Tag: Pittsburgh Steelers news

5 Steelers players to watch vs. Chargers

The Steelers have talent on both sides of the ball.

It’s a battle of two undefeated teams in Week 3. The Chargers travel to Pittsburgh to face Mike Tomlin and the 2-0 Steelers in a game that figures to be low scoring.

It’s one that should be decided in the trenches, as physicality is considered a strength for each team. Here some players to keep an eye on this weekend from the Steelers’ side of things.

C Zach Frazier

It seems like the Steelers have found their center of the future. After a few years of poor play from the position, their 2024 second-rounder has looked stellar through the first two weeks. He’s helped stabilize the offensive line, something the team has been lacking for a few years now. Frazier’s matchup against the interior portion of the Chargers’ defensive line, namely Poona Ford, will be a major key to the Week 3 matchup. 

WR George Pickens

Pickens is by far Pittsburgh’s top playmaker, and he has eight catches for 114 yards so far on the season. The rest of the Steelers’ receiving core has combined for just five catches and 28 receiving yards. If there’s one guy that the Chargers can’t let take over the game, it’s Pickens. He certainly has the ability and talent to do so, as he accumulated 1,140 receiving yards last season.

Edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith

These two form arguably the best pass rushing duo in all of football. Watt is arguably the best defender in the NFL, while Highsmith is quite the running mate. Through two games, they’ve continued to wreck havoc, including last week against the Broncos. Their matchups against the Chargers’ offensive tackles, who have been elite this season, could decide the fate of this game.

CB Joey Porter Jr.

There’s no question as to who is the top corner in Pittsburgh. Only in his second season, Porter has enjoyed a stellar start to the season. If there is one weakness to his game, he does tend to get a bit handsy in coverage at times. He was flagged multiple times in Week 2 against the Broncos, so that’s something to watch. Justin Herbert may be wise to shy away from Porter throughout the game on Sunday if he wants to be able to have success through the air.

K Chris Boswell

It sounds a bit strange to include a kicker in this, but Boswell has become one of the best kickers in the NFL. Through two games, he’s a perfect 8-for-8 on field goal attempts, including 4-for-4 from over 50 yards. Kickers across the league have been exceptional to start the season, and Boswell has single-handedly helped the Steelers to a 2-0 start. It’s important for the Chargers defense to not even allow Pittsburgh’s offense into field goal range because at this point, it seems like an automatic three points for the Steelers.

Former Chargers DT Breiden Fehoko signs with Steelers

Breiden Fehoko was consistent against the run.

Former Chargers defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko and the Steelers agreed to terms on Thursday, according to his agent David Canter.

Fehoko signed with Los Angeles as an undrafted free in 2020. He appeared in 19 games, four of which were starts. In 2022, he logged a career-high in snaps (279) after season-ending injuries to Austin Johnson and Otito Ogbonnia. Fehoko posted 23 tackles and a tackle for loss.

Fehoko was one of the Chargers’ most consistent interior defenders against the run. Now that he’s with Pittsburgh and Johnson and Ogbonnia are still working their way back from their respective injuries, Los Angeles could look to the draft to bring in someone for depth.

How Melvin Ingram can shore up Steelers’ already-great defense

The Steelers signed veteran pass-rusher Melvin Ingram to keep their top-ranked defense humming. Here’s how Ingram can do just that.

Last season, the Steelers started off with an 11-0 record, primarily on the shoulders of a defense that placed first overall in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted metrics, and then fell off the back of a truck, losing five of their last six games (including an historic wild-card embarrassment to the Browns) as the team’s regressive passing game and nonexistent run game caught up to it. In the offseason, Pittsburgh lost primary slot defender Mike Hilton to the Bengals and secondary pass-rusher Bud Dupree to the Bengals in free agency; if there’s concern about regression for a defense that played as well or better than any other in the league from front to back last season, you can start right there.

Replacing Hilton will be no mean feat, but the addition of former Chargers pass-rusher Melvin Ingram, signed to a one-year deal on Monday, should go a long way to easing the sting of Dupree’s departure. There are caveats here — Ingram missed nine games last season due to a knee injury, and he’s finished each of the last two seasons on injured reserve for similar issues — but when healthy, the 32-year-old can still bring it. Ingram made the Pro Bowl in 2019 despite missing three games, and that was his third straight Pro Bowl season. In 2019, he picked up seven sacks, four quarterback hits, 35 quarterback hurries, and 32 stops.

