Tag Archives: Ahkello Witherspoon

Wither Ahkello? Yep. Steelers Cut Ahkello Witherspoon, Sign XFL “Stars”

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An unexpected trade. Disappearance on the bench. An interception machine. Getting burned in Philly. Injury. And finally post draft dismissal.

Those 16 words sum up Ahkello Witherspoon’s career as a Pittsburgh Steeler, who cut him yesterday and gained 4 million dollars in salary cap space.

A.J. Brown, Ahkello Witherspoon, Steelers vs Eagles

A.J. Brown scores a touchdown over Ahkello Witherspoon. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune Review

Witherspoon’s waver marks the second post-draft disruption on the Steelers cornerback depth chart, with Arthur Maulet having requested and been granted his release. Prior to the draft, the Steelers lost cornerback Cam Sutton but replaced him with veteran Patrick Peterson.

During the 2023 NFL Draft the Steelers added Joey Porter Jr. in the 2nd round and Cory Trice in the seventh round.

So it appears that the decision to part ways with Witherspoon is as much numbers game as anything else.

By the time Kevin Colbert brought him to Pittsburgh, Witherspoon the former 3rd round pick was on his third team. He languished on the bench until week ten, before exploding with 3 interceptions and 9 passes defensed during the latter part of the season.

That was enough to earn Witherspoon a 2nd contract in Pittsburgh, but his second year did not go so smoothly. He started the first three games and even continued his ballhawking ways against Joe Burrow in the 2022 season-opening upset of the Bengals. Injuries kept him out through week’s four and 7 but he returned against the Eagles where A.J. Brown promptly burned him for one of Philly’s three touchdown passes.

Mike Tomlin benched him at half time during that game and Witherspoon never saw the field again for the Steelers.

  • And now he apparently never will.

In addition to Peterson and Porter, the Steelers will return veteran cornerbacks Levi Wallace and James Pierre. They also signed Minnesota veteran Chandon Sullivan during the draft.

Steelers Claim Jones, Sign XFL “Stars” Butler and Luq-Barcoo

Some of the money the Steelers are saving by cutting Witherspoon will go to the trio of players Pittsburgh picked up here in mid-May. First the claimed Manny Jones off of waviers after the Arizona Cardinals cut him.

  • Jones landed in Phoenix as an undrafted rookie free agent and appeared in 4 games in 2022.

The Steelers also signed XFL “stand outs” cornerback Luq Barcoo and wide receiver Hakeem Butler. Barco played for the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas where had 1 interception and 31 tackles, which was enough for Pro Football Focus to grade him as the 2nd best tackle in the league.

Hakeem Butler comes from the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks, who posted 51 catches for 599 yards and eight touchdowns and his name will be familiar to Steelers fans with long memories. Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert took a long look at Butler prior to the 2019 NFL Draft.

The Steelers interest was so strong that pre-draft analyst Matt Williamson suggested the Steelers take Butler if Devin Bush was unavailable and Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell echoed similar sentiments.

Alas, Butler lasted until the Cardinals took him in the fourth round, but injuries wrecked his NFL career, limiting him to two appearances, both with the Eagles in 2020. Butler did have one catch for the CFL’s Edmonton Elks during 2022.

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Set up for Success? Steelers 2023 Draft Needs @ Cornerback

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The Steelers offer a study of contrasts at cornerback. They’ve sent Jack Butler, Mel Blount and Rod Woodson to the Hall of Fame. They’ve had to other excellent corners in Dwayne Woodruff and Ike Taylor.

Yet, in the 21st century they’ve struggled to draft good cornerbacks.

And cornerbacks are very expensive to find on the free agent market. Worse yet, they’ve just lost a “home grown” cornerback Cam Sutton. So how does this impact their plans for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Samaje Perine, Levi Wallace, Steelers vs Bengals

Samaje Perine scores one of his 3 touchdowns. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Steelers Depth Cart at Cornerback: The Starters

Omar Khan wasted little time in replacing Cam Sutton by signing Patrick Peterson, a veteran corner most recently out of Minnesota. Peterson is into his 30s, which is a danger sign for a cornerback, but he has continued to play at a high level.

Opposite Peterson, the Steelers top corner is Levi Wallace, a free agent they signed one year ago. Levi Wallace started 9 games for the Steelers and proved himself to be a bit of a ball hawk, pulling in 4 interceptions including key picks in the wins against the Saints and Browns.

Peterson at his age clearly isn’t a long term answer at corner back and Wallace while “good” and someone who can help the Steelers win doesn’t look like a long term starter

Steelers Cornerback Depth Chart: The Backups

Behind their starters, the Steelers have Ahkello Witherspoon, a player they traded for just before the 2021 season. Ahkello Witherspoon sat on the bench for the first part of 2021 and fans wondered why the Steelers wasted a pick on him.

