Steelers

Defense

Sure, one of the games was against the Dolphins, but Pittsburgh has shown real signs of improving the rush defense. Rudi Johnson owners should be cautious about playing him this week.

“I’m just taking it year to year,” Cowher said Thursday. The Super Bowl champ has two years left on his contract. Every extension he’s signed in Pittsburgh has come with two years left on his deal.

The organization plans to resume talks after the season, even though Cowher has always preferred to get a deal done during the off-year.

We don’t understand the logic, but this will be the first time Cowher’s contract wasn’t extended with two years left on it. Most observers believe Cowher would sit out a few seasons, then return to coaching.

Hurricane Jeanne is expected to hit roughly 100 miles north of Miami on Sunday morning. While it’s very possible that strong winds and rain will still hit the area, the game will go on as planned. We wouldn’t overreact to the weather’s effect on the fantasy players involved. That type of thinking is usually overblown.

Both coordinators have been year-to-year for a while now. LeBeau is now 73 years old, but he boasted the league’s No. 1 defense once again despite an aging nucleus. Arians, 59, has said in the past that he will walk away from football rather than coach another team’s offense.

LeBeau turned 74 in September, but his defenses are still going strong. LeBeau’s 2011 unit ranked first in the NFL against the pass and first in total defense, both in terms of yardage and points allowed. He hasn’t overseen a defense that has finished outside the top-five in the league rankings since 2006.

Teams have been trying to lure Butler out of Pittsburgh for years, but he’s Dick LeBeau’s heir apparent and the Steelers want to keep it that way. They’ve done so by signing Butler to a new contract, according to NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora. Butler was scheduled to “interview” with Colts brass on Tuesday, although it was just a formality. Indianapolis was intent on hiring him. Chuck Pagano will now have to look elsewhere.

File this one under “no-brainer.” In addition to a pair of Super Bowl appearances, Tomlin boasts four AFC North championships in five years. Only once has his defense failed to finish first or second in the NFL. A charismatic motivator, tone setter and team leader, Tomlin is also one of the best quotes in the business. The 40-year-old’s career winning percentage of .688 (55-25), tied with Ravens coach John Harbaugh, is good for seventh in league history.

The Steelers’ head man from 1992-2006, Cowher has been away from coaching for six full seasons, but believes his job as a T.V. analyst has helped keep him sharp. “One thing about this job is it’s been really good because it allows me to study the game and do features on the game,” Cowher said. “It’s not like I’m out of it. I know how the game is changing.” Cowher rumors have become an annual part of hiring season, but he hasn’t been credibly linked to any of this year’s open jobs. If he returns to the sideline, it will likely be 2014 at the earliest.