• http://sh Karl Marx

    The Dixon or Leftwich or even Batch debate is a waste of time. Its a pick your poison situation. Number 7 made this bed now everyone must lie in it for 4 to 6 weeks.. If the Stillers Org. was smart they would hand Ben a #4 or 10 jersey and send him out in black face.

    • Joe Butler

      Karl, this is an interesting comment you made. In Game 5 or 7 Big Ben is the QB but one of the 3 listed above needs to be solidified as a back-up. In a 16 game schedule, the #2 QB is a very important piece of the puzzle whether it be Dixon, Leftwich, or Batch. We will see how Dixon performs in the next 3 pre-season contests.

    • Chuck

      “…send him out in black face.”

      Nice!

  • Ochotexto

    Id start Dixon game 1., I find him impressive.., though it appears the Steelers have their mind made up on Leftwich. But I agree w JS’ assessment that he’d never last a full season scrambling around on those spindly legs. Either way come game 5 Ben has to be the starter immediately.

    • Joe Butler

      Dixon is a talented guy who is capable of starting game 1. He is showing lots of GM’s and scouts that he can play the game. Is he trade bait? I do not know. Will he leave when he becomes a unrestricted free agent? Maybe. Big Ben is the guy here but you always need a capable back-up.

      • http://justwatchthegame.com Bobzilla

        What would be wrong with playing BOTH Leftwich and Dixon in Roethlisberger’s absense? Surely Ariens is creative enough to put in a package of plays for Dixon??? Of course, that might require some extra thinking on his part…
        Before we write off Leftwich completely, let’s try to keep in mind that he hadn’t played in a football since last October prior to Saturday night. I know “fans” are a little skeptical because Leftwich wasn’t able to transform woeful Tampa Bay into a Super Bowl contender, but I’d love to see Hero Ben play in that organization, with that group of sorry-ass players…
        And in Dixon’s defense, his only career start was a crash course courtesy of Roethlisberger backing out at the last minute and Batch once again shelved by yet another injury.
        The media seems intend on creating some sort of QB controversy at Leftwich’s expense. It’s almost like they are blaming him for Roethlisberger’s suspension. Let’s keep in mind that the superstar quarterback is the one who caused this preseason predicament, not Leftwich, Dixon or Batch.
        Personally, I’d like to see Dixon on the field in some compacity even when Roethlisberger returns. I just don’t believe Ariens is coach evough to put together a “ Dixon Package.” I mean, he hasn’t yet, so why would he start now?

        • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

          There’s something wrong when things become so cpmplicated that a team won’t even consider using two quarterbacks. I know all the reasons and they may all be valid, but. I think the fans are cheated when players as exciting as Dixon can’t get on the field but guys like Kent Graham get opportunity after opportunity.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com Bobzilla

            The problem with Ariens is, he’s all about throwing the ball all over the field. I mean, there’s nothing creative about putting a QB in the shotgun on third and one. That’s simply stupid football. There has to be at least a hint of a possible play-action run in there somewhere.
            Dixon is tailor-made for the wildcat. He’s also tailor-made for QB draws. He’s a weapon. Ariens is a retread who has no business coaching at the NFL level. How I yearn for the return of Mike Mularkey.
            As for Kent Graham getting opportunity after opportunity … I think his opportunities were far fewer than the opportunities that were granted to the likes of Kordell Stewart and those of his ilk.
            Speaking of opportunities, I’d like to see Bryon Leftwich have one with this team. It’s a shame the local media are trying to either run him off or shatter his confidence before he’s even given a chance.
            The last thing the local media want to see is someone other than Roethlisberger succeed in this town. The media — aka Big Ben apologists — have promoted and hyped Roethlisberger to the hilt, trying to “wish” him to be all they say and all think he is. They certainly don’t want to be proven wrong.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            I don’t know one person in the media who likes Roethlisberger. My reference to Kent Graham was meant just to use him as an example. Mobile (black) quarterbacks are automatically accused of being “athletes” and incapable of reading defenses. It happened to Doug Flutie. He would throw an interception early in his career and it was because he was too “short”. But a 6-4 guy could throw 10 interceptions and it would be because he’s “inexperienced”. Dixon does NOTHING better than Stewart by the way. At least that’s obvious based on what little we’ve seen of him to this point.

