8/31/17-PODCAST Wrapping Up The Pre-Season

By: Mike Pelaia

I took to the airwaves again to sum up the Joe Haden signing, discuss  Le’Veon Bell’s rap and finish up pre-season talk.  

You can take a listen right here: 

8/29/17-Season Predictions

By: Mike Pelaia

AFC:
EAST:
1. New England Patriots – They could be better than last year. Bellichick and Brady aren’t slowing down.
2. Miami Dolphins – After New England, this division isn’t very good. Jay Cutler is the QB for this team, how good can they really be?
3. Buffalo Bills – This team isn’t very good but they play in a division with the NY Jets.
4. NY Jets – Vying for the #1 pick in next years draft. They are bad.
NORTH:
1. Pittsburgh Steelers – This team is primed for a Super Bowl run. They are loaded offensively and are playing for Mr. Rooney.
2. Cincinnati Bengals – Still have the talent to give the Steelers the biggest challenge for the division. They will get a Wild Card.
3. Baltimore Ravens – I could see this team going either way this year. I’m thinking they just aren’t ready for a true run yet.
4. Cleveland Browns – They are, in fact, the Browns.
SOUTH:
1. Houston Texans – I’m banking on their defense carrying them a long way this season.
2. Tennessee Titans – I’m expecting big improvements from this team. Marcus Marriotta is a good QB and this team will steal the second Wild Card.
3. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck appears to be a question mark coming back from injuries and this team just doesn’t appear to be very good, even if he’s playing.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars – Chad Henne is their starting QB, need I say more?
WEST:
1. Oakland Raiders – Derek Carr is on the verge of becoming elite. I think this team could be a top team in the NFL this season.
2. Kansas City Chiefs – He may not be flashy but Alex Smith wins games. This team will be a playoff contender.
3. Los Angeles Chargers – I don’t expect much from this team but I do think Philip Rivers will have a solid season.
4. Denver Broncos – They have a top defense but the QB situations is too much of a mess.
AFC Championship:
Pittsburgh Steelers over the New England Patriots – It’s just their time. The Steelers finally best their long time nemesis.

NFC:
EAST:
1. NY Giants – They are a loaded offense and much improved defense. Eli may finally cut down on the turnovers.
2. Dallas Cowboys – With Zeke out for six weeks and my expectation that Dak will step back, the Cowboys will fall back too but they will grab a wild card.
3. Washington Redskins – I think Kirk Cousins is a very solid QB and this team can give the rest of the division fits.
4. Philadelphia Eagles – I believe Carson Wentz will fall back to reality this season and the Eagles will feel the pain.
NORTH:
1. Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers is just too good for this team not to be great again.
2. Detroit Lions – Matt Stafford is going to put up monster numbers this season.
3. Minnesota Vikings – I don’t expect Sam Bradford to be as consistent as he was in 2016.
4. Chicago Bears – They are just a bad football team.
SOUTH:
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – I believe in Jameis Winston and the progression of this team. I think they will surprise the division and come out on top.
2. Atlanta Falcons – The super bowl loser will take a step back but will get the top Wild Card.
3. Carolina Panthers – Cam Newton can do a lot but this team isn’t good enough for him to get them to the playoffs this season. Ron Rivera on the hot seat.
4. New Orleans Saints – Could this be the end of the Sean Peyton/Drew Brees marriage?
WEST:
1. Seattle Seahawks – They are still the class of the West. Solid QB, good defense.
2. Arizona Cardinals – A lot depends on Carson Palmer but the defense is still good, they will be competitive.
3. Los Angeles Rams – I don’t believe in Jared Goff but I think Sean McVey is a good young coach and this team will improve over time.
4. San Francisco 49ers – Kyle Shanahan will be a great coach in this league but he has no talent on this team.
NFC Championship:
Green Bay Packers over the NY Giants – I think Aaron Rodgers is going to carry this team to the Super Bowl and win the league MVP along the way.

