Tag: Steelers

George Pickens injury updates: Steelers WR is doubtful for matchup vs. Eagles

Mike Tomlin says that Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is doubtful for the Week 15 game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles

The Steelers are heading to Philadelphia for a gigantic matchup against the Eagles on Sunday, and Mike Tomlin’s team will likely be without George Pickens.

Similar to situations the Eagles had to deal with regarding A.J. Brown and recently DeVonta Smith, Pickens is dealing with a grade 2 hamstring injury that caused him to miss the Week 14 win over the Browns.

According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Following a Sunday morning conversation with athletic trainers and wide receiver George Pickens, coach Mike Tomlin opted to make Pickens, who sustained a hamstring injury late in the week, inactive for the Steelers’ 27-14 victory against the Browns on Sunday.

On Tuesday, five days before the Steelers depart for Philadelphia, Tomlin confirmed that Pickens is doubtful for Sunday afternoon.

Pickens has 850 receiving yards and three touchdown catches and would provide a formidable opponent for Eagles cornerbacks Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell.

Pittsburgh will play three games in the next 11 days, including another matchup with Baltimore.

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NFL playoff picture: What are Chargers’ chances of making postseason after loss to Chiefs?

The Chargers are still in a good position to play beyond the regular season despite their loss to the Chiefs.

The Chargers lost to the Chiefs on Sunday night. They fell to 8-5, as did their chances of making the playoffs slightly.

According to NFL.com, Los Angeles has a 90% chance of making the playoffs. With the Bolts’ loss, they dropped back down to the sixth seed, and the Ravens moved to the fifth seed.

Here’s a look at the division standings entering Week 15:

1. Chiefs (12-1) *clinched division*

2. Chargers (8-5)

3. Broncos (8-5)

4. Raiders (2-11)

And a look at the playoff picture:

*There are (7) available Playoff spots

1. Chiefs (12-1)

2. Bills (10-3)

3. Steelers (10-3)

4. Texans (8-5)

5. Ravens (8-5)

6. Chargers (8-5)

7. Broncos (8-5)

8. Colts (6-7)

9. Dolphins (6-7)

10. Bengals (4-8)

AFC playoff matchups if the season ended today:

  • No. 2 Bills vs. No. 7 Broncos
  • No. 3 Steelers vs. No. 6 Chargers
  • No. 4 Texans vs. No. 5 Ravens

Report: Steelers connection could keep Ravens from releasing Diontae Johnson

It wouldn’t be a controversial stance to say that Diontae Johnson was a disaster signing for the Ravens.

It is not a hot take to say that the Baltimore Ravens’ Diontae Johnson signing has not worked out. It wouldn’t even be controversial to say that this was a disaster signing.

He’s played just one 39 offensive snaps in Baltimore, and when asked to play against the Eagles, he refused out of frustration with his lack of usage.

I’m not sure how that “logic” works exactly—being upset about not getting enough playing time but then saying no when asked to play. However, that all works. Johnson is currently suspended, and the disciplinary action has invited speculation that he could be released.

Widespread reports indicate the Ravens are/have considered it, but one potential consequence might keep the team from actually doing it. The fear is that should the Ravens cut Johnson, he could return to his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he would then provide insider info to the archrivals.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes:

Whether the Steelers would want him back is unclear, but the way some people around the league see it: The threat of him sharing Ravens offensive intel with Pittsburgh could make Baltimore hold on to him.

This doesn’t seem like the best reason to keep Johnson around, but the concerns are understandable. Overall, it’s a messy situation.

Drew Brees could be returning to the broadcast booth

Report: Netflix is in conversations to add former Saints quarterback Drew Brees to coverage for their Christmas Day double-header:

Drew Brees has expressed his desire to step back into the broadcast booth. The opportunity appears to be presenting itself. Brees along with NFL Redzone’s Scott Hanson are in conversations with Netflix to be a part of the international broadcast of the streaming platform’s Christmas Day double-header.

