Joe Rutter stories, Page 6

As he took stock of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ fate heading into the final week of the regular season, coach Mike Tomlin talked about a positive: His team already has secured a playoff berth. Of course, he also acknowledged a negative: the three-game losing streak the 10-6 Steelers will try to...

The final game of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ regular season will be held in prime time. The Steelers, who have a 10-6 record on the heels of a three-game losing streak, will face the 8-8 Cincinnati Bengals at 8 p.m. Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. The game will be televised by ABC/ESPN....

A third consecutive loss was fresh in his mind when Mike Tomlin promised changes for the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals. “We’re not going to continue to do the same things and hope for a different result,” Tomlin said moments after a Christmas loss...

The Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee bypassed former Pittsburgh Steelers players Hines Ward and James Harrison once again. Neither Ward nor Harrison made the cut to 15 finalists that the Hall of Fame announced Saturday. Ward made the list of 25 semifinalists for the ninth time, and Harrison...

Within an 11-day span, the Pittsburgh Steelers went from having an outside chance of earning home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs to most likely opening the postseason on the road. They not only squandered a chance to control the AFC North, they find themselves trailing the Baltimore Ravens based on...

Here are 5 things we learned from Chiefs 29, Steelers 10: 1. Sowing the seeds One thing became certain with the Steelers extending their losing streak to three games with the Christmas loss to Kansas City: They are assured of not facing the Chiefs again in the first round of...

His first NFL start might come against a two-time NFL most valuable player and the MVP of the past two Super Bowls. That test against Patrick Mahomes could come in front of a global audience in the league’s first foray into a Netflix telecast. It could happen in a game...

Five things we learned from Ravens 34, Steelers 17: 1. Disappointing defense Russell Wilson’s two turnovers, which led to 14 points, were the chief culprit in the loss, but the play of the defense was occupying the next rung on the podium. Playing short-handed as three starters watched from the...

Mike Tomlin didn’t expect the Philadelphia Eagles to run out the final 10 minutes, 29 seconds to put a stranglehold on a 27-13 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Otherwise, Tomlin would not have sent his punt team on the field at that stage of the fourth quarter with...

Three starters didn’t dress Sunday, and the Pittsburgh Steelers lost two others, plus their backup quarterback, to injury in a 27-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Coach Mike Tomlin said Monday he is leaving the “door ajar” for all six to suit up when the Steelers complete a short turnaround...

Five things we learned from Eagles 27, Steelers 13: 1. Historic horror story The Steelers entered the game leading the NFL in time of possession but ended having their offense on the field about as long as the average hockey shift. How bad was it? The Steelers had the ball...

Safety Deshon Elliott did not practice Thursday for the Pittsburgh Steelers because of a back ailment, making him one of a handful of starters to show up on the initial injury report of the week. Also not practicing were outside linebacker Nick Herbig (hamstring), center Zach Frazier (ankle), wide receiver...

Danny Smith is known for chewing gum with the intensity of a jackhammer. Smith chomping on a mouthful of Double Bubble has become his calling card in 12 seasons as Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coach. It also cost him several teeth during a game last season. “I had three teeth...

With an assist from Pat McAfee, rookie cornerback Beanie Bishop’s wish for Aaron Rodgers’ signature on a pair of game balls is coming true. After intercepting Rodgers twice Sunday night in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 37-15 victory against the New York Jets, Bishop kept the balls so he could commemorate his...

Three former Pittsburgh Steelers players have advanced to the next stage of voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s modern-era candidates. Surviving the reduction from 167 to 50 players is wide receiver Hines Ward, outside linebacker James Harrison and kicker Gary Anderson. Former Penn State guard Steve Wisniewski and...

The quest for the Pittsburgh Steelers to get late defensive end L.C. Greenwood into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ended on the second round of voting. Greenwood was not among the 31 players who survived the reduction announced Tuesday by the Hall of Fame. A nine-member Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee...

The challenge for center Ryan McCollum in his second career NFL start Sunday night was bringing consistent play to the Pittsburgh Steelers injury-riddled offensive line. The challenge will be magnified Monday night in McCollum’s anticipated encore at the pivot. Magnified to the measurements of 6-foot-4, 340-pound nose tackle Dexter Lawrence....

Just like he wouldn’t publicly announce Russell Wilson as his starting quarterback last week, coach Mike Tomlin isn’t ready to label Justin Fields as the backup when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the NFC team from New York on Monday Night Football. Playing coy with the media Tuesday at his weekly...

Five things we learned from Steelers 37, Jets 15: 1. Getting defensive The headlines in the aftermath of the victory, not surprisingly, centered around quarterback Russell Wilson and his performance in his first start of the season. Wilson not only shook off a slow start to pass for 264 yards...

After a slow start, the ballyhooed quarterback switch paid dividends for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. The same could be said for the team’s defense. It took a while, but Russell Wilson got the offense humming, and two interceptions by rookie Beanie Bishop against Aaron Rodgers set up a...

It wasn’t until 33 years after he played his last down of football that Donnie Shell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The wait has been longer for one of his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates from the 1970s, and Shell thinks it is time for L.C. Greenwood to...

It’s fitting that on a night when they honor the Super Bowl IX championship team, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves embroiled in a controversial quarterback switch. Fifty years ago, at this precise point of the season, the Steelers famously swapped quarterbacks, a move that despite a couple hiccups put the...