Steelers coaches live in their fears with game plan

By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-steelers-coaches-live-in-their-fears-with-game-plan/
September 23, 2019

It’s difficult to blood a second-year quarterback into starting duties, especially when it wasn’t supposed to happen this way.

Mason Rudolph isn’t proceeding on the expected timetable. Rudolph is deputizing for future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger because of the latter’s season-ending injury.

Rudolph is a third-round pick. It was hoped he wouldn’t have to assume the Steelers’ QB job until Roethlisberger’s contract expires after the 2021 season.

It always was going to be hard when Rudolph assumed the helm. He’s done nothing in his six quarters of NFL football to make anyone believe he can’t grow into the job. The Steelers’ gameplan, understandably, is designed to protect him.

But there’s a fine line between protecting Rudolph and living in your fears. We saw that Sunday at San Francisco, and it helped cost the Steelers the game.

The Steelers got two first-quarter turnovers in 49ers territory. Conventional wisdom says you take a shot at the end zone while the other team is reeling.

The Steelers didn’t.

After T.J. Watt’s interception gave the Steelers the ball on San Francisco’s 33 after just 73 seconds, Rudolph threw three short passes that netted 5 yards. The Steelers played it safe to make sure of getting a field goal.

They did. But winning in today’s NFL isn’t about scoring three points at a time.

Then, Minkah Fitzpatrick’s interception put the Steelers on the 49ers’ 24 after 10 minutes, 16 seconds was played. Same thing: three short passes, a run, a scramble and a field goal.

If Roethlisberger is playing, the Steelers lead 14-0 or 10-0 after that sequence.

It’s the first quarter. You’ve got to take shots. Have faith in Rudolph, because right now you’ve got no choice. Rudolph didn’t look scared. He seemed anything but.

But the coaches were scared on his behalf, and that did damage.

The Steelers led 6-0 after one quarter. They got two more turnovers in the second quarter but led just 6-3 at halftime. They finished with five takeaways but lost 24-20. The 49ers got two takeaways, converting theirs into 14 points.

How the heck do you get five takeaways and throw touchdown passes of 76 and 39 yards but still lose the game? (Even stranger, Rudolph’s only two completions beyond the line of scrimmage were those TD throws.)

The Steelers’ defense mostly got shredded, allowing 436 total yards. Fitzpatrick showed a nose for the ball, but the prior problems remain.

Too many good players aren’t playing well enough: Joe Haden and Cam Heyward are disappointing. The inexperience of Devin Bush and Terrell Edmunds is understandable but frustrating. Mark Barron was eviscerated on San Francisco’s winning drive. Bud Dupree’s contribution was minimal despite lining up against a rookie left tackle making his first NFL start. (Has Dupree forgotten he’s playing for a contract?)

Same goes on offense, where the heralded offensive line continues to struggle. Both tackles spin like revolving doors. JuJu Smith-Schuster was on the receiving end of a 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown but was mostly invisible, grabbing just two other balls for 5 yards. James Conner got just 43 yards on 13 carries and had a soul-crushing fourth-quarter fumble that led to San Francisco’s winning touchdown.

Conner’s rushing totals are partly excused by the Steelers too often lining up in the shotgun and giving him sidecar handoffs which see him get the ball flat-footed and rob him of his power. But there’s no absolving Conner for his crucial cough-up.

Stupid idiots like me crowed about “addition by subtraction” when Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown hit the bricks, and it’s still good they’re gone (as witnessed by Bell’s mini-meltdown and Brown’s major insanity on Twitter yesterday).

But Conner and Smith-Schuster have to step up to make those departures palatable. Conner did last year but not so far this season. Smith-Schuster has made two big plays in three games but otherwise has disappeared. (He did yell, “Get me the (bleeping) ball” after his TD reception. He’ll be a No. 1 receiver in no time.)

That said, Bell and Brown don’t win that game at San Francisco without Roethlisberger. He made them. That’s apparent now and only will become more so.

This season is going down the drain at a rate that could make that deal for Fitzpatrick a disaster unless Fitzpatrick puts a bunch of All-Pro campaigns together. Miami bet on the Steelers imploding when they picked their trade partner for Fitzpatrick. What if that swap nets the Dolphins a top-five pick?