SUPER BOWL:
Pittsburgh Steelers over the Green Bay Packers – A rematch of the 2010 season with a different outcome. The Steelers offense is just too unstoppable this year and the defense will be much improved. Big Ben and James Harrison go out on top!

8/28/17-The Steelers Lost The “Dress Rehearsal”, So What?

By: Mike Pelaia

Yeah, they lost. Yeah, the starters could have looked better. Yeah, they were playing in Heinz Field. Yep, Landry Jones threw a pick with an opportunity to win the game. So what? Was it a regular season game? Nope, it wasn’t.

I know this is the game that is supposed to be the closest thing to the regular season but in case you didn’t notice, Ben Roethlisberger only threw nine passes. He completed six of those by the way. Antonio Brown only had two receptions and Le’Veon Bell wasn’t even in the building.

I’ve read and also heard a lot of people starting to panic about this team and just how far they can really go. Are you kidding me? This is not the time for panic. It’s not week 10 of the regular season with the team on a three game losing streak! It’s the third game of the pre-season where the team ran a vanilla offense and didn’t play their super stars for very long. I. Am. Not. Worried.

I still believe this team is a Super Bowl contender. I’ve seen nothing to sway my opinion on that. Yeah, I’m down on Ross Cockrell and he certainly didn’t do anything on Saturday night to change my opinion on that front. However, I’ve been down on Cockrell for a few seasons, so his lackluster play isn’t going to change my mind on their chances.

In my podcast last week I spoke about him being the weakest link on this team. I know it. You know it and you better believe the coaching staff knows it. I don’t think for a second that coach Tomlin and his staff will leave Cockrell out there if they see a better option in Coty Sensabaugh, whom I happen to think is the better player.

So watching Cockrell get burned, or the first team struggle in a game where they dialed back the plays, sat their stars and had nothing to play for except staying healthy, doesn’t faze me. Landry Jones isn’t going to play three quarters and throw 31 passes most weeks (hopefully). Bell will be carrying the ball when the games count. The defense will run different and better schemes. The offensive line will be fully staffed when it counts too. There are far too many variables happening in the pre-season to ever worry about wins and losses, let alone think that the play in August can predict what we’ll really see in the regular season. These games are exhibitions being used to measure some key battles, not much more than that.

So when it’s time to play a meaningful game, this team will be ready to go. They are far too talented, highly motivated and have a ton of veteran leadership in guys like Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey, and James Harrison, not to succeed this season. Trust me, come week eight, nine, ten and beyond, you’ll be saying the same thing I’m saying right now; The Steelers lost to the Colts in the third pre-season game, So What?

8/25/17-SCU News And Notes For The Upcoming Slate Of Games

By: Joe Kuzma

In case you missed it, here’s the Daily Steelers Grind for August 25th, 2017, highlighting some of the best Pittsburgh Steelers and NFL content out there.

Landry’s back!

Ben, AB, Harrison, Landry all expected to play Saturday vs. Colts at Heinz Field.

— Bob Labriola (@BobLabriola) August 24, 2017

Forget about someone @steelers? pic.twitter.com/H86rjwJdjC

— Joe Kuzma (SCU) (@joe_kuzma) August 24, 2017

Sensabaugh grinding

We saw that, @CotySense. pic.twitter.com/gJ1MhzdlWu

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 17, 2017

#Process

— Coty Sensabaugh (@CotySense) August 17, 2017

Tomlin: Cockrell-Sensabaugh "shaping up to be" a 2-dogs-1-bone battle for CB opposite Burns. "Coty's done enough to merit consideration."

— Mike Prisuta (@DVEMike) August 24, 2017

Now Sensabaugh is wearing #24, @Ike_SwagginU?!

I blame @JoeStarkey1. pic.twitter.com/scOWdMyNsa

— Dave Dameshek (@Dameshek) August 24, 2017

I was just leasing dat #24…

— Ike Taylor (@Ike_SwagginU) August 24, 2017

He was mine!

