News

August 27, 2008

Big year for Keisel and Steelers defense

Jim Wexell, and the Steelers feel that the defense will have a big year. In his article, Pass Rush Taking on Special Look , Wexell writes about why Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel feel the Steelers defense could have a big year:

The Steelers' 36 sacks last season were their lowest since 2003. But that's all about to change because of what might be Dick LeBeau's fastest defense ever.

If the Steelers’ pass rush continues to flash, the NFL’s No. 1 defense last season will have gotten better. Much better. Of course, no one believes it will happen, particularly since Casey Hampton’s too fat, Aaron Smith and James Farrior are too old, Troy Polamalu’s injury-prone, and Brett Keisel was all hype last season.

The Steelers chuckle when they hear these stereotypes, and they hope no one’s expecting the quickness, strength and depth of the pass rush they’re about to unleash this season.

“Leave it alone,” Keisel says of the story idea.

Then again, Keisel couldn’t contain his own optimism.

“I think our defense is so fast; we can do so many things,” he said. “I think if we can live up to our potential this year, we should see some special things.”

Special things?

“Well, leave it alone,” he repeated.

But he was too late. Smith tried a similar tact. “It’s a little early to tell, don’t you think?” he asked. But then even he became lost in his optimism. “From watching practice, yeah, I think we’ve improved,” he said.

A monstrous defensive end, Smith appears to be 100 percent recovered from a biceps injury that knocked him out of the final four games last season (1-3). Known as a run-stopper deluxe, Smith’s been applying pressure and even has a sack this preseason. His counterpart on the 3-4 line, Keisel, is quicker, been more active, and also has a sack.

“I think Brett’s really coming into his own. I think this is the chance for him to have a Pro Bowl year,” Smith said. “He’s feeling more comfortable, more confidence. He’s a great player. It’s just a matter of him maturing.”

Last year, Keisel was the key piece in Dick LeBeau’s new “mixer” defense, in which only Smith put his hand on the ground on passing downs. Keisel roamed and blitzed like a linebacker, and much was expected from him.

“I think he put a lot of pressure on himself, too,” Smith said. “A lot of people said a lot of good stuff and all of the sudden he felt like he had to live up to it.”

But Keisel, while leading the team with 31 QB hurries, had only two sacks. And now, few are expecting much more.

“But I think he’s going to be a surprise for some people,” Smith said. “I think he’s really come on strong this last camp. He had an unbelievable camp in practices. There aren’t too many guys who can block him in practice.”

And these are just the defensive ends. While Smith and Keisel have more speed than any other pair of 3-4 ends in the league, real pressure is the domain of the Steelers’ linebackers. With camp phenom Lawrence Timmons thrown into the mix, and LaMarr Woodley replacing Clark Haggans, and James Harrison proving he was not a late-blooming fluke last season, the Steelers are poised to post their best sacks total since the 2005 championship season, when they had 47.

“Timmons, he’s a freak. He’s so fast,” said Keisel. “Woodley is so strong and quick for his size, too. Yeah, those guys could help us a lot. Teams can key on one side. They’ll chip and double like offenses do. So, if you’re solid all over the place, and you don’t know who’s coming or who’s going, it opens it all up.

“I watched the tape last week, where we had eight guys in the box and Aaron was the only one down. That’s hard to pick up. If some guy messes up one little thing, you have that opening to make a play. Hopefully we can do that.” With eight first-half sacks in three preseason games, compared to six first-half sacks in the first four preseason games last year, Coach Mike Tomlin has gone so far as to say, “I like where our pass rush is.”

And LeBeau, the mad scientist of a coordinator, has hedged any retirement plans because “some of our young guys are showing a penchant for blitzing effectively” and “if we play defense like we did last year, it’s going to be hard to give it up.”

By any statistical research or “video evidence,” as Tomlin likes to say, the pass rush has improved. And that could lead the Steelers to the “special things" they haven't seen since 2005.