They he saw action in the second part of the year and in just nine games he picked off 3 passes and deflected 13 others. Witherspoon started 2022 with a bang, picking off Joe Burrow in the season-opening upset of the Bengals, but got injured in the third game of the season, saw action and got burned against Philadelphia and did not play for the rest of the season.

The Steelers also have Arthur Maulet, a bargain basement free agent signing they made in 2020. Maulet is sort of like Mike Hilton lite. He’s not a superstar, but he’s shown the ability to make plays at critical moments while playing in the slot.

Finally, the Steelers have James Pierre, a restricted free agent who they decided to keep in Pittsburgh. Pierre looked like rising star in early 2021, found himself on the bench after suffering a couple of costly breakdowns but made a comeback in 2022, helping spark the Steelers midseason turn around with an interception to start the Colts game.

Steelers Draft, Steelers Draft Needs scale

The Steelers 2023  Draft Needs @ Cornerback

As they’ve done at every area on the depth chat, except for outside linebacker, the Steelers have positioned themselves well for the draft.

They don’t need to draft someone who can win the starting job on opening day, but they sure could boost their short and long term fortunes if they do find one in the form of say, Joey Porter Jr.

Ditto the backups. Unlike outside linebacker, the Steelers don’t need to find a corner who can step in as an injury replacement, but picking one who can do just that would provide both long and short term benefits.

So in other words, the Steelers really need to come out of the draft having picked either a projected long term number 1 cornerback or someone who projects as a number 2 or number 3 corner, they’ have done OK.

Therefore the Steelers need at cornerback going into the 2023 NFL Draft should be considered as High.

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Khan Wins First Gamble: James Pierre Resigns with Steelers

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Free agency isn’t quite (officially) a week old, yet Steelers General Manager Omar Khan has already won one of his gambles. Well, at least half of one.

Omar Khan moved the franchise out of its comfort zone a bit when he opted not to offer restricted free agent tenders to Steven Sims, James Pierre, J.C. Hassenauer and Jeremy McNichols. Under Kevin Colbert, Steelers policy was to tender their restricted free agents. Sure, there were cases like Stevenson Sylvester, but they were the exception, not the rule.

James Pierre, Donavan Peoples-Jones, Steelers vs Browns

James Peirre goes after a pass. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

By opting not to offer them tenders all four men became unrestricted free agents, and were able to sign with any NFL team.

  • James Pierre drew no interest and signed with the Steelers yesterday.

Terms of James Pierre’s contract have not yet been released, but he figures to have signed for something at or close to the NFL veteran minimum, which would be $1.010 for someone of his level of experience.

$1.010 million dollars a year is a lot of money for anybody who is reading this, but it’s a lot less than $2.627 million that a right of first refusal free agent tender would have cost the Steelers.

The Steelers lost Cam Sutton on the first day of free agency but quickly moved to replace him with Patrick Peterson. At the moment Levi Wallace is the other starting cornerback for the Steelers. Ahkello Witherspoon is also on the roster and would seem to be Pierre’s competition for a playing time if not a roster spot itself.

Arthur Maulet and Tre Norwood round out the Steelers cornerbacks, with Norwood functioning as a “Swiss Army Knife” like member of the secondary.

The Steelers are expected to use one of their premium picks in the 2023 NFL Draft to get a cornerback and Pierre’s return won’t change that. His presence could allow them to look comfortably elsewhere in later rounds.

Sims Watch is On

Khan’s gamble that he could make James Pierre an unrestricted free agent and get him back was a low-risk one, but a gable nonetheless. As mentioned earlier, the signings of Nate Herbig and Isaac Seumalo, probably mean that J.C. Hassenauer’s time in Pittsburgh has come to an end.

However, given the thinness of the Steelers depth cart at wide receiver behind Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, you would have to figure that the Steelers want Steven Sims back. We’ll see if Khan wins that gamble too.

Follow Steelers free agency. Visit our Steelers 2023 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2023 free agent focus articles.

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Lose a CB, Gain a CB: Steelers Sign Patrick Peterson, Lose Cam Sutton in Free Agency

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NFL Free agency hasn’t even officially started and the Steelers cornerback depth chart has undergone a major change.

Just over 1 week ago at the NFL Scouting Combine Omar Khan affirmed that resigning Cam Sutton would be a priority for the Steelers in free agency. Priorities have their limits for Pittsburgh, as the Detroit Lions have agreed to a 3 year deal with Cam Sutton totaling $33 million and with $22.5 million in guarantees.

That 11 million dollar average is high, but still only puts Sutton in the top 15 or 16 corners in the league.

  • That however was too high for the Steelers.
Antonio Brown, Patrick Peterson, Steelers vs Cardinals

Patrick Peterson knocks a pass away from Antonio Brown. Photo Credit: Sports 247

Omar Khan responded by signing Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson to a 2 year contract. Terms of Peterson’s deal haven’t leaked yet, but last season he earned 4 million dollars – just under what Cam Sutton earned, and he had 5 interceptions and 15 passes defensed.

