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Posted: November 30, 2008
FOXBOROUGH, MASS. -- Five quick hits as the gun sounds on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 33-10 victory over the New England Patriots in soggy southeastern Massachusetts:
1. Growing pains. It's hard to put this one all at the feet of Matt Cassel, who was strip-sacked twice and struggled badly in the tight environs of the red zone. But he hardly passed his biggest test to date. In the past two weeks, Cassel sliced and diced well against flawed defenses with depth issues in the secondary. This time around, he faced a truly elite group and looked overmatched.
Maybe it's time for anyone considering a Tom Brady trade to forget it. Cassel has become a good quarterback. Only the great ones thrive against challenges like the one he faced, and failed to surmount, on Sunday.
2. Running it up. Ben Roethlisberger didn't exactly cover himself in glory in the slop, either, but there was a very positive development for the Steelers on Sunday -- the re-emergence of the Pittsburgh running game. Though they hardly made like the '66 Packers, the Steelers were able to keep the Patriots off-balance with a mix of Mewelde Moore and a hobbled Willie Parker, coming stronger as the game wore on. The result? The three definitive drives for Pittsburgh were of 11, 9 and 14 plays, allowing the Steelers to control the pace of the game.
3. Wet 'n Wild. It's hard to like how either team handled the conditions, with both afflicted by cases of the dropsies beyond what would be expected in a rain-soaked game. Roethlisberger seemed to have trouble gripping the ball all game, Randy Moss had a couple of "Huh?!?!" drops, and the Patriots' Matthew Slater had a seminal blooper moment, making like Edward Scissorhands on a kickoff. It's not like these things can't be cleaned up. But you don't want to see them in late November.
4. Missing parts. Anyone who doubted the value of the big defensive linemen in the Patriots' system -- or foolishly judged the three interior forces on sack numbers only -- needed to watch how sorely the club missed LE Ty Warren against Pittsburgh's running game. The Steelers repeatedly targeted replacement Mike Wright on the ground, with big runs of 20 and 13 yards during the backbreaking 14-play drive in the third quarter that resulted in a field goal.
And then there was the critical loss of Wes Welker, who was KO'd by Steelers safety Ryan Clark. Welker has been the Patriots' offensive MVP, and the element he gives Cassel -- getting open on routes over the middle that aren't too tough for the QB to throw -- was clearly missing as the offense melted down late.
5. Steel tough. Truth is, the Steelers' defense deserves more credit than Cassel does blame. This unit has stood up proudly to every challenge it has faced -- and it isn't getting the praise it deserves for the true statistical excellence it's achieving, particularly with the schedule the Steelers have navigated. Whether the offense can win in January is a legitimate question, but there's no doubt the defense is plenty good to lead a championship run.
Staff writer Albert Breer covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at abreer@sportingnews.com.
FOXBOROUGH, MASS. -- Five quick hits as the gun sounds on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 33-10 victory over the New England Patriots in soggy southeastern Massachusetts:
1. Growing pains. It's hard to put this one all at the feet of Matt Cassel, who was strip-sacked twice and struggled badly in the tight environs of the red zone. But he hardly passed his biggest test to date. In the past two weeks, Cassel sliced and diced well against flawed defenses with depth issues in the secondary. This time around, he faced a truly elite group and looked overmatched.
Maybe it's time for anyone considering a Tom Brady trade to forget it. Cassel has become a good quarterback. Only the great ones thrive against challenges like the one he faced, and failed to surmount, on Sunday.
2. Running it up. Ben Roethlisberger didn't exactly cover himself in glory in the slop, either, but there was a very positive development for the Steelers on Sunday -- the re-emergence of the Pittsburgh running game. Though they hardly made like the '66 Packers, the Steelers were able to keep the Patriots off-balance with a mix of Mewelde Moore and a hobbled Willie Parker, coming stronger as the game wore on. The result? The three definitive drives for Pittsburgh were of 11, 9 and 14 plays, allowing the Steelers to control the pace of the game.
3. Wet 'n Wild. It's hard to like how either team handled the conditions, with both afflicted by cases of the dropsies beyond what would be expected in a rain-soaked game. Roethlisberger seemed to have trouble gripping the ball all game, Randy Moss had a couple of "Huh?!?!" drops, and the Patriots' Matthew Slater had a seminal blooper moment, making like Edward Scissorhands on a kickoff. It's not like these things can't be cleaned up. But you don't want to see them in late November.
4. Missing parts. Anyone who doubted the value of the big defensive linemen in the Patriots' system -- or foolishly judged the three interior forces on sack numbers only -- needed to watch how sorely the club missed LE Ty Warren against Pittsburgh's running game. The Steelers repeatedly targeted replacement Mike Wright on the ground, with big runs of 20 and 13 yards during the backbreaking 14-play drive in the third quarter that resulted in a field goal.
And then there was the critical loss of Wes Welker, who was KO'd by Steelers safety Ryan Clark. Welker has been the Patriots' offensive MVP, and the element he gives Cassel -- getting open on routes over the middle that aren't too tough for the QB to throw -- was clearly missing as the offense melted down late.
5. Steel tough. Truth is, the Steelers' defense deserves more credit than Cassel does blame. This unit has stood up proudly to every challenge it has faced -- and it isn't getting the praise it deserves for the true statistical excellence it's achieving, particularly with the schedule the Steelers have navigated. Whether the offense can win in January is a legitimate question, but there's no doubt the defense is plenty good to lead a championship run.
Staff writer Albert Breer covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at abreer@sportingnews.com.
