The Steeler Report Card
By Harvey Aronson
http://www.geocities.com/steelerhotline/

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The Defense

Defensive Line: This is an area that has been hurting since the "Steel Curtain" days, and the departure of Kevin Green. We had Orpheus Roye, Nolan Harrison, Kevin Henry, among others manning the defensive line and have had little or no Quarterback pressure from that group. So, Harrison was not resigned, Roye went to Cleveland, and Kevin Henry stuck around. In the offseason, Chris Sullivan was signed away from New England, and Kimo von Oehlfen from the Bengals. I for one thought Sullivan may have been the better of the two, and knowing that neither had been starters in the NFL at any time in their careers, it seemed that the Steelers had signed two more stiffs. Contrary to that, von Oehlfen has been a huge surprise, while Sullivan has been fighting off an injury and demoted to second string. Dermontti Dawson said Oehlfen was one of the best he had ever faced at Nose Tackle, and perhaps he was right. He has been playing inspiration and aggressive football. In Sullivan's place, Aaron Smith has been filling in and playing better as every game passes. Kevin Henry is also playing decent football, and the team is finally getting the pressure on opposing Quarterbacks that they have been seeking. In grading this unit, if not for Kimo von Oehlfen the grade would be lower. 
Overall grade: C+

Linebackers: Much like the University of Penn State, you could easily call the Pittsburgh Steelers a "breeding ground" for Linebackers. Some of the best Linebackers ever to play in the NFL have played for Pittsburgh. Just look at the last names and Hall of Famers: Lambert, Ham, Russell, Lloyd, Merriweather, Nickerson. And, in the 1990's it has been Levon Kirkland leading the way. Now, going into the next millennium, the trend of having some of the finest Linebackers continues. This current unit is approaching superstar status and may be one of the deadliest forces in the NFL right now. The defensive unit on a whole has not permitted a touchdown in four consecutive games leading up the Tennessee Titan rematch. With Kirkland leading the way, Earl Holmes, Joey Porter and Jason Gildon join him in one of the biggest, fastest linebacking units in the league. Porter is beginning to put together numbers that will put him in the Pro Bowl, and Jason Gildon is right behind him. Kirkland stuffs the middle, and Holmes hits opposing Running Backs like he wants to make them part of the field. But, Joey Porter may be the biggest surprise, reminding many of Greg Lloyd. Only I believe Porter is faster. 
Overall grade: A+

Cornerbacks and Safety's: The second weak link in the Steelers' "D" the past several seasons next to the defensive line has been the secondary. When Dewayne Washington came over from Minnesota, many Viking fans were glad to see him go. When he began playing for Pittsburgh, he was getting burned often and dropping quite a few possible interceptions. Teamed with Chad Scott who was returning from a season ending knee injury, the tandem was very ineffective. They did not improve much in '99, as the whole team sputtered. But, in 2000 they both seem to have been rejuvenated. Washington is in Pro Bowl form, and has shown that he can make the big interception and catch the ball, leading the team with five picks going into the Titan game. Scott has once again become the big hitter and is playing opposing Wide Receivers like he is part of them. Inside the Cornerbacks, are the Safeties. Scott Shields has shown much promise last season, but has gone completely downhill since then. As insurance, the Steelers signed free agent Brent Alexander from Carolina, a place he had always been a starter. Starter he is now for Pittsburgh as he has bumped Shields to the bench. Lee Flowers teams with Alexander and plays aggressive as he always has, and still talks the talk. But, like always, he mostly backs it up. Flowers despite not being the defensive captain, always seems to be the leader out on the field. Deshea Townsend has filled in very nicely off the bench as has Jason Simmons. This unit is playing very solid football right now. 
Overall grade: A

Punter: Josh Miller. Well, let's just put it this way: ever since the Monday Night football game when head coach Bill Cowher berated him on national television, he has never been the same. He has been excellent. He is not among the top five in punting in the NFL, but that is only because he often punts from around the 50 yard line where the Steelers' offense sometimes fails. But, when he has to kick it long, HE DOES. Miller is perhaps the best long-punter in the NFL. No complaints about his punting here. 
Overall grade: A

Special Teams: How about that rookie Hank Poteat? Drafted as a Cornerback, Poteat has yet to play in that position. He has found a home as a kick returner and has become one of the best in the NFL. This kid is simply dangerous. Like the movie "Forest Gump" 'You never know what you are going to get.' That is so true with Poteat. When he touches the ball, ANYTHING can happen. And, he is just as good in kick coverage. He has certainly been the M.V.P. on special teams thus far. As far as the rest of the special teams players go, they have been doing rather well in kick coverage, but have occasionally given up the big play. John Fiala does a fine job for this unit, as does Amos Zereoue. 
Overall grade: B-

Coaching: At the start of the season many fans and experts (me along with them) were saying Bill Cowher's "fire" was gone. We said he wasn't as intense. Maybe it didn't appear that way on camera, but I believe Cowher's philosophy may have changed a bit. He now seems to have this calm, serious, "take care of business" approach. When we were mired in an 0-3 start, Cowher did not lose his temper, he did not get excited, and in fact he kept his cool completely. I believe he did this because he knew what Dan Rooney had preached, and what he believed. That this team was better than an 0-3 team, and that patience was all that was needed. And true to their word, this team turned it around and now appears to be playing playoff-caliber football. Given all the players he has lost, having many young players and rookies, Cowher may be doing his best coaching job ever. 
Overall grade: B+

Intangibles: After two consecutive losing seasons, after losing the home-field advantage edge, fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers were not expecting anything from this team. Most were saying just to have seven or eight wins this season would have been a victory in itself. Now with five victories already heading into Tennessee, the season is close to being a success. A playoff spot would be almost as good as the Super Bowl. No one would have expected that to happen based on the finishes of 1998 and 1999. Finishing at 8-8 or 9-7 would be a definite step in the right direction and no one should be disappointed with that. However, I like the chemistry on this team right now. I believe the players finally really believe in themselves, their abilities, and their ability to win. They seemed to have found the inner-strength that gives them the belief that they can finish off an opponent late in the game, and win close games. 
Overall team grade: B-

--Harvey Aronson, Steelers Hotline

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