Pittsburgh Articles

[CardLogic]

The following articles are from the Beaver County Times, a Pittsburgh area newspaper. The author, Mike Bires is a friend of mine.​

Steelers: Still perfect after all these weeks
By: Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff
09/23/2007

PITTSBURGH - Although it's not an original concept, the gospel of Mike Tomlin preaches that traveling the road toward the Super Bowl can be just as exhilarating as getting there.
"It's not the destination, it's the journey," the rookie coach proclaimed Sunday after the Steelers remained perfect with a third straight lopsided victory.

Next on the Steelers' journey is a trip to the Arizona desert where they'll play what just might be the most intriguing game on the NFL's Week 4 schedule.

It's a game pitting the three finalists for the opening created when Bill Cowher resigned as Steelers coach in January.

Tomlin, the man who got the job, will match wits against Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, the former Steelers' offensive coordinator, and Cardinals assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm, who had the same responsibilities under Cowher.

"Going to Arizona is going to be our biggest test of the year so far," defensive end Brett Keisel said after Sunday's 37-16 rout of the San Francisco 49ers before 64,313 fans at Heinz Field.

"They're going to come at us with everything they have. Whiz (Whisenhunt) wants to win that game I think more than going to the Super Bowl. I know they're all excited to play us."

While the Cardinals (1-2) lost a 26-23 thriller in Baltimore (2-1) when Ravens kicker Matt Stover booted a game-winning field goal as time expired, the Steelers put together their most complete game of the young season.

Running back Willie Parker rushed for 133 yards, his third straight 100-yard performance.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger racked up a 106.2 passer rating - his second plus-100 of the season - by completing 65 percent of his throws (13 of 20) with one touchdown pass and no interceptions.

Cornerback Bryant McFadden got the Steelers' first defensive touchdown of the season by returning an interception 50 yards. Collectively, the defense held 49ers star running back Frank Gore to just 39 yards (that's the lowest single-game output for last year's NFC Pro Bowl starter in 20 career starts).

And on special teams, Allen Rossum returned a kickoff 98 yards for a TD while kicker Jeff Reed made all three of his field tries and improved to 9-of-9 for the season.

"Today was a perfect example of us playing a full team game," said tight end Jerame Tuman, who caught a 9-yard TD pass from Roethlisberger. "We're trying to be well-rounded every area. Today, we were. We played well across the board."

"That's the way a football game should be played," Roethlisberger said.

The Steelers, who've outscored their opponents 97-26, are 3-0 for the first time since 1992, Cowher's first year. It's only the sixth time in the franchise's 75-year history that they're unbeaten after three games.

It's early in the season, but they're one of four NFL teams with 3-0 records.
And they'll get the chance to go 4-0 for the first time since 1979 when the next leg of their journey takes them to Arizona.

"I can't wait," Keisel said. "It's going to be a great game."

©Beaver County Times Allegheny Times 2007

 

[CardLogic]

Bires column:
It's Ben a long time
By: Mike Bires
09/25/2007

Random notes from the Steelers
-----

It's way too early to hand Ben Roethlisberger the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, but he's certainly on the fast track toward earning it.

Through three games, he looks like the quarterback he was his first two years in the league.

He's managing the offense like a poised veteran. He's avoiding costly interceptions. He's seeing the field well and finding the open receiver. And as he showed Sunday against the 49ers, he's using his size and extraordinary athleticism to side-step pass rushers and buy more time until someone gets open. He's not afraid to run with the ball as he did early in the third quarter when he scrambled for an 18-yard gain.

"Big Ben kept plays alive," San Fran coach Mike Nolan said. "We had our hands on him several times but couldn't tackle him. He's a big man, but you know going into the game he's a big man. I don't know how many times he escaped the rush and kept plays alive."

That's something Roethlisberger seldom did last year when he struggled and ultimately led the league with 23 interceptions.

Right now, Roethlisberger is clicking in all phases. His confidence is soaring. He's healthy. He's only 25 but already he's an experienced QB with 49 pro starts (playoffs included).

* In his first three starts last year, Roethlisberger threw no touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

In three starts this year, he's thrown for six TDs and only one interception.

What a difference a year makes.

* The Steelers like to think that in Charlie Batch, they have one of the NFL's best back-up QBs. The Arizona Cardinals, who host the Steelers on Sunday, feel the same way.

Certainly Kurt Warner, a Super Bowl MVP when he ran the St. Louis Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf," was sensational in relief Sunday by rallying the Cardinals with two fourth-quarter TD passes. The Baltimore Ravens wound up winning, 26-23, but Warner proved he still has some magic in his arm.

Matt Leinart, the former USC golden boy, is expected to start again against the Steelers. He's younger and more mobile. But if Leinart gets flustered with the Steelers' defense, coach Ken Whisenhunt won't hesitate to put in Warner.

