The beautiful pooch punt from two time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger has won him his second straight weekly award. The outstanding kick that landed Cleveland on their
own 1 yard line has earned Ben "Special Teams Player of the Week (QB's)" from Peter King. 

         Big Ben is playing some of the best ball of his life, leading a 2-6 team to a 5-6 team, the Steelers are inching closer, and closer to .500, and the playoffs. 

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             Riding a three game win-streak, these are the Steelers I'm used to. Forcing turnovers and three and outs, big play's from Big Ben and Troy being Troy, the only word used to describe today's game was "fun". 

           Ben Roethlisberger should be in trade rumors more often, because he has been lights out ever since he almost gave Steeler Nation a heart attack. Leading his team to a third straight victory, and a 5-6 record, the Steelers are inching closer and closer to .500, and a spot to clinch a division that's struggling this year, the AFC North. 

        The Steelers have had a complete turnaround since their 0-4 record to start the year. Mostly all of Steeler fans had given up on them (including me), but Steeler Nation should know better than anybody, our Steelers will grind out every play until Week 17. Now, pushing to a 5-6 record, it's hard to imagine the playoffs without the Renegade. The question still remains, "What did the Steelers do to turn this team around?", thats easy, turnovers. For the past two weeks the offense hasn't turned the ball over once, while the defense has had four turnovers in the past 6 quarters. Another factor is the offensive line. DeCastro is finally stepping up and so is the rest of the O-Line. 

       Now, "What about Jarvis Jones". Jarvis Jones is playing good, but not up to the potential he was hyped as, and thats perfectly fine. Name me a rookie that has mastered Dick LeBeau's defense their rookie year, huh? Thats right. The Steelers maybe riding a three game winning streak, but the real contest comes this Thursday night, against the Ravens. Steeler Nation... the whole season rides on this Thursday!

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             A montage at one point in the second half showed Browns cornerback Joe Haden battling step-for-step with Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.

For football purists, it was chilling. Two phenomenal athletes at the height of their respective positions doing battle in a way the game was meant to be played. At one point, Haden came deep into Pittsburgh's sideline and exchanged a word or two with Brown as he spoke with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin's reaction wasn't as angry as a team might think. Brown didn't go after him, either. It almost seemed...respectful.

The level of competition was a topic of conversation leading into the Steelers' Week 12 game against Cleveland. "Little Brother" was building up to trade punches with a fully-staffed "Big Brother." Ben Roethlisberger would be on the field for this game, unlike the last time Cleveland hosted the Steelers. And both teams had playoff aspirations.

While it was obvious by the third quarter Little Brother was not quite there, and was in for a rough afternoon, Brown and Haden continued to battle. This is the same Haden who held Bengals WR A.J. Green to seven yards on two catches. His length, his athleticism, his overall make-up to play the cornerback position are rivaled by very few, if any, in the NFL.

And Brown matched him - at worst - punch-for-punch.

It was good to see they were aware of who the other one was during the game. Never over-the-top or penalty-worthy or anything like that. Brown got the best of him on a fly down the left sideline when Haden peek and stuck just a little too long toward the backfield. Brown managed to hang onto the ball (a bit underthrown), a big-time play that woke the Steelers' up from their road woes.

The Steelers' best offensive skill player vs. the Browns' most talented player. And the Steelers won.

It was all Steelers after that.

That catch made up 41 of Brown's 92 yards on the day - the 11th consecutive game in which Brown has at least five catches or more, a Steelers franchise record. He re-directed any opportunity to take praise for his performance, often repeating "team win" in an interview with the media after the game.

That all may be true, but it was an even bigger individual win for Brown.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/11/24/5141524/steelers-browns-antonio-brown-record-joe-haden-touchdown

       

Date & Time	Favorite	Line	Underdog	Total
11/24 1:00 ET	At Detroit	-9	Tampa Bay	49
11/24 1:00 ET	At Houston	-10	Jacksonville	43.5
11/24 1:00 ET	At Green Bay	-4.5	Minnesota	44
11/24 1:00 ET	At Kansas City	-4.5	San Diego	42
11/24 1:00 ET	Carolina	-4.5	At Miami	41
11/24 1:00 ET	At Cleveland	-2	Pittsburgh	40
11/24 1:00 ET	At St. Louis	-1.5	Chicago	45.5
11/24 1:00 ET	At Baltimore	-3.5	NY Jets	39
11/24 4:05 ET	Tennessee	-1	At Oakland	41.5
11/24 4:05 ET	At Arizona	-2.5	Indianapolis	45
11/24 4:25 ET	At NY Giants	-2.5	Dallas	45
11/24 8:30 ET	Denver	-2.5	At New England	54

