Steelers/NFL category, Page 285
Mark Madden: T.J. Watt worth every red cent, but others on Steelers defense raise red flags
T. J. Watt got $80 million guaranteed when he signed his contract extension. He is the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player. So far this season, despite injury, Watt has earned his keep. The Steelers have won three games. Watt won two of them: Week 1 vs. Buffalo and this past Sunday...
First Call: Steelers-Seahawks replay debate sparks Twitter spat; Von Miller trash talks Browns tackles; praise for Kenny Pickett
Wednesday’s “First Call” has some social media fallout from the Steelers-Seahawks replay controversy Sunday night. There was an ex-Bucco battle on the mound in the NLCS Tuesday. Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett is getting a strong endorsement from one of Clemson’s coaches. And Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller is talking...
Mike Tomlin got explanation, not ‘clarity’ about way officials handled end of regulation vs. Seattle
Mike Tomlin took his concerns to NFL offices regarding the way the final moments of regulation unfolded Sunday night when play was halted and the Seattle Seahawks were given time to spike the ball and then kick a tying field goal. “I got an explanation,” Tomlin said after a bye-week...
Steelers explain using Robert Spillane over Devin Bush, Joe Schobert in dime defense
Two-and-a-half years after trading up to draft Devin Bush at No. 10 overall, and two months after trading for Joe Schobert and his pricey contract, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been electing to take both of their starting inside linebackers off the field in obvious passing situations in recent weeks. Coach...
First Call: Browns will be missing stars for Steelers game; debunking Joe Haden to Dallas rumors; Ravens red hot
Tuesday’s “First Call” sees a quiet start and a quick end to a Steelers trade rumor. The Cleveland Browns injury report is pretty deep. The Baltimore Ravens are red hot. And the Dallas Stars are logging some air miles heading to Pittsburgh. Nothing to it There was a flicker of...
Former NFL referee on Steelers’ complaints about controversial replay review: ‘It’s a valid point’
If Sunday night’s Steelers-Seahawks game had been on CBS, former NFL referee and current rules analyst Gene Steratore could’ve stated any opinion he wanted about what happened on that wild sequence at the end of regulation. But since the game was broadcast on a different network (NBC), the Washington, Pa....
Steelers Week 6 film study: A tale of 2 halves went the home team’s way in overtime
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 6 win over the Seahawks. Seattle, at 2-3, came to Heinz Field without its superstar quarterback for Sunday Night Football to...
5 things: Chris Boswell becoming a sure thing again in Steelers’ kicking game
Five things we learned from Steelers 23, Seahawks 20: 1. Wizard of Boz His 2018 struggles a distant memory, Chris Boswell continues to be an unsung hero for the Steelers. Boswell’s 52-yard field goal with 1 minute, 30 seconds left tied the score, and his third field goal, from 37...
Madden Monday on Steelers: ‘I can’t call that an elite defense anymore. I’m through pretending that it is.’
In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, 105.9 The X radio host and TribLIVE columnist Mark Madden is fed up with the Steelers defense. And I can’t blame him. The Steelers defense was outperformed three weeks in a row by the offenses of the Raiders, Bengals and Packers. A week ago,...
First Call: Browns badly banged up in loss; ex-Steeler a hero for Jaguars; Le’Veon Bell scores; Pitt favored to beat Clemson
The Steelers’ next opponent after a bye is the Cleveland Browns. Yet, it’s the Browns who need a bye more than just about any team in the league. In Monday’s “First Call,” we get a lengthy medical report from Cleveland. A former Steeler plays the role of hero in London....
Feats of Strength/Airing of Grievances after Steelers beat Seahawks: Replay controversy, missed tackles, T.J. Watt’s heroics
I’m still trying to wrap my brain around how that Steelers-Seahawks game ended Sunday night. I’m still trying to figure out how the Steelers blew that two-touchdown lead to a backup quarterback, yet still managed to win And I’m still trying to figure out how a team this flawed has...
T.J. Watt shows worth to Steelers with 2 sacks, decisive forced fumble in OT
Ben Roethlisberger’s attention wasn’t on the field when Sunday night’s crucial moment played out. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback was talking to a teammate when the crowd roar signaled the obvious: The defense forced a turnover deep in the Seattle Seahawks’ end of the field. Roethlisberger didn’t know what the play...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin calls end-of-regulation replay review ‘an embarrassment’
Even after a win, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was not in the mood to mince his words. Typically measured when it comes to talking about officiating, Tomlin was livid about how the final sequence of regulation during Sunday night’s game played out. “I hated it,” Tomlin said of an...
