Gilbert Brown has proven over his career at Pitt that he is a fantastic role player. The fifth year senior is a terrific athlete, excellent defender, good rebounder, strong finisher and has even improved his jumpshot to the point that it is respectable. It has also become clear that Brown will never develop into the star some people believed he might early in his career after witnessing one of his incredible dunks or fabulous defensive plays. That does not mean he does not have more to give to this current Panthers team.
For the season, Brown is averaging 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game to go along with his stellar defense. Those are decent, but not great numbers and not all that much different than his numbers from a year ago. Balance is a trademark of Jamie Dixon teams and scoring has never been Brown’s forte but still, a jump in scoring should have been expected for a guy entering his fifth year in the program. What is more telling, however, is that while Brown has improved his free throw shooting, both his three-point and overall field-goal percentages have gone down from last year. Brown’s two-point field goal percentage has dropped significantly. This confirms what my eyes have been telling me in that Brown is not getting the easy baskets in transition and dunks in the half court like he was in the past.
Last year it was inconsistency that plagued Brown on the offensive end where he seemingly scored 20 points or 5 points from game to game. This year, while being a little more consistent, we have yet to see the explosiveness he showed in games last year. Case in point: Brown has scored 20 points only once this season and has scored more than 15 in only two other games while scoring more than 15 in a third of his games just a season ago.
One could say that Brown has taken a back seat to Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wannamaker on the offensive end but even in the three games that Gibbs missed with a knee injury, Brown failed to step his game up, only scoring a total of 24 points over the three contests. The Panthers were able to win those three games without Gibbs, in part because of Brown’s and the rest of the team’s defensive effort, but if the Panthers are going to reach their goals this season, most notably a Final Four appearance, both Brown and the Panthers are going to need to produce a little more firepower in the offensive end.
Pitt is having a fantastic season and is poised to earn a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Gilbert Brown’s role as a complimentary piece is a big reason why the Panthers are enjoying so much success but more can be expected of the senior. I am not saying the Panthers need Brown to become a 20 point per game scorer to reach the Final Four, but an offensive outburst here or there could sure enhance their chances.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Shero Does It Again
It is becoming an annual event now that at or near the NHL trade deadline Penguins’ General Manager Ray Shero will make an aggressive trade that looks great on paper and gives Penguins fans an extra bit of anticipation towards a Stanley Cup run. In 2008, Shero acquired Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis and Hal Gill in two separate trades that helped propel the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals. In 2009, Shero acquired Chris Kunitz (along with Eric Tangradi), Bill Guerin and Craig Adams in a series of moves that helped put his team over the top and win their first Stanley Cup Trophy since 1992. Last year, Shero traded for defenseman Jordan Leopold and forward Alexi Ponikarovsky in the first of his deadline deals that did not work out. As the saying goes, two out of three ain’t bad…and this year Shero is at it again.
With the NHL trade deadline still a week away, the Penguins have traded defenseman Alex Goligoski to the Dallas Stars in return for winger James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. Talk about a win-win trade for the Penguins. Not only do they beef up the current roster for a run at the Cup this year, assuming Sidney Crosby’s return of course, but the Penguins control the rights to both Niskanen and Neal beyond this year. In Neal’s case, the Penguins control the promising power forward’s rights until 2015 and he quickly becomes a part of the Penguins young core expected to compete for Stanley Cups for the foreseeable future. Despite only being 23-years-old, Neal scored 51 goals in his first two seasons in the NHL and has 21 goals already this year. Put Neal on Crosby’s or Malkin’s line and who knows what to expect. Neal, as he matures, could easily develop into a 30 or even 40 goal scorer.
Sure Goligoski possessed abilities that most defenseman do not have, especially in the offensive zone, but at this moment he was locked in as the Penguins’ fifth defenseman and was average in his own end at best. With the Penguins having the core of their defense in place with Kris Letang, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik and Zbynek Michalek, they were dealing from a position of strength. Besides, you have to give something up to get something in return.
Niskanen, meanwhile, is a former first round pick, is six months younger than his trade counterpart and has already played in 100 more NHL games over his career than Goligoski. A change of scenery could do some good for the young defenseman who has struggled the past two years after a very promising start to his career. The Pens should be able to plug the newly acquired defenseman in on their third defensive pairing with Deryk Engelland or Ben Lovejoy and not miss a beat defensively. Niskanen does not have the offensive repertoire that Goligoski has, but all that will be expected from him is competent play in his own end.
At the end of the day, Ray Shero has done it again. The Penguins GM has managed to strengthen the core of this Penguins’ roster without disrupting the team’s long term goals. This time, however, Shero was able to upgrade the current roster while also improving the long-term outlook.
A Couple of Leftover Penguins Thoughts:
- I thought Shero would target a rent-a-player such as former Penguin Alex Kovalev to replace some of what the Penguins lost in the offensive end with Malkin’s injury. The best part of Monday’s trade for Neal and Niskanen is that Shero still has the flexibility to acquire such a player. If Shero can land Kovalev or a similar player for only a mid-round draft choice I would expect him to pull the trigger.
- Those that criticized Mario Lemieux for his comments on how the league handled the events on Long Island because he employs Matt Cooke are flat-out wrong. Every team in the league would employ Cooke at a reasonable price and many employ a similar player anyhow. Just because a team is trying to win within the rules of the game doesn’t mean they have to particularly agree with the rules. Besides, what Cooke does as a borderline dirty player is much different than the pre-meditated violence that took place in New York two weekends ago.
