Kevin Gorman stories, Page 138
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: As Steelers get set for opener, Mike Tomlin in midseason formVideo
We don’t know what to expect from the Pittsburgh Steelers when they open the regular season at the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Sunday night. But take comfort, Steelers fans. Mike Tomlin is in midseason form. In the first weekly news conference, the Steelers coach Tuesday delivered...
Kevin Gorman: Steelers were smart to lock up lockdown corner Joe HadenVideo
Cameron Heyward was watching the Pittsburgh Steelers-New England Patriots game tape Sunday night as a refresher, but it ended up serving as a reminder of Joe Haden’s impact. Haden had 12 tackles, two passes defensed and made a picture-perfect leaping interception of a Tom Brady pass between Julian Edelman and...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Few surprises in Steelers cuts, except at receiver
There were few surprises when the Pittsburgh Steelers reduced their roster to 53 players on Saturday, but one thing stood out: The NFL’s most pass-oriented team only kept five receivers. For a team with the league’s worst run-pass ratio last season – throwing the ball about twice as much (66.6%)...
Kevin Gorman: Pitt came dressed to kill, but the Panthers delivered a dudVideo
If the hangdog expression on Heather Lyke’s face didn’t display the depth of her disappointment in Pitt’s 30-14 season-opening loss to Virginia, Pat Narduzzi’s explanation filled in the blanks. Lyke looked like someone who spent countless hours decorating for and delivering a birthday extravaganza, only to see the surprise spoiled...
Kevin Gorman: Pitt falls flat in second half of season opener against Virginia
It was a picture-perfect setting for a season opener. Pitt looked resplendent in its new royal blue and university gold uniforms. The playing surface was impeccable, and the temperature at kickoff was 72 degrees. All the Panthers had to do was open with a victory. That was the problem. ACC...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Even after Steelers’ cuts, Kevin Colbert has work to do
Even after the cuts come, Kevin Colbert’s work isn’t done. The Pittsburgh Steelers must trim their roster to 53 players by 4 p.m. Saturday, but their general manager has a history of making major moves leading up to the season opener. The Steelers acquired receiver Ryan Switzer last year and...
Kevin Gorman: Projecting the surprises on the Steelers’ final 53-man roster
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert has the unenviable task of reducing the roster to 53 players by 4 p.m. Saturday, what he understands can be a “devastating moment.” “It’s hard because a lot of times you may be ending a kid’s dream and his career,” Colbert said Thursday night...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Guess who won the Steelers’ backup QB job
Mason Rudolph put an exclamation point on his final play of the preseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing a picture-perfect touchdown pass in the final seconds of the first half. Rudolph’s 31-yard touchdown to Johnny Holton with 9 seconds left in the first half of a 25-19 loss to the...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Steelers have tough roster decisions with QBs, draft picks
If the Pittsburgh Steelers needed any reminder that a spot on an NFL roster isn’t guaranteed, they came in the form of players who were practicing one day and gone the next. They saw defensive end Lavon Hooks leaving on a golf cart, then wearing a protective boot and staring...
Kevin Gorman: For Steelers, final Battle of the Backups should be sensational
Josh Dobbs and Mason Rudolph aren’t the only Pittsburgh Steelers well aware that the preseason finale at the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night is their final audition. Their teammates have popcorn ready for the Battle of the Backups, the penultimate episode in the Game of Clipboards. “I’m watching them in...
Kevin Gorman: Why the Steelers aren’t shocked by Andrew Luck’s retirementVideo
Stunning as it was to see a franchise quarterback walk away from football in the prime of his career, to say Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement Saturday from the Indianapolis Colts sent shockwaves around the NFL isn’t entirely accurate. Not to the Pittsburgh Steelers, anyway. Players were more supportive of his...
Kevin Gorman: For Pitt football, winning at home would be nice startVideo
Pat Narduzzi was so thrilled to learn he’s undefeated in his first four season openers you would have thought someone switched Pitt’s colors back to Navy and Vegas gold. “I didn’t know that,” Narduzzi said with a sigh, grumbling his gratitude. “Thanks for letting me know.” Forgive the Pitt football...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: In battle of backup QBs, Steelers see some separation
All eyes were on the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks in their preseason game Sunday night at the Tennessee Titans, and not just because Ben Roethlisberger made his debut. Andrew Luck’s retirement rocked the NFL, turning the Indianapolis Colts into a team desperate for quarterback depth. The Steelers have a surplus at...
