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Ask the Experts: Blitzburgh Blog and the Pittsburgh Steelers
Written by Brett Solesky   
Thursday, 17 September 2009 12:59

In a swap of expert information Midway Illustrated got together with the experts over at the Pittsburgh Steelers' blog, "Blitzburgh Blog" and asked some questions about the Steelers.  What better way to get a future read on your opponent than to ask the guy who follows them 365 days a year.  Midway Illustrated did just that and got these questions answered about what the Bears may have to do to beat the Steelers in week two.

Midway Illustrated:  The Steelers were 23rd in the league in rushing last year and 29th in average yards per carry, they struggled to run the ball against the Titans.  What do you think it's going to take for the Steelers to start running the football better?


Blitzburgh Blog:  How about some new offensive lineman? Seriously though, there are a few schools of thought when it comes to fixing the Steelers running game. Before I get to any of those, I think it's important to remember that the Steelers did play the Titans in week one and Tennessee has a way of making anybody's running game look a lot worst than it really is. But some people place the blame on offensive coordinator Bruce Arians because he prefers using 2 TEs instead of a fullback and the running game hasn't been satisfactory since he took over as OC. A lot of people also blame Willie Parker. A large segment of Steeler fans are already calling for his benching after one game and want to play Isaac Redman, a training camp star who is on the practice squad. But to me, none of that really matters. The offensive line just isn't as good as it was a few years ago and even Walter Payton wouldn't have been an effective running back in week one for Pittsburgh.

Midway Illustrated:  How will the loss of Troy Polamalu effect how the Steelers game plan for Greg Olsen?

Historically, TEs have given the Steelers a fair amount of problems. I still have nightmares about Baltimore's Todd Heap shredding the 3-4 during a big game. It's hard to say how Polamalu's injury will alter the coverage of Olsen because Polamalu is so unpredictable. It's rare to see him focus on stopping one player and he's pretty much free to roam wherever he wants in the defense.

Olsen will see a lot of single coverage from the Steelers linebackers, but Lawrence Timmons is probably the only one who can run with Olsen and he just reinjured an ankle this week.

Will Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner be able to match minds with one of the greatest defensive coordinators in the league?Midway Illustrated:  Has the Steelers defense fared well against teams that run primarily a two TE set versus a more traditional FB set?

When Dick LeBeau has the horses, I've seen the 3-4 work extremely well against any and all offensive sets. The Titans ran some  two TE sets last week and didn't have much luck.

It really doesn't matter what the other team is running to LeBeau's defense. Sure, he makes adjustments, but his defense is based on chaos and pressure. There is going to be open WRs for Cutler. It's just a matter of whether or not he has the time or vision to make the throws. You'll see the Steelers line up without a single guy in the three-point stance at times and it's easy for QBs and lineman to get confused. There will be pressure coming every play and the Bears will have to figure out where from.

Midway Illustrated:  Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for 363 yards in the opener, yet the Steelers only managed to score 13 points in the game.  Can the Steelers get away with relying solely on passing yards to help them win games?

Again, the Steelers played a pretty excellent defense in week one so I think that skews the numbers a bit at least. Roethlisberger  is an elite QB most of the time and is capable of winning games all on his own. At this point, the Steelers wideouts are a lot more talented than the running backs on the roster so a passing-based attack makes sense.

That said, and most Bears fans will probably agree, I think the best and most consistent way to win a football game is by running the ball and controlling the clock and the Steelers need to at least become competent at doing that to remain an elite team. Roethlisberger is good for maybe 9 or 10 wins between his passing and the defense, but in close games the running attack will be needed to put them over the top. 
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