Blizzard Exec Becomes Pittsburgh Steelers Shareholder

Transcription

1 Blizzard Exec Becomes Pittsburgh Steelers Shareholder By Gus Mastrapa September 28, :12 pm Categories: Business Matters Paul Sams, COO of Blizzard Entertainment, is now a part owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers announced reorganization of the NFL team s ownership last week. Sams, pictured right, and family were among the handful of new owners listed. The shares in the team came from the Rooney and McGinley families, which together owned 26 percent of the team, which is valued at around $750 million after debt, according to The Tribune-Review. Control of the Pittsburgh Steelers the only football team to have won six Super Bowls is in the hands of team president Art Rooney II, who purchased some of the shares along with Sams and other minority shareholders. Sams joined Blizzard Entertainment in Davidson & Associates, where Sams had worked for several years, acquired Silicon & Synapse, which would later take on the name Blizzard.

2 Blizzard Head Buys Part Of The Steelers 13 Comments Posted Yesterday 3:01 PM By Stephen Johnson What would you do if you were one of the heads of Blizzard? You'd already be partially in charge of what must surely be the most profitable video game in human history in World of Warcraft. You'd essentially be at the top of a hierarchy that included hundreds of employees, and, literally millions of consumers. For Paul Sams, Chief Operating Officer of Blizzard, there was only one choice: Buy the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sams, a "key leader, spokesperson, operational expert and decision-makefor all Blizzard Entertainmen properties," is one of four new for the company, in addition to providing corporate strategy majority stockholders in the Steelers organization. He joins notable figures like the Chairman/CEO Legendary Pictures (Thomas Tull) and Pittsburgh Steeler legend John Stallworth on the ownership panel. Let's hope the Steelers don't suffer any more embarrassing losses like that upset the Bears handedd them last week, otherwise, Sams might take it out on the Druid class and nerf them (again.)

3 Steelers' 2008 draft class a bust so far Page 1 of 2 Ron Cook Steelers' 2008 draft class a bust so far Tuesday, September 29, 2009 By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Matt Freed/Post-Gazette Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall was not on the field for an offensive snap in Sunday's loss at Cincinnati. View all related images They say it takes three, four, maybe even five years to fairly evaluate an NFL draft class. Running back Rashard Mendenhall and wide receiver Limas Sweed are doing their worst to disprove that. It's almost as if they are trying to prove that the Steelers' 2008 draft class is a bust. It's bad enough that Sweed -- a second-round pick in '08 -- dropped a touchdown pass in the loss Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals. We've come to expect that from him. He has been awful. But it's much worse that Mendenhall -- the first-round choice -- did such a poor job preparing for the game that he was benched by irritated coach Mike Tomlin. This guy is supposed to be a professional? He certainly doesn't look like one. Mendenhall's actions really are reprehensible. "Rashard wasn't on the details this week," Tomlin said of his decision not to play him on offense. How can that be? How can Mendenhall let his teammates down like that? How can he let himself down? "It was a bunch of little stuff," Mendenhall said when asked what Tomlin meant. I'm guessing it was more than that. Certainly, Tomlin didn't consider it to be "little stuff." Coaches rarely call out a player publicly and embarrass him. That's a drastic step. Shame on Mendenhall. Is he not smart enough to realize the opportunity he has with the Steelers? Last week, Tomlin hinted Mendenhall was ready to get more touches. In the loss Sept. 20 at Chicago, Mendenhall had turned a bad flat pass into a 13-yard gain, then ran for 39 yards to set up a touchdown. Those were his two best plays as a pro. They also made you and probably Tomlin think for the first time that maybe the kid has a chance to be pretty good after all. Then Mendenhall gets benched? Inexcusable. Part of Mendenhall's problem is he doesn't have a veteran running back to guide him, to show him how to prepare and practice, to teach him what it means to be a pro. Starting back Willie Parker had Jerome Bettis, one of the great leaders in Steelers history. Lucky Willie. But Parker, though a great runner at times in his career, isn't much of a leader. Carey Davis was the closest thing to one among the Steelers' running backs, but he was cut this summer when Tomlin decided to go with rookie Frank Summers. Many veterans on the team will tell you that was a mistake, and their argument picked up steam

