My Steeler grades through 10 weeks.

[zulater]

Yeah I know, this is silly, but it's a bye week, I'm bored and these type threads usually generate good conversation.

We'll start with the offensive skill players today.

Ben Roethlisberger. A- throw out the first week and he's been the best qb in the league this side of Aaron Rodgers.

Rashard Mendenhall. B. After some early struggles I think Mendy's rebounded nicely and is maximizing every carry over the last three games. I think he'll be called upon more down the stretch run, and will deliver.

Isaac Redman. B When Mendy was struggling he picked up the slack. Usually delivers when called upon.

Mewelde Moore. A- Obviously is a role player, and I'm not claiming he's better than Mendenhall with this grade, only that he's filled his role as a 3rd down back and change of pace guy superbly.

Mike Wallace. A-, with great talent comes great expectations, having a great season, but I still think there's better to be had here, thus the grade.

Antonio Brown. A+, he' become Ben's go to guy on 3rd downs, and with Antonio no 3rd down is unconvertible. I don't remember any Steelers team in recent memory that's converted as many 3rd and longs as we have in the last month. And 84 is usually on the receiving end of it.

Emanuel Sanders. Incomplete. Injuries and a tragic death in the family have pretty much negated Sanders impact over the first 10 weeks. If I had to give him a grade today it would be C-. He's had some moments, just not enough of them to really make himself a huge factor yet.

Hines Ward. C-. Hardest grade I had to give. Had a couple nice games early, but you just get the sense that Ben is more confident is his other receivers these days.

Jerricho Cotcherty. C, Early season injuries didn't help, but coming on nicely lately. Jerricho's role seems to be growing larger by the week.

Heath Miller. A-. If these grades would have come out last week it would have been an A. But as we know Heath made two horrible plays last week that impacted the scoreboard to the tune of -7. ( -4 on the called back td, and -3 on the field goal his drop turned interception gave the Bengals. ) Overall though Heath has been above the line both as a blocker and a pass catcher.

David Johnson. C-. His blocking has improved substantially as the season's gone on, but he's unreliable in the passing game, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Weslye Saunders. C, basically grading him on the rookie curve, has shown some flashes, could be used more as the season progresses? Certainly looks as if he could have a future in the league.

[Chidi29]

No rookie curve! "The standard is the standard".

:chuckle:

[polamalubeast]

Great job!

[zulater]

Offensive line

Maurkice Pouncey. A-, after some early season struggles, probably due to a lingering ankle sprain, has come on and played at or near All Pro level since.

Max Starks. B+. Thought about giving him an A or A-, but realistically even though he's playing as good as at any time in his career, he's still not quite an elite offensive tackle. But he's damn close, and certainly good enough to help get this team a long way. His addition along with the emergence of Antonio Brown is the reasons the Steelers offense has elevated their level of play this last month.

Marcus Gilbert, B- If i were allowed to grade on the rookie curb :wink02: he'd get a B+. Seriously at times he plays like a rookie and gets beat too easy on a certain move, but he generally doesn't get beat on the same move twice. He's going to be a good one real soon. Great draft pick. Just needs to be a little more durable in the future.

Ramon Foster. C, has improved to the point of being an acceptable NFL starting lineman. Still has moments where he struggles, but still seems to be trending upwards. Will never be anything more than average, but that's ok by recent Steelers O-line standards.

Chris Kemoeatu. C-, physically gifted enough to be near Pro Bowl caliber, but not a smart enough player to ever get to that level. Will do at least 5 incredibly stupid and selfish things to hurt his team every month.

Jonathan Scott. D- as a starting left tackle, B as a sub at right tackle. Terrible starting left tackle, arguably the worst in the league. But holds his own ( no pun intended :chuckle:) as a right tackle. good for depth, just pray Max stays healthy. :pray:

Doug Legurskey. D+ as a starter, B+ as a substitute. As with the case of Scott more is less for Doug here. Honestly he's great player to have due to his versatility, going in for a series or to finish out a game always gets the job done. but as a starter he's below average.

Defense tomorrow.

[zulater]

No rookie curve! "The standard is the standard".

:chuckle:

Care to do the defensive grades for us Chidi?

[polamalubeast]

Roethlisberger goes to a season of more than 4600 yards.

[Burghman]

Offensive line

Maurkice Pouncey. A-, after some early season struggles, probably due to a lingering ankle sprain, has come on and played at or near All Pro level since.