          • Patrick Healy

            Why the gratuitous Kordell Stewart reference? Must Dennis Dixon be compared to him just because he wears #10 and is fleet of foot? Dixon, unlike Stewart, appears to have actual talent at the QB position.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            If he makes this his first year as a starter–as Stewart did in his third year–and he throws for 3,000 yards, has a receiver set the Steelers record for yardage in a season (it still stands) throws for more than 20 TDs and runs for more than 10TD, which Stewart did in 1997 and still has never been done by any other NFL quarterback, and the team goes to the AFC Championship game, we’ll talk. Other than the above, I think Dixon has done enough to prove that he’s better than Stewart. This is what gets me in trouble. Somebody actually–I’m assuming with a straight face–says that Dixon has shown already that he’s better than Kordell Stewart. That’s beyond ridiculous and I don’t know why people—-who have lots of legitimate ctiticisms to make—just refuse to give this guy any credit whatsoever.

          • Patrick Healy

            Adding Stewart’s rushing yardage and TDs doesn’t really help his case tremendously. He was vulturing TDs from Bettis that year. And, that’s certainly not a bad thing. Touchdowns are certainly good, regardless if scored by the QB or the RB. But, that doesn’t make him a better QB.

            I’ll give him credit for 1997. That was a fine year, and I expected greatness to follow. It didn’t. Have there been worse QBs–even in this town? Sure.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            Vulturing TDs from Bettis? That’s a new one. If we’re comparing running QBs, how can his rushing yardage not help his cause. There are people out there saying Dixon is better than Stewart. He played one game and not very well. It’s absurd. What followed 97 was him losing the receiver who still holds the Steelers record for yards in a season and his all pro left tackle. In 98 he lost his leading receiver for the second straight year and had to adjust to his third offensive coordinator in three years–Kevin Gilbride, who said that the offense would be the same whether Stewart was playing or Kent “Can’t get out of my own way” Graham was playing. IN 2001 he was his team’s MVP and made the Pro Bowl. Two terrible years and two very good years and one incomplete year.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com Bobzilla

            John, you can not tell me with any sincerity that your friend, Bob Pompeani, does not “like” Roethlisberger. If Pompeani has any dislike for Roethlisberger, he certainly hides it well.
            Just the other night on his televised call-in show, he abruptly cut short a caller who had the nerve to say that Roethlisberger should be eased back into the lineup once his suspension ends.
            The media may not “like” Roethlisberger the person, but they certainly go above and beyond to promote and to hype him as the only QB on the face of the Earth the Steelers can possibly score points with. The myth they create is that Roethliberger is a scoring machine, which is ridiculous.
            Roethlisberger and his offense were embarrassed numerous times last season, and the season before that. To spend two hours of a pregame radio show and predict with absolute conviction that the Steelers’ offense is going to positively stink the first month of this season without Roethlisberger is media propaganda at its absolute worst.
            I probably pay way too much attention to the what the media say, and, for that, I apologize.
            I agree with you about the Dixon/Stewart comparison. But I am still amazed by the media jumping on the Dixon bandwagon based on a preseason performance … against the lowly Lions’ second and third stringers, no less.
            A lot of backup players around the league had “great” games over the weekend. This is preseason, when annually starters look like backups and backups look like future Hall of Famers.
            It’s a shame those highly-paid professionals in the media can’t separate preseasons from regular seasons. Then again, why let facts stand in the way of a good QB controversy?

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            I really can’t speak for Bob and I don’t know how he feels about him today. I just don’t know of anybody in the media who really likes the guy. You and I disagree on his value to the team. I think the guy is a superstar and I think he was their MVP in 2008. This Dixon/Stewart comparison is exactly what gets me accused of promoting Stewart for the Hall of Fame when all I’m doing is trying to treat the guy fairly. To say after seeing what we’ve seen of Dixon that he’s better than Stewart isn’t just grossly unfair to Stewart. It’s moronic.

          • IvanHlinka

            You don’t treat Kordell fairly. You don’t blame him for anything he has ever done wrong.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            I blame him as much as I blame any quarrerback for playing a bad game and he played plenty of them. I just don’t blame him for everything that went wrong in 98 and 99 and I give him credit foe having very good seasons in 97 and 2001.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com Bobzilla

            Roethlisberger, MVP of the 2008 season? Surely you jest?
            In 2008, Troy Polamalu led a defense that was considered one of the best of all-time with 87 tackles, 11 passes defended and seven interceptions. Many of Polamalu’s picks were far from routine, some requiring diving, scooping, twisting grabs.
            Here’s how good that Steelers 2008 defense was: Last season’s Jets defense, the one that ESPN and Rex Ryan rave about at every opportunity, trailed the Steelers’ 2008 defense in every statistical gategory.
            The Steelers’ offense in 2008 was very ordinary, led by a very average QB.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            I wouldn’t argue with Polamalu as MVP. But, with an average QB they would not have gone to the Super Bowl.

