Steelers/NFL category, Page 78
Mark Madden: Opening up offense key if Steelers are to outscore Joe Burrow, Bengals
The Steelers’ traditional Neanderthal offensive approach resurfaced in their deadly dull 18-16 home win over Baltimore two weeks ago. That side of the ball then sputtered for three quarters in the subsequent 24-19 loss at Cleveland, admittedly handicapped by bad weather and even worse coaching than usual. Now the Steelers...
DB Ryan Watts making most of lost rookie season on IR, vows return in ’25 for Steelers
This autumn has been far from how Ryan Watts imagined his rookie NFL season. But the Pittsburgh Steelers’ second of two sixth-round picks is making the most of his situation. Watts, a defensive back from Texas, has been on injured reserve all season — and will remain so — after...
Keeanu Benton added to Steelers’ injury report, Alex Highsmith upgraded
Starting defensive tackle Keeanu Benton was a mid-week add to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ league-mandated injury report, listed as a limited participant at Thursday’s practice because of a hip injury. Benton did not finish the Nov. 17 win against the Baltimore Ravens because of an unspecified lower-body injury, but he was...
‘We’ve got to be better there’: Steelers look to solve struggles in short-yardage situations
When it comes to what Mike Tomlin likes to call the weighty moments, especially when the offense has a third-and-1 or fourth-and-1, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been coming up short. After struggling in short-yardage situations, the Steelers acknowledge it’s an area of emphasis for improvement. “We’ve been focusing a lot...
Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith says North Carolina job opening ‘not my focus’
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said Thursday that he has been contacted by the University of North Carolina about its head coaching vacancy but that he’s not interested at the moment. Smith’s name has been rumored as a candidate to replace Mack Brown, who was fired Tuesday amid his...
Tim Benz: Whoever points at Arthur Smith for Cleveland loss should point at Mike Tomlin too
CBS NFL insider Jason La Canfora appeared on 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday morning. He made the following statement about Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith based on what unnamed people within the team’s headquarters are telling him. “There’s people in that building looking at Arthur Smith, like, ‘Come on...
Steelers QB Russell Wilson defends WR George Pickens, says they’re not ‘far off’ in red zone
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson echoed his head coach’s concerns on the Hail Mary pass intended for George Pickens on the final play of the loss at the Cleveland Browns last Thursday night. The Steelers’ standout wide receiver was tangled with Browns cornerback Greg Newsome Jr. through the end zone,...
Steelers amidst 4 straight AFC North games for 1st time, running ‘the cycle’ vs. division
Mike Tomlin has been wont to refer to playing AFC North games as being “in the kitchen.” Fitting, then, that over the Thanksgiving season the Pittsburgh Steelers are spending the better part of a month feasting in the intra-divisional kitchen. For the first time in the AFC North era, the...
Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith does not practice; DTs Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi get rest
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Alex Highsmith would be “leaning in on a return” after missing two games with an injury, but the outside linebacker is leaning closer to not playing Sunday at Cincinnati. Highsmith (left ankle) did not practice Wednesday, per the league-mandated injury report. Three veteran linemen rested,...
Steelers defensive tackle Montravius Adams returns to practice, remains on IR
Defensive tackle Montravius Adams Sr. returned to practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday but will remain on the injured reserve. The Steelers now have a 21-day window to activate Adams or he will miss the remainder of the season. “Honestly, it felt great to be back,” Adams said. “To...
Mark Madden: The Steelers shouldn’t need gimmicks; keep Justin Fields on the bench
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ most important game of the season is Sunday at Cincinnati. The Bengals are better than their 4-7 record. The Steelers’ 8-3 mark feels deceptive after their clumsy loss at Cleveland. Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow is one of football’s best quarterbacks. There’s a reason the Bengals are favored by...
First Call: Arthur Smith connected to UNC head coaching job; Ben Roethlisberger has thoughts on George Pickens, Justin Fields
Multiple outlets are tying Arthur Smith’s name to the head coaching job at North Carolina. Ben Roethlisberger shares opinions on George Pickens and Justin Fields after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to Cleveland. Plus, we preview the Penguins’ next opponent. All that in Wednesday’s “First Call.” Is there a check big...
