Steelers/NFL category, Page 291
Former Steelers QB Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges heads to Canada
Canada geese are a common sight throughout Pennsylvania. And now a Duck that made his home in Pittsburgh is heading north to Canada. Quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges signed a three-year contract with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League, the team announced Thursday. “Usually ducks migrate south around this...
Minkah Fitzpatrick’s creativity in Steelers secondary brings up memories of Troy Polamalu
The way Minkah Fitzpatrick was deployed on defense in the season opener for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was reminiscent of a certain safety who just a few weeks earlier was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler isn’t calling Fitzpatrick the next Troy Polamalu, but...
Matt Canada gives winning grade to Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger’s Week 1 performance
Offensive coordinator Matt Canada didn’t grade Ben Roethlisberger’s performance at Buffalo as harshly as Pro Football Focus, which rated the Pittsburgh Steelers passer as the NFL’s worst quarterback in Week 1. Yes, he was ranked even lower than Aaron Rodgers, who finished with a 36.8 passer rating in a 38-3...
Mike Tomlin had a creative message for his rookies before their 1st road game in Buffalo
All nine of the Steelers’ 2021 draft class members came from Power 5 conference programs. One benefit of that is the players come to the NFL having a feel for big-time football. The daily mechanisms and framework that exist on that scale. The pressures and expectations associated with being a...
‘U mad, bro?’: Steelers fans want more faith; Pitt fans want more coverage; Pirates fans want more wins
The Steelers season is just starting. The Pirates season is finally ending. Pitt’s fan base is starting to wake up. And the emotions from all sides are equally raw. That’s abundantly clear in this week’s “U mad, bro?”. After their win Sunday over the Buffalo Bills, this Twitter follower remained...
First Call: Kevin Colbert may be scouting QB prospect; ex-Steeler signs with Bengals; Dan Marino’s milestone
The Steelers may already be scouting a quarterback for next year’s draft. The Bengals have signed a former Steelers free agent. The Raiders Maxx Crosby raised eyebrows with his performance Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens. And we celebrate a Pitt football legend’s birthday. All of this in today’s First...
Steelers notebook: Defensive line rotation pays off in opener without Stephon Tuitt
The absence of defensive end Stephon Tuitt wasn’t felt Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers swarmed Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throughout a 23-16 victory. Allen, who was in MVP consideration last year, was sacked three times and led the Bills to just one touchdown in the season opener. The Steelers...
Ben Roethlisberger praises Steelers WRs for final drive vs. Bills
Given a chance to run out the clock or pad their lead in the fourth quarter Sunday at Buffalo, the Pittsburgh Steelers tried to accomplish a little bit of each objective. And they relied on the arm of 18-year veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to get it done. The result was...
First Call: Steelers-Bills help generate huge NFL TV ratings; Raiders injury update; James Franklin fails to sidestep USC rumors
Wednesday’s “First Call” shows us some remarkable television ratings for the Steelers-Bills game and the rest of the NFL. The Vegas Raiders get bad news on the injury front as they prepare to face the Steelers Sunday at Heinz Field. Penn State coach James Franklin makes a poor attempt to...
NFL reactions — and overreactions — for Steelers and other AFC contenders after Week 1
The opening Pittsburgh Steelers game of the season isn’t just fun because of those three hours of excitement on that first Sunday afternoon. Or Monday night. Or even the occasional Thursday night. It’s fun because of the ensuing week when we endure those massive swings of emotion and adjustments of...
After season-opening road win, Steelers’ Mike Tomlin not taking Raiders lightly at home
Based on what transpired Monday night in the desert, the Pittsburgh Steelers hope that what happened in Vegas stays in Vegas. Rallying from a 14-point deficit, the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Baltimore Ravens, 33-27, in overtime, making them a formidable opponent when they meet the Steelers on Sunday at...
Steelers notebook: Tre Norwood becomes latest versatile piece of secondary
The rookie draft class was expected to be heavily involved for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season opener at Buffalo. Nobody, though, could have predicted that the most-used rookie would be seventh-round defensive back Tre Norwood. Norwood was one of five rookies to start against the Bills — six if...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin hopes players keep fans energized at home opener
For the first time in two seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers will play a game in front of a capacity crowd at Heinz Field when they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday in the home opener. Coach Mike Tomlin is hoping his players do a better job of keeping the...