In last year’s injury-reduced campaign, on just 236 pass-rushing snaps, Ingram recorded no sacks, but he did put up six hits and 22 hurries — based on the tape, it could be argued that Ingram was a more effective down-down edge defender in 2020 than he was in 2019. Again, we have to throw out the “when healthy” thing, and pass-rushers in their early thirties with knee issues aren’t exactly bulletproof, but this is also how you get premier talents on one-year, lowball deals.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – JANUARY 06: Melvin Ingram #54 of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates after sacking Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens during the third quarter in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 06, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Going back to his college days at South Carolina, Ingram has always had a rare ability for a player his size (6-foot-2, 247 pounds) to win in every gap — from nose tackle and nose shade to the nine-technique perfected by Ingram’s new edge-mate, T.J. Watt. Add in all-world tackles Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt, and this could be a defensive line just as dangerous — or even more dangerous — than the one featuring Dupree in 2020.

“I just did the deal not too long ago and just got to the airport,” Ingram told ESPN’s Josina Anderson Monday after the particulars were ironed out.  It’s definitely a dope organization and environment; so I definitely feel like it’s the place for me.

“I met with [head] coach [Mike] Tomlin. You can tell he’s very involved, [and] a players’ coach. That’s what stood out to me. He wants to win and that is what I am on. My role is my role. He just told me to come in and be me. Everyone knows how I play.”

Everyone does, but if you need a reminder, Ingram’s 2020 tape represents a pretty impressive showing. While Dupree was (and is) more of a bull-rusher with the athletic ability to beat blockers around the edge and make up for his relatively rudimentary technique, Ingram is a different cat — capable of doing all the base things you want from an edge-rusher, but with the elevated technique and acumen to bring things to a different level. When you add in that he’ll rarely see anything remotely approaching a double-team because of all the talent around him, this starts to look like an amazing deal for both player and team.

Ex-Chargers EDGE Melvin Ingram signing with Steelers

Former Chargers edge defender Melvin Ingram is taking his talents to Pittsburgh.

After spending the past nine seasons with the Chargers, edge defender Melvin Ingram is taking his talents to Pittsburgh.

According to multiple reports, Ingram is signing a one-year deal with the Steelers.

Since the free agency period opened, Ingram also visited the Chiefs and Dolphins, but he never struck a deal.

Ingram, 31, was originally selected by the Chargers in the first-round of the 2012 NFL draft. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2017, 2018, and 2019 after posting 24.5 sacks during that time.

Limited to only seven games in 2020, it was the first season in Ingram’s career in which he did not record a sack.

With Ingram gone, Los Angeles enters this season with Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu as the starters, with Kyler Fackrell and Chris Rumph II as the backups.

Ingram will face his former team on Sunday night, Nov. 21 when the Chargers take on the Steelers in Week 11.

Former UGA DT expected to miss several games for Chicago Bears

Former Georgia Bulldog standout defensive lineman John Jenkins is expected to miss several games for the Chicago Bears with a thumb injury.

Former Georgia Bulldog standout defensive lineman John Jenkins played through a torn thumb ligament this past week. Jenkins helped the Chicago Bears defeat the New York Giants 17-13.

Now, Jenkins is anticipated to miss several games with his injury. Jenkins signed with the Bears following a career year with the Miami Dolphins last season. Jenkins has two tackles so far this season and has played in approximately one-third of Chicago’s defensive snaps.

Last season, Jenkins recorded a career-high 34 tackles in 16 games for the Miami Dolphins.

In order to replace Jenkins’ presence, the Bears are signing Daniel McCullers, a defensive tackle on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and NFL Draft Diamonds reported the news.

Daniel McCullers is one of the few players in the NFL who is bigger than John Jenkins. Jenkins should return to the Bears in several weeks. The Chicago Bears are off to a surprising 2-0 start to the 2020 NFL season.

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James Harrison says Mike Tomlin gave him ‘an envelope’ after being fined for hard hit on Georgia great Mohamed Massaquoi

NFL LB James Harrison talked 2010 hit on Cleveland Browns Mohamed Massaquoi, a UGA football great. Not a good look for Pittsburgh Steelers.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison was one of the hardest hitting players in the game during his 15 year NFL career.

He delivered a number of cringe-worthy hits, but maybe none worse than his 2010 helmet-to-helmet one on former Georgia wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, who was playing for the Cleveland Browns at the time.