- Those that criticized Lemieux for his comments because he has failed to help facilitate change in the game are right on. Lemieux, as a former player and arguably the best or second best player of all-time, carries considerable weight around the league and could be a driving force among the owners to clean up the violence in the sport. Lemieux, however, has not capitalized on this considerable influence that he could possess. It is certainly within his rights to own and manage his team however he sees fit but I can’t argue with those who criticize Lemieux for only using words and not actions.
With the NHL trade deadline still a week away, the Penguins have traded defenseman Alex Goligoski to the Dallas Stars in return for winger James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. Talk about a win-win trade for the Penguins. Not only do they beef up the current roster for a run at the Cup this year, assuming Sidney Crosby’s return of course, but the Penguins control the rights to both Niskanen and Neal beyond this year. In Neal’s case, the Penguins control the promising power forward’s rights until 2015 and he quickly becomes a part of the Penguins young core expected to compete for Stanley Cups for the foreseeable future. Despite only being 23-years-old, Neal scored 51 goals in his first two seasons in the NHL and has 21 goals already this year. Put Neal on Crosby’s or Malkin’s line and who knows what to expect. Neal, as he matures, could easily develop into a 30 or even 40 goal scorer.
Sure Goligoski possessed abilities that most defenseman do not have, especially in the offensive zone, but at this moment he was locked in as the Penguins’ fifth defenseman and was average in his own end at best. With the Penguins having the core of their defense in place with Kris Letang, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik and Zbynek Michalek, they were dealing from a position of strength. Besides, you have to give something up to get something in return.
Niskanen, meanwhile, is a former first round pick, is six months younger than his trade counterpart and has already played in 100 more NHL games over his career than Goligoski. A change of scenery could do some good for the young defenseman who has struggled the past two years after a very promising start to his career. The Pens should be able to plug the newly acquired defenseman in on their third defensive pairing with Deryk Engelland or Ben Lovejoy and not miss a beat defensively. Niskanen does not have the offensive repertoire that Goligoski has, but all that will be expected from him is competent play in his own end.
At the end of the day, Ray Shero has done it again. The Penguins GM has managed to strengthen the core of this Penguins’ roster without disrupting the team’s long term goals. This time, however, Shero was able to upgrade the current roster while also improving the long-term outlook.
A Couple of Leftover Penguins Thoughts:
- I thought Shero would target a rent-a-player such as former Penguin Alex Kovalev to replace some of what the Penguins lost in the offensive end with Malkin’s injury. The best part of Monday’s trade for Neal and Niskanen is that Shero still has the flexibility to acquire such a player. If Shero can land Kovalev or a similar player for only a mid-round draft choice I would expect him to pull the trigger.
- Those that criticized Mario Lemieux for his comments on how the league handled the events on Long Island because he employs Matt Cooke are flat-out wrong. Every team in the league would employ Cooke at a reasonable price and many employ a similar player anyhow. Just because a team is trying to win within the rules of the game doesn’t mean they have to particularly agree with the rules. Besides, what Cooke does as a borderline dirty player is much different than the pre-meditated violence that took place in New York two weekends ago.
- Those that criticized Lemieux for his comments because he has failed to help facilitate change in the game are right on. Lemieux, as a former player and arguably the best or second best player of all-time, carries considerable weight around the league and could be a driving force among the owners to clean up the violence in the sport. Lemieux, however, has not capitalized on this considerable influence that he could possess. It is certainly within his rights to own and manage his team however he sees fit but I can’t argue with those who criticize Lemieux for only using words and not actions.
Friday, February 18, 2011
How Quickly Things Change
It is funny how quickly things can change in sports. Just a few short weeks ago I wrote how the Penguins were in great shape heading into the second half of the season and were on the short list of Stanley Cup contenders. Since then, the Penguins have lost Evgeni Malkin for the season, remain uncertain about the status of Sidney Crosby, are still without Mark Letestu and have seen Chris Kunitz, Arron Asham and Dustin Jeffrey also miss time with injuries. If you haven't been paying attention and flicked on a Penguins game you could have thought you were mistaken and put on a Wilkes-Barre Baby Penguins game - whose players seemingly make up half of the parent club's roster right now. On the ice, the Penguins took a beating on Long Island, both figuratively and literally, and followed that up with what I thought was an even worse performance against the Rangers in Madison Square Garden. The Penguins did manage to squeak out two points in overtime against the lowly Avalanche Wednesday night, only their second win in six games. You talk about a complete 180 degree turn in a short period of time?!?
That, however, is the bad news. The good news is that Penguins remain in a healthy position to make the playoffs and in fact own a six point lead over the Capitals for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. More importantly, however, is that all of the players except Malkin are expected back in time for a playoff run. The one question mark remains Crosby, and it is the ultimate question mark for the Penguins, but you have to imagine that he will play again this year. I know post-concussion symptoms are unpredictable but I still think that it is best to remain optimistic at this point. If and when Crosby returns, and even without Malkin, I still maintain that the Penguins have the second best line-up in the Eastern Conference behind only the Philadelphia Flyers. Throw in the advantage in goal with Marc-Andre Fleury and the Penguins are still as good as bet as anyone to come out of the East.
