pumped up

He did a pretty good job in Arizona if it wasn't for The Ben throw and Holmes catch they would have the trophy sitting next to the other 5. Also he was good enough to get a head coaching job although that fell flat.

 

Honestly if Haley uses one play to set up another he gets at least a free pass for the remainder of the year. I am excited to watch a game in which we build on things that worked early. Arians I felt called plays like you would in a game of Madden. No flow and trying to catch the other guy off guard all the time. He was thinking I bet they think I am going to do this and then do that...

I am from the mentality of who cares if you know what I am running because we are going to out execute you... Use the pass to set up the run and vice versa. Arians IMHO did not do enough of that...

 

Yes. I'm happy to speculate in off-season about how amazing we'll be this season coming, but I hope all this expectation doesn't result in the converse reaction if Haley doesn't immediately turn out to be the messiah in the first game.

 

i think it all comes down to the line. if they could play behind that last line, the offense has to be better with this one. young ? yes, but talent all over. they will be our difference makers.

same as the defense, if this d-line plays the way they are capable with the talent level they have, it will make the rest of the defense better. we not only have starters on both lines, but we have guys capable of starting waiting in the wings as fresh legs. also on both sides of the ball. it took a few years but we have finally made the transition on the lines that could be here for 10 years. hopefully.

 

I am excited about this team. How could you not be? I think we have a LOT of question marks, but they question marks which are just as likely to come up positive as negative.

1. Ben - does he grasp the offense?
2. RB - Can Redman be a #1? Can Mendy get healthy? Can the young guys, which is our entire depth at the position, find a way to contribute?
3. FB - Who is it and how do we use him?
4. TE - We have Heath, who I think will be huge, but who steps up for depth at the position?
5. WR - How does the Wallace deal play out? We are still young, can Brown and Sanders step up their games?
6. OL - Talk about a group poised to make a jump in quality. I think we have 8 of the 9 roster spots filled. Who is #9? Can the rookies be successful if they start?
7. DL - With Smith, Hoke, and potentially Hampton moving out, can Hood, McLendon, Heyward, and Ta'amu step up?
8. OLB - Great starters. Nothing but question marks still at the backup spots.
9. ILB - Timmons you know. Spence sound promising. Foote and Sylvester battling to start? Can they be as good as Farrior was?
10. CB - Yep, a lot of youth here, but at least when they make a mistake you know they can grow from it. Can they step up?
11. S - No youth here. Troy and Clark are fine, but there is zero depth and no youth.

So looking at that, you can see questions, but I think MOST of those come up positive. We will still have flaws, but you can only hope those flaws are mistakes of youth that can be grown out of, that the guys can handle the responsibility.

 

Aside from what I've said before, this is the main concern for me at the moment, I think. Signs are pointing to DJ. Ok, so he didn't get reps at practice under BA. He is still not a FB. We do not get glowing reports of his lead blocking ability from camp. Maybe he surprises us this season... but this is the weak chink in the armour, for me.

Though I have to say, if the main positional worry going into camp is Full Back... overall we're probably in quite a good place.

 

Didn't I see BA walking around the sidelines carrying his book "Offense for Dummies" with the sub title of "The Bubble Screen...how to make it work!" I hope that the Steelers made sure he included his offensive (offensive has more than one meaning here) book with the rest of his luggage when he left.

 

I have become more and more emotional about the Steelers, to a fault. I sometimes can't watch and have to DVR the game and watch after I know the result--did this purposely with the New England game this past season. Watching this team just twists my guts. Anyone who's read my posts in any of the game threads knows: I just go off and overreact to every little thing. I have to stay away from Twitter, facebook and this board during games to keep from posting stupid things after just about every play. I only truly enjoy the games in which the Steelers take a big lead early and run away. But the past few years, it seems every game the Steelers play is a nail-biter. I swear, the 2008 season took 10 years off my life. Super XLIII took off five all by itself.

Does this make me a good fan or a bad fan?

In any case, attending Steelers training camp is one of the greatest experiences ever. I went three straight years, in 08, 09, an 10. It's the best for freaks like me. I get to watch football for free, get to see ONLY the Steelers, and there is nothing riding on the plays out on the field. Pure bliss. And you get the setting at St. Vincent, as well.

 

it could just be gas.

 

My main concern right now about the upcoming season is...health. If we leave camp healthy, I think I am really going to like this team.

When it comes down to positions and concerns, my issues are all around the same question. Can the young player step up and fill the role? That is true at so many spots that it is almost scary. For all the talk about how "old" this team has gotten, we have a LOT of young guys stepping into roles with this team.

Look at our O Line as an example. If you look at the top 9 guys as projected right now::

Adams 22
Colon 29
Pouncey 22
DeCastro 22
Gilbert 24
Essex 29
Legursky 26
Foster 26
J. Scott 29

That right there is a young group. The Wide Receivers are the same way:

Wallace 25
Brown 23
Sanders 25
Cotchery 29
Clemmons or Maze 23

If you look at our roster just from the age perspective...how old are we on the projected 53? Here are the guys 30 and over:

Ben R. 30
Suisham 30
Warren 30
Polamalu 31
Clark 32
Foote 32
Lefty 32
Taylor 32
Keisel 33
Hampton 34
Harrison 34
Batch 37

That is 12 guys or about 23% of the roster that is getting older, guys that are going to eventually step out and need to be replaced. That being said, 2 of those guys are backups at the QB position and 2 are special teamers. The ones in bold are the ones I am most worried about, but if you look at those even, we have some guys the coaches think may be long term replacements.

Foote - Sylvester
Taylor - Allen or Brown
Keisel - Heyward
Hampton - Ta'amu
Harrison - Worildis

Sorry for the length of this.

 

it's a love,hate relationship play by play. i love our guys and hate their's.

 

[attachment=0:lkgzyai2]September.jpg[/attachment:lkgzyai2]

 

Am I ready for some football?.......Your GD right I am!!!