandoning their power attack for a more finesse approach that sometimes worked and sometimes did not. They won't pass up a good running back if they can find one.

Of course, they need to improve their special teams, and not just on kickoff coverage. They need a good return man, unless Willie Reid finally can handle that job. It should not be as difficult to cover kicks as they made it out to be this year.

And, they need a good, solid draft -- particularly in both lines. They shouldn't throw away good draft picks on punters and backup tight ends. Spending a seventh-rounder to get a return man wasn't a bad idea; spending it on one whose best performances came three years ago was the bad idea.

The Steelers have paid little attention to their offensive and defensive lines in the drafts recently, and that has to change this April.

The case can be made that the Steelers should still be playing this weekend, but it would be hard to make one for them beating New England in a rematch.

This season might not be remembered as another failure in the playoffs at home, but for two more important ingredients -- a good start to the Mike Tomlin era and reclaiming the franchise quarterback.

Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
First published on January 10, 2008 at 12:00 am

Steelers' coaches dropped the ball

By Joe Starkey
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, January 9, 2008



PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 05: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is chased by Derek Landri #66 and Rashean Mathins #27 of the Jacksonville Jaguars as Roethlisberger tries to run in a two-point conversion during the fourth quarter of the AFC Wild Card game on January 5, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

It's easy to look back on the Steelers' crushing playoff loss and rip the coaching staff.

It's also highly justified.

Irrational, stubborn and panicky coaching undermined a spirited effort from a wounded team.

Forget hindsight. I'm talking about foresight here. I'm talking about decisions that would have looked every bit as dubious in a crystal ball as they do in the rear-view mirror.

Imagine if you'd been told, before the game, that the following five events would come to pass ...

5. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians will call for a fade to Nate Washington on a critical two-point try.

Nate Washington? It beats the infamous Matt Cavanaugh fade call against Navy, I suppose, but not by much.

4. The Steelers will revert to a see-how-tough-we-are mentality and attempt 13 first-down runs, even after opening the game with six consecutive pass calls on a touchdown drive, and even though their center, Sean Mahan, will be ground into sawdust by the middle of the second quarter.

They will net 24 yards on those 13 runs.

3. Despite the threat of return man Maurice Jones-Drew, special teams demon James Harrison will not be on the kickoff coverage unit after the Steelers go up, 7-0.

Wait, didn't head coach Mike Tomlin say, when asked whether starters would play on special teams, "It's time to leave it all out there?" Didn't he claim to have an "all-hands-on-deck" mentality in regard to special teams?

2. Trailing by five with 10:29 left, the Steelers will frantically attempt a two-point conversion FROM THE 12-YARD LINE!

We won't even try to quantify the level of risk involved in this bizarre decision. Just know that the only other person to attempt such a feat was Evel Knievel - and he landed in the Snake River Canyon.

Big Ben landed at the Jaguars' 3.

1. Leading by one with 3:43 left, the Steelers will take over on their 22 and attempt the world's first 78-yard two-point conversion. Joking. But they will run it three times despite having averaged 1.6 yards on their first 23 rushing attempts. What's more, they will try a designed quarterback end-around on third-and-6, with Roethlisberger running behind third-string tackle Trai Essex.

Yeah, we know, Roethlisberger helped dig his team a hole with three first-half picks. More importantly, he helped dig them out by completing 17-of-23 second-half passes before Marty Schottenheimer phoned in the three run calls.

I wonder if Ken Whisenhunt was watching. Back in August, USA Today asked Roethlisberger about the new offense under Arians compared to last year's under Whisenhunt.

"We were so predictable -- run on first, run on second, throw on third-and-long," Roethlisberger said. "It will be nice to know that Bruce isn't going to handcuff us."

Roethlisberger wasn't handcuffed on the potential game-sealing possession. He was fastened to a ball-and-chain, wrapped in a 900-pound straitjacket and duct-taped to a gurney. Then sent around left end.

Arians and Tomlin turtled. They did not allow the franchise player to attempt a pass -- on second or third down -- with the season in the balance.

Big Ben around left end. It beats the infamous Walt Harris quarterback slide call, I suppose.

But not by much.

Joe Starkey is a sports writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at jstarkey@tribweb.com

Roethlisberger will seek contract extension

After a career-best year, Roethlisberger heads into the offseason ready to negotiate a new contract

Tuesday, January 08, 2008
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Andy Starnes / Post-Gazette
Ben Roethlisberger listens in as referees confer before awarding the steelers a 4th quarter Saturday against the Jaguars.

The Steelers face a busy offseason on their labor front, starting with the biggest of them all, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger has two years left on his contract, precisely the time when the Steelers extended their two previous starting quarterbacks, Tommy Maddox and Kordell Stewart.

The quarterback and his agent, Ryan Tollner, had hoped to negotiate an extension a year ago, but were told at the time the Steelers wanted to wait until 2008.

Talks are not likely to start immediately, but the sides likely will at least schedule some times for them to begin. Roethlisberger is due a roster bonus of $2.95 million early in March. That number could be wrapped into a signing bonus and spread out for salary cap purposes if a contract is signed before then. If not, it will count as hard numbers against their 2008 salary cap, although that is not seen as an impediment to a long-term extension.

