Chris Adamski stories, Page 123
Steelers’ defensive line settles into rotation, works into ‘hit shape’
The loss of Javon Hargrave in free agency coupled by the return of Stephon Tuitt from a pectoral injury haven’t done much to alter the preferences of Pittsburgh Steelers in defining their rotation on the defensive line. Through two weeks of the season, Tuitt and Cameron Heyward are playing 80.7%...
JuJu Smith-Schuster only starter to remain absent from Steelers’ practice
David DeCastro practiced for a second consecutive day, and six other starters who missed practice a day prior returned to the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday. The lone exception, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, remains out because of a nagging knee injury. Smith-Schuster also missed practice time last week because...
Ben Roethlisberger to become the all-time Steeler on Sunday
Ben Roethlisberger’s trot onto the field for the first offensive snap of Sunday’s game at Heinz Field will be a historic one. At that point, he officially will become the all-time Pittsburgh Steeler. The game against the Houston Texans will be the 221st of Roethlisberger’s career, breaking a tie with...
David DeCastro practices with Steelers for 1st time this month
David DeCastro returned to a Pittsburgh Steelers practice Wednesday for the first time in almost four weeks, signaling the five-time Pro Bowl guard could be ready to make his season debut Sunday against the Houston Texans. DeCastro was listed as a full participant on the practice report released by the...
Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyson Alualu miss Steelers practice with minor injuries
Three Pittsburgh Steelers starters did not practice Wednesday because of injury, but defensive lineman Tyson Alualu and receivers Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster all are expected to return to practice Thursday. During his weekly news conference the day prior, coach Mike Tomlin had grouped Johnson and Alualu together with linebacker...
Is Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds taking advantage of opportunity in center field?
Bryan Reynolds was as succinct as he was honest when asked to evaluate his performance during this almost-completed season. “I think I played decent defense,” the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder said, “and my offense was terrible.” It’s difficult to dispute Reynolds’ latter self-assessment. Reynolds was hitting .180 heading into Monday night....
Pirates lose to Cubs, match 2019 team by falling 24 games under .500
Somehow, in this drastically shortened 2020 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates matched the 2019 team in one rather dubious way. Games under .500. A 5-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs in the opener of the final home series of the season Monday dropped the Pirates to 15-39. The 24 games under...
Pirates reclaim RHP Carson Fulmer 16 days after losing him on waivers
It’s a shortened season in 2020, but tell that to Carson Fulmer. The right-handed pitcher has changed teams four times. For the second time in less than a month, he was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Fulmer on Monday was awarded to the Pirates off the roster of...
Steelers pass rush as varied as it has been dominant
Forty-six times a Denver Broncos quarterback dropped back Sunday. Nineteen of those times, he was hit. It was that kind of day for Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel and the Denver offensive line in trying to contain a Pittsburgh Steelers pass rush that might be the NFL’s best through two weeks...
James Conner re-established as Steelers’ ‘bell cow’ amid Benny Snell struggles in win
For the first time since he became the Pittsburgh Steelers’ featured running back more than two years ago, James Conner over the past week was openly questioned for his deservedness for that role. One-hundred-six yards and a touchdown later, Conner re-established himself as the Steelers’ “bell cow” in Sunday’s 26-21...
Steelers seek more discipline after 10 penalties in win
Players on the Pittsburgh Steelers defense can feel good about stopping 10 of the Denver Broncos’ 15 third-down conversion attempts Sunday. But imagine how they’d feel if 60% of Denver’s third-down conversions weren’t handed to them by way of Steelers penalties. It was that kind of afternoon for the Steelers...
Steelers’ James Conner ‘feeling good,’ among those who will play vs. Broncos
After making it through two consecutive days of practice, running back James Conner was declared a “go” for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ home opener Sunday against the Denver Broncos. “I keep on getting treatment on it and just keep feeling it out,” Conner said during a video call after practice Friday,...
Steelers Four Downs: More motion on offense, fast pressure on defense, lots of wins at homeVideo
1. Loco-motion Be it the influence of new quarterbacks coach Matt Canada, a Giants-specific gameplan or a sign of what’s to come, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense used much more motion at the snap in their opener than last season. According to ESPN, only four of the NFL’s other 31 teams...
