Wannstedt Interviewing with Browns

How does the image of Dave Wannstedt in Cleveland Browns colors look in your head? Well, that image may become a reality if the ex-Pitt coach joins Team Holmgren as the Browns' Defensive Coordinator, a job he will interview for this week.

With former coordinator Rob "Brother of Rex" Ryan already landing in Dallas, an opening exists for the gig, and Wannstedt already has some competition in former Buffalo and Chicago head coach Dick Jauron. Jauron spent 2010 as the Senior assistant/Defensive backs coach for Andy Reid in Philadelphia after coaching Buffalo from 2006-2009.

In addition to the Browns job, Wanny has also talked with the Bills and may also chat with the Chargers about employment opportunities in 2011, so it looks like he will be quickly turning the page from his time at Pitt. I'd prefer he not do it in Cleveland only because I like the guy, but a paycheck is a paycheck. It won't be a matter of if, but when Wannstedt chooses to return to his NFL roots.

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10 Thoughts on Steelers-Browns

Time to play catch-up from a mini-hiatus! Some thoughts on the Steelers' regular season finale in Cleveland:

1. I'd say Sunday was the best-case scenario for the Steelers: they finish VERY strong, they build an enormous lead to the point where they can rest their starters, they destroy a division foe, and they stay healthy in the process. There was no repeat of Big Ben going out on a stretcher like the Cleveland finale a few years ago. Mike Tomlin was smart enough to avoid the cheap-shot opportunities for Cleveland.

I would think this was the perfect way to enter the postseason, getting two weeks to rest and recuperate before their game on Saturday, January 15, at 4:30 p.m., versus Kansas City, Indianapolis, or Baltimore. That time off should be welcome news for Troy Polamalu, Maurkice Pouncey, Aaron Smith, and any other Steelers nursing bumps and bruises, which is probably all 53 players on the roster. Any team will benefit from that much time off at this point in the season, but it should prove extremely beneficial given the importance of the banged-up players on the Steeler roster.

2. Sunday was a game the Steelers wanted to win given the opportunity to control their own destiny, and the big names showed up. Troy Polamalu made an impact right away with his interception of Colt McCoy, Mike Wallace toasted the Cleveland secondary like an overdone English Muffin not once but twice, Rashard Mendenhall found the end zone two times, and Roethlisberger looked for the second week in a row like a man among boys, with 280 yards passing, a 141 passer rating, and 2 TDs. Again, having your top players healthy and performing at their peak is the best way to enter the playoffs, and that would be how I would describe the Steelers at the conclusion of the regular season.

3. As bad as Cleveland played in all aspects of the game was as good as the Steelers played on offense, defense, and special teams on Sunday. Given the amount of points that the Browns would score on the day (nine), the game was basically decided in the first quarter, when the Steelers racked up 14 against a Browns team that clearly snail-mailed this one in for probable ex-coach Eric Mangini.

But credit for that also has to be given to the Steeler D, which closed the 2010 regular season strong in limiting the Browns to 225 yards of offense and a mere nine points on the afternoon, while creating three turnovers. Aside from the obvious Polamalu football excellence we've come to expect, Ziggy Hood and Lawrence Timmons were standouts on that side of the ball, which also got interceptions from Ryan Clark and Anthony Madison and four sacks from the unit.

Special teams was not spectacular, but very solid on Sunday; Shaun Suisham converted both of his three-pointers, Jeremy Kapinos had two great punts, and the kick return defense unit allowed a long of only 17 yards on eight Cleveland attempts during the game. Not bad at all, if I do say so.

4. Now that the regular season is over, let's look at some numbers:

-Ben Roethlisberger finished with 3,280 yards passing in just 12 games, good for 273 YPG. That's the second-highest number in his career behind only his 288 YPG in 2009, which tells me he didn't miss Santonio Holmes as much as some people would have you believe.

-The defense finished with 1,004 yards rushing allowed, an average of just under 63 yards per game - good for fourth-best in NFL history 

-Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Wallace connected eight times on touchdown passes of 40 or more yards, a Steeler record.

-Troy Polamalu's interception on Sunday was the seventh of his season, tying his career-high.

-Rashard Mendenhall finished with 1,273 yards rushing, a career-high and the best individual total for a Steeler since Willie Parker's 1,316 yards in 2007.

-Mike Wallace finished with 60 catches, 1,257 yards receiving, and 10 touchdowns. For comparison's sake, Santonio Holmes had 52 catches, 746 yards, and 6 TDs while sitting out four games due to suspension. And yes, that does ultimately factor into the productivity of a player.

-Hines Ward's 2010 totals: 59 catches, 755 yards, 4 TDs. It was easily his least productive season since back in 2000 (48-672-4).

5. With 2010 in the books, the team's 2011 opponents are now set (given that there is a 2011 season and that it's 16 games - two things that are up in the air at this point):

Home games: Cleveland, Baltimore, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Arizona, New England, Tennessee, Jacksonville.

Road games: Cleveland, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Seattle, San Francisco, Kansas City, Houston, Indianapolis.

It's pointless to go through that list and predict the Steelers' wins in 2011, given the changes they (and their opponents) will have between now and then. But at least going off of 2010 success, I see only six games against playoff qualifiers on the slate, with two of them against Baltimore and one of them against 7-9 Seattle.

