Building a Defense for the Ages

While defenses have come and gone like Oakland Raiders head coaches, the Steelers have marked excellence on a seasonal basis for nearly a decade.  Over the last five years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have transformed their defense from good to great.  While they have never sustained a shut down moniker against the pass, they are arguably the greatest rushing defense in NFL history.

How do they do it?  How do the Steelers remain consistently excellent throughout the decade while defenses like the Bears, Eagles, Chargers, Titans, Vikings and Giants come and go? 

Dick LeBeau

As far as defensive coordinators go, Dick LeBeau may be THE greatest d-coordinator in the history of football.  Inventor of the vaunted "Zone Blitz" while an assistant coach, LeBeau implemented a scheme to stop West Coast and Run and Shoot offenses that dominated the 80's and early 90's.  After struggling to win as a head coach for the Bills and Bengals, LeBeau came back to the Steelers in 2004 where he would hoist his first of two Lombardies the following season.  He was originally in Pittsburgh during the early-mid 90s when the Steelers had one of the greatest linebacking cores in NFL history with Greg Lloyd, Kevin Greene, Levon Kirkland and Chad Brown. 

Since LeBeau's hire, the Steelers have yet to finish with a losing season while finishing in the top 10 in total defense including five straight years in the top 5.  This stability stems more from the scheme of the defense rather than the players themselves.  While the Steelers do have elite defensive players, the replacing of linebackers, linemen and cornerbacks shows that the system does an excellent job of placing a young player into a role rather than relying solely on his physical talent.

Casey Hampton

Just how good is  "Big Snack"?  The team selected him along with Joe Greene and Ernie Stautner to represent the defensive tackles on the 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.  Selected out of the University of Texas in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft, Hampton has been the centerpiece behind, arguably, one of the greatest run defenses in the history of football.  In a 3-4 scheme, the nose tackle's job is to occupy two offensive linemen, leaving the linebackers to make a tackle on the ball carrier.  Hampton not only occupies linemen, he pushes them right off the ball and makes the tackle 2-3 yards behind the line of scrimmage.  Simply put, if Hampton is not being blocked by more than one guy, you can almost guarantee the play will get blown up. 

Troy Polamalu

There is no one in the game as dynamic as Troy Polamalu.  He epitomizes confusion in LeBeau's Zone Blitz scheme.  While linebackers may come and go in Pittsburgh's defense, Polamalu is irreplaceable.  Due to his explosive speed, athleticism and instinct, you can guarantee in any given game, he will show blitz and drop back into coverage, show coverage and blitz, and everything in between.  He is such an important piece to the defense, as evident in the Steelers' 5-7 record without him the last two seasons.  Drafted in 2003, Polamalu is a six time Pro Bowl selection, four time All Pro, NFL 2000s All Decade Team, and the 2010 AP Defensive Player of the year.  He could go down as the greatest safety in franchise history.

James Farrior

Most linebackers in their mid 30's tend to slow down considerably to the point that they are replaced.  Not James Farrior.  At age 35, Farrior registered 109 tackles and 6 sacks (only half a sack behind his career high).  After playing five years in New York as a Jets outside linebacker, Farrior signed with the Steelers in 2002 and was moved to right inside linebacker.  In nine seasons with Pittsburgh, "Potsie" has accumulated 685 tackles, 28 sacks and 8 interceptions.  Also, he is extremely smart as evident by being elected the captain of the defense for seven consecutive years.  In fact, only a lack of interest would prevent James Farrior from becoming a future NFL coach someday as he has been under the tutelage of Dick LeBeau for nearly a decade. Another underrated quality is Farrior's health.  In his nine years with the Steelers, Farrior has only missed four total games. 

James Harrison

In terms of technique, strength, agility and instict, James Harrison is unmatched by any linebacker in the league.  Harrison had big shoes to fill in 2007 when he was named the starting outside linebacker to replace fan favorite Joey Porter.  He would go on to register 8.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles en route to his first Pro Bowl.  In 63 career games, Harrison has registered 45 sacks and has been a nightmare for left tackles and quarterbacks throughout the league.  His pass rush, alone, allows LeBeau to drop more linebackers into coverage further confusing the offense.  However, he is also dangerous in coverage as we saw in Super Bowl XLIII against the Cardinals.  Although 33 years old and dealing with back problems, Harrison is a bit of a late bloomer as he had difficulty learning plays/concepts early in his career.  The health issues may linger but if he's anywhere close to 100%, you can guarantee another stellar year from James Harrison.

