Swankforce 5 Inaugural Editorial - Very Powerful Stuff

Well, since I'm here, I'll get the ball rolling. Kinda like that little stretch Kordell had a few years ago when he was mishandling the snap.

I was going to write about the game on Monday, but hearing an interview with Roethlisberger and mentioning Kordell above made it perfectly clear what this rant is going to be all about. For years, I've heard about how the Steelers and Cowher rely on a power running game, which is completely accurate. Either of my grandmothers could tell you that a swarming, blitzing defense and run control offense is what the Steelers do. Good. Fine. I liked it.

If I hear one more person talk about how the Steelers don't require the QB to win the game, I'm going to vomit all over the wall and then put my fist through it. What kind of ass backwards theory is this?!?!? The guy holding the football each play you're on offense has the sole responsibility of not losing the game? That's inspiring! Now, to be fair, the Steelers adopted that stance with Roesthlisberger as a rookie, and it was a good approach. But as he gets older, I don't want the best Steeler QB I have known in my life throwing the ball 14 times a game. There better be some type of running/passing balance in line with his maturing.

I think what this approach will do is get the Steelers in a better mindset for the playoffs. I'll never forget the AFC championship against San Diego. O'Donnell chucked it 54 times. With his regular season, no way that guy goes into that game thinking he's going to throw it 35 times, nevertheless 54. Now, that AFC game was an aberration (I like to think they all were except Indianapolis), but the Steelers' need to better prepare themselves for crucial situations, i.e., when your primary ball handler (the QB) is going to need to win the fucking playoff game! I can hear the forks dropping to the plate at dinner tables across Pittsburgh right now! Its truly a stunning concept, right in line with Bush saying human beings were going into the cosmos a few years ago. Alas, I digress. Kordell was the worst, but O'Donnell, Brister, Malone and Stoudt weren't exactly Namath, Montana, Marino and Elway. To give some credit, the only Steeler I know that hasn't had urine running down his leg at crunch time was Tommy Maddox - and that may have been because he was so new to the system that the coaches and press didn't have time to infect him.

I'm not trying to be negative. These guys were 15-1 last year. Every post season collapse, bar none, has been related to a QB collapse (I don't consider the Titans game a few years ago to be a collapse though, more of a screw job). I say get your win-loss footing by pounding the ball in the first 8 games and then open it up more and more for the 2nd half of the season. I like to think of it as taking a proactive approach to the playoffs.

These guys are going to make the playoffs barring an offensive line injury, so try it out - what's the worst that could happen?

Here's hoping that Paul Maguire suffers a terrible fiery death.