Tag: Steelers Nation Unite

Steelers CB Joe Haden intends to up his INTs game after 4 ’embarassing’ drops in 2019

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joe Haden is focused nabbing more interceptions this season.

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joe Haden joined Steelers Nation Unite for a live, interactive SNU Huddle session on Tuesday.

When the topic of interceptions was raised, Haden wasn’t shy about sharing his goal for 2020.

“I am expecting to get eight,” said Haden. “I had five last year. I easily could have had nine. I dropped four picks. Embarrassing. My goal this year is to have at least eight picks.”

It would be amazing if Haden can reach that goal, as eight is the total number of interceptions he’s had since joining the Steelers in 2017.

Haden was asked where his 2018 interception versus the New England Patriots ranked among his 27 career picks.

There was no hesitation when Haden answered that it is his favorite career interception to date. He acknowledged that all the stars aligned. “It was the 4th quarter; it was versus Tom Brady; it was a night game at Heinz.”

Up by four points over the Pats midway through the final quarter, the Haden interception was huge as Brady was driving his team toward the red zone. The Steelers pressured Brady to get the ball out, and as it was being delivered to wide receiver Julian Edelman, Haden leaped up and took it down at the Steelers four-yard line.

Haden said he was thrilled to be able to show some athletic ability and high-point the ball.

Kicker Chris Boswell kicked a 48-yard field goal with just under three minutes left in the game. The 17-10 victory snapped a five-game regular-season losing streak to the Patriots.

You can watch a condensed version of the matchup on the Pittsburgh Steelers YouTube channel. 

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin has no plans to use multiple RBs this season

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he wants to use James Conner as the solo feature runner.

Barring injury, it appears that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin plans to go with what he knows.

During a live, interactive call with the Steelers Nation Unite fan group on Thursday, Tomlin responded to a question about whether he was planning to deploy a running-back-by-committee approach this season.

“I’m a feature runner type guy by mentality,” Tomlin said. “I think that if you have a featured runner it gives them an opportunity to drop a stake in the ground and allows others to rally around him. It gives you a set of core phase run plays that he specializes in and you find a rhythm in that way. But no question in today’s game that a feature runner needs to be supplemented and supplemented by guys who are capable of doing similar things in case he misses time, but also supplemented by guys who are capable of doing different things to maybe challenge the defense in different ways and I think that’s just the makeup of our group right now.”

“James is a feature runner and a proven guy when healthy and we’re excited about him getting back to health and displaying that in 2020. Benny Snell is a guy who plays with a physical style in a similar manner as James and might be capable of being a James-type guy if James is unavailable. As you mentioned we’re excited about McFarland, who brings a different component. He’s got catch quickness and is quick to speed and is capable of producing big plays in open spaces. We like the collection of guys we have in the group.

The Steelers currently have six running backs on their roster: Conner, Snell, Jaylen Samuels, Kerrith Whyte, Trey Edmunds, and rookie Anthony McFarland.

Conner missed six games in 2019, but still managed to lead the team in rushing with 464 yards. In his absence, Snell got the majority of the carries for 426 yards on 108 attempts. Samuels, Whyte, Edmunds played sparingly, with Samuels being used more as a receiver.

“No question in today’s game, a featured runner needs to be supplemented and supplemented by guys who are capable of doing similar things in case he misses time and some that are capable of doing different things and challenging defenses in different ways,” Tomlin said.

When breaking down the group, Tomlin didn’t mention Samuels, Edmunds, or Whyte but hinted that fullback Derek Watt, signed to the team in March, may see some time in the backfield.

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the addition of Derek Watt at the fullback position. We’re excited about him. We’re excited about what the group is going to do largely, but usually, when it’s doing well, it’s because you have a lead dog out front, and that guy is the featured runner.”

“We’re excited about what the group is going to do largely,” Tomlin said. “Usually, when it’s going well, it’s because you have a lead dog out front, and that guy is the featured runner.”

Tomlin had better have a more solid backup plan (pun intended) than he did last season in case Conner misses any amount of time.

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What attracts the Steelers to the crop of former XFL players?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed more XFL players than any other team.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed more former XFL players than any other team in the league.

Wide receiver Saeed Blacknall became the sixth player inked to the Steelers from the now-defunct league on Monday.

Blacknall joins offensive tackle Jarron Jones, defensive tackle Cavon Walker, defensive tackle Dewayne Hendrix, safety Tyree Kinnel and long snapper/linebacker Christian Kuntz.

There will be more XFL players who sign NFL deals and get a look in training camp — so far there have been 15. When the Alliance of American Football folded in 2019, more than 50 players signed NFL contracts, but less than half ended up making a team’s roster or practice squad.

So, why are the Steelers attracted to the league’s former players?

Due to the scouting restrictions and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, post-draft college free agency is going to be chaotic, which is partially why general manager Kevin Colbert was a proponent of expanding the 2020 NFL Draft by three rounds — a suggestion that was shot down by the NFL.

Colbert feels more comfortable in signing former XFL players because of access to medicals, game footage, and recent scouting reports.

“It was good that [XFL] players are made available to us because going through this draft as we are with some limited information, that could curtail some of the college free agents that we’re able to sign just on a knowledge of who they are type basis,” Colbert said in a recent Steelers Nation Unite Huddle.

“So, knowing these players a little bit better, we feel it was important to add as many as we thought could help us in terms of being competitive players for training camp.”

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