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Ben Roethlisberger’s injury tops long list of Steelers’ problems

By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-ben-roethlisbergers-injury-tops-long-list-of-steelers-problems/
September 16, 2019


Mason Rudolph (Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports)

It was hoped that the departure of Antonio Brown would make the Steelers a more focused and disciplined team by way of removing distraction.

It hasn’t turned out that way.

Losing Ben Roethlisberger for the rest of the season trumps any other problem. But the Steelers are in a state of perpetual sloppiness that won’t be corrected as long as Mike Tomlin is coach. Lack of accountability has taken firm root. Rome will keep burning as long as it’s the same fiddler playing the same tired tune.

That was evidenced by a host of miscues in Sunday’s 28-26 home loss to Seattle. Eliminating almost any one of them would have meant victory.

Defensive lineman Daniel McCullers stands at the front of the line.

Somebody who barely plays can’t commit a personal foul on a field-goal attempt and allow three points to become seven. (Do the math.) McCullers made contact with the long snapper, which is illegal. If he knew the rule, he’s an idiot. If he didn’t, he’s unprepared. Either way, it’s inexcusable.

Wide receiver Donte Moncrief is public enemy No. 1 in Pittsburgh right now.

Moncrief opened the season with four drops at New England.

But the Steelers still would have lost at Foxboro had Moncrief caught all those balls, then tacked on generous YAC. It was a slaughter.

But Moncrief’s lone drop (and lone target) against Seattle was devastating. Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph was pressed into service when Roethlisberger got hurt. Rudolph’s second pro pass, despite being perfectly thrown, clanged off Moncrief’s hands and into the waiting mitts of Seattle’s Bradley McDougald.

The Seahawks were in the end zone six plays later to go ahead, 14-10. They never lost that lead.

Moncrief didn’t play a snap after that. Even though it’s just two games into his Steelers’ tenure, it’s going to be difficult putting him on the field ever again in a meaningful situation. His failure has been epic, and extremely damaging.

The Steelers missed numerous tackles. It’s become a trademark of their defense.

Linebacker Anthony Chickilo flubbed a chance to tackle Rashaad Penny in the backfield on third-and-2 at the Steelers’ 37. Penny ended up covering all 37 of those yards as Seattle extended its lead to 21-13.

Compounding the embarrassment, Seattle QB Russell Wilson led the downfield blocking to complete that play.

Safety Sean Davis made a bonehead play in the first quarter, negating Mark Barron’s fumble-return touchdown by drawing a flag for a totally unnecessary block in the back. Luckily for Davis, the Steelers scored a TD on the possession that followed.

Losing Roethlisberger is a dagger. But the Steelers were 0-2 before his elbow was diagnosed, and seemed unlikely to rally significantly. It’s difficult to read very much into body language, but the Steelers look like they know they’re not very good.

Rudolph played fine Sunday: 12-of-19, 112 yards, two touchdowns and that interception that really belongs to Moncrief.

But the adrenaline Rudolph felt vs. Seattle will dissipate by next Sunday’s game at San Francisco. The gravity of the situation will sink in for Rudolph and his teammates. It’s not easy to replace a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who threw for 5,129 yards last season, let alone rally the Steelers from starting 0-2.

Except Twitter seems to think it is. I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news…

During preseason play, Rudolph made the notion of replacing Roethlisberger as the starter upon the latter’s retirement more palatable. His progress is tangible.

Roethlisberger haters and eternal optimists are comparing the current situation to 2004 when Tommy Maddox got hurt, Roethlisberger took his place and the Steelers went 15-1.

But Rudolph now isn’t Roethlisberger then. Roethlisberger was a first-round pick, 11th overall, and would have gone higher except for Eli Manning (first overall) and Philip Rivers (fourth). That Steelers team in 2004 was a lot better than the current squad.

The only good thing about Rudolph playing now is getting a jump start on the inevitable rebuilding.

But there’s pressure on Rudolph, too.

Barring injury, Rudolph will start 14 NFL games. If he’s less than impressive, the Steelers may be compelled to draft another quarterback.

