Tag: Pittsburgh

Steelers have only 3 active receivers after Van Jefferson questionable with an eye injury

Van Jefferson was pulled out of the game in Week 3 with an eye injury, leaving the Steelers with only three active wide receivers.

As if Pittsburgh Steelers’ injury concerns couldn’t get any worse, wide receiver Van Jefferson has been pulled from the game with an eye injury and is questionable to return.

This comes after rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson was deemed inactive to start the Week 3 game, leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers with only three wide receivers active for the game: George Pickens, Calvin Austin, and Scotty Miller. So far we have seen Miller more involved in the offense.

 

The last thing the Steelers needed was more potential problems on the offensive side of the ball.  It is safe to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers will continue to run the ball, focus on heavy-TE sets, utilize pass-catching RB/WR hybrid Cordarrelle Patterson, and use more quarterback designed runs to mitigate this depth issue.

Steelers adding Troy Fautanu (knee) to IR

Troy Fautanu is reportedly being placed on IR by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As reported by ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter on Friday, offensive tackle Troy Fautanu suffered a knee injury and was considered out indefinitely.  It is now being reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be placing the rookie right tackle on Injured/Reserve. The Steelers are preparing to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the home opener.

This injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the rookie, who had made his regular season debut in Week 2 and looked phenomenal.

Will the Steelers have a ‘next man up’ mentality, keeping the right tackle position battle at in-house?  Or will they look to sign a proven veteran, such as former 2015 first-round pick D.J. Humphries?

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1837586952704418048

 

Only time will tell how Mike Tomlin and his staff handle the devastating news and hole that is left by Fautanu’s injury.  Here’s to a speedy recovery for the 2024 first-round pick. In his place, Broderick Jones will start opposite Dan Moore Jr.

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Steelers matchups to watch: Week 3 – T.J. Watt vs. Joe Alt

T.J. Watt and Joe Alt will be one of the premier matchups to watch in the league as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3.

A matchup for the ages will take place in Week 3 as one of the greatest edge rushers of all time, Pittsburgh Steelers edge T.J. Watt, looks to keep his sack streak going against the Los Angeles Chargers’ rookie right tackle, Joe Alt. In a game with two underperforming offenses, this matchup could decide the outcome.

A former Defensive Player of the Year and 2023 sack leader, T.J. Watt is picking up where he left off last season. Watt was a force in the Steelers’ two victories. He has compiled two sacks, four QB hits, and six pressures on 62 pass plays.

Right tackle Joe Alt has been one of the Chargers’ best offensive players. On 126 snaps, he’s committed zero penalties, allowed only a single sack on 54 passing plays, and surrendered just two pressures.

Understanding that experience plays a massive role in these matchups, T.J. Watt should be the clear favorite here. With that being said, Steelers fans will have to tune in on September 22nd at 1:00 PM EST, to see if T.J. gives Alt his ‘welcome to the league’ moment.

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Steelers matchups to watch: Week 3 – George Pickens vs. Asante Samuel Jr.

George Pickens and Asante Samuel Jr. will be one of the premier matchups to watch in the league as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3.

Going off of statistics alone, some Steelers fans might assume that Pat Surtain II got the better of George Pickens in Week 2.  However, many know this wasn’t the case, and Pickens will look to end this unfortunate production slump against Chargers’ cornerback, Asante Samuel Jr. in Week 3.

Asante Samuel Jr. has always been a dependable corner for Los Angeles, but heading into his contract year, the fourth-year corner may be playing some of his best football yet.  Going up against Davante Adams in Week 1 presented some challenges, but his 11 yards allowed against Carolina in Week 2 was outstanding.

George Pickens’ stats may not reflect it yet, but he is one of the most threatening receivers in the NFL.  Two weeks in a row, George Pickens’ production was removed by penalties, but his presence was always felt.  His route running, his body control, and his reliable hands will make it a long day for the Chargers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will need this matchup to swing in their favor if they hope to fend off the newly returned Jim Harbaugh and his Los Angeles Chargers on September 22nd at 1:00 PM EST.

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Steelers matchups to watch: Week 3 – Najee Harris/Jaylen Warren vs. Chargers’ linebackers

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren take on a triage of run-stopping linebackers in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Two of the nine undefeated teams in the NFL meet in Week 3, as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Los Angeles Chargers. The Steelers’ running backs, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, take on the Chargers’ run-stopping linebackers for an elite matchup to watch.  

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren ran the ball at a measly 3.5 yards a touch in Week 1.  Harris would improve to 4.1 yards a carry, while Warren would increase proficiency to 4.7 yards a carry, in Week 2.  As the offense continues to forge its identity, it is promising to see the running backs improving on every touch. 

The Los Angeles Chargers’ linebackers are destroying the run this year, and it all starts with their second-year linebacker seeking his breakout season this year, Daiyan Henley.  Henley has been good against the pass and is excelling in run stoppage, veteran Denzel Perryman is reliable against the pass, and the next linebacker up, Junior Colson, is more suited for run-stopping. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers running backs will look to win the battle with the Los Angeles Chargers’ linebackers, in a game that will push one of these AFC teams to 3-0, all taking place on September 22nd, at 1:00 PM EST. 

