The Real Superbowl?

I fully believe whoever wins this game, will ultimately win the Superbowl. It will be such an emotional win that it will carry over. The team that wins this game will have more confidence than anyone left over in the playoffs, whether it be Arizona or Philadelphia, they won't be able to hold a candle to the intensity that the AFC team will bring. That AFC team, of course, will be the Pittsburgh Steelers. They bring too much too the table. There has been a ton of trash talking on the Baltimore side. If that is what they need to get up for this game, then so be it. I think the more disciplined and mature team will come out on top. The Steelers have a bad taste in their mouth from the previous home losses in the AFC Championship games. To see another team celebrate on the field because they are going to the Superbowl would be, "devistating" as Hines Ward put it.

I watched another interview with James Harrison the other day and they asked him if he could bring out another level of gameplay, he simply stated, "no, because I give my all in every game". I thought that was a great answer.

In another interview with Ben Roethlisberger, he said that he thinks the experience of being in the AFC Championship game a couple time should benefit him more than the fact that this is Joe Flacco's first. Ben didn't say if he thought Flacco was going to faulter, but that he simply hoped it would help him (Ben).

Santonio Holmes and Willie Parker finally are hitting their stride, just at the right time. We were not able to utilize their abilities as much in the previous two matchups because Parker was hurting and Holmes wasn't where he is now. I think they will be two of the X factors for the Steelers offense.

I love the play as of late by our offensive line. I know they have been on the downside of everything about the Pittsburgh offense, but they have had so many injuries that they apparently, until now, haven't gelled quite yet. Luckily they figured it out for the last game and are on track for the rest of the season.

I like the quiet confidence in Hampton, Polamalu, and the rest of the Steeler defense. They aren't saying much, but it is what they are not saying that makes them confident. The Ravens are going to every media outlet they can find to gain respect. The Steelers gained their respect on the football field and don't care what anyone else thinks.

Jeff Reed is going to have to be one of our best players in this game. After kicking so many clutch times, it might be up to him to send us beyond Heinz Field this Sunday.

I would love to see Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley, and James Harrison at least register one sack each. I think if we are able to spread out our linebackers like that, we can catch them offguard. With the current injuries that the Ravens have and the huge pride factor, Baltimore will be desperate to keep up and make some mistakes.

Basically, I like our odds and our chances. I also like the way our team has behaved during this week in the face of the trash talking. I see a big win here where the temperatures will be a lovely 20-25 degrees. Perfect for a hard-hitting, hard-nosed game.

Here We Go Steelers!

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Game 6 Analysis

Well, when all the commentators said that this should be another bye week for the Steelers playing an 0-6 Bengals team, they were right. Cincinnati is now officially 0-7. What is interesting about this record is that the only 18 times since 1991 has a team started 0-7, the Bengals have 5 of them. Ben Roethlisberger is officially 11-0 in his home state of Ohio since joining the Steelers. Miwelde Moore got the surprise start and capitalized with 20 carries, 120 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. He also caught a 2 yd TD pass in the game. The thing I am most proud of is the sacks. We sacked Fitzpatrick 7 times today and looked really good. We have the top tandem of sackers in the league with James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley. I am excited for next weeks game against the Giants. We didn't start Casey Hampton or Willie Parker like I originally believed. We are playing really well with half our lineup in there, imagine how we will be when healthy.

1st Downs 20 16 Rushing 9 5 Passing 10 11 Penalty 1 0 3rd-Down Conversions 6-12 4-16 4th-Down Conversions 0-0 2-2 Punts-Average 5-40.8 8-37.9 Return Yards 91 135 Punts-Returns 3-21 3-6 Kickoffs-Returns 3-70 6-129 Int.-Returns 0-0 0-0 Penalties-Yards 3-15 4-55 Fumbles-Lost 2-0 2-1 Time Of Pos. 30:35 29:25

Total Net Yards 375 212 Total Plays 58 68 Average Gain 6.5 3.1 Net Yards Rushing 125 84 Rushes 27 22 Avg. Per Rush 4.6 3.8 Net Yards Passing 250 128 Comp.-Att. 20-31 24-39 Yards Per Pass 8.1 2.8 Sacked-Yards Lost 0-0 7-47 Had Intercepted 0 0 Touchdowns 5 1 Rushing 2 0 Passing 3 1 Other 0 0 Extra Points 5-5 1-1 Field Goals 1-1 1-1 Red Zone Efficiency 4-5-80% 1-2-50% Goal To Go Efficiency 2-3-66% 1-1-100% Safeties 0 0

