Steelers Changes In 2013 A Good Thing: Don’t Bet On A 6-10 Season

[zulater]

But based on what?

I agree about the O-Line, but that's clearly been a work in progress, with progress being made.

I have zero idea about what to expect from our running game.

In the five games where the o-line was healthiest last season the team ran for 644 yards on 144 attempts for a very respectable 4.47 ypc. Mendenhall accounted for only 68 yards of this total, so this shows that with the line functioning at a competent level Dwyer and Redman can be productive. Now of course i expect the Steelers to add a quality player or two to the backfield through the draft or through free agency.

Who is Woodley? Is he the guy who dominated in 2008 or is he the injury prone, out of shape non-factor we saw last year?

Don't forget Woodley was dominating as recently as the first 9 games of the 2011 season. He hasn't been the same since blowing out his hammy against the Patriots.

But to your question as to what Woodley? Hard to say? Ike Taylor's workout gurus supposedly devised an offseason workout program that would focus on Woodley's hamstring area. Hopefully he follows it.

Would you call Worilds an upgrade over Harrison or a downgrade? I'd be inclined to state the latter.

Downgrade of course. But it's still not a given Harrison wont be back. He probably wont be, but word has it he hasn't seen an offer even close to what he turned down from the Steelers when he left. So if the Steelers final offer is still on the table and Harrison isn't too pridefull to come back there may be a chance we'll get an encore performance from 92?

We know little-to-nothing about Cortez Allen.

We actually know a lot more about Cortez than we knew about Keenan Lewis this time a year ago. According to Profootballfocus Allen was the best nickel back in the NFL last year. And anyone who went to Latrobe last year and watched multiple practices would tell you that it was neck and neck between lewis and Allen as to who would win the starting LCB position. With the deciding factor being expererience. At every point of the their first two NFL seasons Allen has been ahead of Lewis in comaritive quality of play as to relative NFL experience. It would be a major shock to the Steelers organization if Allen isn't at least as good as Lewis was last year.

These are the things I'm considering when I anticipate an off-year for us.

Fair enough. We'll just have to wait and see. Long way to go before we kick off the 2013 season. I have faith the quality of the product will be strong enough to compete for the AFC North title, with the one caveat being we get a relativley healthy and full season from Big Ben.

[zulater]

trust me I am not " doom and gloom" ing this to death ... but I feel there are a lot of unanswered question and I see a steady downgrade in talent team wide over the past 3-4 years or so ....

Cortez Allen IMO is an upgrade so no issue there at all ( wanted him as the starter in 2012 and am on record on the old board saying that ) feel free to have a look

but where is our young backups at S ?
same at ILB ?
same at OLB ?
same at QB ?
same at WR ?
same RB ?
hell where is the starting RB ?

we are slowly but surely becoming devoid of talent , we NEED a super solid draft where 6 or 7 guys not only make the team but make a contribution to the team those sort of drafts do not come along very often in todays NFL with 32 teams looking for players and the internet and cable TV making it possible to see every game every week and you do not physically have to attend to see the kids play like you did for the most part back in the day ... every team has the capability ...

we need a bigger and more talented scouting department ...

it makes it tough to sit and watch your favorite team draft guys you yourself as a fan knows beyond a shadow of a doubt does not have the skills needed to play at the NFL level get drafted in the 3rd and 4th round while guys who could start for that same team are left on the board ... and it happens almost every year ( I still hear the words echo in my head Matt Spaeth can stretch the field .... ) when Scott Chandler , Brent Celek and Kevin Boss where still on the board ......

Quality depth is an issue with this team, but how many teams isn't that true of?

Who knows maybe we get one more great year out of Troy? Maybe Woodley comes back to early 2011 form? Still possible Harrison could come back? None of these things are far fetched. Yet even with Troy missing the majority of last season, Woodley being a stiff, and Harrison missing some early playing time, the defense was still one of the NFL's best.

There going to add another back to the equation and who knows with receiver? Don't even discout the possibilty they draft a tight end in the foirst two rounds of the draft?

In other words it's too early to write the obit just yet. Come June things could be looking a lot better.

[NJarhead]

In the five games where the o-line was healthiest last season the team ran for 644 yards on 144 attempts for a very respectable 4.47 ypc. Mendenhall accounted for only 68 yards of this total, so this shows that with the line functioning at a competent level Dwyer and Redman can be productive. Now of course i expect the Steelers to add a quality player or two to the backfield through the draft or through free agency.



Don't forget Woodley was dominating as recently as the first 9 games of the 2011 season. He hasn't been the same since blowing out his hammy against the Patriots.

But to your question as to what Woodley? Hard to say? Ike Taylor's workout gurus supposedly devised an offseason workout program that would focus on Woodley's hamstring area. Hopefully he follows it.



