Pittsburgh's complete dismantling of the Houston Texans can almost entirely be exemplified by the statistical lines for Pittsburgh's outside linebackers: James Harrison had nine tackles, a forced fumble, and three sacks; LaMarr Woodley had a sack, a fumble recovery, a pass defended, and an interception. In other words, to say it was a rough day for the Houston offense is an understatement.
Of course, the dominance of Harrison & Woodley does not honestly inform the reader whether or not Pittsburgh's offense played well; it could have been a defensive battle. That said, let me put it this way: the offense had a few spectacular duos of its own.
WARD & HOLMES
Santonio is poised for a break-out season. Last season, he led the Steelers in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, as well as leading the entire NFL in yards per reception. Ergo, he now draws the opposing defense's top cornerback...as well as a double team. In turn, the often-underestimated Hines Ward took full advantage of the situation: six receptions for seventy-six yards, and two touchdowns. In other words, opposing defenses are now faced with a proverbial Catch-22: if they cover Holmes, Ward is going to beat them; if they cover Ward, Holmes will assuredly beat them. Of course, teams could cover both of the receivers...but, Heath Miller still has the surest hands on the Steelers (and he is not afraid to use them). Ben Roethlisberger's "security blanket" (Miller) had three catches for 26 yards.
Speaking of Roethlisberger, he has now officially started his campaign for league MVP. While his thirteen passes (out of fourteen) for 137 yards and two touchdowns might not sound very compelling, one must remember two things. First, Ben did not play the entire fourth quarter (because, at that point, the Steelers were ahead 35-3). And, secondly, Ben was nearly perfect in his throws: his lone incompletion was a wise decision to throw the ball away (as opposed to taking a sack). In other words, do not let the statistics fool you: Ben played as smart of a game as I have ever seen him play.
Speaking of avoiding sacks...
SMITH & KEMOEATU
The left side of Pittsburgh's offensive line was a huge question mark going into this season. Marvel Smith was injured last season, and Chris Kemoeatu is young & unproven (and is replacing perennial All-Pro, Alan Faneca). Thankfully, they both played beyond expectations.
Sure, Mario Williams recorded two sacks. But, one of those sacks came on a miscommunication (about who was going to block him), and the other sack...well...Mario Williams is a pretty darn good player. Regardless, the left side of the line was mauling defenders and creating running lanes for the running backs; it is no surprise that two of Willie Parker's three touchdowns came off of the left side.
Speaking of the running game...
PARKER & MENDENHALL
As mentioned earlier, Parker ran for three touchdowns...which is one more than he had all of last season. He looked fast, fresh, and fierce, as evidenced by his 138 rushing yards. Similarly, Rashard Mendenhall ran the ball very effectively. Furthermore, most of Rashard's carries came in the fourth quarter, when the Texans knew that the Steelers were going to run the ball. To make a long story short, opposing defenses are not going to catch a break any time soon.
In summation, several of the older players stepped up their play, proving that they are not (yet) past their prime (Ward, Smith). Other players pushed themselves closer to the limelight (Kemoeatu, Holmes, Woodley). And, others simply do what they do best: excel (Harrison, Miller, Roethlisberger). In other words, many of my hopes came to fruition...and more importantly, many of my fears were assuaged. In turn, the future looks very bright for the black & gold.