Christmas Day has long belonged to the NBA, but the NFL has attempted to stake their claim to the day in recent years. The New Orleans Saints have been a part of that history when Alvin Kamara dropped a gaggle of touchdowns on the Minnesota Vikings.

This year’s matchups pit the Kansas City Chiefs against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens versus the Houston Texans, both streamed live on Netflix.

As for Brees? The legendary quarterback has been primarily an in-studio analyst for NFL games, but he believes his best usage is in the booth for professional games. Brees told Front Office Sports, “That’s what I feel like I’m most qualified to do. That’s what I feel like I’m most passionate about. And certainly where my knowledge base lies, right?”

Brees getting this opportunity could initiate the comeback he is trying to make.

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Steelers QB Russell Wilson earns award after huge week

Russell Wilson’s huge game eared him the FedEx Air & Ground Award for Week 13.

The last time the Pittsburgh Steelers had a 400-yard passing performance was all the way back in 2018 when Ben Roethlisberger did it. But last week, Russell Wilson broke the streak when he threw for 414 yards in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Wilson was passed over for the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award but he was named the FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week for Week 13. Wilson also threw for three touchdowns in the huge AFC North win.

 

The Steelers opened up the offense last week against the Bengals and we hope to see much more of that as the Steelers push for an AFC North title and a deep run in the playoffs.

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NFL playoff picture: Bad week for Dolphins got worse on Sunday, Monday

Calais Campbell thinks 10-7 would get the Dolphins in the playoffs, but even that might not be enough.

Shortly after the Miami Dolphins lost to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving to fall to 5-7 on the year, defensive lineman Calais Campbell told reporters, “I feel 10-7 gets us in” the playoffs. After Sunday and Monday, even that’s not looking likely.

The Dolphins have no shot at catching the Buffalo Bills, who clinched a fifth consecutive AFC East title. So the only path to the postseason for Miami is to track down at least one of four contenders: the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos.

The problem is that those teams aren’t leaving the door open.

While the Ravens lost a hard fought game against the Philadelphia Eagles, they’re still at eight wins. And both the Chargers and Broncos got their eighth win. The Steelers face several tough teams down the stretch, but improved to 9-3 with a shootout victory against the Bengals.

With only five weeks left, here’s the current state of affairs in the AFC:

  1. (x) Kansas City Chiefs: 11-1
  2. (y) Buffalo Bills: 10-2
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-3
  4. Houston Texans: 8-5
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-4
  6. Baltimore Ravens: 8-5
  7. Denver Broncos: 8-5
  • Indianapolis Colts: 6-7
  • Miami Dolphins: 5-7
  • Cincinnati Bengals: 4-8

(x – clinched playoff berth; y – clinched division title)

In the hypothetical that the Dolphins won five straight to finish the year 10-7, they’d have an 8-5 record in AFC play. That would likely be enough to win a tiebreaker if any of the teams ahead of them slip up. But Miami will need to be perfect and get some help to get into the postseason.

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NFL playoff picture: What are Chargers’ chances of making postseason after win over Falcons?

The Chargers are in excellent position to play beyond the regular season.

The Chargers beat the Falcons on Sunday, improving their record to 8-4 and their chances of making the playoffs.

According to NFL.com, Los Angeles has a 94% chance of making the playoffs. With the Bolts’ win and the Ravens’ loss to the Eagles on Sunday, L.A. moved back up to the fifth seed.

Here’s a look at the division standings entering Week 14:

1. Chiefs (11-1)

2. Chargers (8-4)

3. Broncos (7-5)

4. Raiders (2-10)

And a look at the playoff picture:

*There are (7) available Playoff spots

1. Chiefs (11-1)

2. Bills (10-2)

3. Steelers (9-3)

4. Texans (8-5)

5. Chargers (8-4)

6. Ravens (8-5)

7. Broncos (7-5)

8. Colts (6-7)

9. Dolphins (5-7)

10. Bengals (4-8)

AFC playoff matchups if the season ended today:

  • No. 2 Bills vs. No. 7 Broncos
  • No. 3 Steelers vs. No. 6 Ravens
  • No. 4 Texans vs. No. 5 Chargers

Ravens window for 2024 AFC North title has re-opened with Steelers loss

The fantastic finish left the Ravens just one game behind the Steelers for the division lead, with seven left to play

When the teenage/1970s version of Homer Simpson traveled to the future, which for us is the present (actually, to be accurate, it’s already the recent past), he was in pure awe of the very existence of Thursday Night Football.

