Joe Rutter stories, Page 49
Steelers enjoying Alex Highsmith’s ascent as one of NFL’s premier pass rushers
Myles Jack concluded an interview Thursday with an unsolicited nomination of Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Alex Highsmith for a fairly lofty position. Not team captain or MVP. Not a spot in the Pro Bowl or All-Pro roster. Jack had his sights set a little bit higher for the Steelers’ third-year outside...
Steelers determined to stack wins for 1st time this season
Precisely how many victories claimed in succession accurately define a “winning streak” can up for debate. Five or more wins in a row, most assuredly, qualifies. So does four. While it perhaps might not be unanimous agreement, a consensus of reasonable sports fans likely would let the phrase “three-game winning...
Steelers tasked with slowing down another mobile QB in Falcons’ Marcus Mariota
Seven quarterbacks in the NFL have exceeded 400 yards rushing this season. The Pittsburgh Steelers already have faced two and will go against two more in as many weeks. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens await Dec. 11 — and the two teams meet again Jan. 1, 2023 in Baltimore....
Benny Snell added to Steelers’ injury report with knee injury; Najee Harris rests again
Running back Najee Harris did not practice for the second day in a row because of an abdominal injury, and the player who replaced him as the main running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night was limited with a knee injury. Benny Snell, who rushed for a team-high...
Matt Canada still searching for ways to get Steelers offense clicking in third quarter
For all of the progress the Pittsburgh Steelers offense has made in the first half of the past two games, getting production once the third quarter kicks off remains a season-long issue. Whatever momentum the Steelers seem to build in the opening 30 minutes dissipates after intermission. The Steelers have...
Despite missed chances, Steelers QB Kenny Pickett determined to keep targeting George Pickens
When the third quarter ended Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, George Pickens’ confidence admittedly was shaken. Although the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie receiver had added to his collection of memorable catches with a spinning 35-yard grab along the sideline, he was bothered by three other balls that didn’t end up...
5 things we learned: Kenny Pickett continues to limit mistakes for Steelers in 2nd half of rookie season
Five things we learned from Steelers 24, Colts 17: 1. Protecting the ball Entering the bye week, rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett was among the league leaders with eight interceptions. As the calendar flips to December and the Steelers prepare to play their final six games, Pickett remains on eight interceptions....
Kenny Pickett guides Steelers past Colts for 1st comeback win
INDIANAPOLIS – For the second week in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost momentum and a lead in the second half. Kenny Pickett was determined that, unlike a week earlier, the Steelers wouldn’t lose the game, too. After blowing a 13-point lead in the third quarter Monday night, the Steelers...
Steelers to face Colts without injured linebacker Robert Spillane
INDIANAPOLIS — A back injury that surfaced in the middle of the practice week will keep inside linebacker Robert Spillane from playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their game Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts. Spillane was among seven players placed on the inactive list for the game between the...
Pickett-to-Pickens bond for Steelers continuing to grow as rookie QB, WR return to Indianapolis
They played different positions and excelled in separate Power 5 conferences, but when the NFL’s top prospects converged on Indianapolis in late February, quarterback Kenny Pickett and wide receiver George Pickens formed a connection. One that continues nine months later with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The lanky wide receiver from Georgia...
Steelers’ rookie RB Jaylen Warren ruled out from playing against Colts
A different running back will be backing up starter Najee Harris when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night. Rookie Jaylen Warren was listed as out for the game when the Steelers released their injury report Saturday. Warren and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon were listed as out, while...
After brief benching, Matt Ryan’s return as Colts’ starting QB has caught Steelers’ attention
In 15 NFL seasons, Matt Ryan has beaten every opponent he has faced except for two. The New England Patriots are one. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the other. Ryan was on the bench when the Indianapolis Colts faced the Patriots earlier this season, but the 37-year-old quarterback will get a...