  • In contrast, Sutton only had 3 interceptions, although he also defended 15 passes.

Patrick Peterson was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2011 NFL Draft. While in Phoenix he made 8 straight Pro Bowls and was named All Pro twice. He’s played the last two seasons for the Minnesota Vikings where he started all 30 games that he has participated in.

Omar Follows Colbert Template, Takes Risk Nonetheless

Let’s not mince words – cornerback is a young man’s game in the NFL. The idea of replacing a 29 year old corner who is just budding into his prime with a 33 year old seems questionable to say the least.

Free agent cornerbacks come at a premium. And the Steelers have made these sorts of “Dollar Ball” trade offs with corners before, as they did in the 2013 off season when they let Keenan Lewis go but brought William Gay back.

But this isn’t just a cost-benefit move.

Peterson made plenty of “Splash Plays” in 2022. And the 2023 NFL Draft is said to be deep at cornerback. Even had the Steelers resigned Sutton they were likely to draft a corner. By signing Peterson the team gives itself some breathing room and avoids finding itself in the same situation it was in in 2016, when they had to reach for Artie Burns.

Doubling up on a key position in free agency and the draft was a move Kevin Colbert made many times. It seems like Omar Khan has learned the lesson.

In addition to Patrick Peterson, who cannot officially sign until Wednesday, the Steelers also have veterans Levi Wallace, Ahkello Witherspoon and Arthur Maulet under contract. James Pierre is a restricted free agent, whom the Steelers still must decide to tender or not.

Follow Steelers free agency. Visit our Steelers 2023 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2023 free agent focus articles.

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Steelers Should Keep RFA James Pierre in Pittsburgh

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Every summer diligent beat writers breathe life into the names rookies that even the most educated Steelers fans have never heard of. More often than not, the NFL life is sucked out of those names before the second preseason game.

  • Then there are those that stick around, the ones that get a second wind, so to speak.

James Pierre is (sort of) one of those unheralded undrafted rookie free agents who found his second wind and transformed it into a 3 year career. Has he done enough to earn himself a restricted free agent tender from the Steelers?

James Pierre, Cortland Sutton, Steelers vs Broncos

James Pierre seals the win by intercepting a pass to Cortland Sutton. Photo Credit: Justin Aller, AP via BTSC

Capsule Profile of James Pierre’s Career with the Steelers

You can’t call James Pierre a rookie training camp sensation because the Steelers didn’t have training camp, so to speak in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. In fact, it took an attentive eye to spot his name as a standout on those censored, pool reports from the camp held at Heinz Field.

But Pierre caught Mike Tomlin’s eye, and while only logged 27 snaps on defense as a rookie, he was active on special teams. Pierre worked his way into the rotation in his second year and was one of the risings stars on the Steelers defense – until he wasn’t.

Pierre struggled early on against Denver, but then closed the game with an end zone interception. A week later against the Seahawks, Pierre forced D.K. Metcalf that forced Seattle to settle for tying field goal rather than a game-winning touchdown in a game the Steelers eventually won (thanks to T.J. Watt.) A few weeks later in the tie vs. Detroit, Pierre was one of the defenders who made some exceptional plays in overtime.

Tee Higgins, James Pierre, Steelers vs Bengals

Tee Higgins burns James Pierre for a touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

When Joe Haden got hurt, Pierre stepped right in as a replacement. He did well on the road against the Chargers, but a week later in Cincinnati Joe Burrow used him and abused him so badly that he never saw another defensive snap for the rest of the year.

2022 saw James Pierre quietly revive his career. In week 6 he got his first start and, if he author any splash plays, he was one of the backups who helped beat Tom Brady. Pierre also helped get the Steelers off on the right foot with a game opening interception of Matt Ryan in the road win over the Colts.

From there on out, James Pierre only saw about a quarter of snaps with the Steelers defense, but that number also reflects game planning to stop rush-heavy offenses and an injury that kept him out for much of the road win vs the Ravens.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning James Pierre

James Pierre isn’t “the answer” for the Steelers at cornerback. He might not project as a starter. But he has shown he’s good enough to be at least a backup, first cornerback off the bench and you need players like that to win in the NFL.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning James Pierre

Of course the Steelers need cornerbacks, but they need cornerbacks whose play is consistent. This mentality of “he’s not great, but he’s knows the system, we know him and he’s better than some guy off the street” is how the Steelers sabotaged their secondary in the middle of the teens.

Do you really want to use precious salary cap space to keep the next Antwon Blake in Pittsburgh?

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and James Pierre

Cam Sutton might be leaving. Levi Wallace is skilled but a step slow. Ahkello Witherspoon only played in four games and got benched in Philly in favor of Pierre. Outside of that, there’s no one else in the pipeline (no offense to Arthur Maulet, but he’s got a role, but not one as a front-line, four down starter.)