4 Steelers' 2008 draft class a bust so far Page 2 of 2 Sunday when Summers was put on the inactive list. Still, Mendenhall has to find a way to figure it all out. It's nice to think he will learn from this harsh lesson from Tomlin and start taking his well-paid job more seriously. "You always want your coach to feel good about you and have confidence in you," he said. We'll see this week how much Mendenhall wants that. We'll see what he does on the practice field and in the meeting room. We'll know if he has earned Tomlin's trust again Sunday night when the 1-2 Steelers play the San Diego Chargers at Heinz Field in as close to a must-win game in early October that a team can have. The Steelers desperately need Mendenhall to be successful. There's a good chance Parker will leave as a free agent after the season. If Mendenhall can't justify that No. 1 pick -- not to mention his five-year, $12.55 million contract -- the team will be in a real dilemma. At least the Steelers have better options than Sweed. Even before Sunday, rookie Mike Wallace had surpassed Sweed as the No. 3 receiver. Then, Wallace, who looks like a steal as a third-round draft choice, caught everything thrown his way against the Bengals -- seven receptions for 102 yards -- and Sweed dropped the 34-yard touchdown pass that would have given the Steelers a 20-9 lead in the third quarter. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger couldn't have put that ball in a more perfect spot. Hey, at least Sweed didn't stay down this time and fake an injury the way he did after dropping a touchdown pass in the AFC championship game in January, costing the Steelers an important timeout. Tomlin should be thankful for small miracles, right? Not surprisingly, Sweed didn't get back in the game Sunday. Now, I'm wondering if he'll ever get back on the field for the Steelers, barring injuries. Veteran Shaun McDonald, who was inactive against the Bengals, would be a better choice than Sweed as the No. 4 man against the Chargers. At least he will catch the ball. Tomlin can't count on Sweed to do that. Roethlisberger can't count on him, even though he rushed to him on the sideline after the drop to console him. "To be a professional, you've got to be able to put things behind you," Big Ben said. "I told him I'll come back to him when the time comes. I'm going to have confidence that he's going to make the play the next time he has the chance." Pardon me for not believing that. Really, how can anyone have faith in Sweed? What's most troubling is that Sweed doesn't seem to have a clue that his job could be in jeopardy. "It happened. I hit the ground and the ball bounced out," he said of his latest drop. That's pretty lame. Sweed's game is lame. There really is no reason to think Sweed will do his part to save the '08 draft class. The Steelers already have cut linebacker Bruce Davis, their No 3 choice in that draft. That leaves Mendenhall, Sweed, offensive tackle Tony Hills (can't get off the inactive list on Sundays), quarterback Dennis Dixon (the No. 3 man) and safety Ryan Mundy (a backup) from the '08 class. Go ahead, keep telling yourself it takes three, four, maybe even five years to fairly evaluate any group. Say it enough times and you might believe it. Or not. Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com. More articles by this author First published on September 29, 2009 at 12:00 am

5 On the Steelers: Defense not getting turnovers Page 1 of 2 SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL On the Steelers: Defense not getting turnovers Tuesday, September 29, 2009 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Ed Reinke/Associated Press Bengals wide receiver Andre Caldwell catches a four-yard touchdown pass against Steelers linebacker James Farrior in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game in Cincinnati. Ryan Clark and James Farrior took turns accepting blame in the locker room shortly after the Steelers' defense allowed two long fourth-quarter drives to let another victory slip away Sunday. Clark, a thinking-man's free safety, began talking about all the points they allowed Sunday to Cincinnati when it was pointed out to him that the offense allowed a touchdown on a 30-yard interception return. He was having none of that. "That's part of the game," he explained. "Even looking at that, I got my hand on the ball and dropped it, Ike [Taylor] had some opportunities at interceptions and didn't catch it. That's them making plays and us not, you know what I mean? You want to say, yeah, they scored on defense, but we had our opportunities also and didn't do that and that's what it's all about." Point made. It's not just the fourth-quarter drives that quickly are becoming a trademark of the 2009 Steelers defense, it is the dearth of big plays. The Steelers' defense has gathered up a grand total of two turnovers, one by Troy Polamalu and a fumble recovery by Keyaron Fox, both in the opener, coincidentally their only victory. Their opponents have six. Last season the Steelers had 29 turnovers interceptions and nine fumble recoveries. They scored twice on interceptions and once on a fumble recovery. LaMarr Woodley's fumble return for a score helped the Steelers beat Baltimore in the fourth game, eventually won in overtime. Deshea Townsend's 25-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:40 left beat Dallas. Add Troy Polamalu's game-clinching interception return for a touchdown in the AFC championship against Baltimore and James Harrison's 100-yard interception return that helped win a Super Bowl, and those big plays helped put a sixth Lombardi Trophy in their case. "We need turnovers," said Farrior, a captain of that defense. "We know we need turnovers to help our chance to win the game. The ball just hasn't been bouncing our way. We had opportunities out there [in Cincinnati], we just couldn't get to it. "We definitely need turnovers. That's the key to the success of this team and the defense." Add sacks among the lack of big plays. The Steelers, who led the AFC with 51 last season, have five in three games. That's an average of just less than 27 sacks for the season. Nobody has more than one, which means James Harrison again is leading the team which is one more than Woodley. "It's something we got to rectify if we want to be the great team we strive to be," end Brett Keisel said, noting the lack of big plays by his defense.