They’ve also got to sign another QB tout de suite, because they are a heartbeat away from Devlin Hodges. Duck and cover. Welcome back to the NFL, Colin Kaepernick! (Zero chance.)

With Roethlisberger out, we will see who made who.

Tomlin has always had Roethlisberger. JuJu Smith-Schuster has to elevate himself to No. 1 receiver catching balls thrown by Rudolph. Did the offensive line make Roethlisberger look good, or vice-versa? Tomlin, Smith-Schuster and the offensive line certainly haven’t covered themselves in glory so far this year.

But we haven’t seen the last of Roethlisberger. He’s got 40 million reasons to play out his contract.

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No way Antonio Brown conforms to ‘Patriot Way’

By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-no-way-antonio-brown-conforms-to-patriot-way/
September 9, 2019


(AP
(AP)

The moon landings weren’t faked.

The earth isn’t flat.

9/11 was not an inside job.

Antonio Brown did not intend to finagle his way to New England dating to when he was with the Steelers.

Oh, it’s a believable story in the era of rigged “reality” TV.

But Brown’s primary concern always has been cash. His recent history has seen him lust for guaranteed money and go apoplectic when that pursuit was compromised.

Moving from Oakland to Foxborough cost Brown $21 million in guarantees.

Unless Le’Veon Bell is your math teacher, that’s an ‘L.’

Brown might have a great season. The Patriots have a $20 million option on Brown for 2020. If he behaves and produces, Brown wins. (That option might be mostly salary cap maneuvering.)

Anyway, that’s a big “if.” “Might” offers no guarantees.

If New England doesn’t pick up Brown’s option, the best he can hope for is a series of one-year contracts as his career fades. He’s 31. He’s closer to the end than he is the middle. Teams won’t forget the anarchy he caused this past offseason.

Ancillary revenue streams have suffered in the wake of Brown running roughshod over decency, football’s team concept and the English language. Pizza Hut and Pepsi don’t want their product represented by somebody who illegally tapes, then plays private phone conversations. Brown damaged his brand and flushed his dignity.

JuJu Smith-Schuster appears to have emerged as Pizza Hut’s primary spokesman. That has to anger Brown.

The Patriots don’t care about illegal taping. That’s part of their rich history.

Tom Brady reportedly said Brown can live at his house. I wouldn’t trust Brown to park my car, and Brady’s asking him to move into his $40 million home.

In theory, Brown makes New England a better team. (But it didn’t look like the Patriots needed him Sunday night.) New England is the defending Super Bowl champion to begin with.

But Brown was supposed to elevate Oakland and never played a game there.

The Steelers should have won a Super Bowl (or more) with Brown. But his presence damaged that quest.

Bill Belichick has a reputation for recycling agitators.

He now faces his sternest test.

Napoleon had his Waterloo. (So did ABBA.) Brown could be Belichick’s.

Belichick has dealt with troubled players before: LeGarrette Blount, Corey Dillon, Albert Haynesworth, Randy Moss and Chad Ochocinco. He has had varying degrees of success.

But Brown isn’t your average problem child. He’s a nuclear explosion. Those aforementioned are walks in the park by comparison.

Brown is a troublemaker of rare skill and innovation, as demonstrated by the use of wiretapping. His social media game is a California brush fire. He has zero shame and sincerely believes his cause is noble even though it’s sheer narcissism and greed.

Brown has said he intends to play by his rules. By that, he means no rules. He wants to do what he wants, when he wants and adhere to no schedule.

That is not the Belichick way. Something’s got to give.

Belichick might secretly compromise on occasion, but nothing about Brown is ever secret.

If Brown toes Belichick’s line, he looks like a stooge and hypocrite.

Belichick vs. Brown is the most interesting matchup of the NFL season.

It will end in a championship (or close), or in chaos.

You can’t logically bet anything but the latter.

Belichick isn’t the only factor. What happens when Brady yells at Brown after Brown improvises a route? What happens when Julian Edelman gets more targets than Brown? If Brown thought Ben Roethlisberger had an owner’s mentality, how’s he going to feel about Brady?

The upset will be if this situation doesn’t blow up. The bomb has been delivered to the Enola Gay.