You can watch a replay of it here.

That hit resulted in a $75,000 fine from the NFL.

On May 6, Harrison told Barstool’s “Going Deep” podcast that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin handed him an envelope following the hit.

“Listen, everything I love, on my daddy’s grave, I hit that man with about, max, 50 percent of what I had, and I just hit because I wanted him to let loose of the ball. If I had known they were going to fine me $75,000, I would have tried to kill him. Dude, I’m telling you, 75?

“I ain’t going to lie to you. When that happened, right? The G-est thing Mike Tomlin ever did, he handed me an envelope after that. I ain’t going to say what, but he handed me an envelope after that.”

The comment led to plenty of speculation from NFL fans that Tomlin had a system similar to the Saints’ “Bountygate” in place.

The hit actually did not get flagged in that game and the $75k fine was eventually reduced to $50k. As for Massaquoi, he suffered a concussion on that play.

On Friday, Harrison posted on Instagram to clarify that Tomlin never paid him for that hit.

“Wow y’all really comparing what I said to BOUNTYGATE?!?,” Harrison wrote. “Mike T. Has NEVER paid me for hurting someone or TRYING to hurt someone or put a bounty on ANYBODY! If you knew the full story of what happened back then you’d know that BS fine for a Legal Play wasn’t even penalized during the game.”

In response to the story, Steelers president Art Rooney II disputed Harrison’s initial claim.

Massaquoi is one of the greatest receivers in Georgia history. From Charlotte, North Carolina, he came to UGA in 2005. By the time he left in 2008, he had 158 catches for 2,282 yards and 16 touchdowns, which ranks seventh best in school history.

Picked in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Massaquoi played four seasons with Browns. He left Cleveland after the 2012 season, and in August of 2013, he was released by two teams – the Jaguars and the Jets.

He finished his NFL career with 118 receptions for 1,745 yards and seven touchdowns.

Two former Georgia football players/coaches leave South Carolina for NFL

Two former Georgia football players and coaches have left South Carolina to coach in the NFL.

Two coaches are leaving the South Carolina program to take NFL coaching jobs.

Both of those coaches happen to be guys who played and coached at the University of Georgia.

Thomas Brown, who played running back at Georgia from 2004-07, has joined the Los Angeles Rams staff as the running backs coach, where he will coach former Dawg Todd Gurley.

Related: Thomas Brown hired to Rams

And Bryan McClendon, who caught passes in Athens from 2002-05, will be joining the Steelers staff as receivers coach.

Related: Report: Former Georgia WR Bryan McClendon hired to Steelers

After their collegiate playing careers, both players returned to Georgia to coach shortly after testing out the NFL.

McClendon coached the running backs and receivers in Athens from 2009-2015, after spending two seasons as a grad assistant at Georgia.

Brown coached at Georgia in 2011 as a strength coach and then came back in 2015 to coach the running backs, which at the time was Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

Both ended up on the same staff at South Carolina under none other than former Georgia defensive back Will Muschamp, who is head coach of the Gamecocks.

Georgia ties run deep.

Report: Former Georgia football player and coach hired to Steelers staff

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly hired a former Georgia football wide receiver to coach.

According to the ABC television affiliate in Columbia, S.C., the Pittsburgh Steelers have pulled from the college ranks to find their next receivers coach.

The Steelers have reportedly worked out a deal with former Georgia wide receiver Bryan McClendon, who also coached in Athens for nearly a decade.

The Steelers have been on a long search for a receivers coach. This past season, interim receivers coach Ray Sherman handled those duties after Darryl Drake passed away during training camp in August.

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McClendon played at Georgia from 2002-05, finding a ton of success in Athens.

After college, he tried out the NFL for a year with the Bears but quickly found himself coaching at Georgia in 2007 as a graduate assistant and staying until 2015. In 2009, McClendon was promoted to running backs coach under Mark Richt, a position he held until 2014, before switching to wide receivers coach in 2015. He also added other titles along the way, such as assistant head coach and interim head coach after Richt’s firing.

In 2016, McClendon was named co-offensive and wide receivers coach coordinator at South Carolina and in 2019 was named the Gamecocks’ offensive coordinator.

Oddly enough, McClendon is the second former Georgia football player to get an NFL coaching job today. And even more odd, the other, Thomas Brown, also left a position at South Carolina to do so.