The Pittsburgh Steelers saw their 11-0 start to the 2020 season end with a 48-37 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild Card round on Sunday. And in the moments after the loss, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was overcome with emotion.
The NBC broadcast showed a tearful Roethlisberger on the bench with longtime Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey who had spent his entire NFL career with the Steelers. Reports out of Pittsburgh pointed to Pouncey’s likely retirement after the loss, and with that in mind, Roethlisberger’s emotional reaction made all the more sense.
NFL Films released mic’d-up video on Monday of that conversation, and we could hear as Roethlisberger apologized to Pouncey for letting him down.
Ben Roethlisberger and Maurkice Pouncey shared an emotional moment after last night's loss.
“I’m sorry, brother. You’re the only reason I wanted to do this, man. … Oh, I feel worse for you than me. I hate it, man.”
Just judging from that, Roethlisberger certainly felt that Pouncey had played his final NFL game. The two had been teammates since 2010. Pouncey lost in his lone Super Bowl appearance as a rookie against the Green Bay Packers.
Pittsburgh Steelers updates to Reserve/COVID list ahead of Week 14 vs. the Buffalo Bills.
Prior to their Week 14 meeting with the Bills on Sunday Night Football, the Steelers had some key movements in regard to the team’s Reserve/COVID list. Two players came off the designation while one went on it.
Linebacker Vince Williams went back on the list after landing on it in November as well. Williams leads the Steelers (11-1) in tackles and has 14 for loss with three sacks. His presence will be missed in a position that is already depleted with Devin Bush out for the season and Robert Spillane out Sunday due to a knee injury.
On the flip side, both in terms of the side of the ball and on the designation, the Steelers had good news. On offense, running back James Conner and center Maurkice Pouncey returned from the list.
Pouncey has been a long-time starter for the Steelers, but Pro Football Focus only grades him a 57.2 overall mark in 2020. That’s good for 31st best center in the NFL currently.
Against Washington, the Steelers had only had 21 total rushing yards in the loss. Anthony McFarland Jr. mustered 15 of those. Conner has five touchdowns and is averaging 4.4 yards per carry in 2020.
In recent weeks, the Bills (9-3) defense has slowed down rushing attacks. though. Only the Cardinals with quarterback Kyler Murray mustered over 100-yards rushing vs. Buffalo in their last four games.
Maurkice Pouncey changes things up this week with his helmet.
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Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey is wearing the name of Eric Kelly, one of the police officers killed in the 2009 Stanton Heights shooting, on the back of his helmet.
Earlier in the week, Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey said he would be deciding what name he would be putting on his helmet from now one. Last week he wore the name Antwon Rose Jr. on the back but after researching the situation fully realized it would be better to make that decision for himself.
According to Steelers beat writer Joe Rutter, this week Pouncey has opted for the name Eric Kelly. According to Rutter, Kelly was a police officer killed in the 2009 Stanton Heights shooting. We have not heard if any other players have chosen to change their helmets as well.
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Maurkice Pouncey admits he didn’t know the whole story of Antwon Rose Jr.
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Another day, another twist and turn about the helmet controversy of the Pittsburgh Steelers. First we have offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva choosing to cover up Antwon Rose’s name on the back of his helmet and replace it with the name of war hero Alwyn Cashe.
Now we have center Maurkice Pouncey saying he should have done more research on Rose’s case and what actually happened. Pouncey posted the full statement on his Instagram.
From the post, Pouncey says “I was given limited information on the situation regarding Antwon, and I was unaware of the whole story surrounding his death and what transpired during the trial following the tragedy.” Pouncey goes on to say that he should have gone more research and from now on he will make his own choice as to what to wear on the back of his helmet.
A response like this isn’t surprising. For the most part, people get their information from social media which is almost never the full picture. I’m glad to see that Pouncey looked further into the situation and moving forward will make his own decision about who he wants to represent with their name on the back of his helmet.
Maurkice Pouncey said he doesn't see any Steelers players sitting out games in protest this year. He said they can use their platforms to share their message, but he doesn't see them sitting out games.
With the rabid push toward social justice in professional sports, the landscape is changing in significant ways. But according to Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, don’t look for anything too extreme from Pittsburgh players.
Pouncey spoke to the media via Zoom and noted that he does not anticipate any Steelers players sitting out games this season as a form of protest in the name of social justice.
The Steelers had a great moment before one of their televised night practices where head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the issues facing society. At the end of his speech, the team gathered in the middle of the field arm in arm and took a knee.
The Steelers have always handled these issues as a team and done some with professionalism and restraint and this seems to be another perfect example of how to make your voice heard in the right way.
What do you think about how the Steelers are handling social justice issues? Should they be doing more or are they already doing too much? Let us know.