6. Around the AFCN, the Ravens improved to 12-4 (7-1 at home) with a 13-7 win over Cincinnati, which nearly had as many reality show stars (three) as wins (four) this season. And people want Marvin Lewis to coach Pitt? Why, precisely, other than the fact that his tenure could never be worse than George O'Leary's Mike Price's Mike Haywood's?


7. Looking down the road, here are the 2010-11 NFL playoff matchups. There's no Steeler game next week, but you might want to leave your plans open for February 6. 

SAT., JAN. 8
	No. 6 New York Jets (11-5) at No. 3 Indianapolis Colts (10-6) Lucas Oil Stadium, 8 p.m. ET, NBC
SUN., JAN. 9
	No. 5 Baltimore Ravens (12-4) at No. 4 Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) Arrowhead Stadium, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

AFC divisional round

SAT., JAN. 15
	Highest remaining seed at No. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) Heinz Field, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
SUN., JAN. 16
	Lowest remaining seed at No. 1 New England Patriots (14-2) Gillette Stadium, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS

AFC Championship Game

SUNDAY, JAN. 23

Divisional round winners at highest remaining seed Site TBD, 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS

NFC wild-card round

SAT., JAN. 8
	No. 5 New Orleans Saints (11-5) at No. 4 Seattle Seahawks (7-9) Qwest Field, 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC
SUN., JAN. 9
	No. 6 Green Bay Packers (10-6) at No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles (10-6) Lincoln Financial Field, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX

NFC divisional round

SAT., JAN. 15
	Lowest remaining seed at No. 1 Atlanta Falcons (13-3) Georgia Dome, 8 p.m. ET, FOX
SUN., JAN. 16
	Highest remaining seed at No. 2 Chicago Bears (11-5) Soldier Field, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

NFC Championship Game

SUNDAY, JAN. 23

Divisional round winners at highest remaining seed Site TBD, 3 p.m. ET, FOX

Super Bowl XLV

SUNDAY, FEB. 6
	AFC champion vs. NFC champion Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, 6:30 p.m. ET, FOX

8. As noted earlier, the Steelers will be getting either Indianapolis, Baltimore, or Kansas City at home in their first playoff game. Pittsburgh split with Baltimore and did not face Indy or KC in the 2010 regular season. The only way the Steelers would face "feared" (by some fans) New England would be if they win and the Patriots win their first playoff game, which will be against the lowest-remaining seed.


The Steelers were 2-4 against 2010 playoff teams this season, beating Baltimore and Atlanta while losing to Baltimore, New England, New Orleans, and the New York Jets. I'd be lying if I said that didn't bother me going into the postseason.

9. Mike Tomlin's team finished the season 12-4 and AFC North division champions, and I believe he's a very strong candidate for Coach of the Year honors. The season could've gone south quickly without Ben Roethlisberger and two games against playoff teams in that first month, but for the Steelers to not only survive but thrive during that time, that's got to be a credit to Tomlin. 


Troy Polamalu could quite possibly get the Defensive MVP award, and Maurkice Pouncey will undoubtedly get honors on some level for his 2010 rookie season, which already includes the first of many Pro Bowl honors. All in all, I think Steeler Nation should be extremely satisfied with the 2010 regular season and should also be very enthused for the playoffs.


10. Finally, it's Sad Trombone time!

As you know, the Sad Trombone  goes to someone who deserves no sympathy and in turn gets mocked by internet tough guys such as myself.

It's been a fun year of Sad Trombones, but this one's got to go to Cleveland turnaround expert Mike Holmgren. 

The man who potentially sees himself as the coaching solution to what ails the Browns in 2011 assembled a roster built around Jake Delhomme at quarterback, which is immediately a recipe for disaster. After showing some signs of life, the Browns eventually returned to form and lost their final four games, closing with a 32-point home loss to the Steelers. Nice work in building a five-win team there, Holmgren! I'm sure you're what stands between the Cleveland Browns and NFL domination in the future. That's worthy of a Sad Trombone strictly on the belief that he can do the impossible - make Cleveland relevant in football (or any other sport, for that matter) this year.

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Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

10 Thoughts on Steelers-Browns

Sunday was a rather big day in the life of one Ben Roethlisberger, and all things considered, it went pretty well. Sure, there were a few protesters, but that was to be expected. For the most part, Pittsburgh fans welcomed him back with open arms. A win and three touchdowns had to be the icing on the cake for #7.

Naturally, I have a few opinions on what I saw during Sunday's Steelers-Browns contest at Heinz Field, and for 10 of them, you can hit up The Fan website for a more in-depth look. There's Sad Trombone, a classic quote from James Harrison, an incredibly dumb comparison by a TV announcer, and much, much more.

10 Thoughts on Steelers-Browns [93.7 The Fan]

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Colt McCoy May Start vs. Steelers

Could this character be the starting quarterback for the Browns when they face the Steelers on Sunday?

DEREK ANDERSON BLASTS BROWNS FANS

I'll certainly miss having Derek Anderson to kick around in the AFC North, as he has recently been relieved of whatever his duties were these days with the Mike Holmgren Cleveland Browns. He exits with a career record of 0-5 against the Steelers, including memorable losses of 34-7 and 27-7. And he should score some extra points with the Yinzers now that he's left Cleveland, for this parting shot to Browns fans:

"The fans are ruthless and don't deserve a winner," Anderson wrote Tuesday in a terse e-mail when asked for a reaction to being released. "I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured.

"I know at times I wasn't great. I hope and pray I'm playing when my team comes to town and (we) roll them."

