The Official Thread for THE HISTORIC Pittsburgh Steelers

[madducks]

The Steelers and Mike Tomlin really, really, really wanted Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. with the number 32 pick. Tenessee was offering the #41, #72, and a 2024 3rd rounder and the Steelers decided it wasn't worth the risk of losing their guy. Porter Jr. was a Steelers ball boy as a kid back when his dad was an all-pro linebacker with the team that was then coached by Bill Cowher.

Interestingly, one of the Steelers' first personnel moves after Mike Tomlin was hired as Steelers head coach in 2007 was to cut Joey Porter Sr. rather than pay him a $1 million roster bonus. Porter Sr went on to have several more productive seasons with the Dolphins and Cardinals before returning to the Steelers as an assistant coach under Tomlin. Porter Sr was fired as an assistant coach after four years and several off the field DUI and disorderly conduct arrests. He and Tomlin have remained close friends as have their sons who attended high school together. Despite the obvious favoritism, Porter Jr. can play and was projected as a first round pick by some experts. He almost was.

[madducks]

The Steelers traded pick number 17 and a fourth-rounder to the Patriots to move up and select Georgia OT Broderick Jones with the number 14 overall pick. Supposedly, the Jets wanted to take him with the next pick to provide protection for Aaron Rodgers. So, Bill Belichick was more than willing to make the deal.

The Steelers absolutely had to upgrade the offensive line to protect Kenny Pickett's blind side after he suffered two concussions during his rookie season.

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Sleeper alert. Jaylen Warren. The Steelers number 2 RB. For now.

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The Steelers have now won six pre-season games in a row.

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The Steelers season ends on a positive note with 4 straight wins while going 7-2 with a rookie QB in the second half.

Kenny Pickett, after throwing 8 interceptions in his first 5 games, only threw 1 interception in his last 7 games. Pickett may not have the physical skills of the elite QBs, but he more than makes up for it with his football instincts and IQ. And the kid has a great work ethic as evidenced by the extra offensive player meetings that he called for during the bye week. He inspired his teammates to work harder and improve upon their disappointing first half. And more importantly he earned their respect as the leader of the offense. The stats don't accurately reflect what he accomplished this season.

The Steelers announced their team captains for the 2023 season on Monday, and the list includes Kenny Pickett. The quarterback earned the honor in his second season.

It took Ben Roethlisberger until his fifth season to become a team captain.

“The way he approaches each day, the way he grasps the offense, he really has a voice,” left tackle Dan Moore said, via Joe Rutter of the Tribune-Review. “I talk to a lot of guys about it. Kenny has ‘it.’ I don’t know what that ‘it’ is, but he has it.”

[madducks]

The Steelers and Mike Tomlin really, really, really wanted Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. with the number 32 pick. Tenessee was offering the #41, #72, and a 2024 3rd rounder and the Steelers decided it wasn't worth the risk of losing their guy. Porter Jr. was a Steelers ball boy as a kid back when his dad was an all-pro linebacker with the team that was then coached by Bill Cowher.

Interestingly, one of the Steelers' first personnel moves after Mike Tomlin was hired as Steelers head coach in 2007 was to cut Joey Porter Sr. rather than pay him a $1 million roster bonus. Porter Sr went on to have several more productive seasons with the Dolphins and Cardinals before returning to the Steelers as an assistant coach under Tomlin. Porter Sr was fired as an assistant coach after four years and several off the field DUI and disorderly conduct arrests. He and Tomlin have remained close friends as have their sons who attended high school together. Despite the obvious favoritism, Porter Jr. can play and was projected as a first round pick by some experts. He almost was.

Hey Rookie!

[madducks]

"Take it personal."

[madducks]

The Steelers and Mike Tomlin really, really, really wanted Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. with the number 32 pick. Tenessee was offering the #41, #72, and a 2024 3rd rounder and the Steelers decided it wasn't worth the risk of losing their guy. Porter Jr. was a Steelers ball boy as a kid back when his dad was an all-pro linebacker with the team that was then coached by Bill Cowher.

Interestingly, one of the Steelers' first personnel moves after Mike Tomlin was hired as Steelers head coach in 2007 was to cut Joey Porter Sr. rather than pay him a $1 million roster bonus. Porter Sr went on to have several more productive seasons with the Dolphins and Cardinals before returning to the Steelers as an assistant coach under Tomlin. Porter Sr was fired as an assistant coach after four years and several off the field DUI and disorderly conduct arrests. He and Tomlin have remained close friends as have their sons who attended high school together. Despite the obvious favoritism, Porter Jr. can play and was projected as a first round pick by some experts. He almost was.

“I was talking to my coach right before I went out on that series,” Joey Porter Jr. said. “He was talking about getting our hands on our receivers in Cover-2. He’s like, ‘Once you get your hands on him, push him out of bounds and look for the ball, because it’s gonna be there.’ And exactly like that, it happened.”

[madducks]

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Jaylen Warren is expected to get “a little more first and second down snaps than usual.”

Rapoport said that Najee Harris remains the starter and will see work on early downs, but Jaylen Warren will take the field for third downs. That was before mentioning an increased role for Warren on first and second downs. The way Rapoport paints it sounds like a full-blown committee is brewing in Pittsburgh. If that is the case, Harris would plummet deep into the RB2 ranks with Warren not far behind as a viable FLEX option.

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Steelers DT Cam Heyward will undergo groin surgery and could miss up to eight weeks. Sigh.

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Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (hamstring) is expected to miss four weeks. Sigh.

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The strong performance of the Steelers defense this week is bitter sweet for me as they just ended the season of my first round draft pick Nick Chubb. Ugh.

[madducks]

T.J. Watt broke James Harrison’s all-time franchise sack record Monday night against the Browns.

The numbers show just how dominant Watt has been during his career.

T.J. Watt: 81.5 sacks in 89 games.
James Harrison: 80.5 sacks in 177 games.

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The Steelers next opponent only has a 1-2 record, but the Texans are sneaky good and are on the verge of becoming one of the leagues best offenses IMO. The Steelers offense is going to need their best game of the year to keep up with C.J. Stroud & co.

[madducks]

TJ Watt has 6 sacks in 3 games.