The aforementioned people have epitomized the Steelers' defense for the last 5-10 years.  Although Lawrence Timmons and Lamar Woodley are blossoming into future stars, if they aren't already, the listed personnel are the heart and soul of the defense.  As they get older, eventually there will be retirements and the franchise will have to continue to replenish the team with excellent players.  Until then, let's sit back and enjoy a defense that replicates the city they play for and a league that is rapidly dissuading the physicality of the sport.

Steelers Ink Timmons to Six Year Deal

It was announced, today, that the Pittsburgh Steelers re-signed their playmaking inside linebacker, Lawrence Timmons, to a six year $50 million contract extension.  This coming just two short weeks after outside linebacker Lamarr Woodley signed a six year $61.5 million contract.  Timmons and Woodley were drafted in the first and second rounds, respectively, by the Steelers in the 2007 NFL Draft and are just coming into the prime of their careers.  In April of 2009, the Steelers extended the contract of James Harrison for six years $51.175 million.  Now, the Steelers have tied up three of the best linebackers in the NFL for a combined  $162.675 million over the next six years with part of Harrison's contract already paid to both he and Roger Goodell.

Lawrence Timmons, 25, set career highs last year in interceptions (2), passes defensed (9), and tackles (135).  He is rapidly becoming the playmaker for football's best defense with room to get better.  As he continues to be used as a free-roaming linebacker, it allows Troy Polamalu to be used more in coverage.

Speaking of Troy Polamalu, the Steelers stated they were done giving contracts this season which leaves Polamalu with the remaining year on his contract.  It's entirely possible he will re-sign after this season, but it is also possible his contract status depends on his ability to stay healthy.  In the past two seasons, Polamalu has missed 13 games with knee and Achilles injuries.  Despite missing time last year with the Achilles injury, Polamalu tied a career high in interceptions with seven.  However, in the playoffs, he was not at 100%, missing tackles and no picks.

Signing Timmons over Polamalu was the right move by GM Kevin Colbert.  Polamalu is getting into the twilight of his career while Timmons is just starting to tap into his potential.  While the linebacking core is extremely deep and the secondary is extremely shallow, the Steelers would be better off with a player of Timmons' caliber who has a history of staying on the field week in, week out.  Again, I still see the Steelers re-signing Polamalu in the 2012 offseason, but for now signing Timmons is the better move.

Numbers Aren't Everything; Cole versus Bauer

When the Pirates elected to take Gerrit Cole in the first round of this year's draft, much of Pittsburgh, including myself, seemed skeptical of the pick.  One reason was that the Pirates had already loaded up on right-handed pitchers last year.  They selected Jameson Taillon, a prep player from Texas who had the size, strength and talent to be the future Ace of the Pirates.  The Pirates also selected Stetson Allie, a major work in progress as far as pitching, but arguably the best pure stuff in the 2010 draft class.  Another point of skepticism, was that Cole had mediocre numbers for a first overall pick in comparison to his UCLA teammate, Trevor Bauer.     

Cole finished his Junior season 6-8 with a 3.31 ERA 119 K's 24 BB's in 114.1 innings.  His teammate Bauer, who was selected two picks later by the Arizona Diamondbacks, went 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA 203 K's 36 BB's in 131 innings.  The disparity in ERA and strikeouts is so vast, it would appear drafting Cole was the wrong decision and, to be fair, that hypothesis could be correct.  The baseball draft is a crap shoot more than anything.  Taking one pitcher over another could reap benefits for both teams if they both maximize their potential.  But, in the same vein, one arm injury could dictate the career and fate of a franchise.  While Bauer pitched better in college, Cole is more projectable given his size and arm strength.  When selecting players at the top of the draft, there has to be a focus on what can he do rather than what he did do.

Here's an example of two teammates who played college ball back in the early 2000's: 

Player A 7-6 3.49 ERA 151 K's 43 BB's
  
Player B 6-2 2.29 ERA 99 K's 21 BB's.