Kevin Gorman: Center Jimmy Morrissey might be Pitt’s most pivotal player
When Jimmy Morrissey ran through the tunnel at Heinz Field on Friday at Pitt’s rehearsal scrimmage for the season opener, it was not just as the starting center but a team captain. It’s just the latest accolade for Morrissey with the Panthers. He’s ascended from former walk-on to All-ACC third-team...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Andrew Luck’s retirement shines light on Steelers’ backup QBs
The stunning, sudden retirement of Andrew Luck shook the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. To see a franchise quarterback call it quits at age 29 sent shockwaves throughout the NFL. Luck might have terrible timing — announcing it only two weeks before the season opener — but I can’t help but...
Francisco Cervelli makes dramatic debut with two doubles for Atlanta Braves
Francisco Cervelli said goodbye to Pittsburgh and hello to Atlanta. Hello, hello, hello. Just two days after the charismatic catcher was released by the Pirates, Cervelli made a dramatic debut for the Braves with three hits, including two doubles, and three RBIs in a 9-5 victory over the New York...
Steelers defensive backs raving about Teryl Austin’s impact on secondary
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin believes it’s “much too early” to judge Teryl Austin’s impact secondary coach, given that they have yet to play a regular-season game. “We’re just getting started,” Tomlin said. “We haven’t been in enough battles to make those types of judgments on any one particular add....
Kevin Gorman: Teryl Austin looking for bounce-back season with Steelers
Teryl Austin can joke about how coaching for the Pittsburgh Steelers has fixed friendships but fractured the family that has followed his 15-year NFL career from Seattle to Arizona to Baltimore to Detroit to his short stay in Cincinnati. “I got a lot of friends that are talking to me...
Kevin Gorman: JuJu Smith-Schuster wants to show Steelers he’s ready to go deepVideo
A breakout season saw JuJu Smith-Schuster rank among the NFL leaders in receptions and yards. A tumultuous offseason saw him ascend to a role as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ top target. What Smith-Schuster wants to evolve into this season is a different player, one who adds dangerous deep threat to his...
Kevin Gorman: Pressure brings out best in Steelers kicker Chris Boswell
Mike Tomlin promised to “create a little pressure” for Chris Boswell this preseason, pushing the fifth-year kicker to return to Pro Bowl form for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That became the burning question throughout training camp: What constituted a pressure kick? The countdown kicks at Saint Vincent or the field-goal showdown...
Kevin Gorman: Mark Barron picked perfect number, position to play for SteelersVideo
When Mark Barron signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was issued a number of notoriety. No. 26 was last worn by Le’Veon Bell, the All-Pro running back who sat out last season, and worn best by Hall of Famer Rod Woodson. “I do know Rod, and I do know about...
Kevin Gorman: Sutton Smith ready to finally show Steelers what he can do
Sutton Smith went from being one of the most intriguing storylines of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp to an afterthought when he was sidelined for a long stretch. Never was that more evident than last week, when Mike Tomlin was asked if the sixth-round pick from Northern Illinois was falling behind...
Diontae Spencer hopes big plays for Steelers in preseason opens NFL eyes
Diontae Spencer didn’t play in the first half of Saturday’s preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs, so he told himself to make the most of every touch. Spencer knew he would be handling the returns for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half, so he told himself to be...
Kevin Gorman: Playing true or false with Steelers’ Mike Tomlin’s news conference
The NFL preseason should come with a warning label: Objects on your television aren’t as close as they appear. When it comes to watching the Pittsburgh Steelers, you can’t trust everything you see. You certainly can’t trust preseason statistics to tell the story of training camp. And, no matter what...
Kevin Gorman: Young Steelers receivers shut out noise, deliver for Darryl DrakeVideo
The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers warmed up at Heinz Field wearing black hoodies with “SHUT OUT THE NOISE” in gold, adopting the words of Darryl Drake as their motto. Drake’s death last Sunday became a dark cloud that hovered over the final week of Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent,...