"We'll see, we'll wait until they feel right," Tollner said yesterday of the timetable for negotiations. "I'm optimistic. Ben wants to be in Pittsburgh long term."

There's little doubt that will happen. While the Steelers declined to comment, they've usually kept their man when it comes to quarterback. The one quarterback they did not keep was Neil O'Donnell, and his departure after the 1995 season may have shown them why it's important to negotiate a contract extension for their quarterback when two years remain.

O'Donnell became a restricted free agent early in the new system, in 1993. He signed a contract with Tampa Bay and the Steelers reluctantly matched it and kept him. However, they did not extend the deal and he became an unrestricted free agent after the 1995 season and their Super Bowl loss to Dallas. They still planned to keep him, but the New York Jets showered him with so much money that they decided to let him go. It left the Steelers with Mike Tomczak as a temporary starting quarterback in 1996.

Roethlisberger finds himself in a great position. He had his best season statistically -- breaking Terry Bradshaw's touchdown record along the way -- and made his first Pro Bowl. He showed that his poor 2006 was atypical and perhaps a by-product of his many physical problems.

While signing their quarterback to an extension will be their top priority, the Steelers have other players who will become unrestricted free agents when the new NFL calendar begins in March. They are guard Alan Faneca, linebacker Clark Haggans, tackle Max Starks, defensive end Travis Kirschke and fullback Dan Kreider. Restricted free agents include tackle Trai Essex, guard Chris Kemoeatu, receiver Nate Washington and long-snapper Greg Warren.

They also must decide which players who have one year left on their contracts they want to try to extend. Among those are tackle Marvel Smith, linebacker James Farrior, receiver Cedrick Wilson, quarterback Charlie Batch, cornerback Bryant McFadden and tight end Jerame Tuman.

•

NOTES -- Among the usual large group of players scheduled to have surgeries are wide receiver Hines Ward (knee) and guard Kendall Simmons (hands). ... Roethlisberger tied a team playoff record with his three interceptions, the second time he has done that in the postseason. His three touchdowns are tied for second in club playoff history and also the second time he has thrown for three. His 337 yards are third-most in team playoff history. His 29 completions were third-most in a Steelers playoff game. ... Ward broke out of a tie with John Stallworth and now owns the club postseason record with 67 receptions after catching 10 passes Saturday, one short of a record he and Franco Harris share for a single game. Ward's 135 yards receiving rank third for a game. ... Heath Miller's eight receptions Saturday were the most by a Steelers tight end in a postseason game.

Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
First published on January 8, 2008 at 12:00 am

Officials make mark on Steelers' loss

By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, January 8, 2008



Steelers linebacker Larry Foote pleads with an official late in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 31-29 loss to Jacksonville Jan. 5, 2008 at Heinz Field.
Christopher Horner/TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Linebackers Larry Foote and James Harrison came off as whiners, carping as they did about the officiating after a blown lead against Jacksonville had ushered the Steelers out of the NFL playoffs.

But that doesn't mean they didn't have a legitimate complaint.

Particularly in the wake of what had happened to center Sean Mahan.

Mahan was flagged for holding on what would have been a two-point conversion to wide receiver Hines Ward that would have brought the Steelers to within 28-25 with 10:25 remaining Saturday night at Heinz Field.

Mahan said following the Steelers' 31-29 loss that he didn't think he held Jaguars defensive tackle Derek Landri on the play.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hinted in his postgame press conference that he didn't think Mahan held Landri, either.

Some further review a couple days later showed Landri being engaged initially by left guard Alan Faneca and Mahan before Faneca turned his attention elsewhere and Mahan executed what appeared to be a perfectly legal cut-block.

The yellow flag flew, anyway.

That cost the Steelers two points initially, and three if you factor in that they would have kicked the extra point rather than go for two again the next time they scored had the phantom hold against Mahan not been conjured up.

What cost them even more was the same officiating crew's inability to detect multiple holding penalties on Jacksonville -- the very object of Foote and Harrison's disdain and outrage -- approximately eight minutes later.

Fast-forward to the Jaguars' fourth-and-two snap from the Steelers' 43 with 1:56 remaining, and then watch the video in slow motion.

At least two, and perhaps as many as four, holding penalties somehow went unnoticed, depending on whether the Mahan standard is applied.

Quarterback David Garrard bolted between left tackle Khalif Barnes and left guard Vince Manuwai, through a gap that might have been adequately defended by Harrison had Barnes not executed a perfectly illegal hold on the Steelers' MVP.

Strong safety Troy Polamalu (by tight end Marcedes Lewis), defensive end Brett Keisel (by Manuwai) and nose tackle Casey Hampton (by right guard Maurice Williams) also were impeded, seemingly with varying degrees of illegality.

Not one flag flew this time.

A request to the NFL for clarification/comment was met by an explanation that the league does not comment on "judgment calls."

It's just as well.

The inconsistency of referee Scott Green's split crew spoke for itself.

That's not to suggest the officials ultimately dictated the outcome all by themselves.

It's the responsibility of every team to put itself in a position where such calls or non-calls can't influence the final decision.

