Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A member of the Steelers coaching staff has left to go join the Arizona Cardinals.

Former Steelers offensive coordinator and new Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians is carrying on the proud tradition of filling the Cardinals payroll with people with Steelers ties. Special teams coach Amos Jones will be leaving the Steelers to go become the special teams coach for the Arizona Cardinals. I’m not quite sure if that’s a promotion, but the weather is nicer. So Coach Jones will have that working out for him.

Special teams was one of the many thorns in the side of the Steelers this past season, so perhaps a different coaching approach is what the Steelers will need going forward in 2013. That, and perhaps committing less stupid penalties on punts and kick-offs.

In other news, President Art Rooney II was less than impressed with Rashard Mendenhall and the running game this season.

“The season Rashard was not what we would have hope for,” Steelers president Art Rooney II told SteelersDigest writer Bob Labriola. “Obviously, we knew he was coming back from an injury so there were some unknowns there. So, without getting into the real specifics with Rashard, it’s fair to say that we are going to need a better performance out of the running back position if we’re going to be successful.

“Whether it’s Rashard or Jonathan or Isaac (Redman) or somebody else, we have to be better at that position, as well as others, but certainly at that position. In this offseason that’s something we’ve got to look at and decide how we get better and who we get better with.”

Things aren’t looking good for Mendenhall returning to the Steelers. But he should cheer up. If all else fails, he could probably play in Arizona. I think they are contractually obligated to hold roster spots for former Steelers.

It’s time to brush off the ol’ passport, Steeler Nation. The Pittsburgh Steelers are going international.

As part of the NFL’s continuing efforts to expand across the pond, the Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the Minnesota Vikings in Wembley Stadium next September.

 “We are excited for the opportunity to play in London in 2013 against the Minnesota Vikings,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II. “It will be an excellent chance to grow the game of football internationally, and we are thrilled that our players and Steelers fans around the world will be able to enjoy the atmosphere. We look forward to playing in historic Wembley Stadium in what we are sure will be an entertaining game for NFL fans everywhere.”

» Continue reading “London Calling: Steelers To Play Vikings In London Next Season”

Big Ben, Ashley, and Boyz II Men

The latest buzz with Ben Roethlisberger is the announcement that he and his wife Ashley are expecting their first child, a boy. This news is one of many signs that the Steelers quarterback has finally left his troubled days of partying and bad decisions behind, and hopefully for good. While Roethlisberger has been the ideal QB for the Steelers in game situations since his rookie season, his off-the-field behavior has left much to be desired.

I’m not interested in yet another debate about what really happened in Milledgeville, Georgia when Big Ben hosted his friends for the annual “Benapalooza” birthday celebration in March 2010. The DA decided there wasn’t adequate evidence to bring charges and the case was closed, but the damage was done. The Rooneys, furious with the PR debacle, told Commisioner Goodell that THEY recommended suspending the franchise QB. Their next move was trading Superbowl MVP Santonio Holmes, who was creating off-the-field trouble of his own yet again, to the Jets for a pittance, a 5th round draft pick. This was clearly a message to Roethlisberger that no player was too talented to be kicked to the curb.

Fans forgave Big Ben for crashing his motorcycle while riding without a helmet when he won a couple of Superbowls. They looked the other way when he was named in a civil suit for sexual assault in Lake Tahoe. Anyone who researched the story realized that the plaintiff had her share of issues and was likely trying to trap a celebrity athlete. The Georgia case, however, was the final straw in a long list of situations where Roethlisberger used poor judgment. Store owners in Pittsburgh posted “Trade Ben” signs in their windows. Rumors swirled that the Steelers were considering shipping him to the Raiders for the #8 draft pick.

As Herm Edwards used to tell his players, nothing good happens after midnight. It’s fine to celebrate a birthday, but Ben couldn’t seem to grasp that the face of a franchise, particularly one led by the Rooney family, is held to much higher standards than the average guy in a bar. He made some lame apologies in a press conference without his coach or owners at his side and vowed to get his life in order. At the time, I decided that he would have to be a model citizen off the field for 5 years before I would believe that he had truly changed.

Cut to 2012, a mere 2 years later. Roethlisberger has stepped up as a leader in the locker room and made a habit of reaching out to rookies. The civil suit from Tahoe was settled quietly. Having mended his relationships with his father and sister, who saw little of him in prior years, Ben has also rediscovered his religious faith. While that’s not my business, anything that gives him direction can’t be bad. He got married. He earned his college degree. And now he is starting a family.

I’m still holding Roethlisberger to the 5-year plan for earning my trust that he won’t screw up again. But if the past 2 years are any indication, he has found the path to redemption and is well on his way.

Melanie Friedlander is a contributor to Steel City Blitz. You can follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/girlsurgeon.

 Coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media 2 days ago while in West Palm Beach, Florida, for the NFL owners meeting.  It was the first time he stepped up to the mike since his final press conference of the 2011 season, the day after a tough loss to the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.  He spoke for about 45 minutes.  Although he didn’t provide the entertaining “Tomlinisms” (my all-time favorite is still “we/he didn’t blink”) that often pop up in his weekly “Tomlin Tuesday” regular season pressers, he did give insight into some of the current issues the Steelers face.  You can read the entire transcript here.

Since that time, the Pittsburgh Steelers have seen some changes.  Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians announced his “retirement”, only to sign on with the Indianapolis Colts a mere week later as their new OC.  Todd Haley was hired as the new OC.  Speculation ran rampant that the Rooneys made both of these calls.  Many veterans have been released in an effort to trim the hyperinflated budget and get below the salary cap.  Mike Wallace received a 1st round tender offer, a gamble that seems to have paid off.

