Steelers/NFL category, Page 198

In the NFL’s defensive rankings, the Pittsburgh Steelers stand fourth from the bottom in yards and 10th from the bottom in points. Apparently, $108 million doesn’t buy what it used to. It’s the highest-paid defense in football but nowhere near the best. The Steelers rank 21st in time of possession....

Not long after the midway point of his weekly news conference Tuesday, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was asked if he is talking to his players about his prior experience being in charge of a 2-6 team. “No,” Tomlin said, before smiling. “I do not.” Tomlin couldn’t suppress a chuckle....

It started out as a normal Tuesday practice for the McKeesport football team as it was preparing for Friday’s WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal game at Armstrong. Then things changed after McKeesport coach Matt Miller brought his team to midfield to talk. Miller turned away from his players as a man...

In yet another obvious sign that T.J. Watt’s activation is imminent, the Pittsburgh Steelers waived an outside linebacker among a handful of roster moves Tuesday. Ryan Anderson was waived, clearing a spot on the 53-man roster on the same day coach Mike Tomlin said that he was “optimistic” that Watt...

Outside of the necessitated response to the trade of Chase Claypool, the Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to make many changes in an effort to jumpstart their struggling offense. One possible such move, though, was not ruled out by coach Mike Tomlin on Tuesday. Asked point-blank during his weekly news conference...

Coach Mike Tomlin termed himself “optimistic about the inclusion” of injured veteran defensive players T.J. Watt and Damontae Kazee into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ lineup this week. But that doesn’t mean the Steelers aren’t without injuries coming off their bye. During his weekly news conference Tuesday, Tomlin listed seven contributors who...

At 2-6, the Pittsburgh Steelers are no longer primetime. Long one of the NFL’s most marketable franchises coveted by television networks, the Steelers were actively passed over by NBC for their “Sunday Night Football” package that for more than a decade has been TV’s most-watched show. The Steelers’ Nov. 20...

Tuesday’s “First Call” sets the stage for the Steelers-Saints game after New Orleans looked overmatched against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have something going for them the rest of the season. The Duquesne men’s basketball team joins a lot of its local peers by starting the 2022-23 season Tuesday night....

During the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week, a lot of column space and talk-show air time has been dedicated to conversations about what aspect of the team’s performance has been the most disappointing in 2022. The offensive design, play calling, or quarterback execution? Offensive line play? The defense — especially the...

The vibe in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room Monday, particularly among the defense, was not what might be expected for a team sitting at 2-6. And it wasn’t just the four-day bye-week break that was energizing the Steelers headed into their next game. “Can’t wait. Can’t. Wait,” defensive back Arthur...

Steven Sims is well aware that there are certainly many who follow the Pittsburgh Steelers who believe he is ill-equipped to fill the void in the offense created by the trade of Chase Claypool. That’s OK. It isn’t the first time Sims has heard people doubt his abilities. “Middle school,”...

If the learning curve was steep to assimilate William Jackson III into the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, the crunch of the timeline got a little tighter Monday. Jackson did not take part in Steelers practice, the veteran cornerback confirmed after the session at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Jackson referenced his back...

In Monday’s “First Call,” we examine Chase Claypool’s first game with the Chicago Bears. Another Bear with Pittsburgh ties is making headlines. We preview a “Monday Night Football” game with lots of Steelers implications. And a former Steeler in Tennessee had a rough week. First outing After last week’s trade...

Is tanking the rest of the season really an option for the Pittsburgh Steelers? Will coach Mike Tomlin string together a few wins and sabotage the opportunity of a high draft pick draft? The bye week came in the form of a beautiful November Sunday and the opportunity to clean...

With the NFL expanding its season to 17 games a year ago, a running back needs to average just 59 yards a game if he is going to produce a 1,000-yard season. Najee Harris is averaging 45 in his second year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a pace that would put...

The spending spree was unprecedented but not entirely unexpected for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After decades of watching other teams lavishly spend on free agents, a confluence of events allowed the franchise to be active participants in 2022. For the first time in recent memory, the Steelers entered the offseason with...

1. Hard now easy Though there is no exact midway point of a 17-game season (halftime of game No. 9?), the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye coming after their eighth game is about as close as you can get. And boy, can the Steelers use it. The aggregate record of the eight...

If, while ruminating during the bye week, you wonder why the Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-6, you shouldn’t. There’s a lengthy list of undeniable reasons: • They spent $108 million on a defense that stinks. • They gave T.J. Watt $80 million guaranteed, then trusted him to stay healthy. • They...

Despite some good fortune in getting a somewhat unlikely rookie opportunity, it isn’t accurate to say things came too easily for Kendrick Green last season. But it also isn’t truthful to say Green’s life with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022 is awful, either. “I am staying positive,” Green said earlier...

Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a bye this Sunday. But there is plenty of NFL action to keep you intrigued this weekend. For this week’s “Friday Football Footnotes,” we tell you what the plans are for Chase Claypool’s debut in Chicago. Monday night’s game has lots of Steelers implications. And...

A hated rival of the Pittsburgh Steelers is mocking their recent acquisition of William Jackson III. One Steelers quarterback is backing up the opinions of the guy who took his job. Speaking of quarterbacks, which one will Pitt see from Syracuse when the Orange visit Acrisure Stadium on Saturday? We...

As the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday went through the final practice before a four-day break, there was a void on offense. A void that measures about 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds worth. For the first day, at least, the void was filled by someone who measures 6 inches shorter and 62...

The Pittsburgh Steelers got blown out again. They made a trade. Despite being 2-6, head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t making changes to his staff, and the former No. 1 pick running back is struggling and carping about the blocking. So, yeah, I had plenty of material at my disposal for...

Thursday’s “First Call” has Chase Claypool’s reaction to being traded away from the Pittsburgh Steelers. We also hear from Aaron Rodgers on the Packers losing out on Claypool. Plus, Ron Rivera discusses what happened to William Jackson in Washington. And Paul Posluszny wonders about what could have been if NIL...

One of the fastest players in the 2016 NFL Draft class, William Jackson III isn’t showing any signs of slowing down seven years into his pro career. At least not off the field. After being traded Tuesday by the Washington Commanders to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jackson hopped in a car...