Bengals: What are the Chances...?

The Steelers are 9.5 point favorites over the Bengals - as it should be. If nothing else, with Carson Palmer sidelined by an elbow injury, the Steelers have a huge advantage at quarterback with Ben Roethlisberger going against Ryan Fitzpatrick. Pittsburgh has also had two weeks to prepare for the game, while the Bengals played last Sunday, a 26-14 loss at the New York Jets.

The keys to the game for the Steelers are: To keep Cincy's wide receiver trio of Chad (Ocho Cinco) Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Chris Henry from making big plays in the passing game, and to limit the return yards of Bengals' KOR Glenn Holt, who leads the NFL with 744 total return yards, and is on pace to generate close to 2,000 kickoff return yards. If the Steelers find success in these two aspects of the game, the rest should take care of itself. Let's give the Steelers a 75 percent chance of winning this game.

Steelers: First impressions of Pittsburgh's first- and second-round picks

Guest commentary by Nick Beckwith:

Since the NFL free agency system was instituted the NFL mantra of drafting “the best player available” has been largely a myth. After losing a key player teams almost reflexively draft a college player at the same position, regardless of whether the new player’s talent warrants the spot he is being taken. This is not to suggest that need should not be part of the scouting calculus, it must be. But in recent years it had begun to overwhelm all other considerations. Last year veteran NFL personnel man and former GM Floyd Reese, noting teams’ tendency to “reach” for positions of need lamented “the lost art of scouting.” Yesterday the Pittsburgh Steelers rediscovered that art. And they did it under what must have been trying circumstances.

Round 1
The Steelers' two greatest positions of need were on the lines – offensive and defensive. Offensive line looked like the position to take, with five prospects worthy of the first round ... and certainly five offensive lineman would not be selected before the Steelers picked at number 23. Five weren’t – six were, with another going later in the round. Rather than panic and select an offensive lineman of insufficient talent just to fill a need, the Steelers turned this near crisis into an opportunity. They drafted Rashard Mendenhall and came away with one of the best bargains of the first round.

Round 2
If Mendenhall was a bargain, Limas Sweed was an absolute steal. This is an extraordinary value pick. Despite missing most of his senior season with a wrist injury, some analysts still considered him the best overall wide receiver in the entire draft. And refreshingly, he is not a diva. Think Hines Ward and Marvin Harrison, not Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson.

Summary
It is hard to see how the Steelers could have done better yesterday; they skillfully turned a draft that was breaking against them to their favor.