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Go To: FlashUpdate / August Update Main Page
| Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||||||
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Go To: Off-season Team Review
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| Most Recent News Updates: | |||||||||
| PIT -- Observer Pushes Back On Notion Warren Will Move Past Harris (9/01/15:06 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Could Jaylen Warren Eventually Move Ahead Of Harris? (8/31/18:48 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Robinson Finding A Home In The Slot For Steelers (8/28/00:08 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Steelers Begin Making Roster Cuts (8/26/18:24 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Tomlin Validated By Play Of Starters... Even If He Doesn't Need It (8/25/21:12 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Pickett, Steelers Offense Head Into Regular Season On A Roll (8/25/00:05 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Steelers Will Play Their Starters Tonight (8/24/18:07 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Pickett Encouraged By Steelers Offensive Success (8/22/19:46 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Johnson Downplays Offensive Optimism... But Should We? (8/22/01:13 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Pickett, Warren Lead Steelers Offense Against Bills (8/20/00:02 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Positive Reporting On Pickens Continues (8/18/13:04 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Pickett, Starterss Likely To Play More This Week Than Last (8/17/13:02 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Austin Delivers The Goods Vs. Buccaneers (8/15/18:40 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Austin Delivers The Goods Vs. Buccaneers (8/15/18:40 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Pickett Expected To Play One Series In Preseason Opener (8/11/17:49 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- More Positive Buzz For Calvin Austin (8/10/00:20 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Rookie TE Washington Making A Case Early In Camp (8/08/00:28 CT) | |||||||||
| PIT -- Initial Issues And Injuries Of Note (8/08/00:00 CT) | |||||||||
Current News Updates
9/01 According to Dale Lolley of the team's official website, the narrative that Jaylen Warren is going to “surpass” Najee Harris as the Steelers’ lead back "is simply not true." Lolley explained that both will have their roles. Harris is the No. 1. Warren is the third-down back. "Both will be valuable," Lolley added. "But Warren isn’t pushing past Harris."8/31 According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, we shouldn't be surprised if Jaylen Warren is the lead running back by the end of the season. ... "Yes," Graziano acknowledged, "Najee Harris was the team's first-round pick in 2021. Yes, he has been a productive and reliable No. 1 back in his first two years, even as the offense overall struggled. And yes, he was coming off a foot injury at the start of last season, which helps explain why his production didn't live up to that of his rookie year. So Harris is still firmly in the Steelers' plans and opens the season as their top back. But Warren's performance in practice and games has demanded a larger role for him than what Pittsburgh had planned a year ago. ..." For now, Warran has shown the ability to spell Harris whenever asked, and he has actually looked more explosive in some areas. Unless Harris looks more like the 2021 version of himself than the 2022 version, Graziano believes Warren's opportunity could increase dramatically as the year goes on. Warren, a 2022 undrafted free agent, took 77 carries for 379 yards last season. 8/28 No defense has faced the Steelers offense this summer more than, well, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Which makes defensive coordinator Teryl Austin somewhat of an authority on what changes he has seen benefit the Steelers offense over the past year and what potentially can make it so difficult to defend — as other teams discovered during a 3-0 preseason. When the subject was broached Saturday, Austin noted additions made on the offensive line. Then, unsolicited, he mentioned another new face — and most experienced NFL player on the offense. “Allen in the slot is a big difference,” Austin said referring to 10-year veteran Allen Robinson. “You’ve got a third quality guy in there, so (the offense) can go to other places. For us, we feel that in practice.” The addition of Robinson via an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Rams has provided the Steelers defense with an experienced option to defend daily in practice. He also has provided a veteran presence the Steelers have lacked in recent seasons. And, as Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staffer Joe Rutter notes, it comes at slot receiver, a position the Steelers were looking to upgrade after trading Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears at midseason. It also provides another piece to the offensive puzzle for second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. As the Steelers prepare to open the season in two weeks, they are happy with what they’ve seen from Robinson. “He’s everything we’d hoped he’d be so far,” OC Matt Canada said. ...Robinson played six snaps in the Steelers’ 24-0 victory at Atlanta to give him 20 for the preseason, including 15 at slot receiver. Perhaps it’s not enough of a sample size to project whether Robinson can make a tangible difference on the field, but he already is earning respect from the way he has led in the locker room. “Allen has been fantastic,” wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson said. By playing in each preseason game, Robinson continued to erase any question about whether he’d be slowed from the ankle injury that shelved him for the final seven games of the 2022 season, his lone one with the Rams. Robinson will be in the slot when the Steelers open the season Sept. 10 against San Francisco. When he has stayed healthy, Robinson has recorded three seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards and three with at least 80 receptions. 