Category Archives: Steelers 2018 Preseason

Steelers Report Card for Preseason Win over Panthers – “Joshua Dobbs Does He Stay or Go” Edition

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It was a fun evening for the Steelers, who prevailed over the  Panthers, 39-24, in their fourth and final preseason game, Thursday night at Heinz Field. It was fun for the rookies and roster hopefuls, because the spotlight was on them. It was also fun for the veterans, because most didn’t have to play.

Joshua Dobbs, Steelers vs Panthers preseason

Joshua Dobbs scores touchdown in preseason. Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

Quarterbacks
Second-year man Joshua Dobbs was the talk of the town, following Thursday’s final tuneup. “Should they keep Dobbs and get rid of backup Landry Jones?” many wondered quite vocally. And, why? Because Dobbs, who started and played most of the first half, put the finishing touches on a fine preseason, this time, completing eight of 12 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. Dobbs even added 18 yards and another touchdown on the ground.

Rookie Mason Rudolph also looked sharp, connecting on five of his nine passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Rudolph also showed off his legs (and mean-streak) by taking it in himself on a two-point attempt and then giving the business to the linebacker who was flagged for hitting him late after he crossed the goal line. Sure, these youngsters were going up against fourth and fifth-stringers, but impressive is impressive, so….. Grade: A-

Running Backs
Veteran Stevan Ridley looked impressive as the workhorse, toting the rock eight times for 39 yards. Other than Ridley, no other Steelers running back did much. Although, unknown Jarvion Franklin perhaps fulfilled a childhood dream by scoring a touchdown under the bright lights. Grade: C

Wide Receivers
It was a quiet night for the receivers who are locks to make the team. As for those hopefuls? While it was likely too little, too late for him, Tevin Jones did put something on tape with two scores. And Pitt’s Quadree Henderson scored a seven-yard touchdown in the same venue where he had many as a college player. It was another subpar night (and perhaps final night in black-and-gold) for Trey Griffey and Damoun Patterson, who combined for one catch for 15 yards. Grade: CSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Tight Ends
Can you believe a Steelers’ tight end did something? That would be Bucky Hodges, who pulled in two passes for 43 yards–including a 36-yard reception that set up a touchdown. As for Jesse James, Vance McDonald and Xavier Grimble? They were all nursing injuries of varying degrees, and we can only hope that one of them will be ready for Week-1 in Cleveland. Grade: D

Offensive Linemen
As you might expect, the Steelers starting linemen used up their remaining sick days on Thursday, but those super-subs, namely Matt Feiler, B.J. Finney and rookie tackle Chuks Okorafor acquitted themselves quite well, limiting Carolina to one sack. The Steelers also rushed for 108 yards as a team, so all-in-all, it wasn’t a bad night for Pittsburgh’s notable offensive line depth. Grade: B+

Defensive Linemen
It was also an uneventful night for the veterans of this unit, and of those youngsters and veterans looking to crack the talented defensive line, not much stood out. Although, Lavon Hooks did record a sack. Also, Carolina only rushed for 90 yards on 22 carries. Grade: C

Linebackers
Wow, after yet another impressive showing by Matthew Thomas, who tallied 11 tackles–including six solo–and recorded a strip-sack, recovered the fumble out of the air, and then proceeded to race 75 yards down to the Carolina one-yard line, one has to wonder if the UDFA out of Florida State is already the Steelers’ most-talented inside linebacker. That opinion will be proven over time, of course, but there’s no doubt Thomas cemented his spot on the final roster. Speaking of UDFAs who cemented a roster spot, Steelers’ fans better learn how to spell Olasunkanmi Adeniyi’s name, because the youngster recorded his third preseason sack.  Grade: A

Secondary
Rookie fifth-round pick, Marcus Allen, got plenty of reps at the safety position, along with plenty of tackles (10 and six solo). Second-year corner Brian Allen likely locked up his place on the roster with nine total tackles. As for Mr. Preseason, safety Jordan Dangerfield, he added five tackles. Will this be enough for the veteran to hold onto his job? Grade: B

Special Teams
The newly-acquired Ryan Switzer returned two kickoffs for 43 yards, while Henderson had 29 yards on his lone attempt. Punter Matt Wile may have ousted veteran Jordan Berry by averaging 50 yards on three punts. As for the coverage units, nothing alarming stood out. Grade: B-

Coaching
Not much you can say about coaching in a game like this. When you have a bunch of down-the-liners going up against a bunch of down-the-liners, you can throw strategy out the window. The only thing you can really grade is whether or not the head coach protected enough key veterans from injury. And with the exception of the gruesome knee injury suffered by Malik Golden (who obviously doesn’t have the cachet to sit out a fourth preseason game), it was a job well-done. Grade: A

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Steelers Streaming Preseason in Mexico. Excellent! ¿Y qué pasa con el resto de América Latina?

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Tonight, Steelers fans in Mexico will watch the Steelers 4th game against the Carolina Panthers as they’ve done throughout the preseason thanks to the Steelers decision to stream preseason live in Mexico.

