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Tag Archives: Pittsburgh Steelers
POSITION BREAKDOWN: CLEVELAND BROWNS vs PITTSBURGH STEELERS – OFFENSIVE LINE
I would take the Browns offensive line over the Steelers offensive line 10 times out of 10. Joe Thomas is the best of the bunch on both teams. He and fellow first round pick Alex Mack have lived up to their potential from when they were drafted and then some. Rookie Joel Bitonio will make some mistakes, but sandwiched between two pro bowlers will help cover up some of those mistakes. John Greco is average at right guard, but again playing next to Mack will help him. The weak spot on the Browns is right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, but Kyle Shanahan should be able to help him out thanks to the fact they kept a true fullback in Ray Agnew.
Cleveland’s O-Line should be solid in the new zone blocking scheme and allow Ben Tate to run the ball at a four yards per carry average or better. The Steelers have shown in the preseason to be very vulnerable against the run up the middle. Also expect a short, quick passing game in which Bryan Hoyer gets the ball out of his hands quickly to allow the receivers and backs to gain yards after the catch. This should help keep the sack numbers down against Dick Lebeau’s zone blitzing scheme Hoyer and maybe Johnny Manziel will see on Sunday. The Browns depth isn’t great, in fact it’s average at best, but the starters should be solid. If those starters can help create holes for Tate to run through and keep Hoyer from getting hit and sacked, the Browns offense will be effective against a Steelers defense that is both inexperienced and old at the same time. Plus if the Steelers can’t generate a pass rush, it makes their secondary very beatable, even with the horrible wide receivers the Browns have.
The Steelers offensive line has been one of their biggest weaknesses the last two seasons and a huge reason why they’ve been (8-8) over that span and failed to make the playoffs. They’ve used four first or second round picks on the O-Line over the last five years and so far only one has proved to be worth it, Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey. He’s their best lineman, but he has had trouble staying healthy, missing 19 games in his first four years in the NFL. Pouncey is healthy to start this season, and he will need to stay healthy to anchor an average at best line, that is expected to keep the Steelers most valuable player Ben Roethlisberger upright and healthy. If “Big Ben’s” time on the field is cut short due to injury, the entire Steelers offense will fall apart.
So if I’m Mike Pettine and Jim O’Neil on Sunday in Pittsburgh I’d be dialing up blitzes and sending as much pressure as you can at the likes of tackles Kelvin Beachum (LT) and Marcus Gilbert (RT) and inside against guards David DeCastro and Ramon Foster. Pressure on Roethlisberger is the one way for the Browns to have a chance to win this game in week one. Ben is known to try and make something out of nothing, or to hold on to the ball to long, so that’s where Barkevious Mingo and Paul Kruger and Donte Whitner have to create turnovers and make impactful, game changing plays and there’s a good chance against this line in week one that it could happen.
OFFENSIVE LINE ADVANTAGE – BROWNS
BRIAN HOYER TRANSCRIPT ON 53 MAN ROSTER AND STEELERS WEEK
On the 53-man roster and the wide receiving corps after cuts:
“I think, as it is with all 32 teams, the roster’s actually pretty fluid still at this point. We went out and had practice today and practiced with the guys that are out here, but you never know how it’s going to shake out. We’ll see what happens.”
On former Browns QB Rex Grossman being cut and if Grossman helped him while he was with the team:
“Yeah, it was good while he was here. I think, like I said, just like it is with the other 31 teams the rosters are fluid and it’s a business decision. For me, he was useful when he was here because he was a guy that I could talk to who’s played in the system. You never know how things are going to work out, and we’ll see what happens.”
On if Grossman will be back with the Browns:
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
On how he feels now that Pittsburgh week is here:
“It’s awesome. I think the biggest thing for me is now you really get to focus on your opponent. You focus on, you zero in on the things that you need to do to win. It’s great. Obviously, just like everybody else, we get a few extra days to prepare. It’s good to get back out here. Like I said, for the most part the roster’s set, so you know who you’re going to be playing with. It’s good to get back out and start practicing with a real purpose in mind.”