The other good news, and it's the only good news coming from Malkin's injury, is that happened before the NHL trade deadline next week. General Manager Ray Shero has shown that he is aggressive and adept at making trade deadline deals and unless he knows something that we don't about Crosby's status, or if he just remains a bit more skeptical about his return, I would expect Shero to be aggressive once again. You cannot replace the production of a superstar like Malkin but with the rest of the Penguins forwards, their play on the blue line and in the net, a simple upgrade on Crosby's or Staal's wing could be the difference for the Pens.
The NHL regular season is a long grind and nothing has been more evidence of that than the past few weeks for the Penguins. That long season is a good thing right now though as the Pens still have 23 more regular season games before the playoffs begin. At this point, there are many reasons to remain optimistic as a Penguins' fan. Let’s just cross our fingers for Crosby’s healthy return to the line-up because without that, nothing else will really matter.
That, however, is the bad news. The good news is that Penguins remain in a healthy position to make the playoffs and in fact own a six point lead over the Capitals for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. More importantly, however, is that all of the players except Malkin are expected back in time for a playoff run. The one question mark remains Crosby, and it is the ultimate question mark for the Penguins, but you have to imagine that he will play again this year. I know post-concussion symptoms are unpredictable but I still think that it is best to remain optimistic at this point. If and when Crosby returns, and even without Malkin, I still maintain that the Penguins have the second best line-up in the Eastern Conference behind only the Philadelphia Flyers. Throw in the advantage in goal with Marc-Andre Fleury and the Penguins are still as good as bet as anyone to come out of the East.
The other good news, and it's the only good news coming from Malkin's injury, is that happened before the NHL trade deadline next week. General Manager Ray Shero has shown that he is aggressive and adept at making trade deadline deals and unless he knows something that we don't about Crosby's status, or if he just remains a bit more skeptical about his return, I would expect Shero to be aggressive once again. You cannot replace the production of a superstar like Malkin but with the rest of the Penguins forwards, their play on the blue line and in the net, a simple upgrade on Crosby's or Staal's wing could be the difference for the Pens.
The NHL regular season is a long grind and nothing has been more evidence of that than the past few weeks for the Penguins. That long season is a good thing right now though as the Pens still have 23 more regular season games before the playoffs begin. At this point, there are many reasons to remain optimistic as a Penguins' fan. Let’s just cross our fingers for Crosby’s healthy return to the line-up because without that, nothing else will really matter.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Weekend Update
As promised, I pretty much spent my entire weekend watching as many sporting events as humanly possible (along with a little Grammy action throw in to mix things up). There are too many opinions floating around in my head to include in just one post so today I am going to limit my thoughts mostly to college basketball. I will save some of my NBA thoughts for the end of the week as they approach their All-Star weekend and have some Penguins and NHL thoughts in-between. Before I get to hoops, however, I do want to touch upon the one big issue both in Pittsburgh and in hockey circles.
The Penguins-Islanders game on Friday night was an absolute disgrace to the sport of hockey. I am a fan of the game. I enjoy watching good hockey, not just the Penguins, and will often find myself watching two Western Conference teams playing when nothing else is on despite hockey coming in a distant fourth in my own sports preference list. I also do not have a problem with fighting and sort of understand its place and history in the game, not to mention enjoy a good fight…BUT what happened on Long Island was not hockey, it wasn’t sports, it wasn’t anything that should be allowed to happen in this country.
The NHL’s response to what happened was an even bigger joke and did nothing to deter similar events from happening in the future. Trying to sucker punch someone from behind, calling up goons for the sole purpose of getting in as many fights as possible and intentionally elbowing someone in the face and then continuing to attack him when injured were just some of the ridiculous antics that took place. These are things that would be illegal and insane at a sanctioned boxing or MMA fight, let alone a hockey game. If the NHL cannot properly handle, punish and stop these events from occurring, maybe it’s time to take fighting out of the game altogether. I will have a little more on this subject, including Mario’s statement, later this week.
Now, on to hoops…
· Pitt continued its Big East run with a second impressive road victory against Villanova on Saturday despite the absence of leading scorer Ashton Gibbs. Many people are beginning to believe that this team is better than the 2009 version featuring Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields. I don't think this team is as good as that team two years ago, but they are close. This version is definitely deeper and more well-rounded but that team had what should have been two first round NBA picks (maybe even two lottery picks based on current NBA production) while this team has zero draft picks at all right now. College basketball, however, isn't nearly as strong as it was two years ago so this Pitt team has a clear opportunity to achieve more than that team. Jamie Dixon’s squad is definitely one of the few favorites to advance to the Final Four in Houston.
· Speaking of the NBA, I had that exact conversation with my Dad heading to the Duquesne game on Sunday. I do not see why Brad Wannamaker and Gilbert Brown couldn't be decent 10th or 11th men in the NBA. They offer flexibility and the ability to defend two different positions well. It will probably come down to Wannamaker’s ability to play some point guard while it will be Brown’s shooting ability that will determine whether they can earn a jersey on the next level.
· Those that watched Kansas State beat up on Kansas last night in their first game as the #1 team saw what had me worried about this Jayhawks team a few weeks back. Despite its talent and depth, Kansas does not play tough enough underneath and has too many lapses on the defensive end. One game on the road in February means little, but for the team I think is the most talented in the nation they need to improve in those areas in a hurry if they want to accomplish a Final Four run.
