I hope you all enjoyed your one  weekend this fall without Steelers action. Pardon my absence this morning while I tended to other matters. Let's get things back into gear with a Q&A with my favorite Steelers reporter Jim Wexell. Don't forget that Wexell has a new book out, which I myself have begun reading. A full review is coming soon enough, but believe me, it's worth evey last red cent.

1) What the hell is going on with Max Starks? Is your guess as good as ours or is there something you may know about why he can't even beat out Trai Essex for a reserve role?

I reported last February of a difference of opinion between the front office and coaching staff on Starks, but I was still caught off guard by their decision to play Essex over Starks when Marvel Smith got hurt against Jacksonville. But I'm buying Mike Tomlin's explanation that Essex was going up against a smaller, speedier rusher in Quentin Groves. I think that matchup made more sense than using Starks over there at left tackle.

I realize most people are calling the transition tag one of the great mistakes in Steelers personnel history. While I agree it was a mistake, I do feel that Starks could pay off in a big way this season. If they're in a big game, and they need a pro tackle to step in, I'm not sure anyone will be thinking about the price tag -- unless Starks bombs when called upon, but I don't think he will.

2) You know how fans can be: when a problem arises, seek out the offensive coordinator and immediately begin pointing fingers. What's your take on how Arians has done since the Philadelphia game?

Wexell:  Well, you knew Baltimore would be difficult, and the Steelers prevailed.  But I thought Arians' best moment came last week against Jacksonville. He spread the offense on early downs, threw the short, quick passes that he normally abhors, threw to the backs, the tight ends. In general, Arians called the game for which the fans and media have been asking. Still, Jacksonville doesn't have much of a pass rush. Let's see if Arians builds off that game and the Steelers can effectively move the ball against a real, live pass-rushing team.

3) Do you think we'll keep 5 RBs moving forward now that we know what we have in Mewelde Moore. Seems like at least one of the trio of Najeh Davenport, Gary Russell or Carey Davis is expendable. We have tended to keep 5 RBs though when health is not an issue.

Wexell: It's always a numbers game. I see them keeping five until a minor injury occurs at another position, say undrafted rookie linebacker/special teamer, and you have to keep both Donovan Woods and Patrick Bailey on the roster. Then I could see Najeh Davenport getting cut, since Gary Russell flashed in a real game what he'd been showing in preseason games and practice. I also believe Dallas Baker can be stashed on the practice squad if necessary.

4) How impressed are you watching LaMarr Woodley? Can you tell us something about his game that we may not pick up watching from home that's helping him just explode onto the scene in year #2.

Wexell: I don't think I'm any different than any of the reporters who watched him dominate line drills early in camp, or fans who watched him all preseason. I think everyone knew he was a stud-in-the-making. What's surprising me is his agility in open space. He's given them coverage skills and sound open-field tackling. I know we were all surprised by that even in the 2007 Hall of Fame Game, but he's built upon it and is becoming a Kevin Greene who can cover.

5) This is probably an unfair quesiton but do you think we'll re-up Bryant McFadden this offseason? Feel free to pass if you think there's no way to tell, but the way we see it, it's a sound investment considering how well he's played, not to mention all the other high priority needs in the next couple of drafts.

Wexell:

6) When's the last time you saw a Steelers defense that was playing this well? Sure there have been a few down moments on a series here or there, but overall, this unit is dominating, and from where I sit, they're good enough to keep us in the thick of just about every game, as well as the playoff picture in the AFC. Or maybe I'm just overestimating their play when compared to the up-and-down play of the offense.

Wexell: No, Michael, I don't think you're overestimating them. This is the best defense I've seen here since the mid 1990s and Blitzburgh. I think the recent display of DL depth showed so much. It reinforced that they have depth at all defensive positions. It's also a different game than it was in the mid 1990s, when LeBeau had the boys feasting on dropback quarterbacks unaccustomed to seeing such pressure. Now, that kind of pressure is so prevelant that young QBs are better prepared going into a game against a team like the Steelers. So now it's up to raw talent and even further innovation, which the Steelers have on both counts. I don't think we've seen even a tip of what LeBeau can do with a Lawrence Timmons and a healthy and bigger Troy Polamalu on the field at the same time.

7) To conclude, can you comment on what you've seen out of Darnell Stapleton? It was our fantasy somewhat that just one or two changes along the line personnel wise might totally change things for the better, even if the individuals being subbed in were nothing to necessarily write home about. As a follow up, any thoughts on Justin Hartwig's play since the Philly game and how he may or may not be comfortable now that he's beside Stapleton?

