A New Decade in Steelers Football and in The NFL

[im_noob]

This chise will be not only a Steeler chise but will also heavily focus on the rest of the NFL as well. I am starting off in the 2009 playoffs, but first I will summarize the 2009 season division by division.

Before that though here is a look at each Conferences playoff teams:



1. Patriots (14-2)
2. Titans (11-5)
3. Broncos (11-5)
4. Steelers (10-6)
5. Chargers (11-5)
6. Ravens (9-7)




1. Packers (12-4)
2. Saints (12-4)
3. Giants (11-5)
4. Rams (10-6)
5. Eagles (10-6)
6. Cardinals (10-6)

[im_noob]

NFC North:

Packers (12-4)
After a very great start to the season (9-1) star Quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a season ending ACL Tear. The team struggled at first losing 3 straight games (Lions, Ravens, and Bears). However they recovered and were able to win the NFC North by winning their last 3 games.

Bears (8-8)
Overall this was just not a good season for the Bears, the one bright spot? They finished 2nd in the division over “Super Bowl Destined” Minnesota.

Vikings (8-8)
The Vikings started off the season horribly. Brett Favre was injured, ending his consecutive game streak, however even when he came back he did not help out a whole lot (73.3 rating, 17 TD, 13 INT, 138.5 YPG). After winning 4 games in a row to get to 7-5 the playoffs looked very possible, however they went 1-3 from that point on. A terrible season for a team many had going all the way this year.

Lions (5-11)
The Lions played much better than expected, actually winning 5 games, including 2 against The Packers and 1 against The Cardinals.

Next up: NFC East

[im_noob]

NFC East

Giants (11-5)
The Giants were able to win the NFC East by finishing stronger than the Eagles did (3 straight to end season). The biggest piece to their success was Brandon Jacobs (1,585 yards, 16 TD)

Eagles (10-6)
The Eagles were in good position to win the NFC East but faltered towards the end of the season winning just 1 of their last 3 games. Brian Westbrook was often injured and was unable to get into a real grove.

Redskins (8-8)
The Redskins season was marked by inconsistency. At moments they looked like a playoff caliber team, but at others … well let’s just remind you that the Lions got their first victory in over a year against them. Santana Moss went down for the season in training camp so they signed Marvin Harrison. Harrison played good for them but was injured after 9 games. With no one to throw to Campbell’s season went downhill, he ended just under 3,000 yards and with an 82.2 passer rating. He did however have career high 23 touchdowns.

Cowboys (3-13)
By far the Cowboys have to be the most disappointing team in the NFL. Their only 3 wins came against the Seahawks, Chiefs, and Raiders. At no point in the season did they win consecutive games. Tony Romo went down in week 5 with a season ending injury but at that point they were already 1-4. After Kitna started 4 games they decided to let rookie Stephen McGee play. They were 1-6 with him as the starter, but his stats were atrocious; 41.3 rating, 889 yards, 3 TD, 11 INT, and just 46% completion percentage.

NFC South
Saints (12-4)
The division was close for most of the season just like the NFC East was, however the Saints pulled out a 5 game winning streak from week 12 to week 16 to really pull ahead of the Panthers and Falcons. Some of their top players other than Drew Brees (3,831 yards, 39 TD) were; Colston (86 receptions, 15 TD), Vilma (150 tackles, 5 FF), and C. Grant (15 sacks).

Panthers (9-7)
This team on paper performed really well, Peppers (16) and rookie E. Brown (11) both had over 10 sacks, rookie corner C. Munnerlyn had 4 interceptions and both Williams (1,443) and Stewart (1059) has 1000+ yard rushing seasons. However they were too streaky and inconsistent at times; they had a 6 game winning streak, but they followed that up with a 3 game losing streak. They won against the Saints in week 17 but did not get the help they needed to make the playoffs.

Falcons (8-8)
The thing that really hurt the Falcons was there 1-5 division record. If you can only win 1 game in your division chances are you won’t make the playoffs.

