Cold Hard Football Facts - Steelers Need Left Guard

[Atlanta Dan]

Interesting read in SI by Cold Hard Football Facts

10 headline needs we've identified for some the league's marquee teams or those clubs that offered the most compelling statistical storylines of 2010....

Pittsburgh Steelers

Immediate need: a left guard

The Steelers have fielded plenty of fine teams over the past three years, including the Super Bowl champs in 2008 and the AFC champs in 2010.

But the offensive line has consistently been the organization's weak link and has quite literally never recovered from the loss of future Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca, who was signed to a big-bucks deal by the Jets before the 2008 season (and played with the Cardinals last year).

We understand the reason the Steelers let Faneca go. He was getting older and he demanded huge money. Regardless, Pittsburgh has struggled to both run effectively and protect the passer in the years since he's left, often in quite frustrating fashion.

This weak link was exposed badly in the single biggest play of the 2010 season and the turning point of the Super Bowl XLV against the Packers.

The Packers had just taken a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when QB Ben Roethlisberger dropped back to pass at his own goal line. He had no chance. Left guard Chris Kemoeatu, the heir to Faneca's throne at LG, was tossed seven yards backward by DT Howard Green, who got a paw up in Big Ben's face. The QB's pass fluttered badly and was intercepted by Nick Collins, who returned for a TD.

The score was 14-0. There was plenty of football still be played. But, statistically speaking, the outcome of the game was set in stone: every team in Super Bowl history that's suffered a pick-six has lost. The Steelers proved no exception.

It was just one play. But it underscored in dramatic fashion the fact that the Steelers need help on the OL. In the biggest moment of the biggest game of the year, the OL snapped -- as weak links usually do. Pittsburgh was an elite team in every measure last year, except on the offensive line.

The Steelers ranked No. 15 on our Offensive Hog Index in 2010, No. 18 in average per rush attempt (4.09) and No. 22 at protecting the passer -- allowing a sack or INT on 10.0 percent of drop backs in 2010. And this final flaw haunted them in the biggest play of the biggest game of the 2010 season.

Pittsburgh boasts elite defense filled with playmakers, an elite if uneven quarterback, great weapons at the skill positions on offense and all the tools needed to make another Super Bowl run. They could use an elite offensive lineman, too.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...t-needs/1.html

I think CB is a bigger need - maybe I have simply become used to the Steelers OL being mediocre while expecting the defense to be consistently great

[#1LambertFan]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

Interesting read in SI by Cold Hard Football Facts

10 headline needs we've identified for some the league's marquee teams or those clubs that offered the most compelling statistical storylines of 2010....

Pittsburgh Steelers

Immediate need: a left guard

The Steelers have fielded plenty of fine teams over the past three years, including the Super Bowl champs in 2008 and the AFC champs in 2010.

But the offensive line has consistently been the organization's weak link and has quite literally never recovered from the loss of future Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca, who was signed to a big-bucks deal by the Jets before the 2008 season (and played with the Cardinals last year).

We understand the reason the Steelers let Faneca go. He was getting older and he demanded huge money. Regardless, Pittsburgh has struggled to both run effectively and protect the passer in the years since he's left, often in quite frustrating fashion.

This weak link was exposed badly in the single biggest play of the 2010 season and the turning point of the Super Bowl XLV against the Packers.

The Packers had just taken a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when QB Ben Roethlisberger dropped back to pass at his own goal line. He had no chance. Left guard Chris Kemoeatu, the heir to Faneca's throne at LG, was tossed seven yards backward by DT Howard Green, who got a paw up in Big Ben's face. The QB's pass fluttered badly and was intercepted by Nick Collins, who returned for a TD.

The score was 14-0. There was plenty of football still be played. But, statistically speaking, the outcome of the game was set in stone: every team in Super Bowl history that's suffered a pick-six has lost. The Steelers proved no exception.

It was just one play. But it underscored in dramatic fashion the fact that the Steelers need help on the OL. In the biggest moment of the biggest game of the year, the OL snapped -- as weak links usually do. Pittsburgh was an elite team in every measure last year, except on the offensive line.