Wexell: I can't say that I've watched Hartwig closely, but I think it's clear that he's been an upgrade at center. Could the Steelers do better? Yes, and it's the media's assumption that Stapleton will be that center of the future. He's a bit small to be playing guard, but he held his own against Jacksonville. If that was Marcus Stroud he was going against, I think we could all be ecstatic. But Stapleton did hold his own. He scratches and claws and gets the job done. I just worry about him against the bigger and stronger tackles that beat Kendall Simmons up over the years. We shall see.

We all know the Steelers aren't playing, but here's a look at some of the other interesting matchups from around Week 6 in the NFL. Also, don't forget to get your picks in for the BTSC Pick Em League, even though the Steelers aren't on the slate this week.

Carolina at Tampa Bay - Not that any of us really care about this once, but first place in the NFC South is at stake between two teams that figure to be in the hunt for either that divisional crown or a Wild Card berth. Brian Griese has thrown a boatload of picks despite his perfect record as a starter.

Baltimore at Indianapolis - Indy's been tough to figure out this year. They've played terrible football for the most part, yet find themselves at 2-2 and lurking in 2nd in the AFC South. Baltimore better get it's ground game back in gear this week. The Colts surrender plenty on the ground, and it's never a bad idea to keep Peyton Manning on the sidelines as much as possible, particulary when he's at home. Remember, Peyton didn't take a single snap in preseason, so now that four games are behind them, it's basically like he's been to camp and should be ready to go.

Jacksonville at Denver - Huge game for both squads. At 2-3, Jacksonville can no longer continue saying 'we're close'. Not in the AFC. 2-4 doesn't put them down and out, but it certainly makes things tough. You figure they'll have to get at least ten wins to be in the hunt for a Wild Card, so they'd have to finish at 8-2 in their last ten most likely. As for Denver, a home win here would put them at 5-1, and would go a long way towards silencing their critics, myself included, who thought their defense would do them in sooner rather than later.

Dallas at Arizona - We'll see how Big D responds after being physically beat up two weeks ago by the Washington Redskins, and only squeaking by a sad Bengals team at home last week. The Cards are a different team at home. Two weeks ago, they laid an egg in the Meadowlands, giving up 6 Brett Favre TDs. Last week at home, they dealt the Bills their first loss of the year. I think I like Arizona here, but it would sure help if they had Adrian Wilson and Anquan Boldin in the lineup.

Any games interest you? Any developments you forsee happening?

TV Maps:

CBS Early Game Map

Fox Early Game Map

Blitz started reviewing every Steelers player by position, so I'll help him out a bit and do the DB's.  I don't have YPA numbers for these guys, so if someone wanted to add those for the starters, that would be cool. 

Ike Taylor

Taylor has been solid at CB.  I'm pretty sure he's only been beaten deep once (sadly by a white former college QB), which resulted in an odd but probably correct PI call.  Ike is very good at staying with WR's in coverage, but not always great at playing the ball if QB's challenge him, and this year is about par for him.  Teams have not challenged him a whole lot this year, so it's hard to judge his overall performance.  He has yet to record a deflected pass or an interception in 5 games, which is incredible for a starting CB who isn't terrible.

Bryant McFadden

It's difficult to say if McFadden is benefitting from playing full time or if he truly took a step forward this offseason, but he looks like a different player.  When he came in during nickel situations last year, he looked passive.  In the games he's played so far, he's been the Steelers best CB.  I doubt McFadden is quite the athlete Ike is, but this year he's playing the ball as well as any Steeler corner I've seen since Woodson.  It's still early in the season, so it's possible opposing teams will adjust some to him and find a weakness (maybe double moves?), but so far it's been great to have a playmaker at CB. 

Deshea Townsend

Coming off his best year as a pro in 2007, Townsend has had some injuries and been a little disappointing so far this year.  When McFadden started playing well, I was excited to see the 2007 version of Townsend come back into the lineup as a nickel back, but when crunch time came against Baltimore, he gave up a big pass play and missed the tackle that put the Ravens inside the 10.  He could still be affected by the injury, but if he doesn't look more like 2007 Deshea before the end of the season, I'll be even more nervous about letting McFadden walk at the end of the season. 

