Month: October 2024

Steelers QB Russell Wilson expected to start over Justin Fields vs. Jets in Week 7


Dallas Cowboys v Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Steelers are giving Wilson first-team reps

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 4-2 and tied for the lead in the AFC North. Quarterback Justin Fields has done a solid job stepping in for Russell Wilson who has dealt with a calf injury since the start of the season. Fields has 10 total touchdowns to just one interception this season. That said, NFL insider Tom Pelissero is reporting that the Steelers are planning to make the switch.

Wilson is expected to take first-team reps this week ahead of Week 7, which would make him the starter for the Steelers’ Sunday night matchup with the New York Jets. Mike Tomlin noted that he feels comfortable with Wilson’s health and that “both guys are scheduled to work tomorrow.”

When asked why Fields hasn’t been named the starter despite a strong 4-2 start, Tomlin offered, “Justin [Fields] has been really good, and we’ve been really good at times — not to be confused with great.”

Wilson is coming off a year in which he threw 26 touchdowns to just eight interceptions with the Denver Broncos and finished with a passer rating of 98.

Steelers miss out again in the NFL’s WR sweepstakes


Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets and wide receiver Davante Adams #17 of the Las Vegas Raiders visit on the field after the Raiders’ 16-12 victory over the Jets at Allegiant Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  
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Tough blow

The Pittsburgh Steelers missed out on yet another wide receiver in the trade market, as the New York Jets have officially acquired All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Jets sent a conditional third-round pick that can become a second-rounder based on performance in exchange for the star wideout, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The news is doubly frustrating for Steelers fans, as they’ve not only missed out on another wide receiver who could have transformed the receiving room — that star wide receiver could also face Pittsburgh in his first week with his new team, as the Steelers host the Jets on Sunday Night Football this week.

Rapoport shared that Adams is already in the building for his physical — a sign that the Jets are eager to get him in the mix as quickly as possible. Adams had previously been dealing with a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the last two weeks, but Rapoport states he’s in a good place with the injury.

If Adams does play, he’ll work alongside Jets star Garrett Wilson, meaning Joey Porter Jr., Donte Jackson, Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott will have their hands full in the secondary.

5 Steelers surprises in Sunday’s win against the Raiders

Our SCU staff and contributors pick the “surprises” from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ latest matchup each week. Check out more below to see which plays and situations surprised us the most!

The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up their fourth win of the 2024 season with a 32-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Here are some surprises from that game.

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Steelers Nation

As acknowledged first in his postgame presser, Mike Tomlin had this to say about the Steelers fans who traveled to Las Vegas:

I think the first thing that needs to be said, taken aback by the support we got from our fans, Steeler Nation. You know, continually, man, they show up. I just thought it was awesome; the environment for a road venue was special. It was special to be a part of.

For those who weren’t at the game but watched from home on television, the presence of Steelers Nation couldn’t go unnoticed, especially late in the game. We all know how well Steelers fans travel, but this could very well be the biggest “invasion” we’ve seen to date!

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30 Points

For the first time this season the Pittsburgh Steelers scored 30 or more points in a game, laying 32 on the Raiders.

A 30+ point game used to be a unicorn for this franchise, particularly under former offensive coordinator Matt Canada. The Steelers only had two games with 30+ points in 2023, both following Canada’s firing in Weeks 16 and 17. They only had one such game in both 2021 and and 2022 after topping 36+ four times back in the 2020 season.

To see this happen, with all offensive scores, was a pleasant surprise on Sunday.

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Chris Boswell

Usually the man responsible for most of the Steelers scoring, Chris Boswell had a quiet evening from the recognition side of things but certainly deserves his flowers.

Boswell opened the scoring on Sunday with a 52-yard field goal, then added a 49-yarder early in the second quarter. The Steelers finally pulled ahead with a touchdown drive before halftime, and finished off other possessions leaving Boswell with two shorter opportunities that he converted from from 37 and 36 yards.

It’s worth noting that Boswell had 12 of the Steelers 32 points. Perhaps that’s not surprising on most weeks, but in this big win Boswell’s major contribution was a surprising afterthought.

