Tag: Calvin Austin

Steelers finally strike with 3rd-quarter TD in Wild-Card matchup vs Ravens

The Steelers’ offense sparked life in the second half against the Ravens, but closing the gap in the Wild-Card game remains a challenge.

Heading into the Wild-Card matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers were tasked with stopping a four-game losing streak and achieving their first playoff win in almost 3,000 days. Fans of the Black and Gold have been disappointed, to say the least, as the Ravens shut out the Steelers in the first half, leading 21-0.

However, the Russell Wilson-led offense offered a glimmer of hope—leading the team’s first drive of the second half to a touchdown. Wilson capitalized on huge plays to WRs Mike Williams, Calvin Austin, and Van Jefferson, resulting in a 98-yard drive that ended in seven points.

The play of the drive was undoubtedly the Wilson-to-Jefferson 30-yard touchdown. While the Steelers begin to dig into the deep hole the Ravens have put them in, scoring another 21 unanswered points remains a tall task.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quickly gave up a rushing TD to RB Derrick Henry following Jefferson’s 30-yard TD, and the Ravens currently lead 28-7.

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Is dissention brewing among the Steelers players?

Several Steelers players questioned the team’s effort after Wednesday’s loss including Calvin Austin III.

There’s nothing like a three-game losing streak to bring out the ugliest parts of an NFL roster. On Christmas Day, the Pittsburgh Steelers laid down and got blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs to fall to 10-5 on the season and lost the lead in the AFC North.

This prompted multiple players to air their discontent publicly when they addressed the media after the game. We already talked about safety DeShon Elliott calling out his defensive teammates for not doing their job and we heard Cameron Heyward say something similar.

The offense wasn’t immune from public criticism on Wednesday night. Wide receiver Calvin Austin III aired his issues with his teammates as well,

“It’s more frustrating when you give it to them almost and you don’t put up a winning effort,” Austin said. This felt less like a personal call-out like what Elliott and Heyward did but it still calls into question how hard the Steelers played.

Now the Steelers have a mini bye week to try to right the ship and get everyone on the same page before they wrap up the regular season against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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New footage shows officials were wrong in Week 15’s Steelers-Eagles fight

New footage vindicates Steelers fans, proving officiating errors in Pittsburgh’s Week 15 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Oh, how the tables have turned. Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers were criticized as sore losers for blaming the awful officiating in Week 15’s contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles. However, new footage from one key play in the game supports the Black and Gold faithful’s claims.

Early in the first quarter, Steelers WR Calvin Austin and TE Darnell Washington were wrongfully the only players penalized for a fight that broke out with Eagles CBs Quinyon Mitchell and Darius Slay Jr.

HC Mike Tomlin was visibly upset on the sideline following the penalty on his players alone. When asked postgame why the officiating crew made the call, referee Alan Eck stated it was due to a lack of evidence.

However, newly released footage clearly shows that Slay and Mitchell both took shots at Washington and Austin.  This begs the question, how was officiating upstairs unable to catch the penalty in replay assist?

While this is certainly not the first time officials have given the Pittsburgh Steelers the short end of the stick, fans of the Steel City certainly hope it will be the last in 2024.

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Calvin Austin on the ugly truth: There’s no replacing George Pickens

Calvin Austin discusses the challenge of replacing George Pickens and emphasizes the collective effort of the receivers and coaching staff.

Calvin Austin may be an honorary member of the George Pickens fan club, or he could be the most realistic man in all of Pittsburgh.

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Austin made it clear that when it comes to Pickens and his time away with a hamstring injury, there is no way to replace him with another Steelers wide receiver: “It’s hard to say anybody is similar to GP.”

Austin continued to shift the focus and pressure away from one specific player stepping up to replace Pickens, placing emphasis on the coaching staff’s ability to utilize all of the Steelers’ wide receivers’ unique strengths: “Everybody in the receiver room has different skill sets—different strengths—and the coaching staff knows that. They know how to put us in the position to be able to show that.”

Austin hit the nail right on the head—it will take all wide receivers and coaches to overcome the loss of talent that Pickens brings to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Steelers’ WR named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Calvin Austin’s Week 8 breakout game put the NFL on notice, resulting in being named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Ladies and gentlemen, Calvin Austin III has arrived and is being recognized for his elite play in Week 8. Austin has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his dynamic 73-yard punt return for a touchdown. 

With the score tied 9-9 in the third quarter, Austin knew he needed to make a splash play—and that is exactly what he did. After helping his team take the lead with his dynamic punt return, Austin continued to make his presence felt in the receiving game, hauling in 54 yards and two total touchdowns on the night. 

Can Austin keep the momentum rolling, not only contributing to the Steelers’ top spot in the AFC North, but also locking up Pittsburgh’s WR2 spot indefinitely? Only time will tell, but Austin’s fantastic performance seemingly leads to one simple conclusion—this is only the first of many awards Austin will earn during his time in the Steel City.

