Steelers Fan Playoff Power Rankings

The Steelers loss to the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs was unfortunate, and I'm still working on picking up the pieces of shattered expectations to formulate a game recap. That's coming later in the week. But for now, I wanted to get things rolling into the offseason by bringing back one of my most popular posts from last year.

In my post last year, I detailed three criteria for helping to rank teams when trying to choose a non-Steelers team to root for. With only 8 teams remaining in the field, here is your definitive guide for who Steelers fans should or should not root for to ultimately hoist the Lombardi.

The Criteria

1. Rivalries

Baltimore, Cincinnati and New England go to the bottom of the list. Always. I didn't include Cleveland or Oakland in this list because the thought of them making the playoffs would cause this post to lose all legitimacy.

2. Super Bowl Rings

As Steelers fans, we love holding the "Sixburgh" or "First to Six" or "How Many Yinz Got?" over fans of all 31 other teams. Therefore, we don't want to see anyone else get to 6 or even get within striking distance of 6 Rings. Looking at the 8 remaining playoff teams this year, Dallas leads the pack with 5 rings, followed by Green Bay and with 4, New England with 3, Denver, Baltimore and Indianapolis with 2, and Seattle with 1.

3. General Jagoffery

Does the team have a player that it's really easy to hate (i.e. Tom Brady)? Does the team have someone it's really easy to cheer for (i.e. Adrian Peterson)? Is their coach a Harbaugh?

The Rankings

8. Baltimore

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: I Hate JJ Redick, Purple Reign Show, @iHateJJRedick @BMoreBirdsNest @lindsayyok 

What To Like: Elite jokes

What Not To Like: They're Baltimore, so pretty much everything. Not just about the Ravens organization that endorsed Ray Rice but the entire city of Baltimore. Everything sucks.

The Verdict: Never under any circumstances should you root for the Ravens. Period.

7. Dallas

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Blogging the Boys, @BloggingTheBoys, @MattThorntonNFL

What To Like: DeMarco Murray, I guess. Sean Lee was the only good thing about the Cowboys and he's out for the year. Tony Romo playoff meltdowns, too.

What Not To Like: Dallas getting a gift to make it through the first round. The Cowboys are tied with the Steelers for most Super Bowl appearances (8) and have 5 rings. A Super Bowl victory would put them into a tie with the Steelers.

The Verdict: Our rivalry with the Cowboys may have grown thinner over time since we only play them once every four years, but we can never forget the Super Bowls of the 70s or Larry Brown in 1995. Much like the 49ers of 2013, the only acceptable time to root for them is if they are playing the Ravens.

6. New England

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: FoxboroBlog

What To Like: The Patriots and Ravens both getting the mumps. 

What Not To Like: Having to root for the Patriots to beat the Ravens. Ugh. What makes matters worse is this is the 4th time in the last 6 years we've had to watch these two play in the playoffs.

The Verdict: Rooting for the Patriots violates all 3 of the Steelers Fan Criteria. A Super Bowl victory would give Brady/Belichick 4 rings which would tie them with Bradshaw/Noll. 

5. Denver

Recommended Blogs/Twitter:

What To Like: Peyton Manning is the smartest player in football. Never forget that he bought 30 pizza stores in Denver right before Colorado legalized pot. The Denver Broncos have lost more Super Bowls (5) than any other organization.

What Not To Like: Emmanuel Sanders playing like a legitimate #2 receiver. I don't think he's dropped a pass all year. Where were these clutch catches when he was with the Steelers?

The Verdict: Unfortunately, Denver is the second best option in the AFC and you'll have to root for the winner of Denver-Indianapolis in the AFC Championship Game.

4. Green Bay

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: @PackersTherapy

What To Like: Aaron Rodgers. Jordy Nelson down the right sideline. John Kuhn in short yardage.

What Not To Like: Green Bay beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XL and have 4 Super Bowl rings. A 5th would put them within striking distance of the Steelers.

The Verdict: Green Bay is a middle-of-the-road choice depending on how torn up you are about Super Bowl XL. That was four years ago, so if you've moved past the fact that Ben threw 2 interceptions and Rashard Mendenhall couldn't hold onto the ball in a key situation, then it's okay to root for Green Bay.

3. Indianapolis

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Colts Authority, @NateDunlevy, @ColtsAuth_Kyle

What To Like: Andrew Luck memes, they are hilarious. Andrew Luck in general is pretty good, even if his receivers let him down a lot and he has no running game. TY Hilton is like Drew Brees - great indoors, not so great outside.

What Not To Like: TY Hilton outdoors. The Colts running game. The Colts pass rush, which had only 29 sacks this season. 

