Steelers 2010 season hinging largely on Roethlisberger legal situation

by | Mar 12, 2010 | 2010 NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl following the 2008 season and entered 2009 with high expectations. The Black and Gold didn’t have the season they anticipated, however, finishing 9-7 and a game out of the playoffs.

A close analysis of the season, however, shows that while the Steelers lost several games they were expected to win, there still wasn’t a single game they lost by more than one score. Couple that with the return of several players who were affected by injuries in 2009 and expectations in the Steel City have to be high for the 2010 season.

That has to make it all the more frustrating for fans, coaches and teammates of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who continues to put himself in the middle of controversial situations. Roethlisberger certainly deserves his day in court and nobody at Zoneblitz.com is convicting trying to convict him prematurely.

But there are rumblings that whether he’s guilty or not the team and its fans are tiring of how frequently he seems to be appearing in the news sections rather than the sports sections of local and national newspapers.

Zoneblitz.com got in touch with Michael Bean, founder of the blog Behind the Steel Curtain, to discuss the 2009 season, the Roethlisberger situation and what the Steelers need to do to get back into contention in 2010.

Thank you, Mr. Bean, for taking the time to speak with us.

Zoneblitz: Coming off the Super Bowl season the Steelers missed the playoffs in 2009. What caused the team to struggle?

Michael Bean: Where to start. Obviously losing one of the league’s premiere playmakers in Troy Polamalu hurt. When he plays, the Steelers win. When he’s shelved with injuries, the defense – and the secondary in particular – goes from outstanding to susceptible.
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Jones signs with Chiefs … why?

by | Mar 10, 2010 | 2010 NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

Free agent running back Thomas Jones signed with the Kansas City Chiefs Tuesday in a move I don’t completely understand.

Jones, who played 2009 at 31 years old, is coming off of the two most productive seasons of his career during which he’s run for a total of 2,714 yards and 27 touchdowns while adding two more scores through the air in 2008.

Despite the fact that he appears to be getting stronger with age, he was clearly being usurped by Shonn Greene during the New York Jets’ playoff run last season. And the Jets cut Jones in early March, though by some accounts they wanted to sign him back after avoiding paying him a $3 million roster bonus.

His teammates reportedly wanted him back, though in the end Greene showed a speed-power combo last year that as the season wore on Jones wasn’t able to match.
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Lions and Bears hope to bridge gap to Vikings

by | Mar 5, 2010 | 2010 NFL Free Agency

Brett Favre had a heckuva 2009 season leading Minnesota to the NFC Championship game before the Vikings faltered against New Orleans.

But his opponents in the NFC North are busy arming themselves in the event that Favre comes back for more in 2010.

The Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears both roared into the new league year with multiple signings and in both teams’ headline moves included adding firepower to their respective defensive lines.

Chicago adding Julius Peppers was the highest profile signing Friday. He turnstiled the Vikings’ inconsistent left tackle Bryant McKinnie while playing for Carolina against Minnesota late in the 2009 season. And there’s no doubt that when he’s on his game Peppers is one of the league’s most dominant pass rushers.

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Dropping Tomlinson and Sproles: Are the Bolts Dolts?

by | Mar 1, 2010 | 2010 NFL Free Agency, NFL Draft, NFL Random Thoughts

In the weeks following their shocking exit from the AFC playoffs the San Diego Chargers have announced plans to release LaDainian Tomlinson and not to tender Darren Sproles.

The first announcement didn’t surprise me. After seven fantastic seasons Tomlinson has struggled with injuries and performance the last two years, finishing 2009 with the lowest number of carries and yards-per-carry averages of his career.

The Sproles announcement, on the other hand, I found just short of stunning. First off, the guy has been a fireplug when he’s had the opportunity to play regularly, including the January 2009 playoff game where he had more than 300 all-purpose yards in the Chargers’ overtime win over Indianapolis.
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