Steelers (5-1) Team Page | Depth Chart Passing CP/AT YDS TD INT Roethlisberger 17/28 216 2 0 B. Leftwich 3/3 34 1 0 Rushing ATT YDS TD LG M. Moore 20 120 2 24 N. Washington 1 6 0 6 G. Russell 4 0 0 3 Roethlisberger 2 -1 0 0 Receiving REC YDS TD LG S. Holmes 5 89 0 32 H. Ward 4 60 1 29 N. Washington 2 57 1 50 M. Moore 5 14 1 7 H. Miller 2 13 0 7 L. Sweed 1 11 0 11 M. Spaeth 1 6 0 6 Fumbles NO LST REC YDS M. Moore 1 0 0 0 Roethlisberger 1 0 1 -3 L. Woodley 0 0 1 0 Kicking FG LG XP PTS J. Reed 1/1 21 5/5 8 Punting NO AVG I20 LG M. Berger 5 40.8 2 51 Kickoff Returns NO AVG TD LG N. Davenport 3 23.3 0 27 Punt Returns NO AVG TD LG S. Holmes 3 7.0 0 12 Defense T-A SCK INT FF L. Timmons 7-3 2.0 0 0 J. Farrior 6-5 1.0 0 0 R. Clark 5-1 0.0 0 0 B. McFadden 4-1 0.0 0 0 J. Harrison 3-2 2.0 0 0 C. Hoke 3-0 0.0 0 0 I. Taylor 3-0 0.0 0 0 W. Gay 2-0 0.0 0 0 T. Polamalu 2-3 0.0 0 0 L. Woodley 2-2 2.0 0 1 N. Davenport 1-1 0.0 0 0 B. Keisel 1-0 0.0 0 0 T. Kirschke 1-1 0.0 0 0 A. Madison 1-0 0.0 0 0 O. Roye 1-1 0.0 0 0 G. Russell 1-0 0.0 0 0 A. Smith 1-0 0.0 0 0 A. Smith 1-0 0.0 0 0 D. Townsend 1-0 0.0 0 0 G. Warren 1-1 0.0 0 0 D. Woods 1-0 0.0 0 0 L. Foote 0-1 0.0 0 0

Bengals (0-7) Team Page | Depth Chart Passing CP/AT YDS TD INT R. Fitzpatrick 21/35 164 1 0 J. Palmer 3/4 11 0 0 Rushing ATT YDS TD LG C. Benson 14 52 0 15 K. Watson 4 17 0 6 R. Fitzpatrick 4 15 0 10 Receiving REC YDS TD LG Houshmandzadeh 8 58 0 19 C. Johnson 8 52 1 9 C. Henry 3 44 0 18 C. Benson 1 10 0 10 A. Chatman 2 8 0 5 J. Simpson 1 2 0 2 K. Watson 1 1 0 1 Fumbles NO LST REC YDS R. Fitzpatrick 2 1 0 -12 Houshmandzadeh 0 0 1 -3 Kicking FG LG XP PTS D. Rayner 1/1 26 1/1 4 Punting NO AVG I20 LG K. Larson 8 37.9 2 50 Kickoff Returns NO AVG TD LG A. Caldwell 3 29.3 0 36 D. Coats 1 18.0 0 18 J. Simpson 1 8.0 0 8 K. Watson 1 15.0 0 15 Punt Returns NO AVG TD LG A. Chatman 3 2.0 0 7 Defense T-A SCK INT FF D. Jackson 4-3 0.0 0 0 B. Johnson 4-3 0.0 0 0 L. Hall 3-0 0.0 0 0 D. Jones 3-2 0.0 0 0 D. Jones 3-1 0.0 0 0 J. Joseph 3-1 0.0 0 1 R. Geathers 2-5 0.0 0 0 C. Ndukwe 2-4 0.0 0 0 A. Odom 2-1 0.0 0 0 J. Fanene 1-0 0.0 0 0 E. Ghiaciuc 1-0 0.0 0 0 K. Hebert 1-2 0.0 0 0 D. Peko 1-0 0.0 0 0 G. Pope 1-0 0.0 0 0 P. Sims 1-3 0.0 0 0 B. St. Louis 1-0 0.0 0 0 M. White 1-0 0.0 0 0 A. Hodge 0-1 0.0 0 0 R. Jeanty 0-2 0.0 0 0 C. Lynch 0-1 0.0 0 0