Buccaneers (5-11)
Byron Leftwich went down with injury after 5 starts and that meant rookie Josh Freeman would become the starter. Josh started off well, in his first 3 starts he eclipsed a quarterback rating of 100 every time. As time went on he cooled off a little bit but still played well for a rookie quarterback, and much better than both Sanchez and Stafford. His record as a starter was 4-6. What makes Tampa’s season so interesting is that they beat each the Saints, Panthers, and Falcons once on their way to a 3-3 division record.

NFC West

Rams (10-6)
The Rams perfected the art of the “upset” so much this season that they actually started to become the favorites in some of the games they played. After starting out 0-3 all looked to be normal in St. Louis, then the upsets began. This season they beat; The Packers, Colts, Vikings, Titans and Cardinals twice. They ended the season on a 4 game winning streak and hope that that momentum will carry over to the post season. This team was carried by a good combination of Bulger (96 rating, 25 TD, 8 INT, 61%) and Steven Jackson (1,512 yards, 13 TD).

Cardinals (10-6)
The Cardinals performed a repeat of last season folding during the last month, they lost their last 3 games and allowed the Rams to not only catch up but to pass them up and win the division. The biggest problem for the Cards this season was keeping their quarterbacks healthy; 3 different QB’s started games this season for them (Warner, Leinart, and Grossman).

49ers (7-9)
[i]This season wasn’t a total failure for the 49ers and it definitely featured some bright spots for the team; wins over Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Houston all raised morale. Michael Lewis (110 tackles, 4 int) and Frank Gore (1,778 yards, 15 TD) both had amazing seasons.

Seahawks (4-12)
The Seahawks had yet another injury plagued season. Last year Matt Hasselbeck only played in 7 games, this year he played in 0. Another high draft position should help out a team that just 4 years ago was in the Super Bowl.

Next: AFC
Then i will finally begin the real updates with this franchise.

[im_noob]

AFC North

Steelers (10-6)

Ravens (9-7)
The Ravens recovered from a 4-7 start by winning their last 5 games which included a key victory over Pittsburgh. The Ravens struggled inside of the division; going 2-6 in the AFC North (Steelers and Browns).

Bengals (8-8)
The Bengals started out 1-4, but that was without Carson Palmer. When he returned they went 7-4 for the rest of the season. Their offensive line was destroyed by injury; A. Smith, S. Olivea, J. Jennings, K. Cook, B. Williams, and S. Kooistra all missed games with injury.

Browns (8-8)
Quarterback Brady Quinn went down with a short term injury in week one but after Derek Anderson came in and performed well they decided to stick with him. On a sad note however star Left Tackle Joe Thomas suffered a fractured vertebra after 8 games, his chance of coming back and playing again is not known.

[im_noob]

AFC East

Patriots (14-2)
The Patriots picked up right where they left off in 2007. They went 8-0 before finally losing a game (Colts). After that their only other loss was to New Orleans. They finished the season strong with a 5 game winning streak. Offensively their explosive passing game didn’t skip a beat after a season without Tom Brady. Tom had an impressive 47 touchdowns and 4,248 yards a season after playing in just one game. Moss returned to dominance (101 receptions, 1,544 yards, 17 touchdowns) while Ben Watson had the best season of his career (87 receptions, 919 yards, 6 touchdowns).

Jets (6-10)
The Jets actually beat a few good teams this season; Falcons, Panthers, and Titans, but were unable to beat bad teams consistently with losses to Miami twice, Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville. Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez didn’t have a bad season for a rookie; 76.1 rating, 2,662 yards, 16 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 54% completion percentage.

Bills (5-11)
The thing that really hurt the Bills this season was that at one point they lost 6 straight games. Another key factor in their disappointing season was that 4 different quarterbacks started games for them due to injuries. Edwards went down early, Fitzpatrick played horribly so Frerotte got the job; then he went down, and rookie Rhett Bomar became the starter for 2 games until Edwards finally returned.