  • It says here, for the first of two times, that this is an excellent move and the Steelers deserve praise.

But with that said, I ask, ¿Y qué pasa con el resto de los fanáticos de los Steelers América Latina? For those of you who don’t speak Spanish, “What about the rest of us Steelers fans in Latin America?

To be clear: I’m happy that my fellow Mexican citizens of Steelers Nation can see Terrell Edmunds, James Washington, Mason Rudolph, Damoun Patterson and Olasunkanmi Adeiyi take their first steps as Steelers.

But I “complain” for one selfish reason and one business reason that the NFL should consider.

Steelers Fans Mexico

Steelers enjoy a massive following in Mexico. Photo Credit: Interceptado

Short Changing International Steelers Bloggers

I’m a self-confessed unrepentant preseason apologist (how’s that for mixed metaphors?) Preseason gives fans their best chance to evaluate young players under live-fire circumstances.

To be truthful, social media and internet video give fans new avenues for gaining insight without watching preseason games. Reading and seeing examples of Jon Bostic and Sean Davis struggling in pass coverage or seeing that James Conner running smartly is a welcome change.

  • But if you can’t watch the games, you’re still dependent on the evaluations of others.
  • And that creates a real challenge for international bloggers.

Sure, you can scrape someone someone else’s work, but the internet is literally littered with “read and regurgitate sites” and Steel Curtain Rising strives to offer something fresh.

Absent access to preseason games, one is left recycling stories of Bam Morris looking off in 1995 while Lee Flowers looked good in the ’95 and ’96 preseason campaigns, or how George Jones look unsuited as Jerome Bettis’ understudy in 1997 or how the Steelers struggled at run blocking during the 1998 preseason.

  • Writing about that gets stale fast and reading about it even faster.

It would be nice to write about the Steelers 2018 preseason campaign while referencing the preseason performances players like Antonio Brown, Jarvis Jones, Ryan Shazier or, even going back further, Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley. But alas, I can’t because I never saw any of them play in preseason.

Ah, but you retort, “If you’re such a preseason purist, why don’t you plunk down your pesos and pay for NFL Game Pass?”

NFL’s Preseason Business Model Continues to Lag, Locally and Globally

Yes, I could plunk down my pesos and watch Steelers preseason games via Game Pass. Problem? I already pay for NFL Sunday Ticket on DirectTV. But, NFL Sunday Ticket only covers the regular season. Which leaves paying extra for the Game Pass as the only (legal) option for viewing Steelers preseason here in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as the rest of Latin America, outside of Mexico.

To that end, the logic of the late Washington DC sports radio legend Ken Beatrice guides me:

  • Never pay major league prices to watch less than major league talent.

Seriously. It asking Sunday Ticket subscribers to pay extra to watch preseason on Game Pass is inane. Sorry Roger, you can get my money for the Sunday Ticket or for the Game Pass but you’re not getting both.

  • If you’re living outside the United States and you actually want to watch preseason football, you’re the essence of a diehard fan.

And if the NFL is serious about its global expansion, then those diehard fans are the base the league will build its global brand upon. Making it easy for them to indulge their passions by proving easy access to preseason football makes sound business sense.

We close by praising the Steelers again. Gustavo Vallegos the Vice President (really, he’s acting more like the President) of the Pittsburgh Steelers Fan Club of Buenos Aires brought this issue to the attention of the Steelers, and the Steelers responded:

In a nutshell, Sergio tells us that the Steelers short term goal was to make preseason games available in Mexico, while he acknowledges that there are Steelers fans around the world, and that little by little, they want to reach those fans.

  • Good for them. Hey Art II, give the guy who had the idea a raise!

The Steelers showing they care about their fans in Mexico, showing that they understand that fan base is even bigger and wants to take care of them. It is the right thing to do and a smart business decision.

Why is the rest of the NFL so far behind? Jerry Jones is once again floating an idiotic 18 game season complaining that “Its difficult to get people to watch preseason football.”

Well yeah, Jerry, difficult because you don’t even let those who want to watch it, watch it.

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Is Joshua Dobbs Destined to Be Cut? Afterall, Steelers Have Kept 4 Quarterbacks Twice Before…

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The 2018 Pittsburgh Steelers have a quarterback quandary. They created it, but that fact simplifies nothing. Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Joshua Dobbs and Mason Rudolph give the Steelers a 4 quarterback preseason roster. Each offers assets to the team. But the Steelers can’t keep four quarterbacks on their roster, or can they?

  • After all, the Steelers have carried 4 quarterbacks on their roster twice, in 1995 and 1999.

Could they do it again? Should they do it again? Does the Steelers history with four quarterbacks serve as any sort of guide? Let’s find out….

Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Mason Rudolph, Joshua Dobbs, Steelers 4 quarterbacks

Can the Steelers keep 4 quarterbacks in 2018? Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

A Youngster Learns about NFL Quarterback Depth Charts…

I’m old enough (barely, mind you) to have an big brother who explained to me the concept of “strings” using Terry Bradshaw as the Steelers first string quarterback, Cliff Stoudt as the 2nd string quarterback and Mark Malone as third string quarterback.