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Cincy Bungoles

Looks like another bye week right? You would look at the records and think so, but the Bengals always try to show up against us. However, you have to take into consideration Ben Roethlisberger's record in Ohio, He hasn't lost since high school. We are healed up, Casey Hampton and Willie Parker are back, which means alot for our team. Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward are due for breakout games after Ben's 309 yards performance in Jacksonville two weeks ago. We will see if Hines will still be able to play his game due to the recent incessant fines. These fines even brought Troy Polomalu out of his quiet dimeanor to make a statement. I see this week as a week to show we deserve the #3 on the ESPN Power Poll. I see an easy victory, but it might be time for a statement game before we take on the reigning Super Bowl champs. As always, I would love to see a blowout. I like the matchup as always, but like I said earlier, this should be won easily by the Steelers.
Steelers 31 - Bengals 13

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Some Things To Look Forward To

Here are a few videos to watch to make us look forward to this upcoming season!
This Guy is Full of Crap!
Assorted Other Steeler Videos
I Can't Wait!

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First Camp Week in Review

So, after the first week at camp, we have had several positive developments as well as several disappointing non-developments.
Click on the links to read more.

I will start with the negatives:

PUP List: Casey Hampton, Troy Polamalu, and Chris Kemoeatu.
Chris Kemoeatu just came off this list, which is a positive inside the negative that he was ever on the list. If you didn't hear about how Casey Hampton ended up on the list, it is quite interesting. It was because in the past, he has never been punished for coming in overweight or out of shape, he shows up and gets in shape by playing football. This doesn't fly with Mike Tomlin. He wants his team coming in football ready and apparently let it slide last year. As a second year coach, he decided to make a statement. So far it is a big one. I think it is perfectly acceptable one. I believe these athletes get paid enough to afford a gym membership in the offseason or they can use the facilities the Steelers provide for free. There is no excuse for coming in out of shape unless that player is injured.

As far as Troy Polamalu being on the list, he is injured, it seems minor, but that are playing it safe so we don't start right where we left off last season. He is able to do all the drills, but he is jogging through them, not running. That makes a difference. He should be back sometime this week.

Finally, we have Chris Kemoeatu who, as I said, just came off the list. He was suffering from a tricept injury. We will have to watch him this season for reaccurances, but I doubt we will see any due to the apparent inherent replacement of perrenial Pro-Bowler Alan Faneca, who we lost to the Jets in the free agency market.

I think one of the worst things that has happened so far is the loss of Danial Sepulveda. You may sit there and say, "He is just a punter!", but field position is vital for a team's success and Sepulveda was becoming great at it.

There seems to have been a considerable amout of small groin injuries in the first week. This could be common because it is just the first week. Hopefully it is just that.

Our schedule features a ton of challenges and proving points for our defence. I don't know if it is necessarily a negative, but if we played a season where we had the easiest schedule, I might feel differently. We face every team that turned a corner and took it to the next level, as well as all the ones that remained in the elite category. I am excited to see what we do in the coming weeks.

The development of Lawrence Timmons. This more or less disappoints me because he is supposed to be the sure thing, but it appears he is not ready yet, unless he tries another position to fit into the depth chart.

On to the positives:

Apparently Kevin Greene likes what he sees in our linebackers, James Harrison and second year man LaMarr Woodley. He even goes out on a limb to say that Woodley is going to be better than him. I love it when great players say things like these, it gets me really excited for this season to kick off.

Once again, Hines Ward is using a motivator to excel at his position. If that is what it takes for Ward to perform at the level that he does, give him something every year. He may be 32, which really isn't that old at all, but he still is one of the best. He is and has been the best thing for Ben Roethlisberger since coming in as a rookie. If every rookie quarterback had a extremely dependable go to guy, then I believe alot more quarterbacks would be alot more successful.

It is great to see a second year player, on the verge of a breakout season, starting to show signs of eventually replacing Ward as a leader on and off the field. Let's face it, Ward will not be here forever and someone needs to learn when to step up and says things to players and when to let things ride. Santonio Holmes is learning just that.

Successful rookie news is always good news. I like the look of some players, like Jeremy Bloom, who may or may not make the team, but shows alot of heart and dedication.

Dennis Dixon. I would love to see Tomlin throw him into a Slash role, just to get him playing time. I don't think Tomlin likes that idea as much though. I know that Charlie Batch is skilled enough as a quarterback that Dixon will not overtake his position anytime soon, so I think we should get hime game time while we can.