Troy Polamalu

There are two types of safeties that get recognition in the NFL: hard hitting, blow-up-the-runner strong safeties, and ball-hawking free safeties.  So far in 2008, Polamalu has been the superhuman combination of those two.  We know the story: after earning his hype in 2004 and 2005, he fought injuries, flew past ball carriers, and got beat in coverage in 2006 and 2007.  Well, I would say he's back, but that doesn't do him justice.  So far this season, he's broken up numerous deep passes, made 3 interceptions including maybe the most acrobatic catch I've ever seen, thrown TE's into the backfield on running plays, flown to the ball on screen plays and MADE THE TACKLE, showed incredible range, limited Kellen Winslow while covering him for a whole game, tackled a guy behind his back, and jumped over the offensive line.  He's one of the best run defenders on our team, and he might be the best pass defender as well.  I don't know how he could be anything other than the most versitile player in the NFL and the defensive player of the year if he keeps playing like this.  Some of his best competition for DPOY will probably come from Harrison and Woodley. 

Ryan Clark

Clark has gone from being solid but unexciting to desperately missed to back towards solid but unexciting.  He's played more in run support than in years past, and he's looked good doing it.  He has a couple of nice pass breakups, but missed a read and was the primary perpetrator on a fairly long TD pass against the Jags.  He hasn't stood out much, good or bad, which is fine.  We need a solid guy who won't make huge mental mistakes, and that's what we have in him. 

 William Gay/Anthony Madison/Tyrone Carter/Anthony Smith

I haven't seen these guys on the field much on defense, but a couple have really made their presence felt on special teams.  Madison in particular has been a force on the coverage units recently.  Gay may have gotten the most playing time of the bunch, and he didn't look like a liability in nickel packages against the Browns. 

Let's continue our review of each and every Steelers player through five games with a breakdown of our running backs.

WILLIE PARKER

For Willie Parker, the start of 2008 was much like the beginning of last year. For two years running now, Parker has gotten off to a torrid start, earning AFC Player of the Week honors after his 138 yard 3 TD performance against Houston in Week 1. He followed that up with another 100+ yard game against Cleveland before being stuffed and ultimately injured against Philadelphia in Week 3. Parker should be back when the Steelers return to action against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. With Mewelde Moore garnering more attention as an intriguing offensive weapon for this offense, it should be very interesting to see how Bruce Arians uses both him and Parker moving forward. Obviously Parker will get the lion's share of the carries, but if Arians were wise, he might deploy Moore on 1st and 2nd down on occassion, not simply use him as a 3rd down back. One thing we all probably agree on is the need for this offense to continue to evolve and try new things moving forward. I, personally, am very interested to see first if that will happen, and secondly, if so, how will Parker fit in to said changes.

RASHARD MENDENHALL

Poor guy. Just as soon as he gets his opportunity to make something happen, Ray Lewis deals him a crushing blow to the shoulder and breaks one of his bones. If you had forgotten, Rashard had made a couple of nice runs in that Baltimore game before going down. A very unfortunate break for the rookie, but if nothing else, it should make him hungry as imaginable to prove he was worthy of his high draft status next year.

MEWELDE MOORE

Outside of Ben Roethlisberger, Mewelde Moore would have to be considered the team's offensive MVP the past two weeks. In consecutive games, Moore came through with the goods on the final dive of the game. Against Baltimore, it was his pass catching primarily that set up the game-winning Jeff Reed FG. Against Jacksonville, he did it with both his hands and feet. He finished 1 yard shy of the century mark, and caught several cruical passes in both halves of the game. One man's trash is another man's treasure, baby. Moore has a deceptive elusiveness to him, and good insticts to go along with it. He's been as successful as Parker and Mendenhall were picking up those uninpsiring 2-3 yards up the middle, yet he's shown a nice aptitude for finding a crease when running outside the tackle, then either falling forward for another couple of extra yards or flashing nifty footwork and staying in bounds, as was the case on his long 25+ yard scamper against Jacksonville on our final drive of the game. Moore may just be the exact type of guy we need this year on an offense that may have problems establishing any sort of consistent rhtythm on offense. He should be catching 3-5 passes a game, and it might be wise to mix in some draws to him as well on 3rd downs when defenses try to tee off against our line. This is off the top of my head, but it seems as if we are in plenty of 3rd and 5-8 yard situations where Moore might be able to race by a blitzing defense for positive yardage.

CAREY DAVIS

Davis has done everything that has been asked of him in 2008. He's done a little blocking, some pass catching, and some ball carrying when we suddenly found ourselves without our top 2 guys. Davis himself went down with an injury in the Baltimore game and its unclear what his future with the team might be. For the year he has 10 carries for 18 yards and 2 catches for 9 yards. If the team opts to keep Gary Russell around and Najeh Davenport, is there a need to keep five guys at RB, particularly with Sean McHugh showing solid acumen as a lead blocker? I don't think there is. So in my mind, either Davis, Russell or Davenport has to be the odd man out. We've aleady seen that Moore is more than capable of filling in in a pinch, even as a #1 type guy, so why keep 3 guys (Dookie, Carey, Gary) who cumulatively might only be vying for a few carries per game? We'll see. Davis has been good on special teams too, so that's something to consider.