  • My brother also told me that NFL teams carried three quarterbacks, but sometimes kept four.

Sometimes, my brother assured me, teams kept four. But my first and only memory of that came in 1989 when the New England Patriots opened and closed season with four quarterbacks, Tony Eason, Steve Grogan, Doug Flutie and Marc Wilson. Each started a game, and the Patriots finished 5-11.

Keeping four quarterbacks was not a sign of strength for the ’89 Patriots, but it isn’t necessarily always the case.

1995 Steelers Quarterback Depth Chart

The Steelers surprised everyone by drafting Kordell Stewart in the 2nd round of the 1995 NFL Draft. With Neil O’Donnell, Mike Tomczak and Jim Miller Steelers looked set at quarterback.

But O’Donnell, in the final year of his contract, talked a good game about staying in Pittsburgh, but Bill Cowher and Tom Donahoe hedged their bets.

  • In preseason both Jim Miller and Kordell Stewart played well and remained healthy.

Although roster limits had grown between 1989 and 1995, the salary cap had forever altered NFL roster dynamics. Keeping four quarterbacks cut sharply against conventional wisdom. But Steelers Digest editor Bob Labriola resolved the question with simple logic: The 1994 Steelers had played the entire season with Fred Foggie and Charles Davenport on their roster and finished just shy of the Super Bowl.

  • Bill Cowher made the right move by carrying 4 quarterbacks.

Each quarterback threw a pass during the season (yes, Jim Miller threw one) and the Kordell Stewart “Slash” phenomenon added an element of dynamism to the offense that carried the Steelers all the way to Super Bowl XXX.

Carry 4 quarterbacks in 1995 was sign of strength for the 1995 Steelers.

1999 Steelers Quarterback Depth Chart

The Steelers faced a very different quarterback depth chart quandary in 1999. Although Kordell Stewart had led the Steelers to the 1997 AFC Championship, in 1998 timidity and tentativeness replace Stewart’s swagger and the signal caller struggled mightily.

Mike Tomczak remained as a backup, former Pitt stand out Pete Gonzalez’s audible ability had impressed Bill Cowher during the 1998 preseason, and Anthony Wright, an undrafted rookie free agent possessed “one of the strongest arms” Bill Cowher had ever seen.

The Steelers carried four quarterbacks in 1999 (yes, yesterday’s Steelers.com article was wrong, don’t believe it? Click here), as Gonzalez saw mop up duty in the opener against Cleveland, Stewart got benched and moved to wide out while Mike Tomczak finished the season as the starter.

They’d been talk of Anthony Wright getting snaps in the meaningless season finale, but that never materialized, (…although Bobby Shaw did flash his Superman jersey after catching a garbage time touchdown.)

In 1999, the 6-10 Steelers revealed their weakness by keeping four quarterbacks.

The 2018 Steelers Quarterback Depth Chart

Ben Roethlisberger and Landry Jones are staying put, barring a ridiculous trade offer for Landry Jones. The Steelers aren’t cutting Mason Rudolph. That leaves Joshua Dobbs as the odd man out.

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers vs Broncos, Steelers AFC championship Broncos

Ben Roethlisberger in the 2005 AFC Championship Game. Photo Credit: Denver Post

Mike Tomlin is starting him in the preseason finale and Joshua Dobbs has had a strong summer. He works hard and is probably the better option at this point should the Steelers need to play a 3rd quarterback. And Steelers 3rd string quarterbacks have seen a lot of non-mop up action under Mike Tomlin.

  • Landry Jones will be a free agent next spring, and the Steelers could gain salary cap relief by with two quarterbacks playing on their first contracts as backups.

The flipside to the argument is that many NFL teams only keep two quarterbacks, not three, and the Steelers need the roster spots at linebacker, tight end, defensive back and perhaps running back.

  • What would a fourth string quarterback do in 2018, anyway?

In 1995, Bob Labirola argued for keeping four by suggesting that there must be some sort of “busy work” for an NFL 4th string quarterback. There was of a sort, but “busy work” entailed Kordell Stewart playing wide out in practice.

  • In 1999, Bill Cowher conceded that Anthony Wright would make a good free safety in practice.

In a perfect world, the Steelers would find a way to keep Joshua Dobbs in Pittsburgh. Like 1995 and unlike 1999, carrying 4 quaterbacks would signal the strength of the Steelers 2018 roster.

But the Steelers Super Bowl window is closing, but Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert need to keep the 53 men most likely to help land Lombardi Number 7 in Pittsburgh, and that 53rd man is unlikely to be a 4th string quarterback.

So, unless injury intervenes, Joshua Dobbs’ start against Carolina tomorrow night will likely be his last for the Pittsburgh Steelers, however unfortunate that may be.