Max Starks. B+. Thought about giving him an A or A-, but realistically even though he's playing as good as at any time in his career, he's still not quite an elite offensive tackle. But he's damn close, and certainly good enough to help get this team a long way. His addition along with the emergence of Antonio Brown is the reasons the Steelers offense has elevated their level of play this last month.

Marcus Gilbert, B- If i were allowed to grade on the rookie curb :wink02: he'd get a B+. Seriously at times he plays like a rookie and gets beat too easy on a certain move, but he generally doesn't get beat on the same move twice. He's going to be a good one real soon. Great draft pick. Just needs to be a little more durable in the future.

Ramon Foster. C, has improved to the point of being an acceptable NFL starting lineman. Still has moments where he struggles, but still seems to be trending upwards. Will never be anything more than average, but that's ok by recent Steelers O-line standards.

Chris Kemoeatu. C-, physically gifted enough to be near Pro Bowl caliber, but not a smart enough player to ever get to that level. Will do at least 5 incredibly stupid and selfish things to hurt his team every month.

Jonathan Scott. D- as a starting left tackle, B as a sub at right tackle. Terrible starting left tackle, arguably the worst in the league. But holds his own ( no pun intended :chuckle:) as a right tackle. good for depth, just pray Max stays healthy. :pray:

Doug Legurskey. D+ as a starter, B+ as a substitute. As with the case of Scott more is less for Doug here. Honestly he's great player to have due to his versatility, going in for a series or to finish out a game always gets the job done. but as a starter he's below average.

Defense tomorrow.Not sure about Foster, I watched him get pushed all over the field against Cincy, I hope to hell he improves to the point he can at least be a decent back up. I agree mostly with you on the rest.

[zulater]

Not sure about Foster, I watched him get pushed all over the field against Cincy, I hope to hell he improves to the point he can at least be a decent back up. I agree mostly with you on the rest.

The Bengals have got a real good defensive line and having been giving matchup troubles to a lot of interior linemen. That said the Steelers need to upgrade themselves at the guard position this offseason imo. Having two substandard guards just isn't cutting it.

[Chidi29]

My defensive grades so far.

Brett Keisel: A solid, albeit not spectacular player. Just as you’d expect out of a Steelers defensive lineman. Can still get washed out of stretch plays but makes up for it against power blocking and his nose for batting passes down. And that beard. B

Casey Hampton: Injuries have been a bit of an issue this season, but while others seem ready to throw in the towel, he’s still a quality option at the nose. Make no mistake that he is the same player as he was five years ago, you rarely see any double teams and chips are becoming less frequent, but he’s a guy that is nearly impossible to stop when he’s on his game. Gets better penetration than given credit for against the run, forces backs to the sideline. Defending against cut blocks much better than he was Week One. B-

Ziggy Hood: Emerging star. Solid against the run, offers more than your typical five tech as a pass rusher, and hustles as much as anyone on the team. Versatile, can play the five and the nose in subpackages. Just in his third year and he’s filled the shoes of Aaron Smith admirably. Guy I don’t worry about. B+

Cameron Heyward: Has gone quiet in the past few weeks. Don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. Still seeing him out there but not as frequently as the beginning of the week (unless he’s out there and not doing anything wrong that makes him noticeable, a good thing for any DL on this team). Was impressed to see him get on the field early, but it’s still tough to judge him so early into his career. C

Aaron Smith: Obviously, season and likely career are over with the neck injury. As sad as it is to say, Smith struggled mightily this season from Week One on. Depressing end to a bright career. D-

Steve McClendon: The pride of joy making some noise after spending the better part of his career on the practice squad. Now getting the nod over Chris Hoke, he looks solid in his one spot start. Like Hood, provides versatility along the defensive line. C+

Chris Hoke: A guy that continues to prove me wrong. Didn’t know what he had left but he again did an excellent job filling in for Casey Hampton. Know he suffered a stinger but is now oddly not getting the nod over McClendon. He may dress again once the LB core finally gets fully healthy but the team may be looking to the future in McClendon. A mistake to leave Hokie out in my mind. B

Corbin Bryant: Only gotten a few snaps this season but a practice squad type player I have high hopes for. Maybe he follows the same path as Steve McClendon. C-