NAJEH DAVENPORT

Najeh returned a few kicks and rushed the ball once in his return to the Steelers against the Jags. We'll see what his future holds when roster decisions are made public next week in preparation for the Bengals game. What do you guys think? Will he be dismissed or do you think we'll keep him around in place of Russell or Davis?

GARY RUSSELL

Russell continues to fight the uphill battle towards getting an opportunity to carry the ball in this league. He got a few calls last week and did just fine, but for whatever reason, he continues to find himself the odd man out when injurys are no longer a concern. We'll see if he catches a break this time around any day now.

Skip ahead to the 27:30 mark of the podcast to enjoy some Bryant McFadden commentary on his contract situation, taking down the Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as how Mike Tomlin has toned down his practice schedule in year two as the Steelers head coach.  An interview with Ed Bouchette preceeds McFadden's interview, for those who may be interested.

Listen Here To Bryant McFadden on 1250 ESPN Pittsburgh

Blitz had a busy night with school so I'll do my best fill his oversized shoes until he returns later this afternoon.

News is somewhat scarce during the bye week but what is trickling out is promising. We all know the injuries were starting to pile up and a week off had to have looked like water fountain on the desert horizon to this team. Here are some random tidbits of news out of the Burgh.

Injury Situation: What looked like a big question mark heading into the Jacksonville game should be a stength by the time the Steelers take the field again. The Steelers expect to get Carey Davis, Fast Willie Parker, Casey Hampton and Brent Keisel back from injuries. The injuries sustained in the win over the Jags to Marvel Smith and Jeff Reed are considered pretty minor. Smith was battling cramps and Reed had a calf injury, but Tomlin actually said that if they really needed Reed to kick a late field goal, he was avaliable. The only hangover for Reed is that he may not be used on kickoffs right away until he's fully healed. Tomlin also said that he expects Big Ben to be close to 100% by the Cincy game.

Harrison Fined: In case anyone was miffed about the officiating from the Jags game and was thinking about saying, "You don't make a call like that in a situation like that, c'mon. Unless (the referee) might have money on it, I don't know," you should know that it'll cost you $20,000. That was the fine levied against James Harrison by the league yesterday. Silverback's agent does plan to appeal the fine.

Essex over Starks: If you're one of the many Steelers fans who was scratching your head when Trai Essex came into the game after Marvel Smith went down, Tomlin explained the decision to go with Essex over Max Starks by saying it was based on match-ups. He went with Essex because he felt more comfortable with his ability to pass protect against the Jags' pass rushing defensive ends. Starks has always been a mauler who struggled against speed rushers but he played much better last year after dropping some weight, but I guess the staff still doesn't trust his ability to protect the passer. I've said it once and it's become more and more clear in my mind that there is a zero percent chance that Max Starks resigns with the Steelers. 

AFC North news and notes after the jump.....

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It's been awhile since I've shared some YouTube goodness. You'd be hard pressed to find anything much better than this gem. Enjoy y'all, and remember, through thick and thin, it sure feels good to love the Pittsburgh Steelers.  It may not be this year (though I really wouldn't bet against this defense if everyone's healthy), but my senses tell me this group of Steelers is on the right path towards adding their own chapter to the franchises' illustrious history.

If video loads slowly, just pause it and step away and let it get a head start downloading so you can watch it without any hiccups. It loaded slowly for me. Oh, and turn the sound on if you can. It's not disruptive for work environments. Seriously though, be patient. It's worth it, but not if watched in choppy bits and pieces. Cheers.

We've got two weeks until the Steelers next take the field against the Cincinnati Bengals. When they do, there will be no more weeks off until (hopefully) late January. So what better time than now to recap how each and everyone of our guys has played thus far through 5 weeks. Let's break it down by position, starting with the quarterbacks. Starting there makes sense for logical reasons, but I also think it's appropriate that we shower Ben with praise after his gutty performances the last two weeks. After all, much of our attention has been directed towards the offensive line, Bruce Arians, the surprising Mewelde Moore, and the animalistic tendencies of LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison.

Your turn in the spotlight Ben.

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I think it's quite clear after we found a way to beat both Baltimore and Jacknsonville in a 6 day span that we're capable of hanging with anybody in the league. We'll the deciders of our fate for the most part I feel, meaning that if we're playing up to our ability, there's a great chance we'll win any given week. And vice versa. That said, let's still take a look at who awaits us on the schedule the month folllowing the BYE.