Dolphins (4-12)
The Dolphins had 2 really bad slumps this season that really cost them. To start off they went 0-4 then later on in the season they had a 5 game losing streak. That’s 9 loses all coming from two strings of games. With the season all but lost in week 11 they decided to let Chad Henne finish out the season at quarterback just to see what they had in him, Chad was not playing bad (although he did miss a few games with injury).

AFC South

Titans (11-5)
The Titans had a somewhat disappointing end to the season. They started off 8-2 but then went 3-4 during the last stretch of the season; if Indy and Houston wouldn’t have also choked down the road they may not have won the division.

Colts (8-8)
For the first time since 2001 the Colts will not be in the playoffs. They have a good excuse though, many of their best players missed significant time with injuries. Bob Sanders was put on IR in preseason, Dallas Clark was put on IR after 11 games, Mathis after 13, Philip Wheeler missed the last 4 games, Bethea missed the first 9 games, and Wayne missed 2 key games towards the end of the season. The most surprising stat is that they were just 2-4 inside their division, normally the Colts own the AFC South.

Texans (7-9)
If Houston had not of lost their last 3 games they would’ve been able to make the playoffs as the 6 seed over the 9-7 Baltimore Ravens, however Houston did in fact “choke” and lost the last 3 games of the season. Part of the reason they lost those last 3 games is that Matt Schaub was injured for 2 of them.

Jaguars (6-10)
Not only did the Jags start off 0-5 but they lost David Garrard for 7 weeks after their 3rd loss. When Garrard came back things started going a little bit better though, 5-3 record after his return. Maurice Jones-Drew played his first season without Fred Taylor; he posted a career high in yards (986) but also had a career low in yards per carry (3.9) and touchdowns (4). 33 year old receiver Torry Holt had a very nice season for his new team (73 receptions, 1,107 yards, 8 touchdowns).

[im_noob]

Alright after this post the real updates will begin.

AFC West

Broncos (11-5)
Despite going from Jay Cutler to Kyle Orton the Broncos did not change their style of offense a whole lot, it remained very pass heavy. Orton had a career season going over 4,000 yards and throwing 29 touchdowns. This season the Broncos were able to hold on to a minor lead in the division and won out their last 3 games, a sharp contrast to last season’s collapse.

Chargers (11-5)
The Chargers started off 7-0 and never really dropped off a whole lot. They won their last 2 games but the Broncos did not falter so they had to settle for a wildcard spot. LT didn’t have a season a whole lot better than 2008 in terms of running, but he did have 19 touchdowns which certainly helps win games.

Raiders (5-11)
The Raiders didn’t play well for most of the season, but they were however able to upset both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Offensively none of their receivers had 50+ receptions or 500+ yards. Jamarcus Russell had perhaps the worst season for any starting quarterback ever. His stats were, 54.1 rating, 1,823 yards, 8 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a 46% completions percentage. With just 1,823 yards there’s no way he played in all 16 games right? Wrong, he did, he just played that badly. The one bright spot on this team was a defense that at times played very well. The team MVP? Richard Seymour who in just 14 games had 12 sacks.

Chiefs (3-13)
This was just a terrible season for Todd Haley and the Kansas City Chiefs. There was only one real bright spot and that was an upset against the Giants in week 4. Defensively the Chiefs had the worst defense in the NFL.

