About the coaching: Steelers staff failed miserably vs. Eagles

By Bob Smizik
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/steelers/
Wednesday, September 24, 2008

A day removed from it, the embarrassing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, a game in which the Steelers were badly outplayed and outcoached, looked like a mere blip on the team's near-certain ascendancy to the AFC North championship. Two days removed from it, however, the game has taken on an ominous tone. The path to the title in a division believed to be thick with sub-par opponents looks considerably more formidable.


Peter Diana / Post-Gazette

Ben Roethlisberger is sacked by the Eagles linebacker Trent Cole.

That has something to do with the injury report coach Mike Tomlin revealed at his news conference yesterday. It also has something to do with the quality of coaching coming from Tomlin and his staff, which was revealed Sunday against the Eagles.

On the injury front, it was bad enough that nose tackle Casey Hampton, one of the team's best defensive players, was pronounced out for the game against the Baltimore Ravens Monday. That was expected. What wasn't expected, and what truly does not bode well for the team, is the addition of running back Willie Parker to the list of players, which also includes defensive end Brett Keisel, that will not play against the Ravens.

The Steelers have a highly competent replacement for Hampton in Chris Hoke, a seven-year veteran who allowed little or no fallout at nose tackle in 2004 when he started the final 10 games of a 15-1 season. What is noteworthy about Hampton's absence is that two-thirds of the starting defensive line is out against an opponent that has thrived running the ball.
The Ravens have rushed 90 times in two games -- which is one more time than the Steelers have in three games -- and dominated the opposition in doing so.

The replacement for Parker, the second-leading rusher in the AFC even after being held to 20 yards by the Eagles, is rookie Rashard Mendenhall, a player of immense potential but one who has failed to gain the coaching staff's confidence, as evidenced by the fact he had no rushing attempts in the past two games.

Among players the Steelers could least afford to lose, Parker would rank in the top five. That's not just because he is so talented, but also because his replacement is so questionable. Mendenhall, whose fumbling in the exhibition season caused the coaching staff to lose confidence in him, has gained 28 yards on 10 attempts this season. He must soften a Baltimore defense that historically has been excellent and, based on their two games this season, remains very much that way.


Peter Diana / Post-Gazette

Willie Parker is gang tackled by the Eagles defense.

Not too much should be made of the Ravens' league-leading defensive statistics since they've come against the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. But it is impressive that they've allowed only an average of 161 yards and have held quarterbacks, one of whom was Carson Palmer, to a combined passer rating of 26.6.

Although Tomlin presented the Ravens as a opponent that will be difficult to beat, there was not a hint of concern in his tone. He provided the standard Tomlin line: "We acknowledge that injuries are part of the game. The standard of expectation won't change for us. It's an opportunity for some people to step up. We expect those guys to step up and deliver for us and we know they will."

Once, those typical words from Tomlin were reassuring. But following the Philadelphia debacle and following a distinct decline in his won-loss percentage, Tomlin's certitude is no longer so calming. He's looking more mortal these days, especially after his failure to solve the Eagles' defense, one with which he and his staff should have been intimately familiar.

He accepted blame for that. "As coaches, we could have done a better job of adjusting and putting these guys in a position to be successful."

That's the real job of coaches, and Tomlin and his staff haven't been so good at it lately. After opening his NFL career with seven wins in nine games and making the Rooneys look, as they did with Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, like geniuses in evaluating coaches, Tomlin's career has taken a backward step. He's a mediocre 5-6 since his first nine games.

It's a big game for the Steelers Monday and a big game for Tomlin. His players must rise to the challenge and so must the coaching staff.

Philadelphia presented the NFL a blueprint for victory over the Steelers.
The Ravens have their own style but would be wise to incorporate some of the tactics employed by the Eagles.

Tomlin and his staff must show they can't be outsmarted by the opposing coaches again like they were against the Eagles.

Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com. More articles by this author
First published on September 24, 2008 at 12:00 am

Wilson ponders separation from Bucs

By Rob Biertempfel
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Tuesday, September 23, 2008


The Pirates Jack Wilson tosses baseballs to the fans at PNC Park Sunday. This may be the final year for the Buccos shortstop.
Philip G. Pavely/Tribune-Review file

In the worst season of Jack Wilson's career, this may be his final week in a Pirates uniform.

It began with a calf injury that cost him six weeks of the season. Later, he missed a week with a sore shoulder. Wilson has not played shortstop since Aug. 31, when a bad-hop grounder fractured his index finger.

Any chance the Pirates had of finishing at .500 evaporated in July, when Jason Bay and Xavier Nady were traded. Wilson likely will be the next veteran out the door as management continues to reshape the roster this offseason.

"There's probably a good chance they'll want to go in another direction (at shortstop)," Wilson said. "It's been on my mind a lot. I'm preparing either way."

Some players have been swallowed up by the Pirates' 16-year run of losing, the contstant turnover among players and management and all of the empty seats at PNC Park.

Yet, Wilson refuses to crumble. He is the joie de vivre of the clubhouse, always quick with a grin. But, until now, he has never fully explained why.

"I choose to live positively," Wilson said. "I went through a lot of tragic stuff early in my life that kind of transformed me into being a positive person."

When he was between the ages of 9-18, Wilson had to deal with the sudden deaths of four cousins, all of whom were younger than 22. Also, an uncle died after a long illness.

"I didn't understand. I was a kid," Wilson said. "You ask, why them? What did they do? You question things."

Afraid of the answers, and angry when confronted with the questions, Wilson went into a shell. He admits he was "a terrible kid" in his later teen years, using sports as an escape and avoiding his family.

"Meeting my wife and finding Jesus is what turned me around," Wilson said.

By 2003, Wilson was in his third season with the Pirates. But, he said, he still was letting the ups and downs of baseball affect his family life.

Wilson's wife, Julie, comes from a devoutly Christian family. They were not thrilled by his me-first attitude, but they did not push him away. Slowly, they won him over.

Wilson was baptized before the 2004 season. It may not be a coincidence that he put up career-best stats that year and was the Pirates' All-Star rep.

Because of his sports celebrity status, Wilson sometimes is uncomfortable doing a testimony -- publicly describing how his faith changed his life -- at church gatherings.

"I'll listen to other people and think, 'Wow, I didn't have it as bad as him,' " Wilson said. "You really have to feed off knowing that every day is special. No matter what your situation is, it's not nearly as bad as someone else's."

Wilson has tried to be an example to others who have gone through childhood trauma.

"I try to really enjoy life, because it's a gift," Wilson said. "I like playing in Pittsburgh. I like the fans. I like the area where I'm raising my children. Those things are what I see when I look back at my eight years here. You can choose to be miserable and focus on the losing, focus on the negative things that happen. But that's not the way I want to live."

Sunday's home finale may have been Wilson's farewell at PNC Park. He began the day with a game of checkers against good friend Freddy Sanchez.

The crowd gave Wilson a long standing ovation when he was announced as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning. He singled to left field, sparking even louder cheers.

"The best moment of my career," Wilson said.

If Wilson is traded this winter, it won't be because his skills have eroded. He's batting .274, although his power numbers (one home run, 18 doubles) were dragged down by his injuries.

This season, Wilson's zone rating -- the percentage of balls fielded by a player in his typical defensive zone -- is .850. His glovework has been better than that of Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Stephen Drew, Edgar Renteria, J.J. Hardy, Jhonny Peralta, Michael Young, Hanley Ramirez and Troy Tulowitzky.

"What Jack does on the field gets overlooked a lot," Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "I've played with (Rafael) Furcal and Renteria, and I think Jack's the best shorstop I've ever played with.

