In a preseason contest marred by injury and sloppy play, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to get their first victory in three tries by defeating the Green Bay Packers 24-19 at Heinz Field. Unfortunately, the game will be remembered more for the volume of injuries to key players for both teams than the outcome. Let's take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from this afternoon's contest. The injury to Maurkice Pouncey looks significant, while Stephon Tuitt's intial prognosis looks more ... Read More
Five Steelers the team can’t afford to lose
In the NFL, injuries simply happen, and the teams that avoid key injuries usually have the most success. Not all injuries are equal, and though some will hurt a team's depth or force them to scramble to replace a starter here or there, losing certain players can change the entire outlook of a season. The Carolina Panthers lost star wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin to a season-ending ACL injury in a training camp practice on Wednesday, and suddenly, their status as favorites in the NFC ... Read More
Bigger lessons can be learned from Harrison’s ‘stand’
Though James Harrison made an impression at linebacker in his 2015 debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers in its preseason tilt at Jacksonville Friday night, it was his comments as a parent that gained national attention. That's because we learned that Harrison is not a big fan of participation trophies - Something he was not shy letting the world know on his Instagram account on Saturday. If you missed the crux of the message, it was simple: My kids don't get rewarded unless they earn it (I'm ... Read More
Stock report: Three up, three down for Steelers after preseason opener
Let's take a look at the Steelers stock report after their lackluster 14-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings Sunday night. Three up: ***Heading into Sunday night's game, Dri Archer was expected to get plenty of work both in the return game and as a running back. With Le'Veon Bell, DeAngelo Williams and Josh Harris not playing, there would be plenty of chances for Archer to prove his critics wrong after a dismal rookie season. Archer showed flashes of what the Steelers hoped to get from the ... Read More
Suisham fears he tore ACL; who will be replacement for Steelers?
One of the biggest risks in the preseason is the possibility of losing key players to injury in what are in essence, meaningless exhibition games. Seemingly every year key players are lost throughout the league, often for the season due to serious injuries. Sadly, it looks like the Steelers may have be the first team to have to deal with that unfortunate reality. That's because kicker Shaun Suisham could be lost for extended time due to a "potentially significant" knee injury after ... Read More
Four things to focus on in Steelers preseason opener
Amid the celebration of the induction of Jerome Bettis in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend in Canton, the Pittsburgh Steelers will open their preseason on Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings with kickoff slated for 8 p.m. Though the recurrent theme of putting in quality work without players getting injured during the preseason rarely changes, it does not mean there won't be plenty of things to keep an eye on Sunday night. Add the laundry list of injuries and players ... Read More
Training camp notes: Mellow day at Latrobe
Considering the mounting injury report and intense practice yesterday at Steelers training camp in Latrobe, it should come as no surprise that today was a relatively mellow day as rain teased throughout the session. Here are few observations as the second full week of camp winds down in preparation for the Sunday night preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings in Canton, Oh. The big three look primed for another incredible season: Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown ... Read More
‘Significant’ injury to Robert Golden taxes safety depth further
The Pittsburgh Steelers are becoming desperately thin at the safety position. With starters Mike Mitchell and Shamarko Thomas, along with reserve Ross Ventrone already out with various injuries, the Steelers were already tapping deep into the ranks of their depth chart. Now with key reserve and special teams standout Robert Golden out with what head coach Mike Tomlin deemed "significant," the Steelers may be looking for additional help at the position. Golden, a top contributor on ... Read More
Anthony Chickillo impressing early, gaining momentum at Latrobe
Anthony Chickillo arrived to training camp without the fanfare or lofty expectations of fellow rookie linebacker Bud Dupree. Reasonable enough considering Dupree was the Steelers first-round pick and one of the top defensive prospects in the 2015 draft. Conversely, Chickillo was a sixth-round choice who was given the dreaded "tweener" label by NFL scouts. In other words, Chickillo had his fair share of detractors who did not know where the college defensive end might fit. Chickillo had a ... Read More
Adding Brandon Boykin fills a crucial need for Steelers
You simply can't have enough good cornerbacks in today's NFL. Seems simple enough, but considering how passing offenses have dominated the league in recent years, it seems to be more the case every season. After all, in four of last six seasons alone, at least 10 starting QB's have surpassed 4,000 passing yards. It does not seem like that long ago surpassing the 4,000-yard plateau was a rarity achieved by the likes of Dan Marino, Joe Montana and John Elway. Today we are seeing players ... Read More