First Call: Bills coordinator takes blame for bad call versus Steelers; Raiders get banged up before trip to Heinz Field
Tuesday’s “First Call” puts the debut of Steelers rookie Najee Harris into context. Ex-Steelers punter Jordan Berry makes a strong impression with his new team. The Las Vegas Raiders had a wild “Monday Night Football” game and lots of injuries in advance of their visit to Heinz Field Sunday. And...
Execution, belief in plan lead to rare ‘splash’ punt block for Steelers
Every week for 16 — now, 17 — weeks, Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith pores over opponents film of dozens of punts, kickoffs and placekicks. He’s hoping to find a vulnerability in a protection or coverage team that can give the Steelers an advantage. The payoffs are rare...
Relentless pass rush among 5 things worth savoring from Steelers’ win at Buffalo
Five things we learned from Steelers 23, Bills 16: 1. Pass rush to judgment Any concerns about the Steelers being able to piece together a pass rush with Stephon Tuitt on injured reserve, Bud Dupree in Tennessee and T.J. Watt coming off just three practices didn’t last long. From the...
Steelers Week 1 film study: Man coverage, calculated quarterback pressure keys to win over Bills
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 1 victory. To kick off their 2021 season, the Steelers traveled to a hostile environment and shocked a lot of people...
Unfiltered: Tim Benz and Mark Madden break down Steelers win over BillsVideo
Mark Madden and Tim Benz discuss the Pittsburgh Steelers season-opening 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday on this week’s edition of “Unfiltered” on TribLIVE’s Facebook page. While he tries not to judge too much based on Week 1, Madden says that the Bills reverted back to the same...
Mark Madden: T.J. Watt, Steelers defense were good as advertised and will need to be all season
If the Steelers are to have a blueprint for success in 2021, Sunday’s upset victory at Buffalo might come close to what’s needed. The defense won the game. T.J. Watt spurred the defense to win the game. Within the admittedly narrow microcosm of Week 1, the superstar outside linebacker delivered...
First Call: Bills coach frustrated with holding penalties versus Steelers; Raiders running back questionable versus Ravens
Monday’s “First Call” shows us that the Buffalo Bills are bothered by one particular aspect of their upset loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. The Steelers’ next opponent may be dealing with some problems at the running back position Monday night. The Pirates and Reds are about to get very...
Madden Monday on Steelers win in Buffalo: ‘The better defense won. The offense was a passenger’
For as much as things coalesced in the second half for the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday in Buffalo, TribLIVE’s Mark Madden says the offense can do more. The Steelers fell into a 10-0 hole at halftime. Yet they ended up beating the favored Bills 23-16 thanks to a second-half explosion. In...
Tim Benz: Cameron Heyward, pass rush prowess, special teams adventures tell the story of Steelers’ upset win over Bills
Uh, oh. The Steelers are going to be that kinda team again in 2021, aren’t they? That “30-Minute Men” team we talked about at length last season. Especially during that opening stretch of 2020 when Mike Tomlin’s crew won 11 in a row, largely by playing “above the line” football...
Blocked punt proves pivotal in Steelers win at Bills
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – The first play of the season was a dud for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ special teamers. It took the unit three quarters to more than make up for it. A blocked punt returned for a scoop-and-score touchdown was one of the major plays of the Steelers’ 23-16...
T.J. Watt shows no ill effects his limited camp practice time in Steelers’ winVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Neither of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive or defensive captains could help but joke about T.J. Watt’s performance Sunday. “He’s fine,” defensive lineman Cameron Heyward said, eliciting laughs postgame. Moments later, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger quipped: “It just shows that the preseason’s overrated, right?” Watt was a force...
Diontae Johnson celebrates Steelers’ return trip to Buffalo with go-ahead TD catchVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — When Diontae Johnson left the field in the first quarter Sunday, it was reminiscent of his previous visit to Highmark Stadium in December. The difference was, Johnson left with an injury and not because he was benched for dropping too many passes. The third-year wide receiver...