"He's got range, he's got an arm; he's just got a knack and a feel for the game. He quietly saves a lot of runs over there. If he does (go), it will be really tough to replace him -- really tough."

Rob Biertempfel can be reached at rbiertempfel@tribweb.com or 412-320-7811.

Holding it down

Most games played at shortstop for the Pirates:

Player, Years with Pirates, Games

1. Honus Wagner (1900-17) - 1,887
2. Arky Vaughn (1932-41) - 1,381
3. Dick Groat (1952, 1955-62) - 1,242
4. Jay Bell (1989-96) - 1,103
5. Jack Wilson (2001-present) - 1,054
6. Gene Alley (1963-73) - 977

Steelers exposed by Eagles' defense

By John Harris
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Monday, September 22, 2008


PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 21: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is sacked by Mike Patterson #98 of the Philiadelphia Eagles during the first half on September 21, 2008 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles won 15-6.(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA -- Clueless confusion.

Sunday wasn't the best of times for the Steelers' moribund offense. It started early and ineffectively when Willie Parker rushed for minus-1 yards each time on three of his first four carries. It ended painfully late with a harried Ben Roethlisberger departing after hurting his throwing hand and leaving backup Byron Leftwich to clean up what was left of a 15-6 thrashing at the capable hands of the Philadelphia Eagles at raucous Lincoln Financial Field.

It was the Steelers first loss of the season, and it was as ugly as the final score was deceptively close.

Steelers' players, particularly Roethlisberger and members of his offensive line, wore the same deer-in-the-headlights expression that was last seen two years ago when Baltimore Ravens linebacker Bart Scott planted Roethlisberger in the turf following a vicious sack.

Not since the 2006 season have the Steelers appeared so thoroughly incapable of preventing the other team from pounding their quarterback or producing anything remotely resembling a legitimate NFL offense.

Indeed, it was the worst of times for the Steelers offense.

Nine sacks, only 180 total yards, no touchdowns and a lot of tough talk in the locker room about this maybe being the best thing in the long run for the Steelers.


PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 21: Brian Dawkins #20 of the Philadelphia Eagles dives and knocks the football out of the hands of Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half on September 21, 2008 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles won 15-6.(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

"We're going to build on this game. Just watch," said Parker, who was held to 20 yards rushing after producing back-to-back 100-yard games to open the season.

No loss is ever a good loss. Not even when the Steelers defense played another strong game and gave the offense a chance - albeit a slim one -- at victory in the fourth quarter.

That's all that a team can ask. But it was too much to ask from the Steelers offense.

"We knew coming in what kind of game it was going to be," Parker said. "We just didn't stand up. We didn't do nothing well at all."

If you're Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, the scary thing about yesterday's performance was that the Steelers appeared to lose their poise for the first time under his watch.

Tomlin wasn't around for the debacle in Baltimore two years ago. This was his first true glimpse at how his team performs under serious duress on the road. And it was his first look this season at how the Steelers responded to an opponent with a winning record.

For all of the hype surrounding the Steelers' first two victories, these facts are irrefutable: The Houston Texans, the Steelers' Week One victims, are 0-2.


Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Trent Cole sacks Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008, in Philadelphia. Cole was called for a facemask penalty (AP).

The Cleveland Browns, 10-6 losers to the Steelers last week, are 0-3.

Following yesterday's win over the 2-1 Steelers, Philadelphia is 2-1 with a close loss to Dallas blemishing its record.

On the road, against a winning team, all of the Steelers' warts were exposed for the entire NFL to probe and examine under a Petri dish.

Yesterday's performance may indeed only be a blip on the radar. A turnaround win next week against Baltimore and this loss to the Eagles will be buried and forgotten, as it should be.

Time will tell if yesterday's setback was an aberration or a true barometer for how the Steelers will perform against the better teams in the league. With many of the league's elite teams on their schedule in the coming weeks, the Steelers will find out soon enough exactly where they stand.

John Harris is a sports writer for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached at jharris@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.

Effort by defense wasted

The Steelers lost as an offense of about two dozen, not as a team of 53

By Bob Smizik
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/steelers/
Monday, September 22, 2008


Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Ben Roethlisberger is sacked by the Eagles' Juqua Parker.

PHILADELPHIA -- Mike Tomlin likes to talk about the Steelers winning with 53 men and losing with 53 men. Such talk is nothing but the purest of coachspeak -- words that might sound good but often make little sense and are used mainly to foster a sense of team unity. Tomlin stuck with them yesterday although it was clear that in this particular game that old bromide didn't come close to applying.

"We didn't win,'' Tomlin said following a 15-6 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. "We lost as 53.''

Not so.

The Steelers lost as an offense of about two dozen, not as a team of 53. The members of the offensive unit were manhandled by the Eagles. They were outmuscled, outhustled, outhit and outsmarted -- to say nothing of being outcoached.

After the game, members of the offensive unit spoke of "not being on the same page.'' They were so far from being cohesive it was more like they weren't in the same book or the same library.

Not only did the Eagles stop quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 13 of 25 passes for 131 yards, they thoroughly silenced the Steelers' running game. The Steelers ran 19 times for 33 yards. After two 100-yard games, Willie Parker got 20 yards on 13 carries.


Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Troy Polamalu and Bryant McFadden stop the Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson.

Consequently, it would be grossly unfair to blame any portion of this defeat on the defensive unit, which more than held up its end of the deal. The defense limited the Eagles to 15 points, 16 first downs and 260 yards. That should win most games, particularly considering the might of the Steelers offense. But at Lincoln Financial Field yesterday, it got them nothing.

This was one game in which Roethlisberger, as is his custom, did not give credit to his offensive linemen. If he had, the assembled media surrounding him might have doubled over in laughter. The offensive linemen left Roethlisberger as fair game to an Eagles onslaught that never stopped. Steelers quarterbacks were sacked nine times, with Roethlisberger going down on eight of them. It easily could have been 12 or more if Roethlisberger hadn't eluded tacklers or managed to make it across the line of scrimmage before being tackled after fleeing the pocket.

Seldom, if ever, has a Steelers offensive line been so badly outplayed. The Steelers coaches and players could not adjust to the defensive schemes of the Eagles and when they did the players were physically overmatched.

With no linemen to praise, Roethlisberger said the only nice thing he could:

"The defense was the reason were able to stay close. They gave us a chance to win the game.''

What was particularly heartening for the defense is it stopped what had been a prolific offense led by one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The Eagles had averaged 37.5 points in their first two games. To hold them to less than half of that was remarkable. Quarterback Donovan McNabb led the Eagles on a 13-play, 85-yard drive on their second possession and did little else the remainder of the game.


Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Byron Leftwich is sacked by the Eagles Juqua Parker and Darren Howard.

The Eagles played most of the final three quarters without running back Brian Westbrook, who is vital to their offense. But when he was in the game he managed only 12 yards on five carries and did not catch a pass.

"Overall, I thought we really played well,'' said inside linebacker Larry Foote, who was credited with 11/2 sacks.

It was a wasted effort, though. It should have been good enough for a win, instead it was part of a game that put a whole different slant on the season.

When the Steelers play Baltimore at Heinz Field in a week, it will be the Ravens who will be undefeated (2-0) and in first place in the AFC North Division. The gaping lead the Steelers opened over Cleveland, which was expected to be their toughest rival in the North, means nothing. With the Ravens beating Cleveland yesterday -- more soundly than the Steelers did -- they suddenly have the look of the team to beat in the division.

In circumstances like those of yesterday, it's always good to dredge up another old bromide: A team is never as good as it looks in a great victory and never as bad as it looks in bad defeat.