Monday Night Football Line

11/25 8:40 ET	San Francisco	-5.5	At Washington	47

SteelersGab.com

             Rarely is a division so mediocre, three of its teams are under .500 heading into Week 12, yet, all three of them are still in the playoff race. That's what will happen when the Browns host the Steelers Sunday.

Cleveland, losers of four of their last five games, hope Jason Campbell can reclaim whatever magic he had when he reeled off a win over Baltimore in Week 9, while the Steelers look to thrive off newfound huddle-less life on offense.

It's really tough betting on the Steelers when they're on the road. They have to be good enough to win the game if they're a smart pick.

We're going with the Steelers (+1) over Cleveland.

Thursday, what is usually a good match-up, isn't, because of the Hindenburg-like season currently being suffered by the Falcons. Saints (-9) will take this one.

Bucs (+9) over LIONS

TEXANS (-10) over Jaguars

PACKERS (-5) over Vikings

CHIEFS (-5) over Chargers

Panthers (-4.5) over DOLPHINS

Bears (+1) over RAMS

RAVENS (-4) over Jets

RAIDERS (+1) over Titans

Colts (+1) over CARDINALS

Cowboys (+3) over Giants

Broncos (off) over PATRIOTS

REDSKINS (+6) over 49ers

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/11/21/5127500/nfl-week-12-picks-afc-north-has-the-action-heading-down-the-stretch

                and Avondale Street neighbor Bob Smizik. Bob is a hard-working, honest, and damned good sports journalist. He's not a sensationalist. But Bob wrote a blog column on Monday in the Post-Gazette headlined, "Le'Veon not ringing the bell."

Calling it "second day thoughts on the Steelers' 37-27 win over the Detroit Lions," he noted that Bell has gained 375 yards in 120 carries in his career, and compared that to Rashard Mendenhall's 635 yards in his first 120 carries. He then noted that Mendenhall ran behind the line of Starks, Kemo, Hartwig, Essex, and Colon, which, Smizik says, was not a "superior line."

Well, figures lie but game film doesn't. And Homer has just taken a close look at the game film from the Lions' game so you don't have to. And what it shows is that Bell was far, far better than his stats would seem to indicate. It showed instances of him being hammered two, three, or even five yards behind the line of scrimmage - often almost immediately after receiving a handoff.

Let's go to the videotape:

First quarter

10:18 1-10 S33 Bursts thru hole, goes for 12 yards.

9:56 1-10 S45 Hit solidly 3 yds behind LOS. Gang tackled for loss. No chance to get going

7:52 2-8 L42 Grazed by tackler 1 yd deep. Evades, runs into 3 tacklers at 40. 2 YG.

6:25 1-10 L34 Is secondary receiver on TD pass to A Brown. Hits LB #54 with solid block, then screens defenders to help Brown break loose for TD.

5:17 1-10 S37 Evades tackle at LOS. Hit solidly after 4 YG.

4:09 1-10 L47 Secondary receiver on TD pass to A Brown. Throws solid downfield block on #31.

Second quarter

Time? 1-10 L22 Hit one yard behind LOS. Runs into three tacklers. NG

10:50 1-10 L11 Runs right, evades tackler 3 yds behind LOS, turns corner, hurdles over tackler for 4 YG.

10:44 2-6 L7 Runs short down and in crossing pattern. Ben throws ball behind him as he's cutting

across the field. Reaches back and touches ball, but extremely difficult to catch. Incomplete.

9:54 1-10 S41 Spins away from a tackler 2 yds behind LOS, 4 YG after hit by three tacklers.

9:20 2-6 S45 Flares out of backfield, runs a seam pattern. Catches pass at L48 and breaks free. Surrounded by three tacklers and caught from behind at L12 for 43 yard gain.

3:52 1-10 S20 Hit solidly 4 yds behind LOS, spins, taken down for 2YL.

