Tag: Alex Highsmith

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin updates Alex Highsmith availability for TNF vs Browns

With the Pittsburgh Steelers on a short week, facing the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football, Alex Highsmith isn’t likely to play.

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost a significant part of their defense in Week 10 in linebacker Alex Highsmith. While the unit held its own — and then some — without him in win over Ravens, his absence is felt.

With the Steelers on a short week and facing the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football, Mike Tomlin deemed Highsmith “more out than in.”

Highsmith suffered an ankle injury during Pittsburgh’s win over the Washington Commanders. He returned in Week 7 after dealing with a groin injury.

The injury appeared far worse than it turned out to be, so the defense can be thankful for that.

Should Highsmith not be available this week, he could suit up for the Steelers’ third-consecutive divisional matchup in Week 13 at the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Ravens fall to 7-4 as offense sputters in 18-16 loss to Steelers in Week 11

Ravens fall to 7-4 as offense sputters in 18-16 loss to Steelers in Week 11

Lamar Jackson will have to wait a few weeks to get that much-needed win over the Steelers after the Ravens sputtered in neutral for most of the afternoon in an 18-16 loss to Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium.

The NFL’s No. 1 ranked quarterback in QBR, Jackson was 16-33 passing for 207 yards (6.3 avg), one touchdown, one interception, and a 66.1 rating, the lowest of this season.

Jackson had four carries for 46 yards, while Derrick Henry was held to 65 yards (5.0 avg) on 13 carries and one rushing touchdown, tying the single-season franchise record for touchdowns.

Zach Orr’s maligned defense held Pittsburgh to 4-16 on third downs and 303 total yards, but Pittsburgh held the football for 36:22, compared to Baltimore’s 23:38.

The Steelers held the Ravens ‘ top-ranked offense to 329 yards and just 124 yards rushing. Justin Tucker’s two missed field goals will further magnify the two-point loss. On the day, Tucker was 1-3 on field goal attempts, while Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was a perfect 6-6, including a 57-yard field goal.

Baltimore will quickly regroup before a massive Monday night matchup against Jim Harbaugh and the 6-3 Los Angeles Chargers.

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Ravens’ biggest X-factor player for Week 11 matchup with Steelers

Roger Rosengarten is Ravens biggest X-Factor in game vs. Steelers

Baltimore and Pittsburgh are set to meet on Sunday in one of the weekend’s biggest games. In one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries, 26 of the last 32 Ravens-Steelers games have been one-score affairs, including the past eight contests.

Since John Harbaugh’s first season as head coach in 2008, 18 Ravens-Steelers games have been decided by three or fewer points.

Sunday’s matchup should be no different, and the game’s biggest and most crucial matchup will feature Steelers All-Pro pass rusher matching up against Ravens rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten.

Watt ranks among the top 8 active players in sacks (5th), tackles for loss (8th), QB hits (4th), forced fumbles (2nd), fumble recoveries (4th) and strip sacks (2nd). Watt’s 19.0 sacks led the NFL in 2023. He is the first player in League history to lead the NFL in sacks three times (2020, 2021 and 2023).

Since allowing a sack to the Chiefs’ Chris Jones on his first snap, Rosengarten has allowed just two more sacks in his 278 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He’s coming off one of the season’s highest pass protection grades against the Bengals on Thursday night.

Rosengarten won’t indeed be a Raven until he defeats the Steelers, and Sunday offers that first opportunity.

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Steelers EDGE Alex Highsmith ruled out for Week 11 AFC North showdown with Ravens

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin ruled EDGE Alex Highsmith out for their critical Week 11 matchup with the Ravens.

During today’s weekly press conference, Mike Tomlin ruled out EDGE Alex Highsmith for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 11 AFC North showdown with the Baltimore Ravens.

Highsmith suffered an ankle injury during Pittsburgh’s win over the Washington Commanders. He returned in Week 7 after dealing with a groin injury.

The silver lining is that Tomlin does expect Nick Herbig to play on Sunday. Herbig has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since Week 5.

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Could Preston Smith be the lifeline for Steelers defense?

With Alex Highsmith set to miss time with an ankle injury, the Preston Smith acquisition may have saved the Steelers’ defense.

When Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and the Steelers front office acquired OLB Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, many began to speculate if this was the biggest steal of the trade deadline. Alex Highsmith’s apparent ankle injury in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders further solidifies Smith’s acquisition as one of the greatest trades of 2024.

While backup Nick Herbig performed admirably, the Steelers went 2-2 in games that Highsmith missed, highlighting the need for a veteran edge rusher opposite T.J. Watt.

Smith, having played 156 games with 138 starts in his 10-year career, is exactly what could save the Steelers’ defense with Highsmith set to miss time.

Used sparingly in Week 10, Smith still managed to record a sack on rookie QB Jayden Daniels.