That definitely applies to the Steelers. They are not as bad as they played against the Eagles. The first two games, albeit against lesser opponents, were not mirages. The 10 wins from a year ago count for something. Adjustments will have to be made and the players will have to handle those adjustments and should.

On a day when the former AFC elite, New England and Indianapolis, lost to previously winless teams, the Steelers loss doesn't look all that outrageous.

It's the NFL: Anything can happen and usually does.

Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com.
First published on September 22, 2008 at 12:00 am

Coaches need to take some heat

By Ron Cook
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
Monday, September 22, 2008


Peter Diana / Post-Gazette

Ben Roethlisberger is sacked by the Eagles' Juqua Parker.

PHILADELPHIA -- The worst part wasn't the 15-6 loss or the nine sacks by the Philadelphia Eagles or the fact the Steelers' offense could have played the game all night and still not threatened to score a touchdown.

The worst part yesterday was that the Steelers didn't have a clue what hit them at Lincoln Financial Field.

I'm talking about the players, sure. All of the offensive guys -- everybody from the quarterback to the running backs to the wide receivers and tight ends to the poor, beleaguered offensive linemen -- were truly awful.

But make sure you don't overlook the contributions to this sporting nightmare from Mike Tomlin and his Steelers coaches. They couldn't have had a more rotten game.

Where were the adjustments to Philadelphia's all-out blitzing defense? Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is good, but he shouldn't be that much smarter than Tomlin and his guys.

Where were the draw plays and screen passes and quick, three-step-drop passes that slow down a pass rush and beat a blitzing defense? Did Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians call more than one or two all day?

"We didn't have any answers for what they were doing," wide receiver Hines Ward said.

The man wasn't being critical. He merely was telling the hard truth.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens -- make that the AFC North Division's first-place Baltimore Ravens -- are home licking their chops. They can't wait to take their shots at Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger Monday night at Heinz Field.

"Baltimore has their own stuff," Steelers guard Kendall Simmons said. "But I can promise you, they'll add some of this stuff, too."

Why not after the way Johnson exposed the Steelers' offense?

The Eagles didn't blitz nearly as much in their first two games -- they didn't get a sack in their 41-37 loss to the Dallas Cowboys last Monday night -- and clearly caught the Steelers off guard.

Again, shame on Tomlin and his coaches.


Peter Diana / Post-Gazette

Willie Parker is stopped by the Eagles line backer Stewart Bradley.

"Our guys were getting rattled out there," Ward said. "You end up doing a lot of thinking. You don't know if you're blocking the right guy or doing the right thing. That's when you end up losing your technique. It can turn into a long day in a hurry."

The longest, actually.

You think it hurt to watch Roethlisberger drop back to pass? Imagine how it pained him. He was sacked eight times, a number that easily could have been 12 or even 15 if not for an offside penalty on the Eagles, a couple of Roethlisberger scrambles for minimal yards and the fact he threw away a few passes just as the Eagles were knocking him into next week.

As bad as the day was for Roethlisberger -- he lost two fumbles, threw an interception and took a safety -- it could have been much worse. He left immediately for the locker room after taking that eighth sack late in the game when his right hand was stepped on. X-rays showed no broken bones.

The truth?

Big Ben was lucky to be able to walk to the team bus.

What's surprising is that backup quarterback Byron Leftwich willingly went into the game. If he had told Tomlin, "No thanks, coach, not today," and begged off for safety reasons, no one would have blamed him.

Of course, Leftwich was sacked, too.

Tell the truth.

You want the Steelers to trade for new offensive linemen, don't you?

Those guys always are easy to blame and they certainly aren't exempt from criticism. Tomlin said there were times they were "beaten" on their blocks. There also was a false-start penalty on tackle Willie Colon and two on guard Chris Kemoeatu as well as holding penalties on Colon and Kemoeatu that were declined.

But it's flat wrong to just finger the big fellas.

Roethlisberger and his receivers didn't do a very good job reading the blitzes and making the Eagles pay for bringing so many so often. "There were plays to be made out there and we didn't make them. The skilled people, I'm talking about," running back Willie Parker said.

And I keep wanting to go back to Tomlin and the coaches. They did nothing to help the linemen and Roethlisberger. The running game wasn't very good -- Parker had just 20 yards on 13 carries after gaining more than 100 yards in each of the first two games -- but Arians didn't give it much chance.

"I was surprised," Eagles defensive end Trent Cole said. "They came out passing and I was just like, 'Wow! This is going to be fun.'"


Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Marvell Smith and Chris Kemoeatu hang their heads on the sidelines.

For him and his Eagles buddies, maybe.

Not so much for Simmons and his bunch.

"It was 10-6 in the fourth quarter and the feeling on our sideline was like we were down 28-3," Simmons said. "That isn't right, man ...

"I'm going to bite my tongue. All I'm going to say is they were bringing more people than we could handle. We can block five or six. But when they bring six or seven or eight people, there's nothing we can do."

You beat that by having Roethlisberger and his receivers make the hot reads. You beat it by getting more out of Parker and the running game. You beat it with those draws and screens. And you beat it by winning the one-on-one blocks.

One lousy game doesn't have to ruin a season.

"Oh, we can get it fixed," Simmons said. "We definitely can get it fixed."

By Monday night, hopefully.

Any later than that might be too late for Roethlisberger.

Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com
First published on September 22, 2008 at 12:00 am

Effort? No questions about Pirates after 15-8 rout

LaRoche's two home runs, Doumit's tiebreaker in eighth bury Dodgers

By Dejan Kovacevic
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
Thursday, September 18, 2008


Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

Adam LaRoche follows through after hitting a grand slam off Dodgers starting pitcher Chad Billingsley in the fifth inning last night at PNC Park.

Whatever fate would befall the Pirates last night at PNC Park, manager John Russell promised a few hours beforehand, it would not be from a lack of effort.

As he told reporters at his daily news gathering, "I suspect these guys will come out with a new attitude, a little bit more fire."

Fire?

Try an inferno.

Adam LaRoche's two home runs included a grand slam, Ryan Doumit's two-run shot broke a tie in an eight-run seventh-inning, every starting position player had at least one hit, and the Pirates outlasted -- and, yes, outhustled -- the Los Angeles Dodgers for a 15-8 annihilation that had the crowd of 11,833 cheering throughout.

It was all quite the turnaround, to say the least.

The previous night, utilityman Doug Mientkiewicz called his team's showing in a lackadaisical 6-2 loss "embarrassing" and wondered aloud why so many teammates had bolted the clubhouse so quickly afterward.

This time, the mood shifted 180 degrees after a season-high scoring output in which, incredibly, 14 of the 15 runs came after two outs and, more incredibly, the final 12 came with two outs and no one aboard.

"I thought it was great," Russell replied when asked a second consecutive night about the effort. "They bounced back. These guys have been through a lot this year, and they've always shown the resiliency to do that."

Of the team's spirit, he added, "It was big. Guys were into it."

It was difficult to discern how much Mientkiewicz's callout influenced the process. By several accounts, players read and discussed the comments, but there was no special meeting, no extra workout, nothing out of the ordinary save a few extra questions for Russell.

He responded mostly by pointing to Mientkiewicz's fiery nature.

"Dougie's an emotional guy," Russell said. "He takes things to heart, and I don't fault Doug for being passionate about the game. If you catch him in a moment after the game where he's still hot, the frustration will come out."

Russell added that he rejects the notion -- one Mientkiewicz did not specifically state -- that the Pirates have given up on the season.

"As far as seeing the club quit, as far as throwing the towel in, no, I don't see that. When you play games like that one, from the outside looking in, it's kind of easy to point that finger. But these guys have really fought."