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Achilles Heel? Jesse James Healthy but Steelers Could be in Tight Spot @ Tight End

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Ah, gotta watch those June Achilles tears. On the Jesse James return to practice following his injury in Pittsburgh’s preseason win over Tennessee, but tight end could be a tight spot for the Steelers this season, and if it is it will have all started with a June Achilles injury.

Jesse James, Steelers 2018 tight ends

Jesse James after catching a high Ben Roethlisberger pass vs. Titans. Photo credit: Yahoo! Sports

Pittsburgh’s problems at the position of began during spring practice, when reserve tight end Jake McGee torn his Achilles tendon during OTAs. The Steelers had carried McGee on their practice squad during 2018 and coaches expected McGee to push Xavier Grimble for a roster spot.

The Steelers situation at tight end grew more complicated arrived at St. Vincents when Vance McDonald injured his foot after after only one day of practice. Vance McDonald has not practiced since that fateful day in July, although Mike Tomlin has publicly listed McDonald as “Day-to-day.”

The Steelers of course acquired McDonald last season in a trade, only to see him sit on the sidelines injured, although he rebounded for strong game in the playoff loss to the Jaguars.

That left Xavier Grimble and Jesse James, but Grimble injured his wrist/thumb on a blocking sled on August 18th and had to have surgery. Grimble has been characterized as “Week-to-week.” If McDonald’s absence is any guide, perhaps month-to-month would be for fitting for Grimble.

Let’s hope that not the case, but as good Reimagined Battlestar Galactica fans know, “All this has happened before and [hopefully] will [not] again.”

June Misfortunes Can Set the Tone for an Entire Season

The advent of the digital age has magnified everything. Trivial, bit-sized bites of Steelers news that once would have merited 2-3 inches of newspaper column wedged in somewhere deep in the back pages of the Pittsburgh Press or Post-Gazette now serve as feature-length click generating stories (sometimes for good reason, sometimes not.)

  • In that spirit, news from OTAs and minicamp often gets taken too seriously.
  • But sometimes what events from June can end up dictating the entire narrative of the season.

Take the case of Willie Colon. In 2010 Willie Colon, the Steelers starting right tackle, tore his Achilles tendon in late June. This came after Steelers 5th round draft pick Chris Scott had already broken his leg. Those two injuries initiated a torrent of offensive line injuries that lasted the entire year.

During the Steelers 2010 win over Tampa Bay, the Steelers were force to substitute so many offensive lineman that Mike Tomlin remarked jokingly (or perhaps not so jokingly) that coaches didn’t even know who was in and who was out of the game.

The Steelers lost Max Starks in week 7 against Cincinnati, and in the next week against New England, Ben Roethlisberger suffered 5 sacks as the Patriots collapsed the Steelers offensive line at will. Roethlisberger’s sack rate nearly doubled with Jonathan Scott starting at left tackle.

  • Offensive line injuries continued literally through to the taild end of the season.

After the Steelers playoff win against the Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger lauded Flozell Adams for wanting to come off of a gurney to return to the game, and Pittsburgh of course was forced to start Doug Legursky at center in Super Bowl XLV due to injuries to Maurkice Pouncey.

Will the same thing happen to the 2018 Steelers at tight end? Hopefully not, but with less than two weeks to go before the regular season, tight end appears to be the Steelers Achilles heel.

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Steelers Trade for Ryan Switzer, Kicker Returner WR Acquired from Raiders for 5th Rounder

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The Pittsburgh has a new kick returner, as the Steelers traded for Ryan Switzer from the Oakland Raiders, acquiring the return specialist for a 5th round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Steelers also get the Raider’s 6th round pick as part of the deal.

Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Mike Tomlin plans to immediately insert Ryan Switzer into the Steelers lineup and hopes to play him in the Steelers preseason finale on Thursday evening against the Carolina Panthers.

Mike Tomlin explained how Ryan Switzer fits in with the Steelers:

We’ll put him in the mix with these guys and hopefully get him ready to go Thursday night and just continue to build our football team in trying to be strong in all areas.

To make room for Switzer, the Steelers waived Justin Thomas, who’d hopped to make the team as a returner or slot receiver.

Ryan Switzer, Steelers trade for Ryan Switzer

New Steelers kick returner Ryan Switzer celebrating touchdown with Cowboys. Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez, Getty Images via 24/7 Sports

Originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 3th Round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Ryan Switzer averaged 25 yards on 24 kickoff returns in 2017. While he didn’t take one to the house, he did have a long return of 61 yards. Switzer also returned 29 punts for an 8.8 yard average and including one 83 yard punt return for a touchdown.

  • The Cowboys seldom threw to Switzer, who caught 6 passes for 41 yards.

During preseason, Switzer caught 1 touchdown for yards and returned 3 punts for -0.5 yards.

Bad News for Quadree Henderson?

Ryan Switzer’s arrival is bad news for any number of hopeful undrafted rookies and 2nd year players hoping to make the team. Pitt standout Quadree Henderson was signed as a rookie free agent with an eye towards using him as a returner, but he has not impressed thus far as a return specialist.