1:25 1-20 S9 Catches pass in left flat for 2YG to help Ben avoid safety. Whimper called for second holding penalty in two plays.

Third Quarter:

14:55 1-10 S18 Pitchout. Hit after 1 YG. Fights for 3 YG.

14:10 2-7 S21 Hit three yards behind LOS. Hit by three men. 1YL.

9:57 2-1 L36 Pitchout. Runs right, hit at LOS. Fights for 2YG and first down.

7:25 3-4 L7 Flares out of backfield, down and in. Catches pass at 3YL, fights and stretches forward for first down inside the 1YL.

6:45 1-G L1 Runs into brick wall 1 yd behind LOS. Lions push OL back into backfield. 1 YL

5:57 3-G L3 Bell trapped in backfield, slips and falls trying to change direction. 3YL. Defender got past Johnson and was already two yards into the backfield in perfect position the instant Bell got the handoff.

Fourth Quarter:

12:46 1-10 S3 Bell delays in backfield. Hit at LOS. NG

12:04 2-10 S3 Hit 1 yd behind LOS. Tackled by 4 players. NG

10:20 2-1 S29 Finds a seam, runs straight up the middle. 5YG, First down. (Not hit or trapped in backfield)

9:01 1-10 L44 Takes deep handoff 6 yds behind LOS. Evades two tacklers 5 yds behind LOS, fights gang tackle for net 2YL. TV announcer notes, "Bell has no chance."

7:30 4-2 L37 On fourth down, Bell runs fade pattern to right flat. Catches pass, gets four yards and key first down.

3:28 2-6 L30 Takes handoff 5 yds deep, hit at LOS, Spins for 6 yards and first down.

3:20 1-10 L24 Takes handoff 3 yards deep.Hit by 2 tacklers at LOS, 1 YG. Could have gone outside, but wisely decided to stay inside and remain inbounds to keep clock running.

The more times Homer looks at the video on NFL Rewind, the more apparent it becomes that the Lions controlled the line of scrimmage and Bell was repeatedly hit behind the line and before he had a chance to get going. When he had decent blocking, or found a seam, he took advantage and gained yardage. He was simply outstanding as a pass receiver and downfield blocker.

The series of plays in the 3rd quarter between 7:25 and 5:57 tell it all. Bell made an outstanding catch and run to get them within inches of the goal line. Then he tried to take it up the gut, but the Lions pushed the Steelers OL back, and, as the announcer said, he "ran into a brick wall." Then, he tried to take it outside, but at the instant he was handed the football, a defender was already two yards deep in the backfield and in perfect position to bring him down.

The offensive line did a decent job of pass protection, and that's about it. On running plays, they were constantly being pushed back, and Bell was often hit immediately after getting the handoff. He bulled forward or spun out of trouble, making the best out of bad situations time and time again. He didn't dance, he didn't fumble, and he didn't do anything stupid. He made the very best out of a difficult situation when his own offensive line was being out-physicaled.

Don't just look at the game stats, Bob. Look at the video. You will see that Le'Veon not only played a solid game in all facets, he rang the bell.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/11/21/5129700/smizik-be-damned-game-film-shows-leveon-rings-the-bell

        PITTSBURGH -- Jason Worilds claimed Wednesday that he really hasn't gotten enough playing time to be consistent since the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the second round during the 2010 NFL Draft.

"When I've had an opportunity to get out there, I've been able to get better each time,'' Worilds said. "So, that's all I've tried to do. ... To be consistent, that's something where I haven't had the chance to get out there since I've been here. I think it helps me a lot to be out there more often.

"I don't know what people think about me, but I expected a lot from myself. But I just don't know if I've had that opportunity. I've tried to make the most of every opportunity that I get, and that's what I'm trying to do right now.''

Worilds is coming off what has been described as his best NFL game, but the stats just don't support his theory. Worilds played in 14 games as a rookie, primarily on special teams, and tallied 12 solo tackles and two sacks in limited play in the base defense. In 2011, however, Worilds started seven of 12 games that he played and his sack total skyrocketed to three.

So, during his first two seasons, if there was a lack of opportunities, it was because Worilds couldn't stay on the field due to injuries. And when he played, he was average. Worilds finally played a full schedule last season with three starts, and he made less solo tackles than in 2011 (27 to 23 in 2012).

