Comcast has generously agreed to support the best NFL community around -- us! As part of that effort, between now and the end of the 2010 NFL season Comcast will be sponsoring a variety of special editorial and interactive features on our site. They begin today with the launch of the Comcast HD War Room, your weekly destination for key draft insight and opinion.
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IX-Two different reports, one from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, and one from Steelcityinsider.com have the same qoute from defensive backs coach Ray Horton about William Gay's 2009 season. Horton says: "I think if you talked to William, he would say he became a little too full of himself... I’m sure he thought ‘I’m here. I’ve arrived." It certainly sounds like from both these reports that the defensive backs are taking the critique hard and are looking to show the Steelers that they aren't a bunch of scrubs. Another nugget that Wexell's article brought up was that Keenan Lewis did not participate much in his rookie campaign due to a back injury, which was reported but never really talked about much last season.
X-Damned if the more they let Bruce Arians talk the more I tend to dislike him. In this article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, he defends the Steelers lack of commitment to running the ball on defenses blitzing safeties and making it impossible in many situations to run. For once I would just love Arians to stop making excuses for everything that happens in terms of play calling and just accept responsibility and outline his plan to fix it. For all the Tomlin haters who complain about him being all talk at least he took the blame and continues to take the blame when their is a problem with his football team's performance. Just shut up and accept that the Steelers are asking you to do something different Bruce. WyoFan agrees as well and breaks down Arian's comments in much more detail in an excellent fanpost.
XIII-Steelers first round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey sat down with Action Sports' John Meyer and from his interview and article you really get the feeling that Pouncey is fitting in well in Pittsburgh. How many BTSC'ers think Pouncey will start the season at right guard?
XIV-Last year many BTSC'ers blamed a lot of the Steelers struggles on Kick-off's on Jeff Reed's inability to send his kick-offs out of the end-zone, or hell even partially into the endzone. Ed Bouchette confirmed that the Steelers take a lot at both Piotr Czech and Adam Graessle as possible replacements on kick-offs.
XL-Even though this is a Steelers blog the goings on in Pirate and Penguin nation are still interesting to many of you, so you might be interested to read about the controversy that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Paul Ladeswki have caused in the past couple days with their ridiculous article criticizing the Penguins leadership and success of recent years. The whole thing is a giant mess and Pittsburgh Sports and Mini-Ponnies sums it all up in a neat package with a tiny bow on it.
XLIII-Speaking of incredibly stupid articles, Hunter Ansley, of FOX Sports Southwest was asked to contribute to a piece on what player in the 2010 draft is most likely to be the next JaMarcus Russell. Ansley, who I know absolutely nothing about chose...wait for it....Steelers 6th round draft choice, Jonathan Dwyer. Really a sixth round draft choice is going to a be a colossal bust? Probably half of the 6th round draft picks in the league don't even make it onto an active roster, how in the name of all things holey could he be considered a bust?