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Najee Harris

Another player who has been in a virtual slump, Harris topped 100 yards and scored a touchdown for the first time this season. He is the first, and only, player on the roster other than Justin Fields to have a rushing touchdown through six games.

It’s only Harris’ seventh 100+ yard rushing game in 57 career games. However, he ran with a purpose on Sunday, belittling the Raiders defense by pushing the pile and carrying defenders, while also diving for his lone score.

Harris would finish the day with 106 yards on 14 carries, a 7.6 average.

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T.J. Watt

What else can be said of someone who is the second-fastest player to record 100 sacks in NFL history?

While Watt is often labeled for his edge rushing and sack specialization, he’s more than that, as demonstrated against Las Vegas. Watt failed to register a sack on Sunday, but forced not one, but two fumbles in the game, each at pivotal moments that gave the ball back to the Steelers offense.

Watt’s first forced fumble occurred on the Raiders 30-yard line with just over two minutes remaining before halftime. The subsequent drive led to the Steelers first touchdown and a go-ahead score they never looked back from.

Watt’s second forced fumble happened on the second play of the fourth quarter. Vegas ran the ninth play of their 74 yard, five-minute drive and faced a 3rd-and-goal from the Steelers one. Watt smacked the ball from Raiders RB Ameer Abdullah, which was recovered by DeShon Elliott.

The Steelers offense wouldn’t capitalize on the turnover, but was able to bring the ball out to midfield. A Corliss Waitman punt would back the Raiders up to their 13-yard line, with a Cameron Heyward sack and then a Donte Jackson interception wrecking Vegas’ next drive. Justin Fields would score on a one-yard run to put Pittsburgh up 29-13 and seal the deal, all stemming from Watt’s momentum-shifting play.

5 Steelers surprises in Sunday’s win against the Raiders appeared first on Steel City Underground.

Watch: T.J. Watt punches out not one, but two fumbles

On Sunday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Steelers experienced a slow start on defense to their host: the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders used the run and complimented it by targeting tight ends in their opening offensive series. In 10 plays, the Raiders had moved 70 yards and put 7 points on the scoreboard.

Needing a win in Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season, Pittsburgh got the correction they needed to stall Las Vegas’ offense thanks, in large part, to team captain T.J. Watt.

On 2nd & 7 at the Vegas 30, the Raiders were in the process of their fourth series when Watt made his first punch-out of the game. Aidan O’Connell handed the ball off to Dylan Laube for a hard charge at the line, but Watt timed his strike perfectly and forced the fumble. Keeanu Benton was able to recover it and the Steelers offense translated the turnover into 7 points to go up, 12-7 before halftime.

During Las Vegas’ third offensive series of the second half, the Raiders used 6 plays to get 2nd & Goal at the Pittsburgh 6. O’Connell threw a touchdown strike to Alexander Mattison but the play was nullified due to an ineligible player downfield. They made up the yardage on the subsequent replay of the 2nd down from the 11 yard-line to set up 3rd & Goal at the Pittsburgh 1. The handoff went to Ameer Abdullah, but once again Watt got home. Using part of his arm, Watt punched the ball loose and DeShon Elliott was able to scoop it up before being tackled at the 11-yard line.

Although the Steelers were unable to convert that turnover into points on the scoreboard, Watt’s efforts kept the Raiders from getting their own points.

With two tackles for a loss and the two forced fumbles, Watt became the first Steelers player with two TFLs and a minimum of two FFs in the same game since James Harrison did so in Week 13 of the 2008 NFL season against the New England Patriots. It was Watt’s fifth career game with at least two FFs (per Michael Bertsch of Steelers.com) and his 33rd with at least two TFL.

Watch: T.J. Watt punches out not one, but two fumbles appeared first on Steel City Underground.

Steelers waive OLB, shuffle practice squad ahead of Week 7


Lance McCutcheon #82 of the Los Angeles Rams warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on January 01, 2023 in Inglewood, California.
Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

The Steelers open up a spot on their 53-man roster.

