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Kendall Simmons is going to miss the game against the Chiefs tomorrow because of frostbite. He was getting treatment for an injured foot and left the ice on too long, and because of that he isn’t playing. Chris Kemoeatu, a 344-pound run blocker will fill in.
Linebacker Joey Porter is out for Sunday’s game with the Chiefs due to an injured hamstring. With James Harrison already out with an injury, the Steelers have signed old friend Chad Brown to a contract.
The Chiefs have been real conservative on offense. The Chiefs will look to run the ball with Larry Johnson (331 yards rushing), but the Steelers have a pretty good run defense (88.5 yards per game, 3.6 yards per carry). Maybe Herman Edwards will take a page out of Marty Schottenheimer’s book and throw to set up the run. As long as the Chiefs pick up the Steelers blitzing well, the Steelers are vulnerable to a team that can throw the ball. Damon Huard has exceeded all expectations with his fine play. Huard has completed 70.2% of his passes and has a QB rating of 107.4. Huard has a decent cast of receivers to throw to in TE Tony Gonzalez and WRs Eddie Kennison and Samie Parker. Huard’s favorite receiver so far has been RB Larry Johnson (20 rec, 268 yards). Look for Huard to challenge the Steelers linebackers with screens and passes to the flat area to Johnson.
The Steelers will try to run the football first when they have the ball. Willie Parker has run the ball well (325 yards), but the Steelers have been falling behind in games and getting away from their running game. The Chiefs allow 106.5 yards rushing per game, but only 3.6 yards per carry…..so they might be able to run, but the yards will be tough to get.  The Steelers really need one of their receivers other than Hines Ward to step up and relieve him of all the double coverage he’s been seeing. TE Heath Miller had a big game in the season opener, but he’s disappeared as of late. Cedric Wilson or Santonio Holmes must step up soon, or the Steelers will continue to have a hard time passing the ball. The Chiefs secondary is full of veterans that pick-off passes so Ben Roethlisberger better be careful with the football. The Chiefs only allow 147.8 yards per game passing and have held opposing QBs to a 66.5 QB rating. If Roethlisberger doesn’t play a mistake-free game on Sunday, the Steelers are in trouble.
I think the Steelers have the more talented team, but I think the Chiefs have a real chance at an upset here. In fact, I’m picking the Chiefs to win this game outright.
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Reserve linebacker James Harrison (high ankle sprain) and Willie Reid (foot) were both injured Sunday against the Chargers and will miss this week’s game against the Chiefs. Santonio Holmes will replace Reid as the kick-off and punt returner.
The Steelers special teams are adding to the overall pathetic play of the Steelers so far this season. The Steelers haven’t done well covering punts (11.1 yards per return) or kick-offs (22.3 yards per kick-off return).
Jeff Reed is only 4 of 6 on FGs, but he’s nailed all 7 XPTs. Punter Chris Gardocki has been solid again averaging 45.4 yards per punt return, 37.0 net yards, and he has pinned the opposition inside the 20 yard line 27.8% of the time.
The return games have been weak so far. Santonio Holmes has averaged 5.7 yards per punt return and 22.8 yards per kick-off return. Ricardo Cloclough was pathetic returning punts averaging 1.5 yards per punt return before injuring his neck to end his season. Rookie Willie Reid will get his chance to prove himself and save the special teams. Reid returned one punt for 11 yards and a kick-off for 19 yards.
For a team with a defense as good as the Steelers have, you would think they would be better covering kicks.
THE STEELERS SUCK RIGHT NOW – PLAIN AND SIMPLE
By Charles Jay
Having watched the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Sunday night game against San Diego, I can come to no other conclusion but that this team has absolutely ZERO chance to repeat their Super Bowl run of 2005. Here was a situation where the team had come off two disappointing defeats, the last of which was laden with mistakes and turnovers, had an extra week to prepare, and put themselves on display before a national television audience against a quarterback who was a virtual rookie.
This was an opportune time for a “champion†to rise to the occasion, especially as Pittsburgh had won 16 of its last 19 games on the road. Not only was that NOT the case, it has to be considered one of the saddest moments in the recent history of the Pittsburgh franchise.