On how long he has been watching Pittsburgh film:
“For a long time, not only here but when I was in New England, it seemed like we played them every year. Obviously, I was here last year. I was there for a few weeks, so I ran a scout team against their defense. I don’t know how much I can recall from that, but I’ve been familiar with Pittsburgh since I’ve been in the league just because – like I mentioned – when I was in New England I think we played them almost every year I was there. Then, last year I was hurt, but I was still coming in and watching film knowing that I’d be back again this year. You get a feel for how they are defensively. Really I think if you watch them you know exactly what you’re going to get. They’re going to be solid. The guys are going to be in the right place. They have some schemes where you really have to be ready for them or else they’re going to get you. We know what we’re going to face, and we have to be at our best to be able to beat these guys.”
On if he visualized being in this position when he was younger:
“I didn’t visualize being on the other side of the rivalry the first time I was a part of it, but I know what this means to this city. I know what it means to our fans. Like I said all along, for me, I’m one of the few that get a chance to actually impact it. Like I said, it’s good we have a few extra days to prepare for them because they are a solid defense and it’s going to take our best.”
On how long it takes to learn a new offense:
“I think it’s always evolving. You’re always going to keep continuing to learn and learn and to improve and learn the little nuances of an offense. I think with every year things become more repetitive and easier to go through, but it’s always a work in progress. I think if you don’t…If you say after six weeks or one season, ‘I’ve learned the offense and that’s it. We’re going to stay where we’re at,’ I think you’ll always limit yourself. I think as long as I’m playing in this offense, we’re always going to try to evolve and get better. I think that’s the only way you can approach it.”
On if he knew that Pittsburgh wanted him back, specifically former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians:
“It was kind of conveyed. It wasn’t Bruce. It was (former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken) Whisenhunt at the time and those guys. It had been kind of conveyed to me, ‘let’s see what happens. There’s a chance you could be back.’ Yeah.”
On if there was a technicality to keep him from the Steelers:
“Oh yeah, you’re talking about that. I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
On if his agent knew:
“No, I was restricted, so there’s not much you can do when you’re restricted.”
On the technicality:
“They found it. Yeah, no doubt. I don’t know for what reason.”
On the way that things turned out:
“Maybe I could be on the other side. You never know. I’m glad I’m here. That’s for sure.”
On how he feels about the offense heading into the game against the Steelers:
“I feel really good. I think, like I said, now you have a single purpose that you’re working towards. You’re going to be working on plays that you’re going to be running in the game. You’re not just working on concepts that are your core concepts. Now you can really zone in on the game plan and the preparation. Like I said, it was good to get back out here today. We did some stuff in preparation for Pittsburgh, but also did some stuff that we needed to work on for situational purposes. I think when you get to this point now you really get to zero in on a game plan, preparation, those types of things. I think that’s only going to help us.”
On whether he’s seen a switch in focus on the team preparing for the regular season:
“Yeah, I think that this day is always, no matter where you are, the first day back when the regular season starts you can tell that there’s a little more pep in people’s step a little more sense of urgency and attention to detail and that’s what we need. It was good to get back out here today.”
On being part of the Pittsburgh Steelers for a season:
“I was just grateful to have a job. As bitter as this rivalry is and being a Cleveland boy, I will always have a place in my heart for Pittsburgh because they gave me a job at a time when no one else would. Like Tony said, a couple of things fall different ways. You never know how it would’ve turned out. I couldn’t be (happier) to be a Cleveland Brown but I think that there will always be a spot in my heart for those guys because they gave me a job when 31 other teams wouldn’t. I always be thankful for that but at the same time, I think I’m on the right side of this rivalry now.”
