Steelers vs Raiders: The Good, Bad and Ugly.

Sorry ladies, this isn't Clint Eastwood, it's Matt Aaron breaking down the Steelers perfomance yesterday in a 35-3 victory of the Oakland Raiders.

The Good

• The Defense certainly redeemed itself from last week’s embarrassment at the hands of Tom Brady and company. Vintage Dick LeBeau game, in which he used the first 8 minutes or so of the game to feel out the Raiders offense and proceeded to make his Hall of Fame adjustments. It resulted in 6 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions (technically it was 3, but I’ll get to that), held Darren McFadden to 14 rushing yards and smacked Jason Campbell all the way to the bench. Three components stuck out during this game on the defensive side of the ball.

1. Troy Polamalu played an exceptional game. Besides his interception, he was disrupting McFadden in the backfield and forcing Campbell to immediately check down. It was not talked about much in the Pittsburgh media, but Mr. Head and Shoulders has not played remarkably well the last few weeks. LeBeau gives Polamalu a lot of opportunities to improv from his safety position and this was the first game in the last month where it was once again was clicking for the All-Pro.
2. 
   The defensive line played without their starting ends and it did not matter. The Raiders came into this contest averaging over 450 yards of offense and 38 points during their 3 game winning streak, but the excellent rotation of Ziggy Hood, Nick Eason and Chris Hoke made that offense look elementary. This was the first time all season that the Raiders offense was held under 100 rushing yards for a game.
3. 
   In November and December of last season, James Farrior looked older than his defensive coordinator while on the field. He looked slow, hurt and probably could not chase down Hal Gill if he needed to. Yesterday, the 35 year old middle linebacker and 15 year veteran was again, on top of his game. He looks healthy and it makes the defense complete. He finished the day with 8 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack and 1 QB hurry. The defensive quarterback, playing next to an emerging star in Lawrence Timmons leads the most bloodcurdling linebacking core in the NFL.

• Who bet that Big Ben would finish the day with 6 less rushing yards than the whole Raiders team combined? Thought so. Roethlisberger orchestrated a beautiful game with his arm and his legs. He completed passes to 8 different receivers while on his way to 275 yards passing and 3 TDs. He also added a rushing touchdown in which he gave a Raiders’ defender an ‘okie doke’ making it appear that he was going to slide down or jog out of bounds before plunging into the end zone. Only negative was a play in which he missed Mike Wallace down the sideline after he blew past Michael Huff.

• That last sentence was an easy segway into Mike Wallace and his mindboggling speed. With all apologies to Chris Johnson, number 17 in the black and gold is the fastest player in the NFL. It literally looked like someone hit the fast forward button on the remote when he blistered by defenders for his 52 yard touchdown run. There is nothing more dangerous than a deep threat that is consistent on a week to week basis. He is quickly becoming an all around wide receiver. Who says Mike Wallace needs 60 minutes, because this kid can run goal line to goal line in 6 seconds.

• Antonio Brown again had an opportunity and Antonio Brown again seized it. Randle El should never have made this squad and barring injury or garbage time, he will not see the field again this year. 9.4 yards on punts and he had a touchdown called back due to a holding penalty. He also caught a pass for 21 yards on his lone chance in the passing game. (But I have enjoyed seeing 40 year old women who have 6 six children, wear their "El Ya" shirts again)

The Bad

• 14 penalties for 163 yards is unacceptable. We’ll get into the specifics of these calls in a little bit, but no matter what, that can not happen. On the bright side, that was the most penalty yards in a game by a team that won by at least 32 points in NFL history. Hooray!

• Rashard Mendenhall had the gears spinning early, but could not sustain it throughout the game. 23 carries for 56 yards is very pedestrian and sometimes his incredible patience hurts him at times. Yesterday, Mendenhall was too patient behind a patchwork offensive line.

The Ugly

• Injuries to the offensive line are almost becoming sickening for Mike Tomlin and company. Maurkice Pouncey, Chris Kemoeatu and Jonathan Scott forced constant juggling on the offensive line again. The positive out of these unfortunate injuries is that the line continued to play well while being shuffled on a play to play basis.

• Certain penalties must be addressed by the NFL. No reason to complain THAT much in a game in which the Steelers won by 32, but some were obviously nauseating. The phantom helmet to helmet on Ryan Clark, James Harrison’s roughing the passer that negated Ike Taylor’s pick 6 (He actually caught the ball!) and LaMarr Woodley’s love tap had the Steelers crowd barking at the refs. This game might cost this crew a chance to work a playoff game.

• Ben Roethlisberger's jaw

• Dan Dierdorf’s lame jokes every time Shane Lechler took a whiff of his smelling salt.
  

  
  

  Overall: If you are Mike Tomlin, there is not much to dwell on. All 3 facets of the game were on point and that does not happen with all the parity in today’s NFL.