Turnover helps Steelers to overtime win vs. Seahawks
Mike Tomlin didn’t want the Pittsburgh Steelers to disappoint the franchise’s four newest Hall of Fame members who were honored during a prime-time showcase Sunday night at Heinz Field. The Steelers complied, even though they blew a 14-point second-half lead, watched a frenetic final seconds result in a tying field...
Steelers notebook: Ben Roethlisberger, Cameron Heyward post career superlatives
The two longest-tenured players on the team, Ben Roethlisberger and Cameron Heyward, represented the Pittsburgh Steelers during the pregame coin toss Sunday night. Not long after that on that same Heinz Field turf, the duo was making its mark during the game against the Seattle Seahawks. Each had a first-half...
Hall of Famers get rings, chance to catch up with former Steelers teammates at alumni weekend
Wiping tears from his eyes with a Terrible Towel, an emotional Troy Polamalu talked about writing the Hall of Fame speech that preceded his appearance Sunday night at Heinz Field. Polamalu, along with Bill Cowher, Alan Faneca and Donnie Shell, received their Pro Football Hall of Fame rings during a...
Despite activation off IR, Zach Banner not in uniform for Steelers vs. Seahawks
Zach Banner’s season debut will have to wait at least another two weeks. Banner was activated off injured reserve Saturday but is not in uniform for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. The offensive tackle was one of five inactives announced prior to the Sunday night kickoff against the Seattle Seahawks....
Steelers won’t rest on laurels vs. backup QBs
Joe Schobert couldn’t suppress a smile. A member of the organization less than two months, he’s picked up on the demeanor and personality of Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin rather quickly. Earlier this week, Schobert was asked to consider if it was only human nature to brace for a letdown...
Steelers activate tackle Zach Banner from injured reserve
Right tackle Zach Banner will be available to return from ACL surgery when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night at Heinz Field. Banner, who had a setback in the preseason that delayed his recovery, was activated from injured reserve Saturday. He replaces wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster,...
Steelers Four Downs: Cameron Heyward getting it done vs. the run game
1. Can’t run on Cam Outside of leadership and intangibles, Cameron Heyward’s rise to stardom with the Pittsburgh Steelers often is recognized by his ability to rush the passer. And for good reason: Heyward’s next sack would be his 60th, which would break the franchise record for his position and...
Larry Stone: Seahawks QB Geno Smith’s story is an underdog tale. And we can all get behind that
SEATTLE — It’s a time-honored truism of football that everyone loves the backup quarterback. He’s a beacon of hope and possibility — facets that often are exposed as wishful thinking once pipedreams are replaced by actual playing time. Geno Smith, who gets his first Seahawks start Sunday six games into...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Steelers defense needs to have bigger impact
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is supposed to carry the team. So far, it’s not. It’s been crippled by injury. Stephon Tuitt hasn’t played a game. Tyson Alualu is out. Many are playing hurt, most notably T.J. Watt, the leader of the groin gang. But an elite defense manufactures results, not...
After rehabbing MCL tear, RB Anthony McFarland awaits return to Steelers
Considering how infrequently he played as a rookie, the last thing running back Anthony McFarland wanted was a medical issue derailing his second season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not surprisingly, an MCL tear sustained during the preseason and a trip to injured reserve were not exactly the start McFarland had...
Behind Najee Harris, Steelers’ running game starting to see some daylight
From a big-picture perspective, Najee Harris is treating the Pittsburgh Steelers’ breakthrough running performance last weekend with the same mindset as a straight-ahead back that keeps fighting for extra yards. He doesn’t want to see his efforts — or the team’s — go backward. When the Steelers host the Seattle...
WRs Chase Claypool, James Washington resume full practice participation for Steelers
After losing JuJu Smith-Schuster to a season-ending shoulder injury last weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers got some positive news Friday about the availability of two other starting wide receivers. Chase Claypool and James Washington returned to practice after being limited participants Wednesday and Thursday, and they no longer are listed on...