Sadly, Anderson issued an apology after the city went into collective outrage yesterday:

"I said some things to Jeff Schudel (of The News-Herald) earlier that I regret. Those of you who got to know me personally from covering the Browns over the past five years, know this was out of character for me. I wasn't taken out of context, but I was speaking out of my frustration after my career with the Browns came to a close.

"I had some great times playing in Cleveland, especially during the 2007 season and I met some great people and made many lifelong friends along the way. I'm looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life."

Listen, this guy was just speaking from the heart. Athletes get ripped all the time for being boring, this guy speaks honestly, and he gets destroyed. Of course, that's pretty much expected when you incite an entire city and fan base. I mean, what kind of reaction did he think they would have? So the apology was damage control, although I'm sure Cleveland wanted rid of him as much as he wanted rid of them. It's probably for the best that these two entities have parted ways.

As for the future teams that he will "roll" the Browns with, it could be either Arizona or Carolina, according to reports. Might want to circle that one on your calendar, especially if it's in Cleveland - and Anderson's actually playing.

Last Night's Winner: Derek Anderson [Deadspin]

D.A. blasts Browns fans [News-Herald.com]

Derek Anderson apologizes for blasting Cleveland Browns fans [Cleveland.com]

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TODAY'S HEADLINES

The streak is over: The Penguins finally ended their five-game losing skid on Tuesday night with a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers. The Pens also ended an 0-for-13 run on the power play during those five losses with a second period PP goal from Ruslan Fedotenko.

Jordan Staal led the way for Pittsburgh with two goals, while Kris Letang and Luca Caputi also lit the lamp for the Pens. Geno Malkin was held without a goal for the sixth straight game, but did assist on the Caputi goal.

Brent Johnston stopped 31 of 33 in goal for the Pens, who resume play on Thursday against Philadelphia. [ESPN]

Epic Fail: Yes, the Steelers were a massive disappointment in 2009. But few organizations can match the season the Browns just lived through, with a scary compilation of all their missteps done by Deadspin.

LaRoche turns down Giants: Adam LaRoche apparently has no self-esteem issues, because he just shot down a two-year, $17 million deal from the San Francisco Giants. So much for that reunion with Freddy Sanchez.

The Giants reportedly have not given up yet for some reason, which is likely the fact that there is only one other suitor (Baltimore) which would be a realistic landing spot for the 1B/Duck Commander. [MLB Trade Rumors]

Cowher rumors refuse to die: Every day, there's a new Bill Cowher rumor. He's putting together a staff. He's talking to Buffalo. He's ruled out Buffalo. He's talking to Tampa. Tampa's bringing back Raheem Morris. I know I'm not the first to say this, but the former coach is becoming, shall we say, Favre-ish lately. [NFL.com]

College hockey at the Igloo: Top-ranked Miami of Ohio (alma mater of one Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger), sporting a 13-2-5 record, will face off against 3-12-3 Robert Morris in the feature game of the fourth annual Pittsburgh College Hockey Showcase on Friday, Janary 8 at Mellon Arena. Game time is 8 p.m.

RMU has seven Pittsburgh-area players in their lineup. I hope Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are among them. [PittsburghPenguins.com]

UPDATE: Interesting tidbits from Andrew D. at Miami:

"Miami University (in addition to being Ben's alma mater) is also the alma mater of Stan Savran.

And the Miami hockey team includes the son of former Pittsburgh Penguin Moe Mantha. Devin Mantha is a freshman forward, but has not seen very much in the way of game action."

The Capitals rap: This has been floating around the web for a few days, so I finally gave in and posted it. As if you needed another reason to dislike the Capitals and/or their fans. [Puck Daddy]

A vote to franchise Casey Hampton: "They should try to work out a deal with Hampton. But if they can't, they should franchise him regardless of his wishes and test his resolve. Somebody that fat doesn't have much willpower, and deep down they all just want to play football." [WXDX/Mark Madden]

The 2009 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is... Percy Harvin. Well that was anticlimactic. Mike Wallace got one vote. One! And before you scoff at the notion of Wallace being in the Harvin Ballpark, consider this: their touchdowns were even and their yardage was nearly even, despite Harvin having 21 more catches. How was that possible? Because Wallace gains an average of almost 20 yards every time he touches the ball, that's how. I'd think that would be worth more than one vote. [ESPN]

And the Pittsburghers of the Year are... Coaches Mike Tomlin and Dan Bylsma. Again, no consideration for Mike Wallace. I'm outraged. [96.1 Kiss Freak Show]

Hinske to Braves: Former Pirate utilityman Eric Hinske agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves, pending a physical. Hinske hit .242 with eight homers and 25 RBI between the Pirates and Yankees in 2009. I'm sure he will help the Braves as much as he helped the Pirates. [CBS]

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ROCK BOTTOM

BROWNS (2-11) 13
STEELERS (6-7) 6

ROETHLISBERGER 18/32, 201 YARDS
MENDENHALL 16 CARRIES, 53 YARDS
HOLMES 6 CATCHES, 93 YARDS

Well, I guess we have a new candidate for that "Most Painful Losses" list, because this one's going to reverberate for a loooong time.

