Steelers/NFL category, Page 302
JuJu Smith-Schuster OK with his slot/outside assignments in Steelers opener
The change in his role appears to be minor from what he balked at last season, but JuJu Smith-Schuster is saying all the right things about his responsibility in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense. “I was very happy with our playcalling and the position they put us in,” Smith-Schuster said Friday...
With 34 sacks in 32 games at Heinz Field, Steelers’ T.J. Watt excited for home opener
One by one, all week long, Pittsburgh Steelers players and coaches have discussed the eagerness with which they are looking forward to playing a game in front of a packed Heinz Field for the first time in more than 21 months. T.J. Watt, though, seemingly has the most to gain...
Joe Haden, Devin Bush questionable to play for Steelers
So much for the lack of “injury damage” that coach Mike Tomlin referred to in the wake of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season opener. Tuesday, Tomlin indicated there were no injury concerns for the Steelers leading up to Sunday’s home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. But by the time the...
Mark Madden: Steelers holding up their end in early going, while future opponents endure struggles
The NFL season is just one week old, but things are looking up to a delightful degree for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Baltimore is falling apart. Its running back room imploded. Two cornerbacks are hurt. All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley is sidelined. The Ravens are ravaged by injuries of varying degree....
First Call: Hall of Fame WR critical of Ben Roethlisberger; more Ravens injuries; regular season ‘Hard Knocks’ series
Friday’s “First Call” features a harsh rebuke of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The injuries keep mounting in Baltimore. A shakeup for HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series. And cornhole is trying to become an Olympic sport. Seriously. I think. Tell us what you really feel NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter didn’t...
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr reignites old Steelers-Raiders rivalry with jab at Immaculate Reception
Part of the reason why some Pittsburgh Steelers fans are convinced that their team has had so much trouble with the Raiders in recent years — five losses in seven tries since 2006 — is that the Steelers haven’t been emotionally prepared for the Raiders. The theory being that the Steelers...
Tim Benz: By need or design, Steelers’ 3-man weave at outside linebacker needs to stay
For the Steelers, it could have been a case of necessity being the mother of invention. Or maybe a successful rollout of a grand plan. Either way, Mike Tomlin doesn’t want to talk much about the three-man rotation at outside linebacker we saw from his defense during Sunday’s Week 1...
Things to know before attending Steelers/Pitt games at Heinz Field
It’s not just a new home season kicking off for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sunday marks the first time in almost two years for a full capacity crowd at Heinz Field on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. Here are some refreshers for fans planning to attend the game at 1 p.m. Sunday, when...
Eric Ebron, Carlos Davis do not practice for Steelers because of injury
Tight end Eric Ebron and defensive lineman Carlos Davis did not practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday because of injury, but linebacker Robert Spillane returned to work. Spillane suffered a shin injury during warm-ups for Sunday’s game at the Buffalo Bills. That prevented him from playing and also kept...
Dominant game has Steelers’ Cameron Heyward aiming for notice as NFL’s best defensive linemanVideo
A few days after he seemingly had taken up residence in the Buffalo Bills’ offensive backfield, Cameron Heyward wasn’t quite willing to say it was the best game of his career. “I don’t really try to rank them as an individual performance,” Heyward said Thursday. Polite modesty after pressuring Josh...
Former Steelers QB Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges heads to Canada
Canada geese are a common sight throughout Pennsylvania. And now a Duck that made his home in Pittsburgh is heading north to Canada. Quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges signed a three-year contract with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League, the team announced Thursday. “Usually ducks migrate south around this...
Minkah Fitzpatrick’s creativity in Steelers secondary brings up memories of Troy Polamalu
The way Minkah Fitzpatrick was deployed on defense in the season opener for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was reminiscent of a certain safety who just a few weeks earlier was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler isn’t calling Fitzpatrick the next Troy Polamalu, but...
Matt Canada gives winning grade to Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger’s Week 1 performance
Offensive coordinator Matt Canada didn’t grade Ben Roethlisberger’s performance at Buffalo as harshly as Pro Football Focus, which rated the Pittsburgh Steelers passer as the NFL’s worst quarterback in Week 1. Yes, he was ranked even lower than Aaron Rodgers, who finished with a 36.8 passer rating in a 38-3...