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No need for Steelers to treat Devin Bush with kid gloves

By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-no-need-for-steelers-to-treat-devin-bush-with-kid-gloves/
September 6, 2019

How much rookie inside linebacker Devin Bush plays Sunday at Gillette Stadium won’t determine who wins the game between the Steelers and New England.

Unless it does.

At the very least, it’s an interesting sidebar that showcases the Steelers’ conservative (perhaps antiquated) philosophy of putting rookies in safe, limited roles despite their pedigree (and/or having traded up, say, 10 spots to get them).

Troy Polamalu, for example, didn’t start a single game as a rookie. He started all of them after that.

Bush is not in the Steelers’ base 3-4. Mark Barron and Vince Williams are the inside ‘backers. Bush is in all the sub packages, so he figures to play 80 percent of the snaps.

But if the Patriots would rather go up against Williams than Bush, they can use a two-back set, as they often do. That likely would keep the Steelers’ base on the field, and quarterback Tom Brady can pick on Williams (who is substandard in coverage). Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is adept at getting the opposing defense to line up as he wants.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Keith Butler can adjust and sub Bush for Williams in the base. But would they?

The notion Bush shouldn’t be force-fed all the snaps (and the accompanying pressure) when his first NFL game is in the cauldron of Foxborough against arguably the greatest (and smartest) quarterback ever isn’t an absurd notion.

But nor is the idea of gambling on talent and seeing if Bush can handle it.

Bush seems a better bet than Williams, who likely begins the season as a starter out of veteran appeasement.

The biggest factor of all the inside ‘backers could be Barron, who was part of a defense that held Brady to 262 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in the last Super Bowl. Barron has speed, savvy and solid cover ability.

But Barron (6-foot-1, 214 pounds) isn’t great against the run. He would have difficulty taking on New England fullback James Develin (6-3, 251). Williams (6-1, 234) is better suited and also decent on the inside blitz: 4 1/2 sacks last season, eight in 2017.

In terms of talent and versatility, Bush seems an obvious starter. But he’s also likeliest to sit when the Steelers are in their base.

Unless he doesn’t.

Pregame depth charts often aren’t reflected by who’s out there on Sunday. Bush playing all the snaps (or close) isn’t out of the question.

The Patriots offense could be conservative, at least early. The retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski forces a seismic shift in gameplan and execution.

The Patriots also lost receiver Chris Hogan to free agency. Hogan has a reputation as a Steelers killer dating to his 12 catches (two touchdowns) in the 2016 season’s AFC championship game.

The Steelers defense also will be closely observed in other areas.

Safety Kameron Kelly, late of the Alliance of American Football, figures to deputize for the injured Sean Davis. Davis isn’t exactly Ronnie Lott, but the notion of an AAF product (albeit the league’s all-time single-game interception record-holder) spending his first NFL contest dealing with the wiles of Brady is frightening.

Davis’ absence trickles down to the sub packages, likely eliminating the Steelers’ “big nickel” (three safeties) alignment.

The Steelers led the NFL in sacks last season, but pressuring Brady is rare and difficult (one sack in last season’s meeting). There’s also the matter of converting that pressure to turnovers, at long-last. The Steelers reeled in just 15 last season.

A close game is probable. A splash play on defense could decide it.

Who’s more likely to make that splash play: Bush, or Williams?

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Hype around Steelers vs. Browns is excessive but warranted

By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-hype-around-steelers-vs-browns-is-excessive-but-warranted/
September 2, 2019


(Philip G. Pavely/USA Today Sports)

With the start of the NFL season less than a week away, here’s the verdict on the upcoming battle in the AFC North between the Steelers and Cleveland: It’s a dead heat.

The Steelers either added by subtraction or just subtracted re: Antonio Brown. The former seems more likely, but it’s got to play out.

But the Steelers definitely added on defense by trading up to get inside linebacker Devin Bush with the 10th pick of this year’s draft. The ripple effect is a much quicker unit that can explode from a variety of directions.

Is that defense quick enough to take a chunk out of Tom Brady and his instant release? That’s a good first test.