You collectively have made so many keen observations in the "vent" post that I don't know what I could add. But I'll at least take a shot:

1. Time to play The Blame Game.

2. Gotta start at the top. Mike Tomlin wants to talk tough, and the buck stops with him. He did not have his team ready to play, period. Losing to three teams (Cleveland, Kansas City, Oakland) with a combined record of 9-28 is not exactly the stuff of Lombardi and Noll. He makes bold statements in down times, he promises change, but when the bell rings, it's the same underperfoming lineup on the field to underperform again. He's lost to Eric Mangini, Todd Haley and Tom Cable in the last month. That's unleashing hell.

3. Coordinators: If this wasn't the beginning of the end for Bruce Arians, I don't know what is. You can guarantee that changes will be made to the coaching staff, and he seems to be at the top of everyone's list. Not far behind is Bob Ligashesky, who oversees the special teams, a unit that gave up another long return on Thursday night that was just a few yards short of a touchdown, and offensive line coach Larry Zierlein, whose unit was the worst of them all on Thursday.

4. And finally, Dick LeBeau is starting to get some deserved heat. If we can praise him in the good times, it's only fair to criticize him in the bad. His defense has been the weak link on this year's team, and that's a phrase I'd never believe I'd write. The corners have zero interceptions. Zero! How is that even possible? (Well, I know how - they can't catch). The defensive playmakers are not making plays. We do have the defensive MVP, right? James Farrior has clearly lost a step. Deshea Townsend may have finally reached the end of the road. William Gay is clearly not as good as the Steelers anticipated when they let Bryant McFadden walk. Tyrone Carter and Ryan Clark need to go to tackling school. Shall I go on?

5. The offense:

A black hole on this night. Poor game plan and even worse execution. Eight sacks to the Browns is not just inexcusable, it's downright embarrassing. Those players should return their game checks. That made it hard for Ben Roethlisberger to do much, but it clearly wasn't his finest hour, either. The entire passing game was out of rhythm all night, with the exception of a solid game from Santonio Holmes. I don't know when Heath Miller forgot how to catch, but I've now seen a few memorable examples this year. Hines Ward deserves praise for getting himself in playing condition, but he was basically a non-factor, as was Mike Wallace. David Johnson dropped a pass, as did Rashard Mendenhall, who ran for a pedestrian 3.3 yards per carry on 16 attempts. Willie Parker got his usual three touches and did virtually nothing. Add it all up, and you get six points against a one-win team.

6. The defense:

They surrendered the first rushing touchdown by a Browns RB all season. That should begin to tell you the story of their night. They held Brady Quinn to six completions, but they sure can't write home about their effort against Josh Cribbs, who befuddled them for a 10.9 YPC average on eight touches. Where were they on the 37-yard pass play to Mohammed Massoquoi?

7. The total picture:

This might be the worst team in the NFL at the moment, and I'm not joking. Not in terms of talent, but in terms of results. If they were a college team and they lost to KC, Cleveland and Oakland, their ranking would fall from the ceiling with the speed of a chandelier with a cut cord. The coaches are being outcoached and do not have their players ready to play. The players are professionals and should not need coaches to prod them along. And the fans expect and deserve better after supporting this team with so many dollars. I can accept a loss. I can't accept the appearance that the players don't care. The heat will be turned up a notch on this team, and it's a monster that they created.

8. The future:

I expect many changes for this team in 2010. Of the remaining free agents, Willie Parker and Ryan Clark are probably your best bets to move on, and it remains to be seen where the team stands on bringing back Jeff Reed. Charlie Batch has probably seen his last action as a Steeler, and possibly in the NFL. There has to be changes in the offensive line and in the secondary, which hasn't been this weak since the Chad Scott days. Casey Hampton is going to want big money, and that might not come from a team that is coming off of a season like this. And you can virtually guarantee that the coaching staff will have some level of turnover. Heads will roll with an output like this.

9. Keeping perspective:

I understand that this was in particular a horrendous loss and that the past month has been a football nightmare that doesn't want to end. But that does not mean the Steelers will not be good again in our lifetimes. In fact, there are many parallels between this season and 2006: injuries to key players ('06 Roethlisberger concussion/motorcycle wreck/appendectomy; '09 Polamalu knee, Aaron Smith shoulder & Roethlisberger concussion); the loss of key free agents ('06 Chris Hope, Antwaan Randle-El, '09 McFadden & Larry Foote); and extremely bad losses ('06 Oakland, '09 Oakland/Cleveland/KC). And the Steelers got their house in order quickly enough to make the playoffs in 2007 and win the whole thing in 2008. This traditionally is not an organization that goes into a prolonged tailspin (unless you forget about most of the years prior to the '70s). Let's just say I don't anticipate a Pirate-like streak of losing seasons from this franchise.

One thing is for certain: Mike Tomlin is going to be the coach and Ben Roethlisberger is going to be the quarterback going forward. If you think otherwise, you haven't been following this organization's history very well. They don't fire coaches on a whim and they give their QBs a long rope, especially when they've won two Super Bowls. So you can probably forget about Dennis Dixon behind center, as if that would change anything. As for the rest of the team, I do expect some major changes.

10. The rest of the season

Green Bay, Baltimore and Miami all look like losses if this team continues to play at the same level. That's going to be up to the players and coaches to decide whether or not they have any remaining pride, or if the last month has drained away every last ounce. The Packers are one of the most improved teams in the league, Baltimore is always a tough game, and Miami is still in the playoff hunt. Things could get a little better or much, much worse over the next three weeks.