Week 7 @ Cincinnati Bengals (0-5)

While talking to a friend earlier I said that 'if the Bengals had any spine at all, they'll be treating our game against them in two weeks like their Super Bowl'. His response? 'They've shown they have no spine time and time again.' Good point. Still, I think this game is a potential trap game for us, our first true one of the season. Much like the Jets game last year, actually.  Last year, we weren't ready to handle business on the road against teams that were inferior on paper. This year? I think we're more focused and that starts with our head coach. The Bengals are a few plays from having a couple of victories, so I wouldn't be surprised if they at least keep the game competitive through 3 quarters. In the end though, I think our pass rush will be too much. And, oh yeah, Willie Parker should be back and he tends to have his way with the Bengals rush defense.  Still, color me concerned about any divisional road game against a team that is still looking to get off the snide.

Week 8 vs. New York Giants (4-0)

This is where the fun really begins, though Ben Roethlisberger's banged up frame might be less inclined to agree. He'll be up for the challenge though, even if the Giants' pass rush is enough to give any Steelers fan nightmares. Ben vs. Eli, with both teams likely entering the contest with records at or near the of their respective conferences. My gut tells me we matchup well with them and that we might be able to have some success against their improved, but still young, secondary. As for Eli Manning? Well, he sure has silenced any critics who were trying to label him a one-hit-wonder before the season. He's completing 63% of his passes and has a health 6:1 TD to INT ratio. Still, it's worth noting that the only thing resembling a defense that he's faced was against Washington in Week 1, when they didn't quite have things in motion. Let's see how he does at Heinz Field against a confusing and physically imposing Steelers defense.

Week 9 @ Washington Redskins (4-1)

Our next appearance on Monday Night Football comes at Fed Ex Field in Landover, Maryland, where a resurgent Skins team will await. The Skins are the toast of the league right now, having just dusted the Cowboys and the Eagles on the road in consecutive weeks. THAT'S impressive. The Redskins still do not have an offensive turnover and for those who thought that new coach Jim Zorn would be bringing a pass happy West Coast offense to the nation's capital, think again. The Skins are pounding the ball on the ground and are having tremendous success closing games out behind the strong running of Clinton Portis. Portis racked up 150+ yards against an Eagles defense that had previously been impregnable against the run, and he now only trails Michael Turner of the Falcons by 29 yards for the NFL rushing lead. I've seen the Skins plenty the last couple of years and I'm not quite ready to pencil them in as the team that the media would like you to believe after the past two games. What happens when teams find a way to shut down the run? Can Campbell take over late? He did once against New Orleans, but that's a suspect defense. Since I will be at this game (woot!), I'm expecting a scintillating, down-to-the-wire affair.

Week 10 vs. San Diego Chargers (2-3)

Another tricky spot for our Steelers. This two week stretch will be the second time we'll have to play two solid teams in 6 days. Who knows what to make of San Diego, so I won't even try. I think we can dominate them physically and take LT out of the football game, but their run defense ain't so shabby either. This is a game where our special teams will have to be up to the challenge. Return man Darren Sproles is as good as anyone in the business. Beware a potential shoot out here, with both QBs throwing 35+ times for 300+ yards.

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That's just a taste of what we have ahead of us. Looming still would be the Colts, Patriots, Dallas, and still unbeaten Tennessee. As BTSC stalwart Bad Maafala said recently, this is going to be a fun season, regardless of how things break.

A few more thoughts about our impressive W over the Jaguars and Coach Mike Tomlin and what he's brought to this particular group of players.

* Who loves Mewelde Moore? Raise your hand or wave your towel if so. What a warrior. Going up against a Jaguars defense that maybe isn't as good as in years past, but was still eager to compete and hit, Moore managed to squeeze out 99 tough yards on 17 carries, punctuated by a 27 yard scamper on our game-winning TD march. Nobody loved seeing Moore succeed more than Fast Willie Parker, who jubilatnly applauded Moore's big plays in street clothes from the sideline. Moore didn't find much success running up the gut, but who does on our team? Nevertheless, except for one catch, where Moore misread would-be tacklers and failed to dive forward for first down yardage, he played fantastically. The most impressive stat of the night, at least for me, was the zero fumbles by Moore. He had the ball in his hands throughout the game and protected it consistently, despite being the smallest guy on the field for much of the contest. Don't forget Steelers Nation, this was a Mike Tomlin 'recruit'. He knew what Moore could do based on what he saw in Minnesota. Very wise to get that kind of gamer on your team. Congratulations to Moore, and let the debate begin on how to keep him involved with the game plan each week when FWP returns after the BYE.

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