Tag: 2024

Steelers insider believes WR Roman Wilson may be done for the season

Roman Wilson’s return to the field may not come this season, with Steelers insider Gerry Dulac predicting a 2025 debut.

Steelers fans hoping to see Roman Wilson make his long-awaited comeback in the final three regular season games or the 2024 season may need to wait a little longer. Steelers insider Gerry Dulac described the situation regarding Wilson’s return in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and he believes the receiver won’t return in any capacity this season.

When asked for his opinion on Wilson’s return, Dulac stated:

“He has missed all of training camp and nearly all of this season. He is not going to play because he is not ready. Next year.”

It is important to note that the Pittsburgh Steelers have not made an official decision regarding Wilson. However, judging by head coach Mike Tomlin’s previous comments about the rookie wide receiver, suggesting they had ‘moved on’ from his availability concerns, Dulac may be right on the money with his 2025 prediction for Wilson.

Fans of the Steelers may be disappointed that Wilson may not contribute in his rookie season. However, many receivers in Pittsburgh’s past, especially those drafted in the later rounds, have also struggled to make significant contributions in their first year.

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Steelers DT welcomes the challenge tough six-game stretch brings

The Steelers face a challenging six-game stretch, but Cam Heyward’s leadership offers a steady focus on improvement and perseverance.

Competition breeds excellence! Within this final six-game stretch to end the 2024 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Cincinnati Bengals’ explosive offense twice, three fearsome Super Bowl contenders in the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the Cleveland Browns, who already defeated Pittsburgh once this season. However, Steelers DT Cam Heyward offers an interesting perspective on how the team should handle the troubling schedule realization.

During Wednesday’s media availability leading up to the Week 13 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, Heyward stated, “I think when you look at our schedule, you know you can’t change anything. You can’t cry about it. I think you look at it as who’s next on the list and how can we improve from our last performance.”

As a veteran presence and leader in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room, Heyward checked all the right boxes you’d want in a proper rallying speech heading into this tough six-game stretch.

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Texans WR Nico Collins back to Pro Bowl form with TD vs. Titans

Nico Collins is back for the Houston Texans, so stay out of his way Tennessee Titans everywhere.

Nico Collins is back like he never left.

The Houston Texans probably wished he was healthy for those five games since at least one would have ended in victory.

Despite trailing 17-10 against the Tennessee Titans, the Texans’ offense found a spark with Collins’ 5-yard touchdown reception from C.J. Stroud in the second quarter. On a third-and-five, Stroud waited for the 6-foot-4 target to break open before connecting him at the back of the end zone.

As the pride of Houston’s offense, Collins was greeted with sheer delight as he hopped into the stands to celebrate with the H-Town crowd. Meanwhile, the Texans continue to drive on offense after forcing a Tennessee turnover.

The touchdown marked Collins’ first score since his 67-yarder against the Bills on Oct. 6. That was also the last play of the campaign before spending on the injured reserve with a hamstring problem.

Collins was on pace for a breakout All-Pro season before the injury. Let’s see if he can get back to that form in the closing months of the NFL regular season.

One year ago today, the Steelers offense changed forever

One year ago, the Steelers fired OC Matt Canada, starting a journey to rebuild their offense and achieve success under OC Arthur Smith.

One year ago today, fans of the Black and Gold danced in the streets of Pittsburgh, and excitement could be seen on the face of every member of the Steelers organization. On November 21, 2023, the Pittsburgh Steelers fired OC Matt Canada.

Under Canada’s 2023 offensive scheme, through his eleven games that season, the Steelers’ offense posted five games with 17 points or less. His last game as offensive coordinator came in Week 11, following a mere 10 points scored against the Cleveland Browns.

While it took some time, the Steelers would score 34 points against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 and 30 points against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17.

While fans were forced to play the blame game between then-starting QB Kenny Pickett, backup QB Mitchell Trubisky, and former OC Matt Canada, the offense improved to 19.7 points per game without Canada calling the plays.