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TODAY'S HEADLINES

Arnold Harrison has a new gig - The special teams sacrificial lamb is now a Cleveland Brown. It's the second bit of horrible news he's received this week. [PFT]

The Penguins lose another player to injury. Jay McKee, who blocks shots like a hockey version of Shaq, is out two to four weeks with an infected finger. Honestly, I feel like a broken record at this point. [Empty Netters]

Sidney Crosby is carrying the Olympic torch. Captain Crosby is carrying the Olympic torch in his hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, around 6:30 PM tonight. How many people have carried the Cup and the Torch in the same year? [WPXI]

Kickoff time set for Pitt-Cincinnati. The virtual Big East Championship game will have a noon start on December 5, and will be televised nationally by ABC. Hopefully this one turns out better than the last big Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati game held at Heinz Field. [KDKA]

Your Big East Conspiracy Theory of the Day: Joe Starkey wisely draws comparisons between last Friday's Cincy-WVU game and 2007's Backyard Brawl on the topic of very shaky officiating. Translation: be prepared for some obviously slanted calls in Cincinnati's favor on December 5. [Trib]

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POTENT

STEELERS (4-2) 27
BROWNS (1-5) 14
ROETHLISBERGER 23-35, 417 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT
MENDENHALL 17-62, 1 TD
WARD 8-159, 1 TD

Thoughts from the 12th consecutive victory of Hammer over Nail:

1. I realize it was "only" the Browns, but Ben Roethlisberger's grasp of the offense is bordering on scary right now. Even fantasy football fans have fallen for the big guy, who threw for 417 yards, 3rd all-time for a single game in Steeler history, on Sunday. In case you were wondering, the top two: Tommy Maddox's 473 in 2002's "The Tie" against Atlanta, and Roethlisberger's 433 in 2006 against Denver.

2. Just to give you an idea of how accurate Roethlisberger has been throwing the ball, his 73.8 completion percentage is 10.4% above his career average of 63.4. For comparison's sake, Derek Anderson is completing 46.4% of his passes, which probably has something to do with the fact that his team has one win.

3. Hines Ward had another monster day, with eight catches, 159 yards, a touchdown, and another touchdown taken off the board. Through six games, he remains on pace for 109 catches. By the way, Terrell Owens, who got the key to the city upon his arrival in Buffalo, is on pace for 40 catches. Just thought that was worth a mention.

4. One thing that was disappointing: the sloppy sequence of hot potato when the Steelers and Browns kept trying to prove who wanted the ball less. Five fumbles in five straight possessions was nothing but bad football. If anything, it proves that the Steelers, despite a 4-2 record, have yet to play their best game.

5. Another minor disappointment: the Browns came into the game allowing a league-worst 170 yards a game on the ground, and the Steelers came up with 140. That's nitpicking when your QB throws for 417, but the Steeler rushing attack was nothing special on Sunday. The first look at the revised Parker-Mendenhall combo resulted in a total of 88 yards on 24 carries (3.7 per). That gets a "meh" against a bad Browns rush D playing without Kam Wimbley.

6. As for the Steelers' defense, they got high marks by holding the Browns below 200 yards and keeping Anderson to single-digit completions for the second straight week. Their only weapons (and I use that phrase loosely) appear to be WR Mohamed Massaquoi, who broke out with 148 yards against Cincinnati a few weeks ago, and Josh Cribbs, who burned the Steelers for his third career kick return TD today (with help from an uncalled hold on Keiwan Ratliff).

7. Jamal Lewis looked like Jamal Lewis usually looks against the Steelers, and that's not good. Counting today, here's his games against the Steelers while with the Browns: 21, 94, 38, 35, and 35 yards. Hard to believe that he once ran for 2,000 yards in a season. Harder to believe that a guy in my fantasy league paid $21 in real American dollars for him last week. For one game, that's a dollar a yard. What's that make Adrian Peterson worth?

8. Santonio Holmes broke out of his mini-funk with his first 100-yard game since week one, which was the last time he found the end zone. But he had some key plays and nice YAC work on Sunday. Plus, he had a pass intended for him intercepted by Hines Ward, illustrated above.

9. There are many candidates for the worst team in the NFL these days, and Cleveland has to be right in the thick of that race. Head coach that nobody seems happy with? Check. Dumpster fire at quarterback? Check. Lack of consistent playmakers on offense? You know it. Lack of consistent playmakers on defense? Check, unless you consider the worst rush defense in the league as a positive. And the one guy that have that makes plays on the team (Josh Cribbs) is unhappy.

In short, there's a loooooong way to go before they will be ready to compete for anything other than a high draft pick.

10. The officiating, much like the officiating across all sports these days, was not good. I'm still wondering how the Steelers got a first down on a spot that at least appeared from the TV angle to be short. As previously stated, Cleveland got away with a hold on the Cribbs TD. And the overturned Hines Ward TD could have been interpreted either way. That being said, the refs still aren't as bad as what I've seen in the baseball playoffs.

11. Was that a Hank Poteat sighting on Sunday? Yes it was. Somehow, the Pitt product who was cut by the Steelers back in 2003 has managed not only to score a Super Bowl ring (New England, Super Bowl XXXIX), but play 10 seasons in the league. His journey has taken him from Pittsburgh (2000–2002) to Tampa Bay (2003), New England (2004–2006), the New York Jets (2006–2008), and now, Cleveland (2009–present).