Leadoff man Nyjer Morgan set the Pirates' pace -- or changed it, perhaps -- with a hustling double to open the game, and the offense was on its way.

LaRoche's first home run off Chad Billingsley led off the fourth and pulled the Pirates within 4-3.

In the fifth, all after two outs, they got two singles and -- in a positive sign for a previously impatient lineup -- Doumit worked a walk after an 0-2 count to load the bases. LaRoche was next, and he crushed Billingsley's one-strike fastball into the center-field landscaping for his third career grand slam and a sudden 7-4 lead.

LaRoche's home run total is at 22, second-highest total of his career, and his five RBIs raised his September total to 21, second-highest in the National League.

"I feel good right now," LaRoche said. "Really good."

The Dodgers scored off Zach Duke -- five-plus innings, five runs, 11 hits -- in the sixth, then one each off T.J. Beam and John Grabow to tie, 7-7, through seven.


Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

Ryan Doumit greets Adam LaRoche after hitting a grand slam off Dodgers starting pitcher Chad Billingsley in the fifth inning last night at PNC Park.

But the Pirates erupted for that eight-run seventh that was their most productive inning of the season and, again, all after two outs.

Nate McLouth walked off fresh reliever Scott Elbert, and Doumit lasered a 2-1 fastball into the bleachers for his 14th home run and a 9-7 lead.

"Didn't think about it," Doumit said. "Just hit it."

Next came six consecutive hits, including Andy LaRoche's two-run single, Mientkiewicz's pinch-hit triple for another run, Jason Michaels' RBI single and two misplays by the Los Angeles defense that served to sharpen this role reversal.

After Mientkiewicz slid into third, he leaped to his feet and smacked his hands together, drawing one of the evening's loudest roars.

He did not do interviews after this one -- "I didn't do anything. Talk to everyone else" -- but his upbeat demeanor in the clubhouse spoke volumes.
"He's the guy," Doumit said from the stall next to Mientkiewicz's. "He leads with his words and by example. He loves the game. He's passionate about it. He wants to win. He knows the right way to go about his business. And guys know that. Guys follow that."

Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com.
First published on September 18, 2008 at 12:00 am

Overview
Roster
Stats
Schedule/Results

Today

Game: Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 12:35 p.m., PNC Park

Radio: WPGB-FM (104.7).

Pitching: LHP Paul Maholm (9-8, 3.68) vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw (4-5, 4.41).

Key matchup: Kershaw, a 20-year-old drafted three slots behind the Pirates?? Brad Lincoln in the first round of 2006, currently is the youngest player in Major League Baseball and has 88 strikeouts in his first 96 innings.

Of note: Of the National League's 46 pitchers qualified for the ERA title, Maholm ranks 18th, Zach Duke 41st and Ian Snell 46th.

Polamalu regains game-changing ability

By Scott Brown
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Wednesday, September 17, 2008


Steelers safety Troy Polamalu returns an interception to end the first half against the Browns Sunday in Cleveland.
Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review file

Troy Polamalu has intercepted a pass in each of the Steelers' first two games. Just don't suggest to the apparently superstitious strong safety that he is close to starting a meaningful streak in that department.

"You don't talk to pitchers about no-hitters, right?" Polamalu said with a grin. "You just can't talk about it."

With apologies to Polamalu, his two interceptions are two more than he had last season, and they are a reflection of two things: a more aggressive approach that the defensive backs are taking this season and a return to health by the most dynamic player on the Steelers' defense.

Polamalu is 100 percent after battling a number of injuries and missing eight games the past two seasons. His teammates got a chance to fully appreciate what he can do when healthy when they watched film of their 10-6 win over the Browns.

On one play, Polamalu timed the snap perfectly and leaped over both lines, sabotaging a Browns run and showing yet again that few players in the NFL are as disruptive as the four-time Pro Bowler.

"He's playing at a high level, but he's healthy and I think that's always got something to do with it," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "You can tell that Troy is healthy. I like him healthy."

Not only is Polamalu healthy, he is fresh, ironically enough, because of an injury.

The 5-foot-10, 207-pound strong safety missed all of training camp with a hamstring problem. Given the kind of burst he has shown in the Steelers' first two games, it looks like Polamalu benefited from not taking part in the grueling practices held in often sweltering weather at St. Vincent College.

"We're 2-0, I'm healthy right now, so I guess I wouldn't want to change a thing," Polamalu said.

Polamalu is one of several game-changers the Steelers have on defense. What sets him apart is his closing speed, that can be breathtaking.

"He's so fast from Point A to Point B," cornerback Bryant McFadden said. "He goes from 0 to 60 in a second. He's that guy that's always going to be around the ball like you're used to seeing and making critical tackles and making big plays."

The Steelers have already made their share of big plays on defense.

They have four interceptions through two games after picking off 11 passes all of last season.

McFadden, who intercepted Browns quarterback Derek Anderson on Sunday, said the defensive backs have developed a more aggressive mind-set.

That has manifested itself in the three interceptions defensive backs have made (outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley has the team's other interception). The Steelers had just eight interceptions from their secondary last season.

"From a (defensive back's) standpoint, our first emphasis is pretty much not to allow the receiver to catch the ball," McFadden said. "This year, everybody is focusing on if we get in the area, we're trying to pick it off. That's something we've been practicing. We feel like if we catch the ones we get our hands on, we'll be OK."

Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.

Staal ready for next level

By Rob Rossi
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Wednesday, September 17, 2008


Penguins' Jordan Staal (11) hopes to be on the power play this season.
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images file


Jordan Staal is on a power play for Ryan Malone's old gig.

"If I'm playing well, there's no question that I think I should be on the power play," Staal said Tuesday after the Penguins were examined at UPMC Center for Sports Medicine.

"I can be that kind of player."

Staal could spend much of training camp -- opening practice is slated for 9 a.m. today at Mellon Arena -- doing his best impersonation of Malone, who last season thrived as left wing on a line centered by Evgeni Malkin and in front of the net on the top power-play unit.

Coach Michel Therrien said Staal "has the potential" to make up for the loss of Malone, who signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay over the summer.

"We've got to find a guy to replace Malone," Therrien said. "You look at our lineup ... (Staal) has the experience to play on the left side and the size and skill to play up front on the power play, so it's something we might try during camp to see how he fits."

Those words do not guarantee Staal anything -- "I'm never afraid to make changes if I have to, as (everybody) probably knows by now," Therrien said -- but they do put Staal's opportunity into perspective.

Staal, an impending restricted free agent, said he will "play wherever" in the final season of his entry-level contract. But his focus is clearly set on filling the role left vacated by Malone.

He also is ready to put a second NHL season he previously labeled "disappointing" in his past.

Staal turned 20 last Wednesday, and that number carries a lot of significance. He plans to return to the class of 20-goal scorers and hopes for about that much average ice time.

He scored only 12 times last season -- a 17-goal drop from his surprising offensive output as a rookie the year before, when he played mostly left wing on a line centered by Malkin.

Staal upped his production in the playoffs, with six goals in 20 games, but had no points, six shots and a minus-6 rating in the Stanley Cup final.

Staal has described his chemistry with Malkin as "pretty natural" and would not mind again sharing five-on-five shifts with his fellow 2007 Calder Trophy finalist.

That is not news to anybody within the organization. Staal said last season he does not envision himself as a "third-line guy."

Neither does Therrien. But barring injury, Staal will not replace superstar centers Malkin or Sidney Crosby on the top scoring lines, and Therrien has often praised Staal's defensive work as a penalty killer and last season, a so-called shutdown No. 3 center.

"He's very versatile, so it's a nice problem to have," Therrien said. "I want to keep my options open with Jordan. But if he plays on the top two lines, it will because he has shown he can score goals there and because of his defense."