On whether it’s a concern to him in having a WR corps that is shorter than average:
“No, not to me at all. I have confidence in all of those guys. I think that you guys could see Thursday night (WR Taylor) Gabriel got out there, I got a few passes to (WR Andrew) Hawkins. Those guys, what they lack in height, they make up in quickness and being able to get open in man coverage. Like I said, I have confidence in all of those guys and I actually played with (WR LaRon Byrd). He was in Arizona. We kind of crossed paths so I have a familiarity with him, too. It will be good to get him in here and get to working with him. Like I said, what those guys lack in stature they make up with in heart, smartness and toughness – those types of things and I’ll take that over physical attributes any day.”
On his evaluation of WR LaRon Byrd:
“I was only there (for) three weeks. I remember him being tall and athletic. I’ll leave it to that, then you can ask me again in a few weeks.”
On his mentality changing due to becoming the starting quarterback:
“I don’t think that I ever had the mentality where I hope that I have a job, I always felt that I needed to go out there and earn the job and I feel like I’m always trying to do that. You’re always trying to prove that you’re the guy for the job and I think that if you take that mentality with you you’re only going to challenge yourself to get better on a daily basis. There’s always in this league, regardless of situation, there’s always somebody trying to take your job whether it’s through the draft, free agency, whatever it might be and I think that as long as you can put that pressure on yourself to make yourself a better player.”
On now having an opponent to worry about every week of the season:
“Yeah, sure. I’m not saying that I come out here every day thinking that ‘I’m going to lose my job.’ I honestly feel more secure today than I ever have. I just think that it’s always good to have that chip on your shoulder and know that you’re always trying to prove people wrong and prove yourself right.”
On what makes him think that the offense will be better than it was during the preseason:
“I think that we did do some good things during the preseason and to cap (it) off with – I know it was just one drive but to come out of that game, watch the film and realize even as good of a drive that is was, it could have been better. When you realize that, all you can go is up and we did good things. We’re in position to get better week after week.”
On what a 1-0 start means to a team’s season:
“I think that obviously, it’s a great thing to go 1-0. I think that the way we look at it is that it’s 16-one-week seasons and if you’re 0-0 you try to be 1-0. If you win that game you try to be 2-0, if you lose that game you try and be 1-1. I think that in this league you have to take it one week at a time and, like you said, to start off the season with a win, especially a division win, would be huge. It does get your confidence going and not saying that whole season is over if you don’t win but it is important to get things going on the right foot.”
On the release of veteran WR Nate Burleson:
“Yeah, it’s a business and those decisions were out of our control. Obviously, Nate was a great veteran presence and we wish him the best of luck in whatever he’s going on to. But we all know what this business is about and this time of year is always the most difficult because there is only so many spots. You start off with so many guys and you have to get down. I’ve been there before and at some point it happens to everyone. It happened to (Broncos QB Peyton Manning) and he’s one of the best of all time. It’s just the business that we’re in. You wish people well and go from there.
AFC NORTH 2014 COMPLETE TEAM DRAFT PICKS AND GRADES
CLEVELAND BROWNS – GM – Ray Farmer – Overall Grade ( B-)
1st – 8th – Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State
1st – 22nd – Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
2nd – 35th – Joel Bitonio, OG, Nevada
3rd – 71st – Christian Kirksey, OLB, Iowa
3rd – 94th – Terrance West, RB, Towson
4th – 127th – Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood
*(Picked up Buffalo’s 1st Round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS – GM – Kevin Colbert – Overall Grade (B+)
1st – 15th – Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State
2nd – 46th – Stephon Tuitt, DT, Notre Dame
3rd – 97th – Dri Archer, WR, Kent State
4th – 118th – Martavis Bryant, WR, Clemson
5th – 157th – Shaquille Richardson, CB, Arizona
5th – 173rd – Wesley Johnson, C, Vanderbilt
6th – 192nd – Jordan Zumwalt, OLB, UCLA
6th – 215th – Daniel McCullers, DT, Tennessee
7th – 230th – Rob Blanchflower, TE, Massachusetts
BALTIMORE RAVENS – GM – Ozzie Newsome – Overall Grade (B+)
1ST – 17TH – C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama
2nd – 48th – Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State
3rd – 79th – Terrence Brooks, FS, Florida State
3rd – 99th – Crockett Gillmore, TE, Colorado State
4th – 134th – Brent Urban, DE, Virginia
4th – 138th – Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, Coastal Carolina
5th – 175th – John Urschel, OG, Penn State
6th – 194th – Keith Wenning, QB, Ball State
7th – 218th – Michael Campanaro, WR, Wake Forest
CINCINNATI BENGALS – GM – Mike Brown – Overall Grade (B)
1st – 24th – Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
2nd – 55th – Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU
3rd – 88th – Will Clarke, DE, West Virginia
4th – 111th – Russell Bodine, C, North Carolina
5th – 164th – AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama
6th – 212th – Marquis Flowers, OLB, Arizona
7th – 239th – James Wright, WR, LSU
7th – 252nd – Lavelle Westbrooks, CB, Georgia Southern
2014 NFL DRAFT – AFC NORTH 1ST ROUND GRADES
First Round
Pick #8 – Browns – Justin Gilbert – Cornerback – Oklahoma St.