The Verdict: Of the 4 AFC teams remaining, the Colts are clearly the preferable choice. The Colts blogosphere has some really good writers, definitely worth checking out.

2. Carolina

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: @PanthersBryan, @PanthersMax

What To Like: Carolina's front 7 is incredibly fun to watch. Luke Kuechly is one of the best inside linebackers in the league. Head Coach Ron Rivera's house caught fire this week and thankfully everyone is safe.

What Not To Like: The Panthers 7-8-1 regular season record. They got by in the Wild Card Round thanks to facing an offensively inept Arizona team, but it's hard to see them getting past Seattle this weekend.

The Verdict: Mostly because of their 0 Super Bowl rings, Carolina appears very high on this list. Also, this 3 Act Play on the History of Teal Uniforms is worth your time.

1. Seattle

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Field Gulls, @30AcreFortress, @FieldGulls, @hawkblogger

What To Like: The way the Seahawks play defense. The way the Seahawks run the ball. Seahawks twitter (you should follow everyone I listed, just for the fun of it). Marshawn Lynch postgame interviews.

What Not To Like: Seattle's wide receivers. In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, "Who are these people?" The Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl Champs so that might make them a bit insufferable.

The Verdict: They might be the defending champs but there's not a whole lot to dislike about the Seahawks. They run the ball, they play defense. Sure Richard Sherman is outspoken and Marshawn Lynch doesn't speak, but this is a team that Steelers fans can comfortably get behind to hoist their second straight Lombardi.

Sweet Carolina: Steelers WIN

 37

 19

The Panthers win the toss and defer so the Steelers get it first because they're smarter than Texas (link).

The Steelers get off to a bit of a strange start as they an illegal substitution penalty and have to burn a timeout on 3rd and short when they can't figure out their substitutes. The good news is that The Prescription came to play and picks up 2 first downs all on his own, but the drive stalls out near midfield when a 3rd down pass gets batted down at the line.

The Panthers go right to the air and Cam Newton does what Brian Hoyer and Joe Flacco did the first two weeks and picks apart the Steelers secondary. The Panthers move down into Steelers territory with Newton visibly limping after taking a hit from Worilds. The defense is able to get off the field thanks to a pass bouncing off the hands of Kelvin Benjamin, unfortunately Cortez Allen just missed coming up with a diving pick.

remember when the steelers defense used to get turnovers? maybe that was a fever dream.
— psamp (@psamp) September 22, 2014

0-3

The Steelers decide that the drive after giving up points is a great time to take a bunch of penalties and wind up in 3rd and long where they throw a WR screen and just give up. In two drives, the Steelers didn't throw a pass that wasn't a screen of some kind.

Is Ben Roethlisberger hurt or is the game plan to not utilize the forward pass at all in this game?
— Paul Zeise (@PaulZeise) September 22, 2014

The defense steps up and forces a 3-and-out with Bill Gay chasing down a receiver over the middle to force the punt.

Ben finally takes a shot down the field and DHB is able to draw a pass interference penalty to flip the field and get us to the edge of field goal range. Le'Veon picks up a first down on his own on a naaaasty jump cut. The drive screeches to a halt when Ben gets sacked then almost gets his arm hit on 3rd down, but Suisham connects to get us on the board.

3-3

Second Quarter

The defense gets off the field again and forces their second straight 3-and-out when Olsen drops a low pass on 3rd and 1.

A booming punt and a penalty on the return flip the field and pin us back inside the 10. A false start sets us back even further but LeGarrette Blount makes a beautiful cutback and gets it all in one chunk. On 3rd down, Ben takes a shot down the field to AB in single coverage. Brown makes a great over-the-shoulder grab to move us out across midfield.

ANTONIO BROWN WITH THE WILLIE MAYS
— OneForTheOtherThumb (@OFTOT) September 22, 2014

Antonio Brown is the best route-runner in the NFL. Showing amazing body control + concentration there too.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) September 22, 2014

Heath gets in on the action and moves the chains again and gets us into the red zone. AB comes up just short of the chains on 3rd down inside the 10 but the Steelers go for it and Ben sneaks it for the first down.

Antonio Brown now has at least five receptions and 50 yards in 19 consecutive games tying an #NFL record for #Steelers
— Dale Lolley (@dlolleyor) September 22, 2014

On 3rd and goal, Ben seemingly hits Wheaton for a touchdown but the back judge calls it incomplete, saying Wheaton stepped out then came back in and caught the ball.