The Penguins learned first hand in the Stanley Cup final that a scoring line consisting of two natural centers can pay dividends. Detroit's top line is anchored by centers Henrik Zetterberg, the playoff MVP an co-scoring leader, and Pavel Datsyuk, the league's top two-way forward.

"They played so well together," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "I don't know if it was because they were both centers. But both those guys can play anywhere... it was tough to play against.

"It's an obvious advantage they have. It's an advantage we could have."

Rob Rossi can be reached at rrossi@tribweb.com or 412-380-5635.

Crosby has goals

By Joe Starkey
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has his hair done by makeup artist Kaithlin Caridi for the team's picture day.
Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review

Even if his evolution were to suddenly flatline, and he remained the exact same player for the next 15 years, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby would go down as an all-time great.

His points-per-game average of 1.38 would dwarf those of Mark Messier (1.07), Jaromir Jagr (1.26) and Gordie Howe (1.05) and trail only the likes of Wayne Gretzky (1.92), Mario Lemieux (1.88) and Mike Bossy (1.50).

But you just know Crosby is looking to expand.

That's what the greatest of great ones do. They constantly seek to enhance their repertoires. And for all he has accomplished by age 21, Crosby still has plenty of growth potential. He wants to become a better two-way player and penalty killer. His faceoff skills need polish.

Most significant is this: He could be a better goal scorer.

He'll likely need to be, if the Penguins are to get where they want to go. He'll definitely need to be, if he is to claim the title of undisputed best player in the world.

On the eve of Penguins training camp Tuesday, after his physical at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine on the South Side, Crosby considered the numbers I presented to him on a piece of paper. They showed his decreasing goal-scoring output from his first three NHL seasons:

Goals per game:

2005-06: 0.48

2006-07: 0.46

2007-08: 0.45


Power-play goals per game:

2005-06: 0.20

2006-07: 0.17

2007-08: 0.11

Understand, the man already has two seasons of more than 30 goals, which is two more than Peter Forsberg ever had. But the trend is apparent.

"That doesn't surprise me," Crosby said, "because, obviously, I look to pass a little more than I look to shoot - and eventually, the less shots you have, the less chance you have of scoring."

Indeed, Crosby's shots per game the past two years (3.16, 3.26) fell below his rookie average of 3.43. And as Gretzky once said, you don't score on 100 percent of the shots you don't take.

Crosby intends to reverse the trend.

"I want to keep opposing teams on their toes a little bit more," he said, "and be a bit more of a dangerous shooter."

To that end, he has considered trying a curved stick, which can increase shot velocity and overall sniping ability. But it's hard to let go of the straight blade he was weaned on. It makes passing much easier, especially on the backhand.

"I've thought about (using a curve)," Crosby said. "I'm always kind of messing around with different sticks, but the stick I've used, I've used for so long it's pretty difficult to change -- especially in a month-and-a-half."

I wondered if it's fair to say Crosby is less confident in his finishing ability than other parts of his game.

"I don't think less confident. No," he said. "I like my chances around the net. I believe in myself. I know I'm capable of scoring goals. But I also know that a lot of times my first instinct is to pass because that's what's more natural to me. I mean, trying to see the ice, trying to read plays, I'm looking where other guys are. Sometimes I probably should be looking at the net or looking to find a shooting lane.

"I think that's something you have to learn with experience and having that mentality. With time, I'll get better at that."

I don't doubt it, and I'd look at a legendary player from another sport -- Magic Johnson -- as the ideal blueprint.

Johnson, like Crosby, began his career doing things no other player so young had done. His special skill, as with Crosby, was as a distributor.

But in time, as the composition of his team changed, Johnson was called upon to score more. So he refined his post game, developed an outside shot and mastered the art of foul shooting. By his eighth season, he'd upped his scoring average by five points, to a career-high 23.9.

Gretzky is another example. He wasn't a natural sniper in the mold of a Bossy or a Brett Hull, yet he scored more goals than any player in the history of the game. He figured it out.

So must Crosby.

Joe Starkey can be reached at jstarkey@tribweb.com or 412-320-7810.

Penguins' bar rises

By Bob Smizik
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Wednesday, September 17, 2008


Sidney Crosby (Getty Images)

One hundred three days after they skated off the Mellon Arena ice -- a loser to the Detroit Red Wings in six games of the Stanley Cup final but a winner on all other counts -- the Penguins officially reconvened in Pittsburgh yesterday.

It was a short off-season, but no one was complaining.

"That's a good problem to have," said Sidney Crosby, who by turning 21 over the summer officially is no longer Sid the Kid. Of course, even when he was a teenager, Crosby always was The Man for the Penguins.

The team reported for physicals on the South Side in the morning. Blood was drawn, tests were run, bodies were examined. Later in the day, some of the players participated in an optional skate at Mellon Arena. The first practice is this morning; the first exhibition game in four days; the first regular-season game in 18.

The shortness of the preparation period is stunning compared to the NFL and MLB. On this count, the NHL, which often trails the other sports in how it operates, is well out in front. Those leagues would be wise to take a look at how NHL teams prepare for a season and learn from it.

There was good feeling all around as the players met and later stood for interviews. Even losing teams enjoy getting together for the first time after an offseason. Winning teams savor it more. Not only do they remember the good times, they look forward to even better ones.

And so it is with the young Penguins. There are grand expectations for them. Since they reached the Stanley Cup final last season, anything less this season will be a disappointment. Even the team's fans, the most forgiving in this town, might show a touch of anger if the team does not at least duplicate the wondrous ride of last season.

The expectations are well placed. Despite losing top forwards Ryan Malone and Marian Hossa, the Penguins look to be the class of the Eastern Conference. This is the first time there has been such expectations for this group. They came out of nowhere two seasons ago to make the playoffs. The conventional wisdom going into last season was that, although this was a supremely talented team, it might take a step backward before it became a legitimate Cup contender. Few expected the team to do as well as it did.

Such expectations can be daunting, even for talented teams. But the Penguins, although young, seem to have the kind of leadership and dedication that won't falter in the face of these expectations.

In any case, repeating will be difficult. It always is, and it will be determined by an 82-game schedule, not preseason conjecture.

Much has happened in the almost 15 weeks since the Red Wings dashed the hopes of a team and its fans with a 3-2 victory. Malone and Hossa are gone, and the biggest offseason moves were not in attracting new players but in locking up much of the team's core.

There was doses of unbridled optimism, which is as it should be this time of the year.

Defenseman Ryan Whitney, a month removed from foot surgery that will keep him out for three months and possibly longer, gushed over second-year player Kris Letang, who likely will inherit many of his responsibilities.

"Looking at him last year, he was ready," said Whitney. "Seeing him now, it's even more so. He's made the big jump. He looked fantastic when they were skating. I see no surprise in him making a huge step and having a great year."

As always, Crosby set the tone.

One of the major decisions that will come out of this preseason is what coach Michel Therrien will do with third-year center Jordan Staal. He is a superior defensive player and could anchor an excellent checking line. But he also is gifted offensively and, with the team light at wing, could play there beside Evgeni Malkin.

"It's a win-win situation for us no matter where he plays," said Crosby. "If he's on the wing, he complements Geno [Malkin] great. If not, then he's playing center. He's a great centerman and a tough guy to play on both sides of the puck. We can't lose in that situation."

Crosby dispassionately discussed the departure of Hossa, who, after leading people to believe he planned to sign a long-term deal with the Penguins, outraged fans by signing with Detroit.

Asked if he had attempted to persuade Hossa to stay, Crosby said, "I didn't have to persuade him. I saw him before free agency started [July 1] and he was pretty sure he was coming back. It didn't work out that way.