.@ArthurArkush makes the case for Le’Veon Bell over David Johnson as the first overall pick in #FantasyFootball:

— Pro Football Weekly (@PFWeekly) August 24, 2017

Can't be. Dude's just a running back.

— James C Wexell (@jimwexell) August 24, 2017

Has to be – they’re trying everyone there

Trey Williams confirmed he was returning kickoffs today in practice

After having a punt return TD last week, maybe he getting serious look?

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 24, 2017

Tomlin recap

We're recapping Coach Tomlin's press conference and have your @SteelersUnite keyword on #SteelersLive @ 4pm!

WATCH: pic.twitter.com/UoHWq36fVV

— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) August 24, 2017

About to get more on Saturday!

The #Steelers defense is tied for the second-most sacks in the 2017 preseason:

1. Saints 12
T2. Steelers 11
Eagles 11
Jets 11

— Dom Rinelli (@drinelli) August 24, 2017

Throwback Thursday

Yeah…… That's mine now. #TBT pic.twitter.com/z0ogJBrStn

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 25, 2017

Alualu cacks the top five

The most productive 3-4 defensive ends against the run this preseason pic.twitter.com/v9SZrHO923

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) August 24, 2017

G.O.A.T.

He gets the targets and makes the most of them. pic.twitter.com/MDZPKOYEy1

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) August 24, 2017

DSG August 25th – News and notes for the upcoming weekend slate of games appeared first on Steel City Underground.

8/25/17-SCU Browns Pick Up Another Win In The Pre-Season

By: Joe Kuzma

Guess who else improved to 2-0 during the preseason?

That’s right fans, the Cleveland Browns doubled their win total of the entire 2016 regular season during the NFL’s exhibition period, and while the 10-6 score was indicative of poor preseason play, the Browns too made the Giants look sub human at times.

On Offense

The Browns spent invested a lot in revamping their offensive line this offseason. They brought in J.C. Tretter, formerly of Green Bay, as the new starting center and signed Bengals guard Kevin Zeitler. So it’s no surprise that Cleveland’s only touchdown of the evening came behind DeShone Kizer, who snuck behind the two linemen for the one-yard score.

In addition to the TD, Kizer ran the ball five times for 35 yards and was 8-of-13 for 74 yards. That wasn’t half bad, as Brock Osweiler, who is keying in on the starting job, had zero rhythm. He went 6-of-8 but for only 25 yards, including a pick.

Cody Kessler went a perfect 7-for-7, completing the Cleveland carousel of QBs which is destined to add at least one more starter to their long list of hopefuls who have manned the quarterback position since 1999.

Wide receiver is another oddity with Cleveland, as Kenny Britt hung around long enough to catch a single pass, while Corey Coleman is a lock for the second receiver spot. Beyond those two are as many as six receivers competing for the final spots: and all six are entering their second year.

Running back is less cloudy, with Isaiah Crowell a scratch from Monday’s game, but Duke Johnson showing he can handle the load this preseason as both a runner and receiver, and rookie Matthew Dayes doing the same. In this game, Dayes caught five passes for 29 yards.

Controversy

Where shall we begin?

First, there were a number of Cleveland players who knelt or stood with those kneeling on the sideline during the national anthem. Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey, who led the group prayer, explained their actions:

We were just praying over the country and praying over things going on. We did it as respectfully as possible and we respect everything that happened with things in the military. We respect all of that. We just felt it was the right time for us to do this and say a prayer for this country.

While that may have been a spark in the media, nothing shined brighter than a low hit by Browns CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun on Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.

#Giants Odell Beckham to the locker room after this hit. He stopped & dropped to his knees before getting to the locker room, too. Bad news. pic.twitter.com/r5j6J0fcyy

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) August 22, 2017

Low hits are often criticized regardless of their legality, because of the injuries which could result from the blow. Beckham laid on the field for a moment, then hobbled on his own to the sideline. Behind the scenes cameras following him into the locker room saw him collapse again in the tunnel.