The Steelers have also used cornerback Cam Sutton as a punt returner and last year they used Eli Rogers in that capacity, but Eli Rogers remains on the PUP list and would serve a 1 game suspension for substance abuse anyway.

  • Ryan Switzer can also play as a slot receiver.

That decreases Markus Tucker and Trey Griffey chances of making the final roster, as well as those of Damoun Patterson. Current Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie James Washington are locks to make the Steelers roster at wide receiver. Ryan Switzer would figure to be the 4th.

Veteran Darrius Heyward-Bey is primarily in the mix, although his value to the team is more on special teams than as a wide out.

Colbert’s Luck with Trades

For a long time, even into the Mike Tomlin era, it was rare for the Steelers to acquire players by trade. Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert did trade to acquire kick returner Allen Rossum in 2007.

  • But starting in 2013 summer trades became more comment for the Steelers.

The Steelers traded Adrian Robinson for Felix Jones in 2013, traded for Levi Brown during the regular season, traded for Brandon Boykin in 2015, Justin Gilbert in 2016, and J.J. Wilcox and Vance McDonald in 2017. Of the sextet of players acquired by trade, only Vance McDonald has delivered anything of value on the field, and his 2017 season was limited by injury (and he’s been injured during the entire summer.)

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Report Card for Steelers 3rd Preseason Game vs. The Titans

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The Steelers took on the Titans at Heinz Field on Saturday afternoon in the (say it with me) all-important third preseason. With the exception of a key superstar or two, all of the starters played for Pittsburgh, and the performance and results looked more akin to a Super Bowl contender than they did the previous week in Green Bay.

Terrell Edmunds, Terrell Edmunds Preseason Interception, Vince Williams

Terrell Edmunds returning a preseason interception. Photo Credit: Don Wright, AP via PennLive.com

Quarterbacks
Ben Roethlisberger made his preseason debut and played three series, completing 11 of 18 passes for 114 yards and a 32-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter. He looked a bit rusty, as the many high passes to  Jesse James — including one that left the big tight end with a back contusion–illustrated. All-in-all, it was about what you’ve come to expect this time of year from the 15-year veteran. Landry Jones completed six of his nine pass attempts for 69 yards and an interception that was more on the receiver than on him. Mason Rudolph played the entire second half and completed seven of 11 passes for 65 yards, as he often utilized short, underneath passes to running backs out of the backfield. Grade: B-

Running Backs
James Conner started, and while his rushing performance left a lot to be desired (just 18 yards on 10 carries), he was very Le’Veon Bell-like, as he compiled 52 receiving yards on six catches. Rookie Jaylen Samuels was the workhorse on the day and a mighty fine one that that, tallying 41 rushing yards on 11 carries, along with 36 receiving yards on four catches out of the backfield. Grade: B

Wide Receivers
Second-year man JuJu Smith-Schuster led the way with six receptions for 46 yards, but he did have a couple of notable drops. Other than Smith-Schuster and Hunter’s aforementioned 32-yard score, it was a rather quiet day for the receivers.  Rookie James Washington was targeted twice on the day and left with zero catches after suffering an oblique injury. After standing out in the first preseason game, Damoun Patterson’s workload continued to decline, as did, one would think, his chances of making the final 53-man roster. Grade: CSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Tight Ends
It was another day without Vance McDonald and another quiet game for the Steelers tight ends. James left with two receptions for 17 yards after suffering his aforementioned back injury, while no other tight end did anything of significance. Grade: Incomplete

Offensive Linemen
With the exception of Ramon Foster, the Steelers star-studded offensive line played as a unit for the first time this preseason, and while the big guys had to shake off some rust, they afforded Roethlisberger with the suburb protection he’s become accustomed to in the latter stages of his career. In-fact. even when super-subs such as Matt Feiler and B.J. Finney were in the game, holes were being opened, and quarterbacks were being protected. Grade: B+

Defensive Linemen
Perhaps for the first time since suffering a torn biceps in Week 1 of the 2017 season, Stephon Tuitt looked like a man possessed, as he continuously found his way in the Titans’ backfield and came away with one sack and two quarterback hits on the day. Cam Heyward also returned to his 2017 All-Pro form, recording one sack and two tackles for loss. Javon Hargrave looked decent, as did Tyson Alualu and L.T. Walton in their usual reserve roles. Grade: B+

Linebackers
T.J. Watt continued to sit out with a hamstring injury, and it was a quiet afternoon for Bud Dupree. However, Olasunkanmi Adeniyi continued to make a strong case to make the final cut, as he recorded yet another sack this preseason. Fellow outside linebacker-hopeful, Farrington Huguenin, was also pretty active and contributed with a sack of his own. As for the inside linebacker spot, Vince Williams celebrated his new contract by tallying three tackles and a sack before exiting for the afternoon. As has become the case in recent seasons, L.J. Fort looked solid when given playing time.

