Steelers/NFL category, Page 75

Thousands of Pittsburgh Steelers fans flocked to the North Shore and tailgating lots Sunday for the team’s season opener at Acrisure Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers. People began trickling in at around 8 a.m., and by 9, the festivities were in full swing, featuring loud pump-up music, food and...

Veteran Pittsburgh Steelers starters Cameron Heyward and Diontae Johnson did not finish Sunday’s season opener because of injury. The Steelers’ oldest player at 34 and a longtime co-captain, Heyward suffered what the team described as a groin injury during the first half of Sunday’s 30-7 loss to the San Francisco...

By virtue of their decision to name Kenny Pickett the lone offensive captain, Pittsburgh Steelers players — and by extension the coaching staff — recognize the growth and leadership the 25-year-old quarterback has displayed as he enters his second NFL season. Pickett also is starting to gain respect nationally, at...

In my prior missive, I predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers to go 9-8 and miss the playoffs. Now, by way of formulaic preseason drivel, here are the rest of my NFL prognostications: AFC East winner: Buffalo. AFC West winner: Kansas City. AFC North winner: Cincinnati. AFC South winner: Jacksonville. AFC wild...

1. Need better from Najee The data compiled by NFL Next Gen Stats last season said the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Najee Harris was one of the worst starting running backs in the league. Among the company Harris kept toward the bottom of those lists, Harris is the only one to hold...

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi did not fully participate in any practices this week and was officially deemed questionable to play in Sunday’s regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. Ogunjobi has been listed on the league-mandated injury report as dealing with a foot ailment that has hindered him...

It was just two years ago the Pittsburgh Steelers started five rookies during their season opener, the most they’d deployed for a season’s first game in three decades. This year, depending on the packages the offense and defense open up with, there might not be any rookies in the starting...

For those who still watch old-fashioned (non-streaming) television that features ads, it’s been difficult to get through any commercial breaks during this season-opening week of the NFL season without seeing T.J. Watt. Watt, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ star defender, stars in two humorous commercials this week — one for an at-home...

Tasked over the past week-plus with formulating a plan to limit San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey, savvy veteran NFL defensive coordinator Teryl Austin devised a unique strategy. “We’re going to try to play with 12 guys,” Austin said, laughing. Presumably, Austin won’t want to actually subject the...

In advance of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, we’ve been hearing for weeks about the challenge of facing the Niners’ vaunted rushing attack. Last year, it ranked seventh in the NFL with 2,360 yards and can also use a short passing game...

This is a pretty good Pittsburgh Steelers team. Improved from last year. It has a first-round draft pick at quarterback who looks ready to break through. It has a myriad of offensive weapons: no proven superstar, but a receiver capable of big plays and a first-round running back who also...

Friday’s “First Call” has some very interesting quotes from a Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back about the San Francisco 49ers offense. We also have injury news from San Francisco in advance of the team’s season opener in Pittsburgh on Sunday, a status update on a former Pitt Panther standout, and another...

If you work in the Pittsburgh sports media you are obligated — by law — to make a season prediction for the Steelers before their first game of the regular season. Seriously. If you don’t, you could get arrested. I’m pretty sure I signed some piece of paper requiring me...

Each started four years at quarterback for a Power Five college, breaking myriad school records along the way while lifting their programs to heights not seen in decades. Each, too, was eligible for the 2022 draft. Kenny Pickett and Brock Purdy also had success as rookie NFL quarterbacks, and they...

Anthony Brown and Josiah Scott have combined to play 10 NFL seasons, 133 regular-season games and four postseason games. They’ve been on division title teams, combined for 12 career interceptions and figured in on 387 tackles. Each, though, for the moment is spending this week on the scout team at...

Three days out from their regular-season opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ two most important defensive linemen remain on the injury report and continue to miss practice time. Cameron Heyward (stomach) and Larry Ogunjobi (foot) each remain expected to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Acrisure Stadium. But each also...

When the Pittsburgh Steelers began formulating a game plan for the San Francisco 49ers, they designed it with the belief that NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa would be wearing scarlet and gold — and not street clothes — for the season opener. That assumption proved to be...

Dustin Helm arrived on the North Shore 90 minutes before parking lots opened for the first University of Pittsburgh football game of the season, as he has done for the past seven-plus years. When the lots opened last weekend, Helm attempted to turn left in Lot 7C and make his...

Thursday’s “First Call” has Steelers reaction to Nick Bosa’s new contract in San Francisco. We detail how much playing time Bosa may get Sunday in Pittsburgh without the benefit of a training camp. Plus, Bosa’s return is just one of many good news items for the 49ers. And it is...

This time next week, “U mad, bro?” will be filled to the brim with one of two types of complaints from readers. 1. That the Steelers didn’t win. Or…. 2. That the Steelers didn’t win by enough. Either way, it’s bound to be wildly entertaining. In the meantime, for our...

Like the stock market, past performance for NFL teams in the preseason isn’t indicative of future results once September arrives. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, that means the anticipation of a market correction after the first-team offense produced five touchdowns on five series over the three-game exhibition schedule. The Steelers exited...

The tradition-philic Pittsburgh Steelers have never joined other NFL teams in adopting the usage of a “C” on the front left of a player’s uniform to denote a captaincy. With that in mind, Kenny Pickett’s rationalization for taking over a share of the Steelers’ captaincy from Najee Harris is more...

When it comes to the supersized expectations much of the NFL community has bestowed upon him for his second season, George Pickens is unfazed. “I don’t really pay too much attention to it, to be honest,” the prodigious receiver said after Pittsburgh Steelers practice Wednesday. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Pickens has...

Cory Trice meandered his way around the locker room at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Leaning on crutches that resembled the tall and slender cornerback himself, Trice made his way to his locker. This, of course, isn’t the way he wanted his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers to go....

When it comes to season-opening opponents, beginning the 2023 campaign against the San Francisco 49ers will continue a theme for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s the third straight year that Mike Tomlin’s crew will open their campaign against a reigning division champion. The 49ers won the NFC West in 2022. Last...