Steelers/NFL category, Page 227
2 weeks after benching, Mitch Trubisky makes clutch plays in relief in preserving Steelers’ win
When Mitch Trubisky last left Acrisure Stadium, he was, understandably, frustrated and disappointed. His comments to media after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 24-20 loss to the New York Jets were terse. Bitterness even seemed to seep through. Two weeks later, Trubisky was at ease. He spoke to those same reporters with...
Steven Sims calls his shot in producing big returns during 1st full game in role for Steelers
It took Steven Sims all of one full outing to provide bigger “splash” to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ punt and kickoff return games than they’ve had in years. Sims’ 89-yard return of the second-half kickoff of Sunday’s 20-18 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the longest by any Steelers player...
Devin Bush delivers timely play on late 2-point try to help seal Steelers’ win
Devin Bush went from being hyped as the next great Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker to merely being able to hang on to his starting job. He’s had a relatively consistent, if unspectacular, fourth NFL season to this point — but Sunday, Bush delivered a critical big play. Bush batted down a...
Short-handed Steelers keep Brady out of the end zone, beat Bucs to stop skid
Facing the most decorated quarterback in NFL history, the Pittsburgh Steelers trotted out a defense that was missing four veteran defensive backs, including three starters. The league’s reigning defensive player of the year was on the sideline, too. Tom Brady not only was playing against a depleted secondary, he was...
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett suffers concussion, leaves 1st career home start
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett left Sunday’s game during the third quarter and did not return because of a concussion. The rookie first-round pick was hit by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White after releasing a pass from his own territory midway through the third quarter. Pickett was lying on...
Steelers roll with virtually 2nd-team secondary vs. Tom Brady, Bucs
It came as no surprise, as it was previously announced. But that made the list of inactives for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday no less daunting for the team and its fans. Four starters in the secondary were not in uniform because of injury for the game against Tom Brady...
Steelers likely get one final crack against Tom Brady at Acrisure Stadium
The obstacles facing the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary Sunday are tantamount to trying to climb Mt. Everest in tennis shoes. Four of the top six defensive backs won’t suit up because of injury, leaving the Steelers to start two unproven players at cornerback and deploy a safety tandem that won’t include...
Steelers place DeMarvin Leal on IR, 3 from practice squad will play vs. Bucs
A day after he was unexpectedly added to the injury report with a malady that presumably occurred during practice, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal was placed on injured reserve. A third-round pick who had been one of the few pleasant surprises for a Steelers team on a four-game...
Steelers 4 Downs: Numbers suggest Kenny Pickett has been good against pressure, blitz
1. Good under pressure Dealing with pressure in general and designed blitzes in particular isn’t the only thing that can set a young quarterbacks apart. But it could foretell success in the NFL. And through six quarters as a pro, Kenny Pickett has done well when facing a pass rush....
No mere ‘Meatball’ – Connor Heyward expected to take on bigger role in Steelers offense
Connor Heyward is one of two literal little brothers among the Pittsburgh Steelers, so perhaps it’s no surprise he also is filling a “kid brother” role in his position room. As such, Heyward’s brush with rookie hazing came in the form of a not-entirely flattering nickname bestowed upon him by...
Steelers will be without 4 starting defensive backs, plus DL DeMarvin Leal vs. Bucs
The consensus greatest quarterback of all time is coming to Pittsburgh. And the Steelers will have to face him without four of their five top defensive backs. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and cornerbacks Ahkello Witherspoon, Cameron Sutton and Levi Wallace all were announced as out for Sunday’s home game against Tom...
Isaiahh Loudermilk preps to make Steelers 2022 debut Sunday
By all indications, the Pittsburgh Steelers were generally pleased with Isaiahh Loudermilk’s rookie season. A defensive lineman for whom the Steelers aggressively traded up for in fifth round of the 2021 draft, Loudermilk appeared in 15 games, made two starts and seemed to make his presence felt over the 288...
Steelers RB Najee Harris has been playing with steel plate in his shoe
When it comes to limiting a power running back, you’ve heard of the Steel Curtain. But what about a steel plate? Pittsburgh Steelers featured back Najee Harris played the first five games of the season with one of those in his left foot, Harris said Friday. Harris suffered a foot...
Mark Madden: Steelers need to set parameters for Mike Tomlin, limit his power with personnel
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-4. It’s a bad team, and the organization seems broken. There’s no foolproof way to fix it, and the timetable is hardly immediate. But I’ve got a plan. It’s based on the assumption that coach Mike Tomlin has usurped almost all the franchise’s power when it...
Friday Football Footnotes: Steelers must address plenty of specific areas if they are to hang with Tom Brady, Bucs
The Pittsburgh Steelers are eight-point underdogs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. That’s not something this fanbase is used to seeing. But they are used to seeing Tom Brady shred the Steelers defense. And that’s usually when the defense has been good. Without T.J. Watt, this year’s Steelers defense...
Once part of the Steelers future, then forgotten, CB James Pierre getting another shot
A year ago this week, James Pierre was basking in the glow of a game-clinching interception during a game in which he was an every-down outside cornerback. It would have been easy to imagine then that, a year later, Pierre would be preparing to play a significant role in a...
Activation of Steelers WR Calvin Austin ‘possible,’ but ‘he’s a little rusty’
Speedy rookie Calvin Austin III could be worth a shot to help jumpstart the Pittsburgh Steelers’ ailing offense. But with two additional weeks remaining before he must be activated off the injured reserve list, Austin’s NFL debut isn’t necessarily coming Sunday. “It’s still possible,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said Thursday....
Heinz History Center unveils plans to honor Immaculate Reception 50th anniversary
The Immaculate Reception has been called the greatest play in NFL history and it turns 50 on Dec. 23. Thursday morning, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, part of Pittsburgh’s Senator John Heinz History Center, announced plans for celebrating that 50th anniversary. Starting on Nov. 9, Sports Museum officials said the...
Steelers TE Zach Gentry returns to full practice, but 3 starters in secondary remain out
Tight end Zach Gentry returned to full participation at Pittsburgh Steelers practice Thursday and declared himself “ready” for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gentry, typically the Steelers’ No. 2 tight end, did not practice Wednesday because of a knee injury. His availability could be critical because the status...
Steelers corner Arthur Maulet: ‘I was heated’ when calling out teammates after 38-3 loss to Bills
Arthur Maulet doesn’t regret speaking his mind in the visiting locker room after the Steelers’ 38-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday. Maulet spoke out about players laughing and smiling on the bench while the Steelers were in the midst of the most lopsided defeat in coach Mike Tomlin’s...
First Call: Bucs coach praises Steelers QB Kenny Pickett; Matt Murray’s first start for Toronto; rare storyline for Bills vs. Chiefs
Despite a lousy result in his first start, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett apparently put enough good things on tape to open the eyes of this week’s opposing head coach. We are going to see a first when the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs square off Sunday afternoon. A...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans in a snit over roster construction, T.J. Watt’s injuries, stadium name change
When on-field issues with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates become so overwhelming that no fix appears likely, fans tend to opine about less tangible problems. Like, for instance: stadium names, the media, former employees and 30-year-old plays from history. That’s what I discovered in this week’s “U mad, bro?” David...
Steelers tasked with trying to generate pass rush while figuring out how to defend Tom Brady
Despite being a defense that thrives on getting after the quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers have applied about as much pressure as a leaky faucet without NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt. In four games without Watt, the Steelers have totaled three sacks, and the lack of pressure was...
Kenny Pickett focuses on ending Steelers’ skid, not sharing field with Bucs’ Tom Brady
Growing up in New Jersey, Kenny Pickett was a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, and he had his heart broken four months shy of his seventh birthday when the New England Patriots beat his favorite team 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX. Pickett was a few months removed from his freshman...
Scouting the Steelers’ Week 6 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1 p.m. Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. Here’s a look at the Steelers’ Week 6 opponent: The basics Coach: Todd Bowles, first season (29-43 career) Record: 3-2 Division: NFC South, first place Wins: Cowboys (19-3), Saints (20-10), Falcons (21-15) Losses: Packers...