          • IvanHlinka

            Poor Bobzilla, his boy is on the verge of losing his job so of course it’s time to bash Ben.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com Bobzilla

            Ivan: I wasn’t aware that I have a “boy.”
            But continue to enjoy your bro-mance with Big Ben. I’m sure he’s thrilled to have your support.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com Bobzilla

            John, what was so special about Roethlisberger’s play in 2008? His many dramatic comeback victories? With that defense, comebacks should not have been required.
            Oddly enough, the two most decisive wins of the 2008 season came against the Redskins and Browns. Both of those games, not surprisingly, were close, until Leftwich replaced Roethlisberger and produced offensive points…
            Throughout the 2008 regular season, both Polamula and James Harrison (that season’s defensive player of the year) deserved team MVP consideration. As for the 2008 postseason, Santonio Holmes clearly was his team’s best weapon, both as a reciever and as a kick returner…
            The local media likes to pretend that Roethlisberger ranks right up there with Peyton Manning. Truth is, Roethlisbger is more the equal of Eli Manning. Yes, John, average QBs do end up in Super Bowls.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            I saw him in 2008. He was not average.

          • IvanHlinka

            “The local media likes to pretend that Roethlisberger ranks right up there with Peyton Manning”

            Ben doesn’t rank with Peyton Manning.

            Ben’s BETTER.

            You want to talk about being carried in the post season Bob? Pull up Peyton’s 2006 post season the year he won his ring and compare it to BOTH of Ben’s ring years in 2005 and 2008.

            Not even close.

            If I’m down 4 points and I need a TD to win a Super Bowl? I’m not picking Peyton if I get to choose between the two of them.

          • IvanHlinka

            “I don’t know one person in the media who likes Roethlisberger.”

            Madden likes him. Wrong again.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            I should have qualified that by saying “anybody in the media who actually covers the team”. Sorry. My bad.

          • IvanHlinka

            “I should have qualified that by saying “anybody in the media who actually covers the team”. Sorry. My bad.”

            Of course, change the argument AGAIN when proven wrong.

            You should run for office John, you’d fit right in.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            I didn’t change the argument. I admitted my mistake. Mark knows Ben from being his neighbor. He never sets foot in the Steelers locker room. I qualified my statement. You were right in providing the exception. I said “my bad”. I wasn’t trying to be funny. I don’t know anybody who covers the team on a regular basis and had to deal with him who actually likes him. If you can find somebody who does, fine. I’m not aware of him or her.

          • IvanHlinka

            “Dixon can’t get on the field but guys like Kent Graham get opportunity after opportunity.”

            John, that simply isn’t true. Graham bounced around as a backup. You need to quit re-writing his history because he beat Kordell out of a job to start 2000.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            Graham was a starter and had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he couldn’t be a starter, yet he was brought here and handed a job.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com Bobzilla

            OK. Graham was handed a job. But how long did he keep that job? It wasn’t as though Cowher stuck with him for 16 games.
            The only reason Cowher and/or Donahue brought in Graham was because desperate times called for desperate measures. Obvioulsy the organization was convinced that Stewart couldn’t keep his composure in big games.
            I don’t Stewart proved those concerns to be wrong.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            How do you get to the AFC Championship game twice without playing well in big games? It was Cowher who brought Graham in. As I’ve said here before. Say what you want about Stewart. He could play the quarterback position better than Cowher could evaluate it.

          • IvanHlinka

            “He could play the quarterback position better than Cowher could evaluate it”

            And who sandbagged Jim Miller because he preferred Kordell?

            That would be Bill Cowher.

            So how can you bash Cowher? He did everything he could to help Kordell succeed.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            He preferred Mike Tomzak after preparing Miller as the starter for the entire off season.

          • IvanHlinka

            “He preferred Mike Tomzak after preparing Miller as the starter for the entire off season”

            Not true again John. Kordell also started a pre-season game in 1996 at Green Bay. Kordell was given a chance that camp to beat out Miller, once again, he failed to win the job.