August 26, 2008

With age comes experience

The media talked the entire offseason, and during training camp, about how the Steelers defense were an aging bunch.

Every news story brought up the ages of the veteran players, and speculated on whether they could still play effectively.

Well, after the first team defense's play against the Vikings, I think the question was answered!

Ed Bouchette of the Post Gazette wrote:

Steelers defensive linemen think 30 is the new 25.

Saturday night, they took a step toward making converts out of skeptics by shutting down Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor and the NFL's No. 1 running team from last season.

The old guys up front, with a good supporting crew behind them, held the Vikings to 17 yards rushing in the first half -- 11 by Peterson and 5 by Taylor.

Defensive End, Aaron Smith had this to say:

"Actually, I think age is to our benefit because we have experience," Smith said. "Guys can rotate and get in there and play. If you have young backups, sometimes they don't know what they're doing when they get into a game. At least now with the veterans you know what to expect and how they'll perform."

Brett Keisel was also asked how he felt about the age comments,

"I feel like I'm a spring buck," said Keisel, and on this line he is.

"Besides Nick, I'm the youngest guy out there right now.

"We are young bucks, though. I still feel good, like I'm still improving. I think we still play really well up front. Obviously, we had some slipups last year but we've held ourselves to a high standard and I think we've done pretty good with that."

To read the entire story, click here .

Also,

I want to thank Kyrsten for the picture listed with this story!

She attended the game in Minnesota and was lucky enough to actually have her #99 jersey autographed by Keisel.

She may share her story, and some pictures with us later.

August 24, 2008

High praise for Steelers defense

Jeff Reed scored the only points for the Steelers during their game against Minnesota, but it is the play of the first team defense that everyone is talking about today.

From Scott Brown of the Tribune-Review :

The Vikings managed just one touchdown in the almost three quarters they played against the Steelers’ first-team defense. And the Steelers dominated the line of scrimmage, shutting down Minnesota’s running back tandem of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor while sacking quarterback Gus Frerotte three times in a 12-10 win over the Vikings in front of a sellout crowd of 62,625.

And...from John Harris, also of the Tribune-Review :

As advertised, the Steelers promised to pretend that Saturday night's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings was actually a regular-season contest.

The Steelers were most dangerous when they had only two defensive linemen on the field, Smith and right end Brett Keisel. The formation worked best in obvious passing situations, which was a tribute to the Steelers and their ability to stifle dangerous running back Adrian Peterson.

To read the whole article, click here .

I added some pictures from the game to the gallery. Click here to check them out! They are in the 2008 Season and Preseason album. I will keep adding pictures as I get them, so be sure to check back!

I also have received some messages from Keisel fans that I wanted to post for other fans to read:

"Hey, keep up the good work. I expect you to be giving opposing QB's nightmares this season!"-Jackie, CA.

"Diesel, have a great season! Can't wait to see you torturing offenses!"-J.R.-serving in Iraq.

"WAY TO GO BRETT, GREAT GAME !!!"- Tina, WV

"Way to go Steelers defense! Showing why you are the best in the business! Keisel-have a great season. We're rooting for you in North Carolina." Jeff, N.C.

"I am ready to get the season going and will catch all the games I can. I will wave my Terrible Towel and #99 jersey proudly!" David-serving in Iraq.

"Keisel you are a monster on the field! Keep up the good work-love watching you play. Go Steelers!" Lisa, NY.

"We all know Brett was the top fisherman on his trip with Ben! Have a great season Steelers!" Dan, WA.

I will post more during the season!

Brett certainly has fans from all over!

August 23, 2008

Defense holds Vikings to 10 points

The Steelers won their preseason game against the Vikings 12-10.

Jeff Reed scored all of the points off field goals.

The first team defense were all over Vikings QB Gus Frerotte, sacking him three times.

Keisel had three tackles during the time he was in the game.

The game story can be read here .

I will also post game pictures later tomorrow.