This one's still on the Steelers much more than it is the zebras.

But, that said, the NFL ought to demand better of itself and its officials.

Especially on a weekend when only four games are being played and everyone is watching.

If the league devoted as much time and energy to cleaning up its officiating as it does fining those who dare to speak their minds while assessing the performance of the striped shirts, it would spend a lot less time and energy monitoring who's saying what about the officials in the first place.

And the Steelers would come off sounding like the post-Super Bowl Seahawks much less frequently.

Mike Prisuta can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.

Tomlin's game management doesn't add up

By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, January 7, 2008



Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger walks from the field after a 31-29 loss to Jacksonville Saturday night, Jan. 5, 2008 at Heinz Field.
Christopher Horner/TRIBUNE-REVIEW

It could have, and in many respects should have, gone down as the greatest comeback victory in the Steelers' illustrious playoff history.

Instead, it'll be remembered forever as the most difficult postseason loss to swallow since Super Bowl XXX.

The culprits are many, from the special teams (again), to the failure of the defense to protect a late-game lead (again), to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's resurrection of the Kordell Stewart playoff hat trick (three interceptions and a lost fumble).

Still, the special teams were what they'd been all season, the defense at least didn't get run over repeatedly this time, and Roethlisberger was able to overcome his awful first half with an inspired final two quarters.

What really killed the Steelers was head coach Mike Tomlin's inexplicable decision to go for two after the touchdown that cut Jacksonville's lead to 28-23 with 10:25 left in the fourth quarter.

The initial try for two -- a pass to Hines Ward that was negated by a holding penalty on Sean Mahan -- was curious.

The subsequent re-try from the 12-yard line was amateurish.

Had the Steelers simply kicked to make it 28-24, they'd have kicked again at what would have been 30-28 following the Najeh Davenport TD with 6:21 to play.

Had that been the case, they might still be playing.

Amazingly, Tomlin considered such questionable decision-making a non-issue following what turned into a gut-wrenching 31-29 defeat.

"It was insignificant if we got the one (point)," Tomlin said. "We're playing the charts. That's not out of bounds; that's just baseball. Everybody's got that chart."

The "chart" to which Tomlin referred has often been vaguely referenced by NFL coaches since the NFL adopted the two-point conversion.

Someone, somewhere apparently came up with a chart that informs those in charge when it is and isn't appropriate to go for two.

Here's a better idea: do the math.

At 28-24, with over 10 minutes to play, the Steelers would still have been within a touchdown of taking a three-point lead.

And had they done that, a field goal wouldn't have been enough to beat them.

Tomlin got caught up in the emotion of the moment.

It was a fatal mistake.

It was also one Tomlin refused to acknowledge.

"If I had a crystal ball, and I knew we would lose by two, I probably would have kicked the extra point, if that makes you feel good," he said.

One season into his new gig, Tomlin isn't as accomplished at accepting responsibility as his quarterback, who, predictably and inaccurately, blamed himself.

As he grows into the job, Tomlin, hopefully, will be a little more poised.

The Steelers' players didn't hold it against him.

One even applauded the head coach's aggressiveness and the faith he displayed in his offense.

Still, there's a time to be aggressive and a time to play the percentages.

Tomlin needs to understand as much.

Or maybe get himself a different chart.


Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.

Steelers put on a show but come up short

By Mike Prisuta
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, January 6, 2008



Steelers receiver Hines Ward catches a pass as Jacksonville's Brian Williams defends during the first quarter Saturday, Jan. 5, at Heinz Field.
Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review

What the Steelers were and what they've become were on display for all to see Saturday night at Heinz Field.

The trip down memory lane was all too brief.

And what followed was all too familiar.

They'll have the offseason to sort out what went wrong and why it happened in the wake of a 31-29 playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It was a night that had started out with such promise.

Coach Mike Tomlin preceded his players onto the field and gestured repeatedly to the crowd for noise, a departure for Tomlin from his normal stoic, we've-got-this-covered persona and a reminder of how Bill Cowher used to foam at the mouth on such occasions.

Guard Alan Faneca, emerging from the home tunnel for what was probably the final time, stuck a finger in the air as he sprinted through the gauntlet of teammates on either side.

Hines Ward appeared waving a Terrible Towel.

Upon the conclusion of the introductions, the Steelers sprinted to the opposite end of the field to salute the faithful.

Brett Keisel and Clark Haggans danced to the music on the sideline prior to kickoff.



PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 05: Santonio Holmes #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks back as he scores a touchdown in the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the AFC Wild Card game on January 5, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)


And then the offense went to work.

The Steelers came out throwing and kept throwing until it was time to power the ball into the end zone, and then they did that.

There were no fade patterns from the 1-yard line this time, no wide receiver sweeps.

Just running back Najeh Davenport running behind fullback Carey Davis out of a formation that included tight ends Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth and guard-turned-tight end Chris Kemoeatu.

At 7-0, they had the momentum, the fast start they had craved and the crowd insanely into the game.

Then the kickoff team took the field.

Ninety-six yards later, the Jaguars were in business at the Steelers' 1.

