Loose Slag from The Still Mill (Aug. 12th, 2003)

- Why the surprise over the slop and vomit out of the O-line in the Lions game?�� There are 3 sure things in life:� death; taxes; and Billy Cowher's offensive line being nowhere close to state of readiness come opening day.� Oh, and there's a 4th -- Billy's team will emit a team stink on opening day�

- On the same topic of O-line slop, I will be referencing this soon in another article -- Cowher perennially takes MONTHS to get his O-line to JEL.  The Ravens will RUN BLITZ the tar out of us on opening day, and Cowher will be left BEFUDDLED and CONFUSED.  You heard it here first. 

- Speaking of hearing things first right here, this space staunchly reported months ago that, if Mark Bruener were kept on the roster, he'd be the starter come hell or high water.� Sure enough, Billy's primary pacifiers -- Bruener, Bettis, and GilDong -- will be in the starting lineup come Sep. 7th.

- Wasn't it just yesterday that Steeler fans were frothing over the supposed blockbuster impact that will be made by TE Jay Riemersma in terms of being a key cog on �downfield 3rd down plays and opening up the deep middle��?�� Riemersma will be firmly rooted to the bench�until Bruener's annual season-ending injury, that is.� And it's not that Riem cannot produce -- he can.� Riem has one major problem going against him: his head coach is a dim bulb named Billy Cowher�

- Speaking of Doughboy Bettis, Billy Cowher came to camp itching for a reason -- any reason -- to sit Amoz and start The Doughboy.� Sure enough, Amoz tweaked his ankle, and Cowher's prayers were answered.� Another major step backwards for Billy Cowher and the Pittsburgh Stillers�

- Going into the regular season, the secondary will be, in fact, a HUGE concern, especially if Burnt Alex is still a starter.  But realize this: The Stillers currently employ the slowest starting QB and the slowest starting RB in the entire National Football League.� That's correct -- there isn't a slower starting QB/RB combo in the NFL than Maddox/Bettis.� This team will be screwed big time when this O-line stumbles out of the gate.

- Now it seems that Nkwenti might at least get a look-see at tackle.� Gee, if only he hadn�t rotted his first 2 seasons in the NFL�.otherwise, maybe he'd actually be ready for a starting assignment.� But, grooming players for the future requires foresight�planning�vision�and intelligence�none of which the head coach possesses.�

- I shouldn't be surprised, but still, I was a bit surprised over all the fawning the Pittsburgh media did after the defense "shut down the Lion offense".� I mean, get real.� The Lion offense is incredibly average.� Let's hold off on the imbecilic "The Steeler defense has come around from last year's struggles" until the defense actually stops a top-flight passing attack.���

- Stan Savran had a half-way decent article in the PG entitled, "Tim Lewis Leads List on Steelers Hot Seat".� It was a halfway decent article, but in true, major-Pittsburgh-media fashion, Stanley did the same copout as every one of his spineless brethren.�� He listed 10 individuals -- 11 actually, because he lumped together Chad and DeWayne -- who are on the hot seat for this upcoming season.� Unbelievable, one of them was Aaron Smith, of whom Stanley blathered, "You don't measure a defensive lineman's impact solely on sack totals. Still, Smith's sack totals dropped last season, partially because of the offenses they were facing. But they'll be seeing that again, and he needs to be the disruptive force he became in 2001."�� Stanley proves his idiocy here, not once but twice.� Smith is a DE in the 3-4, and as such, is going to have to grapple in the tight confines of the interior line against numerous double teams or "man-and-a-half" blocking.� Meanwhile, nowhere in his "hot seat list" does Stanley Simpleton mention the defense's highest paid player, who also happens to be the defensive "captain", at least on paper.� That guy's name, for the uninitiated like Stanley, is Jason GilDong, and the number of big plays and bone-crushing hits he made last year could be counted on the hand of a lumberjack who'd lost 4 fingers in a sawmill accident.� If anyone has earned the right to be on the hot seat, it is none other than the defense's highest paid, least impact providing, and softest defender, who goes by the name of Jason GilDong.

- Josh managed over 52 yards/punt on 3 boots, and the media is fawning over him as though he's the next Ray Guy.� It was in a DOME, folks.� Let's see what Slosh can do outside in the grass on a cold, blustery day in November�.or in January.� Maybe this playoff season Josh can avoid booting low punts directly at Troy Brown�.

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- From the PG after the game: "Harrington did not return for the second half after completing 13 of 25 passes for 136 yards, without a sack. "I would like to see us generate more of a rush from our four-man pressure," Cowher said.�� Duh-uh -- no kiddin, eh Billy?�� Isn't Mighty Jason Gildon the 4th man in that "four-man pressure"?� Isn't Jason the he-man, $24M havoc-monging monster?�� What gives, Billy?�

- The very first preseason game means little.� So, too, does the 4th.� This means that Little Billy has two, and only two, preseason games to get his team in-synch and ready for the rigors, speed, and hitting of opening day.� The Philly game will be a good, stern test for the Stillers.� The Cryboys aren't good enough to provide the same test, but the game is at home, at night, on national TV, so there should be a fever-pitched atmosphere for that game.�

�(Still Mill and Stillers.com -- the only nationally read coverage on the Pittsburgh Stillers that has accurately predicted the how's and the why's of the past 3 Stiller playoff losses�.)