12. Nice to see Troy Polamalu back to his playmaking self with an interception and four tackles in his first game since week one. And on the topic of injuries, I thought the run defense handled themselves well on Sunday, keeping the level of competition in mind. Next week against Adrian Peterson and Minnesota will be as big of a test that exists in the NFL.

13. Celebrity fans at the game on Sunday included a rare appearance by Mario Lemieux as well as former Steeler Kimo von Oelhoffen, who successfully pulled off his plan to destroy the Bengals' franchise in 2006. Or so their fans would have you believe.

14. Looking down the road: prepare for a week of hype, because Peterson, Brett Favre, and Jared Allen will be in the Steel City for a 1 PM game next Sunday on Fox. Following a bye week in Week Eight, it's a Monday nighter at Denver and a rematch with Cincy on November 15. Buckle your chinstraps. The time to be in midseason form is rapidly approaching. A big month lies ahead.

UPDATE:

15. As you've probably heard by now, Jeff Reed was cited for disorderly conduct at McFadden's bar on the North Shore around 9 PM last night. It's kind of a "been there, done that" moment for Steeler fans at this point, and for Reed, he's obviously learned no lesson from previous incidents, be them internet embarrassments or his famous run-in with a towel dispenser at Sheetz. It will be interesting to see if the team (or the league) takes any disciplinary measures against the fun-loving kicker.

UPDATE II:

16. Turns out that Matt Spaeth was in on the fun, too. From TMZ:

It all went down at a bar right near the stadium where the Steelers played just a few hours earlier -- cops say they saw a man in the parking lot peeing next to a white SUV. The man turned out to be Steelers back up tight end Matt Spaeth.

When officers approached Spaeth, cops say Steeler's kicker Jeff Reed got out of the SUV to defend his teammate and "curled his fists" at the cops. Bad move.

Reed was placed in cuffs and charged with assault and resisting arrest -- as well as disorderly conduct and public intoxication. He was released to a family member at the scene.

Spaeth was cited for urinating in public and released.

This story just got a lot more interesting. Stay tuned.

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"TRUE KILLERS, CRIMINALS, MURDERERS, AND PITTSBURGH STEELERS"

Perhaps you remember one Joe Smith. The talented big man from the University of Maryland parlayed his 1995 Naismith Player of the Year award into the #1 overall pick in that year's NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. He was chosen ahead of players such as Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, and Jerry Stackhouse, and was the only one of the five to not play in the NBA All-Star Game. His career basically peaked in 1996-97, but that didn't stop Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale from signing Smith to an illegal cap deal that would cost the team three future first-round picks, basically paving the way for the sub-mediocrity they've endured since the deal was struck.

After bouncing around the league, Smith now finds himself in position for a possible ring alongside Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. And since his days as a starter basically ended in 2005, he's found the extra time to put out a CD under the pseudonym "Joe Beast". There's a good chance I might pass out from the excitement, but I'll try to continue on.

The concept of basketball players releasing CDs is nothing new. We've heard lousy rhymes from wanna-be rappers like Kobe, AI, Shaq, Ron Artest, etc., for years now. But it's this line that truly sets Smith's raps apart from the rest:

"I never been a drug dealer/But I know true killers, criminals and murderers and Pittsburgh Steelers."

As the Cleveland.com columnist profiling Smith adds, "He never reveals which are worse. (He doesn't have to; we know it's the Steelers.)"

HA, HA, HA! Nothing like a cheap shot from respected wordsmith/pine-rider Joe Smith and a disgruntled Clevelandite at the expense of the WORLD CHAMPION Pittsburgh Steelers to get our goats.

As the Cavaliers try to end the city's Epic Fail of a championship sports scene, the Browns are sure giving their fans a lot to get excited about: the trade of Kellen Winslow, the pending trade of Braylon Edwards, the bellyaching of Shaun Rogers, the disastrous offseason of Donte Stallworth, their miserable new coach who never won anything in New York, and the fact that they have now have not one, but two highly-compensated quarterbacks that they don't want. But other than that, Smith and Browns fans have every right to take jabs at the Steelers.

*By the way, Cleveland, I've seen your new tourism video, and I'm not impressed:

Actually, I take that back. That was one of the funniest things I've seen in quite some time.

CD review: "Joe Beast" can't hide the good-guy side of Cavaliers' Joe Smith [Cleveland.com]

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MONDESI'S HOUSE FIELD TRIP: HAMMER V. NAIL, PART DEUX

STEELERS (12-4) 31
BROWNS (4-12) 0ROETHLISBERGER 9-14, 110 YARDS, 1 INT

PARKER 23-116, 1 TD

WARD 6-70

It's been way too long since I've attended a Steeler game in person. In fact, in the three years that I've authored this site, my record was a perfect 0-for-23. In other words, very Detroit Lion-esque. On Sunday, I took advantage of a pair of second-level tickets that I purchased at a charity auction back in August and brought along my camera. It was field trip time. And for those of you who attend games on a regular basis, bear with me if I point out the obvious along the way. I apologize...it's been a while.

Sunday's parking selection of Allegheny Center, at a cost of $20, guaranteed I'd be getting a healthy and colorful walk to and from the game. It also guaranteed that I'd save at least $10 from what seems to become the norm of $30 parking spots surrounding the Big Ketchup Bottle also known as Heinz Field. And it also reminded me to get into the parking lot business someday.