On a night when Tomlin had vowed he wasn't going to "save any nuts," that he wasn't going to "squirrel them," his often-porous kickoff coverage unit did not include starting linebacker James Harrison until the outset of the second half.

It was 21-7 Jacksonville by then.

Harrison made two tackles covering kickoffs in the second half.

But this was about more than special teams.

It was about more than injuries.



PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 05: Heath Miller #83 of the Pittsburgh Steelers jumps over Clint Ingram #51 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half of the AFC Wild Card game on January 5, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

This was about the Steelers being unable to run the ball, about Ben Roethlisberger throwing three first-half interceptions around being sacked four times in the opening two quarters. It was about the defense surrendering an eight-play, 82-yard drive in 4:45 for a touchdown immediately after the Steelers had found a ray of hope by closing to within 21-10 with 9:24 remaining in the third quarter.

It might have really been a ballgame at that point, but the offense was able to produce only a field goal after James Farrior picked off a pass at the Jacksonville 43 less than a minute into the third quarter.

It became much more that that after an inspired, fourth-quarter rally had somehow turned a 28-10 deficit into a 29-28 lead.

But an inexcusable call for a two-point conversion from the 12-yard line by Tomlin -- a rookie mistake -- and the defense's inability to hold the lead late helped conspire to seal the Steelers' fate.

With this team, it's always something.

Against the good teams, that's no longer enough.


Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.

Big Ben takes blame for loss

" ... we have to recognize what [Rashean] Mathis is capable to doing as a shutdown corner." -- Mike Tomlin

Sunday, January 06, 2008
By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger grimaces after he is intercepted for the third time late in the second quarter against the Jaguars. (vs. Jaguars 1/5/2008)

In an era when NFL coaches and personnel executives continue to scour the football earth for quarterbacks who can merely manage the game -- whatever that means -- what Ben Roethlisberger did to the game last night simply defied any kind of management methodology.

Alternative frantic mismanagement with sensational and even inspiring leadership, Big Ben wound up emotionally crushed when the music stopped, crushed to the degree that nothing in his 29 completions and 337 yards and two touchdowns, and four consecutive second-half scoring drives could console him.

"No one should blame anyone or anything other than myself for this," Roethlisberger said behind wet eyes 25 minutes after Jacksonville slipped past the Steelers, 31-29, in the wild-card round of the AFC playoffs. "I dug us too deep a hole and even though we came around in the second half, I'm ashamed of the way I played."

No one jumped up to protest.

With 6:21 to go in the game, it appeared as though Ben had outdone himself, and perhaps never had that common compliment been illustrated so literally.

With the Steelers on top, 29-28, No. 7 had outdone all the damage No. 7 had done in a rancid first half of careless throwing. He had outdone everything the Jacksonville Jaguars used to fill the fresh grave he had thrown himself and his team into in the first 30 minutes of the first home playoff game in Pittsburgh in nearly three years.

Because just as suddenly, the Pro Bowl quarterback righted himself, completing 17 of 23 second-half passes and leading four consecutive scoring drives after intermission. The Franchise erased an 18-point Jacksonville lead.

And still he lost.



PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 05: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers signals for a two-point conversion following a touchdown by Heath Miller #83 of the Steelers in the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the AFC Wild Card game on January 5, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Roethlisberger's fumble on the Steelers' final play let stand Josh Scobee's winning field goal, the one that made it 31-29. That's four turnovers by the quarterback, if you're screaming a home, four turnovers by a guy so many were screaming should have been the Steelers' MVP this season.

"He's a competitor," was about as much as Mike Tomlin would say when it ended. "There's a bunch of competitors in that room. We just fell short in terms of execution. You have to give credit to the Jaguars. They made one significant play more than we did."

Even in the miserable first half, there had been a flash of brilliance.

Roethlisberger would orchestrate a near-perfect, 10-play, 80-yard drive, but in those fast evaporating minutes -- five of 'em in the first quarter -- Roethlisberger might even have felt that this was his night.

Not really.

That opening drive 5 for 6 for 60 yards?

A mirage in the North Side mist.

The more telling symptom was his first throw of the night, a simple banana out to Hines Ward underneath Jacksonville's zone. Ben whipped it 10 feet over Ward's head, almost comically, had it not been the first pitch of the playoffs.

But that, not that crisp 5 for 6, was The Omen.

Three interceptions came off Roethlisberger's hand in the first half, a fourth barely averted when he tried to force a long out to Santonio Holmes between Rashean Mathis and Sammy Knight. That Mathis didn't catch it was one of the small miracles of the first 30 minutes, because he caught just about everything else Roethlisberger threw to his half of the lawn.

Of all the looming headaches Tomlin circumnavigated throughout his first week of playoff prep as a head coach, few if any posed a more difficult situation than Mathis.

"They played a little match-up football with Mathis regarding Santonio the first time," Tomlin said Wednesday. "We've got to try something there, whether it's Santonio or whoever, we have to recognize what Mathis is capable of doing as a shutdown corner."

Mathis offered a brutal reminder, shadowing Holmes so perfectly on a second-quarter slant that he needed only a quick step to take Ben's bullet from Santonio's hands and start down the sideline to his left. Sixty-three yards later, Mathis had snapped a 7-7 tie and put the Jaguars where most of the nation expected to find them last night, ahead.