Odell Beckham Jr. leaves game after taking a hard hit to the leg. Hoping for the best. pic.twitter.com/WQTUGWlZiO

— Climb The Pocket (@ClimbThePocket) August 22, 2017

Turns out he’s going to be okay… but that hasn’t stopped the New York sports media from over analyzing his reaction: was it sincere or was it all an act?

The Browns defense looks hungry under new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Myles Garrett, the top pick overall in this year’s draft, had one of Cleveland’s two sacks in this game.

The Browns defense is also making plays. Besides taking out Beckham, Boddy-Calhoun picked off a Geno Smith pass, denying the Giants a touchdown. Veteran offseason acquisition Jason McCourty stripped New York receiver Sterling Shepard, setting up the Browns possession which ended in the Kizer touchdown run before the half.

Jabrill Peppers received his first preseason start at safety but looked most impressive on special teams as a punt returner. His first return went for 31 yards while another 36-yard return was negated by a holding penalty.

Aside from those notes, there wasn’t much else to make of the backup performances. The Browns contained the Giants running game and harassed the New York quarterbacks throughout the game. CB Joe Haden was beaten badly on a long pass, which even prompted the ESPN commentary team to question his effectiveness recently.

Conclusion

The momentum isn’t what you want to see from a division foe, but so far Cleveland is showing promise. I believe a large reason for a hopeful turnaround is two-fold: they can’t get much lower, and last season the team cleaned house on their roster. Most of the roster are younger players who haven’t bared the brunt of multiple losing seasons, and the few veterans who are there, have tasted success one way or another (Joe Thomas as a Pro Bowl selection, Jamie Collins with the Patriots).

For those members of Steelers Nation who enjoy their sports betting will want to keep an eye on the line for the opening weekend. With the Steelers going against the Browns next month, it’s probably a good idea to review this experience with Bovado. They may list the Steelers as the favorites, but it’s possible the odds between the two teams could be beginning to shrink.

Rival Report: Browns pick up another win in the preseason appeared first on Steel City Underground.

8/25/17-SCU Bengals Blown Out At Home

The last of our Rival Reports from this week focuses on that team in Southern Ohio, the Cincinnati Bengals. The tiger-striped division foe of the Steelers stunk up their home stadium on Saturday night in an embarrassing 30-12 loss.

Those comments may seem harsh because everyone here at SCU continues to remind fans that it’s only the preseason. However, if you thought the Steelers defense looked bad against the Falcons last weekend, you can find solace in knowing the Bengals looked worse.

Cincy Secondary

The Bengals, with their vaunted first round, picks in their secondary, were torched by every Kansas City quarterback who took a snap in this game. The Chiefs scored on all five of their first five possessions. Starter Alex Smith and rookie Patrick Mahomes both threw for over 80 yards. Mahomes picked apart the Bengals for two touchdowns and even Chiefs third-string QB Tyler Bray completed an 18-yard touchdown pass… on his first snap of the game.

Cincy offense and defense

The Chiefs outgained the Bengals 411 yards to 257. The three KC quarterbacks combined for a 126.2 QB rating and three touchdowns. Charchandrick West ran for 117 yards on only seven carries, rookie Kareem Hunt carried the ball eight times for 40 yards, and Mahomes even added 29 rushing yards on three carries. C.J. Spiller added another 27 yards on the ground as Kansas City piled up 228 rushing yards… against many first team Bengals defenders, such as Vontaze Burfict.

Their defense was widely criticized for missing tackles all night long and the crowd at Paul Brown Stadium could be heard booing during portions of the game where the Bengals couldn’t create a stop.

One bright spot

The one bright spot for Cincy is their kicker competition between Randy Bullock and Jake Elliott. Each hit a pair of field goals in this game.

Then the rest

But that’s where the cheering ends, as Cincinnati has gone eight preseason quarters of football without an offensive touchdown. Andy Dalton threw an interception in the red zone a week earlier, and his backup, the highly touted A.J. McCarron had a poor 44.6 passer rating after completing 8-of-15 passes with a pick.

