The Unsung Heroes Of 2012 Pittsburgh Steelers

Shaun "Sushi" Suisham Has Been One of
The Many "Unsung Heroes" of the Steelers

Some might call it a slow news day, I call it a chance to write about some people amongst the Steelers organization that might not get the credit from either the national or local media that they truly deserve.  I'm going to call it my "Unsung Heroes" article at this point in the season.  I realize that some of these people could pull a swan dive and tank the remainder of the season, but they still deserve credit for what they've done up until this point in the season.  Without further ado, the Steelers unsung heroes:

- Kicker - Shaun Suisham - Shaun Suisham (or Sushi as he is referred to amongst SteelerNation) has been as solid a kicker the Steelers have had since Jeff Reed.  I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical of the Steelers for sticking with Suisham after (in my opinion) he had a horrendous season last year.  Just goes to show you why coaches coach, and I write articles on a website.  Shaun Suisham has kicked 3 game winning field goals so far this year (vs. Eagles / vs. Chiefs / @ Baltimore) and has only missed one field goal (54 yarder in Tennessee).  At one point last year I thought anything outside of 35 yards was a miss with Suisham, but this year he seems to be "money in the bank".  When it comes to confidence, a kicker needs alot of it, and there might not be a kicker that has more right now than Shaun Suisham.

- Offensive Line Coach - Sean Kugler - When the Steelers picked up Kugler from Buffalo during their fire sale years ago, all reports were that this guy knew how to coach players and put them in the best position to be successful.  Kugler has worked with patchwork lines since he has been with the Steelers, and the Steelers have been able to survive year in and year out without the consistency most NFL teams require at that position.  The future is bright for Kugler's squad with DeCastro, Adams, and now Beachum all young players who could be destined for solid NFL careers...oh and don't forget about Maurkice Pouncey who has been a Pro Bowler since his first year in the NFL.  The Pittsburgh and National media love to beat up on the Steelers offensive lines, but I think Kugler has done a tremendous job with what he has to work with...the most recent game in Baltimore and the protection that the line gave Charlie Batch was a perfect example of how good Kugler is as a coach.

- Defensive Coordinator - Dick Lebeau - I realize that Lebeau gets alot of publicity as a great coordinator, but I want to give him credit for something that I don't think he has done since Troy Polamalu was drafted  by the Steelers and began starting in his 2nd year.  What did he do?  He changed his system when Polamalu was injured.  In the past, Lebeau would march Ryan Mundy onto the field and expect him to perform the same way that Troy would...with the same assignments.  It took losses to Oakland, Tennessee, and Denver to make Lebeau realize that he needs to taylor his system for the players he has, and not expect back up players to be able to make plays that players like Polamalu can make.  This was the main reason that the secondary has been so effective, as well as why the defense still ranked #1 in the NFL without Troy in the lineup.  Kudos for Lebeau for eating his humble pie and changing the system to make it work. 

- ILB - Larry Foote - Sometimes I don't think that Larry Foote gets enough credit.  Think about the situation he was stepping into.  He was replacing one of his best friends / teammates in James Farrior, and was not only expected to lead the defense in terms of calls / changes, but he was expected to step up as the leader of the defense and a leader on the team.  Larry Foote has been one of the most consistent / solid players on the defensive side of the football.  Last year, Foote looked slow and lethargic from time to time, but this year he looks to be in better shape and ready to step up for this Steelers team.  If he is able to hang around for a few years and groom Sean Spence (Rookie ILB from Miami who is out for the year with a torn ACL) it would be a great thing for the continuity of the Steelers Defense.  If Larry Foote keeps producing like he is, he won't give up his job easily for any younger player.

- DE - Brett Keisel - "Da Beard" is finally playing the way he did before he seemed to care more about his beard than his play on the football field.  Keisel is showing the push he used to when it was okay for the Steelers to get rid of Kemo VanOlhoffen after the 2005 season.  It is great to see Keisel not only contributing, but also staying healthy.  As he has aged he has gotten more injury prone and the Steelers need him to be on the field to allow the younger DE (Ziggy Hood and Cam Heward) to be able to spell each other when necessary.  If Keisel keeps putting pressure on the QB, it makes it alot easier on the secondary without having to blitz as much.  Brett Keisel has been a pleasant surprise so far this season.

- OLB - Jason Worilds - One of the toughest jobs on a football team is the backup.  Why? You don't always play, but when you do you are expected to perform as if you were the starter.  First, Jason Worilds has the team high in sacks right now (although James Harrison might have surpassed him after the Baltimore game) and has been very solid in his replacement play on either side of the football.  People often talk about James Harrision having to get back into "game shape" due to missing almost all of training camp, but Jason Worilds was in the same situation with a wrist injury.  He hasn't gotten the snaps that all of the players who reported to camp were given.  I believe this is one of the reasons why Worilds is finally starting to come into his own within the system.  Its a good thing based on the fact that he is most likely James Harrison's replacement when he leaves the Steelers.

- Defensive Backs Coach - Carnell Lake - Don't think for a second that the Steelers improvements in their secondary doesn't have something to do with coaching.  If you are old enough to remember #37 at the safety position, then you remember Carnell Lake.  Lake also played some corner, so he is multi-faceted in terms of coaching.  Since he has been brought on to help coach he has done an outstanding job with the defensive backs...mainly because he knows Lebeau's system well enough and has played all of the secondary positions.  Lake was considered one of the smartest football players on the Steelers during the "Blitzburgh" teams in the 90s...no wonder he is a success as a coach.

- TE - Heath Miller - Okay, so Heath is finally starting to get some street "cred", but this guys does it all.  Run block, Pass Block, and has one of the best hands of any TE in the NFL.  He is a TRUE tight end and not just a WR that is big (i.e. - Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates, etc.).  Heath amazes me every year and this year he has exploded with Todd Haley's offense.  Haley said he would be getting big Heath the ball more, and he has done just that.  Heath Miller deserves every ounce of credit and then some...so I'm giving him some "cred".

Did I leave someone out?  Let me know by mentioning me on Twitter (@BnGBlitz) or leave a comment below in the comment section...GO STEELERS!