OPINION —
HERE ARE SOME more thoughts from Steelers-Ravens game last Sunday night:
ä When I sat down to write my column for Wednesday, I thought about starting it out something like this ‘Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is a liar,’ but I chose not to, because I figured I’d use it in this column.
I guess I figured right.
A few weeks ago, Tomlin said he’d go with the ‘hot hand’ when determining which running back would get most of the touches each week.
Just based on his performances over the past month or so, Jonathan Dwyer should not only be starting each Sunday, but should be getting virtually every carry for the Black and Gold.
Yet Sunday night, he and Rashard Mendenhall pretty much split carries with Dwyer getting 12 totes (for 55 yards, while Mendenhall had 11 carries (for 33 yards).
For those of you without a handy dandy calculator in front of you, Dwyer averaged an extra yard and a half more than Mendenhall.
More than that, Dwyer just fits the Steelers’ offense better. He runs between the tackles better than anyone the team has had since Jerome Bettis — better than Mendenhall and Isaac Redman, who the coaching staff apparently favors over Dwyer.
I just don’t see why.
ä Back during training camp, cornerback Keenan Lewis told the assembled media after a practice at Saint Vincent College that he’d make the Pro Bowl.
I think we all had quite the chuckle at his expense when we read or heard about Lewis’ bravado.
After 10 games, not too many of us are laughing now.
While he won’t make the Pro Bowl, Lewis has been arguably the team’s best cornerback.
Sadly, he may be playing himself out of Pittsburgh real soon with his play this season.
Remember, the Steelers will probably be really close to the salary cap ceiling this offseason and will have to make a decision about who to keep, ‘Manny’ Sanders or Lewis, down the road since both will be restricted free agents.
ä How good has the defense been this year?
While they haven’t been forcing turnovers, the Steelers’ defense has been better than some of their predecessors -- even those Black and Gold defenses that have been ranked near or at the top of the total defense rankings.
They’ve done it with LaMarr Woodley, James Harrison, Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu missing some time at this year and former first rounder Ziggy Hood underperforming.
It’d be scary to think what this defense could do if Clark, Harrison, Polamalu and Woodley were healthy at the same time.
But they haven’t been and the defense is performing at insane levels and doing what they did against Baltimore may have been one of their top efforts of the year.
Holding Ray Rice to under 47 yards was one heck of an effort. Plus in my opinion, Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin are one of the top receiving tandems in the NFL.
If Ben comes back close to form and the defense plays up to this standard, I think the Steelers have as good of a shot at winning the AFC as anyone. It’s going to be a fun final six weeks of the NFL season.
Agree, disagree or just want to comment? Contact Corey J. Corbin at
gcsportsguy@yahoo.com.
Sports
STAIRWAY TO 7: Dwyer deserves to be Steelers' starter
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STAIRWAY TO SEVEN: Mike Adams is an example about making good decisions
ANOTHER OFFSEASON AND another Pittsburgh Steeler in the news for all the wrong reasons.
This time, it was second-year offensive tackle Mike Adams, who was stabbed in the stomach and forearm last weekend during a reported carjacking.
According to police reports, a witness flagged down police around 3 a.m. near Carson Street in Pittsburgh and Adams was found bleeding in a nearby restaurant. -
EXTRA INNINGS: Nobody hit home runs like Willie Stargell
THE MOST IMPORTANT fact about Garrett Jones’ monster two-run home run Sunday is that it tied the Reds-Pirates game at 4 in the eighth inning. But the most historic fact about the achievement is that the shot made him the first Pirate in the 13-year history of PNC Park to hit a ball on the fly into the Allegheny River.
Before Sunday, the only other player to reach the water on the fly was Houston’s Darryl Ward, when he connected off Kip Wells in July 2002. -
THE CHECKERED FLAG: Holtgraver doubles up at Mercer
LAST FRIDAY I planned on taking in the World of Outlaw Sprint Car show at Attica (OH) Raceway Park, but Mother Nature had other ideas washing out the event for the second straight year. Storms were all throughout the Buckeye State that washed out just about every venue including the first ever Patriot 360 Sprint Car event at Raceway 7.
The weather though was clear at Lernerville Speedway and I finally made my first visit of the season to the Sarver oval. -
NCAA Football: Rock 6-1 after 17-3 win over Cal U
Slippery Rock University rode a length-of-the-field scoring drive by its offense and a goal-line stand by its No. 1-ranked defense late in the first half of action Saturday to a 17-3 win over 14th-ranked visiting California (Pa.).
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NFL: Steelers top Jags as Mendenhall makes return
Mike Tomlin isn’t ready to say the Pittsburgh Steelers are back. Not after watching his team sleepwalk through the second half against Jacksonville on Sunday.
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IndyCar Racing: Crash takes Wheldon’s life
Every race car driver heads onto the track understanding this race could be the last and hoping it won’t be. On Sunday, IndyCar drivers got a harsh reminder when the worst happened to one of their own.
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NHL: Sabres beat Penguins 3-2
The Buffalo Sabres have had trouble with the Pittsburgh Penguins whether Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin play or not.
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NHL Quick glance: Montreal at Pittsburgh
A breakdown of the National Hockey League game Thursday night between the Pittsburgh Penguins and visiting Montreal Canadiens.
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High School Highlights: Oct. 19, 2011
A look at the last few days in local high school fall sports action.
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Leading Off: Oct. 19, 2011
News and notes from the local, regional and national sports scene.
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