Age: Effects on Steelers

by Alan Dewhirst

My grandfather always said that three letters dictate the successes, failures, and the ebb and flow of our existence. Those letters: A-G-E. Truer words have never been spoken, and he proves it; he is now completely senile, and refers to me as Mortimer. Nevertheless, this adage applies directly to the NFL and the durability and leadership characteristics of its players, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are no exception.

With leadership coming from both ends of the spectrum, the “Stillers” will oft benefit from the relative ages of their marquee guys, starting most pointedly with Big Ben Roethlisberger. As a guy who knows success as well as hardship, the offensive group will undoubtedly gain insight from a young guy who has spent time in a small market (at Miami of Ohio), spent time in the limelight of one of the most critical football cities in the nation, watched from the sidelines with injury, and played through nagging injuries a la Steve McNair. At the tender age of 25, the guy’s seen his share, and there is no better way to lead than to have been on all sides of the football cube, sharing his own experience with the guys in his huddle.

A major cause for concern, though are the guys directly in front of Big Ben as he calls his signals. If last year’s debacle in protection is any indication, coupled with the Steelers’ lack of moves on the offensive line, this season might prove to be a sequel to the feature “Ben Runs For His Life on All Passing Downs.” Particularly at center, where two guys at just under 30 might vie for the record for most untouched sacks allowed, a la Sean Mahan of ‘07-’08. And since Mahan has somehow received the nod from coach Tomlin thus far, we can only assume that Justin Hartwig has not proven that he can beat out a weekly pancake, thereby providing no solidity in the middle of the offensive line.

On the left side of the line, Marvel Smith, at age 30, is having trouble with his durability. The solid, All-Pro caliber tackle when healthy is hard pressed to put up a full season due to a couple nagging injuries. On the other side, Max Starks and Willie Colon will battle for the tackle spot. Both are young guys, 26 and 25, respectively, but don’t expect the right tackle position to be the anchor of the line. Colon is prone to mental mistakes and, let’s face it, even for his size, Starks has proven to be somewhat soft.

Behind Ben Roethlisberger, though, is a small handful of bright spots. Fast, powerful, solid, and most importantly, young. Willie Parker, at 27, seems to have a lot of tread left on those tires, even though the shelf life of an NFL running back is relatively short. Behind Parker, is a rookie, at 21. A solid first year guy, Rashard Mendenhall was the finest available talent in the draft at the moment the Steelers made their selection. Let me go on record right now: the guy is a beast. At fullback, Carey Davis is 27, and as solid a fullback as the Steeler faithful could hope for.

On the other side of the ball, even though Larry Foote may be the only voice audible at most times, the leadership through experience as well as sheer professionalism must come from James Farrior. He’s played in the blinding limelight of the Big Apple, and even though he may be in the twilight of his career at 33 in a defense that punishes teams from the linebacker spot, thereby punishing its own linebackers, he has undoubtedly earned the necessary stripes to gain the ears of those around him when he chooses to be heard (even over Larry Foote).
However, in the light of last year’s almost pressure-free season from the front seven, the onus will fall directly upon the secondary when it comes to making big stops. Veteran Deshea Townsend will provide experience, and his durability will prove solid, since his everyday position has only been notched in the past five years of his 11 in the league. On the other side, Ike Taylor, at 28 will have to step up his mental game and get his hands on a few more balls this season if the defense is going to get off the field. He dropped somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 possible interceptions last year, and if he can come down with just half that in ‘08-’09, the defense will benefit greatly, getting off the field even when the front seven can’t come up with sacks.

Let’s not let the three letters of record fall solely on the players, though. Though it may seem that Mike Tomlin is a born head coach, he is very young by head-coaching standards in the NFL. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt due to his demeanor and managerial skills, but keep in mind that he is a second-year head coach that isn’t much older than some of his veterans. But most notably, A, G, and E will leave their burden on Dick LeBeau. At what seems like 178 years of age, the guy is an old-school hard nose hanging on in a changing league. May his age never catch up with him. Lest he refer to his head coach as Mortimer.