Third string passer Jeff Driskel was even worse, completing only 2-of-6 attempts for a meager 13 yards.

While they gave up rushing yards in bunches, the Bengals offense struggled to run the football. Jeremy Hill carried the football six times for 28 yards while rookie Joe Mixon also had six carries, but for eight fewer yards (16) than Hill.

Conclusion

With only two preseason games to show for thus far, the Bengals are looking to rebound from last year’s 6-9-1 season. They will need to improve on both sides of the football, and fast, in order to pose a threat to even the Cleveland Browns, who look much more organized with a younger stable of players at this point.

The wounded Baltimore Ravens may even sneak in front of Cincinnati if they’re not careful. So far, my opinion from afar of the Bengals is that their defense is starting to hit the age wall that Pittsburgh’s did years ago. The difference being, I don’t believe the Bengals will have enough talent on the field to help them hover around a .500 record and postseason contention while rebuilding, in the same way, the Steelers did.

Up next for the Bengals is a road trip to play the Redskins Sunday afternoon.

Rival Report: Bengals blown out at home appeared first on Steel City Underground.

8/24/17-PODCAST-Updating Some Battles

By: Mike Pelaia

I took a solo flight on Steel Nation Radio Sponsored By Total Sports Enterprises and decided to discuss the defense, specifically Ross Cockrell and Coty Sensabaugh, the Wide Receiver battles, Josh Dobbs, James Harrison and much more.  

 

Give it a listen right here: 

8/21/17-Pre-Season Game Two – What Does It Mean?

By: Mike Pelaia

By now you know the score, the Steelers won their second pre-season game over the Atlanta Falcons 17-13.  To me, to the coaches and perhaps to you, that means nothing. Wins and losses are meaningless in the pre-season but how you play means everything in the world. For some of these guys, they are playing for starting roles or to be the lead reserve at certain positions. Other guys are just trying to make the team and have a job. The coaches are looking at everyone intently and they certainly saw both ups and downs during this second of four exhibitions.

While I’m not a coach, I watch the battles intently and the first thing that stood out to me was the secondary. The good, perhaps the only good, was Jordan Dangerfield with his two picks. I think he has played his way onto the team through camp and with his pre-season performance thus far. You must have presence in the secondary and Dangerfield exhibited that presence on Sunday. Ross Cockrell, did not. I’ve long had an issue with Cockrell being a starter on this team as I think he’s better suited for the nickel package and I think he proved that again on Sunday. Whenever you know a cornerback because you see the back of his jersey so often, you have a problem. That used to be my issue with William Gay, it’s now Ross Cockrell that has become that guy. I don’t believe he can be the starter on a Super Bowl defense and ultimately, I think if Cam Sutton can get healthy and get some time on the field for the black ang gold, he’ll overtake Cockrell for the number two spot.

It wasn’t just Cockrell though, big plays and third down conversions were given up by this secondary too often throughout the game, to the tune of 255 passing yards allowed. I know that the starters didn’t play a lot of the game and Mike Mitchell didn’t suit up at all but that has been the Achilles Heel for the black and gold for a while now and will need to be rectified sooner than later.

I’m very comfortable with the front seven and think the run defense will be one of the better ones in the league with the amount of talent they possess. Anthony Chickillo showed with his five tackles and two sacks that he can play well in big spots and he and Arthur Moats will certainly continue to battle over the next few weeks for that top reserve role on the outside.

Offensively, I was most impressed by James Conner.  Conner was afforded 20 carries in his first game action ever and he turned those carries into 98 yards. I was impressed by his quickness and ability to find the holes and while he dropped a few passes, I have no concerns about him catching the ball out of the backfield moving forward. He typically has sure hands and he’ll be fine the next time around. I had seen him in camp without pads and was impressed by both his speed and agility but to see it at game speed confirmed what I had already suspected; Conner is going to be the starting running back in Pittsburgh starting in 2018 if Le’Veon Bell doesn’t lower his asking price. He has already shown me he has the talent to be a starting running back in the NFL, and soon.

