The title “My Worthless 2 Cents”, isn’t one I feel I can take full credit for, but is a story in itself, so here it is. I was in the 8th grade at the time, and found myself tagging along with my older sister (a senior in high school), as she was a part of the high school theatre group who would work as ushers for local community theatre productions. Working as an usher at a production of “Harvey”, the dad for one of my baseball friends came up to me at intermission and handed me two pennies and asked me to go back to the dressing area and find the lead actor in the play. I was to give him the pennies and tell him “this is from the guy with the big nostrils, giving you his two cents worth”. I thought this was funny so I agreed to do it, especially since I knew the two were friends. I go to the dressing room and deliver the message and the “gift”. The response I was given was even better. The actor told me to return the pennies and I was to “tell the guy with the big nostrils to take his worthless 2 cents and shove the right up those big nostrils”. So that’s it. This is my 2 cents after sitting on the latest Steelers game for a bit. You might tell me to take my worthless two cents and shove them up my nostrils, and that’s okay, because we are friends and I don’t look at it as personal.

I am going to break things down into three categories: One, something I feel stronger about. Two, something I have softened on a bit. Three, something that didn’t really change.

SOMETHING I FEEL STRONGER ABOUT

Play calling:  There are plenty of people that feel the play calling in this game was much improved, and although I agree that it was better, there are still a couple of things that have me frustrated to no end.  One is that the Steelers line up in what everyone assumes will be a run play (including the defense) and the Steelers proceed to run the play with more defenders than blockers, leading to the runner being hit in the backfield for a loss. Why run a play that everyone can see is destined to fail? Can the coaches not see it is destined to fail, because if they can’t then they are some of they minority who can’t see the failure looming. Along the same lines I feel the Steelers telegraph some of their plays, especially running plays. There was only one instance the other night when the Steelers were lined up under center and it was not a running play. The Steelers only line up under center 8-10 times a game, and do not throw out of the formation except on a rare occasion. If I am on an opposing defense and see the Steelers under center I am probably selling out on the run. Dave and I were discussing this after “The Scho Bro Show” last week and compared it to the movie “The Waterboy” where opposing teams are figuring out the Steelers game plan by reading a Coaching For Dummies book. This is a professional football team, and we as fans should not be feeling like this is how our team is being run. I know it isn’t actually being run that way, but it sure seems like it sometimes and perception is everything.

SOMETHING I’VE SOFTENED ON

Pressley Harvin isn’t too bad:  I almost got Big Press into the discussion in last weeks article, as I thought he punted well against the Browns (as well as a great hold on a bad snap). After the game against the Raiders I feel he had to get in here. It’s easy for fans to get upset with punters, as they seem to draw a lot of ire when they “under perform”. I am not saying or even beginning to say that Harvin doesn’t deserve to be criticized. His biggest criticism from me during his Steeler tenure has been his consistency. He’s had great games, followed by horrible games. Shoot, he’s even been terribly inconsistent in games, booming one punt while shanking two or vice versa. My biggest reason for softening on him a bit right now has to do with his consistency. His punting so far this season (which by the way we have had to see way too much of, but that’s another topic) has been consistent. I don’t need him to be the leagues top punter, I just need him to hit good punts……especially when the Steelers need them. I totally expected a bad punt with 23 seconds to go in the game the other night, and what we saw was a 55-yard punt when the Raiders were coming at him with everything they had. I can’t say Harvin has totally escaped the doghouse at this point, but he could be well on his way.

SOMETHING THAT HASN’T CHANGED

The Steelers playing a lot of soft zone coverage: I considered making this something I feel stronger about, and then I watched some of the Bengals-Rams game on Monday night. I’ve come to find that some of the teams with really good pass rushers play a lot more zone defense on the back end. The Rams did this a lot, and the commentators said that they were just trying to not give up the big play until the Bengals would mess something up. The Bengals were happy to oblige and allowed the Rams to stay in a game that you had the feeling the Bengals could blow open with their offensive weapons at any time. I don’t always like it, but this seems to be the same philosophy that the Steelers have taken on. Don’t give up big plays and hope for a sack to get the opponent behind the sticks, or hope the opponent makes a mistake while methodically moving the ball down the field. Again, I will not say that I like it, but this is the way defenses have to try and survive in today’s NFL, where the offense gets the benefit of all the rules being molded for them.

There you have it. My worthless 2 cents. Maybe you liked it, maybe you didn’t. Maybe you want to tell me to shove my worthless two cents up my big nostrils. Maybe you have your own worthless 2 cents you would like to share. If so please feel free to share it in the comments below, I might look at it and tell you to shove it up your big nostrils…but that’s okay, because we are still friends.