Switch in coaches has put Colts RB Jonathan Taylor in Steelers’ crosshairs
Judging by Jeff Saturday’s resume as a six-time Pro Bowl center, Mike Tomlin anticipates the Indianapolis Colts interim coach relying heavily on the running game when his team faces the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. Tomlin wouldn’t be wrong. “We want to be a physical football team that sets the...
Diontae Johnson’s pleas to get more targets might be granted when Steelers face Colts
It stood to reason that when the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears, it would open up more opportunities for the pass catchers who remained. For some players, such as tight end Pat Freiermuth and rookie receiver George Pickens, that notion has held true to a certain...
Steelers’ Tomlin: Opinion on Colts hiring inexperienced Jeff Saturday not ‘worth mentioning’
Like his predecessor, Mike Tomlin came up through the NFL pipeline, making a rapid rise as an assistant coach and coordinator before he was hired as Steelers coach in 2007. Unlike Bill Cowher, Tomlin isn’t about to criticize the Indianapolis Colts — this week’s opponent — for hiring Jeff Saturday...
Steelers’ Alex Highsmith nominated for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award
Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, whose nine sacks are tied for fifth-most in the NFL, is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. The award has been handed out annually since 2014 with teams nominating one of its players. The list of 32 nominees will be pared to...
Former Steelers Hines Ward, James Harrison make it to Hall of Fame semifinal round
Wide receiver Hines Ward has advanced for the seventh year in a row, and linebacker James Harrison has qualified in his first year of eligibility as the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday its list of 28 modern-era semifinalists. Ward is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ record holder with 1,000 career...
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin focused on execution, not claims his offense is predictableVideo
Germaine Pratt created headlines after the Cincinnati Bengals’ 37-30 victory at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday when he suggested the Pittsburgh Steelers offense was predictable. Given the way the game unfolded for the Bengals, who used a strong second half to avenge a season-opening loss to the Steelers, coach Mike Tomlin...
5 things we learned: Mike Tomlin’s record against QBs drafted No. 1 overall takes hit
Five things we learned from Bengals 37, Steelers 30: 1. Burrowing ahead Thanks to Joe Burrow’s four touchdown passes and 355 passing yards, he engineered a victory that improved his record against the Steelers to 3-2 lifetime. Burrow regained his status as the first quarterback drafted No. 1 overall to...
Steelers defense fails to hold up in loss to Bengals
On a day when the Pittsburgh Steelers had their most productive game on offense, the defense didn’t reciprocate. Such inconsistency has come to define this season and is a reason the Steelers are off to their worst 10-game start in 19 years. Failing to duplicate its dominating performance from a...
On heels of season’s best run-stopping performance, Steelers await Bengals’ Joe Mixon
For all of the criticism Najee Harris received in the first half of the season, he wasn’t the only running back in the AFC North to endure a slower-than-expected start. Until he stepped onto the field two weeks ago against Carolina, Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals wasn’t exactly piling...
Injury could result in Steelers guard Kendrick Green being active for 1st time this season
The Pittsburgh Steelers have started the same five players on the offensive line for every game this season. Based on what transpired Thursday in practice, that streak could continue for another week, although there could be a change at one of the backup guard positions. Starter Kevin Dotson was limited...
Steelers rookie defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal awaits return from injured reserve
DeMarvin Leal doesn’t know exactly how he injured his knee in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills. He just knows it continued to bother him the next two times he practiced, and the result was an unexpected trip to injured reserve. One day after returning to practice, the Pittsburgh Steelers...
Minkah Fitzpatrick returns to Steelers’ practice 5 days after having appendix removed
On the day he turned 26, Minkah Fitzpatrick celebrated his birthday by practicing with his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates. It wasn’t just any ordinary practice for the two-time All-Pro free safety. It was his first since undergoing an appendectomy five days earlier. After practice — he was a full participant —...
Steelers, Kenny Pickett looking for improvement inside red zone
For just the second time since he became the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kenny Pickett directed multiple touchdown drives inside the red zone Sunday in a 20-10 victory against New Orleans. The first came in Pickett’s pro debut in Week 4, when he scored on a pair of...