6 On the Steelers: Defense not getting turnovers Page 2 of 2 Next up, San Diego The Steelers have beaten the Chargers five consecutive times in Pittsburgh and they'll have to do it again if they do not want the AFC North Division race to get out of hand a fourth of the way through the season. At 1-2, they already trail undefeated Baltimore by two games. The Ravens have one of their most difficult games this weekend when they play at New England. This could either get away from the Steelers quickly or they could be right back in it this time next week. "At the end of the day, it's all about wins and losses," Hines Ward said. "Right now we're 1-2 and it's not where we wanted to be. It's encouraging because we haven't played our best ball. Even though we're 1-2 we had a chance to win those last two games. We have to look at it, evaluate it, move on and get ready for San Diego Sunday night. "No question it's disappointing to start the season off 1-2, but there's nothing we can do about it; we can't rewind and go back and play those games." No horseshoes for being close The Steelers were 7-2 in games through the Super Bowl decided by less than a touchdown last season and they're 1-2 in three similar games already, all decided by three points, one in overtime. Is the law of averages catching up to them? "I hope not," Farrior said. "A lot of our games were close last year and we won a lot of them, a lot more than we lost. "Every game could be like this. This is the NFL and every team comes to play. You have to be prepared for every game to come down to the end, come down to the last play. Mike Tomlin preaches it every day, situational football." For more on the Steelers, read the new blog, Ed Bouchette on the Steelers at Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com. Ed Bouchette's blog on the Steelers and Gerry Dulac's Steelers chats are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details. First published on September 29, 2009 at 12:00 am

7 Steelers defense unraveling late in games - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Page 1 of 2 Steelers defense unraveling late in games By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, September 29, 2009 The top priority for the Steelers: finding a way, any way, to beat the visiting San Diego Chargers on Sunday and avoid a dreaded 1-3 start for the first time since the 2006 season. What may be a close second is restoring the swagger to a defense that has been unmasked in the fourth quarter, dating to the Super Bowl in February. In the Steelers' past four games, opposing quarterbacks have completed 73 percent of their throws in the final 15 minutes and combined for four touchdown passes. The Steelers' inability to make a defensive stand in the fourth quarter is a big reason why they have squandered late leads in losing their past two games. And a beleaguered pass defense doesn't exactly get a bargain in Sunday's nationally televised game. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers leads the NFL with 991 passing yards. "We know we can be in games, but right now we don't know that we can win them," Steelers free safety Ryan Clark said. "We have to fix that." They'll likely have to do that, at least in the short term, without All-Pro strong safety Troy Polamalu. Polamalu has missed the past two games with a sprained left knee, and there are no indications the five-time Pro Bowler will be healthy enough to play against the Chargers. His absence has changed the complexion of a unit that ranked No. 1 in the NFL last season in passing and total defense. Clark, however, refused to use Polamalu's loss as a crutch or a rationalization for what happened late in the game in Chicago and Sunday in Cincinnati. "We miss him, don't get me wrong, and I think he's the best at his job, but we can go out there and make those plays," Clark said. "When we were No. 1 last year, it was because 11 guys played really good football." That group returned largely intact this season, and they have played well through the first three quarters of games.

8 Steelers defense unraveling late in games - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Page 2 of 2 The last 15 minutes have been a different story, as 27 of the 50 points the Steelers have allowed this season have come in the fourth quarter. The Bengals scored 14 fourth-quarter points Sunday. The final eight came when Carson Palmer directed a 16-play, 71-yard drive that was capped with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds left. Palmer converted the ensuing 2-point conversion with another completion in the end zone, this one to Brian Leonard. "We knew we were going to score," Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco said. "Carson said, 'When we score, we are going for two.' That's all I can remember. I was thinking that we were nowhere near the goal line." Palmer may have spouted such bravado to inspire confidence in his teammates. But he had every reason to be confident, and it showed as he twice converted on fourth down, including once when the Bengals needed 10 yards to keep their drive alive. Palmer's performance left a proud defense humbled and a bit bewildered. "It's still early, but when you have a game (won) and you don't come away with the game you tend to start looking at yourself like, 'What's going on?' " said Tyrone Carter, who has been starting at strong safety in Polamalu's place. "We need to find answers. We just can't find a way to make plays and get off the field." The Steelers have not forced a turnover in the fourth quarter this season. Their pass rush also has been lacking at a time when they need it most. Such reality has led to questions about whether the defense is showing its age. The Steelers started six players who are over 30 years old against the Bengals. The Steelers, to a man, dismissed such a notion. But they also acknowledged they have to stop teams from converting on third and fourth down. "We strive to be a great defense. We strive to make those plays," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "If we don't start making them, it's going to be a long year." Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or Images and text copyright 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from Trib Total Media

9 Harris: Steelers defense too passive - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Page 1 of 2 Harris: Steelers defense too passive By John Harris TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, September 29, 2009 I'm prepared to tell you why, even though the Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears picked the Steelers defense clean in the fourth quarter like a Thanksgiving turkey, the problem isn't with the players as much as with the team's late-game approach. Normally, it's stupid to disagree with defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. He has Hall of Fame credentials as a player and coach. His defense has been ranked No. 1 in the NFL the past two seasons and is currently No. 8. LeBeau knows more about defense than everyone in the Steeler Nation combined. He's a living legend. That said, LeBeau's defense hasn't been overly aggressive in 2009, particularly in late-game situations. The Steelers aren't blitzing opposing quarterbacks as much in the fourth quarter. They're playing more zone defense than they did in winning Super Bowl XLIII last season. What's more, they're not playing enough man-to-man defense featuring cornerback Ike Taylor. Not wanting to get beat deep, the Steelers defense settled for a slow death in the fourth quarter of both losses this season. Instead of attacking, the players sat back in coverage and kept everything in front of them. Relatively free from the Steelers' rush, Cincinnati's Carson Palmer and Chicago's Jay Cutler combined to direct their teams to a total of four scoring drives in the fourth quarter. It follows that the Steelers will face more of the same short-passing attack when San Diego visits Heinz Field on Sunday. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers will watch tape of the Steelers and see that Palmer and Cutler had plenty of time to check down to open receivers underneath coverage. Rivers will notice the Steelers blitzed a defensive back only once and utilized a four-man rush in 15 pass plays in Cincinnati's final two drives in the fourth quarter. Defensive back Keiwan Ratliff's blitz forced Palmer to scramble to his right and resulted in an incompletion, even though Laveranues Coles was wide open for a touchdown on the other side of the field. Because of the pressure, Palmer