· While Kansas’s loss showed some of its deficiencies, Ohio State’s loss was pretty meaningless to me. The Buckeyes looked like the best team in the nation for most of the game until Wisconsin got unbelievably hot in the second half. Those things happen in road games, especially to a good team like Wisconsin who is nearly unbeatable at home. Wisconsin did prove themselves as a team that none of the contenders want to see before the regional finals. Their ability to limit possessions, play solid defense and shoot the three-pointer are going to make them an awfully tough out come tournament time.
· The other two top teams I have yet to mention, Texas and Duke, kept plugging along. The Longhorns continue to win impressively and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they won the remainder of their games before the Big XII tournament. Duke, on the other hand, has looked less and less impressive as the season has moved on. Without star freshman point guard Kyle Irving, the Dukies have relied heavily on Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler to carry the load. Despite some decent performances from their secondary guys the past couple of games, it wouldn’t shock me to see Duke stumble in a game or two before the Big Dance.
· Another team that is coming on strong is Georgetown who, after a little mid-season swoon, has won eight straight games including five over would-be tournament teams. The Hoyas feature one of the best backcourts in America with Chris Wright, Austin Freeman and Jason Clark. Freeman turned his ankle in the Marquette game on Sunday but all indications are that he should be fine. The Hoyas are still lacking in the interior, as being the nation’s 223rd ranked team in rebounding will attest, but we all know that guard play wins come March and nobody has had better backcourt play than Georgetown over the past month.
· I mentioned that I attended the Duquesne Dukes game on Sunday and it was fun to attend a game that meant something for that program for the first time in decades. Sure the Dukes fell to Xavier (a strong sleeper team for your NCAA brackets in about a month if you want some advice) but Coach Ron Everhart has the program headed in the right direction. The game was played in front of a sell-out crowd of over 10,000 people and just goes to show how people in Pittsburgh will get behind a team that has perennially struggled. The game had me thinking: Can you imagine PNC Park in September if the Pirates are even sniffing that magical 81st win? The place would be a sell-out every night.
The Penguins-Islanders game on Friday night was an absolute disgrace to the sport of hockey. I am a fan of the game. I enjoy watching good hockey, not just the Penguins, and will often find myself watching two Western Conference teams playing when nothing else is on despite hockey coming in a distant fourth in my own sports preference list. I also do not have a problem with fighting and sort of understand its place and history in the game, not to mention enjoy a good fight…BUT what happened on Long Island was not hockey, it wasn’t sports, it wasn’t anything that should be allowed to happen in this country.
The NHL’s response to what happened was an even bigger joke and did nothing to deter similar events from happening in the future. Trying to sucker punch someone from behind, calling up goons for the sole purpose of getting in as many fights as possible and intentionally elbowing someone in the face and then continuing to attack him when injured were just some of the ridiculous antics that took place. These are things that would be illegal and insane at a sanctioned boxing or MMA fight, let alone a hockey game. If the NHL cannot properly handle, punish and stop these events from occurring, maybe it’s time to take fighting out of the game altogether. I will have a little more on this subject, including Mario’s statement, later this week.
Now, on to hoops…
· Pitt continued its Big East run with a second impressive road victory against Villanova on Saturday despite the absence of leading scorer Ashton Gibbs. Many people are beginning to believe that this team is better than the 2009 version featuring Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields. I don't think this team is as good as that team two years ago, but they are close. This version is definitely deeper and more well-rounded but that team had what should have been two first round NBA picks (maybe even two lottery picks based on current NBA production) while this team has zero draft picks at all right now. College basketball, however, isn't nearly as strong as it was two years ago so this Pitt team has a clear opportunity to achieve more than that team. Jamie Dixon’s squad is definitely one of the few favorites to advance to the Final Four in Houston.
· Speaking of the NBA, I had that exact conversation with my Dad heading to the Duquesne game on Sunday. I do not see why Brad Wannamaker and Gilbert Brown couldn't be decent 10th or 11th men in the NBA. They offer flexibility and the ability to defend two different positions well. It will probably come down to Wannamaker’s ability to play some point guard while it will be Brown’s shooting ability that will determine whether they can earn a jersey on the next level.
· Those that watched Kansas State beat up on Kansas last night in their first game as the #1 team saw what had me worried about this Jayhawks team a few weeks back. Despite its talent and depth, Kansas does not play tough enough underneath and has too many lapses on the defensive end. One game on the road in February means little, but for the team I think is the most talented in the nation they need to improve in those areas in a hurry if they want to accomplish a Final Four run.
· While Kansas’s loss showed some of its deficiencies, Ohio State’s loss was pretty meaningless to me. The Buckeyes looked like the best team in the nation for most of the game until Wisconsin got unbelievably hot in the second half. Those things happen in road games, especially to a good team like Wisconsin who is nearly unbeatable at home. Wisconsin did prove themselves as a team that none of the contenders want to see before the regional finals. Their ability to limit possessions, play solid defense and shoot the three-pointer are going to make them an awfully tough out come tournament time.
· The other two top teams I have yet to mention, Texas and Duke, kept plugging along. The Longhorns continue to win impressively and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they won the remainder of their games before the Big XII tournament. Duke, on the other hand, has looked less and less impressive as the season has moved on. Without star freshman point guard Kyle Irving, the Dukies have relied heavily on Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler to carry the load. Despite some decent performances from their secondary guys the past couple of games, it wouldn’t shock me to see Duke stumble in a game or two before the Big Dance.