No matter who’s the head coach, one of Florida’s main appeals to recruits is the potential for playing on Sundays.
No matter who’s the head coach, one of Florida’s main appeals to recruits is the potential for playing on Sundays.
And that pitch is a credible one. Since the year 2000, UF is among the highest-ranked schools in terms of players selected in the NFL Draft, notching 109 overall total picks (24 of which were in the first round) over that time period.
Both of those are tied for the fifth-most in the country, alongside Florida’s divisional rival, the Georgia Bulldogs.
UGA has the edge on the field at the moment, and that has shown on draft day. Overall, it has had 14 players selected in the last two drafts.
The Gators aren’t far behind, though. They’ve had 12 players selected in that span, and coach Dan Mullen is only going into his third season in his current post, as opposed to Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who is going into his fifth.
Only one Florida player — cornerback C.J. Henderson — has been selected in the first round under Mullen, when Jacksonville selected him ninth overall in April’s draft.
Still, UF alumni litter the NFL. Among the best players taken this century for the Gators are Mike and Maurkice Pouncey, Trent Brown (currently the fourth-highest paid offensive lineman in the league) and Joe Haden.
Another Florida rival, the Miami Hurricanes, are ranked fourth with 119 player selected and 30 first-rounders.
Meanwhile, only two SEC schools have done better than UF and UGA when it comes to getting players drafted: LSU and Alabama.
The Tigers have had 126 selections (30 first-rounders) and the Crimson Tide have had 127 (31).
Ohio State leads the nation in total selections with 141, 31 of which came in the first round.
Centers are the underrated captains of any NFL offense. Here are the 11 best in the game today.
A good center is the unheralded captain of an offense. While we all talk about skill position players, and maybe throw in the names of a few marquee offensive tackles if we’re feeling particularly smart, interior offensive linemen are crucial to the implementation of any offensive design.
And centers are just as important as anybody. Not that it’s a pleasant job at times. Imagine you’re an NFL center. You have to have all the plays in your head as much as (or more than) your quarterback does. Most often, you’re in charge of the adjustment calls that tell other blockers how to switch their blocking patterns to merge with defensive line changes. You have to know all your single-blocks, all your combo blocks, and you have to be ruthlessly accurate when hitting the second and third levels of a defense to block linebackers and defensive backs on certain plays — sweeps, screens, and more.
Oh, and there’s also the matter of getting the ball to the quarterback, whether he’s under center, in the pistol formation, or in straight shotgun, with at least one gigantic defensive tackle aligned to one of your shoulders or head-to-head. You have mere milliseconds to snap the ball before those one or more gigantic defensive tackles come down on you with the hammer of the gods.
Few jobs in sports test one’s mental acumen and physical endurance on every play more than this one. Centers never get the attention they deserve, but at Touchdown Wire, we’re out to change that. Here, after poring over advanced metrics and watching a lot of tape, are the top 11 centers heading into the 2020 NFL season.
Honorable Mentions
(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Rodney Hudson was Kansas City’s center from 2011-2014, Mitch Morse replaced Hudson in that role in 2015 and held it through 2018, so we should definitely keep an eye on Austin Reiter, who helped the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl in 50 years as Morse’s replacement. Both Hudson and Morse are on this list, and Reiter could certainly find himself there soon — he allowed just 11 total pressures on a league-leading 835 pass-blocking snaps in the 2019 season, and if he’s able to improve his run-blocking, the sky’s the limit. The Jets signed former Broncos center Connor McGovern (not to be confused with current Cowboys guard Connor McGovern) to a three-year, $27 million deal this offseason, and McGovern should be a great addition to a line in desperate need of help just about everywhere. For all their quarterback issues, the Bears have two linemen — James Daniels and Cody Whitehair — who have been excellent centers through their times in the Windy City. Washington’s Chase Roullier, a sixth-round pick out of Wyoming in the 2017 draft, is another young center to watch. Tampa Bay’s Ryan Jensen was a particularly tough omission, as he pass-blocked very well in an unpredictable deep-passing offense, and should be even more efficient in the switch from Jameis Winston to Tom Brady.
Anonymous execs, coaches, players voted Steelers David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey as two of the best interior guys in the league.
Steelers veteran offensive linemen David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey were recently ranked top interior offensive linemen by ESPN.
With the objective of identifying the best players currently in the league, ESPN asked more than 50 anonymous NFL employees — from executives and coaches to players and scouts — to help determine the top 10 players at various positions. ESPN compiled and ranked candidates based on participant votes, averages, interviews and research.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, an anonymous defensive assistant coach said about guard DeCastro, who is ranked fourth, “He’s still athletic, big, long arms, tough. He and [Maurkice] Pouncey are a good combo. He might have lost a half-step, but he’s still high in that second tier of guards.”
