Steelers/NFL category, Page 177
Kenny Pickett seeks consistency as Steelers offense gears up for preseason finale
After making token appearances in the first two preseason games, Kenny Pickett is preparing to play longer than two series when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday. How much longer remains to be seen. “They’ll pull us when they pull us,” Pickett said Tuesday as the Steelers...
Steelers again will play (most) starters in preseason finale at Falcons
Most — but perhaps not all — of the starters will be in the lineup and taking the field in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason finale Thursday at the Atlanta Falcons. While Steelers coach Mike Tomlin left himself a qualifier by saying, “By no means am I guaranteeing that everyone plays,”...
Tim Benz: Steelers defense views preseason finale against Falcons as ‘great test’ for 49ers in regular season opener
On the surface, one might think that a road game in Atlanta may not be the most effective tune-up for the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary in its final preseason game. After all, no team in the NFL ran the ball more times (559) than the Falcons did last season. With the...
First Call: Star is returning to future Steelers opponent, while another stays away; Ravens finally lose in preseason
Tuesday’s “First Call” eyes up some opponents on the Pittsburgh Steelers schedule. The Baltimore Ravens saw an end to their record-setting preseason win streak. Nick Bosa may be in jeopardy of missing the season opener at Acrisure Stadium for the San Francisco 49ers. The Las Vegas Raiders should be getting...
Matt Canada on carries for Steelers RBs: ‘Najee (Harris) is our 1. There’s no doubt about that’
Something pretty well-known about Pittsburgh sports fans is that we really do love our backups. The backup quarterback. The backup goalie. The young prospects on the farm for the Pirates. Players who we have seen in brief flashes that we immediately believe will be better than the guy who is...
Steelers taking extended preseason look at undrafted rookie OLB David Perales
Those who have watched the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout this preseason have seen one Steelers player more than any other. Not the high-profile Kenny Pickett or T.J. Watt but a relatively unknown undrafted rookie in David Perales. An outside linebacker, Perales has played 98 snaps through two preseason games — four...
Is Steelers’ offensive success sustainable? Answers may come in preseason finale
The good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers is their first-team offense has scored a touchdown on each possession it has occupied the field during the preseason. The bad news, if you can call it that, is the offense hasn’t been given the chance to see if such productivity is sustainable...
Facing short turnaround for preseason finale, Steelers’ Mike Tomlin embraces challenge
Playing two games with only a four-day break in between isn’t the optimum way to close the preseason. That is what the Pittsburgh Steelers will face when they play the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday at Mercedes Benz Stadium. It will come on the heels of their 27-15 victory Saturday night...
Steelers sign outside linebacker Kuony Deng, receiver Aron Cruickshank; waive/injured 2 WRs
Just as their first practice at team headquarters in advance of the season was getting underway Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced the signings of outside linebacker Kuony Deng and receiver Aron Cruickshank. Waived last week by the Chicago Bears, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Deng finished last season with that organization. He...
Mark Madden: Small sample sizes being blown out of proportion in Steelers’ preseason games
The Steelers are winning the preseason. They might be preseason champs. It wouldn’t be a shock if Kenny Pickett gets preseason MVP. He’s the king of exhibitions: Three drives, three touchdowns. Pickett has performed very well. I wish he’d played more. Built additional momentum. But Pickett was excellent in last...
Tim Benz: Even with fast start, Steelers coaches have plenty to examine during preseason finale vs. Falcons
Everyone in Pittsburgh seems excited about how the Steelers have looked so far, and rightfully so. In their two victories to open up the preseason, the Steelers offense has been potent. The defense has created numerous splash plays. The special teams have been a plus. Considering the amount of good...
First Call: Surprising retirement for an ex-Steeler; Brock Purdy gets a preseason start; will Steelers see Bijan Robinson?
Monday’s “First Call” has word of a surprising retirement for a former Pittsburgh Steeler. We find out how the San Francisco 49ers are shaping up in advance of their regular-season debut at Acrisure Stadium. We check in on Atlanta’s plans when it comes to Bijan Robinson’s playing time against the...
