Pittsburgh - The Inside Scoop, Part II

[duus]

Man, you should hear the amount of air-time this whole thing about the Colts amplifying the crowd noise is getting. Even folks like Bettis and Roethlisburger have weighed in, whining about how loud it was. Then Ed Bouchette complained that he even had to 'cover his ears' it was so loud. Isn't there a picture out there somewhere of Hines crying because the noise was so loud? "Mom! Make them not make so much noise! It's too loud! Mom!"

[jungleman]

set us up for a link on streaming audio of there talk radio i will call in

[jjakq27]

Man, you should hear the amount of air-time this whole thing about the Colts amplifying the crowd noise is getting. Even folks like Bettis and Roethlisburger have weighed in, whining about how loud it was. Then Ed Bouchette complained that he even had to 'cover his ears' it was so loud. Isn't there a picture out there somewhere of Hines crying because the noise was so loud? "Mom! Make them not make so much noise! It's too loud! Mom!"

[duus]

Steelers are 30th in the league on 3rd defense.

Last meeting, the Bengals were 3/11 on 3rd against the Steelers D.

Change that number to 6/12 and the Bengals win. Period.

[derekshank]

set us up for a link on streaming audio of there talk radio i will call in

I don't know what duus listens to... but the best I can find for Pittsburgh sports talk is their ESPN radio

http://www.wtaeradio.com/

They still have Mike&Mike and Dan Patrick... but they do a lot of local Pittsburgh talk radio too.

[duus]

set us up for a link on streaming audio of there talk radio i will call in

I don't know what duus listens to... but the best I can find for Pittsburgh sports talk is their ESPN radio

http://www.wtaeradio.com/

They still have Mike&Mike and Dan Patrick... but they do a lot of local Pittsburgh talk radio too.

For radio, that's pretty much what I listen to ... ESPN Radio 1250 WTAE. That's the station that carries Mark Madden from 3-7 every weekday night (eastern time).

BTW ... the big talk right now is that guys on Steelers.com message board are saying that messing with the Terrible Towel is "desecrating the Steeler way of life." This town is absolutely nuts. What? It's a piece of clothe! Heck, the local dollar store sells them for a buck! I think I have just found what I should use as my new oil rags when working on my car, etc. That would be cool. Talk about ticking off the neighbors!

Snowed last night, and flurried all day today. But as I sit here typing, the sun is beating down on my laptop. The sky is nearly cloudless. I sense bright things for our Bengals this weekend! Heck, maybe Chad should wear shades! Better yet, I think maybe once the Bengals are up by 35, Chad should get open deep for the 5th, put his left forearm over his eyes, and catch the ball with his right hand, skipping into the endzone. Sweet.

[jungleman]

there board isnt working right can you send a link

[duus]

there board isnt working right can you send a link

I do not have the link, nor do I hang out on that stupid board. I do believe there are a couple guys on our board that frustrate them over there , so maybe they can post some of the nonsense. Mark Madden is talking about it a lot this afternoon, and that's how I know that the stupidity is taking place. Madden is often the only source of sound information (and sanity!) in this town. Some of the fans hate him ... I suspect because he doesn't just sit back and chant, "Here we go stillers, here we go." (btw ... is that not the absolute most stupid mantra ever created? Ugh)

[jungleman]

these guys look like putzes and worried about the betting line lol.

[duus]

Mark Madden interview with Ed Bouchette

MM --> "Are the Steelers tight or confident?"

EB --> "They are as loose as I have ever seen them. They are very confident."

MM --> "Who starts at runningback?"

EB --> "Bill announced on Tuesday that he is starting Willie Parker. From what I know, Duce will be the 3rd down back again."

MM --> "I think they got to come out and do what they know."

EB --> "Given the last two weeks, I think they are going to be a little bit more apt to go with the pass this time."

MM --> "Kendall Simmons decline has been very disappointing."

EB --> "They are not going to make a change at this point. I think you will see Chris K. dress on Sunday, and he might get in the ballgame. He is very confident and very aggressive."

MM --> "Is the Steeler offense too predictable?"

EB --> "No. Not at all. The players just have to play."

MM --> "What exactly is Ben Roethlisberger wearing on his thumb? Will it bother him?"

EB --> "It's a little black support under the glove. Who knows with Ben? He looked like he was throwing really good in practice on Thursday."

MM --> "Jason Whitlock wrote a column where he said Bill Cowher needs to take the diapers off Big Ben and let him win a game."

