SteelerWatch

More observations from Canton (well, from my couch, of the game in Canton):

- Brian St. Pierre looked sharp, hitting Nate Washington for 14 yards and Santonio Holmes for 41 yards, before finishing off his first extended drive of the game with an absolutely perfect toss to Holmes on a fade to the back corner of the end zone.  Late in the quarter, he showed great maturity by simply throwing the ball away out of bounds when he went through his reads and found no one open.

- Holmes' 41-yard catch came as a result of a great burst after engaging the defender.  Either the Steelers receivers have learned how to get open, or the Saints' coverage is just that bad tonight.  It looks to be a little of both. 

- Carey Davis continued to impress big-time.  He took a handoff up the middle, took two solid hits, and then bounced outside for 56 yards.

- The defense continued to be brutal, holding the Saints to three-and-outs on their first two drives of the quarter, and followed up by allowing only five plays on the next drive.

- There have been no turnovers, a shocker for the first pre-season game of the year.

- Bryant McFadden was flagged for flagrant contact after the whistle following a Saints punt.  Coach Tomlin's reaction: patting him on the head and smiling.  Not sure what to make of that one yet.

- The Saints finished the first half with six possessions, six punts and four three-and-outs.  They managed a total of 56 yards, compared to the Steelers' 305 yards.

While it's hard to gauge much from a preseason game — especially the first one — here are a few observations from quarter numero uno:

- Ben Roethlisberger only threw three passes, but they were all right on the mark.  If not for a dropped pass that hit Nate Washington in the hands (his first of two drops in the quarter), he would have been perfect.  As it was, he hit Cedrick Wilson in stride for a 55-yarder on the second play of the game after a two-yard run up the middle by Najeh Davenport.  Ben was pulled after leading the team to a score on the series, and finished 2-for-3 for 73 yards.

- The defense has been absolutely stifling, with Saints quarterbacks a combined 1-for-8 for six yards.  New Orleans running backs added a total of 15 yards on the ground.  The secondary has been relentless, defending passes and hitting hard.

- Davenport's touchdown showed some good drive, but it won't be nearly enough to lock down the number two running back position if third-year player Carey Davis plays the entire pre-season as he is tonight.  He only ad two touches in the first quarter, but they were a four-yard run up the middle on first down and a 33-yard screen down the left sideline that was only ended by Santonio Holmes blocking a defensive back into Davis' path.  On the catch, he showed great speed for his size, and on his one carry of the quarter announcers were quick to point out how well he lowered his shoulder to take on the hit rather than tuck to avoid it.

- Let's pray that nothing happens to Marvell Smith, because indications are that Max Starks would move to left tackle and Willie Colon would fill the gap at right tackle.  Just such a circumstance occurred in the first quarter, and Starks was eaten alive repeatedly.  He did, however, provide more than adequate protection in his short time at right tackle. 

- Let's hope Willie Reid was just getting the jitters ou, as he muffed the first punt and fumbled the second.  Neither were lost, but I had flashbacks to Santonio Holmes' numerous drops early last season.  Bruce Arians showed his faith in him, though, with a wide receiver screen to him on the play immediately following the second drop.

- Charlie Batch was 4-for-6 for 51 yards.  He did not play beyond the first quarter.

- Dan Sepulveda boomed a 49-yard punt.

 More to come at halftime.

Okay, it's been a hard week on the personal front for SteelerWatch, but I'm back at the keys.  So, here's what you need to know going into Sunday's Hall of Fame game.

 - Fast Willie Parker will not play due to swelling in his knee.  He hasn't practiced for four days, but coach Tomlin says the injury is minor and the extended break is just a precautionary measure.

- James Harrison will not play.  Clark Haggans will start in his place on the right side but will be pulled along with the majority of the other starters early in the game.  Second-round pick (and new defensive uberstud) LaMarr Woodley will start on the left side.

- First-round draft pick Lawrence Timmons is still working the bench and will not dress.  His injury has sidelined him for all but one day and a few snaps of another day so far in training camp. 

 - Surprisingly, strong safety Anthony Smith has not yet caused any injuries to the first-team wide receivers.

There you have it.  The offensive and defensive lines are both healthy and apparently playing extremely well.  All receivers are still intact, and the inside linebackers are none the worse for wear.  And coach Tomlin has not yet suffered heat stroke from dressing entirely in black, including long sleeve shirts.

Ladies and gentlemen, football is upon us. 

The Six Pack Sports Report has posted an "open letter" from Brady Quinn.  You know him — he's that tool that will eventually be the franchise loser of the AFC North whipping boys in Cleveland.  Normally I don't post this sort of thing, but this is 1) about the enemy, and 2) funny as hell.

