Steelers/NFL category, Page 224
First Call: Steelers need to replicate Ravens’ work up front against Saints; JuJu Smith-Schuster pacing for payout in K.C.
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....
Tim Benz: Based on expectations, Najee Harris is Steelers’ biggest disappointment at halfway mark
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...
Imminent returns of T.J. Watt, Damontae Kazee energize Steelers defense in return after bye
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 ready, eager for bigger role in Steelers offense after trade of Chase Claypool
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,”...
Back injury prevents William Jackson III from taking part in 2nd practice since trade to Steelers
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...
First Call: Chase Claypool’s first game with Chicago; Pittsburgh native with Bears draw praise; ‘MNF’ game has Steelers ties
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...
Steelers vs. bye week: What they’re saying about Pittsburgh at season’s halfway point
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...
Numbers aren’t adding up for Steelers’ 2nd-year running back Najee Harris
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...
Steelers have yet to see big dividends after unprecedented spending in free agency
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...
Steelers 4 Downs: Schedule eases up after most difficult ‘1st half’ in NFL
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...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: So many undeniable reasons for the Steelers’ 2-6 record
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...
Behind scenes, ex-starter Kendrick Green works to ensure Steelers don’t forget about him
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...
Friday Football Footnotes: Pittsburgh native in charge of Bears’ plans for Chase Claypool; Steelers’ next opponent faces Ravens
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...
First Call: Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones mocks newest Steeler; Mitch Trubisky backs up Kenny Pickett’s concerns
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...
Steven Sims, others jockey to replace Chase Claypool for 2022 Steelers
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...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans have their say on Chase Claypool trade, Najee Harris, criticism of Mike Tomlin
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...
First Call: Chase Claypool ‘didn’t have the full opportunity to show what I could do this year’; Ron Rivera on William Jackson III
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...
New cornerback William Jackson III looking for change of scenery with Steelers
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...
Mike Tomlin says Steelers made the Chase Claypool trade because of the compensation
When the Pittsburgh Steelers made an in-season trade last year, coach Mike Tomlin evoked a since oft-repeated phrase: “We want volunteers, not hostages.” Their in-season trade this year — publicly, at least — offered so such colorful explanations. “It was about draft capital and value for us,” Tomlin said of...
Mike Tomlin not making changes to Steelers coaching staff during bye week
With one word, coach Mike Tomlin ended any speculation that he might change offensive coordinators during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week. “No,” Tomlin said when asked Wednesday whether any staff changes were forthcoming. He did not elaborate. Second-year offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s job performance has come under question with the...
Mark Madden: Can Mike Tomlin look past meaningless games now to prioritize Steelers’ future?
Receiver Chase Claypool was an underachieving ham-and-egger with a borderline attitude problem. No sentiment should be wasted on Claypool’s departure. Nor should anyone wonder about what might have been. Trading Claypool to Chicago subtracts a weapon from rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett. The receiving corps is an injury away from absolute...
First Call: 1 team may have helped boost Steelers’ return for Chase Claypool; reported off-field reasons for trade
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at a number of angles surrounding the trade of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool — from reaction in Chicago, to theories as to why the deal was made to depth concerns now that Claypool is gone. All that, plus a team that may have helped...
Tim Benz: Chase Claypool trade is a win for Steelers’ front office, a loss for Steelers’ image
The trade of wide receiver Chase Claypool looks like a win for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ front office. It’s also a loss for the entire narrative surrounding Steelers football. Both outcomes are the result of the same necessary reality check this organization just made at the halfway point of its rotting...
Matt Canada ‘not privy’ to his job status, ‘feels pretty good’ Steelers offense can get fixed
A school of thought among followers of the Pittsburgh Steelers was if a change was made at offensive coordinator, the idle week after the eighth game would be an ideal time to do it. When the first of two practices during the bye week began Tuesday, though, Canada was on...
Steelers trade Chase Claypool to Bears, add CB William Jackson from Commanders
One moment he was on the practice field at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex catching passes as the Pittsburgh Steelers went through their first workout of the bye week. The next, Chase Claypool was on his way to joining the Chicago Bears. About an hour after practice concluded early Tuesday afternoon,...