Downgrade of course. But it's still not a given Harrison wont be back. He probably wont be, but word has it he hasn't seen an offer even close to what he turned down from the Steelers when he left. So if the Steelers final offer is still on the table and Harrison isn't too pridefull to come back there may be a chance we'll get an encore performance from 92?



We actually know a lot more about Cortez than we knew about Keenan Lewis this time a year ago. According to Profootballfocus Allen was the best nickel back in the NFL last year. And anyone who went to Latrobe last year and watched multiple practices would tell you that it was neck and neck between lewis and Allen as to who would win the starting LCB position. With the deciding factor being expererience. At every point of the their first two NFL seasons Allen has been ahead of Lewis in comaritive quality of play as to relative NFL experience. It would be a major shock to the Steelers organization if Allen isn't at least as good as Lewis was last year.



Fair enough. We'll just have to wait and see. Long way to go before we kick off the 2013 season. I have faith the quality of the product will be strong enough to compete for the AFC North title, with the one caveat being we get a relativley healthy and full season from Big Ben.

That's all I'm saying. There are seemingly a lot more "ifs" involved this time around than in the recent past as it relates to any predictions to our success. I'm not ready to claim the AFCN title for our beloved Steelers just yet.

[Dwinsgames]

That's all I'm saying. There are seemingly a lot more "ifs" involved this time around than in the recent past as it relates to any predictions to our success. I'm not ready to claim the AFCN title for our beloved Steelers just yet.

IF....

The biggest little word in the English language .....


I am with you , and normally that is not the case , at this time of the year I know we do little in FA signing period and I am fine with that so it has little bearing on how I am feeling ....

normally I am pumped up for the draft and ready to rock n roll to a division crown ... this year I have my doubts and can see us finishing 3rd and maybe even fourth in the division ....

I think the Browns will be much improved ,The Bengals will be better as well ....

I see the Steelers and Ravens not being as good from a talent perspective ....

if the Browns improve a couple games , and we get 1 game worse or stay the same ( same with the Ravens ) the Bengals could win the division and it be a 3 way battle for 2nd place ... and the difference in 2nd and 4th may only be 1 game ... the balance of power may be here

we still have some options ( lets hope Spaeth fails the physical for starters )

maybe we get lucky and Land Bradshaw , maybe we get lucky and Harrison returns at a lesser contract number ... maybe we have a good draft ... lots of maybe's ..... but it could happen .. I just will not hold my breath in waiting

[NJarhead]

IF....

The biggest little word in the English language .....


I am with you , and normally that is not the case , at this time of the year I know we do little in FA signing period and I am fine with that so it has little bearing on how I am feeling ....

normally I am pumped up for the draft and ready to rock n roll to a division crown ... this year I have my doubts and can see us finishing 3rd and maybe even fourth in the division ....

I think the Browns will be much improved ,The Bengals will be better as well ....

I see the Steelers and Ravens not being as good from a talent perspective ....

if the Browns improve a couple games , and we get 1 game worse or stay the same ( same with the Ravens ) the Bengals could win the division and it be a 3 way battle for 2nd place ... and the difference in 2nd and 4th may only be 1 game ... the balance of power may be here

we still have some options ( lets hope Spaeth fails the physical for starters )

maybe we get lucky and Land Bradshaw , maybe we get lucky and Harrison returns at a lesser contract number ... maybe we have a good draft ... lots of maybe's ..... but it could happen .. I just will not hold my breath in waiting

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Bradshaw and being in NJ I got to see a lot of him. What I didn't like was his fumbling problem (19 times in 921 career carries: Average of about one fumble every other game). They also seemed to be at the most inopportune times. What was equally alarming to me is, his coach was able to solve that same issue for Tiki Barber. Why not him? I know Coughlin loved him though and called him a very hard worker.

I'd welcome him if he joined us.But won't be heart broken if he doesn't.

Personally, I like that we lay low in FA. It seems to be a proven method (building through the draft). I do think we've let potential contributers walk away over the years and questioned why, but I don't know that the $$ was not the sole reason. This year for example, I thought we'd sign Victor Butler and was shocked when we didn't.

[zulater]

That's all I'm saying. There are seemingly a lot more "ifs" involved this time around than in the recent past as it relates to any predictions to our success. I'm not ready to claim the AFCN title for our beloved Steelers just yet.

I never said i was ready to claim it. I'm just not ready to concede it.

[slashsteel]

I haven't seen enough of free agency and the draft to zero in on. But that withstanding, injuries will play a significant role once again on how the season ends. Healthy at the right time, and I like the Steelers chances with the best of em.