10 Harris: Steelers defense too passive - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Page 2 of 2 couldn't turn his body to see Coles. "With the way our guys played up front, there was no reason to leave the pocket," Palmer said. "The pockets were so nice with a lot of room to step up and throw, there wasn't a reason to step outside the pocket until late in the game." For two straight weeks, the defense came up short in the fourth quarter. But even without injured Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu, the Steelers have enough personnel to be disruptive if LeBeau turns his players loose. Last year, Taylor's ability to not only play man-to-man but also defend half the field permitted the Steelers to zone the other half of the field while bringing an extra defender in the box either as a pass rusher or run stopper. Taylor's strength in man-to-man coverage enables the Steelers to blitz more and gives the defense a better opportunity to pressure the quarterback. Taylor was at his best matched against Cincinnati's Chad Ochocinco in solo coverage, and he broke up three passes on the Bengals' final drive. "They brought some pressure in the first half," Palmer said. "They did a good job of bringing more guys than we could block and covering our hot routes. Our coaches made some great adjustments in the locker room. We played more on our toes as opposed to sitting back on our heels. We played more aggressively and it paid off." What the Steelers defense did to teams last year, their opponents are now doing to them. John Harris can be reached at jharris@tribweb.com or Images and text copyright 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from Trib Total Media

11 Offensive line stands out in Steelers' loss - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Page 1 of 2 Offensive line stands out in Steelers' loss By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, September 29, 2009 A maligned offensive line is coming off arguably its best game of the season. Willie Parker rushed for a 93 yards in a loss to the Bengals on Sunday, although he averaged less than 2 yards a carry in the second half. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, meanwhile, was sacked just one time. "The offensive line did a great job," said Roethlisberger, who threw for 276 yards and accounted for two touchdowns against the Bengals. "We gave up only one sack, and that was a coverage sack." The improvement the offensive line appeared to make was of little consolation to right tackle Willie Colon following the Steelers' second straight loss. "We had a good week of practice, and to come out here and not finish, it's tough," Colon said. The Steelers are off today after spending Monday getting treatment and reviewing film of their first loss in Cincinnati since They return to practice Wednesday, and coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers will "get back in the lab, turn over every stone possible to find a winning formula to make us victorious." Translation: the Steelers will emphasize fundamentals as they prepare for a game against the visiting San Diego Chargers on Sunday. "That's his job, to manage us," Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend said of Tomlin. "I'm sure he'll have a plan of action for us to follow." Wide receiver Santonio Holmes has cooled off following a hot start. Holmes, who caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' season opener, dropped several balls in a loss to the Bears on Sept. 20. He had just one catch for 18 yards against the Bengals and figured prominently in one of the game's turning points. That came at the beginning of the third quarter, when a miscommunication between Holmes and Roethlisberger resulted in an easy interception for Johnathan Joseph, who returned the gift pick 22 yards for a touchdown. When asked what happened on the play, Roethlisberger said, "We won't point fingers or point blame." The Steelers find themselves in third place in the AFC North, two games behind the undefeated Ravens and one back of the Bengals. Free safety Ryan Clark said it's too early for the Steelers to become preoccupied with the division's standings.

12 Offensive line stands out in Steelers' loss - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Page 2 of 2 "We can't focus on Baltimore," Clark said. "Obviously, they're undefeated, so we can't catch them next week anyway. So, we just win that one game and keep building on that and try to build win after win." After making a tackle following a catch by a Bengals wide receiver near the line of scrimmage, Steelers cornerback William Gay pretended to cradle a baby. Chad Ochocinco, who knows a thing or two about celebrations, was none too impressed with Gay's rendition of rocking the baby. "Pointless," the Bengals wide receiver said. DIGITS 2 Combined wins by last season's Super Bowl participants through the first three weeks of the season. 3 Points the Steelers have scored in the fourth quarter this season. Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or Images and text copyright 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from Trib Total Media