He had five sacks last season, but just 27 total tackles. Through 10 games so far this season, Worilds has four sacks and 15 quarterback pressures, but he still has less tackles overall than Jarvis Jones. Worilds started the opener at right outside linebacker. Then, he was demoted in favor of No. 1 pick Jones.

Worilds replaced Jones in the starting lineup in the home game against Baltimore and had two solo tackles with no sacks. His first sack came the week before on the road against the New York Jets. Worilds has started five straight games now, including this past week against Detroit. But it was at left outside linebacker for injured starter LaMarr Woodley.

Worilds played every snap and had seven solo tackles with one sack and four quarterback hurries. Worilds didn't play too well against Buffalo in the previous week, two solo tackles and no sacks, but he turned up the heat against the Lions.

"The last two years, three years, when me and James Harrison were hurt, Jason Worilds has been able to step in there and play and do a great job putting pressure on the quarterback,'' Woodley said. "So, this year, when Jason became a starter, he had a few ups and downs. But he didn't let that stop his game. He stuck with it and worked hard and stayed on top of his game.

"Now, he's been playing really well the past couple weeks. He hasn't done anything different, from what I can see in the games and on film. He's done a great job all year, I think, putting pressure on the quarterback and getting a few sacks. He doesn't have a lot of sacks, but he's put pressure on the quarterback and has done a great job getting after the quarterback.''

Worilds has played both outside linebacker spots during his three-plus NFL seasons, and he appeared to be more comfortable on the left side for Woodley. However, that apparently is not the case for Worilds.

"The left side is a little more different from the right, but I have no preference,'' Worilds said. "The left side of the defense, I guess you're allowed to be the initiator more so than on the right side, where you have to play off some people, depending on what's called.

"The play call dictates that, the guy next to you, the guys behind you. So, it's different. (But) I guess I've never really had a home (same position), so I really can't tell you. The right side, there's a little bit more responsibility. Left-side-to-right, I guess you would do a few things different in coverage.''

Worilds acknowledged that he probably has played every snap before, like he did last week against the Lions, such as when he replaced Harrison and Woodley the past two season. Still, he claimed he hasn't had enough opportunities.

"It's tough, but like I've said in the past I'm just here to play,'' Worilds said. "And sometimes, they have to make a business decision. And sometimes, it's out of your hands, no matter what you do. So, you keep that in mind, but you have to keep trying to better your self and take advantage of every opportunity that you get.''

Worilds' snaps might be limited once Woodley returns to full speed with the trio of Worilds, Woodley and Jones likely rotating at both outside linebacker spots.

"That's a big plus being in my situation, and it's one of the few positives to not really having a home,'' Worilds said. "It was an opportunity for me to learn both positions, and it allows me to go out there wherever they need me. And I'll be able to perform.''

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/11/20/5126902/steelers-jason-worilds-statistics-career-detroit-lions-nfl-week-12

   In leading the Steelers to their second consecutive victory, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was 29-for-45 for 367 yards and four touchdowns, not turning the ball over once.

For that, Roethlisberger was named the AFC's Offensive Player of the Week.

It's the 10th time in Roethlisberger's career he's earned the award, but the first since Week 8 of 2011.

Roethlisberger has thrown for four touchdown passes in two of the team's last three games, and his 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Antonio Brown was the first scoring drive the Steelers have had on their first possession of a game this season.

It's been up-and-down for the franchise quarterback this year. Between multiple turnover games and trade allegations, Roethlisberger has vowed he won't quit on the season or the team. The Steelers have won four of their last six games after an 0-4 start, and sit just one game behind the New York Jets for the AFC's sixth-seed in the playoffs.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/11/20/5125774/afc-offensive-player-of-the-week-11-ben-roethlisberger-career-award

It has been noted in the Steelers Film Room that the defense needed to do a better job of attacking the football when making tackles.  There is a difference between getting turnovers and forcing a take-away. Here is a great example of the latter:

Will Allen punches the football as he goes in to secure this tackle.  This is something thatJames Harrison had mastered in his prime, and, regrettably, no Steeler has been up to the task since injuries slowed Harrison in the twilight of his Steeler career.