It was another Monday of Steelers roster moves. Per a team announcement, Pittsburgh waived outside linebacker Ade Ogundeji from the 53-man roster on Monday, while releasing wide receiver Jaray Jenkins from the practice squad and adding wide receiver Lance McCutcheon in his place.

Ogundeji played well on 15 defensive snaps against the Raiders in Week 6, but didn’t offer much value on special teams. With the Steelers looking to get some healthy edge depth back in Week 7, Ogundeji was released but remains a strong candidate to land back on the practice squad.

As for the Steelers’ practice squad wide receiver swap, new addition McCutcheon went undrafted in 2022 before landing with the Los Angeles Rams. That season, he appeared in 10 games, recording no catches on five targets but seeing 110 total snaps on special teams.

In his final collegiate season at Montana State, McCutcheon recorded 63 receptions for 1,219 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns. After his stint with the Rams, the 6’3, 202-pound receiver has since spent time with the Houston Texans and New York Jets. Now, he has a shot at sticking around in the Steel City.

With the Ogundeji release, Pittsburgh now has an open spot on its 53-man roster.

Steelers rookie center gets a positive update after Week 6 injury


Zach Frazier #54 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action against the Los Angeles Chargers on September 22, 2024 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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That loud sigh of relief you just heard? It’s coming from Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers finally caught a break this week on the injury front, with a positive report surfacing on the status of rookie center Zach Frazier on Monday. After leaving Week 6 with an ankle injury, the rookie is considered “week-to-week” with the injury and has avoided any structural damage, insider Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports shares:

While “week-to-week” doesn’t seem like great news at face value, it is generally positive considering the string of season-ending injuries that Pittsburgh has suffered on the offensive line. They lost intended starter Nate Herbig with a torn rotator cuff, rookie right tackle Troy Fautanu to a knee injury and right guard James Daniels to an Achilles injury — all injuries that were season-ending.

Frazier has stepped into the starting role admirably this season and has appeared as one of the league’s up-and-coming star centers from the moment he stepped onto the field, showcasing the exact kind of grit and toughness the Steelers admire in the trenches, particularly in the run game. Frazier’s 82.2 PFF offensive grade ranks fourth among all centers this season, while his 84.1 run-blocking grade ranks fifth.

Backup center Ryan McCollum will start in his absence, having logged just a single career start back in 2021 for the Lions. McCollum played 19 snaps at center in Frazier’s absence in Week 6, allowing zero pressures in six pass block attempts.

Bills vs. Jets: Monday Night Football Open Thread


Buffalo Bills v Houston Texans
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Let’s chat

The Buffalo Bills and New York Jets will close out Week 6 on Monday Night Football. The Bills have lost their last two, while the Jets are playing their first game since firing head coach Robert Saleh.

The Bills are 1.5 point favorites, and that is my best bet for the night.

Buffalo hasn’t lost three straight games since 2018. And while James Cook is out of the lineup, the total disfunction of the Jets is more than enough to make me not bet on a New York win.

Final prediction: Bills 24, Jets 17

What are your predictions for tonight’s game? Join your fellow Steelers fans in the comments for the final open thread of the week.

Steelers rookie center Zach Frazier injured in Week 6 vs. Raiders


Zach Frazier #54 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action against the Dallas Cowboys during the game on October 6, 2024 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Monday update: Steelers rookie center Zach Frazier is considered “week-to-week” with his ankle injury suffered in Week 6, Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report reported Monday.

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie center Zach Frazier went down with what appears to be a leg injury in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He was rolled up on from behind in the third quarter and left the field with the assistance of two trainers.

The team’s backup center, Ryan McCollum, came in after Frazier’s departure from the field, and Najee Harris managed his first rushing touchdown of the year — a 36-yard run.

Burt Lauten, the Steelers’ Senior Director of Communications, notes it to be an ankle injury, and he’s been named questionable to return.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have suffered a number of significant injuries on the offensive line this year, including the loss of intended starting center Nate Herbig, as well as RG James Daniels and rookie RT Troy Fautanu.