Player A was selected with the second pick of the 2004 draft.  That player was Justin Verlander.  Player B, Donnie Smith, was selected in the fourth round by the St. Louis Cardinals.  Verlander, standing at 6'5 230 pounds, had more size and stuff than his teammate, Smith who had converted from catching to pitching two years earlier.  Verlander is on the verge of winning his first Cy Young while Smith is playing in the Independent League. His pitchability is poor in comparison to Trevor Bauer, but the numbers Smith put up at Old Dominion were convincing.

Bauer, whose fastball sits at 93-94 mph, is 6'1 175 lbs with a maximum effort delivery.  He tries his best to not only pitch like Tim Lincecum, but resemble everything he does.  To me, that's a little risky, considering players like Tiny Tim don't grow on trees.  With that size, durability is always going to come into question especially since Bauer already threw 136 innings this year in college.

Looking at Gerrit Cole, 6'4 220 with a fastball that sits in the upper 90's through all nine innings, the stuff is better with the assumption that he can stay healthy.  Cole's biggest problem, this year, was that he was catching too much of the plate with his pitches and that is offspeed was coming in flat. A slight tweak in his mechanics could correct those problems.  He has a plus slider and a plus-plus changeup, a pitch that usually takes the longest to develop for amateur pitchers.   

Looking beyond the numbers is key to deciphering top round talent such as Cole versus Bauer.  Just looking at the numbers, Cole had a lower walk rate and ERA while pitching in a significantly better conference (Cole: Pac 10, Verlander CAA) than Justin Verlander.  While Cole lacks the devastating breaking ball that has racked up hundreds of strikeouts for Verlander, he still has the stuff to become an elite level pitcher.  There is still plenty of time for speculation as to whether or not either Cole or Bauer will become front line starters, as their respective teams are hoping, because they have so much to learn.  The Pirates are asking for 200+ innings from Cole each year in the majors, hoping that he can become an elite level pitcher as icing on the cake.

Nutting Haters: Put Your Swords Away

Bob Nutting haters.  Go ahead.  Call me an apologist for a front office that is commanding the worst run franchise in the last two decades.  I constantly state that the Pirates care about winning and that they see a playoff run in the near future.  Call me delusional for saying Bob Nutting is not trying to pocket the profits of a struggling franchise.

While you're at it, call me right.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have stated numerous times that they have an objective to build talent through the draft and create an atmosphere where they can win by building from within.  I know, I know.  We've heard it all before from the Cam Bonifay/David Littlefield era.  The difference between this regime and its predecessors, these guys are doing it right.  Whether or not Josh Bell, Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Luis Heredia carry this team to its first World Series since 1979, the front office has done their job in drafting and signing the players they are supposed to.  While the development of these young talents has an incomplete grade, remember Greg Smith learned from the development staff in Cleveland during their stint of competitiveness in the mid 2000s.  With the amount of draft picks they have signed (including all ten picks in the first ten rounds) this year, the Pirates are increasing their odds to hit on at least a few of those players down the road.  When it came time to spend money in the most important phase of this franchise's current state, the Pirates wrote $17 million collective checks for draft spending, $5 million more than the previous record held by the Washington Nationals a year ago.

After this year's draft spending, the Pirates have spent more money than any team in baseball over the last four years in amateur players.  At the same time, the current big league staff is playing at an encouraging level.  The excitement of this season means an increase in attendance, an increase in ticket sales, and eventually more money to re-sign their rising stars; McCutchen, Walker, Alvarez, Tabata.  Historically the Pirates have never been a team with an intimidating rotation.  The additions of Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Luis Heredia and Stetson Allie set to change 125 years of Pirates baseball.  The health of those pitchers seems to be promising as the team has only had one player require major arm surgery-Donnie Veal, a rule 5 pick- since the new scouting/development staff took over in 2008. 
 

Are you still mad the Pirates wont spend on big money free agents?  Good luck trying to acquire top free agent talent for a franchise that hasn't won since "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men was a #1 hit single.  If anything, the $5 million required to sign Lyle Overbay in the winter is a big enough indicator on how hard it was for the Pirates to add a significant bat.  Again, the only way this franchise is going to become competitive is through the amateur draft and international signings.  Believe it or not, as much money as athletes command, they still want to compete for a winning team in October.  The Pirates are not there yet.