Line judge right by Markus Wheaton ruled that a touchdown but some shadowy force says NO
— Mike Tunison (@xmasape) September 22, 2014

So, if both feet are in bounds for the catch, how is that NOT 're-establishing' oneself? What the ... ?
— Dejan Kovacevic (@Dejan_Kovacevic) September 22, 2014

That's a ridiculous call. A. He was forced out. B. He reestablished position in bounds and made the catch. Total joke yet again.
— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) September 22, 2014

That was just a horribly officiated play all around. Should be a TD or first down via penalty for Steelers. @Jakeley_BR
— Scott Kacsmar (@FO_ScottKacsmar) September 22, 2014

"No, I understand that you were right in front of the play and called it a TD but I had a much better angle from much further away.
— patrick muldowney (@patmuldowney) September 22, 2014

All of that being said, it should have been pass interference. The ball is in the air and he is riding him out of bounds.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) September 22, 2014

Suisham puts us in the lead.

6-3

McLendon gets the first sack since the Browns game to start the next drive but Cam hits Benjamin to get into 3rd and short. Cam hits Olsen to move the chains then Benjamin on a similar play to the one that won the BCS championship, but it was only for a first down this time.  Jarvis Jones makes his first good play of the night, which is getting his facemask held and the penalty puts the Panthers well behind on down and distance. Cam Heyward drills Newton on 3rd down, forcing an overthrow and it's punt city.

Ben burned 2 timeouts already in the half on substitution miscommunications so the Steelers only have 1 timeout and 1:40 to work with after the punt.

AB hauls in a pass then makes an All Pro play jumping into a defender to draw a pass interference to get us across midfield. Wheaton keeps things going but can't get out of bounds which forces a spike to stop the clock. On 2nd down, DeCastro hits Kuechly after the play which knocks us out of field goal range. Bell gets us back into range on a dump-down and Suisham drills it from 45.

9-3

Third Quarter

Carolina gets flagged for holding but the refs give it back on an illegal contact penalty on Cortez Allen. Shazier got hurt when Timmons landed on his knee/leg. Another hold knocks the Panthers back and The Diesel takes over, walking the tackle back into Newton on a bull rush on two consecutive plays. On the second, Jarvis Jones also beat his tackle around the edge and hit Newton, seemingly forcing a fumble that the Steelers recover.

Nothing is without drama though as the turnover has to be reviewed to make sure it actually was a turnover.

The Steelers take over at the 17 but can't get anything going and seemingly have to settle for 3 after Ben overthrows Heath in the end zone on 3rd down. Carolina isn't content to let us kick a 30-yard field goal and jump offsides to give us new life at the 7. Ben hangs in under pressure and pumps a few times then makes a RIDICULOUS throw to the back corner of the end zone to Antonio Brown.

WHAT EVEN

Seriously, you can't even make that throw in video games.

16-3

The good feeling doesn't last for long as Ike Taylor makes a tackle of Kelvin Benjamin and Ike's arm gets shattered by Lawrence Timmons' helmet coming in to help with the tackle. The Panthers slowly work their way down the field, picking on Antwon Blake who is now the nickel corner. Carolina out-thinks themselves and decides not to go for Blake on Benjamin on 3rd down at the edge of the red zone and Newton overthrows his receiver.

16-6

This is time for Bell and Blount to take over. This is where having a strong running game pays off
— Nick Kelly (@NickKelly_PGH) September 22, 2014

The Steelers seem to be going nowhere when they get called for a pick play and are in a 2nd and 22 inside their own 10 but The Prescription takes one right up the middle and dashes through the Carolina defense and gets caught from behind at the 11.

#ThePrescription

AB gets us to the 1 but Michael Palmer pushes off in the end zone and gets called for offensive pass interference. Two plays later, Ben scrambles out of pressure and hits Antonio Brown streaking across the goalline for the touchdown.

All 3 of our passing touchdowns this year have been Ben scrambling and throwing it to AB. I can live with that.
— The Steelers n'at (@thesteelersnat) September 22, 2014

23-6

The Panthers are able to pick up a few first down with passes to Benjamin but Arthur Moats decides he's seen enough and sacks Newton near midfield.

Fourth Quarter

The Panthers get some yards on 3rd down and Riverboat Ron goes for it on 4th down with Benjamin picking it up. Two plays later, Newton hits Olsen who blows past Allen and takes it to the house.

23-13

The Steelers can't get anything going and have to punt it right back to Carolina. Brad Wing booms one and the Panthers returner has trouble picking it up, but finally does just before Shamarknado slams into him and knocks the ball out. It pinballs around as Panthers players and Steelers players try to dive on it before Robert Golden finally falls on it in the end zone for a TOUCHDOWN.

OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT
— OneForTheOtherThumb (@OFTOT) September 22, 2014

(Photoshop brilliance from @OFTOT)

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Panthers.
— Scott Carasik (@ScottCarasik) September 22, 2014

Absolutely huge turn of events after Carolina built momentum!
— Chris (@ChrisG_BR) September 22, 2014

30-13

Carolina gets some field position when Cam Newton gets broken in half by Jason Worilds which draws a flag. Cam can barely stand let alone even throw and that's it for the Panthers drive.

Cameron Heyward destroys Joey Porter https://t.co/xZMrUZyetb
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) September 22, 2014

Carolina downed the punt inside the 5 so the Steelers go run-run-pass and work their way out with a 3rd down pass to Wheaton. Heath makes a juggling catch over the middle and rumbles down the sideline to get us across the 40. LeGarrette Blount The Warhammer takes one up the middle and bounces it outside and takes it all the way down the sideline inside the 10.

Love the one two punch @L_Bell26 and @LG_Blount!! The real deal!!
— Jerome Bettis (@JeromeBettis36) September 22, 2014

For those keeping track at home, that's an 81-yard run by Bell and a 51-yard run by Blount in the same game.

Steelers are pantsing what was thought to be an elite defense. Never expected a score like this.
— Scott Kacsmar (@FO_ScottKacsmar) September 22, 2014

Two plays later, Blount gets to finish what he started and just runs over some hapless Panther defender and drags him into the end zone.

(h/t @SteelersDepot for the great gif work)

37-13

The Steelers have 200 yards rushing for the first time since 2010.

Derek Anderson comes in for Carolina because Cam Newton couldn't even walk any more. Anderson doesn't really care about the score and airs it out, moving the Panthers into Steelers territory. DA goes downtown for Benjamin down the sideline who makes an over-the-shoulder catch over Antwon Blake and slides his feet inside the pylon for the touchdown.

Panthers go for 2 and miss though, because they've never scored more than 20 against the Steelers.

37-19

Bruce Gradkowski comes in for his first regular season action as a Pittsburgh Steeler. Blount goes right back to work hammering the Panthers up the middle, hurdling over guys and running them down. Blount picks up a first down right before the 2-minute warning.

#Steelers have 2 RBs over 100yds in game (Le’Veon Bell & LeGarrette Blount) - 1st time since 10/26/1986 (Earnest Jackson&WalterAbercrombie)
— Dom Rinelli (@drinelli) September 22, 2014

With the Panthers still having timeouts, the Steelers give it to Blount who goes right up the middle and he tries to hurdle over Cason again but Cason isn't having it and takes a leg to the face.

“@Schroeder1933: Lol pic.twitter.com/Q7qPTUXxYs”
— Michael Senge (@WDB_Sengeeee73) September 22, 2014

ok it was cason RT @psamp · 3h please let luke kuechkley be the next karate kick victim
— psamp (@psamp) September 22, 2014

Victory Formation.

Game.

Players of the Game

Offensive Game Ball: Le'Veon Bell

Defensive Game Ball: Ike Taylor

Honorable Mentions:

Antonio Brown

Ben Roethlisberger

LeGarrette Blount

Kelvin Beachum

Cody Wallace

Maurkice Pouncey

David DeCastro

Marcus Gilbert

Shamarko Thomas

Robert Golden

Cam Heyward

Brett Keisel

Steve McLendon

William Gay

Final Thoughts

STEELERS JUST SHITTED OUT RUSH YARDS TONIGHT HERE WE GO
— psamp (@psamp) September 22, 2014

Steelers: 5th 2-1 start since drafting Ben Roethlisberger; each of the 1st four resulted in a playoff berth, including two Super Bowl wins
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 22, 2014

• Antonio Brown surpassed Santonio Holmes in career receiving yards with the Steelers, moving him into 11th on the Steelers all-time list.
• Brown needs on 63 more yards to pass Ray Matthews and move into the Top 10.
• 265 rushing yards as a team is the 10th most in a single game in team history.
• After averaging 19.5 points per game in the first 8 games last year, the Steelers have averaged 26.9 points per game over their last 11 games.
• The Steelers have scored 30+ points in 5 of their last 10 games.
• Under Bruce Arians, the Steelers only scored 30+ in 5 of the last 23 games he was Offensive Coordinator.
• Besides the injuries to Shazier, Jones and Ike, this game couldn't have gone any better.
• We have two of the worst teams in the league over the next two weeks. Time to stack some wins.

Gameday: Carolina Panthers

8:30pm

Cameron Outdoor Stadium

TV: NBC

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

It seems like forever since the Steelers have actually played a football game. Having a Thursday Night game basically equates to having another bye week. The good news is that the Steelers are a bit healthier than the Panthers heading into this game. The bad news is our defense hasn't proven they can stop anyone yet.