James Pierre is a restricted free agent. The Steelers have the chance to keep him in Pittsburgh. They must take advantage of the opportunity.

Follow Steelers free agency. Visit our Steelers 2023 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2023 free agent focus articles.

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Teacher’s Late! (Again): Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 Season Report Card

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher who waited until the last day before summer to get his grades in, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2022 season.

Cameron Heyward, Deshaun Watson

Cameron Heyward after sacking Deshaun Watson. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Quarterbacks
Kenny Pickett went 7-5 completed 63% of his passes 2404 yards for 7 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Pickett progressed following the bye, getting stronger each week and leading 3 come from behind wins. Taken alone his work was “Good.” However, Mitch Trubisky performed poorly as a starter early in the season and, although he did well in relief against Tampa Bay and Carolina, his interceptions against Baltimore cost the Steelers both the game and the playoffs. This brings the grade down. Grade: B-Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
2022 marks a banner year for the Steelers rushing attack. Najee Harris worked through early injuries to earn 1054 yards. Jaylen Warren’s 379 yards might seem pedestrian, but his role as a third down and rotational back saved Harris 71 touches. Beyond the numbers, the duo ran both harder, smarter and with more authority as the year progressed, forcing piles forward. Derek Watt got into the act with 8 first down runs. Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland delivered when their number was called. Grade: A

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth continued to build on his role as a “go to” target in critical moments. Zach Gentry was steady as a number 2 tight end. Connor Heyward only had his number called a handful of times, but he answered each of them. Grade: B

Wide Receivers

Diontae Johnson lead the unit with 86 catches followed by rookie George Pickens by 52. After that there’s a steep drop to Chase Claypool who wasn’t even on the team for the last nine games. Steven Sims functioned as the 3rd wide receiver  Gunner Olszewski making cameo appearances. Much has been made of the lack of explosive plays and dearth of touchdowns from this group, but that’s largely not their fault. They executed well in the ball-control focused offense during the season’s 2nd half, and answered with clutch plays time-and-time again on game winning drives. Grade: B

George Pickens, Steelers vs Ravens

George Pickens makes a clutch catch. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Offensive Line
The offensive line turned a corner in 2022. By the end of 2019 it was a liability and it struggled for the next two seasons. It started slowly in 2022 but improved as the season progressed. Pass protection must continue to improve, but run blocking was an asset late in the year. Grade: B-

Defensive Line
Cam Heyward had another monster year and is the team’s undisputed leader on and off the field. Larry Ogunjobi’s stat sheet won’t make Fantasy Football owners salivate, but he was a tremendous asset in stopping the run. Montravius Adams was solid in the middle. Grade: A-

Linebackers
The evolution of Alex Highsmith has a pass-rushing, edge-setting outside linebacker was the biggest story of the year. Highsmith had 14.5 sacks and 12 tackles for losses. Myles Jack stabilized the center of the field leading the team in sacks. Devin Bush’s play was stable at the beginning of the year, but fell out of favor due to rookie Mark Robinson’s development. T.J. Watt missed half of the year and took time get back to full strength, but his return boosted the entire defense. Grade: B+

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers vs Falcons

Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepts the final Falcons pass. Photo Credit: USA Today SteelersWire

Secondary
Ball Hawking. That was the Steelers secondary’s calling card in 2022. Minkah Fitzpatrick led the unit with 6 interceptions, followed by Levi Wallace’s 4, Cam Sutton’s 3, Damontae Kazee’s 2, while Ahkello Witherspoon, Arthur Maulet and James Pierre all had 1. Overall, the defense was 16th on third down efficiency and struggled when matched with high power passing offenses like the Bengals, Bills and Eagles. Grade: B+

Special Teams
Danny Smith’s special teams had an up and down year. Chris Boswell was solid, until suffering an injury and then had his difficulties. Matthew Wright was excellent in relief. Steven Simms added dynamism to the kick return game, but he did fumble three times. The Steelers coverage teams also began giving up long returns late in the year. Pressley Harvin was a bit erratic early in the year, but settled down as time wore on and did a good job of pinning teams down inside the 20. Grade: B-

Coaching
Have Steelers fans vilified any other offensive coordinator more than Matt Canada? Probably Joe Walton, if you control for the absence of social media. But at least Joe Walton deserved it. Matt Canada? Not so much.

The Steelers offense began 2022 worse than it was in 2021 thanks to the absence of a franchise quarterback and overall lack of experience. Execution errors rather than schemes or play calling strategies drove many, if not most, of the Steelers early offensive woes.

  • As the offense gained experience they eliminated the errors and victories followed.

Yes, the Steelers still need a more aggressive, effective downfield passing game – but that’s largely not a product of play calling. The Steelers certainly do need to execute better in the Red Zone. But as games against Carolina and Cleveland confirmed, Canada’s cocktail of long, ball-controlling drives that end with touchdowns is lethal.