8/26 The Steelers have started making cuts ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to slash their roster to 53 players. The team announced their initial cuts on Saturday afternoon. Eight players have been placed on waivers. Wide receiver Dan Chisena, defensive back Nevelle Clarke, linebacker Kuony Deng, cornerback Madre Harper, defensive lineman James Nyamwaya, kicker B.T. Potter, linebacker Forrest Rhyne, and long snapper Rex Sunahara will be looking for new homes on active rosters or practice squads as teams solidify their plans over the coming days. Sunahara’s departure leaves Christian Kuntz as the team’s long snapper while Potter’s departure leaves Chris Boswell set for another season as the kicker in Pittsburgh. 8/25 A number of NFL teams have opted against playing starters in the preseason, but the Steelers did not shy away from it this month. Their starting offense kicked off all three of their preseason games and the unit’s results were pretty much flawless. Five touchdowns in five possessions is a good way to get ready for the regular season and some might see it as a good argument for bucking convention when it comes to doling out playing time in the preseason. After Thursday night’s two touchdown performance, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was asked if the offense’s play made him feel validated for choosing to play them in exhibition games. “I don’t really need validation,” Tomlin said, via the team’s website. “I think it’s difficult to box without sparring. Preseason is an opportunity for us to spar and sharpen our swords for the battle.” As Profootballtalk.com suggests, the battle will be contested at a much higher level than any of the team’s preseason games and the Steelers’ results in those contests will provide the only meaningful assessment of how they’ve constructed this year’s team. 8/25 The Steelers starters against the Falcons backups was no match Thursday night in the preseason finale for both teams. The first-half statistics reflected the domination by the Steelers, especially with their starters on the field. Pittsburgh outgained Atlanta 253 yards to 55 in the half, including an overwhelming 128-5 advantage on the ground en route to an easy win. The Steelers went 92 and 29 yards for touchdowns on two drives before Kenny Pickett and company called it a night. They played 11 snaps. It’s all they needed. Pickett threw a 35-yard pass to George Pickens and a 33-yarder to Diontae Johnson, finishing 4-of-4 for 86 yards. Najee Harris scored on a 1-yard run, and Jaylen Warren reached paydirt on an 8-yarder. Of course, as Profootballtalk.com notes, the Steelers first-team offense has been unstoppable the entire preseason. They took 10 and seven snaps in the first two preseason games and scored touchdowns on every possession. The Steelers first-team offense scored five touchdowns on five possessions in three preseason games. ... Pickett finished the preseason 13-of-15 for 199 yards and two touchdowns. Mitch Trubisky replaced Pickett on the team’s third drive of the first quarter. ... HC Mike Tomlin said the Steelers had no significant injuries and this offense is ready to hit the ground running. 8/24 HC Mike Tomlin isn’t coaching scared. Despite the Falcons sitting their starters tonight, the Steelers will play their healthy starters tonight, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports. “There are certain things that we want to see,” Tomlin said. “We did a little planning for this. And so, you know, the process of strategic planning, teaching, learning, preparing and then playing, we want to see that. We have an agenda.” In the 2022 exhibition season, when he was a rookie and not the starter, Kenny Pickett played 32, 10 and 25 snaps in the team’s three preseason games. He played 10 and seven snaps in the first two preseason games this year. “You know, we need reps,” Tomlin said. “There’s growth associated with reps, but there’s growth associated with good reps. So, we want to eliminate negativity in our game.” Pickett is 9-of-11 with two long touchdown throws and leading the offense to three scoring drives this preseason. 8/22 Following up on the previous item. ... The Steelers starting offense has scored touchdowns on all three possessions it has played through the first two weeks of the preseason and those results have created optimism about what the unit will be able to do this season. Any memories of that optimism will disappear quickly if the results in September aren’t equally impressive. On Monday, quarterback Kenny Pickett acknowledged “it’s been good” while adding that the unit isn’t getting complacent based on performances in games that don’t count in the standings. “It is preseason, man,” Pickett said, via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. “Nothing counts, so it is kind of easy to remain motivated because we haven’t done anything yet. Everybody understands that. ...” Pickett noted that the team has been using a “vanilla” scheme and one of the questions the Steelers will have to answer is if the explosiveness they’ve shown in cameo appearances translates to sustained success in the regular season. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson believes it will and September 10 against the 49ers will be the first real test of that point of view. 8/22 The Steelers’ offensive starters have played three series over the team’s first two preseason games and those brief appearances have helped generate plenty of optimism about what the unit can do this season. As Profootballtalk.com notes, Kenny Pickett capped two of the drives with touchdown passes to wide receiver George Pickens and tight end Pat Freiermuth while running back Jaylen Warren sprinted 62 yards to end the other possession. OC Matt Canada said that “we’re pleased with a very small sample size” on Monday before noting that it “really doesn’t matter” since it has come in the preseason. WR Diontae Johnson expressed a slightly different take when he spoke to reporters. Johnson said that the unit isn’t concerned about their ability to produce at the same level when they face the 49ers on September 10. “We’re not really worried about that. When the time comes, the first game or whatever — or even this game coming up — we’re gonna show what we’ve been working on this whole training camp,” Johnson said, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We’ve shown a little glimpse of it the first two games. Come the first game, we’re gonna put it on display, for sure. ...” The 49ers defense was the best in the league last season, so a good showing right out of the gate would be a good way of showing what the offense is capable of doing this season. 8/20 According to ESPN.com's Brooke Pryor, the Steelers' dismantling of the Bills on Saturday was textbook complementary football, beginning with the first three drives of the game. Quarterback Kenny Pickett and the first team offense opened up with a six-play, 86-yard scoring drive, capped off with a 62-yard Jaylen Warren rushing touchdown -- the Steelers' first rushing touchdown of at least 60 yards since 2016. Then, the Steelers' defense promptly ushered quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills' first-team offense off the field with a three-and-out. Calvin Austin III returned the ensuing punt 54 yards to the 25. A play later, Pickett found tight end Pat Freiermuth just over the goal line for another quick score. For the second week in a row, the explosiveness that eluded the Steelers in 2022 was present in a preseason win. Now they've just got to do it when it counts. 8/18 The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly reports (via Rotowold) that George Pickens has “transformed into a more polished receiver with an expanded route tree. ...” Kaboly went on to advise readers: “[Pickens is] no longer just a deep-ball or highlight-catch guy like we saw last camp and last season” and he labeled Pickens one of the biggest “winners” of Steelers camp. 8/17 Kenny Pickett and the Steelers starting offense put together an efficient 10-play drive that ended in a touchdown in last week’s preseason opener against the Buccaneers. That was all the first unit got in that game, but that’s set to change in Saturday’s contest against the Bills. “We’ll play it by ear,” head coach Mike Tomlin said in his Thursday press conference. “I acknowledge that those guys are going to play. I will also acknowledge that they’re going to play more. But what that is, as I stand here right now, I’d be lying if I gave you a direct answer.” Pickett finished the preseason opener 6-of-7 passing for 70 yards with a 33-yard touchdown to George Pickens. Tomlin said he wants to see Pittsburgh’s offense get better in all areas this weekend. Tomlin also praised Pickett for the way the quarterback has handled his first training camp as an incumbent starter. “Man, I just like the way he’s communicating with people,” Tomlin said. “I like the way he comes in every day ready to compete. He’s not overanalyzing the big picture too much, he’s just trying to play his role in the creation of a great day and being there. I think other people, by virtue of his position, get their vibe off of that. His ability to remain singularly focused and hyper competitive, I think, is an asset to our unit and to our team.” 8/15 For those of you paying attention -- and NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal is among those who are, WR Calvin Austin III had four touches, 96 yards and a score against the Bucs in the exhibition opener. Still, as Rosenthal points out, Austin was somehow the Steelers' leading receiver and rusher. 8/15 For those of you paying attention -- and NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal is among those who are, WR Calvin Austin III had four touches, 96 yards and a score against the Bucs in the exhibition opener. Still, as Rosenthal points out, Austin was somehow the Steelers' leading receiver and rusher. 8/11 According to Pro Football Talk, Steelers QB Kenny Pickett is expected to play one series in the preseason opener this weekend. 