Stefan Wisniewski to IR, David DeCastro out, Kevin Dotson to start vs. Broncos
The Pittsburgh Steelers placed veteran offensive lineman Stefan Wisniewski on injured reserve, meaning he cannot practice for at least the next three weeks. The man he replaced at right guard, David DeCastro, already has not practiced for the past three weeks. Neither will play for the Steelers in their home...
Antwon Rose Jr.’s mother sees ‘common ground’ with Steelers’ Maurkice Pouncey, Alejandro Villanueva
When Michelle Kenney read Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey’s Instagram post in which he indicated he would remove her son’s name from his football helmet, she initially was offended and disappointed. “But when I read to the bottom of it,” said Kenney, the mother of Antwon Rose Jr., “I was...
Through 1 week, Steelers in once-familiar position of leading NFL in rush defense
A quick look at the NFL team statistics through one week finds the Pittsburgh Steelers at what used to be a very familiar place. No. 1 in the league in rush defense. During Monday’s season-opening win, the Steelers allowed the New York Giants an NFL-low 29 rushing yards on 20...
All injured skill players on offense return to Steelers practice
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin likes to use the terms “varsity” and “junior varsity” in context when referring to players at various levels of acumen and resume. After a “junior varsity” practice on offense Wednesday, the Steelers’ “varsity” was back on the field a day later. Of the eight offensive...
With 2 veterans still out, rookie Kevin Dotson appears in line to start for Steelers
In discussing the possibility of Kevin Dotson starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers, coach Mike Tomlin on Tuesday said, “There is some angst here.” If that’s the case, the way things are trending it’s becoming increasingly likely that Tomlin and the Steelers could have plenty of angst-filled moments leading into Sunday’s...
Steelers’ Maurkice Pouncey to remove Antwon Rose Jr.’s name from helmet
Maurkice Pouncey, a co-captain and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ second-longest tenured player, indicated he will remove Antwon Rose Jr.’s name from the back of his helmet. “I want to make sure (police) understand I inadvertently supported a cause of which I did not fully comprehend the entire background of the case,”...
Injury forces Steelers to continue offensive-line turnoverVideo
A school of thought heading into this pandemic-affected 2020 NFL season was teams with the most continuity could have the best chance to thrive. Judging by how it has played out so far, that rationale doesn’t portend success for the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line. Although the line played its part...
Mike Tomlin takes blame for gaffe of Steelers playing one man short in opener
The Pittsburgh Steelers played Monday’s season opener with one more player than they had in the past, but it was one fewer than the maximum allowed — and one fewer than their opponent. The Steelers activated 47 players. The New York Giants made 48 available. Until the new NFL/NFLPA collective...
Special teams not too special for Steelers in opener
Because of developments such as Ben Roethlisberger’s return from injury and four rookies making debuts, Monday’s season-opening victory for the Pittsburgh Steelers was in some ways special. The Steelers’ special teams, though, were not. “Obviously,” coach Mike Tomlin said during his video news conference Tuesday, “we have some work to...
Mike Tomlin gave Alejandro Villanueva his blessing for using alternate helmet honoreeVideo
Saying that Alejandro Villanueva did discuss it with him beforehand, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin gave his blessing to Villanueva for putting a different name on the back of his helmet than the rest of his teammates. The Steelers’ starting left tackle, Villanueva put the name Alwyn Cashe on the...
Tomlin: Wisniewski, Conner questionable, Banner out for Week 2. DeCastro? ‘I don’t know’
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin began his weekly news conference by definitively declaring that right tackle Zach Banner would not be able to play in Sunday’s home opener against the Denver Broncos. Tomlin offered less clarity — albeit with more optimism — on the injury statuses of guard Stefan Wisniewski...
Down went the ‘bell cow,’ so in came the (Benny) Snell cow to close out Steelers win
Last week, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin referred to James Conner as “our bell cow.” Monday, they turned to their Snell cow. Benny Snell Jr. had 19 carries for a career-high 113 rushing yards in helping the Steelers to a 26-16 season-opening victory at the New York Giants. “(Snell) was...