13 TimesOnline.com: Steelers' defense gets the blame Page 1 of 2 Tuesday September 29, 2009 Steelers' defense gets the blame By: Mike Bires Beaver County Times Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) runs past Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Evander Hood (96) and linebacker James Harrison (92) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke) Right after the meltdown in Cincinnati, Ryan Clark played the blame game. The Steelers free safety didn t have any trouble pointing the finger at culprits most responsible for Sunday s loss to the Bengals. This is squarely on us defensively, Clark said. It s evident what it is. It s our fault. Clark and the rest of the Steeler defenders could have easily laid some blame on the offense for what happened in Cincinnati. A wrong pass route run by wide receiver Santonio Holmes set the stage for cornerback Jonathan Joseph to return an interception 30 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter. Wide receiver Limas Sweed later dropped what would have been a 34-yard TD catch. Jeff Reed then missed a 52-yard field goal. But more than anything, the Steelers defense allowed two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the game-winner with 14 seconds left to play. Last week in a loss in Chicago, the defense couldn t hold the lead by allowing 10 fourth-quarter

14 TimesOnline.com: Steelers' defense gets the blame Page 2 of 2 points to the Bears, including a 44-yard field goal by Robbie Gould with 15 seconds left to play. Yeah, we do take pride in being able to stop teams in those situations, defensive end Brett Keisel said. When we have leads, we have to come up big. We strive to be a great defense and make those plays that stop the other team. But we just haven t been making them. Because the defense couldn t hold leads the past two games, the Steelers (1-2) are below.500 for the first time in the three-year Mike Tomlin era. Right now, we know we can be in games, but we don t know if we can win them, Clark said of the mindset of the Steelers defense right now. If you think about it, going back to (last year s) Super Bowl, it s become a problem for us. Clark was talking about the way the Steelers defense couldn t finish off Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII. The Steelers took a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter, but the NFL s top-ranked defense couldn t seal the title. The Cardinals scorched the Steelers defense and took the lead after two Kurt Warner-to Larry Fitzgerald TD passes. On Sunday, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer engineered a game-winning drive that included two crucial fourth-down completions. The second of those was a gain of 11 yards (on a 4th-and-10) to running back Brian Leonard, setting up Palmer s TD pass to Andre Caldwell. On the pass to Leonard, Farrior made the tackle but failed to keep Leonard from diving for first-down yardage. On Caldwell s game-winner, Farrior was the nearest defender. I feel like I lost the game for us, Farrior said. If I stop that guy on fourth down and tackle him, we win the game and we aren t even talking about this. To have a lead and blow it like that two weeks in a row, it s very frustrating. We ve got to find a way to make a play when we need one. To play Steeler defense throughout the whole game until the fourth quarter, then in the fourth quarter, we don t get off the field, that s a slap in the face for us, said Tyrone Carter., who s starting at strong safety as Troy Polamalu recovers from a sprained knee. Fourth-and-10 with 20-some seconds left in the game, there s no way you can tell me in a million years that we won t stop that and come off the field with a victory.

15 TimesOnline.com: Game 3 rewind Page 1 of 2 Monday September 28, 2009 Game 3 rewind By: Mike Bires Beaver County Times THE HERO A game ball goes to quarterback Carson Palmer, who rallied the Bengals to their most important win since the 2005 season when they won the AFC North. Palmer, who missed most of last season with an elbow injury, was especially effective in the game-winning drive. He moved the chains with two fourthdown completions and then threw the game-winning touchdown pass with 14 seconds left to play. THE GOAT Woe is the Steelers defense. The NFL s top-ranked unit a year ago, it couldn t protect a 20-9 fourthquarter lead. After practice Thursday, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau got defensive when asked about the defense allowing 10 fourth-quarter points last week in a loss to Chicago. This time, the defense allowed two fourth-quarter TDs. PLAY OF THE GAME Bengals cornerback Jonathan Joseph breathed life into the listless Bengals by returning an interception 30 yards for a TD on the Steelers first possession of the third quarter. At halftime, the Steelers had a huge edge in total yards, , and led But Joseph s TD changed everything. A would-be rout was now anyone s game, and the Bengals eventually won it. THE BIG NUMBER 10,022: That s the number of career receiving yards Hines Ward has accounted for in his 12-year pro career. The Steelers record-holder in most important statistical categories, Ward became the 32nd wide receiver in NFL, and the first Steeler, to surpass 10,000 yards. He did so against the Bengals on a 14- yard reception in the second quarter.

16 TimesOnline.com: Game 3 rewind Page 2 of 2 UP NEXT Pittsburgh (1-2) returns home next Sunday night to play San Diego. The Steelers beat the Chargers twice last year at Heinz Field, during the regular season and then in the playoffs. But the Bolts, who same say are Super Bowl contenders, are 2-1 after beating the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. THE BOTTOM LINE For the second straight week, the Steelers lost a game they feel they should have won. Now they find themselves in third place in the AFC North, two games behind the Baltimore Ravens (3-0) and one game behind the Bengals (2-1). Last year, the Steelers were a perfect 6-0 in the division. Now they re 0-1.