The big, wet crowd had only begun to contemplate the implications of Mathis smelling blood when the fifth-year corner had another interception in his maw. Roethlisberger had rolled to his right on that one, finding nothing but Najeh Davenport floating deep on a broken route, though hardly alone.

Ben should have eaten it, but he alley-ooped a pass just enough that Mathis could come off of Holmes and drop directly into the ball's arc. Mathis got a nice return with his second pick as well, rumbling to the Steelers' 21, but he was ruled down by Davenport's incidental contact at the 46.

"The really frustrating thing was, of the three interceptions only one was a stupid throw," Roethlisberger said. "On the first, Mathis just made a great play, and on the third one, the defensive lineman just got in the way of the screen."

He hadn't thrown three picks in one performance since a year ago in November, when he did exactly that at Cleveland, then led a second-half comeback that sailed all the way to victory.

You shouldn't be able to get away with that twice. And he didn't.

Gene Collier can be reached at gcollier@post-gazette.com.
First published on January 6, 2008 at 12:45 am

Defense falters one last time

Bob Smizik, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sunday, January 06, 2008



Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Josh Scobee kicks the go-ahead field goal with 37 seconds remaining in the game last night, spoiling a second-half comeback by the Steelers. (vs. Jaguars 1/5/2008)

The inexplicable but plainly obvious decline of the Steelers from Super Bowl contender in October and November to massive underachiever in December and January played out as expected last night, but not without continuing disappointment in a first-round playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Just as they did last month, the Jaguars came into Heinz Field and won, this time 31-29, in a throbbing finish with the Steelers grabbing the lead late in the game only to lose once again on a final drive by the opposition.

The defeat was not without its positives. The Steelers were all but beaten early in the second half, down, 28-10, and undone by three Ben Roethlisberger interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and special teams inadequacies. But three fourth-quarter touchdowns gave them the lead. The rally had the crowd of 63,629 whipped into a frenzy -- only to be disappointed again.

The defense -- the one-time pride of the franchise -- wasn't able to stop the opposition when it absolutely had to. It was the same old story and a major reason why this season will long be remembered as disappointing.

The record book will say the Steelers finished 10-6 and advanced to the playoffs. In most seasons this would be considered a success, and the long lens of history likely will look on it as such. But those who watched it up close as it happened will know better. They will know this was as soft a 10-6 record as might be found in the recent annals of the NFL. It was a record achieved more by a schedule full of weak and mediocre opponents than any special ability on the Steelers' part. They beat only two teams with winning records, Seattle and Cleveland. The Seattle win, 21-0, Oct. 7, was, in retrospect, the high point of the season.



PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 05: David Garrard #9 of the Jacksonville Jaguars runs out of the grasp of Tyrone Carter #23 of the Pittsburgh Steelers to set up the game-winning field goal during the fourth quarter of the AFC Wild Card game on January 5, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Jaguars won 31-29. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

In truth, the opportunity was there for a hugely successful year. But these Steelers couldn't beat bad teams. They were defeated by three teams with losing records, Denver, the New York Jets and Baltimore. They were only able to beat the hapless Miami Dolphins, 3-0. In a showdown match with New England in early December, which some thought they might win, the Steelers were embarrassed, 34-13. But what was truly the low point for this team was that it got worse instead of better as the season progressed. How else can the following be explained:

• In the first 12 games, the Steelers allowed 14 offensive touchdowns; in their final five, they allowed 16.

• In their first 12 games, they allowed the opposition to score more than 21 points only twice; in the final five, the opposition scored more than 21 points every time.

• In the first 12 games, they allowed an average of 13 points; in the final five, they allowed an average of 28 points.

The defense, which allowed victory to slip away by allowing late touchdown drives in losses to Denver, the Jets and the first Jacksonville game, came up small again last night. Sparked by Roethlisberger, who played as well in the second half as he did poorly in the first, the offense scored three touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 29-28 lead.

With six minutes remaining, could the defense hold? No, it could not.

The Jaguars began their final possession on their 49 with 2:38 remaining. There was plenty of time. It was only a question of which side would prevail: The Jaguars' offense or the Steelers' defense. One play defined the drive, the game and the season.

On fourth-and-2 from the Steelers' 43, quarterback David Garrard, in shotgun formation, took the snap from center, delayed a count or two and bolted up the middle. About 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage -- still out of field-goal range -- Garrard deftly juked safety Tyrone Carter, who look like he had Garrard lined up for a tackle, and ran to the 11. The game was as well as over and, four plays later, Josh Scobee kicked the winning 25-yard field goal.

The final drive was particularly disheartening because the defense had played better for most of the game than it had for some time. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew who savaged the defense for a combined 216 yards last month, were held in check. Taylor gained 48 yards on 16 carries, Jones-Drew 29 on eight. Nor did Garrard do significant damage, completing only 9 of 21 passes and throwing two interceptions.

But, on a night when it played better than expected, the defense still wasn't good enough. And neither were the Steelers.

Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com.
First published on January 6, 2008 at 3:08 am

Offseason issues aplenty

Sunday, January 06, 2008
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Alan Faneca waves to fans after a 31-29 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in an NFL wild card playoff football game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008.