James Harrison: The only thing that has been able to stop him this year have been injuries because it certainly hasn’t been offensive tackles. The only thing more fun than watching him crunch quarterbacks is playing the run. Throw in dropping into coverage and having the ability to line up at multiple spots (from the inside and strongside OLB), Harrison is the complete player. A-

LaMarr Woodley: After his typical quiet start got a predictable amount of jeers from fans, he set the league on fire before suffering a hamstring injury. Like Harrison, Woodley is solid against the run and is dropping into coverage more than ever this year. B+

Jason Worilds: It’s tough to evaluate with him this year because of a hamstring injury. Some are ready to call him a bust but he’s actually played well in limited work this season. In his starts, he has gotten pressure on the QB. It just hasn’t translated to the gaudy sack numbers. Linebackers coach Keith Butler has talked about how difficult the translation can be, especially in terms of positioning, and Worilds may finally becoming comfortable with that. The fact the team started him over Timmons tells me that. B-

Chris Carter: A 5th rounder out of Fresno State, I do give him credit for being able to pick up some snaps after the injuries at linebacker. For a rookie linebacker who was converting from DE in a Dick LeBeau defense, it isn’t easy. But just like in college, Carter is too easily washed out against the run and isn’t really trusted by the team to do anything else but rush the passer. It Is worth pointing out he has made some really nice plays on kick coverage but if he ever wants to make an impact on defense, and I question if he ever will, there’s obviously a ways to go. C

James Farrior: Every year, his critics proclaim that he’s old and over the hill. And while his gas tank is closer to empty than it is full, he’s still having a fine year despite battling a calf injury that cost him two games. Fans have to remember the importance of having a player that is making the defensive calls every play. It can’t be taken for granted. I don’t see anything glaringly wrong in the other facets of his game. He is still reliable James Farrior. B

Lawrence Timmons: I’m not exactly sure what to make of Timmons’ play this season. I tend to agree that I haven’t seen the explosive, “splash” plays from Timmons like I did last year but that may simply be the big plays becoming the norm for Timmons and not something that takes fans by storm anymore. Even at OLB, he played well against the run and sealed the edge against speedy backs like Chris Johnson. He’s one of the most athletic ILB in the league and has definitely helped protect against passes to the deep middle, something that wouldn’t show up in the score sheet. His play against the run has only continued to improve. Still, I’m looking for Timmons to make a big play in the coming weeks. B

[zulater]

Larry Foote? :noidea:

Good insight otherwise Chidi. :thumbsup:

Looking foward to the DB's.

[Chidi29]

Larry Foote? :noidea:

Good insight otherwise Chidi. :thumbsup:

Looking foward to the DB's.

I hadn't finished the LBs yet. Still have to get to guys like Sly and Foote. Just wanted to put something up for now.

[7willBheaven]

Harrison gets an A- but Woodley only a B+...with the time they both have missed...I'd give them equal grades or Woodley even a bit higher.

[Chidi29]

Harrison gets an A- but Woodley only a B+...with the time they both have misses...I'd give them equal grades or Woodley even a bit higher.

I still want to see the consistency in Woodley that I see in Harrison every game. I didn't panic after Woodley's slow start because I figured he'd pick it up, but then again, I don't want quiet starts from my newly paid OLB.

[zulater]

Harrison gets an A- but Woodley only a B+...with the time they both have misses...I'd give them equal grades or Woodley even a bit higher.

Yeah I'm more inclined to go with you on this one.

[zulater]

Anyone want to volunteer for special teams grades?

Chidi where's our db's? :attention:

[Chidi29]

Anyone want to volunteer for special teams grades?

Chidi where's our db's? :attention:

It's hard to create grades with so many Swedish models surrounding me.

:chuckle:

[Chidi29]

Larry Foote: Mixed feelings on him. He looked awful early in the year, playing slow and constantly getting washed out of run plays. But once it was up to him to call the defensive signals in James Farrior’s absence, he looked like a completely different player. He hit his gaps much quicker and diagnosed players faster. He’s also shown value as a wedgebuster on kick coverage. B-

Stevenson Sylvester: Haven’t seen much of a change in him from last year to this. Even with the injuries at linebacker, his playing time was limited granted in part to him being taken out in subpackages. But the time he spent on the field didn’t do him any favors as he struggled against the run and didn’t make any noise in coverage. C-