The Browns either added or subtracted by addition re: Odell Beckham Jr. There’s no doubting Beckham’s talent, but there also is no denying the New York Giants and Eli Manning fell apart on his watch.

Is Beckham a winner, or just another one of “those” wide receivers? So far, it’s the latter.

Beckham is one of several potential malcontents in Cleveland. That could spread like a disease under a rookie coach. Maybe the Browns give birth to a new set of Toxic Twins, or even Toxic Triplets.

Unless the Browns win, and everybody gets his numbers. Even that might not be enough indefinitely.

The Browns’ hype is insufferable. That doesn’t mean it’s unwarranted, but star power and success aren’t mutually inclusive. How heavy will expectations weigh?

The biggest leap of faith taken by the Cleveland faithful concerns the Browns’ defense. It ranked 30th in the NFL last season.

The Browns don’t have any defensive backs who excel at inside coverage, which could be costly when JuJu Smith-Schuster lines up in the slot. Cleveland led the NFL in missed tackles last year. The Browns did add quite a bit on defense during the offseason and should be better on that side of the ball.

But seeing is believing. That should be the team motto given the reckless assumption the Browns will just keep improving exponentially after going 0-16 just two seasons ago.

Their front seven is more than legit. Defensive end Myles Garrett has 20 1/2 sacks and four forced fumbles in his two NFL seasons and actually has the talent to continue improving exponentially.

But Cleveland will concede points.

The Steelers offense will mirror the team’s training camp: organized and professional, as opposed to explosive and haphazard. That constant, selfish drone has been removed from the huddle. The costly policy of appeasement (and the forced throws it produced) no longer exists.

Can balance gained make up for talent departed?

Here’s predicting it will. The Steelers will score more points this year than last, and have a healthier run-pass balance than 2018 when they threw 67 percent of the time.

Cleveland has a cornucopia of receivers led by Beckham and Jarvis Landry but well-complemented by Rashard Higgins, Antonio Callaway and tight end David Njoku.

But don’t sleep on the Steelers’ pass-catchers. The varied skills of the group speak well, though tight end is a disaster beyond Vance McDonald. But Donte Moncrief will be better in Pittsburgh than he has been anywhere else.

All receivers are only as good as the quarterback throwing them the ball. (Brown will figure that out quickly in Oakland.)

Ben Roethlisberger is better than Baker Mayfield, and any quarterback totem pole that has Mayfield listed above Roethlisberger is just hype dipped in insanity. Roethlisberger is a nailed-on Hall-of-Famer who threw for 5,129 yards last year and had a quarterback rating of 96.5. Mayfield threw for 3,725 yards and his rating was 93.7.

But it’s also nuts to pretend that Mayfield isn’t very good.

It was Mayfield’s play upon insertion into the lineup in Week 3 last season that energized the Browns and got them to 7-8-1. It’s hard to have faith in a quarterback that barely tops 6-feet. Mayfield has a bit of malcontent in him, and if Beckham and/or Landry get in Mayfield’s ear like Brown did Roethlisberger, Mayfield might not handle it as well.

But Mayfield wins. Well, he wins some. A 7-8-1 record isn’t 16-0, and Mayfield was 1-5 against teams with winning records. His protection seems in question. Cleveland just cut its starting left tackle.

But it’s easy to forgive Cleveland’s citizenry acting like it is. They’ve been down so long, it looks like up.

But it’s easy to forgive Cleveland’s citizenry acting like it is. They’ve been down so long, it looks like up.

A key figure in the renewed rivalry between the Steelers and Browns is Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell.

After a terrible season in ‘18, Boswell kicked well enough at training camp to keep his job. But his errant booting kept the Steelers out of the playoffs, and kept the Steelers from winning at Cleveland in Week 1.

If Boswell makes his 43-yard field-goal attempt in overtime, the Steelers beat the Browns instead of tying them. The Steelers finish 10-6 and win the division. The Browns would have finished 7-9, which reads a bit worse than 7-8-1. The Steelers would now seem the better team by a bigger margin. That’s all down to one missed kick.

The funniest part: Everyone has forgotten about Baltimore, which actually won the division last season.