I understand the frustration of seeing this franchise become the laughing stock of Major League Baseball year after year.  But hitting the panic button on everything this group does is extreme.  If Bob Nutting had been running the franchise since 1993, I would agree with your pessimism and angst.  However, he's only owned this team for three years.  Maybe Bob isn't the most popular guy because he didn't inherit a team that had won four Super Bowls in six years with people banging down the door to manage his franchise.  And maybe he didn't win two Stanley Cups and keep the team in Pittsburgh-on three separate ocassions- long enough to land once in a generation type players. 

For the record I'm not asking for you to build a golden shrine dedicated to his existence.

But the truth is, Nutting is a fan of his product and he wants to see them become successful.  Since the Pirates have completely rejuvenated their farm system in hopes that it will payoff in the long run, rather than go half on the draft and half in free agency -I'm looking at you Jeromy Burnitz/Joe Randa signings-, maybe we should put our trust in someone who is facing the team in the right direction.  After all, the Pirates have never had a system ranked in the top 10 by Baseball America since the talent rankings were first posted ten years ago.  It would be a surprise if they didn't buck the trend heading into next year.

Have faith in this group.  If they sell Andrew McCutchen off for a bag of baseballs, come back to this blog and I'll admit I was wrong.  But don't count on that happening any time soon.

Pirates Sign Gerrit Cole and Josh Bell

The Pirates reportedly signed first round pick Gerrit Cole to an $8 million contract, around the same figure I predicted in my previous post.  The shocking sign was second round pick Josh Bell, who signed for $5 million dollars which is mid-first round money.  Bell is a top 15 talent, rated as the number 1 corner outfielder in the draft by Baseball America.  The number 2 corner outfielder? Pirates' third round pick Alex Dickerson who is now playing in State College.

As stated in my last post, Bell looked to be an impossible sign at the onset of the draft.  But the Pirates realized they had a chance to sign him when Bell hired Scott Boras to be his agent.  Now, after signing a deal nearly twice as high as the second round record, the Pirates have a switch hitting corner outfielder with the potential to hit 30+ home runs. 

The Pirates also signed 9th round pick Clay Holmes away from his scholarship to Auburn.  The signing was reported to be at $1.2 million which is second round money. 

Overall, the Pirates have spent an estimated $16.5 million on this draft.  In the past 365 days, the Pirates went from an organization with no future potential aces, to four potential aces (Cole, Taillon, Heredia, Allie), a switch hitting corner outfielder with plus power, two solid hitting first basemen and a slew of high school arms and athletic outfielders.  The scouting department did their job, the front office drafted/signed the talent, and now it is time for Kyle Stark to do his job.  The Pirates' Director of Player Development will have his hands full in bringing these young, talented players along.   

But for now, Pirates fans can celebrate the addition of these very talented players.

Down to the Wire; Pirates Hope to Sign Bell/Cole

With less than 24 hours remaining until the signing deadline, the Pirates have locked up 21 of their 50 draft picks.  Once again the Pirates drafted tall, lanky high school arms (see Tyler Glasnow) and highly athletic high school outfielders (see Candon Myles).  Third round pick Alex Dickerson was signed and has already played 27 games for State College, batting .286/.360/.469.  Overall, the Pirates have spent a little under $2.5 million to sign their 21 picks but that number should increase significantly by 11:59 tonight.

First overall pick, Gerrit Cole, has reportedly asked for Stephen Strasburg money which is close to $15 million.  Cole, like Strasburg, is advised by money shark Scott Boras which explains the high demand.  That figure should go down to $8 or $9 million, considering the new rule in signing draftees, starting next year. I.E. if Cole decides to go back to UCLA for his senior year, he still wont make as much money in the 2012 draft as he will this year.  Regardless, the Pirates have shown a willingness to shell out big bucks for top talent.  If Gerrit Cole does not sign with the Pirates, it would be a major surprise.