Ultimately, one year ago today marked the beginning of the journey to solving the Steelers’ offensive issues and resulted in an impressive offense led by OC Arthur Smith and QB Russell Wilson.

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Former Steelers All-Pro WR teases return to Pittsburgh on social media

Antonio Brown teased on social media that he still hopes to rejoin the Steelers in 2024, and even offered to play for free.

The Antonio Brown-Pittsburgh redemption story continues! While fans of the Steel City were ecstatic to welcome back the former All-Pro WR and fellow member of the Killer B’s trio, former Steelers All-Pro RB Le’Veon Bell, no one could have predicted that Brown still yearns to play for the Black and Gold in 2024.

It appears Brown wasn’t satisfied with simply representing the Black and Gold as a spectator during his Week 7 return to Pittsburgh. Brown stated on social media that his offer to finish out the 2024 season as a member of the Steelers roster still stands.

No one can deny the threat that a Russell Wilson-led Steelers offense would pose with A.B., George Pickens, and Mike Williams tearing through opposing secondaries.

Should General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin take a chance on the 36-year-old wide receiver? His untimely and shocking exit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their Week 17 game of the 2021 season was the last time his talents graced an NFL field, but he has recently done his best to turn over a new leaf.

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Steelers fans react to OLB Preston Smith trade

Former Packers’ OLB Preston Smith’s unexpected trade to the Steelers adds valuable depth to the defense, and was surprising to fans alike.

One of the most underrated acquisitions at the 2024 NFL trade deadline was OLB Preston Smith being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It had been reported in recent days that while wide receiver was a major area of concern for the Steel City, the team could prioritize trading for edge rusher depth.

Much to the surprise of absolutely no one, the team did, in fact, acquire a wide receiver at the deadline, Mike Williams from the New York Jets, but also acquired defensive depth from the Green Bay Packers in the 31-year-old Smith, who should plug in nicely behind outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

While fans of the Black and Gold have been clamoring for their team to make a WR trade for months, Smith was a welcomed surprise. Here are some of the best reactions to Pittsburgh trading a 2025 seventh-round draft pick for the Green Bay Packers’ OLB Preston Smith.

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Packers remaining schedule: Can Matt LaFleur’s team get hot again in 2024?

Looking at the remaining games on the Packers’ 2024 schedule coming out of the bye week.

The Green Bay Packers are entering the much-needed bye week at 6-3 overall in 2024. Their record includes a full sweep of the AFC South (4-0) and a 2-0 start against the NFC West, but also two disappointing defeats at home to top rivals in the NFC North.

Eight games remain for the Packers, who are currently in third place in the division but also in possession of the final wildcard spot in the NFC playoff race.

The Packers need to get healthy during the off week. Jordan Love injured his MCL early in the year and is playing through a groin injury, Josh Jacobs battled through an ankle issue last week, Jaire Alexander has missed two games with different injuries this season, Elgton Jenkins and Kenny Clark have both played through lingering injuries all season and Josh Myers and Evan Williams both missed last week’s loss with injuries. No player is 100 percent after nine weeks in the NFL, and the bye week will give everyone a chance to heal up and get ready for the stretch run.

Coach Matt LaFleur said the Packers will do projects during the bye week with the aim of rediscovering the magic that fueled last year’s incredible run to the postseason.

Last year, the Packers were 3-6 after nine games. A 6-2 finish propelled LaFleur’s team into the playoffs as one of the NFL’s hottest teams, and it took some bad luck late in San Francisco to miss out on a trip to the NFC Championship Game.

The Packers are in much better shape at the midway point in 2024, but can the LaFleur’s recreate the magic during the second half once again? The best teams in January are usually the hottest teams. The Packers have the talent to go far, but they need to be playing their best football soon.

Playoff chances

The current New York Times projection has the Packers at a 69 percent chance of making the postseason entering Week 10.

