Jottings #4: San Francisco Treat

Yeah, I know, cheesy title. I never promised y'all Shakespeare though. I'm writing this after just noticing my last Jottings haven't even been posted yet (hello Scotty?) so I hope I don't repeat myself too much from last week. On the bright side, the Steelers basically repeated themselves from the week before leaving them 3-0 and on the way to go visit the house of Whis and Grimm. Hmm, Whis and Grimm...kinda sounds like a urinary track issue doesn't it? Anyways, let's get on with this.

• Just saw the ESPN.com's newest Power Rankings for the NFL. To nobody's surprise there sit the Pats and Colts at 1 and 2 respectively. After them I actually expected to see the Steelers. You know, the other top undefeated AFC team that has won a Super Bowl in the last few years. Nope, the Steelers get slotted fourth. They get fourth behind the undefeated and amazingly overrated Dallas Cowboys. Can't say it really surprises me though considering the media's long time love fest with that team. Where would I put them? I don't know, maybe somewhere around 6 or 7 probably, behind a few more AFC teams. I'm just waiting for the Cowboys to play a team that has not only an offense (the Giants ate them alive) but a defense to match. Sure they beat the Bears but any team with Rex Grossman at QB can't be considered to have an offense regardless of their Super Bowl trip last year. The Dolphins before them are equally inept with the ball. Truth is, if the Cowboys were in the AFC, I doubt it if they even make the playoffs. Their injury depleted and already mediocre-before-hand defense would see to that.
• OK, let's get back to a real team. To say the least, I have enjoyed watching Willie Parker run this season even forgetting his presence on my fantasy team. He has really picked up on the finer arts of the position, the need to read blocks and when to bounce plays outside. His ball management could still use some work but I've noticed that he is getting better with that as well. Just needs to change hands a bit quicker and more fluidly. The key thing though is that he's been getting a lot of these yards within the new offensive structure, not needing Dan Kreider to knock heads out of the way. Don't get me wrong, I like Kreider and all but Carey Davis or an extra TE add a lot more options to the offense. Also, just noticed this as I went through the season stats on ESPN.com, Willie is leading the league in rushing and his longest run has only been 25 yards. Can that be true? I guess it is and it should have the rest of the league worried. It's just a matter of time before he starts breaking that last tackle and disappears down the field for long TDs.
• I'm a big fan of how Ben is progressing in the new offense. I was expecting to see a few more mistakes as he became more acclimated to the new system but he's still thrown only one pick so far (knocking on wood). He doesn't have a ton of yardage but has a 102.9 QB rating which is great at this stage. If he can get some better pass blocking that number should continue to increase.
• Since I brought it up, yes, I'm not at all happy with the offensive line's pass protection. More to the point, I'm not at all happy with Kendall Simmons' play in particular. He's not only getting beat too often but when he gets beat, it happens in a hurry. Ben's fumble last week came courtesy of Simmons getting smoked at the line. That just can't happen to a guy who has as many years as he does in the league. Worst thing may be that he's the one the Steelers decided to extend contract-wise before the season. Sure he was cheaper than Faneca but he's nowhere close to his level of play. Too bad Chris Kemo-eat-u can't figure enough out in his head to get on the field; he would have to be an upgrade.
• Anyone seen Max Starks lately? Personally, I haven't spotted the guy at all. It's like he just fell off the planet. So much for his "contract year".
• All right, I've dumped on the line a little bit, now I want to give them a lot of credit for the great start so far. Maybe it's just me but I've felt in the last few games that the line just took over in the second half of the game as if the other team didn't have a choice. Granted they were used more in run blocking (their forte') but it's not like the passing game would shut down for the day. One thing I did find curious was a quote I read from a Steelers coach (I think it was O-line coach Larry Zeirlein) about the Steelers' blocking. I'll paraphrase a bit here but it was that he was happy with the way things were going right now with the line despite the fact that players are not getting the right hat on the right defender. In other words, we're still doing OK despite folks blocking the wrong guys. I thought some of their plays looked a bit off and now I know why. Imagine what the guys up front will be able to do once they start blocking the right guys. It's a good thing the schedule is weak at the beginning, something tells me New England's front seven wouldn't be as easy to handle this way.