Steelers Player Stats:

Passing:
B. Roethlisberger (QB): 85.9 rating, 3,619 yards, 23 TD, 14 INT, 57% (13 games)
C. Batch (QB): 68.0 rating, 973 yards, 7 TD, 9 INT, 55%

Running:
R. Mendenhall (RB): 867 yards, 253 carries (3.4 YPC), 6 TD
W. Parker (RB): 389 yards, 101 carries (3.8 YPC), 1 TD (13 games)

Receiving:
H. Miller (TE): 90 receptions, 1,022 yards (11.3 YPC), 11 TD
S. Holmes (WR): 81 receptions, 1,193 yards (14.7 YPC), 7 TD
H. Ward (WR): 70 receptions, 928 yards (13.2 YPC), 4 TD
M. Wallace (WR): 33 receptions, 477 yards (14.4 YPC), 2 TD

Sacks Leaders:
J. Harrison (OLB) - 18 sacks **** Team Record
L. Woodley (OLB) - 9 sacks
A. Smith (DE) - 9 sacks
L. Timmons (MLB) - 5 sacks
K. Lewis (CB) - 4 sacks
J. Farrior (MLB) - 4 sacks
Z. Hood (DE) - 3 sacks
C. Hampton (NT) - 3 sacks
T. Polamalu (SS) - 2 sacks
B. Keisel (DE) - 1 sack

Interceptions:
T. Polamalu (SS) - 3 INT
W. Gay (CB) - 2 INT
I. Taylor (CB) - 2 INT
D. Townsend (CB) - 2 INT
Woodley (OLB) - 1 INT
Clark (FS) - 1 INT
Farrior (MLB) - 1 INT

Pro Bowlers (4)
S. Holmes (WR)
A. Smith (DE)
H. Miller (TE)
J. Harrison (OLB)

Now that everyone is caught up i will begin.

[im_noob]

I'm Derrin Horton and this an NFL Network Now update. Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker suffered a torn bicep in the Patriots final game of the regular season. The injury may keep him out for all of the post-season. This is definately a blow to the Patriots 3rd ranked pass offense. Rookie Brandon Tate will start in his place.

Meanwhile in Dallas after a disappointing 3-13 season the Cowboys have decided to fire Head Coach Wade Phillips. Phillips coached the Cowboys for 3 seasons compiling a 25-23 record but missed the playoffs the last 2 seasons. There is no word yet who Dallas will interview for the job.

[im_noob]

VS
(11-5) (10-6)

Weather: Heavy Snow

Injury Report - Chargers

Kevin Burnett (MLB)
Was injured in week 12. Was having a good season before injury, his absence will be felt.

Kyan Forney (RG) / Nick Hardwick (C)
Both were injured in the Chargers season finale. Also 2 rookies will start in their place; Tyronne Green will start at center and Louis Vasquez at guard.

Chargers Offense (10th Tot, 11th Passing, 15th Rushing)

Strengths:
Both the Chargers starting wide receivers are 6'5 and over 220 lbs, this creates big size mismatches against corners. Both of those receivers are nearly impossible to bump. Their offensive line is great aside from the two rookies starting.

Weaknesses:
They have two rookies starting in the interior of the offensive line. That should really hamper their running, especially considering that Louis Vasquez the rookie guard will be going up against pro-bowl lineman Aaron Smith.

Chargers Defense (10th total, 22nd pass, 2nd run)

Strength
The strength of this defense is their great linebacker play. Merriman, Phillips, and Cooper have all had great seasons not just rushing the quarterback but also helping out in run support. On the defensive line they have the perfect personal to run the 3-4; a big strong end in Castillo and a huge nose tackle in Jamal Williams. Jammer and Weddle have had big seasons with 5 and 6 interceptions respectively.

Weaknesses
Despite getting a great pass rush constantly (2nd in sacks) they have the 22nd rated pass defense. Antonio Cromartie and Clinton Hart can take some of the blame for this. Their linebackers are also not great dropping back, but that is common in 3-4 schemes.

Top Performers


Ladainian Tomlinson (RB): 1,083 yards, 279 carries (3.8 YPC), 19 TD


Stephen Cooper (MLB): 140 tackles, 7 sacks, 3 INT


Shaun Phillips(OLB): 60 tackles, 10 sacks, 1 INT


Quentin Jammer (CB): 3 sacks, 5 INT, 1 TD


Eric Weddle (FS): 39 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 INT