Category: 2023 Season Week 9 – Steelers vs Titans

Steelers LB Cole Holcomb discharged from hospital after knee injury

Cole Holcomb suffered a season-ending knee injury on Thursday night.

The biggest hit the Pittsburgh Steelers took on Thursday night was the loss of linebacker Cole Holcomb. Holcomb suffered what NFL reporter Tom Pelissero characterized as a season-ending knee injury against the Tennessee Titans and even spent Thursday night in the hospital.

According to Pelissero, Holcomb was released from the hospital Friday after keeping him overnight for observation. After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin said the injury was serious but didn’t offer up any details other than a somber tone.

Holcomb’s replacement, Kwon Alexander came in and played well, with the game-ending interception on the Titans final offensive drive. We hope Holcomb is doing well and can make a full and speedy recovery. The Steelers signed Holcomb as a free agent in the offseason and he had quickly emerged as the team’s best all-around inside linebacker.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Social media reacts to the disappointing performance by Steelers WR George Pickens

George Pickens had a rough outing on Thursday night and fantasy owners aren’t happy with him.

The performance Thursday night by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens wasn’t just a bummer for Steelers fans. Pickens is hugely popular in fantasy football as well and when many manager’s top receiver finishes a game with two receptions for -1 yards, people won’t be happy. Here are some of the best social media reactions by Steelers and non-Steelers fans after Pickens’ disappointing performance.

The remarkable numbers behind Steelers WR Diontae Johnson’s TD drought

Diontae Johnson looked incredibly relieved Thursday night when he finally scored a touchdown.

Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers got a huge win over the Tennessee Titans. But just as big as the win was the streak broken by Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson.

With just over four minutes left to play, the Steelers were trailing the Titans 16-13. This is when quarterback Kenny Pickett found Johnson in a little out route in the end zone for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning touchdown. A huge play but even more significant for Johnson when you consider just how long it had been since he had scored a touchdown.

Here is Johnson’s touchdown drought by the numbers:

665 days since his last touchdown. That was Week 17 of the 2021 season. The quarterback who threw Johnson that touchdown was now-retired Ben Roethlisberger. Johnson was targeted 199 times during the streak and caught 119 passes.

Johnson spent a stretch of the 2023 season on IR but he came on strong on Thursday night with seven receptions for 90 yards and aforementioned touchdown. With George Pickens drawing so much attention, Johnson was able to use his elite route running to create his own opportunities.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin offered grim update on Cole Holcomb injury

The news about Cole Holcomb’s injury wasn’t great after the game but we should know more on Tuesday.

Thursday night’s win over the Tennessee Titans didn’t come without some sacrifice for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Starting inside linebacker Cole Holcomb went down early in the game with an ugly leg/knee injury and had to be carted off the field.

After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin offered a grim update on Holcomb’s injury as he noted it was very serious but didn’t expand on it.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with him, man,” Tomlin said. “I’ll have an update I’m sure the next time we come together regarding the nature of that.”

Holcomb was added in the offseason as a free agent from the Washington Commanders and had really eased into the role of lead inside linebacker. Athletic and smart, Holcomb was providing some of those splash plays that unit had been missing for a long time. Now we just hope that Holcomb is OK and can make a full recovery. The team now has something of a mini bye week so the next time Tomlin will address the media is on Tuesday.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers T Chuks Okorafor reveals why he was benched by Mike Tomlin

Chuks Okorafor was not benched for poor play last week but instead for some things he said.

It came as a surprise on Thursday night when it came out that Pittsburgh Steelers rookie offensive tackle Broderick Jones was getting the start at right tackle over Chuks Okorafor. Okorafor hadn’t been on the injury report that week and his play hadn’t been any more of a concern than that of starting left tackle Dan Moore Jr.

So why the change?