Tomlin addressed all of these topics candidly, as is his style.  He clarified that the change in OC was his decision, not the Rooneys.  He expressed confidence that Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley would work well together and answered a variety of questions about what the offense might look like this season.  He also mentioned that although he does expect Rashard Mendenhall to evenutally play in the 2012 season (he will start on the PUP list), they will add another RB through free agency or the draft.  He also spoke about players stepping into leadership roles, now that 3 captains (Hines Ward, James Farrior, and Arnez Battle) are no longer on the roster.

As always, Coach Tomlin seems to have his battle plan ready.  I expect the Steelers will have a strong 2012 campaign.

Melanie Friedlander is a contributor to Steel City Blitz.  You can follow her on Twitter @girlsurgeon.

The NFL owner’s spring meeting is just around the corner, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have a list of rules they’d like to change. Their wish list includes:

• Protecting the quarterback by removing the quarterback exception on horse-collar tackles.
• Adopting the playoff OT rules for the regular season.
• The addition of a replay official.

Horse Collar Tackles

When it comes to changing rules in the name of player safety, the Steelers seem to be involved some way. Usually, it’s due to James Harrison’s style of play. In this case, the Steelers are proactively seeking a rule change regarding the quarterback exception to horse-collar tackles.

“That rule change is actually our proposal. It’s a Pittsburgh proposal,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II. “We feel that with all the other protections we’ve given the quarterbacks that it’s a little odd we excluded the horse-collar from the quarterback in the pocket. There are some reasons the competition committee felt that since he’s not a runner then there’s a different dynamic to that kind of tackle. We think the same kind of injury risk is there, even though it’s probably a rare occurrence. We feel it’s kind of a little hole in the quarterback’s protection that needs to be filled.”

» Continue reading “Steelers Want New Rules For Sacks, OT, And Replay”

flickr/AxsDeny

It appears as if the saga of Ward Watch 2012 has reached its end. The Pittsburgh Steelers plan to release Hines Ward.

“We had a conversation today with Hines Ward and informed him that we plan to release him of his contract prior to the start of the 2012 NFL calendar year,” Steelers President Art Rooney II told the team’s website, Steelers.com. “Hines has been an integral part of our success since we drafted him in 1998 and we will forever be grateful for what he has helped us achieve. He has meant so much to this organization, both on and off the field, and we appreciate his efforts over the past 14 years. Hines’ accomplishments are numerous, and he will always be thought of as one of the all-time great Steelers. We wish him nothing but the best.”

» Continue reading “Steelers To Release Ward”

SteelCityHobbies via Wikimedia Commons

Who knew there was this much drama in Steelerville?

Steelers president Art Rooney II responded to the speculation that he had a hand in the hiring of Todd Haley as the new Offensive Coordinator.

“Mike identified a number of candidates that he wanted to talk to and did all of the initial discussions,” Rooney said. “We talked about who he was talking to. Kevin and I talked to him, and he sort of kept us in the loop as to who he was thinking about.

“Then he decided who he wanted to bring in for a follow-up interview into Pittsburgh. I did talk to the guys who came into Pittsburgh. I’m not even sure I’d call it an interview, but I had a conversation with them.

“I wouldn’t want my role in it to be overestimated because Mike has to decide who he wants on the staff. Even though there’s always a discussion between me and Mike about who he’s hiring and how much we’re paying him and those kinds of things, it’s normally a discussion of the business side of the arrangement than, ‘Are we going to hire a guy who’s going to run the ball so many times a game.’ It was a fairly normal process as far as I’m concerned in terms of how we’ve done those kinds of hirings in the past.”

» Continue reading “Rooney: Haley Was Tomlin’s Pick”

Artwork by Steph Diorio

The Hines Ward Waiting Game has begun.

Ward met with Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II on Monday to discuss his future in Pittsburgh.

“I just wanted to let them know I want to be here, I want to play,” said Ward, who on Sunday will be part of NBC’s five-hour Super Bowl pregame show. “I have two years on my contact. I know I have to restructure, but, under the circumstances, I think I can still play football.”

…

“We have so many issues, we’re $30 million over the cap,” Ward said. “We have to figure a way to get that down. My cap number is not huge if I restructure [$4 million in salary]. There’s like 10 other guys they have to get.

“They really didn’t say [definitively]. It wasn’t good, it wasn’t bad. We were just talking.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had my fill of Bruce Arians news. Let’s talk about other non-Arians coaching matters, shall we?

• Mike Tomlin met with former Chiefs head coach Todd Haley. Haley is a candidate to replace What’s His Face at offensive coordinator. Haley is the son of Dick Haley, who played for the Steelers from 1961-1964.
• Linebackers coach Keith Butler has decided to stay with the Steelers. Butler had been courted by the Indianapolis Colts, but cancelled his trip to Indy after meeting with Coach Tomlin and Art Rooney II.

• While most of Steeler Nation rejoices in Bruce Arians‘ departure, not everyone is pleased. Ben Roethlisberger, who is in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl, plans on speaking with owner Art Rooney II about the matter.

“When I get back, I’m going to go up to Mr. Rooney’s office and ask him what he wants from me, what he wants from this offense, because I think that’s a viable question for him,” Roethlisberger told the Tribune-Review on Thursday following an AFC practice at Hickam Air Force Base. “He’s our owner and our boss, so I really would like to know kind of what he wants and where he sees our offense going because I’d like to tell him where I see us going.”

I can’t speak for Mr. Rooney, but I’d like to see an offense that doesn’t have to rely on our duct tape and gum band offensive line attempt to keep Ben from getting sacked 50 times a game. And maybe one that has less fumbleceptions.

» Continue reading “Steelers News Blitz: The “Now With Even More Arians Drama” Edition”