Teryl Austin, with a strong assist from  the recently departed Brian Flores turned a Steelers defense around that was headed in the wrong direction. True, the defense was a different unit with T.J. Watt in the line up. But Dick LeBeau’s defenses were far superior when Troy Polamalu was playing. While the Steelers defense wasn’t tested against an elite passer following the bye week, they were stout against the run down the stretch.

  • That brings us to Mike Tomlin.

For the second time since his arrival in 2007, his team opened the season 2-6. And as he did in 2013, Mike Tomlin turned it around and had his team in the hunt for a playoff spot until the waning moments if their final game.

Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, Steelers 2022 Draft Class, Kevin Colbert last draft

Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin at their final press conference. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

In terms of X’s and O’s Tomlin accomplished this by refusing to given into knee jerk reactions or drop into coaching by crisis mode. In terms of managing people, Tomlin convinced his locker room to believe in the Steelers Way and ultimately themselves. Grade: A

Front Office
In his final spring on the job Kevin Colbert enjoyed record amounts of salary cap space and succeeded in using it to bolster the Steelers offensive lines an interior defense. It is way, way too early to evaluate Kevin Colbert’s final NFL Draft class, but the early returns are extremely positive.

Omar Khan took over the helm in June and Kahn’s first act was to sign Larry Ogunjobi in response to Stephon Tuitt’s retirement. Kahn’s next moves were to ink extensions for Minkah Fitzpatrick, Chris Boswell and Diontae Johnson, moves he made early in the summer, eliminating potential distractions. And Khan moved Chase Claypool for a 2nd round pick, a move that looks like an absolute coup today. Grade: A-

Robert Spillane, Andy Dalton, Steelers vs Saints

Robert Spillane stops Andy Dalton cold on 4th down. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Unsung Hero Award
He started out 2019 as a Tennessee Titan cast off who’d bounce on and off the roster and practice squad multiple times. He began 2020 as the one player the Steelers could absolutely NOT afford to see play. Then injuries forced him in and although he delivered, during the summer of 2021 the Steelers still made a trade to shore up his position. So he began 2022 as a rotational starter, playing roughly 1/3 of the snaps.

That snap percentage jumped to 80% during the seven-game winning streak the Steelers authored to close the 2022 season and leapt to a perfect 100% in the final four games, which saw the Steelers get better week-by-week. Coincidence? I don’t think so either which is why Robert Spillane wins the Unsung Hero Award honors for  Steelers 2022 season.

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Steelers Report Card for Loss to Eagles: Fire & Fight Isn’t Enough Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher hoping fire and fight he saw in a losing effort isn’t fools gold, here is the Steelers Report Card for the 2022 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.

Steven Simms, Steelers vs Eagles

Steven Simms returns a kick. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Kenny Pickett’s road got rougher in his fourth start to the tune of 6 sacks and 11 total hits. Pickett protected the ball, until he didn’t in the 4th quarter. He did some nice things, used the middle of the field more, but the Steelers 1-12 third down conversion rate in 1 touchdown says it all. Grade: DSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren showed some fire and heart, but half of Harris’ 32 yards came on 1 run, while Warren had 6 carries for 50 yards. Harris added 6 catches for 26 yards while Warren had 3 for 25 yards. Derek Watt caught 2 passes including the only touchdown. The running backs weren’t a weak link, neither were they a strength. Grade: C-

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth led the Steelers with catches, but the fact that he clocked in at 4 should tell you what you need to know about the Steelers offense. Zach Gentry caught one pass for 3 yards. Grade: C

Wide Receivers
Chase Claypool had four catches and one pass for a touchdown. Diontae Johnson had 5 catches for 35 yards and probably should have drawn a pass interference penalty. George Pickens had three targets, he couldn’t come into bounds on one, got a ticky-tacky penalty on another and didn’t bring in a final catch. The Steelers needed more. Grade: C-

Offensive Line
The slow, but steady progress the Steelers offensive line had been making came to a crashing halt in Philadelphia. Early on the Steelers running backs had no room to run, something that didn’t change until the draw plays started. Pass protection got worse as the game wore on. Even at its best it would have been rough sledding against the Eagles. The line was at it worst. Grade: F

Defensive Line
The line came up big late in the 2nd half when Carlos Davis and Cam Heyward logged sacks to force a Philly punt. But the line could not pressure Jalen Hurts for the rest of the afternoon, and gave up some rushing yardage late in the game when the Steelers still had a theoretical chance to win. Grade: C-

Linebackers
A quiet day for the unit Robert Spillane and Myles Jack led in tackles with Alex Highsmith rendered a non-factor. Grade: D

Secondary
The Stat sheet says that Terrell Edmunds and Cam Sutton defensed passes. Ahkello Witherspoon, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Edmunds got burned 3 times by A.J. Brown. James Pierre did well in relief, but that’s just window dressing. Grade: F

Special Teams
Replacement kicker Nick Sciba was perfect on his kicks, but his kickoffs left a lot to be desired. Pressley Harvin had a solid day punting and Steven Simms had a solid day returning. Return coverage was sound.