Well, Okorafor told the media why it happened. Sort of. According to Okorafor, when he talked to the press after the game, he was healthy but got benched for some things he said during last week’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Okorafor didn’t expand on the context of his comments but said “The way the game was going last week, I kind of said stuff that I shouldn’t say. I just, being in Year 6, I can’t like act out the way I was acting out.”

We can read between the lines here and assume Okorafor was openly criticizing either teammates or coaches during the game about how poorly the offense was playing. While we wouldn’t disagree with Okorafor as last week’s offense was not great, we applaud head coach Mike Tomlin for trying to squash that sort of mutiny in a hurry.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers vs Titans: Takeaways from the thrilling win

The Steelers run game powered the day but Kenny Pickett underwhelmed in the win over the Titans.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a real flair for the dramatic. It has been a late play by the offense in recent weeks but on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, it was a huge defensive stop that secured the 20-16 win. The win improves the Steelers to 5-3 and keeps them in the thick of the playoff hunt. Here are our big takeaways from the win.

Studs and duds from the Steelers thrilling win over the Titans

Here are the Steelers who stepped up and who fell flat on Thursday night.

On Thursday night, the NFL world got to see the Pittsburgh Steelers get back to some good old-fashioned smash-mouth football. The result was a gritty, physical slugfest against the Tennessee Titans with Pittsburgh coming out on top 20-16. Here are our studs and duds from the win.

Steelers use run game to power past Titans on Thursday night

Pittsburgh powerd past the Titans to improve to 5-3 on the season.

The TennesseeTitans brought a power run game to Acrisure Stadium on Thursday night but the Pittsburgh Steelers had their own ready and in the end, it was the combination of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren that proved to be just enough to squeak past the Titans 20-16.

Harris and Warren ran all over the Titans defense and both guys played with a level of energy we’d only seen in small doses all season. The offensive line also gets a lot of credit as the addition of Broderick Jones to the starting lineup gave this group new life. Meanwhile, the passing game was off. Kenny Pickett missed far too many throws including an easy touchdown to wide receiver Calvin Austin and got bailed out by wide receiver Diontae Johnson who had a tremendous performance.

The Steelers defense came up big despite the injuries. Defensive tackle Montravius Adams and linebacker Cole Holcomb were both knocked out of the game but it was an interception by Holcomb’s replacement, Kwon Alexander, that ended the game and sealed the win for the Steelers.

Edge rushers Alex Highsmith, T.J. Watt and Markus Golden all got sacks with Highsmith getting two and five quarterback hits. This was what Pittsburgh needed to overcome grossly inconsistent play from the secondary.

The Steelers now get a mini-bye week before welcoming the Green Bay Packers to town on November 12. Pittsburgh is now 5-3 and in second place in the AFC North.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

TV broadcast picks up Steelers HC Mike Tomlin’s play call

Those mics on the television broadcast might be a little too good.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been accused of being predictable but this doesn’t help. In the video below you can clearly hear Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin making the defensive play call late in the first half against the Tennessee Titans. This was as plain as day on the television broadcast on Amazon Prime.

I’m not sure if this is something fans of other teams have witnessed as well but I cannot say I’ve ever been able to literally hear Tomlin or any of the other Steelers assistants calling plays right through my television like that. The last thing the Steelers need is one more thing that could work against them.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers LB Cole Holcomb carted off with leg injury

Cole Holcomb suffered a leg injury in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans.

The Injuries are already starting to stack up for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense on Thursday night. First defensive tackle Montravius Adams went off with an ankle injury and now inside linebacker Cole Holcomb had to be carted off with an apparent leg injury.

Unfortunately, the injury was the result of friendly fire. Holcomb was chasing down Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and got tangled up with teammate Keanu Neal trying to make the tackle.

Holcomb has been the team’s best of the three new inside linebackers and his presence will be missed. Kwon Alexander replaces Holcomb in the starting lineup next to Elandon Roberts.

The Steelers announced that Holcomb is OUT and will not return to the game.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]