The ‘Khan Artist’ truly struck gold in acquiring Smith’s talents, and this move could reshape the entire landscape of the Pittsburgh defense. The 31-year old Smith will look to fill the void left by Highsmith, and aims to start with sacking Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson in Week 11.

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Steelers injury updates: Pittsburgh getting key defender back just in time

This will be Alex Highsmith’s second injury but Nick Herbig is back to fill in.

The Pittsburgh Steelers came out of Sunday’s win over the Washington Commanders with a huge win. They also came out of it with a huge injury. Starting outside linebacker Alex Highsmith went down with an ankle injury suffered trying to sack Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.

According to Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac, Highsmith was set to have an MRI on his injured ankle on Monday and would have a better idea of how long Highsmith would be out. Dulac speculated that Highsmith would be out at least a couple of weeks.

Fortunately, help is on the way. After missing the last four games with a hamstring injury, Herbig was back at practice last week and should be good to go against the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers also get help from Preston Smith who Pittsburgh traded for with the Green Bay Packers at the trade deadline.

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Report: Alex Highsmith seen in crutches following Week 10 injury

Alex Highsmith was seen on crutches leaving the Steelers’ locker room, raising concerns about the severity of his ankle injury.

In what should be an exciting celebration for the now 7-2 Pittsburgh Steelers, fans can’t help but sympathize with star EDGE Alex Highsmith, who appeared to suffer a serious ankle injury during his team’s Week 10 victory over the Washington Commanders.

While the severity of the injury remains unclear, more details regarding Highsmith’s availability for the 2024 season will be revealed in the coming days. The outlook, however, doesn’t look promising.

Highsmith was seen using crutches as he left the Steelers’ locker room, suggesting the injury may cause him to miss significant time.

Highsmith recently missed Weeks 4 to 6 with a groin injury, and backup Nick Herbig is also nursing a hamstring injury. With this in mind, the Steelers’ trade for veteran OLB Preston Smith seems to have been a perfect move.

Smith will fill in admirably if Highsmith is forced to miss serious time, but fans of the Black and Gold are nonetheless hoping for a speedy recovery.

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Steelers to face backup OTs vs Commanders

T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith could feast on the Commanders backup offensive tackles.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers square off against the Washington Commanders on Sunday they will be facing a pair of backup offensive tackles. Washington will be minus starting left tackle Cornelius Lucas and starting right tackle Andrew Wylie which should make life easier for Steelers edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

The Steelers live and die by the pass rush on defense and have to square off against rookie Jayden Daniels. Daniels has been the best rookie in the NFL this season and one of the top quarterbacks due in large part to his ability to run the football. This means despite the advantage the Steelers have on the outside, they must rush the passer with discipline to keep Daniels contained.

 

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Trade Deadline: Grading the Steelers acquisition of OLB Preston Smith

Steelers trade a 2025 7th-round pick for Preston Smith, adding veteran power to their defense. How does this move grade out?

Teams throughout the NFL better watch out; there’s a new terrifying trio of edge rushers coming to sack their quarterback. Steelers’ outside linebackers T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and the newly acquired Preston Smith form arguably the greatest edge-rushing unit in the NFL today.

Smith was recently acquired at the 2024 NFL trade deadline when the Pittsburgh Steelers traded a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for his talents in the Steel City.

Pittsburgh General Manager Omar Khan had recently helped facilitate a trade to acquire WR Mike Williams from the New York Jets, which received a solid B grade here at Steelers Wire. But what about the acquisition of Smith?

The 31-year-old former Packers OLB provides quality starting experience behind Watt and Highsmith, as Smith has started 138 games since entering the league in 2015. Smith has accumulated 68.5 sacks over this period and comes to Pittsburgh in what can only be described as a bargain sale in Green Bay.

For only a 2025 seventh-round draft pick given up for Smith, Khan and the Steelers’ front office receive an A+ grade for the trade.

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Insider predicts Steelers to upgrade defense at trade deadline

Steelers insider Gerry Dulac believes Pittsburgh could have their eyes on defensive players at the trade deadline, primarily edge rushers.

The day has finally arrived—the exciting trade deadline!  Several analysts, players, and fans believed the Pittsburgh Steelers would be heavily involved in acquiring wide receivers at the trade deadline; however, one insider thinks that is unlikely. Steelers insider Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette predicts the team will use the trade deadline to bolster the defense, focusing on depth concerns.

Appearing on the Randy Baumann & the DVE Morning Show, Dulac stated that “I do think they might make a deal to improve their depth, and you could look at maybe certain positions where they are lacking a little depth.” He mentioned concerns with edge rushers and cornerbacks.

This aligns with relevant issues, as OLB Nick Herbig is dealing with a serious hamstring injury, and OLB Alex Highsmith recently returned from an injury in Week 3.

Whether Pittsburgh should make the safe trade or the exciting one remains to be seen. However, the trade deadline on November 5th at 4:00 PM EST is around the corner, and fans of the Black and Gold will soon know what the team’s roster will look like in the second half of the 2024 season.

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