U mad, bro?: A cornucopia of Pittsburgh sports complaints for the Pirates, Steelers, Penguins
As we approach Thanksgiving, there hasn’t been very much to be thankful for in the Pittsburgh sports world lately. The Steelers just lost in Cleveland … again. Pitt’s football team has lost four in a row, and the Penguins are one of the worst teams in the NHL. I suppose...
Despite struggles, Steelers RT Broderick Jones keeps faith knowing Mike Tomlin ‘has my back’
Broderick Jones has made a habit of watching the televised copy of Pittsburgh Steelers games, even if that means listening to the commentators criticize his performance at right tackle. And Jones has given them plenty of ammunition: He’s been flagged nine times — including a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties...
Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith ‘feeling much better’ with ankle injury, ‘leaning in on return’
Now out for more than two weeks for his ankle injury, Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said he’s “feeling much better” and did not rule out a return to game action Sunday at the Cincinnati Bengals. During his weekly news conference Tuesday, coach Mike Tomlin said Highsmith was “leaning...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin has no angst with George Pickens for Hail Mary scuffle, postgame comments on BrownsVideo
Though he claims he hasn’t seen the video of it, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he is aware that his best wide receiver was in the middle of a scuffle during a last-second desperation Hail Mary attempt during this past Thursday’s game. But Tomlin expressed that he does not...
Baltimore’s ‘MNF’ win concludes a ‘suboptimal’ NFL Week 12 for the Steelers
Week 12 of the NFL season was… how can I put this… less than ideal for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Suboptimal, maybe? How about that? However you want to phrase it, things could’ve gone better. For instance, the Steelers could’ve finally — for a change — beaten the typically rudderless Browns...
First Call: Steelers assistant linked to college job; could we see 3rd edition of Maulers?
A Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach is hearing his name linked to a college opening. Pitt’s Kade Bell is being tied to Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator job. There might be movement toward another reincarnation of the Pittsburgh Maulers. And Duquesne’s women’s basketball team scores a win in a renewed rivalry while the...
Tim Benz: Doomsday predictions for Steelers far-fetched, but worthy of concern
When I first read the statement from CBS’ Adam Schein about the Pittsburgh Steelers, I thought it was a bit hyperbolic. “If everything breaks right, they win two more,” Schein said of the Steelers’ remaining schedule. “I honestly have bad vibes right now when it comes to these Pittsburgh Steelers.”...
The long and short of it is Darnell Washington, Calvin Austin becoming threats for Steelers
If they aren’t the respective biggest and smallest offensive skill-position players in the NFL, each is close to it. The long and the short of it is Darnell Washington and Calvin Austin III are evolving into significant pieces of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. After relatively little usage in the passing...
Steelers notes: Miles Killebrew nominated for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award
Three-year Pittsburgh Steelers special teams captain Miles Killebrew was announced as the team’s nominee for the NFL’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award on Monday, an honor presented to “a player for their on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.” A safety by trade,...
First Call: NFL reviewing George Pickens’ scrum in Cleveland; thoughts on Russell Wilson staying in PittsburghVideo
Monday’s “First Call” has some potential fallout from the end of Thursday’s Steelers-Browns game. There’s some forecasting about the future of Pittsburgh’s quarterback position. We preview the “Monday Night Football” game and its implications for the Steelers. And the Duquesne basketball team continues its tournament in the Cayman Islands. League...
Madden Monday: ‘We’ll know instantly’ if Steelers’ loss to Browns will result in long-term damages
In the days since the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) fell to the Cleveland Browns (3-8) on Thursday night, many Steelers fans have had the same concern. Was that just one bad night? Or was that a harbinger of things to come? Was that the 2024 version of losing to Washington after...
Steelers to face AFC North foes under spotlight as ‘Hard Knocks’ cameras capture division race
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team in the AFC North that had never been featured on “Hard Knocks,” so their loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night served as a proper introduction to the behind-the-scenes spectacle captured on camera by HBO and NFL Films. Blowing a late lead...
Which way? Mike Tomlin’s Steelers teams often go on late-season runs — good and bad
In pro golf parlance, Saturday is “moving day,” the penultimate day of a tournament when players try to improve their standing to make a run at the title in the final round. For the Steelers, this time of year is similar. Particularly under Mike Tomlin, the stretch between mid-November and...