The work doesn't scare Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. The man loves holing up at the team's South Side headquarters, meeting the challenges head on and, as he always says, striving for that elusive perfection.

The problem is there might not be enough hours in the day to solve what ails the Steelers this offseason, which officially began at 11:38 last night when Jacksonville put the final touches on their Heinz Field lawn party.

Not that we didn't know that even before the Jaguars' 31-29 playoff win. We're talking about a team with gaping holes, the near-miraculous comeback last night aside.

A lot of our winter fun centers around draft speculation. Sorry. There shouldn't be much suspense between now and April. It's pretty obvious how the first three rounds should go for the Steelers: Offensive lineman, offensive lineman, offensive lineman.

In the end, the Steelers weren't able to run the ball or protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Not all of that can be blamed on running back Willie Parker's broken leg and offensive tackle Marvel Smith's back injury.

The line just wasn't good enough.

That wasn't the Fearsome Foursome that made Roethlisberger's life miserable last night. The Jaguars' pass rushers are largely a group of journeymen, yet they sacked Big Ben six times. That makes 18 sacks in the past four games that he played. That's no way to treat your franchise quarterback.

Sure, Roethlisberger will take a lot of criticism for throwing three first-half interceptions -- and deservedly so. He -- not Jacksonville's David Garrard -- played like a first-time playoff starter. But let's be fair here, it's hard to make the right decisions when you're constantly running for your life. It's even harder when your team can't run the ball.

The Steelers ran for just 43 yards last night, getting 25 on 16 carries from Parker's backup, Najeh Davenport. That's not tough, Steelers football. That's pretty wimpy, actually.

Now, Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca almost certainly will leave as a free agent, a brutal fact that Roethlisberger noted after the defeat. "If this was my last game with Alan Faneca, it was an honor and a privilege to be his quarterback and I love him to death."

Faneca wasn't happy being here this season after he felt the Steelers lowballed him in contract talks, but he played like a true pro from start to finish. He has every right to use the system to his benefit. Forget loyalty or giving the Steelers any kind of hometown discount to stay. The money that teams will wave in front of his face will be astronomical. Good for him. But I do have one request for Faneca:

Can he take center Sean Mahan with him?

I know we've been spoiled by the likes of Ray Mansfield, Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson and Jeff Hartings at center for the last four decades, but did Mahan control a nose tackle all season? That he was the Steelers' big free-agent signing last offseason doesn't say much about Tomlin's evaluation skills or those of the team's scouts.

Throw in the fact that Smith might never be the same player after back surgery and, well, maybe the selection of an offensive lineman in the draft's first round would be in order.

Not that there aren't sizable issues on the defense, of course. We're not exactly talking about the 'ol Steel Curtain.

The Steelers did a decent job against the run last night, holding backs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to a combined 77 yards, 139 fewer than they produced in the Jaguars' win here three weeks ago. But they couldn't stop Garrard from running for 32 yards on a quarterback draw that set up the winning field goal. The run defense was generally horrid for much of the second half of the season, especially after defensive end Aaron Smith went out with a torn biceps.

The Steelers sacked Garrard four times, but quarterback pressure also was a weakness down the stretch. The team had four sacks in the final five games. Linebacker Clark Haggans -- another free agent -- probably has played his final game. Rookie linebacker LaMarr Woodley was a rare late-season bright spot and had two sacks last night. But who knows about the first-round pick last April, linebacker Lawrence Timmons? Tomlin had better have been right about him or the Steelers are in even a deeper hole than anyone thinks.



Pittsburgh Steelers' Bryant McFadden (20) can't catch up to Jacksonville Jaguars' Maurice Jones-Drew (32) as he returns a kickoff 96-yards to the one-yard line during first quarter NFL wild card playoff football action in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008.
(AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

Tomlin also is facing tough decisions with his coaching staff. The special teams were bad all season and contributed plenty to this latest defeat when the Jones-Drew went 96 yards with a kickoff return after the Steelers stormed to an early 7-0 lead. It might have been the single biggest play of the game. That's not good news for special-teams coaches Bob Ligashesky and Amos Jones. Yes, it takes two to orchestrate that mess. How bad would the special teams have been if Tomlin hadn't devoted so much practice time to them?

But it would be unfair to blame this loss all on Mahan, the late-collapsing defense, the lousy kick coverage and the two assistant coaches.

Tomlin didn't exactly have a strong finish.

His team got worse as the season went on. This final, painful defeat made it four out of five down the stretch. It's nice to think Tomlin already is on the South Side, getting started on his offseason work.

There really isn't a minute to waste.

First published on January 6, 2008 at 3:12 am

The times they are a changing

By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, January 5, 2008



They may have limped to the finish, but at least the Steelers made the playoffs. By doing so, they've come full circle in the transition from Bill Cowher to Mike Tomlin.

The Steelers reached the postseason in 1992 -- Cowher's initial season at the helm -- and nine times in the 14 seasons that followed.

The Cowher-era Steelers will always be remembered for Super Bowl XL, but they really distinguished themselves by bringing playoff football to the North Shore on a regular basis.