August 21, 2008

Keisel talks about Farrior's new contract

When asked how Keisel felt about teammate James Farrior being signed to a 5-year deal with the Steelers he said:

"He means everything to (the defense)." He's the heart and soul of our defense. He makes all the right calls, puts everyone in the right situations. We're all happy he'll be here a little bit longer."

To read the whole article on Farrior's contract, click here.

And...

..I added some new pictures to the Fan Pictures album-thanks to Alison!

To view them, click here , and then click on Fan Pictures.

FYI..

..the game Saturday versus Minnesota will be televised on CBS. Gametime is set for 8:00 p.m.

Since it is the third preseason game, we will probably see the starters getting more time on the field.

Also, the last preseason game against the Panthers will now start at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m.

August 20, 2008

New pictures added.....

....from training camp and the first two preseason games!

Sorry for the delay in updates. I am back from vacation so I will be getting the site updated as quickly as possible.

Click here to view the latest additions to the Training Camp and Preseason 2008 photo galleries.

As seen in the photo above, Keisel caused some trouble for Bills quarterback J.P. Losman. The Steelers lost the game 24-21. The next game is this Saturday, against the Minnesota Vikings.

Some comments from Scout.com regarding Keisel:

Brett Keisel adds pass-rushing speed not usually found in 3-4 ends.

DE Brett Keisel, the team leader in QB pressures last season, had another one early on Donovan McNabb. One of the top scouts here thinks Keisel’s a tremendous asset to the defense, that he’s another guy with speed, and thinks he’s going to have a great year.

Also,

I just have to say congratulations to Michael Phelps-8 gold medals is amazing!

Congrats to him and all the Olympic participants!

August 9, 2008

Calling all pet lovers (and Keisel fans)

Animal Care and Welfare is sponsoring a rabies and microchip clinic today!

It will be held from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at PAWS HERE AWHILE PET RESORT located at 316 NOLL ROAD, GEORGETOWN, PA.

You can bring in your dog or cat for their rabies shots, to be microchipped, or for other services.

You can also enter a raffle to win a football autographed by Brett Keisel!

There will be dog yards and pools for your pet to play in, and you can support animal welfare.

For more information, click here .

Be sure to check the link for times for the events and costs.

Sorry for the short notice on the event, but I was just notified this morning.

August 8, 2008

Steelers kick the preseason off with a win

The Steelers played their first preseason game of the 2008 season tonight.

They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 16-10.

Roethlisberger led the first team offense down the field on the opening drive of the game.

The drive ended with a TD pass to Santonio Holmes.

The first team offense and defense saw very limited play.

The back-ups and rookies got the most playing time, and unfortunately back-up quarterback Charlie Batch was injured.

Early reports say he broke his collarbone and could miss at least one month.

More news on the game is available in the Team News section.

I added a picture of Keisel from the game to the photo gallery and will add any others I locate.

To view the picture, click here .

FYI...

I will be on vacation beginning tomorrow for a week.

I had hoped to be able to update the site while away, but the mobile set-up may not work as well as I'd hoped. So, it's possible I may not update the site for a week.

I should be able to update the MySpace page with photos and some news, so you can check there periodically.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

Be sure to check back though, as I will add all the updates when I return!

August 7, 2008

countdown to first preaseason game is on

It's hard to believe that the first preseason game of 2008 is less than 24 hours away!

Coach Tomlin has already announced that the starters will probably not see more than a series or two.

So, we will see a lot of action from the rookies and back-up players.

Practice today was closed, so no pictures are available, as of yet.

I will post any of Brett that I locate later.

The first preseason game is against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Heinz Field.

It will be shown on KDKA and FSN-Pittsburgh. NFL Network may also air the game.

WDVE-Steelers Radio Network should also have the audio. You can check that out at WDVE.

Just click on Listen Live, and if they have the feed it should play.

To read some game notes, click here.

Update....

Each day I am moving many of the older news stories from this page to the archives. You can visit the archives page by clicking at the top of this page on "Archives", or at the bottom of the page on "Archives."