The Steelers ranked No. 15 on our Offensive Hog Index in 2010, No. 18 in average per rush attempt (4.09) and No. 22 at protecting the passer -- allowing a sack or INT on 10.0 percent of drop backs in 2010. And this final flaw haunted them in the biggest play of the biggest game of the 2010 season.

Pittsburgh boasts elite defense filled with playmakers, an elite if uneven quarterback, great weapons at the skill positions on offense and all the tools needed to make another Super Bowl run. They could use an elite offensive lineman, too.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...t-needs/1.html

I think CB is a bigger need - maybe I have simply become used to the Steelers OL being mediocre while expecting the defense to be consistently great

How about both? We do have more than 1 pick, and we can get both a great linemen and a great cornerback. Personally I want a big mean corner first, but this years first round has some good line prospects and I believe most of the good corners will go in the top 20.

[stiller39]

Steelers will take the best player available next thursday in the areas of need. I agree we need help at CB, OL, and DL. I think we will take a big man on Thursday. Just not sure what side of the ball he will play.

[zulater]

Originally Posted by stiller39

Steelers will take the best player available next thursday in the areas of need. I agree we need help at CB, OL, and DL. I think we will take a big man on Thursday. Just not sure what side of the ball he will play.

BPA is fine by me, as long as it's not a qb, rb, wr, te, olb or Center.

[wootawnee]

This article sucks.....The DL made a play......Kemo is a road grader and is gonna be the guard for 8 more years at least.....Who comes up with this crap.......Thats like saying Randy White sucks cuase he got blocked by Mike Webster in the Super Bowl..
Meanwhile Randy WHite Is a hof er.........

I wont stand for this terrible crap......Kemo is one of the best guards in the league......

[Riddle_Of_Steel]

Kemo struggled this year, but I'd say it is too quick to pull the trigger and grab a guard in the early rounds, whn we have more pressing needs at DL, CB.

Kemo has given us one descent year (2007), two good years (2008 & 2009), and one shoddy one (this last season). It is understood he is not an elite guard or in the top echelon of the league, so he is going to have an off-year every now and then.

But he wasn't the main problem with the left side, it was the journeyman LT we had for most of the season. Jonathan Scott was the weak link on this team in 2010/2011 (and Gay & McFadden), by far. All one had to do was watch the other team stack up the right side of their defense every play to put their best edge rushers on that side each game to know.

[pete74]

an OLB in the 1st or 2nd wouldnt surprise me.

[steelerchad]

Originally Posted by wootawnee

This article sucks.....The DL made a play......Kemo is a road grader and is gonna be the guard for 8 more years at least.....Who comes up with this crap.......Thats like saying Randy White sucks cuase he got blocked by Mike Webster in the Super Bowl..
Meanwhile Randy WHite Is a hof er.........

I wont stand for this terrible crap......Kemo is one of the best guards in the league......

I'm a fan of Kemo after he took less money to stay with the team. But, I thought he had a poor season last year. And not because of the Super Bowl. I was at the game and have yet to watch the DVR of it because I'm just not ready to do so. I was still under the impression that the guy who made the tip was Legursky's guy.
The other thing about Kemo is he let his temper cost and almost cost his team a couple of times in big situations. That's a mental mistake and can't happen.

[zulater]

Originally Posted by steelerchad

I'm a fan of Kemo after he took less money to stay with the team. But, I thought he had a poor season last year. And not because of the Super Bowl. I was at the game and have yet to watch the DVR of it because I'm just not ready to do so. I was still under the impression that the guy who made the tip was Legursky's guy.
The other thing about Kemo is he let his temper cost and almost cost his team a couple of times in big situations. That's a mental mistake and can't happen.

Kemo's guy was most certainly the man who's pressure created the pick 6 in the Super Bowl.

[zulater]

Originally Posted by pete74

an OLB in the 1st or 2nd wouldnt surprise me.

It wouldn't me either, but I'd be dissapointed all the same. I understand the concpet of BPA, I also understand the Steelers need a steady stream of good young OLB's to keep LeBeau's defense viable. But the need is so much more urgent at ILB, OT, DE, NT, OG, and CB that I would hope they would concentrate their efforts their with there with the first couple choices. In all honesty if there's not a true value pick at one of those positions of dire need I would strongly consider trading down before I would back log myself at one of the positions that there's no immediate need to address.