8/10 According to NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, it looks like second-year receiver Calvin Austin III will have a role in the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense. If trade acquisition Allen Robinson doesn't work out, Austin could claim substantial snaps in the slot. 8/08 As the team's official website notes, rookie tight end Darnell Washington's reputation as a blocker preceded him on campus. Washington put that aspect of his game on display when he got the best of T.J. Watt twice in two tries in the pass rush/pass protection drill the Steelers unveiled for the first time this summer on Tuesday, the first day in pads. But Washington has since established he's also capable of catching passes, something he wasn't often asked to do at Georgia. First there was a lob in the red zone that turned into a touchdown, and then the next day another. And finally, there was a 20-yard strike from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky that produced the touchdown that won the second-team portion of Thursday's two-minute drill for the offense. "When you're that tall, you'd expect that," Trubisky noted. "He's so tall, he has strong hands, they're gonna have to double-cover him to probably stop that. We just gotta keep working on that, keep giving him opportunities to make plays. He's gonna be a big red zone threat for us. He's picking up this offense quick so he's definitely gonna be a dynamic threat for us. ..." Washington only caught 45 passes for 774 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons at Georgia. But Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin "didn't see any deficiency in that area of his game" during pre-draft study of Washington and cited a one-handed catch Washington had made on his Pro Day as attention-getting confirmation. He's an inviting target. Still, Washington's No. 1 asset remains his ability to block. "I feel like if Darnell would come practice with the O-Line for about a week he could probably play right tackle," left tackle and former Georgia teammate Broderick Jones insisted. 8/08 A first-round draft pick who made 12 starts as a rookie, Kenny Pickett barely made a blip on the roto radar and finished with more INTs than TDs. He did develop excellent chemistry with fellow rookie WR George Pickens and was on the same page with Diontae Johnson, although DJ somehow tallied 147 targets but zero touchdowns. The Steelers added Pro Bowl WR Allen Robinson and drafted 6-7, 270-pound Georgia TE Darnell Washington in the third round, giving their second-year signal-caller more tools to work with, but the jury is out on his fantasy potential. While jurors deliberate, head coach Mike Tomlin has already rendered a verdict and a prediction for 2023. "I expect him to kill it," he said on the Rich Eisen Show. "It's his second lap around the track. ... And so I just think it's reasonable for him to have significant growth in all areas." Pickett did rush for three scores (two in his debut), a skill he had in his bag at Pitt with 20 career ground scores. Assuming Pickett makes the expected jump in Year 2, this entire offense could provide some great fantasy values.
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 Team Review
Fantasy Grade: C
Thanks in large part to a late surge, the Stealers were able to preserve Mike Tomlin's streak of non-losing seasons in 2022. But if the team is going to take the next Step and regain the status of contender this year, a few things are going to need to happen. The first is marked improvement from quarterback Kenny Pickett, who managed just seven touchdown passes against nine interceptions as a rookie. However, as Jordan Dajani wrote for CBS Sports. Pickett's play improved as his first season wore on. "In Weeks 10-17, Picket had three fourth quarter come-backs and four "game-winning drives," per Pro Football Reference. Two came back-to-back in Weeks 16 and 17 to keep the Steelers in the win column. It's rather impres-sive Pickett answered the bell as a rookie in the fourth quarter late in the year," he said. 'With multiple additions on the offensive line and weapons like Dkotaie Johnson, the young George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, Pickett is very much a candidate to make a big second-year jump." Improved quarterback play would no doubt be a good thing for Pittsburgh's pass-catchers - the Stealers were dead last in the league in touchdown passes last year with 12. However, with veteran Allen Robinson also join-ing the Steelers in free agency this year, Andrew Wilbar of SB Nation worries that we could see another down season from No. 1 wideout Oiontae Johnson. "Johnson did not catch any touchdown passes in 2022, which makes it difficult to imagine a much worse out-come in 2023: he wrote. 'However, the additions of Allen Robinson and Darnell Washington will only take away more red-zone opportunities from the undersized Johnson. How much will these additions cut into his target share? Only time will tell, but with George Pickens emerg-ing into a WR1, Johnson is likely to take a back seat in the offense.' However, it's not all doom and gloom in the Steel City. Najee Harris has yet to break four yards a carry in a sea-son and saw his fantasy production dip last year relative to his rookie season. Eric Karabell of ESPN thinks that a healthy Harris presents an opportunity for value in 2023. 'A top-5 fantasy RB as a rookie, Harris dealt with a Lisfranc injury early in the season and he saw a smaller workload," Karabell said, 'While he played in all 17 games again and topped 1.000 rushing yards, his valuable role in the passing game diminished. Well see if the Stealers return his volume to 2021 levels." That's the prevailing storyline in the Steel City in 2023. There are several players who could outplay their asking price in drafts this year. But the certainty level with each individual isn't especially high. Fantasy Grade: C | |||||||||
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2023 Off-Season News & Views
Click here for Complete set of News & Views
Click here for earlier off-season items |
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