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Russell Wilson can win the Steelers more games than Justin Fields can

The PIttsburgh Steelers need Russell Wilson back to help win football games.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting at an impressive 2-0, it is clear to see that on these given Sundays, the defense is winning these games.

Whether it’s designed quarterback runs, RPOs, play-action passes, or even simple snaps under center, Justin Fields just looks uncomfortable.  One can make the argument that Fields has done more to lose these two games than he did to win them, and one only has to look at his three near-fumble snap exchanges thus far to see that.

The topic of the Bears failing Justin Fields has been brought up recently due to the early struggles of rookie Caleb Williams, but why aren’t people talking about how the Broncos failed Russell Wilson?  His stat line on the season was modest, but still impressive considering how awful the Broncos were in 2023: 26 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and 98.0 passer rating.

The Pittsburgh Steelers need the former MVP candidate and Super Bowl 48 winner, Russell Wilson, back from injury ASAP, as a Steelers insider has revealed that Fields will hold onto the quarterback position at least until after the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Steelers are bringing in extra support for their recent penalty issues

Steelers are bringing in officials on extra days of practice to assist with penalty woes.

Aside from a subpar offense, one of the key differences between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the eight other undefeated teams is that the Steelers have the second-most penalties against them in the league.  This was on display in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, as the Steelers had multiple flags called against them.  Several of these penalties, from both Week 1 and Week 2, wiped away key moments of success for the Steelers.

Mike Tomlin acknowledged this in Tuesday’s media availability and stated that the Steelers would be looking to change things up.

https://twitter.com/SteelersUpdate1/status/1836119894611628056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Hopefully, these two extra days with officials will make a key difference in dealing with the troubling penalty bug that has crept into the Pittsburgh locker room.

This week the Steelers have their home opener. They take on the Los Angeles Chargers who are among the nine undefeated teams left in the NFL along with the Steelers.

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Former Notre Dame coach Mike Brey criticizes ACC for fining system

You go, Mike.

Anyone who covered Notre Dame basketball when [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] was coach will tell you he’s a pretty easygoing guy. The way he spoke at times, you wouldn’t mind if he pulled up a seat next to you at the bar and just start telling you one coaching story after another. That’s just who he is.

If Brey felt his team was being put at a disadvantage though, he wasn’t afraid to tell it like it was. Such was the case when he criticized the officiating after the Irish lost a close game at Florida State in January 2020. The ACC responded by fining Brey $20,000.

Nearly five years later, Brey has left college basketball, but ACC coaches across all sports continue to be fined for being critical of officials. Pittsburgh football coach Pat McMurphy was just fined $5,000 for it.

However, Brey seems less bothered by McMurphy’s fine than the apparent inconsistency in the amount for which coaches are fined:

 

Look, we’re not going to pretend to know what goes into determining how much coaches get fined for things. But if one coach is losing four times as much money as another for the same action, it might be time to reevaluate your practices. Otherwise, it’s pure chaos.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Joey Porter Jr. mocks Drake London after a lockdown performance

Joey Porter Jr. picked up right where he left off last season as the Steelers top coverage player.

Fans were once again treated to another elite performance from the Porter family name.  Drake London, wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, was supposedly due for a massive breakout year after the acquisition of free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins.  It’s fair to say that 2nd year Pittsburgh Steelers’ cornerback, Joey Porter Jr., clearly didn’t get the memo.

Joey Porter Jr. dominated Atlanta’s number one wide receiver on the field and is now in the trash-talking department as well.  If you asked JPJ, he would tell you it’s not trash talk; it’s a fact. He told Steelers reporter Dale Lolley to “check the statline” and that Drake London “did a little warm-up today.”  This is exactly the type of attitude you want out of a lockdown corner.

https://twitter.com/SteelViper45/status/1833210529529401707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

This week Porter and the Steelers head to Denver to take on the Broncos. Porter will surely be matched up against Courtland Sutton for much of the game as he’s Denver’s top target.

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Questionable calls that almost decided the game against Atlanta

The Steelers were on the wrong end of a couple of awful calls on Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to bad calls made by officials.  Some of these calls can decide a game if missed.  There were two calls this Sunday that would have shifted the game script if called correctly. 

George Pickens made a diving catch with 3 minutes 44 seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter.  Viewers could see that A.J. Terrell tried to touch Pickens down and missed, in which George Pickens got up and ran for around 10 yards more.  The referees, however, missed the call and claimed that Pickens was marked down back at the Atlanta 28-yard line. 

The referees’ presence was also felt on the defensive side of the ball.  With 38 seconds remaining in the 1st half of the game, T.J. Watt spectacularly timed the Atlanta Falcons snap and strip-sacked Kirk Cousins, which should have resulted in a turnover for the Steelers.  The referees, however, labeled this impressive feat of timing and patience an offsides penalty.  The very next play, Kirk Cousins hit tight end Kyle Pitts for a touchdown. 

The Steelers should not put themselves in positions where non-reviewable calls like these can decide the game.  As close as the Steelers win their games, the officials are bound to make or break a contest, one way or another. 

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