17 Steelers' start recalls 1995 season Page 1 of 2 Steelers' start recalls 1995 season 3:31 AM After losing their star defensive back off their top-rated defense in the first game of the season, the Steelers struggled to find the right mix of players to help cover that deficiency. Meanwhile, an offense previously built to run the football struggled while adjusting to a more passfriendly system. Sounds a lot like the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers. But, in fact, it was the 1995 Steelers who saw All-Pro cornerback Rod Woodson suffer a torn ACL in a win over Detroit before losing four of its next six games - including one to Cincinnati. The offense, meanwhile, became more wide open, as Neil O'Donnell and company set a team record for passing yards in a season with 4,093 en route to winning the AFC Championship. Coming off their second consecutive loss, many of the same things could be said about the 2009 Steelers, who are off to a 1-2 start. With 860 yards passing through three games, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is on pace to throw for more than 4,500 yards, which would obliterate individual and team records. And the Steelers are still trying to figure out a way to play without Troy Polamalu, who missed his second consecutive game in Sunday's loss at Cincinnati. In that respect, the 2009 Steelers have something to look forward to that their 1995 counterparts did not. While Woodson would not play again until the Super Bowl, Polamalu could return as early as two weeks from now from the sprained knee he suffered against Tennessee. In the meantime, much like the 1995 Steelers finally settled on moving safety Carnell Lake to cornerback to cover for Woodson, the Steelers on Sunday moved cornerbacks Deshea Townsend and Keiwan Ratliff to safety to spell Tyrone Carter against the Bengals. The bottom line is that the Steelers are looking to do whatever it takes to hold things together until Polamalu returns. "When they got in passing situations we did that," said Carter, who suffered a thigh contusion against Chicago two weeks ago. "I don't know if it was (because I was injured.) I just went with it." With San Diego's high-powered passing attack coming to Pittsburgh next Sunday, the Steelers have to figure out two things. First, they need to find ways to turn Roethlisberger's passing yards into points. They also need to find ways to keep opposing offenses from exploiting their weakness at strong safety. Roethlisberger has accounted for all five of Pittsburgh's touchdowns this season - three passing, two rushing. But he knows the Steelers' offense can do better than the 47 points it has scored in the first three weeks.

18 Steelers' start recalls 1995 season Page 2 of 2 "We feel like we beat ourselves a little bit," said Roethlisberger of the loss to the Bengals. "We shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times and came away with three points when we should have scored touchdowns. Some of that is my fault for missing receivers. We'll improve and score some more points." It was something the 1995 team did well. After averaging 21 points in their first seven games, the Steelers averaged 29.4 over their final nine games, winning eight of them to finish "You have to find ways to put up seven points and not three," said wide receiver Hines Ward. "That's how you finish a team off." Odds and end zones Roethlisberger ranks fifth in the NFL in passing yards.... Linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who had 11.5 sacks last season, has failed to record a sack in his past seven regular season games.... After missing just six of 56 field goal attempts in the previous two seasons, placekicker Jeff Reed has already missed three of seven attempts. Copyright Observer Publishing Co.

19 Page 1 of 2 Steelers trying to explain poor start By: HERALD STANDARD STAFF Herald Standard PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers are beginning to hear the three words they were certain wouldn't be associated with them: Super Bowl hangover. The Steelers experienced in 2006 what can happen when the partying suddenly stops after a Super Bowl victory and a new season arrives very quickly. That season, numerous distractions and their quarterback's health problems led to a 2-6 start and they wound up missing the playoffs. Wouldn't happen this time, these Steelers said. This team is too focused, too disciplined and determined to let it happen again, they said. Yet the Steelers are 1-2, with half as many losses as they had in 19 games last season, and they're already facing a two-game deficit in the AFC North. More worrisome to them is the way they're losing, with their No. 1-ranked defense from the last two seasons unable to create turnovers or get off the field at critical points in games. For the second time in eight days on Sunday, they let a team drive nearly the length of the field and beat them in the closing seconds. Those were the kind of comebacks the Steelers pulled off themselves last season, when they rallied to win late in a game six times - including the Super Bowl. Now, they've lost to the Bengals in a game they led 13-0 and 20-9, and they lost a week earlier to the Bears, who never led until Robbie Gould kicked a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining. A super-sized success hangover? Maybe not. But the Steelers still haven't run the ball like they normally do late in a game, and they've made the kind of game-altering mistakes they almost never made last season while going 12-4 and winning three postseason games. Jeff Reed missed two field goals inside the 40 against the Bears. Limas Sweed landed in the end zone with a touchdown catch in his grasp in Cincinnati and let the ball slip away. The Bengals - who hadn't beaten the Steelers in their own stadium in eight years - converted a critical fourth-and-10 to keep their game-winning, 71-yard drive going. "We need to finish football games better," coach Mike Tomlin said. "That's the mark of a champion, and that's not us at this point." What's happening can't be blamed entirely on All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu being injured, although the impact of his loss has been magnified the last two weeks. Or on second-year running back Rashard Mendenhall so irritating Tomlin in practice last week that he never carried the ball in Cincinnati. It's more than not paying attention to details, or not making enough big plays on defense, or Ben Roethlisberger throwing an interception for a touchdown because Santonio Holmes runs the wrong pass route. As the Steelers themselves said, they're not being the Steelers. "We have to get back to whatever we were doing to win games," cornerback Deshea Townsend said. "We have to find ways to get close as a defensive unit and figure out ways to get off the field." Then there's this: Steelers owner Dan Rooney missed a game for the first time in nearly 57 years on Sunday because he was in Ireland, attending to his new job as the U.S. ambassador. He picked a good one to miss. "It's adversity that we have to face, but we've faced similar situations before," Roethlisberger said. "We need to (find) our character and overcome a situation like this." They found a way to do it in the 2005 season, when they were forced to win their final four games just to make the playoffs after they were 7-5, then won out on the road in the playoffs and won the Super Bowl. Their current situation certainly isn't unmanageable, thanks in part to a forgiving schedule. While they already trail the Baltimore Ravens (3-0) by two games, they still have two games remaining against the Browns (0-3), plus the Lions (1-2) and Raiders (1-2) at home and the Chiefs (0-3) and Dolphins (0-3) on the road. After they play the Chargers (2-1) at home Sunday night, they get the Lions and Browns the following two weeks - a gift-wrapped get-well

