Tag: Alex Highsmith

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 17-10 lead over the Steelers

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 17-10 lead over the Steelers

It wasn’t a pretty start, but the Ravens again held a halftime lead over the Steelers, 17-10, with 30 minutes left to play at M&T Bank Stadium.

Baltimore had 201 yards of offense and went 2-5 on third downs in the first half. Pittsburgh has 170 yards of offense, 2-4 on third down, and one turnover in a highly intense first half.

With the second half set to begin, here are sights and sounds from the first half.

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T.J. Watt keeps everyone in the dark with 3 simple words about his status this week

The Steelers need T.J. Watt to be ready to go against the Ravens.

After suffering an injury in last week’s game, Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt has been limited at practice all week. The Steelers are preparing to take on the Baltimore Ravens this week in their biggest game of the season but Watt is keeping everyone in the dark about if he is playing or not.

Watt simply said “We will see” when asked if he was going to play. This doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for this week’s game. Given the gravity of this game, we’d be shocked if Watt didn’t at least try to play. If he’s no 100 percent, the Steelers could start Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig and let Watt work in as a pass-rush specialist and keep him on a pitch count.

 

T.J. Watt suffers apparent ankle injury in Week 15 vs Eagles

T.J. Watt’s late-game injury clouds the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff outlook, but their depth at linebacker offers hope.

As if the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 15, 13-27 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles couldn’t get any worse, their best player on defense appeared to suffer an injury to his left leg at the end of the contest.

With under five minutes remaining, T.J. Watt attempted to bend to the outside to get around Eagles RT Lane Johnson but collapsed to the ground, clutching his left foot and ankle area.

The good news is that Watt ultimately walked off the field under his own power, but the timing couldn’t be worse with the playoffs just weeks away.

The Pittsburgh Steelers boast incredible depth at the outside linebacker position, with a plethora of capable pass rushers—Preston Smith, Nick Herbig, and Alex Highsmith—ready to step up in Watt’s potential absence. Watt’s availability for the remainder of the regular season will be the top question on everyone’s minds. Stay tuned to Steelers Wire for updates.

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Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles hold a 17-13 lead over Steelers

Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles hold a 17-13 lead over Steelers

Philadelphia established its passing game and was dominant on defense, but the scoreboard tells a different story as the Eagles hold just a 17-13 lead over Pittsburgh after one half.

Vic Fangio’s defense held the Steelers to just 80 yards of offense on 30 plays in the first half, but two costly Eagles turnovers and two Chris Boswell field goals have Mike Tomlin’s team within four.

With the second half set to begin, we’re looking at sights and sounds from the first half.

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Steelers expect Eagles to leave OTs on island in pass pro

The Steelers face a huge challenge this week in the Eagles offensive tackles.

The Philadelphia Eagles have two of the best starting offensive tackles in the NFL. The combination of Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson gives Philadelphia plenty of freedom when it comes to blocking. This week they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers and according to Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, he expects them to work against the Steelers pass rushers with no help

Pittsburgh plans to deploy their pass rushers in a variety of ways against the Eagles. With Alex Highsmith healthy the Steelers have three quality edge players along with T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig. If the Eagles dare them to beat their tackles one-on-one, Pittsburgh had better take advantage.

Historically, the Steelers have been among the best pass-rushing teams in the NFL but 2024 has been different. Watt leads the team with 9.5 sacks but Herbig and Highsmith have combined for only 8.5.

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NFL analyst breaks down Pittsburgh Steelers elite Week 14 pass rush

Brian Baldinger, best known for his ‘Baldy’s Breakdowns’, highlighted how intense the Steelers pass rush was against the Browns in Week 14.

Fans of the old-school style of great Pittsburgh Steelers defenses have surely enjoyed the 2024 season so far. The team boasts one of the most elite defensive lines in the NFL, featuring several of the league’s top defenders, including T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Cam Heyward, to name a few.

Brian Baldinger, an NFL analyst, highlighted a play that showcased what all four of these players are capable of when on the field together.

Baldinger’s description of the four Steelers defenders perfectly captures their impact, as these elite players consistently hunt down opposing quarterbacks come game time.

While there was much debate about how the Pittsburgh Steelers should utilize OLBs Highsmith, Watt, and Herbig together, Week 14 proved that the defense is at its best when all three are available.

The Black and Gold will need these defenders at their peak when they head to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in Week 15, on December 15 at 4:25 PM EST.