“He’s still the best, and it’s not even close,” one AFC executive said about the play of Pouncey, who is ranked 10th.
“He’s still one of the best, but I’m curious to see how he holds up this year physically,” a defensive assistant added. “He’s a guy you want on your team nine times out of 10.
Production-wise, the entire offensive line dropped off in 2019 due to reasons that have been so often reported they don’t warrant explaining. It’s critical that the unit returns to its tops-in-league ways for the offense to compete in the playoffs and beyond.
Here is what makes DeCastro and Pouncey two of the best IOL in the league:
David DeCastro
Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
DeCastro has rightfully earned a Pro Football Focus overall offensive grade of 77.8 in his eight-year career. 4,618 snaps have been pass-blocking of his 7,993 total snaps. He grades out at 79.2 in pass-blocking and 73.8 in run-blocking. In 112 games, DeCastro has been involved in 1,542 key plays and has allowed 186 quarterback pressures, 22 hurries, 19 hits and 15 sacks. DeCastro has a combined 98 percent pass efficiency grade averaged over four seasons.
Maurkice Pouncey
(Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)
For his nine-year career, Pouncey has an overall offensive PFF grade of 68.6. Of his 7,905 snaps, 4,791 are pass-blocking — pass plays earned him better grades than run plays. In 121 games, Pouncey has been part of 308 key plays and has allowed just 153 quarterback pressures, 15 hurries, five hits and 16 sacks. Like DeCastro, Pouncey has a 98 percent pass efficiency grade averaged over four seasons.
Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster doesn’t fumble often, but when he does, it’s the absolute worst timing ever.
Steelers Wire has published dozens of posts about wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster during the span of his three-year career. Many comments are positive — it’s clear most Steelers fans love JuJu and would like him to remain with the Steelers beyond 2020.
However, there are plenty of comments criticizing the receiver for his fumbling issues. “He needs to fumble less,” wrote one fan. “You’ll get paid when you show you can hold onto the ball,” asserted another.
The overwhelming response prompted us to consult the best football minds and WR gurus to craft the best plan to help JuJu, and here’s what we came up with…
Wait.
He doesn’t actually have a fumbling problem.
In three seasons or 48 games, JuJu has had two fumbles — twice in 1,588 times has he made an error. Fumbles will happen. Just ask Antonio Brown. As a level comparison, in Brown’s first three seasons, he fumbled three times — eight total so far in 8.1-year career. Brown was lucky, though, as all were recovered by the Steelers. In 2019, rookie Diontae Johnson surrendered five fumbles and lost two. Veteran center Maurkice Pouncey had four fumbles and lost one.
The difference? JuJu’s cringe-worthy fumbles came at critical moments in both matchups and, ultimately, cost the Steelers a pair of games.
Smith-Schuster’s first fumble occurred in his second year. It was New Orleans, Week 16, and the Steelers were in the thick of the playoff hunt at 9-6-1. They needed a field goal to tie and a touchdown to win. With 42 seconds left, the Steelers were 12 yards from field goal range. JuJu caught the ball and ran seven yards before he was taken down by tackle Sheldon Rankins. He rolled over on Rankins, and the ball came flying out. The Saints recovered, and Drew Brees took a knee to end the game.
Not that you need reminding, but his second untimely mishandle was versus the Baltimore Ravens last year in overtime — punched out by cornerback Marlon Humphrey. You may have heard of him. He has three forced fumbles since his rookie season in 2017. Of the three Humphrey forced, he recovered two and returned them for touchdowns. Thankfully, none were JuJu’s — however, since the fumble occurred in Steelers territory, it didn’t take long for the Ravens to get into field goal range and win the game.
Fumbles are an inevitable part of players’ careers, and JuJu is probably going to have more in a career that could continue for 10+ seasons. If the flubs hadn’t happened in the scenarios they did, I doubt we’d even remember them.
Here’s a look at where PFF ranks the Steelers heading into the upcoming season.
The Steelers offensive line has been in the league’s top 10 for several years running, thanks to a limit on its moving parts. Unfortunately, they lost veteran guard Ramon Foster to retirement in the offseason. He had been slipping in productivity and was likely going to be released anyway. Nevertheless, the change will require a little shuffling.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked all 32 units entering the 2020 season and projected Pittsburgh at No. 9. PFF cites mainstays Alejandro Villanueva, David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey as reasons for their top 10 ranking. They duly noted that run blocking was an issue in 2019, and predict that rookie guard Kevin Dotson as one to keep an eye on to eventually replace Foster.
The Steelers signed Stefen Wisniewski — fresh off the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl team — in free agency. Wisniewski has been around the block a few times, and his experience will be valuable given the limited time the rookies will have in practices and preseason action this year.
If the Steelers can improve on their run blocking this season, I believe it’ll bump the o-line up a few spots.