Unfortunately, another major surprise would be if the Pirates sign second round pick, Josh Bell.  Coming out of high school, Bell was a top 15 pick heading into the draft before he scared teams away with a letter indicating he did not want to be signed.  Bell is allegedly from a somewhat wealthy family that values a college education.  His intent to play at the University of Texas appears to be strong, however, hiring Scott Boras as his agent appears to be a sign of "testing the market."  

Or maybe not.

No one really knows.  On July 28th, Kendall Rogers from Perfect Game tweeted "Spoke to a solid source tonight that felt there was a 60% chance Pirates second-rounder Josh Bell signs."

Hope! Exuberance! Peace throughout the village! The Pirates will acquire a switch hitter with plus power who can....

August 13: "The good news for Texas is that I'd still put % of Josh Bell NOT signing with Pirates at 70-75 percent, if not higher."

Doh! Again, this is all speculation until deadline passes tonight.  The encouraging news is that Bell is a Boras client and could sign if the price is right.  He may not be worth $10 million but $4-$5 million may  be worth spending on his hitting talent alone.  If the Pirates fail to sign Bell, they will receive a compensation pick in next year's draft which makes the risk of selecting him worthwhile.  It's a long shot but I wouldn't put it past the Pirates to produce some fireworks at the deadline.  If the front office has done one thing right, they have kept their word of drafting and signing top talent, regardless of price.  

Pirates' Core Players Need to Show Improvement

It sounds blasphemous to call the 2011 season anything but a major improvement upon the franchise's last two decades of embarrassment.  But I just do not see how this team has gotten better and shown that the future will reap benefits of October baseball in Pittsburgh.  Has there been more excitement in this season than in the last two decades? Absolutely.  Atop the division in late July was extremely fun to witness as the team was performing like a veteran, well-oiled machine.  However, there was something ominous about how they were doing it.

The Pirates weren't winning the majority of their games because of their young, core players.  They were winning because of their pitching which included starters Paul Maholm, Kevin Correia, Jeff Karstens, Charlie Morton, James McDonald and relievers Joel Hanrahan, Jose Veras, Tony Watson and Daniel McCutchen.  While Morton and McDonald project to be bottom of the rotation starters in the future, Karstens projects to be a long reliever who has pitched at an unsustainable, Cy Young caliber level this season.  The pitching combined with timely hitting from career bench players Josh Harrison, Michael Mckenry, Xavier Paul, etc. put the Pirates in contention.  The "core" players contributed in spurts but lacked any consistency to their approach at the plate.

When Andrew McCutchen was batting .219 in April, Neil Walker was hitting .301; when McCutchen was hitting .347 in June, Walker was batting .213.  Meanwhile, Pedro Alvarez and Jose Tabata have dealt with lingering injuries that have squashed all hopes of improving on last year's successes.  Since Alvarez returned to Pittsburgh on July 25th, he has hit .185 with an OPS of .504, 24 k's and 4 walks.  It is painfully obvious he has completely lost confidence in his hitting ability and, to his credit, he was promoted (because of injury to Alex Presley) when the Pirates were facing the toughest stretch of games in the season.  Going from AAA pitching to facing Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Craig Kimbrel, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (in that order) is a huge disparity in talent.  Nevertheless, Alvarez needs to fight through his inconsistencies and trust his natural talent. 

The Pirates would have to win two more games to eclipse last year's win total and claim a "better season."  As a team, yes the Pirates have improved.  They are a lot more exciting to watch and they are competitive in nearly every game with the numbers, particularly in the pitching staff, to prove it.  But the supposed "future" of this team: McCutchen, Tabata, Alvarez, Walker have all taken a step back from last season.  Make no mistake, those four players are as key to the team's future as Gerrit Cole, Luis Heredia, Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie. The Brewers are winning on the strength of Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart and Yovani Gallardo with solid role players around them.  The Rays didn't make the 2008 World Series on the strength of Gabe Gross or Andy Sonnanstine.  They made it with their young core of BJ Upton, Evan Longoria, James Shields and Carl Crawford.

If the Pirates want to mirror their small market colleagues, they need their stars to carry the load.