August 6, 2008-late edition

Keisel on Savran on SportsBeat today

Brett was interviewed today by Stan Savran, of Savran on SportsBeat on FSN.

Savran talked with Brett about the upcoming season, Coach Tomlin, Brett's son, and.... the dentist?

Highlights of the interview are transcribed below.

Savran begins the interview by saying Brett has his sunglasses.

Savran:

"He's wearing my sunglasses!!" (Brett takes his time putting on the sunglasses).

On the shirt:

Savran:

"Look at that, he is wearing our "McDonalds High School Football on FSN" t-shirt! You are a true company guy!"

Brett:

"I support the home team, you know that!" (Brett displays his FSN-Pittsburgh t-shirt)

On the baby and the dentist:

Savran:

"How ya doin' Brett?"

Brett:

"Great, thanks for having me back, Buddayyy!"

Savran:

"First thing, big change in your life, you are a dad now! Tell me about that."

Brett:

"Greatest thing that's ever happened to me. I have such love for that little man, it's crazy! But Jacob Cassius, he's gettin' big, almost 20 pounds and he's only 4 months old...so he might be like his daddy, we'll see."

Savran:

"I hope he's a good hooper and a good football player."

" Now, it turns out that we go to the same dentist's office - they told me, this guy, 6'5, big...is the biggest baby they have ever had to deal with. They always have to give him a little lollipop...now, what is with that?"

Brett:

I like lollipops after the dentist, what's wrong with that? I need some sugar, my mouth's all numb, I need something to suck on for the drool, you know!"

On how things are going so far:

Brett:

"We know what to expect from Mike, he knows what to expect from us, it's a good camp. It's three weeks, which is fabulous. I think things are going really well. I have seen alot of great things from the young players that we have right now which is nice to see. We need that. We need guys to come in and be a force on special teams."

On him being asked about going back to special teams:

Brett:

"Absolutely. they have talked to me, there is definitely a chance you will see me running down the field on some kickoffs again, just like old times. I told them a long time ago that would be something I would be interested in doing and if they need my help out there, I would be more than willing to do it."

Savran:

"Alot of times they play you from a 2-point stance, is that going to continue? Were you comfortable doing that? Other teams have done it with incredible athletes so...."

Brett:

"Thanks Stan, that's really sweet of you! I might have to give you a kiss for that!"

Savran:

" Uh, I can't run that far....can I get a head start?"

Brett laughs....and answers the question:

"You're going to get alot of that this year. We are all more comfortable - last year was the the first time we had done it, we are all more comfortable now, we understand the defense, I think it's really going to pose a threat to offenses week in and week out."

On Mike Tomlin and being mentally tough -

"I think he has a great feel for us. I think we are all getting a better understanding of what he wants, he's getting a better understanding of us and noticing when we need breaks, when we don't need breaks, when he need a push us or when he needs to come off. I think it's going to be a tough schedule and a good year."

Last question:

Savran:

"Last thing - nobody likes to be away from their family, nobody likes to be away from their newborn, but your wife is the one who has to get up with him at two in the morning...is it a little more peaceful being up here and not having to deal with that?"

Brett:

"It is, but I would take watching him anytime of the day...he is a great baby. We have been blessed, he sleeps through the night, takes good naps, doesn't blow out his diaper too much..."

Savran (laughs):

"That's all right, we hear the same thing about you!"

Brett:

"Easy...easy...."

Savran:

"Brett, thank you very much, have a great season, looking forward to seeing you!"

Brett:

"Thank you!"

To check out screen captures from Brett's interview, click here . Then click on the Savran on SportsBeat album.

****Huge thanks to Erin, from Big Ben News, for doing ALL the screen caps and transcribing the interview for us!****

FYI...

..Big Ben News is still experiencing site problems but Erin is working to get them resolved. As previously mentioned, her photo gallery is still up so all new pictures of Roethlisberger are updated daily!

To access her photo gallery, click here.