As was noted in the preseason, Jarvis Jones has shown a tendency in this area.  And, Jones did knock down two passes on Sunday.  Hopefully, Jones will continue to grow in this area.  But, let's take nothing away from Will Allen here.  This is a great play, and an example of what more Steeler defenders need to be doing over the course of the last seven games.

Not in the GIF, but also worth noting, was Lawrence Timmons scooping the ball up and embarking on a nice return.  Timmons continues to be all over the field, and with the exception of the opening play against the Oakland Raiders, he continues to have a great year.

Some ink has been spilled lately on the double teams that Heath Miller has been receiving the past few weeks.  We see an example of that on the following play, and howBen Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown were able to expoit the focus on Miller.

A lot of good things happen on this play.  First, Detroit is playing with one high safety, and the corners play deep thirds.  The Steelers are able to occupy the three deep defenders with Le'Veon Bell and Emmanuel Sanders running vertical routes.  Sanders, especially, does a great job of not looking back at the QB until he gets to 10 yards.  This might not seem like a big deal, but it is.  Receivers must make a decision as to how they are going to run their vertical route after their ninth step (at least) and not before.  That detail is what allows the offense to throw things like the fade-stop with some success.  For example, after his ninth step, which is timed with the quarterback's drop, if the receiver makes the decision that the defender has him capped, he will turn his route into a fade-stop.  Once again, since that timing corresponds with the quarterback's drop, the quarterback is able to read the same thing and make the appropriate throw.

With this route, because Sanders does not look back for the ball early (as you will notice the less-experienced Bell does), both the the safety and the corner retreat because they know Sanders is going deep.  You''ll also notice that the Detroit linebacker tries to get underneath Heath Miller, which leaves a huge window for Ben to hit Brown.

Bell makes up for not driving the corner deep (for the reasons I mentioned above, you'll see the corner is not nearly as deep as the safety and the corner covering Sanders) with some excellent downfield blocking.  Sanders also contributes some great blocking.

What also needs mentioned is the great blocking from the offensive line.  The line gives Roethlisberger time to hit Brown in stride.  Brown lets his ability to run after the catch take over.

This is a great example of all eleven guys on offense doing their jobs and a big play resulting.

This might be my favorite play of the year, so far:

I mean, what is not to love about watching a defensive back throw a temper tantrum on the 10 yard line, while the ball is in the air, because the defense bit so bad on the fake bubble screen?

The Steelers have thrown this play about five times this year and have been successful, to my memory, every time.  From here on out, it really doesn't matter if they complete it again.  The defense has to respect it, and that is what allows the Steelers to throw wide receiver screens on 3rd and long.

The Steelers are very multiple on offense right now. They are giving defenses a lot to prepare for.  Two weeks ago they ran a play that college teams like Baylor run to death.  It is really two plays packaged into one. The huddle call is inside zone and packaged with it is a route by the receiver to fill the void left by the linebacker if he fills run hard. The image below is a good illustration of the concept, with the illustration using a draw run instead of inside zone.

This play puts the linebacker in conflict.  Much like the play  highlighted in the GIF puts the corner in a conflict.

It will be interesting to see if the return of Ramon Foster to the offensive line will allow the Steeler running game to return to the form it had in the first half of the Buffalo game.  It will be a challenge against a good Cleveland defense. If the Steeler offensive line is up to the challenge, this offense might really get on a bigger roll.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/steelers-film-room/2013/11/20/5124026/steelers-film-review-highlights-GIFs-lions-touchdown-cotchery

            One of the more awesome moments of being a Steelers fan is when the classic Styx song, 'Renegade', is played in the stadium as the scoreboard shows defensive highlights to pump up the crowd.

If you've never been able to experience it live, you should know that it's probably the most exciting fan-involved part of a Steelers' home game.  As the song is played and the montage of highlights rolls on the scoreboard, fans collectively rise to their feet and twirl their Terrible Towels.

The spectacle is one of the signature pieces of a home field advantage in Heinz Field, as the Steelers' defense has had a history of making huge plays shortly after the song is played and the fans are excited. Over the years, several big plays have been made shortly after the song finishes; examples include this gem from the legendary comeback against Baltimore in the divisional round of the 2011 playoffs.