Many Baltimore Ravens fans, as well as neutrals for that matter, probably matched the excitement and wonder of high school-aged Homer while watching this week’s edition of Thursday Night Football.

The Cleveland Browns’ 24-19 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was an actual “snow globe” game, and that alone made it enjoyable to watch. Within this winter wonderland, you saw an extremely entertaining game that kept going back and forth during crunch time.

The fantastic finish on the snow-showered shores of Lake Erie left the Ravens just one game behind the Steelers for the division lead, with seven left to play. Plus, any time you see the division leaders drop a game to the last-place side, it’s a tremendous boon to all the other teams chasing them.

After the Brownies upset the Steelers in the Snow Bowl, the ESPN Analytics app updated its postseason predictor the following day. According to their projections, the Ravens have a 45% chance of winning the AFC North.

In other words, we have a division title race again! The model also gives Baltimore a 97% chance of making the postseason but only a 1% chance of earning a bye.

They do give the Ravens an 18% chance of reaching the Super Bowl, which is encouraging. As Brian in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy famously said, “60% of the time, it works every time.”

In all seriousness, though, the Ravens’ game against the Steelers on Sunday, December 21, could very well be the de facto AFC North division title game.

NFL playoff picture: What are Chargers’ chances of making postseason after win over Bengals?

The Chargers are in great position to play beyond the regular season.

The Chargers beat the Bengals on Sunday, picking up their fourth consecutive victory. They improved to 7-3, and their chances of playing beyond the regular season.

According to NFL.com, Los Angeles has a 91% chance of making the playoffs. With the Bolts’ win and the Ravens’ loss to the Steelers on Sunday, L.A. moved up to the fifth seed.

Here’s a look at the division standings entering Week 12:

1. Chiefs (9-1)

2. Chargers (7-3)

3. Broncos (6-5)

4. Raiders (2-8)

And a look at the playoff picture:

*There are (7) available Playoff spots

1. Chiefs (9-1)

2. Bills (9-2)

3. Steelers (8-2)

4. Texans (6-4)

5. Chargers (7-3)

6. Ravens (7-4)

7. Broncos (6-5)

8. Colts (5-6)

9. Dolphins (4-6)

10. Bengals (4-7)

AFC playoff matchups if the season ended today:

  • No. 2 Bills vs. No. 7 Broncos
  • No. 3 Steelers vs. No. 6 Ravens
  • No. 4 Texans vs. No. 5 Chargers

Steelers kicker Chris Boswell on Justin Tucker: “he’s a legend”

Steelers placekicker Chris Boswell went a perfect 6/6 on his field goal attempts, and thus accounted for every point scored by the winners 

Murphy’s law is an epigram that usually states: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”

For the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, in their 18-16 loss at their arch-rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, things went wrong that nobody could have ever anticipated.

Justin Tucker, arguably the G.O.A.T. of placekickers, is missing not one but two field goals.

Derrick Henry, the king of all running backs, fumbling the ball away for the first time in two years.

Most believe Lamar Jackson has been the NFL MVP thus far this season, but he has completed less than half of his pass attempts.

And on the other sideline, the Steelers won with a dominant defense and elite special teams.

The main hero of this game?

Probably Steelers placekicker Chris Boswell, who went a perfect 6/6 on his field goal attempts and thus accounted for every point scored by the winning side.

Tucker has missed six field goal attempts in the season after missing only five last.

In his postgame media opportunity, Boswell made it clear that he doesn’t think Tucker is slipping at all.

Added Boswell: “He’s a Hall of Famer, and next thing you know, he’ll go on another 100 field goal streak, and everyone will forget about this and move past it.”

Boswell is right- while it was shocking to see, this was just a bad day at the office for Tucker.