· Another team that is coming on strong is Georgetown who, after a little mid-season swoon, has won eight straight games including five over would-be tournament teams. The Hoyas feature one of the best backcourts in America with Chris Wright, Austin Freeman and Jason Clark. Freeman turned his ankle in the Marquette game on Sunday but all indications are that he should be fine. The Hoyas are still lacking in the interior, as being the nation’s 223rd ranked team in rebounding will attest, but we all know that guard play wins come March and nobody has had better backcourt play than Georgetown over the past month.
· I mentioned that I attended the Duquesne Dukes game on Sunday and it was fun to attend a game that meant something for that program for the first time in decades. Sure the Dukes fell to Xavier (a strong sleeper team for your NCAA brackets in about a month if you want some advice) but Coach Ron Everhart has the program headed in the right direction. The game was played in front of a sell-out crowd of over 10,000 people and just goes to show how people in Pittsburgh will get behind a team that has perennially struggled. The game had me thinking: Can you imagine PNC Park in September if the Pirates are even sniffing that magical 81st win? The place would be a sell-out every night.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Football Hangover
The blog is taking a short hiatus to recharge the batteries after a long football season and a disappointing end to Super Bowl XLV for us Steelers fans. I plan on digesting a ton of NHL, NBA and college hoops action over the weekend so look for an extended smorgasbord on Tuesday with a recap and thoughts looking toward the final stretch drive before March Madness. For you baseball fans, only a couple of days before pitchers and catchers report!
Have a great weekend everyone...
Have a great weekend everyone...
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Plenty of Blame to Go Around
People are often quick to place blame on their own teams when they lose rather than praise the opposition for winning the game on their own merit. In many cases this line of thinking is incorrect and the other team simply played better and/or deserved to win the game. The Steelers, however, deserve much of the blame for their loss in Super Bowl XLV. Don’t get me wrong, the Packers did enough to deserve to win the football game. Green Bay played mistake-free football, made big plays when they needed to on both sides of the ball and put the game on the arm of their superstar quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, to come out with the Lombardi Trophy. The Steelers, however, did more than their fair share to help the Packers hoist the trophy in the air.
Ben Roethlisberger had a subpar performance, especially by his lofty standards. Roethlisberger not only threw two interceptions but he missed a number of throws that he usually makes, most notably on the final fourth down pass to Mike Wallace. Roethlisberger’s pick six hurt, but it was one of those nothing you could do about it plays. His second interception, however, was a bad read, a bad throw and a big momentum killer for the Steelers who were moving the ball again after cutting the Packers lead to 14-3. There is certainly blame to be placed on Roethlisberger, but he is far from alone in that regard.
Rashard Mendenhall had a decent game himself. He ran for 63 yards on 14 carries including a nice eight-yard touchdown run. Mendenhall’s fumble, however, was probably the single biggest play of the game. The Steelers had cut the lead to four points, had begun establishing themselves on the ground and had all of the momentum on their side heading into the fourth quarter when Mendenhall fumbled on a second down and two play from the Packers’ 33-yard-line after being hit in the backfield. The play gave Green Bay the ball near midfield where they went on to score the eventual winning touchdown. The Steelers never quite recovered.
The Steelers defense, known all year for its ability to make big plays and prevent big plays from the opposition, accomplished neither. Dick LeBeau’s guys were unable to prevent Green Bay from scoring on both chances following Pittsburgh turnovers and were even worse in third down situations. Everyone will remember the 3rd and 10 pass to Greg Jennings in the fourth quarter as one of the key moments of the game, and it certainly was, but the Packers also converted five other critical third downs in the game and completed six passes over 20 yards. It was a poor performance from a unit that was widely considered the league’s best.
The special teams provided solid coverage and some decent returns but did their part in contributing mightily to the Steelers mistakes. Kicker Shaun Suisham missed a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter which would have cut the Packers lead to one. Sure, a 52-yarder is anything but a “gimme”, but indoors with no wind and perfect conditions this kick needs to be made. Suisham choked and kicked it about three miles wide left. Keyaron Fox, the Steelers special teams’ captain no-less, had an indefensible personal foul penalty called on the final kick return. This pushed the Steelers back to their own 13-yard-line to begin their final two-minute drive, one they would ultimately fail on with a chance to win the game.
Super Bowl winners simply do not make these kinds of mistakes. One or two mistakes can be overcome but when you start piling on the amount of mistakes that the Steelers made, in every facet of the game, it becomes near impossible to overcome. The Steelers tried their best to conquer them, nonetheless, and with two minutes and only 87 yards standing in their way they had an opportunity, but once again mistakes got the best of them. The Green Bay Packers deserve to be Super Bowl Champions today but in this game, it really was a case of the Pittsburgh Steelers not deserving.
Ben Roethlisberger had a subpar performance, especially by his lofty standards. Roethlisberger not only threw two interceptions but he missed a number of throws that he usually makes, most notably on the final fourth down pass to Mike Wallace. Roethlisberger’s pick six hurt, but it was one of those nothing you could do about it plays. His second interception, however, was a bad read, a bad throw and a big momentum killer for the Steelers who were moving the ball again after cutting the Packers lead to 14-3. There is certainly blame to be placed on Roethlisberger, but he is far from alone in that regard.
Rashard Mendenhall had a decent game himself. He ran for 63 yards on 14 carries including a nice eight-yard touchdown run. Mendenhall’s fumble, however, was probably the single biggest play of the game. The Steelers had cut the lead to four points, had begun establishing themselves on the ground and had all of the momentum on their side heading into the fourth quarter when Mendenhall fumbled on a second down and two play from the Packers’ 33-yard-line after being hit in the backfield. The play gave Green Bay the ball near midfield where they went on to score the eventual winning touchdown. The Steelers never quite recovered.
