As training camps across the NFL are getting underway, football journalism has kicked into high gear. After wading through the off months where you are lucky to get more than a couple stories a week, you can now log in to any sports web site and get a couple stories an hour. While I’ll read most articles about anything related to the NFL, I snap to attention when an article about the Steelers comes across the wire.
But much to my dismay, most of the articles about the Steelers this pre-season seem to be about either Ben Roethlisberger or our new coach, Mike Tomlin. I guess I can understand focusing on Tomlin because he is the new coach and it is interesting to see the new system he installs. The fixation on our quarterback is what is beginning to piss me off.
How will Ben come back from a sub-par season? How will he avoid all those interceptions this year? Has he already peaked after 3 seasons? And my favorite: The entire fate of the Steelers season lies on whether Big Ben can bounce back or not.
Were these idiots watching the Steelers last season? I agree that turnovers were possibly the biggest killer of our season last year, but it wasn’t Ben’s turnovers I am worried about. A decent amount of his interceptions were either because the receiver fucked up or he was trying to force long bombs at the end of a game where we really did need that kind of a desperation move to try to win the game. In the latter case, on a couple occasions his long interception on 3rd down ended up being no worse than a punt, which is what we would have done on 4th down anyway. I don’t have tape of all games to go back and study but I bet if you eliminated the interceptions that were due to other teammates or those other desperate situations you’d find that he had a very normal rate of interception.
Ben’s turnovers didn’t bother me last year. The ones that pissed me off were all the ones associated with receivers who couldn’t hold on to the ball and the god damned fumbles. And the single most fucked up part of the Steelers last year was not Ben, but those fucking special teams turnovers.
You see, the national media has missed the boat on the Steelers fall from grace last season. It was special teams turnovers and special teams play in general that broke us. A football team can overcome a lot of things but when you get sloppy special teams play you end up taking yourself out of the game. Bad coverage gives your opponent a shorter field. Bad returns give you a longer field. And motherfucking special teams turnovers are the final killer. You just basically give the team that your defense just stomped a free shot at the end zone. How much of a spirit killer is that to know that you are holding them off and then the momentum changes because you give them 1st and goal or 1st with 20 yards to go.
Football isn’t that complex when you strip it completely down. It is simply a game of ground. All those old sayings about football is a game of inches and it’s won in the trenches are around because they are true. You win a football game by controlling the inches. That’s why the Steelers have had so much success in the past with a power running game. You grind away the clock while you grind away the inches. That wins games. And all that hard work isn’t worth a squirt of piss if your special teams come out and give away all your hard earned field position.
I guarantee that the Steelers would have gone at least 11-5 last year rather than 8-8 if we had even average special teams play. But our horrible special teams directly caused us to lose at least 3 games. Those 3 games are the difference between making the playoffs and giving you a chance to make a run for the Lombardi trophy and sitting at home spanking off in January.
So while all other eyes are on Big Ben or coach Tomlin or maybe even the rookies we drafted my eyes are on special teams this summer. Our season this year will go how our special teams go, not how Ben’s season goes.
That said, last week finally brought my first dose of hope that we will indeed return to glory this year. I picked up on a few articles stating that coach Tomlin is dedicating a large portion of his training camp to special teams. He is apparently scheduling entire sessions in his two a days for nothing but the special teams. He is also playing starters on special teams, which I am a big fan of.
So while the national media doesn’t get it I’m so happy that coach Tomlin does because he is the one that counts. More than ever I have faith that he will do a great job with the Steelers. If he and his staff can actually fix those fucked up special teams, they won’t have to worry about any other aspect of the game. The offense will get the job done. The defense will get the job done. Have no worries there. As long as the special teams doesn’t shoot the team in the foot, we’ll do great this year. And I’m glad to see that coach Tomlin seems to be thinking along the same lines.
So I leave you today, optimistic. We will be back in the playoffs this year. You can take that to the bank.
-David
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Abandon all hope ye who enter here...
4 comments:
I think when you know a lot about anything in the news, the news always gets it wrong. I know this is ridiculous, but when I was reading about Spider-Man or Captain America in the national news, they always seem to have the perspective of someone who read every other word in an encylopedia entry. And I totally agree with you. Ben is awesome. There were troubles last year and he had to force things, but I don't think he's peaked yet.
But once again, Dave, why do you say that EVERYTHING has to do with inches? I remember that you said that same thing about knitting and the near-extinction of the rhino. Dave, do you have something you really mean when you say, "inches?"
Uhhhh, there are 12 inches in a foot? Blue Oyster Cult said is known to sing "She's as beautiful as a foot". Maybe that's it?
As I was reading your blog, I was wondering who the special teams coach was last year. The first name that came to mind was Bobby April. Then I thought, he hasn't been the special teams coach for several years now. Why did he stick in my head?
Also, I remember Tomlin saying that they used a high draft pick on a punter because they are serious about improving the special teams.
Well, Lou, you brought up a sobering point. I can't exactly remember his name but I think it is something like Bob Ligoshey or something like that.
I do remember that he was the Rams Special Teams coach last year and he was run out of town because the Rams have had the worst special teams for like 6 years running. Not all of that was his fault (he was only there 1 or 2 years). But it certainly isn't exactly a great endorsement.
I have faith in Coach Tomlin on his choice of assistants. I have no other choice, I suppose.
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