Mike Tomlin had a creative message for his rookies before their 1st road game in Buffalo
All nine of the Steelers’ 2021 draft class members came from Power 5 conference programs. One benefit of that is the players come to the NFL having a feel for big-time football. The daily mechanisms and framework that exist on that scale. The pressures and expectations associated with being a...
‘U mad, bro?’: Steelers fans want more faith; Pitt fans want more coverage; Pirates fans want more wins
The Steelers season is just starting. The Pirates season is finally ending. Pitt’s fan base is starting to wake up. And the emotions from all sides are equally raw. That’s abundantly clear in this week’s “U mad, bro?”. After their win Sunday over the Buffalo Bills, this Twitter follower remained...
First Call: Kevin Colbert may be scouting QB prospect; ex-Steeler signs with Bengals; Dan Marino’s milestone
The Steelers may already be scouting a quarterback for next year’s draft. The Bengals have signed a former Steelers free agent. The Raiders Maxx Crosby raised eyebrows with his performance Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens. And we celebrate a Pitt football legend’s birthday. All of this in today’s First...
Steelers notebook: Defensive line rotation pays off in opener without Stephon Tuitt
The absence of defensive end Stephon Tuitt wasn’t felt Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers swarmed Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throughout a 23-16 victory. Allen, who was in MVP consideration last year, was sacked three times and led the Bills to just one touchdown in the season opener. The Steelers...
Ben Roethlisberger praises Steelers WRs for final drive vs. Bills
Given a chance to run out the clock or pad their lead in the fourth quarter Sunday at Buffalo, the Pittsburgh Steelers tried to accomplish a little bit of each objective. And they relied on the arm of 18-year veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to get it done. The result was...
First Call: Steelers-Bills help generate huge NFL TV ratings; Raiders injury update; James Franklin fails to sidestep USC rumors
Wednesday’s “First Call” shows us some remarkable television ratings for the Steelers-Bills game and the rest of the NFL. The Vegas Raiders get bad news on the injury front as they prepare to face the Steelers Sunday at Heinz Field. Penn State coach James Franklin makes a poor attempt to...
NFL reactions — and overreactions — for Steelers and other AFC contenders after Week 1
The opening Pittsburgh Steelers game of the season isn’t just fun because of those three hours of excitement on that first Sunday afternoon. Or Monday night. Or even the occasional Thursday night. It’s fun because of the ensuing week when we endure those massive swings of emotion and adjustments of...
After season-opening road win, Steelers’ Mike Tomlin not taking Raiders lightly at home
Based on what transpired Monday night in the desert, the Pittsburgh Steelers hope that what happened in Vegas stays in Vegas. Rallying from a 14-point deficit, the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Baltimore Ravens, 33-27, in overtime, making them a formidable opponent when they meet the Steelers on Sunday at...
Steelers notebook: Tre Norwood becomes latest versatile piece of secondary
The rookie draft class was expected to be heavily involved for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season opener at Buffalo. Nobody, though, could have predicted that the most-used rookie would be seventh-round defensive back Tre Norwood. Norwood was one of five rookies to start against the Bills — six if...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin hopes players keep fans energized at home opener
For the first time in two seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers will play a game in front of a capacity crowd at Heinz Field when they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday in the home opener. Coach Mike Tomlin is hoping his players do a better job of keeping the...
First Call: Bills coordinator takes blame for bad call versus Steelers; Raiders get banged up before trip to Heinz Field
Tuesday’s “First Call” puts the debut of Steelers rookie Najee Harris into context. Ex-Steelers punter Jordan Berry makes a strong impression with his new team. The Las Vegas Raiders had a wild “Monday Night Football” game and lots of injuries in advance of their visit to Heinz Field Sunday. And...
Execution, belief in plan lead to rare ‘splash’ punt block for Steelers
Every week for 16 — now, 17 — weeks, Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith pores over opponents film of dozens of punts, kickoffs and placekicks. He’s hoping to find a vulnerability in a protection or coverage team that can give the Steelers an advantage. The payoffs are rare...