"Honestly, it's behind us. It's over and done with. It has been put behind us, and we're moving on."

It's an exciting time in Pittsburgh sports. The Steelers will have to share the headlines and the TV sports minutes with the Penguins. The town has two championship contenders. It has been a long time since we could say that.

Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com. More articles by this author
First published on September 17, 2008 at 12:00 am

Mientkiewicz calls Pirates' effort 'embarrassing'

Dismal play in every facet leads to 6-2 loss to Los Angeles

By Dejan Kovacevic
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Jeff Karstens: 5 runs, 11 hits in five innings.

Doug Mientkiewicz, fresh off kicking an equipment box in the aftermath of the Pirates' flat-lined 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers last night at PNC Park, went for a brief walk beyond the clubhouse walls, tried to clear his head, then returned to sit at his stall.

The one constant: He never stopped shaking his head.

"I'm probably not the guy to ask right now because I probably won't say ... it's just embarrassing. It really is. You've got three guys who run balls out right now. It's frustrating. Just frustrating. The whole thing is frustrating."

He motioned with his right arm to the rest of the clubhouse, no players left and only a vacuum humming in the opposite corner.
"I mean, look at this place. It's a ghost town."

Another shake of the head.

"I don't know. What are you going to do? Nothing you can do. Just pick up and try again tomorrow, I guess."

With that, Mientkiewicz politely declined to continue the interview.
Which was fine, because not much needed to be said, anyway, that the 12,741 on hand did not witness themselves with the Pirates' worst effort -- and effort is the operative term -- of an already awful season.

"It wasn't good," manager John Russell said when asked of his team's performance. "We gave them three extra runs and couldn't make a routine bunt play. It wasn't very sound for us."

Jeff Karstens was tagged for five runs in as many innings, and he was the one who muffed that bunt play.

Rewind to the second inning ...

Los Angeles' Casey Blake led off with a home run, and the Dodgers kept coming with two singles wrapped around an out. Karstens' mound opponent, Derek Lowe, put down a bunt that Karstens fielded cleanly but threw low to Freddy Sanchez covering at first. Sanchez initially failed to scoop it, but -- as replays conclusively showed -- picked it up before Lowe's foot hit the bag.

"He was out," Sanchez said.

Not in the eye of first base umpire Tim Timmons, who called Lowe safe. Sanchez glared at Timmons and raised his arms, and Mientkiewicz, standing behind Sanchez, did likewise.

Russell never emerged from the dugout to argue, continuing a trend of staying put in all but extreme cases.

His reason this time?

"You hate to argue a routine play," Russell said. "You've got to make that play. It's a play you work on day in, day out. It's just a play that needs to be made."

Russell has been ejected once this season, Aug. 24 in Milwaukee.

Karstens offered no excuses. He would give up 11 hits in losing for the sixth time since those promising first two starts, and his line included a sacrifice fly, an Andre Ethier single and Manny Ramirez double that brought three unearned runs after his error.

"I've got to get it there, regardless if he was out or not after Freddy picked it up," Karstens said. "I should have made the throw right to his chest. We go over those things over and over in spring training and all season."

There was more ...

Lowe's bunt was preceded by Angel Berroa's single through the left side that drew a barely budging attempt by third baseman Andy LaRoche and, in turn, some vocal jeers from the crowd.

LaRoche would hear it again later, when he struck out to end the game for another 0-for-4 night that dropped his average to .169.


Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Center fielder Nate McLouth attempts to corral a ball hit by Los Angeles' Casey Blake as it caroms off the wall last night at PNC Park. Blake wound up with a triple -- one of his three hits.

One more ...

After the Pirates opened the fourth with three singles off Lowe, pulling within 5-1, Brandon Moss bounced directly in front of home plate and, inexplicably, never left the box. That resulted in a 2-6-3 double play that could have been executed by the Dodgers if one of them had strolled to touch each base.

More boos.

This time, Russell emerged and briefly conferred with home plate umpire Jim Reynolds as to whether the ball was fair, but it was evident that it was.

Moss, long known for playing hard, looked crestfallen afterward.

"I thought it was foul, but that's no excuse," Moss said. "It makes not just me but the whole team look bad. And it won't happen again with me. I can guarantee that."

Of Moss, Russell said simply, "He thought it was a foul ball."

What seemed to trouble Russell more was that Nate McLouth, the man at third, never broke for home.

"The very least you want to get out of that situation is a run on the double play," Russell said.

Mercifully for the home side, the game ended in a breezy 2 1/2 hours.

The season, most unfortunately, still has 11 games to go.

Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com.
First published on September 17, 2008 at 12:00 am


Box score
Statistics
Standings

Today

Game: Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 7:05 p.m., PNC Park.

TV/Radio: FSN Pittsburgh, WPGB-FM (104.7).

Pitching: LHP Zach Duke (5-14, 4.84) vs. RHP Chad Billingsley (15-10, 3.02).

Key matchup: Duke has dominated the only three Dodgers with double-digit at-bats against him: Juan Pierre is 3 for 17, Jeff Kent 2 for 14, Rafael Furcal 2 for 13.

Of note: Clutch is not everything: The Pirates have batted .323 with runners in scoring position this month, but are just 6-9.

Roethlisberger shoulders load for Steelers

By John Harris
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/archive/
Tuesday, September 16, 2008

If he did play a near flawless game with a separated shoulder, as was reported during Sunday night's national telecast on NBC, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is a masterful actor.

Roethlisberger shrugged off the unfavorable elements and blocked out the jolts of pain that may or may not have been shooting through his shoulder each time he attempted a pass during the Steelers' 10-6 win at Cleveland Browns Stadium.


Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger gets rid of the ball as he is hit by the Browns' Shaun Rogers Sunday night.

Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review

He ignored winds gusting as strong as 40 mph, swirling rain and a surprisingly stout Cleveland defense.

Despite playing most of the contest with a wet, slippery ball, Roethlisberger completed 12-of-19 passses for 186 yards and a touchdown pass to Hines Ward in the second quarter. He hasn't thrown an interception through the first two weeks of the season.

Glib and upbeat, Roethlisbeger entertained the media during his post-game news conference.

"The shoulder. How does it feel?" Roethlisberger was asked.

"I've still got it," joked Roethlisberger, indicating that his shoulder was still attached to his body.

Questions about Roethlisberger's injury were a topic of discussion immediately following the game.

"Ben, did you separate it last week? They said on television you separated it."

"You have to ask the trainers. I'm not sure," Roethlisberger replied.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stuck up for his battered quarterback like never before, maybe because Roethlisberger has elevated his game to new heights.

"He's hurting pretty bad, but he's a tough character," Tomlin said. "When the rubber met the road, we put the ball in No. 7's hands and he delivered.

"He delivered time and time again."

When the Steelers needed to kill the clock to preserve their four-point lead late in the game, Roethlisberger challenged his teammates.

"Enough talk. Let's just do it," Roethlisberger told them.

Roethlisberger's 48-yard laser to Santonio Holmes into tight coverage to set up a field goal in the third quarter was unfathomable, considering the poor weather conditions and his injury. Yet, Roethlisberger somehow threw the ball to the only place where Holmes could make the catch.

"That's why I went with the glove. I knew I could throw a tighter spiral with the glove," said Roethlisberger, who wore a glove on his passing hand for the first time this season. "I told the receivers before the game, 'I'm just going to put it close and you guys have to make plays for me.' It's the farthest I've thrown the ball in two weeks."

More significant was Roethlisberger's physical reaction to his toss.

"I (feel) great."

As do the 2-0 Steelers.