Packers remaining schedule in 2024

Week Team Record DVOA PFF grade
11 at CHI 4-4 23 21
12 vs. SF 4-4 5 3
13 vs. MIA 2-6 27 26
14 at DET 7-1 1 1
15 at SEA 4-5 18 11
16 vs. NO 2-7 21 27
17 at MIN 6-2 4 8
18 vs. CHI 4-4 23 21

Schedule breakdown

Nine wins looks like something close to the worst-case scenario. The Packers still play three of the best teams in the NFL, but there’s a good chance they’ll be favored to win at least five of the final eight games. Can the Packers get at least two wins in their first three games coming out of the bye and be at least 8-4 going into Detroit to start December? Last year, a big win at Ford Field helped the Packers go from a young and spunky underdog to legitimately scary contender. Maybe a similar path lies in front of this year’s team. The guess here is the Packers win three of their final four home games and two of their final four road games and finish 11-6 — which will almost certainly mean a wildcard spot and a road game to open the postseason.

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Is T.J. Watt’s dominant start foreshadowing another D.P.O.Y award?

T.J. Watt’s 2024 campaign showcases dominance, aiming for his second D.P.O.Y. award with elite performances in his 8 games played.

T.J. Watt continues to prove week in and week out that he is a force to be reckoned with for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whether he is sacking the quarterback, forcing a fumble, or stuffing the run, one thing remains certain—Watt is inevitable.

Watt’s 2024 resume speaks for itself. Through 8 games played, his four forced fumbles are tied for first, his ten tackles for loss are tied for second, his nine QB hits are tied for fifth, and his six and a half sacks are tied for ninth.

The former 2021 D.P.O.Y. winner is looking to build on this fantastic statistical output and put together an undeniable campaign to win the illustrious award for a second time.

DraftKings currently has Watt as the odds-on favorite to win the award through nine weeks, ahead of elite defenders such as Kansas City Chiefs’ DT Chris Jones, New York Giants’ DT Dexter Lawrence, Houston Texans’ EDGE Will Anderson Jr., and Detroit Lions Safety Kerby Joseph.

Can Watt achieve his second D.P.O.Y. award in 2024, or will his efforts result in him being snubbed once again?

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Two-years ago today, Chase Claypool became Joey Porter Jr.

Today, November 1st, 2024, marks the two-year anniversary of the heist of the century: trading away Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears.

Two years ago today is a day for celebration, as not only did Pittsburgh pull off one of the greatest one-sided trades in Steelers’ history, but they secured the future of the franchise. I am, of course, referencing the Chase Claypool-Chicago Bears trade that took place on November 1st, 2022.

The Bears traded away their second-round draft pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the 32nd overall pick, for Claypool. The stars aligned perfectly for Pittsburgh in this draft, as the Miami Dolphins were forced to surrender their first-round pick, allowing Pittsburgh to make the first selection on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Steelers would then select their current starting cornerback, Joey Porter Jr., who has thus far proved himself to be the future of the Pittsburgh secondary.

Claypool would quickly be traded off the Chicago Bears, ending up in Miami and signing with the Bills in the 2024 offseason. Claypool was once again released, while JPJ has developed into one of the league’s premier shut-down corners.

Pittsburgh fans once again hope Steelers’ GM Omar Khan pull off another blockbuster trade, just a few days away from the trade deadline in 2024.

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Steelers’ CB Beanie Bishop Jr. named Defensive Rookie of the Month

Steelers’ CB Beanie Bishop Jr. has become one of the team’s best 2024 acquisitions so far, and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month.

K Chris Boswell isn’t the only Steelers player to earn recognition for his performance in the month of October. Rookie CB Beanie Bishop Jr., who seems to improve each week, has been named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for his outstanding play in October. 

Bishop turned heads in Week 7 when he intercepted four-time MVP QB Aaron Rodgers not once, but twice. In Week 8, the rookie intercepted QB Daniel Jones, sealing the victory for his team. The young slot cornerback has admirably filled what appeared to be an area of concern for the Steelers heading into the 2024 season. 

With veteran CB Cameron Sutton, whose natural position is also in the slot, returning from suspension in Week 10, no one can truly justify benching Bishop after the rookie’s dominant performance in October.  Fans of the Steel City are more than excited to see what the future holds for the undrafted rookie.

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