As it stands, even if McCutchen goes on a tear and finishes with his familiar .286/.365 AVG/OBP at season's end, is that an improvement or is it consistently above average?  McCutchen has the physical tools to be a star in baseball but, at times, lacks discipline at the plate.  While he has already matched his home run total from last year with 16, he already is approaching career high strikeout numbers while needing 14 stolen bases to match last year's total.  Meanwhile, if Neil Walker finishes strong he can match his OPS from last season.  Unfortunately, after batting an astounding .366 AVG, .889 OPS in July, Walker has gone south in August, batting .191 with as many strikeouts (9) as hits. Alvarez and Tabata won't come close to last year's success, barring miracles.


Now, before I see you on my lawn with torches, please realize I am not saying McCutchen, Walker, Alvarez and Tabata cannot improve.  But they need to step it up.  I understand there will be struggles and this team is going to take baby steps towards success.  But they have to show improvement along the way and they need to show leadership when things aren't going as smoothly as planned.  Clint Hurdle was brought in to "change the culture of losing." But the players are just as responsible.  After watching Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez flail at awful pitches in Milwaukee and essentially, under perform to the highest degree, it looked more of the past than the future.  If this franchise wants to dig themselves out of an 18 year rut, they need the potential stars of this team to shine significantly brighter than the likes of Xavier Paul and Ronny Cedeno.   

Fantasy Football: Pittsburgh Steelers Edition

As the fall approaches, football season is nearing which means, of course, fantasy football drafts.  Over the course of the season, your fantasy team may cross paths with your hometown team forcing you to root for the team you've loved your whole life or the team that could make you a decent amount of money.  Of course, you may skip out on some players for the simple fact that they play the Steelers twice.  While you mull over the reasons, whatever they may be, as to why Ray Rice will have a down year in Baltimore, consider adding some Steelers of your own to your team.  Here's a breakdown of viable options who play for your hometown favorite:

1. Rashard Mendenhall

Mendenhall had a solid 2010 campaign, rushing for 1250 yards and 13 touchdowns.  Although he only caught 23 passes in his first full season as a starter, Mendenhall has the ability to add the receiving aspect to his game.  The offensive line didn't get any better but it also didn't get any worse from last year, so his numbers should probably go up slightly due to experience and an easy schedule.  If you're worried about fumbles, keep in mind Mendenhall only fumbled twice during the regular season last year.  If you're playing in a PPR (Points Per Reception) he's still a good pick.  If you're playing in a PPIT (Points Per Idiotic Tweets) league, he's top three.

2. Mike Wallace

Already ranked in the top 10 for fantasy receivers at #6, Wallace has openly stated his goal is to reach 2000 yards this upcoming season.  Since he averaged 20 yards per catch last year, simple math states it will take 100 catches for Wallace to achieve his goal.  While many are skeptical he'll see the ball that much, I am not.  Every fantasy football magazine you buy will tell you the Steelers are a running team.  But I tend to disagree.  Last year's numbers suggest the Steelers are balanced with just a few more passing attempts (479) than rushing attempts (471).  Couple Roethlisberger starting all 16 games (barring injury) with the emergence of two wide receivers no longer in their rookie seasons, and you have potential to see big things out of the passing game.  As it stands, there are only a handful of players that can cover Mike Wallace and while his speed has always been an asset, his improved route running could make the difference. 

3. Ben Roethlisberger

While Ben still doesn't have a tall receiver to throw to, he still has enough weapons to have an excellent year.  Wallace can stretch the field, while Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders both have speed as well.  Hines Ward, although declining, still finds soft zones in coverage.  Heath Miller is an excellent third down target while Mewelde Moore, is an excellent pass catching third down back.  If there was an opportunity for Big Ben to move into elite quarterback status, this year seems to be his best chance.  As mentioned before, due to Pittsburgh's balanced offense, Ben's numbers may not translate into MVP, but he will be a solid starter on any fantasy roster.

4. Defense

When looking around the league, the Steelers still have the best defense in the league.  Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and Lawrence Timmons are the playmakers while Casey Hampton gums up the middle, preventing running backs from doing anything. As weak as the secondary is, the defense as a whole is one of the greatest rushing defenses in NFL history.  Chances are, if you are a fantasy expert, you wont end up with this team as someone in your draft will ALWAYS take a defense too early. 