What To Watch For

1. Injured Players

Are you an offensive skill position player for the Panthers? If so, you've probably had some kind of injury at some point this year. Cam Newton had a broken rib that kept him out of the season opener but was able to play last week, though he didn't look as elusive as usual because of an ankle injury. Nevertheless, Newton will be under center for the Panthers. His backfield mates are not so certain. Starting RB DeAngelo Williams is questionable and 3rd string RB Fozzy Whitaker is doubtful. Jonathan Stewart appears to be the only healthy back right now as FB Mike Tolbert is also nursing an injury. At WR, Kelvin Benjamin has been playing through an ankle injury while Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant are both questionable for Sunday night. The Panthers receiving corps isn't the greatest, but as we saw against the Browns, it doesn't take Pro Bowl receivers to pick apart the Steelers defense. 

2. Steelers O-line vs Panthers D-line

Some of the biggest news of the week was Panthers DE Greg Hardy being placed on the Commissioner's Exempt list, because a paid vacation is exactly what someone accused of domestic assault deserves. The bad news for the Steelers is that Hardy is probably only the 3rd best player on the Panthers defensive line. Charles Johnson is a pass-rushing machine, having racked up 44 sacks over the last 4 seasons. In the middle, last year's first round pick Star Lotulelei is one of the fastest defensive tackles off the snap in the league and has the power to push the pocket. If there are two matchups to watch, it is Johnson against the struggling Marcus Gilbert on the right side and Lotulelei in the middle. Ramon Foster is questionable with an ankle injury so Lotulelei could be matched up against Cody Wallace in the left guard spot. Neither of those favor the Steelers so they will need to find ways to get chips on Johnson by tight ends and free up Maurkice Pouncey to help on Lotulelei. 

3. Greg Olsen

The Steelers used their first round draft pick on a 6'3" 235-pound inside linebacker that ran a 4.3 40-yard dash and spent $25 million in free agency to bring in a rangy safety. Ideally, both of these players would be able to combat the Steelers struggles with covering tight ends. Through two weeks, that hasn't happened at all. Shazier and Mitchell have been beat all over the field by opposing tight ends and they draw one of the best in the league tonight. With all of the injuries to the Panthers receivers, Greg Olsen has been the primary target in the passing game, leading Carolina with 155 yards on 14 receptions in 19 targets. Between Olsen's 19 targets and Kelvin Benjamin's 16, they account for more than half of the passes thrown by Panthers QBs this season.

4. Opening It Up

The Steelers used the No Huddle offense effectively against the Browns and were able to put up 27 points in the first 30 minutes of play. Against the Ravens, the Steelers shelved the No Huddle and the offense struggled to get into a rhythm. Carolina has one of the best defensive front 7s in the league, so if the Steelers are able to get them into a sub package where the Panthers have to take out a defensive lineman or linebacker to get extra defensive backs on the field, they need to exploit that as much as they can. There is some inherent risk with relying heavily on the no huddle offense on the road, but the Steelers will not be able to handle the Panthers up front if Carolina can easily rotate their defensive linemen and keep all 3 linebackers on the field. The Steelers need to get Carolina into a nickel or dime package and run the no huddle to keep the sub package on the field.

5. Splash Plays

Last week against Baltimore, the Steelers had no pressure on Joe Flacco, got no sacks and forced zero turnovers. In fact, the Steelers defense has yet to record a turnover this season (which is eerily reminiscent of last season where they didn't force their first turnover until 5 games into the season). The Panthers have rebuilt their offensive line and allowed 4 sacks last week. Cam Newton's injured ankle played a part in that as he wasn't able to scramble away from pressure as well as he usually can, but if the Steelers are going to have any kind of success tonight, they need to get pressure on Cam and create turnovers. The Ravens were able to stay ahead of the chains in pretty much every situation, getting favorable down and distances throughout the game. The Steelers need splash plays from the defense to slow down the Panthers running game and force Newton to be one-dimensional behind a patchwork offensive line.

Gameday: Carolina Panthers

7:30

Heinz Field

TV: KDKA

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

We have come to the end of the preseason. We stand on the precipice of regular season football, ready to pick up right where we left off against Cleveland. But first, we have to endure one more practice game.

What To Watch For

1. No Injuries

This should sound familiar by now, so I don't need to delve into it too much. The star starters probably won't play at all in this game and those that have minor injuries probably won't play either unless they are roster bubble players. Nevertheless, no team makes it through an entire NFL season without having at least a few starters miss games due to injury so it is important that the Steelers make it through this game that doesn't count with as many healthy bodies as possible.