The Steelers defense, known all year for its ability to make big plays and prevent big plays from the opposition, accomplished neither. Dick LeBeau’s guys were unable to prevent Green Bay from scoring on both chances following Pittsburgh turnovers and were even worse in third down situations. Everyone will remember the 3rd and 10 pass to Greg Jennings in the fourth quarter as one of the key moments of the game, and it certainly was, but the Packers also converted five other critical third downs in the game and completed six passes over 20 yards. It was a poor performance from a unit that was widely considered the league’s best.
The special teams provided solid coverage and some decent returns but did their part in contributing mightily to the Steelers mistakes. Kicker Shaun Suisham missed a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter which would have cut the Packers lead to one. Sure, a 52-yarder is anything but a “gimme”, but indoors with no wind and perfect conditions this kick needs to be made. Suisham choked and kicked it about three miles wide left. Keyaron Fox, the Steelers special teams’ captain no-less, had an indefensible personal foul penalty called on the final kick return. This pushed the Steelers back to their own 13-yard-line to begin their final two-minute drive, one they would ultimately fail on with a chance to win the game.
Super Bowl winners simply do not make these kinds of mistakes. One or two mistakes can be overcome but when you start piling on the amount of mistakes that the Steelers made, in every facet of the game, it becomes near impossible to overcome. The Steelers tried their best to conquer them, nonetheless, and with two minutes and only 87 yards standing in their way they had an opportunity, but once again mistakes got the best of them. The Green Bay Packers deserve to be Super Bowl Champions today but in this game, it really was a case of the Pittsburgh Steelers not deserving.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Super Pick
It is that time to make an official pick for Super Bowl XLV. I thought about breaking this game down Dr. Jack Ramsey style but after two weeks of hearing about every angle of this game I’m guessing most people are just eager for kick-off. So let’s skip the bravado and get straight to the pick.
Everywhere you turn people have a different perspective on this one and with good reason…this game could easily go in a number of different ways. Two of the league’s top offenses go up against two of the league’s best defenses. I don’t think it would surprise anyone if this game ended in a low-scoring affair such as 17-14 or if the great quarterbacks involved began carving up these defenses and it turns into a shootout like the last time these two teams met. One thing that most people do expect, however, is a close game. Count me in that group as well, and for that reason I can’t help but pick the Steelers. I have seen Ben Roethlisberger too many times now with the game on the line elevate his play and lead his team to victory. Aaron Rodgers has shown that ability as well, and maybe this game will be the performance that puts Rodgers on a path towards legendary status just as Steve Young's performance in the Super Bowl some years ago did, but until that happens I am going with the proven guy in Roethlisberger.
Steelers win, 27-23.
Everywhere you turn people have a different perspective on this one and with good reason…this game could easily go in a number of different ways. Two of the league’s top offenses go up against two of the league’s best defenses. I don’t think it would surprise anyone if this game ended in a low-scoring affair such as 17-14 or if the great quarterbacks involved began carving up these defenses and it turns into a shootout like the last time these two teams met. One thing that most people do expect, however, is a close game. Count me in that group as well, and for that reason I can’t help but pick the Steelers. I have seen Ben Roethlisberger too many times now with the game on the line elevate his play and lead his team to victory. Aaron Rodgers has shown that ability as well, and maybe this game will be the performance that puts Rodgers on a path towards legendary status just as Steve Young's performance in the Super Bowl some years ago did, but until that happens I am going with the proven guy in Roethlisberger.
Steelers win, 27-23.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Super Bowl Smorgasbord
The Super Bowl is only three days away now and we are nearly finished with two weeks of over-the-top Super Bowl coverage from ESPN and every other major sports news outlet there is. Before tackling the actual game tomorrow, I wanted to dive into some of the storylines heading into the game and give my thoughts on some of the topics.
· It has been a relatively calm week so far in Dallas with the biggest story being reported on is how the Steelers, namely James Harrison, have attacked Roger Goodell and the NFL office. You know it has been a somewhat boring build-up when we are rehashing the same stories from week five of the regular season. The good news is that the game should more than make up for the lack of great stories heading in.
· The one story that did get a little pub was that a number of Steelers, including Hines Ward and Ike Taylor, were at a strip club Monday night. Any fan that has a problem with the Steelers enjoying themselves six nights before the Super Bowl with an off day following should get a life.
· I read an interesting take (and I forget where it came from now) wondering just why the Packers are the favorite in this game. The writer wondered how the Steelers with the better defense, better quarterback and better running game can be the underdog. That view makes a lot of sense until you remember just how darn good the Packers have looked over their past five games.
· Rod Woodson made a statement last week that Ben Roethlisberger is not a top 5 active quarterback. While I disagree with him completely I could certainly understand someone thinking that Big Ben is not top five if he were to put Manning, Brady, Brees, Rivers and Rodgers ahead of him. If nothing else, it is at least a completely defensible point of view. But Big Ben has to be close to that group doesn’t he? Woodson made it sound like Roethlisberger is nowhere near this elite category and defended his statement by saying that Roethlisberger played poorly in his first Super Bowl and that he has more to prove this offseason as a person. Come on Rod…you sounded old and bitter and backed up what could have been a defensible statement with garbage reasons. Woodson was a terrific player, one of the best of all time, but I don’t think he has much of a future as an analyst.