EB --> "I think he is willing to do that. If the run is not working, I think they may go to the pass a little early this weekend."

MM --> "Can the Steelers win a shootout with the Bengals?"

EB --> "I think so. The Bengals defense is not very good, and the Steelers defense is and can prevent the Bengals from having a shootout."

MM --> "Do they miss Plax?"

EB --> "I think so. I believe he drew more double teams. They do have another guy on the offense that would make it more balanced. Heath Miller. When Plax was here, they didn't have a tight end that could catch like that."

MM --> "The defense did really good last time. Is it going to be harder this time around?"

EB --> "They did make some of their own breaks last time. They did get an early break when Chad's touchdown was overturned. I don't know if it's going to be any tougher this time."

MM --> "I think Rudi Johnson is their best bet this Sunday."

EB --> "They may be interested in getting down and dirty with the Steelers and letting the best running game win."

Report from indoor practice today:

"Ben and training staff still working on the right mechanism that will allow him to throw the perfect tight spiral." (um, guys, I think that 'mechanism' might include replacing him with someone like Carson Palmer)

[derekshank]

I was just listening to that interview too... Bouchette sounds like he isn't at all impressed with the Bengals offense compared to the Steelers defense.

I know the Colts didn't score 45 points... but they didn't have to. The Steelers couldn't move the ball at all... and the Colts managed almost 400 yards on offense, and Edge went for well over 100. I expect the Bengals offense to be able to score just fine.

I certainly hope Ben feels like he needs to win the game by throwing the ball... that plays to our strength.

[bengalboomer7]

It's obvious that their team, their fans, and their city have no respect whatsoever for the Cincinnati Bengals.

[Ox]

It's obvious that their team, their fans, and their city have no respect whatsoever for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Isn't that what the loudmouth nervous bully kid says right before he gets his ass whipped?

[duus]

Mark Madden (with comments from Tim Benz as well)

MM --> "I think Marvin Lewis will think too much. Case in point, last game he stopped running Rudi Johnson. He did the same thing against the Colts. He doesn't learn from his mistakes, and doesn't alter his gameplan."

MM --> "I still think they are going to win Sunday and dig their way out of the hole they created."

MM --> "I still think the Steelers have the better team."

TB --> "What I am worried about more than anything is that the Colts and James reminded everyone that it is possible to run against the Steelers. They grinded them into mush because they stuck with James."

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Marvin didn't "just stop" giving it to Rudi - Rudi (and Perry) were getting stuffed in the 3rd quarter from what I remember.

Then Carson greased up the defense with his arm, and Rudi had more opportunity for some big runs, slowly but effectively running down the clock as usual in the 4th.

The Bengals' offense, when it's on like it is now, are literally too balanced and full of weapons to stop, NO ONE can stop them.

Pittsburgh is the only team to give them fits this year (thanks to a penalty and dropped TD pass early on to take away 14 points) - I think Carson hasn't quite faced Pitt's D enough yet to really find a way to throw them off and handle their confusing pre-snap blitz reads and Polamalu's tendencies.

If he watched Peyton closely Monday night, he may have picked up some things - such as confusing counts and faking audibles to throw Polamalu and others off from timed blitzes.

[duus]

A snippet from an article in the local paper (concerning Joey Porter and the Colts game, etc.):

LeBeau was impressed, not so much by Porter's statistics, as by the number of varied assignments he was able to execute for a defense that was limited in its ability to substitute by the Colts' no-huddle offense.

The Steelers countered by asking Porter to be more than merely a rush-end on passing downs.

For Porter, that meant returning to something resembling the "dime" linebacker role he handled in 2002, the year he became the first NFL player to record eight sacks and four interceptions.

He lined up across the formation while playing one of four positions in what LeBeau described as the Steelers' " 'rover' complement of people" (Porter and James Farrior playing as linebackers along with six defensive backs) against the Colts.

Porter still rushed the passer in Indianapolis. But he also covered more than he normally does in passing situations, and he was asked to handle receivers and tight ends.

"They're just trying to take advantage of Joey's athletic ability and try to spread him out all over the field, where he can blitz off the edge, blitz in the middle, rush the passer, cover, just use all his attributes," outside linebacker Clark Haggans said.

It's a concept the Steelers might rely on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, who, like the Colts, employ a well-balanced, high-octane and, at times, no-huddle offense.

"I like the package," LeBeau said. "You could see it from us the rest of the year."

