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Mike Florio picks up where Prisco left off

By Mike Frazer | May 20th, 2008

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Mike Florio of the Sporting News may raise the ire of a number of Steeler fans. Not because he says the Steelers will fail to make the playoffs — everyone is entitled to their opinions, and playoff fortunes ebb and flow as the years pass anyway — but because he claims the “Steelers of the free-agency era have developed a trend of exceeding low expectations and failing to meet high ones.” Yes, I railed recently about the fact that I’m disappointed each year when we fail to win the Super Bowl. But that comes from a long history of success, even in the free-agency era. While it took Bill Cowher a long time to win his first (and possibly only) NFL championship, there were a number of trips to the AFC Championship and even more playoff appearances. But to say that a team that won the Super Bowl just two and a half years ago has made a habit of letting fans down is just ludicrous.

Can they miss the playoffs this year? Yes, but it’s unlikely. For all their offensive line problems, including the loss of its leader, this is a team that has show resilience through the years and has, at the very least, managed to get younger on the offensive front with the departure of Faneca. There are too many unknowns (can Kemoeatu step up? is Hartwig really an improvement over Mahan? Will Max Starks finally live up to all the hype and potential?) to call the season a wash before we even get to training camp. Add to that the fact that Cleveland’s biggest move on defense (the addition of Shaun Rogers on the defensive line) cost them Leigh Bodden, their top cornerback, weakening an already horrendous secondary, and it’s hard to see where the Steelers’ biggest division rival actually improved this offseason. A rival the Steelers have defeated nine consecutive times, no less.

And let’s not forget one other important detail: despite late-season struggles following key injuries, the Steelers still wound up with the number-one defense in the NFL. Keep in mind the old addage: offense wins games, defense wins championships.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 at 2:10 pm and is filed under offensive line, Cleveland Browns, Opinion, Playoffs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

11 Responses to “Mike Florio picks up where Prisco left off”

rob says:

May 20th, 2008 at 3:55 pm

The Steeler offense is as good as any in the league looking forward. In terms of talent, at least. I’m not all that confident in the coaching staff. The team was set back a couple of years with the coaching changes last season. Mike Tomlin, Bruce Ariens, Larry Zierlein, etc. seem mediocre at best when you compare them to their counterparts league wide.

But this is the prime of Big Ben, and Kevin Colbert has surrounded him with some of the best young talent available. Heath Miller and Santonio Holmes were the best at their position in succeeding drafts. Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed were among the top two. Matt Spaeth was the Mackay Award winner and probably best all round tight end a year ago. Gary Russell was the equal of two of the top young backs in the league, Marion Barber and Lawrence Maroney, when he was at Minnesota, and is the second youngest player on the roster. Plus the Steelers young skill players all seem to be solid citizen types. When you look around the league at high profile skill prospects who crashed, it is almost always due to off field issues.

As far as the offensive line is concerned, they have three returning starters from the Super Bowl and five players with at least 3 years NFL starting experience. All they need is to have one or two of the third and fourth year pros emerge. I think the odds are good in that regard. O line play is as much about familiarity with the system and cohesion within the group as it is about individual skill. Essex, Kemoeatu, and Colon have been around long enough to acquire that. Any one of them, by virtue of experience, would be more effective than a rookie they could have brought in the draft.

The defense is more of a group effort, and it couldn’t be in better hands than with Dick Lebeau. They brought in some playmakers at the positions which lend themselves to individual effort in the system. Cornerback McFadden, safety Smith, linebackers Timmons, Woodley, and Davis. Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, and Ike Taylor are in their prime. The back eight in the defense are all good athletes who are at or near their prime.

The front three in the Steeler system mainly set things up for the guys behind them. For that, smart experienced vets working with each other, are just as effective as high profile athletic phenoms.
rob says:

May 20th, 2008 at 4:48 pm

It’s hard to comprehend that someone would actually get paid for such a shallow analysis as Florio served up. Probably well paid, at that. It’s like going to an upscale restaurant, and being served an Egg McMuffin, but having to pay $11 for it instead of the MacDonald’s price.
Steve says:

May 20th, 2008 at 7:05 pm

Is it really any wonder that Florio works for Sporting News? That rag hasn’t been readable since what, about 1975? I’m amazed it is even still around - I swear I haven’t seen a copy since about ‘80.

Besides his idiotic remarks about the Steelers continually underachieving when expected to do well, and the offense not going to be able to put up points, he says the G-men won’t make it either. IN THE NFC? ARE YOU KIDDING? The Pack won’t make it - IN THE NFC? What a moron.
Tony Ferrante says:

May 20th, 2008 at 7:47 pm

Hey Mike,
I’ve been saying “off year” since January…

http://mvn.com/nfl-steelers/2008/01/12/2008-could-be-a-downer-year-in-steelers-land/

The O-line continues to scare the hell out of me, especially after keeping it nearly intact in the offseason….
Dave B. says:

May 20th, 2008 at 8:48 pm

The O-Line will be fine. Not many teams go into the season without O-Line issues. Someone will step up. No worries.
Zman of VA says:

May 21st, 2008 at 5:50 am

This is what I love about the internet. I can get info from afar about my home team from people who really know what is going on instead of relying on drive by national media types who don’t have the time to make an informed opinion. The ill informed opinions of people like Florio is exactly why the NFL has so many surprise teams each year.
Christian Hamm says:

May 21st, 2008 at 8:18 am

Wow…such venom. I’m going to defend Mike Florio…although I disagree with his opinion. Profootballtalk is quite possibly the greatest thing on the internet…next to MVN, of course. The thing I see is that in our division I don’t think there is a viable alternative than the Steelers. Neither the Browns, Bengals or Ravens are better than us. All this hype over the Browns is exactly the same hype the Bengals where getting a few years ago. The media types want to look cool by being the first to predict the next unexpected team to succeed…so if your a quality team, not named the Patriots, your less likely to get respect.
MBlaster says:

May 21st, 2008 at 8:23 am

Maybe Florio needs to be reminded of the 2005 season and how the Steelers were the first sixth seeded team to win the Super Bowl.
Terry J says:

May 21st, 2008 at 6:57 pm

Just another year. Most all of the Media is anti Steelers. So what. I guess we will have to show them again in 2008. GO STEELERS
Dave B. says:

May 21st, 2008 at 9:31 pm

I agree Terry. Who cares what the media opinions are. They are people with opinions just like the rest of us. They only difference is they get paid to express them..
Bradford Dillman says:

May 23rd, 2008 at 12:19 pm

I’ve been a Steelers fan since Big Daddy, am I dissapointed when we don’t win the Super Bowl every year, yes, but I always feel we have a chance. I look at us Steeler fans as the Borg we are part of the continuum, the rest will just have to assimilate.