Joe Rutter stories, Page 85

Two of the top special teams players for the Pittsburgh Steelers could be missing from the lineup Sunday if their game at the Tennessee Titans is played as scheduled. Fullback Derek Watt already has been ruled out of the game with a hamstring injury, and safety Marcus Allen is doubtful...

The first covid-19 outbreak has hit the NFL, and it could impact the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game Sunday. The Tennessee Titans, who are scheduled to host the Steelers at 1 p.m. Sunday at Nissan Stadium, are the first NFL team to report multiple positive covid-19 tests since the regular season began....

Viewed individually, the three games were not aesthetic or authoritative. The first hung in the balance until a third-quarter interception in the end zone changed the momentum. The second came down to a defensive stand with two minutes remaining. The third required a fourth-quarter interception and clock-draining 79-yard drive to...

Five things we learned from Steelers 28, Texans 21 1. Message received Disturbed by the 10 penalties his team committed in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, coach Mike Tomlin made an unsolicited proclamation that the mistakes would be corrected. Tomlin brought officials into practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex...

Ben Roethlisberger passed Mike Webster on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ all-time games played list Sunday, but in his mind there is only one ironman in the organization. “He was Iron Mike for a reason,” Roethlisberger said after setting the franchise record by playing in his 221st career game, a 28-21 victory...

Deshaun Watson had too much time and too many open receivers for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ liking Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field. They did something about it after halftime. The Steelers bottled up Watson in the second half and used a long touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to pull out...

With the Pittsburgh Steelers having a completely healthy 53-man roster for the first time this season, they will try to improve to 3-0 for the first time in 10 years if they can defeat the Houston Texans on Sunday at Heinz Field. A win would give the Steelers a 3-0...

Two Pittsburgh Steelers defensive players are lighter in the wallet after being fined by the NFL on Saturday for penalties they incurred in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. The plays happened on subsequent third-quarter drives in the Steelers’ 26-21 victory at Heinz Field. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was fined $11,619...

Devin Bush and Noah Fant will be forever linked. When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up 10 spots in the 2019 draft to take Bush, the Denver Broncos used that No. 20 pick to select Fant, a 6-foot-4 tight end from Iowa. Bush and Fant crossed paths — literally — several...

On one of his 21 snaps on special teams Sunday, Derek Watt crunched Denver Broncos punter Sam Martin, forcing a fumble that rolled out the back of the end zone for a safety. On one of his six snaps as a fullback, Watt’s block helped spring James Conner for a...

It is safe to say Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien was happy to see Eric Ebron leave the AFC South and join the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason. The Texans faced the 6-foot-4, 253-pound tight end four times in Ebron’s two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Ebron scored a touchdown...

Ben Roethlisberger didn’t don a helmet and practice with his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates, but that doesn’t mean he totally took it easy Wednesday on his customary day off. Still unhappy with his performance three days after the Steelers beat the Denver Broncos, 26-16, Roethlisberger spent much of the practice session...

Mike Tomlin isn’t going to let the NFL take money from his pocket for not adhering to social distancing measures during games. The 14-year coach has made sure to wear a black mask over his mouth and nose during the first two games of the Pittsburgh Steelers season. Some NFL...

Frustrated by the number of penalties that extended drives and helped the Denver Broncos nearly come back from a 14-point halftime deficit Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin will have officials on hand at practice this week. The Steelers routinely bring in officials during training camp, and Tomlin has done...

Contrary to what showed up in the game summary Sunday, Chase Claypool’s 84-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter wasn’t the first long-distance play the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver made in a 26-21 victory against the Denver Broncos. It certainly was the most impactful. It definitely was the most...

Five things we learned from Steelers 26, Broncos 21 1. Third time’s the charm The last two times the Steelers started 2-0, they made the playoffs. The last time they began a season with three consecutive wins, they reached the Super Bowl. That provides a level of optimism for the...

The scoreboard crew cued up “Renegade” in the fourth quarter in an attempt to fire up the Pittsburgh Steelers defense playing in front of an empty stadium. The Styx song was one of the touches of normalcy the entertainment staff provided for the first home game of the season —...

A performance that was so dominating in the first half started to unravel shortly after the Pittsburgh Steelers returned from intermission Sunday afternoon. A defense that produced five sacks, forced two turnovers and set up the offense for 10 points in the first 30 minutes suddenly couldn’t get off the...

After indicating he would reconsider honoring Antwon Rose Jr. as a helmet tribute, Pittsburgh Steelers center and offensive captain Maurkice Pouncey chose the name of a fallen police officer to wear on the back of his helmet Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Pouncey had the name of Eric Kelly, one...

Unlike the season opener in New York, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin dressed a full 48-man roster Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Because of a misinterpretation of the new game day inactives rules, Tomlin had only 47 available players in the opener Monday night at MetLife Stadium. He got it...

JuJu Smith-Schuster had a clear path to the ball. Trouble was, so did some of the nine New York Giants players intent on keeping it from him. The race was on to recover Benny Snell’s fumble late in the third quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 26-16 victory against the New...