Gunner Olszewski made a gutsy play that showed a lot of spirit and the Steelers converted a fake punt thanks to Marcus Allen. Grade: B

Coaching
Ooh, this one was ugly.

But if you look at the 3 bombs the Steelers secondary gave up in the first half, Teryl Austin’s defensive backs were in the right places, they just didn’t make plays. Still, the inability to mount any semblance of a pass rush was part of what allowed Jalen Hurts make it look easy.

  • On offense the Steelers were a mess.

For yet another week, the unit only scored one touchdown, and if you credit Matt Canada’s creativity on the play, you also have to question why it was necessary, coming on 4th down by virtue of a penalty.

Malik Reed, Jalen Hurts, Steelers vs Eagles

Malik Reed disrupts a pass, saves a touchdown. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

It would be insincere to suggest that, absent the penalties, the Steelers offense could have given the Eagles a run for the money. That’s probably not true. But penalties continue to short-circuit drives week-in-and-week-out.

Credit Mike Tomlin for keeping his guys burning with fire and fight until the better end, but that fire and fight didn’t make them competitive in this game, nor does it him on this Report Card. Grade: F

Unsung Hero Award
Standing in as a replacement player for a generational talent is unforgiving. And for the most part, this player has been quiet, but against the Eagles Malik Reed had a sack and pressured and got a hand on a ball that would have been another touchdown, and for that he wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 10th consecutive loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.

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Hurts So Good: Steelers Lose to Eagles 35-13 as Jalen Hurts Scorches Secondary

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The Pittsburgh Steelers lost 35-13 to the Philadelphia Eagles, extending their losing streak in the City of Brotherly Love to 10 games and 57 years.

When asked about his latest loss, Mike Tomlin cited Pittsburgh’s penchant for penalties, explaining that at times it was “Steelers vs. Steelers.” While conceding with respect Jalen Hurts 4 touchdown performance, Tomlin added “They were making those plays and we did not.”

  • Yes, they did. And then some.

You can slice and dice the loss to the Eagles in a number of ways, but it all boils down to one painful reality: The Eagles are an elite football team; the Steelers are not.

Still, with the Steelers sitting at a 2-6 record going into the bye week, it is fair to ask, “Are there positives Pittsburgh can pull out of this game?” Perhaps, but only if you keep the proper perspective.

Kenny Pickett, Haason Reddick, Steelers vs Eagles

Haason Reddick hits Kenny Pickett. Photo Credit: John Geibeiler, Eagles.com

Varsity Offense Shames Steelers Defense

Three weeks ago the Steelers traveled to Buffalo and Josh Allen and the Bills hung 38 points on the Steelers defense in a game that was over by half time.

The Steelers defense answered by making Tom Brady look mortal, and then hung with Miami by effectively neutralizing Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill’s fast-track offense for 3 quarters. The defense the Steelers a chance to win against Miami.

A.J. Brown, Ahkello Witherspoon, Steelers vs Eagles

A.J. Brown scores a touchdown over Ahkello Witherspoon. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune Review

So it was fair to ask, “Could the Steelers T.J. Wattless defense carry the team while Kenny Pickett and the offense found its footing?”

The answer revealed against the Eagles, and was a resounding, “No.”

  • Three times Jayen Hurts looked to A.J. Brown from 30 yards or more than out.
  • And three times Ahkello Witherspoon, Minkah Fitzpatrick and/or Terrell Edmunds was there.
  • And three times Jaylen Hurts placed the ball perfectly.
  • And three times Brown played the ball perfectly as the Steelers defenders didn’t.
  • And three times the Eagles torched the Steelers for deep touchdowns – all in the first half.

To requote Mike Tomlin, “They were making those plays and we did not.” Yes, the Steelers defense did do some nice things. Cam Heyward, Malik Reed and Carlos Davis came up with sacks which helped scuttle a few drives.

But the Steelers defense only really got to Hurts one other time. Terrell Edmunds broke up another would be touchdown pass and James Pierre helped contain Brown. But that was really just window dressing.

Eagles running back Miles Sanders also caught them with their pants down late in the game, when, theoretically, a score and a stop could have put Pittsburgh back in the game. The Steelers defense couldn’t deliver.

It was not to be.

When a team scores 4 touchdowns on you without sniffing the Red Zone, you’re getting burned plain and simple.

Canada’s Offense Continues to Sputter

Kenny Pickett had a rough day. The Eagles pass rush got better as the game wore on as Pickett was sacked six times, including a strip sack. Overall he was hit 11 times.

  • Eight weeks into 2022, it is hard to say what the Steelers offensive philosophy is.

Their 9 minute time of possession advantage would seem to suggest that its ball control, but for a ball control offense to work, you must to score. And the Steelers only managed to score 13 points, their lone touchdown coming on a trick play: A Chase Claypool pass to Derek Watt.