20 Page 2 of 2 package for a good team if there ever was one, even if the Lions finally won a game Sunday. "Finishing as Super Bowl champions and starting 1-2 is not how we envisioned our season starting," wide receiver Hines Ward said. September 29, 2009

21 Champs? 'Not us,' says Tomlin as 1-2 Steelers search for answers - USATODAY.com Page 1 of 2 Smoking Can Be Healthy? Are E-Cigarettes a healthier alternative to smoking? Learn More Mom, Do You Want $10,000? Apply by Sep. 30 for a $10,000 Scholarship for Free. Learn More Powered by Champs? 'Not us,' says Tomlin as 1-2 Steelers search for answers PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Steelers are beginning to hear the three words they were certain wouldn't be associated with them: Super Bowl hangover. Advertisement The Steelers experienced in 2006 what can happen when the partying suddenly stops after a Super Bowl victory and a new season arrives very quickly. That season, numerous distractions and their quarterback's health problems led to a 2-6 start and they wound up missing the playoffs. Wouldn't happen this time, these Steelers said. This team is too focused, too disciplined and determined to let it happen again, they said. Yet the Steelers are 1-2, with half as many losses as they had in 19 games last season, and they're already facing a two-game deficit in the AFC North. DON T Pay for White Teeth Learn the trick discovered by a mom to turn teeth white w/ under $5 Get details... Acai Berry Side Effects? In Our Shocking Special Report We Investigate Acai Berry See the results... THE HUDDLE: Big Ben to guest host WWE event More worrisome to them is the way they're losing, with their No. 1-ranked defense from the last two seasons unable to create turnovers or get off the field at critical points in games. For the second time in eight days on Sunday, they let a team drive nearly the length of the field and beat them in the closing seconds. Those were the kind of comebacks the Steelers pulled off themselves last season, when they rallied to win late in a game six times including the Super Bowl. Now, they've lost to the Bengals in a game they led 13-0 and 20-9, and they lost a week earlier to the Bears, who never led until Robbie Gould (FSY) kicked a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining. A super-sized success hangover? Maybe not. But the Steelers still haven't run the ball like they normally do late in a game, and they've made the kind of game-altering mistakes they almost never made last season while going 12-4 and winning three postseason games. Jeff Reed (FSY) missed two field goals inside the 40 against the Bears. Limas Sweed (FSY) landed in the end zone with a touchdown catch in his grasp in Cincinnati and let the ball slip away. The Bengals who hadn't beaten the Steelers in their own stadium in eight years converted a critical fourth-and-10 to keep their game-winning, 71-yard drive going. "We need to finish football games better," coach Mike Tomlin said. "That's the mark of a champion, and that's not us at this point." What's happening can't be blamed entirely on All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu (FSY) being injured, although the impact of his loss has been magnified the last two weeks. Or on secondyear running back Rashard Mendenhall (FSY) so irritating Tomlin in practice last week that he never carried the ball in Cincinnati. It's more than not paying attention to details, or not making enough big plays on defense, or Ben Roethlisberger (FSY) throwing an interception for a touchdown because Santonio Holmes (FSY) runs the wrong pass route. As the Steelers themselves said, they're not being the Steelers. "We have to get back to whatever we were doing to win games," cornerback Deshea Townsend (FSY) said. "We have to find ways to get close as a defensive unit and figure out ways to get off the field." Then there's this: Steelers owner Dan Rooney missed a game for the first time in nearly 57 years on Sunday because he was in Ireland, attending to his new job as the U.S. ambassador. He picked a good one to miss. "It's adversity that we have to face, but we've faced similar situations before," Roethlisberger said. "We need to (find) our character and overcome a situation like this." They found a way to do it in the 2005 season, when they were forced to win their final four games just to make the playoffs after they were 7-5, then won out on the road in the playoffs and won the Super Bowl. Their current situation certainly isn't unmanageable, thanks in part to a forgiving schedule. While they already trail the Baltimore Ravens (3-0) by two games, they still have two games remaining against the Browns (0-3), plus the Lions (1-2) and Raiders (1-2) at home and the Chiefs (0-3) and Dolphins (0-3) on the road. After they play the Chargers (2-1) at home Sunday night, they get the Lions and Browns the following two weeks a gift-wrapped get-well package for a good team if there ever was one, even if the Lions finally won a game Sunday. "Finishing as Super Bowl champions and starting 1-2 is not how we envisioned our season starting," wide receiver Hines Ward (FSY) said. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

