Steelers/NFL category, Page 270
The Steelers a good team? Many games, that’s half right
With a 6-6-1 record, by definition, the Pittsburgh Steelers are an average football team. They also have proven themselves to be half good. A noticeable trend for the Steelers over the past two seasons perhaps came to a head during Thursday night’s game at Minnesota. The Steelers were dreadful in...
‘Do what he does, and you’ll be around for a while’ — Cameron Heyward a leader for Steelers
On the day he was announced for a fourth time as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ annual nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award, Cameron Heyward was referred to by his defensive coordinator late in a session with media. Keith Butler was asked a seemingly innocuous question about...
Steelers Four Downs: OK to criticize Chase Claypool, but don’t forget his production
1. Chase-ing recognition A lightning rod for criticism after some ill-advised verbal and on-field actions in recent weeks, Chase Claypool’s solid production for the Pittsburgh Steelers during Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings is getting overlooked. Claypool caught eight of nine balls thrown his way for a game-high 93 yards....
Steelers vs. Vikings Week 14 film study: Brutal 1st half too much for Steelers to overcome
NFL football analyst Matt Williamson will break down each of the Steelers games this season in the Trib’s Steelers Film Study. Here’s what he saw in the Steelers’ Week 14 loss to the Vikings. In a pivotal Thursday night game for both conference playoff races, the Steelers got blown away...
Another Steelers loss, another series of criticism from team alumni
For the second time in three weeks, former Pittsburgh Steelers ripped the current iteration after an abysmal performance Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings. But Ryan Clark had the most blistering take of all. Speaking on ESPN’s “Get Up” Friday morning less than 12 hours after the Steelers’ 36-28 loss...
5 things: Are there any stones left for Mike Tomlin to overturn in attempt to fix Steelers?
Five things we learned from Vikings 36, Steelers 28: 1. Stone cold In his postgame address, coach Mike Tomlin said he would “turn every stone over” in order to find the right personnel or scheme to fix the Steelers’ problems in the trenches. The issue is whether any stone remains...
Mark Madden: Chase Claypool personifies Steelers’ culture problem
The Pittsburgh Steelers did not show guts and pride in their fourth-quarter comeback at Minnesota. If they had guts and pride, they wouldn’t have been trailing a sub-.500 team 29-0. The Steelers’ near-miss mostly was fueled by Minnesota lacking guts and pride, yet the Vikings still won. The biggest factor...
Steelers vs. Vikings: What they’re saying in Minnesota after win
They were a dropped pass and 2-point conversion from blowing a 29-point second half lead. But the host Minnesota Vikings held on to beat the Steelers. Their running back Dalvin Cook ran wild as Minnesota built a 23-0 halftime lead. The Steelers lost T.J. Watt again to a groin injury....
First Call: Stats indicate Steelers’ run defense against Vikings was worse than we thought, Marc-Andre Fleury wins No. 500
Friday’s “First Call” shows us exactly how easy it was for Dalvin Cook to race all over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night in Minnesota. We preview the latest edition of Penguins-Capitals on Friday night. Marc-Andre Fleury reaches a milestone. And a former NFL Pro Bowl player dies far too...
Airing of Grievances: Anemic offensive line, putrid defense stand out in Steelers’ 1st-half fiasco in Minnesota
The first grievance I want to air after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-half Minnesota meltdown Thursday night is about … me. Hey, this column is nothing if not transparent. I’m an idiot. As I wrote Thursday, I circled the game in Minnesota on the day the schedule was released as a...
Chase Claypool: ‘I’ve got to be better’ after celebration, penalty cost Steelers in loss to Vikings
MINNEAPOLIS – Needing a yard on fourth down to extend a frantic last-minute drive, Chase Claypool got 9 to keep momentum going in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ favor Thursday night. Instinctively, Claypool dropped to one knee and pointed the ball in the direction of the Minnesota Vikings end zone to signify...
Steelers’ comeback falls short on Dalvin Cook’s huge night
MINNEAPOLIS – The Pittsburgh Steelers staged a furious second-half rally Thursday night at U.S. Bank Stadium, but it was too little, too late to prevent a loss that put their playoff hopes on life support. Despite trailing by 29 points in the third quarter, the Steelers cut the deficit to...
