Mid Season Report Cards Are In!

As requested, here is the annual Steelers' mid season report card posting.  I will follow the basic format utilized by the Post-Gazette.

OFFENSE:

Quarterback - starting right off with the clear strength of the Steeler squad, Big Ben Roethlisberger has been a stud on the field and a model teammate off the field.  The highly publicized feud regarding the arrival of new O.C. Todd Haley proved to be more media hype than fact, as Ben has quickly grown into the system.  He is off to the best start of his fabulous career, this after not having speedster Mike Wallace to work with all training camp. He's not only the team MVP thus far, he's a legitimate candidate for league MVP. As far as my score, Ben is one completion (against the Titans) short of me giving him a perfect rating.
A-

Running Backs - how can I score these guys below an A?  No Mendenhall, no problem says the quartet of Isaac Redman, Jon Dwyer, Chris Rainey, and Baron Batch.  It doesn't matter who starts as of late, the results are there.  To me, this unit will go a long way to determining how the Steelers continue through the second half.
B+

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends - the most talented unit on the North Shore, but not always the most consistent.  Antonio Brown has already shown the front office that their money will be well spent; conversely, Mike Wallace at times has shown that their caution may have been justified.  Wallace will need to reduce the drops both for his sake and the team's.  Emmanual Sanders has shown that when healthy he's a quality receiver and special teamer, as veteran Jericho Cotchery has been rock solid in the few opportunities he's received.  Tight end Heath Miller is having an All-Pro season while rookie David Paulson looks like a keeper.
B+

Offensive Line - the guys we used to bash as Ben gets sacked time after time.  Maybe not this year, as the new Haley offense requires a much shorter protection period, while emphasizing physical run blocking.  The line started out of the blocks rather sluggishly, and of course ran into their customary litany of injuries, but somewhere in mid October the unit found themselves and a little swagger to go along with it.  Willie Colon now seems comfortable in his new home at guard, with a nasty moxie that would bring a tear to Mike Webster's eye.  Maurkice Pouncey looks Pro Bowl bound again, as rook Mike Adams has shown promise with some punishing run blocking, although his open door policy during pass protection is still cause for bother.  Ramon Foster has been well above Tomlin's proverbial line, thus allowing the team to halt any urgency to get rookie David Decastro back into action.  As for Max Starks, what more needs be said about a man who continually steps up when called upon, seemingly after being sent packing.
B

DEFENSE:

Defensive Line - for years this was one of the strongest performing unit on the team.  Not so far in 2012.  Starting the season with no Aaron Smith and a gimpy Brett Keisel, the line once again looked 'old and slow' as their ability to thwart the run vanished faster than a hoagie in Casey Hampton's fridge.  The performance has improved steadily throughout October, and now the unit looks much closer to the run crushers that D.C. Dick LeBeau craves.  NT/DT Steve McClendon continues to fly under the radar as the best defender that most folks still haven't heard of.  Keisel seems to have found his old form while Ziggy Hood continues to develop into a quality DE.
C

Linebackers - just like the D line, the 2012 linebacking crew started the season minus it's leader, as James Farrior was handed his pink slip in the off season.  My main man Larry Foote has stepped in nicely, leading the team in tackles.  Lawrence Timmons has been a machine at times, trying his best to contribute more explosiveness to offset the loss of playmaker Troy Polamalu.  Lamar Woodley is once again terrorizing opposing QBs when he isn't on the trainer's table icing his hammies.  James Harrison, coming off of minor knee surgery, is beginning to look the part of a 34 year old linebacker as his presence has been nothing more than minimal thus far.
B+

Safeties/Cornerbacks - considering that all world safety playmaker Troy Polamalu's collective playing time in 2012 has been shorter than one of his shampoo commercials, this unit has towed the line nicely.  Keenan Lewis is the first back to get mention as his play has turned former corner William Gay into nothing more than a memory with a funny last name.  Lewis's emergence has played neatly off that of quickly resurgent swaggermaster, and reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week, Ike Taylor.  Despite the ravings of certain sports writers and broadcasters, the play of Will Allen in place of Polamalu, has been solid but certainly not stellar.  Ryan Clark has been the steadying force on the defense, but he needs to recite the overused Tomlinism "don't hit the head, don't use the head".  Clark still relishes laying out receivers ala vintage Donnie Shell, and the sad fact is that he is now a seemingly marked man to the point where a shot to the ribs gets ruled as a blow to the head. All in all, despite leading the NFL in passing yards allowed and passes broken up, the unit must contribute more than 0.5 interceptions per game to gain a higher score.
B+

SPECIAL TEAMS: Lots of highs and lows with these guys.  On the plus side, kicker Shaun Suisham has been off to a career start (with his kicking, not his running).  Chris Rainey and A.B. have both been explosive on returns.  New punter Drew Butler has been a pleasant surprise, and the coverage units have been fairly strong.  Now the other shoe falls.  The Steelers lead the NFL by a  whopping margin in return yards erased by penalty.  The blocked punt in Tennessee allowed the Titans back into the game.  The fake field goal in the red zone against the Giants was more about the call and not the execution, so I can't hang this on the players.  So, what does a mixed bag of goods and bads usually spell?
C+

COACHING:  Much like 2010, the Steelers opened shop this year short handed and loaded with drama.  It appears that the storm has been weathered, as the team is emerging at the mid point, touting a 5-3 record.  Most NFL teams would kill to be north of .500 after losing three veteran leaders, entering the pre-season with a host of key injuries, changing out their O.C. and special teams coach, and watching one of their true offensive stars sit out the entire training camp.  Oh, let's not forget having their defensive playmaker out almost all season with a bad calf.  Head Coach Mike Tomlin is often mentioned in coach of year discussions, but I can't think of a better overall display of grounding leadership than Tomlin's efforts this year.  Todd Haley has injected an offensive system that looks good with the promise of greatness, and Dick LeBeau, well, we ain't talking about his age much lately.
A-

MID SEASON AWARDS:

MVP - Ben Roethlisberger
BEST ROOKIE - Chris Rainey
MOST IMPROVED - Keenan Lewis/Willie Colon (tie)
BEST SINGLE GAME PERFORMANCE - Isaac Redman (against Giants)
PRO BOWL CANDIDATES: Roethlisberger, Heath Miller, Maurkice Pouncey, Lawrence Timmons, Shaun Suisham, Ryan Clark