Today, 'Renegade' struck again in the fourth quarter, as the crowd rallied behind the defense, and in the very first play of the ensuing drive, Ryan Clark makes the an interception and arguably the biggest play of the game.

The interception was one of the splash plays that coach Mike Tomlin always emphasizes as a necessity from his team. With a 2-6 record going into the game and just after allowing the most points in a single game in franchise history last week, it was nice to see the old theme resurface and the team make a play shortly after it.

BehindTheSteelCurtain.com

The following are Tweets from the agent of Ben Roethlisberger, Ryan Tollner, who posted them shortly before the Steelers and Bills kicked off Sunday.

In no uncertain terms, Tollner denies the report, and reaffirms his client's commitment to remaining in Pittsburgh.

Statement from agent Ryan Tollner RE: this morning's report about Ben Roethlisberger coming in next few tweets...

Ian Rapoport's apparent sources seem to be guessing what Ben feels about the Steelers and being traded. This is completely wrong (Cont)

"and inaccurate. Ben has always said he wants to play his entire career for the Steelers, and his roots are set firmly in Pittsburgh (cont)

he has a lot left in the tank & is 100% committed to winning more championships with the Steelers." --Agent Ryan Tollner, Rep1 Sports

BehindTheSteelCurtain.com

In two previous games against the Steelers, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had 12 catches for 166 yards along with three touchdowns.

Impressive performances for three games, let alone two.

He added a gem in his third game against the Steelers, though - the home team of his high school alma mater. Gronkowski had nine catches for 143 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots' 55-31 win and it could have been much worse.

That's the scary part. In the 80 years of existence, the Steelers have never allowed more than 54 points. The Patriots hit 55 on a fourth-quarter touchdown, sealing the most points this franchise has ever allowed.

The game's MVP was instrumental in the Patriots overwhelming and humbling thrashing of the visiting Steelers, who never really competed. Gronkowski had seven catches, 116 yards and a touchdown at halftime, as he ran past, over, through and by five different Steelers defenders who covered him in the first 30 minutes. He would have had another 20 yards and another touchdown if not for a jersey-yank by Steelers safety Shamarko Thomas on the final drive of the half.

He not only erased any and all hope of a second-half charge by the Steelers in 2013 toward the postseason, he rejuvenated the Patriots' hopes in the AFC.

In his three career games against the Steelers, Gronkowski has 21 catches, 309 yards and four touchdowns.

Gronkowski's dominance over the Steelers is a perfect metaphor for what the Patriots have become to Pittsburgh. Their 55 points are the most allowed by a Mike Tomlin-coached Steelers team, and the most the franchise has allowed since the Steelers' 2004 AFC Championship game loss to the Patriots - they lost 41-27.

The stats won't do the game justice, short of a mild run of offensive success, pretty much the only stretch of it the team has had in the last four weeks. Ben Roethlisberger was 28-for-48 with 400 yards and four touchdowns to go along with two interceptions in a stat-padding game. He hit Jerricho Cotchery for three of those touchdowns, two of them coming when the score was tied or the Steelers were down 10.

Tom Brady shredded the Steelers' ill-prepared secondary, completing 23-of-33 passes for 432 yards and four touchdowns. He did not turn the ball over, and posted a passer rating of 151.8.

It may as well have been a million. The Steelers' secondary has never taken such a savage beating, and while William Gay was picked on early, often and brutally, he wasn't the only one. Strong safety Troy Polamalu, minus a forced fumble on the Patriots' first possession of the second half, played perhaps his worst game as a pro, victimized constantly by Brady on deep throws. He committed three penalties, including a shot on Gronkowski on his touchdown catch that will likely draw a fine from the league.

BehindTheSteelCurtain.com

If the Steelers are going to pick up a rare win against the New England Patriots, wide receiver Antonio Brown will likely factor in to the offensive success needed for that victory.

That makes the fact he spoke with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after Sunday's loss at Oakland, taking responsibility for two drops he had on third down - the latter having been intercepted off his hands - important.

Brown wants to be the guy Roethlisberger can count on to make plays.

"I thought I could have done some things better to help us win," Brown said, as quoted by ESPN's Scott Brown in regards to a conversation Brown had with Roethlisberger on the team's plane back to Pittsburgh Sunday. "You always want to rally around the quarterback to make sure everything’s on par. I come down with those two footballs maybe it’s a different game. I’ve got to be better."