The Steelers did try to air it out more, but as George Pickens experience showed, they just couldn’t come down with the ball in bounds. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both logged a few nice runs today, but unless they were running draw plays, they got bottled up at the line of scrimmage.

  • And whenever the Steelers started generating some momentum, penalties would push them back.

Scoring 13 points against an elite defense is better than being limited to 3 points as they were against the Bills, but clearly this unit isn’t getting it done.

Fire + Fight = Hope for the Future? Well See

One has to dig hard to find reasons for hope after a loss like this.

  • If they are there, they’re to be found in the fight the Steelers showed from start to finish.

If the Steelers 1 and 12 is as abysmal as it is – and it is – they were also 4-4 on fourth down attempts, including a fake punt that saw Marcus Allen gain 4 yards. Two of those 4th down conversions came on the Steelers lone 2nd half scoring drive.

Chase Claypool, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren all fought and earned extra yards late in the game when hope was spare.

Gunner Olszewski also showed similar moxie when he tried to pick up a downed punt. One might question the wisdom of such a risky play, but you’ve got to admire his spirit. Likewise, working as both a returner and a receiver Steven Sims showed the he could perhaps develop into a weapon.

  • Can Mike Tomlin focus that fight and rebound out of the bye week with a few wins?

Time will tell. But for now the Steelers are 2-6, and the loss to the Eagles shows just how deep the hole is that they must dig themselves out of.

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How Bubby Brister’s Words from ’88 Put Cam Heyward’s “Butt Retweet” into Perspective

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ICYMI, Steelers team captain and defensive mainstay Cam Heyward is supposedly “in trouble.” Why? Well, its that (not so) old evil social media. After the Steelers shellacking at the hands of the Bills, Cam Heyward made the following retweet:

Heyward immediately clarified the situation, labeling it a butt retweet. When that didn’t appease  the peanut gallery, Cam doubled down:

But the “masses” in the Steelers Nation remain unmoved. Just Google “Cam Heyward butt retweet” and you’ll find no shortage of bloggers, social media general managers who insist this is all just a nod and a wink, and that the longest tenured Steeler really wishes to double cross Mike Tomlin.

What to make of all of this? Well, age has proven that in times like these, its best to lean into Sgt Hulka’s* wisdom:

The Steelers are 1-4. Tom Brady is coming to town. Injuries have knee-capped their defense. Pittsburgh stands poised to fall to 1-5. Or worse. This is when things get colorful in the NFL. But Cam’s retweet is anything but colorful.

Bubby Brister, Chuck Noll, Bubby Brister super tecmo bowl raiting, Steelers 1988

Chuck Noll and Bubby Brister. Photo Credit: Mike Powell, Getty Images

If you want to see colorful, take a long look back to the dark days of the 1988 Steelers. After the 1-6 Black and Gold lost their sixth straight, starting quarterback Bubby Brister proclaimed “…we may as well punt on first down and get it over with.”

Brister didn’t stop there. The Bubster assailed his own pass rush, calling for “Anybody who rushes the passer, call the stadium. We need help quick.” Although Brister praised Chuck Noll, confirming, “I think he’s a good coach,” the story went national, getting coverage in the Washington Post on WMAL with Ken Beatrice’s “Sports Call.”

But both Noll and Dan Rooney downplayed the comments, affirming that they shared his frustration. According to Ed Bouchete’s Dawn of a New Steel Age, Tom Moore, the Steelers offensive coordinator took Bubby out for a beer after practice and smoothed things over.

  • Yes, ‘Twas innocent the age that preceded social media.

(Today Twitter would probably be debating the size of the tip they left.)

The Steelers responded the next Sunday with a rousing 39-21 win over the Denver Broncos, that included a cult-hero status worthy performance by running back Rodney Carter, reverses by Louis Lipps, nearly 100 yards from Merril Hoge, six Gary Anderson field goals and interceptions by Rod Woodson and Cornell Gowdy (who?).

  • Alas, the midseason rally was not to be, as the ’88 Steelers lost their next 4 before winning 3 of their final 4.

Circling back to 2022, I’d be shocked if Kenny Pickett made similar comments, even if the Steelers reach 1-6 as they are likely to do. But something Bubby Brister said then rings true today, “With what he has to work with right now, he’s doing the best job he can. It’s going to take another two or three years to rebuild this thing, get young guys some experience…. We need a whole lot of stuff.”

With an injury report that contains Cam Sutton, Ahkello Witherspoon, Levi Wallace, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Montravius Adams, Larry Ogunjobi, Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry, few should argue if Pickett made similar comments about Tomlin.

But the hemming and hawing over Cam Heyward’s butt retweet shows that many probably would.

*If you’re a male millennial Steelers fan who is unfamiliar with the Sgt. Hulka clip, find out where to stream Stripes or, if need be, buy the DVD on Amazon, convene your buddies for a “Men’s Night In,” and take in what was the ultimate “guy movie” for both Boomers and Generation X.