After all, only two QBs in NFL history have a better career passer rating than Warner's 94.2 (Peyton Manning and Hall of Famer Steve Young).

* Without question, the Cardinals (1-2) pose the toughest challenge the Steelers have faced so far this season. That's especially true for the Pittsburgh defense which has basically gone three weeks without a serious challenge.

* Whether it's Leinart or Warner at quarterback, the Steelers will finally have to contend with a bona fide arsenal of offensive weapons in running back Edgerrin James and wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, the ex-Pitt star, and Anquan Boldin.

And don't think for a minute that Russ Grimm, who lost out to Mike Tomlin for the Steelers' head coaching vacancy, won't have the Cardinals' O-line ready to play.

* Nose tackle Casey Hampton, a three-time Pro Bowler, gets a lot of credit for the Steelers' ability to stuff the opposition's running attack and rightfully so. He's the best nose tackle in football. But the player who lines up left of Hampton isn't too shabby either.

Aaron Smith is an outstanding 3-4 defensive end and doesn't get the kudos he deserves. He's off to a terrific start this season.

Mike Bires can be reached online at [email protected]

©Beaver County Times Allegheny Times 2007

 

[CardLogic]

Tomlin says Cardinals
are just another game
By: Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff
09/25/2007

PITTSBURGH - Even though his players think otherwise, Mike Tomlin doesn't look at Sunday's game against Arizona as anything more than the next game on the Steelers' schedule.


Even though he'll be coaching against two men who wanted his job - including one who thought the job was his - Tomlin says Sunday's game against the Cardinals bears no extra significance.

Tuesday at his weekly press conference, Tomlin downplayed the fact that he'll be matching wits against Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm, the two also-rans in the interview process that ensued after Bill Cowher quit after 15 seasons as the Steelers' head coach.

In addition, a number of ex-Steelers play for the Cardinals (1-2), including center Chukky Okobi and wide receiver/special teams whiz Sean Morey.

"It's really a non-story for me, to be honest with you," said Tomlin, who's off to a 3-0 start in his first year as a head coach. "It's a big game because it's the next game. I'm here. I want to be here. I'm glad to be here. If it's a story at all, it's their story, not ours. It's a big game because the Cardinals are our next opponent."

Tomlin, 35, said Tuesday that he's never met Whisenhunt, 45, nor Grimm, 48, even though they were the three finalists for the vacancy in Pittsburgh in January.

Whisenhunt, the Steelers' offensive coordinator the past three years, was the first to bow out of the competition. Sensing that the Steelers might stay in-house and hire Grimm, he accepted the job as the Cardinals' head coach.

One day before Tomlin was offered the job, Grimm, Cowher's assistant head coach and offensive line coach the past three years, thought he reached a verbal agreement with Steelers president Art Rooney II. The next day, a Pittsburgh newspaper published a story saying Grimm would be the next coach.

But at the moment of truth, the Steelers hired Tomlin, the first African-American head coach in franchise history.

Shortly after the Steelers rejected him, Grimm accepted the job as Whisenhunt's assistant head coach/offensive line coach.

Despite those circumstances, Tomlin said that if he talks to Whisenhunt and/or Grimm before or after Sunday's game at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., that he expects their discussions to be cordial.

"I expect it to be professional," Tomlin said. "We're all in this fraternity (together). We're all in this to compete. We all show up in stadiums trying to win. I expect it to be no different than any other week."

©Beaver County Times Allegheny Times 2007

 

[Gee!]

The following articles are from the Beaver County Times

Im easily assumed..

 

[Pariah]

Im easily assumed..

Assumed to be a wuss?

 

[CardLogic]

I sense that the Steelers players are hyped for this game, and Tomlin is trying to downplay it by stating in so many words, that it's 'just another game'.

 

[football karma]

Honestly, I dont know why Pitt players would be hyped for this game. Maybe a couple, but not a significant part of the team.

 

[CardLogic]

They are playing against coaches that many of them had as their coaches for six years. I think that adds some additional incentive to the game. Just as I think this is one that the former Pittsburgh coaches and players now with the Cardinals have some extra incentive for.

Additionally, Pittsburgh has not really been tested yet this season. I think that they will see this game, on the road to Arizona, where they historically have not played well, against what they recognize as a strong opponent (based partially upon the Card's game vs. Baltimore) as a gauge for their team.

 

[CardLogic]

Honestly, I dont know why Pitt players would be hyped for this game. Maybe a couple, but not a significant part of the team.

A quote from Hines Ward (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) : "Playing (against) Whiz and Russ," he said, "it's going to be very emotional."

 

[football karma]

Logic-- I hear you--

I guess my pov is from the fact that its the Steelers who didnt want Whis and Grimm back-- rather than Whis and Grimm leaving the Steelers in a lurch

The former might drum up some feelings of sympathy and compassion in the Steeler players while the latter might motivate them to play extra hard---

I hope the emotion Hines feels is fond recollection, not inspired revenge.