Other low round options:

Heath Miller: He had a down year after catching 76 passes in 2009, he's a possible red zone threat but doesn't seem to get in the end zone enough to be a viable option.  Unless you're playing in a 16 team league, Miller is nothing but a backup.

Hines Ward: He's slowed down considerably with injuries and age.  Ward is more of a third receiver in fantasy as Mike Wallace seems to get the majority of the targets. 

Antonio Brown: Brown had a few excellent moments here and there but was nowhere near consistent enough to be a fantasy option.  Still, he's fast and has a chance to be the third receiver if Emmanuel Sanders can't stay healthy. 

The Bucs Stop Here; Losing Streak Knocks Pirates Out of Contention

 It truly was a phenomenon in the city of Pittsburgh.  Pirates gear being flashed with pride on every block in the area; T-shirts, hats, jerseys.  The entire city was alive with "Bucco Fever" as they viewed the team as competitors and not just a lame segue to Steelers' training camp.  Each game was watched with bated breath as the team battled for win after win in hopes of erasing eighteen years of embarrassment to all of sportsdom.  As the wins piled up, the national attention became justified and the team continued to impress, landing in first place as late as July 25th.  The NL Central Division, a title never won by the Pirates, was in reach as it appeared they would leave the .500 record in the dust.

And then it happened.

At the end of a nineteen inning marathon against the Atlanta Braves, Jerry Meals made one of the worst calls in MLB history and the Pirates never recovered.  Just like they never recovered when Sid Bream slid into home as Barry Bonds' throw took four hops off the line to clinch the NLCS in 1992, the Pirates last winning season.  Fast forward to July 26th, Julio Lugo slid into home seemingly tagged five feet before reaching the plate but was called safe by home plate umpire, Jerry Meals. 

Since the call, the Pirates are 1-11 and many of their losses haven't been close.  As I stated in my season preview back in March, this team will go only as far as their pitching will take them.  The pitching took them to first place in the last week of July and now it has taken them four games under.  In eleven games after the Jerry Meals fiasco, the team ERA is a staggering 6.92.  During that time, the pitching staff has been selfless, allowing everyone a chance to blow an opportunity for a big out.  Charlie Morton was pounded in a 10-3 loss against the Phillies on July 29th, Kevin Correia surrendered four of the six home runs off of Chicago in a 11-5 defeat on August 2nd, Jeff Karstens gave up a grand slam and allowed 9 runs over 3.1  innings against the putrid San Diego Padres, and Paul Maholm allowed 7 runs over 6 2/3 innings  the following day.  The only Pirates' starter who has been somewhat solid is James McDonald who help his own cause with a three run double after giving up five runs. 

The bullpen blew multiple chances to end the streak and failed just as badly the rotation.  After pitching seven scoreless innings, Charlie Morton was relieved for Chris Resop.  The normally stingy Resop gave up a solo home run and the Cubs ended up winning 1-0.  The following night, the Pirates took a 7-5 lead into the 8th inning.  Hurdle elected to use Daniel McCutchen, who hadn't pitched in two days, instead of going to Jose Veras, the eighth inning specialist for most of the year.  McCutchen loaded the bases, Jason Grilli gave up a run, Joe Beimel walked in the tying run, and Jose Veras allowed a sacrifice fly to give the Cubs the lead.
 
Now, ten games back and with the pitching regressing, the Pirates look to be out of the NL Central race for 2011.  The goal should now focus on getting over the .500 mark and finishing the season on a high note.  Clint Hurdle was brought in to give the franchise a jolt and prevent the old adage of "here we go again."  Now, with a road series against the defending World Series champion Giants, the Pirates have their backs against the wall in trying to salvage what looked like an exciting season two weeks ago.  A series win would revitalize the team and the fan base.  Although it would be a major surprise to see a team playing so poorly, take two out of three against one of the National League's best teams, the Pirates have surprised people all year. 

This surprise could save the season.

Steelers Looking to Avoid Pittsburgh Injury Bug

It's no secret, the Pittsburgh Penguins were well on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals when the 2011 year began.  On January 31st, 2010, the Penguins were tied with the Detroit Red Wings (53) in points to lead the NHL.  The upgraded defense was tied for second in the league in goals allowed, despite a rocky start from Marc Andre Fleury, while also scoring 126 goals.  In the center of everything, Sidney Crosby was leading the charge, on pace for 160+ point season with 60+ goals.  Many had called Sidney Crosby's performance an assault on the league.