Conner will certainly have a big role behind Bell this season and it’s starting to look like Josh Dobbs might have a bigger role than originally expected behind Ben Roethlisberger as well. I’ve been very impressed by Dobbs so far through camp and two weeks of the preseason and while Landry Jones continues to remain on the sideline with injury and Big Ben rests, Dobbs continues to get reps that a typical third stringer wouldn’t receive. He’s done fairly well through the first couple of weeks to the point that I think there is some serious consideration for him to be the backup sooner than later. I’ve been a big supporter of Landry Jones through the years and think he’s a quality backup but Dobbs can play his way right into the job if he keeps this up.  Quite frankly, I like Bart Houston as well but the team won’t keep four QB’s so the best-case scenario for Houston would be as a practice squad stash away.

Next week is the ‘dress rehearsal’. Typically, the starters play at least three quarters in an effort to get up to speed for the regular season. I believe you’ll see just about all of the defensive guys play a significant amount of time next week with the exception of Ryan Shazier and James Harrison.   Everyone else will be asked to perform. The defense won’t run anything complicated but they’ll get their reps in before they are allowed to sit out.

Offensively, the play calling will be relatively Vanilla but I believe you’ll see a lot of the same in terms of starters playing at least a half, possibly three quarters with the exception of Big Ben and Antonio Brown. I think they’ll play, but I’d be surprised if they were out there for more than a quarter. Other than that, guys like Martavis Bryant and James Conner will be featured quite a bit. Sammie Coates and Justin Hunter will be given their opportunities to prove why they belong on this team and special team guys like Knile Davis and Trey Williams will show why they should be retained as well.

Even next week, the score doesn’t matter but the plays that are made, the effort put forth and the individual position battles do. If you’re looking for regular season football in August, next week will be as close as you’ll get to it so pay attention and watch it unfold.

8/14/17-The Steelers WR Corps Is The Best In The NFL, But Who Will Be Kept?

By: Mike Pelaia

Size, speed, vision, experience, youth, talent, agility and football smarts are just a few of the words that can be combined when defining the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver corps.

It’s a unit that is undoubtedly the deepest on the team but is probably the best single unit in the entire NFL. It’s a good problem to have but there are guys that are here in Latrobe right now that aren’t going to be in Pittsburgh next month; not for any other reason than there is just not enough room to keep the plethora of receivers the black and gold have stockpiled.

One might ponder; “Why not trade one or two of these guys for a position of need?”. Unlike MLB, it’s not that easy to make trades in the NFL, with salary cap implications and more importantly a complete absence of any kind of developmental system. By and large you have to trade one player for one player and their values need to match, which is hard to do when there are so many different positions on a football team.

So that leaves the conversation to, “How many receivers can the team realistically keep?”. Typically, the team keeps five receivers but this year, I believe there is a strong chance they’ll keep six and find a way to make it work.

The roster currently touts 11 receivers, all with something to bring to the table but at the end of the day, some of the decisions are simple, while others are not.

First, Canaan Severin, the second year man out of UVA. He’s out, he’s not going to make it, end of the discussion. He’s just too far behind the other guys and ranks last on the 11 man depth chart. Right behind him on his way out the door is Marcus Tucker, there just isn’t room.

Now, assuming the Steelers decide to keep six of the 11, we need to dissect who they will keep and which other three they will release.
The first three guys are obvious keepers and are on the squad no matter what. Antonio Brown, the best receiver in football, no further discussion needed, will lead the way. Behind him, in terms of being kept are Martavis Bryant and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Bryant is back after a years’ suspension and his talent, height and skill are as good as anyone in the league. He will be a prime target for Big Ben. Smith Schuster, has a lot of upside and being the second round pick in this year’s draft, he’s not going anywhere.

