I Think We Might Have Ourselves a QB

No, he didn’t have fancy numbers and no, I don’t want him on my fantasy football team but I’m getting a good feeling about Joe Flacco. The two biggest reasons, POISE and POCKET PRESENCE!  Look, I’m no scout, I’m just a fan. I know as much about picking quarterbacks as Brian Billick does. But look at all of the successful quarterbacks you’ve ever seen like Montana, Elway, Unitas, they all were calm and cool under pressure. When defenders were chasing them like pit bulls chase mailmen, those guys kept their composure and made plays. They felt the rush and moved around in the pocket to avoid it. I see that in Flacco. He doesn’t seem to get rattled. When the **** hit the fan in the third quarter of Monday night’s game with the Steelers and the Pittsburgh “D” was slapping Flacco around like he was Hasim Rahman, Flacco regrouped and took the Ravens down field for the tying touchdown with 4:00 left in the game. He felt the rush and moved around in the pocket to avoid it.

Again, all of the quarterback experts say Flacco has stuff to work on, like getting rid of the ball faster, ball security, reading the defense, making better decisions, being more accurate, speed of the game, tying his shoes, eating his vegetables…..and we don’t know if he’ll get any better than he is right now but he does seem to have the intangibles you’re looking for in a franchise quarterback…….THANK GOD!

Scouts Inc.: Injuries hurt but won’t break Steelers

Posted by Scouts Inc.'s Matt Williamson

With rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall (shoulder) and veteran RG Kendall Simmons (Achilles') now headed for injured reserve, Pittsburgh's depth and resourcefulness is about be tested.

On the surface, the injuries seem like deal-breakers. With RB Willie Parker already out, Mendenhall's injury obliterates Pittsburgh's depth at the position. And because the rookie was the team's only legitimate power back, there isn't a viable replacement on the roster equipped for short-yardage situations. And though Simmons has been no better than an average NFL starter for a few years now, he's smart and experienced -- two qualities that seem to be lacking on the Steelers' offensive line lately.

Still, these developments shouldn't break this team -- or even significantly affect how the Steelers go about their business. RB Mewelde Moore is set to start at Jacksonville on Sunday, and though he's a bit small and should be Pittsburgh's No. 3, he's a better runner than his numbers against Baltimore (13 yards on eight carries) indicate. He has good vision and instincts and, despite his 209-pound frame, is tough enough to run inside. He lacks Parker's burst and breakaway speed and Mendenhall's power and measurables, but Moore is, at worst, a capable emergency starter. He's also an excellent receiver and a solid contributor in pass protection -- an asset Pittsburgh needs now more than ever.

With Simmons done, the Steelers likely will turn to backup RG Darnell Stapleton, which is a mistake. Stapleton isn't a bad player, but the team has better options. RT Willie Colon could slide inside to guard and OT Max Starks could start on the edge. Starks is talented and underrated and Colon -- who took reps at guard in training camp each of the last two years -- could handle the move with a little coaching. In this scenario, Pittsburgh's offensive line would be bigger and more experienced than if Stapleton replaces Simmons.

The Steelers won't change their scheme much to accommodate the new starters, but in any case they need to get better at what they already do. Coordinator Bruce Arians has taken some heat for his play calling, and rightfully so. Against blitz-happy Philadelphia and Baltimore defenses the last two weeks, he didn't do enough to aid an offensive line that struggles in protection and a quarterback who tends to hold on to the ball a beat or three too long. To preserve QB Ben Roethlisberger, give the linemen a hand and make the most of Moore's abilities, Arians needs to use more screens, draws and the like against pressure defenses (the Jaguars and Giants, two of the Steelers' next three opponents, certainly qualify).

Additionally, FB Carey Davis' ankle injury could limit Arians' flexibility, though it won't dramatically affect an offense that already prominently features two-tight end and multiple-receiver sets. RB Najeh Davenport likely will be brought back for depth and short-yardage work, and RB Gary Russell is a wild card who could spell Moore.

In the end, Pittsburgh may throw a bit more often and align Moore in the slot or split wide at times, but the core offense will remain unchanged. Mendenhall's and Simmons' replacements should be fine, but the pressure on Big Ben's shoulders and a stout Steelers defense just got turned up a little more.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.

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Oh my God! There goes the lead in the AFC North……there goes the undefeated season!…..there goes John Harbaugh’s perfect record! So the Ravens get beat in overtime 23-20 by the Steelers in Pitsburgh. I have two words for you, SO WHAT! Yeah, I agree, it sucked. Anytime you blow a ten point half-time lead in a game you seem to have control of it’s hard to take. I am disappointed in seeing three personal foul penalities, one that helped change the game…..I thought we were done with those after Billick got kicked to the curb? And yes, there are some things that Pittsburgh exposed that we should be concerned about but the bottom line is that the Ravens went into Pittsburgh and outplayed the Steelers. I know, I know, in the standings there is no place for “games you outplayed opponent”. The only thing in the standings is wins, loses and ties. And I’m the last guy that talks about moral victories but when I turned off the tv and dragged my sorry butt to bed at 12:30 in the morning I probably felt the most content I’ve ever felt after a loss. For the first time since training camp started I feel like this will be a competitive football team in 2008.

Let’s face it, the first two wins of the season were against Cincinnati and Cleveland. Two teams that would probably have trouble beating Maryland. Plus there was also the concern of quarterback Joe Flacco playing his first road game in Pittsburgh on national TV, the revamped offensive line going up against all of those Steeler blitz packages and how would head coach John Harbaugh handle the pending adversity he would no doubt face in Pittsburgh.

We’ll talk more about all of those topics in the upcoming posts but for the most part the Ravens took it to the Steelers in their house with a rookie QB, rookie head coach, an o-line that’s a work in progress and a secondary missing two starters. I’m not saying order your play-off tickets, all I’m just saying is that 2008 and possibly beyond isn’t looking as gloomy as it did a month ago.

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