Steelers/NFL category, Page 272

For the Steelers, it could have been a case of necessity being the mother of invention. Or maybe a successful rollout of a grand plan. Either way, Mike Tomlin doesn’t want to talk much about the three-man rotation at outside linebacker we saw from his defense during Sunday’s Week 1...

It’s not just a new home season kicking off for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sunday marks the first time in almost two years for a full capacity crowd at Heinz Field on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. Here are some refreshers for fans planning to attend the game at 1 p.m. Sunday, when...

Tight end Eric Ebron and defensive lineman Carlos Davis did not practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday because of injury, but linebacker Robert Spillane returned to work. Spillane suffered a shin injury during warm-ups for Sunday’s game at the Buffalo Bills. That prevented him from playing and also kept...

Canada geese are a common sight throughout Pennsylvania. And now a Duck that made his home in Pittsburgh is heading north to Canada. Quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges signed a three-year contract with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League, the team announced Thursday. “Usually ducks migrate south around this...

The way Minkah Fitzpatrick was deployed on defense in the season opener for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was reminiscent of a certain safety who just a few weeks earlier was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler isn’t calling Fitzpatrick the next Troy Polamalu, but...

Offensive coordinator Matt Canada didn’t grade Ben Roethlisberger’s performance at Buffalo as harshly as Pro Football Focus, which rated the Pittsburgh Steelers passer as the NFL’s worst quarterback in Week 1. Yes, he was ranked even lower than Aaron Rodgers, who finished with a 36.8 passer rating in a 38-3...

All nine of the Steelers’ 2021 draft class members came from Power 5 conference programs. One benefit of that is the players come to the NFL having a feel for big-time football. The daily mechanisms and framework that exist on that scale. The pressures and expectations associated with being a...

The Steelers season is just starting. The Pirates season is finally ending. Pitt’s fan base is starting to wake up. And the emotions from all sides are equally raw. That’s abundantly clear in this week’s “U mad, bro?”. After their win Sunday over the Buffalo Bills, this Twitter follower remained...

The Steelers may already be scouting a quarterback for next year’s draft. The Bengals have signed a former Steelers free agent. The Raiders Maxx Crosby raised eyebrows with his performance Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens. And we celebrate a Pitt football legend’s birthday. All of this in today’s First...

The absence of defensive end Stephon Tuitt wasn’t felt Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers swarmed Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throughout a 23-16 victory. Allen, who was in MVP consideration last year, was sacked three times and led the Bills to just one touchdown in the season opener. The Steelers...

Given a chance to run out the clock or pad their lead in the fourth quarter Sunday at Buffalo, the Pittsburgh Steelers tried to accomplish a little bit of each objective. And they relied on the arm of 18-year veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to get it done. The result was...

Wednesday’s “First Call” shows us some remarkable television ratings for the Steelers-Bills game and the rest of the NFL. The Vegas Raiders get bad news on the injury front as they prepare to face the Steelers Sunday at Heinz Field. Penn State coach James Franklin makes a poor attempt to...

The opening Pittsburgh Steelers game of the season isn’t just fun because of those three hours of excitement on that first Sunday afternoon. Or Monday night. Or even the occasional Thursday night. It’s fun because of the ensuing week when we endure those massive swings of emotion and adjustments of...

Based on what transpired Monday night in the desert, the Pittsburgh Steelers hope that what happened in Vegas stays in Vegas. Rallying from a 14-point deficit, the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Baltimore Ravens, 33-27, in overtime, making them a formidable opponent when they meet the Steelers on Sunday at...

The rookie draft class was expected to be heavily involved for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season opener at Buffalo. Nobody, though, could have predicted that the most-used rookie would be seventh-round defensive back Tre Norwood. Norwood was one of five rookies to start against the Bills — six if...

For the first time in two seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers will play a game in front of a capacity crowd at Heinz Field when they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday in the home opener. Coach Mike Tomlin is hoping his players do a better job of keeping the...

Tuesday’s “First Call” puts the debut of Steelers rookie Najee Harris into context. Ex-Steelers punter Jordan Berry makes a strong impression with his new team. The Las Vegas Raiders had a wild “Monday Night Football” game and lots of injuries in advance of their visit to Heinz Field Sunday. And...

Every week for 16 — now, 17 — weeks, Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith pores over opponents film of dozens of punts, kickoffs and placekicks. He’s hoping to find a vulnerability in a protection or coverage team that can give the Steelers an advantage. The payoffs are rare...

Five things we learned from Steelers 23, Bills 16: 1. Pass rush to judgment Any concerns about the Steelers being able to piece together a pass rush with Stephon Tuitt on injured reserve, Bud Dupree in Tennessee and T.J. Watt coming off just three practices didn’t last long. From the...

NFL football analyst Matt Williamson will break down each of the Steelers games this season in the Trib’s Steelers Film Study. Here’s what he saw in the Steelers Week 1 victory. To kick off their 2021 season, the Steelers traveled to a hostile environment and shocked a lot of people...

If the Steelers are to have a blueprint for success in 2021, Sunday’s upset victory at Buffalo might come close to what’s needed. The defense won the game. T.J. Watt spurred the defense to win the game. Within the admittedly narrow microcosm of Week 1, the superstar outside linebacker delivered...

Monday’s “First Call” shows us that the Buffalo Bills are bothered by one particular aspect of their upset loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. The Steelers’ next opponent may be dealing with some problems at the running back position Monday night. The Pirates and Reds are about to get very...

For as much as things coalesced in the second half for the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday in Buffalo, TribLIVE’s Mark Madden says the offense can do more. The Steelers fell into a 10-0 hole at halftime. Yet they ended up beating the favored Bills 23-16 thanks to a second-half explosion. In...