Our first real battle is for the slot receiver with Eli Rogers going up against Demarcus Ayers. I’m convinced at this point in camp that only one will remain. Rogers was the more productive player last year but Ayers has more upside in terms of contributing to special teams, Tomlin loves those special teams guys. Ayers is one inch taller and three pounds heavier and is a year younger. Ayers is a guy that has a spot in the league but at the end of the day, it’s not with Pittsburgh. Rogers is the guy that will take the slot, he’s a bit tougher, he’s trusted and he’s a little more proven, giving him the nod to remain on the squad.

Two more spots are open and those will be battled for between newly signed Justin Hunter, veteran Darrius Heyward-Bey, young talent, but oft injured Sammie Coates and young project Cobi Hamilton.

Hunter was signed in the offseason as an insurance policy, in case Bryant didn’t return. Ben needed a guy of Hunters size, 6’4 in the AFC Championship game loss last year and the team wanted to make sure they had at least someone on the roster that fit that bill, in the event Bryant didn’t return. However, with Bryant back and having a few very large tight ends, I have a feeling Hunter isn’t going to be retained after all.

Hamilton does have talent but I think he’s the odd man out here. He’s just not as skilled as the other guys and doesn’t have a spot on the team but I expect he’ll land elsewhere.

That means that Heyward-Bey and Coates will be kept. I originally projected both to be out but in talking with several folks around Steeler camp, Mike Tomlin loves all of the “intangibles” Heyward-Bey brings to the table with his speed and ability to play special teams as well as his veteran leadership, meaning he’ll probably be retained.

 

Coates, even though he fell off last year after his injury and has been injured this summer, will make the squad because the team loves his talent. When asked when he’ll be back, Coates stated “Hopefully soon”. He said he’s getting “Closer” and hopes to “be back Wednesday”. While his return date may still be unknown, one thing we do know is that he was a monster the first five weeks of the 2016 season and the Steelers brass believe that’s who he really is. Look for him to be the last guy kept but if the Steelers are correct, he’ll produce down the stretch this time around.

So, after winding our way through all 11 spots in the receiving corps, the final six appear to be Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, JuJu Smith Schuster, Eli Rogers, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Sammie Coates.
That’s one heck of a group. Even after cutting five, that unit will still be the best in the NFL and provide Ben Roethlisberger with a lot of options, hopefully in the biggest games the season has to provide.

8/13/17-Josh Dobbs, Is He The Next Man Up?

By: Mike Pelaia

“Next Man Up” is a philosophy that Mike Tomlin has employed for as long as he’s been the leader of the black and gold. It’s a phrase uttered just about as often as he says “the standard is the standard”. Sometimes those mantras fit, other times they don’t.
Soon enough, whether it be in 2018, 2019 or beyond, Ben Roethlisberger is going to retire and Tomlins’ favorite phrases will be tested in terms of replacing his Hall of Fame QB. Who will be the “Next Man Up” and will the “Standard be the Standard” with that successor?
Enter Josh Dobbs. The rookie who made is pro football debut the other night was drafted to serve the purpose of replacing Big Ben. Dobbs, who played decently enough in his Steeler debut, completing eight passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, to go along with two interceptions, won’t be the guy to step in this season, should Ben go down with an injury; that job stays with Landry Jones, but he is positioned to surpass Jones when the time to be a full-time starter comes, which is not far off.

Dobbs showed poise vs. the Giants, making a few good passes and scrambling for yardage. He brings a little bit of the pocket passer along with the mobile quarterback that is needed in today’s NFL. Dobbs comes from the SEC, the conference that touts the most NFL players, which gives him a toughness that some rookies don’t yet have when entering the league.

As a senior at Tennessee, Dobbs completed 63% of his passes for over 2,900 yards and 27 touchdowns. He added another 831 yards on the ground for 12 more scores. In the SEC, playing against NFL level talent, those numbers are no joke.
SEC football and NFL football are in no way, shape or form an apples to apples comparison, however, if I’m looking for collegiate level production to translate over to the NFL, I’ll start in the SEC and work my way from there. Dobbs proved his worth at the highest level of college football, in my opinion.