Only one team can win the Super Bowl, but even while failing to do so 14 times in Cowher's 15 campaigns, the Steelers hosted a playoff game on a remarkable 13 occasions.

They were at home in the postseason more times than any other team from 1992-2006 (at 11, San Francisco was second).

They're home again tonight, most likely for the final time this season and for the final time as we've come to know the recent bunch.

Two years ago, they were champions.

Last season, they were also-rans with an asterisk.

They entered this season with a championship core still intact, and hoping to recapture the magic, while, this time, avoiding such unforeseen developments as an emergency appendectomy and a motorcycle accident.

Ben Roethlisberger did his part -- remaining upright despite being forced to the ground 47 times -- but as the season played out, it became apparent these Steelers were a lot further removed from the Super Bowl than initially anticipated.

They're not a bad team; they're better than average, actually.

But their season is most likely destined to end soon, either tonight against a Jaguars, team that's beaten them once already at Heinz Field, or the following weekend in New England.

Once it does, that championship core will continue to dissipate and the Steelers will become that much less recognizable in relation to their championship predecessors.

By the time this season began, the likes of Kimo von Oelhoffen, Joey Porter, Chris Hope, Jeff Hartings, Antwaan Randle El, Jerome Bettis and Chris Gardocki had moved on down the road.

Once this one concludes, it's likely that Super Bowl XL-holdovers Dan Kreider, Alan Faneca, Max Starks and Clark Haggans will have played their final downs with the Steelers.

And before the 2008 campaign commences, Hines Ward will turn 32, Deshea Townsend will be on the verge of turning 33 and James Farrior will be 33 (that happens tomorrow).

And Marvel Smith will have to have established that he's made it back from back surgery.

The team is aging.

And the times, they are a changing.

That's why nights such as tonight ought to be embraced by Steeler Nation.

Home playoff games used to be taken for granted in these parts, and four of the five staged between 1992-2006 that decided the AFC championship aren't remembered fondly.

But they haven't played one of these since Jan. 23, 2005, and it might be some time before they play another one.

As Cowher used to say, "seize the moment."

As the Steelers rebuild, retool and re-invent themselves under Tomlin, they may take a step or two back before moving forward no matter what happens against Jacksonville.

They'll always have Super Bowl XL, but tonight might well be the previous incarnation's last hurrah.


Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.

Faneca may be playing last Steelers game

By The Associated Press
Friday, January 4, 2008



Ten seasons, seven Pro Bowls and maybe one last game.

Few players in Pittsburgh Steelers history have performed as well in a career as Alan Faneca, arguably the NFL's best left guard and a lineman whose personality and work ethic seem a perfect match for the franchise.

Faneca is a team-first player in a sport that has increasingly become me-first, the steadiest of players in an unstable profession where one bad game can ruin a season or a career.

"My agent kept telling me before the (1999) draft he had a feeling I was coming here," Faneca said Thursday. "He kept saying, 'I think you're a fit, that's where you're going to go,' and he was right. I think I fit that Steeler mold, I guess."

After a decade with the same team, every game now could be Faneca's last with the Steelers, beginning with their AFC wild-card playoff game against Jacksonville on Saturday night.

The 31-year-old Faneca, for all of his accomplishments, is unsigned past this season and appears to have little chance of returning to Pittsburgh.

With the Steelers seeded only fourth in the AFC field, they can play again at Heinz Field in these playoffs only if they win twice and sixth-seeded Tennessee stages two upset victories.

"Ten years, yeah, it's sad, I'll take a moment, man," said Faneca, the player known as Red to his teammates because of his long, flowing red hair. "I'll have to take a moment sometime during the game to enjoy it, and think back when the game's over and I'm the last man on the field, stuff like that.

"You just take it and enjoy it."

Even if this season has been his least favorite.

Faneca felt the Steelers misled him in brief and very unsatisfactory contract talks last winter, so much so he was harshly critical of the Rooney family after reporting for a mandatory minicamp in May.

"This will be my last year as a Pittsburgh Steeler," he said.

Few, if any, Steelers players have been so openly hostile while still playing for the team, and there has been no apparent contract movement for months.

His Steelers career isn't officially over, but he fully expects to be on the free agent market in March.

"I think if it (a new contract) was going to happen it would have happened," Faneca said. "The door is never closed, but there is a point where reality sets in."

Faneca won't speculate what he might be worth, even though offensive guards were given some of the biggest deals during last year's market. Cleveland's Eric Steinbach, San Diego's Kris Dielman and Buffalo's Derrick Dockery landed deals worth a combined $52.5 million in guaranteed money and $137 million overall.

The Steelers' offer to Faneca wasn't believed to be anywhere close to comparable money, even though his $25.6 million contract in 2002 helped set the standard for guards.

Based on last year's figures, Faneca could be offered $7 million a year or more in his next contract, or far more than the $4,375,000 he's making in salary and bonuses this season.

How good has Faneca been in Pittsburgh? He was the first guard in team history to make All-Pro in successive seasons, and the first to make the Pro Bowl twice since John Nisby in 1960 and 1962. Faneca has been chosen each of the last seven seasons.