Check it out here.

Six Pack Sports Report, you have officially made the SteelerWatch friends list.

Wikipedia: pwned

Bill Walsh, architect of the 49ers' three Super Bowl victories in the 1980s, has died of cancer at age 75.  I won't go into any details, but you can read further here.

While he's been the target of a few verbal shots this week for the brutal hits he has delivered in training camp, it sounds as if second-year free safety Anthony Smith is growing up and accepting his role in the defense.

As free safety, the NFL equivalent to baseball's center fielder, Smith has a lot on his shoulders.  He's got the most ground to cover on any given play, he has to read receivers carefully and commit to a coverage judiciously and, as the last person between the offense and the end zone, he needs to know when to give up a few yards rather than risking a big play by trying to knock someone's head off.  It sounds like, after the first week of practice and being called out by offensive leader Hines Ward, Smith is grasping the bigger picture.  According to the Post-Gazette:

"The only problem with me and [Troy Polamalu] being in there at the same time is we're both risk-takers," Smith said. "Troy can take a few more [risks]. I take my shots. I have to be smart about it, though."

Asked if it's hard for him to curtail his style, Smith said, "It's not tough at all. You just can't make a big play every time. I try to make as many as I can."

 Smith has become one of SteelerWatch's favorite players because of his big hits and his natural knack for finding the ball.  If he can back that up with his intelligence, it will give the Steelers the best one-two punch at safety in the NFL.

Read the entire article here. 

By now, you've most likely heard of Brian Jackson, the Pittsburgh (Bretwood) resident who has spent the last three years "impersonating" three Steelers — Ben Roethlisberger, third-string QB Brian St. Pierre and Jerame Tuman (his latest and greatest).  You're probably also sick of hearing about it, because it's not big news.

The Tribune-Review is now also guilty of impersonation, mocking the story's developments with this satirical take on the situation.  In my opinion, it's probably the most accurate sports story to come out of the T-R this year, but that's just my opinion.

Right about the time free agency started, a lot of us were concerned about player buy-in to Mike Tomlin, particularly in the older group of guys who have spent most or all of their careers doing things the Cowher way. Hines Ward headed that list as he regularly made comments that, while not taking potshots at his new coach, appeared to lean heavily in favor of his old coach.

Well, it appears those days are long gone. Training camp has begun and, in a single practice, Coach has proven to his players that he is for real, is not to be taken lightly, and will do whatever is necessary (and, hopefully, ethical) to win in this league.  One day in, and the Steelers have already held what the Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette called “the most physical practice session at Saint Vincent College since the days of Chuck Noll.”

His hardest sell would have been to Alan Faneca, but he’s playing this season with one foot out the door anyway. Next hardest? Ward, himself.

Sold.

In an article published this morning by the Post-Gazette, Ward put his new-and-improved feelings out there very matter-of-factly.

“Coach Cowher’s not here anymore. We’re doing it the way coach Tomlin’s doing it,” Hines Ward said. “He wants to prove to everybody he can be a great coach and he has a set way with the team. If you don’t like it, get off the ship.”

I don’t think anyone could have said it better.

About 45 minutes ago, players were scheduled to report to Latrobe for the annual migration of successful sports (read this carefully, Pirates management) back to the city of Pittsburgh. With hockey in the middle of its off-season, the Passion now off on their National Women’s Football Association Championship honeymoon, and the Pirates longing for the early 1990s when they actually managed a winning record, the city is in urgent need of more quality sports. And tomorrow morning, it begins. Coach Tomlin’s “Give me victory, or give me death!” schedule that includes 15 two-a-day practices starts Tuesday and continues for 11 straight days before the players are given a day off — the day before the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.

After the Passion’s 32-0 thrashing of the Columbus Comets last week, the magnifying glass will be on the Steelers to see if they can continue the city’s football winning streak in the neighboring state that now stands at 12 games since a 2001 loss in Cincinnati in week 17 (@Cleveland 5 times, @Cincy 6 times including 2005 playoffs, @Columbus by the Passion).

Get out and support your team!

Troy “Taz” Polamalu and the Steelers agreed today to a contract extension that will keep him in Black ‘n Gold for another five years.  The contract makes him (rightfully) the highest-paid safety in the league at $33 million over the duration of the contract.  As reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he will receive more than $15 million in signing and roster bonuses.

With all current contract negotiations complete, coach Mike Tomlin is free to focus solely on football in his first training camp, as disgruntled guard Alan Faneca has vowed to participate in all camp activities and should not become a distraction for a team that is looking to return to their 2005 form.