• Hey, Jerame Tuman, that was supposed to be Matt Spaeth's TD! Yeah sure, I'm a Gopher homer but wouldn't it have been nice to see the rookie go 3 for 3 with TDs in his first three games?
• I was asked during the game (you know who you are) that "I thought you said Spaeth was tough and could play hurt?" He is and he can. The difference here is that the player behind him with the Steelers is a seasoned quality pro TE while the guy behind him at Minnesota will probably just be happy to suit up this year for the downtrodden Gophers. Just a bit of difference in talent levels there, right?
• Sean Mahan sprained his knee last week but didn't miss a play. He just threw on a brace and got back out there. You have to appreciate that in him not only for sucking it up but for not exposing us to the Kendall Simmons experiment at center.
• It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Dan Sepulveda but how about him playing on the "hands" team for the on-sides kick? Looked like a natural out there. I wouldn't get too used to it though; he was just stepping in for the injured Hines Ward. Also, he still hasn't had a punt returned all season. What are the odds that he would have a kick return before someone were able to return one on him? To think that he was the second punter drafted this past year. Go figure.
• Ward's injury is being listed as a sprain as is Mahan's. I'm betting that Mahan will play and normally would bet against Hines being active. I say normally because we're talking about Ward here and he doesn't tend to miss many games. If he can plant and cut he will probably go this Sunday. That's just the way he is.
• Jeff Reed with another strong day. I sure do like what he's doing but it would be nice to start turning some of those threes into sevens.
• Another great day against the run for the D. Holding Frank Gore to 39 yards and a 2.8 yard average was fantastic. Again, tough to find a better front three in the league and that's where it all starts.
• LaMarr Woodley comes up with another sack, good thing we drafted a pass rushing linebacker high in the draft. Thought it was supposed to be that guy they took with pick number 15 though. Oh well, Laurence Special Teammons is still doing a fine job of living up to that name so I guess he's not a total waste of space. I guess we'll just have to see what he can do next year or the year after (or the year after that or the year after that...).
• You have to feel for a guy like Bryant McFadden. He makes a great play to keep one of Sepulveda's punts out of the end zone and then returns a pick for a TD and the guy still isn't any closer to starting for this team. Deshea and Ike have been playing that good. Oh well, could have worse problems in the world than having more quality corners than you do starting positions. William Gay will have to wait as well. I think this is a position that the Steelers can overlook on the first day of the next draft to say the least.
• Speaking of day one of the draft next year (call me Mr. Segue!), I've been scouting the big guys up front while watching college football this season. My guess is that the Steelers will be looking at offensive and defensive line depth this off season. An OG to replace Alan Faneca would have to be high on the wish list as well as another DE to offer depth behind Aaron Smith and Keisel. Travis Kirschke's getting old and Nick Eason stinks something fierce. If the Steelers are drafting as low as I'm guessing/hoping they will be, a guard provides real good value.
• Remember how I was not really seeing the need to trade for a guy like Allen Rossum because I felt it burned an extra roster spot that could have been better used for a younger guy? Yeah, I think I'll shut the heck up now. By the way, did you know that crow tastes like chicken?

I guess that's enough for now, I really should get back to work. Since I'm not really in the prediction game I will end with this about Arizona. Sure, Whis and Grimm know about some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Steelers and therefore have a bit of an inside view. Then again, the Steelers know all about the Cardinals' head coach and what he does while the Cards don't know a thing about Mike Tomlin. Advantage, Steelers. Besides, talent usually wins out in the end and the Cardinals seem a bit short in that area. I'm guessing it will be a good day for all of those fantasy owners of Willie Parker. Ugh, can't believe I'm ending on a fantasy football note.

Nuf fer now

Tim "thinks putting middle names here is getting kind of old" Campion