"Ten years here kind of forces you to reflect," Faneca said. "It's a big chunk of my life."

A big hole for the Steelers to fill, too.

The Steelers are known for allowing players to leave late in the careers when they feel they have a comparable replacement on hand.

Last year, they released linebacker Joey Porter, who immediately signed with Miami for $20 million guaranteed. The Steelers' lower-paid replacement, James Harrison, wound up being the team MVP and a Pro Bowl pick.

But the Steelers don't appear to have a replacement lined up for Faneca.

Their options are to plug in backup Chris Kemoeatu, draft a guard in April and start him immediately or sign a guard on the open market. Given how salaries keep increasing, it might cost them more to sign a guard than it would have to re-sign Faneca a year or two ago.

Despite the unsatisfactory contract talks, Faneca will always consider Pittsburgh to be a second home.

"There's been a lot of good times, a lot of good teams here," he said. "It's been fun here."

Taylor Jaguars' man for all seasons

Even Parker knows Taylor is the main man

Friday, January 04, 2008
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Jaguars Fred Taylor is congratulated after scoring the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Steelers Dec. 16.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - There was nothing extraordinary about the congratulatory text message that Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor received on the night of Dec. 20 as he was leaving the team Christmas party.

Nothing except that it came from Willie Parker as Parker lay on the training table in the Steelers' locker room in St. Louis, his right leg broken and his season ruined only moments earlier on the unforgiving turf of the Edward Jones Dome.

"Willie had told the NFL Network broadcasters even before he got hurt that he was going to give up his Pro Bowl spot for me because he thought I deserved it," Taylor recalled this week. "Then, that night, he called to say how happy he was that I was going to get to go in his place."

If an opposing player thinks highly enough of Taylor to take a moment at the lowest point of his career to remember him, you might guess what Taylor means to his own guys.

"Fred is the Jaguars," defensive end Paul Spicer said.

Think Jerome Bettis.

Taylor is a respected figure around the NFL, a proud member of the exclusive 10,000-yard rushing club and a likely future Hall of Famer. He has overcome plenty -- whispers early in his career that he was a first-round draft bust, the horrible label "Fragile Freddie" after a long string of injuries forced him to miss 24 games in his first four seasons and fan pleas as recently as early this season that he step aside for hotshot teammate Maurice Jones-Drew.

He got married, settled down, became a father again, stopped clubbing and started training more. He set aside his ego and willingly shared time with Jones-Drew, even though he had enough left to finish this season with five consecutive 100-yard games. He became the Jaguars' inspirational leader, as in "Let's win this thing for Fred." Now, in his 10th NFL season, he has his team in position to take a run at that elusive Super Bowl, but the Jaguars must win three tough road games to get there, starting against the Steelers at Heinz Field tomorrow night.

Jerome Bettis, indeed.

You know how his story ended.

So does Taylor.

"I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I've definitely thought about that," Taylor said, quietly.

This already has been a good week for Taylor. Team officials presented him with an autographed jersey from Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, who signed it "To the man!" Not long ago, the great Brown went on television and called Taylor "a thing of beauty" and said he was his favorite NFL back.

You can count the Steelers among Taylor's admirers. It's not just Parker, who became a close friend through former Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress -- the godfather of one of Taylor's sons -- and trains with Taylor in South Florida in the offseason. Safety Troy Polamalu called Taylor the best back he has played against before the two teams met Dec. 16 at Heinz Field. Coach Mike Tomlin called Taylor "spectacular" after he ran for 147 yards that day -- a stadium record for an opposing back -- to lead the Jaguars to a 29-22 victory.

There's no doubt the Jaguars are counting on Taylor and Jones-Drew to ease the pressure on quarterback David Garrard, who will make his first postseason start. They combined for 216 of the Jaguars' 224 rushing yards Dec. 16. Taylor said he expects the Steelers' defense to be more stout this time. He claimed he didn't watch tape of that first game because "you can get complacent ... I think past reflection is for old men."

Taylor is 31, ancient for an NFL running back. Few would have guessed he would last this long after those early injuries.

"There's nothing anyone can do or say to steal my joy," Taylor said of those tough times. "I love competing and I love playing football. I figure eventually they'll love me, anyway."

They certainly love Taylor this season. His strong finish helped him to his seventh 1,000-yard year and, thanks to Parker's injury, his first Pro Bowl. Hang out in the Jaguars' locker room and you quickly get the idea his teammates feel better for him than they would for themselves.

"I consider it a blessing just to be able to play with Fred Taylor," offensive tackle Tony Pashos said.

Taylor wasn't always such a good teammate. He said marriage and fatherhood changed his priorities, helping him to miss just eight games in the past six seasons. He also said he matured in a hurry after his former agent, Tank Black, went to prison after allegedly bilking several NFL players out of millions, more than $3 million from Taylor.

"I learned to take care of my own stuff, take responsibility," Taylor said.

Said Spicer: "Fred's changed a lot. When I got here [in 2000], he was a man. Now, he's a grown man."

It really is a wonderful story.

Just like the Bettis story in 2005.

You aren't rooting for the same happy ending, of course. But they sure are down here.

Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
First published on January 4, 2008 at 12:00 am