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Steelers vs Browns injury updates: Cleveland minus 2 starters on Sunday

Alex Highsmith will face a backup offensive tackle on Sunday.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns square off, the Steelers are going to be as healthy as any team could expect this late in the season. On the other side, the Browns will be down two starters on offense.

According to the Browns game status report, starting wide receiver Cedric Tillman is out with a concussion and will be replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Mike Woods II.

The Browns will also be minus starting offensive tackle Jedrick Willis. This means Germain Ifedi will get his third straight start. This could be great news for the Steelers with the return of Alex Highsmith.

Cleveland will also be without defensive linemen Mo Hurts Jr. and Sam Kamara. For the Steelers, defensive tackle Montravius Adams is out despite practicing all week. Wide receiver George Pickens popped up on the injury report on Friday and is listed as questionable after being limited on Friday with a hamstring injury.

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Kevin Stefanski acknowledges tough Steelers pass rusher expected to return

The Steelers are expecting Alex Highsmith back and the Browns are prepared for him

Ahead of their Week 14 showdown in Pittsburgh against the Steelers, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged the challenge of containing Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith.

Here is what the head coach had to say on Highsmith:

“He’s outstanding. Having gone against him a bunch of these years. He’s terrific as a pass rusher, plays the run hard, great effort. So, we have our work cut out for us for sure.”

In his career against the Browns, Highsmith has recorded 35 solo tackles, eight sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. Highsmith has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, including Pittsburgh’s loss to the Browns, but he is expected to return to action in Week 14.

Alongside perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt, Highsmith has been instrumental in winning one-on-one pass-rush matchups, making it harder for teams to focus solely on Watt. In Highsmith’s absence, Nick Herbig has stepped up, leading the team in pass rush win rate.

Slowing down Pittsburgh’s deep and talented group of pass rushers will be a top priority for Cleveland’s offense in Week 14.

Will Alex Highsmith play this week? Injury updates for Steelers EDGE

Steelers EDGE Alex Highsmith is dealing with an ankle injury. Here are the latest updates ahead of Week 14 Browns matchup.

All signs point to Alex Highsmith (ankle) re-joining T.J. Watt on the edge when the Pittsburgh Steelers welcome the Cleveland Browns to Acrisure Stadium on Sunday.

Highsmith has a tremendous career versus Cleveland with 52 total tackles (10 for loss), 10 QB hits, a forced fumble and a pick-six. Pittsburgh will need him to pressure Jameis Winston, who had his way with the defense in Week 12. Winston took only one sack and had the highest completion percentage (66%) since he took over for Deshaun Watson.

Alex Highsmith injury update

Highsmith was upgraded from limited to full practice participant on Thursday. Highsmith missed the last three games after sustaining the ankle injury in the Week 10 win over the Washington Commanders.

Steelers outside linebacker depth chart

Nick Herbig and Preston Smith, acquired in a trade with the Green Bay Packers last month, have done stellar jobs filling in for Highsmith. Herbig has three consecutive forced fumbles, 11 tackles (four for loss) and two sacks since Highsmith was sidelined.

Smith has one sack (Week 10) and a fumble recovery against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Mike Tomlin gets giddy about return of EDGE Alex Highsmith vs Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin lit up when asked about Alex Highsmith’s return for Week 14 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.

During his weekly press conference, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin lit up when asked about Alex Highsmith’s expected return for the critical Cleveland Browns matchup.

It’s pretty exciting, isn’t it? … I’m so excited about the potential of getting Alex Highsmith back and the development of [Nick] Herbig, the acclimation of Preston [Smith].

Highsmith sustained a left ankle injury in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh’s Week 10 victory over the Washington Commanders. While pressuring quarterback Jayden Daniels, Highsmith stepped on Daniels’ foot, causing his ankle to twist awkwardly. He fell to the ground in pain and required assistance leaving the field. Post-game, Highsmith was seen using crutches, indicating the injury’s severity.

This setback follows Highsmith’s earlier three-game absence due to a groin injury. In his absence, the Steelers relied on Nick Herbig and recently acquired Preston Smith to fill the void. Don’t expect any changes there.

We can’t run out of rushman particularly in December and so it’s exciting. Make no mistake there’s enough work for all parties involved and we’re excited about sorting that out as we prepare.

The Steelers’ pass-rush unit should be 100% as they welcome the Browns in their fourth-consecutive AFC North battle this Sunday.

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