zulater
08-28-2011, 10:18 AM
I'd love to see what kind of crappy numbers pretty boy Tom Brady would post if he had to spend a season behind the Steelers offensive line. Because once again last night against the Lions, and as demonstrated in each of his last 3 playoff games (all losses) if you can get a good pass rush on Brady he becomes very average, if that.
Yeah I know, we've all heard it a thousand times, great quarterbacks make average lines look great with their quick release and ability to recognize coverage and react accordingly. And of course Ben (supposedly) holds the ball too long and doesn't read coverages or blitzes like the great ones do, blah blah blah! We all know the song by now. But I say bullshit! The Steelers have had a sersiously sub par offensive line, particuarly in the area of pass protection every year since since 2005. You think Tom Brady or Peyton Manning could survive 4 seasons with Max Starks as his left tackle, Kemoeatu as his left guard, and the cast of dozens that have manned the right guard position in Pittsbugh?
Simiarly I keep hearing the hype makers at ESPN raving about Phillip Rivers and going on about how poor Phillip lost so many of his receivers to injuries last year. Which is fair, I also think Rivers is a top tier qb. But what the talking heads never seem to remember is that Ben lost both of his starting tackles for the majority of the 2010 season. That in essense, because of losing his best pass protector from 2009 ( Colon) he also lost the use of his tight end on the majority of passing downs for the 2010 season, as Heath Miller was relagated to being a third tackle more often than not is said situations. I think you can easily make the argument that the Steelers were sub par at 4 of the 5 offensive line postions for the entire 2010 season. Further, I think you can make the case that the Steelers had an arguable case for having the worst starter in the entire NFL at 2 of the offensive line positions, maybe even 3. ( sorry Flozell Adams fans, but there was a reason Dallas cut him) Think about it, just imagine Peyton Manning or Tom Brady as unrestricted free agents, and you're trying to bring them to your team, and you have to sell Ramon Foster, Jonathan Scott, Kemoeatu, and Flozell! :horror:
The good news is this year should be better ( assuming Pouncey isn't seriosuly hurt :pray: ) Getting Willie Colon back is huge, not only is he one of the league's better right tackles, both in pass protection and in the ground game, his return also means the return of Heath Miller to the 3rd down offense as a pass receiving threat. A weakness becomes a strenght, times two! So along with Pouncey, you're now elite at two o-line positions.
But of course that still leaves 3 positions that are not so wonderfull at offensive line. Right guard, be it Ramon Foster or Tony Hills will still be in the discussion for worst in the league. I suppose there's hope that Gilbert will win the starting left tackle postion over Jonathan Scott, but either way, at least for most of this year you figure the position to be below par on a league wide standard, with hope that Gilbert will progress as he plays. Which brings us to the enigma that is Kemo. Two years ago I thought Kemo was developning into a potential Pro Bowl caliber guard. But he's regressed, or at times he has. that's just it, you never know what you're getting with Kemo. He can be brilliant for 40 plays, average for 20, and ridiculously bad on 3 or 4. It's on those 3 or 4 snaps that Ben is ineviatably running for life and limb and either something spectacuarly good ( as only Ben can do in such intances) or something horrificly bad happens i.e SBXLIII pick six.
Anyway long story short the Steelers can go into a season seriously undermanned or mediocre at 3/5 of the o-line positions, or take it even further, even if Pouncey is hurt and misses some time ( pray to God not) at 4/5 of the (80%) of the o-line and still be confident that their offense will manage to do what they need to do in order to win. And how's that? Ben Roethlisberger, that's how. No other quarterback in the league could do so much with so little in front of him. not even the great Peyton or Brady. Nuff said. :coffee:
Yeah I know, we've all heard it a thousand times, great quarterbacks make average lines look great with their quick release and ability to recognize coverage and react accordingly. And of course Ben (supposedly) holds the ball too long and doesn't read coverages or blitzes like the great ones do, blah blah blah! We all know the song by now. But I say bullshit! The Steelers have had a sersiously sub par offensive line, particuarly in the area of pass protection every year since since 2005. You think Tom Brady or Peyton Manning could survive 4 seasons with Max Starks as his left tackle, Kemoeatu as his left guard, and the cast of dozens that have manned the right guard position in Pittsbugh?
Simiarly I keep hearing the hype makers at ESPN raving about Phillip Rivers and going on about how poor Phillip lost so many of his receivers to injuries last year. Which is fair, I also think Rivers is a top tier qb. But what the talking heads never seem to remember is that Ben lost both of his starting tackles for the majority of the 2010 season. That in essense, because of losing his best pass protector from 2009 ( Colon) he also lost the use of his tight end on the majority of passing downs for the 2010 season, as Heath Miller was relagated to being a third tackle more often than not is said situations. I think you can easily make the argument that the Steelers were sub par at 4 of the 5 offensive line postions for the entire 2010 season. Further, I think you can make the case that the Steelers had an arguable case for having the worst starter in the entire NFL at 2 of the offensive line positions, maybe even 3. ( sorry Flozell Adams fans, but there was a reason Dallas cut him) Think about it, just imagine Peyton Manning or Tom Brady as unrestricted free agents, and you're trying to bring them to your team, and you have to sell Ramon Foster, Jonathan Scott, Kemoeatu, and Flozell! :horror:
The good news is this year should be better ( assuming Pouncey isn't seriosuly hurt :pray: ) Getting Willie Colon back is huge, not only is he one of the league's better right tackles, both in pass protection and in the ground game, his return also means the return of Heath Miller to the 3rd down offense as a pass receiving threat. A weakness becomes a strenght, times two! So along with Pouncey, you're now elite at two o-line positions.
But of course that still leaves 3 positions that are not so wonderfull at offensive line. Right guard, be it Ramon Foster or Tony Hills will still be in the discussion for worst in the league. I suppose there's hope that Gilbert will win the starting left tackle postion over Jonathan Scott, but either way, at least for most of this year you figure the position to be below par on a league wide standard, with hope that Gilbert will progress as he plays. Which brings us to the enigma that is Kemo. Two years ago I thought Kemo was developning into a potential Pro Bowl caliber guard. But he's regressed, or at times he has. that's just it, you never know what you're getting with Kemo. He can be brilliant for 40 plays, average for 20, and ridiculously bad on 3 or 4. It's on those 3 or 4 snaps that Ben is ineviatably running for life and limb and either something spectacuarly good ( as only Ben can do in such intances) or something horrificly bad happens i.e SBXLIII pick six.
Anyway long story short the Steelers can go into a season seriously undermanned or mediocre at 3/5 of the o-line positions, or take it even further, even if Pouncey is hurt and misses some time ( pray to God not) at 4/5 of the (80%) of the o-line and still be confident that their offense will manage to do what they need to do in order to win. And how's that? Ben Roethlisberger, that's how. No other quarterback in the league could do so much with so little in front of him. not even the great Peyton or Brady. Nuff said. :coffee: