Chris Adamski stories, Page 113

It’s appearing increasingly likely that the Pittsburgh Steelers could be without their nickel cornerback for Sunday’s showdown of undefeated teams in Nashville. Mike Hilton sat out practice for the second consecutive day because of a shoulder injury, leaving his status for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans in doubt. But...

Ben Roethlisberger has routinely sat out Wednesday practices in recent years. But Thursdays? That almost never happens, barring injury. Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner confirmed that Roethlisberger was absent for the beginning of Thursday’s practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Co1mplex. But even if Roethlisberger missed what was estimated...

The injury news was mixed from the Pittsburgh Steelers first practice of the week. Receiver Diontae Johnson was a full practice participant Wednesday, an encouraging sign after he missed last week’s game because of a back injury. Barring a setback, Johnson should be in line to play in Sunday’s AFC...

The ball has been in and out of the hands of Ben Roethlisberger so far again this season. Roethlisberger’s “time to throw,” according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, is the shortest of any of the 38 qualifying quarterbacks measured by the league’s official advanced statistical service. Roethlisberger’s average time elapsed...

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense spent much of the past week working to atone for a poor showing on third downs in its most recent game. Not only did the Steelers pass the test in reversing that trend Sunday, they went for extra credit. The Steelers allowed the Cleveland Browns one...

It was Steelers-Browns, so why not go old-school? Ben Roethlisberger evoked two names from early in his career: Bill Cowher and Jerome Bettis. It was the team on the other side that entered with the NFL’s top-ranked rushing offense Sunday. It was the Pittsburgh Steelers, though, that continued to ascend...

1. Box-ed in The Pittsburgh Steelers rank among the top 10 in the NFL in rushing yards per game (138.8) and per carry (4.5). They had an individual 100-yard rusher during each of their first three games, the only team in the NFL to be able to claim that. But...

For their big AFC North game Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense will be without a Pro Bowl selection and a second-team All-Pro from last season. David DeCastro and Diontae Johnson on Friday were ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Neither practiced Friday because of injuries suffered during...

Total defense, rushing, passing, turnovers, yards per play, sacks, pressures, completion percentage, negative-yardage plays. You name it, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense ranks in the top 10 in the NFL. And in many of those, at No. 1 or among the best five. But there is one recognizable defensive statistic for...

After a one-game reprieve of sorts, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense last week was back to its ineffective ways during its first possession of a game. The Steelers’ first offensive drive Sept. 20 lasted 11 plays, traveled 63 yards and reached the Houston Texans’ 15-yard-line. But, in their next game against...

Through five games this season, the Cleveland Browns are averaging 19.0 points per game in the first half. To put that figure into perspective, last season the Pittsburgh Steelers averaged 18.1 points… for their full games. In advance of Sunday’s AFC North showdown between the teams at Heinz Field, much...

The news was half-good Thursday for the Pittsburgh Steelers in regard to the health of their veteran offensive linemen. Center Maurkice Pouncey was a full practice participant but guard David DeCastro did not participate at all, four days after each was forced out of a win against the Philadelphia Eagles....

Tight end Eric Ebron joined the ranks of the injured Pittsburgh Steelers, but a pair of core special teams players took an encouraging step back into the lineup by being full participants in Wednesday’s practice. Marcus Allen and Derek Watt returned to practice after missing last week’s game because of...

At no point during a nine-minute video conference call with media Wednesday did Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger say the name “Antonio Brown.” Nor did he say “Odell Beckham Jr.” But Roethlisberger did touch on the demeanor of so-called “No. 1 receivers” in more general terms. And he expressed appreciation...

The outlook for the beleaguered situation on the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line improved slightly Wednesday with the news that veteran Stefen Wisniewski returned to practice. Wisniewski remains on the injured reserve list because of a pectoral injury, but his return to the field opens a 21-day window during which he...

Four games into the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers already have started three players at right guard and two at right tackle. Heading into their fifth game, they might be looking at a fourth offensive line configuration. Veteran former All-Pros Maurkice Pouncey (foot) and David DeCastro (abdomen) left Sunday’s 38-29 win...

Ray-Ray is done-done with trying to be somebody he’s not-not. And what Ray-Ray McCloud is showing he is with the Pittsburgh Steelers is an electric playmaker. “When I got here, it was just my mindset was, ‘Go be you, just be Ray-Ray,’ ” McCloud said Monday. “Be who Ray-Ray was,...

Through eight defensive snaps Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers could not have been more pleased with how well it was shutting down the Philadelphia Eagles. The defense forced a pair of “three-and-outs,” and the Eagles were at minus-2 yards of offense and facing the specter of a third consecutive drive without...

The announced attendance of 4,708 numbered about 60,000 fewer than customary at Heinz Field, but it was also 4,708 more than were at any of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ previous three games this season. After two home games played last month in front of no fans, by order of Gov. Tom...

Three Pittsburgh Steelers players who have combined for nine All-Pro honors left Sunday’s victory against the Philadelphia Eagles and did not return because of injury. Receiver Diontae Johnson and guard David DeCastro did not play after first-half injuries to their back and abdomen, respectively. Center Maurkice Pouncey left the game...

Vince Williams never has held the official designation as captain of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. For that matter, for roughly half of his Steelers’ career he hasn’t even had the official designation of “starter.” But that doesn’t mean Williams’ veteran voice doesn’t command respect in the Steelers’ locker room. In...

Taking advantage of a new rule for the first time, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced Saturday that they are elevating Trey Edmunds from their practice squad to the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The new collective bargaining agreement signed this past spring allows teams to deploy up...