And Brown can be that guy. It's not like it's far off. He has 56 catches, highest in the NFL,and his 73 targets leads the Steelers by a wide margin.

Making plays, simply put, is the absence of not making them. Dropping passes, or not hauling in poorly thrown passes, is the basic ingredient. A look or two in the end zone might help his reputation as a between-the-20s-receiver. Perhaps that's on Roethlisberger, but no one on the offense has gotten much of anything into the end zone recently. The Patriots have one of the league's better pass defenses, even without cornerback Aqib Talib, but the match-up for Brown on anyone New England has is going to be a positive one.

Brown holding himself accountable is step 1 to getting out of that funk. Step 2 is Roethlisberger getting him the ball, and it's all concluded with step 3; Brown taking it to the house.

BehindTheSteelCurtain.com

Sit down, rookie, and learn how to be a pro.

Those weren't the exact words Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said to rookie outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, informing him he will not start in Week 9 against the New England Patriots. But that's the message he is intending to send.

"He’s just not doing enough detail work right now," Tomlin said of Jones at his press conference Tuesday, "and really Jason Worilds is and that’s just the reality of it. Part of playing really good defense is having detail with your work and there’s more detail in Worilds’ work right now. Jarvis needs to continue to work. I think he’s open to that and we’re open to giving him an opportunity to do so."

Jones isn't doing a lot of things right now, and if Tomlin chooses to point out "detail work," instead of "getting pressure on the quarterback," that's fine. They may be a cause-and-effect issue stemming from the general  lack of production Jones has had through the underwhelming first half of his pro career.

Jones hasn't sacked the quarterback yet this season, and after registering 15 tackles in his first three games, including two for loss against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, he's had four tackles in his last three games, leading into his reduction in playing time.

The assertion was Jones was the most pro-ready defensive player heading into the 2013 NFL Draft, but several draft classmates have blown past him in terms of immediate production.

That in itself isn't quite fair; failing to live up to hype in one's rookie season is hardly a jailable offense. A real translatable characteristic of a college player turning pro is work ethic, and by all accounts, Jones works hard. Maybe he got onto the field a bit early; Steelers OLB LaMarr Woodley didn't play much at all his rookie year, and started - and dominated - in his sophomore campaign.

Rookie safety Shamarko Thomas also saw a dropoff in his snaps in Week 8 - 81 snaps in Weeks 6 and 7, and 11 in Week 8. This shows the fact two rookies were seeing this much playing time was the exception, not the rule.

They can both wave a towel on the sideline for a bit, cheering for their teammates. It won't kill them.

Jones can still get on the field, provided he does the "detail work" Tomlin mentioned.

Producing a few plays would help as well.

http://www.Behindthesteelcurtain.com

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. There's no mention of whether that grease costs anything up front, but there's an unsaid expectation the wheel should either shut up, or run better than any other wheel.
Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown got the grease. Now, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wants him to pay up.

Post-Gazette reporter Ed Bouchette had a bit about Roethlisberger letting Brown know if he's going to complain about not getting the ball - as Brown did during the Steelers' Week 2 loss at Cincinnati - he needs to deliver some big plays as well. Getting the ball hasn't been an issue. Brown has 57 targets in the team's last five games. He scored two touchdowns against Chicago, and has not reached the end zone since.

Some of Roethlisberger's frustrations may be coming from the fact the Steelers are 30th in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage, getting six points 40 percent of their trips inside the 20. They're 33.3 percent over their last three games.

Roethlisberger also mentioned after the game his decision to call a timeout instead of elect to take a five yard penalty inside the red zone against Oakland was due to his belief five yards was important to a team that has been struggling to score touchdowns.

Kicker Shaun Suisham hit four field goals in a 19-16 win over Baltimore in Week 7, and missed two in their Week 8 loss to Oakland. That's seven possessions that did not result in touchdowns, while the Steelers only had two that did in their last two games.

What's the squeaky wheel to do, if it isn't scoring touchdowns?

It's not like Brown ever really got in the end zone. His double-dip in TDs in Week 3 was the only multi-touchdown game of his career and with those, he has nine career touchdowns on 207 catches.

