Where are my Steelers?

I have a question for you Steelers fans, one and all of you. This also goes to the coaching staff and the players. Where are the Steelers?

I see them sometimes. On the defensive side of the ball I see the Pittsburgh Steelers. I see zone blitzes orchestrated an performed to with such mastery it makes veteran and rookie quarterbacks alike pause and say, “what?” I see quarterbacks after saying “what?’ thrown to the ground like rag dolls. I see running backs held in check consistently, rarely ever exceeding 100 yards a game on the ground. I see hair with a helmet on it swallowing ball carriers and intercepting passes. He is known as the Tasmanian Devil, because of his mobility, ferocity and intelligence. He epitomizes Steelers football. I see two giants on the outside representing the greatest tandem in the NFL. They account for 12.0 and 9.5 sacks respectively, and have proven they can drop into coverage of a tight end or running back, or play zone against a wide receiver. They hit and smash and push and never stop playing until the whistle blows. They epitomize Steelers football. I see the best front three in football today. A semi-truck at left end, a tank in the middle, and a diesel truck at right end. These linemen push and eat blocks, making it possible to get into the backfield. They stuff the run and get to the quarterback. They are the epitome of Steelers football. I see a secondary that never quits, never stops hitting, never stops pursuing. I see rookies and potential Pro Bowlers and tough guys alike making plays. How about Clark making himself personally acquainted with Brandon Jacobs. They epitomize Steelers football. I see two beasts in the middle third that do everything in their power to make the quarterback’s life hell for those sixty minutes of game time. They blitz, spy, fall back into zone, and stuff the run like it is nobody’s business but them. They catch passes and sack quarterbacks. They epitomize Steelers football. First Overall Defense, First Overall Passing Defense, First Overall Running Defense, that is how Steelers football is played.

Steelers football is not pretty. It is not meant to be flashy, it’s meant to bend you, break you, make you say uncle, and then it goes on farther than that. It has worked five super bowl rings well. It has endeared this team to be the most popular in football. It has prompted GQ magazine to call the Steelers “God’s Team” because we Steelers fans never lose faith in our team. We never abandon out team. But the Steelers have changed.

What is this forty-one pass attempts to twenty-seven rushing attempts? That doesn’t sound like a run first mentality to me. That was us, Sunday, at home, against the San Diego Chargers. What is worse is that we couldn’t convert a 4th and goal from the one-yard line, on a running play! The Steelers I knew had no problem converting 4th down and one yard to go on the ground. The ball, ideally, goes up the gut behind the guard and center. Our offense is based on the run. It is supposed to block well and stuff that pigskin down the throat of any opposing defense.

I see glimpses of Steelers football. On the offensive side of the ball I am a bit confused. I see spreads and single back formations. I see a 3rd and 1 being dealt with with a shotgun, four or five wide outs. What is this? Not two years ago I saw on 3rd and 1, an I formation, two tight ends, one wide out. I would watch Jerome Bettis run the ball and get not just one yard, but probably two or more. It is not that I have seen the shotgun more in my life than ever before.

That’s not to say the Steelers have lost their identity totally on the offensive side of the ball. I still see consistent 100-yard games on the ground. I still see between the tackles running from time to time. I see them gain 3 to four yards on average. I still see the good old days in those plays. I see Hines Ward laying down the law on defenders, taking hits and making catches. I still see underrated tight ends make not only one, but two blocks downfield. I still see guards pulling out and sweeping across the line to make a key block. I see that guy who raced pit bulls, our own Willie Parker, break some tackles and juke some defenders into submission. I’ve seen his backup do the same, but he does a better impression of Jerome Bettis.

But the times for the Steelers are changing. Mike Mularkey then Ken Wisenhunt kept it primarily on the ground. Bruce Arians, however, being the architect of the spread offense, has a love affair with the atmosphere. Steelers football was all about balance, one to one ratio of run to pass plays. Why are we passing twice as many times as we run? Why are we changing the franchise formula? Well, I might know the answer.

We, as a football team, we have some problems. Our offensive line is young and inexperienced. It doesn’t block as well for running or passing as previous lines do, but it does the best job it can. Ben has been sacked an inordinate amount of times. Big Ben needs protection. Our O-line doesn’t block like it used to. Case in point, 4th and goal at Heinz field the last two games.

How about we don’t have a big running back? The Bus ran linebackers over, and Brandon Jacobs copies it! We have a speed demon under center that can break it for a long one, but he cannot break tackles like Jerome Bettis. Don’t get me wrong, Willie Parker is great! I love him as a running back, but I do not see him as fitting the typical Steelers mold. He’s not the best at the straight-line game.

But that’s not the core of the personality disorder. I see the biggest reason for change. Bruce Arians is our offensive coordinator, and that means a drastic change in play calling. Congratulations on designing a new offense, but it’s not the Steelers, Mr. Arians. Passing is not our bread and butter by any means. All the flashy four wide-out sets and single back or empty backfields looks more like the Cardinals, Saints, or probably most accurately, the Bengals.

So that’s what I see with the Steelers. I still love them. They are my boys! I will support them to the ed. My only question posed here is this, Where have my Steelers gone?

Get Excited

So I'm going through my regular Friday routine, which consists of just one class and going to the cigar shop on Kiester road by Slippery Rock University.....wait...I'm getting ahead of myself.

You all should know me if you are reading this blog, but if you stumbled across me, this is my title. My title is Ian Heilman, student, cinephile, bibliophile, and brainiac extraordinaire. The last part might be a slight exaggeration. But I am smart in my own mind. You might get to know me through this blog.

But anyways, I'm at the shop talking to Joe, and this guy walks in, about 60 years old saying he's lived in the area for years but never found the place. His name is Tim, don't know his last name. I can tell you that he looked like a kid in a candy store standing in Joe's walk in humidor. He asked me to walk in with him and give him my top 5 cigars. It took me a while to even start to rank them, but I must say, this man was very adamant about cigars. He's saying this and that about this cigar and that wrapper and on and on. So i had to as him why, i asked him "Why are you so excited about cigars?" This is what he said.

"You've got to be excited about things in life. I tell me students you've got to go out there and do things and enjoy life. When you are six feet under, that's just too late to start."

Forget the story I just told you and focus on that statement. I'll wait for you.............did you read it? I bet you did, but read it again and when i say read, I really do mean READ it. Let it sink in.

Live your life. In college there are so many things to do, classes, parties, girls, or if you are a woman, guys, r gay...well you know what i mean. THere are clubs and frats and papers and road trips and late night poker games and what not. But what you have to do in the end is this. Find something that you love and do it. Get excited about something. I never fully understood what i was going to do with my life, and i still don't, but my major is something that i love. I love my cigars, I love my family, I love college.

For those of you who think i'm just nuts by posting this, you guys....come on, really?

Anyways, that's what i learned Friday, and i will never forget where and when it was taught to me.