But perhaps the biggest story of this preseason–one that will likely continue to grow if his exceptional play continues–was undrafted free agent, Matthew Thomas, who led all Steelers defenders with nine tackles–including five solo. Grade: A

Secondary
Artie Burns‘ name was hardly mentioned, which is generally a good thing for a cornerback. Rookie first-round pick, Terrell Edmunds, created a turnover for the second week in a row, when he intercepted a pass in the first half and then proceeded to turn on the jets as he returned it 30 yards into Tennessee territory. The Titans never made it beyond midfield the entire first half, which means the secondary didn’t allow any big plays. Grade: A-

Special Teams
It was a decent day for veteran punter Jordan Berry, as he averaged 43.5 yards on two punts. But it was an even better day for backup Matt Wile, who averaged 48.7 yards on three boots. As for the kicking situation, Chris Boswell continued his ascension to the top of the NFL at his position, making all three of his field goal attempts–including a 45-yarder.

As for the coverage unit, if he can’t find his way to the top of the inside linebacker depth chart, Tyler Matakevich might one day find himself in Honolulu for his ability to be a special teams demon, as he was the first one downfield to stymie Titan punt returners on more than one occasion. Nat Berhe, who was brought in for that specific purpose, made a play that drew drew a congratulatory helmet slap from head coach Mike Tomlin immediately afterward.

Unfortunately, it continued to be a quiet day for the return game, which likely means the end is near for Pitt’s Quadree Henderson. Grade: B-

Coaching
Coming off an alarming performance against the Packers nine days earlier, the Steelers responded well in all phases of the game. Given that it was the regular season dress-rehearsal, that spoke volumes for the preparation heading into Saturday. Grade: B+

 

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Steelers Resign Vince Williams Proving Opportunity + Tenacity = NFL Success

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The Greeks called it “Fate.” Machiavelli used “Fortune.” But whatever term you choose, Vince Williams 4 year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers proves that NFL success is all about capitalizing on opportunity.

  • The Steelers signed Vince Williams to a 4 year contract worth a reported 20.6 million dollars that will keep the inside linebacker in Pittsburgh through 2022.

The move ensures that all projected starters form the Steelers 2018 defense will remain under contract for 2019, promising stability for a unit struggling to recover its swagger. But for Vince Williams the move marks the latest milestone in one of the more unheralded players of the Mike Tomlin era.

Vince Williams, Andy Dalton, Steelers vs Bengals, Vince Williams Steelers contract

Vince Williams sacks Andy Dalton in Dec 2017. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

Vince Williams: From Street Clothes to a 3rd NFL Contract

Its hard to know what the Steelers plans where when they drafted Vince Williams in the 6th round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Most likely, they viewed him as an insurance policy in the event that Sean Spence couldn’t recover for the devastating injury he’d suffered in preseason the summer before.

Vince Williams looked good in preseason, but the Steelers clearly didn’t see him as game day material as he stood in street clothes during their 2013 opening loss against the Titans.

You remember that game, the one that cost the Steelers Maurkice Pouncey, LaRod Stephens-Howling and yes – Larry Foote. Both the Steelers, and Vince Williams could do no more than watch as Kion Wilson entered alongside Lawrence Timmons.

But Williams saw action the next week against the Bengals, and by the time the Steelers played the Vikings in London, he was making his first start. But Williams struggled and often times was a liability in a Steelers defense that was slipping.

  • By the end of the year, Williams had improved, particularly against the run.

Fate, however, refused to deal Williams an easy hand. Sean Spence recovered, and the Steelers drafted Ryan Shazier in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Instead of returning as a starter, Vince Williams would have to again earn a roster spot at St. Vincents.

Vince Williams proved his worth, and while Ryan Shazier started, Williams and Spence split time while Shazier was out with injury for much of his rookie season. Williams continued to see regular action in 2015, and the Steelers, in what amounted to minor surprise, offered him a three year extension in the summer of 2016.

The Steelers let Lawrence Timmons walk to Miami and Vince Williams took over his spot in the defense. While it may be hard to remember, the Steelers 2017 actually carried the team during the first half of the season and even flashing greatness prior to the Ryan Shazier and Joe Haden injuries.

  • One Steelers blogger privately suggested that replacing Timmons for Vince Williams might have been one of the prime reasons.

Other fans will beg to differ and still see Vince Williams as a liability. Clearly, the Steelers view Vince Williams differently.

If the data on the site Sportrac is reliable, Vince Williams new contract makes him the 16th highest paid inside linebacker, as measured by contract average. That puts him in about the middle of the back in terms of NFL starters, which sounds about right, if perhaps a little high.

Steelers 2013 draft class, Steelers 2013 draft grades, Le'Veon Bell, Jarvis Jones, Vince Williams

Steelers 2013 draft picks Vince Williams, Le’Veon Bell & Jarvis Jones. Photo Credit: Pininterest

In 2017 Vince Williams was third on the team in tackles, and second in sacks behind Cam Heyward with 7. Inside linebackers in the Steelers defense only put up those kinds of sack numbers when they’re doing something right.