2. Keep it Vanilla

We play the Panthers again in 3 weeks, so the Steelers will likely keep their playbook very limited so as not to put too much on tape for the Panthers. Additionally, with the rematch coming shortly and Landry Jones at quarterback, don't expect too many audible calls to be used on offense. The last thing we need is for the Panthers to get a read on what our signals and cues are for audibles/hot reads just 3 weeks before we play them in a game that counts. On both offense and defense, keep it simple, get through this game, and let's be done with the preseason.

3. Ribs

The last preseason game marks the annual RibFest at Heinz Field. If you're watching the game you can bet that Edmond Nelson will mention the ribs no less than 10 times during the first half of the game. When he devours a rack on-air at halftime, that's pretty much all he'll be talking about the second half too. If you're listening on the radio, it would be a sincere disappointment if Craig Wolfley doesn't work "ribs" into everything he says on the broadcast.

4. Vets vs Youth

There are a handful of veterans on the roster who are locked in battles for roster spots with young players. The most interesting is at outside linebacker where Chris Carter is seemingly locked in a battle with undrafted free agent Howard Jones. HoJo has been all around the ball in the preseason and has an intriguing upside. At safety, Will Allen is getting a serious push from Robert Golden to be the backup free safety, but the Steelers may elect to keep 5 safeties instead of 4, which would give both players a roster spot. At WR, Darrius Heyward-Bey took a big step forward in the last game by hauling in a touchdown pass and playing well on special teams. Justin Brown and Derek Moye haven't shown much this preseason and at this point it looks like the veteran DHB has an inside track to the 5th WR spot on the roster. At corner, veterans Antwon Blake and Brice McCain seem to have their names pencilled in to the 4th and 5th spots, but the Steelers could always surprise and opt to keep 5th round pick Shaq Richardson who has been injured for much of camp.

5. Landry Jones Playing Himself Off the Team

This might not be exactly what happens, but given the way he played in the second preseason game against Buffalo, it is entirely possible that Landry Jones does not make the final cut down to 53 players. Of course, the Steelers always keep 3 quarterbacks, so that would entail going out and signing another quarterback off of waivers. Jones will likely see most of the work in this game (although the team did not cut Branden Kay in the first round of cuts, so if Jones is awful we may see Kay as well). If Jones still can't get anything done under center, it may force the team to cut him loose in order to send him down to the practice squad. And if you think Landry Jones wouldn't clear waivers, you're crazy.

Dancing Pomp: Steelers Lose

 10

 25

Rather than recap a crappy game where the third stringers played most of the time, here's a video of Bob Pompeani dancing. Edmund Nelson can't hang with that.

The Steelers were 0-4 in the preseason. Pomp is 4-0 in dance moves in these 30 seconds. Dominant performance.

The biggest take-away from this game is that it's a good thing the Steelers have two quarterbacks on their roster ahead of Landry Jones.

Preseason Gameday: Carolina Panthers

7:30pm

Cameron Outdoor Stadium

TV: KDKA or pay to watch online

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

The Steelers head into the last preseason game with essentially 40 of the 53 roster spots decided. There are about 27 guys competing for the last 13 roster spots. Even though the Steelers have yet to win this preseason, they have avoided suffering any significant injuries to their star players, which is a victory enough.

What To Watch For

1. No Injuries

Usually this is the 5th item on my "What to Watch For" list, but as the preseason winds down, avoiding significant injuries and having a healthy team heading into the regular season becomes even more important. So far, the Steelers have avoided losing any of their key players to injury. The starters won't play much (if at all) against the Panthers, which means we should be able to enter the Week 1 contest against Tennessee with a full complement of starters.

2. Special Teams

Special Teams play has been awful so far this preseason. There has been a fumbled punt, punts fielded inside the 10, a blocked punt, a blocked field goal and a kickoff return for a touchdown. That's not even mentioning special teams penalties. This is where the last few roster spots will be determined and it will be important to keep an eye on not only who makes the tackles but who makes back-breaking mistakes. Lane responsibility, particularly on kick coverage, will be a key for the Steelers after giving up the big return last week.

3. Second String O-line

The much-maligned Offensive Line depth enters the last preseason game with a roster spot or two up in the air. The Steelers typically only dress 7 linemen on gameday, so they could get away with carrying only 7 linemen on the active roster. In that case, John Malecki seems to have the inside track given his versatility on the inside. Guy Whimper was brought in to provide veteran depth on the line but he hasn't been able to block a pop-up on his computer, let alone a defensive lineman. This leaves undrafted free agents Chris Hubbard and Joe Long (who both looked much better against Kansas City) as candidates for the 8th roster spot, should the Steelers choose to keep more than 7 offensive linemen on their 53-man roster.