On the walk to the stadium, the crowd seemed festive but under control. Maybe it was the holiday spirit, maybe it was the fact that this was a glorified homecoming game on the schedule, but there was little sense of any ill will in the air. Of course, this did little to drum up business for the world-famous 222 Bar, which has admittedly seen better days....

Our walk up to the stadium continues, as I marvel at the percentage of Steeler fans wearing jerseys to the game. Look at this picture. I count 10 heads and 10 jerseys. And there's a nice variety, too: Lambert, Roethlisberger, Polamalu, Ward; Steeler fans spread their love around.

Yes, that is an NFL Playoff banner hanging on a lamp post. They usually blossom this time of year.

The pre-game entertainment was popular on the street outside the stadium. Not "Wu-Tang in Millvale" popular, but popular nonetheless. These guys play a mean bucket.

Finally, the Heinz Field entrance is on the horizon, and with 20 minutes until kickoff. Unfortunately, I estimate there are roughly 50,000 people in line ahead of me to get patted down by Heinz Field security, so making the seats by kickoff might be a photo finish.

Of course, on the good side, this cuts down the odds that someone will blow up the stadium today, with the only real casualties of the checkpoint being a few Steeler flasks full of vodka. All in all, the whole experience was sort of like going through airport security, the only difference being that at Heinz Field you're surrounded by slightly intoxicated Steeler fans who may or may not push to get ahead in line.

Finally in the door, and the first jersey I see? That's right, #14 in your programs, and #1 in your hearts, Limas Sweed. Which reminded me, with all of our recent talk about jerseys to buy or avoid, an experience over the Christmas break at a sporting goods store in Century III Mall... I watched in amazement as some guy asked a store employee to get the metal jersey-grabbing stick and retrieve a Terrell Owens Eagles jersey. Which was followed moments later by another guy asking (and I kid you not), "Do you have that Duce Staley in a double XL?"

In the door and with a few seconds to spare before kickoff, the first thing I spot is an attention-monger with a Cowher/Browns/CBS related-sign. I hope the desperate attempt at getting a camera to point in their direction paid off. And for the record, their equation is wrong. Nothing plus Browns could ever equal Super Bowl.

All in all, it was a long day for the few Browns fans that were there. Honestly, I counted less than 10, my favorite wearing a Charlie Frye jersey. In case you've forgotten, he's the guy who started one game against the Steelers in 2007 and was so bad that he was traded to Seattle by week two. I'd endorse a Limas Sweed over that any day.

The official Steelers/Heinz Field welcome means we're ready for some football. The first quarter awaits.

The first 15 minutes of Sunday's contest were pretty uneventful, to say the least. Cleveland actually drove to the Steeler 36, and facing a 4th-and-three, Romeo Crennel showed some guts and...lined up Phil Dawson for a 53-yard field goal. Nothing like playing it conservative in your last game as coach. What a gambler's mentality. It's also worth noting that this was as deep in Steeler territory as the Browns would get all day.

As I noted earlier, the crowd was pretty lively and into the game. My theory is that a decent number of tickets were dumped at discounted rates and a lot of fans who don't usually get a shot to attend were in the house. How did the Steelers respond to these crazed towel-wavers? A timely Ben Roethlisberger interception in the Heinz Red Zone to end the first quarter. Yuk.

Hines Ward gave the crowd some excitement by going over 1,000 yards, which was announced in-between quarters. The Steelers have drafted not one, not two, but three receivers in the first round during Ward's time in Pittsburgh (Troy Edwards, Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes), as well as a variety of others in high spots (Antwaan Randle-El, Sweed, etc.), and at the end of his 11th season, Hines is still leading the team in receiving yards. Unbelievable. And to top that, he got his 800th career catch later in the game, which ranks 22nd all-time.

We thought Big Ben atoned for his INT with a 41-yard touchdown to Fast Nate Washington, but wait, that's a flag on Willie Colon. Seven points come off the board. Easy come, easy go. Luckily, the Steelers came back on the next drive with a three-play, 57-yarder highlighted by Willie Parker getting a 10,000-pound monkey off his back with a 34-yard TD. The Browns were the Browns in their next drive, and then...it happened.


That's right, 63,000-plus had their hearts in their throats as Ben Roethlisberger got carted off the field with a few minutes remaining in the second quarter. It was like a bad dream. Even worse, fans in my section were wondering just moments before why Roethlisberger was still in the game. But we'll get back to that later. It's Leftwich time...

Well, that was fast. Seven plays, 33 yards and roughly a minute later, Leftwich trusts his legs enough to run eight yards for a score. It's now 14-0 Good Guys, but no one is thinking about the scoreboard. By the way, the photo below was supposed to be the end zone celebration, but the lineman in the bottom right corner sort of enveloped Leftwich.

Following a rousing halftime performance by B.E. Taylor that I missed due to the eight-deep lines at the urinal trough (and no, I didn't take pictures), it was on to the third quarter. I would call this the Browns' worst quarter of the season, but that would be an insult to the final 15 minutes of this game. Let's say things weren't pretty.

Of course, all the Steelers could muster was a Jeff Reed field goal, so obviously it wasn't their finest hour either. Their first drive featured Willie Parker running to the right on five of the first six plays. That's some creative play-calling, Bruce. When they got the ball back again, Parker ran it two consecutive times...to the right. Are you sensing a theme yet? The quarter ended with the Steelers starting what would turn out to be a lengthy touchdown drive completed in the fourth quarter. And for a photo interlude, here's one from Matt H. of Ellwood City (who was also at the game) of a guy with a Pirate tattoo. Now that's devotion you don't see everyday.