Vince Williams is never going to offer the athleticism that Ryan Shazier, Lawrence Timmons or even James Farrior brought to the position. He’s much more of a player in the Larry Foote mold, a bruiser, a guy who makes contact, and a guy who can be counted on to bring down a running back at or behind the line of scrimmage.

  • And Vince Williams is at his best when paired with an athlete of Shazier’s pedigree.
  • It remains to be seen if how well Williams will play alongside Jon Bostic.

Regardless, Vince Williams is a player who brings it all on every down and uses the full force of his physicality to oblige the offense to earn every yard it advances. And the Steleers have made it clear the want to keep that in Pittsburgh for the next four years.

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Sometimes Ball Just Bounces Your Way: Steelers Sign Chris Boswell to 4 Year Contract

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Sometimes the ball bounces your way. As Chris Boswell’s new contact with the Steelers show, the ball has (often) bounced Pittsburgh’s way when it has come to place kickers.

The Steelers resigned Chris Boswell today, inking the veteran kicker to a 4 year contact that will keep the Boz in Pittsburgh through the 2022 season. Chris Boswell had been a restricted free agent but the Steelers protected him with a 2nd round tender and not team was tempted to offer Boswell a contract.

Chris Boswell, Steelers vs Ravens, Chris Boswell contract

Chris Boswell kicks game winner for Steelers vs Ravens in December 2017

4th Time is the Charm Boswell, Steelers

Chris Boswell has been one of the NFL’s most dependable kickers since arriving in Pittsburgh during the fall of 2015 that it is almost hard to remember that an uncanny series of calamities brought him to the Steelers.

It started with the Hall of Fame game during the year when Jerome Bettis finally earned induction into the NFL Hall of Fame when Shaun Suisham got injured. The Steelers went out and signed Garrett Hartley. Hartley lasted for a few preseason games, but then he got hurt, forcing the Steelers bring in Josh Scobee via trade.

Josh Scobee worked out well enough for the first few games, but in the Steelers game against the Ravens Josh Scobee missed two field goals in a game that ended 20-23, and Mike Tomlin promptly sent his 3rd place kicker of the season packing.

But Boswell immediately delivered, making several clutch kicks for the Steelers, incluging the game winner during their comeback playoff victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, and scoring all of the team’s points in the 2016 playoff win over the Chiefs.

Boswell also made a hell of a shoestring tackle against the Bengals in a key AFC North showdown in another six field goal performance.

Steelers Luck with Kickers Generally Good

Notwithstanding the injury misfortune that led the Steelers to sign Chris Boswell, the Steelers as a franchise have generally had good luck finding kickers when they’ve needed them. The Steelers wanted to draft Gary Anderson in 1982, but the Bills beat them to it. Buffalo cut him, and Anderson was a fixture for the next decade.

When a contract dispute led Anderson to seek greener pastures, the Steelers landed Norm Johnson, who kicked well for 3 years. Kris Brown had his ups and downs, and the Steelers tried to replace him in 2003 Todd Peterson, but he didn’t work out.

  • But the Steelers were able to replace him with Jeff Reed.

When Jeff Reed ran into issues, they were able to sign Shaun Suisham, who arrived in Pittsburgh with a questionable record, but turned out to be a clutch performer in his own right.

When it comes to finding quality place kickers, the ball has generally bounced Pittsburgh’s way.

Steelers Also ReInk Vince Willams

Shortly after resigning Boswell, Steelers also made another move by resigning inside linebacker Vince Williams to a four year extension. Steel Curtain Rising will have more to say on the Vince Williams signing so stay tuned.

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Word to the Wise: Huey Richardson Proves Even Busts Can Debut Preseason with a Bang

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The rookie Steelers linebacker offered incredible promise. He arrived at St. Vincents a first round pick having been taken 15th overall. Distinct from his outspoken peers, this young man remained set on speaking with his actions instead of his words.

Playing not one, but two positions, defensive end and inside linebacker, in his preseason debut, his stat line screamed:

  • He sacked  the hottest young quarterback in the game
  • He pressured the passer on two other occasions
  • He forced one fumble and recorded another tackle

And when it was over, “I still have a long way to go” remained the rookie’s only words.

In terms of both form and demeanor, it was a preseason debut that even a noted stoic head coach like Chuck Noll could have scripted better. Unfortunately, it was also the preseason debut of Huey Richardson, the most notorious first round bust in modern Steelers history.

The date was August 17th 1991 and the opponent was the Philadelphia Eagles. And, to be 100% accurate, Richardson had seen spot duty in Pittsburgh’s previous preseason game. But his lesson remains relevant today: Preseason reveals a lot, but sometimes it can be deceiving.

Ola Adeniyi, Olasunkanmi, Adeniyi, Steelers vs Eagles preseason

Ola Adeniyi Steelers preseason debut. Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

Several Steelers rookies stated their claim to permanent spots on Pittsburgh’s roster in the process. Receivers James Washington and Damoun Patterson made electrifying catches. Olasunkanmi Adeniyi came up with a strip-sack. Chukwuma Okorafor showed that he could perhaps serve as a legit swing tackle this season. Mason Rudolph looked poised and delivered the ball on target.