[NJarhead]

I never said i was ready to claim it. I'm just not ready to concede it.

lol. Ravens are the defending AFCN Champs, not us.

I think we can agree that right now we're in post-season purgatory.

[zulater]

lol. Ravens are the defending AFCN Champs, not us.

I think we can agree that right now we're in post-season purgatory.

Defending champ means nothing unless it's boxing. Every year it's a clean slate. And the 2013 AFC North title is no more ( or less) the Ravens than it is ours. Again at this point I concede nothing. The story of the 2013 season has yet to be written.

[NJarhead]

Defending champ means nothing unless it's boxing. Every year it's a clean slate. And the 2013 AFC North title is no more ( or less) the Ravens than it is ours. Again at this point I concede nothing. The story of the 2013 season has yet to be written.

I agree about 2013, but the fact is, we were 3rd in our division in 2012. Down from 2nd in the division in 2011. Down from first in 2010. I agree about not conceding anything, but I'd get used to hearing "reigning champs" or "defending champs" a lot when the Ravens are discussed. It was the same with us a few short years ago.

Anyway, I'm not interested in splitting hairs. My views are based on what little is presently fact and as you put it, "the story of 2013 has yet to be written."

[dislocatedday]

....We actually know a lot more about Cortez than we knew about Keenan Lewis this time a year ago. According to Profootballfocus Allen was the best nickel back in the NFL last year. And anyone who went to Latrobe last year and watched multiple practices would tell you that it was neck and neck between lewis and Allen as to who would win the starting LCB position. With the deciding factor being expererience. At every point of the their first two NFL seasons Allen has been ahead of Lewis in comaritive quality of play as to relative NFL experience. It would be a major shock to the Steelers organization if Allen isn't at least as good as Lewis was last year.

I've thought since the end of last season that Cortez could potentially become a star at CB (not just a competent player). Coupled with that, I've also thought that if the Steelers were very comfortable with where he is as a player currently, it would likely play a significant role in whether the Steelers make a strong push to keep Keenan Lewis. I'm not saying this is why they did not make an all out effort to retain Keenan, but I'm sure it played into it. I think perhaps the Steelers long-term want to make Cortez their #1 CB and don't want to pay big $$ to Keenan now and then pay even more big $$ to Cortez in a year or two. I also think Ike can be productive for at least two more years. The guy stays in tremendous shape year after year and almost seems ageless.

I'll make my bold prediction now.....Cortez ends up in the pro bowl within the next 3 years. I've also read he is working out with Ike and his trainer this offseason ,which can only be good news.

[Craic]

I agree about 2013, but the fact is, we were 3rd in our division in 2012. Down from 2nd in the division in 2011. Down from first in 2010. I agree about not conceding anything, but I'd get used to hearing "reigning champs" or "defending champs" a lot when the Ravens are discussed. It was the same with us a few short years ago.

Anyway, I'm not interested in splitting hairs. My views are based on what little is presently fact and as you put it, "the story of 2013 has yet to be written."

Actually, no, it wasn't. Funny how we think that we always win the AFCN. Let's look at the last ten years:

2012, 3rd place
2011, 2nd place
2010, 1st place
2009, 3rd place
2008, 1st place
2007, 1st place
2006, 3rd place
2005, 2nd place
2004, 1st place
2003, 3rd place

So, first place 4 times, second place 2 times, and third place, 4 times. And let's look at the patterns. first, second, third from 04-06, first, first, third, from 07-09, first, second, third from 10-12. We can go back another three years and see another set - where it'd be 1st, 1st, 3rd, then 1st, 2nd, 3rd, then 1st, 1st, 3rd, then 1st, 2nd, 3rd.

So why should we be any more ready to hear "Reigning champs" concerning the Ravens than over any other time in the last ten (or even twelve) years? Makes no sense to me.

[NJarhead]

Actually, no, it wasn't. Funny how we think that we always win the AFCN. Let's look at the last ten years:

2012, 3rd place
2011, 2nd place
2010, 1st place
2009, 3rd place
2008, 1st place
2007, 1st place
2006, 3rd place
2005, 2nd place
2004, 1st place
2003, 3rd place

So, first place 4 times, second place 2 times, and third place, 4 times. And let's look at the patterns. first, second, third from 04-06, first, first, third, from 07-09, first, second, third from 10-12. We can go back another three years and see another set - where it'd be 1st, 1st, 3rd, then 1st, 2nd, 3rd, then 1st, 1st, 3rd, then 1st, 2nd, 3rd.

So why should we be any more ready to hear "Reigning champs" concerning the Ravens than over any other time in the last ten (or even twelve) years? Makes no sense to me.

Preach, did you comprehend what I wrote? Because your list states exactly what I stated.