· I have no idea if Woodson even has an interest in being an analyst. My guess is that he does not or he would have already been hired by ESPN for his good looks and total lack of knowledge. If he needs references, Emmit Smith, Michael Irvin and Trent Dilfer are available.
· Normally I would put something about last Sunday’s Pro Bowl here but for at least the fifth straight year I didn’t see a minute of the game. Seriously, why does the NFL insist on playing this game? If they cannot attract hard-core fans like myself and others I know who were not watching, why not do away with the game and have some kind of fun skills competition or something?
· On the Green Bay side of things you want to talk about boring! At least from the Steelers perspective we have Harrison’s fines, Roethlisberger the changed man, whether Pouncey and Aaron Smith will play, Brett Keisel’s beard and even a strip club mention to talk about. Outside of actual football related stuff, there has been nothing fun to talk about happening on the Packers end. I have seen more articles about Brett Favre, Vince Lombardi and Cheeseheads than I have about the current team. We at least learned that B.J. Raji seems like a pretty cool dude.
When I started writing this piece I thought I would have much more to touch on but it has been a relatively quiet build-up towards Super Bowl XLV. For what it’s worth I really think that is a good thing. With the potential to be one of the all-time great Super Bowls it is fantastic that there really are no stories that could overshadow the game. I will be back tomorrow with my abbreviated breakdown of the game and my official prediction. Who knows, there is a chance I could put my Pittsburgh bias aside and pick what has looked like the best team in football over the past month…
· It has been a relatively calm week so far in Dallas with the biggest story being reported on is how the Steelers, namely James Harrison, have attacked Roger Goodell and the NFL office. You know it has been a somewhat boring build-up when we are rehashing the same stories from week five of the regular season. The good news is that the game should more than make up for the lack of great stories heading in.
· The one story that did get a little pub was that a number of Steelers, including Hines Ward and Ike Taylor, were at a strip club Monday night. Any fan that has a problem with the Steelers enjoying themselves six nights before the Super Bowl with an off day following should get a life.
· I read an interesting take (and I forget where it came from now) wondering just why the Packers are the favorite in this game. The writer wondered how the Steelers with the better defense, better quarterback and better running game can be the underdog. That view makes a lot of sense until you remember just how darn good the Packers have looked over their past five games.
· Rod Woodson made a statement last week that Ben Roethlisberger is not a top 5 active quarterback. While I disagree with him completely I could certainly understand someone thinking that Big Ben is not top five if he were to put Manning, Brady, Brees, Rivers and Rodgers ahead of him. If nothing else, it is at least a completely defensible point of view. But Big Ben has to be close to that group doesn’t he? Woodson made it sound like Roethlisberger is nowhere near this elite category and defended his statement by saying that Roethlisberger played poorly in his first Super Bowl and that he has more to prove this offseason as a person. Come on Rod…you sounded old and bitter and backed up what could have been a defensible statement with garbage reasons. Woodson was a terrific player, one of the best of all time, but I don’t think he has much of a future as an analyst.
· I have no idea if Woodson even has an interest in being an analyst. My guess is that he does not or he would have already been hired by ESPN for his good looks and total lack of knowledge. If he needs references, Emmit Smith, Michael Irvin and Trent Dilfer are available.
· Normally I would put something about last Sunday’s Pro Bowl here but for at least the fifth straight year I didn’t see a minute of the game. Seriously, why does the NFL insist on playing this game? If they cannot attract hard-core fans like myself and others I know who were not watching, why not do away with the game and have some kind of fun skills competition or something?
· On the Green Bay side of things you want to talk about boring! At least from the Steelers perspective we have Harrison’s fines, Roethlisberger the changed man, whether Pouncey and Aaron Smith will play, Brett Keisel’s beard and even a strip club mention to talk about. Outside of actual football related stuff, there has been nothing fun to talk about happening on the Packers end. I have seen more articles about Brett Favre, Vince Lombardi and Cheeseheads than I have about the current team. We at least learned that B.J. Raji seems like a pretty cool dude.
When I started writing this piece I thought I would have much more to touch on but it has been a relatively quiet build-up towards Super Bowl XLV. For what it’s worth I really think that is a good thing. With the potential to be one of the all-time great Super Bowls it is fantastic that there really are no stories that could overshadow the game. I will be back tomorrow with my abbreviated breakdown of the game and my official prediction. Who knows, there is a chance I could put my Pittsburgh bias aside and pick what has looked like the best team in football over the past month…
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Pens Should be in Great Shape
Before we dive head first into the Super Bowl this week, I thought it might be a good time to take a quick look at the Penguins as they begin the second half, or more appropriately, the post All-Star break portion of their season. The Pens currently sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 66 points and a record of 31-15-4. Dan Bylsma’s bunch sits fourth simply because the three division leaders are seeded one through three, but the Penguins are actually third in the conference in points and only trail second place Tampa Bay by one point with a game in hand. Digging a little deeper, however, and one can see just how good of a position that the Penguins are in.
Through their first 50 games, the Penguins have seen Sidney Crosby miss the last nine games with post-concussion symptoms, Evgeni Malkin miss eight games due to knee and sinus problems and Jordan Staal miss the first 39 games with an infection on his surgically repaired foot and a broken hand. That’s over one-third of the possible man-games that the Penguins have been without at least one of their top three forwards yet they sit with the fourth most points in the entire NHL. The Penguins have only played two games this season with all three of their top forwards in the line-up, the New Year’s Day game loss to the Capitals and an 8-1 beat down of the Lightning. While Malkin’s injured knee has lingered a bit, none of the injuries should hinder the three players’ abilities come playoff time.