Pick #15 – Steelers – Ryan Shazier – Linebacker – Ohio St.
Pick #17 – Ravens – C.J. Mosley – Linebacker – Alabama
Pick #22 – Browns – Johnny Manziel – Quarterback – Texas A&M
Pick #24 – Bengals – Darqueze Dennard – Cornerback – Michigan St.
Browns (A)
First year General Manager Ray Farmer was wheeling and dealing his way through the first round and filled two huge needs for this year’s team at cornerback and quarterback, while also picking up a first round pick and a fourth round pick from the Bills in 2015. Gilbert was the best cornerback in this draft, while Manziel may not be the best QB in this draft, but he’s one of the best, and is by far the most polarizing figure in the entire draft. Owner Jimmy Haslam knows “Johnny Cleveland” will sell tickets and merchandise even if he sits the entire year and will bring young fans back to the Browns, which is extremely important to a franchise that was losing some of its fan base. Can he play and can his body withstand the punishment it will take at the NFL level? Only time will tell. But for a night, and on paper, the moves and picks the Browns made look very good.
Steelers (B)
Kevin Colbert needed help at cornerback and wide receiver and instead went for a linebacker in the first round for the second year in a row (Jarvis Jones last year). Shazier racked up a lot of tackles at Ohio State, but did so for a below average defense in a weak conference. Cornerbacks Darqueze Dennard and Jason Varrett were staring the Steelers in the face and Colbert passed on both for the 4th best linebacker in the draft. Shazier does fit the mold of linebackers who can get after the quarterback in the Burgh, but needs work against the run. Pittsburgh fans better hope Shazier impacts the team more than previously drafted Buckeyes Cameron Heyward and Mike Adams.
Ravens (B+)
It’s tough to question the birds G.M. Ozzie Newsome, so I’m not going to. The Ravens get a solid linebacker against the run, who plays from sideline to sideline and did so in the toughest conference in America, the SEC. Mosley is not a get after the quarterback linebacker like Shazier in Pittsburgh, but he’s a more complete, fundamentally sound linebacker who can quarterback the defense.
Bengals (A-)
Talk about a solid player falling into your lap, that’s exactly what happened to the Bengals with Dennard. Cincy was looking for help for their aging secondary and they got it with a tough, physical defensive back from Michigan St. At pick 24 it really couldn’t have worked out any better for Cincinnati, as they got in most people’s eyes, the second best cornerback in the draft late in the first round.
So overall the AFC North did very well in day one of the NFL Draft. Now it’s back to work for all of the G.M.’s to try and continue their roll in the 2nd round. The Browns will be up first with the 3rd pick in the second round and look for Cleveland to target a wide receiver and an offensive lineman. WR’s Marquise Lee and Allen Robinson are there as well as a pair of OL guys in Xavier Su’aFilo and Cyrus Kouandjio. They could also look at Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde. So plenty of options to pick from and impact the team even more. It must be fun to be Ray Farmer right now!