Madden Monday: Not buying into the calls for Jaylen Warren to replace Najee Harris as Steelers’ 1st-team RB
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is the flavor of the month in Pittsburgh. After his 62-yard touchdown run in Saturday’s 27-15 preseason win over the Buffalo Bills, you can certainly understand why. Warren averaged 4.9 yards per carry last year. Meanwhile, starting running back Najee Harris was at 3.8. The...
Stock up, stock down among Steelers after another preseason win
The Pittsburgh Steelers have become a preseason juggernaut. Scoring the first 27 points of a 27-15 victory against the Buffalo Bills allowed the Steelers to run their preseason winning streak to five, last losing an exhibition in 2021. The Steelers have won 10 of their past 12 preseason games and...
Jaylen Warren continues to bring ‘lightning’ strikes to Steelers offense
Throughout the preseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense has striven to be a model of efficiency, and the results produced by the first team have shown three touchdown drives on three possessions over two games. One player in particular took that approach to heart Saturday night in a 27-15 victory against...
Feats of Strength: Steelers’ first-teamers decidedly win ‘sparring session’ against Bills
The Steelers and Buffalo Bills wanted to see “good-on-good” at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday night. So both clubs started most of their first-team players for the second preseason game of 2023. Well, half of that ended up happening. The Steelers were good. Buffalo was not. The Steelers dusted the Bills,...
Another strong start on offense helps Steelers romp past Buffalo
Two series, two more touchdowns for Kenny Pickett and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-team offense. A week after leading a touchdown drive on the only possession he played, the second-year quarterback doubled his productivity in a 27-15 victory against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Pickett presided over one long touchdown...
Damar Hamlin soaks in return to Pittsburgh — and Steelers, fans return the love
Damar Hamlin was happy to be able to soak in the moment. The sights, the sounds. The … smells? “It kind of felt like college again, that feeling I got when I was playing at Pitt,” Hamlin said of his first football game in Pittsburgh as a pro. “Stadium smelled...
Steelers put Franco Harris retired No. 32 jersey on display at Acrisure Stadium
The Pittsburgh Steelers added a third retired jersey to the FedEx Great Hall located inside Acrisure Stadium when the display honoring the late Franco Harris was unveiled Saturday. The ceremony took place 90 minutes before the Steelers preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Harris’ No. 32, which officially was retired...
Steelers notebook: All healthy starters make appearance, most play 2 series
The starting lineup on offense for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason game Saturday was very likely (assuming no injuries) to be the most-used group of 11 when the regular-season starts. They played two series. On defense, veteran defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi did not play because of a foot injury. Montravius Adams...
In 1st game for Steelers, Joey Porter Jr. has an INT, then gives ball to Steelers legend father
Joey Porter Sr. had plenty of special moments at the North Shore venue now called Acrisure Stadium. He presumably was given a game ball or two there, too. None like Saturday, though, for what was surely a proud father. Porter Sr. was tossed the ball from his son, Joey Jr.,...
Steelers’ Kwon Alexander fined $43,709 for hard hit in preseason game vs. Bucs
Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Kwon Alexander was fined $43,709 by the NFL for a hard tackle he made during the first quarter of an Aug. 11 preseason game. Alexander dropped Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Chase Edmonds for a 2-yard loss a moment after he received a pass from Baker...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Justin Herbert would be more valuable to Steelers than Minkah Fitzpatrick
Minkah Fitzpatrick might be the NFL’s best safety. He’s made first-team All-Pro in three of the last four seasons, including last year when his six interceptions topped the NFL. But if the Steelers hadn’t traded for him in 2019, they might be a better team. The Steelers might have Justin...
Even Steelers players excited for Damar Hamlin’s homecoming Saturday
Joey Porter Jr. is understandably excited to make his professional debut Saturday night at Acrisure Stadium. But he also is eager to watch a player on the opposing team who already has about three dozen games worth of NFL regular-season and preseason experience. It would have been special for McKees...
5 things to watch for in Steelers preseason home opener vs Bills
For decades, season-ticket holders complained that they had to pay for a pair of preseason games to secure the rights to attend the home regular-season contests. The advent of the 17-game schedule means every other year each team has only one preseason game. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, that one opportunity...
