Steelers notes: Marcus Allen relishes fake punt run, James Pierre promoted Sunday

His Pro Football Hall of Fame namesake was a running back.

After Sunday, the younger Marcus Allen needs only 12,239 rushing yards to catch the elder Marcus Allen.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Allen has a similar career per-carry rushing yard average (4.0), though, as the Allen (4.1) who played 16 NFL seasons from 1982-1997 for the Raiders and Chiefs organizations.

Allen, the 26-year-old special-teamer and inside linebacker, had his first pro carry during Sunday’s loss at the Philadelphia Eagles. The “up back” on the punt team, Allen took a direct snap and snaked his way for 4 yards on a fourth-and-2 from the Steelers’ 33 early in the second half.

“It was pretty cool,” Allen said from UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Monday. “I hadn’t run the ball as a running back since, literally …”

Allen never finished his sentence. He couldn’t remember.

Allen was a four-year starter for Penn State at safety.

There’s no relation between the Steelers’ Allen and the Raiders’ All Pro Allen, but the younger Allen does have a connection to another Hall of Fame running back: Curtis Martin is his godfather.

For the Steelers, though, Allen’s role is of a valued special-teamer. He’s in his fifth season with the team, but Sunday will go down as a career highlight, albeit in a 35-13 loss. It came because of something special teams coordinator Danny Smith saw on film with the Eagles’ punt return team.

“I saw the look,” Allen said. “Coach Danny gave us an alert. They gave us a good look, and we’d schemed it up that week.”

Pierre promoted

For the second half Sunday until he suffered a minor foot injury, James Pierre was serving as an every-down outside cornerback for the Steelers. He hasn’t been told if that might continue going forward.

“I don’t know how to answer that. that’s a coaches’ decision,” Pierre said. “I am just ready to deliver wherever I am needed at.”

Pierre delivered adequately enough against the Eagles. According to Pro Football Focus, only one of three pass attempts to a man he had in coverage was completed. That throw from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith gained 10 yards.

While Pierre on Monday was in no mood to bask in that — owed to it taking place during a 22-point defeat — the three-year veteran acknowledged that, on whole, he believes he has proven he can serve as a start cornerback in the NFL.

“Yes, sir, most definitely,” Pierre said. “I feel more confident every time I step on the field.”

Pierre was playing in favor of the benched Ahkello Witherspoon, who made his return to game action after a four-game absence because of a hamstring injury. Witherspoon was running with A.J. Brown during two of Brown’s long touchdown catches Sunday.

But even if coaches happen to move Pierre ahead of Witherspoon on the depth chart, the Steelers also have Levi Wallace as an alternative opposite veteran starting cornerback Cameron Sutton. Wallace missed the Philadelphia game because of a shoulder injury.

An ‘awesome’ sack

After appearing in just three games over the previous 22 months, Carlos Davis made his 2022 debut Sunday. And he made an impact among his 11 defensive snaps played, recording a sack of Hurts late in the second quarter.

“I couldn’t even really process it in the moment,” said Davis, a defensive lineman drafted in the seventh round in 2020. “It was more like 1 o’clock (late Sunday night) when it really hit me. But it was awesome. I loved every single minute of it. Just happy to make a play for the team.”

Davis showed promise over seven games as a rookie and in the 2021 opener before a knee injury cost him most of last season. He was a practice-squad call-up against the Eagles, in part, because veteran Larry Ogunjobi (knee) did not play.

“You just have to be detailed every day and really work, put your time in and wait for your time to shine,” Davis said of life on the practice squad. “And that’s what I did, and just made a play.”

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