Chris Adamski stories, Page 87

1. Red hot (zone) The sequence of three consecutive incomplete passes from the 5-yard line during the second half of last week’s tie with the Detroit Lions has taken plenty of criticism from fans and observers of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But that throw-first mindset has been part of the offense...

With Kevin Dotson ruled out, J.C. Hassenauer appears as if he will get his first start of the season Sunday for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dotson did not practice all week, per the injury report, because of an ankle injury suffered during Sunday’s tie with the Detroit Lions. Hassenauer came on...

Five days after a handful of his shotgun snaps were noticeably off-target in a game against the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie center Kendrick Green took accountability for the bizarre spate of plays that had fill-in quarterback Mason Rudolph lunging and improvising. “It’s all me,” Green said after Friday’s practice...

Mike Tomlin said he’d “leave the light on” for T.J. Watt. On Friday, though, that switch officially was flipped. Watt will not play for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night at the Los Angeles Chargers. The star outside linebacker did not practice throughout the week after suffering a hip/knee injury...

A Pittsburgh Steelers practice week has come and gone. But for what has been a rarity over the past two decades, it was a practice week without Ben Roethlisberger on the field. Or even at the facility. Still, in regards to the structure and drills performed and work completed, practices...

As a fourth-year player who began the season No. 4 at his position and will head for free agency this spring, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington recognizes he’s got a crucial chance to make an impression. “Every opportunity is gold,” Washington said this week, “because you just never know...

Among the five players on the Pittsburgh Steelers active roster who are on this week’s injury report, the only upgrade from Wednesday to Thursday was starting right guard Trai Turner. Turner was listed as a full practice participant on the report, a day after he did not practice at all...

A Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman on the injured reserve list was cleared to practice Thursday. But not the high-profile one that some are probably hoping for. Carlos Davis returned to practice Thursday, opening up a 21-day window in which he must be activated to the Steelers active roster or be...

Cameron Heyward smiled and let out a quick chuckle. But the Pittsburgh Steelers veteran leader let it be known that the shot Warren Sapp took at him on social media this week was anything but playful banter. Heyward said Thursday he has “no relationship” with Sapp, four days after the...

Pat Freiermuth, largely, has lived a charmed football life. State championships in high school. All-conference in college. A second-round NFL Draft pick who was getting rave reviews midway through his rookie season. Then came Sunday, when the tight end’s fumble late in overtime cost the Pittsburgh Steelers a chance to...

Exiled from the team facility after testing positive for covid-19, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is staying involved and in contact with his coaches and teammates. Roethlisberger typically does not practice Wednesdays during the season anyway, so that reps were split between Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins was not all...

As coach Mike Tomlin alluded to Tuesday, wide receiver Chase Claypool returned to Pittsburgh Steelers practice Wednesday. But early indications are that Tomlin’s “confidence” in regards to Trai Turner might have been less founded. Turner, the Steelers’ veteran starting right guard, did not practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury...

A week after perhaps the most glaring gaffe of his NFL career, Ray-Ray McCloud had the most productive game of his career. “You never know going into a game what’s going to come and what’s not going to come,” McCloud said Monday, a day after setting career highs for catches...

The Pittsburgh Steelers added a quarterback to the building Monday, signing former fourth-round pick James Morgan to their practice squad. Morgan was released off the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad last week after the Panthers brought back Cam Newton. Drafted No. 125 overall by the New York Jets last year, Morgan...

For the second time in four games, the Pittsburgh Steelers allowed a team with a losing record to come into Heinz Field and put up a season-high rushing yards. For the second time in four games, an opposing running back had a career-high (or close to it) rushing effort. And...

They didn’t lose a game Sunday, but the Pittsburgh Steelers did lose a handful of starters to injury. In addition to T.J. Watt missing all of the fourth quarter and overtime a 16-16 tie with the winless Detroit Lions, cornerback Joe Haden and the starting guard duo of Kevin Dotson...

Pittsburgh Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt gingerly walked off the field during the third quarter and did not return to Sunday’s tie against the Detroit Lions. Watt suffered a hip/knee injury colliding with teammate Joe Schobert in the process of making a sack of Jared Goff late in the...

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Zach Banner is in uniform and made his season debut Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Banner had not played in a regular-season game since the 2020 opener, during which he suffered a torn ACL. His rehab hit an apparent setback during this past training camp, and...

Heath Miller made a rare post-retirement appearance at Heinz Field last week. Perfect timing, because the Pittsburgh Steelers — at long last — are comfortable that they finally have been able to replace their former Pro Bowl tight end, who retired in February 2016. Following a couple of swings and...

Down another wide receiver because of injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers turned to their practice squad for reinforcement at the position. Three-year veteran Steven Sims was elevated to the roster for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, the team announced Saturday. Sims had 61 catches and five touchdowns over the past...

1. Half-and-half The Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to have one of the NFL’s best defenses. But that’s only been half true so far this season. The Steelers have been among the best on defense… in the first halves of games. Come the second half, they’ve statistically been one of the...

There were 81 batted down passes in the NFL through nine weeks of this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Teammates T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward, by themselves, have accounted for almost 10% of them. Heyward’s five plus Watt’s three in addition to two from Chris Wormley gave the Pittsburgh...

The attrition continues on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receivers depth chart. Chase Claypool will not play in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions after sitting out the entire week’s worth of practice because of a toe injury. Claypool joins JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had season-ending shoulder surgery last month, as wide...

Despite an apparent mid-week foot injury, Pittsburgh Steelers workhorse running back Najee Harris will play in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions. After he was listed as a limited participant at Thursday’s practice, Friday’s injury report had Harris as a full participant. Starting center Kendrick Green similarly was a Thursday...

Is 28 considered old? It’s all relative in life, and perhaps nowhere more than among the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line. In the context of that inexperienced group, 28-year-old Trai Turner is a veritable pied piper of sage knowledge and insight. “We were all laughing because we were sitting on the...