John Harris is a sports writer for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached at jharris@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.

Steelers' late-game offense with Parker a tough grind on foes

By Ed Bouchette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
Tuesday, September 16, 2008


Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Willie Parker has a couple of sizable escorts leading him into the hole Sunday night against the Browns with 6-5, 321-pound Marvel Smith (77) and 6-3, 344-pound Chris Kemoeatu. Parker has opened the season with consecutive 100-yard games.

Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel's strategy to kick a field goal Sunday night and hope to get the ball again for one final try to win the game might have been a good plan against the Steelers.

Last season, that is.

Crennel had to be confident his defense could thwart the Steelers' attempt to run out the final 3:21 with a four-point lead. After all, the Steelers' offense came up empty enough in similar situations last season.

Sunday night in Cleveland, however, it looked like the old, clock-killing grinding Steelers offense at the end that chewed up all but 26 seconds and left the Browns on their 26.

The Steelers took over at their 31 with 3:21 left after they fielded the kickoff after Phil Dawson's 38-yard field goal closed the gap for Cleveland to 10-6. They ran eight plays, seven of them runs by Willie Parker, before they finally turned the ball over to the Browns with little time to do anything about it.

In similar circumstances last season, most notably their home playoff loss to Jacksonville, the Steelers' offense could not kill the clock and protect a late lead or tie, allowing for two losses to the Jaguars at home, and a loss to the New York Jets in overtime.

That failure prompted coach Mike Tomlin to work on what the Steelers call their four-minute offense, the one that differs from the hurry-up two-minute. The four-minute is designed to put an opponent away and it worked behind Parker to perfection Sunday night in Cleveland.

"Yeah, in the four-minute offense we kind of struggled with it last year," Parker said. "We practiced each and every practice on our four-minute offense this year, and in minicamp and all offseason. We're counting on it being a plus for us this year."

They're 1-0 counting on it.

"That last drive, that's just putting a dagger into a team," Parker said. "For them to know we're going to run the ball and they can't stop it, I have to give a lot of credit to our offensive line. They couldn't stop us, and we did it in the last few minutes."

Parker has done it two games now. He's third in the NFL with 243 yards rushing, and ahead of his fast pace of last season when he had 232 after two games and led the NFL with 1,315 yards after 14 games. His right fibula was broken on his first carry of game 15.

He carried 28 times for 105 yards against the Browns.

"I get into a rhythm knowing I'm getting the rock, keep getting the ball, keep getting the ball," Parker said. "I was hoping to pop one, but I couldn't get everything I want."


Peter Diana / Post-Gazette

Willie Parker tries to run over defensive back Mike Adams Sunday night. The Steelers' four-minute offense, with Parker as the main cog, effectively closed out the 10-6 win.

He did pop an important one on fourth-and-1 in the second quarter, maybe not into the end zone, but it helped ultimately get them there. From Cleveland's 40, Parker hit off right guard and bounced it outside for a 13-yard gain. Four plays later, Ben Roethlisberger threw a third-down pass to Hines Ward for an 11-yard touchdown and a lead they never relinquished.

"I thought Willie ran hard, you know, not the player of the week kind of performance but we'll take it nonetheless," Tomlin said.

And, again, the Steelers coach seems determined to run Parker "until the wheels come off," something he promised last season. Parker's 53 carries are the most by a running back in the NFL. Next is Chicago's Matt Forte with 46.

The idea that rookie Rashard Mendenhall might either take some of the carries away from Parker or even share the load seems to not even be a consideration early in the season.

Mendenhall did not play on offense Sunday night, thus did not have a carry. He carried 10 times in the opener, all but one in the second half; five came in the fourth quarter after Parker bowed out with a 35-3 Steelers lead.

Parker could not explain Mendenhall's inactivity Sunday except that "I really didn't get tired."

"I was kind of surprised, I thought he'd be in there a little bit but we just grinded it out," Parker said.

If he reaches a point where he thinks he needs a break, Parker can take himself out. That did not happen in Cleveland.

"When your number gets called you just have to make a play," he said. "That's what we're here to do as a team, make plays and win games."


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

Beat the Steelers? Here's a novel idea, how about the Browns keep from beating themselves?

by Bud Shaw
Cleveland Plain Dealer
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/
Monday September 15, 2008, 12:33 AM


Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu intercepts a pass in the end zone at the end of the first half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008, in Cleveland.(AP)

For this alleged rivalry to favor the Browns one of these years/decades/centuries (pick the most likely time frame) they might have to play smarter than the Steelers or at least more disciplined.

There's always a catch, I know, but they really should give it a try just once since the dwindling alternatives have dwindled to voodoo dolls of Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu.

Ten snafus in a row -- if you are still counting and aren't lying on a leather couch this morning blubbering to a shrink.

This night of prime-time football at the lakefront was among the most agonizing of the lot and not only because it carried the hope of identifying the Browns to a national audience as the new sheriff in the AFC North.

Sure it did. Say hello to Sheriff Fife.

"This was maybe one of the best games we played against Pittsburgh in a while," Romeo Crennel reasoned. "But we still shot ourselves in the foot."

Crennel fired the one bullet he carries in his pocket late in the game when he went for a field goal to make it 10-6 with 3:21 remaining at the Steelers' 20. His decision not to try to convert a fourth-and-7 there trailing 10-3 wasn't as confounding as last week's field goal that shaved a 28-7 deficit to 28-10 in the fourth quarter.


Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson is sacked by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith (91) in the last seconds of a 10-6 Pittsburgh win in an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008, in Cleveland.(AP)

But the Browns needed a touchdown to at least send the game into overtime before Dawson's kick, and they still needed a touchdown to win after Dawson's kick. Roethlisberger was honest enough to say the decision was "surprising" while Derek Anderson claimed to be "with the boss every time."

Shocking. Also shocking -- that is, if this was the only Browns' game you'd ever seen -- they didn't immediately get the ball back. Or even in a little while.

When the Browns took over on downs, still trailing 10-6, they were on their 26 with 26 seconds remaining and no timeouts. From there, a Benny Hill chase scene featuring the Steelers pass rush in pursuit of Anderson followed.

It's one thing if Crennel were still relying on Bill Belichick's defense to turn possession over to the offense. Since it's his defense, the expected happened. The secondary lost tight end Heath Miller at the worst possible time. Willie Parker protected the ball and swallowed time.

The Steelers elected to run on fourth down instead of kicking a field goal, presumably out of respect for Shaun Rogers' reputation as the Marvin "The Human Eraser" Webster of blocked field goals.

The clock for the Browns remains a distorted timepiece, a Salvadore Dali creation. There were a number of examples for why this team always finds a way to lose to Pittsburgh. The Browns managed to commit even more penalties (10) than the reckless Steelers.

But limiting the conversation to those wouldn't do the happenings of Sunday night true justice.


CLEVELAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a fourth quarter pass while avoiding the rush of Alex Hall #96 and D'Qwell Jackson #52 of the Cleveland Browns on September 14, 2008 at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Pittsburgh won the game 10-6. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Crennel trusted his defense at the end of the game and the offense at the end of the first half. Both let him down, Anderson most spectacularly of all with a red zone interception. A field goal at least makes it 7-3.

Hanging Crennel for the field goal at the end takes too much of the glare off Braylon Edwards' awful start to 2008 and the fact the Browns rushed for all of 53 yards.

In the last three "rivalry" games, the Steelers have outrushed the Browns, 482-139. That's the most telling proof that things still aren't close, no matter how a late field goal made it seem.