22 Champs? 'Not us,' says Tomlin as 1-2 Steelers search for answers - USATODAY.com Page 2 of 2 Find this article at: Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article. Copyright 2009 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

23 Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger to guest host WWE event - The Huddle: Football News f... Page 1 of 1 The Huddle: The latest word on NFL news, notes and buzz Dick Jauron: Bills wants to get the ball in Terrell Owens' hands Broncos gaining confidence, sense 'special' quality in Josh McDaniels Sep 29, 2009 Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger to guest host WWE event 12:59 AM Comment Recommend Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will be a guest host on WWE's Monday Night Raw next week. Roethlisberger will appear with some of his offensive linemen on the wrestling showcase, just one night after the Steelers entertain the Chargers at Heinz Field. Monday Night Raw will be held next week in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., opposite Brett Favre's first game against the Packers on Monday Night Football in Minnesota. The WWE reports that Roethlisberger frequents the circuit's events with teammates when they visit the Pittsburgh area. -- Sean Leahy Hat tip: PFT Tags: NFL Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger WWE Monday Night Raw PreviousDick Jauron: Bills wants to get the ball in Terrell Owens' hands NextBroncos gaining confidence, sense 'special' quality in Josh McDaniels To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.

24 Better running game would cure some ills - SignOnSanDiego.com Page 1 of 3 Related Terms:Chargers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Louis Vasquez, Norv Turner, Philip Rivers, Qualcomm Stadium, Scott Mruczkowski, Super Bowl Chargers story archive > September 2009 Better running game would cure some ills By Kevin Acee Union-Tribune Staff Writer 2:00 a.m. September 29, 2009 Throwing deep The Chargers are tied with Indianapolis for the most plays of 25 or more yards, with nine. All nine have been pass plays, and they've totaled 393 yards (43.7-yard average), or nearly 40 percent of Philip Rivers' league-high 991 passing yards. Rivers' other 58 completions have averaged 10.3 yards. The nine plays (and what eventually resulted on the drive): 81t Sproles Baltimore TD 55 Jackson Miami FG 47 Floyd Miami TD 45 Floyd Baltimore FG 38 Jackson Baltimore Downs 37 Gates Baltimore FG 35t Jackson Baltimore TD 30 Jackson Miami Missed FG 25 Gates Oakland TD Darren Sproles and his fellow Chargers runners have found little daylight, ranking next-to-last in the NFL in rushing yards (199). Nelvin C. Cepeda / Union- Tribune - Just because the Arizona Cardinals made it to the Super Bowl last year without being able to run the ball doesn't mean the Chargers can or want to. You can move the ball, said head coach Norv Turner, whose offense is averaging 382 yards a game. But if you're going to be the type of football team we want to be, you have to run the football. The Chargers' 199 rushing yards rank second-to-last in the NFL, 17 yards better, probably not all that

25 Better running game would cure some ills - SignOnSanDiego.com Page 2 of 3 coincidentally, than the Cardinals, who also finished last in the league in The Chargers' 72 rushes are eighth-fewest and lowest among teams with two victories. Teams that are winning generally run the ball more. Teams that want to keep winning almost always do. As he walked from Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday, the man who leads the NFL in passing yards acknowledged the challenge of winning consistently without rushing for more than 60-some yards a game. It's tough to do it over the whole season, Philip Rivers said. Rivers knows he won't be doing much but leading the league in passing if the Chargers can't also run. And he might not even be able to do that. Having a more proficient run game will help solve two of the major issues hindering the Chargers' otherwise potent offense. First, it will help keep Rivers upright. He's been hit way too much. We've played two real good run defenses, Turner said of the Ravens and Dolphins. And (when) you're playing these guys, you do have to take some more opportunities in terms of throwing the football. You do have to create some big plays in the passing game because you're probably not going to get them in the running game, but we need to continue to run the ball. We need to continue to run the ball better, and it will help no question it will help us in our protection. And a run game would help the Chargers score touchdowns in the red zone, something they have done once in their past 11 trips. In 2006, when LaDainian Tomlinson led the league in rushing and scored a league-record 28 rushing touchdowns, 24 of his scores came from inside the red zone. While the temptation would be to think defenses are eventually going to start playing the Chargers differently dropping more players to guard against their prolific passing game it might not happen. I don't think so, Rivers said. They still know that we know how important the run is. We're not going to abandon it and turn into a shotgun-every-play team. The Chargers are trying to run when it makes sense. Of their 28 total rushes Sunday against Miami, 15 came after they took a 10-6 lead with two minutes to play in the third quarter. It could even be argued that Turner is a little stubborn with running on first down. Nine of the Chargers' first 15 first-down plays Sunday were runs that gained a total of 17 yards. This is a team that wants to run the football, Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano said after the Chargers' victory. There's no question there. And they aren't spreading it out all the time. Their two big pass plays in the second half came on twoman routes. Sparano said the Chargers will likely be more committed and better in the run game when Tomlinson