Tag: vince williams

Former Raven Bart Scott: ‘To mention Troy Polamalu in the same breath as Ed Reed… it’s disrespectful’

The former Ravens linebacker feels it’s disrespectful to mention Steelers Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu together with Ed Reed.

Bart Scott is clearly bitter. Bitter about his own average career, bitter about losing to the Steelers in the playoffs (twice), bitter about playing second fiddle to Ray Lewis while in Baltimore.

On Bleacher Report’s The Lefkoe Show, host Adam Lefkoe asked Scott: “When you’re around greatness, is it hard to hear other people called great?”

Scott began his answer by saying that there are different levels of greatness and, therefore, there should be different wings of the Hall of Fame. The former Ravens and Jets linebacker first brought up Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu. “Troy Polamalu is very deserving of going to the Hall of Fame but to mention Troy Polamalu in the same breath as Ed Reed? To me, it’s disrespectful.”

In an attempt to explain why he feels it’s disrespectful, Scott talks in circles.

The segment caused a heated debate among NFL fans on social media. Troy’s former teammate, linebacker Vince Williams, also brought up several valid points:

[vertical-gallery id=462565]

[lawrence-related id=458743]

 

Steelers DC Keith Butler offers high praise for LB Vince Williams

Vince Williams is back in the Steelers starting lineup.

[jwplayer RaBE4TPi-ThvAeFxT]

The Pittsburgh Steelers will see two big changes to their defensive starting lineup in 2020. First off, defensive lineman Tyson Alualu will replace Javon Hargrave at nose tackle. Second, inside linebacker Vince Williams is back into the starting lineup replacing Mark Barron.

Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler surprised no one when he said Williams would be in the starting lineup in 2020 next to Devin Bush. He heaped high praise on Williams for his ability to communicate and be a leader for the defense.

“He’s a great communicator,” Butler said. “As we went back and looked at our film and graded ourselves, we felt like our communication, if anything went wrong with our defense, it was more because of our communication. Sometimes you have to make adjustments, Vince is real good at doing that for us, getting calls to the guys and making sure we are all on the same page. That’s big for us in terms of Vince Williams.”

Williams was relegated to only 36.5 percent of the total defense snaps because of the addition of Barron. The signing of Barron made no sense at the time and turned out to be a complete waste of money. Williams is a far better player and Pittsburgh made a mistake thinking Barron’s athleticism could somehow help the defense more than everything Williams brings to the table.

[vertical-gallery id=472952]

[lawrence-related id=473005]

Opposing QBs saw Steelers defensive players in their nightmares

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense was on fire in 2019 with a league-high QB pressure rate.

The Steelers defense was a force to be reckoned with in 2019, and opposing quarterbacks were frequently on the receiving end of their attack.

According to Pro Football Focus, Pittsburgh brought the pressure at a rate of 41.2 percent.

Between T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree on the EDGE, defensive end Cam Heyward and linebacker Vince Williams, they amassed 37 sacks, 51 hits and 129 hurries on 1,614 pass-rush snaps. Together, they generated 223 total pressures.

Hopefully, with a healthy Ben Roethlisberger back in the mix at quarterback, the Steelers won’t have to rely on their defense as often as they did in 2019. There’s no doubt, though, when the defense is on the field, quarterbacks best beware.

[vertical-gallery id=455435]

[lawrence-related id=465237]

Which 2nd-year Steeler will have the best season on defense?

Cast your vote to tell us who you think will have the best season of the sophomore players on defense.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have four defensive players heading into their sophomore seasons who can potentially have a big impact in 2020: Linebackers Devin Bush and Ulysees Gilbert, tackle Isaiah Buggs, and cornerback Justin Layne.

It’s easy to look at this list and choose Devin Bush. After all, as a rookie, Bush managed 109 tackles, 9 tackles for a loss, 2 interceptions, 4 pass defenses, 1 forced fumble, 4 fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown.

But I think serious consideration needs to be given to Gilbert. A back injury abruptly ended a promising rookie season, but what flashes he showed in the preseason and on special teams in 2019 was enough to give the Steelers confidence in his abilities as a defensive weapon.

Not only did the Steelers release Mark Barron and let Tyler Matakevich walk in free agency, but the team also did not address those vacancies in the NFL draft.

With Bush and Vince Williams in the fold, it’s likely Gilbert will be nothing more than a rotational LB. But Barron saw double the snaps that Williams did last season, and it’s likely the Steelers will expect Gilbert to step in have a similar impact.

[polldaddy poll=10560198]

Cast your vote and tell us!

[vertical-gallery id=467864]

[lawrence-related id=467887]

Steelers LB Devin Bush prepared for heavy workload this season

Do the Steelers have three quality inside linebackers?

[jwplayer trgV5MsK-ThvAeFxT]

Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense was among the best in the NFL. Despite the potential of going into 2020 with two new starters, this unit hopes to be even better.

One new starter will be a familiar face as Vince Williams will return to his starting spot at inside linebacker next to Devin Bush. Pittsburgh tried Mark Barron there last season but it didn’t take long to figure out the amount of money he was making wasn’t matching up with his production.

Bush is confident he and Williams can handle all the inside linebacker chores this season if need be. Considering how little the Steelers actually have both inside backers on the field at the same time, he is probably right.