But the Ravens figure to be peripheral factors in ‘19. The AFC North championship will come down to Week 11 and Week 13. The Steelers and Browns play twice in three weeks, first at Browns Stadium, then at Heinz Field.

The hype will be unbearable by then. It will also be warranted.

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Raiders finding out Antonio Brown is exactly as advertised

By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-raiders-finding-out-antonio-brown-is-exactly-as-advertised/
August 12, 2019


(AP)

It took time, but Antonio Brown finally did right by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Forget about his statistics. Brown compiled those for himself, not the team.

The Steelers never won a Super Bowl with Brown. (Told you so.)

But upon departing for Oakland, Brown immediately proved the turmoil that enveloped him in Pittsburgh was every bit his fault. Brown did so by creating comparable bedlam with the Raiders that is, again, totally his doing.

It wasn’t Ben Roethlisberger causing problems in Pittsburgh, like Brown and many agenda-serving members of the national football media claimed.

Brown’s teammates in Oakland don’t yet know him well enough to sabotage him, if he’s considering similar fabrication.

Brown let the Steelers off the hook. Roethlisberger is awaiting lots of apologies.

Brown rarely has practiced this summer. He hasn’t been seen at Raiders training camp in more than a week. He’s late for meetings, inattentive during. He bullied his bosses in Pittsburgh. He’s doing the same at Oakland. You knew that the minute Brown brought his kids onto the field for practice. Brown is running roughshod.

That’s meant figuratively. Frostbitten feet prevent Brown from literally running.

For someone with a rep for working hard, Brown misses a lot of practice. Dedication isn’t juggling a brick on video, then refusing to pay your personal trainer. Dedication involves pulling the same rope as your teammates. Dedication includes jelling.

Brown long has benefited from excuses made on his behalf. The latest barrage cites the potential for CTE. Or perhaps Brown is troubled, and needs therapy.

But it’s more likely Brown is a jerk and has been since tumbling out of the womb. He dropped to the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft because of character issues.

Brown’s personality shortcomings have been exacerbated by money and notoriety. Brown doesn’t care about winning, his teammates, his “friends,” or his family. His lone concern for any situation is how it benefits him. The world exists for Brown’s gain.

Being stupid doesn’t do much to dilute Brown’s narcissism.

The acute frostbite his feet absorbed during cryotherapy could only have occurred had Brown not worn the proper protective footwear. Maybe he wore his $1,000 loafers. You need to be fashionable inside that cryotherapy chamber.

If the notion of Brown refusing to protect his body properly during cryotherapy rings dumb, consider he’s campaigning to wear an unsafe helmet.

That’s Brown’s latest crisis: He’s worn the same helmet since beginning his NFL career. Now it’s been deemed unsafe. But Brown said other helmets impede his vision.

There are dozens of approved helmet options. But Brown threatened to retire or take legal action vs. the NFL if he can’t wear his old helmet. It’s been an issue since May. On the rare occasions he practices, Brown tries to sneak his old helmet onto the field. He even applied a makeshift silver-and-black paint job once. Can’t believe that didn’t work.

Thirty-one other players have switched from their old helmets this season, including Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

Brady doesn’t like it. The NFL doesn’t care. So Brady made the change.

Brown bullied the Steelers. He’s bullying the Raiders. But he can’t bully the NFL. His appeal was denied Monday.

This is terrific for Steelers fans. You get to witness the uproar, but the Raiders have to clean up the mess.

They won’t be able to.

The Raiders aren’t a very good team to begin with. Brown is making coach Jon Gruden and GM Mike Mayock look like bigger fools with each new eccentricity. The Raiders were 4-12 last season. They needed a workmanlike camp, not an excrement storm.

But Brown has been exactly as advertised.

It will get worse, not better. Between his feet and residue from the helmet drama, it’s easy to imagine Brown not playing in Week 1, or performing poorly if he does. When Brown struggles, the finger-pointing starts. Agitation ferments. Manure rolls downhill. Brown no-shows, or dreams up an injury. He goes in the tank.

The Raiders will be sorry they ever thought of trading for Brown.

They’re probably already sorry.

