Saturday, 1 a.m.
Q: Do you believe the skeptical view of Isaac Redman is due to the fact he played Division II football? I think there is a pretty strong bias in the NFL and media toward any football not in the BCS conferences. Do you feel this is a factor in the decision to not sign him to the active roster, for teams to claim him on waivers, or for him to be activated from the practice squad?
Scott Irbacher
Bob Smizik: It’s probably true that Division II doesn’t get as much respect from the NFL as it once did but I don’t think it’s anything personal. College recruiting has become so sophisticated and Division I schools have so lowered their academic standards that not nearly as many good athletes fall to Division II as once was the case. That said, I don’t think there’s a bias as all. In the highly competitive world of the N
FL, that would be pretty stupid. Let’s not forget Nate Washington played at Tiffin and Willie Colon at Hofstra. If the Steelers were biased toward D-II players or lower, why did they sign Redman and why did they put him on the practice squad? As I stated the other day, the reason Redman is not on the 53-man roster is pretty obvious: At this time the Steelers don’t think he’s good enough. If he were, he surely would be suited up on Sunday.
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Q: Why didn't one of the large market teams sign Miguel Angel Sano? The Yankees, Red Sox etc. can get any player they want if it’s all about money.
Jim Olsick
Bob Smizik: It’s my understanding some teams don’t like to deal with Sano’s agent. We also might assume two other reasons: The major-market teams didn’t think Sano was as good as the Twins and Pirates did. Or they’re allowing the Twins to develop him before they sign him as a free agent in 2020.
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Q: While no one has mentioned Larry Foote (as a reason for the Steelers poor start), I suspect his replacements (Lawrence Timmons and Keyaron Fox) are not doing as well.
I, for one, am getting tired of Hines Ward's act. He always plays on the edge of the rules, like his blocking before a screen pass is caught, etc., and he stirs up the other teams to give them an extra edge to their efforts.
Tom Trageser
Bob Smizik: It’s entirely possible the Steelers miss Foote. That would not be surprising. It might take Timmons awhile to get his bearings, particularly after being injured and missing a game. I think in the long run they’ll be better off with Timmons. Foote was a journeyman. Timmons has Pro Bowl potential. I think you’re in a minority in tiring of Ward’s act. He’s a great player and leader, whose style can inspire his teammates.
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Q: I just read your blog and agree with it. I've been wondering if the hangover is the schedule and not the Super Bowl. Last year, the Steelers had the toughest schedule in the NFL. The talking heads loved Pittsburgh, but didn't select them to go to the Super Bowl because of their schedule. Yet they got there and won. So I'm wondering if the mind set is just more relaxed this year? They overcame almost impossible odds last year so this year it should be easy. I think it doesn't help that they returned most of the team with few changes. They just assume they can walk out on the field and play anybody and win. I'm hoping it's not too late to turn that around. The fact they referred to their training camp as 'cupcake' had me thinking this theory back in August.
Verna K. Rose
Bob Smizik: You are suggesting, as I did, that complacency could be the team’s problem. I think we’ll find out that answer Sunday against San Diego. I expect the Steelers to win and to contend for the division title, despite the head start the Ravens have.
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Q: Lack of respect for the opponent and overconfidence are the main Steeler problems. Example, the failure to punt right before the half against the Bengals
Dave Hogan
Bob Smizik: I don't know that the players are overconfident but I can understand why you'd think Mike Tomlin is. He decision not to punt late in the first half against the Bengals would give that impression. However, I thought it was worth the risk. It's one of those plays that if it works the coach is a daring genius and if it doesn't he's an idiot. This gamble did not work and certainly helped swing some momentum toward Cincinnati.
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Q: I don't know that the players are complacent, but I think that the coaching staff may be in certain ways. Specifically, the coaching staff seems to be comfortable in getting a small lead and just assuming that the defense will shut the other team down for the whole game, as they have done in the past. In the Chicago and Cincinnati games, the offense had at least three situations where they had a first down at or near the opponents’ 10-yard line and they did not make a legitimate effort to score a touchdown in any of the three instances. In all three series, they ran on first down, tried a short pass on second down, and then failed to convert on third down.
Bob Vrabel
Bob Smizik: It’s entirely possible Mike Tomlin is too comfortable relying on his defense to protect small leads. It’s also possible Bruce Arians is too conservative in his play-calling near the goal line. But to suggest the team has not made ``legitimate’’ attempts to score just isn’t so. Whether they are running ball or throwing short passes, those are legitimate attempts to score. Often short passes are the result of longer tosses being well covered and the quarterback having no other option.
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Q: All this baseball season, I have heard little discussion about John Russell's job security. Apparently few people held him responsible in any way for another losing season, given the low-end talent and the trading away of decent older players for prospects. I was in that camp until now. The current losing spell is the franchise's worst in modern times. The players may be largely inexperienced but most have the credentials to be major leaguers, so they should not be losing at a record rate. As a team, they have to be underachieving to some degree, At the very least, a manager's responsibility is to keep his team from underachieving, regardless of the talent level, Should John Russell return next season?
Mike Irr
Bob Smizik: Actually, Mike, many of the current Pirates do not have the credentials to be in the major leagues. This is a terrible team and the record, in my opinion, is not a reflection of Russell. If anything, Russell has become a sympathetic figure, having to manage such a roster. I think he will return next season and deserves to return.
One more point: Just because the players may or may not have the credentials to be major leaguers isn’t the final word. The credentials of the opposing players also must be considered. Those players have far better credentials than the Pirates players.
Posted
Oct 03 2009, 01:00 AM
by
Bob Smizik