As all Steeler fans are, I'm hoping that the team can get it together for next Sunday's game against the Chargers. The Steelers have their work cut out for them. Thus far, Big Ben has a passer rating that is the second lowest in the league; he has thrown five interceptions and no touchdown passes. All this from a man who had won 27 of his first 31 games...the best of any QB that had started in the NFL. Suffering from a sore hamstring, Hines Ward missed most of his training camp and has only had one TD pass so far this season--by this time last year he had four. Troy Polamalu seems to be nursing a sore shoulder despite Cowher saying he isn't/wasn't. He gave up four TDs against Cincinnati last week. As for Cowher himself, he used his #3 punt returner against Cincinnati which resulted in a fumbled punt inside the 10-yard line, leading to to Cinci's game winning TD. Other mishaps: receivers (excluding Ward) dropped more passes than caught; multiple special teams mishaps; the taunting & excessive celebration penalties; eight turnovers in three games; and critical drops on 3rd downs. Cowher stated that the defense has been doing pretty good but "has not done a good job of holding them in the red zone." CulinaryHerb says that is like saying "we can stop them IF we stop them". From the Steeler website:"Coach Bill Cowher has said often that he believes it takes about four games at the start of each season for that particular team to find its identity, and after the loss to the Jaguars there were questions about whether the Steelers of 2006 would be able to execute the power offense that had helped them win Super Bowl XL." On the plus side: the Steeler's offense ran the football effectively and consistently against the Bengals and was the team's best unit that game. Parker finished with 133 yards and two touchdowns; the Steelers finished with 170 as a team, a total that was more than what they mustered in the playoff game against Cinci last January.
To sum it up, I quote Coach Cowher once more, "No one wants to be where we are right now, but it is where we are," said Cowher. "You just have to play. That's the hole we have dug for ourselves. It is what it is. I do like this football team. We are a good football team that is not playing consistent right now. This is collectively a better football team. We've done a lot of good things. I don't want them to lose sight of that. At the same time we are doing things that have not allowed us to win football games or play consistently week in and week out and yet it is still week three. There is still a lot of football left. I still think we are a good football team."
To sum it up, I quote Coach Cowher once more, "No one wants to be where we are right now, but it is where we are," said Cowher. "You just have to play. That's the hole we have dug for ourselves. It is what it is. I do like this football team. We are a good football team that is not playing consistent right now. This is collectively a better football team. We've done a lot of good things. I don't want them to lose sight of that. At the same time we are doing things that have not allowed us to win football games or play consistently week in and week out and yet it is still week three. There is still a lot of football left. I still think we are a good football team."
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