Roethlisberger sort of/kind of/depends-on-who-you-ask called out rookie running back Le'Veon Bell in a similar way, wondering whether he was going to practice fully before the Steelers' Week 4 game against Minnesota - his first career start. Roethlisberger would later say it wasn't a criticism of Bell, but regardless, Bell scored twice in the Steelers' loss to the Vikings.

The Steelers beat the Jets in Week 6, despite Brown dropping what would have been a touchdown pass. They got another four field goals from Suisham in that game, to go along with their one touchdown.

It certainly doesn't seem like much to ask the Steelers' highest-paid receiver to get in the end zone here and there; ya know, maybe to mix things up a bit. Brown leads the league in receptions, but dropped two passes against the Raiders - both on third down - with the second of the two getting caught by Raiders cornerback Tracy Porter.

That might tick Roethlisberger off a little bit too. He'll get criticized for the pick, and he can't complain to Todd Haley to make Brown hang onto the ball.

Perhaps "Squeaks" will do something about it against New England in Week 9.

Behindthesteelcurtain.com

A black hole is an area in spacetime in which gravity prevents anything from escaping.

The Black Hole is an area at Oakland's O.co Coliseum in which crazy fans cheer and make noise.

The Steelers faced a black hole in the Black Hole. And their efforts to escape were useless. The Raiders dominated the Steelers in all three phases of the game, and withheld a too-little-too-late charge by Pittsburgh to take a 21-18 win in Week 8.

The opposite of that black hole was Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor. He busted free on the first play from scrimmage, taking it 93 yards for a touchdown. It broke former Steelers QB Kordell Stewart's record for longest run by a quarterback in NFL history.

That game, Week 17 of the 1996 season against Carolina, came when Terrelle Pryor was seven years old in Jeannette, Pa., probably rooting for the Steelers. Pryor was otherwise very poor against the Steelers' defense, getting charged with two interceptions, one on a badly thrown ball, the other a combination of a less-than-adequate pass and a drop by a receiver.

Even with that, Pittsburgh suffered its most thorough and complete beating of a miserable 2013 season, in which there was little comfort in the fact they got three takeaways off the Raiders. They managed 10 points on those takeaways - their first points from turnovers this season - and it was trivial due to a dominating Raiders defense.

Ben Roethlisberger's turnover free streak ended, but for the third straight game, a receiver dropped a touchdown pass. He hit tight end Heath Miller on a drag over the goal line in the fourth quarter, but Miller could not maintain the catch through to the ground. It was called a touchdown on the field, but overturned on review.

Two plays later, Roethlisberger would all but drag his receiving group kicking and screaming into the end zone. He avoided a delayed A gap blitz, slipped through three tackles and flipped a quick pass to Emmanuel Sanders for the touchdown. Antonio Brown dropped a 25-yard pass on third and 15 with 10 minutes left in the game, down 21-10.

Brown failed to hang onto another would-be third down conversion on the last drive of relevance. It went out of his hands and into Tracy Porter's, giving the Raiders the ball back with seven minutes left. Brown was charged with a fumble on the play.

The Steelers got a fumble recovery by Brett Keisel and interceptions from Cortez Allen and Troy Polamalu.

The Raiders' defensive game plan destroyed the Steelers' running game, and suffocated any deep passing play the Steelers rarely even tried. The one throw quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made deep was promptly intercepted by Raiders cornerback Mike Jenkins.

Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, a week removed as the key runner in a 141-yard onslaught against the Baltimore Ravens was rendered useless. He finished with 21 yards on 11 carries, managing to score late. After a two-point conversion run by Emmanuel Sanders, kicker Shaun Suisham's onside kick was as non-competitive as a tee ball game. Oakland recovered and ran out the clock.

At least the Steelers got two missed field goals from Suisham - his first two misses of the year, and both from high percentage areas. And they lost three offensive linemen in the game - Ramon Foster to a concussion, Guy Whimper to a knee injury and David DeCastro to an ankle injury.

Sitting at 2-5, and now moving in the opposite direction they were after a strong two-game winning streak, the Steelers appear at a crossroads. Heading to New England in Week 9, head coach Mike Tomlin faces the same start the 2006 Steelers had, one year before Tomlin took over in 2007.

Fearthesteelcurtain.com