To think that the Penguins have been one of the best teams in NHL without one of their best players pretty much every single night has to have the rest of the Eastern Conference worried about how potent this team will be when everyone is healthy. That is because the biggest difference between this team and the Stanley Cup Championship team of just two years ago is their ability on the blue line. Not only do the Penguins feature the playmaking and skating ability of Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski’s shot on the point, and the puck-moving capabilities of newcomer Paul Martin, they are downright stingy in the defensive end. Brooks Orpik is his usual solid self, providing the hitting and defensive zone responsibilities he always does, the other newcomer Zbynek Michalek has been a solid two-way player and the Penguins have received above average play from their sixth defensemen whether that be Ben Lovejoy or Deryk Engelland. The Penguins regular seven defensemen are a combined plus 60 on the year.
Part of that stellar play on the blue line has been the continued development of All-Star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. It sure seems like an eternity ago that Fleury was off to a rough start with fans calling for the Pens to go with back-up Brent Johnson. Fleury has rebounded to post the league’s fifth best goals-against average at 2.19, sixth best save-percentage at .925 and tied for fifth most wins with 23, only two off the leader. As a team, the Penguins are second in the NHL in goals against trailing only the Boston Bruins by two goals. This is a remarkable improvement from just two years ago when the Penguins were ninth in the Eastern Conference in goals against…and it’s not like the offense has been suffering as a result. The Pens are 3rd in the Conference in goals despite playing without one of their stars on a nightly basis.
I am not suggesting that this team is better than the Stanley Cup championship team of two years ago just yet. That team gelled at the right time, had Malkin playing at a level we haven’t seen since and basically had three different lines all playing at a very high level together. This team, however, has the potential to be as good if not better than that team. It is reasonable to assume that Crosby and Malkin will be back in the near future with time for the lines to get sorted out and accustomed to playing with each other heading into playoffs. If Malkin, who I called out earlier this year as needing to raise his level of play, can return to even close to that 2008 form this team will be just as good in their offensive end as the Cup team while being markedly improved in their own end. Throw in the continued upward ascension form Marc-Andre Fleury and this team has the look of another championship-caliber team.
In a week that we are celebrating the potential championship of one Pittsburgh team, it is very possible we could be breaking down another championship match-up in just a few short months.
Through their first 50 games, the Penguins have seen Sidney Crosby miss the last nine games with post-concussion symptoms, Evgeni Malkin miss eight games due to knee and sinus problems and Jordan Staal miss the first 39 games with an infection on his surgically repaired foot and a broken hand. That’s over one-third of the possible man-games that the Penguins have been without at least one of their top three forwards yet they sit with the fourth most points in the entire NHL. The Penguins have only played two games this season with all three of their top forwards in the line-up, the New Year’s Day game loss to the Capitals and an 8-1 beat down of the Lightning. While Malkin’s injured knee has lingered a bit, none of the injuries should hinder the three players’ abilities come playoff time.
To think that the Penguins have been one of the best teams in NHL without one of their best players pretty much every single night has to have the rest of the Eastern Conference worried about how potent this team will be when everyone is healthy. That is because the biggest difference between this team and the Stanley Cup Championship team of just two years ago is their ability on the blue line. Not only do the Penguins feature the playmaking and skating ability of Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski’s shot on the point, and the puck-moving capabilities of newcomer Paul Martin, they are downright stingy in the defensive end. Brooks Orpik is his usual solid self, providing the hitting and defensive zone responsibilities he always does, the other newcomer Zbynek Michalek has been a solid two-way player and the Penguins have received above average play from their sixth defensemen whether that be Ben Lovejoy or Deryk Engelland. The Penguins regular seven defensemen are a combined plus 60 on the year.
Part of that stellar play on the blue line has been the continued development of All-Star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. It sure seems like an eternity ago that Fleury was off to a rough start with fans calling for the Pens to go with back-up Brent Johnson. Fleury has rebounded to post the league’s fifth best goals-against average at 2.19, sixth best save-percentage at .925 and tied for fifth most wins with 23, only two off the leader. As a team, the Penguins are second in the NHL in goals against trailing only the Boston Bruins by two goals. This is a remarkable improvement from just two years ago when the Penguins were ninth in the Eastern Conference in goals against…and it’s not like the offense has been suffering as a result. The Pens are 3rd in the Conference in goals despite playing without one of their stars on a nightly basis.
I am not suggesting that this team is better than the Stanley Cup championship team of two years ago just yet. That team gelled at the right time, had Malkin playing at a level we haven’t seen since and basically had three different lines all playing at a very high level together. This team, however, has the potential to be as good if not better than that team. It is reasonable to assume that Crosby and Malkin will be back in the near future with time for the lines to get sorted out and accustomed to playing with each other heading into playoffs. If Malkin, who I called out earlier this year as needing to raise his level of play, can return to even close to that 2008 form this team will be just as good in their offensive end as the Cup team while being markedly improved in their own end. Throw in the continued upward ascension form Marc-Andre Fleury and this team has the look of another championship-caliber team.
In a week that we are celebrating the potential championship of one Pittsburgh team, it is very possible we could be breaking down another championship match-up in just a few short months.
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