But we cannot rule out the emergence of Ulysees Gilbert III. Just a rookie last season, Gilbert flashed some impressive athleticism and playmaking in training camp and the preseason. He could provide some important snaps as part of a three-man rotation.

[vertical-gallery id=464079]

[lawrence-related id=464321]

Devin Bush: ‘I want to become a better NFL player’

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker reflects on last season and looks ahead to 2020.

While Steelers players await the time they can reconvene with their teammates for traditional workout activities, virtual meetings and personal workouts fill the day. The team is one of several that are currently not participating in virtual workouts.

Second-year linebacker Devin Bush works out every other day, takes meetings and hits the field with his dad and brother.

Everyone is itching to get back to a sense of normalcy. Until then, Bush reflects back on last season and is grateful for how his rookie year went.

“Coming out of last season, I was just proud and happy I finished my first season healthy, that I was able to walk away and not have anything happen to me where I had to go through any surgeries and then extra rehab and things like that,” Bush said Tuesday via video conference call with Pittsburgh media.

“As for working on my game, I want to become a better NFL player and a better person off the field as well as on the field, being a better professional and carrying myself in that way.”

With a deficiency at inside linebacker, Bush should have ample opportunity to become better. The Steelers are thin at ILB depth after cutting Mark Barron and losing Tyler Matakevich in free agency.

Reserves behind Bush and fellow linebacker Vince Williams boil down to undrafted free agents. Ulysees Gilbert and Robert Spillane have been with the Steelers since 2019 and have played sparingly on special teams. USC’s John Houston and Mississippi State’s Leo Lewis joined the team in April and will offer offseason competition.

Bush had a solid rookie season and led the Steelers ILB group with 889 snaps. Barron came in second with 750, followed by Williams with 396 snaps.

Although Bush is up for the challenge of increasing his reps, he makes a good point. “To take more, I think, would be a bad thing because that would be saying we’re not that good on offense,” he said.

“I have no doubt that Vince and I can go out there and control the defense.”

[vertical-gallery id=447268]

[lawrence-related id=463809]

2020 NFL draft: LB Malik Harrison NFL draft profile

Steelers Wire draft profile featuring LB Malik Harrison (Ohio State Buckeyes).

Columbus, Ohio born and raised, naturally Harrison chose to attend The Ohio State University. He came into OSU with a reputation for the ability to play anywhere on the field. In high school, Harrison played on both sides of the ball – quarterback, strong safety, and returned punts.

Harrison played in 12 games as a reserve his true freshman season. He appeared in 14 games his sophomore season with one start (36 tackles, three for loss, 1.5 sacks). In Harrison’s junior season, he tied for the Buckeyes’ lead with 81 tackles. The linebacker entered his true senior season second on the team in career tackles with 130 and solo tackles with 87 and ended the season as the leader in tackles with 75 stops.

The linebacker capped off his Buckeyes career with 205 tackles, 29 for loss, nine sacks, nine pass breakups, an interception, and three fumble recoveries.

An early-down player for most teams, Harrison brings more value against the run than the pass. With more development in zone, his playing time could increase. He’s projected to be a starter within two seasons.

Malik Harrison | LB | Ohio State University

Height | 6-3

Weight | 247

Class | Senior

College Bio

Career Stats

Beyond Vince Williams and Devin Bush, there is no depth at inside linebacker. The Steelers lost reserves Tyler Matakevich to the Buffalo Bills in free agency, and Mark Barron was released, which signals that the Steelers will be snagging an ILB via the NFL Draft. If Harrison is on Pittsburgh’s radar, it would have to select him with the third-round pick.

[vertical-gallery id=460470]

[lawrence-related id=460555]

Steelers player is ready to sack Bengals QB Joe Burrow

Even Steelers players are talking about Bengals QB Joe Burrow.

Even rivals in the AFC North know the deal — the Cincinnati Bengals are probably drafting LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Burrow’s latest feat, crushing Clemson in the national title game, had a bigger audience than usual. And among those was Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Vince Williams, who noted he’s excited to sack Burrow next year.

Funnily enough, it was current Bengals lineman Bobby Hart who came to his potential future quarterback’s defense on Twitter.

Here’s the initial tweet from the night of the title game, plus the exchange:

[vertical-gallery id=26835]

Steelers vs Week 14 Gut Reactions

My observations and reactions to the Pittsburgh Steelers week 14 win against the Arizona Cardinals.

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Steelers took care of business against a competitive Arizona Cardinals team in week 14. The defense continued to roll holding their fifth straight opponent to 21 or fewer points. Devlin Hodges turned in an efficient performance and became the first rookie undrafted free-agent quarterback to win his first three starts. The Steelers have won seven of their last eight games and control their playoff destiny. Here are my gut reactions:

Beating the Odds

It was good to see the Steelers actually get to play with a lead. The offensive game plan was still conservative, Hodges finished with 16 completions and a touchdown on 19 attempts, but that was good enough for a win. Just as important as Hodges 152 passing yards was the fact that he didn’t turn the ball over.

Hodges’ contributions as a rusher shouldn’t be overlooked either. He scrambled five times for 34 yards and ironically outrushed counterpart Kyler Murray. Hodges an undrafted free agent beat the first overall draft pick at his own game, but his solid performance was overshadowed by Dionte Johnson’s breakout day.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5