Morty Ivy: Was active for a few games but if he played at all, it was a bit part on special teams. INC
Ike Taylor: Ike has always been Ike. The one guy on the team who can match up against opposing #1’s wide receivers if the team asks him to. Teams have been throwing to his side less and less, to the point where you nearly forget about him. Still a solid tackler and willing to play the run, every Steelers’ fan has to be glad he was re-signed. A

William Gay: I’ve been one of the few supporters of Gay throughout his career and now finally, people are starting to see the reliable starter that is William Gay. He’s been playing the same this year as he did last year. Excellent tackler, willing to play the run, and physical. We’ve seen a little more in terms of ball skills this year too though make no mistake, he isn’t a great cover corner. If the team stops putting him in the occasional bad matchup, fans won’t be able to complain about anything. B+

Keenan Lewis: He has been the real surprise of the year. Thought to be a bust and candidate for getting released, he has emerged as the team’s nickel back moving outside with Gay kicking in for subpackages. Another physical player with a good understanding of position, he has played the game smarter and earned the trust of the coaching staff. Still a little tight in his hips, there is room for improvement, but it’s a great start to give the team depth. B

Cortez Allen: The most emerging Steeler of the season. Thought to be nothing more than just a special teamer coming from the tiny military school The Citadel, he’s making an impact as the dime back. An excellent tackler, he’s done a great job on special teams to boot. Personally, he may already be one of the better gunners in the league. Being a Chidi Iwuoma fan, you know I love me some gunners. B+

Curtis Brown: This is the corner that was “supposed” to have a big part on this defense. He’s still helping out as a starting gunner and doing a good job of it and there’s no shame in taking a year to learn Dick LeBeau’s defense. I liked him coming out of Texas and that is still true. C+

Bryant McFadden: He lost his job with the emergence of players like Allen and Lewis and his own injuries. Still though, I have faith in him should he ever be inserted back into the lineup. Like Gay, a solid tackler and a physical player. Like Gay from last year, McFadden gets a bad rap. B-

Troy Polamalu: What else is there to say that hasn’t been written already? Already a Hall of Famer, something I rarely say with ease about a current player, he is the guy that keeps defensive coordinators awake at night. The only blemish are the dropped interceptions this year that would make the team’s turnover margin a little less ugly. A

Ryan Clark: At the risk of sounding like a homer, he’s one of the most underrated players in the league. More of a kamikaze than a football player, as Dick LeBeau points out, this team does not give up long runs because of Clark. I’m sure he has knocked himself silly countless times already but keeps on doing his thing. Also underrated in pass coverage (sans one slip up in Baltimore), he’s a complete player and the perfect complement to Troy. A

Ryan Mundy: Haven’t seen much from him outside special teams. Based on what I saw in the preseason and in the past, he’s a quality player against the run. Does need to make sure he cuts down on the penalties though. Pass coverage ability is still up in the air to me. C+

Will Allen: After being passed by Mundy, Allen is a special teamer. Haven’t seen him do anything wrong in that department though so it isn’t an insult. However, likely his last season with the team. C+

[Steeldude]

I still want to see the consistency in Woodley that I see in Harrison every game. I didn't panic after Woodley's slow start because I figured he'd pick it up, but then again, I don't want quiet starts from my newly paid OLB.

you are such a hater:wink02:

[Austin87]

William Gay: I’ve been one of the few supporters of Gay throughout his career and now finally, people are starting to see the reliable starter that is William Gay. He’s been playing the same this year as he did last year. Excellent tackler, willing to play the run, and physical. We’ve seen a little more in terms of ball skills this year too though make no mistake, he isn’t a great cover corner. If the team stops putting him in the occasional bad matchup, fans won’t be able to complain about anything. B+



You are kidding right? Gay, Lewis and Ike are playing much better than last season. People are giving Carnell Lake credit for getting players like Gay and Lewis to up their game from last season, but you are telling me that Gay is playing the same, there is just no way.

[zulater]

Special teams grades real quick.

Sushi gets a C-. Mediocre on kickoffs, not dependable on fg's over 40 yards. Not even worth bothering with 50+ yards. Imagine how much better the Steelers would be with Scobee of someone of that ability? Sushi has one redeeming quality, he's not afraid to make a tackle when it's needed. I think the last straw for Jeff Reed was when he became a matador if the runner came at him. So if sushi can get a little more accurate he could end up getting another season in Pittsbugh. I hope he does in fact.