The Winter Classic changed everything.  Crumpled into a ball on the ice, Sidney Crosby slowly pick himself up and walked into the locker room while thousands of fans watched and worried.  The award winning HBO miniseries, 24/7 showed Crosby in the locker room, responsive but starry eyed and looking for answers as to what happened.  Two days later, Crosby's head was rammed into the glass by 6'6 220 pound defenseman, Victor Hedman.  The hit was the final blow to Crosby's season and possibly his career.
 
While Crosby tried to recover, the Penguins immediately started dropping like flies.  Evgeni Malkin missed 40 games, tearing his ACL and MCL, Chris Kunitz missed 16 games with a lower leg injury, Dustin Jeffery was lost before the playoffs with a torn ACl, Orpik and Martin also missed time.  While this was happening, Jordan Staal's season was just starting as he missed half the season with an infected foot and broken hand.

However, through all the injuries, the Penguins still managed to amass 106 points, tying with the Flyers for the division lead.  Dan Bylsma went on to win the Jack Adams Trophy for coach of the year while Marc Andre Fleury did his best to push the Penguins through the playoffs.  In the end, they fell one game short of reaching the semi finals.  The 2010-2011 season was immensely disappointing due to the vast amount of injuries.  It left all of hockey asking "what if?" 

In their mission to erase the possibility of nineteen consecutive losing seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates are contending for the division but are fading fast.  Their lack of offense has been especially frustrating for a starting rotation that has started to come down to earth.  While the team is struggling to score runs, they are still contending despite their long list of injuries.  Pedro Alvarez, Jose Tabata, Alex Presley, Ronny Cedeno, Steve Pearce, Ross Ohlendorf, Evan Meek, Ryan Doumit and Joe Beimel have all missed significant time on the DL.  Not only have the Pirates been losers for 18 straight seasons, they've had to deal with bad luck while trying to break their streak of futility.  While most of the listed players should be back in a few weeks, the current team is heading into the most important stretch of the season and the players coming back from injury have had slow starts.

Since Pedro Alvarez's returned, he has hit .182 with 13 strikeouts in 38 plate appearances.  Meanwhile, Steve Pearce is batting .095 with just two singles over 21 plate appearances.  With players returning, the biggest factor will be adjusting to major league pitching and if the Pirates wish to make a playoff run, they must get back to form quickly. 

With all of these injuries to Pittsburgh's finest athletes, can we expect the same for the Pittsburgh Steelers?  Obviously, as fans, we hope nobody gets injured however, the Steelers play the most physically demanding sport in town.  Compound that with the fact that their defense is made up of veteran players who are well into their thirties and we have a perfect storm of injury potential.  As of today, Troy Polamalu is just starting to fully heal from his Achilles injury while Emmanuel Sanders is out 2-3 weeks with a broken ankle.  Meanwhile, James Harrison continues to have problems with his back which was operated on earlier this summer.  As the season moves along, more injuries are expected for the aging defense. 

During the 2008-2009 season, when the Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl championship, Bryant McFadden was the only player to not start at least ten games from the first team defense.  The starting defense in the Super Bowl was the same starting defense the Steelers had used all year.  Last year, the Steelers had a season ending injury to Aaron Smith while Troy Polamalu battled with an Achilles injury.  As mentioned before, Polamalu is still on the mend two weeks into training camp. 

One thing that will help the Steelers is the minimizing of full contact practices during training camp and the season.  Under the new CBA, teams will no longer be allowed to have back to back practices, or two-a-days, in full pads.  While many Steelers fans may think it's unusual for the league's most physical defense (so physical there were rules instituted specifically because of them), to enjoy a day without knocking heads, the lack of physicality will keep them more rested for Sunday.  Roger Goddell's best friend, James Harrison, was quoted as calling the new practice rules "lovely".  If James is happy with the rules, then I am too.  After all, if the impact players (Hampton, Woodley, Harrison, Polamalu, Timmons) can stay healthy, the Steelers could be in contention for their seventh ring, a championship that eluded them last year.