MY AFC NORTH 1ST ROUND ONLY 2014 MOCK DRAFT 2.0
1ST ROUND
4 CLEVELAND BROWNS Sammy Watkins WR Clemson
15 PITTSBURGH STEELERS Darqueze Dennard CB Michigan State
17 BALTIMORE RAVENS Zack Martin OT Notre Dame
24 CINCINNATI BENGALS Kyle Fuller CB Virginia Tech
26 CLEVELAND BROWNS Derek Carr QB Fresno St.
2ND ROUND – *Bonus Pick
35 CLEVELAND BROWNS Cyrus Kouandjio OT Alabama
AFC NORTH BEST and WORST OFF SEASON MOVES and DRAFT NEEDS
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Best Move – Free agent signing of running back Ben Tate. At the price G.M. Ray Farmer signed him for (2 years – $7 million), if he can stay healthy, he is a feature back who fills an enormous hole on offense for the Browns.
Worst Move – Giving 5’7 wide receiver Andrew Hawkins a 4 year $12.2 million dollar contract with over $5 million guaranteed. In 35 NFL games he has only 86 catches and just 4 touchdowns. They over paid for an under productive talent in my opinion.
Draft Need – Quarterback – Whether it’s with the 4th, 26th or 35th pick they need to draft a young QB for the future, preferably a franchise quarterback. They could have their choice of Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr at #4. I’ll be shocked if one of those four is not a Cleveland Brown after the draft. Also I’ve been saying it for weeks, I expect the Browns to sign Rex Grossman as a veteran back-up to help teach Kyle Shanahan’s offense to whoever they draft. It also wouldn’t shock me if the Browns, with 10 picks this year, drafted another QB in the later rounds.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Best Move – Replacing aging safety Ryan Clark with the younger ball hawking safety in Mike Mitchell in free agency. A little pricey for him, but it was a major need for the Steelers in talent and to get younger on defense.
Worst Move – Losing wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in free agency to Denver. He was starting to come into his own as the #2 receiver in the Steelers offense. Big Ben can’t be happy that in the last 3 years he’s lost Hines Ward, Mike Wallace and now Sanders.
Draft Need – Cornerback or Wide Receiver – Depending on who’s still available at pick #15 for Pittsburgh they need to get an impact player at one of those two positions. Guys they could be picking from include corners Justin Gilbert or Darqueze Dennard or wide outs Mike Evans, Marquise Lee or Kelvin Benjamin.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Best Move – It’s tough to pick just one because once again Ozzie Newsome had a very good off season by keeping Daryl Smith at LB and Jacoby Jones as a dual threat WR/KR and adding wide out Steve Smith to the offense. However resigning tight end Dennis Pitta stands out to me. He is Joe Flacco’s favorite target and everyone saw how the offense suffered when he was hurt last season. With Pitta back healthy and under contract look for he and Flacco to have a big year.
Worst Move – Losing safety James Ihedigbo to the Lions in free agency. Losing Ed Reed last season and now Ihedigbo this season, the Ravens need some serious help deep in the secondary for second year safety Matt Elam.
Draft Need – Safety – The Ravens are picking 17th and Ozzie has to be hoping that he’ll get to pick from free safeties Ha Ha Clinton Dix or Calvin Pryor to help fill that need at the back end of their secondary.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Best Move – I really don’t see a move that really stands out in a positive way that will have a major impact for the Bengals. Keeping some of their own guys like Michael Johnson and Mike Pollack are decent moves, but nothing to get real excited about.
Worst Move – Bringing in Jason Campbell as Andy Dalton’s back-up. While Dalton has stayed healthy in his three years in the league and has made the playoffs each year, there are still questions about whether he is the guy to lead this football team and if he’s not, you’re going to turn to Jason Campbell?
Draft Need – Cornerback – Cincy is in desperate need of help in the secondary at the corner position. They’re praying that on May 8th when it’s their turn to pick at #24 corners Kyle Fuller or Jasson Verrett are there to choose from.