I combine our punters. Kapevelveda gets a B+. Our punters have both been an asset.

Antonio Brown. B as a return man. I considered going B+ or A-, but he's fallen off lately in his returns, and without a td you really don't deserve an A. That said I think he'll break one or two before the season is out and get his A. and possibly even get the AFC's Pro Bowl berth for special teams.

[polamalubeast]

QB Ben Roethlisberger:A+ Since week 5.It is unbelievable

RB Rashard Mendnehall:C..A disappointing year, but it is not always helped.

FB David Johnson:C

WR Mike Wallace:A+..It is now a superstar.

WR Antonio Brown A+....It will soon become a superstar for the steelers.Best WR in the league for the 3rd down

TE Heath Miller:B

LT Max Starks:A..Mark Stark has a big impact for the steelers.
He was not with the team in the first 4 games and the o-line was the worst in the NFL.Since he is with the Steelers, the o-line did a good job.

LG Chris Kemo F....His problem is that it does not have a brain.I almost lost my head when he took a dumb penalty against the cards.


C Maurkice Pouncey:B
RG Ramon Foster:C
RT Marcus Gilbert:C+

Jonathan Scott:FFFFFFF...He almost made ​​the team lose himself alone against the 0-10 Colts.

DE Ziggy Hood:B

NT Casey Hampton:B-

DE Brett Keisel:B+

OLB James Harrison:B
He had a poor start to the season, but I think it will be a very good end of season.
He was injured and then it was the only player to have in defense play a good game against the Ravens.

ILB Lawrence Timmons:B-

ILB James Farrior:C

OLB Lamarr Woodley:A+ It is a beast.If he had not been injured, I think he would have won the defensive player of the year.

CB Ike Taylor: A...The most player underrated in the NFL.Top 5 CB and after Woodley, he is the 2nd best player in the Steelers defense this year.

CB William Gay:B+... I was the person who most detested Willliam Gay before this year, but it really plays very well with the exception of the game against the Ravens when the Steelers pass rush was a disgrace in this game.

Keenan Lewis:B

Ryan Clark:It is difficult to evaluate because the NFL is very cheap with Clark.


Troy Polamalu:B+...It has an A + when it will made the turnovers


Shaun Shinsham:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFff-------------....He has no reason to be with the Steelers right now... It will probably cost the Steelers a game this year... The steelers are very stubborn to keep it.If I make a heart attack, it will be due to kicker.

It's embarrassing that he is still with the steelers.

[Chidi29]

You are kidding right? Gay, Lewis and Ike are playing much better than last season. People are giving Carnell Lake credit for getting players like Gay and Lewis to up their game from last season, but you are telling me that Gay is playing the same, there is just no way.

Lewis is the only one I see a distinct difference in. But because the pass defense has been looking good in terms of stats, Gay doesn't get the flack.

To me, Gay was reliable last year and he is so this season. Remember that I have never been in the "Gay sucks" camp. I've always been consistent with the whay I talked about him.

[The Duke]

Lewis is night at day from last year. He barely even made an impact on special teams at time. Sometime all that's missing is a better coach

Gay is pretty much as solid as he was last year. Main difference it that he's not assigned to the 6'7 tight ends anymore

[Chidi29]

Lewis is night at day from last year. He barely even made an impact on special teams at time. Sometime all that's missing is a better coach

Gay is pretty much as solid as he was last year. Main difference it that he's not assigned to the 6'7 tight ends anymore

Sums it up well.

[tube517]

Lewis is the only one I see a distinct difference in. But because the pass defense has been looking good in terms of stats, Gay doesn't get the flack.

To me, Gay was reliable last year and he is so this season. Remember that I have never been in the "Gay sucks" camp. I've always been consistent with the whay I talked about him.

I think Gay was decent, in the nickel, in 2010 (except the Cheats* game, of course) For me, 2009 was Gay's nightmare. Of course, no Troy, hurt the whole defense that year.

[Chidi29]

I think Gay was decent, in the nickel, in 2010 (except the Cheats* game, of course) For me, 2009 was Gay's nightmare. Of course, no Troy, hurt the whole defense that year.

Plus, from the comments made by Ray Horton, there was probably an arrogance, entitlement issue with Gay in 2009. After a bad year, he became humbled and has played fine ever since.