The Rest:

Well, there has been alot said about these Pittsburgh Steelers for this upcoming season. I like the look of the roster and the quality of our players. I think our record of 10-6 from last year is just a simple showing of things to come considering our key injuries at key times and a new look staff positions in every category except defense. There has been alot of discussion of the Browns finally taking over the division, but I disagree, they might have played well last season, but when the chips were down, they couldn't beat us. They may look good on paper, but how they look on the field matters. In other words, the division is still ours until they take it from our cold, dead hands.

This will be talked about here....

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2008 Steelers Camp Roster and the Skinny

The roster that the Steelers will open camp with tomorrow when they begin their 42nd summer at Saint Vincent College

Sunday, July 27, 2008
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CAMP ROSTER 2008
No	Player	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	College	The skinny
QUARTERBACKS
2	Dennis Dixon	6-3	195	R	Oregon	No. 3 with a bullet Could be used for some trick plays
7	Ben Roethlisberger	6-5	241	5	Miami (OH)	Among best in NFL If Ben improves his stats from last year, we will go far in the playoffs, just have to evade the sacks.
8	Mike Potts	6-4	220	R	William and Mary	Looks like arm for camp.
16	Charlie Batch	6-2	216	11	Eastern Michigan	Best backup in the league.
RUNNING BACKS Possibly the best RB tandem
21	Mewelde Moore	5-11	209	5	Tulane	Well-rounded third-down back.
28	Justin Vincent	5-10	219	1	LSU	Tough for him to make it.
33	Gary Russell	5-11	215	2	Minnesota	Sleeper who made it.
34	Rashard Mendenhall	5-10	225	R	Illinois	Should make an impact. Best sleeper in the league, Might be #2 of the best 1-2 punch in the league this year.
38	Carey Davis	5-10	225	3	Illinois	Only legit FB on team.
39	Willie Parker	5-10	209	5	North Carolina	Healed and ready to go. Might get the first 1000 yards of a Steeler 2 man 2000 yard rushing season
42	Billy Latsko	5-10	233	1	Florida	Practice squad possibility.
WIDE RECIEVERS Might have the most versatile WR group in the NFL
10	Santonio Holmes	5-11	192	3	Ohio State	Gets shot as return man, too.
11	Jeremy Bloom	5-9	180	2	Colorado	Gets a shot as return man.
13	Marvin Allen	5-10	185	1	None	International player on practice squad.
14	Limas Sweed	6-4	220	R	Texas	Has chance to make plays. I think he may just turn some heads this year.
15	Willie Reid	5-10	192	3	Florida State	Can he stay healthy?
19	Gerran Walker	5-10	185	1	Lehigh	Deep on depth chart.
80	Kevin Marion	5-10	168	R	Wake Forest	Slight frame, small chance.
81	Dallas Baker	6-3	206	1	Florida	'07 pick on the brink.
86	Hines Ward	6-0	205	11	Georgia	As tough as ever.
85	Nate Washington	6-1	185	4	Tiffin	Steadily improving.
87	Micah Rucker	6-6	221	R	Eastern Illinois	Among tallest of the wideouts.
TIGHT ENDS
48	Cody Boyd	6-8	264	2	Washington State	Competing for No. 3 spot.
83	Heath Miller	6-5	256	4	Virginia	As good as they come.
84	Dezmond Sherrod	6-2	250	R	Mississippi State	There's an opening.
88	Jon Dekker	6-5	250	2	Princeton	Inside track to No. 3.
89	Matt Spaeth	6-7	270	2	Minnesota	Fast start, then disappeared. I think he will reappear this year.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN Needs to keep Ben off his back
61	Sean Mahan	6-3	301	6	Notre Dame	Trying to keep his job.
62	Justin Hartwig	6-4	312	7	Kansas	Likely new center.
65	Jeremy Parquet	6-6	321	4	S. Mississippi	Big man, tall order.
66	Tony Hills	6-5	304	R	Texas	Only lineman drafted.
67	Matt Lentz	6-6	320	1	Michigan	Huge guard.
