Tag: dan moore jr.

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-Bengals matchups to watch: Dan Moore Jr. vs Trey Hendrickson

Dan Moore Jr. faces Trey Hendrickson in Week 13 as the Steelers prepare to battle the Bengals in a crucial AFC North showdown.

With Week 12 officially in the record books, the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers can now turn their preparation and focus solely on the Cincinnati Bengals. One key matchup in this AFC North divisional battle will be LT Dan Moore Jr. versus DE Trey Hendrickson, and here is how both players have performed through 11 games this season.

Moore’s performance in the first nine games of the season was solid, allowing only 2 sacks, 15 pressures, and 2 QB hits. However, in the Steelers’ last two games against the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, Moore allowed a staggering 4 sacks and 8 pressures.

Hendrickson has played outstanding football through 11 games, leading all NFL defenders with 11.5 sacks, along with 32 pressures and 12 QB hits. Moore faces a tough test in Week 13 and may need additional help with chips or double teams to prevent Hendrickson from taking down QB Russell Wilson.

Moore will look to get back on track against one of the best edge rushers 2024 has to offer in Cincinnati’s Hendrickson. This Week 13 matchup could very well decide the outcome of the contest between the Steelers and Bengals on December 1st at 1:00 PM EST.

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Steelers’ legendary QB speaks his mind on LT Dan Moore Jr.

Former Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger gives LT Dan Moore Jr. his flowers for his excellent play so far in 2024.

With the Steelers drafting RT Troy Fautanu in the 2024 NFL Draft, many fans assumed Dan Moore Jr. would be on his way out of Pittsburgh. However, poor play from OT Broderick Jones and a regular-season-ending injury to Fautanu opened the door for Moore to showcase his progression in his fourth year in the NFL. His elite play this season caught the attention of two-time Super Bowl champion and Steelers legendary quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. 

Big Ben spoke about the left tackle’s talent on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, highlighting one key play that demonstrated Moore’s value to the team: “He got dinged up for one play, there was a sack on that play. The next play, when he’s out, a sack happens.” Roethlisberger concluded with a short but powerful compliment to the left tackle: “Dan Moore is playing good football right now in a position that is very important.” 

Fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the left tackle position is in good hands. However, what remains to be seen is how Mike Tomlin will handle the issues with Jones at right tackle.  Should Pittsburgh acquire additional offensive linemen at the trade deadline? 

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Should Pittsburgh target an offensive lineman at the trade deadline? 

Poor penalty management by Steelers’ RT Broderick Jones, and injuries to the offensive line may need to be solved via trade by the deadline.

It is truly miraculous how the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to win games given how injured their offensive line is. In Week 8, the Steelers were missing three starting offensive linemen, with two out for the entirety of the regular season. The interior depth on the o-line has been great, but the tackle position may need an upgrade before the upcoming trade deadline on November 5th. 

LT Dan Moore Jr., whose play has been outstanding this season, was banged up and had to sit out one play late in Week 8’s contest. Backup offensive lineman Spencer Anderson replaced him and immediately allowed QB Russell Wilson to get sacked. 

RT Broderick Jones continues to commit penalties that kill offensive momentum, and while it is probably time for HC Mike Tomlin to bench him, there is truly no quality starter who could take his place. 

Offensive tackle trade targets such as Cam Robinson, Andrus Peat, or Walker Little could help alleviate the injury woes. This team looks primed to make a deep playoff run, but they’ll first need to address depth issues on the offensive side of the football. 

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Steelers have a position battle that no one expected

Who will start at left tackle for the Steelers this season?

We’ve talked at length about some of the most interesting position battles the Pittsburgh Steelers have going on during training camp and the preseason. We even talked about a potential position battle between offensive tackles Dan Moore Jr. and rookie Troy Fautanu for the starting right tackle spot.

But according to Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac, we’ve got it all wrong. The battle isn’t between Fautanu and Moore and all. It’s between Moore and Broderick Jones.

Huh?

Dulac wrote that the Steelers are prepared to hand the starting right tackle job to Fautanu now and let Moore and Jones duke it out to start on the left side.

After three weeks of training camp and just one preseason game, they are ready to hand the starting right tackle job over to their No. 1 draft choice. They planned to start him in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills and leave him there for the start of the regular season until he injured his knee Friday night against the Houston Texans.

That will leave Broderick Jones, last year’s No. 1 pick, to battle incumbent Dan Moore Jr. for the starting left tackle position.

The Steelers have been trying to replace Moore in the lineup for two years and he just keeps battling to hold his spot. We assumed the starting tandem would be Jones on the left and Fautanu on the right no matter what this season but the idea that Jones is less assured of a starting spot than Fautanu is hard to wrap our heads around.