4. The evolution of Felix Jones

Last week, Felix Jones received a baptism by fire when he was thrown into game action with the Steelers less than a day after arriving via trade. This week, he has had more time to study the playbook and learn the offense. We should see Jones' role expand and he should get a lot of carries in this game. Landry Jones is scheduled to see the majority of the game at quarterbacck, and given the injuries in the backfield, Jones should see significant playing time as well, especially on 3rd down. Jones' roster spot is not guarantees, but he could play his way into the team with a stellar performance this week.

5. Linebackers

The Steelers could keep as many as 11 linebackers on their 53-man roster. As things sit right now, five men have their spots locked down. On the outside, LaMarr Woodley, Jarvis Jones and Jason Worlids are roster locks as well as starters Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons on the inside. Behind them, there is a cluster of rookie linebackers that have all jumped off the screen when given the opportunity. Stevenson Sylvester was already cut in the first round of releases, paving the way for the young linebackers to step up on the depth chart. Chris Carter has not developed the way the Steelers had hoped on the outside and Alan Baxter seems poised to surpass him. Kion Wilson and Marshall McFadden have seen significant time on special teams while rookie Vince Williams always seems to be around the ball. Brian Rolle and Terrence Garvin are no slouches either. Rolle has great range and Garvin has bounced baack and forth between outside and inside linebacker though he looks better on the inside. The Steelers could keep all of these guys, but given the amount of capable depth they have, it seems that some incredibly difficult decisions loom on the other side of the Carolina game.

Born to Run: Carolina Panthers Season Preview

2012 Record: 7-9

2012 Rankings

Total Offense: 12

Passing Offense: 16

Rushing Offense: 9

Scoring Offense: 18

Total Defense: 10

Passing Defense: 13

Rushing Defense: 14

Scoring Defense: 18

Offense

The Panthers remain one of the top rushing offenses in the league with the double-headed monster of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart in the backfield, along with QB Cam Newton who always presents a threat to run. Newton's sophomore campaign produced more wins than his rookie season but his numbers took a bit of a hit because of a lack of receiving options. After two years of being mired with mediocre quarterbacks, Steve Smith has returned to the conversation as one of the top receivers in the league, but the Panthers offense desperately needs a second option. Tight End Greg Olsen could be that player, but he failed to surpass 60 yards in any of the last 7 games last season.

Defense

The Panthers continued to add to their defense with the drafting of Star Lotulelei. Star will help solidify the Panthers down the middle and free up space for last year's first rounder Luke Kuechly to roam. Carolina still isn't great on the back end and in a division with Drew Brees and Matt Ryan, that presents problems.

Intangibles

Carolina won 5 of their last 6 last year with their only loss coming to the putrid Kansas City Chiefs. They averaged 28.8 points per game over their last 6 after putting up just 18.4 per game in their first 10. The offense was trending in the right direction at the end of the year, but there are still a lot of question marks on defense.

Prediction

Not only is this team trending in the right direction, but 6 of their 9 losses were by less than a touchdown. They swept New Orleans and split with Atlanta in the division, so don't count these guys out. Cam needs to bring his A game, and that's the biggest question mark. 8-8.

NFC South Draft Preview

With a week until the NFL Draft, we're taking a look at what to expect from all 32 teams come Draft Day, including some recommended blogs to read and folks to follow on Twitter.

2012 Record: 11-4-1

NFC South Champion, Lost NFC Championship Game to San Francisco

Draft Picks: 30, 60, 92, 127, (133), 162, 198, 236, (243), (244), (249)

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Scott Carasik, The Falcoholic

Draft Preview: The Falcons came up just short last season and have added weapons to an already dangerous offense in RB Steven Jackson and with the return of Tony Gonzalez. On defense, they signed DE Osi Umenyiora from the Giants who should improve their 26th-ranked pass rush. The Falcons need can use improvement on the defensive side of the ball, particularly at linebacker and cornerback. However, their offense is good enough (and in this division who really needs defense) that they have the luxury of being able to draft for depth rather than for immediate needs. Atlanta has been aggressive in the first round in the past, and with 11 picks it would not be surprising to see them make a move up the board.

2012 Record: 7-9

Draft Picks: 15, 75, 109, 144, 183

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Saints Nation (Twitter / Blog)

Draft Preview: New Orleans is still feeling the effects of the bounty scandal as it will cost them their second round pick this year. The Saints have only five picks in the draft, most of which will likely be spent on defense as they transition to a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. The Saints had the worst defense in the league last season and the switch to a 3-4 leaves them in need of pass rushers. The Saints did sign Keenan Lewis to help their secondary, but the defense still needs a lot more.