Kemoeatu making some forget about Faneca

By John Harris
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Monday, September 15, 2008

CLEVELAND -- It is becoming a welcome sight for the Steelers' offense, almost as common and comforting as a Ben Roethlisberger touchdown pass:

Left guard Chris Kemoeatu pulling swiftly and violently to his right, clearing a path the size of a Deluxe Double Egg and Cheese Primanti Brothers sandwich and escorting Willie Parker to daylight.

Kemoeatu made his mark in the season opener against the Houston Texans, turning his massive frame upfield and bowling over a helpless defensive back as he delivered a knockout block.

He did it again in the second quarter Sunday night against the Cleveland Browns on what might have been the biggest play of the game.

Faced with fourth-and-1 from the Cleveland 40-yard line, the Steelers' offensive didn't flinch.

A 57-yard Jeff Reed field-goal attempt in swirling winds was too long and risky. A Mitch Berger punt so deep in Browns' territory was out of the question.

Better to call Parker's number and hide him behind Kemoeatu.

Make no mistake, all of the Steelers' offensive linemen did their part on Parker's big run. Kemoeatu, however, stole the show.

Following a convoy of one - Kemoeatu -- Parker ran right and ran hard for 13 yards - 12 more than needed.

It was a symbolic play for the Steelers and a firm show of confidence in the offensive line, one that could bode favorably as the season deepens.

For his part, Kemoeatu executed another one of his trademark look-out blocks. Technically, however, he didn't actually block anyone. Then again, he didn't have to.

As he pulled, Kemoeatu sealed off an area on the right side of the line, effectively clearing a running lane for Parker. Parker ran all the way to the Cleveland 27 before he was stopped.

A few plays later, Roethlisberger drilled an 11-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward for a 7-0 lead. If not for Kemoeatu's block and Parker's run, the score would not have been possible.

It is easy to overlook Kemoeatu's contributions, much easier than it is to overlook the man, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 344 pounds.

His job was made more difficult because of the player he replaced. Alan Faneca manned left guard for the Steelers with distinction. So far, Kemoeatu has been nothing short of proficient.

He has been everything the Steelers could have hoped for from a former sixth-round draft pick who started two games prior to this season.

Playing guard - especially left guard - for the Steelers is no joke. Thanks to the high standard set by Faneca, every bad play is magnified while every good play is taken for granted.

Kemoeatu is far from a finished product. His pass-blocking needs polishing, which is common among nearly all offensive linemen.

Kemoeatu's run-blocking is what sets him apart from the ordinary. He's already shown himself more than adequate at clearing holes for Steelers running backs. But it's his ability as a pulling guard that should excite Steelers fans for years to come.

During a key moment in last night's second quarter, Kemoeatu again showed why the Steelers didn't leap to re-sign Faneca. As a result, their faith in Kemoeatu continues to grow.

John Harris is a sports writer for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached at jharris@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.

History doesn't lie in Browns-Steelers matchups

By Gene Collier
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/steelers/
Monday, September 15, 2008


James farrior (51) and Larry Foote (50) stop the Browns' Jamal Lewis
Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

CLEVELAND -- The drive that Cleveland spent all night looking as though it couldn't possibly manage started with a little screen pass to little Jerome Harrison, the suspect 5-foot-9, third-down solution who chugged it 23 manic yards through a Steelers defense that had been, to that point, virtually impenetrable.

But you knew something was up, something untoward was cooking, when Derek Anderson's short pass to Kellen Winslow got tipped straight up in a collision with Troy Polamalu, and on the instantly ensuing jump-ball, Winslow came down with it for 11 more yards to the Pittsburgh 46.

And when Anderson, who couldn't seem to find a clutch throw anywhere in his shaggy trick bag, converted a third-and-7 to Syndric Steptoe and a second third-and-7 to Braylon Edwards right in front of Steelers corner Ike Taylor, it began to look as though the Browns could not only score without porfolio, but score twice.

All this late in a desperate fourth quarter.

Three plays later, Anderson tried a third-down strike to Edwards again, but Bryant McFadden busted it up to give Browns coach Romeo Crennel something to think about with three and half minutes remaining last night and his rickety offense trailing by a touchdown.

Crennel didn't think long.

"I just felt I needed to get some points on the board there," Crennel said in the losing interview room -- you'll excuse the redundancy. "I wanted to give my defense a chance to get the ball back."

So he sent Phil Dawson onto the soggy lawn at Cleveland Browns Stadium to whump a resoundingly unpopular field goal that merely sliced Pittsburgh's lead to 10-6.

Yeah, the Browns had all their timeouts left, and yeah, Ben Roethlisberger and his offensive teammates maybe weren't playing the best game of their lives, but hadn't Crennel already seen a half-dozen of these Steelers-Browns pantomimes?

Could he ignore all this history?

He was 0-6 in 'em, and somehow he thought the Browns had a last-second touchdown in them?

That's a triumph of human confidence right there, but more likely on Cleveland yak-radio it'll get portrayed as a evidence of galloping lunacy.

"If they score seven there, that's a difference maker," McFadden said. "If they take a field goal, we feel that field goals can't beat us. It's gratifying to hold a great offensive team like this without a touchdown."


Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Willie Parker picks up first down against the Browns in the second quarter.

It had only taken an hour and 25 minutes after the national anthem ended for the Browns to cross midfield last night, a stirring accomplishment for Northern Ohio that coincided with the news that Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel would not be back on the field after a first-quarter calf injury.

So with Keisel out most of the night, McFadden sitting in at left corner for Deshea Townsend and the Cleveland offense operating in the second and fourth quarters with a wind gusting up to 60 miles per hour at its back, the Browns soared to all of ... six points.

McFadden set up the only Steelers touchdown with an interception late in the second quarter, the first of the game's nine possessions to that point that did not end in a punt. The fourth-year corner from Florida State went stride-for-stride with Braylon Edwards down the right sideline, turned at precisely the right instant and sent the Steelers the other way.

"They were running a lot of comeback routes," McFadden explained, "but with Braylon, if he's running deep, you know they're looking for him. I just got my head around in time."

With meteorological elements portending a low-scoring game in this freshest re-enactment of an ancient NFL rivalry, the Steelers defense had something more dramatic in mind: the no-scoring game.

That idea got vetoed by, of all people, defensive captain James Farrior, whose inexplicably uncharacteristic taunting penalty set the Browns up at Steelers' 11 late in the third quarter. From that point, the Browns drove smartly backward to the 13, from where Dawson plunked home the field goal that put his awful offense on the board for the first time in almost 44 minutes of game clock.

No matter.

McFadden picked off one Derek Anderson pass, Polamalu intercepted another three yards from his own end zone just before the half and Pittsburgh's consistently superb defense strangled the tormented Browns to take a two-game lead in the AFC North after exactly, uh, two games.

Polamalu made a violent opening statement for the national TV audience and a wind-slashed, rain-pelted crowd of Clevelanders when he torpedoed Jamal Lewis in his own backfield on the game's first play from scrimmage. That appeared to plunge the Browns into a rut that included three consecutive three-and-outs, during which a couple of themes had their origination.

First, safety Ryan Clark began to abuse Kellen Winslow, banging into him on a crossing route that seemed to discourage similar route-taking in the later stages. Further, Larry Foote slammed into Lewis in the open field to the right of Cleveland's formation, turning what looked like a potential breakaway into a pratfall of a 2-yard-gain for the veteran running back.

Keisel got hurt on the first Browns possession that resulted in an actual first down and was capably replaced thereafter by Travis Kirschke and Nick Eason.

The Browns, with one final chance with 26 second left, couldn't move an inch.

A lone voice in the mist screamed, "Kick a field goal!"

Gene Collier can be reached at gcollier@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1283.
First published on September 15, 2008 at 12:32 am