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Steelers writer reveals Pittsburgh’s plan for top rookie

It sounds like the Steelers are ready to roll with Troy Fautanu.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected offensive tackle Troy Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, we were reminded of Broderick Jones. The Steelers drafted Jones in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft and he was the starting right tackle by midseason.

We assumed with Fautanu it would be the same thing. Veteran Dan Moore Jr. would stay in the starting lineup into the regular season until Fautanu was ready.

According to Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac, the plan prior to Fautanu’s knee injury was to get him into the starting during the preseason and just keep him there.

After three weeks of training camp and just one preseason game, they are ready to hand the starting right tackle job over to their No. 1 draft choice. They planned to start him in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills and leave him there for the start of the regular season until he injured his knee Friday night against the Houston Texans.

It’s unlikely Fautanu will get any reps in preseason as the team wants to be sure he’s healthy but according to Dulac, there’s still a chance he’s the opening weekend starter even if he doesn’t play.

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Steelers tackle Dan Moore Jr. returns to practice with starters

Dan Moore Jr. is back at practice, but will he start?

If Dan Moore Jr.‘s practice is any indication, he’ll revert to the starting lineup Sunday versus the Los Angeles Rams.

Moore, who missed the Baltimore Ravens game after suffering an MCL sprain in Week 4, returned to practice Monday and confirmed with Pittsburgh Steelers media that he worked with the ones.

It’s not a given that he’ll start with rookie Broderick Jones having a stellar first career outing against the Ravens, and Moore knows it. He’ll do his job this week and let the cards fall where they may.

“This business is unexpected,” Moore said. “You never know what happens. I just show up and do what I’m asked.”

It’s not a sexy move to stick Moore back at starting tackle, but it’s certainly something the Steelers would do — despite solid play from Jones in Week 5.

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Mike Tomlin is REALLY unhappy with Pittsburgh’s offensive line

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has reviewed his offensive line, and he is more than willing to make his displeasure known.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is one of the better interviews in the NFL, and that’s been the case for years. Just as Tomlin can wax eloquent on the state of his team and life in general, he can also get straight to the point. Tomlin was in a mood to do the latter after reviewing the tape of his offensive line following Saturday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and their surprisingly snappy defensive front. All three of Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks — Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph — had defenders in their faces far too often for Tomlin’s taste, and he was making that clear in word and deed.

“Today was about the evaluation of our tape and then coming out here and doing what was appropriate relative to what we saw on tape,” Tomlin told the media on Monday. “We made some corrections this morning, some things that we talked about and some things that we didn’t talk about, and then we came out here and had a good workday. We’ll analyze this and then as a staff, we’ll start leaning in on some Detroit prep in preparation for our mock week.”

Asked to be more specific, Tomlin was happy to do so — to a point.

“There wasn’t enough detail from a fine motor skill standpoint, details relative to their position. They didn’t play with enough of an edge individually and collectively. The things that are on our tape, we’ve got to own, and I think they’ll be ready to do that.”

But Tomlin stopped there from an explanation standpoint.

“I’m not delving into the details with you guys. They know where I stand and what I expect, and it’s going to be fun to watch them work and respond to that adversity this week.”

Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. was likely the primary culprit — per Pro Football Focus, he allowed a sack and three quarterback hits against the Jaguars on 28 pass-blocking reps. This after allowing a sack and a quarterback hurry against the Seahawks in the prior week of the preseason.

Moore (No. 65) looked pretty overwhelmed when asked to handle pass-rusher Arden Key (No. 49) on an inside-to-outside move.

Left guard Kendrick Green (No. 53), who allowed two quarterback hits and a quarterback hurry against the Jaguars (and multiple pressures against the Seahawks), didn’t help his case, either. Key was the defender to deal with in this case, as well, and… well, you don’t often see a pancake bull-rush, but you’re about to right here.

Tomlin was asked whether the left guard position would come down to Sunday’s game against the Lions, and it sounds as if everybody in the building with an offensive line position should be on high alert.

“Man, a lot of spots will come down to this work. This work is weighted differently and appropriately so. The in-stadium work is significant, and increasingly so the more stadium exposure you get. So, make no mistake, this is a significant game for a lot of people.”

Left guard Kevin Dotson seemed to evade Tomlin’s wrath — he “showed some things,” as the coach said — so that could be a discussion.

One of the few Steelers offensive linemen who has shown more than “some things” is left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, who made this week’s Secret Superstars list after allowing no pressures of any kind this preseason, and looking quite good against Jaguars first-overall pick Travon Walker. 

The Steelers added offensive lineman Adrian Ealy to their roster this week. When asked if this was a message to the rest of the line, Tomlin said, “I don’t send messages. I just make moves.”

What does he hope that Ealy will bring to the team?

“Quality play.”

Alrighty then! So, if you’re playing offensive line for the Steelers this week, you may not be for much longer, and the final preseason game would be the big test.

What we know for sure is that Mike Tomlin is not impressed, and he’s made that abundantly clear.