Steelers vs. Vikings inactives: John Leglue set to make NFL starting debut at left guard
MINNEAPOLIS – With four other players hurt or on the reserve/covid list, John Leglue made his first NFL start at left guard Thursday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Leglue, a 6-foot-7, 310-pound former undrafted free agent from Tulane, was pressed into duty...
BetMGM: NFL Underdog Betting Lines — Best bets for road teams in Week 14
By BetMGM staff Most of the underdogs in Week 14 are on the road. NFL underdog betting lines for away teams provide plenty of opportunities for bettors this week. So, let’s take a closer look at the current NFL odds associated with the road dogs this week before you lay...
Steelers follow through with commitment to running game
MINNEAPOLIS — When team president Art Rooney mandated in the offseason that the Pittsburgh Steelers run the ball more effectively and efficiently this year, perhaps he had the game last weekend against the Baltimore Ravens in mind. Despite trailing at halftime and also entering the fourth quarter, the Steelers remained...
Tim Benz: Thursday’s game vs. Vikings is a microcosm of contradictions for 2021 Steelers
On one hand, I’ve found 2021 to be perhaps the hardest season to prognosticate in terms of picking the Steelers. Week to week, I’m not sure I’ve ever struggled as much to get a handle on whether the Steelers will win or lose — let alone if they’d cover the...
First Call: Oddsmakers favor Mason Rudolph as Steelers’ starting QB in 2022; unhappy Pirates anniversary remembered
Thursday’s “First Call” looks at the future of the Steelers’ quarterback position and a page from the Pirates checkered past. A Western Pennsylvania product with major influence in the college sports world is getting a new gig. And the Philadelphia Flyers are just a mess. Isn’t it great? Money on...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans still wound up after win over Ravens; Pitt fans in a snit over Kenny Pickett ‘fake slide’ criticism
With the Steelers playing Thursday night, part of me considered holding “U mad, bro?” until Friday morning. You know, just in case the Steelers lost. As you will soon read, though, between the Kenny Pickett slide debate and the tense Steelers-Ravens game last Sunday, I wasn’t exactly lacking for material....
Former Steelers great Dick Hoak gets surprise birthday party in Hempfield
Turning 82 isn’t exactly a milestone birthday. But for the friends of former Steelers and Penn State great and Jeannette native Dick Hoak, any excuse to give him a party is a good one. Fans of Hoak know him as a former Pro Bowl running back and the longest tenured...
Diontae Johnson combines skillset, work ethic, maturity to emerge as Steelers’ No. 1 WR
Naturally more introverted and a self-proclaimed quiet type, Diontae Johnson is far from as potentially polarizing as the man he effectively was traded for, Antonio Brown. Johnson doesn’t carry the kind of divisive target on his back the way Brown does these days, but Johnson is frequently targeted — by...
Steelers’ Joe Haden to miss 4th straight game, but Vikings’ Dalvin Cook might play
Coach Mike Tomlin lauded Ahkello Witherspoon after his first Pittsburgh Steelers start Sunday. Witherspoon will make another start Thursday. Veteran cornerback Joe Haden will miss a fourth consecutive game because of a foot injury as the team listed him as out for Thursday’s game at the Minnesota Vikings. Witherspoon is...
Mark Madden: It will be interesting to see how seasons play out for Sidney Crosby, Ben Roethlisberger
Sidney Crosby has a six-game points streak, compiling three goals and eight assists over that span. He’s up to a point per game on the season, with 13 in 13. Crosby had wrist surgery and battled covid but now looks the part after struggling for the best part of a...
Steelers LB T.J. Watt named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after 3½-sack game
Practice makes perfect? Not for T.J. Watt, who followed a week in which he didn’t practice at all with NFL recognition as the AFC’s best defensive player Sunday. Watt was announced as AFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday, the second time he has been honored as such this...
Tim Benz: Coaching will prove to be more important than ever for Steelers, rest of the AFC
Pittsburgh Steelers fans can take comfort in at least one thing during this maddeningly inconsistent 2021 season. They aren’t alone. Just about every fan base is asking the same question about their own favorite team: “Are these guys any good or not?” We always hear that the NFL is a...
First Call: John Harbaugh grumbles about officiating after loss to Steelers; Vikings star may try to play Thursday
Wednesday’s “First Call” has some agitation from Baltimore in the wake of the Ravens’ loss at Heinz Field Sunday. The Steelers are working out some special teams players. The Vikings might get a star player back before the Steelers visit Thursday night. There was a little ripple effect from the...