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These Steelers could benefit from Hall of Fame expansion

{L.C. Greenwood, Andy Russell and Donnie Shell should be in the Hall of Fame...I don't care how many 70's Steelers have already been  inducted...that seems irrelevant. - jtf}


By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-these-steelers-could-benefit-from-hall-of-fame-expansion/
August 5, 2019


L.C. Greenwood

In 2020, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct a one-time-only class of 20 new members to commemorate the NFL’s 100th anniversary. Ten senior-era players will be included.

Nine players from the Steelers’ dynasty in the 1970s are enshrined in Canton.

Does this decision open the door for more?

A survey of my Twitter followers (2,941 voting) suggests defensive end L.C. Greenwood deserves a spot.

A very informal poll of Pittsburgh football media also chose Greenwood.

But one of said media put it best: “None. Seriously.”

I concur. Nine is plenty. Enough already with the Steelers of the ’70s.

It would be better if safety Troy Polamalu made it in his first year of eligibility, or if Alan Faneca made it after missing out the last four years despite being the best guard of his generation.

Receiver Hines Ward will never make it. Ward’s stats don’t cut it, and being football’s best blocking receiver ever adds little. He’s barely in this discussion.

But Polamalu, Faneca and Ward aren’t senior-era players. (Senior-era players are defined are having been retired for more than 25 years.)

It seems difficult to believe that 10 senior-era players legitimately worthy of induction have slipped through the cracks.

But if they have, it’s logical to think that players from that Steelers’ dynasty in the ’70s could be among them. It’s arguably the greatest football team of all time.

My poll included tackle/tight end Larry Brown, Greenwood, safety Donnie Shell and safety Mike Wagner.

Linebacker Andy Russell was left off because Twitter only allows four choices. But he’s an interesting candidate.

Russell first played for the Steelers in 1963. He was with the team when it was terrible. He made second-team All-Pro in 1968, when the Steelers won twice, and in 1970 when they won five games. He was second team again in ‘72, first team in ‘75. He made seven Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls.

Does Russell’s excellence when the Steelers were bad burnish his case?

Shell has the best raw credentials: 51 career interceptions, first-team All-Pro three times, second-team All-Pro once, five Pro Bowls, four rings.

Greenwood was first-team All-Pro twice. He made six Pro Bowls. He was second-team All-Decade as per the NFL.

Like Brown, Shell and Wagner, Greenwood won four rings. But Greenwood had a standout Super Bowl performance: Four sacks in Super Bowl X, a 21-17 victory over Dallas on Jan. 18, 1976. That’s a Super Bowl record that still stands.

That should help Greenwood. (Ward’s MVP in Super Bowl XL makes his meager chances a bit better.)

But Greenwood is also dead. Does it mean as much to induct someone posthumously, especially all these years later?

Brown and Wagner are minimally qualified, relatively speaking.

Brown made three Pro Bowls. The late Chuck Noll said he was the best of the ’70s Steelers not in the hall.

Wagner got first- and second-team All-Pro once each. He made two Pro Bowls.

Andy Russell

The argument for Russell is a bit different, and thus compelling.

Noll’s first Steelers team went 1-13 in 1969. When the franchise won its first Super Bowl five years later, Russell was one of just five remaining from that ‘69 team, and the best.

But if you put me to a choice, I’d say Greenwood. His exploits in Super Bowl X put him over the top.

Frustration about Faneca is now an annual story. Faneca was first-team All-Pro six times, second team twice. He made nine Pro Bowls. He made first-team All-Decade. He won a ring. How much more qualified could he be?

Polamalu should be a lock in his first year of eligibility. Polamalu was first-team All-Pro four times, second team twice. Eight Pro Bowls. Second-team All-Decade. NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. A human highlight reel.

But the selection process involves 48 men debating, so nothing is assured.

It would be funny to see Polamalu make Canton on the first ballot when he missed out on the Steelers’ Hall of Honor in his first crack at that.

Polamalu should get in. So should Faneca. One Steeler from the ’70s could.

But, even in an expanded class of 20, would the hall induct three Steelers?

Canton should have a wing for the greatest teams ever. Maybe one from each decade. It’s a team game, after all. Nobody would argue honoring those ’70s Steelers thusly.

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