Steelers/NFL category, Page 359
4 years after memorable college meeting, James Conner, Saquon Barkley face off in NFL
The only time they were on the same field together for a meaningful game, James Conner and Saquon Barkley combined for 276 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns. Two of the best running backs in the respective histories of Pennsylvania’s two biggest college football programs, Conner and Barkley meet again...
Mark Madden: To reach experts’ expectation, Steelers must win 1st 2 games, sweep Ravens
In Pittsburgh, sports fans and the attendant media aren’t brilliant at much. But overrating and overestimating have proven to be specialties. The Penguins had a “great” pre-playoffs camp, whatever that means. They were “flying out there,” especially Evgeni Malkin. That provided pretext for a long playoff run. Actual evidence like...
Fantasy sports podcast: Game 1 paying off some hype. Renewed faith in Steelers’ James Conner?
If Game 1 of the NFL season is any indication, a lot of offseason fantasy league hype about certain skill position players is about to come true quickly. The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans, 34-20, in the Thursday night league opener. Rookie running back...
Breaking down the 2020 Steelers: The special teams
Here is a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 special teams: (Italics denotes player is on the practice squad) Starters: Chris Boswell, Dustin Colquitt, Kameron Canaday Others: Corliss Waitman Breakdown: For the first time since 2014, the Steelers enter a regular season with someone other than Jordan Berry as their...
Giants could offer Week 1 problems for Steelers’ reconfigured offensive line
If the Steelers are searching to find a litmus test for their revamped offensive line, they could do worse than starting the season against the New York Giants. In 2019, only two NFL teams — the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins — allowed more points per game than the Giants...
Ex-Steeler Ryan Clark delivers heartfelt Black Lives Matter message ahead of NFL seasonVideo
“When we’re tired, we take a knee, and we’re as tired as we’ve ever been,” says former Steelers safety Ryan Clark on the state of Black America during this tumultuous year of social injustice. Clark, speaking on behalf of Black athletes in a heartfelt video montage, sent the message via...
Minkah Fitzpatrick much more comfortable in 2020 Steelers debut than last year’s
You wouldn’t have known it by looking at the stat line, but Minkah Fitzpatrick says now that his debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers was a frenzied “learning on the fly.” Fifty weeks later, the first game of Fitzpatrick’s second season with the team doesn’t have near the same feel. “This...
Zach Banner one of several linemen who could be in new spots for Steelers in opener
When the Pittsburgh Steelers named Zach Banner the starting right tackle for the season opener Monday night, they lost a popular eligible receiver and blocking tight end in the process. Banner took all but three of his 216 snaps last season as an inline tight end, and if he continued...
Steelers’ Diontae Johnson has foot injury, does not practice 4 days prior to opener
The first official injury report of the Pittsburgh Steelers season has been released. It’s short on names but not on potential impact. Two offensive starters, receiver Diontae Johnson and guard David DeCastro, did not practice Thursday. While DeCastro’s absence was expected, Johnson’s came as a surprise. Johnson, who led the...
Breaking down the 2020 Steelers: The defense
Here is a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 defense: (Italics denotes player is on the practice squad) Defensive end/tackle Starters: Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt Others: Chris Wormley, Isaiah Buggs, Henry Mondeaux Breakdown: Coming off three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and two first-team All-Pro nods in three years, Heyward remains...
First Call: Myles Garrett’s ridiculous quotes about ‘clearing the air’ with Mason Rudolph
Thursday’s “First Call” features some insane statements from Cleveland Browns defensive star Myles Garrett regarding his 2019 helmet incident with Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph. Also, a look at some Penguins priorities for the offseason, Steelers Super Bowl odds and a potential Steelers threat in Week 2 might be out of...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans go after JuJu and ‘Duck;’ Pens fans fret about Jim Rutherford
Normally, this time of year, Steelers fans are mad over what the team did wrong in the preseason as we get ready for NFL opening weekend. So with no preseason games, does that mean Steelers fans are any less concerned? Pfft! Not according to emails and my Twitter feed. In...