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Steelers’ legendary QB gives his opinion on the team MVP in 2024 

Former Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger stated on Tuesday that he believes Pittsburgh’s current MVP is Special Teams Coach Danny Smith.

After winning two Super Bowls with two different head coaches, Steelers’ legendary QB Ben Roethlisberger is a solid judge of quality coaching ability. On this week’s episode of his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the former Steelers’ QB stated that one man, and one man alone, is Pittsburgh’s MVP this season—Special Teams Coach Danny Smith. 

Smith’s unit has presented a masterclass in special teams coverage, from blocked field goals to excellent punt returns. Smith was visibly upset over a botched call against an impressive special teams effort made by FS Minkah Fitzpatrick on Week 7’s Sunday Night Football, but his demeanor quickly shifted to excitement later that night as the team successfully blocked a field goal in their win over the New York Jets. 

Roethlisberger is mostly taking this opportunity to give the Steelers’ coach his flowers, but Smith’s special teams unit has truly been a spectacle for fans this season.  

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Did Pittsburgh find their WR2 in Week 8’s victory over the NY Giants?

Calvin Austin stepped up in a major way for the Steelers in their Week 8 victory—potentially solidifying his position as the team’s WR2.

In the past decade, most, if not all, of the Steelers’ top receivers started out as dynamic punt returners. Steelers receivers such as Antonio Brown, Juju Smith-Schuster, and Diontae Johnson all were incredibly successful as punt returners, eventually blossoming into phenomenal receivers for Pittsburgh. One receiver from Week 8 seemingly had his career breakout game and turning point, as WR Calvin Austin electrified both the New York Giants’ secondary and special teams unit. 

In the third quarter of his team’s contest, with the score tied 9-9, Austin knew he needed to make a splash play. He proceeded to step up when the team needed him most, returning a punt 73 yards for a touchdown. He further solidified his position as WR2 when he caught a 29-yard TD reception from QB Russell Wilson, his second touchdown of the night. 

Much speculation and trade rumors have been made over the Steelers necessity of an elite-caliber receiver opposite WR1 George Pickens, but scoring twice on the night and accumulating 54 receiving yards on just three receptions should prove why Austin is the WR2 Pittsburgh has been looking for. 

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Calvin Austin’s 73-yard punt return gives Steelers the lead

The Steelers took the lead on the game’s first touchdown, a Calvin Austin punt return

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense set the tone by sacking Daniel Jones. The special teams then delivered.

The New York Giants punted to Pittsburgh’s Calvin Austin and he caught the football at the Steelers’ 27.

The speedy returner cut across the field to his left and went down the sidelines before making another cut inside.

At the end of the play, Austin had a 73-yard touchdown and the Steelers led 16-9 in the third quarter after the PAT.

ESPN reporter believes Steelers’ WR may be traded by Nov 5th deadline

ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor predicted the Steelers could include WR Calvin Austin in a trade package for a more established veteran WR.

Brooke Pryor, a reporter for ESPN, provided a preview highlighting a potential move the Pittsburgh Steelers could make by the 2024 NFL trade deadline.

In this article, Pryor suggested that the Pittsburgh Steelers might package their third-year wide receiver, Calvin Austin, along with a late-round draft pick to acquire a veteran receiver.

Austin is entering a contract year next season, and the Steelers could benefit from finding teams interested in the speedy, dynamic wideout.

As for which veteran receiver the Steelers might target, that was left to speculation and interpretation. Several of Pittsburgh’s trade targets have come and gone, but one big name has been linked to the team in recent days—Los Angeles Rams’ WR Cooper Kupp.

Could the Pittsburgh Steelers avoid paying the hefty compensation package the Rams are seeking, and instead offer slightly less capital by including Austin in the deal?  Only time will, but it appears a possible trade could happen any day now, as other NFL teams are finalizing trades at a blazing pace.

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Is Calvin Austin’s last hope Russell Wilson’s debut?

Calvin Austin has not been given all the tools to succeed at the next level—until now. Can Russell Wilson help elevate the player to WR2?

Per PFF and the simple ‘eye test’, Calvin Austin has consistently ranked as one of the best offensive playmakers on the field, showcasing elite separation, speed, explosiveness, and catching ability. However, the electric third-year receiver out of Memphis has remained underappreciated and overlooked—until now.

At the time of the draft, the receiver fell to the fourth round due to concerns about his size at the next level, but many teams still viewed him as highly talented—including the Baltimore Ravens, who were reportedly set on drafting him before Pittsburgh made the pick.

In Week 7, Austin will face one of the best young corners in the game, NY Jets’ Sauce Gardner. Gardner once stated that the most difficult receiver to guard in college was Austin, so why haven’t the receiver’s stats reflected his greatness?

If anyone can elevate their receivers production, it’s the new Week 7 starting quarterback, Russell Wilson. This may be Austin’s last chance to prove himself as the WR2 when the Steelers take on the Jets in Sunday Night Football on October 20th at 8:20 PM EST.

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