For the second consecutive week, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to get a conference win in convincing fashion, this time by beating the New York Jets 31-13 on a picturesque afternoon at Heinz Field. The win moves the Steelers' record to 4-1, good enough for sole possession of first place in the AFC North. They also have an unblemished conference mark as the team moves past the quarter-pole of the season. Despite injuries to key starters on both sides of the ball, Pittsburgh once again ... Read More
Three down: Season in review part two
Yesterday, we took a look at some of the best moments and performances by the 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers in our first of two installments of three up, three down. In part two of of the series, let's look at some of the worst of the past season. Three down: *There's little doubt that the secondary was a big issue for the Steelers and it will be a hot-button topic during the off-season. Only the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints gave more yards through the air than the Steelers dismal ... Read More
Grading the Steelers secondary
Looking for a hot button issue when it comes to the 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers? One of the biggest has easily been the play of the Steelers secondary this season, especially after one of the worst performances in recent memory this past Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. The Steelers pass defense ranks near the bottom in a number of key categories including total yards allowed (30th) yards allowed per game (31st) and passer rating (27th). They also rank dead last in the NFL in passing ... Read More
Secondary issues provide questions but few answers
After watching the Steelers secondary perform this past Thursday, I could not help but hear The Who front man Roger Daltrey passionately exhorting the final verse of their hit song "Won't Get Fooled Again" in my ear. "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!" Although I'm sure some of you reading this may not remember this classic tune, it seemed to be pretty fitting. That's because anyone who watched the Patriots surgically take apart the Steelers pass defense should get the comparison: new ... Read More
Steelers storyline No. 5: Can Shamarko Thomas replace a Steeler legend?
With Troy Polamalu now retired, can Shamarko Thomas fill the massive void left at safety? Being the player that has to follow a legend is never easy, and when you are an organization like the Pittsburgh Steelers, there have been many legends that eventually had to call it a career and needed replaced. Who could forget the struggles of Mark Malone trying to fill the shoes of Terry Bradshaw? How about Walter Abercrombie for Franco Harris? Or more recently, the likes of Cam Thomas for the vastly ... Read More
Is Shamarko Thomas ready to replace Troy Polamalu?
Now that we have had a couple of days to let the dust settle on Troy Polamalu’s retirement, the Pittsburgh Steelers must turn their attention to third-year pro Shamarko Thomas. Whether the Steelers target a safety early on in this month’s draft remains to be seen, but one thing is crystal clear and that is the fact that Thomas will have the first crack at replacing Polamalu. The only question to ask is whether or not Thomas is ready? Sadly the answer is we just don’t know. Usually by ... Read More
Steelers re-sign safety Will Allen
One day after veteran safety Troy Polamalu’s retirement, the Steelers quickly started preparing for life after Polamalu. In order to add much needed depth at the safety position the Steelers re-signed veteran Will Allen on Friday. Allen, who turns 33 in June, has played 11 seasons in the league for three different teams. Of those 11 seasons Allen has spent five with the Steelers. Over his career Allen has played 163 games mainly as a backup and has recorded six interceptions and forced five ... Read More
PSN Steelers mock draft: Round one
Despite of drafting defensive players in the first round the past two years, it seems likely the Steelers will once again focus on defense with the 22nd selection of the upcoming NFL draft that begins on April 30. Assuming the Steelers look to bolster their defense with that pick, the question becomes who do they select? The 2015 draft class is certainly not short on defensive talent worthy of a first round grade, and it's possible the Steelers could select a pass rushing outside linebacker, ... Read More
Depth at safety a strength for Steelers
As the Steelers enter their second full week of training camp, there are a number of important questions to be answered after consecutive 8-8 seasons. One of the biggest questions will be whether or not the Steelers have enough depth at cornerback, a topic I discussed for PSN a couple of weeks back. Cornerback depth behind the top three of Ike Taylor, Cortez Allen and William Gay is still a hot topic at camp, but it's the outstanding depth at safety that might help ease some of those concerns ... Read More