Bumped. RickVa, one of Curtain's fine sagacious patriarcal residents, weighs in on the state of the Steelers organization. After my post about Roethlisberger - that frankly I think was misconstrued a bit - this should be a well received offering for all. Well done, sir. - Blitz-

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I admit to being a shameless optimist when it comes to evaluating the progress of the Steelers at this time of the year. But I am certainly not a pollyanna. I understand the attitudes of many in the Nation. Some are perfectionists, others are Chicken Littles who always see the sky ready to fall. Some fall far short of these extremes, but are worriers that trend toward pessimism. I'm fine with all of that. It shows that many of us care very deeply about the team, and like many parents our focus goes to all of things that could go wrong. However, I want to put forward a couple of arguments that might give us a reason to look forward to the '08 with a certain amount of confidence and even a bit of swagger. The lone disclaimer is if this turns out to be a particularly unlucky year on the injury front, or with motorcycle accidents or with the police blotter all bets are off.

THE ONE THING MOST OVERLOOKED ABOUT THIS TEAM

This is only the beginning of the second year of the Mike Tomlin era. Think about this for a moment, because we as a Nation are not accustomed to change. Add the fact that Cowher retired, meaning the team was not in crisis (beyond having an uncharacteristically bad year). The changes made were relatively minimal; no sweeping personnel moves, much of the staff remained intact, the general team philosophy remained the same (run the ball, stop the run, etc.). So we can be forgiven if we believe that we know most or all of how this team will conduct its business from this point forward. I suggest that last year should be viewed strictly in terms of transition; a feeling out process for coach and players like the first round or two of a boxing match. Like a boxing match it would be a mistake to think that the pace and rhythm of the opening rounds is what to expect in the later rounds. I don't consider myself an expert on Tomlin, but I think that what will distinguish his approach will be greater thoroughness and creativity in preparation (Who predicted our moves in the draft?), highly aggressive ("violent") play on all three sides of the ball (offense, defense, ST), and a general unsympathetic ruthlessness in pursuit of team goals. Tomlin probably will not have the exact team that he wants for another year or two, but don't let that lull you into thinking that this is some sort of throwaway year, as some have seemed to imply. This team will compete, schedule be damned, real or perceived personnel deficiencies be damned. The goal will be a Lombardi Trophy, period. Don't assume that the process that we witnessed last year is the process that will unfold this Summer/Fall. I think there are surprises to come. I think we'll be very pleased with many of them.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Division winners, second ranked QB in the league (Pro Bowl), league leading rusher (Pro Bowl). Otherwise the offensive line is absolutely terrible. My take has always been that the line's difficulties have been the consequence of new schemes plus some disruption of the unit (for example, the retirement of Jeff Hartings). Like most I am not a fan of his replacement Mahan. While I like Colon, he seemed to be overwhelmed by the concept of a speed rush. (Heaven help Ben when we play the Giants). Nonetheless, I see the glass as half full. Some players are in contract years (Smith, Essex, Starks) and must play well if they are to realize top dollar and/or quality options when they enter free agency. The addition of Hartwig, the promotion of Kemo, the promise of players like Hills, Stapleton. I think a quality unit can be cobbled together from these pieces, plus a year's experience with the system. Of course, such a thing should be expected with a new system.  Also, call me a sucker, but I buy the bit about having more weapons improving the line performance. Holding the ball for six seconds can make a lot of lines look bad. Defensive coaches know how to effectively attack defenses. And even if one of the better O-Linemen fell down to Pittsburgh in the draft, it's unlikely any one person could help turn around the disaster that the pessimists have laid out in one season.

THE SCHEDULE

Yes, we have the schedule from Hell. But besides Tomlin's admonition that we have to go through most of these folks to get to the goal anyway, take a deep breath and consider this. The most reliable path to the playoffs is to win the division. And the good news is that everyone in the AFC North has the same hellish schedule. Granted we have the more difficult first place schedule (Patriots and Chargers), but on the other hand, we don't have to play the Steelers twice. The Browns have improved, but given the fact that we have won nine straight I would say that to panic or concede superiority to them is way premature. Now, if during the second game of the season they're dragging our guys out to Lake Erie and drowning them, then maybe there could be some cause for alarm. Generally speaking I would say that we have the best defense, best running attack, best QB in the division. The improvements of the other teams have been insufficient to overcome those and other advantages.

TOP COMPETITORS

The one lesson that should be learned from the last Super Bowl is that there are no invincible teams in the NFL. Let's review some of the current crop of juggernauts and some interesting facts.

Patriots. Best team in the Universe dominates the weakest division in the AFC. Has not won a championship in four years. Spygate will not go away.

Chargers. Best team to have not won a championship in over 40 years! No Lombardi Trophies. Zip. Nada. Only trip to Super Bowl was when they upset the chokin' dog Steelers in '94. The Super Bowl was over halfway through the first quarter. But who knows? This may be the year. The Cubs are playing well too.

Colts. Might not win their division this year. Ousted from the playoffs two of the last three years by losing divisional playoff games at home.

Jaguars. Seem to have our number and scare the hell out of us, but get smacked around by other teams.

Titans. The Houston Oilers by any other name.

Packers. Favre's retired.\

Cowboys (this is a joke. For Terry's benefit) Haven't won a playoff game in a decade. Shows the absolutely amazing things you can accomplish with a crackerjack PR staff. Probably won't win their division.

Giants. I'm predicting one of the ugliest Super Bowl hangovers ever.

In summary, I like where we stand right now. I wouldn't want anybody else's hand but our own. Not just for loyalty's sake, but because we've got a shot if we stay reasonably healthy, take care of business within the division and peak late. What do you think?