Porter, who ranks seventh among Steelers with 41 tackles and who's tied with Haggans for the team lead in sacks with six, isn't opposed to the Steelers asking even more from him the rest of this season -- or demanding more from his teammates.

"It's going to take more from everybody," Porter said. "We dug ourselves a little hole to where we're not sitting on top. We're looking up (at the Bengals in the AFC North) for the first time in a while.

"Everybody has to add a little more to the pot. Obviously, what you've been putting in right now hasn't been good enough to get it done."

Haggans claims Porter has remained supremely confident in his coverage skills.

"He's the self-proclaimed 'next Deion Sanders' that never played corner," Haggans said.

To Porter, it's all in a day's work, particularly with the Steelers' season reaching such a critical juncture.

Similar information from another paper as well:

Defensive scheme

[schweinhart]

Interesting stuff.

The one thing I watched hard in the Steelers-Colts was the corner blitzes, which is made easier when either the LB in a 3-4 or the DE in a 4-3 drops back into zone coverage shallow over the middle.

Deshea Townsend got to Manning on one such blitz but in the times it happened in the 2nd half -- that was it. Edge James did an outstanding job picking it up except for the one time. I think the Bengals will be more vulnerable to the CB blitz than Polamalu or LBs shooting gaps because the Bengals RBs can not blitz block like James had to in order to keep Manning clean.

LeBeau may be saying the Bengals will see Porter roving off the line but I doubt it will be a lot -- they keep him tight for the run. The Colts play single-back w/ either 3 WR and a quick, pass catching TE or 2 WR, 1 H-back in the slot, and 1 TE tight. The Bengals are rarely in that formation as they have more success from the Power I.

[duus]

Let's see, our team is 8-3, and has at worst the 2nd best qb in the league, yet these arrogant Pissburghers still use words like bungles and bungholes. Did I mention how much I hate this team and city?

Homer Matchup

[jungleman]

these people are ignorant. i wish there was a pissburg vs cincy cage match for the fans to go at it.

[NYBengalfan]

these people are ignorant. i wish there was a pissburg vs cincy cage match for the fans to go at it.

Hell yeah Id bust some f**kin heads

[duus]

I suppose this is one way for Benji to spend his off day following a devastating divisional loss:

Benji on the Wheel

[semiotter]

Id love one of those Terrible Towels............ I gotta go to the bathroom

thats is what Chad should do, after he scores his 3rd TD he should pull out a terrible towell and wave it to the crowd!!!!OMG the place would go crazy

[duus]

Weather for tomorrow:

Winter weather advisory tonight through noon tomorrow.

Probably 1-2" of snow overnight and in the early morning.

Should clear up well in advance of the game.

Temperature around 30, with winds 10-15 mph.

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Nightly Sports Call tv show:

Various quotes from local sports writer John Steigerwald:

Opened with Penguins comments and highlights.

Whining about a goal that was called for the opponent, reviewed, and not overturned.

Pens lose 3-2, and whining starts about this goal that shouldn't have been.

Is it just me, or does this town consistently whine about EVERY loss in EVERY sport!!

Ugh.

Next up on the show was college football. Interesting. The only real connection to college football around here is Penn State, and that is fairly removed. But apparently this is a bigger story than the NFL game in town tomorrow. Hmmmm.

Finally, some NFL football ...

JS --> "If they lose, it could be the official changing of the guard."

After that comment, the first four callers called about the Penguins, Pirates, and college football.

There is now about 5 minutes left in the half hour show, and only ONE small comment. That's it. Just the quote I gave above. Nothing else. What a town.

Caller finally calls about the game. He wants Hines to imitate CJ's reviving the football, but to have it die and put the Terrible Towel over it. (what?)

JS referring to Chad's endzone celebrations --> "I get tired of that stuff. I'd like to see the opposing team take a 15 yard penalty and come in a blast the guy under the chin."

Next 2 callers ... Penguins talk.

END OF SHOW. Useless. That's life in Pittsburgh. Useless.

(good night guys ... I've had enough. Off to dreams of many Bengal touchdowns tomorrow.)

[Stripes]

Another great thread Duus, excellent work! From the sound of it, Pittsburgh fans care nothing for Steeler football, or don't view the upcoming game as any threat worthy of discussion. If it is the latter, then Sunday will be all the more entertaining.

[jungleman]

i guess the pittsburgh media doesnt want to take negative calls on there beloved steelers.