2012 Record: 7-9

Draft Picks: 13, 43, 73, 112, 126, 147, 181, 196

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Ryan Terrana

Draft Preview: Tampa finished 2012 with the league's worst pass defense, and brought in the best safety on the market, Dashon Goldson, to pair with last year's first round pick Mark Barron. The Bucs still need help on the outside at corner, and they have been rumored to be connected to the Jets in trade talks for Darrelle Revis. The Bucs could also use a defensive end to generate some pressure on opposing quarterbacks after finishing 27th in the league in sacks last season. Their offense was not as bad as everyone made it out to be, and while Josh Freeman struggled, rookie RB Doug Martin was a bona fide star and the Bucs have weapons for Freeman on the outside.

2012 Record: 7-9

Draft Picks: 14, 44, 108, 148, 182

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Cat Scratch Reader, Cat Crave

Draft Preview: Cam Newton regressed a bit after his stellar rookie season, but that was primarily due to poor offensive line play and having a maddeningly inconsistent running game. The Panthers have only five picks in the draft, and need help on their offensive line and at wide receiver opposite Steve Smith. On defense, the Panthers have a great linebacking corps, but need help on the interior of the defensive line and across the board in the secondary.

Snooze Button: Steelers Win

16

17

Not a whole lot to say about this one. Not many of the starters played for either team.

The Steelers won their 4th coin toss of the preseason.

Charlie Batch got the start. KDKA embarrasses themselves by showing Mendenhall and Wallace in the starting lineup.

Dwyer works it up to midfield then Homestead Charlie slings one for Sanders who splits double-coverage at the goal line and hauls in the bomb for the early score.

7-0

Derek Anderson gets the start for Carolina. He sucks.

Chris Rainey takes a punt back to the house, but it's called back on a penalty. The offense responds by doing nothing, but Carolina muffs the punt and Curtis Brown recovers.

Both offenses do nothing and Rainey runs another one back, but guess what - another penalty.

Dwyer puts together a few nice runs then Chuck hits big Will Johnson on a 3rd and short play-action pass down the sideline to get us down to the red zone. A penalty sets things back a but, but Suisham connects from 49 at the open end of the stadium.

Impressive kick.

10-0

Second Quarter

Apparently, Derek Anderson is capable of throwing an out-route. Carolina uses that to march down the field. The defense holds in the red zone.

10-3

Nothing else of significance happens the rest of the half. Jonathan Dwyer runs hard.

Third Quarter

Mike Tomlin talks to the weather man at the start of the half. Let that sink in for a minute.

Jimmy Clausen comes in for Carolina. Remember when people were suggesting we should trade Ben to Oakland for a Top 10 pick to draft Clausen? Embarrassing times.

Really strange turn of events when Chris Carter comes free on a blitz and Clausen grounds the ball.The refs call it a fumble at first, but Carolina challenges and it was clearly grounding. Somehow, it's ruled an incomplete pass but not intentional grounding. 

Huh?

Carolina takes advantage and marches down to tie the game.

10-10

Jerrod Johnson comes in to hand off and run some clock.

Neither team does anything on offense. The weather man interviews a Mountain Man, presumably to get his predictions on the snow this winter. I don't know, I turned the sound off. No sound is better than listening to Edmund Nelson.

Sean Spence suffers a gruesome knee injury on a 3rd down. Vomit. That looked awful. Probably done for the year.

Fourth Quarter

Johnson threads the needle to hit Maze on a deep out to break up the monotony. A few plays later, Johnson slings one over the middle to Weslye Saunders to get us down to the 20. Some back we picked up off waivers gets some carries to get us inside the 5, then Johnson hits Saunders again at the goal line for the go-ahead score.

17-10

Not much happens for a while, then Carolina takes over with about 3 minutes to play. Clausen airs one out down the sideline and Terrence Frederick makes a terrible play on the ball - he jumps in front of the receiver for the ball and misses, giving the receiver a cakewalk into the end zone.

17-16

Not wanting to send this to overtime, Carolina elects to go for two. Frederick gets called for interference, but Cortez Allen saves the day and knocks a pass away.

Carolina elects to kick off deep and call their timeouts. They get the ball back with just under 2 minutes to play and are able to get to the fringe of field goal range. However, it's a 50-yarder at Heinz Field. It's not happening.

Victory Formation.

Game.

Preseason, thankfully, is over.

See yinz in Denver. Be ready.