The performance in the second half of that game was such a complete non-effort, on the part of both the players and the coaching staff, that your venom after reading this piece should be directed not at me for writing it, but at them for precipitating it. San Diego receivers were left wide open for big gains. It seemed like every time a first down was needed, the Steelers could not put together enough to stop it. The Steelers could not make a play when it had to be made. And frankly, Ben Roethlisberger, who has accomplished nothing thus far, will have to go some length to demonstrate that he is not, when all is said and done, anything more than a slightly overrated signal-caller.
On Sunday night, it was Phillip Rivers who looked like the veteran, while Big Ben made the silly rookie errors. It’s not all Roethlisberger’s fault, I suppose. Bill Cowher’s coaching staff has simply not had an offensive game plan all year long. The whole thing was pitiful and, I dare say, pretty gutless. When it was time to show some character, these guys headed for the hills.
This team quit in the second half. Quit on themselves. Quit on each other. Quit on their city. Quit on their fans. That’s all there is to it.
Would things be a little different if there was a Jerome Bettis on the sideline to kick some asses? I don’t know; that’s just speculation. But if you can’t bring enough heat on a novice QB in October to make a difference when your backs are to the wall, you will be playing golf on Sunday mornings in January until the playoff games come on the tube. That’s the direction Cowher, Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers are headed.
As of now, they’re finished.
I wonder what was said in the Steelers locker room? Did they think they already had the game won? They were wrong it that was what they though as the Chargers kicked their butt all over the football field! When the beating was over, the Chargers had won 23-13 and left the Steelers at 1-3 this season. One of the main culprits in this debacle was Ben Roethlisberger. He played scared tonight! Roethlisberger completed 20 of 31 passes for 220 yards and 2 pick-offs. Roethlisberger has yet to throw a TD pass this season. Willie Parker carried the ball 14 times for 57 yards (4.1 ypc) and a TD. Parker also caught 3 passes for 26 yards. Hines Ward also played quite soft and dropped some balls he should have caught. Ward caught 4 passes for 49 yards.
The Steelers defense played well in the first half and horrible in the second half as the Chargers kept punching them in the mouth. The Chargers ran the ball 31 times for 119 yards (3.8 ypc). The Steelers played the pass as if they didn’t prepare for it. The Chargers completed 24 of 37 passes for 222 net yards passing. Safety Ryan Clark had 9 tackles and an interception….so I did find one guy that wanted to play defense tonight.
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The Steelers have lost DB Ricardo Colclough for the season with a neck injury. He had been horrible returning kicks and really doesn’t play much defense, so this isn’t a big loss for the Steelers.
The Steelers kick returning has been absolutely pitiful so far, and has cost them at least one game so far this season. Rookie Willie Reid will assume both kick-off and punt return duties starting this Sunday night against the Chargers. This is the reason Reid was drafted, because of his return ability. This should make the Steelers a better team moving ahead.
These two teams mirror each other. They both play great defense and love to run the football.Â
The Steelers will try to run the ball with Willie Parker (268 yards rushing) against a stingy Chargers defense that is only allowing 66.0 yards rushing per game. The Steelers will try to run play action passes to Hines Ward (9 rec, 99 yards) and TE Heath Miller (7 rec, 146 yards). The Steelers have to make sure they pass block well, because the Chargers are an aggressive blitzing unit that already has 11 sacks in three games this season.
The Chargers will come out running the football, as they average 195.0 yards rushing per game. The Steelers have a rugged run defense (78.3 yards rushing per game and 3.2 yards per carry) but LaDainian Tomlinson (300 yards rushing) and Michael Turner (221 yards rushing) will get their yards, it will just be a little tougher than usual. Look for Coach Schottenheimer to let Philip Rivers throw a few times on first down to Antonio Gates (10 rec, 122 yards) and Eric Parker (6 rec, 100 yards) to take advantage of the Steelers playing 8 in the box. The Chargers could burn the Steelers if Pittsburgh blitzes alot, as the Chargers have only allowed 1 sack this season.
Whichever QB makes the least mistakes will lead his team to victory…..plain and simple.