            Btw, nice of you not to post my rebuttal to King’s BS with facts in the other thread. But you’ll post when posters call Ben a rapist.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com Bobzilla

            The team’s director of player personnel had nothing to do with acquiring Kent Graham? It was all on Cowher? That’s a little like saying Chuck Noll drafted all the Hall of Famers, while Art Rooney Jr. was soley responsible for all the draft-day busts.
            I don’t think Cowher under estimated Stewart’s playing ability. He did, however, over estimate Graham’s abilities.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            Cowher saw them both play and chose Graham even after they went 0-3 to start the season. Kordell came back, started two games that they won and he went back to Graham. It took Graham getting hurt for Kordell to get the job.

          • IvanHlinka

            “Graham was a starter and had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he couldn’t be a starter, yet he was brought here and handed a job”

            Giants 1992-1994: Began his rookie year as a #3 QB and played only after Simms and Hostetler were hurt and started three games. In his last two seasons there he started one game.

            Lions 1995: No starts.

            1996-1997: In two separate stints as Cardinals quarterback, Graham threw for a combined 3,032 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Those passing numbers are very Kordell 2001 like, and yet John here has glowing praise for “Pro Bowl” Kordell.

            1998 Giants Part 2: 6 starts total, 5-1 record.

            1999 Giants: 9 starts, 5-4 record.
            _________________________________

            So in EIGHT YEARS prior to Pittsburgh, he started 33 games.

            The guy was a career backup, and he beat out Kordell for the job here, which proves just how bad Kordell really was.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            They were 23-10 2000 and 2001 with Stewart as the starter. With Graham, they were 2-3 in 2001, 7-4 with Stewart. Cowher thought Graham was better. He also had to be ordered to draft Roethlisberger in 2004 by Dan Rooney. He was OK going into the 2004 season with Tommy Maddox, the most overrated player in Steelers history.

          • IvanHlinka

            “They were 23-10 2000 and 2001 with Stewart as the starter. ”

            And they were 12-15 with Stewart as the starter in 1998 and 1999. And they were headed for an 0-3 start with Kordell in 2002 (The same 0-3 you bash Graham for btw) when Maddox came off the bench to save them against the Browns.

            Kordell’s Steelers career at QB was a failure. Why can’t you accept that and move on?

            He was benched four times in five seasons from 1999-2003.

            Give it up John, he’s not coming back.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            Here we go again. This all started with someone saying that Dixon is better than Kordell Stewart. That’s an absurd statement that I can’t allow to stand. That’s all. I’m not going to go over all the extenuating circumstances from 98-99. At that time, I was ridiculed for saying that I thought the team could win with him at QB if they used him correctly and got him some better players. They went 23-10 from the time he got his job back in 2000 until the end of 2001. I was right.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            He should have been given his job back in 2002.

          • IvanHlinka

            And John, if you are going to praise Kordell’s 7-4 2000 record? You must also give Graham credit for his 10-5 record in 1998 and 1999.

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            Fine. I’ll give him credit. It has nothing to do with what happened in Pgh, but I’ll give him the credit.

          • IvanHlinka

            “Fine. I’ll give him credit. It has nothing to do with what happened in Pgh, but I’ll give him the credit.”

            And what happened in Pittsburgh John?

            In two of his first three starts his defense blew a 4th quarter lead.

            They were also screwed by two referee mistakes in two of those losses.

            What’s hilarious, is that in Graham’s start against the Titans he was injured, Kordell came in, and promptly threw a HORRIBLE pass into the belly of Joe Bowden, who dropped it.

            Then Brown’s tying kick was short.

            You point out EVERY MINUTE DETAIL, when defending ANYTHING that goes wrong for Kordell.

            But Graham, and Maddox, never got the same treatment.

            Why?

          • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

            Graham and Maddox weren’t treated the way Stewart was and neither was ever as good as he was. I only stood up for Stewart because I thought that he took way too much blame for the terrible seasons in 98 and 99 and then, because most pof the people who had called him every name in the book, thrown beer on him etc and said that they couldn’t win with him at QB refused to give him credit when he proved them all wrong.

  • G-Man

    David being Dennis’ evil twin brother.

    • http://justwatchthegame.com JohnSteigerwald

      Whoops. David Dixon was the founder of the USFL. I interviewed him once., He died last week,