  • Such fast starts from rookies are you want to see this early in the summer.
  • But while starting strong is nice, sustaining a strong start remains essential.

As Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reminded, Terrell Watson, Doran Grant, Jordan Zumwalt and Derek Moye all authored outstanding single game preseason performances in recent years, yet none of that translated into anything of note when the games counted.

  • So how is an educated fan to know the difference between a preseason flash in the pan and the beginnings of something bigger?

Unfortunately, there is no magic formula. Stefan Logan and Isaac Redman earned a lot more with their rookie preseason than James Harrison did, but Harrison had the far better career.

  • Perhaps Huey Richardson’s experience can serve as a guide.

When the Steelers drafted Huey Richardson in the 1991 NFL Draft, the move drew praise. I remember a friend who wasn’t a Steelers fan and who knew far more about football than I did calling me telling me what a great pick he was.

Yet red flags arrived early and often with Richardson. He refused to talk with the press. The quote above which Ed Bouchette secured perhaps contains all only words Richardson ever uttered to the Pittsburgh press corps.

On the fields of St. Vincents things didn’t get much better. As Bouchette later recapped in Dawn of a New Steel Age, “Players made fun of the way he back-pedaled on pass coverage and how he ran stiffly.” In practice Richardson botched play after play.

  • Huey Richardson had even managed open training camp by breaking his nose in non-contact drills.

All of that, however, came before Richardson’s “breakout” preseason performance. But afterwards “It seemed like he was a force every once and a while” was the only praise that Ed Bouchette could muster out Dave Brazil, Richardson’s defensive coordinator.

The lesson it seems is that fans should first watch and then read between the lines when assessing a rookie’s preseason performances.

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Who Needs Dez Bryant? Steelers Rookie Damoun Patterson Shows Why Pittsburgh Stands Pat

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It seems the Pittsburgh Steelers find new and unknown receivers in camp each and every summer, prompting this writer to ask “Who needs Dez Bryant?”

Take two years ago, for example, when Eli Rogers, an undrafted free-agent out of Louisville who spent his entire rookie season of 2015 on Injured Reserve after suffering a foot injury in his very first training camp.

Rogers was one of the young sensations of the Steelers 2016 training camp and was rewarded by making the final 53-man roster. Not only that, but Rogers became the slot receiver and proved to be a dependable option for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, catching 48 passes for 594 yards and three touchdowns.

Eli Rogers saw a decline in production a year ago, and he suffered a torn ACL in Pittsburgh’s playoff loss to the Jaguars on January 14. After recently being re-signed, he is currently on the team’s PUP list, hoping to get a chance to see if he can still be a part of the Steelers talented receiving corps.

Damoun Patterson, Steelers vs Eagles preseason

Damoun Patterson catches a preseason touchdown from Joshua Dobbs. Photo Credit: Bill Streichner, USA Today, via 24/7 Steelers.

  • This summer another UDFA, Damoun Patterson, a youngster who played his college ball at Youngstown State, has thrown his hat into the ring to be 2018’s Eli Rogers.

Damoun Patterson is now a true contender to be a part of the receiving corps after catching six passes for 77 yards and one dazzling touchdown in the Steelers preseason-opening 31-14 victory over the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Thursday night.

Patterson showed great body control as he spun around to catch a laser-strike from third-string quarterback Joshua Dobbs and great balance as he got one foot down in the end zone and then the other.

  • Both Patterson’s body control and balance, were on display as the rookie celebrated his touchdown heroics by doing a back-flip.

With Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and likely Darrius Heyward-Bey all locks to make the squad, the fifth receiver position could be up for grabs.

Obviously, when he’s ready to depart from the PUP list Eli Rogers is a candidate, as is Justin Hunter, the veteran receiver the Steelers signed as a free agent in the 2017 offseason. However, Justin Hunter, despite his obvious physical attributes, has never truly broken out during his time in the NFL.

Another contender for that fifth-receiver spot is former University of Pittsburgh standout, Quadree Henderson. Henderson didn’t do much on Thursday, but he’ll obviously have ample time to impress his coaches between now and the final cut-down date.

But Damoun Patterson, who isn’t even listed on the Steelers official team depth chart (for what that’s worth in the preseason), has certainly done something to at least make his bosses take notice.

  • And this is why all that talk about the still unsigned Dez Bryant possibly coming to Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago seemed ridiculous at best.

The Steelers obviously know how to find receivers to round out their depth chart–guys who have actually contributed during crucial moments (Cobi Hamilton caught a touchdown pass in the 2016 AFC Championship loss to the Patriots).

This summer, if it isn’t Patterson, Rogers or Henderson who rounds out the receiver depth chart, it will surely be another diamond in the rough we may not even be talking about right now.

The Steelers know their away around unknown wide receivers.

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