Nursing what is now a 24-0 lead during a TV timeout, the powers that be felt that it was the right time to play the Styx "Renegade" video highlight reel of the defense. If you've never seen it, let me set the scene with a few random objects from the video: bass absolutely thumping, James Harrison slamming a Bengal on his head, about 1,000 different sacks, and the video stopping with a photo of Wes Welker on the ground. At that point, Steeler fans were drunk on defense. And alcohol.


As play resumed, I fully expected to see Bruce Gradkowski exit the game in the same fashion Ben Roethlisberger did thanks to the newly-inspired defense. The crowd reached a fever pitch. And then Jamal Lewis shut each and every one of us up with what was probably a season-long run of 13 yards. Oh well. Then, Romeo Crennel went to his bag of tricks and dialed up a wildcat formation pass from Josh Cribbs, which went pretty much the way you would've expected. Way to keep that momentum going. On the next play, Gradkowski gave the Steeler fans what they wanted: a pick-six for Tyrone Carter. 31-0, and all is well once again in Steeler Nation. Yoi, double yoi, and dare I say, triple yoi.

Cleveland got the ball back with four minutes and change remaining, and since that was too much time to start kneeling down, the Browns called for some incompletions to get the ball out of their hands as quickly as possible. Mission accomplished. And finally, Steeler fans start heading for the exits. I give them credit; sometimes they take a bad rap for leaving early, but this crowd hung around till the very end of a meaningless game, cheering the entire time.

Dennis Dixon was in the game and ended the regular season like the Steelers have ended many a Browns contest, in the victory formation. 31-0 and 12-4. It was an incredible regular season.

Game Notes:

--Firmly lodged in postgame traffic, I was switching the dial between 102.5 and 1250 after the game. They couldn't have been more different in their analysis. Craig Wolfley was all in favor of Mike Tomlin's gameday philosophy, citing the long layoff some players would've experienced had they not played on Sunday. On the other hand, Stan Savran was critical of leaving key players in the game too long.

My thoughts fall somewhere in between. I thought Roethlisberger's regular season should have ended the moment the Steelers went up 7-0. And I disagree with giving Willie Parker so many carries, to give himself and the offensive line confidence going into the playoffs. Sorry, but you were playing a Browns team that mailed it in weeks ago. That's going to do nothing to help you once you step on the field in the playoffs.

--I mentioned it before, but Cleveland's effort was really beyond belief. Gradkowski finished 5-for-16, with 18 yards and 2 interceptions. A passer rating of one. One! Their longest pass play was 12 yards. And at one point, I wondered if Braylon Edwards was even playing. Turns out he was, and he had five yards receiving. Their offense was awful, their defense wasn't much better, and the coaching staff went out in the worst way possible.

--The score was 31-0, but it actually could've been worse. The Nate Washington touchdown was negated, as was a second defensive touchdown on a controversial catch/no-catch that the refs ruled in favor of the Browns. In case you were wondering, the spread was Steelers by nine.

--No Favre, no Romo, no Belichick in the playoffs this year. Any thoughts on that, Steeler Nation?

--Sorry this took so long to post, but I had it written, bumped the Blogger.com "don't save changes" button by accident, and had to re-write it. As you could've guessed, I was thrilled at this turn of events.

--The deadline for the Hope/Cope Photoshop Contest has been extended one week due to the Christmas break. For more info, please click here and scroll to the bottom of the post.

--These photo journals are a lot of work but are extremely fun to put together. If you enjoyed this, feel free to check out a few others I've put together over the years.

• Mondesi @ Cubs/Pirates 7/07
• Mondesi @ Fanfest 7/06
• Mondesi @ Penguin Practice 3/07
• Mondesi @ PNC All You Can Eat Seats 6/08
• Mondesi @ Steeler Charity Basketball Game 4/08

And check back throughout the week for more holiday and year-end goodies.

Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

COULD FAST WILLIE'S SEASON BE OVER? - UPDATED

NFL.com is reporting that Steeler RB Willie Parker has a torn labrum, and that if he plays again this season he will require a shoulder harness. This is not good news for Parker, as it could potentially end his season early for the second time in as many years. With the release of Najeh Davenport on Saturday, that would leave the Steelers with just two running backs: Mewelde Moore and Gary Russell. Which makes me wonder why the Steelers released Davenport in the first place.

UPDATE:

The latest ESPN report says this:

Parker denied the NFL.com report on Sunday and told ESPN's Bob Holtzman no one has told him he has a torn labrum. Parker said the first he heard of the report was when he got a call from his agent Sunday morning. Parker said his body is "beat up" but does not expect to be out for the season and hopes to play next week.

Which basically means I'm more confused than ever. Of course, I've heard reports that Ben Roethlisberger is and isn't playing today, so confusion regarding Steeler injuries would be nothing new.

A few other Steeler-related links to shoehorn in:

--Sports by Brooks points out some harsh comments that Ed Bouchette had about the Philadelphia Eagles' website.

--The Cowher-to-Cleveland wishes are getting louder. If the Chin plays this right, he could leverage the upcoming opportunities into the richest coaching contract ever. Of course, that would require leaving his job reading highlights alongside Shannon Sharpe.

--There's a new episode of WDVE's Gunslingers up, in which the Sheriff talks about the big Washington win and the recent election of Barack Obama. As always, it's full of laughs.

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