Tag: Calvin Austin

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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Prediction: Meeting the Raiders’ requirements for Davante Adams trade

Davante Adams requested a trade on Tuesday afternoon, which begs the question, what could Steelers trade for him?

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in the middle of another trade rumor for a star wide receiver. Unlike past rumors, this involves perhaps the greatest wide receiver of the past decade, current Raider Davante Adams.

It has been reported by Adam Schefter this Tuesday afternoon that the Las Vegas Raiders are seeking a second-round selection for their 31-year old wide receiver, as well as “additional compensation”.

While a second-round pick may be a bit steep for a player set to turn 32 years old in the coming months, Adams has proven that he is closer to a football deity than he is a regular player.

Pittsburgh could potentially package a wide-receiver such as Calvin Austin or Van Jefferson, along with a second-round and Day three pick to make the trade happen.

They also have the luxury of depth at the middle linebacker position, along with strong depth at the defensive line position as well. Could Steelers offer what other teams can’t, a potentially enticing trade package that includes a proven starter? Fans will have to wait and see as the story develops!

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Steelers eyeing return of offensive rookie to shore up passing game

Roman Wilson looks close to returning from his ankle injury.

Last week we saw the healthy return of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Troy Fautanu and the offensive line got a nice boost from the addition. This week we hope the Steelers offense gets another offensive playmaker back just in time to take on the Los Angeles Chargers.

Wide receiver Roman Wilson has been sidelined for several weeks with an ankle injury back on July 30. The sprained ankle has lingered on longer than expected but on Wednesday, Wilson was back at practice and looked like he is very close to returning. Wilson was one of the team’s third-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft.

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Without Wilson in the lineup, the Steelers passing game has struggled. We aren’t saying Wilson is plug-and-play as a starter but at this point, the team needs able bodies who can get open and catch the football.

George Pickens leads the team with 114 receiving yards through two games. Second on the team at wide receiver is Van Jefferson with only 15 yards on three catches and third is Calvin Austin with 13 yards on two catches.

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Steelers WR Calvin Austin III says no more ‘lip service’ by the offense

Calvin Austin says it’s all business for the offense this season.

There’s no arguing the Pittsburgh Steelers offense has underperformed. Not just last season but over the last several years, this group was definitely more show than go at times. Going all the way back to when the team had the Killer Bs of Ben Roethliebrger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, this group underachieved.

But wide receiver Calvin Austin III gave us a sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe the light has come on for the team and it will be less talk and more action this season. Austin met with the media at his locker after OTA practice on Monday.

Austin is one of those players who could really help the Steelers if he can just put it all together. The Steelers drafted him because of his deep speed but after a season-ending injury, he hasn’t made it all the way back yet.

Pittsburgh’s offense will be the difference this season thanks to a nightmare of a schedule. Let’s hope Austin is right and this group finally puts it all together for a full four quarters every week.

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Social media reacts to Steelers RB Jaylen Warren’s amazing block

Steelers RB Jaylen Warren dropped an amazing block on the Bengals Saturday, and social media appreciated his non-George Pickens effort.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had issues with their skill players blocking for their other skill players — specifically, receiver George Pickens’ lackadaisical efforts against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15’s 30-13 loss.

George Pickens’ run-blocking (or lack thereof) encapsulates Steelers’ dismal season

That kind of stuff can permeate an organization if you’re not careful, especially when Pickens came right out and dais that he wasn’t giving maximum effort because he didn’t want to get hurt, but running back Jaylen Warren was having none of it.

“I see where he’s coming from,” Warren told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It is what it is. At the end of the day, he was doing what he thought was best for him.

“Some people play the game differently. If I was in that position, I would have blocked for him. But we play differently, so…”

Well, on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Warren backed up his words with a ridiculous block to free receiver Calvin Austin on this seven-yard touchdown run with 14:21 left in the first half.

Twitter had a lot of nice things to say about Warren’s effort.