68	Chris Kemoeatu	6-3	344	4	Utah	Finally gets his shot.
69	Jason Capizzi	6-9	330	2	IUP	Tall player, long shot.
72	Darnell Stapleton	6-3	305	2	Rutgers	Backup guard/center.
73	Kendall Simmons	6-3	315	7	Auburn	Steady starter.
74	Willie Colon	6-3	315	3	Hofstra	Looking to start again.
77	Marvel Smith	6-5	321	9	Arizona State	Back miseries behind him.
78	Max Starks	6-8	345	5	Florida	$7 million still a mystery.
79	Trai Essex	6-4	324	4	Northwestern	Must fight to hold roster spot.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Let's keep the steel curtain up and running
64	Jordan Reffett	6-4	292	R	Washington	Has an outside shot.
67	Kyle Clement	6-3	315	R	Northwood	Openings for young linemen.
71	Scott Paxson	6-4	292	1	Penn State	Third time the charm?
76	Chris Hoke	6-2	305	8	Brigham Young	Longtime strong backup NT.
90	Travis Kirschke	6-3	298	12	UCLA	Back has held him back.
91	Aaron Smith	6-5	298	10	Northern Colorado	Among team MVPs.
93	Nick Eason	6-3	305	6	Clemson	Youngest of top 6 D-linemen.
95	Ryan McBean	6-5	290	2	Oklahoma State	Youngster on older line.
96	Martavius Prince	6-2	282	R	Southern Miss	Has prince of a chance.
98	Casey Hampton	6-1	325	8	Texas	Rumored weight loss a plus. Unfortunately just a rumor.
99	Brett Keisel	6-5	285	7	Brigham Young	Speed, quickness asset.
LINEBACKERS Young and fast, I can't wait to see this
46	Patrick Bailey	6-4	235	R	Duke	Rookie free agent, long-shot.
47	Donovan Woods	6-2	230	R	Oklahoma State	Has a chance.
48	Anthony Trucks	6-1	230	1	Oregon	Rolling, rolling, rolling.
50	Larry Foote	6-1	239	7	Michigan	Challenged by Timmons.
51	James Farrior	6-2	243	12	Virginia	Still strong at 33.
53	Bruce Davis	6-3	252	R	UCLA	Might help pass rush.
54	Andre Frazier	6-5	245	4	Cincinnati	Adds depth on the outside.
55	Mike Humpal	6-3	240	R	Iowa	Sleeper draft pick.
57	Keyaron Fox	6-3	235	5	Georgia Tech	UFA special teams signing.
94	Lawrence Timmons	6-1	234	2	Florida State	Getting a Foote in door.
97	Arnold Harrison	6-3	241	3	Georgia	Veteran backup on outside.
92	James Harrison	6-0	242	5	Kent State	Last year's MVP.
56	LaMarr Woodley	6-2	265	2	Michigan	His time to shine.
SAFETIES
23	Tyrone Carter	5-9	195	9	Minnesota	Roster spot in jeopardy.
25	Ryan Clark	5-11	205	7	Louisiana State	Back after losing spleen.
27	Anthony Smith	6-1	200	3	Syracuse	At a crossroads. Hopefully he doesn't get too cocky this year
29	Ryan Mundy	6-1	215	R	West Virginia	Could stick as backup safety.
41	Grant Mason	6-0	198	2	Michigan	Back to try again.
43	Troy Polamalu	5-10	207	6	USC	Looking to regain top form.
CORNERBACKS They need to keep sharp
20	Bryant McFadden	6-0	190	4	Florida State	At the least, No. 3 CB.
22	William Gay	5-10	190	2	Louisville	Nice rookie season.
24	Ike Taylor	6-2	195	6	La.-Lafayette	Rebounded after poor '06.
26	Deshea Townsend	5-10	190	11	Alabama	Keeps on tickin'.
30	Roy Lewis	5-10	190	R	Washington	ROY, not Ray.
31	Travis Williams	5-9	180	R	East Carolina	Size could be problem.
37	Anthony Madison	5-9	180	3	Alabama	Little man hangs around.
SPECIALISTS These positions are key
3	Jeff Reed-a	5-11	225	7	North Carolina	Almost perfect in '07.
4	Julian Rauch-a	5-11	207	R	Appalachian State	Extra leg for camp.
9	Daniel Sepulveda-b	6-3	230	2	Baylor	Should only get better.
60	Greg Warren-c	6-3	252	4	North Carolina	Excellent long-snapper.
a-kicker b-punter c-long snapper

I have read a few reports that show that we have 14 FA next year, so this is the year to take it, or to gain some youngsters to do the deed. I think we have the talent this year, if we can stay healthy. We do have a tough schedule and alot of turmoil ahead of us, but here we go!

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