Dustin Colquitt ‘excited’ to follow in father’s footsteps with SteelersVideo
Dustin Colquitt estimates he has told the story “thousands” of times. The difference when he relayed it once again Wednesday afternoon was the 38-year-old punter did so for the first time while wearing Pittsburgh Steelers colors. After spending the first 15 seasons of his NFL career with the Kansas City...
Breaking down the 2020 Steelers: The offense
Here’s a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 offense: (Italics denotes player is on the practice squad) Quarterbacks Starter: Ben Roethlisberger Others: Mason Rudolph, Josh Dobbs, Devlin Hodges Breakdown: All eyes will be on Roethlisberger, the future Hall of Famer who, at 38, is entering his 17th NFL season coming...
Zach Banner wins right tackle job, will start season opener for Steelers
Although he has one more year of NFL experience, Zack Banner entered training camp with fewer starts at right tackle compared to teammate Chuks Okorafor. Banner, though, will be the starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers when they open the season Monday night at the New York Giants. Coach Mike Tomlin...
Ben Roethlisberger expects to be ‘shaking like a leaf’ when Steelers open season MondayVideo
The feeling hit Ben Roethlisberger as he was driving across the Veterans Bridge on Wednesday morning en route to Pittsburgh Steelers practice on the South Side. “I was thinking, ‘I’m actually nervous for this season,’” Roethlisberger told reporters a little while later. “You always have a little bit of nerves...
Saying he ‘still loves football’ despite serious injury, Steelers’ Ryan Shazier officially retiresVideo
Ryan Shazier had to stop to compose himself while recording a prepared statement released Wednesday. Later in the day, he told his wife hearing from coach Mike Tomlin and Vince Williams, likewise, almost made him cry. Kevin Colbert wasn’t as adept at holding in his emotions, choking up while addressing...
Mark Madden: Steelers look like wild-card contender
With the Steelers season set to begin Monday, egregiously optimistic predictions ricochet around the football media. Ben Roethlisberger is back. The defense will be even better. A deep and vertical receiving corps will maximize the red zone. Baltimore and Lamar Jackson will backslide. Cleveland and Cincinnati will stink again. This...
Rod Woodson: Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster may not be No. 1 receiver, Mason Rudolph not top backup
Steelers legend Rod Woodson made some headlines lately talking about his former team on Twitter. On Saturday, Woodson tweeted about Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, “All he wants to do is be on social media!” Seriously you can get no I draft pick from Juju, all he wants to do...
First Call: Steelers, Giants face O-line questions; Matt Murray and NHL goalie pool; Pitt star shines in NBA playoffs
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at a shared concern for both the Steelers and the New York Giants in advance of Monday Night Football. A former Pitt basketball player is emerging in the NBA playoffs. And the NHL goalie rumor mill may have one less name in the hopper. So what...
Steelers prepare for Giants team with new coaches, no preseason tape
Here’s a fun question for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his players heading into the 2020 season opener. How do you study film when there is no film to study? I know. Very meta n’at. But it’s a worthy concern going into the season opener for Tomlin’s team on...
Mike Tomlin: Giants’ new coaches have 1 big advantage in opener against Steelers
Oddsmakers have installed the Pittsburgh Steelers as nearly a one-touchdown favorite to defeat the New York Giants in the season opener Monday night at MetLife Stadium. Mike Tomlin, though, doesn’t quite see his team holding an advantage as the Steelers prepare to play for the first time under the cloud...
Top 5 questions facing the Steelers as 2020 season looms
Every NFL team faces questions heading into a new season, even the defending Super Bowl champion. But when a perennial contender misses the playoffs in back-to-back years, the questions stack up higher than the U.S. Steel Building. The Steelers face their share as they prepare for the 2020 season, which...
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin remains vague about right tackle, DeCastro’s availability ahead of season opener
In his season opening news conference, coach Mike Tomlin did little to clear up the competition at right tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he also was vague Tuesday about right guard David DeCastro’s availability for the season opener in six days. Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner are competing at...
First Call: T.J. Watt hears some trash talk from J.J. Watt; head-scratching Antonio Brown anniversary
“First Call” is back after a long holiday weekend. Steelers star T.J. Watt is on the receiving end of some trash talk from his brother, J.J. We investigate how Jadeveon Clowney almost became a Baltimore Raven. We check up on Charlie Morton’s comeback. And it’s been a year since Antonio...