Two years ago, the king of college football, Nick Saban said about Dobbs “He’s just developed into a really fine quarterback”. Saban knows a thing or two about football and I’ll take his word any day. Add a few years of college success to that, plus, ideally, a year or two of pro football practice and sideline experience, while being mentored by a Hall of Fame quarterback and Dobbs will be ready to soar when it’s his time.
Unlike Landry Jones, Dobbs is being groomed to be the guy. He hasn’t lost the fans yet, as Jones has, which can be critical to a quarterbacks development and quite frankly, as long as Jones is wearing a Steeler uniform, Dobbs will ultimately be a fan favorite, only furthering his opportunity to succeed. 

When asked about what he’s taken away from Big Ben thus far, he said “The things that have been invaluable; seeing how he practices and how he runs the team, getting in and out of the huddle quickly, at the line of scrimmage; his communication.” “Where he goes with the ball, just sitting back and watching him.” “It’s also been invaluable to just sit in the film room and hear his thoughts on my reps, his thoughts on his reps and what he’s thinking and how he approaches each day”. “Ben has a plan each day of what routes he wants to cover with the receivers or what signals he wants to cover.” “Just having an overall good approach to the day, I think has been the biggest thing to take from him.” This kid is wise beyond his years to watch a guy like Big Ben and pick up the nuances such as an approach to the day. Veteran stuff from a rookie.

But Dobbs doesn’t stop with learning from Roethlisberger, he knows he has leadership and invaluable experience with his receivers too. When asked if he’s picked anything up from Antonio Brown, Dobbs stated “Just what he sees, he definitely has a different perspective.” “Hearing what he sees, how he’s approaching each look, what routes he likes to run”. “How he feels like he can create separation from the defense and get open”. “Watching him in practice, talking with him and getting on that same page, to get that information from a receiver’s perspective who’s really good at what he does; it definitely gives a quarterback a different viewpoint on the game of football.”
It’s not all about potential though, it’s about what is being done on the field as well. And Dobbs is doing that early in his rookie campaign. Dobbs is clearly not just throwing words around when talking about learning from Big Ben. In practice, he can be noticed working through his progressions, making checks at the line of scrimmage, talking to the receivers after plays and most of all, he’s getting an opportunity to do some of this with the first team as Roethlisberger is given a breather and Jones continues to be sidelined.

Cobi Hamilton, who had a productive evening on Friday with Dobbs under center, said “He’s focusing, he’s getting better every day”. He also stated that after the first two interceptions that were thrown Dobbs’ demeanor didn’t change. That’s exactly what a team leader should be like, that’s what you want in your future. “He’s a good passer. I know he’s capable of doing it” Hamilton went on to say.

Dobbs himself understands the position he’s in, too. He knows the QB position comes with scrutiny, perhaps even more so in Pittsburgh. He understands what it takes to leave a game and learn from it. “There’s always things to go back and improve on. It’s a great learning opportunity. We’ll work on those today in practice.” He also mentions using those areas of improvement to help prepare for next weeks’ game. He just gets it. “Throughout the game there’s always going to be adversity. You’re going to make good plays and you’re going to make some mistakes”. That statement defines him, even keeled, smart, understanding. He speaks as though he’s a veteran, not a rookie coming off of his first preseason game ever. Speaking about playing quarterback, Dobbs stated “Your team is looking at you throughout adversity. You just got to keep your head up, keep working hard, stay focused and locked in and not be fazed throughout the game.”

Dobbs goes on to discuss the little things that he already realizes can be worked on, such as getting out of the huddle quicker, checks at the line and of course communication. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and it shows on the field but also as he is surrounded by the Pittsburgh media wanting to dissect his every thought coming out of Friday night’s victory. He speaks humbly, says nothing controversial but looks you in the eye and has a smile on his face. The moment isn’t too big for him, just as playing quarterback isn’t. He’s poised, he’s polished and he will be the “Next Man Up”.

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