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Steelers Report Card for the Upset Over the Bengals – Call It As You See It Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher whose summer assessment of his student’s strengths and weaknesses appears to be on target, here is the Steelers Report Card for the 2022 overtime upset win over the Bengals at Paycor Stadium.

Ja'Marr Chase, Arthur Maulet, Steelers vs Bengals

Steelers upend Ja’Marr Chase at the goal line. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, via Steelers.com

Quarterback
Mitch Trubisky first start brought good, bad and ugly. The Ugly: The Steelers were 4-15 on third down and they punted 8 times, including FIVE three and outs. The Bad: Pittsburgh only had 113 yards in regulation and only scored one touchdown. The Good: Trubisky avoided turnovers and kept himself upright. More importantly, he put the offense in scoring position not once but twice in over time. Grade: CSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
You know your running game has issues when a wide receiver has more yards on the ground that RB 1 and RB 2. Combined. Najee Harris had one nice run, but otherwise had no where to go. Jaylen Warren had 7 yards on 3 carries…. It may not be their “fault” but the running game was “Below the line.” Grade: D

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry both set up touchdowns with long gains in the first half, with Freiermuth making not one but two key catches that set up the game winner in OT. Surely the tight ends shoulder some responsibility for the run blocking fiasco, but they delivered Trubisky looked their way. Grade: B+

Wide Receivers
Diontae Johnson had what was perhaps his best catch as a Steeler and one that should have set up the game winner in overtime. Chase Claypool did his damage with 4 catches and 3 runs. George Pickens had 1 catch for 3 yards. The receivers did their part. Grade: C+

Offensive Line
Mitch Trubisky was sacked once, hit 5 other times and had to scramble 3 times. Not great, but a slight improvement over last year. The run blocking was atrocious. Pittsburgh was positively pathetic when trying to pound it in at the goal line. Nor did they get any push upfront at any point in the game. This. Must. Improve. Grade: F

Defensive Line
Cam Heyward’s opening sack was a tone setter for the entire game. His fumble recovery set up another score. Larry Ogunjobi had four tackles and a QB hit. Tyson Alualu and Chris Wormley had two. Joe Mixon was in check all day and just as Joe Burrow was under pressure. Grade: A

Linebackers
Alex Highsmith had 3 sacks while T.J. Watt had a sack, an interception and batted down two passes. Robert Spillane had a sack, and Devin Bush played aggressively. Myles Jack had a key pass defense and led the linebackers with 10 tackles. Grade: A

Secondary
Minkah Fitzpatrick dominated the Bengals. His pick six forced them to play catch-up from the get go. He led the team in tackles and, even after a bogus penalty in the end zone, he broke up a would-be touchdown on the next play. Cam Sutton and Ahkello Witherspoon both had interceptions while Levi Wallace had a key pass break up. Terrell Edmunds quietly put in a good game stuffing out a number of runners before they could reach the second level. Grade: A

Special Teams
Gunner Olszewski made his single returnable punt count by setting up a score with a 20 yards return. Pressley Harvin averaged over 48 yards on his 8 punts. Punt return coverage was strong. Minkah Fitzpatrick’s extra point block was the game’s second most important play after his pick six. Chris Boswell did miss a field goal in OT, and that brings this grade down, but he didn’t blink on his second chance. Grade: A-

Coaching
The Steelers defense came out swinging with a sack and an pick six on successive plays. They kept that up for the next 72 minutes. But Splash plays were nothing new compared to last year.

  • The run defense delivered the difference.

Joe Mixon embarrassed the Steelers defense last year. Twice. Sunday, aside from one long run, Teryl Austin and Brian Flores’ boys neutralized him.

  • The offense told a different story.

For 2 years debate has raged over “What a Matt Canada offense will really look like.” Well, now Canada has his quarterback, but against the Bengals it was more of the same:  Weak offensive line play, three-and-outs, lots of Chris Boswell field goals with just enough late fireworks to keep it interesting.

Canada might not have the personnel upfront and Tribuisky might not be a long-term signal caller, but he needs to find a way to make it work now.

Mike Tomlin welcomed many new faces to the fold this off season on all sides of the ball. Had you not known that you’d have thought this was a group of veterans who’d been together for 6 or 7 years based on their resiliency alone. Grade: B

Arthur Maulet, Joe Burrow, Steelers vs Bengals 2022

Arthur Maulet strip sacks Joe Burrow in overtime. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, via Steelers.com

Unsung Hero Award
This player embodies the principle that the Steelers care about what you can do, not where you come from. He arrived in Pittsburgh as a veteran minimum player during an off season where the Steelers were navigating salary cap Armageddon. He did enough to earn a second contract, and in Cincinnati his strip sack was enough to give Chris Boswell a second chance to win it in overtime. And for that Arthur Maulet wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2022 opening day overtime win over the Bengals.

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